In a press
release, Muslims Australia (AFIC)
listed its achievements
over the past year in
education, submissions to
senate and parliamentary
enquiries, hosted overseas
delegations and inter-faith
activities, publications,
donations, burial grounds,
Mosques and prayer
facilities, halal
businesses, political
engagement and its 2011
Annual Congress.
San
Francisco-based obscura
digital developed the Sheikh
Zayed Grand Mosque
projections project,
conducted for the
2011 United Arab Emirates
National Day. forty-four
projectors with a combined
brightness of 840,000 lumens
covered the 600 x 351 ft
high surface area of the
architectural landmark of
Abu Dhabi. The three
dimensional mapping created
a series of bright, stylized
architectural projections
that illuminate the façade,
four minarets and twelve
domes
of the mosque.
The show featured
illuminated designs
mirroring both historical
imagery and the artistic
styles found in the
structure
and decoration of the
mosque. Projected depictions
include palms, pentagonal
geometry, gardens of
paradise, the qibla wall,
the mehrab, architectural
motifs, night skies and
cycles of the moon, and
humanity depicted with the
earth.
ModerateMuslims forum
provides "all moderate,
open-minded and
reform-focused Muslims
around the world, in
general, and also those in
the United States of
America, in particular, an
opportunity to collaborate
in order to encourage and
sustain moderation, peace
and tolerance within Muslim
communities and all across
the world. You will be
allowed to express your
opinion, whatever it is,
provided you do not pose ad
hominem attacks, adhere to
general norms of courtesy
and do not promote
extremism, violence and
bigotry."
"Don't miss
all the fun and action going
on over there!"
BENAZIR BHUTTO The Movie Trailer
The CCN Classifieds
Wanted
– Rental Property
A young Muslim couple who
are students is looking for
a rental property from
mid-February. They only have
public transport available.
Looking to rent within the
suburbs of Upper Mt Gravatt,
Mt Gravatt, Holland Park,
Wishart, Kuraby, Eight Mile
Plains, Stretton, Runcorn,
Underwood, MacGregor,
Sunnybank Hills, Sunnybank,
Calamvale, Algester and
Browns Plains and close to
public transport.
Responsible and Tidy.
Steady income
assures rent payable.
References available. Rent
guaranteed.
If you have a Granny Flat,
Unit, Townhouse or Separate
Living within your home that
would be suitable please
contact or SMS me on
0424141623. One year lease
can be signed. No shared
facilities please other than
a laundry. Must have own
kitchen and bathroom. Must
be able to occupy
mid-February. Unfurnished
preferred.
If you know
of anyone who may have
something suitable, Muslim
or Non-Muslim, please pass
on this information.
Aussies share Islamic fashion online
A growing
number of Muslim women in
Australia are blogging about
Islamic fashion to connect
with other like-minded
fashionistas.
They say they are not only
helping change negative
stereotypes about Muslim
women, but are finding an
increasing following online
and elsewhere.
'Hijabi
Fashion Week' takes place
anywhere and everywhere. The
participants are Muslim
women from around the world.
Christmas day violence condemned
The president
of Muslims Australia (AFIC),
Mr Ikebal Patel, in
deploring the recent attacks
on churches and other places
of worship in Nigeria during
the recent Christmas
celebrations, commented,
“The perpetrators of these
atrocities can not be
believers of any religion
and the authorities in
Nigeria needs to apprehend
and bring to justice not
only those who committed
these acts but also the
people and groups behind the
planning of these cowardly
acts."
Nigerian
Catholics were burned to
death in their cars on
Christmas Day as they were
leaving Christmas mass. Boko
Haram Islamists took credit
for the Christmas Day
attacks.
"The world
during recent times has seen
more than enough suffering,
death, and destruction due
to natural causes such as
tsunamis, hurricanes, earth
quakes, floods, bush fires
and the like. These are
unavoidable events and
unfortunately humanity will
just have to accept the
power of nature in
unleashing its fury from
time to time and in
locations of its choosing.
But death and destruction
brought about by humans on
each other for political,
sectarian or religious
reasons just does not have
any place in the modern
world.
Mr Patel
urged the prosperous nations
of the world to direct more
of its aid funds towards
uplifting the living
conditions of the poorest of
the world, but more
specifically to the
education of the
disadvantaged so that the
cycles of poverty can be
broken and the ignorant can
be empowered in their own
rights rather than being
reliant perpetually on those
who are interested in making
mischief in their
communities.
Wedding Rehearsal | All-American Muslim
The World's Most Influential Muslims in 2011
There are
over 1.6
billion
Muslims in
the world
today,
making up
approximately
23% of the
world's
population,
or more than
one-fifth of
mankind.
The
Muslim500
publication
is part of
an annual
series that
provides a
window into
the movers
and shakers
of the
Muslim
world. It
gives
valuable
insight into
the
different
ways that
Muslims
impact the
world, and
also shows
the
diversity of
how people
are living
as Muslims
today.
The 2011
lists the
world's most
influential
Muslims who
have
impacted on
their
community,
or on behalf
of their
community.
Influence
is: any
person who
has the
power (be it
cultural,
ideological,
financial,
political or
otherwise)
to make a
change that
will have a
significant
impact on
the Muslim
World. The
impact can
be either
positive or
negative.
The
influence
can be of a
religious
scholar
directly
addressing
Muslims and
influencing
their
beliefs,
ideas and
behaviour,
or it can be
of a ruler
shaping the
socio-economic
factors
within which
people live
their lives,
or of
artists
forming
popular
culture.
Over the
coming
weeks, CCN
will publish
a
personality
selected
from the
list:
No. 1
H.M. King
Abdullah bin
Abdul-Aziz
Al Saud
King of
Saudi Arabia
& Custodian
of the Two
Holy Mosques
King
Abdullah is the
most influential
Muslim in the
world. His
global influence
comes from being
the absolute
king of the most
powerful Arab
nation: it has
the two holy
cities of Mecca
and Madina,
which millions
of Muslims visit
throughout the
year; its role
as the world’s
main exporter of
crude oil and
refined
petroleum
products ensures
its central
international
role in politics
and the world
economy, and its
huge da’wa
network makes
its influence
felt in all
Muslim
countries.
Custodian of
the Two Holy
Mosques
The king has
significant
influence in the
global Muslim
community
through his
custodianship of
the two holy
cities of Mecca
and Medina.
Mecca is the
main pilgrimage
site for 1.5
billion Muslims.
Each year
approximately 4
million pilgrims
perform the
Hajj. In
addition to this
approximately 10
million pilgrims
(including Saudi
residents and
GCC citizens)
perform the
umrah, ‘the
lesser Hajj’.
Controller of
World’s Largest
Oil Reserves
He reigns over a
land of massive
crude oil
reserves—Saudi
Arabia has
approximately 20
percent of the
world’s proven
oil reserves—
making him a key
player in the
global petroleum
industry.
Head of
World’s Largest
Da’wa Network
King Abdullah is
also head of the
most extensive
da’wa network of
missionary
Muslims in the
world, promoting
the Salafi brand
of Islam.
Salafism is
historically
rooted in Saudi
Arabia, and owes
its global
spread to the
financial
backing of Saudi
Arabia.
Reformer &
Philanthropist
The king has
proven his
domestic
influence in
Saudi Arabia
through his
ability to enact
multiple
landmark reforms
to fight
fundamentalism,
corruption,
balance the
Saudi budget,
tailor the
education
system, address
women’s and
minority rights,
engage in
interreligious
diplomacy as
well as tackle
problems in the
justice system.
He has:
•• Granted women
the right to
vote in
municipal
elections
•• Spent over
$60 billion in
benefits to
Saudi
citizens—including
housing and
jobs, while
introducing a
minimum wage of
$800 per month
•• Opened the
largest
women-only
university in
the world, with
a capacity of
12,000 students
•• Presented a
$10 billion
endowment to the
King Abdullah
University of
Science and
Technology
•• Issued a
royal decree
allowing only
the Council of
Senior Islamic
Scholars to
issue fatwas
(religious
edicts)
•• Increased the
representation
of minorities in
Saudi governance
including
increased Shi’a
representation
in the Shura
Council
•• Transferred
authority of
educational
administration
to the education
establishment
instead of
religious
leaders
•• Convened a
global
interfaith
summit in 2008
and subsequently
issued the
Madrid
Declaration,
which calls for
tolerance
between
religions and a
culture of peace
•• Been the
first Saudi
monarch in 51
years to address
the UN General
Assembly and the
first reigning
Saudi monarch to
have met with a
pope, Pope
Benedict XVI in
November 2007
•• Donated
hundreds of
millions in cash
and relief
materials for
many devastated
areas worldwide
and pledged a $1
billion donation
towards the
reconstruction
of the
Palestinian
coastal
territory during
the Israeli war
on Gaza .
The Arab
Spring
•• Although
there have been
small
demonstrations
in Saudi Arabia,
they have been
rejected by the
Salafi majority
and by the
perception that
the King was
already
reforming at a
pace compatible
with Saudi
society.
•• Unveiled a
130 billion
economy
incentive plan
inside Saudi
Arabia.
•• Hosted Ben
Ali and called
for revolt
against Gaddafi.
•• Arguably the
biggest bulwark
for stability in
the Arab World.
•• Supported the
Kingdom of
Bahrain.
Tens of thousands give inspiring pledge to Allah
in Homs, Syria [Dec 2011]
Around the Muslim World with CCN
Qur’an
teacher jailed for kicking and slapping children in lessons
UK:A Qur’an teacher
who kicked and slapped children was jailed for 10 weeks on
November 23.
Sabir Hussain, 60, admitted four charges of assault. He was
caught on a hidden camera hitting four pupils aged between
10 and 13 in his role as a volunteer religious tutor at
Keighley’s Markazi Jamia mosque.
Muslim leaders, education bosses and police welcomed the
sentence – saying pupils in faith schools should enjoy the
same protection as mainstream ones and the punishment sent a
clear message such behaviour was not acceptable in British
society.
Despite claims that Hussain was “firm but fair” and only
intended to “chastise”, District Judge Sue Bouch underlined
that his young charges were “small and vulnerable” and had
been seen on the Channel 4 footage “flinching away” as he
stalked around the room.
She originally intended to jail him for 26 weeks but reduced
it to 16 weeks due to his early guilty pleas and then to 10
weeks, of which he will serve half, after reading a glowing
series of references from ex-pupils.
Hussain launched an immediate appeal against the sentence
but his application for bail pending the crown court hearing
was refused by Judge Bouch, sitting at Bradford Magistrates’
Court.
Hussain, who has lived in Britain since 1967 working in the
mill and textile industry, needed an interpreter for the
proceedings, hugged his daughter and gave her a sign of
blessing as he was led away, telling her: “Don’t worry.
What’s happened has happened.”
Hussain was teaching the Qur’an to a class of 16 boys in
2010 when he was filmed (between July and December) by a
hidden camera by an undercover team working for the Channel
4 Dispatches programme Lessons in Hate and Violence
broadcast last February.
The
sentencing
and
conviction
of Sabir
Hussain is a
timely
reminder
that actions
which
violate
these
principles
cannot be
tolerated.
Those
entrusted
with a
position to
teach our
children
should
uphold that
responsibility
and strive
to protect
their
students,
not take
advantage of
their
vulnerability
and violate
that trust
MUSLIM
COUNCIL of
BRITAIN
Police criticised the documentary team for not alerting them
sooner, claiming some of the attacks could have been avoided
had Channel 4 not waited until February to air the footage.
However, a Channel 4 spokesman said: “The authorities were
aware of child protection concerns at this mosque going back
ten years. It is likely that child assaults would have
continued had our investigation not brought this to light.”
A recording made on December 2 and December 12 resulted in
four charges of common assault against persons unknown,
which Hussain admitted.
Defending barrister Shufqat Khan said: “He is a caring and
compassionate man.”
Khan said he accepted the force used was not reasonable.
“But it’s a very different case from someone’s gratuitous
use of force against vulnerable people.” The UK’s Muslim
umbrella group called the Hussein’s conviction a “timely
reminder” of the importance of the health and safety of
children entrusted in “Islamic educational setting.”
A spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) told The
Muslim News they “regard it as a priority that the
professionalism and regard for the health and safety of
children that characterises mainstream schooling should
operate without fail in Islamic educational settings. “The
sentencing and conviction of Sabir Hussain is a timely
reminder that actions which violate these principles cannot
be tolerated. Those entrusted with a position to teach our
children should uphold that responsibility and strive to
protect their students, not take advantage of their
vulnerability and violate that trust.”
The MCB does not believe that the abuse of children in
madrasah and mosque-based education is “a widespread
phenomenon” in Britain and “we believe that the vast
majority of British mosques hold the health and safety of
children to be of utmost importance, following true Islamic
teaching and British law.”
Source:
The Muslim News
Muslim
leaders boycott breakfast over surveillance program
New York (CNN) -- A prominent
group of Muslim leaders on Friday made good on a pledge to
boycott New York City's annual interfaith breakfast with
Mayor Michael Bloomberg (pictured left) in protest of
a controversial surveillance program.
The move stemmed from a series of news reports that raised
questions about the nature of a Central Intelligence Agency
partnership with the New York Police Department, pointing to
the alleged surveillance of Muslim communities in New York.
The Associated Press reported that following the September
11, 2001, attacks on the city, the CIA helped the NYPD build
intelligence programs used to spy on Muslims, adding that a
CIA officer was involved in intelligence collection in
Muslim communities.
The reports said police have used informers to monitor
sermons during religious services, while gathering
intelligence on taxi cab drivers and food-cart vendors, who
often are Muslim, in New York.
"These tactics, without due process, without evidence of
crime, we believe (are) unconstitutional and unlawful.
That's where the shock comes from," said Nihad Awad,
executive director of the Council on American-Islamic
Relations.
CNN
Muslim
professor a first for university
UK:
Celebrated theologian Professor Mona Siddiqui (pictured
left) has become the first Muslim to teach at Edinburgh
University’s School of Divinity.
She took up her post as professor of Islamic and
inter-religious studies at the University on December 1 The
mother of three told The Muslim News: “The most important
thing for me is to continue with my teaching and research in
Islamic Studies.”
“I also hope that having Islamic Studies present in the
Divinity School will lead to new kinds of conversations and
collaborations as well as more challenging engagement with
the public,” she added.
Siddiqui started her academic life with a BA in Arabic and
French, which led eventually to a PhD in Classical Islamic
Law.
The Professor has taught for the past 15 years at Glasgow
University, where she also served from 2002 to 2005 as head
of the department of theology and religious studies.
In 2006, she was appointed Professor of Islamic Studies and
Public Understanding, and served as a Senate Assessor on the
University Court.
Prof Siddiqui is currently Chair of the BBC’s Scottish
Religious Advisory Committee, a member of the Commission on
Scottish Devolution, a member of the World Economic Forum’s
Global Agenda Council on the Islam-West Dialogue, Chair in
Island and Citizenship at the Universities of Tilburg and
Utrecht 2010-2012 and Visiting Professor at the Angelicum
University in Rome 2011.
Siddiqui, 48, moved to the UK from Karachi, Pakistan, with
her family aged 5.
She was appointed OBE in this year’s Birthday Honours for
services to inter-faith relations.
Bowl
belonging to the Prophet Muhammad arriving in Chechnya
A video of a bowl belonging to the
Prophet (pbuh) arriving in Chechnya and their amazing
treatment and reaction to it
Acknowledgement: Muslim Village
Jail
sentence French burqa wearer
PARIS:
Hind Ahmas (pictured left) faces two years in prison
and a fine of £27,000 after refusing to accept the
legitimacy of a court which ordered her to spend 15 days
working for free and learning about French values.
She was summoned to appear in court but the 32-year-old was
barred from her own trial because she would not take off the
garb in the court building.
After being sentenced in her absence, she spoke on the steps
of Meaux Criminal Court in Paris to confirm she would not
abide by the jurisdiction of the magistrates.
‘I’m not doing it,’ she said.
‘It’s the judge who needs citizenship lessons, not me.’
She had already been fined
£105 in September for wearing the banned veil in public on
three separate occasions in the Paris.
Ahmas has launched a pressure group,
Do Not Touch My Constitution, with Kenza Drider, 32, aa
fellow niqabi who intends to run for president.
Ahmas’s lawyer, Gilles
Devers, will appeal against the fine on the grounds that the
new law was unconstitutional. He is prepared to exhaust the
French appeals process before taking their case to the
European Court of Human Rights, he said.
France’s law makes it a
criminal offence for anyone to hide their face in public,
including streets, shops, restaurants and behind the wheel
of a car on a public road.
Since France announced its
ban in April, Belgium has swiftly followed suit. Women
wearing niqab there, do not face fines, rather automatic
seven day prison sentences. In Italy, the right wing
Northern League have resurrected a 1975 law against face
coverings resulting in the issuing of fines in the North.
The Italian government is currently drafting anti-niqab
legislation, as is Denmark and Austria. The Netherlands and
Switzerland are actively pushing for bans and it has been
debated although sidelined in Britain.
Somali
hip-hop band fighting al-Shabaab for hearts and minds
Somalia:
Shine Ali doesn't scare easily. If he did, he would not be
with his band in a basement studio in Nairobi, rapping
lyrics that challenge the Islamist rebels who control much
of his homeland, Somalia – and whose reach extends deep into
the Kenyan capital.
Ali is well aware of the risks he is running. Three years
ago, members of the al-Shabaab group broke into his home in
Nairobi's Eastleigh neighbourhood and shot him.
"They said, 'Your message is anti-jihad. You are telling the
youth to give up jihad,'" the 29-year-old says in halting
English. Ali edges down his baggy checked shorts, pulls up
his hooded sweatshirt and shows a scar on his right hip. He
has another one on his left arm.
"When they shot me, I knew that if I stopped the music, they
would win but if I continued, my power would win."
Ali is a founding member of
Waayaha Cusub, an 11-member
hip-hop group that includes Somalis, Kenyans, an Ethiopian
and a Ugandan.
The band is, in its composition, a defiant challenge to the
al-Qaida-linked rebels of al-Shabaab and to the thorny
political realities of the Horn of Africa.
He started Waayaha Cusub, which can be translated as New Era
or New Dawn, in 2004. They have produced several albums
since then as well as making waves with the 2010 song No to
al-Shabaab.
Al-Shabaab, which means "youth" in Arabic, controls much of
south and central Somalia where its fighters enforce a harsh
form of sharia law: they carry out beheadings and
cross-amputations and in some areas have banned musical
ringtones on mobile phones, as well outlawing films and
football.
Waayaha Cusub's songs are recorded in Nairobi but find their
way home on pirated CDs, and through the radio and internet.
As well as calling for peace and condemning al-Shabaab, the
band deal with traditionally taboo subjects such as Aids and
clan rivalries.
The Guardian
Prince
Ali urges FIFA to agree on hijab rules
FIFA vice president Prince
Ali Al Hussein (pictured left with FIFA president, Sepp
Blatter), has proposed that football’s governing body
agree on “general principles” for the use of the hijab in
the game at the meeting of the Executive Committee in
December.
FIFA banned the hijab covering a women’s neck in 2007
claiming safety concerns and to uphold its ban on political
and religious symbols.
The Jordanian prince’s proposals will ensure “the safe use
of hijab in the game,” satisfy “cultural customs” of female
teams from Islamic countries and meet FIFA rules of
inclusion, a statement from the Asian Football Confederation
said Tuesday.
Leaders and sports officials in Islamic countries have
criticized the ban, saying it discourages women from
football.
In June, Iran’s team forfeited a 2012 Olympic qualifier
against Jordan because it wouldn’t play without the hijabs.
Hussein’s proposal could be boosted by the fact that FIFA
allowed the England team to wear poppies on their shirts
when they played Spain on November 12.
World football governing body had initially rejected
requests from the British government to allow England and
Wales to wear poppies.
A spokesman for FIFA has earlier insisted that “FIFA’s
regulations regarding players’ equipment are that they
should not carry any political, religious or commercial
messages. Fifa has 208 Member Associations and the same
regulations are applied globally, and uniformly, in the
event of similar requests by other nations to commemorate
historical events.”
However on November 10, FIFA announced it is to permit the
England and Wales team to wear the poppies on black armbands
and observe periods of silence.
Sweden:Sweden’s
Muslims are planning to build an ice mosque in Jukkasjärvi,
the Lapland home of the country’s renowned Ice Hotel.
Swedish Muslim Association Head, Mahmoud Aldebe, said that
the mosque would be an opportunity to open dialogue with
non-Muslim tourists.
“It would be a new way of seeking dialogue between different
cultures and religions .It’s not actually such a
controversial idea. It has been received well with everyone
we have spoken to,” said Aldebe.
Each winter, Ice Hotel founder Yngve Bergqvist, oversees the
sculpting of a giant 5,500m2 complex, using ice cut from the
local Torne river.
The first ice building was built in 1989, with the first
guests staying the night in 1992. Now about 25,000 guests
travel from across the world to stay in the hotel, from its
opening at the start of December to its closure in April.
The hotel includes an ice church (pictured right),
where around 150 couples are married each winter.
“We have visitors from all over the world, and many come
from places like London or Saudi Arabia. We thought it might
be a fun idea, seeing as we already have an ice church,”
said Bergqvist.
He said that it was already too late to build the mosque
this year.
“We are looking into it and it was overly ambitious to
believe we could get the project under way this year. We
shall see what the future will bring,” he added.
First
phase of Makkah project to be ready in four years, says
governor
MAKKAH:
The first phase of a massive project to develop Makkah and
the holy sites of Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah will be
completed within four years, Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled
Al-Faisal announced on Wednesday.
“The completion of the first phase will coincide with the
completion of the new Haram expansion project,” the governor
said while presiding over a meeting of the executive
committee of the Development Authority for Makkah and the
Holy Sites.
He said the giant Makkah development project would change
the face of the holy city by setting up an integrated
transport system including trams and ring roads and
developing underdeveloped residential districts in various
parts of the city.
The meeting discussed executive measures to implement
various projects and how to remove the obstacles facing some
projects. Prince Khaled said the King Abdullah project would
bring about an unprecedented development of Makkah and the
holy sites.
More
than 7,000 real estate units will be acquired and demolished
in Makkah in 2012 to make way for the expansion of the Grand
Mosque and the development of the holy city.
“About 3,000 of these new units worth more than SR40 billion
will be appropriated as part of the King Abdullah project,”
said Mansour Abu Rayyash, chairman of the real estate
committee at the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
He said another 4,000 houses would be demolished for the
construction of the parallel road from the western side of
the Grand Mosque. “About 1,300 real estate units will be
demolished after their value is evaluated for the
construction of the second ring road while the remaining
2,700 houses will be demolished to make way for the first
ring road and other development projects,” he said.
Abu Rayyash explained real
estate units that would be seized for the second ring road
were those lying at the extension of the road joining the
Al-Biban area and Al-Kaaki bakeries. “The real estate in
this area is very expensive and the value of the houses may
range from SR15 billion to SR20 billion,” he said.
Meanwhile, Prince Khaled presided over the signing of an
agreement between Al-Balad Al-Amin Co. and Duroub
Development Co. for the development of the old path to the
holy sites. It is part of the project for the development of
the holy sites.
The project includes construction of shopping centers,
prayer places, public toilets, medical services, car parks
and other support services. “The new project will provide
excellent service facilities in Mina and Aziziya and
contribute to sustainable development,” said Makkah Mayor
Osama Al-Bar, who is also chairman of Al-Balad Al-Amin,
adding that the project would cost about SR6 billion. “This
is the first joint project between Al-Balad Al-Amin and the
private sector,” he said.
In
Morocco, 20,000 Imams Trained to Teach HIV/Aids Awareness,
Compassion
The taboo topic of HIV,
particularly how to prevent it and treat it, rarely surfaces
in public ways in Muslim societies, but religious leaders
across Morocco are trying to change that. Ray Suarez reports
Youngest
and first Arab woman Nobel Peace Laureate
The youngest and first Arab woman ever Nobel
Peace Laureate was presented with her Laureate medal on
December 10 in Oslo City Hall for her role in the uprisings
in Yemen.
Journalist and human rights activist Tawakkul Karman is one
of three women who were announced as 2011 winners on October
7, alongside Liberian President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and
Liberian peace activist, Leymah Gbowee.
Previously there have been only 12 female winners of the
award.
Karman is also the second Muslim woman to be awarded the
prestigious title, after Iranian human rights lawyer Shirin
Ebadi received the award in 2003.
In March 2011 Karman was one of ten women awarded the
International Women of Courage Award, given by US Secretary
of State, Hillary Clinton.
Karman rose to prominence during the Yemeni protest
movements earlier this year. Her speeches and interviews
lambasted President Saleh’s regime for human rights
violations, corruption and lack of legitimacy, and she has
repeatedly called for the revolution to be non-violent.
The 32-year old mother of three co-founded the human rights
group Women Journalists without Chains (WJWC) in 2005.
Speaking during her acceptance speech, she dedicated the
award to the Arab women. “I see the great number of Arab
women, without whose hard struggles and quest to win their
rights in a society dominated by the supremacy of men I
would not be here.” She also dedicated the prize to other
women, “whom history and the severity of ruling systems have
made unseen, to all women who made sacrifices for the sake
of a healthy society with just relationships between women
and men, to all those women who are still stumbling on the
path of freedom in countries with no social justice or equal
opportunities, to all of them I say, Thank you. This day
would not have come true without you.”
She is a member of the central committee of Al-Islah, the
largest opposition party in Yemen and which is affiliated to
the Muslim Brotherhood. She has acted independently of her
party at times and stressed her loyalty to the revolution on
issues such as negotiating with the Saleh’s Government.
In its official statement on October 7 the Norwegian Nobel
Committee said, “In the most trying circumstances, both
before and during the ‘Arab spring’, Tawakkul Karman has
played a leading part in the struggle for women’s rights and
for democracy and peace in Yemen.”
The committee added that it, “hopes that the prize to Ellen
Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman will help
to bring an end to the suppression of women that still
occurs in many countries, and to realise the great potential
for democracy and peace that women can represent.”
After the announcement Karman travelled to New York where
she held a meeting with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on
October 19, to exchange views on the situation in Yemen
which remains volatile.
The Nobel Peace Prize is one of six international prizes
awarded every year by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. The
other five prizes are for excellence in the fields of
physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and economics.
While the prizes are often awarded to a single individual,
the last time the Nobel Peace Prize was divided equally
between three people was in 1994 between Yasser Arafat,
Yitzhak Rabin and Shimon Peres. The recent winners include
imprisoned Chinese human rights activist Liu Xiaobo in 2010
and US President Barack Obama in 2009.
In your letter section (CCN0372)
in the one about making a doco with Indians in
Australia it says:
"Ideally we'd like to find a driver who owns his own
taxi or works for a small,
indecently-run company, so that discussing
filming may be easier and more flexible than by
going through the major companies."
This really is funny and I can't think what they
would have meant...
Wasalaam,
U.Z.
[Editor]
We will leave our astute readers to make what they
will out of this faux pas.
Dear CCN readers
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the
many readers for the continuing support and
friendship that has been shown to my family and I
throughout 2011. It was also a year of a
continuation of many join ventures across the
community, not least fundraising activities that
included my Lions Club of Kuraby and organisations
such as Crescents of Brisbane, ICQ and the general
community for the victims of natural disasters and
also community projects.
I wish you all a safe and peaceful end to 2011 and
may 2012 bring prosperity, health and greater world
peace.
Regards
David Forde
Independent Candidate for Stretton
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
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AUSTRALIA NOW
WITH INDIVIDUAL
CHANNELS FOR
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SPEAKERS.
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AUDIO LECTURES
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ISLAM
TV IS SUPPORTED
BY SALAM CARD
SUPPORTING LOCAL
MUSLIM AND
MUSLIM FRIENDLY
BUSINESS
DISCLAIMER: CCN publishes
articles in good faith and takes no
responsibility for the contents
supplied by its writers. Any
complaints regarding any articles
should be sent by email to
ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org for
us to act on.
CCN Readers' Book Club: You are what you
read!
This week CCN recommends
Common Ground Between Islam and Buddhism:
Spiritual and Ethical Affinities
by
Reza Shah
Kazemi, H. H. the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, Hamza Yusuf Hanson,
H. R. H. Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad, Prof.
Mohammad Hashim Kamali
Synopsis
Forging
a interfaith dialog between traditions that typically stand
at odds, this groundbreaking book explores the scriptural
and spiritual tenets of Islam and Buddhism in relation to
one another, creating a basis for comparison and analysis of
the two traditions.
Written by eminent scholars, this discussion
juxtaposes foundational principles and practices by linking
underlining principles and fostering a mutual appreciation
between followers of both religions.
This interfaith volume discusses metaphysical
traditions and philosophical studies born of Islam and
Buddhism, places them in context with each other, thus
encouraging understanding, and providing a point of
reference for continued learning and cooperation.
Forging an interfaith dialog between
traditions that typically stand at odds, this groundbreaking
book explores the scriptural and spiritual tenets of Islam
and Buddhism in relation to one another, creating a basis
for comparison and analysis of the two traditions .
The discussion juxtaposes foundational
principles and practices by linking underlying principles
and fostering a mutual appreciation between followers of
both religions. This interfaith initiative focuses upon
metaphysical and ethical aspects of Islam and Buddhism,
placing them in context with each other, thus encouraging
understanding, and providing a point of reference for
continuing and deepening reciprocal respect and
collaboration .
In their respective introductions to this
book, H.H. the Dalai Lama states that the book helps
demonstrate that Islam is indeed a 'path of salvation';
while leading Islamic scholar of jurisprudence, Prof
Mohammad Hashim Kamali, asserts that on the basis of this
book one can argue that Buddhism is an authentic 'deen' or
religion.
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: A very healthy high
protein dish if you are watching your weight. You could
use any flavoured tuna but I prefer the mustard. Use the
ones in brine or spring water if you watching your weight
and remember to drain out the liquid.
Easy
Tuna Bake
Ingredients
2 cans of tuna
1 green pepper finely diced
1 large onion finely diced
¼ cup olive oil
10ml lemon juice
3 eggs
5 ml lemon pepper
½ cup of cheese
2 tsp ground green chillies
1 tsp garlic flakes
½ cup milk
1 cup sifted chana/besan flour
1 tsp baking powder
Salt to taste
Chopped spinach (optional)
Dressing
1. Beat together eggs and milk and add remaining
ingredients.
2. Set half the mixture in an oven proof
casserole dish, layer with the chopped spinach
and top with remaining half of the mixture.
Sprinkle with slivered almonds, sesame seeds or
poppy seeds or a mixture of all of the above,
dot with butter and bake at 180degrees until
light brown.
3. Cut into squares and serve hot with a sauce
or lemon wedges as an entrée or with salad as a
light lunch.
All questions sent in
are published here anonymously and without any
references to the author of the question.
Flightstar Fozi's Travel Tips
Q: Dear Flightstar Fozi, my wife and I want to
travel to India next year and although we are both
travelling on an Australian passport my wife was born in
Pakistan, will this be an issue?
A: You will both need to get a visa when you travel
to India.
As you both have Australian passports the process should be
easy, but as your wife was born in Pakistan, there maybe a
bit more work to do.
Currently what you need to do is apply online to the Indian
embassy here in Canberra to lodge your visa applications.
From previous experience, the earlier you do this the
better, as it can be a long process.
The process for your wife's visa will just take much longer,
unfortunately it could be up to six months.
All questions sent in
are published here anonymously and without any
references to the author of the question.
The CCN Chuckle
Mula Nasruddin
wanted to go ice fishing. He had read several books on
the subject, and finally, after getting all the
necessary equipment together, he made his way out onto
the ice.
After positioning his comfy stool, he started to make a
circular cut in the ice.
Frighteningly, from up above, a voice boomed, "There are
no fish under the ice."
Startled, Mula Nasruddin
moved farther down the ice, poured himself a large
coffee, and began to cut yet another hole.
Again, from the heavens, the voice bellowed, "There are
no fish under the ice."
Mula Nasruddin, now
became very concerned so he moved way down to the
opposite end of the ice, set up his stool, and began
again to cut his ice-hole.
The voice rang out once more, "There are no fish under
the ice." Mula Nasruddin, stopped, looked upwards and
said, "Is that you, Lord?"
The voice replied, "No, this is the Ice-Rink Manager."
The CCN
Your task is not to seek for
love, but merely to seek and
find all the barriers within
yourself that you have built
against it
Jalāl ad-Dīn Rūmī
Notice Board
Click on image to enlarge
Events
and Functions
Al-Nisa Big Day Out
7 January
Napoleon
7 & 8 January
The 2012 CBA/Brisbane Indian Times Multicultural Awards
NOMINATION FORM
International Food Festival
Gold Coast
6 May
Islamic
Programmes, Education & Services
AIIC Scholarship
As-Salaam Institute of Islamic Studies
Summer Program
December & January
Holiday Qu'raan Classes
Kuraby Mosque
14 Dec to 19 Jan
Intensive Quran
Holiday Programme
HALL HIRE
Islamic College of Brisbane
New Multi-Purpose Hall
Facilities include :
a) seating capacity for
about 800 people
b) kitchen
c) cold room
d) sound system
e) stage
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
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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.
Wanted
– Rental Property 
King
Abdullah is the
most influential
Muslim in the
world. His
global influence
comes from being
the absolute
king of the most
powerful Arab
nation: it has
the two holy
cities of Mecca
and Madina,
which millions
of Muslims visit
throughout the
year; its role
as the world’s
main exporter of
crude oil and
refined
petroleum
products ensures
its central
international
role in politics
and the world
economy, and its
huge da’wa
network makes
its influence
felt in all
Muslim
countries.
MUSLIM
COUNCIL of
BRITAIN
PARIS:
Hind Ahmas (pictured left) faces two years in prison
and a fine of £27,000 after refusing to accept the
legitimacy of a court which ordered her to spend 15 days
working for free and learning about French values. 
More
than 7,000 real estate units will be acquired and demolished
in Makkah in 2012 to make way for the expansion of the Grand
Mosque and the development of the holy city.
Forging
a interfaith dialog between traditions that typically stand
at odds, this groundbreaking book explores the scriptural
and spiritual tenets of Islam and Buddhism in relation to
one another, creating a basis for comparison and analysis of
the two traditions. 
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our Wall
7
August 2011