Listers I read the newspaper article and tried very hard to join the dots between the ban ,existing kadhis courts and the whole Sheria law and the new constitution issue. Obviuosly I could not find any link, please find a response below to the issues raised by my fellow lister Wainaina.

The recent move by Muslim Sheikhs to enforce Sharia Law, outlaw DSTV, video dens & related activities in Mandera could not have come at a more unfortunate time. The support they have received from SUPREM (Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims) further complicates the debate on the "continued" inclusion of Kadhi Courts in our Constitution.

I am not sure where the information came from that the closing down of video dens has anything to do with enforcement of shari’ah law. It is a matter of fact that video dens, which are scattered all over the less affluent regions of the country, and mainly in slums, are responsible for very many ills in those areas. Talk to anyone livin g in a slum in Nairobi and they will testify to the fact that not on ly are children missing school to watch unsuitable movies, they are picking up extremely bad habits from these video dens and are being exposed to sexual abuse by sexual predators who not only give them the entrance fee to watch some movies but prey on them while they ar e in those very dens. It is about time somebody stood up to this. ( we are assisting a family whose story we are describing in this re sponse to this mail) Secondly, you must be more responsible when mak ing a statement such as ‘outlaw DSTV video dens and related activiti es’. The only thing that was outlawed was the video dens and it was done with the full support of the local authorities. If you live i n Mandera and decide to install DSTV in your own house, then so be i t but please, lets be responsible for what our children are being fe d by way of ‘entertainment’

Now that the SUPKEM has proved to support such apparent 'treason' in my secular nation, President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga must also commit to ensuring that religion and religious courts are omitted from the new constitution. That is the pact they must sign with the NO campaign if a YES vote is to sail through without question. No religion, especially fundamentalist Islam, should enjoy the privileges of my hard-earned taxes to propagate religious activities that may disintegrate into such treasonable actions as by the Sheikhs.

My vote would easily change to a resounding "NO" unless I am assured by the Constitution that no Sheikh or Buddist monk, Hindu priest or Christian cleric will get away with the absurd audacity of attempting to determine where I watch my Supersport matches, what I drink as I do so; where and what I can smoke or drink in an independent secular KENYA

You can watch your supersport matches where you please and drink smoke as well these are personal choices which we all make and not to bring religion into this (sic) bit no religion allows these activities openly if the sermons I watch on TV are to be believed .Try talking to someone whose child is exposed to this and lets hear what they have to say( I hear its the work of the devo) This is not about kadhi’s courts, this is about protecting children in Kenya and I hope these are not your views I am hoping that maybe you are just carried away by time or were tired ( you did send your post rather late) take the time to talk to someone whose child has b een exposed to pornography and sexuality when they are not ready for it. This is not about religion, but about right thinking adults see king to protect children.

No religion should 'get it twisted' on its place in secular Kenya and no loopholes should allow Sheikhs or SUPKEM to get away with such treasonable actions.

PS: Kenya is not a secular state. If it was, Raila would not go to such lengths to get himself baptized, and neither would the President going to church on Sunday be attended by ministers and PSs. Incidentally, I would like to know who fuels his car and pays for this bodyguards on Sunday when he attends church – yes, yours an d my hard earned taxes. Don’t fool yourself. Maybe this is just new twist on the drive to up the NO campaign?

Regards, Fatma