Pakistan:
Nation on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Fatima
Bhutto
A feast
of food for the famished and the fastidious
The International Food
Festival at the Gold Coast Mosque last Sunday beat the weather predictions
by drawing out the sun and turning the event into a pleasant day out for the
thousands of visitors who defied the ominously dark clouds and damp
conditions.
For all the action and
excitement of the day
click here.
Must see
TV
This Monday, Q&A brings you
a Generation Y special with:
Television host, Fuzzy
Agolley
Comedian, Josh Thomas
Human rights advocate, Samah Hadid
CEO, Kogan, and self made multimillionaire, Ruslan Kogan
IPA free marketeer, James Paterson
Watch Q&A live, 9.35pm on
ABC 1, ABCNews24 and stream it on our website,
abc.net.au/qanda.
Go Back to Where You Came From
As part of Refugee Week which is coming up
shortly, the SBS is screening a documentary "Go back To Where You Came
From"at 8.30pm starting next Tuesday 21 June. Six Australians, who agree to
challenge their preconceived notions about refugees and asylum seekers, go
on a confronting 25-day journey by boat tracing in reverse the journeys that
real refugees have taken to reach Australia.
The three episodes will air next week – Tuesday
21, Wednesday 22 and Thursday 23 June.
Muslim
community gets recognized for its contribution
The 2011 Queensland Week celebrations that ran
from 4 to 13 June were dedicated to recognising those in communities
throughout the state who displayed initiative and bravery during the 2010-11
Queensland floods and Tropical Cyclone Yasi.
Amongst the members of the
local Muslim community who were nominated and honoured last week were Mr.
Fuzal K. Muhammed who received an award from the Ipswich ceremony for
his work in Ipswich.
Ms Janeth Deen received an award on behalf of the people who
contributed through the Queensland Muslim Welfare Association Inc., the
Australian Muslim Youth Network (AMYN) and the Queensland Muslim Volunteers
(QMV).
Mr. Yusuf Khatree received an award for those who contributed to the
Muslim Charitable Foundation by way of hampers and gyprock to flood-affected
homes.
Mr. Hussin Goss received an award on behalf of the Islamic Society of
the Gold Coast, the Muslim Charitable Foundation and the staff at Goss
Refrigerated Transport for their help in supplying and distributing hampers
from the Muslim community and the Gold Coast City Council.
A full account of the efforts of the Muslim
community during the floods
can be found here.
From the
AIIC Desk....
Family Fun Day
As part of its fundraising
effort, the Australian International Islamic College (AIIC) held a Family
Fun Night on Saturday 21st May in the new Multi-Purpose Hall.
The winter’s night failed to
dampen the friendly and warm spirit of the huge crowd that gathered to enjoy
a fun-filled event.
Families’ friends and
students came together for a short program which included a wonderful
nasheed rendition by both primary and high school students.
The challenging quiz program
got everyone putting on their thinking caps.
Groups huddled around the
campfire whilst they grilled and enjoyed their corn and the sumptuous dinner
was more than just filling………..it created a wonderful atmosphere of
togetherness, sharing and good taste.
The evening provided the
opportunity for “catching up” with old friends and also making new ones. The
Qawali and Nazms added to the atmosphere of fun and entertainment.
"We thank Allah (SWT) for
this wonderful evening and we look forward to continued support from family,
friends and the community", a spokesperson for the school told CCN.
Under Eights Week - 20–27 May 2011
'Bush to Beach: Let them Grow'
On Thursday 26 May
2011 Australian International
Islamic College celebrated
Under Eights Day………… an annual event
at the college.
The 2011 theme of
“Bush to Beach: Let them Grow”
provides an opportunity for children
to learn through experiences that
acknowledge our environment. This
year's theme is reflective of the
International Year of Forests. The
theme relates to Australia’s
connections to both bush and beach.
This allows children to enhance
their awareness of ways in which the
environment can be supportive of
their own growth.
The activities held
for the day included building
castles, sand art, lamingtons,
Australian animals (bats),
table/candle decoration and stick
craft.
The students had the
opportunity of completing all
activities on a rotational basis.
The event was very successful and
teachers, students and parents
enjoyed the activities throughout
the day.
Slow Mo
and Mos
Mohamed
(Mo) and Mostapha (Mos) bowed out from from the Channel Seven’s
Amazing Race Australia this week having valiantly hung in the race by the
skins of their teeth most of the way.
''Up until now the media's engagement with
Muslims has been a little tokenistic,'' said Mo the 26-year-old social
worker from Brunswick.
''They try to do good stories, but it's all, 'Oh
look, it's the hijab in football colours.' They've been trying to push a
really positive message, which is great, but for us on the receiving end,
it's a bit like, 'Oh look, they're human.' ''
The Amazing Race is different, he says,
despite the fact early publicity played up the challenges of the boys, both
practising Muslims, having to stop to pray five times a day. ''With us,
they've put our humanity before our faith,'' he says. ''We've reached a new
audience on Channel Seven that never get to see a positive story about
Muslims.''
Not that they're keen to see themselves as role
models. ''If I was ever to be a role model, it would be for 'eat more
food','' jokes Mos, who works part-time in the gift shop at Melbourne Zoo.
''We'd be role models for obesity,'' chips in
Mo. '' 'Eat more doughnuts - but make sure they're halal'.''
Kuranda Seyit, Executive
Director of FAIR said, "The two gentlemen are a testimony to their integrity
not only as two Aussies but also as Muslim Aussies. They were put through
every test and at times challenging their faith but they handled it with
dignity and finesse."
“This is a wonderful sample
of how Muslims can fit in easily into society. Amazing race is a very
mainstream show with your typical Aussies, there’s every demographic
represented, blondes, ethnics, farmers, surfies, old and young. It was great
to see two really nice guys do their best and get so far. They represented
Australia beautifully.”
Mr. Seyit, added, “We
(Muslims) are always attacked for not being a part of the community, for
being insular and aloof. These two boys showed just how easily Muslims can
fit in.”
Celebration of refugee cultures
On Sunday, 19 June, a
function will be held at Macgregor Primary School to celebrate the cultures
of Queensland's refugee community.
It will be staged by the
Queensland Multi-Cutural Council and Ms Janeth Deen of the Queensland Muslim
Welfare Association Inc is its secretary. Many of the refugees are Muslims
and the functions are always catered with halal food.
The event will be held from 6.30pm to 10.00pm and their will be cultural
stalls (which are free to those who are interested in holding one) and
cultural events. Food will be supplied in the entrance price of $15 per
person.
All levels of government will have members attending and Brisbane's Lord
Mayor, Councillor Graham Quirk will be the auctioneer.
The funds raised will be donated to the Sudanese and Burmese-Karen
communities.
For tickets call 0435 085 796 purchase them at the door.
Cold room
installed at Mosque
The
Islamic Society of Gold Coast recently
installed cold storage facilities in its
guhsl room at the Mosque.
Ms
Hanifa Deen (pictured left), the magazine's editor writes: Every
Muslim woman we have spoken to so far has greeted enthusiastically the idea
of a publication created and produced by Australian Muslim women. Muslim
women have traditionally, (if not always in practice) formed a strong
sisterhood, and it is in the spirit of this ideal that we hope Sultana’s
Dream will help to address a problem of long standing.
Muslim women need a public space to speak out
on a broad range of interests of concern to them and their families. Some of
these will come under the ambit of specific ‘Muslim-type’ issues; others
will be as wide-ranging as voicing an opinion on health services,
literature, Australian politics; fashions, sport—anything and everything—the
kind of topics some people call ‘mainstream’ and assume that we have no
interest in or views on.
We hope that Sultana's Dream will evolve into
a forum of communication for all Muslim women: Big ‘M’ women and small ‘m’
women: devout, orthodox, practising, non-practising, cultural, secular—there
are so many labels—so much diversity and so much pride in an Islamic
heritage that shapes us from birth.
At present,
articles are submitted by invitation only and Sultana’s Dream is presently
sponsored by the National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies (NCEIS),
Asia Institute, at the University of Melbourne.
Maghrib
Round
"Songs and poems from the
British Muslim tradition. The book contains 22
songs, ideal for schools, music teachers, music
lovers and choirs to sing and perform."
Oh, how
lovely is the evening,
is the evening,
The adhan
is sweetly singing,
sweetly singing,
Allah,
Allah
by
Abdal
Hakim Murad
Muslim
Scientists and Scholars
Muslim scientists and scholars have contributed
immensely to human knowledge especially in the
period between 8th and 14th century CE.
But
their contributions have been largely ignored,
forgotten or have gone un-acknowledged.
Each
week CCN brings you, courtesy of www.ummah.com,
an account of one of the many talented Muslim
scholars in history whose contributions have
left lasting marks in the annals of science,
astronomy, medicine, surgery, engineering and
philosophy.
This week's Muslim scholar, philosopher
and/or thinker is:
ABU AL-NASR AL-FARABI
(870-950 C.E.)
Abu Nasr
Mohammad Ibn al-Farakh al-Farabi was
born in a small village Wasij, near
Farab in Turkistan in 259 A.H. (870 C.E.).
His parents were originally of Persian
descent, but his ancestors had migrated
to Turkistan. Known as al-Phrarabius in
Europe, Farabi was the son of a general.
He completed his earlier education at
Farab and Bukhara but, later on, he went
to Baghdad for higher studies, where he
studied and worked for a long time viz.,
from 901 C.E. to 942 C.E. During this
period he acquired mastery over several
languages as well as various branches of
knowledge and technology. He lived
through the reign of six Abbasid
Caliphs. As a philosopher and scientist,
he acquired great proficiency in various
branches of learning and is reported to
have been an expert in different
languages.
Farabi travelled to many distant lands
and studied for some time in Damascus
and Egypt, but repeatedly came back to
Baghdad, until he visited Saif al-Daula's
court in Halab (Allepo). He became one
of the constant companions of the King,
and it was here at Halab that his fame
spread far and wide. During his early
years he was a Qadi (Judge), but later
on the took up teaching as his
profession. During the course of his
career, he had suffered great hardships
and at one time was the caretaker of a
garden. He died a bachelor in Damascus
in 339 A.H./950 C.E. at the age of 80
years.
Farabi
contributed considerably to science,
philosophy, logic, sociology, medicine,
mathematics and music. His major
contributions seem to be in philosophy,
logic and sociology and, of course,
stands out as an Encyclopedist. As a
philosopher, he may be classed as a
Neoplatonist who tried to synthesize
Platonism and Aristotelism with theology
and he wrote such rich commentaries on
Aristotle's physics, meteorology, logic,
etc., in addition to a large number of
books on several other subjects
embodying his original contribution,
that he came to be known as the 'Second
Teacher' (al-Mou'allim al-Thani)
Aristotle being the First. One of the
important contributions of Farabi was to
make the study of logic more easy by
dividing it into two categories viz.,
Takhayyul (idea) and Thubut (proof).
In
sociology he wrote several books out of
which Ara Ahl al-Madina al-Fadila became
famous. His books on psychology and
metaphysics were largely based on his
own work. He also wrote a book on music,
captioned Kitab al-Musiqa. He was a
great expert in the art and science of
music and invented several musical
instruments, besides contributing to the
knowledge of musical notes. It has been
reported that he could play his
instrument so well as to make people
laugh or weep at will. In physics he
demonstrated the existence of void.
Although
many of his books have been lost, 117
are known, out of which 43 are on logic,
11 on metaphysics, 7 on ethics, 7 on
political science, 17 on music, medicine
and sociology, while 11 are
commentaries. Some of his more famous
books include the book Fusus al-Hikam,
which remained a text book of philosophy
for several
centuries
at various centres of learning and is
still taught at some of the institutions
in the East. The book Kitab al-lhsa al 'Ulum
discusses classification and fundamental
principles of science in a unique and
useful manner. The book Ara Ahl al-Madina
al- Fadila 'The Model City' is a
significant early contribution to
sociology snd political science.
Farabi exercised great influence on
science and knowledge for several
centuries. Unfortunately, the book
Theology of Aristotle, as was available
to him at that time was regarded by him
as genuine, although later on it turned
out to be the work of some Neoplatonic
writer. Despite this, he was regarded
the Second Teacher in philosophy for
centuries and his work, aimed at
synthesis of philosophy and sufism,
paved the way for Ibn Sina's work.
Around
the Muslim World with CCN
Saudi
women demand the right to drive
An online campaign has called
on women who hold international driving
licences to start driving on Saudi Arabian
roads on 17 June.
The "Women2Drive" campaign
has used Facebook and Twitter to encourage
women to drive as part of their normal daily
activities rather than converge in one
place.
"Not allowing women behind
the wheel in Saudi Arabia is an immense
barrier to their freedom of movement, and
severely limits their ability to carry out
everyday activities as they see fit, such as
going to work or the supermarket, or picking
up their children from school," said Philip
Luther, Amnesty International's Deputy
Director for the Middle East and North
Africa.
"Saudi Arabian authorities
must not arrest licensed women drivers who
choose to drive, and must grant them the
same driving privileges as men.
"This is just one example of
so many areas of life where women in Saudi
Arabia have their human rights and their
agency denied."
Last month, women activists
in Saudi Arabia launched the
Women2Drive campaign on Facebook,
calling on Saudi women with international or
foreign drivers' licenses to get behind the
wheel of a car on June 17 and demand the
right to drive.
Pakistani
women honoured for distinguished service
Saleem and Khaishgi (pictured
below) hailed for projecting positive
image of their country
Dubai: Two
talented Dubai-based
Pakistani women were
honoured by the Pakistan
Professional Wing (PPW) for
their distinguished
achievements and for
projecting a positive image
of their country.
"Tonight, we are awarding
adventurer and artist Namira
Saleem, and film director
and producer Amnah Khaishgi
who are the source of pride
for us all," said Munir
Mahmoud, Chairman of the PPW
at a ceremony held on
Saturday in Dubai.
He said the PPW members
shared their joy with these
outstanding women who
excelled in their field and
got recognition for their
country at international
forums.
Khaishgi has written and
directed a short film called
Leap of Faith which was
widely appreciated by the
global audience at the
Cannes Film Festival this
year as well as the Abu
Dhabi Film Festival 2010.
Saleem is an artist and
adventurer, who became the
first Pakistani woman to
conquer the North and South
poles in addition to tandem
skydiving from Mount
Everest.
'Obedient
Wives' Club: Malaysia Group Says Good Sex Is
A Duty
The
RAWANG, Malaysia — As a new bride,
22-year-old Ummu Atirah believes she knows
the secret to a blissful marriage: obey her
husband and ensure he is sexually satisfied.
Ummu and some 800 other Muslim women in
Malaysia are members of the "Obedient Wives
Club" that is generating controversy in one
of the most modern and progressive
Muslim-majority nations, where many Muslim
Malaysian women hold high posts in the
government and corporate world.
The new club, launched Saturday, says it can
cure social ills such as prostitution and
divorce by teaching women to be submissive
and keep their men happy in the bedroom.
"Islam compels us to be obedient to our
husband. Whatever he says, I must follow. It
is a sin if I don't obey and make him
happy," said Ummu, who wore a yellow
headscarf.
The club, founded by a fringe Islamic group
known as Global Ikhwan, has been dismissed
by politicians and activists as a throwback
to Medieval times and an insult to modern
women of Malaysia. But the group's
activities, which previously included the
setting up of a Polygamy Club, show that
pockets of conservative Islamic ideas still
thrive in Malaysia.
Groups such as Global Ikhwan are unlikely to
gain much popularity beyond generating shock
value. Still, there is concern that radical
groups could garner support among other
Muslims, who make up 60 percent of the 28
million population, and upset decades of
carefully nurtured racial and religious
harmony.
"Unfortunately even today, there are still
many Muslim women who are ignorant of their
rights or culturally inhibited to exercise
their rights in full," said Shahrizat Abdul
Jalil, a female Muslim minister in charge of
family policy.
Despite the group's conservative Islamic
background, Rohayah Mohamad, one of the
founders of the club, openly talks about the
virtues of marital sex even though most of
her colleagues are shy about the topic.
"Sex is a taboo in Asian society. We have
ignored it in our marriages but it's all
down to sex. A good wife is a good sex
worker to her husband. What is wrong with
being a whore ... to your husband?" she
said.
In this
picture taken June 4, 2011, newly wed
couples cut a wedding cake as they attend a
mass wedding ceremony in conjunction with
the launch of the "Obedient Wife Club" in
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. A Malaysian Muslim
group has launched the "Obedient Wives Club"
to teach women to be submissive and keep
their spouses happy in the bedroom as a cure
to social ills. (AP Photo)
"This way, the family
institution is protected and we can curb
social ills," said Rohayah, the club's vice
president who is also a trained physician.
She said wives must go beyond the
traditional roles as good cooks or good
mothers and learn to "obey, serve and
entertain" their husbands to prevent them
from straying or misbehaving.
Indirectly, "disobedient wives are the cause
for upheaval in this world" because men are
not happy at home and their minds and souls
are disturbed, she said.
Authorities recently said Malaysia's divorce
rate has doubled from 2002 to 2009 with
higher rates among Malay Muslims.
"When husbands come home, wives do not
welcome their husbands with warm alluring
smiles and sexy dressing ... That is the
reality today," she said.
The Global Ikhwan group is an offshoot of
former members of the Al-Arqam sect outlawed
in 1994 after its teachings were found to
have deviated from Islam. It is funded by
the group's restaurants, grocery stores,
poultry and other businesses abroad.
Most of the 800 women who are members of the
new club, including Ummu the new bride, also
belong to Al-Arqam.
Expectedly, the club has faced intense
criticism.
Some Malaysians started a Facebook page
called "We do not want sexist nonsense from
Global Ikhwan."
One Muslim man, Amirul Aftar, wrote: "I do
not want a wife to submit to my every beck
and call. I want a wife who understands me
... we are not your masters, we are your
equal."
Women's group, Sisters in Islam, said Islam
advocates marriages based on mutual
cooperation and respect. It said domestic
violence happens regardless of women's
behavior.
"Communication, not submission, is vital to
sustain any healthy relationship," it said.
An
interesting book on Kashmiri cuisine was launched
recently at the India International Centre in New Delhi,
in the presence of the crème de la creme of Kashmiri
intelligentsia and connoisseurs of good food from all
walks of life.
Written by Sarla Razdan traces the history of this
unique and distinct cuisine and offers some heartwarming
recipes. Mrs Razdan, wife of Mr M K Razdan, CEO of PTI
(Press Trust of India) has enjoyed cooking sumptuous
Kashmiri food all her life, picking the nuances of this
gourmet cuisine from her mother and mother-in-law, and
egged on by her adoring family to master the art till
many leading dignitaries and guests were literally
eating out of her hands. Thus the book has some
firsthand inputs and magic talismans that make Indian
home cooked food, especially that cooked by the lady of
the house, still unbeatable in the taste and warmth
departments.
The book is showcased in an interesting format. It not
only offers authentic Kashmiri recipes but also has some
breathtaking shots of the valley, many of them
absolutely stunning and captivating landscapes by
Mukhtar Ahmad. Sarla Razdan’s cooking comes with some
heavy weight and genuine endorsements by well known
faces who have dined with the Razdans on several
occasions such as Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lata Mangeshkar,
Sachin Tendulkar and Farooq Abdullah. Each one of them
have savoured one or more of the dishes in the book,
often taking away recipes from her to try themselves.
Speaking at the occasion, Sarla Razdan dedicated the
book to all Kashmiris and related some endearing,
light-hearted episodes about food and cooking. She said,
“Kashmiris love their food so much that they must be the
only people with surnames taken from food items. You may
have heard of someone called Mr Wangnu, named after
eggplant or Mrs Kakru which, believe me, is derived from
chicken. This book is dedicated to all Kashmiris and is
an honest effort to preserve recipes that make our food
a delicacy and such a delight. Yet these recipes are
updated for the generation next and for those who don’t
have that much time to cook today… However I must admit
that it is much easier to cook than to write about
cooking!”
In the book she points out the difference between
Kashmiri Muslim cooking that is primarily non vegetarian
as opposed to the cuisine of the Kashmiri Pandits who
also enjoy a vast variety of vegetarian dishes, many of
which are included in the book. But there are snatches
of a culture once lived and imbibed homogeneously
mentioned in the book that give an insight into
traditions that are lost when narrow agendas take over.
“We pundits grew in Muslim neighbourhoods. We shared the
same language, the same music, and went to the same
schools. A Muslim wedding in the neighbourhood provided
a strong challenge to the taste buds — the Wazwaan with
over 30 varieties of meat preparation is truly a
gastronomic Olympiad. Our Muslim neighbours would always
invite us to savour this delightful food and if we
couldn’t make it, food would be sent home.”
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: The creamy
texture of the curry and the sweet savoury flavour from
the fried onion makes it a perfect combination to be
eaten with rice or roti. This slow cook dish may take a
little longer to cook, over two hours, but the delicate
flavour of the spices in this dish along with the
tenderness of the meat make it worth while.
On a different matter altogether, I read
the following the other day and therefore recommended
the book that appears in this week's CCN Book Club
(above):
It is true that no matter how many
celebrity chefs float around, the best Indian
cooking can still be found in homes. As noted author
and journalist M J Akbar, points out in his
evocatively written foreword to the book, “Cooking
is a selfless joy… The great cooks have pride, but
no ego. It is only current capitalism that has given
us the phenomenon of chefs who offer signature
dishes… The false ego on display in Michelin-starred
restaurants is only a means of extortion; they do
not give to each according to need, but they
certainly take from each customer according to his
ability to pay.’
.
Ingredients
1kg lamb cut into cubes
2 Onions sliced
3 Tab Ghee/oil
2 Tab Ginger Garlic Mix
1 stick Cinnamon, 2 lavang (cloves) an a 2
pods of elachi
1 tsp Dhana jeeru mix (1/2tsp each of
coriander and cumin)
1tsp salt
125ml yoghurt
1 tin Coconut milk
1 tin tomato or 4 fresh tomatoes pureed
½ cup chopped cashew nuts
Method
Sauté onions in ghee or
olive oil until light brown, toss in the
nuts, and quickly stir fry.
Liquidize the onions, nuts, coconut milk and
tomatoes until fine.
Marinate lamb in yoghurt.
In a little oil braise the ginger garlic,
dhana jeeru, and add the cinnamon, lavang
and elachi. When the aroma (in 2 seconds)
arises add the lamb, cook for 5mins and then
add the liquidized mixture and simmer until
meat is done and the sauce is thick.
Garnish with chopped green dhania and serve
hot with rotis or naan.
Q:
Dear Kareema, I'm dreading this winter as I always tend
to put on a few extra kilos during the colder months.
Even though I stick to my exercise plan, the kilos
somehow creep up on me. Any suggestions?
A:
Colder days for many of us means curling up on the couch
with a warm drink and unhealthy comfort foods, etc. As
the days turn colder and darker, we tend to get more
sluggish and allow ourselves to miss out on a golden
opportunity to lose or maintain weight.
When the thermometer dips, your metabolism increases
slightly as your body burns more calories to stay warm.
So why not take advantage of this by
incorporating a great winter eating plan with your
exercise routine.
Plan to eat five smaller meals and
include healthy snacks in your diet (a total of 1400
calories per day). Enjoy seasonal fruits and vegetables
with lots of colour.
Remember
to 'build' a better breakfast - your morning meal revs
up your metabolism after a night of rest.
Research shows that if you start your day
with foods high in protein, such as eggs or yogurt, as
well as fibre-rich fruits and whole grains such as
oatmeal, you'll stay fuller for longer and will tend not
to snack before your next meal.
Never skip meals, don't deprive yourself
of lunch, as you'll then have a big dinner which will do
more harm than good.
The key for you is to stick to your exercise plan
(include extra sessions whenever possible) and be more
vigilant when it comes to meal-time.
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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
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an e-mail to
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Disclaimer
Articles and opinions appearing in this newsletter do
not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Crescents of
Brisbane Team, CCN, its Editor or its Sponsors,
particularly if they eventually turn out to be
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.
Mohamed
(Mo) and Mostapha (Mos) bowed out from from the Channel Seven’s
Amazing Race Australia this week having valiantly hung in the race by the
skins of their teeth most of the way.
Ms
Hanifa Deen (pictured left), the magazine's editor writes: Every
Muslim woman we have spoken to so far has greeted enthusiastically the idea
of a publication created and produced by Australian Muslim women. Muslim
women have traditionally, (if not always in practice) formed a strong
sisterhood, and it is in the spirit of this ideal that we hope Sultana’s
Dream will help to address a problem of long standing. 
Farabi
contributed considerably to science,
philosophy, logic, sociology, medicine,
mathematics and music. His major
contributions seem to be in philosophy,
logic and sociology and, of course,
stands out as an Encyclopedist. As a
philosopher, he may be classed as a
Neoplatonist who tried to synthesize
Platonism and Aristotelism with theology
and he wrote such rich commentaries on
Aristotle's physics, meteorology, logic,
etc., in addition to a large number of
books on several other subjects
embodying his original contribution,
that he came to be known as the 'Second
Teacher' (al-Mou'allim al-Thani)
Aristotle being the First. One of the
important contributions of Farabi was to
make the study of logic more easy by
dividing it into two categories viz.,
Takhayyul (idea) and Thubut (proof).
In
sociology he wrote several books out of
which Ara Ahl al-Madina al-Fadila became
famous. His books on psychology and
metaphysics were largely based on his
own work. He also wrote a book on music,
captioned Kitab al-Musiqa. He was a
great expert in the art and science of
music and invented several musical
instruments, besides contributing to the
knowledge of musical notes. It has been
reported that he could play his
instrument so well as to make people
laugh or weep at will. In physics he
demonstrated the existence of void.
centuries
at various centres of learning and is
still taught at some of the institutions
in the East. The book Kitab al-lhsa al 'Ulum
discusses classification and fundamental
principles of science in a unique and
useful manner. The book Ara Ahl al-Madina
al- Fadila 'The Model City' is a
significant early contribution to
sociology snd political science.
An
interesting book on Kashmiri cuisine was launched
recently at the India International Centre in New Delhi,
in the presence of the crème de la creme of Kashmiri
intelligentsia and connoisseurs of good food from all
walks of life.
A:
Colder days for many of us means curling up on the couch
with a warm drink and unhealthy comfort foods, etc. As
the days turn colder and darker, we tend to get more
sluggish and allow ourselves to miss out on a golden
opportunity to lose or maintain weight. 
Remember
to 'build' a better breakfast - your morning meal revs
up your metabolism after a night of rest. 
