Sunday, 7 October 2007

Ramadhaan 1428 A.H.

Newsletter 0152

This week's CCN is kindly sponsored by

ABD Poultry

The Team at Crescents of Brisbane and CCN wishes all our readers and their families and friends all the very best for Eid-ul-Fitr.

May all your duas during Ramadan be also accepted.

Islamic College of Brisbane, 45 Acacia Road. Karawatha

The Islamic Council of Queensland (ICQ), the Australian International Islamic College (AIIC), Darul Uloom (Buranda), and Kuraby, Holland Park and Ipswich Mosques have come together in the spirit of unity to host Eid-ul-Fitr prayers at a common venue - the Islamic College of Brisbane, Karawatha.

As a consequence of this decision all programmes planned earlier by AIIC and Kuraby Mosque for Eid day have been cancelled. The organizations apologize for any inconvenience caused by this decision.

Salam El-Merebi, 20, was one of the top three finalists for the Queensland Young Achievers Award under the Community Services category.

Ms. El-Merebi was one of the youngest of the 400 nominees for the state-wide prestigious award.

Her selfless efforts for the community and advocacy for the rights of all marginalised people (in particular raising awareness on the human rights abuses of Palestinians) were formally recognised at an Awards Gala Presentation Dinner last weekend.
 

"Salam has made the Muslim community proud, especially as she was the only Muslim (AND hijab-clad!) nominee and the only person of a non-English speaking background", Shaima Khan, Muslim Youth Services' Muslim Youth and Community Development Officer, told our CCN reporter.

"Salam is a shining example for Australian Muslim youth - proud of being an ambassador for Islam, determined to correct peoples' misconceptions about Muslims through walking her talk by serving others in need."

"It must also be mentioned that the ever-so-modest Salam literally had to be dragged kicking and screaming to give her consent for the nomination! But this formal recognition is an act of dawah as it challenges the stereotypes of Muslim youth - showing the wider community that there ARE local, hard-working Muslim youth who are dedicated to making our world a better place.", added Khan.
 

CCN congratulates Salam on her well-deserved achievement!

Watch this space as CCN gets Up Close and Personal with Ms El-Merebi in one of our forthcoming issues.
 

Salam recently appeared on ABC Radio with Kelly Higgins-Devine explaining the significance of Ramadhan.

Source: http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1189959232390&pagename=Zone-English-News/NWELayout

THEY'RE the longest-standing Muslim family on the Gold Coast and their youngest member is about to experience her first Ramadan. 

Saarah Jannah Goss, at eight months old, is too young to understand the significance of the month of fasting but the rest of her family is busy preparing for the holy time. 

Her great, great grandparents arrived in Australia almost 100 years ago, migrants from Pakistan, and eventually made the Gold Coast their home. 

Forty members of the Goss family still live here and there are 150 relatives living between Cairns and Sydney. 

Little Saarah Jannah's father, Rahman Goss, said his family first settled in Southport when the area was little more than bushland. 

"My great grandparents were the first on the Gold Coast," he said.

"They were the founders of the mosque, they bought the land for it and built the first mosque which is down below this one. 

"The Goss family first settled in Southport. 

"They owned a lot of the land there, and when the council eventually divided up the land, they named a street after the family." 

Rahman's father Hussin Goss said the family, as it did every year, would put on a dinner for the larger Muslim community tonight. 

"There will probably be about 600 to 700 people at the mosque," he said. 

"The whole community comes together and helps. Ramadan is a month  of giving, of spiritual reflection, a month  of being kind and getting back to basics and understanding the religion." 

Source: Marissa Lynch writing for the Weekend Gold Coast Bulletin 15/9/2007

The Ifthar Feeding Operation was extended to Lost City (South Africa). Sponsored by the Islamic Women's Welfare Association (IWWA) of Lakemba, Sydney the programme catered for some 200 families.

Thus far 200 food parcels have been handed out and a further 200 will be distributed before the end of Ramadaan, again mainly in Lavender Hill, Tafelsig and Lost City. Parcels have also been distributed to the families in Manenberg and Maitland.
 

These families are made up of the chronically ill, infirm, aged, unemployed, single battling moms and New Muslims.
 

It is for the first time in history that the United States Congress will commemorate and recognize the month of Ramadan as the Islamic holy month. The language from the bill text follows:

110th CONGRESS
1st Session - H. RES. 635

Recognizing the commencement of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting and spiritual renewal, and commending Muslims in the United States and throughout the world for their faith.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 5, 2007

Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas (for herself, Mr. MEEKS of New York, and Mr. ELLISON) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs

RESOLUTION

Recognizing the commencement of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting and spiritual renewal, and commending Muslims in the United States and throughout the world for their faith.

Whereas since the terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001, threats and incidents of violence have been directed at law-abiding, patriotic Americans of African, Arab, and South Asian descent, particularly members of the Islamic faith;

Whereas, on September 14, 2001, the House of Representatives passed a concurrent resolution condemning bigotry and violence against Arab-Americans, American Muslims, and Americans from South Asia in the wake of the terrorist attacks;

Whereas it is estimated that there are approximately 1,500,000,000 Muslims worldwide;

Whereas Ramadan is the holy month of fasting and spiritual renewal for Muslims worldwide, and is the 9th month of the Muslim calendar year; and

Whereas the observance of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan commences at dusk on September 13, 2007, and continues for one lunar month: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That--

(1) during this time of conflict, in order to demonstrate solidarity with and support for members of the community of Islam in the United States and throughout the world, the House of Representatives recognizes the Islamic faith as one of the great religions of the world; and

(2) in observance of and out of respect for the commencement of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting and spiritual renewal, the House of Representatives acknowledges the onset of Ramadan and expresses its deepest respect to Muslims in the United States and throughout the world on this significant occasion.

http://worldmuslimcongress.blogspot.com/2007/10/ramadan-bill-us-congress.html

The 3rd Annual Australian Muslim Achievement Awards (AMAA) organised by Mission of Hope, will be held in Sydney on the 24th of November 2007.

The Australian Muslim Achievement Awards is an event that acknowledges and celebrates Muslim Australian contribution to both their community, and the wider Australian society.

In 2007, 82 nominations from around Australia have been received. This is a significant increase in the number of last year’s nominations. 

The President of Mission of Hope, Hanan Dover, stated that “Australian Muslim achievements continue to be recognised and the Australian Muslim Achievement Awards have grown in popularity where a greater number of nominations were received this year and the standard of the nomination entries are becoming increasingly impressive".

The most competitive category in 2007, is the Event of the Year category where 16 nominations have been received.

The 11 Categories this year include: Man of the year, Woman of the Year, Youth of the year, Sportsperson of the year, Event of the Year, Best New Initiative of the year, Community Organisation of the Year, Media Outlet of the year, Professional of the year, Role Model of the year, and Business of the Year.
 

Mission of Hope will also be asking for an expression of interest for potential candidates for the Australian Muslim Lifetime Achiever Award that is awarded to individuals who have serviced the community for over 25 years.

The last award will be going to a mainstream organisation where their support and efforts to assist the Australian Muslim community are recognized.

The Awards will be held on Saturday November 24th at the Fontana Di Trevi, 53 Raymond Street , Bankstown .

For more information contact Asmaa Mohamad on 0401 285 266 or email events@missionofhope.org.au. Please visit the AMAA 2007 website at http://www.missionofhope.org.au/amaa

Report by Amar Ali Khan

The Islamic Society of Ipswich Inc held its AGM for the year 2007 - 2008 and 2008 - 2009 at the Ipswich Masjid on 30 September 2007.

The following members were elected on the management committee;

Members at the AGM agreed to renovate some areas of the Masjid including putting on a roof and covering up the gap between the two buildings to provide shelter from rain and the hot summer sun of Ipswich. It was also decided by the members to put new toilets for women close to the women's section of the Masjid to provide appropriate privacy to the ladies and to provide proper wudu places for both men and women since we don't have proper wudu places in the Masjid. We perform our wudus in open with no shelter at all with temporary water supply at the back of the building.

We humbly request the Muslim community of Qld and Australia to donate generously to the renovation of the Masjid facilities. May Allah swt reward you all abundantly in this holy month of Ramadhan. Alhamdulillah, this is the second time that members of the Ipswich Masjid are blessed with the blessing of Khatmul Quran during the Taraweh prayer by local Hafizs (Hufazah). May Allah shower his blessing on them and the whole ummah of Rasullulah sws.

As the new President of the society, I wish to thank both hafizul Quran for their dedication and hard work and time, their families for making them available for the Ipswich Masjid and driving them to Ipswich every night and indeed the local Muslim community of Ipswich for their participation and providing Iftars. May Allah swt reward you all and shower his blessing on you all and all Muslims of the world.

If you need further information please contact the President on (O421 976 934) or the Vice President Haji Jameel Deen on 07 3274 2285. Wassalam.

Amar Ali Khan

President

Islamic Society of Ipswich Inc.

Mob: 0421 976 934

Answer 60 questions and you could win yourself a brand new laptop and 3 months subscription to AlJumuah magazine by entering the Ramadan Quiz Challenge at http://quiz.qmt.org.au/quiz.html.

African refugee settlement: ECCQ Response
 

The Ethnic Communities Council of Queensland has called on Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews to withdraw his divisive, racist and inaccurate comments on African and Sudanese refugees.

ECCQ, the peak body for ethnic communities and multicultural organisations in Queensland, says it is “appalled” at the Minister’s comments which it says are damaging and at odds with his own department’s emphasis on harmony.
 

“As the peak body in Queensland we can say with certainty that the majority of African migrants, including Sudanese, who arrive here under Australia’s humanitarian program, settle well into Australian life and get on with establishing new lives for themselves and their families despite the horrific and traumatic experiences most of them have endured,” says ECCQ chairman, Mr Serge Voloschenko.

...... read the rest.

Queensland Not About To Join A Witch Hunt: Minister

Queensland is not about to join in a witch hunt, Multiculturalism Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr said on Friday.

The majority of Sudanese refugees who have settled in Australia have escaped persecution and mass killings in their homeland and have embraced their new country as a peaceful, prosperous haven for themselves and their families.

Ms Nelson-Carr has said she was aghast that the accusing finger of Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews had pointed directly at Sudanese people in Australia.

"They have gone through enough without being ostracised by the very government of the country where their future will be determined.

"Many were forced to leave loved ones behind, or have been witness to murders and other forms of abuse.

"Not only do these people have to contend with escaping the traumas of their past, they are confronted with a new lifestyle that is worlds-apart from what they could have ever imagined, Ms Nelson-Carr said.

"Back off Mr Andrews, we all know there's an election coming."
 

Immigration Minister 'racist': Bligh

The Muslim Business Network is organising a GALA EID DINNER on Saturday 20 October at the RNA Showgrounds.

Dr. Hanief Khatree said: "A sumptuous four course meal will be served and the surprise entertainment is going to be spectacular."

"The kids are in for a treat also with lots of giveaways."

There are prizes for the person who tells the best joke, the best dressed and for those with the lucky ticket numbers.

Dr. Khatree told CCN that they were confident that this event will be something that the public will enjoy tremendously since they had put a lot of effort into organising it.

"Tickets are selling fast and so far 600 of the 800 have been sold", said Dr. Khatree.

People are advised to book early and tickets can still be obtained from the MBN executive committee members or by writing to secretary@mbn.net.au.

For more information contact Hanief Khatree (0402 032 506) or Rubana Moola (0439 617 786)

Ahmed Kadwa recently returned to Brisbane from a business trip to Vietnam and was more than surprised to discover that Ramadan was alive and well in the Communist country where religious practices are discouraged and frowned upon.

He wrote of his experiences there:
 

Upon my arrival at the hotel in Hanoi (in the north of Vietnam), I enquired if there was a mosque and to my amazement the mosque was 105 years old.

No sooner had I entered my hotel room, a musallah was sent up to me on a tray with qibla directions.

I later set out with a map in hand looking for the mosque.

I spent the entire afternoon making endless trips back and forth down this busy, winding street.

With limited English being spoken there, I was sent in every direction until I finally stumbled across the front door of the mosque quite by chance as the Magrib azaan was being given.
 

There were a handful of people making iftaar and I found them to be very hospitable.

They were from various countries and the variety of food bore testament to that.

The trend is to remain at mosque from iftaar to tharaweeh and after tharaweeh they have a second more elaborate meal.

Over the remainder of my stay in Hanoi I made iftaar and tharawee with them daily and was also fortunate to make jumma there as well
 

Later that evening when I returned from tharawee, I asked if I could get “an extra early breakfast (sehri)” only to find that the hotel had a special halal menu for sehri.

I was impressed and requested to have the sehri provisions sent to me at 3.30am.

The salaat times in Vietnam are almost the same as in Brisbane. At exactly 3.30am there was a knock on my door and a huge trolley of food arrived.

I was not sure if they thought I intended feeding all the guests on my floor. I was impressed by their generosity.

They also sent me a very large quantity of dates.

I really felt that they had over extended themselves with the quantity of food they sent for sehri, so the next day I requested a smaller portion of food for just one person.

I stressed this point, but I soon realized that it fell on deaf ears when another huge tray arrived at exactly 3.30am the following morning and this pattern was repeated over the remainder of my stay in Hanoi.

The Imaam in Hanoi is a Vietnamese of the “Chums Tribe”.

This tribe is mainly in the south of Vietnam near Hoi Chi Minh City (Saigon) and surrounding areas.

The locals tell me that there are about 15 mosques in the south near Hoi Chi Minh City (Saigon) and surrounding areas.

On my last night in Hanoi (Saturday night), iftaar provisions were provided by the Algerian Embassy and there were about 120 people there including ladies and children.

I later learned from one of the brothers that they had started having regular programmes at the mosque 2 months ago in preparation for Ramadaan and were cautioned by “the communist regime” to “ease off on these gatherings”.
 

The majority of Muslims in Hanoi are associated with the various embassies and consulates that are there.

I met embassy personnel from various countries including Brunei, Malaysia, Libya, Indonesia, Morocco, Egypt and Algeria.

There are just a few permanent Muslim residents in Hanoi, one of them being brother Br Ismail, who is originally from India and has been living in Vietnam for 11 years.

He takes care of the mosque as well as supplies halal meat to the Muslim community and to the local hotels “on special request.”
 

There is only 1 halal restaurant in Hanoi. It is quite a challenge to get halal snack food in any shop.

Most of their biscuits, cakes etc have lard and because of the language barrier, one can never be sure of the ingredients used.

I felt extremely fortunate that I had this opportunity of making Ramadaan in a Communist country.

There is an abundance of poverty in Vietnam. The people are very hard working and generally honest in their dealings. .

It was a very memorable experience and one that I will treasure.

Q: Kareema, I've been consistent with my walking routine especially during Ramadan, is there anything else I can do to make my walk more effective?

 

A: The most important factor is your posture:

- Stand tall (grow your spine) and keep your eyes ahead instead of on the ground. This will keep your neck in line with your spine.
 

- Keep your abs tight and you'll develop your core strength.
 

- Relax your shoulders, pull back and down with your shoulder blades.
 

- Swing your arms if you want to work harder.
 

- Don't overstride as it will waste energy and slow you down.
 

- Remember the 'heel - toe' rule. Be sure to land on your heel then roll the foot and push off with the toe. This allows the ankle to move through it's complete range of motion.
 

- Fill up your lungs (breathe normally), don't hold your breath.
 

- Most of all - ENJOY! This way you'll want to do it again and again!!!

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Need an answer to a fitness related matter? Send your question to Kareema at  fitness@crescentsofbrisbane.org.

All questions sent in are published here anonymously and without any references to the author of the question.
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RECIPE

MINI PIZZAS
 

Ingredients
Base
4 cups flour - 1 times 10g dry yeast - ½ cup sugar - ½ tspn salt - ½ cup olive oil - 1 ½ cups luke warm water - grated mozzarella cheese - cherry tomatoes, green peppers & oregano to garnish.

Sauce
1 times 410g can tomato & onion mix - 1 tblspn olive oil - 4-6 cloves garlic, finely chopped - ½ tspn sugar - ½ cup tomato puree.

METHOD
Combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Mix half the oil with the luke water and add to flour. Mix to a soft dough. Knead in the other half oil until smooth, cover & leave to rise until double in size. Punch down dough knead slightly and divide into 48 balls. Roll each ball into a round roti, leaving the edges a little thick. Prick the centre of each roti with a fork and bake at 180 degrees for five minutes.

SAUCE
Braise garlic in oil until garlic turns pink. Add tomato and onion mix, oregano, sugar, salt and tomato puree. Cook until sauce thickens. Spread sauce onto pizzas. Sprinkle with cheese and top with cherry tomato halves & green pepper slices. Sprinkle some oregano and bake at 180 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Makes 48, so you can then freeze them and use as you need.

Source: Radio Islam Newsletter - Wednesday, 03 October 2007

A man was selling his mule in the market.

Our Mula Nasruddin came to the man and requested if he could take the mule on a test ride.

The man told Mula Nasruddin that this mule was unique.
 

In order to make it walk, you'll have to say Subhan'allah.
 

To make it run, you'll have to say Al-hamdu lillāh, and to make it stop, you'll have to say Allāhu Akbar.

Mula Nasruddin sat on the mule and said Subhan'allah. The mule started to walk.
 

Then he said Al-hamdu lillāh, and it started to run.

He kept saying Al-hamdu lillāh, and the mule started running faster, and faster.

All of a sudden Mula Nasruddin noticed that the mule was running towards the edge of the hill that he was riding on.

Being overly fearful, he forgot how to stop the mule.

He kept saying all these words out of confusion.

When the mule was just near the edge, Mula Nasruddin remembered, and said it loud "Allāhu Akbar".

The mule stopped just one step away from the edge.

Mula Nasruddin took a deep breath, looked up towards the sky, and said "Al-hamdu lillāh..."

Click on image to enlarge

Crescents' Health Workshop: Breast Cancer Awareness register online	MBN Eid Dinner	QMT Unity Cup (Futsal)	Eidfest2007
Interfaith Eid Dinner with AMARAH	IWAQ Fun Night Out	Ramadan Programme at the Darul Uloom

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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.