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Muslim Aid Australia and
Read Little Muslims hosted a
very successful Eid Fun Day
yesterday (Saturday) at the
Rochedale Mosque with
hundreds of families
attending the event.
Kids enjoyed the Baby Animal
Farm and Pony Rides and were
entertained during the
Children's Story Time by
author Ms Razeena Omar and
owner of Read Little
Muslims. The fun arts and
craft activities drew kids
of all ages as well.
Ms Faiza Osman of Modest
Munchies conducted the fun
food cooking demonstration
for the children.
Profits raised will be used
to help complete the
construction of Somalia
Borehole and Gaza
Desalination Plant.
Muslim Aid Australia's
director, Mr Riyaad Ally,
told CCN: "On behalf of
Muslim Aid and Read Little
Muslims we would like to
thank all of those who
attended, the volunteers,
and sponsors. We want to
extend a very special thanks
to the Rochedale Mosque who
not only provided the venue
but played an active role in
running the event."
Minister for Communities,
Women and Youth, Minister
for Child Safety and
Minister for Multicultural
Affairs, Ms Shannon Fentiman
MP, shared
Jimmy Barnes' Reclaim
Australia post on
her Facebook Page along
with the following comment:
Great to see Jimmy
Barnes and John Farnham
speaking up against
Reclaim Australia.
Proving they rock in
more ways than one!
During Ramadan, many
Muslim families across
Queensland have thrown
open their doors over
recent weeks to welcome
non-Muslims to share
dinner, or Iftar, with
them. I was lucky enough
to go to lots of these.
If people feel
uncertain about Muslim
culture, we should urge
them not to rely on
groups like Reclaim
Australia for facts. If
they get to know local
Muslims, they will
probably realise they
have more things in
common than differences.
Multiculturalism is
at the heart of who we
are and Reclaim
Australia does not
represent the real
Australian values of
inclusiveness, tolerance
and a fair-go.
From left: Governor General
Sir Peter Cosgrove, Keysar Trad
and Dr Anas Natfaji at the UWS
conference on community
cohesion.
SYDNEY: With the background
of anti-Muslim rallies being
held by extremists in many
cities of Australia, a
number of speakers at the
recently held conference at
UWS warned that right-wing
extremism was emerging as an
equal, if not greater,
threat than Muslim
radicalisation in Australia.
“Advancing Community
Cohesion” conference was
held from Wednesday 15 to
Friday 17 July at The
University of Western Sydney
supported by the Australian
Government Department of
Social Services.
The conference date
coincided with the last two
days of Ramadan and the day
of Eid-ul-Fitr festivities
itself. Reportedly this
resulted in a number of
potential Muslim
participants not to join the
conference as well as a few
scheduled speakers to pull
out due to the ill-timing of
the conference.
Race Discrimination
Commissioner Tim
Soutphommasane said that
there had undoubtedly been a
rise in far-right extremist
organisations who were not
confining their activities
underground but were coming
out in the public.
Keysar Trad, founder of the
Islamic Friendship
Association of Australia
criticised the right-wing
columnists and shock jocks,
saying they take no
responsibility for the
hostile environment they
have created for minorities.
Commenting on radicalisation
and extremism, NSW Deputy
Police Commissioner Nick
Kaldas said that the police
force had extensive
community engagement
strategies in place and
praised the increasing
number of bystanders
responding to public
incidents of racism.
Dr Anne Aly, a researcher
and academic from Curtin
University, WA said that
Violent extremism in
Australia is beginning to
mirror that of the US, where
many more people have been
killed by right wing
extremists than the so
called terrorists since
9/11.
On a positive note, A/Prof
Memet Ozalp from ISRA and
Charles Sturt University,
told that Muslims living in
the West provide a great
opportunity to develop
mutual understanding by
supporting dialogue
initiatives that involve
education and social
interaction.
“Dialogue
gives an
opportunity
for Muslims
(and others)
to voice
their
concerns in
a democratic
way to
Western
public,
intellectuals,
religious
leaders and
politicians
while
Western
religious
and secular
circles find
out about
who Muslims
really are
rather than
via just
media
sources and
intelligence
reports”, he
said.
He advised that presence of
Muslims in Western societies
should be accepted and
diversity should be
genuinely embraced as
richness.
“Muslim presence enables
Muslims to appreciate the
positives of Western
civilisation and pass this
on to other Muslims around
the world and at the same
time it enables Westerners
to engage in a first hand
dialogue with Muslims and
start to clarify the
blind-spots.” he said.
The Bachar Houli Cup was
held at AFL Qld on
Tuesday the 16th of June
2015.
The Bachar Houli Cup was
an AFL Islamic
Competition for 13-15
year old boys and girls.
It was a round robin
sporting day and hosted
4 schools (Australian
International Islamic
College – Durack;
Australian International
Islamic College – Gold
Coast; Milpera State
High School and Islamic
College of Brisbane).
HAVING A BALL: Teams from the
Australian International Islamic
College on the Gold Coast have
surprised in the Bachar Houli
Cup
An Epping Boys High School
pupil is being investigated over
allegations he preached radical
Islam in the schoolyard
SYDNEY: The New South Wales
Government has announced a
state-wide audit of all
prayer groups conducted in
public schools following
allegations of radical Islam
being preached in a Sydney
playground.
The NSW Department of
Education and NSW Police
will issue a memo to all
principals today, outlining
their obligations to report
extremism.
Police will also develop
training for the education
department on radicalisation
and extremism.
Premier Mike Baird said the
Government would not allow
schools to become breeding
grounds for radicalism.
"We need to ensure that
everyone is aware of an
appropriate process and what
to look for and what to
listen for," he told
reporters in Sydney on
Tuesday.
"I don't think any one of us
could have imagined four or
five years ago the concept
of 13- and 14-year-olds
being involved in extremism
and signing up for terrorist
activities. That's something
almost beyond comprehension.
"This is an appropriate step
to ensure extra rigour,
extra care, extra
sensitivity to movement,
words [and] actions that we
may see that might be
appropriate to report and
take action against."
Last week police confirmed a
year 12 student who attends
Epping Boys High School, in
Sydney's north-west, was
being investigated over
allegations he was preaching
radical Islam in the
schoolyard.
News Corp reported the
investigation was looking at
possible links between the
boy and Milad bin Ahmad-Shah
al-Ahmadzai, who was last
year convicted of
threatening to slit the
throat of a Commonwealth
official.
Al-Ahmadzai is currently in
police custody charged over
a number of other violent
crimes in Sydney.
Police have not confirmed
details of the investigation
but said the radicalisation
of young people, including
school students, was a
worsening problem.
Dr John Hewson (federal
leader of the Liberal Party
of Australia from 1990 to
1994) takes on the role of
chairman of the Board of
Directors of the first
Islamic bank of Australia,
Islamic Financial
Services Australia.
On Friday, 24July,
Montessori Garden Early
Learning and Childcare
Centre in Underwood held a
special picnic to celebrate
Eid.
Moonira, Meri, Ella, Gaby,
Kiran, Yen-Ling and Jasmine,
the teachers of “Green” and
“Yellow” rooms organized the
event, saying: “Montessori
Garden is such a special
place because we have so
many friends from different
backgrounds. Celebrating Eid
lets our Muslim friends know
that we respect their
traditions and are eager to
learn and celebrate with
them”.
At the beginning of Ramadan,
a Muslim parent was invited
to talk to the children
about Ramadan and Eid.
The children then spent the
rest of the month decorating
Eid posters, making lanterns
and reading their “Welcome
Ramadan” book.
They also contributed some
small change to Islamic
Relief’s Charity Box.
Parents and families were
all invited to attend their
Eid picnic on the 24th of
July.
On Friday morning, the
children worked hard to
create a beautiful space
outside to have their
picnic. They lay rugs,
placed candles and decorated
with their lanterns and
artwork.
Moonira helped the children
dress in traditional
clothing. Ella and Gaby
helped them to prepare food
to share such as fairy
bread, fruit kebabs and
homemade lemonade.
As they gathered together on
their picnic mat, Meri
shared stories with the
children, explaining the
importance of Ramadan and
the “Fantastic Festival of
Eid-al-Fitr”. The children
then enjoyed their picnic
food and were each given a
small Eid gift.
Altogether, this was a very
special event made possible
by a group of Montessori
teachers who choose to
celebrate the diversity in
our community, giving the
children in their care an
opportunity to learn the
cultural foundations of
other people and encouraging
these children to accept and
respect people and their
traditions from all over the
world.
Amanah
Institute is undergoing and
enjoying a process of
renewal.
Formerly the Kuraby
Madrassah, the Institute has
a rich history as a
successful and well
established centre for
learning in our community.
We are fortunate indeed to
be able to work from this
foundation of strength and
success with an equal
measure toward seeking to
continually better serve the
needs of our students.
This demands an evidence
based approach. That is, how
does our tradition inform
what we do and how we do it?
What can we gain from
empirical research on
contemporary Islamic
education? We begin asking
ourselves, why do we do
certain practices? Are they
authentic? Are they
educative? Are they working?
In such a way, we draw
inspiration from the words
of Prophet Muhammed (SAW)
reported by Abu Huraira ,
“Renew your faith.”
Just as it has been said
that our faith can wear out,
necessitating renewal, the
approaches to Islamic
education in our communities
Institutions can also
benefit from renewal.
This process of renewal at
Amanah Institute is
characterised by our motto –
‘Education for
Transformation’. It is the
commitment toward our
Institute vision and mission
that guides everything else
that follows.
Full Article
Mr Dylan Chown is the
Principal of the AMANAH
INSTITUE in Brisbane.
Highlights from David
Cameron’s speech on tackling
extremism
Dear Mr Cameron,
What did your speech on
radicalisation this week
actually mean to someone
like me?
Despite being born in
Manchester, growing up here
and being a proud Mancunian
(let’s overlook my support
for Liverpool FC), for the
first time in 37 years I
feel as though I don’t
belong. And yes, I am
Muslim. Just a British
Muslim.
I used to hear the term
“Muslim community” and think
of a peaceful hard-working
community who settled in the
UK to create a better future
for generations to come. Now
I hear that and it paints a
picture of a misunderstood,
frightened community under
attack and feeling the need
to continually apologise and
defend its religious
beliefs.
There have been many
responses to your speech,
and some well-researched
analyses. But I need you to
listen to someone like me. I
need to have confidence that
the person shaping my
children’s future has an
understanding of the impact
of legislation imposed by
you and your government.
Let’s start with the
proposal regarding
passports. You said this
week that parents will have
the power to confiscate
their child’s passport if
they fear they will travel
to Syria or Iraq to fight
for Isis. No parent wants
their child to do that – and
not just Muslim parents. Why
anyone would join Isis is
beyond my comprehension, so
having the ability as a
parent to stop my child ever
coming to harm would be
welcome. But just out of
curiosity, if my child’s
passport is confiscated,
would they then be labelled
a “non-violent extremist”
and, if so, what would be
the consequences for them?
If my child’s passport is
confiscated, will they then
be labelled a 'non-violent
extremist'
There
is a lot of
talk at the
moment of
“ideology”.
To be clear,
“ideology”
doesn’t make
me feel
isolated.
“Ideology”
doesn’t
drive
radicalisation.
Islamophobia,
foreign
policy and
double
standards
make me feel
isolated and
scared and,
I suspect,
are the real
driving
force behind
radicalisation.
Like others before you,
including Tony Blair, you
say your objection isn’t to
Muslims and Islam but
towards violent jihadism.
It’s difficult for me to
believe in your sincerity
though, when you’ve created
a society where just talking
about certain aspects of
Islam is now considered
extremist.
Aboriginal leader and Secretary
of the APG, Michael Mansell, has
accused NSW Premier Mike Baird
of “picking on Islam while
turning a blind eye to everyday
white supremacy teachings in NSW
schools”.
Modern surgery has benefited
from Muslim surgeon Al Zahwari's
inventions. Around the year
1,000, he reportedly performed
the first caesarean operation
and created the first pair of
forceps.
London (CNN)—Think of the
origins of that staple of
modern life, the cup of
coffee, and Italy often
springs to mind.
But in fact, Yemen is where
the ubiquitous brew has its
true origins.
Along with the first
university, and even the
toothbrush, it is among
surprising Muslim inventions
that have shaped the world
we live in today.
The origins of these
fundamental ideas and
objects -- the basis of
everything from the bicycle
to musical scales -- are the
focus of "1001 Inventions,"
a book celebrating "the
forgotten" history of 1,000
years of Muslim heritage.
"There's a hole in our
knowledge, we leap frog from
the Renaissance to the
Greeks," professor Salim al-Hassani,
Chairman of the Foundation
for Science, Technology and
Civilisation, and editor of
the book told CNN.
"1001 Inventions" is now an
exhibition at London's
Science Museum. Hassani
hopes the exhibition will
highlight the contributions
of non-Western cultures --
like the Muslim empire that
once covered Spain and
Portugal, Southern Italy and
stretched as far as parts of
China -- to present day
civilization.
Here Hassani shares his top
10 outstanding Muslim
inventions:
1. Surgery
Around the year 1,000, the
celebrated doctor Al Zahrawi
published a 1,500 page
illustrated encyclopedia of
surgery that was used in
Europe as a medical
reference for the next 500
years. Among his many
inventions, Zahrawi
discovered the use of
dissolving cat gut to stitch
wounds -- beforehand a
second surgery had to be
performed to remove sutures.
He also reportedly performed
the first caesarean
operation and created the
first pair of forceps.
2. Coffee
Now the Western world's
drink du jour, coffee was
first brewed in Yemen around
the 9th century. In its
earliest days, coffee helped
Sufis stay up during late
nights of devotion. Later
brought to Cairo by a group
of students, the coffee buzz
soon caught on around the
empire. By the 13th century
it reached Turkey, but not
until the 16th century did
the beans start boiling in
Europe, brought to Italy by
a Venetian trader.
3. Flying machine
"Abbas ibn Firnas was the
first person to make a real
attempt to construct a
flying machine and fly,"
said Hassani. In the 9th
century he designed a winged
apparatus, roughly
resembling a bird costume.
In his most famous trial
near Cordoba in Spain,
Firnas flew upward for a few
moments, before falling to
the ground and partially
breaking his back. His
designs would undoubtedly
have been an inspiration for
famed Italian artist and
inventor Leonardo da Vinci's
hundreds of years later,
said Hassani.
4. University
In 859 a young princess
named Fatima al-Firhi
founded the first
degree-granting university
in Fez, Morocco. Her sister
Miriam founded an adjacent
mosque and together the
complex became the al-Qarawiyyin
Mosque and University. Still
operating almost 1,200 years
later, Hassani says he hopes
the center will remind
people that learning is at
the core of the Islamic
tradition and that the story
of the al-Firhi sisters will
inspire young Muslim women
around the world today.
5. Algebra
The word algebra comes from
the title of a Persian
mathematician's famous 9th
century treatise "Kitab al-Jabr
Wa l-Mugabala" which
translates roughly as "The
Book of Reasoning and
Balancing." Built on the
roots of Greek and Hindu
systems, the new algebraic
order was a unifying system
for rational numbers,
irrational numbers and
geometrical magnitudes. The
same mathematician,
Al-Khwarizmi, was also the
first to introduce the
concept of raising a number
to a power.
6. Optics
"Many of the most important
advances in the study of
optics come from the Muslim
world," says Hassani. Around
the year 1000 Ibn al-Haitham
proved that humans see
objects by light reflecting
off of them and entering the
eye, dismissing Euclid and
Ptolemy's theories that
light was emitted from the
eye itself. This great
Muslim physicist also
discovered the camera
obscura phenomenon, which
explains how the eye sees
images upright due to the
connection between the optic
nerve and the brain.
7. Music
Muslim musicians have had a
profound impact on Europe,
dating back to Charlemagne
tried to compete with the
music of Baghdad and
Cordoba, according to
Hassani. Among many
instruments that arrived in
Europe through the Middle
East are the lute and the
rahab, an ancestor of the
violin. Modern musical
scales are also said to
derive from the Arabic
alphabet.
8. Toothbrush
According to Hassani, the
Prophet Mohammed popularized
the use of the first
toothbrush in around 600.
Using a twig from the Meswak
tree, he cleaned his teeth
and freshened his breath.
Substances similar to Meswak
are used in modern
toothpaste.
"Hospitals
as we know
them today,
with wards
and teaching
centres,
come from
9th century
Europe."
Professor
Salim al-Hassani
9. The crank
Many of the basics of modern
automatics were first put to
use in the Muslim world,
including the revolutionary
crank-connecting rod system.
By converting rotary motion
to linear motion, the crank
enables the lifting of heavy
objects with relative ease.
This technology, discovered
by Al-Jazari in the 12th
century, exploded across the
globe, leading to everything
from the bicycle to the
internal combustion engine.
10. Hospitals
"Hospitals as we know them
today, with wards and
teaching centers, come from
9th century Egypt,"
explained Hassani. The first
such medical center was the
Ahmad ibn Tulun Hospital,
founded in 872 in Cairo.
Tulun hospital provided free
care for anyone who needed
it -- a policy based on the
Muslim tradition of caring
for all who are sick. From
Cairo, such hospitals spread
around the Muslim world.
After great consideration from the management
committee, Sister’s House Services Inc will be
closing the Sisters’ House from October 2015. This
means we will no longer have a house to offer
accommodation in the way that we have been for the
last 5 years. We would like to thank supporters of
the Sister’s House since its inception and ask
Allaah to accept our efforts and forgive our
short-comings.
Sisters’ House Services will continue in the way of
Islamic classes, Youth Group, Women’s & children’s
activities. We will endeavour to assist Muslim women
in our community with alternative accommodation,
household needs, counselling and social outlets.
Our dedicated volunteers plan to work within the
community in visiting the sick, organising food
rosters & assisting the needy with goods In sha
Allaah. To join in activities or for any information
please contact us. Our website is still up and
running at
www.sistershouse.org and our email is
sistershouse@live.com.au.
Yours sincerely,
Sisters’ House
Management Committee
Community Services
Islamic classes
Girls Youth Group
Saudi father pardons his
son’s killer if he memorizes the whole Quran
The killer, Faisal al-Ameri,
kisses the forehead of Rabi’a
al-Dousary, the father of the
young man he killed.
SAUDI ARABIA: A Saudi
father pardoned his son’s killer if he
successfully memorized the Holy Quran, a
local newspaper reported on Saturday.
Rabi’a al-Dousary, father of the slain
young man named Abdullah, promised to
pardon the convicted felon, Faisal al-Ameri,
if he successfully memorized all of the
Holy Quran before leaving prison, al-Yawm
Saudi newspaper reported.
Ameri was sentenced to death for killing
Dousary during a quarrel that erupted in
their neighbourhood.
The Higher Committee of Correction in
the Eastern Province of the Kingdom has
persuaded the father to forgive and
pardon Ameri.
The father, who refused to receive any
blood money, to teach the Ameri a far
more valuable lesson, insisted on one
condition: the killer to fully memorize
the Quran before his acquittal from
prison.
SOUTH AFRICA: The Western
Cape government together with the Western
Cape Fine Foods Initiative are working
together to develop a R1 billion Halaal agri-processing
food park near the Cape Town International
Airport.
The park will be home to a number of
manufacturing and service firms in the
Halaal industry.
“The global Halaal market is worth $2.3
trillion. The proposed Halaal park will
allow the Western Cape to double our share
of that fast-growing market,” said Alan
Winde, the provincial minister of Economic
Opportunities, in a statement.
But, the park will focus mainly on exports
to the Middle East and North Africa where
20% of the world’s Muslims are located.
“We seek to increase the value of Halaal
exports by $31 billion by 2020‚” Winde said
in a statement, adding some 5000 jobs would
be created over the next five years.
Meanwhile, CEO of Western Cape Food
Initative Nazeem Sterras said such parks are
key to economic growth and access to
markets.
“It is
not just
because of
the
religious or
Sharia
compliancy
but because
people are
starting to
realise that
Halaal
certified
products
already
provides all
the set
standards
that every
human being
needs to
consider
when they
consume or
use
products‚”
The Times
quoted him
as saying.
“Halaal
certification
actually
provides all
these
standards
already‚ as
part of what
we call a
lifestyle
value
proposition.
It ticks all
the boxes
that people
want in a
good quality
product.”
Sterras said they focused on
the Middle East and North Africa because of
their proximity and the recent trade
agreements signed with Africa.
Three-year-old child from
London placed in government anti-extremism
programme
LONDON: A three-year-old
child from London is one of hundreds of
young people in the capital who have been
tipped as potential future radicals and
extremists.
As reported by the Evening Standard, 1,069
people have been put in the government’s
anti-extremism ‘Channel’ process, the
de-radicalisation programme at the heart of
the Government’s ‘Prevent’ strategy.
The three-year-old in the programme is from
the borough of Tower Hamlets, and was a
member of a family group that had been
showing suspect behaviour.
Many of the government’s counter-extremism
measures typically relate to older children
and adults – buy very young children can be
referred if authorities are concerned about
the effect of their families on them.
In the past, police have gone through the
family courts to bring care proceedings in
cases involving these children, and measures
have included taking away the children’s
passports, to make it harder for them to be
taken overseas.
With figures obtained from the London
Assembly, the Standard found out that London
accounted for around a quarter of all
‘Channel’ referrals nationwide since the
start of 2012.
Since September 2014, 400 under 18s,
including teenagers and children, have been
referred to the scheme.
We released this fatwa to let
them know that it is not a sin
to offer custody to a non-Muslim
parent, especially if that
person is better equipped to
care for the child. - Datuk Dr
Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin
PETALING JAYA: The Perlis Fatwa Committee
has issued an edict which states that the
custody of a child be given to the more
suitable parent, regardless of religion.
State mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin
said the committee found it unfair to
determine custody of a child based solely on
the parents’ religion, as the overall
welfare and interests of the child were
paramount.
He said the edict could signal a turning
point in the way child custody cases were
deliberated at the Syariah courts,
especially in cases where a parent sought
custody of the child upon converting to
Islam.
“The overall welfare of the child includes
his or her physical, moral and emotional
needs. The parent who is more able to
provide these needs should get custody,
whether they are Muslim or not,” Dr Mohd
Asri told The Star.
He said the courts needed to judge which
parent was more suitable by studying their
background and lifestyle, as well as taking
into consideration the choice of the child.
“If both parents are equally suitable to
care for the child, then the child has the
right to choose which parent he or she wants
to live with.
“This is provided the child is old enough to
decide,” he said.
Under the ruling, it will still be
compulsory for the Muslim parent to
introduce Islam to the child, whether they
have custody or not.
However, Dr Mohd Asri said religion should
not be forced upon them.
Despite animosity,
Moscow's Muslims change the city
The leaves of
the ancient Qur’an found in
Birmingham University’s
archives.
Muslim experts doubt claim
the Birmingham discovery is oldest Quraan
manuscript
Some Muslim historians and manuscript
experts have cast doubt on the credibility
of the recent Birmingham University claim
that it had discovered the oldest copy of
the Qur’an.
The university recently showed two leaves of
parchment with Qur’anic verses from chapter
18-20 in legible Hijazi script. It said the
verses could have be scribbled somewhere
between 568 AD and 645 AD.
The university’s claims mean that the verses
were written close to the time of Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) who was widely
believed to have lived between 570 AD and
632 AD.
Quoting the experts, Makkah daily said on
Sunday that the manuscript might have
possibly been written after the time of the
Prophet (pbuh) due to several factors.
CII
Broadcasting
Actually, Oldest Qur’ans
are in Sanaa, Yemen & in Danger of Saudi
Bombing
The discovery of a couple
pages [apparently actually
18] of a very old Qur’an
(the Muslim scripture),
probably from the 640s CE
[“AD”], in a library in
Britain, has provoked a good
deal of press reporting.
Muslim tradition holds that
the scripture was revealed
to the Prophet Muhammad
between roughly 610 CE and
his death in 632, during the
era when Heraclius was the
emperor of Byzantium and the
Tang Dynasty ruled China.
While this find at the
Cadbury Research Library at
the University of Birmingham
is important, the press
seems unaware that a copy of
the Qur’an that dates from
the 640s and has about half
of the entire book was
discovered by a German team
in Sanaa, Yemen two decades
ago.
The oldest nearly complete
Qur’ans in the world are
just sitting there in the
middle of Sanaa, and
Birmingham is not the really
big story here.
And Sanaa is being daily
bombed from the air by Saudi
Arabia, which has hit
civilian buildings and a
refugee camp and part of
historic downtown Sanaa. I
am petrified that it has hit
the Manuscript Library where
this precious book was held.
(I am also petrified every
time I hear about a strike
that it has killed people–
don’t get me wrong. But hey,
I’m a historian of Islam so
I worry about cultural
destruction too).
Despite animosity,
Moscow's Muslims change the city
The most and least racially
diverse U.S. religious groups
The nation’s population is growing more
racially and ethnically diverse – and so are
many of its religious groups, both at the
congregational level and among broader
Christian traditions. But a new analysis of
data from the 2014 Religious Landscape Study
also finds that these levels of diversity
vary widely within U.S. religious groups.
We looked at 30 groups – including
Protestant denominations, other religious
groups and three subsets of people who are
religiously unaffiliated – based on a
methodology used in our 2014 Pew Research
Center report on global religious diversity.
This analysis includes five racial and
ethnic groups: Hispanics, as well as
non-Hispanic whites, blacks, Asians and an
umbrella category of other races and
mixed-race Americans.
Ofsted gives a "good" rating
to a religious school which threatens to
expel its students if they socialise with
"outsiders".
Video
UK: A Muslim boarding school has been rated
"good" by Ofsted, despite threatening to
expel students if they mix with other
children.
The Institute of Islamic Education in
Dewsbury was praised by the education
watchdog despite its pupils being taught not
to speak to the media and being banned from
watching TV, listening to the radio or
reading newspapers.
Last week David Cameron criticised some
faith schools in a speech on extremism,
saying that improving integration was part
of the "the struggle of our generation".
The Prime Minister promised a
counter-extremism bill in the autumn to
tackle what he called "intolerant ideas
which create a climate in which extremists
can flourish".
In its most recent inspection report Ofsted
specifically praised the Dewsbury school for
preparing its pupils to cater for the
changing needs of British Muslims.
"The Islamic Institute of Education provides
a good quality of education and meets its
stated aims very well," it said.
The school is housed in Dewsbury's Markazi
Mosque compound and run by the Tablighi
Jamaat sect, which imposes a strict Sharia
code on students.
The school has no website, but Sky News
obtained copies of documents given to
parents which state that students
"socialising with outsiders... will be
expelled if there is no improvement after
cautioning."
The school's Pupil and Parent Handbook
contains a Sharia section which lists "Items
that are prohibited in Islam... such as
portable televisions, cameras, etc".
It says boarders are also banned from
wearing un-Islamic garments and using music
players or mobile phones at any time.
Official inspection reports spanning the
past 11 years have highlighted a lack of
school trips and no formal sex education.
Mosque elder Shabbir Daji, chairman of the
school's governing shura, told Sky News the
school "works for unity", but would not
comment on how its restrictions prepare
children for life in Britain.
"Our policy is to keep away from the media,"
he said.
In a statement, Ofsted said independent
schools were not assessed on their teaching
of British values when the Institute of
Islamic Education was last inspected in
2011.
"In April 2015 Ofsted introduced a new,
tougher inspection framework in response to
more demanding independent school standards,
which include an emphasis on fundamental
British values," said a spokesman.
The changes were introduced following the
alleged Trojan Horse plot in which hardline
Muslims were alleged to have tried to take
control of a number of schools in the
Birmingham area.
Legislation introduced last year states
schools must actively promote "fundamental
British values" and prepare pupils for "the
opportunities, responsibilities and
experiences of life in British society."
UK's Muslims and the
debate over their 'Britishness'
UK: British Prime Minister David Cameron has
called on Muslims in his country to
recognise their "Britishness", saying the UK
faces an "existential" terrorist threat. His
comments came just days after an entire
Muslim family flew to Syria to join ISIL.
Yet it appears his words have fallen on deaf
ears. Al Jazeera's Laurence Lee reports from
Luton.
Q:Dear
Kareema, is walking or running better for fat
loss?
A: High intensity training, where your heart
rate is elevated (pushed close to it's max) is
where the body burns excess fat (or torch
calories).
Your metabolism is
stimulated so you're burning fat at a fast rate.
Light exercise or
low intensity (such as walking) burns fat at a
slower rate but the benefit is that you don't
need much recovery time after your workout .
So both walking and running are good forms of
exercise for fat loss - consistency is key.
Avul
Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam, the son
of a little-educated boat-owner in
Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu, had an unparalleled
career as a defence scientist, culminating
in the highest civilian award of India, the
Bharat Ratna.
As chief of the
country’s defence research and development
programme, Kalam demonstrated the great
potential for dynamism and innovation that
existed in seemingly moribund research
establishments.
This is the
story of Kalam’s rise from obscurity and his
personal and professional struggles, as well
as the story of Agni, Prithvi, Akash,
Trishul and Nag—missiles that have become
household names in India and that have
raised the nation to the level of a missile
power of international reckoning.
This is also the
saga of independent India’s struggle for
technological self-sufficiency and defensive
autonomy—a story as much about politics,
domestic and international, as it is about
science.
[CCN Editor]
The former President of India passed away
this week at the age of 82 while delivering
a lecture.
Would you like
to see the cover of your favourite book on our book shelves
below?
Using the book club you
can see what books fellow CCN readers have on their
shelves, what they are reading and even what they,
and others, think of them.
KB says: Verjuice
is simply the juice of unripe wine grapes. It
isn’t fermented or otherwise cooked or
processed. Verjuice is used as an alternative to
vinegar and lemon juice. It’s sour but gentler
than vinegar or lemon juice and comparatively
fruity.
1. Using an electric
beater, beat cheese until smooth.
2. Add cream, garlic, herbs, pepper and verjuice
and beat until combined.
3. Refrigerate for a few hours.
4. Ideal to serve with variety of fresh
vegetables
Jallalludin returns a book to the library, bangs it on the
counter and yells, “I read this entire novel; there are too
many names of people and no story at all”
The
Librarian looks up and responds: “So you are the one who
took the telephone directory?
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
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ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org.
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Amanah
Institute is undergoing and
enjoying a process of
renewal. 
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7
August 2011