Act Now to Avert Mass Starvation

The FridayThe Bulletin Weekly Muslim News Update Shaban 21 1432/July 22 2011 Issue No. 429 Act now to avert mass starvation Muslims have been urged to step up more efforts to assist the victims of the drought which is In his sermon at Jamia Mosque, threatening the lives of millions of people across the country. Nairobi last week, he spoke of These remarks came from Abdullatif Essajee a member of the Jamia Mosque Committee who said that the agony and desperation fac- there was an urgent need to increase relief aid as the situation in North Eastern province and other ing thousands of people who affected areas was deteriorating. are on the throes of starvation due to lack of water and food caused by the drought. “We need to step in and avert the human disaster which is being experienced in the county and some of our neighbouring states. Thousand of livestock the main economic lifeline for the drought victims have perished and many people are on the verge of losing their lives,” he said. “If we don’t act now, the souls of human being will perish,” Ab- dullatif who is also the execu- tive director of First Community Bank added. He sent out a call for assistance saying that Muslims are under obligation to help those in need. “We cannot afford to sit in our homes while people are dying. As Muslims we have to show and care for the weak, the need and the poor. Allah has made it part of the in- nate feeling of a human being Salim Ibrahim (left) the Jamia Mosque Administrator receiving a consignment of Islamic literature to care for others,” he told the from Sheikh Waleed El Saad the leader of the first overland aid convoy from South Africa to Gaza congregation which had gath- during the stopover in Nairobi last week. Looking on is Nominated MP Sheikh Muhammad and ered for the Friday prayers. Shuaib Vayani from the Cutchi Muslim Society While he acknowledged that some assistance was being Mosque could fall to auctioneer hammer Continued To Page 7 The Karatina Jamia Mosque in Nyeri county could go to the highest bidder if the local council lives up to its threat. This Week The Municipal Council of Karatina is demanding more than Sh2 million in land rates and has threatened to repossess the National News P2 15-year-old mosque if the amount is not paid. “This is the final demand notice to you to pay the above men- Da'wa 30 steps to Prepare for Ramadhan P3 tioned rates within a grace period of one month failure to which the council will reposes all undeveloped plots which have ar- Women Issues Preparing for Ramadhan P4 rears and auction them to recover the rates,” said a notice signed by J.N Ndichu the council Town clerk. Youth and Children The ABC of making the best Ramadhan P5 According to the demand notice, the mosque which sits on plot no B1/381 owes the council Sh146, 924 in land rate arrears, Obituary Dekha Ibrahim: The passing on of a peacemaker P7 Continued To Page 7 www.islamkenya.com This Newsletter contains some of Allah’s names. Please do not throw in the trash. Either keep, circulate or shred The Friday Bulletin Shaban 21 1432/July 22 2011 NATIONAL NEWS A deplorable condition which need urgent response New laws Imagine a sight of tens of thousands of skinny refugees who are threatened with death due to deal with children with their families walking for weeks to starvation. Your contribution to this cause across a lifeless landscape in search of water and can be the difference between life and death. 'stateless' im- food. Visualize a scene where the countryside is Act now and save a life littered with hundreds of dead animals, sheep, Make your donation of dry food ration or cash goats, cows, donkeys, camels and even wildlife donation to Jamia Mosque Committee, Nairo- migrants all succumbing to the effects of drought. bi, Parklands Mosque and Madrassa Commit- The Immigration Minister Otieno This is not a movie, neither a storytelling; this is tee, South C Mosque Committee or Ummah Kajwang said on Friday that a se- the reality of over millions of people in the country Foundation. ries of citizen draft laws to be en- who have been affected with the worst drought in “The parable of those who spend their wealth acted would address the crisis of 60 years. A combination of failed rains and soar- in the way of Allah is that of a grain that sprouts statelessness amongst historical ing food prices has left many without enough food into seven ears, each bearing one hundred immigrants such as the Nubians and water and at risk of malnutrition. grains. Allah gives manifold increase to whom and Indians. Parents no longer have any means to feed their He wishes. Allah has boundless knowledge.” Speaking after receiving five draft children –families have lost sources of income, (Al-Baqara: 261) laws dealing with immigration, with livestock perished, wells dried up and food refugee registration, registration prices becoming unaffordable. Some families of births and deaths and citizen- have walked for over a month through sand and ship issues, Kajwang said the bills searing heat in search of food, water and shelter would help in the implementation after the drought and ensuing food crisis became of Chapter three of the Kenyan too much to bear. Many were forced to discard constitution. the few possessions they had along the way The previous constitution previ- The World Food Program (WFP) estimates that ously barred citizens from hold- 3.5 million people in Kenya are in need of food ing dual citizenship, but the new assistance. Rising food prices have worsened constitution passed in an August the situation. 2010 referendum allows dual citi- In Somalia, drought and the civil conflict are driv- zenship. ing ever greater numbers of Somalis from their "I am glad that these laws will help homeland, with more than 20,000 arriving in Ken- us to deal with the issue of aban- ya in just the past two weeks. Children are arriv- doned children below eight years. ing from Somalia exhausted, malnourished and "Some people might fear that this severely dehydrated. GIVE ME FOOD: A child in drought ravaged provision would lead to more chil- We all have a responsibility to respond urgently Northern Kenya seems to say after complet- dren being abandoned in Kenyan to help our fellow countrymen and the incoming ing his meal of the day-Porridge hospitals," Kajwang remarked. The government has been grap- pling with the issue of Nubians, a Lack of qualified nurses hamper health services in Sudanese tribe which has resided in the country since the end of the World War I and II and the status A shortage of nurses in North ficers and technician. struct model health centers in of the Indians who remained be- Eastern is threatening the pro- “Many constituencies in North all constituencies, with each hind after the construction of the vision of health services in the Eastern have been unable to area getting Sh16. 2 million Kenya-Uganda railway. region. The situation has fur- raise the required number of for construction and Sh3.8 Kajwang further said the Bill on ther been compounded by little nurses to be employed. I appeal million for equipment. “In this Refugees will enable the country response from residents of the to registered nurses from the regard, areas in North East- to address the national security region to take up the available region to come forward and be ern Province are doing the concerns that have arisen due to nursing jobs. employed,” the PS said. best with 30% of the facili- the influx of refugees into the The Permanent Secretary in the Recruitments were being done ties being complete. We shall country. The new bill proposes Ministry of Public health and at the constituency levels by be supplying the equipment that every refugee must report to Sanitation Mark Bor said it has committees and the bulk of in the next few months,” he authorities within 30 days of enter- proved difficult to find qualified, those recruited were expected noted. ing the country. registered nurses and commu- to be local residents. According to the report, the The draft bills also address the is- nity health workers from such This revelation may reflect the best performing constituen- sues of human trafficking and the areas and this was hampering existing underlying poor health cies in the uptake of the funds citizenship of non-Kenyans mar- service delivery in government sector which lack institutions to are in North Eastern Province, ried to Kenyan nationals. Kajwang model health clinics. train health professional. where some have completed said under the new laws, anybody Two years after vacancies for The PS said that should resi- the buildings and have started married to a Kenyan national nurses and other health work- dents from the area fail to pro- receiving medical equipment would qualify to obtain Kenyan ers were advertised, many are vide qualified nurses and health worth Sh3.8 million with only citizenship after seven years. yet to be filled after receiving lit- workers, the government could the medical personnel as the He said if a spouse dies before tle response. be forced to import the person- remaining challenge. seven years in marriage, the sur- Under the Economic Stimulus nel from other constituencies The constituencies include viving spouse would be eligible for Programme (ESP) that began to fill the gap.

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