On Saturday the 12th of April, between 2pm and 4pm, a Parents Forum was held at Masjid Al Farooq Kuraby.

 

The Parents Forum was themed ‘A Roadmap for the Future of our Madrassah’.

 

The event was a joint initiative of the Kuraby Madrassah Administration and Executive Committee.

In his opening address, new Principal of Kuraby Madrassah, Br Dylan Chown (pictured above), summarised the purpose of the meeting as an initiative to engage parents in an ongoing dialogue.

 

The meeting is the first of many conversations the Kuraby Madrassah will be initiating with the community to ensure all voices are heard and all stakeholders are given the opportunity to shape a new and shared vision for the future of the Madrassah.

 

Focus groups were held, in which parents took the opportunity to brainstorm aims and objectives as well as important elements of the vision and mission of Kuraby Madrassah.

Dr Mohamad Abdalla was the second speaker on the day. He summarised the history and concept of Madrassah, explaining its origins were from the time of Salahuddin Ayoubi, when there was a need to educate the people as they became exposed to different views and ideologies. He spoke of the time prior to British colonialism in India, when the people of the time were strong of faith and suffered little injustice and poverty; then, at the advent of the introduction of the British Education System, there was a concern amongst the UIlamah to protect the next generation of Muslims from this form of colonialism. This is when the Madaris were established on the subcontinent. He spoke of the emphasis on the teacher and the qualities over and above the knowledge that a teacher could share with their students. Finally, he spoke of the different forms and functions Madaris have taken based on the time, the context and the relevance to the Muslim people they served.

Kuraby Madrassah looks to with great excitement posting a shared vision and engaging all stakeholders in a learning partnership to enact this vision. A key part is the desire to provide a nurturing environment for its teachers and students, and further expand on the quality of its programs and pedagogy.

 

Br Dylan Chown promised that this was just one of many initiatives toward enhancing an already healthy parent and Madrassah partnership as well as an ongoing dialogue with the community.

 

 

The Canberra community is rallying behind an Islamic centre that was ransacked by vandals.

 

The attack on the Canberra Islamic Centre and National Islamic Library on Sunday caused thousands of dollars of damage.

Centre president Azra Khan has described it as a malicious hate crime but police believe it was opportunistic and mindless damage.

Federal Labor MP Gai Brodtmann, who visited the centre on Monday, said a clean-up had been organised for Wednesday afternoon and she encouraged locals to chip in.

"Canberra has zero tolerance for this kind of malicious behaviour, and as a community we must now come together to rally behind the centre," Ms Brodtmann said.

"The vast majority of Canberrans are decent and tolerant - this is our chance to send a message to the perpetrators that this type of behaviour will not be tolerated."

The clean-up will be held from 2pm at the centre in Clive Steele Avenue, Monash.

Canberra's Catholic archbishop Christopher Prowse said church members stood in solidarity with the Islamic community.

"This act of vandalism is totally unacceptable," he said in a statement on Tuesday.

"We must redouble our efforts to ensure that all religions represented in Canberra feel safe and secure to practise their faith without fear."
 

Source: 9News National

 

 

Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture executive director Stephen Pickard said the vicious crimes against the centre, which was ransacked by vandals in Tuggeranong on Sunday, were not representative of Canberra.

''My first thought was, that's their home. If somebody came to my home and trashed it I would feel traumatised, hurt and outraged,'' he said.

''We have a vibrant interfaith network that I'm part of in Canberra and the relationships are excellent … [so] this recent act of vandalism is appalling.

''I don't think this reflects where this community wants to be and where it is going in the future.''

Anglican diocese of Canberra and Goulburn spokesman Wayne Brighton said the crime had saddened everyone who valued Canberra's diverse and welcoming nature.

''We pray not only that the centre might recover quickly but that peace, goodwill and understanding might grow ever deeper as a result,'' he said.

Canberra Islamic Council president Azra Khan said they would not let growing security fears stop them from congregating and holding their daily prayers.

While the centre remains vandalised, with broken glass furniture littering the floor, she said daily prayers would go ahead as usual, but outside the centre.

"All of our prayers are going to be held outdoors for those who can withstand the weather while we are temporarily closed, until we start the clean-up tomorrow," she said.

Ms Khan said the centre at Monash was ''desperately in need of additional security arrangements, as we can't secure the place on our own''.

She said the attack on a focal point of the Islamic community had unnerved many people and left them concerned for their safety. "This is a place where our community come to eat and gather on a daily basis," she said. "For it to be invaded in the way that it was is very unsettling."

Members of the Canberra Islamic Centre discovered the damage when they arrived for evening prayers about 5.30pm on Sunday.

Expletives were sprayed on the walls and kerosene had been poured on the ground.

The centre's kitchen and dining hall were in disarray, with taps left running and flour and cutlery strewn over the floor.

Several Islamic paintings were ripped from the walls, while others had holes punched in them.

Bookcases inside the National Islamic Library, which is part of the centre, were pushed over and hundreds of books had been flung on the floor.

Ms Khan said it appeared the vandals had gained entrance to the property using bolt cutters to open a section of the fence.

It was previously believed they had climbed over the metal fence that surrounds the Clive Steel Avenue property between 7am and 5.30pm.

''Clearly they had a lot of time and wanted to cause as much damage as possible,'' she said.

Ms Khan said she had received overwhelming support from members of the local community, with many calling to express their concerns and to offer support, including from the Canberra Multicultural Community's Sam Wong.

The centre has launched a bank account for people to donate funds towards the renovation of the centre and the clean-up.

Ms Khan said several people had already made contributions to the fund.

Senator Kate Lundy condemned the attack on the Islamic Centre as ''detestable''.

''It was particularly disturbing to hear that the centre was so badly damaged, its evening worshippers were forced to pray outside in the cold and the dark,'' she said.

''Today the Canberra Islamic Centre should be running classes and conducting prayers - instead its members will spend the day tallying up the damages.''

 

Source: Canberra Times

 

On an early Saturday morning, 5th of April around 7.30ish the team of SeekersPoint Brisbane, and their fellow event guests drove through a beautiful scenery of farming fields, passing through large acre blocks with horses and cows grazing about and through the natural reserve of Kindilan, an outdoor education and conference centre.

 

Kindilan is just 30 minutes’ drive from Springwood, but offers a great relaxing atmosphere from the hustle and bustle of busy city life.

The Mizaan coordinator, sister Norashikin, planned a day of Archery and canoeing with the help and support of the fellow team members.

 

In total, 40 men, women and children participated in the day’s activities and were happy to enjoy the tranquil scenery.

 

The two lovely instructors of Kindilan divided the crowd into groups of male and female so we could alternate activities.

 

Naturally, the men, ever so eager to show their macho muscles at work, headed down for a battle of the titans at the lakes of Kindilan, to have a go at canoeing (some of whom took quite a dunk).

 

The ladies started off the morning by reviving the Sunnah of archery, many proved to be quite skilful at it.

After morning tea the two groups swapped activities. Adults in canoes accompanied children under 7, whilst every other person was able to enjoy their own kayak.

 

The discipline of our youngsters, who sat quietly listening to safety instructions and tips of effective kayaking was commendable, even though in their hearts all they wanted to do was get in the water.

Before long everyone was enjoying a game of tag on the lakes and insight into the creatures that inhabited the lake like turtles, fish, and frogs.

The day’s events were concluded with lunch, which was included in the price, and consisted of biryani, raita, and homemade dhal cha.

 

Cupcakes and tea were also available for purchase in aid of fund raising.

 

Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the lunch, socialised and formed new bonds by the end of the day.

 

Insha Allah, SeekersPoint Brisbane hopes to organise more similarly revitalising events soon in the future.

SeekersPoint Brisbane is currently offering courses in Tajweed, Tafseer and Spirituality, every Sunday.

 

In addition to this, you are welcome to join us at our Halal Food Bank inventory and packing days, once a month, as well as our monthly morning invocations programmes.

 

Keep an eye out on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SeekersPointBrisbane)  or sign up to our newsletter (email brisbane@alghazzali.org) for any upcoming classes and events.

 

 

"We Brits have a bad rep for being a bit stiff, but this video proves otherwise," blogs The Honesty Policy, who made it. "We are HAPPY. We are eclectic. We are cosmopolitan. Diverse. Creative. Fun. Outgoing. And everything you can think of."

We made a strategic decision to not post anything the first two days after the release of Pharrell – Happy British Muslim Project. It was beneficial to monitor in retrospect the reactions, energies and ebbs and flows circulating through cyber space. If we had responded immediately it would have been an inevitably emotional reaction as opposed to constructive and coherent. In our detachment we have learnt so much.

Our intention is clear.

To rewrite the rulebook. We want to change how we go about religious expression. We have a continuously growing community that is more eclectic, creative and competent than ever before. Yet, the platform for them to nurture such skills and competencies are stunted in the current religious climate. We want to look at things differently and partake in initiatives outside the usual mosque, event hall and madrasa. We have many projects coming ahead and they’re about movement – we’re moving away from institutionalized understandings of Islam (be they implemented by Muslims or otherwise) back to our roots of being an accessible community. A relevant community. We want to inspire a previously disenfranchised Muslim generation, who feels lost in and amongst the numerous people teaching them the do’s and don’ts before teaching them about the heart.

We are anonymous. It is our raison d’ętre. It is why we have such a dedicated group of people around us. The anonymity is a symbol of integrity, and integrity doesn’t need a face. It’s not about how long your phonebook is, how big your wallet is or famous your name is. We want to empower the previously disempowered individual. To give him/her the platform to feel as though he/she can positively plug into their community. To be honest with you, as people, we’re disappointing, and you’d probably be let down. But as a message or an ideal, we have reached 500,000 people in two days. Why is it a success? Because there is no face behind it, no organisational hang-ups or bureaucracy. It has come from a pure and clear intention and resulted in the global community feeling as if they have a sort of collective ownership over it. The positive sentiments resonate globally and the world defends it as if they all feature in it. This is you putting all of us before yourself. Isn’t that beautiful?

We learnt something new and inspirational about our community these last two days. Even amongst the supportive Muslims from similar inclinations, ideologies and perspectives there has rarely been unequivocal unity in our community. But if this video has done anything, it is to galvanise a tremendous, unified and coherent community voice in its defence. Cross-cultural, inter-organisational, multi-ethnic; we have all become one. And what has been the unifying force? Happiness. We’ve come together in defence of our right to feel immense pride in a religious tradition that facilitates our happiness in this life and the hereafter. So when observing the comments, blogs and updates by people from all walks of life we can’t help but feel emotional in the best of ways. For making us feel that, we thank all of you.

We will do our best to continue with our main goal of making our community happy, bringing people together and spreading hope. But this is a ‘we’ movement, not a ‘me’ movement. The movement’s success is reliant on how many people are willing to give a little bit of themselves for the greater good.

We need you to join us in spreading the happiness. Share it, tweet it, write about it. Create your own happy video for your country or city and let us know about it. Hashtag #happymuslims so everyone who supports it feels the collective happiness and let’s ride this wave together. We’re not scared anymore; we’ve seen the light in all of you. It’s about time our generation made a change.

Bismillah.
 

Click play to watch British Muslims of all ages and groups dancing their hearts out to the feelgood hit of the year...

 

 

---

'Sinful': Video of British Muslims dancing to Pharrell Williams's hit Happy comes under attack
 

 

The four-minute clip by Honesty Policy has had more than 300,000 hits on YouTube but has been criticised by a vocal minority.

 

The group admits it expected "a backlash" from some quarters, but the feel-good project seems to have struck a chord with the majority of the 300,000 viewers so far on YouTube, with Tweets and Facebook messages of support from celebrities, MPs and the wider public.

That hasn't stopped a vocal minority attacking the project as haram (an Arabic term meaning sinful), though, and yesterday the BBC Asian Network held a vigorous debate asking whether the video was halal (an action that is permissible to engage in).

 

"The issue with this video is that it touches on a lot of deeply entrenched issues within the Muslim community," adds the group's unnamed spokesman. "Lots of people have an idea of Islam that you have to conform to prescribed rules to be a good Muslim, but to us, as young second and third generation British Muslims, that's not the case. We're thankful to have grown up in a British society with freedom of expression... And we're thankful that our faith gives us the room to be British and to be a Muslim. Some people don't see that. They don't see Islam as pluralistic [as we do]."

 

One high-profile contributor to the video is Timothy Winter (he's the chap pictured above holding an "I'm happy" sign), who in the Muslim community is more commonly known as Sheikh Abdul-Hakim Murad. He's one of country's foremost Muslim theologians and lectures at Cambridge University.

Within days of the video first appearing online, a post appeared on Muslim news website Shaam Post claiming that the academic had distanced himself from the video and labelled it improper.

According to Honesty Policy these reports are "untrue". The mysterious spat deepened further when Winter himself told The Independent that he was "happy to be involved" in the project, which he said cuts the Muslim community free of the "negative images which oppress it".

 

Source: Independent

 

Muslim Charitable Foundation (MCF)  and Muslim Aid Australia invite you to join them for an inspirational afternoon highlighting Muslim Aid Australia's 25 year milestone and the MOMENTOUS partnership between two leading Islamic charitable organisation who are at the forefront of aid and development in the field of Permaculture & ongoing Sustainability.

Special Guest - Geoff Lawton - WORLD RENOWNED permaculture consultant, designer and teacher who has developed projects in over 30 countries.

Date: Sunday 18th May, 12:30pm
Venue: Michael’s Oriental Restaurant, 223 Padstow Rd, Eight Mile Plains

To purchase tickets visit the MAA website:

Individual Tickets: $50 : http://9nl.eu/25SeedsBrisIndividualTicket

Group Ticket - Table of 10: $450 : http://9nl.eu/25SeedsBrisGroupTicket

or call Yusuf Khatree: 0401 246 228 or Riyaad Ally: 0434 984 520

These two young women were raised to see each as "the other."

 

But in this performance, they confront and untangle the stereotypes that have kept them apart.

 

 

Read the transcript here.

SYDNEY: Young Muslim women have been targeted in a cyber-bullying campaign by members of anti-Islamic group Australian Defence League that has left them traumatised and fearful of going out in public.

The online vilification was exposed last week, just days before the Greystanes home of senior ADL group member Nathan Abela was the target of a drive-by shooting.

Muslims have expressed their outrage about what has been happening to the women, but denied the shooting on Thursday night had anything to do with them.

A man identifying himself only as Omar said Muslims were very angry but they were not violent. They believed the ADL was trying to ''start things between us and them''. But he said they would fight back using words and the media. ''No one is talking about taking the law into their own hands,'' he said.

Tensions have been rising for weeks as the women and children's schools have been photographed, filmed and posted on the internet accompanied by derogatory and inflammatory comments.

Photos have been taken of the women without their knowledge while they were travelling on trains to work and going about their business. Complaints have also been made in the past few weeks about ADL members spruiking anti-Islamic messages and handing out pamphlets at suburban shopping centres.

Community advocate Rebecca Kay said those subjected to the cyber-bullying had been urged to complain to police and to the social media sites posting the photos and comments.

Muslim Women's Association executive officer Maha Abdo said the caption on the photo of one young woman was ''extremely offensive and insulting''.

Ms Abdo said it vilified the woman in the photo and Muslim women in general.

''She is now afraid to catch the train to work for fear of what might happen,'' Ms Abdo said.

She said another young woman who was targeted was petrified after having her photo plastered on Facebook sites and had asked for a job transfer.

''The bullying and intimidation is driving people to the edge,'' she said.

''Everybody has a right to feel that they can move about in society without being publicly humiliated and vilified on the basis of their religion or culture,'' she said.

''This is not a question of limiting freedom of speech but a question of safety and security.''

NSW Community Relations Commission chairman Vic Alhadeff urged all parties to take a deep breath.

''This incident has the potential to cause serious disharmony, which is something all people of goodwill wish to avoid,'' Mr Alhadeff said.

''There is no place for extremism of any kind in our society.''

The grand mufti of Australia, Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed, has asked imams in Sydney to address their congregations during Friday prayers about remaining calm and maintaining peaceful co-existence and harmony.

 

Source: The Sydney Morning Herald
 

 

The announcement of my enrollment into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will certainly bring happiness to a lot of my loyal fans, and fulfillment to all those who have long campaigned for it – not to mention how kinda tickled it makes me feel too.

Look back at Yusuf Islam's road to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

But the happiest of all will be those curious characters and dusty vinyl discs that have been hiding in the shadows and waiting around all these years. I can see Teaser now, just before the sun sinks below the curvy hills, jumping on top of a dustbin and over the cracked wooden fence, vigorously shaking the Tillerman who abruptly wakes up, blinking and bemused:

"Is it tea-time?"

"No! We're in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Uncle!"

"Screemeeow!" The Firecat adds as it thumps into Teaser's behind.

"Ouch! Come on! Let's go tell the Buddha-boy," Teaser shouts, as he runs across the field with the Firecat racing behind him, trying to keep up.

Comebacks, conversion and the quest for contentment with Yusuf Islam

"Watch out for the Bull!" cries the Tillerman, but too late. "Roaaaar!!" The Black Bull suddenly appears from behind a giant oak tree, but before it can charge, a little Buddha-boy jumps in front and catches its horns with his two hands; the Bull halts. Calming the Bull, the boy gently strokes its nose.

"There, there… Ommm." The Buddha-boy looks at Teaser. "What's the rush?"

"I wanted to tell you, we're in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame! Isn't that something?"

The Buddha-boy smiles serenely as the Bull purrs under his gentle hand. "Oh," he says, nonchalantly. "Yes, it's something… but is that all there is to life?"

At that moment, the Foreigner walks by and sneezes.

"Bless you!" Teaser says.

The Foreigner looks at Teaser. "Praise to God!" rejoins the stranger, who is wrapped in a long shawl made of coconut-palm leaves. "From Jamaica… my boat, she come." He pauses and shivers. "It big, big cold in your country. Me go back now."

"Goodbye," Teaser bids the Foreigner farewell. "Tell your people back home that we just won a place in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame."

The Foreigner looks back, rather unimpressed, "They like Reggae… and Fats Domino. Bye, bye."

Teaser looks around for the Firecat, who has hidden behind his trousers, obviously not liking like the look of that stranger. "Oh, there you are! Come on, we've got to tell the Polygons…" but before he can finish the sentence, a small flying saucer lands with a 'plonk' on the field. Out steps Trezlar the Third.

"What's all the ruckus about?" The chubby little Polygon asks.

"We're all included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Trezlar."

"Ooooh! Does that mean I have to share my Banapple Gas with you from now on?" Trezlar asks, clearly concerned with keeping as much of that precious planetary nourishment to himself as possible.

"No, no. Don't worry. It just means we're more famous now and might have a few more fans."

"Will they want to share my Banapple Gas?" Trezlar persists.

"No, don't fret. But get ready for more play time."

"That sounds good," says Trezlar, as he boards the small saucer and waves goodbye, disappearing up into the night sky.

Teaser and the Firecat see the Moon rising as their moonshadows stretch across the ground.

"Time to go home, Firecat."

"Meooow."

 

---

For those who are not familiar with my albums, those characters and that little story may be slightly baffling; but for those who had them, they may remember the small watercolor worlds which my album covers magically opened up in their minds, and the hours of contemplation spent looking at those quirky figures and imagining, while the soundtrack of their lives played on in the background.

With everything else that's been written and said about my life choices since – and during – the creation of those albums, it's good to see that people have re-evaluated my musical reveries after all these years and decided they have a nominal place in the history of music.

True, at one time – following my embracing of Islam – I was ready to cast the whole music thing behind me and get on with my new life far away from the spotlights, public appearances and adoring crowds.

In a letter to my record companies, I asked them to let me off my obligations, which involved producing another three albums. They graciously agreed… perhaps thinking that this was just another short-term spiritual excursion.

It wasn't. The Cat never came back. Instead, I changed my name to Yusuf, decided to get married, and bought a small semi-detached house in Hampstead Garden Suburbs, London, a few doors away from my mother.

Time went on, but the spotlight didn't stop following me. Soon I realized that there were a few people around who didn't appreciate my newly discovered 'unworldly' path, and took a pretty antagonistic view. If they didn't like Cat Stevens or his music before, they would definitely not like Yusuf Islam or his 'religion' now.

Meantime, I had children and opened what was to become the first state-run Muslim faith school in the U.K. Along with the Christian and Jewish children, Muslim children finally had their own place to play … and pray.

The 'bad' were certainly out there, and they had begun to distort the universal message of peace and mercy, which I and many other fellow Muslims believed and understood.

Following on from there, witnessing all the humanitarian disasters befalling the poor nations of the world – particularly in Africa in 1985, and my invitation to sing a song I wrote for Live Aid, but which I regrettably never got to perform – I helped to establish an international relief organization and began work to support the growing numbers of the starving and the homeless, especially widows and orphans.

Prejudice, however, preceded me and I was suddenly seen in a new, dark light. One tabloid printed a report that I had given all my money away to mosques and was living with a begging bowl, crisscrossing between Tehran and Qom! What, me? Where the heck was Qom anyway, I asked myself?

It felt strange that my words and dreams, all reflected so clearly in my songs and lyrics, were so soon forgotten in the rising dust created by world events. It didn't help matters when I tried to explain the existential reality of my new universe; regretfully, too often I would fall into a trap, designed to box me in and present me as some kind of fanatic weirdo. If it was a 'Wild World' before, it got significantly wilder with my embrace of Islam. But isn't that what I had foretold, myself?

If you wanna leave, take good care Hope you make a lot of nice friends out there But just remember there's a lot of bad And beware…

("Wild World," Tea For The Tillerman)

Foolishly, I had not heeded the warning within my own words. The 'bad' were certainly out there, and they had begun to distort the universal message of peace and mercy, which I and many other fellow Muslims believed and understood. Now it was to be an almost impossible task to explain the transcendent beauties of faith, while guns raged in the middle of a battlefield jam-packed with land mines; move in any direction and you'd find out.

As a short film of Nelson Mandela I watched recently showed, he danced and smiled from East to West, saying, "It is music and dancing that makes me at peace with the world and at peace with myself."

Then it dawned on me: Even with the entire world sinking deeper into despair, we can still sing! The spirit of humanity can be subdued, but never vanquished. And nothing brings out that spirit like a good song. As a short film of Nelson Mandela I watched recently showed, he danced and smiled from East to West, saying, "It is music and dancing that makes me at peace with the world and at peace with myself."

In 2001, after singing "Peace Train" for a tribute concert at the Radio City Music Hall in New York, in memory of the victims of 9/11, the sleepy train began to chug its way slowly uphill again.

In 2003, while living in Dubai, my son brought home a guitar. It was my first meeting with it since 1979. And suddenly a floodgate was opened. Playing some of my old songs made me weep; it was clear I had a new job to do.

After the Tsunami in late 2003, I wrote a song called "Indian Ocean." For the first time since 1978, I had entered the studio with a bunch of musicians. We recorded the song and made it a free download for charity. The last words of the song were about finding a young, barely dressed, orphan girl, stranded amidst the rancid ruins, after the flood had washed away both her parents and her home. The kind lady who found her alone on the shore, looking deep into her eyes, realized she was looking straight at Paradise.

The power of charity and human compassion must have been present when the judges of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame decided my history. It will no doubt do much to heal the scars that many years of separation have caused and help to reconnect people to my legacy, which still speaks loud and clear in my music. As the Tillerman might himself say:

So nice to see you coming back in this town again. It's nice to see a friendly face come peeping through, Having tea in the afternoon…

("Ruins," Catch Bull At Four)

Yusuf Islam contributed this exclusive piece to Rolling Stone Middle East

Source: Rolling Stone

 

If you are still keen on attending the ladies retreat in June 2014, please contact the following ladies: Fathima-0490 342 480, Jamilah-0430787806, Faiyaza-0422237861 or send an email to: ladiesretreat.australia@gmail.com.

 
As the bookings and registration will be closing soon, you are advised that there are ONLY 10 PLACES now available.
 

 

Chapter 1

FACING THE CHANGING NATURE OF MODERN TERRORISM

 

Australians are confronted as never before by terrorism. Our sense of vulnerability to attack is new. So are the force, global reach and ambition of the distinctive threat from transnational terrorism now perpetrated in the name of a Muslim extremist cause. Understanding these changes is the first challenge. That is not easy for a nation neither expecting nor used to being targeted like this. But it is essential to maintaining an effective national response.

Open and pluralist societies like ours are now confronted in fundamental ways. These terrorists seek to undermine our security and prosperity. They feel threatened by the values and aspirations that make us an open, tolerant and creative country with a confident future. Australians know that preserving these qualities is vital to our health as a community in all its diversity. It is central to our resilience in the face of this threat. It is the key to our appreciation of the many Muslims who are part of us and to the continuing strength of our links with Muslim-populated countries overseas.

But, naturally enough, we struggle to come to grips with the dimensions of contemporary terrorism. It is not easily understood as a nationalist or political campaign such as Irish, Basque or Tamil separatist terrorism. It bears little resemblance to familiar examples in the public memory when Australians were occasionally incidental victims. While these previously known forms of terror continue, they are peripheral to the nature and scale of the security challenge Australia now confronts.

We find it hard to comprehend the rhetoric of these terrorists, who condemn anyone who does not agree with their approach to Islam. For us, the terrorists' assertions of an international conspiracy to repress and defeat Islam makes no sense. It has no connection to everyday reality, however much we understand and sympathise with the plight of Muslim and other communities in distress. We cannot easily relate their assertions to a territorial dispute, political ideology or historical injustice.

 

 

DFAT

Allah gave each Prophet miracles that were best understood by the people of that era. Quran is the lasting miracle of the last and final Prophet and Messenger of Allah. One of the main talks at the upcoming Quranic Inspirations annual Conference in Brisbane on this Saturday 26th of April is ‘How we realise today that the Quran is the Book of Allah.’ There is little else to connect us in love towards Allah more than a deep appreciation of the answer to this question!
 

When the wife of the Prophet (s.a.w), Aisha (r) was asked to described the character of the noble Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w), she simply described his beauty and nobility by saying, ‘His character was the Quran!’
 

Sheikh AbdulBary Yahya, featured in the accompanying video trailer attached, is a Muslim scholar from the United States, renowned for his soft and emotional style of talks. Appropriately, this emotional sheikh will be taking us through his talk titled, ‘His character was the Quran!’

 

Other interstate and local scholars of various backgrounds – South African, Arabs, Pakistani, etc will share their wisdom in panel discussions on Quranic Inspirations for modern challenges!

 

The Saturday 26th April Brisbane convention is FREE entry, is from 12pm to 4:15pm, at University of Qld, Building 3, Room 206.

 

Please spread the word and, for details, visit www.QuranicInspirations.com and www.YouTube.com/QuranicInspirations 
 

Quranic Inspirations with Sheikh AbdulBary Trailer: http://youtu.be/qKMl4T2OuPg 
 

 

The project for the purchase of the Worongary Mosque property is almost completed.

 

The balance needed to secure the property is $260,000.

 

The Mosque Committee would like to collect this by the end of September.

 

Tickets for the dinner on 24 May are limited to the capacity of the hall (500) which means it's going to be first-in-first-served.
 

Donations can be made via the bank to:

Name: Islamic Multicultural Association of Gold Coast
Bank: ANZ – Southport

BSB: 014-701

Account Number: 108017453

Swift code for Overseas depositors: anzbau3m

 

The Socceroos will compete with Asia’s best football nations during the AFC Asian Cup in January 2015. Football fans will be thrilled with the family friendly prices, with matches priced from as little as $15 for adults and $5 for children.

 

Family-friendly ticket prices will enable kids to watch Asia’s best footballers next summer for as little as $5, and families from just $40, at Australia’s biggest ever football tournament, AFC Asian Cup Australia 2015.

Other highlights of the ticket prices, announced on Wednesday, include:

• Opening ceremony and Australia v Kuwait match from $69 per adult
• Other Socceroos group matches from $49 per adult
• Quarter-finals from $29 per adult
• Semi-finals from $49 per adult
• Final from $79 per adult

No ticket will cost more than $149 – and that’s for the best seats in the house when the Socceroos kick off Asia’s biggest football tournament against Kuwait in Melbourne on January 9, and for top seats at the final at Sydney’s Stadium Australia on January 31.

“At the height of summer, with school holidays in full swing, and with such attractive prices, we look forward to welcoming tens of thousands of Australian families – not just those inside the traditional football family,” said Michael Brown, CEO of the tournament’s Local Organising Committee.

“This will be a festival of football never seen before in Australia, featuring our own Socceroos battling the best 16 teams in Asia, including Asia’s three other World Cup finalists in Japan, South Korea and Iran.

“We have deliberately kept prices affordable for families and those in multicultural communities who will be keen to attend multiple matches.”

Venue packs offer football fans discounts to attend every match in each of the five host cities – Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Newcastle.

Venue packs start from $99 for all four matches in Newcastle, including a semi-final and the third place play-off, $109 for all seven matches in Canberra, $139 for all seven matches in Brisbane, $159 for all seven games in Melbourne and $229 for all seven matches in Sydney, which includes one semi and the final.

Even the most expensive Category One tickets offer tremendous value - $149 for the final, $149 for the opening match, $99 for other Socceroos group matches, $99 for a semi-final, $69 for a quarter-final and $30 for a non-Socceroos group match.

Kids and concession holders can watch the final for just $39.50, semi-finals for $24.50, quarter-finals for $14.50 and non-Socceroos group matches for just $5.

Tickets will go on sale in two periods.

The first phase is for venue packs on May 7 for the football family and May 19 for the general public.

SIGN UP HERE TO BE A PART OF THE FOOTBALL FAMILY

The second phase is for individual tickets on May 27 for the football family and June 2 for the general public.

The AFC Asian Cup is Asia’s biggest football competition and was established in 1956.

Fifteen nations have already qualified – Australia as hosts, defending champions Japan, Korea Republic and 2012 AFC Challenge Cup winners DPR Korea, along with Bahrain, China, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan.

The final spot will go to the winner of the AFC Challenge Cup for emerging nations in May.

 

Legends celebrate official Ticketing Launch

 

House Wanted

 

Sister who works full time looking for 2bdrm in Underwood area under $340. Need lock up garage.  Also interested in sharing with another working sister who can pay $250-$300 a week.  Please contact Ayesha at ayesha_lea@yahoo.com.au

 

 

Bahaa Hariri $3.1bn($3.65bn) Switzerland (Saudi Arabia)           
 

Rafiq Hariri’s eldest son, Bahaa, chose not to follow his father’s path into politics and instead forged his own career in business.

 

He currently resides in Geneva, and derives the bulk of his fortune from investment management.

 

Other sectors include real estate development and logistics. His real estate arm, Horizon Development, focuses on commercial projects in Jordan and Lebanon.

 

Horizon Development is a major shareholder in the Abdali Investment and Development Company, responsible for the development of a 20 million sq ft mixed-use project in Amman, worth about $5bn.

 

As the eldest son of the late Lebanese premier, Rafiq Hariri, Bahaa has made considerable efforts to continue his father’s legacy.

 

Part of that drive has included sponsorship of the Atlantic Council’s Rafiq Hariri Centre for the Middle East, a body that seeks to bind the region’s political and economic ties with the transatlantic nations.

 

NEXT WEEK: Another from the rich list next week
 

Source: ArabianBusiness

To commemorate Women’s History Month, we collected photos of Muslim American women.

 

We’ve compiled thirty-two images. One for each day of March, plus another because no one month can contain the awesomeness of Muslim Women.

These images show the status and the importance of Muslim women in our society. Muslim women are liberated, educated, and play the most important roles in our society.

Update: The purpose and intent of this article is not to showcase the ethnic and racial diversity of Muslimahs. No one article can do that. We meant to express the diversity of the roles Muslimahs play in society and to begin to re-frame how they are thought about. Going forward we will make sure to be all inclusive.

 

(3) Maryam Amirebrahimi – Religious Scholar, Speaker, and Writer

 

 

Another from the collection in next week's CCN.
 

Source: Trivial Room: Your eye into Muslim Australia