Multicultural Affairs
Minister Grace Grace has
announced the members of the
first Multicultural
Queensland Advisory Council.
Ms Grace said the new
11-person council had been
selected following an open
and transparent recruitment
and selection process, and
had been chosen to represent
the interests of
Queenslanders from
culturally and
linguistically diverse
backgrounds.
The members of the new
advisory council will
provide advice to the
government on the needs and
aspirations of people from
culturally and
linguistically diverse
backgrounds, she said.
We need to ensure our
services and programs are
responsive to these needs,
and thats what the council
will do.
The council will also play
a significant role in giving
Queenslanders from
multicultural communities a
voice in the development of
policies that affect them
and help shape Queenslands
multicultural future.
I look forward to calling
on the expertise of the
council members as we work
together to promote the
Multicultural Queensland
Charter to support a
unified, harmonious and
inclusive community.
The new members of the
Multicultural Queensland
Advisory Council are:
Mr Elijah Buol Mr Ali Kadri
Mr Ataus Samad
Mr Jason
Steinberg
Mr Serge
Voloschenko, OAM Dr Nora Amath
Ms Kerrin Benson
Ms Jayde Geia
Ms Joon-Yee Kwok
Ms Tracy Watson,
and
Ms Gitie House
Ms Grace said the new
members brought a wealth of
varied experiences to the
council, with employment
backgrounds including
community services,
business, academia, the arts
and law.
The new members come from a
range of culturally and
linguistically diverse
backgrounds including South
Sudanese, Muslim, Indian,
Bangladeshi, Jewish,
Russian, Aboriginal and/or
Torres Strait Islander,
Chinese and New Zealand
Maori, she said.
Im also proud the council
exceeds the target of 50
percent representation from
women on Queensland
Government boards and
councils.
It also has regional
representation with members
from Rockhampton and
Toowoomba.
The advisory council is a
key initiative in the
Multicultural Recognition
Act 2016 which commenced on
1 July to ensure greater
support for the states
multicultural communities.
The ACT has outlawed
vilification of people because
of their religion, concerned
about growing attacks on
Muslims.
Vilification on the grounds
of religion is now illegal
and in serious cases could
result in a criminal
conviction with a fine of up
to $7500, under laws passed
by the ACT parliament on
Thursday.
Both Labor and Liberal
supported the move put by
the Greens Shane Rattenbury,
who said the display of
hatred, intolerance and
offensive behaviour towards
Muslims was one of the
biggest intolerance issues
in Australia today.
The University of South
Australia had found about 10
per cent of Australians were
highly Islamophobic, and
while the ACT showed the
lowest rates in the country,
Islamophobia was still
significant here.
"It is clear [Muslims] are
frequently, almost
constantly, exposed to
discrimination, vilification
and targeted offensive
behaviour," he said.
Thursday's changes to the
Discrimination Act also
added disability to the
list, so it is now illegal
to vilify someone because of
disability, religion, race,
sexuality, gender identity,
and HIV/AIDS status.
Vilification can include
social media posts, actions
in a workplace and wearing
clothes, signs or flags that
would incite hatred,
contempt, ridicule or
revulsion.
Liberal leader Jeremy Hanson
said the Liberals wanted a
harmonious, multicultural
society free from extremism.
He had been shot at by Sunni
and Shiite extremists and by
the IRA, so he knew
firsthand the consequences
of extremism, but others in
the community experienced
the consequences daily.
Christians and Jews were
also vilified for their
beliefs and would be
protected by the new
legislation, he said.
Attorney-General Simon
Corbell said the change was
not designed to limit
freedom of speech but to
"ensure the political
discourse does not descend
into hatred".
Protections against
discrimination (as opposed
to vilification) were also
extended on Thursday, with
new bans on discrimination
on the basis of
accommodation status,
employment status, genetic
information, immigration
status, intersex status,
physical features, altered
sex, and being a victim of
domestic and family
violence.
Halal Snack Packs are
typically made up of hot chips,
meat, cheese and the holy
trinity of sauces.
Known as a Halal Snack
Pack or HSP the dish
typically contains meat,
chips, cheese and several
kinds of sauce.
His love for the snack
prompted Senator Sam
Dastyari, who was born in
Iran, to give a rave review
of his favourite HSP for the
benefit of federal
Parliamentarians. This
attracted the ire of
anti-Halal MP Pauline
Hanson, who rejected his
invitation to join him in a
taste test.
The Halal Snack Pack
Appreciation Society (HSPAS)
has more than 165,000
members on Facebook.
And now Brisbane has joined
in, with a HSP appreciation
event held at Arabellas
Cafe and Grill at Upper Mt
Gravatt last week.
Arabellas chef Adam Demirci
with a Halal Snack Pack. The
cafe has hosted a HSP event and
is planning another for August
31.
The next event, to be held
on August 31, has more than
1600 people listed as
interested, going or
invited on Facebook, despite
the cafes capacity of 70
people.
Ali Kadri, who organised the
event with the Islamic
Council of Queensland, said
HSPs were about more than
just food.
Its celebrating
multiculturalism, he said.
Coming to a multicultural
event and hearing speeches
is boring.
We have to do something
interesting that sends a
message were not going to
give in to fear and
division.
Organisers were also
planning a Halal Snack Pack
festival for later in the
year, to be held on the
southside, to cater for
about 800 to 1000 people.
Ali Kadri, from the Islamic
Council of Queensland, with a
Halal Snack Pack.
Halal Snack Pack
Appreciation Society founder
Luke Eagles said HSPs
brought together people of
all ethnic backgrounds and
faiths.
HSPAS is dedicated to
sharing the love of food, we
are aware of the
circumstances relevant to
the political or social
affiliations of the food but
we dont preach any
political message with the
group, Mr Eagles said.
There is no problem with
people of non-Islamic faith
consuming halal-certified
meat, and we feel that Halal
Snack Packs bring together
people of all ethnic
backgrounds and religious
faith.
Often HSPAS can serve as
positive dialect in a
current time and political
climate that can quite often
breed the opposite.
Mr Eagles said Halal Snack
Packs were simple yet so
satisfying.
Crunchy golden chips
layered with cheese, freshly
shaved kebab meats drowned
in your choice of sauces,
previously the only way most
people would end a night out
(or with a kebab/pizza) and
now a delicacy enjoyed by
all, Mr Eagles said.
Mr Eagles said Halal Snack
Packs were becoming
increasingly popular in
Brisbane, with other venues
serving the meal including
Istanbul Eats at Salisbury
and Sunshine Kebabs in the
Myer Centre.
The next Halal Snack Pack
event will be held at
Arabellas Cafe and Grill at
Upper Mt Gravatt on August
31. Tickets to the event,
from 6pm, cost $10.50 and
include an HSP. Buy tickets
from eventbrite.com.au.
DEMYSTIFYING HALAL
THE Halal Snack Pack craze
is a fun way to demystify
cultural differences, an
expert says.
Griffith Universitys Centre
for Interfaith and Cultural
Dialogue director Brian
Adams said the HSP was the
social interaction
equivalent of an internet
meme.
It is taking on its own
personality which people are
having fun with, Dr Adams
said.
Its a fun way to demystify
something.
But its also meant to poke
fun and have a defiant
approach rather than a
conciliatory one, which is a
good thing.
WHAT IS A HALAL SNACK
PACK?
■ Chips: Hot chips on the
bottom layer
■ Meat: Halal-certified
doner kebab meat. Typically
beef, but also chicken or
lamb
■ Extras: Cheese, yoghurt
and hummus are common
additions to the mix
■ Sauces: Chilli, garlic,
barbecue also known as the
holy trinity
The first four minutes of
Down Under is a confronting
look back at one of
Australias darkest days
ITS one of the most
confronting few minutes of a
film youre likely to see
this year, showing Australia
on one of its darkest days.
But, initially at least, it
looks like the Australia of
so many tourism commercials.
Sun glistens down on a blue
ocean in December. A chap
dressed as Santa strolls
along the sand as smiling
swimmers bob up and down in
the warm water. The tune of
we wish you a merry
Christmas can be heard.
But somethings just not
right. In footage, all taken
from real news reports,
theres way too much booze.
Police are on horseback. A
helicopter buzzes overhead.
Two men, friends perhaps,
shake hands and smile for a
camera. All looks well. And
then, out of nowhere, one of
the two the one who isnt
white is attacked.
That was the moment it
stopped being the happy
gathering and it just took
that one aggressive action,
Abe Forsythe, the director
of Down Under, which opens
next week, tells news.com.au.
From there, it goes downhill
fast. Car windows are
smashed and police struggle
to hold the crowd at bay.
One mans T-shirt reads
ethnic cleansing unit; a
tattoo across a chest says
We grew here, you flew
here while the crowd chants
f**k off wog, f**k off Leb.
The film is sent in the
immediate aftermath of the
2005 Cronulla race riots
when Sydney was on
tenterhooks waiting to see
what would happen next.
Its incredible when you
look through the footage. At
the beginning of the day it
was meant to be a peaceful
protest and, as it built up,
the mood changed.
This act of solidarity, of
an Anglo and Middle Eastern
person, who were trying to
help stop it spilling over,
and all it took was one push
for them to just flick a
switch.
And yet maybe the most
surprising thing about the
film, which follows two car
loads of hotheads from each
side of the divide, is its
a comedy.
Mr Forsythe said it was a
deliberate strategy. Were
using comedy to shine a
light on this issue in a way
you probably wouldnt if it
was a straight drama because
by making people laugh it
makes it more accessible.
But the opening scenes play
an important role in
providing the far from
amusing context. I felt
people would go in knowing
it was a comedy but I wanted
to make clear upfront that
even though it is, the
subject isnt taken
lightly.
The opening of Australian
film Down Under
Nonetheless, Down Under runs
the risk of poking the bear
by getting a release in
Cronulla itself, as well as
a number of screens in
western Sydney. Mr Forsythe
said he was confident the
comedy would bring people
together.
But can he see another riot
one day?
Im optimistic that we can
stop it from happening again
but the only way is talk
about and deal with it.
So much of what happened
before was because we
werent talking and even
with Pauline in power,
whether we like it or not,
we have to listen to her and
hopefully there is some way
of finding common ground and
moving forward, Mr Forsythe
said.
None of us have the right
to be here aside from the
traditional owners of this
land thats the ultimate
irony were all
strangers.
Down Under opened at cinemas
across Australia on
Thursday, August 11.
Chinese Australians haven't
forgotten how they were
targeted, 20 years ago, when
Pauline Hanson captured national
attention, as a newly elected
independent MP.
Once again, Australia's
ethnic communities are
mobilising against Pauline
Hanson, 20 years after she
first entered federal
parliament. The newly
elected Senator will be
joined in the Upper House by
other One Nation senators,
giving her significant
crossbench influence.
Alliances that may seem
unlikely are being formed,
as shared concerns bring
diverse communities
together.
Chinese Australians haven't
forgotten how they were
targeted, 20 years ago, when
Pauline Hanson captured
national attention, as a
newly elected independent
MP.
That's when she
controversially claimed, in
her maiden speech to federal
parliament, that Australia
was in danger of being
swamped by Asians.
Two decades later, the One
Nation leader's views
haven't changed.
She made that clear, at a
post-election press
conference.
"Well, you can ask a lot of
people in Sydney, at
Hurstville, and some of
those other suburbs. They
feel that they have been
swamped by Asians," Hanson
said.
Kenrick Cheah, from the
Chinese Australian Forum,
says Pauline Hanson's
political comeback, as a
newly-elected Senator,
caught many in his community
by surprise, and is a cause
for concern.
"Very concerned, the fact
that she was able to win a
seat in the first place, is
a shift back to what
happened in the 90s. Back in
the 90s, the Chinese
Community bore the brunt of
her attacks," he said.
Pauline Hanson now sees a
new threat. She's calling
for a Royal Commission into
Islam, mosque surveillance
and a ban on Muslim
immigration.
Chinese Community leaders
fear history is repeating
itself in Australia, but
now, they say the Muslim
Community is the main target
of what they call Ms
Hanson's racist policies.
"We feel we need to stand
side by side with the Muslim
Community in solidarity
against racism, against
discrimination," said Mr
Cheah.
"She's attacking the Muslims
today, she could be
attacking the Indian
community the next week. Any
attack on any minority group
is an attack on all minority
groups, so we need to stand
together and fight against
her.
Keysar Trad from the
Australian Federation of
Islamic Councils (AFIC) says
Chinese Community support is
welcome.
"Well, we're very grateful
that that Asian and Chinese
community have come together
to speak out against Pauline
Hanson," he said.
"I would love to see people
from all backgrounds,
especially Anglo-Australians
to stand up, speak out and
say Not in Our Name
Pauline."
Battle plans are being
drawn up
The Chinese Australian Forum
has launched a social media
campaign.
And a new FactCheckOne
Nation website has been set
up by a team of Muslim and
non-Muslim Australians, to
address many of the claims
made by Pauline Hanson and
her party.
Indian Muslims are also
mobilising against Pauline
Hanson.
Abbas Raza Alvi is the
president of the Indian
Crescent Society,
representing more than 5000
Indian Muslims in
Australian. He says his
community will work with
other communities to jointly
oppose Ms Hanson.
"When she is mentioning,
Muslims are not welcome,
Indians are not welcome, I
think these are racist
comments and should not be
mentioned by any elected
member of parliament," he
said.
"All ethnic communities,
whatever the background,
whether they're from
European background, Middle
East, Chinese, Indians, they
should all unite and reject
the promotion of racism in
Australia."
"We feel
we need to stand side by
side with the Muslim
Community in solidarity
against racism, against
discrimination."
And there's another message
for politicians - hands off
the Racial Discrimination
Act.
It's feared there may now be
renewed attempts to either
water down or scrap the
legislation, including
section 18C, which makes it
unlawful to "offend, insult,
humiliate or intimidate" on
the basis of race, colour,
or national or ethnic
origin.
Ethnic community leaders say
they're prepared to send
delegations to Canberra to
ensure those protections
aren't wound back.
"We will definitely be
opposing that, along with
leaders from the Muslim
community, other Chinese
leaders, subcontinental
leaders, Vietnamese leaders,
Jewish leaders. We'll all be
banding together, like we
did before, to make sure
this doesn't happen, to
protect the interests of our
communities," said Kenrick
Cheah.
Keysar Trad from AFIC says:
"Much of the damage has been
done. We just have to make
sure that enough pressure is
put on the coalition not to
make any deals with Pauline
Hanson."
"Unfortunately having
someone like her, means that
politicians will pander to
their dark side, in order to
get some of their other laws
put through. She will profit
from that by making life
difficult for minorities in
Australia."
Pauline Hanson's views may
be controversial and
divisive, but she's made it
clear - she isn't backing
down.
"This a debate that we need
to have, about Islam. And I
think that we should have
the debate. Let's talk about
it.
Let's see the impact that it
is having on our country."
"Why have we got so many
migrating to Australia? And
they're using our system
here to breed more people in
this country. We have
problems now. We can deal
with it now."
One Nation denies its
polices are racist.
Newly elected One Nation
Senator Brian Burston,
"We're not racist at all.
I'm pro-Australian. I think
their argument is ill
founded, that we're racist.
I'd be happy to sit down and
discuss that issue with
them.
But Senator Burston also
says Islam is an
infringement on our
culture.
At the moment, they're
living in enclaves, if you
like, Lakemba for example,
full of Muslim Community,
they havent assimilated.
They are an infringement on
our culture."
The new NSW senator says
there's growing support for
the party.
We just secured about
800,000 votes in the lower
house and upper house. And I
think thats an indication
of the growing support for
One Nation. I believe,
because we have a four
senator bloc in the Senate
now, we have incumbency, and
we have issues we can push
forward, as senators.
However, concerns are also
being raised about the
impact of Pauline Hanson's
political comeback on
Australia's international
image, and tourism.
Chinese Australian Forum's
Kenrick Cheah said, "there's
plenty of concerns there,
especially in the tourism
market, Australia gets a lot
of its tourism dollars from
Chinese tourists, Asian
tourists. So, any
inflammatory words, by her,
put a dent in our reputation
overseas."
Chinese visitors make up the
biggest slice of Australia's
surging tourism market.
Margy Osmond from the
Transport and Tourism Forum
says it's a very sensitive
market.
"The potential to radically
damage a market that is
increasingly the most
important slice of our
inbound market, is
significant," she said.
"We don't need to have mixed
messages in the marketplace
that in some ways suggest
people won't be welcome."
Chinese Community leaders
and others are hoping
history doesn't repeat in
Australia.
"This idea of banning Muslim
migrants is a reaction that I
don't think is practical even,"
says Australia Post CEO Ahmed
Fahour.
Australians have a right to
be fearful about the rise of
terrorism, Australia Post
chief executive Ahmed Fahour
says, but banning Muslim
immigration is not the
solution.
Asked about his concern over
the state of discourse
following calls to ban
Muslim immigration by
individuals including US
Republican nominee for
president Donald Trump, One
Nation leader Pauline
Hanson, and Australian
television personality Sonia
Kruger, Mr Fahour said he
understood why people were
worried.
"We as Australians have to
acknowledge that Daesh
[ISIS] is a big problem," he
told Fairfax Media.
"They are a security
problem. They are a very
evil set of people hell bent
on disrupting society and
having citizens turn on
citizens, and governments
turn on governments."
So it was logical that
Australians were feeling
insecure about the rise of
Islamists and that did not
make them bad people. "Who
are we to say, 'you
shouldn't feel insecure, you
just suck it up'. That's not
right. They have a right.
"I feel insecure. I am a
Muslim and I feel insecure
about what Daesh is doing.
"Daesh has killed more
Muslims than non Muslims ...
[and] have no care who we
are, what colour our skin
is, what religion we follow.
They are just out to create
chaos and anarchy in our
society. I don't blame
people for feeling
insecure."
But Mr Fahour said the
solutions being put forward
to tackle the threat were
often illogical.
"This idea of banning Muslim
migrants is a reaction that
I don't think is practical
even," he said.
"Obviously I don't agree
with it. I wouldn't be in
this country if that was the
policy. But secondly, how do
you enforce it? What do you
have a Muslim detector?
Someone at the border? How
do you actually determine
that? It's not even a
practical solution to what's
a legitimate problem.
"I have absolutely no
problem whatsoever with
people who say, 'we need to
have a solution to this'.
They have a legitimate right
to say we have a problem
because we do. The answers
are different. I don't agree
with One Nation's answers. I
don't agree with Trump's
answers. But I agree we need
to find some answers because
the problems are real."
The debate should instead
focus on how to integrate
young migrants into society
to prevent them from
becoming radicalised.
"What you want is the 99 per
cent of Muslims who are
repulsed by what Daesh is
doing to be working with all
of Australia to stop these
people from getting into the
minds of young people who
are feeling excluded," Mr
Fahour said.
"When I hear some of this
stuff going on [calls to ban
Muslims] it strengthens my
resolve to find ways for us
as a nation to get closer
together to find economic
and social policies that
make us all love being
Australians and look after
each other."
Queensland LNP Senator Barry
OSullivan says many lifelong
supporters of the party agreed
with Pauline Hansons views on
migrants.
QUEENSLAND LNP Senator Barry
OSullivan has called for
migrants to be quizzed about
their religion to weed out
extremists, including
Muslims who adhere to strict
Sharia law.
The Federal Government
backbencher said he would
push for the crackdown as
part of a more hard line
immigration policy to win
back former Coalition
supporters who voted for
Pauline Hanson.
Warning Ms Hanson had
capitalised on community
anger about migration, Mr
OSullivan said his own side
of politics needed to
respond accordingly to
both reflect these concerns
and take on One Nation.
The former LNP state
treasurer said many
lifelong supporters of the
party voted for Ms Hanson
and agreed with her views on
migrants.
The political issue is not
going to go away, he told
The Courier-Mail.
Any responsible government
has to listen to the
heartbeat of the Australian
population, listen to what
their ideals are on issues
like immigration and respond
accordingly.
He rejected Ms Hansons call
for a ban on Muslim
immigrants, but said all
migrants should be assessed
on their beliefs, and
extremists including radical
Muslims and members of
right-wing Christian cults
should be rejected.
The next Crescent
Institute event is to be
hosted in Brisbane,
welcoming Jihad Dib MP,
member of Parliament, ex
high-school principal and
TED speaker to deliver a
keynote address in the CBD.
Jihad has an incredible
story to tell with a speech
entitled The Journey to
Parliament on Thursday 18th
August. Tickets are $15
early bird and $25 general
admission.
VENUE: BDO Brisbane - Level 10,
12 Creek St. Brisbane CBD
Enjoy an evening of
professional networking in
the Brisbane CBD hosted by
the Crescent Institute.
Engage with corporate
leaders, academics and
entrepreneurs from a wide
range of disciplines who
attend to build connections
maximising their
professional impact.
The Institute is delighted
to welcome Member for
Lakemba, TEDx Presenter and
NSW Shadow Education
Minister the Hon. Jihad Dib
MP.
"Imagine a school so bad the
principal had a gun held to
his head...".
After appointment as one of
the youngest principals in
history to the roughest
school in NSW, Jihad Dib
turned an institution of
violence and delinquency
into a thriving hub with a
can-do attitude, a spirit of
success and a sense of
family for the community. He
was elected to State
Parliament in 2015,
representing a constituency
of 90,000 from Lakemba in
NSW. He currently serves as
the Shadow Minister for
Education.
Join us with Mr Dib as he
shares an incredible story
with key messages, ask
questions and make the most
of new professional networks
forged on the evening.
The Crescent Institute is
among Australias foremost
professional networking and
thought leadership
organisations. It provides
opportunity to establish and
nurture connections among
members as they gain
insights on key issues from
Australias leading figures
in a warm, but professional
setting.
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:
13. Tahmena Bokhar
Tahmena Bokhari is a
Pakistani-Canadian beauty
pageant titleholder and
social worker. She was born
in Toronto, Canada and spent
several childhood years in
Faisalabad, Pakistan. She
won Mrs. Pakistan World 2010
in Toronto and became the
3rd Pakistani woman in
history to represent women
on an international platform
when she won Mrs. United
Nation International 2010.
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:
"Australia has been an
absolute pleasure"
Mughees Ahmad, 35,
Sydney, Pakistani
It has been an absolute
pleasure living in Australia
for 26 years of my life.
This country and its people
have treated me when I was
ill, taught me how to read
and write, given me the
opportunity to run a
successful business. I have
been allowed to practise my
religion openly at a place
of my choosing. I lived in
Sydney before 9/11. Before
the terrorist attacks I
didn't feel like I had to
hide my Muslim identity. But
now there is a show-cause
relationship with an ever
increasing silent but
convinced society. That is
sad. I have a nine-year-old
daughter with an
intellectual disability who
is receiving tremendous help
from different organisations.
I choose to look beyond the
things that divide us and
talk about what unites us.
That is what Islam teaches
us: mutual respect, peace
with another, wellbeing of
all.
These women
are tackling gender barriers
as Egypt's first women's
football team.
Muslim
American Olympian
Ibtihaj Muhammad,
the first American Muslim woman
to compete in the Olympics
wearing a hijab, takes on Donald
J. Trump.
Australia's
first female Muslim MP is much
more
SBS World News
Radio: Australia has its first
female Muslim member of federal
parliament in Dr Anne Aly.
Anne Aly came
to Australia from Egypt with
her family when she was two
years old.
Reality Check:
How religious are so-called
"Islamic terrorists"?
UpFront
Mehdi Hasan
challenges the common view that
ISIL or al-Qaeda attackers are
devout Muslims.
"Ice Princess
in a Hijab" Has Her Eye on the
Winter Olympics
Zahra Lari is
figure skater from the United
Arab Emirates who dreams of
becoming the first person to
represent her country in the
2018 Olympic Winter Games. Watch
as this ice skater from the
desert competes to achieve her
goals.
Listening to
the Voices from 'Hijabi World'
At Rutgers
UniversityNewark, Muslim women
who wear a hijab talk about
their lives. http://nyti.ms/2bafbob
24 of the
Most Influential Black
Muslims in History
12. Mansa
Musa (c. 1280 c. 1337)
Mansa Musa was emperor of
the Malian Empire in West
Africa and was famously
known for his wealth,
patronage of Islamic
scholars and magnificent
architectural projects. His
reign is remembered as one
of the most prosperous of
any monarch in the history
of the world.
Muslim
Geographer You Should Have
Learnt About at School
We all know names of western
explorers like Marco Polo,
Ferdinand Magellan, Vasco da
Gama, Columbus and others
who have put their names in
the history of ocean and sea
exploration.
When I was a little girl in
primary and secondary
school, my teachers told me
about their important
contributions and
participations in building
the Great Western and World
Civilization.
They told us about Marco
Polo and his adventures in
China, Vasco da Gama and his
success in establishing a
sea route from Europe to
India through Africas Cape
of Good Hope, Columbus and
how he discovered America
etc. But they never told us
about the eastern explorers
who made history before the
others did.
Names like Ibn Battuta, Ibn
Majid, Shamsuddin Abu
Abdullah al-Moqaddasi, Ibn
Fudhlan, Ibn Jubayr, Abu
Bakr the Second (King of
Mali), Piri Reyes and many
other Muslim explorers were
never mentioned until I
entered university and
discovered how important
Islam was (and still is) to
the world civilization.
I discovered the beauty and
the richness of our Islamic
civilization with all those
many muslim figures who made
history and left their own
mark in every field in which
they were specialized.
Each ethnic and racial group
that embraced Islam made its
contribution to the one
Islamic civilization to
which everyone belonged. One
of the Eastern figures that
attracted my attention in
the world of sea travelers
and explorers is the Muslim
Admiral Zheng He.
Zheng He, the man who
discovered America before
Columbus did. He was born at
the end of the 14th century,
in a small town in the
region of Yunnan to a Hui-family,
which is a Muslim Chinese
ethnic group. His birth name
was Ma He. In China they
use Ma as a short name for
Muhammad.
His family claimed to be a
descendant of a Mongolian
governor in Yunnan or from
King Mohammed of Bukhara.
Raised as a Muslim, Ma He
studied the teachings of
Islam and memorized the
Quran at an early age. His
father and his grandfather
completed their pilgrimage
to Makkah.
They had a great impact on
his education and its under
their influence that the
young Ma He would develop an
intense curiosity about the
outside world. The travels
his grandfather and father
undertook would contribute a
lot to his education.
Aside from his religious
education, Ma He was raised
in a family where speaking
Arabic and Chinese was
something evident. That
means that both languages
were his mother tongue. He
wanted to know everything
about the countries that
were geographically located
westward of China. He
studied their languages,
religions, traditions,
history and geography.
When Ma He was 10 years old,
the army of the Ming Dynasty
captured him during their
military raids in Yunnan.
They took him to Nanjing and
there he did his military
training. After that, they
took him to Beijing to serve
Zhu Di, the Prince of Yan
and the 4th son of the
founding emperor of the Ming
Dynasty.
A
users guide to
flying while
Muslim: Text
with care.
The perils of
flying while
Muslim
Last week a
British woman
was detained
after reading a
book about Syria
on a flight. Her
case highlights
the paranoia and
discrimination
faced by Muslim
passengers. So,
whos to blame
airlines,
governments or a
culture of fear?
n March 26 this
year, Hasan
Aldewachi was on
his way back
from a science
conference in
Vienna, and
looking forward
to seeing his
family. As he
took his seat on
the flight to
Gatwick, he sent
his wife a text
message to let
her know the
plane was
delayed. A woman
sitting across
the aisle got up
and left her
seat. Moments
later the police
arrived.
The Iraqi-born
Sheffield Hallam
student was
asked to leave
the plane and
held for four
hours. After his
phone was
confiscated, he
was left at the
airport with no
onward ticket or
refund. The
reason? His
message was in
Arabic.
Aldewachis
story is just
one example of
the dangers of
what has become
known as flying
while Muslim;
the
tongue-in-cheek
term for the
discrimination
many Muslim
passengers feel
they have faced
at airports
since 9/11. It
can range from
extra questions
from airport
staff, to formal
searches by
police, to
secondary
security
screenings and
visa problems
when visiting
America.
Sometimes it
feels like every
Muslim has a
tale to tell.
The Guardian
The Salvation
of Sinners and
the Suicide Bomb
ARGUMENT How the
call to religion
turns petty
criminals into
Islamic State
terrorists.
The gulf between
the terrorist
and his atrocity
is a wide one.
Terrorist deeds
are often
monstrous and
defy all human
comprehension.
But, as over
three decades of
research on
terrorism shows,
terrorists, by
and large, are
psychologically
normal: not
crazy-eyed,
furious
fanatics, but
ordinary
killers, with
lives and
personalities
lacking, as
Hannah Arendt
famously said of
Adolf Eichmann,
in any kind of
diabolical or
demonic
profundity. The
gulf between
homegrown
Western jihadis
and their
atrocities is
seemingly wider
still: Their
profiles reveal
not only lives
of breathtaking
banality but
also lifestyles
of fulsome
secularity,
often allied to
a criminal past
or present.
This apparent
gulf has now
become a central
argumentative
theme in the
ongoing Is the
Islamic State
Islamic?
debate. For some
observers, the
outwardly
secular
lifestyles of
many Western
jihadis from
Salah Abdeslams
dope-smoking and
drinking to Omar
Mateens
reported
homosexuality to
Mohamed
Lahouaiej
Bouhlels
pigging out, so
to speak is
proof positive
that these men
are not, and
were never,
true Muslims
and that Islam
cannot therefore
explain their
embrace of
groups like the
Islamic State.
The journalist
Mehdi Hasan, for
example, rarely
misses a chance
to seize on the
discovery of
some secular
proclivity in
any given
perpetrator, in
a gotcha sort
of way, as
evidence for his
view that
religion plays
little, if any,
role in the
radicalisation
process. For
Hasan, Islamic
State
recruitment in
the West is
better explained
in terms of
nonreligious
motives, like
adventure,
secular hate, or
outrage over
Western foreign
policy.
Cannes bans Muslim
women from wearing 'burkinis' at the beach
FRANCE: The glamorous
French seaside resort of Cannes has
caused outrage by banning Muslim women
from wearing so called 'burkinis' at the
beach.
David Lisnard, the town Mayor, claims
the all-over swimsuits threatened to
provoke people because of the number of
terrorist attacks being carried out by
Islamic State.
But opponents said there was no link
whatsoever between the garments favoured
by Muslim mothers and political
violence.
Instead they said Mr Lisnard, a member
of the right wing Republican Party, was
just trying to stir up Islamophobia.
His new official ruling reads that
'access to beaches and for swimming is
banned to anyone who does not have
bathing apparel that respects good
customs and secularism.
'Beachwear which ostentatiously displays
religious affiliation, when France and
places of worship are currently the
target of terrorist attacks, is liable
to create risks of disrupting public
order (crowds, scuffles etc) which it is
necessary to prevent.'
UK: British boxer
Muhammad Ali has set his sights on gold
in honour of his grandfather, who died
ringside while watching him fight.
The 20-year-old, named after the late
sports legend by his boxing-mad father,
has his first fight in the bantamweight
competition on Monday. He spoke to the
Standard about how his grandfather, also
called Muhammad, suffered a heart attack
while watching him in one of his first
competitive fights in Birmingham.
Ali said: My grandad passed away
watching me box in Birmingham when I was
14. It was going into the last round on
the break and it all went quiet, and I
thought, Whats going on here? I
looked outside [the ring] and he was
just on the floor. I turned to my
brother and he said it was fine, hes
just collapsed, and to just get in the
ring and do what you do [for the final
round]. I went into the last round just
getting beaten up.
When we went to the hospital after the
fight, we were told hed had a heart
attack and hed passed away. I think
thats the worst and hardest thing Ive
had to go through.
Ali, who is fighting in
his first Olympics, added: I just feel
like Ive got to do it for him now as
well and not just for me... Ive got to
do it for him 100 per cent. When that
happened it made me push on even more.
Egypt's uniform choice
highlights the evolution of women's beach
volleyball
BRAZIL: The Egyptian
women's beach volleyball team turned
heads during their first Olympic match
in Rio when both players appeared in
long-sleeved shirts and full-length
leggings.
A recent outing by Egypt's female beach
volleyball team has highlighted just how
much uniform regulations have changed in
the sport.
Players Doaa Elghobashy and Nada Meawad
walked into Rio's beach volleyball arena
on Tuesday wearing long-sleeved shirts
and full-length leggings, with
Elghobashy electing to wear a hijab to
cover her hair.
The team came up against the German
side, who chose to wear a two-piece
bikini, which was the mandatory female
uniform of the sport until 2012.
I have worn the hijab for 10 years,
Elghobashy told The Associated Press,
after the match.
It doesnt keep me away from the things
I love to do, and beach volleyball is
one of them.
The Egyptian team's uniform choice
brought into focus how much the female
uniform has changed over the decades.
Criticism of the uniform
The bikini uniform has been criticised
by advocacy groups for "sexualising" the
sport.
In 2012, the International League for
Women's Rights staged a protest against
gender discrimination in sport,
highlighting beach volleyball uniforms
as a form of sexual exploitation.
They are using womens bodies as sex,
Annie Sugier, a spokeswoman for the
organisation, told Forbes.
It is all about money. It makes women
look like objects and it is a clear case
of sexism.
Some female players at the time said
they felt comfortable with the bikini
two-piece uniform, and indicated they
preferred it.
California Just Took A
Bold Stand Against Islamophobia
Some
good news in an election year
for a community under siege.
US: Californias State
Assembly has taken a strong stand
against a rising climate of Islamophobia
in America.
On Monday, the Assembly passed a
resolution that declared August 2016 as
Muslim Appreciation and Awareness Month,
as part of an effort to acknowledge the
myriad invaluable contributions of
Muslim Americans in California and
across the country.
The resolution (HR-59) was introduced by
Assembly Member Bill Quirk and passed
with bipartisan support, according to
NBC.
The writers of the resolution pointed
out that California is home to over 240
mosques, more than any other state in
the country. The resolution also decried
the discrimination that Muslim Americans
have had to endure in the years
following the September 11 attacks.
Muslim Americans have made
contributions to education, science,
entertainment and medicine both
nationally and globally, Quirk told NBC
News. Unfortunately, the Muslim
community has been, and continues to be,
the target of harassment, discrimination
and assaults.
Muslim Americans launch
ISIS Sucks billboard campaign: So-called
Islamic State does not represent Islam
Non-profit
Sound Vision created an
anti-ISIS billboard campaign in
Chicago to challenge extremism
and Islamophobia
US: People driving down
the highway in Chicago may be met with a
giant billboard reading, Hey ISIS, you
suck!!! From: #ActualMuslims.
The billboard is part of an ISIS Sucks
campaign, launched by a Muslim American
non-profit organization.
The Sound Vision Foundation bought the
billboard as part of a larger strategy
to challenge extremism and Islamophobia.
We launched the campaign in light of
the constant pressure on American
Muslims to condemn ISIS, especially
since Muslims are the biggest victims of
ISIS, explained Leena Suleiman, the
director of creative engagement at Sound
Vision.
The statistics speak louder on how
ISIS main target is Muslims than
anyones opinion or feelings about the
situation, Suleiman told Salon.
Thats been a huge problem in the
media, she continued. The very fact
that ISIS is a menace to humanity, and
foremost to Muslims, and not just to
people of other or no faiths, is a huge
piece of the puzzle that is consistently
and unfortunately overlooked.
The vast majority of the victims of ISIS
are themselves Muslim. And most of the
soldiers fighting ISIS in Iraq and Syria
are also Muslim.
Sound Vision is a non-profit
organization that says it provides
Muslims with thinking and talking points
to manage crisis, to fight against
Islamophobia and to challenge extremism
and radicalism among Muslim youth.
The foundation has published several
brochures and articles opposing what it
calls ISIS anti-Islamic practices. In
its ISIS Sucks campaign, it describes
the self-proclaimed Islamic State as
the terrible terror to the world.
Suleiman said the billboard is also an
expression of real human frustration at
trying to live peacefully while being
associated with a menace that wreaks
havoc on mostly other Muslims.
Sell alcohol and pork or
we will shut you down, French town tells
halal supermarket
FRANCE: A halal
supermarket in a Paris suburb has been
told by local authorities it must start
selling alcohol and pork or else it will
be shut down.
Good Price discount mini-market in
Colombes has been told by the local
housing authority, from which it rents
its premises, that it has not followed
the conditions on the lease that
stipulate that the shop must act as a
"general food store."
The authority argues that all members of
the local community are not being served
properly if there are no alcohol or pork
products in the Good Price store, which
is run as a franchise and which last
year replaced another small supermarket.
The mayor of Colombes, Nicole Goueta,
went there herself and asked the owner
to diversify the range of products by
adding alcohol and non-halal meats, the
mayors chief of staff, Jιrτme Besnard,
told The Telegraph.
He said locals, particularly older
residents, had complained that they
could no longer get the full range of
products at Good Price, which replaced a
regular supermarket, and had to travel
some distance now to do their shopping.
We want a social mix. We dont want any
area that is only Muslim or any area
where there are no Muslims, Mr Besnard
said, adding that the towns reaction
would have been the same had a kosher
shop opened on that spot.
The Colombes housing authority argues
that the store breaches French
republican principles by prioritising a
certain group within society rather than
catering to all categories.
It has taken legal action to bring an
end to the lease which would normally
run until 2019. The case goes to court
in October.
Soulemane Yalcin, who runs the shop
under franchise, said he was merely
catering to the demands of his customers
in this area of large public housing
estates.
Its business, said Mr Yalcin.
I look around me and I target what I
see. The lease states general food
store and related activities - but it
all depends on how you interpret
related activities, he told Le
Parisien newspaper.
He has hired a lawyer to fight the
housing authoritys bid to get him
evicted.
7 Female Athletes That
Will Break Stereotypes at the Olympics
After four long years,
the Olympics are finally back. Its an
event many of us have waited for and Im
not only talking about passionate sport
lovers even people like me, that have
other interests than sports, have been
looking forward to this event.
Its always amusing to know whos going
to be participating. However, this time
we have chosen to pay some extra
attention to Muslim women who are
partaking in the Olympics this year.
SARAH
ATTAR SAUDI ARABIA
TRACK & FIELD
AISHA AL BALUSHI UNITED
ARAB EMIRATES
WEIGHTLIFTING
JESSICA
HOUARA-DHOMMEAUX FRANCE
FOOTBALL
HABIBA GHRIBI TUNISIA
WOMENS 3000M
STEEPLECHASE
IBTIHAJ MUHAMMAD USA
WOMENS INDIVIDUAL SABRE
ELIF JALE YESILIRMAK
TURKEY WRESTLING
LEILA RAJABI IRAN SHOT
PUT
Meet The Female Imam Who
Has Started A Mosque Run Entirely By Women
DENMARK:
Her name is Sherin Khankan. Born in
Denmark to a Syrian father and a Finnish
mother, the well-known author and
political commentator has started a new
mosque in Copenhagen, Denmark. Named as
'Mariam Mosque', it is led entirely by
women imams.
Speaking to Danish newspaper Politiken,
Sherin Khankan, the woman behind the
mosque who calls it 'a feminist
project', said she started Mariam
because she "never felt at home in the
existing mosques." Although, Mariam will
be open to both men and women.
"I have never felt at home in the
existing mosques. The new grand mosques
are unbelievably beautiful, but I have
the feeling of being a stranger when I
am there. We women stand up in the
balcony and look down on what is
happening. Many women and young people
dont even go into the mosques as you
enter into a male-dominated and
patriarchal space in which a man has the
floor, a man leads prayers, men are in
focus and dominate. That is why we are
now setting up a mosque on womens
terms."
Khankan is confident that her project
will ease the barriers between
traditional Islam and a more modern
rendition of the faith that can better
relate to young worshippers.
"Many imams in this country belong to
the traditional school which does not
account for the culture we live in.
Instead, they help to construct
contradictions between being a
practicing Muslim and a young person in
Denmark. But you can love and honour
several cultures and influences at once
without betraying one or the other camp"
This revised and expanded edition of The
Essential Rumi includes a new introduction by Coleman Barks
and more than 80 never-before-published poems.
Through his lyrical translations, Coleman Barks has been
instrumental in bringing this exquisite literature to a
remarkably wide range of readers, making the ecstatic,
spiritual poetry of thirteenth-century Sufi Mystic Rumi more
popular than ever.
The Essential Rumi continues to be the bestselling of all
Rumi books, and the definitive selection of his beautiful,
mystical poetry.
"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:
Fire and passion are the hallmarks of Portuguese
cuisine with lots of spices, the key ingredient
being chili. Try this simple and easy to make
recipe which is packed with flavour.
Portuguese Peri Peri Chicken
Ingredients
1 chicken cut up or
butterflied
1 tsp chili
1 tsp garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp crushed red chilies
½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp cumin powder
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 tblsp lemon juice
Method
Marinate for a
few hours.
Cook on high
till water burns out.
Remove chicken
and place in an oven tray
Ingredients for
Sauce
1 cup cream
2 tblsp tomato paste
3 tblsp nandos garlic peri peri
60g garlic butter
TIME TO
WALK THE WALK only 3 weeks until race day
Use the following
program as a guide for your final few weeks of
preparation for Creswalk
Please note that the following program is
suitable for beginners. For the more competitive
or serious athlete, intensity, duration and
frequency of exercises need to be increased!
REMEMBER: NUTRITION IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS YOUR
TRAINING REGIME. SO START EATING HEALTHIER TODAY
AND DON'T FORGET TO DRINK YOUR WATER!
DAY 1:
Walk for a minimum of 60 mins. (10 mins. at a
moderate pace, 45 mins. at a more brisk pace and
5 mins. cool down / slow pace).
Aim for 90 mins if youre feeling good.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO STRETCH AFTER EVERY WORKOUT!
Healthy Tip: Always keep your body hydrated -
carry a bottle of water with you daily!
DAY 2:
Strength training grab your weights and
challenge upper and lower body. Challenge
yourself by using your own body weight through
push-ups, sit-ups, chin-ups, etc. Active
recovery - Do an activity that you enjoy (low
impact). Include your stretching routine.
DAY 3:
After your walking session today (adding on to
your time from day one), try to head into the
pool to relax/soothe the muscles while still
improving on cardio-fitness. Swim some laps with
short breaks in between, or opt for an
aqua-aerobics session. Remember to increase your
time and intensity.
DAY 4:
Similar to day 1, however, try to jog/run for a
few minutes, then slow down to a brisk walk
before jogging again. Increase your walking time
by 10 -15 mins. or more if you feel comfortable.
DAY 5:
Circuit training cycle, rowing machine,
cross-trainer- 60min session at the gym or head
to the park on your bike and take in the scenery
and some fresh air. Minimum 60 - 90mins with
mini-challenges along the way.
Try a yoga session later in the day if time
permits to strength and tone more importantly,
enjoy the relaxation time at the end of your
workout.
Healthy Tip: Keep your liquids up to prevent
dehydration and muscle cramping!
DAY 6:
Walk away.. See how your body feels and either
challenge yourself of go for active recovery -
Do an activity that you enjoy (low impact).
Include your stretching routine.
PLEASE NOTE: The above training program assumes
a healthy participant. Those with medical
conditions or who are not already physically
active, need to seek clearance from their GP
before starting any form of exercise.
Mula Nasruddin was a small time business man from a
small village who sold butter in the nearby town.
A wealthy shop owner in the town was his regular
customer.
Every month Mula Nasruddin would deliver to the shop
owner the required butter in 1kg blocks, and in turn
received grocery items like sugar, beans etc from the
shop owner.
One day the shop owner decided to weigh the butter and
to his surprise every block of butter weighed 900 grams
instead of 1kg.
When Mula Nasruddin came to supply butter the following
month, the shop owner was very angry at him and told to
leave the shop.
To this Mula Nasruddin replied courteously: "Sir, I am a
very poor villager, I don't have enough money to even
buy the required weights for weighing the butter. I
usually put the 1kg sugar you give me on one side of the
weighing scale and weigh butter on another side"
And Be sure We shall test
you with something of fear
and hunger, some loss in
goods or lives or the fruits
(of your toil), but give
glad tidings to those
who patiently persevere.
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
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
Minutes of Meeting Tuesday 19 July, 2016,
Islamic College of Brisbane:
Click here
Next Meeting
Time: 7pm Date: TBA 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
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and the best feedback come from our community of readers. If you
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Births, Marriages,
New Migrants and
Condolences
DENMARK:
Her name is Sherin Khankan. Born in
Denmark to a Syrian father and a Finnish
mother, the well-known author and
political commentator has started a new
mosque in Copenhagen, Denmark. Named as
'Mariam Mosque', it is led entirely by
women imams.
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011