The opening
of the
Australian
Muslim
Women's Arts
Project
exhibition
took place
on Friday at
the Logan
Art Gallery.
Along with
national
roadshow
exhibits
entitled
No Added
Sugar,
there were
displays of
works by
local Muslim
talent,
Shamime
Mustapha
(South
African
born), Mana
Nowbar
(Iranian
born),
Raeesa Ally
(South
African
born)
and Serap
Siper
(Turkish
born).
Creative
Producer, Ms
Alissar
Chidiac from
Melbourne,
explained
how the
project and
the No
Added Sugar
exhibits
aimed to
engage
participants,
artists and
audiences in
a dialogue
about
identity,
self-determination
and personal
development
and change.
"The artists
engage with
complex,
often
confronting
ideas
through a
diversity of
media and
concepts
that reflect
the rich
complexity
of the
Australian
Muslim
experience,"
Ms Chidiac
told CCN.
Ms Mana
Nowbar's
exhibit is a
series of
charcoal and
ink works on
paper and
canvas that
cover the
outside
walls of a
wood
structure in
the shape of
a house.
On 29 March
between 12pm
and 4pm,
there will
be a free
family day
at the
gallery.
Ms
Shamime
Mustapha,
donning
her
grandmother's
wedding
dress
for
the
occasion,
takes
the
large
audience
on a
tour
of
her
self-curated
exhibit
entitled
Journey
through
myself
Ms
Raeesa
Ally
and
her
works
of
art
Ms
Serap
Siper
and
her
display
of
her
more
creative
works
Fund
management
executive
Omar Khan
has won
Australia’s
Top Emerging
Leader
award. The
Australian
Financial
Review’s
BOSS and
University
of Sydney
Business
School award
includes a
scholarship
to the
university’s
MBA program.
Mr Khan, 34,
is director
of strategy
and
development
with
Crescent
Wealth, a
fund manager
that
specialises
in investing
in line with
Islamic
business
principles.
He is also
executive
director of
YoYo Button,
a mobile
technology
start-up.
Mr Khan’s
parent sent
him to
Australia
to study at
the age of
12 to escape
civil war in
Kashmir.
AN
AMAZING
OPPORTUNITY
“From the
age of 12, I
did not
really see
my father
until I
finished
high
school,” Mr
Khan said.
“At the time
it was
difficult,
but looking
back it was
an amazing
opportunity
to come to
Australia
and study.”
The judging
panel
comprised
Richard
Hall,
associate
dean of the
Business
School;
Michael
Rebelo,
chief
executive,
Saatchi &
Saatchi;
Sean Aylmer,
director,
Business
Media,
Fairfax
Media; and
Joanne Gray,
BOSS editor.
“Mr Khan now
has a
life-changing
opportunity
to share his
journey with
other
emerging
leaders from
a diverse
range of
backgrounds,”
said the
Business
School’s
co-dean
Professor
Tyrone
Carlin. The
Emerging
Leaders
Scholarship
“provides
the next
generation
of leaders
with a
unique
opportunity
to develop
their
leadership
practice,”
said
Professor
David Grant,
business
school
co-dean.
Eleven
finalists
for the
award were
chosen from
the
shortlist
and put
through
several
rounds of
judging.
[He was
chosen for
the
Scholarship
from a large
pool of
applicants
following a
rigorous
process
including an
assessment
of
individual
leadership
strengths
and
weaknesses
using a
method
developed by
one of the
Business
School's
industry
partners,
the global
leadership
and talent
consulting
firm, Korn/Ferry
International.]
Crescent
Wealth were
the sponsors
of the 10th
Anniversary
of CresWalk.
The
Competition
Financial
Review BOSS
Magazine and
the
University
of Sydney
Business
School
launched the
Search for
Australia's
Top Emerging
Leader with
a grand
prize that
includes a
$60,000
Sydney MBA
scholarship
on offer to
the winner.
Participants
in the
Search were
assessed
over a
series of
rigorous
judging
rounds, and
their
performance
in each
judged by a
panel of
industry
experts, as
well as
representatives
from the
Australian
Financial
Review and
the Business
School. The
2013 winner
- Omar Khan,
Director of
Strategy and
Development
at Crescent
Wealth -
receives an
incredible
prize as a
reward,
which
includes:
1.A
$60,000
Sydney
MBA
Scholarship
to enrol
in the
University
of
Sydney
Business
School
MBA
program
in 2014.
2.A
Master
class
with
some of
Australia's
foremost
leadership
educators
3.Media
training,
delivered
by
Australia's
leading
business
and
finance
news
publication,
The
Australian
Financial
Review.
4.A seat
at a
Leadership
Lunch,
with
some of
Australia's
most
high
profile
professionals.
5.Publication
of an
opinion
piece in
BOSS
Magazine.
6.Membership
to the
BOSS
Emerging
Leaders
Program.
The Search
for
Australia's
Top Emerging
Leader is
about more
than just
previous
academic
achievements.
"This
search
isn't
about
finding
a
candidate
with
above
average
academic
ability,"
said
Professor
Richard
Hall,
Associate
Dean
Management
Education
at the
Business
School.
"What
we're
looking
for is
someone
who
represents
the very
ideal of
leadership;
someone
who we
believe
is
destined
for
greatness
in
industry,
and who
can show
us a
true
passion
for
development
that
they can
use to
become a
great
leader."
A
RELIGIOUS
racket in
the suburbs
is
disturbing
the peace as
a balance is
sought
between a
right to
worship and
the Sunday
sleep in.
Neighbours
to places of
worship of
any religion
across the
city have
spoken out
about their
frustration
at early
morning and
late-night
disturbances.
But many
churches,
temples and
mosques –
once located
areas away
from houses
– are
dealing with
more and
more homes
springing up
around them
as the city
grows.
Brisbane
City Council
received 25
noise
complaints
across the
city in
relation to
places of
worship each
year,
ranging
from. “These
complaints
can range
from, for
example
early
morning
chanting at
mosques to
ringing of
church bells
and
amplified
music at
Christian
churches.
In cases of
excessive
noise, if a
peaceful
solution
cannot be
negotiated
and council
direction to
keep the
noise down
is ignored,
on-the-spot
fines of up
to $2200 may
be laid.
The
council’s
Brisbane
Lifestyle
committee
this week
dealt a
petition
complaining
about a
“noise
nuisance”
from the
Brisbane
Sikh Temple
at Eight
Mile Plains.
Eight Mile
Plains
resident
Songyi Jung,
31, who
lives behind
the temple,
is not part
of the
petition.
She said she
was often
disturbed
late at
night by
loudspeakers
as well as
from the
sounds and
smells of
cooking from
the temple.
Brisbane
Sikh Temple
secretary
Harpal Singh
said the
temple had
been there
since 1986,
before the
residential
estate was
developed
around it.
But he said
generally
there was
more noise
from the
nearby Logan
Rd, but they
were taking
actions to
reduce the
noise for
their
neighbours,
including
building an
acoustic
fence and
enclosing
the kitchen
which was
used as part
of their
religious
practice.
“We run
messages
advising
members that
we are
living among
neighbours
and we need
to use good
neighbourly
practices,”
he said.
Kuraby
resident
Lybia Henry,
60, lives
behind the
Kuraby
Mosque. and
has done so
since before
it was built
in the
1990s. He
said the
noise from
the mosque
during
religious
festivals
was
frustrating.
Another
resident,
Malcolm
Smith, 45,
said:here
was a high
concentration
of churches
and temples
in the area
“It’s not
just the
Sikh temple,
the Lutheran
church rings
it’s bells
at 7am on a
Sunday
morning.
“A right to
worship
stops when
it infringes
in on
someone’s
right to
sleep in on
a Sunday. It
comes down
to respect.”
Metro
Church, now
known as
iSee Church,
was subject
to noise
complaints
due to
Christian
rock music
played
during its
services
when it was
located at
New Farm,
but took
steps and
has stopped
problems
since it
moved to new
locations
including
Taigum,
Seventeen
Mile Rocks
and South
Brisbane.
Senior
Pastor Paul
Geerling
said the
issues grew
as more
residents
moved in
around the
church,
which had
been there
for 30
years,and as
it changed
to more
modern
services.
“Thirty
years ago,
you might
have had an
organ or a
piano,
whereas
today our
worship more
reflects the
sounds of
modern
Australia,
so our music
is pop,
rock,
gospel,
funk, you
name it,” he
said. “Our
production
and sound
team adhere
to strict
decibel
limits.”
Kuraby
resident
Lybia Henry,
60, lives
behind the
Kuraby
Mosque. and
has done so
since before
it was built
in the
1990s. He
said the
noise from
the mosque
during
religious
festivals
was
frustrating.
“It would be
better for
it to shift
somewhere
that’s not
right in a
residential
area,” he
said.
UK: An
easyJet
flight was
delayed for
two hours
following a
security
alert when a
passenger
was spotted
writing in
Arabic.
A pupil on
the flight
from
Amsterdam to
Newcastle
started
having a
panic attack
when the
man, a
masters
student in
Iranian
studies, was
seen writing
in his
notebook.
The pupil
started
kicking on
the seats in
front before
getting up
and running
to the back
of the
plane,
according to
The
Chronicle .
As a result,
16 pupils
from a group
of about 45
children
from a
school in
Northumberland
were
escorted off
the plane.
Technical
support
worker Adam
Robson, 21,
who was sat
next to the
man, told of
the moment
the drama
unfolded.
“The guy had
a notebook
and people
were looking
over at it
as it had
both Arabic
writing and
English
words. One
of the
students
called a
flight
attendant
over and
pointed it
out,” said
Adam, from
Newcastle’s
West End,
who had been
on a
romantic
weekend away
with his
girlfriend
Lauren.
“She went
away, but
just as we
were about
to take off
there was a
kicking and
banging on
my seat from
behind us
and the
student was
having a
panic
attack.
“He went
from the
window seat
into the
aisle and
ran to the
back of the
plane.
“The next
think we
know the
pilot has
come on and
said for
safety
reasons we
were going
back to the
terminal.”
Adam said he
and other
passengers
were kept
aboard the
aircraft as
a number of
the pupils
and their
luggage were
taken off
the aircraft
- and that
temperatures
in the cabin
soared to 30
degrees.
“The
attendants
had to bring
us cups of
cold water
because it
was so hot,”
said Adam.
The flight,
on Monday,
eventually
took off,
with Adam
chatting to
the man, who
he said
seemed
“completely
harmless.”
“It turns
out he was
an Iranian
masters
student at
Teesside
University
and the
reason he
was in
Amsterdam
was because
his wife was
studying
there as
she’d been
unable to
transfer to
a North East
university.
“He makes
the trips
regularly
and he said
he always
carries his
notebook,
which he
showed me.
It had some
Arabic, but
the further
through you
went the
more English
it had as he
had written
down
sections of
newspapers
and was
using it to
teach
himself more
of the
language.
“He was
really
genuine.
“Thankfully
he wasn’t
aware of it
and he
didn’t
understand
what was
going on.”
On arriving
back in
Newcastle
Adam said he
helped the
man, whose
name he did
not know,
make his way
to Central
Station so
he could
catch a
train back
to his home
in
Middlesbrough.
The pupils
who got off
the flight
returned on
another
easyJet
flight which
landed at
Stansted
yesterday.
A spokesman
said: "easyJet
can confirm
that flight
EZY6554 from
Amsterdam to
Newcastle
was delayed
while a
number of
passengers
from a
school group
chose to
move onto an
alternative
flight.
"This was
due to a
nervous
young
passenger in
the group
who raised a
security
issue prior
to take off.
The Captain
fully
assessed the
issue and
the flight
was cleared
for take off
by easyJet’s
security
department.
"The safety
and
wellbeing of
our
passengers
is always
easyJet’s
priority.
"The flight
was delayed
by 2 hours
20 minutes
while the
issue was
investigated
and to
enable 16
members of
the group to
be offloaded
along with
their
baggage.
"easyJet
transferred
the
passengers
onto an
alternative
flight free
of charge.
We would
like to
thank
passengers
for their
understanding
and
apologise
for any
inconvenience
the delay
may have
caused
them."
The
following is
an interview
conducted by
the
AlKauthar
Institute
with Sheikh
Daood Butt
who is an
instructor
with the
Institute
offering the
course,
The Prophets
of Allah,
in Brisbane
on 1 and 2
March (for
more details
see the CCN
date claimer
below).
1. First
question,
where did it
all begin?
How did you
get to
become
‘Sheikh’
Daood Butt?
Well it
never really
began
anywhere
specific. I
have always
wanted to
study Islam,
but my
interest
grew
stronger
when
Montreal
received an
Imaam who
graduated
from the
Islamic
University
of Madinah.
His morals,
respect, and
behaviour
were
outstanding.
Even the way
he walked
impressed me
as a child
and I wanted
to be just
like him;
someone you
look and
feel like
there is
something
more
important in
their life
than just
the 9-5 job
that almost
everybody
has.
2. Did
you always
plans to be
a religious
teacher, or
were you
heading in a
different
direction?
Of course,
we all plan
but Allah
also plans.
Since about
the age of
10, I wanted
to follow
the
footsteps of
my teacher
and go and
study in
Madinah, but
I knew that
this may not
become a
reality. So
I did what I
could to
learn Islam
from home,
while trying
my best to
practise the
little that
I knew.
After high
school, I
applied to
the Islamic
University
of Madinah
and having
worked a
number of
various
jobs, I
decided to
have a
backup plan
in case I
never got
accepted at
the
University.
So I went
into
Automotive
Technology
and began my
career
there.
3. What
are you up
to these
days?
Haha! I am
up to
whatever
Allah puts
on my plate!
Currently I
am finishing
up my Master
degree in
Islamic and
Other
Civilisations
at the
International
Islamic
University
of Malaysia.
I also am an
Instructor
for
AlKauthar
Institute,
and
international
public
speaker at
various
conferences,
lectures,
and TV
stations
around the
world, as
well as a
full-time
father,
husband, and
anything
else that
comes my
way!
4. Must
be exciting
travelling
the world!
You must
have a fave
place?
Subhaan
Allah, so
far I
haven’t
visited the
places I
have always
wanted to.
From among
the cities I
love are
Montreal
(which is
home but I
have barely
been there
in the past
11 years),
Abha (KSA),
Manchester
and Brisbane
(Australia).
And the city
where my
heart
remains is
Madinah! The
years I
spent there
were some of
the hardest
in my life,
yet when I
left, my
heart
remained
behind!
5. What
is your
favourite
cuisine?
My favourite
dish (aside
from pizza,
because I
used to be a
pizza
delivery
guy) is
called “Poutine.”
Up until
recently it
could only
be found in
the French
speaking
province of
Canada,
Quebec. Now
I think it
is making
its way to
other
regions, but
it is still
a low
profile
dish! I
wonder if
Google would
even know
what Poutine
is?!
6. What
are you
looking
forward to
most in the
UK?
Meeting the
Muslims of
various
different
parts of the
world is
something
that I
always
enjoy. To
listen to
them and
their
concerns and
hardships,
as well as
their
achievements
has always
been an
interest of
mine. Of
course,
having been
in hot
countries
for over a
decade now,
it makes me
look forward
to nice cool
weather such
as that of
the UK.
OK, serious
questions
now. . .
7. Who
has been
your
inspiration
in life?
I think it
is unjust to
name just
one person,
because
nobody is
perfect, and
it is rare
to find an
all-rounder
type of
person
today.
Having said
that, my
family have
always been
a support as
well as
inspiration
for me, as I
learn from
what is
around me.
Aside from
family, I
would say
Shaykh Fida
Bukhari in
Montreal has
impacted my
life greatly
as a child
growing up.
Also, while
in Madinah
Shaykh Ahmad
Rashid
Ar-Ruhayli,
Shaykh
Muhammad
Mukhtaar
Ash-Shinquiti,
Shaykh Fahd
ibn
Duwaiyaan,
Shaykh Sa’d
Al-Ghaamidi,
and last but
not least
Shaykh
Ibraheem Al-Khalifah.
8.
Turning our
attention to
AlKauthar,
what made
you want to
teach with
us?
AlKauthar
gives what
people need.
Education is
vital as a
Muslim, and
this can
sometimes be
a challenge
to acquire
for many,
but
AlKauthar
makes
learning
easy and
interesting.
I feel
through it I
can give
back to
society what
I have
learned and
this allows
me to stay
in touch
with my
books and
studies. It
also allows
me the
opportunity
to travel
the world
and meet
people of
all
different
cultures.
This assists
in
broadening
our minds as
Muslims and
mostly as
teachers,
because if
you don’t
understand
what the
Muslims are
going
through and
facing
around the
world, we
will never
be able to
address
their
matters
directly and
in an
efficient
fashion.
9. You
are going to
be teaching
a course on
the Prophets
of Allah
insha’Allah.
Can you tell
us what is
going to
make this
course
different?
If
you are
someone who
is
constantly
reading and
living your
life while
being aware
of those
prophets and
their
trials,
then…NOTHING
will make
this course
different!
The problem
is, we don’t
live with
their
examples in
mind, so we
have to
refresh
ourselves
with how we
need to
live.
Also, my
task is to
link the
stories and
lessons from
their lives
with modern
day trials
and
situations
being faced
by Muslims
today. We
all read
about the
prophets,
but we
seldom
co-relate
the past
with the
present, and
that is what
we will do,
insha’Allah!
10.
Lastly
Sheikh, can
you give
some parting
advice to
our
students?
Firstly,
don’t ever
leave off a
Sunnah that
you are
aware of, no
matter how
small it may
seem to you,
because what
we put off
as “just a
Sunnah” and
think
doesn’t need
to be done,
can in fact
be the
single good
deed we need
to enter
Paradise! So
never
belittle a
Sunnah act.
Also,
remember
that whoever
has Taqwaa
in Allah,
Allah will
make for
them an
escape
route, and
we always
find
ourselves in
positions
where we
need to
figure out a
way forward.
If we always
push the
remembrance
of Allah to
the
forefront of
our minds,
insha’Allah,
we will
succeed in
everything
we do, or
want to do
in life!
Allah knows
best!
To learn
more about
Sheikh Daood
Butt, you
can follow
him on
Twitter or
Facebook
from the
comfort of
your own
home. If you
would like
to meet him
in person,
he will
shortly be
teaching
“The
Prophets of
Allah” in
Brisbane
next month.
Join us
outside the
Kuraby
Mosque
(1408
Beenleigh
Rd, Kuraby)
on Friday
14 March
at 1:30pm
and have
your hair
shaven or
trimmed!
Support
various
Muslim
community
representatives
who will
also have
their hair
shaven.
You can also
participate
on the day!
Donate any
amount to
the
Leukaemia
Foundation
and have
your hair
shaven (or
trimmed).
Remember to
bring along
family and
friends!
FACT:
According to
the
Leukaemia
Foundation,
more than
3200 people
are expected
to be
diagnosed
with a form
of leukaemia
this year -
equivalent
to eight
people every
day.
We all know
someone who
has been
affected by
some form of
cancer, and
it is very
important
that we as
an Ummah
support any
initiative
that aims to
improve the
wellbeing of
humanity. By
donating to
this worthy
cause, we
will be
assisting
with
groundbreaking
research
that will
hopefully
lead to a
viable cure
for
leukaemia,
Insha Allah.
URGENT
REQUEST:
If any
Community
Representatives
are willing
to have
their hair
shaven or
cut short on
the day,
please
contact
Muhammad
Khatree on
0401 972
865.
For further
information
about this
initiative,
please
contact
Yusuf
Khatree on
0401 246 228
or Muhammad
Khatree on
0401 972
865.
Myth No.
6:Muslims
in America
are more
loyal to
their faith
than their
country
True, 49% of
Americans
from Muslim
backgrounds
say they
consider
themselves
“Muslim
first and
American
second” and
47% claim to
attend a
mosque on
Friday. But
you have to
compare that
to American
Christians,
46% of whom
say they
identify
themselves
as
“Christian
first and
American
second”
(that number
rises to 70%
among
Evangelicals).
And 45% of
American
Christians
attend a
church
service
every
Sunday.
In other
words,
Muslims have
adopted
exactly the
same rate of
religious
observance
as the
people
around them
in their
host
country. We
see this
just as
strongly in
France,
where a
fifth of
Muslims are
atheist and
only 5%
attend a
mosque
regularly –
almost the
same rate as
French
Christians.
Next week:
Myth No. 7
(Sourced
from Doug
Saunders'
The Myth of
the Muslim
Tide)
9. The Bin
Laden family
$7.5bn
($8.1bn)
Saudi Arabia
Two years
ago, the
Binladin
Group won
deals to
construct
Prince
Alwaleed’s
Kingdom
Tower and
the
expansion of
the King
Abdulaziz
International
Airport in
Jeddah.
Between then
the
contracts
are worth
over $20bn.
Adding to
those deals
was a bumper
contract to
help build
the first
phase of the
Haramain
railway
link. The
family
fortune is
based on a
construction
business
that paid
immense
dividends
when decades
ago it was
awarded
contracts
for major
renovations
in Makkah
and other
religious
buildings in
Saudi Arabia
and abroad.
Founded by
Mohammed
Binladin,
the family
also built
several
palaces in
Riyadh and
Jeddah for
the royal
family and
carried out
restoration
work
following an
arson attack
on
Jerusalem’s
Al Aqsa
Mosque in
1969. Salem,
Mohammed’s
eldest son,
ran the
empire left
behind by
his father
upon his
death in
1968 until
he died when
his private
plane
crashed in
Texas in
1988.
Thirteen of
Mohammed's
sons sit on
the board of
the family’s
firm — the
most
prominent
being Bakr,
Hassan,
Islam and
Yehya.
NEXT
WEEK:
The Number
10 richest Arab
in the
world.
Redevelopment of Mecca:
Bulldozers bear down on site of Mohamed’s
birth
SAUDI ARABIA:
Fresh plans are being drawn up to erect a
modern complex on the site of what scholars
of Islam contend is the birthplace of the
Prophet Mohamed as part of a sweeping
multi-billion-dollar redevelopment of the
pilgrimage city of Mecca that has already
ravaged many sacred sites and structures.
If approved,
the project, details of which have been
obtained by The Independent, would entail
the demolition of a small library steps away
from the Masjid al-Haram, or Grand Mosque,
which sits directly on top of what are
believed to be the remains of the house of
the Prophet’s birth.
Hopes that the library, which stands on a
raised plinth, and the site beneath it would
be spared rose briefly last year when Saudi
Arabia’s royal family backed off earlier
plans to replace it, either with a sprawling
metro rail station to drop off pilgrims or
an enormous new library dedicated to King
Abdul Aziz, founder of the modern kingdom.
But the construction company in charge of
redeveloping the area, the Saudi Binladin
Group, proposes that it be razed to make way
instead for the imam’s residence and an
adjacent presidential palace.
The Saudi
royal family are adherents of the Wahabi
faith, an austere interpretation of Islam
that has served as the kingdom’s official
religion ever since the al-Sauds rose to
power across the Arabian Peninsula in the
19th century.
The kingdom’s rulers, who deny Mohamed was
born in what is known as the House of Mawlid,
are opposed to preserving relics of the
Prophet because they say it encourages shirq,
the sin of worshipping idols other than God.
The rush to
transform Mecca at a cost of tens of
billions of dollars into a shiny metropolis
of skyscrapers and hotels, and the giant
expansion of the mosque itself to
accommodate ever greater numbers of pilgrims
continues pell-mell with scant regard for
archaeological preservation of any kind.
Muslim man stopped by
police was wrongly refused access to
solicitor
High court
rules that Abdelrazag Elosta underwent '45
minutes of unlawful questioning' after being
held at a London airport
UK: A Muslim
man detained by police at an airport on his
way home from the holy journey to Mecca, has
won a significant legal battle over the UK's
anti-terror laws.
The high court declared that Abdelrazag
Elosta was unlawfully refused access to a
solicitor before he was detained and
questioned under Schedule 7 of the Terrorism
Act 2000. A judge ruled that Elosta had
undergone "45 minutes of unlawful
questioning".
Allowing Elosta's application for judicial
review, Mr Justice Bean said: "The examining
officers had no power to question the
claimant after he had requested the presence
of a solicitor and prior to the solicitor's
arrival."
Government lawyers had been due to appeal
against the ruling but on Thursday it was
announced that the appeal had been
withdrawn. Anne McMurdie, of
Birmingham-based firm Public Law Solicitors,
who represented Elosta, said: "We are
delighted with the outcome of the case. This
is a very important judgment confirming the
existence of vital procedural safeguards for
travellers in ports and airports detained
and compelled to answer questions in
circumstances where refusal to answer may
result in criminal conviction.
"We are pleased that the government has had
second thoughts and has taken action to
amend the statute to make sure these rights
are clearly spelled out, instead of
continuing its fight through the courts to
deny people at port and airports access to
legal advice."
Elosta arrived at Heathrow airport on 10
November 2012 in an organised group and was
stopped by police officers for examination
under Schedule 7. Mr Justice Bean said that
the examining officers began to question
Elosta and he provided his name, address,
phone number and passport details. He asked,
however, to speak to his solicitor in
Birmingham before answering further
questions.
An examining officer phoned the solicitor at
4.30pm and told her the questioning was
likely to last 30-40 minutes. The examining
officer said Elosta had "a right to consult
a solicitor in private" but the examination
would not be delayed pending her arrival.
The judge said Elosta was permitted to speak
to his solicitor on the phone but not in
private as officers remained in the room and
could hear what he said, though probably not
what the solicitor said.
The Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir
Bernard Hogan-Howe, has now accepted that it
was "inappropriate" for the examining
officers to have heard what was said and
apologised. Elosta's solicitor told the
examining officers she would arrange for a
London solicitor to go to the airport but
another officer came to the phone and
repeated that the police would not wait for
that solicitor's arrival before starting
questioning.
The officer said they would continue the
examination at 5.30pm and would arrest
Elosta if he refused to answer any question.
Elosta's solicitor called back at 5.26pm and
asked for a delay until the London solicitor
could attend but the request was refused and
the warning about not answering questions
repeated. The questioning began at 5.45pm
and ended shortly before 6.30pm and Elosta
was permitted to leave.
McMurdie said the government has now made
late changes in the House of Lords to the
anti-social behaviour, crime and policing
bill 2013-14 to reflect the Elosta ruling by
setting out expressly rights to legal
advice.
She said the bill also reduces the time of
maximum examination under detention from
nine to six hours and provides that if
questioning continues beyond one hour a
person must be formally detained "and thus
will have right to legal representation from
that point".
Denmark bans kosher and
halal slaughter as minister says ‘animal
rights come before religion’
DENMARK: Denmark’s government has
brought in a ban on the religious
slaughter of animals for the
production of halal and kosher meat,
after years of campaigning from
welfare activists.
The change to the law, announced last week
and effective as of yesterday, has been
called “anti-Semitism” by Jewish leaders and
“a clear interference in religious freedom”
by the non-profit group Danish Halal.
European regulations require animals to be
stunned before they are slaughtered, but
grants exemptions on religious grounds. For
meat to be considered kosher under Jewish
law or halal under Islamic law, the animal
must be conscious when killed.
Yet defending his government’s decision to
remove this exemption, the minister for
agriculture and food Dan Jørgensen told
Denmark’s TV2 that “animal rights come
before religion”.
Commenting on the change, Israel’s deputy
minister of religious services Rabbi Eli Ben
Dahan told the Jewish Daily Forward:
“European anti-Semitism is showing its true
colours across Europe, and is even
intensifying in the government
institutions.”
Al Jazeera quoted the monitoring group
Danish Halal, which launched a petition
against the ban, as saying it was “a clear
interference in religious freedom limiting
the rights of Muslims and Jews to practice
their religion in Denmark”.
Have you watched a halal or kosher
butcher slaughter a cow? The animal has
a knife drawn across its throat while
still fully aware, and bleeds to death.
Their legs judder, their neck twists,
they panic. Why should we place the
sensibilities of religious people above
the rights of an animal to as painless a
death as possible? The Danish minister
for agriculture and food has said
"animal rights come before religion”,
and he is bang on.
All these new regulations require is
that animals are stunned before death,
in line with rules in many other
European countries. Yes Jewish Law and
Islamic Law require the animal to be
conscious when killed for meat to be
kosher or halal, but Denmark is a
progressive nation - with a population
of around 6,500 Jewish people, and
270,000 Muslims out of a total 5.6
million - and need not bind itself to
the outdated and inhumane principles of
historic creeds. Furthermore,
traditional halal and kosher meat can
still be freely imported if so desired.
No
Where to begin. First, socially, these
bully-boy tactics may cause friction in
the Danish community (and the pitch of
fury at the decision suggests it already
has). The UK permits animals to be
conscious before they are slaughtered by
Islamic or Jewish butchers (though
around 88 per cent of animals are
stunned first) - this allows Jews and
Muslims to continue their ways of life
without feeling marginalised by the
state.
Second, there are far greater problems
with meat production than ways of
slaughtering. Is it not crueler to keep
a chicken in a battery coop all its life
than to quickly cut a lamb's throat? If
Denmark is so worried about animal
welfare, why not tackle the barbaric
conditions of its pig farming? Or its
giraffe-killing zoos?
Given these issues, is it really
accurate to say that "animal rights come
before religion"? This decision instead
appears to targets religious minorities
by selectively applying a concern for
animal rights.
US:
Shakila T. Ahmad is a woman of firsts. When
the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati
opened in 1995 in West Chester, just off
Interstate 75, she was the youngest and the
first woman named to its board of directors.
Now, 19 years later, Ahmad has been named
the first female president at the center
where she oversees the predominately male
board of directors and the executive
council. It’s a responsibility she doesn’t
take lightly.
Ahmad said her father was educated in the
United States, and he moved his family and
four young children to Indiana where he was
studying at Indiana University. After he
graduated, the family was considering moving
to Wisconsin, but then settled on the
Cincinnati area because it was warmer, she
said with a smile.
She worked at IBM in Cincinnati and now
serves as director of business management at
Allergy and Asthma Speciality Center on
Tylersville Road, where her husband, Dr.
Masood, is director. They have two sons and
one daughter. Two of them have graduated
from college and the other is still in
college.
When asked about living and working in the
Mason area, she said: “This is my village.
This is the culture that I’m most familiar
with.”
Q: As president, what is your role at the
center?
A: Really to be the steward and offer
leadership to the board, oversee the use of
the facility, and provide educational
programs. It’s a volunteer position which
means all of the work but none of the pay
except from the Big Guy. That’s what counts
in the long run.
Q: Being the first female president, do
you feel you’re a trailblazer?
A: I don’t know about the word trailblazer.
I’d say we definitely are on the forefront
in many ways in the United States and maybe
beyond in regards to an Islamic Center and
the leadership and the responsibilities that
women carry at the center. It’s always been
a very progressive, open center. So we have
always been on the leading edge. It’s very
consistent with the center and how women are
looked at.
Q: Can you explain how Muslim women are
viewed and if they’re viewed differently in
the United States?
A: I think there are a couple of things that
are extremely misunderstood about Islam and
Muslim and the role and status of women is
one of them. Women are equal in the eyes of
God. The responsibility to their faith is
the same as the responsibility that men have
to their faith. And so there are many rights
given to Muslim women 1,400 years ago that
Western society didn’t get until the last
100 years. From an Islamic point of view,
it’s very equitable in terms of women. So I
think the beautiful thing about America is
the level of the playing field as far as
providing a foundation. It doesn’t mean that
we are perfect in this country and we have
many women struggles that we’re still
dealing with. We probably are in the best
place in the world.
Q: Do you see misconceptions about the
center?
A: We see tremendous misconceptions about
Islam and Muslims and as a result, the
center. There are quite often misconceptions
in two areas: Islam and the violence. Islam
not only forbids terrorism but there is the
religious edict that forbids terrorism,
forbids suicides because life is the most
sacred gift you have been given and to take
your own life is one of the greatest sins
you could commit. We believe that God gave
us freedom of choice. If God gave us that
choice, why would it be right for us to
force others to believe what we believe? And
we already talked about misconceptions about
women. That’s not saying that there aren’t
Muslims committing atrocities. Sure there
are Muslims, or people who claim to be
Muslims, who are abusing the name of Islam
for their personal and political objectives.
That does not make them consistent with the
teachings of the Islam. If a Christian
commits an atrocity, bombs an abortion
clinic or does another horrific crime, we
don’t call that person a Christian terrorist
or a Jewish terrorist.
Q: Right after 9/11, in the days and
weeks that followed, I remember seeing a
police cruiser in the center’s parking lot.
That seemed so odd to have a police presence
in a place of worship. What was the feeling
like at the center?
A: You know, Rick, post 9/11, that day was
one of the most horrific days in my life.
It’s been the most difficult period of my
adult life. Because of the horrific crime,
the loss of American life and the loss of
innocent lives from all of those people who
were here from all over the world, different
religions, including, I think, 400 Muslims
that were part of the World Trade Tower.
Beyond that it was so sad, that fellow
Americans lashed out against Muslim
Americans for fear and blame. Contrary to
what some people may believe, the cruisers
were there to protect us because the center
got threatening phone calls, they received
really some things that were of a concern.
It’s really interesting when people saw the
cruisers and they didn’t know why they were
there. We are thankful for the rule of law
in this country.
Q: Is the region’s Muslim population
growing?
A: Muslim population and diversity as a
whole is growing in this country. The Muslim
population has and continues to grow. It
grows through people like me having
children. Hopefully everyone is staying
connected to their faith. I grew up when the
best of the best were able to come to the
United States because they brought
specialized skills and professions that were
needed.
Q: What do you think the Islam Center is
doing to get more involved in the local
community?
A: That’s always been a very, very important
aspect of our business. I very much want to
make that one of my priorities to have a
closer relationship with the greater
community as our neighbours, as fellow
Americans, as people of faith. We hope to
strengthen and build upon our relationship
with Miami University and Xavier and other
institutions. We also are very much
supportive of local businesses, local food
pantries.
Q: When you drive up and down I-75, and
you look over and see the center, what do
you think of?
A: I do feel a sense of pride that this is a
beautiful institution that is part of the
community and that we want to be a model for
non-profit, religious institution that gives
back to the community. We want to draw
people to the center and we have. Some
people have moved to the area because they
see this as a strong institution that is
anchored in the community, that gives back
to the community, and there is an
independent school in the center. Everything
is through the mercy of God and it’s up to
us how we handle it and how we are
caretakers. It’s a big responsibility.
Q: Education appears to be an important
aspect of the center and one of its main
objectives. What are those goals?
A: Connect neighbours with each and clear up
misconceptions in a way which is welcoming,
transparent and open. We know that people
have a lot of questions. If you don’t learn
and understand each other you can never get
to a point of mutual respect. And you have
to have mutual respect to do collective,
community work.
INDIA
- Presenting a role model to young Indian
Muslims, a young Indian Muslim schoolboy has
designed a virus-protected microchip-run
computer system.
“Most computing devices use mechanical hard
disk drives, flash memories and electronic
disks to boot up operating systems,” Afreed
Islam, an Indian schoolboy, told The Times
of India on Tuesday, February 18.
“My invention replaces both mechanical and
electronic hard disks with a microchip,
doubling speed and storage capacity,” he
added.
Islam, a Class X student from Guwahati's
Little Flower School, launched his new
invention; the ReVo BOOK, an ultra-slim
computer system designed by him, on Monday.
‘Take
that thing off your head’ – Hijab
discrimination at OR Tambo Intl
SOUTH AFRICA:
Earlier this month a South African woman was
forced to remove her head scarf at the
Virgin Airline passport control, OR Tambo
International Airport. Fiona Gangat, a human
right lawyer living in Sweden, spoke to Cii
Radio about the incident.
“…
From the word go I think she just saw
me, saw my face, saw my hijab and she
was rude… She started asking me really
strange questions, how long have I been
in this country for? I mean, I’m a South
African citizen. I have a South African
passport… And she continued asking
really rude questions, it got to a point
where she finally looked at me and she
screamed ‘take that thing off your
head’.”
After
refusing to remove her headscarf in a public
space, and requesting to be taken to an
assigned room, the passport profiler took
Gangat to a corner where Gangat again
explained that she would not remove her
headscarf in public.
“This
lady took me to what I assumed would be
the room, and it was actually the
bathroom… I started walking into the
female bathrooms and she pulled me and
said I should walk into the single
paraplegic bathroom. For me that spoke
volumes that she didn’t want anyone else
to see what she was doing because this
was not the standard procedure.”
Gangat was
made to remove her headscarf and head cap
and said the profiler barely looked at her
face, handed her back her passport, and
disappeared. The woman was nowhere to be
seen once Gangat returned to her luggage
which she was made to leave behind.
After relaying the incident to her mother
who called the airlines, the manager
approached Gangat and said a disciplinary
hearing would take place after which they
would contact her. Three weeks later and
Gangat has still not heard from the
airlines.
“She [the airline manager] was quite
shocked. She said this normally never
happened… They upgraded me which I feel was
some sort of a bribe at the time.”
While the headscarf is a contentious issue
in Europe, the incident, another of its kind
at OR Tambo International Airport, is
disappointing in South Africa where
religious freedom is part of its democracy.
Gangat said what surprised her most was that
the profiler was African. “I’ve had a lot of
African friends and a lot of them believe
that in their culture a woman should cover
her hair and a woman should dress modestly
especially after marriage so for her to do
this to me shocked me even more.”
In an emailed
response to queries on the incident from Cii
Radio, Virgin Atlantic Regional Manager for
Africa and Middle East, Mr Simon
Newton-Smith, alleged that the onus for the
occurence lay with another company
contracted by the airline to provide the
check-in services.
“Security and documentation checking is an
important part of the airport security
process. These processes are carried out by
a third party supplier who adhere to South
African regulations in this regard,” he
wrote.
“Virgin Atlantic asks that all our
passengers are treated sensitively
throughout this process and never wish any
of our passengers to feel uncomfortable. We
regret that this does not seem to have
happened in this case and we have asked the
supplier to investigate this matter fully.
We still need some further information
before the investigation is concluded. In
the meantime, we are contacting the
passenger to reassure her that we are taking
the incident very seriously. We would like
to apologise for any upset caused.”
Muslim
scholars issue fatwa against living on Mars
The
fatwa comes in response to a planned space
mission called Mars One which aims to settle
a permanent human colony on Mars in 2023.
UAE: The
General Authority of Islamic Affairs and
Endowment in the UAE has issued an fatwa
(Islamic ruling) prohibiting Muslims from
volunteering to live the rest of their lives
on Mars.
The fatwa comes in response to a planned
space mission called Mars One which aims to
settle a permanent human colony on Mars in
2023.
“Such a one-way journey poses a real risk to
life, and that can never be justified in
Islam,” the committee said, adding “There is
a possibility that an individual who travels
to planet Mars may not be able to remain
alive there, and is more vulnerable to
death.”
Comparing taking such a risk to committing
suicide, the ruling stated that death there
was no “righteous reason” for Muslims to
give their lives for such a mission.
“Protecting life against all possible
dangers and keeping it safe is an issue
agreed upon by all religions and is clearly
stipulated in verse 4/29 of the Holy Quran:
Do not kill yourselves or one another.
Indeed, Allah is to you ever Merciful,” the
fatwa quoted.
Presided by Professor Dr Farooq Hamada, the
committee stated “...in verse 19/93 of the
Holy Quran in which Allah says: There is no
one in the heavens and earth but that he
comes to the Most Merciful as a servant.
(Indeed) He has enumerated them and counted
them a (full) counting.”
Islamic researcher Dr Shaikh Mohammed Al
Ashmawy also added, “Almighty Allah said in
verse 2/195 in the Holy Quran: Do not throw
yourselves with your own hands into
destruction.”
Many Muslims including some 500 Saudi
Arabians and other Arabs are reported to be
among the thousands of volunteer applicants
worldwide to participate in the
Dutch-sponsored one-way trip to the Red
Planet, according to UAE's Khaleej Times,
after the $6 billion project was announced
in April 2013.
Leslie
Camarillo (left) and Martha Alamilla, both
from Mexico City, at the Centro Educativo de
la Comunidad Musulmana in Mexico City,
following Friday prayers.
MEXICO CITY — For almost five
centuries Catholicism has been the dominant
religion in Mexico.
In 1970, Catholics comprised 96.7 percent of
Mexico’s population. By 2010, that number
had fallen to 82.7 percent, according to the
Pew Research Center. Most of this change is
attributed to growth in other Christian
denominations. Evangelicals, Protestants and
Jehovah’s Witnesses now account for 8
percent of Mexicans who identify with a
religion.
And a small yet growing group of converts
are seeking spiritual salvation in Islam. In
fact, Pew estimates Mexico will be home to
126,000 Muslims by 2030, up from 111,000 in
2010.
Why are some Mexicans leaving the Catholic
Church and converting?
The reasons are as diverse as the
population. Some question Catholic doctrine
and the concept of the Trinity — three Gods
in one, Father, Son and Holy Spirit — as
opposed to one God in Islam. Others express
disgust in ongoing allegations of sex
scandals and pederasty that have plagued the
church in the past decade. Still others say
they want to have a better understanding of
Islam.
Martha Alamilla, 23, was born and raised in
a Catholic family. Alamilla has always
believed in a higher power but, she said,
when she began to question some of the
principles of the church, she found the
answers proffered unsatisfactory.
“There was never a doubt in my mind that God
existed,” she said one Friday following
prayers at the mosque, “but there were
always things that I would ask about my
religion that didn’t make sense to me. I
always got answers like, ‘well, because,’
and ‘it’s God and God is that way,’ and
‘because God said it was that way.’”
For Alamilla, who has a degree in industrial
robotic engineering, these answers only
drove her from the church in search of
better answers.
Alamilla said that her original perception
of Islam was one of terrorism and
oppression, but in the course of studying
the Koran and meeting Muslims, she
discovered a belief system that answers the
questions she has been asking.
“I realized it’s a beautiful religion.
Everything about it makes sense,” Alamilla
said. “There’s an answer to every single
question the I’ve ever had in the Koran or
in the Sunna.”
After studying Islam for six months,
Alamilla officially converted in a ceremony
called the Shahada, during which a person
professes before two Muslim witnesses that,
“There is no god but God and Muhammad is the
prophet of God.”
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: A deliciously
soft and nutty muffin perfected for CCN readers
by Zubeida Abrahams.
Banana Muffins
Ingredients
3 ripe bananas
mashed
2 eggs
1 ¾ cups of sifted flour
1 ½ cups of castor sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup milk
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla essence
½ cup of walnuts
Method
1. Combine the oil,
eggs, bananas, sugar, oil, vanilla essence and
milk.
2. Fold in the flour and baking soda and nuts
and mix well.
3. Pour into a loaf pan or muffin tins, decorate
with some walnuts and bake at 180 degrees in a
pre-heated oven until light brown.
Q: Dear Kareema, does Yoga
and Pilates assist with toning and fatburning?
A: Yes it does! If you vary your workout
and incorporate other exercises into your
routine, you’ll definitely see the toning and
fat burning results through the changes in your
body.
Yoga and Pilates consist of deep
core and muscle work, which means a longer,
leaner, more toned body. Couple it with a string
of cardio and strength training exercises and
you’ll reap the rewards…
A healthy diet and plenty of
water too of course – N-JOY!!
An atheist was seated next to Mula Nasruddin on an
airplane and he turned to him and said, “Do you want to
talk? Flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation
with your fellow passenger.”
Mula Nasruddin, who had just started to read his book,
replied to the total stranger, “What would you want to
talk about?”
” Oh, I don’t know,” said the atheist. “How about why
there is no God, or no Heaven or Hell, or no life after
death?” as he smiled smugly.
“OK,” Mula Nasruddin said. “Those could be interesting
topics but let me ask you a question first. A horse, a
cow, and a deer all eat the same stuff – grass. Yet a
deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a
flat patty, but a horse produces clumps. Why do you
suppose that is?”
The atheist, visibly surprised by the question, thinks
about it and says, “Hmmm, I have no idea.”
To which Mula Nasruddin replies, “Do you really feel
qualified to discuss why there is no God, or no Heaven
or Hell, or no life after death, when you don’t know
s@#t?”
1. All Islamic Event dates given above are tentative and
subject to the sighting of the moon.
2. The Islamic date changes to the next day starting in
the evenings after maghrib. Therefore, exceptfor Lailatul Mehraj,
Lailatul Bhahraat
and
Lailatul Qadr – these dates refer to the commencement of the event starting in the
evening of the corresponding day.
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.
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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The
CCN Inbox: Letters
to the Editor
If
you are
someone who
is
constantly
reading and
living your
life while
being aware
of those
prophets and
their
trials,
then…NOTHING
will make
this course
different!
The problem
is, we don’t
live with
their
examples in
mind, so we
have to
refresh
ourselves
with how we
need to
live. 
US:
Shakila T. Ahmad is a woman of firsts. When
the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati
opened in 1995 in West Chester, just off
Interstate 75, she was the youngest and the
first woman named to its board of directors.
INDIA
- Presenting a role model to young Indian
Muslims, a young Indian Muslim schoolboy has
designed a virus-protected microchip-run
computer system.
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our Wall
7
August 2011