There was
standing
room only at
the official
opening of
the Bozniak
Islamic
Centre on
Saturday
with
official
guests
including
Prof. Sifet
Efendi
Omerovic,
Imam of the
Bosniak
Islamic
Center,
Sheikh Prof.
Jasmin
Bekric,
chairman of
the Mesihat
Bosnian
Islamic
Council of
Australia
H.E. Mr.
Bakir
Sadovic,
Ambassador
of Bosnia
and
Herzegovina
to
Australia,
Mr. Avdo
Vojic, President,
Bosniak Islamic Society
of Eight Mile Plains and
His Eminence Husein ef.
Kavazovic, Reisul-ulema
Grand Mufti of the
Islamic Community in
Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The
full
programme
included
speeches by
local and
interstate
politicians,
a lunch to
cater for
all tastes
and the
cutting of
the ribbon
by the Grand
Mufti of
Bosnia and
Herzegovina
and
community
members
Mirsad
Duranovic
and Abdul
Omar to mark
the official
opening.
"The
Bosnian
community
can be very
proud of the
professional
and
well-organized
manner in
which the
ceremony was
conducted
and the
Mosque that
will become
a landmark
for
community
diversity
and
inclusion,"
one of the
official
guests told
CCN.
In his
address,
prof. Sifet
ef. Omerovic,
the Imam of
the Bozniak
Islamic
Centre said:
It is
important to
note that
our Islamic
centre,
apart from
disseminating
knowledge of
Islam, will
always try
to bridge
divides
between
peoples
caused by
ignorance
and fear of
other
creeds, and
will strive
to advocate
and expand
much needed
interfaith
dialogue to
strengthen
community
harmony and
coexistence
among
various
faiths and
creeds which
make our
cosmopolitan
city one of
the most
vibrant and
tolerant
places in
the world.
The full
text of his
speech is
available
here.
On
Thursday
(6
November)
the
Islamic
Society
of
Gold
Coast
pledged
their
commitment
to
tolerance
and
anti-racism
by
becoming
a
formal
campaign
supporter
and
agreeing
to
endorse
the
campaign
message,
promote
the
campaign
and
identify
specific
activities
they
will
undertake
in
the
anti-racism
space.
The
signing
event
was
attended
by
the
Anti-Discrimination
Commissioner
Dr.
Tim
Soutphommasane,
State
MP
Rob
Molhoek,
Councillor
Margaret
Grummit
as
well
as
other
dignitaries.
Dr.
Tim Soutphommasane
told
the
audience:
The
most
important
action
Muslims
can
take
is
to
REPORT
racism.
Your
KIDS
are
invited
to a
FUN
Event
on
Saturday
15th
November!
We've
arranged
for
some
Exciting
Activities
such
as
Children's
Arts
and
Crafts;
Face
Painting;
Cupcakes;
Henna;
and
MUCH
MUCH
MORE!
Also,
don't
let
your
kids
miss
out
on
STORY
TIME!
We're
reading
from
a
range
of
great
Islamic
books
which
will
be
available
for
purchase!
www.readlittlemuslims.com.
Children's
Story
Time
Sessions
are
run
from;
11:30am,
12:30pm,
1:30pm,
and
2:30pm.
Norman
Park
resident
Sally
Rutter
has
been
wearing
a
hijab
for
the
past
month
using
the
hashtag
#hijabexperiment
to
tell
her
story
on
social
media.
PICTURE:
Richard
Walker.
A NORMAN
PARK woman
who wore a
hijab for
the month of
October says
she had
surprising
results from
the social
experiment.
Nursing
student
Sally Rutter
said she
decided to
wear the
headscarf in
support of
the Islamic
community
after
anti-terror
raids swept
the country
last month.
The month
quickly
turned into
a social
experiment
for the
32-year-old.
“I used to
be an
English
teacher and
I had dozens
of Muslim
students,
they were
lovely and I
kept in
touch with
few of
them,” Ms
Rutter said.
“I was
reading the
newspaper
and all this
backlash
from people
that were
saying
really awful
things about
Muslims and
it really
upset me
because I
thought if
you actually
knew a
Muslim you
would not
say such a
thing.”
She said she
thought it
was going to
be a hard
month the
first time
she wore the
headscarf.
“The only
negative
reaction was
literally
within five
minutes of
putting it
on. I went
to a bus
stop and a
woman
refused to
speak to
me,” she
said.
“She would
not give me
the time of
day and was
pretty
rude.”
Despite
this, she
said her
other
interactions
had been
positive,
including
being asked
out on a
date.
“Some say
nothing
because I’m
just a
normal
person with
a hijab …
some will
speak Arabic
to me … and
I have to
explain what
I’m doing.”
Holland Park
Mosque
spokesman
Ali Kadri
welcomed the
experiment.
“This is
something
like that we
support and
want to
promote,” he
said.
“We all know
the success
of this
nation lies
in social
cohesion.”
The Federal
Attorney
General,
Senator
George
Brandis
fronted up
to invited
members of
the Muslim
Community on
ABC TV Q&A
program
hosted by
Tony Jones,
aired live
on Monday
night 3
November
from Bryan
Brown
Theatre
located in
the western
Sydney
suburb of
Bankstown.
Unlike the
usual Q&A
episodes
where
several
panellists
sit on the
stage,
Senator
Brandis was
the sole
panellist in
this episode
where Muslim
academic,
lawyers and
community
leaders as
well as AFP
Assistant
Commissioner
were
relegated to
sit with the
audience.
Senator
Brandis
insisted
that there
was a
problem
within the
Muslim
community.
“There is a
problem, and
the problem
is that
there are
people, a
small
handful of
very wicked
people, who
target young
Muslim men
and try to
ensnare them
into going
to the
Middle East
and lead
them on a
path of self
destruction”.
Dr Abdalla,
an Imam and
academic
commented
that
radicalisation
was not a
Muslim
problem, but
a complex
human
problem and
needed
strategic
solutions.
Regarding
double
standards on
foreign
fighters
legislation,
he asked
“Will the
new
legislation
apply to
Australian
citizens
joining
foreign
armies? In
particular
will Jewish
Australians
who go
overseas to
fight with
the Israeli
Defence
Forces be
subjected to
the same
penalties as
Muslim youth
fighting in
Syria or
Iraq?”
Senator
Brandis
replied that
if you are a
dual citizen
and join the
army of your
second
citizenship,
then you
will not be
prosecuted
under this
bill. When
someone
commented
that what if
it was the
Russian
army, then
Senator
Brandis
added it has
to be the
army of a
“friendly”
country.
Tony Jones
asked if
Russia was
not a
friendly
country, but
Senator
Brandis
skipped the
question.
In trying to
justify the
Tony
Abbott’s
divisive
term of
“Team
Australia”
he said,
“Team
Australia,
from the
mouth of
Tony Abbott
is a word on
inclusion.
“It’s his
favourite
collective
noun, to
address the
word as
team, which
is certainly
what he
meant in
that press
conference.”
He simply
received
laughs from
the audience
on his
comments.
In answer to
Bilal Rauf,
a lawyer,
comments on
the
unprecedented
Sydney
raids, the
Australian
Federal
Police
assistance
commissioner
and national
manager for
counter
terrorism Mr
Gaughan
“made no
apologies”
for the 800
police used
in the raids
on more than
a dozen
Sydney homes
terrorising
a large
number of
Muslim men,
women and
children
very early
in the
morning for
the sole
purpose of
finally
arresting
only one
person. He
confirmed a
sword seized
during the
raids was a
“legitimate
weapon” and
not plastic,
as reported
widely by
the media.
On a
question
from Lydia
Shelly, a
lawyer
regarding
the need for
legislation
on metadata
retention,
Senator
Brandis
clarified
that it will
only be used
to prosecute
serious
crimes such
as
terrorism,
paedophilia
and drug
dealing and
not for
illegally
downloading
movies and
songs by
individuals.
QandA
Bankstown
with
Attorney
General
Brandis by
Silma Irham
Last
night I was
one of the
few Muslims
in Bankstown
who attended
the QandA
session. It
was
boycotted by
many of the
Muslim
community,
led by a few
agitators
who had
tried to
convince the
ABC QandA
crew from
changing the
format of
the show. I
agreed with
them, but
always
believe it
is better to
engage where
engagement
is offered,
rather than
simply
boycott, and
thereby have
no
engagement
at all.
The
format of
the show
particularly
suited the
Attorney
General and
his
paternalistic
manner.
Seated alone
on the dais,
our active
and senior
members of
the Muslim
community
were
required to
stand to ask
questions or
engage with
the Attorney
General.
This meant
that there
was an
immediate
imbalance in
the way that
the show was
conducted –
the Muslim
community
and the
‘problem’
areas like
Bankstown,
were being
‘told’. In
effect,
Muslim
community
leaders were
being
humiliated –
albeit at a
low level -
it clearly
showed the
AGs
intolerance
for mutual
respect.
This is
something
that
continues to
happen in
all of the
‘negotiations’
that are
being held
around the
country.
They are an
effort to
show
engagement
but are in
reality held
to simply
enforce the
view that
the
government
has.
From the
Muslim
community’s
perspective
the
government’s
view is that
it knows
what is good
for us. It
understands
better than
anyone what
Australia
represents,what its
morals and
attitudes
should be,
and will
tolerate
those with
different
attitudes
and behavior
to a limited
extent. Step
out of line
and you will
be hit with
the legal
hammer. The
vast media
presence and
terrifying
images of
800
policemen
breaking
down doors
in the early
morning,
with
helicopters
drumming
overhead,
have filled
the
Australian
wider
community
with fear.
The most
fearful are
of course
innocent
Muslims who
could be
‘dobbed’ in
by a local
teacher, and
who are
monitored
day and
night.
Despite only
two arrests,
this
pre-emptive
strike,
where one
person who
had been
encouraged
to mount ‘a’
terrorist
attack was
apparently
caught, has
been used to
convince
everyone not
to stand in
the way of
the
government.
This was
truly ‘shock
and awe’.
In our
‘consultations’
with various
government
members (and
so far the
Premier’s
meeting
seems to
have been
the most
productive)
we are given
the
privilege of
meeting with
the PM, the
AG and
various
other
Ministers.
But there is
no wicket
for us to
throw our
balls at, we
speak to a
wall of
indifference
where a
small army
of
ministerial
staff take
notes but
give no
feedback,
listen to
our
suggestions
but discard
them (all
but a few
token minor
ones to show
they are
listening).
They then
lecture us
about how we
have
responsibility
for ‘our
community’,
but are also
victims and
need to be
cared for by
the
government.
Brandis on
QandA
reminded me
so much of
being in the
Principal's
sights (even
though I'm a
former
Principal
lol!), and
not a
friendly one
either. He
sees his
government
as
'protecting'
the
community
that
community
leaders are
'nurturing'
that is
being
'preyed
upon' by
'very
wicked'
people. This
is such a
passive
understanding
of a very
dynamic
community.
It
completely
ignores that
there is
growing
anger about
the
government's
policies
overseas as
well as the
lack of
resources to
tackle
employment
and social
issues in
places like
Bankstown.
It
especially
ignores the
complete
freedom that
exists to
vilify
Muslims and
the lack of
cultural
competency
exhibited by
this
government
and most of
its
ministries.
Australia
appears now
to have the
most
draconian
laws to
protect
against
terror
compared to
its Allies.
And yet
there have
been only 3
deaths to
terrorism
related
events since
the Hilton
bombing in
1978, yet
tens of
people
killed in
low level
gang related
violence and
thousands
killed in
domestic
disputes.
The
government
will argue
that their
very strong
anti-terror
policing has
protected
Australians.
I would
argue
instead,
that the
risk of a
terror
attack is
still
incredibly
low,
compared to
death by
domestic
abuse,
neglect by
government
with
asbestos,
suicide from
depression,
but by
highlighting
the bogey
man of the
crazy
terrorist
(and who is
more crazy
than a
religious
fundamentalist
who only
thinks of
‘virgins in
paradise’)
the
Government
is able to
severely
limit civil
liberties.
It has
obtained the
right to
proscribe
organisations,
places that
people can
visit, and
spy to such
a level that
the data
gathered can
be edited in
order to
ensure a
conviction.
Any report
on their
actions can
result in
jail time
for a
journalist
in this
Orwellian
society.
In this
paternalistic
society,
Tony Abbott
is a great
mate and the
Attorney
General is a
great father
figure who
decides who
will leave
this
country, who
will live in
this
country, who
can come to
the country
and under
what
conditions
they can
live. The
potential
for these
laws to
abused is
incredible,
and as the
genuinely
independent
media are
shut down (QandA
will be
given its
marching
orders for
sure in the
near future)
there will
be more
airtime for
commercial
entities
encouraging
us to relax,
spoil
ourselves
and allow
the wealthy
to increase
their share
of the
market, and
their
control of
our lives.
In the
meantime,
Muslims will
have to toe
the line, be
interesting
items to
view in our
enclaves and
will be
encouraged
by all
legitimate
and funded
means
possible to
keep our
religion to
ourselves
while the
Muslim world
is gradually
decimated to
the benefit
of the
allies of
Israel.
I did enjoy
QandA last
night, but
perhaps came
away a
little
pessimistic.
As
one of the
most popular
writers in
the country,
Bolt reaches
an unmatched
audience. At
a moment of
heightened
Islamophobia
we would ill
advised to
leave his
message go
unchecked.
Michael
Brull
explains.
As one of
the most
popular
writers in
the country,
Bolt reaches
an unmatched
audience. At
a moment of
heightened
Islamophobia
we would be
wrong to
leave his
message go
unchecked.
Michael
Brull
explains.
We need to
talk about
Andrew
Bolt’s
problem with
Muslims.
Given his
long history
of
inflammatory
writings, it
appears that
many
progressives
just ignore
the things
he says.
That is the
most
charitable
way I can
think of to
describe the
non-reaction
to his
latest
ravings.
In a column
last week
for the
Herald Sun,
Bolt wrote
about the
National
Mosque Open
Day.
Most
ordinary,
decent
people
probably
thought this
was a nice
thing. This
was a step
to try to
reach
Australians
on a
personal
level and
counter
anti-Muslim
prejudices.
The fact
that
Australians
have
widespread
prejudice
against
Muslims has
been
repeatedly
documented.
For example,
last week a
survey
showed that
about a
quarter of
Australians
hold
negative or
very
negative
views
towards
Muslims. In
2012, a
bipartisan
parliamentary
inquiry
found that
anti-Muslim
prejudice
is, as
reported in
the
Australian,
“the biggest
racism issue
in
Australia”.
In 2011,
another
study found
that almost
half of
Australians
held
negative
views about
Muslims.
This doesn’t
seem to
worry Bolt.
In his
column, he
wondered if
“Australian
ignorance of
Islam” was
“the key
problem”. He
explained
that 21
Muslims have
been
convicted of
terrorist
offences in
Australia,
and that the
real step to
progress
would be
“Muslim
clerics
[opening] a
debate on
reforming
Islam so
fewer
followers
believe it
preaches
that
nonbelievers
should
submit — or
risk death.”
He then
wrote of the
need to
“stop the
production
of
jihadists.”
This means
“reforming
the creed
they say
licenses
their
violence”.
Presumably,
Bolt means
the problem
is Islam. If
we change
Islam, there
will be less
terrorism.
Equating
Islam with
jihadi
terrorists
means
equating the
beliefs of
1.5 billion
people with
terrorism.
The fact
that this is
a comment
about
religion,
rather than
the
religious
believers
themselves
is a
disingenuous
distinction.
The blood
libels
against Jews
were also
claims about
the Jewish
religion.
Their effect
was to
stimulate
anti-Jewish
bigotry and
hatred.
Bolt
proceeds to
claim that
another way
to stop the
production
of jihadists
is through
“preaching
pride in
this
country”.
This is
presumably a
reference to
his view
that
criticising
Australian
foreign
policy is
dangerous:
“people
could die”.
Furthermore,
we should
slash
“Muslim
immigration”
until they
are better
integrated.
Fighting
terrorism
also “means
ending the
enclaves
that inhibit
integration.
It is
dangerous to
have suburbs
such as
Lakemba in
Sydney and
Dallas in
Melbourne
where half
the
residents
are Muslim.”
That’s
right.
Andrew Bolt
said it is
dangerous to
have suburbs
which have
lots of
Muslims in
them.
I’ve been
writing
critically
about Bolt’s
comments on
Muslims for
years.
Frankly, I
don’t get
it. How
could Bolt
be more
blatantly
hateful than
warning that
there are
places in
Australia
that have
lots of
Muslims in
them? How
can it pass
without
notice when
he says it
is dangerous
for a place
to have too
many Muslims
in it? If a
public
commentator
with a
national
platform
warned about
the dangers
of having
too many
Jews in
Wentworth,
does anyone
think that
person would
keep their
job?
The Power
Index lists
Andrew Bolt
as the most
influential
commentator
in
Australia,
and
describes
him as “the
nation’s
best-read
columnist”.
They
estimate
that “over
four million
Australians
pick up a
paper
featuring
his column
each week
and more
than a
million
actually
read it”.
His TV show
brings in
approximate
233 000 more
viewers, and
he appears
regularly on
radio too.
Bolt reaches
a lot of
Australians.
And his
latest
message to
them is that
a suburb
being
half-full of
Muslims is
dangerous.
The message
that Muslims
are
dangerous
has been
spouted by
other
Australian
commentators
and
politicians,
and the
effects are
plain to
see. Since
the rise of
ISIS in Iraq
and Syria,
there has
been a
torrent of
anti-Muslim
attacks and
abuse in
Australia.
For example,
a man
threatened
to set a
Muslim woman
on fire.
When she
looked to
another man
for help, he
called her a
terrorist.
Another man
entered a
mosque and
threatened
to hit a
woman with a
chair. He
also threw
cement bags
at the
mosque.
Another
Muslim woman
was
physically
attacked and
called a
“fucking
terrorist”.
Another
Muslim woman
was spat on.
Another
Muslim woman
was attacked
by a large
man, who
told her to
“go back to
where you
came from.”
His physical
assault
broke her
arm.
One could go
on. In this
context,
anti-Muslim
bigotry is
particularly
sinister,
and deserves
to be taken
more
seriously,
especially
when it
comes from
figures with
major public
profiles.
A few weeks
ago, Tony
Abbott was
discussing
the problem
of “hate
preachers”.
He said we
“should have
a system in
place that
red cards
these hate
preachers.”
I’m not
entirely
sure what a
“red card”
means in
this
context. If
a red card
means
expulsion
from
Australia,
I’m not in
favour of
that. But if
we were to
adopt the
soccer
metaphor,
Tony Abbott
doesn’t need
any special
powers to
give a
yellow card,
or a
(figurative)
free kick.
It is
unbelievable
that the
Prime
Minister of
Australia
can openly
describe as
a friend a
man who
thinks too
many Muslims
in an area
is
dangerous.
Tony Abbott
is free to
criticise
Bolt’s
comments on
Muslims. If
he stands by
his friend,
we’ll learn
something
new about
how he feels
about hate
preaching.
If no one
else in
Australia
comments on
the
anti-Muslim
writings of
the
“best-read
columnist”
in
Australia,
we’ll learn
something
new about
the values
of
Australian
public
commentators.
A QUEENSLAND
dairy
company has
sparked a
heated
online
debate after
announcing
on its
Facebook
page that it
will not
seek Halal
certification
for its
products.
The posting
by Maleny
Dairies has
triggered
more than
24,000
Likes, with
some
praising the
business and
others
accusing it
of promoting
xenophobia.
“We do not
wish to
increase the
costs of our
products to
cover the
expense of
Halal
certification.
We prefer to
make sure
our local
farmers
receive a
fair and
sustainable
price for
their
milk,’’ the
post states.
Maleny
Dairies
owner Ross
Hopper said
he simply
got tired of
answering
the same
question
about
possible
certification
of products
for Muslim
customers.
“We’re not
here to bash
other
people,’’ he
said.
Supporters
of the move
thanked the
business for
“being true
to
Australia’’
and “loyal
to our
country’’.
But critics
said the
move could
inflame
ethnic
tensions and
was also
absurd,
since milk
is already
considered
Halal, or
allowed by
Islamic
culture.
“Well done
Maleny for
feeling the
need to
highlight
this fact
and create
an outlet
for the
Islamophobes
and the
un-Australians
to out
themselves,’’
one woman
posted.
Mr Hopper
said he did
not regret
the posting
but the
decision had
created more
work for his
business
because a
number of
offensive
comments had
to be
deleted.
He
shocked the
world by
tweeting
pictures of
himself and
his child
holding the
severed
heads of
people
executed by
Islamic
State (IS).
Khaled
Sharrouf
casts
himself as a
religious
warrior
fighting to
create a
caliphate in
the Middle
East.
But a close
look at his
life tells a
more complex
story of a
young man
with a
history of
drug taking,
mental
illness and
violence.
Overall one
question
recurs: is
he a
religious
zealot or a
criminal
thug who
used his
muscle in
the building
industry?
"Khaled
Sharrouf is
not bad,
he's mad.
There's no
less than
five
psychiatrists
that I know
who have
diagnosed
him with
very
significant
mental
health
issues." -
Sharrouf's
former
lawyer
This week,
reporter
Marian
Wilkinson
investigates
the
extraordinary
life of
Khaled
Sharrouf,
from petty
criminal and
underworld
heavy to
barbaric
terrorist
fighter.
"... He
certainly
appears to
have become
involved
with some
people who
were
involved in
some pretty
serious
criminal
activity and
a couple of
people in
fact who
were
murdered,
ultimately."
- Police
Officer
Sharrouf's
notoriety
began when
he was
arrested by
police,
charged and
found guilty
of a
terrorism
offence in
2005. Since
then, he has
recast
himself as
an enforcer
for hire.
These days,
former
associates
don't like
to talk
about their
relationship
with
Sharrouf,
but Four
Corners has
found
evidence
from various
sources
about the
way he
worked with
figures in
the building
industry and
how he came
to the
attention of
law
enforcement
agents after
an alleged
extortion
threat
against one
of
Australia's
most
prominent
construction
companies.
It's clear
that while
Khaled
Sharrouf may
have had
some
powerful
allies, he
also made
some
dangerous
enemies.
"I believe
that Khaled
Sharrouf was
afraid for
his life and
that's what
made him
decide to
leave
Australia
and use his
brother's
passport to
escape,
because he
was
concerned
that he will
be the next
one to be
shot." -
Muslim
Community
Leader
One other
question
remains. How
did someone
with a
criminal
conviction,
who was on a
watch list
and under
investigation,
get out of
the country
using his
brother's
passport?
From the 9th
to the 19th
centuries,
scholars and
scribes used
Arabic as a
lingua
franca to
debate
scientific
ideas.
Arabic-speaking
scholars
translated
classical
Greek,
Persian and
even
Sanskrit
texts on
topics such
as medicine,
mathematics
and
astronomy.
These
scholars
went far
beyond
translation
and
preservation
and fostered
a unique and
vibrant
scientific
culture
within the
Arabic-speaking
world.
The British
Library and
Qatar
Foundation
have joined
forces to
launch a new
bilingual
online
portal, the
Qatar
Digital
Library,
providing
free access
to 25,000
pages of
fascinating
medieval
Arabic
manuscript.
On the left
is one from
a selection
of some of
the most
influential
scientific
texts in
history
(others to
follow in
the coming
issues of
CCN).
AUSTRALIAN
INTERNATIONAL
ISLAMIC
COLLEGE IT
TEACHERS
WANTED –
PRIMARY/SECONDARY
Contract
position for
a qualified
IT Teacher
for our
Durack
Campus.
This
position
will
commence in
Term 1 2015.
Must hold
current
Queensland
Teachers
Registration.
Successful
applicants
will be
notified by
email.
Please email
your CV to:
admin@aiic.qld.edu.au.
AL
KAUTHAR
COURSE
COMING SOON
Al Kauthar
Brisbane is
pleased to
announce an
exclusive
ONE DAY
COURSE with
Sheikh Yahya
Ibrahim in
sha Allah on
Saturday 6th
December.
The course
is entitled
"The Sacred
Formula- The
Power of Dua"
All details
are
currently
being
finalised
and will be
released
soon.
Prince Charles makes a
video appeal to Muslim leaders, insisting
they must ensure followers respect believers
in other faiths.
UK: Prince Charles has said
Muslim leaders must warn their followers
about the "indescribable tragedy" of the
persecution of Christians in the Middle
East.
The heir to the throne has recorded a video
message insisting that faith leaders do not
remain "silent" over a lack of respect
between traditions.
His comments accompany the publication of a
new report which concludes that Christians
are the "most persecuted religious minority"
in the world.
LONDON – Reaching out to British Muslims, a
US-based company has announced plans to
release a new alcohol-free “halal” whiskey
in UK supermarkets this December
People may welcome the product, “especially
Muslims who drink, who might see it a way of
maintaining a drinking habit without having
to drink alcoholic drinks,” Talha J. Ahmad,
a member of the central working committee of
the Muslim Council of Britain, told Al
Arabiya News on Tuesday, November 4.
He maintained that he does not think “it
makes a difference…those who don’t drink
whisky would not suddenly want to drink
whiskey, whether it’s halal or not.”
Islam takes an uncompromising
stand on prohibiting intoxicants. It forbids
Muslims from drinking or even selling
alcohol.
The general rule in Islam is that any
beverage that gets people intoxicated when
taken is unlawful, both in small and large
quantities, whether it is alcohol, drugs,
fermented raisin drink or something else.
A British study released in November 2010
found that alcohol is a more dangerous and
lethal drug than heroin or crack cocaine.
I want to see a British
Asian Prime Minister, says David Cameron
Sajid
Javid, the Culture Secretary
UK: The Prime Minister tells
an awards ceremony that he wants to see
British Asians in positions of power 'not to
fill quotas but to realise our full
potential'
David Cameron has said he wants to see a
British Asian Prime Minister in his
lifetime.
Mr Cameron made the remarks at an awards
dinner in central London where Sajid Javid,
the Culture secretary who is widely tipped
as his successor, topped a power list of the
most influential Asians in the UK.
Mr Cameron told the GG2 Leadership Awards:
"Let us think big about what Britons of all
backgrounds can achieve.
"When I hear 'sir', 'your honour' or 'right
honourable', I want them to be followed by a
British Asian name."
To cheers he added: "One day I want to hear
that title 'Prime Minister' followed by a
British Asian name."
Earlier Mr Cameron had described Mr Javid,
who was in the audience, as "brilliant"
during his 10 minute speech, which
celebrates achievement among Britain's Asian
community.
He said he was "incredibly proud" of Mr
Javid "the brilliant Asian man who I asked
to join the Cabinet", adding: "Doesn't it
say something that in two generations you
can go from coming to our country with so
little to sitting around the Cabinet table.
That is the sort of country we are building
in the United Kingdom."
Mr Cameron sat on the top table at the
dinner, near Lord Feldman, the Conservative
party's co-chairman.
Mr Cameron said: "In Britain today there are
still too few people from ethnic minorities
in top positions.
BBC Radio One
presenter Jameela Jamil
"The absence is glaring in
the boardrooms of the FTSE250, in the
Chambers of the Houses of Parliament,
football managers' benches, on High Court
judges benches, and in our fighter jets, our
naval ships, our armed battalions around the
world and I am clear this has to change, not
to tick boxes, not to fill quotas but to
realise our full potential.
"Britain will only be the best it can be
when all its people are able to be all that
they can be."
Mr Cameron said his Government had to
"remove the barriers that stop people
getting on". He pledged it would "attack
prejudice in all its forms" and he wanted to
"celebrate role models".
Judges of the Power List, compiled by the
Asian Media and Marketing Group, said Mr
Javid earned the title for being the only
Asian voice at the heart of the Government's
senior decision-making process and his
commitment to "opening the cultural doors
for all Britons in the UK".
He pushed 17-year-old Malala Yousafzai, who
became the youngest ever Nobel prize winner
last month for her work championing global
education rights for girls, in to second
place after taking the number one spot last
year.
Mr Javid said: "Culture is more than a
privilege. It's at the core of who we are
and how we define ourselves.
Sadiq Khan MP
"If you're not engaged with
our cultural life, you're not engaged with
our national life. And in 2014, too many
Britons are culturally disfranchised."
The Bromsgrove MP, a former managing
director at Deutsche Bank who was grew up in
Bristol, has been tipped by some as a
potential future leader for the Conservative
Party.
The father of four, whose father Abdul
arrived in Britain in 1961 from Pakistan
with just £1 in his pocket, turned to
politics to "give something back" after
reportedly earning more than £20 million
during his high-flying banking career,
The annual power list, now in its fourth
year, named Labour MPs Keith Vaz and Sadiq
Khan at number three and seven respectively
and Tory MPs Priti Patel and Shailesh Vara
at numbers six and nine.
One Direction singer Zayn Malik,
recognisable to millions of young music fans
across the world, made it to number 10.
The list features 19 women, including BBC
Breakfast presenter Naga Munchetty and BBC
Radio One presenter Jameela Jamil as well as
the director of Liberty Shami Chakrabarti.
Five year old British boy
becomes youngest ever qualified computer
specialist
UK: With a mastery of
gadgetry well beyond his six years, Ayan
Qureshi last month became the youngest-ever
certified Microsoft Computer Specialist.
Ayan was five when he took
the exam at Birmingham University, toppling
Pakistani Mehroz Yawar who passed the exam
at the practically ancient age of six and a
half.
The MCP title indicates a professional
proficiency with Microsoft operating
systems, and is often attained by aspiring
IT technicians just before or after
attending university.
His young love of technology was encouraged
by his father Asim Qureshi, himself an IT
consultant, who explained to him the
intricacies of hardware construction and
network connection.
Ayan was born in Lahore, but the family,
including his mother, a doctor moved to
London in 2009. His younger brother was born
the UK in 2011.
They
have since moved to Coventry, where Ayan
attends school.
Last month, Ayan successfully created a
computer network, connecting two PCs, two
laptops, one switch and a router.
He said he was thrilled to find that the
devices could ping each other, and that data
could be transferred from one to another.
He installed and configured Windows 8 and
8.1, partly following training videos,
partly listening to his attentive father’s
tips.
He worked hard to get to that point,
studying and practicing for around two hours
every day for five months.
How he got here was a combination of
perspiration and an absolute wonderment of
the potentials of technology.
“It took months for him to become an MCP,
but he enjoys computers so it was a fun few
months,” his father said.
“He was first curious about how the computer
actually works, and what a network was. I
answered his questions, and then when he
kept saying how interested he was, I
explained to him the theory in as simple
terms as possible.
“He found it difficult, but he’s very smart
and he really loves technology.”
Ayan’s favourite things are mostly
mechanical, such as remote controlled toys
and digital cameras, but he’s got a keen
interest in other sciences like maths and
physics.
“I like compasses and telescopes, but I
really like prisms,” Ayan said. “The rainbow
coloured light reflected through the prism
is amazing.”
But computers are truly his first love, and
as a Microsoft man in the making, Ayan is
particularly looking forward to Windows 10.
“It looks like Windows 8 but better, I
think,” he said.
He said that when he grows up he wants to be
an IT consultant or a mathematician, but is
open to discovering exciting new things.
Arfa
Karim (pictured right) was a
Pakistani girl who in 2004, at only nine
years old, became the youngest Microsoft
Certified Professional.
An extraordinarily gifted girl, Karim was
selected as Pakistan's representative at
major international tech conventions and
forums, and was invited to meet with Bill
Gates.
She died in January 2012 following epileptic
seizure, and despite receiving
top-of-the-line medical treatment paid for
by Bill Gates.
Fields of
Blood:
Religion and
the History
of Violence
by
Karen
Armstrong
In her new
book, Fields
of Blood,
Karen
Armstrong
argues
against the
idea that
faith fuels
wars.
"Piles of
heads,
hands, and
feet were to
be seen. It
was
necessary to
pick one's
way over the
bodies of
men and
horses."
This was how
the
historian
Raymond of
Aguilers
described
Jerusalem in
1099, as he
watched
Christian
crusaders
conquer the
city. "Men
rode in
blood up to
their knees
and bridle
reins," he
observed.
"Indeed, it
was a just
and splendid
judgment of
God that
this place
should be
filled with
the blood of
unbelievers,
since it had
so long
suffered
from their
blasphemies."
When people
make
generalized
arguments
about the
inherent
violence of
religion,
this is the
kind of
thing
they're
probably
thinking of:
the
unapologetic,
triumphalist
bloodletting
of the
Crusades;
the
decades-long
slaughter of
the Thirty
Years' War;
and the
dehumanizing
murder
sprees of
contemporary
jihad. And
it is this
kind of
argument
that
motivated
Karen
Armstrong to
write her
newest book,
aptly titled
Fields of
Blood:
Religion and
the History
of
Violence,which
was
published
last week in
the United
States.
The book
tackles a
simple
question:
Has religion
been the
cause of all
the major
wars in
history? If
you want to
save
yourself
several
hundred
thousand
words, the
short answer
is: no. Any
student of
history
could point
out that
conflicts
from the
campaigns of
Genghis Khan
to World War
I had
non-religious
motivations.
During the
talks she
has already
given about
the book,
Armstrong
told me in
an
interview,
the first
person to
ask her a
question
always says
something
along these
lines: No
one actually
believes
that
religion is
the cause of
all major
wars in
history.
But then for
the rest of
the talk,
Armstrong
said,
audience
members "are
insisting
that
[religion]
is the chief
cause that
is to
blame,"
Armstrong
said. In her
book, she
writes that
she has
"heard this
sentence
recited like
a mantra by
American
commentators
and
psychiatrists,
London taxi
drivers and
Oxford
academics."
Religion may
not have
caused all
the wars in
history,
these people
say, but it
is
inherently
violent in a
way that has
undeniably
shaped world
history for
the worse.
It's this
ambient
suspicion
that
Armstrong
seems to be
arguing
against,
rallying
textual
evidence
from
thousands of
years before
Christ
through
modernity.
Although the
book is
framed as a
polemic
response to
what is
essentially
a straw-man
question,
Armstrong
has isolated
an
interesting
quality of
contemporary
discourse
about
religion:
It's really,
really
vague.
Contemplating
whether
violence is
inherent in
religion
might seem
like a
pastime
limited to
college
debating
societies or
educated
retirees who
have a lot
of time for
book talks
(or
dilettante
journalists,
for that
matter), but
this idea
has an
intangible
and
problematic
power in
Western
culture—the
focus of
Armstrong's
study. Even
posing the
question at
the center
of
Armstrong's
book assumes
that there's
a unified
thing called
"religion"
that has
stayed
constant
over
thousands of
years of
human life.
But, as
Armstrong
points out
in the book,
"there is no
universal
way to
define
'religion,'"
particularly
when it
comes to
comparing
mono- and
polytheistic
faiths. "In
the West we
see
'religion'
as a
coherent
system of
obligatory
beliefs,
institutions,
and rituals
... whose
practice is
essentially
private and
hermetically
sealed off
from all
'secular'
activities,"
she writes.
"But words
in other
languages
that we
translate as
'religion'
almost
invariably
refer to
something
larger,
vaguer, and
more
encompassing."
This is an
important
premise of
one of
Armstrong's
main
arguments:
It's
impossible
make a
coherent
case about
the role of
religion in
warfare and
violence
throughout
history and
across the
world,
simply
because
religion
plays very
different
roles in
different
cultures.
For example,
religious
belief and
practice in,
say, ancient
Mesopotamia
were very
different
than what
they have
become in
modernity—a
period that
Armstrong
and many
academics
say began in
the West in
1648, when
peace
treaties
ending
several
major wars
in Europe
were signed
in
Westphalia,
a region in
present-day
Germany. She
describes
the spread
of more
secular
governments
in the West
and the
decline of
religion as
a primary
organizing
force in
many
people's
lives during
this period.
Although
"religious"
violence has
always had a
political
element, she
argues, the
political
nature of
warfare—even
in wars with
putatively
religious
justifications—has
become even
more
pronounced
in
contemporary
history.
The notion
that
"religion"
is not a
single
belief,
practice, or
idea seems
fairly
obvious. But
this claim
is no less
important
for being
self-evident.
In the
United
States,
debates
about topics
like birth
control,
abortion,
and school
prayer are
often
presented in
the
framework of
a
monolithic,
uniform,
publicly
expressed
"religion"
in tension
with a
monolithic,
uniform
"secular
culture,"
one that
mostly
considers
faith to be
private and
personal. As
Armstrong
argues,
throughout
the
contemporary
Western
world, this
framework
has had its
most
pernicious
influence on
perceptions
of—and,
perhaps,
policies
related
to—global
Islam and
particularly
the Middle
East.
“I’ve found
huge
hostility in
the United
States among
secular as
well as
religious
people
toward
Islam,
seeing it as
a faith of
violence—and
that is true
in the U.K.,
too," said
Armstrong,
who lives in
England. But
"the United
States is
very much
entwined in
the history
of the
Middle East,
and
similarly,
we British
are deeply
entwined
with these
issues in
what we used
to call the
developing
world.”
This is what
she asks of
readers in
her book:
Look at
history to
understand
the complex
origins of
the
"religious
violence"
that shows
up in the
news every
day. For
example,
"some
Western
analysts
have argued
that suicide
killing is
deeply
embedded in
the Islamic
tradition,"
she writes.
"But if that
were so, why
was
'revolutionary
suicide'
unknown in
Sunni Islam
before the
late
twentieth
century? ...
Why have
both Hamas
and
Hizbollah
abandoned
it?"
Even though
perpetrators
of this kind
of violence
invoke
Islam, their
acts are
mainly
political,
she writes:
What all
suicide
operations
do have in
common ...
is a
strategic
goal: 'to
compel
liberal
democracies
to withdraw
military
forces from
territory
that the
terrorist
consider to
be their
homeland.'
This is not
to deny that
Hamas is as
much a
religious as
a national
movement,
only that
the fusion
of the two
is a modern
innovation.
The exalted
love of the
fatherland,
which has no
roots in
Islamic
culture, is
now suffused
with Muslim
fervor.
All of
Armstrong's
arguments
come back to
the same
basic point:
It's
impossible
to explain
contemporary
or
historical
violence
solely
through
religion.
"Muslim
fundamentalism
... has
often—though
again, not
always—segued
into
physical
aggression,"
she writes.
"This is not
because
Islam is
constitutionally
more prone
to violence
than
Protestant
Christianity,
but rather
because
Muslims had
a much
harsher
introduction
to
modernity."
(Here, she
dates
modernity to
the defeat
of the
Ottoman
Empire
during World
War I.) In
other words:
Even
religious
history has
to be read
through the
narrative
lens of
politics.
The point,
once again,
is fairly
straightforward:
Humans start
wars and
slaughter
their
enemies and
blow
themselves
up for
complicated
reasons. For
a book with
such an
abundance of
historical
facts and
analysis,
Fields of
Bloodseems
to be making
a simple
argument at
an
ambitiously
macroscopic
level—it's
an
inevitably
overwhelming
sprint
through
nearly 7,000
years of
history.
But maybe
that's the
point:
Humans talk
in
frameworks.
People see
the world
through
cultural
associations
and
narratives
of history,
even if
they're not
apparent;
that's why
the
attendees of
Armstrong's
book talks
can
intellectually
understand
that
religion
hasn't
caused all
the major
wars in
history
while still
almost
subconsciously
believing
religion to
be
inherently
violent.
Fields of
Bloodcan't
debunk the
rhetoric
about
religion
that has
built up
over
decades, but
"the point
is to sow a
little seed
of doubt, to
muddy the
waters,"
Armstrong
told me.
Perhaps
that's all
one book can
hope to do.
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.
Q: Dear Kareema, I feel
really tense and tight through my hip area. Any
stretches I go do to ease the tension?
A: A great release for the whole body
will be to do a yoga session 2 to 3 times a
week. Not only will you become more flexible,
you’ll strengthen and tone muscles, and ease the
tension in your hips and other joints.
During a recent talk at the Mosque the Imam, Mula
Nasruddin, related the following account in praise of
the president of the Mosque Society.
"There was a father who gave a $100 note to each of his
three sons and told them to buy something that would
completely fill up a room.
The first son bought a trolley-full of groceries for
$100 - but couldn't fill the room completely.
The second son bought a load of meat for $100 – he also
couldn't fill the room completely.
The third son was wise and bought a candle for $1 – he
lit it up and the room was completely filled with
light."
The Imam declared: "Our Society's president, Mr
Jallalludin, is like the third son. From the day he has
taken charge of his office, our Mosque is filled with
the bright light of prosperity!"
After the thunderous applause died down, a voice from
the congregation asked: "So, where is the remaining $99
?"
Runcorn State High School Oval, 132 Hill Rd, RUNCORN
3344 2622
11am to 3pm
TBA
Prophet’s Birthday 12th Rabi-ul Awwal 1436
15
March 2015
Sunday
2nd Toowoomba International Food Festival
Islamic Society of Toowoomba
Garden City Mosque (Toowoomba)
0421 081 048
10am to 5pm
7
June 2015
Sunday
ICB Annual School Fete
Islamic College of Brisbane
Islamic College of Brisbane, KARAWATHA
0402 794 253
All day
25
July 2015
Saturday
Eidfest
Eidfest QLD
Rocklea Showgrounds
0418 722 353
All day
26
Sept. 2015
Saturday
Eidfest
Eidfest @ Dreamworld
Dreamworld
0418 722 353
Evening
PLEASE NOTE
1. All Islamic Event dates given above are tentative and
subject to the sighting of the moon.
2. The Islamic date changes to the next day starting in
the evenings after maghrib. Therefore, exceptfor Lailatul
Mehraj,
Lailatul Bhahraat
and
Lailatul Qadr – these dates refer to the commencement of the event
starting in the evening of the corresponding day.
The Tafseer gets recorded and uploaded on to our website end
of each week, please visit our website to download these
recordings at
www.masjidtaqwa.org.au.
The Tuesday and Thursdays Dars Nizame program is in Urdu,
these sessions too are recorded as well as webcasted live.
For webcast details please contact us via our website
“contact us” page. The recordings are sent via a download
link, if you are interested please again contact us via our
website “contact us” page.
Queensland Police Service/Muslim
Community Consultative Group
Meeting Dates & Times
Wednesday 26 November at the Islamic
College of Brisbane (note venue change)
Commencing at 7.00pm(Times may change throughout the
year pending salat)
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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