In response to any misconceptions that may have been created by the blatantly inaccurate and offensive film ‘Innocence of Muslims’, the Muslims of Queensland have rallied to draw attention to the true characteristics of the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) using the universal symbol of love and warmth – a fresh rose.

Giving the message that Islam is about providing guidance on how to live a fair, honest and just life with everyone, over a 1000 roses will be handed out to the public in Brisbane's Queen St Mall at 11am on Saturday, 3 November.

Each white rose will carry with it a quotation and message that conveys the compassionate and peace-loving nature of the Prophet Muhammed (PBUH).

As a city that has embraced all of its rich diversity of cultures and religions, Brisbane will join with the other cities of the world, like London, Birmingham, Oslo, Auckland and others, to affirm the tenets of peace, goodwill and harmony that were the legacy of Prophet Muhammed (PBUH).

For more information call Mustafa Ally on 0402 026 786 or email: queenslandmuslims@gmail.com.

On the road to Mount Arafat (photo by Faiza El Higzi)

Hours before sunrise on Thursday, thousands of Muslims from around the world stood in the dark on a rocky desert hill, preparing for prayers on the first day of the annual hajj pilgrimage, a central pillar of their faith.

 

Muslims believe that prayer on Mount Arafat is their best chance to erase past sins and start anew.

The four-day hajj features millions packed shoulder to shoulder in prayer and supplication. According to Islam, each able-bodied believer must make the pilgrimage once.

"Let all your feuds be abolished," the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said in his last sermon on the hill called Jabal al-Rahman, Mountain of Mercy, in the area of Mount Arafat. "You must know that every Muslim is the brother of every Muslim...between Muslims there are no races and no tribes...do not oppress and do not be oppressed."

Some 1,400 years later, Muslims believe on this day and at this place, the gates of heaven are open for prayers to be answered and sins to be forgiven.
 

On other parts of the mountain, Muslims chanted in unison, "Labayk Allahuma Labayk," or "Here I am, God, answering your call. Here I am."

Muslims believe the hajj traces the paths of the Prophets Abraham, Ishmael and Muhammad. The hajj typically concludes as it began, with a set of rituals at the Kaaba, the cube-shaped structure in Mecca's Grand Mosque that observant Muslims around the world face in prayer five times a day.

Technology and the modern world have changed the atmosphere surrounding the hajj.

For centuries, the rocky mountain was a quiet place for contemplation and serene prayers. Now it is crowded with pilgrims pushing and shoving to take pictures with their iPads and mobile phones.
 

Many pilgrims were uploading their pictures online from the hilltop to share instantly with friends and family, while others used touch screens to read the Quran, rather than carrying it in printed form.

 

Casually dressed photographer Bandar Maarouf, 22, from Yemen, stood out from the sea of pilgrim men who wear white seamless garments and seamless sandals meant to represent equality and unity.

Wearing a bright pink shirt, low slung jeans and a hat turned sideways, he was taking photos for pilgrims at around $3 apiece. His camera prints the photos on the spot. He expected to sell at least 400 photos on Thursday.

"This season helps a person live. (I earn) some from here and there, and God is always giving," he said.

Some of the pilgrims' prayers had to do with current events.

Carrying a large Sudanese flag, Mohamed Ali said he was praying for an end to the civil war in Syria and victory for rebels over President Bashar Assad. "Victory is close, God willing," Ali said.
 

Under the stars of Muzdalifah on Thursday night (photo by Faiza El Higzi)

"May God bring Muslims together and help us unify, and help our Christian brothers, even those who made the film against the Prophet Muhammad," he said, referring to a movie that sparked violent protests last month around the Islamic world.

Others had more personal prayers.
 

An Egyptian mother of three, Nadia Abdel Aziz, appealed emotionally to God to make her children behave more kindly toward her. The 65-year-old widow said she was able to perform the hajj with the help of donations from a mosque in Cairo.

"O God! I want my kids to come and see me and be sensitive toward me, as I see with other families," she cried.

 

With her arms outstretched, she begged God for salvation, wiping a stream of tears from her face.
 

Saudi officials say about 3.4 million Muslims from all corners of the world had made the pilgrimage this year.

A sea of millions dressed in white, some waving their national flags, stretched for miles in the area of Mount Arafat, many chanting in unison, their prayers echoing.

Mount Arafat, about 20km east of Makkah, is a required stop for Muslims during the hajj.

As the sun and temperatures rose Thursday, tens of thousands of pilgrims began climbing the Mountain of Mercy.

At sunset, pilgrims headed to Muzdalifa, where Muslims believe prophets before Muhammad (pbuh) once prayed.

 

There, they collected pebbles walking or driving to nearby Mina for Friday's symbolic stoning of the devil that marks the start of Eid al-Adha, or feast of the sacrifice, when Muslims slaughter lambs to feed the hungry.

They made the 8 km journey from Mount Arafat by foot and bus caravan, where they spent the night, as the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) did during his own pilgrimage. Millions of people slept there under the stars.

 

Source adapted

 

The QPS and Metropolitan South Regional Multi-Faith community dinner at the Greek Community Centre was a very emotional evening with many communities and faiths acknowledging the work of the retiring Police Commissioner Mr Bob Atkinson.

 

Organized by Cultural Liaison Officer, Sergeant Jim Bellos, the dinner was attended by over 100 invited guests representing many of the city's religious faiths and denominations.

 

Amongst the presentations were Justin and Susan Handley from Baha’i Faith, Father David Mahrous from the Coptic Orthodox Church and Decalie Newton and Sergeant Brooke Dwyer from Crime Stoppers.

 

The gathering presented The Greek Club's chef the unenviable challenge of catering of a range of  dietary requirements and he accomplished this flawlessly.

PUBLIC hostility towards Muslims is much greater in Sydney than Melbourne — by a factor of two to one — with immigrants far more dispersed across the Victorian capital, according to a social survey.

The findings show Sydney is home to a higher percentage of people born overseas than Melbourne, but they are typically poorer and concentrated in fewer suburbs than those in Victoria.

The targets of racism in Australia have also changed – Indians are now most often singled out rather than the past focus on people of east Asian descent, despite official attempts in recent years to calm anger over a spate of attacks on Indian students.

The stock take of attitudes towards immigrants offers an insight into the experience of a growing national population – up 3 million in the past decade, a figure that includes births as well as migrant intake.

The results show 29 per cent of Sydneysiders hold a negative view of Muslims, compared with 15 per cent in Melbourne.

The violent protests in Sydney’s CBD last month over the depiction of Muslims in an American-made film sparked fears of a return to the tensions that followed the 2005 Cronulla riots, prompting an immediate condemnation from Islamic leaders. But the survey findings also warn of broader problems creeping into immigrant neighbourhoods in both cities, with people born in Australia more likely to feel vulnerable in their homes than those of non-English speaking backgrounds.

The research, released today, is built on data collected over several years by Monash University, backed by the Scanlon Foundation and the Australian Multicultural Foundation.

The surveys, drawing on a sample of 15,000, also delve into the fears and aspirations across the country. The economy, the quality of politicians, and boats ferrying asylum seekers ranked as the three most serious problems facing Australia.

Boat arrivals are toxic for the Gillard government: the results show 6 per cent of people think Labor is doing a good job, compared with an overwhelming 66per cent vote of disapproval.

Many immigrants are actually more positive about Australia than Australian-born because their reference point is where they come from.   Andrew Markus

Only one in four people believe people arriving by boat should be eligible for permanent residence; 62 per cent of Greens voters are in favour.
 

The survey is not all bad news. Most are convinced by the statement ‘‘Australia is a land of economic opportunity where in the long run, hard work brings a better life’’ – an optimism especially felt among people who speak a language other than English at home.

‘‘Many immigrants are actually more positive about Australia than Australian-born because their reference point is where they come from,’’ said the study author, Andrew Markus.

But a breakdown of the findings, examining migrant hubs in Sydney and Melbourne around Bankstown and Dandenong, suggests that trust is fraying between migrants and those born locally.

Third generation Australians – people born here of parents also born in Australia – are far more likely to be dissatisfied living in one of these neighbourhoods.

Nationwide, only 28 per cent of Australian-born people felt unsafe walking alone at night – but the concern shot up to 50 per cent in the local findings.

Third-generation Australians are also twice as likely than those of non-English speaking backgrounds to report life in their local area has become much worse and see the migrant intake as ‘‘too high’’.

Hass Dellal, from the Australian Multicultural Foundation, said the split between Sydney and Melbourne on views of Muslims resulted from more work in Victoria to engage the Islamic community.

 

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Last weekend AlKauthar Brisbane held its final course for 2012 at Griffith University Mt.Gravatt Campus.

 

The tafseer of Surah Yusuf given by our dynamic instructor Sheikh Daood Butt was one not to be missed.

 

The Pearls of Wisdom submitted by the students during the course speak for themselves with regards to some of the 1000’s of important lessons that can be derived from this surah.

 

“The Qur’an was revealed not just to be read, nor merely to be memorised; but also that its verses are pondered over...” And thus we all pondered this surah over two full days which passed by in the blink of an eye.

 

“Time is the most precious gift & it is a person’s capital...” The importance of time and patience was made evident throughout the story as demonstrated by both Yusuf (AS) and his father Yaqub (AS).

 

“Don’t wait to fix your relationship with your parents- start now by asking them to forgive you.” The Surah deals with the importance of parents and family in our lives and how we should interact with them.

 

The most intriguing topic of dreams was also discussed as the Prophet Yusuf (AS) was gifted with the ability to interpret dreams. As the Sheikh summarised regarding peoples interest in dreams, “Why are we all interested in dreams when reality is in front of us all the time.”

 

The above are just a few of the dominant themes that emerge from one surah of the Quran.

 

Imagine what we would gain if we studied more of this beautiful religion.

 

Join AlKauthar Brisbane in 2013 for more exciting courses. Starting the year Insha’Allah is, “Signs of the Hour” with Ustadh Yahya Ibrahim which is tentatively scheduled for March 23^rd and 24^th. This course deals with the signs of the Day of Judgement which is always a good reminder to those living in the present. As some of the minor signs are already occurring this should help increase our Iman to better following the religion of Allah in our daily lives.

 

Jazakallahu khairan to all those who helped out with AlKauthar Brisbane in 2012 and we hope to see you all again in 2013.

 

Barak’allahu feekum from the AlKauthar Brisbane team.

ACCOMMODATION WANTED

 

Working sister seeking accommodation to share with another sister(s) in Brisbane area.
Contact by email: periotta11@hotmail.com.

 

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VACANCY

Australian International Islamic College is seeking an experienced person to work in their admin and library. Must be computer literate and have administration skills.
 

Please email CV to admin@aiic.qld.edu.au or phone Mariam Ali 3372 1400 for further information.

 

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ASYLUM SEEKER SUPPORT PROGRAM

As-Salaam Institute is undertaking a Charity Support Drive particularly to aid asylum seekers entering Brisbane. For more information click here.

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. 44

H.E. Sheikh Professor Dr Mustafa Ceric
Grand Mufti of Bosnia and Herzegovina