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Weekly Comment |
Blood
Money or ‘Facilitation’ Costs?
Fourteen
years after the execution of
environmental activist Ken
Saro-Wiwa along with eight
others, Royal Dutch Shell oil
company has paid out
U$15.5million to victims’
families. Facing a legal suit in
New York, Shell Oil has opted
for an out of court settlement
to stop the case.
Saro-Wiwa was hanged in 1995
along with eight members of an
environmental group Movement for
the Survival of Ogoni People
(MOSOP). MOSOP is activist group
highlighting the ecological mess
of the southern Nigeria region
of Ogoniland caused by Royal
Dutch Shell.
Ken
Saro-Wiwa and MOSOP held the oil
giant responsible for the
environmental degradation of
Ogoniland due to the operations
of the company. He sought
peaceful means in demanding a
cleanup and a fair share of the
oil wealth with his community
whose farmland has suffered
environmental damage due to
haphazard oil waste dumping.
The payout is a culmination
of a series of cases brought
against the oil giant Shell Oil,
held as being accountable for
the extra-judicial killings,
torture, crimes against humanity
and other human rights excesses.
Shell Oil is said to have
collaborated with the Nigerian
dictatorship of Gen. Sani Abacha
to suppress any challenges to
the company’s conduct. Saro-Wiwa
was an embodiment of such
challenges.
Shell however
has said the payout is 'not an
admission of guilt.' Rather,
it's a 'gesture of goodwill' and
for 'reconciliation'. What would
the world make of it? Is it a
sincere move to make amends?
Isn’t it another spin? Doesn’t
it smack of Shell Oil’s
disingenuousness? Consider the
following:
In spite of
Shell Oil’s pulling out of the
region in 1993 under mounting
pressure of protests, Shell Oil
still owns operating licences
for oil exploitation in
Ogoniland. There are indications
that Ogoniland could be endowed
with extensive untapped gas.
Only last year, the Nigerian
government had suggested
establishment of a company to
tap into these reserves.
So far, it reads like another
move by a multi-national
corporation trying a quick cover
up. We surmise, courtroom
evidence, win or lose, could
have been a ‘public relations’
disaster for Shell Oil in a
country where the firm’s
activities and modus operandi
overseas remain largely unknown.
There is no price that
can be attached to the social
dislocation caused by the oil
operations in Ogoniland and the
wider Niger Delta. We also don’t
know how far $15.5million will
go is the healing of the region.
However, firms like Shell Oil
should own up their share of
responsibility in causing grief
in pursuit of profit and seek
redress.
For more
details, follow this link:
http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/2-shells-oil-africas-blood/ |
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C O N T E N T
S |
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Summarised
Jumuah Bayaan |
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Question and
Answer |
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Update |
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Message from the Ameer |
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I N F O R M A
T I O N |
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Min. Mahr |
R 142.56 |
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Mahr Faatimi |
R 7,128.11 |
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Zakaat Nisaab |
R 2,851.24 |
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Words of Wisdom |
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Hadith of the Week |
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Ignoble Beverage |
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The messenger of Allah
Salallahu alayhi wasallam
said: "If anyone drinks wine
Allah will not accept prayer
from him for forty days, but
if he repents Allah will
forgive him. If he repeats
the offence Allah will not
accept prayer from him for
forty days, but if he
repents Allah will forgive
him. If he again repeats the
offence Allah will not
accept prayer from him for
forty days, but if he
repents Allah will forgive
him. If he repeats it a
fourth time Allah will not
accept prayer from him for
forty days, and if he
repents Allah will not
forgive him, but will give
him to drink of the river of
the fluid flowing from the
inhabitants of Hell."
(Tirmidhi) |
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Quotation
of
the Week |
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Virtuous Company |
“Sit with the repentant, for
they have the softest
hearts.”
(‘Awn
ibn ‘Abdillâh Rahmatullah ‘alayhi) |
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Point of Reflection |
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Paying Attention |
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He understands badly who
listens badly. Welsh
Proverb.
(Welsh
Proverb) |
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Q and A |
Question:
Can
you please explain to me
what are the rulings
pertaining to miscarriage? |
Answer:
If the pregnancy was in
its early days and the
foetus was in the form of
clots of blood or flesh but
none of the limbs of the
body, such as the nose,
mouth, etc. were formed then
there is no need to give
ghusl [bath] or kafan
[shroud] or make Salaatul
Janaazah for it. In this
instance the foetus should
be wrapped in cloth and the
buried.
If the limbs
of the body are formed (all
or some) then the foetus
should be given a name and
should be given a ghusl. The
foetus should not be wrapped
in a formal kafan. It should
be wrapped in cloth and
buried. There is no Salaatul
Janaazah in this instance as
well.
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Top> |
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U P D A T E |
SANHA to hold a Public
Meeting
The
South African National Halaal
Authority has scheduled a public
talk meeting to be held today,
10 June 2009 at Mayfair Jumuah
Masjid.
The meeting will
start after Esha Salaat (Adhaan:
19h15) with an address.
A
panel of ulama shall then give
responses in a
question-and-answer session that
will seek to address ‘myths,
mysteries and misinformation’
about issues pertaining to
halaal and haraam.
Another Opportunity for Earning
Thawaab Jaariya
Alhamdulillah the budget for a
new musallah at OR Tambo
International Airport’s new
terminal was reached. The
Jamiatul Ulama would like to
thank all those who contributed
to this project which has
already started as reported in
the newsletter’s earlier
edition.
Meanwhile, an
appeal is hereby extended to all
Muslims to contribute to the
Jamiatul Ulama’s collaborative
initiative with Ikhwana Islamiya
in Soweto where an Islamic
centre is nearing completion.
The project, which is under
Siddiqi Trust shall comprise of
a mosque, imam’s house as well
as madrasah classrooms in
Orlando East, Soweto. This is
yet another opportunity for
earning thawaab jaariya.
Electronic fund transfer details
are as follows:
Name of
Account: Siddiqi Trust
Bank:
HBZ Bank Ltd
Branch:
Fordsburg
Code: 570105
Account No.: 11 901 121864
Via ABSA
Name of Account:
HBZ Bank Ltd
Branch Code:
632005
Account No.: 0101 323
1601
Ref: 21008105 (MUST
Quote. Very Important.)
Via Standard Bank
Name of
Account: HBZ Bank Ltd
Branch
Code: 00520508
Account No.:
002 502 410
Ref: 21008105
(MUST Quote. Very Important.)
Kindly fax deposit slip for
record purposes to: 011 373 8022
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Summarised Jumu’ah
Bayaan: |
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The Cycle of
Life...Our Youth |
“It is Allah who created
you in a state of
weakness, and then,
after weakness, ordains
strength (for you) and
then after strength,
ordains old age
(weakness) and grey hair
…” (30:54)
• We
come into this world in
the state of absolute
helplessness and
weakness. As we journey
through life we go
through four distinct
stages: childhood,
youth, manhood, and old
age. The first period of
childhood is followed by
about seven years of
teenage hood. The third
period of adult life
lasts for about twenty
to thirty years,
followed by the onset of
old age which on the
average lasts for
another fifteen or
twenty years. In between
birth and death we go
through many periods
where our bodies change
slowly but
imperceptibly.
•
The most crucial period
in the cycle of life is
the period of youth. If
the life of this world
is an ‘illusion’, the
period of greatest
illusion occurs during
youth. It is a period of
high energy and great
enthusiasm, coupled with
an air of invincibility
and perpetuity. The time
of youth is considered
to be the time during
which a person’s
physical, mental,
intellectual and moral
faculties and potential
attain their optimum
level of development and
application. It is the
time when the mind shows
its inventive and
imaginative
capabilities. The habits
acquired during our
youth are habits that
will live with us
through old age. In
adulthood we continue to
draw from our
achievements, knowledge
and experience of our
youth; we only develop
and improve on our
youth-acquired skills
during old age.
•
Islamic history is rich
with Muslim legends who
have tuned the tidal
wave in favour of the
Muslims. If the youth of
today are to adequately
respond to these
challenges and are
willing to protect their
Islamic values, they
must first free
themselves from a
godless mindset that
feeds only the body and
not the soul.
•
Youth have to believe in
themselves that they can
act as agents of
positive change and
improvement in society.
They have to view
themselves as part of
the solution and not
part of the problem.
They have the potential
of building networks
across cultural barriers
and championing the
course of social
responsibility and
justice.
• Youth
is a time when the
lower-self (Nafsul-Ammarah)
is most persuasive. The
lower-self is a state of
compelling desire
together with a
propensity to venture
and rebel. However, the
higher-self yearns for
purity of thought and
action, for sacrifice,
commitment, truth, and
piety. The struggle
against the lower-self
is the greater struggle
(Jihad al-akbar) which
enables our actions to
have an ethical rather
than an instinctive
basis.
• The
stage of being a youth
has a dimension of time.
It’s a limited and
transient period in
anyone’s life. Youth,
therefore should
dedicate their time in
the worship of the
Almighty by:
1.
Acquiring skills and
knowledge that should be
used to serve the
Almighty. Remember that,
acquisition of Deen
knowledge is mandatory
on every Muslim (male
and female).
2.
Serving their parents
and elders with respect
and dignity.
3.
Volunteer their
energies, efforts and
time while they last in
serving others.
4. Avoid time-wasting
engagements. These are
aplenty these days on
cell-phones, Internet,
and uncountable gaming
consoles that are
flooding the market.
• Rasullalah
sallallahu alayhi
wasallam constantly had
the welfare of the youth
close at heart and
always endeavoured to
guide and channel their
energies in a positive
way. Abdullah bin Abbas
radhiyallahu anhu said,
‘One day I was behind
Rasullalah sallallahu
alayhi wasallam and he
said to me, ‘Young man,
I shall teach you some
words (of advice) - Be
mindful of Allah, and
Allah will protect you.
Be mindful of Allah, and
you will find Him in
front of you. If you
ask, ask of Allah; if
you seek help, seek help
of Allah. Know that if
the Nation were to
gather together to
benefit you with
anything, it would
benefit you only with
something that Allah had
already prescribed for
you, and that if they
gather together to harm
you with anything, they
would harm you only with
something Allah had
already prescribed for
you. The pens have been
lifted and the pages
have dried.’ (Tirmidhi)
<Go to Top> |
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Message from the Ameer of
the Jamiatul Ulama |
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Do you have an
Islamic Will? |
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(This is a re-run of one
of the Ameer's previous
messages) |
The laws of inheritance have
been referred to as “half of
Islamic knowledge” by
Rasulullah Sallallahu ‘alayhi
wa Salaam. This may be so
because wealth has a great
share in a person's life and
consequently in his ibadat
as well.
Muslims,
generally the world over,
have almost totally
neglected this important
obligation of Islam. Not
only the uninformed and
unwary Muslims but also good
practising Muslims generally
do not pay any attention to
this very important,
fundamental and decisive
aspect of Deen. Some are
surprised to even hear that
Islam has given directions
to this branch of human
life!
Wealth is a
great temptation and often
spurs people to violate the
laws of the Shariah in order
to obtain it. Lest anyone is
driven by the same
temptation when it comes to
inheritance, Allah Ta'ala
concludes the verses
pertaining to inheritance
with the following clear
warning:
“Those are
the boundaries of Allah ....
And he who disobeys Allah
and his Rasul and
transgresses His boundaries,
He (Allah) will enter him
into the fire, forever he
will dwell therein, and for
him is a disgraceful
punishment.” (4:13)
This
also clears a misconception
many people have that they
have to stipulate in their
wills what the different
heirs should be given from
their estate. The
proportionate share of each
heir has been predetermined
by the Shariah, and no
person has the right to
change that.
When it
comes to winding up the
estate and distributing the
inheritance, unfortunately a
great number of cases
(perhaps the majority) are
marred by disputes and
conflicts sometimes of a
very serious nature.
Families have been split,
brothers and sisters have
become estranged and much
bitterness and misery is
caused to one and all.
Many of these problems are
of our own making. If
matters are sorted out in
advance, the chances of any
conflict occurring will be
tremendously reduced.
In South Africa, due to
the legal system, it is
imperative for every Muslim
to be conversant with these
laws, and important to have
a Will in place. Negligence
in this regard has lead to
endless misery for family
members that continue for
generations. Islam has
advocated that a person
should keep his financial
records clear and up to
date. In this way, confusion
and in- fighting is averted
upon demise.
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