Federal Member for Moreton,
Graham Perrett MP, will hold
the eighth annual Moreton
Australia Day Awards on
Tuesday.
The Moreton Australia Day
Awards recognise the
valuable contribution made
by selfless individuals
throughout the southside
community.
‘It’s appropriate that on a
day like Australia Day, we
take the time to say thank
you to those people in our
community who have freely
given their time, energy and
expertise to help others and
strengthen our community,’
said Mr Perrett.
There are 23 recipients from
a broad range of
backgrounds.
Amongst the recipients are:
Riyaad Ally,
Yousuf Meer, Feisal
Essof and Yasmin Khan.
Mr Perrett will be joined by
Lady Benise Killen, who will
present the Sir James Killen
Award for Outstanding
Community Service from one
of the hardworking 23
nominees.
The Moreton Australia Day
awards will be held at the
Yeronga State High School
and commence at 8.15am.
As part of regular
Professional
Development (PD) of
about 100 staff
(teachers and
general staff) of St
Joseph College,
Toowoomba visited
the Garden City
Mosque on Friday, 22
January 2016.
This event was a
part of the programs
during the visit of
Rev. Dr. Patrick
McInerney - Catholic
Institute of Sydney,
Head of Christian
Muslim Dialogue for
Catholic Church and
Columban missionary
priest from South
Australia.
The President of the
Islamic Society of
Toowoomba, Mr
Michael Yahay
Anderson welcomed
the visitors and
spoke about
fundamentals of
Islam. The
Vice/Founding
President, Professor
Shahjahan Khan, Dr
Javaid Iqbal and Dr
Mark Copland also
briefly spoke to the
guests. Later the
participants were
divided into six
groups for questions
and answers on a
more close
environment and
better interaction.
On Thursday, 21
January, Rev. Dr.
Patrick McInerney
spoke at a lunch
gathering held at
the Irish Club
Hotel, Toowoomba
which was
participated by the
Mayor of Toowoomba,
Cr Paul Antonio, Dr
Jonathon Inkpin of
St Luke Church, Dr
Mark Copland of
Social Justice
Commission,
Professor Shahjahan
Khan from Islamic
Society of
Toowoomba, and Mr
Haniff Abdul Razzak
from Pure Land
Learning College.
Both the events
covered some of the
contemporary issues
faced by religious
communities in
Australia and
world-wide, and
"emphasised the need
to remain united
ignoring all the
hate propaganda by
extremist groups
against Muslims and
non-Muslims."
Lunch meeting with
Rev. Dr. Patrick
McInerney at the
Irish Club
Haji Baba is seen presenting
an appreciation plaque to Dato
Ibrahim during last week's Jumma
gathering.
Last week the Islamic
Society of Gold Coast
awarded an appreciation
award to Dato Dr Syed
Ibrahim of Malaysia in
recognition of his support
towards the construction of
the Dawah Centre at the Gold
Coast Mosque.
"Dato Ibrahim has been
instrumental in promoting
our project to potential
donors in Malaysia and
Inshallah he has assured us
that he will continue to
find more donors towards
this worthy project",
secretary of the Society,
Haji Hussain Baba, told CCN
Senator Nick Xenophon and
his Toowoomba team leader
Josie Townsend visited the
Garden City Mosque,
Toowoomba on Sunday, 17
January 2016.
"The community had very
useful exchanges on various
current issues with the
guests," vice president of
the Islamic Society of
Toowoomba, Prof Shahjahan
Khan, told CCN today.
"Due to short time the
discussions were shorten,
but Senator plans future
visit to the Mosque. The
Muslims in Toowoomba
emphasised that all national
leaders and parties should
work for the unity of the
nation, not dividing them on
cultural and religious line
for political opportunism."
There was a fantastic
turnout for the annual Milad
hosted by Al-Mustapha
Institute on 16 January
2016. The program included
distinguished local and
interstate Ulema including
Moulana Faisal Madaran from
The Netherlands who gave an
inspiring lecture.
For the first time the
program included a question
and answer session where
community members raised
political and economic
issues that Muslims are
facing in the current
environment and the panel of
Ulema gave examples from the
Quran and Sunnah as to how
these issues can be
effectively addressed. The
event also saw the
graduation of a number of
students who completed
various courses in 2015.
Moulana Faisal Madaran will
be delivering one last
lecture before he returns to
The Netherlands and all are
invited to attend.
An east London bouncy castle
salesman suspected of being
behind an Islamic State
execution video warned two
years ago the “black flag of
Islam” would fly over
Downing Street.
Father-of-four Abu Rumaysah
is shown in footage shot in
January 2014 clutching flags
at his Walthamstow garage.
In an interview for Channel
4 documentary The Jihadis
Next Door, he told director
Jamie Roberts: “These are
the black flags of Islam.
This one's actually the flag
of the Islamic State, so one
day when the Sharia comes,
you will see this black flag
everywhere."
He goes on to claim the flag
flying over the Prime
Minister’s residence is now
"a very real, real
possibility the way Muslims
are coming forward in this
country".
Mr Rumaysah, whose real name
is Siddhartha Dhar, left
Britain later that year with
his family the day after
being released on bail over
alleged support for
extremist group al-Muhajiroun,
travelling to Paris and then
Syria.
Muslims
in the media: it’s a story
familiar to us. Negatively
portrayed, demonized and
stereotyped. Yet there are
also certain topics on which
where we’re accepted and
even praised by the media.
How exactly does this
love-hate relationship work?
One of the key features of
our media engagement over
the years has been that we
are always spoken for –
Muslim motivations,
intentions and actions can
seem to be explained by the
media without Muslim input.
So in a sense, our
engagement is not really
required at all.
The Muslim can only have a
voice in categories already
established by an
Islamophobic media, within
the co-ordinates which
conform to their pre-set
narrative of what, according
to them, a ‘Muslim’ ought to
be – most often this
involves condemning certain
things and pledging
allegiance to certain
others.
It is more than just a
simple bias or
generalization against
Muslims, but an entire
conversation about us which
operates in specific ways.
The media’s control over the
discussion is not only seen
in the biweekly fear
mongering over Muslim-youth
radicalisation, but also the
topics where they
“celebrate” us, couched in
terms of multiculturalism
and diversity.
One particular way in which
the media discourse works is
that the problem of “Islam”
is used to articulate other
problems. Fears about social
and economic change are
embodied in the exaggerated
threat of “Muslims”, an
example being the recent
commotion over the Halal
industry and its supposed
funding of terrorism. The
former PM Tony Abbott’s
rhetoric similarly wove
together the problem of
immigrants, radicalisation
and anti-terror legislation;
all these problematics of
Australian culture serve as
a basis for how Islam and
Muslims are talked about –
always in those terms and in
relation to those issues.
The “truth” of the matter –
that no halal does not fund
terrorism, that no, there is
no problem of
“radicalisation” – becomes
irrelevant as this linkage
of domestic issues to a
foreign and fearful Islam
takes hold in the public
imagination.
Caricatures of Islam thus
become simple ways of
understanding a complex and
perturbed political climate,
and the figure of the Muslim
conveniently encapsulates
the ‘problem’ itself, to
which all discontent can
easily be attributed.
Another element to the media
discourse when it comes to
Muslims is a historically
charged racism. We see
undertones of this in most
media portrayals; there is a
subtle assumption that
Muslims are simply foreign
in relation to the values
held sacred to the West;
that we are not liberal, not
democratic; that we are
oppressive and irrational.
This relationship is very
much present today and is
seen quite viscerally in
tabloid media, with their
obsessive portrayal of the
‘Muslim’ as a
near-existential threat to
Western society and
everything it holds dear.
Both our speech and our
silence is manipulated in
accordance with this
prefigured idea of Islam –
we are continually asked to
condemn that which we should
not be.
In regards to our engagement
with media, we are put under
continual pressure to
vindicate ourselves, to
clear ourselves of crimes
we’ve never supported, let
alone committed, to prove to
them that we are not
terrorists.
There is much to be
cognizant of in this
engagement, and how it is
elicited from us. Knowing
that Islamophobia is an
entire framework which has
prefigured positions for us
to fall into, we have to be
aware of whether we are
actually ‘engaging’ or
simply putting up a hollow
opposition which does
nothing but confirm the
parameters already set.
When we attempt to combat
the media by telling them
the ‘truth’ about Muslims in
face of their false
portrayals, the vocabulary
of conversation remains the
same. “Terrorists”,
“radicalisation” – they say
we are guilty, we assure
them no, we’re innocent; but
such terms remain the firm
coordinates of any
discussion on Muslims. The
positions taken on them
differ greatly, but their
centrality is never
questioned. We are always
subject to these accusations
and our allegiance or
defiance is kept topical –
and this is precisely the
way in which the media
works.
We always feel obliged to
respond to them within a
perpetual debate about our
allegiance or defiance. Yet
by speaking within this
conversation of theirs and
in the terms they want us to
– that either we’re with
them (‘moderate’), or
against them (‘radical’), we
tacitly accept the
stereotype that it is within
us – within our Islam – that
the answer to their
anxieties lay, not in
greater discussion of
politics or history. It is
in this way that the media
controls us: they are able
to define us, represent
“us”, and keep us as the
central thing under
consideration.
What this achieves is that
we are only ever seen
through the lens of
‘terrorism’,
‘radicalisation’ and
‘security-threat’, whether
in denial or confirmation of
it, Muslims are forever to
be thought of in such terms.
We are constructed to always
be scrutinized and
questioned as to our
loyalty.
It is this framework that we
ultimately need to reject:
and therein lies the key to
the community’s interaction
with the media going
forward.
MVSLIM's list of Muslims who
achieved great things in 2015.
3.
Hasan Minhaj
It’s been about a year since
comedian Hasan Minhaj joined
the Daily Show’s team. As a
voice on a prime time
television show, Hassan
wants to fight stereotypes
with his weapon: humor. He
also started touring for his
new show ’Hasan Minhaj
Homecoming King: The Story
of Brown America’, which
centres on his experience
growing up as a first
generation Indian American
and Muslim.
I’m sure that we will be
hearing about this guy in
2016.
Nouman Ali Khan, well known
Islamic scholar and teacher
was in Kuwait for the first
time to present a lecture at
the Masjid Al Kabir
organized by the Indian
Muslim Association. Ustadh
Nouman Ali Khan as he is
referred to is renowned for
his strong command of
Arabic, deep understanding
of the Holy Quran and
engaging lectures. He is
also the CEO and founder of
Bayyinah Institute in the
US.
Nita Bhatkar Chogle caught
up with Ustadh Noman during
his whirlwind visit to the
Middle East, especially for
The Times Kuwait, to find
out more about the man, his
mission and his unique
method of outreach through
modern media.
The Media
“We need to have socially,
morally, ethically,
spiritually and responsible
entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship can
transform the world.
Institutions should not
exist because they want to
make money. They should
exist because they want to
effect change. Making money
is easy. You have to aim a
lot bigger than making
money.” he underlines.
Bayyinah’s goal now is to
influence this entire
generation of people across
the globe on how they think
about the Quran. And Ustadh
Nouman wants to influence
the attitudes of the Muslims
and non Muslims and their
attitudes towards the Quran.
“I think it is a dire need
for Muslims because it is
corrupt attitudes that are
causing the loss of lives.
This book if properly
understood can save lives
and if misunderstood can
cost lives.” he says.
“The Quran has a powerful
message and its fluid enough
that we can affect it across
this media. Right now we
have a primitive
understanding of Islamic
media. For us right now
Islamic media is a TV
station where a Sheikh is
sitting there explaining a
Hadith or Ayah. That is not
Islamic media. Islamic media
is not some cute looking
graphic that says Eid
Mubarak. Islamic media is
when you have mainstream
film and mainstream
entertainment documentary
that even non-Muslims are
watching. That has Islamic
messaging in it and they
don’t even know that they
are getting Islamic
principles out of this and
this can be done. Not only
that it can it be done, it
must be done.” explains
Ustad Nouman.
Ustad Nouman mentions how
the Quran came and defeated
poetry at a time when poetry
was the ultimate form of
entertainment, which meant
it, was the more artistic
than poetry. So to influence
people you need to reach out
to them through something
that they find entertaining
he feels. “You cannot beat
entertainment, you have to
co-opt it.” he highlights.
Having said that he also
emphasizes on serious
education and believes it
should co-exist. However, he
feels that if we continue to
engage people in a way that
they need to make the least
efforts, they will actually
show an interest on their
own and when you continue to
make them more and more
curious, they will add an
equal amount of effort and
will eventually want to
learn seriously.
It’s important to start with
entertainment and then go
for education versus going
for education directly. “So
we need to bring Quran’s
guidance to the
entertainment industry and
that is my hope. As Bayyinah
grows our subscription base
grows then we will be able
to invest in this stuff.” he
says.
Ustadh Nouman also believes
strongly in the integrity of
Muslims going as far as an
option for free
subscriptions for people
that cannot afford to pay to
watch Bayyinah TV. He wants
people to benefit from it
and for those that can pay,
he knows they will. And that
he says is what he means by
socially responsible and
spiritually responsible
entrepreneurship.
Through the Bayyinah
Institute Ustadh Nouman has
been successful in reaching
more than a few million
people and the numbers are
growing steadily. His goal
now is to reach 100 million
people in the next three
years. “Inshallah” he adds.
Aya Sofya, Turkey Opposite the Blue Mosque
in the historic Sultanahmet
district of Istanbul, the
squat, rosy Aya Sofya was
built more than 1,000 years
before its neighbour. The
original “Church of the Holy
Wisdom” dates to the 6th
century, but the building on
the site when the Ottoman
Empire took the city was
turned into a mosque. Over
the 16th and 17th centuries,
mihrabs, minbar, and a
preaching stand were added
to the structure, and the
Aya Sofya today is a mixture
of Byzantine glittering
mosaics and inscriptions
from the Koran in Arabic. It
is now a museum, and an
utterly majestic one at
that.
Opinion by Haroon Moghul, Senior
Correspondent, Religion Dispatches
No turning back now
We have failed you.
While jihadist movements
continue to expand their
reach, anti-Muslim bigotry
is becoming more and more
mainstream. Both narratives
mean to deny the possibility
of meaningful coexistence.
Which is the identity and
the reality of thirty
million of us.
Thirty million Western
Muslims, spread out across
Europe (excluding Russia),
the United States, Canada,
Australia, and New Zealand.
But though we had every
reason to speak out, we have
barely begun to come
together.
When we are talked about,
it’s either as a problem
(terrorism) to be solved, or
as the solution
(counter-terrorism) to the
problem we’re held
responsible for. We have
little to no relevance
outside national security.
And because we do not seem
to matter, we might begin to
feel as if we do not exist.
I will not excuse myself by
saying that we could not
have known how bad it would
have gotten, or that the
forces arrayed against our
narratives were too
entrenched. I will not
soften the blow, either, by
hoping it is always darkest
before dawn. Because it may
get darker.
God does not change the
condition of a people until
they change themselves. I
ask myself how we have
gotten to this juncture. I
reflect on what I could have
done differently. If my
life’s experiences can be of
any benefit, even as a
cautionary tale, then I
offer them.
What follows is neither
exhaustive nor conclusive,
but an outline for what you
can do, and what I think you
must do, to reverse this
state of affairs, to help
build the kinds of
communities our history and
heritage promises we can.
Part I covers our relations
to the wider world; Part II
concerns our own communities
and identities.
Part I: All allies,
foreign and domestic
(continued from last week)
3. Fairly balanced
“We need more Muslims in
media,” people will say, so
we are not misrepresented.
They are right. “We need
more Muslims in government,”
they will say, so we are not
unrepresented. They are
right. But who is to say
that when there are Muslims
in the media, or in
government, that they will
seek what is better, or what
is simply better for them.
Do you combat racism now,
because it is wrong, or
because it excludes you? Do
you combat an aggressive
foreign policy now, because
it is wrong, or because the
targets are Muslim? Do you
oppose the occupation of
Palestine because it is
wrong, or because it is a
Jewish people occupying a
mostly Muslim people? Ask
now, before you are
powerful.
We will have arrived in the
West, tragically, when we
hear Muslims talk of closing
the borders to whatever
community comes after us.
When we are the “us,” not
the “them.” I do not know if
you will live to see that
day, but I hope you can head
it off. To keep yourself
honest, you need a community
with institutions
independent of each other.
To speak truth to power, you
need power. Or, more
precisely, you must make
sure no one voice has too
much power—that no element
of your community is too big
to fail. All that, in turn,
depends on what kinds of
communities you build.
NEXT WEEK IN CCN: II:
The stuff we are made of :
5. The reconstruction of
religious life
This Muslim punk band
originally formed in Boston,
and their name literally
means "scoundrels." If you
want to see them at their
most scoundrel-ey and fun,
you should watch their video
for "See Something Say
Something," which is a
pretty hilarious takedown of
Islamophobia. It's actually
part of their new album,
which is also really great.
NEXT WEEK: 6.
"Mathematics," Yasiin Bey
(formerly known as Mos Def)
(1999)
Donald Trump wants Muslims
banned from entering the US –
but without them the country
would be a much poorer place
Donald Trump with legendary
boxer and Muslim, Muhammad Ali.
What have Muslims ever done
for America? If your sole
source of information were
Donald Trump, you’d think
that the answer was not much
– apart from murdering its
citizens and trying to
destroy its values. The
Republican presidential
hopeful has called for a
halt to Muslims entering the
US until American
authorities “can figure out”
Muslim attitudes to the US
in the wake of last week’s
killings in San Bernardino.
If only, you might well
think, Scotland had had the
same thought about Trump
before he was allowed in to
blight Aberdeenshire with
another of his golf resorts.
What Trump doesn’t seem to
grasp is his own country’s
history, and how many
American achievements worth
celebrating are the work of
the kind of people – Muslims
– he wants to keep out.
Here, then, is a guide to
some of the things Muslims
have done for the US. It’s
not an exhaustive list – but
it’s still more impressive
than what Trump has done for
his homeland.
Inventing the ice-cream cone
Picture the
scene. It’s the 1904 St
Louis Worlds Fair. An
ice-cream vendor has run
short of dishes. I predict a
riot. How are God-fearing
Americans supposed to eat
their ice-creams now? Lick
them from cupped hands like
animals or something? That’s
not America. That isn’t even
Italy.
Thankfully,
at the next booth is a
Syrian Muslim immigrant.
Ernest Hamwi is selling
something called zalabia, a
waffle-like confection. He
rolls a waffle into a
conical shape to contain the
ice-cream, thus inventing
the world’s first edible
cone. But not the last.
Business
acumen and community spirit
rolled up into a delicious
proposition: how could you
refuse that, America?
Nowadays incidentally, the
zalabia is so integrated
into American society that
Martha Stewart has a recipe
for it.
Day: Every
Saturday, starting 30
January 2016
Time: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Duration: 1 year course with
holidays aligned with school
holidays and time off during
Ramadan
Subjects: Islamic Law (Fiqh),
Hadith, Tafseer & Islamic
History
Location: 39 Bushmills
Court, Hillcrest
Cost: $400
Lecturer: As-Shaykh Mohammad
Ibrahim As-Shami
A
message for all parents
looking for high quality
Islamic education for their
children…
Don’t miss the Amanah
Institute’s (formerly the
Kuraby Madrassah) annual
parent orientation/enrolment
afternoon: Thursday 28th of
January from 4.00 – pm to
6.00 pm.
Interest in the ‘Amanah
approach’ continues to grow
and numbers are limited.
Attendance at the
enrolment/orientation
afternoon is a condition of
enrolment and compulsory for
parents wishing to enrol or
re-enrol their children in
2016.
The programs at Amanah are
designed to be contextual
and relevant. Feedback from
young people and their
parents is extremely
positive!
Amanah caters for students 5
years of age through to 19
years of age.
* We are expanding our
program further in 2016
offering classes 2 days/week
for busy high school
students from grade 8
through to 12.
We have great news! We're
looking for a new Community
Fundraising Officer in QLD
at our Brisbane Office.
If you have what it takes
and want to make a massive
difference for the many
disadvantaged around the
globe. This is your
opportunity.
3 bedroom
House in Kuraby for rent! 2
bathrooms, DLUG with shade
sail for extra covered
parking on driveway. A/c in
living area, main bedroom
and garage, alarm system and
solar power installed.
Walking
distance from mosque,
school, bus and train
station.
Available
early Feb 2016. Rent $445
p.w. Call 0439786653 for
more details.
Some Muslims Say US More Islamic
Than Many Muslim Countries
A young woman
waves an American flag along
with others at the beginning of
a Muslim conference against
terror and hate at the Curtis
Culwell Center, Jan. 17, 2015,
in Garland, Texas.
NEW YORK: Muslims say
they feel at home in the U.S. and
one of the reasons is that democracy
is not unfamiliar. Leading Muslim
cleric Feisal Abdul Rauf says
Islamic law is based on democratic
principles.
“The Declaration of Independence
is very much in line with the
objectives of Islamic law," he
told VOA. "Our rulers are
legitimized by those who rule them
by way of elections. These are all
procedures which are very much in
sync with Islamic law."
Feisal is founder of the Cordoba
Initiative, a non-profit
organization dedicated to improving
Muslim-West relations and promoting
moderation. In his new book,
Defining Islamic Statehood, he talks
about contemporary Muslim life in
America.
“Many Muslims feel the United
States of America, for them, living
in this country is far more Islamic
than many countries they come from,
and I certainly share that opinion
myself.” The Imam was born and
raised in the United States.
His book is a six-year study
involving Muslim scholars and
leaders from around the world. The
consensus reached: there were six
major objectives in Islam:
protection of life, dignity,
property, family, intellect and
religion - all compatible with the
American way of life.
In New Jersey, young Muslim leader
Mahmoud Mahmoud is a local community
worker. He believes strongly in ties
between Muslims and non-Muslims in
America, and he agrees with Feisal.
“In America there’s a more
Islamic way of life than there [is]
in Muslim countries."
Mahmoud defines that way of life by
what it isn't. "You see nepotism
is everywhere in Islamic countries,”
he says. “Corruption, the
mistreatment of women, the lack of
rights for the poor, social justice;
poverty is everywhere. So if you
take a look at how these issues are
in America, people here are able to
express themselves freely.”
To the extent that America strives
to eliminate corruption and other
problems is to Mahmoud very
religious. “Those are all
fundamental values that are
enshrined in every religion. If you
take a look that caring for thy
neighbours or caring for the poor,
so there are lots of things I agree
with in saying that.”
Imam Feisal says the United States
and the Muslim world are
inseparable. “Look,” he said,
“the United States has enormous
interest in the Muslim world.
Muslims constitute almost a quarter
of the world’s population. "We have
our (U.S.) military in Iraq, in
Afghanistan. We have our bases is
Turkey. Our engagement, our
footprint in the Muslim world, you
cannot separate it. You have
economic interests."
Hence, Feisal says, Donald J.
Trump's call is a non starter:
"To say you cannot allow Muslims
here, if you try to do it, you will
discover how intimate the
relationship America has with the
Muslim world is. It’s not doable.”
Cameron tells Muslim
mothers: 'Learn English or leave'
Cameron said
men in the UK were "not
frightened of women’s success"
UK: Prime
minister says 'no guarantee'
that women with British-born
children could stay if they
fail new language tests
targeted at Muslim
communities
Muslim women who fail to
learn to speak English
properly could be made to
leave the UK even if their
children are born in the
country, David Cameron, the
British prime minister, said
on Monday.
Cameron made the claim as he
announced tough new measures
aimed at ending what he
called “gender segregation”
in Muslim communities that
will require new arrivals in
the UK to pass language
tests before they are
allowed full residency
rights.
In an article published in
the Times newspaper on
Monday, Cameron also
suggested that "conservative
religious practices" were
partially responsible for
extremism, writing that they
could "help a young person's
slide towards
radicalisation".
The British government has
already introduced basic
language tests for people
coming to the UK to join
their husbands or wives on a
spouse visa.
But Cameron said he planned
to introduce a second test
after two-and-a-half years
to ensure that newcomers’
language skills continue to
develop, citing government
figures suggesting that
40,000 Muslim women in the
UK spoke no English at all
and about 190,000 spoke
English poorly, despite many
having lived in the UK for
decades.
Asked on BBC radio whether a
woman with children born in
the UK who subsequently
failed a language test would
be forced to leave, Cameron
said there could be no
“guarantee” that someone
would be allowed to stay.
“They can’t guarantee that
they will be able to stay
because under our rules, we
are going to change the
rules,” he said.
“You have to speak a basic
level of English to come
into the country as a
husband or wife, we made
that change already, and we
are now going to toughen
that up.”
A statement on the Downing
Street website said the new
rules would not be
introduced until October to
"allow migrants time to
improve English language
skills."
"There are no plans to
remove migrants who fail to
reach the required level,
but it would be taken into
account in any request to
extend visas or apply for
permanent residence, the
statement said.
Cameron’s comments followed
his article in the Times in
which he accused Muslim
communities of fostering
segregation and treating
women as “second-class
citizens”, and linked those
claims to cases of forced
marriage and female genital
mutilation.
'Backward attitudes'
“In this country, women and
girls are free to choose how
they live, how they dress
and who they love. It’s our
values that make this
country what it is, and it’s
only by standing up for them
assertively that they will
endure,” Cameron wrote.
“In Britain, men are not
frightened of women’s
success; it is celebrated
proudly. So we must take on
the minority of men who
perpetuate these backward
attitudes and exert such
damaging control over their
wives, sisters and
daughters.”
Cameron also suggested that
segregation and some migrant
parents' lack of English
language skills could foster
extremism.
“I am not saying separate
development or conservative
religious practices directly
cause extremism. That would
be insulting to many who are
devout and peace-loving. But
they can help a young
person’s slide towards
radicalisation,” he wrote.
Government policy in recent
years has focused
increasingly on tackling
non-violent extremism, which
Cameron said in a speech
last year was a “gateway” to
violence.
Cameron said the government
would review the role of
shariah councils and take
measures to “stamp out”
forced gender segregation,
and also announced a Ł20m
($28.6) language programme
for women from isolated
communities.
“I am not blaming the people
who can’t speak English -
some of these people have
come to our country from
quite patriarchal societies,
where perhaps the menfolk
haven’t wanted them to learn
English, haven’t wanted them
to integrate,” Cameron told
BBC radio.
“What we’ve found in some of
the work we’ve done -
schools governors’ meetings
where men sit in the meeting
and women have to sit
outside, women who are not
allowed to leave home
without a male relative -
this is happening in our
country and it is not
acceptable.”
But Cameron’s remarks drew
criticism from the
opposition Labour Party and
from Muslim organisations.
In his desire to grab easy
headlines, David Cameron
risks doing more harm than
good. His clumsy and
simplistic approach to
challenging extremism is
unfairly stigmatising a
whole community. There is a
real danger that it could
end up driving further
radicalisation, rather than
tackling it, said Andy
Burnham, the shadow home
secretary.
Cameron also faced criticism
from within his own
Conservative Party with
Sayeeda Warsi, a former
party co-chair and the first
Muslim woman to be appointed
to the cabinet, questioning
his link between language
learning and extremism.
"Women should
have the opportunity to
learn English full stop. Why
link it to radicalisation/
extremism/ CT
[counter-terrorism]," she
wrote on Twitter.
Mohammed
Shafiq, the chief executive
of the Ramadhan Foundation,
pointed out that Cameron had
cut funds for language
classes in 2011 shortly
after coming to office.
“David Cameron and his
Conservative government are
once again using British
Muslims as a political
football to score cheap
points to appear tough,”
said Shafiq.“
This was a
right-wing, neo-con prime
minister delivering more of
the same disgraceful
stereotyping of British
Muslims.
”Shuja Shafi,
the secretary general of the
Muslim Council of Britain,
said that Cameron was
absolutely right in wanting
English to be taught more
widely and said that many
mosques and other Muslim
institutions would be happy
host classes.
But he said
Cameron had "fallen at the
first hurdle" in trying to
promote integration by
singling out Muslim women
and linking the issue to a
perceived security threat
and extremism.
"English
language is a barrier, but
not the only or most
important one. Other factors
such as labour market
inequalities, perceived
discrimination, deprivation,
and generational differences
amongst Muslim women need to
be reflected on," Shafi
said.
"The prime
minister further notes the
important connection to
extremism'. There are
countless extremists who
have been arrested or are
believed to be in Syria who
did not grow up as Muslims,
or who led or are believed
to have led ‘well integrated
lives'."
Meet the Turkish Mosque
cats that have got everyone purring
TURKEY: Imam
Mustafa Efe is a purrrfect
example of how to love all
creatures. Efe has opened
the doors of the Aziz Mahmud
Hüdayi Mosque in Istanbul to
the stray cats of the city,
who are darn cold this time
of year. The felines are
even welcome during prayer
time.
Istanbullians are known for
their love of cats which
were bred to eradicate rats
and mice from the city. They
even have a saying which
goes, "If you've killed a
cat, you need to build a
mosque to be forgiven by
God."
Well, I think most people
would agree that opening the
doors of a mosque is a lot
easier than building a new
one. Pussy lovers from
around the globe have
praised Imam Mustafa Efe's
efforts which have meow gone
viral.
Donald Trump has yet to
release a statement on
whether he'd ban the cats
from entering the United
States.
ISTANBUL CAT FACTS – FROM
THE TELEGRAPH
◦ Thousands of stray cats
stalk Istanbul’s streets ◦ Residents often leave
fleece-lined cardboard boxes
with food and water inside
on street corners ◦ The cats have even become a
social media sensation ◦ There is an immensely
popular Instagram page
called Cats Of Istanbul ◦ Web developers have
created apps to help adopt
and locate users’ favourite
kitties ◦ We are urged to be good to
cats and all living
creatures in Islam ◦ A popular saying goes: “If
you’ve killed a cat, you
need to build a mosque to be
forgiven by God.” ◦ Part of the reason there
are so many cats there today
is because many felines were
bred to rid the city of
vermin ◦ In 2012, the ruling Justice
and Development Party,
co-founded by Turkish
president Recep Tayyip
Erdogan, tried to pass
legislation it said would
improve sterilisation and
clear the streets of stray
animals, but the plan was
shelved after 30,000 people
took to Istanbul’s streets
in protest.
I live in a 'terrorist
house': police speak to Muslim boy, 10, over
spelling error
Teachers report primary school
student to authorities after he
mistakenly writes about
‘terrorist house’ instead of
‘terraced house’ in class
Teachers in
Lancashire alerted police after
the primary school pupil wrote
‘terrorist’ instead of
‘terraced’.
UK: A simple
spelling mistake has led to
a 10-year-old Muslim boy
being interviewed by British
police over suspected links
to terrorism.
The boy, who lives in
Accrington in Lancashire,
wrote in his primary school
English class that he lived
in a “terrorist house”. He
meant to write “terraced
house”.
His teachers did not realise
it was a spelling error and
instead reported the boy to
the police, in accordance
with the 2015
Counter-Terrorism and
Security Act, which states
that teachers are obliged to
alert the authorities to any
suspected terrorist
behaviour.
As a result, the child was
interviewed on 7 December by
police and the authorities
examined a laptop found at
his family home.
His family has since
demanded the school and
police apologise, according
to the BBC.
A cousin of the boy, who has
not been named to protect
his identity, said his
relatives initially thought
it was a joke, but that the
boy had been traumatised by
the experience.
“You can imagine it
happening to a 30-year-old
man, but not to a young
child,” she told the BBC.
“If the teacher had any
concerns it should have been
about his spelling.
“They shouldn’t be putting a
child through this.
“He’s now scared of writing,
using his imagination.”
The Counter-Terrorism and
Security Act 2015, which
came into force in July 2015
as part of the government’s
anti-radicalisation
strategy, Prevent, places
local authorities, prisons,
NHS trusts and schools under
a new statutory duty to
prevent extremist
radicalisation taking place
within their walls.
Critics of the act argue it
forces teachers to
over-react, rather than
using their common sense,
for fear of breaking the
law.
Miqdaad Versi, assistant
secretary-general of the
Muslim Council of Britain,
the UK’s largest umbrella
group for Islamic
associations, said he was
aware of dozens of similar
cases taking place in
schools around the country.
“There are huge concerns
that individuals going about
their daily life are being
seen through the lens of
security and are being seen
as potential terrorists
rather than students,” he
said.
Lancashire police said in a
statement the situation was
handled by a PC and social
services and that
anti-terrorism police were
not called in.
The school told the BBC it
was unable to comment
because it was investigating
a complaint over the
incident.
Prime Minister
David Cameron talks with Imam
Qari Asim (R) and Shabana Muneer,
a member of Makkah Masjid
mosque's women's group, as he
visits Makkah Masjid Mosque in
Leeds, England
UK: Muslim
women can be banned from
wearing veils in schools,
courts and other British
institutions, David Cameron
says.
The Prime Minister said he
will give his backing to
public authorities that put
in place "proper and
sensible" rules to ban women
from wearing face veils.
The government is also
preparing to announce a
series of measures designed
to stop British Muslims
becoming radicalised and
travelling to the Middle
East to join terrorist
groups like Islamic State.
As part of the plans,
ministers will pledge to
outlaw gender segregation in
public buildings amid
concerns that some Muslim
organisations are forcing
women to sit separately.
Education Secretary Nicky
Morgan will on Tuesday
announce plans to force
schools to help stop
teenagers travelling abroad
to fight alongside jihadist
groups such as IS.
Schools will be required to
inform councils when pupils
stop attending without any
explanation and Muslim
parents will be encouraged
to carry out checks to
ensure their children are
not being radicalised.
Mr Cameron also announced
that tens of thousands of
Muslim women would face
deportation unless they pass
a series of English-language
tests after coming to
Britain on spouse visas.
The Prime Minister's
comments about veils will
reignite the row over
whether British institutions
should be able to stop women
covering their faces for
religious reasons in public
places.
The Prime Minister refused
to endorse a French-style
blanket ban but made clear
that individual
organisations could choose
to stop Muslim women wearing
the veil.
In 2013, The Telegraph
disclosed that more than a
dozen NHS hospitals had
instructed staff not to wear
the niqab – a full veil
which covers the face –
while in contact with
patients.
The same year, a London
judge ordered a Muslim
defendant to remove her
veil, but asked politicians
for clearer instructions on
veils in court.
A number of Conservative MPs
want the government to
consider a full ban on the
veil.
"I think in our country
people should be free to
wear what they like, within
limits live how they like,"
Mr Cameron told BBC Radio 4.
"What does matter is if, for
instance, a school has a
uniform policy, sensitively
put in place and all the
rest of it, and people want
to flout that uniform
policy, often for reasons
that aren't connected to
religion, you should always
come down on the side of the
school."
The Prime Minister added:
"When you are coming into
contact with an institution
or you're in court, or if
you need to be able to see
someone's face at the
border, then I will always
back the authority and
institution that have put in
place proper and sensible
rules.
"Going for the more sort of
French approach of banning
an item of clothing, I don't
think that's the way we do
things in this country and I
don't think that would
help."
Philip Hollobone, a
Conservative MP, said: "What
the Prime Minister says is
extremely welcome and a step
in the right direction but
given the stridency with
which Muslim groups advance
their cause sooner or later
this will be put to the
test.
"It should apply to any
public official, including
schools, hospitals,
councils, the police, border
force, hospitals, GP
surgeries.
"Anywhere where members of
the public come into contact
and an official needs to
have his or her face
visible."
He added: "I don't want to
live in a country where a
police officer is veiled,
where a newsreader is
veiled, where a nurse or
doctor is veiled."
The Telegraph also
understands that ministers
are drawing up guidance
which will ban gender
segregation in public
meetings held in buildings
owned by town halls.
It follows concerns that
Muslim men and women were
separated in a series of
public meetings before the
election.
Mrs Morgan will on Tuesday
give a speech in Bethnal
Green Academy, east London,
which came to public
attention in 2015 when four
of its pupils fled to Syria
to become "jihadi brides".
The Education Secretary will
announce a new website to
help parents and teachers
identify potential victims
of radicalisation.
The website warns parents
and teachers about
"excessive time spent online
or on mobile phones" as well
as being wary of children
with a "susceptibility to
conspiracy theories and a
feeling of persecution".
She will also announce plans
to ensure that schools
register with local
authorities any pupils that
stop attending lessons.
Mrs Morgan will say: "We are
determined to keep children
safe in and out of school.
"Today's announcement of
resources and tougher powers
to protect young,
impressionable minds from
radical views sends a clear
message to extremists: our
children are firmly out of
your reach."
Mr Cameron announced on
Monday that immigrants would
have to show that they have
improved their English after
living in Britain or face
being deported.
Under the plans tens of
thousands of migrants who
come to Britain on a "spouse
visa" to join their husband
or wife will have to pass an
additional English language
test after two years.
Although Andy Burnham, the
shadow home secretary,
accused Mr Cameron of
"stigmatising a whole
community", Naz Shah, the
Muslim Labour MP for
Bradford West, backed the
Prime Minister's call for
more women to learn English.
Bolton Muslim girls'
school breaks London's grip on excellence
Strong
community links and work-life
balance for teachers has helped
the school come in the top 10
for GCSE results
Bolton Muslim
girls’ school is one of the only
non-London schools to reach the
top of the GCSE league tables.
UK: “The classrooms are
crowded, our corridors are narrow and in
terms of our sports facilities, they’re
limited,” says headteacher Idrish Patel.
Bolton Muslim girls’ school (BMGS) –
once independent, now an oversubscribed
state school for Muslim girls in the
town – does not have flashy sports
facilities or even a kitchen. But
despite its humble building, the school
achieves impressive results.
When judged alongside other schools
where at least 30% of students are from
disadvantaged backgrounds, it’s third in
the country for GCSE performance. This
makes BMGS one of the only non-London
schools to break the capital’s
stranglehold on the top league table
spots.
Patel says the school is fortunate to
have parents who are keen to be involved
in their children’s education – and
committed staff who are are happy to
make appointments to see family members
outside of the usual open evening
schedule.
The school’s success is a boost to the
local community, he adds. “Regardless of
whether it’s a Muslim school or
non-Muslim school, as British citizens
we all expect everybody to excel,
regardless of class, religion or which
part of the UK you’re living in.”
Enlist a group of
friends and make an awesome day of it, while
raising money
for breast cancer.
Start your adventure with fitness dates of
walking / jogging / cycling and any
other activities that will challenge and
encourage your group to move more.
Be sure to drink lots of water and constantly
‘tag’ or check-in with each other on
how the preparation is going for the big day –
you have 6 weeks to prepare.
Overhaul your workout routines and get yourself
as fit as you can be for race day
and every other day to follow.
To book appointments -
Ph: 3341 2333 (Underwood)
Ph: 3299 5596 (Springwood)
M: 0406 279 591
Website:
www.diversenutrition.com.au
Water for Wellbeing
One
of the easiest healthy habits to start is to
drink more water. Our body is made up mainly of
H2O so it is no surprise that on
average an adult requires at least 2-2.5L of
water each day.
This requirement may increase when temperatures
are hotter, when you are active for a long
period of time (say after a workout), or when
have more than body mass.
Some of the benefits of drinking water include:
maintaining the health of all of your body’s
cells, regulating body temperature, hydration,
improving metabolism, aiding digestion and
maintaining healthy bowels.
If you are like me and often forget to drink
enough water, you can buy a 1L bottle like I
have and make sure you go through this bottle at
least twice a day.
You can also try to implement other ways to
increase your water intake such as having a
glass before and after meals.
If you want to avoid having to go to the toilet
so often, drink your water in sips frequently
throughout the day rather than drinking a whole
glass in one go.
Next time you’re having a busy day, just be
mindful of your water intake and remember that
water is vital for your health and body’s
wellbeing!
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:
Here's a good start to living a healthier
lifestyle and enjoying it in the process -
fresh, fast and delicious and a healthy
replacement for your burger and bag of fries.
Chicken strips
Marinate 500gm of chicken strips in:
1 tsp aromat
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp crush green chillies
1 tsp red chilli paste
˝ cup milk
1 tsp Gori ma orange spice
1 tsp barbecue spice
1 tsp chicken spice
Keep in fridge for a few hours
Batter
1 cup flour
2 tsp barbecue spice
2 tsp paprika
1 tsp crush red chilli powder
Crushed green chillies
2 tsp chicken spice
Combine the above
and dip the chicken strips in the batter and fry
till crisp and golden
Haloomi cheese dip in flour, baking powder, salt
and pepper cut lengthwise and shallow fry till
golden
Bringing it all together.....
Assemble salad ingredients in a platter, place
Haloumi strips and then top with chicken strips.
Place a small bowl of Sweet Chilli sauce in the
centre.
Fulfill the Covenant of
Allah when you have entered
into it, and do not break
your oaths after you have
confirmed them; indeed you
have made Allah your surety;
for Allah knows all that you
do.
When you teach a man
to hate and fear his
brother, when you teach
that he is a lesser man
because of his colour or
his beliefs or the
policies he pursues,
when you teach that
those who differ from
you threaten your
freedom or your job or
your family, then you
also learn to confront
others not as fellow
citizens but as enemies
- to be met not with
cooperation but with
conquest, to be
subjugated and mastered.
We must admit the
vanity of our false
distinctions among men
and learn to find our
own advancement in the
search for the
advancement of all. We
must admit in ourselves
that our own children's
future cannot be built
on the misfortunes of
others. We must
recognize that this
short life can neither
be ennobled or enriched
by hatred or revenge.
Laylat al-Qadr
- Night of Power 1436 (27th Ramadan 1437)
6
July
Wednesday
Eid al-Fitr
1437 (1st Shawwal 1437)
9
July
Saturday
ICQ Eid Festival
Islamic Council
of QLD (ICQ)
TBA
TBA
TBA
20
& 21 August
Sat & Sun
The Divine Light
Sh Wasim Kempson
Al Kauthar
Brisbane
Griffith
University NATHAN
0438 698 328
All day
12
September
Monday
Eid al-Adha
1437 (10th Zilhijja 1437)
3 October
Monday
Muharram 1438
– Islamic New Year 1438
(1st Muharram
1438)
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.
• Zikr - every Thursday
7pm, families welcome
• Hifz, Quran Reading & Madressa - Wednesday & Friday
4:30 - 6:30pm, brothers, sisters and children
• New Muslims Program - last Thursday of every month,
6:30 - 8:30pm
• Salawat Majlis - first Saturday of every month.
Starting at Mughrib, families welcome
• Islamic Studies - one year course, Saturday 10:00 -
2:00 pm, brothers and sisters
• Ilm-e-Deen, Alims Degree Course - Three full-time and
part-time nationally accredited courses, brothers
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
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.
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someone you know who would like to subscribe to CCN please
encourage them to enter their details
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The
CCN Weekly News &
Views Briefs
Muslims
in the media: it’s a story
familiar to us. Negatively
portrayed, demonized and
stereotyped. Yet there are
also certain topics on which
where we’re accepted and
even praised by the media.
How exactly does this
love-hate relationship work?
(1).jpg)
.jpg)
A
message for all parents
looking for high quality
Islamic education for their
children…
Some Muslims Say US More Islamic
Than Many Muslim Countries
One
of the easiest healthy habits to start is to
drink more water. Our body is made up mainly of
H2O so it is no surprise that on
average an adult requires at least 2-2.5L of
water each day. 
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011