The Amanah Institute Class of
2016 with mentors and teachers,
Prof Mohamad Abdalla and Mr
Dylan Chown
On Sunday 17 July, the
Amanah Institute graduation
ceremony was held for the
inaugural Senior Applied
Islam class. Professor
Mohamad Abdalla delivered a
moving speech and many of
the graduates impressed with
their contributions to the
day's programme.
"The graduates were reminded
of the amanah that
now rests with them to apply
their knowledge and
contribute through service.
We make dua for this
talented and special group
of young people. May Allah
Almighty guide them always
and use them for great good
for His pleasure," outgoing
principal Mr. Dylan Chown
told CCN.
Before the ceremony Mr.
Dylan Chown spoke of the
milestones achieved over the
last 3 years with references
to a comprehensive report of
the project, entitled
Phase 1: The planting of a
seed, which can be
read here.
Educational Leader, Ms
Soraya Bulbulia told the
audience that the Institute
was championing a paradigm
shift which "takes time and
requires community support
to achieve continuity and
sustainability".
Abdul
Jaleel Abdalla
Poetry recitation
Zain Nathie reflects
on the Applied Islam
programme
Dr Mustafa Ally
(second from left)
presents awards for outstanding
contributions to the Reporting
Islam Project to (from
left) Mr John English (QPS),
Mr Abdi Hersi (Project Manager)
and Mr Dale Hansen (Learning
Futures)
The
Reporting Islam Project
undertaken by the Griffith
University researchers,
Assoc. Prof Jacqui Ewart and
Prof. Mark Pearson from the
School of Humanities,
Languages and Social Science
showcased the project's
resources at the
University's Film Centre in
Southbank.
The Reporting Islam Project
has developed user-friendly
and readily accessible
resources underpinned by
research-based evidence to
help journalists adopt more
mindful practices in stories
about Islam and Muslims.
The project's aim is to
address media reporting that
includes routine negative
stereotyping of Islam and
its adherents, the incorrect
use of key terms in news
stories, a lack of Muslim
sources or voices in news
stories, the portrayal of
Muslims as religious or
cultural others at odds
with democracy and Western
values, the conflation of
Islam with violence and
terrorism, and the portrayal
of Islam as a religion that
condones both.
[CCN EDITOR]
Griffith University
announced yesterday that
Abdi Hersi was conferred
with the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy for his thesis
entitled "Australian
Muslims' Conceptions of
Integration". Well done,
Dr Hersi!
'Are you a
Muslim?': Hanson asked if she
would stop 5yo Dastyari from
coming to Australia
Labor Senator Sam
Dastyari accused Ms Hanson of
pedalling "hurtful, painful"
policies which he took
personally.
Ms Hanson was surprised to learn
Senator Dastyari was Muslim.
"You're a practising Muslim?
This is quite interesting ... I
didn't know that about you," she
said.
Senator Dastyari, who was born
to pro-democracy activists in
Iran, told 3AW he wasn't a
practising Muslim and he wasn't
sworn into parliament on the
Koran.
He said Ms Hanson seemed
"flabbergasted" she was sitting
next to someone who was a
Muslim.
Senator Dastyari said he didn't
speak to Ms Hanson much after
their television appearance
together.
"I'll take up the opportunity in
the Senate, we're going to be
together for the next six
years," he told 3AW on Tuesday.
The burning
question I didn't get to ask
Pauline Hanson on Q&A
Yusra Metwally
(pictured left)
is a lawyer and a community
advocate who is passionate about
social justice, women's rights,
community development, cycling,
cats and coffee. @DestntnUnknown
Every now and
then, one is presented with an
opportunity so fleeting that it
passes in the blink of an eye.
For me, it was the opportunity
to ask Pauline Hanson a question
on Q&A. The moment Tony Jones
announced that Ms Hanson would
appear in the ABC studio, I
promptly registered for
attendance hoping to see the
controversial figure in the
flesh. My vision was clear: to
ask her a question ending with
"Please explain"
Dream, Believe, Achieve they
say. And that's what I did.
My dreams were shattered upon
finding out that my three
questions weren't shortlisted
for airing. Rejection didn't
phase me, however; I was
committed to putting my hand up
when the opportunity presented
itself.
Apparently, the world is
headed at high speed to hell
in a handcart stuffed with
cash, fossil fuel and bombs.
I have no notion what to do
about this complex mess. I
believe that anyone who says
that they do know what to do
about this complex mess is
fairly deluded. I dont
think the answer is prayer,
compassion or reason. And I
certainly dont believe the
answer is despising Islam.
Despising Islam is currently
a fairly popular hobby. Its
a bit like Pokιmon GO for
people who havent got the
hang of their smartphones
yet. Or, its part of a long
tradition of falsely finding
a single cause for all the
bad stuff in the world. At
various times in western
history, we have blamed
Jews, women, the devil,
indigenous peoples and
everyone not in the west for
things, like poverty, that
are our own stupid fault.
Choose your victim, history.
Gotta Catch Em All.
I dont hope to reform angry
bigots. Like the world that
produced it, bigotry is
complex. But, like the angry
bigots, I too have moments
of totally stupid
simplicity. Every so often,
I find myself arguing with
angry bigots. I dont do
this with any hope of fixing
angry bigots. I do it
because making them feel bad
feels good to me.
Yes. I know. This is not
very noble. But, short of
acquiring a PhD in
international relations and
political economy,
redistributing all the
worlds resources and wealth
and convincing the UN it is
a bunch of arse, thats all
Ive got. Making myself feel
better.
In an effort to make you
feel better, I offer you an
abstract of recent Facebook
arguments with anti-Islam
bigots. I will offer you a
common argument, and then my
response.
Oh. I should say that these
are not intended for use by
persons of the Islamic
faith, who have had a lot of
practice defending
themselves. I do not presume
to speak for Muslims. I am
speaking only for shitty
middle-aged white atheist
ladies who enjoy being mean
to idiots.
Islam makes women dress
differently from men! Stop
Islam!
Almost without exception,
every society and culture
and religion has different
wardrobe conventions for
women and men. Have you
recently visited Australia?
Just as an Australian man
who dresses in a way that is
perceived as too
effeminate faces censure,
a woman who fails to look
sufficiently feminine will
cop it.
Also, I am blocking you.
Islam has Sharia Law! The
Quran is full of punishment!
Religious law is not
peculiar to Islam. Have you
heard of the canon law of
the Catholic Church? Did you
know about Judaisms Halakha?
Even those non-violent
Jains Sam Harris told you
about have codes, one of
them being what we in the
west would call suicide.
Look, fella. I believe in
the usefulness of religious
decree about as much as I
believe you could find my
clitoris with a torch and
Google Maps. But, the thing
is, people of all religions
sometimes ask their clerics
for rulings. Yes, its odd.
No, unless it results in
measurable harm to a person,
it doesnt harm your society
or you.
The matter of religious law
affecting state governance
is, of course, another
problem and, again, hardly
peculiar to Islamic nations.
And, the matter of extreme
interpretation or misuse of
religious texts is hardly
just a Muslim thing, is it?
Mussolini was pretty cosy
with Mother Church. Just a
few years back, Serbian
priests blessed the forces
that massacred and raped,
whoops, Muslims. Like all
institutions, and all texts,
religion can get screwed up,
especially in times of
conflict.
Also, have you ever spent
any time at all with the Old
Testament? Swearing at your
parents is a crime that
demands your death (Exodus
21:17, Leviticus 20:9). So
too, for men, not being
circumcised (Genesis 17:14),
having sex with a
menstruating lady (Leviticus
20:18) or with another bloke
(Leviticus 20:13). Oddly,
beating the life out of one
of your slaves gets a free
pass.
Also, I am blocking you.
Muslims Bomb People!
Including Children!
The targeted death of all
persons, especially children
and civilians, is abhorrent.
Again, this is not a Muslim
specialty. We will never
know the number of
non-combatants killed by
drone strike. We may never
know the civilian toll of
the Iraq war and the cruel
sanctions that preceded it.
What we do know, especially
following the Chilcot
Report, is that the ongoing
conflict between apparently
Muslim forces and apparently
democratic ones is often
irrational, always horrific
and very difficult to get
ones head around, as the
best minds in foreign policy
will tell you.
But, you know. You go Glen
Coco. Blame The Muslims.
Also, I am blocking you.
Why Cant Muslim Middle
Eastern States Be More
Reasonable, Like That Nice
Place, Israel, Which Never
Brings Religion Into
Anything?
You mean, the same Israel
that just appointed as the
chief morale-booster to its
defence forces a guy that
says its technically okay
to rape Arab women during
combat? Or, do you mean
another Israel?
Heres a link. Heres
another one. They are from
Israeli press. You will find
that many Israeli and Jewish
people are just as disgusted
with the appointments of
persons like Rabbi Eyal
Karim as Muslim people are
with the self-appointment of
douche-lords from Islamic
State.
Which brings us to your next
question, before I start
blocking you,
Why Dont Muslim People
Ever Condemn the Actions of
Others?
They do. All the time.
Including the Australian
Grand Mufti who said, after
the Paris attacks last year,
our thoughts and prayers
are with the victims ... at
this time of unspeakable
horror.
A Muslim could tattoo
Frances tricoleur one on
cheek, sorry on the other
and all the Quranic passages
that counteract all the
other Quranic passages which
recommend battle. Youd not
see it. Just like Im no
longer seeing you because
YOU ARE BLOCKED.
Right. I figure these may
save you some time. If you
think any of the arguments
are useful, dont feel bad
about cutting-and-pasting
them from Helen. You will
find that the bigots just
cut-and-paste from the One
Nation websiteor, if they
are a bit posh, the worst
writing of Christopher
Hitchens.
"I think Andrew Bolt has a
point, there is a
correlation between the
number of people who are
Muslim in a country and the
number of terrorist
attacks," Kruger said.
She tried the old "I have a
lot of very good friends who
are Muslims" route, but then
said "but there are
fanatics".
"Personally, I would like to
see it [Muslim immigration]
stop now for Australia,
because I want to feel safe
as all of our citizens do
when we go out to celebrate
Australia Day," Kruger said.
Campbell protested, saying
Bolt's article "breeds
hate", but Kruger did not
back away from her comments.
"So you're not allowed to
talk about it? You're not
allowed to discuss it?" she
said.
"I would venture that if you
spoke to the parents of
those children killed in
Nice then they would be of
the same opinion."
Wilkinson asked if Kruger
was advocating "the Donald
Trump approach", referencing
the Republican presidential
nominee's plan to stop
Muslim migration to the
United States, to which
Kruger said "perhaps it is".
"I think for the safety of
the citizens here, I think
it is important."
When Wilkinson then sought
to clarify whether Kruger
was saying she would like
Australia's borders closed
to Muslims, Kruger replied:
"Yes I would."
Matt &
Meshal on Sonia Kruger on 101.1
Australian Muslims react to
calls for a cap on Muslim
migration
Senator-elect Pauline Hanson has
heaped praise on the Nine
Network celebrity Sonia Kruger
who, like Ms Hanson, has called
for Australia to ban Muslim
migrants to protect the country
from terrorism.
Ms Hanson's comments on Muslims
in Australia resulted in
protests outside the ABC where
Ms Hanson was appearing on
Monday night's Q&A program,
resulting in the arrested of six
people before the show.
Inside the building, Ms Hanson
lent her support to TV host
Sonia Kruger's call to stop
Muslim migration.
"Go Sonia! Because I think it's
great that someone's actually
standing up," she said.
Ms Hanson told the audience
Australia was a Christian
country, and that Islam was
incompatible with the Australian
way of life and culture.
The growing calls for a
moratorium on Muslim migration
have disappointed many Muslims
including Dr Ghena Krayem, a
University of Sydney Senior Law
Lecturer and a former Muslim
Women's Association President.
"I'm sure that they don't think
about the impact of their
words," she said. "They don't
think about what it's like when
people tell your children you
can't play with us because
you're Muslim."
'It unravels everything we've
done'
Safwan Khalil was a baby when he
escaped the civil war in Lebanon
and he's now just weeks away
from representing Australia in
the Rio Olympics in the martial
art of taekwondo.
He said he was saddened by the
commentary on Muslim migration.
"It sort of unravels everything
we've done," he said. "And
unless people get to know your
character they might take these
comments seriously".
Australians identifying Islam as
their religion make up 2.2 per
cent of the population.
One of those is scientist Dr
Mohammad Choucair, who has led
an international team to develop
breakthrough quantum computing
technology.
His family migrated to Australia
from Lebanon in the 1970s.
"I didn't let comments like this
affect me my entire life. But
for me it's really important to
just focus on your task and what
you're good at and how you can
benefit our society," he said.
Those in the Muslim community
say calls for bans on Muslim
migration can have harmful
consequences.
Dr Ghena Krayem said she tries
where she can to minimise some
of these harmful consequences,
especially on her children.
"It's a toxic environment. The
things I have to talk with my
children about, day in day out,
to debrief them on the issues
that they hear in the media.
Because I don't want my children
to be victims. I don't want them
to be victims of the hatred and
the rhetoric that we constantly
hear through radio, TV, etc."
Abbas Raza Alvi is the Australia
President of the Indian Crescent
Society.
He would like those critical of
Muslim migration make more of an
effort to meet other Muslims.
"She should see our families,
she should visit our schools. We
should invite her and she should
come and see what Muslims are
doing in Australia," he said.
For both Sonia Kruger and
Pauline Hanson, Ghena Krayem has
this offer.
"I wish that they could come
talk to us and we could talk
about these experiences. They
may see us as human beings,
rather than as mere objects that
they can throw around."
Opinion:
Biggest threat to peace is not
Islam but irrational fear
By Ali Kadri
AS SOMEONE who often likes to
challenge extremism, I cop a lot
of heat from all sides.
Some left-leaning Muslims have
accused me of being naive
because I had dinner with
members of the Family First
political party or because I
believe Pauline Hanson should be
listened to and engaged with
rather than simply being called
a racist and rejected.
I have also been accused of
selling out or watering down
Islam by some Muslim hardliners
for promoting Islams true
message of peace and tolerance.
Meanwhile, some right wing
extremist commentators have
labelled me a liar, a fool,
terrorist sympathiser and, in
Andrew Bolts opinion, part of
a problem.
Let me make it clear who I think
I am. I am a human being and an
Australian citizen of Indian
origin who follows Islam as his
faith. Each of these three parts
of my identity impacts on how I
behave and what I say and do. In
my world none of these have ever
conflicted with each other and
Im happy, unafraid and peaceful
because of it.
In this piece I will try to
explain why I believe the
approach I have taken is the
best way to fight the hatred
tearing our world to pieces. I
will try my best to explain, in
a non-condescending way, why I
think many people are empowering
extremists by their response to
extremism.
The Courier
Mail
If the answer
to terrorism is a White
Australia, then the question is
wrong.
STATEMENT REGARDING
ANTI-MUSLIM IMMIGRATION COMMENTS
BY SONIA KRUGER
The Australasian Union of Jewish
Students (AUJS) finds Sonia
Kruger's call this morning on
breakfast television to ban all
Muslim immigration in to
Australia reprehensible. Indeed,
Kruger's statements represent a
flagrant violation of our shared
duty to develop an inclusive and
united multicultural community,
and an immature and dangerous
approach to the contemporary
challenge of radical terrorism.
We remember Australias response
to the 1938 Evian conference in
France, when the world was
directly confronted with the
question of the Jewish peoples
future in Europe in light of the
pervasive antisemitism which
later erupted in to the
systematic genocide of six
million: we do not have a
racial problem, and we do not
want to import one.
We recognise that the various
attacks in Western countries
over the past several years have
engendered a legitimate fear for
our physical safety in
Australia.
We note that alongside the
development of this fear has
been the surge in movements
which operate under the proxies
of anti-Halal, anti-Immigration,
or anti-Mosque, but often are
led by leaders that are
fundamentally anti-Muslim,
anti-Jewish, and anti-Asian.
We do not challenge the right of
individuals to publicly
advertise these views. However,
it is our shared responsibility
to proudly and more loudly
prosecute the case for the
respectful multicultural society
which has embraced our Jewish
community.
We know too well the
consequences of social isolation
and treating a community like a
pariah. We know too well the
paralytic effect of hateful
speech on a community; the
resentment and the dejection
that often follows comments like
Krugers.
It is our shared historical
responsibility as Jews to defend
the rights of a member of any
faith, cultural, ethnic or
community group, to participate
and contribute to the rich
tapestry of Australian society.
We urge the Jewish and broader
Australian community to approach
the discussion of violent
terrorism and its links to
Islamists intelligently and with
the maturity that the debate
demands.
If the answer to terrorism is a
White Australia, then the
question is wrong.
MP "encourages open
discussion on immigration
issues"
FEDERAL Member for Dawson
George Christensen has
defended TV identity Sonia
Krugers right to express
her views on immigration,
followed the public uproar
over her call for a ban on
further Islamic immigration.
Queensland MP
George Christensen also
defended Ms Hanson's stance
against Islam, saying it
reflected the views of some
voters who were concerned
about terrorist attacks
carried out by extremists.
While he said he did not
agree with Ms Hanson's
policy of banning all Muslim
immigration, he said a more
targeted approach of
stopping travel from
extremist hotspots would be
more measured.
"It worries them [voters],
and I know that Pauline
might for instance say the
reaction to that is that we
should ban Islamic
immigration," Mr Christensen
said.
"I disagree with that, but
that's her right to actually
suggest that.
"There could be a measured
approach where we ban
immigration from countries
where there is a high level
of radicalism and violent
extremism, and that would be
taking the precautionary
principle and putting that
into play when it comes to
national security."
[EDITOR]
Ali Kadri, spokesperson
of the Islamic Council of
Queensland, has respond to
George Christensen and his
comments above, and has
requested to meet him at the
Mackay Mosque.
Waleed Aly
calls for abuse of Sonia
Kruger to stop
Waleed Aly
has spoken out in defence of
Sonia Kruger saying she
isn't "evil" and admitting
he shares something in
common with the Today Extra
host - fear for Australia's
future.
"Sonia Kruger is not evil -
she's scared," The Project
host said in an editorial on
Tuesday evening, in which he
called for an end to the
"cycle of outrage".
Waleed Aly has called on
columnists and social media
users to back off Sonia
Kruger after she sparked
outrage by saying she would
like to see a ban on Muslims
immigrating to Australia.
The Gold Logie winner said
Kruger was not evil but had
legitimate fear for
Australia's future.
Its OK To Be
Angry At Sonia Krugers Hate By
Lydia Shelly
Aggression and anger are not the
same thing. When faced with open
calls for discrimination, the
latter is part of a healthy
response, writes Lydia Shelly.
Forgiveness can be a powerful
step towards healing. One of the
moral principles recommended in
Islams Holy Book, the Quran, is
forgiveness: But if you pardon
and exonerate and forgive, God
is Ever-Forgiving, Most
Merciful [Quran 64: 14].
Waleed Alys recent comments
regarding Sonia Krugers calls
for the halt of migration based
on faith sought to #sendforgivenessviral
and warned against the
destructive cycle of outrage
and anger. Kruger has not
apologised for the hurt caused
to not only the Australian
Muslim community, but all those
who stand against hate, as well
as those who use it to foster
division within our country
In fact, the day after calling
for a halt on Muslim migration
based on her fear, Kruger was
afforded a second primetime slot
on the Today Show to issue a
tear stained justification for
her comments. The Nine Network
issued a statement of support.
Alys comments then take on
significance: Australian Muslims
were being asked to
pre-emptively forgive for the
extreme views spruiked by Kruger
and sanctioned by the powerful
institutions of network
television.
The significance of having Aly
framing forgiveness as the only
appropriate response to Krugers
nationally broadcast call to
alter our border security
policies based on hate is that
it unwittingly contributes to
the normalisation of the
sentiments behind Krugers
views.
The Assistant Minister for
Multicultural Affairs, Mr Zed
Seselja said in response to
Kruger that: I understand
there are, people do feel unease
about events overseas and some
of the events weve seen in
Australia. So we cant pretend
people dont feel that fear.
Essentially stating that it is
entirely reasonable for Kruger
to be fearful. Again, the
message that Kruger was
frightened explained her hate
speech. Not only is this
offensive to women generally as
it reinforces the notion that
our ovaries effect our decision
making process, it also suggests
that in times of uncertainty,
policy and practices that would
otherwise be outrageous are
discussed as being reasonable
and prudent measures to
safeguard security.
Kruger and Aly are both actors
within the increasingly popular
respectability politics that
serves to cloak those who
benefit from leveraging
institutional power against
marginalised communities. They
are both mouthpieces of a
broader narrative which
dominates the Australian
political and cultural
landscape: Australian Muslims
are regulated to permissive
means of protesting against
hate, or placed into the Angry
Muslim stereotype. This is a
stereotype which, at its core,
assumes Muslims are inherently
violent and that anger is one
step away from the dormant
aggression that lies within us.
As an Australian Muslim Woman, I
am expected to protest
passively: wearing a ribbon on
my blazer, offering cups of tea
and luncheons with those who
preach hate against me,
whispering quietly in private
spaces. In essence, I am allowed
to protest as long as I do not
offend those who peddle the
erroneous and toxic narratives
and discourses which affect me
the most. Australian Muslim
women risk not only falling into
the Angry Muslim stereotype, but
often have the substances of
their legitimate grievances
discounted because of their
physical appearance. The
temptation to resort to safe
modes of protest are great we
are keenly aware that our mere
presence in public spaces often
invokes fear. The hijab takes on
not just spiritual significance,
but an added element of
political rebellion.
This is why I was so bitterly
disappointed with Alys remarks.
Anger and outrage is a natural
response to injustice. There is
nothing wrong with being angry
over a network supporting a
personality in espousing deeply
hurtful and hate based comments.
Anger is not necessarily
destructive. It can be as
constructive as forgiveness.
Placating Australian Muslims
with a hashtag is also deeply
patronising. Anger can be
channelled into further
engagement with the political,
cultural, and economic
structures, which can contribute
to real social change. Many
international and domestic
movements have harnessed anger
in responding to social
injustice and the structures
that support injustice.
Kruger is currently the
spokesperson for Target, Porsche
and Swisse, among other brands.
These three companies are
reconsidering her relationship
with their brands. Hashtag
politics may look pretty on
Twitter, but I would much rather
raise my concerns with those
with real power.
As an Australian Muslim Woman, I
do not appreciate Aly dismissing
my legitimate anger, nor the
manner in which I choose to use
my voice to combat hate, how
much space I take up when I do
so, or how I use my voice. Being
asked to pre-emptively forgive
undermines my agency and implies
that, should I choose to
withhold forgiveness (at least
until an apology is issued),
then I am unreasonable. That I
am irrational. The conflation
between irrationality and anger
has long been used to silence
women, the most recent example
being when Steve Price called
Van Badham hysterical on Q&A.
I am also conscious that as a
privileged Muslim, the
opportunities and platform I
have to contribute to narratives
and discourses are very
different to the opportunities
and platform afforded to Muslims
who are less privileged.
Pre-emptive forgiveness has as
much do with class as it does
with respectability politics.
Tellingly, there has been no
conversations regarding the
existing opportunities for
Australian Muslims, particularly
those who are not privileged, to
participate in national
discourse and the
representations of Muslims in
the media. The OECD Development
Centre defines a cohesive
society as one which works
towards the well-being of all
its members, fights exclusion
and marginalisation, creates a
sense of belonging, promotes
trust, and offers its members
the opportunity of upward social
mobility. I question whether
preemptive forgiveness and
tweeting will meaningfully
contribute to social cohesion.
Silence has replaced any
conversation about how comments
such as Krugers undermines
social cohesion.
The calls for forgiveness also
assumes that the vast majority
of Australian Muslims do not
exercise forgiveness during
their everyday lives when
dealing with micro aggressions
and daily incidents marred by
prejudice, the threat of
violence or in some
circumstances real violence.
Visibly Australian Muslim women
are often the lightning rods for
hate when they interact in
public spaces. Often, mainstream
media coupled with the
individual and collective
experiences of Australian Muslim
women when they engage in public
spaces acts as a gauge of
safety. That is, it informs our
decisions including the extent
to which one can interact in
public spaces, how you carry
yourself in public, the exercise
of your agency, and even whether
your children should attend
school.
Your face often hurts from
smiling and you are conscious of
the clothes you wear in public.
Navigating the consequences of
hate is exhausting and requires
constant reflection of the
current national and
international discourse. We are
keenly aware that our safety
depends on our ability to be
successful navigators. We do not
have the luxury of distancing
ourselves.
The issue isnt whether
Australian Muslims have the
capacity for forgiveness; the
real question is whether those
who provide a platform for hate
are willing to first apologise.
The Islamic
Practice and Dawah Circle (IPDC)
invited the Ullama across
Brisbane to the Slacks Creek
Masjid on the occasion of a
visit from the IPDC Central
President Sheikh Dr. Rafiqul
Islam from Melbourne, on
Saturday 23rd of July.
The event was
hosted by the Chairman of IPDC
Queensland and Chairman of
Slacks Creek Masjid, Dr. Akram
Hossain, as well as the Imam of
IPDC and Imam of Slacks Creek
Masjid Imam Akram Buksh. The
event was attended by many
respected Imams, including
Sheikh Yusuf Peer, Head of
Council of Imams, Queensland.
The purpose of
the event was to thank the
Ullama for their support of the
IPDC and the Slacks Creek Masjid,
as well as to build a long term
unified relationship with the
Ullama. The event was part of a
day long Learning Camp on
Islamic Leadership held by the
IPDC.
Disgusting moment a man
urinates on a Muslim prayer
mat then uploads the image
to an anti-Islamic Facebook
group
A man has been photographed
urinating on a Muslim prayer
mat
The post emerged on
'Extremely Fed Up Aussie
Patriots' Facebook page
The image shows a man
standing over the mat with a
wet patch
Islamophobia Watch Australia
calls on anyone to help
identify the man
A man has been photographed
urinating on a Muslim prayer
mat as a social media
campaign has been launched
in an effort to track him
down.
The offending post emerged
on social media on Sunday
morning after anti-Islamic
Facebook group 'Extremely
Fed Up Aussie Patriots'
shared the image to more
than 22,000 followers.
The photograph shows the
back of a man who is wearing
a maroon T-shirt and grey
cargo shorts, standing over
the mat with a wet patch in
a prayer room, believed to
be taken in Queensland.
'Good Morning good friends.
Next time you go to the
Goldcoast (sic) leave them a
small momento by marking
your territory. Have a
blessed day,' a caption
accompanying the photo read.
The group claims to raise
awareness in an attempt to
'inform Aussies about the
very real threat of Sharia
law being implemented in
Australia'.
The post has prompted
activist group Islamophobia
Watch Australia to republish
the image on Facebook,
seeking to expose the man
responsible and identify the
prayer room.
'Idiocy. Anyone who
recognises the prayer room
in QLD or the individual,
please let us know,' the
page wrote on its caption.
An Islamophobia Watch
spokesman told Daily Mail
Australia they were
'horrified by the very
deliberate and calculated
desecration that this act
represents'.
'Were disturbed that an
individual, any individual
would do this and then
publicly post their
commission of the act,' the
spokesman said.
'In short, the team at
Islamophobia Watch is
disturbed and dismayed by
incidents like these, but
not very surprised. Were
willing to bet the vast
majority of Muslims in
Australia share this view.'
by Graham Perrett, Shadow
Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow
Attorney-General and Member for Moreton
At Eid Down Under recently I
had some halal lamb and
cevapi and they tasted
exactly like Australia.
Despite being raised a
Catholic in country
Queensland I felt right at
home at a Muslim celebration
on Brisbanes southside. It
wasnt a tradition from my
childhood or my culture or
my religion, but it was
still enjoyable and the
food was delicious!
Some politicians have
mistakenly suggested that,
in order to protect our
culture and our way of
life, the parliament should
curtail the freedom of
Australians to practise any
religion that is not
Christianity. As well as
being offensive to around
nine out of 20 Australians,
such a restriction is
contrary to our own
Constitution.
Even though the white blokes
who wrote our Constitution
in the 1890s deliberately
excluded Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander
people, they did not dare
bite into the sectarian
divisions of the time. In
fact, the founding fathers
included in section 116 a
protection that ensured that
all Australians would be
free to practise their
religion of choice.
At Federation in 1901 there
was a mix of Protestant,
Catholic, other Christian
religions and a few
non-Christian faiths. Even
though the mix of religions
was predominantly Christian,
it did not mean that an easy
relationship existed between
the different camps.
Australias history as a
penal colony left a strong
mark on our community. From
1788 exiled Irish Catholic
political prisoners were
transported to the penal
colony run by protestant
British military troops.
Even by 1901 there was still
a marked antipathy between
Catholics and Protestants.
Nevertheless, those who
drafted our nations birth
certificate deemed it
important to protect all
peoples right to practise
religion without
interference.
Consequently Australians are
fortunate enough to enjoy
religious freedoms in this
country that are only dreamt
of in many other parts of
the world. Since Federation
we have fought to protect
that freedom; in fact,
precious lives have been
lost protecting our
religious freedom.
I know that the vast
majority of Australians are
accepting, sensible people.
Most people would not bat an
eyelid if a person wearing a
burqa or niqab passed them
in the street any more than
if a Catholic nun walked by.
And that is how it should
be. But there will always be
people who, just like the
Irish Catholic convicts and
British Protestant military,
will view some religions via
their own faulty prism.
The liberties that our
Diggers fought to protect
and that the Constitutions
authors envisaged ensures
that all Australians are now
all free to practise
religion without fear of
recrimination. We are all
free to pray (or not pray)
without fear of being
bullied.
The division and hate cards
are periodically played in
Australian politics. Most
sensible people quickly tire
of these attempts at
bullying. Unfortunately,
recent dog whistling has now
produced a climate wherein a
senator elect can call for
Big Brother to monitor the
prayers of Australians.
Whether the person of faith
is Hindu, Sikh, Catholic,
Jewish, Buddhist or Muslim,
it is our responsibility to
ensure that no Australian is
bullied because of his or
her religious beliefs. I
would hate for any school
child to be too afraid to
show their faith for fear of
being targeted by bullies.
That would be un-Australian.
I feel incredibly privileged
to serve this nation in the
Parliament of the
Commonwealth. However, I
also know that with this
privilege comes great
responsibility. This nation
very rarely alters
constitutional duties. Only
eight out of 44 referendum
questions have received the
peoples support. Until such
a vote is successfully
obtained, I hope that all
members of the forty-fifth
Parliament remember that
their current responsibility
is to support religious
freedom. I hope this freedom
lives on long after all
those recently elected
representatives have left
and gone back whence they
came.
NSW: A mayor has called in
the police after his
councils decision to
approve a mosque provoked
threatening Facebook
messages that the council
chambers should be bombed
and the mosque burned to the
ground.
The Mayor of Cessnock City
Council in NSWs Hunter
Valley, Bob Pynsent, says it
will be up to police to
decide whether they should
lay charges against people
who posted menacing messages
to Facebook after the
decision to approve the
mosque in rural Buchanan
last night.
"Sounds like the council
chambers might need a bomb,"
one Facebook user wrote on
the "STOP the Buchanan
Mosque kurri kurri" page.
"If it is approved I hope it
is burnt to the ground,"
another wrote.
And another: "I bet a packet
of matches and a litre or
two of petrol it won't last
long."
Councillor Pynsent told SBS:
"I am shocked, and weve
contacted the police in
regards to some of the
threats that have been
made."
In NSW, using a carriage
service to menace, harass,
or cause offence carries a
maximum penalty of three
years' imprisonment.
"Thats up to police, and
after last night Ive got
every confidence in the way
the police conduct
themselves, Councillor
Pynsent said.
He said 28 people registered
to exercise their democratic
right to address the council
meeting - 16 of them were
for the mosque and 12 were
against.
Asked why the council
approved the mosque,
Councillor Pynsent said it
met all the requirements of
the planning system.
One Facebook post said the
decision should "bring out
the fighter in all of us and
make them think twice about
where they want to lay their
hijabs".
Councillor Pynsent said no
councillors or staff had
told him they were concerned
for their safety.
A NSW Police spokesperson
told SBS: "Officers attached
to Central Hunter Local Area
Command have been notified
of the [Facebook] posts. As
an investigation is under
way, it would be
inappropriate to comment
further. No charges have
been laid."
Minister for Multiculturalism
John Ajaka with Australasian
Muslim Times Managing Editor Zia
Ahmad
Australasian Muslim Times
AMUST has won the Premiers
Multicultural Media Award
2016 in the Best
Editorial/Commentary
Category. The Award was
received by Zia Ahmad,
Managing Editor of AMUST
during the award ceremony
held last night.
AMUST was finalists in a
total of four categories
namely Emerging Journalist
(under 30) nomination for
Mobinah Ahmad, AMUST
Multimedia Journalist; Best
Image for Mobinahs People
of Persia series; Best Print
Publication nomination for
Rubinah Ahmad, AMUST Graphic
designer/Webmaster and Best
Editorial/Commentary
nomination for Zia Ahmad,
Managing Editor AMUST for
his editorial titled
Loyalty to Ones nation a
universal, Islamic and
Australian value.
NSW Premier Mike Baird and
Minister for
Multiculturalism John Ajaka
announced the winners of the
2016 Premiers Multicultural
Media Awards in various
categories at the award
presentation dinner held at
Dalton House, Sydney on
Thursday 21 July 2016.
Ramiza Akbar from Brisbane
and originally from Fiji, talks
about managing diabetes in one
of the digital stories to be
launched at the Forum
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor
of the Queensland University
of Technology, Prof Scott
Sheppard, in collaboration
with Pacific Island
Community Groups, Queensland
Health and Diabetes
Queensland has issued an
invitation to people from
the Pacific Islands to
attend a special forum on
diabetes self-management to
be held at QUT Gardens Point
Campus on Saturday 13th
August.
In particular Prof Sheppard
would like to invite people
of Islamic faith originally
from the Fiji Islands to
attend.
The forum will include
education sessions for
adults, free health checks,
a free halal lunch and a
full program for primary and
high school age children
organised by the Faculties
of Science and Engineering
and Education.
With people from Pacific
Island backgrounds in
Queensland being 2-4 times
more likely to be
hospitalised or die from
diabetes related illnesses
than the general population,
this forum provides an
opportunity for people to
work towards educating their
respective communities and
to look at ways to improve
outcomes.
Digital stories featuring
members of the community who
are committed to managing
their diabetes will be
launched at the Forum.
Time: 9am-4pm
Date: Saturday 13 August
2016
Venue: Z Block, Gardens
Point campus, QUT
Free parking for attendees
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:
10. Shahzia Sikandar
Shahzia Sikandar is a
Pakistani born,
internationally recognized
artist. After graduating
from NCA in 1991 with a BFA
she moved to the USA gaining
an MFA from Rhode Island
School of Design in 1995.
Sikander has been the
recipient of numerous
awards, grants and
fellowships, including the
Asia Society Award for
Significant Contribution to
Contemporary Art, Art Prize
in Time-Based Art from Grand
Rapids Museum and the
Inaugural Medal of Art. In
2004, Newsweek listed
Sikander as one of the most
important South Asians
transforming the American
cultural landscape. In 2006,
the World Economic Forum,
Davos, Switzerland appointed
Sikander as a Young Global
Leader.
Born in 1969 in Lahore,
Pakistan, Sikander told PBS
in an interview that she
grew up in a progressive
family where women have
achieved some things in
their lives. Her grandfather
was especially supportive
by encouraging his daughters
and granddaughters to enter
careers
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:
"We are under constant
pressure"
Salah, 37, Sydney,
Arab-Tunisian
We are under constant
pressure from the media and
politicians. It seems
everyone has an idea about
how Muslims should behave.
The majority of Muslims are
law-abiding citizens who
want a better life for their
families. We love this
country and we will do
anything to protect it and
uphold its liberal values.
Unfortunately, all the media
attention has been given to
the tiny portion who have
been brainwashed by
extremists. My children are
very young and don't know
anything about religion and
politics. But I'm very
concerned about future
bullying and discrimination
because they are Muslims.
They have been raised like
every other child in this
country. I don't see our
family as being different to
any other Australian family,
but perhaps people see us as
different.
Sheikh Shady
Alsuleiman responds to the
recent allegations of being an
Anti-Gay Imam following the
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbulls
Official Ramadan Iftar
Aussie's
message to Muslims after
Bastille Day attacks
7 News Australia
An Australian
tourist who witnessed the
Bastille Day attack in Nice has
said he wants Muslims in
Australia to know: This is not
your fault.
'You killed my sister, you're
not a Muslim'
The family of
42-year-old Aldjia Bouzaouit
only found out that she was dead
on Sunday, three days after the
truck attack in Nice, France
24 of the
Most Influential Black
Muslims in History
9. Abū al-Misk
Kafūr (905968)
With beginnings as an
enslaved Ethiopian, Kafūr
rose to become a military
commander and eventually
sultan of the Ikhshidid
dynasty, which included
territory encompassing
modern-day Egypt, Sudan,
Libya, Eritrea, Palestine,
Syria, Lebanon, Turkey,
Cyprus, Iraq, Jordan and the
Hejaz.
NEXT WEEK IN CCN: 10.
Abdallah Ibn Yasin (d. July
7, 1059)
A
common defense
used by those
making prejudice
statements
regarding
Muslims has been
to claim that
'Islam is not a
race', this
doesn't fly with
comedian Ben
McLeay who says
that, besides it
being weird that
they think that
their 'mis-categorisation'
is a defense
excusing their
bigotry, it
actually doesn't
make them any
less racist.
SBS
When will it
end: Muslim
lawyer tired of
having to defend
her faith
Prominent figure
Rabia Siddique
says its time
for Muslim
people to stop
having to defend
their faith as
being anything
but peaceful.
Former war
crimes
prosecutor Rabia
Siddique
believes the
national
discussion on
Islam should be
reframed like
domestic
violence has
been.
Ms Siddique said
the debate about
violence against
women had
matured enough
that it was
reflected in the
reporting on the
issue.
The lawyer said
Muslims were
still expected
to regularly
defend their
faith as
peaceful when
there was a
terrorist attack
or Islam was
raised by
political
figures.
When will it
end? she said.
Elders and
leaders and
community
representatives
of the Muslim
community have
repeatedly, over
and over again,
condemned these
atrocious
attacks.
Theyve
repeatedly
pointed out that
Islam is a
religion of
peace like all
the other
mainstream,
formalised
religions.
Ms Siddique, an
Australian-Indian
Muslim, served
in the British
Army during the
Iraq War and was
taken hostage
while trying to
secure the
release of SAS
soldiers in
Basra in 2005.
They were
eventually
released and
rescued, but Ms
Siddiques role
in securing
their safety was
overlooked by
the British
government. She
took the
Ministry of
Defence to court
and won.
I think what we
need to do is we
need to stop,
she said.
SBS
Ratbags in
every religion:
Barnaby Joyce
Nationals
leader Barnaby
Joyce has
rejected One
Nation policies
banning Muslim
immigration and
cameras in
mosques.
He may have been
suggested as the
best person to
negotiate with
Pauline Hanson,
but Barnaby
Joyce isn't
rushing to the
One Nation
leader.
Ms Hanson's
former adviser
John Pasquarelli
reckons the
deputy prime
minister is the
government's
ideal
intermediary
with the
firebrand
senator-elect.
But Mr Joyce has
flatly rejected
One Nation's
policies banning
Muslim
immigration and
CCTV cameras in
mosques.
"I'm not into
banning people
on the premise
of their
belief," the
Nationals leader
told Sky News on
Wednesday.
"Every group has
their ratbags."
He named
Muslim-born
Labor
politicians Ed
Husic and Sam
Dastyari as
decent men.
"I'm not going
to start
throwing rocks
at them."
However, Mr
Joyce said Ms
Hanson's
election to the
Senate must be
respected.
And while there
will be times he
disagrees with
her: "I don't
want to start
the process ...
having a fight
with Ms Hanson."
SBS
"Many
Australians, this week
especially, have felt
despair and hopelessness at
the ignorant and divisive
public and political
discourse around Australian
Muslims, however today a ray
of light shone in the
darkness. We applaud Barnaby
Joyce for his leadership in
opposing the Islamophobic
views of Pauline Hanson and
her One Nation party ...
suggesting in true Barnaby
vernacular that 'every group
has their ratbags'. Yes
Barnaby they do, and it
would do us all well to
remember it."
Fr Rod (Anglican Parish of
Gosford) - Facebook post
Ruby Hamad
Like Sam
Dastyari, I am a
non-practicing
Muslim. Why is
that hard to
accept?
By Ruby Hamad
In another
quality chapter
of the national
embarrassment
that passes for
our public
discourse,
Monday night's
Q&A was devoted
almost entirely
to One Nation
leader Pauline
Hanson's fear
and loathing of
Islam.
The highlight,
or nadir,
depending on
your
perspective, was
when Hanson
looked
positively
shocked to
discover that
Labor senator
Sam Dastyari is
Muslim.
Some context:
Dastyari was
born into a
Muslim family in
Iran. Under
Iranian and
Islamic law,
that makes (or
made) him a
Muslim. He
brought up his
background to
inform Hanson
that her call
for a blanket
ban on Muslim
immigration
would have
included him, at
the age of five,
and his family.
This was
Hanson's
reaction:
Daily Life
Waleed Aly is
the paternal TV
figure weve
waited 60 years
for
Who would have
thought that in
a new century
overloaded with
information and
innumerable ways
to get it, that
there would be a
return to an
avuncular
television
presence who can
calm us before
bedtime as he
talks and makes
sense of the
terrible things
weve seen and
heard on the
news?
Waleed Aly has
emerged as
Australias
much, much
belated answer
to Americas
Walter Cronkite.
Smart,
articulate, and
concerned, Aly,
like Cronkite,
has the charisma
to look down the
barrel of the
camera with
sincerity and
authority and
talk directly to
his audience
sensibly about
events that are
far from
sensible.
..........
Alys editorials
appear to be
serving the same
function which
is incredible
given the
diversity of
news sources
available now.
His carefully
chosen words
addressing 21st
century terror
Isis, the Paris
attacks, and
last nights
call for
tolerance and
forgiveness of
those whose
views you dont
agree with on
social media
have become must
watch television
(although most
of us watch it
the next day on
our devices).
Daily Review
Not All
Islamists Are
Out to Kill Us
Argument
And other
lessons about
the GOP's
overblown,
dangerous
rhetoric about
radical jihadi
terrorism.
The challenge
tweeted by
Donald Trumps
military
advisor, Lt.
Gen. Michael
Flynn, in the
hours after the
horrific Nice
massacre was
clear and
direct: In next
24 hours, I dare
Arab & Persian
world leaders
to step up to
the plate and
declare their
Islamic ideology
sick and must B
healed.
The same day,
Newt Gingrich
told Fox News
that the United
States must
immediately take
action to
prevent similar
attacks: We
should frankly
test every
person here who
is of a Muslim
background, and
if they believe
in sharia, they
should be
deported.
Lets think
about that for a
second. The
expert
advising the
presumptive GOP
presidential
nominee wants
the worlds
Muslim leaders
to denounce
their own
religion. And
the man who
could have been
his vice
president wants
all Muslims who
believe in the
texts upon which
their religion
is based to be
deported.
Ignorance or
political
expediency? Hard
to say which is
worse or more
dangerous.
It appears
likely that the
mass murderer in
Nice, an
emotionally
unstable
Tunisian-born
Muslim, was
somehow inspired
by the
blood-soaked
ideology of the
Islamic State.
Thus, French
President
Francois
Hollandes
comment that his
nation remains
under the
threat of
Islamist
terrorism is
understandable.
But the problem
with the term is
that, as Flynn
and Gingrich so
readily
demonstrate,
its a short
step from there
to conflating
the tiny
minority of
extremists with
the rest of the
worlds 1.7
billion Muslims.
Lets concede
its probably
too much to
expect
politicians to
convey a
sophisticated
understanding of
the global
religious
landscape in a
tweet or
10-second
campaign
soundbite. But
perhaps we could
move the bar
right down to
the lowest notch
and agree that
Islamic,
Islamist, and
sharia are not
actually dirty
words.
Something is
Islamic if it
has to do with
Islam. Pretty
straightforward.
An Islamist is
someone who
believes Islam
is both a
religion and a
political
movement that
strives for the
incorporation of
Islamic
teachings in
national
governance. That
does not
automatically
equate to
militancy.
Plenty of
American allies
across the
Muslim world fit
that
description.
Relatively few
American Muslims
would consider
themselves
Islamists (much
less
extremists). A
recent poll
found that, like
their Christian
countrymen, the
majority do not
believe their
religion should
influence U.S.
law.
And sharia,
which roughly
means the
Path, isnt a
license to cut
off heads. Its
a term used for
the individual
and societal
mores derived
from the texts
upon which Islam
is based: the
Quran, the core
holy book, and
the Hadith,
accounts of the
Prophet
Muhammads life
and teachings.
To ask Muslims
to disavow them
is like asking a
Christian to
renounce the
Bible.
Thats kind of
an important
point
Foreign
Policy
After writing a
benign story
about Sonia
Kruger, The
United Patriots
Front began
their assault,
including this
digitally
altered image,
on reporter
Shannon Molloy.
There are
extremists among
us and theyre
not Muslim
I
woke on
Wednesday
morning to find
myself the prime
target of a
frightening
subgroup
inspired by a
narrow, hateful
ideology.
They promised
violence and
made clear,
frightening
threats against
my safety. They
filled my
Facebook inbox
with hundreds of
vile and
offensive
messages.
They explained
why my family
members should
be attacked
raped and
beheaded, to be
exact.
I was called a
faggot, a
poofter c***, a
traitor, a
d***-sucking
leftist and a
grub.
What inspired
this
extraordinary
response? I
wrote a benign
story about the
Sonia Kruger
controversy,
reporting how
some of her
mates in the TV
industry had
been gagged by
their networks
from publicly
supporting her.
And the hate
didnt come from
Muslims.
This irrational
onslaught was
courtesy of a
group of
Australian
patriots the
United Patriots
Front, a group,
they say, who
fight for free
speech and decry
so-called
attempts to
impose
radicalism, who
want to
reclaim this
country.
This is an
insight into how
they do it, it
seems: Just to
let you know
every patriot
group in the
country now has
your
information.
Good luck and
stay safe, one
message warned.
I wouldnt walk
alone if I was
you. You have
made a lot of
enemies,
another said.
I hope the
Islamists affect
you personally,
rape one of your
loved ones or
perhaps behead
one, a
particularly
vile one read in
part.
Ive got a few
boys down your
way who are keen
to show you how
many people
stand by (Sonia
Kruger). Theyll
be giving you
some real Aussie
pride to take
into
consideration
before your next
bullshit
article.
The Daily
Telegraph
The Daily
Telegraph Has
Been Criticised
For Pushing The
Murder Of A
Muslim Teenager
To Page 18
Yesterday The
Daily Telegraph
reported that a
19-year-old
teenager named
Adam Abu-Mahmoud,
had been stabbed
to death by
three other
young men in the
Sydney suburb of
Panania. Its a
horrible story;
apparently the
tradie and TAFE
student was one
of 15 teenagers
in a fight
outside a
convenience
store, which was
then broken up
by police. It
was after this
that Abu-Mahmoud
was stabbed
repeatedly by
three teenagers
and later died
in hospital.
Strangely
though, this
report which
touches on very
topical and
relevant issues
of youth
violence and
racially-motivated
attacks was
not on the front
page.
Yesterdays
front page was
dominated by the
PC MADNESS of
Cheltenham Girls
Grammars
gender-neutral
terms, the rugby
and a massive
picture of a
whale.
I wanted to say thank you for your informative
newsletter. I read it with interest, especially the
book club section, which is very informative and
wide-ranging.
SAUDI ARABIA:
Conservative Saudi clerics were probably
relieved when Pokιmon, banned by the
countrys top religious body in 2001,
fell out of favor over the past decade.
But those years of Pikachu-less peace
faded into oblivion in recent days, as
the countrys Permanent Committee for
Scholarly Research and Iftaa was forced
to dig out of its archives the 2001
fatwa banning Pokιmon games. This time,
its an order to ensure Saudis arent
wandering the streets of Jeddah and
Medina hunting for imaginary monsters
with their phones.
The resurgence is due to Pokιmon Go, a
wildly popular mobile game, that is
technically not available in Saudi
Arabia, but users have found ways to
download it illegally. Thats prompted a
wave of questions from the public, who
want to know whether religious scholars
believe playing the game violates the
teachings of Islam.
The old fatwa, posted on the clerical
bodys website this week, said the game
should not be played by Muslims because
it employs deviant characters inspired
by polytheism.
According to the edict, Pokιmon is also
similar to gambling. Its unclear what
part of the Japanese game the virtual
version of which involves hunting for
various monsters resembles gambling.
One guess? Its addictive nature
apparently triggers the same part of the
brain as food and cocaine.
Muslim passenger kicked
off American Airlines flight after attendant
announces: I'll be watching you
US: The flight attendant
stated the man's name and seat number
several times, but did not make
announcements about other passengers
Mr Radwan asked the employee why she had
made the announcements. She reportedly
responded that he was being too
sensitive.
The passenger then reported the incident
to two other American Airlines
employees.
He was told he must leave the plane as
he had made the first air stewardess
uncomfortable.
The Council on American-Islamic
Relations has filed a complaint about
the incident, which happened in December
last year, to the Department of
Transportation after failing to resolve
the matter directly with the airline.
US government sues town
for discriminating against Muslims
Attorney
General Loretta Lynch (R) with
Vanita Gupta, head of the
Justice Departments Civil
Rights Division, at the Justice
Department headquarters in
Washington on July 8, 2016.
The US Justice Department
is suing a town near Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, for religious
discrimination because it refused to
issue a permit for a mosque in 2014.
The suit, which was filed Thursday,
seeks to have Bensalem Township give the
Bensalem Masjid approval to build the
mosque, the Philadelphia Inquirer
reports.
The suit also seeks to have the township
pay unspecified damages and offer
training for the towns employees on
religious land-use laws.
Members of the local Islamic community
sought to build a mosque after years of
renting a local fire hall for worship,
but as plans moved forward, the Bensalem
Township Zoning Hearing Board ultimately
rejected the application in a 4-0 vote.
Our Constitution protects the rights of
religious communities to build places of
worship free from unlawful interference
and unnecessary barriers, said
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney
General Vanita Gupta, head of the
Justice Departments Civil Rights
Division.
The Department of Justice will continue
to challenge unjustified local zoning
actions around the country when they
encroach upon this important civil
right.
New Voices of Arabia - The Poetry: An
Anthology from Saudi Arabia
by
Saad Al-Bazei (Editor)
DESCRIPTION
Poetry
in Saudi Arabia today is a dramatic manifestation of the
rapid changes that are sweeping not only through the
country's literature and culture, but also through Saudi
life as a whole.
The unyielding tension between the forces of change and
tradition are nowhere more painfully visible than in the
poem. Bringing together three generations of poets a total
of forty, each represented by a number of poems this
anthology reflects the broad spectrum of Saudi poetry over
the last half century or more.
By linking Hussain Sarhan and Hamza Shahata from the 1950s
to Hilda Ismail and Ahmad Katoua'h in today's world, and by
juxtaposing the traditional rhythms of the classical poem
with the diametrically opposite poetics of the prose poem,
this anthology offers a balanced picture of how poetry has
evolved in Saudi Arabia.
The anthology includes translations of works by Mohammad
Al-Ali, Fawziah Abu Khalid, Ghazi Al-Qusaibi, Mohammad Al-Thubaiti
and Ali AdDomaini.
"One who does not read is no better than one who cannot
read."
Would you like
to see the cover of your favourite book on our book shelves
below?
KB says:
After an indulgent week of Eid celebrations,
this recipe is healthy an offers a great choice
in snacks or lunch box treats.
Mini
Tuna Tarts (makes 12)
Ingredients
170g tin tuna
50g gherkins
25g onion
6 eggs
80ml cream
5ml dry parsley
salt & pepper
½ tsp green chillies
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Finely chop the gherkins and onions - please
note that you can also use spring onions if you
prefer to.
3. Prepare 12 muffin cups and put them into your
muffin tray, or prepare the muffin tray with
butter or spray and cook if you are putting the
mixture into the tray directly.
4. Mix all the other ingredients together well
and split the mixture evenly between 12 muffin
cups.
5. Sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds.
6. Bake for 15 minutes, or until it is cooked.
7. Allow them to cool before removing them from
silicon muffin cups, or from the muffin
Q: Dear
Kareema, I try to stretch after every workout
session but still feel tight
most days. I know I need to get more flexible,
so please help.
A: We get really tight just through
sitting or standing throughout the day.
You might be used to
stretching after a workout or limbering up
before you pound the pavement, but if youre
looking at becoming more flexible, you should
stretch more regularly to enjoy the benefits
that come with it.
Throw a few yoga,
palates and aqua / swimming sessions in the mix
to further benefit the structure and function of
the joints youre moving, in turn improving how
they work and how long they last, and how good
you feel (hopefully more flexible).
So why not challenge yourself with a daily
stretch sesh for a month to improve your
flexibility and be on your way to more freedom,
better movement and great health.
Just a few chilli plants
will keep you well supplied
for the rest of the year.
Here are the main
considerations:
* If you are germinating
your own plants, start them
indoors now.
* If you are looking for
specific varieties that will
flourish, book the plants
from your gardener now! The
best sells out quickly.
* Pinch out the top point
when the seedling is about
15cm tall to encourage
sidewards growth.
* The chilli plant does not
need too much attention.
Some good compost and manure
is all it needs to take off!
* It responds well to
continuous pinching of
growing tips.
* You must pick chillies
regularly to stimulate new
flowers and growth.
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.
"InShaAllah we will get back to the normal Tafseer and
Sahaba program soon, most likely the days would be Mondays
and Wednesdays."
Al-Mustapha
Institute of
Brisbane
39 Bushmills Court, Hillcrest Qld 4118
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
RAMADAN PROGRAMME
Naath
and Queesadah session every Saturday night,
after Taraweeh
On Going Activities
1. Daily Hadeeth reading From Riyadusaliheen,
After Fajar and after esha .
2. After school Madrassah for children Mon-Thu 5pm to 7pm
3. Adult Quran classes (Males) Monday and
Tuesday after esha for an hour.
4. Community engagement program every second Saturday of the
Month, interstate and overseas speakers, starts after
margib, Dinner served after esha, First program begins on
the 15 August.
5. Monthly Qiyamulail program every 1st
Friday of the month starts after esha.
6. Fortnight Sunday Breakfast program. After Fajar, short
Tafseer followed by breakfast.
7. Weekly Tafseer by Imam Uzair after esha followed by
dinner. Starts from 26 August.
For all activities, besides Adult Quran,
classes sisters and children are welcome.
For further info call the Secretary on
0413669987
Click on images to enlarge
IPDC
Lutwyche Mosque
Weekly classes with Imam Yahya
Monday: Junior Class
Tuesday: Junior Arabic
Friday: Adult Quran Class
For more information call 0470 671 109
Holland Park Mosque
Queensland Police Service/Muslim Community
Consultative Group
Next Meeting
Time: 7.00pm Date: Tuesday 19th July 2016 Venue: Islamic College of Brisbane - 45 Acacia Road
Karawatha
Articles and
opinions appearing in this newsletter do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of the CCN Team, its Editor or its
Sponsors, particularly if they eventually turn out to be
libellous, unfounded, objectionable, obnoxious, offensive,
slanderous and/or downright distasteful.
It is the usual policy of CCN to
include from time to time, notices of events that some
readers may find interesting or relevant. Such notices are
often posted as received. Including such messages or
providing the details of such events does not necessarily
imply endorsement of the contents of these events by CCN
The best ideas
and the best feedback come from our community of readers. If you
have a topic or opinion that you want to write about or want
seen covered or any news item that you think might be of benefit
to the Crescents Community please
e-mail us..
Share your
thoughts, feelings and ambitions for our community through CCN.
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someone you know who would like to subscribe to CCN please
encourage them to enter their details
here.
Births, Marriages,
New Migrants and
Condolences
Lydia Shelly
is a lawyer and community
advocate
A man has been photographed
urinating on a Muslim prayer
mat 
Poetry
in Saudi Arabia today is a dramatic manifestation of the
rapid changes that are sweeping not only through the
country's literature and culture, but also through Saudi
life as a whole. 
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our Wall
7
August 2011