The Malek
Fadh Islamic
College in
Sydney was
the venue
last night
(Saturday)
for the
dinner held
to raise
funds for
the purchase
of buildings to
house the
first Mosque
in
Toowoomba.
The 300
attendees
were treated
to the
inimitable
auctioneering
skills of
Queenslander,
Mr. Hussin
Goss, and
speeches by
AFIC
executive
members Mr
Keysar Trad
and Mr Hafez
Kassem and
Prof.
Shahjahan
Khan of
Toowoomba.
A fuller
report and
outcomes of
this
function
will be
provided in
the next
issue of
CCN.
On
October 19th
the founding
members of
Al-Nisa held
a
fundraising
dinner with
all of the
proceeds
being
donated to
the people
of Tripoli.
Lebanon has
been going
through war
since 1975
and has been
occupied by
Syria for
more than 30
years. The
constant
conflict has
created a
state of
upheaval
that is
especially
evident in
the
bordering
area of
Tripoli.
With the
recent
influx of
Syrian
refugees
into
Lebanon, the
people of
Tripoli have
been finding
it hard to
make ends
meet. Many
of the
Lebanese
people that
live in the
region have
lost their
jobs, homes
and
livelihood.
One of the
founding
members of
Al-Nisa has
recently
visited
Tripoli and
witnessed
first hand
the many
families who
are unable
to buy the
bare
necessities,
such as milk
and bread.
The
fundraising
dinner was
held at the
Greek
Orthodox
Hall at Mt
Gravatt. The
night was
filled with
great food,
games, sale
items and
auction
items. The
guests
contributed
largely to
the success
of the night
by both
bidding on
the Auction
Items and
donating
generously.
By the end
of the
evening just
over $11,000
was raised
to aid the
people of
Tripoli.
Al-Nisa
would like
to thank all
of its
members and
various
volunteers
who helped
on the
night. We
would also
like to
thank our
Sponsors;
Sam’s
Gourmet
Pizza &
Manoush,
Brisbane
After Hours
Doctors,
Shajarah
Islamic
Kindergarten,
Hunny’s
Closet,
IsStyle
Events,
Amira Abayas,
Amarah,
FlightStar
Travel and
Tours and
Fathima
Abdoola
Accredited
Dietician.
Lastly, we
would like
to thank
everyone who
came and all
those who
made
donations
for the
cause- the
night would
not have
been such a
success if
it weren’t
for all of
you!
A mosque in
Cairns in
far north
Queensland
has been
targeted by
vandals.
The front of
the Cairns
North mosque
was sprayed
with large
red letters
early
yesterday,
calling for
the
worshippers
to
"integrate"
or return to
their
"homelands".
Imam Abdul
Aziz
Mohammed,
81, says he
has been
involved
with the
Cairns
community
for decades
and cannot
do any more
to
integrate.
"I've lived
here in
Cairns all
my life and
this is the
first time
we've ever
seen any
physical
opposition
to our
religion and
basically
our family,"
he said.
"My family's
been here
since 1900
and I was
shocked, to
say the
least."
The attack
has been
condemned by
local
political
leaders.
The Federal
Member for
Leichhardt,
Warren
Entsch, says
it is
laughable,
given the
Imam's
family has
as history
in the far
north dating
back more
than a
century.
"He's got an
accent
that's
broader than
mine and I
think as a
community we
need to be
able to get
behind Abdul
and his
community,"
he said.
"They are
part of our
rich
culture, and
any
suggestion
they are
anything
other than
that is an
absolute
nonsense.
"It shows
you the
small-minded
minority
that we have
in this
town."
The State
Member for
Cairns,
Gavin King,
says it is
an isolated
incident
that does
not reflect
the views of
the
community.
"I don't
think
there's a
more
peaceful,
more
respectful
Muslim
community
anywhere in
Australia,"
he said.
"The Imam's
father moved
to Cairns in
1900.
"If the
dropkick who
did this
vandalism
has a longer
history in
Cairns, I'll
walk
backwards to
Brisbane."
THE
racial
graffiti
attack
on a
Cairns
mosque
is
gutless,
pointless,
un-
Australian
and, it
should
be
noted,
ill-informed.
The
vandal
responsible
calls
for the
Islamic
community
that
uses the
facility
to
integrate’’
and, in
less
than
eloquent
fashion,
return
to their
homeland.
In other
words,
Abdul
Aziz the
well-respected
leader
of the
mosque
should
go back
to
Cairns,
a city
where he
was born
81 years
ago.
It’s
also a
city
where he
was
raised,
schooled
and
where he
joined
committees
to run
the
Cairns
Show,
Rotary
and
farming
activities.
He’s not
just
Aussie;
he’s a
true-blue
North
Queenslander
with a
thick
ocker
accent
who has
contributed
a great
deal of
his time
and
energy
to
helping
the
community.
The
disgraceful
act is
barely
more
than a
reminder
of the
presumptuous
and
redneck
mentality
that
still
exists
in
Cairns.
Since it
was
opened
in 2010,
the
mosque
has been
a
peaceful
place of
worship
for
about 40
families.
There
were
objections
at the
time,
but that
was
resolved
in
courts
and the
opponents
did not
make
their
statements
with red
paint
illegally
and
anonymously
in the
safety
of
darkness.
They
were
civil in
their
protest.
But this
particular
incident
highlights
the
ignorance
of a
very
small
minority.
This
nasty,
narrow-minded
element
of the
community,
no
matter
how
minor
and
irrelevant
they
seem,
have the
potential
to cast
the Far
North, a
region
some
metropolitan
folk
still
regard
as
frontier
country,
in a bad
light.
Islamic
faith
has been
observed
in the
Far
North
for the
past
century.
Have the
worshippers
caused
any
issues?
No.
Only
protesters
who are
too
cowardly
to
attach
their
names to
the
attack.
A
letter of
complaint
from the
Islamic
Society of
Western
Australia
was sent to
the
Editor-in-Chief
the West
Australian
newspaper
with respect
to the
cartoon
(pictured
left -
double click
to enlarge).
It was also
sent to the
Australian
Press
Council, the
ABC's Media
Watch, the
Premier of
WA and the
WA Police
Commissioner.
Eighteen
months ago,
looking a
new place to
walk, I
ventured up
Underwood
Road from
Logan Rd
towards
Rochedale
South. Just
across the
bridge over
the M1,
there was an
empty
Kindergarten
building. It
had a large
For Lease
sign in the
corner of
the yard. It
got me
thinking...
Islamic
Kindergarten,
Muslim
Preschool...?
Having no
prior
experience
in the
industry
some serious
research
ensued.
There was
also someone
else already
interested
in the
building but
Allaahu `Alim,
they decided
against
leasing the
property.
We secured
the property
and embarked
upon the
mountain of
regulation
and
paperwork
required in
order to
become
accepted as
an approved
provider of
children’s
services as
well as
policies
required in
order to be
able to open
and
renovations
to the
building in
order to
meet
building
regulations
applicable
to the
Childcare
sector.
Spacious
house
containing 4
bedrooms;
master room
walk in robe
and ensuite;
3 bathrooms;
rumpus room;
study,
formal
lounge and
family area;
dining room;
big yard,
and garage.
Fully
Furnished
(Negotiable)
Great
Location in
Kuraby very
close to
Mosque,
close to all
amenities -
shopping
centres,
schools,
parks &
public
transport.
Universities cancel Muslim
cleric’s speaking tour over concerns about
his anti-gay views
UK: A Muslim
cleric who preaches that gay people are
worse than animals is at the centre of a
fierce “free speech” row after being invited
to speak at universities across the country.
Mufti Ismail Menk was due to visit six
universities – Oxford, Leeds, Leicester,
Liverpool, Cardiff and Glasgow – next week.
But the speaking tour was cancelled after
student unions and university officials
expressed concern about his views.
The Zimbabwean cleric, who studied in Saudi
Arabia, has described same-sex acts as
“filthy,” “wrong” and synonymous with “acts
of immorality”. He has been recorded as
saying: “With all due respect to the
animals, [gay people] are worse than those
animals.”
The Independent contacted all of the
universities listed on the tour and each one
said it had not officially invited Mr Menk
to speak. Leeds, Cardiff and Glasgow
University had already said they would not
be hosting him on campus.
Mr Menk was believed to have been invited by
the universities’ Muslim students’
associations, many of whom were still
advertising the event on their Facebook
pages this afternoon. Glasgow University
Muslim Association described the event as a
“wonderful opportunity” on social media.
Cardiff University Islamic Society changed
its Facebook photo to a picture of Mr Menk.
University of Leicester’s Islamic Society
described him as “entertaining, yet very
pious” on its social media page. Leeds
University Union Islamic Society withdrew
its invitation two days ago after realising
his views.
The National Union of Students said Mr
Menk’s “reported comments are very
concerning”. Ruth Hunt of Stonewall said:
“Universities should always remain mindful
that they have a duty to protect all of
their students and to ensure balance in
university discourse.”
The Tayyibun Institute, which was organising
the tour, issued a statement saying: “It is
our duty to promote peace, tolerance,
equality and justice, acknowledging the
presence of the diverse faiths and
inclinations in our midst.”
Marvel Comics is putting a
fresh spin on the classic character Ms
Marvel, resurrecting her as the teenage
daughter of Pakistani immigrants to America.
The new character is Kamala Khan, a
16-year-old Muslim girl who lives in Jersey
City with her parents, and is part of
Marvel's push to reflect the growing
diversity of its readers, the Associated
Press reports.
She is one of the first characters who is
both female and Muslim to carry her own
series.
Ms Marvel's new adventures will be written
by G. Willow Wilson, a convert to Islam who
told the New York Times she's keen "to
portray Kamala as someone who is struggling
with her faith".
When Kamala discovers she has the ability to
grow and shrink her limbs, she takes on the
alias Ms Marvel — the superhero name
originally used by Carol Danvers, who since
taken on the title Captain Marvel.
"Captain Marvel represents an ideal that
Kamala pines for," Wilson said. "She's
strong, beautiful and doesn't have any of
the baggage of being Pakistani and
'different'. "
Marvel said Kamala's Muslim heritage would
be an important part of her character, but
not the defining one.
"Kamala is not unlike Peter Parker," Marvel
Editor-In-Chief Axel Alonso said, referring
to Spider-Man's original alter ego.
"She's a 16-year-old girl from the suburbs
who is trying to figure out who she is and
trying to forge an identity when she
suddenly bestows great power and learns the
great responsibility that comes with it,"
Alonso said.
US: A
billboard placed on a high-traffic section
of Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles is
drawing sharp social media remarks from the
public.
The ad, featuring an American soldier and a
Muslim woman in loving embrace, is part of a
larger marketing campaign for the product
SnoreStop, a throat spray product which
claims to reduce snoring.
“As a snoring solution company, we’re in the
business of keeping people together,” says
Melody Devemark, spokesperson and member of
the family-owned Camarillo company. “So we
found the most polarized couple and thought:
‘If we can keep them together, we can keep
anybody together’.”
To suggest Malala was shot because she
"simply wanted an education" is to
oversimplify. For in the Taliban's own
words:
"We
did not attack her for raising voice for
education. We targeted her for opposing
mujahideen and their war," said the
Taliban. '... we targeted this girl who
made fun of jihad, the veil and other
Islamic values on behest of the British
Broadcasting Corporation."
The Taliban
remark also takes away the idea by Baig that
the media promoted Malala only after she was
shot. Her blogging about education, Islam,
the Taliban and terrorism had the BBC's
attention before this, and that of the
Taliban who had an assassin's bullet as
their right of reply.
What "saved" Malala was not a knight in
shining armour, but a skilled experienced
team of specialised trauma surgeons and
intensive care staff in the UK. That a 15
year old being shot for writing about civil
rights might strike a chord with activists
on these global universal human rights
issues should not surprise us, except
perhaps Baig and others that suggest a
Western saviour complex.
JOHANNESBURG: “The
Arabs are in town!”. That is how elated
father of South Africa’s first Hajj twins,
Ishaaq Canthitoo, announced to the online
community the arrival back on South African
soil of his two bundles of joy last week.
Mina and Arafah Canthitoo landed at
Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International
Airport on October 31 after spending 10
additional days in Saudi Arabia for medical
observation.
The twins were born on the eve of the 4th
day of Hajj 1434 while most pilgrims were
stationed in Mina.
Although traveling several thousand
kilometres with the newborn babies was a
delicate affair, a buoyant mother Amina
Canthitoo, speaking to Cii Radio at the
airport, said the burden was lessened by the
good behaviour and calm demeanour
demonstrated by the babies throughout the
journey.
Canthitoo also commended the Saudi hospital
authorities for the excellent treatment and
facilities they afforded the trio during
their extended stay.
The couple said they were slightly
intimidated by the task of upbringing the
Makkan twins that lay ahead.
“Me and the mother, I know we have a heavy
responsibility to these babies. Even if I am
not around anymore, she must take on the
responsibility to make sure that these
children are very well educated Islamically,”
Ishaaq said.
The father disclosed the contrasting wishes
of the couple regarding the preferred
location of birth of their babies. While it
was amongst his first Duas at the Ka’bah to
request the birth of his children in the
Holy Land, Amina was much more circumspect,
fearing the uncertainties of delivery in a
foreign country.
“We had different Duas,” said Ishaaq. “But I
told her this was my Dua. She was afraid
because of the lack of family support away
from home. But slowly, I saw my Duas coming
true, and eventually it did come true.”
Sharing his first Duas back on South African
soil, the Hajee who hails from a humble
background said he was hopeful to see the
day when others from poverty stricken
settings could share experiences similar to
his in the Holy Lands.
“I also pray that Shaytaan could disappear
overwhelmingly from our lives in this
country. And I just hope that we can share
our Deen more and more, and Islam can
continue growing especially in the
townships.”
Reflecting on the momentous developments in
their personal lives over the past few
weeks, Amina said the episode was indeed a
bonding experience.
“Yes, Yes. We have certainly grown closer,
and the bond has definitely grown,” she said
jokingly.
Engage
responds to Richard Littlejohn on 'these
ridiculous sackcloth bin-liners'
UK: Richard
Littlejohn (pictured left) in his
Daily Mail column took the opportunity
to ridicule, insult and patronise
niqab and burqa wearing Muslim women by
questioning their patriotism and associating
their choice of dress with criminal
behaviour.
With Armistice Day approaching on Sunday,
and the antics a few years ago of fringe
activists provocatively burning poppies,
Littlejohn looks at the issue of
commemorating the war dead, the state of
Muslim integration and the escape this week
of Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed from his T-pims
order by donning a burqa.
Littlejohn
acknowledges the
contribution Muslims made to the two world
wars, in particular the First World War
when an estimated "400,000 served with
distinction…including the sepoy Khudadad
Khan who was awarded the Victoria Cross for
bravery in Belgium in 1914."
He also acknowledges that "more than 3.5
million soldiers from the Asian subcontinent
fought for Britain in both wars, not just
Muslims, but Sikhs and Hindus, too."
He then moves to the main topic of his
article, the "sizeable minority of
Muslims who appear to hate their adopted
homeland."
He agrees that the word 'adopted' is
inaccurate but only because the "most
extreme elements of Islamism were born in
Britain and have been radicalised by
deranged preachers from both home and
overseas".
Julie Siddiqi
says that the anniversary of the outbreak of
World War I affords an opportunity to tell
younger Muslims that 'we are in this
together'
He gives the example of Mohammed Ahmed
Mohamed, who recently evaded his Terrorism
Prevention and Investigation Measure (T-pim),
by changing into a burqa whilst at a mosque
for Friday prayers. Littlejohn
disrespectfully refers to his name as proof
that he is "so bad, they named him twice".
Objecting to
the phrase, 'Islamic clothing' used to
describe the outfit adopted by Mohamed to
escape detection, Littlejohn notes:
"By "Islamic clothing" they mean the
burka, so why didn't they say that? CCTV
footage shows someone assumed to be Mo
emerging in the full pillar-box job.
"Mister" Mohamed went in the front door
dressed like Ali G and came out the back
looking like the Elephant Man."
Although all ports and airports have been
alerted and Mohamed does not have a passport
Littlejohn believes he will still leave the
country as no one would be brave enough to
ask "anyone in Muslim garb to lift their
veil."
We wonder how many cases Littlejohn has
knowledge of concerning Muslim women who
have been stopped at airports under Schedule
7 or routinely asked to disclose their
identity? Few women who veil their faces
evince a disregard for security measures at
public places, such as airports, where
removing the veil for identification
purposes may be required.
On the run:
Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed went missing after
visiting the An-Noor Masjid Mosque
He claims
that this is not the first time a terror
suspect has evaded capture in a burqa and
that the "Nairobi Mall massacre concealed
their Kalashnikovs beneath burkas."
Though Littlejohn finds the headscarf
'simply delightful' the burqa is a 'whole
different order.' In his eyes it is "a
statement of rejection, of isolation from
mainstream society" and a "handy disguise
for male terrorism suspects on the run."
It's a surprise Littlejohn didn't also throw
in the handy use of burqas by robbers
targetting high end stores in West London as
further evidence of how criminal a garb it
is in contemporary society.
He says he is with Ken Clarke who said the
veil is 'a kind of bag' and should not be
worn in court.
But what Littlejohn really dislikes is when
"so-called "liberal feminists" contort
themselves to defend the right of Muslim
women to wear the burka" and "pretend it's
somehow "racist" or "anti-Islamic" to ban"
it.
For him the idea that '"women who opt to
hide their "modesty"in these
ridiculous sackcloth bin-liners are no less
patriotic than the rest of us" is just
nonsense but he might just be moved to
change his mind if he sees "a bird in a
burka wearing a poppy".
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:
In
Goliath, New York Times bestselling author Max
Blumenthal takes us on a journey through the
badlands and high roads of Israel-Palestine,
painting a startling portrait of Israeli society
under the siege of increasingly authoritarian
politics as the occupation of the Palestinians
deepens.
Beginning with the national elections
carried out during Israel's war on Gaza in 2008-09,
which brought into power the country's most
right-wing government to date, Blumenthal tells the
story of Israel in the wake of the collapse of the
Oslo peace process.
As Blumenthal reveals, Israel has
become a country where right-wing leaders like
Avigdor Lieberman and Bibi Netanyahu are sacrificing
democracy on the altar of their power politics;
where the loyal opposition largely and passively
stands aside and watches the organized assault on
civil liberties; where state-funded Orthodox rabbis
publish books that provide instructions on how and
when to kill Gentiles; where half of Jewish youth
declare their refusal to sit in a classroom with an
Arab; and where mob violence targets Palestinians
and African asylum seekers scapegoated by leading
government officials as "demographic threats."
Immersing himself like few other
journalists inside the world of hardline political
leaders and movements, Blumenthal interviews the
demagogues and divas in their homes, in the Knesset,
and in the watering holes where their young acolytes
hang out, and speaks with those political leaders
behind the organized assault on civil liberties.
As his journey deepens, he
painstakingly reports on the occupied Palestinians
challenging schemes of demographic separation
through unarmed protest.
He talks at length to the leaders and
youth of Palestinian society inside Israel now
targeted by security service dragnets and
legislation suppressing their speech, and provides
in-depth reporting on the small band of Jewish
Israeli dissidents who have shaken off a conformist
mindset that permeates the media, schools, and the
military.
Through his far-ranging travels,
Blumenthal illuminates the present by uncovering the
ghosts of the past—the histories of Palestinian
neighborhoods and villages now gone and forgotten;
how that history has set the stage for the current
crisis of Israeli society; and how the Holocaust has
been turned into justification for occupation.
A brave and unflinching account of
the real facts on the ground, Goliath is an
unprecedented and compelling work of journalism.
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: Friday Jumma's
lunch with relatives was rounded off with tea
and these delicious tarts. I found them a lot
crispier than my own version and succeeded in
drawing out the secret ingredient from my host.
It turns out to be the Maziena (corn flour) that
did the trick.
This has always been one of
my favourites - delicious alone with a cup of
tea, or, with a dollop of fresh cream as a
dessert.
Hungarian Tart
Ingredients
250g butter
ľ cup castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
ľcup maziena / corn flour
Approx 1ľ cup flour
Apricot jam
Method
1. Beat butter and
sugar until light and creamy.
2, Add eggs one at a time and beat well,
3. Add maziena, baking powder and fold in the
flour to make a soft dough.
4. Divide dough into 2 equal parts.
5. Refrigerate the one half and with the second
part, pat into a rectangle oven tray which has
been greased.
6. Spread with apricot jam.
7. Then grate the second portion( which has been
in the refrigerator) over the jam, sprinkle with
shredded coconut and slivers of almond
(optional)
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 deg until
light brown.
9. When cool cut into squares
Jallaluddin
was driving home after a very heavy and full meal at a
restaurant when he was stopped by a policeman: "Brother,
you were driving like you had fallen asleep at the
wheel."
Jallaluddin decides to admit it: "Yes brother, I was
very tired after all that curry and rice I have just
had."
"Did you know," the cop says, "that at the last traffic
roundabout, your wife fell out of the car?"
"Oh, thanks goodness," says Jallaluddin. "for a little
while there I thought I had gone deaf."
There is no one food that will keep you healthy
on its own, non of them have superpowers. Even
if a food is bursting with a beneficial
nutrient, your body needs more than that to be
healthy. Unfortunately, there's no official "superfood"
definition , and the term is often used to
market trendy, expensive food, like goji and
acai berries, that don't always live up to their
superior claims.
Some basic foods that aren't call "super", such
as apples, can be equally nutritious, less
costly and more widely available.
Enjoying a diet that is rich in a variety of
healthy foods, not just the trendiest, is the
key to good health.
If any do
seek for glory and power, -
to Allah belong all glory
and power. To Him mount up
(all) Words of Purity: it is
He Who exalts each deed of
righteousness. Those that
lay plots of evil, - for
them is a terrible penalty;
and the plotting of such
will be void (of result).
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.
SeekersPoint BRISBANE
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
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
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