In
1998, Manal arrived in
Australia with her siblings
after fleeing her country of
origin, Eritrea, only days
before the beginning of the
country’s most devastating
war.
Tackling racism and
prejudice head-on, Manal
learnt first-hand what it
means to be different and
has become an agent for
change in the community.
Through her work with
Welcome to Australia – a
not-for-profit that aims to
cultivate a culture of
welcome in our nation –
Manal has developed programs
to elevate the national
conversation around
refugees, immigration and
multiculturalism.
As a member of the ActNow
Theatre, Manal has staged
award-winning interactive
theatre performances that
identify and confront
racism.
While completing a degree in
international relations,
Manal has also navigated her
sense of identity through
poetry, entering spoken word
competitions and performing
her work around the country.
Working with other refugees
to develop poems that share
their stories of
persecution, displacement
and freedom, Manal
encourages others to take
pride in their identities
and for all Australians to
understand and embrace
diversity.
Rahman
and Razia Goss are the
proud parents of baby
Zakariya Rahman Goss.
Ghulam and Narmin Goss are
the proud parents of
baby Muhammad Isa Goss.
Marriages
Zara Omarjee (Brisbane),
daughter of Rashid Omarjee
and Saeeda Vorajee, to Uzair
Bemat (Cape Town), son of
Ismail and Shenas Bemat on
23 January 2016 at the
Zeenatul Islam Mosque, Cape
Town.
Condolences
If you
would like to record a
birth, marriage, engagement
or someone's passing please
email
ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org
with the details.
The annual AMYN Summer Camp
is always a highlight in the
calendar of many, and this
year's trip proved to be a
groundbreaking new
experience to say the least,
Alhamdulillah. Traditionally
a young boys camp, this year
saw singles as well as
families males and females.
It was held from 16 - 19
January 2016, the contingent
boarded the mid-morning
ferry trip from Cleveland to
North Stradbroke Island. The
spectacular and scenic
45-minute long ferry ride
was an appetiser of sorts to
form and strengthen a
brotherhood while
appreciating the beautiful
creation of Allah.
Activities during the trip
included visits to some of
the Island's renowned
attractions - the 5.2 km
trekking to the stunningly
beautiful Blue Lake and a
swim in its fresh sparkling
waters. Another over 2km
walk at the Gorge with
spectacular beautiful
sceneries of dolphins and
the most beautiful bluish to
green waves breaking upon
the beaches beneath was a
moment to not only capture
this creation of Allah on
your cameras but also to
experience it with all the
five senses!
Food Team did a great job
with a variety of delicious
food while the daily 2-hour
religious classes by
HikmahWay Institute's Shaykh
Aslam AbuIsmaeel on some of
our most important daily
life enhancement issues were
a highlight for some that
even surpassed the exceeding
natural beauty of sceneries
on Stradbroke Island!
The groundbreaking male &
female family & singles 2016
AMYN Annual Camp was for
many who attended, a
rejuvenation of the body,
mind and soul alhamdulillah
to bring us closer to the
Almighty Creator & His Wise
Guidance!
We express our sincere
thanks to the AMYN
(Australian Muslim Youth
Network) organising
committee for their enduring
effort over the last year in
putting together such a
worthwhile trip! Look
forward to seeing you next
time round at the AMYN
Annual Camp, Insha-Allah!
BURGEONING TIES: Australian
Ambassador Dr. Ralph King, left,
Senior Trade Commissioner Mark
Morley at a press briefing in
Riyadh on Monday
RIYADH: A 20-member
delegation from Australia,
headed by Minister for
Tourism and International
Education Sen. Richard
Colbeck, will meet senior
government officials on
Wednesday.
This was announced at a
press conference addressed
by Ambassador Dr. Ralph King
and Australia’s Senior Trade
Commissioner Mark Morley.
“The bilateral talks between
the officials of the two
countries will enhance the
existing areas of
relationships in education,
health care, aviation,
mining, agriculture and
technical training,” the
envoy said.
Australia has 24
universities on the list of
the Top 200 most
internationalized
universities in the world,
and 16 in the Top 100,
according to the
international ranking
agency, Times Higher
Education.
Its commitment to
international engagement is
demonstrated in the National
Innovation and Science
Agenda which further
enhances Australia’s global
reputation as a leader in
research and education into
the future.
The envoy said there
currently are some 10,000
Saudi students studying in
various colleges and
universities in Australia.
He said his country remains
the the fourth largest
destination for Saudi
students after the United
States, the United Kingdom
and Canada. Most Saudi
students who stay with their
families in Australia follow
courses in engineering,
agriculture, mining, health
care, and oil and gas
related fields.
He said the visiting
delegation, which will be
hosted by Minister of
Education Ahmed bin Mohammed
Al-Issa, will also hold
talks with officials of the
Ministry of Health, the
Technical Vocational
Training Corporation and
King Fahd Medical City in
Riyadh.
He also said that his
country maintains two
aviation training colleges
in Jeddah, run by Saudi
Arabian Airlines, with
another in Riyadh.
Bilateral trade between the
two countries has reached SR
2.9 billion, which is in
favor of Australia whose
exports to the Kingdom
include passenger motor
vehicles, dairy and meat
products.
The ambassador pointed out
that tourism is one area
which Australia wants to
promote among Saudis and
expatriates in the Kingdom.
“We are planning an air
service agreement with the
Kingdom to facilitate direct
flights to Australia from
the Kingdom,” he said,
adding that currently
passengers from Saudi Arabia
find convenient connections
from United Arab Emirates to
various destinations in
Australia.
“We are also interested in
entering into a free trade
agreement with the GCC, of
which Saudi Arabia is a
member,” he said.
Anne Aly has built a high
public profile in recent years,
having been a regular guest on
the ABC’s Q&A program.
The Labor Party has sprung a
major surprise by recruiting
Muslim anti-terrorism expert
Anne Aly to stand against
Liberal MP Luke Simpkins in
the federal seat of Cowan at
this year’s election.
The battle for Cowan – a
seat in northern Perth held
by the Liberals with a
margin of just 4 per cent –
will be fascinating as it
pits the outspoken Dr Aly
against Mr Simpkins, who has
previously raised concerns
about Australians being
converted to Islam by eating
halal meat.
Dr Aly, an expert in Islamic
radicalisation, has built a
high public profile in
recent years, having been a
regular guest on the ABC’s
Q&A program.
Mr Simpkins was one of the
MPs who arranged an
unsuccessful spill motion
against Tony Abbott as prime
minister last year.
In 2011, he told Parliament
that many Australians did
not realise that most of the
meat they ate came from
animals killed in accordance
with Muslim law.
“By having Australians
unwittingly eating halal
food we are all one step
down the path towards the
conversion, and that is a
step we should only make
with full knowledge and one
that should not be imposed
upon us without us knowing,”
he said.
“What is happening is wrong.
Too often the minorities in
this country are looked
after without regard to the
majority.”
Dr Aly, an academic at Edith
Cowan University, said she
was standing for the ALP
because she wanted to
protect Australians’
lifestyle.
“The work I do in counter
radicalisation is about
protecting this lifestyle,”
she said.
“I have met parents of
children who have joined
ISIS. I have dedicated my
life to stopping young
people from making this
decision.”
Dr Aly said Mr Simpkins’
adversarial style has failed
the people of Cowan and said
she would fight against any
plan to lift the GST to 15
per cent.
“He is more interested in
picking fights than creating
solutions.”
“I know how hard the GST
will hit family budgets in
Cowan, increasing the price
of everything at the shops,
increasing the cost of every
household bill and
increasing the cost of
sending kids to school.”
“When my children were
young, childcare was a huge
cost. I know that it won’t
be any cheaper with a 15 per
GST.”
Labor last held Cowan in
2007. The Liberals face a
fight to retain the seat
after a recent boundary
change slash the margin from
7.5 per cent to 4 per cent.
How
much do you know about the
world’s largest Muslim
nation? This is your chance
to find out more.
The 2016 Australia-Indonesia
Muslim Exchange Program (MEP)
is now accepting
applications.
An exciting opportunity for
young Australian Muslim
community leaders: over two
weeks, you will learn about
the rich heritage of Islam
in Indonesia, visit some of
the largest Muslim
organisations and schools in
the world, meet prominent
scholars, and make valuable
contacts and friends in
Indonesian Muslim society.
You will also join a network
of more than 200 MEP alumni,
who are active in many
different fields.
Tickets and accommodation
are covered for the program,
which will take place from
16 to 29 May 2016,
coinciding with a major
festival.
Send your application to
info@ausindomep.com by
5pm AEDT, on Friday, 6th
February 2016. For more
information, click
here.
An Experience to Remember
“This is an opportunity
that any Muslim Australian
should take up. You learn so
much about yourself, about
your own faith, about the
country with the biggest
Muslim population [in the
world].” Assmaah, 2012
“Thank you MEP for this
incredible experience - I
learnt a LOT and will be
able to apply this to both
my professional life and
personal growth.”
Nur, 2014
“I got a new family from
this program!” Sari,
2014
“I gained a deeper
understanding of Islam in
Indonesia and the vast
myriad of diverse groups
co-existing.” Laila,
2014
“It's just a fantastic
program … very hectic but
very rewarding at the same
time.” Ayman, 2012
“[The program] gave me
inspiration to adopt and
modify their ideas and to
put them into practice in my
work.” Farinia, 2005
Panellists: David Morrison,
2016 Australian of the Year;
Gordian Fulde, 2016 Senior
Australian of the Year;
Rosie Batty, 2015 Australian
of the Year; Stan Grant,
Indigenous affairs editor,
Guardian Australia; and
Manal Younus, 2016 SA
Finalist Young Australian of
the Year.
Craig Campbell, pictured with
his baton, fends off violent
youths during the Cronulla riots
in 2005
He was front and centre at
the Cronulla riots,
furiously swinging his
police baton to stop a mob
of youths from bashing a
Middle Eastern couple to
death on a train.
But Craig Campbell is now
down and out, living in a
caravan outside his parents'
home on the NSW South Coast
after leaving the force due
to a breakdown from
post-traumatic stress
disorder.
The 56-year-old is not left
with much.
He lives on $440-a-week
workers' compensation, his
marriage disintegrated and
he has been unable to hold
down a job since.
Even the bravery award that
he won for the train
incident was later taken
away when the police
hierarchy deemed he used
"excessive force".
But, a few weeks ago, there
was an unusual bout of good
news.
Two members of the
Australian Muslim community
had remembered seeing the
burly sergeant on TV 10
years ago, instinctively
protecting the men on the
train regardless of their
skin colour.
Adam Bowden and Beylal
Racheha heard Campbell had
not been recognised for his
efforts after 10 years so
they tracked him down and
called on their community to
pitch in.
They drove down to North
Wollongong, took him out for
a Lebanese lunch and gave
him $1000 in new clothing
and cash.
"We just wanted to say thank
you to him for the work he's
done, it was sad no one had
acknowledged it," said
Beylal Racheha, a car wash
operator and charity
organiser.
"When I watched it happen 10
years ago, I was proud of
that policeman. It showed
that the police weren't
racist. It made me feel like
we weren't being purposely
targeted."
Campbell, who is still
locked in a bitter struggle
for injury payments, said he
was taken aback when he met
the pair.
"I really teared up because,
you know, I've helped so
many people out in my
personal life in and around
here in Dapto and when I
wanted a bit of a hand,
trying to get my car on the
road and things like that,
no one could be seen for
dust."
"I just thought of these two
blokes, out of the goodness
of their heart doing this,
it really got to me
actually."
Campbell said a video of him
swinging his baton on the
train and the platform at
Cronulla has been used as a
training video at the
academy.
In the days after, people
shook his hand in the
street. One of the men being
attacked on the train
thanked him for saving his
life. His boss, former
commander Robert Redfern,
gave him a letter from his
two daughters who said they
were proud their dad worked
with such a hero.
"To say it was excessive
force is just rubbish," he
said.
It is an incident he will
never forget, forever bitter
about the way it was derided
and etched in his mind along
with dozens of other
horrific jobs that led to
his eventual breakdown in
2007.
"These days I just potter
around and grow veggies and
that and try to stay calm,"
he said. "I never thought
about PTSD, I thought it was
all rubbish. But I still see
the faces when I close my
eyes. You try to push it out
of your head, but you
can't."
Muslim community members
Beylal Racheha (left) and Adam
Bowden (right) tracked down
Craig Campbell (centre) after
hearing that he hadn't been
recognised for his bravery.
The Parliament of the
World's Religions was
created to cultivate harmony
among the world's religious
and spiritual communities
and foster their engagement
with the world and its
guiding institutions in
order to achieve a just,
peaceful and sustainable
world.
In partnership with
Believing Women for a
Culture of Peace (BWCP), a
free public event will be
held on 11 February at
Griffith University's Centre
for Interfaith and Cultural
Dialogue (ICD) sharing
experiences and exploring
insights and outcomes of the
Parliament’s latest
conference.
There is visible sense of
shock and dismay in Derby
this morning, after at least
seven people are believed to
have contracted Islam after
unwittingly eating Halal
meat.
It is thought the first
suspected patients were
rushed to Royal Derby
Hospital yesterday
afternoon, after displaying
early symptoms of extreme
Islamification. Since then,
a total of seven patients,
including a young child and
an elderly resident have
been admitted overnight.
Environmental Officers are
yet to announce the source
of the outbreak, although a
delicatessen in the city
centre has been taped off by
forensic experts. Government
officials have been quick to
quell any panic or backlash
by far-right groups, with
The Food Standards Agency
(FSA) releasing this
statement;
We would like to ensure
the public that consumption
of Halal meat poses very
little threat to public
health. When an animal is
properly blessed and
slaughtered, the meat is
perfectly fit for human
consumption. However, very
rarely, the butcher may
bless the animal with the
wrong incantation, rendering
the meat a threat to
suggestible individuals, as
we believe has been the case
here.
MVSLIM's list of Muslims who
achieved great things in 2015.
4.
Rachid Yazami
Rachid Yazami is a French
Moroccan scientist who made
an amazing chip that can
charge your phone battery in
10 minutes. Another great
feature is that the chip
also senses damaged
batteries, which can blow up
a phone.
2015 wasn’t Yazami’s first
notable year.
In 2014 he was one of the
scientists to win the 2014
Charles Stark Draper Prize
for Engineering for his
“substantial contribution”
to the development of the
lithium-ion battery. In the
same year he received a
Royal Medal from King
Mohammed VI of Morocco.
Blue Mosque, Cairo, Egypt
The Amir Aqsunqur Mosque,
which dates from the 14th
century, reopened in Cairo
in May this year following a
13-year closure to repair
earthquake damage. The
mosque is part of a funerary
complex, containing the
mausoleums of its founder
Shams El-Din Aqsunqur and
his sons. Its current
aesthetic reflects the
Ottoman style, especially in
the Iznik tiles depicting
cypress trees and vases
holding tulips.
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 II: The stuff we are
made of :
5. The reconstruction of
religious life
You must reinvest in and
reform religious education;
what we have now is not
nearly good enough. Teach
our faith with confidence,
creativity and
sophistication, but also
with caution. Students and
especially leaders must be
taught to recognize that
there are valid, legitimate
and inevitable differences
of opinion within any
community, as of course
exist between communities.
But leaders will only be as
capable as the institutions
that support them.
One of our great challenges
is the lack of
representation. I recommend
you force diversity until it
becomes second nature.
Institutions should compel
themselves to reserve a
certain number of seats on
any board, or relevant body,
to reflect the relevant
ethnic and sectarian
differences, to realize
equal representation for
women (we are woefully
behind), and for youth (to
create leadership tracks).
One of our great challenges
is the monopoly of power.
Having learned lessons from
the failures of
post-colonial states, term
limits must be strictly
enforced.
One of our great challenges
is moderation. Your religion
is sacred, and must remain
so. We do not change our
worship merely because times
have changed. But we can
also acknowledge the
implications of our rituals,
and compensate for them. I
believe, like the
overwhelming majority of
Muslims do, that ritual
prayers should be led by
men. But given this
obligation, it should be the
case that mosques should be
led by women.
I still know of mosques that
forbid women from leadership
positions as a matter of
policy.
We need, I hope you can see,
new thinking. You can and
should provide it. Too many
mosques and communities are
still using failed models of
leadership, too many Muslim
institutions are mired in a
narrative of victimization,
and too many have no
mechanism for producing new
leaders, never mind to
extend their mandates, but
even to renew them.
Challenging this, and them,
will not be easy for you.
People will hate you and
call you all kinds of
hurtful things; you might
even begin to doubt
yourself. If you do, look
out at the Muslim spaces,
institutions and societies
before you. Are they as good
as they can be?
Clearly doing what has been
done before doesn’t do much.
You have much to learn from
others, and should respect
their experiences, but you
do not have to do as they
have done.
Don’t confuse unity with
unanimity. Don’t fall for
abstractions and rhetoric:
We rely too often on these,
or rather, we use them to
preclude conversations that
must happen, or to enforce
consensus where in fact
there is none.
6. "Mathematics," Yasiin Bey
(formerly known as Mos Def)
(1999)
If you don't know who actor
and rapper Yasiin Bey is,
your life is about to get a
lot better.
I've been listening to him
since 1997, when he was in
'Black Star' and was busy
making one of my favorite
albums of all time: "Mos Def
& Talib Kweli are Black
Star." (Seriously, listen to
'Definition." It's a little
later in my playlist)
At the end of 2011, Bey
changed his name from Mos
Def to Yasiin Bey. In some
interviews, he's explained
that this was because he
wanted to distance himself
from materialism.
NEXT WEEK: 7.
"Soukura (It's Late),"
Alsarah & The Nubatones
(2014)
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.
Being sporting heroes
Trump tweeted
the following earlier this
week: “Obama said in his
speech that Muslims are our
sports heroes. What sport is
he talking about, and who?”
One of those sports heroes
is, Mr Trump, someone you’ve
met before. Here are some
clues. He was known as the
Louisville Lip. He was three
times World Heavyweight
Boxing Champion.
Oh yes, and
in 1965 he changed his name
from Cassius Clay to
Muhammad Ali and later gave
interviews explaining his
perspective on his new
faith. Now you remember.
He’s the same guy you met in
2007 when he presented you
with a Muhammad Ali award.
In May, you posted a photo
on Facebook posing with the
great Muslim sporting hero
and claimed then that he was
your friend.
Barack Obama was making a
point after the San
Bernardino shootings.
“Muslim Americans are our
friends and our neighbours,
our coworkers, our sports
heroes. And yes, they are
our men and women in uniform
who are willing to die in
defence of our country,” he
said, speaking from the Oval
Office. “We have to remember
that.”
Here are some
more sports heroes he might
have meant. Basketball icons
Shaquille O’Neal and Kareem
Abdul-Jabbar, the latter
perhaps the greatest NBA
star after Michael Jordan.
Hakeem Olajuwon, 52, Hall of
Fame NBA centre. Oh yes, and
Mike Tyson, who set the
record as the youngest boxer
to win the WBC, WBA and IBF
heavyweight titles aged 20.
I am looking to rent a
property in Kuraby,
Underwood or Stretton.
Muslim family of 3
My requirements are: 4
bedrooms, 2 bathrooms,
Double garage
Happy to pay $450-$470 pw
Please feel free to contact
Sumayya 0415135376 or Shafiq
0468342127
Anglican
minister Michael
Aitken says the
will continue to
help
Anti-Islamic
campaign targets
church over
refugee
initiative
NSW: A BELROSE
church involved
in the
resettlement of
Syrian refugees
on the northern
beaches has been
targeted by an
anti-Islamic
campaign.
The
controversial
political
organisation
Party for
Freedom posted
the offensive
signs on power
poles outside St
Stephen’s last
week.
The propaganda
referred to the
resettlement as
“dumping of
hundreds of
Islamic refugees
onto the
beautiful
harmonious
Northern Beaches
of Sydney”.
It also called
on locals to
protest to
Premier Mike
Baird as well as
St Stephen’s
Anglican
minister Michael
Aitken. The
posters have
since been
removed.
St Stephen’s
Belrose is one
of 30 churches
on the northern
beaches working
with the
Settlement
Services
International
(SSI) on a
refugee support
initiative.
Daily Telegraph
Gary "Gee" Young
has failed in a
bid to sue
Facebook for
more than $1.2
million after it
blocked him from
the "patriot"
group he
administers for
three days.
Anti-Islam
activist fails
in bid to sue
Facebook
An anti-Islam
activist has
failed in a bid
to sue Facebook
for $1.25
million after it
briefly blocked
him from a
"patriot" group
he administers.
A Federal Court
judge last month
dismissed the
case as it had
"no reasonable
prospect of
success" and
ordered costs
against Gary
Young.
Mr Young, of
Goulburn, had
alleged the
social media
giant
maliciously
breached his
right to free
political
speech.
He sought $1
million in
exemplary
damages,
$250,000 in
aggravated
damages and
costs.
Mr Young is one
of two
administrators
of COMMON CAUSE,
a more than
2200-member
anti-Islamic
group that
advocates
banning halal
food, land sales
to foreigners,
and preventing
people on visas
from accessing
Centrelink
payments for
more than two
children.
He frequently
writes about the
"Islam invasion"
of Australia.
The motivation
for the court
action came
after Facebook
locked Mr Young
– who uses an
assumed name on
Facebook: Gee
Young – out of
COMMON CAUSE
without warning
between
September 30 and
October 2.
Facebook has an
"authentic name"
policy which
requires users
to use their own
name, or a
nickname that is
"a variation of
[the] authentic
name".
Muslim College Professor Fired
for Giving Students Hijabs
US: Muslim Professor
at Carlson Community College (CCC)
in North San Jose, California has
been relieved of his duties for
providing hijabs to his students. A
complaint was called in to police
last week sparking an investigation
into the Professor’s past and the
magnitude of the offense. It is not
yet known just how many hijabs have
been given out. Professor Ali Mehmut
Agka, a Muslim man of Arabic decent,
has an internship at the college
having spent the last ten years
teaching history and Islamic Affairs
courses at CCC.
His hijab actions have led to his
arrest. Charges are expected to be
issued tomorrow morning. One student
raised a complaint where, according
to an affidavit filed at the North
San Jose Police Department, “The
professor lured me into the restroom
between classes where he gave me a
private hijab.” The report further
states that the student felt,
“embarrassed and left with low self
-esteem.”
A number of students have also
reported receiving hijabs from
Professor Agka. Incidents of hijab
activity have allegedly occurred
after hours in the classroom, at the
Professor’s own residence, and in
the student lavatories.
An unnamed male student reported
that while using the toilet, he felt
a wide-stance tapping on his foot.
When he rose from the seat after
finishing his business, he found the
professor waiting to give him a
hijab.
The boy’s family attorney told this
reporter that the teenager has gone
through a “horrible ordeal.”
The hijabs gifted by Professor Agka
are considered to be home spun and
traditionally fashionable. “I
believe he (the Professor) was
hoping the gift of hijabs become
commonplace at the school, with more
and more hijabs being given to
celebrate Islamic holidays as well
as secular school events, like
athletic competitions and awards for
superior educational performance.
However, polls taken by students
indicate that the hijabs are not
needed to feel a special sense of
accomplishment.
It was also discovered that the
professor allegedly gave hijabs to
prospective students while working
as a summer home instructor. Another
student reportedly received a hijab
from Agka under the bleachers during
the homecoming football game.
A special panel will be discussing
the incidents in a closed session
next week, it was reported by a
representative of the school.
Some feel that the professor is
being wrongly persecuted. His wife
of thirteen years, also an Arab
Muslim, told me that Agka, “has been
accused and charged with crimes that
do not describe his character. I
accepted many hijabs from him and
that’s a fact. It seems like the
school is making too big a deal out
of a few hijabs. Professor Agka is
scheduled to appear in court on
Thursday.
Bride and joy:
Azhar Haidri sits with his
brides Humaira Qasim, right, and
Rumana Aslam
PAKISTAN: A
23-year-old Pakistani man –
Azhar Haidri – has married
two women at the same time –
a novel solution to his
dilemma of deciding whether
to tie the knot with the
woman he loves or wed the
woman his family lined-up
for him.
Pakistani law allows
polygamy based on the
concept that Islam, the main
religion in the country,
allows up to four wives. But
men who take multiple wives
usually do so years apart.
Mr Haidri initially refused
to marry 28-year-old Humaira
Qasim – the woman to whom he
has been engaged since
childhood – because he
wanted to marry the woman
with whom he had fallen in
love, 21-year-old Rumana
Aslam.
But the decision threatened
to split his family apart
since arranged marriages are
often customary in Pakistan,
so he came up with this
alternative approach.
For their part, both woman
say they think the
compromise is a good one and
they plan to live as sisters
and friends. ’I am happy
that we both love the same
man,’ Aslam said.
Haidri – an
herbal medicine practitioner
– counts himself lucky. ’It
is also very rare that two
women are happily agreeing
to marry one man,’ he said.
Muslim women ridiculing
David Cameron over comments about
'traditional submissiveness
'Muslim women are not a
problem that needs solving,'
Prime Minister told
David Cameron
speaking to women at language
class in Leeds
UK: Muslim
women have been ridiculing
David Cameron on social
media after he said they
needed to learn English and
fully integrate into
society.
The Prime Minister attracted
criticim after suggesting
one of the reasons young
Muslim men are vulnerable to
radicalisation is the
"traditional submissiveness
of Muslim women". He said
that if women failed to
improve their English, their
"ability to stay in the UK"
could be affected.
But using the hashtag
#traditionallysubmissive,
people have posted pictures
highlighting Muslim women's
independence, education and
contributions to British
society.
Fiza Azlam posted a picture
of herself holding a poster
which states she has worked
in the NHS for 22 years,
speaks five different
languages all while being a
grandmother to 10.
Alongside the picture, she
wrote: "Muslim women are not
a problem that needs
solving."
Hers was among a host of
tweets bearing the
#tradtionallysubmissive
hashtag:
Muslim leaders plan summit
on protecting non-Muslims in their midst
MOROCCO:
Hundreds of Muslim scholars
will meet in Morocco next
week to reassert the rights
of non-Muslims living among
them as Christians and other
religious minorities flee
extremism across the Middle
East for safety and freedom
elsewhere.
In these times, Muslims must
affirm their tradition’s
true teachings on tolerance,
said Shaykh Hamza Yusuf,
co-founder of Zaytuna
College, the first Muslim
liberal arts college in the
U.S. The summit meeting,
expected to attract more
than 300 Muslim religious
leaders, will hark back to
the Charter of Medina, in
which the Prophet Muhammad
enumerated the rights of
non-Muslims 1,400 years ago.
“The prophet was religiously
persecuted, so he knew
firsthand what it was to
experience religious
persecution,” said Yusuf,
speaking on a pre-conference
media call Thursday (Jan
21). “His religion ensured
the rights of religious
minorities,” and Islamic
history reveals a generally
strong record of tolerance.
Yusuf, who will attend the
Jan. 25-27 conference in
Marrakesh, is a student of
the conference’s leading
spiritual voice — Shaykh Bin
Bayyah — a Mauritanian
Islamic scholar and
authority on the rights of
religious minorities. Bin
Bayyah heads the Forum for
Promoting Peace in Muslim
Societies, which will host
the conference with the
Ministry of Endowments and
Islamic Affairs of the
Kingdom of Morocco — a
country lauded for its
tolerance in a region often
distinguished for its lack
of it.
More than 300 religious and
political leaders from
Muslim-majority nations —
including Egypt, Turkey,
Iraq, Pakistan and Iran —
are expected to attend the
forum, billed as the first
major effort of its kind in
the Muslim world since the
Charter of Medina, written
in 622 C.E. as the first
constitution of the Muslim
world. An example of the
charter’s principles is
Article 17: “No Jew will be
wronged for being a Jew.”
The group aims to end the
conference with a new
declaration, rooted in
Islamic law, which may
assert in modern words the
rights of religious
minorities living in Muslim
lands.
‘Hizmet’s solution against
radicalism should be announced to world’
The conference
at the House of Lords was
attended by various academics,
journalists, scholars and
opinion leaders from a number of
countries.
LONDON: At a time
when the faith-based Gülen movement,
also known as the Hizmet movement,
is under heavy government pressure
in Turkey, Lord Maclennan of Rogart,
academics and scholars have praised
the movement at a panel at the House
of Lords for its efforts against the
spread of radical Islamism and
violence across the world.
The panel, titled “Hizmet Movement's
Solution for Radicalism” and
organized by the Center for Hizmet
Studies, was held in London on Oct.
22, 2015 at the House of Lords.
The conference was attended by the
House of Lords, various academics,
journalists, scholars and opinion
leaders from a number of countries.
Speaking at the panel, Lord
Maclennan of Rogart stated that the
Hizmet movement is doing wonderful
work in the face of radical threats,
which “at the moment are very
severe.”
“Those of you who are committed to
this [Hizmet], deserve the thanks of
all other religions -- Christians,
Jews and the various branches of
Islam. We need to see the toleration
of differences of opinion. The
previous speaker has spoken of God
creating people not alike but with
different views about religion and
that seems to be very true. I hope
this group of people will
disseminate this message throughout
not only this country but in other
countries. We need to have
tolerance. We need to have respect
for other people's religions,” Lord
Maclennan stated.
To book appointments -
Ph: 3341 2333 (Underwood)
Ph: 3299 5596 (Springwood)
M: 0406 279 591
Website:
www.diversenutrition.com.au
Innie minnie miney milk, which one should I
drink?
I’ve had a few people ask which milk is the
healthiest to drink. There are so many different
types out there; from the traditional full cream
cows’ milk, to low fat, no fat, lactose free,
goats’ milk, rice milk, soy milk and even almond
milk.
Generally speaking, if you have no intolerance
to dairy, then it is totally healthy for you to
consume the standard cow’s milk. If you are
looking to lose weight, however, you may want to
opt for the lower fat variety like trim or skim
milk. If you have intolerance, then the
healthiest choice is to go for milk which
doesn’t contain lactose e.g. lactose free milk,
rice, soy, or almond milk.
However, I would be careful of some of these
milks as many are highly processed and may also
have added sugar hence you should always look at
the ingredient list on the labels. If you are
choosing the non-dairy options (rice, soy or
almond), you also want to ensure you are getting
enough calcium by choosing ones that are
fortified with calcium, or by including foods
that are rich in calcium in your diet such as
cheese, yoghurt, and bony fish.
So to answer the question, which milk is the
best milk? Well, there is no one correct answer.
It totally depends on the person, the amount and
frequency of consumption. You choose what you
feel is best suited for your health, physically,
financially, and taste-wise!
If someone tries to attack
you on the street, do not
stand still.
Even if you're not an
athlete or trained in self-defense,
you have the capabilities to
fight someone off.
Inexperienced fighters are
prone to standing still, so
remember to utilize all
available body parts, like
your knees, elbows, and
legs.
Click here for contact
and registration details for
Southside Academy of COMBAT
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.
Ingredients
4 eggs (separated and whites beaten stiff)
1½ cups castor sugar
1 cup of oil
2 cups cake flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk
Method
1. Beat egg whites stiff then add egg yolks.
2. Add castor sugar
a little at a time until all is used up and
whilst beating add the sifted dry ingredients
alternatively with the milk and beat well.
3. Pour into a
lamingtons pan and bake the cake on 180°c for
about 25 to 30 minutes or till done..
DIP
Ingredients
60g butter
1 cup boiling water
1½ cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 heaped Tblsp cocoa
Method
1. Place all the
ingredients in a pot and bring to boil.
2. Now lower
temperature and let the mixture simmer for a few
minutes till its a nice not too thick or thin
consistency.
3. When the cake is
cooled down cut into squares then dip into syrup
then roll in coconut.
Hanan and Habib were both patients in a mental hospital..
One day while they were walking past the hospital swimming
pool, Habib suddenly jumped into the deep end.
He sank to the bottom of the pool and stayed there.
Hanan promptly jumped in to save him.
She swam to the bottom and pulled him out.
When the Head Nurse Director became aware of Hanan's heroic
act, she immediately ordered her to be discharged from the
hospital as she now considered her to be mentally stable.
When she went to tell Hanan the news she said: 'Hanan, I
have good news and bad news for you.
The good news is you are being discharged since you were
able to rationally respond to a crisis by jumping in and
saving the life of the person you love.
I have concluded that your act displays sound mindedness.
The bad news is that Habib hung himself in the bathroom with
his bathrobe belt right after you saved him. I am so sorry,
but he's dead.'
Hanan replied: 'He didn't hang himself, I put him there to
dry'
And those who believe and
whose families follow them
in Faith, - to them We shall
join their families: nor
shall We deprive them (of
the fruit) of anything of
their works: (yet) each
individual is in pledge for
his deeds.
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
Click on images to enlarge
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.
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and the best feedback come from our community of readers. If you
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In
1998, Manal arrived in
Australia with her siblings
after fleeing her country of
origin, Eritrea, only days
before the beginning of the
country’s most devastating
war. 
Rahman
Zara Omarjee (Brisbane),
daughter of Rashid Omarjee
and Saeeda Vorajee, to Uzair
Bemat (Cape Town), son of
Ismail and Shenas Bemat on
23 January 2016 at the
Zeenatul Islam Mosque, Cape
Town.
How
much do you know about the
world’s largest Muslim
nation? This is your chance
to find out more.
Muslim College Professor Fired
for Giving Students Hijabs
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011