Ms Janeth Deen with Mr Graham
Perrett at the SunPac venue in
Sunnybank where, according to
one member of the audience, she
"gave THE BEST Australia Day
speech I have ever heard."
At the annual Moreton Australia Day
Awards, Ms Janeth
Deen was presented by Lady (Benise)
Killen with the
Sir James Killen Award for
Outstanding Community
Service. The Award is named
after the former Member for
Moreton, Sir James Killen.
Janeth volunteers with the
Queensland Muslim Welfare
Association, Queensland
Muslim Historical Society
Inc., Muslim Charitable
Foundation, Queensland
Multicultural Council Inc.,
Mt Gravatt Historical
Society, the Royal
Historical Society of
Queensland, Believing Women
for a Cultural Peace and the
Brisbane Kuraby Lions.
"She has a heart of gold and
has run a welfare shop and
packed containers full of
goods for victims of war and
natural disasters. Janeth
regularly feeds the homeless
and is also involved in many
local multicultural events.
We're grateful for Janeth's
overwhelming contribution to
our community," Federal Member for
Moreton, Mr Graham Perrett,
said of Ms Deen.
(l to r) Janeth Deen
(Muslim
Charitable
Foundation),
Nikki Cheslin
(On The Edge
Founder) and
Saalihah Seedat
(Share The
Dignity Shero)
The Muslim Charitable
Foundation hosted the annual
Its in the Bag collection
in collaboration with Share
The Dignity over three
weekends in December.
The support and donations by
the local community was
overwhelming with a total of
250 bags donated. The bags
were delivered to the On The
Edge (People Helping
People) initiative in
Beenleigh and were
distributed to female
clients who were doing it
tough.
Nikki Cheslin (On the Edge
Founder) said that it was
most heartwarming to bring
smiles to those in need
especially over the festive
season. She said, I had a
lady come in and all she
wanted was a gift for her
child. When I asked her to
choose a handbag for
herself, she just hugged me
and broke down. She was
overwhelmed with not only
how beautiful the bag was,
but all the lovely things
that were in the bag.
SHARE THE DIGNITY is a
charity that was started in
2015 after learning that
many homeless and vulnerable
women did not have access to
sanitary products leaving
them to face unthinkable
indignities during their
monthly period. The charity
now runs an annual its in
the bag drive to collect
bags to distribute to women
in need over Christmas.
Older women are the fastest
growing group of homeless
Australians.
According to statistics
gathered by Federal
Government's Australian
Institute of Health and
Welfare, from 2011-12 to
2013-14 the number of women
aged 55 years and over
accessing specialist
homelessness services
increased by 26%. Close to
10,000 older women accessed
homeless services in the
last year.
Special message from Share
The Dignity:
Over 167,000 women used
homelessness services in
2015-2016 so we were
overwhelmed with the
generosity of a staggering
103,799 #itsinthebag
Christmas donations. To
everyone that donated, we
cannot thank you enough! We
hope that you will help us
Share the Dignity in 2017!
(Back
left) Nikki Cheslin
handing over a bag
to a Mom of four
PS: CCN profusely apologizes for any
photos that may have been
omitted from this or
previous reports.
In some instances, painful
as they may be, editorial
decisions have to taken in
the interests of our
readership.
Muslims Australia AFIC
Special Congress ratifies
decision re AFIC schools and
expresses complete support
for the present Executive
Committee
A special congress of the
general body of Muslims
Australia, the Australian
Federation of Islamic
Councils (AFIC) was held at
the Zetland mosque today in
accordance with the law and
the wishes of member
societies. During the
congress the membership
unanimously voted to
maintain the March 2016
resolutions to relinquish
control of the AFIC schools.
In March 2016, AFIC resolved
to relinquish control of
schools in order to fully
concord with the Department
of Education requirements
and successfully negotiated
new arms length leases and
loan repayment agreements
with four of its schools.
Mediation is presently in
process to resolve similar
outstanding matters with
respect to Malek Fahd
Islamic School.
Todays vote in support of
the independence of the AFIC
schools guarantees the long
term viability of the
schools and allows AFIC to
focus more on the broader
issues impacting on the
Australian Muslim
community, said AFICs
President Mr. Keysar Trad.
The current AFIC committee
is a new committee that is
committed to working
together with its state
councils, national member
associations and broader
Australian society to
maintain the highest
standard of transparency and
accountability and to work
for a cohesive inclusive and
safe Australian society.
said Mr. Trad
Mr. Trad thanked the
delegates who attended the
meeting from all over
Australia including WA,
Tasmania, NT, ACT, Victoria,
SA, NSW and Christmas
Island.
Mr. Trad added: Your
attendance today to
participate in this
important meeting will help
AFIC proceed more
efficiently in its new
direction to meet the
aspirations of not only
Muslim Australians, but of
all Australians.
Membership of the new
Executive Committee:
President - Mr Keysar Trad
Vice-President - Mr Mohammed
Berjaoui
Treasurer Mr Abul Khayr
Jalaluddin
Secretary - Mr Harun
Abdullah
Executive Members:
Mr Khaled Jneid
Mr Jamal El Kholed
Mr Kazim Ates
Mr Mohammed Khair Mohammed
Aman
Ahmed Fahour CEO Australia
Post awarded Australia Day
Honors Award this week for his
distinguished service to
business, to postal
communications, to the banking
and investment sectors, and as a
supporter of improved
multicultural relations.
When Ahmed Fahour left a
long and successful career
as a high-flying banking
executive for a new
challenge as managing
director of the struggling
Australia Post, people
called him mad.
But his determination to
push for lifesaving reforms
at the Australian icon has
played a part in the
recognition today of his
service to the country with
an Officer in the Order of
Australia.
Born in Lebanon and raised
in Melbournes northern
suburbs, Mr Fahour believes
the award is proof of
Australias promise as a
lucky country and a land of
opportunity.
There are 50,000 people who
help make Australia Post
great. I really hope
everyone single one of them
feel proud that this is
recognition for them that we
worked our tail off and we
saved this company from
being a write-off, Mr
Fahour told The Australian.
The former National
Australia Bank chief
executive is recognised
today for his distinguished
service to business, to
postal communications, to
the banking and investment
sectors, and as a supporter
of improved multicultural
relations.
Since returning from the US
where he was a senior
executive at Citigroup in
New York, Mr Fahour has been
a champion of promoting
women in leadership
positions and supporting
indigenous Australians,
launching one of the
countrys first corporate
reconciliation action plans.
When he started at Australia
Post, women accounted for
just 19 per cent of
management positions its
now 37 per cent.
Mr Fahour has also fostered
better relations with
Islamic Australians,
donating millions of dollars
to the construction of the
Islamic Museum of Australia,
founded by his brother
Moustafa.
Now living in Hawthorn, the
father of four said he hoped
his award would show young
Australians that the only
thing limiting their success
was themselves.
You can be gay, you can be
brown, you can be Muslim,
and it doesnt stop you from
achieving things in your
life, Mr Fahour said.
Youve got to not look at
yourself as a victim and
have a go. Theres nothing
that can stop you from
fulfilling your potential.
Now Australias highest-paid
public servant, Mr Fahour
said he grew up without a
dollar in his pocket.
Although his parents later
found successful business
careers, his father began as
a janitor.
Everything that weve got
has been through effort, he
said.
Mr Fahours rescue of
Australia Post is perhaps
his most recent remarkable
achievement.
Everyone wrote us off, just
like the future of letters,
and said we were dead in the
water. I feel really proud
that weve done all this.
The Canberra Theatre Centre
has been forced to delete
social media posts about an
Australia Day advertisement
featuring two Muslim girls
after it was threatened with
extreme violence.
The ACT Government-run
theatre took to social media
on Monday stating it was
"proud to be displaying" the
advertisement on its big
screen in the centre of
Canberra until January 26.
But the theatre soon deleted
the post and locked down its
social media pages after it
was inundated with
threatening messages.
The anti-Islamic group
Respect Australia posted the
theatre's contact details to
its members encouraging them
to make their feelings
known.
Those posts have attracted
hundreds of comments
including calls to bomb the
theatre building, set fire
to it or destroy the screen
with bricks.
"Bomb it," reads one post,
"burn that sh*t down now"
reads another.
Others called for "people
... to go there and destroy
it" and "torch da (sic)
dump".
In a video he uploaded to
his own Facebook page, an
organiser of Respect
Australia can be seen with
supporters out of the front
of the theatre, accusing the
ACT Government of being
"un-Australian".
"This isn't a racial thing,
it isn't any religious
discrimination or anything,
this is an Australian
cultural thing," the
organiser said in the
videos.
The Canberra Theatre Centre
said it would continue to
display the advertisement
but was yet to comment on
the threats.
The billboard first made
headlines when it was pulled
down in Melbourne's
south-east after the
advertising company was
abused and threatened for
including the images of the
two girls in hijabs.
Anti-racism campaigners
lobbied and raised funds for
its return.
The ACT Government said on
Monday it was joining that
campaign by "using this
image across Government
assets in the lead up to
Australia Day".
"The image of these young
girls is a wonderful example
of multiculturalism at
work," an ACT Government
statement said.
"These girls are proudly
Australian but also
respectful of their
heritage. They are a fine
example of a 21st century
Australia which should be
celebrated and seen by as
many people as possible"
There will always be racist
rednecks: Barr
Chief Minister Andrew Barr
has slammed the reaction to
the advertisement as
"fanatical" and
"irrational", adding the
Government would not back
down.
"We shouldn't bow to that
sort of intimidation," he
said.
"There will always be racist
rednecks in any community
but I'm not going to give
them any succour in the ACT.
"If these are serious
threats then ... those
who've made them should be
arrested and the full force
of the law thrown at them.
"You can't threaten to blow
up buildings in this country
without facing criminal
charges."
Mr Barr said he was
confident the majority of
Canberrans supported the
billboard.
"For those who are concerned
about the contents of the
signs I have a very simple
message: 'get a life, get
over it'," he said.
'I'm shocked something like
this would happen in
Canberra'
Chair of the Canberra
Multicultural Community
Forum Diana Abdel-Rahman
said the threats were out of
character for Canberrans.
"I'm still shocked and I'm
shocked that something like
this would be happening in
Canberra," Ms Abdel-Rahman
told ABC Radio Canberra.
"We have a community that
pretty much gets on, live
and let live more or less
you know, we accept
everyone.
"We disagree, absolutely,
but we don't threaten each
other with violence."
She said most of the time
the abuse was hypocritical.
"What concerns me is that
the same people who are
threatening and being
abusive about Muslims are
the same ones that complain
about Muslims not
integrating or being part of
Australian society," Ms
Abdel-Rahman said.
"Sometimes I just think
we're damned if we do and
damned if we don't."
Amongst the nominations for
the Australia's Local Hero Award
was Queensland's Local Hero Ms
Yasmin Khan.
* Australian of the Year:
Queensland's Professor Alan
Mackay-Sim
The biomolecular
scientist is an
international leader in
stem cell research and
in 2014, his research
played a central role in
the world's first
successful restoration
of mobility in a
quadriplegic man.
* Senior Australian of the
Year: Northern
Territory's Sister Anne
Gardiner
Sr Anne has spent 62
years helping the people
of the Tiwi Islands,
working as principal of
the local primary school
and establishing
community clubs, a cafe,
op shop and museum.
* Young Australian of the
Year: South Australia's
Paul Vasileff
An international fashion
designer, Mr Vasileff's
designs have been worn
by models on
international runways
and celebrities on the
red carpet of the
Oscars, all while
operating his business
from South Australia.
* Australia's Local Hero:
Victoria's Vicki Jellie
After her husband died
of cancer in 2008, Ms
Jellie's campaigning and
fundraising secured $30
million for a new cancer
treatment centre which
opened in Warrnambool in
2016.
For many, Australia Day is about
the beach and BBQs and a fun
day off work. For others, its
one of the most significant days
in their lives. Australia Day is
the special day that many
migrants and refugees choose to
formally pledge their allegiance
to their new country and stand
proud as true Australian
citizens.
Ibrahim and Kulsum Bheda
from Zimbabwe (pictured
above with one of their two
sons) were no exception
becoming proud Australian
citizens at a ceremony hosted by
the Brisbane Chinese Lions and
the Kuraby Lions and held at the
SunPac, Sunnybank.
During the citizenship ceremony,
new Australians take a pledge of
commitment. The pledge reads:
From this time forward, under
God, I pledge my loyalty to
Australia and its people, whose
democratic beliefs I share,
whose rights and liberties I
respect, and whose laws I will
uphold and obey.
Brisbane breakfast radio
listeners were treated to an
epic war of words between
Pauline Hanson and Triple M DJ
Robin Bailey over the One Nation
Senators controversial ban the
burqa calls.
TRIPLE M breakfast presenter
Robin Bailey sparked a war of
words with Pauline Hanson this
morning over One Nations
proposed burqa ban.
Speaking to Hanson on the
breakfast show this morning
Bailey questioned the One Nation
leader over why wearing a burqa
was different to a a Christian
wearing a cross.
It came after Hanson last week
vowed to prohibit the Islamic
garment in all official
buildings if One Nation wins the
Queensland election.
I do not believe coming from a
woman that you believe a woman
should be covered from head to
toe. It is not her choice. Its
control, Hanson said.
I cant believe that a woman
wants to have a crack at another
woman over what she wears,
particularly someone like you
Pauline, Bailey replied.
The comments sparked a series of
jabs between the pair over who
pulled the woman card first.
Dont pull that woman stuff,
Hanson said. Just because Im a
woman and Im campaigning and I
dont like it.
Put it to a vote in this
country. Let the people vote on
how they feel about it but dont
try and shut me down because Im
having a go at a woman. Ill
have a go at anyone if I think
its wrong.
Bailey replied, But Pauline,
you started it. You had a crack
at me. You are lumping a whole
religion and you are having a
crack at a whole religion.
Hanson concluded by telling
Bailey you dont understand the
Islamic religion.
During the interview Hanson also
said that she did not support
the introduction of daylight
savings in Queensland and was
ready for a snap State Election.
NSW: A woman has been filmed
banging furiously on the
windows of a car and
shouting at a woman wearing
a niqab sitting inside, "Why
you wearing a mask?"
In a Facebook post, Ramzy
Alamudi said he and his wife
were getting in their car at
Macquarie University on
Friday afternoon when they
noticed the woman staring at
them.
Mr Alamudi said his wife,
who had just finished her
final exam in her medical
science degree, noticed the
woman looking at them and
waved and smiled at her as
they got into the car.
"This is where the entire
situation just turned upside
down. The lady flips it and
sticks her middle finger
right at us," Mr Alamudi
wrote on his post.
Mr Alamudi urged his wife to
get into the car and lock
the doors, and then she
started filming.
The disturbing footage
captures the woman banging
repeatedly on the windows
and trying to open the doors
of the car, as she points
and yells "Get out" and "Who
are you?"
The woman walks around the
car and then starts pulling
at the windscreen wipers.
"Who are you? Why you got a
mask? Terrorist. You got a
gun?" she is heard yelling.
"I only reacted after she
was going to snap off my
wipers (it was a rainy
day!)," Mr Alamudi wrote.
"I moved the abusive woman
away from my wife until
several witnesses assisted
in the attempt to neutralize
her till security came."
Mobile phone footage posted
online by Emily Grace Guff
shows the woman continuing
to yell at Mr Alamudi after
he left the car, saying, "I
see her looking so scary"
and "I don't know what she
carry".
"She was demanding this man
show her some form of ID,
calling out that she [Mr
Alamudi's wife, wearing the
niqab] didn't belong here,
and that we shouldn't let
her walk around freely
because we didn't know what
she could have hiding under
her dress," Ms Gruff wrote.
"The whole time this woman
was having her rant, her
baby was sitting in her
unlocked car, meters from
where she was hurling
abuse."
In his post, Mr Alamudi
thanked the university
security and said the kind
of abuse they had
experienced was not
isolated.
"An unfavorable circumstance
for my wife and I, However,
I'm at least glad this
happened to us as opposed to
another innocent person who
may not have been capable of
defending themselves," he
wrote.
In a statement, Macquarie
University confirmed
security officers had been
called to the incident and
said local police had been
contacted.
"Macquarie University takes
matters of this nature
incredibly seriously. We are
very proud of our diverse
community and are committed
to religious acceptance and
the free expression of
faith. A full review is
currently under way," the
spokesperson said.
Police have charged a
35-year-old woman with
common assault and
destroying or damaging
property following an
incident in a car park about
1pm on Friday.
The woman will appear in
Burwood Local Court on
Monday, March 13.
Muslimah Mind Matters, in
collaboration with Islamic
Womens Association of
Queensland, is hosting a
FEMALE ONLY live event -
Self-Care and Clarity of
Mind Program - on Saturday,
25th February at IWAQ Hall,
11 Watland Street,
Springwood from 12:30pm to
4pm.
Tickets are $49 pp and can
be purchased online from
Eventbrite.
Self-Care and Clarity of
Mind Program helps Muslimahs
gain awareness of the vital
practice of self-care. It
helps Muslimahs gain an
understanding of their mind
and how to cultivate a
practice of joyful living
through daily self-care,
mind awareness and most
importantly, awareness of
any negative thoughts and
how to immediately switch
them to positive ones.
This event is facilitated by
Princess Lakshman, writer,
Clarity Coach and founder of
Healing Words Therapy -
Writing for Wellbeing.
Princess Lakshman, also
known as Sister Iqra, is an
engaging and interactive
facilitator of Muslimah Mind
Matters and Healing Words
Therapy workshops. Her rich
life experiences and her
craft of creative writing
have equipped her with
empathy and skills that are
vital for facilitating such
workshops. She speaks five
languages and has worked
extensively with culturally
and linguistically diverse
communities in Australia and
overseas.
By the grace of ALLAH she
has survived a traumatic
childhood, a violent
marriage, depression and a
brain tumour. In February
2012, Princess and her
daughter embraced Islam. She
dedicates her life now to
social work, writing and
coaching about well-being.
Princess volunteers as an
English teacher at South
Bank TAFE and as a Mental
Health Support Worker for
RBWH outpatients.
Princess is a qualified
journalist, workshop
facilitator, published
author, freelance writer,
Clarity Coach, qualified
Trainer and Assessor, a
Bicultural Worker, and a
Remedial Massage Therapist.
Her debut novel, 'The Girl
Child', was launched in 2007
in India, Australia and New
Zealand. Princess was
nominated for Best
Screenwriter in the HotMedia
Film Festival in Washington
D.C, USA, for her original
screenplay for a short film,
about a girl who finds the
joy of life after recovering
from brain injury, entitled
Butterfly Wings'.
Princesss workshops are
mainly designed for women
and children however she
also designs and facilitates
workshops for NGOs and
corporate organisations.
Muslimahs and NGO groups who
have experienced Sister
Iqras workshops speak
highly of them. Her
workshops are fun and
informative.
The workshop that I
attended was very beneficial
and therapeutic. I was able
to reflect deeply and write
about my feelings about past
events and situations. I
look forward to attending
another workshop perhaps in
the future.
(A. Ishaq - Social Worker -
Qld)
Attending Sister Iqras
workshop provided a safe
nurturing environment to
explore perceptions,
conditioned responses and
gave the freedom to uncover
true inner feelings.
Princess is a worldly woman
with a strong faith who
facilitates interactive
activities and guides you to
let the pen take you on a
journey of self discovery.
She encourages you to share
within a supportive group
but only if you feel
comfortable to do so. There
is no pressure just a sense
of peace. I was surprised
what came forward for me -
another layer on my self
development journey."
(J. Edwards - Natural
Therapist - Qld)
It benefited me both by
being able to tell my
'story' to myself, to other
sisters in Islam, and most
of all it lead me to a place
where I could feel mercy and
forgiveness for those who
hurt me, as well as myself,
and to feel deeper reliance
on our Creator in all
situations.
(A. Mrazek - Teacher - Qld)
Princess Lakshman
created a validating and
trusting group environment
and managed interactions
between participants in a
professional and gentle way.
I would recommend her
workshops to any
multicultural, recovery,
domestic violence and mental
health programs and service
providers."
(Mandy Cox - Multicultural
Programs & Community
Development Coordinator -
Communify Qld)
Princesss passion in life
is to advocate for a life of
positivity, love, light,
peace and joy. She believes
that a joyful person is able
to serve the greater
community with joy,
compassion and kindness.
Says Princess, Freedom from
the prison of an oppressed
mind comes from awareness.
If you dont know you are in
a prison, how will you ever
walk out of it? Domestic
violence is one such prison.
Depression, anxiety and poor
self esteem are examples of
oppressed minds. Becoming
aware is the first step to
transformation of self.
Self-care and clarity of
mind is vital for everyone.
A positive, joyful Muslimah
prays on time and practises
deeds of service for all of
ALLAH's creation, including
herself.
To know more about Sister
Iqras workshops, visit the
healingwordstherapy
website.
GOOD SAMARITAN: Abdul-Latif
Abdul-Latif suffered a shattered
kneecap and injuries to his face
and body helping three
international students being
attacked outside a Gwynneville
mosque.
NSW: His extensive injuries
will take months to heal but
Abdul-Latif Abdul-Latif has
no regrets trying to help
three international students
from Oman being attacked
near a mosque in Gwynneville
on Friday night.
Two men have been charged
with assault occasioning
actual bodily harm in
company and affray,
following the incident near
Omar Mosque.
Mr Abdul-Latifs left
kneecap was totally
shattered during the
incident and has since been
operated on at Wollongong
Hospital. He faces months of
rehabilitation and possible
further surgeries.
One of the students also
suffered a broken arm during
the incident which happened
just minutes after the trio
left the Foley Street
mosque.
Mr Abdul-Latif had also just
finished his evening prayers
and was in his car when he
noticed the three men being
set upon on a nearby
embankment.
The 39-year-old father of
four from Mt St Thomas said
it was frightening to
comprehend these things were
happening in Wollongong.
It just seemed to me these
two men, they were charged
up, they had us in their
sights ..but its definitely
not something that is
random, he said.
Wollongong Police confirmed
the two men had been
drinking at nearby Wiseman
Park Bowling Club earlier in
the night before being
refused service and asked to
leave.
So we were at the wrong
place at the wrong time. But
being a Muslim, close to the
mosque at this time way past
sunset, it is just
frightening to comprehend
these things are happening
in Wollongong, Mr Abdul-Latif
said.
Omar Mosque chairman Dr
Munir Hussain said
unfortunately Fridays
incident was not an isolated
case.
Weve been harassed for a
long time, Dr Hussain
said.
A woman has been pushed in
the gutter, weve been
broken in, had beer and wine
bottles thrown at the
premises resulting in broken
windows.
There have been several
incidents of discrimination
near the mosque and at local
beaches. We are sick of
it.
Fridays attack also brought
home bad memories for Dr
Hussain, who was himself
attacked outside his
Corrimal pharmacy back in
2003 on the anniversary of
9/11.
That was racially
motivated. Four men walked
to me and surrounded me and
shouted you bloody
terrorist, you bloody
terrorist. I was
traumatised for a long time
and now this happens at the
mosque. Its just not
right, he said.
Dr Hussain added the latest
incident had wider
implications as
international students were
attacked.
Their [Oman] embassy is
getting involved and it does
not reflect well on the
Australian community at
all, he said.
Like all Victorians, we are
deeply shocked and saddened
by the events that took
place in the heart of
Melbournes CBD on Friday
afternoon, we grieve with
the families of those that
lost their lives, and we
pray that those in serious
condition in hospital pull
through and make a full
recovery.
We are also dismayed by the
hateful statements made by
particular political leaders
and irresponsible reporting
by certain elements of the
media. Rather than express
shock and sadness at the
unfolding tragedy in
Melbournes CBD on Friday,
Pauline Hanson decided that
she would take the
opportunity to exploit this
horrible situation for her
own political agenda, an
agenda that is divisive,
ignorant, and Islamophobic.
After being briefed by one
of her advisers just seconds
earlier, Hanson proceeded to
label the incident a
terrorist attack and called
for discriminatory
immigration policies. She
went on to (incorrectly)
state that All terrorist
attacks in this country have
been by Muslims. Apart from
being blatantly wrong,
Hansons comments are
inflammatory and only serve
to perpetuate the fear and
bigotry that are at the core
of her xenophobic narrative.
Nothing can reverse the
damage already done by her
fear mongering, but she
should at least have the
decency and humility to
publicly withdraw her
comments and apologise.
This evil criminal act did
indeed terrorise those
caught up in it, and during
times such as these, it is
incumbent upon those in the
public domain including
political leaders and the
media to exercise prudence
until all of the facts are
available, and to defer to
the authorities before
drawing conclusions. This
will be in the interests of
all Victorians.
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.
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.
RAMI ANIS
The Syrian swimmer
represented the small
Refugee Olympic Team at the
2016 Summer Olympics in Rio
de Janeiro and broke his
personal record in the 100m
freestyle. He has always
been a good swimmer and was
bound to be picked for the
Syrian team in 2012, however
as the civil war in Syria
escalated in 2011, he left
the city to join his brother
in Turkey. Originally from
Aleppo, he did not know then
that he would not be coming
back as he packed only a
small bag with enough
clothes for a few weeks. He
ended up staying in Turkey
for four years before
seeking asylum in Belgium.
He said: In the 2020
Olympics, I hope to be able
to swim under my own flag.
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
Lupe Fiasco
Born Wasalu Muhammad Jaco,
the rapper and entrepreneur
was raised Muslim in a New
York Project. While devout,
Lupe has questioned some of
the irrational beliefs in
Islam as well as other
religions. He doesnt like
to wear his religion like a
badge and has expressed his
concerns about militant
Islamic terrorism as the
media like to paint it
while also speaking against
atrocious practices such as
female genocide in the name
of Islam.
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.)
The United
States is not
alone in this
attempt to shed
the straitjacket
of
traditionalist
thought.
Journalist and
scholar James M.
Dorsey, who has
tracked the flow
of money out of
Saudi Arabia,
reports that
Riyadh has spent
up to $100
billion
spreading its
fundamentalist
interpretation
of Islam around
the globe. Not
all Muslims are
happy about
that.
In Indonesia,
which has almost
as many Muslims
as the entire
Arab world, the
largest Muslim
organization,
Nahdlatul Ulama,
launched an
Islam
archipelago
campaign,
arguing that
Indonesians have
as much right to
determine
religious
interpretation
as the Arabs.
Likewise, in
Pakistan, where
Saudi money
fueled the
network of
madrasas that
have trained a
generation of
extremists, Ive
met plenty of
Muslims who
refer to Saudi
Arabia as the
evil empire.
Money talks, and
Gulf money
particularly
Saudi money
has played a
major role in
the expansion of
Islam in America
over the past
two decades. A
major wave of
immigration
meant that,
between 1990 and
2010, the Muslim
population in
the United
States almost
doubled to what
the Pew Research
Center estimated
to be 3.3
million in 2015.
As a result, the
number of
mosques in the
United States
grew at about
the same rate in
the first decade
of this century
to more than
2,000, according
to a 2011 survey
by the Council
on
American-Islamic
Relations. Gulf
money helped
fuel that
expansion
(though the
exact level of
funding cant be
confirmed).
But thats all
changing.
Saudi money is
nowhere near as
available as it
was, says Abou
El Fadl of UCLA.
Ive seen a
very clear
rolling back on
the availability
of funds and a
great reluctance
to bankroll
blindly various
organizations in
the way that
used to be in
the 80s and
90s
especially.
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?
Faatimah
Knight,
Religious
Editor at Sapelo
Square
I am not afraid
of Trump. He,
more than any
candidate for
public office I
have ever seen
showed the
fragility of the
human being. He
was constantly
wrong,
uneducated,
uncompassionate,
misdirected and
wilfully
ignorant. These
are all the
aspects of
humanity that
are flawed,
limited and
deficient. There
is something
about Trump that
is strikingly
evanescent. At
the same time, a
mosquito bite
still stings
even though the
mosquito dies
shortly after.
I'm sure that
some
well-meaning
people voted for
him, but there
were others who
were attracted
to his hateful
rhetoric in
particular. It
makes one
wonder, sadly,
about the
racist next
door.
I never thought
that America had
resolved its
race problem,
but I never
wanted to have
to see it this
intensely,
festering and
crusting over as
I saw this past
year. It worries
me those who
fan the flames
of racism
because this
country has a
history. There
is something
serpentine that
works to
capitalise off
of people's
ignorance, and
that cannot be
ignored. Trump
is the kind of
person who even
though they
don't deserve to
be spoken to
nicely, you
still must
bargain with
them because
they are holding
a bomb. So the
challenge for my
community will
be navigating
this presidency
with
determinedness
and grace.
Choosing to be
strategic
instead of
reactionary
because we
recognise the
delicateness of
the situation we
face. That will
be difficult,
and sometimes we
might slip, but
we are doing it
for ourselves
and for what we
deserve, not for
him.
Im Madeleine
Albright: Ready
to Register as
Muslim
WASHINGTON
Former Secretary
of State
Madeleine
Albright has
said she is
ready to
register as a
Muslim in
solidarity with
the religious
minority, amid
rumours that
President Donald
Trump is
planning to
executive
actions to ban
immigrants from
seven
predominantly
Muslim
countries.
The former
Secretary of
State tweeted:
I was raised
Catholic, became
Episcopalian &
found out later
my family was
Jewish. I stand
ready to
register as
Muslim in
#solidarity.
About Islam
Comedy found
me and now it
saves me: meet
Sakdiyah Maruf
By Ania Dutka
Ania is the
Media Officer at
Multicultural
NSW
Award-winning
Indonesian
comedian
Sakdiyah Maruf
has made a life
of being a
first in her
pursuits among
her many
achievements,
shes
Indonesias
first female
Muslim comedian.
Following her
performance in
Sydney late last
year as the
keynote speaker
at The Chaser
Lecture, Maruf
spoke to The
Point Magazine
about her unique
journey into the
world of
stand-up comedy.
From her time
growing up in an
Arab minority
community in a
small town on
the north coast
of Java, Maruf
has been the odd
one out.
She found it
hard to fit into
her madrassa
(Islamic
school), and
because of her
background she
struggled to
belong in her
public high
school.
Finding herself
wedged between
worlds was made
all the more
pronounced with
her obsession
and love for US
television and
comedy.
I remember I
was still at
elementary
school when I
watched Full
House and
Roseanne almost
religiously,
Maruf told The
Point Magazine.
My community is
very proud of
who they are in
an almost
xenophobic way.
Early marriage
is the norm
instead of the
exception. It is
all about family
name, tradition,
and there are
also other
issues that
underlie my
current thinking
and messages in
comedy,
Choice, Maruf
said, is a
privilege in her
community.
We live a life
that has been
decided for us.
Lucky for me, my
Mom is a highly
educated
activist She is
my inspiration,
my strength, and
the reason why I
was still in
school until I
earnt my Masters
Degree instead
of getting
married like
many of my
friends.
Marufs path to
comedy came in
embracing lifes
many ironies and
finding the
voice to speak
out.
And theres not
much Maruf
wont speak out
about from the
rise of
extremism in
Indonesia,
fashionistas and
vegans, and
domestic
violence and
government
corruption to
name a few
regulars in her
acts.
I think comedy
found me because
I have enough
bitterness
inside my blood
that is very
well mixed with
hope, optimism,
and sense of
humour that has
been the DNA of
[my] Arab
community.
Most
importantly, I
think it caught
me desperate to
speak and not
knowing how.
Comedy found me
and now it saves
me. It allows me
to know myself
more and most
importantly to
heal.
Maruf is
optimistic about
the role of
comedy in
Indonesia, with
the popularity
of stand-up
growing and the
meteoric rise of
social media and
political satire
memes.
In the context
of Indonesia, I
am very proud
and optimistic
to see the way
people are
enjoying humour
nowadays.
Political satire
exists above and
beyond theatre
doors where it
used to be and
its always been
for a long time.
Being a first
who paves the
way forward for
others isnt a
job usually
taken lightly.
But
award-winning
Indonesian
comedian
Sakdiyah Maruf
has made a life
of being a
first in her
pursuits among
her many
achievements,
shes
Indonesias
first female
Muslim comedian.
I can see that
we are ready to
talk about
ourselves and
our nation, and
to talk about it
in the spirit of
dialogue instead
of anger and
confrontation.
Comedy does
facilitate such
mature and sane
encounters.
Even feminism is
deeply entwined
with comedy,
Maruf said.
Feminism means
to say the
least, keep
laughing and
speaking up even
when it is
against the
world for women
to laugh and
speak up.
Not one to shy
from poking fun
at anyone,
Maruf asserts a
pride and love
for the country
she also laughs
at. She reminds
Westerners that
Indonesia is the
worlds third
largest
democracy, and
no, Bali is not
a neighbouring
country.
The past 20
years have been
a period of
remarkable
transition in
Indonesia. Known
to Indonesians
as the Reformasi,
Indonesia has
moved towards
greater
democracy.
With democracy
comes a
proliferation of
ideas, which are
now freely
tested in
Indonesias
courtrooms.
Many groups
demand
themselves to be
heard even more
than the others.
Democracy
nowadays turned
into endless
lawsuits of one
person or one
group against
another, Maruf
told The Point
Magazine.
On the current
blasphemy case
against
Jakartas
Christian
Governor Basuki
Tjahaja Purnama,
known as Ahok,
Maruf warns
against judging
the state of
freedom of
expression in
Indonesia based
on an
election-driven
situation and
the game of
politics.
But she is
concerned about
the existence of
blasphemy laws,
which she
considers
dangerous and a
betrayal of
the spirit of
the Reformasi.
If this law
continues to
exist, people
can find
arbitrary cases
that perhaps
insult them
personally and
turn it into an
insult against
religion for
instance. This
is dangerous as
it will make
people afraid to
speak up.
But this isnt
stopping Maruf
from speaking
up.
Even when she
tackles
extremism with
jokes about
Playboy, breasts
and bamboo
weapons, Maruf
isnt afraid for
her safety and
doesnt fear a
backlash from
her audience.
I guess at the
end of the day,
it is the very
insecurity
inside all of us
that makes
laughter very
easy to enter,
Maruf said.
What I fear the
most is whether
my parents and
family will be
happy with what
I am
doing whether
they will find
it subversive
against the
family for me to
talk about
extremism, let
alone to laugh
about extremism.
But it will not
stop me from
working, Maruf
vows.
Dear respected brothers and sisters in Islam
Assalamu alaikum.
I am writing to you on behalf of Bosnian Islamic
Society Perth which is in final stage of building a
Mosque in area of Swan Valley in Caversharm WA.
In order to get a funds to complete the necessary
works society has organise the Fundraising Dinner
for 4th of February 2017.
We will greatly appreciate if you can kindly promote
our Mosque project and Fundraiser in the next two
weeks and encourage other Muslim brothers and
sisters to
attend the Fundraising Dinner and donate
generously towards completion of project.
Also, we will greatly appreciate if you can attend
the Fundraising Dinner and be witness of the
progress of the project. Society will organise video
presentation of whole project from purchasing a land
until today. We really hope that you will understand
necessity of your involvement in the project and
necessity of your presence at Fundraising Dinner
insha Allah.
If you need more information or have any questions
regarding the project and Fundraising Dinner please
don't hesitate to contact me on my phone 0402962231
or send me an email on
sajit.smajic@gmail.com.
With warmest regards
Wa Salaam
Sajit Smajic
Bosnian Islamic Society Perth
Khwarizm is
the city of the birth of
algebra, where Al-Biruni
corrected and refined the
sciences of the past and
thought of the earth
spinning on its axis many
centuries before Copernicus.
The Muslims entered Khwarizm
in 712 CE, led by Kutayba
ibn Muslim al-Bahili, the
lieutenant in Khorasan of
the governor Al-Hadjadj
b.Yusuf.
Islam
gradually spread throughout
the region in Khwarizm, just
as it did in Khorasan and
Transoxenia. Khwarizm in the
earlier Middle Ages had two
capitals, one on the Persian
side of the Oxus called
Jurjaniyah, or Urganj, the
other on the eastern Turkish
side called Kath, which in
the tenth century was held
to be the capital in chief
of the province.
Geographers
of the 10th century give
detailed accounts of the
topography and climate of
Khwarizm, with much emphasis
on the very cold winters and
on the flourishing economy
and commerce.
The great
prosperity of the region is
attested by the fact, that
Ibn Fadlan on his mission to
the King of the Bulghars
left Gurgandj in a caravan
of 3000 camels and 5000
people. Khwarizm was
celebrated for its fruit,
carpets, brocades of mixed
cotton, silk and numerous
canals.
Besides the economic
prosperity, Khwarizm
witnessed a sharp rise in
the numbers of
traditionalists (i.e Hadith
scholars) , lawyers and
theologians at an early
stage.
Khwarizm was
to produce one amongst the
great scholars Al-Khwarizmi
(d.847); then in the
following century, we have
such outstanding figures as
the poet and prose stylist
Abu Bakr Muhammad b.
Al-Abbas al-Khwarizmi (d.
993); and the Samanid
secretary and official,Abu
Abd Allah Muhammad B.Ahmad
al-Khwarizmi, author of the
pioneering encyclopaedia of
the sciences, the mafatih
al-ulum (The Keys to
Sciences).
The Islamic
literary and philological
sciences flourished there as
is shown by the section on
the fudala khwarizm in
Thaalibis anthology, the
Yatimat al-Dhar; and by the
figure of al-Biruni.
The focus here is on two of
the greatest figures of all:
Al-Khwarizmi, and Al-Biruni. .
CNN guest Van Jones says the
model American family is found
in Muslim communities.
Feminists Look
Like This
Fusion
Wear a little,
wear a lotbelieve it or not,
it's all a woman's prerogative.
Here's what
people get wrong about what
feminism looks like:
Mayans and
Islam
AJ+
Islam and Tzotzil
indigenous Mayans came together
to create a unique community in
Chiapas, Mexico.
Linda
Sarsour at the
DC Women's March
Linda Sarsour's powerful speech
at the DC Women's March
Putting racism
behind you 101 OpenYourEyesToHate
The Happy and The Miserable
| Short Reminder
IslamInFocusAustralia
Actions that are
pleasing to Allah will lead to a
happy life while actions that
are displeasing to Allah will
lead to a miserable life.
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.
Trump-loving
passenger arrested for kicking Muslim Delta
worker at JFK
US: A Muslim airline
employee was attacked at a Kennedy
Airport lounge by a passenger who mocked
her religion and invoked the name of
Donald Trump, officials said.
F--k Islam, f--k ISIS, Robin Rhodes
said, as he got on his knees and bowed
in mock prayer after kicking a worker at
Terminal 2s Delta Sky Lounge Wednesday
night, according to authorities.
Trump is here now. He will get rid of
all of you. You can ask Germany, Belgium
and France about these kind of people.
You will see what happens.
Queens DA Richard Brown said Rhodes was
returning from Aruba and awaiting a
connecting flight to Massachusetts when
he began harassing Rabeeya Khan, who was
sitting in her office in the lounge.
Are you f---ing sleeping, Rhodes said,
according to court papers. Are you
praying? What are you doing?
Rhodes, 57, then allegedly punched the
door, which hit the back of Khans
chair. Khan, who wears a hijab, asked
Rhodes what she did to him.
You did nothing, but I am going to kick
your f---ing a--, Rhodes said,
according to Brown. Rhodes then
allegedly kicked Khan in the right leg,
then blocked the door as she tried to
leave.
When a witness came to intercede, Khan
ran out. But Rhodes followed her and got
down on his knees and began to bow down
in imitation of a Muslim praying.
Rhodes was arrested and charged with
assault, unlawful imprisonment, and
menacing and harassment as hate crimes.
SAUDI ARABIA: A
debate is underway about appropriate
forms of entertainment as the
conservative kingdom tries to open
up its economy
Saudi Arabia is engaged in a fierce
debate over how to have fun, as the
conservative kingdom debates what
forms of entertainment are
appropriate as it tries to open up
its economy.
An unlikely messenger becomes a guiding
spirit to young Muslims
Suhaib Webb,
an Islamic imam and social
liberal, takes part in Jumu'ah,
or Friday prayers, at the Church
of the Epiphany. Webb is a
former hip-hop DJ from Oklahoma
City and now a Koranic scholar
who lectures worldwide.
US: A
quarter-century ago, before
he converted to Islam and
long before he was a Muslim
cleric, Imam Suhaib Webb was
a street gangster. He was a
swaggering 6-foot-5,
18-year-old blond, blue-eyed
member of the Bloods, a Los
Angeles contingent whose
tentacles reached east to
Webbs home in the suburbs
of Oklahoma City. He smoked
weed. He skipped school. His
English teachers, he says
now, were rappers Tupac
Shakur, NWA, Biggie Smalls
and Public Enemy and Webb
spun his own tunes, serving
as the DJ in a hip-hop
ensemble called AK Assault.
On the cover of the bands
second album, Mafia Style
(1992), Webb stares sullenly
off into the distance, arms
crossed. The hint of a scowl
on his smooth baby face
conveys a message embraced
by teen rebels everywhere:
The whole world is totally
lame and in need of serious
reform.
On a cool, rainy afternoon
in October, as Webb stands
before a congregation of
Muslims gathered for Friday
prayers at the Church of the
Epiphany in downtown
Washington, hes 40 or so
pounds heavier than he was
in his AK years, but his
hard gaze has not softened.
Hes sporting a bushy,
mustache-less beard and a
gray suit. He is 43 years
old. But somehow he still
carries the same badness and
verve that enlivened the
album cover. Maybe its the
sleek, snappy cut of his
suit or the gleaming white
kerchief tucked in the lapel
pocket. His size 12 shoes
are pointy-toed fancy and
well-suited for dancing
and as he stands on the
altar, politely waiting out
the emcees introduction,
theres a bristling energy
in the way he shifts on his
feet.
Legions of Islamic teenagers
in America know who he is.
Webb has 100,000 followers
on Twitter and 230,000 on
Facebook. On Snapchat, the
disappearing-message
platform that is de rigueur
among millennials, he gets
roughly 20,000 daily views.
His snaps are 10-second
prose poems that bespeak his
wisdom on both Islamic law
and 2016 street style. In
one, hes wearing a
flat-billed Kangol hat as he
waxes dubiously on arranged
marriage. No other Sunni
imam could joke, as Webb did
in a video last year, that
his Snapchat handle is
pimpin4paradise786.
A newcomer to Washington and
a deeply educated Koranic
scholar, he is the founder
and guiding spirit of a
faith-based community group
aimed at gathering the
citys young Muslims. Center
DC does not yet have an
office or a single donor.
There are only three
volunteer staffers, all part
time, but in leading his
small group which offers
prayer sessions at iconic
sites like the Lincoln
Memorial and fortnightly
classes on Muslim theology
Webb aims to make classical
Islam relevant to modern
Americans and to help a
hate-addled world see that,
if the prophet Muhammad were
alive today, hed be
politically in sync with
Bernie Sanders. Hed be
tolerant of gays and
abortion, and he would, like
Webbs long-ago rap idols,
be sickened by the
systematic racism pervading
America. When Webb
introduced his agenda to
Washington at Center DCs
first gathering, in
mid-2015, at Busboys and
Poets in the U Street
corridor hundreds of
people waited in line
outside the building
beforehand, and many were
turned away.
Naturally, jihadist
hard-liners hate Webb for
his liberal views. In its
online magazine, Dabiq, the
Islamic State last year
labeled him an apostate and
all-American imam. The
story ran with a photo of a
machete pressed to a mans
neck and, beneath it, a
caption reading, The
punishment for apostasy.
The story said of Webb,
Adopting a Southern
inner-city accent sprinkled
with thug life vocabulary,
he is quick to switch to an
ordinary voice when speaking
to CNN and other media
outlets.
Imam delivers message to
Trump at inaugural service
US: An imam
who had been expected to
deliver the Islamic call to
prayer at an interfaith
religious service for
President Donald Trump
instead recited two verses
from the Quran that
contained clear political
messages for the new
president and his
administration.
Imam Mohamed Magid,
executive director of the
All Dulles Area Muslim
Society, is a well-known
figure in Washington, but he
had been sharply criticized
by fellow Muslims for
agreeing to take part in the
event Saturday at Washington
National Cathedral.
Magid was one of 26
religious leaders from a
diverse array of faiths to
participate in the service,
an inaugural tradition since
George Washington. The
event's program said Magid
would recite the "Muslim
call to prayer," leading
many to believe he would
intone the adhan, the
melodic call to worship that
issues forth from many
mosques five times a day.
Instead, the imam chose two
passages from the Quran with
clear political
implications, especially at
a time of racial and
religious strife, when many
American Muslims feel
marginalized and mistrusted.
Addressing the capitol's
power brokers, including
Trump's family and Vice
President Michael Pence,
Magid read first in Arabic
and then provided an English
translation.
The first verse he read was
from Surah Al-Hujarat, in
which God says: "O humankind, We have
created you a single male
and female (Adam and Eve)
and made you into nations
and tribes and communities,
that you may know one
another. Really, the most
honored of you in the sight
of God is the most righteous
of you, and God has all
knowledge..."
The second verse he read was
from Surah Ar-Rum: "And among the signs of
God is the creation of
heaven and earth, and the
variation in your languages
and your colors. Verily, in
that are signs for those who
know."
A spokesman for Magid said
his recitation of the verses
had been approved by
officials at the Washington
National Cathedral.
"After the election, when a
lot of things were said
about Muslims, and there
were questions about
Muslims' loyalty, these
verses were intended to
convey the message that we
must come together and
respect diversity -- that
God made us this way," said
Rizwan Jaka, board chairman
at the All Dulles Area
Muslim Society.
Like Magid, Episcopalians
had been criticized for
hosting and praying with
Trump, whose campaign
included harsh language
about Muslims, Mexicans and
women.
The Very Rev. Randolph
Marshall Hollerith, dean of
the cathedral, also chose a
prayer that spoke to the
country's divisive political
climate, asking God to
"break down the walls that
separate us" and "take away
the arrogance and hatred
which infect our hearts."
Praying with the
president
For years, Magid has been a
familiar face at interfaith
and government events in
Washington.
He has met with former
President Barack Obama to
discuss fatherhood and
hosted members of Obama's
administration at the large
complex of Islamic centers
Magid leads in Northern
Virginia. Last year, the FBI
gave that complex, the All
Dulles Area Muslim Society,
a community leadership award
for strengthening ties
between local Muslims and
law enforcement.
From 2010-14, Magid led the
Islamic Society of North
America, whose conferences
draw thousands of Muslims
each year, and the genial
Sudanese-American regularly
makes the list of the
world's 500 most influential
Muslims.
But some American Muslims
criticized Magid for
agreeing to take part in the
National Prayer Service with
Trump.
Many American Muslims have
accused Trump of stoking
suspicion about their
religion by saying "Islam
hates us," proposing a
registry to monitor Muslims
and pledging, at one time,
to bar Muslims from entering
the United States. (That
plan may be modified to
"extreme vetting," Trump's
team says.) The president's
new National Security
Adviser, retired Lt. Gen.
Michael Flynn, has called
Islam a "cancer."
Before Saturday's service,
Hussam Ayloush, who heads
the Council of
American-Islamic Relations'
Los Angeles chapter,
compared Trump to the
proverbial emperor without
any clothes and urged Magid
not to "hand him a towel."
"In the face of unreluctant
and unrepentant defamation
and animosity toward Islam
and Muslims (and many other
communities) by this Trump
team, a symbolic
participation that does not
involve any opportunity to
preach or make a statement
does not qualify as engaging
or correcting the
wrongdoers, but rather
enabling them and providing
them with a token cover for
their bigotry," Ayloush said
in a statement.
Ayloush also said that
Magid's role in the prayer
service "undermines the
courageous and principled
activism of so many Muslims
and allies" who have
challenged Trump's rhetoric
and proposals.
In response, Magid said the
role of religious leaders is
"to share the truth and
values of Islam to everyone,
including those in power. "
"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,"
the imam said. "Rather they
go hand in hand."
Muslim-Americans need to
share their message both
through public protests and
private meetings with
government officials, Magid
said, implying that the
Prophet Mohammed would
agree.
"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."
Solving the Mystery of a Strange and Dangerous Life
by
Tom Reiss
Description
"Lev
Nussimbaum was a Jew who transformed himself into a Muslim
prince and became a bestselling author in Nazi Germany. Born
in 1905 to a wealthy family in the oil-boom city of Baku, at
the edge of the czarist empire, Lev escaped the Russian
Revolution in a camel caravan.
He found refuge in Germany,
where, writing under the names Essad Bey and Kurban Said,
his remarkable books about Islam, desert adventures, and
global revolution became celebrated throughout fascist
Europe.
His enduring masterpiece, Ali
and Nino - a story of love across ethnic and religious
boundaries, published on the eve of the Holocaust - is still
in print today."
"But Lev's life grew wilder than
his wildest stories. He married an international heiress who
had no idea of his real identity - until she divorced him in
a tabloid scandal. His closest friend in New York, George
Sylvester Viereck, also a friend of Freud's and Einstein's,
was arrested as the leading Nazi agent in the United States.
Lev was invited to be
Mussolini's official biographer - until the Fascists
uncovered his true origins. Under house arrest in the Amalfi
cliff town of Positano, Lev wrote his last book - scrawled
in tiny print in half a dozen notebooks never before read by
anyone - helped by a mysterious half-German salon hostess,
an Algerian weapons smuggler, and the poet Ezra Pound."
"Tom Reiss spent five years
tracking down secret police records, love letters, diaries,
and deathbed notebooks. Beginning with a yearlong
investigation for The New Yorker magazine, he pursued Lev's
story across ten countries and found himself caught up in
encounters as dramatic and surreal - and sometimes as
heartbreaking - as his subject's life."
As he tracks down the pieces of
Lev Nussimbaum's deliberately obscured life, Reiss discovers
a series of shadowy worlds - of European pan-Islamists,
nihilist assassins, anti-Nazi book smugglers, Baku oil
barons, Jewish Orientalists - that have also been forgotten.
"No two persons ever read the same book."
- Edmund Wilson
Would you like
to see the cover of your favourite book on our book shelves
below?
KB says:
These pizzas are
called lahmacun in Turkey and theyre a great
snack. There are several versions of this recipe
so experiment as you like. You could make the
dough a day ahead, as it will keep in the fridge
overnight, but it will need an hour before you
can start to roll it.
TURKISH PIZZA
Ingredients for
the dough:
3 cup of all-purpose flour
1 cup warm milk
1 tbsp. dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 egg
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
Ingredients for the topping:
500 grams of beef mince
1 medium onion chopped
2 cloves of garlic chopped
½ tsp cumin powder
Ό tsp black pepper powder
2 tbsp. lemon juice
Salt to taste
1 tomato chopped
½ cup coriander leaves chopped
2 tbsp. mint leaves chopped
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 egg whisked
3 tbsp. cooking oil
Method
In a bowl, mix together warm milk, yeast, egg,
sugar, salt and oil. Mix everything together
till well combined. Add flour little by little
to make a soft dough. You may need Ό cup more or
less of flour while kneading the dough.
Keep the dough covered in a warm place to rise
and double in size.
To make the topping: Heat oil in a pan and fry
garlic and onion till soft. Then add mince,
cumin powder, black pepper powder, lemon juice
and salt. Cook till mince is fully done. Set
aside and cool.
Add chopped tomatoes, chopped coriander leaves
and chopped mint leaves to the mince mixture and
mix well.
Pre-heat oven to 200 degree C.
Place the dough on a floured surface and divide
into two parts. Take each part and roll out into
a large rectangle roti.
Evenly spread 3 to 4 tbsp. mince topping on the
rolled out dough and fold the sides to give a
shape of a boat.
Sprinkle handful of grated mozzarella cheese on
the mince topping.
Brush the sides of the pide with whisked egg and
pour the remaining whisked egg on the cheese.
Combine your
cardio and weight exercises for best results
Regular cardio,
whether its jogging, cycling or brisk walking
is best for preventing heart disease as it makes
the heart stronger. So try to get at least
30mins in, 5 days a week for heart health.
The more muscles you have, the more calories
youll burn. If you work out with weights,
youll strengthen and tone your muscles which
will also make you look slimmer. Try to fit in
at least 2-3 sessions a week to strengthen bones
and joints while toning muscles.
Since the beginning of this year, I have started
working on a new blog to continue writing my
articles on food and nutrition, and I am
delighted to finally announce its official
launch today!
This way, all my future posts will be available
online and, later you will be able to click on
to my website to read back on any of the topics
I have posted.
My first post is all about detoxes and
cleansing. Many of us want to kick start the new
year with a healthy change, and there are a lot
of juice cleanse programs going around. Is a
detox program suitable for you? Does it work? Is
it any beneficial for us?
O you who believe! Guard
your own souls: if you
follow (right) guidance, no
hurt can come to you from
those who stray. The goal of
you all is to Allah: it is
He that will show you the
truth of all that you do.
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
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.
Grab
our essential pack and start your fitness journey today
Why choose #Renegade?
▪ GMO & Hormone free
▪ Low Carb, Fat and G.I
▪ Aussie made
▪ Great taste
▪ Real results
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 Mondays at 10am Woodridge area (by Umm
Bilal) Halaqah Saturdays at 10.30am Woodridge area (by Umm
Bilal) Arabicclasses Wednesdays 1 2pm Kuraby
Masjid (by Umm Bilal) QuranClasses - Tuesdays 11am Runcorn area (by
Umm Bilal) SistersSupportSocialGroup -
1st Wednesday of every Month - varies Locations YoungMuslimsClub- - Regular organised
activities for school aged boys and girls
Contact : Farah 0432 026 375
Muslimah Girls Youth Group for 10+ Girls (school
holiday activities)
Contact : Aliyah 0438840467
Muslima learn to Swim lessons - taught by
professional female instructor in a enclosed pool in
Underwood area Contact : Farah 0432026375 for more details
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. We also have a variety of whatsapp groups for new
Muslim support and for community & class updates please let
us know if you would like to be added.
To join our volunteer group or for any other
details for activities please call the numbers below
Aliyah : 0438840467
Khadijah: 0449268375
Farah: 0432026375
Iman: 0449610386
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
MONTHLY COMMUNITY PROGRAMME
FIRST FRIDAY OF EVERY MONTH
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
At the annual Moreton Australia Day
Awards, Ms Janeth
Deen was presented by Lady (Benise)
Killen with the
Sir James Killen Award for
Outstanding Community
Service. The Award is named
after the former Member for
Moreton, Sir James Killen.
Trump-loving
passenger arrested for kicking Muslim Delta
worker at JFK
"Lev
Nussimbaum was a Jew who transformed himself into a Muslim
prince and became a bestselling author in Nazi Germany. Born
in 1905 to a wealthy family in the oil-boom city of Baku, at
the edge of the czarist empire, Lev escaped the Russian
Revolution in a camel caravan. 
Jalalludin
went to buy a banana.
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7
August 2011