At
around 11am
yesterday
(Saturday) a
group of
some 20 men
and women
from the
Brisbane
Muslim
community
handed out a
thousand
white roses
to the
public in
the Queen
Street Mall
outside the
Myer centre.
Each rose
carried with
it a card
with a
quotation
from George
Bernard Shaw
on Islam and
a message
that
conveyed the
compassionate
and
peace-loving
nature of
the Prophet
Muhammed (PBUH).
"This
initiative
was aimed at
demonstrating,
in a very
positive and
peaceful
way, our
objection to
the false
messages
that the
video,
Innocence of
Muslims, was
sending out
and in so
doing
provide an
alternative
viewpoint,"
one of the
organizers
of A Rose
for Peace
and Harmony,
told CCN.
"We felt
there was no
better way
to do this
than by
using the
rose as the
universal
symbol of
peace and
harmony,"
she added.
"Brisbane
has now
joined with
the other
cities of
the world,
like London,
Birmingham,
Oslo,
Auckland, to
use the rose
as a way of
affirming
the tenets
of peace,
goodwill and
harmony that
were the
legacy of
the Prophet
(PBUH)."
Also present
to observe
the handing
out of the
roses was
Minister for
Minister for
Aboriginal
and Torres
Strait
Islander and
Multicultural
Affairs,
Greg Elmes,
In a media
release
issued the
day before,
the Minister
lauded the
effort of
the Muslims
of
Queensland
and
encouraged
all
Queenslanders
"to look
beyond the
minority (of
violent
protestors)
and to see
the positive
benefits
which the
vast
majority of
migrants
bring to our
state.”
The gesture
was
overwhelming
well
received by
the
passers-by
who stopped,
chatted,
complimented
and asked
questions.
Once such
recipient,
Dominque,
emailed
afterwards
with the
comment:
I was in the
Queen Street
Mall today
and received
a white rose
from you. I
just wanted
to say thank
you! It has
really made
my day.
A couple of
local
Brisbane
lads and
Sydneysiders
entertained
South Africa
cricketing
star, Hashim
Amla, in
Auburn at
the Khan
Baba
restaurant
in Auburn
during the
week.
The South
African
cricket team
are
currently in
Sydney
playing a
three day
game (warm
up match)
against the
Australia A
side.
They will
take on the
Australians
in a test
match at the
Gabba this
week and
then fly to
Perth to
play another
test match.
(left to
right)Arshad
Hatia, Dr
Mohammed
Moosajee (SA
Cricket
team's
doctor and
Team Manager), Hashim Amla,
Ahmed Moolla,
Imran Tahir (Pakistan
born South
African
cricketer),
and Riyaad
Ally
An
EID
Picnic
was
held
at
the
Australian
International
Islamic
College
(Durack)
last
week.
This
picnic
is
traditionally
held
after
every
Eid
ul
Adha,
where
a
quantity
of
Qurbani
meat
is
utilised
to
provide
a
free
picnic,
open
to
all
the
community.
It
is a
means
of a
form
of
distribution
of
some
Qurban.
A
total
of
23
lambs
were
donated
by
members
of
the
community,
from
their
Qurban,
to
the
picnic.
Imam
Abdul
Quddous
and
the
Board
of
the
College,
provided
the
facilities
free
of
charge,
to
facilitate
the
event.
About
1500
people
attended,
and
enjoyed
the
BBQ
sausages,
lamb
chops,
and
curry
and
rice
made
from
the
Qurban.
The Ethnic
Communities
Council of
Queensland (ECCQ)
held a
multicultural
summit over
two days
during the
week at the
Queensland
State
Library.
The keynote
address on
Day 1 was
delivered by
Dr Sohail
Inayatullah,
a political
scientist/futurist
at Tamkang
University
in Taiwan
and the
Centre of
Policing,
Intelligence
and Counter
Terrorism at
Macquarie
University
in Sydney.
Dr
Inayatullah
examined the
policy
determinants
for social
harmony and
'productive
diversity'
in a society
which is
experiencing
and enjoying
significant
demographic
change
through
migration of
various
forms.
The keynote
address on
Day 2 was
presented by
Waleed Aly,
lecturer in
politics at
Monash
University
and host of
Big Ideas on
ABC and
panellist on
The Project.
Aly spoke on
the role of
media and
its
treatment of
racial
minorities
in
Australia.
Dr Mustafa
Ally from
the School
of
Information
Systems at
the
University
of Southern
Queensland,
Andrew
Fraser,
Senior
Journalist
at The
Australian
and Dr Levi
Obijiofor,
from the
School of
Journalism
and
Communication
at
University
of
Queensland
took part in
a panel
discussion
on the topic
Media:
telling it
like it is.
A range of
topics from
a variety of
other
speakers
made for a
very
entertaining
and
informative
summit.
Dr
Mustafa
Ally,
Samantha
Ryan
(panel
moderator),
Andrew
Fraser
and
Dr
Levi
Obijiofor
Thirty years
after the
toppling of
an iconic
Brisbane
landmark,
Haje Sultan
Deen gives
the Courier
Mail's
QWeekend the
inside story
of what
happened
during those
tumultuous
Joh
Bjelke-Petersen's
years as
Queensland's
then
Premier.
Revival
and the
National
Centre of
Excellence
for Islamic
Studies (NCEIS),
endorsed by
the Council
of Imams QLD
(ICQ), are
organising a
one day high
profile
symposium on
Shariah Law.
The
symposium
will discuss
the meaning
and
objectives
of Shariah
Law, Islamic
Family law,
to what
extent is
Islamic law
applicable
in
non-Muslim
countries,
and other
important
related
matters.
Three high
profile
keynote
speakers,
specialists
in Islamic
Law, will be
presenting
on the day.
Keynote
speakers
include
Dato’ Sri
Professor
Zaleha
Kamaruddin,
Shaykh Taha
Karaan and
Judge Dr
Mohammad
Na’im Hj
Mokhtar.
For more
details
about the
programme
and the
speakers
click here.
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eastern or
western
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of the CBD.
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As-Salaam
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particularly
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entering
Brisbane.
For more
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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. 45
H.E.
Professor Dr
Ekmeleddin
Ihsanoglu
Secretary
General of
the
Organization
of the
Islamic
Conference
Country: Turkey Born: 26 Dec1943 (age 68) Source of Influence:
Administrative, Political Influence: Leader of an
organization comprised of 57 Muslim-majority
states. School of Thought: Traditional Sunni
Ihsanoglu is
Secretary
General of the
Organization of
the Islamic
Conference (OIC)—the
largest
intergovernmental
Muslim
organization in
the world, and
the second
largest public
organization
after the United
Nations.
Voice for the
Muslim World
The OIC often
has more
influence over
certain issues
than other
organizations
do, and can have
a key role to
play in
world
events—being
more inclusive
than the Arab
League and
also able to
tackle specific
injustices that
the United
Nations Security
Council cannot.
Reviving the OIC
Under
Ihsanoglu’s
leadership the
organization’s
remit has
widened from its
previously
staple issues of
Islamic
solidarity
towards more
immediate
humanitarian
concerns of
economic and
social
deprivation
around the
Muslim World,
making the
organization
more akin to the
United Nations
in its work. In
January 2010,
Ihsanoglu called
for the creation
of a Peace &
Security Council
as well as an
Islamic Court of
Justice to
adjudicate
between member
states of the
OIC.
Medina:
Saudis take a bulldozer to Islam's history
Authorities are building a
mosque so big it will hold 1.6m people – but
are demolishing irreplaceable monuments
Three of the world’s oldest
mosques are about to be destroyed as Saudi
Arabia embarks on a multi-billion-pound
expansion of Islam’s second holiest site.
Work on the Masjid an-Nabawi in Medina,
where the Prophet Mohamed is buried, will
start once the annual Hajj pilgrimage ends
next month. When complete, the development
will turn the mosque into the world’s
largest building, with the capacity for 1.6
million worshippers.
But concerns have been raised that the
development will see key historic sites
bulldozed. Anger is already growing at the
kingdom’s apparent disdain for preserving
the historical and archaeological heritage
of the country’s holiest city, Mecca. Most
of the expansion of Masjid an-Nabawi will
take place to
the west of the existing
mosque, which holds the tombs of Islam’s
founder and two of his closest companions,
Abu Bakr and Umar.
Just outside the western
walls of the current compound are mosques
dedicated to Abu Bakr and Umar, as well as
the Masjid Ghamama, built to mark the spot
where the Prophet is thought to have given
his first prayers for the Eid festival. The
Saudis have announced no plans to preserve
or move the three mosques, which have
existed since the seventh century and are
covered by Ottoman-era structures, or to
commission archaeological digs before they
are pulled down, something that has caused
considerable concern among the few academics
who are willing to speak out in the deeply
authoritarian kingdom.
“No one denies that Medina is in need of
expansion, but it’s the way the authorities
are going about it which is so worrying,”
says Dr Irfan al-Alawi of the Islamic
Heritage Research Foundation. “There are
ways they could expand which would either
avoid or preserve the ancient Islamic sites
but instead they want to knock it all down.”
Dr Alawi has spent much of the past 10 years
trying to highlight the destruction of early
Islamic sites.
No one
denies that
Medina is in
need of
expansion,
but it’s the
way the
authorities
are going
about it
which is so
worrying,
There are
ways they
could expand
which would
either avoid
or preserve
the ancient
Islamic
sites but
instead they
want to
knock it all
down.
Dr
Irfan al-Alawi
With cheap air travel and
booming middle classes in populous Muslim
countries within the developing world, both
Mecca and Medina are struggling to cope with
the 12 million pilgrims who visit each year
– a number expected to grow to 17 million by
2025. The Saudi monarchy views itself as the
sole authority to decide what should happen
to the cradle of Islam. Although it has
earmarked billions for an enormous expansion
of both Mecca and Medina, it also sees the
holy cities as lucrative for a country
almost entirely reliant on its finite oil
wealth.
Heritage campaigners and many locals have
looked on aghast as the historic sections of
Mecca and Medina have been bulldozed to make
way for gleaming shopping malls, luxury
hotels and enormous skyscrapers. The
Washington-based Gulf Institute estimates
that 95 per cent of the 1,000-year-old
buildings in the two cities have been
destroyed in the past 20 years.
In Mecca, the Masjid al-Haram, the holiest
site in Islam and a place where all Muslims
are supposed to be equal, is now
overshadowed by the Jabal Omar complex, a
development of skyscraper apartments, hotels
and an enormous clock tower. To build it,
the Saudi authorities destroyed the Ottoman
era Ajyad Fortress and the hill it stood on.
Other historic sites lost include the
Prophet’s birthplace – now a library – and
the house of his first wife, Khadijah, which
was replaced with a public toilet block.
Neither the Saudi Embassy in London nor the
Ministry for Foreign Affairs responded to
requests for comment when The Independent
contacted them this week. But the government
has previously defended its expansion plans
for the two holy cities as necessary. It
insists it has also built large numbers of
budget hotels for poorer pilgrims, though
critics point out these are routinely placed
many miles away from the holy sites.
Until recently, redevelopment in Medina has
pressed ahead at a slightly less frenetic
pace than in Mecca, although a number of
early Islamic sites have still been lost. Of
the seven ancient mosques built to
commemorate the Battle of the Trench – a key
moment in the development of Islam – only
two remain. Ten years ago, a mosque which
belonged to the Prophet’s grandson was
dynamited. Pictures of the demolition that
were secretly taken and smuggled out of the
kingdom showed the religious police
celebrating as the building collapsed.
Muslim
silence over
the
destruction
of Mecca and
Medina is
both
disastrous
and
hypocritical,
The recent
movie about
the Prophet
Mohamed
caused
worldwide
protests...
and yet the
destruction
of the
Prophet’s
birthplace,
where he
prayed and
founded
Islam has
been allowed
to continue
without any
criticism.
Dr
Irfan al-Alawi
The disregard for Islam’s early history is
partly explained by the regime’s adoption of
Wahabism, an austere and uncompromising
interpretation of Islam that is vehemently
opposed to anything which might encourage
Muslims towards idol worship.
In most of the Muslim world, shrines have
been built. Visits to graves are also
commonplace. But Wahabism views such
practices with disdain. The religious police
go to enormous lengths to discourage people
from praying at or visiting places closely
connected to the time of the Prophet while
powerful clerics work behind the scenes to
promote the destruction of historic sites.
Dr Alawi fears that the redevelopment of the
Masjid an-Nabawi is part of a wider drive to
shift focus away from the place where
Mohamed is buried. The spot that marks the
Prophet’s tomb is covered by a famous green
dome and forms the centrepiece of the
current mosque. But under the new plans, it
will become the east wing of a building
eight times its current size with a new
pulpit. There are also plans to demolish the
prayer niche at the centre of mosque. The
area forms part of the Riyadh al-Jannah
(Garden of Paradise), a section of the
mosque that the Prophet decreed especially
holy..
“Their excuse is they want to make more room
and create 20 spaces in a mosque that will
eventually hold 1.6 million,” says Dr Alawi.
“It makes no sense. What they really want is
to move the focus away from where the
Prophet is buried.”
A pamphlet published in 2007 by the Ministry
of Islamic Affairs – and endorsed by the
Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia, Abdulaziz al
Sheikh – called for the dome to be
demolished and the graves of Mohamed, Abu
Bakr and Umar to be flattened. Sheikh Ibn
al-Uthaymeen, one of the 20th century’s most
prolific Wahabi scholars, made similar
demands.
“Muslim silence over the destruction of
Mecca and Medina is both disastrous and
hypocritical,” says Dr Alawi. “The recent
movie about the Prophet Mohamed caused
worldwide protests... and yet the
destruction of the Prophet’s birthplace,
where he prayed and founded Islam has been
allowed to continue without any criticism.”
'Islam
is about real love, not just lust': The
party girl who's embraced a new life as a
Muslim convert
UK:
Her conversion from Ibiza party girl to
hijab-wearing Muslim in barely three months
may well raise a few eyebrows – and she
admits that her friends probably think it’s
another one of her fads.
But trainee teacher Heather
Matthews, 27, says Islam has brought her
‘love and happiness’ that she never found in
her old ‘shallow’ lifestyle.
Mrs Matthews, a mother of
two, converted to the faith four weeks ago –
two months after returning from a holiday in
Ibiza. And she says that the photographs of
the ‘old her’ taken on that trip show all
that is wrong with Western images of beauty.
She said: ‘I thought I needed
to act and dress in a certain way to feel
good about myself. I see girls now and think
about what image they are portraying to
other people, especially men.
‘It is about self-respect. If
you dress and act in a certain way, rightly
or wrongly, you’ll be treated in a certain
way.
‘Islam has taught me about
real love, not false passion and lust. I can
even see the logic in arranged marriage.’
A study by multi-faith group
Faith Matters found the number of Muslim
converts in Britain has now passed 100,000,
doubling in ten years.
The report estimated nearly
two-thirds of the new converts were women,
with an average age of 27 – like Mrs
Matthews.
Her path to conversion began
when she tried to convince her ex-husband
Jerrome, himself a Muslim convert, that the
religion was wrong. She was ‘very
suspicious’ of the faith, and began reading
up on it to support her arguments.
Although they separated last
year, she continued to learn about Islam –
and identified with it more and more.
Then, four weeks ago, she
completed the ‘revert’ process. She said: ‘I
underwent the ‘Shahadah’ ceremony of
conversion to Islam by repeating a
declaration of faith in front of the Imam at
my local multi-faith centre.
‘I had several Muslim sisters
with me and they bought me a hijab and
Islamic books to celebrate. It was
wonderful.’
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: Nadia Chothia's cupcakes were the centre of attraction
at an Eid dinner and the fresh rose on top was a
nice touch of creativity.
Red Velvet Cupcakes
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups cake flour
2 tblspns cocoa
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups castor sugar
1 1/2 cups oil
2 large eggs
1/2 bottle queens red pillar box food colour
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 tsp bi-carb soda
2 tsp white vinegar
Method
1. Pre heat oven to 180 degrees (160 for fan
forced)
2. Whisk flour, cocoa and salt (put aside)
3. Whisk sugar and oil until well combined
4. Add eggs one at a time and mix until well
combined
5. Add food colour and vanilla essence
6. Reduce speed and add flour mixture in 3
batches alternating with 2 batches of the
buttermilk
7. Stir vinegar and bi-carb then add to mixture
and beat for 10 seconds on medium speed
8. Bake for +- 20 minutes until done
Q: Dear Kareema, what is your best tip for staying
fit and healthy?
A: Consistency and discipline is key!
There is no quick fix for getting and staying fit and
healthy.
Find some activities that work for you (that you enjoy) so
you know that you won’t mind doing it again and again –
REPETITION EQUALS RESULTS and remember, if it doesn’t
challenge you, it won’t change you…
Set aside time for yourself and stick to your regime.
On the Day
that the Hour (of reckoning)
will be established, the
transgressors will swear
that they did not tarry but
an hour: thus were they used
to being deluded!
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.
.
At
around 11am
yesterday
(Saturday) a
group of
some 20 men
and women
from the
Brisbane
Muslim
community
handed out a
thousand
white roses
to the
public in
the Queen
Street Mall
outside the
Myer centre.
Revival
and the
National
Centre of
Excellence
for Islamic
Studies (NCEIS),
endorsed by
the Council
of Imams QLD
(ICQ), are
organising a
one day high
profile
symposium on
Shariah Law.
Dr
Irfan al-Alawi
UK:
Her conversion from Ibiza party girl to
hijab-wearing Muslim in barely three months
may well raise a few eyebrows – and she
admits that her friends probably think it’s
another one of her fads.
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011