......a sometimes
self-deprecating and occasional tongue-in-cheek look at ourselves and
the world around us ......
Sunday, 7 September 2008
.Newsletter
0200
News you won't find on CNN!
This week's CCN is kindly sponsored by
Acro
Accounting & Financial Planning
CCN
Turns 200
CCN wishes to thank its readers and subscribers
for helping it reach its 200th edition today.
From its humble beginnings in November 2004, CCN
has succeeded in amassing a strong and loyal
readership locally, nationally and
internationally over the past four years.
During the course of this period CCN has
received a number of emails of commendations,
comments and constructive criticism and we thank
you for all of them.
We
have tried to serve our constituents in a
number of ways, not least of which by acting as
a window into our community through which a
large and growing readership of non-Muslims and
ethnic communities is able to gain a better
understanding and appreciation of a community
living, working and playing right alongside
them.
It
is also a glowing commentary on the quality and
standard of the journalism of CCN (and a
vindication of its motto to be self-deprecating)
that the exploits of Mula Nasruddin and our
ubiquitous Man-on-the-Mussallaah appear to
dominate a major share of our reader's attention.
CCN's readership is also equally divided between
following Kareema's keep fit classes and
indulging in KB's exotic food recipes, and yet
others have found refuge and solace from (the
mediocrity of) CCN by branching off to the CCN
Book Club for unadulterated intellectual
stimulation.
It
has been a challenge and an honour and a
privilege to be able to chronicle the activities
of our community and hopefully, in some small
measure, touch the hearts and minds of our
readers.
With your support and interest we look forward
to continuing in this vein well into the future
as we head forward to our next milestone, insha-Allah.
Thank you, dear CCN Reader.
Your
5 Cents Worth Counts: Help MYS Reach Their Target This
Week
MYServices will,
insha'Allah be launching its youth leadership
development program this November.
We request your input into
the program, as Muslim youth, community leaders,
educators or interested citizens.
Thank you
to all the wonderful CCN readers who responded to last
week’s call! Your responses were amazing and reassure us
that Muslim youth leadership development is not only
much needed, but wanted.
We now only have 45
responses to go, to reach our target. We would be
extremely grateful if you can please spare 5 short
minutes now and complete this anonymous survey. The
survey will be taken off on
Saturday 13th September.
Community leaders,
educators, interested citizens,
please click here:
Tell us how you think a
youth leadership development program should look like!
We are very
grateful for your time. Thank you so much.
Shaima Khan
Muslim Youth & Community Development Officer
Ramadhan Messages
It gives me great pleasure
to send greetings of peace and well wishes
to my Muslim friends during this holy month
of Ramadhan, a time of spiritual reflection,
devotion, community, generosity and mercy.
I wish you all the best
for the rest of your fast. Ramadhan Mubarak.
Salam
Stephen Robertson MP
Member for Stretton
Assalamu 'Alaykum,
Human Appeal Int. Melbourne wishes the
Muslim community a prosperous and bountiful
Ramadan.
As Ramadan is a time of giving, we encourage
the Muslim community to participate in our
Ramadan projects.
Jazakumullahu khayran
Wassalam
HAI Melbourne
As-Salaam-Alaikum
We would like to this opportunity to wish
our many Muslim friends and neighbours
within our local community a blessed and
spiritually-beneficial Holy month of
Ramadan.
Understanding and acceptance of each beliefs
and cultural backgrounds, are vital
ingredients in keeping strength and
stability within the wider community.
Without the positive contribution of our
Muslim neighbours and friends, this strength
and diversity would be greatly weakened.
Regards
David and Dr Nadine Forde
An
Evening with Michael Shaik
You are
invited to a presentation by
political activist
Michael Shaik on Friday
19 September at 9pm at the
Kuraby State Special School.
Michael will
talk on recent developments
on the human rights ships
that recently journeyed from
Cyprus into Gaza in defiance
of the Israeli blockade. He
will also talk on the Israel
Palestine conflict and
answer questions on the
subject.
This is a free
event and tea, coffee and
deserts will be provided.
There is also
an ifthar dinner
being held between 6pm and
7.10pm with Michael Shaik
at the Curry in Kuraby
Restaurant prior to this
presentation. If you are
interested in coming along
please call 0402 026 786 or
email
ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org.
The cost of the dinner is
$20 and places will be
allocated on a
first-come-first-served
basis.
JP
Scholarships
The
Department of Justice and
Attorney-General in
collaboration with ECCQ has
funding available to train
six (6) community leaders to
become Justice of Peace
(JPs).
ECCQ recognizes that to
train people from CALD
backgrounds will empower
communities to better manage
their affairs.
JPs play a very important
role in the community. They
are volunteer workers in
Queensland’s legal system
and perform a wide range of
services, from witnessing
the signing of documents to
hearing certain matters in
court.
To become a JP, you need to
meet the following criteria;
• an Australian citizen by
birth, descent or grant
• at least 18 years old
• of good character
• registered on the State
electoral roll.
To be a
Qualified JP, you need to
sit and pass an exam, which
requires a moderate to high
level of English language
skills.
If you know
of community leaders who
might be interested in
taking part in this great
initiative, please contact
Sharon Malebogo Orapeleng
on 3844 9166 before
Wednesday 10 September.
Local
Tennis Tournament
(left to right) Faisal Hatia,
Yaseen Sarfudin, Yusuf Chothia and Omar Abdulla
A group of
locals got together and
staged a mini-tennis
tournament at the Eight Mile
Plains tennis courts last
Sunday.
40 players
participated in this
tournament and ranged in
talent from verging on the
professional to bounding
with enthusiasm.
The
semi-finalists were:
Yaseen Sarfudin and
Faisal Hatia (winners of
Group B)
Ahmed Kadwa and Yunie
Omar (winners of Group
C)
Omar Abdulla and
Yusuf Chothia (winners
of Group A)
Recently the
Dutch public broadcaster
IKON (Netherlands
Interdenominational
Broadcasting Company) and
Radio Netherlands Worldwide
launched a world first: the
Bible and Koran brought
together on a single
Internet site in Dutch,
English and Arabic. See
www.bibleandkoran.net.
By making
accessible the texts of the
Christian and Islamic holy
books,
BibleandKoran.net "hopes to
encourage study of both
sources and promote mutual
understanding."
Rowdy
opposition to a proposed new
Muslim school in Sydney’s
south-west has again exposed
a deep-seated fear of Islam
and what this faith stands
for in the modern world.
Around Australia there are
about 30 Muslim schools and
more are planned. What goes
on in an Islamic school? Who
are the students and
teachers? How do their
curricula differ from other
private and state schools?
How much focus is there on
religious instruction?
Compass explores the stories
of two Muslim schools to
find out.
ABC TV:
MONDAY 8.30pm 8 September
FOUR
CORNERS - 9/11: The Third
Tower
Seven years
on, the destruction of New
York's Twin Towers, played
and replayed thousands of
times over, is seared into
collective memory.
A third skyscraper also fell
that day. Unlike the Twin
Towers, the 47-storey
building known as Tower
Seven was not hit by a
fuel-laden plane, yet it
collapsed neatly in 6.5
seconds.
The official explanation is
that it was destroyed by
fire. But in the seven years
it has taken to present the
final investigation report,
suspicion has filled the
information vacuum. Tower
Seven has fed an industry of
conspiracy theories that
grew up around 9/11. Claims
are pressed – by a
phenomenally popular movie
on the Internet and by
supposedly credible
"experts" – that someone in
or close to the US
Government brought the
building down by controlled
demolition.
How, among the many
questions they ask, could
Tower Seven be the first and
only steel-framed skyscraper
in the world to collapse due
to fire? Why did the New
York fire department not
fight the fires? Why did it
fall so symmetrically at
freefall speed? Why did TV
stations report that Tower
Seven had collapsed before
it had done so, when it was
still clearly visibly behind
reporters?
This BBC documentary
explores some of these
questions. In doing so it
demonstrates how, when good
information is scarce, or
late, many people will
believe the worst. "9/11:
The Third Tower" – on Four
Corners 8.30 pm Monday 8
September and 11.35 pm
Tuesday 9 September (also
8am Tuesday on ABC2).
Kuraby
Mosque Extensions
The
Kuraby Mosque will be
conducting an information
and exhibition session at
the Mosque on
Sunday 14th from 1pm to 2pm
to present the plans to
extend the existing Mosque
and Madrasah.
The community
is invited to attend the
presentation at 1pm and to
offer up any suggestions on
the proposed plans.
You can view
an artist's impression of
the preliminary plans
here and the drawings
here.
Feedback in
the form of written
submissions can be made to
contact@kurabymosque.org.au
or on the day of the
presentation.
Open
Invitation to Ifthaar
Dear
Brothers and Sisters
On behalf of the following
families, we would like to
invite you and your family
to join us for iftaar on
Saturday 20 September at
the Algester Islamic Centre.
Please
accept this as a personal
invitation and your presence
will be highly appreciated.
Salaams
Din Karim & Family
Omar Khan & Family
Yunie Omar & Family
Yahya Hasham & Family
Dado Sacur & Family
Yunus & Ebrahim Paruk &
Family
Noor Osman & Family
Imraan Hoosein & Family
Hanief Yusuf & Family (Baba
Zonke)
Ismail
Moola & Family
In the
true spirit of Ramadan: feeding the needy
By Nora Amath
Dave
Andrews, breaking his fast with Nora Amath
from AMARAH
St Andrew’s
Anglican Church Hall
The spirit of
Ramadan was felt on Friday
night at St Andrew’s
Anglican Church, West End.
AMARAH
members and friends cooked,
hosted and served a meal for
the some of the less
fortunate members of our
society.
The over 60
people who attended were
homeless, mentally ill,
and/or living in desperate
situations, financially and
physically.
It was an enjoyable night
for all- those who came
hungry and sad left with a
full belly and smiles.
Conversations
were exchanged and new
connections were formed.
Many of the
homeless joked that they
were also fasting and were
eager to “break their fast”
with us.
For the
AMARAH team, it was a
humbling experience, and
those who participated were
thankful for the opportunity
to make a little bit of
difference to some people’s
lives.
This simple
act of feeding our hungry
friends truly exemplified
the compassionate spirit of
this blessed month.
AMARAH would
like to thank the generous
donors, the cooks, the
serving and cleaning team
for making this night
happen.
And a big
thanks to Dave Andrews* and
his friends at St Andrew’s
Anglican Church for allowing
us the space and opportunity
to host this dinner.
Our next meal
for the homeless and
disadvantaged will be on
Friday 19th September, St
Andrew’s Church.
*Dave Andrews
is a close friend of AMARAH
and is a devout Christian.
This year, he has decided to
show his solidarity and fast
alongside his Muslim
friends. And I am told he’s
enjoying the experience.
Riffat and
Samee serving
The
brothers MK and Javed and the AMARAH Team
serving dessert
HAI -
making it easy to reap the rewards…
AN HAI APPEAL
During the Holy month of Ramadaan we
are reminded of the plight and suffering of those less
fortunate than ourselves. Not only is Ramadaan the
perfect time for such reflection, but due to the
auspiciousness of this month, it is also the perfect
time for giving.
Three of the main charity programs
run by Human AppealInternational Australia,
especially during the blessed month of Ramadaan are as
follows :
Feeding the Fasting
- An amount of $5 for one meal, to those fasting
in needy countries;
Zakat Al-Fitr
- Donations in denominations of $10;
Eid Clothing
- An amount of $15, to provide new clothing for one
needy child.
To support
these important programs, please contact 0405 230305
or log onto
www.humanappeal.org.au
US mega-mosques: Muslim
tradition with US convenience
WASHINGTON (AFP) - As Islam makes inroads in the United
States, American Muslims are setting up mega-mosques
that combine religious tradition with typical American
convenience.
Modelled on the huge, non-Catholic churches that offer
their congregations of at least 2,000 members several
different sites for worship, US mega-mosques have become
a necessity in some places.
"Frequently, we have buildings designed for the Friday
prayer, which is the largest, for 1,000 people and you
have 2,000 to 3,000 show up," said Corey Saylor of the
Council on American Islamic Relations (CAIR).
To accommodate the overflow, which also results in
traffic jams when prayer is over, US Muslim
congregations have set up satellite places of worship,
again following the lead of the Christian mega-churches.
That is just one way in which US mega-mosques are
decidedly American.
They also offer worshippers a progressive form of Islam,
in line with the profile and desires of many Muslim
Americans.
UAE.
English football club
Manchester City have
been taken over by the
Abu Dhabi United Group
for Development and
Investment, a statement
released to PA Sport on
behalf of group
representative Dr
Sulaiman Al-Fahim said
on Monday.
The deal has been agreed
between Al-Fahim and
City's owner Thaksin
Shinawatra, with Dr
Khalid Kadfour Al-Muhairy,
the head of the Emirates
Group for advocate and
legal consultants, also
involved in the
negotiations.
UK: Race
row police chief Tarique
Ghaffur could face an
acrimonious divorce
battle, it was revealed
during the week.
The Scotland Yard
assistant commissioner
has told his wife of 20
years that he wants to
end their marriage with
a "no fault" divorce.
But she has told friends
that she will not accept
the split and will fight
any such move.
The Assistant
Commissioner, who is
embroiled in one of the
largest racial
discrimination cases to
be brought against the
Met, could now face a
second legal battle.
It is believed Mr
Ghaffur has formally
asked his wife Shehla,
42, a primary school
teacher, to agree to a
no fault divorce on the
grounds that the
marriage has "
irretrievably broken
down" as the couple have
been living apart for
two years.
Mrs Ghaffur, his second
wife with whom he has
two teenage children, is
said to have been
notified of the request
this week.
She lives in Manchester
with their children,
where Mr Ghaffur began
his policing career and
rose through the ranks
before moving to London
as Britain's most senior
Muslim officer.
But his marriage has run
into trouble after he
developed a friendship
with Rubina Haider, a
44-yearold
mother-of-two.
He has become
increasingly close to
the divorcée since
beginning the friendship
about a year ago. The
pair have been seen in
public with Mr Ghaffur
taking Ms Haider to
official engagements and
posing for photographs
with her at an Asian
awards ceremony.
Ms Haider is a
department store sales
assistant who lives in
southwest London.
A friend of Mrs Ghaffur
said: "Shehla doesn't
want to divorce him for
the sake of the kids.
"She has been loyal to
him and supported him
throughout his career.
She hopes he will come
back to her and the
children."
The friend added: "Tarique
is trying to get her to
divorce quietly. He
can't risk the bad
publicity, especially at
a time like this. He's
already been divorced
once."
Mr Ghaffur is in contact
with his wife and
children, making regular
visits to the family
home in Manchester. It
is understood Mr Ghaffur
had expressed a desire
to return to Manchester
after he retired.
There is no suggestion
Mr Ghaffur's divorce is
linked to the case he
has brought against Sir
Ian Blair.
Mr Ghaffur has filed a
multi-million pound
claim against his
employers on the grounds
he has been treated less
favourably than other
officers as he is Muslim
and Asian. He also
alleges Scotland Yard
refused to extend his
contract beyond a year
as he is over 50.
A novel
with Islamic themes that
was canceled by Random
House last month has
been picked up by a
German publisher, the
author said in an
interview with a German
newspaper, according to
The Associated Press.
The
novel, “The Jewel of
Medina” by Sherry Jones,
will be published in
October in English, Ms.
Jones told the newspaper
Leipziger Volkszeitung.
The
432-page book was
originally to be
published last month by
Ballantine Books, an
imprint of Random House,
which described it as “a
fascinating portrait of
A’isha, child bride of
the prophet Muhammad,
who overcame great
obstacles to reach her
full potential as a
woman and a leader.”
Random
House, a spokeswoman
said, “requested that it
be postponed
indefinitely” after
being advised that the
book could cause
tensions.
Idris
Tawfiq, a British
Catholic priest who
became a convert to
Islam, is a source of
fascination in his
adopted home in Cairo.
Mary Fitzgerald spoke to
him about his personal
journey of discovery.
A De La Salle brother
for 15 years, Idris
later studied for the
priesthood in Rome.
Doubts about his
vocation eventually led
him to leave the
priesthood, triggering a
period of uncertainty
about what direction his
life would take.
He decided to take some
time off, booking a
charter flight to
Hurghada, a package
holiday resort that hugs
Egypt's Red Sea coast.
Soon bored of the beach,
he headed to Cairo and
experienced a culture
shock quite different to
what he had expected.
For the first time in
his life he met and
talked to Muslims,
observing their rituals
up close. Hearing the
call to prayer and
watching people stop
everything to turn
towards Mecca left a
deep impression.
"That week's holiday
more than anything else
changed my life," he
explains. "It began to
sow the seeds of Islam
within me. It was the
first time I had spoken
to, or even met,
Muslims. I saw that they
weren't sabre-rattling
fanatics, they were just
ordinary people. More
than that, they were
very gentle people and
faith-filled in a way I
had never seen before."
Idris returned to
Britain where he taught
religion in a secondary
school. The events and
aftermath of September
11th encouraged him to
find out more about
Islam.
A chance meeting with
Yusuf Islam, formerly
Cat Stevens, at London's
Central Mosque, proved
pivotal.
A woman
swathed in black to her
ankles, wearing a
headscarf or a full
chador, walks down a
European or North
American street,
surrounded by other
women in halter tops,
miniskirts and short
shorts.
She
passes under immense
billboards on which
other women swoon in
sexual ecstasy, cavort
in lingerie or simply
stretch out
languorously, almost
fully naked.
Could
this image be any more
iconic of the discomfort
the West has with the
social mores of Islam,
and vice versa?
Using the book
club you can see what books fellow CCN
readers have on their shelves, what they are
reading and even what they, and others,
think of them.
WE HAVE MOVED.... Our new office is located at Underwood
and we are keen to service our local community and
professionally meet their Accounting, Taxation and
Financial Planning needs.
Apart from our core business services we have an
association with a Professional Bookkeeper in-house to
help you get your 2008 accounts ready for the
Accountant.
During this month, we are offering discounts on
incorporation services; Company Setup $990, Family
Trusts $495 and Self Managed Superannuation Funds $495
includes GST, ABN and TFN registration.
Further, our Individual Tax Returns starts from $79 +
GST and we will offer 10% discount to all CCN
readers for their personal tax returns, Company &
Trusts.
We wish you all success in this world and the
hereafter!!
Mohammed Saheed
Kareema's Keep Fit Column
This week I would love to share with everyone a
hadith which 'encourages / motivates' me to lead a
healthy lifestyle by staying active and taking care of
my body:
HAQQUN NAFS (Rights of the
body):
Hadrat Amr bin Maimun al-Audi (Allah be pleased with
him) reported that Allah's messenger (peace be upon him)
said to a man in the course of an exhortation:
Get hold of five things before five
others:
your youth before your
decrepitude;
your health before your illness;
your riches before your poverty;
your leisure before your work,
and
your life before your death
(Tirmizi)
This hadith can be found on page 295 of USWAI
RASOOL-E-AKRAM
All questions sent in are published here anonymously and
without any references to the author of the question.
KB's Culinary Corner:
Ramadan Recipes
Bhajia
Ingredients
1 cup chicken fillet cut into small
squares
3 tablespoon Semolina (Taystee Wheat)
1 teaspoon ground dry coriander (dhania)
1 teaspoon ground dry cummin (jeero)
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 egg (beaten)
1/2 tsp green chillies
1 tsp ground garlic
1 tsp salt to taste
Method
Marinade meat with all ingredients except
egg and baking powder. Leave overnight.
Before frying add baking powder and beaten
egg and mix well. Deep fry in hot oil.
Do you have a recipe
to share with CCN readers?
Send in your favourite recipe to
ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org and be our "guest chef" for
the week.
The CCN Chuckle
Jalalludin and his
friend Mula Nasruddin arrive at the camel station.
Jalalludin books a second class ticket on the camel
safari heading to his hometown Anatolia.
Jalalludin looks at the back seat on his assigned camel
and then the front first class seat.
Seeing that the
first class seat appears to be much larger and more
comfortable, he hops onto the empty front seat.
One of the camel
drivers checks his ticket and tells Jalalludin that his
is the seat at the back.
Jalalludin replies, "I'm the leader of my tribe and I'm
going to sit here all the way to Anatonia."
Flustered, the camel driver goes to the head cameleer
and informs him of problem with the passenger.
The head cameleer
goes to the comfortably seated Jalalludin and tells him
that his assigned seat is the one at the back of the
camel.
.
Again Jalalludin replies, ""I'm the leader of my tribe
and I'm going to sit here all the way to Anatonia.”
The head cameleer doesn't want to cause a commotion, and
so returns to the tent to discuss the problem passenger
with Mula Nasruddin.
Mula Nasruddin says Jalalludin is his good friend and
that he can take care of the problem.
Mula Nasruddin then goes to the camel and briefly
whispers something into Jalalludin’s ear.
Jalalludin immediately gets up, says, "Thank you so
much," hugs Mula Nasruddin, and hops into the back seat
of the camel.
The camel driver and the head cameleer who were watching
with rapt attention, together ask Mula Nasruddin what he
had said to Jalalludin.
Mula Nasruddin replies, "I just told him that the front
section of the camel wasn’t going to Antonia."
The
Notice Board
Click on image to enlarge
An Evening with Michael Shaik
Hajj Seminar
AMAA Awards
Pitter Patter
Open Days
Ramadan Quiz
Eidfest 2008
ADCQ ECCQ Workshops
Marriage Toolbox
Brisbane Islamic Soccer
GIRU
The Imam & The
Pastor
Courses for New
Muslims
IWAQ Annual Ladies Night 2008
The CCN Date Claimer
Date
Day
Event
(Click on link)
Organizer
Venue
Contact
Time
1/2
September
(PROVISIONAL)
Mon/Tues
Start of Ramadaan
13
September
Saturday
Inaugural Meeting: Queensland Muslims Historical
Society
Venue:
Room S201,
University of Queensland, 323 Hawken Drive,
St. Lucia
Contact: 0421 731 797
Time: 6.45pm to 9.00pm
Sunnah Inspirations is a
non-profit organisation to cater for Muslim
social support and supplying information to
Muslims and non-Muslims. They have
been doing various activities around
Australia, and have organised Da'wah
information stalls at various universities
in Brisbane. More info can be found on
their website above.
Please feel
free to post an entry on our Wall, start up a
Discussion thread and/or become a Fan.
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Disclaimer
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.
Yaseen Sarfudin and
Faisal Hatia (winners of
Group B)
Idris
Tawfiq, a British
Catholic priest who
became a convert to
Islam, is a source of
fascination in his
adopted home in Cairo.
Mary Fitzgerald spoke to
him about his personal
journey of discovery.
Catch
Crescents
Community News at