Rabi'ul-Awwal 13, 1442/October 30, 2020 Issue No.

912

The
The

Friday
Friday Bulletin
Bulletin
The Weekly Muslim News Update
Ire over Macron's Islamophobic stance
Outrage continues to grow across the
world after French President Emmanuel
Macron disparaged Islam with his support
of the blasphemous caricatures of Proph-
et Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him).
Muslim leaders joined the global Muslims
fraternity in condemning Macron over his
Islamaphobic stance and mistreatment of
French Muslims, disparaging and attack
on Islam as well as supporting offensive
caricature against Prophet Muhammad
(peace be upon him).
In a statement, the leaders drawn from
various religious organizations denounced
the offensive caricature, stressing that the
despicable acts stoke racism, hatred, and
extremism, promote violence and under-
mine the efforts to achieve coexistence
and peace among people. The SUPKEM acting national chairman Hassan Ole Naado addresses the media
Speaking yesterday at Jamia mosque yesterday during a press conference at Jamia Mosque Nairobi to condemn French
Nairobi, the leaders led by the Supreme President Emmanuel Macron attacks of Islam and Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be
Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) act- Upon Him.)
ing national chairman Hassan Ole Naado In attendance are Secretary General Jamia Mosque Abdulbari Hamid(Far left),
stated that freedom of expression and Deputy Chief Kadhi Sheikh Sukyan Hassan Omar(Second left),NAMLEF Vice chair
Yusuf Murigu(Second right) and Abdulkarim Muhammadali from Bohra Community
culture should be a beacon of respect, (Right).
tolerance and peace that rejects prac-
tices which generate hatred, violence and They said the most blatant bias is that lead to collective guilt?” he posed.
extremism and are contrary to values of while disparaging Islam and mocking its The leaders further took issue with the
coexistence and mutual respect among symbol is considered freedom of expres- unfounded bias against Muslims by Presi-
peoples of the world coexistence. sion, there is no tolerance for criticism of dent Macron who has outlined his govern-
“We strongly condemn the demeaning of Israel, Israeli policies, Zionism and anti- ment’s plan to ban French Imams from
Prophet Muhammad, Peace be upon him Semitism adding that Macron policies training overseas, restricting homeschool-
under the guise of freedom of speech and towards French Muslim citizens have led ing, controlling religious funding and clos-
expression. It is a well-established princi- to the marginalization and alienation of an ing down of mosques, adding that all these
ple that freedom of speech and expres- entire community. actions are against fundamental freedom
sion and indeed many other freedoms and “Remarks stigmatizating an entire faith of citizens, values and democracy he al-
rights are not absolute, they must be exer- for a criminal act, the murder of a school leges to advance.
cised in such a manner as not to hurt the teacher, by a youth who happened to pro- Like most Muslims worldwide, the leaders
freedoms and rights of others,” read the fess the Muslim faith beats all logic. How
statement by the leaders. can a crime committed by an individual
Continued To Page 2

Big win for Muslims in Kaloleni land case

Hundreds of Kisumu residents are ex-
pected to converge for Jumuah (Friday)
prayers today at the Kaloleni grounds
which had been taken over by the Seventh
Day Adventist Church.
This follows a ruling last week by the En-
vironment and Land court at Kisumu law
courts which ruled that ownership of the
land rightfully belongs to Muslims.
In its ruling, the court ordered the Na-
tional Land Commission (NLC) and the
County Government of Kisumu to allo-
cate the parcel of land to Kaloleni Muslim
Mosque Committee and Kisumu Muslim
Association as they had the legitimate
rights to the property.
“I do find that the plaintiffs have proved
that they had legitimate expectation to be
allocated the parcel of land. However this
court can’t allocate land and I do order
Continued To Page 10

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The Friday Bulletin
We will support BBI if it strengthens 2010 constitution-Muslim leaders
Following the release of the Building
Bridges Initiative(BBI) report, Muslim
leaders have said the community would
only support the Building Bridges Initiative
(BBI) reform agenda if it seeks to ensure
that Kenya remains a united, peaceful, in-
clusive and equitable devoid of ethnic an-
tagonism and divisive politics.
The Muslim leaders drawn from the Su-
preme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUP-
KEM) and National Muslim Leaders Forum
(NAMLEF) reiterated their position and in-
terest to fully participate in the constitution
Don’t relent in the fight against Covid-19
With the rise in cases of the coronavirus,
Kenyans have been advised not to relent
in adhering to the protocols aimed at re-
ducing the spread of the deadly disease.
In his address during a forum for madrasa
and integrated schools on Covid-19 health
protocols, the chairman of the National
Muslim Covid19 Response Committee
(NMCRC) Prof. Muhammad Karama em-
phasized the need for Muslim institutions
to adhere to the current guidelines to pre-
vent the spread of Covid-19.
He said the pandemic was on the rise
stating that a few weeks after tough re-
strictions meant to limit its spread were
lifted, some of the hospitals are now over-
whelmed and are forced to only attend to
those who are in critical need.
“We appeal to Muslims throughout the
country to adhere to the government di-
rective to prevent the spread of Covid-19,
and to avoid the ritual of washing of bod-
ies of victims confirmed to have died of
coronavirus,” said Prof. Karama.
The chairman appealed to Kenyans to ad-
here to the safety regulations put in place
to combat the spread of the virus and
Macron's Islamophobic stance
Continued From Page 1
also expressed their support for calls for a
total boycott of products from France until
President Macron withdraws his offensive
remarks and his policy of blanket condem-
nation and oppression of Muslims.
On his part, the Council of Imams and
Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) national chair-
man Sheikh Abdalla Ateka condemned
and described the publication of blasphe-
mous cartoons of Prophet Muhammad
Peace Be Upon Him as a flagrant breach
of the values of tolerance and coexistence
among religions and civilizations stress-
ing that the eternal stature and sanctity of
Prophet will not be affected by the unac-
ceptable offenses.
“As the leadership of CIPK condemns of-
fensive cartoons of the Prophet Muham-
mad (peace be upon him) or any of the
messengers of Allah. We also denounce
Page 2
NATIONAL Rabi'ul-Awwal 13, 1442/October 30, 2020
reform process and vowed to support the
BBI report if it builds on the gains made in
the 2010 constitution.
Speaking on Sunday during press confer-
ence held at Jamia Mosque Nairobi, the
leaders led by SUPKEM acting national
chairman Hassan Ole Naado affirmed
that the Muslim community shall support
amendments that truly strengthen the
gains adopted in the 2010 constitution and
shall oppose any amendment that erodes
or diminishes the gains already enjoyed
by Muslims and other Kenyans.
called on Imams and Madrassa teachers
to create more awareness on the impor-
tance of observing the protocols.
Prof Karama further noted that people
are being stereotyped and discriminated
against because of negative affiliation
with the COVID-19 and cautioned against
the victimization of COVID-19 survivors
saying such behavior was likely to lead
to increased cases of mental illnesses
“The spread of the pandemic is likely to
increase if people continue to stigmatize
victims of COVID-19, he said.
In his remarks, the chairman Council of
Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK)
Nairobi Chapter, Sheikh Salim Charo said
Imams and Madrassa teachers will effec-
tively use the pulpit (mimbar) to educate
the Muslim population on issues of COV-
ID 19. “We are going to support and work
closely with the National Muslim Covid19
Response Committee to intensify sensiti-
zation programs so that we educate our
congregants on the issue of COVID19 and
encourage them to avoid stigmatization of
people with the pandemic and those who
have recovered,” said Sheikh Charo.
all acts of terrorism irrespective of whoso-
ever commits them,” Sheikh Ateka told the
Friday Bulletin.
On October 16, when an 18-year-old
Chechen refugee in France beheaded
schoolteacher Samuel Paty, 47, days af-
ter he had shown caricatures of Prophet
Muhammad to his students, President
Macron said France would “not give up
cartoons, drawings, even if others back
down”.
Days before Paty’s killing, Macron had
made a controversial speech which
aroused anger across the Muslim world.
He declared that “Islam is a religion that is
in crisis today all over the world”, “plagued
by radical temptations and by a yearning
for a reinvented jihad which is the destruc-
tion of the other”.
Ole Naado pointed out that Muslim lead-
ers were studying the document and they
will make their stand known on the doc-
ument in due course so as to provide a
guiding path to Muslims during the antici-
pated referendum.
The SUPKEM chair added that they have
already activated and engaged internal
and external consultative processes to
carefully study the BBI report with a view
of coming up with an informed position on
the process.
“In the meantime, however, we refrain
from commenting on the contents of the
just released BBI report because we have
already activated and engaged our inter-
nal and external consultative processes
to carefully study the BBI report with view
of coming up with an informed position on
this noble process,” said Ole Naado.
He further emphasized that as commu-
nity leaders, they shall perform their civic
duty in order to ensure that the voice of
the Muslim community is heard and their
contribution enables Kenyans to achieve
justice, equality, inclusivity, and equitable
sharing of national resources.
The BBI conversation was set rolling after
the President Kenyatta-Raila handshake
in March 2018, followed by the launch of
the preliminary report in November last
year at the Bomas of Kenya. On Wednes-
day last week at the Kisii State lodge,
President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM
leader Raila Odinga officially received the
Building Bridges Initiative report, which
builds on the preliminary report .
On Monday, leaders converged at the
Bomas of Kenya once again, as the re-
port was being officially launched and dis-
sected. The report has proposed various
legislative and constitutional amendments
among them expansion of the executive.
The Friday Bulletin
Muhammad as teacher for the greatest Ummah
By Dr. Rashid Al-Balushi
A friend recounts an experience he had on
the train in Austria. The man sitting in front
of him was asking him about how Muslims
learned how to perform religious rituals like
prayers, zakat, fasting, Hajj, and behavior
in general, as well as about other religious
issues. The answer of my friend (a Ph.D.
holder) to each one of these questions
was: “Islam taught us Muslims how to per-
form this ibâdah or ritual.”
After a number of exchanges, the Austrian
man started laughing very loudly, to the ex-
tent that my friend felt enraged, but man-
aged to maintain his composure. He then
asked the Austrian man what was so funny
about the answers. The Austrian man re-
plied that we Muslims always say that it
was Islam which taught us how to pray,
how to calculate zakat, how to fast, how to
perform Hajj, how to treat people with re-
spect, etc…, but that we are wrong about it.
For him (and this is not untrue), Islam is a
system, a model of behavior, a way of life,
a school, but not a teacher. He said that
the correct answer to his questions was:
“It was Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) who taught us how to perform all
these acts of worship.” In fact, he was cor-
rect: Narrated by Abdullah bin CAmr that
the Prophet said: “… I have been sent as a
teacher…” (Sunan Ibn Mâjah)
The Plan to Undermine
This was eye-opening for me! When it was
realized that Islam was a source of power
(spiritual, intellectual, political, etc…), it
was feared that if all those who claim to be
‘Muslims’ were to live as true Muslims, then
they could conquer the world once again.
Even if a new Muslim rule were to mean
spreading a vibrant culture of knowledge,
understanding, and peace, it would mean
that it would be Muslims who would have
gained the upper hand, something many
parties in the world were not willing to ac-
cept.
This led the ‘enemies of Islam’ —a label I
use to refer to all those who hate Islam and
Muslims, whether they be Muslims them-
selves or non-Muslims— to implement a
novel (self-destruction) strategy to make
the new generations of Muslims gradually
abandon the spirit of Islam. Of course, the
enemies could not succeed in telling us to
abandon the five Pillars of Islam or the six
Pillars of Faith. This is because it would
then be obvious that they were ‘the ene-
mies’ who wanted to drive us away from Is-
lam, the way of life that we cherish, though
many of us occasionally even intentionally
violate its rules. But they could think of a
smarter plan!
The plan has been to drive us away from
‘the Teacher,’ Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him). And the success of this pro-
ject can be clearly witnessed nowadays.
Some Muslim scholars discuss religious is-
sues and teachings of Islam without refer-
ring to the Teacher (peace be upon him),
and some of them avoid mentioning him
as an exceptional figure, treating him as ‘a
character of the past,’ an attitude that has
Page 3
DA'WAH Rabi'ul-Awwal 13, 1442/October 30, 2020
percolated down
to the recent and
current genera-
tions of Muslims.
Some of the
younger genera-
tions would even
shun any discus-
sion that involves
the Prophet and
his Companions,
considering this
viewpoint archaic
and impractical.
Other scholars —
so-called ‘schol-
ars of authority’—
even appeal to
some misinter-
preted aspects
of the Prophet’s
Sunnah, and mi-
sattributed ac-
counts of his teachings, as well as some
deliberately misunderstood writings of Is-
lam’s major figures to justify some of the
tensions and bloodshed that the world has
witnessed.
And this has provided sufficient justifica-
tion to some of the ‘enemies of Islam’ to
drive the Ummah away from the teachings
of the Prophet (peace be upon him), treat-
ing those misrepresented teachings as the
main cause for the radical and extreme ide-
ologies that have brought about hostilities
and bloodshed.
To declare the plan successful, the ‘ene-
mies of Islam’ decided that the best way
to avoid hatred and bloodshed —but to
spread understanding and peace— was
to promote abandonment of the Prophet’s
Sunnah, as well as the religious heritage
elucidated through the contributions of the
Caliphs and major scholars of Islam.
Thus, the solution they provided is basi-
cally to treat the Prophet as a character of
the past and his Sunnah as an outdated
method valid only for the Prophet’s gen-
eration, something to be preserved only for
historical purposes.
In other words, the new plan has been to
empty this religion of its Teacher, the man
who embodied the Qur’an.
How is the Teacher Essential to His
Teaching?
When asked about the Prophet’s character,
Sayyidah Aishah (radhiallahu anhu) said:
“His character was the Qur’an.” (Al-Adab
Al-Mufrad, Al-Bukhârî)
And to a considerable extent, the ‘enemies
of Islam’ have succeeded in their endeavor.
We now see generations of Muslims who
do not know the Prophet’s life and tradi-
tions; they do not know that what we are
required to do, in our religious practice,
are acts of worship that he taught us how
to perform. They do not know his main at-
tribute and mission, namely the fact that
he was divinely intended as a mercy to
mankind. Allah says: “We did not send you
except as a mercy to mankind.” [Sûrah Al-
Anbiyâ’, 21:107]
And those of us who do know about him
and his life may consider it old-fashioned
and find it hard to follow his example in a
technology-decorated world. Differently
put, the ‘enemies of Islam’ have succeeded
in driving us away from the Teacher, though
allowing us to attend his school!
But, would the school suffice, on its own,
without a teacher as a model? The young
generations, they, undoubtedly, need a
teacher, a model; and who is better than
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him),
the first teacher of this school, the one
whose teachings are described by Allah as
‘the revelation’? Allah Almighty says: “Nor
does he [Prophet Muhammad] speak out
of [his own] desire. It is but a revelation
revealed [to him].” [Sûrah Al-Najm, 53:3-4]
Accordingly, having a school without the
Teacher means that the mission is diluted,
emptied of the element that, at the least,
gives the impression that the required du-
ties —the hardest of which is passing the
test of life— are possible to fulfill.
In other words, without the Teacher present
we have left behind the ‘mercy’ that was
sent upon us. We have neglected half of
the source of power that was sent to us.
And this has resulted in a weaker, eas-
ily led-astray Ummah. If the Holy Qur’an
makes up most of the spiritual aspect of
Islam, the Prophet’s Sunnah makes up
at least much of the practical aspect of it.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
says: Yahya related from Malik that he
heard the Messenger of Allah say: “I have
left two matters with you. As long as you
hold to them, you will not go the wrong way.
They are the Book of Allah and the Sunnah
of His Prophet.” (Muwaṭṭa‘ Mâlik)
Returning Teacher to the Rightful Place
in His School
Some of us know the Book, but the ma-
jority of us have abandoned the Sunnah.
Continued To Page 4
The Friday Bulletin
Prophet Muhammad: The liberator of Women
By Ibrahim Malabari
Recently, we have witnessed instances of
the horrific treatment of women around the
world.
In the time of Prophet Muhammad, cruel
practices were enacted by his society and
he opposed all such forms of oppressing
women.
Indeed, at the sight of a tragedy of any hu-
man being, Prophet Muhammad’s heart
would be saddened and his eyes would flow
with tears.
One of the spectacular examples of this is in
the following story that concerns the practice
of shunning daughters.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
was born in a society where women had
been subjected to much violence, which of-
ten took the form of female infanticide.
Daughters were considered a burden; and
getting rid of them was sometimes consid-
ered a necessity, which they did in a most
violent manner: by burying them alive!
It is reported that Umar, the second caliph,
prior to his accepting Islam buried one of
his daughters alive. Later whilst was in the
fold of Islam, he was often seen wiping tears
while reminiscing about this dark chapter in
his life! As he recalled:
“I was digging a grave to bury her and she
was wiping the dust off my cheeks!”
Equality
Prophet Muhammad was very kind and po-
lite toward women. At a time when they were
treated very badly, the Prophet gave women
honor and dignity equal to men.
Umar reported: “We did not have much re-
gard for women in Makkah; however, they
were better treated in Madinah. The Prophet
established women’s right through his say-
ings and commands, which strengthened
their position and status”. (Mishkat ul Masa-
bih)
Since men were always around the Prophet,
women were prevented from listening to him
or asking about matters of concern to them.
Therefore, they requested him to appoint
one day a week when they could have
free access to him, a proposal to which he
agreed. He took special care of them and
always treated them with kindness so that
they would feel free to ask him about any-
thing.
Once when the Prophet was traveling, an
Abyssinian slave named Anjsha was leading
the camels that some of the Prophet’s wives
were riding. While Anjsha was singing, the
camels began to move quickly. The Prophet
said to him: Asma daughter of ‘Umais, one
of those who had immigrated to Abyssinia
in the early period of Islam, returned with
the others to Madinah during the Khaybar
campaign. One day she came to see Hafsah
when Umar was present. Seeing her, Umar
inquired about her and Hafsah told him the
details. Umar said: “O, that Abyssinian”.
Asma’ replied: “Yes, the same.”
Umar said that they (his group) had emigrat-
ed before them and therefore had more right
to God’s Messenger. Asma’ became angry
Page 4
WOMEN Rabi'ul-Awwal 13, 1442/October 30, 2020
and exclaimed:
“Not so! You people lived with God’s
Messenger, who fed the hungry, while
we were away from home, living among
strangers (the Abyssinians) who often
mistreated us. We were in constant fear
of our lives”.
During this conversation, the Prophet
entered the house. Asma’ told him: “O
God’s Messenger, Umar has said this.”
Prophet Muhammad asked: She told the
whole story, after which the Prophet said:
“Umar has no more right over me than
you have. Umar and his Companions
emigrated only once, whereas you peo-
ple emigrated twice”.
When the news of this incident spread
in Madinah, the Abyssinian emigrants
came running to Asma’ and listened to
the Prophet’s words again and again.
According to her account, nothing in the
world was more pleasing to them than
the Prophet’s words. (Al-Bukhari and
Muslim)
Kindness and Respect for Women
Once, many of the Prophet’s female rela-
tives were sitting around him and talking
loudly to him. When Umar entered the
house, they all left the room and the
Prophet laughed. Umar said:
“O God’s Messenger may God keep you
smiling. Why did you laugh?”
The Prophet replied that he was amazed
that these women, upon hearing Umar’s
voice, had all hidden themselves. Umar,
addressing them said:
“You fear me but do not fear God’s Mes-
senger”.
They all replied: “You are hot-tempered
in comparison with God’s Messenger”.
The Prophet agreed with them. (Muslim)
Muhammad as teacher for the greatest Ummah
Continued From Page 3
Therefore, we must accept the grim real-
ity that we have to face the challenges of
life in this highly competitive world on our
own, that is, with our own limited means,
without the ‘mercy’ of Allah, without the
blessings of the Prophet (peace be upon
him), without help from reliable guidance
—which is why we find ourselves behind
the other civilizations.
This now reminds me of a quote by Pro-
fessor Emeritus William T. Liu (Director
of the Pacific/Asian American Mental
Health Research Center at the Univer-
sity of Illinois, Chicago) who maintains
that Asians’ belief in hard work and quest
for excellence springs from Confucian-
ism: “Confucius [so-called ‘the prophet
of China’] is not just some character of
the past — he is an everyday reality to
these people.”
By contrast, many Muslims today do not
recognize Prophet Muhammad (peace
be upon him) —whose behavior em-
bodied the Qur’anic principles of excel-
lence and values of competence— as a
One day, the Prophet was sleeping in Ai-
sha’s house with his face covered. It was
the day of Eid, and so the young girls were
singing. Abu Bakr entered the house and
told them to stop. The Prophet said: Let
them sing. It is the day of Eid for them. (Al-
Bukhari)
As result of the Prophet’s good tempera-
ment and kindness, women used to ask him
questions. Although the companions were
often surprised at their boldness, he never
showed any dislike or intolerance for their
questions. In fact, Abu Sa’id, Aisha, Anas,
Ibn Abbas, Jabir, and many other compan-
ions related that Prophet Muhammad said:
Whoever has two or three daughters or sis-
ters and treats them well will go to Paradise.
(Abu Dawud)
These stories are reflective of the Prophet’s
mercy and kindness towards women. But
he went even farther. He tried to liberate
women from all kinds of injustice, maltreat-
ment and oppression.
The Prophet can genuinely be viewed as a
liberator of women. He gave women such
rights and privileges that even Western
women did not enjoy until centuries later,
like the right to own and use property inde-
pendently of her husband and family. She
also had a voice in the public sphere and
politics, as the example of Prophet’s giving
audience to women shows.
Indeed, Muslims after the Prophet followed
his example. We see Umar’s example when
he was castigated by a woman for having
two pieces of clothes from the distribution
state money whereas everyone else re-
ceived only one. Umar responded that his
son gave him his share.
Importantly, the woman was given her full
right to question Umar’s political and public
authority.
source of knowledge and inspiration to the
new generations; and this has resulted in a
weakened version of Islam, one that takes
care of the rituals but not the values and
principles. The inevitable result, therefore,
has been that the recent and current gen-
erations of Arabs and Muslims do not hold
Prophet Muhammad’s teachings as dear
as the Asians hold Confucius’s teachings.
Asians treasure Confucius’s traditions and
apply them in their daily lives while Muslims
generally fail to do so. So the natural result
is that the Asian nations are more advanced
than the Muslim ones.
Now, the fact that ‘new’ Muslims do not rec-
ognize the immensely positive influence of
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
in the history of the world is a result of their
ignorance of his life and traditions —with
the educational system planners at fault;
similarly, younger Muslims tend to neglect
the need to follow the person of the Prophet
and his teachings —with the religious schol-
ars at fault for not recognizing the reason
Continued To Page 6
The Friday Bulletin YOUTH Rabi'ul-Awwal 13, 1442/October 30, 2020

The Prophet’s tender love & care for Children

Habeeba Husain
Who better for Muslims to look to as a role and peace of God be upon him) treated the be upon him). In one narration he said,
model than the one whose every step and youth during his time. “When I stand for prayer, I intend to pro-
every breath pleased God? The Prophet The Prophet (may the blessings and peace long it but on hearing the cries of a child, I
Muhammad (may the blessings and peace of God be upon him) would also give chil- cut it short, as I dislike to trouble the child’s
of God be upon him) led a life Muslims dren importance. Oftentimes today we see mother” (Bukhari). Instead of blaming the
across generations and countries try to ex- adults dismissing children or ignoring them mother, the Prophet (may the blessings
emplify in many spheres of life from food to when they want to share a story. We are and peace of God be upon him) actually
finances to faith. What sometimes is over- too busy with our own lives to pay attention opted to look out for her and her child.
looked, however, is his immense kindness to the matters of children we deem trivial. In another famous incident, the Prophet
and tenderness towards children. As dedi- If we walk into a room, we will often greet (may the blessings and peace of God be
cated as the Prophet (may the blessings the other adults, but we pass over the kids. upon him) was leading the prayer. He had
and peace of God be upon him) was to his This is very unlike the example Muslims try made the prostration extra long, and only
family and to his Companions, he did not to follow. In one narration it is said, “The after the prayer was completed did the
dismiss the rights of children in the com- Messenger of Allah (may the blessings congregants realize why. His grandson
munity. and peace of God be upon him) came to had actually climbed on his back while
In one narration, the Prophet (may the some children who were playing: He greet- he was in the prostration and in order
blessings and peace of God be upon him) ed them” (Sunan Abi Dawud). Additionally, to not disturb him, the Prophet (may the
said, “Be kind to your children, and perfect not keeping promises made to children is blessings and peace of God be upon him)
their manners” (Sunan ibn Majah). In an- highly discouraged. waited until he was done to rise from the
other account narrated by his wife Aishah, One common scenario is a crowded prostration (Sunan an-Nasa’i). This high-
“Some Bedouin people came to the Proph- mosque during a service like Eid or the Fri- lights what concern and care the Prophet
et (may the blessings and peace of God be day prayer. These gatherings draw large (may the blessings and peace of God be
upon him) and said: ‘Do you kiss your chil- numbers of Muslims, including women and upon him) had for his grandson. Unlike
dren?’ He said: ‘Yes.’ [The Bedouin] said: children. While they are not required to at- many today, he did not get impatient and
‘But we, by Allah, never kiss (our children).’ tend the prayers, many enjoy being able to angry with the child, but let him play until
The Prophet (may the blessings and peace feel a part of the community. At the same his heart’s content.
of God be upon him) said: ‘What can I do time, other mothers especially with young It is with this type of love, care, and tender-
if Allah has taken away mercy from you?’” children feel discouraged due to prior en- ness Muslims are encouraged to treat chil-
(Sunan ibn Majah). counters with congregants making com- dren. We often get labeled as being harsh
There is a place for discipline, but there ments about disruptions. But in an ideal and strict in the media, but there is quite
needs to also be a place for kindness and mosque gathering, congregants would fol- a soft side to us—exemplified best by the
love. In these narrations the Prophet (may low the example of the Prophet Muham- Prophet Muhammad (may the blessings
the blessings and peace of God be upon mad (may the blessings and peace of God and peace of God be upon him) himself.
him) reminds us of that with his words. But
it does not end there, for of course
he was a man who practiced what he
preached.
A female companion narrated an
account from her youth about the
Prophet (may the blessings and
peace of God be upon him). Her fa-
ther took her with him to go to see
the Prophet (may the blessings and
peace of God be upon him), and she
started to play with his ring. Her fa-
ther stopped her, whereas the Proph-
et (may the blessings and peace of
God be upon him) allowed her to
continue, thereby showing his kind-
ness to children and leaving them be
to play (Bukhari).
Another companion named Anas nar-
rated, “I served the Prophet (may the
blessings and peace of God be upon
him) at Medina for ten years. I was
a boy. Every work that I did was not
according to the desire of my master,
but he never said to me: Uff, nor did
he say to me: Why did you do this? or
Why did you not do this?” (Sunan Abi
Dawud). This shows how merciful
the Prophet (may the blessings and
peace of God be upon him) was even
to a child who may have made some
errors in taking care of chores. These
days, we are quick to scold and show
our frustration to children for their
mistakes, but this is quite contrary to
how the Prophet (may the blessings

Page 5
The Friday Bulletin
The Effects of Macron's Campaign
Sheikh Yasir Qadhi
What is the real threat to France (and indeed
to all Western countries) when it comes to
'radical Islam'? How many religious fanat-
ics are actually going to go around killing
and terrorizing others? France has close to
six million Muslims (slightly less than 10 %
of its population) - if a few of them tragical-
ly go mental and harm or kill some people,
they need to be dealt with in accordance
with the law. Those statistics are no worse
than other ethnicities or groups of people
harming civilians.
Tragic? Yes. A national problem? Definitely
not.
The future of France itself is not funda-
mentally at stake because of a few crazed
individuals; there is no existential threat
to the character and existence of that na-
tion because of a handful of people acting
emotionally.
However, what will impact the future of
France, and fundamentally change its
discourse, is the reaction of Macron and
his supporters. Policies are already being
enacted across the country: many masjids
have been shut down, random people (in-
cluding the elderly grandfather of the per-
petrator) have been arrested, and speech
that should be protected is now becoming
punishable by fines, or worse. The bulk of
the French population is now being fed the
lie that there is a 'Muslim problem' (which
will require a 'solution' eventually, by the
way...).
A leader who politicizes such acts, like
Macron (and Trump in America, or Modi in
India, or Bolsonaro in Brazil...) allows for
the entire character of a nation to be hi-
jacked, and causes his own citizens to be
pitted against one another. Tensions rise
because of such politicians and their an-
tics, and not because of a random act of
violence. The Far Right is able to pass dra-
conian laws; minorities are harassed and
intimidated; people who aren't qualified to
be elected win landslide victories because
of their messages of hate and the posi-
tioning of themselves as Messiah figures
against the threat of 'the other'.
The real threat to the future of Western de-
mocracy is not a small handful of crazed
radical individuals. It's leaders who use
these individuals to further their own popu-
larity at the expense of the civil order of
their own society.
How easily history repeats itself! The Nazi
party barely a century ago rose to power
by taking advantage of the demonizing
of another group, and a few random ac-
tions performed by the minority (such as
the bombing of a parliament building and
the assassination of a diplomat, allegedly
by people of a Jewish background) were
used to create mass hysteria amongst the
population. The Nazi party positioned itself
as the strong party that would protect the
'German peoples' against this group. The
rest, as they say, is history.
OPINION Rabi'ul-Awwal 13, 1442/October 30, 2020
A few days ago, two hijabi ladies with
their children were stabbed under the
symbol of French freedom, the Eiffel
Tower, and called 'dirty Arabs' and told
to 'go home'. What's tragic isn't just the
incident itself, but the clear and obvious
double standards in how this incident is
being treated, reported and received by
Muhammad as teacher for the greatest Ummah
Continued From Page 4
for this drift away from the life example of
Prophet Muhammad.
Our Prophet’s enormous influence has
been recognized by many western schol-
ars, such as Michael Hart, in his book
“The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influen-
tial Persons in History.” Hart ranks Proph-
et Muhammad (peace be upon him) in
first place —before Sir Isaac Newton and
Jesus Christ (Isa) alayhi sallam in second
and third place, with Confucius in fifth.
If we follow Hart’s logic (his criteria and
reasons), which seems to be correct —
given that many even non-Muslim schol-
ars write positive testimonials of Prophet
Muhammad— then the expected conclu-
sion would be that Muslims can create a
more advanced civilization if they would
again follow the Sunnah of Prophet Mu-
hammad (peace be upon him), which, like
the Holy Qur’an, is designed to fit all times
and places.
Unfortunately, the ‘new’ Muslim genera-
tions do not appreciate their Teacher, nor
do they know enough about his Sunnah
to learn from it —though many of us still
paradoxically name our sons ‘Muham-
mad’ after him! While the Asians have
been able to create a superior civilization
because they are following their teacher,
many Muslims are no longer following
the Prophet’s Sunnah. This may be for
various reasons, among which is that they
judge the collection of ḥadîth, our record
of the Sunnah, as archaic and thus obso-
lete, or non-fashionable. This assumption
is in keeping with the modern tendency to
see cultural practices as belonging to their
own historical era.
Is the Sunnah Still the Divine Standard
for Us in Modern Times?
Those who recognize the true value of
following the Prophet’s Sunnah are given
extra motivation to learn it and apply it in
their lives; in the Sunnah, we seek to lead
an honorable life as well as to receive a
great reward on the Day of Judgment.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
says: “[Anyone] who holds fast to my Sun-
nah when my Ummah becomes corrupt
receives the reward of a hundred mar-
tyrs.” (Al-Zuhd Al-Kabîr, Al-Bayhaqî 207)
And because his Sunnah, like the Holy
Qur’an, is considered a revelation from
Allah, he was able to anticipate abandon-
ment of it in a later age; he knew that this
the French population.
Allah protect us, I fear the worst is yet to
come. And not just in France either. Both
World Wars were sparked in regional are-
as and then spread around the globe. The
situation globally is terrifying, and Allah's
help is sought.
would occur at the time when the colors and
lights of other civilizations would seduce
Muslims away from his Sunnah. Accord-
ingly, he could foresee that many Muslims
would be driven away from the spirit of Is-
lam, which would make Islam no longer the
norm, but the exception; the Sunnah would
not seem to be the right way of life to many
Muslims, but rather an old-fashioned meth-
od. This prompted him to promise a great
reward to the few who would undertake the
great mission of bringing the misled mass-
es back to his Sunnah and showing them
that success is in following it. Prophet Mu-
hammad says: “Indeed the religion began
as something strange and it will return to
being strange. So ṭuba [‘great reward’] is
for the strangers who correct what the peo-
ple have corrupted from my Sunnah after
me.” (Sunan Al-Tirmidhî 2630)
In another account of the same ḥadîth, the
Prophet says: “Indeed the religion began as
something strange and it will return to being
strange. So ṭuba is for the strangers.” Then
he was asked: Oh Messenger of Allah, who
are the strangers? He said: “those who re-
vive my Sunnah and teach it to people.” (Al-
Zuhd Al-Kabîr, Al-Bayhaqî)
To urge us to hold fast to his Sunnah and
apply it in our lives, the Prophet (peace be
upon him) informs us about the present
time and the fact that many Muslims will be
led astray by the attraction of other meth-
ods. He accordingly warns us and advises
us to be patient, to stick to his Sunnah and
not allow ourselves to be seduced by the
other methods. He says, addressing his
Companions:
It was narrated by Abû Umayyah Sha’bâni
that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said
to Abû Tha’labah al-Khushanî:“…After
you will come days of patience [requiring
steadfastness], during which patience will
be like grasping a burning ember, and one
who does good deeds will have a reward
like that of fifty men doing the same deed.”
(Sunan Ibn Mâjah)
The great reward reserved for people who
show faith and practice (steadfastness) in
this life is promised in the following verse:
“The steadfast will be paid their wages in
full, without reckoning.” [Sûrah Al-Zumar,
39:10]
Page 6
The Friday Bulletin
By Merve Şebnem Oru
On Jan. 12, 2015, an estimated 3.7 mil-
lion people rallied in shows of unity and
solidarity across France with more than 40
world leaders marching with them shoul-
der to shoulder following the killings in
Paris.
From Jan. 7-9, 17 people were killed by
three terrorists in attacks on the satirical
Charlie Hebdo magazine headquarters, a
kosher grocery store and the general area
of the Paris suburb of Montrouge.
Although the march was organized in a
short amount of time, millions walked the
streets of Paris chanting, "Je suis Charlie"
("I am Charlie").
According to France's Interior Ministry, the
demonstration was larger than the rallies
staged when Paris was liberated from the
Nazis in World War II. The gathered crowd
was described as the largest in France's
modern history. Around the world, from
Hong Kong to Tunisia, crowds gathered
in major cities illuminating their famous
monuments in the Tricolor.
Hebdo and free speech
Charlie Hebdo is a satirical newspaper
that has a reputation for standing up to
authority, confronting what is held sacred
or questioning any group claiming su-
premacy.
After publishing cartoons that mocked Is-
lam on a number of occasions, in 2015
the magazine printed numerous images
that insulted the Prophet Muhammad in
a move that provoked Muslims for who
drawing the prophet is considered blas-
phemous and prohibited in the Quran. In
simple terms, the editors of the "irrespon-
sible magazine"(their own words) hurt the
feelings of believers of Islam.
The Charlie Hebdo attack was different
than other massacres because it was seen
as an attack on freedom of speech. In the
wake of the attack, the world seemed to
me, to think that there was nothing more
important than the freedom of expression.
I personally believed the holy principle of
freedom of speech was superior to eve-
rything.
If that were the case, people would have
the right to freely express all of their opin-
ions regardless of whether they criticize
or mock what is sacred to others. I was
aware that the French law didn't protect
unrestricted free speech.
For example, condoning terrorism is a
crime and denying the Holocaust is banned
in France. But after the millions-strong
march, I thought things had changed as
the streets of Paris felt like an outdoor
temple revering in divine free speech that
day. But I was wrong. A few days after the
historic rally, French authorities began to
arrest people on charges of glorifying or
defending terrorism online.
It was time for nations to better understand
why disaffected citizens were joining radi-
cal causes. There should be efforts to get
to the root of the problem especially in
Western countries, such as France where
Page 7
Rabi'ul-Awwal 13, 1442/October 30, 2020
Macron’s crisis with Islam
the Muslim population is around 5 million.
Unfortunately, the French government
chose to follow an extreme version of
secularism or laicity. Depicting the Charlie
Hebdo attack as France's 9/11, the coun-
try started to change radically, maybe
more so than that the U.S. was changed
after the fall of the Twin Towers.
The popularity of the former French Presi-
dent François Hollande, a socialist, hit
rock bottom and support for the far-right
leader Marine Le Pen increased.
In 2017, Emmanuel Macron went head-to-
head against Le Pen in the second round
of the presidential elections after a first-
round vote brought centrist, left-wing and
moderate voters together against a pos-
sible far-right presidency.
Coming to power as a centrist and having
no established party, ideology or tradition,
Macron was free to govern France for a
full five years avoiding populist extrem-
ism, which was rapidly spreading across
Europe and beyond.
He was viewed as the one liberal, demo-
cratic politician who could stem the tide of
populism sweeping the globe. However,
he has become the most populist leader
in Europe.
His supporters rationalize his policies say-
ing if Macron didn't do something about
the populist threat he would be replaced
by a far-right leader. As the protests of
yellow vests began in November 2018, his
approval ratings sank to 29%.
While his globalist supporters went quiet,
Macron may have thought he would not
be able to secure his seat by continuing
to take on the populists who were gain-
ing ground every day, opting to embrace
populism instead.
The rhetoric of hatred
‘Boycott French products’ launched over Macron’s Islam
comments
Several Arab trade associations have an-
nounced the boycott of French products,
protesting the recent comments made by
President Emmanuel Macron on Islam.
Earlier this month, Macron pledged to fight
“Islamist separatism”, which he said was
threatening to take control in some Muslim
communities around France.
Macron decries ‘Islamic separatism’, de-
fends right to blasphemeMacron says Is-
lam ‘in crisis’, prompting backlash from
Muslims‘Stop stigmatising us’, French
Muslims tell MacronErdogan says Macron
‘needs treatment’ over attitude to Muslims
He also described Islam as a religion “in
crisis” worldwide and said the govern-
ment would present a bill in December to
strengthen a 1905 law that officially sepa-
rated church and state in France.
His comments, in addition to his backing
of satirical outlets publishing caricatures
of the Prophet Muhammad, has led to a
social media campaign calling for the boy-
The French president did not stop there
and gradually adopted a strong anti-
Islamist rhetoric intended to draw in the
Islamophobes. Today, so-called "secular"
hatred towards Muslims has become a
part of everyday speech for the French
government as well as its media. French
Muslims keep asking Macron to stop stig-
matizing them, but his normalization of
hate speech against Islam has almost
legitimized the institutionalized discrimi-
nation towards the France's Muslim com-
munity.
Taking further steps, the French President
recently said "Islam is a religion that is
in crisis all over the world today, we are
not just seeing this in our country." Add-
ing that he is seeking to "liberate" Islam
in France from foreign influences by im-
proving the oversight of mosque financ-
ing. He announced a law against religious
"separatism" and outlined new measures
to "defend the republic and its values and
ensure it respects its promises of equality
and emancipation."
His supporters argue that the upcom-
ing draft bill against "separatist" threats
will also include other groups like White
supremacists when it is clearly targeting
Islamist movements. French Muslims now
fear that the extremists will not be the only
target of the state and public hatred to-
wards Islam as a religion will increase.
Stating, "secularism is the cement of a
united France," Macron also defended
"the right" to commit blasphemy, in a nod
to the Charlie Hebdo cartoons insulting Is-
lam. He expects all French citizens to re-
spect the values of the Republic while he
does not respect the values of Muslims.
Macron has no tolerance for Islam but at
Continued To Page 9
cott of French products from supermar-
kets in Arab countries and Turkey.
Hashtags such as the #BoycottFrench-
Products in English and the Arabic #Ex-
ceptGodsMessenger trended across
countries including Kuwait, Qatar, Pales-
tine, Egypt, Algeria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia
and Turkey.
In Kuwait, the chairman and members of
the board of directors of the Al-Naeem
Cooperative Society decided to boycott all
French products and to remove them from
supermarket shelves.
The Dahiyat al-Thuhr association took the
same step, saying: “Based on the position
of French President Emmanuel Macron
and his support for the offensive cartoons
against our beloved prophet, we decided
to remove all French products from the
market and branches until further notice.”
In Qatar, the Wajbah Dairy company an-
Continued To Page 9
The Friday Bulletin
Muslim world condemns Macron, France over treatment of Islam
The backlash over French President Em-
manuel Macron’s critique of Islam has in-
tensified after Turkey’s President Recep
Tayyip Erdogan questioned his counter-
part’s mental health, while Muslims in sev-
eral countries are demanding a boycott of
France.
Marking his second sharp criticism against
Macron in two days, Erdogan said on Sun-
day that the French president had “lost his
mind”, prompting France’s foreign minister
to recall the country’s ambassador in An-
kara.
The French debate on Islam was deepened
after the beheading of a teacher who had
shown caricatures of the Prophet Muham-
mad – previously published by a satirical
magazine – in a class on freedom of ex-
pression. Muslims believe that any depic-
tion of the Prophet is blasphemous.
On Friday, the cartoons were projected
onto government buildings in France. Ear-
lier this month, Macron described Islam as
a religion “in crisis” worldwide and vowed
to present a bill in December to strengthen
a law that officially separated church and
state in France.
Since Friday, social media has been awash
with criticism of Macron in countries from
west to east, including the UK, Kuwait,
Qatar, Palestine, Egypt, Algeria, Jordan,
Saudi Arabia and Turkey.
People are pouring out their feelings under
the English hashtags #BoycottFrenchProd-
ucts and #Islam and #NeverTheProphet in
Arabic.
The social media campaign has led to sev-
eral Arab trade associations to announce
their boycotts of French products.
The spat has drawn in world leaders as
people in Muslim-majority countries organ-
ise street protests.
Pakistan‘s Foreign Ministry on Monday
summoned the French ambassador in Is-
Last year, Australian Brenton Tarrant killed
50 Muslim worshippers in a terrorist attack
on two mosques in Christchurch, New Zea-
land – a usually peaceful country.
This time there were no global marches for
the victims, no promises of solidarity and
unity from other countries, no condemna-
tion or warning of rising extremism from
world leaders.
Other than Muslim countries, only German
Chancellor Angela Merkel described the
mosque attacks as "terrorism" when ex-
pressing her sorrow over the "citizens who
were attacked and murdered out of racist
hatred."
Regardless of the lack of support she re-
ceived from the rest of the Western world,
New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda
Ardern worked her hardest to ease the pain
of the families of the victims.
She took a decisive stand against terror-
ism in a world where even liberal leaders
cater to white-supremacists in a bid to keep
votes. In her own words, her role was to
Page 8
INTERNATIONAL Rabi'ul-Awwal 13, 1442/October 30, 2020
lamabad to complain about Macron’s com-
ments.
ly” condemned the continued publication of
“The seeds of hate that are being cultivat- the caricatures, in a statement carried by
ed today will polarise the society and have the official MAP news agency.
serious consequences,” Foreign Minister
Jordan‘s Islamic Affairs Minister Moham-
Shah Mehmood Qureshi said in a state-
med al-Khalayleh said that “insulting”
ment.
prophets was “not an issue of personal
The move comes a day after Pakistan’s freedom but a crime that encourages vio-
Prime Minister Imran Khan wrote a letter to lence.”
Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg seeking
Meanwhile, Jean-Luc Melanchon, head of
a ban on Islamophobic content, similar to
France’s left-wing Unbowed France party
the website’s measures against Holocaust
and a member of parliament, also attacked
deniers.
Macron.
Qureshi said Pakistan had urged the United
“Macron has totally lost control of the situ-
Nations “to take notice and action against
ation. By Erdogan’s statements, France is
the hate-based narrative against Islam.”
demeaned, humiliated and ridiculed. What
Demonstrators held protests Sunday in is Macron’s strategy? What does he plan to
regions of war-torn Syria still outside gov-
do besides tweet?”
ernment control during which they burned
But the French president found support
pictures of Macron, according to the Syrian
with some leaders of the European com-
Observatory for Human Rights war moni-
munity.
tor.
On Sunday the European Union’s foreign
“As Muslims, it’s our duty to respect all the
policy chief Joseph Borrell said Erdogan’s
prophets, so we expect the same from all
words were “unacceptable” and called on
other religions,” housewife Fatima Mah-
Turkey to stop “this dangerous spiral of
mud, 56, said ahead of the Tripoli protest.
confrontation”.
“Demonising Islam and Muslims isn’t going
to keep the social peace in France.” Also responding to the remarks, Europe-
an Commission Vice President Margaritis
In Deir al-Balah in the Gaza Strip, Palestin-
Schinas said on Twitter: “Sorry to disap-
ians burned portraits of Macron, calling his
point you but this is our way of life as de-
remarks “an attack and an insult against
fined in our Treaty. The European Way of
Islam”.
Life”, as he added a screenshot of a treaty
“We condemn the comments of the French article defining fundamental EU values.
president… and whoever offends the
“Actually, this is your way of life now,”
Prophet Mohammed, whether through
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Fahrettin Altun
words, actions, gestures or drawings,” said
snapped back, posting on Twitter a link
Maher al-Huli, a leader of the Palestinian
suggesting Frontex, the EU agency tasked
Hamas group.
with border control, has been complicit in
Rabaa Allah, a pro-Iran faction in Iraq, said illegally pushing back refugees.
in a statement that one and a half billion
The Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mit-
people worldwide had in effect been insult-
sotakis, also said on Sunday that “hate
ed, and warned that its men were “ready to
speech targeting France by the Turkish
respond when and where they want”.
leadership is unacceptable, fuels religious
Morocco‘s foreign ministry also “vigorous- hatred”.
The Christchurch attack
"voice the grief of a nation."
rifles. The enthusiastic public showings
She was the face of New Zealand and de- of support for Ardern has now come to be
nounced terrorist attacks to the world. Fol- known as "Jacindamania."
lowing the attack she visited the families of
This week, Ardern won a landslide victory
the victims, wearing a headscarf to show
in the country's general elections. She has
respect, and promised to ensure their safe-
led the center-left Labor Party to its best re-
ty in mosques across the country.
sult in 50 years, winning 49.1% of the vote.
Ardern opened the next session of New
Western leaders such as Emmanuel Ma-
Zealand Parliament with an evocative
cron may think that tolerance towards Is-
"Assalamu alaikum" message of peace
lam and Muslims would destroy their politi-
to Muslims and vowed never to utter the
cal career but in fact it has been the making
name of the terrorist. "He is a terrorist. He
of others just like Jacinda Ardern.
is a criminal. He is an extremist. But he will,
when I speak, be nameless," she said. Ardern has been depicted as "anti-popu-
list" in the media for a long time and we
There was a recitation from the Quran, a
can credit her victory to her sympathy and
tribute to the souls of the Muslims killed
compassion. Uniting the country she has
in the attacks. Led by Ardern, all the MPs,
been an example to other world leaders
wearing black had a moment of silence and
who adopt populist rhetoric out of fear of
listened to the recitation. Across New Zea-
being replaced by right-wing politicians and
land the public mourned the victims, visited
whose policies cause divisions. I know I am
mosques and placed flowers on memori-
trying to keep the faith, but what will be left
als. In the following days she declared a
to us if we also lose hope.
ban on all military-style-rifles, including
assault and military-like semi-automatic
The Friday Bulletin
Pakistani PM calls for Facebook ban on Islamophobic content
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan has
written a letter to Facebook CEO Mark
Zuckerberg seeking a ban on Islamopho-
bic content on the site, warning that it re-
sults in polarisation and marginalisation of
Muslims.
In the letter, shared by the Pakistani gov-
ernment on Twitter, Imran Khan said that
"growing Islamophobia" and marginalisa-
tion of Muslims is encouraging extremism
and violence across the world – especially
through social media platforms such as Fa-
cebook.
"I would ask you to place a similar ban on
Islamophobia and hate against Islam for
Facebook that you have put in place for the
Holocaust," Khan said.
Facebook said this month it was reversing
it earlier policy and will now ban any con-
tent that denied or distorted the Holocaust.
In an earlier interview Zuckerberg had said
he found “Holocaust denial deeply offen-
sive” and that he believed that “the best
way to fight offensive bad speech is with
good speech.
"One can not send a message that while
hate messages against some are unaccep-
table, these are acceptable against others,"
Khan said, adding that this was "reflective
of prejudice and bias that will encourage
further radicalisation".
Khan in his letter made reference to the
situation in France, where, President Em-
manuel Macron has encouraging the dis-
play of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mo-
hammad which causes offense to Muslims.
‘Boycott French products’ launched over Macron’s Islam
Continued From Page 7
nounced a boycott of French products and
pledged to provide alternatives, according
to their Twitter account.
Al Meera Consumer Goods Company, a
Qatari joint stock company, announced on
Twitter: “We have immediately withdrawn
French products from our shelves until fur-
ther notice.”
“We affirm that as a national company, we
work according to a vision consistent with
our true religion, our established customs
and traditions, and in a way that serves
our country and our faith and meets the
aspirations of our customers.”
Qatar University also joined the campaign.
Its administration has postponed a French
Cultural Week event indefinitely, citing the
“deliberate abuse of Islam and its sym-
bols”.
In a statement on Twitter, the university
said any prejudice against Islamic belief,
sanctities and symbols is “totally unaccep-
table, as these offences harm universal
human values and the highest moral prin-
ciples that contemporary societies highly
regard”.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) de-
scribed Macron’s statements as “irrespon-
sible”, and said they are aimed at spread-
ing a culture of hatred among peoples.
“At a time when efforts must be directed
Rabi'ul-Awwal 13, 1442/October 30, 2020
He also mentioned India's recent citizen-
ship law that singles out the country's Mus-
lims community.
Facebook did not immediately reply re-
quest for comment on Khan's letter.
Earlier on Sunday, Khan said that French
President Emmanuel Macron had "at-
tacked Islam" by encouraging the display
of cartoons.
The debate over France's policies toward
Muslims was given new impetus by the
murder this month in France of a teacher
who showed his class a cartoon of the
Prophet Mohammed.
Khan's comments follow statements Ma-
cron declaration of war on "Islamist sepa-
ratism", which he believes is taking over
some Muslim communities in France.
In a series of tweets, Khan said the remark
would sow division.
"This is a time when Pres Macron could
have put healing touch & denied space to
extremists rather than creating further po-
larisation & marginalisation that inevitably
leads to radicalisation," Khan wrote.
"It is unfortunate that he has chosen to en-
courage Islamophobia by attacking Islam
rather than the terrorists who carry out vio-
lence, be it Muslims, White Supremacists
or Nazi ideologists."
Macron already sparked controversy ear-
lier this month when he said "Islam is a
religion that is in crisis all over the world".
Meanwhile, President Erdogan renewed
his call for his French counterpart Emma-
towards promoting culture, tolerance and
dialogue between cultures and religions,
such rejected statements and calls for
publishing insulting images of the Prophet
(Muhammad) – may blessings and peace
be upon him – are published,” said the
council’s secretary-general, Nayef al-
Hajraf.
Al-Hajraf called on world leaders, thinkers
and opinion leaders to reject hate speech
and contempt of religions and their sym-
bols, and to respect the feelings of Mus-
lims, instead of falling captive to Islamo-
phobia.
In a statement, Kuwait’s foreign ministry
warned against the support of abuses and
discriminatory policies that link Islam to
terrorism, saying it “represents a falsifi-
cation of reality, insults the teachings of
Islam, and offends the feelings of Muslims
around the world”.
On Friday, the Organisation of Islamic Co-
operation (OIC) condemned what it said
was France’s continued attack against
Muslims by insulting religious symbols.
The secretariat of the Jeddah-based or-
ganisation said in a statement it is sur-
prised at the official political rhetoric is-
sued by some French officials that offend
French-Islamic relations and fuels feelings
of hatred for political party gains.
nuel Macron to undergo mental checks on
Sunday, a day after his comments prompt-
ed Paris to recall its envoy to Ankara.
The Turkish leader accused Macron of
being "obsessed with Erdogan day and
night", in a televised speech in the eastern
Anatolian city of Malatya.
Erdogan said Macron had "lost his way",
in his second sharp criticism of the French
leader in two days over the treatment of
Muslims.
Macron’s crisis with Islam
Continued From Page 7
the same time asks Muslims to be tolerant
of insults toward their religion. If it contin-
ues like this, the problem won't be the pro-
hibition of respecting Islamic values but
the active obligation to attack them.
Then, it shouldn't come as a surprise to
hear that Muslim kids are forced to eat
pork at school or draw cartoons of the
Prophet Muhammad under the guise of
"being a true French citizen."
Unfortunately, there have been more
tragic incidents in France as a result of
Islamophobia and extremism. Last week
a school teacher was beheaded by an
extremist for showing cartoons of the
Prophet Muhammad during a class, while
two Muslim women were stabbed under
the Eiffel Tower as the attackers shouted
"Dirty Arabs" this week. We will continue
to see cases like these if the French gov-
ernment continues to encourage Islamo-
phobia.
Noticing the double standards between
freedom of speech and freedom of reli-
gion after the Charlie Hebdo attack, many
Muslims around the world came to see the
event as a milestone. From that day on-
wards they knew Islam would be attacked
again under the pretext of being a non-
peaceful religion and these attacks would
not be limited to harsh words or insults.
Charlie Hebdo actually paved the way for
extremists, who were looking for a pretext
to attack, one of whom pledged allegiance
to Daesh and the other two declared their
loyalty to al-Qaida in the Arabian Penin-
sula (AQAP). A Yemeni branch of al-Qaida
took responsibility for the deadly attack
against Charlie Hebdo, claiming the al-
Qaida leadership chose the target and the
massacre was in retaliation to the depic-
tions mocking the Prophet Muhammad.
All Muslim countries, including the French
Muslim community, immediately con-
demned the Charlie Hebdo attack. As
radicalization began to spread, particu-
larly since the evolution of the Daesh ter-
rorist group, Muslim countries played a
major role in fighting the notorious terror
organization. However, their efforts were
not enough to stifle the rise of Islamo-
phobia around the world as Islamophobic
incidents including far-right terrorism, mo-
tivated by a variety of ideologies, started
to increase.
Page 9
The Friday Bulletin
Big win for Muslims in Kaloleni land case
Continued From Page 1
that the Plaintiff’s legitimate expectation
be considered by the National Land Com-
mission and the County Government of
Kisumu.’’ ruled Justice Ombwayo.
In the judgment presided by Justice An-
thony Ombwayo, the court ruled that le-
gitimate expectation is a constitutional
principle that should not be defeated by
locus standi.
The court further canceled the allotment
letter and certificate of lease that had
been issued to the Seventh Day Advent-
ist Church (SDA) in 2010 by the National
Land Commission (NLC) and ordered
each party to bear own costs.
“On the other hand, the allotment letter
dated 2nd August 2010, the lease dated
20th December 2010 and the certificate of
lease issued on 24th December 2010 are
hereby cancelled. Each party to bear own
costs this being a dispute between reli-
gious institutions.” said presiding judge
Justice Ombwayo.
Kaloleni Muslim Mosque Committee and
the Kisumu Muslim Association sued the
Church and the National Lands Commis-
sion for what they say was the irregular
allocation of the land.
The land registered under Kisumu Mu-
nicipality Block 5/40 had been earmarked
for expansion of the adjacent Kaloleni
Muslim Primary School and an application
had been made way back in 1985 for the
plot to be allotted to the mosque but in a
strange turn of events, the National Land
Commission instead allocated the prop-
erty to the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
UNICEF donates learning tools to boost remote learning
United Nations International Children's
Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has donated
learning materials, radios and solar-pow-
ered lights to 1,500 vulnerable families
in Garissa to enable children to continue
learning while at home.
UNICEF is supporting the Government
and Kenya Institute of Curriculum De-
velopment (KICD) with remote learning
project dubbed ‘Are Children Able to Con-
tinue Learning During School Closures?’
The donations will help the children catch
up with others who have been learning
via radio, television and online during the
Covid-19 period.
“UNICEF is supporting KICD to develop
additional content for pre-primary and
primary lessons, which are broadcast
through TV and radio, and uploaded to the
internet,” says UNICEF Kenya Education
Specialist Constance Kouakou.
On Monday, the United Nations Children’s
Fund-Kenya and the Garissa county gov-
ernment started the distribution of the
items atSankuri Primary School. The exer-
cise is set to continue across other areas
in Garissa county.
Since schools were ordered closed in mid-
March, many students, especially from ru-
Page 10
NATIONAL Rabi'ul-Awwal 13, 1442/October 30, 2020
According to suit
papers filed at the
Land and Environ-
ment Court case
in Kisumu, the
Kaloleni Muslim
Mosque Commit-
tee and the Kisumu
Muslim Association
accused the Na-
tional Land Com-
mission of deliber-
ately circumventing
a more than 30- A section of the land in Kaloleni,Kisumu.
year pending appli-
cation by Muslims and allocating the land
to the Church in a record six months.
Schools closed at the coast
During the main hearing, Kaloleni Mus-
lim Mosque Committee Secretary-General
as Coronavirus upsurges
Harun Rashid Gullah and his former coun- Some schools in Mombasa County have
terpart at Kisumu Muslim Association Ali been shut down over a surge in Corona-
Zakariah testified in court and produced virus infections, days after the country re-
correspondence and other evidence to opened learning institutions countrywide.
reinforce their case that the land was al- The closure came after several teach-
located to Muslims way back in 1985. ers from Star of the Sea Girls’ Secondary
The Muslim residents led by the chair- School, Mama Ngina Girls’ High School
man Kisumu Muslim Association (KMA) and Tononoka Boys’ Secondary School
Sheikh Musa Ismail Haji commended the were reported to have contracted the vi-
landmark ruling saying justice at last has rus.
prevailed. Mombasa county commissioner Gilbert
At the same time a temporary mosque will Kitiyo said 11 teachers from Tononoka
be constructed on the land located at Star High School and four others from Mama
area within Kaloleni after the court ruling. Ngina High School have tested positive
According to Sheikh Musa Ismail Haji the for the virus.
mosque will be named Masjid Issa ibn Learning, however, went on at Mama Ngi-
Mariam alayhi salaam as an indication na High School despite the cases while
that the property now belongs the Muslim Tononoka Secondary School was closed
community. alongside Star of the Sea following cases
of COVID-19 at the two institutions.
Star of the Sea School management is-
sued a circular that the school will be
ral and vulnerable households, have been closed for two weeks to pave way for fu-
unable to access online learning materi- migation. “This is to inform that all school
als due to lack of internet connectivity and operations have been temporarily sus-
devices. pended with effect from today-(October
A report by Unicef on remote learn- 19th 2020) to allow fumigation,” reads part
ing shows that one in three children has of the circular.
missed out on remote learning during Education Cabinet Secretary George Ma-
school closures. “For at least 463 million goha has warned schools against further
children whose schools closed due to reopening, as more people are testing
Covid-19, there was no such a thing as positive for Covid-19 in the country.
remote learning,” Unicef executive direc- Speaking in Nairobi, the Education CS
tor Henrietta Fore said. said the cabinet is yet to approve the de-
Even when children have the technol- cision to reopen for other classes. “The
ogy and tools at home, they may not be government has not authorized the further
able to learn remotely through the avail- reopening of other schools in public, pri-
able platforms due to competing factors at vate or international schools and a deci-
home such as pressure to do chores, be- sion is yet to be considered by the Cabinet
ing forced to work, a poor environment for and when we get to it, the nation shall be
learning, and lack of support in using the told,” he said.
online or broadcast curriculum. Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho re-
“We’re concerned that the long school cently warned that county officers may
closures are leading to increased cases have to reinforce stringent measures
of violence against children, including should the situation become worse. “I urge
sexual abuse and gender-based violence. you, the people of Mombasa, if you want
Also, studies have shown that the longer us to do well on COVID-19 please wear
children are out of school, the greater the your mask when you are close to people,”
risk that the poorest among them will nev- he told Mombasa residents.
er come back,” added the UNICEF Kenya
Education Specialist.
The Friday Bulletin NATIONAL Rabi'ul-Awwal 13, 1442/October 30, 2020

Stop harassing Lamu residents for lack of ID’s-MP

Lamu East Member of Parliament Shar- residents particularly the youth are facing and cannot travel abroad to seek employ-
iff Athuman has cautioned Lamu security consistent harassment for lack of identity ment since they lack identification cards.
agencies against harassing residents for documents which was not a problem of “So you want us to stay indoors because
lack of identity cards. their making. when we go out we are thoroughly beaten,
Addressing residents in his Lamu East He said Lamu residents like any other harassed and arrested by police because
constituency, Shariff Athuman said Lamu Kenyans should be facilitated to obtain we do not have identity cards?” asked the
nation identity cards without any obsta- Lawmaker.
cles and appealed to Lamu registrar of He said as Lamu County leaders they will
DIB Bank Kenya named persons to clearly inform residents the fight for the locals’ rights to ensure they
cause of the delay. “If we must go to the get the important documents
best Islamic Bank headquarters in Nairobi as leaders we will Leaders from Lamu have consistently
go but we must solve this problem once complained of discrimination on the is-
Shariah-compliant financial provider DIB and for all,” said Shariff Athuman. suance of national IDs and called on the
Bank Kenya Limited has been named the
Shariff Athuman pointed out many youth government to address the issue to enable
best Islamic bank in Kenya
from the county have failed to secure young people to obtain the vital document.
DIB Bank which is a subsidiary of the jobs, cannot pursue higher education
Dubai Islamic Bank secured the accom-
plishment at the Islamic Finance News
(IFN) awards.
Recognized by Global Islamic Capital
Preserving the environment
Markets for the past 15 years, the Islamic
Finance News awards was held virtually
to honor the most accomplished business-
es operating across the global Islamic fi-
nance sector.
Commenting on the success, DIB Manag-
ing Director Peter Makau said, “We are
truly honored to be named Kenya’s Best
Islamic Bank for the second year in a
row. Such recognition in the current chal-
lenging times is a clear indication of the
success of the strategy to establish a pro-
gressive Islamic Finance franchise in the
country.”
“This award could not be possible without
the hard work and commitment from our
employees and it is their relentless pas-
sion and drive that gives me confidence
that we will continue to deliver in the years
to come,” Makau said.
The bank has expanded its Islamic bank-
ing services by opening new branches in
Eastleigh and Mombasa.
During the awards, DIB Bank Kenya’s
parent company Dubai Islamic Bank also
walked away with five awards including
the coveted title of the Best Overall Islam-
ic Bank globally.
Shemir Omar Yakub a director with Roy Hauliers hand over a certificate
to the Cheif of Maili Tisa John Supeet Yiakon after the tree planting ex-
ercise at Al Huda Chidrens' Centre in Maili Tisa, Kajiado County. Looking
on is Samuel Manoti from the Childrens Department. The Going Green
project was organised by Young Muslim Association is aimed at rais-
AYAH OF THE WEEK ing awareness in the conservation and preservation of the environment
through an Islamic perspective.
O believers! When the call
to prayer is made on Friday,
then proceed diligently to
AVAILABLE VACANT SPACE
the remembrance of Allah LOCATION: 3RD FLOOR JAMIA PLAZA
and leave off your business. SIZE: 1,200 SQ FT
That is best for you, if only
you knew. LOCATION: JAMIA TOWERS, MURANGA ROAD
(SHOP)
(Quran 62:9)
ALL APPLICATIONS TO:
SECRETARY GENERAL
JAMIA MOSQUE COMMITTEE
P.O. BOX 100786 00101 NAIROBI.
Page 11
 Merits of building a Mosque
A mosque is the best of places and construction of Mosques is
one of the best forms of charity. The first thing the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allah be upon him) did after migrating to Madinah
was, build a masjid. It is more blessed and virtuous than all other
places. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The most beloved
of places to Allah is the mosque, and the most detested of places
to Allah is the marketplace.” [Sahîh Muslim]
There is great reward in building a mosque for Allah’s sake. The
Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever builds a mosque for
Allah, Allah will build for him likewise in Paradise.”[Sahîh al-Bukhârî
and Sahîh Muslim] In some narrations of this hadith, it reads “Who-
ever builds a mosque seeking Allah’s pleasure…” Imagine what a
Muslim neighbourhood would look like if it did not have a Mosque.
Muslims wouldn’t have a place to worship Allah five times a day.
Establishing prayer is the second most important pillar of Islam.
Obligatory Friday prayers are conducted in a mosque.
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
It is also narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Whoever build a mosque for Allah – be it large or small – Allah
will build for him a house in Paradise.” [Sunan al-Tirmidhî – and
graded as good (hasan) by al-Albânî] In a narration in Musnad
al-Bazzâr that al-Albânî graded as authentic, it reads: “Whoever
builds a mosque for Allah – though it be the size of the ground
nest of a sand grouse – Allah will build for him a house in Para-
dise.” This is one of the biggest agenda of Ummah Foundation. In
all counties across Kenya, Ummah Foundation is forging forward
in ensuring that Prisons, public universities, schools and major
urban centres have a mosque constructed for the sake of Mus-
lims in that region to utilize as their prayer and educational facil-
ity. The mosques also target areas where Islam can be taught to
non-Muslims. The presence of a mosque in any area signifies the
presence of Islam being visible.
The building of a mosque is a way for a
person to continue to earn blessings after
death.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Among what continues to accrue for a be-
liever of his good works after death are the
following: knowledge that he learned and
then imparted to others, a pious child whom
he left behind, a copy of the Qur’ân that he
bequeathed, a mosque that he built, a guest
house he built for travelers, a river that he
made to flow, and charity he spends from
his wealth when he is in good health – all of
this continues to avail him after his death.”
[Sunan Ibn Majah and Sunan al-Bayhaqî –
and graded as good (hasan) by al-Albânî]. In
Athi River, Mlolongo, Kiu, Mtito Andei, Kwale
and Manyani, Ummah Foundation has built
mosques that are functional and Muslims
in those areas are proud to fulfill their five
daily obligatory prayers in permanent struc-
tures with all the auxiliary amenities. More
so, those who ply the Nairobi- Mombasa
highway can have their prayers at Manyani
Camp prison and stop for refreshments as
they proceed either way.
Al-Shawkânî comments on this hadîth in
Nayl al-Awtâr (2/213), saying:“This shows
that the blessings which are mentioned are
for the actual construction of a mosque. It is
not enough to designate land as a mosque
– or to demarcate the land in some way –
without building a structure on it.” At Ummah
Foundation we recognize that a mosque is
at the heart of every Muslim community. It
provides a safe place and environment for
the worshipers to pray and contemplate. The
Masjid is the hub of Islamic education espe-
cially for the children to learn Qur’an. Finally,
the mosque helps Muslims learn more about
the Islamic way of life and nurture their mor-
als and spiritual development.
Ummah Foundation
2nd Floor Suite A4, Village Plaza
Ngara Rd, P.O Box 58717-00200 Nairobi
Tel: (+254) 202680610/13/16 Mob: 0734-
845277
Email:info@ummahfoundation.net.
Web: www.ummahfoundation.net