What is it about Friday....?

The non-Muslims among us must be wondering, especially those living around the Umoja Estate in Nyali, that while mercifully the whole week, at least two Mosques among the umpteen ones we are surrounded by, have reduced their noise level, Alhamdulillah, comes Friday, and we are inundated by the racket!

So, my question, since I too, am a Muslim, what is it about Friday that they should make more noise than normal? While the Qur'an tells the believers to especially treat the mid-day prayer on Friday as very important and to leave everything aside when they hear the call to prayer and attend congregational worship in the mosque. More so for the men which is a MUST. 

Nowhere in the entire Qur'an nor in the Sunnah of the Prophet (saw), does it say that the prayer should be extra-loud or even the sermon (which is counted as part of the prayer). All of this is supposed to be heard only by the attendees in the mosque/s, just like any other day or prayer.

Therefore, my question is, why are these Imams and Muslims in general changing the rules? 

If one is not even supposed to disturb the person/s standing in line next to us while praying, who gives you the right to disturb those of us who are living in the vicinity of mosques, and who are also trying to say our prayers (those of us who are females, Muslims and not attending mosques)? By the way, it's optional for women to attend mosques for prayers.

What is the matter with the authorities like NEMA and the County Environment Dept., that they continue to let religious noise pollution carry on? When talking to them one gets the impression that they are either scared stiff of applying this law regarding noise pollution or don't know much about what Islam actually says regarding this loud leading of prayers in all the mosques. They should first and foremost separate freedom of religion from senseless noise-making and then carry on from there. If they don't know what Islam allows and doesn't allow, they should educate themselves.

And don't ask residents who are getting disturbed that they sign a letter to them which is when they will take action. Regarding this, if Islam really allowed loud leading of prayers, etc., our signatures would have scant effect on these people. And if they accepted our signatures, it would show that our religion does not allow disturbing others! Also, how do they manage in other countries which are more law-abiding and don't tolerate noise? Such places don't even allow the loud call to prayer on the PA system.

So, will something be done about this, please?

What we all feared, has started happening....!

Today is just the 2nd day of Ramadhan and one of our neighbourhood mosques (Umoja Estate is surrounded by them), is leading the late night prayers over the PA system, again!

For the past week there's been some peace during prayer times when ONLY the calls to prayer have been on the PA systems and as I write this it is 9.00 pm and the special prayers that one says during Ramadhan called Tarawih, are being led very loudly on the PA system of one of the mosques.

Does this mean that our peace and quiet is now gone and since this mosque has started disturbing the whole neighbourhood, others will follow in its wake?

May I again remind this Imam and the various attendees who are praying in these mosques to PLEASE, have consideration for their neighbours as well as the fact that nowhere in the practice of the Holy Prophet (saw), was this done nor is it allowed in the Holy Qur'an to disturb others. It is NOT VALID for others to follow him and therefore, only the ones INSIDE THE MOSQUE are supposed to hear him and so the PA system should be switched inside and NOT OUTSIDE for everyone to be disturbed. 

Please, do remember that most of your neighbours would like to go to bed early and whom you are keeping awake with your loud prayers.... or are you trying to show off to others that you are so holy and as proof you are leading these loud prayers?!

If that is the case, then the Qur'an speaks of people like you - you have little of faith and would just like to be seen and heard by men, i.e. show off how holy you are!!! Then, shame on you, all. What you are practicing is definitely NOT the ISLAM THAT THE HOLY PROPHET (saw), came with!

Have consideration for your neighbours for there are many non-muslims living amongst us and even the Muslims are getting disturbed and cannot do what they would like. Which can be their own prayers, sleep, etc.

The offensive and disturbing noises continue....

 It is beyond me to understand, why some of my muslim brothers are so insistent on having a peaceful and quiet neighbourhood erupt into incoherent noise comes Friday mid-day prayers.

On what basis do they insist on doing this? If, as some on social media, have rudely told us (muslims and non-muslim alike), to move or that they are trying to 'spread' Islam by giving loud and incoherent sermons on the PA systems, I would like to again ask them where in the practice of our beloved Prophet (saw), was this the case. 

Again, I would like to point out to them that there are a multitude of different kinds of people living within hearing distance of these loud sermons followed by prayers and they are disturbing EVERYBODY. I, being a Muslim, myself, was disturbed by this nearly half an hour of sermons being given in the mosques surrounding us. Since, they are ALL loudly given, we cannot make sense of anything. The ONLY thing it does is interfere in our prayers and/or anything else we might be doing at the time. 

Now, imagine the effect these loud (and competing sermons), will have on those fasting from next week. We are told in the Qur'an and the Seerah of the Prophet (saw), to observe more ibadah during this month. Therefore, we will be doing more prayers and especially reciting the Holy Qur'an more than usual, but, these mosques will probably be making more noise than ever, thereby incurring Allah's wrath because they'll be disturbing their neighbours.

So, for what purpose do you do this? You are DEFINITELY NOT doing ANYTHING meritorious by inconveniencing your neighbours, believe me. Again, I would beseech you all to look up what the rights of neighbours are......, not what you're practicing!

By rudely telling us to move, is highly offensive and uncalled-for and akin to giving threats. And I would remind you that Islam was never spread by threats and violence but by adhering to the Qur'anic teachings and practice of the Prophet (saw). 

Islam stands for PEACE and your behaviour is anything but, that. So, PLEASE stop being pests!

Noisy Mosques...continued from the last post....

While the mosques around Umoja estate have considerably reduced their noise levels, and we thought that the bliss would continue, but unfortunately it all lasted only till today, a Friday, 2nd April 2021!

Today, the noise level increased considerably and the sermon after the Adhan, was again given using the outside PA system. This is not allowed. Like the prayer which is to be done only for those within the mosque, the sermon, too is only for them, NOT for the public.

Now, I wonder if this is in preparation for the coming Holy month of Ramadhan? Are we all going to be inundated with noise from all the mosques surrounding us on a daily basis?

I would again, like to ask these imams, why do they do this? First, even if we were inclined to listen (which we are NOT AT ALL!), to their noisy sermons/prayers, etc., we cannot understand or hear what they are saying due to other mosques competing with each other on who can be the loudest. In fact, they sound more like they are telling off their congregants and whoever is listening to them and that they are quarrelling!

The other thing I would like to remind these noisemakers is the fact, that when they are reciting the Qur'an, we, Muslims are told to listen to it. Now, they are putting the non-mosque going Muslim public in a dilemma - we cannot make out a thing other than noise, when they are reciting the Qur'an on PA systems and others are also doing the same. Therefore, they are making a mockery of the Qur'an.

Can they please, stop this? You are disturbing your neighbours which is against Islam! Please do not confuse the freedom of religion with that of noise pollution.

The decimating of one tree!

Since the 15th of April, somebody with our water company decided to cut down a very old Khungu tree just outside our (Umoja Estate), fence.

Why? So that our water company can put down water pipes for the complainant/s as they don't get water. All this is fine and they even got a permit to chop down the tree.

The cutting down started on the 15th, but my question is - how long does it take to cut a single tree? It seems, many, many days! Those of us who live right next to this ex-tree, now probably going to be firewood, have to put up with the terrible noise of the chainsaw used in chopping it up. It goes on for hours on end. We cannot talk, have a phone conversation, etc., without having to shout to be heard and are now getting very, very FED UP with the awful noise!

They were working even on a Sunday till nearly 6.00 pm. I tried calling our County control room where I was assured that someone was being sent out to deal with the situation, hours later when the noise persisted, I called again and was told that their vehicle was out and would come here when finished with whatever it was doing.

The long and the short of it all has been that our redoubtable County officialdom just gives us these numbers to call with over-polite people answering at the other end who make us feel that something will be done, but nothing really is!

Since I happen to be a member of the North Coase Rate-payers and Residents Association, I asked them for help and our office assistant immediately tried getting the help of the County Environment office who assured him that they would pay a visit the next day. Of course, nothing happened and to date, nothing has.

Now, my question to our various officials is this... Do they really work? And that too in a timely manner so that they are not too late. For example, in this case, it seems that they delay doing anything as they are waiting for the issue to pass them by and when they eventually do make their way to the offending place, everything will be over and the complainant will be told that they could not find anything going on...!

So, my question remains - how long does it take to chop up a single tree?

The VOK dumpsite and other environmental hazards within Mombasa County

Those of us who live in the North Coast of Mombasa and in particular the ones who are compelled to live and work around the above  mentioned dumpsite are suffering from all kinds of illnesses. 

Thanks to the County Govt. who moved the dumpsite from Kibarani, which was a real eye and nose sore and a very shameful site right at the entrance of Mombasa. It was a very unwelcome sight for ANYBODY entering Mombasa County. 

After YEARS of complaints, this questionable place was finally and 'officially' closed, but an equally questionable and horrible one is now being used as a (according to the County officials), temporary dumpsite on the main Mombasa/Malindi road. I  won't call it a highway for it is NOT. It is yet to become one...

This route is used by everyone heading to anywhere further north along the coast of Kenya. Which means that citizens, residents and tourists ply this road and suffer the same consequences that they did when the dumpsite was situated at Kibarani. The letter below is from the Nyali MP regarding this same issue. Nothing has yet been done.

There was another one written by the County to the residents promising to clear the dumpsite within a day or two, but it is now several weeks and NOTHING has been done. This was written on the 30th of  August 2018. As per below.

Unfortunately, this site is smack in the middle  of residential areas as well as businesses and therefore a health hazard. 

The County, instead of clearing it has taken to  burning this HUGE pile of mixed garbage, while at the same time preaches to residents not to burn their garbage on pain of fines and persecution. So why the double standards?

People who live around this dumpsite are suffering from respiratory ailments, etc., and all kind of pests have started to  invade their homes.

Is this County really a responsible one who cares for its citizens' well-being? Why doesn't it keep its word of clearing the dumpsite as its effects are worse than the ones felt at Kibarani? And as per our MP's letter, it seems that the Central government, is also incapable of doing anything! And business continues as usual..... 

I wonder if this email will have the required effect or impunity will continue?!

Illegal destruction of private property and possession!

Joho you have gone too far in this...justice will be done.

OPEN LETTER TO:
His Excellency the President of Kenya (President Uhuru Kenyatta)
10/3/2018

Dear Sir
FRED, JUDY MIRIGA AND FAMILY HOUSE DEMOLISHED IN MOMBASA KIZINGO BY MOMBASA COUNTY GOVERNMENT.

My family and I reside in USA. Before we went to USA we bought a house in Kizingo Mombasa where we stayed as a family from the beginning of February 1982.
When going to USA we left Tenants in different wings of the building. I send my wife Judy Miriga to Kenya to go and do some renovations and repairs on the buildings in May 2015. In the process she hired some people to clean the main house and hand over the door keys to our land agent Mr Lawrence Nyongesa who is also a Tenant at the other wing of the house after cleaning. I paid them by Western Union Money Transfer through Lawyer William Onyango Wameyo Associates of Mombasa for the work done. One of the workers by the name Ochieng Mapengo after cleaning the house went away with the door keys and came back one week later telling the Tenants that my wife Judy did not pay him Ksh. 3,000,000/= (Shillings three millions ). From that time he started harassing and terrorizing our Tenants claiming the whole plot and the buildings belonged to him. That forced me and my wife to come to Kenya to correct the situation on 14th February 2018. On the 16th February 2018 High Court of Kenya, Mombasa gave us a temporary Injunction Order signed by Judge Omollo restraining Ochieng Mapengo and all his agents from trespassing, demolishing parts of the building, destroying or cutting down trees, or in any way dealing with the suit land known as Plot No. 622 Allotment letter No. 75892/XIX pending hearing and the determination of this application for a period of 17 days. This gave him a chance for a hearing to defend himself or raise any question or objection if he was against the Court Order.
We pasted copies of the Court Orders at the main entrance gate and three more on each external doors and we hand delivered the other to our regular Tenants in the other separate rooms in the compound.
After getting the information of the pasted court orders at the premises, he came to the plot and removed and destroyed all the Court Order from the gate and doors and threw them a way and sat at the main gate waiting for us or any police to come.
On 5th March 2018 three days before the Court date of 8th March 2018 he organized with some senior Officers from Mombasa County Government who came with Lorries, the bulldozers and County Workers of about 36 people at around 6.0 p.m. and 8.0 p.m. and forcefully vacated our Tenants and immediately demolished our entire houses at the plot that very night leaving our Tenants under no roof in rain at night. That same evening at around 10.00 p.m., Abubakar Joho brother to Governor Hassani Ali Joho of Mombasa came in the compound to confirm that the house is flattened. The Mombasa Central Police refused to take action arguing that the Order was not addressed to them. To-date Ochieng Mapengo and the Abubakar Joho the elder brother of the Mombasa County Government, Governor Ali Hassan Joho has taken control of our Compound plot after flattening our house and are keeping Security Guards at the gate with Ochieng Mapengo as the supervisor to keep my agents away since we are out of the Country and no arrest or any charges can be made.
What happened is unacceptable and a very serious criminal act in nature. It is an economic sabotage and a social danger and tension to ordinary family like ours. We are therefore writing this letter appealing to your Government to take this matter seriously with immediate action and intervene to protect us from this cruel, brutal and malicious act of the oppressor so that we can recover our loses and damages to our buildings and plot.
We remain to hear from you with the most utmost urgency it deserves.
Thank you in advance
Fred, Judy, Miriga and Family.
C.C. The USA Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson

The above account was sent to me by a friend who lives in Canada and it's highly disgusting! Do we really have any laws to speak of in this country? 

And the cops are so partisan that they refused to write a report...?!

Can justice be done, please?