Ms Galila Abdelsalam and Ms
Yomna represented the
Islamic Womens' Association
of Australia (IWAA) at the
South East Asian Network of
Civil Society Organisations
(SEAN-CSO) Working
Together Against Violent
Extremism Summit in
Sydney.
SEAN-CSO is a network of
like-minded organisations
working against violent
extremism in South East
Asia.
By sharing experiences,
developing knowledge and
evaluating initiatives, the
network fosters peer to peer
learning and partnerships,
and seeks to improve the
quality of programs and
initiatives.
There were delegates from
Indonesia, Malaysia,
Singapore, Thailand and the
Philippines.
"From discussions and
further community
consultations, IWAA will
contribute to developing a
working plan for SEAN-CSO,"
a spokesperson for IWAA told
CCN.
The 11th Year 12 Muslim
Achievement Awards are being
held in all major cities of
Australia recognising high
achievement by a large
cohort of the Muslim
students who have received
an ATAR of 90+ after the
completion of their school
studies at the end of year
2017.
Hosted by Human Appeal
Australia at gala dinner
events, a total of 256
students were invited
together with their parents
to be presented with
certificates and gifts
including laptops awarded by
local sponsors in
recognition of their
outstanding achievements.
Out of 256 Australian Muslim
students who obtained ATAR
of 90+, 33 students achieved
ATAR of 99+ and hailed from
both public and private
schools while a great
majority of them have
graduated from Muslim
schools at the end of year
2017.
At the Brisbane event held
on Saturday 10 March at
Michael's Oriental
Restaurant, 17 high
achievers were recognised in
the presence of their proud
parents and awarded
certificates and gifts by
sponsors and community
leaders.
Alhamdulilah the workshop
facilitated by Sisters'
Support Services was a very
productive and beneficial
event. The event started off
by a one hour confidence
building workshop then
followed by an important and
much needed talk on safety
for social media and
cyberbullying by Queensland
Police.
Being educated and talking
about online experiences can
help reduce any negative
impacts on youth mental
health and well-being. Young
people are reportedly using
social media for an average
of 3.3 hours each day, on
five or more days of the
week, (APS).
After some pizza and cakes,
the girls worked it off by
learning some defence skills
demonstrated by Southside
Academy of Combat.
The event concluded with
each attendee presented with
a certificate by
Superintendent Virginia
Nelson.
Alhamdulilah we have had a
lot of enquiries for next
sessions. Sisters Support
Services Inc. will
definitely be facilitating
regular workshops insha
Allah.
Jazakum Allahu khairun to
all the girls for their
incredible enthusiasm and
behaviour.
Thank you to all our
volunteers and our sponsors,
National Zakat Foundation,
Southside Academy of Combat
and Queensland Police
Service.
IWAA CEO Galila Abdel Salam
and CAMS Statewide
Coordinator Nora Amath
attended a morning tea with
members of the Queensland
Police Services (QPS) to
celebrate the award for
Excellence in Women in
Policing Initiative with the
Connected Women Program, a
joint venture between QPS
and IWAA.
This important program, an
initiative of Acting
Inspector Janelle Andrews
and Sergeant Darnielle
Fioriti, is a free, vibrant
women-led program designed
especially for newly-arrived
young refugee Muslim women.
Developed to provide
participants with a unique
opportunity to access safety
information and to hear from
experienced professional
women, Connected Women
included topics such as
crime prevention, internet
safety, home security,
personal and community
safety.
During the 10 weekly
sessions, participants not
only learned about the role
of Police in Queensland from
experienced female officers
in a friendly and safe
environment, they also had
the opportunity to network
with other young Muslim
women to learning about
being safe and feeling safe
in Queensland. The program
also included exciting
educational excursions
including the Dreamworld
Corrobboree.
This initiative of QPS and
IWAA will be offered once
again starting in July.
If you would like to express
your interest or need
further information, contact
Nora Amath at
nora.cams@iwaa.org.au.
Recently, a man claiming to
be an Imam appeared on
Australian TV and news
programmes, providing his
commentary on some
significant, core topics in
Islam.
The Australian National
Imams Council (ANIC)
strongly believes in the
freedom of speech and the
right of people to freely
act in this country without
compulsion or violence. In
addition, ANIC also believes
in a constructive
dialogue and the right to
express religious views.
Therefore, it is ANIC’s
moral
and religious obligation to
address sensitive topics for
the purpose of fulfilling
their scholarly duty, trust
with Allah (God) and
preserving the Islamic
identity
that was revealed to us
through the Quran and Sunnah.
ANIC affirms that the Quran
has been very clear on
important and core
matters in Islam, and from
amongst these topics is the
practice of
homosexuality. It has been
recently claimed that there
is nothing in the Quran that
clearly states the Islamic
position on the practice of
homosexuality. This claim is
utterly untrue and
falsified.
Islam’s position on
homosexuality has always
been clear and perspicuous
from the time of the
revelation of the Quran to
our Prophet Mohammad (peace
be upon him), 1,400 years
ago, to this very day. The
Islamic perspective is
also consistent with Judaic
and Biblical perspectives as
stipulated in the holy
scriptures.
From the Islamic standpoint,
homosexuality is a forbidden
action; a major sin
and anyone who partakes in
it is considered a
disobedient servant to Allah
that will acquire His
displeasure and disapproval.
This is clearly stated in
the
three main sources of the
Shariah: The Quran, the
Sunnah, and the
consensus of all scholars,
which extends from the time
of the Prophet till
today. There has never been
any debate or discussion
regarding this
viewpoint amongst the
scholars, past or present,
simply because the matter
was always comprehensive and
immutable. ANIC,
representing over 200
Imams from across Australia,
strongly rejects any claim
that the ruling of the
practice of homosexuality is
not clear in the Quran. This
stems from absolute
ignorance of Islam and its
principles.
At a time when Muslim youth
are often besmirched in the
media, it is difficult for
them to find a sense of
belonging.
This struggle is intensified
by unhelpful comments like
Australia’s Immigration
Minister Peter Dutton, who
suggested back in 2016, that
it was a “mistake” to accept
migrants of Lebanese-Muslim
background.
However, this does not
affect Bassam Maliki, 15,
who after experiencing the
ugly head of Islamophobia,
decided to embrace his
pluralistic identity of
being an Australian Muslim
of Lebanese descent.
A recent study from Islamic
Studies Research Academy (ISRA)
revealed that one in ten
Muslims encountered “very
high” rates of exposure to
Islamophobia and racism.
It is because of the
prevalence of Islamophobia
in society, that Bassam
found the impetus to do
something about it, rather
than remain apathetic.
A simple message about
belonging, a worthwhile
project to help foster a
culture of welcoming and
inclusivity in Australia,
symbolised by a key marked
in different coloured dots,
to celebrate diversity.
This is the #Ubelong
campaign, which attempts to
make other Muslim youth
develop a strong sense of
belonging in Australian
society.
For Muslims who are
concerned about social
justice issues, Islamophobia
is only one battle.
Muslims should join
alliances with those
fighting for other social
justice causes that do not
necessarily affect Muslims,
but are in principle, just
causes.
This is encapsulated in the
Quranic verse, “You are the
best nation produced for
mankind. You enjoin what is
right and forbid what is
wrong” (3:110).
Thus, the evils of racism,
bigotry and xenophobia need
to be opposed, irrespective
of whether it is targeted
toward a Muslim or an
Indigenous or a refugee.
Rabbi Zalman from “Together
for Humanity” an interfaith
organisation, has reached
out to support this
campaign.
He finds that the essence of
#Ubelong are those values
and principles promoted in
all religions: justice,
compassion and empathy.
As a consequence of Bassam’s
efforts, he was a finalist
in the 2017 Young Human
Rights Award, a huge
milestone for what appears
to be a promising future for
a descendant of Lebanese
migrants.
Australian Muslim youth
encounter many challenges,
therefore it is paramount
that there exists a strong
sense of belonging, which is
vital to the success of a
vibrant, multicultural
Australia.
Not only is Bassam a proud
Australian, but his embrace
of his pluralistic identity
is exemplary of the fact
that it was never a
“mistake” to welcome
Bassam’s grandparents who
migrated to Australia, nor
is it ever a “mistake” to
welcome new Australians who
enrich and strengthen our
country.
What we should focus on
instead, is building a
strong sense of belonging in
order to curb the feeling of
isolation and
disenfranchisement that many
youth face in today’s
society, a task now
undertaken by a 15 year old.
You can support Bassam’s
cause by buying a key badge
for $5 and following the
campaign on twitter or
facebook @UBelong_here''
Australasian
Muslim Times
ABOUT THE
AUTHOR
Ibrahim Taha is a young,
first year student at Sydney
University. Ibrahim is
involved in many
organisations and has keen
interest in politics,
religion and social issues.
Muslims make up less than
three per cent of the
Australian population, yet
dominate the news headlines
and are often misunderstood.
In the SBS two-part series,
ten Muslim Australians with
vastly different views on
their faith live under one
roof for eight days to
explore what it means to be
a Muslim in modern,
multicultural Australia.
While the housemates are
united in faith, they are
divided on what it means to
be a ‘good Muslim’.
Muslims Like Us was
enlightening, but where were
the Muslim minorities?
OPINION BY RUBY HAMAD
There were nods to Islam’s
ethnic diversity and the
sectarian divide, but SBS
left many questions
unanswered
t could have been a recipe
for disaster. A reality show
where 10 Australian Muslims
briefly share a house in
Sydney’s leafy – and very
white – northern beaches
that, as the narrator
gravely informs us, “had no
Muslim residents. Until
now.”
But SBS’s Muslims Like Us,
spread over two nights,
actually made for an
interesting and at times
enlightening experiment, as
the temporary housemates,
who ranged from
non-practising cultural
Muslims to devoted ultra
conservatives, debated
faith, sectarianism,
terrorism and national
security (of course),
politics and, thanks to the
presence of Fahad, a gay
man, and Rida, a bisexual
woman, sexual orientation.
There were some minor
missteps, such as the
performative group prayers
at Manly beach that seemed
to deliberately make a
spectacle of the
participants, and the
bizarre trip to the site of
the Lindt café siege at
Martin Place (as if it is up
to these 10 Muslims to
explain and atone for that
terrible day). There were
also some major ones, such
as describing the housemates
as “united in faith but
divided in what it means to
be a good Muslim”.
The orientalism of the
phrase “good Muslim” aside,
the assumption that all
Muslims are or should be
devout is just not a
reflection of reality.
Growing up Muslim, it is
impossible to separate
religion from culture and
family; you were a Muslim
simply by virtue of who your
family is, and being a
Muslim shapes and permeates
the lives of the practising
and cultural Muslim alike.
To its credit, the show did
include a sole cultural
Muslim (who, as a Shia
growing up in the early
years of post-Islamic
revolution Iran, also
happened to be the only
non-Sunni in the house);
however, he was
unfortunately never given
the time to explain what
this really means.
Despite its nod to Islam’s
ethnic diversity and its
impressive willingness to
broach the volatile issue of
the sectarian divide, the
show’s lack of sect-based
diversity meant all
discussion of Islamic
ideology was centred on
Sunni practices and beliefs.
As such, the most
interesting question Muslims
Like Us brings up, however
inadvertently, is the fluid
nature of persecution,
victimhood and what it means
to be a minority.
When out in public, for
example, the housemates are
understandably protective of
Anjum, who wears a niqab,
since her visibility makes
her the most likely target
of Islamophobic attacks.
Inside the house, however,
she is the most openly
judgmental of those she
feels are not following
Islam correctly. As well as
hiding a “There are 1.6
billion ways to be a Muslim”
poster that one of the more
progressive participants
proudly stuck to the fridge,
Anjum picks a fight with
Rida, a 20-something
bisexual Sufi who insists on
leading a ritualistic prayer
that the others either
refuse to take part in or do
so reluctantly.
Anjum’s disdain for Rida’s
faith is palpable and,
ironically, a mirror image
of the contempt much of
mainstream Australian
society shows for Islam as a
whole. In fact, their
showdown reminded me of the
infamous Q&A exchange
between Yassmin Abdel-Magied
and Jacquie Lambie, with
Rida eventually shouting at
Anjum to “shut up.”
The response from the other
housemates is telling. Like
Abdel-Magied, Rida was
provoked by someone who
assumed they knew more about
her religion than she did
and demanded she abandon it,
but when Rida understandably
lost her cool, she was
admonished by the men
present for “crossing a
boundary.”
She wasn’t the one who
crossed it. “Her behaviour
is not Islamic and this Sufi
thing is not Islamic,” Anjum
scoffs while a tearful Rida
cries to camera, “She is so
focused on representing the
right version of Islam that
she doesn’t see that she is
hurting others … this is
what we go through in this
community – for being gay,
for being minority Muslims,
for being [young] girls.”
This is an important point
that does not get discussed
nearly enough. Sunnis make
up 80% of all Muslims and as
such dominate the religion.
Minorities are rarely
included in conversations
about Islam and are shut out
of many of its peak bodies
in this country.
Consequently, as well as
fending off Islamophobia,
minorities are forced to
defend their Muslimness,
both to non-Muslim “allies”
and to the dominant Sunni
sect in whose shadow they
dwell.
How do Shia feel about being
called “Rawafid” (the
refusers) or Alawites (my
own community) about being
dismissed as heretical “Nusayris”?
These are questions that
still need to be asked and
answered. Oh well, there is
always next season.
Nonetheless, it was Anjum
who also provoked the most
empathy from me, her eyes
reflecting the deep fear of
eternal hellfire that drives
her behaviour; covering her
face, avoiding activities
involving men, and judging
other Muslims – all of these
are, to her, essential
expressions of her faith
because they will allow her
to escape torment in the
afterlife.
And there it is. So much of
what compels us as humans to
be so punitively harsh on
ourselves and on others can
be traced back to fear. Is
it really worth it?
A new wave of food bloggers
is putting the spotlight on
halal foods and carving out a
niche on social media.
In a world dominated by
influencers, “food porn” and
sponsored posts, a new breed
of Muslim foodies -
colloquially known as
‘haloodies’ are carving out
a niche on social media for
the odd 1 billion consumers
of halal food (meaning
lawful in Arabic) around the
globe. According to The
Economist, the Islamic
market will be worth more
than $5 trillion by 2020, so
you could say these bloggers
are onto something.
Their task? Broadly,
convincing the rest of the
world that halal food isn’t
actually that scary (on the
contrary, it’s delicious,
ethical, and more than
worthy of the popular
Instafood hashtag), and
dissolving the negative
stereotypes unfortunately
pinned to Muslims and the
food they eat.
Of course, it depends who
you ask. Each ‘Haloodie’
food blog is as unique as
the person or team behind
it, with different aims and
philosophies underpinning
them.
The London Haloodie
showcases fine halal food at
luxury restaurants around
the world, while Tazzamina
is a lifestyle influencer
who wants her audience to
know Muslims can pull off
fabulous flatlays just as
good as anyone else.
Here are a few of our
favourites:
Halal Gems
Halal Gems is a blog,
restaurant finder app and a
digital magazine run by
London-based Zohra Khaku.
The blog was born from
Khaku’s self-professed
obsession with food and
trying new restaurants,
coupled with the desire to
promote the most “ethically
produced, fairy traded,
wholesome, tayyib [an Arabic
word roughly translating to
anything good or pure, often
said in the same sentence as
halal] food available,” the
website reads.
“At the end of the day our
job at Halal Gems is to make
sure that people have the
most transparency they can,
so they can make well
informed choices,” Khaku
tells SBS. Halal Gems shines
a light on restaurants in
London that are striving to
make better choices all the
way up the food chain, and
it’s doing so for foodies
looking for places to eat
that meets their ethical
requirements.
Khaku admits that halal
means different things to
different people, and that
we can get caught up in
semantics but what we should
really be championing is
ethics. “One of the first
rules of halal slaughter is
that an animal should never
see another animal being
slaughtered,” she says.
“Some might argue that this
makes mass production of
chickens impossible. Some
would say the best way round
this rule is to stun all
chickens so that they are
unconscious. Some would say
that’s a ridiculous way of
circumventing a rule which
is in place to stop mass
production in the first
place. Which one is most
respectful and wholesome?
It’s a debate that has no
clear answer, but many
angles of argument.”
Nevertheless, blogs like
Halal Gems are a vital
communication tool in the
conversation around
demystifying and
de-stigmatising halal food –
something Australia has had
its own problems with in
recent times.
“We do what we can to
combat stigma, including
hosting London’s most
attended street food
festival, Street Eats,
where everything is
halal,” she says.
“It goes to show that
halal food is not scary.
In the UK, halal
slaughter is pretty much
the same guidelines as
the DEFRA [Department
for Environment, Food
and Rural Affairs]
guidelines, so from an
animal cruelty angle, if
you’re slaughtering an
animal, halal shouldn’t
be any different to
non-halal.”
Following
Cassie Cohen and Jackson
Bursill on their marathon a
day (see
CCN), here is another
migrant/refugee personal
story:
Story 96: Robina Ali
Robina, a former refugee
from Afghanistan, arrived
with her family in 2010.
After 6 months of intensive
English, Robina started high
school in year 10 at
Dandenong High. In just 3
years, Robina attained the
VCE score needed to study
Arts at The University of
Melbourne.
Now in her third year,
studying a Bachelor of Arts
majoring in Politics and
Psychology, Robina resides
at the prestigious Trinity
College.
Robina just finished a
summer internship with
Macquarie Group through
CareerSeekers New Australian
Internship Program and went
on exchange to Cambridge
University last year for
some of her psychology
courses.
Despite working to pay her
tuition fees, Robina has
managed to find the time to
volunteer with Youth Affairs
Victoria and with the Centre
for Multicultural Youth.
Robina has also run a
program about diverse people
and multiculturalism on the
Student Youth Network radio
(Syn fm 90.7).
There are approximately 1.84
billion Muslims in the world
today, making up 24.38% of
the world’s population, or
just under one-quarter of
mankind. As well as being
citizens of their respective
countries, they also have a
sense of belonging to the ‘ummah’,
the worldwide Muslim
community.
The Muslim500 publication
sets out to ascertain the
influence some Muslims have
on this community, or on
behalf of the community.
Influence is: any person who
has the power (be it
cultural, ideological,
financial, political or
otherwise) to make a change
that will have a significant
impact on the Muslim world.
Note that the impact can be
either positive or negative,
depending on one’s point of
view of course.
11
"The greeting of peace - as-salamu
'alaykum- has many meanings.
One of these meanings is
that the person you are
greeting will be safe from
you -from your tongue, your
heart, and your hand- and
that you will not transgress
against that person with
your words or your deeds.
This greeting is also a
prayer for peace, safety,
mercy and blessings. We
should take those noble
meanings, which we so often
say with our tongues, and
make them our way of life in
our dealings with other
people".
A leading Saudi sheikh,
Salman Al-Ouda is a former
hard-line cleric turned
advocate of peaceful
coexistence. He is
increasingly influential due
to his innovative reach in
the Muslim World propagated
via IslamToday.net and his
persistent efforts at
ministering to the needs of
the global Muslim community.
In September 2017, Al-Ouda
was arrested by Saudi
authorities along with
twenty other Saudi clerics
for Tweets that were seen as
offensive to the State.
Key Scholar of Salafi
Network: Sheikh Salman
Al-Ouda is a leading scholar
of the Salafi movement.
Although he is not noted for
propagating innovative ideas
within the network, he has
notable influence in the
movement due to his use of
multiple modes of education
(the Internet, audiovisual
media, and print) to educate
the large body of Salafi
Muslims in the Islamic
sciences. Sheikh Al-Ouda’s
website brings together a
diverse range of Islamic
scholars and educators to
provide guidance in Islamic
thought. Although he is by
no means a figure of dissent
and is loyal to the Saudi
regime, Al-Ouda espouses
reformist, pan-Islamic views
and sentiments on his social
media outlets. His
far-spanning reach places
him under added scrutiny by
the political establishment.
Influence Through Virtual
Islamic Resources:
Sheikh Al-Ouda supervises
all content published on
IslamToday.net—a website
that offers virtual
resources for Islamic
education in multiple
languages. His work has
far-reaching impact in an
age when religion is spread
through media and
technology, with
IslamToday.net at the
forefront of this trend. In
response to a February 2010
ruling from the Al-Azhar
Fatwa Committee condemning
the use of Facebook, Sheikh
Al-Ouda defended the social
networking website, stating
that he uses it to
communicate with Muslims
across the globe and to
provide Islamic guidance
online. Sheikh Al-Ouda has a
following of over seven
million fans on Facebook and
nearly that many views of
his official videos on
YouTube. He also has over 16
million followers on
Twitter.
Innovative Educator:
Al-Ouda developed a
following from weekly talks
at his local mosque in
Buraydah and has become an
authority for Muslims and
non-Muslims worldwide who
access IslamToday.net—a
Saudi-funded website
dedicated to providing
Islamic educational
resources in English,
Arabic, French and Chinese.
He also addresses Islamic
issues on the Saudi
satellite channel MBC.
Ambassador of
Non-violence: In an
effort to distance himself
from alleged connections to
perpetrators of terrorism,
Al-Ouda is outspoken about
the importance of
inculcating love and mercy
as opposed to violence
(except in valid cases of
self-defense) in the daily
lives of Muslims. As a
prominent member of the
International Union for
Muslim Scholars, he led the
delegation in talks with
Arab heads of state
regarding the need for them
to unite in opposition to
Israel’s siege of Gaza in
early 2009. He has strongly
condemned DA’ISH. He also
called for peace and unity
between members of the GCC
and Qatar, which, led to his
arrest alongside other
clerics in a series of
clampdowns on the religious
establishment in Saudi
Arabia.
ANOTHER FROM THE TOP 50
INFLUENTIAL MUSLIMS IN NEXT
WEEK'S CCN
'My America, too.'
An Iowa TV reporter is making history as the
first to wear a hijab on air in the U.S. —
haters or no haters
Tahera Rahman
reaches under her headscarf to
place her microphone as she gets
ready to do one of her two on
air segments from the newsroom
of WHBF-TV on Wednesday, Feb.
14, 2018, in Rock Island. Rahman,
27, is the first female news
reporter to wear a headscarf on
TV.
After a successful interview
with the civil rights
commissioner, Rahman took
background video of
everything she could.
She wanted to talk to a
person whose life would be
affected by Palmer’s
proposed expansion, but if
she didn't find someone, she
needed to make the story
work with just this.
Rahman originally applied to
be a multimedia journalist
at Channel 4 about two years
ago, but was offered the
producer role instead.
When she accepted, she made
no bones about her
aspirations to be on air.
Her bosses were candid that
she would have to apply,
like anyone else.
She did, a few times, and
continued working as a
producer, where she was a
standout, said sports
director Jay Kidwell.
Memorably, she kept her wits
while producing 90 minutes
of straight news, both the 9
p.m. and 10 p.m. broadcasts,
after a colleague called in
sick, he said.
While news director Mike
Mickle doesn’t hire based on
skin color — quality of work
is most important, he said —
his newsroom includes
minority journalists of all
backgrounds.
He wants his reporters to
reflect the diversity he
sees in the Quad Cities, he
said.
The larger Davenport metro
area has steadily become
more diverse in the past two
decades, according to the
Census Bureau. Only 14
percent of people classified
themselves as non-white in
the 2000 Census, while 17
percent categorized
themselves as such in 2010
Census.
Almost 20 percent of Quad
Cities residents designated
themselves as non-white in
the Census’ American
Community Survey released in
December.
And the Muslim population in
Iowa is rising, too. From
2000 to 2010, the percentage
of Muslims in Iowa increased
by an estimated 38 percent,
according to the Association
of Religious Data Archives.
Today, estimated 80,000
Muslims call the Hawkeye
State home.
Rahman said she’s only
experienced two incidents of
racial harassment while
living in the Quad Cities.
Both were in passing and she
said neither felt very
threatening.
“Two might seem like a lot
to people, but as an
American Muslim woman, that
is not a lot,” she said. “I
think superficially it seems
shocking that a rural,
semi-rural Midwest area
would be the first (to have
a hijabi reporter), but in
the end it goes back to that
Midwestern hospitality.”
Additionally, the mechanics
of broadcast news don’t
allow a reporter to jump
straight to the “TODAY”
show. Television journalists
have to start in smaller
markets, said Mariam Sobh,
an award-winning hijabi
reporter who has been trying
to break into TV for a
decade.
“It’s a double-edged sword
for many of us because,
sure, bigger markets are
going to have more diversity
and maybe it would be an
easier fit,” Sobh said, “but
you have to start in smaller
markets where maybe Muslim
faces aren’t something that
viewers see every day.”
When Mickle decided to hire
another reporter late last
year, he knew Rahman would
apply. He opened the process
to the public but found her
reel to be the best
submission.
“I don’t care if
Tahera is the first or
the 30th or the 3000th,
she’s been hired because
she deserved the job,”
he said.
As Mickle prepared to help
Tahera make the move from
producer to reporter, he
looked for suggestions from
other stations. But he
quickly discovered no local
market had been through this
particular transition.
The importance of the
situation dawned on him:
Channel 4 would be making
history.
Mickle wasn't concerned with
ratings or advertisers; his
worry focused squarely on
Rahman's mental and physical
safety. Just "one or two"
bad actors can "cause a lot
of problems and heartache,"
he said.
"Once again, she has proven
that she was up for this
challenge," he said. "She is
a very strong young lady."
14 stages of
love according
to the Arabic
language
By Rayana Khalaf
Arabs are in a
league of our
own when it
comes to
romance. I mean,
just look at the
ways we express
love, we're
always ready to
sacrifice our
skin and bones
for the people
we love.
Over-the-top
demonstration of
love goes beyond
our everyday
conversation, as
it is rooted
deep within our
literature.
There is no
shortage of epic
and fiery poems
in Arab
literature,
brought to us by
the likes of Abu
Nawas and Nizar
Qabbani.
In these poems,
we see
variations of
words referring
to love, like "'oshk"
and "gharam"...
but contrary to
popular belief,
these words are
not synonymous.
They each refer
to a unique
degree of love.
Actually, there
are 14 degrees
of love in
Arabic language.
Here they are in
increasing order
of intensity:
"Al-kalaf"
refers
to a
state of
powerful
longing
accompanied
by
hardships
and
suffering.
This is
when
people
say "I
love you
so much
it
hurts"
and
actually
mean it.
The Imam and
the Rape Victim
By Abdul Malik
Mujahid
Imam Abdul
Razzaq is not
famous. He has
probably never
been outside of
his native
Pakistan, let
alone his small
village of
Meerwala. You’ll
most likely
never see him on
television or
read about him.
But he has done
what few men
have ever done:
Defend a
gang-raped woman
in the face of
more powerful
(and armed) men.
On an otherwise
ordinary Friday
in June 2002,
Imam Abdul
Razzaq gave a
Khutba. But not
just any Khutba
– it was a
sermon with
shock value. In
it, he condemned
the gang rape of
Mukhtar Mai,
which had
occurred a few
days earlier in
his village.
Mai was a young
woman whose
teenage brother
was falsely
accused of
engaging in a
relationship
with a woman
from a “higher”
tribe. In the
vigilante
justice meted
out by the
village elders,
the punishment
for this was to
humiliate a
woman close to
the offender.
That meant
Mukhtar Mai was
to be gang-raped
by men from the
“offended”
woman’s tribe.
And that she
was.
After being
raped and
paraded naked in
front of
hundreds of
people, Mai
contemplated
suicide.This
traumatized
woman would have
done it – until
Imam Abdul
Razzaq knocked
on her door.
The Imam
convinced both
Mai and her
father to press
charges against
the rapists. He
went with them
to the local
police station
and helped them
report the
incident. Then,
he delivered his
Khutba and
called a
journalist to
give the crime
publicity. Once
the article
about the
horrific attack
came out, the
news spread
first within,
shocking
Pakistanis
across the
country. Then, a
few weeks later,
the BBC picked
it up and
brought it to
the world.
The Imam’s
support, along
with the
publicity
sympathetic to
her plight,
strengthened
Mai. It gave her
courage to face
the world and
challenge her
attackers.
Imam Abdul
Razzaq never
received rape
crisis training;
he did not
complete a
degree in
Women’s Studies;
he was not
pressured by
Western
non-governmental
organizations
(NGOs), nor has
he ever lived in
a part of the
world where
detailed
discussions
about women’s
rights, women’s
equality,
feminism, or
gender justice
take place. At
the time of
Mukhtar Mai’s
rape, his
village had
virtually no
electric power
service and no
telephones.
But Imam Abdul
Razzaq received
a different kind
of training. It
was not just in
being able to
read, recite,
and teach the
Quran. Rather,
it was to truly
live up to its
principles. In
this case, to be
just, as God
commands
repeatedly.
“O you who
believe!
Stand out
firmly for
justice, as
witnesses to
Allah, even
though it be
against
yourselves,
or your
parents, or
your kin, be
he rich or
poor, Allah
is a Better
Protector to
both (than
you). So
follow not
the lusts
(of your
hearts),
lest you may
avoid
justice, and
if you
distort your
witness or
refuse to
give it,
verily,
Allah is
ever
well-acquainted
with what
you do” (Quran
4:135).
Imam Abdul
Razzaq made it
clear that rape
is wrong,
whether it is in
the alleys of
Meerwala or on
the streets of
Manhattan. It is
wrong whether it
happens to a
woman of “high”
status or “low”.
Imam Abdul
Razzaq also
knows that
giving Khutbas
is necessary,
but to truly
stand up for
what’s right,
action and
support for the
victim are
essential.
This great,
underappreciated
Imam also
understands that
violence against
women is not a
“women’s issue”.
It is a men’s
issue as well.
In fact, it is
very much a
“Muslim issue”.
It is about the
core of Islamic
teachings:
Justice for the
weak, and
standing up for
what is right in
every way we
can, with every
tool at our
disposal.
Imam Abdul
Razzaq’s example
is one that more
Muslims should
highlight,
discuss, and
emulate.
OUR STANDARDS
AND EXPECTATIONS
OF JOURNALISTS
ARE TOO LOW
Media coverage
of Islam does
not exist in a
vacuum of facts
and objectivity.
The reality is,
print news is a
struggling
industry, and a
very effective
method for
selling
newspapers is
fear, sensation,
and drama. The
more that these
methods are
normalised, the
more they will
be used against
anybody who the
media paints as
the next ‘enemy’
of ‘Australian
values’. As
Charles Morton
from Victoria
Police Media put
it, “At the end
of the day, they
want to shift
newspapers”
(Ewart 2016).
This is not just
an issue of bias
or exaggeration
in individual
reports. As we
found in our
research, the
overwhelming
scale of
association
between Islam
and terror,
extremism,
violence, and
oppression
through phrasing
and word choice
is far more
significant than
any isolated
events or
reports. If 2891
articles include
the phrase
“Islamic
terrorism” or
“Muslim
oppression”,
those ideas
stick.
This is coupled
with
stereotypical
pictures and
images on
front-pages and
feature stories
that are
prominently
shown in order
to sell more
papers. These
images have been
shown to
significantly
shape the way
Islam and
Muslims are
framed in the
public eye
(Ewart 2017). In
fact there have
been a high
number of
incidents in
which images
have had to be
withdrawn and
apologies made
for incorrect
associations
with events.
Many newspapers
seem to have a
policy of “show
the face,
apologise
later.” This
kind of approach
not only affects
public
perceptions, it
has serious
ramifications on
the individuals
that these
papers choose to
‘name and
shame’, whether
correctly or
not.
However, what is
said and shown
is only one
aspect of the
equation. As
Thomas Huckin
points out,
“what is not
said and/or
written is
equally powerful
because of the
ideological role
it plays” (Patil
2016). It is
simply naive to
think that
journalists
don’t have a
choice in what
they choose to
talk about, and
that those
choices don’t
have
consequences on
the public’s
perception.
Hana Assafiri
speaks out about
her violent past
as Muslim child
bride
Hana is the
founder of Speed
Date a Muslim, a
community event
designed to
combat
Islamophobia
Hana Assafiri
opened
Melbourne's
Moroccan Soup
Bar 20 years ago
this June.
Now the owner of
two restaurants,
she is also the
founder of Speed
Date a Muslim, a
community event
to combat
Islamophobia.
Since
revelations of
sexual abuse and
harassment have
gone viral with
the #MeToo
movement, Hana
Assafiri
believes it's
her turn to end
the silence. For
the first time,
she shares her
personal story
of abuse.
It was 1998 and
I was driving
down a road and
saw a for lease
sign.
I thought, 'why
not? I don't
know what it
will look like,
but it will be a
safe haven, an
environment
which validates
women, and we'll
shape it and
we'll enable it
to evolve'. So I
called the agent
and brokered a
deal.
You started
Speed Date a
Muslim in
November 2015.
What is it?
I wondered how
we could
creatively
engage
communities with
a sense of
humour, given
the irony that
Muslims
theoretically
don't date.
In a kind of
speed-dating
event, we bring
people together
— Muslims
sitting across
from non-Muslims
— where people
can ask any
question they
like about
Islam.
Perhaps
unsurprisingly,
the division in
this global
movement has
global
ramifications —
including in the
UK.
According to a
TJ activist, it
all started with
a visit of two
representatives
of the
International
Shura to the UK,
in September
2017 to gather
signatures and
support for the
Aalmi Shura.
They went to
various TJ
centres to meet
volunteers and
leaders.
This visit
divided the TJ
volunteers and
elders on the
basis of
nationalities or
the countries of
origin. Those
from the
Gujarati
community and
most of those
having a
Pakistani
background sided
with the Aalmi
Shura, while
most volunteers
and elders with
a Bengali
background stood
behind Maulana
Saad.
Before the
delegation left
Britain, the
lines were
already drawn,
dividing the TJ
community into
two camps. Of
the seven TJ
centres in the
UK, three —
Blackburn,
Leicester and
Glasgow —
expressed
loyalties to the
Aalmi Shura
while three
others —
Birmingham,
Bristol and
Dewsbury — stood
solidly behind
Nizamuddin.
The situation in
the seventh
centre, London,
took an ugly
turn when three
members of the
London Shura
signed a letter
of support for
the Aalmi Shura
without
consulting the
London Shura or
any of its 10
subordinate
circles. This
prompted the
ameer of the
London Shura to
expel them from
the London
set-up and fill
the vacant
positions by
other
volunteers,
including his
son.
This led to
disturbances in
a shura meeting
at the London
Markaz, or
Masjid-i-Ilyas,
in December
2017. A heated
exchange was
followed by a
physical brawl
between the
supporters of
rival factions
inside the
centre. The
London
Metropolitan
Police had to
intervene and
the centre was
closed for
around two
weeks.
It was not the
first time that
the police had
to be called in
to calm emotions
and separate the
supporters of
warring
factions. Some
reports
suggested that
police visited
the site over a
dozen times to
attend to ugly
situations.
Supporters of
the Aalmi Shura
led by three
dissident
members of the
London Shura
later took
control of the
London Markaz
and deployed
security guards
to scrutinise
the entry of
worshippers into
the mosque when
it was re-opened
after two weeks.
Supporters of
Maulana Saad,
led by the
London ameer, in
the meanwhile,
moved their
activities to
the old London
Markaz at
Christian Street
in the Tower
Hamlet area
dominated by
Muslims of
Bangladeshi
origin, where
they meet on
Tuesdays for
consultations
and on Thursdays
for tashkeel
[formation of
groups] and
da’wah routes.
Currently there
are two TJs
operating in
London and in
the rest of the
UK. One adheres
to the
instructions
from Nizamuddin
and Maulana Saad
and the other
follows
instructions
from the Aalmi
Shura centred in
Raiwind.
These
differences were
initially kept
under wraps but,
later, both
factions
launched
Facebook pages
to keep their
supporters
informed about
the latest
developments.
“This notice
in Dewsbury
Markaz was
put up to
establish
the
Nizamuddin
authority
after the
recent
confusions,”
says a post
on London on
the
Nizamuddin
Facebook
page.
“Alhamdulillah
our Markaz
in Dewsbury
UK are [sic]
under the
tarteeb
[organisation]
and follow
the
guidelines
of
Nizamuddin
World Markaz.
This post is
to clarify
that [the]
majority of
UK [sic]
continue
[sic] to
follow and
will
continue to
follow the
guidelines
of
Nizamuddin.
It is only a
very small
minority, a
fraction of
people who
have
diverted.”
Another post on
the pro-Saad
page quotes a
sermon delivered
by a cleric in
Maryland, US:
“For the
past 100
years, the
decision of
da’wah and
tabligh [proselytization]
was made
only in
Nizamuddin
World Markaz.
No one asked
a single
question.
This is how
the effort
has been
running, it
always
stayed there
and it never
went
elsewhere. [Maulana]
Saad’s
imaarath
[office of
an ameer]
was decided
20 years
ago. This
new concept
of Shura is
bogus, this
is not a
reality,
this has no
basis in the
effort. It
has always
been that
our Markaz
has always
been Markaz
Nizamuddin
in New
Delhi.”
Meanwhile, the
anti-Saad camp
has also not
been left behind
in their use for
social media to
spread their
message.
“When [a]
delegation
from
Nizamuddin
[was
visiting]
Madarsa
Mazahir-ul-Uloom,
all the
students
boycotted
and refused
to attend
any event in
the empty
Masjid,”
says a post
on the anti-Saad
Facebook
page along
two pictures
of what
looks like a
parking
area.
“Urgently
[sic] Saad
Kandhalvi’s
local group
managed to
import some
persons from
outside, and
the evidence
is these two
pics where
vehicles can
be seen in
[the parking
lot.”
Another post
accompanied by a
graphic with
Urdu text
conveys the
following
message:
“Sometimes
small kids
didn’t [sic]
able to
understand
and raised
question
that did
Deoband
supporting
[sic] Aalami
Shura?
ANSWER: No,
the actual
fact was
Aalami Shura
is following
& supporting
Deoband
instructions,
because
train engine
doesn’t
required
[sic]
anything to
run but in
fact buggies
required
[sic]
engine.”
So the question
is why is this
issue so
important?
Some may call it
Nizamuddin
versus Raiwind
while others
take it as
Nizamuddin
versus rebels.
There is also
the individual
versus
collective
decision-making
dimension in the
controversy as
there is the
modernist versus
conservative
undertone. But
it all comes
down to who
should provide
the spiritual
leadership for
TJ when it needs
it the most.
After all, it is
an organisation
where even for a
smaller group,
there are
responsibilities
for even the
smallest of
tasks such as
running the
group at a
particular
mosque that
particular
night. So is it
prudent to leave
a vacuum at the
top?
TO BE CONTINUED
IN NEXT WEEK'S
CCN: DARUL
ULOOM DEOBAND
BAN
It’s not every
day that you see a proud Muslim
winning the Aussie Rules
football Grand Final. Bachar
Houli shares his reflections
from the amazing day.
It’s not every
day that you see the face of an
Australian Muslim in a positive
light. The Muslim community has
been a highlight of the
Australian media for almost two
decades now, and as our recent
study shows, the coverage has
been both disproportionately
large and negative.
More recently, however, some
networks have taken a slightly
different approach, seeing the
demand for a more “nuanced”
discussion of Islam in Australia
and jumping on board.
Shows like the
SBS’ Muslims like Us are an
example of what happens when the
Muslim community becomes a
source of entertainment for the
wider society, rather than a
respected and equal member
within it.
That's why Bachar Houli is such
a refreshing face. As a
midfielder for the Richmond
Tigers, the team which just won
the AFL Grand Final, he has
become both an amazing
footballer, and a great role
model for Muslim youth in
Australia, all whilst
maintaining his commitment to
the practices of his faith.
Mom Takes Kids to Mock Mosque
AJ+
A mother,
teaching her children hate and
violence, takes them on a
vandalise-a-mosque trip.
LATEST NEWS
2 Women Who Took Children To
Vandalize An Arizona Mosque Are
Arrested
Two Arizona women, Tahnee
Gonzales and Elizabeth
Dauenhauer, were arrested on
suspicion of felony third-degree
burglary after an investigation
into theft and vandalism at a
Tempe mosque revealed that the
two women, along with three
unidentified children,
trespassed on the property of
the Islamic Community Center
earlier this month, an act that
they recorded on Facebook live.
The two women were booked into
the Tempe City Jail on Thursday
afternoon, Det. Liliana Duran
told HuffPost. Based on details
of the incident shown in the
videos, an enhanced charge
involving hate crime may be
considered for sentencing, Duran
said.
In the series of videos posted
to Facebook, the women are seen
gathered in a car with Gonzales
in the passenger seat narrating
the group’s plans to “expose the
mosque” with Dauenhauer driving
and three children listening
closely in the backseat. Upon
arrival, the women began ripping
flyers from a bulletin board and
stealing other materials from
the outdoor hallway. The women
then praise their children for
the burglary.
The children are then seen
climbing upon the mosque’s
funeral van while one of the
women warns a boys about the
“dead Muslims” and “sex goats”
that she says were once stored
in the truck.
Throughout the videos, the women
are heard encouraging the
children using racist and
Islamophobic language.
“Be careful, because Muslims are
waiting to rape you,” the young
girl is heard telling one of the
boys at one point in the video.
One of videos posted by Gonzales
has since been taken down but
was reposted on a number of
other accounts, including a
Facebook page under the name
Naui Ocelot that has accumulated
over 10,000 views. The other two
videos are still on Gonzales’
personal Facebook page. HuffPost
has also obtained copies of the
videos. Dauenhauer has since
removed her Facebook account.
The videos shocked the Muslim
community in Tempe when the
community members reviewed the
brazen footage. Civil rights
organizations, including the
Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR) and the
Anti-Defamation League (ADL)
condemned the incident. The ADL
called it “extremely disturbing
and ugly on so many levels” in a
statement to HuffPost.
“We’re pleased with the decision
to arrest these two
individuals,” Imraan Siddiqi,
the executive director of the
Arizona chapter of CAIR, told
HuffPost. “As we saw on the
video, the actions that they
took and the hateful epithets
that they were spewing were
egregious and harmful not only
to Muslims but to any house of
worship. These types of things
have to be taken seriously by
law enforcement, so we do thank
the Tempe Police Department as
well the Islamic Community
Center of Tempe for taking swift
and quick actions against this
and not taking this light and
really prosecuting it quickly.”
CAIR added that HuffPost’s
report Wednesday “helped
propelled this to a higher
priority case.”
After the Facebook videos were
posted on March 4, the Islamic
Community Center delivered
evidence to the Tempe Police
Department two days later. It
wasn’t until a week later, and
less than 24 hours after
HuffPost’s initial report, that
police made the arrest.
Ahmad Al-Akoum, the operations
director and acting imam of the
Tempe center, told HuffPost the
video’s scenes of children being
led to hate were the most
disturbing to him.
“What really affected me the
most is seeing those young
children getting real-life
lessons in hate, that was the
thing that made me really,
really upset with those people,”
Al-Akoum said. “Those innocent
5-, 6-year-old children are now
really learning hate from their
parents. It’s really
disheartening.”
It is the usual policy of CCN to
include notices of events, video links and articles that
some readers may find interesting or relevant. Such notices
are often posted as received. Including such messages/links
or providing the details of such events does not necessarily
imply endorsement or agreement by CCN of the contents
therein.
Summary
by Mohideen:
Mufti Junaid
commenced by
saying when
emaan enters
the heart
you get a
twofold
effect.
Spoke about
Umar bin
Abdul Aziz
doing the
zakath
collection
and
distribution
and could
not find any
poor person
because Umar
bin Abdul
Aziz made
everybody
rich. Mufti
also spoke
about what
people
talked and
did during
the rule of
Umar bin
Abdul Aziz.
He
complained
how Muslims
today
support
people who
deny God and
gave the
example of
how Muslims
comment on
the death of
Stephen
Hawking. He
explained
what is
emaan spoke
about Nikah
vow of
acceptance
and said it
is the same
when you
accept Allah
as the Rab.
He said how
Islam is a
way of life
and
explained
how there
are five
departments
in Islam. He
questioned
why western
country
people do
not live in
Muslim
countries
and why
Muslims live
all over the
world.
Concluded by
saying how
Muslims do
not give
enough
charity to
help the
problems
facing the
world today
including
Syria.
TOPIC:
“Allah
taala loves
those who
follow the
Sunnah"
IMAM:
Mufti Naeem
Ali
Summary
by Mohideen:
Mufti Naeem
commenced by
telling how
Allah
created the
whole
universe and
how Allah
loves
mankind and
to guide
mankind sent
the Quran.
He said
Allah knows
everything
and
explained
how Allah
said in the
Quran to the
Prophet (pbuh)
to say to
the ummah
that if you
want Allah
to love you
then follow
the Prophet
(pbuh). He
went on to
explain that
one should
follow the
Sunnah of
our beloved
Prophet (pbuh)
it is only
then Allah
will love
that person.
He said how
the Sahaba’s
followed
everything
the Prophet
(pbuh) did,
even though
some of them
were not
Sunnah and
not required
to be
followed, he
gave the
example of
one Sahabi
bending
whilst
riding his
camel in a
certain
spot. He
concluded
with the
story of how
the Prophet
(pbuh)
appealed to
everyone to
go to Tabuk
and the
Sahaba’s did
not give
excuses but
immediately
accepted
whatever the
Prophet (pbuh)
said.
The Maclaurin
Building is shown on the campus
of the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology in Cambridge,
Massachusetts.
DUBAI: The MIT Technology
Review has been launched in Arabic as
regional governments look to an
innovation-driven future.
Haykal Media has teamed up with the
Dubai Future Foundation to launch the
publication as well as the Emerging
Technologies Conference (EmTech) in
Dubai on Sept. 23-24, 2018.
Abdulsalam Haykal, founder and chairman
of Haykal Media, said: “MIT Technology
Review is one of the world’s most
respected platforms focused on
innovation and emerging technologies.
Bringing this platform to the region and
localizing its existing content reflects
our commitment to enhancing people’s
access to specialized, useful and
reliable content in Arabic.”
The aim is to inspire more young Arabs
to pursue careers in technology. It
comes as Gulf economies, in the face of
dwindling oil and gas revenues, seek to
invest in technologies of the future
such as artificial intelligence. Khalfan
Belhoul, CEO of the Dubai Future
Foundation, said: “The platform, along
with the conference and Innovators under
35 awards, is an ideal opportunity for
professionals and entrepreneurs to meet
with decision-makers, exchange
experiences and ideas, and learn about
the latest scientific and technological
innovations.”
Elizabeth Bramson-Boudreau, MIT
Technology Review’s CEO and publisher,
added: “Since 1899, MIT Technology
Review has led the global conversation
about emerging technologies and how they
will shape the way we live and work.
During this time of great change and
promise in the Middle East, we are
excited to work with Haykal Media to
develop an Arabic-language magazine and
a local EmTech event series.”
The event
heard about the volunteer work
many Muslim women are engaged in
around the country
IRELAND: Muslim women in
Ireland have been encouraged to become
more involved in their communities
through volunteering.
A conference held in Dublin today was
told that getting involved in local
activities would help women to better
integrate themselves with society, while
also helping to change perceptions about
their beliefs.
Hosted by the Muslim Sisters of Éire,
the event heard about the volunteer work
many Muslim women are engaged in around
the country.
In recent weeks that has included
bringing supplies to vulnerable people
during Storm Emma, while the
organisation also holds a weekly soup
run for the homeless in Dublin city
centre.
Algerian businessman vows to pay
Danish face veil fines.
DENMARK: An Algerian
businessman has said he would pay all
the fines faced by women in Denmark who
choose to wear full-face veils, as the
Danish government on February 6 proposed
a ban on full-face veils in public
spaces. The measure has yet to be
approved.
Speaking to Anadolu Agency in front of
the Danish parliament, on Saturday,
Rasheed Nekkaz said that he had already
paid 1,538 fines for women facing
similar circumstances in six countries,
including France, Belgium, Switzerland,
the Netherlands, Austria, and Germany.
Nekkaz is famed for paying the fines of
women who wear full-face veils or burqas
after the garments were banned in many
European countries, including France, in
2010.
Political activist
The Algerian businessman and political
activist amassed a fund of one million
euros to pay for these fines.
"Governments in Europe aren't producing
solutions for Muslims to adapt to
Europe, which is why Muslim communities
in Europe need to be much stronger in
order to protect their interests," he
said.
"It is very important for me to be able
to give European governments the message
on restricting freedom that they can't
just do whatever they want," he said.
"If there is a veil ban in a country on
those who want to wear them, I will be
the one paying their fines," he added.
Nekkaz said that before Denmark, he
travelled to Iran to support the freedom
of 29 women arrested on March 8 for
refusing to wear veils on International
Women's Day.
"The reason I'm here isn't to defend
religion, but to defend freedom. The
principle of freedom is a universal
right," he said.
"So I defend the freedom of those who
want to wear veils in Europe and those
who don't want to wear veils in Iran,"
he said.
Nekkaz said that it is important that
the Danish government understands that
the women are wearing veils of their own
free will.
'Veil ban limits freedom'
At a Saturday protest at the Danish
parliament, Sara, a 30-year-old Turkish
woman, told Anadolu Agency that the veil
ban would limit her freedom.
As she wears the veil, Sara said that
the ban would prevent her from going
outside.
Sara said that among Denmark's 5.7
million population, only about 50 women
wear the veil.
Sara stated that the veil ban is just
the beginning of other bans targeting
Muslims.
"My question to Danish politicians is:
You speak about freedom, but where is
our freedom? Where is our freedom of
religion?" she asked.
Edible flowers
Approximately Ľ cup
each of the
following fruit:
Blueberries
Mango slices
Passionfruit pulp
2 tsp lime rind
1 sprig of mint
leaves
1 sprig of lemon
thyme
2 tsp desiccated
coconut, lightly
toasted
1 tbsp slivered
almonds
1 tbsp sliced
pistachio
Method
1. Preheat oven to
150°C, trace 4
circles in the
following diameter
sizes: 9 ˝ inch, 8 ˝
inch, 7 ˝ inch, 6 ˝
inch and using
template, draw
outline for handles
to be piped. Grease
and line 4 trays
with the traced
baking paper and set
aside (traced side
down on pan).
2. Separate eggs and
keep yolks aside to
be used for curds.
Using a stand mixer
fitted with whisk
attachment, start by
whisking egg whites
and a pinch of salt,
until soft peaks
form on medium
speed. Gradually add
ONLY a tbsp of sugar
at a time, making
sure not to deflate
egg white mixture.
Once all the sugar
has been added and
dissolved
completely, add
cornflour, cream of
tartar and vinegar.
3. Continue to whisk
until high peaks
form and mixture
looks glossy. Lastly
fold in vanilla bean
paste.
4. Prepare piping
bag with pink gel
colour lines running
up using a skewer
stick. Gently remove
approximately 1 cup
of mixture and place
into a piping bag
fitted with 1M
nozzle. To create
the final top
disk/lid of pavlova
basket, pipe in a
circular motion onto
one traced 6 ˝ inch
circle of baking
paper forming roses.
Set aside. Then
using the handle
templates, pipe
basket handle from
one end to the
other.
5. Using a large
metal spoon, place
remainder of mixture
on each pan using
circles as
guidelines and by
gently piling on
spoonfuls of mixture
in a circular motion
– neatly and using a
metal offset spatula
to neaten edges
gently. Reduce heat
to 120°C in oven and
place all trays of
pavlova in at the
same time. Making
sure that the oven
door is closed at
all times. Bake for
90 minutes.
6. Thereafter, turn
off the oven and
leave pavlovas to
cool in oven with
door ajar, using a
wooden spoon if
necessary. After 30
minutes, remove from
oven and place on
wire racks.
For the
mascarpone and
whipped cream
mixture:
1. Using a chilled
bowl, whisk the
mascarpone cheese
with sifted icing
sugar until
combined. Add in
thickened cream and
vanilla bean paste
and whisk on low
speed until
combined.
Thereafter, increase
speed and whisk till
stiff peaks form.
Taste for sweetness.
For the first
filling:
1. Passionfruit curd
with orange segments
and macadamia, using
a saucepan of
simmering water,
place a heat-proof
bowl over water –
not touching it.
Place butter, sugar
and lemon rind into
bowl on medium heat.
While that is
heating, whisk
together in a
separate bowl: egg
yolks, cornflour and
passionfruit pulp.
2. Add to heated
butter mixture,
whisking
continuously to
combine and until
mixture is smooth
and slightly
thickened. Once the
mixture can coat the
back of a spoon, it
is ready.
3. Remove from heat
and pour into flat
bowl, cover surface
of curd with cling
wrap and refrigerate
until cold. Toast
macadamia nuts for
10 minutes in oven
on 160°C. Keep
aside. Peel and
segment orange into
pieces and keep
aside.
For the second
filling, mango and
lemon compote with
flaked almonds:
1. Peel and cube
mangoes, leaving at
least ˝ a mango to
be sliced for
decorative layer.
Place mango into a
saucepan with sugar.
2. As it starts
simmering and sugar
dissolves, add
juices, zest and
vanilla bean paste.
Once mixture has
thickened and
mangoes have
softened, slightly
mash the mangoes to
release more juice
and remove from
heat. Place in a
bowl and
refrigerate. Chop
mint very finely and
add to mixture once
cooled.
For third
filling, lime and
coconut curd with
pistachio:
1. Using a saucepan
of simmering water,
place a heat-proof
bowl over water –
not touching it.
Place butter, sugar
and rind into bowl
on medium heat.
While that is
heating, whisk
together in a
separate bowl: egg
yolks, cornflour and
lime juice. Add to
heated butter
mixture, whisking
continuously to
combine and until
mixture is smooth
and slightly
thickened.
2. Once the mixture
can coat the back of
a spoon, it is
ready. Remove from
heat and pour into
flat bowl, cover
surface of curd with
cling wrap and
refrigerate until
cold. Toast
pistachios for 10
minutes in oven on
160C. Chop or slice
up. Keep aside.
To assemble the
pavlova:
1. Place largest
tier of pavlova (9 ˝
inch) on board. Pipe
mascarpone mixture
lightly on first
tier, creating
pockets to hold
curd. Top with first
filling and sprinkle
with macadamia
especially around
border which will be
visible.
2. Next place the
second tier (8 ˝
inch circle) atop,
repeat with
mascarpone mixture
and mango compote.
Sprinkle flaked
almonds over,
especially on
border. Then place
third tier (7 ˝
inch) on top and top
with mascarpone
mixture and lime and
coconut curd.
Sprinkle with
pistachio.
Thereafter, place
smallest pavlova
circle on top.
Decorate neatly by
piping a few
rosettes of cream
mixture, then small
amounts of fruit in
spiral circles.
Scatter edible
flowers in rows.
For the handle:
1. Melt white
chocolate and stick
both pieces
together. Place over
top disk. Place
edible flowers atop.
To decorate:
1. Place left over
mascarpone cream
mixture into piping
bag fitted with 1M
nozzle and pipe
small rose designs.
2. Drizzle raspberry
coulis over cream
and gently over
sides of pavlova
tiers. Place each of
the decorative
fruits, rind, nuts
etc. in a pattern on
top.
3. Place blueberries
on toothpicks as
decorations and
place between fruit.
Sprinkle coconut and
edible flowers atop.
Carefully remove
meringue basket
handle from foil
covered pan and
place onto top disk,
using whipped cream
mixture to hold in
place. Decorate
handle with edible
flowers.
Welcome to my weekly
column on
Self-Care and
Clarity of Mind.
If you’re taking
time out to read
this, pat yourself
on the back because
you have shown
commitment to taking
care of your mind
and body.
Today, In Shaa
ALLAH, we will
explore the topic:
Women Respecting
Women
There is no other
way to say this, so
brace yourself,
because what I’m
about to tell you is
not pretty at all. I
grew up in a
household where
sexual abuse on
children and
emotional and
physical violence on
teenage females were
perpetuated by
women.
There, I’ve said it.
This is in not to
gain your sympathy
but merely to
request that you
take a moment and
reflect on your life
to understand the
women in your
immediate and
extended family.
Most of you may not
relate to my
experience and
that’s fine. In
fact, I’m grateful
if you don’t relate.
However, if you
examine your life
carefully, somewhere
along the way you
too may find that
there have been
times where women
have failed to
respect each other.
Through observation
and understanding of
case studies of my
own clients, I see a
pattern where women
may choose to
surround themselves
in deep insecurity,
self-loathing and
negative self-talk
which then
perpetuate
disharmony in their
relationships with
other women in the
home and in the
community.
Sisterhood, a great
blessing and mercy
from ALLAH, is
deeply affected when
women disrespect
each other.
Some of the negative
behaviours women
tend to display with
other women are:
•
Passive-aggressive
remarks
• Sarcastic
remarks
• Aggressive
outbursts
• Cyber-bullying
• Backbiting
• Interrogation
(trying to get
personal
information from
someone - such
as husband’s
salary)
• Commenting on
physical
appearance
(“you’ve gained
weight”, “you’ve
lost weight”,
“you look really
tanned, don’t go
in the sun so
much”, “you
should go on a
diet”, “you need
to get with the
program”)
• Commenting on
and judging
another sister’s
practice of her
deen
(“she took her
hijab off”, “why
does she wear
the niqab?”)
I
confess that I am
guilty of at least
one of the above.
The state of the
ummah can only
improve if the state
of each household
and family
relationships
improve. This
heavily depends on
how women treat each
other. It’s time to
develop strategies
to at least respect
our differences and
make a genuine
attempt to
understand one
another.
Alhumdolillah, women
are powerful beings.
ALLAH has blessed
women with an
inherent power to
persevere through
life with resilience
and courage,
provided that she
acknowledges these
attributes in
herself and use them
to positively
empower other women
in her family and
community. The
following poem is
dedicated to my
fellow sisters.
SISTERHOOD
She
means
well,
just
like you
She has
been
hurt
before,
just
like you
She was
once a
little
girl
with
dreams
and
demands,
just
like you
She has
her
daily
battles,
just
like you
And
sometimes
loses
her
cool,
just
like you
She
cries
every so
often,
just
like you
She
loves
wholeheartedly,
just
like you
She
deserves
respect,
just
like you
She is a
unique
creation
of
ALLAH,
just
like you
Together
we share
a
blessed
sisterhood
So treat
her with
love,
compassion
and
respect
Just
like how
you wish
for her
to treat
you
She is
afterall,
just
like
you.
1. Listen without
commenting.
2. If you feel the
need to comment,
THINK before
speaking.
3. Send a kind text
message to enquire
how other sisters in
your family/
community are doing.
Your caring message
could be exactly
what they need that
day.
4. Always ask for
forgiveness if you
cross the line.
5. Always forgive
when another sister
seeks forgiveness
from you.
6. Refuse to
part-take in
backbiting. Walk
away, simply and
absolutely refuse.
7. Give a genuine
compliment about the
sister’s wellbeing,
not only about her
physical appearance.
8. If you are unable
to help another
sister, tell her you
will find someone
else to help her. Do
not leave her
hanging on false
hopes.
9. NEVER COMPARE her
with anyone else.
Never compare her
circumstances with
another person’s
circumstances. We
are all fighting our
own unique battles
daily.
10. STOP JUDGING.
Judging involves ego
and ego is a sin. Be
ALLAH conscious and
stop judging your
fellow sisters.
In Shaa ALLAH, next
week we will explore
the topic:
How To Love Yourself
DOWNLOAD
Muslimah Reflections
- my new ebook of
poetry and
affirmations
DOWNLOAD The
Ultimate Self-Care
Guide For Muslimahs
WATCH VIDEOS
from Muslimah Mind
Matters YouTube
Channel.
DOWNLOAD
Muslimah Meditation
Moments - audio
files for
self-awareness
meditation.
If you wish to know
about a specific
topic with regards
to Self-Care and
Clarity of Mind,
please text or email
me or visit
www.muslimahmindmatters.com.
If you wish to have
a FREE one hour
Finding Clarity
telephone session,
contact me on
0451977786.
Q:
Dear Kareema, I have been really good with my
diet and exercise regime. Just wondering if it’s
ok to ‘let go’ every now and then as I’m finding
it hard to stay on task?
A:
The aim is to keep it simple and safe. Take rest
days when you need to, so muscles can recover
and you do not overwork them. Both exercise and
diet goals should be achievable. Try setting
smaller, weekly goals. This will allow you to
have better focus on what needs to be done, and
you’ll have a better chance with staying on
task.
The hypocrites try to
deceive Allah, but He is
deceiving them. And when
they stand for prayer, they
stand lazily, showing off in
front of people, and
remembering Allah only a
little.
UQ Muslimah
Society would like to invite
YOU all for one of our most
special and major event this
semester drumroll …
*INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY!
*
If you’re interested in
meeting new people (Muslim
and non-Muslim), have any
questions about Islam that
you would like to be
answered then come join us
for this event!
This year's Theme for
International Women's Day is
on Reclaiming Faith and
Identity. Living in a
western country and coming
from a different background
can be very challenging for
all of us. This is your
chance to be inspired by our
Guest Speakers and network
with like minded Muslimahs
over a Canapee style Brunch!
We will have activities and
a spoken word performance to
entertain you all too! Don't
miss out on this wonderful
day that will leave you
feeling inspired and
determined to make and
create change!
UQ Muslimah
Society
International Women's Day
panellist profile
Introducing Amira Al-Maani!
Amira Al-Maani is a fashion
designer whose flair for
drama and glamour is only
amplified by her Middle
Eastern heritage and
experience as a Muslim woman
in Australia.
Amira completed studying
Fashion Design and
Technology in 2016 at the
Australian institute of
Creative Design in 2016.
She has recently been
nominated as a Semi-finalist
for the Queensland Young
Achiever Awards under the
category of Arts and Fashion
2018.
She was inspired to become a
fashion designer to show
that Muslim women can create
and wear beautiful, bold
clothing.
Being a Muslim doesn’t mean
you can’t be stylish and
show your personality
through your clothing.
Amira believes you can send
a stronger message to the
world about how proud you
are to be a woman- and a
Muslim, by your clothing.
Amira is aware of the
difficulties facing Muslim
creatives as a result of the
political climate, however
she reflects that she does
not believe her background
has isolated her from the
creative industry.
Are you looking at starting your own
business? Do you have a business idea that you would
like to explore with a professional?
This interactive, practical
experience that provides you with tools to start or
grow your business!
Workshop 1: Thinking like an
Entrepreneur Workshop 2: The Entrepreneurship
Journey Workshop 3: Branding and Design Workshop 4:
Communication and Pitching
COST: $80 Workshop Series (Four
Workshops)
MELBOURNE
click on image
Need to improve your English for work or
social settlement? Learn for FREE with the Adult Migrant
English Program at TAFE Queensland.
The AMEP provides up to 510 hours of free English
language, literacy and numeracy training to eligible
refugees and migrants, at more than 40 sites throughout
Queensland.
At National
Zakat Foundation (NZF) we
aim to utilise Zakat funds
collected in Australia to
provide a lifeline for
local, deserving recipients.
This group consists of some
of the most vulnerable
members of our community,
including widows, orphans,
refugees, the elderly and
the homeless.
National Zakat Foundation
has had the opportunity to
assist our local sisters &
brothers right here in QLD.
Sara, a mum with 5 children
had been in a violent and
abusive relationship for
many years. Fearful for her
children's well being and
hers, she needed to move to
a new and safer place away
from her husband. NZF helped
her relocate by paying for
upfront costs. Sara moved to
new premises immediately.
She and her children are no
longer living in constant
fear and have started a new
and happier life.
David had just lost his
business where he had
invested a lot of money and
with mounting debts and a
young family to take care
of, he needed help urgently.
NZF came to his assistance
immediately.
Sadia a single mother and a
refugee came to Brisbane few
years ago with a young
child. She had been
hospitalised with serious
medical conditions. NZF has
assisted her with ongoing
financial support and
provided her with equipment
to start a small home
business, empowering Sadia
to do something she is
passionate about.
(ALL names have been changed
to protect identity of
clients)
Assalamu
alaikum warahmatullah.
I am sure you are aware
of the hell that Syrians
are going in the face of
non-stop bombing of USA,
Russia, Israel, ISIS,
and you name it.
The ultimate goal is to
kill as many Muslims as
possible. It is a race
that no global leaders
want to stop.
Please raise your hands
to Allah for the
Mustadafeen, helpless
sufferers of modern
killing machines.
Islamic Society of
Toowoomba has decided to
collect donations for
the recent victims of
Syrian war.
Donations should be
directed to the Imam
Abdul Kader of Garden
City Masjid, Toowoomba.
Alternatively, please
deposit/transfer your
charity to the Comm Bank
of Australia:
BSB 06 4459 A/c 1000
3579 (Reference Syria).
May Allah accept your
charity for the best of
His creation, and
protect our helpless
children, sisters and
brothers in Syria.
Jazak Allah Khair.
Fi amanillah,
Shahjahan
GOLD COAST ISLAMIC CULTURAL
CENTRE
Update as at
February 2018
The external
structure has been completed and
the scaffoldings were removed
this week. Now, the work will
commence inside the complex.
We still need donations to fund
this construction.
1. All Islamic Event dates given above are supplied by
the Council of Imams QLD (CIQ) and are provided as a guide and are
tentative and subject to the sighting of the moon.
2. The Islamic date changes to the next day starting in
the evenings after maghrib. Therefore, exceptfor Lailatul
Mehraj,
Lailatul Bhahraat
and
Lailatul Qadr – these dates refer to the commencement of the event
starting in the evening of the corresponding day.
Nuria Khataam
Date: Every last Wednesday of the month
Time: After Esha Salaat
Venue: Algester Mosque
Contact: Yahya
Ph: 0403338040
MASJID TAQWAH
Bald Hills, Brisbane
Daily program
(after Esha salah by Mufti Junaid)
Monday to Thursday = Quran Tafseer
Friday = Prophet’s (pbuh) Seerah
(All programs run for approximately 15 minutes)
Weekly Madrasa
Monday to Wednesday
3:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Conducted by our Imam Mufti Junaid
Every Sunday
Jaula & remembrance of Allah
between Maghrib and Isha.
HikmahWay offers online and
in-person Islamic courses to
equip Muslims of today with
the knowledge, understanding
and wisdom to lead balanced,
wholesome and beneficial
lives.
Articles and
opinions appearing in this newsletter do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of the CCN Team, its Editor or its
Sponsors, particularly if they eventually turn out to be
libellous, unfounded, objectionable, obnoxious, offensive,
slanderous and/or downright distasteful.
It is the usual policy of CCN to
include from time to time, notices of events that some
readers may find interesting or relevant. Such notices are
often posted as received. Including such messages or
providing the details of such events does not necessarily
imply endorsement of the contents of these events by CCN
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Hana Assafiri
speaks out about
her violent past
as Muslim child
bride 
MIT
Technology Review to be published in Arabic 
s
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011