Rabi' ul-thany 19, 1442/December 04, 2020 Issue No.

917

The
The

Friday
Friday Bulletin
Bulletin
The Weekly Muslim News Update

Focus on health not BBI- MUHURI

The Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI)
has said BBI signature collection drive is
not a priority and that efforts should be
redirected to improve healthcare facilities
across the country.
Speaking to the media in Mombasa last
week, MUHURI chairman Khelef Khalifa
said the BBI signature collection drive is
not an emergency and can therefore wait
until the war against the pandemic that
has claimed over 1,000 lives among them
frontline health workers is won.
“The collection of signatures can wait, our
lives cannot. We can succumb to Cov-
id-19 infection. It is not the time for politi-
cal machinations,” he said.
The chairman pointed out that the country
is in a critical moment in the war against
the virus and the funds allocated for the
exercise, including the Sh14 billion ear-
marked for the referendum, should be
redirected to improve healthcare, protect
frontline workers and the vulnerable and
offer health cover for all.
Khelef said the signature collection will
involve in-person contacts, the primary
way through which the virus spreads and
added that Kenyans cannot ask for more
but a drastic scaling down of all mass in-
person activities until the virus is under
control.
“Many more Covid-19 patients are dying
waiting for oxygen supply. What will hap-
pen to the mass of people who will get in-
fected during the drive? “In short the gov-
ernment will leave you to die. Die on your
own because they will not protect you or
pay NHIF cover,” Khelef said.
Continued To Page 2

Violence against women Religion and disability conference

barbaric, un-Islamic-
Sheikh Lethome
Muslims have been strongly warned
against maltreating women in any form as
gender-based violence is totally against
Islam.
In his Friday sermon Last week at Ja-
mia Mosque in Nairobi, Sheikh Ibrahim
Lethome condemned violence against
women, describing the vice and psycho-
logical or physical abuse of wives, daugh-
ters and sisters as barbaric, criminal and
against Islam and the teachings of the
Prophet Muhammad Peace Be Upon Him.
"The Prophet was completely refined in
the treatment of his wives, daughter and
Dr. Hussein Ali registrar (RIGHT) academic and student affairs receiving reso-
other Muslim women. The Prophet has
said: "The best of you are the best to their lutions of the religion and disability conference on 2nd December 2020 from
wives; and I am the best to my wives," he Abdirazak Mohamed-Ag.(LEFT) Chief Executive Officer of Northern Nomadic
said. Disabled Persons' Organization, Fr. Innocent Maganya (SECOND LEFT) Direc-
Sheikh Lethome while citing a number tor Institute for Interreligious Dialogue and Islamic Studies, Tangaza Universi-
of Hadiths noted that Islam is against all ty College, of Catholic University of Eastern Africa and Mustafa Genc-Country
forms of violence against women and Director, Harmony Institute at BOMA Hotel, Nairobi.
asked Muslims to emulate and make the
Prophet a role model in his treatment of
other. The Holy Prophet Muhammad and ings and prophetic practice clearly illus-
women.
other Prophets before him were never re- trate the relationship between spouses
“In accordance to Islamic teaching, a ported to have beaten any of their wives, which is based on tranquility, love, tender-
Muslim is not supposed to beat his wife hence Muslims doing so are offending Al- ness, protection, encouragement, peace,
for whatever reason and women too are mighty Allah and must stop that bad hab- kindness, comfort, justice and mercy.
prohibited from assaulting their husbands. it,” Sheikh Lethome said.
There must be mutual respect of each
He pointed out that Noble Qur’an teach- Continued To Page 2

This Newsletter contains some of Allah’s names. Please do not throw in the trash. Either keep, circulate or shred
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The Friday Bulletin
TSC announces 6, 000 jobs for interns, 500 promotions
The Teachers Service Commission (TSC)
has announced a total of 6, 674 jobs for
intern teachers both in primary and sec-
ondary schools as part of the Covid-19
mitigation measures.
TSC Chief Executive Officer Nancy
Macharia said the commission will this
month hire 1,998 interns to teach in pri-
mary schools and 4,676 will be providing
the services in secondary school. “This
is part of the national government post
Covid-19 economic stimulus programme
announced by President Uhuru Kenyatta,”
she said.
The commission also announced the start
of December training session of some
118,000 teachers on the Competency-
Based Curriculum (CBC).
Activist scoops Human Rights award
The Executive Director of the Mombasa-
based Sisters for Justice Naila Abdallah
has been recognized for her efforts in hu-
man rights activities.
Naila received the 2020 Upcoming Hu-
man Rights Defender of the Year award
and recognition for being in the forefront
in fighting for human rights in Mombasa
County and its environs.
The awards are an initiative to honour,
promote and protect the work of Human
Rights Defenders in Kenya.
Naila who has been campaigning for youth
and children rights and disentangling
youth from crime and drugs, termed the
recognition as a challenge to her activism.
“If you are recognised you are challenged
to execute more and am working towards
that no turning back,”She noted.
Naila Abdallah once worked for Muslims
for Human Rights-MUHURI before taking
a break to pursue further studies abroad
before returning to Kenya where she
launched her human rights lobby Sisters
for Justice.
Violence against women,
un-Islamic
Continued From Page 1
Sheikh Lethome further said cruelty
against women had led to the collapse
of several family setups and appealed to
men to refrain from the bad habit of vio-
lence against women.
The Sheikh who is also a member of Ja-
mia Mosque Committee stated that abu-
sive behaviour towards a woman is also
forbidden because it contradicts the ob-
jectives of Islamic jurisprudence – specifi-
cally the preservation of life and reason,
and the Qur’anic injunctions of righteous-
ness and kind treatment.
He charged Islamic scholars and Imams to
be at forefront to educate the Muslim um-
mah the danger of gender-based violence
and instill moral discipline for peaceful co-
existence and understanding.
Page 2
NATIONAL Rabi' ul-thany 19, 1442/December 04, 2020
The training sessions, which will be done
both face-to-face and virtually, will start
December 7 and end December 22. The
training schedule contained in the Novem-
ber 30 circular said virtual training will be
done between December 9 and 16.
The training will cover Curriculum Support
Officers (CSOs) and champions on CBC
mathematics content for Grade 1-3.
Nancy had indicated that the December
training to prepare teachers for eventual
re-opening of schools would be done at a
cost of Sh1 billion.
She said the training, in collaboration with
the relevant stakeholders, is aimed at en-
suring successful implementation of the
new curriculum.
In terms of remuneration for intern teach-
Haki Africa Executive Director
Hussein Khalid lauded Naila for
her tireless efforts in fighting for
human rights for all in the coastal
region and being at forefront in
youth empowerment programmes.
“Her work, and that of other hu-
man rights defenders around the
world is essential for our collec-
tive efforts to sustain peace and
ensure inclusive sustainable de-
velopment and respect for human
rights for all,” said Khalid.
The Sisters for Justice Executive Director Naila Abdallah holding certificate of
recognition.The Mombasa based activist was last week recognized for her ef-
forts in human rights activities.
Focus on health not BBI- MUHURI
Continued From Page 1
Although the Building Bridges Initiative
national secretariat said they will fol-
low Covid-19 guidelines to minimize the
spread of the virus, Khelef noted there
has been instances of infections even af-
ter precautions were taken and that there
was no guarantee the measures would
avoid spreading of Covid-19.
At the same time, Muslim leaders in Homa
Bay County have strongly opposed the
collection of signatures for constitutional
reforms through the Building Bridges Ini-
tiative (BBI).
The leaders led by Supreme Council of
Kenya Muslims( SUPKEM) Branch Sec-
retary for Homa Bay and Migori counties
Nuhu Omollo Abdul, expressed concerns
that the signatures collection drive is hur-
ried and done prematurely before Ken-
yans are given the document to read.
Addressing the press in Homa-Bay town,
Nuhu Omollo argued that Kenyans should
have been given copies of the BBI report
to read before being told to append their
signatures for the anticipated referendum.
The Secretary said that the document
ers, the commission noted those who will
be recruited to teach in primary schools
will be paid a monthly stipend of KSh 15,
000 while those hired to teach in second-
ary school with earn KSh 20, 000 a month.
The money, according to Nancy Macharia
will be subjected to statutory taxes.
The commission further announced plans
to promote 551 senior and chief principals
before the end of the year. In addition, at
least one director in job groups D4 to D5
will also be promoted.
The deadline for applications for the 6,
674 jobs is December 14, 2020. Success-
ful candidates will work for a period of one
year and will be issued with a TSC cer-
tificate.
should have been made available to Ken-
yans in hard copies and supplied country-
wide before the signature collection drive
was launched by the two principals. "The
documents should have been given first
to the members of the public so that they
know what the document contains before
the collection of the signature," he said
Omollo said many Kenyans are unable to
access the document online due to vari-
ous technical challenges and the majority
of Kenyans living in villages cannot ac-
cess computers or smartphones.
"Many people in Kenya have not read the
document and some of them are illiter-
ate," he added
The BBI signatures collection process
was launched at Kenyatta International
Convention Center in Nairobi last week
by President Uhuru Kenyatta and former
prime minister Raila Odinga.
The Friday Bulletin
9 Astonishing facts in the Quran that will surprise you
There are clear signs that the book of Is-
lam, the Quran, is the word of God and we
have many reasons to support this claim:
•There are scientific and historical facts
found in the Quran which were unknown
to the people at the time, and have only
been discovered recently by contemporary
science.
•The Quran is in a unique style of language
that cannot be replicated, this is known as
the ‘Inimitability of the Quran.’
•There are prophecies made in the Quran
and by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him) which have come to be pass.
The following are some facts found in
the Quran:
1. Origin of Life
Water is essential for all living things. We
all know that water is vital to life but the
Quran makes a very unusual claim: “We
made every living thing from water. Will
they not believe?” (Quran 21:30)
In this verse water is pointed out as the ori-
gin of all life. All living things are made of
cells. We now know that cells are mostly
made up of water. For example, 80% of
the cytoplasm (basic cell material) of a
standard animal cell is described as water
in biology textbooks.
The fact that living things consist mostly of
water was discovered only after the inven-
tion of the microscope. In the deserts of
Arabia, the last thing someone would have
guessed is that all life came from water.
2. Iron
Iron is not natural to the earth. It did not
form on the earth but came down to earth
from outer space. This may sound strange
but it’s true. Scientists have found that bil-
lions of years ago the earth was stuck by
meteorites. These meteorites were carry-
ing Iron from distant stars which had ex-
ploded.
The Quran says the following on the origin
of Iron: “We sent down Iron with its great
inherent strength and its many benefits for
humankind.” (Quran 57:25)
God uses the words ‘sent down’ for Iron.
It is clear from the verse that Iron is not
an earthly material, but was sent down for
the benefit of humanity. The fact that Iron
came down to earth from outer space is
something which could not be known by
the primitive science of the 7th century.
3. Sky’s Protection
The sky plays a crucial role in protecting
the earth. The sky protects the earth from
the lethal rays of the sun.
If the sky did not exist then the sun’s radia-
tion would have killed off all life on earth. It
also acts like a blanket wrapped around the
earth, to protect it from the freezing cold of
space.
The temperature just above the sky is ap-
proximately -270oC. If this temperature
was to reach earth then the planet would
freeze over instantly.
The sky also protects life on earth by
warming the surface through heat retention
Page 3
DA'WAH Rabi' ul-thany 19, 1442/December 04, 2020
(greenhouse effect), and reducing tem-
perature extremes between day and night.
These are some of the many protective
functions of the sky.
The Quran asks us to consider the sky in
the following verse: “We made the sky a
protective ceiling. And yet they are turning
away from Our signs!” (Quran 21:32)
The Quran points to the sky’s protection as
a sign of God. The protective properties
of the sky were discovered by scientific re-
search conducted in the 20th century.
4. Mountains
The Quran draws our attention to a very
important characteristic of mountains: “Did
We not make the earth a resting place? And
the mountains as stakes?” (Quran 78:6-7)
The Quran indicates that mountains have
deep roots by using the word stakes to
describe them. In fact mountains do have
deep roots, and the word stakes is an ac-
curate description for them.
A book titled ‘Earth’ by Geophysicist Frank
Press explains that mountains are like
stakes, and are buried deep under the sur-
face of the earth. Mount Everest (pictured
below), the height of which is approximate-
ly 9 km above ground, has a root deeper
than 125 km.
The fact that mountains have deep ‘stake’
like roots was not known, until after the de-
velopment of the theory of plate tectonics
in the beginning of the 20th century.
5. Expansion of the Universe
At a time when the science of Astronomy
was still primitive, the expansion of the uni-
verse was described in Quran: “And it is
We who have built the Universe with [Our
creative] power and keep expanding it.”
(Quran 51:47)
The fact that the universe is expanding was
discovered in the last century. The physi-
cist Stephen Hawking in his book ‘A Brief
History of Time’ writes, “The discovery that
the universe is expanding was one of the
great intellectual revolutions of the 20th
century.” The Quran mentioned the expan-
sion of the universe even before the inven-
tion of the telescope!
6. Sun’s Orbit
In 1512 the astronomer Nicholas Coperni-
cus put forward his theory that the Sun is
motionless at the centre of the solar sys-
tem, and that the planets revolve around it.
The belief that the Sun is stationary was
widespread amongst astronomers until the
20th century. It is now a well-established
scientific fact that the Sun is not stationary,
but is moving in an orbit around the centre
of our Milky Way galaxy.
The Quran mentions the orbit of the Sun: “It
is He who created night and day, the Sun
and the Moon, each floating in its orbit.”
(Quran 21:33)
The Quran would have been wrong accord-
ing to astronomers just a couple of decades
ago. But we now know that the Quranic ac-
count of the Sun’s motion is consistent with
modern Astronomy.
7. The Ocean
The Quran uses imagery to covey its deep
meanings, here it describes the state of the
unbelievers as: “Darkness out in a deep
ocean which is covered by waves, above
which are waves, above which are clouds,
layers of darkness, one upon the other.
When one puts out his hand [therein], he
can hardly see it. Those God gives no light
to, they have no light.” (Quran 24:40)
It is commonly thought that waves only
occur on the surface of the ocean. How-
ever oceanographers have discovered that
there are internal waves that take place be-
low the surface of the ocean. These waves
are invisible to the human eye, and can
only be detected by specialist equipment.
The Quran mentions darkness in a deep
ocean above which are waves, above
which are waves, then clouds above that.
This description is not only remarkable be-
cause it describes the internal waves in the
ocean, but also because it describes dark-
ness deep in the ocean.
A human being can dive no more than 70
meters without breathing equipment. Light
is present at that depth, but if we go down
1000 meters it is completely dark. 1400
years ago there were no submarines or
specialist equipment to discover internal
waves or the darkness deep inside the
oceans.
8. Lying and Movement
There was a cruel oppressive tribal leader
named Abu Jahl who lived during the time
of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon
him). God revealed a verse of the Quran to
warn him: “No Indeed! If he does not stop,
We will seize him by the forehead, his ly-
ing, sinful forehead.” (Quran 96:15-16)
God does not call this person a liar, but
calls his forehead (the front part of the
brain) ‘lying’ and ‘sinful’, and warns him to
stop.
This verse is significant for two reasons.
The first is that the front part of our brain
is responsible for voluntary movement[8].
This is known as the frontal lobe.
A book titled ‘Essentials of Anatomy and
Physiology’ which includes the results
of research on the functions of this area
states: The motivation and the foresight to
plan and initiate movements occur in the
anterior portion of the frontal lobes, the
prefrontal area.
The part of the brain that is responsible for
movement is said to be seized if the man
does not stop.
Secondly, numerous studies have shown
that this same region (frontal lobe) is re-
sponsible for the lying function of the
brain[10]. One such study at the University
of Pennsylvania in which volunteers were
asked questions during a computerized in-
terrogation, it was found that when the vol-
unteers were lying there was significantly
increased activity in the prefrontal and pre-
motor cortices (frontal lobe region)[11].
Continued To Page 7
The Friday Bulletin WOMEN Rabi' ul-thany 19, 1442/December 04, 2020

The personalities of the Prophet’s wives – Sawda bint Zam’a

By Theresa Corbin
We often are introduced to the people es in Abyssinia, and talk especially about Sawda never took herself too seriously. On
around the Prophet (peace be upon him) [the Prophet’s] daughter Ruqayyah and one occasion, Aisha and Hafsa (may Allah
through his life and perspective. While there her husband, Uthman bin Affan, and the be pleased with them), knowing of Sawda’s
is good reason for this, it can also be of great Prophet Muhammad would listen with great fear of the Dajjal (also know to Chris-
benefit to learn about the companions of the great interest.” (Ghadanfar) tians as the Antichrist), began to talk about
Messenger as individuals. They were the But as a widow she was lonely, and she him in front of her:
people who Allah calls in the Quran, “[…] the soon accepted a proposal of marriage to She was so scared that she immediately ran
best nation produced [as an example] for the Prophet (peace be upon him), who into a dark room full of cobwebs to hide from
mankind.” (Qur’an 3:110) had also lost a dear spouse. the monster. When Muhammad [peace be
It can be especially important to look to the Sawda liked to joke and could laugh upon him] walked in, he found the two en-
lives of the honorable and honored wives of at herself joying the joke. He asked them what was
the Prophet (peace be upon him) to under- so amusing. On being told what had hap-
stand that they too were human beings who Sawda loved to make others laugh even pened he called out to [Sawda] to come
lived, ate, laughed and struggled to please if that meant she was the butt of the joke. out as there was no monster around. She
Allah. Can there be a better example for us She had a great sense of humor and came out sheepishly laughing at herself.
than the mothers of the believers who were once she saw pain and sadness on her (Ghadanfar)
all promised paradise? husband’s face (the Prophet [peace be
upon him]), she decided it would be a Sawda was very generous
Continuing in our journey to find out if our good time to lighten his spirits. So she Sawda (may Allah be pleased with her)
mothers were funny, sensitive, outgoing, told him about her silly fear the night be- loved to give in charity. After the Prophet’s
introspective, self-doubting, or fearless, we fore. (peace be upon him) death, Sawda became
take a look at Prophet Muhammad’s peace
Sawda related to the Prophet (PBUH) a widow once more and had reached old
be upon him wife after Kahdijah’s death,
that she prayed behind him for so long age. The companions of the Prophet took
Sawda bint Zam’a.
that she feared her nose would bleed it upon themselves to care for the mother
Among the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be from the length of the ruku (bending in of the believers. But Sawda sought to take
upon him) wives, Sawda may be the least prayer). Not wanting to get blood eve- care of those she deemed more in need
mentioned in narrations of the Prophet’s rywhere from her imagined impending than herself.
life. Many think she was only sought after nosebleed, she held her nose closed. “During his rule, ‘Umar bin Khattab sent her
for marriage to the Prophet ((peace be upon The Prophet (peace be upon him) a bag full of Dirhams. She asked what it
him) after Khadija’s death so that she could couldn’t help but imagine this comical was, and on learning that it was money she
take care of his children and household. picture of Sawda holding her nose dur- was very surprised […] She then distribut-
While she was indeed a warm and nurtur- ing salah. And his sadness dissipated ed the money among the poor and needy.”
ing caregiver to his family, she was also so into laughter. (Qutb and Ghadanfar) (Ghadanfar)
much more than that to him and our ummah.
Sawda was brave
Sawda (may Allah be pleased with her) was
among the first of those who testified to faith
in Allah and the messenger (peace be upon
him). She accepted Islam in a time when
doing so could very likely mean torture and
even death at the hands of the Quraysh. But
Sawda didn’t let fear stop her from affirming
the truth.
Sawda was the first Muslim in her family
and she played a vital role in her husband
coming to Islam. She was also among those Keyworld Academy is a new integrated private
school situated at the heart of Fedha.
who migrated in the cause of Allah. She left
We seek to nurture your child into a reflective
her home and everything she knew to travel and dependent person right from the basics
across the desert and ocean to a distant to excellence.
land known to her only by its name, Abys- Find us behind Aga Khan University Hospital in
sinia, in order to practice her faith in safety. Fedha Embakasi, 200m from Fedha Mosque.
After some time in her new home of Abys- The school offers both CBC, 8.4.4 system and
Islamic education programs such as Quran,
sinia, Sawda’s husband fell ill and passed Hadith, Arabic, Seerah among others.
away. She once again traveled by sea and
desert, but this time to return to Mecca to be
with her community.
Sawda was a storyteller
On Sawda’s return, she reunited with the be-
lievers of Mecca. But she didn’t forget about
all her experiences in Abyssinia. Often she
could be found mesmerizing the Muslims
with her tales of travel and exotic Abyssinian
adventures.
Her favorite stories to tell were those that
included the family of the Prophet (PBUH)
who had migrated to Abyssinia with her. “She
would often relate her memorable experienc-

Page 4
The Friday Bulletin
Three young companions empowered by the Prophet (PBUH)
Zakir Ahmed
The Prophet mobilized the youth under
his banner through empowerment. Across
all continents and cultures, youth empow-
erment is one of the most discussed and
applied programs/processes in the world
today.
Thriving societies have more opportunities
for young people to contribute their skills
and talents. It is a way in which youth can
make positive changes in their lives and in
the lives of others.
The need for agency and a sense of au-
thority is a vital factor for young people. It
is a mechanism whereby they explore the
“real world” and see where they “belong.”
One’s youth is a phase in life, if directed
properly, can be a means of immense posi-
tivity and good. If misdirected however, it
can be a means of destruction and tragic
consequences.
Unfortunately, we find a huge percentage
of youth in the contemporary period en-
gaged in harmful behavior and unhealthy
habits—not conducive to making the world
a better place.
The Prophet was fully cognizant of the
potential of the youth. With his incredible
foresight, he utilized and empowered the
youth in his community. They were taught
how to be real “men” and real “women” and
indeed their greatness was visible through
the extraordinary contributions they had
left behind.
Zayd ibn Tahbit
Zayd ibn Thabit, was among the genera-
tion of youth who were empowered by the
Prophet. He was hardly thirteen years old
when he came to seek permission from the
Prophet to attend the historic battle of Badr.
He was not granted permission to join the
Muslim Army, as he was too young at the
time.
However, this did not prevent Zayd from
contributing to the cause of Islam. The
Prophet saw that Zayd had a sharp intel-
lect and an unwavering thirst for knowl-
edge. Hence, he empowered him through
scholarship. He instructed, “Zayd, learn the
writing of the Jews for me.”
Enthusiastically, Zayd went about learning
Hebrew and shortly after, the Syriac lan-
guage. This brilliant young man eventually
found himself serving as an interpreter and
scribe for the Prophet.
During the caliphate of Abu Bakr, he was
appointed to lead the massive project of
compiling the Qur’an in a book form. He
was an expert in the Qur’an and a scholar
of the highest caliber.
Till this day, anyone who opens up a copy
of the Qur’an is forever indebted to the
great youth scholar, Zayd ibn Thabit, for his
outstanding service to Islam.
This case presents to us some very valu-
able lessons. The Prophet’s methodology
in identifying the skills of Zayd and then
empowering him with that was one of the
key reasons behind his success. It is im-
perative for us to pinpoint the talents within
our communities and put them to work in
Page 5
YOUTH Rabi' ul-thany 19, 1442/December 04, 2020
order to bring about positive change.
Mus`ab ibn `Umair
The Prophet invested in the youth and
placed his trust in them. He did not hesi-
tate in assigning them pivotal roles despite
their age. This provided the youth a feel-
ing of “belonging.” The youth felt special
because the Prophet entrusted them with
serious responsibilities. Take Mus`ab ibn
`Umayr for example. Mubarakpuri writes,
“After the pledge of (`Aqabah) the Prophet
sent to Yathrib (Medina) Mus`ab ibn `Umair
al-`Abdari, the first Muslim ambassador to
teach the people the doctrines of Islam,
give them practical guidance and make at-
tempts at propagating Islam among those
who still professed polytheism.”
Yahiya Emerick notes in his biography of
the Prophet, “Mus`ab was an excellent
choice. Before his conversion, he had
been an idle child of wealth who indulged
in great luxuries at his family’s expense. He
had since redirected his life toward prayer
and simple living. While in Yathrib, he suc-
ceeded in converting many Arabs of both
tribes to Islam, including several prominent
clan leaders.”
Mubarakpuri further comments, “Mus`ab
stayed in Madina carrying out his mission
steadily and successfully until all the hous-
es of al-Ansar had Muslim elements, men
and women.”
Usamah ibn Zaid
Entrusting youth with leadership roles can
be daunting a task, but if done with preci-
sion and thought, there will be astonishing
results.
After the Farewell Pilgrimage, a large army
was organized and deployed to Syria.
Abu Bakr and `Umar were involved in this
campaign. But the Prophet appointed the
young Usamah ibn Zayd to lead the army.
Al-Banna states very succinctly:
“Usamah was then a young man of hardly
twenty years of age. His appointment was
to honor the name of his father who had
been killed while commanding at the battle
of Mu’ta.
Such an appointment was also sure to stir
within the blood of the youth the greatest
determination and bravery. It was also
meant as an example for the youth of Islam
to carry the burden of great responsibility.”
The “burden of great responsibility” was a
spirit deeply cultivated in the hearts and
minds of the youth. Entrusting Usamah
with such a massive role did not only em-
power him as a young person, but it also
set a precedent for the entire community
at large.
Naturally, there were some people who felt
uncomfortable with Usamah being their
commander. The Prophet stood up on his
pulpit and said, “O Men! Carry out the ex-
pedition under Usamah. Your complaint
against his generalship is of the same kind
as your complaint against the generalship
of his father before him. By Allah! Usamah
is as fit for the generalship as was his fa-
ther.”
Eternal Lessons
By treating them with love, the Prophet
was able to establish astounding relation-
ships with the young people of his time.
His vision and implementation of youth
empowerment yielded victory upon victory
and continued for generations to come.
There are innumerable lessons for the con-
temporary world to take from the Sirah in
regards to the youth.
In a time when our young generation has
lost their sense of direction and moral com-
pass in life, it is high time that we study the
life of the Prophet Muhammad. It is antici-
pated that by doing this, we will be able to
reorient ourselves to that which is healthy
and productive for both, our youth, and our
world.
The Friday Bulletin
Africa's solidarity a vital pillar in fight for Palestinian statehood
By Hanan Jarrar
One of the first South African expressions
that I was introduced to when I arrived in
South Africa in January was " A person is
a person through other people. I am, be-
cause you are. This isiZulu saying has be-
come one of my most often-used phrases
because it aptly describes the Palestinian
struggle for liberation which is rooted in the
notion of common humanity.
Israel's "temporary" military occupation of
the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza
Strip is now in its 53rd year.
For over half a century, the Israeli govern-
ment has denied Palestinians their own
state, choices and rights. Israeli leaders
cannot possibly imagine why we would de-
sire a fully independent, sovereign state.
There is a colonial arrogance to this belief.
At its core is the belief that millions of Pal-
estinians do not deserve the same rights
as Israelis. It is the very antithesis of the
shared humanity of "
On 29 November, much of the world ob-
served United Nations Day of International
Solidarity with the Palestinian People - a
UN-designated commemoration which re-
minds the world that the Palestinian people
have still to attain their own state.
29 November was chosen because it was
on that date in 1947 that the newly-created
United Nations - made up almost entirely
of Western nations and weaker states de-
pendent on Western aid - imposed on Pal-
estinians an unjust Partition Plan that allo-
cated over 56% of our land along with our
key agricultural lands, cities and seaports
to a minority population of newly-arrived
Zionist settlers.
Concerns from the majority indigenous
Palestinian population about the dispro-
portionate allocation of land were simply
ignored and the Israeli state was violently
born. Over 750 000 Palestinians were
forced to flee their homes. Seventy-three
years later, Palestinians remain without a
Does Islam allow men to beat their wives?
But the Qur’an says to strike!
One of the most common claims made by
Islamophobes is the misconception that
Islam allows for men to beat their wives
with impunity. This is typically based on
verse 4:34 of the Qur’an, where men are
instructed to deal with a wife’s persistent
misconduct by first persuading and advis-
ing them, followed by deserting the marital
bed, before being given permission to take
the last resort of darb—a word that literally
means ‘to hit’ in the Arabic language
However, not only is this verse being mis-
interpreted, there is a mass of evidence
that points to the contrary when it comes
to the relationship between spouses.
1.Islam affirms that marriage must be
based on love and mercy: “And amongst
OPINION Rabi' ul-thany 19, 1442/December 04, 2020
state and millions of Palestinian refugees
are scattered throughout the world.
Deeply-rooted bonds
The struggle of Africans against Europe-
an colonialism and domination - whether
it was the Front for the Liberation of Mo-
zambique (FRELIMO); the African Na-
tional Congress (ANC) of South Africa;
the People's Movement for the Libera-
tion of Angola (MPLA), Zimbabwe African
People's Union (ZAPU now ZANU-PF);
the South West African Peoples' Or-
ganization (SWAPO) or the Tanganyika
African National Union (TANU and later
CCM) in Tanzania - is also the struggle
of the Palestinian people against the Is-
raeli colonisation of Palestine. Ours is
a shared struggle, and there is a deep-
seated historic solidarity between the
peoples of Africa and Palestine.
In fact, it was an icon of African decolo-
nisation and freedom, Mwalimu Julius
Nyerere, who was among the first African
leaders to recognise the Palestine Lib-
eration Organisation (PLO) under Yasser
Arafat and, in 1973, Dar es Salaam be-
came home to the first PLO embassy in
Africa.
By 1988, some 33 African countries of-
ficially recognised Palestine, after Yasser
Arafat proclaimed our independence.
African countries did not wait for us to
launch a statehood bid at the UN in 2011.
They had already recognised and hon-
oured our inalienable right to self-deter-
mination decades earlier.
African countries have continued this leg-
acy of supporting Palestine at the UN. At
the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)
in Geneva, the African Group - who rep-
resent almost a third of all UN members
- have consistently reminded the UNHRC
of its obligation to act immediately to en-
sure that the Palestinian people are able
to realise their right to self-determination,
God’s signs is that He created for you
spouses from amongst you and placed
between you love and mercy” (Qur’an
30:21)
2.Islam unequivocally condemns all
forms of cruelty and abuse: The Prophet
peace be upon him state that “there is to
be no harm nor reciprocating of harm.”
(Sunan Ibn Majah, 2341)
3.Domestic violence is explicitly forbid-
den in Islam: “Do not strike the female
servants of God.” (Sunan Abi Dawud
2146, Sunan al-Darimi 2122) “Do not hit
them and do not revile them.” (Sunan Abi
Dawud 2144)
In one incident, the Prophet peace be
upon him invoked God’s wrath upon a
man who beat his wife. (Musnad Ahmad
justice and freedom.
Just last month at a UN General Assembly
vote, not a single African nation endorsed
Israeli annexation of Jerusalem and the
West Bank. African nations continue to
stand with Palestine and condemn Israel's
occupation of Palestine - despite the in-
tensive efforts of the Israeli government
to use aid and technology to negate their
long-standing positions on Palestine at
the UN that are in line with international
law.
Stand in solidarity
We Palestinians are inspired by Africa's
liberation struggle and its former leaders.
Israel's violent occupation has not defeat-
ed us even though Israeli settlements on
Palestinian land continue to expand, po-
litical resistance is brutally crushed, and
attacks on Palestinian communities con-
tinue unchecked.
We are yet to attain our inalienable rights
to self-determination and still to achieve
our liberation. Our decolonisation journey
has not yet begun. Despite decades of
disappointment and setbacks on the glob-
al political stage, we remain committed to
a multilateral order that ensures respect
for international law.
Fifty-three years after the Israeli oc-
cupation of the West Bank, Jerusalem
and Gaza, and 13 years since Israel in-
humanely blockaded the Gaza Strip, we
Palestinians are still here, determined as
ever to achieve our freedom, just as Afri-
can nations did.
Africa's solidarity - along with the rest of
the Global South - is a vital pillar in our
struggle against Israeli colonisation and
occupation. African nations must not veer
from their legacies of fighting for justice,
and continue supporting the occupied and
colonised Palestinian people.
(1303))
4.The Qur’anic verse (4:34), often used to
justify hitting wives, CANNOT be under-
stood to permit any violence.
The famous early Makkan Qur’anic ex-
egete said about verse 4:34: “A man does
not strike his wife, rather he may only show
his anger.” (Ataa ibn Abi Rabaah)
5.The Prophet peace be upon him NEVER
raised his hand against his wives. His wife,
Aisha (radhiallahu anha) said he “never
once hit a servant, a woman, nor struck
anything with his hand.” (Sunan Ibn Majah)
All Islamic texts and the incidents from the
Prophet’s life clearly and unequivocally
forbid any type of violence against women.
Page 6
The Friday Bulletin
How a disappointed Obama disappointed the Muslim world
By Marwan Bishara
When in June 2009, Barack Hussein Oba-
ma, who had just become the president
of the world’s foremost superpower and
leader of the “free world”, started his land-
mark speech to the Muslim world with, “al-
salamu alaykum” or “peace be upon you”,
Arabs and Muslims must have felt like
Dorothy in the film Jerry Maguire when
she tells Jerry, “You had me at hello.”
Obama had us at al-salamu alaykum.
It was great to see the US president
speaking at Cairo University, humanising
and engaging the Muslim world, but it also
felt like he was hedging on almost every
issue, probably realising, correctly, that
his detractors back home were listening to
every word. Indeed, they called his trip an
“apology tour”.
At that time, my critique of certain aspects
of the president’s speech on Al Jazeera
did not go down well with some of my
prickly colleagues, who were (rightly) tak-
en by the magic of the moment. But in his
own recollection of that day in his memoir,
A Promised Land, Obama is a sweet-talk-
ing pragmatist, a realist at heart.
Obama can talk the talk. He just loves to
flirt with ideas and with the public, loves
to orate, preach, and sermonise. But he
should have known better than to flirt with
the Muslim world without having the inten-
tion to commit.
Alas, he did not walk the walk. He did not
come through on many of his promises,
or perhaps more accurately, the promise
of his presidency, for which he feels only
partly responsible. In his book, he repeat-
edly laments people pinning too much
hope on him and stretching or misinter-
preting his words.
When he acted proactively, as when he
reached a landmark nuclear disarmament
treaty with Russia or when he crashed a
China-led climate change meeting to force
a compromise between China and Europe
in Copenhagen, progress was in fact pos-
sible.
But it got harder and more complicated
when it came to fulfilling his promise to
end America’s endless war in the Middle
East and do away with the mindset behind
it.
He says he was misunderstood. He says
that he opposed the Iraq war, as other
American realists did, but not the Afghan
war. He says that he is no pacifist who
believes everything can be resolved with
diplomacy. His extensive use of drones,
which he mentions only in passing in the
book, showed him capable and willing to
champion new means of warfare.
On the other hand – and there is always
“on another hand” with this guy – he seems
to think, as he did in his earlier years, that
politicians are “actors in a rigged game”. It
is one thing to want to end a war, but it is
another thing to actually get it done, when
the military and foreign policy establish-
ments are stacked against it, set in their
Page 7
Rabi' ul-thany 19, 1442/December 04, 2020
ways, defending indefensible mantras
about credibility and prestige.
If he wanted to decrease troop deploy-
ment in Afghanistan and the Pentagon
wanted it increased, he felt obliged to ac-
cept a compromise with the formidable
generals in the form of a surge.
His vice president, Joe Biden, urged him
not to get rolled over by the Pentagon but
rolled over he got, at least until he “grew
more comfortable and efficient” in his role
as commander-in-chief.
And he rolled over when Israel’s Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected
his demand that Israel freezes the illegal
settlement-building as long as the nego-
tiations with the Palestinians were under
way. Obama compliments Netanyahu, he
calls him “smart, canny, tough and a gifted
communicator” in his book, even though
he clearly dislikes him, and accuses him
of orchestrating a campaign against his
administration.
Predictably, some have already labelled
Obama’s claim as “anti-Semitic”.
Obama writes how he was moved by Arab
protesters during the early days of the
Arab Spring, by their “Yes, we can” spirit,
and decided to pressure Egyptian Presi-
dent Hosni Mubarak to step down, despite
opposition from his senior cabinet mem-
bers and from Saudi and Emirati leaders,
who warned him that America would no
longer be trusted.
He was also moved by reports of potential
bloody civil war in Libya and decided to
act against the advice of Secretary of De-
Facts in the Quran that will surprise you
Continued From Page 3
The front part of the brain is responsible
for movement and lying. The Quran links
movement and lying to this area. These
functions of the frontal lobe were discov-
ered with medical imaging equipment
which was developed in the 20th century.
9. Pain Receptors
For a long time it was thought that the
sense of feeling and pain was dependent
on the brain. However it has been discov-
ered that there are pain receptors present
in the skin[12]. Without these pain recep-
tors, a person would not be able to feel
pain.
Consider the following verse on pain: “We
shall send those who reject Our revelations
to the (Hell) Fire. When their skins have
been burned away, We shall replace them
with new ones so that they may continue
to feel the pain: God is Almighty, All-Wise.”
(Quran 4:56)
God tells the people who reject his mes-
sage that when they are in Hell and their
skins are burnt off (so they can’t feel any
pain), he will give them new skins so that
they continue to feel the pain.
The Quran makes it clear that pain is de-
fense Robert Gates. Alas, his failure, as
he puts it, was not to follow through.
His earlier drive soon came to a halt, as
counter-revolutionary forces stepped in
and chaos spread throughout the region.
He stopped following through on his pre-
vious plans or pronouncements, choosing
instead to disengage or temper expecta-
tion.
After five years of disappointments, Oba-
ma arrived at his “don’t do stupid sh**” for-
eign policy moment in 2014. He became
as disillusioned with our region as many
were disappointed in him.
Obama is wrong on many issues, but he
is not wrong in asking the Muslim world to
“closely examine the roots of [its] unhap-
piness”.
If his detractors only looked in the mirror,
they would see that Obama’s shortcom-
ings pale in comparison to our own; just
pendent upon on the skin. The discovery
of pain receptors in the skin is a fairly re-
cent discovery for Biology.
Conclusion
These are just some of the many facts
found in the Quran. It is important to note
that the Quran is not a book of science, but
that it is consistent with science. To claim
that scientific facts in the Quran are due
to coincidence would be irrational. The
best explanation is that God revealed this
knowledge to the Prophet Muhammad.
Just like the Quran contains knowledge
about the natural world, it also contains
information about the inner dimensions of
our souls. It relates to our feelings, wants
and needs. The Quran informs us that we
have a purpose in life, and that following
God’s guidance will lead us to inner peace
in this life, and Paradise in the hereafter.
And that rejection of his message will lead
to depression in this life and Hellfire after
death. “We shall show them Our signs in
the Universe and within themselves, until
it becomes clear to them that this is the
Truth. Is it not enough that your Lord is the
witness of all things?” (Quran 41:53)
The Friday Bulletin Rabi' ul-thany 19, 1442/December 04, 2020

The forgotten violence against Muslim women in the West

We may have just marked the Interna- ric matters and has real-life consequences Afghanistan in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks,
tional Day for the Elimination of Violence for Muslim women. one of the main arguments for going to
against Women, but acknowledge the vul- A report by a British charity found that war was to “liberate” Afghan women from
nerability of Muslim women who are at- women continue to bear the brunt of anti- Muslim men.
tacked simply for wearing a visible symbol Muslim attacks because of their visible Fast forward to 2019, the US is still in Af-
of their religion. Muslim attire, accounting for the majority ghanistan, however, closer to home Mus-
Now in its 25th year, the International Day of reported attacks. lim women in the US are facing increasing
for the Elimination of Violence against The majority of the perpetrators were threats to their wellbeing by more often
Women just passed, and it aims to draw found to be men. than not the same American men that al-
attention to the widespread violence and Many attacks, however, go unreported legedly want to liberate Muslim women in
discrimination many women continue to because either Muslim women don’t know Afghanistan.
face across the world. who to tell or what difference it will make, A poll by Pew Research found that Muslim
In the aftermath of 9/11, during the George if any. women were significantly more pessimis-
W Bush administration, the US declared a A recent study found that Conservative tic about their place in the US and a ma-
‘War on Terror’. Since then, Muslim wom- Party members have bought into many jority say it was now more difficult to be a
en have become particularly susceptible myths about Muslims including that parts Muslim for them.
to violence, discrimination and have more of the UK are run according to Islamic law The poll also found that the majority of
generally become a stigmatised commu- and with some even believing that Islam is Muslim women faced discrimination as
nity. a threat to their way of life. opposed to Muslim men.
Muslim women, due to their headscarf and US Recently a Muslim woman who was at-
the perception that they are less likely to When the US invaded and then occupied tacked took matters into her own hands
speak out, have been targeted mainly by by investigating the issue herself.
men over what they wear.
France
In 2010, France introduced a draconian
law that banned the Muslim face veil in
public spaces. Before that, Muslim women
were forbidden from wearing a headscarf
to school in legislation passed in 2004.
The increased focus on the attire of Mus-
lim women has also resulted in increased
hate crimes.
In 2013, a 21-year-old Muslim woman was
attacked by two men in Paris due to her
veil and suffered a miscarriage. In 2015,
a 29-year-old headscarfed woman was at-
tacked and lost her unborn baby.
Far from being one-off random attacks,
the political atmosphere in France has
proved to be a useful incubator and nor-
malising anti-Muslim discourse.
In 2016, the former French minister for
women’s rights Laurence Rossignol com-
pared Muslim women who chose to wear
the headscarf to “ni***rs who were in fa-
vour of slavery”.
The comments were condemned by the
Collective Against Islamophobia for “using
the memory of slavery to again stigmatise
Muslims, including veiled women,” adding,
“we have reached a new level in terms of
institutional racism and islamophobia.”
The Collective Against Islamophobia has
found that Muslim women are, in 75 per-
cent of cases, the first victim of the at-
tacks.
More recently, Muslim women in France
have been attacked for accompanying
their children on school trips wearing the
headscarf, and there is an ongoing debate
about whether children’s mothers should
be banned from doing so.
United Kingdom
When the UK Prime Minister Boris John-
son compared veiled Muslim women to
letterboxes in 2018, research showed
there was a 375 percent increase in at-
tacks towards Muslim women.
Johnson has since refused to apologise
for his “derogatory and racist” remarks.
But the figures indicate that political rheto-
Page 8
The Friday Bulletin
AIDS From An Islamic Perspectivecommunity'
Her sweet smile was caught in the snare
of this deadly disease while she departed
peacefully from this earth. A victim of sex-
ual abuse in her childhood, Aaminah was
emotionally and physically scarred by this
experience, roaming the streets as a lost
child.
She never reached the mental maturity
of an adult and underwent treatment at
various mental health facilities through-
out her life. Her elderly parents struggled
to take care of her and she regularly left
their home, wandering the streets at night.
There, her vulnerability was heartlessly
exploited and she was forced into prostitu-
tion. Aaminah died of HIV/AIDS.
In 2005 alone, it is estimated that more
than three million people died of AIDS-
related illnesses, approximately 500,000
of these were children.
According to the UNAIDS/WHO report on
HIV/AIDS, an additional five million peo-
ple were infected with HIV in 2005, plac-
ing the number of people living with HIV at
an estimated 40.3 million. Dr. Peter Piot,
UNAIDS Executive Director, said that “the
AIDS epidemic continues to outstrip global
and national efforts to contain it.”
HIV/AIDS in the Muslim world
The joint United Nations program on HIV/
AIDS (UNAIDS) places the total HIV popu-
lation of North Africa, the Middle East and
Muslim Asia at nearly 1 million people.
According to internationally renowned
Muslim scholar, Dr. Abdullah Hakim Quick,
Muslims need to realize that HIV/AIDS is
not a non-Muslim disease and it is increas-
ingly impacting on the Muslim community.
Many Muslims view the AIDS epidemic
through the “prism of sin”, and as the con-
sequence of sinful behavior, such as drug
use or promiscuity. Yet hundreds of thou-
sands of children alone have died of AIDS-
related illnesses, indicating that HIV/AIDS
is impacting upon the lives of the innocent.
Islam on HIV/AIDS
Islam stipulates “a system of life which is
based on all good and is free from all evil”,
safeguarding the individual, the family,
and the society from social and moral ills.
Muslims are required to not only practice
virtue in their individual lives, but to enjoin
others towards righteous conduct. “Let
there arise out of you a group of people in-
viting to all that is good, enjoining the good
and forbidding the evil. And it is they who
are successful.” (Al `Imran 3:104)
It is therefore impossible for a Muslim to
discuss AIDS outside the framework of
moral and ethical behavior. With no doubt,
Islam promotes caring for those affected
by HIV/AIDS and supports efforts aimed at
finding a cure. Yet, behavior which might
contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS, such
as promiscuity and drug use, is strongly
condemned. “And come not near to unlaw-
ful sex. Verily, it is an abomination and an
evil way.” (Al-Isra’ 17:32)
Islam does not only prohibit unlawful ac-
Rabi' ul-thany 19, 1442/December 04, 2020
tions, such as premarital sex, homosexu-
ality and drug use, but also forbids ac-
tivities which will lead one towards these
actions.
Strategies to Combat HIV/AIDS
Islam’s greatest contribution to the HIV/
AIDS epidemic is prevention. The Islam-
ic position on morality, chastity and the
sanctity of marriage, needs to be shared
with the world.
HIV/AIDS awareness programs and sex
education are increasingly being intro-
duced in public schools, exposing young
people to preventative strategies aimed
at safe sex. Muslims need to provide sex
education and AIDS awareness programs
from the perspective of the Qur’an and
Sunnah to ensure that youth receive this
message within the framework of Islamic
morals and values.
Two recent studies conducted on HIV/
AIDS in Muslims countries both concluded
that awareness programs must be located
within the social and religious center of
each Muslim community-the mosque.
Muslim community leaders, religious
scholars and teachers are vital educa-
tors in combating the spread of HIV/AIDS.
Muslims need to understand the teachings
of Islam, impart it to their families and chil-
dren, and share it with their wider commu-
nity.
Families must encourage and facilitate
marriage, closing all doors that may lead
to unlawful sex and pre-marital relation-
ships. It is also necessary that prospective
couples undergo HIV/AIDS testing before
marriage. HIV/AIDS is a harsh reality and
prevention is certainly better because no
cure has yet been found!
Mercy For All
Processes of counseling must be tawbah-
based (seeking forgiveness) according to
Dr. Abdullah Hakim Quick. In this way, the
person is assisted to recognize the sin (if
one has been committed), abstain from it,
seek forgiveness, and protect him or her-
self from ever returning to it. The door of
forgiveness and mercy is open to anyone
and no one has the right to close it.
Within the sphere of caring for AIDS pa-
tients, Muslims must deal with those who
are ill with the correct etiquette. While
there are physical parameters that need
to be observed when dealing with those
affected by the disease, HIV-positive peo-
ple should not be treated as lepers. When
caring for patients who are in the final
stages of the disease, one should exhort
them (as one would all those who are dy-
ing) to renew their faith and increase their
hope in the Mercy of Allah. “Say: O my
slaves who have transgressed against
themselves! Despair not of the Mercy of
Allah: verily, Allah forgives all sins. Truly,
He is Oft-Forgiving, Most-Merciful.” (Az-
Zumar 39:53)
Efforts are already being made to imple-
ment many of these strategies in the Mus-
lim world. From Bangladesh to Senegal,
religious leaders are raising awareness
about HIV/AIDS from the pulpits and tack-
ling the subject of sex education in Muslim
schools.
Organizations providing counseling ser-
vices are being established and govern-
ments are waking up to the alarm bells
surrounding the epidemic.
There are thus several ways in which
Muslims can contribute towards the fight
against the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Amir Al-
Islam, writing on HIV/AIDS, proposed that
Muslims should:
– Deal with the person with AIDS as a fel-
low human being who is ill and treat them
with kindness and mercy;
– Reflect on the essence of Islam that
commands us to help those who are less
fortunate;
– Become advocates in support of more
health care, medicines and education;
– Support and lobby for an increase in
funds for HIV/AIDS research;
– Provide education for the Muslim com-
munity; and
– Devise strategies to care for members
of their congregation that are infected, but
may be too embarrassed to come forward.
Muslims have assumed, for a long time,
that HIV/AIDS is an issue that could not
affect them. The reality of HIV infection is
beginning to surface in the Muslim world.
In combating the spread of the disease,
UNAIDS recommends a shift “from small
projects with short-term horizons to long-
term, comprehensive strategies”. Islam of-
fers just this.
According to Abul A`la Maududi (an Islam-
ic Revivalist), “Islam signifies the entire
scheme of life and not any isolated part
or parts thereof”. Muslims must therefore
advocate and practice the entire system of
life which includes rejecting high-risk be-
havior and its root causes; having mercy
and compassion with those who are ill;
and actively supporting efforts aimed at
treating the disease.
Obama disappointed the
Muslim world
Continued From Page 7
think of how divided, hateful, and mali-
cious we are towards each another in the
Arab and Muslim worlds.
It is also paradoxical, not to say hypocriti-
cal, of us to condemn the US as an impe-
rial hegemon and plead with it to intervene
on our side, be it against an enemy or a
neighbour.
It is a cop-out to blame Obama for many of
our own failures. Why should an American
president give a hoot if we do not give a
damn?
He is a flirt, not a fool.
Page 9
The Friday Bulletin NATIONAL Rabi' ul-thany 19, 1442/December 04, 2020

Likoni floating bridge set to be opened

The Sh1.7 billion Likoni floating bridge
is expected to be opened to the public in
mid-month.
The bridge will decongest the Likoni fer-
ry crossing channel that handles about
300,000 people and 6,000 vehicles daily.
The bridge will do away with ferry sched-
uling that inconveniences those who use
the ferries to and from work every morn-
ing and evening.
“You will come at your own time and cross
at any time you want. There will be no
setting of time to pass like at the Likoni
crossing channel where at a certain time
the ferries are not available,” President
Uhuru Kenyatta said when he toured the
project last month.
The government also has plans to con-
struct bus terminus on both ends of the
bridge to allow for easy movement.
Coast regional coordinator John Elunga-
ta said the footbridge will open up parts
of Likoni constituency which have been
abandoned since the Mtongwe ferry ser-
vices were stopped following the 1994
disaster. "The footbridge will save people
time and effort," he noted.
The floating bridge will have a special
committee that will be in charge of its
management.
The committee is composed of repre-
sentatives from the Kenya Ports Author-
ity, Kenya Ferry Services, the local com-
munity, the Likoni and Mvita MPs' offices,
the National Government Administration
Office and Beach Management Units,
among others.
There will be no vehicles, cyclists, motor-
cyclists or tuk-tuks allowed. Only pedestri-
ans will be allowed to use the bridge.
However, this is subject to confirmation
by the management committee, which
will meet next week to discuss the launch
and usage of the bridge. There will be no
charges for using the bridge.
The bridge will have divers on standby
on a 24-hour basis to rescue anyone who
may fall into the water.

SWAM rolls out project to boost education in Kisumu

Sisters With A Mission (SWAM) Muslim part of the Sisters
Development group, Non-Governmental With A Mission’s ef-
Organization, has rolled out a project to fort to empower the
boost education standards in the Muslim girl child and save
community within Kisumu county. them from miss-
Speaking last week in Kisumu during the ing school during
launch of the project known as “Islam is their menses which
the Answer to everything, Chairlady Sis- she said was mak-
ter Rahma Akida said the project targets ing some girls miss
to improve education standards of Muslim school each month.
children in both Madrassas and secular “Menstrual cycle is
schools. a natural process
Rahma disclosed that the project has which should not
two components namely mentorship pro- deter girls from
grammes, distribution and provision of participating fully
Sanitary pads as part of a program to em- in their studies
power the girl child. hence we are work-
ing to ensure that
She said that absenteeism was nega-
our girls are given
tively impacting the performance of girls
equal opportunity
and therefore no effort should be spared
to attend classes
to ensure undisrupted school attendance
just like the boys”
by girls.
said the chairlady.
The chair lady said that being a woman
group comprising professionals in differ-
ent fields, they are out to inspire young
girls to believe that they can at-
tain their dreams of becoming
what they want, be it becoming
the teacher, a nurse, a pilot, an
engineer or any of their chosen
professions.
“Girls can achieve as much as
boys if they work hard and be-
lieve in themselves.” She en-
couraged the girls, to take aca-
demic and education spheres
seriously in order to achieve
success in their endeavors.
At a function held in Kisumu,
the group donated pads to over
60 girls from the area. This
was part of the 360 pieces of
pads that were donated to the
group by Hasbah Kenya Limited
through its Social Responsibility
donation drive.
Rahma commented Hasbah
Kenya Limited for the donation
and partnering with her group in
the girls empowerment initiative
saying that the program was
Page 10
The Friday Bulletin
‘Accord other deadly diseases more attention’ - Bungoma Muslims
With COVID19 still raging worldwide,
Muslim leaders in Bungoma County have
called for more concerted efforts to fight
and prevent other infectious diseases.
Speaking in Bungoma during Komesha
TB sensitization forum for Muslim leaders,
the leaders led by Bungoma County SUP-
KEM Religious leader Sheikh Abdullahi
Ambar noted that COVID-19 has drawn
the world's attention and emphasized on
the need to fight other highly infectious
diseases like tuberculosis (TB) and Ma-
laria, which are becoming extensively re-
sistant to drugs.
In his remarks, Sheikh Ambar said even
though the pandemic accelerates, govern-
ments must also protect other essential
health services stating that there have
been numerous reports of disrupted ac-
cess to services which include maternal
care, immunization, HIV/Aids, tuberculo-
sis and cancer treatment.
Sheikh Ambar pointed out two diseases
Lamu fishermen gets Mvuvi Card to boost security
In a move to combat the phenomenon of
the plundering of all types of marine spe-
cies in the Indian Ocean and especially
mangroves, the government is this month
set to roll out Mvuvi Card Initiative that will
assist the state improve security across its
territorial waters.
At least 5,000 Lamu based fishermen will
be able to gain access to the Mvuvi card
through Huduma Centre based in Lamu
Island.
The Mvuvi card will contains all the infor-
mation of an individual, including the ID
number, BMU registration number and a
special serial code.
The card is an initiative that has been fa-
cilitated by community based organiza-
tions, Kiunga Youth Bunge, Search for
Common Grounds, the ICT Authority and
the national county security apparatus
and will entail data management of each
fisherman.
Speaking on Tuesday during a stakehold-
er’s forum in Amu Island on the launch of
the Mvuvi Card programme, Lamu County
Commissioner Irungu Macharia stated
AYAH OF THE WEEK
O you who have believed,
when [the adhān] is called
for the prayer on the day of
Jumuʿah [Friday], then pro-
ceed to the remembrance
of Allah and leave trade.
That is better for you, if you
only knew.
(Quran 62:9)
NATIONAL Rabi' ul-thany 19, 1442/December 04, 2020
Tuberculosis and cancer have remained
the most killer diseases and that there is
need to increase community knowledge
and awareness on the importance to be
conscious of their health and ensure good
health and well-being.
“Despite everybody talking about Cov-
id-19, the biggest cause of deaths in our
population is still Tuberculosis, Cancer
and malaria,” he pointed out.
Sheikh Ambar warned of looming danger
if the focus is only attached to Covid-19,
stressing that the County Muslim leader-
ship is committed towards working with
different partners for the benefit of the lo-
cal residents.
“A lot of attention has been skewed to-
wards Covid-19 whereas other services
have been forgotten. It means that by the
time we shall come back to the track all
the efforts that we had gained towards
management of some of these key condi-
that the process despite being grounded
on ensuring security across the county’s
ocean waters is owned by the fishermen.
He stated that the Mvuvi Card initiative
will aid fishermen operate without preju-
dice through the county’s waters without
fear of harassment. “Fishermen in Lamu
have long suffered due to restrictions with
the ban on night fishing put in place by the
national government in the wake of height-
ened insecurity in the county, following the
Mpeketoni attack in 2014 as well as the
abduction of a French national in Kiwayu
by suspected Al-Shabaab pirates,” Mach-
aria said.
He observed that the success of the Mvuvi
card initiative will signal its rollout in Kilifi,
Kwale and Mombasa once it is fully imple-
mented among fishermen in Lamu.
The County commissioner also noted that
security agencies have been keen on the
launch and disbursement of the Mvuvi
cards with an aim of ensuring that the
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tions which are known globally will have
gone to waste” he observed.
Sheikh Ambar while addressing the work-
shop that brought together over 50 Imams
and women leaders reiterated the need for
religious leaders to use their positions and
influences to fight and reduce the stigma
and discrimination directed toward TB pa-
tients.
He however raised concerns over tenden-
cy by some residents to ignore precau-
tionary health measures meant to contain
Tuberculosis and malaria, that has con-
tributed to loss of lives adding that the pre-
vailing health concerns and threats of the
two diseases required one to be vigilant.
The TB sensitization project is also be-
ing conducted in other counties including
Bungoma, Homabay, Kakamega, Kisumu,
Migori, Siaya and Vihiga.
county’s water are safe for fishermen to
ply.
Adam Lali, Kiwayu Beach Management
Unit member and fisherman and a boat
owner however, urged the national gov-
ernment to exercise caution with the reg-
istration process due to the frequency of
fishermen to change boats from time to
time while at sea. “We need to appreciate
that the launch of the Mvuvi card is aimed
at addressing new realities such as the
need to address terrorism, but the fisher-
men are also afraid over losing their ter-
ritorial fishing grounds or being harassed
if they get caught out in Somali waters,”
he observed.
The Lamu County Police Commander
Moses Muriithi said that the Mvuvi card
initiative will improve relations between
security agents and fishermen.
Page 11
 Caring for the Disabled
An individual is determined to be under the classification of dis-
ability if his/her physical or mental impairment or impairments are
of such severity that he/she is not only unable to do his previous
work but cannot, considering his age, education, and work experi-
ence, engage in any other kind of substantial gainful work which
exists in the national economy, regardless of whether such work
exists in the immediate area in which he lives, or whether a specific
job vacancy exists for him, or whether he would be hired if he ap-
plied for work. Many cases derive from complexities that developed
at the time of birth or before.
Disability both physical and mental comes in various forms and
kinds. We have disabilities that go up to the extent of autism, al-
binism, sight impairment and spinal paralysis. Ummah Foundation
has diversified in its dealing with the various categories as we offer
the required disability aids that range from wheel chairs, tri-cycles,
blind canes, crutches, sun glasses and screens. These are equip-
ments that the disabled community need in very high demand. The
Foundation has closely been involved in the field and experience
has taught us the existing categories and their needs. We have
also learnt that provision of these equipments to our physically or
mentally challenged gives relief and hope for those who can’t af-
ford. More especially in the poor rural setups where ignorance
dominate, many are relegated and left to struggle without receiving
the necessary support. A sad story was in the social media of a
young girl in a village who scrolls for many miles on her four limbs
to get to the source of water. The situation has become so dire that
she is escorted by dogs and wild animals who wish her dead in
order to get a meal they hanker for.
These are the ordeals our mentally and physically disadvantaged
people go through daily. The mentally deranged are condemned
to life of loitering or kept in chains in a secluded area within the
homestead. Food is normally served to them in the same manner
we serve the dogs and utensils used normally go months on end
without being attended to. Ummah Foundation in collaboration
with Al- Momin Foundation and Health Care Distribution Limited,
this week donated wheel chairs to disabled individuals in Lodwar.
The distribution covered areas of Lodwar and its environs. These
remote areas of Turkana County are often forgotten and no one
thinks of disabled people in these peripheral zones. Many people
living with disabilities for the first time in their lives were accorded
a chance of having owning wheel chairs. In fact one of the most
touching testimonies from the beneficiaries revealed that most of
them were seeing wheel chairs for the first time and that shows
how the situation can be so dire to that extent.
We would like to make our appeal to all and let us understand
that as human beings we are obligated to give as much help and
support to this forgotten and marginalised group of our society.
In the rural areas people go blind merely because the cataracts
they have could not be removed and cured in proper time. Those
with physical disabilities should not be condemned to a life of
negligence. Ummah Foundation has started and we want other
organisations and individual well-wishers to emulate and give
their maximum support.
We would therefore call upon all well wishers to team up with us
in making a lasting impact in the lives of our sisters and brothers.
Contact us:
Ummah Foundation
Village Plaza, Ngara Rd, Nairobi
P.O. Box 58717- 00200
Tel;+254-202680610/13, 0734845277,
Email: info@ummahfoundation.net
Web: www.ummahfoundation.net

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Qualifications and Skills Desired
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• MUST have previously held a supervisory role.
• At least 3 years’ experience at a medium to large
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How To Apply
If you are up to the challenge, possess the necessary
qualification and experience, please send your CV only
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info@Almuhaseeb.com by Wednesday 9th December

2020.
The Friday Bulletin is a Publication of Jamia Masjid Committee, P. O. Box 100786-00101 Nairobi, Tel: 2243504/5 Fax: 342147
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