Sunshine Coast residents are seeking legislation to exclude any group which advocates violence, seeks to promote or impose Sharia Law, or rejects the Australian Constitution from the definition of "religion...and places of worship".

Buderim LNP MP Steve Dickson (pictured right) agreed to sponsor the petition, which had been signed by more than 2000 since it was launched earlier this month, on behalf of constituents which represent the group, Sunshine Coast Safe Communities.

He has promoted the petition on both his Facebook page and his personal website as causing "much discussion".

"I am the elected representative of the people of Buderim who are entitled to have their say on a range of issues," Mr Dickson said in a statement.

"This is all part of the democratic process."

But it changed somewhat from when the Sunshine Coast Safe Communities first presented it last year, when it asked Parliament to ban any:

"organised group that practices, preaches, advocates, stores, utilises or distributes, literature advocating any of the following: promotion, hate, humiliation, degradation, violent, jihad, torture or murder of non members, human rights abuses which conflict with the UN Declaration of Human Rights, promotion of Sharia Law, the subjugation of women, including wife beating, honour killing, underage and polygamous marriages, the rejection of Australian democracy, Australian law and the Constitution."

The petition Mr Dickson agreed to sponsor read:

The petition: Queensland Residents draws to the attention of the House that Queensland legislation provides various special exemptions, benefits or protections to places of religious worship. The special exemptions, benefits and protections provided, should not be extended to groups that advocate violence or seek to promote and impose any form, or part of Sharia Law, and who reject Australian Law and the Constitution.

Your petitioners, therefore, request the House to make legislative changes to the definition of "place of worship" and "religion" to EXCLUDE any group or members of a group which advocate violence or seek to promote and impose any form, or part of Sharia Law, and who reject Australian Law and the Constitution."

The Sunshine Coast Safe Communities group promotes itself as an "activist group of people from many different walks of life, different beliefs, backgrounds and abilities…but who are all united in standing up for safety amenity, cohesion, sustainability and prosperity of our communities".

"We write petitions, we lobby politicians, we support Australian values, Australian Law, the Constitution, democracy, human rights and gender equality.

"Our focus is to prevent destructive human behaviour driven by extreme ideologies, dangerous cultural beliefs and drugs or alcohol fuelled violence – all of which degrade our communities and threaten our families."

The website contains articles questioning the effectiveness of multi-culturalism and details how a Queensland community "pulled together united and won" against an application for an Islamic Boys boarding school in Mareeba.

"The call for "cultural harmony" is like mixing oil and water," one article states.

"Shake the mix until you are blue in the face and it just separates right out again.

"We at SCSC believe that cultural harmony is an impossible fantasy for any community with incompatible cultures.

"We do however welcome all people who will assimilate, and reject former beliefs and practices, which deny basic human rights, equality, the rule of law and democracy.

"The amazing thing is that our communities and our leaders, whose very job it is to debate policies such as these have all been intimidated into silence by the threat of being branded as "racists" and "bigots".

"In order for this to have happened, an even more important principle had to be breached, namely freedom of speech."

It is also protesting against a mosque being built on the Sunshine Coast.

Earlier this year, the group sought to hold a forum on whether the coast needed to be concerned over Islam. The Sunshine Coast Daily reported in March that out of all the Sunshine Coast MPs it approached, Mr Dickson was the only one "who indicated support for the forum".

The petition will remain open on the parliament e-petition website until November.
 

Source: Brisbane Times

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The history of the Muslim Cameleers who helped open up Australia from the 1860’s through to the introduction of the motor car.

These men bought their culture and religion and many settled here going on to marry and have families. Despite the racism they often encountered they stayed, choosing to living in remote areas and continuing their unique contribution to navigating Australia’s interior. Each year descendants celebrate their legacy at a picnic race meeting where the Camel Cup echoes the mastery these Australian pioneers maintained over their much loved animals.

We tried to make a film that did justice to the 'Afghan' Camel drivers and the hawkers, in half an hour that was a big task, but I wanted to show that Muslims made a big contribution to this country before federation and they still had to deal with discrimination and alienation, I hope you enjoy, please join me in the Q&A directly after the program. - COMPASS

 

Compass retraces the steps of the early Afghan cameleers and explores the lives of these men who played such an important, yet unacknowledged, part in our history.By Compass and Quran, 6.30pm Sunday ABC TV Posted by Compass on Tuesday, April 7, 2015

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“MOSQUES steal girls’ childhoods, preach hate, plan Jihad, store weapons and harbour terrorists.”

That was the message at a community meeting opposing a new mosque at Slacks Creek in Logan on Wednesday night.

More than 130 people including, Logan City councillors Luke Smith (Div 6) and Steve Swenson (Div 3) and a representative from Reclaim Australia, attended the gathering which was hosted by the Logan City Safe Communities organisation.

Meeting organisers refused requests by prominent Muslim leaders to attend the meeting to discuss residents’ concerns over the proposed mosque.

Muslim community spokesman Ali Kadri said he was disappointed he was not invited to the meeting but hoped to meet with Logan City Safe Communities representatives soon.

A Logan City Council senior planning officer had accepted an invitation to address the meeting at Springwood Bowls Club, only to withdraw 10 minutes before the start of the meeting.

Australian Federal Police agent Shane Johnson, who was present, said the crowd “missed a golden opportunity” to ask the hard questions by not allowing Muslim leaders into the meeting.

He said it was extremely important to address any concerns and stressed the AFP were working with all communities to build cohesive relationships in the community.

But Freedom Heritage Society spokesman David Truman (pictured above) said “Logan was the epicentre of Muslim colonisation in Brisbane” and told the gathering mosques were not only a place of prayer but political centres, military bases, places of inequality and where Sharia Law was preached.

“As the number of Muslims rises, so does their confidence to transform western society into a Muslim one,” Mr Truman said.

He said Logan already had mosques or Muslim “projects” at Eagleby, Kuraby, Kingston, Logan Central, Rochedale, Underwood and Woodridge.

Logan Safe City Communities spokesman Chris Newman told the meeting “authentic Australians” were the “home team”.

He said there was “nothing to be afraid of” but called on residents opposed to the new mosque to stand united.

“The laws haven’t caught up with the situation,” Mr Newman said. “They (Muslims) are given too much slack to come here and enforce their culture on our lifestyle.

“How many times do we need to be stung until we wake up?

“The front line is in Logan. We are multi-ethnic but we want to be one culture; don’t we want our culture to be Australian?”.

More than 6000 flyers attacking the new mosque were delivered to Logan residents in the weeks leading up to last night’s meeting after it was revealed food charity organisation Tribe of Judah was selling its Queens Rd site to the Muslim community.

Logan City Council Deputy Mayor Russell Lutton said no development application was required for a mosque because the existing place of worship was simply being replaced by another one.

He said the mosque would not be storing cadavers at the site, as was claimed in the leaflets, and its backers would continue with the Tribe of Judah food bank for residents in need.

Logan City Safe Communities president Rod Shaw said a resolution passed at last night’s meeting would demand council deny approval of the mosque until their concerns about public safety, security and amenity were addressed.
 

Source: Quest Newspapers

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Merrylands Masjid Fund Raising Dinner will be held on this Saturday 18 April at the Islamic College of Brisbane Karawatha (7pm start)

The organizing committee requests the support and participation of the local community towards this initiative.

For more information about this project and details of the dinner see CCN541

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We could clear up misunderstandings between Muslims and non-Muslims by holding a regular event to get to know each other better.

 

Australia is our country – my country and your country.

The conversation happened at the gym. I was having a friendly, general discussion with a guy about what he knew about Muslims.

"As soon as I see a Muslim, the only thing I think of them is that they are all terrorists, they have bombs, they kill people," he told me.

I know this is not an uncommon view among some people in the wider community. When you look at what appears on television and in the media more generally, the stories are most often about extreme examples. The only time the media pays much attention to Muslims is when it relates to stories about terrorism.

So it is hard to blame people for getting such a wrong impression from this kind of coverage.

People will believe what they see in the media – it's a natural reaction. But it is still difficult to hear comments like those from the guy at the gym, for this is not what my religion is about.
 

For me, I believe the challenge that we as Muslims in the Australian community face is to explain to others who we are, and what our faith and our lives are all about. It's not what you see on TV.
 

For me, I believe the challenge that we as Muslims in the Australian community face is to explain to others who we are, and what our faith and our lives are all about. It's not what you see on TV.

We are a diverse collection of different communities, who are working to be positive, contributing members of the wider Australian society. It's time Muslims and non-Muslims got to know each other.

I come from a family of nine children – six brothers and three sisters. We arrived in Australia from Afghanistan seven years ago. The reason we left was to flee a country that has been war-torn for the past 30 years, even though it was our home. It was a tough decision for my family to make, and it wasn't easy for us to go. But we needed to leave – my grandfather was killed in 2006.

We came to Australia for a better life. We wanted to live peacefully. My father works very hard, making enough money to pay the fees for us to attend an Islamic school. This has helped me keep on the right path with my faith. I'm sure that if I went to a government school, while the education would have been good, it would have been harder to follow my faith.

As an Afghan Muslim teenager, apart from a friendly discussion about what non-Muslims know about Muslims, I personally haven't experienced any discrimination or racism. No one has come up to me and said anything about my religion, which is good.

I believe that we are very fortunate to live in this country. We are free to practise our religion wherever we want. This is a wonderful country, and we enjoy freedoms that many other people around the world are denied – including those in the country of my birth.

I want to tell you about what it is like to be part of the Afghan community here. I am very proud to be a member of it. One of the important things for Afghanis is to give back to the community. We have regular get-togethers to raise funds when there are people in need who require our help.

A good example was about a month ago, when the the Afghan cricket team was in Australia for the World Cup. (While they didn't make it past the group stage, I am confident they will be more competitive in the years to come.)

The team was invited to a function the Afghan community organised in Hampton Park. Part of it was making the visiting Afghan team feel welcome, but the team members also signed cricket shirts, which we then sold at an auction. The money raised from the signed shirts was for the team to take back to Afghanistan to help those families who don't have shelter, food or clean water.

This kind of thing is always happening – giving back to the community, not just overseas but in Australia too. My family is well known in the community. We try to volunteer and help whenever we can, for whatever it is. We put our hand up.
 

This is the story of Muslims in Australia that I would like to share with people who have to rely on what they see in the media, who end up with such a wrong perspective of who we are. My main message to the non-Muslim community is to invite people to find out who we are and what our religion is all about.

One idea is to have an event where we could come together: maybe play some sport, have some food and drink, have some fun. Basically, we could just talk about general stuff – whatever they would like to know, to clear up any misunderstandings.

It could start off as a small thing, but if it works and is good, word will spread, and the next time, more people will come. Having everybody together – Muslim and non-Muslim – that's what I would like to see. Sharing how we live, what we like and don't like. That would be awesome.

Australia is our country – my country and your country. We are like one family, like brother and sister, father and mother. We are all part of the community, and everyone must look after each other. In 10 years, we could look back at what has been achieved. We could be amazed at how far we've come.

Abu Bakar Alam lives in Melbourne's south-east. This article was written with Age associate editor Shane Green.
 

Source: Brisbane Times

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Muslim Aid Australia is proud to present American Sharia, the long awaited Halalywood Blockbuster directed & produced by Actor & Comedian Omar Regan.

15 SCREENINGS ACROSS AUSTRALIA
 

Not only a movie night, Omar Regan will also be there with you LIVE on stage, with a stand up act and opportunity to get personal with a Q & A session as well as a meet and great!

Exclusive to Muslim Aid Australia, this funny, action packed movie is great viewing for all, a fun, family night out.

Tickets only $30 and are available online!

LIMITED SEATS AVAILABLE!

Trailer

 

TICKETS ON SALE NOW! GO TO.......http://www.muslimaid.org.au/our-projects/sustainable-development DONT MISS OUT! Posted by Muslim Aid Australia on Tuesday, March 31, 2015

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Non-Muslim women would wear Islamic head dress under a council plan

MELBOURNE: FIFTEEN non-Muslim women have trialled hijabs in Dandenong this afternoon as part of a social experiment, slammed by some as promoting separateness.

The experiment by two Minaret College schoolgirls was part of a short documentary being filmed for Greater Dandenong Council’s “Youth Channel” program aimed at “providing awareness, insight and education”.

The Council called on women to wear the Islamic headdress for three hours today as part of a “social experiment” for National Youth Week.

Co-organiser Fatima, 16, said about 15 women trialled hijabs and the feedback was “overwhelmingly positive”.

Centre for Multicultural Youth regional services co-ordinator Heather Stewart, who wore a hijab back to her workplace, said she found the experience enlightening and was surprised by the backlash.

“I think it’s really sad that there seems to be such a lot of fear about Islam,” she said.

“I saw it as an opportunity for non-Muslim women to understand a little bit about another culture.”

I think it’s really sad that there seems to be such a lot of fear about Islam   Heather Stewart

But Institute of Public Affairs executive director John Roskam said the council approach was wrongheaded.

“What the council should be encouraging is allowing people from any walk of life and any religion to integrate,” he said. “This doesn’t encourage integration, this encourages separateness. This is not what multicultural Australia is all about.”

Mr Roskam said that based on events in the Middle East and Africa, Christians were currently the world’s most ­persecuted religious group. “If we’re going to have people dressing up as Muslims for three hours, why doesn’t the council encourage people to dress up as Christians,” he said.

However, Islamic Friendship Association president Keysar Trad said Muslim women couldn’t go around without their hijabs.

“It is part of our religion for women to cover their hair ... it’s a statement of religious observance; it’s saying, ‘I am a devout Muslim woman’,” he said.
 

Mr Trad said the council project would be criticised by some, but it was a positive way for non-Muslims to get a different perspective.

A spokesman for Minaret College, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the hijab experiment wasn’t unusual. “What we believe is embracing diversity and sharing it with others,” he said.

Greater Dandenong Council has previously had public pool sessions for Muslim women, and it once asked a tribunal to approve a ban on uncovered shoulders and thighs for those attending a family event at a pool. The hijab event will be held from midday today outside Dandenong Library.
 

Source: Herald Sun Melbourne

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Related article: 'This doesn't encourage integration, this encourages separateness': Local council slammed for asking non-Muslim women to wear hijabs to raise awareness and combat Islamophobia

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Divisive politician Pauline Hanson’s claims over the weekend Halal certification is a “money-making racket” which could fund terrorism have reignited fierce debate over the process.

Halal certification is the process by which food and drink products are subject to testing for unlawful (“Haram”) substances in accordance with Islam, such as alcohol and meat including pigs and dogs.

Meat must also be slaughtered according to Islamic rules to be deemed Halal – which means “acceptable” or “permissible” in Arabic.

In an interview with TODAY host Deb Knight on Sunday, Ms Hanson compared the certification to “extortion” and said it had been linked to funding terrorism.

"The money [from certification] goes to overseas Islamic organisations and has been connected to the Muslim Brotherhood in France," she told TODAY host Deb Knight on Sunday.

“I’m sorry, but a lot of Australians have an issue with paying a tax for Halal certification when [the majority of] Australians are not Muslim.

“It is extortion that’s been put on to these businesses that you must pay these monies.”

On its website, the Australian Food & Grocery Council (AFGC) compares the process to organic certification, and denies claims the process funds terror groups or adds significant costs to groceries.

“Halal certification is conducted by accredited religious organisations around Australia,” the regulatory body says.

“Manufacturers pay for certification as a professional service, much like Kosher or organic accreditation, for example.

“Organisations who offer Halal certification services are subject to the same prohibitions on funding illegal entities and activity as any other organisation or individual under Australian law.”

The idea the certification increases the cost of products is flatly denied by the AFGC and Halal Australia.

“The costs of certification for major food and beverage manufacturers are negligible in terms of the total manufacturing cost base and highly unlikely to influence wholesale pricing,” the AFGC writes.

“Companies that pursue Halal certification generally do so in order to increase sales opportunities to a broader range of consumers.”

A 9news.com.au poll asking readers if they supported Ms Hanson’s claims became a flashpoint for the issue, with groups on either side of the debate urging their constituents to submit their vote.

After nearly 250,000 votes, the vote sat at 51 percent backing Ms Hanson’s concerns with 49 percent opposed.

When asked by Knight why she was singling out Islam as a religion in particular, Ms Hanson reiterated her views were not racist.

“Islam is not a race, so therefore, we’re not talking about racism here whatsoever,” she said.

“Criticism is not racism. We have a right to say and to have an opinion.

“We are, and we don’t like Islam – we’re in fear of what Islam may do to our culture, our country, our way of life.”

Ms Hanson's comments follow similar remarks by independent Senator Jacqui Lambie in early February.

"Given that our enemies in Islamic State are receiving a steady cashflow to control their caliphate in Syria and Iraq, why isn't there a legal requirement in Australia for Halal certification fees to be disclosed?" Senator Lambie said in an address to parliament.

"[Legal loopholes] could allow financing of terrorists and Australia's enemies through Halal money."
 

Source: 9News

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The next Queensland Police Service/Muslim Community meeting is scheduled for this week on Wednesday 22 April 2015.

Time: 7.00pm sharp
Date: Wednesday 22 April 2015
Venue: Islamic College of Brisbane - 45 Acacia Road Karawatha
 

All Welcome.

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GOLD COAST: STATE and Federal government representatives from the coast will push for funding for a Muslim Youth Centre to be built next to the Arundel mosque.
 

Southport State MP Rob Molhoek and Fadden MP Stuart Robert have both thrown their weight behind the project, which has been approved by Gold Coast City Council.
 

Mr Robert said he met again last week with Hussain Baba and Hussin Goss, president of the Islamic Society of the Gold Coast, to discuss funding for the youth centre.
 

“I discussed the project with the society's leadership and l am very supportive of their proposal." Mr Robert said.
 

"Their application was submitted last November for the first round of the National Stronger Regions Fund, which is a new billion-dollar Federal Government program to promote economic development in Australia's regions.”
 

Mr Robert said successful projects would be announced in May.
 

Mr Molhoek said he was pleased to hear council had approved plans for the Muslim Youth Centre.
 

"l am certainly happy to support their requests for funding and to advocate for this centre to the appropriate minister in due course," Mr Molboek said.
 

The youth centre will be built adjacent to the Arundel mosque and Mr Molboek said he was supportive of the work being done there.

"This mosque is unique because it represents 70 different cultural groups, who come from all over the world." he said.
 

"They are all believers with different variations of the Islamic faith, who are under one group and they work very cooperatively together.”
 

Mr Molhoek said there were a number of social needs among youth on the Gold Coast. "This includes a need to provide opportunities for social engagement in a supported environment where young people can be given good direction." he said.
 

“Given the track record of the Imam and the mosque, I am sure they will tum out some great young people at this centre."
 

Source: Gold Coast Sun 8 April 2015

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Australian Broadcasting Corporation's RN radio station covered the issue of loneliness on its Earshot programme recently.

"Loneliness can enter our lives through injustice, hostility or violence - but loneliness is also part of what we call normal life. It can create poetry and song, it can inspire great art and literature, in can inform the deepest images and stories of the world's religions."

Dr Nada Ibrahim (pictured left), a Senior Research Officer at the Queensland Centre for Domestic and Family Violence Research at CQ University, was a contributor on this segment.

"I think there are some points that would be helpful for women who are victims/survivors of violence particularly talking about support structures, isolation, and misinterpretation of text on DV related issues," Dr Ibrahim told CCN.

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Reclaim Australia demonstrators ignite hatred over an issue that doesn't exist

Masquerading as patriots, they have taken something from us all: they have taken our dignity as a fair and just people.
 

Reclaim Australia. What's there to reclaim? This is an insult to the years of tireless effort Indigenous Australians have put into reclaiming justice. These are the real people who have actually lost their country, their dignity, and they are the ones who have a legitimate right to reclaim their lost identity.

But this is indicative of just how belligerent and ignorant these protesters are – they have no regard for our indigenous people and no regard for Muslims, Jews, Hindus and other non-Christian peoples. They live in a narrow world caught between their bigotry and their hyper-sensitive self-centred sense of reality.
 

...... thousands if not millions of Aussies were shocked to see Australian versus Australian trading blows over an issue that does not exist.

The Reclaim Australia protest rallies held around Australia last weekend made for a sad Easter Saturday for Australia as the land of the fair go. It was dealt a blow to its international reputation as one of the world's best-functioning multicultural nations. On top of that, thousands if not millions of Aussies were shocked to see Australian versus Australian trading blows over an issue that does not exist.

Australians have not lost anything – not in the 13-plus years since September 11, 2001, not in the past 42 years since Whitlam government immigration minister Al Grassby's multicultural policy was established, and not even since Australia opened its doors to non-European migration in 1968. Almost every Australian knows, the bigots included, that Australia has prospered since multiculturalism became an official policy of the government. It has prospered economically, culturally, socially, and even spiritually. We see it in our architecture, our fashions, our food, restaurants and cafes, and in our arts and sports.
 

The claim that Australian Muslims have somehow taken something or are attempting to change our way of life is preposterous. Only 2.2 per cent of the nation is purportedly Muslim; it's a far-fetched notion that this tiny minority can actually change Australia into a sharia state. Firstly, Muslims do not want to introduce sharia law into Australia. It is impossible, even if there were some calling for it.

Sharia means to live your life according to your Islamic principles – that is, following the principles of Islam: prayer, charity, fasting, and performing the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca, if health and finances permit. The concept of sharia is very personal.

Secondly, sharia law, often confused with sharia, can only be implemented by an Islamic government. The last I looked, Australia is a democracy, governed by a secular constitution. As a Muslim, sharia law is the last thing I would like to see in this country. I believe there are more pressing issues that need attention: youth unemployment, suicide rates and domestic violence are just a few of the issues on the top of my list. Who on earth is serious about sharia law in Australia when we have so many more serious and real issues facing our nation?

But ironically, it is these protesters masquerading as patriots who have taken something from us all – they have taken our dignity as a fair and just people, they have stolen from the Indigenous peoples and felt no remorse, they have divided our nation, they have hijacked our creed, "Australia fair", and they have disgraced us all.
 

Even so, I still want these bigots to understand that as a Muslim Australian, I forgive you and I understand why you are angry, I respect your right to express yourselves and to believe in your cause. I want to embrace you and be your friend, your mate. I only ask you to do the same for me and the many decent, hard-working Aussie Mussies, who deserve to be respected, accepted and given the right to live their lives by their own faith and be treated with the dignity that all human beings deserve.

Let us not allow ignorance and misinformation to divide our community. For many years I have been working within multicultural communities and have always advocated that as a migrant, when you come to Australia, you leave your cultural baggage at the customs gate. When you come here you start afresh, you are now an Australian, and this is your new home. Who in their right mind would want to damage their own house, who would want to create conflict and make your home so uncomfortable that you would have no choice but to leave?

Let's start anew and rename this group, let's call it something that unites us, that promotes our shared identity; let's call it Acclaim Australia. Because it surely deserves great acclaim.

Kuranda Seyit is the secretary of the Islamic Council of Victoria.
 

Source: Canberra Times

Bill Shorten condemns 'exaggerated' fears of Reclaim Australia protesters in wake of heated rallies
 

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has ridiculed the anti-Islamic fears of Reclaim Australia protesters as "exaggerated" and unfounded.

Saturday saw heated exchanges at protests around the country with the Reclaim Australia group facing off against supporters of multiculturalism.

The largest gathering was in Melbourne where protesters from both sides pressed against police officers charged with the responsibility of separating the two groups.

Mr Shorten told Channel Nine on Sunday that the Reclaim Australia group's concerns about sharia law in Australia were unfounded.

"This idea somehow that there's a big conspiracy amongst the Muslim minority to bring in sharia law is just completely exaggerated. I think it is really wrong to tar everyone in a minority with the view," Mr Shorten said.

He said free speech was no justification for the demonstrations turning ugly.
 

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Victoria's Local Government Minister has been called on to stop the anti-Islamic social media activities of a Latrobe city councillor in the state's south-east.

Cr Christine Sindt (pictured right) has refused to remove a series of anti-Muslim posts on her Facebook page which link Islam to terrorism.

On Sunday, she posted an image of herself at the Reclaim Australia march in Melbourne, holding a poster which says "I love bacon, not paedophilia".

Her colleague, Cr Kellie O'Callgahan, said Cr Sindt was entitled to her own opinions but not in Latrobe City's name.

"To then post that image on her Facebook page and to continually endorse other items within her own social media pages under the banner of her councillor title is inappropriate," she said.

"It is outrageous and the Minister now needs to intervene and now do something about this immediately."

When contacted by the ABC recently, Cr Sindt said: "My Facebook page reflects my personal views".

Local Government Minister Natalie Hutchins has been contacted for comment.
 

Source: ABC News

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Islamic Help Australia is a wholly registered charity in Australia and international NGO established in 2014. Islamic Help Australia is part of a network of sister organizations with its headquarters based in the UK. Founded in the UK by a group of young people determined to make a difference to the lives of those afflicted by poverty and suffering.

Enthusiastic, dedicated and visionary the group took their ideas to older and wiser members of the community and were pleased to get their support and to launch an initiative that a few years later would become the globally recognised charity that is Islamic Help.

A truly grassroots initiative a spate of international disasters provided the impetus for the group to launch into the work. Whilst barriers to participation were difficult to overcome for so small a group the determination of the group was such that only a little while after launching the charity was able to play a significant role in the delivery of aid and assistance after major crises like the Pacific Ocean Tsunami, the Bam Earthquake and the Pakistan Earthquake.
 

An example of one of Islamic Help Australia's initiatives is assisting refugees in the Central African Republic. A brief of this work can be found here.

Click thumbnail image above for contact detail.

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1) Ablution - If I make ablution, does that make me an abluter? Ablutor? One who ablutes?

2) Fornication - Need I say more.

3) Heedlessness - Not to be confused with “headlessness.”

4) Prostration - “Yeah, we prostrate.” “You WHAT?!”

5) Gelatin - AKA the quickest way to instill fear in an unsuspecting Muslim.

6) Moon-Sighting - “I’m about to go sight the moon.”

7) Repentance - Brb, I’m about to go make some repentance.

8) Hereafter - Well, there is the hereafter…

9) Recitation - “That recitation was on point, masha’Allah.”

10) Verily - Ustadh: Muhammad, can you read from where we left off? Muhammad: Of course, Ustadh. “Verily...."

Source: Mozzified

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The Principal is an upcoming drama series airing on the SBS One in 2015.

Matt Bashir, history teacher and former Deputy at a prestigious girls’ school, is swiftly promoted to the position of Principal of Boxdale Boys High.

In this notoriously violent and difficult school in Sydney’s south-west, Bashir’s radical approach brings him into conflict on all fronts and leaves his personal life dangerously exposed.

He works overtime to get the local community on side, promising change in his charges.

But just when it seems he is making progress, a 17-year-old student is found dead on school grounds.

Trailer

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If you’d like to help continue the relief efforts and rebuild the lives of those affected please donate here.

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MASJID TAQWA/BALD HILLS MOSQUE

DATE: 10 April 2015

TOPIC: “Hazrat Safwan ibn Umayyah accepting Islam”

IMAM: Mufti Junaid Akbar

AUDIO (MP3) LINK: http://www.masjidtaqwa.org.au/index.php/downloads/kuthba

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Dear Editor

This is my response to the article on the Islamic College of Brisbane published in the Courier Mail and re-posted in CCN on 5 April 2015

The first paragraph states “Phantom debts and secret payments to the former Chairman of the Board …” This statement insinuates that the two matters are related. This is a mischievous and untruthful insinuation. The “phantom debt” the article is referring to, was an amount that was added to the loan owing by ICB to AFIC in 2014. I left the Board in 2013 and had no further involvement in any of its decisions after that time. I had nothing to do with this debt neither had I any knowledge of it until it became public knowledge early 2015.

The article also states that “The school Board was so concerned about its finances that it ordered its own separate audit … …” This statement is far from the truth. The audit was politically motivated and initiated by ICB’s then Acting Chairman Keysar Trad in order to discredit me.

As regards the payments to me, here are the facts:

Payments
2010 $ 12,000
2011 $ 18,500
2012 $ 24,000
2013 $ 18,000
Total $ 72,500

Reimbursements
Fuel/Travelling (2010-13) $ 5,300
Others (see note below) $ 27,556
Total $105,356

The ‘Others’ total of $27,556, represented purchase of equipment for the kitchen/canteen, building materials, repairs and maintenance, etc. These payments were made with my personal credit card and therefore this amount was reimbursed to me. S. Sabdia’s audit report, the Courier Mail and CCN have done gross injustice to me by hiding this explanation and failing to seek any clarification from me.

Furthermore, there was nothing secret about the payments, nor was it in contravention of the Constitution of the ICB. The then Treasurer of AFIC, had appointed me as Project Manager for various building projects (listed below). The claims for payment were submitted to the Treasurer after which AFIC then made the payment to me. Since this payment was not made by ICB, I did not consider it necessary to advise the ICB Board about this arrangement. However in late 2012, when we were made aware that the payment was being reimbursed from ICB, the matter was raised in the ICB Board meeting, which after a full deliberation, resolved to ratify all previous payments and also approve any future payments.

S. Sabdia’s assertion that the ICB Constitution does not provide for approval of any previous payments is incorrect. There is nothing in the ICB Constitution that precludes the Board from ratifying any previous payment. In fact it is common practice for payments to be made and approved by the Board after the event.

In conclusion, it must be noted that S. Sabdia’s audit report was not accepted by the Board as originally presented as it was not factually correct. The ICB Board Meeting of 17/11/2014 confirmed that there was no misuse of position or financial mismanagement. This was also confirmed by the President of AFIC, Hafiz Kassem, in his report to the Federal Council of AFIC at its meeting on 2/11/2014.

I am grateful to Allah SWT that during my term as Chairman of ICB between February 2009 and September 2013, under my supervision, the College saw some major development with the completion of the following:

• Multi-Purpose Hall;
• New Primary School Building;
• Library;
• Undercover Sports Facility;
• Undercover Walkways;
• Internal/External Roadwork; and
• Bus Shelters.

It is worth noting that the ICB Board at its meeting in November 2014 appointed Amjad Mehboob as the Project Manager and agreed to pay him $60 per hour or $80,000 per annum. Now how does this compare with the average $18,000 per year that I received for completing the above projects?

I had given my detailed response to Sabdia’s Audit report to the ICB and if you would like to see this report please contact me on : mybne@hotmail.com.


Mohammed Yusuf

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Steak Diane – with a bite

 Jallalluddin brought a very limp goat in to
a veterinary surgeon.

As he laid his pet goat on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the goat’s chest.

After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said, “I’m sorry, your goat, Maa'ez, has passed away.”

Jallalluddin wailed, “Are you sure?”

“Yes, I am sure. The goat is dead,” replied the vet.

“How can you be so sure?” Jallalluddin protested.

“I mean you haven’t done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something.”

The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left the room.

He returned a few minutes later with a Labrador.

As Jallalluddin looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put his front paws on the examination table and sniffed the goat from top to bottom.

He then looked up at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head.

The vet patted the dog on the head and took it out of the room.

A few minutes later he returned with a cat.

The cat jumped on the table and also delicately sniffed the goat from head to foot.

The cat sat back on its haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of the room.

The vet looked at Jallalluddin and said, “I’m sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely, 100% certifiably, a dead goat.”

The vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to Jallalluddin.

The goat’s owner, still in shock, took the bill. “$3000!” he cried, “$3000 just to tell me my goat is dead!”

The vet shrugged, “I’m sorry, but if you had just taken my word for it, the bill would have been $100, but with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it’s now $3000.”

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Islamic Programmes, Education & Services

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DIRECTORY

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, except for Lailatul Mehraj, Lailatul Bhahraat and Lailatul Qadr – these dates refer to the commencement of the event starting in the evening of the corresponding day.

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