"The Gap stops here", Din Karim, an accountant by profession, told Federal Health Minister, Tony Abbott, Minister Gary Hardgrave and a number of invited guests attending the opening of the Underwood Medical Centre.
Of course Mr. Karim was referring to the latest of the Bulk Billing practices that he, in partnership with marketing expert Dr Shabir Hussain, have begun to fit out in and around Brisbane.
Staffed with South African trained doctors, the Underwood and Kuraby practices offer a 7-day service to residents in the area.
The occasion was also an ideal opportunity for the Government representatives to reverse the perception that the Howard Government is dismantling Medicare in favour of a private health system.
This was also their show of support for practices that are establishing themselves in areas of need, that offer around the clock services and make good use of overseas trained doctors.
Abbott and Hardgrave propping up bulk billing
Special Appeal for Fitra for Zimbabwe
With the coming of Ramadaan, there is an appeal to all our BRISBANE CCN readers for their Fitra. Mr. Faisel Essof is collecting Fitra for distribution in Zimbabwe.
You are no doubt aware of the economic situation in Zimbabwe. Just to give some examples: -
A loaf of bread costs ZW$10 000; Milk is ZW$30 000 a litre; Cheese is anything between ZW$250 000 to ZW$400 000 a kg.; Chicken (whole) is ZW100 000 per kg; Oil is ZW$50 000 for 750ml; Sugar …… not easily available.
Apples ZW$30 000 each.
The current exchange rate is ZW$70 000 (and counting) to the US$. A domestic worker earns ZW$ 1.2 million which equates to US$14.17 a month. A shop worker earns ZW$ 2.5 mill which equates to US$ 35.71 a month.
The current situation for the locals has been made worse with the recent clean up as there were many who were street vendors and tuck shop owners.
Sadly there are many Muslims in need. The Fitra money collected will be used to purchase basic foods and distributed to the poor and needy Muslims in the townships. All this will be done before Eid.
"The need is great and a humble request is made to all to donate to this worthy cause," Faisel told CCN.
Anyone wishing to give his or her Fitra can contact Faisel on: -
Please note – LAST DAY OF COLLECTION FOR FITRA IS 15TH RAMADAAN. This will allow time to get the money to Zimbabwe so that they may purchase the foods and have them distributed BEFORE Eid.
Going For Their Colours
FIVE Kuraby lads will represent Queensland at the Australian Taekwondo National Open Tournament to be held in Hobart, Tasmania in October. These students train under the expert tutelage of black belt Rami Fraij and his Rami's Thunder which meets for training every Saturday and Sunday at the Wally Tate Park Community Hall (next to Kuraby Mosque).
CCN congratulates Rami and his boys on a fantastic achievement and wish them all the success in the tournament.
Rami has a current
enrollment of over 15 children. For more
information about the school contact Rami Fraij at
rami_maani@yahoo.com or on (07) 3219 0514.
Back row: Rami Fraij
Middle row (l to r): Jamal Rane, Hisham Misraoui
Front row (l to r): Emir Mawardi, Mohammed Peer
Missing in Action(gone skirmishing): Mounir Mesbah
Yesterday, All Her Troubles Not So Far Away
Yesterday, the ground-breaking isiZulu feature film has become the first ever South African film to receive an Oscar nomination in the category of Best Foreign Language Film. The announcement was made by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts And Sciences in Los Angeles this week. The film, produced by Anant Singh and Helena Spring, and written and directed by acclaimed director, Darrell James Roodt, stars Leleti Khumalo of Sarafina! fame.
Yesterday is a watershed film for South Africa as it is a film of many firsts. It is the first isiZulu feature film and the first South African film to receive an Oscar nomination. It was made with the support of the Nelson Mandela Foundation, M-Net and the National Film And Video Foundation.
Anant Singh, speaking after the announcement of the nominations said, “We are ecstatic and proud to have received South Africa’s first Oscar nomination. Yesterday is a South African film, in an indigenous language and one that showcases our country’s amazing creative talent in a local story. The nomination is certainly encouraging for the South African Film Industry and it is a testament to all who were so passionately involved in the film.”
Short synopsis
Yesterday lives in Rooihoek, a remote village in South Africa's Zululand.
Her everyday life is not easy - there's little money, no modern conveniences, and her husband is away in Johannesburg working as a miner – but she possesses a sunny nature, and takes great joy in her 7-year-old daughter, Beauty.
The precarious balance of Yesterday's life is suddenly threatened when she is diagnosed with AIDS, and she must journey afar to understand and confront her illness. Yesterday's motivating force is her love for Beauty, who is a year away from starting school. Set against the awesome, harsh landscapes of South Africa, Yesterday is an eloquent, unsentimental and beautiful film that quietly builds an overwhelming emotional force.
The first international film ever made in the Zulu language, Yesterday is a story of courage, compassion and hope, set in contemporary South Africa ten years after the arrival of democracy.
George Bush has just announced on CNN (yes folks, the one that sounds like, is often mistaken for, but is nowhere near as good as your CCN) that the floods in New Orleans are believed to be the work of a suicide plumber from Iraq.
Early intelligence leaks revealed that the man, heavily armed with tools of mass de-suction, pulled the plug on the city despite several attempts to flush him out.
Changing of (most of) the Guards
The Islamic Council of Queensland (ICQ) held its elections for office bearers at its AGM yesterday (Saturday 24 September).
Br. Abdul Jalal was re-appointed as President with Br. Shahjahan Khan as his Vice President.
The other positions were:
Secretary: Br. Mahabub Ali
A/Secretary: Br. Sultan Deen
Treasurer: Br. Shaheed Ali
A/Treasurer: Br. Suliman Sabdia
Members: Br. Mohammmed Tomoum, Br. Mehmood Ali
(Click to enlarge)
Introducing Mr. and Mrs. Solwa
Crescents of Brisbane and CCN congratulate Bilal and Sahrah on their wedding in Durban a fortnight ago. Shaamilah Goder, the mother of the bride, said on her return to Brisbane that she had been overwhelmed by the hospitality of the Solwa's and their arrangements for the wedding reception.
Bilal and Sarah are expected to return to Brisbane towards the end of the year.
Who's Who in the Gang of 13
Following the Prime Minister’s Summit with Muslim community leaders, the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, John Cobb, announced a Reference Group to work with the Australian Government and Muslim communities.
"The group .. will be working with the Australian Government, and with their respective community groups in creating communication and support networks that will promote understanding between the Muslim community and the wider Australian community," Minister Cobb said.
Reference Groups Members
Dr Ameer Ali (Chairman) President, Australian Federation of Islamic Councils
Ms Iktimal Hage Ali Deputy Chair, NSW Youth Advisory Council, Member, Alaway Muslim Association
Ms Aziza Abdel-Halim President, Muslim Women’s National Network Australia
Mr Kemal Ismen President, Islamic Council of NSW
Sheikh Taj Aldin Alhilali Mufti of Australia, Ali Bin Abi Taleb Mosque
Mr Abdul Jalal President, Islamic Council of Queensland
Sheikh Fehmi Naji El Imam Imam, Islamic Society of Victoria
Mr Mustapha Kara-Ali Youth
Ms Nadia Gani Secretary, Youth Emerged
Mr Yasser Soliman Member, Council for Multicultural Australia
Dr Amin Hady Chairman, Foundation of Islamic Studies and Information (FISI)
Mr Malcolm Thomas President, Islamic Council of Victoria
Mr Hussein Hage Director, The Supreme Islamic Shiite Council Australia
Assalaamu Alaikum.
In the recent CCN you wrote a very informative article on the government's "180-degree turn" with regard to its stance on the Islamic headscarves.
The government has always been supportive of the headscarves, I have included a media statement from John Cobb which was issued immediately after the controversy.
He is also supported by the Prime Minister on this issue, the same Prime Minister that recently defended the outspoken Haji Ray Deen while the peak Australian Islamic bodies were condemning him.
Wassallaam,
Fazal Deen
[Editor] The 180-turn was in regard to the spin – and not on the Government’s stance. Until this statement the Howard Government did not want to consider banning the headscarf because it was not a practical thing to do (“Then we would have to ban all the other religions’ dress as well”), and not so much because they were defending a civil liberty. Now the spin is that it is an individual's right to wear the hijab and that far from being a threat it is a really cool thing to do.
The good Minister (who is a former jackaroo and lists predicting fashion trends as a skill in his parliamentary curriculum vitae) also had this to say on the subject:
"The reason they wear them it is they feel good about themselves when they do, not because they want to look mysterious or anything ," he said
“They are actually holding modelling- they model them and they just look fantastic, "
"I believe one day Australian women are going to think they look so fantastic it could become a fad"
Source: Courier Mail Thursday 15 September
Just for the CCN Smarty Pants
1. What is the most popularly eaten fruit?
2. What is the closest relation that your father's sister's sister-in-law could be to you?
Answers in the next issue.
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Just for the CCN Smarty Pants