The Places Where Nowhere Is Home

By KERRI MACDONALD

Greg Constantine learned a great deal about the Nubians in Kenya when he spent a month photographing them in Kibera, an expansive and well-documented Nairobi slum. He poured over a rare collection of archival photographs collected from community members. He helped shape a comprehensive, and largely unseen, visual narrative of the culture.

Yet Mr. Constantine still has no idea how many Nubians there are in Kibera, once a village called Kibra. Unacknowledged until 2009 in Kenya’s census, the Nubians are a stateless people, without the rights of citizens. They are the subjects of just one chapter in Mr. Constantine’s project “Nowhere People,” which is on display at the United Nations’ headquarters in New York through Thursday as part of an exhibit called “The World’s Stateless.”

Mr. Constantine, a self-taught American photographer, started researching statelessness in 2005. Early the next year, he moved to Asia from Los Angeles to pursue the project, which he financed himself. When the time came to look for outside financial resources, he ran into difficulty.

“It was kind of like selling, or validating, the power that documentary photography could have,” Mr. Constantine said. Despite the number of groups that had been working with the issue of statelessness, the visual aspect of the story wasn’t there.

His luck improved after his work was featured in The International Herald Tribune in 2007. The following year, he met with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which ultimately supported his trip to Kenya.

“Nowhere People” spans continents. It is an immense, moody body of work composed of different chapters, each telling a complex story.

Mr. Constantine faced the challenge of capturing each group’s historical context.

“Society has changed over the past 60 years in the creation of nation states,” he said. “In a lot of places in the world, your neighbor was the person that said: ‘We know who you are. You belong here. You were born here. You have rights here.’ ”

The Nubians, who at one time were Sudanese recruits to the British Army, have lived in the Kibera region for more than 100 years. After just two days there, Mr. Constantine said he could not believe the story he had stumbled upon. It was one that seemed, compared with others, almost hopeful. “They’re really resting on the cusp of getting the recognition that they deserve,” he said.

At the end of his first month, he felt something was missing from the story. He decided to juxtapose his work with the old photographs that many Nubians had shown him. “To be able to communicate what a community has lost, it’s valuable to show what they had,” he said.

Photographs Courtesy the Kenya Nubian Council of Elders Top: Women in Kibera in the 1950s. Bottom: A family photograph from the 1940s.

Mr. Constantine received a grant from the Open Society Institute to create a digital archive of Nubian history, and he recruited young Nubians to go door to door in Kibera asking people to lend him old photographs.

“Then and Now,” the monthlong exhibition that resulted, gave Kenyans the first visual history of the Nubian community. One hundred images — 50 taken by Mr. Constantine and 50 archival photographs — were arranged side by side on large sheets of vinyl. At the end of August, a smaller, outdoor exhibition went up in Kibera.

Mr. Constantine plans to work on “Nowhere People” for another year. Most recently, he traveled to the Dominican Republic. Beginning in October, the work will be published in a series of books, the first of which is “Kenya’s Nubians: Then and Now.”

Mr. Constantine, who was once a music industry professional, had not worked as a serious photographer for long before he started “Nowhere People.” By photographing groups whose distinctive identities are not recognized, he has, in many ways, created his own professional identity.

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/tag/nubians-in-kenya/

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Video-Kenya's Nubians-Then and Now

Kenya's Nubians: Then & Now from Greg Constantine on Vimeo.

Once vilified and oppressed, Uganda’s Nubians become a tourist attraction

Thirty minutes away from the city, we turn off the Gulu-Kampala highway to Gangama village in Bombo, a town famous for its inhabitants — the Nubians.
The community’s long history of origin, settlement and its love-hate relationship with the government is vivid in our memories.

The driver pulls up at a home where a bridegroom is preparing for his big day.
“Come on in please. Make yourselves comfortable, but do not expect to see a lot of activity here. The action is at the bride’s place,” says the groom’s father as he ushers us in.
The groom’s mother, Aisha Mustafa Doka, who is supervising the activities, explains what it takes to marry a Nubian woman.

The groom first offers bride price to his future in-laws. The bride’s hair is plaited especially for the day at the groom’s expense.
The groom must also buy cultural wedding ornaments and outfits that include a white sheet that the bride wraps around her body during the Nikah — the Islamic wedding ritual.


The next day, she dresses up in another traditional outfit, also bought by the groom.
The ornaments and clothing are colourful, capturing attention.
It is imperative that her nose is pierced and her hair is plaited.

“The bride must also carry a special dish of meat balls — served with kisra or gurusa (yeast pancakes made from a mixture of wheat and maize flour ) — for her groom, cooked from her home, a mat for her father in-law, a traditional tray (tabaga) and a food cover (kuta),” said Aisha.
An invitation to the ceremony gives me the opportunity to learn more about the Nubian lifestyle — a cultural institution that is now being targeted by the corporate world due to its potential for cultural tourism.

The Nubians have existed in East Africa for over a century. But unlike other migratory tribes in sub-Saharan Africa, their advent was by default rather than by design.
Their entry into East Africa can be traced to the 1830s, when most, alongside their families, were brought in as soldiers under the command of Captain Frederick Lugard, Emin Pasha and Captain Williams.
Others migrated from the Nubian desert, which is now submerged under water as a result of the construction of the Aswan High Dam in southern Egypt and Gondola in northern Sudan

The Nubians gradually lost touch with their homeland. Today, they speak a kind of Arabic creole. They have however, maintained their traditions.
The community regard themselves as historical victims of Anglo-Egyptian imperialism, Arab slave trade the European scramble for Africa and the First and Second World Wars.
In Uganda, Nubians were scattered all over the country, but with the highest concentration in Bombo. Their main occupation was trade and many were employed in the national security forces during the colonial era.
Since most of them were servicemen, they were falsely identified with Idi Amin, Uganda’s military dictator who was president from 1971 to 1979, and who incidentally spoke the Nubian language, even though he hailed from the Kakwa ethnic group in West Nile.

After the fall of Amin, Nubians become targets of persecution and killings. Many lost their property through grabbing or destruction. Women concealed their identity by abandoning their traditional dress, while some fled to Sudan, Congo and Kenya for safety.
In 1982, the Obote government signed a Banking Order that was largely seen as targeting the Nubians. Their accounts were frozen.
In 2004, they filed a suit challenging the constitutionality of the order. They remain bitter over these historical injustices.
So what makes them so interesting today as to attract corporate financing?
“The unique culture of the Nubian people is a global attraction that can be tapped into for the benefit of the entire nation,” said MTN’s chief executive Themba Khumalo.
MTN launched the Bombo Nubian Community Tourism Project under the MTN Foundation after a successful one year pilot study.

It partnered with the Community Based Tourism Initiative, a non-governmental organisation that supports local communities to participate and benefit from tourism initiatives. It is expected to benefit over 3,500 people.
The Nubians are known for their rich culture and colourful handicrafts in their trademark colours of yellow, red, black and white. While the rest of the colours are manufactured, the black colour is produced naturally. How this is done is a secret the community keeps close to their hearts.

The handicrafts are readily available at the crafts shop run by the Bombo Tourism Nubian Craft Group.

However, today, it is closed as all the women who operate it are attending the wedding.
We cross Gulu highway to join a dusty road to the brides’ home in Gogonya village.
Among the artifacts at the wedding are mats, tabaga and pyramid shaped kuta (food covers) in the Nubian colours.
Along the way, we meet jovial women elegantly dressed in Nubian attire. They speak animatedly in Creole.

Later, the groom arrives at the brides home with his entourage for the Nikah. Ululations and drum beats mark the end of the religious function.
A couple of women take to the floor to perform the duluka dance which is part of the cultural activities. Duluka is now integrated in tourism activities.
What stands out about the Nubian marriage is that it is a blend of the Islamic and traditional rituals.
For example, after the Nikah, the groom enters the house and a Nubian ritual for bonding is performed. He then leaves for home without his wife, who joins him some hours later.

Nubians are also famous cooks. Their exquisite cuisine is also being targeted for tourism. On top of their kisra and gurusa, the tourist can expect a treat in traditional foods like okra in beef, pilau, chapati and vegetables in groundnut paste.
Traditional Nubian homesteads still exist where tourists can enjoy guided walks.

SOURCE - The East African Magazine

Umma Foundation comes to the rescue of Mama Amina

Umma Foundation comes to the rescue of Mama Amina

By Mohamed Kahiye

A needy Kibera family has reason to smile after Marhaba-The New Dawn entertainment magazine highlighted her plight in the last issue (Aug 15-30) particularly how her family breaks the fast.
Ummah Foundation of Nairobi acted swiftly and came into the rescue of Mama Amina Ibrahim 35, a mother of five who resides in Kibera slums.
Speaking after presenting foodstuffs to Mama Amina at her Kibera home, Ummah Foundation Executive Officer Musa Wekesa thanked The New Dawn team and commended them for their noble work.
“We really appreciate your noble role of highlighting the plight of Muslims especially during the holy month of Ramadhan. This is very important in creating awareness among prospective well wishers,” said Wekesa.
Besides foodstuffs, the organization also promised to sponsor three of Mama Amina’s children who are now in secondary school until they complete their education.

The New Dawn

How a Muslim family in Kibera breaks the fast

By Fauzia Wangare

As you prepare to break your fast this evening during this holy month of Ramadhan, does it ever cross your mind and may be ask yourself how fellow less fortunate Muslim brothers and sisters are faring?

Well, meet Mama Amina Ibrahim, 35, a mother of five children who resides in Kibera slums. Together with her husband, they make a family of seven and all live in a single room.
With soaring food prices, even the basic food items such as milk, sugar or oranges no longer exist on this family’s menu. In short, they survive each day of this Ramadhan as it comes.

“Chakula cha iftar inabidi tujibane, ili tupate angalau kitu wakati wakufunga,” (The little food for Iftar is shared sparingly among us because what remains will be our meal for suhur/daku) says Amina. On bad days, the children are used to taking water to break their fast and sleep but on better days, they have a simple meal of rice and potato stew.

On a shoestring budget of not more than Ksh400, Amina takes me through her household budget that probably lasts two days. “I buy two and half kilos of maize meal, half a kilo of sugar, cooking oil, a bunch of sukuma wiki (vegetables), tomatoes, onion and water for cooking. If lucky to have spare change, we can afford some meat.” However, since Ramadhan began, Amina tells me they have tasted meat once.

With her husband, Mohamud Ibrahim being unemployed, Amina is the one who shoulders the responsibility of placing a meal on the table through her bhajia cooking business.
Of the five children, Amina is assisted by Khadijha who is the only girl, while the boys spend their time at the nearby Makina Jamia mosque in Kibera.
Amina appeals to fellow Muslims to be considerate to the less fortunate. “There are Muslims during Ramadhan have nothing and are surviving through the grace of Allah. So when I hear about Israf (wastage) it pains me. What you could be throwing away/wasting could go a long way in assisting another Muslim elsewhere.”

When asked about her plans for Idd festivities once Ramadhan is over, Amina says, “It will just be a normal day for my family. I will prepare ugali and vegetables and thank Allah for it.”

www.thenewdawn.info

Marriages of convenience during Ramadhan

By Iddi Musyemi
It is no secret among some Muslim communities that when the month of Ramadhan is about to start, the number of marriage vows exchanged increase dramatically. These marriages are commonly referred to as “ndoa za uji” (literally translated as “marriages of porridge” in reference to the role of the woman in preparing iftar for the man during Ramadhan). These are essentially marriages of convenience. In this marriage a man and woman come together into a ‘marriage institution’ for an agreed period of time which could be a week, month, a year and so forth.
During Ramadhan, such marriages can be month long or may be even longer.
For starters, it must be clear that not all marriage vows taken before or during Ramadhan symbolize a marriage of convenience. Marriage as an institution is held in high regard in Islam as it’s considered part of Ibaadat (worship). In fact, it is said that when an individual marries, then he/she has accomplished half of deen (religion).
Being a hotly contested topic and one most likely to spark a lot of debate, Marhaba went to gauge the take of Muslims on this matter. While others seem to relate marriages of convenience to something akin to Mut’a marriages, others do not seem to differentiate the two.
Marhaba had an exclusive interview with Sheikh Juma Amir who is Deputy Imam of Jamia Mosque, Nairobi and an expert on marriage issues. Sheikh Amir, is strongly against such marriages of convenience and says those engaging in them are those who cohabit with women/men and try to ‘legalise’ the marriages come Ramadhan. “These individuals do not understand Islam,” Amir says.
“Zina (fornication) is haram whether in Ramadan or not, thus people should always fear Allah. Ramadhan is just a month and it will pass, but Allah is there every other day or month.
Marriages of convenience defeat the purpose of marriage as an institution which is to set a strong foundation for a family.
Thus those engaging in such go against the teachings of Islam. In fact, the Holy Prophet (SAW) outlawed marriages of convenience,” adds Amir.
Sheikh Abdullatif AbdulKarim, the chairman of Family Resource Centre (FRC) at Jamia Mall, Nairobi shares that there are no such marriages in Islam. “Technically, an Islamic marriage is deemed legal after the consent of a wali (guardian/parents) and witnessed by two persons. A marriage of convenience does not meet such criteria.”
From Mombasa, Sheikh Said Ali the Deputy Head Teacher at Abu Hureira Academy says that Islam has laid down very elaborate procedures on how to formalise marriages. On top of which, comprehensive rules and regulations are laid down to enable the marriage institution to succeed.
Taking us down memory lane to the days of the Holy Prophet (SAW) through a hadith narrated by Ali (R.A), Sheikh Ali says that the Prophet (S.A.W) forbade Mut’a marriages on the day of the battle of Khaybar.
“Marriage in Islam is for a couple to settle down, and if blessed with children, raise them up. At the end of the day, marriages of convenience do not allow a couple to settle down and raise children. It just results in the demeaning of women,” says Ali.
Sheikh Ali acknowledges that Muslim youth make a considerable number of the culprits engaging in marriages of convenience. “They have Islamised the ‘come we stay marriages’ and only to keep off (the marriages) during Ramadhan.”
“This is something that has been going on among Muslim men as they bear the greatest responsibility for perpetuating this kind of arrangements through their womanising tendencies,” says Sophia Ibrahim a receptionist in Nairobi. “They are simply running away from responsibilities,” she adds bitterly.
Saadia Yussuf, 48 from Garissa shares that people rushing to ‘halilisha’ (legalise) marriages create suspicion that they have been in a ‘come we stay’ arrangement. She says, “Do not wait till Ramadhan for you to marry. It creates suspicion that you have been living together.”
Fatuma Juma notes that these kinds of marriages are unpredictable if a person’s aim of marrying is not clear. “Do not be surprised to find secret nikkas being conducted in the name of marriage.”
Fatuma advises Muslims to go an extra mile to interrogate the backgrounds of their to-be- spouses as per the Prophet’s (SAW) teachings to avoid disappointment.
Sheikh Abdullatif AbdulKarim notes that there are those men who take advantage of widows facing tough economic times. “Widows are also victims and sadly, they are usually desperate. In short, marriages of convenience are just dhulma (oppression) to widows and women in general. It is not acceptable.”
Young men, usually bachelors opt for marriages of convenience as they can be assured of a ‘hot meal’ the entire month of Ramadhan. A reader who wishes to be referred to as Issa, confides to Marhaba that single Muslim men face challenges in putting up a ‘square meal’ during Ramadhan. “Personally, I used to rush to mosques offering Iftar. Through a marriage of convenience, I can concentrate on my Ibaadat (worship) without necessarily worrying about iftar and suhur (daku).”
However, marriages of convenience seem not to be a preserve of young men. Sophia Ibrahim discloses a disturbing fact that Muslim women are today living with non-Muslims. “Just like their Muslim male counterparts, their ‘marriages’ are put on hold when Ramadan sets in,” she says.
Sophia attributes to the nature of women as their downfall. “A woman by nature is weak and gets caught up out of the good intentions of wishing to settle down. They end up falling victim to marriages of convenience.”
She also attributes other causes to peer pressure, high expectations, financial gains and lack of patience.
Asha Abdi, 22 from Maseno University in Kisumu shares that women believe that to get to a man’s heart is through food and are therefore willing to cook for men hoping they will propose. “Muslim girls complain of strictness and control of parents. They will seek freedom when the slightest opportunity beckons,” she adds.
Abdullahi Wesamba a youth officer at Young Muslim Association, Nairobi says that Muslim youth have adopted Western lifestyles due to lack of knowledge or ignorance on Islamic matters.
He also blames those holding on to their traditional values more than Islamic teachings. “The youth need information and should not be blamed. It could be that some scholars are sleeping on their jobs. They are not providing daawa (propagation) to sensitize the youth.”
If anything is to go by, listening to Iqra FM’s Saturday morning show, Deen and Dunia on July 30, 2011 hosted by Noor Said and his guest Ustadh Mohammad Omar Abdallah on the same topic, I could not help noticing readers calling in just to register their displeasure about these marriages.
Sheikh Juma Amir concludes by warning Muslims that marriages of convenience have no place in Islam and refers to such marriages as ‘ndoa za kihuni’.

Reaping the Benefits of Ramadhan
In the month of Ramadan it is very important that we spend a few moments to understand some of the wisdoms and lessons that we can learn from this month of fasting. Unfortunately, many Muslims come in to this month and they are as a companion of the Prophet (SAW) said: “Let it not be that the day that you fast and the day that you breakfast be equal.” Meaning one’s behaviour, attitude and outlook are the same whether one fasts or not, i.e. fasting has no effect upon that person. This is why we need to reflect on some of these lessons.
By Ali Al-Tamimi
LESSON 1: Gaining Taqwa (piety)
Allah legislated fasting for gaining Taqwa,
“O you who believe, fasting has been prescribed upon you as it has been prescribed upon those before you, so that you may attain Taqwa.” (meaning of Suratul Baqarah (2):183)
Taqwa in this case means to make a shield between oneself and Allah’s anger and Hellfire. So we should ask ourselves, when we break our fasts, ‘Has this fasting day made us fear Allah more? Has it resulted that we want to protect ourselves from the hellfire or not?
LESSON 2: Drawing closer to Allah
This is achieved by reciting and reflecting on the Qur’an during night and day, attending the tarawih prayers, remembering Allah, sitting in circles of knowledge and, for those who can, making `umrah. Also for those who can, making I`tikaf (seclusion) in the last ten nights of Ramadhan, so as to leave all worldly pursuits and seclude oneself in a masjid just thinking of Allah, so as to bring oneself closer to Allah.
When one sins, one feels distant from Allah. That is why one might find it hard to read the Qur’an and come to the masjid. However, the obedient worshipper feels closer to Allah and wants to worship Allah more, because he is not shy from his sins.
LESSON 3: Acquiring patience and strong will
Allah has mentioned patience more than seventy times in the Qur’an and has commanded patience in more than sixteen ways in His Book. So when one fasts, and gives up one’s food and drink, and one’s marital sexual relations for those hours, one learns restraint and patience.
This Ummah needs men and women that are strong willed, who can stand upon the Sunnah and the Book of Allah and not waver in front of the enemies of Allah. We do not need emotional people, who just raise slogans and shout, but when the time comes to stand upon something firm, they cannot do so, they waver.
LESSON 4: Striving for Ihsan (righteousness and sincerity) and staying away from riya’ (showing off)
Ihsan means to worship Allah as if one sees Him, and even though one does not see Him, He sees all. Hasan al-Basri said, “By Allah, in the last twenty years, I have not said a word or taken something with my hand or refrained to take something with my hand or stepped forth or stepped back, except that I have thought before I have done any action, ‘Does Allah love this action? Is Allah pleased with this action?’
So when one is fasting, one should gain this quality of watching oneself and also staying away from riya’ (showing off). That is why Allah said in a hadith qudsi, “Fasting is for Me and I reward it.” (al-Bukhari) Allah singles out fasting from all other types of worship saying, “Fasting is for Me”, because no one knows whether you are fasting or not, except Allah. For example, when one is praying or giving charity or making tawaf, one can be seen by the people, so one might do the action seeking the praise of the people.
Sufyan al-Thawri used to spend the nights and the days crying and the people used to ask him, “Why do you cry, is it due to the fear of Allah? He said, ‘No.’ They said, “Is it due to the fear of the Hellfire?” He said, ‘No. It is not the fear of Hellfire that makes me cry, what makes me cry is that I have been worshipping Allah all these years and doing scholarly teaching, and I am not certain that my intentions are purely for Allah.’”
LESSON 5: Refinement of manners, especially those related to truthfulness and discharging trusts.
The Prophet (SAW) said, “Whoever does not abandon falsehood in word and action, then Allah has no need that he should leave his food and drink.” (al-Bukhari) What we learn from this, is that we must pay attention to the purification of our manners.
The Prophet (SAW) said, “was sent to perfect good manners.” (Malik) So we must check ourselves, are we following the behaviour of the Prophet (SAW)? For example: Do we give salaam to those we don’t know and those we do know? Do we follow the manners of Islam, by telling the truth and only telling the truth? Are we sincere? Are we merciful to the creation?
LESSON 6: Recognizing that one can change for the better
The Prophet (SAW) said, “Every son of Adam sins and the best of the sinners are those who repent.” (Ibn Majah) Allah provides many opportunities to repent to Him and seek His forgiveness. If one was disobedient they can become obedient.
LESSON 7: Being more charitable
Ibn `Abbas said, “The Prophet (SAW) was the most charitable amongst the people, and he used to be more so in the month of Ramadhan when Jibril used to meet him on every night of Ramadhan till the end of the month.” (al-Bukhari) The Prophet (SAW) said, “He who gives food for a fasting person to break his fast, he will receive the same reward as him, without nothing being reduced from the fasting person’s reward.” (at-Tirmidhi)
LESSON 8: Sensing the unity of the Muslims
The Prophet (SAW) said, “.Those of you who will live after me will see many differences. Then you must cling to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided khalifahs. Hold fast to it and stick to it.” (Abu Dawud) In this month we sense that there is a possibility for unity, because we all fast together, we breakfast together, we all worship Allah together, and we pray Salatul-Eid together.
Therefore we sense that the unity of possible. It is possible for Muslims to be a single body, but this will only be achieved when obedience is only to Allah and His Messenger.
LESSON 9: Learning discipline
The Prophet (SAW) made us adhere to discipline and strictness, strictness that does not lead to fanaticism or going outside the bounds that Allah has laid down. One cannot knowingly break the fast before the sunset, as this will not be accepted by Allah. Muslims should learn to be very strict in their lives, because they are people of an important message, which they mold their lives around.
LESSON 10: Teaching the young to worship Allah
It was the practice of the people of Madina that during the fast of `Ashura (which is now a recommended fast of one day) to get their children to fast with them. When the children would cry of hunger and thirst, their parents would distract their attention by giving them some sort of toy to play with. The children would break their fast with their parents. (as mentioned in al-Bukhari).
So the young should be brought to the masjid and they should pray with their parents, so that they are able to get into the habit of becoming worshippers of Allah. If one does not encourage children to fast when they are young, they will find it very difficult to fast for thirty days at the age of puberty. This is why the Prophet (SAW) said, “Command your children to pray at the age of seven and beat them at the age of ten ( if they do not pray).” (Hakim)
LESSON 11: Caring for one’s health
Fasting has many medical benefits and it teaches Muslims to take care of their health and too build strong bodies. The Prophet (SAW) said, “A strong believer is better and is more beloved to Allah than a weak believer, and there is good in everyone.” (Muslim)


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