The photograph of the two
girls wearing hijabs at an
Australia Day event, which will
be featured on dozens of
billboards after a crowdfunding
campaign raised $130,000.
A crowdfunding campaign has
raised more than $130,000 to
get a photograph of two
young girls wearing hijabs
at an Australia Day event on
billboards across the
country, and surplus funds
will now go to Indigenous
organisations.
Last week the photograph of
the two girls taken at the
Docklands celebration last
year was removed from a
Melbourne freeway billboard
after the billboard company
allegedly received threats.
The image of the two young
girls one of a series of
photographs advertising a
nearby Australia Day event
had been posted to a far
right groups social media
page and prompted hundreds
of bigoted comments and
complaints, many directed at
the girls.
In response, a crowdfunding
campaign by the Campaign
Edge advertising agency
called for the girls
photograph to be reprinted
on posters and in an
Australia Day campaign.
After more than $120,000 was
donated in 24 hours, the
campaign expanded, proposing
to erect dozens of
billboards across Australian
capital cities.
Dee Madigan, the creative
director at Campaign Edge,
said she started the fund
because she felt like the
bastards were winning when
the photo was taken down.
There was a haul of photos
of a lot of people from
different ethnicities but
the one they pick on is the
two Australian Muslim
girls, she said. And these
are the same people who
complain that Muslims dont
assimilate.
Its just not OK and it
feels lately like theres
been with Hanson and even
Trump more permission for
people to be more overtly
racist. This was just sort
of a chance to fight back at
that, because I think a lot
of these racist groups think
theres a lot of them out
there, that theyre the
silent majority.
I guess this was a way for
ordinary people to say, No
youre not.
Madigan said she thought the
fund might raise about
$20,000 over a few days,
enough to pay for one
billboard, but the response
grew, reaching a donation
rate of about $100 a minute.
This is a great initiative
that must be fully supported
because it reflects the true
Australian spirit, wrote
the United Muslims of
Australia organisation with
their donation.
Madigan said donations came
from Muslim and Jewish
organisations, unions and
politicians but most were
small contributions from
individuals.
The girls and their family
were aware of the campaign
and supported it, lawyer and
community rights advocate
Mariam Veiszadeh told
Guardian Australia on
Wednesday.
The campaign originally had
a target of $20,000, with
any leftover funds going to
the Asylum Seeker Resource
Centre.
Senator Sam
Dastyari: Stop picking on little
girls
That target has since been
increased to $200,000 and
the proposed reach of the
campaign widened, and the
extra funds will be
redirected to Indigenous
groups.
After discussions with the
Asylum Seeker Resource
Centre, the money would now
go to the Indigenous
independent media platform
IndigenousX and non-profit
organisation Childrens
Ground, she said.
In an update on Thursday,
the GoFundMe page said
Victorian digital and print
billboards in Preston,
Collingwood, Springvale,
Endeavour Hills and
Yarraville would start going
up from Friday through to
Australia Day.
Australia Day is a
contentious event, with
calls to change the date and
stop celebrating a day that
marks white settlement and
violence against and murder
and dispossession of
Indigenous people.
The support for the
billboard campaign had drawn
scepticism.
Aamer Rahman, one half of
comedy duo In Fear of a
Brown Planet, described it
as a novel and expensive
way of throwing Aboriginal
people under the bus.
'I think its great': Peter
Dutton praises Australia Day
billboard featuring Muslim
girls
'I think its great': Peter
Dutton praises Australia Day
billboard featuring Muslim
girls
Immigration Minister Peter
Dutton has praised an
Australia Day billboard
featuring two Muslim
Australian girls in hijabs,
and backed the wearing of
Islamic dress in public.
The billboard, promoting a
government-funded Australia
Day event in Melbourne, was
controversially taken down
after threats were made to
advertising company QMS.
But Mr Dutton, whose
previous comments have at
times outraged migrant and
Muslim communities, defended
the billboard and the
donning of Islamic dress
during an interview on
Thursday.
"I think it's great that
we've got young boys, young
girls from whatever
background who are embracing
Australian values, flying
the Australian flag, proud
to be Australian, proud to
be part of our society, want
to be part of a peaceful
future in this country," Mr
Dutton told 3AW radio.
"They're all the values that
all of us embrace."
Mr Dutton was then asked
whether people should be
"offended" by the hijab, or
headscarf.
"I don't think so. People
have different elements to
their dress and their
culture that they embrace,"
he said.
"I think what most
Australians expect from any
of us from a migrant
background, and ultimately
that's the case for most of
us, is that we respect the
culture from our country of
origin but we embrace
Australian values."
Islamic Council of Queensland
spokesman Ali Kadri says banning
the burqa will not solve real
issues facing Queensland.
Banning the burqa will not
solve issues for
Queenslanders and is instead
a diversionary tactic,
Islamic Council of
Queensland spokesman Ali
Kadri says.
Senator Pauline Hanson this
week said One Nation would
move to prohibit burqas in
government buildings if her
party won the upcoming
Queensland election.
It has been an ongoing issue
for Ms Hanson, who morphed
her 1996 rhetoric of
Australia being "swamped by
Asians" into being "swamped
by Muslims" in 2016.
Ms Hanson floated the idea
of a referendum on banning
the burqa in 2015, saying
she found it confronting and
un-Australian.
But Mr Kadri said the
clothes worn by a tiny
number of Muslim women in
Queensland was a non-issue.
"I don't think banning the
burqa will find anyone any
employment, unless you
employ one security guard,"
he said.
"What they're trying to do,
Pauline Hanson,
particularly, she's just
trying to win votes by
scaring people."
Mr Kadri said very few women
wore a burqa or a niqab in
Queensland, and they could
remove it when requested by
a parliamentary security
guard or police officer.
"If they go to a location
that there is a security
risk, Muslim women have been
given a fatwah (legal ruling
by an Islamic scholar) that
they're allowed to reveal
their identity and their
faces," he said.
"I don't think it's a
security risk, it's just an
excuse to express phobia,
which unfortunately is so
prevalent in mainstream
society."
And a "burqa" is not even
what many people think it
is.
A burqa is a veil that
covers the entire body and
face, with a mesh window or
grille across the eyes.
Whereas a niqab is a veil
covering the head and face,
with a horizontal opening
for the eyes, usually worn
with a loose black outfit
that covers from head to
feet.
The term hijab usually
refers to a headscarf that
covers the hair and neck but
not the face and is more
commonly seen in Australia.
Mr Kadri said the niqab was
probably the least preferred
form of clothing worn by
Muslims across the world.
"Generally speaking, you'd
hardly find somebody who
wears a niqab," he said.
"I personally know two or
three people and I'm the
spokesperson in the Islamic
community so I meet a lot
more Muslims than [others]."
Mr Kadri said Muslims were
encouraged to dress
modestly.
"It is defined in different
ways in Islamic
jurisdictions, by scholars,
so some women consider
wearing a hijab or covering
their hair is being modest,"
he said.
"They're not harming anyone,
they're not giving anybody a
hard time."
Muslim men are also
instructed to dress
modestly, cover their knees
to navel in public and dress
in loose clothing.
Mr Kadri said if a woman did
not want to wear a niqab,
she should not be forced.
"Most women in Australia, at
least, wear it because they
want to wear it, I think it
would be oppressive not to
wear it when they really
want to," he said.
It comes after a backlash to
a billboard showing two
girls wearing hijabs used to
promote an Australia Day
event in Melbourne earlier
in January.
Campaigners have now started
a crowdfunding project to
put the image back up on a
billboard.
The campaign was so
successful, that organisers
increased the monetary
target to buy multiple
billboards across the nation
ahead of Australia Day.
Mr Kadri said people who
thought everyone should
dress in "Billabong shorts
and thongs" did not
understand Australia was a
diverse nation.
"There is no dress code for
being an Australian," he
said.
Independent Speaker Peter
Wellington also backed the
idea of a burqa ban in
government buildings, and
said new One Nation MP Steve
Dickson should pursue it.
In 2014, Mr Wellington
failed to drum up enough
support for his own bill,
which would have given
police and other authorities
the power to order people to
remove face coverings for
the purpose of
identification.
Premier Annastacia
Palaszczuk dismissed the
plan and said there were
already measures in place to
achieve what Ms Hanson was
proposing.
Opposition Leader Tim
Nicholls said the first
priority of government was
safety and security.
Ms Hanson says she has grand
plans for her party in her
home state of Queensland,
claiming the major party
politicians there are too
timid.
A state election is due in
Queensland in 2018, but is
widely expected to be called
at some stage this year.
However it's unclear just
what the One Nation Senator
means when she refers to
"the burqa".
So what are the facts behind
the various head coverings
and why Muslim women wear
them?
Misconceptions abound when
the topic of Islamic
headdresses is raised.
For instance, it is widely
assumed women are obliged or
even forced to cover at
least their hair, that the
styles of head coverings are
standard across the Muslim
world.
But a closer look reveals
why, what and how Muslim
women cover up is far more
complex and it varies,
depending on the cultural
practices of individual
countries.
Shakira Hussein is a
researcher, author and
honorary fellow at the
University of Melbourne's
Asia Institute.
She says many people, even
Muslims, believe there is a
universal glossary defining
what each head covering is.
"Muslims themselves often
tend to think and talk as
though there's one single
glossary referring to
women's dress, and, of
course, they think it's the
glossary that they grew up
with, so that the people
around them use, but that's
not really the case."
Dr Hussein says the long
robe covering a woman's
face, sometimes with netting
over the eyes, is often
considered a burqa.
But she says, in some
countries, the word refers
to a different item of
Islamic dress.
"In Pakistan, that's
actually called the
shuttlecock burqa. The
reason why it's referred to
as a shuttlecock burqa is
that there's other types of
dress that are also referred
to as being burqas and
which, in parts of the Arab
world, would be referred to
as niqab."
Australian Muslim Women's
Association president Silma
Ihram says the hijab is the
most commonly worn Islamic
head cover in the Western
world.
She says the word literally
means "a barrier."
"The actual name hijab is
actually not the correct
name in traditional Islam.
But it's come to represent,
these days, the simple scarf
that a woman wears, usually
wrapping around from her
hair and under her chin,
which is the common word, or
common thing, that women in
the West wear."
Ms Ihram, who converted to
Islam 40 years ago, says
most Muslim women make a
conscious choice to wear the
hijab, or another item of
covering, but for a variety
of reasons.
"For some women, though, it
is an identification that
they are on that path of
spirituality. So, for a lot
of women, they feel it's a
really important thing to be
able just to say, 'Look, I'm
visibly a Muslim woman.'"
Ms Ihram says other women
choose to wear the hijab to
preserve their beauty for
those they feel truly
appreciate it, usually their
husbands and families.
Professor Kevin Dunn, dean
of Western Sydney
University's school of
social sciences and
psychology, says more women
are actually choosing to
wear the hijab.
He says that is despite a
rising number of
Islamophobic attacks on
women wearing the garment.
"It's certainly linked to
cultures and an embracing of
hijab-wearing as an
identifier of both
Muslimness but also
affiliation to community
and, therefore, generating a
sense of community."
Professor Dunn says the head
coverings arise out of an
Islamic requirement for both
men and women to dress
modestly.
But he says the matter has
become focused on women and
the covering of their heads.
"The cultures of cover and
modesty are varied across
the world, across the
Islamic world,
Muslim-majority and
Muslim-minority world."
Professor Dunn says the
cultures often determine the
level of cover a woman needs
to preserve her modesty.
It could involve a hijab, a
face veil or perhaps a full
burqa-style garment that
covers the woman's eyes.
Shakira Hussein says some of
those coverings include the
jilbab, a covering similar
to the hijab worn in South
Asia, and other styles not
often seen in Australia.
"In some parts of the Gulf,
in Dubai and whatever, you
also see these kind of
metallic masks that fit
across the lower part of a
women's face. And they're
often very beautiful and
ornate."
Dr Hussein says a common
recent fashion in Australia
was known as the
Moroccan-style hijab,
including a small turban
covering the hair, sometimes
with a scarf draped over the
top.
In many countries, wearing
Islamic head coverings is
not considered compulsory
for women.
But Silma Ihram says some
countries and sects of Islam
are more strict than others.
"There are some women who
feel pressured to put the
hijab on, particularly with
the Salafist and
fundamentalist communities,
the Islamist kind of
section, which the vast
majority of the Muslim
community is fighting
against."
Dr Hussein says the belief
that women must cover the
faces is unusual, even among
conservative Muslims and
scholar.
She says the definition of
modest clothing for women
still prompts much debate
today.
Ms Ihram says what many
people do not know is men
are also required to abide
by certain standards of
modesty in their clothing.
That includes covering
themselves from the navel to
the knees, sometimes with a
long-sleeved ankle-length
robe.
"These days, you see a lot
of men showing their
allegiance to different
kinds of Islamic
spirituality through their
clothing as well. That's why
you see a lot more men
wearing thobes and, the same
as the Jewish, men wear the
little hat as well."
Australian Prime Minister,
Malcolm Turnbull (left) meeting
with Albab Khan (right)
and Adnun Khan in
Primitivo, Toowoomba
The Hon Prime Minister of
Australia, Mr Malcolm
Turnbull MP visited the Char
Grilled Restaurant,
Primitivo in Toowoomba with
Federal PM, Dr John McVeigh
and Toowoomba Mayor, Cr Paul
Antonio on Monday, 16
January.
Primitivo is a unique
concept restaurant based on
the idea of ancient cooking
style, traditional recipes,
and primitive cave-type
rocky walls and shop
fittings. The guests tasted
the food offered to them by
the chef and staff while the
owners discussed their food
innovation projects and
proposed plans to build
multi-level car park in the
city centre with the PM.
The restaurant is an
intellectual innovation of
entrepreneurs Adnun Khan and
Albab Khan. The two brothers
won the Best Business
Excellence Award in 2015 for
the Toowoomba Chamber of
Commerce award for their
previous creative chocolate
restaurant in the city
called Cioccolato. In the
same year, they also
received the Business
Excellence Award in the
Hospitality Industry
category for Cioccolato.
"At Primitivo we bring food
back to what it should be;
meat, vegetable and seafood
cooked on an open Char -
Grill served with your
choice of sides," said Adnun
Khan. The interior of the
store looks like a stone
cave with primitive wooden
furniture filling the dining
space. A custom made Char
griller is the centerpiece
of the restaurant. Dine in
and takeaway along with
online ordering via the
companys website or its own
Primitivo App which is
available for download
(FREE) at the Android and
Apple store for customer
convenience.
From left: Prime
Minister Malcolm Turnbull,
Federal MP Dr John McVeigh, City
Mayor Cr Paul Antonio and
Professor Shahjahan Khan in
Primitivo
Adnun Khan is a part of the
future leadership team of
the Toowoomba Chamber of
Commerce and Albab Khan
served on the Advisory Board
of Nandos Australia
representing Queensland.
They are in the process of
franchising their Cioccolato
and Primitivo restaurant in
Australia and overseas as
part of their plans to
expand businesses.
The visit of the Prime
Minister to the businesses
of the Khan Brothers was an
honour for them and their
businesses, and an
acknowledgement of their
ongoing significant
contributions to the local
economy through generating
employment for over 40
staff.
In addition to the food
businesses in Toowoomba,
Adnun and Albab have been
training a large number of
apprentice students from
various secondary schools to
obtain employment in the
hospitality industry. This
has been done with the
partnership of a local
training company BUSYAtWork.
Getting a taste of Primitivo
The two Australians of
Bangladesh origin have been
running an export business
for the past six years. They
have not only exported
different best quality
Australian agricultural
grains, seeds and pulses to
Bangladesh but also
establish business network
with partners in Bangladesh
and other countries.
Experiencing severe parking
problem in the central
business district in
Toowoomba, due to acute
shortage of parking places,
the two brothers have come
up with the idea of building
a high tech multilevel car
parking in partnership with
the City Council.
Adnun was born in Dhaka in
1985 and Albab was born in
London, Canada in 1989. They
migrated to Australia with
the family in 1992 and
settled in Toowoomba the
next year after living in
Sydney for a period five
months. Both went to
School/College in Toowoomba,
but Adnun graduated in
Marketing and Human Resource
from the University of
Southern Queensland,
Toowoomba, and Albab in
Accounting from the
University of Queensland,
Brisbane.
The family is originally
from the Gopalgonj district
of Bangladesh but has lived
in Canada, Saudi Arabia,
Oman and Australia. Their
father, Professor Shahjahan
Khan, is a Professor of
Statistics at the University
of Southern Queensland, and
a Director of MCCA Ltd, and
mother, Mrs Anarkali Lutfun
Nahar is a Director of The
Khan Family Trust.
Anyone wanting to invest in
the franchising network may
send their queries at
info@primitivoaus.com.
A venue has been arranged
for Friday prayers in the
Brisbane CBD.
The venue is booked for the
next 6 months, excluding
Fridays the 10th February,
17th February and 10th of
March 2017.
Brothers are requested to
make alternate arrangements
for those jumuahs.
The jumuah will commenced
last Friday, 13 January and
there will continue to be
the two jumuah sessions
being:
1st prayer 12:20pm
to 12:35pm
2nd prayer 12:50pm to
1:05pm
A few points to note:
● The facility does not
have any place for
whudhu, so brothers are
requested to perform
whudhu prior to coming
for salaah.
● There are no mats
available or storage for
mats, so brothers should
come with their own
prayer mats to the
venue.
● The usage of the lift
is strictly limited to
only disabled people in
conjunction with a
member of staff at the
venue, so brothers are
requested to strictly
use the STAIRS ONLY.
The venue is the 4th floor
of the Metro Arts Studio on
109 Edward Street.
Further to our story
entitled Vic Imam, man
charged over child marriage
in
last week's CCN, the
Islamic Council of Victoria
ICV) issued the following
statement:
Clarification Concerning
Mr. Ibrahim Omerdics
position at the Bosnian
Islamic Society and
Noble Park Mosque
The ICV and the Bosnian
Islamic Society of Noble
Park would like to
correct some of the
misinformation around
the status of the former
Imam, Ibrahim Omerdic.
Mr Omerdic was
immediately stood down
when he was arrested in
November 2016 on the
charges currently before
the courts, and his
services were
subsequently terminated
after an investigation
conducted by the Society
management committee.
A new Imam has been
appointed. To repeat, Mr
Omerdic is no longer the
Imam of the Noble Park
Mosque and has no role
with the Society.
Further, Mr Omerdics
marriage celebrant
license has been
revoked.
For media enquiries,
please contact Adel
Salman (ICV
Vice-President and Media
Spokesperson) via email
at
adel.salman@icv.org.au
or call (03) 9328 2067.
On Monday 17 January, The
Australian newspaper
published a report stating
that an Islamic school in
Sydney was forcing five-year
old girls to wear
headscarfs.
The report was subsequently
also covered by the Daily
Mail Online.
Just Media Advocacy (JMA)
contacted both media
companies to allege that
based on the schools
uniform policy available on
its website the assertion
was inaccurate.
The Daily Mail Online
immediately agreed to amend
the reports headline and
body removing the incorrect
assertion regarding
five-year-old girls.
The Australian eventually
amended its online report
after JMA referred it to
photos on the schools
website clearly showing
primary school girls not
wearing headscarfs.
Musliam Aid Australia
CEO, Sheikh Hassan Elsetohy,
explains in the 2016 Qurban
Report, how MAA handled 22,762
Qurban that reached 37 countries
- an increase of 26% from 2015.
MAA delivered just over $2.7
million worth of Qurban (fresh
and pouched) and helped over 1.3
million people worldwide - and
achieved all this while
maintaining top efficiency with
ZERO ADMIN FEES.
The movie is based on
controversial TV
journalist-novelist Ibrahim
Essa's bestselling book Mawlana
An Egyptian film that makes
fun of conservative Muslim
clerics and religious
fanaticism has stirred
controversy in the country
due to its depictions of a
corrupt religious
establishment working with
regime security agencies.
The Preacher - which hit
cinemas this week - has
dared to tackle sensitive
religious issues, prompting
an angry response from a
senior Islamic cleric.
"Before this turns into a
disaster we demand that this
dissent is tackled and that
[the film] is stopped from
being shown," Mansour
Mandour, chief imam at the
Ministry of Religious
Endowments said in a
Facebook post addressed to
the country's top Islamic
figures.
"The film exposes imams to
mockery, laughter and
ridicule from anyone and
everyone."
Mandour later said in a
phone interview with a local
TV station that although he
hadn't watched the film he
believed it "degraded the
social status of preachers".
An ultra-orthodox salafi
group said on Friday that it
had filed a lawsuit to ban
the film from movie
theatres.
"This film has no place in
Egyptian cinemas," said the
leader of the Daffea
Movement, Mohammad Ragab,
adding that it had insulted
al-Azhar - Egypt's top
Islamic authority.
The plot of the film
revolves around a celebrity
TV preacher who is entrusted
with trying to dissuade a
relative of the president
from converting to
Christianity.
It includes scenes of a
bombing of a church by a
militant, just weeks after a
blast killed 27 people in a
real-life church attack in
Cairo.
The movie is based on
controversial TV
journalist-novelist Ibrahim
Essa's bestselling book
Mawlana, which appeared in
English translation last
year under the title The
Televangelist.
The film's director, Magdy
Ahmed Ali, told The New Arab
that he had been scared of
the reaction The Preacher
might provoke but that he
took a chance as he wanted
to deliver a powerful
message to audiences.
"The goal of the film is
actually to challenge the
critics of my religion and
the Islamophobic rhetoric
that tries to make Islam
look like a religion of
terrorism and violence," Ali
said.
The film's leading actor,
Amr Saad, who studied
Quranic recital for seven
months for the role, said
that The Preacher's main
message was that there is a
serious need for an update
to religious discourse.
Freedom activists have
accused Egyptian President
Abdel Fattah al-Sisi of
running an authoritarian
regime that has suppressed
freedom of speech since
toppling Islamist President
Mohamed Morsi in 2013.
Several high profile media
personalities have recently
been jailed under
controversial "contempt of
religion" laws.
This week, the author of the
book that inspired the film
had his TV talk show taken
off the air amid accusations
that authorities pulled the
programme for being
excessively critical of Sisi.
The National Geographic's
Genographic project gives us
surprising information about
Arab genetic makeup.
National Geographic's
Genographic Project,
launched in 2005, uses
science to bring people
together where politics have
failed.
Through DNA analysis, the
project is answering
people's questions regarding
ethnicity, race, and the
overall origins of the human
population and how we came
to populate the Earth.
The Genographic Project
lists a group of reference
populations, where the
typical national of each
country is described
according to genetic makeup.
These are based on hundreds
of DNA samples and advanced
DNA analysis. Four Arab
countries were part of the
reference population list.
Here are some surprising
discoveries on the genetic
makeup of these four Arab
nationalities.
Note that the Genographic
Project only listed four
Arab nationalities in their
reference populations, which
is the basis of this
article.
Did you know that native
Egyptians' genetic makeup is
4 percent Jewish diaspora?
Egyptians are only 17%
Arabian ...
Typically, an Egyptian
native's genetic composition
is 68 percent North African,
17 percent Arabian, 4
percent Jewish diaspora, and
3 percent from Eastern
Africa, Asia Minor and
Southern Europe each.
The link to North Africa
dates back to when ancient
populations first migrated
from the continent, which
they did through the
northeastern route on their
way to southwest Asia.
The spread of agriculture
led to further migrations
from the Fertile Crescent
back into Africa as did the
spread of Islam from the
Arabian peninsula in the 7th
century.
Kuwaitis are 7% African ...
Lebanese are actually 14%
Jewish diaspora ...
Tunisians are only 4%
Arabian ...
Did you know these non-Arab
countries actually have some
Arabian genes?
We can all agree that 2016
was a tough year, but these
Muslim men made it a little
bit better. We compiled a
list of the individuals that
inspired us this year.
RIZ AHMED
The British actor and rapper
graduated with a Politics,
Philosophy and Economics
degree from Oxford
University before starring
in independent films such as
The Four Lions and The Road
to Guantanamo. Most
recently, you may have seen
him in Rogue One, the latest
Star Wars film where he
played Bodhi Rock, the
former Imperial cargo pilot
who defects the Rebels under
the influence of Galen. His
presence in the public eye
has given him the chance to
speak out about being
racially profiled at
airports and his experiences
as a minority actor.
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
Janet Jackson
The Jackson Five were raised
as Jehovahs Witnesses, but
we know for sure that
Michael quit the Christian
domination in 1987 after he
was criticized for his
materialistic leanings,
given his choice of career
as a popstar. His sister
Janet, however, is married
to Qatar-based business
magnate Wissam Al Mana, and
is believed to have
converted to Islam for him.
She is expecting her first
child this year with Al
Mana. Janet follows in the
footsteps of brother
Jermaine Jackson who
embraced Islam in 1989 after
a music tour in the Middle
East.
A memo to the
president-elect
about the people
he fears. BY
LAWRENCE PINTAK
An Idiots
Guide to Islam
in America
ARGUMENT
Islam hates us.
That was a
recurring theme
of your
campaign, Mr.
President-elect.
And who can
blame you? After
all, your top
advisors on
Muslim affairs
Ann Coulter,
Frank Gaffney,
and Walid Phares
are
card-carrying
Islamophobes.
Your incoming
national
security
advisor, retired
Army Lt. Gen.
Mike Flynn,
wants Muslim
leaders to
declare their
Islamic ideology
sick, and your
special advisor,
Steve Bannon,
has been accused
of using his
Breitbart News
Daily radio show
to instigate
fear and
loathing of
Muslims in
America.
But now that
youve announced
its time for
America to bind
the wounds of
division, it
might be useful
for you to learn
a little bit
more about one
of the most
alienated
segments of the
nation you now
lead: American
citizens who
also happen to
be Muslims.
I get that
youre worried
about what you
call radical
Islamic
terrorism. Ive
been reporting
on extremists
who claim to
represent Islam
since I covered
the first
anti-American
suicide bombings
in Beirut in the
early 1980s, so
I share your
concern. Ive
seen friends die
and others waste
away in
captivity at
their hands. And
Ive come
awfully close to
being a victim
myself a few
times. But Ive
also learned
that Muslims
come in many
colors
literally and
figuratively
and my doctorate
in Islamic
studies helped
me understand
that the
religion itself
is interpreted
in many
different ways.
In fact,
Americas 3.3
million Muslims,
the other 1
percent, are
developing their
own take on what
it means to
follow Islam.
The jihadis are
already
rejoicing at
your election
because their
words here, not
mine it
reveals the
true mentality
of the Americans
and their racism
toward Muslims
and Arabs and
everything. But
what do they
know?
When Bill
OReilly asked
you whether you
thought American
Muslims fear
you, you
replied, I hope
not. I want to
straighten
things out.
So, in a similar
spirit of good
tidings, this
memo about how
good ol
American values
are influencing
Islam in the
United States
might help make
that whole
straightening
out go a little
easier. Since
its not likely
that much beyond
references to
Islam as a
cancer is going
to make it into
your briefing
papers anytime
soon, I thought
Id toss this
out into the
webosphere in
the hope that
you might trip
across it late
some night while
prowling the
net.
(Its OK to just
read the stuff
in bold print.)
At the heart
of this
evolution of
American Islam
is the question
of religious
authority.
Sharia, a dirty
word to the
Islamophobes,
refers to the
corpus of
Islamic
teachings, which
includes the
Quran, the holy
book said to be
the word of God;
the Hadith, oral
traditions
attributed to
the Prophet
Mohammed;
accounts of the
prophets life;
and the
voluminous
opinions from
religious
scholars through
the centuries on
the meaning and
application of
those words and
deeds. At least
in the modern
era, the Saudis
and Egyptians
for the Sunnis,
and Iranians for
the Shiites,
have
traditionally
seen it as their
responsibility
to determine the
proper
application of
Islamic laws for
the global ummah,
or community of
Muslims. Not
everyone still
agrees.
American
scholars believe
the day is
coming soon when
that religious
authority will
reside in the
United States.
I do think that
the scholars who
are rooted in
the realities
and the
complexities of
America have
increasingly
more religious
authority, says
Sohaib Sultan,
the imam at
Princeton
University.
Knowing
peoples customs
and traditions
is very
important when
making any sort
of religious
ruling.
Islamic
authority has
moved from
around the
world, says
Magid. It was
in Mecca, then
it went to
Medina. Then it
went to
Damascus, then
it went to
Baghdad. Then it
went to Spain,
then it went to
Turkey. Now its
in America.
CONTINUING THE
LESSON NEXT WEEK
IN CCN:
The United
States is not
alone in this
attempt to shed
the straitjacket
of
traditionalist
thought.
How Muslim
Americans plan
to resist the
Trump
administration
Writers and
activists weigh
in on America's
future
On 17 December,
2015, Donald
Trump proposed a
complete ban on
all Muslims from
entering the
United States,
sparking outrage
and fear in
communities
across the
country. In the
summer of 2016,
he then promoted
the idea of
creating a
database to
track Muslim
Americans that
was eventually
condemned by
hundreds of
Silicon Valley
employees who
pledged to never
help create such
a registry. Now,
after winning
the presidential
election thanks
to the support
of 58 per cent
of all white
voters, the
former real
estate mogul
will be sworn
into office as
the nations
45th President.
In the days
ahead of the
inauguration,
The Independent
asked emerging
voices to weigh
in on the
following three
questions:
What does a
Trump presidency
mean to you?
What does
America look
like from here
on out?
How do you plan
on resisting?
Amani Al-Khatahtbeh,
Founder of
MuslimGirl.com
The Trump
presidency to me
is an
affirmation of
everything
thats wrong
with our
country's past
when it comes to
race and
understanding.
Trump was
elected to the
highest office
based on one of
the most
divisive and
offensive
presidential
campaigns in
recent memory,
largely
inflaming
economic anxiety
by scapegoating
minorities and
throwing them
under the bus.
As a Muslim
woman who was a
child when 9/11
happened and
grew up during
the height of
Islamophobia, I
never imagined
that my fellow
countrymen would
openly discuss a
Muslim
registry as an
actual policy
platform. When
he started
talking about a
ban on Muslim
immigration a
year ago, it
already became
scarier for
Muslim women to
step out of
their homes with
a headscarf.
Now, I fear
what this
national stamp
of approval on
anti-Muslim
bigotry will
mean for my
Muslim sisters
and now Muslim
children that
might have to
endure an even
worse experience
than I did
growing up. Even
before the
elections, I
knew minority
communities
would have to
bear the burden
of repairing the
damage of this
campaign cycle
for years to
come. With Trump
as president,
there's an even
more stark
reality staring
us in the face
for the fight
that lies ahead.
We don't plan on
quieting down
anytime soon.
NEXT WEEK IN CCN:
Faatimah
Knight,
Religious Editor
at Sapelo Square
On 6 Things
That Are
Important To
Understand How
Muslim Converts
Feel Sometimes
Im not sad.
Even though its
hard for me to
fit in, Im not
sad. But I sure
do think its
unfortunate. I
often have to
face and deal
with awkward
situations. I do
not fit the
predefined
profile of
anyones inner
circle members.
I often feel
that I am not
Arab or
Pakistani enough
to be treated
the same as
others.
I have been a
convert since
January 17th,
2014, almost 3
years so far. I
know I made the
right decision
by converting to
Islam but I will
not sugarcoat
the truth. I
have had a lot
of struggles
along the way
and I want my
fellow converts
to read 6 things
that have been
lingering in my
mind.
I know there are
a lot of new
converts out
there that can
find comfort in
the following
words. And I
know there are a
lot of Muslims
out there who
need to be
confronted with
the way we feel.
1. Making
friends is not
easy for us
Making friends
is not easy for
converts, let
alone for a
convert living
in Western
countries. There
are not many
converts in the
Muslim community
in those
countries.
The few who
actually are
converts, often
get shunned away
from the Muslim
community. This
unfortunately
results in them
not attending
events or even
going to the
masjid.
2. Please
non-converts,
stop telling us
how to feel
No one
understands
converts except
converts
themselves.
Im not saying
you shouldnt
try to
understand us
and continue
making us feel
welcome. Because
we want that,
and to be
honest, we even
need that.
But please,
dont tell us
how being a
convert feels or
how I should
feel. If you are
not a revert,
just be there to
support us,
offer to spend
time with us,
and be our
friend. And if
we are getting
along, we sure
dont mind
learning new
things.
Another thing I
personally never
understood is
why some people,
who teach Islam
to new converts,
focus on
everything that
is wrong or on
what a Muslim is
obligated to do.
We often need to
feel the unity
of Islam instead
of the rules. We
can find the
rules ourselves
whenever we want
to.
Tell us stories,
inspire us, help
us become better
people through
experiences.
3. Our
families often
dont support
our religious
choices
We often get
asked if our
family supports
our religious
choices.
Unfortunately,
the answer
frequently is
no. They dont.
Thats why we
need that
support a little
bit more than
born Muslims. We
need to feel
supported in
order for us to
feel free to be
ourselves.
4. Some of
our family
members dont
even know were
Muslim
In my case for
example, my
family figured
out I was Muslim
only a few
months ago.
I never actually
told them I was
Muslim. I wanted
them to figure
it out for
themselves. They
knew I observed
the religion and
did many things
practicing
Muslims do. I
just didnt
straight out
declare my faith
to them.
I was too scared
to break the
news to them. I
didnt want to
break their
heart.
But they finally
figured it out,
for sure. They
realised I
became Muslim
when they found
my YouTube
channel a few
months ago. They
were outraged
and scared for
my life.
5. We
sometimes wish
we were born
Muslim
I know
everything is
predetermined
and everything
that will happen
has been
prewritten.
Thats what my
religion teaches
me.
But I sometimes
think it would
be better to
have a family
who was Muslim.
I would know way
more about
Islamic history
and more about
the religion
itself. I would
also perhaps
know how to
speak and write
in Arabic.
6. If youre
a fellow
convert, please
dont give up
Please do not
give up on Islam
or its people.
You are not
alone, even
though I know it
sometimes feels
like that.
God is always
watching over
us. He obviously
loves us very
much for guiding
us to Islam.
There are people
who love
converts and
want to help us
in anyway they
can.
Keep educating
yourself about
your religion.
Knowledge will
give you
constant
strength. The
beautiful thing
about Islam is
that it pushes
us to keep
learning, both
men and women. I
am still
learning about
Islam everyday.
A photo taken on
October 26, 2013
shows Moroccan
doctor Asma
Lamrabet posing
at her home in
Rabat. Lamrabet
is used to
multi-tasking
mixing her
writing with a
career in
medicine but
perhaps her most
noteworthy
balancing act is
being both a
faithful Muslim
and a committed
feminist.
Asma Lamrabet:
Moroccos Muslim
feminist
polymath
Moroccan author
Asma Lamrabet is
used to
multi-tasking
mixing her
writing with a
career in
medicine but
perhaps her most
noteworthy
balancing act is
being both a
faithful Muslim
and a committed
feminist.
A tireless
advocate for
gender equality
in a region
where womens
rights often lag
far behind those
of men, Lamrabet
has accumulated
a body of work
showing how
feminism and
Islam can
co-exist despite
centuries of
male-centred
dogma.
Theres a
tendency to
conflate models
and ideals. But
just as there
are different
models of
democracy, there
are different
types of
feminism, she
tells AFP in her
Rabat offices.
So if Moroccan
feminists fight
for true
equality with
men on the
ground or
against the
marriage of
minors, Saudi
(women) claim
the right to
drive, vote and
live in
freedom.
Although women
in Morocco have
far more freedom
than their Saudi
counterparts and
gender equality
is theoretically
guaranteed by
law, the north
African kingdom
has yet to adopt
legislation
criminalising
violence against
women, and child
marriage is not
uncommon.
Lamrabets key
message is that
gender
inequality is
less to do with
the tenets of
Islam and more
down to its
interpretation
within
male-dominated
societies.
Her latest work,
Faithful and
Feminists,
examines
passages of the
Koran and argues
that there is
nothing in the
text itself to
enshrine female
subordination.
In all
religious
traditions, you
find a certain
stereotypical
representation
of women, she
says.
The problem
doesnt come
from religious
texts but
instead from the
interpretation
of these texts
by men.
It is for this
reason, argues
the Rabat
native, who
writes
award-winning
texts in between
a career as a
pathologist,
that its
absolutely
necessary to
read the Koran
in context.
When the Koran
speaks of reason
and justice,
they need to be
seen as
universal
concepts. But
there are some
verses that
respond to given
historical
circumstances,
says Lamrabet,
her thick black
hair draped in a
bright blue
veil.
We must keep
this spirit, but
not take it
literally.
The
Illuminated Field was made
while Leslie Eastman was
undertaking an Australia
Council studio residency in
Spain in 2014. This version
of the work developed for
Islamic Museum of Australia
is a four screen video
installation that documents
light from dawn till dusk at
Abengoa Solar, Europes
first commercial power
station, at Solucar in
Andalucνa. The solar power
plant uses several acres of
mirrored heliostats, which
follow the sun throughout
the day and redirect that
light towards a central
tower to generate
electricity.
Whilst the
work may be understood as a
celebration of this sublime
technology and sustainable
solar energy, other meanings
may be drawn from the
context of the site and the
location of the exhibition
itself. Andalucνa is a
threshold between Europe and
North Africa and contains
many remnants from 700 years
of Islamic occupation,
evidenced in agricultural
planting, irrigation
systems, buildings and
language. Granada, with its
magnificent Alhambra palaces
is in close proximity. In
Islam, lightNurhas a
prized relationship to both
science and spirit. Islamic
optics and geometry address
multiplicity and unity
within the notion of Divine
illumination.
For the
artist, parallels between
the site at Solucar and this
larger cultural context are
evident in the aesthetics
and simplicity of the solar
technology. Whilst the video
observes the serene
operation of the power
station, placing this within
the context of the Museum
opens a deeper conversation
with Islamic thought which
champions environmental
stewardship and the
contemplation of nature,
time and light as signs of
the greatest context and
reality.
IMA
It is High Time
We Discarded the
Pernicious Myth
of Indias
Medieval Muslim
Villains
Whatever
happened in the
past,
religious-based
violence is real
in modern India,
and Muslims are
frequent
targets. It is
thus
disingenuous to
single out
Indian Muslim
rulers for
condemnation
without owning
up to the modern
valences of that
focus.
The idea that
medieval Muslim
rulers wreaked
havoc on Indian
culture and
society
deliberately and
due to religious
bigotry is a
ubiquitous
notion in 21st
century India.
Few people seem
to realise that
the historical
basis for such
claims is shaky
to non-existent.
Fewer openly
recognise the
threat that such
a misreading of
the past poses
for modern
India.
Aurangzeb, the
sixth Mughal
Emperor (r.
1658-1707), is
perhaps the most
despised of
Indias medieval
Muslim rulers.
People cite
various alleged
facts about
Aurangzebs
reign to support
their
contemporary
condemnation,
few of which are
true. For
instance,
contrary to
widespread
belief,
Aurangzeb did
not destroy
thousands of
Hindu temples.
He did not
perpetrate
anything
approximating a
genocide of
Hindus. He did
not instigate a
large-scale
conversion
program that
offered millions
of Hindu the
choice of Islam
or the sword.
In short,
Aurangzeb was
not the
Hindu-hating,
Islamist tyrant
that many today
imagine him to
have been. And
yet the myth of
malevolent
Aurangzeb is
seemingly
irresistible and
has captured
politicians,
everyday people,
and even
scholars in its
net. The damage
that this idea
has done is
significant. It
is time to break
this
mythologized
caricature of
the past wide
open and lay
bare the modern
biases,
politics, and
interests that
have fuelled
such a misguided
interpretation
of Indias
Islamic history.
A recent article
on this website
cites a series
of inflammatory
claims about
Indo-Muslim
kings destroying
premodern
Indias Hindu
culture and
population. The
article admits
that these
figures are
drawn from the
air and
historians give
them no
credence. After
acknowledging
that the
relevant facts
are false,
however, the
article
nonetheless
posits that
precolonial
India was
populated by
religious
chauvinists,
like Aurangzeb,
who perpetrated
religiously-motivated
violence and
thus instigated
historical
injustices to
which Hindus can
rightly object
today. This
illogical leap
from a confessed
lack of reliable
information to
maligning
specific rulers
is the
antithesis of
proper history,
which is based
on facts and
analysis rather
than unfounded
assumptions
about the
endemic,
unchanging
nature of a
society.
A core aspect of
the historians
craft is
precisely that
we cannot assume
things about the
past. Historians
aim to recover
the past and to
understand
historical
figures and
events on their
own terms, as
products of
their time and
place. That does
not mean that
historians
sanitise prior
events. Rather
we refrain from
judging the past
by the standards
of the present,
at least long
enough to allow
ourselves to
glimpse the
logic and
dynamics of a
historical
period that may
be radically
different from
our own.
The Wire
Abu-Musa
Jabir Ibn Hayaan The
Founder Of Chemistry
Ibn-Khaldun
described him in his book
when he came to talk about
chemistry and said, The
pioneer in chemistry was
Jabir Ibn-Hayan, they even
attribute the science to him
and say the science of
Jabir, and he wrote seventy
books on chemistry
He is Abu-Musa Jabir
Ibn-Hayan Ibn-Abdullah Al-Azdy,
from the Yemeni tribe of Azd.
Some of the people of this
tribe migrated to Al-Kufa
after the collapse of the
dam of Maareb. He was born
in Tus and settled in
Baghdad after the
establishment of the
Abbassid caliphate. His
relation was tightened with
the Persian family of Al-Baramekah
and his life extended from
103-200 Hijri/ 721-815 AC.
Jabir is considered the
founder of experimental
chemistry. He was the first
to acquire his information
from experiments,
observation and scientific
conclusion. He had so many
discoveries and works to the
extent that chemistry was
attached to his name, they
used to say the chemistry
of Jabir and chemistry is
for Jabir, and also
Jabirs craft. He was also
named the master of
chemists and the father
of chemistry.
Before Jabir, there were
merely several primitive old
jobs, that mingled with many
crafts like embalming (in
ancient Egypt), leather
tanning, dying, mining and
oil purification. But Jabir
Ibn Hayan managed to develop
chemistry and elevate it
from this lowly rank into a
high science, by adding so
much theoretical, practical
and scientific knowledge and
by setting the basis and
rules for preparing and
dealing with chemical
substances, thus he is
considered the master of
chemists without any
counterpart.
Chemistry startedβas we
mentioned in the first
article on chemistryβas a
superstitious science that
depended on old legends. The
idea of turning cheap metals
into valuable ones
controlled the scene because
scientists who came before
Islam believed that metals
such as gold, silver,
copper, iron, lead and tin
are from the same type, and
only differ due to the
effect of heat, cold,
dryness or humidity on it.
These are all changeable
attributes according to the
theory of the four elements
(fire, air, water and earth)
and thus these elements can
be changed into one another
with the aid of a third
element, elixir. Based on
this view, some scientists
from the civilizations that
preceded the Islamic
civilization imagined that
they could invent the elixir
of life or the stone of
wisdom that can remove the
deficiencies of life and
prolong life[4], and this
was known as the science of
alchemy.
.
Watching the news, it seems like
ethnic divides are
ever-deepening. But how can we
solve these complicated problems
when each side lives in fear of
the other? The answer is simple,
argues Syrian-American poet Amal
Kassir it starts with, Whats
your name?
This
9-year-old girl just out-boxed
her boxing coach
first woman to
run an auto repair shop in Sudan
Sondos Ahmed is a
mechanical engineer, small
business ownerand the first
woman to run an auto repair shop
in Sudan
Bishwa Ijtema:
Bangladesh
Al-Jazeera
One of the world's largest
gatherings of Muslims is taking
place in Bangladesh right now.
The Real
Strangers | The Need For Quality
Muslims
IslamInFocusAustralia
Brisbane Man Slams Media on
Islamophobia
IslamInFocusAustralia
An Australian
non-Muslim criticizes the media
for it's negative propaganda
against Islam. He is also
encouraging people to read about
Islam.
PLEASE
NOTE
It is the usual policy of CCN to
include notices of events, video links and articles that some
readers may find interesting or relevant. Such notices are
often posted as received.
Including such messages/links or
providing the details of such events does not necessarily
imply endorsement by CCN of the contents
therein.
I am based in
Kuraby and offer Hijab
styling for all occasions. I
offer a variety of different
styles from classic to
modern styles. Prices start
at $15 (everyday styles) to
$20 (special occasion
styles).
Contact Luthfiya on 0490 343
104 to make your booking.
Health and
Physical Education Teachers
needed!
The
Australian International
Islamic College- Durack is
open to applications for
Health and Physical
Education teaching positions
for Secondary College (HPE
7-10, HE/PE 11-12).
Positions will be available
for the start of Term 1 2017
(23rd January 2017).
Applicants must have
teachers registration with
the Queensland College of
Teachers to be eligible for
an appointment.
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU!
Excellent communication
skills to deliver the
curriculum
Well-developed management
skills
A passion to enrich
childrens learning
Enthusiasm
The
Australian International
Islamic College was
established in 2002 to meet
the growing needs for
children of the Islamic
faith in the Brisbane area.
The college has 3 campuses;
Durack (Main), Carrara and
Buranda. The Durack Campus
has a population of 500
students of which most
students live in
neighbouring suburbs of
Durack.
US: On Thursday,
President Donald Trump's inaugural
committee announced that Imam Mohamed
Magid will take part in an interfaith
prayer service Saturday morning at the
Washington National Cathedral.
On Saturday, the imam,
who will recite the Islamic call to
prayer, is one of 26 spiritual leaders
scheduled to participate in the service,
a modern inaugural tradition. In a new
twist, Saturday's event does not include
any sermons from any religious leaders.
The interfaith service
held at the Washington National
Cathedral is a tradition, but President
Donald Trump's treatment towards Muslim
immigration has been controversial.
Ahmed Rehab, the executive director for
the Council on American-Islamic
Relations in Chicago said on Facebook:
'This is my biggest problem with Imam
Magid's participation. Namely, allowing
us the false impression that tokenism
dubs as beneficial engagement, as
opposed to isolation.'
He continued: 'This is not meaningful
engagement. We gain squat diddly by
having the athan called out at an event
*celebrating* the rise of Trump to
power.'
'We do not advocate isolation as an
alternative. We advocate engagement
through challenge. Challenge is not
isolation, it is engagement.'
Several commenter's said they disagreed
with Rehab. But others like Sana Saeed,
a Muslim host of AJ+, said they thought
this is a problematic gesture.
In response, CNN reports Magid said: 'Do
not assume that the efforts to engage
those who have misconceptions of Islam
are in any way contradictory to other
efforts to influence public opinion.
Rather they go hand in hand.'
'Many people came to do harm to Prophet
Mohammed, and after engagement and
getting to know him they changed their
mind in a positive manner.'
On Facebook, the imam penned in a
lengthy explanation Friday morning: 'One
of the tasks of the religious leader is
to convey the truth and the values of
Islam to everyone, including those in
power, to advocate for what is good, and
to address those who misunderstand and
have misconceptions about the beauty of
Islam.'
Magid led the Islamic Society of North
America from 2010-2014. He also the imam
All Dulles Area Muslim Society which
aimed to strengthen the relationship
between law enforcement an the Muslim
community.
While Trump has backtracked on his
proposal to ban Muslim immigration into
the US, he has said people from Islamic
countries will be subjected to 'extreme
vetting.'
He also made controversial comments
towards Gold Star parents Khizr and
Ghazala Khan. He implied Mrs Khan was
not 'allowed' to speak at the Democratic
National Convention.
CoverGirls Nura Afia Is
Honored to Represent Muslim Women
CoverGirl recently
named Nura Afia a brand ambassador,
making her the first Muslim woman to
be given that role. Afia, a beauty
vlogger who has amassed hundreds of
thousands of followers on Instagram
and YouTube, is continuing to take
the makeup world by storm. In an
interview with Elle, Afia opens up
about how surreal the experience
feels and offers some of her best
makeup tips.
Afia explains that makeup has served
as a means of self-discovery when
she was growing up. I felt like it
helped me gain my confidence, she
said. Its just another version of
expressing ourselves. I can play up
or play down or express myself using
makeup.
Being proud of her identity and
sense of self didnt stop with
makeup. Afia feels honored to
represent Muslims and women who wear
hijab. There really arent words to
describe the feeling, she said.
Afia almost didnt believe the
request from CoverGirl to star in
her own campaign: I thought it was
a scam! In a CoverGirl Instagram
video, Afia explained why she feels
so ecstatic to be a part of the
company: I never thought Id see
women like me represented in such a
global brand, so it means to world
to me and for me to be that woman
representing women like me is
unimaginable.
In October, CoverGirl also named its
first male brand ambassador, James
Charles. Afia told Elle how much she
loved working with Charles and being
part of such an awesome campaign
that represents diversity and
equality for all. Especially at this
time.
Boxer Anthony Joshua receives wave of abuse
after posting photo in a mosque
UK: Star
boxer Anthony Joshua has
received a torrent of abuse
after he shared a photo in a
mosque in Dubai.
Besides luck, hard work &
talent.. Prayer is a solid
foundation. It was nice to
join my brother as he led
through afternoon prayer (asr),
he tweeted to his 800,000
followers, along with an
emoji showing hands clasped
in prayer.
He also shared the photo to
almost 2 million followers
on Instagram.
Joshua, a British
heavyweight boxer and
Olympic champion, is not
understood to be a
practising Muslim but was
experiencing the culture
with friends who are.
Some people had a problem
with that, however.
He received an immediate
stream of abuse in reply to
his tweet, with people
saying they would no longer
support him
Disappointed, wont be
watching you again, one
troll posted.
Some people said they had
been fans but would now be
praying for his opponents.
Hope Klitchko batters you
now tbh, one man wrote,
referring to his upcoming
fight against Wladimir
Klitschko.
It wasnt only from
right-wingers that he got
the criticism from (although
they made up the vast
majority).
Some Muslims joined in,
asking why he was wearing
sunglasses in the mosque and
looking upwards instead of
at the floor.
But we cant imagine Anthony
Joshua MBE, who won gold at
the 2012 Olympics, is going
to be too concerned about
the backlash.
Hes probably
got more important things to
focus on, like being a
world-renowned sporting
hero.
And
thankfully, the messages of
support in response now
outweigh the abuse.
LINDSAY LOHAN CONVERTS TO
ISLAM, DELETES ALL SOCIAL MEDIA
Who says that some people
are impossible to change?
32 year old actress and
singer Lindsay Lohan has
shocked her fans and critics
alike after deleting all of
her social media amd simply
leaving the Arabic phrase
Alaikum salam in her bio.
A rep for the troubled star
says that Lohan is in a
period of renewal and she
had began reading the Quran
in 2015. According to these
reports, Lohan began
spending a lot of time
working with refugees in Abu
Dhabi and Syria, becoming
very vocal about political
matters on her popular
social media accounts and
her admitted attraction to
the religion of Islam.
It opened doors for me to
experience spiritually, to
find another true meaning.
This is who I am.
SAUDI ARABIA: As many as
1,444,765 pilgrims have
arrived in the Kingdom since
the start of the Umrah
season early November, local
daily Al-Watan reported on
Monday quoting the branch of
the Haj and Umrah Ministry
in Madinah.
The ministry said that a
total of 1,350,559 pilgrims
arrived by air while 90,285
by land and 3,921 by sea.
According to the ministry,
Pakistanis constitute about
30.61 percent of the
pilgrims who are visiting
Madinah followed by
Indonesians (17.91 percent),
Indians (11.81 percent) and
Malaysians (8.21 percent).
Undersecretary of the
ministry Mohammed Abdul
Rahman Al-Bijawi said since
the start of the season the
ministry has been making
intensive tours of
government and private
establishments offering Haj
services to make sure that
pilgrims are properly
served.
Traditionally
Somali brides wear different
outfits over the wedding
celebrations
SOMALIA: A Somali town has
banned lavish weddings to
encourage young people to
marry and stop them
migrating.
Receptions in hotels would
no longer be allowed and
only three goats could be
slaughtered to feed guests,
Beled Hawa's commissioner
told the BBC.
Spending limits of $600
(£500) on furnishings for a
couple's new home and up to
$150 for the bride price had
also been set, Mohamud Hayd
Osman said.
It is not unusual for a
groom's family to spend
about $5,000 on a wedding.
The BBC Somali service's
Bashir Mohamed says this
amount includes the bride
price, wedding reception,
outfits and jewellery for
the bride as well as new
furniture.
"Islamic teachings indicated
that getting married should
be cheap," Mr Osman told the
BBC Somali service.
The decision to restrict
spending on "wild partying"
and other expenses had been
taken after officials met to
find out why 150 children
had recently been born out
of wedlock in the town.
"Young women were refusing
to get married unless a
fortune was spent on wedding
gold and household
furnishings," he said.
Times were already difficult
in Beled Hawa, which
neighbours Kenya, because of
the drought and unemployment
- and the high cost of
weddings was another
contributing factor in
people leaving the area, the
commissioner said.
"A young woman must be
supported to get married to
the young man she chooses...
so the community can grow,"
he said.
He said $600 should be
enough to purchase a double
bed, table and chairs as
well as crockery and
cutlery.
Traditionally the events
around a Somali wedding go
on for seven days.
Muslimism in Turkey and Beyond: Religion in the Modern
World
by
Neslihan Cevik
Description
Muslimism,
a term identified by Neslihan Cevik in this book, refers to
a new Islamic form in Turkey at the turn of the century.
Muslimism neither rejects nor
submits to modernity but actively engages it through Islamic
categories and practices.
Cevik conceptualizes "cultural
sites of hybridity" in which people use Islam to shape their
practice of modernity.
These include settings ranging
from Islamic fashion to entrepreneurship, civic
associations, and political formations that reflect a new
Islamic liberal political ethos.
Through observations and
interviews, Cevik documents Muslimist discourse.
This book addresses questions of
how religions respond to modernity and globalization,
providing a new starting point for discussions of democracy
and Islam in the region.
"Always read something
that will make you look good
if
you die
in the middle of it."
- P.J. ORourke
Would you like
to see the cover of your favourite book on our book shelves
below?
KB says:
These zucchini and cheese fritters are great as
starters or could be included in the lunch box
and can be made in advance as it freezes well.
Zucchini and Cheese Crumpets
Ingredients
1 cup grated zucchini
Ό cup polenta or maize meal
Ό cup cake flour
Ό cup chana flour (besan flour)
Ό cup semolina
1 tsp salt
1tsp. baking powder
½ tsp crushed cumin seeds
½ tsp crushed coriander seeds
1 tsp ground green chillies
1 beaten egg
1 medium onion grated
½ cup chopped fresh coriander
½ cup grated cheese
Ό cup olive oil
1 tab milk
Method
Combine all ingredients together adding milk at
the end to make a crumpet like batter, (you may
need to adjust the quantity of the milk if
necessary)
Heat pan or griddle with a little ghee,
Drop spoonfuls of the batter onto the hot pan
and cook on both sides until light brown.
Serve hot with a sauce.
Variations
Could add Ό cup of chopped spinach or Ό cup
chopped fenugreek leaves and reduce the quantity
of the fresh coriander in the original recipe to
a Ό cup.
Q: Dear
Kareema, what are some quick, easy foods I can
have before my daily workouts?
A: Choosing the right foods before your
workout is important as it can boost your
results.
The body uses carbs
for fuel, which gives you the energy to power
through your workout
or run.
If youre a morning person, try oatmeal with
low-fat milk and fruit. The carbs in this combo
will digest slower, keeping you energised for
longer.
For any other time of the day, a fruit and
yogurt smoothie is a good option. Blend in some
ice to help you stay hydrated. Research shows
that getting enough fluids will zap your
strength and endurance.
A handful of raw mixed nuts with a few added
raisins is a great option too. Easy on the
stomach and will give you a quick energy hit as
well.
Bananas make a great last minute snack too.
Be sure to drink lots of water too. During
exercise have small sips throughout the workout.
Those who spend their
substance in the cause of
Allah, and follow not up
their gifts with reminders
of their generosity or with
injury, - for them their
reward is with their Lord:
on them shall be no fear,
nor shall they grieve.
"Anyone who has
lost track of time when
using a computer knows
the propensity to dream,
the urge to make dreams
come true and the
tendency to miss lunch .
~
Tim Berners-Lee (World
Wide Web inventor)
c
I searched for God and found only myself. I
searched for myself and found only God.
Youth activities for primary
school aged children (both
boys and girls) are being
organized on behalf of
Sisters House Services.
It is called the Young
Muslims Club. (Previously
called the Young Amirs Club
but changed to include girls
in the activities and not
just boys).
There's no cost to be a
member of the club. There
are monthly activities doing
different fun social and
educational activities in
usually in the Kuraby-Logan
area or sometimes all around
Brisbane.
Weekly activities take place
in the school holidays.
All activities are run by
professional organisations.
Parents only have to pay the
cost of the activity if
their child wants to
participate, which is
usually $15-20 (cost price
is charged only because this
is a not for profit club).
Parents are welcome to stay
with the kids while they
participate.
Everyone is welcome to join
in with the activities.
Older and younger siblings
are welcome to join. For
most activities the minimum
age is 3.
Parent info session, student assessments,
registration will be held
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
Minutes from the QPS/Muslim Community
Reference Group meeting held on
Monday 24 October 2016 at the Islamic College of Brisbane [ICB]
are available
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
The best ideas
and the best feedback come from our community of readers. If you
have a topic or opinion that you want to write about or want
seen covered or any news item that you think might be of benefit
to the Crescents Community please
e-mail us..
Share your
thoughts, feelings and ambitions for our community through CCN.
If there is
someone you know who would like to subscribe to CCN please
encourage them to enter their details
here.
Births, Marriages,
New Migrants and
Condolences
Tillerson
won't rule out Muslim registry
Muslimism,
a term identified by Neslihan Cevik in this book, refers to
a new Islamic form in Turkey at the turn of the century.
Mrs
Jalalludin to husband: Let's play a game.
Grab
our essential pack and start your fitness journey today
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011