A LOGAN City councillor has
urged her colleagues to
ensure their personal
security after they
condemned Islamic extremism
en masse and called for
Australians to stand up for
their rights during a full
meeting of council
yesterday.
One after the other,
councillors joined an
anti-extremism chorus
demanding the Federal
Government do something now
before the atrocities
committed by ISIS overseas
were seen being carried out
in Australia.
Councillor Jennie Breene
(Div 12) said she would be
considering her own safety
and urged her colleagues to
follow suit.
“When we talk about these
things, extremists don’t
like it,” she said.
Councillor Cherie Dalley
(Div 8) said the Federal
Government had
“pussy-footed” around and
was too frightened to do
anything.
She
said the community was also
too scared to speak of their
concerns out of fear of
being labelled racist.
“We need to have a civilised
conversation about the
problems perceived by the
community and starting at a
local level is the best way;
to get real people’s
feelings out. We are the
grassroots, we’re about the
people.”
Councillor Phil Pidgeon (Div
9) (pictured left)
said Muslims who didn’t love
the Australian way of life
should go back to where they
came from.
“Federal members need to be
more vocal and say it’s not
right to kill people,” he
said.
Councillor Luke Smith (Div
6) said Logan residents were
making it clear they were
concerned and called on
Islamic leaders to publicly
condemn Islamic extremism
and reassure the local
community.
Councillor Trevina Schwarz
(Div 11) (pictured right)
said the “lucky country was
starting to go” and said
Australia and Islamic
leaders needed to take a
stance and say extremism
wasn’t wanted in Australia.
She said a public forum was
needed with leaders in a
controlled environment. “We
need to protect our society
and our city,” she said.
Councillor Don Petersen (Div
4) said if someone wanted to
go and fight with ISIS
overseas, then they should
be left alone to stay over
there.
Councillor Steve Swenson
(Div 3) said residents were
rightfully concerned and
said he did not want his
children growing up under
Sharia Law.
He moved a motion to have
the issue of Islamic
extremism placed on the next
agenda of the Sport and
Community Services Committee
for discussion.
Mayor Pam Parker said she
supported the move for
further discussion to
provide a better
understanding between
Islamic extremists and
Muslims who embraced the
Australian way of life.
Councillor Russell Lutton
(Div 2) said while
disengaged Australian youth
“got on the grog” or “stole
a car” young Muslims who did
not feel part of a community
had the potential to turn to
extremism.
He said it was up to
Islamic leaders to reach out
and engage with their young
people.
Logan City Safe Communities
spokesman Chris Newman said
the organisation had
received a ground swell of
support since their
community meeting opposing a
new mosque at Slacks Creek
on April 8.
He said the councillors’
comments yesterday were a
sign that Logan City Council
was starting to respond to
the concerns of the
community about Islam which
he described as a “terror
culture”.
“It’s very encouraging that
this council has a heart and
soul. People have been
afraid to speak their minds
in their own country.
“People are now becoming
more educated and seeing
what is going on in the
community.”
Mr Newman said the
organisation had more public
meetings planned but could
not confirm the date of the
next one yet.
Muslim community spokesman
Ali Kadri said he was happy
to discuss the issues with
councillors and the
community if it was done
objectively and genuinely.
He said it was sad to be
asked to condemn Islamic
extremism when Muslims were
the biggest victim of
extremism.
“There are more Muslims
fighting against ISIS than
there are fighting with
them.”
In
an effort to encourage their
students to recite the Holy
Quran, the Australian
International Islamic
College (Durack Campus)
organised its 13th annual
Quran Recitation Competition
- 2015 at AIIC’s
multipurpose hall.
The competition was held on
Tuesday 28th April for prep
to Yr 6 and on Wednesday the
29th for the high school
students.
A total of 167 students
participated in the
competition under the
following four categories:
Prep- Year 2, Years 3-6,
Years 7-9 and Years 10-12.
The Quran Competition was a
success as the parents and
visitors provided positive
feedback on the recitation
of our students. Parents
enjoyed the atmosphere that
the Quran competition
brought and enjoyed tea and
coffee with light
refreshments.
The judges of the
competition were; Moulana
Abdullah Gardee, Moulana
Muhammad Aslam and Mufti
Naim Ali.
The judges were impressed
with the participants and
their achievements and
advised our students about
the ways to improve their
recitation.
They encouraged students to
recite the Quran with
Tajweed and to recite each
letter precisely from its
source of origin in order
not to change the meaning of
the Quran.
They also advised students
to learn rules that are
related to stopping whilst
reading the Quran. Students
were also encouraged to
memorize more from the holy
Quran and to practice their
memorization regularly.
Moulana Gardee told the
students that recitation of
memorized surahs in your
Salah is the best way to
avoid forgetting the Quran.
Moulana Aslam encouraged
parents to take the
responsibility to ensure
that their children are
improving in their
recitation by motivating
them.
Mufti Naim congratulated
parents for sending their
children to be educated in
the Islamic College and also
mentioned the immense reward
that Allah has promised us
for learning and reciting
the holy Quran.
The Australian International
Islamic College, would like
to thank all the students
for participating in this
year’s Quran competition.
We also would like to thank
all the teachers, Imams and
staff members of the
College, for making this
year’s Quran competition a
success.
May Allah accept all of our
efforts for his Deen and
make us from the people of
the Quran in this world and
in the hereafter.
This week the Director,
Writer, and Actor of
American Sharia, Omar Regan
had this to say about the
Muslim Action-Comedy Movie
of the Year:
I humbly apologize if
the trailer of my film
"American Sharia"
offended some Muslims.
That was not my
intention, we cut it
that way so we wouldn't
give the story away.
I wrote this movie after
The FBI shot and killed
my father Imam Luqman
Abdullah in Detroit
claiming he was a
terrorist and wanted to
establish Sharia in
America 5 years ago.
The Department of
Justice, later
apologized but of course
this was off the record.
We been fighting in
court to make change.
Allah is in control we
just do the work. My
fight is with the Media,
they plastered my
father's pic all over
the news worldwide
calling him a terrorist,
making up all kind of
stories to justify
killing him, though none
of it was true, it was
already out there and
they didn't broadcast
that he wasn't a
terrorist or tell the
truth on TV, they told
us behind closed doors.
In every other movie and
TV show they associate
Muslims and Islam with
terrorism. My intention
is to dedicate my skill
to re-educate people to
ensure the Media stops
using words like
“Sharia” or “Jihad” to
promote Islamophobia.
I wanted to show how
Islamophobia looks from
Muslims point of view,
at the same time remind
myself and others of our
behavior.
Everything in this movie
is based on TRUE EVENTS.
Sisters wearing Niqab
are targeted simply
because they wear Niqab,
so we have a Sister in
Niqab speaking and
standing up for sisters
in Niqab.
Some youth today, don't
know the Value of Qur'an
so we highlighted the
Quran in this Movie.
Some men disrespectfully
“chat-up” women, so we
highlighted what the
Prophet (saw) said:
“Would you want this for
your mother, or your
sister?”
I respect your opinion
that I may have not
shown the above
explanations in the
trailer, please forgive
me, I was only thinking
of drawing people of
other faith to watch and
see what Islamophobia
looks like to Muslims
and to answer, who's
really behind
Islamophobia and Why?
American Sharia – Movie
Trailer
Brisbane Screening: Friday,
22nd May 2015 Time: 7:30pm Venue: Griffith University
Nathan Campus, Building N22
- Theatre 1
Halal foods will be put
under the microscope after
Liberal senator Cory
Bernardi won a parliamentary
inquiry into what he calls
the "racket" of
certification.
The six-month inquiry by the
Senate Economics References
Committee will also cover
certification schemes for
kosher foods, organic
products and genetically
modified foods.
Senator Bernardi
(pictured above), who
has in the past expressed
concern about where money
for halal "ends up", said he
wants to "establish the
facts" about all
certification schemes.
The South Australian Liberal
knows all too well that it
can be impossible to avoid
halal food in certain
situations.
He was upgraded from
business class to first
class on an Emirates flight
from Dubai to Adelaide on
October 17 last year,
according to the register of
senators' interests.
The airline's dietary
requirements section on its
website states: "All meals
served on Emirates flights
are Halal".
Senator Bernardi told
Fairfax Media that he
"probably" ate halal onboard
but was not sure whether
that included the champagne.
"It was my choice to fly
Emirates. Would I prefer
bacon and eggs in the
morning? Probably, but it
was my choice and the
service was great. I'd point
out that Qantas is halal
too," he said.
The inquiry is about giving
people an informed choice
and allowing them to make
ethical decisions based on
the facts, he said.
Emirates cancelled a $50,000
deal last November with
Fleurieu Milk and Yoghurt
Company after the South
Australian dairy producer
caved in to social media
pressure and ditched its
halal accreditation.
Campaigners have called for
boycotts of products
including Vegemite that pay
for halal certification.
Anti-halal campaigners claim
the money "funds terrorism".
The Australian Crime
Commission last year said it
had found no links between
the halal certification
industry and financing of
terrorist groups.
Nationals MP George
Christensen last year
criticised halal
certification, writing that
it was "outrageous that some
of my grocery spending could
go to propagating a
religion".
It is estimated that the
global market for halal
certification will top $1.5
trillion by 2050.
Agriculture Minister Barnaby
Joyce has warned there would
be huge financial
ramifications if Australia's
meat industry dropped halal
certification.
He said the local price of
beef could triple if
Australian abattoirs could
not sell to Islamic markets
like Indonesia and Saudi
Arabia that expect such
certification.
Senator Bernardi said:
"There seems to be a number
of concerns about some
certification schemes that
are operating and in the
interests of transparency
and establishing the facts
and being able to act in the
national interest I think
it's wise for the Parliament
to consider all
certification schemes and
how they operate," he said.
"I keep getting told any
number of things about
certification schemes and I
don't know what's true and
what's not true, so I want
to establish the facts."
The inquiry's terms of
reference include "whether
current schemes provide
enough information for
Australian consumers to make
informed purchasing
decisions".
Food industry back Senate
certification inquiry, hopes
to address 'misinformation'
about halal
The food industry has
welcomed a Senate inquiry
into food certification
schemes, saying it is a
chance to address
"misinformation" about halal
certification in particular.
The Australian Food and
Grocery Council chief
executive Gary Dawson said
halal certification was
worth billions of dollars
for Australian exporters,
who would lose access to
some of their most important
markets without it.
"If this inquiry can put to
bed some of the more
outrageous claims, can put
to bed some of that
misinformation, and really
establish the facts around
halal certification, we
think that's a good thing
and we'll certainly be
contributing to that," he
said.
The council said anti-halal
campaigners had used "some
pretty ugly tactics" to
target food companies who
sought the certification.
"[They've been] the
recipients of abusive phone
calls, social media
campaigns and so on, when,
at a practical level, halal
certification for many food
companies is simply a
requirement for them to
export into countries like
Indonesia or Malaysia, or to
market their products to
people of the Muslim faith
here in Australia," Mr
Dawson said.
South Australian Liberal
Senator Cory Bernardi
proposed the Senate inquiry,
which was supported by
government members in the
upper house, as well as
crossbenchers Jacqui Lambie,
Ricky Muir, Glenn Lazarus,
John Madigan and David
Leyonhjelm.
It will look at the costs to
producers and consumers of
halal, as well as other
certification schemes
including kosher, organic
and GM.
The inquiry will also
investigate whether current
schemes "provide enough
information for Australian
consumers to make informed
purchasing decisions", the
"importance of food
certification schemes in
relation to export market
access", and the "extent and
adequacy of information
available to the public
about certifiers including
certification processes,
fees and financial records".
The Australian Food and
Grocery Council has welcomed
the broad scope of the
inquiry beyond merely halal
certification, particularly
the focus on the cost to
manufacturers and consumers.
But it is the focus on halal
certification that has
become contentious in recent
years.
Senator Bernardi has
described halal
certification as a "racket",
and raised concerns about "a
lack of clarity about where
the facts end and the
fiction begins in relation
to halal certification".
"I haven't been able to
ascertain what the cost of
this religious tax is to
individual companies or the
overall cost to the
Australian consumer,"
Senator Bernardi said in
March.
"No one has been able to
explain why water, milk and
cat food need halal
certification. No one has
been able to explain all the
groups involved in the
certification racket and
where the money paid
actually ends up."
Online, it is common for
anti-halal forums to claim
that the proceeds of halal
certification schemes are
used to fund terrorism.
In November last year, the
Australian Crime Commission
said it was "not aware of
any direct links between the
legitimate halal
certification industry and
money laundering or the
financing of terrorist
groups".
"We've certainly seen no
evidence to back that claim
[of a link between halal
certification and
terrorism]," Mr Dawson said.
"There are agencies in
Australia - the Federal
Police, the security
agencies - that are involved
with investigating any of
those claims, and as far as
I'm aware none of those
claims with respect to halal
certification have had any
basis."
Inquiry could offend
important trading partners:
halal certification auditor
Halal certification is
particularly relevant for
Australian meat exporters,
with key markets like
Indonesia and Malaysia
requiring halal
certification on all
imported product.
Halal slaughter requires the
act to be carried out by a
Muslim, in accordance with
Islamic law. The animal is
first stunned, and then
killed instantly by having
its throat cut. It is common
practice in many Australian
abattoirs.
Gaafar Muhammad is the
senior abattoir auditor at
one of Australia's largest
halal certification
organisations, the Islamic
Coordinating Council in
Victoria.
He said he was concerned the
Senate inquiry could hurt
Australia's reputation with
its trading partners, and
offend importers of
Australian meat.
"It's not a good idea at
all, because there's no
reason to link terrorism
with the export of
Australian meat industry
[and the inquiry] will
affect the industry," he
said.
"If you link halal with
terrorism, [the perception
in export markets will be]
that means that anybody who
is buying or dealing in this
matter will be a terrorist."
Mr Muhammad said that if the
government wanted to know
what happened to the fees
collected by the
coordinating council for
certification activities, it
only had to ask.
"The Islamic Coordinating
Council is a company
composed of 11 mosques,
Muslim societies, which all
live in Victoria, all in
Australia," he said.
"This money is only spent on
the schools, the mosques,
the youth programs and other
activities which benefit the
community, so there is no
money going out of
Australia.
"Not only that, but it's not
much money that people
should be concerned.
"We don't have that much
money to give to anybody and
all the money generated is
spent here on Australian
people, on the Australian
Muslim community, to aid the
government and to aid the
other authorities to
maintain youths, to educate
small kids, to look after
our centres and that's all.
"If the government want to
ask us, and want answers for
that [where the money goes],
why not? We're not hiding
anything.
"But as I said, it might be
of concern to importing
countries."
Why do
Pamela Geller et al. do
it? Sure, they believe it.
But they get bankrolled to
do it—and on a major scale.
People keep asking me why
does Pam Geller spew so much
anti-Muslim crap? Is it part
of her work as a pro-Israel
activist? Did she once get
food poisoning at a Middle
Eastern restaurant? Is it
simply because she really,
really hates Muslims?
Probably all the above, but
one other thing is certain:
Geller gets paid pretty well
to demonize Muslims. I’m
talking to the tune of
$200,000 a year. True, that
might be walking around
money for Donald Trump (who
actually bashed Geller this
week for her draw the
Prophet Mohamed cartoon
contest), but that puts her
in the top 5 percent of all
Americans in terms of annual
income. Now, $200,000
doesn’t make a person rich
these days (although the $9
million in combined divorce
settlement and
life-insurance payments she
reportedly got certainly
qualifies her). But for what
she does, it’s handsome pay.
In fact, many of the people
identified by the Southern
Poverty Law Center (SPLC),
the Anti-Defamation League (ADL),
and the Center for American
Progress (CAP) as the
leaders of the anti-Muslim
industry in America are paid
well for their efforts. I’m
talking so much money I
almost want to start hating
on Muslims—and I’m Muslim.
The Daily Beast
Fear Inc.:
Behind the $57 Million
Network Fueling Islamophobia
in the U.S.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA: The Islamic
College of South Australia
has been reported to the
schools registration board
by the South Australian
Government.
Parents held another protest
on Friday outside the school
at West Croydon in Adelaide,
saying it was being
mismanaged, staff had been
sacked and academic
standards were in decline.
SA Education Minister Susan
Close said the registration
board had been asked to
ensure the Australian
curriculum was being taught
appropriately and that the
welfare of students was not
at risk.
She said beyond that there
was not a lot more the State
Government could do.
"If there are parents who
have children at the school
who remain concerned about
the kind of education they
are receiving, they can
raise those concerns with
that board," she said.
"[As well] they can raise
their concerns directly with
the school or they can
consider moving their child
to the local state school,
where they'd be very
welcome."
The Islamic College of SA
board was condemned recently
by a senior group of SA
imams who said the recent
removal of a moderate Muslim
teacher was "un-Islamic".
The state Imams Council said
it was shocked by alleged
incidents at the school,
including expulsion of a
15-year-old student via a
text message after he
protested against a
teacher's dismissal.
In the latest protest,
supporters and parents lined
a footpath outside the
school and chanted "board
out".
Many parents also kept their
children home from school on
Friday as a protest.
One parent Souraya Serhan
said the school's Naplan
results had been plummeting
since 2008.
"We do want the message to
get [out] loud and clear to
the education ministers,
whether it be a state
minister or federal
minister, that please, we
need help," she said.
"Our school was once a very
good, operating school."
Ms Serhan said the school
community had suffered
because of the conflict.
Parents have protested
again at the Islamic College
of SA
"[The board is] still in
defiance of stepping down
despite most of the
community and the parents as
well, and students, and I
dare say also the teachers
[wanting that]," she said.
"Even the imams have all
lost faith in them, but they
continue to be defiant."
The imams urged the school
to re-admit those students
who protested against their
teacher's recent removal.
In a statement, the Islamic
school's board chairman,
Farouk Khan, said recent
principals had left for
various reasons, including
retirement or due to
personal circumstances.
He said a long-serving
teacher had been dismissed
because of a serious
incident at the school but
it could not be outlined for
privacy reasons.
Mr Khan said the current
board was professional and
competent and he defended
the school's academic
standing.
"The college's academic
results overall are showing
steady improvement," he
said.
"Year 12 results continue to
grow. Year 12 completion
percentages continue to sit
near 100 per cent of
students and rankings are
improved."
Press Release from
Islamic College of South
Australia: A statement from
the Chairman of the College
Board
In response to their story
on the Islamic College of
South Australia the Project
(Channel 10) received a
statement from the Board
Chairman. This is presented
in full below.
Currently the ICOSA
Board Chairman, Mr
Farouk Khan is not well
and has been in the
hospital for the past
week.
This is a written
release of information
and once he has
sufficiently recovered
he will then make
himself available for an
interview.
Mr Khan’s responses to
the recent claims made
about issues at The
Islamic College of South
Australia are as
follows:
• The recent
principals have left
our school for
various reasons. One
of the principals
retired, another
chose to leave
through personal
choice while another
resigned to move on
to a better
position.
• The long serving
teacher that was
recently dismissed
came about in
relation to a
serious incident at
the school and
therefore necessary
disciplinary action
took place.
Currently, further
details cannot be
disclosed due to
issues of
confidentiality and
privacy for those
concerned.
• Schools usually
have a high turnover
of staff. Some of
the staff members
have chosen to move
on to better
positions and some
have moved
interstate.
• The current
College Board is
comprised of very
professional and
competent people.
• The College’s
academic results
overall are showing
steady improvement.
Year 12 results
continue to grow.
Year 12 completion
percentages continue
to sit near 100% of
students and
rankings are
improved.
• Enrolment numbers
have increased over
the last three years
and continual
improvement in
quality of teaching
standards is always
a goal.
• We have always
welcomed criticism
as long as it is
made in a democratic
manner and is for
the betterment of
the college.
• The decision to
expel students was
in accordance with
the student
behaviour policy and
was a result of
students being
defiant in not
wanting to follow
teacher
instructions.
• The Board
continues to plan
for improvement of
the school into the
future. This
includes making
applications for
building approvals
and ensuring there
is money available
to accommodate
purchase of land,
building of new
classrooms, a
multipurpose hall,
science laboratory
and new
office/administration
area.
•The college has
been employing fully
qualified and
experienced native
English speaking
teachers who are
registered with the
Teachers
Registration Board
of South Australia.
• Extra ESL teachers
have been employed.
• Many previous
staff have chosen to
move on through
personal choice.
• The college is
always financially
transparent. The
Government follows
very strict
guidelines for
auditing process and
also all the
independent schools
are required have
their audit done by
an independent
auditor.
• No staff member
was sacked due to
the head covering.
Every school,
department,
institution have
their individual and
unique policies.
ICOSA has a dress
code policy for the
staff to adhere to.
• The College has
implemented and
teaches to the
Australian
Curriculum.
• We proudly display
three flags at the
front of our school
- the state flag,
Australian flag and
the Aboriginal flag.
• We are very proud
Aussies. We sing the
national anthem on
different occasions.
• We are happy to
accept any donations
of pianos.
• The college is
functioning well and
constantly
improving. We have
successful classes
ranging from
Reception to Year
12.
• The College’s
NAPLAN participation
rates are 100% and
overall results
continue to show
steady improvement.
Mr. Khan would like
to thank you for your
ongoing interest in the
welfare of The Islamic
College of South
Australia and he looks
forward to the
opportunity of
conducting an interview
when he has returned to
full health.
SYDNEY:
It seems that Muslims cannot
get anything right by other
people. Given that there is
more than half a million
Muslims in Australia
statistically there will be
some Muslims who will not do
the right thing.
Realistically, is this more
than any other community in
Australia? Conversely,
Muslims themselves would
concede there is room for
improvement especially when
Islam expects the best from
Muslims. So, should Muslims
be held to higher standards
than other people in
Australia?
Shk Wesam Charkawi, Silma
Ihram & Bassam Adasi
VS
Shk Ahmed Abdo, Lydia Shelly
& Ghaith Krayem
Bryan Brown Theatre,
Bankstown, Western Sydney
Saturday 23 May 2015;
7:30pm;
Cost $10
For more information,
contact ISRA Australia on 02
9649 9040 or register via
info@isra.org.au
Blog by Craig Considine:
Sociologist, Speaker, Writer
Never in my wildest
imagination did I ever think
I would become a scholar
focusing on Islam and
Christian-Muslim relations.
Growing up, my passion was
playing basketball and
following the Boston
Celtics. I never had any
Muslim friends. In fact, I
did not even know a single
follower of Islam until my
college years. If you had
asked me when I was 16 years
old, "What is a Muslim?" I
would not be able to answer
you.
Everything changed when 9/11
happened. Muslims were seen
as "terrorists" and Islam
was an "evil" force that had
to be crushed by "freedom
loving people." When it came
time to choose an academic
discipline in college, I
chose "Islamic studies," not
because I wanted to learn
about a great religion and
world civilization, but
rather to work for the CIA
and become a spy to nab the
"bad guys."
One of the first classes
that I enrolled in at
American University was "The
World of Islam." I figured
this was a way for me to
learn about why an event
like 9/11 happened. On the
first day of class, I
learned about basic Islamic
principles like giving alms
to charity and praying five
times per day. I was told
about a hadith, or saying of
the Prophet Muhammad, which
stated: "the ink of the
scholar is more sacred than
the blood of the martyr." I
remember one of the Muslim
students in the class
standing up and reciting a
Qur'anic verse, which read:
"taking the life of an
innocent person is like
killing all of mankind."
What I learned on that first
day of class was not
reflective of what you hear
daily in the media about
Islam and Muslims.
Indonesian stand-up comedian
Sakdiyah Ma’ruf challenges
women’s issues and religious
extremism with her
razor-sharp wit. She spoke
to Najwa Abdullah.
“How do you feel about being
Muslim in Indonesia?” asked
stand-up comedian Sakdiyah
Ma’ruf at the beginning of
our conversation. “It’s
[something so] normal that
you almost can’t see what is
wrong, what goes wrong, or
if there is anything wrong
in the society.”
When people hear that
Indonesia has the biggest
Muslim population in the
world, and that it can stand
side by side with democracy,
they might think Islam is
being practised properly. On
the surface level, why
wouldn’t it be so? The
constitution allows
religious freedom and as the
majority, Muslims have an
abundance of religious
benefits and facilities. But
Sakdiyah believes that
“something is amiss, and the
danger is that most of us
don’t even realise that.”
The 32-year-old resident of
Jogjakarta is a rare find in
Indonesian-Muslim society –
especially in her ethnic
group of Arab-Indonesians.
She is one of the very few
female stand-up comedians in
the country to appear on
national TV and to concern
herself with women’s issues,
corruption and the
proliferating extremism
among Muslims towards
minorities.
........
there’s a
cautious
intention to
address
certain
issues in
every joke.
I will not
talk about
something I
don’t have
knowledge of
or talk with
prejudice
and
assumptions
Sakdiyah
Ma’ruf
Her criticism of certain
Islamic practices and groups
is prone to controversy, but
she believes that she is on
the right track. “I’m
conscious, responsible and
have arguments as well as
stories for every single
thing that I say. Simply
put, there’s a cautious
intention to address certain
issues in every joke. I will
not talk about something I
don’t have knowledge of or
talk with prejudice and
assumptions.”
She believes that social
norms can turn us against
ourselves. “At the end of
the day, we become strangers
in our skin. We don’t
recognise ourselves, for
instance, we lose our senses
and humanity in our
religiousness. Or in our
women’s world, we don’t
really know why we are
wearing these high heels and
fake eyelashes.”
Sakdiyah, who has a way with
words, chose stand-up comedy
because she wanted to use
humour to take the audience
where they might otherwise
be afraid to tread. She
believes that using the
power of comedy to chide
social and religious norms
can be both amusing and
enlightening.
“That’s the beauty of
comedy. It’s provocation in
a funny and subtle manner.
It is deconstructing popular
beliefs by making fun of
ourselves or implying that
society has set up an
impossible standard of
living,” she said.
When I asked her when she
decided that comedy would be
her life path, she
attributed it to her family.
“Growing up in the heart of
Arab-Indonesian community in
the city of Pekalongan in
Central Java, I always knew
that across my family and
community, humour is in our
DNA. We are generally very
funny,” she said.
Growing up
in the heart
of
Arab-Indonesian
community in
the city of
Pekalongan
in Central
Java, I
always knew
that across
my family
and
community,
humour is in
our DNA. We
are
generally
very funny
Sakdiyah
Ma’ruf
Her passion for comedy grew
slowly as she was exposed at
an early age to popular
American sitcoms such as The
Cosby Show and Full House.
Among many others, her
favourite comedian is Louis
C K and how he turns his
misfortunes into satire.
Having plunged into the
Indonesian comedy world, she
noted that it takes more
than just humour to become a
comedian. “If you’re
arrogant, you can’t do
comedy. It takes a serious
dose of self-reflection and
infinite humility to be
completely aware that one is
flawed, and the courage to
look into oneself,” she
explained.
Sakdiyah strives to maintain
her idealism and intention
for her chosen profession.
“One of my intellectual
influences once said,
‘Unlike divine lights,
studio lights are blinding’.
I couldn’t agree more with
this, since I’ve experienced
a great change in how I
perceive myself.”
Meanwhile, she is working
hard on a new piece on the
current presidential
election in Indonesia –
without showing any
political leanings. With her
long-developed concerns for
her country, Sakdiyah just
wants Indonesia to be a
better home for religious
hybridity and
multiculturalism.
CHILDREN as young as 14 will
be targeted by a new program
designed to steer them away
from ideologies of hate and
violence.
Troubled boys and girls will
be among those invited by
the Islamic Women's
Association of Queensland (IWAQ)
to take part in the
year-long project.
"We will be targeting males
mostly because what is
happening, unfortunately, is
that they are falling into
the wrong hands and
developing these radicalized
thoughts and we want to
basically tackle that," said
IWAQ social worker Beengul
Ali.
IWAQ is among the five
Queensland community groups,
and 34 across the nation, to
receive federal funding
under the Living Safe
Together program to work
with at-risk individuals to
combat radicalization.
Ms Ali said IWAQ would run
information and trainings
sessions for vulnerable
people "aged 14 and above".
"What we want to do is
create a space for them, and
tell them what the real
Islam is about," she said.
"we also want to give them
employment and education
opportunities so they
believe their lives are
worthy, rather than ....
become terrorists."
Ms Ali said the association
would approach schools,
organizations and mosques
for children and adults to
take part in the program,
which is due to start next
month.
"We want to give them an
opportunity to express
themselves, and explain why
they feel this way and what
were the core reasons for
them developing these
ideologies," she said.
Ms Ali stressed the
Springwood centre's doors
would be "open to anyone who
is interested".
Sums of up to $50,000 have
been given to community
groups to help stop the flow
of young people to Syria and
Iraq, but in an atmosphere
of mistrust, the program’s
success is far from certain.
Nine months – and at least
four allegedly foiled plots
– since the government first
announced its $1.6m
deradicalisation program,
the first grants have been
given to mosques, sporting
groups and community
organisations.
Sums of up to $50,000 have
been handed out to 34 groups
so far amid hopes the scheme
will help stem the flow of
young Muslims to Syria and
Iraq or disrupt an act of
mass-murder at home.
What fuels radicalisation is
complex and poorly
understood. But the sorts of
programs being funded by the
Attorney General’s
Department paint a picture
of how Australia’s Muslim
communities view the
phenomenon, and how they
intend to fight it.
Silma Ihram, from the
Australian Muslim Women’s
Association, will use the
money to develop a formal
qualification for Muslim
mentors based in Sydney.
As she sees it, troubled or
lost young people will
naturally seek guidance.
“The problem is that for all
those people teaching
Muslims, whether in public
or private schools, sports
groups or prisons, there’s
no qualification or
oversight, no guarantee
they’ve got the required
skills,” she says.
“We want to get training
into place so that anybody
who’s mentoring Muslims is a
lot more skilled in being
able to recognise problems
such as anger management,
domestic abuse, issues with
family breakup, depression,”
Ihram says. “All of those
things that result in kids
being susceptible to an
aggressive ideology.”
Part of that training would
including tackling the
narrative of radical groups
head-on. “We want to make
sure that as part of the
training they understand
what Islam says about
peace-building. There’s some
very strong information
that’s been put out by
highly trained Muslim
scholars refuting the basis
of Isis propaganda.”
It would also include a
crash course in Australia’s
political and legal systems
to demonstrate “that this is
in fact a pretty good
country”.
Australia has come from a
white Australia policy to a
multicultural policy. It’s
got ombudsmen and a lot of
institutions set up to
uphold your rights,” she
says.
“We work closely with the
Muslim Legal Network, which
is constantly fighting for
people’s rights, but the
average person doesn’t know
how to access that.”
Grievances over
discrimination or foreign
policy would be channelled
into practical political
campaigning. “Muslims are
Australian citizens. They
have a right to support
policies, to lobby for
policies, to look at
changing the system. We look
at the Israeli lobby or the
homosexual lobby and think,
gosh, how effective it is,”
she says.
Anne Aly, a deradicalisation
expert from Curtin
University, has received
$40,000 to expand a similar
program in Perth:
identifying at-risk youths
“through the grapevine”, and
either pairing them with
trained mentors, or
providing formal training to
existing role models in
their lives.
Aly’s mentors would be
trained not just in
countering violent ideas,
but in manoeuvring the bumps
of everyday life. “You may
not need a mentor to talk
you out of joining Isis, but
you might need one to help
you navigate the education
system,” she says.
Football United, another
recipient, will use the
money to run soccer clinics
in Sydney. “It will be a
preventive type of program
where they can meet new
people, socialise, develop
skills that make them feel
part of their community,” a
spokeswoman, Assmah Helal,
says.
The three different programs
cast the problem of violent
extremism as the result of
alienation, certainly from
“Australian values”, but
more specifically from one’s
own family, friends and
community.
They will roll out in an
atmosphere of great mistrust
between Muslim communities
and the federal government.
A number of prominent
organisations, including the
Lebanese Muslim Association,
refused to apply for the
grants. Even the full list
of recipients is being kept
confidential by the Attorney
General’s Department, for
fear its involvement would
taint the programs.
The participants are aware
of these risks. “But if, at
the end of the day, I’m
helping a family so that
they don’t lose a son, or to
keep their family intact,
then it’s worth it,” Aly
says.
Ihram, too, was “reluctant”
to apply for funding, but
says once the mentoring
program is up and running
she will seek funding under
a more neutral scheme.
“If it’s funded as social
infrastructure, or social
welfare, that’s fine,” she
says. “But under
anti-terrorism or
deradicalisation, we don’t
want that.”
CAPE TOWN: A new mobile app
will help Muslim travellers
establish prayer times,
locate mosques and find
halal food more easily while
away from home.
Going by the name HalalTrip,
the app has integrated the
latest available
technologies to give Muslim
travellers a simple way to
find prayer times and
locations whether on air,
land or sea.
With just one click, the new
feature instantly calculates
the prayer times for the
current location, the
distances for nearby mosques
and the time it will take to
reach them. For travellers
it will also work out
whether you can reach your
hotel in time for prayers.
The addition of this feature
alongside its existing
in-flight prayer calculator
means the HalalTrip app now
provides Muslim travellers
with a seamless experience
for all their needs.
Fazal Bahardeen, CEO of
HalalTrip & CrescentRating,
said embracing new
technology to innovate and
enhance the experience of
Muslim travellers is a key
ongoing focus for the
company as the $145 billion
Halal tourism sector becomes
more sophisticated and
smartphone savvy.
Bahardeen said, “The Muslim
traveller is now much more
technology savvy than ever
before. They are
increasingly coming from a
younger demographic and are
now some of the early
adopters of online
innovations.”
The HalalTrip app brings
together a number of key
essential travel resources
for Muslims which includes
Halal food discovery. The
Halal food spotting feature
allows users to “spot” Halal
food dishes and upload
images, comment and share
via social media to millions
across the world.
The new version of the app,
available on both iOS and
Android, now has English,
Arabic, Bahasa Indonesia and
Bahasa Malaysia user
interfaces with more
languages to follow.
According to the latest
figures in the
“MasterCard-CrescentRating
Global Muslim Travel Index (GMTI)
2015”, the halal tourism
sector was worth $145
billion in 2014. This figure
is predicted to grow to $200
billion by 2020.
Over the next few months,
HalalTrip will add new
features to the app
including a direct booking
service and city guides.
The free app is available
for both iPhone/iPad &
Android smartphones/tablets
and can be downloaded by
searching for ‘HalalTrip’ in
the App Store/Google Play.
SYDNEY: The Australian Arab
Business Forum is hosting a
dinner at the Sir Stamford
Circular Quay on Thursday 21
May with The Hon Stuart
Ayres MP and Her Excellency
Dr Shaikha Al Maskari.
Her Excellency Dr Shaikha Al
Maskari, Chairperson of Al
Maskari Holding from the
United Arab Emirates will be
the keynote speaker.
Al Maskari Holding is a
global diversified company
with operations in the oil
and gas, renewable energy,
mining, healthcare services,
facilities management, real
estate, security and
outsourcing sectors.
Dr Al Maskari is also
Chairperson of Tricon Group,
Johnson Controls and Global
Communications, Global
Communication Recruitment
Services and Singapore Expo.
Amongst her many awards, she
received the World Women
Leadership Achievement Award
2015 and the 2014 Emirati
Businesswoman of the Year
Award. She has also been
recognised for her
outstanding contribution to
the economic empowerment of
women.
Event Details
6.30pm - 9.00pm
Thursday 21 May, 2015
Sir Stamford at Circular
Quay
93 Macquarie Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Tickets
Individual: $190 +GST
Corporate table: $1500 +GST
Register now to network
with likeminded business
professionals looking to
project their business into
the Middle East and North
Africa.
Lohan carries
the Koran as she steps out
after court-ordered
community service at a
children's centre
Lindsay Lohan was
photographed carrying a copy
of the Koran after her first
day of community service in
Brooklyn, New York, on
Wednesday.
The actress - who is of
Irish and Italian heritage
and was raised as a Catholic
- held a hard copy of the
Muslim holy book in her arm
as she finished a day of
office work at a children's
center. She reportedly
arrived two hours late.
It comes as the 28-year-old
embarks on an 'emotional
detox', giving up alcohol
and dating.
The Koran prescribes a
lifestyle free of alcohol
for Muslims - though readers
of the book do not
necessarily subscribe to the
religion.
It is not the first time
Lindsay has shown an
interest in other religions.
During the height of her
fame as a teen star, she
wore a Kabbalah red string
bracelet, which wards off
misfortune brought about by
the 'evil eye'.
She was also rumoured to be
attending Kabbalah classes,
and in 2012 she reportedly
joined Courtney Love's
Buddhist chanting group.
Last year Lindsay described
herself as a 'very spiritual
person' in a docu-series
with Oprah Winfrey.
'I'm a very spiritual person
and I've become more
spiritual as time has gone
on,' she told the talk show
host.
'I'm really in touch,
whether it's prayer or
meditation... there are so
many powers greater than me
in the world. I've been
blessed and lucky enough to
have been given a gift to
share with other people.'
Earlier this year, Lindsay
posted this Instagram image
quoting the Quaran but later
deleted it
Every Friday in the regional
Victorian town of Ararat, 50
members of the Islamic
Welfare Association join
each other for prayer at a
tiny brick building next to
the town's train station.
On occasion they hold
interfaith prayer sessions
with the Catholic Church,
but soon they will have a
mosque, following the
approval of the local
council, as well as other
local religious leaders.
Like most country
Victorians, for these four
families, the town's appeal
was getting out of the
hustle and bustle of city
life.
They are proud to call
Ararat, which has a
population of about 8,000
people, home, but said their
religion was often
misunderstood and they are
concerned that they are
feared by the broader
community.
Osman Kokcu
Photo: Ararat
Islamic Welfare
Association
vice-president Osman
Kokcu
Originally
from Turkey, Osman Kokcu has
been living in Australia for
14 years, and currently
works as a supervisor at the
local abattoir.
His wife and children now
live in Melbourne for their
son's high school education,
but had been living in the
regional town until
recently.
"I go to Melbourne on the
weekends ... I decided to
stay here because I have a
good job," Osman said.
During the week, Osman keeps
himself busy by playing
soccer and with social
gatherings.
Osman is the vice-president
of the Islamic Welfare
Association in Ararat, and
said the group provided
support to help others get
their lives off to a good
start.
"We bring all the Muslims
together, and if new Muslims
come to town we find houses
for them and jobs for them,"
he said.
He said they also regularly
came together to pray.
"We have prayers five times
a day," he said.
"Once a day we try and get
together and pray together
so we can socialise, and
tell each other what we have
done during the day, and ask
did you have any problems to
discuss or any good news
happened. We talk about what
things we can do to improve
ourselves."
Osman said the Islam he knew
was a peaceful one.
"Islam
is not
what you
see in
the
media -
the
terrorism
and the
negativity
and the
thinking
of bad
things
about
other
people
is not
in
Islam,"
he said.
"Islam
is
always
positive
and
looking
forward
and
living a
peaceful
life."
NEXT WEEK CCN introduces
Ararat resident Saqib
Gondal and Family.
In this episode of Halal in
the Family, Aasif helps
Bobby run for high school
class president with a
little help from a new
friend (The Daily Show's
Samantha Bee) and cousin
Tariq (The Roots' “Black
Thought” Trotter). With
Sakina Jaffrey (House of
Cards).
Tudung industry in
Malaysia: Cashing in on conservative Islam
Women spotted on April 30,
2015, camping outside the
Fareeda Bangi store to buy
the new designs of tudung
that will be launched on May
1, 2015
KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 — Homemaker Siti
Noraini Mohd Kamarulzaman camped outside a
Fareeda store — a popular brand of tudungs —
for three days to buy their latest designs
for RM120 a piece, which she would then
resell for RM400.
Almost triple the original
price As Fareeda sells only 30 to 40 pieces
per colour or print, stocks are limited but
demand is high, and those queuing for days
to buy the headscarves are able to sell them
later on Facebook for two or three times
higher, which can net them a cool income of
RM5,000 a month.
“During Hari Raya, I can make
more than RM10,000,” Siti Noraini, 24, told
Malay Mail Online recently while camping
outside the Fareeda store in Bangi for the
May 1 launch of the brand’s new designs.
Workers making headscarves
in Fareeda's Bangi store on
April 30, 2015.
The boom in the tudung (also
known by its Arabic name, hijab) industry is
one of the side benefits of an increasingly
conservative brand of Islam practised in
Malaysia that frowns on Muslim women who do
not cover their heads.
An estimated five million
Muslim women, up to 90 per cent of whom
probably wear tudungs, coupled with the
rebranding of the headscarf as a fashion
item, have driven business growth and
spurred the creation of hundreds of tudung
brands.
Three tudung companies told
Malay Mail Online that business is growing,
with one of them making profit in just one
year since it was set up.
ISIS Ideology Is Not
True To Islam, And These Imams Are Fighting
Back
Leading Imams and
scholars from Britain and Europe,
from the third left, Imam Asim
Hussain, Sarah Warrick, Dr Qari
Muhammad Asim and Shaykh Ahmad
Babikir hold up various versions,
online and printed of the new
magazine 'Haqiqah' which translates
as 'The Reality' and is aimed young
people and to counter extremist
views from groups such as Islamic
State, at its official launch in
London, Thursday, March, 26, 2015.
(AP Photo/Alastair Grant) |
ASSOCIATED PRESS
UK: Using a twisted version
of Islam, the militant group Islamic State,
or ISIS, has pushed online campaigns to
attract youth to its bloody crusade in Syria
and Iraq. Now a group of British imams and
scholars is looking to "reclaim the
Internet" with a new magazine aimed at
shifting the conversation and spreading a
message of truth.
Haqiqah, meaning "the truth" or "the
reality" in Arabic, is a digital magazine
created by Islamic scholars with the purpose
of educating young people about the
realities of extremism, according to its
backers at Imams Online. The goal, they say,
is to "drown out" the voices perpetuating
violence.
“Someone has to reclaim that territory from
ISIS, and that can only be imams: religious
leaders who guide and nourish their
community,” Qari Asim, senior editor at
Imams Online, told the BBC. “But now that we
live in a digital mobile world, some young
people are not coming to the mosque so we
must reach out to them -– and this is the
Muslims’ contribution to combat
radicalization on the net."
More than 100 imams were reportedly present
at the launch of the magazine in London
Thursday night, including influential U.S.
scholar Hamza Yusuf and Sheikh Abdallah Bin
Bayyah, president of the Forum for Promoting
Peace. One imam told BuzzFeed "Haqiqa would
reach out to vulnerable people, who are
often targeted by extremists on social
media."
Avaes Mohammad:
Playwright on making two plays on Muslim
terrorism and white fascism
'There’s something weird
going on when people born
and raised here are willing
to destroy this country'
Avaes Mohammad wanted to
write a play about Muslim extremism in the
North of England. Actually, he wanted to
write three – a trilogy, going from 9/11 to
the present moment. But when he approached
Rod Dixon, of the Red Ladder Theatre
Company, he was persuaded to look at two
different versions of extremism in modern
Britain: Muslim terrorism and white,
working-class fascism.
Dixon had the sense that these were two
sides to the same coin, something that’s
been borne out in their research. “I was
more interested in the parallel stories. And
the more we interviewed people, the more we
realised that the young men in particular
had the same needs that weren’t being met.”
Mohammad wrote a double bill
about to open at the Park Theatre – Hurling
Rubble at the Sun and Hurling Rubble at the
Moon. They’re stand-alone plays, but have
overlapping characters and make powerful
companion pieces. They are both set around
the 7/7 bombings, with Sun looking at a
radicalised young Muslim, while Moon focuses
on a young white man who gets caught up in
racist violence and the BNP.
“I come from Blackburn, which
is a very divided town,” he explains. “I was
raised in a very ghettoised Muslim Asian
community. In the same town there was an
equally ghettoised white, working-class
community. What’s interesting is, although
they live in isolation, how conjoined their
narratives are. Where we’ve seen the rise of
Muslim extremism, we’ve also seen the
analogous and parallel rise of white,
working-class extremism.”
French
Muslim girl returns to school in ‘banned’
skirt
FRANCE: Sarah K, the
15-year-old school girl who was banned from
attending classes for wearing long skirts,
sparking an uproar in France and the world
over, has returned to school in her
characteristic outfit.
Sarah stepped into the Leo Lagrange
junior-high school in northeastern France
Monday, wearing a grey floral printed skirt,
confident as ever that her skirt choices had
nothing to do with the business of the
state.
Last month, the French Muslim student of
Algerian descent had been suspended from
school by the headmaster, Maryse Dubois, for
wearing a similar long skirt and was asked
to change her outfit and then come back to
school.
In the letter sent to her family, Dubois had
said that Sarah’s long black skirt allegedly
reflected her religious beliefs and breached
the strict secular rules of France. The
headmaster further said that the skirt was
“too openly religious.”
Speaking with the Anadolu Agency Monday
while she was on her way to school, Sarah
said: “I did nothing wrong, I’m respecting
the law as I always take off my headscarf
before I enter the school; so there is no
need for me to change what I wear. I’ll
continue to dress the way I please and
receive my education.”
While Sarah was not denied entry to the
school this time Monday, it didn’t
necessarily mean that the discrimination
that girls like her face had come to an end
in France. Anadolu Agency has learnt that
there are several other girls like Sarah,
who too had been suspended at the same
school for wearing long skirts.
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
Allama Iqbal Award for
Creativity in Islamic Thought
Dr Muhammad Abdul Jabbar
Beg was a distinguished historian of the
Muslim world with an extensive reading list
to his name.
Despite ill-health, he
managed to complete a comprehensive
biography of Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be
peace, after a thorough study of classical
and modern sources, as well as writing more
than 300 biographies of the Prophet’s
companions, published in a multi-volume
series.
He was perhaps the only
Muslim historian with more than twenty
entries to his credit in the prestigious and
world-class The Encyclopedia of Islam.
Dr Beg was a widely read and
erudite historian, as exemplified in his
seminal work of 2006, Essays on the origins
of Islamic Civilisation.
The collection demonstrated
the late academics grasp of architectural
history, the seerah, numismatics, urban
development, social structures, early
Islamic science or music.
His distinguished academic
career was boosted after he gained a PhD
from Cambridge University, and took in
lectureships around the world.
The late Muhammad Abdul
Jabbar sadly passed away after he was
nominated for this award.
Q: Dear Kareema,
I injured my knee a while ago and have been
advised by my doctor to work on strengthening
the muscles around it. Which exercises do you
recommend I do given I have clearance from my
doctor to start exercising again?
A: Cycling is great for strengthening the
muscles around the knee, and there is no jarring
of the joints.
So try a spin class
and go from there.
The rowing machine
is another option and you'll get the benefit of
working your upper body as well.
I would also recommend aqua aerobics or
swimming.
Again, no jarring of
the knees and you'll soon see results if you're
consistent.
Drawing
on their unusual access to intelligence sources, law
enforcement, and groundbreaking research, two of America’s
leading experts on violent extremism and terrorism explain
the genesis, evolution, and implications of today’s most
barbaric jihadist army, Islamic State—and how we can fight
it.
Though terrorist groups are a
fixture of contemporary politics and warfare, the world has
never witnessed the degree of sheer brutality demonstrated
by the group know as ISIS—the Islamic State of Iraq and the
Levant.
Its sadistic disregard for human
life, sophisticated use of social media, acquisition of
territory, and ability to attract foreign fighters—many from
modern Western democracies—is unprecedented. Jessica Stern
and J. M. Berger analyze the tools ISIS uses both to
frighten innocent citizens and lure new soldiers—including
the “ghoulish pornography” of their pro-jihadi videos, the
seductive appeal of “jihadic chic,” and its startling
effective social media expertise.
While this jihadi army poses a
significant threat, our response must be carefully
calibrated the authors warn; sending troops onto the
battlefield could become the ideal recruiting tool,
increasing ISIS’s ranks. ISIS: The State of Terror offers
practical ideas on potential government responses—most
importantly, emphasizing that we must alter our present
conceptions of terrorism and terrorists and react to the
rapidly changing jihadi landscape, both online and off, as
quickly as the terrorists do.
As it lays out what our next
move—as a country, as a government, as the world—should be,
it offers a vital assessment of the future of
counterterrorism and countering violent extremism.
Would you like
to see the cover of your favourite book on our book shelves
below?
Using the book club you
can see what books fellow CCN readers have on their
shelves, what they are reading and even what they,
and others, think of them.
KB says: With
Ramadaan nearly a month away I wanted to share
this recipe which is an easy and light
alternative to the traditional Haleem and
nutritious too.
and was inspired by a recipe in Cosmo Cuisine by
Mariam Mahomedy
Weetabix
and Oats Haleem
Ingredients
1½ cups of Jungle Oats
4 Weetabix
2 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 cup chicken fillet cut into big squares.
1 tab. ghee
1 medium onion grated
1 small tomato grated
1tsp. ginger and garlic
1 tsp. green chillies
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt
2 cups of water
1 tab. ghee
½ a sliced onion
2 green chillies sliced
1 tsp jeeru
¼ tsp garam masala
Chopped coriander
Method
1. Soak the Jungle oats and Weetabix in water
and add the salt.
2. Braise the onion
in ghee until light brown; add the ginger and
garlic, spices and tomato and sauté for 2
minutes.
3. Add the chicken
and cook until tender.
4. Add the water and
the jungle oats mixture and boil together for
approx. 20mins.
5. Remove the
chicken and liquidize the oats mixture and add
more water if you require a thinner consistency.
6. Shred the chicken
with your fingers and add to the oats mixture
and boil for approx. 5 mins. or until the
desired consistency is reached. Taste for salt.
7. Fry onion,
garlic, jeeru and green chilies and add to the
Haleem mixture .
8. Sprinkle with
garam masala and garnish with coriander leaves
and serve hot with a slice of lemon.
Jallaluddin's wife went on vacation, leaving her husband
behind.
Before she left, she told him to take extra special care of
her cat.
The next day she called her husband and asked if the cat was
all right.
Her husband said: The cat just died.
She burst into tears and said: How could you be so blunt?
Why couldn't you have broken the news gradually! Today, you
could have said that it was playing on the roof; tomorrow,
you could have said that it fell off and had broken its leg;
then on the third day, you could have said that the poor
thing had passed away in the night. You could have been more
sensitive about the whole thing. By the way, how is my mom?
Let those (disposing of an
estate) have the same fear
in their minds as they would
have for their own if they
had left a helpless family
behind: let them fear Allah,
and speak words of
appropriate (comfort).
For information on
advertising in the CCN Business
section and be included in our Directory Listing
with a web link and a brochure, email
ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org.
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
1
August
Saturday
Fund Raiser & Eid Celebration
Islamic Society of Ipswich
Islamic College of Brisbane, KARAWATHA
0421 976 934
6.30pm
8
August
Saturday
School Fete
Australian International Islamic College
Blunder Rd, DURACK
3372 1400
TBA
15
August
New Date
Saturday
Gala Dinner in Honour of Women
Queensland Muslims
Brisbane Technology Park
0402 575 410
6pm
22
August
Saturday
NEW Musjid Al Huda Redbank
TBA
TBA
TBA
after Maghrib
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.
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
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.
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someone you know who would like to subscribe to CCN please
encourage them to enter their details
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.
The
CCN Inbox: Letters
to the Editor
She
said the community was also
too scared to speak of their
concerns out of fear of
being labelled racist.
In
an effort to encourage their
students to recite the Holy
Quran, the Australian
International Islamic
College (Durack Campus)
organised its 13th annual
Quran Recitation Competition
- 2015 at AIIC’s
multipurpose hall.
Sakdiyah
Ma’ruf
Drawing
on their unusual access to intelligence sources, law
enforcement, and groundbreaking research, two of America’s
leading experts on violent extremism and terrorism explain
the genesis, evolution, and implications of today’s most
barbaric jihadist army, Islamic State—and how we can fight
it. 
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7
August 2011