The Symposium on Victoria's Muslims and Expo on Community Services was held in Melbourne yesterday, as part of a series of nationwide events to be staged over the upcoming months.
On Saturday, 31 March it will be Queensland's turn to showcase it's Muslim community and the services offered by various government departments under the theme of "bringing communities together" and "sharing our achievements".
Election results that could stop the rot
Suliman Sabdia
Today's new elections could well put an end to the turmoil which has seen an administrator appointed to the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC).
Last year Mr. Rahim Gauri from Western Australia was elected to replace Dr Ameer Ali, who was the chairman of the Prime Minister's Muslim Reference Group.
That result was disputed with Mr. Ikbal Patel from Canberra claiming he was the rightful president.
The Federal Court appointed an administrator and the councils' executive was suspended.
The newly appointed President of the Islamic Council of Queensland, Mr. Suliman Sabdia, has made himself available for all of the positions on the Executive.
World's Greatest Shave: How you can do your bit
Galila appointed on Forum
Ms. Galila Abdelsalam (IWAQ Manager) has been appointed as a Ministerial Regional Community Forum member for the Greater Brisbane region for the current term of government.
The forum consists of forum members from throughout the state who will assist to develop new, productive and positive relationships between the Queensland Government and community.
Veils block integration in UK, warns Lord Ahmed
The senior Muslim peer, Lord Ahmed of Rotherham, has condemned the wearing of the veil in Britain as "a barrier to integration" and called for an end to their use.
Lord Ahmed told the Yorkshire Post that the veil was a "mark of separation, segregation and defiance against mainstream British culture". He said: "There is nothing in the Koran to say that the wearing of a niqab is desirable, let alone compulsory. It's purely cultural. It's an identity thing which has been misinterpreted.
"They were supposed to be worn so that women wouldn't be harassed. But my argument is that women, and communities as a whole, are now being harassed because they are wearing them. They are a physical barrier to integration."
Lord Ahmed, Britain's first Muslim peer, also expressed his views during a debate in Doha, Qatar, in which he backed the motion: "This House believes the face veil is a barrier to integration in the West".
Last year Jack Straw sparked a public debate after he called on Muslim women to consider removing their veils. Lord Ahmed does not support a ban on veils, such as exists in the Netherlands, but wants a debate on the issue.
"We need to re-engage as responsible British citizens and be seen once more as contributors to society rather than people who are a burden, living parallel lives," he said. On the case of Aishah Azmi, who lost her job as a teaching assistant for refusing to work without a niqab, he insisted veils were unhelpful in schools, courts and shops.
But Dr Hassan Alkatib, the former chairman of Leeds Grand Mosque and Leeds University's campus imam said: "I don't think it's a big issue. So few women choose to wear niqab - not even five per cent - that I just think there are far more important things to worry about in our communities."
The Muslim Council of Britain said Muslim women should have the right to wear whatever they like.
Muslim leaders back plan to fly Aust flags outside mosques
A leading Muslim organisation in New South Wales has thrown its support behind a proposal to fly the Australian flag outside mosques under its control.
The Lebanese Muslim Association has discussed the idea at a board meeting, as a way of healing divisions between Muslim and non-Muslim Australians.
President Tom Zreika has called on the Federal Government to provide flags and flag-poles for outside not just mosques, but all places of religious worship in the country.
"Not only is it a unifying symbol but it also shows that we're all Australians and the Australian flag comes before anything else," he said.
There are over 100 Muslim children attending Warrigal Road State School Runcorn.
These young boys and girls are URGENTLY in need of R. E. (Religious Education).
The State Schools have Religious Education once a week.
Every Muslim child attending state school has an opportunity available for them once a week for half an hour to receive some basic lessons in Islam.
Teachers are needed desperately. These are voluntary positions. Kindly contact me, Imaam Peer, at 0415-710-613 weekdays at 10:45AM or after 3:00PM.
Parents who have children attending Warrigal State School would be most appropriate candidates.
I will certainly help those who are interested in teaching Islam and assist them with getting their blue card.
Allah says in the Quraan;” who can be better than those who call or invite towards Allah”
Salaams and duas
Imam Peer
The CCN Centre Link
An opportunity to start your career and gain an edge, with a Certificate III in Business Administration. You will gain valuable hands on skills and receive formal recognition of industry experience and a national qualification. This is a great opportunity to join a busy industry while gaining skills that will assist you in the future.
Education, Employment and Everything… the triple layer of a woman’s life, international women’s conference will be held at USQ from 26-29th September 2007. The conference will be held at the Toowoomba Campus from 26 to 28 September and at USQ Springfield on 29 September.
This conference is a USQ 40th Anniversary Event.
Presentations and workshops from Muslim women are being particularly encouraged.
The deadline for expressions of interest for papers and workshops is 30 March 2007. The deadline for abstracts is 28 May 2007.
Expressions of interest should be submitted electronically to iwc2007@usq.edu.au with expression of interest as the subject line followed by whether it is a paper or a workshop.
Conference themes and subtopics are:
Education
Access to education
Moving from education into the workforce
Skill development and education
Oppression of women and education - including career opportunities
Welfare law and its impact on women and education
Employment
Work choices - legal position of women in the workplace
Access to appropriate fulfilling work
Access to appropriate child care
Discrimination/sexual harassment
Personal safety in the workplace
Immigration issues - temporary work visas/migrant workers
Human rights/Working conditions for women
Conflict resolution/mediation
Violence against women – impact on women’s careers, employer best practice
Starting a business
Financial assistance for women
Superannuation
Everything
Work life balance
Health
Spirituality
Maintaining self identity and personal development
Many years ago in a small village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to the village money lender. The money lender, who was old and horrible, fancied the farmer's beautiful daughter. So he proposed a bargain. He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his daughter. Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal.
The cunning money lender suggested that they let providence decide the matter. He told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would have to pick one pebble from the bag.
1. If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven.
2. If she picked the white pebble, she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.
3. But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.
Standing on a pebble-strewn path in the farmer's field, the money lender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.
Now, imagine that you were standing in the field that day. What would you have done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her?
Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:
1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the money lender as a cheat.
3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.
Take a moment to ponder over this story. Experts use it to make people appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking. The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chose any of the logical choices. What would you recommend the girl do?
N
ow before you click here for the answer, give your advise after a few minutes of your own lateral thinking...
Britain's leading Muslims
The Muslim community contributes more than £31bn to the economy, and much else besides to British lives. Recently, the business leaders, writers, academics, doctors, campaigners and aid agency founders who do most for Britain were honoured at an awards evening with a difference.
They range from lords to lawyers, from authors to sporting icons, pre-eminent academics to giants of industry. And they all have two things in common: all are Muslim - and all have made an outstanding contribution to British society.
At the inaugural Muslim Power 100 list was announced at a glittering ceremony in the Hilton Hotel on Park Lane in London. Established to recognise Muslims who have made "significant contributions to the social, cultural and economic well-being of Britain", the awards have been praised by commentators as a timely public reminder of the positive contribution the vast majority of Britain's 1.8 million-strong Muslim community.
On the listare cricketer turned politician Imran Khan, Labour peer Lord Patel of Blackburn, and actor Art Malik, along with boxer Amir Khan, singer Yusuf Islam, formerly Cat Stevens, and Harrods boss Mohamed al Fayed.
The list, sponsored by the Islamic Bank of Britain (IBB), was compiled from some 6,000 nominations, and judged by a 16-strong panel including Sir Iqbal Sacranie, Lord Bhatia and Dr Ghayassuddin Siddiqui of the Muslim Parliament of Great Britain.
A spokesman for the IBB, Sultan Choudhury, said the event was the culmination of nine months' preparation and voting. "We wanted to highlight the positive contributions made by British Muslims to society - contributions that are in complete contrast with media connotations that somehow Muslims are linked to terrorism, are not as educated, or are segregating themselves. The opposite is true - we are integrating and contributing across a wide range of fields."
Excellence awards were also given to nine guests, including Dr Hany El Banna, founder of Islamic Relief, and Haifa Fahoum Al Kaylani, chair of the Arab International Women's Forum.
There is a strong business presence in the Power 100; the Muslim community contributes over £31bn to the British economy each year. Some 22 names on the list are company chiefs, including Sir Gulam Noon, whose curry empire is worth around £55m.
For his part, Lord Patel - Britain's first Asian peer - said he was "absolutely delighted" to be included in the Power 100, which, he said, "can only help improve perceptions of Muslims in Britain".
Journalist Rageh Omaah, also on the list, said: "Anything that helps to remind people that there's a mainstream British Muslim community that has no problem being proud to be British and Muslim is a good thing."
Mula Nasruddin went to a doctor to talk about his wife. "Doctor, I think my wife is deaf because she never hears me the first time and always asks me to repeat things."
"Well," the doctor replied, "go home and tonight stand about 15 feet from her and say something to her. If she doesn't reply move about 5 feet closer and say it again. Keep doing this so that we'll get an idea about the severity of her deafness."
Sure enough, Nasruddin goes home and does exactly as instructed.
He starts off about
15 feet from his wife in the kitchen as she is chopping some vegetables and says, "Honey, what's for dinner?" He hears no response. He moves about 5 feet closer and asks again. No reply. He moves 5 feet closer. Still no reply. He gets fed up and moves right behind her, about an inch away, and asks again, "Honey, what's for dinner?"
She replies, "For the fourth time, vegetable stew!"
The Inbox
Dear Editor
Assalamu Alaikum,
I wanted to thank you for adding my memory improvement site on your newsletter.
Alhamdulillah I held a Quran memorisation workshop over the weekend which was quite successful.
I have been receiving a lot of hits from the link you have provided and I hope more people will benefit from these courses.
I also wanted to let you know that I have created a job network website at www.myjobnetwork.org which aims to provide an opportunity for people to assist in helping one another find jobs. What started out as a small forum on a yahoo site has now started to grow with a bit of support from the community. Now at a new address bigger and better, the site will inshaAllah aim to be a helpful resource in our community. It would be very much appreciated if you could possibly promote this on your newsletter.
Well, here is what she did. She put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles.
"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked."
Since the remaining pebble was black, they had to assume that she had picked the white one.
And since the moneylender dared not admit His dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.
MORAL OF THE STORY: Most complex problems do have a solution, which you can find if you stretch your mind. If logic isn't working, try lateral thinking. Lateral thinking is a creative exercise. Practice it every day. "The secret to success is to know something nobody else knows."
Source: Radio Islam Newsletter
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Articles and opinions appearing in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Crescents of Brisbane team, CCN, its Editor or its Sponsors, particularly if they eventually turn out to be libelous, 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 either CCN or Crescents of Brisbane Inc.
