Jumadal-Awwal 10, 1442/December 25, 2020 Issue No.

920

The
The

Friday
Friday Bulletin
Bulletin
The Weekly Muslim News Update
Milestone as Madrassa curriculum
gets gov’t approval
Another milestone has been attained in
the education sector after the approval of
the Madrassa curriculum by the govern-
ment.
The development of the new curriculum
was a joint effort spearheaded by Muslim
Education Council (MEC), in partnership
with Muslim organizations, scholars and
educationists.
Kenya Primary Madrassa Curriculum the
first of its kind in the history of the coun-
try joined the list of government approved
curriculum after endorsement of the Ken-
ya Institute of Curriculum Development
(KICD).
The 2013 Basic Education Act recognizes
madrassas and duksis (Islamic schools in
the Somali community) as formal schools
and the approval of the curriculum now set
pace for the development process for the
secondary Madrassa Curriculum that has Educationists and stakeholders in the Muslim education sector together with of-
already started. ficials from the Muslim Education Council(MEC) pose for a group photo during a
For decades, there has been no widely forum to deliberate on education matters in the Muslim community.
accepted and recognised madrassa cur-
riculum to guide teaching of Islamic edu- went to the counties to give an opportunity their contributions towards the success
cation in Kenya. to Kenyans in the grassroots to participate of the process to maintain the same spirit
in the process. to ensure the approved curriculum is fully
It is from this back drop that in 2014, the implemented for the benefit of our children
process of developing the Madrasa cur- While expressing his gratitude, the Mus- for proper growth and spiritual develop-
riculum was started with the Muslim Edu- lim Education Council (MEC chairman ment,” Niaz said.
cation Council, a body recognised by the Muhammad Zafar Niaz lauded the Ken-
2013 Basic Education Act to represent ya Institute of Curriculum Development Niaz noted that with the major work of im-
Muslims on matters education-kick stated (KICD) for the endorsement of the Mad- plementation of the curriculum and training
the process of developing a unified madra- rassa curriculum saying is a milestone for of Madrassa teachers about to start, there
sah curriculum for primary and secondary. the country’s education history and in the was need for the leadership of madrassas
Muslim community. and duksis to improve on the infrastruc-
The all-inclusive process involved wider tures as a measure to provide a conducive
consultations from stakeholders and took The MEC chair further appreciated the environment for the learners.
into consideration the various views pre- unity and harmony exhibited by various
sented to develop the syllabus. stakeholders during the madrassa cur- On his part, executive director Muslim
riculum development process adding that Education Council (MEC) Munawar Khan
The curriculum taskforce publicized the the official launch of the curriculum will be said the development and subsequent ap-
process widely and invited participation, held next year during National Muslim Ed- proval of the Madrassa curriculum is suc-
suggestions and comments from all inter- ucation conference on a date to be com- cessful history in the Muslim community
ested Kenyans. The use of the press and municated. in Kenya and the East Africa region as a
the social media ensured that information whole and that the new curriculum would
had a wider reach. The task force also “I appeal to all stakeholders who made Continued To Page 9

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The Friday Bulletin NATIONAL Jumadal-Awwal 10, 1442/December 25, 2020

Da’wa Group donates sewing machines to JTI

The Kisumu based, Da’wa Development
Group (DDG) a charitable organization
has donated sewing Machines to Jamia
Training Institute (JTI) to empower youths
with skills.
The 60 sewing machines and an 8000 li-
tres water tank that were donated by the
Da’wa group in partnership with the Dar al
Ber Society of the United Arab Emirates
were handed over to the training Insti-
tute Yesterday at the event held at Jamia
Mosque Nairobi.
Jamia Training Institute (JTI) was found-
ed in 2005 after inheriting the operations
of the former WAMY Vocational College
(WAVCO). JTI has established itself as an
important educational facility for Muslims
providing academic programs certified by
local and international examination bod-
ies.
The Institute offers number of courses
which include Computer studies, Tailor-
ing and Dress making courses, Arabic and
sign language among others.
Speaking during the handing over cer-
emony, Jamia Mosque Committee Deputy
Secretary General Ibrahim Ahmed who is The Chief Executive Officer of the Kisumu based-Da'wa Development Group
also the JTI chairman expressed gratitude Sheikh Musa Ismail (RIGHT) handing over a sewing Machine to Chairman Jamia
to the Da’wa group for its generosity say- Training Institute Ibrahim Ahmed.The group donated 60 sewing machines and a
ing the donations had come at the right water tank to Institute to empower young people with skills.
time.
Ibrahim said the donation would afford Committee, Abdulkadir Hawa emphasized en cooperation with Jamia Mosque Com-
Jamia Training Institute the opportunity the need for unity among Muslims to ac- mittee in order to realize development in
to engage more youth who were willing to celerate development in the community the Muslim community across the country.
learn dressmaking and tailoring to enable stressing that present circumstances fac- “ We need to come together as Muslim
them contribute meaningful to the growth ing the Muslim community demanded that organizations to realize development and
and development of the community. Muslim leaders come together to foster progress in our Muslim community , We as
He stressed that Jamia Mosque commit- greater unity for expansion of social devel- Da’wa Development Group will endeavour
tee was committed to empower youth and opment activities like putting up schools, and work closely with Jamia Mosque Nai-
women for self –sustainability adding that hospitals and other social amenities to be robi together to accelerate development
Jamia Training Institute in its efforts to em- at par with other Kenyans. with the aim to improve statuses of our
power young people in the Muslim com- He further stressed that it was important Muslim population ,” he said.
munity had expanded its programmes in to support and assist the youth with tools In attendance during the handing over
area such as Kibra and Mathare. and equipment to lead self-supporting ceremony were, Abubakar Bajaber (Mem-
"We as Jamia Mosque committee lead- lives. ber Jamia Mosque Committee) Sheikh
ership through Jamia Training Institute Addressing the event, The Da’wa Devel- Jamaldeen Osman(Deputy Imam Jamia
(JTI)are devoted to supporting and offer- opment group Chief Executive Officer Mosque Nairobi), Sheikh Muhammad
ing training to young people so that they (CEO) Sheikh Musa Ismail commended Sheikh (Da’wah Officer Jamia Mosque),
can overcome obstacles and make use of Jamia Mosque for being at forefront to Aboobakar Nazir (Finance Officer Jamia
their untapped potential and realise their address the religious matters and cater Mosque and Munawar Khan(Executive Di-
dreams and aspirations,’’ Ibrahim said. for the interests of Muslims in the country rector Muslim Education Council) among
On his part, Member of Jamia Mosque adding that his group is keen to strength- others.

Eastleigh family in agony of Enforced disappearance

A family in Eastleigh airbase area, Nairobi
is in agony after their 17 year old son was
arrested on the 10th this month together
with his friend.
Ramadhan Bakari was arrested while sell-
ing second hand clothes in the area with
his friend Babu, who was later released
that evening but Ramadhan is still miss-
ing.
Ramadhan’s mother, Rukia Bakari says
the arrest was made by a popularly known
police officer identified as ‘Blackie’ “Ac-
cording to my son’s friend, Bakari was
bundled into a different Toyota Probox af-
ter they were arrested and from there he
has not been seen,” said the mother.
Page 2
The mother says that family and friends
have searched everywhere including hos-
pitals and morgues with no sign of him.
“When I went to Pangani Police station I
was told that they have not heard of the
teenager. I have gone to Muthaiga, Cen-
tral and Kamukunji police station but I
have not been helped. These Policemen
with civilian clothes, I want to know where
their station is based cause they are the
ones who have my son,” she added.
The mother is pleading with the govern-
ment to help him get his son back since he
is in the hands of police. “I am requesting
the government and CS Matiang’I to help
me get back my son. I am asking ‘Blackie’
to please bring back my son,” Rukia said
while tears were rolling down her eyes.
Human rights watchdog HAKI Africa has
call on the investigation into the wherea-
bouts of Ramadhan after Rukia went to
seek their support. “We as HAKI Africa
are asking where is Ramadhan Bakari
and asking CS Matiang’i to follow up on
the this issue as it squarely falls under his
docket,” said Salima Macharia, an official
from HAKI Africa.
He questioned why cases of enforced dis-
appearance are so common in the slums
areas and stated that they receive not
less than five cases of disappearances in
a day.
The Friday Bulletin
What do Muslims believe about Jesus?
By Sadaf Farooqi
Isa, or Jesus the son of Mary as he is more
commonly known, is probably one of the
most “famous” people in the world since
many centuries.
Unbeknownst to most non-Muslims who
revere and love Jesus, he is one of the
many Prophets whom God has mentioned
repeatedly and specifically in the Quran.
God has described many of his praisewor-
thy attributes in the Quran. Also the details
of the events in his life, as well as those of
his mother, Mary.
The Quran reveals details about the noble
lineage of Prophet Jesus; about how his
maternal grandmother, herself a devout
worshiper of God, dedicated her unborn
child to His service when she was preg-
nant.
She eventually gave birth to one of the
most virtuous, chaste and honorable wom-
en who ever lived: Mary, the mother of Je-
sus.
Mary grew up to also become an extremely
righteous woman. A dedicated and devout
worshiper of God, she secluded herself in
the mihrab to shy away from a society that
was fast becoming morally decadent and
steeped in sins.
There, God miraculously provided her with
eatables and appointed Prophet Zakariyya
as her guardian.
Because of her lofty virtue, God sent an
angel to give her glad tidings of a righteous
son. Initially appalled at the prospect be-
cause of her unmarried state, she even-
tually accepted this decree, and withdrew
from her people to give birth alone in the
woods – an enormous trial of her faith and
forbearance that not just brought her im-
mense fruit in the long run, but also further
elevated her status in the eyes of God.
God described all of these events, as well
as the following attributes and virtues of
Prophet Jesus in the Quran:
A Slave of God and a Prophet
After Mary gave birth to Jesus and returned
home cradling him, the people of her com-
munity were scandalized to hear the news,
because she had hitherto been unmarried.
When they started demonizing her for giv-
ing birth to a son, accusing her of the worst
that any chaste woman can imagine being
accused of, God made the infant Jesus
speak up from his cradle and defend her
honor: {He said: “Behold, I am a servant of
God. He has given me the Scripture and
made me a Prophet.} (19:30)
Since his infancy, therefore, Jesus was elo-
quent in defending the oppressed, margin-
alized and weak in society.
What is more important, however, is how
he proclaimed in the above speech to first
and foremost be a slave of God (“`abdul-
lahi” in Arabic) and then His Prophet, with-
out attributing any divinity to his own self.
A Blessed Worshiper of God
{And made me blessed wherever I may be;
and He has enjoined upon me prayer and
charity as long as I live.} (19:31)
Jesus made it clear from soon after his
birth that God had not just made him a very
Page 3
DA'WAH Jumadal-Awwal 10, 1442/December 25, 2020
blessed human being (which was glaring-
ly obvious by the fact that he was talking
as a newborn baby), but that he was also
commanded to establish salah and to give
charity as long as he lived.
Jesus was sent to not just be humble and
compassionate towards God’s slaves on
earth, but also to obey God’s commands
and worship Him through prayer and char-
ity, just like His other worshipers.
A Righteous Son
{And [has endowed me with] piety towards
my mother; and He has not made me
haughty or bereft of grace.} (19:32)
Prophet Jesus was merciful towards his
mother, and the Quran mentions how, later
on, he lived with her in a lofty, peaceful and
amply-watered dwelling-place provided to
them both by God Himself.
His status as the Prophet of God never un-
dermined his humility towards other human
beings, primarily his mother. She was an
immensely strong and patient woman who
endured tremendous emotional and physi-
cal difficulties and social persecution to
birth him and raise him as a single parent.
The Quran thus testifies that Jesus was
neither “jabbar” – tyrannical and oppres-
sive- nor “shaqiyya” – wretched and un-
fortunate. On the contrary, he was extra
forbearing and kind towards all of God’s
creation, as I will expound further below.
Up till today, the name of Prophet Jesus
is considered symbolic with love, mercy,
compassion and humility; a pillar of for-
bearance and steadfastness in the face of
adversities and persecution.
The Quran corroborates how Jesus used
to perform miracles by the will and decree
of God. He could bring clay birds to life by
blowing on them (3:49) and with the will of
God, he could also cure people suffering
from illness, disability and disease, such as
those who were born blind and those who
were lepers, with the mere touch of his
hand (5:110).
Care for People
The closeness of Prophet Jesus to his peo-
ple and his concern for them also becomes
apparent in those verses of the Quran
which mention how he beseeched Allah to
send down upon them a banquet from the
sky, after his disciples (known as the “Al
Hawari” in Arabic), requested him to ask
God to.
The sunnah also confirms the forgiving at-
titude towards people that Prophet Jesus
displayed:
Abu Hurairah narrated the Prophet (peace
be upon him) said:
“Jesus, seeing a man stealing, asked him,
‘Did you steal?’, He said, ‘No, by Allah, by
the One besides Whom none has the right
to be worshipped’.
Jesus said: ‘I believe in Allah and suspect
my eyes’.” (Al-Bukhari)
The above incident clearly demonstrates
the prohibitive stance that all the religions
revealed through God’s Prophets hold re-
garding the sin of slander (falsely accusing
an innocent person of committing a crime).

Lesson from Sheikh Jamaludin Osman
Friday sermon at Jamia Mosque Nairobi
on 18th DEC. 2020.
Topic: The Scale On The Day Of Judge-
ment
1. One cannot achieve taqwa if he/she
doesn’t believe in the unseen.
2. The one who will be successful on the
day of Judgement are the ones whose
good deeds will be heavier on the scale.
3. The one who will be at loss on the day
of Judgement are the ones whose good
deeds will be lighter on the scale.
4. No soul shall be treated unjustly dur-
ing the Day of Judgement because Allah
takes account of everything one does.
NOTE:
• One cannot be believer until he/she be-
lieves there is scale on the day of Judge-
ment.
• One of the hardest thing on the Day of
Judgement after being questioned by Al-
lah, is the scale.
• One who wants the Prophet Muham-
mad (Peace be upon him) to intercede for
him/her should look for him at these three
places:
- As-Sirāt (the bridge which every human
must pass on the Day of Judgment.)
- At Al-Mizan (the scale).
- At the Fountain of water.
When the man whom Jesus saw stealing
swore by Allah’s name that he didn’t steal,
Jesus gave him the benefit of the doubt
and admitted that it was his own eyes that
must have ‘lied to him’.
Prophet Muhammad and Prophet Jesus
The Quran confirms how Prophet Jesus
predicted the coming of Muhammad as
God’s next Prophet after him. (61:6)
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
also confirmed his closeness to Jesus,
both, in terms of time and the consecutive
succession of Prophets, as well as in terms
of the relationship between them as Allah’s
chosen Prophets who were sent with the
same Divine message of monotheism:
Narrated Abu Hurairah, Prophet Muham-
mad said:“Both in this world and in the
Hereafter, I am the nearest of all the peo-
ple to Jesus, the son of Mary. The proph-
ets are paternal brothers; their mothers
are different, but their religion is one.” (Al-
Bukhari)
The Quran’s Praise for Jesus’ Followers
The Quran has not only described in nu-
merous places the virtues of both Mary
and her son Prophet Jesus, but has also
mentioned two positive qualities of the
people who ‘followed’ Jesus i.e. those who
Continued To Page 8
The Friday Bulletin
Maryam: A woman of miracles
By Nusaybah Naeem
Reflecting on this past year, we can all agree
that we have all faced some very unexpect-
ed circumstances. Many have faced (and
are still facing) harsh situations in their per-
sonal lives due to the pandemic. When we
look into the lives of many great figures in
our past, we find that their lives were speck-
led with unimaginable challenges. Through
these trials, their faith was put to test, and
they shone brightly as guides, leaders, and
role models for us. The focus of this article
is on Maryam, the mother of Isa (‘alayhi al-
Salām). Maryam is a woman who serves
as a symbol of unwavering trust, devotion,
and good character in the face of one of the
greatest trials a woman on this earth was
ever put through.
Devoted from Birth
‘Imrān and Hannah were known to be right-
eous people. They had lived a long life to-
gether as husband and wife, but they did
not have any children. In her old age, Han-
nah was still hopeful that she could have
a child. She vowed to Allāh that if she was
blessed with a child, she would dedicate the
child’s life to the service of Allāh. Her du’ā
was answered, and she became pregnant,
after which she said: “My Lord, indeed I have
pledged to You what is in my womb, conse-
crated (for Your service), so accept this from
me. Indeed, You are the Hearing, the Know-
ing.| [ Al-Qur’ān 3:35]
When the time came for her to give birth, she
was shocked to find out that her baby was a
girl and not a boy. Her shock was because
it was uncommon for females to live a life of
seclusion in the worship of Allāh. |But when
she delivered her, she said, “My Lord, I have
delivered a female.” And Allāh was most
knowing of what she delivered, and the male
is not like the female.” [ Al-Qur’ān 3:36]
Though Hannah had given birth to a girl, her
oath still needed to be fulfilled. The baby
was named Maryam, and so her story be-
gan. “And I have named her Maryam, and
I seek refuge for her in You and (for) her
descendants from Satan, the expelled (from
the mercy of Allāh).” [ Al-Qur’ān 3:36]
When Maryam Inspired a Prophet
From a very young age, Maryam was rec-
ognised as someone who was extremely
blessed. She was taken under the care of
her uncle, the Prophet Zakariyyah, who
would look after her while she was worship-
ping Allāh in her chamber. He noticed that
every time he went to check up on her, she
miraculously had an abundance of provi-
sions. Some scholars say that she would
have summer fruits in the winter, and winter
fruits in the summer. “So her Lord accepted
her with good acceptance and cause her to
grow in a good manner and put her in the
care of Zakariyyah. Every time Zakariyyah
entered upon her in the prayer chamber, he
found her with provision. He said, “O Mar-
yam, from where is this (coming) to you?”
She said, “It is from Allāh. Indeed, Allāh pro-
vides for whom He wills without account.”[
Al-Qur’ān 3:37]
Page 4
WOMEN Jumadal-Awwal 10, 1442/December 25, 2020
Prophet Zakariyyah had been facing his
own struggles – he was very old and his
wife was barren. He longed to have chil-
dren of his own who would be righteous
and call others to Allāh. When he saw
Maryam with all kinds of amazing provi-
sions and heard her say that Allāh pro-
vides unrestrictedly to whomsoever He
wills, he realised that Allāh would surely
respond to his prayers. Without wasting
a moment, he immediately called out to
Allāh: “At that, Zakariyyah called upon
his Lord, saying, “My Lord, grant me
from Yourself a good offspring. Indeed,
You are the Hearer of supplication.”[ Al-
Qur’ān 3:38]
While he was still standing in prayer with
his heart full of trust in Allāh, his du’ā was
answered:
“So the angels called him while he was
standing in prayer in the chamber. “In-
deed, Allāh gives you good tidings of
Yahya, confirming a word from Allāh,
and (who will be) honourable, abstain-
ing (from women), and a prophet from
among the righteous.”[ Al-Qur’ān 3:39]
This miraculous event occurred as de-
scribed, and Prophet Yahya was born
due to the inspiration that Prophet Zaka-
riyyah took from Maryam!
Chosen Above the Women of the
World
One day, when Maryam was in her
chamber worshipping Allāh, something
happened that would change her life for-
ever. Out of nowhere, an angel appeared
before her and startled her. The angel
said: “O Maryam, indeed, Allāh has cho-
sen you and purified you and chosen
you above the women of the worlds.” [
Al-Qur’ān 3:42]
This verse teaches us that Maryam is
celebrated on her own merit. She is not
someone we admire just because she is the
mother of Prophet Isa. Even before she had
news of his arrival or became his mother,
Maryam was told by the angel that she had
been chosen by Allāh due to her righteous-
ness.
A Symbol of Modesty
As a woman who was chosen and purified
by Allāh, Maryam was extremely modest
and chaste. When the angel Jibrīl first came
to her in the form of a man, she immediately
sought protection from Allāh: “Then We sent
to her Our Angel, and he represented him-
self to her as a well-proportioned man. She
said, “Indeed, I seek refuge in the Most Mer-
ciful from you, (so leave me), if you should
be fearing of Allāh.”[ Al-Qur’ān 19:17-18]
A Miraculous Birth
Maryam soon realised that the man in front
of her was actually an angel who had been
sent by Allāh to deliver some life-changing
news: “He said, “I am only the messenger of
Your Lord to give you (news of) a pure boy.”[
Al-Qur’ān 19:19]
Maryam was perplexed. She had spent her
entire life secluded in worship, so she could
not comprehend how she could be expect-
ing a child. “She said, “How can I have a
boy when no man has touched me and I
have not been unchaste?”[ Al-Qur’ān 19:20]
Just as Allāh had allowed the barren wife
of Prophet Zakariyyah to conceive in old
age, He once again displayed that He has
the Power to bring anything into existence.
Allāh willed that Maryam would become
pregnant even though she had never been
touched by a man – and He is capable of
all things.
A Miraculous Child
The decree of Allāh prevailed, and Maryam
soon gave birth to Prophet Isa. Maryam
Continued To Page 5
The Friday Bulletin
I don’t celebrate Christmas, I’m not “Old scrooge” A Muslim Mother's Perspective
Marwa Abdalla
22 December, 2019
The story of a Christmas Carol has been
told and retold thousands of times since it
was first published by Charles Dickens in
1843. It tells the tale of Ebenezer Scrooge,
a miserly, old man who wants nothing to do
with Christmas or anything associated with
it, and who shows discontent to anyone
who does.
Scrooge turns away from family, friends
and those in need as he tries to keep focus
on his own selfish greed. “If I could work
my will,” says Scrooge, indignantly, “every
idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christ-
mas’ on his lips, should be boiled with his
own pudding, and buried with a stake of
holly through his heart. He should!”
After being visited by a series of ghosts
who show him the value of the Christmas
spirit, he reforms himself and vows to de-
nounce his callous stinginess and honor
Christmas wholeheartedly.
The story is so well known throughout the
western world that anyone not embodying
the “Christmas spirit,” that spirit of caring,
generosity, thankfulness and love, is often
referred to as an “old scrooge.”
For many Muslims in the United States,
Christmas time creates something of a pre-
dicament. Do they go along with the tradi-
tions of Christmas, even if just outwardly,
in an attempt to connect with non-Muslim
neighbors and friends? Or do they forgo the
lights, trees, stockings and gift exchanges
and risk being viewed as old scrooges?
In this article, I hope to examine these
questions, not only shedding light on why
Muslims don’t celebrate Christmas, but
also explaining why the “Christmas spirit” is
something Islam actually strongly encour-
ages throughout the entire year.
Historic Origin
Christmas is a holiday celebrated by the
majority of Christians on December 25th
to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ
(may God’s peace be upon him). Christ-
mas time is associated with many traditions
and symbols, both religious and secular—
scenes of the nativity, decorated trees,
gingerbread houses, peppermint sticks,
wreaths of holly, colored lights, snowmen,
and Santa Clause, the list goes on and on.
How are all these things related to the sup-
posed birth of Jesus on December 25th?
Well, it turns out they are not related as
closely as one might think. Despite what
popular culture tells us, historians and re-
ligious scholars agree that December 25th
was not the actual birthday of Jesus. Ac-
cording to textual evidence, Jesus was
most likely born in the spring or summer.
However, centuries before the birth of Je-
sus, the middle of winter was a time cel-
ebrated by many ancient religions around
the world. Among these were the Norse
people of Scandinavia who celebrated Yule
at the time of the winter solstice, and the
ancient Romans who celebrated a series of
holidays at the end of December, starting
with Saturnalia, in honor of the god Saturn,
and a few weeks later, Juvenalia, a feast
Page 5
YOUTH Jumadal-Awwal 10, 1442/December 25, 2020
honoring the children of Rome.
The day of December 25th actually marked
the day many Romans considered to be
the most sacred day of the year—the birth-
day of the infant god Mithra, the god of the
unconquerable sun.
When Christianity became the official re-
ligion of the Roman Empire, the Church,
specifically Pope Julius I, decided to re-
place the December 25th pre-Christian
celebration of the birth of Mithra, with the
celebration of the birth of who they claimed
to be the son of God, Jesus.
Although the Church changed the purpose
of the occasion, many of the traditions and
practices found in pre-Christian Europe
continued under the pretext of the Church’s
new holiday and then spread to many other
parts of the world. The history of Christmas
includes a lot of broken links, interjections
and even a few times in which the holiday
was very outlawed.
The Christmas Message of Jesus
By Idris Tawfiq
As Christmas is celebrated all over the
world, it will come as a real surprise to
many people that Muslims have any regard
for Jesus at all.
Most people have no idea that Jesus has
any part in Islam. And yet, for Muslims not
only is Jesus revered as a Prophet of Islam,
but whenever his name is mentioned, they
will add the words “peace be upon him.”
Far from being a “foreign” religion, Islam
teaches that all prophets in the Old Testa-
ment actually brought a message from Al-
mighty God, Allah, to His people, and Mus-
lims respect the same prophets revered by
Christians and Jews.
Whilst Christians and Muslims believe very
different things about Jesus, it is nonethe-
less a very useful starting point to know
that both religious traditions honor Jesus
Maryam: A woman of miracles
Continued From Page 4
knew that people would assume the worst
of her; that she had given birth as a result
of unchastity. During this extremely difficult
time in her life – through a pregnancy and
birth that she faced alone – she remained
extremely close to Allāh. She knew with
certainty that He would never allow her to
be disgraced. She walked directly towards
her people, not knowing how she would
be defended, but certain that Allāh would
help her. Little did she know that it would
be her baby who would speak up for her.
“So she pointed to him. They said, “How
can we speak to one who is in the cradle a
child?” (Isa) said, “Indeed, I am the servant
of Allāh. He has given me the scripture and
made me a prophet.”[ Al-Qur’ān 19:29-30]
In this miraculous event, the chastity of
Maryam was defended by her new-born
baby. Her status was further exalted in the
eyes of people, as she had given birth to a
prophet who had shown his first miracle as
However, much of that history, symbolism
and all, comes together in the ways that
Christmas is being celebrated today. And
even though Christmas in the contempo-
rary United States is often more secular
than religious, its roots and religious sig-
nificance still make it one holiday that most
Muslims, including me, feel uncomfortable
observing. Why?
Preserving Muslim Identity
Islam teaches that God, the Creator and
Sustainer of the universe, is one, without
father or son, and that there is nothing in
His creation like unto Him. Thus, Muslims
do not believe in the trinity or that Jesus is
the son of God.
Furthermore, Muslims are very cautious
to never associate anything with the one,
true God, at the level of worship or other-
wise. For that reason, Islam forbids any
celebration associated with the worship of
as a very special person. In fact, it would
be quite acceptable for Muslims to include
the name of Jesus in their Shahadah, or
declaration of faith.
Muslims say: “I bear witness that there is
no God but Allah and I bear witness that
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah,” but
they could just as equally declare “I bear
witness that there is no God but Allah and
I bear witness that Jesus is the Messenger
of Allah.”
That being said, the Jesus revealed in Is-
lam is in many ways quite different from
the Jesus many Christians have come to
know. The foremost difference is that Je-
sus is not considered by Muslims to be the
son of God.
The next major difference is that Muslims
Continued To Page 6
a baby. Here, we learn that when we fear
Allāh and live in devotion to Him, He will
make a way out of every challenging situ-
ation for us from places we least expect.
The miraculous life of Maryam teaches us
that when we are devoted to the obedience
of Allāh, He will protect us, provide for us,
and honour us beyond anything we can im-
agine. We learn from Maryam that no mat-
ter how impossible a situation may seem,
Allāh will always make a seamless way out
for us if we are close to Him. As we near
the end of what has been a challenging
year, we must remember the quiet cour-
age of Maryam and her consistent trust in
Allāh’s plan for her. In trusting Him, there
is always a path of ease and blessings to
be found.
We pray that we are able to follow in the
footsteps of this blessed family and emu-
late their ways.
Source: www.islam21c.com
The Friday Bulletin
Regarding careless forwards of anti-vaccine messages
By Yasir Qadhi
The Prophet salallahu alayhi wa sallam
said, "Whoever practices medicine without
having studied it shall be responsible [for
any harm he causes]" (Reported by Abu
Dawud and al-Nasā'ī).
This hadith lays out a very important princi-
ple: if a person gets involved in a field that
he is not qualified for, and ends up caus-
ing harm to others, he shall be responsi-
ble, in the eyes of Allah, and possibly in the
courts of men as well.
Therefore, if someone has no knowledge
of medicine, having never studied it or
practiced it, but still takes on the role and
responsibility of a doctor, prescribing medi-
cations and performing surgeries, that per-
son shall be responsible, both legally and
morally, for any and all damages his prac-
tice incurred. (On the flip side, we can also
derive from this hadith that if a qualified
The Christmas Message of Jesus
Continued From Page 5
do not believe that he died on the cross to
save people from their sins.
They take their belief from what Allah tells
them in the Quran. For example, regarding
who Jesus was, we read: “People of the
Book! Commit no excesses in your religion:
Nor say of Allah aught but the truth. Christ
Jesus the son of Mary was (no more than)
a messenger of Allah, and His Word, which
He bestowed on Mary…” (Quran 4:171)
And we also read: “{Christ the son of Mary
was no more than a messenger; many were
the messengers that passed away before
him. His mother was a woman of truth. They
had both to eat their (daily) food. See how
Allah doth make His signs clear to them; yet
see in what ways they are deluded away
from the truth!” (Quran 5:75)
Regarding Jesus’ death, we read in the
Quran: “And they said we have killed the
Messiah Jesus son of Mary, the Messenger
of God. They did not kill him, nor did they
crucify him, though it was made to appear
like that to them…” (Quran 4:157-158)
An Authentic Narrative About Jesus
It is important for us to understand why
Muslims believe a different narrative about
Jesus, rather than the one accepted by
many Christians. Muslims in fact believe
that the words about Jesus in the existing
gospels are not the actual words revealed
about him by Allah.
They believe, instead, that Almighty God,
Allah, has spoken to His creation down
through the centuries through prophets.
Some of these prophets had books re-
vealed to them. Prophet Moses, for exam-
ple, had the Torah revealed to him, just as
Prophet Jesus had a message revealed to
him known as the Injeel.
Muslims believe that neither of these books
now exist in the form in which they were
originally revealed because they have been
altered, either deliberately or accidentally,
OPINION Jumadal-Awwal 10, 1442/December 25, 2020
doctor makes a sincere judgment call
which turns out to be a mistake, generally
speaking he shall not be liable).
We currently have a global pandemic
raging, devastating lives and disrupting
every aspect of society. Now that there is
the potential for a vaccine, let the special-
ists speak about its pros and cons, and
don't jump on any populist bandwagon.
Realize that if you forward nonsensical
videos or relay incorrect information that
potentially causes someone else to do
something that is harmful (for example,
to not take a vaccine that is effective),
you might be liable for any harm caused.
Also note that not everyone who can
quote a verse or two is a scholar of Is-
lam, and not everyone who wears a white
jacket and stethoscope is a doctor. Do
your research, and look at the creden-
tials and specialization and reputation
over time. Allah never intended these
messages to last, since they were for a
particular people at a particular time in
their history.
The Quran revealed to Muhammad, how-
ever, was intended for all people and for
all time. It is the fullness of revelation, af-
firming all that is correct of what had gone
before and correcting all that had become
unclear about previous revelation.
The Message of Jesus in Quran
The Quran, then, has a different nativity
narrative for the birth of Jesus and a com-
pletely different approach to who Jesus
was. Jesus according to the Quran, was
“no more than a messenger,” delivering
God’s words to mankind. Unlike prophets
before him, he was given the gift of mira-
cles, but these miracles were a manifes-
tation of the power of God, not of Jesus’
own power.
The message of Jesus was the message
given to all prophets before him: that God
is One and that He deserves to be wor-
shipped in a particular way. By following
the “straight path” people can come to get
to know God better. This is the message
confirmed in the Quran and is what has
come to be known as Islam today. For
Muslims, Jesus is a Messenger of Islam.
So what about the “Christian message”
preached by Jesus? What about all the
teaching about love of neighbor? What
about all the stories and the parables re-
lated by Christians today as the words of
Jesus himself?
For Muslims, the Quran is the fullness of
revelation. Everything that agrees with
the Quran in the previous scriptures is
considered to be true. Anything that disa-
grees with the Quran is considered to be
false. And as for anything in the previous
scriptures which is not found in the Quran,
Muslims don’t know if it is true or false,
of the one you take any knowledge from,
ESPECIALLY knowledge of your faith, and
knowledge about protecting your life.
Every field has its specialists, and we as
Muslims give the rights due to the people
who deserve those rights. In this field, let
us follow actual medical experts, and not
random Whatsapp messages or global
conspiracy theorists. The Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬said,
"It is enough for a person to be a liar that
he narrates everything he hears" (Report-
ed in Ahmad). We can add for our times:
...and that he forwards every message he
receives!
Be careful, dear brothers and sisters, and
don't act irresponsibly in a field that is not
your area of expertise.
Note: this is NOT a blanket endorsement
of the vaccine. Rather, it is a call to act
responsibly, and to let qualified, trained,
recognized specialists lead the way to en-
dores or criticize aspects of the vaccine.
whether it is divinely revealed or the inven-
tion of men.
Stories like the Good Samaritan and the
Sermon on the Mount, for example, do not
appear in the Quran so Muslims have no
way of knowing who wrote them. Since they
don’t actually disagree with Islamic teach-
ing we cannot say they are wrong, but we
remain unclear about where they came
from.
In other words, much of Jesus’ so-called
teaching, as narrated by the New Testa-
ment, sits very comfortably with the princi-
ples of the Quran, but is not to be found as
divine revelation in the Quran itself.
Teaching that people should love their
neighbor, although related in different lan-
guage, is very much a part of what Muslims
believe. Prophet Muhammad is the closest
commentary we have on the Quran. In his
life we see how the Quran should be lived
and in his life we see that caring for neigh-
bors, the widowed and the orphans is very
much a part of being a Muslim.
Christmas Message
As people throughout the world celebrate
Christmas, it might be a very good way of
building bridges between people of faith if
Muslims were to let others know just what
Islam teaches about Prophet Jesus. This
shouldn’t be done in a way that offends the
belief of others. After all, disagreeing is not
the end of the world!
If people could understand one another
more and agree to differ on certain matters
of belief, our world would be a much better
place.
Christians would have us believe that
“Peace” is the central message of Christ-
mas. As Muslims we say “Amen” to that,
since “Islam” itself comes from a root word
that means “Peace” and Prophet Jesus
came to teach the message of Islam
Page 6
The Friday Bulletin
The Emiratis in Jerusalem are a slap in the face for Palestinians
By Jalal Abukhater
This past year was full of adversity and
hopelessness for many around the world.
But for we Palestinians, it was even harsh-
er – we were forced to face a deadly pan-
demic in an apartheid state, amid a col-
lapsing economy, and a general feeling of
hopelessness and abandonment.
In the second half of the year, a series of
Arab states added to our collective misery
by announcing their decision to normalise
their relations with Israel. By effectively
abandoning their supposed commitment
to supporting Palestinian self-determina-
tion for money, weapons and a few short-
term political gains, they sent us a clear
message that our suffering and struggle
for the most basic human rights no longer
matter to them.
While every normalisation deal Israel
clenched with an Arab state undoubtedly
hurt us, none of them was as painful for
us as the one signed by the United Arab
Emirates. After the deals, popular dis-
pleasure was evident on the streets of
Morocco, Sudan and even Bahrain. We
knew that the masses in these countries
were overwhelmingly opposed to the deci-
sion made by their political leaders, and
this was a consolation for us. But the situ-
ation was different in the UAE. The Emira-
tis, across every level of their society from
political leaders to regular citizens, came
out forcefully in favour of a warm and cozy
relationship with Israel.
One of the most shocking and enraging
developments in the fast-paced love af-
fair between the UAE and Israel was the
mutual visa waiver agreement – a first
between Israel and an Arab country. After
the signing of the agreement, Emirati and
Israeli airlines were quick to announce di-
rect flights between the two countries. This
is it, we thought, the Emiratis are coming!
And they did come, with much fanfare and
propaganda. The photos of Emirati tour-
ists in their traditional outfits posing in
historic Jerusalem next to Israelis were
plastered across newspapers. The Israeli
government started sharing on its official
social media accounts testimonies of Emi-
ratis explaining how “safe and secure”
they feel in the country.
But almost no one wondered what we, the
Palestinians, are feeling about all this.
The arrival of hundreds of Emiratis in Is-
rael to enjoy the historic sites of Jerusa-
lem and pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque was
a slap in the face for us. After all, millions
of Palestinians living in the West Bank
and Gaza, just two dozen kilometres away
from Al-Aqsa, can only dream about step-
ping foot in the mosque that is the third
holiest site in Islam.
Of course, we Palestinian Jerusalemites
were already used to seeing Muslim pil-
grims from Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia or
other non-Arab Muslim-majority countries
at Al-Aqsa. Over the years, Palestinians
Page 7
Jumadal-Awwal 10, 1442/December 25, 2020
rarely had any problem with these visitors, This is not an option for most Palestinians.
as they overwhelmingly believe this holiest A Palestinian living in Ramallah, for exam-
of mosques should not be monopolised by ple, would have to first cross into Jordan
any subset of Muslims, even under the and then take a flight from the Queen Alia
devastating conditions of an occupation. airport in Amman to reach Dubai. This is
But the Palestinian Jerusalemites were an arduous journey that involves many
not as accepting of Emirati tourists as oth- checkpoints and takes almost an entire
ers. While some still took the position that day. Even Palestinians holding American
all Muslim tourists, whatever their citizen- passports cannot just fly into the Tel Aviv
ship, should be welcome in Al-Aqsa, many airport, if they are also in possession of a
others protested against Emirati tourists Palestinian ID card. So you can see why
being awarded with the right to easily visit visa-free travel between the UAE and Is-
Jerusalem’s holy sites for betraying the rael is irritating to many of us, the natives
Palestinians and forming an alliance with who are denied that same right in our
their oppressors. homeland.
We have every reason to be frustrated I do not believe that anyone, including we
when we see Emiratis and Bahrainis in Palestinians, deserve unconditional love
Jerusalem, roaming freely under the pro- and support from any nation. But the Emi-
tection of the Israeli police, taking pictures ratis are not even brave enough to openly
and buying souvenirs as if they are visiting say that they do not care about us and sup-
just another tourist site. port our struggle. Instead, they repeatedly
claim that the normalisation between the
For a start, it might sound unbelievable to UAE and Israel will eventually be “benefi-
those not familiar with our reality, but mil-
cial” for the Palestinians. I struggle to see
lions of Palestinians living in Palestine are any logic in this assumption. All the cur-
denied access not only to Al-Aqsa but the
rent evidence points to these normalisa-
entirety of Jerusalem by Israel’s occupy- tion deals further emboldening Israel and
ing regime. Over the past two decades, Is-
its apartheid. After all, none of the normal-
rael has built a complex system of check- ising states, and especially the UAE, are
points, supported by the Apartheid Wall, to
challenging Israel on its decades-long il-
deny Palestinians freedom of movement legal occupation of Palestinian
within their own
homeland. An
entire genera-
tion of Palestin-
ians in the West
Bank and Gaza
grew up without
ever stepping
foot in Al-Aqsa.
And this Israeli
“travel ban” is
not only target-
ing Palestinians
living in Pales-
tine. Palestin-
ian refugees and
members of the
diaspora living
in neighbouring
countries are
still denied their
right to return,
even for a brief
visit.
Another point of
frustration is the
fact that Emira-
tis can now sim-
ply take a direct
flight from Dubai
to Tel Aviv, and
walk freely into
the country. And
Israelis can now
directly fly in to
the Emirates,
with almost no
questions asked.
The Friday Bulletin
By Lauren Booth
Christmas season as a new Muslim
Not so long ago, I loved Christmas.
I was the one in my family who would play
Bing Crosby’ and Jim Reeves’, all through
December.
It was me who baked mince pies by the
car load delivering to family and friends.
It was me who turned the inside of our
home into a dazzling, frenzy of tinsel and
lights.
Now this season is an ordeal. All my so-
cial and cultural conflicts come to the fore.
The security of being able to put the past
away, to become a new, improved, moral,
person, shudders under the weight of nos-
talgic Christmas medleys in the packed
shopping mall.
When we lived in France, my daughters
and I attended church (fairly) regularly. On
Christmas Eve, we would join the whole
village for the atmospheric, candle lit, Mid-
night Mass.
What’s Christmas About?
The ‘big lesson’ I sought to give my chil-
dren each December, was; ‘Christmas is
not just presents and food, it’s about grati-
tude and love of God’. Like many middle
class parents, I had started to move away
from the hyper-showy, consumer frenzy of
the Happy Holidays.
One year, our family fled to the Western
Desert of Egypt and the heady luxury of
a tent. The girls presents were: a wooden
animal, a regional instrument and a tra-
ditional Arab-style dress (with fake coins
dangling from scarves), each.
Waking up on the floor of a hut near an oa-
What do Muslims believe about Jesus?
Continued From Page 3
became followers of the religion that Jesus
brought as the appointed Prophet of God
before Muhammad (peace be upon them
both): {We sent after them Jesus the son
of Mary, and bestowed on him the Gospel;
and We ordained in the hearts of those
who followed him compassion and mer-
cy…} (57:27)
The Quran describes the hearts the fol-
lowers of Jesus have as harboring “ra’fah”
(compassion) and “rahmah” (mercy) as an
ordainment from God Himself, which are
qualities that lend immense softness and
kindness to the people whose hearts har-
bor them.
In another verse of the Quran, God indi-
cates that those who call themselves “Na-
sara”, an Arabic word that is equivalent to
the term “Christian” in the contemporary
world, are the closest among mankind in
showing love to the Muslim believers:
{..And nearest among them in love to the
believers will you find those who say, “We
are Christians”, because amongst them
are men devoted to learning and men who
have renounced the world, and they are
not arrogant.} (5:82)
Conclusion: Lessons for Us from Jesus’
Example
{Such was, in the words of truth, Jesus the
Page 8
Jumadal-Awwal 10, 1442/December 25, 2020
sis, the children, singing on a sand dune,
dressed like Arabian princesses, content-
edly playing with their humble toys, was a
joyful escape from the excessiveness of
the 21st Century Christmas.
How ironic then, that I have somewhat
confused my daughters by now telling
them that; “Xmas is just about food and
family, there is nothing religious about it,”
in order for us to survive this month.
For a large number of ‘born’ Muslims who
live in Europe, North America and Austral-
ia, Christmas is just a time when the cities
in which they dwell become prettier for a
short while.
When work colleagues are more cheerful.
When shimmering lights and tinsel enter
homes without any religious, self analysis,
at all.
Pagan Habit
I was fascinated to read this warning from
the Bible against a habit of the Pagans
(worshipers of many gods), thousands of
years ago.
They decorate it with silver and gold; they
fasten it with hammer and nails so that it
cannot move. Their idols are like scare-
crows in a cucumber field, and they can-
not speak; they have to be carried, for they
cannot walk. Do not be afraid of them, for
they cannot do evil, neither is it in them to
do good.” (Jeremiah 10:1-25)
Having a tree inside the home is disliked
by God as it is a practice linked to shirk.
The hanging of objects on the tree, not
so harmless as it seems. As for the star
on top, every four year old knows that is
son of Mary, about whose nature they so
deeply disagree.} (19:34)
Islam endorses the authentic, divinely-
revealed monotheistic teachings Prophet
Jesus taught, as he was, according to the
words of Prophet Muhammad himself,
just like his paternal brother, with no other
Prophet coming in between them in the line
of succession.
Jesus the son of Mary inspires us to be-
come a slave of, believe in, and worship
only one God. He also inspires us to invite
others towards only Him; to be devout to-
wards our parents and to live with them
honorably; to look out for the oppressed,
marginalized and suffering members of so-
ciety and to strive to remove their suffering;
and to observe prayer and to give charity;
and to take a stand for justice in the face of
social persecution.
It is an obvious conclusion that non-Mus-
lims should endeavor to deeply study a
translation of the Quran to discover what
God has Himself said about Jesus the son
of Mary, as well as his honorable mother.
{Hence, peace was upon me on the day
when I was born, and [will be upon me] on
the day of my death, and on the day when I
shall be raised to life [again]!} (19:33)
linked to Christian teachings.
How to Spend Holidays
Then there’s the question of how and
where children spend time during the
holiday period. Like many adult reverts
to Islam, my children are from a former
marriage and have relatives who are not
Muslim.
This means that for a week each Decem-
ber, my practicing, daughters leave home
to stay in households filled by the smell
of alcohol, listening to Christmas Carols
praising Jesus, and (perhaps worst of all)
stuck to a sofa for days of unlimited, large-
ly inappropriate, TV.
Removing Xmas from the calendar hasn’t
been an easy thing. Why you may be ask-
ing does it matter at all? Why not just go
with the flow? After all Allah Almighty ac-
cepts us on our intentions and if we put
up a tree because it looks pretty, then the
intention is to enjoy beauty right? And Al-
lah loves beauty.
Reverts like to know ‘chapter and verse’
how to please Allah Almighty. It is common
for us newbies to avoid the ‘grey areas’ of
fiqh in which danger lingers, with staunch
determination, at least for a few years.
Our clumsy, yet well meaning attempts
to stay true to Tawhid, can put us out of
synch with our new brothers and sisters,
who wear their faith, shall we say, more,
lightly?
Christmas is one such example. “And
behold! God will say [i.e. on the Day of
Judgment]: ‘Oh Jesus, the son of Mary!
Did you say unto men, worship me and
my mother as gods in derogation of God?’
He will say: ‘Glory to Thee! Never could
I say what I had no right (to say). Had I
said such a thing, You would indeed have
known it. You know what is in my heart,
though I know not what is in Yours. For
You know in full all that is hidden. Never
did I say to them anything except what
You commanded me to say: ‘Worship
God, my Lord and your Lord.’ And I was
a witness over them while I lived among
them. When You took me up, You were the
Watcher over them, and You are a witness
to all things’ (5: 116-17)
The Quran is the ultimate argument
against decorating my home.
Writing this, I sit in a house that looks the
same as it does all year round.
No ‘White Christmas’ is playing merrily in
the background.
No mulled wine is bubbling on the hob.
And (for the first time ever) NO Christmas
tree is blinking in my living room.
Christmas day, I will be as far away as
possible from nostalgia – and temptation.
I am joining tens of thousands of brothers
and sisters at the Al Ansar Souk in Durban
(inshaAllah).
So, if you see Santa, please tell him I’ve
moved.
Lauren Booth is the Sister-in-law of for-
mer British Prime Minister Tony Blair
The Friday Bulletin
Sorry state of dilapidated Malindi jetty
The iconic Malindi jetty called Buntwa be-
lieved to be over 70 years old is on the
verge of collapsing.
Buntwa, which is the only fishing jetty, has
huge cracks as part of its metal frames
have been carted off through vandalism.
Metal grills once used to protect people
from falling during high tides are also
gone.
Malindi Beach Management Unit chair
Yunus Aboud said the jetty has become
hazardous because of the vandalism and
there is an urgent need for people to be
banned from sitting under the jetty as it
could collapse and cause deaths.
“The jetty is in a bad state, I urge Kenya
Ports Authority, Kenya Revenue Authority
and all responsible departments to come
and access the damage and begin reno-
vation immediately,” he noted.
According to Aboud, the vandals have
damaged the jetty for scrap metal, leaving
it on the verge of collapsing.
Malindi subcounty police boss Joe Lekuta
put scrap metal dealers buying metal from
the jetty on notice.
Da’wa Group launches Motorbike project to empower youth
The Kisumu based, Da’wa Development
Group (DDG) a charitable organization
has launched a programme to economi-
cally empower and improve the living
standards of youth in Nyanza region.
The group Chief Executive Officer (CEO)
Sheikh Musa Ismail said the initiative was
driven by the need to address the socio-
economic challenges faced by the local
youth through donation of motorbikes.
Speaking to the Friday Bulletin , Sheikh
Musa noted that the programme’s objec-
tive is to uplift socio-economic status of
youth and that among the first beneficiar-
ies of the motorbike project to venture
into Boda Boda business will be selected
youth in Kaloleni in Kisumu County .
“It is our desire to assist in community
projects which have a positive bearing
on the society. We also appreciate coop-
eration from development partners or in-
dividuals who share the same passion in
development,” he said.
He said that he was optimistic the motor-
Madrassa curriculum gets gov’t approval
Continued From Page 1
be piloted countrywide.
“The process to develop a unified mad-
rassa curriculum has been a long journey
and successful history in the Muslim com-
munity in Kenya and the East Africa region
as a whole. This has been achieved with
the commitment and support from various
stakeholders and Muslim organizations,”'
Munawar Khan said.
In his remarks, Dr. Ahmed Yusuf who
headed the taskforce that spearheaded
NATIONAL Jumadal-Awwal 10, 1442/December 25, 2020
He said it was unfortunate that rogue The jetty for years, has also been a major
youths have begun vandalising the metal tourist attraction for both locals and for-
from the jetty that is a key facility for fish- eigners who come to take photos, enjoy
ermen. the oceanic view of the resort town.
“As police, we will not accept it. The scrap Malindi is a renowned tourism destina-
metal dealers we will be going for them tion and historical town with key ancient
to inspect their licenses and the type of attractions like Vasco Da Gama pillar,
metal they buy. If they are not scrap metal House of Columns, the jetty, Malindi mu-
and are from the streetlight or jetty we seums among others.
shall arrest them,” he said.
bikes would boost income-
generating activities for the
youth and will also contrib-
ute to upliftment of their lives
and have a positive bearing
on the society,
“There’s hope that a motor-
bike would boost the income
of the beneficiaries. They
will do boda boda besides
their daily businesses .This
project will help provide op-
portunities for local youth to
undertake their works effec-
tively without divided atten-
tion and will also contribute
to upliftment of their lives
and have a positive bearing
on the society,'' said Sheikh
Musa.
Da’wah Development Group
is involved in sustainable
development projects which
are aimed at empowering
the most vulnerable in society.
At present, the organisation which has a
working partnership with the Dar al Ber
Society of the United Arab Emirates initi-
ated construction of a Sh200 million ul-
the curriculum development process, tra- modern referral hospital in Holo, near
thanked all the stakeholders for their time- Kisumu which is envisaged to be the sec-
ond referral hospital in the region after the
ly input and cooperation saying without
their commitment the proposed curriculum New Nyanza General Hospital.
would have not be realized. Among other projects, Da’wah Develop-
ment Group is involved in education pro-
He said the KICD was ready to work and grammes, orphan and widows support as
train Madrassa teachers with a long term well as borehole projects.
aim of developing a common examina-
tions system for Madrassa and Duksis
schools to be facilitated by KNEC.
Page 9
The Friday Bulletin
Prioritize the lives of Kenyans not BBI-govt told
Religious leaders in Mombasa have fault-
ed the government for financing the con-
troversial Building Bridges Initiative (BBI)
while ignoring and neglecting the plight of
striking doctors and healthcare workers.
Speaking in Mombasa on Tuesday, the
religious leaders drawn from the Supreme
Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM),
Council of Imams and Preachers of Ken-
ya (CIPK) and Coast Interfaith Council of
Clerics (CICC) scoffed at the top leader-
ship for concentrating more on the BBI
and completely ignoring the demands by
striking doctors and forgetting what Ken-
yans are currently going through.
The leaders challenged the government
to focus more on various critical mat-
Boito mosque project gets sponsors
Muslim residents of Boito area within Ba-
ringo County have a reason to smile after
two well-wishers came to their rescue and
offered to support the construction of the
Mosque.
In early October this year, the residents
sent an appeal to donors and well-wishers
for financial support to enable them pur-
chase parcel of land for the construction
of a Mosque and a Madrassa.
According to the chairman Boito/Kisorobi
Muslim community Muhammad Koech, al-
ready the process for search has started
to facilitate the re survey of the land to
place beacons on the site, transfer and
subsequent issuance of title deed to se-
cure the land.
The two sponsors who opted to remain
anonymous pledged to facilitate the con-
UAE told by Pakistan it will not accept ‘Israel’
The Pakistani Foreign Minister, Shah
Mahmood Qureshi, has explained to his
Emirati counterpart Abdullah bin Zayed Al
Nahyan in no uncertain terms that the Is-
lamic Republic of Pakistan will not recog-
nise ‘Israel’ unless an enduring solution is
found for the issue of Palestine.
“I categorically presented Pakistan’s
stance on Israel to the UAE’s foreign min-
ister that we will not and cannot establish
a relationship with Israel until a concrete
and permanent solution to the Palestine
issue is found…”
In a meeting between Qureshi and Al
Nahyan, a number of topics were dis-
cussed, including the COVID-19 pandemic
and the recent UAE travel ban that spans
numerous countries including, among oth-
ers, Pakistan, Lebanon, Algeria, Tunisia,
and Iran. The ongoing thawing of relations
between the Zionist state of ‘Israel’ and
some Gulf nations was also discussed.
Details of the Pakistani delegation to the
UAE comes after reports of Islamabad al-
legedly having covertly sent a courier to
‘Israel’ to discuss ties.
Shortly after the UAE declared in August
that it would establish a diplomatic rela-
Page 10
NATIONAL Jumadal-Awwal 10, 1442/December 25, 2020
ters of national importance and stop im-
posing Building Bridges Initiative-BBI on
Kenyans, stressing that the government
should concentrate more on solving the
crisis facing the health sector in the coun-
try and prioritize available resources for
COVID-19 response.
They said the BBI report had left out
important issues affecting the common
mwananchi adding that in the midst of the
strike by doctors which could put the lives
of Kenyans at risk, it is imperative that the
BBI process is put on hold and the lives of SUPKEM Deputy Chair Sheikh Mundhar
Kenyans be given utmost priority. Khitamy
The SUPKEM deputy national chairman concerns of Kenyans, the national govern-
Sheikh Muhdhar Khitamy noted that by ment is failing Kenyans who are still reel-
prioritizing BBI and failing to address the ing from the social and economic effects
of the coronavirus pandemic.
He urged Kenyans not to be lured in sup-
porting BBI, saying the initiative will not
struction of the fully carpeted mosque with change how leaders in the country dis-
functioning sound system. charge their duties. “In a country where
leaders and entangled in corruption deals,
Speaking to The Friday Bulletin, Muham-
selfish interest and tribal inclinations,
mad Koech thanked the well-wishers and
nothing will be changed by BBI. BBI can
sponsors for coming out and offering
wait but the lives of Kenyans can’t wait,”
their financial and moral support towards
said Sheikh Khitamy.
the mosque and madrassa projects and
prayed to Allah to reward them abundantly On his part, the Council of Imams and
for the support and generosity. Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) national
Treasurer Sheikh Hassan Omar said poli-
He noted that Muslims in Boito are now
ticians who are ignoring the concerns of
assured of a permanent mosque and ma-
Kenyans and are instead pushing the BBI
drassa and with the two facilities they will
drive have no Kenyans interests in their
undertake their spiritual obligations and
hearts. “One will ask if we have a dedicat-
enhance on their religious education and
ed government conscious about its peo-
knowledge without any obstacles.
ple, the government must show dedication
The chair called on other well-wishers to to its people,” said Sheikh Omar.
emulate the same and come out in sup-
As a way forward, Sheikh Omar asked the
port of this noble course for the pleasure
government to move with haste to prior-
of Allah.
itize the available resources towards the
health-care system to appropriately re-
spond to the challenges brought by Cov-
id-19.
tionship with ‘Israel’, Prime Minister Khan In a joint statement which appeared in
said in a television interview: “Our stance the press on Sunday, the National Muslim
is obvious. It’s something which (Paki- Leaders Forum (NAMLEF) and the Coun-
stan’s founder) Quaid-e-Azam Muham- cil of Imams and Preachers of Kenya,
mad Ali Jinnah made clear in 1948 – that faulted the BBI process saying that it has
we cannot accept Israel until Palestinians failed to allow to address pertinent issues
get their rights as per the two-state solu- facing the country.
tion… If we accept normalisation of ties “Doctors and other health workers are dy-
with Israel then we would have to give up ing while the others are on strike. There
the Kashmir cause… My conscience will is a major slow-down in the economy,
never allow me to accept Israel, which is companies and businesses are closing
responsible for so many atrocities against down, Kenyans are losing their jobs at an
the Palestinian people…” alarming rate. And yet, despite these con-
Pakistan is finding itself in a tough spot, ditions, we are indulging in an activity that
as the Muslim-majority country heavily defies the logic of priority. This is not the
relies on trade with Gulf states such as right time to undertake a costly constitu-
the UAE and Saudi Arabia. In November, tional review process,” said the statement
Prime Minister Khan said there had been signed by the NAMLEF chairman Abdul-
pressure from external forces concerning lahi Abdi and his CIPK counterpart Abdal-
‘normalisation’ of ties between the Islamic lah Ateka.
Republic and the Zionists, but Foreign “Prioritization of the BBI is insensitive to
Minister Qureshi yesterday made clear: the suffering of Kenyans on existential
“Number one, there will be no pressure on matters, in particular, the ravaging effect
us nor there is. Number two, we have to of the Covid19 pandemic that has caused
make decisions keeping Pakistan’s inter- major disruptions in the lives of all Ken-
ests in view and not because of any pres- yans across the board,” added the state-
sure. We have a policy and we are still ment.
steadfast on it.”
The Friday Bulletin NATIONAL Jumadal-Awwal 10, 1442/December 25, 2020

Compensation disputes threatens multi-billion water project in Kwale

The compensation dispute between lo-
cals and the National Land Commission
(NLC) might delay construction works of
the mega water project co-funded by the
World Bank and the Kenya government.
The construction of the Sh20 billion
Mwache dam project slated for March
2021 is meant to harness the flood flows
from Mwache River basin in Kinango Sub-
county and help tackle persistent water
shortages in the Coastal region.
Speaking during the protest, in Furugani
area within Kinango Constituency against
the compensation package of 350,000
shillings per acre which is far below the
market value, Juma Ndaro, representing
residents drawn from 24 villages lashed
out at the government for short-changing
them in the compensation package argu-
ing it was not what they had expected.
He said the project is in line with the
government’s Agenda Four program and
urged President Kenyatta to take the mat-
ter seriously and intervene. ”We are ready
to have a roundtable talk with the govern-
ment to negotiate on the package as we
will not accept what they want to pay us
which is below the market value of the
land,” he said.
The residents said there is a lot of victimi-
zation from government agencies to an
extent of not being allowed to consult with
their immediate families before appending
their signatures.
They accused the government land com-
pensation agency of using intimidation
methods and words to make them accept
the compensation package.
The aggrieved residents said there was
no willing buyer agreement with the gov-
ernment and they have already petitioned
the government through a memorandum
of understanding (MOU) which they have
declined to respond to.
On her part, Kwale County Woman Rep-
resentative, Zuleikha Hassan, on behalf of
Furugani residents petitioned President
Uhuru Kenyatta to halt the land compen-
sation package until the matter is resolved.
Zuleikha accused the National Land Com-
mission for trying to short-change her
residents in terms of proper land compen-
sation rates for their land, houses, trees
and crops and She appealed to President
Kenyatta to intervene and assist the af-
fected families get a better deal for their
land.
She said she had petitioned the govern-
ment on the compensation matter at the
National Assembly but she has not re-
ceived any clear response.
“I have made several attempts to highlight
the issue in parliament but there has been
shifting of goal posts all the time,” she
pointed out.
The Mwache Dam is an 87.5 meter-tall
concrete gravity dyke, impounding 118
million cubic meters for water supply and
irrigation and is expected to boost water
supply for Kwale and Mombasa counties.
The massive dam when complete is ex-
pected to put 2,600 hectares of land un-
der irrigation in Kwale County.

Garissa Referral Hospital receives Ventilator donations

As measure to enhance on the fight
against Covid19, Garissa County Referral
Hospital has received a donation of four
ventilators.
The lifesaving machines were donated by
USAID and handed over to CEC Member
for Health and Sanitation Ahmednadir
Omar who thanked the donors saying the
equipment had come at the right time and
hour of need when the county was grap-
pling with challenges posed by the pan-
demic adding that the ventilators will be
put into good use. “We appreciate the
commitment of partners supporting us in
the fight against Covid-19 and saving life
of the affected patients, ‘’ said the CEC.
He stressed that the ventilators will be
handled by specialists who underwent
training by Jhpiego organization and that
a total of six health workers and biomedi-
cal engineer from Garissa County have
already been trained.
USAID representative Rosemary Njogu
said the ventilators were portable and
easy to transport with patients referred to
ICU and in ambulances buoyed by energy
saving batteries that can last for 12 hours.
She thanked Garissa County Health de-
partment for its commitment in handling
patients affected by the pandemic
The CEC was accompanied by Garissa
Referal hospital medical superintendent
Dr Ambrose Misore, Director of family
health Mohamed Haret, Director of Nutri-
tion Abdi Sheikh, Deputy Director Preven-
tive and Promotive Health services Ibra-
him Gedi, Ahmed Bashey who is in charge
of the Covid 19 County program and other
officials from health department

Understand true teachings of Qur’an, Kisumu girls told

Muslim girls in Kisumu have been urged
to embrace better understanding of teach-
ings of the Noble Qur’an so as to play vi-
tal role in the propagation of Islam and its
true teachings.
This was emphasized during Muslim girls
Quran memorization competition organ-
ized by the Kisumu based Habari Njema
Muslim women group held at Kisumu
Community hall last week on Saturday.
Addressing participants, the Chairlady
Habari Njema Muslim women group,
Sister Zuhura Akumu noted that Mus-
lim women and girls have an obligation
of seeking knowledge both religious and
contemporary in order to inculcate good
moral values into their children for better
upbringing and growth and at the same
time use the same in the propagation of
Islam.
Sister Zuhura pointed out that the Quran
serves as a comprehensive blueprint for
both the individual and society as the
primary source of knowledge , hence en-
couraged Muslims to maintain the tradi-
tion of memorization of the Noble book to
be the best of all people.
“To seek knowledge is a sacred duty, it is ered 6 subjects which include, Quran,
obligatory on every Muslim, male and fe- Hadith (traditions of the Prophet peace
male. The first word of the Quran revealed be upon him), Arabic language, Seerah
to our beloved prophet Muhammad (pbuh) (Biography of the Prophet peace be upon
was "Iqra" READ! Seek knowledge! Edu- him), Tawheed (Islamic monotheism) and
cate yourselves! Be educated. Without Fiqhi (Islamic jurisprudence) and attract-
knowledge one can't truly receive Allah's ed over 100 participants who showcased
gift of Islam. A person without knowledge their skills and knowledge.
is like someone walking along a track in Winners in various subjects were award-
complete darkness,’’ She said. ed certificates and other prizes as mean
The chairlady called on Muslims to firmly to motivate and encourage them.
adhere to the
teachings of the AVAILABLE VACANT SPACE
Quran and Sun- LOCATION: 3RD FLOOR JAMIA PLAZA
nah and advised SIZE: 1,200 SQ FT
madrassa teach-
LOCATION: JAMIA TOWERS, MURANGA ROAD
ers to put more
efforts in their en- SHOP,SPACE 1STFLOOR SIZE:129 SQFT&2ND FLOOR SIZE
deavor to provide 2,050 SQFT
knowledge and
guidance to ma- ALL APPLICATIONS ADDRESSED TO:
drassa students SECRETARY GENERAL
on matter of re-
JAMIA MOSQUE COMMITTEE
ligious acts and
obligations. P.O. BOX 100786 00101 NAIROBI.
The event cov- EMAIL: jamiamajlis@gmail.com
Page 11
 Re-opening Schools
Since the coronavirus 19 pandemic hit Kenya in March 2020, Um- Ummah Foundation
mah Foundation has been tracking the firsthand experiences of Village plaza, 2nd Floor, Ngara Rd
people and how they’re coping with the virus and the changes it has P.O.Box 58717-00200 Nairobi
brought about in their lives. Parents face a unique set of challenges Tel: 020-2680610/13
as they attempt to balance the needs of their children – especially
Mobile: 0734-845277
their schooling – with their own concerns about work, finances, and
health. With the new school year approaching in January 2021, we Email: info@ummahfoundation.net
have explored parents’ concerns and preferences related to school Web:www.ummahfoundation.net
reopening decisions. This new analysis finds a gender gap in par-
ents’ worries and their views on schools returning for in-person in-
struction, as well as the reported toll of coronavirus-related stress
on their mental health and wellbeing.
Most parents of children ages 5-17 who normally attend school,
think it’s better to open schools later to minimize the risk of cor-
onavirus transmission, while fewer think it’s better for schools to
open sooner so parents can work and students won’t miss out on
learning and other services. However,
while mothers prefer to delay reopen-
ing by more than a 2-to-1 margin, fa-
thers are more narrowly divided. 51%
think schools should open immediately
and all mothers think they should open
later once safety is guaranteed.
School closures have had severe clear
negative impacts on our children health,
education and development, family
income and the overall economy. The
decision to re-open schools will there-
fore, allow our students to complete
their studies and continue to the next
levels and improve on their psychologi-
cal and social well-being. This will be of
great benefit to the society as parents
will finally have the chance to work and
engage in national development.

However as we all gear up to make

sure all our children are in class, the
following should be monitored as pre-
cautionary measures to keep our com-
munities safe:

• Effectiveness of symptoms-reporting,
monitoring, rapid testing and tracing of
suspected cases.
• The effects of policies and measures
on educational objectives and learning
outcomes.
• The effects of policies and measures
on health and well-being of children,
siblings, staff, parents and other family
members.
• The trend in school dropouts after the
re-openings.
• The number of cases in children and
staff in the school, and frequency of
school-based outbreaks in the local ad-
ministrative area and the country.
• Assessment of impact of remote
teaching on learning outcomes.
Based on what is learned from this
monitoring, further modifications should
be made to continue to provide children
and staff with the safest environment
possible.
Contact us:

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