The Future
Leaders
program at
the
University
of
Queensland (UQ
recognizes
graduating
students who
have gone
beyond their
typical
program of
studies to
make a
positive
impact on
campus,
their
community
and even the
world. From
nearly ten
thousand new
graduates
each year,
only a few
hundred
(that is,
about 2
percent of
all UQ
graduates at
any given
year) are
chosen for
demonstrating
a superior
commitment
to
leadership,
representing.
This group
is
underpinned
by a broad
definition
of
extracurricular
leadership
including
high
achievers,
ambassadors,
student
leaders,
mentors,
valedictorians,
volunteers,
philanthropists,
emerging
researchers,
executive
board
members and
world-class
athletes.
Members can
be as
diverse as
student
presidents
leading a
large club,
emerging
researchers
promoting
their
advancements
around the
world and
philanthropists
inspiring
their
colleagues
through
fundraising
and
volunteerism
efforts.
Ultimately
this group
represents a
collection
of UQ
graduates
who we
believe will
become the
influential
leaders of
our future.
One such
student, who
was awarded
this
prestigious
award on
completion
of her
double
degree
(Biomedical
Science &
Arts), is
Kuraby
resident,
Nabeela
Cassim.
Upon
graduating,
Nabeela also
received the
UQ Advantage
Award. This
award is
awarded to
students who
in addition
to their
degrees have
demonstrated
qualities in
the
following
areas:
Social
Responsibility
&
Leadership,
Global &
Cultural
Engagement
and Research
&
Entrepreneurship.
Some
highlighted
aspects of
the awards
include her
participation
in
Australian
Indigenous
Mentoring
Experience (AIME)
- an
engaging
program that
highlighted
the
importance
of
understanding
Indigenous
people and
their
culture.
Nabeela told
CCN:
“Mentoring
university
and school
students is
of utmost
importance
to me, as I
believe the
youth of
today face
so many
challenges,
not only
Muslim
students but
students
from all
nationalities
and diverse
backgrounds.”
In addition;
Nabeela also
participated
in the
Australian
Anthropology
Conference
where she
was the head
volunteer
representing
students at
UQ. She also
undertook
research at
the School
of Chemistry
and
Molecular
Biosciences
and is an
active
member of a
number of
student
societies on
campus/volunteer
organisation.
Al-Nisa
Australian Muslim Advocates for the Rights of All Humanity (AMARAH)
Australian Muslim Times (AMT)
Brisbane Islamic Centre (BIC)
Council of Imams QLD (CIQ)
Crescents Community News (CCN)
Crescents of Brisbane Inc.
Dr Daud Batchelor, International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies
Islamic Council of Queensland (ICQ)
Islamic Educational Trust of Queensland
Islamic Information Service Cooloola
Islamic Medical Association of Queensland (IMAQ)
Islamic Shia Council of Queensland
Islamic Society of Gold Coast (Gold Coast Mosque)
Islamic Society of Holland Park (Holland Park Mosque)
Islamic Society of Toowoomba (Garden City Mosque)
Islamic Women’s Association of Queensland (IWAQ)
Kuraby Mosque
Muslim Business Network (MBN)
Muslim Charitable Foundation (MCF)
Muslim Funeral Service (MFS)
National Centre of Excellence for Islamic Studies (Griffith University Node)
Pakistan Australian Cultural Association
Queensland Muslim Historical Society
Queensland Muslim Welfare Association Inc.
Sisters House Services Inc.
Over 550
friends and
family of
Rotary Club
Archerfield
attended the
Club's
Family Fun
night at
Michael's
Oriental
during the
week.
President of
the branch,
Mr Zaffar
Khan
(pictured
above
conducting
the auction),
was lauded
for his
efforts in
bringing
greater
awareness of
the work of
Rotary in
general and
his Club in
particular.
On Tuesday,
23rd April,
the school
captains and
student
council of
the
Australian
International
Islamic
College (AIIC)
represented
the college
at the Anzac
Square
memorial in
the ANZAC
commemoration
services
held by the
Queensland
Government.
Students
participated
in the
wreath
laying
ceremony at
the memorial
in
remembrance
of the ANZAC
soldiers.
"Our
students
presented
themselves
very well -
we are proud
of our
representatives,"
a college
spokesperson
told CCN.
Also, on 28th April a commemoration assembly was held at the college. The students hosted the assembly and presented a number of items to showcase what ANZAC day was about.
A play about the significance of poppies was staged and songs were sung with great spirit. Special guests. Ms Janeth Deen and Mr Peter James Mapp were also present.
Training session at the Mt Gravatt Lookout with (left to right) David Forde, Ali Ghafoor, Tahir Abdul Gaffoor, Yaseen Sarfudin and Yusuf Khatree
As part of
the
Oxfam
Trailwalker
100KM walk
from Mount
Glorious to
Mount
Coot-ha on
22 – 24
June, a
grass roots
Brisbane
fundraising
activity to
help the
people of
Syria
involving
two teams of
four has
begun
training in
earnest for
the event
and is
looking for
two more
participants
to complete
the teams.
The
participants
from the two
teams, with
the
assistance
of the
community,
will also
help raise
funds in the
lead up to
the event.
Cultural
Diversity
Queensland
and the
Australian
Federal
Police (AFP)
will fund
the
registration
of one team
each.
Funds raised
will go
through the
Muslim
Charitable
Foundation
for a
project that
has been
identified
by Muslim
Aid
Australia in
Syria.
Mr David
Forde will
lead one
team and
Shane
Johnson
(Community
Liaison
Officer)
from the AFP
the other.
Four hundred
teams of
four take
part in a
highly
professionally
organised
annual event
in which the
target is to
complete the
route in up
to 48 hours.
Each team
requires a
support
vehicle that
is being
supplied
through the
community
and training
has to be
undertaken
as this is
not a “walk
in the
park”, but a
physically
challenging
event.
Contact
David on
0413 874 008
if you would
like to
participate
or
contribute
to the
cause.
Funds raised
will go
towards a
Vocation
Education
and Training
project for
Women in the
Babussalam.
45 women
will be
trained for
six months
in sewing,
embroidery,
stitching,
as well as
character
building to
learn
independence
and business
skills to
maintain
their
livelihoods
when they
have
successfully
completed
the course.
Once the
course has
been
successfully
completed,
each trainee
will receive
their own
sewing
machine
which will
allow them
to implement
their newly
acquired
skills to
support
their
families.
The funding
target is
$15,000 and
any
additional
funding with
provide for
monthly
family food
packs that
cost $60
each.
"Establishing Contextual
Understanding of Islamic Education for
the Australian Muslim student"
Islamic
schools in
Australia
remain a
relatively
new
phenomena,
the earliest
a little
over 30
years of
age.
Interestingly,
Islamic
schools
represent
one of the
fastest
growing
category of
Independent
school in
Australia.
Often they
have waiting
lists for
entry and
feature
consistently
high in
school
academic
ranking and
student test
score
tables.
Despite
these
indicators,
the next
phase in
Islamic
Schooling in
Australia
requires a
more
informed
understanding
of their
effectiveness
via
empirical
research to
better
understand
their
strengths
and
weaknesses.
Research on
Islamic
schools in
Western
countries
including
Australia
suggests
undue
attention on
academic
results and
sometimes
the
practices
employed to
ensure these
results,
compromise
faith based
priorities.
Such faith
based
priorities
feature
largely in
school
vision
statements
and were
major
reasons
behind the
establishment
of Islamic
schools.
Criticisms
on this
front also
have follow
on effect on
the quality
of Islamic
curriculum,
teaching and
pedagogy
approaches,
and the
outcomes
collectively
this has on
students
graduating
from Islamic
schools.
Other
research has
pointed to
the lack of
training for
teachers
entering
Islamic
schools. The
absence of
research
based
principles
or teaching
frameworks
means
teachers are
generally
not equipped
with a
nuanced
based
understanding
of Islamic
education
for an
Australian
school. Many
Islamic
school
teachers
take up this
challenge
themselves
in isolation
as do stand
out Islamic
schools
which adds
to the
already
significant
burden on
teachers and
administrators.
Dr. Mohamad
Abdalla,
Director of
the National
Centre for
Excellence
in Islamic
Studies (NCIES)
at Griffith
University,
and a team
of
researchers
have been
working hard
to fill this
research gap
and offer
empirical
research to
support the
next phase
of Islamic
schooling in
Australia
and
elsewhere in
the West.
Muhammad
Abdullah’s
study,
focused on
Prophetic
pedagogy,
stands to
offer a
great deal
for teachers
in Islamic
schools.
Dylan
Chown’s
study
relates to
school
vision and
educational
leadership
which will
offer
insight on
Islamic
school
effectiveness
and Gregor
Shepherd’s
on the
experience
of Arab
speaking
students
studying in
Australia
which will
broaden
understandings
of the
education
experience
in
Australia.
Dr. Mohamad
Abdalla,
Muhammad
Abdullah and
Dylan Chown
recently
facilitated
a
professional
learning
workshop in
Melbourne
for over 50
Islamic
Studies
teachers
across six
(6)
different
Islamic
schools.
A major
stumbling
block for
the Islamic
Studies
subject
throughout
Australia
has been the
absence of a
syllabus,
even thirty
(30) years
down the
track. A
syllabus
would inform
and pave the
way for an
Islamic
Studies
curriculum
that would
sit
alongside
other
National
Curriculum
documents in
the pool of
subjects
Islamic
schools
offer.
Common
criticisms
in the
research
concerning
the Islamic
Studies
subject
relate to
the lack of
relevance to
students
lives; the
absence of
rigorous and
challenging
themes that
engage
students;
the absence
of critical
thinking in
the
pedagogical
approach;
content
based
teacher
centred
learning
that lacks
coherence
and up
against
students
experience
in other
subjects
becomes
foreign and
unrecognisable,
thereby
diminishing
the
significance
to students
of a central
subject in
an Islamic
school.
More and
more
committed
Islamic
Studies
teachers and
stand out
Islamic
schools are
aware of
these common
criticisms
and are
taking
meaningful
steps to
address
them.
Thus, the
theme of the
workshop
was,
"Establishing
Contextual
Understanding
of Islamic
Education
for the
Australian
Muslim
student".
Dr Abdalla
opened the
workshop
with a
discussion
on the
historical
context of
Islamic
Studies
programs. In
particular
he
highlighted
the
significance
of the
teacher over
and above
the
institution
as the
‘Islamic’
has
traditionally
been taught
through
‘Ṣuḥba’ –
companionship/fellowship.
In the
current
context, to
make what is
taught
relevant, Dr
Abdalla
advised that
it is
important to
be familiar
with the
issues that
are or will
challenge
Muslim
students in
an
Australian
setting.
Mohammed
Abdullah
questioned
the audience
as to what
do they mean
by an
Islamic
school? What
they view is
an Islamic
education?
He offered
understandings
from his
research
forthcoming
of a
pedagogical
framework
for
classroom
teachers
that
incorporate
Prophetic
teaching
practices
and
principles.
His
framework
provides a
common
language for
teachers in
Islamic
schools to
reflect on
their
practice and
meaningfully
inculcate
the
‘Islamic’
via the
‘why’ and
‘how’ of
teaching not
merely
Islamic
content or
the ‘what’
of teaching.
Dylan Chown
spoke of the
importance
of the
Islamic
Studies
program and
its
curriculum
being
informed by
the vision
of the
school.
Dylan and
Mohammad
were both
able to
demonstrate
the
incredible
synergy with
aspects of
the National
Curriculum
in terms of
general
capabilities
and cross
curricular
priorities.
Finally,
Dylan
offered
advice on
how to
inculcate
critical
thinking in
Islamic
Studies and
provide
students
with
frameworks
for
understanding
challenges
that Muslim
students
face in
their lives.
Helen
Schiele, an
Educational
Consultant
for the
Victorian
Education
Department,
who
coordinated
and
organised
the
Professional
Learning
Workshop
spoke in
glowing
terms and
has promised
further
workshops in
the future.
NCIES aims
to build on
their
contribution
to this
important
field and
via the
empirical
studies and
practical
experience
of the
researchers
will
continue to
work with a
number of
schools as
they tackle
the
challenges
characterised
in this next
exciting
phase in
Islamic
schooling in
Australia.
US
President
Barack Obama
has
acknowledged
that even
today a
number of
people from
the South
Asian origin
—
particularly
those from
Hindu,
Muslim and
Sikh
communities
— are
becoming
victims of
hate crimes
in America.
US President
Barack Obama
has
acknowledged
that even
today a
number of
people from
the South
Asian origin
—
particularly
those from
Hindu,
Muslim and
Sikh
communities
— are
becoming
victims of
hate crimes
in America.
"Even today,
South Asian
Americans,
especially
those who
are Muslim,
Hindu and
Sikh, are
targets of
suspicion
and
violence,"
Obama said
in a
presidential
proclamation
that
recognised
the
contribution
of
Asian-Americans
in the
socio-political
and economic
milieu of
the country.
"Like
America
itself, the
AAPI (Asian
American and
Pacific
Islander)
community
draws
strength
from the
diversity of
its many
distinct
cultures -
each with
vibrant
histories
and unique
perspectives
to bring to
our national
life," Obama
said.
"Asian
Americans,
Native
Hawaiians,
and Pacific
Islanders
have helped
build,
defend and
strengthen
our Nation -
as farm
workers and
railroad
labourers;
as
entrepreneurs
and
scientists;
as artists,
activists,
and leaders
of
government.
They have
gone beyond,
embodying
the soaring
aspirations
of the
American
spirit,"
Obama said.
Noting that
May month
marks 145
years since
the final
spike was
hammered
into the
transcontinental
railroad, an
achievement
made
possible by
Chinese
labourers,
who did the
majority of
this
backbreaking
and
dangerous
work, Obama
said this
May, they
will receive
long-overdue
recognition
as they are
inducted
into the
Labour Hall
of Honour.
"Generations
of Asian
Americans,
Native
Hawaiians
and Pacific
Islanders
have helped
make this
country what
it is
today," he
said.
"Yet they
have also
faced a long
history of
injustice -
from the
overthrow of
the Kingdom
of Hawaii
and its
devastating
impact on
the history,
language and
culture of
Native
Hawaiians;
to
opportunity-limiting
laws like
the Chinese
Exclusion
Act of 1882
and the
Immigration
Act of 1924;
to the
internment
of Japanese
Americans
during World
War II," he
said.
Obama
reiterated
his
determination
to pass
comprehensive
immigration
reform that
would
modernise
the legal
immigration
system,
create a
pathway to
earned
citizenship
for
undocumented
immigrants,
hold
employers
accountable,
and
strengthen
the border
security.
He said with
courage,
grit, and an
abiding
belief in
American
ideals,
Asian
Americans,
Native
Hawaiians,
and Pacific
Islanders
have
challenged
the Nation
to be
better.
"Nearly 5
years ago, I
re-established
the White
House
Initiative
on AAPIs.
The
Initiative
addresses
disparities
in health
care,
education,
and economic
opportunity
by ensuring
Asian
Americans
and Pacific
Islanders
receive
equal access
to
government
programs and
services,"
Obama said.
On
Sunday 18
May Muslim
Aid
Australia (MAA)
and Muslim
Charitable
Foundation (MCF)
will
formally
join hands
by
co-hosting a
fundraising
lunch at
Michael’s
Oriental
Restaurant
in Eight
Mile Plains.
With the aim
of the lunch
being to
raise funds
towards
exciting new
international
projects in
Permaculture,
the aptly
named event
“25 Seeds of
Goodness”
will see the
two
organisations
combine
forces and
increase the
aid and
support
provided to
people in
need both
locally and
internationally.
Guest
speakers
including
Geoff
Lawton, a
world
renowned
permaculture
expert,
Sheikh
Hassan
Elsetohy,
MAA’s CEO,
and Mr.
Yusuf
Khatree of
the Muslim
Charitable
Foundation.
Guests will
also witness
the signing
of MAA and
MCF’s
Memorandum
of
Understanding
– a first in
Australia.
Limited
number of
tickets are
available by
calling
Riyaad Ally
of Muslim
Aid
Australia on
0434 984 520
or Yusuf
Khatree of
Muslim
Charitable
Foundation
on 0401 246
228.
This is a
unique event
and
definitely
not to be
missed.
The fund raising committee of the Islamic Society of Algester expressed their sincerest gratitude to the Queensland Muslim community for a very successful event last Friday.
"The whole community rose to the occasion once again with donations and pledges."
"We have to commend the caterer, Mohammed Rabbani, and his team from Sherezade restaurant for proving such a tasty menu that was appreciated by all."
"Special thanks must go to Brother Hussin Goss for his extraordinary auctioneering skills."
Specific parts of the proposed Mosque project were auctioned off individually, and these pledges, ticket sales and the auctioned items helped raise $325 000, a Queensland record for a single night's fund raising for any project.
After the Mosque collections amounting to $75 000 over the past 5 weeks, this has left the committee with the task of raising the balance of $350 000 still needed to complete the project. An impassioned appeal for continued community contributions was made by the society which will consider at its next meeting the option of holding an Open Day so that people can inspect the works and staging towards finalizing Phase One for themselves.
The
time has
come again
for the Al-Nisa
Annual
Ladies
Night!
This year
Al-Nisa has
been working
in
partnership
with Islamic
Relief
Australia to
fundraise
money that
will go
towards
building
wells in
Somalia and
developing
other
sustainable
community
projects.
The theme
for the
night on 21
June is Glitz and
Glamour,
so ladies,
it's time to
pull out all
the stops!
Put your
best dress
on, bling it
up and don't
forget your
wallets, as
there will
be a live
auction on
the night!
The Al-Nisa
Team hopes
you will
join them
for "what is
sure to be a
fun and
entertaining
night",
whilst, at
the same
time,
contributing
to a very
worthy
cause.
Seats are
limited, so
you will
need to get
in quick.
For more
information,
see the
flyer or
call 0413
360 913.
Seeking
highly
motivated
individuals
committed to
the
education of
Muslim
children.
Opportunities
for:
Casual
positions
(4.00 pm –
6.30 pm,
Monday –
Friday)
Relief
teaching
Professional
learning,
training and
development
(no
commitment
to work in
the
Madrassah
required;
open to
qualified
teachers;
homeschoolers;
parents; and
others).
Weekly
professional
learning
topics:
Islamic
education
philosophy
Evidence
based
teaching and
learning
strategies
Student
centred
teaching
practice
Prophetic
pedagogical
strategies.
All
interested
candidates
are invited
for either
employment
or
professional
learning
opportunities.
The Zamil
family is
leading the
way in the
diversification
of the Saudi
economy, and
are clearly
reaping the
rewards as
they go.
Zamil Group
Holding
Company was
founded by
the late
Abdullah Al
Hamad Al
Zamil, a
Saudi
entrepreneur
who
established
a modest
trading
entity
selling food
items and
textiles in
Bahrain in
the 1930s.
Today, its
activities
span
industrial
and
commercial
interests,
making its
mark on
everything
from
air-conditioning
manufacturing
to food
processing,
steel
fabrication
and travel
services.
Zamil began
investing in
the plastics
industry
over 30
years ago,
and today
the group
can count on
a 12,000-
strong
workforce in
more than 60
countries,
vast
manufacturing
facilities
and strong
affiliations
with
international
partners.
The family
also has a
significant
stake in
Bahrain-based
Energy
Central
Company,
which could
prove a huge
windfall
given the
region’s
growing
power
demands.
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.
(5)
Zainab
Ismail –
Professional
Fitness
Trainer at
Nadoona
Fitness
Mater Education Centre is very happy to be offering
another scholarship opportunity for persons of a
refugee background to apply for to complete the
Diploma of Nursing course.
Please email me for the details on the eligibility
criteria and how to apply online.
If you having any further questions, please don’t
hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards
Jenny Ryan
Cultural Diversity Coordinator
Mater Health Services
Rm 207 Aubigny Place || Raymond Terrace || South
Brisbane || Qld 4101
t 07 3163 8022 m 0404 826655 e
jennifer.ryan@mater.org.au
www.mater.org.au
CAPE TOWN:
Muslim marriages will be recognised as legal
from Wednesday for the first time in South
African history – a move described as more
than 300 years in the making.
More than 100 Muslim clerics, or imams, will
on Wednesday graduate as marriage officers
in a pilot project by the Department of Home
Affairs which will allow them to officiate
over unions that will be recognised by law.
Since Muslims were first brought to South
Africa as slaves more than three centuries
ago their marriages had no legal standing
before Wednesday’s graduation.
Children born from these marriages were
regarded as illegitimate, while women were
not regarded as spouses when attempting to
claim against their deceased husbands’
estates.
The imams graduating on Wednesday completed
a three-day course during which they learned
about the Marriage Act of 1961 and wrote an
exam.
Deputy President Kgalema Motlanthe, Home
Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor, her deputy
Fatima Chohan and Muslim leaders are to
attend the graduation in Pinelands on
Wednesday.
All first-time Muslim marriages will now be
recorded on the National Population
Register, said Home Affairs spokesman Lunga
Ngqengelele.
Attorney at the Women’s Legal Centre, Hoodah
Abrahams, said having Muslim clerics as
official marriage officers had important
legal implications for Muslim couples and
their children.
“This is definitely a step in the right
direction for the long struggle to have
Muslim marriages legalised. We have been
strong advocates to have it recognised,” she
said.
Abrahams said Muslim women had for many
years suffered as a result of their
marriages not being recognised under the
South African Marriage Act.
“In most scenarios, we find that when men
are the breadwinners and when there are
complications in the marriage, women are not
favoured legally.
We currently have a number of workshops to
raise awareness for people who get married
and are not aware that their marriages are
not legally registered,” she said.
The centre had fought the case of Hanover
Park grandmother, the now late Suleiga
Daniels, who in 1994 lost her house because
she was not recognised as the surviving
spouse after her husband, Moegamat Daniels,
died.
The couple had moved into their home when
they were married in 1977 and shared it for
17 years until his death. Because they had
been married according to Muslim rites,
Daniels was informed by the Master of the
High Court on her husband’s death that she
could not benefit from his estate. Daniels’
case was won in 2011.
Daniels’ daughter Yasmina Mohamed told the
Cape Times on Tuesday: “Our mother died in
March last year. I’m very pleased to hear
that Muslim marriages will be recognised at
last. Muslim women will now be better
protected. My mother had a very long battle
to get what rightfully belonged to her and
had vowed not to give up.”
In another landmark case, Fatima Gabie
Hassam’s marriage was recognised only after
a lengthy legal battle. She was the first of
her husband’s two wives. He died without
leaving a will and she could not inherit,
but in 2004, and with the help of city
attorney Igshaan Higgins, she went to court
and won.
The Western Cape High Court ruling in her
favour was referred to the Constitutional
Court for confirmation.
Confirming the ruling, Constitutional Court
Justice Bess Nkabinde said Hassam’s right to
equality had been violated and that she had
been discriminated against on the grounds of
religion and marital status.
Higgins, who was on pilgrimage in Mecca on
Tuesday, said: “Muslims in South Africa have
suffered the indignity of non-recognition
for more than (three centuries) and it is
certainly a step in the right direction for
the imams to be recognised as marriage
officers.
“However, any celebration should be
suspended until Muslim Personal Law becomes
a reality for all those Muslim wives,
mothers, daughters and sisters who suffer
proprietary hardships on a daily basis as a
result of non recognition.”
Muslim Judicial Council SA (MJC) deputy
president Sheikh Riad Fataar said the
marriage officer’s course was
“groundbreaking” for Muslim marriages after
decades of attempts to have them recognised.
“We’ve been involved in the programme since
we first raised the question about Muslim
marriages with Home Affairs. We contacted
different imams, those who belonged to the
MJC and those who didn’t, to join the
course. This is a groundbreaking step for
us. For the first time in our history our
marriages will be recognised and our
children won’t be seen as illegitimate in
terms of the law,” he said.
Fataar said the marriages performed by the
graduates would still be in line with the
requirements of sharia (Muslim law).
Selfless Muslim Man Gives
Barefoot Bus Passenger His Shoes Saying 'I
Live Close, I Can Walk'
BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA:
Touching photographs of a stranger’s act of
kindness towards a needy man have gone
viral.
The images were taken by off-duty bus driver
Surjit Singh Virk in British Colombia,
Canada.
Virk had noticed a man on the same bus as
him wearing plastic hairnets on his feet in
lieu of shoes on a rainy Saturday.
Another passenger – a man in
Muslim dress took - off his shoes and socks
and proferred them to him before walking off
barefoot, with Virk overhearing him explain:
“You can take these, don’t worry about me –
I live close by and can walk.”
Speaking to Vancouver 24, Virk added:
“People usually don’t care or even look at
other people on the bus, they didn’t even
want to sit beside this guy because of how
he was dressed.”
The 27-year-old man who gave up his shoes
was tracked down by Canada’s QMI Agency but
declined to be identified, stating that
according to his Islamic faith charitable
acts should be anonymous.
He revealed: “I felt bad for the guy. He was
wearing plastic hairnets on his feet. I was
only a two minute walk from home so I
thought I could give him my shoes.”
The donor is understood to
have been returning from a nearby Muslim
Association mosque.
Spokesman Mufti Aasim told the Toronto Sun:
“Whenever we do a good deed, even if it’s to
help someone out, the Islamic teachings
maintain this should remain only for the
pleasure of God.”
Some, including Virk believe religion did
not play such a pivotal part in the act.
“This wasn’t charity, this was just between
two human beings. No race, no religion. That
was the beauty of it.”
Facebook user Salim Jiwa posted the image
online, with the comment: “We can really
change our world with a single act of
kindness per day.”
German tourists moan trip
to Turkey ruined by prayer call
GERMANY: A German couple have
had their legal attempt to get a refund from
a travel agent in Hannover thrown out by by
a Hanover court after they complained that
their €2,258 all-inclusive holiday to
Turkey's Aegean resort of Doganbey was
ruined by the Islamic call to prayer.
The couple complained that the call to
prayer which was recited from a nearby
mosque on a loudspeaker every morning at 6am
disturbed their sleep, as well as
complaining that the call was repeated five
times a day every day in accordance with
Islamic custom.
The Hannover district court dismissed the
case on April 11th and published its
statement on Tuesday, saying "The call to
prayer is customary in Turkey and is
comparable with church bells in a Christian
country."
The call to prayer, otherwise known as the
Adhan, is recited from mosques in Muslim
countries to notify worshippers that a new
prayer time period has set in and that
congregational prayers are about to start.
Based around the daily positioning of the
sun, prayer times vary throughout different
countries and times of the year, becoming
more spaced apart in the summer and closer
to each other in the winter. Countries
nearer to the poles see drastic changes in
the prayer times between the summer and the
winter seasons, whereas countries along the
equator do not see such a drastic change.
Many tourists, both Muslim and non-Muslim
alike, come to Muslim countries like Turkey
specifically to be enchanted by the mystical
and melodious sound of the Adhan, which has
been recited throughout the Muslim world for
over 1,400 years.
Havana Halal: Turkey may
build Cuba’s first mosque
HAVANA,
CUBA: Due to efforts by Turkey, a nation
increasingly seen as a global champion of
Islam, Cuba's few thousand Muslims may now
finally get it’s first mosque.
According to a report at vocativ.com Turkish
officials have already sent a delegation to
Cuba discuss the project.
The report mentions that plans so far call
for building a mosque in Havana “modeled
after the 19th-century Baroque style of
Ortakoy Mosque in Istanbul.”
Turkish officials were quoted as saying that
the project was part of “a wider effort to
reach out to Muslims across the Caribbean.”
Another such project was said to be planned
for Haiti by the end of the year.
The goal for the Havana mosque is a facility
that will be 32,300 square feet with the
capacity to serve 500 people.
That should be a significant improvement for
the island’s Muslims who currently,
according to the report, “pray in their
homes or, on Fridays, in the living room of
Pedro Lazo Torre, the leader of Havana’s
Muslim community.”
Luis Mesa Delmonte, a Cuban academic in
Mexico City, was quoted as saying that
President Raul Castro’s government approved
the project as part of a wider effort to
reform the nation’s Communist system.
While initial plans to build the mosque with
only local input stalled, Turkey’s
intervention has now brought is closer to
being a reality.
Despite the positive developments, Cuba’s
ambassador to Turkey, Alberto Gonzales
Casals, cautioned that the final decision of
who would build the mosque is yet to be
made.
West and Russia must unite
to tackle radical Islam, says Tony Blair
The former
prime minister says that the danger from
religious extremism is ‘growing’ and is more
important than differences over Ukraine
The West must put aside differences with
Russia over Ukraine to focus on tackling the
threat from radical Islam, Tony Blair will
warn.
Highlighting the ''growing'' danger from
religious extremism, the former prime
minister is to call for it to be put at the
''top of the agenda''.
Failing to ''take sides'' with moderates in
the Middle East and North Africa could mean
the 21st century is dominated by conflict
rather than peaceful coexistence, he will
say.
It comes with tensions still running high in
eastern Ukraine, and after Russia was
jettisoned from the G8 group of nations over
Vladimir Putin's decision to annexe the
Crimea.
But Mr Blair
will describe a wider crisis with its roots
in ''a radicalised and politicised view of
Islam, an ideology that distorts and warps
Islam's true message''.
''The threat of this radical Islam is not
abating. It is growing. It is spreading
across the world.
''It is destabilising communities and even
nations. It is undermining the possibility
of peaceful coexistence in an era of
globalisation.
''And in the face of this threat we seem
curiously reluctant to acknowledge it and
powerless to counter it effectively.''
Mr Blair – Middle East envoy for the quartet
of the United Nations, EU, US, and Russia –
will say there needs to be a new policy of
''engagement'' in the region and beyond.
''We have to elevate the issue of religious
extremism to the top of the agenda,'' he
will say.
''All over the world the challenge of
defeating this ideology requires active and
sustained engagement.
''Consider this absurdity: that we spend
billions of dollars on security arrangements
and on defence to protect ourselves against
the consequences of an ideology that is
being advocated in the formal and informal
school systems and in civic institutions of
the very countries with whom we have
intimate security and defence relationships.
''Some of those countries of course wish to
escape from the grip of this ideology.
''But often it is hard for them to do so
within their own political constraints. They
need to have this issue out in the open
where it then becomes harder for the
promotion of this ideology to happen
underneath the radar.
''In other words they need us to make this a
core part of the international dialogue in
order to force the necessary change within
their own societies.
''This struggle between what we may call the
open-minded and the closed-minded is at the
heart of whether the 21st century turns in
the direction of peaceful coexistence or
conflict between people of different
cultures.''
Conceding that recent conflicts such as Iraq
had eroded the willingness of Western
nations to act, Mr Blair will say it is
nonetheless necessary to ''take sides''.
''The important point for Western opinion is
that this is a struggle with two sides. So
when we look at the Middle East and beyond
it to Pakistan or Iran and elsewhere, it
isn't just a vast unfathomable mess with no
end in sight and no one worthy of our
support,'' he will say.
''It is in fact a struggle in which our own
strategic interests are intimately involved;
where there are indeed people we should
support and who, ironically, are probably in
the majority if only that majority were
mobilised, organised and helped.
''But what is absolutely necessary is that
we first liberate ourselves from our own
attitude. We have to take sides. We have to
stop treating each country on the basis of
whatever seems to make for the easiest life
for us at any one time. We have to have an
approach to the region that is coherent and
sees it as a whole. And above all, we have
to commit. We have to engage.''
Mr Blair will argue that ''on this issue,
whatever our other differences, we should be
prepared to reach out and cooperate with the
East, and in particular, Russia and China''.
He will repeat his defence of the popular
coup that overthrew Egyptian president
Mohammed Morsi last year.
The Muslim Brotherhood had been
''systematically taking over the traditions
and institutions of the country''.
''The revolt of 30 June 2013 was not an
ordinary protest. It was the absolutely
necessary rescue of a nation. We should
support the new government and help,'' he
will say.
Aides to the former premier insisted it was
too ''blunt'' to suggest Mr Blair is simply
advocating more military action.
He is trying to make clear the issue has to
be addressed in its ''religious as well as
its political context'', they said.
BRUNEI:
The Sultan of Brunei (pictured left)
has announced a controversial new penal code
based on Islamic criminal punishments
criticised by UN human rights officials.
"Today... I
place my faith in and am grateful to God the
almighty to announce that tomorrow, Thursday
May 1, will see the enforcement of sharia
law phase one, to be followed by the other
phases," Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah said.
Islamic law
penalties would be introduced over time and
would eventually include flogging,
amputation and death by stoning for various
crimes.
Many members
of the Muslim ethnic Malay majority have
voiced cautious support for the changes.
However,
non-Muslim citizens led a rare burst of
criticism on social media earlier this year,
but largely went silent after the sultan
called for a halt.
"Theory
states that God's law is harsh and unfair,
but God himself has said that his law is
indeed fair," the sultan said.
The UN's
human rights office recently said it was
"deeply concerned", adding that penalties
such as stoning were classified under
international law as "torture or other
cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or
punishment".
Brunei
officials have said such cases would require
an extremely high burden of proof and judges
would have wide discretion to avoid such
punishments.
The sultan
has warned of pernicious foreign influences
such as the internet, and indicated he
intends to place more emphasis on Islam.
Nearly 70
percent of Brunei's 400,000 people are
Muslim Malays while about 15 percent are
non-Muslim ethnic Chinese.
Six
years after vacating his position as the longest-serving
Premier of New South Wales, Bob Carr returned to politics in
his dream job: as Foreign Minister of Australia and a senior
federal cabinet minister.
For 18 months he
kept a diary documenting a whirl of high-stakes events on
the world stage - the election of Australia to the UN
Security Council, the war in Syria and meetings with the
most powerful people on the planet.
And they all
unfold against the gripping, uncertain domestic backdrop of
Labor Party infighting, plummeting polls and a leadership
change from Gillard back to Rudd.
This compelling
diary provides an intimate glimpse into the day-to-day
workings of a foreign minister and proves that Carr is not
only a master politician and statesman, but a great writer
as well.
In the book Bob
Carr claims that Australia’s foreign policy is controlled by
pro-Israel Jewish lobby groups.
Bob Carr has produced text messages between him and former
prime minister Julia Gillard. “The public has to know how
foreign policy gets made, especially when it appears the
prime minister is being heavily lobbied by one interest
group with a stake in the Middle East (Israel),” said
Carr.
Bob Carr also blasted former prime minister and foreign
minister, Kevin Rudd, country’s richest politician who is
married to a wealthy Jew. Carr calls him a loudmouth who was
disliked by foreign policy elites and many in Labor Party.
Carr says he told Julia Gillard to step down from party
leadership to save her own reputation.
Carr has described former Israeli ambassador to Australia,
Yuval Rotem, as the “cunning Yuval” and Israeli foreign
minister Avidgor Lieberman, as “gloomy” and “taciturn” in
his book. He has also blasted two Jewish MPs, Mark Dreyfus
and Michael Danby, as the “falafel faction”.
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: This savoury
tart of thinly sliced potatoes with cheese and
fresh herbs proved as irresistible at a
friend's BBQ last night as it was easy to stack
up and bake like little cupcakes.
Potato Galettes
Ingredients
5 medium potatoes very thinly sliced
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1 tsp green chillies
˝ tsp salt
1 tsp lemon pepper or ground pepper
1 Tab Olive oil or butter
Ľ cup of cream
˝ grated cheese
Method
1. In a bowl,
combine potato with salt and pepper, olive oil,
green chillies and cream until well coated.
2. In another bowl,
combine the cheese and chopped onions.
3. Place a layer of potato slices in the bottom
of each muffin cup.
4. Sprinkle a heap
teaspoon of cheese mixture into each cup.
5. Repeat layers
(gently pressing potatoes to pack down) until
all ingredients are used up and muffin cups are
filled, finishing with cheese mixture on top and
then sprinkle with chives.
Bake on middle rack of oven at 180 degrees until
tops are golden and potatoes are tender when
pierced with a fork, about 40 min. Let it rest
for 10 min
Serve hot at a barbeque or as a side dish with
roast lamb.
Q: My GP suggested I do
‘weight-bearing’ exercises for better bone
health. Can you give me some easy examples?
A: Weight bearing exercises involve
activities that are done while on your feet
(which in turn helps to build bones and keep the
them strong).
Some great exercises for you to
start off with would be brisk walking, stair
climbing, jumping rope, jogging, hiking, etc.
As you get fitter, you can start including
resistance training two to three times a week
using your own body weight, such as push-ups,
lunges and tricep-dips.
Not only will this help improve
muscle strength and tome, but also increase bone
density and strength.
Jallaludin married a Polish Muslim woman and although
her English was far from perfect, they got along very
well.
One day his wife rushed to Imam Mula Nasruddin and asked
him if he could arrange a divorce for her.
Mula Nasruddin said that getting a divorce would depend
on the circumstances, and asked her the following
questions:
Mula Nasruddin: Have you any grounds?
Jallaludin's Wife: Yes, an acre and half and nice little
home.
Mula Nasruddin: No, I mean what is the foundation of
this case?
Jallaludin's Wife: It made of concrete.
Mula Nasruddin: I don't think you
understand. Do either of you have a real grudge?
Jallaludin's Wife: No, we have carport, and not need
one.
Mula Nasruddin: I mean what are your relations like?
Jallaludin's Wife: All my relations still in Poland
Mula Nasruddin: Is there any infidelity in your
marriage?
Jallaludin's Wife: We have hi-fidelity stereo and good
DVD player.
Mula Nasruddin: Does your husband beat you up?
Jallaludin's Wife: No, I always up before her.
Mula Nasruddin: Why do you want this divorce?
Jallaludin's Wife: He going to kill me
Mula Nasruddin: What makes you think that?
Jallaludin's Wife: I got proof.
Mula Nasruddin: What kind of proof?
Jallaludin's Wife: He going to poison me. He buy a
bottle at drugstore and put on shelf in bathroom. I can
read English pretty good, and it say: ~~Polish
Remover~~~
Then We
have given the Book for
inheritance to such of Our
servants as We have chosen:
but there are among them
some who wrong their own
souls; some who follow a
middle course; and some who
are, by Allah's leave,
foremost in good deeds; that
is the highest Grace.
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.
Topic = Tafseer lessons
Venue = Masjid Taqwa, Bald Hills, Qld 4036
Day = Every Monday | Time = After Esha salah | Period =
approximately 30 minutes
Presenter = Mufti Junaid Akbar
Cost = free, and InShaAllah Allah will give great reward
Who can come = All brothers and sisters are welcome to
attend
Please note that these recordings will be available for
downloading from our website
masjidtaqwa.org.au.
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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