Crescents Community News is
proud to announce two
significant milestones that
have been reached almost
simultaneously this week.
This week's edition marks
the 600th
uninterrupted weekly issue
of CCN which made its first
appearance in 2004 (long
before blogs, wikis, social
media and YouTube
technologies became
mainstream).
In addition, CCN's
Facebook Page clocked up
over 1000 followers
this week.
We are humbled by the
support and loyalty of our
regular and very diverse
readership which extends to
all parts of Australia, and
across our borders to many
other countries.
We look forward to your
company as we head towards
our next milestone,
insha'Allah.
Professor Mohamad Abdalla
will make the move from Griffith
University to lead the Centre
for Islamic Thought and
Education.
THE University of South
Australia is set to become
the leading Australian hub
for Islamic studies through
a new research centre.
The Centre for Islamic
Thought and Education will
be led by Professor Mohamad
Abdalla, who will make the
move from Griffith
University (Brisbane) where
he established an Islamic
research unit a decade ago.
In an increasingly
globalised world the varied
problems facing Muslim
societies present new and
complex challenges, which
need to be addressed from a
strength-based approach,
Prof Abdalla said.
One of the founding
values of the centre will be
the clear focus on genuine
and meaningful engagement,
which will provide for
valuable two-way
conversations and insights
between the Muslim and
broader community.
UniSA Vice-Chancellor David
Lloyd said the centre would
collaborate with
international partners,
government departments and
non-government bodies in
Australia and overseas.
Shihaab Azam and Hamza Khan
at the Kennedy Space Centre,
NASA, Florida, USA
Hamza Khan, Shihaab Azam,
Olivia Hutley and Kelsey
Matushcka, are the first
Australians ever to win one
of the four divisions at the
Conrad Spirit of Innovation
Challenge held on 20-24
April 2016 at NASA in
Florida, USA.
They are members of Team
Enlighten, Year 11 students
at Brisbanes St Johns
Anglican College. St Johns
is the only school in
Australia to make the
semi-finals two years in a
row.
The competition included
four divisions; Aerospace
and Aviation, Energy and the
Environment, Cyber
Technologies and Security,
and Health and Nutrition.
The spark for this idea
originated when Hamza and
his mates were using their
phones late at night and
realised that their
smartphones were having a
detrimental effect on their
sleep. The team decided to
design a viable solution in
the Health and Nutrition
category of the Innovation
Challenge.
The winning team proposed
the idea to develop a mobile
application to control the
colours of mobile devices to
eliminate anxiety, poor
sleeping patterns and
stress.
Their Lumos App idea is
based on studies that show
extensive amounts of
exposure to lighting
patterns on various devices
that can lead to physical
and mental issues.
The students will be offered
help to establish patents
for their app and also
private entrepreneurial and
marketing support which will
assist in taking their ideas
to the market.
Their teacher, Mr Nathan
King was awarded the
prestigious Teacher of the
Year award. Mr King is the
first teacher from outside
of the US to win this award.
From left: Shihaab Azam,
Olivia Hutley and Hamza Khan at
NASA.
All 20 students who attended
the Conrad Spirit of
Innovation Challenge took
the opportunity to tour the
Kennedy Space Station, the
Atlantis Shuttle Exhibition
and the Saturn V Rocket
during their time in
Florida. The competition
also allowed students to
network with astronauts
Captain Kathryn Hire, Jon
McBride and Bob Cabana,
Director of NASA.
Through networking, many
students from St Johns are
also looking at partnering
with other schools from Asia
and North America to further
develop their ideas.
Hamza is the son of Dr
Javaid Khan, a researcher at
the University of Queensland
and Mrs Zeba Khan, a teacher
at the Australian Islamic
College, Brisbane.
The Conrad Spirit of
Innovation Challenge began
in August 2015 with over 500
students from 16 countries
joining together to create
concepts, products and
services to benefit
humanity.
Of those, an astounding 140
teams submitted projects.
With the help of judges,
over 110 teams advanced to
the semifinals.
These teams tackled an
amazing challenge creating
business and technical plans
and graphic representations
for products that, only a
few weeks before, were
conceptual ideas.
Over 90 teams attended the
20-24 April 2016 Summit at
NASA in Florida, USA.
It has been estimated that
up to 80% of all human
behaviours are learnt
through looking up to role
models. This is why it is so
critical that we choose
positive role models, for
ourselves and our children.
Sadly, in todays society,
we make sports and movie
stars our role models
despite the miserable lives
they lead outside of their
primary pursuit. Their lives
rarely contain a full
complement of positive
characteristics that we
would want to emulate as
Muslims.
Fortunately, Islamic history
is full of amazing role
models - men, women and
children - from whom we
learn how to be great in all
aspects of life. We learn
from them how to navigate
our environment, how to
overcome challenges, how to
achieve truly great things
and how to be those whom
Allah (SWT) loves.
Next week!
The Forgotten Jewels - Great
Women of Islamic History
By Sheikh Daood Butt
In this course we will
relive the legacy of some of
the greatest women in our
rich and amazing history.
Some of the great women we
will be looking at include:
Young Women:
Aishah Bint Abu
Bakr
Amah Bint Khalid
Hafsah Bint Sireen
Mothers who
raised Scholars:
Mother of Imam Bukhari
Mother of Imam As-Shafiee
Mother of Imam Malik ibn
Anas
Mother of Imam Ahmed ibn
Hanbal
Women and
Society:
Zumurrud Khatun (Sister of
Salahuddin Al-Ayoubi)
Women and Their
Parents:
Umm Kulthum
Love Stories:
Women Making the Right
Choice
Zainab Bint Muhammad
Bareerah and Mugheeth
Khansaa Bint Khaddaam
Umm Salamah
180 Degrees:
Women who changed
their life around
after Islam
Hind Bint Utbah
(Radical Change,
from cannibal acts
to Islam)
Al-Ghamidiyyah
(Sahabiyyah who
commited adultery)
Women and
Knowledge: (A Modern
Example)
Aisha
At-Taymuriyya
(1840-1902)
Achieve success and
greatness in your own life
by learning lessons from
those who achieved it before
us
Critics say extraordinary
powers granted to NSW police
will hit vulnerable people
hardest
The orders would give NSW
police similar powers to those
they have to seek and impose
control orders on terrorism
suspects.
Sweeping police powers
passed by the New South
Wales upper house are so
broad they could lead to
Australians being prevented
from visiting churches,
mosques or attending public
protests simply on the gut
feeling of police officers,
critics have warned.
A bill passed by the NSW
upper house on Wednesday
granted police extraordinary
powers to create serious
crime prevention orders and
public safety orders.
Both types of orders
effectively permit police to
impose draconian measures
against individuals when
they have insufficient
evidence for a criminal
prosecution, or after a
criminal sentence has
expired.
The move has sparked a
strong response from the NSW
Bar Association. It says
serious crime prevention
orders would effectively set
up a rival criminal justice
system.
The orders would give police
similar powers to those they
have to seek and impose
control orders on terrorism
suspects but they could be
applied to all citizens who
are alleged to have some
proximity to or involvement
in a serious crime, without
a person ever being found
guilty of an offence.
The Greens upper house
member David Shoebridge was
highly critical of the laws
in parliament, and said they
could be used simply on the
gut feeling of police
officers. He warned of the
disproportionate effects the
powers would likely have on
vulnerable people.
Labor was also opposed to
the passage of the public
safety orders, which would
allow police to make wide
orders to restrict a person
from ordinary daily
activities like using a
phone or attending a
particular location for up
to a 72-hour period, without
any right to appeal the
decision before a court.
The Labor upper house member
Adam Searle introduced an
amendment to enhance some
protections for the orders,
including increasing
judicial oversight to give
meaningful avenue of
appeal against them.
He told the chamber in
relation to the public
safety orders: We have
these powerful orders that
relatively junior police
officers can issue against a
person based on that police
officers belief, which may
or may not be correct but
which certainly cannot be
scrutinised or reviewed.
The amendment failed.
Shoebridge also raised a
series of amendments in an
attempt to scrap both types
of orders.
In an exchange that
illuminated the at times
cosy relationship between
the police and the church,
the governments leader in
the legislative council,
Duncan Gay, said: The
police like churches. When
Shoebridge raised the issue
of preventing individuals
accessing mosques, no
interjections were made from
the chamber.
Shoebridge said: There is a
complicit silence from
members of the Legislative
Council who were comfortable
to say that these orders
would not be made to prevent
a person from attending
church for the term of their
natural life.
Let us be clear, those
opposite want to be able to
make unreviewable orders to
prevent somebody from going
to a mosque for the rest of
their natural life and that
is why they oppose a right
to appeal.
Legal groups have also
raised serious concerns
about the bill. David
Porter, police powers
solicitor at Redfern Legal
Centre, said the new powers
essentially removed equality
before the law.
This isnt a question of
the gradual erosion of
equality before the law
the passing of these bills
means it is gone, Porter
said. These new bills
introduce public safety
orders that are not about
safety, but about control.
They are about shutting down
all sorts of public events,
from protests to footy
finals.
We can expect these serious
crime prevention order
applications to be
substantially based, and
determined, on secret police
intelligence and evidence
that police say cannot be
shown to the person or their
lawyer. In addition, the
orders which will control
the next five years of a
persons life, are
determined on a lower burden
of proof than normally
applies in criminal
proceedings.
A so-called 'white flight' is
leading to unofficial
segregation in Melbourne's
school system.
Natalie Sims was told not to
send her son Daniel to
Fitzroy Primary School.
Other local mothers called
her "brave" for sending him
to a school where the
students were mostly Somali
and Muslim from commission
housing nearby.
"There was a suggestion that
I wasn't being careful
enough with my child's
education," says Ms Sims.
But Daniel thrived. He loved
school, made lots of
friends, and in grade six
last year, was accepted into
the accelerated program at
University High.
"White flight" is shaping
education in Melbourne's
inner city state schools,
leading to unofficial
segregation along race and
class.
In the Greens-voting
socially liberal enclaves of
the inner north, white
middle class families have
deserted the schools closest
to the remaining commission
housing towers, while
competing for spots in a
handful of schools seen to
have greater prestige.
The Islamic Council of
Victoria that it wants to create
a mosque for more than 2000
worshippers.
Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert
Doyle has welcomed the
prospect of a large mosque
being built in the CBD,
following claims demand for
prayer space is outstripping
supply.
Cr Doyle said Melbourne was
one of the great
multicultural cities of the
world and agreed there was a
need for a bigger site.
"I think a mosque would be a
wonderful addition to
multicultural Melbourne," he
said.
Lord Mayor Robert Doyle says
a mosque would be a 'wonderful
addition to multicultural
Melbourne'.
"We have a wonderful Islamic
community in Melbourne and
as far as I'm concerned,
they are most welcome in the
centre of our city."
He was responding to
comments from the Islamic
Council of Victoria that it
wants to create a mosque for
more than 2000 worshippers
either in the Hoddle Street
grid or Docklands.
Demand for space at the
council's existing
inner-city mosque, in
Jeffcott Street, is so great
that a garage has been tuned
into a temporary prayer
room.
Lord Mayor Robert Doyle says
a mosque would be a 'wonderful
addition to multicultural
Melbourne'.
The council's president,
Byram Aktepe, told ABC radio
on Friday that the current
city mosque was built for
300 people but now makes
room for 2000 people over
two daily services, across
three floors.
"We're looking at a mosque
that could cater for more
than that," Mr Aktepe said.
He said that a central
location to ensure that it
is easily accessible was
important. He said the
council would be open to
using a historic building.
"[We'd like] something
that's appealing to the eye
and something that blends in
with the local fabric," he
said.
"If it's a standalone
building, we'd like
something to be uniquely
Australian in how it looks
not a traditional type of
mosque with lots of minarets
and that sort of thing."
Cr Doyle said he liked the
idea of a traditional site
being used.
"They will need a planning
permit but we're happy to
work with them should they
find an ideal building," he
said.
Cr Doyle dismissed
speculation that a large
mosque would be a security
concern, saying many Jewish
temples and schools dealt
with safety issues
appropriately.
Recent proposals for mosques
across Victoria have been
met with strong opposition
and violent public rallies.
There was a long-running
dispute about the proposed
mosque in Bendigo, plus
angry scenes that met
proposals for mosque in
Melton and Narre Warren
North.
"I hope we wouldn't see that
sort of behaviour," he said
of such anti-Muslim
protests.
"I think it's very
un-Australian."
Mr Aktepe anticipated the
new mosque would be funded
by the local Islamic
community and that the
building would cope with
population growth over the
next 40 years.
It would also include an
education centre.
"We don't want to be
spilling out to the streets.
That's the problem that we
face if we don't address it
in the next few years," he
said.
"As part of our values to be
Trustworthy, Smart and
Efficient, Muslim Aid Australia
would like to present the Annual
report for 2015. Presented by
MAAs CEO Sheikh Hassan Elsetohy
you will find all the latest
Facts & Figures."
More information
here.
Report by Manarul Islam, IT
professional and AMUST correspondent
based in Canberra
CMC President, Mainul Haque,
welcomes guests to the
fundraising dinner whilst
Mustapha Omari, as Master of
Ceremonies for the night looks
on.
Canberras Muslims came out
in force on Saturday 23
April to support the
construction of the
Gungahlin Masjid in
Canberras north.
The Canberra Muslim
Community (CMC) Fundraising
Dinner at the University of
Canberra saw at least 600
attendees turn up to raise
over $400,000 for the
construction of the masjid.
The struggle to establish
the masjid has been a long
one, thanks to an elongated
challenge by a group calling
itself Concerned Citizens
who repeatedly challenged
and appealed, on quite
flimsy grounds, the ACT
Governments approval for the
masjid. These challenges
eventually were thrown out
and the approval for the
building remained valid.
The event was conducted by
Mustapha Omari and commenced
by the recitation of the
Holy Quran.
Mainul Haque, the President
of CMC and long time
resident and active
community member of
Canberra, stressed, in the
welcome address, that the
masjid and the committee
would be inclusive to all
members of the Muslim
community, would positively
engage with its neighbours
and the community and
encourage women and the
youth attend the venue and
its events.
Mr Haq said that the masjid
project had the blessing of
the ACT Imams Council.
They have given us their
united, wholehearted
support. May Allah reward
them, he said.
Our goal is together to
build a mosque for all of us
but this needs your help,
he added. This help, he
clarified, could be
financially or by lending
expertise and assistance.
Guests at the dinner listen
to the speeches at the
fundraising dinner.
Architect Jalal Anis
presented the design of the
masjid and update on the
progress of construction.
Imam Adama Konda, member of
the ACT Imams Council and
Imam of Canberra Islamic
Centre in Monash, in
Canberras south, also lent
his support for the
construction.
Imam Akram Buksh,
Director and Imam of Slacks
Creek Mosque in Brisbane,
and the main speaker of the
night, then set hearts
racing and stepped up the
volume and intensity of the
gathering by explaining the
benefits of sacrificing
money and effort in the
building of the masjid.
He pointed out that you
cannot take the new car or
latest phone with you when
you die but when you do good
deeds and sacrifice for
building a house of Allah,
these deeds follow you to
the day of judgement.
His inspiring speech
translated into donation
after donation and by the
time he had finished the
pledged total had gone
beyond $300,000.
Hussin Goss, from the
Gold Coast Mosque, conducted
a jovial and upbeat auction
that saw the donations rise
higher and higher.
This was followed by a
sumptuous dinner, donated by
Taj Agra restaurant and then
Isha prayer before wrapping
up.
To support the building of
the Gungahlin Masjid, you
can
donate online.
Or direct deposit: Canberra
Muslim Community; Bank: ANZ
BSB: 012950 Account:
109547085
London mayor
election results: Sadiq Khan
'proud London has chosen
hope over fear' as he wins
landslide
Sadiq Khan made history as
Londons first Muslim mayor
tonight, but his victory has
been overshadowed by David
Camerons refusal to back
down in a row over his links
to extremists, writes Gordon
Rayner, Chief Reporter.
Mr Khan, a former Labour
cabinet minister, became
Britains most powerful
Muslim politician when he
defeated the Conservative
candidate Zac Goldsmith by a
landslide. He gained more
than 1.1 million votes, the
single largest mandate for
any individual politician in
British history.
The Conservatives tactic of
accusing Mr Khan of
legitimising extremist
views failed to win over
voters in the capital, and
was described as a vile
smear by the Labour leader
Jeremy Corbyn.
Zac Goldsmith and Sadiq Khan
Several senior Tories
expressed dismay at the
outrageous and appalling
strategy, while Mr
Goldsmiths own sister
Jemima Khan said she was
sad that his campaign did
not reflect who I know him
to be.
However Downing Street made
it clear David Cameron would
not be withdrawing his
criticisms, suggesting the
Tories may plan to use Mr
Khans controversial past in
future attempts to undermine
him.
A Downing Street source
said: We don't back away
from the questions we raised
during the campaign.
Mr Khans election received
a hostile response from some
in the US, where the
influential Drudge Report
website described him as the
First Muslim Mayor Of
Londonistan and he was
called an Islamist by one
major TV network.
The capital turned red for
the first time in eight
years as the Labour MP beat
Tory Zac Goldsmith to the
citys top job by more than
300,000 votes.
His official coronation had
been delayed over "small
discrepancies" that election
officials are now working on
correcting. The declaration
was finally made just before
12.30am on Saturday.
Mr Khan picked up 1,148716
first preference votes and
161,427 second preference
votes, for a total of
1,310,143.
Mr Goldsmith won 909,755
votes in the first round and
84,859 in the second, for a
total of 994,614.
The Islamic Council of
Queensland (ICQ) will be
hosting Eid Down Under,
which "aims to provide
opportunities to foster
social cohesion and harmony
among the diverse
communities of Brisbane."
"Eid Down Under is an
opportunity for all
community members and groups
to participate in one of the
largest Muslim community
events in Queensland," Ali
Ghafoor, coordinator of this
year's inaugural event, told
CCN.
Eid Down Under will be
replacing EidFest which,
until last year, had a
successful 11-year run.
See the CCN Date Claimer
below for details of the
event.
The winner of the iPad in
the recent Name the
Festival Contest was
Mohammad Al-Khafaji.
If you would like to get
involved in this year's
event, applications are now
open for sponsors and
stallholders (food,
clothing, book store, retail
etc).
A Muslim mother in Sydney
fears her grandchildren will
end up in a concentration
camp. A Victorian father
won't tell his football team
he is Muslim so he doesn't
have to explain himself. To
be Muslim is to be judged
for everything you do, says
a Brisbane woman. An
international student living
in Melbourne says she feels
segregated in class.
What is it to be Muslim in
Australia today?
Fairfax Media asked readers
who are Muslim to speak of
their experiences and how
they explain extremism and
Islamophobia to their
children. Dozens of people
responded.
CCN publishes one response
each week:
"There is immense fear and
hatred"
Naseema Mustapha, 46,
Brisbane, South African
Indian
Arriving
as a young migrant child, it
was extremely difficult
being a Muslim and someone
of a non-Caucasian race and
culture. Brisbane was very
homogeneous and it wasn't
until the 1980s that
Vietnamese refugees and
people of other backgrounds
started arriving.
Childhood as a Muslim was
difficult; adolescence was
even harder. In my attempt
to assimilate I have lost my
mother tongue, Urdu, and
have deep regrets about
that.
I am finally very
comfortable with my identity
as a Muslim. Islam teaches
me to be moderate in all
that I do, and find the
balance within myself and my
lifestyle. This is what I
teach my children. Most of
the time I hear positive
things from my children.
On rare occasion I hear
about a negative
experience my 12-year-old
has at high
school. Most recently a child
was heard telling other boys
in the playground not
to hang out with anyone who
is Muslim. There is an
immense fear and even hatred
for Muslims thanks to
government policies, fearmongering
politicians and some media.
Nine men and women from
around Australia give voice to
what it's really like to live as
a Muslim. Ahmet Keskin, 44, a
father and executive director of
the Australian Intercultural
Society, tells how he talks to
his children about being Muslim.
Beau Donelly reports.
THE PEACE MAKER
Growing up, I was one of the
only Muslim kids at school.
Back then we were all tagged
as ethnic. I thought my
fair hair and complexion
would have helped me go
unnoticed but I still felt
like the odd one out. I
remember once being asked by
the other boys why I didnt
go to football training for
one month in grade 8. They
thought Id chickened out. I
didnt explain what Ramadan
was because I wasnt
comfortable with my identity
as a child. Now I see Islam
as a positive force in my
life and place it at the
foreground of everything I
do as an Australian-Muslim.
I encourage my kids to be
proud of their background. I
always tell them to remember
that they are an Australian
of Muslim faith with
heritage that traces back to
Turkey. When they ask me
about discrimination against
Muslims I tell them to
counter that negativity by
being the best person and
the best Muslim they can be.
I remind them that if they
want others to accept them
as they are, that they have
to accept others.
Ahmet as a nine-year-old
schoolboy.
When we see protests against
mosques on the news we talk
about the purpose of a
mosque - or a church,
synagogue, or temple - that
these are places of worship
and that we have the freedom
to choose our faith. I
explain that some people
feel threatened by what they
see as foreign and
unfamiliar. And I tell my
children that to respond to
fear with violence is wrong.
When my daughter asks me why
people who proclaim to be
Muslims carry out violent
acts, I tell her that there
are historical and current
grievances that they are
unable to resolve and that
they see violence as the
solution. That a Muslim is
always a balanced person who
considers anothers
viewpoints, no matter how
diametrically opposed they
might be. That even if you
feel youre not being heard,
you cant coerce your views
onto others.
When we ask non-Muslims what
they would like to know,
they typically ask where in
Islam is the prescription
towards becoming radical. I
wouldn't say I get tired of
having to explain that that
is not part of our faith,
but the questions always do
have that theme. We know
what the elephant in the
room is, what their main
concern is, but sadly its
blocking the way for people
to learn about the essence
of the Islamic faith. I
would prefer to tell people
who we are and what we stand
for. There are far more
commonalities than there are
differences.
There are huge challenges
facing us as Muslims, both
in terms of how we practise
our traditions and also the
way we approach contemporary
society. There are voices in
the Muslim world that are
calling for greater
engagement and scrutiny
within our community. I
believe our community does
need to have some internal
reflection and
self-criticism so that
Muslims can succeed wherever
they live. Love of ones
country and service to ones
people is not a foreign
concept in Islam, but it is
important for all of us to
revisit those views and see
how else we can improve the
world we live in.
6 Things
Wrong With
Trevor Phillips
Latest Crusade
(Continued
from last week's
CCN)
By Abdul-Azim
Ahmed (A
graduate of
Religion and
Theology BA and
a Masters in
Islam in
Contemporary
Britain. Abdul-Azim
is currently
completing a PhD
on Islam in
Wales.)
UK: I genuinely
cant remember
the last time
there was a
single week
without a
headline story
about Muslims.
Sometimes, its
unavoidable.
With global
crises like
Syria, the
post-war mess in
Iraq, and acts
of terrorism
headline news is
expected. But
other times,
its engineered.
Like the
non-story of
Ramadan exam
timetables, or
the non-story of
halal hysteria,
or the Suns
misleading 1 in
5 Brit Muslims
sympathy with
jihadis
frontpage (which
they had to
offer an apology
for).
This week, its
Trevor Phillips.
Hes come to
tell us
What British
Muslims Really
Think.
Thanks Trev, but
no thanks. I,
and other
British Muslims,
can quite
confidently and
competently
express
ourselves. Note
the word really
too, which gives
off the air of
Muslims hiding
their true
intentions and
nature, almost
like a
subversive fifth
column. Trevor
Philips latest
Channel 4
documentary
reeks of a
particular kind
of condescending
and dog-whistle
sensationalism,
and as many
others have
pointed out over
the past day
alone, its full
of problems.
Rather than
re-invent the
wheel, here is a
recap of what
Trevor gets
wrong.
(Continued
from last week's
CCN)
4)
The Survey Lacks
Literacy
Im a social
scientist, but
an ethnographer
rather than a
pollster.
Perhaps because
I never learned
my times tables,
I dont enjoy
numbers, and I
find polls and
surveys
suffocating.
They never
capture nuance,
and the ICM
survey is no
exception. Take
for example this
ridiculous
interpretation
by Trevor of a
loaded question
on sharia: -
A quarter
supported
the
introduction
of sharia
law in parts
of the UK
presumably
those areas
where they
thought
Muslims
constitute a
majority
instead of
the common
statute laid
down by
parliament.
Allahs law,
apparently,
need take no
heed of
democracy.
Academic Stephen
Jones is equally
suspicious of
such questions,
telling me on a
previous
occasion:
The
question
that really
annoys me is
about
whether or
not Muslims
support Sharia.
This is
routinely
used to
imply that
large
numbers of
Muslims in
Britain
support the
replacement
of British
democracy
with
theocracy.
The problem
here, which
religiously
illiterate
polling
companies
dont
recognise,
is that for
many Muslims
Sharia means
something
akin to
Gods
path, and
so they
dont want
to reject
the notion
entirely.
That doesnt
mean,
though, they
have any
interest in
the kind of
political
system
advocated by
groups like
Hizb
ut-Tahrir.
Sharia, for
many, is about
worship, being
good to your
neighbours,
taking care of
your parents,
and in terms of
introduction of
sharia law, has
more to do with
marriage and
divorce than
caricatures of
sharia inspired
by Isis, Iran or
Saudi Arabias
violent penal
system. Heres
an example. When
I was married,
it was a sharia
marriage. And it
took me 6 long
years to get
round to sorting
out the civil
marriage. When
it comes to
relationships
and family, much
like other
religious
groups, Muslims
are more
concerned with
being married
according to God
than the State.
Trevor is wrong
to equate this
to an aversion
to democracy,
and the survey
is flawed to
frame it as an
either/or with
British common
law.
CONTINUED
NEXT WEEK IN CCN:
5) Trevor
Isnt An
Anti-Racism
Stalwart
Valedictory
Speech: War
against
indifference
must go on
By
retiring MP,
Melissa Parke
......
I came into this
place to
represent the
Fremantle
electorate and
to engage in
what I termed
the war against
indifference.
Before I expand
on that, I would
observe that
there have been
many wars fought
in this place
the war on
terror, the war
on drugs, the
war on
people-smugglers,
the war on each
other. Only the
last one seems
to have had any
success, and
that has been to
the ultimate
detriment of all
of us, and of
public trust in
our political
system.
The war on
terror has too
often become a
tool used by
governments
around the world
to suppress
dissent, to
shrink civil
society, to
curtail
independent
media, to
increase
surveillance of
civilian
populations, and
to erode the
rule of law and
hard-won civil
liberties. We
are seeing this
in Egypt,
Turkey, Russia,
Malaysia and
Ethiopia, to
name just a few
countries, but
we are also
seeing it much
closer to home.
Terror is
invoked by our
allies to
justify
deviation from
the
international
rule of law,
such as
extrajudicial
assassinations,
with the killing
of civilians in
drone strikes
excused as
accidental
collateral
damage. Terror
is used by
Australia to
justify laws
providing 10
year jail terms
for journalists
who disclose
secret
intelligence
operations; it
is used to
justify sending
Australian
forces to war in
distant
countries wars
in which the
casualties are
predominantly
civilians
without any
debate in the
national
parliament or
the United
Nations, and it
is used to
justify cracking
down on certain
communities,
when in fact
such actions may
increase the
risk of
terrorism while
undermining the
very principles
which are being
defended,
clearly a
lose-lose
situation.
National
security is
increasingly
invoked by the
government to
surveil and
monitor the
Australian
community while
at the same time
denying the
community access
to information
about the
governments
actions,
........
Hollywood Actor
is Asked About
Healthy Eating,
He Says Follow
the Example of
Prophet Muhammad
Martial artist
and Hollywood
actor
Jean-Claude Van
Damme was asked
about healthy
eating. He
replied by
advising people
to follow the
example of
Prophet Muhammad
(pbuh).
Muslims and
Arabs
Ten Things White
People Need To
Quit Saying
While Ive never
been especially
fond of
political
correctness for
its own sake,
Ive encountered
enough
well-meaning
white people
embarrassing
themselves to
know that a
brief tutorial
cant hurt. For
those who insist
that they could
never say
anything racist
because they are
not racists, I
present a quick
reminder: Just
because you
didnt intend
for something to
sound racist,
doesnt mean it
isnt, and just
because you
dont think
youre a racist,
doesnt mean
youre not. I
refer you to the
Washington
Redskins and
every idiot who
insists that
Native Americans
should be
honored to be
so warmly
insulted.
Newsflash:
Determining
whether this
teams name is
racist is not up
to anyone but
Native
Americans. If
you are not
Native American,
your opinion on
the issue is at
best irrelevant.
I know its hard
for some to
accept, but
white people
dont get to
determine what
is and isnt
racist.
As an American
who reflects an
increasingly
common and
decidedly
ambiguous shade
of brown, I have
been questioned
and
complimented
in some of the
strangest
waysrarely by
people intending
to sound racist,
but often by
people who end
up sounding
super racist. So
I present the
following list
as a sort of
public service.
While it is far
from exhaustive,
it represents a
fair sampling of
the kinds of
comments that
often make those
of us with more
melanin
cringeor just
never contact
you after you
give us your
business cards.
So here goes, in
no particular
order:
1.Do not use the
word exotic to
refer to humans
who do not look
like you. We are
not fruit, and
it is not a
compliment. The
longer you
insist on
assuring us that
it is a
compliment, the
stupider you
look. Just give
it up.
2.Do not use the
word ethnic as
though it were a
distinct race or
nationality.
3.Do not ask
people where
they are from
more than once.
Trust them the
first time. No
need for Where
are you really
from? or Where
are your parents
from?
4.Avoid
statements like,
Wouldnt it be
great to live
during [insert
any era during
which the person
youre talking
to couldnt vote
or own
property]?
5.Resist the
urge to ever
say, I have a
lot of [fill in
the blank with
the racial,
religious or
ethnic group
with which you
are least
familiar]
friends.
6.Remember that
reverse racism
isnt a thing.
Racism is about
the abuse of
power and
privilege. If
your race denies
you power and
privilege, then
you cant be
racist.
Certainly, you
can still be an
asshole. Just
not a racist.
7.Unless you are
one of those
people making
fun of other
people calling
you those
people, then
never say those
people.
8.Think before
asking people to
explain an
entire race,
religion,
civilization or
geographic
region to you
simply because
they happen to
identify with
that background.
Dont expect a
14-year-old girl
who covers her
hair to explain
all of Islam to
you in ten
minutes or less
simply because
youre too lazy
to read a book.
Get a library
card and let her
eat her lunch in
peace.
9.Remember, we
are not all from
any one place.
Pretending we
are just makes
you look
delusional. So
avoid the Were
all from Africa
anyway
statements.
10.Unless you
have
achromatopsia,
never say I
dont see color.
If any of this
offends you as a
white person, I
ask simply that
you sit with
that discomfort
for a while.
Really feel it.
Now imagine that
your distress
werent the
temporary
consequence of
reading an
article, but
rather the
permanent
consequence of
living in your
own skin.
Huffington Post
Before the
continent
started banning
hijab, European
aristocrats used
to change their
names to
Abdullah and
Muhammad, and
going to the
local mosque was
the latest trend.
From the
outside, with
its high
minarets and
bulbous Mughal-style
dome, the
Wilmersdorf
mosque, located
on Brienner
Street in
southwest
Berlin, looks
much the same as
it did when it
was built in the
1920s. But the
institution,
just like the
city around it,
has changed.
Today, the
mosque is a
quiet place. It
mainly serves as
an information
centre: School
children
sometimes visit
on field trips;
it hosts
interfaith
brunches. A
small community
of Muslims
regularly show
up for Friday
prayer. Its all
a far cry from
the days when
the Wilmersdorf
mosque was the
lively center of
a spiritual
countercultural
movement in the
Weimar Republic.
......
Its an odd
scene to imagine
in todays
Germany, where
the right-wing
Alternative for
Germany party
has called for a
ban on burqas
and minarets,
and more than
half of Germans
say they view
Islam as a
threat. But in
the interwar
period, Berlin
boasted a
thriving Muslim
intelligentsia
comprising not
only immigrants
and students
from South Asia
and the Middle
East but German
converts from
all walks of
life. Islam, at
the time,
represented a
countercultural,
even exotic,
form of
spirituality for
forward-thinking
leftists: Think
Buddhism, in
1970s
California.
.......
But a look back
at the early
20th century
primarily the
period after the
first wave of
Muslim
immigration to
Europe in the
wake of World
War I shows
that not so long
ago Western
Europe and Islam
had a very
different
relationship,
one
characterized by
curiosity on the
part of citizens
and almost a
sort of
favoritism on
the part of
governments. At
the same time
that European
citizens were
experimenting
with an exotic
eastern
religion,
European
governments were
providing
special
treatment for
Muslim citizens
and catering to
them in ways
that might at
first glance
seem surprising:
The secular
French
government spent
lavishly on
ostentatious
mosques, while
Germany sought
to demonstrate
its superior
treatment of
Muslims, when
compared to
France and
Britain.
Examining this
past serves as a
reminder that
not only is this
not a new
encounter, but
the relationship
between Western
Europe and Islam
was not always
what it is today
and may not
always look this
way in the
future.
......
One of the more
legendary
converts of the
time was the
Irish peer Lord
Headley. Born
Rowland George
Allanson
Allanson-Winn,
the 5th Baron
Headley
converted to
Islam in 1913,
adopting the
Muslim name
Shaikh
Rahmatullah al-Farooq.
Lord Headley
became a poster
child, of sorts,
for British
Muslim converts;
in the 1920s, he
went on a widely
published
pilgrimage to
Mecca and would,
in his life,
write a number
of books and
articles on
Islam, which he
was certain
would have a
glorious future
in Britain.
......
It seems clear
that, on an
individual
level, Islam won
over some
Europeans
looking for a
break from
tradition in the
modern world.
Pieter Henricus
van der Hoog, a
Dutch
dermatologist
who founded a
cosmetics
company that
still provides
women in the
Netherlands with
face creams and
firming masks
today, converted
during this
period and went
on pilgrimage to
Mecca. Harry St.
John Philby, a
British
intelligence
officer and
father of Kim
Philby, the
infamous double
agent, converted
when living in
Saudi Arabia in
1930 and went by
Abdullah.
Another convert
from this
period, the
Jewish writer
Leopold Weiss,
adopted the name
Muhammad Asad;
his son, Talal
Asad, is one of
the most
influential
anthropologists
alive today.
....
The history of
Muslims and
Islam in Western
Europe is both
older and more
entangled than
many think, and
acknowledging
this helps us
imagine a future
in which Muslims
can be seen as
an integral and
equal part of
European public
life, rather
than timeless or
threatening
outsiders.
Foreign Policy
Justin Trudeau
explains the
power of
diversity
A
Letter from an
Angry Hijabi
Dear Muslim Men,
I dont need
another enemy.
Last night, I
came across a
tweet that
someone on my
feed retweeted.
It was authored
by a black
Muslim female
who wears hijab:
Let me just
listen to Views
two more times
and Ill have
all the lyrics
memorized like
its Quran.
It came as no
surprise that
when I clicked
on the tweet my
acquaintance had
posted (he is a
friend of a
friend), I saw
the myriad
comments
shredding this
girl. Absolutely
tearing her
apart.
Responses by men
included things
like:
"Take off your
hijab."
"You're a
disgrace to
Islam you
n*****."
"Go kill
yourself."
And much more...
I was appalled.
The men posting
these comments
were Muslims.
Muslims who, in
their way of
explaining it,
were trying to
"help and advise
her." They were
so "offended" by
this girl's
tweet that they
felt compelled
to show her the
error of her
ways. Because,
of course, us
women cannot
think for
themselves. We
need you men to
guide us.
Listen up, men.
You always claim
to be
supportive, yet
when someone
makes a mistake,
you attack and
ostracize. You
turn errors into
a ticket out of
Islam. And make
no mistake, the
group who tends
to receive this
kind of
treatment the
most are Muslim
women, namely
those of us who
wear hijab.
If you
would like to record a
birth, marriage, engagement
or someone's passing please
email
ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org
with the details.
Births
Marriages
The nikah of
Arshad,
son of Mr Faisal and
Mrs Julie Hatia, and
Faheema, daughter of
Mr Faizal & Hajra Kajee
of Durban, South Africa, was
performed
on Sunday 1 May 2016 at
Masjid-ul-Hilal, Durban.
New
Migrants
Condolences
If you
would like to record a
birth, marriage, engagement
or someone's passing please
email
ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org
with the details.
MVSLIM's list of Muslim women
who achieved great things in
2015.
8.
Salma bint Hizab al-Oteibi
2015 is the most historical
year for Saudi Women across
the country: in this year,
they had their first ever
ability to vote and hold
seats in the Saudi
parliament. It would be
incomplete not to include
Salma bint Hizab al-Oteibi,
the first female councillor
of Saudi Arabia, one of the
eighteen who had won seats
in the governmental
elections. This very step
has enchanted the world to
see Saudi Arabia in a
completely new light and to
perceive the future of
Muslim women as more
prosperous in one of the
most influential Muslim
countries in the world!
Its position next to a
motorway in Muscat might not
be conducive to calm, but
once guests are inside the
Sultan Qaaboos mosque's
gardens, thoughts of the
tarmac pummelled by white
4x4s outside will be gone.
With peaceful sahn
(courtyards), elegant riwaqs
(arcades) and mesmerising
murqanas (vaulted
panelling), this place of
worship is one of the most
impressive buildings in this
Gulf country.
Its central minaret is 91.5
m (300 ft) tall, and the
main prayer hall has a
Persian carpet that took 600
women four years to weave.
Saudi Arabia to Give Women Right
to Possess Copy of Marriage Contract
Women arrive
to attend Janadriyah Culture
Festival on the outskirts of
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, February
8. The Saudi justice ministry
has announced that it will give
women the right to view their
marriage contracts.
SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi
Arabia is to give brides a copy of their
marriage contracts for the first time in
a bid to boost the rights of women, the
countrys justice ministry has
announced.
Justice Minister Walid al-Samaani has
ordered that clerics in the
ultra-conservative country must now
provide brides with a copy of the
marriage contract when they register a
marriage.
The move is to ensure her awareness of
her rights and the terms of the
contact, AFP news agency reported on
Tuesday. The justice ministry announced
the order in a statement published by
the Saudi state news agency SPA.
The handing of marriage contracts had
only been permitted for men previously
but the change seeks to protect the
rights of the woman and to facilitate
procedures for her, the ministry said.
It said that the woman must have a copy
of the contract in the event that there
is a legal dispute between herself and
her husband at a later date.
Women in Saudi Arabia require permission
from their male guardians to carry out
many tasks, such as opening a bank
account, traveling and working
SOUTH AFRICA: The Islamic
Medical Association (IMA) of South
Africa has recently inaugurated a new
president, Solly Suleiman. Suleman, who
is a pharmacist by profession, boasts an
impressive history with the organization
that spans over 25 years. He has worked
within numerous sectors of the
organization, more notably, strategic
planning and strategic development. He
currently co-chairs the renal dialysis
programmes and chairs the Ahmed Al-Kadi
Private Hospital and the Baytul Nur
Trust, which is the social wing of the
IMA.
Suleman said that during his tenure he
will focus on developing a cohesive
strategy that will encompass all
branches of the organization.
The organization was established during
apartheid in response to a need within
the Muslim community for a vision for
Muslim health professionals to deliver
affordable and effective healthcare in
disadvantaged communities.
The IMA is associated to the Federation
of Islamic Medical Associations (FEMA),
which includes approximately 37
countries worldwide.
Besides publications, the organization
currently boasts clinics country wide.
IMA clinics have numerous projects,
including; circumcision, cataract
extractions, and within SA the
organization has provided dialysis to
over 250 patients.
Dialysis patients who are not provided
with dialysis in the public sector are
essentially sent home to die. The IMA
then funds dialysis and it is a unique
model where they fund medical aid too.
So within 12 months the patient is on
medical aid, Suleman said.
Suleman said that the organization is
currently establishing an Islamic
hospital in Durban, as well as a 15 bed
dialysis unit to care to the needs of
the disadvantaged communities.
Every two years, the National Executive
Committee of the IMA changes from one
area to another. The last Committee was
in Cape Town and for the next two years
the Committee will be in Durban and,
thereafter, it will be in Johannesburg.
He further noted that the organization
has a membership of approximately 1500
health professionals. And hopes to
attract 10 000.
We are not the healers; we are
instruments of the greatest of healers,
the Almighty, Suleman said.
Russias crackdown on
Salafis may be breeding extremism
RUSSIA: IT WAS prayer
time at the Northern Mosque in
Khasavyurt, a town in western Dagestan,
when troops in black balaclavas arrived
one day in February. They said: This
mosque is closingturn off the lights
and hand over the keys, recalls one of
the congregants. The next day Muhammad
Nabi Magomedov, a local imam, led some
5,000 Salafi believers in a march on
city hall, chanting Allahu Akbar and
Return our mosque. In early April, the
security services came for Mr Magomedov,
arresting him on terrorism-related
charges.
Once in custody, the imam was told to
shave off his beard. Then six men took
him into a room. One said: Get on your
knees, Mr Magomedov later told a
member of Russias prison oversight
committee, who shared details of their
conversation with The Economist. I
said, I wont get on my knees. The men
beat Mr Magomedov, sending a clear
signal to the ultra-conservative Salafi
community: there will be no dialogue.
Its a shame, says Rasul, one of Mr
Magomedovs young followers. He was one
of the peaceful ones.
Iranian women call on
Western tourists to violate hijab law to
fight against oppression
'When compulsory hijab affects
all women, then all women should
raise their voice,' the
campaign's leader said
One of the
Western tourists who joined the
My Stealthy Freedom campaign
against Iran's hijab law
IRAN: As more and more
Western tourists visit Iran, foreign
women are being urged to break the
countrys strict Islamic dress code to
make a stand about the restrictive
laws.
It is illegal for women to go out in
public without wearing headscarf in the
country, where thousands of undercover
agents and morality police patrol the
streets to check for violations.
Women found to have their hair or bodies
inadequately covered can be publicly
admonished, fined or even arrested.
But thousands of Iranians have been
risking punishment by taking off their
hijabs (headscarves) in public and
snapping photos as part of a defiant
online campaign to counter the
oppressive" law.
Now, the founder of
My Stealthy Freedom is urging
Western tourists to join them in a show
of solidarity.
Masih Alinejad, who left Iran in 2009
and now works as a journalist in New
York, said non-Muslims should join the
fight against compulsory dress codes.
An Iranian
policewoman (L) warns a woman
about her clothing and hair
during a crackdown to enforce
Islamic dress code in Tehran,
Iran
The Islamic Republic
that demands even non-Muslims visiting
Iran to wear the hijab, she told The
Independent. When compulsory hijab
affects all women, then all women should
raise their voice.
After decades of
isolation, Iran after the nuclear deal
is seen as a cool place to visit, Ms
Alinejad.
The country is being promoted as one of
the last placed on earth not to be
touched by crass consumerism and
commercialism.
Iran is a beautiful country but let's
not kid ourselves, it's not heaven for
women. As more people visit Iran, the
women in particular will gain a sense of
the issue.
San Diego High School
Hosts Hijab Day to Stem Islamophobia
US: My hands were
trembling. Nearly a month of planning
and over $200 spent, this event HAD to
be successful. My Muslim Student
Associations members and I worked
tirelessly trying to figure out how we
were supposed to get enough hijabs and
kufis, what would happen if we had any
haters, and arguing with school
administrators to let us perform the
event no matter what the circumstances
were. These thoughts kept on shooting
through my mind as I walked through the
colossal gates of my school, carrying a
box with 200 hijabs and kufis.
As many people reading this article may
know, theres a lot of islamophobia in
the world. Everyday on the headlines
theres some news of ISIS attacks,
islamophobic rhetoric, and more. The
fact that 2016 is also an election year
in the United States doesnt help
either, as policy towards Muslims
becomes the most heavily debated topic,
causing both liberals and conservatives
to become more polarized in their
beliefs. As Election Tuesday came closer
and closer, I felt the islamophobic
rhetoric and anti-Muslim jokes spike at
my school. It came to the point where
some Muslim girls were taking off their
hijabs and boys not wanting to be
identified as Muslims. This was
absolutely shocking to me. I was so
confused. I wanted to know to stop this
from happening.
*Facebook notification (1)*
Someone has invited you to the Muslim
Student Union University of
California, Irvines Hijab Day
Challenge
And all of a sudden, everything just
made sense. Let everyone feel how it is
to be a Muslim, and then people will
have a better understanding of what its
like to be identifiable as one.
On March 31, 2016, we did
exactly that. Westview High School
Muslim Student Associations Executive
Board walked in the school at 7:45 a.m.,
given the blank canvas of our quad, and
quickly beautified it with our trifold
board and numerous varieties of hijabs
and kufis. We took a look at our humble
set-up and set off for our classes with
the plan of coming back for a tutorial
period and lunch. At 9:26, classes let
out for tutorial, and within seconds, a
huge crowd with hundreds of students had
formed around our booth. A crowd had
formed around me as I explained why
Muslims wear hijabs and kufis, while
lines full of students formed waiting
for a Muslim girl to tie a hijab on
them. All of a sudden, school newspaper
interviewers came by to report the
event, and later I was getting texts
from local FOX News reporters asking for
clearance inside the school! Im going
to be honest, it was one of the most
hectic situations Ive ever been in, but
it was so worth it. People were taking
selfies and encouraging their friends to
join, and by the end of lunchtime,
nearly every student was wearing a hijab
or kufi.
A 10th grade student at our school had
this feedback to offer: It was
definitely an eye-opening experience for
me. I was worried over what other people
would think, but then I realized that
thats how tons of Muslims feel every
single day, especially with the recent
rise in islamophobia. Its one thing to
talk about discrimination, but actually
experiencing the life of a Muslim, even
for a day, made it so much more real.
Facebook messages poured into my inbox
from all types of students expressing
their gratitude and appreciation for
this event, which honestly made the
whole event worth it.
In the end, with the blessings of Allah
the event turned out to be a success
because our Muslim Student Association
had the right intentions and
collaborated effectively towards the
same collective goal, to allow students
to obtain a better understanding and
appreciation for Islam and to rid the
evils of islamophobia from our campus.
But our work as Muslims doesnt stop
here. We need to come together as a
community to empower one another and
break the silence on islamophobia in
order to show the rest of society who we
really are and what we really stand for.
US: "Islam Hates Us!"
The recurring headline screams across
every kind of media. Fear-based stories
about Muslims have become standard fare
this election cycle, rooted in the
notion that Muslims are recent arrivals
in America and somehow dont belong.
Some go so far as to suggest Muslims
need to be plucked out from American
society and sent back home.
But for millions of
Muslims, America is home. You cannot
separate the story of Muslims in America
from the story of America itself.
Early Explorers 1312
Centuries before Columbus
laid eyes on the so-called New World,
early seafarers explored the North
American continent. Muslims were among
the first adventurous navigators and
explorers, and were part of Spanish
expeditions.
Slave Labor Builds a
Nation 1530-1865
Upwards of 30 percent of
Africans enslaved and brought to America
were Muslim. They were not afforded the
religious freedom most Americans are
accustomed to. Upon arrival, they were
forced by law to convert to Christianity
and take the names of their slave
owners, thus obliterating their
heritage. Some, however, managed to hold
onto their birth names and practice
their Islamic faith in secret. The
American nation, commercial agriculture,
and industry were built, in part, on the
backs of Muslims.
First Brooklynite 1638
Anthony Janszoon van
Salee became one of the first settlers
in lower Manhattan when he acquired a
farm there. Later, he became the first
non-indigenous settler of Brooklyn. Van
Salee was the son of the president of
the Republic of Salι in Morocco and a
Muslim.
Enslaved in Virginia
1682
Muslims were specifically
mentioned in a Virginia statute
outlining who could be purchased or
obtained as slaves. Negroes, Moors,
mulattoes (an offensive term for those
of mixed black and white ancestry), and
those from heathenish, idolatrous,
pagan parentage and country were
included along with Muslims.
Serving in the
Revolutionary War 1775-1783
Muslims like Bampett
Muhammad and Yusuf Ben Ali served under
General George Washington in the
Revolutionary War. They had a direct
role in the establishment of the United
States of America. Muslim Americans also
took part in the Civil War and the War
of 1812, World War II, and wars in
Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq further
cementing their role in the creation and
defense of the U.S. nation.
Finding Religious Freedom 1790
Muslim Moors from Spain
fled to South Carolina after being
forced from their European homes. They
found a safe haven in the American
South, and started life over as
religious immigrants.
Investing in Early
America 1807
Yarrow Mamout (pictured
above) was a freed Muslim-American slave
and became a shareholder in one of the
first American banks.
Building the U.S. Auto
Industry 1878-1924
Starting in the late
1800s, a wave of Muslim immigrants from
the Middle East particularly from
Syria and Lebanon settled in Ohio,
Michigan, Iowa, and the Dakotas. They
sought economic opportunity and quickly
found work as laborers in places like
Detroits Ford Motor Company, one of the
first big employers of Muslim immigrants
and African Americans. The U.S. auto
industry was developed, in part, because
of the hard work of Muslim immigrants.
Homesteading in North Dakota
1890-1930
Syrian and Lebanese
homesteaders settled in North Dakota,
helping to open up the state. Among them
was Hassen Juma, who claimed 160 acres
in 1899. The towns these immigrants
established included Muslim cemeteries,
prayer services, and eventually a
mosque.
Building Houses of
Worship 1915
Muslim-Americans from
Albania built an Islamic community
center in Biddeford, Maine. In 1919,
they established a second in Waterbury,
Connecticut. These East Coast
communities were among the first formal
Islamic associations in America. The
first purpose-built mosque was
established by Syrian Americans in Ross,
N.D., in 1929.
Engineering America's
Skyline 1963
Fazlur Rahman Khan was an
engineer and architect who began a
revolution in modern construction. He
developed a new way to engineer
skyscrapersincluding Chicagos John
Hancock Center and Sears Tower that
transformed Americas skylines. New York
and every other American city looks the
way it does because of the work of an
American Muslim. It only takes a few
minutes of research to discover how
important Muslim-American courage,
intellect, and muscle was to the
formation of the United States. The list
here barely scratches the surface.
Muslim-Americans have defended their
country, worked the soil, labored in
industry, and made important
contributions to society not in spite
of their faith, but often because of it.
Muslims in America have always been a
minority, and as is true for other
minority groups, their contribution has
been minimized and largely forgotten.
But the truth is that U.S. communities,
industry, agriculture, and cityscapes
look they way they do, in part, because
of Muslim-Americans.
Muslims in America cannot
be them. They are us. They
have always been us.
France gets tough on
Muslim footballers praying on pitch
Muslims
praying on a sports pitch in
France
FRANCE: The mayor of Nice has threatened
to cut the subsidies of football clubs
which fail to respect its new
secularism charter, that includes
keeping religion, in particular Islam,
off the football pitch.
France's latest battle to ensure the
principles of secularism are being
upheld is taking place on the football
pitches of the Riviera city of Nice.
In a city where the right wing mayor
Christian Estrosi is fighting to prevent
a new mosque from opening, authorities
are also trying to ensure that Muslims
do not bring their religious beliefs
anywhere near the municipal football
pitches.
They have taken teams to task for
beaching a new "secularism charter" that
players and clubs are required to adhere
to.
Ten breaches of the charter have been
reported since last October, according
to a report in BFM TV. Most of the
incidents consisted of Muslim players
praying either on or close to the field,
before or during a match.
For example, on March 19th, some
footballers asked to go into a referees
dressing room to pray, whereas previous
incidents included pausing from a team
workout to pray.
We noticed that people were praying in
the changing rooms, on the football
fields, and sometimes, other
inappropriate behavior such as players
who refused to shake hands with the
female delegates of the football
federation," Eric Borghini (see photo)
President of the French Football
Federation in the Cτte d'Azur region
told The Local.
"There were even referees who refused to
shake hands with female players.
So that forced us to react because it
doesnt conform to the French republican
spirit of secularism," Borghini said.
"When something is forbidden, we dont
do it. When you have a red light, you
stop at the red light. Its the law.
"We consider that sports in general and
football in particular, the most popular
and universal sport, should not be mixed
with religious or political practices.
"On the contrary, it should be a moment
of brotherhood, a moment where we should
forget all the issues that divide
people," said Borghini.
"I dont want to prevent people from
practicing the religion they want, but
in an appropriate setting, in temples
and mosques and churches, and not on a
football pitch or in the changing
rooms."
"Theyre not hurting human beings, but
they are hurting the principles of the
French Republic," he added.
Borghini told The Local the issue of
players praying on the pitch or in
changing rooms has only arisen in recent
years.
Members of the
Muslim community pray in a
mosque in Marseille
FRANCE: In
the eighth century A.D., the
Umayyad Islamic caliphate
conquered the Visigothic
Kingdom, which occupied the
Iberian Peninsula and
southwestern France. The
Muslim presence in Spain and
Portugal during this period
is well documented, but
evidence from north of the
Pyrenees has been scant. Now
archaeologists believe they
have found three Muslim
burials in Nimes, France,
that date to this period.
The presence of Muslim
burials suggests the
existence of a Muslim
community, says Yves Gleize
of the French National
Institute of Preventive
Archaeological Research.
In accordance with Muslim
burial practices, all three
bodies were buried on their
right sides, facing
southeast toward Mecca, and
in one case the arrangement
of bones suggests that the
body was wrapped in a shroud
upon burial. Genetic
analysis shows that all
three individuals had North
African paternal ancestry,
leading the researchers to
conjecture that they were
Berber soldiers, who made up
a large portion of the
Umayyad forces that
conquered the Visigoths.
Bulgarian Muslim bride
revives tradition of 'gelina' face painting
Bulgaria's
Pomak community have a beautiful
bridal face painting ceremony,
one that was quashed during
Communist rule. But now younger
brides are making an effort to
embrace the tradition again.
BULGARIA: Ancient customs
can be lost through the
ravages of time, but one
community in the village of
Draginovo, Bulgaria is
committed to bringing one
back - the tradition of "gelina",
a bridal face painting
ritual.
Similar to the
Judaic-Christian white
wedding dress, and Middle
Eastern / South Asia red
bridal garb, the gelina is a
symbol a bride's purity.
The tradition is one
belonging to the minority
Bulgarian Muslim community,
also known as Pomak, and has
been resurrected by
24-year-old bride Emilia
Pechinkova. Only eight per
cent of modern-day
Bulgaria's population is
Muslim.
Emilia
Pechinkova stays still as the
final touches are added to her
look during the gelina ceremony.
The first two
days of her three-day
wedding, which included the
face painting ceremony, was
captured by photographer
Nikolay Doychinov for Getty.
The ritual involves a thick
golden-metallic cream,
called "belilo", being
applied to the bride's face.
The mask is then embellished
with sequins and floral
patterns. Finally the
bride's facial features
beneath the mask are
highlighted, with kohl for
the eyebrows and lipstick
for the lips.
The process can take up to
two hours, and is usually
carried out by female guests
and relatives, who are
sometimes accompanied by a
professional make up artist.
After the wedding, once the
imam gives a final blessing,
the bride is escorted to her
husband's home where he will
take off her make up,
completing the ritual.
Emilia
Pechinkova poses with her
fiance,Tsanko Perchinkov,
following the gelina face
painting ceremony.
The tradition
of gelina has been a
longstanding part of Pomak
culture. However the
practice was banned and
stopped during Soviet rule,
says Getty. The tradition
has slowly resumed after the
end of the communist era,
with more and more modern
young brides opting to
include the ritual
"regardless of their secular
lifestyles and the high cost
of such a wedding".
However SBS Bulgarian
producer, Diana Koprinkova,
who grew up in Bulgaria
towards the end of the
communist regime, does not
agree the religious custom
had been abandoned by the
community ever.
"These rituals are unique to
Bulgarian Muslims," says
Diana Koprinkova, a
Christian, "but during the
Communist Era, people always
found a way to practice
their faith in secret."
During Soviet reign,
Koprinkova describes,
practising any form of
religion was banned. However
people would still find a
way to perform their
cultural rituals and attend
church or mosque.
"I remember going secretly
to church with my
grandmother. I was of
primary school age," she
explained. "There was a
lady, a secretary [from the
State] standing outside the
church, marking down who was
attending.
"So to avoid her, we would
go to a different church, so
[the State] wouldn't know
where you're going. One time
we went to three churches in
a row. All 10 to 20 minutes
walking distance from one
another."
In spite of their testing
past, these pictures show a
minority community taking
pride in a long standing
unique tradition.
Here are more photos from
Emilia Pechinkova's wedding
and gelina ceremony.
Aung San Suu Kyi Asks U.S.
Not to Refer to Rohingya
The Rohingya,
Muslims in a Buddhist land, are
reviled by the majority. They
have lived in Myanmar for
generations but are denied many
basic rights.
BANGKOK
Myanmar recognizes 135
ethnic groups within its
borders. But the people who
constitute No. 136? They are
the
people-who-must-not-be-named.
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the
leader of Myanmars first
democratically elected
government since 1962,
embraced that view last week
when she advised the United
States ambassador against
using the term Rohingya to
describe the persecuted
Muslim population that has
lived in Myanmar for
generations.
Her government, like the
previous military-led one,
will not call the Rohingya
people by that name because
it does not recognize them
as citizens, said her
spokesman, U Kyaw Zay Ya, a
Foreign Ministry official.
We wont use the term
Rohingya because Rohingya
are not recognized as among
the 135 official ethnic
groups, said Mr. Kyaw Zay
Ya, who was at the meeting.
Our position is that using
the controversial term does
not support the national
reconciliation process and
solving problems.
The Rohingya,
Muslims in a Buddhist land, are
reviled by the majority. They
have lived in Myanmar for
generations but are denied many
basic rights.
The stance does not bode
well for the Rohingya or for
rights activists who had
hoped Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi,
a Nobel Peace Prize
laureate, would reverse
discriminatory policies that
have marginalized the
Rohingya and prompted many
to flee.
She is not saying anything
about the Rohingya people in
Myanmar and their rights to
religion and education and
health care, said U Aung
Win, a Rohingya community
leader in Rakhine State. As
a Nobel Peace Prize winner,
why is she so silent?
The United States Embassy
confirmed that the newly
arrived ambassador, Scot A.
Marciel, had met with Ms.
Aung San Suu Kyi but would
not comment on their
discussions.
Carole
Hillenbrands book offers a profound understanding of the
history of Muslims and their faith, from the life of
Muhammad to the religion practised by 1.6 billion people
around the world today. Each of the eleven chapters explains
a core aspect of the faith in historical perspective,
allowing readers to gain a sensitive understanding of the
essential tenets of the religion and of the many ways in
which the present is shaped by the past. It is an ideal
introductory text for courses in Middle Eastern studies, in
religious studies, or on Islam and its history.
This book is well argued and well structured. It is
balanced, judicious, and based on a wealth of erudition and
astute observations. --Youssef Choueiri, University of
Manchester
What Carole Hillenbrand has achieved in her magnificent
new book is breathtaking. The book is brilliantly organized
and written with compelling clarity, which will make it the
indispensable introduction to the subject for a long time to
come. --Dr Richard Holloway, author of Leaving
Alexandria: A Memoir of Faith and Doubt
I cannot remember the last time I so much enjoyed reading
a text on Islam. It is extremely well researched and the
flowing writing style makes you want to finish it in one
sitting. --H. R. H. Wijdan (Ali) Al-Hashemi, Ph.D,
diplomat and founder of the Jordan National Gallery
About the Author
In 2005, Carole Hillenbrand was the first non-Muslim to be
awarded the King Faisal International Prize for Islamic
Studies, and in 2009 she received an OBE for Services to
Higher Education. She is currently Professor Emerita in
Islamic History at the University of Edinburgh and Professor
of Islamic History at the University of St. Andrews. She is
the author of the internationally successful The Crusades:
Islamic Perspectives.
KB says:
An ideal and easy breakfast treat for Mom on
Mothers Day
SCONES
INGREDIENTS
250ml fresh cream
500g self-rising flour, sifted twice
330ml sparkling lemonade
½ tsp. salt
A beaten egg to brush on top
METHOD
1. Using very light
fingers make a well in the center of the dry
ingredients, then pour in the liquids and mix
very gently until the dough just comes together.
2. Place dough on a lightly floured work surface
and, using your hands, flatten to 3cm thick. Use
a 5cm biscuit cutter to cut approx. 12 to 13
discs from dough, re-flattening as necessary.
3. Arrange discs side-by-side on prepared tray
and brush with egg.
4. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 180degrees or until
risen and light golden. Set aside for 10 minutes
to cool.
5. Serve warm with jam and whipped cream
Why should I have a lawn?
The maintenance is too hard!
* Lawns
are beautiful.
The colour green
is
psychologically
soothing and
relaxing.
* A
beautiful lawn
and garden can
increase the
value of your
house by up to
$10,000.00
*
Maintaining it
is good exercise
and challenging.
* A
gardener can
easily help you
do the job.
* A good
lawn kills dust.
Once your lawn is
established, maintain it
well with regular mowing,
edge-trimming, weeding,
fertilising and watering.
Then sit back and enjoy its
beauty.
Using the open hand
involves almost no risk of
injury to your hand. If you
strike with your palm you
cannot break your knuckles
or fingers, as you would if
you were punching with a
closed first. Thus, it is
relatively risk free.
Almost any part of the
head or neck can be an
effective target and little
training is necessary to use
the palm strike.
For more info
on self defence classes
please contact Taufan on
0447004465 or
info@sscombat.com.au.
On no soul Allah places a
burden greater than it can
bear. It gets every good
that it earns, and it
suffers every ill that it
earns. (Pray:) our Lord! Do
not condemn us if we forget
or fall into error; our
Lord! Do not lay on us a
burden like that which You
laid on those before us; our
Lord! Do not lay on us a
burden greater than we have
strength to bear. Blot out
our sins, and You are our
Protector; help us against
those who stand against
Faith.
"If people are genuine
refugees, there is no
deterrent that we can
create which is going to
be severe enough, cruel
enough, nasty enough to
stop them fleeing the
terror from which they
flee in their own
lands."
Stretton
Heights provides new lifestyle for yourself and family,
Stretton Heights is a leafy estate next to Karawatha
Forest (Acacia Picnic Area Facilities: BBQ, shelter
sheds, water, toilets, picnic tables, disable
facilities; Illaweena Picnic Area Facilities: Picnic
tables, shelter sheds). Provides different walking and
bike tracks. Fixed Price Full Turnkey H&L Package price
from $810,000.
It is central
location to shopping centres and motorways. Short stroll
to Karawatha Forest for walking and biking tracks.
- Just behind the Islamic School
- 9 mins (4.1km) to Pacific Motorway to City, Gateway
and Gold Coast
- 7 mins (4.4km) to Sunnybank Hills Shopping town
- 9 mins (5.9km) to Calamvale Central Shopping Centre
- 10 mins (6.9km) to Stretton State College
- 18 mins (10km) to Westfield Garden City, Upper Mount
Gravatt
For prices and
brochures, please call Mansur Omar now via 0405 451 786
or email to
mansur.omar@gogecko.com.au
Laylat al-Qadr - Night of Power
(27th Ramadan 1437)
6
July
(tentative)
Wednesday
EID al-FITR
1437
(1st Shawwal 1437)
9
July
Saturday
ICQ Eid Festival
Islamic Council
of QLD (ICQ)
Islamic College of Brisbane, 45 Acacia Rd, Karawatha
TBA
10am to 9pm
20
& 21 August
Sat & Sun
The Divine Light
Sh Wasim Kempson
Al Kauthar
Brisbane
Griffith
University NATHAN
0438 698 328
All day
20
August
Saturday
Family Fun Day
Gold Coast
Islamic School (AIIC)
19 Chisholm Road
Carrara, Gold Coast
5596 6565
12pm to 6.30pm
4 September
NEW DATE
Sunday
CRESWALK2016
Crescents of
Brisbane
Orleigh Park,
WEST END
0402 026 786
8.30am
12
September
(tentative)
Monday
EID al-ADHA
1437 (10th Zilhijja 1437)
3 October
Monday
1st Muharram
1438 Islamic New Year 1438
8
October
Saturday
Al Yateem Fundraising Dinner
Islamic Relief
Australia
Greek Hall, 269
Creek Road, Mt Gravatt
0456 426 523
6.30pm
12 October
(tentative)
Wednesday
Day of Ashura
12 December
(tentative)
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: TBA Venue: Islamic College of Brisbane - 45 Acacia Road
Karawatha
Please send any topics you wish to be added to the agenda to
be discussed on the night.
Articles and
opinions appearing in this newsletter do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of the CCN Team, its Editor or its Sponsors, particularly if they eventually
turn out to be libellous, unfounded, objectionable,
obnoxious, offensive, slanderous and/or downright
distasteful.
It is the usual policy of CCN to
include from time to time, notices of events that some
readers may find interesting or relevant. Such notices are
often posted as received. Including such messages or
providing the details of such events does not necessarily
imply endorsement of the contents of these events by CCN
The best ideas
and the best feedback come from our community of readers. If you
have a topic or opinion that you want to write about or want
seen covered or any news item that you think might be of benefit
to the Crescents Community please e-mail
ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org.
Share your
thoughts, feelings and ambitions for our community through CCN.
If there is
someone you know who would like to subscribe to CCN please
encourage them to enter their details
here.
Arriving
as a young migrant child, it
was extremely difficult
being a Muslim and someone
of a non-Caucasian race and
culture. Brisbane was very
homogeneous and it wasn't
until the 1980s that
Vietnamese refugees and
people of other backgrounds
started arriving. 
Saudi Arabia to Give Women Right
to Possess Copy of Marriage Contract
Carole
Hillenbrands book offers a profound understanding of the
history of Muslims and their faith, from the life of
Muhammad to the religion practised by 1.6 billion people
around the world today. Each of the eleven chapters explains
a core aspect of the faith in historical perspective,
allowing readers to gain a sensitive understanding of the
essential tenets of the religion and of the many ways in
which the present is shaped by the past. It is an ideal
introductory text for courses in Middle Eastern studies, in
religious studies, or on Islam and its history.
The
Plus Side of the Open Hand
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011