The
Islamic Women's Association
of Queensland (IWAQ) hosted
a celebration of their 25
years of serving the
Queensland community in a
number of different
capacities and initiatives.
The Queensland Parliament
was a fitting venue for a
breakfast gathering of the
friends, supporters, and
political leaders and
bureaucrats.
A number of community
leaders, contributors and
staff, both past and
present, were acknowledged
for their contribution to
IWAQ over the past decades.
In particular, Ms Galila
Abdelsalam, Director of IWAQ,
received generous praise and
thanks from the many
speakers who took to the
podium to recognize her role
in shaping IWAQ into a
well-respected, trusted and
effective organization.
The former Governor-General
of Australia and former
Governor of Queensland, Dame
Quentin Bryce delivered the
keynote address in which she
fondly recalled the
friendships she had
established at IWAQ during
her terms of office.
Aunty started off the
proceedings with a stirring
Welcome to Country followed
by Imam Yusuf Peer with a
recitation from the Qu'ran.
Amongst the other speakers
during the morning were Mr
Duncan Pegg, MP (the host of
the function),
Minister for Employment &
Industrial Relations,
Minister for Multicultural
Affairs & Racing, Ms Grace
Grace MP, Senator Claire
Moore, and Minister for
Communities, Women and
Youth, Minister for Child
Safety and Minister for the
Prevention of Domestic and
Family Violence, Ms Shannon
Fentiman MP.
Part of the audience in the
Mosque Open Day presentation
The Garden City Mosque,
Toowoomba participated in
the National Mosque Open Day
program on Saturday, 29
October 2016.
This was a nationwide event
to invite members of the
wider community to have
firsthand look at the
mosques in their
neighbourhood and city, and
find out more about the
activities and rituals
performed in the mosques.
It provided an opportunity
for the Muslim community to
meet and greet visitors of
diverse culture and faith
background. The national
event was initiated and
coordinated by the Lebanese
Muslim Association.
The Islamic Society of
Toowoomba welcomed people of
all faith and no faith of
our community on the day to
the mosque to share a cup of
tea and get information
about Islam and Muslims.
Guests and visitors took the
opportunity to ask questions
to the members of the Muslim
community. Imam Abdul Kader
make a presentation and
responded to the questions
from the audience.
The Anglican Bishop Cameron
Venerables, Federal Member
of the Groom, Dr John
McVeigh, State Member of
Toowoomba South, Mr David
Janetzki, and Social Justice
Officer, Dr Mark Copland
were among the speakers.
This year there is special
importance for the National
Mosque Open Day due to the
spread of misgivings and
false information about
Islam and Muslim by some
controversial people.
The programs of the day
started at 10:30am with
welcoming of the guests and
visitors and will continue
until 4pm. However, the
formal part of the program
was held from 11am to 1pm.
From left:
Roberto Garcia of
Toowoomba Regional
Council, Imam Abdul
Kader and Anglican
Bishop Cameron
Venerables
Guests
at the Open Day
program
Mosque Tour
Hon Dr John McVeigh,
Federal Member from
Toowoomba speaks to
the Muslim children
as part of his visit
to Garden City
Mosque
A single beige demountable
fitted with not much more
than an air conditioner, a
few chairs, and a patchwork
of woven mats turned to face
Mecca has become an outback
symbol of religious hope.
The Good Shepherd Catholic
church in the remote
Queensland mining town of
Mount Isa has offered space
in its parish building to
the local Islamic community
for use as a prayer room.
Muslims and Catholics pray
just metres apart.
"Over the years a number of
people have asked 'Is there
a place or a space in Mount
Isa for a prayer room?'"
Father Mick Lowcock said.
"A couple of the people who
I know fairly well
approached me and sort of
said 'Is it possible for us
to use one of the rooms?'"
Father Michael Lowcock has
offered a space to Mount Isa's
Islamic community as a gesture
of unity.
Father Lowcock said his
decision to allow the
Islamic community to use the
space did not come without
contention.
"I suppose one of the issues
was, do you make it public?"
he said.
"You don't want any backlash
against them or against us,
and there have been some
concerns raised by people
even someone from out of
town has rung me about it."
"Put off thy shoes" can be found
in both the Holy Qu'ran and in
the Bible.
According to Father Lowcock,
the questions stem from
misunderstanding and a fear
of Islamic extremism and
terrorism.
"The question in the back of
everyone's mind [is] 'What's
ISIS all about?'" he said.
"I think every time people
mention the word 'Muslim' or
'Islam', they immediately
think of ISIS.
"[But] rather than create the climate of
fear in our world we need to create the
dialogue and the climate of goodwill."
Jahed Chowdhury is a local
Muslim. He grew up in
Bangladesh but has been in
Australia for the past 14
years.
Jahed Chowdhury in the prayer
room with a picture of the Kaaba,
the building at the centre of
Al-Masjid al-Haram mosque in
Mecca, on the wall.
Mr Chowdhury said, before
the church opened its doors,
the Mount Isa Islamic
community improvised
locations for prayer.
"Before we got a room over
here we used to go to some
other friend's place or any
other place we used to
pray there," he said.
"So since we got this one,
we come here all the time so
that's very fortunate for
us.
"As Muslims we have to pray five times a day
and that's what we do we gather here and
pray to Allah, and we are all happy because
now we openly come any time, whenever we
want to."
Mr Chowdhury was aware of
negative stereotypes often
attached to his faith, and
believed positive examples
of religious harmony helped
dispel the myth that Islam
was dangerous.
"We invite other people in
[from] different faiths, so
if they want they can come
and join with us and they
can see what we do and how
we practise, and what the
real Muslims are."
"That's what we want to
spread across the world
that Islam means peace," he
said.
The prayer room at Good Shepherd
Parish used to be set aside for
the local historical society,
but it is now used by Mount
Isa's Islamic community.
Father Lowcock said the
relationship also spoke of
the true multiculturalism of
outback Queensland.
"Last Sunday I just looked
around and there were 18
different nationalities I
counted just at one of our
services, and I think
they're only a part of the
community of Mount Isa," he
said.
"The Islamic society too is
made up of a lot of people
from different countries.
"I know some Catholics are
married to Muslims so
there's a whole sense of
'How we do show support for
one another?' in this."
Father Lowcock said, as much
as the move was motivated by
the need to find a space for
locals to pray, it also
demonstrated a symbolic
gesture to bring the town
closer.
And he encouraged other
religious leaders to follow
suit.
"I think there was a bit of
a surprise element for
people and they wondered
'Should we be doing that?'"
Father Lowcock said.
"But I also think, in this
day and age, [we need to]
lead by some example, so we
don't just give way to the
fears in our world, but we
give way to what's going to
bring life.
"If this is going to bring life to our
community, I'd rather see us united rather
than divided, I'd rather see us somehow
coming together and praying, rather than
just be a community that separates people
from one side of town to the other," he
said.
With a shared devotion to
worship, Mr Chowdhury echoed
a similar statement.
"We live close together and
in good harmony and that's
what we are human for.
Regardless of the practice,
we respect each other," he
said.
"All the religion is
spreading the peace
nothing wrong with that, so
we should love each other."
OPEN DAY (back row, from left)
Superintendent district officer
Ron Van Saane, Father Peter
Tonti, Imam Mohammed Akram Buksh,
CQUniversity vice chancellor
Scott Bowman, Senior Sergeant
Ashley Hull. Front: Mojib Ullah,
Cr Rose Swadling, Binil
Kattiparambil and Emma Dalton.
HUNDREDS of pairs of shoes
filled the foyer of the
Rockhampton Mosque on
Saturday, an indication that
National Mosque Open Day is
becoming bigger every year.
More than 200 people filled
the local mosque from wall
to wall over the weekend to
share in delicious food, a
guided tour of the mosque
and to ask local Muslims
questions about their
culture and religion.
Mustafa Elkhishin from the
Islamic Society of Central
Queensland said the local
Islamic community was happy
with the turnout and the
response from the community.
"There were some good
questions brought up and
that's what the whole Q&A is
about; to get an
understanding of what Islam
is about and dispel some of
the myths," he said.
"We're really happy with the
response and we've received
really positive feedback.
Understanding and open
dialogue I think is key and
these events are really
important because the Muslim
community here in
Rockhampton is a large
community and we're proud to
be members of Rockhampton
and the wider CQ region."
Imam Akram Buksh speaks to the
crowd.
Imam Mohammed Akram Buksh
from Brisbane was a guest
speaker at the event and
shared many personal stories
of how he and his family are
sometimes treated as a
result of being Muslim.
"My wife can no longer go
shopping on her own because
last time someone spat at
her and threw coffee on
her," he told the crowd of
people.
Mohammed said he was hoping
events such as National
Mosque Open Day helped bring
the communities together to
find peace.
"I think it was very
successful and I think our
aims and objectives have
been achieved, we hope that
the follow-up will be
positive," he said.
"The main aim of these open
days is to create
understanding and address
misconceptions and to come
to the conclusion that at
the end of the day,
regardless of our faith, our
race and where we come from,
we are all Australian."
Councillor Rose Swadling
said she had heard positive
feedback from members of the
community who attended.
"It's about inclusive
communities and an open day
like this dispels the myths
people have and lets us all
understand that we are all
one, we are all one
community," Cr Swadling
said.
"It's been a wonderful
response because people have
really been able to ask the
questions they want and get
a better understanding and I
think it was a great
opportunity to break down
the walls."
National Mosque Open Day
visitors at Lakemba Mosque on
Saturday 29 October.
From left: Mr Jihad Dib
MP, Ms Tanya Plibersek Mp and Mr
Tony Burke MP
On Saturday 29 October
Mosques all around Australia
welcomed thousands of people
of all faiths and diverse
background, men, women and
children, in order to build
community understanding and
harmony.
National Mosque Open Day is
an annual Australia-wide
event initiated by the
Lebanese Muslim Association
(LMA) with support from the
Department of Social
Services.
The event features a number
of mosques across the nation
simultaneously opening their
doors to the public and
inviting them to come in and
explore their local mosque.
Visitors browsing through the
exhibit inside Lakemba Mosque
his year National Mosque
Open Day was the largest
ever, featuring increased
number of participating
mosques across Australia, in
capital cities as well as in
regional towns, giving more
Australians the chance to
visit and be welcomed into
their local mosques.
One of the oldest and
largest mosques, the Imam
Ali Mosque in Wangee Road,
Lakemba was visited by
thousands of people last
Saturday to observe prayer
services, listen to the
recitation of Quran, and
look at the exhibition on
Islamic teachings, practices
and cultural activities
within the mosque.
A number of politicians and
interfaith leaders visited
the Lakemba mosque
throughout the day meeting
the congregation as well as
the visitors.
Visitors found a unique
experience and flavour,
representing the
multicultural make-up of the
congregation at Lakemba
Mosque.
There were information
brochures and booklets on
Islam and Muslims as well as
Australasian Muslim Times
newspaper to be picked up.
The visitors tasted free
BBQ, special tea, sweets,
food and engaged themselves
in activities at the mosque
throughout the day.
Attendees at the inaugural
Islamic Leadership Conference
2016 held at the Islamic Museum
of Australia, Melbourne
The first Islamic Leadership
Conference, co-ordinated by
Mr Farrukh Hussain, hosted
invited delegates from
interstate to discuss
potential issues affecting
the Muslim communities in
Australia and identifying
the potential of strategies
to address them.
Among the speakers at the
day-long meeting were Her
Excellency Naeela Chohan
(High Commissioner of
Pakistan to Australia); Mr
Zaahir Edries (president of
the Muslim Legal Network -
NSW); Captain Mona Shindy;
Ms Hanan Dover; Dr Mustafa
Ally and Mr Kemal Omar (AMAN
Directors); Dr Jan Ali (UWS);
Ms Yasmin Khan (Eidfest
Community Services), and Ms
Rasha Abbas (Gen. Manager
ANZ Project Delivery).
Australian Muslim Leadership
Network "intends to
secure the future of Muslim
population by empowering
community members to take
charge of their social and
economic lives and provide
leadership to their
community.
We engage leaders and help
them translate Muslim values
into action and linking them
with the broader Australian
community. In the next
phase, we plan to connect
and create network of Muslim
professionals from Australia
to create a platform for
formal and informal dialogue
amongst the members."
Sensationalised
media coverage of Islam and
Muslims is widening
community divisions,
according to leading
journalists and media
academics.
Dr Abdi Hersi (pictured),
the manager of Griffith
Universitys award-winning
Reporting Islam project,
said negative stereotyping
and incorrect use of
language in media reports
was contributing to
Islamophobia throughout the
community.
Adverse media coverage can
actually cause social
divisions and undermine
social cohesion, Dr Hersi
told the New News conference
at the Wheeler Centre in
Melbourne.
Muslims are not terrorists.
Islam is not a religion of
terrorism. We need to be
very responsible in the way
in which we cover . . .
stories of certain
individuals engaging in
criminal activities.
The Reporting Islam project,
co-headed by fellow panelist
Professor Mark Pearson, aims
to combat negative
stereotyping of Muslims and
Islam in the media by
providing evidence-based
reporting guidelines.
Professor Pearson said
issues surrounding terrorism
and protests over planned
mosques were clearly
newsworthy, but more care
was needed in the way those
stories were covered.
Our audiences would demand
[they] be reported and
theyd be asking very
serious questions if [they
were] not reported,
Professor Pearson said. The
question is . . . How do we
cover something fairly and
accurately, and perhaps even
offer . . . solutions that
might actually help heal
wounds in a community rather
than exacerbate or inflame
community tensions?
The publics understanding
of Islam and its followers
remains poor with research
showing 83 per cent of
Australians report knowing
little to nothing about
either, despite Islam being
the countrys third most
popular religion.
Dr Hersi said the very low
baseline knowledge also
applied to journalists,
which affected the quality
of their stories.
You cannot report [stories
involving] Islam and Muslims
very well if you dont have
the basic knowledge of this
religion and its people, Dr
Hersi told the audience.
Professor Pearson said the
hallmarks of poor
reporting included a
tendency to link terrorism
to Islam and focus on
negative stories, which he
said could contribute to
community alienation.
While he was careful not to
assign a direct relationship
between negative media
coverage and radicalisation,
Professor Pearson said such
alienation was a known risk
factor.
He said it would help if
there were more positive
stories about Muslims and
other ethnic minorities
reported by mainstream
media.
Dr Hersi agreed and said the
focus on negative stories
was also an issue of
journalistic perspective.
If were always picking
what is wrong with these
communities, but ignoring
all the good stuff that is
happening within [them], I
think there is a lack of
balance, Dr Hersi said.
The panelists, who included
Kot Monoah, a former refugee
and spokesperson for the
South Sudanese community,
agreed that the lack of
Muslim voices in media
stories was a problem. Dr
Hersi described this as
negligent reporting.
I think we need news
organisations to embrace
young Muslims in their
newsrooms, and hire them,
because they might actually
bring a perspective of Islam
and Muslims, Dr Hersi said.
Mr Monoah said African
Australians faced similar
problems in the way they
were portrayed by the media.
If the news is written or
aired in a way that is
likely to demonise an ethnic
community or an ethnic
group, it is alienating them
rather than helping them
integrate in society, and
there are many consequences
that follow on from that,
he said.
I think journalists would
find it beneficial if [they]
were to reach out and have
connections with community
members . . . in being able
to report effectively. It
does help in terms of being
of mutual benefit for both
parties.
The panel members said
journalists covering stories
relating to Islam and
Muslims needed better
education on how to report
such stories with
sensitivity. Moderator and
journalist Denise
Ryan-Costello prefaced the
discussion by acknowledging
that journalists generally
were not trained
particularly well in this
area.
The Reporting Islam group
has worked with Muslim
community leaders and
Australian news
organisations to develop
learning tools, including
apps, training packages and
guidelines, to train
journalists and media
students on the subject.
Earlier this year, the group
ran workshops in Melbourne,
Canberra and Perth on the
responsible reporting of
terror arrests and mosque
proposals, which were
supported by Australias
journalism association, the
Media Entertainment and Arts
Alliance.
Professor Pearson cited the
groups guidelines as a
reference point for
journalists to help
discourage negative
stereotyping.
For
almost 13 centuries, from the
death of the Prophet Muhammad in
632 to the overthrow of the last
Ottoman caliph in 1924, the
Islamic world was ruled by a
caliph.
Translated from the Arabic Khalifa,
the word caliph means
successor or deputy. The caliph
was considered the successor to
the Prophet Muhammad.
It is a term that has, at times,
been abused.
In June 2014, a militant group
calling itself the Islamic State
in Iraq and the Levant (known as
ISIL or ISIS) declared the
establishment of a caliphate and
proclaimed its leader, Abu Bakr
al-Baghdadi, a caliph. This
proclamation was rejected by the
overwhelming majority of the
worlds Muslims.
ISIL had attempted to
appropriate a title imbued with
religious and political
significance and in doing so
had cast a dark shadow over a
rich history.
This is the story of the caliph,
a title that originated 1,400
years ago and that spanned one
of the greatest empires the
world has ever known.
In this episode of the Caliph,
Al Jazeera tells the story of
the caliphate, providing a
fascinating insight into how the
first caliphs of Islam built and
expanded their empire.
Every
part of your life helps to
shape the way you see the
world and your experiences.
Different areas of your
lifelike school, family,
work, and physical
healthmight seem separate,
but theyre actually all
connected. When something in
one area changes, it can
affect other areas.
The Wheel of Well-Being is a
tool that can help you
understand how these
different areas are
connected, and assist you to
think about how to keep
things in balance.
If youre interested in
learning about what makes us
happy and how being happier
can lead to living longer,
healthier, a more
sustainable living then
Wheel of Wellbeing
workshop is for you!
Explore some of the key
concepts of positive
psychology and their
importance to human
flourishing.
Learn about the wheel of
wellbeing framework .
Discover how the wheel
is being used - in Australia
and across the world.
Share and Experiment
ideas while learning with
others.
Try out practical tools
including the DIY
Presented by Jan Elston (
Relationship Australia) and
Aneesa Khatrada ( M. Health
Sciences, B.Occ Therapy).
The program also includes a
panel discussion with
inspiring women from the
Muslim community of
Brisbane. Light refreshments
provided and all attendees
receive a complimentary gift
Connected
Women is a community of
diverse women which aims to
provide inspiring
opportunities for personal
and professional growth.
Through support and
collaboration, Connected
Women foster relationships
and networks that allow
women to share experiences
and expertise and to provide
resources and opportunities
to every woman in the
community. If you are
interested in receiving
information about upcoming
events please write to
Connectedwomenbrisbane@gmail.com.
The National Zakat
Foundation is a
ground-breaking initiative
which aims to utilise Zakat
funds and voluntary
donations collected in
Australia for the benefit of
local, deserving recipients.
Why NZF ?
Our mission is to provide an
end-to-end service with
respect to Zakat. By doing
so, we expect to contribute
to the development of a
pious, confident, selfless
and self-sufficient
community in Australia.
What others say I cant thank you all
enough for putting a smile
on our faces when we were in
need. NZF Zakat
Recipient
I really want to thank
you from my heart because I
feel humanity still exists
and your organisation is a
perfect example of it.
NSW Police Member
"We were so glad
receiving the news
yesterday, indeed, this is
one of the favors of Allah
on us. We may not be able to
find the right words to show
our appreciation but we pray
that Allah accept your duas
and ibaadah, gladdens your
heart and reward you with
jannatul firdous. And to the
entire members of the NZF,
may Allah bless them all.
Jazaaki Allah khyaran"
NZF Queensland Recipient
NZF have opened an office in
Underwood, Queensland. The
Queensland team have been
very busy with a large
number of cases coming in
from the local community.
A recent case which NZF
assisted with was to
contribute a significant
amount towards a van for a
young girl Judy, who has
serious medical conditions
including brain damage.
"Salam alaykom, thank you
so much NZF for your help in
donations towards a van for
my daughter Judy, I just
wanted to say thank you and
may Allah reward you Janah.
Jazak Allah khairun" -
Ali
NZF hope to continue
assisting the community here
in Queensland, and
throughout Australia. Please
call 1300 663 729 or visit
our website
www.nzf.org.au to give
your zakat, sadaqah, and to
request for assistance.
Helana Sawires as Dianne and
Osamah Sami as Ali in Ali's
Wedding.
Australia's first Muslim
romantic comedy could prompt
more people from minority
groups to share their
stories through film, its
creator says.
Ali's Wedding is based on
the true story of writer
Osamah Sami, who also plays
Ali, the Melbourne-based son
of a Muslim cleric who tells
a lie that sets off a
cringe-worthy chain of
events.
The wedding in question is
Ali's arranged marriage,
which he accidentally agrees
to at a tea ceremony but
which lasts less than two
hours.
Osamah says it's hard to
describe how it feels to see
his life on the screen but
he's eager to see how others
respond.
"It's history making, the
first Muslim rom-com, so
it's going to hopefully pave
the way for many other
similar stories," he said.
"Not just from the Muslim
community but from other
communities and minorities
in our society."
Sami previously told Fairfax
Media that his "affectionate
and poignant story of love"
was about casting a more
positive light on
Muslim-Australian life.
"A couple of Muslims stopped
us and asked, 'Is this
bringing a bad name to
Muslims again?'," says Sami.
"That just shows how much
they are fed up with the
negative stereotype that we
consume in the media."
The film came about after
director Tony Ayres
overheard Sami telling
Claudia Karvan about his
arranged marriage that
lasted just one hour and 40
minutes while they were
shooting the telemovie Saved
in 2009.
Ali's Wedding lead actress
Helena Sawires, who plays
Ali's love interest Dianne,
said her Egyptian heritage
helped her connect with some
of the film's gags
immediately.
While not Muslim, she thinks
the film will help break
down incorrect ideas about
the Islamic community.
"I think it's good for
people to get insight into
how it all is," she said.
"You know there's so much,
for lack of a better word,
demonising of this sort of
world.
"This film is such a perfect
example of showing, we're
humans, we live life just
like everyone else does."
Offspring and East West 101
star Don Hany plays Ali's
father, who he said was part
of a movement of Muslims
finding their identity in
Australia.
He said he found the film's
script so funny and full of
meaning he struggled not to
fall in love with it from
the outset.
"I literally couldn't put it
down. It's something that I
guess happens every now and
then but it's more rare than
not," he said.
The film has been co-written
by Andrew Knight and is the
first to be directed by
Jeffrey Walker, who has
directed TV shows like
Modern Family and Jack
Irish.
Funded by the Adelaide Film
Festival, it had its world
premiere in Adelaide on
Friday and will be in
cinemas early in 2017.
An
Australian amputee has
penned an open letter to
Prime Minister Malcolm
Turnbull, asking him to
reconsider the proposed
asylum seeker ban, citing a
life-changing operation by a
surgeon who arrived as a
refugee by boat.
Allison France, a Brisbane
woman who lost her leg five
and a half years ago after
she was hit by a car, has
used an open letter to call
on Prime Minister Malcolm
Turnbull, to reconsider
banning asylum seekers,
including refugees, from
Australia for life.
Ms France said she received
life changing treatment from
a doctor who fled from Iraq
to Australia by boat Dr
Munjed Al Muderis.
I was destined to spend my
life in a wheelchair until I
met Dr Munjed Al Muderis,
she wrote.
I owe my health, my ability
to walk and have a decent
quality of life with my
children to Dr Al Muderis.
Mr Turnbull announced on
Sunday the government
planned to amend the
Migration Act to ensure
asylum seekers who tried to
come to Australia by boat
after 2013 would be banned
from the country for life,
including those attempting
to come by tourist or
business visas.
The amendment would "prevent
irregular maritime arrivals
taken to a processing
country for making a valid
application for an
Australian visa," including
those found to be refugees.
Ms France says Dr Al Muderis
is the only orthopaedic
surgeon in Australia who
performs osseointegration
surgery, which involves
fusing bone and prosthetic
material together.
"I would not have walked
without him, she told SBS
News.
Starbucks new green cup
displayed for the press on
Tuesday this week
Its not the first time the
cups have caused
controversy.
The revelation that the
latest Starbucks cup will be
green has led some people to
suggest the global coffee
chain is promoting Islam.
Starbucks revealed its new
design on Tuesday with the
title a symbol of unity.
But the bizarre religious
association came as a flurry
of voices criticised the
coffee giant, including
former Ukip leadership
candidate Raheem Kassam.
While Kassam has since told
HuffPost UK his tweet was
taking the piss, others
suggested the design echoed
the colours of the flag of
the Arab league.
Some went further,
suggesting the cups were
linked to the so-called
Islamic State.
William Hicks wrote on Heat
Street: The giant coffee
chain is calling this years
monstrosity the unity
cup... Hmm, what else is
unified . ISIS!!?! The
unified caliphate of the
Islamic State!
Its not the first time
Starbucks has found itself
at the centre of a political
storm over the colour of its
cups.
Last year, Christian
evangelicals in America
claimed the Seattle-based
chain had declared war on
Christmas by using a simple
shade of red on its festive
packaging.
Joshua Feuersteins widely
shared Facebook rant about
the issue has been viewed 16
million times since it was
posted last November.
Starbucks isnt allowed to
say Merry Christmas to
customers, Feuerstein
raged. Do you realise that
Starbucks wanted to take
Christ and Christmas off of
their brand new cups? Thats
why theyre just plain red.
And rather than propose a
boycott, Feuerstein asked
his followers to prank
Starbucks by giving the name
Merry Christmas when asked
by employees.
The furore sparked a
national scandal in the US,
with The Washington Post
observing: Starbucks
certainly didnt seem to
anticipate this... in many
ways, the cups seemed
designed to be
unremarkable.
Kassam, who pulled out of
the Ukip leadership race on
Monday, had commented on
last years red cups,
writing at the time: More
open? You mean, youre
trying not to offend
anyone.
Frankly, the only thing
that can redeem them from
this whitewashing of
Christmas is to print Bible
verses on their cups next
year.
Starbucks launched its
limited edition green design
on Tuesday by saying the cup
was about developing unity
at a time of great division.
It comissioned artist Shogo
Ota to create the design to
demonstrate humanity and
connection.
Howard Schultz, Starbucks
CEO, said: The green cup
and the design represent the
connections Starbucks has as
a community with its
partners (employees) and
customers. During a divisive
time in our country,
Starbucks wanted to create a
symbol of unity as a
reminder of our shared
values, and the need to be
good to each other.
Professor Mona Siddiqui at the
Morning Conversation event
held at Affinity Intercultural
Foundation. Photo by Samet Erkut.
An eminent British Muslim
scholar, Professor Mona
Siddiqui visited Australia
earlier in October and gave
a number of talks at various
locations in Sydney and
Canberra.
She gave public lectures on
the topic Hospitality &
Inter-Religious Witness on
Monday 10 October at Novotel
Parramatta in Sydney as well
as at Australian Centre for
Christianity and Culture in
Canberra, both events
organised by ISRA and Centre
for Contextual Theology,
Charles Sturt University.
During her lectures, she
discussed the relationships
between hosts, guests and
religion a theme that she
has explored in one of her
books also titled
Hospitality and Islam:
Welcoming in Gods Name.
Professor Siddiqui has
explored the concepts and
categories, scriptural
stories and characters, and
legal, ethical, mystical and
feminist discourses that
engage the ideal of
hospitality in the Muslim
tradition.
At a time when images of
desperate Iraqi and Syrian
refugees seeking safe havens
dominate the news, fewer
themes have been more
pressing than that of
hospitality.
She has raised the question
as to what can religion
contribute to the idea of
hospitality and its practice
in contemporary society?
Answer to this question
become absolutely critical
with movement of large
number of people of diverse
backgrounds as immigrants
and refugees.
Professor Siddiqui, OBE
currently holds the Chair of
Islamic and Inter-religious
Studies at the University of
Edinburgh and was the
Presenter of the 2016
Gifford Lectures.
During her lecture in
Sydney, Professor Siddiqui,
who was born in Karachi,
Pakistan and raised in UK,
related some personal moving
stories of her growing up
and in particular
hospitality in action by a
poor woman and her children
to her as a stranger when
she went to Egypt to study
Arabic as a young woman.
She explored in detail on
hospitality in the Abrahamic
tradition in general and in
the Islamic tradition in
particular.
She said that hospitality is
an obligation, a foremost
duty for others and is
considered unconditional
shown to our loved ones,
family and friends as well
as to strangers.
Professor Siddiqui
emphasised the need to
change our immigrant
mentality where our home is
not a place but the people
we live with. The West is
now the home of Muslim
immigrants in general and
specially of their children
who have grown up or are
born and raised in the West.
Democracy can lead to a lot of
noise, and Bassem is quick to
discover that, beneath the noise
that is Donald Trump, the U.S.
is quietly and quickly on a path
to electing the biggest bully
with the most goldjust like
they do in the Middle East!'
In recent years, Islam has
been thrust into world
spotlight for a number of
reasons starting with 9/11
and ISIS to anti-refugee
sentiments in Europe and a
certain US Presidential
candidates anti-Muslim
campaigns. In this
hullabaloo, we have
forgotten that some of the
coolest famous people we
look up to from Muhammad
Ali to Zayn Malik and Aziz
Ansari are all Muslims.
Would you believe it if we
told you there were many
more Muslims in the celeb
world?
This week's celebrity
Aasif Mandvi
Previously a contributing
correspondent on The Daily
Show, Aasif more recently
acted, wrote and produced in
the now-canceled HBO show
The Brink, also starring
veteran actor Tim Robbins
and funny man Jack Black.
The show dealt with
geopolitical crises,
including a military coup in
Pakistan. He is also the
author of No Lands Man,
which is a light-hearted yet
poignant look at his life as
an
Indo-Muslim-British-American
actor. He has admitted to
having a complicated
relationship with his faith,
but that it will always
remain a part of him.
An engaging conversation
between a Christian Pastor
and a Muslim Imam, "Out of
Context" is a 14 part
Interview series answers
pressing questions about
Islam and gives valuable
insight into the spirit of
the faith.
In Part 6 of the interview
with Dallas-based Pastor
Mike Baughman, Imam Omar
Suleiman dispels the myth
that all terrorists are
Muslim, noting the huge
disparity between the amount
of media coverage given to
the rare cases where
perpetrators were actually
Muslim and when they were
not. He also explains that
this biased media is quick
to jump to conclusions when
there is a Muslim name at a
crime scene, discarding all
nuances such as mental
health, workplace issues,
unstable families and a slew
of other mitigating factors
that are automatically
afforded to other killers.
This myth is also
historically false, says
Suleiman, explaining that
the last century saw the
killing of over 250 million
people who were not killed
in the name of Islam, or any
other religion, but were
killed in the name of
fascism. The Quran
explicitly states that
whoever kills a soul, its
as if he has killed all
mankind and Prophet Muhammad
urged his followers, in an
authentic narration, never
to wish to meet and enemy in
battle. That said, once a
battle becomes inevitable,
Islam says that there is
glory in dying to defend a
just cause, just as it is
glorious to die for ones
country. But this never
included the killing of
innocents.
Statistically less than two
percent of Muslims are
radicalized and according to
one study, in the U.S.,
since 9/11 43 people have
been killed in the name of
Islam while double this
number have been victims of
white supremacist. Why is
that not terrorism?
Suleiman concludes that we
must look at this entire
situation through a
comprehensive lens because
those who are radicalized
dont live in healthy
contexts then suddenly start
reading the Quran and become
terrorists. When places like
Iraq and Syria break down
politically and
economically, they become
breeding grounds for
extremist thought and
fertile soil for mercenary
terrorist groups like ISIS
to recruit.
It is essential that Muslims
in the U.S. be given the
outlet to hold the
government accountable for
its foreign policy decisions
and not to fall into a 21st
century McCarthyism where
those who voice any
criticism are ostracized and
silenced with fear and
accusations of being
unpatriotic. Political
rhetoric to the effect that
we are at war with Islam
must also stop because it
feeds into ISIS propaganda
that Islam and America are
not compatible, an appealing
recruitment message to those
with serious political
grievances.
Seeking highly motivated
individuals committed to the
education of Muslim
children.
Opportunities for:
Casual positions
(4.00 pm 6.30 pm,
Monday Thursday)
Relief teaching
Volunteer teacher
aiding
Professional
learning, training
and development
Weekly professional
learning topics:
Islamic education
philosophy
Evidence based
teaching and
learning strategies
Student centred
teaching practice
Prophetic
pedagogical
strategies
Interested candidates should
kindly forward a CV and
contact details to
admin@amanahinstitute.org.au
or contact the Principal
(Sister Soraya Bulbulia)
during office hours.
Applications close on 12
November 2016.
Islam Saved
Women When The
Whole World Used
Them As Sex
Objects
Contrary to
popular belief,
Islam has never
been a religion
that has
suppressed
women and their
rights; research
and books prove
that when the
world was
against womens
rights, Islam
intervened and
helped women in
their societal
status. When the
ancient
civilizations
only saw women
as sexual
objects, the
religion of
peace gave
opportunities of
equality to
them.
WOMENS PLACE
AND STATUS IN
THE WORLD BEFORE
ISLAM
In the Roman
Civilization,
women were
treated
extremely
cruelly by the
then ruling
Empire. They had
no civil or
moral rights; no
social status
whatsoever. If a
man in the Roman
Civilization
slayed his wife,
there would be
no consequences,
he would have no
punishment. Men
could marry as
many women as
they wanted, as
women were sold
and bought
everywhere.
PARHLO
Prophet
Muhammad Was A
Feminist
THE BLOG
The Prophet
Muhammad would
be appalled by
how current
Islamic
Fundamentalists
are treating
women under
their control.
This suppression
is done in the
name of Islamic
Law, known as
Sharia. But the
current
suppression of
women is shaped
by cultural and
history. It has
little basis in
the Quran and it
is certainly not
consistent with
anything we know
about what
Muhammad taught
or how he
treated women.
Of all the
founders of the
great religions
- Buddhism,
Christianity,
Confucianism,
Islam and
Judaism
Muhammad was
easily the most
radical and
empowering in
his treatment of
women. Arguably
he was historys
first feminist.
This is of
critical
importance
because if there
is one single
thing that Arabs
and Muslims
could do to
reform and
re-vitalize
their crisis
ridden cultures,
it would be to
liberate their
women and
provide them
with the full
rights women are
enjoying in more
and more
countries around
the world.
Womens equality
is key to a real
Arab Spring.
Among the
founders of the
great religions,
Confucius barely
mentioned women
at all and
assumed in all
his teachings
that they we
subordinate to
men within a
patriarchal
order. Buddha
taught that
women could
become
enlightened but
had to be
pressured three
times before
allowing women
to become nuns,
and then only on
the condition,
as he put it,
that the highest
nun would be
lower than the
lowest monk. In
the Gospel
accounts, Jesus
did not
explicitly
comment on the
status of women,
although he did
associate with
women of ill
repute and with
non Jewish
women. Moses was
thoroughly
patriarchal and
there is
virtually
nothing in the
Torah that
indicates
specific concern
about womens
rights.
Muhammad was
fundamentally
different. He
both explicitly
taught the
radical equality
of women and men
as a fundamental
tenet of true
spirituality,
and he took
numerous
concrete
measures to
profoundly
improve the
status and role
of women in
Arabia during
his own
lifetime.
Muhammad was
sensitized to
the plight of
women because he
was born poor
and orphaned at
a very early
age. He was also
illiterate. He
knew as few did
what poverty and
social exclusion
meant.
Confucius was
born into the
gentry scholar
class of ancient
China. Buddha
was born a
wealthy prince
in Nepal. Jesus
was born the son
of a carpenter
with royal
lineage and
within a tightly
knit Jewish
community in
Palestine. Moses
was born into a
Hebrew family
and raised in
the palace of
the Pharaoh of
Egypt. Muhammad
had none of
these
advantages. Thus
while other
religious
leaders seemed
strangely silent
about the
oppression of
women, Muhammad
dramatically
raised the
status of women
as a matter of
religious
conviction and
state policy.
Consider the
following:
During seventh
century Arabia,
female
infanticide was
commonplace.
Muhammad
abolished it. A
saying in the
Hadith (the
collection of
sayings of
Muhammad)
records that
Muhammad said
that the birth
of a girl was a
blessing.
Women in Arabia
at that time
were essentially
considered
property and had
absolutely no
civil rights.
Muhammad gave
them the right
to own property
and they were
extended very
important
marital and
inheritance
rights.
Prior to
Muhammad, the
dowry paid by a
man for his
bride was given
to her father as
part of the
contract between
the two men.
Women had no say
in the matter.
Muhammad
declared that
women needed to
assent to the
marriage and
that the dowry
should go to the
bride, not the
father;
furthermore, she
could keep the
dowry even after
marriage. The
wife did not
have to use the
dowry for family
expenses. That
was the
responsibility
of the man.
Women were also
given the right
to divorce their
husbands,
something
unprecedented at
that time. In a
divorce, the
woman was
empowered to
take the dowry
with her.
Women were
extended
inheritance
rights as well.
They were only
given half as
much as their
brothers because
the men had more
financial
responsibilities
for family
expenses, but
with Muhammad,
women became
inheritors of
property and
family assets
for the first
time in Arabia.
At the time,
this was
considered
revolutionary.
Muhammad himself
was often seen
doing womens
work around the
house and was
very attentive
to his family.
His first
marriage to
Khadija was
monogamous for
the entire 15
years they were
married,
something rare
in Arabia at
that time. By
all accounts,
they were deeply
in love and
Khadija in fact
was the first
convert to
Islam. She
encouraged
Muhammad from
his very first
encounter with
the angel
Gabriel and the
recitation of
the first suras
that were to
become the
Quran.
After Khadijas
death, Muhammad
married 12
wives. One was
Aisha, the
daughter of his
closest friend
and ally Abu
Baker. The rest
were nearly all
widows, divorced
women, or
captives. He
preached
consistently
that it was the
responsibility
of men to
protect those
women who had
met with
misfortune. This
was one of the
reasons polygamy
was encouraged.
Even with female
infanticide,
women in seventh
century Arabia
far outnumbered
men because so
many men were
killed in the
inter-tribal
warfare of the
day. Several of
Muhammads wives
were poor and
destitute and he
took them in,
along with their
children, into
his household.
In his Farewell
Sermon delivered
shortly before
he died in 632,
Muhammad said to
the men, You
have certain
rights over
women but they
have certain
rights over
you. Women, he
said, are your
partners and
helpers. In one
of the sayings
of the Hadith,
Muhammad says,
The best men
are those who
are best to
their wives.
His wife Aisha
took a
leadership role
after his death
in bringing
together the
Hadith and
another wife
played a leading
role in
gathering
together the
suras that
comprise the
Quran. Each of
the 114 suras
that comprise
the Quran with
the exception of
sura 9 begin
with the words
Bismillah al
Rahman al Rahim.
Translated most
commonly as In
the Name of God,
all
compassionate,
all merciful,
the deeper
meaning of this
phrase is In
the Name of the
One who births
compassion and
mercy from the
womb. This
invocation of
the feminine
aspect of Allah
is key to an
Islamic
Renaissance.
Finally, there
is nothing in
the Quran about
women wearing
the veil, the
Hejab. That was
certainly the
custom in Arabia
at that time and
Muhammads wives
wore the Hejab
to designate
their special
status as
Mothers of the
Believers, but
the only thing
the Quran says
directly is that
women should
dress
modestly.
Muhammad said
the same thing
to men. For him,
modesty of dress
was expressive
of modesty of
the heart.
Muhammad
himself, even
when he was
supreme leader,
never wore
anything more
than simple
white woolen
attire.
So radical were
Muhammads
reforms that the
status of women
in Arabia and
early Islam was
higher than any
other society in
the world at
that time. Women
in 7th century
Arabia had
rights not
extended to most
women in the
West till recent
centuries over
1,000 years
later. The fact
that women have
ended up in such
a degraded
position in many
contemporary
Arab/Muslim
counties is a
tragedy and
needs to be
rectified if the
Islamic culture
and civilization
is to flourish
again as it did
during the
Abbasid
Caliphate from
the 8th - 13th
centuries when
Islamic
civilization was
a shining light
to the world.
Liberating women
would have
profound effects
politically,
economically,
culturally,
artistically,
and religiously.
It would take
the Arab Spring
to a whole new
level, which is
what is so
desperately
needed in those
countries that
suffered the
first Arab
Spring as a
stillbirth.
It is time for
Islam to
liberate women
fully and do so
upon the example
of Muhammad and
the authority of
the Quran that
holds compassion
and mercy as the
first and
foremost
attributes of
Allah.
Written with
Banafsheh Sayyad,
author, Dance of
Oneness
Huffington
Post
ANIC condemns
missile attack
By Amani Ahmed
On Sunday, ANIC
released a
statement,
announcing that
ANIC and the
Mufti of
Australia
Condemn the
attacks by the
Hoothi Rebels on
the Holy City of
Makkah. They
called this a
vicious attack
and heinous
crime, which
they strongly
condemn, as
this attack
targets all
Muslims around
the world and
the principles
of Islam.
Sheikh Shadi
Alsuleiman
claimed this was
not an attack
on the Kingdom
of Saudi
Arabia, it was
an attack on
every Muslim.
The Mufti
similarly
offered a quote
about how the
Houthis had
offended Muslims
across the
world.
It says that
ANIC urges all
Muslims and
Muslim countries
to stand in
solidarity and
support with the
Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia who are
the custodians
of the sacred
cities Makkah
and Madina, the
Council also
commends the
Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia for their
ongoing care,
role and
protection of
the sacred
places of Makkah
and Madina and
stands strongly
with the Kingdom
against any
attack on the
Muslim sacred
cities.
In the final
paragraph of
ANICs
statement, it
asks Allah to
protect all
people and
Muslim countries
around the world
from any
oppressive
attack.
24 of the
Most Influential Black
Muslims in History
24. Khalid
Abdul Muhammad (1948 2001)
Khalid Muhammad was an
outspoken African-American
activist who came to
prominence as the national
assistant to Louis Farrakhan
of the Nation of Islam (NOI).
Despite the controversy that
followed him, his strong
denunciations of white power
and his calls for Black
self-empowerment gained him
the support of many in the
Black community.
Roman Catholic
clergymen
celebrate Holy
Thursday Mass at
the Church of
the Holy
Sepulchre in
Jerusalem's Old
City in March.
Why
Christianitys holiest
shrine is guarded by two
Muslim families
The Church of
the Holy Sepulchre in
Jerusalem's Old City is
Christianity's most hallowed
shrine. It's believed that
the rock-cut tomb at the
heart of the church was
where the body of Jesus
Christ was once laid.
Over the past week, for the
first time in centuries, a
team of conservationists and
researchers removed a marble
slab that lay in a rotunda,
known as the Edicule, at the
center of the complex. It's
the spot, as my colleague
William Booth put it earlier
this year, when the
renovation project first
began, "where millions of
pilgrims have knelt and
prayed, where the salt of
tears and the wet of sweat
have smoothed and worried
the hardest stone."
Today, the site thrums with
piety, but history knows it
is soaked in blood. There
have been at least four
Christian chapels erected
over the site. The first was
by Emperor Constantine in
the 4th century, who swept
aside a pagan temple Hadrian
built to the goddess
Aphrodite perhaps a move
by Rome to deny early
Christians a place of
pilgrimage. The Holy
Sepulchre was saved by the
Muslim conqueror Omar in
638; destroyed by the
Egyptian Caliph al-Hakim in
1009; rebuilt by the
Crusaders who themselves
slaughtered half the city;
protected again by the
Muslim conqueror Saladin and
laid waste again by the
fearsome Khwarezmian Turks,
whose horsemen rode into the
church and lopped off the
heads of praying monks.
And when the
world surrounding the
religious complex was not
convulsed in chaos, tensions
among the faithful
worshiping within often
boiled over. The church has
been shared for centuries by
six old Christian
congregations Latin (Roman
Catholic), Greek Orthodox,
Armenian Apostolic, Syrian
Orthodox, Ethiopian Orthodox
and Egyptian Copts.
"The rival
groups of worshipers fought
not only with their fists,
but with crucifixes, candle
sticks, chalices, lamps and
incense-burners, and even
bits of wood which they tore
from the sacred shrines,"
wrote historian Orlando
Figes, when referring to a
particularly pitched battle
between Orthodox and
Catholic clergymen in 1846.
"The fighting continued with
knives and pistols smuggled
into the Holy Sepulchre by
worshipers of either side."
The
intractable nature of these
rivalries has led to a
rather curious, unique
arrangement that dates to
the 12th century: Two Muslim
families were entrusted by a
presumably weary Arab
potentate to be the
gatekeepers of the church.
The Joudeh family keeps the
key, while the Nuseibeh
family opens up the church
door every morning and locks
it in the evening.
In an interview with CNN
earlier this year, Adeeb
Joudeh, the current keeper
of the key an old,
cast-iron object that's a
foot long considered his
family's hereditary task to
be a metaphor for religious
tolerance.
"For me, the source of
coexistence for Islamic and
Christian religions is the
Church of the Holy
Sepulchre," he said.
His counterpart, Wajeeh
Nuseibeh, described the
vital role of these two
Muslim families in Jerusalem
to the San Francisco
Chronicle in 2005.
"Like all brothers, they
sometimes have problems," he
said, referring to the
feuding Christian sects. "We
help them settle their
disputes. We are the neutral
people in the church. We are
the United Nations. We help
preserve peace in this holy
place."
Canadian parliament passes
anti-Islamophobia motion
CANADA: The Canadian
Parliament has passed an anti-Islamophobia
motion on October 26, amid increasing
attacks on mosques and Muslim
communities in the country and
throughout the world. The motion has
received almost no attention from
Canadian media outlets, to the dismay of
the Muslim community living in the
country.
According to reports, it took a while
for the parliament to adopt the motion,
which was brought up after 70,000
Canadian citizens signed an online
petition condemning Islamophobia. The
petition was launched on June 8, 2016
and was closed for signature on October
6, 2016.
"We, the undersigned, Citizens and
residents of Canada, call upon the House
of Commons to join us in recognizing
that extremist individuals do not
represent the religion of Islam, and in
condemning all forms of Islamophobia"
the petition read.
However, when the motion was brought to
the parliament, Conservative Members of
the Parliament prevented unanimous
consent, to the dismay of many.
Liberal MP from Mississauga Centre Omar
Algabra called Conservative attitude
'troubling,' saying that the motion was
a non-partisan, positive and symbolic
one.
The Communications Director of the
National Council of Canadian Muslims
Amira Elghawaby said in an op-ed that
the rejection of the motion was followed
by a series of Islamophobic acts,
including anti-Islam posters posted on
the University of Calgary Campus, and
vandalism of mosques.
"It might be that some MPs haven't seen
the numbers. According to Statistics
Canada, hate crimes against Muslims in
Canada doubled between 2012 and 2014,
while hate crimes overall declined"
Elghawaby said in her piece.
According to the President of the
Canadian Muslim Forum Samer Majzoub, the
motion was reintroduced in the
parliament after a series of attacks on
the Sept-Ξles mosque in Montreal.
Majzoub told the Huffingtonpost Canada
that the motion can be attributed to
'true Canadian values' and will open new
doors.
Multiculturalism and pluralism are
regarded as some of the most important
values of Canada, which is recognized as
one of the most tolerant countries in
the world. The Canadian Charter of
Rights and Freedoms, which was
introduced by Pierre Elliott Trudeau,
the late father of Canadian Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau, guarantees
fundamental rights and freedoms for all
Canadians.
Syrian
refugees and Turks pray during
Friday prayers at the Turkish
Kuba Camii Mosque near a hotel
housing refugees in Cologne's
district of Kalk.
GERMANY: Hani Salam
escaped civil war in Syria and survived
the journey from Egypt to Europe. But
when he saw men with bushy long beards
at a mosque near his current home in
Cologne last November, he was worried.
The men's appearance reminded him of
Jaish al-Islam, the Islamist rebels who
took over his hometown near Damascus,
said Salam, 36, who wears a mustache but
no beard. One of them told Salam that
"good Muslims grow beards, not
moustaches," he recalled a
centuries-old idea that he dismisses.
"Everything about this mosque made me
feel uneasy," he said.
Syrians in Germany say many of the
country's Arab mosques are more
conservative than those at home.
Over two months, a dozen Syrians in six
places of worship in three cities told
Reuters they were uncomfortable with
very conservative messages in
Arabic-speaking mosques. People have
criticized the way the newcomers dress
and practice their religion, they said.
Some insisted the Koran be interpreted
word-for-word.
It is a highly contentious issue in a
country where Europe's migrant influx is
already having deep political and social
consequences. In Germany this year
Alternative for Germany, a populist
party that says Islam is incompatible
with the German constitution, has gained
ground. There have been several attacks
by militant Muslims. Syrians and others
say the mosque problem is adding to
mistrust.
In Germany, other different faiths are
traditionally supported by the state.
But most of the country's four million
Muslims originally came from Turkey and
attend Turkish-speaking mosques which
are partly funded by Ankara.
Last year around 890,000 asylum-seekers,
more than 70 percent of them Muslims,
entered the country. Around a third came
from Syria. Many of them do not want to
go to Turkish mosques because they do
not understand the sermons. They prefer
to worship where people speak Arabic.
"It
always bothered me that Aasif was more than merely
funny-he's also a great actor. Now I've learned he's an
amazing storyteller as well, and I am furious . . . but also
grateful. Aasif's movement between cultures and genres is
what makes him and his story singularly funny, poignant, and
essential."
- John Hodgman, author of The Areas of My Expertise and More
Information Than You Require
"My father moved our family to the United States because
of a word. It was a word whose meaning fascinated him. It
was a singularly American word, a fat word, a word that
could only be spoken with decadent pride. That word was . .
. Brunch! 'The beauty of America,' he would say, 'is they
have so much food, that between breakfast and lunch they
have to stop and eat again.'" from "International House
of Patel"
If you're an Indo-Muslim-British-American actor who has
spent more time in bars than mosques over the past few
decades, turns out it's a little tough to explain who you
are or where you are from. In No Land's Man Aasif Mandvi
explores this and other conundrums through stories about his
family, ambition, desire, and culture that range from
dealing with his brunch-obsessed father, to being a
high-school-age Michael Jackson impersonator, to joining a
Bible study group in order to seduce a nice Christian girl,
to improbably becoming America's favorite
Muslim/Indian/Arab/Brown/Doctor correspondent on The Daily
Show with Jon Stewart.
This is a book filled with passion, discovery, and humor.
Mandvi hilariously and poignantly describes a journey that
will resonate with anyone who has had to navigate his or her
way in the murky space between lands. Or anyone who really
loves brunch.
"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:
This recipe was shared by Fathima Adat who has
personalized this recipe and has now become a
family favourite.
Eton mess is a traditional English dessert
consisting of a mixture of strawberries or
bananas, pieces of meringue, and cream, which is
traditionally served at Eton College's annual
cricket game against the pupils of Harrow
School. The dish has been known by this name
since the 19th century.
Eton
Mess
Ingredients
Eton mess
meringue
175g of caster sugar
3 egg whites
1 pinch of salt
1 vanilla pod, seeds scraped out or vanilla
extract
Eton mess
500g of strawberries, hulled and sliced
500ml of double cream, well chilled
1 tbsp of icing sugar
Method
Step 1
Begin the Eton mess by preheating the oven to
110°C and line 2 trays with parchment paper.
Place the egg whites and a pinch of salt into a
large mixing bowl and begin to whip with a light
wire whisk - do not use a heavy, thick whisk as
this will knock out air faster than you can whip
it in
3 egg whites
1 pinch of salt
Step 2
As you whisk, gradually let the sugar drift into
the whites little by little so that, by the end
of whisking, you have stiff whites which have
all the sugar added by the time you are nearing
the end of whisking
175g of caster sugar
Step 3
Next, use a spatula to spread the whipped whites
over the trays. For an Eton mess, the meringue
will be crushed up later, so the shape is not
too important
Step 4
Once fully spread, transfer to the oven to dry
out and crisp. This can take several hours, but
check it after the first hour then every half
hour or so thereafter depending on your oven
Method (cont.)
Step 5
You can remove the meringue when it sounds
hollow and brittle when you tap it
Step 6
Place the cream in a mixer with a whisk
attachment then whip gently, taking care not to
over-whip
500ml of double cream
Step 7
If you wish you can add vanilla seeds and icing
sugar into the mixer
1 vanilla pod
1 tbsp of icing sugar
Step 8
Add half the strawberries to the cream and stir
in. Break up the meringue into rough
one-inch-sized bits, and add most (but not all)
of the meringue to the cream
250g of strawberries
Step 9
Layer up the cream in shallow desert bowls,
alternating layers of the cream with some of the
leftover strawberries and meringue
250g of strawberries
Step 10
Finish the Eton mess with some of the
strawberries and a crunchy topping of meringue
then serve at once
CONNECT with your friends and get fit together
who knows, a bevy of buddies could be your most
lethal workout weapon. Connecting with a network
of likeminded friends could take your fitness
journey to the next level.
COMMIT to your
fitness regime cultivate commitment by making
regular fitness dates with your mates. Arrange
to meet each other in a park for a quick workout
& then reward yourselves with a coffee or
shopping date. Health is a lifelong pursuit.
Make some positive changes to your daily routine
/ diet, and stick to it. Consistency is key!
CONQUER those
fitness mountains together. Dont be intimidated
by trying something new. Challenge yourself with
new activities, increase your weights while
training, etc..
Its that extra
little push that will see you go the distance.
Keep each other motivated by brainstorming
different physical challenges and actually see
them through. Embrace your body, embrace your
buddy, and together, you can conquer the world.
Whoever works righteousness,
man or woman, and has Faith,
verily, to him We will give
a new Life, a life that is
good and pure, and We will
bestow on such their reward
according to the best of
their actions.
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.
Nuria Khataam
Date: Every last Wednesday of the month
Time: After Esha Salaat
Venue: Algester Mosque
Contact: Yahya
Ph: 0403338040
Sisters Support Services - On going
Activities
Tafsir
Class
By Umm Bilal. Held every Tuesday at 10am -
Kuraby area
Halaqah
By Um Bilal. Held every Thursday &
Saturday at 10am
( Saturdays at Runcorn location)
Arabic classes
Taught by Umm Bilal Wednesdays 1 2pm
Kuraby Masjid
Tuesdays 1 2pm
Kuraby area (after Tafsir Class)
Sisters Support Social Group -
1stWednesday of every
Month - Kuraby Location
YOUTH GROUP-
- Muslimah Girls Youth Group
for 10+ Girls
School Holiday Activites
- Contact : Aliyah 0438840467
Amir Boys Club
for Primary School Boys MONTHLY & HOLIDAY ACTIVITES
Contact : Farah
0432026375
We also run a volunteers group to assist
Muslim women with food rosters and home visits for sisters
who need support or are isolated. We refer Sisters in need
for counselling, accommodation, financial assistance and
other relevant services.
To join our volunteer group or for any other
details for activates please call the numbers below
Aliyah : 0438840467
Khadijah: 0449268375
Farah: 0432026375 Iman
: 0449610386
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
Holland Park Mosque
Queensland Police Service/Muslim Community
Consultative Group
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
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
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to the Crescents Community please
e-mail us..
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Births, Marriages,
New Migrants and
Condolences
The
Islamic Women's Association
of Queensland (IWAQ) hosted
a celebration of their 25
years of serving the
Queensland community in a
number of different
capacities and initiatives.
The Queensland Parliament
was a fitting venue for a
breakfast gathering of the
friends, supporters, and
political leaders and
bureaucrats.
Sensationalised
media coverage of Islam and
Muslims is widening
community divisions,
according to leading
journalists and media
academics.
Connected
Women is a community of
diverse women which aims to
provide inspiring
opportunities for personal
and professional growth.
Through support and
collaboration, Connected
Women foster relationships
and networks that allow
women to share experiences
and expertise and to provide
resources and opportunities
to every woman in the
community. If you are
interested in receiving
information about upcoming
events please write to
"It
always bothered me that Aasif was more than merely
funny-he's also a great actor. Now I've learned he's an
amazing storyteller as well, and I am furious . . . but also
grateful. Aasif's movement between cultures and genres is
what makes him and his story singularly funny, poignant, and
essential."
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011