Last
Sunday, on a perfect Spring Brisbane morning
over 400 men, women, boys and girls of every
conceivable shape, size, age and fitness level
took part in CresWalk2011 at Orleigh Park, West
End.
The 8th annual Fun
Run, the flagship of Crescents of Brisbane, was
another flawlessly and professionally organized
event by the CresWalk Team in which everybody
was able to participate in some form or the
other, whether by running or walking for a PB,
strolling along the Brisbane River with family
and friends or simply enjoying the post run
brunch in the park put on by the Team.
All finishers were
presented with a CresWalk2011 commemorative mug
and there were a host of random draw prizes that
included a brand new Kindle and a $250 Visa cash
card.
With the monies
raised at
Crescafe at Eidfest last month and the $5
from each CresWalk entry fee Crescents of
Brisbane raised $5 000 for the the Horn of
Africa Famine Appeal which was handed to
Muslim Aid Australia during the
presentations.
The Haje Ebrahim
Patel/Crescents of Brisbane Special Achievement
Award for 2011 was presented to Mr.
Farouk Adam by president of Crescents of
Brisbane, Mustafa Ally who spoke of Mr.
Adam's
long and generous involvement with the community.
Crescents of
Brisbane thanks Mohammed and MairoonAlly of Nandos Mt Gravatt for their
sponsorship of, and wholehearted participation,
in this year's CresWalk as well the Queensland
Government and Multicultural Affairs Queensland
and the many
sponsors of the random draw prizes and other
contributors who made it such a memorable
event for so many.
The following
Islam TV video captures just a brief
snapshot of the days activities:
By
Friday's midnight closing deadline more than 80
poems and short stories from many parts of the
country had been received for the inaugural
CCN Young Muslim Writers Award.
CCN thanks the young
boys and girls and their teachers and parents
who sent them in and we look forward to reading
and judging them all.
Eid at
Dreamworld
Modesty
takes points in fashion race
While the talk all
week was of the flesh that would be on parade,
it was Rouba Houli who turned heads on
the Brownlow Medal blue carpet with her modest
hijab.
The wife of the AFL's only Muslim player,
Richmond's Bachar Houli, coupled her
golden hijab with a long black dress, in stark
contrast to some of the Brownlow's most famous
outfits over the years, which have included
necklines plunging to the navel and bejewelled
G-strings.
Shireen Ahmed and
Ebrahim Esat, the
parents of Yasmin Esat,
together with Reyaaz
and NafisaSuleman,
the parents of ShahaadSuleman, are proud to
announce the marriage of
Yasmin and Shahaad which
took place at the Riverside
Receptions, Oxlade Drive,
New Farm on 17th September
2011.
The Nikkah ceremony was
performed by Imaam Ahmad
Ghazaleh at 2:45pm out in
the beautiful garden of the
venue bordering the Brisbane
river. The Nikkah was
followed by the civil
ceremony, some family photos
and then an afternoon of
social mingling amongst the
families and guests, against
a background of some very
relaxing music played by a
top live band, soft drinks
and an abundance of
delicious canapes and
sweetmeats. The wedding
ceremony decor was
spectacular but did not look
anything as amazing as the
stunningly beautiful bride
and her dashing groom.
The ambience was unbeatable
and was enjoyed by young and
old. It was a beautiful day
out for all especially our
elderly folk who seldom get
an opportunity to enjoy such
a panoramic view and
unbeatable ambience and to
share Yasmin and Shahaad's
special day in such an
amazing way.
The guests were later
invited into the Main
Ballroom for the evening
reception dinner. The
Ballroom looked outstanding
with its classic decor, the
cupcake wedding cake made by
the Bride's Aunt Zeenat,
looked amazing and the
speeches were very
entertaining and touching.
Yasmin and Shahaad were in
their glory throughout the
event, the highlight of
which was when they were
surprised by video messages
rather than emails, from
relatives and friends who
could not be with them on
their special day and other
special people whose lives
they had touched, such as
Yasmin's maid who helped
raise her, the other
domestic employees and their
children. Those were very
emotional moments for Yasmin
especially, as some of the
loved ones who could not be
with her in person were
still part of her special
day in another form.
The venue management and
staff were extremely helpful
and most accommodating. They
went the extra mile to
ensure that Yasmin and
Shahaad had exactly the
wedding day they wanted. The
food was amazing and the
service was beyond normal
expectations. Each event was
a great success, thanks to
the venue management and
staff and family and friends
who gave of their time to
show their love for the
couple.
The following day witnessed
a grand Walima celebration
held at the Wine Glass as it
is better known. The place
was tastefully decorated by
the Groom's sisters, friends
and relatives. The food was
to "die for more" and a
lovely day was yet again
enjoyed by all. The guests
were entertained by various
speakers which included the
Groom's beautiful sisters, a
vote of thanks by the
Bride's Aunt Yasmin and a
beautiful wedding song by
Imaam Ghazaleh. Once again
the married couple were
blessed with another
successful function, lots of
eating and lots of merry
making.
The Mendhi night held on the
Wednesday before the wedding
is noteworthy of mention
too. Yasmin arrived at the
function to find all the
guests having social drinks
outside on the front lawn of
her house, bordered by fire
torches, and being
entertained by an African
Drummer/musician attired in
Tribal gear. The entire
inside of the house was
transformed to make one feel
they were truly in Africa. A
great night was had by all,
especially by the Bride and
Groom who are both OUT OF
AFRICA.
May the ALMIGHTY shower them
with the greatest of HIS
blessing and may they always
be guided by their faith in
HIM.
S. Ahmed
Who is
Mustafa Davis?
Mustafa
Davis is an American Muslim who has made his
name internationally as an acclaimed
photographer, filmmaker, director and creative
producer (www.MustafaDavis.com).
He has travelled extensively throughout the
world promoting his work and engaging with
communities on a grass roots level.
According to his promo, Mustafa Davis' feature
documentaries "Wayward Son" and "Deen Tight"
both "take the audience on a journey of
questioning the role of culture, identity and
faith in the modern world. It is these
controversial discussions that Mustafa promotes
that make him stand out as a pioneer in
challenging the accepted cultural norms within
the Muslim world today."
Benevolence
Australia is presenting the Mustafa Davis Tour
in Melbourne this week.
Throughout his 3 day Melbourne visit Mustafa
will be conducting screenings of his feature
documentaries, panel discussion with Melbourne
contemporary artists and photography and film
making workshops (see attached flier).
The
Climate Institute has invited Australia’s faiths
to join the discussion on Climate Change.
They have called on Australia’s faith
communities to "aid aid the broader dialogue on
climate change by speaking the language of
morality and of faith itself."
A document entitled
Common Belief, for believers by believers,
aims to begin a dialogue on the morality of
climate change and "encourage this new and vital
focus on morality and spirituality in the
environmental conversation" with the hope that
the moral dialogue may bring greater light into
the debate.
The Islamic
perspective appears on page 30 of the document.
You can also engage
in the dialogue by
hosting a morning tea and joining with other
faith communities on 9 October who are informing
themselves about climate change, sharing the
facts about the carbon price and considering
this issue in the light of their faith.
"And you don’t need
to be an expert or know all the details about
the carbon price, coming to a
morning tea is a way for people who might not
otherwise engage on this issue to do so with a
trusted person like you in a relaxed way. So
just being able to share why you think its
important
and what it has to do with your faith is enough
to get the ball rolling."
Need some help? Contact Devett O’Brien on 0420
311 271 or
devett@sayyesaustralia.org.au.
They can talk you through, offer tips or
organise guest presenters.
Trainee
Teachers from Indonesia
WA: Al-Hidayah
Islamic School hosted a group of trainee
teachers from Indonesia.
They were from the
Centre for Development and Empowerment of
Language Teachers and Education Personnel.
Saudi
Arabia meets Kelvin Groove
For the fourth year
running, the Saudi residents of Kelvin Grove
gave the local community an insight into the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The Eid Alfiter
Festival, organised entirely by Saudi students
motivated by their passion and love for their
country, introduced the local community to a
taste of their country.
More images of the
celebrations can be found on their Facebook Page
KG Eid Festivals
Around
the Muslim World with CCN
Mecca
for the rich: Islam's holiest site 'turning
into Vegas'
Historic and culturally
important landmarks are being destroyed to
make way for luxury hotels and malls,
reports Jerome Taylor
Behind
closed doors – in places where the religious
police cannot listen in – residents of Mecca
are beginning to refer to their city as Las
Vegas, and the moniker is not a compliment.
Over the past
10 years the holiest site in Islam has
undergone a huge transformation, one that
has divided opinion among Muslims all over
the world.
Once a dusty desert town struggling to cope
with the ever-increasing number of pilgrims
arriving for the annual Hajj, the city now
soars above its surroundings with a
glittering array of skyscrapers, shopping
malls and luxury hotels.
To the al-Saud monarchy, Mecca is their
vision of the future – a steel and concrete
metropolis built on the proceeds of enormous
oil wealth that showcases their national
pride.
Yet growing
numbers of citizens, particularly those
living in the two holy cities of Mecca and
Medina, have looked on aghast as the
nation's archaeological heritage is trampled
under a construction mania backed by
hardline clerics who preach against the
preservation of their own heritage. Mecca,
once a place where the Prophet Mohamed
insisted all Muslims would be equal, has
become a playground for the rich, critics
say, where naked capitalism has usurped
spirituality as the city's raison d'être.
Few are willing to discuss their fears
openly because of the risks associated with
criticising official policy in the
authoritarian kingdom. And, with the
exceptions of Turkey and Iran, fellow Muslim
nations have largely held their tongues for
fear of of a diplomatic fallout and
restrictions on their citizens' pilgrimage
visas. Western archaeologists are silent out
of fear that the few sites they are allowed
access to will be closed to them.
But a number of prominent Saudi
archaeologists and historians are speaking
up in the belief that the opportunity to
save Saudi Arabia's remaining historical
sites is closing fast.
Click image
to view expansion plans
"No one has the balls to stand up and
condemn this cultural vandalism," says Dr
Irfan al-Alawi who, as executive director of
the Islamic Heritage Research Foundation,
has fought in vain to protect his country's
historical sites. "We have already lost
400-500 sites. I just hope it's not too late
to turn things around."
Sami Angawi, a renowned Saudi expert on the
region's Islamic architecture, is equally
concerned. "This is an absolute
contradiction to the nature of Mecca and the
sacredness of the house of God," he told the
Reuters news agency earlier this year. "Both
[Mecca and Medina] are historically almost
finished. You do not find anything except
skyscrapers."
Dr Alawi's
most pressing concern is the planned £690m
expansion of the Grand Mosque, the most
sacred site in Islam which contains the
Kaaba – the black stone cube built by
Ibrahim (Abraham) that Muslims face when
they pray.
Construction officially began earlier this
month with the country's Justice Minister,
Mohammed al-Eissa, exclaiming that the
project would respect "the sacredness and
glory of the location, which calls for the
highest care and attention of the servants
or Islam and Muslims".
In the eyes
of Wahabis,
historical
sites and
shrines
encourage "shirq"
– the sin of
idolatry or
polytheism –
and should
be
destroyed.
When the
al-Saud
tribes swept
through
Mecca in the
1920s, the
first thing
they did was
lay waste to
cemeteries
holding many
of Islam's
important
figures.
They have
been
destroying
the
country's
heritage
ever since.
Of the three
sites the
Saudis have
allowed the
UN to
designate
World
Heritage
Sites, none
are related
to Islam.
The 400,000
square metre development is being built to
accommodate an extra 1.2 million pilgrims
each year and will turn the Grand Mosque
into the largest religious structure in the
world.
But the
Islamic Heritage Foundation has compiled a
list of key historical sites that they
believe are now at risk from the ongoing
development of Mecca, including the old
Ottoman and Abbasi sections of the Grand
Mosque, the house where the Prophet Mohamed
was born and the house where his paternal
uncle Hamza grew up.
There is little argument that Mecca and
Medina desperately need infrastructure
development. Twelve million pilgrims visit
the cities every year with the numbers
expected to increase to 17 million by 2025.
But critics fear that the desire to expand
the pilgrimage sites has allowed the
authorities to ride roughshod over the
area's cultural heritage. The
Washington-based Gulf Institute estimates
that 95 per cent of Mecca's millennium-old
buildings have been demolished in the past
two decades alone.
The destruction has been aided by Wahabism,
the austere interpretation of Islam that has
served as the kingdom's official religion
ever since the al-Sauds rose to power across
the Arabian Peninsula in the 19th century.
The Independent MIDDLE EAST
Pervez
Musharraf on CIA incompetence
CCN
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ISLAM TV this week
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SUPPORTING LOCAL MUSLIM AND MUSLIM FRIENDLY
BUSINESS
Louis
de Bernières’s last novel, Corelli’s Mandolin, was met
with the highest praise:
“Behind every page,” said Richard Russo, “we sense its
author’s intelligence, wit, heart, imagination, and
wisdom. This is a great book.”
A. S. Byatt placed the author in “the direct line that
runs through Dickens and Evelyn Waugh.”
Now, de Bernières gives us his long-awaited new novel.
Huge, resonant, lyrical, filled with humor and pathos, a
novel about the political and personal costs of war, and
of love–between men and women, between friends, between
those who are driven to be enemies.
It is the story of a small coastal town in South West
Anatolia in the dying days of the Ottoman Empire told in
the richly varied voices of the people–Christians and
Muslims of Turkish and Greek and Armenian descent–whose
lives are rooted there, intertwined for untold years.
There is Iskander, the potter and local font of
proverbial wisdom; Karatavuk–Iskander’s son–and
Mehmetçik, childhood friends whose playground stretches
across the hills above the town, where Mehmetçik teaches
the illiterate Karatavuk to write Turkish in Greek
letters.
There are Father Kristoforos and Abdulhamid Hodja, holy
men of different faiths who greet each other as “Infidel
Efendi”; Rustem Bey, the landlord and protector of the
town, whose wife is stoned for the sin of adultery.
There is a man known as “the Dog” because of his hideous
aspect, who lives among the Lycian tombs; and another
known as “the Blasphemer,” who wanders the town cursing
God and all of his representatives of all faiths.
And there is Philothei, the Christian girl of legendary
beauty, courted from infancy by Ibrahim the goatherd–a
great love that culminates in tragedy and madness.
But Birds Without Wings is also the story of Mustafa
Kemal, whose military genius will lead him to victory
against the invading Western European forces of the
Great War and a reshaping of the whole region.
When the young men of the town are conscripted, we
follow Karatavuk to Gallipoli, where the intimate
brutality of battle robs him of all innocence.
And in the town he left behind, we see how the twin
scourges of fanatical religion and nationalism unleashed
by the war quickly, and irreversibly, destroy the fabric
of centuries-old peace.
Epic in its narrative sweep–steeped in historical
fact–yet profoundly humane and dazzlingly evocative in
its emotional and sensual detail, Birds Without Wings is
a triumph.
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: I treated the CresWalk2011
organizing team to this pie the other night and the
younger team members were most impressed insisting I
share the recipe with CCN readers. I hope you enjoy this
as much as they did!
Scone Steak Pie
Step 1
Sift 2 cups flour, 3 tsp Baking
Powder, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp
pepper. Rub in 125gram Butter to
resemble bread crumbs. Step 2
Beat 2 eggs and 1 cup
buttermilk, (leaving 2 Tab aside
to glaze) and mix with the above
dry ingredients to form a
batter. Step 3
Steak Filling
Make a spicy steak filling (see
below for a recipe) Step 4
Grease an oven proof pan and
layer with ½ the batter, you may
need to wet your hands to spread
the scone like batter across the
pan. Step 5
Layer with steak filling, you
could use chicken as well. Step 6
Cover with the remaining batter,
glaze with egg/buttermilk
mixture. Sprinkle with poppy or
sesame seeds. And bake at
180degrees until light brown.
Steak Filling
½ kg rump steak cubed
1 tsp crushed green chillies
1 tsp crushed red chillies
Juice of ½ a lemon
¼ tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger garlic
1 onion diced
2 tomatoes diced
2 tab ghee
Method
Heat the ghee, add all the
spices, cook for a minute add
the steak and lemon juice and
cook until steak is tender and
all the water has evaporated.
Add the onion and tomato and
cook until the mixture is dry,
taste for salt.
Q: Dear Kareema, I’m expecting my third child now
and hoping to be more active throughout this pregnancy
than I’ve been in the past. Any suggestions?
A: Good on you. Studies have shown that women who
are active during pregnancy pass on the health benefits
to their unborn babies (healthier hearts, etc).
Make
sure you get clearance from your doctor and start with a
walking program. If you’re feeling good and as time
goes by, try incorporating a gym ball into your workout
routine. This will help with balance and also improve
posture and strengthen your core (stomach and back)
muscles which will benefit you during the later stages
of pregnancy.
Aqua aerobics or swimming is also something you should
look at incorporating as it will improve your
cardio-fitness without placing too much stress on your
back and lower limbs.
Light weights or resistance bands can also be used to
strengthen and tone muscles. Be sure to visit your
doctor regularly for check-ups and remember that it is
now more important than ever to stick to a healthy diet.
All the best and enjoy this special time and changes to
your body.
All questions sent in are published here anonymously
and without any references to the author of the
question.
The CCN Chuckle
Jallalludin called
home to his wife and said, "Jaan, I have been
asked to go horse riding in Abu Dhabi with my
boss and several of his friends.
We'll be gone for a week. This is a good
opportunity for me to get that promotion I've
been wanting, so could you please pack enough
clothes for a week and set out my saddle and
riding gear, we're leaving from the office and I
will come by the house to pick my things up"
" Oh! Please
pack my new blue silk pajamas."
The wife thinks this sounds a bit fishy but
being the good wife she is, did exactly what her
husband asked.
The following weekend Jallalludin came home
a little tired but otherwise looking good.
The wife welcomed Jallalludin home and
asked him if the riding went well.
Jallalludin said, "Yes! Great steeds
Arabians, thoroughbreds, some Appaloosas, and a
few American Quarter Horses. But why didn't you
pack my new blue silk pajamas like I asked you
to do?"
The wife replied, "I did. They're in with your
riding gear.
The CCN
I am an old
man and have known a great many troubles, but
most of them never happened.
-- MARK TWAIN
Notice
Board
Click on image to enlarge
Events and Functions
Islamic Society of
Toowoomba
OPEN DAY
12 October
Al-Nisa
Spring Ball
15 October
Indo Oz
Multicultural Festival
23 October
Eid Family
Night
@ Dreamworld
11 and 12
November
Low ticket price
of $15 per person, per night, on
both Friday and Saturday nights.
Last year 5,000 tickets were
sold for the one night,This year numbers
will be restricted to 3,500 per
night, giving more opportunities
for the rides.
There will be extended hours,
6pm to midnight. Halal food
will be on sale.
The 2012 CBA/Brisbane
Indian Times Multicultural
Awards
NOMINATION
FORM
International Food
Festival
Gold
Coast
6 May
2012
Islamic Programmes, Education & Services
Muslim Media Interaction
Volunteers Required
Living the
Hadith
2-week course
Buranda
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.
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.
Last
Sunday, on a perfect Spring Brisbane morning
over 400 men, women, boys and girls of every
conceivable shape, size, age and fitness level
took part in CresWalk2011 at Orleigh Park, West
End.
The
Climate Institute has invited Australia’s faiths
to join the discussion on Climate Change.
Behind
closed doors – in places where the religious
police cannot listen in – residents of Mecca
are beginning to refer to their city as Las
Vegas, and the moniker is not a compliment.
Louis
de Bernières’s last novel, Corelli’s Mandolin, was met
with the highest praise: 
Make
sure you get clearance from your doctor and start with a
walking program. If you’re feeling good and as time
.jpg)
post comments on our Wall
7
August 2011