The
Qld Pakistan Association
held its inaugural function
celebrating Pakistan
National Day on the 23rd of
March at Michael’s Oriental
Restaurant. The event had
stalls and a fashion parade
to keep the guests
entertained and Michael
contributed with an
authentic Pakistani menu.
More than 200 guests came
along to celebrate the night
and each of the attendees
received a special gift of
appreciation from the
Association of a traditional
Pakistani shoe key ring with
the Association details
attached (pictured right).
It was announced on the
night that Her Excellency,
Naela Chohan, the High
Commissioner of Pakistan,
had accepted the position of
Patron of the Qld Pakistan
Association. However, she
was unable to attend the
event as she was hosting her
own function in Canberra and
sent
a letter of support and
congratulations to the
Association.
Also in attendance were
Multicultural Affairs
Minister, Grace Grace, Peter
Russo MP, Member for
Sunnybank, and Cr Kim Marx,
representing the Lord Mayor
of Brisbane.
On the night there was a
free henna artist, a free
photography wall, a map of
Pakistan to highlight where
everyone came from, and
games and prizes for the
audience. This was a first
for the QPA, and the
organisation was formally
introduced on the night.
"The QPA thanks all our
guests for their support and
we look forward to many more
functions for the community
in the future," said Ms
Yasmin Khan on behalf of the
QPA.
Check the Association's
Facebook Page for more
photos from the night.
Dr
Soutphommassane was born to
refugee parents fleeing Laos
for France in 1982. He was
resettled in Australia
through a government
initiative.
Graduating with First Class
Honours in Sydney, Dr Tim
completed his Master’s
degree and PhD in Philosophy
and Political Theory at
Oxford University.
He was appointed Race
Discrimination Commissioner
in 2013, and argues that
calls to repeal Section 18C
of the Racial Discrimination
Act are ill-founded and
ill-informed.
So recently, the prime
minister of England David
Cameron, was reported to have
said that the majority of Muslim
women are traditionally
submissive. When the prime
minister speaks, we all hear his
words. It is only fair that he
hears mine. I am a Muslim woman,
who has a Muslim mother, Muslim
female family members, and i
have personally met thousands
and thousands of Muslim women.
I've never met a submissive
Muslim woman. So who is this so
called majority?
In the
first part, Dr. Jasser Auda
raised the question about where
women prayer area should be
located within the mosque and
whether segregating women from
men in mosques is acceptable. He
listed 5 disadvantages of this
practice and showed how the
design of the Prophet’s Mosque
was open for both males and
females. In this article, an
important advantage of such an
open design is discussed.
Women
Learnt from Imam directly
As women had their share in
the Prophet’s Mosque, they
were able to see him as he
preached. That is
scientifically proven to
help in maintaining
attentiveness and proper
communication. Some women
used to directly learn the
Quran from the recitation of
the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him).
.......
Hence, there is no need to
isolate women within walls
or curtains or to prevent
them from sighting the Imam.
It is proven that women used
to see the Prophet (peace
and blessings be upon him)
in the Mosque, and that it
had a positive impact on
their acquisition of
knowledge. They also
benefited from, and were
even quite careful to
observe, attendance at the
Mosque.
Drawing lines on the ground
or using low barriers may be
sufficient for organizing
the areas of prayer for men
and women to avoid any
undesired dispute or
crowding.
About Islam
NEXT WEEK:
PART 3
About Dr. Jasser Auda Jasser
Auda is a Professor and Al-Shatibi
Chair of Maqasid Studies at
the International Peace
College South Africa, the
Executive Director of the
Maqasid Institute, a global
think tank based in London,
and a Visiting Professor of
Islamic Law at Carleton
University in Canada. He is
a Founding and Board Member
of the International Union
of Muslim Scholars, Member
of the European Council for
Fatwa and Research, Fellow
of the Islamic Fiqh Academy
of India, and General
Secretary of Yaqazat Feker,
a popular youth organization
in Egypt. He has a PhD in
the philosophy of Islamic
law from University of Wales
in the UK, and a PhD in
systems analysis from
University of Waterloo in
Canada. Early in his life,
he memorized the Quran and
studied Fiqh, Usul and
Hadith in the halaqas of Al-Azhar
Mosque in Cairo. He
previously worked as:
Founding Director of the
Maqasid Center in the
Philosophy of Islamic Law in
London; Founding Deputy
Director of the Center for
Islamic Ethics in Doha;
professor at the University
of Waterloo in Canada,
Alexandria University in
Egypt, Islamic University of
Novi Pazar in Sanjaq, Qatar
Faculty of Islamic Studies,
and the American University
of Sharjah. He lectured and
trained on Islam, its law,
spirituality and ethics in
dozens of other universities
and organizations around the
world. He wrote 25 books in
Arabic and English, some of
which were translated to 25
languages.
The Islamic Society of the
Gold Coast, together with a
Fijian based Church group
from Burleigh, has arranged
for a container of goods to
be collected and shipped to
cyclone victims in Fiji.
Your contributions to help
fill this container are most
welcome.
The container will leave the
Mosque on 31 March.
Building materials, tools,
building equipment and non
perishable food items are
required. Please deliver
your items boxed and
labelled so that it can be
packed directly into the
container.
On Saturday the 19 March
Islamic Relief QLD was at
Underwood Market Place
fundraising for a disability
centre in Saida City,
Lebanon.
Islamic Relief aims to
create a fully staffed and
equipped rehabilitation
centre in Lebanon to support
children with disabilities
from any background. Lebanon
is significantly impacted by
refugee populations,
including Palestinian,
Iraqi, and Syrians.
The centre will provide
daily therapy in:
Physiotherapy, Speech
Therapy, Occupational
Therapy, Special Education,
and Psychosocial Support.
The centre will also train
the parents so they can
provide ongoing therapy to
their children to assist in
their recovery and support
for years to come.
If you would like to donate
to the cause, please contact
Islamic Relief's Community
Engagement Officer in
Brisbane on 0456 426 523.
Over
140 people registered for Al
Kauthar Brisbane's 15th
weekend course, last
weekend. Sheikh Abdul Wahab
Saleem, originally from
Canada, presented The
Spiritual Zone- The Inner
Dimensions of Salaah.
Feedback from attendees was
overwhelmingly positive,
with much praise for the
content of the course, the
professionalism of the
organisation and the
comfortable mother's room.
The course covered the
various aspects of attaining
Khushoo' in ones Salaah,
from the moment the Adhaan
is called, through to Wudhu,
intent, understanding the
meanings of the prayer to
the final salaam.
The next course will be held
on the 14 and 15 May and is
titled The Forgotten
Jewels - Great Women in
Islam, presented by
Sheikh Daood Butt.
The 2016
'Shoebox4Syria' campaign's
aim is to contribute 20,000
shoeboxes from Australia to
this international campaign
"filled with Eid toys and
lots of love", donations
will then be transported
directly into Syria by
international aid workers.
The Melbourne community has
pledged in excess of 3000
'Shoebox4Syria' toy gifts in
under a week and now
Brisbane, QLD has come on
board to grow this
initiative further.
The organizers are seeking
assistance in spreading this
message to the community
through:
1.) Spreading the word,
sending out the message to
your school/masjid community
2.) Setting up a ‘drop of
location’ at your
organisation, this will
include a simple storage
container for boxes and some
flyers on the wall, the area
organiser will collect items
from this on a regular basis
up until the cut of dates.
The organizers are also
accepting cash donations to
the local area organisers or
via this link which will
contribute to the making of
the boxes on donators'
behalf and shipping costs.
This year the
Queensland cut of
dates for boxes donated is
the 24th of April and cash
donations is the 24th of
April.
The reinvention
of Islam:
Interview with
the Islamic
scholar Ebrahim
Moosa
Concepts like
apostasy or
blasphemy reveal
that Islamic
theology is
caught in a mode
of imperial
Islamic
political
thinking, says
US-based scholar
Ebrahim Moosa.
What is needed
is a process of
critical
appraisal. Moosa
asks that
Muslims
rediscover the
great lessons of
diversity in
their history
rather than
following the
reductionist
versions that
masquerade as
Muslim theology
today. Interview
by Claudia Mende
Professor Moosa,
in traditional
Islam issues
such as apostasy
or blasphemy are
considered a
crime. How do
you deal with
these questions
as a theologian?
Ebrahim Moosa:
We need to think
about these
issues on two
levels. One
level is to
grasp that what
we call apostasy
is actually part
of imperial
theology. Even
in non-Muslim
empires – think
of the Christian
imperial
heritage – when
someone left the
faith, they were
viewed as being
disloyal to the
empire. If you
left your faith
you were making
a statement
about the
political. The
situation was
the same in both
Islamic and
Christian
empires:
apostasy was a
political act of
treason. Today
too, we view
political
disloyalty as
treason.
And the other
level?
Moosa:
The other level
is to recognise
that this
imperial
theology has
expired with the
emergence of the
nation state:
the idea of
citizenship, new
ideas of
individual
rights and a new
way of
understanding
the role of the
religious. These
days Muslim
theology adopts
the following
stance towards
apostasy: if you
change your
faith then it is
a matter between
you and God; a
change in faith
is no longer
regarded as an
act of
disloyalty to
the political
order.
In the modern
nation state,
religion is very
much a personal
and private
affair, while
state and civil
society
regulates the
public sphere.
We must not
forget, however,
that this idea
is contested by
some in West.
Some Christians
also expect
certain
Christian values
to be adopted by
the state. This
would
necessarily lead
to a blurring of
distinctions,
creating a grey
area between the
public and the
private.
Qantara
Yasir Suleiman
is acting
president of the
Doha Institute
for Graduate
Studies.
After
Islamophobia
comes the
criminalisation
of Arabic:
Who will rescue
Western
societies from
their
Islamophobes?
By Yasir
Suleiman
Discussing
conflict, the
Italian
political
theorist Antonio
Gramsci
(1891-1937) told
us decades ago
that when
language comes
to the fore as
an issue in
society, we
should conclude
that there are
non-linguistic
issues simmering
under the
surface.
The opposite is
also true:
conflict,
whether
political or
social, can
bring language
to the fore as a
site of
non-linguistic
meaning. In
extreme cases,
languages can be
criminalised
after their own
people. Arabic,
in the West,
provides a sad
example of
emerging
criminalisation.
Here is how the
criminalisation
argument runs:
since Arabic is
organically
linked with
Islam and
Muslims as the
language of
faith, and since
Islam and
Muslims are
linked with
violent
extremism and
terrorism in
Western
societies,
Arabic must
therefore be
linked with
extremism,
violence and
terrorism.
This
criminalisation
of Arabic is a
new dimension of
Islamophobia
which, in my
view, has the
capacity to
evolve into a
new stereotype
in this
ever-changing,
ever-expanding
corrosive
phenomenon in
Western
societies.
Terrorist
connotations
For well over a
decade, the
Western media
have been
reporting on the
terrorist
connotations of
Arabic in the
public sphere.
Westerners have
developed a
sharper
familiarity with
the tones of
spoken Arabic
and a greater
recognition of
the Arabic
script.
These capacities
have been used
in a profiling
mode in ways
that affect
people
negatively who
are perceived to
be Muslim or
Arab, two
categories of
identification
that are often
conflated with
one another.
Al Jazeera
Young And
UnAustralian:
Bigotry Is
Driving Away A
New Generation
Many young
Australians are
finding it
increasingly
difficult to
identify with
their country.
Mostafa Rachwani
explains.
“Who here
identifies as an
Australian?”
Discussions in
one of the
writing
workshops I run
at schools
recently turned
to identity and
minorities, and
I asked what I
assumed to be an
innocuous
question.
To my surprise,
not a single
student put
their hand up.
Their answers
ranged from
feeling
un-Australian
due to
appearance or
culture, but
most revolved
around feeling
disassociated
with their
perceptions of
Australian
values.
Some even
referred to the
immigration
policy or
Indigenous
affairs as
examples of the
ways in which
Australian
policies did not
align with their
own set of
values.
This was a class
of mixed
ethnicities,
gender and
cultural
backgrounds, and
not a single one
of them felt
Australian.
The workshop is
run in many
schools
throughout
Sydney,
including public
schools
throughout the
West, as well as
Catholic and
Jewish colleges.
I posed the same
question to all
the classes I
teach and
overall, I
received a more
mixed message
compared to the
first class.
Nonetheless the
question was
always met with
strong opinions,
and a recurring
powerful
rejection of
preconceived
notions on how
young people
understand their
identity.
At first I was
perplexed. Not
just because
these students
seemingly shared
my existential
quandary on
identity and
values, but that
they also had
fully formed
opinions on the
issue.
They all
appeared to be
bursting at the
seams,
expansively
discussing such
concepts with
vigour and
confidence.
Their feedback
consistently
reflected a
sense of
eagerness to
debate and share
opinions.
Clearly, such
discussions were
not being had in
class. Students
expressed great
pleasure in
being able to
freely discuss
these topics,
informing us
these workshops
were the only
place they could
express their
sentiments on
identity,
culture,
discrimination
and bigotry.
More importantly
however, it
reflects a
certain
restrictive
approach to
discussions in
class. Some
students
expressed
anxiety at the
thought of
writing their
thoughts for
fear of teacher
or student
backlash in
their school.
This controlling
attitude extends
across all
schools, private
and public, and
seemed to be
embedded into
schooling
environments.
Although this
may at first
seem rather
outrageous, a
quick scan of
the current
political
climate might
give a bit of an
explanation.
When such
luminous
characters as
Cory Bernardi
and George
Christensen are
frothing at the
mouth at any
suggestion their
ideological
crusades are not
being heard,
even if it means
demanding an
anti-bullying
program get
pulled, one
starts to
understand why
students feel
paranoid.
These immature
bigots think
discussions on
the wellbeing of
school students
is an
appropriate
battleground for
their
ideological
crusades. Their
narratives are
characterised by
a tearing
anxiety their
life choices are
no longer held
up as the wider
norm across
Australia. Their
voices, and many
more of their
ilk, oscillate
between a
squirming
defence of their
bigotry and a
screaming
tantrum
reminiscent of a
three-year-old
denied a new
toy.
The unfortunate
ongoing
consequences of
this narrative
has not just
resulted in the
Safe Schools
embarrassment,
but reaches out
and tangles
itself in many
other facets of
schooling life.
With the NSW
government now
rolling out
“extremism
guidelines” to
school teachers,
we have a
teaching
environment that
is underscored
by distrust and
paranoia. It has
left teachers
the unnecessary
role of watching
student’s
behaviour for
any “signs of
extremism” in
addition to
their normal
jobs.
Ridiculously,
these guidelines
also refer to
anti-social
behaviour or
racial comments
as being
characteristic
of violent
extremism. What,
then, of those
students who
felt they could
not identity as
Australian, that
questioned what
entails
Australian
values? Such
rudimentary
parameters would
lead them all to
be branded
violent
extremists.
Notwithstanding
the fact these
guidelines only
exacerbate the
issues that
cause violent
extremism, it
also leads to a
distrust of
discussion
itself. No
longer are
classrooms a hub
of discussion
and debate, a
safe space for
students and
their ideas.
Conversations
are restricted
as teachers seek
to avoid having
to brand any of
their students
as extremist or
otherwise. More
importantly
however,
students now
also seek to
shun discussions
as they attempt
to avoid coming
under scrutiny.
Chereen's interview with
Dr. Samir Iqbal, the
Pakistani-American scientist
who developed a device to
diagnose cancer rapidly.
Iqbal worked on the project
with Young-tae Kim, a UTA
associate professor in the
Bioengineering Department;
Muhymin Islam, a STEM
doctoral candidate; and
engineering students
Muhammad Motasim Bellah,
Adeel Sajid and Muhammad
Raziul Hasan.
Chereen: Please tell
me a bit about yourself.
Dr. Iqbal: I was born
and raised in Bahrain. My
dad was an expat working in
research health; he worked
as a pharmacist. I was 14
when I moved to Pakistan
with my family and settled
into a fairly large town.
That was where we I got my
schooling and college done.
I was fortunate to be in a
very active community. In
college, I was one of the
founders of the
Anti-pollution movement,
which [went] against the
mafia cutting down trees. We
also went after the chemical
industry people who would
just throw their chemicals
into the water streams
without treatment.
I also would get students
engaged in donating blood,
because there was a major
disconnect in the country
with patient care and people
donating blood to the
hospitals. I was very active
when I was in college.
People used to ring our bell
at two in the morning and my
parents would know that it
was for me. It could have
been that someone needed
blood, or someone was in
need of help.
Chereen: What
motivated you to be this
active?
Dr. Iqbal: I think
that I was born this way,
alhamdulilah. My parents
were supportive of whatever
I was doing. Our family is
like that. I remember seeing
my dad volunteer at a
Pakistani school in Bahrain
that was not very well
funded. He would spend his
time and type up every exam
on an old cyclose style
machine. This inspired me to
do more. I was in high
school when I started
teaching my uncle's three
kids. That was the beginning
because they were my very
first students.
Chereen: Can you
explain the process? I feel
like the groundwork started
early on to prepare you for
something that is so
profound and in-depth.
Dr. Iqbal: There is a
plan, Allahu khairul makirin.
Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala has
his plan. We don't know
sometimes and we get anxious
sometimes, but there is
always something larger than
we can see. I was in my
bachelor's of science when I
got selected for the naval
service. The navy training
is very competitive, with
many steps you have to go
through even to be selected
and join the academy. I
appreciated the opportunity
because it made a man out of
a boy.
We have to spend time at
high seas to appreciate what
we have on land. Allah
subḥānahu wa ta'āla
(glorified and exalted be
He) says it in the Qur'an
that when we are on ships,
when we are on sea, we beg
for Him to bring us on
stable ground. When we are
on stable ground, we become
arrogant again. Those that
have not been at sea have no
idea what that means. Being
on the other side taught me
a lot about life.
Chereen: From
speaking to you, I can tell
that you really do apply a
lot of effort and that is
something that is very
important to you. Can you
tell me more about that?
The foundation of al-Mansur’s
‘Round City’ in 762 was a
glorious milestone in the
history of urban design. It
developed into the cultural
centre of the world
The round city of Baghdad in
the 10th century, the peak of
the Abbasid Caliphate.
Illustration: Jean Soutif/Science
Photo Library
If Baghdad today is a byword
for inner-city decay and
violence on an unspeakable
scale, its foundation 1,250
years ago was a glorious
milestone in the history of
urban design. More than
that, it was a landmark for
civilisation, the birth of a
city that would quickly
become the cultural lodestar
of the world.
Contrary to popular belief,
Baghdad is old but not
ancient. Founded in AD762 by
the Abbasid caliph al-Mansur
“The Victorious” as the new
seat of his Islamic empire,
in Mesopotamian terms it is
more arriviste than grande
dame – an upstart compared
to Nineveh, Ur and Babylon
(seventh, fourth and third
millennium BC respectively).
Baghdad is a mere baby, too,
when compared with Uruk,
another ancient Mesopotamian
urban settlement, which lays
claim to being one of the
world’s earliest cities and
which was, sometime around
3,200BC, the largest urban
centre on earth with a
population estimated at up
to 80,000. Some think the
Arabic title for Babylonia,
al-Iraq, is derived from its
name.
We know a huge amount about
the city’s meticulous and
inspired planning thanks to
detailed records of its
construction. We are told,
for instance, that when
Mansur was hunting for his
new capital, sailing up and
down the Tigris to find a
suitable site, he was
initially advised of the
favourable location and
climate by a community of
Nestorian monks who long
predated Muslims in the
area.
According to the
ninth-century Arab
geographer and historian
Yaqubi, author of The Book
of Countries, its
trade-friendly position on
the Tigris close to the
Euphrates gave it the
potential to be “the
crossroads of the universe”.
This was a retrospective
endorsement. By the time
Yaqubi was writing, Baghdad,
City of Peace, had already
become the centre of the
world, capital of the
pre-eminent Dar al-Islam,
home to pioneering
scientists, astronomers,
poets, mathematicians,
musicians, historians,
legalists and philosophers.
Once Mansur had agreed the
site, it was time to embark
on the design. Again we are
told that this was entirely
the caliph’s work. Under
strict supervision he had
workers trace the plans of
his round city on the ground
in lines of cinders. The
perfect circle was a tribute
to the geometric teachings
of Euclid, whom he had
studied and admired. He then
walked through this
ground-level plan, indicated
his approval and ordered
cotton balls soaked in
naphtha (liquid petroleum)
to be placed along the
outlines and set alight to
mark the position of the
massively fortified double
outer walls.
On 30 July 762, after the
royal astrologers had
declared this the most
auspicious date for building
work to begin, Mansur
offered up a prayer to
Allah, laid the ceremonial
first brick and ordered the
assembled workers to get
cracking.
The scale of this great
urban project is one of the
most distinctive aspects of
the story of Baghdad. With a
circumference of four miles,
the massive brick walls
rising up from the banks of
the Tigris were the defining
signature of Mansur’s Round
City. According to
11th-century scholar Al
Khatib al Baghdadi – whose
History of Baghdad is a mine
of information on the
construction of the city –
each course consisted of
162,000 bricks for the first
third of the wall’s height,
150,000 for the second third
and 140,000 for the final
section, bonded together
with bundles of reeds. The
outer wall was 80ft high,
crowned with battlements and
flanked by bastions. A deep
moat ringed the outer wall
perimeter.
We saw this
photo of halal tableware by
local company Claytan, being
displayed at an exhibition
on this blog. Claytan was
founded in (then) Malaya in
1920 to manufacture
ceramics, then later subsoil
pipes (all those underground
water pipes).
True enough, they have the
halal cert displayed on
their website. It was
authenticated by the
Religious Department of
Johor.
MVSLIM's list of Muslim women
who achieved great things in
2015.
2. Nadiya Hussain
Ready, set, bake!
Nadiya sets up the highlight
of TV entertainment of 2015,
conquering cakes and tough
competition at “The Great
British Bake Off”. Her
bright and exciting
personality as well as her
colorful cakes and chocolate
sculptures inspired by her
exciting sense of culture
has won over the hearts of
millions.
What puts Nadiya as one of
the top 10 is her flying
success throughout this year
and her ambition to continue
to do so in 2016. Having
signed a publishing deal
with Michael Joseph and
hoping to start a cooking
show with Bake Off Finalist
Tamil Ray, the Bake Off
would certainly not be the
last thing we hear from
Nadiya.
Faisal Mosque, Pakistan
The world's fourth largest
mosque stands against a
backdrop of the Margalla
Hills in Pakistan's capital
city, Islamabad. Its
contemporary design was
conceived of by Turkish
architect Vedat Dalokay, and
its eight-sided concrete
shell is inspired by a
Bedouin tent and the cubic
Ka'aba in Mecca. The Faisal
Mosque is described in the
book The Kite Runner by
Khaled Hosseini
Thank you for another informative and interesting
Newsletter!
Cheers Wayne Briscoe | Executive Director Stakeholder Engagement and Communication |
Strategy, Engagement and Innovation
Department of Communities, Child Safety and
Disability Services
Visiting a Mosque Abroad: “Islam
Has Always Been Part of Cuba’s History”
CUBA: Imam
Yahya Pedro Lazo Torres is
the president of La Liga
Islamica de Cuba. A stately
man in his 60s, I watched
him greet neighbours and
friends as he made his way
over to the old townhouse,
which served as one of only
two fully operative mosques
in the island-nation’s
capital of Havana.
I was in Cuba to attend a
two week spring term trip
through my university and
the partnering organization,
Witness for Peace. Despite
recent normalization efforts
between the U.S. and Cuba
and the re-opening of the
embassies in both countries
last summer, travel to the
island was still operative
of pre-normalization laws.
When I told friends and
family that I would be
visiting a mosque in Cuba,
many were wary – a result of
reports, sometimes
exaggerated, of state
suppression of religion on
the island.
Gradual shifts in state
policy however, from active
promotion of atheism in the
1960s to the eventual
allowance of religious
peoples’ membership in the
Communist Party in the 90s
have led to the opening of
many religious communities
today. Reverend Joel Suarez,
founder of the Martin Luther
King Center and the aptly
named Ebenezer Baptist
Church in Havana, who would
also serve as our host, told
us that religion had always
been alive on the island.
Until recently, however,
most of it was kept
underground.
The MLK Center and the
mosque were both located in
predominantly black
neighborhoods. Association
with African heritage
through religion is not
uncommon among Afro-Cubans
and is often a means of
resistance to the lingering
effects of Spanish
colonialism– what the great
Cuban thinker Fernando Ortiz
called, a ‘failed
transculturation’, as well
as the racialized economic
imperialism of US American
intervention in the past
century. Imam Yahya would
later explain how, while it
is uncommon today, Islam has
always been part of Cuba’s
history, citing evidence of
Muslims arriving as early as
the 12th century, and then
again during the
trans-Atlantic slave trade
in which 10-15% of slaves
were Muslim.
It was fitting then, that
Imam Yahya first learned
about Islam from West
African Muslims who arrived
to study on the island after
the revolution. He explained
how these students, many of
whom came to study medicine
and benefit from the famed
medical schools, were keen
on bringing literature and
copies of the Quran to share
with Cubans. After accepting
the new religion he
developed a thirst for
religious knowledge and
began to study and learn on
his own, despite minimal
access to literature and
scholarship.
Raul Castro’s meeting with
Pope Francis last Spring was
widely seen as a positive
step towards opening these
religious spaces, and his
meeting a month prior with
Turkish President Recep
Erdogan included talks of
building an Ottoman style
mosque as well. An architect
by profession, Ali described
his own dreams for designing
the first fully operative
mosque on the island.
With what many view as
hopeful signs for the
religious faithful in Cuba,
and for the burgeoning
Muslim community in
particular, only time will
tell how these communities
will respond to the exciting
changes that are sure to
come. For now, says Imam
Yahya, “we follow God and
his Prophet, and have trust
in our faith.”
Forcing Muslims to
wear badges - Public Experiment
I wanted to see
if people would act like Nazis
if they were paid to. So I went
around and asked people to
discriminate against a muslim...for
$40.
I made these "muslim badges" to
eerily remind people of what
Hitler did during the Holocaust,
and to show what Donald Trump's
proposal would entail.
At the end of the video, I then
stood outside a couple mosques
myself and told muslims to wear
the badge. Their reactions were
much different.
I've been reading a lot on
Donald Trump lately about how he
wants to ban Muslims from
entering the US. He also wants
all Muslim-Americans to register
with the government...so we can
keep surveillance of them.
This is obviously wrong...but If
a guy went up to you and offered
you money, would you do it?
(This is my first video on
youtube, and first time using a
video camera/external mic, so
please excuse some of the
mess-ups)
Croydon man arrested after
confronting Muslim woman and telling her to
'explain Brussels'
Matthew Doyle
tells the Telegraph that
Twitter's 140 character limit
made the encounter sound vastly
different to how he thought it
went
UK: A man who
tweeted about stopping a
Muslim woman in the street
yesterday, challenging her
to "explain Brussels", and
lambasted on Twitter for his
comments, has responded to
the criticism today,
insisting he is not some
'far right merchant'.
Matthew Doyle, partner at a
south London-based talent &
PR agency, posted a tweet on
Wednesday morning saying: "I
confronted a Muslim woman in
Croydon yesterday. I asked
her to explain Brussels. She
said 'nothing to do with
me'. A mealy mouthed reply."
He was later arrested.
His tweet referred to
yesterday's bomb attacks on
the Belgian capital's main
airport and Metro system
that left at least 34 people
dead and 198 injured. His
comment went viral, being
retweeted hundreds of times
before he eventually deleted
it.
Mr Doyle told the Telegraph
he had no idea his tweet
would be the "hand grenade"
it has proven to be - and
that Twitter's 140 character
limit made the encounter
sound vastly different to
how he thought it went.
"What everyone's got wrong
about this is I didn't
confront the woman," he
said. "I just said: 'Excuse
me, can I ask what you
thought about the incident
in Brussels?'"
"She was white, and British,
wearing a hijab - and she
told me it was nothing to do
with her.
"I said 'thank you for
explaining that' - and her
little boy said goodbye to
me as we went out separate
ways."
On Wednesday afternoon, he
says, someone who's been
outraged by his comments
"turned up at my door, gave
me a load of abuse and tried
to throw a punch at me."
As for his more inflammatory
tweets, Mr Doyle claims
they're intended as a joke,
which people who know him
would understand as "that's
absolutely not who I am."
"I'm not some far-right
merchant, I'm not a
mouthpiece for any kind of
racism or radicalism," he
says. "If I was xenophobic I
wouldn't live in London.
"I have a Muslim neighbour
who got burgled, and I was
one of the first people to
go around to help."
However, he says he does
believe Muslims aren't doing
enough to speak out against
terrorism.
"The horror that happened in
Brussels could happen here,"
he adds, "and your naive if
you think London isn't on
some terror shortlist."
"Croydon" quickly became a
trending topic follwing Mr
Doyle's post as scores of
people bombarded the Twitter
with replies and retorts.
Many people started
spoofing Mr Doyle's tweet,
in increasingly absurd
fashion:
Stop trying to be like
Arabs, Ruler advises Malays
Sweet
celebration: Sultan Ibrahim
cutting a cake with Permaisuri
of Johor Raja Zarith Sofiah
Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah
beside him during the Royal Tea
Party to mark his birthday at
Dataran Bandaraya. Looking on
(second left) is Johor Menteri
Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled
Nordin.
JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA: The
Sultan of Johor has called on Malays not
to discard their unique culture, saying
he was disturbed by those who want to
stop Muslims from the salam practice
despite it being a traditional way of
greeting each other.
Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan
Iskandar said he was sticking to “my
customs and traditions as a Malay
because I’m born Malay.”
“If there are some of you who wish to be
an Arab and practise Arab culture, and
do not wish to follow our Malay customs
and traditions, that is up to you.
“I also welcome you to live in Saudi
Arabia.
“That is your right but I believe there
are Malays who are proud of the Malay
culture. At least I am real and not a
hypocrite and the people of Johor know
who their ruler is,” he said.
He said, for example, he preferred to
use terms like Hari Raya instead of Eid
al-Fitr, or buka puasa instead of iftar.
“I have been using these Malay terms
since I was a child and speaking to my
late father for the past 50 years.
“I have no intention of replacing these
terms with Arabic,” he said.
His Royal Highness said religious faith
was not based on external criteria such
as clothing to display one’s
relationship with God, saying “what is
in the heart and mind is more
important.”
He stressed that it was wrong to judge
someone.
“God will judge you. If you want to
advise someone, then call them to the
side and whisper, do not embarrass
them,” he added.
Sultan Ibrahim said that during his
annual Kembara Mahkota, he shook the
hands of thousands of people including
women.
“Why must I change? You do not have to
be fanatic. If they (women) are not
sure, I ask if they want to shake my
hands. If they do not want to shake my
hands, there is no problem,” he added.
Asked to comment on the recent
controversy where Crown Prince Tunku
Ismail was criticised by those on social
media for shaking hands with JDT player
Mohd Safiq Rahim’s wife, Sultan Ibrahim
said that she approached him.
“He only extended his hand out. Why
criticise? I am sure this is the work of
some sour grapes from other places who
are jealous of JDT football team,” he
added.
Sultan Ibrahim said that this was the
Johor way and his message to those who
did not want to shake his hands is to
simply stay away.
Soon after the incident, Tunku Ismail
posted a video on Facebook which showed
him shaking hands, in a satirical way,
with two women with an oversized glove.
Sultan Ibrahim also expressed his
displeasure at the Batu Pahat Public
Works Department (JKR) for recently
putting up a notice reminding Muslim
women about the sin of not covering
their hair, which was mounted on a
signboard along a road here.
“This is wrong. This is not their role.
Since when is JKR involved in this?” he
asked.
State Public Works, Rural and Regional
Development committee chairman Datuk
Hasni Mohammad later said the officer in
charge of the matter was directed to
take down the notice.
“Since when is JKR, whether at state or
district level, being put in charge of
religious matters? Their main job is to
make sure the roads are properly
maintained and not worry about women’s
hair,” Sultan Ibrahim said.
The Sultan said he had confidence and
faith in Malaysians because the majority
of them were decent and religious
people.
Likewise, he said that “it is not the
business of government departments to
worry about people’s dressing. Just do
what you are paid to do and mind your
own business”.
On a recent meeting with religious
groups in UAE, Sultan Ibrahim said the
Arabs were becoming more open nowadays.
“They are opening up. Previously women
in Saudi Arabia were not allowed to
drive but they are gradually allowing
it. Some women are even joining
politics,” he said, adding that the
situation was also the same in Iran.
South African Airports
with Halaal food and Prayer facilities
SOUTH AFRICA:
Traveling around the country
used to be exciting and
glamorous and certainly not
a weekly occurrence. You had
to be a serious jet-setter
with heavy moneybags to
afford it. Now it has become
par for the course and is as
ho hum as catching the
train. For many it starts
out with excitement as part
of a new job that includes
lots of travel, meeting new
people and seeing new places
and often deteriorates into
lonely and and exhausting
trips away from home and
family. And one of the many
things to contend with is
having food on the run. At
conferences and business
meetings where your dietary
needs as a Muslim is seldom
taken into account.
At least the airports in
South Africa have picked up
on this, whether consciously
as a business strategy or
unconsciously, they have
become quite halaal friendly
over the last few years.
Unless you’re in some remote
part of the country at a
tiny little airport with one
Cessna, it’s not that
difficult to get some halaal
food to sort you out on a
layover. Even prayer rooms
have been modernised to take
into account the need for
ablution (wudu) facilities.
Here is a list of all the
airports in South Africa
where you can make Salaah
comfortably and get some
halaal nosh.
Deradicalising Britain:
the activists turning young Muslims away
from extremism
While David Cameron urges Muslim
people to do more to fight
extremism, volunteers such as
Jahan Mahmood are working
tirelessly to steer young people
away from a destructive path –
and doing it much more
effectively than the
government’s own highly
distrusted counter-terrorism
scheme
Jahan
Mahmood (left), who has helped
stop people like Sabeel (right)
from moving towards extremism
UK:
Jahan Mahmood doesn’t bring
out his stash of unexploded
shells straight away. That
part – and to be clear, his
ordnance collection is
strictly deactivated – comes
later on in the evening.
We’re in a community centre
in Sparkbrook, Birmingham,
the heating’s on the blink
and the group is less than
half the size it was
supposed to be – because of
me. Mahmood is giving a
counter-extremism talk – a
presentation that, he says,
has previously put young men
off going to fight in Syria
– but many of the agreed
attendees cancelled at the
last minute. Among young
Muslims in this community,
with its heavy surveillance
and Syria-related terror
raids, mistrust is running
high: the worry is that if
you talk about such issues
in front of a journalist,
the next thing you know,
you’re on a watch list.
This
evening, half a dozen young
men in their 20s are
listening, captivated, as
Mahmood, a military history
researcher, shows them a
series of images depicting
Muslim fighters on the
British side during the two
world wars.
There is a
picture of Khudadad Khan
(right), from what is
now Pakistan, the first
Indian Army recipient of the
Victoria Cross – he
single-handedly manned a
machine gun post in Belgium
in 1914 long enough for
reinforcements to arrive,
preventing a German
breakthrough that might have
led to attacks on the UK.
Mahmood notes
the significance of people
who were subjugated by the
British empire, joining the
fight for British freedoms.
Next there’s a slide of a
graveyard in Italy full of
young Muslim boys from
Pakistan who died fighting
the Nazis during the second
world war; Punjabi Muslims
formed the largest component
of the British army outside
of the UK in both world
wars.
And
there is a photo of King
George V (left)
wearing a Muslim turban – he
had a close relationship
with the Muslim military
elite – taken during the
first world war. “If the EDL
[English Defence League] saw
this, they’d have a heart
attack!” jokes Mahmood.
This work
isn’t part of any government
counter-radicalisation
programme – because, Mahmood
says, if it were, it would
have no credibility or
impact.
The UK’s
counter-terror programme,
Prevent, has been so widely
criticised that the terror
watchdog recently called for
an independent review,
citing concern that the
policy is counterproductive,
causing fear and mistrust.
Rolled out by
the then Labour government
following the London
bombings in 2005, the
£40m-a-year programme is now
known as “MI5 Islam”, so
prevalent is the feeling
that it is a programme of
surveillance on Muslims.
Qari Asim: Bringing faiths
together in a day of positive action
UK: FOR
Christians, Lent is a period
of self-discipline, marked
by fasting, self-control,
repentance and prayer.
Luxury or rich foods – such
as chocolates, dairy and
meat products – are often
avoided by those taking
part.
Muslims also fast every year
during the month of Ramadan
when they abstain from
eating and drinking from
dawn to sunset. The act of
“fasting” has multiple
purposes: it is a means to
detox one’s body and purify
the soul; it teaches
self-restraint and it
increases people’s
compassion for those who
have been deprived of their
daily means of survival.
As there are a number of
similarities between Lent
and Ramadan, the
#Muslims4Lent campaign was
started in the USA a couple
of years ago and quickly
spread around the world.
In solidarity with the
season of Lent, some young
Muslims in Leeds have given
up pleasures from their
daily lives to demonstrate
their commitment to peace
and solidarity with others.
The #Muslims4Lent campaign
is running for 40 days and
those Muslims and Christians
participating have been
using this time to help
better understand the common
practices and principles
within Christianity and
Islam, to celebrate
inter-faith work and the
universality of faith.
In keeping
with the spirit of Lent, a
number of faith institutions
across Britain will also
take part in “Sadaqa Day” –
a Muslim-led day of social
action focused on bringing
smiles to people’s faces.
Inspired by the Jewish
Mitzvah Day, it encourages
people to demonstrate the
universal values, as well as
the British values, of
giving, sharing and caring
for others.
Initiatives include donating
cash, baking cakes, helping
others with shopping,
painting a nursery garden,
feeding a homeless person or
a refugee, cleaning up the
streets or sitting by the
side of a sick person. In
short, it is about doing
good, reaching out and
giving time and money to
help others.
In the current climate, when
violence is unfairly
associated with Islam and
Muslims are labelled as
extremists, or they are
being considered as the
“fifth column” by some, it
may sound strange to many
that Islam’s core values
include giving, sharing and
caring for others. “Sadaqa
is due on every joint of a
person, every day the sun
rises”, instructs the
Prophet Muhammad (peace be
upon him).
'No-one told me I was
going to be interviewed by a Muslim'
Moment Burma democracy heroine
Suu Kyi lost her cool with BBC's
Mishal Husain after being
quizzed over violence towards
Muslim minority
Heated:
Burmese politician Aung
San Suu Kyi and Today
presenter Mishal Husain
had a heated exchange
BURMA: She is
a Nobel Peace Prize laureate
and a beacon of saintly
integrity in the West who
remained under house arrest
for 15 years in her native
Burma.
However, there is another
side to Burmese politician
Aung San Suu Kyi that sits
at odds with her iconic
image.
After the BBC Today
presenter Mishal Husain gave
Suu Kyi a rough ride during
a BBC interview, Suu Kyi
lost her composure and was
heard to mutter angrily
off-air: ‘No one told me I
was going to be interviewed
by a Muslim.’
The spat between the two
prominent and famously
elegant Asian women has only
just emerged, and followed a
heated interview with the
70-year-old president of
Myanmar’s National League
for Democracy on the Today
programme, according to a
new book, The Lady And The
Generals: Aung San Suu Kyi
And Burma’s Struggle For
Freedom, by Peter Popham.
Suu Kyi’s equivocal attitude
towards the violence
suffered by Burma’s Muslim
minority has alarmed even
her most dedicated fans.
Interview: Husain
(right) was interviewing Suu Kyi
for Radio 4's Today programme in
October 2013 (pictured)
When she was repeatedly
asked by Husain to condemn
anti-Islamic sentiment and
the wave of mob-led
massacres of Muslims in
Myanmar, she declined to do
so. ‘I think there are many,
many Buddhists who have also
left the country for various
reasons,’ she replied. ‘This
is a result of our
sufferings under a
dictatorial regime.’
Much of the country’s huge
Buddhist majority dislikes
its small Muslim community
with a passion, so it is
thought Suu Kyi did not want
to alienate her supporters.
Muslims are only 4 per cent
of Burma’s population. The
Rohingya Muslims, who have
borne the brunt of the
violence, are a smaller
minority still. The Rohingya
are explicitly forbidden
from becoming citizens of
Burma and have no political
weight whatsoever.
Husain, 43, was the first
Muslim presenter of Radio
4’s Today programme.
But while often seen as a
symbol of the BBC’s
commitment to diversity, she
is, herself, thumpingly
posh.
The mother-of-three and
Northampton-born daughter of
Pakistani parents was
educated at private school
and Cambridge University,
where she read law.
Q: Dear
Kareema, I’m on track with my fitness levels and
goals and am now looking at toning my arms.
Which are some exercises I can do to aid in
achieving this goal
of mine?
A: Tennis is known to sculpt and tone
arms, so I suggest you give it a go. It’s good
for working chest and shoulders too which is a
great advantage. While not primarily
aerobic, it can still help burn calories along
with fat, and less fat will get your muscles
noticed no matter what activity you do.
Boxing is another challenging workout with
guaranteed results for shaping and toning arms
and upper body. So get on your boxing gloves and
get punching, whether it be
with a workout buddy or punching bag.
To book appointments -
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M: 0406 279 591
Website:
www.diversenutrition.com.au
What’s the hype about: Acai?
Acai berries (pronounce ah-sigh-ee) are small
round purple berries which emerged as a popular
superfood in the last few years. There are
claims that it contains high amounts of
antioxidants associated with cancer prevention,
anti-ageing and weight loss properties. With all
the hype acai-d, is this berry as super as it
cracks up to be?
Currently, there is not enough scientific
evidence which show acai berries having any
extra health benefits different from other
fruits. Realistically speaking, not only acai
berries but all plant foods in general are rich
sources of antioxidants. Therefore, having a
diet filled with lots of wholesome fresh fruits
and vegetables is likely to provide you with
plenty of antioxidants for your body.
In terms of anti-ageing, we all know growing old
is a natural process of life and no amount of
berries can stop that; although, having a
nutritious diet and being physically active does
help to maintain muscle mass, metabolism and
support healthy ageing. Acai can be included as
part of a healthy diet to help achieve and
maintain a healthy weight, however acai berries
itself are not imperative for weight loss.
Overall, I don’t believe acai berries should be
classified as a ‘superfood’ per se; however, you
can include it in your diet as a serving of
fruit as we need 2 serves of fruit each day.
Just remember that one certain food is not going
to be the solution to all health problems,
however, having a balanced healthy diet and a
physically active lifestyle will definitely
help!
This is my last piece for the series of “what’s
the hype about?” I hope you all have enjoyed
this series and that it provided you with
greater insight into the real deal behind some
of the popular ‘superfoods’.
From now on, my column will only feature
monthly, so keep your eyes peeled at the end of
each month for more Fitria on Food articles!
Remember that prevention is
the best self-defense.
Attackers, whatever their
objectives, are looking for
unsuspecting, vulnerable
targets. So be sure to
follow general safety tips
like being aware of your
surroundings, only walking
and parking in well-lit
areas, keeping your keys in
hand as you approach your
door or car, varying your
route and times of travel,
and other personal security
precautions.
Click here for contact
and registration details for
Southside Academy of COMBAT
According Australian bureau
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then the number has risen.
Southside Academy of Combat
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DON'T BE ANOTHER
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Debating Moderate Islam: The Geopolitics of Islam
and the West
by
M A Muqtedar Khan (Editor)
Description
After 9/11, many Americans took the view that the attacks on
the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were the leading
edge of a new war: Islam versus the West.
Yet the attacks were also part of the current struggle
within Islam between fundamentalist and moderate approaches
and were staged for maximum effect in the Muslim world.
This book is based on a special-topic issue of the American
Journal of Islamic Social Sciences (Fall 2005), and brings
together prominent Muslim voices from the policy and
academic communities to debate the nature of moderate Islam
and what moderation means in both a theological and a
geopolitical sense.
Participants reflect on the future of political Islam, its
role in Muslim politics, western policies in the Muslim
world, and the future of American-Muslim relations. This
book and the debate it presents are vital to understanding
these complex issues.
"One who does not read is no better than one who cannot
read."
Would you like
to see the cover of your favourite book on our book shelves
below?
Using the book club you
can see what books fellow CCN readers have on their
shelves, what they are reading and even what they,
and others, think of them.
Those who believe (in the
Qur'an), and those who
follow and the Jewish
(scriptures), and the
Christians and the Sabians,
any who believe in Allah and
the Last Day, and work
righteousness, shall have
their reward with their
Lord: on them shall be no
fear, nor shall they grieve.
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
Next Meeting
Time: 7.00pm Date: Tuesday 29 March 2016 Venue: Islamic College of Brisbane - 45 Acacia Road
Karawatha
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The
Qld Pakistan Association
held its inaugural function
celebrating Pakistan
National Day on the 23rd of
March at Michael’s Oriental
Restaurant. The event had
stalls and a fashion parade
to keep the guests
entertained and Michael
contributed with an
authentic Pakistani menu.
Jasser
Auda is a Professor and Al-Shatibi
Chair of Maqasid Studies at
the International Peace
College South Africa, the
Executive Director of the
Maqasid Institute, a global
think tank based in London,
and a Visiting Professor of
Islamic Law at Carleton
University in Canada. He is
a Founding and Board Member
of the International Union
of Muslim Scholars, Member
of the European Council for
Fatwa and Research, Fellow
of the Islamic Fiqh Academy
of India, and General
Secretary of Yaqazat Feker,
a popular youth organization
in Egypt. He has a PhD in
the philosophy of Islamic
law from University of Wales
in the UK, and a PhD in
systems analysis from
University of Waterloo in
Canada. Early in his life,
he memorized the Quran and
studied Fiqh, Usul and
Hadith in the halaqas of Al-Azhar
Mosque in Cairo. He
previously worked as:
Founding Director of the
Maqasid Center in the
Philosophy of Islamic Law in
London; Founding Deputy
Director of the Center for
Islamic Ethics in Doha;
professor at the University
of Waterloo in Canada,
Alexandria University in
Egypt, Islamic University of
Novi Pazar in Sanjaq, Qatar
Faculty of Islamic Studies,
and the American University
of Sharjah. He lectured and
trained on Islam, its law,
spirituality and ethics in
dozens of other universities
and organizations around the
world. He wrote 25 books in
Arabic and English, some of
which were translated to 25
languages.
Over
140 people registered for Al
Kauthar Brisbane's 15th
weekend course, last
weekend. Sheikh Abdul Wahab
Saleem, originally from
Canada, presented The
Spiritual Zone- The Inner
Dimensions of Salaah.
The 2016
'Shoebox4Syria' campaign's
aim is to contribute 20,000
shoeboxes from Australia to
this international campaign
"filled with Eid toys and
lots of love", donations
will then be transported
directly into Syria by
international aid workers.
Visiting a Mosque Abroad: “Islam
Has Always Been Part of Cuba’s History”
This
evening, half a dozen young
men in their 20s are
listening, captivated, as
Mahmood, a military history
researcher, shows them a
series of images depicting
Muslim fighters on the
British side during the two
world wars. 
And
there is a photo of King
George V (left)
wearing a Muslim turban – he
had a close relationship
with the Muslim military
elite – taken during the
first world war. “If the EDL
[English Defence League] saw
this, they’d have a heart
attack!” jokes Mahmood.
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7
August 2011