Amercian writer and
director of the
small-budget movie,
American Sharia, was
on hand in Brisbane
on Friday night for
the Muslim Aid
Australia showing of
his "halalywood"
production.
Regan's post-movie
Q&A session and his
earlier appearance
at the Brisbane
Islamic College
wetted his
audiences' appetites
sufficiently for his
next Muslim Aid
Australia
event - a stand
up-act at the
Orphans and Me fund
raiser on 6 June.
Muslim Aid Australia
is working towards
providing a better
life for thousands
of orphans around
the world, including
Syria, Palestine,
Albania, and Yemen.
The entertainment on
6 June will be
provided by three
overseas artists:
the famed American
Poet Quadir Lateef,
the hilarious
American Comedian
Omar Reagan, and the
inspiring British
Nasheed Artist
Faisal Salah
performing his world
premiere of “Smile”,
a Muslim Aid
original.
Venue: Michael’s
Oriental | Date:
Saturday 6th June
2015 | Time: 7pm
To purchase tickets
($50pp) please visit
http://bit.ly/1QVXYdE
or for a table of 10
($450) please visit
http://bit.ly/1ERXZXu.
Alternatively you
can call me on 0434
984 520
As authorities grapple with
the threat posed by Islamic
State, there are calls from
within the Muslim community
to tighten Australia's
immigration policies.
The
founding president of the
Australian Federation of
Islamic Councils (AFIC),
Haset Sali (pictured
left), who also served
as both a president and
legal adviser to the
organisation, said moderate
Muslims had been sidelined
by an Islamic leadership
promoting more
fundamentalist views.
Mr Sali also said there was
a widening gulf between
Muslims who had integrated
into Australian society and
those who had not.
"Sometimes the truth has to
be faced and if the truth is
awkward, then it has to be
faced anyway, and I really
do believe we have to be
more careful about who we
let into this country and
who we grant refugee status
to, because I think it's
just getting beyond a joke
quite frankly," he said.
"There are people who
unfortunately don't
appreciate the great freedom
that we have in this nation
and the opportunities that
are available if people live
by the law and do the right
thing."
He said a classic example
was Sydney siege shooter Man
Haron Monis, the self-styled
radical cleric with a
violent past who he said
Australian authorities
"tolerated to the nth
degree".
Consequence of
non-discriminatory migration
policy
Associate
Professor Halim Rane
(pictured right),
from Griffith University's
Islamic Research Unit, said
the gulf was even broader.
"Interestingly enough
Muslims used to be better
integrated into Australian
society a number of
generations ago than they
tend to be today - that's a
consequence I think of
migration policy," he said.
"In attempting to have a
non-discriminatory migration
policy we've allowed into
the country many people
whose values and norms are
simply inconsistent with
Australian values and norms,
so they would obviously find
it difficult to integrate
into Australian society.
"They've projected their
ideas onto Muslims here in
Australia, so we're seeing
second and even third
generation Australian-born
Muslims who have adopted
ideas that have their origin
in the Islamism in the
Muslim world in the 1970s,
1980s and 1990s."
He said immigration should
not be restricted from
particular countries or
regions, but there was a
case for Australia to be
more selective about who it
allowed in.
Interestingly
enough
Muslims used
to be better
integrated
into
Australian
society a
number of
generations
ago than
they tend to
be today -
that's a
consequence
I think of
migration
policy
Assoc.
Prof Halim
Rane
Associate Professor Rane
acknowledged it was a
provocative argument.
"Maybe we need to look more
carefully at the individual
who's coming," he said.
"If they express particular
views, particular values,
display particular norms,
that would suggest to us
they wouldn't integrate well
and would be ultimately
happier somewhere else.
"Then we should exercise our
right to deny those people
entry into the country for
their benefit and ours.
"Immigration issues, issues
around multiculturalism,
integration, particularly
when they concern Muslims,
are very contentious
subjects - it's not an easy
conversation to have."
Some Muslim leaders need
to rethink teachings
Associate Professor Rane
said it was a necessary
conversation if Australia
was to counter the threat of
Islamic State and understand
its allure to some young
men.
They include 18-year-old
Oliver Bridgeman, the
Caucasian teenager from
Queensland who recently
converted to Islam and left
the country under the guise
of doing aid work in
Indonesia.
He is now suspected of
joining an Al Qaeda-linked
terror group.
Professor Rane said some of
Australia's Muslim leaders
were promoting conservative
ideas about segregation of
the sexes, holy war, and the
establishment of an Islamic
government or caliphate,
which originated from
socio-political roots rather
than the Holy Koran itself.
He said while they did not
necessarily advocate
violence and most Muslims
denounced Islamic State, the
entrenched conservatism in
the leadership could result
in more young Muslims
becoming alienated.
"Many of the people who are
part of the leadership of
the Muslim community come
from overseas, and
potentially are not as
familiar with Australian
society and culture as they
need to be," he said.
"This raises concerns that
the people that are making
some of these rules clearly
don't have a good sense of
how Islam should be done in
a way that is conducive to
the Australian social and
cultural context.
Many of the
people who
are part of
the
leadership
of the
Muslim
community
come from
overseas,
and
potentially
are not as
familiar
with
Australian
society and
culture as
they need to
be.
Assoc.
Prof Halim
Rane
"This creates a tension
within many young people
where they don't feel as
though they can be a
Westerner or an Australian
and a Muslim at the same
time, they don't feel
content in that identity.
"So they're left with
choice, and this is part of
the problem."
He said there was a lot of
stake if Muslim leaders did
not rethink their teachings.
"We'll continue on a
trajectory where there is a
widening gap between Muslim
communities here in
Australia and wider
Australian society," he
said.
"I think that Muslims will
follow a trajectory where
they adhere to values and
norms and they'll develop a
subculture that puts them at
odds with the values and
norms of wider society."
Moderate Muslims need
bigger leadership role
Mr Sali said he was
concerned more extreme
values were gaining
prominence due to a power
vacuum in the current
Islamic leadership and
moderate Muslims needed a
bigger role.
"They definitely have been
marginalised or sidelined in
the Australian Federation of
Islamic Councils by the
extreme group who've taken
over AFIC and promptly
disenfranchised over 60 per
cent of their member
societies and councils," he
said.
"In doing so, [the] have
sidelined a lot of the
mainstream people from being
able to put their point of
view or even have a say."
The AFIC did not respond to
the ABC's request for a
response.
Keysar
Trad (pictured left),
from the Islamic Friendship
Association of Australia,
said many Muslim leaders
were working hard to counter
the threat of Islamic State,
which he said only a minute
proportion of the world's
two billion Muslims
supported.
But he acknowledged that
more could be done.
"There are some people in
leadership positions who
should not be," he said.
"Some people in leadership
positions have failed their
duty to the community and
their duty to the
organisations they lead, I
have no doubt about that.
"There are some leaders who
are conservative, but being
conservative or not doing
enough for your community
does not make one an
extremist.
"We have a right to blame
some of the leadership for
falling short of their
obligations, but to make a
quantum to suggest they're
extremists or they support
extremism, I'd like to see
more evidence for that
before jumping to that
conclusion.
"In the end, we have a very
important goal and that is
to save our children from
the pull of extremism and
make our children understand
they have a very important
role to play in Australian
society.
"They can contribute to the
betterment of Australian
society, and we value them
and the nation values them."
Mr Trad said a lot more
could done.
"Undoubtedly - there's a lot
more that can be done by
established community
organisations, especially
those organisations that are
well funded," he said.
"For example, there can be
many more youth camps and
youth activities, and there
can also be more interfaith
events involving young
people - there's only a few
of those at the moment."
Process of engagement
needed
Mr Trad said moderate
Muslims wanting a greater
say needed to take back
control.
"Looking at traditional
organisations and societies
to rescue the community,
that's not going to work
anymore," he said.
"The community - the
grassroots in particular -
are creating their own
leadership and that effort
needs to be supported by a
process of engagement.
"We are engaging with them
and very soon, the
grassroots movement will
move us forward."
...the
concept of a
caliphate
was a part
of Islamic
tradition,
and
supporting
the idea did
not have to
be at odds
with
multicultural
society.
Keysar
Trad
Mr Trad said the concept of
a caliphate was a part of
Islamic tradition, and
supporting the idea did not
have to be at odds with
multicultural society.
He said a proper caliph
would be a religious
figurehead, similar to a
Catholic pope.
"The intention behind it is
to use it for a positive
purpose," he said.
"Whilst a caliphate or
caliph might look out for
the rights of Muslims, the
caliph also makes sure that
Muslims understand the
boundaries that we have, and
going outside the authority
of a caliph.
"For example, if a caliphate
was established and there
was a caliph with a proper
mandate, and he says to
Muslims worldwide that IS is
not according to Islam, stay
away from it, anybody who
decides to join it would end
up committing a very, very
serious sin."
The
51st Annual Congress of
Muslims Australia (AFIC),
the national umbrella body
of the Australian Muslim
community was held in Sydney
during the weekend.
Delegates attending from all
States of Australia
including Christmas Island,
ACT and Northern Territory
met over two days to review
AFIC’s activities, give
directives and policies for
the future and to elect a
new President and Executive
Committee.
As per tradition, a Congress
Dinner was held to celebrate
the 51st anniversary of
Muslims Australia which has
grown into a large and
formidable organization. The
inter-state delegates and
|Muslim leaders were joined
by many other members of the
Muslim community of Sydney
and many friends and
colleagues from the
multicul-tural and religious
communities including
political leaders
representing the federal,
state and local governments.
Mr Hafez Kassem (pictured
left) from Sydney, was
unanimously re-elected as
the President for an-other
term, Mr Farouk Khan from
South Australia was elected
as the new Vice Presi-dent,
Mr Harun Abdullah from
Tasmania was elected as the
new Secretary and Mr Usaid
Khalil from NSW was elected
as the new Treasurer.
The other members of the
Executive include Miss Rawah
El Samman from Sydney as
Assistant Secretary, Dr
Senad Smajic as Assistant
Treasurer, Dr Abdul
Kamareddine, Mr Khaled Jneid
and Mrs Soofia Abbas as the
Executive Committee members.
The Executive Committee and
the office-bearers will hold
office for the next three
years.
Mr Kassem, addressing the
Congress Dinner assured the
guests that AFIC under his
leadership will continue
with the direction that AFIC
has taken in the educational
and spiritual development.
He further stated that AFIC
will utilise its resources
towards uniting communities
in Australia’s multicultural
society, and make Australia
a proud country that all Australians call home.
Nick Hutchinson says
Fleurieu's yoghurt deal with
Emirates is now secure.
A milk products company
which announced it would
ditch its Halal
certification after it was
targeted on social media has
now reinstated it and won
back a deal to supply
Emirates Airlines.
The Fleurieu Milk and
Yoghurt Company, south of
Adelaide, found itself the
target of a coordinated
global anti-Halal campaign
late last year and rejected
suggestions the fee it was
paying was being used to
help fund terrorism.
Without its certificate, the
company could not fulfil a
$50,000 contract to supply
yoghurt to Emirates.
To achieve Halal status, the
company needed to ensure no
pork, blood or alcohol got
anywhere near the production
process.
Fleurieu Milk Company
executive Nick Hutchinson
said it had now changed its
mind, reinstated its Halal
certificate and ensured the
airline contract was secure.
"We should have stayed
tight, made a stand for
Australia as a country that
accepts and appreciates
different ways of life," he
said.
"I know full well that there
will be a lot of people out
there that are extremely
disappointed with our
decision and will be quite
vocal about it, but for us
we think we've done the
right thing."
Mr Hutchinson said he felt
the company was sending the
wrong message by ruling out
a religious group from being
able to enjoy its produces.
"We have now gone back on
that and we have regained
halal certification and are
quite proud to say that
anybody of any sex, age,
race, religion as well is
able to enjoy our products,"
he said.
The Islamic Society of South
Australia, which provides
companies with
certification, said the
attacks against Halal
products amounted to "Islamophobia".
A Senate inquiry into food
certification schemes has
just been set up by SA
Liberal senator Cory
Bernardi, with backing from
his party colleagues and six
Upper House crossbenchers.
Senator Bernardi said he
wanted to examine the claims
made on social media by the
Halal boycotters, and Mr
Hutchinson said that
parliamentary investigation
would be a welcome move.
"The Senate inquiry, they're
probably in a similar
position to us, they just
want to get answers and put
it to bed," he said.
There lies a verse in the
Holy Quran that no Muslim
will ever doubt the
truthfulness of: “Allah (SWT)
will not change the
condition of a people until
they change what is in
themselves” (Quran 13:11).
Of course, no Muslim will
doubt any verse of the Holy
Quran, but there are hardly
any who are willing to
accept that it may be
themselves who are addressed
in this verse.
Most of us will simply blame
other Muslims for the
situation our Ummah is in,
not only in Australia, but
also across the world. I am
no different to any of those
who are quick to blame
others for our miseries,
however I want to reflect on
how change can be made, so
Allah (S.W.T) through His
mercy, changes our condition
for the better. These times
are calling for us to change
- each in our own way. This
ensures a better future for
this country and God
willing, our presence
becomes a blessing for other
human beings, including
every creation of Allah (S.W.T).
At this point it is normal
to think that we, as
individuals are too small or
too busy to make any change.
Be that as it may, if many
people make a small change
it will inevitably lead to a
complete turnaround of the
status quo.
Enough of the tall talk; let
us scale what we are talking
about to make change in our
local community, city, and
in Australia as a whole. At
this point let me give you a
glimpse of my background and
what motivates me to write
this article. Since October
2014, I have been the
President of Holland Park
Mosque and a spokesperson
for ICQ (Islamic Council of
Queensland). Most Brisbane
residents are aware of the
Mosque as one of the oldest
in Australia with its 108
years of uninterrupted
service to the Muslim
community. This is not
limited to Queensland but
across Australia as a whole.
Before being part of the
Mosque, I constantly blamed
the current situation on the
failure of our ‘leadership’
as it was very easy to do
from afar. I did so without
any responsibility and more
importantly it was a way to
tell myself, “I am not part
of the problem”. Serving in
the committee of the Mosque
and eventually taking a
leadership position not only
exposed me to the challenges
but taught me to respect our
predecessors and to
appreciate the roles they
had to play within our
community and within Islamic
organisations. Yes, there
are some leaders who do not
fulfill these roles as our
predecessors did, but I
credit them for taking
responsibility and the brunt
of the consequences for
their actions.
It is true that everyone’s
circumstances do not allow
them to participate in the
community but by being aware
and asking questions, you
will not only be able to
hold leaders responsible but
guide them and advise them
on where they went wrong and
how to proceed. In the next
few paragraphs I will inform
you on what organisational
structures are currently in
place and how anybody is
able to participate and
contribute within whatever
capacity they may have. Most
Mosques are managed by
incorporated associations
registered with Department
of Fair Trading. This means
it has a constitution or
model and rules that are
agreed on by financial
members who pay a yearly
subscription of anywhere
between fifty to one hundred
dollars. These financial
members elect a management
committee from amongst
themselves and this could be
any number of members that
will be responsible for
day-to-day activities that
are taken place as well as
decision making on behalf of
all financial members. Some
roles include positions such
as Presidency, Secretary,
and Treasurer that are all
democratically elected by
all financial members at a
yearly AGM (Annual General
Meeting). AGM is also the
time of year when elected
members are legally required
to present their yearly
activities and give details
of any accounts to all
financial members.
Second tier over the
associations is an
organisation named ICQ
(Islamic Council of
Queensland), which has
around 16 Mosques as well as
its financial members. ICQ’s
responsibility is to
represent the interests of
the Muslims in Queensland
including media
representations, public
relations, political
lobbying, and halal
certification amongst other
community responsibilities.
ICQ is also an incorporated
association which has
Mosques as its financial
members, and each mosque
having one vote to elect the
ICQ management committee.
There are 9 such State
Councils across the country.
The third and the most
significant tier is AFIC
(Australian Federation of
Islamic Councils), which is
also a registered as a
not-for-profit organisation
and has State Councils with
over 100 Mosques as its
financial members. AFIC also
owns the land of 9 schools
across the country with its
net worth running into
millions of dollars.
Currently, the State
Councils have a right to
elect the management
committee of AFIC with
Mosque members having a
right to vote on other
issues raised during the AGM
(Annual General Meeting).
The diagram below will give
you an idea of what
relationship exists between
AFIC, State Councils and
Masjids. While there are 9
State Councils, I have only
used 3 in the example
diagram.
Figure 1: Structure of
Muslim organisations in
Australia.
This diagram may need to be
explained in further detail
but I hope this has made you
even the smallest bit
curious to know how these
organisations operate and
more importantly, what you
can do to participate within
whatever capacity you may
acquire. Starting to
participate is as simple as
writing to any of your local
Mosques and to ask how you
can become a financial
member or simply contact
your state representative
which in this case would be
ICQ (Islamic Council of
Queensland). Most Mosques
have a website with contact
details and Queensland’s
oldest mosque, Holland Park
Mosque, has a very active
Facebook page as well.
Our community is full of
talent and skills and it is
my desire to see all of us
participate in shaping our
future and to do our bit not
only for the benefit of
ourselves but also for the
future generations of this
country.
Ali Kadri is the
president of the
Islamic Society of
Holland Park Mosque
and media
spokesperson for a
number of
organizations.
Former Islamic College of
Brisbane principal Mubarak
Noor-Mohamed has spoken out
about problems with AFIC.
Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen
Source: News Corp Australia
Former Islamic College of
Brisbane principal Mubarak
Noor-Mohamed has spoken out
about problems with AFIC.
Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen
Source: News Corp Australia
A senior official in the
Australian Federation of
Islamic Councils has been
accused of attempting to
embezzle hundreds of
thousands of dollars from
the Islamic College of
Brisbane and falsifying
school loans worth almost $1
million.
The senior AFIC official and
board members of the Islamic
College of Brisbane have
been accused in a report
that the school’s former
principal filed with
Queensland police. It
alleges an attempt to remove
$288,000 from school
accounts, as well as
falsifying two loans worth a
total of $880,000 that were
wrongly claimed by AFIC from
the school. The school
receives about 80 per cent
of its funding from
taxpayers. State and
commonwealth funding
accounted for nearly $8.5m
of its funds last year.
The complaint, which is
being investigated by
Queensland police, was made
by Mubarak Noor-Mohamed, who
served for 10 years as
principal and 17 years in
total in various roles at
the school. Dr Noor-Mohamed
said the state of Muslim
school governance was a
“disgrace” and “shameful”.
Individuals were lining
their pockets with cash at
the expense of students who
would be vulnerable to
radicalisation from groups
such as Islamic State.
“If you don’t have an
environment conducive to
learning with appropriate
resources, you end up with
structural failure,” Dr Noor-Mohamed
told The Australian. “The
kids who are struggling and
perhaps not very bright make
poor choices. They are
easily vulnerable and
perhaps prone to extremism,
violence and drugs. These
ISIS people are targeting
poor, vulnerable teenagers.
What if they don’t have an
adequate education? This
prospect of radicalisation
is a very big concern for
me.”
The school is also the
subject of a show-cause
notice from the Queensland
government’s non-state
school accreditation board,
which is threatening to
cancel its accreditation
over governance issues.
According to the show-cause
notice, sent last December,
the board considers that the
school’s governing body “is
not, or is not longer,
suitable to be the governing
body of the college”.
This followed an audit in
2013 conducted by the
federal Education
Department, which found AFIC
and the governing body did
not deal with each other at
arm’s length during
transactions, leading to
what it called
“discrepancies in financial
transactions and decisions
being made that are not in
the best interests of the
school”.
Dr Noor-Mohamed was sacked
from the school in February.
The Independent Education
Union said his sacking was
improper and a result of
complying with the
commonwealth audit.
Islamic schools around
Australia — including the
nation’s largest, Malek Fahd
in Sydney’s southwest — have
been involved in numerous
financial scandals.
Malek Fahd was forced to
repay $9m to taxpayers after
The Australian revealed it
had been funnelling profits
to AFIC.
Rissalah College in Sydney’s
southwestern Lakemba had its
funding frozen in 2013 amid
allegations it misused
hundreds of thousands of
dollars in school funds and
that a gun was pulled on a
whistleblower.
Three other Muslim schools
have had their funding
frozen by the NSW Education
Department or have been the
subject of police
investigations in recent
years.
The scandals forced the NSW
government to introduce new
laws to tighten controls
over how money is spent at
independent schools.
In his complaint, Dr Noor-Mohamed
alleges he was made aware of
a $288,420 withdrawal from
the accounts of the Islamic
College of Brisbane by the
two senior school and AFIC
officials in September 2012.
Westpac accounts from the
college’s corporate account,
obtained by The Australian,
show the withdrawal.
“On 20 September, 2012, the
above two helped themselves
with $288,420 without
production of any invoice or
payments vouchers, without
seeking the approval of the
school board or chairman and
without informing the
principal of the college (Dr
Noor-Mohamed) and the amount
was debited from the Islamic
College of Brisbane school
account,” his statement
says.
The former principal said
that upon “the alarm being
raised” by himself and the
school’s then chairman, the
men deposited the money back
into the college account in
November.
Dr Noor-Mohamed alleges the
two men then manipulated a
“related party loan” from
AFIC to the college by
extending the amount through
a phantom loan worth
$299,200. “This amount of
$299,200 to the related
party loans remains a
disputed amount till date as
reflected by board meeting
minutes and minutes of the
AGM,” his statement says.
The complaint, which is
being investigated by the
Acacia Criminal
Investigative Branch, says
the related party loan to
AFIC was inflated again by
$588,999. The school’s
financial statement from
2013 shows a related party
loan from AFIC to the school
increased from $1.34m to
$1.9m.
The accounts also show “fees
for in-house management
services” by AFIC in 2012 of
$619,000 as well as
accounting fee costs of
$180,000. Last year, AFIC
also charged the school
$120,000 in accounting fees.
AFIC president Hafez Kasseem
did not return requests from
The Australian for comment.
Dr Noor-Mohamed said the
AFIC system allowed millions
of dollars to be funnelled
out of schools by the peak
body.
“It is high time the
government officials and
police step into this
corruption epicentre called
AFIC,” he said.
I was scared. Perhaps it was
because I read it within a
few seconds of waking up,
but the article I read on
Sunday morning instilled a
deep seated feeling of fear
and anxiety within me. For a
brief moment, I felt myself
quivering instinctively.
It related to the Federal
Government's announcement
that it is 'considering
options for revoking the
Australian citizenship of
people involved in terrorism
(or preaching hatred), even
if they are not citizens of
any other country.' The
process from what I
understand is likely to
result in convicted
Australian citizens losing
their citizenship rights and
being deported to a foreign
land. Nauru is a strong
favourite as the destination
of choice (suddenly the
plight of asylum seekers
feels all the more real).
I have neither promoted
terrorism nor preached
hatred. Anyone familiar with
my social media profile over
the last year or so can
confirm that if anything, I
have tried to do the exact
opposite. The reason for my
involuntary physiological
reaction is the potential
for these proposed laws to
be abused and the
consequences of them being
enforced incorrectly. The
laws would also present an
opportunity for radical
right wing groups to
influence politicians. The
political and social
discourse around this issue
could get very ugly very
quickly, if it has not
already.
Law enforcement officials do
a great job, but they are
human and they do make
mistakes from time to time.
A mistake in the enforcement
of strict legislation such
as this is likely to have a
devastating impact on those
involved. One can only hope
that the Government will
undertake a thorough process
and consider all possible
consequences before making a
final decision.
Unfortunately, when it comes
to terrorism-related
legislation our parliament
has a track record of
rushing through, knowing
that there is strong support
for such action in the
polls.
I have been blessed with a
very good life, a loving
family and a wonderful
career to date. I appreciate
that this legislation is
unlikely to have any impact
on my citizenship. Its
existence does, however,
have a direct impact on my
life and that of many like
me who often make public
comments from the
perspective of minority
groups within our society.
In the course of publicly
commenting on various social
issues, there are times when
I exercise my democratic
right (which I am grateful
for) to respectfully
critique the policies and
actions of various
organisations including
political parties and law
enforcement agencies. The
impending legislation has
triggered my paternal
instinct and for the first
time ever, I have found
myself considering saying
less for the sake of my
2-year-old daughter. I do
not want to put myself at
risk of becoming one the
aforementioned mistakes that
law enforcement officers can
make.
Don't get me wrong, I am no
key influencer. I am sure
the small number of friends
who follow my musings on
Facebook will get by just
fine without me. But there
are others, model citizens
if you will, who are amazing
commentators with
significant influence on
large portions of our
community. My concern is
that they too may have the
same trepidations about this
legislation that I do. We
will lose a great deal as a
society if such people were
to decide to hold back their
views out of fear of
persecution. Their
commentary provides a
valuable alternative
perspective to a discussion
which promotes intercultural
understanding and ultimately
our safety through positive
social change.
There is a beautiful passage
in Anne Frank's The Diary of
a Young Girl where she
eloquently discusses a
similar issue in a moment of
despair.
February 3, 1944
"I've reached the point
where I hardly care
whether I live or die.
The world will keep on
turning without me, and
I can't do anything to
change events anyway.
I'll just let matters
take their course and
concentrate on studying
and hope that everything
will be all right in the
end."
Thankfully Anne continued to
write her diary, and we are
all better for it.
The purpose of security
legislation is to keep us
safe, but if we are not
careful, we are likely to
find that in the eyes of
others, and eventually our
own, our actions will make
us into the very things we
fear.
Fahim Khondaker is a
Chartered Accountant
working at a
multinational
professional
services firm in
Brisbane. He also
coordinated the
Brisbane leg of the
national event, Walk
Together, and is
involved in an
advisory capacity
with multiple Muslim
organisations in
Brisbane, including
the Islamic Council
of Queensland. You
can follow him on
Twitter: @Fahim_Khondaker
Shajarah
Islamic Family Day Care is
hosting an interactive
workshop where parents, and
interested parties will be
able to explore learning
possibilities for their
babies and toddlers and be
able to get a hands on
experience to enhance their
child’s learning journey.
Newly
elected Member for Stretton,
Duncan Pegg MP has used his
first speech to Queensland
Parliament to recognise the
positive contribution that
the Islamic community make
to his electorate of
Stretton and to call on
fellow members and the
community to condemn the
recent attacks on mosques in
Queensland.
“My electorate of Stretton
has the highest proportion
of people born overseas in
the State. It also has the
highest proportion of people
speaking a language other
than English at home of any
electorate in this State.”
“The seat of Stretton also
has the highest proportion
of Queenslanders identifying
Islam as their religion in
this state. Over time I have
got to know local Islamic
leaders well.”
“With people of the calibre
of Ismail Cajee, President
of the Islamic Council of
Queensland, providing strong
leadership in this state, I
know that there is community
minded leadership in place.”
“However, despite the
support for multiculturalism
and diversity in this state,
it cannot be denied that
there are still challenges
to be faced.”
“Unfortunately, there have
been two attacks on mosques
in Queensland in recent
times. It is vitally
important that all of us in
this place, both inside and
outside the chamber, condemn
such attacks on places of
worship and continue to
defend the right of all
Queenslanders to practise
their religion peacefully.”
ABU DHABI - Calls for
renewal of religion,
reassessment of outdated
religious laws and orders,
and putting an end to
excommunication, were made
by leading Muslim scholars
at the second forum for
Promoting Peace in Muslim
Societies.
Reviving Fiqh, Islamic
science, is no longer an
option, but rather a “life
buoy” to stop indiscriminate
applications of past-time
fatwas or excommunication by
extremist groups, said the
grand imam of Al Azhar.
“Renewal is fundamental in
the Islamic religion, which
is based on constantly
linking between religious
texts, the purpose of these
texts and the current living
reality,” said Sheikh
Abdullah bin Bayyah,
president of the forum.
“There are calls to renew
religion and religious
speech and a religious
revolution, as the Prophet’s
companion, Ibn Masoud, said:
‘One who wants religion
shall revolutionise the
Quran’.”
He said that commands in
religious revelations should
be taken in context and they
should be viewed based on
the general principle and
universal purpose of their
implication.
Sheikh Abdullah Bin Bayyah,
president of the forum,
called for a review of the
fundamentals of Islamic
science.
He called for reviewing the
fundamentals of Islamic
science, as many rulings are
no longer applicable in
modern society.
“So people take the
revelation and think it is
universally applicable in
every time and place,” added
Sheikh Hamza Youssef, a
renowned Muslim personality
and president of Zaytuna
College.
“For example, Omar bin Al
Khattab suspended [the
Sharia penalty] for theft
during drought.”
Another example is the
apostasy law, which used to
be a universal principle and
the general mentality of
people at that time that
leaving one’s religion is a
capital offence punished by
death, which existed in
Christianity also.
“That was to protect the
religion … but it is no
longer the mentality for the
age we live in, so when you
look at the universal
principle of Islam it is to
attract people towards
religion.” However, he said,
in the current age applying
apostasy law will cause more
people to leave religion
than to join it so it has an
opposite effect.
As for other Sharia
penalties, specialised
scholars need to sit and
think about them: “It all
needs to be reassessed,” he
added.
Sheikh bin Bayyah said that
only the majority of
specialised scholars could
play the role of religion
renovators.
Grand Sheikh Ahmed Al Tayyeb,
Al Azhar University, said
Fiqh principles should be
revised.
Rulers are not expected to
be angels, prophets or even
good men of religion, their
role is to run the state
well, and even if they were
corrupt it is not
permissible to rebel against
them by force like
excommunicators do, because
that results in destruction
and death of innocent souls,
he said.
Grand Sheikh Ahmed Al Tayyeb,
of Al Azhar University, said
Fiqh principles should be
revised to stop extremist
groups from using
excommunication as an excuse
to kill anyone who disagrees
with their organisation.
They are using a fatwa
issued centuries ago by the
scholar Ibn Taymiya, “who
was busy facing the fierce
and violent bloodshed
between Muslims and Tatar
groups”, he said.
Since the majority of
scholars agreed that fatwas
change with the change of
time, place, circumstance
and conditions, such
principles do not apply any
longer.
He also called the forum to
collect literature and media
publications issued by
terrorist groups to counter
their arguments.
Whether it’s among fellow
Muslims or with our
non-Muslim family and
friends, all of these things
happen and every time we
cringe a little inside.
1. Random people trying
to rename us. Constantly. We chose to keep our
birth name, and there is
nothing that says we have to
change it. It has a good
meaning, and after a
lifetime we’re pretty
attached to it.
2. If we did change our
name, some people we knew
prior just refuse to call us
by it
3. Being told being
Muslim is just a phase
4. Experiencing weird
culture based racism among
Muslims We don’t particularly
care about what group you’re
biased against or why.
Racism is not okay, and
especially now that we’re in
Islam we’re not going to
just go along with it.
5. Being accused of
trying to “steal” born
Muslims off the marriage
market It’s a matter of
statistics- there are more
born Muslim than there are
converts, so yeah, there’s a
much higher chance we’ll
probably marry one of them.
Deal with it.
6. Women’s gatherings in
general We end up at these things
when a well meaning sister
won’t take no for an answer,
even if we legitimately had
other plans. It wouldn’t be
so bad if we knew someone
here, or if someone actually
talked to us. Instead,
everyone just tries to feed
us food we don’t want,
stares at us and generally
speaks in a language we
don’t understand.
7. Being dismissed or not
taken seriously because
we’re converts
8. People assuming we
converted for a man
9. Having our clothing &
style choices criticized by
pretty much everyone.
10. Random people hugging
us This is kind of weird.
But we’ll get used to it…
eventually.
Afghan rapper Sonita
Alizadeh narrowly escaped a
forced marriage at 14 by
writing the song “Brides for
Sale.”
Sonita comes from
Afghanistan. She’s
18-years-old, has long black
hair and a small frame. If
things had gone according to
her parent’s plan, she’d
have been married by now. “I
sometimes I think about the
fact that I could have been
a mother right now — with a
few kids. It’s not a thought
I like.”
Sonita grew up in Tehran,
Iran’s capital city. Her
family fled Afghanistan when
she was 8 years old because
of war. She found a
non-profit that taught
undocumented Afghan kids.
There she learned karate,
photography, guitar, and she
started singing and rapping.
Her music quickly got
recognition. Sonita met an
Iranian director who helped
her polish up her style and
make music videos, and that
led to a few awards.
Everything was perfect.
Until it wasn’t. “One day my
mom told me, ‘You have to
return to Afghanistan with
me. There’s a man there who
wants to marry you. Your
brother’s engaged and we
need your dowry money to pay
for his wedding.’”
Sonita was devastated. So
she wrote the song “Brides
for Sale.” The song starts
“Let me whisper, so no one
hears that I speak of
selling girls. My voice
shouldn’t be heard since
it’s against Sharia. Women
must remain silent… this is
our tradition.”
The video shows Sonita
wearing a wedding dress —
with a barcode on her
forehead. Her face is
bruised. She pleads with her
family not sell her off.
We
are deeply concerned on the
news that a Toowoomba
teenager is suspected to be
in Syria and might be
joining the Al-Nursha group.
The Islamic Interfaith and
Multicultural Association
formed in February 2015
strongly condemned any act
of using religion to commit
violence and hatred. Such
act contradicts the
teachings in Islam. As an
Association committed to
promoting religious and
social harmony, strongly
support the government’s
initiatives in combating
radicalism.
We strongly believe this
must also be the
responsibility of the
community particularly the
Muslims as they would be the
best position to educate
their youth. To this end, as
a responsible Association,
we have embarked on a series
of initiatives to bring
Muslims into the main stream
and be responsible citizens
of Australia.
We have to work together and
be open with each other and
share and come close, these
are the things that we can
do in Toowoomba and we can
prevail. However,
eradicating radicalism is a
long-term fight, and we have
to continue doing it.
One of our initiatives is
the setup of the Young
Muslim Wing and the Women’s
Wing. Though in its infant
stage the Young Muslims Wing
has taken a lead in
organising an Interfaith
Exchange Program with the
schools as well as a youth
soccer event. The Women has
taken a lead to co- organise
a forum with our local
community. The Association
has also drawn out an action
plan towards promoting
greater social trust in our
diverse community.
We must be vigilant
domestically and taking
swift action to neutralise
threats to Toowoomba, or
people who may get
themselves in trouble
especially our youths. There
are a few initiatives or
programmes that we have
identified that directly
address youth. We would like
to gather as many youths as
possible including their
parents to participate in
our programmes that we are
planning for the future.
This would also enable us to
highlight and educate both
youths and parents about
radicalisation and potential
signs of extremism.
We strongly hold to concept
that as an Association we
have the duty and
responsibility toward making
Australia a safe and better
place for all. We would like
to offer ourselves to work
with all regardless of
faiths and beliefs.
Meanwhile, we are working
closely with the Goodwill
Committee Toowoomba, Pure
Land Learning College
Association, Anglican Parish
of St Luke, the Young
Catholics and the Aboriginal
community toward this goal.
We look forward to extending
our partnership with more
organisations in the future.
We would like to convey to
our community especially the
youths that the fighting in
Syria is not for religious
purposes and we would like
to caution Muslims against
being swayed into any form
of violence.
We will be happy to answer
any questions from the
Media.
Mostly, Muslim students are
taught about inventions and
discoveries of Muslims and
they list hundreds and
thousands year old
inventions by Muslims.
But one important fact needs
to be highlighted that
Pakistani scientists, too,
have a great contribution in
where the world is standing
today.
There are hundreds of
capable scientists which
have worked on prestigious
scientific missions and many
of them even have invented
numerous things in their
disciplines.
This list of greatest
Pakistani scientists prove
that Pakistan is not far
behind anyone in development
of today and has a
contribution in the modern
world.
Even though resources in the
country are minimal, yet
these brilliant minds were
stronger enough to take over
the circumstances.
1) Dr. Naweed Syed
He is a Pakistani Canadian
scientist. He is the first
scientist who managed to
'connect brain cells to a
silicon chip'. Dr. Naveed
estimates science-fiction
type 'Machine-Men' may be
developed within 10 to 20
years, using his silicon
chip. Currently he is a
Professor and Head
Department of Cell Biology &
Anatomy at the University of
Calgary, Canada. He was
featured in Time Magazine
(Canada) as well.
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.
Saqib Gondal, Misbah
Saqib and their
children Zayan and
Emaan
Parents
Misbah Saqib and
Saqib Gondal (left)
Emaan Saqib, Zayan
Gondal with Misbah's
brother Ahmad Raza.
Like many Australians in
regional areas, Saqib and
Misbah were keen to escape
the hustle and bustle of the
city, and search for a fresh
start in country Victoria.
Saqib is a taxi driver, and
living in Ararat means he
has more time to focus on
his key priority - his
family.
"I have more time to spend
with the family and less
time at work.
"We ended up buying a house
here, which ended up costing
me less in mortgage than the
rent I was paying in
Melbourne."
With two young children and
another on the way, Saqib
said their family life was
very peaceful.
As a taxi driver, he said he
felt like part of the
community.
"My passengers have made me
things for my kids, there's
a lady that made a jumper
for my daughter and another
lady made blankets for my
son and daughter and on
Easter and Christmas time
they gave me Christmas gifts
and Easter eggs," he said.
"Last Christmas I delivered
personally 14 Christmas
cards to my regular
customers. We are part of
this society now."
Saqib said the media had a
role to play in ensuring
that coverage of Islamic
extremism differentiated the
behaviour of a minority and
the views of the broader
Muslim population.
"We are not like that," he
said.
"Whatever they show on the
television impacts our lives
as a Muslim."
NEXT WEEK CCN introduces
Ararat residents Riaz
Mohd and Family.
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Prime Minister Mark Rutte
says ban on face veils in public
buildings and transport does not target
religious groups.
Unlike in France, the Dutch
ban on face veils will be
limited to schools,
hospitals, and public
transport
AMSTERDAM: The Dutch cabinet has
approved a partial ban on wearing the
face-covering veil, including in
schools, hospitals and on public
transport.
Prime Minister Mark Rutte told
journalists on Friday the ban does not
apply to wearing the niqab on the
street, but only "in specific situations
where it is essential for people to be
seen" or for security reasons.
Rutte said the government had "tried to
find a balance between people's freedom
to wear the clothes they want and the
importance of mutual and recognisable
communication".
The prime minister said the bill, which
was initiated by the Dutch Interior
Minister Ronald Plasterk, did not have a
"religious background".
A previous bill banning the veil even on
the street and dating from Rutte's last
government, which was supported by
anti-Islam activist Geert Wilders, will
be withdrawn.
The government said it "sees no reason
for a general ban that would apply to
all public places," the AFP news agency
reported.
It was agreed that a new bill would be
drawn up by the coalition partners of
Rutte's Liberal VVD party and the Labour
PvdA when they formed their coalition in
2012.
Those flouting the ban can be fined up
to 405 euros (around $450).
State broadcaster NOS said that between
100 and 500 women in the Netherlands
wear the face veils, most of them only
occasionally.
Neighbouring France and Belgium have
more restrictive bans targeting those
who wear face veils, not allowing people
to wear such garments in public.
A number of far-right movements across
the continent have made the banning of
the niqab a political objective.
SAUDI ARABIA: The holy city of Makkah will
host the largest hotel in the world with
10,000 rooms, 70 restaurants, shopping
centres and a helipad, informed sources
said. The project valued at $3.5 billion
will be ready in two years.
Covering an area of 686,000 square feet,
Abraj Kudai will also have royal suites,
prayer halls and a convention centre — all
in 12 separate towers. The focal point,
however, will be the central dome, expected
to be one of the largest and tallest in the
world.
As the site of the hotel is only about a
mile from the Grand Mosque, it is expected
to host many of the millions of pilgrims.
However, guests may need a robust bank
account to book a room as the target will be
high-end customers — who can afford
four-star luxury in 10 towers and five-star
hotels in two.
As for the architecture, the Abraj Kudai
looks like a semi-futuristic, sand-colored,
desert version of a 1930s Manhattan
high-rise. Inside, London-based Areen
Hospitality has been given the task of
decorating the vast area.
But it’s no sweat off the brow of Areen
Hospitality, according to Andrew Lindwood,
head of design at Areen Hospitality, who
told ArabianBusiness.com: “We allow for this
and have the experience to respond to such a
challenge, without ever losing the creative
essence needed to welcome and surprise the
guests expected at Abraj Kudai.”
Almost a third of
school pupils believe 'Muslims are taking
over our country', study claims
Charity sent
questionnaires to just under 6,000
pupils across England
UK: Almost a third of
schoolchildren believe that Muslims are
“taking over our country” according to the
largest study of its kind carried out in the
UK.
A survey of almost 6,000 children aged 10 to
16 across England found that negative
attitudes towards migrants and Muslims were
widespread among school pupils.
The data, based on questionnaires sent to
more than 60 schools across the UK by
charity Show Racism the Red Card (SRTRC)
between 2012 and 2014, also found that 60
per cent of children questioned believed
“asylum seekers and immigrants are stealing
our jobs”.
The survey’s results come shortly after
Labour MP Tristam Hunt’s embarrassing
encounter with a schoolchild, who told the
shadow education minister that he would vote
Ukip because he would “like to get all the
foreigners out of the country”.
SRTRC chief executive Ged Grabby said the
results demonstrated more needed to be done
to combat far-right extremism and cautioned
what message younger people were taking from
the media.
Aldi issues mass
apology after accidentally selling customers
‘Halal pork’
UK: After mistakenly selling
‘halal’ meat products containing pork to
unwitting customers across the UK,
supermarket chain Aldi has been forced to
apologize.
The discovery that pig skin and blood was
used in ‘halal’ black puddings infuriated
shoppers at the chain, some of whom were
practicing Muslims and thus forbidden to eat
pork.
"This is absolutely outrageous and I am
deeply offended by this,” Manahil Khan told
the Daily Mirror Newspaper on Sunday.
"I am pretty sure many others of the Muslim
community are also very offended by this,”
he added.
"It is demoralizing and goes against ones
religious morals and scripture....and I
speak on behalf of every Muslim and human
that does not deserve to be misled by any
sort of false claim of halal food or lies
about what we consume."
Punjab Pakora, who supplied the products,
said in a statement: "The mistake happened
when we did the print run and unfortunately
our manager failed to spot this error and
got approval for printing.
"We have been trying our very best and
hardest (to correct the issue) and have
contacted different clients involved and
have sorted the issue.”
Aldi offered an apology and said the issue
was being looked into.
“Regarding the Punjab Pakora Black Pudding
Pakora (Supplied by Punjab Pakora), we have
now investigated this matter with the
supplier, who has advised that the packaging
was incorrectly labeled as Halal-certified
and the problem is currently being
rectified,” he said.
"We apologize for any confusion caused by
this unfortunate, isolated matter. While
this is not a food safety or legal
compliance issue, any customers who are not
satisfied are welcome to return their
purchase to store for a full refund."
Last year, in France, a special kit went on
sale to help detect the presence of pork in
food products.
The ‘Halal Test’ was aimed at the Islamic
market and claims to rapidly detect the
presence of pork in any meal.
The demonstration video instructs viewers to
take a piece of meat, place it in a small
flask and add a few drops of hot water.
“The appearance of two red lines means that
we have pork present,” Abderrahmane Chaoui,
one of the product’s creators, says in the
video.
This means that the product cannot be
consumed by Muslims, as eating pork is
outlawed by the Koran.
By contrast, one bar indicates that pork is
not present, and that the product meets
Islamic consumption standards.
Beauty with talent, yes,
that’s the most appropriate
phrase we can use for these
exceptionally gifted ladies.
They are not just a pretty
face but an epitome of
confidence, self belief and
determination. Every woman
in Pakistan can take them as
an inspiration for following
their dreams. These young,
energetic and enthusiastic
individuals prove it to the
world that women too can do
whatever they want to once
they put their mind to it,
irrespective of any of the
hurdles that might come
their way.
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
Uthman Dan Fodio Award for
Excellence in Community Development
Dr Bilal Hassam is a community and
inter-faith activist after training as a
medical Doctor at the University of
Nottingham.
He is a co-founder of The
Leaf Network which supports, inspires and
trains young people to develop skills to
serve society in thought, action and spirit.
Bilal is currently a senior
producer at British Muslim TV and a PR
consultant for the charity Penny Appeal.
Bilal also has a strong
inter-faith focus, being a Faith Act Fellow
for the Global Inter-Religious Ambassadors
of the UN Millennium Development Goals and a
board member for the University of Cambridge
Coexist Leadership Programme.
He is also a consultative
council member of the Three Faiths Forum and
Muslim Youth specialist at the Christian
Muslim Forum.
Q: Dear Kareema,
I love training outdoors and am looking at ways
to continue challenging myself during the cold,
wet months ahead. Any suggestions?
A: Great to hear - Whatever the elements,
plan to keep your training on track.
With windy days, I
do a quick wind speed and direction check and
then plan to run into/against the wind to start
off with, for a greater challenge.
It’s an awesome
cardio workout and strengthens the lungs as well
with the deep breaths.
Wet days - if you’re
still game enough to train outdoors, intensify
your workout with power walks in a close circle
loop track where you can add mini challenges
along the route.
Be sure to wear
layers so you can slowly take them off as you
get warmer and re-layer when you start cooling
down again.
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: Another
savoury for Ramadhan to add to your menu. This
treat can be frozen and thawed out easily when
needed.
A tip to heat your savouries:
Place them in an oven bag and place on tray in a
single layer and bake at 150degrees for 10
minutes. It will not dry out and, in fact,
remain moist at the time of serving. You can
re-heat your naan and rolls in this manner as
well.
Chicken
Doughnuts
Ingredients
˝ kg chicken mince (made up of half breast and
half thigh fillets)
1 tab ground green chillies
˝ cup of bread crumbs
˝ cup cake flour
1 Tab chana flour (besan)
1 tab. ginger and garlic paste
˝ tsp gharam masala
1 onion grated
Chopped coriander leaves, mint and curry leaves
(Tab each)
˝ tsp lemon pepper
˝ tsp baking powder
2 medium sized potatoes, boiled and mashed with
seasoning
2 large eggs lightly whisked
Salt to taste
Method
1. Mix all the above ingredients to form a
dough.
2. Flatten it out on a floured surface or in
between 2 plastic sheets.
3. Cut out shapes with a donut cutter or shape
by hand.
4. Fry these doughnuts in medium to hot oil, it
could also be baked in a well-greased tray with
a drizzle of oil at 180degrees.
5. Drain on a paper towel if you are frying them
and serve hot with a saucy dip.
The
Muslim Aid Charity organization realized that it had never
received a donation from the Brisbane's most successful
entrepreneur, Jallaluddin.
So a volunteer paid Jallaluddin a visit in his lavish
office.
The volunteer opened the meeting by saying, 'Our research
shows that even though your annual income is over two
million dollars, you don't give a penny to charity. Wouldn't
you like to give something back to your community?.
Jallaluddin thinks for a minute and says, 'First, did your
research also show you that my mother is dying after a long
painful illness, and she has huge medical bills that are far
beyond her ability to pay?'
Embarrassed, the Muslim Aid volunteer mumbles, 'Uh... No, I
didn't know that.'
'Secondly,' says Jallaluddin, 'did it show that my brother,
a disabled Veteran, is blind and confined to a wheelchair
and is unable to support his wife and six children?
The stricken volunteer begins to stammer an apology, but is
cut off again.
'Thirdly, did your research also show you that my sister's
husband died in a dreadful car accident, leaving her
penniless with a mortgage and three children, one of whom is
disabled and another that has learning disabilities
requiring an array of private tutors?'
The humiliated volunteer, completely beaten, says, 'I'm so
sorry. I had no idea.
And Jallaluddin says, 'So, if I didn't give any money to
them, what makes you think I'd give any to you?
Say: "Call upon Allah, or
call upon Rahman: by
whatever name you call upon
Him, (it is well): for to
Him belong the Most
Beautiful Names. Neither
speak your Prayer aloud, nor
speak it in a low tone, but
seek a middle course
between."
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 Monday and Tuesday's Madina Arabic Course 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: TBA
Venue: Islamic College of Brisbane - 45 Acacia Road
Karawatha
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The
CCN Inbox: Letters
to the Editor
The
founding president of the
Australian Federation of
Islamic Councils (AFIC),
Haset Sali (pictured
left), who also served
as both a president and
legal adviser to the
organisation, said moderate
Muslims had been sidelined
by an Islamic leadership
promoting more
fundamentalist views.
Associate
Professor Halim Rane
(pictured right),
from Griffith University's
Islamic Research Unit, said
the gulf was even broader.
Assoc.
Prof Halim
Rane
Keysar
Trad (pictured left),
from the Islamic Friendship
Association of Australia,
said many Muslim leaders
were working hard to counter
the threat of Islamic State,
which he said only a minute
proportion of the world's
two billion Muslims
supported.
The
51st Annual Congress of
Muslims Australia (AFIC),
the national umbrella body
of the Australian Muslim
community was held in Sydney
during the weekend. 
Shajarah
Islamic Family Day Care is
hosting an interactive
workshop where parents, and
interested parties will be
able to explore learning
possibilities for their
babies and toddlers and be
able to get a hands on
experience to enhance their
child’s learning journey.
Newly
elected Member for Stretton,
Duncan Pegg MP has used his
first speech to Queensland
Parliament to recognise the
positive contribution that
the Islamic community make
to his electorate of
Stretton and to call on
fellow members and the
community to condemn the
recent attacks on mosques in
Queensland.
We
are deeply concerned on the
news that a Toowoomba
teenager is suspected to be
in Syria and might be
joining the Al-Nursha group.
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011