MacGregor
Primary School, McCullough
Road, MacGregor is the venue
for an entertaining
afternoon to celebrate
International Women's Day.
Entertainers from Europe,
Asia, Africa, South America
and the Pacific will show
their cultural dress and
celebrate with music, and
dance. Interval will also
provide a chance to meet
people from the different
cultures and enjoy sweets
and savouries to tease the
palate.
The event will run from 2pm
to 5pm. The entry fee is $20
single or $50 a family of
two adults and two children.
Children under five are
free. All proceeds will go
into the Dznean Nuhovic
Trust Fund.
Tickets can
be purchased from Janeth
Deen 0435 086 796 and a
limited number will be
available at the door on the
afternoon.
University scholarships
The King Fahd
University of Petroleum &
Minerals in Dhahran, Saudi
Arabia is offering
scholarships in the fields
of Engineering, Science and
Business.
Young Mahmoud Waseem will
give a short presentation at
today's (Sunday) lecture of
Sheikh Waseem Ravzi in
Brisbane.
Services
Survey deadline today
Have you used
the Government’s health,
employment and welfare (Centrelink,
Housing, Child Support and
other such) services? Do you
think these services are
easily accessible? Are you
happy with the quality and
standard of service that is
provided to you? Do you
think that language barriers
can be a problem in you
getting the services to suit
your needs? Do you have
suggestions that could make
Governmental Services more
accessible to people from
non-English speaking
backgrounds?
Well here is your chance to
have your say.
The Islamic Council of
Queensland and the Griffith
Islamic Research Unit are
working together to get your
feedback to prepare a
submission for the
Government to ensure we have
our say in the services that
are provided to us.
The Parliamentary Secretary
for Immigration and
Multicultural Affairs,
Senator the Hon Kate Lundy,
announced the establishment
of an independent panel of
eminent community leaders to
conduct an inquiry into
Australian Government
services to ensure they are
responsive to the needs of
Australians from culturally
and linguistically diverse
backgrounds. The Inquiry
Panel is examining the
Australian Government's
Access and Equity Strategy
and Framework which applies
to all Australian Government
policies, programs and
services.
The strategy seeks to
promote fairness and
responsiveness in the
design, delivery, monitoring
and evaluation of Australian
Government services for
Australians from culturally
and linguistically diverse
background.
Your participation is very
important as an Australian
Muslim. A set of questions
need to be answered. You can
easily answer few simple
questions by going to the
following website:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/qldmuslimsurvey
Deadline for
participation in the survey
is TODAY 26 February.
If
you're studying.......
Brisbane's Charity Foundation to the rescue
By Janeth Deen
The number of
people seeking financial
help from the Muslim
Charitable Foundation is
greatly increasing due to
the economic climate and
natural disasters.
There are many countries
around the world where
people are suffering and
some of the refugees have
been accepted into
Australia.
One case that MCF assisted
with was a father who
arrived in Australia with a
surviving son. His wife had
been killed in the war and
his two small daughters
abducted. MCF assisted in
reuniting him with these two
young girls who are now
happily settled in Australia
with their father and
brother. Words cannot
describe the emotion
displayed at the reunion.
The family are now
endeavouring to pick up the
pieces of a normal life
after all the trauma they
have suffered.
MCF is collecting funds for
the victims of the ongoing
strife in Syria. Funds can
be directly banked into the
MCF Emergency Account
Suncorp Bank BSB 124 155 A/C
No 20897395.
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:
Exhibits come from across the Islamic world.
this silk vest, made from the internal
kiswa (curtain) of the Ka'ba, is from
the Malay peninsula and dates from the late
19th century.
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
Muslim500 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. 9
H.M.
Sultan
Qaboos bin
Sa’id Aal
Sa’id
Sultan of
Oman
Sultan
Qaboos bin Sa’id
Aal Sa’id, the
14th descendant
of the Al Bu
Sa’idi dynasty,
is a socially
and politically
active monarch,
who has ruled
for over 40
years as Sultan.
Sultan Qaboos
has
revolutionized
and modernized
Oman,
transforming it
from a poor,
isolationist
nation into a
land
closely-linked
with the African
continent and
devoted to
economic
development,
regional
stability, and
religious
tolerance.
Leader of
Omani Sultanate
Sultan Qaboos
Aal Sa’id reigns
over a country
strategically
situated in the
Gulf region.
Oman has a stake
in the crude oil
market due to
the Strait of
Hormuz, which
connects the
Gulf of Oman to
the Persian Gulf
and the Arabian
Sea, producing
over 757,000
barrels of crude
oil per day in
2008, according
to the US Energy
Information
Administration.
Historically,
Oman is
significant as
one of the only
countries with a
large population
of Ibadi Muslims
and as the most
authoritative
state in the
Ibadi
movement—one
that is
recognized as
one of the
oldest schools
of Islamic
thought.
Beacon of
Islam
Sultan Qaboos
has helped build
or restore
thousands of
mosques at his
personal
expense, the
grandest being
the Sultan
Qaboos Mosque,
which can
accommodate up
to 20,000
worshippers. The
Sultan is a
discreet but
strong supporter
of moderate
Islam and has
created a unique
Islamic culture
in Oman that has
carefully
combined the
best of
traditional
Islam with the
benefits of the
modern world.
Sultan Qaboos
has promoted
culturally
specific Islamic
dress, art,
architecture and
education, and
is a keen
advocate of
environmentalism.
This quiet,
measured rise
has made Oman a
hidden pearl of
the Islamic
world.
Personal
Leadership
The Sultan has
raised the Omani
standard of
living by
building up
Oman’s school
system, health
care,
infrastructure,
and economy. He
cites political
participation as
one of his major
long-term goals.
Within the last
two decades, he
has introduced
political
reforms;
including a
bicameral
representative
body, a basic
law, universal
suffrage, and a
Supreme Court.
Moreover,
despite Oman’s
relative lack of
oil and gas
compared to
other Gulf
States, the
Sultan has
invested his
country’s wealth
so wisely that
all citizens are
guaranteed free
education up to
the doctoral
level (should
they qualify);
free health
care; free land;
soft loans for
building homes;
jobs and social
security for the
disabled,
orphans and
widows.
Furthermore,
unlike
neighbouring
countries, Oman
has resolved all
its border
demarcation
issues with all
its neighbours,
has no foreign
debt and has a
Sovereign Wealth
Reserve Fund of
over 30 billion
Riyals (about
$100 billion).
Oman is thus
arguably the
best
administrated
country in the
Islamic world,
if not in the
whole world.
International
Leader
Sultan Qaboos
has been
recognized by
organizations
such as the
United Nations
and the National
Council of
US-Arab
Relations for
his leadership
in the Persian
Gulf region. In
2008, he
presided over
the GCC Summit,
where he was
commended for
his ongoing
efforts toward
political and
economic
cooperation
amongst the GCC
states. Sultan
Qaboos has made
an effort to
strengthen ties
between Oman and
Iran, as well as
the strategic
partnership
between Oman and
India—showing
the Sultan’s
foresight in
carving foreign
policy
independent of
that of his Arab
neighbours.
The Arab
Spring
The Sultan
responded
quickly to the
protests. He
ordered
political
reforms, pledged
to create 50,000
government jobs
and provide a
monthly benefit
of $390 to the
unemployed. The
Sultan also
instituted an
elected
legislative.
Moreover,
massive popular
demonstrations
showed that the
Sultan still
commands at
least 99%
popular support
in Oman.
One of
Oman’s firm
principles
is
co-operation
with all
states and
nations on
the basis of
mutual
respect,
mutual
interest and
non-interference
in the
affairs of
others.
Sultan
Qaboos
Around the Muslim World with CCN
UK
Government's new integration strategy
UK:
Communities and Local Government Secretary, Ed Pickles,
announced the launch of the
policy paper guiding the Coalition’s approach to
integration saying:
"We are rightly proud
of our strong history of successful integration and the
benefits that it's brought. Britain is a place where the
vast majority of people from all walks of life get on
well with each other. Events such as the Royal Wedding
and the Big Lunch show that community spirit is
thriving. I welcome the contribution of everyone but
those who advocate separate lives are wrong. It is time
to concentrate on the things that unite the British
people."
The policy paper lists five
key factors which it qualifies as contributing to
integration: common ground, Responsibility, Social mobility,
Participation and empowerment, and Tackling intolerance and
extremism.
The Strategy refers several
times to the issues of faith including interfaith and
faith-based hate crimes. It states government support for a
“community-led initiative to improve the reporting of
anti-Muslim hate crime and the support offered to victims of
such crimes, building on the work of the Community Security
Trust (CST) on reporting of antisemitic hate crime. This
builds on work in many local areas to improve reporting and
monitoring of hate crime. “
On the issue of anti-Muslim hate crimes, it states that the
government is taking steps to establish “a working group
on anti-Muslim hate crime, made up of senior civil servants,
academics and members of the British Muslim community, to
review and recommend responses to anti-Muslim hate crime.”
ISTANBUL: Representatives
of the world Muslim elite from more than 40
countries gathered in Istanbul to attend the
Inaugural Global Summit organized by Salamworld,
an international company aiming to develop the
first social media platform oriented towards the
needs of the Muslim population.
The participants who came to show
their support from various countries like
Malaysia, Indonesia, United Kingdom, Russia,
USA, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and many more, stressed
on the importance of modern social media
networks and the changes they could bring by
encouraging positive development of Muslim
communities worldwide.
“The impact of social media and its role in the
way people communicate, build relationships, and
establish businesses, is astonishing, and
Salamworld have undertaken a very serious task
of developing first Muslim Social Network,” was
the message conveyed by the former Prime
Minister of Malaysia and a Non-Executive
Director of Salamworld, Mahathir Mohamed in his
video address to the participants of the Summit.
The project, which was initiated
in April 2011 by the international team of IT
professionals and experienced entrepreneurs, is
scheduled to deliver an innovative system with a
package of multilingual services this year.
Coined by many as “Muslim Facebook”,
Salamworld’s team members insist that the
development of the new platform is driven by the
need to create an alternative online environment
where Muslims could feel themselves in their
virtual home, rather than become a competitor to
popular social networks currently available
today.
In the course of the year, Salamworld
representatives have paid a visit to more than
30 countries and built strong strategic
partnerships with various Muslim organizations
and communities at all levels.
[Editor] The delegation of students from
Griffith University specializing in
Islamic Studies had also paid a visit to Salamworld head
office and "had fruitful interactive session with
the Company's team."
UK:
Channel 4 is to broadcast a programme featuring two of the
most controversial figures to emerge in (in the UK) recent
years.
'Proud and Prejudiced' will feature Tommy Robinson, leader
of the English Defence League, and Sayful Islam, the man
behind the
protest against the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Anglian
Regiment in Luton in March 2009 and the
poppy burning incident on Remembrance Sunday.
According to the Demos report, ‘Inside
the EDL’, “Nearly half (41 per cent) of supporters claim
to have joined the EDL because of their views on Islam.
While some directed abuse at all Muslims, others made more
nuanced criticisms, condemning ‘political Islam’ and ‘Muslim
extremists’.”
From the programme spec:
“Proud and Prejudiced is the story of two of the most
controversial men in Britain.
“Both men enjoy a cult-like status with loyal followers,
both are specialists in making highly inflammatory speeches
and defying the authorities, and both are from the same
town: Luton.
“Caught in the middle is Sarah Allen, the leader of Luton
Borough Council's 'Luton in Harmony' initiative, the
official fight back against the town's reputation as a
hotbed of extremism.
“Filmed over the course of a year, this is an intimate
portrait of the two men and how a dangerous local feud has
become an alarming national drama.”
he
BBC reports that Greater Manchester Police are considering
applying for a ban to prevent the English Defence League
from demonstrating in the city this Saturday.
From the BBC:
“Greater Manchester Police's chief constable says he may
seek to ban a march by the English Defence League (EDL) over
fears it could spark unrest.
“Peter Fahy is to meet Tameside councillors to discuss
whether to apply for a Home Office ban for Saturday's
proposed march in Hyde.
“The protest follows an alleged attack on two youths in the
town earlier in the month.
“The EDL said the march was a national protest against
extremism.
“Mr Fahy said: "We are concerned that there could be a
threat to peace and order.
“"The attack was an awful crime but I'm not sure we need
outsiders coming in and clearly the fear is that they are
just exploiting the situation."
“Mr Fahy said police would be talking to the council about
whether to apply to ban the march although he added the EDL
were legally entitled to stage a static protest.
“"It is a very serious issue and the Home Secretary only
uses this power to ban marches on very limited occasions,"
said Mr Fahy."
The EDL on its website claims not to want to exploit an
alleged racist hate crime in the city stating:
"Our reason for demonstrating in Hyde
is not to further divide communities or win support for
racial politics.
"That is why we wish to make it abundantly clear that
the British National Party, or any other group with a
history of racial politics or racist ideas, will not be
welcome at our demonstration.
"Our reason for demonstrating in Hyde is to protest
about the government, the media and the Muslim
community's continued inaction in the face of violent
extremism and intolerance."
Manchester has the fifth largest Muslim population in
the UK, according to the 2001 Census.
SEE THE NEW LOOK
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SUPPORTING LOCAL
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MUSLIM FRIENDLY
BUSINESS
A
revealing look at Iran by an American journalist with an
insider’s access behind Persian walls
The grandson of an eminent ayatollah and the
son of an Iranian diplomat, now an American citizen, Hooman
Majd is, in a way, both 100 percent Iranian and 100 percent
American, combining an insider’s knowledge of how Iran works
with a remarkable ability to explain its history and its
quirks to Western readers.
In The Ayatollah Begs to Differ , he paints a
portrait of a country that is fiercely proud of its Persian
heritage, mystified by its outsider status, and scornful of
the idea that the United States can dictate how it should
interact with the community of nations. With wit, style, and
an unusual ability to get past the typical sound bite on
Iran, Majd reveals the paradoxes inherent in the Iranian
character which have baffled Americans for more than thirty
years.
Meeting with sartorially challenged
government officials in the presidential palace; smoking
opium with an addicted cleric, his family, and friends;
drinking fine whiskey at parties in fashionable North
Tehran; and gingerly self-flagellating in a celebration of
Ashura, Majd takes readers on a rare tour of Iran and shares
insights shaped by his complex heritage.
He considers Iran as a Muslim country, as a
Shiite country, and, perhaps above all, as a Persian one.
Majd shows that as Shiites marked by an inferiority complex,
and Persians marked by a superiority complex, Iranians are
fiercely devoted to protecting their rights, a factor that
has contributed to their intransigence over their nuclear
programs. He points to the importance of the Persian view of
privacy, arguing that the stability of the current regime
owes much to the freedom Iranians have to behave as they
wish behind “Persian walls.”
And with wry affection, Majd describes the
Persian concept of ta’arouf, an exaggerated form of polite
self-deprecation that may explain some of Iranian President
Ahmadinejad’s more bizarre public moments. With
unforgettable portraits of Iranians, from government figures
to women cab drivers to reform-minded Ayatollahs, Majd
brings to life a country that is deeply religious yet highly
cosmopolitan, authoritarian yet with democratic and
reformist traditions—an Iran that is a more nuanced nemesis
to the United States than it is typically portrayed to be.
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: My well-informed
other half tells me that Pavlova was named after a Russian
ballet dancer that was created in her honour when she toured
Australia and New Zealand in the 20s. While the Aussies and
the Kiwis have since been arguing about the origins of the
inventor of the dish here is a deliciously decadent creation
from a true blue Aussie, Zara Omarjee, who recently
visited her birth place and the house she was born in in
Wangaratta, Victoria .
Chocolate Pavlova
Ingredients
FOR THE CHOCOLATE MERINGUE BASE:
• 6 egg whites
• 300g caster sugar
• 3 tablespoons cocoa powder, sieved
• 1 teaspoon balsamic or red wine vinegar
• 50g dark or milk chocolate, finely chopped
FOR THE TOPPING:
• 500ml double cream
• 500g raspberries
• 2-3 tablespoons coarsely grated dark chocolate
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C line a baking tray
with baking paper.
2. Beat the egg whites until satiny peaks
form, then beat in sugar a spoonful at a
time until the meringue is stiff and shiny.
3. Sprinkle over cocoa and vinegar, and
chopped chocolate. Gently fold everything
until the cocoa is thoroughly mixed in.
4. Mound on to a baking sheet in a fat
circle, smoothing the sides and top.
5. Place in oven, immediately turn
temperature down to 150°C cook for about one
to one and a quarter hours.
6. When baked it should be crisp around the
edges and top, but slightly soft and squidgy
on the inside.
7. Turn off the oven and open the door
slightly, and let the chocolate meringue
disc cool completely.
8. Whisk the cream till thick but still soft
and pile it on top of the cooled meringue, scatter
over the raspberries and grated chocolate
All questions sent in
are published here anonymously and without any
references to the author of the question.
The CCN Chuckle
Mula Nasruddin walked
into a jewellery store one Friday evening with his old
wife at his side.
He told the jeweller
he was looking for a special ring for her.
The jeweller looked
through his stock and brought out a $5,000 ring and
showed it to him.
Mula Nasruddin said,
"I don't think you understand, I want something very
special."
At that statement, the jeweller went to his special
stock and brought another ring over. "Here's a stunning
ring at only $40,000," the jeweller said.
Mula Nasruddin's
wife's eyes sparkled and her whole body trembled with
excitement.
Mula Nasruddin seeing this said, "We'll take it."
The jeweller asked
how payment would be made and Mula Nasruddin stated, by
cheque.
"I know you need to make sure my cheque is good, so I'll
write it now and you can call the bank Monday to verify
the funds and I'll pick the ring up Monday afternoon,"
he said.
Monday morning, a
very teed-off jeweller phoned Mula Nasruddin.
"There's no money in
that account."
"I know", said Mula Nasruddin,
"but can you imagine the weekend I had?
The CCN
The wound is the place where
the Light enters you.
200 Grand Avenue, Forest Lake Qld
4078.
Open 7 days a week until 8:00pm
We accept Bulk Billing 7 days a week
Appointments Available – Walk ins welcome
For Appointment
NB: The Islamic date changes to the next day starting in
the evenings after maghrib.
Therefore, exceptfor lailatul mehraj,
lailatul baraat
and
lailatul qadr – these dates
refer to the commencement of the event starting in the
evening of the corresponding day.
RECURRING EVENTS
As-Salaam Institute of Islamic
Studies
Free Monthly Tafseer Class
Telecast Live from Sydney
The Immense Ocean by Imam Ahmed Ibn Ajiba
al Hasani
Date: Saturday 3 March 2012, then
every second Saturday of each month Time: 3pm - 4:30pm Venue: IWAQ Office, 11 Watland St, Springwood
Light refreshments provided.
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.
Sultan
Qaboos bin Sa’id
Aal Sa’id, the
14th descendant
of the Al Bu
Sa’idi dynasty,
is a socially
and politically
active monarch,
who has ruled
for over 40
years as Sultan.
Sultan Qaboos
has
revolutionized
and modernized
Oman,
transforming it
from a poor,
isolationist
nation into a
land
closely-linked
with the African
continent and
devoted to
economic
development,
regional
stability, and
religious
tolerance.
Sultan
Qaboos
UK:
Channel 4 is to broadcast a programme featuring two of the
most controversial figures to emerge in (in the UK) recent
years. 
he
BBC reports that Greater Manchester Police are considering
applying for a ban to prevent the English Defence League
from demonstrating in the city this Saturday. 
A
revealing look at Iran by an American journalist with an
insider’s access behind Persian walls 
A:
Try incorporating the gym ball (swissball) as part of your
next few challenges.
.jpg)
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011