Muharram 11, 1443/August 20, 2021 Issue No. 954

The Weekly Muslim News Update

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Don’t ignore spiritual mattersThe government has been criticized for putting more efforts in the economy reopening and forgetting spiritual nour-ishment. The North Rift chairman of Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) Sheikh Abubakar Bini took issue with the decision to allow Matatus and other public transport vehicles to resume the carrying of passengers at full capac-ity saying there is no justification for opening all the other public spaces and maintain restrictions on places of wor-ship like mosques.Speaking to the Friday Bulletin, Sheikh Bini expressed his concerns over the continued limit on the number of people in worship places stressing that at this time of the Covid-19 pandemic, they need to be more close to Allah (God) and that as religious leaders they have continued receiving queries from their followers on why houses of worship

Sagaff Swaleh's mother Nargis Khamis Ali breaks down during the press briefing at Haki Africa offices in Mombasa on Wednesday.

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Haki Africa has called upon the Gov-ernment to use diplomacy in repatriat-ing Kenyan immigrant workers who are mistreated in Saudi Arabia back to their country.It is reported that over 100 Kenyans are currently imprisoned in Saudi Arabia but the number is projected to be larger since the figure reported by rights de-fenders is just from a single police cell.Addressing journalists at the Haki Afri-ca offices in Mombasa on Wednesday, Haki Africa Deputy Executive Director Salma Hemed requested the govern-ment to use diplomacy in repatriating Kenyans back to their country.“These Kenyans are going through gross human rights violations, they should be assisted back to their coun-try,” she said.She blamed the Kenyan Embassy in Saudi Arabia for ignoring the plights of Kenyans but instead working with Saudi officials to further oppress the

Haki Africa to Gov't: Repatriate Kenyan workers mistreated in Saudi

have remained closed and yet prayers in Mosques hardly last for more than ten minutes. He further pointed out that apart from opening up economy, spirituality should also be prioritized to enable believers to continue beseeching the Creator so that He completely heals the World from the deadly scourge that has destroyed lives worldwide. “At this time of the Covid-19 pandemic, we need to be more close to Allah (God) and that is why we request government to open mosques since God considers com-munal prayers more than home prayers,” he said.The CIPK Chair appealed to the govern-ment to re-open places of worship so that believers can jointly seek divine interven-tion in the battle against COVID-19.He emphasized that the government should review the number of congregants

allowed in the places of worship to facilitate the resumption of congregational worship as his council has had a series of meetings with Imams and Islamic scholars from the region who have promised to observe the laid down regulations. “Some of the places with very many people who don’t even follow government’s direc-tives are open. Why not worship places. We want Ministry of Health in collaboration with the Interfaith Council to review the limitation of congregants allowed in the places of wor-ship and reopen them to capacity because as religious leaders promise to observe the laid down regulations. Some of our people need guidance. We need these places opened,” he said.Last week, the government allowed Public Service Vehicles (PSVs) to carry passengers to capacity as a measure to open up econ-omy.

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Muharram 11, 1443/August 20, 2021NATIONALThe Friday Bulletin

Apply for Indonesian scholarships, Kenyan students urgedIn a move to strengthen greater coopera-tion in education sector, Kenyan students have been urged to apply for scholarships to pursue university education in Indone-sia.Indonesian’s ambassador to Kenya Mu-hammad Hery Saripudin stated that in light of Indonesian's strategy to maintain bilateral relations with Kenya and other African countries will endeavor to open the doors of its universities for interna-tional students from around the world to pursue the full-time or short-term program in the most prestigious Indonesia univer-sities.Ambassador Saripudin urged more Ken-yan students wishing to pursue university education to emulate their peers in Ugan-da and Somalia and seek for scholarships and pursue higher education in Indonesia. “Providing higher education opportunities to qualified Kenyan students in Indonesia through scholarships is a promising leg of our cooperation which we shall main-tain for bilateral relations. We would like to encourage Kenyan Students to pursue higher education in Indonesia,” he said. Speaking on Tuesday during the Marking of the 76th Indonesia Independence Day, Ambassador Saripudin noted that since 2008, Indonesia has been awarding 1290 scholarships to students coming from 94 developing countries around the world and expressed hope that the number of Kenyan students seeking scholarships in Indonesia will increase as a measure to establish long term relations with Kenya through education opportunities. Amb Saripudin believes that to sustain the ties between the two countries, it is important to focus on bringing together youths from either side.Two months ago, 17 young people from the three East African nations received

Indonesian scholarships. Three of the scholarships were for doctoral stud-ies and the rest were for Master’s pro-grammes.Saripudin pledged that his country will continue to increase the contributions of Indonesia to Kenya in the key sector of education stressing that Indonesia con-siders Kenya as a major actor and im-portant partner in the Continent.Recently, the envoy met Umma Univer-sity Vice Chancellor Dr Idle Farah where various avenues of collaboration and ex-change programmes were explored.He also met the vice chancellors of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) and the University of Nairobi (UoN)to discuss the two uni-versities can partner with universities in Indonesia.

Since Indonesia and Kenya established dip-lomatic ties in 1979, Kenyan students have studied in the South East Asian nation and returned to participate in national develop-ment.

already suffering Kenyans.“In fact we are demanding an overhaul of the Kenyan Embassy to bring more de-voted officials who have the zeal of serv-ing Kenyans without fear and favour,” she added.The Kenyan Embassy in Saudi Arabia is on the spot over claims of laxity and ig-noring plight of Kenyan immigrant work-ers.One of the survivor who was assisted by Human rights lobby Haki Africa to get back to the country, Kevin Githinji, trav-elled to Saudi Arabia in March, 2020 only to get a unfriendly reception from the very first day he stepped in the foreign coun-try.Githinji, who was to be employed by a Saudi based company was unknowingly transferred to a different company where he declined to sign the contract.“I was immediately thrown into detention

for over 10 months, I really suffered,” said the victim.Another detainee Sagaff Swaleh who is still held in Saudi Arabia cells is appeal-ing for Government interventions to help him return to Kenya.His mother Nargis Khamis says his son has been working in Saudi Arabia for the last 10 years however, since last year, he has been going through hell.“I only want to see my son, we are ap-pealing to the government to intervene and help us get our son back,” pleaded the mother.Meanwhile the Organisation’s Rapid Re-sponse officer Mathias Hezron Shipetta called for a deployment of more labour attaches at the Kenya- Saudi Embassy and called for an immediate set-up of a response team with a hotline number to follow up on emergency issues raised by Kenyans in distress.

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Kisumu Muslim Association AGM for August 29 The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Kisumu Muslim Association (KMA) will take place on August 29.The AGM that had earlier been sched-uled for April but it was postponed due to the prevailing situation in the country brought about by the deadly Coronavi-rus and subsequent government direc-tive outlawing any form of gatherings in public places shall be held at the Jamia Mosque in Kisumu starting at 9.00 a.m. However, the AGM is being held without the four members of the Board of Trus-tees of the Association who have since resigned. According to the Association’s Depu-ty Secretary General Salim Ombima, among the agendas of the meeting in-clude chairman’s report and approving the financial audit report for the year

2020/2021.During the meeting the election of new members of board of trustees of the asso-ciation shall be carried out.Last week, Sheikh Asif Awan Bux alongside Prof Muhammad Suleiman Mukras who is lecturer at the Department of Economics, School of Business and Economics, Mase-no University, Lawyer Abdallah Ondiege and businessman Khalid Mahfudh Ashur tendered their resignations citing other commitments.The four were elected in 2019 to serve as trustees of the Kisumu Muslim Association (KMA) for three years.Others elected during the time were mem-bers of the Executive Committee Yasin Muhammad popularly known as Yaken, SheikhAli Juma Chweya, Abdallah Bahmaz (Setti)and tour operator Rashid Hussein. Meanwhile, the fate of more than 3,000 Kibos residents whose homes were demol-ished by Kenya Railways Corporation will be determined on August 27. The presiding Judge Justice Anthony Omb-wayo of Kisumu Environment and Land Court (ELC) yesterday postponed the case yet against. Earlier the ruling was sched-uled to be made on July but, was postponed to this month to give room for the court visit. Kituo Cha Sheria and Kisumu Muslim Asso-ciation (KMA) have been enjoined as inter-ested parties, and allowed to respond to the petition by way of affidavits and written sub-missions ahead of the expedited hearing. The Environment and Lands Court in Ki-sumu had earlier extended orders barring the Kenya Railways from evicting Kibos residents from their parcel of Land. Parties sued include Kenya Railways, Cabinet Secretaries for Transport, Interior, Lands and Housing as well as the National Land Commission (NLC), the county gov-ernment of Kisumu and the Attorney Gen-eral.

Indonesia’s ambassador to Kenya His Excellency Mohamad Hery Saripudin

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DA'WAH Muharram 11, 1443/August 20, 2021The Friday Bulletin

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Hajj and Ashura: Remembering Prophets Abraham & Musa

Muslims around the world last month celebrated Hajj and remembered Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him) and his family.Many of the Hajj rituals relate to Prophet Abraham, his son Ishmael and his wife Hajar, as pilgrims in Makkah and Mina literally walk in their footsteps.When pilgrims circumam-bulate the Ka’bah, they re-member Prophet Abraham who rebuilt God’s House with his son, and they strengthen their faith and love for Allah during tawaf.And when pilgrims go seven times between the mounts of Safa and Marwah then drink from the well of Zamzam, they also remember Prophet Ismail and his mother Hajar and renew their determina-

and his followers were nearly defeated, Al-lah’s Prophet did not doubt His promise.He trusted Allah so much, he knew deep inside that He would never let him down.When facing the sea and Pharaoh’s ap-proaching army, when all those around him believed they would be dead, Prophet Mo-ses (peace be upon him) said:No! Indeed, with me is my Lord; He will guide me. (Quran 26:62)And the miracle took place, as a path for their salvation appeared in front of them:Then We inspired to Moses, “Strike with your staff the sea,” and it parted, and each portion was like a great towering mountain. (Quran 6:63)Trusting GodIf there is one main lesson we Muslim should take away from the Day of Ashura it is to trust in Allah’s promise.When the Mother of Moses (peace be upon him) trusted in God’s promise and threw her baby in the Nile, God fulfilled His promise and he returned to her. It seems this event helped shape the character and strengthen the faith of God’s prophet throughout his life.When he later on faced Pharaoh and all those magicians, fear entered his heart.But he trusted Allah, and threw his staff as commanded:And he sensed within himself apprehen-sion, did Moses. Allah said, “Fear not. In-deed, it is you who are superior. And throw what is in your right hand; it will swallow up what they have crafted. What they have crafted is but the trick of a magician, and the magician will not succeed wherever he is.” (Quran 20:67-69)

And what was the outcome of that moment of trust in Allah?He turned all those disbelievers who prac-ticed magic into strong believers with Al-lah’s permission:So the magicians fell down in prostration. They said, “We have believed in the Lord of Aaron and Moses. (Quran 20:70)At the Red Sea, when there was no es-cape, no bridge and no tunnel to go to the other side, a moment of strong faith and trust in God was key in his salvation and the salvation of his people.Muslims TodaySo what about us Muslims today?Do we have that strong faith to help us out of the difficulties and hardships we face in life?When we read the Quran, do we really re-flect on the stories of God’s Prophets as we should?Or are they just stories we read over and over again without deep reflection?The next time you read the stories of Prophet Abraham and Prophet Moses in the Quran, try to focus and do your best to think how these stories relate to your own personal life and challenges.In doing so, we will find that the Quran will teach us a lot, and the inspiration we get from these stories will help guide us to Al-lah’s Straight Path.The sea will not open to save us, but on a smaller scale Allah will show us the way.… And whoever fears Allah – He will make for him a way out. (Quran 65:2)

By Shaikh (Dr) Haitham Al-Haddad

tion to do their best effort and trust in Allah.At Mina when pilgrims throw pebbles at the jamarat, again they remember the three members of the blessed Abrahamic family and are inspired by their faith when facing life’s temptations.Allah’s Beloved ProphetsAnd in this month of Muharram, on the Day of Ashura we are remembering another of Allah’s beloved prophets, Prophet Moses (peace be upon him).Allah loved both prophets so much that He took Prophet Abraham as a close friend (Khalil), and He spoke to Prophet Moses directly, not through angels.Allah says in the Quran:And who is better in religion than one who submits himself to Allah while being a doer of good and follows the religion of Abra-ham, inclining toward truth? And Allah took Abraham as an intimate friend. (Quran 4:125)In the same chapter, He also says about Prophet Moses (peace be upon him):And [We sent] messengers about whom We have related [their stories] to you be-fore and messengers about whom We have not related to you. And Allah spoke to Moses with [direct] speech. (Quran 4:164)Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) met both prophets during his night journey and ascension to Heaven. He met Prophet Abraham in the highest heaven, the sev-enth heaven, and Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) in the sixth heaven.That’s how close they are to Allah, and their stories inspire us year after year.Ashura: Remembering a Strong FaithWhen Prophet Moses (peace be upon him)

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Maybe It’s Divorce We’re Taking Lightly Muharram 11, 1443/August 20, 2021The Friday Bulletin WOMEN

our country. It can never work. I’ll mention none of this nonsense to your father. Stu-pid girl, don’t go and ruin your life for some boy.”“I’m not giving up,” Samir said on the phone the next day, but his voice betrayed how heartbroken he was. “I’m talking to your father.”“Stay away from my daughter!” A week lat-er, Anisa shuddered as her father’s voice carried to the solitude of her room. She heard the front door slam, and she rushed to the window, her heart dropping as she saw Samir walking to his car, shoulders slouched.“I’m not giving up,” Anisa told Samir on the phone the next day.“I wish we could run away together,” Samir said, a hint of humor in his sad tone. They both laughed, but when Anisa hung up the phone, tears stung her eyes…When Anisa was twenty-one years old and in her third year in university, her parents said they had found a “good boy” for her.“You will not refuse Abdullah,” her mother said the night before Anisa was to meet him. “Your father worked very hard to find the right match for you. Abdullah finished medical school and comes from a good family. Do not disappoint us.”Samir met Anisa on campus after she told him the news. Anisa cried unabashedly as Samir fought back tears, but he couldn’t keep himself from pulling Anisa close to him. Islamic limits blurred at that moment and neither cared. They just wanted this moment, which they would never have again…Naturally, Anisa’s marriage to Abdullah was strained from the start. Her heart was at-tached to Samir, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not loosen the hold Samir had on her heart. But she convinced herself that her mother was right. A good Muslim girl did what her parents wanted, even if it wasn’t what she wanted for her-self.“We are good Muslims, Anisa,” her mother had said after Anisa and Abdullah met. “We are not forcing you. Allah forbids this. But if you do not marry Abdullah, know you are breaking your parents’ hearts, and I will never forgive you for that.”Abdullah was a good man, Anisa could not deny. He provided for her and spent quality time, but he did not share Anisa’s love for Islam or her outlook on life. Even though they didn’t have children, Abdullah asked her to drop out of graduate school and fo-cus on her “Islamic duties.” He said a good Muslim woman doesn’t mix with men—even though his job at the hospital required just that, as did his casual friendships with female coworkers.When Abdullah suggested Anisa remove her hijab, she was aghast. She cried to her mother, and to Anisa’s shock, her mother told her to obey her husband. “We are living in difficult times,” her mother said. “There’s no point in putting hardship on yourself.”

This is really a shame,” the woman said. “The divorce rate of Muslims is so high. Why are Muslims taking marriage so light-ly?”It’s a question we’ve likely all heard or ut-tered by our own tongues. But the more I live, the more I’m developing a different perspective…Anisa’s StoryAnisa was twenty-two when she got mar-ried, but she was sixteen when she met eighteen-year-old Samir. They met in Hon-or Society and were drawn to each other, the only practicing Muslims at school. Anisa wore hijab, and Samir spoke openly about Islam. Though they shared no class-es, they saw each other during the club’s weekly meetings after school.Neither Anisa nor Samir thought much of their frequent talking. But there was so much to discuss and so much that drew them together. They shared the same goals in life, and they both dreamed of teaching Islam on a large scale.It was a year before Anisa and Samir got back in touch. Anisa was browsing a friend’s Facebook page when she saw Samir’s profile. Her heart pounded in ex-citement, and her hand trembled nerv-ously as she sent him a friend request. Less than an hour later, he accepted, and it was clear that Samir was excited to hear from her.When Samir graduated, Anisa couldn’t escape the sense of sadness that overwhelmed her, but she tried to focus on school. She kept telling herself it was just loneliness. But, something deep inside said it was something more…They talked online almost every day after that. But they still didn’t admit to them-selves what was happening. But when Anisa gave Samir her phone number and told him the times to call (when her parents weren’t home), she started to feel a little guilty. But they talked mostly about Islam and what they envisioned for themselves in the future…and in marriage.Anisa was eighteen and months away from graduation when Samir surprised her by visiting the school. It was time for Honor Society, but when she saw Samir, she couldn’t bring herself to go inside.“I had to see you,” he said as they walked down the hall. They both kept their hands tucked deep into their pockets, but they couldn’t avoid the furtive glance. “I miss you, Anisa.”The words sent Anisa’s heart fluttering, and she barely found her voice. “Me too.” When she realized that her response made no sense, they both laughed awkwardly.They were sitting on the bleachers outside when Samir said, “I know it’s wrong to have these feelings…” Anisa averted her gaze, her face growing warm in embarrassment. “But I can’t take this anymore. I need to be with you…properly, you know?”“No,” Anisa’s mother said later that night when Anisa confided in her about Samir. “You are too young. Besides, he’s not from

Anisa felt uncomfortable when she walked outside uncovered for the first time, and she could never bring herself to accept this new life. She became so ashamed of her-self that she stopped reading Qur’an and she barely prayed. Ultimately, Anisa fell into deep depression and fought thoughts of suicide.On one particularly distressful day, Anisa took a walk. As the sun warmed her hair and bare arms, Anisa reflected on her life, and she found that she didn’t even know herself anymore.“Anisa?”Anisa’s private thoughts were disrupted, and she looked up to find Samir opposite her…and a beautiful woman in hijab with a baby stroller…Shocked and ashamed, everything came back to her in that moment. She felt angry with herself, her parents, and even Abdul-lah. But she would get her life back, she told herself, even if it meant divorce…The Reality of DivorceLike the fictional character Anisa, most people who reach the point of divorce have a long history of practical and psychological struggles that led them to that point. These men and women do not fantasize about di-vorce, and they do not take marriage light-ly. “The decision to divorce is never easy, and as anyone who has been through it will tell you, this wrenching, and painful experi-ence can leave scars on adults as well as children for years.”[1]For Muslims, this decision is all the more difficult because they have to consider the repercussions in this world and in the Here-after.Is Divorce As Bad As We Think?Though it is unquestionable that preserving a marriage is of great importance in Islam, the stigma attached to divorce and the vow “till death do us part” are not Islamic con-cepts.Allah says,“…No person shall have a burden laid on him greater than he can bear.” —Al-Baqa-rah, 2:233In the chapter Al-Talaaq (Divorce), Allah says,“…And whoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way out for him [from every difficulty]. And He will provide him from [sources] he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him.”—65:2-3Therefore, it is imperative that we not place impossible restrictions on ourselves. Whether a believer is married or divorced, Allah’s mercy, love, and provision are al-ways near.Another Point of ViewWhen we look at divorce honestly, we often find that amongst Muslims, it is not always the one seeking divorce who is taking mar-riage lightly. It is sometimes the parents and families who compel the Anisas and

By Umm Zakiyyah

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Muharram 11, 1443/August 20, 2021The Friday Bulletin YOUTH

It is a hard position to be in. You want to connect with someone at the deepest level of intimacy spiritually, physically, intellectu-ally and emotionally. And yet, because of your decision to try your best to stick to the guidelines God has revealed for intimacy, you’re still single and possibly lonely.Some of you are constantly being asked by your families and your community mem-bers and your friends who keep wanting to get you married, “What’s going on? Is something wrong with you? When are you going to settle down? Don’t you [*ahem* especially sisters] know that your biologi-cal clock is ticking and time is running out?”If they could only understand the internal pressure you’re already dealing with! Hav-ing to figure out ways to constantly evade or explain away your singledom is not an-other issue you should have to deal with.So, what do you do?1- Consider: Would You Marry You?A blissful marriage is a great gift, but it re-quires consistent and persistent work from both spouses. Not only are the two who join together imperfect, but they bring into a relationship their own insecurities, fears, confusions, and mistakes.Sometimes, young folks may say some-thing like, “I want to marry someone better than me so that they can help me become better.” But if single folks are not personally working on self-improvement now, how is it to be expected that it will be easier with the additional baggage of another individual who is also imperfect?How can a single person bank on it that their spiritual and personal development

What to do if you’re a conscientious Muslim, want to get Married but are still single4- Tell Yourself and Others That it is Your LifeOther people may try to pry or pressure you because they care about you, but you have to gently let them know that their con-tinuous probing is more damaging than helpful.Many a young person settles for some-one they do not even feel comfortable with simply because they want to make their parents happy. But a few months into the marriage, when they realize that they mar-ried the wrong person and their parents are now pressuring them to have children, they recognize they should have made de-cisions best for their lives, instead of the lives of others.Be honest with yourself and have open, honest conversations with your parents. If they are unreasonably overbearing, bring in mentors to help your parents understand your perspective.And parents: Recognize the pressure your child is constantly facing. Help him/her maneuver their singlehood in a way that celebrates this time God has given them instead of lamenting that they’re not yet hitched. They need your support in navigat-ing a likely already painful area. Become friends on this journey for them instead of becoming those they fear and avoid.5- Cultivate Emotional FulfillmentThe reality is that being single can be ex-tremely lonely. But being in a difficult mar-riage can actually be even lonelier.It’s important to find a supportive system

So don’t rush into a marriage that you’ll find out was perhaps not the best life decision. Don’t romanticize marriage, the concept of being married, the wedding day, or a pos-sible partner to the point where you do not see blatant red flags.Be aware that a purposeful, peaceful mar-riage is a great blessing but that life can also be full of other types of incredible blessings if you are single.3- Pursue Your DreamsSince you don’t currently have the obliga-tions and accountabilities in a marriage, follow your dreams and goals and passions without the pressure of such responsibility!The Prophet (Peace be upon him) taught us: Take benefit of five before five: Your youth before your old age, your health be-fore your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before you’re pre-occupied, and your life before your death. (Al-Ḥâkim)Get so caught up in your family, your ca-reer, your activism, your travel, your com-munity work and your volunteerism that you don’t have time to sit around and won-der when and if your spouse will ever come into your life. Be ready for when he/she does and actively look for him/her (Point 6), but until your plate really is full with the responsibilities of marriage, use your time to pursue your passions.What are all the things you would love to do now, when you don’t have the respon-sibilities of a relationship? Take this time to explore yourself and your relationship with the community and society further and begin to challenge yourself to find different ways to find self-fulfillment.

By Maryam Amirebrahimi

improvements will simply come through marrying another per-son? Do you notice your own flaws, short-comings and imper-fections? Or do you only notice the glaring problems in potential suitors?Consider the question: Would you want to marry you? If not, how can you get to where you should be? If yes, how can you increase in your good qualities to get even better?2- Realize this: Mar-riage is not the End All, Be AllGetting married isn’t going to miraculously fix life problems. It isn’t always an out to lone-liness or an escape from current situations. Sometimes, marriage can actually be one of the most painful life experiences.

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The Friday Bulletin

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Muharram 11, 1443/August 20, 2021

Ashura – Celebrating Moses or Mourning Hussein?Prophet Muhammad was very concerned about fasting on the day of Ashura. The day of Ashura literally means the 10th, from the tenth day of Muharram.Story of AshuraAnd the fasting on this day was made ob-ligatory even before Ramadan; it was made obligatory in the first year after the hijrah, and everybody had to fast the first year. Then Allah revealed Ramadan, so Rama-dan became obligatory, and the next year, Muharram became recommended and not obligatory.So, the first year of Islam, it was obligatory on all Muslims to fast on the 10th of Muhar-ram, and then in the second year it went down from being obligatory to being recom-mended and strongly encouraged.The Prophet Muhammad said that it serves as a forgiveness for the sins of the previous year.On this day of 10th of Muharram our Prophet told us that Moses was saved from Pharaoh, and that Noah’s ship landed on Mount Judy, that on these days many incidents happen in the past, that served as a day of celebration and rejoicing.When Prophet Muhammad found out that the Jews were fasting on the 10th of Muhar-ram as well, even though the blessings of the tenth were predating the knowledge of the Prophet about the Jews.When he found out that they were fasting because on this day, they said:“Moses was saved and Pharaoh was drowned. So we take it as a day of celebra-tion.”The Prophet Muhammad said:We have more right to Moses than you do.In other words, we are the true followers of Moses and from that year onwards, he also encouraged everybody to fast on the 10th. He also said:If I live one more year, I shall fast on the 9th and the 10th.The scholars say, ‘to make our ritual differ-ent from the ritual of other religions and na-tions’.

Dr. Yasir Qadhi

THE ASHURA

Therefore, ideally it is to fast the ninth and the tenth even though our Prophet never did it be-cause as he said in the hadith but he passed away the very year that he said it, so he never actually lived to the next year but he said:If Allah allows me to live another year, I shall fast the 9th and the 10th of Muharram.So, those who are able to fast the ninth and the tenth or the tenth and the 11th, it’s better, but if they cannot fast two

And the fact of the matter is that the death of Hussein is a historical tragedy, but the blessings of the 10th of Muharram and the fasting of the 10th of Muharram is sepa-rate to the historical tragedy that occurred coincidentally on the 10th of Muharram in a later year of the Hijrah.Unfortunately, people have taken this Mas-sacre to imply and to give meaning to Mu-harram. But, Muharram was blessed and sacred before the massacre and the mas-sacre has nothing to do with the sanctity of the month and the fasting of the month. Ashura was a day that was holy before Hussein was martyred on that day.Therefore, as Muslims, we take the 10th of Muharram not as a day of mourning, but as a day of worship of Allah Almighty, where we are conscious of Allah even more and we come close to Allah through the action of fasting.This is a summary of Dr. Yasir Qadhi’s talk.

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Abdullahs of the world into marrying for the sake of tradition or image—or parents and families whose complete lack of involvement leave youth without guidance when embark-ing on this life-altering milestone.Naturally, whether the marriage is “forced” or decided without proper guidance, it is likely only a matter of time before divorce is sought as a last resort to restore psychological or spiritual peace.And when these men and women raise their hands to Allah and ask for relief, who are we to say they’re discounting the heavy respon-sibility of marriage?Divorce at such times may be a tremendous blessing for them, and we should not take this lightly.

outside of a relationship. You need solid, genuine friends or family members with whom you can connect–from spiritual upliftment to a celebratory posse to a supportive group through mourning, it’s important to have people you connect with on a deep level to help you feel emotionally fulfilled.No, this is not the same as the profound personal connection had by two partners who truly love, care for and work well to-gether. But it’s a very important second option.6- Be on the Lookout and Keep Your Options OpenThe Prophet (Peace be upon him) taught us to tie the camel and put our trust in Allah. (Tirmidhi) In other words, while the final outcome is with God, we are re-quired to put in the work.So many people share with me that they want to get married, but then they specify that the potential spouse must be from a specific race or a specific career path or they must meet them in a specific way. If you are so busy looking for Mr. or Ms. Perfect, you may miss Mr. or Ms. Right.Do your part in finding the right partner; start going to more events, joining more volunteer organizations, putting your profiles on marriage sites and sending your information to friends who could keep you in mind while they interact with

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What to do if you’re a conscientious Muslim

Maybe It’s Divorce

those who could be possible potentials.You may already be doing all of the above and more, and you may be emotionally ex-hausted by the constant disappointment. Take a deep breath, take some time off, plan some ‘you’ recuperation time in which you work on self-care. And when you’re ready, re-open your heart to being vulner-able again.7- Have Certainty that God will Answer YouGod says: And when My servants ask of you concerning Me, indeed I am near. I re-spond to the invocation of the supplicant when he calls upon Me. [Sûrat Al-Baqarah, 2:186]Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) taught us: Ask Allah with certainty that He will answer your prayers. (Tirmidhi)In other words, when you pray, believe He WILL answer you and give you not just what you want, but what’s even better than that and what’s best for you!Sit down and write out what you’re going to pray for and at what times. If you do not already have your five prayers down, make it a goal to get them in and beg God for your blessed partner during those prayers.Trust in His decision and hope in His re-sponse. No matter what, He will undoubt-edly choose what is best for you.

days, then at least on the 10th they should definitely fast on that day and it is a day that if you do it properly and sincerely the minor sins of the previous year are forgiven.Martyrdom of HusseinAnd no doubt, this day also is a day in which a historical tragedy occurred and that is the massacre of Hussein, the tragedy of Karbala. But that tragedy does not have anything to do with the sanctity of this day; it was a coincidence that it happened on that day.

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The Friday Bulletin Muharram 11, 1443/August 20, 2021OPINION

The US, the Taliban and the stunning defeat in Afghanistan

Those of us who warned against wag-ing vengeful wars and occupying faraway lands as a way to combat “global terror-ism” and establish a “pax America” in the greater Middle East, were ignored.The Bush administration’s decision to launch a second disastrous and costly war against Iraq left Afghanistan in dire straits, and for all practical purposes, Washington was unable to recover the initiative after-wards.The failure of the Obama administration’s Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy of troop surge signalled the beginning of the end of the war. From then on, only its pride pre-vented it from recognising the obvious and acting on it.The Trump administration’s decision to en-gage the Taliban diplomatically appeared to be the beginning of the US surrendering the country to the hardline group in part or as a whole.The Biden administration’s decision to speed up US withdrawal regardless of the diplomatic, military or strategic outcome, left the Afghan government to fend for it-self, while knowing all too well it could not last long.But was it really inevitable?It is hard to say what would have been the outcome if the US remained focused on Af-ghanistan, rooting out al-Qaeda and pav-ing the way towards a more stable regime with the help of neighbouring countries. Even Iran offered to help during those early years.But the Bush administration’s decision to launch the “global war on terror”, includ-ing the disastrous war on Iraq, eventually downgraded and bungled its Afghan mis-sion.It also alienated major regional and inter-national allies by its exclusionary “US or against US” approach to the Middle East and international affairs.Afghanistan was left on the backburner and came to be known as the “forgotten war” as US attention focused on Iraq. Then came the 2008 financial crisis further forc-ing Washington to turn inward, weakening

its foreign commitments.But even if the US had remained totally focused on Afghanistan, there was no guarantee that it could have accomplished the more modest mission of stabilising the country.In fact, since World War II, the US has failed to decisively win any major war, whether in Korea, Vietnam or Iraq.Moreover, geography has long trumped strategy in such asymmetrical conflicts as that of Afghanistan, where local forces and regional dynamics outperform and outma-noeuvre the more sophisticated imperial forces deployed from across the seas.Such is the lesson most 20th-century co-lonial powers learned the hard way, as any military historian would tell you.Afghans knew that the US may have con-trolled the timings of its deployments but the Taliban had the time. And it had the will.The US may have won certain hearts and minds, especially in Kabul, where it spent untold sums of money, but Afghans knew deep in their hearts that America will de-part sooner or later, and they would have to deal with the Taliban.It did not help that their successive gov-ernments were rather inept and corrupt, garnering little or no confidence. Their complete dependency on US military and financial aid ensured they would never be able to try to stand on their own.The same applied to the armed forces. Despite outnumbering the Taliban four to one, corruption, nepotism and neglect reigned high, especially among the top brass.In sum, this may have been inevitable considering the US blunders and its part-ners’ failings, but it did not have to be so utterly humiliating.But then again, the humiliation may be the one silver lining after the two decades of tragedy, teaching Washington to avoid war at all cost in the future, especially those horrific wars of choice in the greater Middle East. (Al Jazeera)

Last week’s turn of events in Afghanistan has been utterly shocking but hardly sur-prising.The Taliban’s blistering takeover of the country’s main cities was breathtaking in its speed and ease, culminating in their march on the capital almost unopposed as President Ashraf Ghani fled the coun-try.It was expected, yes, but no so rapidly, so victoriously, so humiliatingly.Since the war began almost 20 years ago, successive US administrations have ignored the writing on the wall, prolong-ing the inevitable, while failing to prepare for it.It took the US and its allies only two months to “liberate” Kabul from the grip of the Taliban in 2001, and less than two years for the smug Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, to declare at a news conference in Kabul on May 1, 2003, that “major combat activity” was over.But it was not over. Not by any measure.As the US occupation stumbled, the de-posed Taliban regrouped and launched a merciless asymmetrical war on the US and Afghan government forces for much of the following two decades.But successive US administrations delib-erately deceived the American public into thinking everything was dandy on the war front in Afghanistan, when in fact, it was anything but – just as they did previously during the Vietnam war.The scene of US personnel fleeing Ka-bul last week, just as they did Saigon in 1975, was downright eerie.The US has suffered a few thousand cas-ualties, but tens of thousands of Afghan security forces have died, and an untold number of civilians have become the real victims of the war, which has destroyed the lives and livelihoods of countless families and communities.During the past decade, the Taliban has demolished Washington’s “clear, build and hold” strategy, terrorising entire com-munities that cooperated with the US forces.The total collapse of the Afghan govern-ment forces following the withdrawal of the remainder of US combat troops has left many in Washington and other west-ern capitals scratching their heads for answers.Some of these answers have been read-ily available by the “we-told-you-so” war sceptics, who long warned that Af-ghanistan was a proven “graveyard of empires”, whether it is the 19th-century British empire or the 20th-century Soviet empire.In the words of the ancient Greek Mac-edonian emperor, Alexander the Great, Afghanistan is “easy to march into but hard to march out of”.But an overconfident post-Cold War America was in no mood for such histori-cal references after the 9/11 attacks hit at the heart of its economic and military symbols in New York and Washington and killed almost 3,000 Americans.

Marwan Bishara

Taliban fighters take control of the presidential palace in Kabul after the Afghan president Ashraf Ghani had fled the country.

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The Friday Bulletin Muharram 11, 1443/August 20, 2021

British government leaves UK-raised aid to Gaza in limbo after snubThe British government has snubbed a plea for help from a UK Muslim organisa-tion trying to send urgently needed human-itarian aid to Gaza.Last month, the Foreign Office (FCDO) rejected a request from charity Miles of Smiles for diplomatic assistance in sending an aid convoy to the Palestinian territory in the wake of the devastation caused by the nine-day war in May. It is currently await-ing clearance by Egypt, which neighbours Gaza.The aid includes hospital equipment, am-bulances, mobility wheelchairs, food sup-plies and fresh water - all in short supply in the besieged coastal enclave. A tranche of aide was given clearance by Egyptian authorities to travel to Gaza via the Rafah crossing on 19 July.But so far clearance is still being awaited for ambulances and other equipment, in-cluding wheelchairs for the disabled, with no assistance from the UK government.Miles of Smiles has told MEE that it wrote to the FCDO consular service in Cairo ask-ing it to “use its best devices to assist in negotiations” with the Egyptian authorities in order to allow supplies and UK delegates to be transported into Gaza. The charity wants to send aid through the Rafah crossing, along with delegates rep-resenting the UK donor Muslim community. It says that the request was greeted on 26 July, six weeks after being submitted, by a “cut and paste” negative response that went no further than a restatement of of-ficial travel advice. The FCDO told Miles of Smiles: “Entry to the occupied Palestinian territories, includ-ing by sea to Gaza, is controlled by the Israeli authorities” and “The FCDO is not able to support individuals applying for en-try or exit permits for Gaza.” It added: “Short-notice requests for human-itarian access and those made in Egypt are unlikely to be considered." Dr Essam Mustafa, chief coordinator at Miles of Smiles, described the FCDO re-sponse as “disturbing”, noting that the UK “has a rich history of providing humanitar-ian and development assistance to the oc-cupied territories”.“It is hugely disappointing that the British government has declined to provide consu-lar assistance to legitimate attempts made by UK-based NGOs to deliver aid to the people of Gaza at this time of great need. “The government must ask itself what kind of a message this will send to the many thousands of UK Muslims who made huge sacrifices during the final days of the holy month of Ramadan, to donate an estimated £40m specifically to help the beleaguered Palestinians?” In contrast, a Malaysian aid delegation that entered Gaza via Egypt in June is believed to have done so with the backing of the Ma-laysian government.The assault on Gaza took place during

INTERNATIONAL

Ramadan, traditionally a time of generous charitable giving by Muslims. Around £100m ($137m) is given by British Muslims to charitable causes during Ram-adan every year. This year, it’s estimated that approximately 30 percent of all dona-tions were designated for Gaza - approxi-mately $55m. In the immediate aftermath of the fighting, the United Nations issued an international request for emergency support for Gaza, asking for $95m, barely half of which has been received. In May, the UK announced that it is pro-viding an initial £3.2m ($4.38m) of aid to UNRWA’s emergency flash appeal, focus-ing on the immediate humanitarian needs of vulnerable Palestinians living in Gaza.The British government has previously been accused of a pattern of systematic neglect of Muslim causes.Opposition Labour MP Andy Slaughter warned that this latest snub appeared to fall into that pattern."The UK government took no effective ac-tion to restrain Israeli forces from the re-cent brutal attack on Gaza. Now they are compounding this callousness by ignoring the efforts of Britain's Muslim communities to send vital aid to those who have suf-fered,” he told MEE.“Not only has the Johnson government cut development aid, it appears to be blocking those who wish to step in and help.”Prime Minister Boris Johnson dismayed many through his lack of condemnation of Israel’s actions during the May war and his government’s publicly stated support of the Israeli bombardment. Middle East minister James Cleverly told MPs that the actions of the Israeli govern-ment were “proportionate”. The May conflict was sparked by a series of inflammatory Israeli moves in Jerusalem that ratcheted up tensions across Israel and Palestine, including the attempted ex-pulsions of families from the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood and repeated violent raids on al-Aqsa Mosque that wounded hun-dreds.

In response, the Hamas movement fired a salvo of rockets towards Jerusalem, prompting Israel to launch an 11-day bomb-ing campaign on the Gaza Strip. Israeli bombing killed 248 Palestinian deaths, including 66 children. Hamas rock-et fire killed 13 people in Israel, including two children. The air assault on Gaza began on 10 May, just as Ramadan entered its final week.As the war intensified, Ramadan charity appeals hosted on South Asian and Muslim TV networks in the UK switched their focus to raising money to assist Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Such was the strength of feeling that sev-eral of these channels recorded donations in excess of £1m in just one night - with do-nors pledging to sell jewellery and furniture in order to raise money to help. Authorities in Gaza, which is controlled by Hamas, say 2,200 homes were destroyed by Israeli shelling and estimate that re-building will cost some $500m. Sewage systems have been destroyed with many hospitals, schools and clinics wrecked.An FCDO spokesperson told MEE: “The UK remains highly concerned about the ongoing humanitarian situation in Gaza, further exacerbated by the recent conflict. “The UK is providing life-saving aid to Pal-estinian refugees in Gaza and across the region. We recently provided further fund-ing to the UN Relief and Works Agency’s emergency appeal to help provide basic services, such as healthcare and clean water.” Fadi Itani, chief executive of the Muslim Charities Forum, called for all humanitar-ian workers to be given access to Gaza.“The humanitarian situation in Gaza is quite dire and one that requires urgent at-tention from the international community and, at the same time, the support and fa-cilitation of access to all humanitarian ac-tors to help ease the suffering of the civilian population,” he told MEE. (middleeasteye.net)

An aid convoy's trucks loaded with supplies sent by Long Live Egypt Fund are seen at the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip on 23 May.

The Friday BulletinMuharram 11, 1443/August 20, 2021 Muharram 11, 1443/August 20, 2021

Page 9

NATIONALVihiga Governor pledges to address Muslim concerns

The proposed Bill that seeks to improve the coconut industry in the country is set to be tabled in Parliament. The Coconut Industry Development Bill 2021 will boost production and improve the economic fortunes of the Coast region. The Bill sponsored by the Senate commit-tee seeks among other things to establish the Coconut Industry Development Board, its composition and functions. It will pro-vide a framework for coconut farming, de-velopment and ensure value addition to coconut and its related products, and for connected purposes and also provide for the production, processing, marketing and distribution of Kenya coconut and its prod-ucts.According to Micro Enterprises Support Programme Trust (MESPT), Kenya’s co-conut sub-sector supports over 100,000 households in the coastal region.MESPT also shows that the crop contrib-utes an estimated 1.5 per cent to the ag-ricultural GDP and 0.4 per cent of Kenya’s GDP.The main challenges faced by coconut farmers are mainly at production level, which include lack of accessibility of quality planting material, menace of pests and dis-eases and prolonged drought conditions.Three Senators from the Coast region have welcomed the proposed Bill saying the ma-jority of coastal people stand to benefit if

New coconut industry bill to be tabled in Parliament

the Bill is enacted into law and added that this could unlock the economic potential of the Coast region. Speaking during a Public Participation Forum to collect views on the proposed Bill that was organised by the Senate Standing Committee on Agriculture, Live-stock and Fisheries at Serena Beach Ho-tel in Mombasa, Senators Mohamed Faki (Mombasa), Issa Boy (Kwale) and Stewart Madzayo of Kilifi said the Coconut Industry Development Bill 2021 will boost produc-tion and improve the economic fortunes of the Coast region. Faki said there is need for the national and county governments to support the devel-opment of the coconut sub-sector which he said has the potential to generate billions of shillings and benefit the farmers.On his part, Kwale Senator Issa Juma Boy said this Bill is very important for the region

Sheikh Ali Ambenje raised issues and chal-lenges affecting Muslims across the county citing discrimination and unfair treatment of Muslims on matters of employment.The Muslims Community called on Ot-tichilo to consider Muslims professionals in county government appointments for inclu-sivity and representation. Muslims through their leaders had earlier

Governor Wilbur Khasilwa Ottichilo has pledged to work closely with the Muslim community in Vihiga County to address their various concerns and challenges to accelerate development. Speaking on Friday last week at Banja Jamia Mosque in Hamisi Sub County, Ot-tichilo assured the Muslim community that his government is committed to protecting and serving all citizens regardless of one's tribe, community, race or religion and will always ensure equity and fairness to all. “We need to come together to realize de-velopment and progress in our county, We as the administration will endeavour and work closely with Muslim community to-gether with other religious organisations to drive development agenda,” he said.Ottichilo said his government will prioritize and supplement the effort by the Muslim community to ensure Muslim development projects are supported and that his govern-ment would provide financial support to Muslim development projects such as the upliftment of a mosque and other projects. The Governor promised that his adminis-tration will continue to empower the Muslim community and residents in Vihiga County and asked the Muslims and all residents to continue supporting him. During the event, Muslim leaders led by the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya(CIPK) Vihiga County Chairman

as coconut trees are the major cash crop for the Coast people and there is need for coconut farmers to get support. “This Bill will help to address is-sues that hindered the devel-opment of the crop and enable farmers to achieve its full benefits like other countries,” added the Kwale Senator.Madzayo lamented that despite the coconut crop generating

requested Ottichilo to help them secure land for putting up a cemetery and already negotiations with property owner had been completed and Muslims will be handed over the land as soon as the purchase is completed. Vihiga County has only one public cem-etery for Muslims located at Manyatta area and already the place is full.

about Sh 3.2 billion annually from the sale of its products, farmers in the region are still languishing in poverty.The Committee Chairman Njeru Ndwiga said with proper legislation and guidance the coconut industry will realize its full po-tential.Ndwiga said the House committee will seek for the necessary financial support from the national government to develop the sector and improve the lives of thou-sands of farmers.“The purpose of this forum is to collect the views of the stakeholders so we can for-mulate laws that will help to enhance pro-duction and ensure the crop achieves its commercial value.The forum brought together stakeholders from all the coconut growing counties of the coastal region of Kilifi, Kwale, Mom-basa, Lamu, Tana River and Taita Taveta.

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The Friday Bulletin Muharram 11, 1443/August 20, 2021NATIONALASAL counties in need of immediate drought response

National Drought Management Authority (NDMA) has reported that two million peo-ple from 23 ASAL counties are in dire need of food aid and the number may increase to 2,366,500 if the October-December short rains are below normal.This is a 40 per cent increase from the 1.4 million people that were in need of food aid in February. NDMA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) James Oduor Oduor confirmed that about Sh4.9 billion is required to provide food alone for the two million people in need of support between now and December.“The total requirement for food and non-food interventions between now and De-cember is Sh7.3 billion. We have so far received Sh500 million from the European Union for non-food drought response inter-ventions,” he said.He added that the drought situation in 10 counties including Garissa, Isiolo, Kilifi, Kitui, Mandera, Marabit, Samburu, Tana River, Turkana and Wajir is worse.Oduor also said that currently the govern-ment is releasing cash transfers worth Sh558 million through the Hunger Safety

Net Programme.“The money will be given to over 100,000 beneficiaries in Wajir, Mandera, Turkana and Marsabit."Each household will receive about Sh5,400 every two months until December to cushion the vulnerable households from drought effects,” he said.The National Treasury is in the process of releasing Sh2 billion under the National Drought Emergency Fund.The NDMA CEO said Sh1 billion will go to-wards immediate interventions on drought between August and December.“Another Sh1 billion will go towards inter-ventions on long-term development ac-tivities that will minimise future impacts of drought in the country,” he said.PS State Department for Development of ASALs Micah Powon said over the last ten years, the Hunger Safety Net Programme has served 101,800 families under the rou-tine cash transfer portfolio.The Kenya Red Cross drought situation report released on Tuesday indicated that Turkana, Garissa, Wajir and Marsabit are the worst drought affected counties.

The report indicated that the food and nu-trition situation is deteriorating and this is attributed mainly to the poor performance of the October-December 2020 and the March-May rainfall seasons."Both seasons were characterised by late onsets, below average cumulative quanti-ties and poor distribution both in time and space. The worsening drought conditions has contributed to poor vegetation condi-tion and increased distances to water sites in 78 per cent of ASAL counties. It has also worsened livestock body conditions and re-duced milk production in nine per cent and 61 per cent ASAL counties," the report said. Red Cross says the current needs include food assistance to support 15,000 house-holds in Turkana, Baringo, West Pokot, Marsabit, Wajir, Garissa and Mandera counties.The humanitarian agency said there is need to rehabilitate 36 key water supply schemes in strategic acute drought hit ar-eas in 12 counties.These include Marsabit, Mandera, Garissa, Wajir, Kilifi, Tana River, Lamu, Samburu, Makueni, Lamu, Isiolo and Laikipia.

Jamia mosque is pleased to announce the commencement of reverts' crash programme

classes.

Venue: Jamia Multi-purpose HallDays of study: Monday-Thursday

Timings: 5:00- 6:30 pm.The classes are free for all Muslims both male and

female.

REVERTS' CRASH PROGRAMME

Gov’t to rollout Second Huduma Namba registrationThe government will soon rollout the Hu-duma Namba Phase II registration exer-cise to enable people who did not register for the document in Phase I to do so.Government Spokes-person Col. (Rtd) Cyrus Oguna said plans for the rollout are at an advanced stage and the date of the commencement will be announced soon.He disclosed that

to date, the government has processed 9,154,184 Huduma Namba cards which have been distributed to various collection centres.In a press statement sent to newsrooms, Col. Oguna said at least 6,003,144 people have collected their cards and urged those who have not to do so.“We are excited that the number of cards collected has continued to grow and we urge people, particularly those who have al-ready received notifications messages to go and collect their cards,” urged Oguna.He at the same called upon individuals who have not received notification messages for collection to track the status of their card by logging on to https://confirmation.huduma-namba.go.ke using their Identification card number. The government had in January 2019 intro-duced National Integrated Identity Manage-

ment System (NIIMS), pop-ularly known as Huduma Namba. NIIMS was to put in place a centralized and digital population registrar, containing data including biometrics on all citizens and foreigners resident in Kenya.

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The Friday BulletinMuharram 11, 1443/August 20, 2021 Muharram 11, 1443/August 20, 2021NATIONAL

Bungoma County, last week played host to Muslim mass wedding ceremony that at-tracted hundreds of curious on lookers who had turned up to witness the event the first in the region.The event was organized by the Kanduyi Muslim Women Group, saw 14 couples get married, the ceremony was presided over by the Bungoma Senior Resident Kadhi Sheikh Shaaban Issa Muhammad.The arrangement was aimed at helping Muslim youths and new revertees to get married to protect their chastity.Speaking during the ceremony, Sheikh Shaaban spoke on the virtue of youths get-ting married stressing that marriage in an Islamic setting was made simple. According to Sheikh Shaaban exaggerat-ed demands and greed for wealth by some parents in the community was making it hard and dissuading young people from

Bungoma hosts first ever Islamic mass wedding getting married hence called on them to tone down their expectations, do away with customs and traditions which have made marriage expensive.He underscored the importance of mar-riage in bridging the cultural divide and pointed out that marriage was not only a matter between two individuals but can bring different families and by extension communities together.The Judicial Officer further cautioned Muslims against engaging in marriages of convenience and commended Kan-duyi Muslim Women Group for coming up with the initiative. “These ‘marriages’ defeat the purpose of marriage as an in-

ples to register their marriages immedi-ately they get married to be issued with Marriage certificates for record reference, transparency and accountability.

The perennial water problem that troubles Garissa County will be a thing of the past if the ongoing construct of an earth fill dam water pan at Bura Galmagala of Fafi Con-stituency is completed by the end of year.Through the Coast Development Author-ity (CDA), the government has pumped up Sh142 million towards achieving lasting solution for the water problem that has be-deviled the area for decades.This project is expected to cushion over 6,900 households that currently are forced to walk for 110 kilometres to access water for their human and animal consumption. It will also be used for irrigation on small-scale farming.The water pan has a capacity of harvesting 350,000 cubic metres of rain water annu-ally.CDA managing director Dr Mohamed Kein-an, speaking at the project site, terms the project a game changer in resolving the perennial water shortage that has belea-guered the region. “This dam will mitigate the effect of drought facing this region. As CDA, we had to make an emergency decision because this is the only source of water to serve the entire community including schools,” he says.According to him the purpose of small hold-ers’ irrigation farming is not only to achieve the food security of the area inhabitants but also cater for their animals.From the engineers’ report, the dam is 30 percent complete, and when complete it will have sufficient water to supply the en-tire population’s needs.Sasa Abdulahi, a local resident, welcomed the project saying it will positively relieve them from the burden of walking long dis-tances to look for water. She is worried the little water they get from the other sources is also not clean or safe for drinking.“We are happy because this big project will save us from suffering water borne related

Water troubles to end soon in Garissa

kilometers from here with their cattle because of drought in search of the same. We are happy as resi-dents because this project will bring water to our doorstep,” he says.Titus Mbogo, Bura Subcounty assistant coun-ty commission-er, underscores the need to fast track the water project before the rainy sea-son kicks off later this year.

Coast Development Authority MD (CDA) Dr. Mohamed Keinan addressing media at the construction site of Earth Fill Dam water Pan in Bura, Galmagala division Garissa County.

stitution which is to set a strong foundation for a familyadding that the Holy Prophet (SAW) outlawed marriages of conveni-ence.”Sheikh Shaaban called on Muslim cou-

diseases. The water we use is not safe for drink-ing because we share it with domestic animals,” she adds.Yusuf Omar Abdi, area member of the county assembly (MCA) alleges since independence, the residents have only de-pended on rainy water which is trapped in water pans most of which is not sufficient.“Most of us lead migrato-ry lives in search of wa-ter. At times, our pasto-ralists walk for about 500

Female Inmates care“Please keep in contact regularly. We women inmates feel “unwor-thy”. It’s very vital to have help to build some confidence and self-esteem. It helps when someone sticks around for a while and don't disappear. Some organisations come and go and this feels like you’ve been abandoned, forgotten and not very valuable. In Prison we have become sisters because they have always been there, right throughout my whole sentence. For sure, Ummah Foundation is a value organisation for inmates and my own interaction with Ummah Foundation has been very positive, it is reassuring that these good people are not just doing a tick the box experience, but genuinely have a caring heart. It’s great to see a friendly face at the gate when your family and everyone in the community is against you.” Those are the lovely and touchy words of one lady at Langata Women Prison who is serving a life sentence and had a lot of joy after Ummah Foundation paid a visit to the ladies incarcerated be-tween the walls at one time. They were full of tears of joy that told a lot about their internal feelings.Indeed Ummah Foundation has been there all these years caring and taking care of our inmates. We understand that being a crimi-nal is because of the society and what has been done can only be undone if our correctional institutions can take into consideration that inmates are human too. They need care and motivation as they are still part and parcel of the society. Subjecting them to inhu-mane conditions can have adverse effects on their healing journey and result into dejection and resentment. Within our programs we factor women by providing them with one year supply of sanitary towels, shoes, diapers, inner garments, soap, buckets and other basic requirements that they need. Those who are incarcerated and have little children are also given attention as diapers, children clothes and learning materials are provided to the day care centre that is within the prison. This affords the mothers to go on with their

The Friday Bulletin is a Publication of Jamia Masjid Committee, P. O. Box 100786-00101 Nairobi, Tel: 2243504/5 Fax: 342147 E-mail: fridaybulletin@jamiamosque.co.ke Printed by Signal Press Limited-Lords House-Tom Mboya Street signalpresslimited@gmail.com

daily activities and work without worrying about their young ones. Apart from Lang’ata Women Prison, Ummah Foundation with a lot of zeal has visited practically all the women prisons in Kenya. Each visit comes along with this welfare support that forms a key part of our agenda. Over the years, we have learnt that there is a disparity between women and men within the Kenyan correc-tional system. Women face challenges that are greater than men in many ways. Services that are very fundamental to women’s healthcare cannot be denied or delayed. Therefore there is a lot urgency in attending to the needs of women than men. We are very privileged to have gotten the eye of donors, well-wishers and volunteers who are proud to be associated with this noble project that touches the hearts of many. We appreciate the efforts and cooperation that is accorded to us by the Prison Authorities in facilitating our access to these security areas. We thank all the Officers In charge, who are very instrumental in mak-ing sure that this project comes to fruition. It is our pleasure to invite all interested women groups to join hands with us and work as a team to bring smiles on the sad faces of our sisters languishing behind bars. If you want to know you are making a difference in women’s lives in even the smallest of ways, then this may be the place to do it.

Ummah FoundationVillage plaza, 2nd Floor, Ngara Rd

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