Australia is
unwelcoming
to
dark-skinned
people, of
African and
Asian
descent, as
well as
Muslims
travelling
to that
country. The
official but
muttered
reason is
terror.
Zunaid
Chenia
(pictured
above right
with son-in-law,Yusuf
Dinath),
an
Australian
citizen and
businessman,
was taken
aback when
he was
interrogated
for 30
minutes at
Brisbane
airport
after an
overseas
visit to SA
and the UAE.
As a
businessman
and
humanitarian
activist,
who runs an
orphanage in
Jordan, this
49-year-old
trots the
globe
frequently.
The
ill-treatment
this man and
his family
members
endured is
the type
reserved for
inbound
visitors who
don’t meet
the
“European”,
or thus
mainstream,
profile.
“I have been
traveling
frequently
coming into
Australia,
go back, and
so forth.
Alhamdulillah
there was no
problem
before.
First time I
walked in,
that was the
17th of
March, that
was last
week
Tuesday, my
daughter and
son-in-law
traveled
with me as
well,”
Chenia, who
emigrated
from SA
almost 20
years ago,
told Sabahul
Khair.
“I actually
scanned my
passport and
had my
arrival card
with me. As
I got out I
saw (an)
officer
standing
there and he
questioned
me
immediately:
‘Where’s
your arrival
card?’ I
gave it to
him, and I
had
something to
declare,
that was
chocolate. I
actually had
it marked
that I’ve
got
chocolate to
declare, and
after that
he wrote
something on
the card –
which I
wasn’t aware
of. So, I
carried on.
After five
minutes
another
gentleman
stopped me
again and he
asked me:
‘Where’s
your arrival
card?’ He
looked at
it.”
No sooner,
another
official
emerged, a
third, and
stopped
Chenia. “I
was really
confused.
But, you
know,
travelling
14 hours, I
was so tired
so I just
wanted to
carry on and
get my bags
and move
out.”
That was not
the end of
his nasty
welcome and
that of his
co-travellers
and family
members.
After
getting his
baggage,
having met
up with the
other two,
and heading
towards
customs,
Chenia was
told to go
to a
different
section.
That
section, he
noticed, had
people, like
him, of
darker hue.
Naturally,
none were of
European
descent. His
family
members were
also held up
and
questioned
at Brisbane
airport
because of
their
appearance.
“It sort of
dawned upon
me that it
was some
kind of
profiling,
it looks
like racial
profiling. I
waited there
for few
minutes,
about 5-10
minutes,
waiting my
turn and the
gentleman
came up to
me and said,
look, ‘bring
your bag’
and he said
‘put it on
top of the
table’. Then
he started
questioning
me,” the
Australian
businessman
said.
From here it
was
downhill.
The
Australian
immigration
officials
posing all
sorts of
questions:
purpose of
his visit to
SA and the
Middle East;
duration of
his stay in
the island
nation
(disregarding
his
citizenship);
nature of
his
businesses
in Australia
and abroad;
whereabouts
of his wife;
and on it
went.
Unsatisfied
with what
the
traveler’s
answers, the
Brisbane-stationed
civil
servant took
Chenia’s
mobile phone
and went
through his
e-mails and
photos. The
businessman,
upset as he
was, decided
to keep calm
than
confront his
inquisitor,
he told Cii
listeners.
“I was
surprised
because I’ve
never been
asked those
questions
before,” the
businessman
said, adding
nothing of
this sort
has ever
occurred to
him in the
17 years
that he has
lived in
Australia.
Upon further
investigation,
Cheria found
that 400
people,
belonging to
Islam, were
“scanned” in
this country
– a
supposedly
cosmopolitan
society.
Instead of
taking it
lying down,
he is
rallying
fellow
mistreated
citizens. A
meeting is
set, for
this Friday,
between
members of
the Muslim
community
and
Queensland’s
authorities,
the police
as well as
the
immigration
minister.
In response
to the above
and other
similar
incidents, a
community
forum was
called up on
Friday
afternoon at
the Holland
Park Mosque
to address
the issue of
"racial" and
"religious"
profiling at
Brisbane
Airport.
Since
November
almost 400
extra people
a day are
being
"assessed"
at airports
across the
country,
forum
organizer,
Ali Kadri,
told CCN.
To listen at
first-hand,
to the
concerns of
the
community,
the Regional
Director of
Customs Mr
Peter Ilkin
and Regional
Director of
Immigration
Ms Jodie
Bjerregaard
attended the
forum and
took
questions
from the
audience.
The forum
was also
attended by
local
federal
member of
parliament
Ms. Terri
Butler and
members of
the QPS and
AFP.
The senior
member of
customs
listened to
the
complaints
and promised
to review
the
procedures
to ensure
fair
treatment.
President of
Holland Park
Mosque and
spokesperson
for the ICQ,
Ali Kadri,
urged the
community to
"come
forward and
express your
concerns in
a democratic
way to
ensure that
your
grievances
are heard
and action
is taken to
address
them."
Presentation
yesterday morning (Saturday) by
Imam Akram on behalf of the
Slacks Creek Mosque to Terry
Walker (2nd from right)
from the Tribe of Juda
for his work in building
community bridges
Allah swt
has blessed
the people
of Brisbane
with an
amazing
opportunity,
an
opportunity
which will
by the grace
of Allah
create a
positive
change, an
opportunity
to finally
reach out to
the wider
Australian
community,
an
opportunity
to display
the true
image of
Islam.
We invite
you to be a
part of this
opportunity
to show
others what
you love
about Islam
and why it
is a faith
you choose
to follow.
For the
first time
in Australia
a Islamic
organisation
will be
feeding
hundreds of
Needy people
every week,
Muslim and
non-Muslim.
This is our
opportunity
to show
people what
sadakah is.
Nabi
Muhammad Saw
was sent as
a mercy to
Mankind, now
is our
chance to
show mercy
to others by
helping the
needy.
The
Slack Creek
Mosque
project has
a vision to
generate its
own highly
qualified
Ulema (
scholars of
Islam),
Ulema who
are
Australian
born, who
have
degrees, who
can speak
good
English, who
can relate
to issue
that we are
faced with
in society.
We are aware
of the
challenge
that we
face. It is
not only the
Non-Muslims
who feel
that we are
strange but
many Muslims
don't
understand
how Islam
fit into a
modern
world.
By having
our own
local Ulema
this will
help resolve
a lot of the
issues we
currently
face.
Our vision
is to create
best
reciters of
Quraan (Huffath),
who
understand
the meaning
of Quran and
apply it in
their lives.
We can offer
IJAAZAH for
our Huffath
This project
is an great
investment
for our
youth and
for the
future of
Islam in
Australia.
Let us all
be part of
this
investment
inshallah.
Let us leave
behind a
legacy that
will gain us
success and
reward in
this world
and
hereafter.
This is a
project for
our
community by
our
community. A
place where
all are
welcome. We
would truly
value you
input and
again extend
an
invitation
for you to
get involved
and make
this a place
for you and
your family.
Brothers and
sisters, we
need your
input to
create a
centre that
we have
never had
before. Your
participation
and
assistance
to achieve
our common
goal is
crucial.
Imagine!!
Every person
that is fed,
every salaah
that is
performed,
every child
that attends
Madrasah,
every
Haafith,
Aalim that
is made at
this Musjid,
the reward
will enter
into your
account till
the Day of
Judgment.
Remember
dear
brothers and
elders,
mothers and
sisters, the
currency of
hereafter is
not gold and
silver
coins, the
currency of
Hereafter is
good deeds.
By the Grace
of Allah swt
we have
collected
$1,341,000
Million and
require a
$750,000.00
by the 8th
June 2015.
We
are selling
a Musallah
for $1000.
We need 750
people to
purchase 1
Musallah,
purchase a
Musallah for
you and the
family,
purchase on
behalf of
someone
beloved who
has passed
away. If you
are unable
to purchase
a Musallah,
then
contribute
whatever you
can for the
sake of
Allah swt.
Let us build
our Aakhira,
Allah swt
says (What
ever we have
will perish,
but whatever
we leave
with Allah
swt is
everlasting.
Nabi
Muhammad saw
took an
oath, that
charity
never
decreased
the wealth
of an
individual,
it only
increased
it. (Muslim)
So get
involved
today and
receive
blessing in
this world,
in the grave
and
hereafter.
Musjid bank
details
Suncorp bank
BSB 484799
A/C
509169377
The
best name on
the list for
Ange
Postecoglou's
latest
squad? Tarek
Elrich.
Overdue for
reward for a
player who
might have
been lost to
Lebanon
three years
ago but for
some sloppy
paperwork in
Beirut, but
now gets the
chance to
wear the
green and
gold with
enormous
pride -
becoming one
of only a
handful of
Muslims to
do so.
The biggest
whoop of joy
might not
have come
from the
family home
at
Merrylands,
but from
inside a
cell at
Bathurst
Jail, where
older
brother
Ahmad is
counting the
days until
his release
is due in
October.
Ahmad also
played for
the
Socceroos
before his
life took a
turn for the
worst four
years ago,
but the bond
between the
two brothers
has never
broken.
Wednesday
will have
been one of
the happiest
days of
Ahmad's
life.
Speaking of
which, if
Elrich gets
on the park
during the
forthcoming
friendlies
against
Germany and
Macedonia,
he will join
a select
list.
Statistics
king Andrew
Howe tells
me only nine
sets of
brothers
have played
for
Australia -
Peter and
Howard
Tredinnick,
Rene and
Denis
Colusso,
Joel, Ryan
and Adam
Griffiths,
John and
Mike O'Shea,
Tony and
Aurelio
Vidmar,
Jason and
Michael
Petkovic,
John and
Bugsy
Nyskohus,
Bill and
Henry
Maunder, and
Ross and
John Aloisi.
It's rare
company,
underlining
the
symbolism of
Elrich's
selection.
None of
which
concerned
Postecoglou
one bit. He
picked him
because he
couldn't
ignore him
any longer.
The Adelaide
United
defender is
in
career-best
form thanks
partly to
the
encouragement
he receives
from Josep
Gombau, but
mostly
because he's
always had
talent that
has been
curiously
overlooked..
Gold Coast
city
officials
have
approved the
first Muslim
youth centre
for the area
in a move
Muslim
leaders hope
will help
unify the
community
and shift
the negative
perception
of the
religion.
The leaders
believe that
the facility
will play a
key role in
preventing
the local
youth from
becoming
disengaged
and prey for
radical
groups like
ISIS.
Area
councillor
Margaret
Grummit
confirmed
plans for
the centre,
which would
be built
adjacent to
the Arundel
Mosque in
Allied
Drive, had
been
approved.
"The area is
zoned as a
community
precinct, so
the proposal
went through
the town
planners,"
she said.
"If the
zoning had
to be
changed, an
application
like this
would have
come before
the planning
committee,
but this
approval was
a fait
accompli."
Cr. Grummit
said she
believed
Arundel
residents
knew about
the youth
centre.
"The only
complaints I
have had
from
residents
about the
mosque are
about
parking on
Friday and
during
Ramadan,"
she said.
"However, it
appears to
be only
tourists in
hired cars
that park
illegally
and we have
opened up
the park on
the other
side of the
road for
parking
where we
also have
marshals."
The street
talk is that
the
authorities
are too
power-hungry
and
over-bearing.
If they
invest in
something
like this
centre, our
youth will
say the
government
is not so
bad.
Hussin
Goss
Hussin Goss,
president of
the Islamic
Society of
Gold Coast,
and one of
the founders
of the
Arundel
Mosque, said
a youth
centre would
reinforce
the message
of unity and
harmony his
society and
the Gold
Coast Imam
Imraan
Husain were
preaching to
Muslim
youth.
"ISIS is not
a good guide
for Islam
and is
totally
against what
we preach,"
he said.
"We have
been
reinforcing
this message
on the Gold
Coast for
the past 18
months.
"A youth
centre will
definitely
harness the
youth.
"It will
give them
direction in
their lives
and within
the
community."
Mr Goss said
he was
hopeful the
Federal and
State
governments
would see
the
advantages
of a youth
centre.
"The Federal
Government
should be
putting back
into the
Muslim
community,"
he said.
"The street
talk is that
the
authorities
are too
power-hungry
and
over-bearing.
If they
invest in
something
like this
centre, our
youth will
say the
government
is not so
bad."
Mr Goss said
he met with
federal MP
Stuart
Robert to
discuss the
centre and
they would
meet again.
"We are
ready to
turn soil on
this project
and we have
raised some
money but we
need another
$2.5 million
for
construction,"
he said.
"We will
open up the
centre to
everyone -
not just
Muslim youth
- because we
want harmony
and
interaction
on the
coast."
He said the
youth centre
had been in
the planning
stage for
five years.
Planned
facilities
for the
youth centre
will
include:
32
underground
carparks
and
total of
164
carparks.
Op-Ed by Julekha of Shajarah
Islamic Family Day Care
Shajarah
Islamic
Family Day
Care began
last year in
response to
the need
within our
community
for an
Islamic
based
childcare
for those
parents who
wanted their
children to
be cared for
and educated
in a home
environment.
Parents were
showing
concern over
the options
that were
available to
them in a
regular
childcare
and were
looking for
a solution
that would
combine the
secular with
an Islamic
based ethos
to meet the
needs of
their
children.
There is an
obvious
desire of
parents to
establish an
Islamic
foundation
for their
children
(and rightly
so) and an
environment
that is
conducive to
the
development
of the
appropriate
values is so
important in
the
development
of a child.
While
Shajarah
Islamic
kindergarten
was meeting
the needs of
children
over the age
of 3, the
Family Day
Care section
could now
“fill the
gap” and
cater for
any ages
starting
from 6 weeks
up to and
including
school age
children.
On the
downside of
things there
has
unfortunately
been a great
misuse of
the systems
by certain
organisations.
It is sad to
see this
happening
within the
community
and we make
dua that
Allah guides
them to that
which is
right and
halaal.
In June this
year new
regulations
will be
brought into
effect to
curb the
fraudulent
misuse of
government
money such
as Child
Care Benefit
and Child
Care Rebate.
As a result
of this many
Family Day
Care Offices
will be
forced to
close their
doors as the
government
enforces the
regulations
leaving many
parents and
educators
stranded!
It may be a
very chaotic
time for
parents who
are
sincerely
requiring
care for
their
children and
for
educators
who may have
been misled
into
adopting
incorrect
practices
perhaps due
to their
lack of
“knowing any
better!”
We ask the
community to
take a stand
against
these
incorrect
practices
and to do
that which
is right.
After all,
we are all
going to be
accountable
to Allah for
every action
of ours!
Any sensible
parent would
only have
the desire
for their
child to be
educated by
a qualified
educator
within a
home that
will impart
the correct
values, and
these can
only be
imparted
appropriately
if the
educator and
the
environment
have a
philosophy
that they
live by,
which
advocates
the ways
that our
beloved
Prophet
Muhammed
S.A.W.
taught us
through His
perfect
example.
Myriam
Francois-Cerrah
interviews
Aamer Rahman
for Middle
East Eye as
he takes
part in his
March 2015
'Truth
hurts' tour
Australian
comic Aamer Rahman on
anti-Muslim paranoia (Photo
courtesy of Aamer Rahman)
There’s
something
gripping
about
watching
Aussie
stand-up
comedian
Aamer Rahman
in action.
Beyond an
undeniable
personal
charisma
which has
certainly
contributed
to his
sell-out
tours here
in the UK,
Australia
and the US,
the
multi-award-winning
comic has
the ability
to shock and
challenge in
equal
measure,
with
sketches
touching on
some of the
most
controversial
issues of
the day,
from the
Islamic
State group
to Anders
Breivik,
skin heads
to the
detention of
asylum
seekers.
The power of
Rahman’s
comedy lies
in a
confrontational
style which
forces
audiences to
contemplate
the
pervasiveness
of
prejudice,
and many
people’s
awkward
complicity
in its
perpetuation.
I caught up
with him
during his
most recent
UK solo
tour, “The
Truth Hurts”
- dubbed one
of The
Guardian's
Top 10
Comedy Shows
of 2014 - to
talk
politics,
racism and
the limits
of comedy.
Until his
career took
off last
year when
his now
infamous
“Reverse
Racism” skit
went viral,
Rahman had
been
considering
giving
comedy up
altogether.
Having split
from the
award-winning
comedy duo
“Fear of a
Brown
Planet” he
says: “I
felt comedy
was at a
real dead
end,
Australia
was too
small and
too limited
an
audience.”
Despite
accolades
and critical
acclaim – he
won the
Melbourne
International
Comedy
Festival
Best
Newcomer
Award,
opening for
hit US
comedian
Dave
Chapelle,
and even a
TV show to
his name -
the struggle
to turn his
niche comedy
into a
viable
career
remains a
challenge
for the
32-year-old,
who cringes
at some of
the
proposals
sent his
way. He
reads me out
a recent
pitch to his
agent
involving a
Muslim pub
landlord –
to be played
by Aamer
himself –
whose job it
would be to
“challenge
preconceived
notions of
Muslims”.
“I wanted to
throw my
phone at a
wall,” he
tells me.
“That is one
of the most
offensive
things
anyone has
ever sent
me. Muslim
pub landlord
– coming
soon,” he
jokes
sardonically.
I ask him
why he
thinks his
Reverse
Racism clip
– in which
he imagines
a scenario
where the
very concept
of “reverse
racism”
could
actually be
viable –
went viral
the way it
did. The
video now
has well
over a
million
YouTube
views. “It
hit a nerve
– it’s an
argument
that so many
people have
had.
Whenever
racism is
discussed,
reverse
racism is
discussed. I
always say
this is
actually the
point of
comedy.
People think
comedians
are very
original.
No, the
comedian
confirms
what you
already
know. That’s
why you
laugh, you
already
bought that
but they
re-articulated
it in an
entertaining
way. What I
said in that
clip,
everyone
knows, we’ve
all felt
that our
whole lives
- it
confirms a
deep
frustration
that so many
people
have.”
Most
recently, a
poll by the
MCB found
that 95
percent of
Muslims in
the UK feel
loyalty
toward
Britain –
but is
questioning
the loyalty
of British
Muslim
citizens the
way forward
in his view?
“I don’t
think it
changes
anything” he
says,
shaking his
head. “It
doesn’t
convince
racists any
more than
when there
is a
terrorist
attack and
Muslim
organisations
and leaders
come out and
say: ‘We are
British/American/Australian
just like
you.’ It is
fundamentally
premised on
the idea
that maybe
these people
are all
trying to
kill us.
Surprisingly
they’re not,
here’s a
good news
story for
the day!”
So, what
does he make
of the
argument
that linking
Islamophobia
and racism
shuts down
valid
criticism of
the faith?
“I see
Islamophobia
as a flavour
of racism.
It is a type
of racism.
To restrict
racism to
just skin
colour, or
just culture
– it’s not
something I
agree with.
Racism I see
as a
systemic
oppression,
‘otherising’,
marking of a
group of
individuals
according to
race,
ethnicity or
culture, so
you are on
paper
‘white’, but
you are also
Muslim,
which ticks
you as
‘other’ – it
is much more
complicated
than this
notion that
people don’t
like the way
you look so
they start
being
horrible on
the train.”
For Rahman,
anti-Muslim
sentiment is
deeply
political in
nature. “The
anti-Muslim
paranoia
which is
generated in
the West is
so useful,
because
racism is
based on
imaginary
things. The
idea of the
Muslims can
trigger so
many things
in people’s
imagination,
you can use
it to
justify
foreign
policy,
because
we’re
fighting
'these kinds
of people'.
You can use
it to
justify
reparation
policies and
asylum
policies,
because
these people
are coming
to invade
and steal
your jobs.
You can use
it to attack
poor and
working
people
because some
of them are
or look
Muslim.
That’s the
best part of
Islamophobia,
you don’t
even need to
be Muslim -
they just
need to fall
somewhere in
the net of
vaguely
Muslim. It
is good
value for
money.”
So what’s at
the root of
racism? Is
it as simple
as what we
often hear -
the idea of
“hatred”?
“The biggest
mistake
people make
when they
talk about
racism is to
talk about
it without
talking
about
class,"
Rahman says.
"So racism
always has
some sort of
economic
imperative.
It isn’t
just we hate
people like
this because
their food
is different
and they
wear funny
things, and
they have
beards and
headscarves.
It is about
poor working
people, it
is about
asylum
seekers, it
is about
foreign
policy,
which are
all
economically
driven. We
need to
invade these
places, so
we need to
construct
the idea
that these
people need
to be
invaded –
and we need
to construct
the idea
that they
don’t
deserve to
flee those
places and
come and
live amongst
us – and we
need to
construct
the idea
that they
don’t
deserve
benefits and
they don’t
deserve
housing.”
Rahman isn’t
just an
armchair
theorist on
this issue.
His adopted
brother runs
RISE, the
first
refugee and
asylum
seeker
organisation
in Australia
to be run
and governed
by refugees,
asylum
seekers and
ex-detainees,
and a group
within which
he himself
has a
history of
activism. In
one of his
skits, he
describes
being part
of a group
of activists
who trek out
into the
Australian
desert to
help free
detainees.
Without
giving away
the punch
line, it
involves
blood, a
woman
handing her
baby to
strangers
through a
fence and
Rahman
spending
some time in
police
custody.
Discussing
the
Charlie
Hebdo
attacks in
France, I
put to him
the widely
touted idea
that Muslims
are just too
sensitive to
accept
criticism:
“This is
what came
out during
the whole
Charlie
Hebdo
situation –
you just
can’t talk
about Islam,
you can’t
criticise
Islam, as if
Islam hasn’t
been under
the
microscope
since 9/11,
as if Islam
hasn’t been
systematically
dissected
and pulled
apart in the
media
non-stop for
the last
decade. The
idea that
Muslims
can’t be
criticised –
we’re in the
middle now
of the
fourteenth
year of a
global war
specifically
targeting
Muslims.
Muslim
communities
have been
subjected to
unprecedented
surveillance,
monitoring,
policing -
these are
all
criticisms
of Islam.”
Should some
topics be
off-limits
in comedy
then? I ask.
Who gets to
decide what
those topics
are? “I’m
not for
censorship,”
he quickly
interjects.
“I think
Muslims hold
some things
sacred in a
way that it
is difficult
for
non-religious
people and
maybe even
religious
but
non-Muslim
people to
understand.
Given where
Muslims sit
socially and
politically,
crossing
those lines
has quite
deep
implications.
Because
Muslims are
often poor,
marginalised,
under-employed,
etc..
Obviously
any
provocation
is much much
worse. If
Muslims were
rich and
comfortable,
I don’t
think they’d
be as upset
about these
things –
they’d
definitely
still be
upset,
there’s no
question,
but I think
that context
is
important.
In France,
when you
live in a
country
which is
more
offended by
your
headscarf
than racist
pornographic
cartoons
that bully a
minority,
that’s got
to be
upsetting.”
As we wrap
up our
interview, I
ask Rahman
whether his
flippant
style of
comedy can
ever
transcend
the racist
divide it
speaks to -
can it ever
speak to the
racist?
“No,” he
responds.
“It can’t
speak to the
racist. It
isn’t
designed to
speak to the
racist, it
is designed
to validate
victims of
racism and
what they
think – one
thing we’re
always told
growing up
when we
experience
racism is
that it
isn’t there.
You’re too
sensitive,
you’re
misunderstanding,
they didn’t
mean it like
that, it’s
just a joke.
It’s not –
we have a
sixth sense
about it
because
we’ve
experienced
it our whole
lives. It’s
absolutely
true, I’m
not crazy,
they
shouldn’t
have said
that -
that’s who
my comedy is
for.” So
when can we
expect to
see him back
on stage in
the UK next,
I ask as
he’s about
to embark on
the US leg
of his tour.
In his now
trademark
style, he
smiles:
“Look, if
this Muslim
pub idea
takes off, I
could
franchise
that and
turn it into
a tour show
of me
opening a
franchise of
Muslims pubs
– Mubs.”
Aamer
Rahman is
starting a
two-month
tour of the
US
Earlier in
the week,
the Grand
Mufti of
Australia
and the
Australian
National
Imams
Council
encouraged
eligible
Muslim
Australians
living in
the state of
New South
Wales to
vote in the
state
elections
which were
held
yesterday
(Saturday
28th March).
Voting
is one
of the
best
ways to
make
your
voice
heard.
It is
therefore
important
that
every
eligible
Muslim
Australian
in NSW
casts a
valid
vote. It
is our
duty to
give
representative
leaders
sincere
advice
and
support
officials
who
prove
themselves
trustworthy
and a
benefit
to the
state
and the
country.
We
should
vote to
remove
them
from
public
office
when
they do
not.
Politicians
who
promote
xenophobia,
inequity
and
partisanship
are not
worthy
of
support.
Bringing
Islamic
values
to
political
life
supports
such
universal
ideals
as
strong
families,
protection
of the
weak,
and
equity
for all.
Our
faith
compels
us to
act in
ways
that
benefit
all
people.
Everyone
should
check
who the
candidates
in your
electorate
were and
to
carefully
consider
what
their
positions
were
with
regard
to
improving
the
state of
NSW
insofar
as the
following
are
concerned:
employment
opportunities,
health,
education,
law
enforcement,
infrastructure
such as
roads
and
trains,
diversity
management,
etc.
We ask
you to
encourage
everyone
you know
to vote.
If you
are
bilingual,
assist
those
who need
help
understanding
the
voting
process
by
interpreting
and
translating
for
them.
We
believe
that
Muslim
Australians
can
contribute
to
significant
positive
change
by
voting
responsibly.
This 2nd
Australasian
Conference
on Islam
aims to
explore how
radicalisation
and
Islamophobia
feed one
another and
work hand in
hand to pull
society
towards
polar
extremes.
"By tackling
these issues
from
political,
sociological,
psychological
and
theological
angles, this
conference
aims to
explore the
root causes
of
radicalisation
and in
particular
the
significant
impact of
Islamophobia
to that
process."
The
conference
organizers
invite
abstracts
for original
and critical
research
papers
addressing
the theme
Radicalisation
and
Islamophobia:
Roots,
Relationships
and
Implications
in
Religiously
Diverse
Societies.
Topics of
interest for
abstract
submission
include, but
are not
limited to:
•
Relationship
between
radicalisation
and
Islamophobia
• Impact of
radicalisation
and
Islamophobia
on
religiously
diverse
societies
• Exploring
and
contesting
the
legitimacy
of the
theological
roots of
radicalisation
and
Islamophobia
• Social
roots of
youth
radicalisation
in Western
societies
• Roots of
Islamophobia
and its link
to religious
radicalisation
within other
religious
communities
• Impact of
social media
on
extremism,
radicalisation
and
Islamophobia
•
Alternative
discourses/initiatives/movements
to
extremism,
radicalisation
and
Islamophobia
• Case
studies from
countries,
social
groups and
faith based
movements as
alternatives
to
radicalisation
and
Islamophobia
• Effects of
Islamophobia
on Muslims
living in
the West
• The
empirical
evaluation
of
counter-terrorism
policy,
counter-radicalisation
and
de-radicalisation
through
theoretical
and
practical
cases
A Muslim
woman left
severely
shaken by a
physical and
verbal
assault on a
packed
Sydney train
on Monday
night
believes she
was targeted
because of
her
religion.
Hina, who
wanted to be
identified
only by her
first name,
was on a
train home
from the
city's Town
Hall station
to
Parramatta
when she
said she was
assaulted.
She said she
boarded the
train about
5:30pm, but
found there
were no
seats
available so
stood near
the stairs,
and noticed
"a guy come
in".
"He was
tall. He
looked
angry," she
said.
The
30-year-old
said the man
appeared to
want to use
the stairs
before
hitting her
with his
shoulder.
"I thought
maybe it's a
mistake so I
just stepped
back," she
said.
"Then he
moved even
closer to me
and hit me
three or
four times
with his
shoulder,
his bag. He
kicked me
with his
foot. Then I
realised he
[was]
intentionally
attacking me
so then I
shouted.
"He said
excuse me,
then he
pushed me,
then he said
'get off',
then
f-words,"
she said.
"He said
'you kind of
people, you
block our
way'. I was
in deep
shock."
She said she
became even
more
frightened
when no-one
tried to
defend her,
except for a
woman who
yelled at
the man
after the
assault.
"It was a
fully
crowded
train but
nobody said
anything.
People were
just
listening. I
know they
were
scared,"
Hina said.
She tried to
get off at
Redfern to
notify the
station
manager but
the man got
off at the
same
station.
"He passed
by me and
abused me
verbally and
went away,"
she said.
Warning
to women
travelling
alone
Hina
reported the
assault to
Parramatta
police, who
are now
investigating.
Police said
the man was
of Caucasian
appearance,
about 175cm
tall, aged
in his
mid-30s,
with a
medium
build, bald
head and
facial
stubble, and
wearing
jeans and
black and
white shoes.
Hina wears
Islamic head
covering and
said she
felt the man
targeted her
because of
her faith.
"The moment
he entered
he was
looking
angry at
me," she
said.
"I was the
only one on
that train
that was
wearing the
hijab
[Muslim
headscarf].
It was a
forceful
attempt to
attack me."
She said she
did not go
to work
today
because she
feared
travelling
on a train.
"I didn't
have the
courage to
go to the
station,"
she said.
"I'm scared
because I'm
a single
woman living
alone. I
can't step
out of my
home. This
one incident
has shaken
my
confidence."
She said she
wants more
women,
Muslim and
non-Muslim,
to be
vigilant
when
travelling
alone.
'Disturbingly'
familiar
story of
attacks on
Muslim women
Hina
contacted
the
Islamophobia
Register
Australia,
an online
service that
records
incidents of
anti-Muslim
abuse.
Lawyer
Mariam
Veiszadeh,
who founded
the
register,
said Hina
was clearly
traumatised
by the
incident.
Unfortunately,
it seems to
be women who
are visibly
Muslim, in
this case
who wear the
hijab, who
seem to be
targeted
more.
Lawyer
Mariam
Veiszadeh
Ms Veiszadeh
said Muslim
women who
wear the
hjiab are
more
vulnerable
to attacks.
"They do
happen to be
the
flag-bearers
of their
religion,"
she said.
"Unfortunately,
it seems to
be women who
are visibly
Muslim, in
this case
who wear the
hijab, who
seem to be
targeted
more."
She said the
register has
received
dozens of
reports of
attacks
against
Muslim women
and the
frequency of
incidents
increases
when there
is community
tension.
"It's
becoming
more
common," she
said.
"We are
hearing
anecdotal
reports and
also reports
directly
from
victims.
"When
Muslims are
thrown in
the media
spotlight,
whatever the
case might
be, it just
so happens
that the
next few
days or that
day, we do
hears of
incidents
where Muslim
women or
visible
Muslims are
being
verbally or
physically
attacked.
"It leaves
them with
anxiety that
is quite
crippling.
The fact
that women
are feeling
these things
in Australia
is deeply
disturbing."
She said
community
awareness
and strong
action from
the police
against
perpetrators
were key.
"It's really
important
that we
protect each
other," she
said.
The recent
50 day war
in Gaza
resulted in
the
destruction
of many
water plants
resulting in
thousands of
families
having
limited
access to
clean water.
In any other
circumstance
the
construction
of general
water wells
would have
addressed
this issue.
However due
to
groundwater
pollution
from high
levels of
chloride we
decided to
develop a
long-term
solution.
This
involved
building a
desalination
plant to
purify the
water as
means of
overcoming
the water
shortage.
The
construction
phase of the
project will
take
approximately
five months
to complete.
It is
estimated
that an
astonishing
50,000
people will
benefit from
this
endeavour,
inshaAllah!
The total
cost of the
project is
$230,000
($100,000
has been
raised
already).
HOW YOU CAN
HELP PROVIDE
CLEAN WATER
FOR GAZA
In order to
complete
this project
we urgently
need your
support to
raise
$130,000.
To donate
online
please
visit:
online
or Bank
Deposit
Muslim Aid
Australia
BSB: 062 191
ACC: 1044
8216
Reference:
PALWASH
(Your Name)
The Member for Buderim,
Mr Steve Dickson is the only state MP who is likely
to bring the proposal to ban Mosques in Queensland
in the State Parliament.
This is worrying, even though the proposal has no
merit, and I strongly believe that the matured
politicians in Queensland Parliament will reject the
matter unanimously.
Strangely, the group
behind the move wants to make a difference between a
place of worship and a Mosque.
I am sure you are aware
of the following facts:
- Oxford dictionary meaning of Mosque - A Muslim
place of worship.
- The free dictionary meaning of Mosque - A
building used as a place of Muslim worship.
- The Collin Dictionary meaning of Mosque - a
Muslim place of worship
- The Wikipedia writes, “A place of worship is a
specially designed structure or consecrated space
where individuals or a group of people such as a
congregation come to perform acts of devotion,
veneration, or religious study. A building
constructed or used for this purpose is sometimes
called a house of worship. Temples, churches, and
mosques are examples of structures created for
worship.”
It is a universally
accepted fact that a Mosque is a place of worship -
no more, no less. Clearly the Sunshine Coast group
behind the move to ban Mosques in Queensland is
deliberately pretending to be ignorant or out of
touch with the reality and most likely motivated by
Muslim and Islam bashing ethos. These people may be
a part of a group who includes a man who drove 4
hours to Gold Coast to protest against a proposed
Mosque in Gold Coast last year under the pretext of
perceived local traffic problem in the
neighbourhood.
If you have seen the
website of Reclaim Australia http://www.reclaimaustralia.net/
you could not have missed the following: “this makes
all western government nothing more than a cult
surrounding the false religion it created with its
own unjust law because this law has become a vain
substitute and an affront to Yhwh's Law found in the
bible.”
The group is equally
wrong about blaming ‘halal certification’ and
‘shariah law’ for lots of problems in Australia.
Beyond doubt they don’t know anything about these
issue, let alone understand them.
Last month one Toowoomba
resident and one of the organisers of the so called
Reclaim Australia rally to be held in the Laurel
Bank Park in Toowoomba on 4 April 2015 came to see
me. After an hour long discussions he was convinced
that he should not proceed with the rally and later
he decided to withdraw himself from the group. But
other organisers are determined to organise the
rally. The venue is too close to the Mosque (only
two blocks) and I am afraid if some participants
take extreme move to march to the Mosque to attack
the worshippers and the complex.
As you know that Islamic
Society of Toowoomba is happy to engage and have
dialogue with anyone in the community to remove the
ignorance and misunderstanding and stop spreading
the false and fabricated information and unfounded
rumours about Islam and Muslims. We have been
organising Open Day in the Garden City Mosque in
Toowoomba and the next Open Day is on Sunday, 19
April 2015.
I am sure you are able
speak from your own experience about what a Mosque
does and how Muslims contribute to peace, harmony
and economic development in the community. I request
you to talk your parliamentary colleagues to stop
all kind of unfair attacks on Muslims and Islam in
our great state of Queensland.
The Muslim community is
very thankful for your private support, but I
believe this is about time for the political leaders
to issue public statements so that the wider
community could know about it and the misinformed
people could get much needed guidance. The
politicians may reinforce that Muslims are like any
other group of citizens who are contributing to the
peace, harmony and development of the state.
Any attempt to divide
the community based on difference of any sort is
unacceptable and detrimental to the harmonious
mosaic of Queensland.
Professor Shahjahan
Khan
Vice President of Islamic Council of Queensland
Founding President of Islamic Society of Toowoomba
America Just Got Its
First Accredited Muslim College
US: A Muslim college
received formal academic accreditation
this past weekend, making it the first
officially recognized Islamic
institution of higher learning in the
United States.
Zaytuna College, a liberal-arts school
based in Berkeley, California, announced
that it was formally accredited by the
Western Association of Schools and
Colleges (WASC), one of the six official
academic bodies responsible for the
authorizing public and private colleges
and universities in the United States.
“Today, Zaytuna’s accreditation roots
this vision in a reality recognized
within American higher education,” Hamza
Yusuf, president of the college, said in
a statement celebrating the
announcement.
The statement also added,
“[Accreditation] helps ensure that
Zaytuna successfully fulfills the
objectives outlined in its curriculum,
which grounds its students in both the
Islamic and Western scholarly
traditions.”
According to the school’s website,
Zaytuna was founded in 1996 as an
institute and briefly operated as an
Islamic seminary before dedicating
itself to becoming a Muslim liberal arts
college in 2009. It welcomed its first
freshman class in 2010, and conferred
its first undergraduate degrees in 2014.
It has a student body of around 30
students, and offers a B.A. in Islamic
Law and Theology and courses in
politics, astronomy, and American
history, among others. In a video
chronicling the school’s pursuit of
accreditation, Colleen Keyes, vice
president of academic affairs, explained
that the school’s goal is “to prepare
and educate students, who are morally
committed spiritual, intellectual, and
professional leaders who are grounded in
the Islamic tradition and conversant
with … modern society.”
Afghan
skateboarding? A call-to-prayer contest? New
Muslim channel has it all
Navid Akhtar,
left, and David Horne of
Alchemiya.
LONDON: Alchemiya, a digital
TV channel that has been compared to
Netflix, aims to show Islamic culture at its
best
Tucked away in a former
chocolate factory in Wood Green in north
London, a team of producers are huddled
around footage of a man enthusiastically
practising the call to prayer.
The performer is one of many hoping to win
Istanbul’s annual muezzin competition – the
search to find the heartiest call to prayer
in the Turkish city. And the results,
alongside a documentary about Afghan
skateboarders and a film about Islam in
Japan, will be part of the launch in April
of a digital TV channel that’s being
described as the Muslim Netflix.
Alchemiya, an on-demand streaming
platform that will provide a global home for
Muslim documentaries, lifestyle programmes
and feature films, is the brainchild of
Navid Akhtar, a senior producer with more
than 20 years of experience at the BBC and
Channel 4.
With a subscription model and
digitally driven international reach, it’s
clear why Alchemiya is being compared to
Netflix. But Akhtar has a different way of
thinking about what the company is trying to
achieve. “This is the Monocle [a news and
lifestyle magazine] for Muslims,” he
explains, sitting on a brown leather sofa in
an office lined with bookshelves and walls
covered with geometric Islamic-inspired art.
“Alchemiya is targeting the global urban
Muslim: the professionals, the highly
educated, English speaking, digitally
connected who buy cars and go on holidays.
But they also practise and care about the
image of Islam,” he adds.
When it launches, Alchemiya
will screen programmes – including films
such as Valley of Saints, a Sundance film
festival winner set in Kashmir, and
documentaries such as Skateistan, about
skateboarding in Afghanistan – to an
international audience, many of whom will be
seeing them for the first time.
The company will also show films that are
banned in their country of origin, such as a
documentary about the Bangladesh war of
independence in 1971.
Akhtar, 47, dreamed of an online platform
that would fill what he saw as a gap in the
market for high quality, engaging content
about Islamic culture that would not be
overtly religious or sectarian.
He was joined by Ajmal Masroor, 43, an imam
and broadcaster, who became the company’s
chief communications officer, David Horne,
52, Alchemiya’s financial officer, and
Iftikhar Khan, 45, the technology officer.
Referencing the average age of the company’s
founders, Akhtar jokes that Alchemiya is the
“silver fox” of online startups.
“We’re doing things that make
you proud to be a Muslim. The culture has
always been there, but it’s about capturing
what’s good,” Akhtar says. “We show hope and
don’t show people oppressed. There are
plenty of other platforms where you can see
that.”
Alchemiya – Arabic for chemistry – is about
transformation: “We want people watching our
programmes to be stimulated in their
thinking.”
The founders say they are committed to
ethically produced films. “We’re making the
programmes as authentic as possible – so
we’re not just sending a white man from posh
north London to go out and make the films,”
says Akhtar. “We’re talking to people with
bedroom operations, and taking them to the
next level.”
It is still a small team with less than 10
staff members. Nuria R Harrison, an
assistant producer from Spain, has been at
the company for four months and is making
the final edits to a programme on hijabi
fashion bloggers. She says her aim is to
show “multicultural Islam”.
A trailer for
Müezzin (2009), a documentary
film directed by Sebastian
Brameshuber about the annual
Turkish competition for the best
call to prayer
The Guardian saw a clip of a
documentary series called I Heart Qur’an, in
which people – from a pizza maker to a
martial arts performer – discuss their
thoughts on what a verse of the Qur’an means
to them. It is made by Howard Cohen and
Patrick Stein, a Jewish production team.
Alchemiya has already gained 500 subscribers
– with a two-year subscription costing £100
– from countries such as Australia, the
Emirates, Switzerland and South Korea. The
company is financed through crowdfunding and
investors, as well as from the founders’ own
pockets. Investors will not be able to
determine which programmes are put out,
according to Masroor, who says he had to
turn down a wealthy property developer who
wanted his son on the board.
Horne, who has worked for media companies
for nearly 20 years, says the company is
based on the lean startup business model:
“The whole idea behind it is to build a
minimum viable product,” meaning the
startup’s product is developed in stages
based on feedback from the people using it.
“If you think about it, not a single channel
in the world exists today that shows a
positive image of Islam,” Masroor says. “You
may go to a Muslim TV channel and see a few
good quality programmes, but most of it’s
cheap and cheerful, and it’s often very
preachy.”
The next generation “don’t want to see green
domes and gold stars in the branding”,
according to Akhtar. “Whatever we deliver,”
he says, “has to be as good as the
mainstream.”
The Muslim News Awards for
Excellence 2015 shortlist
UK: The readership of The
Muslim News selected and nominated them, and
a distinguished independent panel of Judges
reviewed, deliberated and mused over the
list.
Over the next few weeks
CCN will profile one of the illustrious men,
women, children and projects deemed to be
worthy of short-listing for a Muslim News
Award for Excellence.
These exemplars of good practice, excellence
– our future role models – will be treated
to a Gala Evening in the presence of their
peers and other renowned guests in March,
when the finalists are announced for the
[16] coveted Awards for Excellence
Annemarie Schimmel Award
for Excellence in Championing a Muslim cause
Dr Ang Swee
Chai talking at a London Mosque.
(Out of respect for Islam she
wore a head scarf in the Mosque)
Dr Swee Ang is a Singaporean
doctor and humanitarian whose life was
transformed after she left her comfortable
job as an orthopaedic surgeon in London to
respond to the plea for medical help after
the Israeli invasion of Lebanon.
Having witnessed and tended
to the victims of the Sabra and Shatila
massacre of Palestinians at a refugee camp
in 1982, Ang returned to London and
established Medical Aid for Palestine (MAP),
a charity striving to achieve the highest
attainable standard of healthcare for
Palestinians in hostile and difficult
conditions.
Ang Swee Chai’s experience
and concerns are charted in her book From
Beirut to Jerusalem: A Woman Surgeon With
the Palestinians.
In 2014, she was deported
from Israel by the authorities and prevented
from carrying out her humanitarian work.
Q: Dear Kareema, I am in
my first trimester of pregnancy and was just
wondering if cardio exercises are still good for
me to do and how long should I keep going?
A: Make sure you get the all clear from
your doctor first and if you’ve been doing
cardio before your pregnancy it should be ok to
keep going as long as you listen to your body
and keep your water intake up.
Listen to your body and take
regular breaks. Keep challenging yourself but
don’t push too hard through your workouts.
Try incorporating Yoga as it will
definitely benefit you as the months go by. As
your baby grows, you’ll be less likely to run or
jump around, so opt to walk and do lots of
stretch sessions instead.
I have ladies take part in my
yoga classes right up to the end of their
pregnancy, so see how you feel each day, and try
to exercise lightly for as long as possible.
This will not only help with delivering your
baby, but you’ll find it easier to start back up
again after giving birth. All the best..
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.
4 eggs
1 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1 tsp essence
2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
METHOD
1. Beat the first 4
ingredients together in an electrical mixer for
+- 4 minutes.
2. Fold in flour and baking powder and mix well.
3. Separate mixture into 5 bowls, each bowl
adding a different colouring to it – you can
make the colours pastel or bright as you desire
4. In your cupcake pans add one heap teaspoon
per colour at a time creating a coloured layer
effect.
5. Bake in a pre-heated oven for approx. 10mins
or until light brown.
6. Cool and top with fresh cream or icing of
your choice.
It is He
Who makes the stars (as
beacons) for you, that you
may guide yourselves, with
their help, through the dark
spaces of land and sea: We
detail Our Signs for people
who know.
CCN has been
informed that a large number of the businesses being
advertised in this Business Section for a number of
years now are either not operating or their details
are not current.
We are starting this section with a
clean slate, so if you wish your advertisement to
continue to appear in our Directory Listing with a
web link and a brochure, please email
ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org as soon as possible.
Lailatul Qadr - Night of Power 1436 (27th Ramadaan
1436)
18 July
Saturday
Eidul Fitr 1436 (1st Shawwal 1436)
25
July
Saturday
Eidfest
Eidfest QLD
Rocklea Showgrounds
0418 722 353
All day
8
August
Saturday
School Fete
Australian International Islamic College
Blunder Rd, DURACK
3372 1400
TBA
12
September
Saturday
Amanah Institute Fundraising Dinner
Amanah Institute
TBA
TBA
TBA
24 September
Thursday
Eidul Adha 1436 (10th Zilhijja 1436)
26
September
Saturday
Eidfest
Eidfest @ Dreamworld
Dreamworld
0418 722 353
Evening
3
October
Saturday
Eid Lunch
Australian International Islamic College
Blunder Rd, DURACK
3372 1400
TBA
15 October
Thursday
Muharram 1437 – Islamic New Year 1437 (1st Muharram
1437)
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.
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: Wednesday 11 February 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
reflect the opinions of the Crescents of Brisbane Team, CCN,
its Editor or its Sponsors, particularly if they eventually
turn out to be libellous, unfounded, objectionable,
obnoxious, offensive, slanderous and/or downright
distasteful.
It is the usual policy of CCN to
include from time to time, notices of events that some
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.
The best ideas
and the best feedback come from our community of readers. If you
have a topic or opinion that you want to write about or want
seen covered or any news item that you think might be of benefit
to the Crescents Community please e-mail
ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org.
Share your
thoughts, feelings and ambitions for our community through CCN.
If there is
someone you know who would like to subscribe to CCN please
encourage them to enter their details
here.
.
The
Slack Creek
Mosque
project has
a vision to
generate its
own highly
qualified
Ulema (
scholars of
Islam),
Ulema who
are
Australian
born, who
have
degrees, who
can speak
good
English, who
can relate
to issue
that we are
faced with
in society.
We
are selling
a Musallah
for $1000.
We need 750
people to
purchase 1
Musallah,
purchase a
Musallah for
you and the
family,
purchase on
behalf of
someone
beloved who
has passed
away. If you
are unable
to purchase
a Musallah,
then
contribute
whatever you
can for the
sake of
Allah swt.
The
best name on
the list for
Ange
Postecoglou's
latest
squad? Tarek
Elrich.
Hussin
Goss
32
underground
carparks
and
total of
164
carparks.
.jpg)
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011