The blessed
month of Ramadan is once
again approaching us.
Millions of
Muslims across the world
will be fasting during
Ramadan from dawn to sunset
each day.
This year,
the 9th month of the Islamic
lunar calendar, will be
starting at the end of this
week.
CCN wishes all our Muslim
Readers and their family and
friends a spiritually
uplifting month of fasting,
prayer and contemplation.
PS: While we
in Australia enjoy the
shorter winter days of
fasting spare a thought for
our brothers and sisters in
Europe who will start
fasting at around 2am, break
fast at around 9.30pm and
start their taraweeh at
close on midnight.
The federal
member for Oxley, Burney
Ripoll MP opened the new
Building the Education
Revolution (BER)
multipurpose hall at the
Australian International
Islamic College (AIIC) in
Durack during the week on
behalf of Prime Minister
Julia Gillard and the
Australian government.
College CEO, Mr. Keysar Trad
welcomed the guests and
thanked the pupils, their
parents, the teachers, the
community and the state and
federal governments for
supporting the college.
The opening ceremony
included a play and a
gymnastics display put on by
the students of the school.
College
acting board chair Mr.
Shahid Khan thanked the
Australian government for
its funding of the project
as well as Mr. Omar Habul of
Habul Constructions for his
quality workmanship.
“This hall
has already proven to be a
great educational and
sporting asset for our
school and our local
community, ” Mr Trad told
CCN.
School
principal Dr. Ray Barrett
outlined the academic
achievements of the college
and the diversity of courses
on offer adding that the
school will continue to
offer academic excellence
through a wide range of
subjects and will make
available to the Brisbane
community a wide range of
academic and sporting
scholarships to ensure its
value as a major asset to
Queensland.
In his speech to officially
open the multipurpose hall,
Mr. Ripoll thanked the AIIC
community for investing
hundreds of thousands of
dollars more than the BER
grant to ensure that the
hall would serve the needs
of the pupils and the
community for a long time to
come.
The AIIC
guest list at this opening
included Mr. Bernie Ripoll
MP, Mr. Anthony Shorten MP,
Mr. Graham Perrett MP, Mr.
Mark Stewart MP, Cr. Angela
Owen Taylor, QLD Police
Commissioner Bob Atkinson,
Assistant Commissioner Brent
Carter, ICB Board Chair Mr.
Mohamed Yusuf, ICB Principal
Dr. Mubarak Noor along with
other ICB and ICQ board
members, Dr. Grant Watson
and Ms. Kerry Hands (BGA),
Imam Dr. Tareq (Ipswich
Mosque) and Br. Jamal El
Kholed (Australian
Association of Logan City).
Srs. Galila and Shukria (IWAQ)
, Mr. Brian Adams, Griffith
University Mutlifaith
centre, Sr. Janeth Deen (MCF),
College trustees Br Yusuf
Limbada and Imam Ahmad
Azhari, AIIC board members
Brs Shahid Khan, Shamsher
Ali, Taher Ali, M. Taher
Sukkariah and Br. Aziz Khan
and many other community
leaders and guests.
Guest speakers of Olympian
standing in the Queensland
Muslim community took to the
starting blocks of the
Islamic College of
Brisbane's multi-purpose
hall last night (Saturday)
to set a pace for the
impending fasting month.
Among the
participants who took to the
podium were the Imams of the
local Mosques with Master of
Ceremonies, Mr. Ismail
Mohammed, keeping them on
track through the evening.
After
speaking on a range of
issues on how to make the
most of the month of
ramadhan, the relay team
handed the baton to Sheikh
Aslam Abu Ismaeel to take
the proceedings to the
finish line with his focus
on the night of Lailatul
Qadr and Itikaaf on the last
ten days of the month.
On the final
stretch of the meeting, the
Imams were put to the test
once again as they were
called to respond on a
number of topics that
included social media,
music, food, mosques, etc.
It was (dare
we say it) gold medal
performances all round, with
spontaneous takbeers and
cries of mashallah from the
audience.
ACT planners
have been told that women in
burqas will scare children
in Gungahlin if Canberra's
Muslim community proceeds
with plans to build a mosque
in the area.
The ACT Planning and Land
Authority has received more
than 50 submissions in
response to the proposed
development (artist
impression of the Gungahlin
Mosque pictured above)
on The Valley Avenue.
It follows a campaign by a
group called the ''Concerned
Citizens of Canberra'' that
urged residents to object to
the development because of
its ''social impact'' and
concerns about traffic and
noise.
The Canberra Times revealed
on Saturday that the group's
spokesman, Irwin Ross, is a
Christian fundamentalist
activist who describes
himself as a pastor with
Olive Tree Ministries.
More than 30 submissions
lodged with ACTPLA object to
the development on grounds
including traffic, parking,
design, lack of consultation
and, according to one
anonymous submission, claims
the mosque is not
''compatible with Australian
values and Australian law''.
But a further 20 Canberra
residents wrote to the
government in support of the
development, some
complaining about the
anonymous anti-mosque flyers
that were delivered to their
homes.
One objection to the mosque
asks the ACT government if
it can ''assure the citizens
of Gungahlin that this
centre will not be taken
over by extremists, bent on
bringing chaos to our
immediate community''.
Another claims the sight of
women wearing burqas will be
''perturbing'' for children
in the area.
One Gungahlin resident
complains Muslims have to:
''obey the Koran and
therefore Sharia law. This
means that Sharia law will
always come first and
Australian law second''.
''I am particularly worried
about the women and girls,''
the resident's letter
states.
''In the DA [development
application] several rooms
are allocated for weekend
classes - which means that
all the girls from early age
on will have Koran lessons
and therefore will have no
real chance to get
integrated in Australian
society.''
A number of objections use
template letters supplied by
the Concerned Citizens of
Canberra, while several
others complain the mosque
will create too much traffic
congestion.
However, 20 letters urge the
ACT government to approve
the development, with one
submission stating it will
''complement the two
existing churches''. ''As a
resident of Gungahlin town
centre I would be materially
affected by this
development,'' the
submission states.
''As such I strongly support
this development.
''It is appropriate to the
town centre, an appropriate
design and the road network
is designed to handle the
surges in traffic.''
Another resident complains
about the flyer they
received from the Concerned
Citizens of Canberra and
says the group's objections
to the mosque are ''flimsy
at best and outright bigoted
at worst''.
''Though I am not a
religious person I feel that
someone should be just as
free to build a mosque as a
church and having it near
Gungahlin town centre seems
as good a location as any in
the area,'' the submission
states.
A spokeswoman for the
Environment and Sustainable
Development Directorate said
additional submissions were
still arriving by post and
were being accepted,
provided the letter was
stamped before the deadline
for comment.
Meanwhile, the Australian
Motorists Party candidate
for Ginninderra Chic Henry
said he believed the
development would create
traffic congestion.
An official
luncheon in honour of His
Excellency Mr Nasir Ahmad
Andisha Ambassador of
the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan to Australia was
held at the Speaker’s Dining
Room of Queensland's
Parliament House.
The function
was hosted by Mrs Lisa
France, Assistant
Minister for Natural
Resources and Mines.
The
Ambassador spoke of the
challenges his government
faced in Afghanistan and the
need for measures to reduce
the unemployed rate
currently in excess of 40
percent, without taking into
account the female
population of the country.
He saw the steady increase
in girls attending schools
as a hope for the future of
the country and encouraged
the Afghan diaspora to lend
their skills in the
development and exploitation
of the country's natural
resources.
Ambassador
Anhisha's response to the
public execution in
Afghanistan of a 23 year-old
woman captured in a video
can be heard in this ABC
interview that was
conducted soon after the
meeting.
(L to R)
Dr Mustafa Ally (Crescents of Brisbane), Mr
Hassan Ghulam (Aust. Hazara Federation), Ms
Gayle O’Brien (DATSIMA), Mr Nick Xynias (ECCQ),
Mr Gary Page (MAQ), Ms Sediqa Karimi (Radio
4EB), Ms Yasmin Khan (Eidfest), His
Excellency Mr Nasir Ahmad Andisha
(Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of
Afghanistan to Australia), Mrs Lisa France
(Assistant Minister for Natural Resources
and Mines), Mr Darren Grimwade MP (Member
for Morayfield), Mr Mohammed Yusuf (ICQ), Ms
Faiza El-Higzi (Romero Centre), Mr Derek
Brown (Dept. of Foreign Affairs and Trade).
With Ramadhan
starting soon Eidfest is
sponsoring a photo
exhibition highlighting what
we eat during Ramadhan. It
will showcase what Muslims
eat for breaking fast, and
for breakfast during
Ramadhan.
There are many diverse
cultures within the Islamic
world and we all appreciate
that many foods are eaten in
different households across
Brisbane. During Ramadhan,
there are also many foods
eaten that wouldn’t be eaten
during other times of the
year.
So we ask that you take a
photo of your breakfast, or
of you breaking your fast,
and show us what foods you
eat, how many you cater for
and the diversity of the
dishes that make up the
Muslim community in
Brisbane.
An exhibition of the
photographs will be
displayed at Eidfest and the
best photograph winner will
receive a ticket to
somewhere exciting!
We look forward to seeing
all your entries and
highlighting some of the
rituals of Ramadhan for our
non-Muslim friends.
Entries to be sent to
info@eidfest.com.au with
details about the meal, and
your name and contact
details.
Entries close August 10th,
2012.
Please contact Yasmin Khan
on 0419 025 510 for further
information.
Queensland's
major multicultural
conference is back again in
2012, with ECCQ's
Multicultural Summit
being held on 29 & 30
October.
The Summit
will be an opportunity to
hear from expert speakers
and share insights on the
current and emerging issues
facing Queensland's
increasingly multicultural
and diverse society.
Mr. Waleed
Aly will be amongst the
keynote speakers at the
Summit.
Waleed Aly is
a lecturer in politics at
Monash University, and works
within university’s Global
Terrorism Research Centre.
Previously, he worked as a
commercial lawyer, and he
also has experience in human
rights and family law.
He is the author, most
recently, of What’s
Right? The Future of
Conservatism in Australia
(Quarterly Essay 37). His
debut book, People Like
Us: How arrogance is
dividing Islam and the West
(Picador, 2007), was
shortlisted for several
awards including the
Queensland Premier’s
Literary Awards and for Best
Newcomer at the 2008
Australian Book Industry
Awards. Waleed writes
regularly for the mainstream
press and his work has
appeared in The Guardian,
The Australian, The
Australian Financial Review,
The Sydney Morning Herald
and The Age among other
publications. He has been
commended at both the
Walkley Awards and the Quill
Awards for his commentary,
and has been shortlisted for
the Alfred Deakin Essay
Prize in the Victorian
Premier’s Literary Awards
twice. His essay ‘It’s
just a jump to the Left’
from The Sydney Morning
Herald was included in
Melbourne University Press’
collection of Australia’s
Best Political Writing 2009.
Waleed is the host of Big
Ideas on ABC television and
the current host of Radio
National’s weekday drive
time program. He has been a
regular guest host of ABC
News Breakfast and of 774
ABC Melbourne’s morning
program and in 2011 he was
the host of The Late Session
on SBS. Throughout the last
few years he would
frequently co-hosts The
Conversation Hour, and
present a fortnightly
politics and society segment
on ABC radio in Melbourne.
Previously he was a writer
and host of the SBS comedy
show Salam Cafe. He
regularly appears elsewhere
in broadcast media,
including as a political
commentator on News
Breakfast and The Drum, and
has made feature appearances
on Q&A, Enough Rope with
Andrew Denton, Compass, Meet
the Press, The 7.30 Report
and Lateline. He also
provides political
commentary for international
media outlets such as BBC
World.
In 2005, he was made a White
Ribbon Day Ambassador for
the United Nations’
International Day for the
Elimination of Violence
Against Women, and was named
one of The Bulletin
magazine’s ‘Smart 100’ in
2007. He was also an invited
participant to the Prime
Minister’s 2020 Summit in
2008. Since 2010 he has been
listed in Who’s Who in the
World. Waleed has been named
Victoria’s Local Hero for
2011.
Waleed is married with two
children, loves his footy
and plays a mean guitar.
The Circle on
Channel 10 interviews Randa
Abdel-Fattah on her book
"No Sex in the City" and
on what it's like looking
for a husband when your
religion even prevents you
from dating....
One of the
participants in last
weekend's retreat at the
Gold Coast conducted by Dr
Haaifa Younis wrote of the
spiritual impact the three
days had on her:
Last
weekend I was given the
incredible blessing of
being able to attend the
Ladies Retreat at the
Gold Coast focusing on
living knowledge. The
following is a
reflection of my journey
and on one of the many
life lessons I have
taken from it.
The nikah of
Ghulam Shariff,
youngest son of Haji
Hussin and Rashida
Goss, and Narmin
Espania was performed on
Thursday 12 July amongst
family and friends at the
Goss family home by the Imam
of the Gold Coast Mosque,
Imraan Husain.
The parents
have requested that duas be
made for the happy couple
for a long and happy life
together, insha'Allah.
The
book Boundless Plains:
The Australian Muslim
Connection and an
associated film commissioned
by the museum were
officially unveiled at the
site of the
still-to-be-built Islamic
Museum of Australia (IMA) on
the banks of the Merri
Creek. The book documents
the expedition made by four
young Muslim Australians in
2011.
Senator Kate Lundy, the
federal Parliamentary
Secretary for Immigration
and Multicultural Affairs,
was also on hand at the
launch to announce a $1.5
million funding contribution
to the museum.
The $10 million project is
now just $500,000 off its
target.
Guest of honour at the
launch, Yusuf Islam
(pictured left), agreed
to be the voice of the
museum and said he would
also consider loaning
artefacts.
He said he was impressed
with the way Australians
paid respect for the
traditional Aboriginal
owners of the land.
``This wonderful tradition
only happens in Australia
and it’s very special,’’ he
said.
``You don’t see it in the
US.’’
He said the
museum would help promote
better understanding about
the long connections Muslims
had in Australia.
``Religion is there for us
to understand and better
ourselves not to fight
over,’’ Mr Islam said.
``We were given this earth
as a spherical place…there
are no corners.’’
``Borders for me don’t
exist.’’
IMA’s founder
Moustafa Fahour (pictured
right) and Patron,
Mr Ahmed Fahour welcomed the
50 or so guests and In
describing their 13,000 km
journey from Melbourne to
Arnhem Land and beyond,
Moustafa referred to himself
and his three ‘amigos’ as
modern day Crocodile Dundees.
The anticipated date for the
opening of the Islamic
Museum of Australia is late
2013.
'The Islamic Museum of
Australia will help to
foster understanding and
promote community harmony
and social inclusion,'
Senator Lundy said.
'It will serve to educate
the wider Australian
community of the rich and
longstanding history that
Islam has had in our nation.
'Here in Melbourne, the
Museum will join a rich
tapestry of cultural
institutions celebrating the
contribution of Greek,
Italian, Jewish and Chinese
communities.'
Mr Crean said the Islamic
Museum of Australia would
make a significant
contribution to the cultural
life of our nation.
'Culture is incredibly
important to understanding
ourselves better, not just
as individuals, but as a
nation,' Mr Crean said.
'Australia is uniquely
placed. We have one of the
oldest living cultures on
earth and we continue to
attract the greatest
diversity of cultures on
earth.
'That is why we are proud to
be involved in this
partnership for community
cultural development.'
Arts Minister Simon Crean
said the Islamic Museum of
Australia would make a
significant contribution to
the cultural life of our
nation.
'Culture is incredibly
important to understanding
ourselves better, not just
as individuals, but as a
nation,' Mr Crean said.
'Australia is uniquely
placed. We have one of the
oldest living cultures on
earth and we continue to
attract the greatest
diversity of cultures on
earth.
'That is why we are proud to
be involved in this
partnership for community
cultural development.'
This
episode of Dumb, Drunk
and Racist looks at how
Australia treats its
indigenous
population and the often
volatile relationship
between black and white.
The Indians start at the
place where indigenous
people first came into
contact with white
people, Sydney’s Botany
Bay. It’s a good
step-off point… leaving
the Indians wondering
what state the
relationship is in after
200 years of white
settlement.
From there, the
road-trip heads to Moree
in Northern NSW,
infamous as one of
Australia’s last
bastions of legislated
racism. The group visits
Moree Baths, where
Charles Perkins
campaigned for
indigenous people to be
allowed to swim in 1965.
At the time the issue
divided the town’s black
and white populations.
Does that divide still
exist? Joe takes the
question to local
indigenous elders and to
Moree’s Mayor, Katrina
Humphries… both with
different views.
From Moree to
Australia’s red centre,
Alice Springs. They
visit the Todd River
where Joe explains the
damage indigenous
alcohol abuse has caused
here. Suddenly the group
are set upon by two
women upset by their
presence … the situation
becomes tense as the women
begin throwing stones.
It’s a scary and
shocking experience and
one that has the team
running for cover.
Community Meal/Ifthar with the Homeless & Disadvantaged
AMARAH
St Andrew's Anglican Church, cnr Cordelia & Vulture St, West
End
0422 349 786
6pm
22
July
Sunday
Ifthaar: Experience the tastes of Indonesia
Indonesian
Islamic Society of Brisbane
UQ Campus, Multi-faith Centre
0407 632 492
After Maghrib
28
July
Saturday
Ifthaar: Experience the tastes of Indonesia
Indonesian
Islamic Society of Brisbane
Griffith University, Nathan Campus TBA
0407 632 492
After Maghrib
4
August
Saturday
Ifthaar: Experience the tastes of Indonesia
Indonesian
Islamic Society of Brisbane
Darul Uloom, BURANDA
0407 632 492
After Maghrib
11
August
Saturday
Ifthaar: Experience the tastes of Indonesia
Indonesian
Islamic Society of Brisbane
QUT, Kelvin Grove TBA
0407 632 492
After Maghrib
If
you’re holding
public iftars,
lectures,
exhibitions,
homeless food
collections,
fund-raising
initiatives or
anything else this
Ramadan email
ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org
with the following
details:
When our
spirits are ascendant, and
our carnal lusts retreat, we
will be able to engage in
the type of fast described
by one of our righteous
forebears when he advised:
Fast your entire lifetime.
Make death your ‘Eid! Life
itself is a fast for the
righteous. Their fast is
from all forbidden lusts.
When death comes to them
their fast has ended. At
that time they find the new
moon of ‘Eid.
Majlis ul Ulamaa
of Australia
Announcement
The Majlis ul
Ulamaa of
Australia
announce the
names of the
Ulamaa from
various states
of Australia
(including
Victoria,
Queensland,
Western
Australia, and
New South Wales)
who have decided
that all Islamic
lunar months
will be observed
by local
moon-sighting.
These include
the commencement
of the month
Ramadān,
Eid-ul-Fitr, and
Eid-ul-Adhā.
Crescent moon
sighting
graphics
These images
show the
stages and
predictions of
visibility on
Thursday, Friday
and Saturday 19,
20 and 21
respectively.
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. 29
Waddaulah,
His Majesty
Haji
Hassanal
Bolkiah
Mu’izzaddin
Sultan of
Brunei
Country: Brunei
Darussalam
Born: 15 July 1946
(age 65) in Brunei Town, Brunei
Source of Influence:
Political, Financial Influence: Leader of over 400,000
citizens of Brunei School of Thought: Traditional Sunni,
Shafi’i
Abdullah His
Majesty Haji
Hassanal Bolkiah
Mu’izzaddin
Waddaulah is one
of the richest
men in the
world. He is the
29th Sultan of
one of the
oldest dynasties
in existence
today. Brunei is
a country on the
north coast of
the island of
Borneo in
Southeast Asia,
with a Muslim
population of
approximately
211,000.
House of Bolkiah
His Majesty
Sultan Bolkiah
descends from
the House of
Bolkiah,
which traces
back to Sultan
Bolkiah, the
fifth Sultan of
Brunei (who
ruled from 1485-
524 CE). The
House of Bolkiah
is the longest
reigning Sunni
Muslim Royal
House in Brunei.
Administrative
Influence
Sultan Bolkiah
has been lauded
for attempts at
slowly
democratizing
the country’s
governance,
while at the
same time
consolidating
royal authority.
Beginning in the
early nineties
Sultan Bolkiah
began trying to
strengthen the
role of Islam
through the
notion of Melayu
Islam Beraja (or
Malay
Islamic
Monarchy). The
Sultan is also
an important
donor to the
Organization of
the Islamic
Conference.
The
competition for the
CCN Young Muslim
Writers Awards (YMWA)
for 2012 is now
open.
Please encourage our
young boys and girls
to participate.
Last
year's inaugural
awards were a
resounding
successful with
entries coming from
all around Australia
and many considered
by our independent
panel of judges as
being of a very high
standard.
Masjid Al-Farooq
(Kuraby
Madrassah) is
looking for a
permanent
secretary.
Responsibilities
will involve
handling student
enrolments and
payments,
addressing
parent enquiries
and aiding the
principal and
teachers.
MYOB experience
preferred but
not necessary.
Hours: 3.45 to
6.15 pm Mon to
Thurs
For more
information or
to express
interest
contact: Farouk
Adam
farouk.adam@bigpond.com
or 0422 191 675
House for
Rent
Logan
4
Bedroom, 2
bathroom house
in Marsden.
Separate
laundry, lounge
and double lock
up garage. Big
backyard.
Situated in a
quite
cul-de-sac, and
down the road
from Logan
mosque. Rental
is $370 per
week. Can be
viewed at
http://www.realestate.com.au/property-house-qld-marsden-407883589
Contact 0430 284
356 or Rental
agency directly
on 07 3200 3773.
MARSDEN (Logan)
3
bedroom; 1 study
carport
shed 1
bathroom 1
toilet
large block
1518m2
fully fenced
pet friendly 5km
to Logan
Mosque
Call Laila on 0415467868 /
32197808 to place your
order.
Please note that we already
have many pre booked orders
so please place your orders
asap as we will be only
taking a limited number of
orders.
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.
Please
contact the booking office
to check dates required on
P: 0422237860 or E:
yunus.omar@yahoo.com.au
SEE THE NEW LOOK
ISLAM TV
AUSTRALIA NOW
WITH INDIVIDUAL
CHANNELS FOR
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Review What
is happening in the Middle East? Tariq Ramadan, one
of the foremost Muslim intellectuals, calls the
events "uprisings", more permanent than "revolts"
but still short of thoroughgoing "revolutions". So
far, Tunisia is the only clear democratising
success, and there it remains unclear if the new
dispensation will be fundamentally more just than
the last.
Half of this slim volume is spent examining whether
the uprisings were staged or spontaneous. Ramadan
counsels against both the naive view that outside
powers are passive observers of events, and the
contrary belief that Arab revolutionaries have been
mere pawns in the hands of cunning foreign players.
Certainly the US and its allies helped to guide
events by collaborating with the military
hierarchies which removed presidents in Tunisia and
Egypt, and by full-scale intervention in Libya – for
a variety of obvious reasons. An agreement signed by
Libya's NTC last year, for instance, guaranteed
France 3 per cent of future oil exports.
There's been Gulf and Western hypocrisy over
Bahrain, home to Formula One and the US Fifth Fleet,
and al-Jazeera's coverage has been tailored to
reflect its Qatari host's strategic concerns. Then,
less convincingly, the social media conspiracy:
trainees from 37 countries learned non-violent
cyberactivism in Serbia. Google provided satellite
access codes to Egyptian activists, but not their
Syrian counterparts.
Ramadan blames the
ideological void on "the deadening weight of
dictatorship" which impoverished "the life of ideas
in society". "Critical, creative economic thinking
appears to have deserted the Arab political debate".
Rejecting the superficiality of "Islamic finance",
he calls for a fuller critique of capitalism's
unethical content. More than that: he wants the Arab
Muslims to draw upon "cultural ... capital" to
produce "something new, something original". He
calls for social justice based on the Quranic verse
"We have conferred dignity on human beings," and for
an all-encompassing cultural and "intellectual
jihad". He calls for revolution, in other words.
Arguing that the debate
cannot be reduced to a confrontation between two
approaches - the modern and secular versus the
traditional and Islamic - Ramadan demonstrates that
not only are both of these routes in crisis, but
that the Arab world has an historic opportunity: to
stop blaming the West, to jettison its victim status
and to create a truly new dynamic.
Tariq Ramadan offers up a challenge to the Middle
East: what enduring legacy will you produce, from
the historic moment of the Arab Spring?
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: Sawleha Hansa's recipe for
the perfect milkshake comes just in time for Ramadhan.
THE PERFECT STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE
Ingredients
1. About a dozen strawberries
2. 4 tablespoons sugar
3. 4 tablespoons of strawberry Nesquik
4. 6 scoops vanilla ice-cream
5. 500ml fresh cream
6. Half a litre milk (can add more if you prefer
a runny texture)
Method
1. Place the strawberries into a blender.
2. Sprinkle with sugar and then add ice-cream,
fresh cream and Nesquik, and blend for a few
seconds
3. Lastly add milk and blend until fully mixed.
4. Pour out into individual glasses and top with
fresh cream and some sliced strawberries.
Mula
Nasruddin and his atheist neighbour were always engaged
in heated debates about their differences.
One day the neighbour heard Mula Nasruddin make a dua
(supplication). The dua was about him getting his
groceries with ease.
The neighbour took this as an opportunity to make a
point. So he went to the store, bought the groceries,
left it on Mua Nasruddin's doorstep and knocked on the
door and hid.
When Mula Nasruddin
opened the door he said "Alhamdulillah, Allah (swt)
answered my prayer".
The neighbour jumped
out and said "It wasn't God, it was me!"
Mula Nasruddin
responded and said "Alhamdulillah, Allah gave me food
and he made the shaytan (devil) deliver it to me."
O you who
believe! When you prepare
for prayer, wash your faces,
and your hands (and arms) to
the elbows; rub your heads
(with water); and (wash)
your feet to the ankles.
If you are in a state of
ceremonial impurity, bathe
your whole body...
.
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.
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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.
.
The CCN Inbox:
Letters to the
Editor
Queensland's
major multicultural
conference is back again in
2012, with ECCQ's
Multicultural Summit
being held on 29 & 30
October.
The
book Boundless Plains:
The Australian Muslim
Connection and an
associated film commissioned
by the museum were
officially unveiled at the
site of the
still-to-be-built Islamic
Museum of Australia (IMA) on
the banks of the Merri
Creek. The book documents
the expedition made by four
young Muslim Australians in
2011.
IMA’s founder
Moustafa Fahour (pictured
right) and Patron,
Mr Ahmed Fahour welcomed the
50 or so guests and In
describing their 13,000 km
journey from Melbourne to
Arnhem Land and beyond,
Moustafa referred to himself
and his three ‘amigos’ as
modern day Crocodile Dundees.
enous
population and the often
volatile relationship
between black and white.
The Indians start at the
place where indigenous
people first came into
contact with white
people, Sydney’s Botany
Bay. It’s a good
step-off point… leaving
the Indians wondering
what state the
relationship is in after
200 years of white
settlement.
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. 
What
is happening in the Middle East? Tariq Ramadan, one
of the foremost Muslim intellectuals, calls the
events "uprisings", more permanent than "revolts"
but still short of thoroughgoing "revolutions". So
far, Tunisia is the only clear democratising
success, and there it remains unclear if the new
dispensation will be fundamentally more just than
the last.
Mula
Nasruddin and his atheist neighbour were always engaged
in heated debates about their differences.
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011