Shawaal 05,1435/August 01, 2014 Issue No. 587

This Newsletter contains some of Allahs names. Please do not throw in the trash. Either keep, circulate or shred

Friday BulletinTheThe Weekly Muslim News Update

www.islamkenya.org

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Calls for unity and peace as Muslims mark Idd celebrations

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Tens of thousands of Muslims across the country congregated at various mosques and open grounds to celebrate the Islamic annual festival of Idd ul-Fitri which is ob-served at the end of the blessed month of Ramadhan.Calls for unity and peace dominated Idd messages delivered to the Muslim faithful. Sheikh Muhammad Swalihu, Imam Jamia mosque Nairobi urged Muslims to remain united and peaceful while they keep up the Ramadhan spirit of love, humility, pa-tience, dedication and charity.Sheikh Swalihu said it was encouraging that this time round Muslims in the country marked end of Ramadhan in unison with-out differences arising from the sighting of the crescent as witnessed in the past.

The overall winner of the Quran memorization competition being presented with pre-sents by the Charge d' Affaires of the Saudi Arabian embassy Ibrahim Barnawiy (Right). Standing on the left is Anwar Abdulaziz al Souly the Saudi Cultural Attache and Abu Mu-hammad, an offical from the Saudi embassy. INSET: Sara Suhayl Esmailjee, the winner of the girls competition being feted by Anwar al Souly

Thousands of Muslims turned up for the Eid ul Fitr prayer at the Sir Ali Muslim Club on Monday. The prayers were led by the Imam of Jamia Mosque Sheikh Muhammad Swalihu INSET: Sheikh Swalihu addressing the press at the grounds after prayers

it has been our desire that we observe both Idds on the same day, but sometimes it is difficult to realize this due to enemies of Islam who would not like to see Muslims unite, hence the difference to divide Mus-lims Sheikh Swalihu said.Speaking at the Sir Ali Muslim grounds which was the focal point for the Idd prayers in Nairobi, the Imam urged Mus-lims to continue with virtuous deeds add-ing that the end of the holy month of Rama-dhan and Idd festivities did not mean the end of prayers, charity, reading the Quran and other noble deeds.The Sheikh further noted that one of the purposes of the holy month of Ramadhan is to re awaken the spirit of righteousness among Muslims so that they are able to

win Allahs favour.At the international scene, Muslim lead-ers utilised the Idd gatherings to express their anger over the ongoing persecution of Muslims in different parts of the world.The leaders singled out Gaza in Palestine, where they decried the continued slaugh-ter and persecution of Muslims with impu-nity while the world is watching.Innocent women and children are being slaughtered and killed while the so called superpower and the United Nations (UN) are quietly watching. Where is human rights that is being championed by the two? asked Sheikh Swalihu.The Imam appealed to Muslims in the country and the world over to pray for

Profiling of Muslims counterproductive to

terror war

Kenyan Muslims condemn Israel attack on Gaza

The Six Days of Shawwal

The Friday Bulletin

Profiling of Muslims counterproductive to terror war

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The acts of injustice being perpetrated in the fight against terrorism are counterpro-ductive to the efforts to contain the crime and will forestall the governments efforts to stamp out radicalism.These remarks were made by Abdullatif Essajee, a University of Nairobi lecturer who emphasized on the application of the rule of the law in the fight against terrorism further cautioning that the governments draconian approach of profiling an entire community was pushing young people to embrace radical teachings which further compound the situation. We condemn terrorism in no uncertain terms but we equally condemn the dis-crimination, profiling, persecution, torture and killing of Muslims at the pretext of and under the guise of fighting terrorism, he said last week at Jamia mosque while ad-dressing worshippers who turned up for the last Friday of the month of Ramadhan.He explained that the socio-economic marginalization of Muslims was further alienating the community, particularly the youth who lacked opportunities to make their lives better. The Muslim youth in Kenya has been marginalized socially, economically and educationally. Under the government equal opportunities for all, where is the Muslim balance, especially in the public sector? he asked. Abdullatif who is also a member of the Jamia Mosque Committee urged the gov-ernment to move fast and address the socio-economic injustices in the regions of Coast and North Eastern, which he said were contributing to the present state of

insecurity being witnessed in some of the areas.Due to social, economical and political in-justices against the Muslims at the Coast, Nairobi and North Eastern Province, lands that were once safe havens, havens of peace and security have been turned into grounds of insecurity, execution and battle fields, he said.He went on to condemn the attacks in Lamu and Tana River counties adding that while the government has a responsibility to pursue and apprehend the attackers, it should not use the attack as a justifica-tion to punish innocent people and impose blanket punishments to residents of the areas.At the same time, the lecturer reiterated his concerns about the extra judicial killings of Muslims saying that despite the pledges from the government to investigation and bring to book the perpetrators, the State is yet to demonstrate its resolve to live up to its pledge to identify and apprehend the at-tackers.The latest killings involved the murder of a prominent Mombasa businessman Shahid Butt who was gunned down in Changam-we area. Like most of the previous killings, he had been linked by security services to so-called radical elements.Sheikh Muhammad Idris, a prominent scholar in Mombasa who spoke against ex-tremist teachings also met his death while heading for dawn prayers from his Likoni home. His killers also remain unknown.He questioned the indifference with re-gard to the plight of four-year-old Baby

Shawaal 05,1435/August 01, 2014

Ali whose leg was amputated after being shot by what the family insist was the ac-tion of police. He said while the case of the one year old Baby Satrin Osinya who was shot in the March 2014 attack on a Likoni Church received widespread sup-port from the government and the media, Baby Alis plight has largely been ignored. I ask again, why the indifference? What is different between Baby Ali and Baby Satrin. Abdullatif urged the government to live up to its promise to bring back Kenyans who were renditioned to Uganda. Gov-ernment after government has turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to their plea, the plea of their families and Kenyans to have them brought back and properly charged in our courts in Kenya. he asked.On the attack on Gaza, he questioned the government indifference to the plight of Palestinians saying that while there is global outrage on the wanton bombard-ment of the besieged Gaza strip which has so far left more than 1,000 people dead, most of them women and children, the Kenyan government has continued to maintain a muffled silence.In his sermon, the Jamia mosque Imam Sheikh Muhammad Swalihu urged Mus-lims to continue living with the Ramadhan spirit saying that the lessons and ben-efit of Ramadhan should manifest them-selves even after the end of the noble month We need to emerge as better peo-ple compared to what we were before the beginning of the month of Ramadhan, he said.

their Muslim brethren in Gaza noting that as always Allah remains the only depend-able defender of Muslims in this turbulent world. In Mombasa, Muslims leaders demanded an end to insecurity, terror attacks and profiling of Muslims led by Chief Kadhi Sheikh Sharrif Ahmad Muhdhar.The leaders lamented that this years Ramadhan and Idd celebrations were marred by violence with over 100 people being killed at the coast.Sheikh Muhdhar described this years Ramadhan as the worst in decades due to unending violence that has claimed the lives of innocent people in a month time and called on the government to put in place measures to increase security in the region, adding that it was the govern-ment obligation to protect the lives of its citizens.

Kenyan Muslims condemn Israel attack on GazaMuslims in Kenya on Monday joined their fellow Muslims across the world in cele-brating Iddul-Fitr which marked the end of the holy month of Ramadhan, but for many it was a mixture of joy and sadness.Free Palestine Kenya, a lobby group has condemned the ongoing Israel attacks on Gaza joining other civil society organiza-tions around the world in calling for an end to the atrocities.The Jewish states military excursion into Gaza strip has resulted in the death of at least 1260, mostly women and children, over 6000 injured and million others dis-placed since the Zionist state launched its offensive on Palestine on July 8 2014.Speaking during the Idd celebrations at the Sir Ali Muslim grounds FPK spokesman Abdi Mohamed lamented that the interna-tional community had chosen to bury their head in the sand adding that the indiscrimi-nate shelling has continued while the world powers have either remained silent or re-leased statements that are neither effec-tive nor significant. We cannot continue this silence as popu-lations and their livelihood are being exter-minated. In the words of Albert Einstein,

the world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do any-thing about it. said Abdi.The lobby group mainly made of youth protested against the ongoing senseless killing of civilians in Gaza by carrying plac-ards with the messages Free Palestine, Israeli no.1 terrorist and shouted down down Israel and blamed the Obama ad-ministration for taking sides with Israel. The aggression against Gaza must be understood as the latest act in the dec-ades-long oppression of the Palestinian people at the hands of the Israeli govern-ment. Blockaded Gaza has been plunged into misery by the Israeli-U.S. effort to thwart the democratic will of the Palestin-ian people as demonstrated in their 2006 legislative elections, added the spokes-man.Free Palestine Kenya called upon the people of Kenya and the rest of the world to condemn the massacre against the people of Gaza in the strongest term pos-sible and urged them to boycott Israeli products.

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Calls for peace and unity made

The Friday Bulletin

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DA'WA

SUNDAY LECTURESUNDAY

Fadhla za kufunga siku sitaBy: Musa Anis

3rd August 2014 Time: 2pm-4 pm Venue: Makina Mosque Kibera

SUNDAY LECTURE

For Muslims, the month of Ramadhan is the most wonderful time of the year. The benefits and beauties of this month are boundless. Almost invariably it happens a few days after the end of Ramadhan; the letdown. Fasting is finished; the nightly prayers are over; the group gatherings to break the fast have vanished. We can eat, drink, and be merry again when the sun is shining. And that special feeling you have in your heart--the one that keeps you going despite your hunger and thirst--gradually fades away.

The spiritual high evaporates, and all you are left with are the bad habits you tried to shed during Ramadhan, but mysteriously rear their ugly heads once it is over. Ram-adhan is supposed to increase your faith and God-consciousness: {Believers! Fast-ing has been prescribed for you--as it was prescribed for those before you--so that you may be conscious of Allah.} (2:183)

The point is not to be an angel for Rama-dhan and a demon at other times. The lessons learned and spiritual benefits gained during that month are intended to carry over for the rest of the year until next Ramadhan. Yet frequently they do not. Is there anything we can do about it? Abso-lutely and here are five ways we can try to keep the spirit of Ramadhan alive and well throughout the rest of the year.

Good Habits Kept up

More than just denying oneself food and drink, the fast of Ramadhan is a complete body-and-soul fast. Although this should be the behavior of the believer at all times, when one is fasting, he or she should take special care not to harm anyone, curse an-yone, or do anything wrong. In fact, Proph-et Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: "Whoever does not give up forged speech and evil actions [while fasting], Allah is not in need of his leaving his food and drink." (At-Tirmidhi, 707)

Well, once Ramadhan is over, these good behaviors should continue.

For instance, if you took the opportunity of the month of Ramadhan to try to curb talk-ing about other people, why not continue to refrain from doing so after Ramadhan is over? We should continue to go to the mosque for congregational prayers. It is so amazing to see the mosque--which was packed just a few days earlier--stand almost completely empty during Isha, or night prayers, after Ramadhan. If we can go to the mosque each day during Ramad-han, we can get there every day during the rest of the year.

Smoking is prohibited during daylight hours during Ramadhan, which makes it the per-fect opportunity to quit cigarettes. Yes, the nicotine in tobacco smoke is more addic-tive than heroin, and it is one of the most difficult addictions to beat. But if you can

How to keep Ramadhan alive for the rest of the year Hesham Hassaballa

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go without smoking for 14-17 hours a day during Ramadhan, you can go without it for the remaining 7-10 hours.

Ideally, there should be no Muslims who smoke, given the fact that they have to stop doing so for most of a month every year. Sadly, the reality is quite different. Many, many Muslims smoke, and it saddens me--especially since I am a lung specialist who sees firsthand the devastation wrought by cigarette smoking--to see groups of men outside the mosque immediately light up the moment sunset arrives.

Fast throughout the Year

I must admit that this is the most difficult one for me to follow, but I must mention it anyway. The fast of Ramadhan is obliga-tory for every adult Muslim, but there are numerous other fasts that Muslims are encouraged to undertake throughout the year, and we should try to participate.

For instance, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) encouraged Muslims to fast six days of the month of Shawwal, the month after Ramadhan. The reward is equivalent to fasting the entire year. In a few months, the season of Hajj will begin, and those Muslims who do not perform the Hajj are encouraged to fast the day of Ara-fat, when all the pilgrims will be standing on that plain and begging Allah for forgive-ness. We should fast that day.

For Ashura, the day that commemorates the exodus of the Children of Israel from Egypt, Muslims are encouraged to fast that day as well as the day before. (Ide-ally, Muslims should fast the first nine days of the month of Dhul-Hijjah, when the Hajj occurs.)

For the very ambitious, the Prophet (peace be upon him) used to fast every Mon-day and Thursday, and if one is able, he or she could follow this Sunnah, or tradi-tion of the Prophet. The very, very ambi-tious could even fast in the tradition of the Prophet Dawud fasting every other day. If this is too much, perhaps we can fast one, two, or three days each month. Whatever the number, we should try to fast outside of Ramadhan to help keep the spirit of the month alive in our daily lives.

Qiyam Praying

During the month of Ramadhan, Muslims gather together and perform the Isha, or night prayer, and then special devotional prayers, called Tarawih, in congregation (together these are called, qiyam, ex-tra devotional night prayers). It is such a wonderful time, and it is perhaps--after actually getting to eat and drink--the best part of Ramadhan. We are all together in the mosque, and we get to hear the en-tire Quran recited if we go every night of Ramadhan.

Why not, at home, have your own "mini-

Tarawih"? You can either read what you have already memorized, or you can read from the Quran itself. If you continue this throughout the year, it is quite possible to finish reading the entire Quran many times over. This is an excellent way to keep the feeling and spirit of Ramadhan alive.

Charity

Ramadhan is also the month of charity. It was said that the Prophet, already the most generous of men, was even more gener-ous during the month of Ramadhan. Along with teaching the believer discipline and spiritual focus, the fast of Ramadan is a potent reminder that there are millions of people around the world who must forgo food and drink involuntarily, out of sheer poverty.

As a result, Muslims are frequently moti-vated to give to the poor during Ramadhan, and the reward for an act of charity--already substantial--is multiplied many times over in the month of Ramadhan. Muslims often dis-charge their obligatory annual alms tax, the Zakah, during this month.

Yet that does not mean we should be stingy and miserly throughout the rest of the year. We should continue to be generous even when it is not Ramadhan, perhaps devoting a little bit of what we earn to help the poor. You could even open a donor-directed fund or a charitable gift fund at a brokerage firm and in-vest your donations so you could give more. If you want to be even more ambitious, you can start your own charitable endowment, an essential aspect of the classical Islamic tradition that has unfortunately gone by the wayside in modern times.

Havent Seen You Since Last Ramad-han...

Another beautiful aspect of Ramadhan is the frequent invitation to people's homes for iftar meals after sunset. Here, Muslims gather and break their fast together. Many times, it is an opportunity to see friends (and maybe even family) they do not normally get a chance to see during the rest of the year. Well, the same theme applies: if you can do it during Ramadhan, you can do it at any other time as well. Why not keep up the contacts made during Ramadhan throughout the rest of the year? Have monthly gatherings at each other's homes or at a favorite restau-rant. Let it not be another year when you say to a friend, "Wow! I haven't seen you since last Ramadhan!"

Hesham A. Hassaballa is a Chicago doctor and writer.

The Friday Bulletin

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Shawaal 05,1435/August 01, 2014

AbAyyb al-Ansr relates that Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) says: "Whoever fasts the month of Ramadhan and then follows it with six days of fasting in the month of Shawwl, it will be as if he had fasted the year through." [Sahh Mus-lim] The month of Shawwl is singled out for the observance of extra fasts, since this month follows immediately after Ramadhan. The six days of voluntary fasting are to the ob-ligatory fast of Ramadhan what the Sunnah prayers are to the obligatory prayers. It is related from Thawbn that the Proph-et (peace be upon him) said: "The fast of Ramadhan is like observing ten months of fasting. Fasting six days of Shawwl is like observing two months of fasting. This to-gether is like fasting throughout the year." [SahhIbnKhuzaymah and Sunan al-Nas' al-Kubr ] Al-Nawaw observes [SharhSahh Muslim]:Scholars have explained that it is like ob-serving a year of fasting because the re-ward of one's good deeds are multiplied tenfold. Therefore fasting the month of Ramadhan is like fasting for ten months and fasting six days in the month of Shaw-wl is like fasting for two months.

Virtues of Fasting Six Days in Shawwl

1. Fasting six days in Shawwl after ob-serving the Ramadhan fast gives the per-

son the reward of fasting throughout the year. 2.The fasts of Sha`bn and Shawwl are like the Sunnah prayers that accompany the five obligatory prayers. Like the Sun-nah prayers, these extra fasts cover up for the deficiencies in our performance of our obligatory worship. On the Day of Judgment, our voluntary acts of worship will compensate for the shortcomings in how we carried out our duties. Most of us have deficiencies in our observance of our Ramadhan fasts and we need something to cover up for those deficiencies. The deficiencies being discussed here are not missing days of fasting. Rather, they are the deficiencies in our conduct that detract from the value of our worship.

3.Our return to the habit of fasting right af-ter Ramadhan is a sign that our Ramadhan fasts were accepted. When Allah accepts our worship, He blesses us to engage in further acts of piety. The saying goes: The reward of virtue is further virtue. Therefore, following one good deed with others like it is a sign that the first deed had been accepted by Allah. By contrast, if a person's good deed is followed by a sinful one, it is an indication that the first good deed might not have been accepted. 4.Those who observe the fast of Rama-dhan are given their recompense of the day of`Id al-Fitr, the day when the fast is rewarded. Getting into the habit of fasting

again soon thereafter is a means of giving thanks to Allah for the blessings that we have received. There is no blessing greater than forgive-ness for one's sins, and we know that fast of Ramadhan is recompensed with forgive-ness of one's previous sins. Fasting these days in Shawwl is one way for us to ex-press our thanks for Allah blessing us in our observance of the Ramadhan fast. How We Should Fast the Six Days in Shawwl There are various opinions about this question:

1. Some scholars hold the view that it is preferable to fast the six days in consecu-tive order, starting from the second day of Shawwl. This is the view of al-Shfi` and Ibn al-Mubrak.

2. Others are of the opinion that it is pref-erable to fast the six days intermittently, spreading them out throughout the month of Shawwl. This the position of Ahmad bin. Hanbal and Wak`.

3. Then there are those who hold the view that the days should all be postponed until later in the month and not close to the day of `Id, which is a time of celebration and feasting. They prefer fasting the three days in the middle of the month (ayym al-bd) along with the three days right before or af-ter. This is the opinion of Ma`mar and `Abd al-Razzq. There is considerable flexibility in all of this. We can choose to follow any of these ap-proaches that we wish.

The Six Days of ShawwalSheikh Salman al-Awdah

Muslims urged to help the poor

The London based economics magazine Capital Finance International (CFI) has nominated First Community Bank as the best Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) bank in Kenya.This comes on the heels of being awarded as the best Islamic finance institution in the country by the New York based Global Fi-nance magazine.We owe this to our ongoing tremendous transformation program that is being rec-ognized far and wide, said the banks general manager Omar Sheikh in his re-sponse to the award.First Community Banks Global Finance Magazine award and the nomination by CFI goes to show that the bank is setting trends that are not only recognized locally, but also globally, he added.CFI is a print journal and online resource reporting on business, economics and fi-nance and provides news, analysis and commentary on the markets worldwide.

FCB nominated for best SME bank in Kenya

Muslims have been urged to give a helping hand to their compatriots who are facing difficult times. The call was made by Ab-dulkadir Hawa a member of Nairobi Jamia mosque committee who said in living up to the spirit of charity it was an obligation of well to do Muslims to give support to the less privileged in the society and share lit-tle with the poor for them to feel part of the society for peaceful coexistence and mu-tual understanding.Addressing Muslim faithful at Kibra Makina mosque, during an Iftar dinner he hosted for the Muslims in the area recently, Ab-dulkadir called on Muslims to spare a thought and lend a helping hand to the less privileged and poverty stricken members of the community, adding that for some people getting one meal in a day is so diffi-cult and advised Muslims to be at forefront in setting an example for others to emulate for the pleasure of Allah.''We must appreciate that Allah has not given us wealth equally and it is therefore prudent to provide support to those who do not have sufficient means for their liveli-hood,'' he said.At the same time Abdulkadir asked Muslim community in Kibra to embrace peace and cohesion instead of engaging in religious intolerance adding that they should ex-

emplify the Prophet Muhammad Salallahu Alaihi Wasalaam's lifestyle in order to be successful in their endeavors.''Live by the example of Prophet Muham-mad Salallahu Alaihi Wasalam who was role model on how to relate with neigh-bours and non-Muslims,'' said Abdulkadir.He noted that the Muslim community of Kibra hold important position in his heart as he was brought up there and he under-stood them well, hence the driving force behind his family to facilitate Iftar pro-gramme to the Muslims of the area for the pleasure of Allah.''Our late parents used to undertake the same programme for the sake of Allah, we have inherited the same gesture in order to get the pleasure and blessing from Allah,'' said Abdulkadir.Abdulkadir went further to praise the Nu-bian community for their participation in search of the country freedom and called on them not to relent in their efforts of fight-ing for their rights.The Muslim community in Kibra led by Sheikh Ahmad Khamis expressed their gratitude and thanked brother Abdulkadir for the support and prayed that Allah re-ward him and the entire family abundantly and keep them in good health, happiness and Islamic spirit.

Shawaal 05,1435/August 01, 2014 The Friday Bulletin

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Shawaal 05,1435/August 01, 2014

LEFT:Abubakar Ali (right) of Riruta mosque receives iftar food ration from Said Abdallah (left) Jamia mosque adminstrator and Aboobaker Nazir chief accountant ABOVE: Muslims pray a long the Banda street during the last Fri-day of the month of Ramadhan

LEFT:The Da'wah officer of Jamia mosque Muhammad Abdallah (left) presents iftar food packages to the head of revert students of Jamia mosque ABOVE: Jamia mosque treasurer Abdullatif Essajee giving lectures during Ramadhan

Sister Fatma on behalf of Riyadhul Jannah Sisters Group (UK) hands a cheque of Shs 140,600 for sponsoring iftar at Jamia on 29th of Ramadhan to the Secretary General Abdul Bary Hamid

Brother Musa Quadir (right) on behalf of Sheikh Abdallah Al Marrau and sheikh Adel Al-Rafaee of Sunbulatul Khair project of Bahrain hands a con-signment of dates to Abdul Bary Hamid Secretary General Jamia looking on is Aboobaker Nazir

LEFT: A boy recites Qur'an during the annual Qur'an competition at the mosque ABOVE: The CEO of Airtel Kenya Adil El Youssef serves Muslims with iftar meals during an iftar programme organised by Airtel Kenya

Pictorial: Ramadhan activities at Jamia Mosque

The Friday Bulletin

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Ramadhan 28,1435/July 25, 2014

Gloomy Eid for Palestinians Israeli shells have struck a UN school in the

Gaza Strip, killing at least 19 people and wounding scores more, after Israeli ground troops made a significant push into the ter-ritory.Wednesdays shelling of the Jabaliya refugee camp was the second time in a week that a UN school sheltering hundreds of homeless Palestinians had been hit.#Christopher Gunness, the UNRWA's spokes-man, said the attack was a "source of univer-sal shame" and blamed Israeli forces."We have visited the site and gathered evi-dence. We have analysed fragments, exam-ined craters and other damage. Our initial as-sessment is that it was Israeli artillery that hit our school, in which 3,300 people had sought refuge. "I condemn in the strongest possible terms this serious violation of international law by Israeli forces. I call on the international com-munity to take deliberate international politi-cal action to put an immediate end to the con-tinuing carnage."Gunness said that UN representatives have informed Israeli forces about the exact loca-tion of the school 17 times. Many of those in the school had fled their homes in northern Gaza after Israel dropped leaflets warning them of an "upcoming phase" of action.Israel announced a four-hour "humanitarian window" on Wednesday, starting at midday GMT, but said it did not include areas where

Israeli fire kills nineteen in Gaza UN school

its soldiers were operating - about half of Gaza.Hamas said it would not abide by the pause, unless its conditions were met - namely, the end of the blockade of Gaza.At least 1,363 Palestinians have died in Is-rael's invasion, according to Gaza health ministry figures.An official for UNRWA, the UN's Palestinian refugee agency, told the AFP news agency that the shelling hit a bathroom and two classrooms inside the girls' school.Al Jazeera's Imtiaz Tyab, reporting from Gaza's Kamal Adwan hospital, where many of the injured were brought, put the number of wounded at more than 90."Looking around me I can see some with what appears to be shrapnel wounds and some with far more serious wounds," he said.He said people there did not know why Is-rael had hit the shelter, adding that the attack caused panic among people living in differ-ent UN-run shelters."As we were driving to the hospital, we saw families with many children leaving other UN schools. They feel insecure. There seem to be no safe shelter for them, not even in UN schools," our correspondent said.At least 180,000 Palestinians have sought shelter in about 80 UNRWA schools, accord-ing to the agency.The Israeli army had begun heavy tank shell-ing in the area a couple of hours prior to the incident. (Al Jazeera)

The United States has allowed Israel, waging an offensive in the Gaza Strip, to tap a local US arms stockpile in the past week to resup-ply it with grenades and mortar rounds, Rear Admiral John Kirby, the Pentagon's press secretary, has said.The munitions were located inside Israel as part of a programme managed by the US mili-tary and called War Reserves Stock Allies-Israel (WRSA-I), which stores munitions lo-cally for US use that Israel can also access in emergency situations.Israel, however, did not cite an emergency when it made its latest request about 10 days ago, a defence official said on Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity.Washington allowed Israel to access the stra-tegic stockpile to resupply itself with 40mm grenades and 120mm mortar rounds to de-plete older stocks that would eventually need to be refreshed.In a statement, Kirby said: "Both munitions had been in WRSA-I stock for a few years, well before the current crisis."All stocks in WRSA-I, as required by law, are 'in excess to US requirements.'"Issuing munitions from the WRSA-I stockpile was strictly a sourcing decision and White House approval was not required."The United States is committed to the securi-

ty of Israel, and it is vital to US national inter-ests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability."This defence sale is consistent with those objectives."Additional Israeli requests for US-manufac-tured ammunition were also being processed in the US, the anonymous defence official said.Israel's embassy in Washington declined comment about the resupply request, includ-ing whether it asked for the ammunition be-cause of its operations in Gaza, the Reuters news agency reported.Separately, US politicians were working in Congress to provide millions of dollars in ad-ditional funding for Israel's "Iron Dome" mis-sile shield.

The US Senate Appropriations Committee added $225m for Iron Dome to a spending bill intended mainly to provide money to han-dle an influx of thousands of Central Ameri-can children across the US-Mexico border.The Gaza Health Ministry said 1,361 Pal-estinians, mostly civilians, have been killed since Israel began its offensive on July 8.On the Israeli side, 56 soldiers and three ci-vilians have been killed. (Al Jazeera)

US supplies Israel with bombs amid Gaza killings

Calling it the `Eid of martyrs, thou-sands of Palestinians have marked `Eid Al-Fitr by tears and sorrow as the Israel shelling on the besieged strip entered its fourth week.How should a mother feel when she opens her eyes on the day of `Eid and does not see her son next to her? Abir Shammaly, whose son was killed during heavy Israeli shelling of the Shejaia district in east Gaza last week, told Reuters on Monday, July 28.While millions of Muslims marked `Eid with celebrations, Shammaly spent the first day of `Eid at the grave of her son who had been killed in Shejaiya last Thursday, July 29, while returning home.Ramadhan is supposed to be a month of holiness, a month of the Koran, not a month of battles, Sham-maly told Agence France Presse (AF) with tears in her eyes, referring to the fasting month.How do I feel? I feel like any woman who has to bury her son on Eid. What am I supposed to do?The sobbing family of eight children, whose house was leveled by the Is-raeli strikes, has been observing a somber `Eid at the graves after losing their 16-year-old brother, Thaer.He was just a kid -- he'd finished school and had started working as an apprentice barber, Thaer's father Ahed Shamali said.This is the Eid of the martyrs. Abeer butted in, more dramatically: This is the `Eid of blood!`Eid prayers were the only way for Muslims in Gaza centre to mark the blessing day where hundreds at-tended the early morning prayers at Al-Omari mosque.Israel has been launching relentless airstrikes against Gaza since July 8 where hundreds have been killed and injured.Israel occupation forces started a ground invasion of besieged Gaza, home to two millions civilian, on Thursday, July 17.The Palestinian death toll in an Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip rose above 1,130, with more than 6500 injured.According to the UN aid agency for Palestinians (UNRWA), the large scale of mass destruction in Gaza has left about 1,255 home severely dam-aged, forcing tens of thousands to flee their homes that were caught up in the Israeli air strikes.

The Friday Bulletin NATIONAL

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Shawaal 05,1435/August 01, 2014

Muslims in Nakuru County have been urged to believe in their po-tential and take responsibility of seeking and applying for jobs at the county government.These remarks were made by Nak-uru Governor Kinuthia Mbugua who said that Muslims are well known for their passion in business and enter-prenuership, stressing that the con-stitutional dispensation provides op-portunities for people's participation and engagement in both democratic and development initiatives at all levels without discrimination.Addressing Muslims faithful in Na-kuru town recently, Mbugua said the move is aimed at ensuring inclusiv-ity of Muslims in all spheres, empha-sizing that the community should not lag behind in engaging themselves in development.''The Muslim community should not relent in its efforts to engage in de-velopment matters. Muslim should also apply for the vacancies at the county government whenever ad-vertised,'' Mbugua said.At the same time Mbugua called on Muslims to apply for tenders in order to empower themselves economi-cally for prosperity. ''We have your success in business and trade come out and also apply for tenders in or-der to improve on your living condi-tions,'' Mbugua stressed.The governor further urged Muslim youth and women to come together and form companies so that they benefit from tenders for service provision in order to empower them-selves economically for sustainabil-ity.''Muslim youth and women should come together as groups, form com-panies and register in order to bene-fit from the service provision tenders at the county,'' Mbugua added.Mbugua pledged to prioritize and supplement the efforts by the Mus-lim community to ensure Muslim de-velopment projects are supported.Muslims through their leaders had earlier raised their concerns over their non-inclusion in matters per-taining to development in the county.

Malakisi Muslim school gets boost from SUPKEMMalakisi Muslim Secondary School in Bungo-ma County recently received a cheque of Ksh 200,000 from the Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (Supkem) to supplement its efforts in the expansion of the school.Addressing the gathering at the school during the presentation ceremony, Supkem national treasurer Sheikh Bakari Chemaswet called on Muslims to make more investments in the ed-ucation sector through establishment of more educational institutions as a way of improving education standards in the community.He stated that education was an important in-gredient and necessary in uplifting the living condition of the community and encouraged Muslims to place more emphasis on both Is-lamic religious knowledge and contemporary education in order to prosper in socio-economic and political spheres.''We need to have more Muslim owned and sponsored institutions of learning from nursery to university level that provide quality educa-tion as this will help the community to progress thereby contributing positively to the develop-ment of the country,'' Sheikh Chemaswet said.Chemaswet, who is a teacher by profession pointed out that over the years Muslims have lagged behind in education and this has af-fected their progress in social, political and economic spheres of the country, stressing that having in place more educational institutions will help to reverse the trend.Chemaswet further decried that large popula-tion of the Muslim community live in absolute poverty and facing many challenges.''It is high time Muslim organizations work to-gether to promote social equality and ensure

Muslim students urged to embrace the habit of Quran memorization and recitation

Muslim students both from Primary and Second-ary schools have been asked to inculcate the habit of Quran Memorization and Recitation all the time in their daily life to ensure that they achieve success in the journey of academics and hereafter.The C.D.F Chairman for Garseni Constituency in Tana River County Sheikh Abdullah Hajji Gudo noted that Madrasah teachers are do-ing a wonderful job for the sake of the Almighty Allah by imparting Islamic knowledge and ena-bling students memorize the noble Quran even while they are in school.Speaking in Malindi Sub-county recently during the Annual Quran Competition and Iftaar for Secondary and Primary schools in Malindi host-ed by Mamsa High school organized by Kilifi County Tuinuane Welfare Group, Sheikh Gudo handed over a cash of K.sh 30,000 as among the prizes and promised that next year during such event they will collaborate with Mamsa High school with the group of students from his Garseni Constituency to make it more colorful.Mr Farhan Mohamed Head of the Department-Islamic Studies/Arabic from Kakamega National School in Western province who was among the invited guests lamented profoundly on the poor performance of Muslim students in Malindi Sub-

county in national exams.Its very sad and bitter to watch a downward trend of poor performance among our Muslim students in Malindi every year after the re-lease of national examination results. This is contributed by poor parental involvement and engagement for his child in good upbringing and not attending school meetings when in-vited among others.He decried.Istiqamah Group of Schools Director from Mombasa and who is also the C.D.F Chair-man for the Mvita Constituency Mr. Shariff was among the invited guests present prom-ised to work hand in hand with Malindi stu-dents through Mamsa High school and Malindi Education Office by sponsoring and awarding the best students after doing a Common Ex-amination for Form 4s and Class 8 organized by them mid September this year.Mr. Mohamed Ali Al- Amoudy who is the school administrator commended the move and said that is possible if the education stakeholders in Malindi will work as a team and identify the importance of education in the wake of mod-ern time.Ten schools attended the event and the win-ners were awarded with various prices such as Certificates, Medals, Cash and Bursaries.

viable projects that could transform the lives of Muslims to be productive and responsible in the society are initiated,'' said he.He lauded the Kenya Muslim Charitable So-ciety and specifically thanked Sheikh Omar Kassim for the support in putting up a mosque at Malakisi Muslim School to cater for the spir-itual needs of the Muslim students, donation of dates for fasting Muslim students and drilling of water boreholes for the local communities, adding that other Muslim organization ought to emulate the same for the benefit of the Muslim community.The school Principal Salim Baraza thanked the Supkem officials for their positive gesture and promised to steer the school to the pin-nacle of academic excellence.Baraza called for unity of purpose and support from all education stakeholders for the school to realize its essence.Supkem regional chairman Sheikh Abdi Swaleh commended the local Muslim commu-nity for mooting the idea of setting up a Muslim owned and sponsored institution in the region.''This will assist in absorbing Muslim students from primary schools to continue with their secondary level education for proper transition and excel in academic sphere,'' he said.Malakisi Muslim Secondary School is the sec-ond registered Muslim owned and sponsored institution in the county after Bungoma Muslim Secondary School.In attendance were:-Abdi Noor Yusuf(chairman Malakisi Muslim community, Ahmed Hussein-PTA Chairman and Philemon Simiyu, the school board chairman among others.

Nakuru Muslims urged to apply for

county jobs

The lobby group appealed for prayers for the people of Gaza and also demanded the elected leadership in the country to add their voices on the atrocities in Gaza saying it will speak against the massacre in Palestines in all forums.

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Israel attack on Gaza condemned

Ramadhan has come to an end but we should always remember that the Lord of Ramadhan is the Lord of all days and nights. Ram-adhan is supposed to be a lesson that should be taken to the next twelve months before another fasting season comes. The way we thronged the mosques for the five daily Salah and other super-erogatory prayers and braved through the cold for Fajr prayers, should be observed with the same zeal throughout our entire life. The generosity that was manifested by the rich to the poor and the fraternity that was exampled during the holy days should be exem-plary in all our times. May Allah accept our supplications, prayers and all our deeds during the month of Ramadhan. Ummah Foundation got a lot of support from the entire Ummah and we would like to sincerely appreciate your contributions both in kind and spirit. We had a clothes collection program for the chil-dren of the female inmates at Langata and others and we must say the response we got was very wonderful. May Allah SWT re-ward those who thought of their naked brothers and sisters and gave clothes to fulfil the obligation of clothing a fellow Muslim. Our main collection point was at Parklands Mosque. These clothes will be distributed to intended prisons and some slum areas in Nai-robi. In order for us to meet the challenges facing our Muslim community, Ummah Foundation had appealed to you all to donate Clothes, Zakat and Sadaqa during the Month of Ramadhan. We wish to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued sup-port. It is our hope that this efforts will go a long way in uplifting the standards of our Ummah.

Appreciations for your support

The Friday Bulletin is a Publication of Jamia Masjid Committee, P. O. Box 100786-00101 Nairobi, Tel: 2243504/5 Fax: 342147 E-mail: fridaybulletin@islamkenya.org. Printed by Graphic Lineups Limited-Kweria Road info@graphic.co.ke

As you are aware Ummah Foundation ever since its inception, has supported a lot of needy students all over the country includ-ing paying for their fees. Every year the demands for bursaries are enormous from all corners of the country. Deserving needy students come to us including orphans, reverts, poor families whom we cannot ignore.they are our brothers, sisters, sons and daughters, whichever way you look at it we have a responsibility to cater for the deserving ones and we have to find a way to meet our obligations. You can make this happen by making your dona-tion towards this noble goal. Whatever big or small your contribu-tion is, it plays a big role in making sure a needy student pays fees and sits to learn like the rest of the Kenyan students. Education is the secret and weapon we should use to fight poverty and igno-rance that we have been associated with since time immemorial. We would also like to appreciate efforts played by our Brothers and Sisters who donated food stuffs, dates, prayer mats, water tanks and containers to help prison inmates. Ummah Foundation took an active part and made sure the food stuffs, dates, mats and water tanks reached the deserving recipients. May Allah SWT bless those who tirelessly work for the sake of this Ummah.Our Contact:Ummah FoundationP.O. Box 58717-00200Tel: 0202680610/13 Mob: 0734845277Email: info@ummahfounfation.netWeb: www.ummahfoundation.net

Eid Mubarak