NOTICE OF COMMUNITY MEETING
TO PRESENT A RESPONSE TO A
COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT
COMPLIANCE NOTICE
THURSDAY 03 DECEMBER AT
7.00pm IN THE COLLEGE
MULTI-PURPOSE HALL
The Islamic College of
Brisbane Board received a
Compliance Notice from the
Australian Government
Department of Education and
Training on Friday 13th
November, 2015 and has been
given until Friday 11th
December to respond.
The Notice relates to audits
by the Department and
Deloittes auditors in
relation to Governance and
Administration matters at
ICB over the period 1st
January 2012 to 31st May
2015.
To enable the provision of
the latest and fullest
information and to seek
input an ICB Community
Meeting will he held on
Thursday December 3rd
following the Board meeting
of Wednesday December 2nd.
At the 2nd meeting of Muslim
community leaders and the
Minister for Communities,
Women and Youth, Minister
for Child Safety and
Minister for Multicultural
Affairs, Ms Shannon Fentiman,
a proposal prepared by Mr
Dylan Chown and Assoc. Prof.
Mohamad Abdalla outlining
framework for engagement
with the community and the
government was presented and
discussed.
Also at the meeting, the
Education Department agreed
to facilitate a meeting of
community leaders and state
school principals to address
the increasing incidents of
school bullying of Muslim
pupils especially in the
wake of recent events.
A Muslim Engagement
Reference Group is to be
formalized as a formal
channel of communication
with the State Government.
Al-Amin Nathani and Janeth
Deen of the Queensland Muslim
Historical Society at the
Brisbane History Expo
The Queensland Muslim
Historical Society (QMHS)
was amongst 32 history
societies invited to
showcase their work at the
Brisbane City Hall this
week.
The stall holders at the
inaugural History Expo
represented a variety of
groups, from local Brisbane
suburbs, nursing, army,
Diamantina Hospital (now the
PA), medieval and other
groups which captured the
interest of the public.
The QMHS received praise and
encouragement from a number
of visitors and exhibitors:
"It is so important that
you are here, in light of
all the negative comments
Muslims are receiving at the
moment, this display shows
that you are an important
part of our society."
"It is great to see you
here, it is necessary to
show the public how much a
part of our history the
Muslim community is and the
great role you have played
in Australian history"
You can stay in touch with
the activities of the QMHS
by liking the society's
Facebook page:
http://www.facebook.com/QMHSoc.
If you would like to become
a member of the Queensland
Muslim Historical Society
call Janeth on 0435 086 796.
Two teams from Southside
Muslim communities came
together on Sunday for the
second annual Moreton versus
Rankin community cricket
game.
The teams are captained by
Graham Perrett and Jim
Chalmers, federal Labor MPs
from the two electorates.
The game is all about
building understanding and a
spirit of unity and cohesion
in the local suburbs.
Before the match started
both teams took part in a
moment's silence to
recognise all those impacted
by the terror attacks in
Paris and Lebanon in the
days before.
What followed was a spirited
contest marked by a terrific
batting display from the
Moreton team which saw them
set a target of 110 runs off
18 overs.
The Rankin team did their
best but fell short of the
target, which means the
series is now tied at 1-1
after Rankin's one-run
victory last year.
The five Australians
shortlisted for this year’s
Human Rights Medal are
“exceptional and inspiring
individuals,” according to
Australian Human Rights
Commission president,
Professor Gillian Triggs.
Muslim leader and
anti-domestic violence
campaigner Maha Krayem Abdo
is shortlisted alongside a
leader of Australia’s
marriage equality campaign,
Rodney Croome.
“These five outstanding
Australians have come from
different walks of life but
they share a commitment to
freedom, justice and
equality,” Professor Triggs
said.
The leadership provided by
Maha Krayem Abdo has seen
the Muslim Women's
Association become a peak
representative body for
Muslim women in Australia.
“Maha Krayem Abdo has also
helped a great many
individuals from culturally
and linguistically diverse
backgrounds escape domestic
or family violence,”
Professor Triggs said.
For over 25 years, Maha
Krayem Abdo has helped
empower women and youth from
culturally and
linguistically diverse
backgrounds. Under her
leadership, the Muslim
Women's Association (MWA)
has become the peak
representative body of
Muslim women in Australia,
and assists individuals
escaping domestic or family
violence.
Maha's outstanding service
in regards to social
inclusion and human rights
were recognised in 2008 when
she was awarded the
honourable Medal of the
Order of Australia. She is
also the 2014 NSW Human
Rights Ambassador.
PARIS – WHERE
TO FROM HERE?
Terry
Hewton asked: On Saturday my
wife Julie and I received a
message from a French friend
responding to the terrifying
Paris attacks. It read: ‘All
are OK. Worst attack ever.
They say things will change
from now. Very sad dark
chapter starting’. Where to
from here? Ever tighter
security controls? Or more
sophisticated strategies
firmly anchored in a strong
understanding of the social
causes of terrorism?
CONDEMNING
TERRORISM
Mohammad Al-Khafaji asked:
As a former Iraqi refugee
and having lived in Syria, I
am grateful for the
opportunities I have been
given here in Australia and
I'm determined to give back
to the community that
welcomed me. As a young
Australian Muslim though,
every time there is a
terrorism attack I have been
called upon to condemn the
act and to explain myself
and the religion. When will
people realise that
terrorism has nothing to do
with religion and it does
not discriminate?
CONDEMNING
TERRORISM
Mohammad Al-Khafaji also
asked: As a community how do
we bring together people
from all walks of life to
sit down and talk with each
other and learn from each
other?
DEMONISING REFUGEES
Marziya Mohammadi asked: I
am a former refugee from
Afghanistan. I was born in
the Hazara ethnic minority,
who have a long history of
persecution and continue to
be the insurgents’ first
target in Afghanistan. Just
3 days before the Paris
attack, the throats of 7
Hazaras including 2 children
were slit by the same brand
of terrorism we all saw
breaking through the
beautiful city of Paris.
My father fled to Australia
15 years ago, arriving on
the boat. It breaks my heart
to realise the attacks in
Paris are translating to
opposition and demonization
of refugees here at home and
beyond.
My question is: while
political mantras like
“close the borders” and
“tighten Australia’s refugee
policy” are being advocated,
how do we ensure we aren’t
shifting the focus away from
finding real solutions for
“global terrorism” to
demonizing a group of
vulnerable and desperate
people running away from
similar threats and attacks?
SELECTED
TRANSCRIPTS
CHRISTOPHER PYNE:
Well, I think Andrew has
dealt with that, to a large
extent. I mean people who
are claiming to be doing
things in the name of
religion can do so whether
it's Islam, in past, you
know, Christianity, whatever
particular religion is at
that time behaving in an
extreme way. It doesn't mean
that they’re actually acting
like Muslims and, because
they use that, we should be
very careful not to fall
into the trap of them
pushing us into the corner
that they want us to be in
to then turn against them
within our own communities.
Now, Andrew mentions the
massacre in Peshawar, but
only in the last week, I
think over 40 to 50 people
were killed in Beirut, which
is a very moderate,
sophisticated city in the
middle of the Middle East
and we didn't say enough
about that at the time. I
remember thinking at the
time we should say something
about that but, of course,
we didn't know what was
going to happen in Paris on
the weekend and now, in
hindsight, of course, but
the point that you make and
the point that Mohammad
makes, it brings home that
we must say things when
those things happen. Before
I hand the microphone back
to you, though, Tony, the
Muslim communities do come
out and condemn these acts
when they occur. They
shouldn't be called on to do
so because it suggests that
they didn't want to do it. I
agree with Mohammad. I've
never known one of these
things to happen where
Muslim leaders in Australia
didn't come out and condemn
them but, by the very act of
demanding that they come
out, you suggest that they
didn't want to and I think
that is something we must
stop happening in Australia.
Whoever is doing that must
stop it, because it is
pejorative demand. I don't
know any Muslims in my
community who would think
that the acts in Paris or in
Lebanon or anywhere else
were reasonable and their
leadership should react
exactly the same way as
everyone else's leadership,
which is to be horrified and
aghast by it.
NICK
XENOPHON:No, but I
think it's important to say
that I agree with you, we
need to embrace real
Muslims, moderates or
however you want to describe
them, because that is a
solution to this and that is
why the Grand Mufti of
Australia, who I know,
Professor Ibrahim Abu
Mohammed, was unequivocal in
his condemnation and
expressing his condolences
and grief for what occurred
in France and that's
Australia's Islamic leader
and I think that's very
encouraging.
ANDREW
MACLEOD: Yeah. What I
do need to say though is,
and Christophe has said this
is a couple of times, we are
in war. They attacked us.
But what we need from our
national leadership now is
to determine who is the them
and who is the us and there
are two broad choices. It is
us westerners against them,
all of Islam, or is it us
moderates of all religions,
against them, radicals of
all religions? And we have
organisations in this
country, like Reclaim
Australia, who are really
falling into the trap of
Islamic State, who are
trying to create the us
Westerners against them, all
of Islam. If we fall into
that trap, we’re saying we
want to fight with 1.6
billion people, whereas if
we define the us as all
moderates of all religions,
Judaism, Christianity,
Islam, against radicals of
all religions, it’s a much
smaller number to fight and
a much more effective number
to fight. So what we’ve got
to do at the beginning,
Terry, to come to your
question, we need to make
sure, as a country, the us,
is moderates of all
religions, against them, the
radicals of all religions.
ANDREW
MACLEOD: Thank you
very much. Thank you for
your question, Mohammad. I’m
going to pick you up on a
little bit. It is all very
nice for us to say this is
nothing to do with religion,
but that's not quite true.
Religion is used as a
motivator for people and, in
fact, you can take parts of
the Torah, the New Testament
and the Koran and take these
provisions and they can be
used to inspire all sorts of
hatred and, across the
centuries, different parts
of different religions have
done so. What we see in this
century, because of the
impact of information,
technology, a vast spread of
communication, is the
distorted message of the
religious text is passed to
a lot more people and a lot
faster, so religion is used
as a motivator but are these
people true Muslims? I don't
think so, in the same way
that a paedophile priest has
done such a heinous act that
it takes them outside of the
spectrum of Christianity, in
my view. I don't care how
much a paedophile priest
tells me he’s a Christian,
his actions prove to me he
is not, and I don't care how
much a terrorist proclaims
“Allahu akbar”, he is not a
Muslim by the very actions
that he is undertaking, but
we need to be aware that
religion is being used as a
motivator and that is part
of what I was talking about
earlier, about setting up
the world of who is the us
and who is the them, and our
language and our words now
have to be very, very
important. If we want us to
be all moderates against all
radicals, consider this:
When the Charlie Hebdo
attacks happened back in
January, the tragedy in
Paris, 12 journalists were
killed. In response, we sent
- we, the West - a number of
world leaders and hundreds
of thousands of people
protesting up and down the
streets in Paris for an
objection to the murder but
also demanding the right to
free speech and demanding
the right to offend.
Everybody recognised those
cartoons were offensive, yet
a few weeks earlier 132
children and nine teachers,
including a friend of mine,
were butchered in a school
in Peshawar in Pakistan
because the children had
committed the sin of being
the children of military
officers who were fighting
the radicals that we, too,
are also fighting, yet we
said almost nothing. So what
is the signal that we’re
sending to moderate Islam?
We will protest loudly for
the right to offend you, but
we’ll be silent when your
children die. Is this the
way that we create a
collaborative partnership
with moderate Islam? And you
want to know something? I
really don't like the term
“moderate Islam”. I would
prefer to say "real
Muslims". There are
extremists and there are
real Muslims. Moderate Islam
are just like all of us:
normal, everyday people that
follow the God of Abraham,
like Jews, like Christians,
like Muslims, but the
terrorists have stepped so
far out of that, I don't
think it's valid to call
them Muslims. I don’t think
it’s valid to say they’re
religious but we do need to
recognise, Mohammad, that
religion is used as a
motivator.
ANDREW
MACLEOD: Yeah. If you
believe in God and lots of
Jews, Christians and Muslims
do, and you believe in
heaven and lots of Jews,
Christians and Muslims do,
and you believe there is a
certain code of conduct you
need to follow that gets you
into heaven and lots of
Jews, Christians and Muslims
do, then it's logical to
follow that code of conduct.
It's not crazy. It’s
logical. So the question now
comes is who taught you what
code of conduct? What are
you following? You learned
yours in your schools.
People learnt theirs in
their schools, which is why
the challenge in countries
like Syria and the challenge
with radical Islam is a
multi generational
challenge, because there are
people in that community who
have been taught, in my view
wrongly, that the code of
conduct to get into heaven
is to do this sort of thing.
There is a rabbi, Jonathan
Sax who has written a book
Not In God's Name. And if
you want to understand this
dynamic, it’s a wonderful,
wonderful book, because he
talks about a thing called
dualism, which is creating
the us versus them fight and
once you create the us
versus them fight, it is
very, very easy to be
destructive of other human
beings and then he says you
move from there to a thing
called altruistic evil.
Because you’re not doing
this bad thing for yourself,
you are doing what God
commands you to do, it’s now
not evil. It’s altruistic.
It’s following the teachings
of God. Altruistic evil and
dualism, us vs them, and
we’ve got to be very
careful. They’re not crazy.
They’re following a logical
path based on an educational
framework that I just happen
to think is grossly wrong.
DARKNESS has descended over
Sydney’s Central Station as
a sound system kicks in to
gear unleashing Islamic
prayers all through the
park.
“What’s this? Acca/Dacca?”
an ice addict squawks.
A dozen or so Islamic men,
dressed in traditional grey
and white robes, stand
around a food van and
adjoining trailer. The
group, known as the White
Coats, are an Islamic
charity dedicated to feeding
Sydney’s homeless.
“I love it. It’s my
favourite (prayer),” says an
Anglo-Celtic teenager from
Ryde, in Sydney’s North
West. He converted to Islam
two weeks ago after his
mother took up with a Muslim
man, admitting to me, “I
don’t know what it’s saying
exactly. I don’t speak
Arabic.”
Along with the sound system,
the trailer contains a
big-screen TV playing
lectures from an Islamic
leader. There’s also a few
pamphlets out front offering
a beginner’s guide to Islam.
“Islam is the fastest
growing religion in the
world,” explains White Coat
leader, Kamal, a
30-something,
Australian-born Muslim from
Sydney’s west.
“It’s growing everyday. Each
year they have to do
renovations to Mecca to make
way for the hundreds of
thousands of new Muslims,”
he says.
The White Coats deliver
takeaway food to people
struggling in Sydney.
Along with his friend, Bilal,
another
Australian-born-Muslim from
Western Sydney, they have
been running the homeless
food program for two years,
Kamal, having followed
Bilal’s lead and tagged
along one night.
“Once you meet someone, and
you get to know them, and
can help them, you feel a
responsibility to come
back,” he explains.
Their presence at Central
hasn’t gone unnoticed,
however, nor has it been
without its critics. Which
is also part of why they’re
there.
“People see us as extremists
because of the way we look
but they don’t realise we
are the ones who practice
true Islam,” says Kamal.
“Most Muslims in the world
these days, they don’t
practice the true teachings
of Islam.”
We met the pair earlier that
afternoon at the Masjid Al
Noor Mosque in Granville.
Granville, and the several
suburbs around it, have been
identified as so-called hot
spots of Islamic extremism
in Australia with several of
the nation’s anti-terror
raids focusing on the area.
The Mosque itself has also
been linked to Islamic
extremism via murdered
Jabhat al-Nusra “jihadists”
Yusuf Ali and Amira Karroum
who both attended Masjid Al
Noor.
Kamal is incredulous at the
claims.
“They say these Mosques are
breeding grounds for
extremism. These doors don’t
even have locks on them!
Anyone can come in anytime
and listen to one of the
lectures. There’s no
extremism going on here,” he
says.
Men pray inside the Masjid Al
Noor Mosque in Granville.
The storeroom around the
back is where they keep
hygiene packs for the
homeless, furniture, and
various other bits and bobs
for those in need.
“It’s not just for homeless
people, it’s single mothers,
people who’ve been abused or
kicked out of home,
whatever. Anyone that’s
doing it a bit tough and is
genuine,” explains Bilal.
For the next few hours we
drive around Liverpool,
Greenacre and Granville
collecting freshly cooked
Thai and Lebanese food from
several restaurants that
have agreed to help out. The
program is run with zero in
government support or
endorsement, not that it’s
mattered.
“There is a lot of support
for this, a lot of brothers
who want to help out and
give. There is a lot of
energy out here among young
Muslims,” he says, though
also warns it can easily
find a malevolent ends if
it’s not channelled
appropriately.
“You have all these young
people out here with all
this energy but there’s just
nothing happening for them.
No outlet. So we’ve become
role models for our
community and we get a lot
of support because of this,”
he says.
Some of the meals being
distributed to those in need.
The White Coats hand out food
from the back of a van.
As the profile of White
Coats has risen in the
Muslim community Kamal and
Bilal have increasingly
found themselves fielding
calls from concerned parents
and community leaders asking
for all kinds of help.
Particularly in the area of
youth.
“We don’t get no government
funding. We’d love to know
how to get some. But all of
it usually goes to some
A-Plus students who take
kids on camps or stuff like
that. The kids we talk to,
they grow up idolising tough
guys, you know, gangsters
with tattoos, and a bit of
hair like this on the back
of their heads, you know,
bad men, scum,” says Kamal.
It’s the biggest problem
confronting Islam in this
country, he says:
disaffected youth, revved up
with nowhere to go, minds
ready and willing to be
poisoned by a stranger on
the other end of a chatroom
or a youtube video.
“You have these kids who,
one week ago, they’re
selling drugs or whatever,
and then they watch a ten
minute youtube film and they
think they’re experts on
Islam. They’re telling
someone who has studied in
the Middle East for five,
ten, 15 years what’s what.
That’s our biggest problem,”
he says.
And don’t even get him
started on some of the
self-proclaimed Muslim
leaders in Australia.
“I don’t know who picks ‘em.
Can’t speak two words of
English some of ‘em. As an
Aussie-born Muslim, I just
shake my head sometimes,” he
says.
The reticence of the
Australian government and
broader public to get behind
Islam in this country is
something he understands.
Though he’s as baffled as
anyone why Islam has been
used to justify violence
around the world.
“I don’t blame mainstream
Australians for hating
Islam. If you sit on your
a*** watching TV and the
Australian media all day,
what else are you going to
think?” he says, asking me,
“You know Pauline Hanson?
Well, I agree with her. She
says get out of your glass
house. Go and see the world.
I agree. Come into the
Mosque. See it for yourself.
There is no threat,” he
says.
Inside the Masjid Al Noor
Mosque in Granville. Kamal
dismisses the claims of
extremism about the mosque as
nonsense.
Kamal preaches an Islam
that, at its core, is about
peace, charity, and justice.
An interpretation equal
parts the result of an
honest working class
upbringing in western Sydney
(he’s a plumber by trade)
and his experiences
travelling the middle east
during two pilgrimages to
Mecca. He and Bilal hope to
one day export their
peaceful, secular, and, in a
way, quintessentially
Australian vision of Islam
to the rest of the world via
the international Islamic
Aid agency I-Do.
“We are a small community
here in Australia and we
just wanna help. That’s our
religion: to help, to serve,
to bring justice and peace
to the world,” he says.
With the evening prayers at
the Mosque wrapped up, we
collect a dozen or so
Islamic youths and head down
the M5 to Central Station.
With a couple of Krispy
Kreme doughnuts under his
belt, and a mocha in his
hand, Kamal rallies the
troops.
“Sometimes there’s sick
people there and, you know,
they’ve had a hard life, or
whatever. Some might get
violent with you or start
saying stuff about
extremism, just ignore it.
Don’t fight back,” he says,
adding, “And when we get
there don’t just stand
around staring at them. Go
and talk to them, ask how’s
your day been, y’know,” he
says.
The violence and wisecracks
kick off immediately. “I am
a princess so f*** off! …
Any pork in here? … What’s
this bum fluff?” squawks an
abusive female ice-head,
yanking roughly at Kamal’s
beard. Moments after the
meth-heads have devoured
their food (leaving much of
it go to waste on the
ground) it’s on up near the
fence. A pair of them shape
up like boxing kangaroos,
with an Asian man felling an
Anglo with a quick right on
the button.
Kamal can’t help but feel
responsible. “Do you think
our food has given them the
energy to do this?” he asks.
It’s possible. Two different
homeless men tell me they’ve
been poisoned by out-of-date
food handed over to them by
rival charities.
With the park accounted for,
the White Coats head up into
the train station leaving
food and hygiene packs
beside sleeping homeless. A
young indigenous man wakes
to a crowd of kind faces
surrounding him, the
generosity moving him close
to tears. The feeling is
mutual.
“It’s just feels so good to
help,” explains a
17-year-old Syrian refugee
from Damascus. “It’s better
than sleep, better than
food, better than anything.
I love it,” he says.
The White Coats leave food
containers for sleeping homeless
people, so they have something
to eat when they wake up.
THE founder of a new Islamic
political party insists it'll
bring Australians together amid
concerns it could drive a wedge
between Muslims and non-Muslims.
DIAA Mohamed says his
Australian Muslim Party is
about giving Muslims a
platform to express
themselves.
Opposition Leader Bill
Shorten said it was
important everyone had a say
but raised concerns about
bringing religion into
politics.
"I don't necessarily want to
see religion being a
lighting rod for people
being for or against a
particular party," he told
reporters in Cairns.
"I don't think that is going
to help the debate about
inclusion and
multiculturalism."
Mr Mohamed rejected claims a
party based on religion is
divisive, insisting people
of all faiths are welcome to
join.
"There's a lot of parties
out there that are
religion-based, so I think
it's a non-issue," Mr
Mohamed told AAP on Tuesday.
He's also defended his
decision to launch days
after the deadly Paris
terrorist attacks, insisting
it had been planned weeks
ago.
He'd contemplated calling
off the launch on the
weekend but thought it would
be "insincere" to move it.
"Unless you're blaming all
Muslims directly for what
happened ... then it
shouldn't sound insensitive
at all," he said.
Senior government figure
Christopher Pyne doubted a
religious-based party would
be very successful, saying
Australia was a "secular,
pluralist society".
"People can launch whatever
political parties they
choose ... as long as they
comply with the law," he
said.
Mr Mohamed said major
parties were concerned with
pushing their own agendas
and toeing the party line.
Jill Sheppard, lecturer at
the Australian National
University's school of
politics and international
relations, said the new
party would counter the
recent rise in
anti-immigration parties
like the Rise Up Australia
Party.
"This redresses that
imbalance a little bit - the
very loud anti-immigration
voices tend to get more
attention than they
deserve," she said.
It could also help young
Muslims feel more engaged
with the community and
politics, she said.
The party needs 500 members
before it can be officially
registered.
It intends to submit
candidates in every state in
the hope of winning a Senate
seat at the next federal
election.
Crescent Institute invites
you to its next professional
networking event in Brisbane
hosted at the Corrs Chambers
Westgarth office.
The Hon. Curtis Pitt, State
Treasurer of Queensland will
be the Guest Speaker at this
event. Queensland has played
a strong role in Australia's
economic growth and
prosperity. With the current
challenging global economic
environment coupled with
Australia's transitioning
economy, new and innovative
business methods are
required to maintain and
continue economic growth in
Queensland. The Hon. Curtis
Pitt will set out the
challenges and opportunities
for the great state of
Queensland.
You are invited to join with
The Hon. Curtis Pitt, ask
questions and of course
network with your fellow
Crescent Institute members!
Event Details:
Tuesday 15 December
6:00 PM for 6.30 PM Start
(Sharp)
6:30 PM - 7:00 PM - Drinks,
canapés and networking
A PERSONAL trainer from
Sydney who was allegedly
assaulted and threatened at
a Gold Coast hotel because
she is Muslim will end her
family holiday early after
the “devastating”
experience.
French-born Melbourne man
Francky Guise, 37, was
arrested on Sunday after he
allegedly assaulted
25-year-old Layla Jheir and
spat in her teenage
brother’s face at the Q1
Hotel in Surfers Paradise.
Ms Jheir, who was born in
Australia, was wearing a
headscarf at the time and
was with her mother who is
in her 60s, her younger
sister and younger brother.
Police will allege that
Guise told the family, who
were on holidays from
Sydney, “We’re going to bomb
you all”.
Ms Jheir declined to comment
but asked for Hussin Goss,
the president of the Islamic
Society of the Gold Coast,
to speak on her behalf.
Mr Goss said he spoke to Ms
Jheir at length following
the incident and said it was
upsetting for her and her
family.
“They’re devastated –
they’re leaving the Gold
Coast as they’re so upset,”
he said.
“They were supposed to spend
another week here.”
Since the incident, Mr Goss
said he’d received more than
200 emails from concerned
members of the Muslim
community on the Gold Coast.
“We’re going to support her
all the way in the coming
months and put our full
weight behind her, as she’s
done nothing wrong,” he
said.
“They’re just a normal
family who came to the Gold
Coast for a holiday. What
sort of example does this
set now?
“With the Commonwealth Games
coming up in 2018 and with
about half the Commonwealth
countries being Muslim, it
doesn’t give a good example
for the Gold Coast.”
In a story on the blog
Unveiled Thought, Ms Jheir
said she was a
mother-of-three with a black
belt in taekwondo.
“Islam has taught me the
importance of respecting
others for who they are,
wherever they have come
from, whatever faith they
follow,” she was quoted
saying in the story.
“Islam teaches me to respect
everyone equally – remember
we are all free to make our
own choices in life.”
Guise appeared in the
Southport Magistrates Court
yesterday charged with two
counts of common assault and
one count of making threats
to cause detriment.
Solicitor Michael Bosscher
questioned the decision to
charge Guise with threats to
cause detriment, an offence
with a maximum of five years
imprisonment.
Magistrate Chris Callaghan
also questioned whether the
case would be handed up to a
higher court and said the
charge was “wrong”.
ISIS not only contravenes the
most basic rules of engagement
and Shariah principles, but it
has also committed heinous
crimes prohibited by both the
text and the intellect.
There has been a relentless
media criticism of Islam and
Muslims since the terrorist
attacks in Paris last week.
Since then, we have heard of
an increased level of
physical and verbal abuse
hurled at Australian
Muslims. We have been
overwhelmed by calls from
parents complaining that
their children had been
harassed at schools since
the Paris bombings.
We are constantly asked to
justify terrorist acts
committed by groups such as
ISIS.
Murder is a crime; terrorism
is a crime - as Muslim
leaders, we condemn both.
And in a previous article I
said that we will not
apologise for the crimes of
ISIS or any other criminal
killing in the name of
Islam.
ISIS has killed more Muslims
than non-Muslims, and I
along with thousands of
other scholars, including
the Grand Mufti of
Australia, have condemned
its acts as criminal and not
Islamic.
But for some reason, this is
never enough.
We condemn, have condemned
and always will condemn
murder and terrorism - not
for media attention or the
sake of political
opportunism, but because our
faith, Islam, demands us to
do so. We must never justify
murder and terrorism, but
must find reasons for their
occurrence and genuine
solutions.
..................
..................
..................
Clearly, groups such as ISIS
are not a legitimate Islamic
authority, religiously or
politically, to declare war
on anyone and their actions
contravene the principle of
the "public good."
In our minds and hearts,
therefore, ISIS not only
contravenes the most basic
rules of engagement and
Shariah principles, but has
also committed heinous
crimes prohibited by both
the text and the intellect.
If we are genuine about
finding solutions to violent
extremism, then we must move
beyond vulgar criticism of
Islam and Muslims and work
instead with the Australian
Muslim community as a key
partner in this fight.
Constantly blaming Muslims
for the crimes of others is
counterproductive. And ISIS
thrives on this.
FULL TEXT -
ABC Religion & Ethics
Associate
Professor Mohamad Abdalla is
the Director of the Griffith
University National Centre
for Islamic Studies, an
Australian Muslim community
leader, public intellectual
and winner of the Ambassador
of Peace Award.
Presented as part of 'The
8th Asia Pacific Triennial
of Contemporary Art'
'Pop Islam' is a cinema
project that explores
representations of Islam in
contemporary film,
documentary and video art.
The reach is global,
stretching from Australia
and South-East Asia, through
the Indian subcontinent, the
Middle East and Africa,
while also visiting
communities in Central Asia,
Europe and North America.
Co-curated with
Australian-Lebanese artist
Khaled Sabsabi, it seeks to
demonstrate diverse
experiences and opinion for
the more than 20 per cent of
the world's population who
are practising Muslims.
While 'Pop Islam' is located
within the present, Islamic
popular culture is not a
recent concept. Aspects of
its beliefs, customs and
ideals have a discursive
tradition inspiring art,
music, literature and cinema
of broad appeal. The works
in 'Pop Islam', however,
reveal expressions derived
from a networked culture in
which satellite television
serials are infused with
moral subtext; fashion
magazines integrate Islamic
sartorialism with Western
commercialism; and
revolutions begin on
Facebook. The contemporary
Islamic world revealed in
'Pop Islam' is one where
young people in particular,
shape their own distinct
version of religious
practices and institutions
and re-imagine their
possibilities.
'Pop Islam' exists at a time
when religion continues to
be a polarising subject in
media and politics, and
differing interpretations of
Islamic ideals feed division
and violence globally. It
seeks to offer local
audiences a more nuanced
representation of
contemporary Islam and
considers some of the
recurring ideas explored by
artists and filmmakers
throughout the region, such
as an unease between
tradition and secularism and
national and religious
identities, and the
experience of spirituality
within the tapestry of
everyday life and specific
contexts of religious and
cultural pluralism. Consumed
at the level of
entertainment, these works
have a deeper resonance,
revealing alternative ways
in which Islam is practiced
and exists side-by-side with
other secular lifestyles.
Khaled Sabsabi is an
Australian artist working in
video and installation.
Since the late 1980s he has
engaged communities to
develop projects that
reflect the complex nature
of culture and identity in
particular, the global
connections between people
and places facilitated by
history, migration and
technology.
EastEnders aired a touching
scene in its most recent
episode which highlighted
the true meaning of Islam
which has proved moving and
poignant in the wake of the
recent attacks on Paris.
After the acts of terror
which left 129 dead in the
French capital, some Muslims
have taken to Twitter using
the hashtag #NotInMyName to
get across the fact that
they and the extremists who
committed the atrocities
couldn’t be more different.
And the timely Walford
scene, which was filmed
months ago, hit the message
home in the most beautiful
way.
The storyline saw Nancy
Carter take an interest in
boyfriend Tamwar Masood’s
religion and he explained
his favourite passage from
The Quran which summed up
Islam to him.
He explained to Nancy that
the religion is about being
kind to others and loving
them.
His chosen passage read: ‘Do
good to relatives, orphans,
the needy, the neighbour who
is near of kin, the
neighbour who’s a stranger,
to the companion at your
side, and to the traveller.’
Viewers who watched were
full of praise for the
scene:
WALEED Aly has unleashed on
Australia’s politicians and
Muslim leaders who have
preached “hate” in the wake
of the Paris attacks saying
their actions actually help
Islamic State rather than
defeat them.
A move to change the
Australian Army Chaplaincy Corps
hat badge is under
consideration.
THE Australian Army is
removing the motto “In this
sign conquer” from the
102-year-old hat badges of
army chaplains because it is
offensive to Muslims.
The move comes after an imam
approved by the Grand Mufti
was appointed to join the
Religious Advisory
Committee to the Services in
June.
Australian Army chaplains
have had the motto on their
hat badges since 1913.
A Defence spokeswoman last
night denied the motto was
being changed because it was
associated with the
Crusades, when Christian
armies fought Muslims in the
Holy Land during the Middle
Ages.
“The motto of the Australian
Army Chaplains is being
changed to better reflect
the diversity of religion
throughout the Australian
Army,” she said.
“The new wording on the
Australian Army Chaplaincy
badge is under consideration
and no decision has been
made at this time.”
Former army major Bernard
Gaynor, whose commission was
terminated last year due to
his outspoken views, said:
“This is political
correctness destroying our
military heritage.”
Mr Gaynor, who is standing
as the Australian Liberty
Alliance senate candidate
for Queensland, said
political correctness in the
military was highlighted by
the appointment of an imam.
“The government must stop
the political correctness.
It must dismiss the Defence
Imam for his views. And it
must put Australia first,”
he said.
Military historian Professor
Peter Stanley from UNSW
Canberra said: “The motto
was acceptable 100 years ago
but today has crusader
connotations.”
Despite the perceived
crusader links, he said the
motto actually comes from
Emperor Constantine’s vision
before he won the battle of
Milviian Bridge in 312AD and
converted to Christianity:
“Jewish
chaplains
already have
a separate
badge with a
Star of
David, so
Muslim
chaplains
would not be
expected to
wear the
current
badge. They
would have
one with a
crescent.”
Army chaplains are
understood to have pushed
for the change. Former
principal chaplain to the
army Monsignor Greg Flynn
said: “We have been aware of
this coming down the track
and most chaplains would
agree with the change. It is
a reality.”
Professor Tom Frane, former
Bishop to the Defence Force,
said: “It seems like a
crusading motto — triumphal.
It is not the first time it
has been misinterpreted. If
times have changed it is
worth another look.”
Sheikh Mohamadu Nawas Saleem.
The army imam, Sheik
Mohamadu Nawas Saleem, has
previously called for sharia
law to be introduced into
Australia. He signed a
petition supporting radical
Islamic group Hizb ut-Tahrir,
which has argued in favour
of honour killings and said
Muslim students should not
be forced to honour Anzac
Day.
Sheik Saleem works about 40
days a year for the Army and
is paid $717 for each one:
almost $30,000 a year.
The sheik did not respond to
requests for comment.
Sheik Saleem was supported
for the role by Grand Mufti
Ibrahim Abu Mohammed, who
this week sparked
controversy by failing to
come straight out and
condemn the Paris terror
attacks.
The Defence spokeswoman
said: “There are 102 ADF
permanent members who
self-identify as Muslim. In
addition there are 40 Active
Reservists who have declared
as Muslim.’’
Ten days after 9/11, a
shocking attack at a Texas
mini-mart shattered the
lives of two men: the victim
and the attacker. In this
stunning talk, Anand
Giridharadas, author of "The
True American," tells the
story of what happened next.
It's a parable about the two
paths an American life can
take, and a powerful call
for reconciliation.
Panellists: Yanis Varoufakis,
Former finance minister of
Greece; Greg Hunt, Minister for
the Environment; Geraldine
Brooks, Author and journalist;
Anthony Albanese, Shadow
Infrastructure Minister; Judith
Sloan, Businesswoman, Academic
and Columnist; and Tasneem
Chopra, Chair, Australian Muslim
Women’s Centre for Human Rights.
Tasneem Chopra
An author, cross cultural
consultant, curator and
activist, Tasneem’s
commitment to social justice
is expressed across various
mediums including the arts
and community engagement.
As well as running acclaimed
workshops on identity
politics, Tasneem recently
curated the Victorian
content of the Immigration
Museum’s acclaimed Faith
Fashion Fusion exhibition.
While in May 2013, she was
selected to deliver a
TEDxMelbourne talk, ‘Don’t
Believe the Hype, Exceed It:
The War Against
Stereotypes’.
She is chairperson to both
the Australian Muslim
Women’s Centre for Human
Rights and the board of
Lentil as Anything, an
innovative non-profit
community restaurant
enterprise.
Woman of the Year at the
2013 Australian Muslim
Achievement awards,
Tasneem’s previous accolades
includes being named in The
Age Magazine’s Top 100
influential Movers and
Shakers of 2008 in
Melbourne. The Australian
Magazine also hailed her as
one of the country’s 100
Emerging Leaders in 2009.
Aside from several media
appearances, Tasneem is a
sought after columnist,
whose contributions have
appeared in The Guardian,
The Age, The Australian and
The SMH. This year she was
invited to present at the
Byron Bay Writers Festival,
following her contribution
to the recently published
anthology Coming of Age:
Growing Up Muslim Australia,
In her chapter, How I
Happened, Tasneem recalls
how her childhood in a small
country town shaped her
personality. The piece
underlines Tasneem’s
philosophy of ‘owning your
narrative before someone
else owns it for you’.
Paris attacks:
Prime Minister
Malcolm Turnbull
welcomes Grand
Mufti's new
statement on
Paris attacks
Prime Minister Malcolm
Turnbull welcomed a
statement from the
Australian National Imams
Council clarifying Dr
Mohammed's remarks on the
Paris terrorist attacks.
Speaking to reporters in
Manila, Mr Turnbull said he
was glad the Grand Mufti had
sought to resolve the issue.
"I've seen the controversy
reported in the press, I've
noted also that he has
clarified that initial
statement, and that seems to
have cleared up the issue
but I don't want to, while
I'm here in Manila, engage
in a textual debate," Mr
Turnbull said.
"But I'm pleased to see his
condemnation of Daesh
[Islamic State] and of that
terrorist attack has been
made very clear in his
subsequent remarks."
In a statement on Wednesday,
the Australian National
Imams Council said both the
organisation and Mr Mohammed
had "consistently and
unequivocally" condemned all
forms of terrorist violence.
"We wish to emphasise it is
incorrect to imply that the
reference to causative
factors provides
justification for these acts
of terrorism," it read.
"There is no justification
for the taking of innocent
lives."
ABC
Susan Carland:
‘ISIS are no
friend to
Muslim’
SUSAN Carland
has spoken out
on Channel 10
about the
misconception
that the Muslim
community
supports terror
outfit Islamic
State in the
wake of the
Paris attacks on
Friday.
(click on image)
The Muslim
sociologist and
academic
appeared on
Ten’s Studio 10,
discussing her
pledge to donate
$1 to children’s
charity Unicef
for every
hateful tweet
she receives.
“It was just
something I
wanted to do to
live what I
believe, I
guess, but I’m
already well
past $1000 now,”
she told the
panel.
She said one
Twitter user
spent the
morning sending
her photos of
corpses.
“It can be
pretty vile,”
she admitted.
But the
conversation
soon shifted to
Friday’s
co-ordinated
massacre in
Paris, where at
least 129 were
killed across
six attack sites
in the French
capital. Ms
Carland, who
converted to
Islam at the age
of 19, shut down
the misguided
belief that the
480,000
Australians of
the Muslim faith
were in any way
a “friend” of
IS.
Optus removes
Arabic language
signs in Sydney
after threats
against staff
Company
defends use of
signs intended
to help
Arabic-speaking
customers, but
takes them down
in one store
after threats to
staff
The Guardian
Musician Darren
Hanlon recounts
a Muslim Uber
driver’s
reaction to the
Paris terrorist
attacks
FOLK rocker
Darren Hanlon
has illustrated
the
heartbreaking
impact of the
Paris attacks in
an account of a
Saturday night
Uber ride that
has gone viral.
Hanlon, a singer
and songwriter
from Gympie who
has toured with
Courtney
Barnett, is in
Sydney ahead of
his Wednesday
gig at Giant
Dwarf Theatre.
Posting on his
Facebook page,
he told of the
emotional
outburst by the
Muslim driver
who picked him
up outside a
Sydney car
dealership after
he missed his
bus stop.
I am a Muslim living in Brisbane and I wish to offer
my sincere condolences to the families of those who
have perished in this senseless murder.
As well as those that have been injured and hurt in
any way. To the people of France we stand with you
in condemning these murderers.
As a Muslim I do not associate myself with these
killers who have hijacked my religion for their own
glorification.
I condemn these people as murderers. They have no
religion to act the way they do.
God does not love those who take his name in vane
and are misguided and misled.
Again my sincerest sympathies go out to the people
of France who have been hurt by these murderers.
Sincerely,
Sultana Deen
Salaams Editor,
I would like to express my gratitude and say
Jazaakallahu Khair for your excellent CCN weekly
news coverage.
This is extremely useful for all of us Muslims,
especially those residing in this part of the globe.
The CCN newsletter also gives the broader Australian
communities an opportunity to understand and have a
better outlook to the real Muslim core values which
is often overlooked in western media outlets.
We often take people's effort for granted and forget
what it takes to prepare this information on a
weekly basis.
May Almighty Allah grant you the steadfastness,
wisdom and strength to continue this noble task.
US: President
and Founder of the
Republican Muslim Coalition
joins Megyn Kelly to discuss
Donald Trump's controversial
comments on shutting down
mosques.
Ahmed told New York’s Daily
News she wore the hijab
because she “just wanted to
show that Muslim Americans
celebrate our patriotism,
too”.
“I’m a proud American. I
love the flag. That’s why
I’m wearing it, because I’m
so proud of it,” Ahmed said.
Firebombs and pigs heads
thrown into mosques as anti-Muslim attacks
increase after Paris shootings
A French
police officer stands in front
of the entrance of the Paris
Grand Mosque as part of the
highest level of 'Vigipirate'
security plan after last week's
Islamic militants attacks
FRANCE:
Twenty-six mosques around
France have been subject to
attack by firebombs,
gunfire, pig heads, and
grenades as Muslims are
targeted with violence in
the wake of the Paris
attacks.
France’s National
Observatory Against
Islamophobia reports that
since last Wednesday a total
of 60 Islamophobic incidents
have been recorded, with
countless minor encounters
believed to have gone
unreported.
Amongst the incidents, a
mosque in Le Mans was hit
with four grenades, and
gunfire directed through one
of its windows.
Man intervenes to stop
racist attack on woman on Tube 'provoked by
Paris attacks'
UK: A
man has told how he stepped
in to help a young woman in
a hijab who was verbally
abused by a racist on board
a Tube train in the wake of
the Paris terrorist attacks.
In a Facebook post that has
been liked more than 32,000
times, Ashley Powys said he
boarded the Victoria line
train at Oxford Circus at
8pm on Monday and sat
opposite the woman.
He told the Standard things
turned ugly when a man, who
was in his 30s, got on the
train and began hurling
racist abuse at the girl.
He said: "He got on after me
at Oxford Circus, there's
one person that just avoids
the doors closing, and
unfortunately that was him."
In his viral Facebook post
he described the man's
verbal assault on the young
girl, who Mr Powys said
"can't have been older than
18".
Man describes 'saddest
moment' after getting into taxi with crying
Muslim driver following Paris attacks
Tears: The
first words the 23-year-old
heard as he got into the car
were "thank you"
NEW YORK: A
conversation with a driver
in Manhattan inspired New
Yorker Alex Malloy to speak
out about Islamaphobia
following the horrific
attacks in Paris that left
129 dead
A man has described "the
saddest moment" he'd
experienced as part of the
human race, after stepping
into a waiting taxi cab
following the Paris terror
attacks.
A conversation with a driver
in Manhattan, inspired New
Yorker Alex Malloy to speak
out following the horrific
attacks on Friday night that
left 129 people dead.
The first words the
23-year-old heard as he got
into the car were "thank
you", and what followed “one
of the most heartbreaking
moments" he'd ever
experienced.
His driver, a Muslim,
explained Malloy had been
his first customer in more
than two hours - blaming the
people of New York being too
scared to get into his cab.
The stunned New York
customer wrote on Twitter:
"For 25 minutes I had to
tell this stranger, this
human being like you and I,
that he was not part of what
was happening.
"He cried the whole way to
my apartment and it made me
cry too. He kept saying,
'Allah, my god, does not
believe in this. People
think I'm a part of this and
I'm not'."
He told his passenger that
nobody wanted to drive with
him as they "felt unsafe"
Malloy added: It was one of
the most heartbreaking
moments I've ever
experienced in my whole
life.
"He was such a sweet guy,
around my age, he couldn't
have been older than 25.
"I couldn't and still can't
believe I had to listen to
this man's words."
He finished: "Please give
your sympathy towards these
people, they are not only
victims of discrimination
but also hate in times like
this.
"Please stop generalising a
society of people.
"Please stop saying
'Muslims' are the problem,
because they are not.
"These are our brothers and
sisters... we are all
humans."
The exchange inspired Malloy
to share his experience on
Twitter and Facebook.
His passionate message
against Islamophobia went
viral, and has been
retweeted more than 31,000
times and liked 23,000
times.
“The replies were so
touching and so sincere,”
Malloy told the Huffington
Post.
“It wasn’t just the Muslim
community replying, but
everybody replying.
"Especially at a time like
this, in our country and in
our world ... to see people
come together over something
I had written and saying,
‘This is so important’ -- it
made me cry.”
Justin Trudeau's
government drops controversial niqab appeal
Zunera Ishaq says move is
a 'very good gesture from the government
in supporting minorities'
Justice
Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould,
right, said she spoke with
Zunera Ishaq, left, to tell her
of the government's decision to
withdraw a controversial court
challenge involving the niqab.
CANADA: The
federal government has
formally withdrawn a
controversial court
challenge involving the
niqab, says Jody Wilson-Raybould
in her first act as Canada's
attorney general and justice
minister.
The Conservatives had asked
the Supreme Court of Canada
to hear a request for an
appeal of a court decision
allowing women to wear face
veils such as the niqab at
Canadian citizenship
ceremonies.
The case started with a
lawsuit from Zunera Ishaq, a
devout Muslim who agreed to
remove her niqab for an
official before writing and
passing her citizenship test
two years ago. However, she
objected to unveiling in
public at the oath-taking
ceremony.
Ishaq successfully
challenged the Conservative
government's ban on wearing
the niqab while taking part
in the oath of citizenship.
The Conservatives appealed
the ruling, but Ishaq took
the oath last month.
Wilson-Raybould said she
spoke with Ishaq earlier
today and was "pleased" to
inform her of the
government's decision.
"We had a good
conversation," she said.
In a telephone interview
with CBC News, Ishaq said
she was excited and honoured
to speak with the minister,
calling today's announcement
a "very good gesture from
the government in supporting
minorities."
"I'm very thankful for the
government's support and
understanding in this case
and I want to thank the
minister who took the time
to talk to me."
Former prime
minister Stephen Harper had
previously said most
Canadians believed it was
"offensive" for would-be
citizens to hide their face
at the moment they become
Canadian.
A public-opinion poll
ordered by the Harper
government before the recent
federal election found
Canadians overwhelmingly in
favour of a niqab ban at
citizenship ceremonies.
The issue of whether women
should be able to wear the
niqab during citizenship
ceremonies became a
controversial topic in the
campaign. The Conservatives
argued that face coverings
should be banned during
citizenship ceremonies. The
Liberals and the NDP said
women should be able to wear
the niqab — a position said
to have cost the NDP support
in Quebec.
Ishaq told CBC News she was
"very sad" to see the niqab
become a "divisive issue"
during the election
campaign.
"That was definitely...
painful."
"The ex-prime minister tried
to manipulate the people but
the results have shown us
that general Canadians are
sensible people, they know
and do accept cultural
differences...," Ishaq said.
The mother of three small
children said she felt "a
little unsafe" in the last
weeks of the election
campaign, following a series
of incidents of verbal and
physical abuse against
Muslim women.
Ishaq was granted Canadian
citizenship in time to vote
in the general election of
Oct. 19.
To book appointments -
Ph: 3341 2333 (Underwood)
Ph: 3299 5596 (Springwood)
M: 0406 279 591
Website:
www.diversenutrition.com.au
To Paleo or Not
to Paleo?
The Paleo Diet is
based on the concept that we are genetically
adapted to eating the foods our ancestors ate in
the Paleolithic times (what we know as the
Caveman days).
The aim is to eat
what a hunter gatherer used to eat; however,
today’s version of the Paleo is slightly more
exclusive.
This diet rules out
all whole-grains, cereals and dairy products and
includes only lean meats, seafood, eggs, some
fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds.
Is the Paleo diet healthy?
The Paleo diet can
be a healthy lifestyle change as it can help
move you away from eating highly processed junk
foods and increase your intake of healthy fats
such as omega 3, as well as vitamins and
minerals from fresh fruits and vegetables.
On the downside, by
cutting out whole food groups, you might be
missing out on other important nutrients such as
calcium from dairy products and B-vitamins and
fibre from whole-grains.
Therefore, while the
Paleo diet can help you take the step towards
being healthier, it might not be sustainable for
long term health.
"A man who does not read is no better than a man who cannot
read."
The CCN Book-of-the Week
Coming of Age: Growing up Muslim in
Australia
by Amra Pajalic and Demet Divaroren
In this refreshing and fascinating
collection, twelve Muslim-Australians - some well
known, some not - reveal their candid, funny and
touching stories of growing up with a dual identity.
Muslim people in Australia come from
over seventy countries and represent a wide variety
of cultural backgrounds and experiences. Yet we are
constantly bombarded by media stories feeding one
negative stereotype. What is it really like to grow
up Muslim in Australia? In this book, famous and
not-so-famous Muslim-Australians tell their stories
in their own voices.
The beard, the hijab, the migrant -
these are all familiar images associated with Muslim
people. But delve deeper and there are many other
stories: the young female boxer entering the ring
for her first professional bout; a ten-year-old boy
who renounces religion; a young woman struggling to
reconcile her sexual identity with her faith. These
honest and heartfelt stories will resonate with all
readers, providing different snapshots of Muslim
life in Australia, dispelling myths and stereotypes,
and above all celebrating diversity, achievement,
courage and determination.
'Coming of Age is the kind of book
that will change how readers look at the world.
Coloured with many shades of humour, warmth,
sadness, anger, determination and honesty, it will
resonate with readers from all backgrounds and
beliefs.' Bookseller +Publisher
List of contributors: Randa
Abdel-Fattah Michael Mohammed Ahmad Tanveer Ahmed
Ali Alizadeh Amal Awad Tasneem Chopra Arwa El Masri
Hazem El Masri Bianca Elmir Sabrina Houssami Alyena
Mohummadally Irfan Yusuf
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:
You have to try these out. They’re easy, chock
full of veggies, and, of course, delicious. And
they smell so good as well!
When you make them, take a photo and tag #kbkooks
so I can check them out!
Zucchini and Spinach fritters (gluten free)
Ingredients
2 cups zucchini -
grated
1 cup spinach - shredded fine
1 medium onion - grated
1 tsp salt
2 tsp crushed coriander seeds (dhana)
2 tsp crushed cumin (jeeru)
½ tsp crushed pepper
Green chillies to taste
½ cup almond flour
½ cup flour coconut flour
½ cup almond milk
2 eggs
1 tab of feta - crumbled
2 tsp baking powder
Method
1. Beat eggs and milk together.
2. Add remaining ingredients with the exception
of baking powder.
3. Add the baking powder when ready to fry.
4. On a greased tawa or griddle place I tab of
the mixture, flatten it and allow to cook for a
minute and then turn over and cook on the other
side.
5. Fry till golden brown.
6. Serve with tomato salsa (see below)
Salsa:
1. Boil 2 to 3 tomatoes on the stove or
microwave with a little water.
2. When it's soft, liquidize and strain.
3. Discard seeds and peels.
4. To the juice add: 1 small chopped onion, 1
Tab. vinegar, salt and green chillies.
5. Adjust seasoning to suit your taste buds.
6. Refrigerate.
Firoze and Riaz from Kazakhstan were strolling the streets of
Dubai when they suddenly spotted this sign on a shop window:
Suits 20 Dirhams each
Shirts 10 Dirhams each
Trousers 8 Dirhams per pair
Firoze said to his friend: "Look at that! We could buy a
whole load of those clothes... then when we get back we
could resell them and make us a fortune!"
"Now listen, when we go into the shop you keep your big
mouth shut, hey! Just you let me do all the talking plus
wheeling and dealing stuff, because if they hear your Kazakh
accent, they might try to rip us off. I'll be giving them my
best Emirati accent so they think we're locals. "
They go in and Firoze says, "Excuse me sir, I'll take 50 of
your finest suits at 20 Dirhams each, plus 100 shirts at 10
Dirhams each, and 50 pairs of your trousers at just 8
Dirhams each. I will be paying in cash, and taking those
items with me today, if you don't mind."
The owner of the shop interrupts, "You're from
Kazakhstan,
right?"
Err....yes says Firoze, "How do you know?"
"If you disclose (acts of)
charity, even so it is well,
but if you conceal them, and
make them reach those
(really) in need, that is
best for you: it will remove
from you some of your
(stains of) evil. And Allah
is well acquainted with what
you do."
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.
Zikr
- every Thursday 7pm, families welcome Hifz& Quran Reading Classes (for brothers and sisters) -
Tuesday 5:00 - 7:00pm & Thursday 5:30 - 7:00pm Madressa
(for children) - Wednesday & Friday 4:30 - 6:30pm Salawat
Majlis - first Saturday of every month. Starting
at Mughrib, families welcome Islamic
Studies (for sisters) - one year course. Saturday
10:30 - 2:30pm. Enrolments for 2016 now available Ilm-e-Deen
Degree Courses (for brothers) - Three full-time and
part-time nationally accredited courses. Enrolments
now available for 2016.
Quran Reading Class For Ladies (Beginners
or Advanced)
Every Saturday 2 - 4pm
Lady Teacher
Algester Mosque
Zikrullah program every Thursday night after
Esha
For more details, contact: Maulana Nawaaz:
0401576084
On Going Activities
1. Daily Hadeeth reading From Riyadusaliheen,
After Fajar and after esha .
2. After school Madrassah for children Mon-Thu 5pm to 7pm
3. Adult Quran classes (Males) Monday and
Tuesday after esha for an hour.
4. Community engagement program every second Saturday of the
Month, interstate and overseas speakers, starts after
margib, Dinner served after esha, First program begins on
the 15 August.
5. Monthly Qiyamulail program every 1st
Friday of the month starts after esha.
6. Fortnight Sunday Breakfast program. After Fajar, short
Tafseer followed by breakfast.
7. Weekly Tafseer by Imam Uzair after esha followed by
dinner. Starts from 26 August.
For all activities, besides Adult Quran,
classes sisters and children are welcome.
For further info call the Secretary on
0413669987
IPDC
Lutwyche Mosque
Weekly classes with Imam Yahya
Monday: Junior Class
Tuesday: Junior Arabic
Friday: Adult Quran Class
For more information call 0470 671 109
Holland Park Mosque
All programs are conducted by Imam
Uzair Akbar
DAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
PROGRAM
Tafseer Program
Basics of Islam
Tafseer Program
AUDIENCE
Men
Ladies
TIME
after Maghrib Salat
Brisbane Northside Muslimahs Support Group
To
help sisters on the northside of Brisbane to connect with
their local sisters.
We
will endeavour to have regular meetings, either for a
lesson/discussion on
Monday Tafseer – Juz Amma* Tuesday Arabic Grammer/Tafseer Quran (URDU) Wednesday Reading & Reciting Quran (Adult class) Thursday Tafseer Quran (URDU) Friday Tafseer Quran (URDU)
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.
Zikr
- every Thursday 7pm, families welcome
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011