Father and son Anver and Yusuf Omar take on the downhill Pietermaritzburg to Durban 89km Comrades Marathon in South Africa today (Sunday).

 

This will be 56-year old Dr Anver Omar's ninth consecutive run in this event. He has done most of his pre-event training around Caboolture where he practices as a dentist.

 

Yusuf, who is a reporter for South African TV channel, eNCA, flew back from an assignment in Germany to join his father for his 3rd go at teh Comrades.

 

"I've reported from the frontline in Syria, and tiptoed through minefields in the Congo, but there is no fear quite like the Comrades," he writes. "You'll find me in prayer, moments before we begin. On a small strip of grass - men with long beards and shorts. I'm asking Allah for strong knees, all the while involuntarily humming to Chariots of Fire, blaring in the background."

 

"I've seen my father cry twice, Omar Jr. told CCN, "when his father died, and when he crossed that finish line holding my hand, the first time I entered the run."

 

You can follow Yusuf's race on twitter @yomar89 or any of the runners at http://results.ultimate.dk/comrades/resultshistory/front/index.php from Brisbane lunch time Sunday 1st June.

 

The recently opened iQraa Islamic Centre at 2/2932 Logan Rd, Underwood is a not-for-for profit store with all profits going back into the store and to charity.

 

They sell a vast range of Islamic books, Islamic clothing, perfumes, canvases and other accessories.

 

They also have a Mursala area in which prayers can be performed, except for fajr for now, but will soon be performing all five daily prayers. There will be Taraweeh here as well and women will be catered for.

 

In the Mursala area there are a wide of activities for adults and youth which include table tennis, archery, Mu Thai, other marshal-arts, Arabic lessons, quran lessons and lectures by Sheikhs.

 

The Centre will be hosting an event on 6 June called ''The Plea Of The Refugee'' at Michael's Oriental restaurant aimed at raising funds for Muslim Global Aid and their efforts in helping the Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. All proceeds will go to Muslim Global Aid.

 

There will be guest speakers from Sydney (Sheikh Khalid Isa, Sheikh Mohammad Doea and Sheikh Fias), a 3 course meal, auction night, appeal and other activities.

 

"Not that we need incentives to raise and give money to great causes as such," Samir of the iQraa Islamic Centre hastened to point out.

 

Tickets are $60 per person or $600 per table of 10. Businesses are encouraged to buy tables and donations are welcomed as well (click on poster thumbnail on the right for details).

 

Principal of Redlands College, Mark Bensley, transfers Muslim student teachers after they wear hijab to school

 

HE principal of a Christian College has come under fire for transferring two student teachers after they turned up for work dressed in traditional Muslim headwear.

 

The two women, in their final year of a teaching degree, had started a work placement at Redlands College this year.

 

In a newsletter addressed to the school’s parents on Tuesday, principal Mark Bensley (pictured below) outlined his reasons for dismissing the pair, explaining he had acted out of a “duty of care”.

 

“I have a duty of care to ensure that those teaching at the College are actively supporting the Christian principles, practices and beliefs of the College,” he wrote.

 

“I see the wearing of the hijab as openly acting in a manner that is contrary to or inconsistent with these principles, practices and beliefs.”

 

The principal explained that he had arranged for both students to transfer to another school to complete their respective field work.

 

“While I respect their desire to wear a hijab, I feel it’s inappropriate to do so at Redlands College,” he wrote.

 

A statement issued to The Sunday Mail said, as a Christian school, Redlands College “respects and loves all people, from all backgrounds and religions”.

 

“However we don’t hide our Christian values and we provide an important educational option for families seeking Christian education.

 

We are not aware that they (student teachers) had any concerns, and it is our understanding that all parties came to a mutual agreement for the benefit of all.”

 

Some parents at the school are believed to be unhappy with the student teachers’ transfer, and leaders in the Muslim community have been left stunned.

 

Section 25 of the Anti-Discrimination Act 1991 allows employers to enforce a “genuine occupational requirement that workers act in a way that is consistent with the religious beliefs of the school”.

 

According to Independent Schools Queensland executive director David Robertson, Redlands College was within their rights to dismiss the two student teachers.

 

But that has done little to calm the Muslim community, with Islamic College of Brisbane principal Mubarak Noor disappointed by the news. “This is not good news, it’s a matter of concern to me,” he said.

 

Redlands College denied moving the students was at odds with Christian teachings of tolerance. “This has nothing to do with religious intolerance, which we condemn outright,” a school spokesman said.

 

Uniting Church Minister Reverend Anneli Sinnko said Mr Bensley’s actions directly contradict the basic foundations of the Christian faith.

 

Source: Courier Mail

 

 

Public slams Redlands College for transferring Muslim student teachers

 

QUEENSLANDERS have hit back at the principal of a Christian college after he organised a transfer for two student teachers who wore traditional Muslim headwear during a work experience placement this month.

The issue has sparked heated debate from Muslims and non-Muslims alike, with many angered by the schools’ disregard for tolerance and equality.

One Redlands College parent, Jennie Duke, took to social media to express her disappointment at the school’s decision.

“So very sad that my daughter attends this school and my university sends our student teachers there,” Ms Duke wrote.

While some have labelled Redlands College “Redneck College”, others have questioned Mr Bensley’s Christian faith.

“It’s not very “Christian like” for a Christian school to tell student teachers that they are not welcome to teach and learn because they wear a hijab,” one user wrote.

“Shame on you Redlands College. This could have been a very good way to show Christian love and acceptance.”

It comes as a reader claiming to be one of the teachers says she called the school before starting to advise them that she was a Muslim and that she wore a headscarf.

Commenting on The Sunday Mail’s original story, reader “N” said she called the school to see if that would be a problem.

“I was advised that it would not be a problem as long as I was mindful of the school’s values and respected them,” the reader commented.

“I did meet Mr Bensley in the morning before I attended any observation lessons and he did not express any concerns with regards to my headscarf.”

The student teacher was advised the next day that Mr Bensley had sought a transfer for her and another Muslim student teacher who had been at the school for two weeks.
 

While the reader said she did not hold any grudges toward the school for the decision, she said the situation could easily have been avoided.

“I understand the need for Mr Bensley to consider the values of his school and the Christian faith when accepting or denying employees, students teachers or visitors to the school.

“However ... I do question why the school did not say something earlier.”

She also pointed out that students do not choose the schools for their placement — they are allocated schools by the university. She recommended more communication be made between schools and the university so the same thing did not happen again.
 

Head of Islamic Studies at Griffith University associate professor Dr Mohamad Abdalla said the situation was a very “unfortunate way of introducing two student teachers to the world of teaching.”

“These women are trying to become part of an education system to help our children and are met with prejudice,” Dr Abdalla said.

“Such behaviour goes against the very good work done by many churches and Christian groups in trying to build bridges of understanding between communities.”

“Nobody would have expected that a principal of a Christian college would have behaved in this way.”

According to Dr Abdalla, Mr Bensely’s decision could have a detrimental affect on the student’s he claimed he was acting on behalf of.

“It’s sending a message about people who are perceived as different, despite the fact that the student teachers had no impact on the students in terms of their persuasion because they were in training,” he said.

“If the principal of the school can behave in this way, it legitimises the similar behaviour of students of that school.”

The controversial principal has made headlines before after he openly supported the use of corporal punishment in In Queensland schools.

In a Sunday Mail article from 2009, Mr Bensley, who was then the principal of Bundaberg Christian College, said using a paddle to discipline students was a way to instil “boundaries, fairness and consistency.”

``A growing number of parents come to our school and say the school got their attention because it uses the paddle,’’ Mr Bensley said.

``I would never use the paddle unless we have spoken to both parents and have their blessing for it to be used,’’ Mr Bensley said.

``It is always administered in a loving way. In fact, we pray with them afterwards.’’

Uniting Church Minister Reverend Anneli Sinnko said Mr Bensley’s actions directly contradict the basic foundations of the Christian faith.

“Christianity is about people showing respect to one another, but they haven’t, it’s discrimination,” Rev Sinnko said.

“He [Mr Bensley] may have been born in this society, but he needs to understand that other people come from other societies and respect them,” Rev Sinnko said.

“He has given a very bad example of Christianity to these people. That doesn’t give a good example to the students either, to condemn the teachers somewhere else.”
 

Source: Courier Mail

Sydney Muslim community leader Keysar Trad says he has spoken with both Labor and the Liberals about running for Federal Parliament, but neither has given him the nod.

Mr Trad has told the ABC he was in eight months of negotiations with the Labor Party before the last federal election, but they went nowhere.

But a senior Labor source says the talks were aimed at discouraging him at running as an independent in the Lower House seat of Blaxland, which is held by Labor's Jason Clare.

Mr Trad was invited to join Labor and continue making a contribution from within the party.

But Mr Trad did not take up the invitation, and says he is now interested in seeking preselection from the Liberal Party to run in the Senate.

"I haven't joined any political party, however I would not discount the possibility of one day joining a party," Mr Trad told the ABC.

"I've raised the issue with improving the community's representations with both parties, but they've made no promises.

"I've had a couple of casual discussions with Liberal figures but there are no promises of anything."

He said a Muslim friend active in the Queensland Liberal National Party had talked to him about filling a Senate vacancy in Queensland but "nothing eventuated".

"I'm interested in giving more representation for my community, for me my preference is federal, my preference is an Upper House seat," he said.

Mr Trad said he supported socially progressive policies as well as traditional values.

He said his priority was human rights and he would be at home in either party if they allowed him to continue being outspoken on the issue.

"My ideology is to serve humanity, I'm sort of the harmony between the two [parties]," he said.

But he said if he joined the Liberal Party, his first "stumbling block" would be over the issue of free access to Medicare and the Coalition's proposed fee for GP visits.

"I would be fighting within the party and sending a strong message that Medicare should always be accessible to everybody," he said.

Cory Bernardi not convinced Liberals need a 'party shopper'

But Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi has cast doubt on whether Mr Trad would be welcome in the party, because of his views on issues involving Islam.

"I'm not convinced the Liberal Party needs a 'party shopper' in search of a political career - particularly one whose agenda includes the acceptance of sharia law in Australia and advocacy for polygamous marriage," Senator Bernardi told the ABC.

"Of course that's ultimately a matter for the respective party organisation."

Mr Trad has previously advocated for some aspects of sharia law but has said that he does not advocate its penal code.

Today he said some Coalition figures had made "very Islam-phobic statements" and said they needed to "interact more with Muslims".

He said Government whip Phillip Ruddock and NSW Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells attended a multicultural event he held at Parliament House on Tuesday night, while Attorney-General George Brandis had planned to attend.

Mr Trad said that was evidence many in the Liberal Party would welcome increased input from the Muslim community.

But he condemned New South Wales Senator Bill Heffernan's fake pipe bomb stunt, claiming it was directed at him and his event.

"I am very concerned that Bill Heffernan pulled his security stunt the night before our function," he said.

"Obviously that sends the wrong message to my community.

"The only way to address that cynicism is to educate them. This makes it crucial that the Liberal Party needs many more Muslims working with it to help them see that Muslims are part and parcel of Australian society.

"We are here and part of Australian society; there is nowhere else for us to go.

"This is one of the reasons why we need to be in there. There are clearly people in the party who don't have correct information about Islam," he said.

 

Source: ABC News

 

The Friday Food Team at the Kuraby Mosque has raised in excess of $48 000 this financial year from its curry and rice sales.

 

Not only does this provide a delicious lunch for the Mosque attendees on a Friday afternoon, but it is a significant income source for the ongoing upkeep of the Mosque.

 

Mr Waqar Khan, a leading member of the Team, told CCN: "It was a great effort by everyone and please include all the donors and volunteers in your duas."

 

Mr Imraan Nathie, speaking on behalf of the Mosque trustees, told CCN: "Alhumdulillah, they have made a fantastic contribution. May Allah give them the best of rewards and long may they continue, Insha'Allah."

THE Muslim community has failed to grasp the serious threat posed by young men travelling to the battlefields of Syria and has become “passive” in the face of a growing problem, one of Australia’s top police officers has warned.

The head of the NSW Counter Terrorism Squad, Assistant Commissioner Peter Dein (pictured left), has issued a rare rebuke to senior members of the Sunni Muslim community, saying they have not done enough to discourage young Muslim men from joining the Syrian jihad.

With the number of extremists travelling to Syria believed to be escalating, Mr Dein said the Muslim community had failed to grasp the serious threat posed by returning fighters.

“The community is being very passive about the problem,’’ Mr Dein told The Australian. “They’re not openly discouraging fellow community members from travelling. There are some that do, but some community spokespeople who are well respected are not necessarily taking an active role in trying to convince the community not to travel and get involved.’’

More than 150 Australians are believed to be actively involved in the conflict in Syria. Almost all are fighting with one of two rebel jihadist groups: Jabhat al Nusra or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. Both are banned terror groups.

Authorities worry that when the conflict ends, they will face a wave of trained, battle-hardened extremists, some of whom could attempt to strike at targets here in Australia. Mr Dein stressed there was “no evidence’’ that was happening yet, nor was there any acute threat to the community. However, he expressed concern at the feedback police had received from members of the Muslim community — that Syrian jihadists were interested only in toppling the regime of Bashir al-Assad. “Now the community’s saying to us, that’s never going to be a problem,’’ Mr Dein said. “Some community spokespeople are basically saying, well, those that are interested in going over there are only interested in acting on overseas soil and would never come back to the homeland with an intention to do any harm. I hope that is the case. But I just don’t know.”

Building relationships with Australia’s Muslim community has become a core element of counter-terrorism policing, both at the state and federal level. The NSW Police and the AFP meet regularly with Islamic leaders and relations between the parties are considered good.

However, police often complain about the fractious nature of Islamic politics, particularly in southwest Sydney, where much of the engagement work takes place.

And Mr Dein’s comments are a public expression of a frustration police often express privately: that the Sunni Muslim community has failed to “own’’ the Syrian problem. The president of the Lebanese Muslim Association, Samir Dandan (pictured right), emphatically rejected those claims yesterday.

His community had not been supine in the face of the Syrian problem, he said, describing Mr Dein’s comments as “very unfair’’.

“The community has gone out of its way to address this,’’ Mr Dandan told The Australian. “The extremity of the problem is felt by the community. If people are killed, it’s felt by family and friends.’’

The majority of Muslims “don’t necessarily agree with the youth going to Syria’’.

Mr Dandan did echo one of the concerns raised by Mr Dein — the belief Australians in Syria are a threat only to the Syrian regime, not their communities.

“We see this as being blown out of proportion because these guys are going to fight for a cause and Australia is not part of that.”
 

Source: The Australian

 

Masjid Ibrahim in Perth was officially opened on Saturday

 

 

Some 150 delegates attended the Al Kauthar course, The Muslim DNA, held last week.

 

For a report on how the course was received click here.

 

Al Kauthar Institute is an academic education provider of Islamic Studies, operating in 9 countries worldwide. In Brisbane, they offer weekend, university-level courses roughly every 3 months. Disciplines include Islamic theology, jurisprudence, Qur’anic studies, history and personal development.

Attending an Al Kauthar course will give you access to the course audio recordings (easily downloadable from your profile) to brush up after the course, or if you were not able to attend the entire weekend, as well as student forums, if you have any further questions. You will also get the course notes and Q&A sessions with the instructor during the weekend. We provide free refreshments during the breaks and lunch is available to order on the day.

 

For more information go to www.alkauthar.org, and mark your calendar for 20th and 21st September for their next course, Prayer make Perfect. Look out in CCN for more details to follow soon.

 

This week the town of Roma in west Queensland commenced jum'ah prayer in one of the local houses.

.
The contact persons are Brs. Abdul Wahid on 0449092925 and Sarwar from Bangladesh on 0459 996 939

A SECOND mosque will be built in Cairns after the council gave the nod for a new worship centre in Bungalow.

Cairns regional councillors yesterday voted unanimously to allow a 180sq m shed in the city’s industrial precinct to be turned into a mosque.

The proposed Indonesian Community Centre and accompanying caretaker’s residence will use an existing house and industrial shed on the Newell St property.

The centre is backed by the Association of Islamic Da’wah in Australia, which also has mosques in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane.

Cr John Schilling, whose southern division includes a Sikh temple on the Bruce Highway, was concerned about potential parking issues if the mosque congregation grew.

But founder Laode Fasihun said the mosque was expected to attract only a small number of worshippers, predominantly made of up nine local families.

“As a community centre, we would welcome anyone who comes but at the moment it will be only a small group,” he said. “If there is future growth we’d look at buying a bigger place with more parking.”

A report to councillors showed the proposal included nine on-site parking spaces, several on-street parking spaces and a planned upgrade to the road reserve to allow for another space.

Peak usage will be on Wednesday and Friday nights between 6pm and 8pm and on Friday between 12.30pm and 1.30pm, when an estimated 20 people will be in attendance.

A comparison between the Dunn St Islamic mosque in Cairns North shows the planned Bungalow mosque will be on a bigger lot size and attract fewer worshippers during peak times.

Mr Fasihun said the group had worked closely with council to find a suitable location for the mosque.

The council received only one submission – in support of the project – during a 28-day public notification period.

 

Source: Cairns Post

Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC) held its 50th Anniversary Congress on 27th May, followed by its 50th Anniversary Dinner in the Great Hall of Parliament House, Canberra.

In attendance were Their Excellency's General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd), the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, and Lady Cosgrove who joined with members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps, community members from across Australia and invited guests from the broader community and the religious fraternity.

Senator the Hon Concetta Fierravanti-Wells, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Services and representing the Prime Minister, the Hon Scott Morrison MP, Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, and the Hon Bill Shorten MP, Leader of the Opposition, led a large delegation of political leaders attending the function.

The event was chaired by the former Minister for Multicultural Affairs, the Hon Gary Hardgrave and featured His Grace Bishop Kevin Manning (Retd) as the keynote speaker addressing shared values.
 

"We are honoured and privileged to be hosting the Governor General and Lady Cosgrove for this very important occasion for Australia’s Muslim community and for the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils," said Mr Hafez Kassem, President of AFIC.

"My most earnest prayer at this occasion is for peace on earth and for harmony in our world.
“I am very grateful to the members of the Diplomatic and Consular Corps, Members of Parliament and all the community leaders who have joined in celebrating this special event," he concluded.
 

Hon Bill Shorten's speech on the night is available here.

 

Independent MP's bill would have empowered police to require people to remove any face covering to establish their identity

 

 

The Queensland government has rejected a push by independents and minor parties to force Muslim women to remove their burqas or veils to prove their identity.

The bill, introduced by the independent MP for Nicklin, Peter Wellington, would have allowed lawyers, police, prison officers, justices of the peace and other “persons of responsibility” to require a person to remove any face covering to establish their identity.

Wellington said the measure was especially necessary in light of the upcoming G20 meeting in Brisbane. “It is not about religion; it is about doing the right thing, about making sure there is security in Queensland,” he said.

He said the bill has “nothing to do with Islam” and cited a 2011 statement from the Australian National Imams’ council permitting Muslim women to prove their identity by removing their veils if ordered to do so by authorities.

The private member’s bill was supported by the independent Gladstone MP, Liz Cunningham, as well as members of the Palmer United party and Katter’s Australia party.

“This bill is about security in Queensland,” KAP’s leader in Queensland, Ray Hopper, said. “When your face is covered up and you have a big overhanging coat or dress on, you do not know whether you are male or female. All you can see are the eyes of someone, and that is a very dangerous situation that the people of Queensland may be facing.”

The state attorney-general, Jarrod Bleijie, declined to support the bill, saying he believed in “a free and democratic society”.

“This government believes in a multicultural Queensland. This government respects the rights of its citizens and individuals to practise the religion that they so choose,” he said.

Labor also voted against the bill.

Similar legislation was passed in New South Wales in 2011 after a Sydney woman, Carnita Matthews, used the fact that her identity was obscured by the religious garment to dodge a six-month jail sentence for deliberately making a false statement.

Matthews told police that an officer tried to tear off her burqa when she was pulled over in traffic, a claim that patrol car footage proved was untrue. She successfully argued that because her face was completely covered when she made the false statement there was no way to prove it was her.

Wellington took to Facebook on Thursday to voice his displeasure, saying it “beggars belief” that Bleijie labelled the law as racist, as he was the “architect of VLAD [Queensland’s anti-bikie legislation], the most racist laws ever adopted in this state”.

Source: The Guardian

Every fourth Sunday of the month the Brisbane Bosnian community holds a lunch and fundraising event at the Rochedale Mosque for their new building nearing completion.

NSW: A boxing gym, established after the Cronulla riots in Sydney in 2005, has been offering young Muslim men a positive alternative through a unique mix of sport and religion.

Now, the weekly Friday prayer sessions at Greenacre's Brotherhood Boxn gym are at risk of being shut down after the local council threatened legal action.

In a statement to the ABC, a Bankstown City Council spokesperson says the current site has consent for a boxing gym but not a public place of worship.

"We have been advised by the owner he will submit a new development application for use, which will incorporate a place of public worship on Fridays," the statement said.

"To date, we have not received an application."

The council says they have received many complaints about parking in the area on Fridays. These are being investigated.

Gym owner Muhummad Alyatim says he will comply with council requirements but refuses to stop the weekly prayers.

We've stopped some shootings, we've stopped families going to war, we've stopped brothers going to war against each other.
Muhummad Alyatim

"We started to hold sermons, the Friday sermons as this is part of our religion," he said.

"I've started to take it on a new level, reach out to them [youth] obviously to speak their language and give them the reality of what's going on in their life and what the religion teaches and how to behave in today's life.

"We'll keep fighting to whatever it takes to make Bankstown Council understand that we need this place here for them, especially Friday sermons."

Mr Alyatim says if the gym ceases to offer Friday prayers or is shut down, it will be a disaster for wayward youth.

"If Brotherhood Boxn wasn't here or to be closed down or anything like that, then obviously these children will stay on the streets where these gangs or bikie groups are open and taking them in," he said.

'It all starts in the hood'

At one of the Friday prayer sermons, Mr Alyatim preaches that worshippers should turn away from the streets and go back to respecting their parents.

His style is raw and straightforward.

"They say live by the street, die by the street. But let me tell you something, you're living on the edge," the gym's head boxing coach says in the sermon.

Every Friday up to 100 faithful come to Brotherhood Boxn gym for the prayer service.

Mr Alyatim, who is 41 and a father of two, set up the gym in 2005 after the Cronulla riots.

He says it began as a refuge for young men of Middle Eastern backgrounds who felt angry and disenfranchised after the series of events that year.

"A lot of the youth struggled [with] where they wanted to go, so we said we'll set up a place, a home for these young kids where they can come to," he said.

Nine years later the gym has grown into a small community and its motto is "It all starts in the 'hood".

There are boxing classes for adults and children every day. Children as young as five take part.

The gym has also become a refuge for current and former criminals to box, pray and get their lives back on track.

"A lot of people known to police do come here, but they are slowly changing their lives," Mr Alyatim said.

"We are talking about gangs, whether it's bikie gangs or regular gangs out on the street, and we are open to all these gangs, obviously on the condition of them turning their lives around.

"It'll never happen in a flash but they have great character and they are working towards that."

'We've stopped brothers going to war against each other'

Mr Alyatim says the gym is helping to stop crime occurring.

"We've stopped some shootings, we've stopped families going to war, we've stopped brothers going to war against each other," he said.

"This is what we're all about and we'll go to extreme lengths to stop all these type of things. You would want them inside here than out on the streets.

"I've had a lot of boys that have left gangs that have come here and they put their trust in me."
Head boxing trainer Yasser agrees.

"There are some boys that came here every day, not to train but to hang out," he said.

"The truth is the majority of our clientele aren't here to box, they're here for community help. It gets them off the streets.

"It's a bit of a jungle out there and it's easy to do bad things."

 

 

The trainer says the focus is on building a culture of brotherhood rather than a gym of professional boxers.

"We're not really here to breed fighters, if we do it's a bonus," he said. "It's more a gathering for all brothers.

"The gym is for all people, we have different types of nationalities, different religions and different colours."

He says if the gym closes it will be a disaster for the local community, particularly Greenacre.

Young men find refuge in gym's 'brotherhood'

Ibrahim Nemre was a young man caught up in a life of crime.

"It was all about fun, going out, making easy money, having a laugh," he said.

"There are drugs, gangs, hanging out at night, just making trouble."

The 21-year-old said the turning point was when he realised he needed to change and decided to join the gym.

"Once I got into a bit of trouble with the law, I thought to myself I need to change, I need to do something," he said.

"The brothers here kept inviting me ...'come to the gym, come to the gym'.

"The times that I have come I've found it keeps me away from everything bad. It has actually brought me closer to my religion, they stop training, they pray."
The Greenacre local says the gym is now part of his daily life.

"I come here nearly every day," he said. "It keeps me away from a lot of bad. I relieve my stress on [punching] bags."

He says the gym culture of the brotherhood is a big attraction.

"We've built a brotherhood here. It's not he's my [boxing] trainer, it's like he's my older brother," Mr Nemre said.

"If he tells me off, I don't take it as him putting it on me, he's helping me out, he wants what's best for me."

Mr Nemre says he can see the effects the gym is having on others as well.

"I see a lot of people that I used to see outside on the streets coming and changing," he said. "Personally, I wouldn't know what to replace it with."

Other gym attendees say the gym offers a unique space for young people to gather.

"Every week I look forward to Friday prayers," said 20-year-old Hamza.

"We sit with each other, we speak, we have a laugh, and it's a beautiful gathering."

Gym regular and Greenacre local Anas Koueider agrees.

"If this place was to close, there are a lot of kids that will be lost," the 24-year-old said.

"They'll be on the streets, up to no good. This is their outlet, this is their program."
 

Source: ABC News

AUSTRALIAN INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC COLLEGE
 

We are seeking a qualified and experienced Primary Teacher for our
BURANDA CAMPUS

Please forward CV to:

Australian International Islamic College
ATTENTION PRINCIPAL
Email: admin@aiic.qld.edu.au
Applications close 15th June 2014
PH: 3372-1400

---

CERTIFICATE III IN AGED CARE
 

 

Nadhmi Auchi $2.2bn ($2.3bn) UK (Iraq)               
 

Nadhmi Auchi is a British-Iraqi businessman, who moved to the UK in the 1980s, and is chairman of the Anglo-Arab Organisation with stakes in construction and trading companies in Iraq.

 

Auchi founded Luxembourg-based General Mediterranean Holdings, which has business segments in banking and finance, real estate, construction, hotel and leisure, industrial, trading and pharmaceuticals, communications, IT and aviation.

 

Its interests today span across the Mediterranean and beyond with over 120 companies employing some 11,000 staff with representation in the Middle East, Northern Africa, Europe, the Americas, the Caribbean, the Asia subcontinent and the Pacific Rim.

 

The group’s consolidated assets now exceed $4bn. Hotel holdings include Le Royal in Luxembourg, Amman, Beirut, Tangier and Tunis.

 

He has been honoured for his services to the business community by the Queen, and Pope John Paul II, among others.
 

Source: ArabianBusiness

THRIVAL ROOM

 

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.

 

(9) Aliyah Mohammed – Professional Journalist

 

 

 

Another from the collection in next week's CCN.
 

Source: Trivial Room: Your eye into Muslim America