A number of
community service awards
were presented to members of
the local Muslim community
on Australia Day in
recognition of their
voluntary services to the
community.
Amongst the
awardees in Brisbane were
Mr Farouk Adam
(President of the Muslim
Business Network), Ms
Janeth Deen (president
of the Queensland Muslim
Welfare Association), and
Mr Hussin Goss
(President of Islamic
Society of Gold Coast) was a
finalist in the Gold Coast
City Council Gold Coast
Citizen of the Year.
Mr Hussain
Baba, the secretary of
the Islamic Society of Gold
Coast, told CCN: "Haji
Hussin Goss was nominated
for the Gold Coast Citizen
of the year award in
recognition of his services
to the community and
especially for his efforts
in organising and delivering
of aid to flood victims
during the Queensland floods
last year. His contribution
to the public has raised the
profile of the Islamic
Society of Gold Coast as the
Society was praised several
times during the
presentation ceremony and
also through the radio
broadcast."
Mr
Farouk Adam, seen
with Mr Graham
Perrett, MP for
Moreton, adds
another accolade to
his collection
alongside his 2011
Hagi Ebrahim/Crescents
of Brisbane Special
Achievement Award
Mr
Hussin Goss is
acknowledged at the
Friday afternoon
prayer at the Gold
Coast Mosque
Free course via telecast
Knowledge
Without Barriers is a direct
response to the contemporary
challenge Muslims are facing
globally regarding access to
authoritative and sound
knowledge in Sacred
Sciences.
Accessibility
is affected twofold:
financial inability, and
confusion arising from
unauthoritative and
divergent information widely
available via the internet
and popularised bookstores.
To address
these challenges the
Alghazzali will be hosting a
12 week free Islamic
telecast course.
The first telecast class
based on Imam Ghazzali's
book Mizaan Al-Amal
(Balanced Criterion of
Action) will begin on Friday
3 February 2012.
Date: Every Friday, starting
Friday 3 February 2012, for
12 weeks Time: 6:30pm -
8:30pm Venue: Rochedale
Masjid (venue may change,
participants will informed
accordingly)
About the
Course:
In this book, Imaam Ghazzali
explains the criteria for
judging human actions to be
right or wrong. This
criterion is needed for
one's spiritual journey
which can only proceed with
the help of striving to do
the right actions while
striving to avoid the wrong
actions. These actions do
not just include the outer
actions of the limbs but
also the inner actions of
the heart and soul of the
spiritual traveller.
The course
will be taught by Imaam
Afroz Ali based in Sydney,
and will be telecast live to
many locations including
Brisbane. If you are
interested in attending this
course in Brisbane, please
contact
mkhatree@gmail.com. The
course is free but donations
are encouraged in order to
support the Knowledge
Without Barriers initiative.
FORMER
cricketer
Rodney
Hogg has
apologised
for an
offensive
Australia
Day
tweet
aimed at
Muslims,
saying
it was a
poor
attempt
at
Aussie
humour.
At about
midday on
Australia
Day, the
ex-fast
bowler
wrote on his
Twitter
account,
@RMHogg:
"Just put
out my
Aussie flag
for
Australia
Day but I
wasn't sure
if it would
offend
Muslims...
so I wrote
'Allah is a
s---' on it
to make
sure.''
He
apologised
about two
hours later,
writing:
"Bad
attempted
Australian
humour,
sorry if I
offended
you.''
The original
tweet was
deleted
shortly
after.
He refused
to comment
to the
Herald Sun,
only
repeating
that "it was
a bad
attempt at
humour''.
He later
took to
Twitter to
apologise
for a second
time.
"My sincere
apologies to
the Muslim
community. A
stupid tweet
by me in
very bad
taste," it
read.
Cricket
Australia
said it was
shocked by
Hogg's
attempt at
humour.
"I almost
fell off my
chair when I
saw it (the
tweet) come
up," CA
spokesman
Peter Young
said.
"It was an
extraordinarily
offensive
tweet. It
was
inappropriate
regardless
of whether
it Australia
Day or not.
Islam I'm
disappointed
firstly that
he assumes
Muslims
would be
offended by
displaying
the
Australian
flag, it's a
complete
misconception
and it's
sickening to
assume that
we are
offended by
any
Australian
symbolism.
Mohammed El-Leissy
"I do note
that he has
withdrawn
that and
apologised."
Islamic
Council of
Victoria
community
engagement
officer
Mohammed El-Leissy
said he was
disappointed
by the
comment
which
reinforced
misconceptions
about
Muslims.
"I'm
disappointed
firstly that
he assumes
Muslims
would be
offended by
displaying
the
Australian
flag, it's a
complete
misconception
and it's
sickening to
assume that
we are
offended by
any
Australian
symbolism,''
he said.
"Australia
Day does get
hijacked by
bigots, and
instead of
being a day
when we
celebrate
our common
bond to this
land it can
be used as a
day to
divide us.
"His comment
about Allah
is offensive
and it's
disappointing
that someone
with a
public
profile like
that would
go out on a
day like
today when
Muslims are
trying to
celebrate
with their
fellow
Australians
and make
hateful
comments.''
Hogg's tweet
also sparked
an angry
backlash in
the
twittersphere.
Ray S'noi @ozthai
wrote: "You
don't have
to agree /
follow
someone
else's
religion but
at least
have the
common
decency to
show some
RESPECT''
and "Hogg ,
you are an
ill mannered
BIGOT''.
Anth
@anth0888
tweeted:
"You're a
total
w----r! That
isn't
Australian
humor, it's
racist &
ignorant
trash. Are
you that
dumb???
#stupidity #unaustralian''
On Australia
Day, the Lions Club of
Kuraby hosted their annual
Citizenship Ceremony at
Runcorn that was the second
biggest ceremony in Brisbane
after the Lord Mayor's.
Included in
this year's ceremony were
Sheikh Tahir, Sumera
Tahir, Abdur Rahman
Tahir (aged 4) and
Wajeeha Tahir (aged 6)
who were with the MC for the
ceremony David Forde
from the Lions Club of
Kuraby
In pictures: The History of the Hajj
Over the next
few weeks, CCN will post
images from a new exhibition
at the British Museum in
London that traces the
history of the Hajj:
The Hajj - or
pilgrimage to Mecca - is one of the five
pillars of Islam. All Muslims who are able
are required to undertake it at least once
in their lifetime.
ISOSS Elects a New President
The 11th
biennial Islamic Countries
Conference on Statistical
Sciences (ICCS-11) has
elected Professor Ali S Hadi
of The American University
of Cairo (AUC), Egypt as the
new President of the Islamic
Counties Society of
Statistical Sciences (ISOSS).
He became the
President-elect in December
2009. He takes over the role
of President from Professor
Shahjahan Khan, University
of Southern Queensland,
Australia who held the
position from 2005 to 2011.
Ali is
currently a Distinguished
University Professor and a
former Vice Provost at AUC.
He was also a former Head of
the Department of Social
Statistics at Cornell
University, USA where he is
currently a Stephen H. Weiss
Presidential Fellow and
Professor Emeritus.
Get a taste of of political life
The YMCA
Queensland Youth Parliament
is looking for enthusiastic,
passionate and committed
young people from all kinds
of backgrounds to stand up
for their communities as
Queensland Youth
Parliamentarians.
Participants
receive training and support
to help them stand up and
make a difference so no
experience is necessary.
Nominations can be submitted
online. More information and
nomination forms can be
found at
http://www.ymcaqyp.org/
The YMCA
Queensland Youth Parliament
has been run by young people
for young people for well
over a decade and has
provided an apolitical
environment where
participants can engage with
community issues as youth
representatives. As well as
providing an important link
for Youth to influence
Government, QYP is a
fantastic opportunity for
participants to improve
confidence through
interacting with
participants of varying
backgrounds and opinions.
Australia seeks Muslim spies
Sydney - The
head of Australia's domestic
spy agency said he was
seeking more recruits from
new migrant communities,
particularly among Muslims,
to combat the dangers of an
attack on home soil.
David Irvine, chief of the
Australian Security
Intelligence Organisation (Asio),
said there was a "real and
persistent threat" of a
local extremist attack, with
a "worrying trend of
home-grown terrorism".
There had been three major
plots foiled in the past
decade which "would have
been the work of home-grown
groups, with little or no
direct contact with al-Qaeda
or its overseas affiliates",
with 23 convictions for
extremist crimes.
While symbolic, Irvine said
the deaths in 2011 of Osama
bin Laden and
Yemeni-American imam Anwar
al-Awlaki had done little to
diminish the dangers, and
deepening ties with
Australia's many and diverse
ethnic groups was key.
Enemy
"Asio needs to recruit more
people from within our newly
arrived migrant
communities," Irvine said in
a rare public speech in
Sydney on Tuesday night.
"Connected to this is the
need for Asio to develop
even better outreach into
our different ethnic
communities, particularly
Australian Muslim
communities."
But he stressed that Islam
was not the enemy, also
urging Australians as a
whole to refrain from
blaming particular groups
for a "tiny number of
misfits or malcontents"
among them.
"My constant message to our
valued Islamic community is
very simple: 'Asio is not
against Islam,' it is
against terrorism; against
terrorism that kills both
Muslims and non-Muslims
alike," Irvine said.
"To achieve our common goal
of a safe and harmonious
community, we need to work
with you."
He cited the twin attacks in
Norway by anti-Islamist
Anders Behring Breivik as a
reminder that "the threat to
our people can come from
different directions, and in
different guises - even from
those who are blonde and
blue eyed".
The spy chief conceded that
it was "not always easy" to
build trust within migrant
groups when "many of those
communities come from
countries where there may
have been good reason to be
deeply afraid of
intelligence services".
"Ultimately, however, many
potential terrorist
developments are avoided
because Asio and law
enforcement are able to work
with the communities, on the
basis of mutual trust and
understanding," Irvine said.
"A large number of Asio's
intelligence leads come from
within the community."
A
refrigerator and microwave
is required for a young lady
from Africa. At present she
is sharing a unit with
another young lady who is
about to move out and take
her furniture with her. The
young Muslim lady is
finishing a work contract
and is unsure if she will
have work at the end of the
contract. She need to
furnish her unit. If anyone
can help out, please call
Janeth Deen on 0435 086 796.
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. 5
H.E.
Grand
Ayatollah
Hajj Sayyid
Ali Khamenei
Supreme
Leader of
the Islamic
Republic of
Iran
Grand
Ayatollah
Khamenei is
the Supreme
Leader of the
Islamic Republic
of Iran. He was
born in Mashhad
in the far north
east of Iran,
and studied in
the leading
Iranian
religious
seminary in Qom,
before becoming
involved in the
struggle with
the Pahlavi
Regime in the
sixties and
seventies. He
has vocally
supported most
of the unrest in
the Arab World,
likening it to
the Iranian
Revolution.
However, he
continues to
support the
Syrian
government
crackdown on its
own people.
Champion of
Iranian
Solidarity
Although
Khamenei was
initially
criticized for
endorsing the
June 2009
re-election of
President
Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad, he
has been
acclaimed for
his response to
the
post-election
turmoil. He
ordered the
closing of the
Kahrizak
detention centre
in response to
reports of
prisoner abuse
and death. Most
recently, he has
called for
solidarity
within Iran, in
light of the
31st anniversary
of the Islamic
Republic on
February 11,
2010. He is a
strong advocate
of Iran’s
nuclear program.
Supreme Leader,
Velayat-e Faqih
Khamenei’s
current
influence stems
from his
powerful
position as a
religious
leader, which
gives him a
unique role in
political
affairs. His job
is to enact the
Velayat-e Faqih—the
guardianship of
the jurist. In
real terms this
means a system
where scholars
of fiqh (Islamic
jurisprudence)
have a
controlling say
in the political
affairs of the
state. The rule
of the jurist
was a concept
created by
Ayatollah
Ruhollah
Khomeini, based
on ideas that
have run through
Iranian
political
history since
the time of Shah
Ismail— who was
the first to
make Shi‘a Islam
the national
religion of
Iran. It was
conceived in a
battle against
oppression as a
way of
safeguarding the
Iranian nation
from tyranny;
giving the final
say in all
matters to a
group of
religious
scholars, the
Council of
Guardians. This
Council is
headed by a
chief
arbitrator—the
Supreme Leader.
Leader of
Shi‘a Revolution
Khamenei gains
much of his
influence in
Iran from his
role as a leader
of the Islamic
Revolution in
Iran. The
Islamic Republic
of Iran was
forged out of
the 1979
Revolution.
Combating what
many saw as the
tyrannical rule
of the Shah,
Khamenei joined
the Society of
Combatant Clergy
that staged
demonstrations
mobilizing many
of the protests
leading to the
Shah’s
overthrow.
After the
revolution in
1979, Khamenei
was one of the
founding members
of the Islamic
Republic Party,
and a member of
the assembly of
experts that was
responsible for
drafting Iran’s
new
constitution.
Sunni-Shia
Reconciliation
On September 2,
2010 Khamenei
issued a
historic fatwa
banning the
insult of any
symbol that
Sunnis hold to
be dear,
including but
not limited to
the companions
and wives of the
Prophet (peace
and blessings be
upon him). This
fatwa was
received with
great
appreciation by
the Chancellor
of Al-Azhar
University,
Shaykh Ahmad Al
Tayyeb.
The Arab
Spring
He has referred
to the Arab
Spring as the
‘Islamic
Awakening’ and
warned the
protestors not
to let their
movements be
hijacked by
outside forces.
He has been
particularly
supportive of
the Bahraini
protestors, but
has sided with
the government
in the Syrian
protests. This
double standard
has lost him
credibility in
the Sunni Arab
World, yet he
retains
influence with
the Arab Shi’a
in Iraq.
Moreover, he has
forcefully
suppressed
protests in his
own country.
The West
knows very
well that we
are not
seeking to
build
nuclear
weapons.
Nuclear
weapons are
against
our
political
and economic
interests
and our
Islamic
beliefs.
Ayatollah
Khamenei
The Inbox
Assalamu alaikum,
I seem to have been taken off the
subscription list please
resubscribe me.
I enjoy my Sunday mornings reading
CCN, but feel I must say that the quality has
slipped the last few issues.
Perhaps there has been some sort of
editorial change? If so, I am afraid my opinion is
that it is not for the better.
Anyway keep up the good work and
hopefully inshaAllah, things will be back to 2011’s
standard soon.
Barakallahu feekum.
Aisha Stacey
[Editor] Perhaps the wikipedia
definition of the
silly season might offer some explanation in our
defence.
Dear
Editor
I was
hoping CCN could help promote Pink Stumps Day for
our cricket club.
As many of you may be aware, we play cricket on
Sundays for a club in the Queensland Cricket
Competition (Warehouse Cricket) - Silent Assassins.
We are a bunch of players from predominantly around
the Kuraby area who get together for some
competitive cricket.
On Sunday 26th February we will be donning some
Pinks as we head out into the field in support of
the McGrath Foundation. We’re hoping to raise plenty
of funds for this worth cause.
Every dollar makes a difference and your donation
will help the McGrath Foundation to place McGrath
Breast Care Nurses in communities right across
Australia, as well as to increase breast awareness
in young Australian women. To date we have placed 68
Breast Care Nurses across Australia, who together
have helped support over 10,000 families.
Do check out our fundraising page and help us SMASH
our fundraising goal!
The will by Excellent function in a Kuraby Mosque
on 4. February 2012, after Magreb before Isha
salads. The will be whit us Dr Mohammed Abdulla
on of spiking person.
Hi is fool of knowledge of Islam elhamdulilahi
God blessing him
After functions the will be Dina served for all
guest. Please poring you friends (do not shame to
tell to friends other religious to com and lysine
history of Muhammad .s.a.v.
Don't forget 4.February after MAGEB in Kuraby
story of history.
Whit salaam to all riders of CCN, the best web
sayt in the earth Tray to rid and tell to you
friends and anomy to.
Wesselamu
Hajji Safet Avdich
Around the Muslim World with CCN
Arfa
Karim Randhawa, loss of a prodigy
PAKISTAN: Arfa Karim Randhawa
(pictured left with Bill Gates and her father), the
Pakistani girl who stunned the IT world by becoming the
youngest Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) in the world
back in 2004 aged just 9 passed away in the early hours of
Saturday January 14.
The 16-year-old was admitted to the intensive care unit in
Lahore’s Combined Military Hospital on December, 22, after
suffering a cardiac arrest resulting from an epileptic
seizure which damaged her brain.
As news that Arfa was in coma spread Pakistan watched with
bated breath and some well wishers from around the world
created Facebook and YouTube tribute sites including Pray
for Arfa Karim – with many closely following and reporting
on her progress.
A week after the attack, doctors said there was no hope for
her survival and that her life support could be switched off
“at any time.” However, a day before she died doctors
observed that some parts of her brain had shown signs of
improvement.
But sadly after 26 days in critical condition, one of
Pakistan’s “brightest brains” lost her struggle for life.
During her short, yet successful life, the computer prodigy
received numerous domestic and international awards
including one by Microsoft co-founder and Chair Bill Gates
in 2005.
Arfa was born in 1995 at Faisalabad to former army Lt
Colonel. At the age of 9 years, she became the youngest MCP
in the world - MCP involves building programs into broader
systems for business - is a title given to those who master
Mircosoft’s programs and is often used by adults to further
their careers in the technology field.
Arfa was invited by Gates to visit the Microsoft
headquarters in Redmond, Washington when she was only
10-years-old.
Later, in August 2005, Arfa was also honoured by the
Pakistan Government who awarded her the Fatima Jinnah Gold
Medal in Science and Technology which she received from then
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.
She was also honoured with Salaam Pakistan Youth Award which
has been set up by Pakistan’s only Nobel laureate Dr Abdul
Salam. Moreover, Arfa has won the Presidential Award for
Pride of Performance.
The youngster represented Pakistan on various global forums
including the renowned IT Professionals of Dubai, where she
was a guest of honour at a dinner reception attended by the
Ambassador of Pakistan to the UAE.
During that trip, she was presented with various awards and
was given the opportunity to fly a plane and was awarded the
first flight certificate aged just 10.
In November 2006, Arfa was invited by Microsoft to be a part
of the keynote session in the Tech-Ed Developers conference
held in Barcelona.
The theme of the conference was “Get ahead of the game” and
Arfa was presented as a true specimen of being ahead of the
game. She was the only Pakistani among over 5,000 developers
at that conference.
Earlier this month Gates reached out to the family and
offered to pay for her medical care. He also proposed moving
Arfa to the US for better treatment, although doctors
decided it was against her best interest given Arfa was on a
ventilator.
Her father Amjad thanked the Microsoft founder for his
efforts, and said that his daughter was a spark that “got
attention and love from everyone on the globe.”
Her uncle Major Ahsan Randhawa said, “We are grieving her
loss but she was a strong child,” adding “she was God’s gift
to us and now she has returned to Him.”
“Our thoughts are with Arfa’s family and many friends at the
loss of this bright young woman,” said Gates in a statement.
In Pakistan, dignities including Prime Minster, Yusuf Raza
Gilani, President, Asif Ali Zardari, chief ministers and
governors of the provinces were among the hundreds to pay
tribute to Arfa and offered their condolences.
A day after her death Pakistan’s Chief Minister, Shahbaz
Sharif, announced that the Lahore Technology Park would be
renamed Arfa Karim Technology Park in honour of the late
prodigy.
Arfa had
always
identified
herself with
her roots,
and had said
proudly once
that
although she
came from a
“low-profile”
family, she
wanted to
study all
over the
world and
then come
back to help
the people
in her
village.
Sharif also announced that Arfa’s parents would be guests of
honour in a special ceremony where free laptops would be
handed out to students by the Government
Funeral prayers were offered on Sunday January 15 in Lahore
before her body was taken to her native village Ram Dewali,
Faisalabad, for burial.
Arfa had always identified herself with her roots, and had
said proudly once that although she came from a
“low-profile” family, she wanted to study all over the world
and then come back to help the people in her village.
Hundreds of people, including Minister Sharif, ministers,
politicians, friends and fellow students gathered to support
the grieving family during the procession.
Eighteen
Muslims recognised in the New Year Honours
UK: Eighteen members of the Muslim community were recognised
in the Queen’s New Year Honours. One CBE, 5 OBEs and 12 MBEs
will be handed to British Muslims for their varying
contributions to society.
Full Muslim Honours List:
CBE: Dr Tahir Ahmed Mahmood, for services women’s
health
OBE: Zahoor Ahmed, chm, Gifts Internat for services
to internet trade. Durdana Ansari for services to Muslim
women in the UK. Prof Mohamed El-Gomati, prof of
electronics, Univ of York, for services to science. Mohammad
Habeebullah for services to the community in Gtr Manchester.
Amin Mohamed Mawji for services to public and voluntary
service.
MBE: Akram Zaman, JP, pres, protocol for service to
community in Northants. Al’adin Maherali for service to
Voluntary Sector and to Business. Anwer Ibrahim Issa Ismail
Patel, md, Cohens Chemist Group, for service community
pharmacy. Bajloor Rashid, restaurateur and pres, Bangladesh
Caterers Association for services to Bangladeshi catering.
Mohammad Bhatti for service to local govt and to the
community. Dr Syed Nayyer Abbas Abidi for service to black
and minority ethnic community. Hanif Mohammad Raja for
service to inter-faith relations, Scotland. Hifsa Haroon
Iqbal, DL for service to community cohesion in Staffs.
Mohamed Foiz Uddin for service to community cohesion.
Mohammed Akram, JP for service to Brit Pakistani community
in Scotland. Mohammed Saeed Moughal for service to community
in Birmingham. Sayeeda Chowdhury, outreach worker, Longsight
Sure Start children’s centre, Manchester for service to
children and families.
The Muslim News
Liam
Neeson Considers Giving Up Catholic Faith, Turning To Islam
Irish
actor Liam Neeson has revealed he is considering giving up
on his Catholic faith and converting to Islam.
The Hollywood star, 59, was recently filming in Turkish city
Istanbul and became fascinated with the Muslim faith during
his stay.
Speaking to The Sun, he said: "The Call to Prayer happens
five times a day and for the first week it drives you crazy,
and then it just gets into your spirit and it's the most
beautiful, beautiful thing.
"There are 4,000 mosques in the city. Some are just stunning
and it really makes me think about becoming a Muslim."
So he won't be copying Madonna and taking an interest in
Kabbalah or following in Tom Cruise's footsteps and become a
Scientologist?
The actor was raised in Northern Ireland as a Catholic altar
boy and was named after his local priest.
On his Catholic beliefs, he said: "I was reared a Catholic
but I think every day we ask ourselves, not consciously,
what are we doing on this planet? What's it all about?
"I'm constantly reading books on God or the absence of God
and atheism."
Mohammad
Sabir Khedri, fourth from left, shows Afghan
officials the Qur'an he spent five years
working on. Photograph: Mohammad
Ismail/Reuters
A calligrapher worked for
five years to create the world's biggest Qur'an in a bid to
show the world that Afghanistan's rich cultural heritage and
traditions have been damaged but not destroyed by 30 years
of war, it has been revealed.
The lavish book, with pages measuring 2.28 metres by 1.55
metres, has been certified as the world's largest by the
Afghan ministry of Haj and religious affairs, according to
the Kabul cultural centre that houses it.
The previous claim to the title was for a copy unveiled last
year in Russia's Tatarstan region.
The Afghan Qur'an weighs 500kg and its 218 pages of cloth
and paper, bound inside an embossed leather cover made from
the skins of 21 goats, cost over £300,000 to create.
Mohammad Sabir Khedri, the master calligrapher behind the
project, worked with nine students on a design that combines
gold script with millions of tiny colourful dots, forming
highly symbolic decorations around the giant pages.
"I wanted to use as many tasteful colours as possible to
make this holy book look beautiful," he said, standing
beside his enormous creation in a room built specially to
house it.
Khedri not only created the masterpiece, he managed to keep
it a secret for over two years. It was finished in 2009, but
the binding and room to house it were not ready until the
start of 2012, when it was finally unveiled.
The Qur'an is housed in a cultural centre originally founded
in the 1980s, and once home to 50,000 books, a medical
centre, and schools for Afghan crafts such as carpet
weaving.
I will be
happier if
someone else
makes a
bigger
Qur'an. It
is serving
Islam
Mohammad
Sabir Khedri
All of that was destroyed during the civil war that followed
the 1989 withdrawal of Soviet troops, and the harsh Taliban
rule from 1996.
But its founder revived the centre after the 2001 ousting of
the hardline government, and his daughter – member of
parliament Farkhunda Zahra Naderi – now also helps support
its work and manages a much smaller library.
"The cultural centre is proud that it provided this
opportunity for an Afghan artist to actually show his talent
to the world … We have Afghan people who show the positive
aspect of Islam," Naderi told Reuters.
The giant Qur'an was her father's dream and a project he
devoted himself to for years, Naderi said.
"Writing the Qur'an is a privilege, and … of course if you
can make the biggest Qur'an everyone wants to do it, because
they want to show the feeling they have, the biggest feeling
inside their heart," Naderi said of the project.
But as a devout Muslim, Khedri said he would welcome ceding
his moment in the spotlight to an even larger Qur'an made by
someone else.
"I will be happier if someone else makes a bigger Qur'an. It
is serving Islam," he said with a smile.
French
Muslim jailed for punching nurse who tried to remove wife's
burqa during childbirth
PARIS: A Muslim man who punched a nurse for trying to remove
his wife's burqa during childbirth has been jailed in
France.
Nassim Mimoune, 24, had already been expelled from the
delivery room for branding the midwife a 'rapist' as she
carried out an intimate examination of his wife.
Then through a window he spotted the nurse taking off his
wife's burqa as she prepared to give birth.
He
smashed open the locked door and hit the woman in the face,
demanding she replace the full Islamic face veil.
The pregnant mother begged her husband to allow the
examination, but he threatened her with separation and
divorce.
Mimoune, a construction personnel from Paris, was removed
from the building by security guards and arrested for
assault. His wife delivered a healthy baby boy.
A judge in the southern French port jailed Mimoune on
December 21 for six months. The judge said he was putting
“his spiritual dogma above the regulations of the Republic
and his France citizenship.”
Mimoune apologised in the court for his behaviour and said
that seeing his wife’s veil lifted in front of a male health
personnel was like seeing her “bare-chested” in front of
another man.
Indian
worker eyes Guinness record for largest prayer beads
JEDDAH: An Indian expatriate worker is
bidding for a place in the Guinness book of world records by
making the largest prayer beads. O.M. Shamsuddin, an
employee at Jeddah National Hospital, said he has already
registered with Guinness.
He said he had spent about six months in making the beads,
which is five meters long and weighs more than 2.35 kg. He
made the balls of the beads using thick cushion forms. Every
single bead has a diameter of five inches. He has painted
the beads using a special mixed color to make them unique
and attractive.
Shamsuddin has also made a special box to keep the beads. He
got the idea when a friend asked him while he was making
small balls using cushion forms whether he was making beads.
“This encouraged me to make this set of beads,” he added.
V.P. Muhammad Ali, managing director of JNH, commended
Shamsuddin’s artistic skills.
Shamsuddin, who spends his spare time engaging in craft
works, said a number of people had asked him to sell the
beads. “I would like to present this beads to Custodian of
the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah, if possible, as a gift
from Indian expatriates,” he said.
UK's
first course in women, Islam and the media launched
UK:
Women, Islam and the media are topics often found in close
conjunction, and not always in the happiest of
circumstances. So in a canny move, the University of East
Anglia (UEA), which often gives better-known institutions a
run for their money in terms of column inches, has developed
a course entitled exactly that.
The 12-week module, which the university claims is the first
of its kind in the UK, will cover the often inflammatory
topics of veil wearing, arranged marriage and "honour"
crimes – looking at how they are portrayed in contemporary
film, TV and other media, and how this reflects cultural
biases in both the east and west.
It launches this week and 18 third-year
students have enrolled. Roughly equal numbers of men and
women have signed up.
The course was developed by Dr Eylem Atakav, a graduate of
Ankara University and lecturer at UEA. "Lots of people have
written about women and Islam, lots of people have written
about Islam and media or women and media, but they haven't
been brought together before," she said.
Atakav said the course would be an important
way of changing perceptions of Islam. Study materials
include films and TV programmes from around the world,
including Iran, the US, Turkey and China.
"We will look at how the media talk about
'honour'-based violence, for example. If it's a Middle
Eastern woman who happens also to be a Muslim woman it's
called an 'honour crime'. But if it's a British woman who
was killed because her husband was jealous because she was
having an affair with another man, it's called murder.
If it's a
Middle
Eastern
woman who
happens also
to be a
Muslim woman
it's called
an 'honour
crime'. But
if it's a
British
woman who
was killed
because her
husband was
jealous
because she
was having
an affair
with another
man, it's
called
murder
Dr
Eylem Atakav
"These crimes happen everywhere in the world,
it's not just a Muslim, or just a Middle Eastern thing."
Journalist and broadcaster Nabila Ramdani agrees there is a
need to challenge stereotypes. "The media caricatures
[Muslim women]. It is the same kind of media treatment which
sees Muslim men portrayed as swarthy types with beards or –
at worst – potential terrorists," she said.
Atakav said the course had added relevance in the light of
the Arab spring and new forms of political activism by
women.
This week Germany's first university department of Islamic
theology opened in the city of Tübingen. Three further
institutions are planned across the country, designed to
train future imams and teachers. Germany's education
minister, Annette Schavan, hailed the scheme as an antidote
to "hate preachers", according to Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
Thirty-six students have enrolled for bachelor degrees.
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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 a CCN
reader recommends
Critical Muslim, Issue 1: The
Arabs are Alive
Quarterly journal
jointly published by the Muslim Institute and Hurst
Publishers
Synopsis
According to its editors and publishers, this
journal will seek to showcase “groundbreaking thinking on
Islam and what it means to be a Muslim in a rapidly
changing, increasingly interconnected world. We will be
devoted to examining issues within Islam, and Muslim
societies, providing a Muslim perspective on the great
debates of contemporary times, and promoting dialogue,
cooperation and collaboration between ‘Islam’ and other
cultures, including ‘the West’. We aim to be innovative,
thought-provoking and forward-looking, a space for debate
between Muslims and between Muslims and others, on
religious, social, cultural and political issues concerning
the Muslim world and Muslims in the world.”
As it happens, there are very few newspapers, magazines or
journals published by Muslims. During my student days back
in the early 1990s, I was an avid reader of many British
Muslim publications like Impact International, Muslim World
Book Review, Crescent International, etc. I also wrote and
published numerous articles, reviews and poems in most of
these and other similar publications, in addition to The
Muslim News of course. Compared to the early 1990s,
unfortunately we now have fewer publications and therefore
even fewer options for young British Muslim writers,
scholars and poets to get their works published. That is why
a journal like Critical Muslim (CM) is much-needed and long
over-due.
What does the CM stand for? According to its editors, “We
are proud of our strong Muslim identity, but we do not see
‘Islam’ as a set of pieties and taboos. We aim to challenge
traditionalist, modernist, fundamentalist and apologetic
versions of Islam, and we attempt to set out new readings of
religion and culture with the potential for social, cultural
and political transformation of the Muslim world. Our
writers may define their Muslim belonging religiously,
culturally or civilisationally, and some will not ‘belong’
to Islam at all. Critical Muslim will sometimes invite
writers of opposing viewpoints to debate controversial
issues. We aim to appeal to both academic and non-academic
readerships; and emphasise intellectual rigour, the
challenge of ideas, and original thinking…We stand for open
and critical engagement in the best tradition of Muslim
intellectual inquiry.”
The theme of this volume is the so-called Arab Spring, its
causes, immediate impact and potential for the future. Ten
articles focus on different aspects of this extraordinary
event that is currently sweeping the Arab world. There are
17 other contributions of variable quality and length
classified under the headings of ‘Art and Letters’,
‘Reviews’ and ‘Et Cetera’.
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 uses
the versatile summer squash that can be used in pizzas,
soup, bread, scones and even for those with a sweet tooth in
cakes. I hope you will look forward to making this crumpet
as much as I do.
Zucchini and Chicken crumpets
Ingredients
1 ½ cups grated zucchini
1 cup shredded cooked chicken – see note below
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp butter, melted
1 cup almond meal
1 tsp Aromat (seasoned salt)
¼ cup grated onion (water squeezed out)
¼ cup seasoned bread crumbs – add salt, pepper
and chilly flakes.
1 tsp green chillies
1/4 cup flour
Olive or vegetable oil for cooking.
Method
1. In a large bowl, combine zucchini, shredded
chicken, egg, and butter or margarine. Stir in
seasoned crumbs, grated onion, and seasoning.
Mix well.
2. Shape mixture into patties. Dredge in flour.
3. In a medium skillet, heat oil over medium
high heat until hot. Fry patties in oil until
golden brown on both sides.
Note on chicken preparation:
Braise cubes of fillet chicken in olive oil or
ghee with 1 tsp green chillies, 1 tsp ginger and
garlic paste, ½ tsp cumin, salt and white pepper
until chicken is cooked. Cool and then shred.
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, I would like to go to the
Canton fair this year and want to know if I could do a quick
side trip to Hong Kong, what is the best way to get there?
A: . The Guangzhou fair (previously called Canton) is
held twice a year and it has 3 phases to the fair, grouped
depending on the goods for display.
Each phase lasts about 5 days, and the fair itself is the
biggest in the world.
It obviously brings in a great number of visitors to the
city for each fair and prices for accommodation and food
have been known to double during the fair period.
But getting to Hong Kong will be easy, you can catch a train
and it will only take you about 2 hours.
Make sure you apply online for your invitation to the fair,
and apply for your visa.
All questions sent in
are published here anonymously and without any
references to the author of the question.
The CCN Chuckle
Jallalluddin
leaving his little village in the Arabian desert for the
first time arrived in New York City and was amazed at
the enormity of everything.
Having drunk quite a
bit of water, he sorely needed to relieve himself.
To add to that, due
to heavy turbulence on the flight, Jallalluddin did not
catch even a wink of sleep and was really tired.
The first door he entered happened to be a large health
club, and he asked the clerk if he might use the men's
room.
The clerk said
certainly and told Jallalluddin the men's room was the
third door down the corridor on the left.
Now Jallalluddin, trying to appear lively and fresh,
weaved his way down the hallway remembering some of the
directions.
When he reached the
third door, he turned RIGHT, opened the door and
immediately fell into the deep end of the club's pool.
The clerk, realizing
Jallalluddin's mistake, ran down the hall and burst
through the door, prepared to save him, when he heard
Jallalluddin shout...
"Don't flush, I'm in here!"
The CCN
"If you are irritated by
every rub, how will your
mirror be polished?”
Jalāl ad-Dīn Rūmī
Notice Board
Click on image to enlarge
Events
and Functions
Sisters House
Fund Raising Dinner
4 February
Seerah Program
Kuraby Mosque
4 February
The 2012 CBA/Brisbane Indian Times Multicultural Awards
NOMINATION FORM
International Food Festival
Gold Coast
6 May
Islamic
Programmes, Education & Services
AMYN
40 Gems
Weekly programme
Maulood-un-Nabi Conference
4th February
Programme by ISCQ
3rdFebruary
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
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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.
Knowledge
Without Barriers is a direct
response to the contemporary
challenge Muslims are facing
globally regarding access to
authoritative and sound
knowledge in Sacred
Sciences.
FORMER
cricketer
Rodney
Hogg has
apologised
for an
offensive
Australia
Day
tweet
aimed at
Muslims,
saying
it was a
poor
attempt
at
Aussie
humour.
Grand
Ayatollah
Khamenei is
the Supreme
Leader of the
Islamic Republic
of Iran. He was
born in Mashhad
in the far north
east of Iran,
and studied in
the leading
Iranian
religious
seminary in Qom,
before becoming
involved in the
struggle with
the Pahlavi
Regime in the
sixties and
seventies. He
has vocally
supported most
of the unrest in
the Arab World,
likening it to
the Iranian
Revolution.
However, he
continues to
support the
Syrian
government
crackdown on its
own people.
please
resubscribe me.
Irish
actor Liam Neeson has revealed he is considering giving up
on his Catholic faith and converting to Islam.
UK:
Women, Islam and the media are topics often found in close
conjunction, and not always in the happiest of
circumstances. So in a canny move, the University of East
Anglia (UEA), which often gives better-known institutions a
run for their money in terms of column inches, has developed
a course entitled exactly that.
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7
August 2011