Over 90 men, women and children became Australian Citizens on Australia Day at the Runcorn State High.   At the ceremony, co-ordinated by the Kuraby Lions, local dignitaries and family members watched as the new Australians took the pledge and oath that would make them proud citizens of the country.   The Crescents of Brisbane Team was on hand to welcome the guests with a spicy sausage sizzle.
The Bosthans of Brisbane, Zakiya, Dilshaad, Tariq, Ismail and Asgar Ali proud to call Australia home

 
A young 17 year old Muslim lad is seeking an electrical apprenticeship. He is particular about his five times salaah and Jumuaah and would find it much easier working for a Muslim or someone sympathetic towards his faith.

If you are able to assist in any way, please email ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org and we will forward you his resume.

 

Staff and students of the Springfield campus of the University of Southern Queensland got into the swing of things when they celebrated a belated UAE Independence Day.   The students from the Emirates prepared a home made meal of their local delicacies and demonstrated the cultural dress and customs to an appreciative audience.   Mohammed Al-Dhaheri, a business student at the University, told CCN that he started with preparing the exotic dish in the early hours of the morning, and at the rate the pots were emptied it would seem his efforts were not in vain.

 
In a new initiative between Monash University's Faculty of Arts and the Australian Catholic University (ACU), students will be able to study a diverse and well-researched range of units in all aspects of Islamic studies from 2011.

Units will cover Arabic language, Qur'an and Hadith studies, Islamic history, law, contemporary thought, art, and comparative studies. A
limited range of units will be available in 2010 including:

. Arabic language (Monash)
. Islam: Principles, civilisations, and influences (Monash)
. Introduction to Islam (ACU)
. Approaches to the Qur'an and Hadith (ACU)

For more information, go to:

Bachelor of Arts with a major in Islamic Studies
http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/aos/arts-ug-islamic-studies.html

Postgraduate Diploma in Arts (Research) in Islamic Studies
http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2010handbooks/courses/3937.html

 
Women don't have to give up Islam for rights, argue Randa Abdel-Fattah and Susan Carland.

Orientalists writing on Islam and Muslims have tended to represent Muslim women as infantilised and oppressed, victims in need of rescue by the enlightened West. This is a classic example of the tyranny of self-projection, where the ''rescuer'' assumes a position of superiority so the belief systems, values and norms of Muslim women are judged against the Western experience.

The work of Muslim human rights and social justice advocates is discredited and ignored. It is as if liberation and freedom are the monopoly of secular feminists. Muslim women are apparently too downtrodden to care to make a difference.

If they do insist on fighting for equality and justice within an Islamic perspective, their efforts are dismissed, assuming freedom and Islam are mutually exclusive, or, worse, that Muslim women are brainwashed, suffering from a form of religious Stockholm syndrome.
 

This patronising discourse arrogantly assumes the way to overcome patriarchy is to abandon Islam and adopt ''Western values''. How can a constructive effort to improve the situation of women begin when the conversation is so unsophisticated, demeaning and primitive?

Muslim women have engaged in the quest for dignity, democracy and human rights, for full participation in political and social affairs, since the time of Prophet Mohammed. As Amina Wadud, the American-Islamic feminist scholar, said: ''By going back to primary sources and interpreting them afresh, women scholars are endeavouring to remove the fetters imposed by centuries of patriarchal interpretation and practice.''

And although you may not hear much about them, Muslim women and men are doing much to improve the plight of women, from grassroots projects to legal activism and religious leadership training. They see Islam not as a stumbling block to progress, but as a platform for change.

In Jordan, there is a strong push, spearheaded by journalist Rana Husseini, to fight honour killings. Husseini's team has publicised each crime despite death threats. She has led the charge for law reform and mobilised protest rallies, which even princes from the Jordanian royal family have attended. Far from fighting Islam to achieve this, Husseini tells the murderers during interviews that their acts contradict the teachings of Islam and are punishable by God. Most of them concede this.
 

..........rich in examples of highly learned women acting as muftis and issuing decrees on all matters   Ahmed al Haddad

In Malaysia, groups such as Sisters in Islam offer free legal clinics to teach women their rights under Sharia and civil law, run campaigns to stop domestic violence and hold education programs for women with a goal of "justice and equality within the family".

In the United Arab Emirates, Ahmed al Haddad, the head of the Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department, has started a program to train women to become muftis. Previously, women religious advisers were only allowed to speak on "women's issues".

The training will enable them to work as equals to men in issuing religious rulings in all areas. There is nothing new in this. Islamic history is "rich in examples of highly learned women acting as muftis and issuing decrees on all matters", al Haddad said.

The Shura Council of the Women's Islamic Initiative in Spirituality and Equity, an advisory council comprising of Muslim women scholars, activists and specialists from around the world, aims to "critically engage with dominant Islamic interpretations of social issues and practices and promote religiously grounded arguments that enable women to make dignified choices based on their own religious tradition".

There is a long way to go for women in many Muslim societies, just as there is for women everywhere. But if we are interested in change, it is time to let go of outdated Orientalist arguments and ill-informed generalisations that see Islam as ''The Problem''.

It is time to respect the fact that Muslim women are fighting for their rights and doing so without giving up their allegiance and commitment to Islam. Their quest does not stem from imported Western values but is integral to the Islamic tradition. Demonising their convictions is unhelpful - and a repudiation of the feminist ideal of the right for women to autonomy and freedom of choice.

Randa Abdel-Fattah (pictured left) is a lawyer and author, and Susan Carland (pictured right) is a lecturer in politics at Monash University.

Source: National Times

 
From Monday, 1 February 2010, SBS Television’s WorldWatch service will expand to include three more news bulletins, in Hindi, Urdu and Portuguese.

Claus Hannekum, manager of SBS’s International News Service says:

“WorldWatch is unique to SBS Television, as no other public broadcaster in the world offers news bulletins from 26 countries, in 25 languages, to its viewers. This expansion demonstrates SBS’s continued commitment to informing Australians about the wider world. Those who migrate here can stay in touch with news from their homeland, while others can use WorldWatch to practice their language skills or sample other cultures. It really is an invaluable service.”

The Hindi news (from public broadcast DDI India) will air:
Mon – Sat at 11am on SBS ONE
Sundays at 11am on SBS TWO

The Urdu news (from public broadcaster PTV Pakistan) will air:
Sundays at 9:30am on SBS ONE
(and repeated at 5:30pm, on SBS TWO)

The Portuguese news (from public broadcaster RTP Portugal) will air:
Mon – Sat at 12:10pm on SBS TWO
Sundays at 9am on SBS ONE

For sale email joelondon_@hotmail.com for more information.

 
Download Islamic Calendar for 1431

 
 

The occasion had all the trappings of a Christmas party, so much so, that it quiet confused several of the speakers who wished the guests a Merry Christmas on more than one occasion.

The offices of Ms Judy Spence MP (Sunnybank) and Mr. Phil Reeves (Mansfield) hosted an Australia Day breakfast at the Southside Sport and Community Club in Mt Gravatt.   It was an occasion to celebrate the day and acknowledge the contributions of those people and organizations who contributed much to the fabric of the local community.   To add to her already impressive collection of awards in recent months, Ms Janeth Deen was presented with the  Robbie Williams Multicultural Citizen of the Year award for her charity work.

The dedicated Queensland Muslim Welfare Association Team: (left to right) Wilma Bothwell, Janeth Deen, and Kym and Rodney Smith

Ms Deen is presented with her award from last year's recipient

  
Over the last month, the Federation of Australian Muslim Students and Youth (FAMSY) has been conducting a survey in relation to its mailing list.

A summary of what respondents had to say follows:

• You would like to see features such as report on contemporary issues, Islamic articles and upcoming FAMSY programs but not the president's report or the editors comments
 

• As for Islamic articles, you value articles on understanding the quran, the seerah, and developing your spirituality and akhlaq but less on Muslim history, contemporary political issues and Islamic law.

FAMSY will take these comments into consideration and upgrade the content of the mailing list in the coming months.

Also, congratulations to you Ismail for winning the $50 mybookstore.org.au voucher.

 
The Queensland Muslim Welfare Association has had requests to help two families who urgently need furniture, and white goods such as washing machines, refrigerators and microwaves.

If you have any of these items to donate, contact Janeth Deen on 0435 086 796.

Both families are from Pakistan and are in urgent need of help.

There is also an Indonesian family of five who require a washing machine.

Also urgently required are a loan of the following medical books for an overseas doctor who will attempt the Australian Medical Examination in May.

HANDBOOK OF MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
ANNOTATED BOOK ON MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS
ANTHOLOGY OF MEDICAL CONDITIONS
PRINCIPALS AND PRACTICE OF SURGERY BY DAVIDSON
HANDBOOK OF PAEDIATRICS BY ROYAL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL MELBOURNE
HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL ASSESSMENT

These books are required by the 4th February as the doctor will be returning to his home country on the 5th February to study for the examination due to the fact that his visa has almost expired. He will renew the visa in time to sit for the examination.

Crescents of Brisbane Team members, Saadiya Essof and Zaheer Suleman, travelled to Zimbabwe to get engaged on 24 January.

A deliriously happy Saadiya told CCN: "Wow I can't believe I'm engaged! Just saying it sounds weird LOL! The engagement went off really well and I'm sure everyone enjoyed themselves or the food at least".

Both are expected to return to Brisbane in the next few weeks, Zaheer to complete his studies as a paramedic and Saadiya to resume her Bachelors in exercise science and psychology.

The economy continues to bounce back and all indications are that the recent Christmas trading was much better than initially predicted with consumers opening up their wallets/purses in response to discounting pre and post Christmas. Consumer sentiment is also showing strong trends with a very strong result recorded in January which was above levels recorded before the Reserve Bank commenced its three consecutive interest rate hikes from October – December 2009. This indicates that consumers are coping well with the rate hikes. Business confidence is also high but investment levels are yet to match the business confidence.
 

Employment numbers are growing and housing experienced good growth at 12% last year.
 

Threats to the Australian economy are:
• Subdued consumer demand. Whilst consumer sentiment is high, demand is expected to be subdued with the stimulus gone and as higher interest rates and fuel prices impact consumers. Woolworths posted weak results for the last quarter which underlined the fact that last year’s retail sales were buoyed by stimulus packages (handouts and lower interest rates). Woolworths, Australia’s largest retailer, has warned of widespread discounting and margin pressures this year as retailers battle to grow sales in the absence of government stimulus packages.
 

• Inflation and its impacts on interest rates. Inflation is not falling as fast as the Reserve Bank expected. The RBA was not too concerned about inflation whilst the economy was weak. But Australia is now at the start of a recovery which will increase inflation pressures. This will result in higher interest rates. Some economists are predicting mortgage interest rates of 8% by year end – this will have a significant impact on housing and consumer demand in general.
 

• Skills shortage – its amazing but we are back to talking about skills shortages especially in Western Australia where increasing trades persons are required for major resources projects.
 

We are at the start of a recovery and the threats/pressures to the Australian economy are to be expected as Australia builds its economy in the next year. Exercise caution if you are investing on the stock exchange as the fantastic performance to date may not be sustainable.
 

The global economy seems to be picking up steam but with great uncertainty and risk. Japan (the second largest economy and a large consumer of Australian commodities) appears to be heading for the doldrums whilst China is still growing (despite risks). The news out of the USA, whilst generally good, tends to fluctuate.
 

Read all about it in this month's MBN Business News.

Adapted from Australian Journey - Muslim communities

The Australian Journey – Muslim communities, a new DIAC publication, is characterised by contributions of Muslims from all over the world who have made Australia home.

In this, and following issues of CCN, we highlight one of the successful Muslims in Australia from the report and their thoughts about what it means to be both a Muslim and an Australian.

Matuse Music, art & the written word

Australia’s modern art scene is enriched by the contributions of Muslims—from art exhibitions exploring the fusion of Islam with the West, to hip hop performers rapping about growing up in multicultural Australia.   MATUSE got into hip hop music at an early age. He has already produced one album and is preparing to launch another. His music features in the new Australian film ‘Cedar Boys’. .   As an individual doing the best I can to represent my fellow Australians and Muslims, I strive to place Australia on the map with my deep devotion for music and spiritual harmony.   I have passion for teaching and helping our young Australians through my ongoing battle of living daily life, letting it shine through my sound.   I am a reflection of the Muslim Australian experience and believe each individual has an integral part in moulding a better society.   I mirror the view of my world through my music so it may reach those that feel that the world they live in is lost, giving hope, love, joy and even sadness, a path to move throughout each and everyone’s hearts and ears, regardless of religion or faith.   MATUSE