This week sees the start of
the holy month of Ramadan,
the ninth month of the
Islamic calendar, and in
2016, it ends in 29 or 30
days time in July.
This is the month in which
the Quran was revealed, when
Archangel Gabriel (Jibreel
in Arabic) appeared to the
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and
began revealing the verses
of the Quran over the next
23 years.
During this period of time,
abstention from all food and
drink is required each day
between sunrise and sunset.
Fasting in Ramadan is not
only abstaining from food
but also from evil actions,
thoughts and words. Ramadan
is also a time for spiritual
reflection and devoting
themselves to worship and
prayer.
In the Name of Allah, the
Most Gracious and the Most
Merciful. All Praise is due
to Allah and peace and
blessings be upon the seal
of all the Prophets and
Messengers.
Following extensive
consultations with
nation-wide Islamic leaders
in Australia and their
representatives, the office
of the Grand Mufti of
Australia, Dr. Ibrahim Abu
Mohammed and the Australian
National Imams Council wish
to make the following
statements regarding the
Muslim community:
All indicators from both
the local region and
bordering Islamic
countries and the
European council of
Fatwa suggest a strong
possibility that the
beginning of the Holy
Month of Ramadan for
this year, 1437H or
2016, will begin on
Monday 6th of June 2016.
The Grand Mufti of
Australia, Dr. Ibrahim
Abu Mohammed and the
respected Imams of the
Australian National
Imams Council, emphasise
the importance of
confirming the beginning
of the Holy Month of
Ramadan in advance to
avoid the nullification
of fasting and to
provide the community
sufficient time to make
its necessary
preparations.
Islam stresses the
importance of promoting
cultural and societal
pluralism. As such, it
is highly encouraged to
invite non-Muslim
families to join Muslims
in the act of breaking
their fast.
The Grand Mufti of Australia
and the Australian National
Imams Council call upon all
Muslims to preserve their
fasting while considering
their brothers and sisters
facing adversity around the
world.
Finally, do not forget to
keep your brothers and
sisters in your prayers,
asking Allah to end their
wars, to grant them peace
and security in their
countries, our country
Australia and all around the
world.
May Allah bless this holy
month for you and your
family and may your worship
and fasting be accepted this
year.
Grant Mufti of Australia
Dr. Ibrahim Abu Mohammed
Dated: 2nd of June 2016
The
Grand Mufti of Australia |
Ramadan 2016 Message to the
Community
Artist and activist,
Peter Drew, has been
sticking up some 180
of his posters of
Afghan Moga Kahn in
Brisbane and
surrounding towns to
drive home the
message that the
prevailing ideas
about Australian
national identity do
not represent the
full truth of the
country.
Monga Khan worked as
a Hawker in
Victoria. Many
Cameleers worked as
Hawkers, selling
goods between
townships, like
mobile general
stores. Some people
worked as Hawkers
their whole lives
without ever being
considered
Cameleers. Since it
required a license
it was considered a
separate profession.
Monga Khan came to
Australia from India
in 1895 and worked
as a Hawker in and
around Ballarat
district.
in
Ipswich - with
Rachel Nolan, former
Queensland Minister
for the Arts
In Toowoomba - "Probably the
friendliest place in
Australia. It's
great to find that
Australian
multiculturalism
doesn't just live in
the costal cities.
One local proudly
explained to me how
Toowoomba is
Queensland's second
biggest centre for
the resettlement of
asylum seekers."
On
the Goodwill Bridge
In
West End
Outside the iconic
108-year-old Holland
Park Mosque
Imam Ahmad Naffaa has been
appointed as a full-time
Imam at the Kuraby Mosque
The Imam is a student and
scholar of Al-Azhar
University in Egypt. He
schooled at Al-Azhar all his
life and completed his
Bachelors degree in Islamic
Studies in Arabic and
English.
He also completed a further
2 year postgraduate degree
in Islamic studies and is
now pursuing an MA in
The transmission of Sahih
Bukhariin Western
Scholarships and a
Reconsideration of some
Orientalists perspectives.
His dissertation will be
written in English for the
benefit of non-Arabic
speakers.
Imam Ahmad also worked at
Al-Azhar as an Imam and as
an approved English speaking
teacher of various Islamic
academic topics and
jurisprudential issues.
He is joined and supported
by his wife Sr. Heba, who,
in her own right, is an
engineer by profession. She
has since devoted her time
to teaching various Islamic
courses for the benefit of
women wanting to learn more
about Islam and its
practices.
Imam Ahmed and Sr. Heba have
a one-year old daughter,
Umamah.
Adapted from a report written by ICQ
intern, Adeel Qureshi
This week the Courier Mail
hosted the Islamic Council
of Queensland's (ICQ)
spokesperson, Ali Kadri, for
an information and Q&A
session on Islam.
The session was designed as
an opportunity to "promote
dialogue and critically
needed engagement between
the Muslim community and an
influential media
organisation."
"In a media environment
which often seems dominated
by a narrative which focuses
on the abysmal actions of a
small minority of Muslims,
one of the intended
consequences of this meeting
was to have better informed
journalists who are aware of
the diversity of Muslims in
Australia and abroad,"
Ali told CCN.
The session was structured
as a brief introduction
about Islam and the Muslim
experience in Australia,
followed by a Q&A session
that lasted two hours.
The audience of some 50
journalists and editors
asked basic questions about
Islam as well as on issues
such as radicalisation and
Muslim youth.
There was genuine interest
in the room in learning more
about the finding out to
expand their knowledge.
Accompanying Ali Kadri were
four ICQ interns, Adeel
Qureshi, Hamza Surbuland,
Madina Mohmood and Noor
Gillani, who discussed
their experiences growing up
as young Muslims in
Australia amidst an often
hostile media.
"The diverse views,
aspirations, experiences and
aims of us four interns
demonstrated to the
journalists in attendance
just how diverse the Muslim
community is, and how futile
it is to conceive of all
Muslims as one and the
same," intern Adeel
Qureshi said.
He added, "The interns
especially enunciated the
importance of being
Australian without needing
to apologise for being
Muslim, and the challenges
faced in doing so."
"Feedback from the
session was encouraging and
shows the importance of such
engagement," Ali said.
Journalist, Paula Shearer
sent the following email
immediately after the
session:
Dear Ali, I just want
to say a very big thank
you for your
presentation at The
Courier-Mail today. Your
information was very
helpful and gave me a
broader understanding of
the issues facing your
community. It was
particularly pleasing to
meet your young team who
will no doubt help
create a greater
understanding within our
diverse Australian
community going forward.
I particularly agreed
with the points you
raised about everyone's
right within a
democracy. But also the
comparison with the fact
that while society
accepts that a girl
wearing a bikini does
not invite to be raped,
we don't show that same
sentiment to Muslim
women who prefer to be
covered up - that also
should not be an open
invitation to
hostility."
The reason I took young
Muslims with me is to help
create the next generation
of leaders. Unfortunately,
this is not done often and
enough in our community. I
want to make sure that next
Ali Kadri does not face the
same amount of hostilities I
faced as a 30-year-old
trying to have my say
amongst the established
community leaders',"
said Ali Kadri.
He also added that this is
in no way was an attack on
the older generation of
Muslim leadership and I
appreciate the fact that
they have created the
platforms and relationships
on which we can build upon.
"The predominantly
misconceived narratives
about Muslims which appear
in the media cant be
addressed by a single Q&A
session. However, the
crucial aspect of this
session was that it created
a platform for dialogue and
communication to allow for
greater understanding about
Muslims in Australia and
abroad. The opportunity to
change the discourse about
Islam is a challenging task
that starts with every
Muslim individual. This
session was one small step
in a necessary direction."
Adeel Qureshi (ICQ
intern) Political Science
and International relations
at the University of
Queensland. Hamza
Surbuland (ICQ intern)
studies Political Science
and Public Policy at the
University of Queensland.
Madina Mohmood (ICQ
intern) is a student of Law
and Arts at the University
of Queensland. Noor
Gillani (ICQ intern)
studies Journalism at the
Queensland University of
Technology. Ali Kadri
is the spokesperson of
Islamic Council of
Queensland. Ali completed
his MBA in 2003 from Charles
Sturt University, Masters of
Professional Accounting from
James Cook University in
2008 and Graduate
Certificate in International
Relations from Griffith
University in 2010.
Safiyyah Uren opened a
special reconciliation
assembly at the Australian
International Islamic
College, Gold Coast Campus
by narrating the following:
We acknowledge the
traditional custodians
of the land were
meeting on, we
acknowledge our
gratitude that we share
this land today, our
sorrow for the costs of
that sharing, and our
hope that we can move to
a place of justice and
partnership together.
The special assemblies and
meetings at the AIIC Durack
and Gold Coast Campuses were
held to spread awareness
regarding the suffering,
losses and the challenges
towards attaining basic
human rights for the
ingenious community in
Australia which was
explained by the guest of
honour Brother Troy Meston,
Griffith lecturer and
Indigenous research fellow
for the Australian Council
for educational research
(ACER) and Aunty Deborah
Bennet Head of Aboriginal &
Torres Strait Islander
Programs, Relationships
Australia.
The Meetings and assemblies
were followed by the whole
school enthusiastically
celebrating aboriginal
culture through
demonstrations and vibrantly
engaging in several
traditional aboriginal
games.
Brother Troy hosted a
special Yarning circle
workshop for the high school
students, and related to the
children the struggle of
education for indigenous
communities particularly
with the recent
sensationalized coverage of
the school children of
Aurukun QLD.
He motivated the students of
the AIIC, and left them with
the message that we as
Muslims must have faith,
believe in change and
acknowledge and advocate for
our indigenous people and
their culture, as this was
the world view of Muslims
before us.
A letter was sent by Aunty
Deborah Bennet following the
reconciliation awareness
program.
Dear Fatima,
I would like to take
this opportunity to
extend my deepest
appreciation to you,
your principal and all
of the amazing young
people I met and spoke
with at the Islamic
College yesterday.
It was a great honour
to have been invited
during National
Reconciliation Week 2016
to speak with the
students and share
something of First
Australian's
perspectives on media
representation of
Aboriginal & Torres
Strait Islander
People's. The students
demeanour illustrated
respect and a
willingness to engage in
the subject matter I
presented. I was
particularly moved by
the interest the
students showed
especially the group who
remained after class and
respectfully asked their
questions. As discussed
I will send you some
further resources and
links for your class.
Please feel free to
contact me if I can be
of further assistance.
Warm Regards
Debra Bennet
Head of Aboriginal &
Torres Strait Islander
Programs
Anver Omar ably supported to
the finish line by his daughter,
Adila Loonat, herself a final
year-medical student
Dr. Anver Omar (58)
completed his 11th Comrades
Marathon 89km run from
Pietermaritzburg to Durban
last Sunday in the very
impressive time of under 10
hours with two hours to
spare. He was also the 4th
fastest finisher in his
Durban club, Oasis Crescent.
Well done, Anver! This will
get him in fine tune for
CresWalk2016.
(l to r) Anver Moolla
of Durban who completed his 20th
run and Anver Omar
Usman Khawaja:
"The game can be quite tough at
times and stressful and
emotional. So you have to find a
way to bring yourself back to
your centre".
Usman Khawaja has always
batted with a certain grace.
His languid movements and
supple wrists have combined
for a visual style that
suggests ease and peace, and
a sense of time to spare
enjoyed by only the very
best players.
But until fairly recently,
the image was also something
of an illusion. Khawaja's
technique may have looked
smooth, but inside his head
turmoil and worry raged. He
was unsure of his place in
the game, and his future in
the Australian team. This
fretfulness played out over
a handful of Test matches
that reaped only two half
centuries and many slim
scores.
Ahead of Australia's
triangular series against
the West Indies and South
Africa, Khawaja has spoken
of how the shattering death
of Phillip Hughes
contributed to a more
balanced outlook on the
game, and how his Muslim
faith has helped him to
retain it. The proof of
Khawaja's development can be
found in his performance,
peeling off century after
century last summer and
winning an all-format place
in Australia's plans.
"We obviously lost Hughesy
and I did my knee in the
space of two weeks, so it
was a pretty rough time,"
Khawaja told reporters in
Guyana. "So you just sort of
learn to let go a little
bit.
"When I first came into the
Australian team I wanted to
make such a good impression
and to do so much and so
well, which is normal for a
young kid. Now I'm just more
relaxed about it all. What's
meant to be is meant to be.
"I train really hard, I do
the right things at
training, and then when the
game time comes I just try
and compete and if it's good
enough, it's good enough. If
it's not, so be it."
Cricket Australia has
highlighted Khawaja's
Pakistani background and
Muslim belief as signs of
the game's diverse future
down under, but the man
himself has been reticent at
times to speak of a personal
faith. However his
development as a cricketer
links directly to the sense
of peace and perspective it
gives him these days,
meaning Khawaja was this
time a little more
expansive.
"The game can be quite tough
at times and stressful and
emotional," he said. "So you
have to find a way to bring
yourself back to your
centre. Everyone does that
in different ways. I have my
own way and I do it because
you play so much cricket and
so much is going on, you can
sometimes forget about that
sort of stuff. It's a good
question because it happens
a lot.
"I pray. That's what
keeps me centred. The number
one most important thing in
my life is religion. That
comes first and that helps
me with everything else,
cricket included. I haven't
become any more religious. I
think I've just found a
happy medium of religion
helping me with life in
general.
"It sort of happens when
something as big as what
happened a couple of years
ago with Hughesy happens. I
think everyone took it in a
different way. Everyone
finds different avenues and
aspects so that's one big
one for me."
Solicitors Hisham Karnib, 23,
(left) and Muhammad Tehseldar
(right), 27, were attending a
legal conference on Wednesday
when the alleged incident
occurred
SYDNEY: Two young lawyers of
Middle Eastern heritage say
they were left 'humiliated'
after a staffer allegedly
tried to kick them out of a
conference because: 'You
look different'.
Solicitors Hisham Karnib,
23, and Muhammad Tehseldar,
27, were attending a legal
conference at a Dockside
Group venue in Sydney on
Wednesday morning.
The pair say they watched
the day's keynote speech and
ducked into the lobby later
that morning looking for a
coffee machine.
They then claim they were
then approached by a venue
staffer who demanded they
show their ID and name tags.
When one of the lawyers
asked why, the staffer
allegedly said: 'You look
different. You don't look
like you belong here'.
High profile criminal lawyer
Adam Houda (centre) said he
is acting on the solicitors'
behalf
'Were not showing you
anything and were not
leaving. You dont have a
right to see our ID,' Mr
Tehseldar replied.
'Why ask two out of the 500
people for ID?'
In a recount written up
immediately following the
incident, Mr Karnib recalled
the pair insisted they were
solicitors who had paid to
be at the conference.
The staff member called
security guards - who
surrounded them - and tried
to get them kicked out, the
pair alleged.
Conference witnesses soon
intervened, assuring them
that the men had registered
to attend the conference.
The lawyers believe they
were singled out because of
their race, although the
venue staffer apparently
told them he targeted them
because Mr Karnib was
wearing a puffy jacket.
'What other justification is
there?' Mr Karnib told Daily
Mail Australia. '(The
staffer saw) two young guys
with a dark complexion and
thought what are these guys
doing.
He believes that 'The jacket
(explanation) just doesn't
stand.'
Mr Tehseldar told Daily Mail
Australia he thought it was
'disgusting' way to be
treated.
He said several other
members of Sydney's legal
community were present at
the time and was concerned
about what they may have
thought about the incident.
The staffer later
apologised, saying he has
'random people walk into the
venue and needed to exercise
those measures', according
to Mr Karnib's account.
In a statement to Daily Mail
Australia, a spokesman for
the venue said the staffer
had 'spotted two men who did
not appear to be dressed in
the same manner as other
delegates' at the
conference.
The spokesman said the venue
'attracts a lot of casual
visitors who are walking
around... and they often
venture inadvertently into
functions.
'Once the (staffer)
established the two
gentlemen were indeed
delegates at the conference
he offered them his sincere
apologies and pointed out
they were only singled out
because of their attire.
'(The staffer) also
explained that security was
a top priority at the
conference and (the
staffer's) interest in them
was based on their dress and
for no other reason.
The spokesman said the
company 'apologises for any
distress to the delegates -
who continued to attend the
conversation - caused by the
(staffer) who is a valued
member of the team'.
Lawyer Adam Houda, who is
acting on the solicitors'
behalf, said the pair were
left 'shattered' and will
not attend the rest of the
conference.
He does not want the
conference to return to the
venue.
'(The staffer's) outrageous
conduct was undoubtedly
based on my clients
appearances,' Mr Houda
claimed.
'This is completely
unacceptable, not to mention
shameful.'
After
a great deal of time
with the grace of
Allah and the
generous support of
the community, the
Islamic Cultural
Centre has now
completed the
purchase of its new
boarding madrasah on
74 Garfield Rd,
Karawatha.
To
finalise the deal a
total of $180,000
has been loaned. We
are currently trying
to close off this
loan for future
development.
The
building has been
renovated and
extended to
facilitate after
school Islamic
studies and tuition.
Our
Islamic classes have
resumed since. As of
this month we have
started new
enrolments for
Arabic and Hifz
classes.
If it werent for
the heart warming
support from the
community and the
will of Allah, we
would not have been
able to succeed.
So we
would like to use
the opportunity of
the holy month of
Ramadan to thank you
all and to wish each
and every individual
of our ummah to have
a blessed and
wonderful month.
We would also like
to ask each and
every one of you to
continue your
support for our
students with your
Zakat as we are
currently running on
the support of the
community solely.
May
Allah reward your
actions and
facilitate your
intentions.
For more information
please call Imam
Ahmed on 0417 907
907
Ramadan Moubarak,
Islamic Cultural
Centre of Brisbane
Enthusiastic participants at
IFAMs Islamic Quiz competition
2016
NSW: The highly popular
Islamic Quiz Competition was
held on Sunday 22 May at the
Western Sydney University,
Parramatta campus organized
by the Islamic Forum for
Australian Muslims (IFAM).
Having run this program
successfully for the last
ten years in Canberra and
highly appreciated by
students as well as their
parents, it was the first
time that this unique
program was organized in
NSW.
With the slogan Learn &
Win: every child will win a
prize, almost 200
youngsters ranging from
kindy to year 10 registered
for the competition.
At the end of the long day,
final winners at the
competition were as follows:
Group D (Grades 7 & above)
Abeer Kamran stood first,
followed by Aishah Navaid
second and Nabiha Rajput
third.
Group C (Grades 4, 5 & 6)
Syed Muzammil Ahmad stood
first, followed by Zaina
Siddiqui second and Muhammad
Mehroz Khan third.
Group B (Grades 2 & 3) Uzair
stood first, followed by
Ajwa Binte Adnan second and
Muhammad Talha Adnan third.
Group A (Kindergarten &
Grade 1), there was no
competition. They had a
pictorial quiz in order to
prepare them for the next
year Quiz program.
The registration for the
quiz started from early
March, where the
participants from Years 2 to
Years 10 were sent Quiz
Booklets in order for them
to learn about Islam with
the supervision of parents
and prepare themselves well
in advance of the
competition.
The IFAM specialized team of
Quiz organisers including
Brs Adnan Shafiq, Shafqat
Ali, Asaf Siddiqi and Zaffar
Khan and Sr Bushra Shoukat
arrived at 9 am to manage
the day long program at the
venue.
Br Nazim Farooq who had just
finished supervising the ACT
Quiz the previous day on
Saturday 21 May in Canberra
was parachuted into the
Sydney venue to take charge.
Zafar Khan was the stage
secretary, while Ibrahim
Khalil and Fahad Hameed
conducted the Q & A
sessions. The highly
technical task of scoring
was undertaken by Br Shafqat
Ali.
The program started at 10.30
am with the Kindy Round
which included children from
Kindy and Year 1. All other
rounds except for the kindy
round started off with a
written quiz followed by
oral quiz in front of the
whole audience consisting of
children and their parents.
The selection of successful
candidates were then tested
in the buzzer round which
was fast and exciting.
Br Hamid Abbasi, assisted by
Brs Gulzar Ali and Khurram
Jawaid managed the food
stall feeding the
competition participants as
well as their parents.
The Islamic Quiz competition
will be continued in order
to provide a platform and
incentive for gaining
knowledge on Islam and
Muslims.
Ali Zafar is a computer
engineering graduate working
in the IT Department at the
University of NSW. He is
associated with IFAMs
Lakemba/Bankswtown Halaqa)
where he organises
kids/youth engagement
programs.
A/Prof Mehmet Ozalp with
delegates to the National Muslim
Youth Summit on Saturday 28 May
2016, Canberra.
CANBERRA: Over 160 Muslim
youth from all over
Australia converged on the
National Portrait Gallery in
Canberra on Saturday 28 May
to discuss issues close to
their hearts.
The event, jointly organised
by the Canberra Islamic
Centre (CIC) and the Islamic
Sciences and Research
Academy (ISRA), aimed to
allow the youth themselves
to explore constructive
solutions to religious and
social issues, according to
the President of CIC, Azra
Khan.
A network of Muslim youth
can play a very active and
influential role added Ms
Khan. The Summit will cover
a broad spectrum of issues
including extremism,
religious discrimination,
drugs and alcohol abuse,
social exclusion,
unemployment and mental
health.
Appropriately subtitled
Nothing for us, without
us, Associate Professor
Mehmet Ozalp, President of
ISRA, stressed that the
summit aimed to allow
robust discussion, propose
solutions, collaboration,
networking and looking to
the future together.
Muslim youth need to be
empowered to deal with
challenges they face in the
land they call home, A/Prof
Ozalp added.
A/Prof Mehmet Ozalp with
delegates to the National Muslim
Youth Summit on Saturday 28 May
2016, Canberra.
The event featured prominent
speakers from the Muslim
community. including
long-term youth worker
Shaykh Wesam Charkawi;
leading Muslim youth
activist, author and
professional Ms Yassmin
Abdel-Magied, community
leader A/Prof Mehmet Ozalp,
and author, activist and
academic Ms Mehal Krayem.
Shaykh Wesam Charkawi, a
long term youth worker,
spoke about how verses from
the Quran is being used in
topics or preached but are
not properly understood
because the background of
the verses is not known.
He stressed that treating
ignorance as fact is a grave
sin quoting the hadith that
the Prophet (s) said Those
who give ruling based on
ignorance will be in
hellfire. He pointed out
just by reading a medical
book doesnt make you a
doctor, you must learn from
a proper teacher.
He concluded by making the
point that technology can
help but it must be from
person to person contact.
Ms Mehal Krayem, a
sociologist and currently
co-editor of an online
magazine, Sajjeling, spoke
about social issues
affecting Muslim youth: the
challenges they face by
living their lives primarily
online, advising them to
stay away from anything
that compromises your
humanity and the
preservation of your soul.
Speaker: Mehal Krayem.
A/Prof Mehment Ozalp spoke
about social activism and
posed the question what is
the right way to be socially
active in Australia. He
emphasised the guiding
characteristics of Islam
surrender and submission to
Allah that Islam is
fundamentally constructive
and to keep on the straight
path- Siratal Mustaqeem.
Leading Muslim youth
activist, author and
professional, Ms Yasmin
Abdul Majeed spoke about
youth empowerment and
inspired everyone with her
life journey.
Her key message was to look
at everything as an
opportunity to learn and
never underestimate your
capacity to change the
world.
She also spoke about the
importance of
follow-through: Dont give
up if you fail just keep
pushing ahead.
She recounted her own story
of when she was a teenager
she wanted to make a change
but people wouldnt respond
to her because of her age.
However, with dedication and
follow-through she was able
to create Youth Without
Borders, an umbrella
organisation that works
towards positive change for
young people of all
backgrounds.
Since 2011, Youth Without
Borders has carried out
projects that have provided
kids with learning and
social opportunities that
they would otherwise have
missed out on.
Speaker: Yassmin Abdel-Magied
The attendees then separated
into groups. Each table was
provided a discussion topic
and attendees were told to
walk around the room and sit
on the table of their
choice. A facilitator then
joined to instigate the
discussion on the topic.
The topics included: Islamic
education; radicalisation;
Islamophobia; mental health;
and Muslim identity.
Each table was then asked to
choose two people to present
the key points from each
discussion.
The attendees had an
overwhelming positive view
of the summit which bodes
well as there are plans to
make this an annual national
youth summit.
Sourosh Cina, from Sydney,
said that the youth summit
was a great initiative. He
said he came in with open
expectations and was
impressed with the high
quality of speakers and how
their topics flowed.
The discussions were good
but we suffered from the
lack of time, he added.
He suggested that the next
time they could come with
certain definitions so that
there could be more depth
in the discussions.
He hoped that this could be
a stepping stone to
something bigger both
nationally as well as back
in the communities of the
attendees.
This story was written with
substantial input from Azra
Khan, Areeb Siddiqui,
Saminah Ahmad, Ibrahim
Khalil and Afzal Ahmad who
were attendees at the
Summit.
Manarul Islam is an IT
professional and AMUST
correspondent based in
Canberra.
National Muslim Youth
Summit: a positive platform
to tackle tough issues
The National Muslim Youth
Summit held in Canberra on
Saturday saw 145 delegates
from across the country
engage in constructive and
robust discussion about the
challenges they face.
The summit, jointly
organised by the Islamic
Sciences and Research
Academy (ISRA) and the
Canberra Islamic Centre (CIC),
had a full agenda ranging
from extremism and
Islamophobia to
unemployment, social
exclusion and mental health.
Prominent speakers from the
Muslim community kicked off
the day including youth
worker Shaykh Wesam Charkawi,
Muslim youth activist,
author and engineer Yassmin
Abdel-Magied, community
leader Dr Mehmet Ozalp, and
author, activist and
academic Mehal Krayem.
ISRA president Dr Mehmet
Ozalp urged everyone in the
room at the National
Portrait Gallery to work
towards building an
Australian Muslim identity
their grandchildren could
embrace and perpetuate.
"It is not about casting
anything aside but looking
for ways of being Muslim and
Australian at the same
time," he said.
"If you look across the
world practising Islam each
area has a unique character.
Islam is adaptable and fluid
in a sense outside of its
core principles, and it can
adapt to local settings. We
have done it in Africa,
Central Asia and India, why
can't we do it in
Australia?"
Hafsah Farouk, 23, of
Jerrabomberra said being
surrounded by diverse
Muslims from every state and
territory except Tasmania
was powerful.
"One major problem is that
we don't see ourselves as
fitting into Australian life
or culture and may not feel
accepted for who we are,"
she said.
Hafsah Farouk, 23, of
Jerrabomberra with sister Zainab,
28, of Wright (front), together
with other Muslim youths Saba
Awan, 30, of Braddon, Arafat
Ogunbanwo, 16, of Wanniassa,
Absiye Haybe, 17, of Stirling,
Marwat Ogunbanwo, 18, of
Wanniassa, Omar Hashmi, 29, of
Royalla, Faiz Fadil, 17, of
Forrest and Alif Rohmat, 15, of
Belconnen at the National Muslim
Youth Summit held in the
National Portrait Gallery.
"It is a great atmosphere.
With everyone here it gives
us a sense we aren't alone
in what we are feeling. We
have all come to be the
change and see what they can
do to resolve some of the
challenges Muslim youth
face."
She said radicalisation and
extremism were difficult but
important topics to address.
"We need to interpret and
discuss our religion, our
rules and obligations and
their natural meaning and
form so there is no room for
misinterpretation," she
said.
Yassmin Abdel-Magied's
casual and lively
storytelling had the room
captivated, and at times in
stitches.
The charismatic drilling
engineer, author and founder
of Youth Without Borders
rounded out her series of
funny anecdotes with two
take-away messages.
"Never let anyone's
expectations of you limit
what you do," she said.
"And never underestimate
your capacity to change the
world around you. You don't
have to change the world,
but don't forget by doing
simple things like changing
someone's mind, you create
change."
$55000 shortfall to settle
Gatton Centre by 6 June.
Your
assistance to help us settle
will be much appreciated.
Bank Account details:
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Westpac BSB: 034182 A/c:
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Women are hardworking, resilient
and marvellous multi-taskers!
These women have shown that
Pakistani women are especially
exceptional because of all that
we have to overcome and yet we
are able to not only become
leaders in our fields but also
pioneer into uncharted
territories. All over the world,
and beyond.
Read on about these super
Pakistani women gathering
respect and accolades the world
over:
3. Rani Taj
Taj is a British Pakistani
dhol player from
Birmingham, United Kingdom.
She rose to international
fame in 2010 when she
appeared in a viral video
playing dhol in the
streets.
Since Sadiq Khans election
as Mayor of London, many
people seem to be suggesting
that no Muslim city would
ever be open-minded enough
to elect a Christian as
mayor.
So, in the interests of
accuracy, and because FACTS
ARE OUR FRIENDS, I present a
list of some of the many
Christians who have done
just what Mr Khan has done
been elected to high office
in Muslim countries where
they are a religious
minority:
4. Bourtros Boutrol Ghali
Boutros Boutros Ghali, a
coptic Christian and former
head of the UN, was Egypts
Foreign Minister for 14
years. Egypt is 90% Muslim.
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:
"Small things might
turn bigger"
Amalina Rahmat, 21,
Melbourne, Malaysian
I arrived in Australia as an
international student after
the Sydney siege. I felt
scared, like I was
segregated in class. When
asked to form groups or
pairs, people usually turned
their backs to me and I was
left to pair up with either
another Asian kid or with
the tutor. Maybe it's my
accent, the colour of my
skin or maybe it's the scarf
I wear on my head. I don't
know. I do feel like people
treat me differently. I'm
just a normal human being
like everyone else.
Once I was crossing the road
at Federation Square with my
brother and this man walked
right up at me and spat on
my shoe. I was really shaken
because he was so big. My
brother and I were both
confused, but when we got
home we realised there had
been a Reclaim Australia
rally a few hours earlier.
My housemate was walking
home recently when a group
of young men in a car
shouted, "You f---ing
Muslim!" at her. Although
these things might not be
extreme, they are small
things that, if not
controlled might turn
bigger. They should be
called out.
Nine men and women from
around Australia give voice to
what it's really like to live as
a Muslim. Seham Mostafa, 61, a
doctor and mother, tells of her
experience with discrimination.
Beau Donelly reports.
THE DOCTOR
Seham (left) as a registrar at
Cairo University Hospital in
1975.
I met my husband by chance.
I was working in Cairo as a
ra
diologist and was visiting a
colleague in the hospital.
He had come back to Egypt on
holidays, having moved to
Australia nine years
earlier, and was also
visiting my friend.
During that visit, he sat
next to me and said,
suddenly, Would you marry
me? I said, What! I dont
know you. He told me to ask
my friend about him. She
said he was a good guy and
had a good personality. We
started talking on the phone
and met every day for a
month. A short time later,
we got engaged. I moved to
Australia to be with him the
following year.
I wanted to have a child so
when I got my qualifications
here I left radiology and
started working in the
Health Commission as a
medical officer. I wasnt
discriminated against when I
was trying to find a job and
I had a lot of support from
the Australians I worked
with. Ive always been
treated very well by my
colleagues.
Only once have I ever
experienced discrimination
because of my religion. I
was sitting next to an old
Australian doctor at a
function about 15 years ago
and we were chatting when he
made a comment assuming
that, because I was
educated, I was a Coptic
Christian. I told him I was
Muslim. He didnt speak to
me for the rest of the
night.
24 of the
Most Influential Black
Muslims in History
2. Umm Ayman (d. 650)
Umm Ayman, also known as
Barakah, was an enslaved
Ethiopian who was
emancipated and became a
renowned companion of the
Prophet Muhammad. She was
one of the few individuals
who closely knew the Prophet
from his birth until his
death. Among the earliest
converts to Islam, she
participated in the battle
of Uhud, caring and tending
for the wounded.
Citizen Khan:
Behind a Muslim
community in
northern Wyoming
lies one
enterprising
manand
countless
tamales.
Back when the
streets of
Sheridan were
still dirt and
Zarif Khan was
still young, the
Muslim who made
his living
selling Mexican
food in the Wild
West would put
up a tamale for
stakes and race
local cowboys
barefoot down
Main Street.
WYOMING, USA:
............
Contrary to the
claims of Stop
Islam in
Gillette,
however, the
Muslims who
established the
mosque are not
new to the
region. Together
with some twenty
per cent of all
Muslims in
Wyoming, they
trace their
presence back
more than a
hundred years,
to 1909, when a
young man named
Zarif Khan
immigrated to
the American
frontier. Born
around 1887,
Khan came from a
little village
called Bara, not
far from the
Khyber Pass, in
the borderlands
between
Afghanistan and
Pakistan. His
parents were
poor, and the
region was
politically
unstable. Khans
childhood would
have been marked
by privation and
conflictif he
had any
childhood to
speak of. Family
legend has it
that he was just
twelve when he
left.
What he did next
nobody knows,
but by September
3, 1907, he had
got himself a
thousand miles
south, to
Bombay, where he
boarded a ship
called the Peno.
Eight weeks
later, on
October 28th, he
arrived in
Seattle. From
there, he struck
out for the
interior,
apparently
living for a
while in
Deadwood, South
Dakota, and the
nearby towns of
Lead and
Spearfish before
crossing the
border into
Wyoming. Once
there, he
settled in
Sheridan, which
is where he made
a name for
himself,
literally: as
Hot Tamale
Louiebeloved
Mexican-food
vender, Afghan
immigrant, and
patriarch of
Wyomings now
besieged Muslim
population.
The New
Yorker
Mansa Musa
When the richest
man in history
went on Hajj
When asked about
rich people, you
probably think
of Bill Gates,
Rockefeller,
Warren Buffet,
Carlos Slim, or
the Rothschild
family. But
according to
historians, the
richest man to
have ever lived
was a Muslim
Malian king
named Mansa
Musa.
Mansa meaning
King. Mansa Musa
ruled over the
Malian empire of
Mali from 1312
till 1337 and
caught the
attention of
Europeans and
Arabs after his
renowned Hajj
(Islamic
pilgrimage) to
Mecca in 1324.
During this,
Mansa Musas
fortune was
estimated at 400
billion dollars,
and caught the
eye of many far
and beyond the
countries he
visited! He was
not afraid to
give zakat to
the poor and
build houses and
mosques on his
way to Mecca.
The then Malian
Empire contained
countries such
as Mauritania,
Senegal, Gambia,
Guinea, Burkina
Faso, Mali,
Niger, Nigeria,
and Chad. This
enormous Empire
stretched up to
two thousand
miles from the
Atlantic Ocean
in the West to
Lake Chad to the
East of its
borders.
Pilgrimage to
Mecca
As a devoted
Muslim, Mansa
Musa prepared
his pilgrimage
soon after he
took his
position from
Abu Bakri II in
1312. During
these
preparations,
which took
years, Mansa
Musa used the
knowledge and
resources from
his rich land.
Through Malian
scholars, who
helped plan the
pilgrimage,
Mansa Musa was
well prepared
and knew a lot
about the cities
he went to and
how to navigate
his way to
Mecca. 1324, off
to Mecca!
Finally, in 1324
he took up to a
thousand
servants (some
say 60,000) with
him. They had
more than 80
camels loaded
with 300 pounds
of gold and
other needed
goods with them
for their trip
of over four
thousand
kilometers.
Mansa Musa had
1200 slaves with
him each
carrying a
golden adorned
staff. During
his voyage he
stopped in the
Egyptian cities
Alexandria and
Cairo where he
attracted the
Arabs and
Europeans
interest. Due to
his act of
kindness and
bounteous
(giving Zakat),
it is said that
he gave away
most of his gold
to whom he met,
especially to
the poor on the
streets of Cairo
and Alexandria.
But he also
helped building
mosques each
Friday on his
way to Mecca.
His act of
kindness was
felt years later
in Egypt, Mecca
and Medina as
the local
economy
collapsed and
gold prices
substantially
fell. Soon Mansa
Musa was a known
man in the Arab
world and in
Europe. There
have been tales
from Italian
merchants and
Egyptians about
this sub-Saharan
African Muslim
king, who was
loaded with
gold. This
earned Mansa
Musa a spot on
the maps drawn
by Arabs and
Europeans. One
of this maps was
Italian map.
The impact of
his trip
Coming back
home, Mansa Musa
brought with him
Arab scholars,
architects, and
bureaucrats to
help him build
the historic
building we now
have in Gao and
Timbuktu.
Timbuktu became
a famous
scholarly,
cultural, and
flourishing
trade city in
these years. A
city to which
people from
Europe, Asia,
and Northern
Africa came to
learn, trade,
and live.
The legacy of
these Arab (Andalusian)
architects
consists of a
few masterpieces
like the
Djinguereber
Mosque, which is
a part of the
University of
Timbuktu. It
contains the
Masjid of Sidi
Yahya and
Sankore. Other
notable
buildings are
the palace of
Madagou and the
University/Masjid
of Gao.
The Islamic
scholarly was
boosted by this
trip, as the
amount of
Madrasas and
libraries grew
together with
the Islamic
knowledge. At
the same time,
Islamic leaders
and kingdoms
increased the
exchange of
commerce,
scholars, poets
This made
Timbuktu the
center of
Islamic studies
and trade in
sub-Sahara
Africa.
After Mansa
Musas death in
1337, his son
Maghan I, became
Mansa. But his
rule did not
last as long.
Attacks from
Morocco and the
kingdom of
Songhai soon
meant the
downfall of this
great Islamic
kingdom.
Fun fact : Mansa
Musa is
mentioned in the
computer game:
Civilization IV.
Map page of
Section LXXVII
Western Asia
under the
Abbasid Caliphs
(786)
Political
Pluralism Was
Key to the
Islamic Worlds
Golden Age
The Abbasid
dynasty
(750-1258 AD) is
often referred
to as the
Golden Age of
Islam. Ruling
for 500 years,
the Abbasids
established a
caliphate that
extended as far
east as
modern-day
Pakistan and as
far west as
Algeria. During
its lifetime,
the caliphate
had many
different
capital cities,
including Kufa
(Iraq, 750-762),
Ar-Raqqa (Syria,
796-809), and
Samarra (Iraq,
836-892), but
Baghdad was its
main capital and
center of power
for 427 years.
The Abbasids are
often remembered
for their
scientific,
technological,
and intellectual
innovations,
rather than
political and
religious
developments. In
fact, however,
it was the
Abbasids
unusual
tolerance for
dissenting
political and
religious ideas
that helped
create an
atmosphere where
science,
literature, and
philosophy could
thrive.
With the recent
ascent of Arab
revolutions and
counter-revolutions,
it is worth
revisiting this
underappreciated
aspect of
Abbasid rule.
The Abbasids
Radical
Political and
Religious
Openness
750 marked a
turning point in
the history of
the Muslim world
as the Ummayad
dynasty
collapsed after
a three-year
revolt led by
the pro-Abbasid
general, Abu
Muslim. The
Ummayads had
been doling out
privileges to
members of their
own tribe,
creating
resentment
amongst
different Arab
and non-Arab
Muslim groups.
The Abbasids
first radical
political act
was to bring
these diverse
forces together
to launch a
revolt against
Ummayad rule in
747 AD. Arabs,
non-Arabs,
Sunnis, Shias,
and others
banded together
to form a
pro-Abbasid
alliance. This
cross-sectarian,
inter-ethnic
coalition was a
critical first
step in
nurturing
political
pluralism as a
key component of
Abbasid rule.
Another
important factor
was the sheer
size and scale
of the
caliphate. The
vastness of
their empire
made it
impossible for
the Abbasids to
directly rule
over the entire
territory.
Instead, they
used a highly
decentralized
governance
structure,
involving a
complex web of
regional rulers
who pledged
their allegiance
to the
caliphate. These
rulers or
sultans
administered
territory on
behalf of the
Abbasids.
Responsiveness
to popular mood
and feeling were
key to the
success of this
governance
structure. To
gauge these
sentiments,
local
authorities
engaged in
consultations
with their
subjects. These
conferences not
only helped
entrench Abbasid
control over the
caliphate; they
also helped
circulate new
ideas throughout
the empire.
The Abbasids
political
openness did not
mean they
welcomed each
and every new
idea with open
arms. But, they
also did not
suppress ideas
that were
unfavourable to
them, unless, of
course, they led
to direct
revolt.
MUFTAH
Justin Trudeau,
Canadian Prime
Minister
The Benefits
of Studying
Islamic History
The development
of the Islamic
Ummah in history
was amazingly
rapid. It was
full of trials
and tribulations
and encounters
with other
cultures and
religious
systems. As a
result, the
final message of
Allah was
embodied in a
civilization
that was
enriched by all
the great
civilizations of
the world.
Within the first
century of its
birth, Islam
spread across
half the known
and majority of
the civilized
world of that
time. As
different people
became Muslims
or came under
the rule of
Islam, the
scholars and
thinkers of
Islam came from
increasingly
diverse regions,
thus enriching
the flowering
and protection
of Islamic
scholarship and
tradition with
their own
cultural
strengths.
The
contributions of
the Persians in
bureaucracy and
culture, the
Hindus in
mathematics, the
Greeks in logic,
the Turks in
military and
architecture
fields, just to
name a few, all
became sources
of strength of
Islam. On the
other hand, the
previous
philosophical
and religious
systems of the
new lands both
challenged and
influenced the
Muslim scholars
and thinkers.
All these
factors make the
history of Islam
extremely fast
moving, diverse
and filled with
conflicts,
debates and
upheavals. Each
of these
experiences,
however, also
helped it mature
and develop.
.........
To learn Islamic
history is to
inquire how
Allahs ways
have worked and
his will carried
out at the hands
of myriads of
individuals and
groups and how
His promises
have come true.
To look at
history
Islamically is
to keep an eye
on the moral,
spiritual and
ethical
dimensions of
all episodes in
history, however
big or small.
This is
precisely why
the Quran makes
learning history
in some ways an
act of faith and
a source of
wisdom.
Leanne
Mohamad, Winner,
Jack Petcheys
Speak Out
Challenge!
[CCN
Editor] The statement
extract below by the
Speakers Trust
and the Jack
Petchey
Foundation
was released in response to
the allegation that the
British-Palestinian
schoolgirl was expelled from
the public speaking
competition because of
pressure brought on by
anti-Palestinian blogger
Edgar Davidson.
Joint statement
from Speakers
Trust and the
Jack Petchey
Foundation
On 19th May
Leanne Mohamad
from Wanstead
High School was
chosen from
among 19
finalists as the
2015/6 Redbridge
Regional Final
winner. She was
chosen by an
independent
panel of judges.
As a Regional
Final winner the
speech was
posted online.
Following vile
and hateful
comments posted
online during
this Bank
Holiday weekend
Speakers Trust
removed the
video of
Leannes speech.
We will not
tolerate
trolling of
young people. As
a small charity
without the
capacity to
moderate
comments 24
hours a day it
was considered
essential to
protect Leanne
by temporarily
suspending the
regional video
until we were
able to consult
fully with her
school and
family.
In terms of
progression in
the competition
all 37
talented
Regional Final
champions were
entered into the
semi-final on
Saturday 21st
May. Only 15 of
these can reach
the Grand Final
stage. A panel
of judges
selected the top
15 speeches
without any
external
influence or
input and prior
to any of the
issues that
emerged this
weekend. The
general rules
of effective
public speaking
in the Challenge
are guidelines
to help speakers
to create a
speech that will
connect with a
large and
diverse audience
and every speech
was judged on
its own merits.
All the young
people who were
selected were
notified in the
week after 21st
May. Leanne
Mohamad was not
selected. She
does however
remain the
Redbridge
Regional Winner
for 2016.
Both the Jack
Petchey
Foundation and
Speakers Trust
which runs the
Challenge have a
primary duty of
care to the
young people we
work with and we
cannot accept
any form of
abuse against
them.
We are
determined that
all of our young
speakers,
irrespective of
background, race
or religion,
should be able
to speak out in
a safe and
supportive
environment. In
our society
people have the
right to hold
and express
different views
or perspectives.
It is important
that young
people can
express these,
challenge and
question in an
appropriate
manner and learn
to live with
each other in
peace.
.
The full
statement
Sheith Khidhir
Bin Abu Bakar
Expert: No
Islamic state
in Quran
Sheith Khidhir
Bin Abu Bakar
There is no
obligation to
create one as it
is not mentioned
in the Quran,
says Law
Professor
Abdullah Ahmed
An-Na'im from
Emory
University.
PETALING JAYA:
There is no such
thing as an
Islamic state
and no
obligation to
create one,
according to Law
Professor
Abdullah Ahmed
An-Naim from
Emory
University,
Atlanta, United
States.
Speaking at a
lecture entitled
Islam and the
Secular State
at the Sunway
University here
today, Ahmed
said that the
term Islamic
state was not
mentioned in the
Quran or the
sunnah (sayings
and actions of
Prophet
Muhammad), nor
was it known in
any of the
languages until
the 20th
century.
We do not have
this obligation
in the Quran or
sunnah, he
said. Islam
does not have a
prescribed order
for a political
state.
In fact, he
added, an
Islamic state
was an
impossibility
as there was no
criteria to
measure what an
Islamic state
was.
There were
differing views
in classic
Islamic
knowledge on
jurisprudence
and there was no
independent
authority that
could verify an
Islamic state.
Arabia and Iran
both claim to be
Islamic states,
but to each of
them they are
heretics, he
quipped.
Free Malaysia Today
A refugee prays
at the Jungle
camp in Calais
on Christmas Day
2015. In the
Calais refugee
camp it feels
obvious that
this is also a
battle between
makeshift
cardboard
churches and
mosques and a
secular France
that is totally
puzzled by the
resurgence of
religious values
it has sneered
at for
centuries.
The world is
getting more
religious,
because the poor
go for God
Giles Fraser
Religion
itself thrives
in places where
liberal
individualism
fails. Thats
the real clash
of civilisations
The so-called
masters of
suspicion,
Nietzsche, Marx
and Freud, all
thought that
religion would
wither and die
in the 20th
century. Others
enthusiastically
backed the
secularisation
hypothesis.
Intellectually,
the
enlightenment
had punctured it
below the
waterline and it
was sinking.
Religion was
dead. Except, of
course, the
reverse
happened: it
flourished. In
1900, the year
that Nietzsche
died, there were
8 million
Christians in
Africa. Now
there are 335
million. And the
growth rate
continues to
accelerate.
God wasnt dead.
God was reborn.
Indeed, far from
being the
century in which
religion went
away, for both
Christianity and
Islam, the 20th
century was
numerically the
most successful
century since
Christ was
crucified and
Muhammad gave
his farewell
sermon on Mount
Arafat. By 2010,
there were 2.2
billion
Christians in
the world and
1.6 billion
Muslims, 31% and
23% of the world
population
respectively.
The
secularisation
hypothesis is a
European myth, a
piece of myopic
parochialism
that shows how
narrow our
worldview
continues to be.
But every now
and then the
secularisation
thesis gets a
shot in the arm
by some little
local news. This
week, it emerged
in a survey that
people with no
religion now
outnumber
Christians in
England and
Wales. And its
true, of course.
We are getting
less religious
in the UK. This
is not exactly
because atheism
is having some
hipsterish
Hitchens-esque
revival, but
more because we
in the west are
less and less a
society of
joiners. And
religion begins
not with the
metaphysics but
with the taking
part belonging
preceding
believing. Which
is why the
communitarian
spirit of
religion is
declining in
places where
liberal
individualism
thrives.
And why religion
itself thrives
in places where
liberal
individualism
fails. Thats
the real clash
of
civilisations:
the shopping
centre (now
moved online)
versus the
temple, a battle
between those
who are wealthy
enough to think
in terms of the
first person
singular and
those forced to
think in terms
of the plural
collective.
There are only
two
globalisations:
God and mammon.
And they will
never fully be
reconciled.
Imagine no
religion, sang
the man on a
white Steinway
with a net worth
of $800m.
Imagine no
possessions he
also sang.
Though he
obviously found
that one a
little harder.
The Guardian
Justin Trudeau,
Canadian Prime
Minister
Could the Way
Americans Wipe
Their Bottoms Be
Ready for a
Change?
At the turn of
the 20th
century, the way
America pooped
went through a
revolution when
the at-home
flushing toilet
became a
standard part of
peoples homes.
But you needed a
way to wipe that
wouldnt clog up
plumbing like
catalogues or
corn cobs would.
Enter the
entrepreneurial
brothers
Clarence and
Irvin Scott, who
in 1890 gave the
world toilet
paper on a roll,
wrapped
individually for
sale.
It was huge:
Without TP, says
New York
University
microbiologist
and pathologist
Philip Tierno,
theres no
standardization
of hygiene. You
name it and it
was used to wipe
the anus. One
review of toilet
technology notes
that lots of
places use
water, grass,
animal fur, corn
cobs, seashells,
snow, or hands.
Now it appears
another
revolution is
afoot. In the
reaches of the
Upper East Side,
the bidet is
coming in a big
way. As detailed
in breathless
New York Times
trend pieces
like The Cult
of the Toto
Toilet, the
next big
Japanese import
is looking to be
a class of
high-end toilet
seats the
kinds with
heated seats,
deodorizers, and
tornado dual
flush
technology.
(Owners are
evangelists.
After his wife
bought him an
automatic
toilet, NBA star
Steph Curry said
that toilet
just makes me
happy in life. I
bet if I did a
case study on my
performance
since I got that
toilet, youd
see the
difference.) In
the words of
Times reporter
Steven Kurutz,
the need for
toilet paper is
virtually
eliminated
thanks to an air
dryer.
As soon as the
price tag falls
(substantially
theyre
currently priced
from $499 to
$9,800), toilet
paper could
become much less
of a necessity.
After all, as
Poop Culture:
How America Is
Shaped by Its
Grossest
National Product
author David
Praeger tells
Science of Us,
toilet paper
isnt even the
most hygienic
approach to
cleanup. If a
bird poops on
your arm while
youre walking
down the street,
you dont smear
it with a paper
towel you go
to the bathroom
and use soap and
water.
Theres the
sustainability
critique, too.
According to one
analysis,
Americans use 36
billion (!)
rolls or 15
million trees
worth of
toilet paper a
year, not to
mention all the
energy spent
shipping the
sheets around
the world.
Thats a lot of
paper and energy
literally being
flushed down the
toilet.
Toilet paper is
more a
psychological
comfort, not a
true measure of
cleanliness,
Praeger says.
Its a way of
keeping our
bodies separate
from the waste
they produce.
But sometimes
the paper rips
and youre
confronted with
your own
mortality, he
says, right on
your fingers.
Thats the rub
with these fancy
bidets: While
the push-button
bidet may seem
foreign at
first, you end
up being less
hands-on with
your personal
waste disposal.
And if youre
not able to part
with a couple
grand for a
happier bum, you
can take a
lesson from the
bidets newfound
cool: Use some
water.
To Tierno, its
about elevating
the TP
technique.
Toilet paper
itself, when
used alone, is
not the most
hygienic way to
wipe your anus
after
defecation, he
says. If youre
simply using dry
toilet paper,
you could be
doing way better
he recommends
alternating wet
sheets with dry
sheets, since
the wet paper is
important for
getting all the
fecal matter.
Two or three
dry, then a wet,
then a dry, then
a wet, then a
dry that would
be ideal, he
says. Using
just water is
probably more
efficient. And
with the right
bidet, its way
more luxurious.
In lapis lazuli (a precious
gem), brick and stone, this
large congregational mosque
in the north-western city of
Herat is quite simply
astonishing. With
foundations laid by Sultan
Ghayas-ud-Din Ghori in 1200,
it was extended, amended and
repaired throughout
subsequent eras, and took
its current form in the 15th
century, although it was
damaged in the Anglo-Afghan
wars in the 19th century.
RIYADH: Custodian of the
Two Holy Mosques King Salman is the
second-most influential leader on
Twitter, right behind US President
Barack Obama who ranks first.
These were the findings of a survey
conducted by Burson-Marsteller on May 31
and published on Twiplomacy, a site
specializing in monitoring the accounts
of leaders and officials.
Saudi Arabias @KingSalman is in second
place among the most re-tweeted world
leaders. He only tweets intermittently
and mainly in Arabic without any
visuals, but when he does his messages
are amplified on average 9,986 times,
Twiplomacy stated. Obama was first with
12,350 re-tweets for his @POTUS account.
In third place was Pope Francis with
9,905, fourth Venezuelan President
Nicolas Maduro with 2,532, fifth Saudi
Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir with
2,398, sixth Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi with 1,602, seventh
Obamas personal account with 1,572,
eighth Turkey President Recep Tayyip
Erdogan with 1,298, ninth Indonesia
President Joko Widodo with 1,224, and
tenth Argentine President Mauricio Macri
with 927.
Muslim schoolboys told to
shake hands with female teacher or face
£3,500 fine in Switzerland
The case near Basel sparked
fierce debate in Switzerland,
where shaking hands is taught
from a young age
SWITZERLAND: Muslim
schoolboys in Switzerland have been told
they must shake their female teachers
hands or see their parents pay a fine of
up to 5,000 SFr (£3,500).
The Canton of Basel-Landschaft said it
would enforce the rule in all cases
following an incident that caused uproar
at a school in Therwil earlier this
year, when two students refused to shake
their teacher's hand because they said
physical contact with a woman outside
their family went against their
religion.
The pupils were given a temporary waiver
from shaking any teacher's hand, which
is a common greeting and sign of respect
in Switzerland, while local authorities
discussed the issue.
In a decision released on Wednesday,
Canton officials said all schools had
been informed of the new rules enabling
parents to be fined up to 5,000 SFr and
children disciplined in a necessary and
proportionate manner if they continue
to refuse.
A teacher has the right to demand a
handshake, a statement by the local
department of education, culture and
sport said.
The public interest with respect to
equality between men and women and the
integration of foreigners significantly
outweighs students' freedom of
conscience (freedom of religion).
Refusing to shake a person's hand on
religious grounds amounted to a
religious act separate from permitted
expressions like wearing a headscarf or
declining swimming lessons, the decision
said, adding: The social gesture of
handshake is important for students'
employability later in their
professional lives.
The Local Switzerland said children are
taught to shake hands from an early age
as a sign of respect and that the
Therwil case was seen as an affront to
Swiss culture.
The custom starts with children shaking
hands with teachers at the beginning and
end of lessons and continues through
life, from business meetings to social
gatherings and trips to the dentist and
hairdresser.
The Canton of Basel-Landschaft said the
issue resulted in a broad societal
discussion and heated Facebook debates
that caused Office for Migration
officials to caution a person for
glorification of violence on social
media.
Diary Of A Saudi Girl:
Karate Lover, Science Nerd ... Bride?
Majd Abdulghani is a
young woman from Riyadh,
Saudi Arabia, who dreams of
becoming a scientist while
her parents hope to arrange
her marriage. Radio Diaries,
a storytelling nonprofit and
podcast, sent Abdulghani a
recorder and she ended up
chronicling her world for
over two years. Here are
some scenes from her diary,
which began on Oct. 31,
2013.
President Erdogan urges
Muslims to have more children
TURKEY: Turkeys
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has
called on Muslims to reject birth
control and have more children.
In a speech broadcast live on TV, he
said no Muslim family should consider
birth control or family planning.
We will multiply our descendants, said
Mr Erdogan, who became president in
August 2014 after serving as prime
minister for 12 years.
In yesterdays speech in Istanbul, the
Turkish leader placed the onus on
well-educated future mothers, to not
use birth control and to ensure the
continued growth of Turkeys population.
Mr Erdogan himself is a father of four.
He has previously spoken out against
contraception, describing it as
treason when speaking at a wedding
ceremony in 2014.
He has also urged women to have at least
three children.
The Turkish Statistical Institute says
that the countrys fertility rate was
2.14 children per woman in 2015, which
is just above the replacement level and
half the rate in 1980.
Despite this decline, Turkeys fertility
rate is one of the highest in Europe and
the countrys relatively young
population (compared with other European
countries) is still growing. The
population is just under 80 million.
The
worlds leading intellectual offers a probing examination of
the waning American Century, the nature of U.S. policies
post-9/11, and the perils of valuing power above democracy
and human rights
In an incisive, thorough analysis of the current
international situation, Noam Chomsky argues that the United
States, through its military-first policies and its
unstinting devotion to maintaining a world-spanning empire,
is both risking catastrophe and wrecking the global commons.
Drawing on a wide range of examples, from the expanding
drone assassination program to the threat of nuclear
warfare, as well as the flashpoints of Iraq, Iran,
Afghanistan, and Israel/Palestine, he offers unexpected and
nuanced insights into the workings of imperial power on our
increasingly chaotic planet.
In the process, Chomsky provides a brilliant anatomy of just
how U.S. elites have grown ever more insulated from any
democratic constraints on their power. While the broader
population is lulled into apathy―diverted to consumerism or
hatred of the vulnerable―the corporations and the rich have
increasingly been allowed to do as they please.
Fierce, unsparing, and meticulously documented, Who Rules
the World? delivers the indispensable understanding of the
central conflicts and dangers of our time that we have come
to expect from Chomsky.
KB says:
Another idea for a savoury which can be quite
satisfying and nourishing at iftaar time. It
freezes very well so the remaining ones could be
frozen and utilized at another time.
Steak
Muffin Pies
Step 1
Sift 2 cups flour, 3 tsp baking Powder, 1 tsp
salt, ½ tsp pepper. Rub in 125gram butter to
resemble bread crumbs.
Step 2
Beat 2 eggs and 1 cup buttermilk, (leaving 2 Tab
aside to glaze) and mix with the above dry
ingredients to form a batter.
Step 3
Steak Filling
Make a spicy steak filling (see below for a
recipe)
Step 4
Using foil pie holders, (you could use cup cake
or muffin pans) fill 1/3 of the container with
the batter, you may need to wet your hands to
spread the scone like batter.
Step 5
Layer with steak filling, you could use chicken
as well.
Step 6
Cover with the remaining batter, glaze with
egg/buttermilk mixture. Sprinkle with poppy or
sesame seeds.
Step 7
And bake at 180degrees until light brown.
Steak Filling
½ kg rump steak cubed
1 tsp crushed green chillies
1 tsp crushed red chillies
Juice of ½ a lemon
Ό tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger garlic
1 onion diced
2 tomatoes diced
2 tab ghee
Method
Heat the ghee, add all the spices, cook for a
minute add the steak and lemon juice and cook
until steak is tender and all the water has
evaporated. Add the onion
For many of us,
Ramadan translates into less physical activity
and movement. Staying active will boost immunity
and assist in the bodys detoxification
processes.
When we move less, we oxygenate less, so we
could become even more fatigued (especially now
going into this beautiful holy month of ours),
when we will be sleep deprived as it is for the
sake of our Creator.
Make every effort to keep moving or exercising
whenever possible. It does not have to be your
normal workout routine. 5-10 mins at a time will
make a big difference.
After the
rain- lettuce leaves in
glorious profusion
Use the opportunity to catch
up in your garden.
Ideas
The softer ground will
make weeding easier.
This is a good time to
remove all weeds from
your lawn or flower bed.
Garden edging can be
achieved in a quarter
the time it usually
takes when the ground is
hard.
Plant your coriander
and methi today- it will
germinate twice as fast.
Plant any fruit trees
or shrubs that required
a hole to be dug. Next
week you will struggle
to dig a hole.
Get out of the house
and spend time examining
and enjoying your
garden.
If your attacker is heading
towards you, grab his ear
with your fingers and press
your thumb firmly along the
whole of his eye. Use a
pushing action, press your
thumb back into his skull.
Holding your attacker's ear
means your thumb will
automatically drop down to
his eye level. Apart from
being more painful than
simply poking his eye, if
your assailant turns his
head, your hand will move
with it. With any luck, your
attacker will jerk backwards
in an attempt to cover his
eye, giving you precious
time to flee.
For more info
on self defence classes
contact Taufan on
0447004465 or
info@sscombat.com.au.
Islamic College of Brisbane, 45 Acacia Rd, Karawatha
0410 083 975
10am to 9pm
17
July
Sunday
Annual Eid Night
Islamic Society
of Darra
Darra Mosque,
DARRA
TBA
TBA
6
& 7August
NEW DATE
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
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
(tentative)
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 supplied by
the Council of Imams QLD (CIQ) and are provided as a guide and 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: 12 JULY 2016 Venue: Islamic College of Brisbane - 45 Acacia Road
Karawatha
The next QPS/Muslim Communities has been postponed.
Discussions with key stakeholders has resulted in the
meeting date now being moved to 12 July 2016 same time and
location (7pm at the Islamic College of Brisbane, 45 Acacia
Rd, Karawatha).
This will enable people to participate in the many Ramadan/Eid
functions and provide an opportunity for a subsequent
debrief of these events on the 12 July. If there are any
additional agenda items could you please forward them to
Maat.Michael@police.qld.gov.au.
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
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Births, Marriages,
New Migrants and
Condolences
All indicators from both
the local region and
bordering Islamic
countries and the
European council of
Fatwa suggest a strong
possibility that the
beginning of the Holy
Month of Ramadan for
this year, 1437H or
2016, will begin on
Monday 6th of June 2016.
In Toowoomba -
"Probably the
friendliest place in
Australia. It's
great to find that
Australian
multiculturalism
doesn't just live in
the costal cities.
One local proudly
explained to me how
Toowoomba is
Queensland's second
biggest centre for
the resettlement of
asylum seekers."
Moulana
Sulaimaan Ravat of Radio Islam
in South Africa reports on
his recent trip to
Australia:
ICQ
in conjunction with Brisbane
City Council is proud to be
hosting a FREE food handling
and hygiene workshop. 
King 2nd most influential leader
The
worlds leading intellectual offers a probing examination of
the waning American Century, the nature of U.S. policies
post-9/11, and the perils of valuing power above democracy
and human rights
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011