On Tuesday 16 February,
Queensland Parliament passed
legislation which ensures
greater support for the
state’s multicultural
communities.
The Multicultural
Recognition Bill formally
recognises Queensland as a
multicultural society and
reflects the state’s
commitment to ensuring
policies, programs and
services respond to an
increasingly diverse
population.
The Bill includes a
Multicultural Queensland
Charter, which outlines the
principles of promoting
harmony, inclusion and
fairness. The legislation
also includes the
development of a
multicultural policy and
action plan to ensure
government services are
responsive to the needs of
culturally and
linguistically diverse
communities.
The establishment of a
Multicultural Advisory
Council will allow advice to
be provided directly to the
Multicultural Affairs
Minister.
In response to the passing
of the Queensland
Multicultural Recognition
Bill, Islamic Council of
Queensland president, Mr
Ismail Cajee (pictured
left), said that it
was a "great day for all
Queenslanders… and all
Australians of course! "
Mr Cajee added: "I am
pleased to advise that ICQ's
Ali Kadri (pictured
right) was invited to be
part of the advisory board
on this bill and contributed
significantly to relevant
parts of the content. ICQ
would like to congratulate
Brother Ali on being
selected to be on the panel
and for his efforts in this
matter to date. May Allah
reward him for his efforts."
The following are some
extracts from the discussion
that ensued in parliament as
a precursor to the passing
of the Queensland
Multicultural Recognition
Bill:
Mr PEGG (Stretton—ALP):
The electorate of Stretton
has the highest proportion
of people born overseas in
the state. It has the
highest proportion of people
speaking a language other
than English at home of any
electorate in this state. It
is a place where Chinese
Lunar New Year, Eid-ul-Fitr
and Diwali are celebrated in
the community, along with
Easter and Christmas. It
truly is a fantastic place
to live with so much
cultural celebration.
During Multicultural Week
last year I held the
Stretton Multicultural
Awards. It was great to
recognise our community
champions. Award recipients
included ATCCQ, Autism
Queensland, Ethnic
Communities Council of
Queensland, the Hakka
Association, the Islamic
Council of Queensland,….
Dr ROBINSON (Cleveland—LNP):
The bill states that there
is a need for balanced
gender representation in the
membership of the council. I
agree that there does need
to be balance with respect
to gender. I also believe
there needs to be a similar
balance in the membership
between the main cultural
groups who live in
Queensland. That will not be
an easy feat, but I believe
it is important. Another
area of balance needs to be
with respect to religious
representation. While the
bill is about
multiculturalism, it does
include religious groups or
the potential for religious
groups to be represented.
Religious groups can be
represented on the council
and, for example, the
Islamic Council of
Queensland is mentioned.
I want to make a few points
about religious
representation within a
spirit of acceptance.
Firstly, if the government
is going to include
religious representation, I
suggest that it should have
equal representation of the
main religious groups in
Queensland. Secondly, there
should be clear selection
criteria to guide the
minister in their selection
of people from diverse
religious groups. The
Islamic Council of
Queensland has been
mentioned as a potential
member, but what about more
radical Islamic groups or
Islamic groups that follow
sharia law? I have some
concerns around groups like
Hizb ut-Tahrir, which is a
radical pan-Islamic
political organisation with
the aim of establishing an
Islamic state or caliphate
that would be ruled by
Islamic sharia law. I do not
believe that Australians
want to provide any
recognition to that type of
Islamic ideology because it
is in stark contrast to our
Australian values of freedom
and democracy.
In September 2014 ASIO
raised the national
terrorist alert level to
high, where it has remained.
According to federal
Attorney-General Senator
George Brandis, since that
time Australia has suffered
three lethal terrorist
attacks and we have thwarted
another six. These attacks
have originated from the
infiltration of radical
fundamentalist sharia forms
of Islam into our nation. As
a parliament, we must
embrace multiculturalism
while at the same time
protecting Queenslanders
from real threats. So I ask
the minister: what are the
criteria for deciding which
Islamic organisations will
receive official recognition
and be invited to be
represented on the advisory
council? There does not seem
to be any clear criteria. In
my view, the minister should
rule out all Islamic
organisations that support
sharia law from having any
official recognition
Mr POWER (Logan—ALP):
After my introductory
comments I participated with
one of the smaller groups. I
wish to share something of
the discussion that went on.
I asked the group whether
they had any concerns about
the treatment and role of
women within some societies
and the values around the
role and place of women that
were prevalent within our
society not so very long
ago.
A woman of Chinese origin
who works in migrant
settlement told this story
by way of answer. She told
me that during her work she
was going to greet a new
migrant from a conservative
and very traditional Islamic
background and she put out
her hand to shake as a way
of greeting, as was her
culture. He followed his
tradition and withdrew his
hand, leading to a somewhat
uncomfortable situation. She
explained that there was an
interaction after that was
both professional and
worthwhile though there was
still the initial clumsy
greeting between them. She
would have continued to
respect his wishes from then
on.
During a break a friend of
the man from the same
traditional Islamic
background explained that in
this culture many women
shake hands and do not mean
any disrespect. The man
explained to his traditional
friend that Australia was
full of so many cultures and
that as new migrants
multiculturalism meant
something for them too. It
meant that while their
culture would be accepted
and understood they also had
a role to understand other
Australian cultures.
From that conversation on
the new migrant always made
a point of shaking the
lady’s hand every single
time they met. It was his
way of saying that he was
both proud to be Australian
and accepted Australian
multiculturalism, especially
knowing that his own culture
would be respected
Hon. SM FENTIMAN
(Waterford—ALP)
(Minister for Communities,
Women and Youth, Minister
for Child Safety and
Minister for the Prevention
of Domestic and Family
Violence): During the Muslim
fasting month of Ramadan I
was invited into people’s
homes to break iftar, where
I met members of our Muslim
community like Murat and
Chanan Coskun of East
Heritage Park. I would like
to again thank them for
their generous hospitality
and for sharing with me the
rich culture and traditions
of Ramadan. Of course, I
cannot forget the wonderful
work of Galila Abdelsalam
and Nora Amath from the
Islamic Women’s Association
of Queensland……
Hon. CR DICK
(Woodridge—ALP)
(Minister for Health and
Minister for Ambulance
Services): As the member for
Woodridge I spend my time
working with important and
valuable local community
groups like the Ethnic
Communities Council of
Logan, the Voice of Samoa,
the Islamic Association of
Logan City, the Cambodian
Buddhist Association of
Queensland, the Khmer
Buddhist Society of
Queensland and a very large
number of organisations that
represent the very diverse
number of African
communities, all of which
uniquely enrich the
Woodridge electorate and the
lives of those living within
our community.
Mrs LAUGA (Keppel—ALP):
I thank groups and
organisations in Central
Queensland such as Jane
Chapman and the team at the
Multicultural Development
Association, Ataus Samad
from Access Community
Services, Filimone Levici
and the Capricornia Fiji
Association, Lawrence
Chitura and the Central
Queensland African
Association, Binil
Kattiparambil and all of the
members of the Islamic
Society of Central
Queensland, Joy Davison-Lee
and her team at the Central
Queensland Multicultural
Association, Ben Cooke and
the Anti-Discrimination
Commission of Queensland,
both Rockhampton and
Livingstone councils and all
of the groups and
organisations in Central
Queensland that contribute
to celebrating our
community’s diversity.
AMARAH human rights chair
Salam Elmerebi addressed a
capacity crowd during the week
at the Brisbane Powerhouse on
her experiences as a young
Muslim female post-9/11.
With daily reports of
Islamic extremist activity
in the media, Muslim
communities worldwide have
become identified as
‘suspect’. Many Australian
Muslims claim to regularly
face prejudice and
discrimination: on the more
extreme end of the spectrum
mosques are burned,
civilians assaulted and
anti-Islam demonstrations
attract thousands.
Tony Abbott called it a
“clash of civilizations”.
But is Islam so at odds with
life in Australia?
The general public was
invited by
Community Queensland to
find out what the real
issues were and have their
questions answered on
Tuesday February 16 where
the community met at the
Brisbane Powerhouse to talk
Politics in the Pub.
The evening’s topic,
“Aftershock: The Muslim
experience in Australia
after 9/11” was
addressed by a line up of
speakers including Ali Kadri,
Spokesperson for the Islamic
Council of Queensland and
local businessman; Faiza El-Higzi,
Manager of The Romero
Centre; Dave Andrews,
inter-faith community worker
and author of “The Jihad of
Jesus”; Salam el-Merebi from
Australian Muslim Advocates
for the Rights of All
Humanity (AMARAH); and Clem
Campbell OAM, Queensland
Director of the United
Nations Association of
Australia and Chairman of
Earth Charter Australia.
In this Q&A style event
members of the public were
invited to put their
questions to the panel.
Faces of Islam is about
sharing stories from a
diverse group of everyday
Muslim people with the
community and the world. We
will work to demystify
Muslim people by breaking
down false stereotypes, and
sharing common experiences,
to bring people together.
Photographic Portraits along
with poignant quotes taken
from interviews will be
displayed publicly, as well
as video taken during the
shoot.
Faces of Islam is focused
only on the stories of
Muslim people, we are
careful not to make comment
on, or on behalf of, Islam.
By becoming one of our Faces
Of Islam and by sharing your
story, you will help bring
our communities together.
Who is behind Faces Of
Islam?
Faces of Islam is driven and
captured by photographer
Matt Palmer AAIPP. He has
won Queensland Documentary
Photographer of the Year in
2014 and 2015, and is
passionate about sharing
people’s stories.
In the past he won
Australian Sports
Photographer of the Year
documenting Muay Thai
fighters, and also exhibited
Images Of Note: 7 Years of
Live Music Photography to a
capacity crowd.
He is ably supported by
Aleem Ali, Naseema Mustapha,
Mohamed Bah and Dave
Tattersall who make up the
Faces Of Islam team.
To apply to be one of our
Faces Of Islam,
click here.
The school
board of the largest Muslim
school has stepped down
after intense pressure from
outraged parents and
students at a school meeting
in Sydney this week..
The board of Malek Fahd
Islamic College, which
includes the leadership of
the Australian Federation
Islamic Council, will be
replaced by an interim board
after hundreds of parents,
students and alumni gathered
at the school in Greenacre,
in Sydney’s soutwest, for an
emergency meeting to deal
with federal funding cuts
and allegations of
corruption at Muslim schools
across the country.
The meeting had called for
the expulsion of the board
and its chairman Hafez
Kassen from the organisation
in an attempt to save the
defunded school from
closure.
A committee of parents who
organised the movement
against AFIC will hold an
election for the temporary
board as soon as possible,
one organiser told The
Australian. Many of the
senior members of the school
board are also senior
members of AFIC, including
Hafez Kassem, who was school
board chairman and AFIC
president.
Malek Fahd, with about 2400
students across three
campuses in southwest
Sydney, faces closure after
Education Minister Simon
Birmingham announced last
week the commonwealth would
cut funding to the school
following a Deloitte audit
initiated by the minister
last year.
The Deloitte audit found
many payments made by Malek
Fahd to AFIC in the form of
inflated rent,
project-management fees and
accounting and salary
services worth millions of
dollars.
An emergency congress
meeting of the Australian
Federation of Islamic
Councils had been called for
next month to vote on
expelling president Hafez
Kassem and six council
members.
But the Malek Fahd board
dissolved itself as hundreds
of people chanted for its
council members to be ousted
during last night’s meeting
in the school hall.
Students held signs saying
“parents want transparency”
and “AFIC betrayed the amana
(trust)”.
Mr Kassem could not be
contacted for comment.
AFIC itself faces
investigation by the
Australian Charities and
Not-for-profits Commission
following complaints about
its use of funds received
from schools.
The council must report to
the commission by Friday,
with AFIC facing losing
accreditation as a
not-for-profit body over the
probe into the governance
and spending of millions of
dollars from taxpayers via
AFIC schools.
AFIC runs schools in NSW,
South Australia, Victoria,
Queensad and Western
Australia. Most receive
between 80 and 90 per cent
of their funding from
governments as the school
intakes are often from the
poorer areas.
At last night’s meeting, one
parent, Fazel Qayum, who has
two daughters enrolled at
Malek Fahd, said the
students and the teachers
were being punished for
AFIC’s corruption. He said
he drove his daughters,
Sabah and Sana, in Years 11
and 4, two hours each way to
the school because of its
“academic reputation”.
“The people who misused
funds, they’re the ones who
should be held responsible,”
he said. “The school belongs
to the kids, not the
principal. I want the school
to run ... The board should
be taken to court. (But) the
children should not pay.”
His daughter Sabah said
students were devastated.
“All the students are
devastated. I’m in my
second-last year, the HSC is
just (around) the corner,”
she said.
Lakemba MP Jihad Dib said
the focus had to be on
students.
“It is a huge school and
there is an assumption that
many schools in the local
area, both government and
non-government schools,
would be affected,’’ he
said.
A woman in
Chicago noticed something
startling while using
Google:
Hind Makki, a
blogger and founder of a
photo project depicting
women in mosques around the
world, was writing a post
about some comments Hillary
Clinton made in a recent
Democratic debate.
The post was a commentary on
“Clinton’s point about how
American Muslims are ‘on the
frontline of our defense’
and how problematic that
framing is,” Makki wrote in
an email. “American Muslims
*already* report suspicious
activity & suspected
terrorism to the authorities
(and I wanted to link a
particular study on my
blog).”
So Makki searched for that
study on Google, entering
“american muslims report
terrorism.” Google suggested
that perhaps she meant to
type “american muslims
support terrorism.”
This wasn’t a fluke. We
tried the search as well and
got the same result:
As everyone knows, Google’s
search suggestions often
occur when you spell a word
wrong. If you tell it you’re
looking for a “super zarket,”
it figures you mean
“supermarket.”
But Google’s algorithm will
also look beyond
misspellings, at the
sequence of words you’ve
typed into the search box.
It calculates how common it
is for one word to follow
another and tries to
determine whether you need
some help.
If you search for “baseball
yard collections,” for
example, Google notices that
this is an odd sequence of
words. You haven’t spelled
anything wrong, but “yard”
is not the word that
typically comes after
“baseball” and before
“collections.” This is, of
course, common sense to a
human. But for a computer to
work it out requires a
complicated procedure.
In Google’s case, the
algorithm presumably looks
at thousands or millions of
previous searches that
contain “baseball,” “yard,”
and “collections,” and
counts the words that have
previously come before and
after all three. It counts
the instances that are the
most common, and eventually
works out that the word
“card” frequently comes
after “baseball” and before
“collections.” And it’s a
bonus that “yard” and “card”
have three letters in
common. With that
information, Google makes a
best-guess suggestion, and
it’s often correct. (Google
has not yet confirmed these
technical details, but this
is the standard practice for
word-chaining.)
That procedure is what makes
Hind Makki’s discovery all
the more troubling. This
isn’t a glitch in Google’s
algorithm. In fact, the
algorithm is working exactly
as it’s supposed to. The
glitch is human. It’s in the
searches people have entered
into Google and in the web
pages Google indexes.
When the algorithm looks for
instances of “Muslim,”
“report,” and “terrorism,”
it finds this to be an
uncommon sequence of words.
What it finds to be more
common, after counting up
the words that typically
come before and after those,
is not just a sequence of
meaningless words. It’s a
sentiment, and a common one:
“Muslims support terrorism.”
(Needless to say, that’s not
true.)
Makki had mixed emotions
when she saw Google’s
suggestion.
“I thought it was hilarious,
but also sad and immediately
screen capped it,” she said.
“I know it’s not Google’s
‘fault,’ but it goes to show
just how many people online
search for ‘Muslims support
terrorism,’ though the
reality on the ground is the
opposite of that.”
Google has not yet provided
an explanation or timeframe
for fixing this issue, but
we will update this piece
when it does.
As part of ‘Pop Islam’, the
dedicated film program
running in conjunction with
‘The 8th Asia Pacific
Triennial of Contemporary
Art’, the Gallery is hosting
two special film screenings,
both Australian Premieres –
Muhammad: The Messenger
of God
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE | Friday
8 April 2016 | Australian
Cinémathèque, GOMA | FREE
Majid Majidi’s Muhammad:
The Messenger of God
2015 is a lavish retelling
of the Prophet’s life, from
his birth to early
adolescence before the
founding of Islam. Drawing
inspiration from the
Hollywood biblical epics of
the 1950s and 1960s, the
film uses episodic
flashbacks of poignant and
spiritual moments with
dramatic sequences and
legendary battles. The first
in a trilogy, this big
budget Iranian film was shot
on a set recreating the
sixth century near the
Iranian city of Qom by
veteran cinematographer
Vittorio Storaro and
features a soundtrack by
renowned Indian composer A R
Rahman.
Muhammad: The Messenger
of God is one of only a
handful of films to honour
the Prophet’s life, an
absence due to the
contentious issue of how he
might be physically
represented on screen.
Majidi consulted with
numerous theologians from
all areas of the Muslim
faith before making the
film, settling on a
customised camera system
that shows the story
unfolding from the visual
perspective of young
Muhammad. While the film is
still not without its
controversies, its sincere
desire to share Islamic
teachings and values are
timely in the current
landscape of global
misinformation and unrest.
Muhammad: The Messenger
of God is the most
expensive movie made in Iran
and has been chosen by the
country to be put forward
for the 2016 Academy Awards.
Wael Shawky: Cabaret
Crusades
AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE | Sunday
10 April 2016 |Australian
Cinémathèque, GOMA | FREE
Egyptian artist Wael Shawky
is acclaimed internationally
for his films and
installations exploring
political, religious and
historical narratives. Over
the past six years, Shawky
has been developing Cabaret
Crusades 2010-15, a
monumental project inspired
by French-Lebanese author
Amin Maalouf’s seminal 1983
text ‘Les croisades vues par
les arabes (The Crusades
through Arab Eyes)’.
Using exquisitely-made wood,
ceramic and glass
marionettes, Shawky’s
trilogy re-enacts events
from the Crusades of the
Middle Ages, beginning with
attempts to establish
Christian rule throughout
the Holy Land in 1095 and
ending with the destruction
of Constantinople by
Venetian Crusaders in 1204.
The resulting trilogy is a
work of major significance,
deftly blending film and
theatre, literature and
music that open up an
important lens on the
complex political landscape
of the Middle East today.
Special three part
screening for the Australian
Premiere:
Cabaret Crusades: The
Horror Show File 2010
1.00pm, Sunday 10 April 2016
(32mins)
Cabaret Crusades: The
Path to Cairo 2012
1.45pm, Sunday 10 April 2016
(58mins)
Cabaret Crusades: The
Secrets of Karbalaa 2015
3.00pm, Sunday 10 April 2016
(120mins)
Fr Rod Bower's address to
the 2016 Doha conference on
interfaith dialogue. The
address focuses on the
negative influence of media
in Australia on the Muslim
Community.
Salaam, Shalom Peace be
with you.
I was born in a country
with an indigenous
presence of at least
60,000 years.
However, 228 years ago
the British arrived.
Ignoring the indigenous
inhabitants they
declared the land ‘terra
nullius’, meaning
‘uninhabited wasteland’.
A fledgling British
colony was established
on the premise of white
European supremacy,
officially endorsed in
1901 as the White
Australia Policy.
Although this racist
policy was formally
abandoned in 1973, the
idea still informs the
Australian psyche.
Politicians use
xenophobic and racist
rhetoric for political
gain, and they are
well-aided by the
Australian media. This
has caused many
Australians to live in
paranoid fear of
terrorism, asylum
seekers and Muslims. A
“Muslim, asylum seeker
terrorist” has become
Australia’s “boogie man”
- a mythological
creature used to
frighten children of all
ages into obedience.
In contemporary
Australia, the arrival,
ironically, of ‘boat
people’, an increase in
Muslim migration, and
the rise of terrorist
attacks on Western
targets, has
precipitated an identity
crisis within the white,
Western-dominated
Australian community.
Politicians and the
media have powerfully
colluded to convince
many that Muslims
represent a threat to
the ‘great Australian
values that bind us
together’, although
those that espouse this
ideology have difficulty
in defining what these
values actually are.
One particular media
mogul dominates the
Australian media
landscape, owning the
leading newspapers in
major cities nationally,
news websites, and cable
news and sports
services. Australians
are bombarded with
sensationalist,
over-hyped
‘tabloid-speak’, and
this stranglehold shapes
opinion among many. In
Australia today, the
media powerfully
influences moral and
intellectual values and
principles in negative
ways.
Emotive, often
inaccurate, articles
form the source for
talk-back radio
conversations,
television news
broadcasts and news
blogs, causing vote
hungry politicians to
abandon moral and
ethical foundations in
the pursuit of
re-election.
When publishing articles
on Muslims, content is
negative at least 70% of
the time. The
consequences of this
bias are critical, as
the way events are
presented to us can have
a profound effect on our
psyche, and therefore on
our moral judgement.
Rates of abuse toward
Muslims increase by 30%
each time there is a
domestic terrorist
incident.
Law enforcement officers
are at liberty to
subject Muslims to
disproportionate
surveillance and
excessively orchestrated
police raids, and when
these occur they are
sensationally reported
across all media
platforms.
When the tabloid media
links Australian Muslims
to the possibility of
violent attacks, the
dominant white culture
becomes increasingly
paranoid and exclusive.
Australian Muslims are
relentlessly expected to
prove their national
loyalty and loudly
condemn terrorist acts.
This further serves to
cause some sections of
the community to feel
persecuted and
marginalised.
To illustrate this, I
wish to focus on a
particular situation;
the treatment of the
Grand Mufti of
Australia, Dr. Ibrahim
Abu Mohammed by the
Australian media over
the proceeding week
following the Paris
terrorist attacks on
November 13, 2015.
Within twenty-four hours
Dr Ibrahim released a
media statement and
posted to his Facebook
page, condemning the
attacks and expressing
sorrow for the deaths of
those killed. Following
two days of media,
political and public
outrage against Dr
Ibrahim, labeling his
comments inadequate, the
Australian National
Imams Council released a
further media statement,
clarifying in stronger
terms, Dr Ibrahim’s
abhorrence and
condemnation for
terrorism.
1. Three days after
Dr Ibrahim’
statements, A
national newspaper
printed an image
image. The headline,
based on the three
wise monkeys, read
“The Unwise Mufti /
Sees no problem /
hears no concerns /
speaks no English.”
The article began,,
“Australia’s Grand
Mufti stubbornly
refuses to condemn
the Paris terror
attacks.”
2. On a radio
talkback broadcast,
the Minister for
Immigration
suggested Dr Ibrahim
must come out
publically, and
without reservation,
condemn the attacks.
3. Following the
second press release
by the Australian
National Imams
Council, a Canberra
reporter tweeted
“Grand Mufti and
Imams Council still
don’t condemn
attacks.” However
the press release
stated, “Dr Ibrahim
Abu Mohammed and
Australian National
Imams Council have
consistently and
unequivocally
condemned all forms
of terrorist
violence.”
The journalist’s
condemnation was
focused on the
grammatical tense of
the word ‘condemn’,
and the fact the
release did not
mention Paris,
however Dr Ibrahim’s
previous comments
did.
4. Another national
newspaper journalist
attacked Dr
Ibrahim’s messages,
suggesting, “This is
not just ineffective
leadership, it’s
counter-productive.
And it’s dangerous.
We are in a battle
against Islamist
terrorists. Whose
side is the grand
mufti on?”
Dr Ibrahim’s initial
press statement, his
Facebook post and the
Australian National
Imams Council all
clearly express sympathy
for the victims of the
Paris attacks,
articulate the horror by
naming them ‘heinous
acts of cowardice’ , and
call for all to work
toward unity and peace’
In addition, Dr Ibrahim
has repeatedly condemned
terrorism, such as in
his statement regarding
Isis in September, 2014,
“As we have repeatedly
preached in private and
in public in Arabic and
in English, the horrors
conducted overseas in
the name of religion are
crimes against humanity
and sins against God.”
Dr Ibrahim speaks
conversational English,
however at press and
other speaking
engagements uses an
interpreter to ensure he
is not misunderstood.
However, this truth is
never reported by the
press, who continue to
brutally criticise Dr
Ibrahim with accusations
he can’t speak English
and is ‘Un-Australian.
This vilification of Dr
Ibrahim has become sport
for the Australian media
and some politicians,
producing loud,
hate-filled and ignorant
responses from some in
the community.
So how do we challenge
these dichotomies and
alter consciousness
concerning who is
perceived as one’s
friend or enemy?
This is obviously
complex, often
overwhelming, however
there are strategies we
can use to attempt to
counter the damage from
toxic press reporting.
• Interpersonal
contact through
interfaith visits,
seminars, community
conversations and
social gatherings
has the potential to
establish
foundational
friendships.
Creating personal
connections between
groups in conflict
situations generates
positive perceptions
and attitudinal
shifts, and is
critical for
deepening
relationships.
• The use of ritual,
symbol and gesture
have the capacity to
evoke profound
emotional responses,
transcend the
rational, and move
beyond the spoken
word. To witness an
image of two
unlikely religious
leaders embrace, or
to acknowledge the
suffering of ‘the
other’ can be
transformative, not
only for those
involved, but for
those that witness.
• To continue to
expose simplified
mistruths and
counter them with
complex truths.
• To reconnect
people to their
humanity; sharing
stories, journeys.
“The affirmation of
common humanity can
bring out the best
in others.”
• To challenge the
moral justification,
euphemistic labeling,
disregard for
consequences, and
the exploitation of
advantageous
comparisons that the
end justifies the
means often used by
the media.
For us this work takes
the form of a
traditional roadside
sign that has been used
to successfully promote
harmony and challenge
stereotypical mistruths
abounding in
contemporary Australian
culture, especially
surrounding the Muslim
community.
These messages,
consisting of no more
than 56 characters, are
photographed and posted
to the parish’s Facebook
page, which in 2015 had
a reach of 19 million.
When signs supporting
the Muslim community are
posted to our Facebook
page, they receive
hundreds of thousands of
engagements, remembering
there are only 400,000
Muslims in Australia.
These posts ignite
thousands of on-line
conversations between
Muslims and the wider
community; mostly
positive.
Questions are asked,
stories shared, myths
busted, friendships
established. I believe
publically supporting
one another’s right to
faith can have profound
consequences; Imams,
Rabbis and Priests,
Muslims, Jews and
Christians need to be
getting these messages
of solidarity out there
for the world to see. No
matter what form it may
take, everyone needs to
get a sign.
An illustration of a lunar
eclipse, drawn by al-Biruni and
annotated in Persian
Muslim governments know that
economic growth, military
power, and national security
benefit greatly from
technological advances. Many
of them have sharply
increased funding for
science and education in
recent years. And yet, in
the view of many –
especially in the West – the
Muslim world still seems to
prefer to remain disengaged
from modern science.
These skeptics are not
entirely wrong.
Muslim-majority countries
spend, on average, less than
0.5% of their GDP on
research and development,
compared with five times
that in the advanced
economies. They also have
fewer than ten scientists,
engineers, and technicians
per thousand residents,
compared to the global
average of 40 – and 140 in
the developed world. And
even these figures tend to
understate the problem,
which is less about spending
money or employing
researchers than about the
basic quality of the science
being produced.
To be sure, one should not
be overly hasty in singling
out Muslim countries for
criticism; even in the
supposedly “enlightened”
West, an alarmingly high
proportion of the population
regards science with
suspicion or fear. And yet,
in many parts of the Muslim
world, science faces a
unique challenge; it is seen
as a secular – if not
atheist – Western construct.
Too many Muslims have
forgotten – or never learned
about – the brilliant
scientific contributions
made by Islamic scholars a
thousand years ago. They do
not regard modern science as
indifferent or neutral with
respect to Islamic teaching.
Indeed, some prominent
Islamic writers have even
argued that scientific
disciplines such as
cosmology actually undermine
the Islamic belief system.
According to the Muslim
philosopher Osman Bakar,
science comes under attack
on the grounds that it
“seeks to explain natural
phenomena without recourse
to spiritual or metaphysical
causes, but rather in terms
of natural or material
causes alone.”
Bakar is of course entirely
correct. Seeking to explain
natural phenomena without
recourse to metaphysics is
exactly what science is
about. But it is difficult
to think of a better defense
of it than the one offered
almost exactly 1,000 years
ago by the 11th-century
Persian Muslim polymath Abu
Rayhan al-Birūni.
“It is
knowledge,
in general,
which is
pursued
solely by
man, and
which is
pursued for
the sake of
knowledge
itself,
because its
acquisition
is truly
delightful,
and is
unlike the
pleasures
desirable
from other
pursuits,”
al-Birūni
wrote.
“For the
good cannot
be brought
forth, and
evil cannot
be avoided,
except by
knowledge.”
Fortunately, a growing
number of Muslims today
would agree. And, given the
tension and polarization
between the Islamic world
and the West, it is not
surprising that many feel
indignant when accused of
being culturally or
intellectually unequipped
for competitiveness in
science and technology.
Indeed, that is why
governments across the
Muslim world are increasing
their R&D budgets sharply.
But throwing money at the
problem is no panacea.
Scientists do require
adequate financing, of
course, but competing
globally requires more than
just the latest shiny
equipment. The entire
infrastructure of the
research environment needs
to be addressed. That means
not only ensuring that
laboratory technicians
understand how to use and
maintain the equipment, but
also – and far more
important – nurturing the
intellectual freedom,
skepticism, and courage to
ask heterodox questions on
which scientific progress
depends.
If the Muslim world is to
become a center of
innovation again, it is
useful to recall the Islamic
“golden age” that stretched
from the eighth century well
into the fifteenth. For
example, the year 2021 will
mark a millennium since the
publication of Ibn al-Haytham’s
Book of Optics, one of the
most important texts in the
history of science. Written
more than 600 years before
the birth of Isaac Newton,
al-Haytham’s work is widely
regarded as one of the
earliest examples of the
modern scientific method.
Among the most famous of
this era’s intellectual
epicenters was Baghdad’s
House of Wisdom, at the time
the largest repository of
books in the world.
Historians may bicker over
whether such an academy
truly existed and what
function it served; but such
arguments are less relevant
than the symbolic power it
still holds in the Islamic
world.
When Gulf state leaders talk
about their
multi-billion-dollar visions
of creating a new House of
Wisdom, they are not
concerned about whether the
original was just a modest
library that a caliph
inherited from his father.
They want to reanimate the
spirit of free inquiry that
has been lost in Islamic
culture and that urgently
needs to be recovered.
To achieve that, daunting
challenges remain to be
overcome. Many countries
devote an unusually large
share of research funding
toward military technology,
a phenomenon driven more by
geopolitics and the
unfolding tragedies in the
Middle East than by a thirst
for pure knowledge. The
brightest young scientists
and engineers in Syria have
more pressing matters on
their minds than basic
research and innovation. And
few in the Arab world are
likely to view advances in
Iranian nuclear technology
with the same equanimity as
developments in Malaysia’s
software industry.
But it is
nonetheless
important to
recognize
how much
Muslim
countries
could
contribute
to humankind
by nurturing
once again
the spirit
of curiosity
that drives
scientific
inquiry –
whether to
marvel at
divine
creation or
just to try
to
understand
why things
are the way
they are.
Jim
Al-Khalili is Professor of
Theoretical Physics and
Chair in the Public
Engagement in Science at the
University of Surrey. He is
a speaker at the World
Government Summit, Dubai,
February 8-10.
MVSLIM's list of Muslims who
achieved great things in 2015.
7. Hussain
Manawer
Back in July, Hussain
Manawer participated in
‘Global Rising Star’, a
competition for the most
promising future young
leader. Finalists are chosen
from a selection of young
people who have given
creative and thought
provoking solutions for the
world’s societal issues. The
Youtuber Hussain Manawer
made it to the finals. He
gave a keynote speech on
mental health issues for
young people in front of a
panel of UN goodwill
ambassadors, before winning
first prize… Which happened
to be a trip into outer
space with XCOR Space.
Al Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem
The third holiest place in
Islam is inside the al-Haram
al-Sharif, or the Noble
Sanctuary, in the Unesco-listed
Old City of Jerusalem. The
Al-Aqsa mosque - destroyed
by earthquakes and rebuilt
several times throughout
history - was used as a
palace by the medieval
Crusaders, but subsequent
Islamic caliphates carried
out repairs and restored it
as a place of worship.
Jerusalem's Old City is
currently under Israeli
control, and worship at the
Noble Sanctuary is limited
to Muslims only, but tension
between Palestinians and
Israelis mean that
restrictions are sometimes
imposed on Palestinian
access to the site for
security reasons.
TELEGRAPH CLARIFICATION:
This item previously located
the Al Aqsa mosque in
'Jerusalem, Palestine' and
stated that Palestinians
were denied access to the
Noble Sanctuary by Israeli
security forces. Since the
status of East Jerusalem is
not settled, we have removed
mention of 'Palestine'. We
have also amended the text
to clarify that, for
security reasons, access for
some Palestinians is
sometimes restricted, not
entirely denied.
Omar Offendum is one of the
many artists out there who
has been vocal about the
Arab Spring and refugee
crisis. He was born in Syria
but raised in Washington,
DC. Today, he lives in Los
Angeles.
We actually had him on the
show back in May. Check out
his moving performance of
"Crying Shame." His music is
eye-opening and will
re-sensitize you to what's
going on in Syria, if you
let it. And that's not a
coincidence.
"I think we have privilege
here, and I try and
recognize that as a sense of
responsibility," he said.
"My focus is just to remind
people that beneath all the
political posturing and all
the conspiracy theories and
all the proxy wars that are
taking place, there’s very
real human suffering."
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.
Advancing science
Ahmed Zewail
won the Nobel prize for
Chemistry in 1999, becoming
thereby the first
Egyptian-born scientist to
do so.
He is known
as the “father of
femtochemistry” and for
doing pioneering work in the
observation of rapid
molecular transformations.
Zewail, now
69, has spent most of his
life in the US where he is
now professor of chemistry
and physics at Caltech and
director of the physical
biology centre.
He joined
President Barack Obama’s
presidential council of
advisers on science and
technology (PCAST), an
advisory group of the
nation’s leading scientists
and engineers to advise the
president and vice president
and formulate policy in the
areas of science,
technology, and innovation
in 2011.
When he
joined PCAST the White House
hailed this Muslim
Egyptian-American as one who
is “widely respected not
only for his science but
also for his efforts in the
Middle East as a voice of
reason”.
Postage
stamps have been issued to
honour his contributions to
science and humanity.
Starbucks boycott call after
women banned from Saudi Arabia store
The sign at
the Riyadh Starbucks store.
SAUDI ARABIA:
STARBUCKS is at the centre of a
boycott after the company allegedly
banned women from one of its stores
in Saudi Arabia earlier this month.
Women in France are urging the
public to keep clear of the US
coffee chain after a sign in a
Starbucks window, purportedly taken
in Riyadh, instructed: “Please no
entry for ladies, only send your
drivers to order. Thank you.”
Women are banned from driving in the
country — hence the reference to
their drivers.
That sign prompted protests outside
Starbucks stores in France by women
calling on the public to boycott the
company.
A petition started by the group of
female activists pledging to boycott
Starbucks over the sign had more
than 12,000 signatures by Wednesday.
“We outraged citizens, call on
Starbucks Coffee consumers to
boycott all the cafes,” over the
sign in the Riyadh cafe.
n
“The dignity of human beings and the
female half of humanity is not
negotiable,” the petition reads.
The group also started a
conversation about the issue using
the hashtag #Girlcott.
According to a report in
Cosmopolitan, the religious police
asked the cafe to stop women from
entering after they noticed a
‘gender barrier’ — used to separate
male and female clients — was not in
place.
A Starbucks spokesperson told
Cosmopolitan that the cafe in the
Jarir bookstore in Riyadh underwent
renovations for a gender barrier.
The company said it “adheres to the
local customs by providing separate
entrances for families as well as
single people.”
“All our stores provide equal
amenities, service, menu, and
seating to men, women and families.
We are working as quickly as
possible as we refurbish our Jarir
store, so that we may again welcome
all customers in accordance with
local customs,” read the statement.
The company quickly followed up with
a revised statement later in the
week that confirmed “the store is
now accessible to single men on one
side as well as women and families
on the other side.”
Spectacular display of
Islamic art is unveiled at Craven Museum &
Gallery
UK: Craven
Museum & Gallery has opened
a stunning new exhibition -
showing work from some of
the top contemporary Islamic
artists working in the UK.
The world-class Faith In Art
exhibition, run in
collaboration with the
Muslim Museum Initiative,
opened on February 5, 2016,
and runs until March 28.
Scores of visitors packed
into the gallery for the
preview event on February 4,
with many of the artists
present to discuss their
work.
Curated by Mobeen Butt,
founder of the Muslim Museum
Initiative, the exhibition
brings together 10
exceptional artists, to
celebrate the variety and
vibrancy of Islamic art
being produced in Britain.
The exhibition showcases
calligraphy, geometry,
arabesque, illumination,
miniature painting, wood
crafting, paper-cutting,
embroidery, fabric printing
and three dimensional works.
Opening the exhibition,
Craven District Council
chief executive Paul Shevlin
said: "It's a great pleasure
to open this exhibition,
which is the result of a
great deal of collaboration
with artists, community
groups, schools and the
Muslim Museum Initiative.
"The exhibition is part of
our Museum: Indispensable
project, funded by the Arts
Council. The project focuses
on creating a more public
serving and inclusive
museum, which is sustainable
and at the heart of the
community. We would like to
thank the Arts Council for
their generous funding.
"It is a privilege to show
such a diverse and inventive
collection of art, in this
corner of the Yorkshire
Dales."
Mobeen Butt, founder of the
Muslim Museum Initiative,
said: "It is a testimony to
Craven's outward looking
staff that this project was
conceived.
"It was great to see such
diversity in the gallery; a
range of ages, ethnicities
and faiths were represented
and that is just brilliant!
"Art has the power to
transcend, it can bring
worlds together, evoke
emotions, pierce through
politics, tell stories, and
take people to distant times
and far off places. The
Faith in Art Exhibition aims
to do all the above and
more.
"This is a rare opportunity
to see such a spectacular
array of contemporary
Islamic art exhibited
outside of London, Dubai,
Qatar or Malaysia.
"Muslims in Britain are
producing exceptional art;
art with real soul, depth
and meaning; art that
mesmerises; and art that is
increasingly being collected
around the world.
"Synonymous with Islam, and,
I believe, the religion's
real strength, this
exhibition will show that
there can be 'unity within
diversity' and 'diversity
within unity'. If you want
to see the real soul of
Islam, look at its arts.
Scandinavia’s
first female-led mosque will
also be open to men except
for Friday prayers, but all
imams will be female
Sherin Khankan,
a well-known commentator and
author in Denmark, said there
was “an Islamic tradition
allowing women to be imams”.
DENMARK:
Scandinavia’s first
female-led mosque has opened
in Copenhagen in a bid to
challenge “patriarchal
structures” and create
debate and dialogue, its
founder has said.
Sherin Khankan, born in
Denmark to a Syrian father
and a Finnish mother, said
that while all activities at
the Mariam mosque except
Friday prayers would be open
to both men and women, all
imams would be female.
“We have normalised
patriarchal structures in
our religious institutions.
Not just in Islam, but also
within Judaism and
Christianity and other
religions. And we would like
to challenge that,” she
said.
Reactions from the city’s
Muslim community have mostly
been positive, with negative
feedback “moderate”, she
said.
Khankan, a well-known
commentator and author in
Denmark, said there was “an
Islamic tradition allowing
women to be imams” and that
most of the criticism was
based on ignorance.
Similar projects by Muslim
women exist in several other
countries, including the US,
Canada and Germany.
Imam Waseem Hussein, the
chairman of one of
Copenhagen’s biggest
mosques, questioned whether
there was a need for the
project. “Should we also
make a mosque only for men?
Then there would certainly
be an outcry among the
Danish population,” he told
the daily Politiken.
A Danish newspaper report
wrongly claimed that the
location of the mosque was
to be kept secret due to
security concerns.
“We haven’t received any
threats whatsoever,” Khankan
said, adding that she wanted
to collaborate “with
everyone” within the Muslim
community, and that the
project was not about
judging or excluding
anybody.
The first Friday prayer has
yet to be held as another
eight female imams, in
addition to the two
currently involved, have to
be found. “It’s a big
responsibility and we all
work as volunteers,” she
said.
The longstanding political
influence of the
anti-immigration Danish
People’s party (DPP), as
well as the row over prophet
Muhammad cartoons that led
to deadly protests in Muslim
countries, have strained
relations between Denmark’s
largest religious minority
and the majority population.
Denmark’s largest
purpose-built mosque,
including the country’s
first minaret, opened in
2014 in a district of
north-western Copenhagen
after receiving a 150m
kroner (£16m) endowment from
Qatar.
EGYPT: Oum
Kalthoum was one of the most
famous singers of all time,
east or west, man or women.
She was born in Egypt in the
very late 1800s and lived
through to the mid 1970s.
She started singing as a
young village girl who had
memorised the Koran at an
early age. She sang sacred
texts with her father who
was a Sheik and musician,
eventually supporting her
family who were lived a
simple life in a rural
village.
Oum Kalthoum went on to have
a stellar career throughout
Egypt and most of the Middle
East. She was a major
recording artist, filmstar
and concert diva, keeping
always to her strong Arab
and Egyptian roots.
Her funeral in Cairo in 1975
still rates as one of the
largest and most emotional
gatherings of all time.
Hafiz Patel, influential
British Muslim leader, dies at 92
UK: Hafiz Patel, one of
the most influential Muslim leaders in
Britain, has died. He was reported to be
92.
Mr Patel was the leader in Britain and
Europe of Tablighi Jamaat, a global
Islamic missionary movement that
encourages Muslims to be more
religiously observant.
Huge crowds of mourners attended his
funeral in Dewsbury on Friday.
A Muslim community organisation in
Bradford called Mr Patel a "pioneer of
Islamic identity in Britain".
News website Islam21c reported Mr Patel
had died on Thursday at the age of 92.
He had set up a seminary for imams and
Islamic scholars in Dewsbury in 1978.
Ishtiaq Ahmed, from the Bradford Council
for Mosques, said: "We are all very
saddened and shocked by his death. He
will be missed by thousands in Britain
and Europe.
"He was a pioneer, a visionary when it
comes to the Islamic identity, and the
place of the Muslim community in
Britain.
"He established Dewsbury in West
Yorkshire as a centre for European
Muslims in Britain as far back as 1978.
He also was a strong believer in British
home-grown Islam."
Conservative missionary leader
By Innes Bowen, author of Medina in
Birmingham, Najaf in Brent: Inside
British Islam
Every week large numbers of Muslims from
around the world converge on an Islamic
centre in Dewsbury. They are "tablighis"
- lay people taking time out to do
missionary work.
The man responsible for attracting them
to this corner of Yorkshire is Hafiz
Yusuf Patel. He was invited to Dewsbury
in the 1960s by local Gujarati Indian
Muslims who wanted a religious guide.
Such was his influence that the
popularity of the Tablighi Jamaat
movement grew across the UK. Dewsbury
became home to the movement's European
headquarters.
Despite Hafiz Patel's importance, and
the success of his organisation, little
is known about the Tablighi Jamaat by
outsiders.
Its media shyness, and the fact that
some convicted terrorists have spent
time in it, fuelled suspicion. But the
organisation's preaching is apolitical
and strictly non-violent.
The Tablighi Jamaat has done much to
give Islam in Britain its conservative
character and that perhaps is the most
significant part of Hafiz Patel's
legacy.
BBC religious affairs correspondent
Caroline Wyatt said Mr Patel was one of
the most important figures in making
Tablighi Jamaat (which means society for
spreading faith) a global movement,
particularly in spreading its work
throughout Europe and the Americas.
The organisation was founded in India in
1926 and is closely linked to the
conservative Deobandi school of Sunni
Islam.
Estimates for its global membership
today range from 12 million to 80
million, with European members thought
to number at least 150,000.
Q: My GP
suggested I do ‘weight-bearing’ exercises for
better bone health. Can you give me some easy
examples?
A: Weight bearing exercises involve
activities that are done while on your feet
(which in turn helps to build bones and keep the
them strong). Some great exercises for you to
start off with would be brisk walking, stair
climbing, jumping rope, jogging, hiking, etc.
As you get fitter, you can start including
resistance training two to three times a week
using your own body weight, such as push-ups,
lunges and tricep-dips. Not only will this help
improve muscle strength and tome, but also
increase bone density and strength.
To book appointments -
Ph: 3341 2333 (Underwood)
Ph: 3299 5596 (Springwood)
M: 0406 279 591
Website:
www.diversenutrition.com.au
What's the hype about: Fibre?
In the next few weeks, I'm going to do a "what's
the hype?" series where I will talk about
important nutrients, vitamins and superfoods.
This week, I want to talk about fibre!
Unfortunately, there isn't much hype about this
wonderful compound. What is fibre? And do we
need it in our diet?
Fibre is important for keeping your bowels
healthy. There are two types: soluble and
insoluble. Soluble fibre found in fruits,
vegetables, oats and legumes absorb water so it
works like a sponge in your gut, helping to bulk
up stools. Whereas, insoluble fibre, found in
whole grains, skins of fruits, nuts and seeds do
not dissolve and help to move things along down
the gut. We need a mixture of these two fibres,
because too much or too little of one or the
other can lead to difficult times in the toilet.
Nobody likes to talk about their bowel habits,
some might find it weird or just embarrassing to
talk about it. But if your bowels have not been
regular for awhile, it's best to seek for advice
and do something about it. If you are having
trouble, try increasing the fibre-rich foods in
your diet gradually and make sure you drink
plenty of fluids as well.
If you are approached from
behind, one of the most
effective ways to throw off
your attacker is to run your
heel down the front of their
shin - the prominent bone
found in the lower part of
the leg. This is a fine bone
and even if your attacker is
well built, this bone tends
to stick out. Simply lift up
your heel and scrape your
heel down the front of your
assailant's shin bone as
hard as possible. Most
footwear is capable of
causing pain and damage, but
heels are even better.
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.
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
1st Muharram
1438
– Islamic New Year 1438
12 October
Wednesday
Day of Ashura
12 December
Monday
Birth of the
Prophet (pbuh) / Milad un Nabi
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
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
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In response to the passing
of the Queensland
Multicultural Recognition
Bill, Islamic Council of
Queensland president, Mr
Ismail Cajee (pictured
left), said that it
was a "great day for all
Queenslanders… and all
Australians of course! "
Mr Cajee added: "I am
pleased to advise that ICQ's
Ali Kadri (pictured
right) was invited to be
part of the advisory board
on this bill and contributed
significantly to relevant
parts of the content. ICQ
would like to congratulate
Brother Ali on being
selected to be on the panel
and for his efforts in this
matter to date. May Allah
reward him for his efforts."
Jim
Al-Khalili is Professor of
Theoretical Physics and
Chair in the Public
Engagement in Science at the
University of Surrey. He is
a speaker at the World
Government Summit, Dubai,
February 8-10.
Starbucks boycott call after
women banned from Saudi Arabia store
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7
August 2011