The Islamic
Council of
Queensland
(ICQ) held
its
inaugural
community
service
awards
function
last night
(Saturday)
at the
Islamic
College of
Brisbane
(Karawatha)
at which 7
nominees
were
recognized
"for their
long and
dedicated
service to
the Muslim
Community of
Queensland"
from a large
number of
submitted
nominees.
Amongst the
selection
criteria for
the awards
were that
the nominees
would have
contributed
to the
upliftment
of the
Muslim
community of
Queensland
across
ethnic and
cultural
divides and
that they
would have
served the
community as
volunteers
for ten
years or
more.
It was also
an occasion
to farewell
the
Queensland
Police
Commissioner,
Bob
Atkinson,
who retires
in a few
months.
Mr Mohammed
Yusuf,
president of
ICQ,
delivered
the welcome
address and
Mr Mohammed
Farouk ran a
tight ship
as Master of
Ceremonies.
Dr Mohammad
Abdalla
spoke in
praise of
the
Commissioner
and his
long-standing
cordial
relationship
with the
Muslim
community.
Rahman,
Sultana,
Nizam and
Sultan Deen
presented
the Police
Commissioner
with a
replica of
the Taj
Mahal on
behalf of
the Deen
family.
Assistant
Minister for
Multicultural
Affairs, Mr
Roberto
(Robert)
Cavallucci
delivered
the key note
address for
the night
and spoke of
the
contributions
that the
Muslim
community
had been
making
towards the
betterment
of
Queensland.
Former state
member for
Stretton,
Stephen
Robertson
and former
federal
member for
Moreton,
Gary
Hardgrave,
were also
recognized
by the ICQ
for their
contributions
to the
Muslim
community.
The
delicious
curry and
rice rounded
off a
pleasant
night out.
(left
to
right)
Dr
Mustafa
Ally,
Imam
Abdul
Aziz,
Mr
Amar
Ali
Khan,
Mr
Hussin
Goss,
Mr
Fakier
Batieh,
Mr
Roberto
Cavallucci
(Assistant
Minister),
Mr
Mohammed
Yusuf
(ICQ)
and
Prof.Shahjahan
Khan
(7th
recipient
Imam
Abdul
Razak
missing
from
photo)
(left to
right) Dr Ashraf Jeddar (FIMA
Treasurer), Dr Yunus Solwa, Dr Tanveer
Zubairi (FIMA Secretary), Dr Parvez Malik (FIMA
President), Dr Anwar Seedat, Dr Mohammed
Iqbal Sultan (IMAQ President) at the
Conference dinner.
Members of
the Islamic
Medical
Association
of
Queensland (IMAQ)
recently
attended the
Federation
of Islamic
Medical
Associations
(FIMA)
Council
meeting and
IMA Malaysia
(IMAM)
Clinical
Conference
in Kuala
Lampur,
Malaysia.
The theme of
the
conference
was
“Health in
the Muslim
World …
Meeting the
Millenium
Development
Goals.”
Representing
IMAQ were
Drs Mohammed
Iqbal Sultan
(President),
Anwar Seedat,
Anayatullah
Khokhar and
Yunus Solwa.
FIMA as an
organisation
was
established
over 30
years ago
and now has
42 IMA
member
countries
around the
world. Along
with its IMA
members FIMA
has been
involved in
several
volunteer
projects as
well as
relief aid
in the third
world
countries.
Some of
these
projects
include:
• FIMA
Save Vision
–
established
in 2005,
teams of
volunteer
ophthalmologists
have
conducted
415 camps in
15
countries,
examined 887
781 patients
and
performed
86678
cataract
surgeries.
At a minimal
cost of $100
in the
poorest
countries,
this equates
to over
$8.6m spent.
The teams
also train
local
surgeons to
perform
these
operations.
• FIMA
Save Smile
– This
project is
now running
for the past
3 years to
correct
cleft lip
and palate
defects, and
over the
previous 12
months 158
surgeries
have been
performed in
Sudan alone
• FIMA
Save Dignity
– to repair
Vesico-vaginal
fistulas.
Over the
past year 71
VVF repairs
have been
done by the
FIMA
surgical
team, in
Darfur,
Mogadishu
and
Afghanistan.
Also at the
conference
was the
launch of
the first
app for the
management
of the
Muslim
patient.
This was a
joint
project
between FIMA
and Elsevier
Singapore.
The app is
available at
the App
store for
the iPad
only.
IMAQ now has
in excess of
200 members
across
Queensland.
Membership
is open to
all medical,
dental and
allied
healthcare
professionals
and students
in these
disciplines.
To become an
IMAQ member
or find out
more about
the
organisation
visit
www.imaq.org.au.
The
University
of Western
Sydney
conferred
the award of
Doctor of
Letters (honoris
causa) on
Hazem El
Masri, the
NRL's
highest-ever
point scorer
This award
is in
recognition
of his
distinguished
service to
the
communities
of Western
Sydney, and
as a role
model and
leader in
the Arabic
and Muslim
communities.
The award
also
acknowledged
El Masri as
a positive
reflection
and
embodiment
of many of
the values
of the game
of rugby
league and
as a well
respected
rugby league
identity in
the
community.
El Masri
grew up in
war-torn
Lebanon and
came to
Australia
with his
family when
he was 12.
He spent 14
years
playing
first-grade
football for
the
Canterbury
Bulldogs,
where he
amassed a
record-breaking
2418 points.
He also
represented
NSW,
Australia,
and
captained
Lebanon
before his
retirement
in 2009.
UWS
Vice-Chancellor
Professor
Janice Reid
said few
people in
the
community
embodied the
same
inspiring
values as El
Masri.
"Through his
actions both
on and off
the field,
Hazem has
exhibited a
rare, modest
dignity that
has earned
him the
respect of
all
Australians,"
Prof Reid
said in a
statement
Australian
Rugby League
Commission
interim boss
Shane
Mattiske
said El
Masri was
one of the
game's most
outstanding
players,
both on and
off the
field.
"Hazem's
ability to
build
bridges
within the
community
and inspire
people
regardless
of their
religion or
race is one
of his
greatest
attributes,"
Mr Mattiske
said.
El Masri
also
delivered an
address at
the UWS's
spring
graduation
ceremony on
Tuesday
night.
The
justification
of the use
of any means
to reach a
certain end
has become
common among
many
contemporary
Islamic
movements,
particularly
the use of
violence
against
others -
despite the
fact that
doing so
contravenes
both the
text and the
spirit of
Islam.
The violent
demonstrations
witnessed in
Sydney and
other parts
of the world
over the
film
Innocence of
Muslims has
drawn my
attention to
a number of
important
issues.
Let me begin
with the
film itself:
a low budget
film that is
bigoted,
derogatory,
shamefully
insulting
and, more
importantly,
loaded with
factual
errors. The
film has
rightfully
been
condemned in
the
strongest
terms by
Muslims and
non-Muslims
alike. The
tragedy is
that its
maker, along
with those
who support
it, has
cunningly
succeeded in
misusing a
noble idea -
freedom of
speech - to
defame a
noble
Prophet and
incite
hatred and
violence
among a
vulnerable
Muslim
community.
Given that
freedom of
speech is
not
absolute, it
would seem
reasonable
to expect
some
restraint on
any material
that is
defamatory
and incites
hatred.
And that
brings me to
the violent
reaction to
the film by
some
Muslims:
this
minority
group may
justify
their
violent
actions
based on
some
religious
pretext. It
is not the
first time
that Prophet
Muhammad has
been abused
or insulted.
During his
lifetime he
was called a
madman, a
magician and
a liar, and
his wife
Aisha was
slandered
and accused
of adultery.
He was
pelted with
stones and
strangled
while
praying, and
his daughter Zaynab was
fatally
Any approach
to teaching
Islam that
does not
concentrate
on ethics
and
spirituality
will
inevitably
lead to a
fundamental
corruption
of belief
and
application
- the result
of which is
parading
right in
front of our
eyes.
stabbed with
a spear. But
not once did
he respond
to these
events
violently.
In fact, his
wife said
that the
Prophet
never
avenged
anything
that was
done against
him
personally.
So, none of
these
protesters
can cite an
example of
violent
reaction as
proof from
the life of
their role
model - the
Prophet
Muhammad.
Of course,
the right to
object to
and indeed
peacefully
protest
against the
film is
afforded to
them within
our
democracy.
And as long
as the
protesters
conduct
themselves
with
civility and
behave in
accord with
the rule of law, we
should
defend their
right to do
so. But we
must reject
the violent
behaviour,
and equally
the
abhorrent
placards
proudly
displayed on
the day,
because they
an insult to
all rational
people,
Muslim or
not.
ABC Religion & Ethics
Dr. Mohammad Abdalla is the Founding
Director of the Griffith Islamic Research Unit,
Brisbane, and Director of the Queensland node of the
National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies.
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.
Each week, CCN
publishes
a
personality
selected
from the
list:
No. 40
Professor
Dr M Din
Syamsuddin
Chairman of
Muhammadiyah,
Indonesia
Country:
Indonesia Born:31 Aug 1958 (age 53) Source of Influence:
Scholarly, Administrative, Development Influence: Over 35 million
members in the Muhammadiyah organization,
including thousands of institutes
underneath it School of Thought: Modernist
Sunni
As chairman of
the largest
modernist
Islamic
organization
in Indonesia, as
well as a leader
of the
Indonesian Ulema
Council, Din
Syamsuddin
influences
the Muslim World
on various
fronts. He was
re-elected as
the chairman for
another five
years in July
2010.
Social Welfare
Established in
1912, the
Muhammadiyah is
one of the
oldest and
largest Muslim
organizations in
the world.
Syamsuddin is
involved with
the educational,
health, and
social welfare
efforts of the
organization
which includes
14,000 schools,
172 universities
and institutes
of higher
learning, 485
clinics and
hospitals, 600
orphanages, 300
microfinance
institutes and
numerous other
projects across
the Indonesia.
Interfaith
Dialogue
Leadership
Syamsuddin is
also very active
in
interfaith and
intercultural
dialogue,
serving as
President of the
Asian Conference
of Religions for
Peace (ACRP),
Co-President of
WCRP, and
Chairman
of the World
Peace Forum.
Conflict
Resolution
The Muhammadiyah
is active in
conflict
resolution such
as in the South
of Thailand and
Mindanao. It is
a member of the
International
Contact Group (ICG)
for peace
talks between
the government
of the
Philippines and
the Moro
Islamic
Liberation Front
(MILF).
Please be advised that I have recently moved on to a
Prestigious Infrastructure Construction Projects to
facilitate Hajj Pilgrims and Local Residents of
Jeddah.
After my time in Perth, I got a contract to
provide services for an International Consultancy
Firm.
I moved to Jeddah just prior to Ramadan and I can be
of assistance to your readers who visit here for
Hajj. Inshallah I can at least help with any
information in Jeddah.
Saudi
king inaugurates largest expansion of
Prophet’s Mosque in Medina
SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia's
King Abdullah arrived in the holy Saudi city
of Medina on Monday to “lay the foundation
stone for the expansion of the Prophet's
mosque,” one of Islam's three oldest mosques
in the world.
The 88-year-old monarch had ordered a major
expansion of the Prophet's Mosque earlier
this year.
The first phase of the project plans to
accommodate more than 800,000 worshippers,
according to an official Saudi statement in
June, adding that the second and third
phases will accommodate a further 800,000
worshippers.
Islamic tourism continues to grow rapidly in
the kingdom, with tourism accounting for
about 3.1 percent of the kingdom's gross
domestic product and for about 7.2 percent
in the kingdom's non-oil sector last year,
according to a report by the Saudi
Commission.
Saudi Arabia had also announced earlier this
year its ongoing SR80 billion ($21.33
billion) expansion of Makkah's Grand Mosque
will eventually allow the Islamic holy site
to accommodate 1.5 million worshippers.
PAKISTAN: As a cricketing
legend, Imran Khan wowed millions around the
world. Now he’s facing his biggest test yet
as he runs for Prime Minister of Pakistan.
Karim Shah spends two weeks on the road with
Khan as he travels to political rallies
across the country.
His report gives a fascinating insight into
Imran Khan’s rising popularity and his
self-proclaimed mission to eradicate
corruption in politics.
But in a country with such a turbulent
political past, the possibility of a
terrorist attack putting an end to it all is
never far away… just as it did with Benazir
Bhutto in 2007.
Is he a sportsman playing at politics, as
some dismiss him? Or has Pakistan’s
political old guard finally met its match?
Poll
finds partisan differences on attitudes
towards Muslims
UK: The Guardian has reported
on the results of a poll carried out by
polling agency YouGov on voter perceptions
of conflict and coexistence between ‘the
West and the Muslim world’. The survey also
questioned respondents about the anti-Islam
film made in the US, ‘Innocence of Muslims’.
According to the poll, ‘an overwhelming
majority of Republican voters in the United
States regard the west and Islam as being
embroiled in "a fundamental conflict which
only one side can win".
The YouGov poll results are summarised
below:
West-Muslim conflict
or coexistence
The poll appears to
indicate slightly higher levels of
hostility to Islam in the UK than in the
US with 43% of Britons agreeing with the
statement - ‘There is a fundamental
conflict [between the West and the
Muslim world]; in the end one or other
must prevail’, compared to 39% of
Americans. Similarly, 41% of British
respondents agreed that ‘It is possible
for the West and Muslim world to
co-exist in peace’ compared with 47% of
Americans.
Opinions on West-Muslim world
coexistence are divided along partisan
lines both in the US and the UK. In the
US, 64% of Republicans perceive a
fundamental conflict between the West
and the Muslim world, whilst a slightly
higher percentage of Democrats, 68%,
express the opposite view that the West
and the Muslim world can coexist in
peace.
Partisan divisions are less manifest in
the UK. 40% of Conservatives, 48% of
Labour voters and 58% of Lib Dems agree
that the West and the Muslim world can
coexist. On the other end of the scale,
49% of Conservatives, 39% of Labour
voters and 26% of Lib Dems believe that
there is a fundamental conflict between
the West and the Muslim world.
Muslim support for anti-American
violence
A higher percentage of Britons (55%)
than Americans (53%) believe that the
violence ensuing from the anti-Islam
cartoon saga was supported by a minority
rather than a majority of Muslims.
Again, opinion in both the UK and the US
is divided along partisan lines. 59% of
Republicans agreed that the attacks had
the support of the majority of Muslims
compared to 18% of Democrats. 69% of
Democrats and 34% of Republicans took
the opposite view that the violence was
supported by a minority of Muslims.
Similarly, in the UK a left-right divide
is apparent with 41% of Conservatives,
34% of Labour and 23% of Lib Dems
perceiving the violent protests to have
majority Muslim support and 55% of
Conservatives, 57% of Labour and 70% of
Lib Dem supporters holding the opposite
view.
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: A kind lady from Burma
gave me a loan of this recipe.
Khowse – traditional Burmese style
1.
Cut half a chicken into pieces (you can use 1
piece of chicken breast too, chopped into Medium
sized cubes or as desired)
2.
Marinate the chicken with roughly 1 teaspoon of
salt, 1 teaspoon garlic, half a teaspoon of
ginger, add a sprinkle of paprika, one teaspoon
chillies and pinch of turmeric.
3.
Braise 2 small onions (do not allow them to
brown completely)
4.
Add the chicken and cook until chicken is
tender.
Separately:
5. Make a paste with 2 tablespoons of chana
flour and some water.
6.
Add roughly 2 cups of water and salt and allow
to boil
7.Add
1 tin of coconut cream or milk and continue to
boil
8.
Add the cooked chicken.
Boil spaghetti separately, drain and keep warm.
Pour
the hot khowse soup in bowls, add the spaghetti
and top with the following accompaniments:
chopped spring onions, fresh coriander, boiled
eggs, samoosa pur, ( or spring roll pastry cut
into strips) crushed chillies, fried slivers of
garlic and fried onions
Spring is well and
truly here and now is the time to think about summer
crops.
Avid gardeners
should have a good idea of what to plant and start
preparing promptly for the season ahead.
Tomatoes
Tomato
seedlings should be in the ground now or by the very
latest by the first week of October to ensure a
harvest before the heat sets in. If you cannot plant
immediately, it will be better to wait till February
after the heatwave. Best heirloom varieties for
Brisbane are:
*Bragger
(salad)
*Giant
Polish Paste (curries and pastes)
*Beefsteak
(burgers and slices)
*Roma(low
acid)
Chillies
The
quicker you can get your chillies in the ground the
better. Apply a generous layer of straw or sugarcane
mulch to protect against early morning frosts.
Perennial type chillies or those with cold
resistance are best. Best varieties are:
Pusa
Jwala India
(curries)
Birds
Eye (sauces and barbecues)
Japanese aromatic (stuffing)
Other Vegies
*Coriander-plant
immediately or wait till March.
*White
maize-plant anytime until January.
*Peanuts-plant
anytime until January.
*Dodhi
and Gilora-plant now for better quality or
February,
Let there
be no compulsion in
religion: Truth stands out
clear from Error: whoever
rejects evil and believes in
Allah has grasped the most
trustworthy hand-hold, that
never breaks. And Allah
hears and knows all things.
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 Islamic
Council of
Queensland
(ICQ) held
its
inaugural
community
service
awards
function
last night
(Saturday)
at the
Islamic
College of
Brisbane
(Karawatha)
at which 7
nominees
were
recognized
"for their
long and
dedicated
service to
the Muslim
Community of
Queensland"
from a large
number of
submitted
nominees.
The
University
of Western
Sydney
conferred
the award of
Doctor of
Letters (honoris
causa) on
Hazem El
Masri, the
NRL's
highest-ever
point scorer
UWS
Vice-Chancellor
Professor
Janice Reid
said few
people in
the
community
embodied the
same
inspiring
values as El
Masri.
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011