More
than 500 men and
women turned out at
the joint United
Muslims of
Brisbane/Kuraby
Mosque event held at
the Islamic College
of Brisbane
last night
(Saturday).
Leading up to the
keynote talk by Sh.
Yusha Evans of the
USA were Sh. Abu
Hamza from New South
Wales and two young,
new found local
talents who
entertained the
audience with a
couple of
nasheeds they
composed together.
After
a break for dinner,
Mr Hussin Goss led
the auctioning of
frames to collect
monies for the
Syrian appeal.
Master of Ceremonies
for the night, Mr.
Khalil Gerard John,
kept a very packed
programme rolling
along well into the
night.
I
look forward to seeing The
Dictator, Sacha Baron
Cohen's latest attempt at
lampooning other cultures,
which is released today. I
will watch with interest not
because I'm convinced it
will be much of a film but
because, as an Arab Muslim,
I'm curious about how we are
portrayed in modern cinema.
Judging by the trailer and
early reviews, Cohen
delivers your garden-variety
Arab dictator, all beard and
attractive female guards.
Arab-American comedian Dean
Obeidallah has, somewhat
controversially, already
called it a modern-day
''blackface'' - he's not
opposed to mockery of Arabs
in general, but he takes aim
at the mean-spiritedness of
poking fun at a race when
there is no participation
from the people themselves.
I take his point.
I'm all for political and
social satire, but in a
world where Arabs and
Muslims are consistently
relegated to the role of cab
driver, convenience-store
owner, terrorist or tyrant,
the yawn factor has well and
truly set in. Where there is
humour, it seems primarily
to be at our expense.
I nearly fell off my chair
when, a few years ago, Adam
Sandler attempted to tackle
the Palestinian-Israeli
conflict with toilet humour
in You Don't Mess with the
Zohan. I approached with
caution but because I loved
Billy Madison I was willing
to reserve judgment. Rob
Schneider as a member of
Hezbollah could have been
funny. Unfortunately it was
not. Arabs were, once again,
the underdogs - primarily a
subject of disdain or pity
in all of Sandler's
cartoonish buffoonery, and
terrorists, too.
Conversely, I nearly burst
with excitement when I came
across an independent film
called Amreeka a couple of
years ago. Written and
directed by
Palestinian-American Cherien
Dabis, it told the tale of a
Palestinian Christian woman
moving to the US from the
West Bank. It didn't spew
political drama or point
fingers; it told humorously
a sweet and empathetic story
about facing life's
challenges with courage and
heart.
I sat in a near empty cinema
in tears, amazed that I was
finally seeing something of
my own life on screen. Yet
the typical one-dimensional
approach to the
stereotypical Arab is not
confined to cinema.
Arabs are increasingly and
successfully expressing
themselves through creative
works. These are not
attempts to "dispel the
myths" and "humanise" Arabs
and Muslims. We are already
human - living, breathing,
yearning like everyone else
but using, at times, a
slightly different rule
book. We are simply telling
our stories.
And while characters who
happen to be Arab or Muslim
are few and far between, it
is they who will make a
difference to how we're
perceived.
Liz Lemon mistakenly
thinking her Arab neighbours
are terrorists on 30 Rock,
when they're really
preparing an audition tape
for The Amazing Race, is
funny and well-intentioned,
but it's still all about
shattering misconceptions.
We have some way to go.
Hollywood, take note - the
Arabs are coming. We're
happy to poke fun at
ourselves; can you let us in
on the joke?
Amal Awad is a
Sydney editor and
author of Courting
Samira.
Pakistani
Shabbir Ahmad,
with daughters
Khadijal, 9, and
Zahra, 5 , at
the University
of Queensland,
is studying for
his second
doctorate.
Picture: Lyndon
Mechielsen
Source:
The Australian
PAKISTAN
has become the top growth
market in the struggling
international education
industry, even though
revenue from its neighbour
India fell almost $1 billion
in a single year.
New
Australian Bureau of
Statistics figures reveal
that Australia's
fourth-biggest export
industry is turning to new
markets to counter a $2.2bn
loss of revenue last year.
Experts say some of the new
students are attracted to
Australia by the prospect of
working or even claiming
refugee status.
Earnings from the top 12
markets all fell last year,
topped by India, which
slumped by 37 per cent, but
Pakistan bucked the trend,
with revenue rising 15 per
cent to $253 million.
The Philippines was the only
other significant market to
record an increase, with
earnings rising 13 per cent
to $205m. All other top 25
markets experienced
declines.
Revenue from Pakistan has
risen steadily, more than
tripling over the past five
years. Earnings from the
boom-bust Indian market have
almost halved in two years,
collapsing from a 2009 peak
of $3.1bn.
Shabbir
Ahmad, a PhD economics
student at the University of
Queensland, said fellow
Pakistanis were being lured
to Australia by the
availability of scholarships
from both countries.
Dr Shabbir, who is studying
for his second doctorate,
said he had come to
Australia because the
leading academics in his
field -- efficiency and
productivity analysis --
were based here.
He said while his family had
been denied public health
and schooling in Australia,
the overall experience had
been positive. "As far as
the academic environment
goes, I'm very happy, and
people are very welcoming,"
he said.
However, international
education researcher Alan
Olsen said the growth in the
Pakistani market was in
vocational training, not
top-end higher education.
Mr Olsen said that while the
number of Pakistani students
had increased by about 1200
last year, private
vocational students had
claimed about 1000 of them.
As far as
the academic
environment
goes, I'm
very happy,
and people
are very
welcoming.
Dr
Shabbir
Ahmad
International
Education Association of
Australia executive director
Phil Honeywood said some
colleges had moved staff to
Pakistan to help meet the
demand.
He said most
Pakistani students came for
genuine educational
purposes, but significant
numbers were here for work
and residency opportunities
in a peaceful country.
"It's
dangerous in Pakistan," said
Mr Honeywood, a former
Victorian tertiary education
minister.
He said many Pakistanis
studied for business
diplomas at private colleges
at a cost of about $9000.
This gave them advance
standing in university
degrees, which in turn
conferred the right to work
for two years in Australia
after graduating.
Mr Honeywood said some
students had an ulterior
motive of seeking refugee
status.
He said they had better
chances of success if they
settled in as students and
"worked out the lay of the
land" instead of high-stakes
strategies such as applying
at the airport -- and
risking deportation -- or
coming by boat.
Overseas students feature in
the caseload of the Refugee
Review Tribunal, which
examines unsuccessful
applications for protection
visas. Last month, the
tribunal effectively upheld
an application by a
Pakistani student who had
sought protection after a
year in Australia, claiming
he would face danger in his
home country as a minority
Shi'ite.
But in March the tribunal
knocked back an appeal by
another Shi'ite who had
applied after 17 months on a
student visa, claiming to
have been attacked twice in
Pakistan. The tribunal
questioned the "well-foundedness"
of his fears, given the
substantial delay in his
application.
Mr Honeywood said some
Pakistani students arrived
with harrowing stories of
abuse by the Taliban, but he
was aware of contrived
applications such as
students converting to
Christianity in Australia
and then seeking refugee
status on religious grounds.
Mother’s Day
came early to Brisbane's
Wisdom College as it was
time for the students to say
thanks and turn the tables
and look after their Mums.
Wisdom College laid out a
special morning tea for
Mother’s day. All the
mothers and grandmothers
from the school were invited
and it quickly turned into a
full house. Set out with a
lovely garden backdrop, it
turned into a lovely place
for the Mums to be spoilt.
Each class
prepared the food for the
morning tea and there were a
lot of junior MasterChefs
running around cooking up a
treat. On arrival, the Mums
were escorted to their table
which were beautifully
decorated by the students.
The senior students became
waiters for the day, and
served the food to the Mums.
Each class
prepared poems and songs for
the morning, and there were
many teary eyed Mothers by
the end of the heartfelt
presentations. Afterwards
they were even pampered by
some of the middle school
students and walked away
creamed, coloured, and
massaged, and hopefully a
little more relaxed. To top
it off they also received a
Mother’s Day gift made by
each of the students.
It’s no
mystery that people like
Khalil Dale are drawn to the
religion’s ultimate
simplicity.
The discovery
recently in Pakistan of the
body of
Khalil Dale, a British
aid worker, has reminded his
friends of his exceptional
courage and heroism.
We all lived
in awe of his fearlessness.
Once when he was working in
Afghanistan, a colleague of
his was shot in the head
while sitting next to him in
his car; but Khalil didn’t
hesitate to accept a second
posting there. In countries
where even journalists
couldn’t operate, Khalil was
eager to serve.
At the time
he was appointed MBE, he was
reportedly the only
Westerner working in all of
Somalia.
For many non-Muslims,
though, there’s a puzzle.
Why was this saintly and
fearless hero a Muslim? He
defied every conventional
stereotype of what a Muslim
ought to be.
White, highly
qualified and self-evidently
compassionate and caring,
Khalil was a living
challenge to standard
Islamophobic sentiment.
For us
Muslims, Khalil was a
significant figure in a
whole movement: the modern
British turn to Islam.
Perhaps
because it seems so
counter-intuitive, this
important development in our
country’s religious history
is only occasionally
noticed. And because of a
combination of British
diffidence and the fear of
prejudice, many British
Muslims do not publicly
announce their faith. These
are the so-called
“submarines”. I know
practising Muslims in senior
academic posts, in the House
of Lords and in journalism,
whose Islam is a closely
guarded secret. I even know
a Catholic priest and
theology professor who is a
closet convert to Islam.
In the nature
of things one cannot guess
at the number of such
people. But those whose
conversion is known were the
subject of a revealing
Swansea University report
last year. There have been,
it seems, a hundred thousand
British conversions to Islam
in the past decade, compared
with sixty thousand in the
1990s. Despite the shock and
horror of the 9/11
atrocities, Islam is
thriving.
Here’s another puzzle for
the Islamophobe: the typical
convert is a young white
female. Women account for
three quarters of new
Muslims in the UK and
increasingly seek a
high-profile role in Muslim
communities. Last year the
head of America’s main
Muslim organisation was a
white female convert.
British
society is
so diverse
that there
are, as the
Muslim
author
Michael
Wolfe puts
it, “a
thousand and
one roads to
Mecca”.
But this is one of the few
possible generalisations. On
the whole one struggles to
find a pattern. When asked
who converts to Islam and
why, I usually have no
answer. British society is
so diverse that there are,
as the Muslim author Michael
Wolfe puts it, “a thousand
and one roads to Mecca”.
Khalil’s road was, like all
the others, unusual. He
watched the Iranian
revolution in 1979, although
still outside the faith, and
sympathised with what he saw
as a believing people’s
revolt against a cruel
Western-backed autocrat.
Working in northern Kenya,
he became friends with the
imam of a small mosque and
began to feel something of
the peace and serenity that
so many new Muslims
experience. The call to
prayer from the little
minaret had a unique
spiritual appeal. As Liam
Neeson, wrongly reported
earlier this year as having
converted to Islam, put it:
“It just gets into your
spirit, and it’s the most
beautiful, beautiful thing.”
When Iran’s revolution
turned sour, Khalil turned
against it and never showed
sympathy for fundamentalist
movements, which he believed
to have little moral or
spiritual value.
There is a different type of
convert in some deprived
areas, where the problem of
failed relationships, drink
and drugs have reached
crisis proportions for many
young people. Here Islam
spreads as a kind of
ultimate cold-turkey
treatment. In Australia, for
instance, Islam is spreading
fastest among Aboriginal
populations, which have
often been decimated by
alcohol abuse.
We
need to tell
the Muslim
world that
the West is
not only
interested
in invasions
and support
for corrupt
regimes, but
allows a
religious
freedom that
puts many
Muslim
countries to
shame. No
less loudly,
we should be
telling
Westerners
that we
refuse to be
judged by
the
behaviour of
our
fundamentalists.
More common,
though, is the spiritual
wanderer who finds his way
to Islam having rejected
Christianity because of the
complexity of its belief
system. “Ultimate truth
should be ultimately
simple,” a Catholic convert
told me last week, and it
seems that many churchgoers
are bewildered by the
doctrine of the Trinity.
Islam’s simple monotheism,
in an age with little time
for theology, clearly has an
appeal.
Is joining
Islam a rejection of one’s
previous identity? In some
sense every conversion
entails that. But for many
it also involves a
reconnection with aspects of
Britishness that have been
lost to globalisation. My
ancestors, for instance,
were Congregationalist
teetotallers and, in a
sense, my conversion joined
me strangely to strict
ancestors who “took the
pledge”.
Where is our movement going?
For Khalil, Islam was not a
movement at all, but a
private love for God that
enabled him to give his life
in service to others. Yet at
a time when many Muslims and
non-Muslims alike believe in
an inexorable “clash of
civilisations”, the convert
occupies an overlap zone
between two worlds and
inevitably shoulders a
political responsibility.
We need to tell the Muslim
world that the West is not
only interested in invasions
and support for corrupt
regimes, but allows a
religious freedom that puts
many Muslim countries to
shame. No less loudly, we
should be telling Westerners
that we refuse to be judged
by the behaviour of our
fundamentalists. We have
found Islam to be a path to
God in an age of uncertainty
and moral decline. Here we
stand; we cannot do
otherwise.
Abdal Hakim Murad
(Tim Winter) is the
Shaykh Zayed
Lecturer in Islamic
Studies at the
University of
Cambridge
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. 21
Dr Amr
Khaled
Preacher and
Social
Activist
Amr
Khaled has been
a televangelist
to the Islamic
world since
1998. Khaled was
described as the
‘world’s most
influential
Muslim
television
preacher’ by The
New York Times
Magazine, and
ranked as the
13th most
influential
person in the
world by TIME
Magazine in
2007. He
communicates
through his TV
shows and web
campaigns using
Islamic ethics
as a way to
inspire, foster
community
development,
tolerance and
inter-cultural
relations.
Popular Media
Figure
Part of Khaled’s
influence
derives from the
fact that he
appeals to the
common person.
He holds a
degree in
accounting, and
has no formal
religious
education; wears
suits and ties,
not flowing
robes; and has a
clean-shaven
face except for
a trimmed
moustache—everything
you do not
expect from a
Muslim preacher.
His everyman
appeal has lead
to immense
popularity.
Khaled’s
television shows
are broadcast by
four Arab
satellite
stations but air
primarily on
Saudi-based
religious
channel Iqraa.
Khaled’s
speeches are
published
online, on
bestselling
cassettes and
CDs. His website
is translated
from Arabic into
nearly twenty
languages and it
rivals Oprah
Winfrey’s in
terms of
traffic. His
videos have
racked up 26
million hits on
YouTube, and he
boasts over
three million
followers on
Facebook.
Voice for
Muslim Youths
Amr Khaled is a
pioneering
Muslim preacher
and effective
social activist
who is revered
by many as the
leader of a
revival in the
Muslim World,
but his
influence stems
largely from the
fact that he
engages young
people. Youths
in the Middle
East and North
Africa face
disproportionate
challenges, such
as unemployment
and social
exclusion—obstacles
which make it
difficult to
compete with
development in
other areas of
the world. Faith
is important to
young people in
the Middle East,
but they do not
connect with the
majority of
preachers whose
teachings do not
speak to the
problems in
their lives.
Khaled is
credited with
the launch of
the first
“Muslim reality
TV show”
Mujaddidun on
Dubai
Television,
where 16 young
participants
from all over
the Arab world
compete over who
can make the
most morally
conscious
contributions to
their societies.
Community
Development
Khaled’s goal is
to encourage
community
development in
the Muslim World
by its own
people with
religious faith
as the guiding
inspiration—something
he believes
should be linked
to interfaith
dialogue,
tolerance and
moderation. The
break up of
communities is
something Khaled
sees as
responsible for
the malaise in
the Muslim
World, and
something he
believes puts
the future of
young people in
jeopardy. One
program he has
launched to
realize this
objective of
community
development is
Life Makers,
which has a
stated goal of
producing a
renaissance for
the Arab and
Muslim Worlds.
The Arab
Spring
•• Amr Khaled
marched with the
protestors in
Tahrir Square
and supported
the revolutions
that took place
in the Arab
World.
The
reasonable
among us
must be
heard and
our voices
must come
out clearer
than the
voices of
the
extremists.
Mercy Family
Services is seeking experienced, enthusiastic people
with the capacity to work in a dynamic environment
to join its multicultural team to provide support
for clients in the Community Care and Support
Services Program operating at Brisbane and Logan.
For a
professional ironing service
contact Waseema on 0413 531
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The swooping curves of the
London Olympics aquatics
centre, the three-pool
swimming and diving complex
designed by Zaha Hadid Architects the
firm of one of the most
famous and creative
architects in the world at a
cost of £253m was described
as "nuts", "fantastic" and
"delicious". A British
Muslim,
Zaha Hadid, was born in
1950 in Baghdad.
Leading architects Amanda
Levete and Piers Gough and
critic Charles Jencks gave
their verdict on the key
venues of the London Olympic
site. They were blown away
by the beauty of the
Aquatics Centre and the
Velodrome – but left deeply
underwhelmed by the main
stadium
The walk to the poolside,
past artfully placed rows of
holstered hairdryers, is an
architectural experience in
itself. The corridors run at
acute angles, a Hadid
trademark, and the esoteric
geometries of the changing
rooms are not what you would
expect from a municipal
swimming baths. But that is
what this facility will
become after the Games.
"Oh wow, this is
spectacular," said Levete as
she entered to see the blue
pools glowing under
high-wattage lights, the
ceiling swooping like a
swimmer's dolphin kick and
rakes of temporary seating
soaring up on both sides.
The building is so huge it
makes the 50-metre
competition pool look like a
local swimming bath half the
size.
"Without question, the
aquatics centre is the star
building," she said. "It is
a spectacular expression of
its sport, resolved in its
form and beautifully
detailed."
"Bloody hell!" said Gough as
he gazed up at the wave-like
ceiling. "The way the roof
spans all the way is just
nuts and fantastic. It is
delicious."
Kansa,
USA: Norwin administrators are defending a middle
school social studies textbook that a local pastor
called "an Islamic Trojan horse" in requesting that
the district revise its curriculum involving the
religion.
In an administrative report this week,
Superintendent William Kerr said the textbook is "an
acceptable reference for the seventh-grade global
studies course of study."
The book, "myWorld History: Early Ages," is one of
several used in seventh-grade social studies "to
teach comparative religions in a nondevotional,
instructional manner," according to the district.
In March, The Rev. Bruce Leonatti of Zion Lutheran
Church in Circleville told the school board that the
book "promotes Islam over Christianity and Judaism"
and "denigrates Christians."
Leonatti said he plans to present a second report to
the district about two textbooks under consideration
for purchase because he disagrees with how they
describe the Muslim aspect of the 9/11 terrorist
attacks.
Leonatti, who formerly taught history at Duquesne
High School and in Ohio, contends the social studies
text is riddled with errors. He said he's involved
with "ACT! For America," whose mission is to "give
Americans concerned about national security,
terrorism, and the threat of radical Islam, a
powerful, organized, informed and mobilized voice,"
according to its website.
The book's publisher, Pearson Education, "reaffirmed
its commitment to a balanced and accurate coverage
of world religions." The "myWorld History" program
is used in thousands of classrooms nationwide, a
spokeswoman said.
....there
are no
errors or
misrepresentations
in the
textbook at
issue....
William
Kerr
Kerr states in the report that "there are no
errors or misrepresentations in the textbook at
issue which are significant enough to render it
unusable as a curricular resource."
"I believe the board has been very supportive of
our teachers and administrators and concur that
the administrative report brings closure to this
topic," Kerr said.
As part of the administrative review, the
district asked a second pastor, the Rev. Clifton
J. Suehr, to review the book. Suehr is pastor of
Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity
in Irwin and president of the Norwin Ministerium.
In his report to the district, SueSuehr called
the book "well-written and enriching" and
"well-suited for middle school-aged youth."
"Without using inflammatory language, a
historical overview is presented in an
even-handed manner," Suehr wrote.
Leonatti said he believes a conflict of interest
exists because Tracy McNelly, assistant
superintendent of secondary education, is a
member of Suehr's church and helped to review
the book for the district.
Without
using
inflammatory
language, a
historical
overview is
presented in
an
even-handed
manner.
Rev.
Clifton
Suehr
But Kerr said there is no conflict of interest
and "no validity to any conspiracy theory."
"(Suehr's) credentials are exceptional," he
said. "Why not reach out to a very
well-respected and well-known community member
here in Norwin?"
Kerr said the district will address curriculum
issues as they arise.
"Whatever time it takes, we'll take the
necessary time to do any comprehensive review,"
he said.
The district's focus should remain on teacher
quality and the effectiveness of how they
instruct, he said.
"Norwin isn't going to have any curriculum or
textbook that's going to be harmful to
students," Kerr said. "We are here in this case
to teach about cultures. Part of culture is
religion and tradition. We have made every
effort to teach comparative religion in a
nonbiased, nondevotional way."
Some
passages taken from "myWorld History: Early Ages"
that
The Rev. Bruce Leonatti objects to:
• "Religious
toleration also helped the Arab Muslim
Empire expand."
• "The Arab Muslim empire was generally
tolerant towards Jews and Christians."
• "As the Arab Muslims build their
empire, Islam spread peacefully both
inside the empire and to the lands
beyond its borders."
• "Mobs of Christian peasants turned on
those Jews who would not convert to
Christianity."
• "Medieval Christians would not
tolerate even minor differences in
beliefs."
Sheikh Al-Sudais named head
of the Presidency for Two Holy Mosques
Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais,
imam and khateeb of the
Grand Mosque in Makkah,
(pictured left) has been
appointed head of the
Presidency for the Two Holy
Mosques with the rank of a
minister, a Royal Court
announcement said yesterday.
Al-Sudais, a learned Islamic
scholar, replaces Sheikh
Saleh Al-Hosain, who had
requested higher authorities
to relieve him from the
position. Sheikh Al-Sudais
is known for his melodious
Qur’an recitation that has
inspired Muslim faithful
across the world.
“We have accepted the
request of Sheikh Saleh Al-Hosain
to be relieved of his
position as head of the
Presidency of the Two Holy
Mosques because of health
reasons and appointed Sheikh
Abdul Rahman Al-Sudais in
his place,” Custodian of the
Two Holy Mosques King
Abdullah said in a royal
decree.
Born in 1382H in Riyadh, Al-Sudais
memorized the whole Qur’an
when he was 12 under the
supervision of Sheikh Abdul
Rahman Al-Firyan. He
graduated from the Faculty
of Shariah in Riyadh in
1403H.
In 1404H, Sheikh Al-Sudais
was appointed imam and
khateeb of the Grand Mosque.
Sheikh Saleh Al-Nasser,
Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Asheikh
(present mufti), Sheikh
Saleh Al-Atram, Sheikh
Abdullah Al-Jibrin and
Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Dawood
are some of his teachers. He
was also closely associated
with former mufti Sheikh
Abdul Aziz Binbaz.
In 1404H, Sheikh Al-Sudais
was appointed imam and
khateeb of the Grand Mosque.
In 1408H he received his
master’s degree from Imam
Muhammad bin Saud Islamic
University in Riyadh. He
worked as a lecturer at the
College of Shariah in Umm
Al-Qura University, which
awarded him a doctorate
degree in 1416H.
Sheikh Al-Sudais used to
deliver lectures on various
Islamic topics such as
Islamic faith,
jurisprudence, Qur’an
commentary and Hadith at the
Grand Mosque. He also gave
Islamic rulings on various
issues presented by pilgrims
during the Haj season.
He has delivered several
lectures inside and outside
the Kingdom. During the past
two years he visited India,
Pakistan, Malaysia and
Britain. He has published
several research papers on
various topics including a
message to Muslim women.
Last year, Al-Sudais visited
the Higher Institute for
Advanced Islamic Studies in
Malaysia where he gave a
lecture on Islamic
civilization in the backdrop
of modern challenges. He
said Islam was facing
challenges from within and
outside the Muslim
community.
Lady Gaga will have to
cancel her sold-out show in
Indonesia following protests
by Islamic organizations and
lawmakers, who said her sexy
clothes and dance moves will
corrupt the country’s youth.
National police spokesman
Boy Rafli Amar, responding
to the pressure, said that
the permit for her June 3
“Born This Way Ball” concert
had been denied.
US military college taught
that Islam is America's enemy
The Guardian, the BBC and
the Daily Mail last week
covered the news that an
optional course taught at a
US military college in
Virginia contained teaching
material which instructed
officers that there is no
such thing as ‘moderate
Islam’, that Islam is the
enemy of America, and that
Hiroshima style attacks
against the Islamic holy
cities of Mecca and Madinah
could be envisaged.
“A course for US military officers has been teaching
that America's enemy is Islam in general and suggesting
that the country might ultimately have to obliterate the
Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina without regard
for civilian deaths, following second world war
precedents of the nuclear attack on Hiroshima.
“The Pentagon suspended the course in late April when a
student objected to the material. The FBI also changed
some agent training last year after discovering that it,
too, was critical of Islam.
“The teaching in the military course was counter to
repeated assertions by US officials over the past decade
that America is at war against Islamic extremists, not
the religion itself.
“"They hate everything you stand for and will never
coexist with you, unless you submit," the
instructor, Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Dooley, said in a
presentation last July for the course at Joint Forces
Staff College in Norfolk, Virginia. The college, for
professional military members, teaches mid-level
officers and government civilians on subjects related to
planning and executing war.
“Dooley also presumed, for the purposes of his
theoretical war plan, that the Geneva conventions that
set standards of armed conflict, are "no longer
relevant".
“He adds: "This would leave open the option once
again of taking war to a civilian population wherever
necessary (the historical precedents of Dresden, Tokyo,
Hiroshima, Nagasaki being applicable to the Mecca and
Medina destruction decision point)."
“His war plan suggests possible outcomes such as
"Saudi Arabia threatened with starvation ... Islam
reduced to cult status".
........completely
nutty stuff
that would
disgrace the
wilder
fringes of
the
blogosphere.
Mark
Mardell
“A military service record summary provided by army
human resources at Fort Knox, Kentucky, shows that
Dooley was commissioned as a second lieutenant upon
graduation from the US military academy at West Point,
New York, in May 1994. He has served tours in Germany,
Bosnia, Kuwait and Iraq. He has numerous awards
including a Bronze Star medal, the fourth-highest US
combat award.
“In what he termed a model for a campaign to force a
transformation of Islam, Dooley called for "a direct
ideological and philosophical confrontation with Islam",
with the presumption that Islam is an ideology rather
than just a religion.
“He further asserted that Islam has already declared war
on the west, and the US specifically.
“"It is therefore illogical" to continue with the
current US strategy, which Dooley said presumes there is
a way of finding common ground with Islamic religious
leaders, without "waging near total war".
“The course on Islam had been taught since 2004…It was
offered five times a year, with about 20 students each
time.”
What does
seem rather
surprising
is that all
those
commanders,
captains and
colonels
must have
sat through
the course
and not felt
the need to
tell someone
that
something
rather weird
was going
on.
Mark
Mardell
Mark Mardell, the BBC’s North America editor, adds that,
America's top military officer, Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, has condemned
the course as "totally objectionable". General
Dempsey said the course “ran counter to our values of
appreciation for religious freedom and cultural
awareness" and was "just objectionable,
academically irresponsible".
The BBC states that "...not surprisingly, Gen Dempsey
has ordered a full investigation into what other US
military schools might be teaching about the religion.”
The investigation to be undertaken in light of this
revelation is not without merit given a former incident
involving FBI training manuals which portrayed offensive
and inaccurate information on Islam and which seemed to
suggest that infringing Muslim civil liberties in
counter-terrorism efforts was justified.
As Mark Mardell comments on the BBC, “As far as I can
see this is not intended in any sense as a rather sick
academic exercise in stretching the bounds of what could
be thought. It is actually what the officer teaching it
believes.
“In other words: completely nutty stuff that would
disgrace the wilder fringes of the blogosphere.
“What does seem rather surprising is that all those
commanders, captains and colonels must have sat through
the course and not felt the need to tell someone that
something rather weird was going on.”
FORTUNATE
ONES WHOM ALLAH
LOVES
Sheikh Ahmad Abu
Ghazaleh
DETAILS OF
PROHIBITIONS IN
ISLAM
Sheikh Shady
Al-Suleiman
IMPORTANCE OF
DAWAH
Brother Waseem
Rasvi
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SUPPORTING LOCAL
MUSLIM AND
MUSLIM FRIENDLY
BUSINESS
Dr. Alfred Jones is a henpecked, slightly pompous
middle-aged scientist at the National Centre for Fisheries
Excellence in London when he is approached by a mysterious
sheikh about an outlandish plan to introduce the sport of
salmon fishing into the Yemen.
Dr. Jones refuses, but the project, however scientifically
absurd, catches the eye of British politicians, who pressure
him to work on it. His diaries of the Yemen Salmon Project,
from beginning to glorious, tragic end, form the narrative
backbone of this novel; interspersed throughout are
government memos, e-mails, letters, and interview
transcripts that deftly capture the absurdity of
bureaucratic dysfunction.
With a wickedly wonderful cast of characters—including a
weasel-like spin doctor, a missing soldier and his intrepid
fiancée, and Dr. Jones’s own devilish wife—Salmon Fishing in
the Yemen is the whimsical story of an unlikely hero who
discovers true love, finds himself first a pawn and then a
victim of political spin, and learns to believe in the
impossible.
Would you like
to see the cover of your favourite book on our book shelves
below?
Using the
book club you can see what books fellow CCN readers
have on their shelves, what they are reading and
even what they, and others, think of them.
KB says: This week Sameera
Docrat Surtee shares a recipe with us that is very different
from the traditional red pasta sauce and the pesto that I
would normally make from basil.
After watching MasterChef this week I am
going to try my hand at making my own fresh pasta which may
be the only improvement to this perfect recipe.
Mediterranean Styled Penne Pasta with Coriander Pesto
Step 1
Pesto:
1 bunch coriander
3 cloves of garlic
3 green chillies
3 Tb ground almonds
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup water
Liquidise altogether and set aside.
Step 2
In a large pot heat 2 tab of olive oil
and sauté the following for 2 minutes
1/2 Spanish onion, sliced
1/2 red pepper, sliced
1/2 green pepper, sliced
1 green chilly, sliced
Add
1 tsp ground garlic
1 Tb Italian herbs
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
1 tsp crushed cumin
1 Tb lemon juice
Step 3
When onions are translucent add 250g sliced
mushrooms. Toss for a few minutes, until almost
done, then add the pesto and simmer for 5
minutes Stir in 1/2 tub sour cream (300g tub)
When heated through and sauce begins to bubble,
remove from heat.
Step 4
Add the following and mix well.
1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
1/4 cup semi dried roma cherry tomatoes
375g penne pasta, boiled and drained
Splash of extra virgin olive oil
Before serving top with cubed Danish feta cheese
and fresh coriander leaves.
Q: Dear Kareema, I need a bit of a boost as I’m
feeling a little ‘out of sorts’ because I’ve been slacking
off
on exercise due to the colder mornings and evenings. What do
you suggest I do?
A: Rebuilt or re-boot your fitness over the next few
weeks by starting with 60sec mini-sessions straight away,
and slowly build from there. If it’s too cold to head
outdoors then do what you can indoors, eg. skip for a
minute, do the plank for some killer abs, sit tight (use a
gym ball while watching tv), do some sit-ups and
tricep dips while the ads are on, etc. Keep it simple but be
creative and have fun while you’re at it.
Don’t think about doing an hour of exercise at a time –
short, sharp bursts will have you feeling better
and fitter in no time.
Jalalluddin had just finished reading the book "Man of
the House."
He stormed into the kitchen and walked directly up to
his wife, pointing a finger in her face, he said,
"From now on I want you to know that I am the man of the
house and my word is law. I want you to prepare me a
gourmet meal tonight, and when I'm finished eating my
meal, I expect a scrumptious dessert. Then, after
dinner, you are going to draw me my bath so I can relax.
And when I'm finished with my bath, guess who's going to
dress me and comb my hair?
Jalalluddin's wife replies, "The Muslim funeral services
would be my guess."
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
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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.
I
look forward to seeing The
Dictator, Sacha Baron
Cohen's latest attempt at
lampooning other cultures,
which is released today. I
will watch with interest not
because I'm convinced it
will be much of a film but
because, as an Arab Muslim,
I'm curious about how we are
portrayed in modern cinema.
Dr
Shabbir
Ahmad
Amr
Khaled has been
a televangelist
to the Islamic
world since
1998. Khaled was
described as the
‘world’s most
influential
Muslim
television
preacher’ by The
New York Times
Magazine, and
ranked as the
13th most
influential
person in the
world by TIME
Magazine in
2007. He
communicates
through his TV
shows and web
campaigns using
Islamic ethics
as a way to
inspire, foster
community
development,
tolerance and
inter-cultural
relations.
Community Care and Support 
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. 
Kansa,
USA: Norwin administrators are defending a middle
school social studies textbook that a local pastor
called "an Islamic Trojan horse" in requesting that
the district revise its curriculum involving the
religion.
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011