Vice
Chancellor
David
Lloyd,
Yasmin
Khan,
Rubana
Moola,
Brad
Chilcott
and
Governor
Le
The third
annual
awards for
Muslim and
Non-Muslim
Understanding
were held
this week in
Adelaide,
and Qld
Eidfest
Association
were the
winners in
the
Organisation
Category.
The awards
are an
initiative
of the
International
Centre of
Muslim and
Non-Muslim
Understanding
at the
University
of South
Australia,
in
collaboration
with the SA
Premiers
Dept and the
SA Australia
Day Council.
The award
was
presented by
the Governor
of SA, Hieu
Van Le and
received by
Yasmin Khan
and Rubana
Moola on
behalf of
Qld Eidfest.
In her
acceptance
speech,
Yasmin Khan
spoke about
starting
Eidfest 10
years ago as
an “opportunity
to bring the
Muslim
community
together and
allowing
non-Muslims
to celebrate
a festive
occasion
with us.”
“Eidfest
has grown
over the
years, and
whilst you
can still
enjoy food
and free
rides, you
can also
take in the
Muslim
Writers
Festival,
see art
displays,
enjoy a
diversity of
acts on the
stage,
engage in
some lively
discussion
and meet a
celebrity or
two!”
“In
accepting
this award,
I want to
thank the
Brisbane
community
who continue
to support
Eidfest, the
Brisbane
City Council
and the
State
Government
for being
wonderful
sponsors and
we look
forward to
many long
and fruitful
years ahead,
Insha’Allah.”
The winner
of the
Individual
Award went
to Brad
Chilcott,
founder of
the Welcome
to Australia
organisation
and We’ll
Love Muslims
100 years
campaign.
Tim Cox
spoke with
Yasmin Khan,
president of
Brisbane's
Eidfest,
which was
awarded the
organisational
award, and
Pastor Brad
Chilcott,
winner of
the
individual
award for
founding the
Welcome to
Australia
campaign.
At a time
when the
world’s eyes
are on
extremist
Islamic
groups like
ISIL and
Boko Haram,
what’s it
like being
an average
Muslim in
Melbourne?
Konrad
Marshall
reports on
the hidden
majority.
Imagine you
are a young
Muslim
growing up
in
Melbourne.
Now consider
the last six
months in
isolation.
Start with
those
ominous
black
balloons in
Bendigo, and
the
organised
campaign of
hate and
vilification
to "Stop the
Mosque".
Take a look
at the next
three-word
slogan -
"Ban the
burqa" - and
the
posturing of
politicians
reacting to
the idea of
a ban, the
cross-examination
of the
practicality
and morality
and legality
of a ban,
and all that
frothing
over who
even has the
right to
comment on a
ban.
I
just
want
people
to stop
seeing a
man with
dark
skin and
a beard
and
thinking
he’s
evil.
Giaan
Tomcure
Stop as well
to read the
latest news,
including
the increase
in
unreported
attacks
against
Muslim women
- local
women - as
some sort of
perverted
response to
faraway
atrocities
committed by
a death cult
somewhere in
the Middle
East.
As a young
Muslim in
Melbourne
you may
sense it
building
against you,
yet again.
That old
guarded
prejudice.
As you drown
in each
debate,
maybe you
glance at
the results
of recent
VicHealth
research
suggesting
an
increasing
number of
people think
there are
ethnic
groups who
simply do
not "fit in"
– and that
those who
hold such
views are
most likely
to feel
negative
towards
Muslims and
the Middle
East.
Or perhaps
you read the
published
results of
the latest
Ipsos Social
Research
Institute
report,
which polled
Australians
on various
matters of
potential
ignorance.
The findings
show that we
believe, on
average,
that 18 per
cent of the
population
in this
country is
Muslim. The
actual
figure is
closer to 2
per cent.
You are part
of that
misunderstood
2 per cent.
You are not
Numan Haider,
18, who was
shot by
police after
stabbing two
officers in
Endeavour
Hills. And
you are not
Adam Dahman,
the
Northcote
teen who
killed
himself and
five others
with a bomb
in Baghdad.
You are not
one of the
"new faces
of terror".
But nor are
you an
exemplar of
some
secularised
Aussie
Muslim
ideal.
You are not
beloved
public
intellectual
and Walkley
winner
Waleed Aly.
Or Richmond
back flanker
and
multicultural
ambassador
Bachar Houli.
Or industry
titan and
transformational
chief
executive
Ahmed Fahour.
You are, in
fact, the
bulk of that
2 per cent -
one of those
many young
moderate
Muslims from
whom we
never hear.
Everyday
Islam: Giaan Tomcure and Ameera
Karimshah. Photo:
Simon'ODwyer
Maybe you
are Ameera
Karimshah,
27, who
deftly
navigates a
post-9/11
era that
seems
fixated on
the extreme
actions of a
frightening
minority -
instead of
the peaceful
behaviour of
the
majority.
"You have to
sort of
explain
yourself,
especially
when some
dramatic
thing
happens,"
she says.
"It's
continuous.
It's almost
like we've
grown up
with this
stigma."
Or perhaps
you are
Giaan
Tomcure,
also 27, who
graciously
and
continually
answers
basic
questions
about his
faith, but
at the same
time feels
forced to
justify
Islam's
place in the
world.
"I do feel
like I'm
being
judged," he
says, "as if
I need to
explain
myself to
people and
say 'Hey,
I'm actually
a nice
person'."
Giaan and
Ameera meet
on a recent
sunny
Wednesday
afternoon,
outside a
mosque in
Hoppers
Crossing.
They are
here
(somewhat
unfairly
perhaps) as
examples of
an "average"
Islam that
is often
overlooked.
Giaan runs
through his
recent work
as a
residential
youth carer,
helping
teach life
skills to
kids removed
from their
parents by
the
Department
of Human
Services.
He wears
black
Havaiana
thongs,
beige skinny
jeans and a
pair of Ray
Ban
Wayfarers,
and talks
about how he
enjoys mixed
martial arts
fighting,
video
editing and
acting.
You might
remember him
from bit
part roles
in ABC
television
productions
including
Bed of Roses
and The
Slap. (He
was the guy
who stole
$40,000 from
his boss,
played by
Alex
Dimitriades.)
Ameera wears
an aqua
hijab
(although
she doesn't
always wear
one) and a
beautiful
peach and
black dress,
and she
smiles while
explaining
her work as
a masters
student in
international
community
development.
In her spare
time she
writes
poetry,
volunteers
at a
homework
club at
Footscray
North
Primary
School, and
regularly
visits the
detention
centre at
Broadmeadows
to spend
time with
asylum
seekers.
"We just
take food,
fruit,
snacks,
things to
share," she
says. "We
sit and
talk, keep
them company
and give
them
something
different to
do during
the day.
It's pretty
monotonous
being
there."
Ameera
speaks only
English, but
most of the
games they
play at the
centre are
simple
enough to
bridge the
language
gap. Uno is
popular, she
says, and
they invent
card games.
"Could I
have a chat
to you about
that after
we're done?"
asks Giaan.
"I actually
wanted to do
some
volunteer
work and
didn't know
where to
start."
Giaan and
Ameera seem
as positive
and
unpolished
as any
well-meaning
pair of
20-somethings,
and this is
in part what
Anita Harris
had in mind
when she
enlisted
them in her
Monash
University
research
project on
the "Civic
Life of
Young
Australian
Muslims".
Ameera was
engaged as a
peer
researcher,
while Giaan
provided one
of many
"digital
stories" to
emerge from
the project
- which
examines
community
belonging,
active
citizenship
and social
inclusion
and is
funded by
the
Australian
Research
Council.
Harris, an
associate
professor
and
sociologist,
says the
study
involved
interviews
with 80
young people
who identify
as Muslim
from a
migrant
background.
She
intentionally
sought a
diverse
sample of
"representative"
middle-ground
Muslim youth
who are
neither the
most
marginalised
nor the most
successful.
"They're not
out on the
fringe -
either
expressing
their voice
in media or
running off
to Syria,"
she says.
"The project
was about
finding this
hidden
majority."
Perhaps the
most
striking of
the study's
findings was
the degree
to which
young
Muslims feel
positively
perceived by
their local
community
(61 per
cent) as
compared to
wider
society (25
per cent).
In
interviews
they talked
about having
open
conversations
and great
interactions
with
non-Muslims
on a
one-to-one
basis, but
feeling
isolated and
misunderstood
on the
national
stage.
"There was
this
frustration,"
says Harris,
"that they
didn't know
how to scale
up what was
working at
the
community
level with a
broader
public
perception."
The
frustration
was
amplified in
part because
the surveyed
cohort are
so heavily
engaged in
positive
"civic
practices" -
including 91
per cent who
give time,
money and
goods to
causes such
as Unicef,
Red Cross
and Amnesty
International.
A whopping
83 per cent
of the young
Muslims
surveyed do
volunteer
work in
schools,
nursing
homes and
hospitals,
and are
involved in
various
local
community
projects.
(By
comparison,
ABS
statistics
from the
recent
Census
suggest just
27 per cent
of
Australians
aged 18 to
25 are
involved in
such work.)
The young
Muslims also
reported
helping
neighbours
and the
elderly with
gardening,
shopping and
household
chores -
voluntary
contributions
that far
exceed what
Harris has
found in
prior
research on
other youth
cohorts. And
for most of
them, this
desire to
serve others
and
contribute
to community
was directly
correlated
with their
perceived
obligations
as good
Muslims.
Giaan, for
instance,
speaks of
zakat. One
of the five
pillars of
Islam, zakat
is a form of
charity not
unlike
Christian
tithing,
which asks
Muslims to
give 2.5 per
cent of
their
savings to
charity each
year.
"Islam is a
guide to how
you should
live your
life," says
Ameera. "It
teaches us
to be good
and
charitable
and
engaged."
Of course,
as Harris
points out,
research
often shows
that
followers of
any faith
with an
ethic of
charity are
bound to be
more
civically
engaged. (In
that way,
the
behaviour of
these young
Muslims
could be
more
generally
religious
than
exclusively
Islamic.)
Generalising
the
motivation
of Muslims
is an easy
way to lose
sight of
their
diversity.
There
remains a
persistent
idea that
there is
only one way
to be
Muslim, and
it involves
being devout
and pious -
neglecting
the obvious
truth that
there are
varying
levels of
commitment
to any
faith.
Many Muslims
will pray
five times a
day and fast
during
Ramadan -
but not all.
Many do come
from the
Middle East
- but they
are just as
likely to
come from
the Sudan or
Bosnia or
Indonesia.
Ameera was
born in
Zimbabwe
(with
Indian,
Malay and
Dutch
heritage)
and came to
Australia
when she was
14.
Giaan was
born here to
Turkish
parents who
did not
raise him
religiously.
He only
began
practising a
few years
ago, and is
one of few
members of
his family
to do so.
He goes to
mosque every
week for the
all
important
Friday
afternoon
prayer,
while Ameera
rarely sets
foot in any
mosque,
excepting
certain
community
events or a
religious
gathering
like Eid,
the
celebration
after
Ramadan.
Just as
there are
lapsed
Catholics
and
non-practising
Protestants,
so are there
laissez
faire
followers of
Islam -
people for
whom the
faith is
more about
culture and
community
than
religion and
dogma.
Experiences
of racism
and
Islamaphobia
among those
in the
Monash
University
project were
just are
diverse.
Some have
experienced
none
whatsoever,
while others
have been
appalled at
their
treatment -
and their
responses
were varied,
too.
Harris says
many of the
girls in
particular
were "gutsy"
in defending
themselves
from insults
and attacks
-
challenging
the
stereotype
that
suggests
Muslim
females are
shut away
and trained
not to speak
up.
"There was
one girl who
said she was
on a train,
went to get
her laptop
out of her
bag, and a
woman next
to her
whispered to
the woman
she was
with, 'it's
probably a
bomb'. And
this girl
was furious,
and she went
up to her
and said:
'It's a
laptop, and
I'm sure
your son or
daughter
also has a
laptop'. And
the woman
was
embarrassed.
But it took
a lot of
courage to
confront
her.
"Another
woman, a guy
walked past
her in the
street and
told her to
take her
headscarf
off, and she
said: 'How
would you
feel if I
told you to
take your
pants off?'
So these are
really good
examples of
coming back,
and having
some smart
responses,
and not
putting up
with it."
But those
interviewed
also felt
enormous
pressure to
"perform" as
good Muslims
- to hold
themselves
up to a
higher
standard.
One noted
that any
identifiably
Muslim
person
cannot
afford to
commit an
infraction
as
relatively
minor as
littering.
"The
standards
they feel
they have to
meet to be
seen as
decent
people are
far higher
than
others,"
says Harris.
"With this
burden of
being good,
there isn't
a lot of
time left to
just be who
you are."
Ameera heard
the same
thing in her
interviews.
"People
said: 'I
have to be
smiling all
the time,
because if I
don't smile
I'll convey
that image
of the bad
Muslim'.
They didn't
feel they
could frown
in public."
What struck
her most in
the course
of the
research was
the idea
that young
Muslims have
to work so
hard to show
people how
"normal"
they are "by
acting out
their
normalness
and
explaining
their
normalness".
Adds Giaan:
"I just want
people to
stop seeing
a man with
dark skin
and a beard
and thinking
he's evil
... just get
out there
and do some
research,
and
understand
what Islam
is about."
Or ask
Ameera and
Giaan.
They are
happy to
answer your
questions,
although
like many of
their peers
they do find
it curious
that their
life
seemingly
involves
acting as
unofficial
spokespeople
for their
brand of
religion.
"There's a
lot of
cautious
curiosity,"
says Ameera.
"People
going 'Oh,
so, you're a
Muslim -
what does
this mean?'
It does get
tiring when
I have to
tell my
story again.
But I'd
rather have
that
conversation
than not. I
prefer that
to the
alternative."
Millions of
people
around the
world are
now at the
mercy of the
ice cold
temperatures.
Many will
face the
deadly chill
without warm
clothes,
others
without
blankets,
and some
will brave
sub zero
temperatures
without even
a place to
sleep.
Muslim
Charitable
Foundation
and Muslim
Aid
Australia
have
developed a
Winter
Appeal to
help those
affected in
Syria,
Palestine,
Iraq,
Afghanistan,
Pakistan,
Kashmir,
India, and
Bangladesh.
With your
support they
aim to
provide
essential
warm
blankets,
mattresses,
jackets,
heaters, and
food packs
to those
affected.
To donate
directly
into their
account
please use
the details
below:
Muslim
Charitable
Foundation
BSB 124 555
Acc: 2089
7392
Reference:
Winter
Read Little
Muslims has
partnered
with Modest
Munchies to
bring you
this
fantastic
prize pack.
To enter,
subscribe to
both Modest
Munchies and
Read Little
Muslims
email list
here.
If you’re
already
subscribed
you’ll still
need to
fill in the
form and
answer the
competition
question.
Don’t worry
you’ll only
be
subscribed
to each
email list
once.
Entries
close on
Monday 22
December.
The winner
will be
announced on
Tuesday 23
December via
social media
and email.
Conditions
of entry
-Must be an
Australian
Resident
-Must
complete
entry form
Competition
PRIZE PACK
How Big
is
Allah?
– Emma
Apple
(see our
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Allah is
Ar-Rahman
– Saba
Ghazi
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Zaky DVD
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Earth
has a
Fever
(see a
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products
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Pack
(which
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a card
making
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coloured
markers
and
masjid
craft
boards)
Have fun and
be creative
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entries!!
Look forward
to seeing
the results!
YOU can’t
blame the
developers
behind the
proposed
Islamic
school on
the
Tablelands
for wanting
to pull the
pin.
There has
been a
phenomenal
amount of
hatred
towards the
proposed
construction
of the $70
million
Standard
Bearer’s
Academy,
which
ostensibly,
would have
provided a
much-needed
educational
institution
for the
region.
At a glance,
the school
certainly
ticked a lot
of boxes: it
was going to
be housed
far enough
from the
hustle and
bustle of
the region,
yet close
enough to
Mareeba that
it was not
completely
in the
sticks.
The school
boasted
cutting-edge
facilities
including
student
accommodation
and
classrooms,
a performing
arts
complex,
Olympic-sized
swimming
pool,
high-performance
sports
centre
equipped
with the
latest
sports
science
technology,
tennis and
basketball
courts,
equestrian
centre, 400m
tartan
competition
athletics
track, two
sports
fields, a
training
farm and an
orchard.
It would
have
provided
1200 boys
agricultural
training,
potentially
filling the
void left
behind by
the closure
of Mareeba
Agricultural
College.
Oh, and
despite it
having an
Islamic
focus, it
would have
been a
multi-denominational
campus, open
to all
faiths.
But it
appears it’s
not meant to
be, with the
proposed
site back on
the market.
Understandably,
the
developers
are
concerned
about the
lack of
support
within the
community
for the
project.
To say there
was a lack
of support
is an
understatement.
The reaction
from some
members of
the
community
has been
downright
hysterical —
even
dangerous.
A quick
glance at
some of the
comments on
the
vitriol-filled
“Stop the
$70 million
Boys
Boarding
School —
Mareeba”
Facebook
group
reveals an
avalanche of
abhorrence.
One follower
says he
“will be
happy to
volunteer to
destroy this
place if it
go’s (sic)
ahead”.
A woman
helpfully
suggests
those
opposed to
the school
“throw a few
dead pigs on
the site”.
“We did this
somewhere
else in
Australia
they didn’t
build it
wasn’t so
sacred after
a dead
bleeding pig
was throw
(sic) on
their
property,’’
she wrote.
And a former
PNG Airlines
pilot starts
off wishing
opponents
“strength”.
“Its (sic)
down right
pathetic
that peace
law abiding
residents of
our great
country have
to fight to
oppose
something
that should
be a NO
BRAINER,’’
he writes.
“No one in
their right
mind would
want
anything
Muslim in
their
community.”
Apart from
being united
in
intolerance,
most of
those
commenting
on the page
have a
common
trait: their
grasp of the
English
language is
appalling.
It’s enough
to make you
very sic
(sic).
Ironically,
these people
want to
prevent a
school from
educating
their kids.
What is
astounding
about this
opposition,
though, is
it is based
on innuendo,
mistruths,
and
downright
falsities
about an
institution
that no one
has seen a
development
application
for yet.
Some of the
more vocal
residents
managed last
weekend to
sort
themselves
into an
actual
organisation
to formally
oppose the
academy.
Dozens
attended
meetings in
Cairns and
Mareeba and
branded
themselves
with the
head-scratchingly
bad name
“Estop
Islamic
School
Mareeba” (EISM).
Estop, if
you – like
me – needed
to look it
up, is an
archaic
legal term
meaning to
bar or
preclude.
It is such
an ancient
term that it
isn’t in the
Macquarie
Dictionary
any more.
It has about
as much
relevance
today as the
Holy
Crusades,
one of
mankind’s
greatest
demonstrations
of religious
extremism.
This
unwarranted
hatred of
Muslims and
Islam is
also based
on the
actions of
extremists.
But guess
what?
There is
more than
one religion
on this
planet that
has there
own
extremists.
Christianity
has wackos
who proclaim
to be
spreading
the word of
Jesus by
placarding
the funerals
of fallen US
soldiers.
God knows
why. Their
logic is too
hard to
follow.
Paganism has
folk who
believe they
can cast
spells and
summon
demons.
Scientology
has Tom
Cruise. But
the actions
of a few
cannot
define an
entire
religion.
Protesting
against an
Islamic
school is no
different
than
opposing a
Catholic
private
school –
fearing
priests may
molest young
children.
Far North
Queenslanders
have opened
their arms
to those of
all races
and faiths.
Mareeba
itself has a
tight knit
community of
Albanian
Muslims, who
helped
establish
the tobacco
industry in
the 1920s
and, since
then,
devoted
themselves
to lives of
faith and
friendship.
If a
multi-denominational
school that
wants to
teach peace
and unity is
deterred
from the
region, it
is a huge
loss to the
community.
Pope
Francis
speaks
to
reporters
during
a
press
conference
aboard
the
flight
toward
Rome,
Sunday,
Nov.
30,
2014.
Francis
kicked
off
his
final
day
in
Turkey
with
a
lengthy,
two-hour
liturgy
alongside
Ecumenical
Patriarch
Bartholomew
I in
the
Orthodox
Church
of
St.
George,
where
incense
mingled
with
hypnotic
chants
and
prayers
on
an
important
feast
day
for
the
Orthodox
Church.
Pope
Francis, in
Rome after a
three-day
trip to
Turkey, told
reporters
that
non-Muslims
shouldn’t be
“enraged” at
the larger
Muslim
community
when acts of
terrorism
are
committed in
the name of
Islam.
“You just
can’t say
that, just
as you can’t
say that all
Christians
are
fundamentalists.
We have our
share of
them
(fundamentalists).
All
religions
have these
little
groups,” he
said,
Reuters
reported.
“They
(Muslims)
say: ‘No, we
are not
this, the
Koran is a
book of
peace, it is
a prophetic
book of
peace,’” he
added.
The Pope
also called
on key
Muslim
leaders to
condemn
terrorism
when it’s
conducted in
the name of
Islam.
Such “global
condemnation”
would do a
lot toward
warding off
stereotypes
against
Islam, he
said.
We are in
need of a
3-4 bedroom
house with 2
bathrooms
and double
garage. Any
suburb on
the south
side of
Brisbane. We
are
excellent
tenants who
always pay
our rent on
time. We
need a long
term lease,
so we won't
have to move
again. Your
house will
be very well
taken care
of. Please
call me if
you own such
a house and
want to help
a sister
out. Thank
you. Ph.
0402917109.
China Uighurs: Xinjiang
city of Urumqi to ban Islamic veil
The Islamic
veil has grown increasingly
popular among the Muslim Uighurs
of Xinjiang
CHINA: The Islamic face
veil is to be banned in public in the
capital of China's restive Xinjiang region,
home to its Uighur Muslim minority.
The ban was backed by local authorities in
Urumqi, state media reported.
The move is the latest in a campaign against
Islamic clothing and symbols in the mainly
Muslim region.
China's government has blamed Uighur
militants for several recent attacks - but
activists say the violence has been fuelled
by Chinese repression.
The Uighurs traditionally practice a
moderate form of Islam. Recently, though,
the influence of stricter forms of the faith
from the Gulf and Pakistan has led to more
women covering their faces.
According to the BBC's Asia Pacific editor,
Charles Scanlon, the Chinese authorities
regard wearing an Islamic face veil as an
act of defiance at a time of growing
violence in the region.
In August this year, the northern city of
Karamay banned men with long beards from
boarding buses.
Some experts believe such restrictions could
backfire at a time when many Uighurs believe
their culture is under attack.
James Leibold, an expert on
China's ethnic policy at Melbourne's La
Trobe University, told Reuters news agency
that the ban on the veils would make them
"more popular as a symbol of resistance and
assertion of ethno-national identity".
He is quoted as saying that China's
Communist party had made a direct link
between certain Islamic dress styles and
religious extremism.
The law passed in Urumqi is set to come into
force after it has been approved by a
regional body.
China's authorities have attributed a wave
of recent violence, some of which has
targeted civilians in public places, to
Uighur militants inspired or aided by
overseas terror groups.
It has launched a crackdown in the region,
arresting and jailing scores of people.
But Uighur activists say that China's
strong-arm tactics in Xinjiang - including
cultural and religious repression - are
fuelling tensions.
KABUL: Meet Afghanistan’s
Bruce Lee look-alike, Abbas Alizada! The
20-year-old from Kabul, nicknamed 'Bruce
Hazara,' not only bears a striking physical
resemblance to the famous kung fu legend,
but also manages to pull off his martial
arts moves.
The young Afghan has kicked his way through
the internet, gaining wide popularity
through videos and photos showcasing his
talents.
Alizada's uncanny resemblance
to the action film legend – the bowl-like
haircut, physical build, and even similar
clothes – made him a web hit this week.
"I want to be a champion in my country and a
Hollywood star," Alizada told Reuters during
an interview at Kabul's Darul Aman Palace.
The promising martial artist comes from a
poor family of 10 children. His family
wasn’t able to provide his classes at a
Chinese mixed martial arts academy, but the
trainer saw Alizada’s diligence and agreed
to train him for free.
The young man trains there twice a week,
perfecting nunchaku techniques and sparring
with partners.
Alizada has over 50,000
followers on Twitter, where he posts
pictures of himself striking Lee’s poses in
front of Afghan landscapes.
Afghanistan is torn by internal conflict
between the country’s NATO-supported army
and Taliban insurgents.
"The destruction here makes me sad, but
it also inspires me," said Alizada, adding
that “the only news that comes from
Afghanistan is about war...I am happy that
my story is a positive one."
AGRA:
A day after a group of around 200 Muslims in
Madhunagar slum-cluster here claimed they
had "reconverted" to Hinduism, many of them
on Tuesday said they were still Muslims,
with some admitting that they had joined the
RSS and Bajrang Dal-organized 'ghar vapsi'
ceremony after being promised ration cards
and houses.
The saffron outfits, though,
rubbished this claim, saying there was no
inducement for "reconversion".
Farhan, a slum dweller, said, "If 40 people
in saffron scarves come and stand on your
head, you will do just as they want." Farhan
was among those who had taken part in the
puja, washed the feet of Hindu gods and also
briefly worn vermillion on his forehead. On
Tuesday, though, he said it was all for
getting those men in "saffron scarves" off
his back.
The re-conversion event was painted as "ghar
vapsi" or re-conversion of Muslims who had
Hindu ancestry. It was organized by the
Dharma Jagran Samanvay Vibhag, an offshoot
of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and
Bajrang Dal. A 'shuddhikaran hawan' was also
performed in the slum.
Bajrang Dal functionary Ajju Chauhan said
the re-conversion had indeed taken place,
and if the people were denying it, it was
out of fear. "All these people have Hindu
ancestors. They just did 'ghar vapsi'," he
said, adding, "They were not lured by ration
cards or houses. They wanted to lead clean
lives."
District magistrate Pankaj Kumar and SSP
Shalabh Mathur said no one had approached
them in connection with the re-conversion
event.
Ismail, who led the 200-odd
Muslims in the event, said he offered namaz
on Tuesday after no one from the saffron
outfits turned up in their neighbourhood.
"We're poor people and anyone can do
anything with us. We can't afford to lose
our lives over religion and conversion,"
Ismail said, adding that the promise of
ration cards and houses had drawn many
people.
"They first threatened to get us to vacate
our homes. The land is owned by a Hindu.
Later, they said that if we converted, we
would get houses and better schooling for
children," Ismail said. The women who had
posed before cameramen on Mondays appeared
withdrawn the day after and would not even
allow the kids out to play.
An
‘anti-Islamisation’
demonstration in Dresden this
week. Photograph: Jens Meyer/AP
Islamophobia is on the rise in Germany. That
is troubling enough. But what’s even more
concerning is that many of those whom I
would define as Islamophobic feel very good
about it. They see themselves not as racist
or xenophobic, but as defenders of democracy
and human rights against the adherents of a
religion they believe is incompatible with
both.
Over the past few years the advance of
Islamophobia can be easily observed.
Anti-Muslim websites such as Politically
Incorrect have expanded and become more
aggressive, cherry-picking reports of crimes
by Muslim perpetrators in order to confirm
their prejudices; books with a clear
anti-Muslim agenda – such as that of Thilo
Sarrazin, a former Berlin finance senator –
have sold hundreds of thousands of copies,
including claims that Muslim immigrants are
“dumbing down” Germany; parties such as Pro
Köln, which hysterically warn of an “Islamic
land grab”, have been founded.
It is against this backdrop that we have to
look at the weekly protests in Dresden
against the “Islamisation” of Germany. Few
of those attending are neo-Nazis or classic
rightwing radicals. Instead, the vast
majority are normal citizens. Interestingly,
and perhaps tellingly, there are hardly any
Muslims in Dresden. Islamophobia apparently
has as much to do with imagination as with
reality.
To be sure, Islamophobia is no German
speciality. In the Netherlands, for example,
similar developments started years earlier.
In fact, Islamophobia is on the rise across
western Europe, not least in the UK.
As a journalist with an Arabic name, I
receive a fair amount of Islamophobic hate
mail, as do many colleagues with a similar
background. Three years ago, when we
realised this was happening to all of us and
had become more frequent, we started to
stage public events at which we read from
these letters to an audience. But we don’t
just read the letters. We have created a
show around it – a party, if you like –
called Hate Poetry Slam, during which we
compete over who has received the meanest,
most racist, most hateful letter. It is a
public act of catharsis. But much more
importantly, when read out loud in front of
hundreds of people, the full extent of
idiocy, the lack of logic, the hysteria in
these letters becomes palpable. And
laughable.
Of course, Islamophobia can’t
be laughed away and ours is just small way
of dealing with it. But what’s clear is that
traditional racist arguments are now more
likely to come in the form of abuse on the
basis of religion. The argument is often
that Jews share the same values as
Christians, and Vietnamese immigrants are
good at integrating, but for Muslims neither
is true; plus, they want to take over. Which
is why their religion is in fact an
ideology; which is why it is OK to be
against it; which in turn makes you a
freedom fighter.
What’s feeding this? Clearly 9/11 and other
Jihadist terrorist attacks play a role. But
that’s not all. There is fear of losing out
economically, for which Muslims are
scapegoated; there’s the challenge of living
in a society changing rapidly in the light
of globalisation; there’s anger about the
increasing visibility of immigrants.
The organisers of the Dresden demonstrations
claim to be responding to street fights
between Salafists and Kurds that broke out
in western Germany a few weeks ago. But
framing this and other problems as part of a
phenomenon of Islamisation is ridiculous.
And yet it is time we started to take this
seriously. Those people in the streets of
Dresden may be nonviolent but they have been
infected with a smug contempt for a
minority, and may embolden the more radical
fringes of the Islamophobic spectrum.
Politicians here have sensed that something
is building. But until very recently, they
mostly just maintained that people’s
grievances should be taken seriously, rather
than criticising the racist sentiment that
came with their complaints.
This needs to change – now. It needs to be
made clear that Islamophobia in Germany is
no legitimate expression of anger or
frustration and most certainly nothing to be
proud of. It’s racism, plain and simple.
Meet the noble soul who
lives to serve and ease suffering
SOUTH AFRICA:
Gift of the Givers has been to some of the
world’s most horrendous disaster scenes and
has helped millions of people. But how did
it all start?
Imtiaz Sooliman (pictured
above) spent many years studying to
become a doctor but, in 1992, he left that
all behind.
How it all started
It’s not something I planned;
it all happened by coincidence,” says
Sooliman. “On 6 August 1992 when I was 28
years old – it was a Thursday night – I was
in Istanbul with a spiritual teacher. There
were people from all countries, all
religions, and all colours – there was a
unity of man, of different groupings in a
holy place. After a religious ceremony the
teacher just looked at me and it was as if
something was talking through him – he just
looked at me and said:
‘My son I’m not asking you
I’m instructing you. You will form an
organisation; the name will be Gift of the
Givers. You will serve all people of all
races, of all religions, of all colours, of
all classes, of all political affiliations
and of any geographical location and you
will serve them unconditionally.
You will not expect anything
in return - not even a thank you. In fact,
with the kind of duty that you’re going to
do, expect to get kicked in the butt. If you
don’t get kicked regard that as a bonus.
Serve the people with
kindness, with compassion, with mercy and
remember the dignity of man is foremost – no
matter what condition there is, you always
protect the dignity of man and, when you
serve them, serve them with excellence. This
is an instruction for you for the rest of
your life.
Remember that whatever is
done is done through you and not by you.
Don’t ever forget that!’
“I knew immediately I wanted to do that. I
asked no questions. But I did think that
maybe he’s talking about a small thing once
in a while in between my medical practice. I
never expected something like this!”
It began in Bosnia
The first project that Gift
of the Givers took on was Bosnia in August
1992. “I just started when the civil war
broke out,” says Sooliman. "I knew nothing
about NGO work. Not even five months later
we designed the world’s first containerised
mobile hospital.
“It’s driven by fate, because
you feel that connection all the time. You
feel the calling, you feel the need, you see
the suffering of man and you want to do
something. There’s a lot of prayer involved.
You’ve been shown what the right way is;
what to do and what not to do. And it’s very
clearly put in front of you.”
Gift of the Givers is in the
business of saving lives which includes
search and rescue missions. There are about
60 permanent day-to-day staff members. The
medical team fluctuates according the need,
but there is a core group of about 30
volunteers while the search and rescue party
also numbers about 30. “The search and
rescue guys are paramedics so there’s an
overlap between the two teams,” says
Sooliman.
The work the medical staff
members at Gift of the Givers do can be very
traumatic. In Haiti it left deep emotional
scars that changed them forever.
Death is everywhere
“In Haiti the stench of death
is everywhere! Doctors complained they’re
finding only bodies; there’s nobody left
alive. It’s terrible, but the thing that
really broke them was in a church where they
had to re-amputate the feet and hands of
children that somebody before us messed up.
There were hundreds of children like this!
“After that, when they told those children
to go home, the children said ‘go home
where?’ There is no house. There are no
parents. There are no grandparents. There’s
nobody. And they have torn clothes and no
food or water. The stench of death, broken
buildings, broken souls… My teams broke
down.”
Although it’s an NGO Gift of
the Givers is run very professionally as if
it was a business. “We would not have lasted
two decades if it wasn’t,” says Sooliman.
“Everything must be perfect. Corporates want
to see professionalism.”
Funded by ordinary South
Africans
Gift of the Givers is funded
predominantly by ordinary South Africans. “A
poor school in Orange Farm – the kids don’t
have shoes, they don’t have lunch, they
don’t have a jersey in winter – gave us R41
000 when we had the crisis in Somalia. A
government school in Rylands gave us more
than R100 000. Pensioners give us money.
“Recently a guy came out of
prison. He said that he hasn’t been a good
man; he’s done bad things. He gave us
everything he had when he left prison –
R5.60. People all over South Africa that
respond in this manner.
“We have difficulties, but
it’s nothing in comparison to what you see
elsewhere. We must never be ungrateful.”
Sooliman says it’s the
suffering of others that keeps him going.
“We want to carry out service. We want to do
this over and over, because you see the pain
and suffering of people. When you can offer
something and put a smile to somebody’s face
you feel great.”
Group of prominent Malays
calls for rational dialogue on position of
Islam in Malaysia
PETALING JAYA: Deeply
concerned over developments regarding race
relations, Islam and extremist behaviour in
Malaysia, a group of 25 prominent Malays
have called for a rational dialogue on the
position of Islam in a constitutional
democracy.
"Given the impact of such vitriolic rhetoric
on race relations and political stability of
this country, we feel it is incumbent on us
to take a public position," said Datuk Noor
Farida Ariffin, former Malaysian Ambassador
to the Netherlands, in a statement on Sunday
issued on behalf of the 25 signatories.
The statement was signed by prominent
personalities, including former
secretaries-general, directors-general,
ambassadors and prominent Malay individuals
who have contributed much to Malaysian
society.
Lord Mayor walks out of
Islamic charity lunch after his lady consort
was told she had to sit downstairs at the
event
UK:
A Lord Mayor walked out of an Islamic
charity lunch after discovering that he
would have to be segregated from his female
consort.
Labour councillor John Thomas, 70,
(pictured left) arrived at the function
last Sunday with consort Margaret Corley,
72.
But Councillor Thomas, the Lord Mayor of
Leicester, was said to be upset at being
told he would have to dine in an upstairs
function room with male guests, while his
consort would be seated downstairs with the
other women.
The lunch was held to mark the end of
Charity Week – an annual fundraising event
supported by around 20 university Islamic
societies in the UK, and others in Canada
and Qatar. It took place at a wedding and
conference venue near Leicester railway
station.
Guests at the event, who paid £6 a ticket,
were told that the week of fundraising to
help orphaned and disadvantaged children
raised £730,000. But Councillor Thomas
seemed to be in no mood for celebrating and
left early. It is understood Mrs Corley left
with him.
A source at the event said the Mayor had
‘insulted’ other guests by walking out,
adding: ‘Students from universities,
colleges and schools raised over £732,000 in
just one week.
‘They contributed their time and efforts to
raise money. The Lord Mayor should have
respected this work.’
Councillor Thomas, who lives with his
disabled wife Irene, 59, in Hamilton,
Leicester, declined to comment on the
matter.
But another source with knowledge of the
incident said the Mayor’s office had
previously been sent some information
outlining what he could expect at the
function. ‘The Mayor says no such
information [about sitting separately] was
passed to him, so the arrangement seems to
have taken him by surprise’, they said.
Ticket order forms for the event on Charity
Week’s website featured separate boxes for
‘sisters’ and ‘brothers’.
Mrs Corley, who lives in a bungalow in the
nearby village of Scraptoft, also declined
to comment. She is understood to be a widow,
and it is not known how she came to be
selected as the Lord Mayor’s consort.
Councillor Thomas was elected to Leicester
City Council in 1995 and currently
represents Belgrave ward, a largely ethnic
Indian district in a city where more than
half of the population is non-white.
A spokesman for Islamic Relief, Charity
Week’s partner organisation, said Councillor
Thomas ‘arrived at the venue but left before
the event started’. He added: ‘What happened
was an unfortunate misunderstanding for
which I want to apologise to the Lord Mayor
on behalf of Islamic Relief and Charity
Week.
‘None of the Charity Week organisers told
the Lord Mayor he could not sit with his
partner, and if anyone else at the event did
then they were mistaken. The Lord Mayor and
his partner would have been more than
welcome to enjoy this event together.’
Yusuf / Cat Stevens boards
the "Peace Train" once again: Interview with
Anthony Mason
UK: Born Stephen Georgiou in
London to a Greek father and Swedish mother,
Cat Stevens (his stage name) was 18 when he
released his first album. He broke through
in the U.S. in the Seventies, scoring eight
straight gold or platinum albums.
But the singer started looking for a higher
purpose in his life.
During his last tour in the U.S. in 1976, he
was already studying the Koran. A year
later, he would convert to Islam . . . and
in November 1979, he turned his back on his
music career.
Mason asked, "Did you have any regrets?"
"I think the only regret I had was kind of
in a way saying goodbye to a lot of the
people that wanted me to hang around and
keep singing," he replied. "But I had a life
to get on with."
He changed his name to Yusuf Islam - and he
would not pick up a guitar again until 2003,
when his son brought one home.
How did it feel to play the guitar again?
"You know, it hurt a little bit, 'cause you
know your fingers get a bit sore at the top.
But very soon that vanished and I was back
creating songs and writing with another
meaning."
"There were some people in the Muslim world
who were uncomfortable with [you] picking up
the guitar again," said Mason.
"That's true. There is an opinion --
although it's an isolated one perhaps --
which is very loud, that doesn't agree with
music or frivolity and generally the
entertainment world.
"So I've now written a book called 'Why I
Still Carry a Guitar.' And that's kind of to
silence those people who perhaps think I'm
doing something outside of the religious
boundaries. And of course, [it's] nothing
like that. The civilization of Islam was
probably the first to introduce the guitar
as a popular instrument."
At 66 Yusuf has a new album
out, "Tell 'Em I'm Gone." His journey back
to music has been gradual: First singing,
then recording, now touring. And Cat, the
name he pushed away, he has embraced again.
"I chose that name. So I'm
quite happy now to see that name, you know,
alongside Yusuf because, hey, it's me!"
"For a while that wasn't true, though," said
Mason.
"For a while I was trying to get as far away
from my past as possible," Yusuf said. "And
that's a natural thing when a person, you
know, converts or embraces religion. They
don't want to know anything else.
"So there's a point where you have to come
to a balance, right? And thank God, I've
come to that balance today. And so I'm able
to be a reflection of my Western upbringing,
my lifestyle, and also my faith as a
Muslim."
"There need to be more bridges?"
"For sure."
"Do you want to be one of those bridges?"
"I'm naturally a bridge," he said. "Yeah,
that's my job."
Q: Dear Kareema, I’ve just
completed Uni for the year and find that I’m
missing motivation when it comes time to work
out. What can I do to get back in to the zone?
A: If you really need a push, then try to
get to the gym.
Doing classes will get you
motivated and hanging around longer than you
would when working out on your own.
Get yourself in the right frame
of mind with a good start to the day by having a
healthy breakfast to kick-start your metabolism
and day.
Finally, rope in some friends.
Get yourself a workout buddy and
not only motivate each other, challenge yourself
to be the best that you can be.
The
latest in Islamic children’s storybooks – Faatimah and
Ahmed: We’re Little Muslims by Brisbane-based
Razeena Gutta and illustrated by Abira Das is an innovative
and imaginative approach to story telling.
When Razeena Gutta started putting together stories for her
young children at bedtime, little did she realise that what
started off as a disjointed response to her son’s questions,
her story would become a fresh, creative storybook for young
Muslims worldwide.
Borne out of a desire to inspire in her own children the
love for Islam and its teachings, Faatimah and Ahmed:
We’re Little Muslims is the first in a series of books
which aim to make learning about Islam interesting, relevant
and exciting for young children.
The book is a bright, colourful, engaging and gently written
resource that will help build a deep love and respect for
Muhammad SAW and help children to understand his role in our
lives. It is a book that children will love to read.
The characters Faatimah and Ahmed are two fictitious
children, who, like any other young children love to play,
have fun and they learn best through storytelling. They are
aged age 4 and 6 and in the first book, We’re Little Musims,
they interact with each other and learn about the details of
the birth of the Prophet Muhammad SAW.
For any queries related to the book, author,
distribution channels or availability, please contact
Razeena by email –
read@readlittlemuslims.com Razeena Gutta is the founder
of
www.readlittlemuslims.com. The aim of this website is to
continually source and review the high quality books and
resources that are being produced worldwide for young
Muslims, and create a centralised forum to find and discuss
new and existing products. She also runs the facebook page
www.facebook.com/readlittlemuslims,
www.facebook.com/faatimahandahmed and is on Instagram @readlittlemuslims.
Would you like
to see the cover of your favourite book on our book shelves
below?
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: It's this time
of the year when your biscuit tins need to be
filled up. Using this recipe from Mishka Osman,
the biscuit dough can be left in the
freezer and baked fresh when the need arises.
Elachi scented Pistachio Shortbread
Ingredients
250g unsalted
butter, at room temperature
½ cup castor sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1¾ cups sifted flour
¼ cup cornflour
1 cup whole pistachios
¾ tsp elachi powder
Method
1. Cream the butter and the sugar together.
2. Mix in the vanilla and elachi.
3. Mix in the pistachios.
4. Fold in the sifted flour and cornflour and
form a soft dough.
5. Turn the dough out onto a sheet of plastic
wrap and form it into a log, about 9 or 10
inches long. Wrap it in the plastic and smooth
it into a uniform smooth shape, twisting the
ends to secure.
6. Refrigerate the dough for at least 3 hours,
or overnight.
7. Slice the dough into 1/4 - 1/3 inch slices
and place on a baking paper. Thinner slices will
bake up crispier, and thicker ones will be more
buttery and soft.
8. Bake for about 10 minutes on a pre-heated
oven of 180degrees, maybe a little longer for
thicker cookies. The cookies will still be pale
and soft, but will firm up as they cool.
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.
Monday: Junior Class
Tuesday: Junior Arabic
Friday: Adult Quran Class
For more information call 0470 671 109
Holland Park Mosque
All programs are conducted by Imam Uzair Akbar
DAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
PROGRAM
Tafseer Program
Basics of Islam
Tafseer Program
AUDIENCE
Men
Ladies
TIME
after Maghrib Salat
Taleem Programe at Kuraby Mosque
Every Thursdays 10.30-11.30am
Bald Hills Mosque Weekly Tafseer
Day
Event
Time
Monday
Tafseer
after Isha
Tuesday
Dars Nizame (Urdu)
after Isha
Wednesday
Seerath
after Isha
Thursday
Dars Nizame (Urdu)
after Isha
Friday
Biyaan
after Isha
Sunday
Joula
after Maghrib
Sunday
Biyaan
after Isha
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
Time: 7.00pm sharp Date: Tuesday 2 December 2014 Venue: Islamic College of Brisbane - 45 Acacia Road
Karawatha
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
Articles and
opinions appearing in this newsletter do not necessarily
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its Editor or its Sponsors, particularly if they eventually
turn out to be libellous, unfounded, objectionable,
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It is the usual policy of CCN to
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readers may find interesting or relevant. Such notices are
often posted as received. Including such messages or
providing the details of such events does not necessarily
imply endorsement of the contents of these events by either
CCN or Crescents of Brisbane Inc.
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.
The
CCN Inbox: Letters
to the Editor
UK:
A Lord Mayor walked out of an Islamic
charity lunch after discovering that he
would have to be segregated from his female
consort.
The
latest in Islamic children’s storybooks – Faatimah and
Ahmed: We’re Little Muslims by Brisbane-based
Razeena Gutta and illustrated by Abira Das is an innovative
and imaginative approach to story telling. 
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011
