The Islamic College of Brisbane released its year 12 OP results.

 

The highest OP attained was OP 1 and the percentage of OP's between 1 and 15 for 2012 was 83% when compared to 2011 where the highest was an OP 2 and 77% between 1 and 15.

 

CCN will publish an interview with top scorer Nisha Mewish when she returns from holidays.

During the year Muslim Charitable Foundation (MCF) investigated, visited, interviewed and recorded one hundred and nineteen cases of assistance in our own local Muslim community. The vast majority of cases proved to be genuine with only a very small number that were rejected. Most were recipients from the Zakaat account or General account if there arose any uncertainty about the case.

Many were newly arrived refugees with limited or no income in need of the basic necessities, such as white goods, bedding and household items. Others were permanent residents struggling to survive week to week on Centrelink payments or part time work. With constant increases in the cost of living, more people were unable to pay their rent or bills for essential services, such as electricity and gas. Many of them were given food hampers as well as paying their debts.

Another group which seems to be increasing, are the separations, divorces, domestic abuse and family breakdowns. Usually, it is the mother or wife left to manage on their limited income.

Some have become widowed or lost a loved one and could not afford the funeral fees.

Others required urgent medical treatment, purchase of medical aids or payment of medical bills.

It is pleasing to see the recognition given to MCF from Government support agencies, Imams, Societies, Organizations and the ongoing generous financial support of our own Muslim community.

We thank all those who have contributed to MCF and pray for those less fortunate and humbly ask forgiveness for any mistakes made during the year.

 

This week's chart shows the fundraising status to date for Holland Park purchase of the Salvation Army property.

 

A spokesman for the Islamic Society of Holland Park told CCN: We had a three-week extension for the settlement - settlement is during week commencing 21st January. However, we are still short of funds and we are working hard towards collecting the balance of the funds."

 

Despite having the extra three weeks, progress has stalled (mainly due to people being on holidays). With people mostly back from holidays, the appeal is going out in earnest once again to help cross the final hurdle.
 

There is a fund raising dinner at the Islamic College of Brisbane, KARAWATHA on 19th January.

Information about the event is available here.

 

 

Dr Mohamad Abdalla continues with Part 3 of his trilogy of advice to Muslim youth which he delivered at Kuraby Mosque during his weekly Friday khutbah.

 

In Part 3 he discusses the place of cultures in the formation of identities and the place of culture in Islam.

 

Click here for Part 1 and Part 2.

 

Australia's wild camels In the 1800s, Australians used camels to explore the interior of the country and to carry heavy loads

Camels were brought to Australia from Pakistan and India by the British to help with exploration and load-carrying in the mid-1800s.

 

Given the Australian outback's vast, arid landscape, camels were the only animals strong enough for the job.

But by the early 1900s, there were trucks and trains to do this work, and camels were no longer useful. So the South Australian government ruled that they be destroyed.

This was unthinkable for the Asian camel herders. They disobeyed the order, and set the animals loose in the outback.

Today's Australian camels are the great, great grandchildren of the animals that helped explore and establish modern Australia. There are 1.2 million camels in the Australian outback – the largest wild camel population in the world.

 

The Australian government sees them as an environmental problem and pests to farmers. They say the camels compete with livestock, destroy property and raid small towns looking for water.

 

Culling camels

In 2009, the government put up AUD$19m ($19.7m) to cull almost one-third of them.
Over the last few years, private contractors and hunters have been shooting the camels from helicopters and leaving the carcasses to rot in the desert.

Some Australians oppose the cull, saying the government is wasting an opportunity to make use of a natural resource.

Qataris and other Arabs are horrified at the Youtube videos and photographs of the camel cull. For the Arabs, camels occupy an important place in culture, history and economics.

Al Jazeera World goes to Australia with Ali Sultan Al Hajri, a Qatari who grew up in the desert, illiterate and raising camels until he was 17.

Now a successful, self-made businessman in the country's capital, Doha, Ali still keeps a herd of camels, and knows each one of them by name, face and personality.

 

Ali travels to Australia with Al Jazeera producers Yasir Khan and Mansour Almansouri, and cameraman Fadi ElBenny, to witness the killings and to meet the people who support the camel cull and those who oppose it.

Al Hajri aims to find out if there is a better way to deal with an animal that he loves, rather than the current Australian government's policy of mass killing.

 

 

Source: Al Jazeera
 

 

In 2005, when news of the Cronulla riots spread, my family was inundated by calls from friends and family overseas asking if we were okay.
 

"We're fine!" we would say. "Queensland's different".
 

That's how I'd always seen it. Growing up in Brisbane in the 90s and 00s, I remember associating racially motivated violence with Sydney and Melbourne.
 

Although there were incidents in Queensland, it was never as common or visible. Even after 9/11, although our mosque was burnt down and there were incidents of racism, the community didn't experience the widespread and intense incidents of racial hatred as exhibited at the Cronulla riots or more recently, the attacks against Indian international students.
 

So why is Queensland different? Do the numbers support my anecdotal evidence? Are we more cohesive, or is it a case of luck and "it just hasn't happened yet"?
 

According to census data, New South Wales and Victoria have an over-representation of LOTE (Language Other Than English Spoken at Home) population, with Sydney and Melbourne's LOTE population at 37.8% and 33.7%, compared to Brisbane's 17.9% (ABS, 2011).
 

It is quite clear then, that the ethnic population density in Queensland is significantly less than those in the southern states, perhaps a reason for less racial violence.
 

Furthermore, the southern capital cities have more densely populated areas with particular groups of migrants that have been settled for longer, whereas Brisbane and Queensland's migrant populations are younger and less dense. In 1996, Queensland had 29.7% fewer LOTE speakers compared to NSW (ABS, 1996).

On the other hand, the Scanlon Foundation's "Mapping Social Cohesion" (2012) report states that Queenslanders are particularly likely to hold negative views on cultural diversity.
 

Numbers may not always tell the whole story. As a lifetime Brisbanite, I don't think we have a widespread issue with racial violence as we are a little different to our southern neighbours.
 

Firstly, the settlement of racially diverse populations hasn't been in the dense concentrations of lengthy settlement as seen down south. This has allowed ethnically diverse populations to better embed themselves into the fabric of the mainstream community.
 

With that familiarity comes understanding and the reduction of the likelihood of racial violence.
 

Secondly, as a society, we are now much more aware the needs of migrants and LOTE populations having learned from Sydney and Melbourne. As populations now settle in Queensland, the many support mechanisms available from government and organisations help alleviate many of the issues based around settlement that may provoke violence.
 

When my family moved to Australia almost 20 years ago, the level of support was essentially non-existent.

 

Now, there are extensive networks to help, and the positive impact this has cannot be understated.
 

However, it cannot be denied that there are negative - dare I say racist - views around the state. We've been lucky so far. I feel safe, accepted and don't find my race a major inhibitor in my ability to participate.
 

We shouldn't be complacent however, and as we become more racially diverse we must work together to ensure that our community isn't marred by the manifestation of negative views and the racially motivated violence that can truly damage the fabric of our society.

 

Source: BrisbaneTimes 

 

Source: Lost Islamic History

 

Shajarah Islamic Kindergarten job vacancy

Shajarah Islamic Kindergarten requires a sister who is at least Diploma Qualified and holding a Supervisor's Certificate (or eligible for Certificate) to work in our Islamic childcare from end February/start of March 2013.
 

The children are all 3-5 with some before and after-school care as well. This is a permanent part time position.
 

To enquire please call 07 3172 7850 or email cover letter detailing why you would like to work in our Islamic Childcare Centre and resume to info@shajarah.qld.edu.au.

 

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AIIC Teachers Wanted

 

Qualified teachers are required for the AIIC's Durack and Gold Coast Campuses.

 

Click here for more details.