......a sometimes
self-deprecating and occasional tongue-in-cheek look at ourselves and
the world around us ......
Sunday, 13 June 2010
.Newsletter
0292
Our
Kareema takes out Top Fitness Award in Two Gyms
Kareema Benjamin, who
has been a regular
contributor to CCN with her
fitness column, has recently
received the prestigious
Fitness Instructor of the
Year Award for two Sydney
clubs.
Shw has worked with Fernwood
Liverpool for five years
having left briefly for a
stint in Queensland, before
returning to the gym in mid
2009. She also became a part
of the Wetherill Park Club
teaching Body Balance, Body
Pump, Cycle, Boxing,
Freestyle Aerobics and is
also making inroads as a
Body Combat instructor.
Lesa Villiotis, Group
Fitness Manager of Fernwood
Liverpool and Fernwood
Wetherill Park, said this of
Kareema:
Kareema is a great role
model and her passion for
her work is a reflection of
her devotion to the members
and the broader community.
She is a supportive and
approachable member of the
team and we recognise her
value and inspirational
leadership.
Club Owner, Yvonne, added
the following:
Kareema is a
motivating, passionate and professional Group
Fitness Instructor who supports women at Fernwood
Liverpool and Wetherill Park by turning up class
after class, week after week to encourage ladies to
get fit and healthy. Kareema provides fantastic
Group Fitness Classes and creates an atmosphere that
supports women to ‘be the best they can be’.
It was my pleasure choosing Kareema for the award as
she really deserves it.
“You are a great instructor and I wanted to let
everyone know that. Your presence at Fernwood is
always positive and caring and you strive to produce
your best classes - just looking at your class
numbers proves that!”
Yvonne also concluded by
saying Kareema is NO.1 at Fernwood. “Thanks again
Kareema, you do a great job!”
As well as being an
instructor, Kareema is also
a wife and mum, a regular
contributor to developmental
programs for women and also
maintains her own fitness
clothing range through her
business name, KaRa Aktiv
CCN is very proud to have
Kareema write for us each
week as she does without
fail, and while we miss not
having her here in Brisbane,
her dedication and sound
advice is well acknowledged
and recognized by CCN
readers not just in
Queensland but nationally
and internationally as well.
Government House's 100th year
On Sunday 6 June,
Government House at Fernberg in Brisbane, the
home of all the Governors of Queensland, turned
100 years old.
To celebrate this milestone the present Governor
of Queensland, Penelope Wensley AO, (pictured
below with Janeth Deen) extended an
invitation for all the associations she was
patron of to join her in setting up displays of
their respective organizations.
The Queensland Muslim Historical Society, of
which the Governor is a patron, showcased Muslim
activity in Queensland under headings such as
Education, Aged Care, Youth, Commerce, Health,
Welfare, Religion, etc.
The QMHS stall was in the direct path of
visitors to the main house and had constant
visitors throughout who showed genuine interest
in the Society's displays.
The
Governor herself paid several visits to the
stall and was impressed with the quality and
quantity of the displays.
The stall received many requests for Islamic
information and messages to be passed on for
some of the associations that were
showcased.
Several Indonesian students visited the stall
and helped pack up at the end of the day.
Janeth Deen, QMHS president, told CCN: "It was a
very pleasant and entertaining day but
disappointing that we had few of our Muslim
brothers and sisters call in to our stall."
Grants to
support migrant and refugee communities
Brisbane’s Southside will
receive $261,000 to assist
in the settlement of newly
arrived migrants and
refugees, Member for Moreton
Graham Perrett told CCN.
Mr Perrett said the Islamic
Women's Association of
Queensland ($96,000) and
Queensland Program of
Assistance to Survivors of
Torture and Trauma
($165,000) would receive the
support as part of the
Australian Government’s
Settlement Grants Program.
“This funding will help
refugees and migrants to
become self-reliant,
contribute to the national
economy and acquire crucial
skills and knowledge about
life in Australia,” he said.
“On the Southside one in
three of us were born
overseas and we are a
friendly multicultural
community.
“That’s why it’s important
we assist migrants and
refugees to settle
successfully into our
community.
“Our newest residents can
make a significant
contribution to our society.
“These grants will assist in
their cultural transition
into Australian life and
encourage greater social
participation.”
Brisbane
GP nominated for Medal
CourierMail
FOR
retired GP Mohamed Sadeq
Mustapha (picturedleft), generosity
comes not without effort.
"But its something I love to
do," Dr Mustapha, 69, said.
"I get immense
satisfaction."
In 1975, the Pride of
Australia Medal nominee
migrated from South Africa
with his family to escape a
country on the brink of
"civil revolution".
He was attracted to
Australia for the future it
provided for his children,
but before long he realised
the local Islamic community
needed a
focal point.
In the 1980s he travelled
back to Africa to collect
donations, eventually
raising $150,000 to buy a
building in Lutwyche, in
Brisbane's north, which is
now Lutwyche Mosque.
"A lot of Muslim refugees
came here, and they needed a
lot of support,"
Dr Mustapha said. "I found
that a mosque would be a
good central place to
facilitate, in a holistic
way, general support for
these people."
In 2004 he founded the
Queensland Muslim Times,
which aims primarily to
unite the burgeoning Islamic
community.
The idea was to correct the
lack of understanding or
knowledge of Islam in the
broader community.
"So we carry some articles
(like) What is Islamic
culture? Or Why is alcohol
frowned upon in Islam?"
Dr Mustapha doesn't consider
what he does to be beyond
the standard commitment of a
local resident.
In fact, he says he couldn't
have done it without the
support of the whole
community.
Finalists will be revealed
in The Sunday Mail on
September 5. Queensland
winners will be announced at
a special ceremony on
September 10 and in The
Courier-Mail on September
11.
New
Breast Screen Queensland Service
On Friday May 28, 2010
SaalihahSeedat (pictured
second from left)
presented Crescents of
Brisbane as an official
guest at the opening of the
new satellite service for
BreastScreen Queensland at
Upper Mt Gravatt.
Also present was MunaIbrahim (pictured
left) of the Islamic
Women's Association of
Queensland (IWAQ).
Key representatives from the
Brisbane Southside and wider
Queensland community
witnessed Deputy Premier and
Minister for Health Mr Paul
Lucas, with State Member for
Mansfield Mr Phil Reeves,
officially open the service.
Mr Lucas toured the new
screening service, which is
located at ‘The Village’
Shopping Centre on Logan
Road, with the Acting
Clinical Director of
BreastScreen Queensland
Brisbane Southside Service,
Dr Kate Taylor.
“I am very happy to open a
new BreastScreen Queensland
Service as screening for
early stages of breast
cancer is such an important
service for the women of
Queensland,” Mr Lucas said.
Mr Lucas said the new
satellite service for
BreastScreen Queensland at
Upper Mt Gravatt would help
to improve access and
convenience for busy women
in the target age group to
access screening services.
“This new satellite
screening service provides
women in Upper Mount Gravatt
and surrounding suburbs with
more convenient access to
breast cancer screening
services,” he said.
“This is particularly
important given we know a
growing number of women in
the target age group are
taking up local BreastScreen
Queensland Services.
“Latest
figures show 57.3 per cent
of the 50 to 69 yearold
target age group in
Queensland are participating
in the BreastScreen
Queensland Program, and it’s
great we now have a
satellite service here in
Upper Mt Gravatt for local
women to access,” Mr Lucas
said.
The new service uses digital
mammography equipment – the
latest in mammography
technology.
Mr Lucas (pictired
cutting the ribbon second
from left) said the
transition to digital
equipment would be
invaluable to clients of
BreastScreen Queensland.
“This technology enables
breast images to be checked
immediately for quality, so
women will no longer need to
return for a repeat
breastscreen if there are
technical issues, providing
significant benefits for
women,” Mr Lucas said.
The new system will enable
images to be forwarded
electronically rather than
physically by courier to
larger population centres
for reading, which cuts the
time between screening and
results.
BreastScreen Queensland
expects to manage more than
6.5 million digital images
captured at its services
over the next five years.
The Program is on track to
screen 235,000 women this
financial year, an increase
of 18,000 women from
2008-09.
BreastScreen Queensland
provides services through 11
screening and assessment
facilities, 19 satellite
facilities, six mobile and
two relocatables at more
than 200 locations
throughout the state.
Women can book an
appointment for their free
breastscreen now by calling
13 20 50.
BreastScreen Queensland
Services on Brisbane’s
Southside are conveniently
located at: QEII Hospital,
Redlands, Logan, Coorparoo,
Jindalee, PA Hospital, Inala
and now Upper Mount Gravatt.
Rawlins
rakes 'em in after all round resounding results
There
was a great result for
Rawlins' Taekwondo team in
New Zealand.
The team took part in 9
fighters and came home with
8 gold and 1 bronze medal.
The teams' first timers took
up the challenge from
contenders from across the
Tasman, New Zealand, Samoa
and Tonga.
"Our fighters where by far
the best fighters in the
tournament, especially the
first timers for whom this
was their first
international tour," a very
proud team coach, Haris
Olomi, told CCN.
The winning team was made up
of:
Mustafaa Olomi
Jacob White
Courtney Pomerenke
Dominic Bielicki
Justin Bikoff
Khaaled Olomi
Mousa Deen
Zekria Sayed
Zulaikha Deen, who was
heading for a gold medal,
came away with a bronze
after taking ill just after
her second fight.
Mustafaa won the title of
best Junior Fighter of the
tournament.
The Rawlins team also won
the trophy for the team with
the best supporters.
"I want to thank all of the
parents and the students who
have supported the fighters
and lost there voices,
especially Larry who could
not speak the next day,"
said Olomi.
Business
Highlights by Iqbal Lambat
Retailers
and the Reserve Bank are of
the opinion that Australians
have become more frugal –
that is, Australians are
more careful about spending
money.
It appears that Australians
are seeking value in lower
priced brands or are only
buying when products are on
sale.
This has had a major impact
on retail sales. Consumer
sentiment has fallen for the
second month in a row, led
in part by rising interest
rates; uncertainty with the
European economy and its
impacts on the Australian
stock exchange; the upcoming
Federal election; and the
handling of the mining tax.
Car sales and electronic
gadgets are the only good
news stories at present.
the full analysis
The CCN
Classifieds
The
Ugly Ducking is a concept
store that "celebrates
design in its many forms"
The business was started up
two months ago by work at
home mum, SarahB uharie, who strives to
source and stock only 100%
handmade and Australian
products made by independent
artisans/crafts people/seamstresses.
The items are mostly unique
and rarely found in stores
and Ms Buharie told CCN that
her shop is like a little
street fair – eclectic and
fun!
There are 3 Premium Class
Platinum tickets available
for sale for the Yusuf Islam
Concert in Brisbane on June
26 at the original price of
$259 each. Email
ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org
and we will send you the
details of the seller.
Scam
targeting Australian Muslim Organizations
Facebook message received
with a request to publish
There are individuals
posing a Saudi businessmen
offering to fund Muslim
community organisations in
Australia. They contact the
organisations by phone and
says that their
representative will be
coming to Australia in the
next couple of days to meet.
This person then 'encounters
a problem' with his (and his
wife's) flight and luggage
and 'embarrassingly' asks
for money to be transferred
to him through Western Union
to cover the cost of his new
ticket to Australia.
Needless to say, he will
never arrive and your
organisation won't get any
funds!
Little
Mosque on the Prairie: Season 4 Episode 12
Pants on Fire
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Young.
British. Female. Muslim.
Thousands of young British
women living in the UK
decide to convert to Islam -
here are some of their
stories
With the World Cup upon and many
Australians in South Africa
for the event, CCN will,
over the next few weeks,
bring readers up to
speed with world cup news,
and the local politics,
idiosyncrasies,
personalities and culture of
the country.
Durban's
Cricket grounds - home to Aussie supporters
Durban's
Fan Fest on the beach is a sea of flags,
vuvuzelas
and
bafana bafana shirts during Friday's
Opening Ceremony
Durbanites are spoilt for
choice when it comes to
freshly prepared halal foods
This
is a story: with a recipe. During the Great Depression in 1933 Indians,
whites and Chinese in Durban, South Africa, suffered hunger like
everyone else.
The kids then discovered that the cheapest curry they could buy (for a
quarter penny or half a penny) was made by a vegetarian Indian caste
known in Durban slang as the Bania.
It
was made from dried sugarbeans (no meat).
The children didn't have plates, and one kid got the bright idea to
hollow out a quarter bread, asked the seller to put the bean curry in
the hollowed-out bread, and then used the broken bread he's taken out as
a sort of eating utensil.
Chinese food was called "chow".
Somehow the two words came together: Bania Chow.
In
time it simply became known as Bunny Chow.
Bunny Chow was what the Indian sugar plantation workers took as their
day's food to the lands: curry in hollowed-out bread halves.
Bunny chows are often served
with a side portion of grated carrot, chilli and onion salad, commonly
known as sambals.
Bunny chows come in quarter,
half and full loaves and are strictly a messy fingers affair and
the locals find the use of utensils quite amusing.
Cheap and practical ... Today it does not matter what your skin colour
or station in life is: Durbanites and people from the Kwa-Zulu-Natal
province love their bunny chow ...
Between the World Cup
fixtures why not give the Bunny a go!
If you can't make it to
Durban then use
Recipe Zaar to knock up one at home.
The Inbox
Selaams,
Just an observation, the newsletter is great and has
advanced from the original. My Mum had been
receiving it for many years and it's great to see
the advanced CCN.
Is there a section within the newsletter for
employment opportunities? If not I think that would
be excellent to add and I am sure that you would
receive a lot of responses for employment.
Please let me know your thoughts.
Selaams R.A.
[Editor]
CCN runs a section called The CCN Centre Link
(look out for the logo on the left) whenever we are
requested to advertise job opportunities that might
be of particular interest to CCN readers. We also
include a Jobs Wanted section here for readers with
skills that potential employers might need.
PROCEEDS FROM DVDS GO TOWARDS THE COSTS
INVOLVED TO PRODUCE YOUR FREE ISLAMIC CHANNEL
A word from the producers
of Islam TV..........
"INVITATION TO BUSINESS
OWNERS - REACH THE MANY
THOUSANDS OF SALAM CARDS
HOLDERS"
Reach The Many Thousands of
Salam Card holders.
Call Salam Card today to
find out how to become a
Salam Card Business Member (
07) 384 14085 / 0405 07 6886
/ email:
info@salamcard.com.au
Salam Card entitles you to
countless discounts and
special offers ranging from
shopping for gifts, dining
in restaurants, beauty
salons, car repairs and many
more products and services.
GET YOUR FREE
SALAM CARD NOW
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.
Instead of hitting the autopilot button during your
cardio sessions, create some challenges for yourself by
aiming for some 'personal bests' (PB's) of your own.
Aim to run faster than you did during your last session,
or punch the boxing bag harder and faster this time
around, etc.
The idea is to make it fun but challenging at the same
time.
The last thing you want is for your muscles to just go
through the motion.
Keep them active, keep them under tension, and they'll
work harder for you every time! Your body will be better
for it and you'll see results a lot quicker.
All questions sent in are published here anonymously
and without any references to the author of the
question.
The CCN Chuckle
Jallaluddin had two tickets for the Soccer World Cup
Opening Ceremony at Soccer City in Johannesburg last
Friday.
As Jallaluddin sat down, a gentleman asked him if anyone
was sitting in the empty seat next to him.
"No,"
Jallaluddin
said. "The seat is
empty."
"This is
incredible!" said the gentleman.
"Who in their right
mind would have a seat for the Soccer World Cup Opening
Ceremony, the biggest sporting event in the history of
the continent, and not use it?"
"Well, actually, the
seat belongs to me. My wife was supposed to come with
me, but she passed away."
"Oh ... I'm sorry to
hear that. That's terrible. But couldn't you find
someone else, a friend or relative to take the seat?"
Taleem
this week will be held on Thursday 17 June
from 12pm-1pm at the residence of
Shahina
Dudia
20 Delaney
Court
Carindale
All ladies
welcome
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.
FOR
retired GP Mohamed Sadeq
Mustapha (pictured
left), generosity
comes not without effort.
“Latest
figures show 57.3 per cent
of the 50 to 69 yearold
target age group in
Queensland are participating
in the BreastScreen
Queensland Program, and it’s
great we now have a
satellite service here in
Upper Mt Gravatt for local
women to access,” Mr Lucas
said.
There
was a great result for
Rawlins' Taekwondo team in
New Zealand.
Retailers
and the Reserve Bank are of
the opinion that Australians
have become more frugal –
that is, Australians are
more careful about spending
money. 
The
Bosnian Bulletin for Bosnian Readers - in Bosnian
This
is a story: with a recipe. During the Great Depression in 1933 Indians,
whites and Chinese in Durban, South Africa, suffered hunger like
everyone else. 
C