Parliament House

 

 

 

Gold Coast Mosque

 

 

Over 1200 people attended the ifthaar sponsored by the UAE Embassy	(l to r) Hon.Stuart Robert (Federal MP Fadden), Faisal Al-Mazrouei (UAE Embassy) and Hussin Baba (ISGC-Secreatry)
(l to r) Snr.Sergeant William Lythgo, Inspector Damien Crosby, Acting Deputy Commisioner Peter Barron, Faisal Al-Mazrouei (UAE Embassy), Hussin Goss, Hussain Baba, Ruhul Amin, Athar Shah, Tony Naji, Abbas Khokhar and Superintendent Paul Ziebarth

 

Islamic Women's Association of Queensland (IWAQ)

 

Bald Hills Mosque congregation raised over $6000, thanks to the support of Imam Junaid and Br Mahmud and his committee.

The Holland Park Mosque mussalies raise around $35,000, thanks to Imam Uzair and Br Ismail Cajee and his committee.

Br Hafeez Hassan collected over $12,000 from Wollongong Mosque and the assistance of Br Hassan, Imam A Rahman, Dr Mounir, Dr Habibullah, Dr Shafiq and the rest of the committee is acknowledged.

"Muslims in Toowoomba are very encouraged by the level of ongoing support of their brothers and sisters in faith in Brisbane and Wollongong. Jazak Allah Khair to everyone," Prof Shahjahan Khan told CCN. "We feel the project is more close to a success now than any time before, Alhamdulillah."

To date $435,000 has been raised towards the target of $925,000 which is almost at the half way mark.

Next Friday (2 August) fundraising is scheduled in the Gold Coast and West End Mosques.

 

Panellists: Magda Szubanski, Actress and Comedian; Kate Ellis, Minister for Employment Participation; Josh Frydenberg, Liberal Member for Kooyong; Peter Shergold, Chancellor of the University of Western Sydney; and Shahzad Akbar, Pakistani Human Rights Lawyer.

 

Shahzad Akbar is a leading human rights lawyer from Pakistan. His chief field of expertise is investigating US drone attacks in Waziristan.

Shahzad qualified as a barrister in England and is enrolled as a practising advocate with the Punjab Bar Council. From 2004-08 he worked as Special Prosecutor with the National Accountability Bureau in Pakistan, prosecuting public office holders in Geneva, Madrid and London for corruption and money laundering. In 2008 he joined a leading practice, Farooq Law Associates, as resident partner in their Islamabad office. Since 2011 he has headed the Foundation for Fundamental Rights (FFR).

Shahzad’s conversion to human rights practice took place in 2010 when he started representing the civilian drone victim families from Pakistan's North Waziristan. This made him the first lawyer to challenge US-led drone warfare in Pakistan which has killed more than 3000 people since 2004, mostly citizens of Pakistan. FFR's campaign against drone attacks in Pakistan challenges this program. Shahzad represents the growing number of victims’ families from Waziristan in Pakistani courts.

Shahzad has been teaching human rights law at the Islamic International University in Islamabad intermittently since 2004.

In his spare time he likes to cook, sin, read and day dream. 

 

Burka Avenger is the first animated Pakistani television series to be produced in Pakistan. The show was conceived by popstar Aaron Haroon Rashid and features a heroine teacher who disguises herself in a burqa and uses her martial arts skills to defend her school from villains using a martial art called Takht Kabaddi, which uses books and pens as weapons. The series is intended to provide a positive role model for girls in the face of the Taliban's opposition to female education. The Urdu language series is scheduled to begin airing in August 2013.

Burka Avenger is set in the fictional town of Halwapur in northern Pakistan. The main characters include three children, twins Ashu and Immu, their friend Mooli (named for the radish), his pet goat Golu, Jiya/the Burka Avenger (voiced by Ainy Jaffri), the villainous magician Baba Bandook (voiced by Hamza Ali Abbasi), and Vadero Pajero, the corrupt Mayor of Halwapur. Kabbadi Jan, Jiya's adopted father, taught her Takht Kabaddi, a martial art that involves throwing pens and books.

Series producers Unicorn Black made use of 3D computer graphics for the show's thirteen episodes. Episodes feature music from artists such as Ali Zafar, Ali Azmat, and JoSH, as well as Haroon. Rapper Adil Omar and Haroon released a music video featuring the Burka Avenger called "Don't Mess With the Lady in Black." Unicorn Black also produced an iPhone game and a musical album including songs from the series is in production.

A screening of the first episode was held on March 25, 2013 for children at the SOS Village Islamabad.

Asked about the choice to clad the superheroine in a burqa, Haroon replied "It's not a sign of oppression. She is using the burqa to hide her identity like other superheroes. Since she is a woman, we could have dressed her up like Catwoman or Wonder Woman, but that probably wouldn't have worked in Pakistan."

 

Burka Avenger Trailer (English)  

The Islamic Society of Algester holds a fundraising BBQ every Saturday night of Ramadan after taraweeh salaat.

 

They start serving from about 8:30pm and the meal deal, which includes chips and a drink, costs only $10.

 

You can choose from either a steak roll, T-bone steak or chicken.

 

The boys have it ready very quickly so people can also come in and order to take away for the family if they don't want to sit and eat it there.

 

All are most welcome

 

With only ONE Saturday plan to make the most of this offer.

An alleged food contamination scare involving one of Australia’s favourite foods has exposed a One Nation candidate’s anti-Muslim campaign.

A jar of Nestle coffee was found with its seal broken and a sticker saying "Beware! Halal food funds terrorists" in aisle four of Woolworths supermarket at Underwood, south of Brisbane, earlier this month.
 

Two tins of Milo, also produced by Nestle, were found with the same stickers but the seals were not broken.
 

The supermarket immediately alerted Queensland Health and police which launched a joint investigation.
 

Scientific tests by Queensland Health found that while the seal was broken there was nothing to indicate it had been deliberately damaged.
 

The tests also found the coffee had not been contaminated.
 

The police investigation culminated in the arrest of a 27-year-old Kingston woman who will front the Beenleigh Magistrates Court on Friday charged with one count of product contamination.
 

A basic internet search of the stickers found on the Nestle products shows it can be purchased from Restore Australia whose CEO is Mike Holt, the One Nation Party’s candidate for the federal seat of Fairfax.
 

Mr Holt, who co-founded the organisation and is based on the Sunshine Coast, said on the website Restore Australia was a non-political organisation wanting to restore power to the people.

 

 

While Mr Holt defended his website today to 7News, the head of Queensland’s Muslim community said he was left "speechless" and condemned the website.
 

Islamic Council of Queensland president Mohammed Yusuf called on One Nation to disendorse Mr Holt as a candidate.

Mr Yusuf said claims that sales from Halal food funded terrorism were baseless.

Within hours of Queensland police arresting a woman, Restore Australia posted an appeal on Facebook asking for the name of lawyers who might help her for free.
 

"Nestle has decided to fight back against our anti-halal sticker campaign by having a 19-year-old girl in Brisbane arrested for 'product tampering'. Alleging that she put an anti-Halal sticker on one of their jars of coffee and then opened it," Restore Australia said.
 

"Nestle has just... shot themselves in the foot. Instead of doing the right thing and stop selling us out to Islam, they have decided to pick on a young woman and take her to court."
 

The Facebook page also said the woman had allegedly denied putting the sticker on the jar
Halal signifies food has been prepared in accordance with Islamic Law. Thousands of products sold in Australia are certified.
 

The supermarket the woman targeted is in an area with a large Muslim population.
 

While the organisation claims it welcomes immigrants including Muslims, it also sells 'Ban Islam' stickers and contained inciteful comments such as "every time you buy Halal food you are helping buy a bullet that may kill one of our troops".
 

"We have welcomed all comers, including the latest surge of immigrants from Islamic countries. However, many Australians are beginning to regret accepting the Islamic influx. The Muslim people in general are friendly and willing to integrate. Unfortunately, a small section of Islamic hard line radicals are spoiling that image for the majority," the website states.
 

"The biggest problem for many Aussies is the growing number of products that now carry the Halal logo, or that are certified Halal. Products that are not even processed or eaten now carry the Halal certification. And we are asking why?," according to the site.
 

His candidate's Facebook page, which is linked to the One Nation Party website as well as Restore Australia, has a post claiming One Nation Leader Pauline Hanson will launch his election campaign on August 5.
 

The Restore Australia website states the money raised from the sale of the stickers – three sheets for $10.94 from within Australia and $17.44 for international orders – will help cover the costs of his election campaign.
 

Mr Holt said fighting Halal certification will help him get into Parliament and table a bill to amend laws given Australian power to start referendums as opposed to politicians.
 

"The Australian people should be able to vote in a referendum on whether we want to pay a Halal tax or not," according to the website.
 

"Plaster the anti-Halal stickers everywhere and help educate Aussies about the creeping attack on our food supply. Get the word out on the street. Stick these striking stickers on shop windows, shop shelves, bus stops, on community noticeboards, in shops, outside shops, on buses... anywhere people will see them. Let’s get people thinking. Aussies need to be aware of the creeping Islamization of our nation... and Halal certification is just one of the weapons they are using against us," according to the Restore Australia.
 

However at the bottom of the webpage where you can purchase stickers, there is the following disclaimer:
 

"Please place these stickers responsibly. Do not place them on food as that could be considered depriving the shop of a sale and you could be charged with theft. Do not tamper with food items. Penalties may apply."

 

 

The crime occurred during Ramadan - the holiest month of the Islamic calendar.
 

Mr Yusuf said the Islamic Council of Queensland will look at Mr Holt’s website and Facebook to see what action they will take.
 

"We are speechless, what do we say about this. There is so much misconception about Halal... it is a simple question of us meeting our religious rights, just like the Jewish community," he told 7News.
 

"We are doing our best to make people understand this process... however people are trying to get political mileage out of this and are trying to inflame the issue at election time," he said.
 

"(I) absolutely condemn it in the sense it is highly inappropriate to make these sort of statements when they are not true... the money raised from Halal is funding terrorism is a totally baseless statement," Mr Yusuf said.
 

Mr Holt told 7News that he stood by his website and that Muslims were 'forcing a Halal tax on us' through certification and the funds raised money for terrorism overseas.
 

He said he had 'probably sold' more than a thousand sheets of sticks in Australia, the UK, New Zealand and Switzerland.
 

"I’m married to a Thai (woman), how could I be a racist?" he said.
 

In response to Mr Yusuf’s comments, Mr Holt said, "I hope he stays speechless. He hasn’t got a leg to stand on. We are not fighting against the people. We do not want Islam in Australia".
 

Nestle and Woolworths could not be reached for comment.

 

 

 

Source: 7News 

When Mary Met Mohammad
 
Australian documentary
 
Reviewed by David Costello

 

THE escalation of refugee boat arrivals has reduced Australia’s border crisis to raw numbers and jargon. Amid all the talk of TPVs, offshore processing and regional solutions, we often lose sight of the fact that asylum seekers are individuals with dreams and aspirations and compelling stories to tell.
 

From my experience, it is clear that anyone who takes the time to sit and talk to a Rohingya fleeing ethnic bloodshed in Myanmar or a Tamil escaping military persecution in Sri Lanka is likely to be more sympathetic to their plight.
 

This message illuminates When Mary met Mohammad, a modest and charming documentary from Hobart filmmaker Heather Kirkpatrick who tracks the unlikely friendship between an elderly Tasmanian widow and a Hazara refugee from Pakistan.
 

The film opens with footage from a public meeting where protesters vent their anger over the opening in 2011 of the Pontville Detention Centre in a quiet rural area on Hobart’s northern outskirts. Some speakers fear that their children will no longer be safe.
 

Mary, who is a devout Christian and a member of a knitting group in nearby Brighton, also has strongly negative views on Muslim asylum seekers, regarding them as a pack of ``heathens’’ and ``cowards’’ for leaving the war zone where Australian Diggers are sacrificing their lives.

 

She is an affable battler who has worked in seasonal jobs around Australia and a woman with a lived-in face and firm views.
 

While Mary does not want to knit beanies for the detainees, she is curious to see the supposedly ``luxurious’’ conditions in Pontville. During her first visit to the facility, she and her companions are quickly won over by the humble and polite refugees. In particular, Mary takes a shine to Mohammad, who has fled the Quetta ghetto in western Pakistan after the Taliban killed his brothers and threatened the family business. He has travelled by boat to Australia with the aim of bringing his wife and young child to safety as well and is distraught because they are in grave danger.
 

As the friendship develops, there are complications. Pontville inmates go on a hunger strike over slow processing of claims and Mary joins a pensioner bus trip where her friends voice harsh criticism of refugees.
 

Eventually Mohammad is released and we see his face for the first time. He and Mary visit the Hobart Botanical Gardens and then go on a weekend trip with Joy, another member of the fishing group. This is the chance for the women to really understand the life of a refugee.
 

The central characters have a strong support group. Emily and Clarisa are young professional women and strong advocates for the refugees. Other voices of reason are Pontville Mayor Tony Foster and Anglican priest Kaye Paice. But it is Mary’s warm smile and common sense and Mohammad’s dignified and gentle demeanour that make the greatest impression.
 

For her part, Kirkpatrick takes an effective and gentle approach. Her narration is calm and she does not seek to ridicule those who denigrate the refugees. After all, these are ordinary people with their own insecurities, challenges and fears. When Mary’s friends repeat rumours that the refugees have greater welfare payments than Australians, the filmmaker responds with the official figures which show this to be untrue.
 

This warm and humble film asks us to make our own connections to asylum seekers in our community.
 

Amid growing rancour and polarisation over refugee issues, this is something worth considering.

 

Trailer

Grand Mufti of Australia Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohamed (centre) and Mr. Moukhles Salah (left) discussing domestic and international issues facing the Muslim community with Federal Member for Moreton, Mr Graham Perrett MP

Believing Women for a Culture of Peace invites interested photographers
to enter a photographic competition for the 2013 International Day of Peace.

 

(Click on the thumbnail for more information)

A few months ago, the Algester Mosque catering team prepared meals for 250 asylum seekers to partake in at MDA (Multicultural Development Association)
 

A spokesman for the Islamic Society of Algester said: "This was greatly appreciated by them as they have very limited access to resources and support. Alhamdulillah, we have been given an opportunity to do this again in this auspicious month of giving."

The Ladies Auxiliary of Algester Mosque will be preparing an Iftaar meal for approximately 250 Rohingya Asylum Seekers Next Saturday (27 July ) at the Algester Centre.
 

Once prepared, the food will be taken to Griffith University where it will be served to the Asylum seekers.
 

If anyone would like to donate towards the cost of this meal, be it in the way of ingredients, money or time (to help with preparation of vegetables beforehand etc) please contact Farida Kassim on 3273 6631 or 0431 932 287.

The Dawah Project has announced the second edition of the Ilma Magazine.

 

It is a short, fun, interactive magazine which includes informative articles based on Islamic lifestyle. 

 

The focus in the Ramadhan edition is on the life of Fatima Al-Zahra (may Allah be pleased with her), the last woman to have perfected her faith in Islam, inspiring many Muslim men and women alike. It also looks at how one can reap the benefits of Ramadhan.

 

Let your taste buds be tantalised in this edition as it provides you with mouth watering recipe suggestions for Suhoor and Iftar. Delve into this magazine, and as its motto goes: live and be inspired by increasing your ‘Ilm’. To get the latest information about The Dawah Project, subscribe to the magazine by visiting our website at www.thedawahproject.com

 

View your copy by clicking here.