l
to r
Catering
by
Ari
Heber,
Sultan
Deen
and
Janeth
Deen
As a
new
resident
in
Brisbane
and
a
new
member
of
the
Forum
of
Christians,
Jews
and
Muslims,
this
was
my
first
"One
G_D
Many
Voices"
concert.
It
was
a
delight
on
so
many
levels
and
I
want
to
thank
everyone
who
participated
in
organising,
setting
up,
performing
and
catering
this
inspirational
event.
Our
MC,
Reverend
Heather
Griffin
set
the
tone
of
the
night
with
her
warm
welcome
and
excitement
about
the
performances
to
follow.
The
first
act
of
the
evening
was
a
girls
choir
from
the
Australian International Islamic College,
Durack.
The
girls
were
beautifully
attired
in
their
smart
and
modest
school
uniforms.
They
shared
with
us a
recital
from
the
Koran,
both
in
Arabic
and
English.
It
was
so
appropriate
for
the
night,
being
about G_D
creating
the
world
and
valuing
humans
according
to
their
piety
and
deeds.
It
was
a
message
of
inclusion
of
all
humanity
in G_D's
care.The
choir
then
sang
in
English.
It
was
a
beautiful
song
about
us
sharing
the
same
sun,
the
same
moon
so
why
can't
we
love
each
other.
The
chorus
called
us
all
to
hold
hands.
Pupils
of
the
Australian
International
Islamic
College
Hafez Kassem President, Muslims
Australia - Australian Federation of
Islamic Councils (AFIC)
In
the wake of
the tragic
bush fires
and
subsequent
loss of
property, we
urge all
Imams and
Muslim
societies to
make prayer
(Du’a) for
rain and
also raise
funds for
the victims.
Allah swt
has
commanded us
to be kind
and caring
towards our
neighbours,
as Muslims,
we have a
duty to
support our
fellow
Australians
in their
time of
need. We
should also
encourage
those
capable in
our
community to
join
volunteer
fire
fighting
services.
As Muslims
we have
always been
known for
our
generosity
and it is
during times
like these
that we have
to come to
the fore and
donate
generously.
To show our
community’s
support for
the fire
relief
campaign, it
would be
great if we
can pool our
collections
into the
account
below and by
midweek, we
will make a
public
announcement
of our
community’s
generous
efforts In
Sha Allah.
Please mark
your
donations:
FIRE RELIEF
and deposit
in the
following
account:
Account Name
AFIC
Humanitarian
and Refugee
Account
Bank Westpac
BSB 032 010
A/C 218 472
Let us pray
to Allah SWT
for His
Mercy and
Protection
for all
humanity who
are
suffering
from natural
calamities
and
disasters.
Iranian
refugee Iman Shirinia of Lyons has just
returned to Canberra after helping fight
bushfires in NSW. Photo: Melissa Adams
Iman
Shirinia is
just one of
many
firefighters
who have
travelled
across state
borders to
lend a hand
at the NSW
fire front,
taking risks
to help
protect the
lives and
property of
others.
But the
story of how
he got there
spans years,
crosses
oceans and
features
hardships of
his own.
Mr Shirinia
fled his
native Iran
in 2010 as a
refugee and
travelled to
Indonesia
before
boarding a
boat for the
treacherous
journey to
Australia –
an act that
would have
had him
labelled an
“illegal
arrival”
under the
Abbott
government’s
new
terminology.
After being
intercepted
by
Australian
authorities,
he spent
about 20
months in
detention
centres
where he
struggled
with
depression
and anxiety.
He was
admitted to
hospital
several
times before
being
released
into
community
detention in
Canberra for
about nine
months.
The Lyons
man smiles
widely as he
recalls when
a caseworker
called him
to say he
had been
granted
residency.
”I can’t
describe it
because
after a long
time, it was
about 29
months of
waiting,
finally I
found that I
am free, I
can do
whatever I
like. It was
very good,”
he said.
Mr Shirinia
had worked
in
agriculture
in Iran and
wanted an
outdoors
job. After
work
experience
within the
ACT
government,
he was
employed
about three
months ago
on a
seasonal
basis at ACT
Parks and
Conservation.
He trained
as a
firefighter
and left
Canberra on
Friday
afternoon to
help with
back burning
and directly
attack the
fires,
working
around
Penrith, Mt
Wilson and
Mt Victoria.
Mr Shirinia
said he was
working with
an
experienced
and
supportive
crew, so
while he was
sometimes
fearful, he
never felt
his life was
in danger.
He has put
his hand up
to return to
the fires
this Friday.
”I really
wanted to do
something to
help other
people. I
know life is
a very short
period and
one of the
things that
gives
meaning to
our lives is
helping each
other,” he
said.
”When we are
doing a job
and when we
finish the
job, I feel
very
satisfied
about what I
did because
I can see
the
difference
that my job
and my work
can do for
the
community
and for
other
people.”
Fire
services
manager Neil
Cooper said
Mr Shirinia
was a joy to
work with
and was one
of the first
staff
members to
volunteer to
go to the
fires in
NSW. ”That’s
pretty
amazing.
He’s
actually in
another
country, his
adopted
country, in
effect
putting his
life on the
line to
protect
other
people’s
property,”
he said.
ACT Parks
and
Conservation
has 150
trained
firefighters,
with 24
expected to
travel to
the NSW
fires on
Friday.
THE head of
a movement
which
opposes
multiculturalism
is rallying
troops to
target a
Buderim
church
information
event on
Islam.
St Mark's
Anglican
Church will
screen the
documentary
The Imam and
the Pastor
on November
2 at 2pm.
The
screening
will be
followed by
a forum
discussion
on
Christianity
and Islam
with
community
worker Dave
Andrews and
community
activist
Nora Amath.
Mike Holt
(pictured
below right),
the chief
executive
officer of
Restore
Australia,
has
circulated
an email
seeking
people
concerned
about
"creeping
izlamisation"
to attend
the meeting
with
coordinated
questions.
The Reverend
Jeremy
Greaves, the
priest in
charge of St
Mark's, said
he was aware
Restore
Australia
planned to
attend the
meeting but
hoped there
would be no
disruption.
"The whole
purpose of
the event is
that we live
in a world
where
there's lots
of different
religions
and
nationalities
and unless
we talk to
one another,
division is
going to
continue,"
Mr Greaves
said.
"It's really
an
opportunity
to get
together and
have a
conversation
and create a
better
understanding."
Mr Holt, a
Vietnam
Veteran who
unsuccessfully
stood for
One Nation
in the seat
of Fairfax
in the
federal
election,
said he and
his
supporters
wanted to
ask "quite a
few
questions
about
Islam".
"They are
going to
have an imam
there and
I'm sure
he's going
to bring
quite a few
of his
followers,"
he said.
He said he
preferred
not to
outline the
questions in
advance,
although he
said he did
have queries
about the
certification
of Halal
meat.
Mr Holt said
six people
had
confirmed
their
attendance
to him and
he had
instructed
them to be
respectful
during the
meeting. "We
don't want
any
trouble," he
said.
Mr Greaves
said the
only imam Mr
Holt would
see at the
meeting
would be in
the film, a
documentary
about a
friendship
between two
religious
leaders in
Nigeria.
The Imam and
the Pastor
screening
and forum is
open to all.
Admission is
$10,
students
free.
Queensland’s
Minister for
Aboriginal
and Torres
Strait
Islander and
Multicultural
Affairs,
Glen Elmes,
announced at
ECCQ’s 38th
annual
general
meeting this
week that
Queensland’s
new cultural
diversity
policy will
shortly go
to Cabinet
for
endorsement.
Elections
for rotating
open
positions on
the board of
directors
were also
held. Serge
Voloschenko
OAM was
re-elected
deputy chair
and Surendra
Prasad was
re-elected
to the
board. New
directors on
the board
are: Anthony
Lin, Yasmin
Khan and
Alton Budd.
Anthony Lin,
the
principal at
Goodman
Lawyers, is
a commercial
and
litigation
lawyer
practicing
in Brisbane
for the past
14 years;
Yasmin Khan,
a community
advocate for
over 30
years, has
served as
Chair of the
Islamic
Women’s
Association
Management
Committee
and Alton
Budd,
President of
the Gateway
Community
Group at
Cannon Hill,
founded the
Australian
South Sea
Islander
Research
Association.
“ECCQ’s
board
comprises
many areas
of expertise
and
represents
many
communities
in
Queensland,
including
Fijian,
Indian,
Philippino,
Greek,
Taiwanese,
Chinese,
Russian,
South Sea
Islander,
and Islamic
communities,”
said ECCQ
Chair, Agnes
Whiten.
“We look
forward to
an exciting
year ahead
and we will
continue to
engage with
the
Queensland
Government
to ensure
cultural
diversity
policy
underpins
all policy
areas such
as
employment,
housing and
health,” she
said.
I would like
to give a
heartfelt
thanks to
Imam Imraan
for giving
up his time
to address
the whole of
Year 11 at
TSS on the
topic of
‘Islam in
the 21st
Century.’
The Imam
delivered a
30 min
lecture as
part of the
Life and
Faith
curriculum
where we are
exploring
the
contributions
Islam has
made to the
world.
Within the
lecture the
Imam touched
on some of
the
challenges
facing
Muslims in
today’s
world and
gave a very
interesting
overview of
Islam within
Australia.
At the end
he answered
a range of
questions
from our
boys on a
diverse
range of
topics. We
were also
privileged
to have the
Imam perform
the adhan
and to
recite the
first
chapter of
the Qur’an.
Overall our
boys very
much
appreciated
the
opportunity
to raise
their
awareness of
Islam and
hopefully
this is
something we
can continue
to build
upon.
I look
forward to
having the
Imam visit
TSS again
next year or
to maybe
visit the
mosque with
a group of
students.
Warmest
regards, David
Ellis
Head of Life
and Faith
The
Southport
School
Silkwood
School
visited the
Gold Coast
Islamic
Mosque
On
Friday,
Class 6
from
Silkwood
School
visited
the Gold
Coast
Islamic
Mosque.
We have
been
learning
about
the
Islamic
culture
at
school
and it
has been
fascinating
to
understand
how
important
the
religion
is to
many
people
all over
the
world.
The Imam
showed
us
around
the
Mosque
and
taught
us about
the
worship
times,
about
God
(Allah)
and His
powers,
the
great
Messengers
of
Allah,
the
direction
in which
all
Mosques
face and
Qur‘an.
We are
very
grateful
for all
the
hospitality
from
Imam and
the
opportunity
to learn
more
about
the
intricate
and
significant
culture
and
thank
the
gracious
Imam and
all
others
at the
Mosque
for the
chance
to visit
your
Mosque.
Jihad Dib
has been the
Principal of
Punchbowl
Boys' High
School for
the past
seven years.
This is a
school that
has seen
significant
improvement
over a
period of
time in
community
participation
as well as
improvement
in academic
and social
development
outcomes.
These
recognised
gains have
resulted in
the awarding
of a
National
Literacy and
Numeracy
Award, a
Director
General’s
Award and
culminated
in a visit
to the
school by
the Prime
Minister of
Australia,
the Hon.
Julia
Gillard.
In 2010
NAPLAN
results,
Punchbowl
Boys’ High
School was
amongst the
highest
achieving
schools in
the nation
and in 2011,
Mr. Dib was
recognized
as the NSW
Secondary
Principal of
the Year.
Mr. Dib has
built
meaningful
relationships
bound by
intercultural
and
interfaith
experience,
developed a
social
service
component to
the school,
opened the
school for
high level
community
usage and
established
the school
as an
excellent
example of
what can be
achieved
when the
vision is
the same for
all
stakeholders.
Mr. Dib is a
regular
presenter at
a range of
forums, and
in all forms
of media. He
is vocal in
his support
of Public
Education
and
community
capacity
building and
is often
called upon
by
government
agencies for
his input
into
educational
and social
issues.
In August of
2012, he was
re-appointed
as a
Commissioner
to the NSW
Community
Relations
Commission
for a
Multicultural
NSW.
Mr. Dib is
involved in
an
initiative
that takes
young people
from all
walks of
life to trek
Kokoda and
Sandakan on
a bi annual
basis.
As
recognition
for his
contribution
as a
positive
role model,
Mr. Dib was
featured in
a Department
of
Immigration
and
Citizenship
publication
'The
Australian
Journey-
Muslim
communities’
and as a
part of the
SBS series
'Once Upon a
Time in
Punchbowl'.
Arnoud van
Doorn,
former
member of
the Party
for Freedom
in
Netherlands
and a former
antagonist
of Islam,
was one of
the
thousands
who came to
Saudi Arabia
to perform
Hajj.
Van Doorn,
who until
the end of
2011, was a
strong
supporter of
Geert
Wilders, the
Dutch leader
who created
the
anti-Islamic
film ‘Fitna’.
The film
that
released in
2008 hurt
the
sentiments
of Muslims
around the
world and
caused a lot
of furore in
Muslim
nations.
Earlier this
year, van
Doorn
declared in
public that
he had
embraced
Islam. In
his quest to
produce
another
anti-Islam
film, he
took to
learning
more about
the religion
that he
strongly
advocated
against. He
read and
learned in
depth the
Holy Quran
and Islamic
teachings
and later
became
spiritually
inspired by
Islam.
Van Doorn
had come to
Saudi Arabia
earlier this
year to
perform
Umrah. He
expressed
his feelings
while
performing
Hajj; he
said that
his eyes
were filled
with tears
of joy ever
since he
arrived in
Makkah. He
added that
he was
living the
best moments
of his life,
reported
Akhbaar24.
He said that
he found in
Islam what
he was
lacking and
searching
for in his
previous
life. He
went for
Hajj to ask
Allah for
forgiveness
and to pray
that Allah
erases his
past sins.
It is his
wish to live
in Al-Madinah
close to the
Prophet’s
mosque;
however his
family and
work hinder
him from
fulfilling
his wish.
Van Doorn is
planning to
produce a
film that
defends
Islam and
shows the
truth.
Jackie Long debates the niqab with a panel including writer Shalina Litt, activist Sahar Al-Faifi, writer Douglas Murray, Islam lecturer Khola Hasan and broadcaster Yasmin Alibhai-Brown.
Channel 4
News this
week has
broadcast a
number of
programmes
on the niqab
as part of a
public
debate on
the subject
sparked by
the ban
imposed and
later
revoked by
Birmingham
Metropolitan
College a
few weeks
ago.
C4 News
aired a
debate
between
three niqab
wearing
Muslim
women,
Shalina Litt,
activist,
writer and
molecular
geneticist
Sahar Al-Faifi
and the
director of
Seeds of
Change,
Fatima
Barakatullah,
and three
people who
are opposed
to the niqab,
Douglas
Murray,
Yasmin
Alibhai-Brown
and Khola
Hasan.
The debate
prompted
some heated
exchanges
between the
participants.
Yasmin
Alibhai-Brown,
known for
her disdain
for veiling,
said those
who wore the
veil wear it
“to shut
yourself off
as if the
rest of us
are
infections”
and that
women who
wear it are
taking
Muslims "back
to the dark
ages".
When a
member of
the audience
quoted the
Charter for
Human Rights
and said it
was her
human right
to express
herself in
this way
Douglas
Murray
replied "There
is something
ludicrous
about women
(wearing
niqab)
talking
about human
rights".
C4
presenter,
Jackie Long,
revealed
results from
a specially
commissioned
ComRes poll
which shows
56% of
people
surveyed
disagree
with the
veil being
worn in
public. 55%
support a
ban on
wearing it
in public,
81% support
a ban in
schools,
hospitals or
courts and
76% of
people said
they are not
sure how to
relate to a
woman
wearing the
veil.
More than
half of
those
surveyed
think it is
demeaning
and although
people feel
unsure about
the niqab
rather than
in any way
threatened
or nervous
about it, 71
per cent
disagree
with the
claim that
wearing it
can be
empowering.
Ahead of a
Channel 4
News debate
at East
London
Mosque,
Fatima
Ghazi, a
doctor in
London,
says:
"Muslim
women have
enough
common sense
to realise
the niqab
can be a
barrier to
communication."
Sanjida
Khatun, 19,
says the
government
should not
dictate what
she wears,
and that the
niqab allows
her to be
free from
the confines
of fashion.
Islamic
movements
should not
partake in
politics! A
controversial
proposition,
many
passionately
agree whilst
others
strongly
oppose.
Where do YOU
stand?
Should
Muslim
countries
remain
secular and
keep
religion out
of the
state?
This Islamic
Sciences and
Research
Academy of
Australia
ISRA debate
took place
on Friday 25
October in
Parramatta,
Sydney.
CCN will
bring you
the
recording
of the
debate after the
post
production
becomes
available, insha'Allah.
GOLD
COAST: 2018
will be a
very
exciting
year for
Southport
and the Gold
Coast – not
only will
they be
celebrating
Southport’s
Centenary
but this is
the year the
Commonwealth
Games comes
to town.
Rob Molhoek
MP has
initiated a
Towards
Twenty18
project for
2018. In a
few weeks’
time, 20,000
Towards
Twenty18
books will
be delivered
in the
Southport
electorate.
The Islamic
Society of
Gold Coast
has
volunteered
to deliver
500 books
for the day.
They need
car-loads of
3-4 people
to deliver
these books.
If you can
help,
contact the
Imam, Imraan
Husain, by
email
imrhus1@bigpond.com
or SMS him
at 0411 037
016..
The plan is
to start
around 8am
on Saturday
November 9
and wrap up
around lunch
time at
Broadwater.
Day rent of
a 2 bedroom
self
contained
unit. Just
bring your
clothes.
Behind
Harbour Town
4th floor,
lift, walk
to Harbour
Town. Suit
Muslims.
Three minute
to the
Mosque. Many
halal
outlets in
the area.
Contact
0418737621
Bookings
minimum 2
days.
SAUDI ARABIA:
Anyone who’s been blessed to go for Hajj
will know that most people they visit impart
well-meaning advice and sometimes warnings
of what to expect.
“Don’t
complain.” No matter what happens everyone
says complaining can just make things worse.
During Hajj one should see every difficulty
as a trial that must be endured with
patience.
Surprisingly,
unglamorous bathroom facilities take the top
spot in the warning list. The restrooms in
Jeddah, Azizyah, Mina, Arafah and Muzdalifah
are known to cause much restlessness among
hujaaj, long before they board their flight.
Saudi Arabian
lavatory ratings are dismal, especially
since conditions progressively get “worse”
as your trip takes you from one place to the
other.
Nevertheless
“adequate” tips and tricks have been
formulated by hujaaj of the past. Safety
pins and elastic bands can go a long way in
holding everything in place, that is, only
if one has the half hour necessary to take
advantage of these gadgets before answering
nature’s call.
The promising girl
plans to major in either neurobiology or
neuroscience, and hopes to become a
scientist in order to study how the brain
works.
NEW JERSEY –
A Nigerian Muslim girl, whose name has been
buzzing in the headlines lately as a
promising talent, has reserved a place among
“The World’s 50 Smartest Teenagers” list.
“If you are
passionate about what you do, and I am
passionate about many things, especially
math and science, it will work out well,”
Saheela Ibraheem, who lived in Edison, New
Jersey, was quoted as saying in The Best
Schools website, which announced her title.
The young
girl, only 16, has made it to headlines
earlier this year when she was accepted into
Harvard University, making her among the
youngest students ever to attend that
school.
Making a
record in the US, Saheela was accepted at 13
other colleges, including prestigious MIT,
the University of Pennsylvania, Cornell,
Brown, Princeton, Columbia, and the
University of Chicago.
In the end,
Saheela chose Harvard, based on her
seven-year-old brother’s advice who wants to
go to Harvard one day as well.
Saheela
believes the key to success is knowing what
you love to learn as early as possible, a
knowledge she says she came to at age five.
Known as
polite and humble, the Muslim prodigy said
that her Nigerian parents, totally
supportive of the young scholar, sometimes
taught her subjects the schools didn’t
offer.
The teen is
also interested in languages, and knows
Yoruba, Arabic, Spanish, and Latin, in
addition to English.
Offering a
role model to her colleagues, Saheela, who
dons the Islamic veil, or hijab, plays
softball, soccer, and the trombone.
She also
sings in the school choir and serves as
president of the school’s investment club.
The promising
girl plans to major in either neurobiology
or neuroscience, and hopes to become a
scientist in order to study how the brain
works.
Despite her
activities, she said her number one priority
was her family.
“I try my
best in everything I do,” Saheela said,
confirming that there is nothing special
about her brain.
Taxpayers
foot £350k legal bill for Muslim pubic hair
battle
UK: A
top judge has criticised the "astonishing"
£350,000 cost of a legal battle over a
Muslim couple's right to shave their
disabled daughter's pubic hair for religious
reasons.
SANHA:
Comedian’s abuse of Halaal logo no laughing
matter
SOUTH AFRICA:
All that has been exchanged between local
comedian, Simmi Areff, and the South African
National Halaal Authority (SANHA) so far are
lawyers’ letters. The NGO threatened Areff
with legal action last week instructing him
to hand over the promotional material for
his upcoming debut solo show, Strictly
Makrooh, so that it can be destroyed.
The stand up
has used SANHA’s certification logo and
parodied it to read “HAHA-laal” instead of
halaal in his online marketing for the show
on November 22. The acronym on the logo
reads “Simmi Areff National HAHA-laal
Authority” and its Arabic text has also been
changed to read “haha-laal”.
The logo has
appeared on promotional posters alongside a
shocked looking Areff, mike in hand and his
beard being shaven. The title Strictly
Makrooh appears in bold above the image.
Makrooh is a disliked or offensive act and
even though it is not haraam Muslims are
encouraged to avoid makrooh acts. There is
reward for abstinence from makrooh acts.
CHINA:
Earlier this month, police in Xi’an, the
capital of China’s Shaanxi province, seized
more than 20 thousand kilograms of pork
being sold off as halal beef products. The
pork had been treated with chemicals such as
paraffin wax and industrial salts to make it
look like beef.
Taiwan’s Want
China Times reported that the factory sold
between up to 2,000 kg to local markets. A
police statement revealed that the factory
processed the pork at night and sold it as
beef for between 25 and 33 yuan (between
S$5.10 and S$6.70) per kilogram the next
day.
Six other
workshops were found to be producing the
fake beef, and police have seized their meat
as evidence.
This news has
infuriated many Muslims in the region who
bought the meat believing it was halal.
Islam forbids Muslims from eating pork and
other unislamically slaughtered meats.
Scandals like
this are not at all uncommon in China.
Earlier this year the Medical Daily said
that 904 people were arrested for
“meat-related offences”.
According to
China’s public security ministry. more than
22 meat products were found to have E. coli
levels that “seriously exceeded standards”.
Brunei could
see more capital punishment as Sultan plans
to introduce sharia law
Sultan of
Brunei Prince Hassanal Bolkiah intends to
introduce sharia law to Brunei in the next 6
months
BRUNEI: The
leader of a moderate Muslim organisation
says the the introduction of sharia law in
Brunei could mean there will be more capital
punishment.
The Sultan of
Brunei plans to enforce the tough Islamic
penal code in phases over the next six
months.
Punishments
under the Hudud code, which applies only to
Muslims, can include stoning to death for
adultery, severing of limbs for theft and
flogging for violations ranging from
abortion to alcohol consumption.
The director
of the Islamic Renaissance Front, Dr Ahmad
Farouk Musa, told Radio Australia's Asia
Pacific program he believes the new laws
will lead to the erosion of personal
freedoms and women's rights.
"This what is
going to happen to Brunei, and we have heard
about the Saudi sharia law, about Hudud,
about how this one lady, a maid, who was
being beheaded because she thwarted an
attempt by her employer to rape her and
inadvertently killed her employer," he said.
The decision
to change the law will make Brunei the only
east Asian country to do so at a national
level.
Brunei
currently practices a brand of Islam that is
relatively conservative compared to its
Muslim neighbours Malaysia and Indonesia,
banning the sale and public consumption of
alcohol and closely restricting other
religions.
But sharia
has been a rare point of contention in a
land where the Sultan's word is
unquestioned, with disquiet among many
Bruneians that the concept is out of step
with the affluent country's laid-back ethnic
Malay society.
Brunei's
Sultan Hassanal Bolkaih, who is one of the
world's wealthiest men, recently gave a
speech about the new law saying "by the
grace of Allah, with the coming into effect
of his legislation, our duty to Allah is
therefore being fulfilled".
I guess it
would cement
his
authority
over his
citizens and
it will give
him the
power, like,
my decree is
basically a
decree by
God and I'm
actually
voice of God
on earth or
something
like that
Dr
Musa
Dr Musa say
that the Sultan's reasons for implementing
the change is political.
"I guess it
would cement his authority over his citizens
and it will give him the power, like, my
decree is basically a decree by God and I'm
actually voice of God on earth or something
like that," he said.
He says that
the current climate in the Islamic world,
referring to the actions taken during the
Arab Spring and ongoing political tensions
in Egypt and Syria, have motivated the
change.
Dr Musa is
not the only critic of the introduction of
sharia law in Brunei.
The deputy
Asia director at Human Rights Watch, Phil
Roberts, called the legal change
"rights-abusing, abhorrent, and absolutely
unjustifiable".
There are
concerns that the laws will not fit in with
the country's largely Malay culture.
Tuah Ibrahim,
the driver of a boat taxi in the capital
Bandar Seri Begawan, says he thinks the two
are incompatible but sharia can be
acceptable if proportionate to the crime.
I can't
imagine our
country
turning into
somewhere
like Saudi
Arabia
Tuah
Ibrahim
"I can't
imagine our country turning into somewhere
like Saudi Arabia," he said.
Neither of east Asia's two other
Muslim-majority countries, Malaysia and
Indonesia, impose sharia criminal
punishments.
The
Indonesian special region of Aceh does.
Nearly 70 per
cent of Brunei's people are Muslim Malays,
while about 15 per cent are non-Muslim
ethnic Chinese.
Brunei
already has a dual system combining civil
courts based on British law as the sultanate
was a British protectorate until 1984, with
sharia compliant courts handling marital,
inheritance and other low-key issues.
Rihanna told
to leave Abu Dhabi mosque over 'improper'
photo shoot
A statement
from Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque said the
singer compromised the 'sanctity of the
site' by posing for photographs
ABU
DHABI: Wearing a headscarf and with her
body almost fully covered, Rihanna portrayed
herself as a bad girl gone good this
weekend.
But it has
emerged that the pop star was asked to leave
Abu Dhabi's Grand Mosque after posing for
photographs.
Mosque
officials said they asked the pop star to
leave the compound after she turned her
visit into a photo shoot opportunity, which
was considered to be at odds with the
sanctity of the site.
Although
Rihanna dressed conservatively in a
head-to-toe black jumpsuit with her hair
covered, the photographs were said to have
been taken in an area normally off limits to
visitors.
The statement
from the Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque, published
today in local Abu Dhabi newspapers, did not
mention Rihanna by name but instead alluded
to a "singer".
It said: "In
the event of behaviour that violates the
moral codes of access to the mosque, or
other visit regulations – such as taking
inappropriate pictures, posing in ways that
are improper in the context of sacred place,
talking loudly, or eating – the violators
are directed in a polite manner that
reflects the civilisational and tolerant
attributes of Islam.
"Here, the
Centre refers to a recent incident,
involving a singer who came for a private
visit to the mosque, at a gate that is not
reserved for visitors, without prior
coordination with the Centre's management
and without identifying herself."
During the
Middle Ages,
when Europe
was plunged
into the
Dark Ages,
Arab
scholars and
historians
translated
most of the
works of the
Greek
scholars,
thereby
preserving
some of the
greatest
intellectual
achievements
that are the
cornerstone
of Western
civilization.
For the next
few weeks
CCN will
offer an
English word
that has, as
its origin,
the Arabic
language:
by Sylviane
A. Diouf,
Curator of
Digital
Collections,
Schomburg
Center for
Research in
Black
Culture
Over
1.2 billion
Muslims
recently
celebrated
Eid-al-Adha,
the Feast of
Sacrifice,
or Tabaski
as it is
known in
West Africa.
Very few
among them
will have a
thought for
the hundreds
of thousands
of enslaved
West
Africans
who, during
almost four
centuries,
practiced
Islam in the
Americas.
Although
they left
significant
marks of
their faith,
cultures,
and
traditions,
the Africans
who first
brought
Islam to
these shores
have been
mostly
forgotten.
Muslims were
among the
very first
Africans to
be
introduced
into the
Americas.
They arrived
as early as
1503 mostly
from
Senegal,
Gambia,
Guinea,
Mali, and
Nigeria.
Among them
were
teachers,
students,
judges,
religious
and military
leaders,
pilgrims to
Mecca, and
traders. The
United
States,
where
Senegambians
represented
almost 24
percent of
the
Africans,
probably had
the largest
proportion
of Muslims
in the
Americas,
even though
their actual
numbers were
higher in
Brazil.
Many Muslim
were
literate,
reading and
writing
Arabic and
their own
languages in
the Arabic
script. From
North
Carolina to
Georgia,
from Brazil
to Trinidad
and Jamaica,
they wrote
letters,
excerpts
from the
Qur'an,
prayers,
autobiographies,
and other
manuscripts
that are
still extant
today.
Some Muslims
who knew the
Qur'an by
heart wrote
their own
copies.
Among them
was Ayuba
Suleyman
Diallo,
whose
portrait
opens this
post. Part
of the
religious
elite in
Senegal, he
was
kidnapped
and enslaved
in Maryland
in 1731. He
wrote three
copies of
the Qur'an
once in
London after
being freed
in 1733
thanks to a
letter in
Arabic he
wrote to his
father
asking to be
redeemed.
One copy,
223 pages
long, has
just
surfaced and
was
auctioned
off on
October 8.
In
Georgia,
Bilali
Mohamed
wrote, in
Arabic,
excerpts of
an eleventh
century
Islamic
text; and
Brazilian
Muslims
operated
underground
Qur'anic
schools.
Sufism (the
mystical
side of
Islam)was
overwhelmingly
present in
West Africa
and so too
in the
Americas
where its
influence
can be seen
in the
Muslims'
writings and
practices.
Forgotten by
the general
public and,
for the
longest
time,
ignored by
scholars,
the Muslims
are now the
subject of
several
studies and
the
increasing
interest in
their story
can be seen
in the
re-edition
of three
early books:
Prince Among
Slaves (1977
and 2007),
African
Muslims in
Antebellum
America
(1984-1997)
and Servants
of Allah
(1998-2013).
Terry
Alford's
Prince Among
Slaves
retraces the
life of
Ibrahima abd
al-Rahman,
the son of
the ruler of
the
theocracy of
Futa Jallon
in Guinea,
who spent 39
years
enslaved on
a
Mississippi
plantation
before
sailing to
Liberia.
In 1831,
Omar ibn
Said, a
Senegalese
teacher
enslaved
until his
death in
North
Carolina
wrote his
autobiography
in Arabic.
It has been
re-translated
and
commented in
2011 by Ala
Alryyes. The
1854
Biography of
Mahommah
Baquaqua,
which
follows him
from Benin
to Brazil
and to the
U.S. has
been
annotated
and
contextualized
by Paul
Lovejoy and
Robin Law.
Allan
Austin's
source book,
African
Muslims in
Antebellum
America,
gathers
historical
documents
about
Muslims in
the United
States and
Jamaica.
Joao Jose
Reis' s
Slave
Rebellion in
Brazil: The
Muslim
Uprising of
1835 in
Bahia
presents the
largest
slave
uprising in
Brazilian
history.
Servants
of Allah:
African
Muslims
Enslaved in
the Americas
details the
religious,
social, and
cultural
lives of
individuals
and
communities
in twenty
countries in
the
Americas. As
I discovered
when
researching
this book,
religions
such as
Vodun in
Haiti;
Candomble in
Brazil; the
saraka
tradition in
the
Caribbean;
and Palo
Mayombe in
Cuba have
integrated
Islam and
the Muslims
in their
rituals.
In the
American
South,
enslaved
women gave
saraka (from
the Arabic
sadaqa,
freewill
offerings)
to children
in the form
of rice
cakes like
their
coreligionists
continue to
do in West
Africa; and
the early
blues owes a
lot to
Islamic-influenced
music and
the call to
prayer.
As enslaved
men and
women and as
Muslims in
Christian
lands, the
West African
Muslims
faced
daunting
obstacles to
maintain and
express
their faith;
but their
story-recorded
by
themselves,
slaveholders,
travelers,
and
others-adds
fascinating,
detailed,
unique and
invaluable
information
to our
understanding
of the
African
experience
in the
Americas.
New York Public Library
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: I prepared
this dish for a dear friend's surprise 'Moharu'
yesterday. There was more than a sprinkling of
TLC added here, and next week, insha'Allah, I
will let you know what the other sisters thought
of it.
[Editor]: Before a wedding
a 'Moharu' is held where the 'sisters' of the
groom's mother give thanks for being invited, by
feeding her sweets, and giving her presents..
Chicken Kiev with Almonds
Ingredients
4 chicken fillets
¼ cup oil
3 tab. lemon juice
2 tab. ground almonds
¼ bunch dhania/coriander leaves
1 tsp. crushed garlic
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. lemon pepper
2 tsp. green chillies
2 tsp. crushed cumin
1/2 tsp. ginger garlic mix
¼ cup yoghurt
Butter
Method
1. Liquidise the
oil, lemon juice, ground almonds and coriander
leaves together.
2. Add the remaining ingredients with the
exception of butter.
3. Cut the fillets in slices (like schnitzel)
and flatten with a mallet
4. Marinate chicken fillet for a few hours.
5. Place a small piece of butter in the middle
of each fillet, roll and secure ends with a
tooth pick.
6. Place in a pot and cook until the chicken is
done.
Q: Dear Kareema, I have a
group of mates I work out with every other day
and we’re looking at a couple of team challenges
we can engage in now that the warmer weather is
here. Any suggestions?
A: Why not get together every weekend for
a day at the beach or park.
Take the family along and get
everyone involved for some great fun.
Beach volleyball is always a hit
with my kids and extended family.
It’s ideal for cardio and muscle
building and comes with bucketloads of fun
(which everyone will be happy to do again and
again).
So too is beach cricket.
Running on the soft sand is not
as easy as it seems and really targets the big
muscles through the legs, etc. It’s an all-round
workout with heaps of squatting and lunging,
also requiring lots of teamwork.
And with all the diving and
running, you’re sure to be toned in no-time at
all, providing you keep it up of course.
Mula
Nasruddin and his wife, Toon Toon Begum celebrated their
25th marriage anniversary.
They had become famous in the city of Lahore for not
having a single conflict in their 25 years of married
life.
Media gathered at the occasion to find out the secret of
their "happy going marriage".
An ABC TV corespondent was very curious to know the
secret and asked Mula
Nasruddin:
"Sir. It's amazingly unbelievable. How did you make this
possible? "
Mula
Nasruddin: "We are a happy couple since marriage, thanks
to our honeymoon trip to Shimla."
ABC TV: "Sir, tell us about it so that all couples can
also be happy like you."
Finally Mula
Nasruddin agreed to reveal the 'secret of the happy
marriage'.
"For our honeymoon," recalling his old honeymoon days Mula
Nasruddin said, "We had been to Shimla (a hill station).
The day after we both went for a horse ride. My horse
was pretty okay but the horse on which my wife was
riding seemed to be a crazy one. On the way that horse
jumped up suddenly, making my wife topple over.
Recovering her position from the ground, she patted the
horse's back and said "This is your first time".
She again got on the horse and continued with the ride.
After a while, it happened again. This time she again
was calm and said "This is your second time" and
continued.
When the horse dropped her a third time, she just took
out a revolver from her purse and shot the horse dead !!
I shouted at my wife: 'What did you do you crazy woman.
You killed the poor animal.
Are you mad?
She gave a silent look and said: 'This is your first
time!!!'
Is there a special diet I should follow while
trying to get pregnant?
Following a healthy
eating plan before pregnancy is
a positive step towards a healthy pregnancy and
a healthy baby.
If you are overweight,
reducing your weight by even a modest amount
(5-7%) can help you to conceive, especially if
you have Polycystic
Ovarian Syndrome.
It is recommended that you follow the Dietary
Guidelines for Australians, in particular:
If anyone
withdraws himself from
remembrance of (Allah) Most
Gracious, We appoint for him
an evil one, to be an
intimate companion to him.
Such (evil ones) really
hinder them from the Path,
but they think that they are
being guided aright!
Hosted by SeekersPoint Brisbane
Topic: SeekersCircle - Etiquettes of the Seeker
Commences: 7:30pm Friday 18 October. Every Friday for 10
weeks
Venue: Multi Faith Centre (N35), Griffith University, Nathan
Campus
Bald Hills Mosque Weekly Tafseer
The weekly program schedule is as follows:
Mondays: Tafseer
Wednesdays: Tafseer
The above lessons will start at 7:30 pm and will go for
approximately 1/2 an hour each day.
All brothers and sisters are welcome.
Kuraby Mosque Tafseer &
Taalim
Tuesday tafseer and taleem classes at Kuraby Mosque every Tuesday
11am - 12.30pm
Queensland Police Service/Muslim Community
Consultative Group
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 enter their details
here.
.
In
the wake of
the tragic
bush fires
and
subsequent
loss of
property, we
urge all
Imams and
Muslim
societies to
make prayer
(Du’a) for
rain and
also raise
funds for
the victims.
GOLD
COAST: 2018
will be a
very
exciting
year for
Southport
and the Gold
Coast – not
only will
they be
celebrating
Southport’s
Centenary
but this is
the year the
Commonwealth
Games comes
to town.
Dr
Musa
ABU
DHABI: Wearing a headscarf and with her
body almost fully covered, Rihanna portrayed
herself as a bad girl gone good this
weekend.
Over
1.2 billion
Muslims
recently
celebrated
Eid-al-Adha,
the Feast of
Sacrifice,
or Tabaski
as it is
known in
West Africa.
Very few
among them
will have a
thought for
the hundreds
of thousands
of enslaved
West
Africans
who, during
almost four
centuries,
practiced
Islam in the
Americas.
Although
they left
significant
marks of
their faith,
cultures,
and
traditions,
the Africans
who first
brought
Islam to
these shores
have been
mostly
forgotten.
In
Georgia,
Bilali
Mohamed
wrote, in
Arabic,
excerpts of
an eleventh
century
Islamic
text; and
Brazilian
Muslims
operated
underground
Qur'anic
schools.
Sufism (the
mystical
side of
Islam)was
overwhelmingly
present in
West Africa
and so too
in the
Americas
where its
influence
can be seen
in the
Muslims'
writings and
practices.
Servants
of Allah:
African
Muslims
Enslaved in
the Americas
details the
religious,
social, and
cultural
lives of
individuals
and
communities
in twenty
countries in
the
Americas. As
I discovered
when
researching
this book,
religions
such as
Vodun in
Haiti;
Candomble in
Brazil; the
saraka
tradition in
the
Caribbean;
and Palo
Mayombe in
Cuba have
integrated
Islam and
the Muslims
in their
rituals.
Mula
Nasruddin and his wife, Toon Toon Begum celebrated their
25th marriage anniversary.
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011