Dr Tahir ul-Qadri ended
his Australia lecture tour with a final marathon
presentation at the Islamic College of Brisbane
before an audience of 400 that included the Lord
Mayor of Brisbane, Cr. Graham Quirk and
members of the local community.
The topic on jihad was always
going to stir discussion and debate and MC
Mustafa Ally gave the audience the
opportunity to pose a number of questions to Dr
Qadri on the subject.
Dr Qadri’s three lectures were
directly webcasted right around the world and
watched on
http://www.minhaj.tv.
The attendance and atmosphere of
the Friday dinner drew glowing praise from Dr
Qadri who said, on more than one occasion, that
it had left a permanent impression on him and a
striking representation of what a multicultural
society should be.
Following on from Dr Tahir
ul-Qadri's visit to Brisbane last weekend, this
is how Courier Mail reporter, David Costello,
who attended the event saw his visit and the
dinner at Michael's Oriental last Friday night
in his article entitled:
Calm voice in sea of extremism:
It takes a
supremely brave individual to look
into the eyes of Muslim extremists
and tell them they are un-Islamic
and unbelievers.
That is exactly what Dr Muhammad
Tahir ul-Qadri has done and that is
why he acclaimed across the world as
an enlightened, moderate voice
within Islam.
Dr Qadri was born in Pakistan and
became a distinguished scholar,
lawyer and politician in his home
country.
These days he is based in Canada and
he travels the world to speak and
touch base with members of
Minhaj-ul-Quran International, the
organisation he founded.
It is described as a worldwide,
broad-based moderate Islamic
welfare, human rights and education
organisation.
Last week he was in Brisbane to
address an interfaith meeting at
Eight Mile Plains.
Now to say this man and his message
are inspirational is something of an
understatement.
I think most of the 500 or so people
who heard him speak last Friday
realised they were in the presence
of an exceptional man.
He is a slight, immaculately-groomed
individual and at first he spoke
softly so the audience was straining
to hear his words as he explained
that true Islam does not accept
brutality, extremism, militancy,
killing and massacre.
There were murmurs of approval as he
described Australia as "the best
society, the best community on this
planet, practising multifaith,
multiculturalism and diversity in
its true sense and reality".
His voice rose to a crescendo while
urging the audience to reject "bin
Ladenism" and to remember that a
Muslim was, first and foremost, a
person of mercy.
He was given a prolonged standing
ovation and looking around the room
it was obvious a lot of healing was
going on.
Dr Qadri is one man who can reach
across that most difficult of
divides - the one that exists
between the Muslims and modern
Western society.
The Brisbane audience was
predominantly Muslim but also
included local Jewish leaders,
Amnesty International Queensland
president David Forde and John
Mickel, Speaker of the Queensland
Parliament.
Their attendance was a show of
solidarity with a Muslim community
which has done it tough over the
past decade.
There is no doubt the vast majority
of Muslims in this country were
appalled by the attacks of September
11, 2001 and the Bali bombings of
October 2002 which killed 89
Australians.
But that did not spare them from
being jeered at and spat on in the
street and viewed with hostility as
an anti-Islamic backlash swept the
Western world.
Reports that that radical Muslims in
Sydney and Melbourne had planned
terrorist attacks in this country
added to the tension.
Last year, radical Melbourne Muslim
cleric Abdul Nacer Benbrika and five
of his followers were jailed on
terrorism charges. At their trial, a
jury was told they discussed
terrorist acts on city landmarks in
Melbourne.
There were also revelations that
mosques in Sydney and Melbourne were
selling notorious and fraudulent
anti-Semitic tracts such as The
Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
It didn't help when Sheik Taj Din
al-Hilaly the imam of the Lakemba
mosque in Sydney and an Australian
Sunni Muslim leader made a series of
controversial statements. In 2006 he
compared women wearing skimpy
clothing to "uncovered meat". Before
that he had called the Holocaust a
"Zionist lie".
Brisbane was somewhat removed from
these controversies but it was not
spared entirely.
The worst attack against Muslims
came only days after 9/11 when a
wooden mosque in Kuraby in
Brisbane's south was firebombed and
burnt to the ground.
More recently, there were some
protests about the expansion of the
Australian International Islamic
College which has campuses at Durack,
Carrara and Buranda.
Some callers to talkback radio
worried about the schools turning
out suicide bombers.
Dr Qadri has built a lot of bridges
with the non-Islamic world but his
main message is aimed directly at
Muslims for a very good reason.
He is on the side of the angels in a
battle for the soul of Islam.
For this, he has widespread support
in the West and his profile
increased in March 2010, when he
published a 600-page "fatwa" or
edict, which declared that terrorism
and suicide attacks were
"un-Islamic".
After this, he appeared on Sky News,
BBC News and Al-Jazeera and was
interviewed by Sir David Frost.
There is much admiration for the
work of Minhaj-ul-Quran
International which in 2010 ran an
anti-terrorism camp for Muslim youth
in the UK.
Moderates such as Dr Qadri do not
fear the West, which, as he says,
allows Muslims more human rights and
freedoms than Arab nations.
His chief enemies are Islamic
hardliners inspired and funded by
the austere Wahhabist or Salafist
traditions of Saudi Arabia.
The militants and terrorists have
particular disdain for the Sufi
Muslim tradition to which Dr Qadri
belongs. Sufism is a "mystical"
stand of Islam which venerates
saints and includes rituals of
singing and dancing. Taliban
extremists in Pakistan consider
Sufis to be decadent and heretical
and have killed hundreds of people
in bomb attacks at shrines in the
past two years.
This, of course, is the heart of the
problem.
All Muslims look to the Koran and
the Sunnah - the teaching and
practice of Prophet Muhammad.
Different people interpret these
ancient texts in different ways.
While Dr Qadri cites the Prophet's
tolerance of other religions, you
won't find find any churches or
mosques in Saudi Arabia.
Such a divergence of views, or
course in not confined to Islam -
take a look at the ruckus in the
Christian church over homosexuality.
And in centuries past, Christians
used the Bible to justify all sorts
of barbarism, from anti-Jewish
pogroms to slavery.
The Christian world has evolved into
a largely liberal-democrat entity.
The Islamic world has a long way to
go.
It is important that we give plenty
of support to decent ordinary
Muslims and leaders such as Dr Qadri.
Alhamdulillah our Masjid open day
held on 23rd July 2011 was a great success. We
received about 22 visitors mainly from a local
Church, including their Cardinal and his wife.
The allocated time was from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm
and all of them came at 10:30am and had a good
time, so much so that they all left at 12:45pm.
It was a lovely day enjoyed by all and was
lovely to see people from all ages and
backgrounds share this day. We should definitely
make a habit of it and build relationships
within the community.
The program started with an excellent
documentary movie of our Prophet Muhammad (pbuh).
Soon after the documentary we had a tea/coffee
break which allowed our brothers and sisters to
mingle with the visitors and answer queries, we
also had a Masjid tour explaining Wudu area,
prayer hall, Mimbar, ladies section etc. After
these events our Imam, Mufti Junaid Akbar
delivered an excellent talk on Divine religions
and people of the book.
Thereafter the local Church representative Mr.
Garth Read gave a short speech about interfaith
activities. He also mentioned that how the
Muslim community wants to interact with other
communities in Australia and that the Masjid is
open to all.
This was followed by vote of
thanks delivered by Brother Taslim Baksh.
We also had Hena painting for the girls and our
sister Rizia Ebrahim was very busy painting the
hands of a few children and ladies, we thank
sister Rizia for her efforts.
We had many books, information brochures and
CD’s for free distribution and Alhamdulillah by
the end of the day many of these were gone.
Finally we had a yummy sausage sizzle which
everyone enjoyed and Brother Reza Ebrahim did a
great job in cooking the sausages.
We take this opportunity to thank our main
organisers of this event, brothers Mohideen
Thassim and Reza Ebrahim. Our thanks also must
go to Brother Ismail Ebrahim who came up with
this idea of open day and worked in the
background to make this event happen.
Also we would like to thank our
volunteers (brothers and sisters) from the
community who helped on that day.
Insha’Allah we want to continue this event and
many other events in the future. Please make Dua
for us.
• Editorial
• 10 Goals To Set For Ramadan.
• Ramadan: Raining With Mercy.
• Experiencing HAJJ: A Pilgrims Reflection.
• A Good Death.
• Tips For The Stressed Out Da'ee.
• Tips To Memorise the Quran This Ramadan.
• When Are "Good Actions" No Longer Good.
• The Proper Steps Of Seeking Knowledge.
• Turn Off That Stove!
• Carrying The Torch Of Ramadan Forward
Live
Stream from Makkah
Watch Taraweeh from Makkah LIVE
3:20 AM Brisbane Time
Youth
Present Disaster Funds to Premier
(left to right) Ms Jayshree Chauhan Gohil, Ms
Yassmin Abdel-Magied,
Queensland Premier,
Anna Bligh, Ms Sabrina Ishaq Khan
and Member for Moreton,
Graham Perrett MP
On Tuesday 26 July, Youth Without
Borders presented funds raised for the
Queensland Disaster Appeal to the Premier Anna
Bligh.
Youth Without Borders, a
Brisbane-run youth advocacy organisation, raised
$2800 for the Queensland Disaster Appeal.
To present this to the Premier, Youth Without
Borders held an event at ‘The Edge’ at the State
Library of Queensland.
It included a musical performance
from local artist, Linny Thornely, and speeches
from both the Premier, and the President of
Youth Without Borders, Yassmin Abdel-Magied.
“We are honored and pleased to be
part of the relief efforts, and our members have
put in substantial effort to raise these funds.
We hope that our contribution is
able to help those who have suffered, especially
now as the disaster isn't in the headlines but
many are still dealing with the repercussions.”
said Ms. Abdel-Magied.
"The reception was found to be
particularly poignant as some of the members
were greatly affected by the January floods in
Brisbane."
"The event was a celebration of
community spirit and the efforts of Youth
Without Borders."
Career
Connection - CALD Work Placement
The Brisbane City Council's
Career Connection project will employ 10
participants who have overseas gained
qualification, but are lacking in local
experience.
The participants will be placed
in Council and different non-for-profit
organisations to gain Australian work experience
in areas of their interest.
The participants whose
qualifications have not been recognised in
Australia will be assisted through a recognition
process.
The project provides sustainable
employment opportunities to disadvantaged
community members.
Press Release from Muslims
Australia president, Ikebal
Patel
With the Census process upon us,
the President of Muslims Australia (AFIC) is
disappointed that there are still Australia
Muslims out there who even now believe that the
purpose of the Census and especially the
question to do with religion, Question 19, is to
target Muslims.
This is far from the truth. If any Muslims
within Australia is doing any thing untoward,
then let me assure you that the law enforcement
agencies do not need to wait for five years in
between Census to find out who you are and if
you are up to no good. They already have all the
information about all Australian citizens that
they need to do their work, as they should be
expected to do.
But it is extremely important that the Muslim
community get their heads out of the sand with
regards to Question 19 about their religion and
correctly answer this question for themselves
and each and every individual in the household.
It is not good enough to only answer for one
person in the house, but for each and every
person in the house, if they are Muslims, then
question 19 should be marked for them as Islam
as well.
Having now heard this concern from a number of
Muslims that the "authorities will use the
answer to the question on religion to get us",
the President of Muslims Australia wants to
assure all Australian Muslims that this just can
not be the case under strict legislation to do
with the Census process.
But on the other hand, the danger in not getting
an accurate picture of Australian Muslim
population will be to the great disadvantage to
all of the Australian Muslims and it will be
only ourselves to blame for not engaging in this
process and not educating our Muslims as to how
to fill these Census forms correctly.
So it is the responsibility of each of us,
either as Imams, community leaders, Muslim
school teachers, fathers, mothers, neighbors and
the like to speak to each other about the
immense value in identifying our selves proudly
as Muslims in question 19 of the Census form and
mark Islam as our religion. Approvals for
mosques, schools, aged care facilitiies and
other grants are dependent on this.
And not only the funding from the Australian
Governments, both federal and state is dependent
on the accurate numbers of Australian Muslims.
Let me assure all of you that even overseas
donors agencies that we seek funding for our
projects from, like Islamic Development Bank, or
the various donors in our "rich Muslim
countries" are now all really concerned about
our numbers in the various states or regions
before they consider any funding application. I
have been asked in my position as the President
of Muslims Australia as to what the numbers of
Muslims are in a certain part of Sydney, or in a
regional area such as Albury, or Toowoomba, or
Bendigo and the like.
So it is now time for Muslims to stand up and be
counted proudly. What better Ramadhan gift can
we give our future generations of Muslims than a
good start in this century by accurately
reflecting our actual numbers in the country.
There are no negative consequences, contrary to
what you may fear, but all the positive
benefits, from grants to political
representation.
Halal
food stalls needed
The Warrigal State High School
has put out a call for halal food stalls for
their annual Warrigala Festival.
If you or your organization can
help out please contact Shannon Bourke on 0402 284
484.
New
appointment as Race Discrimination Commissioner
The Federal Government has
formally appointed Dr Helen Szoke as
Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner in
a full-time role.
Dr Szoke is Victoria's out-going equal
opportunity and human rights commissioner.
The Federal appointment separates, for the first
time since 1997, the roles of Disability and
Race Discrimination Commissioners in the
Australian Human Rights Commission.
Attorney-General Robert McClelland says that for
the first time in 13 years, Australia will have
now have a stand-alone Race Discrimination
Commissioner.
McClelland says both racial discrimination and
disability discrimination are serious issues
that deserve to receive the attention of
specific commissioners.
Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and
Multicultural Affairs, Kate Lundy says
appointing a full-time Race Discrimination
Commissioner will strengthen the implementation
of the Government's National Anti-Racism
Partnership and Strategy.
Dr Szoke has been a leader on multiculturalism,
racial and religious tolerance and human rights
issues.
She has been with the Victorian Commission since
2004 and was previously its Chief Executive
Officer and Chief Conciliator until her current
appointment in 2009.
She has served as a director of Adult
Multicultural Education Services, is a board
member of Multicultural Arts Victoria and has
performed senior advisory roles on government
and community health, and education.
The
Ramadan Health Guide is an independently
produced guide by the UK's Communities in Action
group of medical medical professionals to
provide information and advice on maximising
health gain during the Ramadan fast.
It may also prove useful to
others fasting for religious or spiritual
reasons.
Sunnybank
Saints travelled to Weedon St for their match with Mansfield Red. The Saints
were going to be under the pump from the start as all but one of the players
were observing fast.
This did not deter the Saints however as they pressed from the beginning and
put Mansfield under some early pressure.
The Saints could not convert this pressure despite numerous chances.
Tommy was put through on goal after some good work down the right by
Zeyn Suleman, but was unable to convert as Saints let slip what was the
best chance of the half.
Late in the first half, Saints goalkeeper Adem Keranovic pulled off
one of the saves of the league with a point blank reflex save to keep the
scores level at the half time break.
Full match report
Around
the Muslim World with CCN
Kuwait Emir donates $1 million to help
Somalia
US:
“Ramadan,” said President Obama at a White
House iftar dinner in 2010, “is a reminder
that Islam has always been a part of
America. The first Muslim ambassador to the
United States, from Tunisia, was hosted by
President Jefferson, who arranged a sunset
dinner for his guest because it was Ramadan
— making it the first known iftar at the
White House, more than 200 years ago.”
The dinner to which the
president referred took place on December 9,
1805, and Jefferson’s guest was Sidi Soliman
Mellimelli, an envoy from the bey
(chieftain) of Tunis who spent six months in
Washington. The context of Mellimelli’s
visit to the United States was a tense
dispute over piracy on American merchant
vessels by the Barbary states and the
capture of Tunisian vessels trying to run an
American blockade of Tripoli.
Mellimelli arrived during
Ramadan, and Jefferson, when he invited the
envoy to the president’s house, changed the
meal time from the usual hour of 3:30 p.m.
to “precisely at sunset” in deference to the
man’s religious obligation.
Jefferson’s knowledge of
Islam likely came from his legal studies of
natural law. In 1765, Jefferson purchased a
two-volume English translation of the Quran
for his personal library, a collection that
became, in 1815, the basis of the modern
Library of Congress.
Manama: Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmad
Al Jaber Al Sabah, the Emir of Kuwait, has
donated $1 million, marking the opening of a
donations campaign to aid drought-stricken
victims in Somalia, a senior official said
on Monday.
Abdullah Al Maatouq, the President of the
International Islamic Charitable
Organisation (IICO), said that the generous
donation from the Emir was a strong boost to
the efforts of the organisation.
"HH the Emir has stressed his commitment to
alleviate the severe suffering of the people
of Somalia and his confirmation of the
importance of providing them with the
necessary support and emergency relief to
avoid more victims," he said, quoted by
Kuwait News Agency (Kuna).
"HH the Emir has directed the IICO to
organise a public campaign in coordination
with similar organisations and charities in
Kuwait to collect donations for the benefit
of the victims in Somalia who suffer from
severe drought."
A crisis, a combination of drought and
rising food prices, has struck parts of East
Africa and affected millions of people.
New
Report Sheds Light on 'Think Tanks' Advising
UK Government
UK: A crucial
report by Spinwatch examined
two of the most key
right-wing think-tanks
involved in the debate on
Islam, multiculturalism and
extremism which are thought
to have influenced the
former Labour and the
present Coalition
Governments' Prevent
strategies (old and new);
namely the Centre for Social
Cohesion and Policy
Exchange.
The report which was
completed before the recent
terrorist attacks in Norway,
argues that right-wing
think-tanks such as these,
have understated the rise of
Islamophobia on the
far-right and in some cases
have condoned the rise of
groups such as the English
Defence League because of
their own links to the
so-called 'counter-jihad
movement'. The report also
warns that the policies that
these think-tanks are
promoting is likely to
stigmatise and even
criminalise politically
active Muslims, as well as
liberals and leftists,
thereby risking the
undermining of traditional
freedoms enjoyed by
churches, schools,
universities and public
libraries.
The report's co-author,
Professor David Miller of
Strathclyde University said:
"The policies advocated by
the Centre for Social
Cohesion and Policy Exchange
detailed in the report
inevitably mean the
curtailment of civil
liberties and the narrowing
of political debate. The
consequences for British
Muslims though will be even
more severe".
Anas Altikriti, Chief
Executive of TCF stated that
"this report comes out at an
extremely timely moment,
where the entire world and
specifically European
Societies are still reeling
in the aftermath of the
Norwegian terrorist
massacre."
TCF believes it is no longer
acceptable to regard certain
establishments beyond
reproach, simply because of
their considerable links
with and influence upon
government and policy
makers, especially when they
have been at the heart of a
wide range of radical and
often harmful policies
concerning multiculturalism,
Muslims and extremism in the
UK.
"Not only should the
government's relationship
with the media
establishments be examined
and reformed, but also its
relationship with certain
ideological establishments
and think-tanks whose impact
on policy is considerable
and undeniable" added
Altikriti.
"Australia certainly can not be immune from
such interference as in Britain from our
local think tanks either when one considers
their funding sources and the influence they
have on Australian Government policy. The
need to be vigilant on public discourse, and
research findings is all the more important
when one considers how public policy is
influenced by the rich and powerful, as
evidenced recently with the media fiasco in
Britain."
Khalifa
Islamic Personality of the Year
DUBAI
- The President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa
bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has been named the
Islamic Personality of the 15th session of
the Dubai International Holy Quran for his
service to the Holy Quran, Islam, Muslims,
humanity and role in developing the UAE.
Deputy chairman of the Dubai
International Holy Quran Award organising
committee Dr Saeed Harib made the
announcement on Wednesday morning at the
Cultural and Scientific Association in
Dubai’s Al Mamzar area.
“His Highness Shaikh Khalifa — born on
January 25, 1948 — has been named for the
Dh1million prize in appreciation of his
noble activities for the Arab, Muslim and
whole world,” the announcement said.
Several scholars, scientists, presidents and
institutions have won the Islamic
Personality Prize over the past 14 sessions.
The first winner was the late Shaikh
Mohammed Metwally Al Shaarawy of Egypt in
1997 while former Sudanese president Field
Marshal Abdul Rahman Swar Al Dahab was the
last winner in 2010.
“The choice clearly shows how the UAE people
love, respect and appreciate their leader.
It is a simple gesture to thank the
President’s role in the service of his
people and humanity,” Dr Harib said.
As per Shaikh Khalifa’s instructions,
numerous masjids, schools, and hospitals
have been built in and outside the country.
“He has always been ready to send relief
aids abroad and order charitable
activities,” he added.
Khaleej Times Online
Translated
Taraweeh prayers to be aired live
The Saudi
ministry has worked out an extensive and
simplified version of the meaning of the
prayers, which are translated in both
English and French.
Riyadh: Saudi
Arabia's Ministry of Islamic Affairs has
completed preparations for the live
transmission of translated Taraweeh prayers
from the Haram Mosque in Makkah and the
Prophet's Mosque in Madinah during Ramadan.
For eight consecutive years Saudi Television
broadcast Taraweeh prayers live from Makkah
and Madinah. The Ministry worked out an
extensive and simplified version of the
meaning of the prayers, especially that of
the Quranic verses which are translated in
both English and French.
The Advisor to the Minister of Islamic
Affairs Shaikh Talal Al Akil, who is also
executive director of the programme, told
Gulf News that as many as 40 television
channels, in addition to the Saudi
television channels, will take part in this
year's live broadcast of Taraweeh prayers
from the holy mosques.
"All arrangements are in place to broadcast
Taraweeh prayers with simultaneous
subtitling in English from Makkah and in
French from Madinah. Substantial
improvements have been made in the
translation and presentation of the
programme comparing with the previous years.
"Meanings of the Quranic verses with
scientific and technical implications have
been further simplified so that the
listeners from across the world, especially
the Muslims from the West, can digest them
easily," he said adding that Muslim
minorities from the Western countries were
the major beneficiaries of the programme in
the past years.
Al Akil noted that the programme was updated
by a team of specialists who took advantage
of the advanced changes in communication and
information technology.
"This shows the ministry's keenness in
spreading the meanings of the Quran among as
many non-Arabic speaking Muslims as possible
across the world," he added.
Gaza
kids grab kite-flying Guinness World Record
back from China
GAZA:
Thirteen thousand children taking part in
UNRWA’s Gaza Summer Games crowned a golden
season of three Guinness World Records by
smashing a fourth yesterday, for the largest
number of people flying kites
simultaneously.
Their achievement followed an attack on the
Summer Games facility in north-west Gaza
hosting the record attempt by unknown
militants. Ten militants attacked the UN
Summer Games facility burning a UN flag,
setting light to a large billboard and
torching the stage. Yesterday’s attack
follows two attacks last year on UNRWA
Summer Games facilities, and it drew swift
and robust condemnation from the UN.
In an epic
event on the beach in northern Gaza, the
unintimidated children reclaimed the record
they set at last year’s Summer Games, which
was broken in April this year by a Chinese
kite association flying 10,465 kites
simultaneously.
“Taking
on the might of China is a daunting feat for
the children of Gaza,” said UNRWA acting
director in Gaza, Christer Nordahl, “but
they have risen brilliantly to the challenge
as they have done three times already this
year.”
"We're very
happy we broke the record," 14-year-old
Nayeema al-Maden told ABC news. "When they
do the next Summer Games, I'll be involved
and we'll break another record."
"They take care of us so professionally, our
hopes grow," said al-Maden. "We, thank,
thank, thank UNRWA for the Summer Games."
"We brought happiness to our country by
breaking the world record," said
record-breaker Nadia el Haddad, 13. "Today
because we broke the world record I feel
like I have rights and that I’m like
everyone else in the world.”
Eleven-year-old Abdullah Musleh said: “I’m
happy when I’m flying the kites. We are the
best!”
Another kite-flyer, 11-year-old Rawia Abd el
Dain, said: “I made my kite the Palestinian
flag and when I fly it I feel like I’m
raising my country and my flag up, up in the
sky.”
“It was nothing short of miraculous," said
Gunness. “The tiny “David” of Gaza has
overcome the mighty “Goliath” of China; even
more astonishing that the children of Gaza
achieved this under the punishing, illegal
blockade. Three-quarters of a million
children are being collectively punished and
there must be transparency and
accountability to end this affront to our
humanity. The kites will provide another
iconic reminder of the beauty and potential
of these children, despite the injustices
they face.”
Makkah
clock tower beams from beginning of Ramadan
MAKKAH:
The Makkah Royal Clock Tower, the second
tallest tower in the world, started emitting
16 light beams to a height of 10 kilometers
on Sunday evening to announce the beginning
of Ramadan.
The loud speakers installed at the top of
the tower carried the sound of adhan (call
to prayer) from the Grand Mosque to seven
kilometers far. The powerful lights in white
and green blinking at the time of adhan can
be seen from a distance of 30 kilometers.
The lights are also helpful for people with
hearing difficulties to know prayer times.
The clock face is white and indicators dark
during daylight and green and white at
night.
A trial run of the clock was held at the
beginning of last year’s Ramadan.
The gigantic Makkah clock project was
constructed on top of tower number five of
King Abdul Aziz Endowment project, which
consists of seven towers.
“All arrangements to receive Ramadan guests
in the residential hotel, on which the clock
tower is situated, have been completed. All
rooms and suites have an Islamic style of
interior décor that add to the spirituality
of Ramadan,” director of telecommunications
and business promotion at the Fairmont
Raffles Hotels International in Makkah,
Khaled Yamaq, said.
The Makkah Clock Tower Hotel, on which the
clock is situated, is 601 meters high with
76 stories and 858 suites. It overlooks the
Grand Mosque.
“A large number of pilgrims of different
nationalities will be visiting the tower to
get a close look at the interior of the
clock tower. Therefore, the hotel’s main
banquet hall has prepared to accommodate
1,000 guests for iftar (fast-breaking meal)
and suhur (predawn meal before starting the
fast). It comprises menus of 15 countries,
including local dishes,” he said.
Ramadan cannon
A cannon also fired seven shots to mark the
beginning of Ramadan in Makkah. Shots will
be fired throughout the month to announce
the time of breaking the fast, the time for
suhur and the end of the suhur.
The cannon will be positioned at the top of
the highest hill, away from residential
neighborhoods in Makkah, and is provided
with sound-producing detonators. There are
special security officers to take care of
the cannon, which will be sent back to the
store of the Tasks and Duties Administration
in Makkah after the last shots announcing
the arrival of Eid Al-Fitr. A total of 150
shots will be fired in the whole month.
In most Muslim countries, cannons are fired
to announce the beginning of Ramadan and
fast breaking time.
The AMARAH team would like to
wish you all Ramadhan Kareem.
We are once again hosting our
annual community meal for the disadvantaged and
homeless at St Andrew's Anglican Church.
If you are able to donate, please
email us at
info@amarah.org or call Nora on 0422 349
786.
You can also do a direct EFT into
the AMARAH account: Westpac Bank- BSB 034109;
Account number: 225057.
Please note that it is for iftar.
Let's continue the holy month of
Ramadhan in the true, compassionate spirit of
Islam.
Jazakallah Khayrun
Nora Amath
Dear CCN Readers
During the month of Ramadaan, Pizza Lane will have
for sale Chicken Malai Tikka on Fridays, Saturdays
and Sundays, as well as Haleem on Wednesdays and
Sundays. The Chicken Malai Tikka costs $10 per serve
with chips and the Haleem is $10 per litre. To place
your orders, please sms 0415467868 or call 32197808
a day before.
Many
thanks
Team @ Pizza Lane
CCN
tweeting on twitter!
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.
Having suffered the agonies of amateur
hour these past couple of weeks, CCN readers deserve a
respite from its Editor-in-Chief's exploits in the
kitchen as he reluctantly hangs up his apron in
deference to the expertise and talent of young
Farzanah Hatia who this week prepares a real winter
warmer treat for us.
PS: Our normal culinary column
services will resume next week when our resident cook KB
returns spiritually and physically re-energized from a
scorching Saudi Arabian summer, insha'Allah.
Bread and butter pudding
Ingredients
6 thin slices of white
bread
Butter softened
4 eggs
⅓ cup caster
sugar
3½ cups milk
1 tspn vanilla extract
Method
1. Preheat oven to
160/140 fan forced
2. Trim crusts from bread, butter each
slice. Cut into four triangles. Arrange two
rows of triangles butter side up overlapping
slightly.
3. Whisk eggs, sugar, milk and extract in
bowl. Pour half the custard mixture over
bread. Stand for 10 minutes
4. Whisk remaining custard mixture and pour
into dish. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Stand
dish in larger baking dish with enough
boiling water to come halfway up side of
dish.
5. Bake for about 50 minutes till custard is
set
Q: Dear Kareema, at sunset I’ll
normally have a bowl of soup and of course my sweet
treats before heading out for a quick walk. Besides my
vegies, what will be some good options for dinner
post-workout?
A: Make rehydration your first priority to
replace lost fluids. An appropriate dinner would consist
of chicken (skinless) or fish and maybe try some brown
rice. Vegetables are high in antioxidants and fibre
which will aid in muscle recovery.
Your aim should be to include a balance
of carbs, proteins and good fats as part of your dinner
plan.
Stay away from fried foods and don’t
overcook your vegies. Keep it simple and light and try
to have dinner at least 2 – 3 hours before bedtime.
All questions sent in are published here anonymously
and without any references to the author of the
question.
The CCN Chuckle
Mula
Nasruddin was trying to explain to his madarasah
pupils about the circulation of the blood.
Trying to
make the matter clearer, he said, "Now, class,
if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know,
would run into it, and I would turn red in the
face."
"Yes," the
class said.
"Then why is it that while I am standing upright
in the ordinary position the blood doesn't run
into my feet?"
Little Ashrafi shouted from the back of the
class, "Cause your feet aren't empty."
The CCN
Food for Thought
A
Primary School teacher asks her students to
write an essay about what they would like Allah
to do for them. At the end of the day, while
marking the essays, she read one that made her
very emotional. Her husband, who had just walked
in, saw her crying and asked her: 'What
happened?'
She answered: 'Read this. It is
one of my students essay.'
'
O' Allah, tonight I ask you
something very special: Make me into a
Television. I want to take its place and live
like the TV in my house. Have my own special
place, and have my family around me. To be taken
seriously when I talk. I want to be the centre
of attention and be heard without interruptions
or questions. I want to receive the same special
care that the TV receives even when it is not
working. Have the company of my dad when he
arrives home from work, even when he is tired.
And I want my mom to want me when she is sad and
upset, instead of ignoring me. And ... I want my
brothers to fight to be with me ... I want to
feel that family just leaves everything aside,
very now and then, just to spend some time with
me. And last but not least, ensure that I can
make them all happy and entertain them. Ya
Allah, I don't ask you for much. I just want to
live like a TV.'
At that moment the husband said: 'My God, poor
kid. What horrible parents!'
Primary School teacher looked up at him and
said: 'That essay is our son's!
PappaRoti Warrigal Square will be
running a Ramadan promotion in conjunction with
the holy month of Ramadan from August 1st. We
will be offering the Ramadan Combo Specials
which is a crispy bun with a Malaysian specialty
from $4.99.
Please take this opportunity to break fast with
the Ramadan Combo Specials.
Computers,
laptops, bags, accessories, digital cameras,
monitors, notebooks, printers,
toners/cartridges, software and much much more.
All the best brands at the lowest possible
prices. Visit us today
www.efxshop.com.au
Want an effective treatment to
clean out BAD CHOLESTROL and PLAQUE from your
arteries?
ArgiNox Maintain is available from Zakiya
Sacur - 0433 270 770. Book your consultation
now
Gabriel K hair studio is a boutique studio
exclusively for women. Gabriel K has over 20
years experience as a stylist and uses Matrix as
the professional range.
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
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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.
All Muslims look to the Koran and
the Sunnah - the teaching and
practice of Prophet Muhammad.
The
Ramadan Health Guide is an independently
produced guide by the UK's Communities in Action
group of medical medical professionals to
provide information and advice on maximising
health gain during the Ramadan fast. 
Sunnybank
Saints travelled to Weedon St for their match with Mansfield Red. The Saints
were going to be under the pump from the start as all but one of the players
were observing fast. 
US:
“Ramadan,” said President Obama at a White
House iftar dinner in 2010, “is a reminder
that Islam has always been a part of
America. The first Muslim ambassador to the
United States, from Tunisia, was hosted by
President Jefferson, who arranged a sunset
dinner for his guest because it was Ramadan
— making it the first known iftar at the
White House, more than 200 years ago.”
DUBAI
- The President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa
bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has been named the
Islamic Personality of the 15th session of
the Dubai International Holy Quran for his
service to the Holy Quran, Islam, Muslims,
humanity and role in developing the UAE.
“Taking
on the might of China is a daunting feat for
the children of Gaza,” said UNRWA acting
director in Gaza, Christer Nordahl, “but
they have risen brilliantly to the challenge
as they have done three times already this
year.”
MAKKAH:
The Makkah Royal Clock Tower, the second
tallest tower in the world, started emitting
16 light beams to a height of 10 kilometers
on Sunday evening to announce the beginning
of Ramadan.
A
Primary School teacher asks her students to
write an essay about what they would like Allah
to do for them. At the end of the day, while
marking the essays, she read one that made her
very emotional. Her husband, who had just walked
in, saw her crying and asked her: 'What
happened?'
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7
August 2011