Bring along a
batch of your freshly baked cupcakes to
the Crescents of Brisbane's CresCafe
stall
We'll sell 'em and
you'll get the sawaab, insha'allah
Becoming
Aussies
New citizens, Abdel
Aziz Ahmed (Reliability Systems
Manager at SKF Australia) and
Nashwa Ibrahim (IWAQ staff) with
twins, Raeem and Farah
(who turned eight on Australia Day) and
their brother Omar (13)
There were Citizenship Ceremonies
across the country on Australia Day this year.
At the Runcorn State School some
200 people saw 75 men, women and children from
25 different countries take the oath or
affirmation as new citizens of the country. The
event was hosted by the Lions Club of Kuraby.
A delightful rendition of
Waltzing Matilda and We are Australians by the
young Karen Kangaroos, a performance
group of former Karen refugees from Myanmar,
preceded a keynote address by Mustafa Ally
who
shared his personal journey on the road to
becoming a citizen.
Mustafa Ally of
Crescents of Brisbane and (in the
background) David Forde of Lions
Club of Kuraby who MC'ed the ceremony
The Karen Kangaroos will
also be performing at the Islamic
Council of Queensland's Multicultural
Fun Day today (Sunday)
20 years
on and goin' strong!
The
Islamic Women's Association of Queensland
celebrated its 20th Anniversary on Friday by
inviting the Governor-General of the
Commonwealth of Australia, Her Excellency Ms
Quentin Bryce AC to officially open its new
headquarters in Springwood.
The 150 invited dignitaries,
including politicians and community leaders,
joined the Governor-General in congratulating
IWAQ on achieving this significant milestone.
Amongst the list of invitees were
Minister for Disability Services and
Multicultural Affairs, Ms Annastacia
Palaszchuk MP, His Excellency Ali Nasser
Al Nuaimi, Ambassador of UAE, Mrs Aziza
Abdel-Halim AM, president of the Muslim
Women's National Network of Australia, Muslims
Australia president, Mr Ikebal Patel,
Indigenous Elder, Aunty Betty McGrady,
Logan City Mayor, Ms Pam Parker, State
Member for Woodridge, Ms Desley Scott MP
and ICQ president, Mohammed Yusuf.
It was also an occasion to
acknowledge the contributions of many long
serving staff and past and present committee
members.
The proceedings was chaired by
past IWAQ committee member, Ms Faiza El-Higzi
and was closed with a guitar solo by Ms
Mirsada Hadziahmetovic.
Ms
Muna Ibrahim (picturedleft)
of the Islamic Women's Association of Queensland
(IWAQ) was presented with two awards on
Australia Day.
The first of the two awards was
the Robbie Williams Memorial Award for
Multicultural Citizen of the Year presented by
Mrs Trish Williams, wife of the late
Councillor Robbie Williams at the Southside
Australia Day Awards Breakfast . The second was
a Community Service Award presented to her by
Mr. Graham Perrett MP in recognition of her
valued commitment to the community.
The Robbie Williams Memorial
Award citation reads:
Ms Ibrahim has been
working tirelessly within the local
community for the past 20 years. She is much
loved and respected by refugee women and
their children, who through the Refugee
Settlement Group, she has assisted by
organising accommodation and furniture and
providing them with transport from the
airport to their new homes in Queensland.
She then accompanies these families to
introduce them to service providers and
government agencies.
Muna has been involved in numerous volunteer
and paid positions bridging the barriers
between the multicultural community and
mainstream Australians. Her determination
and advocacy have resulted in cross cultural
awareness information sessions to schools,
government services and hospitals, enabling
these organisations to have a better
understanding of individuals with different
ethnic backgrounds. She is also actively
involved in Harmony Day events thus creating
a greater understanding and awareness
between all societies.
Muna brings a rich knowledge and
understanding of multicultural issues to the
local community. She speaks four languages
and comes from a background of cross
cultural marriage, has travelled and lived
in many countries and most important of all,
she is an active listener.
Previous winners of the Robbie
Williams Memorial Award have been Mustafa
Ally and Ms. Janeth Deen
Are you
being served?
From the
Algester Mosque Desk.....
MEELAD - UN - NABI SALLALLAAHU ALAIHI WA SALLAM
The Islamic Society of Algester cordially
invites you and your family to the annual
Meelad-un-Nabi (Sallallaahu alaihi wa Sallam)
celebrations.
Come and spend some unique
spiritual moments in the love and praise of our
Master Sayyidinaa Muhammad (SAW).
Venue : Beenleigh
Events Centre, Beenleigh
Date : 20 February 2011
Time : 2:00 pm sharp
Programme : Lectures & Naats by local and
International guests
Niyaaz will be served after Maghrib
For more details, contact
Ml.M.Nawaaz Ashrafi on 0401576084 or Ml.M.Aslam
Alqaderi on 0431620629
The Algester Madrassah is still accepting
enrolments for 2011.
For more details about enrolments and the fees
structure, contact:
Maulana M. Nawaaz Ashrafi on 07-37116097 /
0401576084
The Algester Madrassah
48 Learoyd Road
Algester
Australia
Day
A personal perspective on
Australia Day by former Bangladeshi, Dr
Fatima Ashrafi of Rockhampton:
Australia Day, 26 January,
is the anniversary of the arrival of the
First Fleet of 11 convict ships from Great
Britain, in 1788. The commander was Captain
Arthur Phillip,
Since then Australia has
come a long way and 200 yrs later it is one
of the best countries in the world.
There have been some very
difficult times like the White Australia
policy and the Stolen generation but every
country and every nation and every human
have done things they are not proud of.
That's the way the world has evolved - Adam
and Eve sinned in heaven to be sent to the
world and we all know about the two brothers
Cain and Abel. The best way to right a wrong
is sincerely apologise and take steps to
correct the wrong be in individual lives or
state. The epic apology of Kevin Rudd on13
Feb 2008 did much to heal the hurt. That’s
one of the reasons Kevin Rudd is my
favourite leader.
On Australia Day we come
together as a nation to celebrate what's
great about Australia. Though 26 January
marks this specific event, today Australia
Day reflects contemporary Australia: the
diverse society and landscape, our
remarkable achievements and our bright
future. Today Australia is a brilliant
country to live in. I as a doctor have to
say that I am impressed with the fair and
equal treatment patients get irrespective of
rich or poor, colour, creed or religion
which is not present in many countries
including Muslim countries and superpower
America. I was moved by the way every person
gave their time in the recent clean up after
floods. I was in Brisbane last weekend to
settle my sons into residence before classes
start and every street and house in St Lucia
was cleaned up which was under neck level
flood water. The Australia day awards all
went to people who showed generosity and
gave themselves to others in time of need.
That tells you the values which are
important to us in Australia. I hope and
pray that in the future we will see members
of our community getting this prestigious
honour.
On this day I also
remember our motherland Bangladesh which is
a amazing country with beautiful, strong and
resilient people. Bangladesh has reared us
with love and affection that has no
reservation, no boundary, no ending. So I
pray today for the well being and prosperity
of Australia an Bangladesh.
Sisters
Magazine
SISTERS monthly is now in Australia
"bringing you inspiration 12 times a year, jam
packed with real life stories, interviews,
latest trends, product reviews, give-aways and
delicious recipes".
Subscribe now for just AU$78 inc p+p! Each
month you will receive the latest copy of
SISTERS through your letterbox for AU$78 for 12
issues! SISTERS Magazine is delivered throughout
Australia.
Around
the Muslim World with CCN
Try
Blair for war crimes: Sister-in-law
Kuala
Lumpur - Former British prime minister Tony
Blair's sister-in-law Lauren Booth, a rights
campaigner and Muslim convert, said on
Wednesday he should be tried for war crimes
over the invasion of Iraq.
Booth, the half-sister of Blair's barrister
wife Cherie, is in Malaysia for lectures
organised by Viva Palestina, a British-based
organisation associated with controversial
politician George Galloway.
Asked whether Blair should be arrested and
sent to the International Court of Justice
in The Hague for war crimes, Booth replied:
"Absolutely. He misled the British people
and took Britain to war on a lie."
The conflict in Iraq was "an offence", she
told reporters after a speech at a Malaysian
university, saying it was organised well in
advance between Blair and the United States
leadership.
Booth has been a vocal opponent of the war
in Iraq, and a supporter of the Palestinian
cause, and in 2008 travelled with other
activists to Gaza by ship to protest against
Israel's blockade of the territory.
The 43-year-old, who wore a black headscarf
that tightly framed her face as she gave an
address on "Islam from the perspective of
Western women", discussed her own conversion
which took place 15 weeks ago.
Western women 'oppressed'
"My friends think I was naive and stupid,
they have rubbished me so much," she said.
"Really, joining Islam is not a trendy thing
to do.
"Friends ask me, don't you miss going to the
pub?"
But she
defended her decision, which came after a
trip to Iran in September 2010, and said
that perceptions about Muslim women were
incorrect.
"I sat down in the mosque in Iran, there was
such tranquillity. I had the compulsion to
pray and from then on I knew I was a
Muslim," she said.
"Muslim women are not oppressed, it is
Western women who are oppressed... Western
women are bored, lonely and oppressed."
Blair recently testified at Britain's Iraq
war inquiry, expressing regret at the death
toll from the 2003 conflict and addressing
the condemnation he faced following his
first hearing last January when he said he
had "no regret" about removing Iraqi
dictator Saddam Hussein.
"Islamic
West Africa’s Legacy of Literacy and Music
To America And The World" And "Slavery And
Its Legacy"
America’s
only
Muslim Museum is organizing a major
conference February 19-20th on
Africa’s Islamic legacy and the USA. This
free conference is taking place in Jackson,
Mississippi. It will also be streamed live.
You can register for the
virtual conference today.
Sheikh
AbdelKader Haidara, the heir and director of
the Haidara Library in Mali, will be the
opening keynote speaker at the conference.
Other speakers include such scholars as Drs.
Stephanie Diakite’ of Timbuktu, Ali Mazrui,
Sulayman Nyang, Allan Austin, Beverly Mack,
Aminah McCloud, Imams Plemon El-Amin, Zaid
Shakir, and Faheem Shu’abe.
A
woman's world
Abeer Rashed,
23, Mariam Al Shakili, 23, and Reem Al Tayer
are all
employed with Dunia in Dubai Outsource Zone. Image Credit: Megan Hirons Mahon/Gulf
News
It is often
said the financial world is best suited to
men. However, one UAE finance company has
set itself apart by mainly catering to the
needs of Emirati women.
The Dunia Finance Company, which is a joint
venture between the Abu Dhabi and
Singaporean governments, has taken it upon
themselves to groom future Emirati talent.
With more than 40 Emiratis in its numerous
training programmes, Dunia's staff in
training are 70 per cent women; who are
either fresh university graduates or still
in higher education and working part-time.
The idea behind Dunia's women empowerment
strategy is to encourage women of the UAE to
aspire to and pursue leadership positions in
the corporate world.
"We've focused our first batch of trainees
on women because the idea is to empower
them," said Hind. "We see lots of men in
leading positions but not many women."
She added that Dunia sets itself apart from
other corporate organisations by
understanding the needs of women in the
workplace.
"As an organisation we understand that if a
woman is married with a family she needs a
balance in her life," said Hind. "However,
this should not hinder her from achieving
success."
Another benefit women at Dunia enjoy is
extended maternity leave from the legal 45
days granted by the UAE Labour Ministry. "Dunia
gives three months maternity in addition to
her annual leave," said Hind. "This ruling
comes straight from the management; to be
honest it's impossible for a lady to deliver
and come straight back to work, it's cruel."
Gulfnews.com
The Inbox
As-Salam Dear CCN Editor,
Jazak Allahu Khair for your excellent community
service. I am a great fan of CCN and other
activities by Crescents of Brisbane.
I have noticed the link to CCN in your email has
a dot at the end which does not allow (one) to
go to the webpage from my PC. When I delete the
dot from the URL, it's OK. Therefore may I
request to remove the dot after asp.
Kind regards Khairul Alam
[Editor]
The offending dot has been removed. Thank you
for bringing this to our attention.
Dear CCN
I want to congratulate you on a very balanced
newsletter - on the one hand you have KB putting
on the calories for us and on the other Kareema
taking them off!
Name withheld
Dear Editor
My name is Jennifer Ryan and I am
currently studying my last year of a Bachelor of
Photojournalism at the Queensland College of
Art. I had the pleasure of attending and
photographing last year's Eidfest. I had a
brilliant time and would like to further my
involvement within the Muslim Community in the
area.
During my last year I am required to complete a
semester long photodocumentary project.
I have copied the requirements of my assignment
below. I am looking to document the Muslim
community in Brisbane. It would be great if I
would be able to form a relationship with a
family or small amount of people and document
their lives. After experiencing the lovely
people at Edifest last year, I believe the
greater community of Brisbane could greatly
benefit from knowing about the lives of people
within the Muslim community, dispelling myths
and some current beliefs, etc.
All images that I would take could be edited and
approved by the subject, they would also be able
to keep copies and use them as they see fit. I
also have a current Blue Card.
I hope that you will be able to help me with my
project.
Kind regards, Jennifer Ryan
[Editor] If you would like
to be a part of Ms Ryan's project email
ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org and we will put
you in contact with her. You can find more
details of her project
here.
Dear CCN Editor
Hi, My 6
yr old son, my boyfriend and I were staying at
Lowood Evacuation Centre and we just wanted to
say a HUGE thank you for your kindness and food
package.
Thank you soooo much, we went
without food etc. for 3 days and eventually got
picked up and were at Lowood Evacuation Centre
when you delivered your bundles of
kindness....we were home again and after a few
days SES came to help hose mud out of
sheds....they also brought out one of your green
bags which was very much appreciated.
I was so impressed that it was a
brand new face washer not to mention the brand
new toothbrushes and the amount of thought put
into the contents.
If we can return your kindness in
any way please let us know. My 6yr old son goes
to West Moreton Anglican College...maybe your
priest could talk to the chaplain and give a
talk on Muslim spirituality and join in chapel
one morning.
I am technically Church of
England but I don't know much about religion.
With all the hostility in the world it is a
wonderful thing that your faith has done for the
flood victims.
I know my family will never
forget your kindness and the effort you went to
for us.
Thank you with all my heart Lisa Johnson
[CCN Editor] The hampers
were funded through the Muslim Charitable
Foundation (MCF) who coordinated the packing and
the distribution.
Salam
I found your mula nasruden joke (in
last week's CCN) very very offensive! Did
you have to name the camel moosa? Istakhfirula!!! Amina Ghafoor
Dear CCN
Salam,
As an Australian Muslim Sister living in south
east QLD I am very humbled by the hard work and
generosity of people within the community over
the past two weeks.
I am a revert and have
volunteered with the Queensland State Emergency
Service for over 11 years.
I am very proud of all the work
the Muslim community has done helping out in the
floods.
All the SES volunteers in my area
and around the country have been hard at work
looking after people in this great time of need,
from running evacuation centres, feeding
stranded people, to cleaning out houses and
rescuing people from their homes and cars.
It has been wonderful to see so
many people putting in their own time to assist
others. It has made our job so much easier and
it means that a lot of us who are volunteers
ourselves, with our own families and in some
cases who have been affected by the floods
ourselves, have been able to take greatly needed
time off.
I would like everyone to know
that no matter how little you may think you have
done it has made a great difference to us. I
would especially like to let those who packed
food resupply packs for stranded people know
that I have never had a greater surprise then
when we received a order of bottled water and
food packs and on looking inside I saw a flyer
saying it was packed by a Muslim organisation.
So your work has reached far and
wide into the community, evening coming to
Kilcoy in the far reaches of the Somerset
Region.
Once again thank you all for your
hard work. There is still a great deal of work
left to do in many communities and we are
greatful that we are not alone in the battle to
recover from the floods.
WSalam Kirsty Laili
Dear Editor
Thank you for the CCN….excellent
read especially the Sayeeda Warsi MP speech is
spectacular!
Zubeda Raihman
Manager, Revenue Services
Macquarie University
North Ryde, New South Wales
Asalamualaikum
I would like to know if anyone has managed to
obtain information on the authenticity of the
label “Halaal gelatine” on numerous products
available on our supermarket shelves.
Many yogurts, sweets etc have
Halaal gelatine in their ingredient list but no
Halaal stamp on the product.
I have tried to find out from
companies themselves with no joy. I would like
some clarification on the matter if anyone knows
better..
Jazakallah
Zeenat
Dear Editor
Salaams,
We are two sisters who own and run a boutique
cupcake business - Mio Cupcakes. We create,
customised cupcakes for all occasions. We are a
Brisbane based company.
We have raised some funds and
have donated all the profit to the Flood Appeal
through the Muslim Charitable organisation on
behalf of all our supporters.
We recently raised some funds through our
business by selling boxes of cupcakes on
Thursday the 20th January. 100% of all profits
made was donated to the QLD Flood Appeal!
Thank you to everyone who ordered
a box of cupcakes and donated money to help all
our friends and families affected by the Flood!
We are happily exhausted :)
We baked 564 cupcakes, Sold 94
Boxes!
And TOGETHER we ALL raised...
$1400
Thank-you x
Mio Cupcakes Sumayya and Yasmeen
[Editor] For your
marvelous efforts, the least we at CCN can do is
give your fine business a plug:
All their cupcakes are baked fresh - from high
quality ingredients!
Mio cupcakes is a couture cupcake business, and
their cupcakes are all customized to suit every
event.
CCN
readers from around the globe
New on
ISLAM TV this week
If you are unable to view Islam
TV here open this CCN newsletter in Firefox or
Safari
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.
KB SAYS:This is a brilliant
recipe - even by my standards! It is just so very tasty!
I have made this many times now and it never fails to
please even the most fastidious of connoisseurs . As
somebody once told me - you can never have too much
haloumi...
Ingredients
1 ½ cups Vegetable Stock
1 ½ cups Couscous
250g Haloumi cheese
1 tsp olive oil
420g can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1cup diced cucumber
½ cup green or orange pepper or both
5 green onions thinly sliced
½ cup mint leaves, roughly chopped
2 red chillies, sliced
¼ cup raisins (optional)
Dressing
1 large lemon, juiced
2 tsp paprika
¼ cup olive oil
Salt and pepper
Method
1. Boil the vegetable
stock.
2. Place couscous in a
large heatproof bowl, pour over boiling
stock and stir with a fork. Cover with foil
and let it stand for 5 minutes. Stir gently
with a fork to separate the grains.
3. Cut haloumi into 3
lengthways. Heat oil in a small frying pan
and cook haloumi for 1 to 2 mins on either
side until golden brown.
4. Cut each slice of
haloumi into 10 to 12 cubes.
5. Add to the couscous
with chickpeas, green onion and chilli, toss
to combine.
Dressing
Whisk all the ingredients together and pour
over the salad.
Q: Dear Kareema, my mum has just been
told by her GP to start weight bearing exercises in
order to strengthen her bones, as she is susceptible to
osteoporosis in later years. She also needs to shed a
few kilos. What can I do to help or motivate her?
A: Your mum is lucky to have you, and if you're not
already active, working out with her will be great
for the both of you! Work out which activities you both
enjoy and alternate between them every other day until
your mum is able to take on more challenging exercises,
and then fit them into your routine at least twice a
week if possible.
Muscle burns more kilojoules than fat, so the more lean
muscular weight you have on your body, the more
kilojoules you'll burn. This is where the weight-bearing
exercises come into play. Aim to lift weights at least 2
- 3 times per week with her, targeting different muscle
groups each session.
These exercises will help grow / improve
bone mass, which in turn will help prevent osteoporosis.
Many women are vulnerable to broken bones later in life,
due to their inactive lifestyles.
Walking daily will help burn fat and build muscle, so
try to incorporate it into your routine...
Another great idea is to get her some
light hand-weights or resistance bands for the days
you're not able to catch up and workout. She can then do
her exercises in the comfort of her home (even while
sitting down in front of the TV). Remember, every little
bit counts. You don't have to complete a 1-hour session
if you're pressed for time - do what you can, when you
can, and you'll tend to stick to your routine.
All questions sent in are published here anonymously
and without any references to the author of the
question.
The CCN Chuckle
Jallaluddin
went to see Mula Nasruddin, the local hakim
(doctor), because he was suffering from a
miserable cold.
Mula
Nasruddin prescribed some pills, but they didn't
help.
On his next
visit Mula Nasruddin gave him a injection, but
that didn't do any good.
On his third visit Mula Nasruddin told
Jallaluddin to go home and take a hot bath. As
soon as he was finished bathing he was to throw
open all the windows and stand in the draft.
"But brother
Nasruddin," protested Jallaluddin, "if I do
that, I'll get pneumonia."
"I know," said Mula Nasruddin. "I can cure
pneumonia."
Taleem
classes resume this Thursday from 11am to
12pm at the residence of
Zany
Issadeen
26 Westpark
Street
Kuraby
Tel No: 3219
7604
All ladies
welcome
Girls Game
Night
Sitting at
home on a Saturday Night?
Want to do
something constructive, but FUN?
Inspiration
talk, pizza, BBQ, fun and games
Topics that
are relevant, Iman-boosting and
mind-capturing. Where: AMYN Islamic Youth Centre,
16/157 North Road, Woodridge When: Every Saturday,after Maghrib
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.
The
Islamic Women's Association of Queensland
celebrated its 20th Anniversary on Friday by
inviting the Governor-General of the
Commonwealth of Australia, Her Excellency Ms
Quentin Bryce AC to officially open its new
headquarters in Springwood.
Ms
Muna Ibrahim (pictured left)
of the Islamic Women's Association of Queensland
(IWAQ) was presented with two awards on
Australia Day. 
MEELAD - UN - NABI SALLALLAAHU ALAIHI WA SALLAM
Kuala
Lumpur - Former British prime minister Tony
Blair's sister-in-law Lauren Booth, a rights
campaigner and Muslim convert, said on
Wednesday he should be tried for war crimes
over the invasion of Iraq.
at
for the both of you! Work out which activities you both
enjoy and alternate between them every other day until
your mum is able to take on more challenging exercises,
and then fit them into your routine at least twice a
week if possible. 
