The Islamic fasting month of
Ramadan this year will be
starting towards the middle
this week and ending towards
the middle of June with the
festive celebration of Eid-ul-Fitr.
Fasting during the month of
Ramadan is one of the
pillars of Islam and
obligatory on all adult
Muslims with some exceptions
such as for the sick, the
elderly and the traveller.
During this month which
lasts 29 or 30 days, Muslims
fast during the day-light
hours from dawn to sunset
abstaining from eating,
drinking, smoking and sex.
Fasting is intended to bring
about God-consciousness,
self-control, inculcate
moderate eating habits and
develop empathy for those
who are less fortunate to
have enough to eat.
Iftar or ‘the meal for
breaking the fast’ at sunset
is shared between family and
friends. Muslims open their
homes to share Iftar with
their friends and neighbours
of all faiths and no faith.
Greetings of “Ramadan
Mubarak” and “Ramadan
Kareem” are exchanged during
this month, wishing for a
“blessed” and generous
Ramadan.
Islamic dates are subject to
the visibility of the new
moon and variation can take
place if this sighting of
the crescent is done
globally, regionally or
locally.
The following possible
scenarios can occur this
year:
Global Sighting (or
prediction of sighting):
Ramadan (30 days) starting
Wednesday 16 May and ending
Thursday 14 June with Eid on
Friday 15 June.
Regional Sighting: Ramadan
(29 days) starting Thursday
17 May and ending Thursday
14 June with Eid on Friday
15 June.
Local Sighting: Ramadan (30
days) starting Thursday 17
May and ending Friday 15
June with Eid on Saturday 16
June.
Fahim Khondaker at the park
with Liyana, the second of his
three daughters.
A few weeks ago, my wife,
Laaiqah Ally, asked Westfield Garden City,
our local shopping mall,
whether they would consider
putting up a children’s
activity stall for Ramadan
and Eid this year.
She expected a polite “no”,
given the potential
controversy that this may
cause.
To her surprise, not only
did they agree, they were
genuinely excited by the
idea of working with her to
deliver it (the workshops
start this week).
Of course, it is not
uncommon for shopping
centres across Australia to
organise special activities
which coincide with major
annual events such as
Christmas or the Chinese New
Year. So why was this such a
big deal to us? Why were we
and other Muslim parents
with young kids so excited?
It is because, thanks to the
global perception of Muslims
and/or Islam, we have come
to accept that such
activities are not for us
and we dare not raise our
hopes to expect such
kindness in countries where
Muslims are a minority,
irrespective of our economic
and social contributions.
Terrorism has succeeded in
dehumanising and dividing us
all. It, along with
countless four-panel experts
on 24-hour news networks,
has successfully created a
perception that Islam is
abhorrent at its core and
that Muslims who do not
accept this are in denial.
Such Muslims need to be
avoided, feared, or if you
are feeling generous, saved.
We are constantly told by
popular politicians (even
those with multiculturalism
portfolios), respected media
personalities, and renowned
academics, that if it
weren’t for today’s ‘mad’
levels of political
correctness, we would all be
able to call out Islam for
what it is.
Many Muslims have sadly come
to terms with this as well.
It is too difficult to find
a large enough platform that
can counter the shock value
of an ISIS beheading, or the
loud “Allahu Akbar” which
precedes it. Society needs a
common enemy to make sense
of the complexities of the
world and the irrationality
of the evil that exists
within it. For now,
terrorists have successfully
convinced many people that
Islam is the most logical
candidate.
The collateral damage of
this situation includes
everyday Muslims. The ones
who go about their day like
any other person, trying to
make something of their
lives, working out how the
NDIS will be funded in the
federal budget, and enjoying
some cricket or football
(all variants) when it’s on
the television.
These Muslims will tell you
Islam is nothing like what
terrorists would have you
believe nor is it something
to be scared of. The seven
verses in the opening
chapter of the Quran, are
not dissimilar in wording to
the Lord’s Prayer which is
recited before every sitting
of the Australian
Parliament. Islam’s
Abrahamic origin is why I
won the Bible knowledge
prize every year at high
school without ever reading
the Bible in any detail
(Corinthians 13: 4-8 is
pretty amazing though).
My three daughters are all
currently under the age of
five. One day, they too will
have to come to grips with
the reality that it may be
challenging to be a
practising Muslim in future.
Having read about Dolly
Everett’s tragic encounter
recently – I have no idea
what to expect nor what to
do to prevent the
inevitability that my
children are at greater risk
than most. My current
challenges of putting them
to bed on time, or reducing
their iPad usage, pale in
comparison to what lies
ahead of us.
The ‘Doll Test’ videos on
Youtube are some of the most
gut-wrenching clips which
exist on the platform today.
This test was designed by US
psychologists in the 1940s.
In it, black children are
shown a white baby doll and
a black baby doll and asked
to pick the ‘bad baby’ or
the ‘ugly baby’. Every child
chooses the black doll even
after acknowledging that
this is the doll that looks
most like them. This gives
us a harrowing glimpse into
their opinion of self-worth
and the extent to which we
as a society have failed
them. No child, white or
black, should ever have to
feel this way.
Unfortunately, today, almost
80 years after the Doll
Test, we are still at risk
of dangerously distorting
the perception we have of
others, and the perception
that others have of
themselves (particularly
young children). This is why
small acts of kindness like
those taken by the
management team at my local
shopping centre have a far
greater impact than that
which meets the eye. They go
a long way towards
positively changing the
social narrative and our
perspective of one another.
People are inherently kind.
Any animosity which may
exist between us is due to
fear of the unknown and the
manipulation of this fear by
people with alternative
agendas. As citizens, we can
overcome this through
engagement, we simply have
to be courageous enough to
reach out to one another
with a smile. To paraphrase
Trevor Noah, a South African
comedian and author of Born
a Crime, “hatred cannot
survive contact”.
Ramadan, the month where
Muslims fast by abstaining
from food and water every
day from sunrise to sunset,
will commence next week. It
will culminate on June 15 or
16 with a day of celebration
known as the Eid-al-Fitr (ie.
the “festival of breaking
the fast”).
Fahim Khondaker is a
chartered accountant and
management consultant
working at a multinational
professional services firm
in Brisbane. He is also an
executive committee member
of the Islamic Council of
Queensland and a member of
the Queensland Premier's
Social Cohesion
Implementation Committee. He
can be found on Twitter: @Fahim_Khondaker.
Since this
initiative
has been
running an
average of
60 children
each day
from mixed
cultural
backgrounds
and faith
groups have
partaken in
the
activities.
They make
mobiles,
colour-in
and listen
to stories (Curious
George the
Monkey and
Ramadan
was a
particular
hit with the
kids).
One of the
many
volunteers
helping out
during
the
sessions, Ms
Naseema
Mustapha,
posted on
Facebook:
"Feedback
from
passers-by
shoppers was
fantastic. A
really
positive
impact this
is having.
And an
opportunity
for us to
meet each
other and
create new
friendships."
The National Zakat
Foundation is a
ground-breaking initiative
which aims to utilise Zakat
funds and voluntary
donations collected in
Australia for the benefit of
local, deserving recipients.
This group includes some of
the most vulnerable members
of our community, including
widows, orphans, refugees,
the aged as well as the
homeless.
Our work covers five core
areas that together form an
end-to-end service for the
Muslim community in
Australia with respect to
Zakat.
The week in Underwood has
been a fantastic opportunity
for us to connect with the
community and to share what
we do. A lot of important
Zakat questions have been
asked and answered.
The support for our 2018 Toy
Drive for sick children at
Lady Cilento hospital and
for our clients' children
has been incredible. Cut off
date for the toy drive is
June 4th.
Jazak Allah khairun to all
the brothers and sisters
supporting us here in
Queensland and in Australia.
After a successful event in
Sydney, the Gold Coast
Mosque committee took their
Dawah Centre fund raising
road show inter-state to
Adelaide and the University
of South Australia, and then
on to Perth and the local
Islamic College and Masjid
Ibrahim.
A new art exhibition in
Sydney explores the
contemporary Australian
Muslim experience.
A group of 15 artists has
explored the contemporary
Australian Muslim experience
in a new exhibition.
The Khalas exhibition at
UNSW Galleries in Sydney
features works across a
number of mediums.
Khalas in Arabic has a
several definitions
including "stop," "finish,"
and "enough."
Gallery material said the
exhibit is named Khalas as
"many Australian Muslims
have had enough".
Artist Abdul-Rahman Abdullah.
"From the daily media
beat-ups, to outright racist
leadership taunts directed
at Muslims, this modern day
Orientalism relentlessly
depicts Islamo-fascist
terrorists, creeping Shariah
and the fantasy of
infantilised Muslim women,"
it says.
Curator Phillip George told
SBS News the exhibition
offers the chance for
Australians to get "outside
the Anglo-Saxon dome and
start to look at the world
with a new vision, a new way
of seeing reality".
"There's a space opening up
for artists that can
actually bring home the
realities to us that we
don't necessarily get in
popular culture, in
mainstream media, or in the
bubbles that are Facebook
and Instagram," he said.
Featured artist Abdul-Rahman
Abdullah said he hoped the
viewer will "see the
complexity, the diversity
(and) the different ways
that a Muslim artist might
express that".
By Imam Sharif – AIIC
Coordinator Arabic and Islamic Studies
All praises are for Allah,
we had a very successful
annual Quran competition at
our Durack campus on Tuesday
and Wednesday, the 1st and
2nd of May 2018. It is the
16th consecutive year that
AIIC has been conducting
this Quran recitation
competition in order to
provide the best
opportunities for our
students in reading and
practicing the Holy Quran.
This year’s event proclaimed
that our students
continuously make remarkable
improvement in their Quran
reading standard and they
show higher degree of
interest in learning and
reciting the Quran.
Around 160 students
participated from both
schools, primary and
secondary. As each grade has
an allotment of only 8
participants for the
competition, the students
started preparing for it
well ahead. These 8
participants were selected
based on an in-class
competition conducted by
their class Imams. For the
actual competition, Students
were allowed to choose their
own Suras and they were
given 2 minutes of reading
time in primary and 3
minutes in secondary.
This years’ recitation was
judged by 3 Imams in our
region who have long years
of experience in teaching
Quran. Imam Masoud Issa, the
chief Imam of Logan Masjid,
Imam Owais, the teacher at
Darra Masjid and Hafiz
Uthman from Holland Park
Masjid were our respectful
judges this year. The judges
left their precious feedback
and positively commented on
the efforts of both students
and their teachers in
learning the Holy Quran in
its original style. They
noted that the performance
of many students at the
college is amazing and the
sincere attempts made by the
whole school community in
instilling Quran in their
students were visible in
this competition. According
to the judges, finding out
the best reader was very
difficult in many classes
due to a good number of
perfect readers in those
classes.
The competition was
conducted in class levels
and the class winners
received medals. The whole
school is classified into
four categories and trophies
were given out for the
overall winners in each
category by Imam Abdul
Quddoos Azhari, the founder
of AIIC. Every participant
received a certificate of
participation.
The program was well
attended by a number of
parents, dignitaries and the
wider school community. The
Quran competition once again
assured the society the
uncompromising commitment of
AIIC in teaching its’
students the Holy Quran’s
recitation and learning in
its most authentic versions.
A new report by Ipsos MORI
brings together and analyses
research from various
sources and explores the
attitudes of British Muslims
as well as the views of the
public towards Muslims. The
report was supported by the
Aziz Foundation, Barrow
Cadbury Trust, The Joseph
Rowntree Charitable Trust
and Unbound Philanthropy.
The research findings shows
that:
There
are a lot of similarities
between the views of Muslims
and the general public
There are many aspects of
life where Muslims are no
different to the general
population. For example,
Muslims have very similar
levels of life satisfaction
to the general public, they
tend to be satisfied about
the area where they live
(82% satisfied for Muslims
vs 86% for the general
public) and slightly more
optimistic that their local
area has improved (23% vs
17% for the public). Muslims
are positive about community
spirit in their area, which
is in line with the general
population.
Muslims
have a strong sense of
belonging to Britain
Fairly consistently across
all the data that we
examined it is evident that
Muslims feel a part of
British society (88% say
they very or fairly strongly
belong to Britain) and they
have a strong sense of
attachment to British
identity. Muslims have
strong sense of commonality
with other Britons, which is
higher among Muslim UK
graduates.
Religion
plays a far more important
part of life for Muslims
than it does for others
Religion is far more
important to Muslims’ sense
of identity than it is for
others, which is notable
given that wider research
points to a decline in
religion in British life.
Religion is a particularly
important to Muslims holding
a UK degree. The vast
majority of Muslims believe
they can practice their
religion freely in Britain
and that being a Muslim is
completely compatible with
the British way of life.
However, there are concerns
that not enough is being
done to protect the rights
of Muslims and the review
shows that Muslims are more
likely to be worried about
being a victim of crime
because of their religion,
ethnicity or skin colour.
Young
Muslims hold distinct views
to older Muslims
Younger Muslims are quite a
distinct group in their
views and outlook and this
is particularly the case
among young Muslim UK
graduates. Across a range of
attitudes, younger Muslims
demonstrate more outward
looking and liberal views.
For example, younger Muslims
have a more diverse
friendship groups than their
older counterparts, and are
more relaxed on issues such
as inter-racial marriage.
Younger Muslims –
particularly UK graduates –
are more likely to be
politically active than
Muslim non-graduates. At the
same time, this group is
more likely to report
experiences of
discrimination and feel that
prejudice against Muslims is
increasing.
The
British public hugely
overestimates the number of
Muslims in the country
The public thinks that
around 1 in 6 Britons are
Muslim, when actually fewer
than 1 in 20 are and while
trends indicate people’s
estimates may be moving in
the right direction, they
are still overestimating by
quite a distance.
The
public’s views on Muslims
are mixed and understanding
of Islam is limited – but
age and knowing someone
Muslim make a difference
The review indicates that
public’s understanding of
Islam is very limited with a
minority (32%) saying they
have a good understanding of
the religion. When asked
about the compatibility of
Islam with British life,
views tend to be more
negative. However, one
finding that is consistent
is that the views of young
people overall tend to be
more positive than older
people. Similarly, those who
personally know someone who
is Muslim tend to be more
positive in their views.
Kully Kaur-Ballagan,
Research Director at Ipsos
MORI said:
This report is an
important study as it
synthesises many of the
surveys that have been
done examining the
attitudes of British
Muslims as well as the
attitudes of the British
Public towards Muslims.
The report highlights
that British Muslims are
a diverse group of
people – much like the
public as a whole. They
have a strong sense of
British identity and
while religion does play
a greater role in the
lives of Muslims than
the general population,
the vast majority
believe that being
Muslim and being British
is entirely compatible.
Yet, the report
indicates that there are
increasing concerns that
religious prejudice
towards Muslims is
rising. While the
British Muslim
population has a younger
age profile than the
population as a whole,
the findings shows that
younger Muslims are a
distinct group; they are
more open in their views
and have more diverse
social networks – this
is particularly the case
for those who are
graduates.
The findings also show
that public opinion
towards Muslims is
mixed. Muslims make up
just under five percent
of the population yet
the British public think
it’s three times this
figure. And while the
majority think that
Islam is peaceful
religion, they believe
that most people
perceive the religion in
a negative way. Again,
in the general
population we also find
that the views of
younger people tend to
be more positive and
open towards Muslims
than other age groups.
The IWAA's Business Expo. held
during the week, was an
opportunity to network, listen
to motivational speeches and
learn about government and other
services that can help start
ups.
A
Shaykh in Florida by the
name of Shaykh Azhar Nasser
is currently winning at
Twitter! Not too long ago he
began tweeting the questions
posed to him alongside
responses to those
questions.
It’s probably worth stating
at this point that if you
don’t have a sense of
humour, please read no
further.
His Twitter feed is a great
reminder that religion
doesn’t always have to be
about punishment, hell and
brimstone and that sometimes
we need to take a moment to
stop and actually have some
fun!
I’m not entirely sure what
the straw was that broke the
camel’s back, so to speak,
but the Shaykh isn’t holding
back anymore. Ask him
questions at your peril!
Here is another of these tweets
(continued from
last week's CCN):
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.
19
"There are many reasons why
vulnerable young people join
militant groups, but among
them are poverty and
ignorance. Indeed Boko Haram
- which translates in
English, roughly, as
"Western Education Is
Sinful' - prey on the
perverted belief that the
opportunities that education
brings is sinful".
President Muhammadu Buhari
was sworn in as President of
Nigeria in May 2015. He was
the candidate for the All
Progressives Congress and
won the presidential
election by almost 2.6
million votes. This was the
first time in Nigeria’s
political history in which
power transferred peacefully
from one political party to
another.
Military Past:
President Buhari began his
military career at the
Nigerian Military Training
School of Kaduna in 1963. He
was involved in military
counter-coups in 1966 and
1975, and the coup of 1983
which overthrew the
democratically-elected
government and resulted in
him being head of state for
two years. During these
years, he gained fame for
his all-out war against
corruption and indiscipline,
a reputation he has since
kept. In 1985 he was
overthrown and kept in
detention for 3 years.
Anti-Corruption
Presidential Candidate:
President Buhari ran as the
main opposition candidate in
the presidential elections
of 2003, 2007 and 2011, all
ending in defeat, before
winning in 2015. His
platform was built around
his image as a staunch
anti-corruption fighter and
his reputation for honesty
and incorruptibility. He is
considered an icon by the
Muslims of northern Nigeria,
but enjoys nationwide
respect due to his stance on
corruption.
Fighting Boko Haram:
The President has put
defeating Boko Haram on top
of his agenda. Boko Haram’s
actions have consistently
caused international
outrage, and the President
will have to show firm
resolve and determination to
stop the terror attacks. In
July 2014, he escaped a
suicide bombing attack that
killed over 50 people. On 6
May 2017, Buhari’s
government secured a release
of 82 out of 276 girls
kidnapped in 2014, in
exchange for five Boko Haram
leaders. President Buhari
met with the released Chibok
girls, before departing to
London, UK, for a follow up
treatment for an undisclosed
illness.
Economy and
infrastructure:
President Buhari was the
first chairman of the
Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation (NNPC) and was
the mastermind behind the
construction of 20 oil
depots throughout Nigeria, a
project involving over 3200
kilometres of pipelines.
Both the Warri and Kaduna
refineries were built under
his leadership. He also
established the blueprints
for the country’s petro-chemical
and liquefied natural gas
programmes.
Environment:
President Buhari is an
active environmentalist who
has drafted several plans to
preserve wildlife in
Nigeria. He has also exerted
great efforts on the
conservation of nature in
Nigeria; such as controlling
the logging industry whereby
he has ensured that double
the number of trees felled
are replaced by loggers. He
has also worked on
restricting the Ecological
Fund Office so it can
deliver on environmental
challenges.
ANOTHER FROM THE TOP 50
INFLUENTIAL MUSLIMS IN NEXT
WEEK'S CCN
By Jehan Jillani and
Heather Brady Photographs by Lynsey
Addario
Muslim women
pray at Angel Stadium in
Anaheim, California, on Eid al-Fitr,
a celebratory holiday marking
the end of Ramadan.
Lynsey Addario talks about
her experience working
within these communities
across the U.S. during a
years-long reporting
project.
When Lynsey Addario moved to
India in 2000 and began
covering Muslim communities
throughout Asia, she was
introduced to nuanced views
of Islam and the people who
practice it. After returning
home to visit the U.S., she
saw the religion portrayed
in a generic,
one-dimensional way that
didn't capture what she
viewed elsewhere in the
world.
That disparity pushed her to
work with Muslim communities
across America in an effort
to tell their stories in a
broader way. Addario’s
images appear in the feature
story “How Muslims, Often
Misunderstood, Are Thriving
in America,” published in
the May 2018 issue of
National Geographic
magazine. She talked with us
about her experience
documenting these
communities and how it has
encouraged her to examine
her own faith.
JILLANI: This is a
pretty personal question,
but given the nature of this
story, I am curious to hear:
What is your relationship to
faith?
ADDARIO: I was raised
Italian Catholic, with the
tradition of going to church
every Sunday, before a big
family lunch at one of my
grandmothers', and religion
classes on Tuesday
afternoons. But as I grew
into a young woman, I
identified less with
Catholicism, and learned to
appreciate different aspects
of different faiths. I am a
spiritual person, and I have
great respect for all
different religions, but I
personally no longer go to
church every Sunday. It’s
interesting, because I have
been photographing in
relatively dangerous places
for a long time now, and
have spent a great deal of
time with people from
different faiths. I often
receive messages or emails
or calls from friends around
the world, saying that they
are praying for me—whether
Christian or Catholic or
Muslim. My grandmother, who
is 104, always prays to
Saint Ann for me, and my
close friend Lubna, who
lives in Saudi, will
literally go to Mecca to
pray for me when I have gone
to Syria in the past. I love
and respect that about
faith, that everyone has his
or her beliefs which carry
them through difficult
times.
.
Who speaks for American
Muslims? The short answer
is, no one. No individual or
group can claim to speak for
this country’s nearly 3.5
million Muslims, a diverse
and dynamic population
that’s expected to double by
2050. Instead we see spheres
of influence that sometimes
intersect and overlap.
CNN spent a year
interviewing more than 100
American Muslims, asking who
they think are the most
influential Muslims in their
fields. We sought nominees
for whom religion is part of
their public identity, but
other than that, we let
American Muslims do most of
the talking.
A few nominees declined to
participate for personal
reasons, but the vast
majority were willing. The
result is this crowd-sourced
list of 25 influential
American Muslims. They are
comedians and congressmen,
activists and Olympians,
fashionistas and political
fighters, converts and
from-the-cradle believers.
They are the children of
immigrants and
African-Americans whose
roots in this country reach
back centuries.
Together, they compose one
of the world’s most eclectic
and innovative Muslim
communities – and they all
have remarkable stories to
tell.
Imam Omar Suleiman says he
never chose to be an imam.
The vocation was chosen for
him, and it arrived with
Hurricane Katrina. At the
time, Suleiman, a native of
New Orleans, was helping
coordinate Muslims’ aid to
the flooded city.
As imams fled New Orleans,
Suleiman stepped in,
delivering sermons and
spiritual counsel to the
city’s distressed residents.
After moving to Texas,
Suleiman continued to infuse
his spiritual messages with
political activism, whether
marching with Black Lives
Matter or getting arrested
on Capitol Hill to advocate
for DACA recipients.
Suleiman is the founder and
president of the Yaqeen
Institute for Islamic
Research and a
scholar-in-residence at
Valley Ranch Islamic Center
in Irving, Texas. In
response to questions about
the "loyalty oath" Suleiman
describes in the video
above, Texas State Rep. Kyle
Biedermann said, "I'm proud
of the opportunity we gave
the Muslim community at
large to voice their
concerns about human rights
and women's rights, and to
differentiate their views
from the more radical views
within Islam. Unfortunately,
people took this as being
anti-Muslim."
“I wanted to send a message
to Rep. Biedermann, as well
as other Islamophobes and
other lawmakers that think
they can bully the Muslim
community, that we are not
afraid of you,” Suleiman
says. “Not only do we feel
as American as you, but we
will not allow you to impose
your narrow definition of
American-ness on us, just as
we will not allow extremist
groups to impose their
narrow definition of Islam
on us.”
What other Muslims say about
Suleiman:
“Omar is someone that
a lot of people are
talking about right now.
There are few imams who
blend the spiritual and
worldly aspects of the
job as well as he does.”
The lives, ambitions, and
beliefs of more than 40
members of Brisbane's Muslim
community have been put
under the spotlight in a new
project aimed at dispelling
misconceptions about Islam
and its followers.
Award-winning documentary
photographer Matt Palmer
interviewed and photographed
41 Muslims living in the
Queensland capital for his
online project, Faces of
Islam.
For three days earlier this
month he sat down with
children, community workers,
a lawyer, a doctor, an
Indigenous elder from
Thursday Island, and many
others.
They shared stories and
insights such as their
journeys to Australia, the
kind of music they listen
to, and how they coped with
the death of a loved one.
Mr Palmer hopes the project
will help demystify Muslim
people by breaking down
false stereotypes, and
sharing common experiences.
"After the Paris attacks
last year there was a lot of
misinformation going out in
the public about Muslims,"
the 32-year-old said.
"I just got sick of trying
to argue with people or give
them the correct information
so I thought 'what can I do
as a photographer to help
not just the Muslim
community but the entire
community and maybe show a
different side to them that
people may not have
expected?'."
From there, the idea was
born, but it would take a
few more months before it
flourished into what it has
become today.
"Our goal was to have 20 to
30 people involved ... it
spread through
word-of-mouth. People
brought friends along with
them [on the day], and the
friends saw what was going
on and thought the project
was a great idea so they
ended up getting involved as
well," Mr Palmer said.
Mr Palmer, an atheist, said
the project opened his eyes
about the virtues of Islam.
"I don't have any agenda in
terms of promoting that
[Islam]. But what I want to
do is promote the people
involved," he said.
"Most of my questions were
around just the everyday
lives because I feel the
project is about people who
happen to be Muslim.
"I learned a lot of things,
particularly that the Muslim
people I talked to -
compared to the rest of the
people in my life - they're
very engaged in the
community and helping
people."
Mr Palmer said most of his
questions were around
people's everyday lives.
"I feel the project is about
people who happen to be
Muslim," he said.
"I only asked them one
question that was
specifically about Islam
when I talked to them and
that was 'what do your
beliefs mean to you?' That's
not just an invite to talk
about Islam, that could be
an invite to talk about how
they believe animals should
be treated because you have
beliefs outside of religion,
of course."
Mr Palmer wants to one day
bring his work to life as a
physical display somewhere
in the city.
'I've had so many
non-Muslims telling me how
fantastic it is'
Community worker Naseema
Mustapha was one of the
first people to sign up to
the project.
"It's powerful. It's really
powerful. The messages that
are coming through are
amazing ... I've had so many
non-Muslims telling me how
fantastic it is. I can see
the vision has really come
through," the 46-year-old
said.
"My belief is that Islam
teachers me about peace,
harmony and respect of other
religions and cultures.
Islam talks about people
coming together ... it's
about bringing societies
together, communities
together.
"The Islam I know and the
Islam the majority of
Australians know are two
different things.
"I would like Australians to
see Islam the way I see it
and how I practice it."
Ms Mustapha said she would
love to see the exhibition
travel the country.
"We'd hope to do an
exhibition in Melbourne in
Federation Square," she
said.
"When we finish we'd like it
to stay at the Islamic
Museum in Melbourne."
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-gharam"
is
defined
as
attachment
to
something
and not
being
able to
let go
of it.
This is
when
lovers
feel
like it
is
impossible
to live
apart
and
always
find
their
ways
back to
each
other
regardless
of the
circumstances.
12
tips on domestic
violence for
Imams in the
west
By Soundvision
If you’re an Imam who has
come from abroad, you have seen how
heavy the burden is on Imams in the
West. While in Muslim countries, your
role may have been simply leading
prayers and teaching children Quran, for
example, in North America, you cannot do
only this.
The Imam is the leader of the community
in the fullest sense of the word, and
his responsibilities include more than
leading prayers and teaching. He must
deal with issues perhaps never touched
upon "back home". Domestic violence in
the Muslim community is just one of
them.
Below are 12 tips for how Imams can deal
with the issue of domestic violence in
Muslim communities:
1. Know the definition of abuse. 2. Understand that this is not a
personal matter 3. Approach domestic violence as you
would any social problem 4. Know what services exist in the
community 5. Be able to assess a crisis and
protection plans 6. Give your name to a local women’s
shelter or a crisis line 7. Bring the issue to community’s
attention 8. Open up the mosque or Islamic
center for abused women
9. Make yourself available
10. Establish a social services system
or committee
11. Set up support groups
12. Make Dua
ZAWAJ
A
briefing note on
the 2018 budget
By Iqbal Lambat
Iqbal Lambat
The budget is a
good mix of
addressing
bracket creep,
starting the
process of debt
reduction, and
spending on
specific
programs.
Whilst there
were no major
tax rate impacts
in the near
term, some
favourable
measures have
been proposed
for
superannuation
and for the
protection of
senior
Australians. As
usual, trusts
get a mention as
the ATO takes
steps to reduce
tax avoidance.
Funds have been
proposed to
improve tax
compliance and
to attack the
black economy
and bring more
funds into the
tax net.
A$10,000 limit
on cash payments
will be
introduced.
Uzbekistan’s ancient
cities of Samarkand and Bukhara TRT World
Saadiqa Matthews
Muslim Village
It takes a
special person to comfort those
in need. Meet Saadiqa Matthews,
an Australian chaplain who
assists people while they’re in
hospital.
Fatima al-Fihri - founder of
world's first University
Fatima al-Fihri, a Muslim women & pioneer, was the founder & patron of the world's first university (Qarawiyyin) in the history of humankind. Qarawiyyin predates Cambridge & Oxford by 300 years. It still stands today & continues to promote knowledge. What an empowering story.
pic.twitter.com/mD1TXj6i6U
Did you know that
Jesus fasted the same way
Muslims fast during Ramadan?
Saving Lives Isn't Easy!
Islamic Relief UK
If you’ve ever
thought about running your own
aid project, it’s not as simple
as buying a plane ticket and
gathering a wallet load of
donations or a convoy full of
food and blankets, and heading
overseas.
The intentions may be good but
there’s many complex procedures
and challenges to consider.
Ramadan Lectures
with Imam
Uzair Akbar
PLEASE
NOTE
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.
Child
Writes Heart-Touching Letter After He is
Expelled from His Islamic School
UK: Alif Baa Tuition which is based in
Bradford England made the tough decision
to expel a child after giving many
warnings because of ongoing bad
behaviour which was disrupting the
education of other children. It was the
first time they had ever expelled a
child.
Not long after, they received the
following unexpected hand-written letter
from the child who is just 9 years old.
Assalamualaycum
Ustaad I am sorry and I realise I
was wrong and I want to change
myself. Look what has happened, now
I’m thrown out of the best mosque
ever but know I know that Islam is
my religion and I need to become a
hafiz, Alim, mufti but to do that I
need to learn. I am writing this
because I want one more chance.
Please accept my apology. Please
ustaad.
Yours Sincerely.
The letter touched the
hearts of the teachers at the school and
they decided to welcome the child back
to the school.
The school said,
“Al-Hamdulillah this
child is back and performing far
more better than before. Expelling
him for few days has taught him the
value of environments like this and
the purpose of attending places like
this. Being on progress report and
with all our incentives in place
he’s sure to pull himself back
together Al-Hamdulillah. But I guess
every child is different. This
approach may not work on all
children. Al-Hamdulillah this method
has worked well on him. In-sha-allah
lets see his long term goal and how
he progresses. May Allah accept him
for His Deen.”
The director of the
school, Muhammad Ibrahim told IlmFeed,
“My only intention of
putting this online was to encourage
other students. The fact that
getting expelled is not the end of
the world and that repentance is a
major part in a Muslim’s life.”
IRELAND: Under One Tent
is an initiative by the Irish Muslim
youth to carry out outreach projects
towards the wider Irish community. It
aims to foster an atmosphere of unity
and harmony within the diverse sections
of the Irish community, by means of
various community-led and focused
projects.
Open Iftar 2018 is one such project,
that aims to carry out social change by
creating bridges between individuals,
bringing together communities and
fostering interfaith dialogue. The
project takes place during the month of
Ramadan, the most sacred time of the
year for Muslims. It is an opportunity
for the wider community to break fast
together, the purpose of which is to
build trust and friendship. Through this
simple act of sharing a meal in an
engaging and relaxed environment, we aim
to foster an atmosphere of
understanding.
Sofia Rossi is a
mother of four who defies her Italian culture
and marries an Australian man. She visits her
sick father in South Italy where she bumps into
the young, handsome Peter Buckley, an Irish
traveler visiting the Amalfi Coast. Sofia will
take you on her travels through friendship and
betrayal but will she discover the difference
between lust and love?
Emma Smith grows up
with a controlling and violent mother. Emma’s
life is immersed in sadness and that is all she
has ever experienced. Hoping to become a strong
person, and wanting to pursue a career in
Criminology, Emma joins a Juvenile Justice
Centre as a youth worker. Her dream remains to
become a mother and raise her own children one
day. Will Emma ever able to leave her violent
and controlling mother and become a good mother
herself?
Abha Pillai
challenges cultural norms to create a life for
herself and her daughter. Being a divorced mum
is not highly valued in the Indian culture. Will
Abha ever be able to forgive herself for leaving
her daughter behind to create a life for the
both of them?
Sofia Rossi, Emma
Smith, and Abha Pillai all experience life in
distinct ways.
Set in South Italy,
Sydney, London and Mumbai, you will be taken on
a memorable journey of self- discovery and will
become a part of the lives of these women. An
intense and lively debut novel from an exciting
new voice, Rozene.S.Narayan.
KB says:
Here is a suggestion that will serve both as a
savoury and a main meal as a start to the
Ramadan month. It takes little time to prepare
but is always a hit with the family.
Stuffed chicken with spinach & cream
cheese
METHOD
Using size number 8
or 10 chicken
fillets, split the
chickens - creating
a pocket inside.
Prepare a marinade
with salt, pepper,
paprika, lemon
pepper, green
chillies, chicken
spice, ground cumin,
and garlic paste and
marinate the
chicken.
Fill the chicken
pockets with cream
cheese, pepperdews,
jalapeños, spinach,
baby tomatoes, pinch
of salt, green
chillies, and a few
drops of lemon
juice.
Close with
toothpicks and fry
in coconut oil or
ghee on both sides.
Serve warm with a
green salad or
chips.
Do you have a recipe to share with CCN
readers?
Send in your favourite recipe to me at
admin@ccnonline.com.au and be my "guest chef" for the week.
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:
Religion And
Children...Why
Parents Need To
First Display
Virtues Before
Preaching Them
In my clarity
coaching sessions
with families, one
of the recurring
issues discussed is
parenting. And the
most persisting
parenting challenge
identified in these
sessions is how to
guide children to
imbibe Islamic
virtues. As a parent
of a teenage
daughter, I face the
same challenge, more
so because I am also
learning Islam
everyday, since
embracing Islam in
February of 2012.
It’s highly
challenging to try
and balance Islam
and culture,
depending on your
cultural perceptions
of life. Over time I
have come to
understand that
children do as we
do, not as we say.
It is vital to first
display Islamic
virtues ourselves
before we preach
them to our
children.
Take a moment and
reflect on how you
are displaying
Islamic virtues in
your home...or ask
yourself if you are
in fact displaying
these virtues at
all...unless we as
parents display and
model behaviours
that are in
alignment with these
virtues, we can’t
expect our children
to imbibe them.
The virtues of
righteousness,
generosity,
gratitude,
contentment,
humility, kindness,
courtesy, purity,
good speech,
respect, wisdom,
tolerance, justice,
mercy, dignity,
courage, frankness,
hope, repentance,
patience,
perseverance,
discipline,
self-restraint,
balance/moderation,
prudence, unity,
frugality,
sincerity,
responsibility,
trustworthiness,
honesty, fairness,
spirituality.
The best part about
being Muslim parents
is the direct
guidance from our
Holy Quran. Spend a
few minutes on
reading this
valuable link to
inspire yourself
with how our Holy
Quran’s verses can
help you imbibe
these virtues. (
http://www.30factsaboutislam.com/islamic-virtues/)
Daily Practice
Spend a few minutes
to reflect on a
daily deed you can
perform in order to
pactise these
Islamic virtues.
Invite your family
to fill out this
table and agree on
displaying these
virtues every single
day. Islam is a
daily practice. It’s
easier when we are
all in it together
as a family.
Virtues
My Daily
Deed To
Practise
These
Virtues
Virtues
My Daily
Deed To
Practise
These
Virtues
righteousness
hope
generosity
repentance
gratitude
patience
contentment
perseverance
humility
discipline
kindness
self-restraint
courtesy
balance/moderation
purity
prudence
good
speech
unity
respect
frugality
wisdom
sincerity
tolerance
responsibility
justice
trustworthiness
mercy
honesty
dignity
fairness
courage
spirituality
In Shaa ALLAH, next
week we will explore
the topic:
Why Trying To
Change Someone Else
NEVER Works...Change
Comes From Within
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, is it really necessary to stretch
after every workout? Sometimes I just want to
finish my exercises and leave.
A:
You should end every workout session with static
stretching, holding each stretch for at least 30
seconds.
It aids in releasing tension and helps the
muscles recover after an intense workout, slowly
repairing and getting your body ready for the
next workout.
Other benefits are you’ll be less sore after a
workout and you can take stock of your body
during stretching to determine which parts
worked the hardest.
Jallalludin and
Jamalludin were out riding in the desert, and came upon
a huge hole in the ground. They approached it and were
amazed at its size.
Jamalludin said, "Wow, that's some hole. I can't even
see the bottom. I wonder how deep it is."
Jamalludin said, "There's an old tree stump over
there. Let's throw it in and see how long it takes to
hit bottom."
So they picked up the tree stump, carried it over to the
hole, counted one-two-three, and heaved it in.
As they were standing there looking over the edge of the
hole, a goat come crashing through the underbrush, ran
up to the hole and without hesitation, jumped in head
first.
While they were standing there staring at each other in
amazement, they peered into the hole, trying to figure
out what that was all about.
Just then an old herder sauntered up. "Salaams, you
brothers didn't happen to see my goat?"
Jamalludin said, "Funny you should ask. We were just
standing here a minute ago, and a goat came running out
of the bushes doing about a hundred miles an hour and
jumped head first into this here hole!"
The old herder said, "Naw, that's impossible! I had him
chained to a tree stump."
He who created seven heavens
in layers. You see no
discrepancy in the creation
of the Compassionate. Look
again. Can you see any
cracks? Then look again, and
again, and your sight will
return to you dazzled and
exhausted.
Support the NZF
2018 Eid toy drive you can
donate money towards buying
gifts or donate brand new Toys .
Please contact
Amra on 0430589383 for more info
and drop off details.
monetary
donations:
comm bank
acc name: amra
zlatic dhedhi
bsb: 062948
acc: 15826280
reference: Nzf
2018 eid toy drive
MUSLIM AID AUSTRALIA
Ramadan Message from MAA
CEO Imam Hassan Elsetohy
The
National Zakat
Foundation is a
ground-breaking
initiative which
aims to utilise
Zakat funds and
voluntary donations
collected in
Australia for the
benefit of local,
deserving
recipients.
This
group includes some
of the most
vulnerable members
of our community,
including widows,
orphans, refugees,
the aged as well as
the homeless.
Our
work covers five
core areas that
together form an
end-to-end service
for the Muslim
community in
Australia with
respect to Zakat.
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.
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
The best ideas
and the best feedback come from our community of readers. If you
have a topic or opinion that you want to write about or want
seen covered or any news item that you think might be of benefit
to the Crescents Community please
e-mail us..
Share your
thoughts, feelings and ambitions for our community through CCN.
If there is
someone you know who would like to subscribe to CCN please
encourage them to enter their details
here.
There
are a lot of similarities
between the views of Muslims
and the general public
Muslims
have a strong sense of
belonging to Britain
Religion
plays a far more important
part of life for Muslims
than it does for others
Young
Muslims hold distinct views
to older Muslims
The
British public hugely
overestimates the number of
Muslims in the country
The
public’s views on Muslims
are mixed and understanding
of Islam is limited – but
age and knowing someone
Muslim make a difference
A
Shaykh in Florida by the
name of Shaykh Azhar Nasser
is currently winning at
Twitter! Not too long ago he
began tweeting the questions
posed to him alongside
responses to those
questions.
12
tips on domestic
violence for
Imams in the
west
A
briefing note on
the 2018 budget
Child
Writes Heart-Touching Letter After He is
Expelled from His Islamic School 
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011