......a sometimes
self-deprecating and occasional tongue-in-cheek look at ourselves and
the world around us ......
Sunday, 4 April 2010
.Newsletter
0282
High-flying Antoni gets a new set of wheels
By Janeth Deen
(left to right)Yusuf
Khatree, Yousuf Meer, Osman Rane, Effendi
Tsaputra, Mufti Zeeyad Ravat, Yusuf Cajee
and Janeth Deen with Antoni Tsaptura
who can hardly disguise his pleasure and
gratitude.
Photo: Widiya Yutanti
The committee
of the Muslim Charitable
Foundation has been actively
working to ease the burden
of those in unfortunate
circumstances.
Most of the
cases they have had to
attend to have been to ease
economic pressure for
families in distress.
In those
cases it was to help fund
housing, clothing, food or
furniture for people who
have settled in Brisbane.
The most recent case to be
completed by MCF involved an
outstanding overseas student
from earthquake ravaged
Padang, Indonesia who came
to study for a Masters
Degree in journalism on a
scholarship from Ausaid.
Antoni
Tsaputra had to be
accompanied by his father,
Effendi as he suffers from
muscular dystrophy and came
in an ordinary wheelchair
that he has occupied since
he was six years of age.
His father
had modified it a few times
and Effendi has had to lift
Antoni in and out of the
wheelchair and adjust him
when he is uncomfortable.
One of his fellow students
referred Antoni to the
Queensland Muslim Welfare
Association Inc who then
referred the case to MCF.
The committee
set about assessing Antoni's
needs and ordered an
electric wheelchair
especially modified to cater
for all Antoni's daily needs
as a student and for his
daily requirements. This has
enabled him to have more
independence and ease the
pressure on his father who
has had to be constantly by
his side.
What follows is the
heart-warming story of
Antoni Tsaptura as expressed
in his own words:
Nobody wants
to be born with disability,
no parents in this world
want to have a kid with
physical impairment. Yet,
when it comes to you there
is nothing you can do but to
take it for granted. This
happens to me. I was born
with disability. I never
know what it feels to walk,
to stride, to stroll, to run
or to step my feet on the
ground but I NEVER REGRET
IT. Thank Allah The
Almighty, I manage to be a
pride of my parents and to
do good things for people
around me.
My mother gave me a birth in
Bukittinggi, a city about 90
kilometers away from Padang
the Capital of West Sumatra
Province Indonesia. My
father was so excited to
know that his first child
was a son. A son that
someday he expected to guard
the family when he is away.
Initially, my parents never
suspected any physical
disorder with their baby.
The baby looked just healthy
and fine. They started
feeling worried when I was
two years of age. I never
showed physical progress
just like any other babies.
I was already two years old
but all thing I could do was
sitting. They tried to walk
me but my legs were so weak
to support my body. Having
consulted a doctor, they
found out that I suffered
from a congenital defect
which hampered muscular
development. They were
shocked and sad to imagine
my future life. They have a
disabled son. A child who
will always depend on them
physically. Soon they
realized that there was
nothing they could do but
accepting this destiny.
“This could just be a
blessing in disguise,” said
my father to my mother.
.
Antoni's story on why "disability did not make me
disabled"
Cigs
contain pig's blood, academic says
Cigarettes may contain
traces of pig's blood, an
Australian academic says
with a warning that
religious groups could find
its undisclosed presence
"very offensive".
University of Sydney
Professor Simon Chapman
points to recent Dutch
research which identified
185 different industrial
uses of a pig - including
the use of its haemoglobin
in cigarette filters.
Prof Chapman said the
research offered an insight
into the otherwise secretive
world of cigarette
manufacture, and it was
likely to raise concerns for
devout Muslims and Jews.
Religious texts at the core
of both of these faiths
specifically ban the
consumption of pork.
"I think that there would be
some particularly devout
groups who would find the
idea that there were pig
products in cigarettes to be
very offensive," Prof
Chapman told AAP on Tuesday.
"The Jewish community
certainly takes these
matters extremely seriously
and the Islamic community
certainly do as well, as
would many vegetarians.
I
think that
there would
be some
particularly
devout
groups who
would find
the idea
that there
were pig
products in
cigarettes
to be very
offensive.
"It just puts into hard
relief the problem that the
tobacco industry is not
required to declare the
ingredients of cigarettes
... they say `that's our
business` and a trade
secret."
The Dutch research found pig
haemoglobin - a blood
protein - was being used to
make cigarette filters more
effective at trapping
harmful chemicals before
they could enter a smoker's
lungs.
Prof Chapman said while
tobacco companies had moved
voluntarily list the
contents of their products
on their websites, they also
noted undisclosed
"processing aids ... that
are not significantly
present in, and do not
functionally affect, the
finished product".
This catch-all term hid from
public view an array of
chemicals and other
substances used in the
making of tobacco products,
he said.
At least one cigarette brand
sold in Greece was confirmed
as using pig haemoglobin in
its processes, Prof Chapman
said, and the status of
smokes sold was unknown.
"If you're a smoker and
you're of Islamic or Jewish
faith then you'd probably
would want to know and there
is no way of finding out,"
Prof Chapman said.
The Sydney office of British
American Tobacco Australia
was contacted by AAP.
A spokeswoman said a comment
would be provided although
it was not immediately
available.
Family-owned and operated fast food outlet firmly on its
feet
Pizza Lane, a recently opened
take away store at Underwood, is a family
owned and run business. Its owners Shabir
Elias and his wife, Laila,
together with her brother Talha Abdul
Latif and his wife, Nazira and,
not forgetting their mother the matriarch of
the business, have crossed many hurdles to
get it up and running.
The family take pride in
offering its customers the best, tastiest
Halaal pizzas and their promise of using
only the freshest and finest ingredients.
Every pizza is prepared on site and that
includes the base
which is prepared daily.
Apart from the freshly baked
pizzas you can also try their tantalising
shawarmas, scrumptious sub-rolls and until
recently, fresh creamy pastas.
Tea, coffees, cake slices are
also on their menu but wait, try Pizza
Lane’s freshly prepared waffles and sundaes
which come with soft serve ice cream and a
choice of various toppings.
Pizza Lane prides itself in
customer service and offer both take away
and dine in. Pizza Lane will soon begin home
delivery service to the Underwood and
surrounding areas. Pizza Lane can, upon
request cater for groups, meetings and
parties. And for those customers who have
wifi, free internet access is available
(with conditions).
The Elias and Abdul Latif
families wish to assure all its Muslim
customers that they have made every effort
to ensure that all products sold and used on
their premises are genuinely Halaal to the
extent that they only use hand-cut chickens.
And as part of their refurbishment plans,
they will also be providing a curtained
partition in their store for ladies in
Niqaab, or for those customers who prefer a
little privacy.
To obtain updates and special
offers, check out the Pizza Lane website
www.pizzalane.com.au, and/or send a
blank email with the word ‘subscribe’ in the
subject line to
info@pizzalane.com.au.
As a special introductory
offer to CCN readers, Pizza Lane is offering
a free can of Coke, Pepsi or bottled water
to 250 customers who mention that they saw
the Pizza Lane advert on CCN.
Newsletter for Muslim Teachers
Sound Vision is
launching a new newsletter
designed specially for
Muslim Teachers.
So if you are a teacher or
aspire to be one,
you can subscribe to it
today.
Leading educators like Dr.
Abdalla Idris Ali, Audery
Shabbas and Yahiya Emerick
are on the editorial board
along with famous comedian
Preacher Moss who actually
is also a teacher.
Thirteen teachers constitute
the editorial team.
Subscribe today or forward
this to a friend who is a
teacher.
Moselman
first Muslim Member
The Hon. Shaoquett
Moselmane, the first
Australian of
Arabic-Lebanese-Muslim
heritage to enter
Australia's oldest
Parliament, delivered his
inaugural speech on 9 March
to the members of the NSW
upper house to which he was
appointed in December 2009.
It is a great
honour and a privilege to
stand here in this historic
place representing the
Australian Labor Party—a
Labor Party that represents
a history of commitment to
giving all Australians a
fair go regardless of race,
colour or religion. I am
deeply conscious of this
responsibility, and I am
aware of the community and
media interest that I have
attained as the first
Australian of
Arabic-Lebanese-Muslim
heritage to enter
Australia's oldest
Parliament. My entry into
this House is proof to the
world that we are an
inclusive society, a
democratic, pluralistic,
secular society, open to
all, irrespective of creed,
race, or colour. I am proud
of my heritage, proud of my
family and proud of who I
am. I am first and foremost
an Australian, and like all
members here, I will always
put Australia first.
.............
It was
inevitable that at the age
of 17 I would join the
Australian Labor Party. It
was inevitable because it
was a party that I believed
in because it was about
justice and humanity. I was
proud when the Premier of
New South Wales the Hon.
Barrie Unsworth after his
1986 narrow by-election win
in Rockdale praised the
Mouslimani family for his
victory. He won the seat by
56 votes. While my father
and older brothers worked I
was given the opportunity to
seek an education.
...............
My childhood
memories, however, were of
conflict and hardship. Peace
in Lebanon was a rarity. I
do not as a child recall
experiencing extended
periods of peace and
security. Successive Israeli
Arab wars, combined with the
Lebanese civil war,
continued for many years. A
tooth for a tooth and an eye
for an eye will see no end
to the continuing death and
destruction. One of our
greatest twentieth-century
icons was a man who espoused
the wisdom of peace, Mahatma
Gandhi. He rightly said:
An eye for an eye will leave
the whole world blind.
Never a truer
word spoken, and world
leaders are blinded by this
continuing cycle of
vengeance. There has been
over 60 years of Israeli
Arab conflict with no end in
sight. They must now open
their eyes to see peace as
the only way forward and a
solution to a Palestinian
statehood must be found.
..................................
Madam
President, like you and like
honourable members, I will
not shy away from stating my
hopes and beliefs. I hope
for and believe in peace,
and I believe that the
people of Palestine have a
right to a State of their
own.
United Nations resolutions
on Palestine must be adhered
to and implemented, an
independent State of
Palestine created and the
Palestinian diaspora be
given the right of return. I
believe that the two-state
solution can be the basis of
a durable and just peace and
peaceful co-existence
between the two peoples. As
a signatory to the United
Nations Universal
Declaration of Human Rights,
we must practise what we
preach. In 2008, Australia
and the rest of the world
celebrated the sixtieth
anniversary of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights
with the campaign slogan,
"Dignity and justice for
all".
..........................
I would like
to touch on a very topical
issue in our society today;
that is, the issue of race
and racism. We live in a
pluralistic and democratic
society in which the rights
of all are enshrined in our
laws, our customs and our
Constitution. However, on
occasion racism continues to
rear its ugly head. Some of
our past immigrants have
borne the brunt of it.
Unfortunately, our
Australian Indian community
is bearing the brunt of it
today. We have a duty to
condemn racism and we can
fight it through education
and the rule of law. Through
our education system we can
drive the message home that
racism is ignorance and a
crime.
...........................
I acknowledge
and thank my own family—my
beautiful loving wife,
Mika Fukuta Moselmane —
and my father-in-law, Mr
Iichi Fukuta, for his
support and for his kindness
to us but, in particular,
for his love and affection
to my son Joseph, who is now
5½ years old. Joseph is over
there in the gallery. Joseph
has become my Japanese
interpreter. He jumps in and
translates for me when my
father-in-law is trying to
tell me something I do not
understand. I love him
dearly. He is highly
intelligent and inquisitive,
and he usually gets his way.
Parramatta is the second
largest city in the state of
New South Wales after Sydeny
city centre.
Until now there has been no
Mosque in and around
Parramatta to cater for the
20 000 Muslims living there.
Worshippers have been
gathering at the Parramatta
Council Town Hall for Dhur
and Jum'a prayers for the
past twenty years.
The Parramatta Islamic and
Cultural Association was
formed to establish a Mosque
and Islamic Centre and as a
result premises in the name
of the Parramatta House of
Peace was purchased at 150
Marsden Street on 4th March.
The newly established Mosque
centre occupies the first
floor of a new multi-stories
twin building in the heart
of the Parramatta CBD.
Since the handover, five
times prayers and Friday
Jum'a prayers have commenced
and Eid prayers, Taraweeh
prayers, Qu'ran teaching and
all other Islamic activities
will continue to take place
here.
The cost of the project is
estimated at $2.64 million.
With donations from the
Muslim developer of the twin
buildings and other
individuals, together with
loans from the Australian
Federation of Islamic
Councils (AFIC) ($200 000)
and other interest-free
sources, the Association is
in debt to the amount of
$725 000.
Contact Mr. Neil Kadomi
OAM JP MC,
the President of the
Parramatta Islamic and
Cultural Association, at
nkadomi@hotmail.com
for details on how to donate
towards this cause.
Source: The Parramatta
Islamic and Cultural
Association and Muslims
Australia
Photos: Muslims Australia
Issue 10
Your
fellow Mussallee.... The Scratcher
By Hamzah Moin
Sometimes I
unfortunately get paired
with extremely annoying
people beside me in prayer.
Sometimes
they slyly check their
wristwatch and start winding
it.
Other people
breathe so loud that it’s
difficult to hear the Imam’s
recitation.
But the worst
person to have beside you is
The Scratcher.
From the
moment the prayer starts
with the Takbir to the
second it ends, this dude
will scratch every single
part of his body.
He will even
scratch parts that I didn’t
even know existed on human
bodies.
Once I think
he got to the point where he
was scratching the itches on
MY body.
Things got
really makrooh,
really fast.
If you got a
huge itching problem then
you might have fleas and in
which case, you should go to
the veterinarian right away.
In an Australian first,
Guide Dogs Queensland
recently hosted a seminar
for the Imaam's Council of
Queensland (ICQ), with the
aim of growing awareness of
the services available to
Muslims with low or no
vision.
About 12 Muslim spiritual
leaders (seen, left,
participating in a role
playing exercise)
attended Guide Dogs
Queensland's (GDQ's)
Breeding and Training Centre
in Bald Hills, Brisbane, to
learn more about the
services on offer from White
Cane training to Guide Dog
mobility as well as
undertaking a tour of the
Breeding and Training
Centre.
The Brisbane seminar was so
well-received that
organizer, GDQ's
Rehabilitation Services
Manager Bashi EbrahimOAM, has been invited
to host similar days at
Guide Dogs schools around
Australia.
" I hope to build greater
awareness within the Muslim
community about our
association, and then expand
workshops to include the
State's many other ethnic
and indigenous communities,"
Mr Ebrahim said.
"There is a need to promote
a better understanding of
cultural and differences and
address misconceptions."
Source: Adapted from:
Muslims Australia Issue 10
At the
Movies with CCN
One of the most critically
acclaimed and commercially
successful French films of
the past year, WELCOME
is the outstanding new drama
from writer/director
Philippe Lioret about two
men wrestling with issues of
lost love and dislocation.
17-year-old Bilal has spent
the last three months
travelling across Europe in
an attempt to reunite with
his girlfriend in England.
The difficult journey is
almost over when he finally
reaches the far northern
coast of France, and can
literally see his
destination from across the
Channel. But it's here that
his journey comes to an
abrupt halt.
Spurred by his dream, with
all legal options exhausted,
Bilal decides he'll swim
across. Here he meets Simon
who impulsively risks
everything by taking Bilal
under his wing...
Driven by powerful
performances, this absorbing
and emotional masterwork
speaks not only of one of
the most important modern
social issues, but also of
the indomitable nature of
the human spirit.
Trailer
Now showing exclusive to
Palace Barracks and Centro
Cinemas
This week
on ISLAM TV
To access the new programs
below:
(1) start the TV
(2) click on the On
Demand button above
(3) click on Islam TV
(4) click on the program you
wish to watch
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Brave
Saudi housewife set to win Arabic X Factor after
blistering attack on hardline Muslim clerics on live TV
Manchester Hissa
Hilal delivers her blistering attack against
Muslim extremists live on television on TV show
'The Million's Poet'
A brave Saudi
housewife has reached the
final of the Arabic version
of the X Factor after
lashing out at hardline
Muslim clerics on live TV.
Wearing a black burkha,
mother-of-four Hissa Hilal
delivered a blistering poem
against Muslim preachers
'who sit in the position of
power' but are 'frightening'
people with their fatwas, or
religious edicts, and
'preying like a wolf' on
those seeking peace.
Her poem got loud cheers
from the audience last week
and won her a place in the
competition's final on April
7.
It also brought her death
threats, posted on several
Islamic militant websites.
The programme, 'The Million's Poet', is a chance
for poets to show off their original work and is
broadcast live every week on satellite
television across the Arab world from
Abu Dhabi.
Contestants are graded on
voice and style of recitation, but also on their
subject matter, said Sultan al-Amimi, one of the
three judges on the show and a manager of Abu
Dhabi's Poetry Academy.
Over the past episodes, poets sitting on an
elaborate stage before a live audience have
recited odes to the beauty of Bedouin life and
the glories of their rulers or mourning the gap
between rich and poor.
Hilal is the first to launch a political
attack - a brave move by a Saudi woman.
'My poetry has always been provocative,' she
said. 'It's a way to express myself and give
voice to Arab women, silenced by those who have
hijacked our culture and our religion.'
Her poem was seen as a response to Sheik
Abdul-Rahman al-Barrak, a prominent cleric in
Saudi Arabia who recently issued a fatwa saying
those who call for the mingling of men and women
should be considered infidels, punishable by
death.
But, more broadly, it was seen as addressing
any of many hard-line clerics in Saudi Arabia
and elsewhere in the region who hold a wide
influence through TV programmes, university
positions or websites.
'Killing a human being is so easy for them,
it is always an option,' she told AP.
Poetry holds a prominent place in
Arab culture, and some poets in the
Middle East have a fan base akin to those
of rock stars.
Hilal's 15-verse poem was in a form known as
Nabati, native to nomadic tribes of the
Arabian Peninsula. She criticised
extremism that she told AP is 'creeping into our
society' through fatwas.
'I have seen evil in the eyes of fatwas, at a
time when the permitted is being twisted into
the forbidden,' she said in the poem.
She called such edicts 'a monster that
emerged from its hiding place' whenever 'the
veil is lifted from the face of truth'.
She described hard-line clerics as 'vicious
in voice, barbaric, angry and blind, wearing
death as a robe cinched with a belt,' in an
apparent reference to suicide bombers'
explosives belts.
The three judges gave her the highest marks
for her performance, praising her for addressing
a controversial topic. That, plus voting from
the 2,000 people in the audience and text
messages from viewers, put her through to the
final round.
'Hissa Hilal is a courageous poet,' said al-Amimi.
'She expressed her opinion against the kind of
fatwas that affect people's lives and raised an
alarm against these ad hoc fatwas coming from
certain scholars who are inciting extremism.'
Fatwas are not legally binding - it is up to
individual Muslims to follow them.
Clerics of all ideological stripes pronounced
fatwas on nearly every aspect of people's lives,
from how they should deal with members of other
religions to what they can watch on television.
Hilal said she had heard about the
death threats posted on
Islamic extremist websites and was
concerned, but 'not enough to send me into
hiding'.
What's more on her mind is how sudden fame
will change her quiet family life at home in the
Saudi capital, Riyadh.
'I worry how I will be perceived after the
show is over, when judgment is passed and people
begin to talk about my performance and ideas,'
said Hilal, a mother of four who has published
poetry and previously was a poetry editor at the
Arab daily Al-Hayat.
'I worry the lights of fame will affect my
simple and quiet existence.'
The Million's Poet was launched in 2006 by
the government's
Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and
Heritage to encourage poetry.
In this, the fourth season, 48 contestants
from 12 Arab countries competed, including
several women along with Hilal.
On Wednesday, Hilal will be joined by five
other poets in the final round. The winner of
the $1.3million grand prize will be declared a
week later on March 31.
Their topics are already known. One of
Hilal's rivals will address terrorism. Another
woman in the finals, Jaza al-Baqmi, will reflect
on the role of women.
Hilal says her poem will tackle the media,
but wouldn't elaborate so as not to spoil the
surprise.
'My message to those who hear me is love,
compassion and peace,' Hilal said. 'We all have
to share a small planet and we need to learn how
to live together.'
The
programme, 'The Million's
Poet', is a chance for poets
to show off their original
work and is broadcast live
every week on satellite
television across the Arab
world from Abu Dhabi.
Contestants are graded on
voice and style of
recitation, but also on
their subject matter, said
Sultan al-Amimi, one of the
three judges on the show and
a manager of Abu Dhabi's
Poetry Academy.
Over the past episodes,
poets sitting on an
elaborate stage before a
live audience have recited
odes to the beauty of
Bedouin life and the glories
of their rulers or mourning
the gap between rich and
poor.
Hilal is the first to launch
a political attack - a brave
move by a Saudi woman.
'My poetry has always been
provocative,' she said.
'It's a way to express
myself and give voice to
Arab women, silenced by
those who have hijacked our
culture and our religion.'
Her poem was seen as a
response to Sheik Abdul-Rahman
al-Barrak, a prominent
cleric in Saudi Arabia who
recently issued a fatwa
saying those who call for
the mingling of men and
women should be considered
infidels, punishable by
death.
My
poetry has
always been
provocative
..... it's a
way to
express
myself and
give voice
to Arab
women,
silenced by
those who
have
hijacked our
culture and
our
religion.
But, more broadly, it was
seen as addressing any of
many hard-line clerics in
Saudi Arabia and elsewhere
in the region who hold a
wide influence through TV
programmes, university
positions or websites.
'Killing a human being is so
easy for them, it is always
an option,' she told AP.
Poetry holds a prominent
place in Arab culture, and
some poets in the Middle
East have a fan base akin to
those of rock stars.
Hilal's 15-verse poem was in
a form known as Nabati,
native to nomadic tribes of
the Arabian Peninsula. She
criticised extremism that
she told AP is 'creeping
into our society' through
fatwas.
'I have seen evil in the
eyes of fatwas, at a time
when the permitted is being
twisted into the forbidden,'
she said in the poem.
She called
such edicts 'a monster that
emerged from its hiding
place' whenever 'the veil is
lifted from the face of
truth'.
She described hard-line
clerics as 'vicious in
voice, barbaric, angry and
blind, wearing death as a
robe cinched with a belt,'
in an apparent reference to
suicide bombers' explosives
belts.
The three judges gave her
the highest marks for her
performance, praising her
for addressing a
controversial topic. That,
plus voting from the 2,000
people in the audience and
text messages from viewers,
put her through to the final
round.
'Hissa Hilal is a courageous
poet,' said al-Amimi. 'She
expressed her opinion
against the kind of fatwas
that affect people's lives
and raised an alarm against
these ad hoc fatwas coming
from certain scholars who
are inciting extremism.'
Fatwas are
not legally binding - it is
up to individual Muslims to
follow them.
I worry the
lights of
fame will
affect my
simple and
quiet
existence.
Clerics of all ideological
stripes pronounced fatwas on
nearly every aspect of
people's lives, from how
they should deal with
members of other religions
to what they can watch on
television.
Hilal said she had heard
about the death threats
posted on Islamic extremist
websites and was concerned,
but 'not enough to send me
into hiding'.
What's more on her mind is
how sudden fame will change
her quiet family life at
home in the Saudi capital,
Riyadh.
'I worry how I will be
perceived after the show is
over, when judgment is
passed and people begin to
talk about my performance
and ideas,' said Hilal, a
mother of four who has
published poetry and
previously was a poetry
editor at the Arab daily Al-Hayat.
'I worry the lights of fame
will affect my simple and
quiet existence.'
The Million's Poet was
launched in 2006 by the
government's Abu Dhabi
Authority for Culture and
Heritage to encourage
poetry.
In this, the fourth season,
48 contestants from 12 Arab
countries competed,
including several women
along with Hilal.
On Wednesday, Hilal will be
joined by five other poets
in the final round. The
winner of the $1.3million
grand prize will be declared
a week later on March 31.
Their topics are already
known. One of Hilal's rivals
will address terrorism.
Another woman in the finals,
Jaza al-Baqmi, will reflect
on the role of women.
Hilal says her poem will
tackle the media, but
wouldn't elaborate so as not
to spoil the surprise.
'My message to those who
hear me is love, compassion
and peace,' Hilal said. 'We
all have to share a small
planet and we need to learn
how to live together.'
If the ban is passed
Belgium will become the first country in Europe to make
the wearing of Muslim clothing illegal
The
face-covering veil is set to
be banned within weeks in
Belgium, making it the first
country in Europe to make
the wearing of Muslim
clothing illegal.
Women who flout the ban will
face from one to seven days
in jail or a fine of 15 to
25 euros.
While President Sarkozy is
encountering obstacles to
his plans to outlaw the
face-covering niqab in
France, Belgium's main
parties are united behind
the move and the influential
home affairs committee voted
for it unanimously today.
A vote in the full Belgian
parliament is expected on
April 22 and a "yes" vote
seems assured given the
political consensus.
Times Online
Online Muslim sex
shop conforms to Sharia law
CANDID but
demure, an online sex shop
for Muslims has been
launched in the Netherlands
to tap into a demand for
erotica that does not offend
Sharia law.
"We had about
70,000 hits in the first
four days," founder
Abdelaziz Aouragh said of
his site that went online
last week and claims to be
the world's first erotic
webshop for Muslims.
The 29-year-old Dutch
national said it targeted
married Muslim couples as an
alternative to sites "that
focus on pornography and the
extravagant side of erotica"
-- things forbidden in
Islam.
.
PARIS
(Reuters) - Prominent Muslim
scholars have recast a
famous medieval fatwa on
jihad, arguing the religious
edict radical Islamists
often cite to justify
killing cannot be used in a
globalized world that
respects faith and civil
rights.
A conference in Mardin in
southeastern Turkey declared
the fatwa by 14th century
scholar Ibn Taymiyya rules
out militant violence and
the medieval Muslim division
of the world into a "house
of Islam" and "house of
unbelief" no longer applies.
Osama bin Laden has quoted
Ibn Taymiyya's "Mardin
fatwa" repeatedly in his
calls for Muslims to
overthrow the Saudi monarchy
and wage jihad against the
United States.
Referring to that historic
document, the weekend
conference said: "Anyone who
seeks support from this
fatwa for killing Muslims or
non-Muslims has erred in his
interpretation.
"It is not for a Muslim
individual or a Muslim group
to announce and declare war
or engage in combative jihad
... on their own," said the
declaration issued Sunday in
Arabic and later provided to
Reuters in English.
The declaration is the
latest bid by mainstream
scholars to use age-old
Muslim texts to refute
current-day religious
arguments by Islamist
groups.
A leading Pakistani
scholar issued a 600-page
fatwa against terrorism in
London early this month.
The West Australian
Mohi-ud-Din Qadri, a PhD
candidate in Economics at an Australian University,
gives his five reasons, in an opinion piece, as to why
he considers the fatwa against terrorism significant.
The Journey
Abdullah
Rolle is a British
artist with over 20 year
experience in the music
industry.
Abdullah was
born Kirwin Steven Rolle in
Clapton, East London.
His interest
in music started at an early
age.
At university
he studied Music Production
and completed specialist
music courses.
Abdullah
spent most of the 1980's and
1990's travelling between
London, New York, Los
Angeles and Toronto working
for major record labels and
world famous artist.
"I came to
Islam in 2004 after
travelling the world doing
my work in the music
industry. I saw the best of
this world and the worst of
this world, never content I
kept on searching for the
truth. By the grace of God I
found the religion of Islam
where I have found
tranquillity."
He has since
used his music skills to
produce high quality audio
lectures for Al-Quran
Society and worked in the
community including the
Islamic Sharia Council.
Being a Muslim in India is a tough job.
Threatened and terrorised by a growing number of Hindu
militant extremists, and constantly looked at with
suspicion and treated with a certain degree of caution,
the Muslims are believed to harbour a certain desire to
separate from the union and create a country of their
own a la Pakistan, which a modernist Jinnah created but
has since been usurped by the dubious Islamist agenda.
The suspicion is so institutionalised that the Muslims
are hardly represented in the country's million-plus
armed forces.
This suspicion turns into contempt when an Indian Muslim
travels to Pakistan. In the popular Pakistani
imagination, India is a country of Hindus and if at all
there are any Muslims, they are seen as infidels.
Farzana Versey's encounters in Pakistan are replete with
her confrontations with such stereotypes. However, as
her expedition of exploration furthers, she finds
fascinating contours of a human society with diametric
contradictions where 'personal becomes political'.
Reading her account in the book under review it seems
that the Indian Muslims face more suspicion in Pakistan,
because they are not treated on par with the Indian
Hindus in the country that is supposedly Muslim.
In A Journey Interrupted: Being Indian in
Pakistan, Farzana Versey (pictured below) weaves
a collage of her experiences that she acquired during
her four visits to Pakistan in six years -- a journey of
exploration with continuous negotiations and constant
reconciliation with her own identity of an Indian Muslim
woman. "When I was on the soil of the land of the pure,
my impurity struck me. I was the emotional mulatto," she
writes. She travels through the cities of Karachi,
Islamabad, Lahore and Peshawar and meets a vast array of
people -- common tea-sellers, prostitutes, actors, poets
and retired army men -- to find out strange and
contrasting factors of the Pakistani identity, if at all
there is one.
Despite dancing to the tunes of Bollywood films and
replacing the peeling posters of bin Laden with the
likes of Shah Rukh Khan, being anti-Indian is an
important part of the Pakistani identity. Kashmir fits
perfectly in that quest for a national narrative that
has been interrupted by army dictatorships, political
mismanagement and Islamist Jihadism. In order to sustain
the rationale of a struggling identity, Farzana Versey
writes, "every few years Pakistan writes a new fiction".
The book is "about Pakistan, but it is also about India.
It is about Them and Us, Her/Him and Me," she contends.
Though not a 'conventional' travelogue, A
Journey Interrupted: Being Indian in Pakistan could not
escape the trap of Kashmir -- the place that defines the
'convention' between India and Pakistan. "Kashmir was
like a shadow tailing me," the author told this scribe.
The reason is simple, she adds, "the Pakistani interest
in India is centred on Kashmir. Not the Kashmiri people,
mind you, but Kashmir as real estate, as a brownie
point. And this will continue to be a hotbed, because
the most important thing is that this one state keeps
the armies of both countries occupied."
Farzana Versey terms the ongoing peace process "designer
process", observing that "political peace is impossible
and will never happen." She describes her observation as
"freedom from delusion", but adds, "it would suffice if
the ordinary people kept up a semblance of civility and
left politicians out of the peace process. When you want
to sup with your neighbour you do not seek the
permission of the landlord, do you?" The book under
review is written primarily from an Indian Muslim
perspective, which subtly tries to debunk a few
stereotypes that exist about both Pakistanis and the
Indian Muslim 'affiliation', a cause to which both the
Hindu militants in India and the Islamist extremists in
Pakistan are wedded.
As India and Pakistan are trying to overcome the legacy
of Partition and build new bridges, Farzana Versey --
while watching from the Pakistani side of border at
Wagah -- feels unsettled by the "unsheathed anger and
the charade of candle-lit peace", and finds proximity
and not the distance "disturbing". A wonderfully written
account, the author uses terse language in effective
idiom, imagery and poetic observation. In these times of
political and social unrest in Pakistan, this is a
timely book -- one that delves into the Pakistani mind
and traces the chasms in its recent history.
-- Murtaza Shibli
Would you like to see the
cover of your favourite book on our book shelves below?
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.
Ingredients
500g Chicken fillet
1 cup coriander leaves chopped
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp ground green chilies
½ tsp salt
½ tsp coarse black pepper
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
4 Tab lemon juice
4 Tab tamarind juice
1½ tsp crushed cumin
1 tsp crushed coriander
Method
1. Cut chicken into 6cm x11cm strips
2. Process coriander leaves, spices, sauces,
lemon juice and tamarind juice.
3. Pour into bowl and add coriander and
cumin
4. Mix well and add chicken strips and
marinate for 2-3 hours.
5. Skewer chicken, concertina style and
grill for 5minutes on the either side.
6. Serve with Satay Sauce.
Satay Sauce
½ x100g bottle of Peanut butter
1 tsp tamarind concentrate
½ cup lemon juice
2 tsp ground green chillies
Mix the above ingredients and cook the
mixture for 2 to 3 minutes adding salt to
taste, cool and serve.
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.
Kareema's Keep Fit Column
The 6-WEEK
TRAINING PROGRAM
WEEK 1 of
our 6 week training program:
Please note that the following program is suitable for
entrants of all fitness levels. For the more competitive
or serious athlete, intensity, duration and frequency of
exercises need to be increased! The more you vary your
workout, the quicker you will see results.
REMEMBER: NUTRITION IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS YOUR
TRAINING REGIME. SO START EATING HEALTHIER TODAY AND
DON'T FORGET TO DRINK YOUR WATER!
DAY 1:
Walk for a minimum of 30 mins. (10 mins. at a moderate
pace, 15 mins. at a more brisk pace and 5 mins. cool
down / slow pace).
PLEASE REMEMBER TO STRETCH AFTER EVERY WORKOUT!
Healthy Tip: Always keep your body hydrated - carry a
bottle of water with you daily!
DAY 2:
Similar to day 1. Increase your walking time by 5 mins.
or more if you feel comfortable and include some hills
as part of your course.
DAY 3:
Opt for some strength and resistance training (try a
pump class if possible). If you are not able to get to a
gym, use some weights at home. Ensure good posture and
technique.
Tip: Exercises using your own body-weight (push-ups,
tricep-dips, etc.) is great to challenge and strengthen
your muscles!
DAY 4:
Get walking...the aim is to increase your time and
distance! Take note of your time every time you walk and
try to beat it the next time you're out walking /
running.
DAY 5:
Active recovery - Do an activity that you enjoy (low
impact). Include your stretching routine.
DAY 6:
Take on a more challenging walking course (steeper
hills, etc.). Always challenge yourself, but do not
overdo it. Listen to your body - QUALITY rather than
QUANTITY!
Tip: Find a walking / running buddy so you can motivate
and challenge each other!
DAY 7:
Have a rest, recover and get ready for week 2!
REMEMBER TEAM: TRAIN SMART, NOT HARD!!
PLEASE NOTE: The above training program assumes a
healthy participant. Those with medical conditions or
who are not already physically active, need to seek
clearance from their GP before starting any form of
exercise.
Taleem this
week will be held on Thursday 1 April from
11am-12pm at
the residence of
Zainie Issadeen
26
Westpark Place
Kuraby
Tel
no:32197604
All ladies
welcome
Ladies
Keep-Fit Dance Classes
24
February - Bellydance fitness class
8.15pm-9.45pm contact Renata 0400 701 676
10 March - Dance fitness class 8.15pm-9.45pm
contact Claudia 0415 844 439
24 March - Bellydance fitness class
8.15pm-9.45pm
14 April - Dance fitness class 8.15pm-9.45pm
28 April - Bellydance fitness class
8.15pm-9.45pm
12 May - Dance fitness class 8.15pm-9.45pm
26 May - Bellydance fitness class
8.15pm-9.45pm
9 June - Dance fitness class 8.15pm-9.45pm
23 June - Bellydance fitness class
8.15pm-9.45pm
Inspiration Talk, BBQ and Youth Hour
Topics that are relevant, Iman-boosting and
mind-capturing. Where: AMYN Islamic Youth Centre,
16/157 North Road, Woodridge When: Every Sunday, 7pm
Info: www.AMYNweb.com Everyone is invited
Australian Muslim Youth Network (AMYN)
Find out about the latest
events, outings, fun-days, soccer tournaments, BBQs
organised by AMYN. Network with other young Muslims on
the
AMYN Forum
The best
ideas and the best feedback come from our community of
readers. If you have a topic or opinion that you want to
write about or want seen covered or any news item that
you think might be of benefit to the Crescents Community
please e-mail
ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org.
Share
your thoughts, feelings and ambitions for our community
through CCN.
If there
is someone you know who would like to subscribe to CCN
please encourage them to send an e-mail to
ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org with the words
“Subscribe Me” in the subject line.
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 libellous,
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.
.
MUFTI ZEEYAD - TAFSEER
LESSON 3
"INVITATION
TO BUSINESS OWNERS - REACH
THE MANY THOUSANDS OF SALAM
CARDS HOLDERS"
Abdullah
Rolle is a British
artist with over 20 year
experience in the music
industry.
C