BRISBANE: 22
September 2011 marked 10 years since the
Kuraby Mosque in Brisbane Australia was
destroyed in an arson attack following the
events of September 11. It was the first mosque
in the world to be destroyed in retaliation to
the 9/11 attacks in the US.
· There’s
been a lot of disappointment hurt obviously,
a religious place is always a focal point
for any community, and this has struck at
the heart of the Muslim community, being the
mosque. I must say there has been anger, but
not directed at any particular person or
persons, but we understand the climate that
we live in.
· You cannot really describe such a feeling
because this is not your house. I mean, you
might have a different feeling if you see
your house burning, but this is the house of
God, the house of Allah has been burned.
· Because I attend this mosque every day, so
when it actually happened it actually felt
like someone was saying, “Your house has
actually been burned down”, that’s the way
it hit me, you know that’s the way I felt.
· My children literally live at the mosque,
this is their place where they play around,
they spend the entire afternoon here after
school. What if these children were in the
mosque? They’ve been scared, because they’d
gone on a camp out, and when they came back
there was no mosque there. They were
shocked. They just came home – normally they
talk about what a wonderful camp it was, but
this time it was, “Oh, Mummy, I don’t
believe it.”
· There were a lot of Korans and books that
were in the children’s names that were
burnt, and children are very possessive of
their things. They were traumatised, they
were crying, because this institute was
very, very dear to them.
· And I think they’ve sort of grown up a
little bit in the matter of a few weeks, and
they always remember the day, because 11th
September was the bombing, 22nd September
was their bombing.
· My son, three years old, he doesn’t know
anything about the fire, but now at home
he’s building a mosque with his building
blocks, and then he drops it and he says,
“The mosque is burnt”. And I say, “I’m going
to the mosque now,” and he says, “I can’t
come with you. Maybe the naughty man will
burn me.”
· Those few who woke up and thought, “Let’s
go and attack (the Muslims)” – they’ve
attacked us, but they haven’t really
attacked us, they’ve attacked Australia.
Before the fire
The new Mosque
under construction at the time of
the fire
The Queensland
Muslim Historical Society (QMHS) has a new
Facebook page.
Join the
conversation and the information sharing.
Schools
'no place for prayers'
WA: Religious
non-believers have welcomed a WA State primary
school's decision to ban the Lord's Prayer from
its fortnightly assemblies because they say
schools should reflect the nature of Australia's
secular society.
WA Humanist Society president Diana Warnock said
the Lord's Prayer had no place in public
schools, which were meant to be free and
secular.
"I think it is completely inappropriate for them
to have any kind of prayer," she said.
"If you want your child to have a religious
education, you send them to a religious school."
Edgewater Primary School dropped its 25-year-old
tradition of reciting the prayer at assemblies
after some parents complained, even though many
others wanted the practice to continue.
The parents said use of the prayer went against
the Education Act which states that schools
should not promote any particular religious
beliefs over others.
Humanists believe children should be taught to
be open-minded and to understand religion's
history and role in shaping society.
Ms Warnock said people should be able to pray in
churches or synagogues, but a school assembly
was a community space that should remain
secular.
However, Muslim imam Burhaan Mehtar said he was
not opposed to non-Christian children reciting
the Lord's Prayer.
Imam Mehtar, who teaches religion at the
Australian Islamic College's Thornlie campus,
said if State school students were not being
indoctrinated or preached at, then the practice
should continue because it was a calming
influence.
He would rather students were taught any prayer
than no prayers at all.
"We can take religion out of prayer but I don't
think we can take prayer out of our lives," he
said.
Liberal MP and ordained Christian minister Peter
Abetz said the school was "pandering to the
minority" by banning the prayer, because most of
the parents who bothered to respond to a survey
said it should be continued.
"The Lord's Prayer is part of our heritage," he
said.
"It's good for kids, whether they have a
personal faith or not, to get to know that
prayer.
"It's a bit like learning the national anthem.
"If somebody has a conscientious objection to
saying the prayer they can just remain silent."
Today
Tonight’s false depiction of Muslims exposed
A MuslimVillage.com
investigative report "exposes the tabloid TV
current affairs show Today Tonight and it's
depiction of Australian Muslims."
"What we found goes
beyond a lack of fairness and balance. It is
more into the realm of pursuing a deliberate
policy of portraying Muslims and Islam in a
negative manner."
Muslim Village
Mussala
in Moorooka
By Adapted from a report
by The Brothers from
Moorooka
Click map to enlarge
A newly opened
musalla in Beaudesert Road, Moorooka is giving
the local Muslims of the area good reason to
celebrate as it is the first time that they will
be able to pray, perform Jumah (Friday) salah
and congregate in their own suburb.
The musalla welcomed
its first Ramadan on the 2nd August and
attracted many of the Muslims who live, work or
visit the suburb and its surroundings.
Moorooka is the heart of Brisbane's African
community and is a diverse and vibrant suburb
with a thriving business district many run by
Muslims.
Its inner city
location and abundance of local amenities and
transport options makes it a popular spot for
new arrivals and as a result Islam is the
fastest growing religion in the suburb based on
data from Australian Bureau of Statistics.
Historically
speaking Moorooka served since the 90’s as an
arrival hub for refugee settlement and has had a
steady growth up to the year 2000. In 2001 and
in 2006 refugee migrants were resettled in and
around Moorooka in relatively large numbers
while the later part of the decade (2006)
witnessed the arrival of a large Muslim
population with backgrounds from Sudan, Somalia,
Liberia, DDR Congo, Afghanistan, Iraq and
others.
The Muslim numbers
were also aided by interstate and New Zealand
Muslims migrating to Queensland.
It is important to
understand that the majority of settlements in
the past were coordinated by Christian church
organization, while Muslim families had minimal
interactions with Muslim organizations,
consequently depriving them of Islamic community
engagement and access to services. It is hoped
that this is one of the areas that the musalla
could facilitate in and make a difference.
As a result of this
increase in the Muslim population within and
around the Moorooka precinct, many of the local
Muslims have been without a well-located Mosque
or musalla and thus have only been able to
attend congregational prayers once a week at a
Mosque for Jumah Prayers such as Darra, Buranda
or Holland Park. Additionally more and more
workers, business owners and visitors have been
forced to perform their daily obligatory prayers
at inconvenient locations such as alleys, behind
shops, car parks or have been forced to find
alternative locations that were not always
convenient or suitable. For this reason many
voiced their concerns and indicated the need for
a Mosque or musalla in Moorooka.
Their long awaited
dream was fulfilled when a small group,
themselves refugees, established the IQRA Muslim
Association to launch the urgently needed
musalla which became a reality in October 2010.
Everyone in the
community has collectively worked with much
hardship, energy and money to fulfill this dream
of having the house of Allah in Moorooka. Coming
from a previous life filled with trauma, pain
and suffering, the new musalla will always be
symbolic of the new life and new country that
they now call home, having established it from
scratch with monies they raised to rent an open
office space.
The challenges of
the ongoing overhead costs will have to be met
through help from generous donors to cover the
needs of this mission. Amongst the many reasons
for establishing this place of worship is to
raise awareness of Islam amongst the local
community and provide opportunities for the
younger and older generations generations of the
community to succeed at all levels.
The Moorooka musalla
is currently the closest place of worship for
the following suburbs:
Moorooka-Salisbury-Annerley-Tarragindi-Yeronga-Yerongapilly-Rocklea,
Fairfield etc.
Contact details
Address: Corner of Beaudesert Rd and Mayfield Rd
Moorooka
10/204 Beadesert Rd Moorooka
Email:
icmoorooka@gmail.com
Tel: 0402263033
Crime
Stoppers Golf Day
The Crime Stoppers
Metropolitan South Area Committee 2011 Golf
Challenge Fundraiser was held on Thursday at the
Pacific Golf course and three four-ball teams
organized by Mr Mohammed Ally entered the
competition.
The following
players took part:
- Sayraz Mohammed
- Mohammed Sharif
- Mohammed Faruk
- Shazad Khan
- Mirza Uzair
Akbar
- Dave Stevens
- Sheraz Khan
- Hamid Kassim
- Mohammed Ally
- Younus Omar
- Joe Kahn
- Iqbal Patel
Chairman of Crime
Stoppers Metro South, Ms Decalie Newton, told
CCN: "It was a great day of golf, fine weather
and excellent company. My special thanks to
Mohammed Ally for arranging the three teams."
Watch the boys in
action
Learn
Arabic The Easy Way
Have
you attempted to learn Arabic for religious
purposes, practical reasons or out of curiosity?
Were you overwhelmed? Did you feel there was no
point trying? Have you decided to stop
learning Arabic or to settle for rudimentary
reading skills?
If any of these
points applies to you then your decision was
driven by reasons that had nothing to do with
the language.
It is easy to be
introduced to a language in such a way that
makes you dislike it or doubt your capacity to
learn it.
It is even easier to
feel reluctant to engage with the bland
demotivating techniques used in some classrooms.
In the worst case
scenarios the learning experience can cause
complete disengagement from the language and the
culture of its speakers.
While children find
it easy to verbalize their thoughts that they
“hate a language” as adults we feel obliged to
give reasons.
Most of us therefore
rightfully state that taking classes has not
enabled us to “use the language”.
At the Center for
Easy Language Learning, you will be given
reasons to learn the language. The courses are
carefully designed by a qualified professional
and use a combination of methods. These creative
and modern techniques will make learning Arabic
surprisingly fun, communicative, interactive and
more importantly easy. Moreover, all courses are
taught by a bilingual speaker of Arabic and
English with a Masters of Applied Linguistics
from UQ.
To find out more
about the courses click on the image above to
enlarge and attend the free information session
being held at the Buranda Darul Uloom on
Saturday the 1st of October 2011 from 3:30 pm to
4.30 pm.
C4ELL is offering
free Arabic lessons as a random draw prize at
today's (Sunday's) CresWalk2011.
MAQ
grants open
The Queensland
Government opened the 2011-12 Multicultural
Queensland Partnerships program annual grants
round this week with an increased provision for
this year’s annual grants round to $1 million.
The grants round offers funding for community
events and projects that promote
multiculturalism, positive community relations
and community capacity, including improved
access to services, under the following
categories:
• iconic festivals
• multicultural festivals
• cultural celebrations
• major projects
• small community projects.
The Funding Information Paper can be accessed at
www.communities.qld.gov.au/multicultural,
which provides information about funding
categories and how to develop an application.
The closing date for applications is Monday 14
November 2011.
If you require further information on the
program contact Multicultural Affairs Queensland
on (07) 3224 5006.
Imams
and Sheikhs from around Australia held a meeting
last week in which they appointed Dr Ibrahim Abu
Muhammad as the new Grand
Mufti of Australia.
Dr Abu Muhammad, a current serving member of the
Fatwa board of the National Imams Council of
Australia, replaces the outgoing Mufti Sheikh
Fehmi Naji El-Imam AM.
Dr Ibrahim Abu
Muhammad is one of the most prominent Muslim
scholars in Australia and having memorised the
entire Qur’an in his childhood. He went on to
complete formal studies in Islam at the renowned
and historic Al-Azhar University, Cairo where he
completed a Masters at the College of Usuluddin
and later a PhD. His thesis earned him a high
distinction to achieve top of his class.
From 1988 to 1991 he
taught Islamic Studies in Ajman College in Al-Ayn
University, Abu Dabi. Dr Ibrahim has also taught
postgraduate studies in Islam at Leaders College
under the Defence Ministry of Abu Dabi from 1991
to 1996.
Dr Ibrahim was a
cultural advisor at the Islamic Council of NSW
during 1997. In 1999 he established Quran Kareem
Radio Australia which broadcasts Arabic and
English programs daily to an audience of more
than 25,000 listeners.
Dr Ibrahim is also a
Shariah advisor for The Muslim Community
Co-operative (Australia) Ltd, better known as
MCCA, since 1992.
Dr Ibrahim has
authored 26 books which have been published in
Arabic. Some titles of his books are Man and the
Environment, Culture and the Diary of History,
Between Freedom of Thought and Freedom to
Destroy, A letter to the Sane, The Man and the
Sycophant, Mental Striving: its Fields and its
Heights and Pure Melody and the Immoral Melody.
He has recently published the second edition of
his book Invitation to Contemplate, which was
translated into both English and French.
He regularly
delivers Friday sermons at major mosques in
Australia and holds regular monthly public
lectures for the Muslim community in Sydney,
where he is based.
Traditionally the
role of a Mufti as a religious authority has
been something that operated in a Muslim country
where the overwhelming majority
of the people would
be of the same cultural and religious
background.
SBS News - Grand Mufti speaks to SBS
Because there is no
religious hierarchy in Islam (especially in
Sunni Islam), there is no one person – apart
from the Prophet Muhammad –
whose views on Islam
are considered final. Anyone with knowledge of
the religion and related matters can express an
opinion on a religious issue. In practice, those
who have studied Islam and are knowledgeable
about the religion have the strongest say.
In the past the role
of Mufti of Australia has been more of a
ceremonial role that has held no real authority
over other Imams or grassroots Australian
Muslims.
One difficulty is
the enormous diversity among Australian Muslims
(ethnic, religious, theological, legal,
spiritual), making it difficult to agree on one
person or body to represent the religious views
of the entire community.
Another obstacle to
a recognised central religious leadership is
that the largest segment amongst Australia’s
Muslim community are those born in Australia who
make up just under 40% of Australia’s 400,000 +
Muslim community. These Australian born Muslims
speak predominately English and have a more
Western mindset. They tend to find it hard to
follow Imam’s and Sheikhs that do not speak
English or fully understand the “Western”
mindset because they were born and raised
outside of Australia.
Currently most
religious leaders in Australia are from
overseas. They are trained in overseas
seminaries and brought to Australia to serve a
particular ethnic community, for example
Pakistani, Bosnian, Turkish or Lebanese. As yet,
there are only a few Australian-born imams.
It remains to be
seen how successful the non English speaking new
Mufti of Australia Dr Ibrahim Abu Muhammad will
be in unifying the diverse
Australian Muslim
community under one religious authority. Going
by the recent controversy regarding the
declaration of Eid, it may take some time
before a unified religious leadership emerges,
if ever, in Australia.
Container
for Somalia
A container of
medical equipment which is a joint venture
between Human Appeal and the Muslim Charitable
Foundation will be leaving Brisbane on Monday
26th September. The spare space in the container
was filled with clothing mostly supplied by the
Somali people of Brisbane who helped with the
loading of the container. Human Appeal have
people on the ground in Somalia who will
distribute the goods when they arrive in
Somalia. All donations have been greatly
appreciated in helping ease some of the
difficulties faced by the Somali people.
Muslim
Media Interaction call for volunteers
Tired
of reading articles which blatantly misrepresent
Muslims?
‘Muslim Media Interaction’ as a branch of the
Muslim Youth of Queensland aims to liaise with
media outlets and respond to factually incorrect
publications about Islam.
We aspire to educate
and present a balanced view of Islam and Muslims
living in Australia.
The Council of Imams
Queensland (CIQ) and the Griffith Islamic
Research Unit (GIRU) have supported this
initiative.
As this is an enormous but achievable task, we
are searching for volunteers to assist us in
areas such as media research, web administration
and male and female spokespersons to be the face
of our group.
So, if you are a
journalism student, youth leader or just
passionate about your religion register your
interest at
my.queensland@gmail.com.
The Inbox
Dear Editor
Thank you very much for your kind and
sincere help to promote PappaRoti always.
The exposure in the newsletter has
definitely assisted us to promote and spread our
halal products to the Muslim communities.
Thank you once again.
Here I wish to inform you that the
promotions that we offered have ended (Ramadan
Specials and the Bun Combo).
We are now preparing for the next promotion. As such
I would appreciate your kind assistance again in the
very near future. Thank you.
Kind regards, Kang
PappaRoti Warrigal Square
Around
the Muslim World with CCN
AK-47
first prize in Somali radio competition for
children
AN
ISLAMIST-BACKED radio station in Somalia has
awarded assault rifles and hand grenades to
the winners of a children’s Koran recital
competition.
Andalus radio, run by the al-Shabab rebel
militia, said the first prize was an AK-47
and £450 (€517). The runner-up received an
AK-47 and £320, while the child who came
third received two F1 hand grenades and
£250. The three children also received
religious books.
Pictures of the senior Islamist leader and
spokesman Sheikh Mukhtar Robow presenting
the awards in Elasha Biyaha, about 20km from
Mogadishu, were posted on a rebel-affiliated
website.
Al-Shabab controls much of southern Somalia
and is trying to overthrow the transitional
government in Mogadishu. The group,
designated a terrorist organisation by
several western governments, has links to
al-Qaeda and practises an extreme version of
Islam.
In certain areas al-Shabab leaders have
banned musical mobile phone ringtones,
films, football broadcasts, dancing at
weddings and even shop signs written in
English or Somali rather than in Arabic.
Punishments for infringements include double
amputations and stonings. The rebels have
also systematically recruited children under
15 to fight for them, according to Amnesty
International.
The Irish Times
Aisha
first Gulf woman elected Arab Parliament
Deputy Speaker
Manama:
Qatari Aisha Yusuf Al Mannai on Tuesday made
history by becoming the first Gulf woman to
be elected deputy speaker of the Arab
Parliament.
Aisha secured 30 of the 54 votes in the
polling in Cairo, ahead of Sudanese MP
Mohammad Al Hasan Al Ameen, who got 13
votes, and Iraqi MP Abed Dheyab Al Ajili,
who won 11 votes.
The new leading parliamentary figure holds a
BA in Islamic Religion and Philosophy from
Qatar University, and an MA and a PhD from
the Cairo-based Al Azhar University.
Aisha had already made history in her
country by being the first woman to be
appointed Dean of the Sharia and Law Faculty
in Doha. She previously served in several
leading positions and held a post in the
Qatari Red Crescent. She runs a religious
dialogue centre.
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At
once a fiendishly devious mystery, a beguiling love
story, and a brilliant symposium on the power of art, My
Name Is Red is a transporting tale set amid the splendor
and religious intrigue of sixteenth-century Istanbul,
from one of the most prominent contemporary Turkish
writers.
The Sultan has commissioned a cadre of
the most acclaimed artists in the land to create a great
book celebrating the glories of his realm.
Their task: to illuminate the work in the
European style. But because figurative art can be deemed
an affront to Islam, this commission is a dangerous
proposition indeed. The ruling elite therefore mustn’t
know the full scope or nature of the project, and panic
erupts when one of the chosen miniaturists disappears.
The only clue to the mystery–or crime?
–lies in the half-finished illuminations themselves.
Part fantasy and part philosophical puzzle,
My Name is Red is a kaleidoscopic journey
to the intersection of art, religion, love, sex and
power.
Would you
like to see the cover of your favourite book on our book
shelves below?
Using the book club you can see what books
fellow CCN readers have on their shelves,
what they are reading and even what they,
and others, think of them.
KB says: This week's recipe has been
kindly supplied by the well-known Mrs Fatima Patel of
Durban who is presently holidaying in the Gold Coast.
Mrs Patel is a long-time member of the South African
Muslim Women's Cultural Group which has been in
existence for over half a century and has produced,
amongst other things, the ubiquitous
Indian Delights - a compendium of uniquely South
African Indian cooking.
Naan
Khatai
(South African-styled)
Ingredients
1
cup ghee (solid)
1 cup castor sugar
2 egg yolks
4 tablespoons semolina
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
1 teaspoon elachi powder
1 teaspoon nutmeg powder
4 tablespoons condensed milk
2 1/2 to 3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Method
Beat the ghee, castor sugar, egg yolks,
elachi, nutmeg ,semolina, bicarbonate soda
and condensed milk together until fluffy.
Fold in the
flour and baking powder and make into a soft
dough.
Mould into a
ball, flatten a little and place a whole
blanched almond in the centre of each naan
khatai and place on a baking tray leaving
sufficient space between the naan khatais.
Bake at 180
degrees centigrade for 10-15 minutes or
until light brown.
• Have a good breakfast well before the start of the
race
• Keep your fluids up (drink water before, during and
after the race)
• Warm up before / cool down and stretch after
• Be sun-smart – don’t leave home without your hat,
sunnies and sunscreen
• Listen to your body. Challenge yourself and make all
your preparation pays off, without pushing too hard
• Never give up – pull back on your pace if needed
• Hang around after you’ve crossed the finish line for
some fun & games
• Organise to have massage or just relax in the bath
when you get home
• Have an early night to rest and recover from a busy
day
• Enjoy a swim or gentle yoga class a day after the race
• Get back into your exercise routine once you’ve
recovered and don’t hold back
• N-JOY!!
Study the 40
hadith of Imam An Nawawi,
appreciate the history of our
sacred tradition and Enhance
your understanding of the Hadith
by learning the implications in
Sacred Law and their relevance
to our lives as Muslims in the
21st century.
Computers,
laptops, bags, accessories, digital cameras,
monitors, notebooks, printers,
toners/cartridges, software and much much more.
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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
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.
See
you at the starter's line............... 
Imams
and Sheikhs from around Australia held a meeting
last week in which they appointed Dr Ibrahim Abu
Muhammad as the new Grand
Tired
of reading articles which blatantly misrepresent
Muslims?
Manama:
Qatari Aisha Yusuf Al Mannai on Tuesday made
history by becoming the first Gulf woman to
be elected deputy speaker of the Arab
Parliament.
At
once a fiendishly devious mystery, a beguiling love
story, and a brilliant symposium on the power of art, My
Name Is Red is a transporting tale set amid the splendor
and religious intrigue of sixteenth-century Istanbul,
from one of the most prominent contemporary Turkish
writers. 
.jpg)
post comments on our Wall
7
August 2011