The
young
members of
The Islamic
Society of
Algester (ISOA)
took the
initiative
to organise
a
three-course
dinner to
help raise
funds
towards
building a
well in
Afghanistan.
The event
took place
at the
Algester
Mosque on
the 1st of
December and
by all
accounts
turned out
to be a
great
success.
"In
Afghanistan
20% of the
population
and 27% in
rural areas
do not have
access to
safe
drinking
water,
something we
take for
granted
every day.
Building a
well will
help provide
safe
drinking
water to
these
people," a
spokesperson
for youth
told CCN.
The event
began with a
talk from
Imam Nawaaz,
explaining
the purpose
of the
event, the
great cause
everyone was
there to
support and
background
information
on the
current
water
situation in
Afghanistan.
This was
followed by
the
recitation
of a nasheed
from Sheik
Ahmed Abu
Ghazaleh and
finally a
dua by
Moulana
Aslam.
The team of
youth
carefully
planned a
scrumptious
menu and
elegant
decor for an
ultimate
dining
experience.
The talented
ladies of
the ISOA
catering
team, along
with the
youth,
prepared a
hearty
chicken and
corn soup
with
croutons as
an entree.
The main
course was a
buffet
selection of
authentic
butter
chicken,
rice, Asian
inspired
beef stir
fry, salad,
Turkish
bread and
pickles.
After Isha
salaah a
delightful
chocolate
mousse was
served to
end the
night on a
sweet note.
The
community
gave very
generously
and the ISOA
was able to
raise enough
funds to
build not
only one but
two wells!
"The
attendees
absolutely
loved the
food and
there was a
great
atmosphere.
The
community
was thrilled
to be able
to
contribute
to such a
worthy cause
and thought
it was a
great
opportunity
and learning
experience.
As the youth
took charge,
all the
leaders of
the
community
enjoyed full
service. May
Allah reward
all those
who helped
make the
event a
success and
donated to
this worthy
cause. The
ISOA youth
are excited
to see the
difference
the wells
will make to
the lives of
their fellow
brothers and
sisters in
Afghanistan."
Revival,
a
Brisbane-based
organization
vested
with
the
ideals
of
bringing
Islamic
issues
to
the
local
community
for
scholarly
discussion,
held
a
dinner
on
Thursday
night
at
Michael's
Oriental
in
honour
of
the
its
overseas
keynote
speakers
who
presented
at
the
Symposium
on
Sharia
held
the
day
before.
The
function,
held
under
the
theme
of
Living
Islam
Today,
was
attended
by
some
100
guests
who
included
Imams,
community
organization
and
government
representatives
as
well
as
Aboriginal
elders.
Aunty
Deborah
Bennet
(pictured
left),
who
was
called
on
to
give
an
impromptu
speech,
spoke
most
eloquently
and
appreciatively
of
the
long,
enduring
history
and
association
between
the
indigenous
community
and
the
Muslims
from
Indonesia
and
Afghanistan.
This
was
followed
by
the
effervescent
and
ebullient
Dato’
Sri
Professor
Zaleha
Kamaruddin
who
spoke
on
the
work
her
university,
the
International
Islamic
University
Malaysia
(IIUM),
was
doing
to
incorporate
secular
and
religious
content
in
their
curriculum.
Shaykh
Taha
Karaan,
a
scholar
in
Islamic
jurisprudence
from
Cape
Town,
South
Africa,
gave
a
racy
and
inspired
talk
on
living
in a
Western
world
with
Islamic
values.
The
Q&A
segments
during
the
evening
dealt
with
a
number
of
interesting
topics
that
were
equally
well-addressed
by
the
speakers.
Kuraby
Madrasah
held
its
annual
jalsah
at
the
Kuraby
Special
School
to
acknowledge
its
students
and
showcase
their
Islamic
education
on
Friday,
December
7.
With
120
students
currently
enrolled
in
the
madrasah
as
well
as
an
additional
12
hifz
students
(including
2
girls),
the
institute
provides
a
fundamental
Islamic
education
for
children
between
grade
1
and
8.
“At
a
young
age
it
is
important
that
we
instil
the
importance
of
deen
in
their
hearts,”
says
Imam
Akram
Buksh,
principal
of
the
madrasah.
"Kuraby
Madrasah
strives
for
excellence
in
character
with
the
intention
of
teaching
its
pupils
the
manners
and
way
of
Muhammad
SAW
to
show
the
true
essence
of
Islam",
Imam
Akram
told
CCN.
The
evening
showcased
much
of
the
knowledge
acquired
throughout
the
year.
Students
performed
plays,
sang
songs
and
recited
from
the
Qur’an.
The
evening
was
also
an
opportunity
to
recognize
the
highest
achieving
students
from
each
grade.
Ms Janeth
Deen, Dr Kristyn Deen and Dr. Vincent
Deen
The
graduation
of the 4th
cohort of
medical
students
from Bond
University
took place
during the
week.
Amongst the
seventy
graduates
were Kristyn
Sharee Deen,
Yusuf Eqbal,
Mohammed
Kafilhussain
Kafil, M.
Masood
Sidiqi and
Farah Diba
Zaman.
Kristyn Deen
is the
grand-daughter
of Janeth
Deen and the
daughter of
cardiologist,
Dr. Vincent
Deen.
The Deen and
Ramah
families now
have two
doctors
within their
midst and
two more
grand-daughters
of Janeth,
Jessica
Radvan and
Jacqui Deen,
have
successfully
completed
their second
year of
their
medical
degrees at
James Cook
University.
Shariah
Law
is
undoubtedly
one
of
the
most
widely
debated
and
yet
misunderstood
contemporary
Islamic
issues
of
today.
In a
time
where
politicians
such
as
Cory
Bernardi
spout
vitriolic
messages
about
Shariah,
coupled
with
the
mainstream
media
often
aiding
in
the
spreading
of
misinformation,
it
is
little
wonder
that
so
many
of
our
non-Muslim
neighbours
in
Australia
perceive
Sharia
to
be
such
a
threat
to
their
way
of
life.
What
is
surprising
however,
is
how
ill-informed
so
many
of
us,
as
Muslims,
are
about
our
own
religious
laws.
It
was
with
the
intention
to
not
only
educate
but
to
discuss
potential
solutions
to
current-day
issues
that
the
Revival
team,
Griffith
University,
the
National
Centre
of
Excellence
for
Islamic
studies
and
the
Council
of
Imams
Queensland
set
about
organising
the
Shariah
Law
One
Day
Symposium.
The
symposium
examined
the
meaning,
sources
and
objectives
of
Shariah;
Islamic
Law
vis-à-vis
the
Common
Law,
and
the
Relevance
of
Abodes
(Dar
al
Islam
&
Dar
al-Harb)
in
the
Implementation
of
Shariah
Law.
It
also
addressed
the
issue
of
Islamic
Family
Law
in
Australia,
what
aspects
of
Shariah
laws
can
be
implemented
in
non-Muslim
lands,
and
who
should
have
the
authority
to
implement
them
and
what
circumstances
they
should
be
implemented.
On
Wednesday
the
5th
of
December
approximately
70
people
representing
various
Islamic
and
non-Islamic
organisations
from
all
over
Australia
convened
at
the
Brisbane
Convention
Centre
to
hear
from
high
profile
specialists
in
Islamic
Law
-
Dato’
Sri
Professor
Zaleha
Kamaruddin,
Shaykh
Taha
Karaan,
Dr
Ann
Black,
Associate
Professor
Dr
Mohamad
Adbdalla
and
Dr
Mahmood
Nathie.
By
all
accounts
the
symposium
was
a
resounding
success.
The
keynote
speakers
were
very
interesting
and
their
topics
relevant
and
very
appropriate
in
light
of
recent
events.
Additionally,
the
Q
and
A
sessions
following
each
speaker
were
lively
and
extremely
informative.
Jazak’Allah
Khairan
to
the
organisers
for
providing
all
participants
with
such
a
productive
and
rewarding
experience.
For
anyone
wanting
to
watch
a
video
of
the
Symposium
IslamTV
will
be
posting
it
up
shortly.
Snippets
of
the
Symposium
will
also
be
posted
on
the
Revival
website.
by Office for Women at the Islamic
Council of Victoria
Brunch host
Waleed Aly and wife Susan Carland
Host Waleed
Aly called
it a
historical
moment –
Muslim men
and women in
Melbourne
marking
White Ribbon
Day with a
multicultural
brunch,
couples
discussing
respectful
relationships,
the
auctioning
of goods to
support
White Ribbon
and the
Islamic
Council of
Victoria’s
social
services
programs,
and young
Muslim men
getting
involved
through a
moving
social media
campaign.
The event
was
organised by
the Islamic
Council of
Victoria (ICV),
Youth
Victoria,
and
sponsored by
the
Australian
Multicultural
Foundation.
ICV
president
Nadeem
Hussain said
it showed
‘the
commitment
people have
to address
this issue’.
“It’s
important
that
conversations
take place
at the
community
level
promoting
counseling,
psychological
and
spiritual,
for both
abusers and
the abused,”
Mr Hussain
remarked.
Tasnim
Sammak and
her
colleagues
from the
Federation
of
Australian
Muslim
Students and
Youth
arranged for
goods for
auction to
be donated,
including
hampers,
white
headscarves
from Nasiba
Fashion, and
books and
CDs about
Islam’s
support for
respectful
relationships
from
mybookstore.
FAMSY’s
Tasnim Sammak (second from right) and
family.
As the host
of the event
and a White
Ribbon
ambassador
Mr Aly said
domestic
violence was
an issue on
the global
agenda.
“It crosses
all borders,
faiths,
cultures and
races,” he
said.
Speakers and
presenters
included
former ICV
president
Ramzi
Elsayed,
Benevolence
director
Saara
Sabbagh,
psychologist
Monique
Toohey,
religious
leader
Sheikh
Abdinur and
ICV
representatives
Rana Hussain
and Michael
Stapleton.
A White
Ribbon
campaign
director,
Murray
McInnis,
attended as
did other
White Ribbon
ambassadors
from the
Muslim
community
including
ICV youth
worker
Mohammed
Elleissy,
and lawyer
and novelist
Irfan Yusuf.
Speakers Rana
Hussain and Michael Stapleton.
Rashid and
Amr
Alshakshir
from Youth
Victoria – a
Muslim young
people’s
group based
at the
Virgin Mary
Mosque in
Hoppers
Crossing in
Melbourne’s
west –
collated and
edited a
collection
of short
videos
submitted by
nineteen
young Muslim
men, who
recorded
themselves
taking the
White Ribbon
oath (“I
promise
never to
commit,
excuse or
remain
silent about
violence
against
women”).
The men
represented
a wide range
of cultural
and
professional
backgrounds,
demonstrating
widespread
support
among Muslim
men for the
goals of the
White Ribbon
campaign.
Are you
passionate
about
peacemaking
and wanting
to play a
part in the
peacebuilding
process in
Myanmar?
The Centre
for Human
Dialogue is
an
international,
independent
private
diplomacy
and
mediation
organisation
that seeks
through the
use of
mediation
and dialogue
to improve
the
prevention
of and
response to
armed
conflict
around the
world.
The Centre’s
work is
motivated by
humanitarian
considerations
and is based
on the
principles
of humanity,
impartiality,
independence
and
discretion.
The main
objective of
the Centre
for Human
Dialogue’s
work is to
reduce the
suffering
caused by
armed
conflict.
Work began
in Myanmar
in 2012, to
support the
process
between the
national
government
and the
different
ceasefire
groups. The
Centre for
Human
Dialogue now
seeks
assistance
to support
the
implementation
of projects
designed to
enable a
multi-stakeholder
dialogue, as
well as
facilitation
of technical
support and
advice to
move towards
an inclusive
peaceful
settlement.
To be
considered
for this
opportunity,
you will
need a:
•
Tertiary
degree in
international
affairs,
international
development,
conflict
resolution
or related
discipline
•
Demonstrated
experience
related to
peace
processes or
conflict
resolution
•
Knowledge or
experience
of processes
for dialogue
and conflict
resolution
•
Solid
experience
with complex
humanitarian
issues
If you
believe
these
attributes
match your
skillset and
interest,
apply now.
US: A pair
of Muslim
NFL stars
have
sacrificed
their
million-dollar
paychecks
and quit
their
top-flight
American
football
teams - to
go on a
pilgrimage
to Mecca.
Brothers
Hamza and
Husain
Abdullah are
at the peak
of their
careers,
playing
every week
in front of
tens of
thousands of
cheering
fans at the
heart of two
of America's
top gridiron
teams.
But in June
this year,
the pair
broke the
news to
their
respective
coaches that
they would
not be
available to
play in the
2012 NFL
season
because they
were taking
their ailing
parents on a
7,000-mile
'road trip'
to Islam's
spiritual
heartland.
Lifelong
Muslims
Hamza, 29, a
first-team
starter for
the Arizona
Cardinals
and Husain,
27, of the
Minnesota
Vikings,
have enjoyed
highly
successful
careers in
American
football,
climbing the
ranks from
little
leagues, to
high school
and college
football to
the NFL.
But in a
country so
polarised by
perceptions
of faith,
both say
they have
experienced
Islamophobic
abuse on and
off the
field.
Far from
accept it as
an
inescapable
byproduct of
multiculturalism,
however, it
inspired
them to use
their
high-profile
status to
educate
fellow
Americans in
a bid to
nurture a
better
understanding
of their
faith.
'You know,'
Hamza told
NBC News.
'We're
playing
football,
America's
number one
game. We
went on a
road trip.
What's more
American
than a road
trip?'
Born and
bred in
tough South
Central Los
Angeles, the
brothers say
no amount of
success
could
satisfy
their aching
desire to
honour the
most
demanding of
the five
pillars of
Islam - The
Hajj.
It is a
journey all
able-bodied
Muslims are
required to
make at
least once
in their
lifetime and
is the
largest
spiritual
pilgrimage
in the
world.
'We’ve been
playing
football
since we
were 8 years
old,' Husain
told NBC
News. 'And
although
we're
knocking
down all
these
barriers,
doing things
that people
said you
can't do,
all of a
sudden, it
was like
there's more
to life than
this.
There's
more. And we
had to go
for it.'
The brothers
decided to
take with
them their
mother, a
teacher, and
ailing
father, a
former
carpenter
whose
chronic
diabetes
leaves him
needing
daily
dialysis
treatment.
But before
they
embarked on
the mission,
they spent
30 days
travelling
America,
having 'Iftar'
- the daily
Ramadan
fast-breaking
meal - at a
different
mosque each
night while
giving talks
on fasting
and its
impact on
athletes.
The journey
that
followed was
a far cry
from the
luxury they
had become
accustomed
to as
coveted
sports stars
in their
homeland.
Imam
Zeeyad
Ravat
of
the
Islamic
College
of
Brisbane
is
currently
at
the
Madin
Academy
in
Kerala,
India
as
the
guest
of
Shiekh
Ibraheemul
Khaleelul
Bukhari,
the
leader
of
Madin
Academy
in
India.
Earlier
this
year
Bukhari
visited
Australia
and
was
impressed
at
how
well
Islam
was
flourishing
in
Brisbane
and
in
Australia
as a
whole.
The
Shiekh
features
amongst
the
500
most
famous
Muslims
and
the
annual
Ramadhan
program
at
Madin
attracts
more
than
half
a
million
worshippers
to
his
prayers.
On
his
arrival
in
India,
Imam
Ravat
was
accorded
this
introduction
to
the
local
community
there:
Alhamdulillah we are honoured to welcome Shiekh Mufti Zeeyad Ravat, Head of Islamic and Arabic studies at the Islamic College of Brisbane at our Institute here in Kerala India.
Many people think that there is no Islam in Australia and visits from such scholars sends a very positive message in our local community of the vibrancy of Islam in such distant corners of the world.
Shiekh Zeeyad arrived in Bangalore and visited some of our branches on route to Cochin and Calicut. Last Night he was the guest of honour at the monthly Salawath programme.
He addressed the audience of over 10,000 people and educated the crowd on how Islam is prospering in the west despite various onslaughts against it.
He said he was really impressed by the unity of the Muslims in Kerala and the great respect the people had for the scholars in general.
Shiekh Zeeyad will visit Sri Lanka and the Maldives on an extended lecture tour on his way back to Brisbane.
May Allah reward him, his family and the Muslims of Australia for their ongoing friendship and support.
The chart
summarizes
the progress
of fund
raising for
the purchase
of the
Salvation
Army
property by
Holland Park
Mosque.
After having
stalled last
week with no
donations,
Islamic
Society of
Holland Park
(ISOHP) has
succeeded in
kick-starting
the
collections
with renew
vigour and
hope thanks
to the
generous
support of
the
congregation
at Gold
Coast
Mosque. An
impassioned
appeal by
Mr. Hussin
Goss made a
considerable
impact on
the
congregation
and they
contributed
over $21,000
in less than
half an
hour.
The
committee
and some
members of
the ISOHP
travelled to
Sydney
during the
week on a
fund raising
drive - the
first time
Holland Park
has ventured
out of South
East
Queensland.
A full
report on
this
collection
effort will
be made
available in
next week's
CCN.
For those
readers not
fully au
fait with
the details
of the newly
acquired
property and
what the
society
plans to do
with it the
following is
a brief
synopsis.
The
Salvation
Army
property is
on 1800
square
metres of
land and
comprises a
car park, a
double-storey
hall, an old
church and
two units (see
the plan).
The hall
will be used
for teaching
facilities
as well as
for society
functions.
The church
will be
repainted
and repaired
and used as
a prayer
area for the
ladies. The
units will
be rented
out and the
proceeds
will help
towards the
operating
costs of the
Mosque.
Securing the
property
also means
that the
extensions
to the
Mosque can
be carried
out with
approval
from the
Brisbane
City
Council.
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. 50
H.E. Dr
Aref Ali
Nayed
Scholar &
Libyan
Ambassador
to the UAE
Country: Libya
Born: 1962 (age
49) in Libya Source of Influence:
Scholarly, Political Influence: Interfaith scholar
and
influential figure in the new Libyan
government School of Thought: Sunni
Nayed has
recently been
appointed
Ambassador to
the UAE for
Libya’s National
Transitional
Council (NTC).
He also leads
the Libya
Stabilisation
Team.
Prior to the
Libyan
revolution he
worked as an
important
scholar in the
field of Muslim-
Christian
relations, and
is the founder
and director of
Kalam
Research & Media
(KRM).
Religious
Scholar
Nayed is a
former professor
at both the
Pontifical
Institute
for Arabic and
Islamic Studies
(Rome) and at
ISTAC,
Malaysia, and is
a senior
advisor to the
Faculty of
Divinity
in Cambridge,
UK.
Prior to the
Libyan
revolution he
lectured on
Islamic
Theology, Logic,
and Spirituality
at the
restored Uthman
Pasha Madrasa in
Tripoli, Libya.
He was recently
appointed to the
Board of
Advisors of
the Templeton
Foundation.
As CCN comes to the end of
our top 50 of the 500 world's most
influential Muslims of 2011, the Royal
Islamic Strategic Studies Centre, the
Jordanian think tank releases its 2012 list.
This fourth annual
compilation lists the individuals according
to 13 categories, including spiritual
guides, Quran reciters, scholars,
politicians, celebrities, sports figures,
radicals and media leaders.
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah
is at No. 1 spot which he retains since
2009.
Others to make the list include:
• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, all-time NBA scoring
leader, and boxing legend Muhammad Ali.
• Umar Faruq Abdullah, a convert who founded
the Nawawi Foundation, an educational
nonprofit organization in Chicago.
• Azizah Al-Hibri, chairwoman of Karamah:
Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights,
appointed in 2011 by President Barack Obama
to the U.S. Commission on International
Religious Freedom.
• Sheik Muhammad Bin Yahya Al Husayni Al-Ninowy,
Imam at the Masjid al-Madina in Atlanta, and
a descendant of Prophet Muhammad’s daughter
Fatima.
Blues
for Mali as Ali Farka Toure's music is
banned
MALI:
After making northern Mali's "Blues" music
famous around the world, Ali Farka Toure
(pictured left) is a legend in his home
town of Niafunke, where he was mayor until
his death in 2006.
The memorial to him is still intact but his
music is no longer heard in the town's
streets.
"The town has gone silent," says 28-year-old
farmer Ousmane Maiga (not his real name)
over the phone. "It's way too quiet".
Islamist fighters have taken over Niafunke,
which sits on the banks of the river Niger
100km (60 miles) south-west of Timbuktu.
They have introduced a strict social code:
Women and girls must be covered, young men
cannot wear loose trousers and all forms of
music are banned.
Residents say two young men were whipped
last month after they were caught smoking
tobacco.
Toure was just one of a host of stars who
have turned music into one of Mali's best
known exports.
"Music is so much part of our culture," says
Mr Maiga. "It's everywhere here, I miss
listening to it over tea with my friends on
the weekend. I miss attending wedding
ceremonies and baptisms."
Muslims
fight after Newham mega-mosque plan is
rejected
The mosque
would have had a prayer hall for up to 7,440
men and a facility for about 2,000 women
LONDON: A Muslim group behind
a proposed east London mega-mosque today
vowed to seek a judicial review after
councillors rejected the scheme, saying it
was “too big” and would not serve the needs
of the local community.
Hardline sect Tablighi Jamaat purchased the
17-acre brownfield site in Abbey Mills,
Newham, in 1996 and has been trying to build
a mosque there for more than a decade,
despite opposition from residents and
campaign groups.
The current plan is for a 9,000-capacity
Islamic centre with prayer hall, and dining
facilities for 2,000. It would have 40ft
minarets and four times the capacity of St
Paul’s, equal to the UK’s biggest mosque,
the Baitul Futuh in Morden.
It would host a sports pavilion, tennis
courts and residential units. Last night, as
thousands of Muslims gathered outside
Stratford Town Hall to voice their support,
Newham councillors turned down the planning
application, saying it did not fit with
their vision of bringing housing and jobs to
the area.
Conor McAuley, Newham’s executive member for
regeneration and strategic planning, said:
“The scheme was too large, there was not
sufficient parking, it would have an impact
on historic buildings nearby, and it failed
to serve the needs of the community. Our
policies promote the development of the
Abbey Mills site for a mix of residential,
employment and community uses, to help
create a new local centre near West Ham
station and regenerate the area.”
About 3,000
supporters, some from Bradford and
Birmingham, gathered ahead of the decision
Mosque supporters confirmed they would
appeal. One involved in the scheme said:
“It’s very unfair. It’s a decision taken by
a council, not in a court by legal
professionals who’d consider the details
properly. We’ll certainly be taking it to a
judicial review.” Former Tower Hamlets
councillor Abjol Miah said: “The whole thing
has been politicised. The Muslim community
feel let down. We’ve got over 90,000 Muslims
who need a place of worship.” Tablighi
Jamaat as a temporary 2,500-capacity mosque
on the site.
Alan Craig, of MegaMosque No Thanks, said:
“It’s the right decision but we know this
isn’t going to be the end. Tablighi Jamaat
have deep pockets and will try to go over
the council’s head.”
Never
before published in English, Nobel laureate Orhan
Pamuk’s second novel is the story of a Turkish
family gathering in the shadow of the impending
military coup of 1980.
In an old mansion in Cennethisar, a
former fishing village near Istanbul, a widow, Fatma,
awaits the annual summer visit of her grandchildren.
She has lived in the village for decades, ever since
her husband, an idealistic young doctor, ran afoul
of the sultan’s grand vizier and arrived to serve
the poor fishermen.
Now mostly bedridden, she is attended
by her constant servant Recep, a dwarf—and the
doctor’s illegitimate son. Despite mutual
dependency, there is no love lost between mistress
and servant, who have very different
recollections—and grievances—from the early years,
before Cennethisar grew into a high-class resort
surrounding the family house, now in shambles.
Though eagerly anticipated, Fatma’s grandchildren
bring little consolation.
The eldest, Faruk, a dissipated
historian, wallows in alcohol as he laments his
inability to tell the story of the past from the
kaleidoscopic pieces he finds in the local archive;
his sensitive leftist sister, Nilgün, has yet to
discover the real-life consequences of highminded
politics; and Metin, a high school nerd, tries to
keep up with the lifestyle of his spoiled society
schoolmates while he fantasizes about going to
America—an unaffordable dream unless he can persuade
his grandmother to tear down her house.
But it is Recep’s nephew Hasan, a
high school dropout, lately fallen in with
right-wing nationalists, who will draw the visiting
family into the growing political cataclysm issuing
from Turkey’s tumultuous century-long struggle for
modernity.
By turns deeply moving, hilarious,
and terrifying, Silent House pulses with the special
energy of a great writer’s early work even as it
offers beguiling evidence of the mature genius for
which Orhan Pamuk would later be celebrated the
world over.
Becoming available to English readers
at a time when the media are daily reporting
Turkey's potentially ominous border standoff with
Syria, Silent House usefully illuminates the recent
historical pressures on one combatant.
And, 30 years on, the novel feels
doubly prescient. As we witness the beginnings of a
great writer, one of his characters, Hasan, predicts
that, one day, Islamist young men such as he will be
involved in a terrible event that will lead to
people being "shocked and amazed" and put him on the
newspapers and in TV.
A novelist prescient enough to
publish those sentences in 1983 proved himself fully
deserving of the call from the Swedish Academy in
2006.
The more that you read,
The more things you will know.
The more that you learn,
The more places you will go.
Dr
Seuss
Would
you like to see the cover of your favourite book on
our book shelves below?
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: After a
delightful trip driving along the Great Ocean
Road and the fishing towns on the Victorian
coastline I came home inspired enough to have a
go at making this fish burger. I hope you enjoy
it half as much as my co-driver did.
Fish Burgers
Ingredients
Fish
pattie:
• 500
g Fillet of fish, (sea perch, snapper, or any
white fish)
• Juice of 1 Lemon,
• 2 tsp Olive Oil,
• 1/2 small Red Onion, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp Fresh Coriander, roughly chopped
• 1 tab chopped lemon grass
• 1
potato, boiled and mashed
• 1 Egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 1/2 cup Dried Breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp crushed red chillies
• Olive Oil, for frying
Salad:
• 1 large Tomato, cored and cut into small
pieces
• 1/2 Avocado, peeled and cut into small pieces
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 1 Spring Onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• Salt and pepper
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180˚C (160˚C fan forced).
2.
Place fillets on a baking tray lined with baking
paper. Sprinkle with half the lemon juice and
season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive
oil and cook in the oven for 10-12 minutes,
until opaque and just cooked through, depending
on the thickness of the fillet. Remove from oven
and cool.
3. In
a large bowl, combine red onion, coriander, egg,
the remaining lemon juice, paprika and cayenne
pepper. Mix until well combined. Break the fish
into flakes and add to the bowl. Add the
breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper. Mix
gently until well combined.
4.
Roll the mixture into 8 balls, press into 1½ cm
patties and place on a tray lined with baking
paper. Cover and chill for at least one hour.
5.
Heat enough oil to come up to 3mm in a large
heavy based frying pan over high heat. Working
in 2 batches, fry cakes for 4 minutes on each
side, or until browned. Drain on paper towels
and keep covered with foil while cooking the
second batch.
6.
For the salad, gently toss all ingredients in a
large bowl and season with salt and pepper.
7.
Sandwich the fish pattie, salad and perinaise in
the warmed up burger roll, serve hot with chips.
Q: Dear Kareema, I am 8 weeks pregnant and have
been active for a long time. Is it ok for me to continue
exercising and can I keep it up to the end of term?
A: Congratulations! With pregnancy, it’s
generally safe to continue, providing you have already
been active for a while prior to falling pregnant. Be
sure to get clearance from your doctor though, and stick
to exercises that you’ve been doing (that your body is
familiar with).
Monitor your heart rate (don’t get it up above 145bmp).
Stay well hydrated and re-fuel your body with healthy
foods after your workouts.
It is very important to ‘listen to your body’ – take it
easy when you’re not feeling too good or a little tired.
Staying active all the way through pregnancy will be
beneficial during labour and even recovery after giving
birth.
All the best and enjoy the journey… Keep it up after
your pregnancy as well.
Jallaluddin came home from work and found his 5 children
outside, still in their pyjamas, playing in the mud,
with empty food boxes and wrappers strewn around garden.
The door of his wife's car was open, as was the front
door to the house and no sign of the cat.
Walking in the door, he found an even bigger mess.
A lamp had been knocked over; the throw rug was against
one wall; in the front room the TV was on loudly with
the cartoon channel; and the family room was
strewn with toys and various items of clothing.
In the kitchen, dishes filled the sink, breakfast food
was spilled on the counter, the fridge door was open
wide, cat food was spilled on the floor, a broken glass
lay under the table, and a small pile of sand was spread
by the back door.
Jallaluddin quickly headed up the stairs, stepping over
toys and more piles of clothes, looking for his wife. He
was worried she might be ill, or that something serious
had happened.
He was met with a small trickle of water as it made its
way out the bathroom door.
As he peered inside he found wet towels, scummy soap and
more toys strewn over the floor.
Miles of toilet paper lay in a heap and toothpaste had
been smeared over the mirror and walls.
As he rushed to the bedroom, he found his wife still
curled up in the bed in her pyjamas, reading a novel.
She looked up at him, smiled and asked how his day went.
He looked at her bewildered and asked, 'What happened
here today?'
She again smiled and answered, 'You know every day when
you come home from work and you ask me what in the world
do I do all day?
O you who
believe! Avoid suspicion as
much (as possible): for
suspicion in some cases is a
sin: and spy not on each
other, nor speak ill of each
other behind their backs.
Would any of you like to eat
the flesh of his dead
brother? Nay, you would most
abhor it... But fear Allah:
for Allah is Oft-Returning,
Most Merciful.
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
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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.
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and the best feedback come from our community of readers. If you
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.
The CCN Inbox:
Letters to the
Editor
The
young
members of
The Islamic
Society of
Algester (ISOA)
took the
initiative
to organise
a
three-course
dinner to
help raise
funds
towards
building a
well in
Afghanistan.
The
community
gave very
generously
and the ISOA
was able to
raise enough
funds to
build not
only one but
two wells!
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MALI:
After making northern Mali's "Blues" music
famous around the world, Ali Farka Toure
(pictured left) is a legend in his home
town of Niafunke, where he was mayor until
his death in 2006.
Never
before published in English, Nobel laureate Orhan
Pamuk’s second novel is the story of a Turkish
family gathering in the shadow of the impending
military coup of 1980.
Having
grown up in Africa, this is something I miss
terribly.
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011