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George Christensen at Reclaim
Australia Rally in Mackay on
Sunday.
FEDERAL Member for Dawson
George Christensen kept his
promise at the weekend,
speaking to a crowd of
around 200 protesters at a
Reclaim Australia rally in
Mackay.
As Mr Christensen last week
announced his intentions to
address the rally, public
outcry soon ensued online
with a GetUp! petition even
calling on Prime Minister
Tony Abbott to step in.
Mr Christensen took to the
podium on Sunday to cries of
encouragement from Reclaim
Australia supporters, saying
he was "proud to be a voice
for North Queensland".
When asked if, given the
public outcry, this
statement could be
considered correct, Mr
Christensen said "there
wasn't too much outcry from
people in my electorate".
"I noticed the outcry seemed
to be coming from southern
media and political
activists from capital
cities," he said.
"In fact, overwhelmingly the
response from my
constituents has been
extremely positive."
As outbursts of violence
have been reported at
similar rallies in Sydney
and Melbourne, Mr
Christensen has stuck by his
decision to support Reclaim
Australia.
"The rally at Mackay was
vastly different to that
which other people organised
down in Sydney and
Melbourne," he said.
"Those rallies were marred
by violence, whereas the
Mackay one was peaceful."
Mr Christensen said he
attended the rally because
he was asked to do so.
"I went along to that rally
because I was invited by
constituents. I had a look
at (Reclaim Australia's)
mission statement... and not
one of those principles I
thought was racist or
bigoted," he said.
"I've got to say (the
anti-rally protestors)
didn't contact me to talk
about their concerns before
I went there."
Addressing
the crux of
the debate
on Sunday,
Mr
Christensen
said "we
would be
foolishly
naive to
think we are
not at war
with radical
Islam".
"Islamism is
a political
system
whereby
everything
that happens
in your life
and
everyone's
life must
fit under
the laws of
radical
Islam, of
Sharia
(law)," he
said.
"It's not a
threat that
only exists
on foreign
shores; it's
a threat
that exists
in our midst
as well.
"(Sharia
law) is
quietly
executed in
Australian
mosques,
unfortunately,
on a daily
basis."
Mr Christensen has since
clarified these statements,
saying not all those who
follow Islam support Sharia
law.
"I don't know that there's
too many mainstream Muslims
that want to implement
Sharia law in Australia," he
said.
On Saturday 28
July, the IMAGC
Worongary held
the biggest Eid
Festival to take
place on the
Gold Coast, and
it was an
overwhelming
success, the
organizers told
CCN.
For the last few
of months, Sr.
Ree Ali (IMAGC)
has been putting
things in place
to ensure a
successful “Eid
in the Park” at
Broadwater
Parklands,
Southport.
"To our
surprise, we
were overwhelmed
by the community
support from
both local
Muslim and
Non-Muslim
communities,"
Rami Elmohandis
said.
"We had a
turnout of about
3000 people,
with a 50/50
ration of
Muslims and
Non-Muslims.This
also gave our
non Muslim
friends an
opportunity to
learn about the
Islamic way of
life, and
interact with
Muslims on a
glorious
occasion."
Mr Elmohandi
thanked the
sponsors of the
event "who
without them
would’ve been
very hard to
support
financially":
- Islamic
Council of
Queensland
(ICQ)
- City
Fertility
Clinic -
Suzan
Elharmeel
- Arabesque
The Australian
International
Islamic College
celebrated Eid
ul Fitr on
Saturday the 18
July at its
Durack campus.
The celebrations
attracted a
crowd of over
2000 people.
The official
program started
at 7:15 with a
warm welcome
note delivered
by Haji Shahid
Khan welcoming
the congregation
to the College.
He highlighted
the importance
of preserving
our Islamic
identity for the
next generation.
Imam Ahmed
Azhari delivered
the Eid message,
emphasizing the
importance of
continuing the
acts of
worshipping
Allah SWT that
have been done
during the Holy
month of
Ramadhan, after
the holy month.
Salatul Eid was
performed by
Imam Owais Syed
with his
beautiful
recitation
during the Salah.
The Eid khutbah
was delivered by
Imam Yousaf
Thaqafi, who
congratulated
everyone for the
achievements of
worshiping Allah
SWT during the
holy month of
Ramadhan.
The formal
program
concluded with a
heartfelt dua
from Imam
Shehzad Khan,
praying to Allah
for his
acceptance of
our actions
during the holy
month of
Ramadhan and
also he prayed
that Allah
assists all of
the Muslims
around the world
in these
difficult times.
After the formal
program, the
congregation
exchanged hugs
and asked each
other for
forgiveness.
Everyone enjoyed
a delightful Eid
Brunch of beef
curry, rice and
sweets. With
Allah’s mercy
the day was a
splendid morning
filled with sun
shine and joy.
The children
happily played
on the jumping
castle and also
enjoyed ice
cream and fairy
floss.
The Australian
International
Islamic College
would like to
take this
opportunity to
thank all those
who participated
in making the
Eid ul Fitr
celebrations a
success and also
would like to
wish all our
Muslims a very
happy Eid ul
Fitr Mubarak.
May Allah SWT
accept all of
our actions that
we have been
doing during
this holy month
of Ramadhan
sincerely for
his pleasure,
and may Allah
SWT make us
better people.
The last few years have been
a trying time for Muslims in
Australia. Whilst it is
unfortunate to see that
senior politicians are
fanning the flames of
division and mono-culturalism,
it is heartening to see
ordinary Australians
speaking out against the
discrimination our community
faces.
Regrettably, the most
vulnerable and exposed
members of our community,
those bear the brunt of the
physical and verbal abuse
are our women folk. Because
hijab is one of the most
evident and visible signs of
our religion, women have to
deal with incredible levels
of animosity, anger, fear
and hate.
This as you can imagine
takes a measurable
psychological toll not only
on them but on families as a
whole.
It is important that as a
community we show solidarity
with the womenfolk and let
them know that we stand in
solidarity with them and we
acknowledge the fact that
they are facing some trying
times.
The women in our community
are of the most vulnerable
persons in our society. Not
only do they need to contend
with the normal pressures of
life, but they also need to
contend with the constant
victimisation of who they
are and what they represent.
The less fortunate of these
are more prone to abuse. Our
intention is to recognize
all women for their strength
during these trying times
and their perseverance in
contending with the negative
onslaught.
An excerpt from the a
hadeeth of the Prophet SAW
related by Abu Hurairah RA
recalls the following words
of the Prophet (peace be
upon him):
”Whoever relieves a
believer’s distress of the
distressful aspects of this
world, Allah will rescue him
from a difficulty of the
difficulties of the
Hereafter….” [Muslim]
This is a clear indication
as to how we should respond
to alleviate the anxiety
tand despair that is
generated in times like
this. Compassion is an
intrinsic element of Islam.
One of the names of God
Almighty.
On the night of 15 August
the community will come
together and acknowledge the
difficulties Muslim women
encounter in their daily
activities and pay tribute
to their resolve and
perseverance.
The other focus of the night
is Refugees. It would seem
self indulgent to celebrate
the strength of one part of
our community and avoid the
hardship of another part of
the community.
Refugees, find it
extraordinarily difficult to
survive only on the
financial support given to
them by the government.
Hence the women of the
community have asked that
all proceeds generated from
this event be donated to
support those refugees who
are finding it tough to make
ends meet. Again at the
centre of this are those
women who need to ensure the
well being of their
dependants.
There are many refugees who
need assistance in
establishing themselves here
in Australia. Some are
allowed to work and earn and
others are not. This event
hopes to raise much needed
funds for those refugees in
need.
Our Islamic history is
delineated with stories of
Muslims seeking refuge.
First in Abyssinia among the
Christians who welcomed and
gave them sanctuary after
the harshness they
experienced in Mecca. And
then again in Medina. The
story of the migration the
Prophet peace be upon him
and his companions is well
known to all Muslims. They
fled from persecution to
safety. They sought refuge
much like others are doing
today.
Our Speakers on the night
include;
Mariam Veiszadeh
An exceptional Community
Rights Advocate and lawyer
who engages constantly with
the governmen. Mariam will
present her views on the
topic and provide some
perspective on the matter.
Mariam is the creator of the
Islamophobia register, the
first of it's kind anywhere.
A role model second to none.
Dr Mohamad Abdalla,
Associate Professor at the
Griffith University and
founding Director of the
Griffith Islamic Research
Unit (GIRU). Dr Abdalla will
talk on women's contribution
to the preservation of
Islamic Jurisprudence and
hadeeth Known as al-Muhadithaat,
women have played a
significant role in
preserving the integrity of
the scholarly works of
hadith and jurisprudence
throughout the golden age of
Islam. Dr Abdalla will also
share some islamic
perspectives on Refugees and
their plight.
We ask you to support this
event and remember that your
charity will not go
unrewarded. Please help us
to help those in need. Give
a little, change a lot !!
At the recent "Peace &
Dialogue" Iftar Dinner and
Queensland Intercultural
Society Awards held at
Parliament House on 16 July,
Ms Janet Deen and Ms Gail
Ker were acknowledged with
awards for their ongoing
service to the community.
This ifthaar was co-hosted
by Queensland Intercultural
Society and the Hon Shannon
Fentiman MP, Minister for
Communities, Women and
Youth, Minister for Child
Safety and Minister for
Multicultural Affairs (ALP)
and Mrs Tarnya Smith MP,
Shadow Minister for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander and Multicultural
Affairs (LNP).
The AFP held
a post Ramadhan dinner
during the week at Michael's
Oriental Restaurant targeted
towards the younger members
of the Brisbane and Gold
Coast Muslim communities.
Amongst the
speakers on the night were
Mr Ali Kadri, Holland Park
Mosque president; Mr David
Forde of Multicultural
Affairs QLD; and Mr Dylan
Chown, Amanah Institute
principal.
Organizer of
the event, Mr Shane Johnson,
AFP community liaison
officer, had this to say to
his invited guests:
Apart
from celebrating the
breaking of the fast and
the end of Ramadan, this
night is also about
celebrating the
positives we have here
in QLD, acknowledging
our sometimes discussed
differences, encouraging
true engagement as well
as recognising the
untold work that I know
you and the greater
Islamic community
undertake on a daily
basis with no
assistance, with no
advice, with no guidance
or funding and with the
mutual purpose of
creating a fairer, safer
and unified community.
Your work is not
recognised by the
broader population, nor
is it known by
government agencies. It
cannot be reported, and
it doesn’t attribute to
any statistics
traditionally required
by government to measure
a success.
Of course your successes
are not always possible
to achieve. There has
and continues to be
changes in political
spheres, law enforcement
activities and societal
activities that impact
on the Islamic community
perhaps more so than
others and these are the
challenges for all of us
today and no doubt into
the foreseeable future.
One such challenge is
the derailing and
destabilising efforts of
right wing extremism in
this country. This issue
I know is at the
forefront of concerns
for you. It depletes any
sense of belonging and
unfortunately only adds
to the very thing these
groups will claim they
are trying to prevent.
Traditionally EID
dinners I have been
involved with have been
targeted towards the
‘big end of town’ coming
together to acknowledge
the relationships,
understanding and
cooperation with
likeminded organisations
and communities which
they do very well and
have had some great
achievements, however
the one group that is
often left off the cards
is you. Its younger
Muslim men and women in
particular that are
often over looked, are
rarely consulted and yet
in my opinion are the
most vital key to
positive change across
current areas of
government and community
focus.
I
understand the hurdles
and barriers you face
just to be here tonight
so I am truly grateful
and proud that you are
here, to take a risk and
to give something new a
chance through proper
engagement that may just
help pave the way for
real improvements in
respect, improvements in
cooperation, genuine
acceptance,
understanding and
support.
In my opinion, we have
to do more, we have to
take a risk and we have
to try something
innovative and outside
the square.
Multicultural family: Jimmy
Barnes with his wife, Jane
Jimmy Barnes says he does not
support anti-Islam groups
playing his songs
Oh-oh-oh, it's a
working-class ban.
Cold Chisel frontman Jimmy
Barnes has a message for
those playing his classic
Australian songs at
anti-Islam rallies around
the country: stop.
In a message posted on his
Facebook page, Barnes said
it had come to his attention
that "certain groups of
people" had been playing his
songs at rallies.
Two anti-Islam groups - the
United Patriots Front and
Reclaim Australia - have
been staging rallies around
the country, brandishing
Australian flags and
protesting against the
"spread" of Islam, halal
food and Asian immigration.
Barnes' wife, Jane, was born
in Thailand.
Cold Chisel's best-known
song Khe Sanh has become a
patriotic anthem and is
often named as one of the
best Australian songs ever.
Barnes himself is an
immigrant, having moved to
Australia from Scotland in
1956.
"I only want to say the
Australia I belong to and
love is a tolerant
Australia. A place that is
open and giving," he posted
on Tuesday night.
"It is a place that embraces
all sorts of different
people, in fact it is made
stronger by the diversity of
its people.
"If you look at my family
you can see we are a
multicultural family.
Australia needs to stand up
for Love and Tolerance [sic]
in these modern times.
"None of these people
represent me and I do not
support them."
While there was no violence
at the Brisbane gathering,
where about 300 protesters
from the far left and far
right exchanged racist and
anti-racist sledges, similar
events in Melbourne and
Sydney descended into chaos
as protesters were sprayed
with capsicum spray.
According to witnesses at
the Sydney event, Lee
Kernaghan's Sprit of the
Anzacs was also used as a
rallying cry by Reclaim
Australia.
Barnes' post, which has been
shared more than 2000 times,
has been met by mixed
responses from fans.
Commenter Eric Algra, said
Barnes had "opened a big can
of worms".
"Full of respect for your
taking a stand on this
highly devisive [sic]
issue," he said. "And, of
course, I'm with you on
this. Fully. We must not let
fear and ignorance define
what we are and what we
stand for as Australians."
A comment from Wendy Lisac
said: "I don't have any
problems with anyone, black
or white, religions or
political views ... I have a
problem with people who want
to hurt, kill, rape, and
don't respect others."
Redgum songwriter John
Schumann also said recently
he did not support his song
I Was Only 19 being played
at Reclaim Australia
rallies.
"I am very, very
disappointed to see my work
co-opted by what I, at my
most charitable, consider to
be a very confused
'patriotic' movement,"
Schumann said at the time.
As Midnight Oil demands
Reclaim Australia stop
playing songs, Lee Kernaghan
refuses
Lee Kernaghan
Midnight Oil has asked the
organisers of the
anti-Muslim Reclaim
Australia rallies to stop
playing its songs, but
country star Lee Kernaghan -
who was Australian of the
Year in 2008 - has stopped
short of doing so.
MIdnight Oil's Short Memory
was played at a Reclaim
Australia rally in Adelaide
recently. The band issued
the following statement to
Fairfax:
"Midnight Oil does not
endorse Reclaim Australia in
any way. "We ask that no
Midnight Oil songs are
played or used by the
organisation. We are in
favour of a tolerant
Australia, made up of many
cultures."
Kernaghan, though, whose
management has been
approached twice by Fairfax,
posted a statement on social
media asking that any group
playing his song Spirit of
the Anzacs "see that it is
consistent with - and
respectful of, the memory of
... [soldiers who] laid down
their lives for the freedoms
we have today."
While Kernaghan did not
endorse the rallies or the
ideologies behind them, he
did not oppose either the
use of his music at them or
their purpose. He did
however point out the song
was about "about love,
mateship, self-sacrifice,
endurance and courage."
The lyrics to Spirit of the
Anzacs celebrates soldiers
"born beneath the Southern
Cross".
His Facebook post prompted a
flood of praise for
Kernaghan's support of
Australian soldiers, but
also plenty of anti-Islamic
sentiment.
Fairfax asked Kernaghan's
management if he had the
same view as Jimmy Barnes,
John Farnham and Goanna's
Shane Howard, who like
Midnight Oil asked Reclaim
Australia rally organisers
to stop using his music.
Fairfax received no
response.
Howard posted a searing
Facebook post about Goanna's
iconic song, saying:
"Reclaim Australia's
confused vision of what
Australia is, or should be,
is not my vision ... I ask
that my song, Solid Rock,
Sacred Ground, not be used
at such rallies."
Kernaghan was named
Australian of the Year in
2008, largely for his
fundraising efforts during
the drought. He raised more
than a million dollars.
Meanwhile Reclaim Australia
has continued to associate
popular hits with its cause,
posting a link to Tom
Petty's Refugee.
Petty has not offered his
views on Islam or muslims
but has given mixed opinions
on religion. Recently he
said "I'm fine with whatever
religion you want to have",
while speaking out against
abuse of children by the
Catholic church. But he's
also accused religion of
being "at the base of all
wars".
The Federal government’s
approach to counter
terrorism is a mess, and in
light of the recent proposal
to strip people of their
citizenship, is only getting
worse.
Samier Dandan
This is all despite the fact
that almost universally,
research points to the
enormous influence that
wider social, economic and
political issues have on the
process of radicalisation.
Yet, the focus of the
government’s strategy seems
to rest heavily on how best
it can strip people of their
rights in the name of
“security”.
This approach was carried
into the recent Countering
Violent Extremism summit
held in Sydney. Just a quick
skim of the topics alone
gave enough of an indication
of the intentions behind it,
as well as of ongoing
negative trends in the way
the Attorney General’s
Department has consulted
with the Muslim Community.
Alaa Murabit's family moved
from Canada to Libya when
she was 15. Before, she’d
felt equal to her brothers,
but in this new environment
she sensed big prohibitions
on what she could
accomplish. As a proud
Muslim woman, she wondered:
was this really religious
doctrine? With humour,
passion and a refreshingly
rebellious spirit, she
shares how she discovered
examples of female leaders
from across the history of
her faith — and how she
launched a campaign to fight
for women's rights using
verses directly from the
Koran.
A man has been ordered to
face court after allegedly
putting up offensive posters
on an Islamic prayer room on
the Sunshine Coast.
Police said the 64-year-old
Yaroomba man put up two A4
sheets with "offensive
remarks" on the building in
Church Street, Maroochydore
about 1.45pm Tuesday.
He was issued with a notice
to appear for trespass and
will face Maroochydore
Magistrates Court on August
26.
Last month, the Sunshine
Coast Regional Council
approved plans for a mosque
to be built at the same
site.
Angry protesters later
gathered outside the
building, calling on the
Muslims to denounce their
religion.
Sunshine Coast District
Inspector Mike Miley said
Tuesday's incident was the
first alleged criminal act
to occur since the council
approved the mosque.
"Police have been in
consultation with all
differing groups, and they
understand where police
currently stand," he said.
"We're working together with
the members of the mosque so
that it is a safe place for
them.
"I don't think police will
tolerate anything that
interferes with the peace
and tranquility of the
community members."
Inspector Miley said a
Reclaim Australia rally held
in Maroochydore during the
weekend was without
incident, apart from two
people who were temporarily
detained for breaching the
peace.
However unlike tense rallies
in capital cities, the
Maroochydore rally only had
one group of protesters and
did not have an anti-Reclaim
Australia presence.
As night falls, a group of
young men train hard in the
gym, preparing for battle.
"They don't want to live
with us, why should we live
with them? Islamist, if you
want the war believe me
you'll get it!"Far
Right Campaigner
Across town a young Muslim
girl quits high school
because she's not allowed to
wear Islamic clothes.
"I'm always told 'you're
not French, your clothing
isn't French, your origins
mean that you're not
French.' So no I don't feel
French because of these
people." Young Muslim
Woman
They are voices from France,
a nation grappling with the
aftermath of terror.
The parallels with the
debate in Australia are
striking: who should be held
responsible for a terrorist
attack? How should we
respond as a nation? How do
governments find the balance
between protection and
freedom?
In this often provocative
story from the BBC,
British/Pakistani journalist
Shaista Aziz looks at the
rising tide of anti Muslim
feeling in France after the
Charlie Hebdo terror attacks
that claimed 12 lives.
"I asked him what was
more offensive, my hijab or
kebabs, and he actually
said, 'I don't know I have
to think about it.' I mean
you couldn't make this stuff
up!" Shaista Aziz,
Journalist
She finds a nation
questioning its very
identity.
"We've created a lot of
French people who are not
French in their heart, just
French on paper."
Marion Le Pen, France's
Youngest MP
From far right agitators who
want to deport all
foreigners to Muslim
'comics' who specialise in
provoking outrage, she
explores the difficult
questions facing democratic
nations around the world.
A Nation Divided?
from the BBC and presented
by Kerry O'Brien, went on
air on Monday 20th July at
8.30pm.
This
Ramadan, Islamic Relief
Australia (IRAUS) and the
Islamic College of Brisbane
(ICB) combined forces to
help raise money for IRAUS’s
annual Ramadan Campaign.
At the
beginning of Ramadan, IRAUS
distributed their unique My
First Sadaqah/Charity Box to
each ICB student.
After a month of
enthusiastically collecting
money, the students returned
their boxes this week.
Alhamdulillah, the students
have helped IRAUS raise
$8,620.00, and still
counting, as we are waiting
on the return of boxes from
the students, inshAllah.
Each Primary class received
a Charity Hero Award
certificate, in
acknowledgement of their
efforts.
IRAUS would like to
sincerely thank ICB’s
Principal, Dr Barrett, Imam
Ziyad Ravat and Mrs Ashraf
for giving us the
opportunity to work together
to raise much needed funds;
which will be used to feed
the hungry, internationally.
We would like to extend a
very special thank-you to
the students and their
families for contributing to
this amazing cause and
working hard to fill up
their boxes.
Check out
our website to learn
more about the work that
Islamic Relief Australia
does.
In my 22 years of teaching
and writing about Arabic and
Islamic Studies, I have
probably heard every kind of
naive and uninformed comment
that can possibly be made in
the West about Islam and
Muslims. Such remarks are
not necessarily all due to
ill will; most of the time,
they express bewilderment
and stem from an inability
to find accessible, informed
sources that might begin to
address such widespread
public incomprehension. Add
that to the almost daily
barrage of news and media
commentary concerning
violence in the Middle East
and South Asia, two regions
viscerally connected with
Islam and Muslims. With
hopes deflating in the wake
of the Arab Spring, and
barbaric ISIS members
continuing to inflict terror
wherever they rule, Muslims
seem to be descending into a
spiral of violent nihilism.
These days, Islam appears as
nothing more than a spent
force, incapable of
regenerating itself.
This is a narrative that has
considerable staying power,
drawing its strength from a
pervasive Western media that
frequently reinforces such
perceptions. With selective
reporting on Muslim-majority
societies, the journalistic
bar for news reporting is
usually very low;
sensationalism is an
essential criterion. What
goes on in the daily lives
of ordinary people is almost
completely occluded. The
diversity of voices and
opinions that continue to
characterize Muslim-majority
societies, as well as the
rich spiritual and
intellectual resources
available within the Islamic
tradition (both as a
religion and civilization),
receive little attention.
Contrary to popular belief,
Muslims are firmly a part of
the modern world and are
grappling with the
challenges of modernity in
myriad ways. Many of them
are navigating modernity’s
sometimes uncharted waters
with creativity and
imagination, re-engaging
with their tradition and
revisiting their history, as
many non-Muslims are doing
with their respective
traditions and histories in
similar contexts. Muslim
academics, thinkers, and
social activists are
spearheading hermeneutic and
revivalist projects, mostly
occurring below the global
radar, that are shaping and
being shaped by modernity
(or, more accurately,
modernities). For there is
more than one way of being
modern, each being pegged to
a society’s particular
historical trajectory and
cultural specificity. This
realization is fundamental
in appreciating the
different paths to modernity
that various societies can
and do take. Here, the
Western paradigm of secular
modernity is hardly a
universal one. It is,
rather, a parochial model
spawned during the specific
concatenations of historical
events in the European past.
Other societies and
civilizations are
“indigenizing” modernity in
ways that are compatible
with their own lived,
historical experiences and
sociocultural institutions.
Asma
Afsaruddin is Professor of
Islamic Studies in the
Department of Near Eastern
Languages and Cultures in
the School of Global and
International Studies at
Indiana University,
Bloomington. Her latest
monograph, Contemporary
Issues in Islam, is due to
be published by Edinburgh
University Press in
September 2015. Read her
contribution to Learning
Ignorance,"Finding Common
Ground: 'Mutual Knowing',
Moderation, and the
Fostering of Religious
Pluralism," which is freely
available on Oxford
Scholarship Online for a
limited time.
With every
Ramadan that passes, there
are new websites, apps and
memes
It’s embraced
by Muslims of all ages; but
is it becoming increasingly
difficult to reflect and
observe the holy month in an
age where you’re one click
away from YouTube or two
swipes from Instagram?
The Independent speaks to
Muslims of all ages in
London to see how technology
changed their Ramadan.
The Continental Club proudly
presents the most exciting
tournament for year, The
Brisbane BMW Challenge! The
tournament will be held at
the prestigious Palmer
Colonial Golf Club on Sunday
16th August 2015.
It doesn’t matter if you’re
an amateur or professional
you’ll have an awesome time
with a chance of winning
some fantastic prizes!
Venue: Palmer
Colonial, 57 Paradise
Springs Ave, Robina QLD
4226. Date: Sunday 16th
August 2015 Time: Tee off 10:00
am Shotgun Start (All
players are kindly requested
to be on course 30 minutes
prior to your tee time)
What may be the world's
oldest fragments of the Koran have been
found by the University of Birmingham.
The fragments were written on
sheep or goat skin
Radiocarbon dating found the
manuscript to be at least
1,370 years old, making it
among the earliest in
existence.
The pages of the Muslim holy
text had remained
unrecognised in the
university library for
almost a century.
The British Library's expert
on such manuscripts, Dr
Muhammad Isa Waley, said
this "exciting discovery"
would make Muslims
"rejoice".
The manuscript had been kept
with a collection of other
Middle Eastern books and
documents, without being
identified as one of the
oldest fragments of the
Koran in the world.
Oldest texts
When a PhD researcher, Alba
Fedeli, looked more closely
at these pages it was
decided to carry out a
radiocarbon dating test and
the results were
"startling".
The university's director of
special collections, Susan
Worrall, said researchers
had not expected "in our
wildest dreams" that it
would be so old.
Prof Thomas says the writer
of this manuscript could have
heard the Prophet Muhammad
preach
"Finding out we had one of
the oldest fragments of the
Koran in the whole world has
been fantastically
exciting."
The tests, carried out by
the Oxford University
Radiocarbon Accelerator
Unit, showed that the
fragments, written on sheep
or goat skin, were among the
very oldest surviving texts
of the Koran.
These tests provide a range
of dates, showing that, with
a probability of more than
95%, the parchment was from
between 568 and 645.
"They could well take us
back to within a few years
of the actual founding of
Islam," said David Thomas,
the university's professor
of Christianity and Islam.
"According to Muslim
tradition, the Prophet
Muhammad received the
revelations that form the
Koran, the scripture of
Islam, between the years 610
and 632, the year of his
death."
Prof Thomas says the dating
of the Birmingham folios
would mean it was quite
possible that the person who
had written them would have
been alive at the time of
the Prophet Muhammad.
"The person who actually
wrote it could well have
known the Prophet Muhammad.
He would have seen him
probably, he would maybe
have heard him preach. He
may have known him
personally - and that really
is quite a thought to
conjure with," he says.
Prof Thomas says the writer
of this manuscript could have
heard the Prophet Muhammad
preach
First-hand witness
Prof Thomas says that some
of the passages of the Koran
were written down on
parchment, stone, palm
leaves and the shoulder
blades of camels - and a
final version, collected in
book form, was completed in
about 650.
He says that "the parts of
the Koran that are written
on this parchment can, with
a degree of confidence, be
dated to less than two
decades after Muhammad's
death".
"These portions must have
been in a form that is very
close to the form of the
Koran read today, supporting
the view that the text has
undergone little or no
alteration and that it can
be dated to a point very
close to the time it was
believed to be revealed."
The manuscript, written in "Hijazi
script", an early form of
written Arabic, becomes one
of the oldest known
fragments of the Koran.
Because radiocarbon dating
creates a range of possible
ages, there is a handful of
other manuscripts in public
and private collections
which overlap. So this makes
it impossible to say that
any is definitively the
oldest.
But the latest possible date
of the Birmingham discovery
- 645 - would put it among
the very oldest.
'Precious survivor'
Dr Waley, curator for such
manuscripts at the British
Library, said "these two
folios, in a beautiful and
surprisingly legible Hijazi
hand, almost certainly date
from the time of the first
three caliphs".
The first three caliphs were
leaders in the Muslim
community between about 632
and 656.
Dr Waley says that under the
third caliph, Uthman ibn
Affan, copies of the
"definitive edition" were
distributed.
Muhammad Afzal of Birmingham
Central Mosque said he was very
moved to see the manuscript
"The Muslim community was
not wealthy enough to
stockpile animal skins for
decades, and to produce a
complete Mushaf, or copy, of
the Holy Koran required a
great many of them."
Dr Waley suggests that the
manuscript found by
Birmingham is a "precious
survivor" of a copy from
that era or could be even
earlier.
"In any case, this - along
with the sheer beauty of the
content and the surprisingly
clear Hijazi script - is
news to rejoice Muslim
hearts."
The manuscript is part of
the Mingana Collection of
more than 3,000 Middle
Eastern documents gathered
in the 1920s by Alphonse
Mingana, a Chaldean priest
born near Mosul in
modern-day Iraq.
He was sponsored to take
collecting trips to the
Middle East by Edward
Cadbury, who was part of the
chocolate-making dynasty.
The local Muslim community
has already expressed its
delight at the discovery in
their city and the
university says the
manuscript will be put on
public display.
"When I saw these pages I
was very moved. There were
tears of joy and emotion in
my eyes. And I'm sure people
from all over the UK will
come to Birmingham to have a
glimpse of these pages,"
said Muhammad Afzal,
chairman of Birmingham
Central Mosque.
Muhammad Afzal of Birmingham
Central Mosque said he was very
moved to see the manuscript
The university says the
Koran fragments will go on
display in the Barber
Institute in Birmingham in
October.
Prof Thomas says it will
show people in Birmingham
that they have a "treasure
that is second to none".
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.
10)
Abdul Qadeer Khan
A.Q. Khan is nuclear
physicist and a
metallurgical engineer.
Apart from participating in
Pakistan's atomic bomb
project, he made major
contributions in molecular
morphology, physical
martensite, and its
integrated applications in
condensed and material
physics.
Dear Friends
As you come to the end of the holy month of Ramadan,
I want to send you this message.
The Archdiocese of
Brisbane sends greetings of peace to all our Muslim
brothers and sisters who are celebrating Eid al-Fitr,
asking the God of all mercy to send his blessings
upon you.
At a time of great
tension in the world when religion is at times
invoked to justify violence, it is more important
than ever that all those who worship God affirm the
bond of shared humanity in every way possible.
Let these words of mine
be that kind of affirmation. May the Creator turn
violence to peace, fear to love and death to life.
I receive and read your very informative weekly
newsletter regularly.
The purpose of this email is to offer your readers a
training opportunity that we believe would be of
their interest. It is about the Building Resilience
in Transcultural Australians:
BRiTA Futures program for adults. This is a
group program to increase resilience to cope with
the acculturation transition and stress of
migration. The program for adults goes for eight
2-hour sessions that can be delivered in a flexible
manner. Settlement and other support services are
finding it a useful resource to support their
clients.
As we are about building the capacity of services
and communities, we offer this two-day training and
participants receive a comprehensive facilitator
manual to deliver the program in their own
organisations or communities. The minimum written
material of the program has to date been translated
into Standard Modern Arabic, Simplified Chinese,
Farsi and Spanish.
The application form is
here. Please let me know if you have any
question or comments.
Sincerely,
Elvia Ramirez
Elvia Ramirez Mental Health Promotion,
Prevention and Early Intervention Coordinator
Qld Transcultural Mental Health Centre | Metro South
Addiction and Mental Health Services | Metro South
Health Service | Queensland Government
519 Kessels Rd Macgregor QLD 4109
t. 07 3167 8333
e. elvia.ramirez@health.qld.gov.au |
www.health.qld.gov.au
Work Days: M, T, Th, Fr
Dear Editor
Here is the text of a letter I submitted and had
published in this week's Courier Mail that may be of
interest to your readers.
Regards David Forde
Muslim leaders encourage peace Not always about
who shouts loudest
Your editorial, Tolerance, not hatred, will unite
Australia (20 July), was excellent till I came to
this, "It is true Muslim leaders could do more and
be seen to be doing more when it comes to tempering
the more radical elements in their community...."
I am not a Muslim, but have seen first hand the
significant, tireless and voluntary work,
Queensland’s Muslim leaders and others have been
undertaking for many years to try to ensure we all
live in peace, work they are not compelled to do.
Muslim leaders have no more control over members of
the Muslim community than a Priest has over all
Catholics or Anglicans etc, not least those who are
disengaged or marginalised.
The media and politicians also need to play their
role by not fueling the situation. The regular
challenging of the level of work of Muslim leaders
is not just disappointing it is counter-productive.
It’s not always about who shouts ‘loudest’ that
achieves results.
Government to take firmer
stance on Muslims who fail to denounce
jihadis
David Cameron is expected to
announce that only those in the
Muslim community willing to take
a stand against jihadist
violence will be supported
UK: The Government is set
to take a firmer stance against Muslims
who fail to oppose Islamist extremism.
In a speech to be
delivered to an audience of Muslim men
and women in Birmingham, David Cameron
is expected to announce that only those
in the Muslim community willing to take
a stand against jihadist violence will
be supported and those who “walk up to
the border of illegality” will be
denounced.
A Downing Street source told The
Independent on Sunday: “There are people
in the Muslim community who walk up to
the border of illegality with the aim of
radicalising others – they are the
equivalent of David Irving denying the
Holocaust.
“There are Muslims who say they are not
advocating violence,” said the source,
but who still deny the Holocaust,
question Israel’s right to exist, and
whether men and women and Jews and
Muslims should mix.
The Prime Minister reiterated his
position on beating terrorism in an
interview with NBC’s Meet the Press.
“We have to attack directly this
Islamist extremist ideology that is
poisoning young minds, including young
minds in Britain and America,” he said.
The “narrative of extremism” must be
defeated, he added.
“People who
say, ‘Well,
of course I
don’t
support
terrorism.
But a
caliphate,
is that such
a bad idea?’
Or people
who say, ‘Do
you know
what?
Christians
and Muslims,
we can’t
really live
together.
And suicide
bombing [is]
alright in
Israel, even
if it’s not
alright in
America.’
“These are unacceptable
views. We’ve got to call them out and
confront them,” said Mr Cameron. “We’ve
got to defeat the narrative of
extremism, even when it’s not connected
to the violence.
“It’s the narrative that is the
jumping-off point for these young people
to then go and join this dreadful death
cult in Iraq and Syria,” he added.
The Prime Minister’s comments run the
risk of alienating British Muslims, some
of whom were critical of a speech he
gave last month in which he said some
members of the faith were “quietly
condoning” extremist ideology.
Eid-ul-Fitr 2015:
Record-breaking 60,000 Muslims pray in
Birmingham's Small Heath Park
BIRMINGHAM, UK: When it first
began three years ago, only a few thousand
people showed up to the park.
However, today, a record-breaking 60,000
men, women and children descended upon Small
Heath Park in Birmingham to read the morning
Eid-ul-Fitr prayers as Muslims the world
over celebrate the end of another month of
Ramadan.
Last year, officials said
some 44,000 people turned-up to pray.
Today, however, miles of plastic sheeting
was spread out in rows along the grass as
horns blared in the, at one point, four-mile
long traffic jam consisting of thousands of
families battling to make it into the park.
After the prayers were over, the crowds
quickly livened-up when the Celebrate Eid
event roared into life as people from
backgrounds flocked into the park to take
part in the family activities on offer in
what is being described as the ‘biggest Eid
celebration in Europe’.
One young attendee, Husna Khan, 21, shared
with The Guardian her more contemporary take
on this Eid-ul-Fitr: “This is a bit like a
music festival for us – our Glastonbury.”
Despite animosity,
Moscow's Muslims change the city
At least 1.5 million
Muslims in Russia's capital form the fastest
growing and most ethnically diverse
demographic group.
Muslims performed Eid el-Fitr
prayers at Moscow's central
mosque as Russian police took
security measures around them
Moscow, Russia - Surrounded
by movable metal fences and police, they
placed their prayer rugs and shreds of
wallpaper on the cold asphalt along the tram
tracks.
Then they planted their feet and exhaled
"God is great!" They bent, knelt, and
prostrated in front of the golden-domed
Sobornaya mosque despite the bewildered and
scared faces of passersby and baton-wielding
police officers around them.
More than 60,000 Muslims gathered at the
square and five temporarily blocked streets
around Moscow's main mosque, with an
additional 180,000 gathering at five other
mosques and three dozen temporary sites in
Moscow and the greater Moscow region, to
mark the end of this year's holy month of
Ramadan, police said.
Each person had to pass through a metal
detector and undergo an identification
check.
Some Muslims were indignant about the
treatment they faced on one of the year's
holiest days.
"You want to pray at a mosque, you have to
enter a cage," Murad Abdullaev, a
full-bearded 29-year-old from Derbent,
Russia's southernmost city in the restive
province of Dagestan, told Al Jazeera.
"You
pray at
work, you
get
reprimanded,
but when
your
colleagues
show up
hungover or
take long
cigarette
breaks, it's
OK," he said
describing
his
colleagues
at a
construction
company in
southern
Moscow.
Some Muscovites are also
unhappy about the inconveniences they face
during the celebration of the two major
Muslim religious holidays Eid al-Fitr - the
breaking of the fast festival at the end of
Ramadan, and Eid al-Adha - the festival of
sacrifice.
"Again, [some] streets are full of praying
people, again the adjoining streets are
blocked, [there are] tensions with police,"
popular blogger Ilya Varlamov wrote.
"For many years, this has been the picture
in Moscow twice a year. And each time,
everyone is surprised," the blogger said.
On days like these, Moscow seems quite a
hostile place for the Muslims that now live
here and form the fastest growing and most
ethnically diverse sector of the population.
With an official population of 12.5 million,
Russia's capital is now home to at least 1.5
million Muslims, according to political
analyst Alexei Malashenko. This is by far
more than the Muslim population of any other
European city where the local population is
not predominantly Muslim.
"Moscow is slowly adapting to being Europe's
largest Muslim city, and Muslims are
gradually adapting to it," Malashenko told
Al Jazeera.
Q:Dear
Kareema, I struggle to stay motivated when it
comes to working out. What motivates you, or how
do you keep on track daily?
A: I have daily non-negotiables. Move, move,
and move a little more..
Exercise, in
general, is very important.
If I know that I
can’t make it to the gym on any particular day,
I try to get out for a walk or make some me-time
with a yoga session at home.
I have to exercise
at least 5 times a week or I find that I am not
as happy a person as I am if I am training.
I do activities that I love and I know that I
will challenge myself with.
Surround yourself with people who will motivate
and push you. Too often we listen to that voice
in our head which tells us to either stay in bed
or do it later.. Just get up and get your
workout done.
Don’t think about
it. You’ll feel better for it and find that
consistency is the key.
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:While
some people can snack tuna directly out of cans,
like I eat popcorn, I can only enjoy it in a
bake or well hidden in a salad.
Tuna Bake
Ingredients
2 tins tuna, any flavour but I prefer the
mustard.
(In brine or spring water if you watching your
weight remembering to drain out the liquid)
1 green pepper finely diced
1 large onion finely diced
¼ cup olive oil
10ml lemon juice
3 eggs
5 ml lemon pepper
½ cup of cheese
2 tsp ground green chillies
1 tsp garlic flakes
½ cup milk
1 cup sifted chana/besan flour
1 tsp baking powder
Salt to taste
Chopped spinach (optional)
Method
1. Beat together
eggs and milk and add remaining ingredients.
2. Set half the
mixture in an oven proof casserole dish, layer
with the chopped spinach and top with remaining
half of the mixture.
3. Sprinkle with
slivered almonds, sesame seeds or poppy seeds or
a mixture of all of the above, dot with butter
and bake at 180 deg until light brown.
4. Cut into squares
and serve hot with a sauce or lemon wedges as an
entrée or with salad as a light lunch.
"Don't you see how Allah
sets forth a parable? - A
goodly Word like a goodly
tree, whose root is firmly
fixed and its branches
(reach) to the heavens, - it
brings forth its fruit at
all times, by the leave of
its Lord. So Allah sets
forth parables for men, in
order that they may receive
admonition."
So woe to the worshippers
Who are neglectful of their
Prayers, Those who (want
but) to be seen (of men),
But refuse (to supply)
(even) neighbourly needs.
Muharram 1437 – Islamic New Year 1437 (1st Muharram
1437)
PLEASE NOTE
1. All Islamic Event dates given above are tentative and
subject to the sighting of the moon.
2. The Islamic date changes to the next day starting in
the evenings after maghrib. Therefore, exceptfor Lailatul
Mehraj,
Lailatul Bhahraat
and
Lailatul Qadr – these dates refer to the commencement of the event
starting in the evening of the corresponding day.
Monday Tafseer – Juz Amma Tuesday Arabic Grammer/Tafseer Quran (URDU) Wednesday Reading & Reciting Quran (Adult
class)
All the above programs are after Isha salah
All are welcome! See you at the Masjid – The place to be!
Please note that the Tafseer gets recorded
and uploaded on to our website as an mp3 file, so that you
can download and listen at anytime.
Visit our website at:
masjidtaqwa.org.au
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
Articles and
opinions appearing in this newsletter do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of the Crescents of Brisbane Team, CCN,
its Editor or its Sponsors, particularly if they eventually
turn out to be libellous, unfounded, objectionable,
obnoxious, offensive, slanderous and/or downright
distasteful.
It is the usual policy of CCN to
include from time to time, notices of events that some
readers may find interesting or relevant. Such notices are
often posted as received. Including such messages or
providing the details of such events does not necessarily
imply endorsement of the contents of these events by either
CCN or Crescents of Brisbane Inc.
The best ideas
and the best feedback come from our community of readers. If you
have a topic or opinion that you want to write about or want
seen covered or any news item that you think might be of benefit
to the Crescents Community please e-mail
ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org.
Share your
thoughts, feelings and ambitions for our community through CCN.
If there is
someone you know who would like to subscribe to CCN please
encourage them to enter their details
here.
This
Ramadan, Islamic Relief
Australia (IRAUS) and the
Islamic College of Brisbane
(ICB) combined forces to
help raise money for IRAUS’s
annual Ramadan Campaign.
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7
August 2011