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Muhammad Ali Funeral

Janazah (Jenazah) Muslim Prayer Service in Louisville, KY (85 mins)

Rabbi Michael Lerner gets 4 standing ovations at Muhammad Ali's funeral (11 mins)

Muhammad Ali funeral: Rabbi Michael Lerner slams politicians who condemn Muslims
“We will not tolerate politicians putting down Muslims and blaming Muslims for a few people.”

Rabbi Michael Lerner completely went in on the mistreatment of Muslims in America and around the world while speaking on Friday at the funeral service for Muhammad Ali.

“Sends your blessings to Muhammad Ali and send your blessings to those who mourn for him and the millions around the planet," he began.

Rabbi Lerner, who is the editor of the progressive Tikkun Magazine, said that he was representing American Jews at the service, and that they played an important role of solidarity in the struggles African-Americans face across the country, and that today they were standing with the Islamic community around the world.

“We will not tolerate politicians, or anyone else, putting down Muslims and blaming Muslims for a few people,” Rabbi Lerner said.

Rabbi Lerner also showed love to Palestinians by calling on the US government to stand up against the oppression Palestinians face from the Israel government.
 

Dr. Kevin Cosby at Muhammad Ali's funeral (11 mins)

Comedian Billy Crystal delivers funny and touching eulogy for Muhammad Ali  (14 mins)

Canadian scholar helped prepare Muhammad Ali's funeral  (8 mins)

Zareena Grewal discusses Ali's funeral  (6 mins)

What Muhammad Ali meant to American Muslims  (2 mins)

Billy Crystal's Muhammad Ali tribute - 15 Rounds (1979)   (12 mins)
 

Don't turn Muhammad Ali into a sanitised caricature

By Waleed Ali

If no other life was quite like Muhammad Ali's, then no other death can be quite like it either.

Here is perhaps the most dramatic U-turn in modern human history: a man so thoroughly despised, now in his aftermath so universally adored. This is more than remarkable: it's confusing, even amnesic. Perhaps the most instructive moment was when Donald Trump tweeted his love: "A truly great champion and a wonderful guy."

Sure, they were once friends, but as a thousand people tweeted in response, Ali is one of those Muslims Trump would apparently prefer wasn't in the country.
 

All this raises the question: what, precisely, is being adored here? As we're flooded with the images of his unique boxing prowess, and the grainy footage of his lyrical, poetic trash talk, it seems obvious. No doubt, Ali was fantastically charming, irresistibly magnetic, prodigiously and peerlessly talented. But he was also frequently radical in a way so many of those now celebrating him would detest.

Perhaps I can put it like this: how can Ali be so unreservedly loved when we couldn't even cope with someone as comparatively mild as Adam Goodes? "I pity Clay and abhor what he represents," declared Jimmy Cannon – no less than a Boxing Hall of Fame sportswriter. He's referring to Ali's conversion to the Nation of Islam: an avowedly black supremacist group Ali joined around the time he knocked out Sonny Liston.

Today Cannon is cited as but one example of a viciously hostile press, condemned by the judgment of history. But exactly who among today's media would cop to admiration for Ali's belief at the time that white people were devils who should be kept entirely separate from blacks?

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ICQ Eid Down Under is proud to officially launch the Global Cuisines: Bringing the

world to you.
 

Global Cuisines is an opportunity to experience the world’s cuisines all in one place, including over 50 food, drinks, sweets and refreshments stalls from all around the world, as well as cooking demonstration and FREE food tasting opportunities only at the Eid Down Under.

Want to showcase your cultural and traditional cuisines, then get involved contact Ali Ghafoor 0410 083 975 (eiddownunder@icq.net.au) or visit www.icq.net.au for more information.

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Prime Minister of Australia, Malcolm Turnbull

To Muslims across Australia and around the world, Lucy and I send our warmest greetings to all those observing the  Ramadan month of fasting.

For Muslims, Ramadan is the holiest month of the year - a time for charity, for remembering the less fortunate in society, and a time for personal reflection and renewal.

At this time I also hope that you will enjoy Iftar, not only with family and friends, but also with neighbours who may be unfamiliar with Ramadan and Islamic traditions.

The practice of sharing meals establishes links across cultural communities and builds bonds of understanding.

We are a nation that respects each other’s right to freedom of speech, thought and religion. That right, supported by our principles of democracy and law, bind us together into what I believe to be the most successful multicultural society in the world.

I look forward this year to hosting Australian Muslims and representatives of various faiths at an Iftar dinner to honour the month of Ramadan.

From my family to yours, Ramadan Mubarak.

Ramadan Mubarak Kareem
On behalf of my family and myself, I take this opportunity to wish all your readers, our Muslim friends, neighbours and indeed the broader Muslim community, sincere greetings for the Holy month of Ramadan.

Regards
David Forde and family
 

PM Justin Trudeau​'s Ramadan Greetings for Muslims in Canada

This Canadian MP Is Fasting During Ramadan

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David Forde || Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN)

Community News

David Forde is an executive member of APAN. ComNews interviewed him to know how APAN can help in ending the oppression of the Palestinians.

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APAN Advertisement

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As-salaamu-alaikum
Ramadaan Kareem

On behalf of the board members of the Muslim Charitable Foundation (MCF), it gives me great pleasure to wish you Ramadan Kareem.

May Allah SWT grant you perfect health to be able to maximise from the benefits and glad tidings of this blessed month.

I also wish to place on record our sincere gratitude to MCF members, well-wishers, donors, Imams and volunteers who have assisted us over the last many years. This has seen MCF grow from strength to strength, and this has shown the confidence that our donors have in the organisation. MCF has always had a policy of accountability, transparency and honesty, and that has been the cornerstone of the organisation and its growth.

This Ramadaan, we once again make an appeal to our donors to continue to support us. With your support MCF has given hope and dignity to over 150 families and individuals in the last 6 months who were experiencing hardships and difficulty.

We have provided food aid, material assistance and debt relief. With your valued donations, we have paid for emergency accommodation, rental assistance, medical procedures, education expenses and simple everyday bills.

We have removed the burden from masajid all over Brisbane and surround of taking care of individuals who come knocking at their doors.
 

Our appeal to the community is to continue to refer any and all cases of persons requiring assistance to MCF. Do not become swayed by emotional appeals for assistance. Let MCF investigate the needs and, with your help MCF is able to provide the necessary support to those who are genuinely in need.

Please refer to our website for all our banking details.

We look forward to your continued support for many years to come.

Yours in the service of Islam

Yusuf Khatree
President
Muslim Charitable Foundation

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A Perth entrepreneur working to launch DIY skin care brand that will contribute funds to prevent exploitation and promote sustainability around the world has scored $20,000 to take her business to the next level.

Mud and Musk founder Haweya Ismail won the intense pitching competition hosted by BSchool, which cut through more than 150 initial applicants to reach its five finalists.

“I was the most nervous one out of the five,” Ismail told Smart Company.

Before a heavyweight judging panel including the likes of RedBalloon founder Naomi Simson and Deloitte Digital founder Peter Williams, Ismael shared the story of her small business: a venture inspired by a documentary she watched on exploitation through the frankincense trade in northern Somalia.

Wanting to figure out a way to contribute to a more sustainable world, Ismail began working on the idea.

“I wanted to start this a couple of years ago,” she says.

“It started as an idea for a social enterprise.”

Before entering the BSchool pitch competition, Ismail completed an accelerator program at Curtin University to develop Mud and Musk.

“That really helped me the most because you have access to all the expertise and mentoring to get through that early stage,” she says.

When she first had the idea entering the highly saturated cosmetics market seemed almost impossible but Ismail says the course helped her build her business model, revenue generation streams and marketing strategy.

“It helped me develop my idea and fill in all the gaps,” she says.

The heart of Mud and Musk

At the core of Mud and Musk’s model is sustainability.

The business will launch its first pack later this year, offering consumers the chance to create skin care products with organic ingredients sourced through environmentally friendly ways.

“We have one prototype at the moment but we want to expand the product,” Ismail says.

With every pack Mud and Musk rolls out, Ismail plans to feature powerful natural ingredients from different regions around the world, starting with Somali’s super cleanser Qasil.

This year Mud and Musk consumers will get to try their DIY products through a subscription model but once the business is at a stage where it can hold ingredients in stock, consumers will be able to customise packs and order them on-demand.
 

“The vision is to make it easier to incorporate organic DIY skin care [into daily life] so everyone can know what they’re putting on their skin and it’s easy to use,” Ismail says.

With the $20,000 cash injection, Ismail has leaped into getting her cosmetic business fully certified so it’s ready to hit market.
 

She’ll also be dedicating some of the funds to expanding the Mud and Mask range and on Simson’s advice, Ismail looks forward to seeing her products available through RedBalloon in the future.

The documentary that sparked this journey for Ismail remains close to her heart and she hopes to one day also support sustainability in the frankincense industry.

Looking back, Ismail says one of the most important lessons she has learned was to pivot when needed.

“You can’t just fall in love with your original idea and try to make it work,” she says.

“[Don’t] give up when you feel overwhelmed with the amount of things you have to learn.”
 

Source: All Things Somali

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Food packs have already been distributed to families in 31 countries around the world. With the help of our generous community, we will be able to cover the cost of our 2016 food pack distribution so that In Sha Allah next year we are able to reach even more people.

Each Food Pack purchased feeds a family of up to 6 people for the entire month.

Visit our IR stall to purchase Food Packs for a country of your choice.

You can also use this opportunity to drop off your Sadaqa Boxes!

The Islamic Relief team in Queensland thanks you for your continuous support.

Islamic Relief also invites you to our Iftaar at the Gold Coast Mosque on Saturday 18 June.

Support us in reaching our target of feeding families in 31 countries across the globe. Use this opportunity to purchase food packs for families in a country of your choice and share your blessings this Ramadan.

We hope to see you there!

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ANNUAL IFTAR FOR NEW MUSLIMS

Next Saturday 18 June marks New Muslim Care’s second annual iftar for new Muslims. We are hoping for a great turnout like last year’s turnout of over 100 people. New Muslims their families came together to break their fast, pray, enjoy delicious food and share in the special atmosphere of what was, for some Muslims, their very first Ramadan.

This year’s iftar is being held at the Islamic Women’s Association at 11 Watland St, Springwood. Online bookings are essential for catering purposes. Click here to register.

New Muslim Care relies solely on community donations to provide important services in our community. If you would like to help us continue these much needed projects, including next week’s iftar, please donate generously in this most blessed month. JazakumAllahu khairan.

Bank details:
BSB: 064 050 (Commonwealth Bank)
Account no: 1003 9289
Account name: New Muslim Care

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One of Australia's top Islamic schools has been hit with heavy penalties of more than $150,000 after hiring teachers on illegal contracts and later tampering with evidence to cover up the wrongdoing.

The Australian International Academy of Education – formerly King Khalid College – was found to have violated workplace law by employing more than a dozen teachers on fixed-term contracts in 2012.

Salah Salman, the school's director-general and a member of the Order of Australia, was also condemned and personally penalised $2,200 for obstructing union officials seeking to inspect the teachers' contracts.
 

Imposed in the Federal Court on Wednesday, the fines are believed to be among the largest penalties ever ordered against a school in Australia.

Justice Christopher Jessup described the school's actions as "calculated deception".

Based in Melbourne, the academy was Australia's first Islamic education provider when it opened in Sydney Road, Coburg, in 1983. It now has campuses in Coburg, Coburg North and Caroline Springs, and in Sydney and Dubai.

The Federal Court upheld the Independent Education Union's claim that 13 teachers at the academy's Coburg campus were illegally hired on fixed-term contracts, which can only be used to plug gaps when teachers take extended absences from classroom duties.

The union said the school was entitled to hire just three teachers on fixed-term contracts under the teachers' award in 2012.
 

And when union officials went to inspect the school's files, Mr Salman instructed his personal assistant to change teachers' employment agreements, altering their status from replacement staff to full-time employees, the court heard.

Maurice Blackburn senior associate Daniel Victory said the case was a "warning signal" for any schools misusing fixed-term employment contracts.

"The misuse of fixed-term contracts is not just bad for teachers and students; this case shows that it can also lead to significant penalties for schools," he said.

"This case also highlights the importance of unions, as without the tireless work of the union, these contraventions may never have come to light."

Independent Education Union general secretary Deb James said the court's ruling was significant, and the union would be turning its attention to "other schools and colleges that have made a habit of putting people on fixed-term contracts".

"Fixed-term contracts make it hard for teachers to plan and can negatively affect their teaching," she said.

"Teachers want to concentrate on their students, not whether they will have a job the next year."
 

Source: The Age

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The International United Hijri Calendar Congress which was organized by the Office of the President of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) in İstanbul and closely watched by the Islamic countries and world Muslims decided on the application of a single calendar all over the globe.

The issue was discussed at length for three days by the scholars, scientists, astronomers and decision makers from 50 different countries including Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, United States, Qatar, Morocco, Egypt and Jordan.

At the closing session of the congress the participants voted for the application of a common calendar in the Islamic world. The participants were required to vote for a “single calendar”, a ”dual calendar” or vote “undecided.” After the voting it was made public that a majority of the participants voted for a single calendar.

After the voting President of Diyanet Prof. Dr. Mehmet Gφrmez declared “the congress has ruled for unity. It has decided for the application of a single calendar. May this bring blessings to the Islamic world.”

President of Diyanet Gφrmez said he believes with this decision which is the product of three years of hard work the 60 year old dispute in the Islamic world will come to an end and Muslims will celebrate their jubilations and joys at the same time and said the congress sends its spirit of unity and solidarity to the oppressed in Syria as a prayer.

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Proposals:

1. The congress advices the religious authorities of the Islamic countries and persons and institutions responsible for religious affairs to adopt the calendar and work to create unity to determine the start of the lunar months.

2. The congress invites the calendar makers in the Islamic world to adopt this calendar to unite Muslims around this calendar which is an indicator of the civilization and identity of the Muslims and unites their emotions and thoughts.

3. The congress advices Muslims living in non-Muslim countries to apply the calendar and thus create unity among all Muslims. It is not religiously permissible for Muslims who live in the same country to quarrel about the days of Eid and when to start fasting. On the contrary they should adhere to the rulings of religious authorities like the European Research and Fatwa Council or the Office of the President of Diyanet in Turkey as our Prophet has declared: “The day you fast is the day when you all fast, the day you mark Eid is the day when you all celebrate together and the day you sacrifice (animals) is the day when you perform this ritual all together.”

4. The congress advices the units of the Office of the President of Diyanet of Turkey in Western countries and the European Research and Fatwa Council to be the authorities for the Muslim minorities living in Western countries on scientific and religious issues to create unity and solidarity among Muslims in Europe, protect their interests and avoid discord among them regarding the religious holy days and the start of the lunar months.

5. The congress advices the Office of the President of Diyanet of Turkey to present the calendar to the Presidency of the Islamic Cooperation Organization and thus convey it to the attention of all Islamic countries so that the calendar can be accepted as a single calendar for the whole Islamic world.

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On Friday Imam Akram Buksh of Slacks Creek Mosque met with Muslim inmates at the Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre.

"They where very happy to receive me and enjoyed listening to the Jumua Khutbah, many of them had not listened to one in the last 8 years", Imam Akram told CCN.

While delivering the Khutbah many of inmates cried through entire sermon.

Imam Akram offered a special thanks to the Islamic Council of Queensland (ICQ) and Robbie Hamza from the Slacks Creek Mosque youth department for there efforts in making these centre visits possible.

"It was really great to see many people embracing Islam in the prison, many of them eager to increase there knowledge of Islam, and inshalalh with the help of Allah (SWT) and leadership of ICQ we will endeavour to reach out to Muslim inmates on a more regular and structured basis to provide them with spiritual guidance and support."

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Anti-Muslim sentiment is “strong” and “probably quite widespread” among Australian defence force members and was higher among those who had undergone cultural sensitivity training, according to research commissioned by the army.

Soldiers from four special operations units based at Holsworthy army base were asked whether they believed “the Muslim religion promotes violence and terrorism”.

Of the 182 people who took part, an estimated 80% agreed with the sentiment, according to lead researcher Charles Miller from the Australian National University.

The survey was conducted as a “list experiment” to grant anonymity to the participants and reduce concerns that agreeing with the statement might invite repercussions.

“This study has found strong evidence that many members of the ADF’s elite units simply do not buy the official line presented by Western leaders from George W Bush on that ‘Islam is a religion of peace’,” Miller concluded.

“Anti-Muslim sentiment is strong at least among some of the elements of the ADF at the forefront of deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq.”

Miller estimated that the proportion of soldiers who had undergone cultural sensitivity training and agreed that Islam promoted violence was about 91%.

“The corresponding figure for those who have not had cultural sensitivity training is a mere 17%,” he wrote in a paper published in the autumn edition of the Australian Army Journal (pdf).

But he cautioned against declaring the one-day cultural sensitivity training a failure, noting that only soldiers who were deployed to the battlefield underwent the course.

“It could simply be that this [positive] effect is being comprehensively drowned out either by the effects of overseas deployment or by whichever factors caused individuals to join units which would be deployed overseas in the first place,” Miller said.

Special operations units at Holsworthy had “borne a heavy share of the fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan”, he noted.

He suggested “a higher ‘dose’ of the training” could improve perceptions of Islam among soldiers, but said further research was needed to make any conclusions about the effectiveness of the sensitivity course.

The ADF is engaged in currently engaged in official efforts to increase minority and female numbers among enlisted people.

 
The chief of army, Lieutenant General Angus Campbell, wrote an introduction to the paper noting it would “challenge your opinion of the way in which our army conducts and manages cultural sensitivity training. And challenge is a good thing.”

“We do not all have to agree. Both the evaluation board of the Australian Army Journal, which reviews these articles, and my staff, have a number of opposing views on this article’s content and its reflection on the lived experience of army values,” he wrote.

“That said, discussion on sensitive matters, supported by sound research and rigorous analysis, helps position army to understand difficult problems and deal with them appropriately.”
 

Source: The Guardian

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David Franzoni, who wrote script for 2000 film starring Russell Crowe, to pen biopic on 13th-century Muslim poet and scholar

An Oscar-winning screenwriter has agreed to work on a biopic about the 13th-century poet Jalaluddin al-Rumi.

David Franzoni, who wrote the script for the 2000 blockbuster Gladiator, and Stephen Joel Brown, a producer on the Rumi film, said they wanted to challenge the stereotypical portrayal of Muslim characters in western cinema by charting the life of the great Sufi scholar.

“He’s like a Shakespeare,” Franzoni said. “He’s a character who has enormous talent and worth to his society and his people, and obviously resonates today. Those people are always worth exploring.”

Producers hope to begin shooting the film next year. Franzoni and Brown were in Istanbul last week to meet with Rumi experts and visited the mystic’s mausoleum in Konya.
 

“It’s a very exciting project – and obviously challenging,” Franzoni said. “There are a lot of reasons we’re making a product like this right now. I think it’s a world that needs to be spoken to; Rumi is hugely popular in the United States. I think it gives him a face and a story.”

Rumi’s spiritual and mystical epics, the Masnavi and the Divan, are widely considered among the best poetry ever written and have been translated into numerous languages. The Sufi teacher, who fled in his youth from his birthplace in present-day Afghanistan during the Mongol invasion, travelled through Baghdad, Mecca and Damascus with his family as a refugee before settling in Konya, in modern-day Turkey, where he died in old age.

Rumi’s encounter with the enigmatic mystic Shams of Tabriz, believed to have occurred in 1244, altered the course of his life . After Shams’s mysterious disappearance, an aggrieved Rumi wrote much of the love poetry that he is widely known for in the west – couplets that endure in pocketbook versions of his writings, which have made him the bestselling poet in the US.

Franzoni and Brown said they would like Leonardo DiCaprio to play Rumi, and Robert Downey Jr to star as Shams of Tabriz, though they said it was too early to begin casting. “This is the level of casting that we’re talking about,” said Brown, chief executive of Y Productions, who was also a producer on other hit films such as Se7en, The Fugitive and the Devil’s Advocate. The movie will be co-produced by Y Productions and Es Film.

A key challenge will be trying to build credible and identifiable profiles of Rumi and Shams from a considerable body of mythology. Even the basic facts of their lives are in dispute. Revered Islamic figures in popular discourse tend to be mythologised as saints rather than flawed characters, with their achievements embellished and their flaws papered over.

“We’re trying to invent and resurrect a character at the same time because there is so much missing in the shadow of history, and some of it is idealised so you have to go back and find the human being who became a saint, because we can’t write about a saint,” said Franzoni.

Shams’s character is also complicated to portray. While those working on the film do not see him as a villain, they do view him as a chaotic influence who distracted Rumi from his teachings and family. The ambiguities could allow writers and producers greater artistic licence, and they hope the intellectual arm-wrestling of the two key figures in the story will make for compelling viewing. “The greatness of Rumi, so much of it came out of that unpredictability and being challenged,” said Franzoni.

Franzoni said the film would probably include a prologue of Rumi’s flight from his birthplace, a situation he said had parallels with modern times. The Mongol invasions bore some semblance to the rampage of extremists in the Middle East today, and the ensuing flight of civilians, he said.

The film will focus on Rumi’s teachings as well as his encounter with Shams, while giving prominence to Kimya, the poet’s outspoken daughter who some scholars believe may have married Shams.

Franzoni and Brown said the main reason they wanted to make the movie was to introduce Rumi’s life story to the millennial generation that so loved Rumi’s poetry. Franzoni said he hoped the audience would be able to identify with the poet.

“What’s fascinating is where did this all come from? It’s the 21st century and we’re rolling in it and embracing it. If we position ourselves carefully, [we can say] now we’re going to tell you where something you love came from,” he said.

“I think it’s obvious why people love his poetry. There’s a line about Lawrence of Arabia when they ask him why he likes the desert, and he says ‘because it’s clean’. There’s something profoundly ‘gettable’ about Rumi. You get it. And not only do you get it but it involves you.”
 

Source: The Guardian

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With the month of Ramadan now underway, we asked some of the burning questions you might have about the holy month.

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the fasting month for Muslims. It falls in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and is one of the five pillars of Islam.

Participants fast during daylight, and generally eat a meal before sunrise and after sunset, called suhoor and iftar.

The end of Ramadan Eid ul Fitr is marked with a large celebration.

Can we wish people a Happy Ramadan?

Well-wishes are always welcome according to Ali Kadri, president of Queensland's oldest mosque, Holland Park Mosque.

"Yes, of course," Mr Kadri said. "It's just a good greeting to give to people who are going through the self sacrifice for their faith.
And if you want to be really clever, you can say Ramadan Mubarak, which essentially means Happy Ramadan, or Congratulations, it's Ramadan.

Who is excused from fasting?

Mr Kadri said people who were sick, children below the age of 13 who had not gone through puberty, women who were on their period, travellers, breast feeding mothers and pregnant women were not required to take part in fasting.

What if you play sport? Can you have some water?

Not really.

Mr Kadri said professional athletes who travel were not required to fast, but other Muslims were encouraged to avoid sport for the month.

"They are not allowed water, they are not allowed to eat ... unless they are playing professionally and if you travel you don't have to fast," he said.

"If you are in those situations, it puts a lot of stress on them during the fasting time."

How do you tell when you can start and break the fast each day?

Mr Kadri said most mosques provided their congregation with a Ramadan calendar which detailed the times they were allowed to eat.

Is it hard to fast when others around you aren't?

Usman Nasir, who lives in Brisbane with his wife Madiha and their two daughters, said he still enjoyed fasting in Australia, despite growing up in Pakistan where it was the norm.

"Our routine changes in the month of Ramadan," Mr Nasir said.

"We wake up really early in the morning and that usually means the two girls are up too. Although they are too young to keep fast yet, we want them to know about what this month represents, [for example] patience and charity.

"Ramadan is also supposed to remind you that there are people in this world who can't afford to eat the basic three meals a day while people around them eat and drink lavishly.

"So in my opinion, what better place to feel that than a place where keeping fast in Ramadan is not the norm."

What do you wish Australians knew about fasting?

Mr Nasir said he wanted people to know it was a blessing to take part in Ramadan.

"Ramadan for us is not only about giving up eating and drinking, it's also a month in which one should give up his ego of being a superior human than others, control one's anger, donate to the underprivileged and any sins that we do in our daily lives," Mr Nasir said.

"I would like Australians to know that Ramadan for a true Muslim is not hardship but a blessing and privilege from Allah.

"It's a chance to improve one's shortcomings as humans and as Muslims, forget old quarrels and forgive each other, be more kind and generous towards humanity and ask for forgiveness for one's sins."

What else do you give up during Ramadan?

Mr Kadri said many Muslims used the month as an opportunity to address addictions, including smoking.

"It's the patience that it gives you, the ability to tolerate and control your desires … as in food, hunger, thirst and the desire to have sex, you will be able to control the other desires to do bad things."

He said it was another unknown fact that married Muslim couples were expected to abstain from sex during the day "which can be really hard for someone who had just got married".

He said the other part was that it was a month of celebration within the community, and families and friends gather to break the fast each night.

"In a Muslim family it's a time to come together," he said.
 

Source: ABC

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Two months out from the Rio Olympics, taekwondo champion Safwan Khalil's days are filled with exhausting training sessions and intense dedication.

Come Monday, things will get even tougher for the 30-year-old Olympian. He will forgo all food and drink, including water, from dawn until dusk as he trains for the biggest event of his life.

For Khalil and the rest of Australia's 500,000 Muslims, Monday marks the start of the holy month of Ramadan.

The ninth month in the Islamic calendar is a special month of prayer, reflection, regeneration and strict fasting during the day.

"It changes everything," said Khalil, who came to Australia from war-torn Lebanon as an eight-month-old baby. "It changes my diet, what times I eat, how hydrated I am, when my training is."

Two-hour training sessions in the morning and afternoon will be moved to daytime and late evening to accommodate for fasting and prayer. Warm-ups are shortened to conserve his energy and fluid levels.

Forgoing water can be "excruciating", he said.

"It's hard, in a way, that this month comes so close to the Olympics but it's also a blessing in disguise because I feel like you come out a better, stronger person."

Khalil, who is a medal hope for Australia, returned from an incredibly strenuous Korean training camp with fellow competitor Hayder Shkara on Saturday.

"The thought process was go and flog ourselves in Korea before Ramadan then just maintain everything from here on," Khalil said. "The Olympics will come in the blink of an eye."

Ramadan is not just a month of spirituality and improvement, it is also a month of big business.

Meals before and after the fast, called suhoor and iftar, can be large and celebratory affairs.

Thousands of people flock to night markets in Haldon Street, Lakemba, to feast on camel burgers, international sweets and traditional meals until the wee hours.

Clothing sales spike ahead of the month's end, Eid al-Fitr, when it is tradition to wear new clothes and visit family and friends. Charity donations surge as people are obliged to donate to the poor and festivals to celebrate Eid pop up in Fairfield and Bankstown.

Abdul Neeman, owner of Sweets Palace in Regents Park, will hire extra staff and bake through the day and night, making thousands of iftar treats including the most popular, maamoul, small shortbread pastries filled with dates, pistachios or walnuts.

"This month keeps us going for the rest of the year," he said. "A lot of the sweet shops rely on it."

The Grand Mufti of Australia, Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed, said it is also a month to connect with non-Muslims.

"Islam stresses the importance of promoting cultural and societal pluralism," he said. "As such, it is highly encouraged to invite non-Muslim families to join Muslims in the act of breaking their fast."

Ahmet Polat, executive director of the Affinity Intercultural Foundation, said they will organise about 30 home iftar dinners this month, in which Muslim families host non-Muslims.

"Ramadan is one of the pillars of Islam but the meal brings people together regardless of background," he said. "If people don't believe in God, it doesn't matter. The motto is that, at the end of the day, we are all humankind."

In a nod to the Vivid Festival, Lakemba Mosque will light up in different colours at night as thousands attend the mosque for evening prayers.

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Is there a Doctor in the House?

G.P required to work in a medical centre.
For further information please contact Loay Deeb : 0422268054
 

Paid employment for community members located within the vicinity of the Ipswich Region.

The Professional Work Skills Gateway provides an opportunity for successful applicants to obtain 15 weeks of paid employment, in a Business Administration Traineeship (completing a Cert I in Business), whilst engaged and participating in a placement within a not for profit community within the Ipswich/Brisbane Areas.

The target group for participants in this program are Professional Migrants and Recent University Graduates and only QLD permanent residents with working rights are able to participate in this program.

This program has been developed and designed to provide professional qualified migrants and recent graduates with an opportunity to develop skills and experience within a paid position within a not for profit organisation, there are a variety of opportunities/positions available.

There are only 30 positions available and they are filling up quick - so all applications will be processed by 5pm the 17th of June.

Zara Volkanovska
Skilling Queenslanders for Work
Business Traineeship Coordinator

P: 07 3282 8000 | M: 0476 677 640
F: 07 3437 8657 | E: zara.v@challengeemployment.org.au.
 

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Births

Marriages

New Migrants

Condolences (Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un)

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Mehreen is an Australian politician, with a degree from UET Lahore in Civil Engineering. She moved to Australia in 1992 after having worked as a consultant in Pakistan for several years. She has been a Greens Party MP in the New South Wales Legislative Council since 19 June 2013.

NEXT WEEK IN CCN: 5. Lianna Swan

Source

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Since Sadiq Khan’s 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:

5. Basuki Tjahaya Purnama

The capital of the world’s most populous Muslim country, Indonesia, has a Christian governor, Basuki Tjahaya Purnama. Indonesia is 87.2% Muslim.

NEXT WEEK IN CCN: 6. Lιopold Sιdar Senghor

Source: The Muslim Vibe

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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:

"I don't want sympathy"

Source: Brisbane Times

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THE CONVERT

The existence of the internet means young people now have access to every evil on the face of the earth. I’ve had children ask me about ISIS videos they’ve seen online. It is critical that we have open discussions with them about where radicals have gone wrong and how this is not part of our faith.

Young people should be made to feel like they can ask questions without fear of criticism or accusation. If we just pretend, because we don't like to talk about it, that kids aren't exposed to this horror, we’re being extremely naive. They already have ISIS at their fingertips.

I’ve made a conscious effort to teach my children about the correct teachings of Islam so that nobody can trick them into believing something is part of our religion when it is not. My kids know the source of Islam, the fundamental beliefs, the teachings of the prophet, and where to look something up if they have questions. I want them to understand how young people can end up espousing ideas that are foreign to what we believe in. If I was unwilling to break down these issues, I would leave my children at risk of being drawn in and misled.
 

Growing up in western Sydney, the daughter of a Greek Orthodox father and a Catholic mother of British heritage, I knew nothing about Islam. In fact, I considered myself to be a committed Christian. But in my first year of university, I started to question my beliefs and made a commitment to research all of the world's religions. Conversion wasn't on my mind.

A couple of years later, I moved to Perth and met my future husband, a South African Muslim. The fact that he wouldn't marry me unless I converted caused a stalemate between us. But I had another problem: I was raised in a very conservative family. It was marriage or nothing.

I converted to Islam so we could get married but it was a nominal conversion and I wasn’t committed. My husband had no problem with me not practising Islam because he wasn't himself. It wasn’t until I started going to Islamic classes with a friend during my first pregnancy that I took a genuine interest in the religion.

Eventually, I came to the conclusion that Islam was the truth from God. I told my husband he should take his faith more seriously. Ironically, he resisted at first, but then decided to join me on this spiritual journey.

My life as a Muslim is completely different now than it was before September 11. Prior to 2001 there wasn’t the media definition we have now of Islam. People would see me and think I was nun or that I was wearing a special raincoat. They would ask me questions and I would be happy to answer them.
When people see me with my scarf on now, they tell me to go back to my own country.

People have tried to run me over on the road. They’ve screamed abuse at me. One man used to ride past my house every day and spit on my car right in front of me.

I feel sad that I was born and raised here and that people make an assumption about me because of my faith. But I feel much sadder for the mother who cannot speak English, who doesn't know her rights, who is discriminated against.

There are times when it's quite frightening to be a Muslim in Australia. Terrorist attacks overseas make things worse; I have felt the backlash before and I know I will feel it again. Some days my teenage daughter decides not to go out with her friends because there’s a lot of stuff on the news. That’s an awareness that a Muslim has to have now. Just recently someone left a severed pig’s head in the washroom at the local university where Muslims go before they pray. I never expected that would happen at my old uni.
 

 NEXT WEEK IN CCN: The Uni Student

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Mosque-Cathedral of Cordoba, Spain  

One of the world's finest examples of Moorish architecture, this building was originally a Catholic Christian church started around the year 600. When the Islamic world spread to Spain in the early 8th century, it was divided into Muslim and Christian halves, although a later caliph destroyed it and rebuilt it as a mosque that was converted into a Roman Catholic church in the Reconquista, finally becoming a cathedral in the 16th century.

The mosque within the complex is still present, although Muslims are not permitted to worship within it.
 

Source: Telegraph UK

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Would you like to see the cover of your favourite book on our book shelves below?

Then simply email the title and author to thebookclub@crescentsofbrisbane.org

CCN's Bookshelf

CCN's favourite books »

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Tal Tukra Chicken or Sesame Seed Chicken

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Know Your Strengths and His Weaknesses
 

Your elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you get close enough, use it. If you end up on the ground, use your legs to kick free from your attacker. Go for his four weakest points: eyes, throat, groin and knees. If you are grabbed around the waist from behind, pinch your attacker under the arm, in between the elbow and armpit or in the upper inner thigh… HARD. You can literally pull the muscle away from the bone in these areas. If you are forced to comply before you can fight, grab his balls, then PULL, TWIST, YANK. He will be unable to rape you after being castrated.
 

For more info on self defence classes contact Taufan on 0447004465 or info@sscombat.com.au. Or visit the Facebook page for updates and info on Southside Academy of Combat - Silat PD

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Mula Nasruddin's daughter observed a boy standing in front of her home everyday.

She would come from college each day and notice him standing there. The boy never tries to talk to her, he just moves here and there, looking into his mobile.

It went on like that for a year. Mula Nasruddin's daughter assumed he was smitten by her and told her parents about the boy. They saw him through the curtains of the window and immediately liked him.

The next day Mula Nasruddin's daughter goes to the boy and says "You have been standing in front of my home everyday for the past year. I understood that you love me so much and even I am ready to marry you".

Boy (in shock) : "Forgive me my sister! Actually your home's WIFI doesn't have a password. So, I come here to use the free internet data."

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Events and Functions

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Islamic Programmes, Education & Services

Ramadaan 2016 Appeal

Zambia

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See ALL our advertising/sponsorship options

here or email us

 

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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, except for Lailatul Mehraj, Lailatul Bhahraat and Lailatul Qadr – these dates refer to the commencement of the event starting in the evening of the corresponding day.

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Disclaimer

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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