Wisdom
College Principal, Mr Ahmet Ozcelik, and
Premier Campbell Newman do the unveiling
The
newly-established
Wisdom
College in
Calamvale
held its
official
opening of
the
independent
school
yesterday
(Saturday)
morning.
A number of
invited
dignitaries
and
politicians
saw the
guest of
honour, The
Honourable
Campbell
Newman MP,
Premier of
Queensland,
unveil the
plaque and
cut the cake
commemorating
the
milestone
event.
The guests
were also
entertained
by the
college's
pupils in
both modern
and
traditional
Turkish
performances,
much to the
delight of
the parents
and friends
of the
school.
A delicious
and
seemingly
never-ending array of
Turkish
foods was
spread out
for all to
enjoy and
celebrate
the
occasion.
The school
already
boasts an
enrolment of
over 40
pupils and
the current
facilities
are designed
to
accommodate
more than
100.
Wisdom
College will
be modelled
on similar
principles
and ethos as
its
long-established
sister
colleges in
Sydney and
Melbourne.
Radio National
(Canberra) Interview on Q Society anti-Islam
leaflets
10/10/2012
Interviewees:
Debbie
Robinson,
Deputy
President, Q
Society;
'Judy,'
resident;
Keysar Trad,
Australian
Federation
of Islamic
Councils
A group
planning to
host a visit
to Australia
by Geert
Wilders, the
Q Society,
is being
accused of
distributing
anti-Islamic
leaflets to
letterboxes
in Victoria.
The leaflets
claim the
Australian
Government
is
preferencing
and
supporting
Islamic
faith,
history and
culture in
schools.
'Judy,'
resident,
says she is
incensed by
the content.
The
Q Society
website
says
Australia
should be
based on
Judeo-Christian
values and
opposes the
'Islamisation'
of
Australia.
The leaflet
targets the
Learning
from One
Another
program, an
initiative
of the
Centre of
Islamic
Studies at
the
University
of
Melbourne.
Keysar Trad,
Australian
Federation
of Islamic
Councils,
says the
leaflet is
typical of
the Q
Society.
Debbie
Robinson,
Deputy
President, Q
Society,
says
education
about Islam
has no place
in schools.
(from
left
to
right)
Hussain
Baba
(ISGC-Secretary),
Athar
Shah
(ISGC-Liaison
Officer),
Superintendent
Paul
Ziebarth,
Hamdi
Bakar
(ISGC-Property
Manager),
Muslim
Police
officer,
Lisa
Lynch
(Police
Recruitment
Officer)
and
Shalini
singh-(Police
Liaison
Officer)
On 12th
October, the
Queensland
Police
Service (QPS)
organised a
Police
Recruitment
Seminar at
the Gold
Coast Mosque
which
attracted
over 40
participants.
Queensland
Police are
keen to
recruit
Muslim males
and females
from the
Gold Coast
to join the
Police
service.
This is the
first time
that such
recruitment
has been
organised at
the Mosque.
.
For further
information,
contact Tel
: 07- 3364
8000, Fax:
07- 3364
4414
email:
recruiting@police.qld.gov.au
website:
www.policerecruit.com.au
In
the midst of
a national
debate on
the status
and
treatment of
women, The
Australian
Financial
Review and
Westpac have
recognised
outstanding
women who
are using
their
influence to
improve
business and
society.
More than
350 women
were
nominated
for the
initial 100
Women of
Influence
awards. The
finalists
were
selected
from across
the economy
by a panel
of leading
Australians.
Those chosen
have been
successful
in their
careers and
influential
in shaping a
bold and
diverse
future for
Australia,
the panel
says.
Among the
list – the
first in an
ongoing
annual
awards
program –
was
Brisbane's
Ms Yassmin
Abdel-Magied
in the Young
Leader
category for
her work as
founder of
Youth
Without
Borders.
This award
follows on
from a long
list of
other
accolades
for Yassmin
that include
finalist as
the QLD
Young
Australian
of the Year
finalist
(2011) and
Young
Queenslander
of the Year
(2010).
Entries for
the awards
were invited
in June
across 10
categories:
board/management,
innovation,
public
policy,
business
entrepreneur,
diversity,
young
leader,
global,
social
enterprise,
philanthropy
and
local/regional.
The judging
panel
included
Wendy
McCarthy,
former joint
chief
executive of
Goldman
Sachs
Australia
Stephen
Fitzgerald,
Future Fund
chairman
David Gonski,
CEO of UN
Women
Australia
Julie McKay,
Fairfax
Media
director
Sandra
McPhee,
Reserve Bank
board member
Heather
Ridout,
Allens law
firm chief
Michael
Rose and Red
Cross board
member Sue
Vardon.
Winners from
the 10
categories
and the
overall 2012
Woman of
Influence
will be
announced at
a ceremony
at the
Museum of
Contemporary
Art in
Sydney on
Friday.
SOUTH
AUSTRALIA: A
FEMALE staff
member has
complained
that she was
sacked from
the Islamic
College of
South
Australia
for
breaching
its dress
code,
according to
the
Independent
Education
Union of SA.
The union
has made an
unfair
dismissal
application
on behalf of
the woman
and also
revealed the
Muslim dress
code was to
be applied
to all
female staff
-
irrespective
of their
religion.
The dress
code
requires
that Muslim
female staff
have their
arms and
legs covered
and wear a
hijab, or
head scarf.
The Muslim
woman, who
was sacked
last month,
is seeking
reinstatement
and the
union has
launched
unfair
dismissal
proceedings
with Fair
Work
Australia,
saying the
school never
said what
part of the
code was
breached.
The college
did not
return The
Advertiser's
phone calls
yesterday
but the
union
understands
the proposal
for a
mandatory
all-female-staff
dress code
was not
adopted.
Fair Work
Australia
spokesman
Roger
Mitchell
said "we
cannot
confirm
lodgement of
unfair
dismissal
applications"
due to
privacy
provisions.
The college,
located at
West Croydon
and owned
and managed
by the
Australian
Federation
of Islamic
Councils (AFIC),
could be
facing a
second
unfair
dismissal
case after
sacking
principal
Julia
Abdelale
last week.
She has
sought legal
advice.
She has not
been accused
of any
impropriety
and it was
reported she
had
difficulties
working with
the board
and with
AFIC. She
declined to
comment, as
did AFIC.
Al-Nisa
in
conjunction
with Kuraby
Madrasah
held a
dinner to
help raise
much-needed
funds for
the Madrasah.
The ladies
only event
took place
at Michael’s
Oriental
Restaurant
on Saturday,
October 6
with over
200 in
attendance.
The evening
was a
resounding
success
raising $20
000 through
tickets,
auctions and
generous
donations.
The strictly
ladies only
environment
gave many of
the Muslim
women a
chance to
let their
hair down
(literally
and
figuratively!)
and prizes
were awarded
for the
best-dressed,
best
make-up,
best hair
and best
shoes by
some of the
many
generous
sponsors.
A sale table
of donated
items,
interactive
group games
and lively
auction were
the
entertainment
for the
night with
auctioneer
Susan al-Maani
selling
items for up
to $350.
Al Nisa
would like
to thank the
generous
attendees
and numerous
anonymous
donors for
their
wonderful
support of
the event.
Major
sponsors for
the night
included
Michael
(Michael’s
Oriental
Restaurant),
Anya Abdalla
(local
Muslim
hairdresser)
and Ayesha
Goder (Herbalife).
Al Nisa
would also
like to
acknowledge
the many
years of
hard work
and tireless
support for
the
community by
Susan al-Maani,
Al Nisa
member for 8
years.
Susan’s
selfless
commitment
over the
years was
acknowledged
with a
well-deserved
community
service
award on the
night.
Thank you to
everyone for
their
support on
the night,
we were
overjoyed to
have raised
double what
we were
aiming for,
alhamdulillah!
The
Australian
International
Islamic
College is
publishing
its school
Yearbook.
The school
has issued a
call out for
community
and
individual
support of
this project
by making a
donation
and/or
publishing
an
advertisement.
"The hard
work in
assembling
our creative
and fun
yearbook has
commenced
and is due
to be
published
soon, Dr Ray
Barrett, the
schools
Principal,
told CCN.
"Our
yearbook has
been very
popular,
colourful
and
enjoyable
and well
acknowledged
by students
and
businesses
locally and
internationally.
We can
therefore
proudly say
that we are
now in the
course of
publishing
our 6th
edition!"
The yearbook
promises to
be
informative
and
pictorial
and will
"enlighten
the reader
of the
happenings
and progress
of the
college for
the year
2012."
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. 42
Habib Ali
Zain Al
Abideen Al
Jifri
Director
General of
the Tabah
Foundation,
UAE
Country: UAE
Born: 16 April
1971 (age 40)
Source of Influence: Scholarly, Lineage,
Philanthropy Influence: Globally
influential through his teaching endeavours
in Yemen and across the world School of Thought: Traditional
Sunni, Shafi‘i, Ash’ari, Ba ’Alawi Sufi
Tracing back his
lineage to the
family of ‘Ali,
the fourth
Caliph of
Islam and cousin
of the Prophet
Muhammad, Habib
Ali Zain al
Abideen Al Jifri
is a
leading Islamic
scholar and
prominent
speaker in
the Muslim
World.
Al Jifri is
Director General
of the
Tabah Foundation
in the UAE,
member of the
board of Dar al
Mustafa in
Yemen, member of
the Royal
Aal al Bayt
Institute for
Islamic Thought
in Jordan,
and affiliated
with various
other
international
Islamic
organizations.
Sufi Guide
As a Ba’Alawi
Sufi, Al Jifri
is part of a
tradition that
has been
based in Yemen
for
approximately
800 years and
traces back to
the Prophet
Muhammad. He is
influential
as a Sufi
spiritual guide
in the
Muslim World;
and Dar al
Mustafa is an
influential
Islamic
educational
institution
in Yemen.
Educator
Habib Ali
founded
the
privately-funded
philanthropic
Tabah Foundation
for Islamic
Studies and
Research in
Abu Dhabi, a
young non-profit
institution that
aspires to
become a
formidable
source of
reputable work
in Islamic
research and
thought.
I wish to draw your attention to a special letter to
world leaders by Shaykh-ul-Islam Dr Muhammad
Tahir-ul-Qadri on the profane anti-Islam movie in
which he calls them to take effective initiatives to
rein in the tendencies to hurt religious sentiments
provoking unhealthy reactions.
UK: Newcastle's
sponsorship deal with loan company Wonga
could prove contentious with the club's
Muslim players, a religious organisation has
warned.
The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) has
stated that wearing shirts with Wonga's logo
on could infringe Islamic law, placing some
of the club's players in difficulty.
But they have denied telling the players not
to wear the shirts and said it will be up to
them to decide what they do.
In their last game Newcastle fielded four
players who are practising Muslims - Hatem
Ben Arfa, Demba Ba, Cheick Tiote and Papiss
Cisse.
Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra, assistant secretary
general of the MCB, said Islamic law teaches
that earning interest on money is not
allowed.
He said: "Islam does not treat money like a
commodity that you can trade like food or
clothing. For example I cannot lend £100 and
then take back £120.
"But there is a distinction between the
religious law and the choice of the
individual.
"The MCB has not been in touch with the four
players or the football club, we simply put
the Islamic position to the people and then
it's up to them how they behave.
"And in terms of football it's not just
about loan companies but about betting or
alcohol companies.
"I'm calling for sporting organisations and
the Government to have a debate about this
and see where we should draw the line on
advertising in sport."
Mogra referred to the example of former
Tottenham striker Frederic Kanoute, who
requested not to wear the 888.com logo of
the gambling website when he played for
Seville in Spain.
This was because of his religious beliefs
and Mogra said it was important that
players' wishes were honoured.
The decision to agree sponsorship with Wonga
has also caused controversy elsewhere, with
MPs and other leaders in the north-east
calling it irresponsible.
Yesterday Nick Forbes, leader of Newcastle
City Council, said he was "sickened" and
"appalled" that the club had signed the
deal.
SOUTH AFRICA:
With the halal industry reaching over $2
trillion in value, of which the food sector
alone is worth around $160 billion, South
Africa has emerged as a surprising global
leader in halal certification.
Although it holds the world's
smallest percentage of Muslims, there are
grounds for asserting that South Africa has
a highly advanced halal certification
program.
The Rainbow Nation is
considered one of the five largest producers
of halal products worldwide.
OSLO: Revelations that a
Danish Muslim convert was in reality an
undercover agent posing as extremist in an
attempt to trap young Muslims are sending
shockwaves across the sizable minority in
Denmark.
“The police and security services want us to
trust them but they are sending agitators
into our community to lead people astray,”
Qadir Baksh, chairman of the Luton Islamic
Center in Bury Park Road, told Luton Today
newspaper on Wednesday, October 10.
A Muslim convert, Morten Storm (pictured),
has unveiled that he was an undercover agent
for the Danish intelligence service (PET)
and the CIA.
He told Jyllands-Posten daily
that he was recruited by PET in 2006 to
track down extremists in the Scandinavian
country.
He also said that he led the CIA to Al-Qaeda
leader in Yemen Anwar Al-Awlaki, who was
killed in a drone attack last year.
The convert moved to Luton in 1999, where he
told community leaders that he wanted to
start a new life after a history of
extremism.
However, he started to propagate his radical
ideas in an effort to lure young Muslims
into his line.
“Certain people here propped him up, such as
Al Muhajiroun,” Baksh said, referring to an
outlawed Islamist group in Britain, which
has an office in Denmark.
Saudi Arabia is to limit the
power of its notorious religious police,
raising hopes that draconian social controls
will be eased in the ultra-conservative
Islamic kingdom.
After years of complaints of
humiliation and abuse, particularly from
women, the all-male agents of the Commission
for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention
of Vice could be emasculated by the reforms.
Sheikh Abdullatiff Abdel Aziz al-Sheikh, the
head of the force, said that its authority
to arrest and question suspects would be
transferred to regular police officers,
while it also would be unable to carry out
raids on homes without prior and higher
approval.
"The new system will set a mechanism for the
field work of the committee's men which
hands over some of their specialisations to
other state bodies, such as arrests and
interrogations," al-Hayat quoted him as
saying.
Okaz, another daily paper, reported that the
force's agents will be prohibited from
scouring shopping centres for women failing
to follow rigid dress codes.
Sheikh, a relative moderate appointed by
King Abdullah in January, earlier strongly
criticised one of his men who ordered a
woman to leave a mall because she was
wearing nail polish. The woman defied the
order and filmed her argument with the
policeman, later posting it on YouTube.
Soon after taking over,
Sheikh barred volunteers from serving in the
commission, which was instantly reduced to
its full-time complement of 3,500.
The Ha'ia, as it is called in Arabic, has
also enforced bans on mingling by men and
women who are unrelated to each other, and
on public entertainment. It has ensured all
businesses close for prayers five times a
day and chased errant males into mosques at
the muezzin's call.
Known for having full beards - sometimes
henna-dyed - and for wearing their
headscarves loose, prior to milder reforms
in 2007 its agents were armed with wooden
canes to aid the enforcement of Sharia law.
Female activists in particular will welcome
the changes, though it appeared unlikely to
further significantly their primary goal of
ending the prohibition on women driving.
The announcement was perhaps the most
important of several reforms introduced
under King Abdullah, which have gathered
pace since the Arab Spring swept aside other
unelected leaders in the region.
KB says: Another
delightfully decadent recipe and this time its a
tantalizingly delicious cupcake from niece
Sawleha.
I learnt the other day that it takes
75,000 crocus flowers to produce half a kilogram of saffron.
No wonder it is the most expensive spice in the world!
Thank you to a dear friend who brought
some from overseas for me.
Blue Velvet Cupcakes
Ingredients
1 cup of butter softened
11/3 cups sugar
Blue food colouring
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 ½ cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
Method
In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter
and sugar. Once light and fluffy add your blue
food colouring. Start with a small amount and
increase to reach your desired shade of blue.
Blend well with butter and sugar. Add in eggs,
one at a time, and beating well after each
addition. Add in vanilla and beat well.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda
and salt in a separate bowl. Add 1/3 of the dry
ingredients to the batter and beat until well
combined. Add in 1/2 of the buttermilk, beat
until combined, followed by another 1/3 of the
dry, then the remaining buttermilk and finally
the remaining dry ingredients. The batter may
look a bit lumpy after buttermilk is first
added, but beat well and it will combine nicely.
Fill paper lined muffin cups two-thirds full and
bake at 350 degrees for approx 20-25 minutes or
until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes
out clean. Watch the cupcakes closely in the
last few minutes of baking so that they do not
over brown. Allow to cool for ten minutes before
removing from pan, then transfer to a wire rack
to finish cooling.
Cream Cheese Frosting
125g unsalted butter, room temperature
½ cup cream cheese, room temperature
4 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla or vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Method
Beat butter and cream cheese with until fluffy,
2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add sugar, 1 cup at a
time. Add salt and vanilla; mix until smooth.
Q: Why is it that all the
lemons fall off the tree while they are very small?
It’s really annoying!
A:
This is a common problem and an indication that your
tree, whether pot-bound or in the ground is unhappy.
At this time of the year, the
following might be the case:
• The tree needs more regular watering
• The soil needs more nutrients especially nitrogen
• Your tree needs to recover from pest attacks
• The soil has run out of magnesium
Follow the steps
I have outlined here. If you need any further
help or advice do not hesitate to contact me.
You may not have touched a hula hoop since the 1990’s, but
it’s making a serious comeback in the fitness world.
Don’t be fooled into thinking it’s just child’s play – it’s
challenging and will get you great results fast (depending
on how often you commit to using it).
The clever fit-hoop (which is weighted) will sculpt, tone
and strengthen your waist area, and you’ll burn up to 415 kj
in around 10mins, all while having a whole lot of fun!
It is
Allah Who created you in a
state of (helpless)
weakness, then gave (you)
strength after weakness,
then, after strength, gave
(you) weakness and a hoary
head: He creates as He
wills, and it is He Who has
all knowledge and power.
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
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 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.
.
In
the midst of
a national
debate on
the status
and
treatment of
women, The
Australian
Financial
Review and
Westpac have
recognised
outstanding
women who
are using
their
influence to
improve
business and
society.
Al-Nisa
in
conjunction
with Kuraby
Madrasah
held a
dinner to
help raise
much-needed
funds for
the Madrasah.
The ladies
only event
took place
at Michael’s
Oriental
Restaurant
on Saturday,
October 6
with over
200 in
attendance.
"The MCB has not been in touch with the four
players or the football club, we simply put
the Islamic position to the people and then
it's up to them how they behave.
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011
