It continued with its annual
tradition in Brisbane by sponsoring a dinner
last Friday under the able stewardship of the
Islamic Womens' Association of Queensland (IWAQ).
In addition to families of the
local Muslim community there were a number of
political, governmental and religious
representatives who attended.
PhD scholar, Ms Nada Ibrahim,
soldiered on valiantly with a Ramadan 101 lesson
to the uninitiated as the converted gainfully
employed themselves with addressing the waves of
delicious food that Michael's Oriental
Restaurant had prepared for the occasion.
A number of speakers took to the
podium to express their appreciation for being
invited, to congratulate IWAQ on a
well-organized event and to offer their best
wishes to the Muslim community over Ramadan and
Eid.
The CCN Photo Gallery
The CCN
Crossword Corner
Over the next few weeks CCN will
compose and post a crossword here to give you a chance to test your Islamic
knowledge.
Look
at puzzle and type
in the answer. If it
is right the
background will turn
green.
Continue
filling in hints
until the puzzle is
solved.
Clicking
"hint" will give you
the first letter of
the answer. No
points will be
allocated.
Clicking
"word" will fill in
the entire word. No
points will be
allocated.
The
more answers you
fill in on your own,
the higher your
score. The quicker
you solve the
puzzle, the higher
your score.
Queensland Multicultural Awards
The ICoB
Seniors take on The Voters Challenge
By Riffat Gurdezi
On
the afternoon of Wednesday 10 August the
democracy workshop team; led by Nora
Amath and Riffat Gurdezi
headed to the Islamic College of
Brisbane, Karrawatha to enlighten the
senior students on the parliamentary and
electoral processes.
Enlightened perhaps Nora
and I were however, with the sheer
intelligence, creativity and already
developed, deep sense of social
conscience of the 26 odd year 11 and 12
students.
From advocating for
policies of anti-war legislation to the
implementation of comprehensive economic
policies to counter depression measures
or even enhancing national broadband to
communicate with our Asian counterparts,
the senior the students seemed to have
solutions for all of the world’s
problems.
The future Presidents and
Prime Ministers, the team name coined by
a group of five very inspiring young
girls; apt (insha'Allah) for what is to
come from these fine individuals
perhaps!
The future Presidents and Prime
Ministers
strategising policies
William Forsyth emphatically asserting
his team’s, A Good Moustache,
qualities they would look for in a good
leader and policies they felt were
necessary to advocate for
MCF heeds
call to help a family in need
Petina
Allen and son Ethan 8rys at home in
Rochedale South.
Picture:
Michael Pratt Source: Quest Newspapers
A Rochedale mum had been left
shattered after thieves stole money intended for
her seriously disabled son.
Petina Allen had been saving up so she could
take time off in September when her
nine-year-old son, Ethan, was due to go to
hospital for a kidney transplant.
The mother of one had also set the cash aside so
she could buy Ethan, who is physically and
intellectually disabled, a touchscreen computer.
Earlier this month her home was broken into and
the cash was stolen along with precious
jewellery.
Her mother, Shirley Winston, said the incident
had left her daughter distraught.
"The very day after they were broken into he
(Ethan) got peritonitis and was taken to the
hospital," Ms Winston explained.
"So she had all this worry plus being broken
into. She can't even think straight."
Ethan suffers from Vacterl Syndrome, which is
characterised by severe birth defects. And brain
damage from surgical complications when he was
16 months old has left him visually impaired.
Ms Winston said Ethan's kidney was failing and,
although his dad was a match, the transplant
might not be a success.
"Ethan has had 39 operations in his short
years," she said. "Because he's had so many
blood transfusions, we're not sure the
transplant will work."
Ms Winston said she hoped someone in the
community would help. "We would dearly love for
him to have a touchscreen computer, one he could
take to hospital," she said.
The call went out through the
Quest newspaper and "the community rallied to
help Ethan Allen and his family, contacting both
the newspaper and Ms Allen with kind words of
support and offers of assistance."
Yusuf Khatree from the Muslim Charitable
Foundation was so moved by the story he donated
$1,100 on behalf of his organisation.
The
Crisis in the Horn of Africa (particularly in
Somalia) has now officially been classified a
famine and the most severe food crisis in the
world today.
Stories and reports from the situation on the
ground are so dire - no footage or description
can capture the real desperation of the peoples
need for aid.
Millions are at risk and thousands attempt to
flee mass malnourishment and a relentless
dehydration in addition to their poverty,
recurring civil wars and harsh climactic
conditions.
What
we’ve done so far with your Help
1
Muslim Aid Australia has
distributed $46,450, which will feed 5,927
starving people for up to 2 weeks throughout 6
major distribution centres along the border of
Somalia and Kenya.
2.Muslim
Aid Australia has distributed another
$110,129.00 to Somalia to feed 18,600 starving
refugees for a month. The recipients are
currently in refugee camps across Mogadishu,
K50, Baidoa, Kurtunwarey, Barawe, and Lafole.
3.Muslim
Aid Australia has partnered with ABW Foods
to send 4 containers of food to Kenya worth
approximately $200,000 to victims of the
drought.
In the
spirit of Ramadan and humanity, we encourage
everyone to band together with friends and
family to consider the plight of those dying of
starvation in the Horn of Africa and other parts
of the world. Our collective generosity can
provide the sustenance and support needed to
save many lives.
Together we can make a difference. HELP
alleviate the suffering of those affected in the
Horn of Africa!
We are a brand new dental surgery open 7 days a
week.
Specializing in all areas of
dental treatment from cosmetic, general to
prevention.
We are offering for a limited
time an examination, clean, polish and fluoride
treatment for only $140.
We have a Chinese Dentist who
speaks Mandarin and a female Muslim dentist who
speaks Urdu.
Muslim
Scientists and Scholars
Muslim
civilisation stretched from southern Spain as
far as China. From the 7th century onwards,
scholars of many faiths built on the ancient
knowledge of the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans,
making breakthroughs that paved the way for the
Renaissance.
Muslim scientists and scholars have contributed
immensely to human knowledge especially in the
period between 8th and 14th century CE.
The discoveries made by men and women in Muslim
civilisation have left their mark on the way we
live today.
But
their contributions have been largely ignored,
forgotten or have gone un-acknowledged.
CCN
attempts to uncover those men and women who have
had a huge but hidden impact on the modern
world. This is 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-Hasan Ali ibn al-Husayn ibn
Ali al-Mas'udi
(896-956 C.E.)
Abul
Hasan Ali Ibn Husain Ibn Ali AL-Masu'di
was a descendant of Abdallah Ibn
Masu'd, a companion of the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him). An
expert geographer, a physicist and
historian, Masu'di was born in the
last decade of the 9th century A.D.,
his exact date of birth being
unknown. He was a Mutazilite Arab,
who explored distant lands and died
at Cairo, in 957 A.D.
He
traveled to Fars in 915 A.D. and,
after staying for one year in
Istikhar, he proceeded via Baghdad
to India, where he visited Multan
and Mansoora before returning to
Fars. From there he traveled to
Kirman and then again to India.
Mansoora in those days was a city of
great renown and was the capital of
the Muslim state of Sind. Around it,
there were many
settlements/townships of new
converts to Islam. In 918 A.D.,
Masu'di traveled to Gujrat, where
more than 10,000 Arab Muslims had
settled in the sea-port of Chamoor.
He also traveled to Deccan, Ceylon,
Indo-China and China, and proceeded
via Madagascar, Zanjibar and Oman to
Basra.
At Basra
he completed his book
Muruj-al-Zahab, in which he has
described in a most absorbing manner
his experience of various countries,
peoples and climates. He gives
accounts of his personal contacts
with the Jews, Iranians, Indians and
Christians. From Basra he moved to
Syria and from there to Cairo, where
he wrote his second extensive book
Muruj al-Zaman in thirty
volumes.
In this
book he has described in detail the
geography and history of the
countries that he had visited. His
first book was completed in 947 A.D.
He also prepared a supplement,
called Kitab al-Ausat, in
which he has compiled historical
events chronologically. In 957 A.D.,
the year of his death, he completed
his last book Kitabal-Tanbih
wa al-Ishraf, in which he has
given a summary of his earlier book
as well as an errata.
Masu'di
is referred to as the Herodotus and
Pliny of the Arabs. By presenting a
critical account of historical
events, he initiated a change in the
art of historical writing,
introducing the elements of
analysis, reflection and criticism,
which was later on further improved
by Ibn Khaldun. In particular, in
Al-Tanbeeh he makes a systematic
study of history against a
perspective of geography, sociology,
anthropology and ecology. Masu'di
had a deep insight into the causes
of rise and fall of nations.
With his
scientific and analytical approach
he has given an account of the
causes of the earthquake of 955
A.D., as well as the discussions of
the water of the Red Sea and other
problems in the earth sciences. He
is the first author to make mention
of windmills, which were invented by
the Muslims of Sijistan.
Masu'di
also made important contributions to
music and other fields of science.
In his book Muruj al-Zahab he
provides important information on
early Arab music as well as music of
other countries.
His book
Muruj al-Zahab wa al-Ma'adin al-Jawahir
(Meadows of Gold and Mines of
Precious Stones) has been held as
'remarkable' because of the
'catholicity of its author, who
neglected no source of information
and of his truly scientific
curiosity'. As mentioned above, it
was followed by his treatise
Muruj al-Zaman. In addition to
writing a supplement Kitab al-Ausat,
he completed Kitabal-Tanbih
wa al-Ishraf towards the end of
his career. It is, however,
unfortunate that, out of his 34
books as mentioned by himself in
Al-Tanbih, only three have
survived, in addition to Al-Tanbih
itself.
Some
doubts have been expressed about
some claims related to his extensive
traveling e.g., up to China and
Madagascar, but the correct
situation cannot be assessed due to
the loss of his several books.
Whatever he has recorded was with a
scientific approach and constituted
an important contribution to
geography, history and earth
sciences. It is interesting to note
that he was one of the early
scientists who propounded several
aspects of evolution viz., from
minerals to plant, plant to animal
and animal to man. His researches
and views extensively influenced the
sciences of historiography,
geography and earth sciences for
several countries.
Edinburgh Festival 2011: Imran Yusuf: Muslim
who has faith in this country
Imran Yusuf’s optimism
makes him the best comic in town, finds
Dominic Cavendish when he talks to him at
Edinburgh Festival
UK: Spending an hour in the company of Imran
Yusuf – whether on stage or in person – can
achieve the near-impossible in these dark
days of riots, double-dip recessions,
terrorism and global unrest: it can make you
feel happy, positive, and ready to face the
future.
Yusuf is one of the best things to have
happened to British comedy in ages.
Fast-talking and funny, this skinny London
geezer bathes whoever he’s addressing in a
feelgood aura without any recourse to
simple-minded escapism. He may leaven his
stand-up with cheesy chat-up lines,
confessions about his disastrous love-life
and the odd dinosaur impression, but he
doesn’t stray far from the main topic at
hand – being Muslim in Britain today, and
why, for all the pessimism, he thinks we’re
going to be OK.
For me,
growing up
as a Muslim
in Britain
has been a
positive
experience.
Most of my
friends
aren’t
Muslims,
they have
all kinds of
faiths and
backgrounds.
Born in Kenya to parents of Asian descent
but raised in Hackney Downs after the family
fled Uganda, Yusuf, 31, was such a breath of
fresh air at the white-dominated Fringe last
year that he went from being an unknown,
performing for free in a tiny venue, to one
of the hottest tickets in town – with queues
round the block and even extra volunteers
drafted in to cope with demand.
In swift succession, he was nominated for
Best Newcomer at the Edinburgh Comedy
Awards, stormed an appearance on Michael
McIntyre’s Roadshow and bagged a BBC3
sketch-show pilot, so all eyes will be on
his follow-up show this year, Bring the
Thunder. It promises to develop the themes
of last year’s set – and in particular
tackle David Cameron’s contentious and
dispiriting line that multiculturalism in
the UK has failed.
“It does feel like I’ve been tarred with
this brush,” he says. “My perceived value is
that I come from a group of people who
aren’t very nice, that’s the way it can feel
sometimes. But at the end of the day,
pointing fingers and trying to blame people
is never going to be the best thing. For me,
growing up as a Muslim in Britain has been a
positive experience. Most of my friends
aren’t Muslims, they have all kinds of
faiths and backgrounds.”
That diversity is reflected
in the make-up of his audiences: he
attracts, he says, “the lightest of the
light to the darkest of the dark, the
youngest of the young to the oldest of the
old – I get girls in hijabs and guys with
tattoos all over them.”
And I want
to tell
people that
that kind of
change is
possible for
them, too.
You
shouldn’t be
defeatist. I
know it
sounds
schmaltzy
and
American,
but life is
an amazing
opportunity.
It’s how you
choose to
look at
things that
counts.
Has he encountered hostility
on the circuit? For sure, he answers: “Once
in a blue moon, by the time I’ve got
on-stage someone has shouted 'suicide
bomber’ or 'check what’s in his shoes’, so
you have to address that perception. But
I’ve also had people come up and tell me how
they love what I’m doing and that I’m
helping to defuse some of the tension that
exists. There’s a lot of hate out there and
a feeling that 'only what looks and sounds
like me is for me’. That’s why I want my
comedy to have a broad appeal.”
Having come adrift in a career in the video
games industry during his twenties, Yusuf’s
dedication to his newly discovered vocation
is inspiring. He wasn’t even aware of
stand-up in his teens and only made a
serious attempt to be a comic in 2007.
“I’ve turned my life around,” he says,
radiating can-do energy. “A few years ago, I
was broke and things were hopeless. When I
first came to Edinburgh in 2008, I remember
thinking, 'I don’t belong here – I’m never
going to be one of these big festival
comedians.’ I quite can’t believe where I am
now.
“And I want to tell people that that kind of
change is possible for them, too. You
shouldn’t be defeatist. I know it sounds
schmaltzy and American, but life is an
amazing opportunity. It’s how you choose to
look at things that counts.”
RELIGIOUS-linked violence and
abuse rose around the world between 2006 and
2009, with Christians and Muslims the most
common targets, according to a private US
study released yesterday.
"Over the three-year period studied,
incidents of either government or social
harassment were reported against Christians
in 130 countries (66 per cent) and against
Muslims in 117 countries (59 per cent),"
said the Pew Research Center's Forum on
Religion and Public Life study.
In 2009, governments in 101 nations, more
than half the globe, used at least some
measure of force against religious groups. A
year earlier only 91 nations had done so,
the report said.
Among the 25 most populous nations home to
75 per cent of the global population,
restrictions on religion increased
substantially in eight countries, China,
Egypt, France, Nigeria, Russia, Thailand and
Vietnam, and did not fall significantly in
any.
As of 2009, more than 2.2
billion people, or nearly a third of the
world's population of 6.9 billion, lived in
countries where religious restrictions had
risen substantially since 2006, the study
said.
In regional terms, the Middle East and North
Africa had the highest proportion of
countries in which government-imposed
restrictions hampered people's freedom to
practice their faith.
Egypt, under now-deposed leader Hosni
Mubarak, stood out, earning itself a ranking
in the top five per cent of all countries in
2009 for government-imposed restrictions and
social hostilities involving religion.
Five of the 10 countries in the world that
saw a substantial increase in
religion-related social hostilities were in
Europe, Britain, Bulgaria, Denmark, Russia
and Sweden.
Religious-linked violence resulted in
individuals being killed, physically abused,
imprisoned, detained or displaced from their
homes, and in damage to personal or
religious properties, the study said.
This research comes just
weeks after social hostilities specifically
targeted at Islam and Muslim immigration in
Europe culminated in the fatal terrorist
attacks in Norway. The attacks have brought
to the fore debates about a Europe-wide
trend of rising Islamophobia, manifested in
issues such as the minaret ban in
Switzerland, the niqab bans in France and
Belgium as well as the rise of far right
organisations across Europe.
Conservative
think-tanks help fuel a culture of fear,
allowing far-right groups to prosper.
UK:
In justification of his
attacks in Norway, killing
more than seventy civilians,
mostly teenagers, Anders
Breivik issued a manifesto:
2083 A European Declaration
of Independence.
It has been
widely reported that he
cited a long list of
Islamophobic and "counterjihad"
writers such as the
Americans Robert Spencer,
Daniel Pipes, Pamela Geller
and Frank Gaffney of the
Center for Security Policy
- and the
Egyptian-born, Swiss-based
Bat Ye'or who has
popularised the concept of "Eurabia"
- the supposedly secret
conspiracy for the Islamic
takeover of Europe.
Less
prominent, but also cited,
was a UK think-tank that is
close to the UK government
and credited with
influencing UK
anti-terrorist policy.
Policy
Exchange is one of two
conservative think-tanks we
examine in
our new Spinwatch report
[PDF], that attempts to
understand the current
climate of fear being
whipped up against Muslims
in Britain - and indeed
across Europe and the US.
Aljazeera
British
Actress Inspired by Prophet's (peace be upon
him) Life
Myriam
Francois-Cerrah Embraces Islam
I embraced Islam after
graduating from Cambridge. Prior to that I
was a skeptical Catholic; a believer in God
but with a mistrust of organized religion.
The Qur’an was pivotal for me. I first tried
to approach it in anger, as part of an
attempt to prove my Muslim friend wrong.
Later I began reading it with a more open
mind.
The opening of Al Fatiha, with its address
to the whole of mankind, psychologically
stopped me in my tracks. It spoke of
previous scriptures in a way which I both
recognized, but also differed. It clarified
many of the doubts I had about Christianity.
It made me an adult as I suddenly realized
that my destiny and my actions had
consequences for which I alone would now be
held responsible.
In a world governed by relativism, it
outlined objective moral truths and the
foundation of morality. As someone who’d
always had a keen interest in philosophy,
the Qur’an felt like the culmination of all
of this philosophical cogitation. It
combined Kant, Hume, Sartre and Aristotle.
It somehow managed to address and answer the
deep philosophical questions posed over
centuries of human existence and answer its
most fundamental one, ‘why are we here?’
OnIslam
The
Arab Spring and engaging with ‘Islamists’
The
Arab Spring which began in Tunisia in
December 2010 and has since swept across the
region, is taking a turn towards the
aspirations of the many thousands that have
filled the public squares with elections
anticipated this autumn in Egypt and
Tunisia.
The
Economist last week published an article
reflecting on ‘Islamists’ in the Arab Spring
exploring the issue of the role ‘Islamists’
may come to play in the future of those Arab
states that have taken steps towards a
transition to democracy.
From the Economist:
“In the wake of
revolution, Islamist movements have been
gaining ground. Political parties under
the banner of Islam may well emerge
after genuine elections later this year
as the biggest in rejuvenated Tunisian
and Egyptian parliaments. This makes
many secular liberals across the Arab
world nervous lest the Islamists hijack
the revolutions, turning them into
vehicles for repressive and intolerant
regimes.
“Such fears are understandable…but they
should not get in the way of democracy.
Provided Islamists say they accept the
rules of the peaceful democratic game,
as the mainstream ones now do, they must
be given their chance to take up the
reins of power, if that is what people
say they want at the ballot box. The
Arab world has tried suppression…and it
did not work.”
Moreover, the article
acknowledges the diversity of ‘Islamists’
arguing that
“The term Islamist
covers a wide spectrum. The Salafists
are a small minority… Mainstream
Islamists, the modernising majority, now
insist that they would uphold women’s
rights, that they would not force women
to wear the veil, that they would not
ban alcohol, that they would respect
ethnic and religious minorities
(especially Egypt’s millions of edgy
Copts) and that they would not
universally impose sharia law. These
more pragmatic sorts argue that they
deserve the chance to prove that they
are sincere in espousing pluralistic
politics. Encouraging secular parties to
gang up against them or having them
banned altogether… is more likely to
push Islamists underground.”
Given the very real prospect
that ‘Islamic political movements’ will form
a part of the democratic make up of Arab
states, whether through political parties or
civil society, how the west will react is
not an academic question. The pre-empting of
the FIS electoral victory in Algeria in 1991
and the US and EU reaction to Hamas’s
victory in the Gaza elections of 2006 are
potent reminders of the double-edged sword
free and fair elections can be in the Middle
East.
Engage
US
Islamic hip-hop act on 'diplomatic mission'
in Indonesia
INDONESIA:
American Islamic hip-hop group Native Deen
are touring Indonesia on a "diplomatic
mission", to help spread tolerance and faith
through music.
As the US scales down its presence in Iraq,
Washington is keen to start focusing on
"soft" power, so that it can increase its
influence in Muslim-dominated countries.
Indonesia is a key ally of the US, and is
the world's most populous Muslim nation.
Alhamdulillah thanks to
CCN, there are about 70 viewers per day on our blog.
Wassalam
Umar Batchelor
[Editor] CCN
Readers have been following the adventures of Umar
and Hanan (pictured above) who are on a
10-month trip to exotic and interesting locations.
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.
KB says: Back from an uplifting but
tiring umrah I felt a need to make an energy drink that
would see me through the next few days of Ramadan.
Enlisting the
help
of Nanima I concocted a drink that would not only
taste good at 4.30 in the morning but be nutritious and
sustaining at the same time.
Sehri Power Smoothie
Ingredients
For 2 glasses:
1½ cups of cold milk
1 tablespoon oat bran
1 banana
4-8 dates depending on the sweetness you
prefer
1 tsp almond meal
¼ cup strawberry
yoghurt and/or ice cream
Q: Dear Kareema, I’ve been
suffering with lower back problems recently and my
doctor advised me to focus on strengthening my core
muscles. I know that sit-ups will help, but need your
advice on other exercises as my job requires me to sit
at a desk most of the day with only short breaks in
between.
A: This is common in desk workers. Focus on your posture
while sitting down – be sure to sit up straight
(lengthening your spine) and rolling your shoulders back
and down.
When it comes to exercise, you need to
target the muscles through your stomach and back. Try to
put together a weights program. This will strengthen all
your major muscle groups (a Bodypump class would be good
for you to try as well: 2-3 times a week with a rest day
in-between).
If you can’t get to the gym, invest in
some hand-weights and set yourself up at home. Include
your body-weight exercises like push-ups, sit-ups, dips
and planks/hovers daily for faster results and don’t
forget your stretching for improved flexibility as well.
The more muscle your body has, the more
energy you burn – even when you're sitting down (which
means while you’re working) – this is an added bonus!
All questions sent in are published here anonymously
and without any references to the author of the
question.
The CCN Chuckle
Mula
Nasruddin went to the local carpet dealer
and ordered a a large amount of goods totaling a
great deal of money for his store.
The carpet
dealer noticed that Mula
Nasruddin's previous bill hadn’t been paid, so
he told Mula
Nasruddin, “We can’t ship your new order until
you pay for the last one.”
Mula
Nasruddin replied, “Please cancel the order. I
can’t wait that long.”
The CCN
Food for Thought
An
old man spent the entire autumn working his
garden. The flowers had blossomed in the spring
– and he noticed a few dandelions appearing,
which he hadn’t planted.
The old man tore them up. But the pollen had
already spread and others began to grow. He
tried to find a weed killer which only killed
dandelions. A specialist told him any type of
poison would end up killing all the other
flowers. In despair, he went to ask a gardener
for help.
- It is like a marriage – said the gardener. –
Along with the good things, a few little
inconveniences always appear.
- What can I do? – insisted the old man.
- Learn how to love them . Although they are
flowers you did not count on, they are still
part of the garden.
This offer is available if you place your
orders before Aug 23rd !!
A perfect gift or a delicious treat to share
with family and friends/
Please note: Your order may be collected the day
before Eid or Eid morning before 11am
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
“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.
On
the afternoon of Wednesday 10 August the
democracy workshop team; led by Nora
Amath and Riffat Gurdezi
headed to the Islamic College of
Brisbane, Karrawatha to enlighten the
senior students on the parliamentary and
electoral processes. 
The
Crisis in the Horn of Africa (particularly in
Somalia) has now officially been classified a
famine and the most severe food crisis in the
world today. 
Abul
Hasan Ali Ibn Husain Ibn Ali AL-Masu'di
was a descendant of Abdallah Ibn
Masu'd, a companion of the Holy
Prophet (peace be upon him). An
expert geographer, a physicist and
historian, Masu'di was born in the
last decade of the 9th century A.D.,
his exact date of birth being
unknown. He was a Mutazilite Arab,
who explored distant lands and died
at Cairo, in 957 A.D. 
UK:
In justification of his
attacks in Norway, killing
more than seventy civilians,
mostly teenagers, Anders
Breivik issued a manifesto:
2083 A European Declaration
of Independence. 
Myriam
Francois-Cerrah Embraces Islam
Assalammualaikum
An
old man spent the entire autumn working his
garden. The flowers had blossomed in the spring
– and he noticed a few dandelions appearing,
which he hadn’t planted.
.jpg)
7
August 2011