Chew Miraa at your own Peril.

It is called by various names; Miraa, Khat, Chat and Catha edulis (Scientific name). In South Africa it is known as the Bushman tea. However, Most of us know it by the name Miraa or kat. I am sure we all know it. Some of us may have chewed it. I have not chewed it personally although at one time I almost did just to see how “high” people feel. I am told it is a feeling that you can only know by experiencing it. That’s how it starts for everyone. You just want to “see”. It was 2010 while on a field visit to a town in Northern Kenya. Our host had a Miraa farm and the stuff was readily available. The locals offered us fresh sticks even when we met on the roads. One day we plucked a full paper bag and went sight-seeing on the mountains. We were two Kenyans and two British nationals. Just like me my British colleagues had no prior experience with chewing miraa. They were eager for the initiation. I could not take more than one stick while my friends “enjoyed” it. They kept telling me how they felt. Up to now I can’t tell you how it feels. That is not my point.

This is why many Kenyan Somalis feel “not yet Kenyan”

A week ago Aljazeera aired a documentary by Mohammed Adow on the atrocities and systematic discrimination the government has meted on Kenyan Somalis since independence. It was very personal for him. He not only witnessed the atrocities as an ethnic Somali but his family and neighbors were victims. The shoe wearer knows where it pinches most and sometimes he could not help but break down in tears. I thank him for taking that bold step to tell the untold story.

The history of Northern Kenya is written in blood but no one has taken the effort to write it for posterity. It is meant to be forgotten. All the dailies are running chronicles dubbed “Kenya @50” in commemoration of Kenya’s jubilee year but that painful history is mentioned only in the footnotes. The only written account I have ever read about these crimes is “Blood on the runway” which documents the Wagalla massacre. However, I had the opportunity to hear firsthand accounts of the shifta war and it’s never ending aftermath while working with a British Institute on a project to document the History of Somalis in the Northern Frontier districts. The accounts were horrid to say the least. 

Uhuru backs Palestine request for Kenya embassy

Kenya supports Palestinian push for independence and is considering its request for land to build an embassy in Nairobi.

President Uhuru Kenyatta welcomed the proposal for an embassy when he met Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas at the Bayan Palace in Kuwait city Wednesday.

He also said the government would continue to support the Palestinian cause for an independent State.

TIED TO THE CHAINS OF WESTERNIZATION

By Mohamed Omar
Before I say anything I must express my gratitude to my brother Badrudeen Shareef who was generous to afford me some space on his blog to express my opinion. Were it not by God’s grace and then him, probably you wouldn’t be reading this. It’s also worth noting that this is my first piece on this blog.

After this brief introduction let me turn you to what I want to say. As Africans, We seem to be tied to some Western strings. Almost everything in our lives is dictated by the ways of the West. We seem to be taking their life as the marking scheme for our own; like parrots we imitate everything without understanding. Some  of us are now becoming effective tools with which African culture is being supplanted.We are forsaking what is African in the pursuit of `modernism’. This same modernism could be taking us back to the period of ignorance, if studied critically.

WE SHOULD NOT ALLOW TO BE DEFINED BY OUR BLACK SHEEP

The westgate mall attack has left all of us in shock and grief. The senseless loss of life cannot be condoned for whatever reasons. Muslims and Somalis as citizens of this country joined their fellow Kenyans in condemning the attack in the strongest terms possible. Muslim leaders held a press conference denouncing the attack as having nothing to do with Islam as claimed by the perpetrators. No Muslim or Somali has come out to support the attack. But still there is a sense of collective guilt among the Kenyan Muslims and especially ethnic Somalis. I read an article on Aljazeera where those interviewed said they don't know what the coming days portend for them. They fear attacks by fellow Kenyans and the security apparatus. This is understandable given the knee-jerk reaction by the security agents whenever a terror or a security breach occurs. The first reaction of the government is always to profile those who share faith or ethnicity with suspected criminals. Kenyans are peace loving and level headed people who love one another but like every other society there are a few bigots. I listened to one who was saying in the Morning all Somalis should go back to where they came from. I wondered where did I come from? He was immediately reprimanded by his colleagues. They told the BBC reporter that he does not represent the majority view. That is the spirit.
I am a Muslim and I am a Somali. I cannot change that and I don't want to. I am not apologetic for who I am but again I don't want to play the victim all the time. I want to define myself. Fellow Muslims and Somalis I want to address you at this point;

Alshabaab hands are dripping with Muslim blood; they do not represent Islam and Muslims

It is no doubt last night dark fall was preceded by a dark day after dozens were brutally killed at the Westgate mall. Kenyans ushered in the night with grief and fear. I slept while the situation was still fluid. Hostages were still in the mall with the blood thirsty killers. Security forces cordoned the area in a tense face off with the attackers. I woke up twice from my sleep to check my timeline on twitter and facebook to see if the situation is under control. I feared for those not safe yet. I feared the killers may blow up the mall with those trapped inside if they are cornered. Earlier images of children, women and innocent shoppers lying in a pool of blood or scampering for safety kept whirling and tormenting my mind.

As Kenyans, this brazen and barbaric attack is an attack on all of us. But as a Muslim, I have been attacked from two fronts; I have been attacked as a Kenyan and I have been attacked as a Muslim. Alshabab have claimed responsibility for the heinous crime and they are claiming to have done it in the name of my religion. Some people believe them because they have a little understanding of Islam. This pains me more than if those fanatics who attacked the mall drove a nail in my head and mutilated my body like they have done to so many Muslims in Somalia. It pains me to see Islam and Muslims being made to carry the responsibility of crimes that they have suffered for more than anybody else. THE RECORD MUST BE SET STRAIGHT.

VAT BILL: TAXING THE POOR TO FEED THE RICH

I have a new found fond for black coffee and tea. Just before the VAT bill came in to operation, I told the office tea lady to be serving me black coffee or tea. Don’t get me wrong, I had no knowledge that the milk prices would soar as a result of the VAT levied on essential commodities. However, the pertinent question that lingers on many minds is the effect the VAT bill will have on the common Mwananchi. The effects have already been felt far and wide in just the first week.

Levying VAT on essential commodities is never a good idea. It has various repercussions both for the micro and macro economics of any country. The chain reaction created by increased food prices moves up and affects every other facet of human existence. In any case without food we would all die. So food is the base here. You should not be surprised when your route matatu charges above normal rates or your shoe shiner tells you to pay more because “bei ya maziwa imepanda”. Don’t ask whether the damn car runs on milk and don’t look at the shoes to confirm that he has not applied milk cream on the shoes. Their reasoning is simple; they have bills to pay and milk is one of them. They have to earn more to continue paying for their needs.

Egypt: Lessons learnt

No doubt Egypt is going through a tumultuous time. The military deposed a president who was elected by the majority in his first year in office. The callous manner of his removal angered his supporters who staged peaceful demonstrations for weeks demanding his restoration. The military used brutal force to disperse the protestors and thousands were killed and maimed. The country is now on the brink of a civil war and the carnage is still ongoing. For those of us watching from far, there are countless lessons in the events in Egypt;

Who is responsible for this division?

Eid Mubarak to you all. Muslims country wide observed Eid on Thursaday and others on Friday. Lack of consensus on the sighting of the moon has plagued Kenyan Muslims for many years. Yesterday an Egyptian imam in one of Nairobi mosques delivered a powerful jum' a sermon titled "ـ من يتحمل مسئو لية هذ ا لخلا ف" meaning who will be responsible for this division? He said he has never seen anything like this in his entire life where even in the same family people celebrate Eid at different times. The husband may be fasting while the wife is celebrating Eid or vice versa. The issue has been taken so lightly but the matter is a serious one and need not be swept under the carpet. If Thursday was the actual Eid, those who fasted on that day have committed a sin because fasting on Eid day is haram and if Eid was on Friday then those who celebrated it on Thursday have been eating on a fasting day which is a major sin. So th question that begs an answer is who will be responsible for these sins. Is it that we dont have leaders who can guide the people towards the same goal and purpose? how can the scholars and our leaders be comfortable while disunity among the muslims is the norm rather than the exception? are they united themselves? who really represents muslims in this country? Islam has greatly emphasized on unity. Unity is mercy while division is hell. In our case I think everyone is to blame for this mess but the leaders, the chief kadhi and imams who announce to us carry the greatest responsibility.

Mo Farah pleads with Barclays not to end remittances to Somalia

Mo Farah, who returns to the Olympic stadium on Saturday, urged a year’s stay of execution for remittances. Photograph: Harry Engels/Getty Images

Double Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah has thrown his fame and weight behind a campaign to stop Barclays Bank withdrawing from Britain's £2bn remittance market, a decision campaigners say will have catastrophic repercussions for some of the world's poorest countries, including his native Somalia.
The runner has sent a direct appeal to the Barclays board pleading with them to step back from its plan to withdraw banking facilities after 12 August from about 250 remittances services sending money transfers to countries in Africa and Asia. Barclays is the last of the major banks dealing with a significant number of the smaller remittance firms but fears its continued involvement could it leave it open to accusations of aiding terrorists and money laundering. Last year, the US authorities imposed a $1.9bn fine on HSBC for poor money laundering controls, prompting that bank to run down its activities in the money-service sector.

Story of a sand dollar, a boy and a grandfather

Here is a very interesting story would like to share with you:

Story goes as a young boy and his grandfather walking down the beach. A big storm had come in the day before and there were hundreds and hundreds of sand-dollars washed up and starting to die in the sun.
As they walked, the grandfather would stop from time to time, reach down, pick up a sand dollar and throw it into the ocean. Finally, the little boy asked, "Grandfather, why are you throwing them back in?" and his grandfather replied, "So that they will live."

How is 786 equal to Bismillah Rahmani Rahim? Find out

Many of us have used 786 to denote the basmallah but do we know how they number is related to it? I remember in my primary school days we always used to write 786 on top of the exam answer sheets to seek blessings and start the exam with Bismillah which is what we are supposed to do when doing something good. I have been intrigued by how the 786 came to equal bismillah. I just found out and thought may be someone else did not know like me. Here is how.
the Arabic letters were divided following a certain numerical values given to each of the consonants. i am sure you must have come across the following words which have no meaning themselves before you started the Quran proper.

:
	أبجد/ هوز/ حطي/ كلمن /سعفص/ قرشت/ ثخذ/ ضظغ

YOUR RAMADHAN SCORECARD

وقال عمر بن الخطاب رضي الله عنه: (حاسبوا أنفسكم قبل أن تحاسبوا، وزنوها قبل أن توزنوا، فإن أهون عليكم في الحساب غداً أن 
 تحاسبوا أنفسكم اليوم، وتزينوا للعرض الأكبر، يومئذ تعرضون لا تخفى منكم خافية
Have you ever sat down and accounted for your deeds; bad or good? May be not but that is what we are exactly supposed to do. Accounting for our deeds will enable us take stock of how well or bad we are doing, it will enable us correct our way and put an end to our bad deeds.It will also enable us to put more emphasis on our good deeds. 
Ramadan started a few days ago and we are now almost midway. I would like you to sit down today and look at your scorecard. Are you achieving what you set out to achieve at the beginning of Ramadan? how far off have you drifted or how far well are you doing?
There is no measure of how much Ibadah we should be doing in this month but I want us to take some minimum measure to evaluate ourselves. The measure is as follows;

Mr President, your guests already had too much on their plates

Dear President,

Last night you hosted a section of muslim leaders for Iftar at state house. This was in the fooststeps of your predecessors' tradition. You espoused to have organised the event in the spirit of Ramdhan and in solidarity with the Muslims. Granted, that was a kind gesture from you . However, I have a number of issues to pick with the whole event.
For your information, Ramdhan is the month of the poor. The faces I saw sitted on the table were the who is who and the cronies of your regime and past regimes. They were people who have taken too much from the poor Muslims. The event would have achieved its desired goal had you invited and hosted a cross sectional of the common poor muslims and the youth. I know those are people you dont want them littering the well maintained lawns of the state house but If that cannot be fathomed, you could as well host them in one of the hotels and the hotel owner would clean after their mess. Had you done that, I would have saluted you more but now you just called your friends for a get together. That is still plausible because you value friends.
Second, The Muslim community has so many problems to be solved by a plate of dinner at state house. The guys you called would not tell you the truth except sing your praises of "mtukufu raise tunakushukuru " Insecurity, lack of basic infrastructure, basic rights violations, poor quality of education, historical injustices, discrimination, blatant abuse and brutality by the enemy as well as the security forces has made many of the people resign to their fate. They question whether they belong here.

you have a blessed guest!

What do you do when you have a very important guest coming your way. I am certain you prepare well to feed and to show your best side to the guest. Some households actually have two sets of household items, the best being reserved for visiting guests.
Believe it or not a very important guest is visiting you from Wednesday;
A guest who comes only for a month in a year.
A guest whose first 3rd is Mercy, second 3rd is forgiveness and the last 3rd is saving from the hellfire.
A guest who will enable you retrain your restless soul,
A guest that will shield you from all bad deeds,

Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys flown to Mogadishu 'after split'

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys was seen boarding a plane in Adado with Somali government soldiers

A top Islamist in Somalia, Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, has arrived in the capital Mogadishu amid reports of a split in the al-Shabab group.

He was flown from the northern town of Adado, escorted by government security forces, but it is unclear whether he has surrendered or defected.

The United Nations says he gave himself up to government allies after infighting but clan elders deny this.

Mr Aweys is considered a terrorist by the UN and the United States.

Secret dossier reveals varsity fired vice-chancellor for hiring Muslim

A former vice-chancellor of Presbyterian University of East Africa Kihumbu Thairu was accused of hiring a Muslim woman ‘against ethics of the church’, days before he was sacked.
A report commissioned by the institution’s Board of Trustees lists the hiring of a Muslim, among a host of other ‘negligent acts’ as reasons for Thairu’s sacking.
This is despite the fact that the university has been admitting Muslim students. Monday, the university denied that it discriminated. The report is likely to raise a storm on why a university would train students it cannot hire.  After firing the team led by Prof Thairu, the university council picked some of its members to do a report that would justify why more than 30 senior members of management team had to be fired.

Duale calls for Islam unit in Garissa county

The National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale yesterday called for the setting up of a ministry in charge of Islamic affairs under the Garissa county governor.

Duale said spiritual affairs were vital at the county level and urged religious leaders to push for the appointment of an executive committee to take charge of the docket.

Speaking during the graduation ceremony of Salam Madarassa in Garissa town, the Garissa Town MP said even if it costs one of the appointed executives to be removed for the creation of the ministry, "the docked must be created."

Science behind Sajdah.

Sajdah is a unique position as this is the only position in which brain (or head) becomes lower than the heart and hence for the first time the blood gushes towards the brain with full force whereas in all other positions (even when lying) brain is above the heart when it has to work against gravity to send blood to the brain.

In the position of Sajdah due to the increased blood supply the brain receive more nourishment and it has good effect upon memory, vision, hearing, concentration, psyche and all other cognitive abilities. People who offer their prayers regularly have more will power and can cope with the difficulties of life in a much better manner. They have less incidence of headaches, psychological problems and other defects of cognitive function.

Somalia demands action over brutal killing

Somalia's president says he "wants answers" from South Africa after the brutal murder of a Somali man in Port Elizabeth, Al Jazeera has learned.
The Somali man, 25-year-old Abdi Nasir Mahmoud Good, was stoned to death on May 30 by a mob. The violence was captured on a mobile phone and shared on the internet.
Sheik Mohammed, Somalia's president, called on his South African counterpart Jacob Zuma to "act immediately" to arrest those responsible.
Kamal Gutale, chief of staff in the Somali presidency, told Al Jazeera on Monday: "The president has asked Mr Zuma and his foreign minister to look into the matter and investigate the brutal killing and violence."

Somali shopkeeper stoned to death in South Africa

Cellphone footage of a Somali man being stoned to death, showed that a school boy may have struck the killer blow. An anonymous bystander in Booysens Park filmed the savage attack on Somali shopkeeper Ahmed Abdi. Abdi was chased down by local residents who have been attacking Somalis and looting their shops since Wednesday. The footage shows Abdi lying naked on the road and appearing to have already suffered a beating. A man in a light-blue shirt picks up a cement block and throws it on Abdi while a crowd cheers in the background. From the side a boy in school uniform -- probably between the ages of 10 and 12 -- runs and jumps on Abdi. Another boy -- presumed older than the first boy -- hurls a rock at Abdi's genitals. The two then stamp on the weak man who tries in vain to protect his head, which is kicked at least 20 times.

When you were born they rejoiced while you cried, be the one to rejoice when they cry over your death.

Life is short. That is not disputed by anyone but how we make use of our short presence in this world is what matters. Do we spend the short time making fun as we're told "make fun coz life is short" or will we spend the short time fulfilling our true purpose in life. and what is our true purpose in life? Allah says "'I have not created men and jinn except to worship Me". Allah also tells us in another verse "Did you think that We had created you in play (without any purpose), and that you would not be brought back to Us" All other activities are geared towards achieving this one life purpose.  create wealth so that you can give it away in charity, study and become a scholar so that you can teach others and spread knowledge of deen, marry and raise a family so that you can bring up a pious family that will be useful to the ummah. 

Tension as climate of hate festers in Eastleigh Estate, Nairobi

The climate of hate festering in Nairobi’s Eastleigh Estate is clear from one woman’s account of an alleged gang rape at the hands of three city police officers.

The 34-year-old mother of four (name withheld) claims she was singled out over her ethnicity and refugee status and attacked shortly after the November 18 grenade attack on a Kariobangi-bound Route 28 matatu. Her story, true or not, illustrates the difficult relationship Somalis have with the Kenya police.

“I was walking home on Fourth Street (one evening) when three regular police officers — one woman and two men — stopped me,” the woman says. “I showed them my refugee documents and they just attacked me.”

The day I bribed a police officer with a packet of Milk

Last night and on the eve of Madaraka day at 10 pm I was flagged down by a traffic officer on Ngong road. I anticipated the worst since I had made a U-turn. I stopped with my heart pounding with trepidation. The thought of how heavy the penalty for traffic offenses has become flashed through my mind. He came towards me with a flash torch. I lowered the window and he asked "Mkubwa unaenda nyumbani?' I answred in the affirmative. He continued "Unaona hapo umefanya makosa?" I told him "Yes, afande' Without beating about the bush he told me "si ununue soda basi uzidi kuenda nyumbani". without thinking properly, I removed a packet of milk shake I had bought earlier  from the Uchumi Hyper supermarket and told him "niko na hii maziwa afande". He laughed because he knew I had taken the "soda" quite literally. He then asked me, "na wewe je?' . I told him "niko sawa afande". he pocketed the milk and waved me to proceed with my journey. I thanked him because he was a very kind officer.

NSSF has invested your money in Haram

Since I started employment I have been contributing 200 shillings per month to the National Social and Security Fund. You must have been as well if you are gainfully employed since its statutory but have you ever wondered where your money goes as you wait to retire. The money which amounts to billions is invested in various companies so as to earn returns and increase the fund. Investing the funds is fine but it has now come to the light that some of the investments in which the funds are put in are non- halal. Through an investigation carried out by Radio Salaam, it has been found that NSSF  has invested 10 billions in The East African Breweries Limited, the largest liquor maker in the country. Islam does not allow investment in any haram business. The returns from theses investments will be paid to the contributors upon the attainment of retirement age. The amounts are small but we may be aiding in the flourishing of haram businesses. The NSSF also owns 48% of National Bank which is an interest based institution.
I hope the relevant Muslim leaders will pick up the issue and resolve with the authorities concerned.

The Woolwhich attack, we may have been fooled

from time immemorial certain acts have been staged managed to achieve a certain desired goal. The biggest culprits in such acts are governments and their agents and their biggest accomplice is the media. If you are the type that swallows the bait and the hook of whatever is happening in the world as reported by the media, I can for sure tell you, you believe in so many lies.
Unlike before when we had the mainstream media as the only source of news, these days we are lucky to get all the news before they are even breaking news on the CNN, BBC and Aljazeeras of this world.

We are monolith

I recently read an article in the Guardian newspaper by one Hamdani where he tries to negate the notion of Muslims as one. He decries how the world treats all Muslims as one by coining such words as "The Muslim world". He tells his readers that Muslims are as diverse as any other society and should not be treated as one homogenous population. They should not be assumed to have similar behavior or believe in the same thing. Granted, he had his points on how the media associates ills committed by one Muslim to all Muslims. it has been and will continue being the global media agenda to portray a bad image of Islam. However, there is no point in being apologetic about Muslims being one Ummah. Or at least we are meant to be one Ummah. The prophet (SAW) said "a believer to another believer is like a building whose different parts enforce each other". In another Hadith the prophet tells us that Muslims are like one body such that if one part is ill the rest of the body will feel the same pain and fever.

A great Hijab Poem

WHO I AM

What do you see
when you look at me
Do you see someone limited,
or someone free

All some people can do is just look and stare
Simply because they can't see my hair

Others think I am controlled and uneducated
They think that I am limited and un-liberated

They are so thankful that they are not me
Because they would like to remain 'free'

Sin at will but only if you can fulfill these five conditions

First Condition: Sin where Allah will not be able to see you.

Second Condition:If you want to transgress, then do not do so on His land.

Third Condition: If you want to transgress, then do not eat from His sustenance

Fourth Condition: If you are strong enough to out power the angels who will drag you to the hell fire 

Fifth Condition: If you can hire a lawyer who will deny your bad deeds when your book of deeds is opened and win you a place in paradise.

Impossible, right? do the right thing. Obey Allah.

 

 

 

 

شبابك قبل هرمك

From

To

You have heard many times that the future is in the youth. Youth is that stage in life where you build the foundation for the kind of life you will lead for the rest of your life. Its in our youth that we build careers, we build friendships and determine the course of our lives. If you waste it, it is a kin to wasting your entire life. The prophet (SAW) said "Take advantage of five matters before five other matters: your youth, before you become old; and your health, before you fall sick; and your richness, before you become poor; and your free time before you become busy; and your life, before your death".

Rewards, Benefits and Virtues of Quran and its Recitation

Reciting the Quran has many spritual, physical and psychological benefits. The benefits include;

-Healing Power of The Quran

-Dispelling worries and regret 

 -Quran as intercessor in the day of judgment

For more visit

http://www.iqrasense.com/quran/rewards-benefits-and-virtues-of-quran-and-its-recitation.htm 

 

Ali (R.A.) mathematical brilliance

Mathematics is one of the hardest subjects unless you are one of the few people like Ali (RA), the fourth Khalif. Ali (R.A) was endowed with a sharp mind. He solved in a matter of seconds mathematical problem that had defeated the people of his time. I am not sure if we can answer it before reading how he solved it. Try it and lets see if you managed in the comments section.

A person was about to die, and before dying he wrote his Will which went as follows:

"I have 17 Camels, and I have three sons. Divide my Camels in such a way that my eldest son gets half of them, the second one gets 1/3rd of the total and my youngest son gets 1/9th of the total number of Camels." (Try solving it before reading further)

Apologies not accepted

The TJRC recommended that majority of those mentioned in their report to publicly apologize. Apparently the apologies will cleansed them of their sins. I have never seen such options given to the village chicken thieves who are usually given sever punishment. Some are jailed for over 10 years for stealing a neighbor's chicken. The apologies may not raise someone murdered by those mentioned from the grave but it beats logic to tell someone who stole public land to apologies while he is still living in the ranch that he or she stole. blundered public and private properties should revert to their rightful owners before anyone is forgiven.

" of Muslim appearance"

http://stream.aljazeera.com/story/201305232035-0022776

TRUTH, JUSTICE AND RECONCILIATION, THE KENYAN WAY

It is not a secret. Many atrocities and grave human right violations have been committed against many defenseless Kenyans. Some violations attracted world attention and were observed at the United Nation's General Assembly with a minute of silence. Ancestral lands were taken by a few individuals rendering many landless, armed forces who were meant to defend the country were used against the country's civilians, public properties were looted with abandon and Kenyans were set against one another in the name of politics. The bitterness resulting from these injustices become a time bomb that exploded in 2007/2008 after a disputed election results. After the post election violence it become imperative to reconcile the country for it to hold together. A truth, justice and reconciliation commission was formed headed by one ambassador Kiplagat.

Do we really pray?

To know how well you have prayed and whether your prayers have been accepted or not, you have to weigh yourself against the following ayah (Verse) " and keep up the prayers,Verily the prayers restrain one from immorality and wrongdoing ..". It is clear from this verse that whoever performs his/her prayers in the prescribed manner will not be quick to disobey Allah. Prayers will guide someone towards good deeds and prevent against prohibited actions.  This begs the question do we really pray? do we just perform prayers like any other routine and thus fail to attain its enormous spiritual benefits? How many times do you see someone leaving the mosque after prayers and immediately embarking on a prohibited action just in front of the mosque. Actually we do many prohibited actions inside mosques these days.

Why the collective punishment of the Amboseli Somali ranchers.

The headlines scream at you ,"Somalis ejected from Amboseli". KTN actually captured the news item through a sensational caption "The Somali agony". The story was a bout a group of 6 ranchers near Amboseli national park who were given a vacate notice by the KWS. They were told to go back to Garissa and Mandera. Apart from the misrepresenting headlines, the government's intention and the manner in which its handling the matter raises serious questions.

Factors contributing to the growth of Islamic finance in Kenya

If they do not charge interest, how do they make profit? This is the question that lingers in the minds of most people who are accustomed to the traditional banking system when they hear about the Islamic banking model. The fact that such question is common attests to the novelty of the system in Kenya.

However, since the introduction of the system in the country, the growth of Sharia compliant products has been phenomenal. Islamic banking was widely practiced in the Middle East, Asia and parts of Europe such as the United Kingdom for the past 50 years. In Kenya, the first fully fledged Islamic banks were launched in 2008 even though a number of conventional banks were offering Islamic banking windows since 2005. The first to offer financial products compliant with the Islamic law was Barclays bank of Kenya, perhaps taking the cue from its parent in the United Kingdom where Islamic banking practice was already gaining acceptance. Barclays launched the La Riba account and was closely followed by KCB with Amana account. Today about 5 banks still offer Sharia compliant products along their mainstream banking systems.

Why I support the MPs Salary demands, tongue in cheek

Foremost you need to understand that the rich are an exploited lot. Everything they consume is expensive. While I have the option of spending about kshs 100 for a sumptuous lunch at a certain joint they will spend 10,000 for a similar meal in one of the five star hotels. Besides they have about 10 armed body guards with them who also need to eat. You may say the difference is the hotel but I can tell you the end product that goes to the loo is the same. Isn’t that exploitation? If not they should have been excreting more appealing stuff. They don’t have the option of spending 100 for lunch like me kwa mama Njeri.

ISLAMIC BANKING: PRINCIPLES AND PRODUCTS.

Islamic banking is simply a system of banking that is consistent with the tenets of Islamic law ( Sharia).Islam prohibits the charging or payment of interest and this forms the basis of distinction between Islamic finance and banking on one hand and the conventional banking on the other.

Islamic banking practice is a new phenomenon in the Kenyan market. Although it was widely practiced in the Middle East and some European countries especially The United Kingdom, legislation made it impossible in Kenya. Consequently many Muslims as a matter of faith avoided banks and thus remained unbanked. It was not until a few years ago that major banks such as Barclays and KCB sought to tap into this market and introduced sharia-compliant products and services within their mainstream banking. Barclays bank was the first bank to venture into this territory, probably taking the cue from its parent in the UK where Islamic banks and products were already in existence.

Dear Somalia

As I type this, ana ana Somali wa aftakhir (I am Somali and I am proud to be) song by one of your proud sons Abdirashid Muhyidin is blaring in my ears. Listening to it, I feel all hope is not lost. But 22 years is too long. Children born after your fall have their own children and that is two generations who know nothing about you. We no longer know who is fighting who and for what reason. The protagonists in your conflict change names and characters but the script is the same. foreign Armies are sent on expeditions to train on your soil not with dummy targets but with your sons and daughters as human targets. The world has grown weary of your tribulations. Not that they cared in the first place but even the occasional public relation conferences are no more.

A woman's position in Islam is axalted.

You must have heard countless times and from all media sources how the Muslim women are an oppressed lot. You may have believed or may be not but I am sure you sometimes get your own doubts. A lie repeated often enough becomes the truth. The place of women in Islam is greatly misunderstood. The misconception is fuelled by two reasons; IGNORANCE and failure to distinguish between the teachings of Islam and the practice of some few adherents of the faith. Today I shared with some friends the lofty position of a Muslim woman and they could not believe. Women in the west are converting to Islam in their droves after realizing the many rights and privileges women are entitled to in Islam. It is only in Islam that a woman is under the care of a male in all stages of her life. As a daughter she is under her father, as a wife she is under her husband and as a mother she is under her sons. This care is not as a result of love but is a legal one and inalienable right. She cannot be denied under any conditions. Let me enumerate some of the rights she has and explain why the misconceptions hold no water.