(l to r)
Janeth Deen, Kim Marx, Freya Ostapovitch
and Heather Robinson
On Monday
30th April, the first and
only Muslim welfare shop
finally closed its doors.
Founder of
the Queensland Muslim
Welfare Association, Ms
Janeth Deen, was pleasantly
surprised by the arrival of
the LNP newly elected state
MP and Brisbane City Council
Councillor for Stretton who
arrived at the shop to help
with the clean up and
transport of the remaining
goods.
Ms Freya
Ostapovitch MP and her
husband Don, Councillor Kim
Marx and her husband
Derrick, her team member Ms
Heather Robinson, her
campaign manager Ms Heidi
Randall helped out during
the day
Ms Deen told
CCN she was very appreciate
of their help: "These people
have only just ended a long
period of campaigning for
their positions. They have
not had time to recover from
their hard work, yet they
turned up in their team
shirts and worked cheerfully
to help a welfare shop which
was not even in the
boundaries of the Brisbane
City Council, nor in their
electorate."
The Welfare shop has ceased
operating and the stock from
the shop has been sent to
the people of Fiji in two
containers that have left
from the Kuraby Mosque.
The QMWA
Committee thanked everyone
who supported the shop
during the three years it
operated.
Ms Janeth
Deen will work with the
Muslim Charitable Foundation
while Ms Wilma Bothwell, who
has suffered health
problems, will retire.
What a
Billion Muslims Really
Think, a new documentary
film from Unity Productions
Foundation, explores the
expertly gathered opinions
of Muslims around the globe
as revealed in the world's
first major opinion poll,
conducted by Gallup, the
preeminent polling
organization.
Gallup researchers began by
asking the questions on
every American's mind. Why
is there so much
anti-Americanism in the
Muslim world? Who are the
extremists and how do
Muslims feel about them?
What do Muslims like and
dislike about the West? What
do Muslim women really want?
Crucial policy decisions
hang on these questions.
They continue to generate
passionate disagreements in
the public square. Yet for
all the heat and
controversy, the actual
views of the world's Muslims
have been conspicuously
missing from this debate.
Now, we have the missing
answers and statistics,
gathered, parsed, and
analyzed not by pundits but
by professional researchers.
As part of this
groundbreaking six-year
project, Gallup conducted
tens of thousands of
interviews with residents in
35 predominantly Muslim
nations, as well as smaller
populations in Europe and
the USA. The broad extent of
the polling has delivered
findings for the world's 1.4
billion Muslims with a plus
or minus accuracy of 3%
Focused on the issues of
Gender Justice, Terrorism,
and Democracy -the film
presents this remarkable
data deftly, showing how it
challenges the popular
notion that Muslims and the
West are on a collision
course. Like the research,
the film highlights a shared
relationship that is based
on facts - not fear.
Experts featured (A Partial
List): Dalia Mogahed,
Executive Director of the
Gallup Center for Muslim
Studies, John Esposito,
University Professor,
Georgetown University,
RamiKhoury, Editor of the
Daily Star (Beirut), and
Kenneth Pollack, Director of
Research, Saban Center for
Middle East Policy at the
Brookings Institute.
After
a six year long
battle to get
approval to build a
Mosque in Perth
(Caversham) approval
was given to the
Bosnian Islamic
Society Perth to
build an Islamic
Centre in Caversham.
It is
planned that for a
foundation stone to
be laid during the
month of Ramadan.
If
you need more
information or like
to support the
project contact
project coordinator
Mr. Sajit Smajic on
0402 962 231 or send
and e-mail to
sajit.smajic@gmail.com.
The
International Food Festival
at the Gold Coast Mosque
gets underway today (Sunday)
at 10am with the formalities
starting at 11am.
The keynote
address will be delivered by
Mr.Robert Cavallucci MP
(State Member for Brisbane
Central and Assistant
Minister for Multicultural
Affairs who will also be
representing the Premier of
Queensland, Mr. Campbell
Newman.
Amongst the
other speakers will be
Mr.Rob Molhoek MP (MP for
Southport), Miss.Verity
Barton MP (MP for
Broadwater), Commissioner
Bob Atkinson (Queensland
Police Commissioner), Mr.
Mohammed Yusuf (President of
Islamic Council of
Queensland) and Mr. Brian
Egan (Sales Manager –
Malaysian Airlines).
In addition
to the exotic food,
entertainment and games,
attendees will go into a
draw to win two return air
tickets to Malaysia.
The
third container for the
victims of the recent Fiji
floods was fully packed
yesterday with groceries,
baby goods, clothing, school
books, linen, crockery and
other items. MCF thanked the
sponsors donors and
volunteers who made this
possible.
Mr Farouk
Adam told CCN that the two
containers that had been
sent over a fortnight ago
have reached their
destination and have been
well received by the Fijian
authorities and the effected
people.
Like many
Australians with olive skin
I often get asked about my
heritage. And I always get a
puzzled look from people
when I say that my father
was born in Bethlehem.
They tend to skirt around
the question of what that
means because they expect
someone who is part
Palestinian to be a Muslim.
They often don’t know how to
breach the subject of faith
and how to deal with the
issue of cultural diversity.
This inquisitive shyness is
understandable. For those of
us who have grown up in
culturally diverse homes it
is somewhat amusing.
As a young boy, every Sunday
was dedicated to our
extended family get
togethers.
In the morning my “Sitty”
(grandmother), my aunty and
my Australian mum would make
kibbe, tabouli and hummus.
Over lunch – on countless
occasions – when my Uncle
Eddie said that he hoped one
day to grow his menswear
business everybody would say
“insh’Allah”.
When Uncle Jack would say he
hoped to be able to go on a
family holiday everyone
would say “insh’Allah”.
And when my father would say
he hoped, one day, his
children would do well at
school everyone would say “insh’Allah”.
The fact that all these
things became a reality is
testimony to the fact that
diversity in Australia is
alive and well.
And I'll let you into a
secret… my father still
counts in French, can talk
to friends in Hebrew, and
even occasionally yell at me
in Arabic. I’m jealous of
the seven languages he
speaks.
This is the story of
cultural diversity, and it
is important we embrace it.
Faith and politics
When I was sworn in to
Parliament in 1996 some
people warned me to avoid
discussing issues of
religion and faith, even
inside my constituency of
North Sydney.
I was told that whatever you
say, you will end up
offending someone.
But despite this, in 1998,
my second year in
Parliament, I chose to
tackle the combined issues
of both faith and religion
head on, when I took my
father back to his
birthplace in Bethlehem.
As you can imagine, it was
an emotional journey for us
both.
When he left war torn
Palestine back in 1948 as a
Christian educated 21 year
old, he swore as he crossed
the Allenby Bridge over the
grand Jordan River that the
land he was born in had no
future for a young man.
So 50 years later as we
walked amongst the refugees
in Gaza and then Amman, my
father sadly had his
youthful anxieties
confirmed. A new generation
of young Arabs shared his
despair that they had no
hope, they had no voice,
they had no freedom and so
they had no future.
Of course the Arab Spring is
changing this world.
We were shocked when it
began with the self
immolation of a young
Tunisian street vendor that
started the revolts which
led to the toppling of Ben
Ali in January last year.
Tunisia is well on the way
to being a successful
democracy.
After Ben Ali fell, we
cheered as young Christians
and Muslims then took to
Tahrir Square in Cairo to
protest against the denial
of democracy and ultimately
force a long overdue regime
change.
And we continue to be
horrified, as I have said on
a number of occasions in
Parliament, when we hear
reports of 12,000 Syrian
deaths, caused by Bashar
al-Assad’s vicious regime in
Syria.
In March a video appeared on
YouTube of an empty street
with a lost three-year-old
boy running aimlessly in
search of safety, only to be
shot at by Syrian snipers in
a nearby building.
In a moment of courage akin
to the famous defiance of a
tank in Tiananmen Square, a
young man ran onto the
street, to create a human
shield between the snipers
and the toddler. A young
life was saved.
This happened to a
three-year-old boy – an
innocent three-year-old boy.
A close observer would note
there is a common narrative
amongst all these movements.
Young people, motivated by
their faith, were taking
control of their own destiny
by demanding their rights
from totalitarian
governments.
For me, the most powerful
image of the Arab Spring was
seeing young Coptic
Christian protestors in
Tahrir Square forming a
human shield around Muslim
protestors during prayer.
Hours later, Muslim
protestors reciprocated by
guarding Christian churches
during services in downtown
Cairo.
I am not afraid to recognise
that across the world the
values of faith have made
society all the more richer
– and this includes the
contribution Islam has made
to our society here in
Australia.
While I aspire to be, once
again, a Minister of the
State, and not of the
Church, I have long argued
that a secular society
imbued with the values that
faith engenders will be
stronger not weaker.
This is because the values
that the great religions
teach are the burning beacon
of a just, fair and
compassionate society based
on truth and respect for a
common humanity.
We can no longer just see
ourselves as citizens of a
country, but we must see
ourselves as citizens of the
world.
The essential message of all
faiths – that we should love
our neighbour as we love
ourselves – is contained
within Islam as much as
Christianity, in Judaism as
it is in Buddhism.
As many Muslims tell me,
Muhammad spoke in his final
sermon “Hurt no one so that
no one may hurt you”.
I could not think of a more
important lesson we can
teach our children.
To judge Islam based on the
actions of extremists and
terrorists would be no
different than judging
Christianity on the actions
of those who have over the
centuries committed
atrocities in the name of
Christianity.
Whether this be the
brutality of the Crusades,
the destruction of
Constantinople, or the
defence of Apartheid by
Afrikaans churches in South
Africa – these are not
shining moments for
Christianity and those of us
who are Christians would
reject that these were deeds
properly undertaken in the
name of our religion.
I find it hard to believe
that any God would call on
people to stone unbelievers,
invade lands to convert
people to another faith, or
prevent women from having
the same life opportunities
as men.
Yet some people throughout
history have used faith to
justify all of these
actions.
The people that commit
atrocities in the name of
Islam are forgetting the
fact that Islam, democracy
and compassion have been
linked for hundreds of
years.
Bernard Lewis, Professor of
Islamic History, at
Princeton University
recognised this when he
noted that:
“The medieval Islamic
world…offered vastly more
freedom than any of its
predecessors, its
contemporaries and most of
its successors”
Islam led the world in
promoting freedom for
hundreds of years, and there
is no reason Islam will not
continue to be pivotal in
promoting liberty in society
for centuries to come.
Islam in Australia
In Australian history, Islam
has had a focal place since
well before Federation.
The legendary Burke and
Wills, responsible for one
of the most important
expeditions in Australian
history, were ably guided
and assisted by a number of
central Asian camel traders
in the 1860s.
The diaries and records of
the duo pay testament to the
work of these camel traders,
particularly Dost Mohamed a
Pashtun from modern day
Afghanistan. They were
highly regarded because the
Afghans possessed the skills
to survive for long periods
of time in unforgiving and
harsh desert conditions.
The colonial administration
in Victoria noted at the
time that:
“The camels from
Afghanistan would be
comparatively useless unless
accompanied by their native
drivers.”
They got that right! The
camel drivers contributed
more than just the skills of
navigation and survival in
harsh desert conditions.
They are responsible for the
introduction of Islam to
Australia, and the
construction of Mosques
through Australia’s outback.
It was surprising for me to
find out in a recent trip to
Adelaide that Australia’s
first mosque was built in
1861 at Marree in South
Australia.
When talking to a young man
last year who was part of
the Young Muslim Leadership
Program in Parliament House,
an annual program I take
delight in addressing each
year, I was told of how he
was preparing to go on a
‘mosque-crawl’, visiting
each and every mosque
throughout Australia’s
central outback.
That is no mean feat
considering that over the
last 150 years more than 30
mosques have been built
across remote Australia.
If Islam has been able to
exist in Australian society
peacefully for more than one
and a half centuries, I have
no doubt it will continue to
play a significant role into
the future.
I know from the likes of
Melbourne Academic Susan
Carland, Australia Post
Chief Executive Officer
Ahmed Fahour, Richmond's
Bachar Houli, former Rugby
League legend Hazem El Masri,
and most recently Imam Afroz
Ali, who eloquently and
passionately spoke against
forced marriages on the ABC
Four Corners program the
other night, that Islam in
Australia is in safe hands.
Role of Faith
Finally tonight, I would
also like to touch on the
role of secularism in the
modern world.
We have all seen faith used
as a tool to justify
repression of freedom of
thought in the Islamic
world, most recently in
Syria.
For many years, some
governments in the Middle
East were propped up by the
international community
because they were deemed
‘secular’. But a closer
examination of these states
proves that authoritarian
regimes are consistently
brutal whether they are
secular or not.
The defence of
authoritarianism by secular
regimes is that minority
rights are protected when
without the regime they
would not. That is
…authoritarianism may be bad
but if we did not have it
ethnic minorities would
engage in conflict.
History is littered with
conflicting stories; however
in modern times there is no
reason to believe that
Christians, Muslims and Jews
cannot successfully and
peacefully live side by side
in a Muslim majority
country.
Modern day Australia is
testimony to the fact that
religious groups can live in
harmony.
Secularism cannot be used as
an excuse to subvert
democracy and restricting
the legitimate aspirations
of millions of people. For
using secularism as a reason
to restrict democracy, in
the way it has occurred in
Syria, offends both the
principle of secularism, and
of democracy.
Instead, there is an
important role of faith in
any secular society, for
restricting the role of
faith in society is the
antithesis of secular
behaviour.
At the core of any secular
state must be that the
practice of any religion is
a human right.
But part of the trade-off
for a tolerant and
democratic secular society
is the requirement that we
abide by the laws. They are
the laws created by the
Parliament and the court.
They are the only laws that
mandate behaviour in our
country.
So whilst custom may have
its place there is no room
for conflicting rules that
seek to mandate or restrict
behaviour in direct conflict
with our Australian laws.
Whilst differences in
beliefs will always exist,
we must focus on the common
ground of all faiths and
cultures, rather than the
differences.
Noted Muslim theologian and
Oxford Professor Tariq
Ramadan, not a usual source
for me, spoke recently of
the challenge that diversity
poses, but offers a
comprehensive solution:
“The point is not to
integrate systems, values
and cultures with other
systems, but to determine –
in human terms – spaces of
intersection where we can
meet on equal terms.”
For the sceptics of
diversity, the strongest
argument is to make people
aware that part of society’s
many successes has been
because of diversity. One of
our failings over recent
decades is that diversity
has become such an ingrained
part of Australian society
that some people don’t
realize that they are living
in one of the most diverse
societies in the world.
Of course globalisation has
made diversity a more
relevant part of everyday
life.
Information and trade flows
make diversity a way of life
for more and more people.
Throughout history commerce
has lowered the social
barriers between people and
societies.
When people have social or
business relations with
people of other faiths and
cultures they start to
realize the aspects that
unite us, not divide us.
This is the power of human
relationships.
For example, Australia
should be taking greater
advantage of the emerging
insatiable demand across
Asia for sophisticated
financial services.
The number of High Net Worth
Individuals in Indonesia,
that is individuals with
more than $1m in investable
assets excluding property,
will almost triple by 2015
to nearly 100,000. These
wealthy Indonesians will
hold close to $500 billion
worth of wealth. This is the
fastest rise in Asia.
This is a tremendous
opportunity for Australian
business to develop and
provide a high standard
range of products and
services for a demanding
market. By offering diverse
products and Islamic banking
and finance products in
particular, Australia has
the capacity to benefit from
greater capital flows, more
affordable investment and a
more sophisticated and
diverse financial services
sector.
However, there remain
regulatory obstacles, such
as the issue of double
taxation. The UK’s Financial
Regulator, the FSA, has
summarized their approach to
Islamic Banking as ‘no
obstacles, but no special
favours’.
In Australia we should not
treat Islamic Banking
differently or
preferentially, but we
should be mindful of making
Australia an attractive
market for all types of
financial services, provided
they are in line with
Australia’s high national
standards and stable banking
system. At very least, it is
a business opportunity
available to all Australian
business.
Conclusion
The role of faith in
Australian society is an
underestimated commodity.
Australia is made all the
richer by the role that all
religions play in our
society.
Forming part of the rich
mosaic of Australia, Islam
is contributing to Australia
in its own special way.
But we cannot afford to be
complacent.
When it comes to diversity,
the motto of the Returned
Services League rings true
‘The price of liberty is
eternal vigilance’.
Australia must continue to
be proud of our diversity,
but we also must be vigilant
to protect both our
diversity and our liberty.
Thank you.
[Editor]
Mr Joe Hockey is a
federal opposition Member of
Parliament and the Shadow
Treasurer.
Last Sunday
Wisdom College In Algester
celebrated International
Children’s Day with a sea of
colour and fun for all
children.
April 23 is a
national holiday in Turkey
where it puts on a number of
big celebrations to honour
its children, and it has
since become an
international event. 23rd
April is actually marked as
the National Sovereignty and
Children’s Day in Turkey.
The founder
of the Turkish Republic,
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk,
declared the day to honour
the children of Turkey, who
were left homeless during
the War, and now it has
turned into a day of
celebration.
All classes performed a
number of songs and dances
on the day, and the whole
school put a lot of time and
effort into preparing for
the festival.
The songs
were performed in English as
well as the schools Language
Other than English (LOTE)
which is Turkish.
The LOTE
teacher Miss Elanur Turk did
an exceptional job teaching
the children the dances and
Turkish songs.
The children
made all the decorations on
the day and the whole school
turned into a mass of colour
and excitement.
The students
had been rehearsing for many
weeks for their first
performance and were very
excited to show the large
gathering of family and
friends on the day what they
could do.
After their
performance the children
were given show bags and
sweets, before heading to
enjoy the rides and face
painting.
Queensland
Education and Cultural
Foundation provided all the
food and entertainment on
the day, and as a bonus
lunch was provided free of
charge. The day will be an
annual event on the schools
calendar.
The
final telecast of the
12-week SeekersCircle class
entitled Mizaan al Amal (The
Balanced Criterion of
Action) was hosted on Friday
4 May at the IWAQ Office.
The weekly class was
organised by the As-Salaam
Institute, in conjunction
with the Al-Ghazzali Centre
based in Sydney. As a
refresher, the content of
the course was based on Imam
al-Ghazzali's book Mizaan al
Amal, in which he explains
the "criteria for judging
human actions to be right or
wrong."
Imam Afroz
Ali of the Al-Ghazzali
Centre (Sydney) conducted
the classes. Through the
Knowledge Without Barriers
initiative, these
classes are made available
to the public on a free
(donations accepted) basis.
These classes are referred
to as
SeekersCircles as they
aim to "embody the true
spirit of learning the
Sacred Sciences of Islam
which is traditionally a
circle of students sitting
and learning from a
scholar."
The monthly
SeekersCircle entitled The
Immense Ocean is still
running and all those who
are interested in learning
the outward and inward
meanings of the Qur'aan are
encouraged to attend. It is
held every second Saturday
of each month at 4pm, at the
IWAQ office. The Facebook
event is here: http://www.facebook.com/events/183561275083799/
A new weekly
SeekersCircle will begin on
Friday 18 May and the
Character of the Prophet of
Allah (peace and blessings
be upon him) will the the
subject of study. Contact
Muhammad Khatree on 0401 972
865 or
mkhatree@gmail.com if
you are interested in
attending this inspiring
SeekersCircle.
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. 19
Sheikh
Salman Al
Ouda
Saudi
Scholar and
Educator
A leading Saudi
sheikh, Salman
Al Ouda is a
former hard-line
cleric turned
advocate of
peaceful
coexistence. He
is increasingly
influential due
to his
innovative reach
in the Muslim
World propagated
via
IslamToday.net
and his
persistent
efforts at
ministering to
the needs of the
global Muslim
community.
Key Scholar of
Salafi Network
Sheikh Salman Al
Ouda is a
leading scholar
of the Salafi
movement.
Although he is
not noted for
propagating
innovative ideas
within the
network, he has
notable
influence in the
movement due to
his use of
multiple modes
of education
(the Internet,
audiovisual
media, and
print) to
educate the
large body of
Salafi Muslims
in the Islamic
sciences. Sheikh
Al Ouda’s
website brings
together a
diverse range of
Islamic scholars
and educators to
provide guidance
in Islamic
thought.
Influence
Through Virtual
Islamic
Resources
He supervises
all content
published on
IslamToday.net—a
website that
offers virtual
resources for
Islamic
education in
multiple
languages. His
work has
far-reaching
impact in an age
when religion is
spread through
media and
technology, with
IslamToday.net
at the forefront
of this trend.
In response to a
February 2010
ruling from the
Al Azhar Fatwa
Committee
condemning the
use of Facebook,
Sheikh Al Ouda
defended the
social
networking
website, stating
that he uses it
to communicate
with Muslims
across the globe
and to provide
Islamic guidance
online. Sheikh
Al Ouda has a
following of
over half a
million on
Facebook and
nearly that many
views of his
official videos
on YouTube.
Innovative
Educator
Al Ouda
developed a
following from
weekly talks at
his local mosque
in Buraydah and
has become an
authority for
Muslims and
non-Muslims
worldwide who
access
IslamToday.net—a
Saudi-funded
website
dedicated to
providing
Islamic
educational
resources in
English, Arabic,
French and
Chinese. He also
addresses
Islamic issues
on the Saudi
satellite
channel MBC.
Ambassador of
Non-violence
In an effort to
distance himself
from alleged
connections to
perpetrators of
terrorism, Al
Ouda is
outspoken about
the importance
of inculcating
love and mercy
as opposed to
violence (except
in valid cases
of self-defense)
in the daily
lives of
Muslims. As a
prominent member
of the
International
Union for Muslim
Scholars, he led
the delegation
in talks with
Arab heads of
state regarding
the need for
them to unite in
opposition to
Israel’s siege
of Gaza in early
2009.
The Arab
Spring
He praised the
Arab Spring in
Egypt and
condemned
Gaddafi in
Libya.
Commenting on
the situation in
Libya in a
telephone call
with Al-Jazeera
Satellite
Channel, Al Ouda
said, ‘I think
that there is no
more legitimacy
for Gaddafi’s
regime in
Libya’.
When we
stumble and
forget
ourselves,
this should
make us all
the more
vigilant to
maintain our
dignity and
composure in
the future:
to be
patient, to
pardon and
to overlook
I wanted to bring to your attention a Paper I wrote
and which has been published on the SeekersGuidance
blog, on the topic of female genital mutilation. The
article can be found
here.
May Allah Ta’ala reward you
all for your consistent and wonderful work that you
all do.
For a
professional ironing service
contact Waseema on 0413 531
042.
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cafes, boutiques etc right
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Our two bedrooms residences
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London
2012 Olympics: Champions aren't made easily, says Mohamed
Sbihi
Mohamed Sbihi has pledged to feed 1,800
people in Morocco because he will miss his
fast during Ramadan.
UK: Rower Mohamed Sbihi, part
of the GB men's eight, is keen to be a shining role model to
Muslim kids. He talks about competing during Ramadan, and
rowing's posh-boy reputation
Before Trenton Oldfield
decided to disrupt a rowing race as a protest against social
inequality he should have studied the Team GB squad.
The various crews lining up
in Belgrade on Friday at the first World Cup event of this
Olympic season still contain a range of Oxbridge-educated
talent – but the participants inhabit a strictly elite
sport, not an elitist one. "I went into it with the
prejudice it was an upper-middle class, white person's
sport," admits Mohamed Sbihi, the first practising Muslim to
row for Britain. "I swiftly realised it wasn't."
So much for Oldfield's Boat Race-halting thesis. Sbihi, a
comprehensive-educated kid from Surbiton, is part of a GB
men's eight which contains all manner of ages, cultures and
physical specimens.
By the end of August, the
24-year-old son of a Moroccan immigrant father and an
English mother who works in the Kingston branch of Marks and
Spencer could potentially be the toast of two nations,
regardless of colour, class or creed.
It says in
the Koran
that for
every day
you break
fast
intentionally
without due
cause you
have to fast
30 days or
feed 60
people
Mohamed
Sbihi
Even before he dips his blade
into Olympic waters, Sbihi's story is an inspirational one.
The tallest member of the GB
squad at 6ft 8in, he played football and basketball before
being identified as a potentially successful oarsman at 15
by a talent-spotting programme.
"I would never have rowed if
they hadn't knocked on my school's door and asked to test
all the kids."
Once in the system, though,
he had a pressing problem: how to train properly while
fasting during Ramadan.
For a while he coped fine. "When I first started rowing in
2003 I made it known I was going to fast regardless. At that
time Ramadan was around October or November during the
winter training months."
Last year, though, something
had to give. Rowers are required to burn upwards of 4,500
calories per day during training. The dates of this summer's
Games also coincide with Ramadan, which starts on 20 July
and runs for 30 days. "It was obvious in my head I didn't
want to fast. It was just a case of how I was going to do
it."
A solution presented itself on a trip to visit his extended
family in Morocco. They told him about the national soccer
team's ex-goalkeeper and manager, Badou Ezzaki, who during
his career paid for the meals of thousands of people back
home in lieu of his fast.
One of the
things Islam
teaches you
is that
everyone's
the same
regardless
of
background
or their
faith. It's
exactly the
same in
sport. We go
through such
hard times
together as
a group it
doesn't
matter where
you're from,
or how rich
or poor you
are. You're
in there for
one reason
and that's
to row the
boat well.
Mohamed
Sbihi
"It says in the Koran that
for every day you break fast intentionally without due cause
you have to fast 30 days or feed 60 people," explains Sbihi.
He has duly pledged to feed 1,800 poor people in Morocco, at
a personal cost of around £2,000.
"It gives me a feeling that
I've done something, although I still hate missing my fast.
I enjoy it, the feeling you get, the tradition of it, being
around people doing the same. When I'm training and fasting
I can still beat a lot of the guys on the ergonometer. The
problem is there is a risk of dehydration. As a squad we're
all so close. You don't want to lose your
chance-of-a-lifetime opportunity."
Such are the hurdles confronting many British Muslim
athletes. Amir Khan and Mo Farah have led the way and Sbihi,
who recites the first verse of the Koran before each race,
is equally keen to be a shining role model. "I hope I am an
inspiration to young Muslim kids. Hopefully I can show they
can participate in sport and be practising Muslims as well.
It's a privilege but also a shame. It's great that I'm the
first but why should I be? There are plenty more Muslim
people in this country who could have done what I've done."
Moroccan rowing is,
admittedly, not about to become the people's sport
overnight. "It's exactly like it was here 50 years ago. To
get to the rowing club you have to have transport. To do
that, you have to have money. My family are always saying to
me: 'Rowing's not very big is it? You don't see it on TV.';
Don't worry, I said, it'll be on the telly this summer, it
does exist. If I can get a medal, hopefully it will reflect
well on Morocco, too."
If the Games can also dissolve rowing's posh-boy reputation,
Sbihi will definitely have achieved something.
"One of the things Islam
teaches you is that everyone's the same regardless of
background or their faith. It's exactly the same in sport.
We go through such hard times together as a group it doesn't
matter where you're from, or how rich or poor you are.
You're in there for one reason and that's to row the boat
well.
"We're 30 guys training in
the same location for 49 weeks of the year. That's pretty
intense. There's not many sports that do that. Every couple
of months you might think: 'This is too much.'; What drives
you on is the feeling you're giving 100%. It's constantly
drilled into us that champions aren't made easily. It's hard
work. It is tough to manage and sometimes it's nice to be
back home training in your own environment. But as much as
we occasionally want to do that, I know I wouldn't be a
champion if I did. Producing your ultimate performance
doesn't happen by chance. As Muhammad Ali used to say:
'Champions aren't made in the ring, they're made outside
it.'"
Back in Rabat and Surbiton,
Sbihi's friends and relatives should be rightly proud of
their trailblazer.
‘What I’ll Miss About Islam’: A Dubai Expat’s View
UAE: I posted towards the end of last year regarding what
expats might miss or not miss when they move to the UAE.
There’s another post I need to do – what I would miss about
the UAE were I to move back. One of the things I will miss
most, when that day finally comes is Islam.
I’m not a Muslim. I doubt I ever will be. So why has it
become a part of my life that I will miss?
Firstly there is the Adhan. A part of Islam we cannot see,
but hear, if we are lucky, five times a day. At the right
time of year, it both wakes me and sends me to sleep. It’s a
fantasy call from the minaret of the nearest mosque, calling
those who must to pray. The earliest is at first light, and
eases me out of sleep before the shrill tone of my alarm
does. I can hear two local Muezzins from my bed, both
beautifully in tune, starting only seconds apart. I miss the
daytime calls in the hubbub of day unless I am strolling
around a sleepy mall where it echos through the marble
corridors like a ghost retrieving the chosen. At night, I
sway in my hammock, the children in bed, and wait for them
to finish the day for me. An eerie serpentine song that
reminds me every day that I live in the Middle East.
Secondly, it’s Ramadan. Some people hate it. All the cafes
are closed during sunlight hours, and there are strict rules
on eating in public, even for non-Muslims. But if you can
put aside your own small sacrifice, you can watch an entire
community of people committing to a task that is actually
very, very hard. The dedication is remarkable, and although
I have met those who are Muslim and yet also say “I’m not
such a good Muslim”, most are vigilant.
Not only do they fast, but they donate like billionaire
philanthropists. Waiters will receive a 100AED tip for a cup
of coffee, people erect Iftar tents outside their homes and
feed passing strangers at sundown, housewives have their
drivers take them to labour camps to distribute food
parcels. The town is adorned with coloured glass lamps, and
although the days are quiet, the night explodes in vibrant
hues and revellers. Random acts of kindness abound, and
everyone joins in the Iftar feast, Muslim or not.
Thirdly, it’s the physical presence of the religion, and the
beauty carried with it. How could you not love the
architecture of a mosque? Each and every one is a fairytale.
Yesterday I travelled to Abu Dhabi to photograph the Sheikh
Zayed Grand Mosque. I could list all its qualities, but you
can read them for yourself on the links. Instead, just visit
my gallery here, and see the beauty of the place.
It’s magical, regal, bold, delicate, brash, refined,
symmetrical, contemporary and classic. It’s one of those
places where a photographer will become rooted to the spot
and use an entire memory card before taking a step and
finding 100 more views to capture. Perhaps it does not have
the whispers of history in its walls like Hagia Sophia, or
the Alabaster Mosque, but it will, in time.
Islam can be a beautiful thing to observe, even if from the
outside, particularly in a reasonably religiously tolerant
place like Dubai. From the sounds of prayer to the design
that is imprinted on UAE everyday life as well as its
history, to the people – elegant, aloof, and yet giving and
thoughtful. Like its artistic Arabesque, the religion flows
through life with great finesse, decorating everything
around it. And that, when I finally do leave, I will miss.
PURIFICATION
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MIRACLE OF
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IREA
SEEKING
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LESSONS FROM
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In
the winter of 1979 Nabeel Yasin, Iraq's most famous young
poet, gathered together a handful of belongings and fled
Iraq with his wife and son.
Life in Baghdad had become intolerable. Silenced by a series
of brutal beatings at the hands of the Ba'ath Party's Secret
Police and declared an “enemy of the state,” he faced
certain death if he stayed.
Nabeel had grown up in the late 1950s and early '60s in a
large and loving family, amid the domestic drama typical of
Iraq's new middle class, with his mother Sabria working as a
seamstress to send all of her seven children to college.
As his story unfolds, Nabeel meets his future wife and finds
his poetic voice while he is a student.
But Saddam's rise to power ushers in a new era of
repression, imprisonment and betrayal from which few
families will escape intact. In this new climate of
intimidation and random violence Iraqis live in fear and
silence; yet Nabeel’s mother tells him “It is your duty to
write.”
His poetry, a blend of myth and history, attacks the regime
determined to silence him. As Nabeel’s fame and influence as
a poet grows, he is forced into hiding when the Party begins
to dismantle the city’s infrastructure and impose power cuts
and food rationing.
Two of his brothers are already in prison and a third is
used as a human minesweeper on the frontline of the
Iran-Iraq war. After six months in hiding, Nabeel escapes
with his wife and young son to Beirut, Paris, Prague,
Budapest, and finally England. Written by Jo Tatchell, a
journalist who has spent many years in the Middle East and
who is a close friend of Nabeel Yasin’s, Nabeel's Song is
the gripping story of a family and its fateful encounter
with history.
From a warm, lighthearted look at the Yasin family before
the Saddam dictatorship, to the tale of Nabeel’s persecution
and daring flight, and the suspense-filled account of his
family’s rebellion against Saddam's regime, Nabeel's Song is
an intimate, illuminating, deeply human chronicle of a
country and a culture devastated by political repression and
war.
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: When you are invited
to a BBQ and are told not to bring a thing .....this
casserole dish is sure to be everyone's 'favourite'.
Sweet Corn Casserole
Ingredients
4
potatoes
½ cup grated cheese
2 cups frozen corn or 1 tin corn kernels
½ cup fresh cream
1 tsp ground green chillies
Salt and pepper to taste
1 onion sliced
1 tsp jeeru (cummin)
1 tab ghee
Method
1. Cube and sauté potatoes, until done
2. Add, corn, fresh cream, green chillies, salt
and pepper
3. Sauté the slice onion and jeeru in the ghee
and add to the above.
4. Set in a casserole dish and sprinkle a
mixture of cheddar and mozzarella cheese on the
top.
5. Bake at 180 degrees for approx 15 minutes.
Serve
warm.
Ideal to serve at barbeques or as a side dish
with meat.
Q: Dear Kareema, what are some other exercises I
can do besides skipping to get my heart rate up quickly?
A: Try a few minutes of plyometric exercises such as
star jumps, burpees or even a quick cycling session.
These will max out your heart rate and boost your metabolism
in minimal time. Make sure to always use good posture and
technique.
Q: Dear Flightstar Fozi, we are travelling in July to
Canada and Europe and have an eight hour delay in Zurich
airport. Can we leave the airport or what is available to
pass the time ?
Flightsar Fozi:
The centre of Zurich is fewer than 10 minutes by train from
the Zurich airport, with services running every 10 minutes.
Just stow your luggage and head into town.
Take tram no.2 or 4 to Zurich main station, on the airport
website, click on the services for passengers link for
information on options for storing luggage, these include
coin operated lockers through to an attended left luggage
office.
A good starting point for things to see and do in Zurich is
at Switzerland.com.
There is an area on the site dedicated to the city and
surrounds with links depending on your short time there.
That will give you plenty of ideas to amuse yourself there.
One
night Jallaludin, a well-known and wealthy War Lord of a
desert fiefdom, and his wife Begumbibi decided to do
something out of routine and go for a casual dinner at a
restaurant that wasn't too luxurious.
When they were seated, the owner of the restaurant asked
the War Lord's bodyguards if he could please speak to
the wife of the War Lord in private.
They obliged and Begumbibi had a conversation with the
owner.
Following this conversation the War Lord asked Begumbibi,
why was he so interested in talking to her.
She said he wanted to know what she thought of his menu
and mentioned in passing that in her teenage years, he
had offered his hand in marriage to her but she had
turned him down.
Jallaludin then said, "so if you had married him, you
would now be the owner of this lovely restaurant", to
which Begumbibi responded, "no, if I had married him, he
would now be the War Lord of this province."
Then We
have given the Book for
inheritance to such of Our
servants as We have chosen:
but there are among them
some who wrong their own
souls; some who follow a
middle course; and some who
are, by Allah's leave,
foremost in good deeds; that
is the highest Grace.
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.
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.
The
third container for the
victims of the recent Fiji
floods was fully packed
yesterday with groceries,
baby goods, clothing, school
books, linen, crockery and
other items. MCF thanked the
sponsors donors and
volunteers who made this
possible. 
The
final telecast of the
12-week SeekersCircle class
entitled Mizaan al Amal (The
Balanced Criterion of
Action) was hosted on Friday
4 May at the IWAQ Office.
The weekly class was
organised by the As-Salaam
Institute, in conjunction
with the Al-Ghazzali Centre
based in Sydney. As a
refresher, the content of
the course was based on Imam
al-Ghazzali's book Mizaan al
Amal, in which he explains
the "criteria for judging
human actions to be right or
wrong."
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. 
In
the winter of 1979 Nabeel Yasin, Iraq's most famous young
poet, gathered together a handful of belongings and fled
Iraq with his wife and son.
Flightsar Fozi:
The centre of Zurich is fewer than 10 minutes by train from
the Zurich airport, with services running every 10 minutes.
Just stow your luggage and head into town. 
One
night Jallaludin, a well-known and wealthy War Lord of a
desert fiefdom, and his wife Begumbibi decided to do
something out of routine and go for a casual dinner at a
restaurant that wasn't too luxurious.
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011