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Harmony Day
is celebrated on March 21
every year and the Islamic
Women's Association of
Queensland (IWAQ) also
celebrated the cohesive and
inclusive nature of
Australians.
It's a day of celebrations
to understand how
Australians of different
backgrounds live together.
(l to
r) Galila
Abdelsalam, Sohair
Elbagir, Sevkija
Hodzic
Day Respite Group
(l to
r) Beengul Ali,
Farah Alobeidi,
Medita Halilovic
Back row
left to
right:
Fida
Ibrahim,
Samra
Maluhija,
Nashwa
Ibrahim,
Ola
Abdelmaguid,
Naima
Estrada,
Medita
Halilovic,
Ahmed
Khalil,
Farah
Alobeidi
Seated
left to
right:
Sohair
Elbagir,
Sevkija
Hodzic,
Wimarat
Fazil,
Beengul
Ali,
Mirsada
Hadziahmetovi
FAMSY/Alnisa Youth Leadership Retreat - Final
Chance to Register
The
annual Youth Leadership
Retreat hosted by FAMSY and
Alnisa will he held at camp
Bornhoffen between 30 March
to 1 April 2012.
All young men
and women aged 16 and over
are invited to attend.
The retreat
includes fun activities,
workshops, run by Dr
Mohammad Abdalla and Imam
Ahmed Ghazaleh, plus much
more.
Imam Akram
and Imam Imran will also be
in attendance.
Cost is $125.
Registrations close today
Sunday 24 March, places are
limited.
For more
info, SMS or call 0431800414
Muhammad Ali’s Bodyguard, Neelain Muhammad in
Brisbane and Gold Coast
Report by Faisal Mohamed
Packed
auditorium soaking in the wit, wisdom and
humour of Neelain Muhammad
Brisbane and
Gold Coast were treated this
past week to two inspiring
talks from a distinguished
Islamic international
speaker touring Australia.
Neelain
Muhammad, former bodyguard
of legend boxer Muhammad Ali
and 8th and black belt
martial arts trainer,
accepted Islam along with
Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X.
Moving on
from the world spot-light of
New York days, he devoted
his life to acquiring higher
levels of Islamic knowledge
with Scholars and then
returned to the Big Apple to
share his love for Islam and
its spiritually satisfying
faith and practises with his
fellow American and
particularly the
African-Americans in the
'Hood'.
Three decades
of living and loving Islam,
Neelain now tours the world
and was hosted in Queensland
this week by Australian
Muslim Youth Netowork (AMYN)
to share some of his wisdom
and ever youthful passion
for Islam with the local
Muslims.
As physically
muscular as he and Muhammad
Ali were, he surpassed
audience expectations last
night with his talk titled,
'Heart The Strongest Muscle
in the Body' highlighting
the power of a pure heart
filled with sincerity for
Allah and a love of
following the guidance of
noble Quran and the Sunnah.
No stranger
to light-hearted humour,
Neelain Muhammad also told
of a few life experiences
that brought smiles and
chuckles to the packed
auditorium and won the
hearts of Queenslanders!
We look
forward to more guest
speaker invitations from
AMYN in the future.
Neelain
Muhammad (left) on stage with Ismail
Mohamed, General Secretary of Australian
Muslim Youth Network as they enact a real
life experience scene
SeekersCircles in Brisbane
By Muhammed Khatree
Brisbane warms up to
SeekersCircles, thanks
to As-Salaam Institute of
Islamic Studies.
SeekersCircles are
free online
community-focused study
groups (halaqāt) broadcast
to centres across the world.
Each study group covers key
Islamic topics in an
inspiring, engaging manner.
SeekersCircles are
led by top scholars and
seeks to promote (1)
individual faith and
learning and (2) community
building by gathering
together individuals for
Islamic learning in their
own community and instilling
in them the Prophetic
concern for service.
SeekersCircles is a
partnership of
SeekersGuidance in
Toronto & Al-Ghazzali
Centre in Sydney.
In Brisbane, we have been
fortunate to have access to
IWAQ’s meeting room to host
the current Brisbane-based
SeekersCircle
classes. As there has been
interest from the public to
host a replay of the live
classes, we are willing to
hold the replays either on a
Thursday evening from 7pm or
on a Saturday afternoon at
around 2pm. To register your
interest, and to state your
choice of either Thursday
or Saturday, please email
Muhammad Khatree at
mkhatree@gmail.com or
call / SMS 0401 972 865.
Hurry, places are limited.
Classes currently being
offered in Brisbane:
A.
Balanced
Criterion of Action
– In this class, Imam Afroz
Ali translates the book
Mizaan Al-‘Amal written by
Imam Al-Ghazzali (RA), which
gives us an understanding of
the soul and how to control
its various states. We learn
that whilst gaining
knowledge, that knowledge
will be of little use unless
it is followed with action.
As Imam Al-Ghazzali (RA)
himself put it, “Action
without Knowledge is vanity,
and Knowledge without action
is insanity.” Imam Shafi’i
(RA) also said the following
“Knowledge is not what is
memorised, Knowledge is what
benefits.”
B.
B.
Immense Ocean
– In this class, Imam Afroz
Ali translates the book
Al-Bahr Al-Madid written by
Imam Ibn ‘Ajiba (RA). We
have had 8 live sessions
already and we are yet to
finish Surah Fatiha. In
these classes, Imam Afroz
derives lessons by exploring
each verse at its
linguistic, practical and
spiritual level. This is an
eye opener for anyone who
wants to get closer to Allah
SWT and to gain a deeper
meaning of the words of
Allah SWT.
Garrett after answers from Islamic school over
funding
FEDERAL
government audit into
Sydney's largest Islamic
school has slammed its
financial practices,
questioning why millions of
dollars were being paid in
lease agreements and
backdated management fees to
its land owner, the
Australian Federation of
Islamic Councils.
The release
of the audit by Education
Minister Peter Garrett
follows a decision by the
NSW government to freeze
state funds to the Malek
Fahd Islamic School after an
investigation found the
nation's peak Muslim body
was charging the school
millions of dollars in
improper fees.
The investigation came after
The Australian revealed last
year that $5.2 million in
fees and backdated rents was
being paid by the western
Sydney school to AFIC in
2010, which included
millions in unaccounted
management fees.
The audit found millions of
dollars in transactions that
were "not in the best
interests of the school for
the years 2008 through to
2011".
It found the
school was paying up to $1m
over the market rate in rent
for its main property, no
evidence of value for money
for $300,000 paid in "IT
services" and no evidence of
value for money from $2.4
million paid in management
fees.
Mr Garrett told The
Australian while
investigators had found the
school was using
commonwealth funds for
educational purposes, there
"is a bigger issue here" of
payments to AFIC, demanding
a new plan of governance for
the school by May.
"There are clearly some
major concerns about the
financial decisions taken by
Malek Fahd Islamic School
and I want to get to the
bottom of them,'' he said.
"We need to see a better
explanation from the school
about its financial
relationship with the AFIC
and why the millions of
dollars it handed over to
the federation was the best
use of its money."
In a letter obtained by The
Australian to the school's
principal, Intaz Ali, Mr
Garrett makes clear his
concerns about the school's
"inflated" transactions, and
the role of members of the
school board who also sit on
the AFIC executive council -
including AFIC president
Ikebal Patel (pictured
above), the school's
chairman of directors.
This
weekend AFIC is holding its
annual congress at Malek
Fahed Islamic School,
Greenacre Sydney. A new
executive committee will be
elected and the annual
accounts (2011) will be
presented.
The
nominations for the
positions of President, Vice
President, Secretary and
Treasurer can be found
here.
The address
by Muslims Australia's
president to the Congress is
available
here.
Islamic school letter probed
A POLICE
investigation has been
launched into a Canberra
Islamic school owned by the
country's peak Muslim body,
amid allegations that a fake
letter was included in an
application to upgrade the
school.
ACT Police and the
territory's Department of
Education have confirmed to
The Australian they are
investigating claims that an
application to endorse the
expansion of the Islamic
School of Canberra included
the alleged forged signature
of a community leader who is
also a senior Australian
Taxation Office official.
The Australian Federation of
Islamic Councils owns the
school.
The school's chairman of
directors is AFIC president
Ikebal Patel, who is also
director of the AFIC-owned
Sydney Malek Fahd school,
now the subject of a probe
by federal School Education
Minister Peter Garrett.
When the
president of the Islamic
Society of the ACT and
senior ATO staffer Ahmed
Hijazi asked to see the
application, which included
a letter of support for the
expansion of the school to
years 9-12, he was shocked
to discover his signature on
the letter.
Sydney
auditions for the talent
quest are going to be live
on Islam TV next Friday and
live for the Melbourne
auditions on the Saturday
with the finals being live
on the 7th
MCF makes public appeal
By Janeth Deen
MCF is
receiving an increasing
number of people seeking
help. They range from
families in financial stress
due to poor health,
unemployment and the high
cost of living for those
living on social welfare.
Terminal illness amongst
younger members of the
family has placed huge
economic stress on families,
MCF has been there to help
with medical bills,
surgeries and medication.
Several such cases have come
to hand in the last year.
MCF is only a young
organisation and can only
operate with the funds
donated, MCF is committed in
helping new cases that
arise. Therefore, MCF
depends on your donations.
Please donate generously.
There is an urgent need for
your zakat, and.unwanted
interest. Please donate into
one of the accounts below.
Bank of Queensland, MCF A/C
Zakaat BSB 124155 A/C
20897312.- Interest BSB
124155 A/C 20897385 -
General BSB 124155 A/C
20897392
The Syrian conflict has
produced in a number of
refugees. MCF has collected
money from the mosques and
still needs to continue with
the collection for this
cause. Funds can be donated
into the The Bank of Qld,
MCF Emergency A/C, BSB
124155 A/C No 20897395
Get Jim out of Jail!
By Jim Bellos
Over the years you’ve
generously helped me to
support many worthwhile
causes, and now I need your
help to support my own
cause, Police-Citizens Youth
Clubs (PCYC).
Four hundred
and fifty people attended
the dinner held to raise
funds for the Syrian
Humanitarian Crisis.
The Gold
Coast Islamic Society were
the hosts of the event, and,
as usual, served up a hearty
meal.
There
attendance demonstrated much
support for the victims of
the Syrian conflict.
The Muslim
Charitable Foundation
donated $5,000 to start off
the collection and another
$30,000 was raised on the
night, boosting the amount
to $35,000.
The very capable auctioneer,
Mr Hussin Goss, was the
auctioneer for the event and
raised $18,200 from the
auction.
Report on the Dznean Nuhovic Trust Fund
By Janeth Deen
The Nuhovic
Family wish to thank all
those generous people who
have helped them raise the
funds for the purchase of
the eye gaze machine and the
cost of the speech therapist
to train Dznean in utilizing
the device.
Words cannot
express how the family feel
about the outcome of the
help given by so many people
who have assisted in some
way. It was not only the
money that mattered, but the
fact that they were not
alone in their quest to
ensure their son has some
quality of life, even if he
is a quadriplegic.
full report
Last week's Q&A......
BENJAMIN
LAW:……And I think there's
always been cycles of fear
that come through, they go
up and they go down, there's
always someone else to fear.
You know, it's Asians then,
it's sort of Asians now,
it's Muslims now,
predominantly. We seem to
actually forget that one of
the things that is very
Australian... Like, this
idea of national identity is
really, really tricky
because what does Australian
what does being Australian
actually mean? And I think
the success of our national
identity is that it's
completely mixed. We're not
a monoculture and that's
actually rare in the world
when you travel.
GERMAINE
GREER: I think this is a
particularly poignant
problem when it comes to the
Muslim world, in particular,
because they can't keep out
the marketing machine.
Because I think it basically
is, you know, prostitution
is the first service
industry and we sell
everything in versions of
prostitution. And so in our
onslaught on the rest of the
world, softening it up for
marketing, pornography is in
the van. And where this
really hurts me is that I
watch women who are
struggling for basic human
rights in the Muslim world
who are not helped at all by
the fact that there's a
solid wall of pornography
coming down on them which
makes it very easy for their
leaders to say, ‘This is the
grand Shaitan, this is the
devil corrupting the rest of
the world’ so that I as a
Western feminist know that I
have no locus standi. I
watch women in Egypt being
beaten up in the street,
being forced to undergo
virginity examinations and
so on, knowing that even if
I make a statement of
support, it actually puts
those women in more
jeopardy.
GERMAINE GREER: Are other
people there for us to
exploit and use anywhere we
like or do we really need to
read the Koran, it might
help. We might actually
begin to think about people
as people and not as
purveyors of some service
for us.
A Muslim’s Guide to Facebook Arguments (and
online ridiculousness in general)
Blog by Dr. O
With the
advent of the internet, you
and I can now summon
thousands of links and
resources to a near
bottomless trove of sites in
a matter of seconds, and
then share that information
with hundreds of others in
just a few minutes.
Communication between us is
lightning fast, and people
can reach one another in
ways that we didn't even
think was possible a decade
ago.
But the age-old rule still
stands true- that wherever
there are Muslims hanging
around, there are bound to
be Muslims arguing over
ridiculous things. Not
surprisingly, the internet
is now the boxing ring for
our new generation of Shaykh
Googles and Mufti Wikipedias
to profess their scholarly
expertise and argue with one
another with far more
advanced tools of
divisiveness, or as they say
nowadays according to modern
cyber tajwīd: “trolling.”
You don't
have to look far to find
young internet scholars
debating over beard lengths,
or berating “less
practicing” or “less
educated” brothers and
sisters over eating nacho
cheese Doritos or watching
TV shows, or even finding
Muslims spending hours
viciously arguing back and
forth over trivial things.
It's a shame that such
incredible tools of
spreading knowledge and
building enlightening
discussions such as Islamic
Forums, Message Boards,
group E-mail threads,
Twitter feeds, and YouTube
comment threads instead
descend into embarrassing
hotbeds of heated fights and
countless hours of wasted
time. And of all these
online mediums, the biggest
culprit of all is Facebook.
So how does it all go down,
you ask? Surprisingly, it's
quite predictable
MuslimMatters
State elections
Getting into the spirit of yesterday's
Queensland State election are
(from left to right), Ms Safia Casoojee,
Ms Hafiza Suleman, Ms Maryam
Issadeen,
Dr Mohammed Iqbal Sultan and Dr
Yunus Solwa
The CCN
Centre Link
Administrative Officer – Multi-Faith Centre,
Griffith University
The Administrative
Officer is responsible for organising and managing
functions and other special events; liaising with
University, Government and Community partners;
drafting correspondence, reports and other
documents; assisting with operational plans and
budgets; providing administrative support to the
Director; and maintaining the Centre's website.
Boulevard
Tower Residence:
The Heart of Surfers
Paradise
Relax
in one of the newest and
most exciting developments
in the heart of Surfers
Paradise - Boulevard Tower
located at 6 Orchid Ave
Surfers Paradise. A stroll
away from the beautiful
sandy beaches of Surfers
Paradise. Walk to Hard Rock
Cafe, and enjoy the
convenience of shops,
supermarkets, restaurants,
cafes, boutiques etc right
at your doorstep.
Our two bedrooms residences
offer luxury in abundance
with extensive floor space,
convenient open-plan layout,
two bedrooms, two bathrooms,
separate living and dining
areas, fully equipped
kitchens and internal
laundry. Experience pure
tranquillity from your
residence with expansive
ocean views over the famous
Surfers Paradise Beach.
4 nights for
$850.00 check in on the 2nd
of April 2012 and check out
in the 6th April 2012
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:
Pilgrims in
ihram at the sanctuary in Mecca 1401-1411
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. 13
Sheikh Dr
Yusuf Al
Qaradawi
Head of the
International
Union of
Muslim
Scholars
Yusuf Al
Qaradawi is a
preeminent
Egyptian
scholar.
Articulate and
widely read, he
is one of the
most commented
on scholars of
Islam. Al
Qaradawi is a
founder of the
website
IslamOnline.net,
one of the
intellectual
leaders of the
Muslim
Brotherhood
movement, and
the most
influential
leader
associated with
the movement
since Mahdi Akef
stepped down
from his
position as
Supreme Leader
in January 2010.
Post Mubarak
Era
In February
2011, Qaradawi
returned to
Egypt after a 30
year exile and
addressed a
crowd of over a
million people
at Tahrir Square
during Friday
prayers. He
addressed all
segments of
Egyptian society
(including the
Copts and the
military) and
called for unity
and a return to
civilian rule.
Leading
Figure of the
Muslim
Brotherhood
Qaradawi is
incredibly
influential as
an intellectual
leader of the
Muslim
Brotherhood—one
of the most
important modern
movements in
Islam. He has
twice turned
down offers to
be their
leader—in 1976
and
2004—preferring
to be free of
institutional
restrictions.
Qaradawi grew up
and matured with
the Muslim
Brotherhood but
has distanced
himself from the
movement in
recent years. As
early as 1997 he
went out of his
way to explain
his independence
from any
organization,
stating
categorically
that he was not
a member of the
Brotherhood.
Earlier in his
life Qaradawi
was jailed three
times for his
relationship
with the Muslim
Brotherhood and
subsequently
stripped of his
Egyptian
citizenship in
the
1970s—driving
him to seek
exile in Qatar.
The Muslim
Brotherhood
remains the main
opposition force
in Egypt.
Although he has
no formal
relationship
with the Muslim
Brotherhood, his
writings make
him an important
intellectual
figure in the
Muslim
Brotherhood
movement.
Popular
Influence
Qaradawi is a
vociferous voice
of criticism of
the West and of
Israel. Much of
Qaradawi’s
influence over
the past decade
has been a
product of his
forthright views
on combating
social
injustice,
especially
concerning
Israeli-Palestinian
relations. His
view that
suicide bombing,
in certain
situations, is a
legitimate form
of self-defense
has landed him
in trouble,
especially in
Western Europe,
but is
reflective of an
underlying
sentiment among
many in the
Middle East that
oppression
deserves such a
response—
however Qaradawi
goes against the
grain of most
leading Islamic
thinkers by
supporting
suicide bombing
as a
tactic of war.
Scholar for
Modern Times
Qaradawi’s
ability to
combine
traditional
knowledge of
Islamic Law with
a contemporary
understanding of
the issues that
Muslims face
today, has led
him to become
one of the best
known and most
influential
contemporary
Muslim clerics
of our time. He
uses a variety
of means to
connect with
people. He is
well known for
his popular Al
Jazeera program
‘Ash-Shariah
wal-Hayat’
(Islamic Law and
Life) that is
watched by an
estimated 40-50
million people
worldwide.
Despite his
popularity,
Qaradawi is
often criticized
by fellow
scholars
regarding his
methodology and
his occasionally
unusual
opinions. He
does, however,
continue to be
respected as a
knowledgeable
scholar and has
been praised for
his condemnation
of the September
11th attacks.
The Arab
Spring
•• Qaradawi has
been a vocal
supporter of all
the Arab
protests with
the exception of
the protests in
Bahrain. He even
issued a fatwa
calling for
Libyan soldiers
to kill Colonel
Gaddafi. This
fatwa raised
eyebrows and was
thought
repulsive by
some.
•• Qaradawi
declared his
support for the
rebels led by
the National
Libyan Council
in the 2011
Libyan uprising,
urging Arab
nations to
recognize them
and ‘to confront
the tyranny of
the regime in
Tripoli’. He
suggested
weapons be sent
to the rebels
and said:
‘Our Islamic
nation should
stand against
injustice and
corruption and I
urge the
Egyptian
government to
extend a helping
hand to the
Libyan people
and not to
Gaddafi’.
•• Qaradawi was
reluctant to
give support to
the 2011 Bahrain
protests,
claiming that:
‘The protests in
Bahrain are
sectarian in
nature’.
Relying on
Allah, the
Almighty,
resembles a
good tree
that has
only
excellent
fruit,
portrayed
both in the
soul and
life of the
individual
as well as
the group
Yusuf
Al Qaradawi
The Inbox
Dear
Editor
Assalam Alaikum
I am writing to thank you for the CCN.
I have always enjoyed
reading the newsletter every week, more so now that
we are living away from Brisbane.
I wish to thank you
especially for the coverage of the inauguration of
the new hall at the Islamic College. What a treat it
was to see the old familiar faces!
Jazak Allah Khair
Ms SA
Dear CCN Readers
Whilst we have just endured the State elections, we
mustn’t forget, local government elections are now
only a month away. On April 28 all local
governments across Queensland will be heading to the
polls and I would invite you all to the
launch of the Southside Team Campaign on Wed
28th March at the Runcorn Tavern.
I think that it is important that the Muslim
community in Brisbane feel proud that Lord Mayor
Graham Quirk has a Muslim candidate on his team, and
as someone whose family has been in Brisbane for
nearly 150 years, I feel honoured to be working for
the people of Brisbane and especially for Moorooka
Ward.
I look forward to the community’s support at this
event – tickets are limited, please contact me for
further details.
Yasmin Khan
0419 025 510
Dear
Editor
I enjoying reading the
newsletter. Thanks!
Cheers Rona
___________________
Rona Zhang, Principal
Around the Muslim World with CCN
Moscow's
Muslims find no room in the mosque
On
a cold Friday in March, Bolshaya Tatarskaya street in the
centre of Moscow is at a standstill. It runs past the
Russian capital's oldest mosque.
More than two million Muslims now live and work in Moscow.
It has become one of the biggest cities for Muslims in
Europe and its few houses of worship can no longer cope.
During Friday prayers the historic building is overflowing
and thousands of faithful are praying outside in the snow.
Cars honk their horns and local people struggle to get past
on the pavements.
It is a scene repeated at all of Moscow's four mosques, as
tens of thousands of Muslims gather for prayers every
Friday.
The new Muslims are mainly young migrants from the former
Soviet republics of Central Asia and the Caucasus.
Poverty and conflict forced them to seek new lives in
Russia, and millions of Uzbeks, Tajiks and Kyrgyz have found
jobs and a new home in Moscow.
"There are too many of us," says Ulugbek, a young migrant
from Uzbekistan. "We have to be grateful that there are
mosques in Moscow. The city was not ready to host millions
of us all of a sudden."
But others think that the authorities are ignoring the needs
of the Muslim population.
Hasan Fakhritdinov (pictured right), imam of what is
known as the city's Historical Mosque, says that the
existing facilities are just not enough.
"We are asking the authorities to let us build new mosques,
but they are ignoring our demands," he says. "Now people
have to pray outside in the rain or the snow."
Moscow's old Tatar Mosque is currently being transformed
into a grand, new building. But even then it won't be able
to accommodate all the worshippers.
Samoosa City
As migrants have made a home
in Moscow, doing jobs local Russians won't do, the capital
has changed beyond recognition.
Halal shops and cafes have opened across the city, from
expensive restaurants where lunch can cost you $200
(£125;150 euros), to cheap take-away outlets where Central
Asians bake traditional breads and samsa (samosas) in
clay-ovens or tandoors.
Halal
samoosa has become one of Moscow's most popular take-away
foods. But it is not just halal food and overfilled mosques
which testify to the presence of Islam here. It's also the
changes in people's lives.
Zarif, who's from Tajikistan, and his Russian wife Yelena
live in a studio flat in northern Moscow. Like many other
families here, both have jobs and are trying to move into a
bigger flat.
But Zarif is a devout Muslim and Yelena comes from an
Orthodox Christian family. It wasn't easy to win their
parents' support for their marriage but now he says that
things have changed.
"I sometimes buy Christian icons for my Orthodox in-laws and
they buy me Muslim books or calendars," says Zarif. "I can
even go to church with them for family functions. And when I
fast they don't eat in front of me. We live in mutual
respect and harmony."
BBC News Europe
CCN tweeting on twitter!
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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: Here's a garnishing
Ideas for Baba Ganoush - Baba Ganoush always has to have
olive oil on top for garnish. However you can spice things
up a bit by adding crushed red pepper, a dash of cumin,
parsley or coriander.
Baba Ganoush
Ingredients
1 large eggplant
1 crushed clove of garlic
¼ cup lemon juice
3 tab tahini
1 tsp salt
3 tsp olive oil
Topping
2 tab lemon juice
2 tsp olive oil
PREPARATION
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake eggplant
for 30 minutes, or until outside is crisp and
inside is soft.
Allow to cool for 20 minutes.
Cut open eggplant and scoop out the flesh into
colander and allow to drain for 10 minutes.
Removing the excess liquid helps to eliminate a
bitter flavor.
Place eggplant flesh in a medium bowl. Add
remaining ingredients and mash together. You can
also use a food processor and pulse for about 2
minutes.
Place in serving bowl and top with lemon juice
and olive oil. Add other garnish according to
taste.
Serve with warm or toasted pita, flatbread or
Turkish bread
Q: Salam, I have a school cross country coming up at the
end of this month. The course is 3km. I was wondering what
tips, training program etc. I should do?
A: You don’t have much time left, so I would suggest you
make the most of the last few days before the cross country,
without overdoing it.
If
you have already been training, increase the distance you’ve
been doing and aim to improve on your time. Make sure you
eat healthy and drink lots of water in the lead up to the
day.
If you haven’t done much preparation, try walking for a day
or two, and then jog for the remaining days. Have a rest on
the day before the cross country so your muscles aren’t
fatigued.
Play some sport or be as active as possible for the next
week as part of your training regime.
Have
a nutritious breakfast on the day and challenge yourself
throughout the course, never giving up!
Have
fun while you’re at it and make yourself proud.
All questions sent in
are published here anonymously and without any
references to the author of the question.
Flightstar Fozi's Travel Tips
CCN Reader: Dear Flightstar Fozi, I have a two week
trip planned to Norfolk Island in the early November. Can
you please give me advice on flights heading north from
Norfolk Island via Caledonia and Vanuatu to Solomon Islands
where I would like to spend a week before I come back to
Australia
Flightsar Fozi: Flights to and from Norfolk Island
are limited with no direct connection to the Pacific
Islands.
You would need to either fly to New Zealand or back to
Australia to get the connecting flights.
You can fly Air New New Zealand from Brisbane to Norfolk
Islands and then on to Auckland for a stopover with
connections, from there to the other islands and then back
to Australia.
All questions sent in
are published here anonymously and without any
references to the author of the question.
The CCN Chuckle
Bill
Gates was in a Turkish restaurant and after eating, gave
$5 to Jallaludin the waiter as a tip.
Jallaludin looked strangely at him.
When Bill Gates saw him, he asked: "What's the matter?"
Jallaludin replied: "Sir, I don't want more money. I am
just amazed because on the same table your son gave a
tip of $50 and you, his father, the richest man in the
world gave only $5!
Bill Gates smiled
and replied: He is a son of the world's richest man, but
I am the son of a woodcutter.
The CCN
“That which God said to the
rose, and caused it to laugh
in full-blown beauty,
He said to my heart, and
made it a hundred times more
beautiful.”
Jalāl ad-Dīn Rūmī
CCN 2012 Readers' Feedback
Dear CCN Reader, we would
appreciate you taking a few
moments to complete this
feedback survey and, in so
doing, help us understand
our readership and seek your
suggestions on improving CCN,
insha'Allah.
The short survey, which will
put you inline to win a
special prize, can be found
by by clicking here:
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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
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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
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Articles and
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its Editor or its Sponsors, particularly if they eventually
turn out to be libellous, unfounded, objectionable,
obnoxious, offensive, slanderous and/or downright
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It is the usual policy of CCN to
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CCN or Crescents of Brisbane Inc.
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FEDERAL
government audit into
Sydney's largest Islamic
school has slammed its
financial practices,
questioning why millions of
dollars were being paid in
lease agreements and
backdated management fees to
its land owner, the
Australian Federation of
Islamic Councils. 
This
weekend AFIC is holding its
annual congress at Malek
Fahed Islamic School,
Greenacre Sydney. A new
executive committee will be
elected and the annual
accounts (2011) will be
presented.
Administrative Officer – Multi-Faith Centre,
Griffith University
Relax
in one of the newest and
most exciting developments
in the heart of Surfers
Paradise - Boulevard Tower
located at 6 Orchid Ave
Surfers Paradise. A stroll
away from the beautiful
sandy beaches of Surfers
Paradise. Walk to Hard Rock
Cafe, and enjoy the
convenience of shops,
supermarkets, restaurants,
cafes, boutiques etc right
at your doorstep. 
Yusuf
Al Qaradawi
On
a cold Friday in March, Bolshaya Tatarskaya street in the
centre of Moscow is at a standstill. It runs past the
Russian capital's oldest mosque. 
Halal
samoosa has become one of Moscow's most popular take-away
foods. But it is not just halal food and overfilled mosques
which testify to the presence of Islam here. It's also the
changes in people's lives.
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7
August 2011