Yesterday's registration for CresWalk2005 at the Kuraby Community Centre turned out to be a very social event with friends and families getting together over tea and nibbles, meeting people for the first time and starting up friendly challenges.
The atmosphere was one of excited expectation for the big day on the 15th and all the signs are there for a fun-filled morning for the hundreds of men, women and children of all ages and fitness levels who made the effort to register yesterday.
If you have not registered yet there is still time to do so until 5pm today. Call 0402 026 786 to make the necessary arrangements. Don't let the opportunity to be a part of this community experience slip you by.
There has also been a very positive response from our local Muslim businesses who have sponsored this event in order to make it affordable for everyone and for the whole family to take part in.
Click here for the full list of sponsors. Please support them whenever you can.
Brother Yusuf Abdullah (53) is one of the many entrants received to date. He was born in California and has been walking for 20 years. Over the years he has walked in many races and won several trophies and medals. Brother Yusuf has been living
in Australia for 20 years and has been a Muslim revert since 2002. He has completed several Gold Coast Marathons and says, "I am happy to be in any walk race and thinks Crescents is doing an excellent job organizing an event like this".
CCN's Paparazzi Exposed!
There
have been legions of requests calling on CCN to identify its trusty reporters, who, if e-mail volumes are anything to go by, are each fast gaining fan clubs of their own. In response to these incessant demands on us we offer you the following rare glimpses of the fabulous four so that they can easily be spotted when next you meet any one of them at your local mosque or social function:
The Man-on-the-Mussallaah
Felicia Mabuza-Blunt
Madame Mumbai
Bennie Boekwurm
Kani Captivates 'Can Do' Campbell
BRISBANE Lord Mayor Campbell Newman has applauded Brisbane Powerhouse for staging a significant post apartheid work – and for attracting powerful performances from internationally acclaimed artists.
Councillor Newman said it was very encouraging to hear the overwhelming response to the Australian premier performance of ‘Nothing But The Truth’ has been extraordinary.
Cr Newman said that in the first two nights the play had demonstrated the increasing depth and diversity of the new Brisbane Powerhouse program – as well as its expanding appeal to Brisbane audiences – evidenced by standing ovations at the preview and opening night.
“It is fantastic to see one of the world’s great actors (John Kani), together with two young actresses who are rising stars in Africa, performing in an internationally-acclaimed theatrical work – on the Brisbane Powerhouse stage,” Cr Newman said.
Winner of South Africa’s 2002 Fleur du Cap Award for Best New Indigeearsnous Script, Best Actor and Best Director, John Kani’sNothing But The Truthhas been revered by critics as the first great post-apartheid theatrical work, selling out theatres throughout South Africa and America.
“John Kani is an artist who played a pivotal role in creating South Africa’s anti-apartheid voice by writing and performing at a time when it was dangerous to express his opinions. This play is significant because it explores the inequities and tensions that still trouble South Africa’s journey towards reconciliation.”
Following the opening night of the Australian premiere performance of internationally acclaimed actor John Kani today gave Brisbane Powerhouse his stamp of approval as “a world class venue”.
“There is something really special about performing in a re-claimed space such as this. For years this building has been serving the community by providing the city with power and it now continues to do so - once workers were shoveling coal here and now it’s a place to shovel words and generate thought,” Kani said.
I went to see the play again last week and it was even better the second time around. But I also had an ulterior motive and that was to corner John after the show and invite him home for a curry and my special koeksusters. To my pleasant surprise John, Rosie and Moshidi agreed to come. So I got out my best cutlery and bone china, gave them a good spit and polish and started on the dough only to hear my inbox go "You've got Mail, Felicia". It was from the Stage Manager of the Powerhouse informing me that John and company had a prior engagement and would not be coming. Well, I can't begin to tell you how disappointed I was. I was so looking forward to playing my vinyl Mama Mthembu's Wedding for them - a favourite seven-single of mine from the good old days.
Ya well, no fine. Another time.
CCN Supporting Local Enterprise
This week's sponsor of CCN (see ad below) is TSR, the Shockabsorber reconditioners, a business recently purchased by Mr. Mahomed Noor Osman who arrived in Brisbane from Cape Town as recently as February 2004. He has settled in the Runcorn area with wife Nazrin and 12 year old son Mahomed Farouk.
So folks, the next time you need your shocks absorbed, your suspension aligned, your kits lowered, or your stays re-gassed (and don't we all, one time or the other during our lifetime) why not call on Mahommed Noor and let him and his team of specialists setup your suspension, spring your coil and box your steering. Unfortunately none of this is covered by Medicare or Private Health, but Mahommed Noor is willing to give all long-suffering CCN readers a 10% discount because he figures that having had to endure the diatribe in CCN each
week our readers are well deserving of a regular overhaul at least once every 25 issues.
The Islamic Females Association (IFA) invites you to take part in their 'Sister's Learning Programme'.
This is a series of lectures regarding a broad spectrum of Islamic issues. It starts on Wednesday 4th May at the Kuraby Masjid. Moulana Uzair Akbar will be discussing different topics each week at 7.45pm every first and third Wednesday of the month. These will be interactive sessions with ample opportunity for questions and answers with practical demonstrations and role playing.
or call Yusra Adams on 0403 151 473 or Mariam Essof on 0405 038 972
Queensland Buffers
Did you know that the Buffers in Australia are a social based organization for expatriate South Africans? Well, CCN's Felicia and MadameMumbai certainly didn't, despite the fact that one of the Buffers is right here on our very doorsteps!
The Queensland Buffers, formed in October of last year is part of a group of Buffers in New Zealand, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and in South Africa. The Queensland and Adelaide Buffers are the most recent additions, the others having been going for many years. They're a social club that allows "people with a South African Connection or culture to get together with their families and make new friends who share a common link". Each Buffer also has an over 35 soccer team and they stage an annual tournament in September. This year it is in Sydney (the location differs every year so that they all have a chance at hosting). All the clubs get together with social members and team members for trivia nights, games evenings, bowls, table tennis and other social activities.
They also have a charitable side to their club and produce a very polished monthly newsletter edited by their treasurer, DesireeBenjamin. Social members pay an annual
membership fee. Buffers President, BrianGobie hails from Port Shepstone in Natal and, despite leaning on the wrong side of 50, still manages to kick a ball around a soccer field. Vice President, VaughanDesplace, who own Desplaces Foodworks Coffee and Kebabs, has broken several athletics records in his time at Oxley High School qualifying him for the Australian Titles.
And in case you were tearing your hair out wondering................:
"buf•fer (buf'•er) n. old fashioned or incompetent fellow"
The Concise Oxford Dictionary
The Spirit of Things: ABC Radio National
From the 19th Century to the present, freedom and opportunity attracted many Muslims to Australia but sociologist Nahid Kabir argues that international events have made life more difficult for Australian Muslims. Perth-based academic and sociologist, Nahid Kabir, was interviewed recently by Rachael Kohn about her research into the Australian perceptions and treatment of Muslims in this country. She discussed her recently completed doctorate on the subject of discrimination against Muslims in Australia. Ms Kabir was born in Bangladesh from a Muslim background, and raised in Pakistan.
Rachael Kohn: Can I ask you, when you’re speaking to younger Muslims at university, do you find them more radical or more moderate? Nahid Kabir: It depends. Young Muslim girls who are Australian born and who have taken the hijab, I find them pretty smart, very moderate, they know the issues and they address them very nicely. But they are very proud of their Islamic identity, so even if they’re vilified at a public place, it doesn’t bother them, so they are very confident. I don’t find them radical. I haven’t come across any radical students, but I find them in spite of all these vilifications, going around I find them very confident and it doesn’t scare them.
Madame Mumbai's Movie Masala
Hollywood film studio 20th Century Fox will remake a blockbuster Bollywood movie about a thug who enrols in medical school to win back the confidence of his father. Vidhu Vinod Chopra, the well-known writer, producer and director, said he sold the rights to the 2003 hit comedy Munnabhai MBBS to the US film studio, which will release it under the title Gangster MD.
Chopra, who co-wrote the screenplay with director Rajkumar Hirani, is going to be the executive producer for the Hollywood version. He said it was the first time a Hollywood studio had bought the rights to an Indian film, but declined to
discuss the terms of the deal.
The Hindi-language movie received rave reviews in India and was a success among South Asians living abroad. The dialogue was so popular that crowds at cricket matches in India and Pakistan last year were heard shouting the rough Bombay gangster lingo of the character played by popular actor Sanjay Dutt. In the movie, Dutt portrays a thug who pretends to be a doctor so he won't disappoint his parents, who often visit him from their nearby village and think their son has made it big.
My, my, my! How the tables have turned. Not long ago Bollywood was being accused of capitalizing on Hollywood storylines.
Ridley Scott's new Crusades film 'panders to Osama bin Laden'
Keep a lookout for the movie Kingdom of Heaven, a tale of the Crusades which is attracting controversy because of its Muslims versus Christian themes. According to Director Sir Scott Ridley, the script was written in consultation with Muslim scholars. "I've show it to an important Muslim scholar in Columbia in New York who said that it was one of the best portrayals he'd ever seen", said Scott. Sir Ridley's spokesman said that the film portrays the Arabs in a positive light. "It's trying to be fair and we hope that the Muslim world sees the rectification of history." His claim of balance appears to be born out by another Muslim scholar, Hamid Dabashi, who saw the film and declared: "Muslims have nothing to fear".
However, according to the article in news.telegraph senior British academics savaged the film which they say "distorts" the history of the Crusades to portray Arabs in a favourable light. Professor Jonathan Riley-Smith, Britain's leading authority on the Crusades - attacked the plot of Kingdom of Heaven, describing it as "rubbish", "ridiculous", "complete fiction" and "dangerous to Arab relations". Prof Riley-Smith added that Sir Ridley's efforts were misguided and pandered to Islamic fundamentalism. "It's Osama bin Laden's version of history. It will fuel the Islamic fundamentalists."
The film is set in the time of King Baldwin IV (1161-1185), leading up to the Battle of Hattin in 1187 when Saladin conquered Jerusalem for the Muslims.
What It Means To Be Souf Efrikan
The only country in the world where:
striking workers show how angry they are ...................................by dancing.
Ouch!
President Thabo Mbeki goes on an official state visit to a small country in the middle of Africa. At the airport he is met by this country's Minister of Harbours.
All of a sudden Mr. Mbeki realizes that this is absurd, this country has no harbours as it is landlocked! He is very puzzled and decides to find out what the story is.
At the official state banquet later that evening, he leans over to the President and asks, "Mr. President, why do you have a Minister of Harbours when you don't have any harbours?".
The President looks Mr. Mbeki straight in the eye and says, "Well you know that may be true Mr. Mbeki, but I was just as puzzled at why you have a Minister of Law and Order?".
I am interested in finding out if anyone who is visiting South Africa in the near future between now and August. Please let me know as I have a little favour to ask. There is a brother in the Sunshine Coast who has a CD for me which I would like brought over to South Africa. I will make all the arrangements to have it delivered to you and then picked up in South Africa.
Faizal Khan
[Editor] If you are in a position to help Faizal out please e-mail your theteam@crescentsofbrisbane.org and we will send you his e-mail details.
Subject: Skiing is for Muslims
As salamu alaikum,
Skiing is the most wonderful sport for Muslims. Everyone is completely covered and you just feel one of the crowd.
In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, nothing is impossible, even snow in the desert.
See http://www.gulfnews.com/Articles/FeaturesNF.asp?ArticleID=161650 for Dubai's Ski Dome.
I enjoy skiing. Let's start a skiing club for Muslims to ski in our own beautiful Snowy Mountains.
Salaams
Janette Hashemi
[Editor] CresSki has a definite ring to it. Any takers?
An artist's impression of Ski Dubai
Courses in Understanding Deen
The Imam of Holland Park Mosque, Moulana Uzair Akbar, together with Mufti Junaid Akbar, will be conducting a comprehensive course which will cover various aspects of Islam and Deen. The course will consist of six specialized topics (Islamic Fundamentals, Fiqh, Hadith, Tafsir, Seerat, Tajweed) providing a stepping stone towards understanding and implementing Islam in your daily lives. Classes start on 10 May every Tuesdays and Thursdays after Isha at the Holland Park Mosque and is all brothers and sisters are welcome to attend.
You can download an application form from here, and more details about the course itself here.
Our Man-on-the-Mussallaah has been informed that the course is not for the faint hearted. It is an intensive one requiring committed students. It will take about a year to complete and exams will be held at the end of the semester. This course is affiliated with a recognized Islamic institute in Pakistan and on successful completion the student will be issued with a certificate.
A Word From This
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Yesterday's registration for CresWalk2005 at the Kuraby Community Centre turned out to be a very social event with friends and families getting together over tea and nibbles, meeting people for the first time and starting up friendly challenges. 
Sister's Learning Programme
Queensland Buffers
The Spirit of Things: ABC Radio National
Ridley Scott's new Crusades film 'panders to Osama bin Laden'
What It Means To Be Souf Efrikan 
