Six people were killed and
eight wounded when gunmen
opened fire at a Quebec City
mosque during Sunday night
prayers, in what Canadian
Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau
called a "terrorist attack
on Muslims".
AFIC,
ANIC and
ICQ condemned the recent
terrorist attack at the
Mosque in the city of Quebec
in Canada issuing respective
press statements.
World Council of Churches (WCC)
general secretary Rev. Dr
Olav Fykse Tveit
extended sympathies for
those bereaved or wounded,
offering prayers for
Canadians who, he said,
confront the need to
challenge extremist violence
whatever its source or
origin.
An inter-faith gathering to
remember the victims and to
speak out against violent
extremism everywhere was put
together on Monday at the
Holland Park Mosque by Mr.
Ali Kadri and Imam Uzair.
There was a large attendance
by many religious and
community leaders
Australian Muslim comedian,
actor and radio presenter,
Nazeem Hussain is currently
starring as one of the
celebrities in the third
season of Network Tens
reality TV Show, Im A
Celebrity Get Me Out Of
Here!
Well known for starring in
Salam Cafe and his
critically acclaimed show,
Legally Brown, Nazeem, 31,
along with nine other
competitors is spending over
a month in the South African
jungle living off a very
basic diet of beans and
rice.
They will be competing in
challenging tasks in order
to make it through and
ultimately win $100,000 for
their chosen charity.
Nazeems chosen charity is
InTouch: the
Multicultural Centre for
Family Violence.
Nazeem is heading into the
show with the intention to
get to know the different
types of people and to learn
from the experience.
I want to understand
other people from other
backgrounds and
beliefs, Nazeem
said.
I think so many of
the problems in
Australia could be
overcome if we actually
shut up for a second and
listened. I know Ill
learn a lot from this
experience and I know
that, especially young
people, we tend to hang
out with people who are
like us, he further
added.
Aside from reports of a
bromance with footballer
Dane Swan, in Episode 2,
Steve Price and Nazeem have
already gone head to head as
Steve confronts Nazeem on
his distorted views on
Islam.
I don't understand
why Muslim women are
required by their men to
cover up, asked
Price.
Theyre not. What
are you talking about?
Im not going to talk to
people on behalf of all
women! Nazeem
responded cleverly.
After the confrontation,
Nazeem mentioned a
teaching of the Prophet
Muhammad about calming
down after being angry.
If youre angry, sit
down. If youre still
angry, you should lie
down said Nazeem as
he lay down on his bed.
Earlier, he jokingly said
during the show in Episode
1,
If Donald Trump can be
president after being on
reality TV, well you are
looking at the first
Muslim Prime Minister.
On Islam and Muslims, Nazeem
said,To be honest, most
people have issues with
Islam when they have never
really met a Muslim.
Hopefully if people like me
in camp, the whole Islam
thing is not even a thing.
For me the whole non-Muslim
thing isnt a thing. I am
happy to be friends with
whoever. Hopefully they will
like me. One of the reasons
I like this show is you
actually get to see real
Australians from all
different backgrounds,
sexual orientations,
religious beliefs and
experiences and age groups
come together and genuinely
talk about their different
lives.
Nazeem Hussain had plenty to
comment on One Nation leader
Pauline Hanson for her
dog-whistle politics.
I want to understand
other people from other
backgrounds and beliefs.
I think so many of the
problems in Australia
could be overcome if we
actually shut up for a
second and listened,
he said.
He further added,
instead the loudest
people get the most
votes. Pauline Hanson
got half a million votes
and she just says the
most incendiary,
nonsensical,
sensationalist shit.
In his comedy roles Nazeem
has touched on race
relations and racism in
Australia, political and
Islamic humour, Islamophobia
and social commentary.
Watch Episode 1 & Episode 2.
To vote use the hashtag #CelebNazeem!
It was only a few months ago
that we broke bread together. He
talked about how much he valued
the Muslim community. Waleed
Aly, Susan Carland, Malcolm
Turnbull and Yassmin Abdel-Magied
at an Iftar at Kirribilli House.
Malcolm Turnbull is breaking
my heart. Why are all
citizens equal, but some are
more equal than others?
It was only a few months ago
that we broke bread
together. He talked about
how much he valued the
Muslim community. I was so
proud of what I hoped were
changes in the attitude of
the the Australian
government it was the
first ever Iftar (which is
the breaking fast meal
during Ramadan) held at
Kirribilli House that I
wrote an article supporting
the event following
criticism it received in the
press.
I had thought there was real
potential we could be
welcoming a prime minister
who valued us as equal
citizens in this country,
despite all the global
hatred and rhetoric. I
looked forward to this
country being led by someone
who cared. Perhaps, I
naively thought, we would
see a changed approach to
the threats of terrorism, a
change of approach to
processing refugees and
asylum seekers and maybe
(with my fingers really
crossed), we Muslims might
soon start to feel truly
equal in this country.
But it wasnt to be, was it?
I have sought to have
empathy for Turnbulls
position. The man, caught
between numerous boulders
and many a hard place,
doesnt seem like he has
much room to turn. He seems
stuck trying to please
everyone, and in doing so
pleasing no one and allowing
the marginalised in this
country to bear the brunt of
his dithering.
And for what? To allow the
allies we so dearly dedicate
ourselves to an opportunity
to shut us down and
humiliate us? Its
embarrassing. The Australian
government seems to think
our historic alliance and
tacit support of the
xenophobic policies of the
United States is the best
option for our national
interests but I beg to
differ. These are policies
and positions that have been
proven time and time again
to make countries less safe
and to play right into the
hands of those we are all
trying to fight. What will
it take for one of our
leaders to show values-based
leadership and to live the
principles we claim to build
our country on?
Our commitment to
multiculturalism and a
non-discriminatory
immigration system is well
known, Turnbull said a few
days ago.
If multiculturalism means we
can all get great
Vietnamese, Turkish and
Brazilian food all within a
few blocks of each other,
sure. If it means we will
all know to say Happy lunar
year! to a colleague, Ill
agree with the prime
minister. If it means that
someone like me, a
Sudanese-born Muslim woman,
can be sent to countries
overseas as part of a Dfat-funded
public diplomacy program to
show people that not all
Australians are white (or
racist, as I am constantly
asked) then I can see where
that statement comes from.
But thats not really what
being committed looks like.
Being committed looks like
not supporting a ban that
discriminates based on birth
country and faith, because
we value inclusivity, and we
want to heed the lessons of
history.
Sonny Bill Williams (left)
and Mufti Ismail Menk (right)
[Source: Twitter]
BMW has confirmed that it is
re-looking its sponsorship
deal with New Zealands
rugby superstar Sonny Bill
Williams due to a photo he
took with the prominent
Muslim speaker Mufti Ismail
Menk.
The luxury car company was
allegedly inundated with
complaints from customers,
in particular members of the
Jewish and LGBT communities
after a photo emerged of
Williams posing with Mufti
Menk on Twitter.
The furore was sparked due
to Mufti Menks position on
homosexuality which is the
mainstream normative
position that it is a
major sin and crime against
God.
Williams, a Muslim convert,
has taken many photos with
Mufti Menk and has tweeted
about his encounters with
the cleric.
BMW New Zealands head of
corporate communications,
Paul Sherley, told Yahoo
News that Williams original
contract remained unchanged.
However, the company
confirmed they would be
re-looking at his role.
There is currently no
mention of Williams on BMWs
website but the car company
profiles its other brand
ambassadors such as shoe
designer Kathryn Wilson and
chef Josh Emmet.
Zimbabwe-born Mufti Menk was
banned from six UK
universities in 2013 due to
his views on homosexuality,
a common trend for many
Muslim activists and
scholars in the university
Harmony in paradise:
Direction Island next to Home
Island on the Cocos Islands.
There is something positive
about the isolated existence
of the Cocos (Keeling)
Islands, 2,000km from the
West Australian coast and
shielded from anti-Islam
rhetoric
We pull up to the front of
the mosque in Nek Sus golf
cart. Through the open
window I see him join thirty
men in bright robes and
embroidered Taqiyah head
coverings as they kneel to
face the Kaaba cube in
Mecca. The soft call to
prayer fills the street.
Everything else is silent.
Two girls in hijabs walk
past as a young, robed man
pulls up to the mosque and
shuffles inside, late.
Hayya ala Salahhhhh,
drifts from the speakers.
The call to prayer is
normally something
Australians associate with
travelling and the exotic:
being in a rooftop cafe in
Marrakesh sipping mint tea,
in a hotel in Agra looking
at the Taj Mahal before
sunrise, or walking the
shores of the Bosphorus
during an Istanbul winter.
It is always something I
have experienced as an
outsider.
I look across the lagoon,
past the school and the
jetty to the twinkling
lights on the water and Im
reminded that I havent
travelled far at all. This
is still Australia; its
just a part that many people
dont get to see. I am a
guest of Nek Su, the
builder, fisherman,
grandfather, imam and elder
of Home Island, the only
Muslim island in Australia.
The Cocos (Keeling) Islands
are an iridescent tropical
atoll 2,000km from the West
Australian coast, yet they
are still part of Australia
as one of the Indian Ocean
Territories (along with
Christmas Island).
Interestingly the Muslim
population here outnumbers
the other inhabitants four
to one.
The islands have a strange
relationship with Islam.
They were discovered by
Captain William Keeling of
the East India Company in
1609 and werent properly
settled until Scottish
trader John Clunies-Ross and
merchant Alexander Hare both
arrived in the early 19th
century. Clunies-Ross was an
empire builder and brought
in Malay, Chinese, Papuan
and Indian workers to
harvest copra they were
the first Muslims on the
islands. Hare wasnt quite
as pragmatic. He was
accompanied by slaves and a
harem of 23 women from the
East Indies, New Guinea and
Mozambique to populate his
desert island fantasy.
Hares harem didnt work
out, so he left and Clunies-Ross
assumed control as the
self-appointed king of the
islands. The islands
operated as the familys
fiefdom until they were
passed over to Australian
control in 1955 and the
people voted for proper
integration in 1984. As the
colonialist leanings of the
Clunies-Ross clan loosened,
the former indentured
population, who were nearly
exclusively Sunni Muslims,
settled on Home Island and
the predominantly expat
population set up on West
Island across the water.
I take the ferry across the
aqua lagoon to Home Island.
Waiting for me on the jetty
is a tall man wearing a
brown fedora. He has an open
and friendly face; he looks
fit and slim for a
73-year-old man. Call me
Nek Su, he smiles in reply.
It means grandpa, and it is
what all the Home Islanders
know him as.
Nek Su isnt much of a
conversationalist, at least
not in English. His first
language, like most of the
Home Islanders, is Malay.
Their language is unique and
has evolved since it came
across the water with the
first indentured workers.
We pull in at the enormous
mosque. Its dome is silver
and its floorboards are
still unpainted. It will
house the entire Home Island
population of 400
eventually, a step up from
the modest fibro buildings
used previously. Everyone
who lives on the island is
Muslim, Nek Su tells me.
He also tells me that many
of the young children are
actively part of Islam here
on the island something he
never saw on the mainland.
Nek Su lived in Western
Australia in the 1970s and
he regularly goes back to
Perth, Port Hedland and
Jurien Bay. The link with
their faith is a central
part of life on Home Island,
for young and old. On
Wednesday afternoons Nek Su
and other elder statesmen
teach the boys on the island
the ways of their Cocos
Malay culture, sailing,
dancing and building Jukong
traditional boats to
maintain a link with their
past. Nek Su also tells me
that 85% of Home Islanders
have been to Mecca.
We continue driving around
the go-kart like tracks of
the island. At the edge of
the lapping water Nek Su
greets a group of young men
with their children playing
in the shallows. Later we
pull in at one of the houses
to meet Nek Sus family. Nek
Sus brother Omar and his
wife, who wears a bright
orange hijab, are sitting
out the back as she fries
some afternoon snacks in the
wok. Salam is offered as a
greeting when we enter the
outdoor kitchen. When Omar
sees that Im an outsider,
he smiles and says, How ya
going mate? Take a seat.
The clove smell of kretek
cigarettes wafts through the
air, mixing with the frying
spices spitting from the
wok, highlighting the mash
of cultures here.
Nek Su is the image of a
self-sufficient man. He
cant read or write but he
can build a house, a boat,
weld, fish and his faith is
at the centre of it all. As
we pack up the meal he
hurries us along as the
nighttime prayer is coming,
just one of the five prayer
times all recognise on the
island.
Nek Su on Home Island:
Everyone who lives on the
island is Muslim
At the visitors centre,
Jules, the marketing
manager, tells me that the
interaction on the islands
is something they embrace,
Our girls all look forward
to Hari Raya when we all go
to Home Island to celebrate
together.
Hari Raya is the celebration
and reflection at the end of
Ramadan. The two communities
get together to enjoy the
breaking of the fast and the
associated rituals as they
anticipate the new year.
Homes are strung with fairy
lights, people eat together
in open houses and those who
have passed away are
remembered. Even if the two
communities arent as close
as they were twenty years
ago, as long time resident
Terry Washer suggests,
because of the influence of
the mainland, there is
something hopeful about this
place.
Its isolation has shielded
the community, somewhat,
from the rhetoric of Ray
Hadley and Pauline Hanson
and the rest. If more people
observed the history and
coexistence of the Home
islanders and the West
islanders without the
outside noise and media peer
pressure, it might give them
hope.
LaTrobe University
anthropologist Nicholas
Herriman calls the Cocos
Malay, Australias oldest
continuously Islamic and
South Asian community and
on the islands this is a
position greeted with
respect.
The next day I wait at the
Cocos Malay cafe at the
airport on West Island as a
batch of samosas are fried
by the lady in a headscarf
for the electricians who are
finishing up a shift on the
islands. I reflect on my
initial thought that the
isolation here might have
bred fear and mistrust. This
fishbowl existence has, if
anything, allowed them to
preserve a sense of
community and coexist in a
way that many Australians
dont experience anymore.
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.
WHITE HELMETS
Also known as the Syria
Civil Defense, the White
Helmets are volunteers that
operate in the
rebel-controlled areas of
Syria during the Syrian
Civil War. They have given
their lives to save
thousands of people by
pulling civilians out of the
rubble and carrying them to
safety. They have been often
targeted for helping
civilians and many died
during their rescue
operations.
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
Omar Epps
Best known for playing the
sensitive and brutally
honest Dr. Foreman on the
hit show House, Omar Epp
who is also a record
producer and songwriter
converted to Islam in the
90s. He has remained mum
about his faith, but has
called out Donald Trump on
his openly racist rants and
lack of understanding on
real issues.
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 catalyst
was 9/11.
Various
Saudi-funded
charities, like
the Al-Haramain
Islamic
Foundation, were
accused of ties
with al Qaeda; a
Saudi-backed
Islamic training
center in
suburban
Virginia was
raided by the
FBI, and some of
its clergy, who
carried Saudi
diplomatic
passports, were
expelled. The
recently
declassified
missing 28
pages from the
2002
congressional
inquiry into the
9/11 attacks
alleged
without
providing
evidence that
at least one Los
Angeles mosque
was laundering
terrorist funds.
All this,
coupled with the
drop in oil
prices that has
led to severe
belt-tightening
at home, means
the Saudis and
the Gulf
emirates have
significantly
reduced their
largesse. Abou
El Fadl of UCLA,
who has close
ties with
members of the
Saudi royal
family, points
to another
reason behind
the House of
Sauds
parsimoniousness
toward overseas
religious
projects. They
wish they could
rid themselves
of the Wahhabism
all together,
but they know
that its
impossible
domestically,
he says.
Would-be
American imams
can still study
for free in
Saudi Arabia,
but, Abou El
Fadl told me,
theyre not
going to have
the type of easy
power that comes
from having the
means of
controlling the
flow of money
like in the old
days.
CONTINUING THE
LESSON NEXT WEEK
IN CCN:
The Arab
Spring has
intensified the
turn away from
the traditional
centers of
Islamic teaching
...
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?
Sarah
Harvard,
Reporter at Mic
The uncertainty
of a Trump
presidency is
what frightens
me the most. As
a journalist,
who happens to
be
Muslim-American,
I'm afraid about
what is yet to
come for the
fourth estate.
Without press
freedoms, an
administration
with fascist
ideals will go
unchecked.
Furthermore,
Trump's crusade
against the
press will only
increase the
harassment and
violence
targeted towards
journalists from
white
nationalist and
alt-right
extremists.
As a
Muslim-American,
I've never been
more afraid for
my civil
liberties and
safety in the
United States.
While
historically,
Muslims in
traditional
dress are
physically
attacked in the
US, Trump's
plans for
heightened
surveillance and
a Muslim
database will
impact the
entire Muslim
community and
its allies. When
our homes are
under
surveillance,
we're robbed of
the very last
place we can
feel safe and
secure. Without
our privacy
rights and civil
liberties, we're
prisoners to our
own home.
I plan on
resisting in the
only way I know
how and can do
well: by
elevating the
voices of
marginalised
communities and
holding those in
power
accountable. Now
is the time for
adversarial
journalism. More
than ever,
journalists have
to come together
and push back
against any of
Trump's attempts
to silence or
punish the
press. I hope
other members of
the press join
me in these
efforts.
The Trump
administration
is showing the
same sort of
short term
interest in the
financial
well-being of
lobbies and
special
interests at the
costs of
Americas long
term economic
viability.
Increasingly,
voters are
concerned with
this issue and
with issues like
special
interests
influence over
elections ahead
of many other
issues. What I
fear, as a
Muslim and as an
American, is
that my life in
America, in the
economy, and in
the nation with
economic and
military primacy
will be worse
than my parents
life and that is
already
appearing to be
the case as we
look at the
appointments and
political
maneuvers.
NEXT WEEK IN CCN:
Nadeem Mazen,
City
Councillor in
Cambridge in
Massachusetts
According to
this argument,
the stigma and
barriers
attached to
premarital sex
create a
frustration
that, in some
men, boils over
into murderous
violence.
Osama bin
Ladens Secret
Masturbation
Fatwa
ARGUMENT
How the
sexual torment
of Islamic
radicals helps
explain the
genesis of
jihadi violence.
January, the
U.S. government
released 49 new
documents seized
in 2011 from
Osama bin
Ladens compound
in Abbottabad,
Pakistan. Among
the items the
fourth and final
batch of bin
Laden documents
made public
since 2012 is
a letter
addressed to a
senior colleague
in North Africa
in which the
now-deceased al
Qaeda leader
raises a very
special and top
secret matter:
It pertains
to the
problem of
the brothers
who are with
you in their
unfortunate
celibacy and
lack of
availability
of wives for
them in the
conditions
that have
been imposed
on them. We
pray to God
to release
them. I
wrote to
Shaykh/Doctor
((Ayman)),
[al-Zawahiri],
and I
consulted
with Shaykh
((Abu Yahya))
[al-Libbi].
Dr. Ayman
has written
us his
opinion As
we see it,
we have no
objection to
clarifying
to the
brothers
that they
may, in such
conditions,
masturbate,
since this
is an
extreme
case. The
ancestors
approved
this for the
community.
They advised
the young
men at the
time of the
conquest to
do so. It
has also
been
prescribed
by the
legists when
needed, and
there is no
doubt that
the brothers
are in a
state of
extreme
need.
It is well-known
that bin Laden
was a fastidious
and overbearing
micromanager.
But few would
have suspected
that it extended
this far. And
although it has
been widely
reported that he
was in
possession of a
porn stash at
his Abbottabad
compound, it
will no doubt
come as a
surprise that
bin Laden, the
foremost jihadi
of his
generation, had
thought long and
hard (no pun
intended) on the
issue of
masturbation, as
has current al
Qaeda leader
Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Bin Ladens
edict, though,
raises more
questions than
it clarifies: If
knocking one out
in times of
extreme need
is permitted,
how does one
define the
emergency of
extreme need:
Is it a week, a
month, or a mere
day of celibacy?
Alas, bin
Ladens letter
doesnt shed any
light on these
burning
questions.
All of this is
good, harmless
fun, of course.
But the sexual
torment of
jihadis is no
laughing matter,
and may even
help explain the
genesis of their
violence.
Foreign
Policy
Dr Tariq Ramadan
Look in the
mirror, Muslim
don tells
Malaysians
critical of
Western
discrimination
KUALA LUMPUR,
Feb 1
Malaysian
Muslims
complaining of
discrimination
by the West
should first
acknowledge the
injustices
against
minorities in
their own
country, a
renowned Muslim
academic said
critically
today. Speaking
in defence
pluralism, Swiss
academic Dr
Tariq Ramadan
recounted
anecdotes from
non-Muslims here
that they are
being treated as
second class
citizens, which
he said
contradicted
principles of
Islam.
Im sorry but
some of your
fellow citizens
in this country
who are not
Muslims are
facing this
discrimination,
they are facing
injustices,
Ramadan said in
a
question-and-answers
session after a
talk on jihad,
or holy
struggle.
If you want to
be good Muslims,
instead of
preventing
people from
believing, you
become better
believers. Dont
be scared of
people who are
not Muslim. Be
scared, be
afraid, be
worried about
our own lack of
consistency.
Ramadan said
that just as the
West, the Muslim
world is equally
guilty of having
double
standards,
discrepancies
and
inconsistencies
when it comes to
criticism and
practice of
values.
Earlier in his
talk, the ethnic
Egyptian
academic also
urged Malaysian
Muslims to speak
out against
parts of
Malaysian
culture that are
un-Islamic,
which included
stigmatisation
of the
minorities and
censorship of
ideas.
Malaysian
Muslims should
struggle against
anything in
Malaysian
culture which
does not protect
dignity and
equality of
human being,
said Ramadan.
Last year,
Selangor has
declared a
fatwa, or
religious
decree, against
liberalism and
religious
pluralism,
calling those
involved with
the ideologies
as deviants.
The Malay
Mail Online
How Trump
changed
Americans view
of Islam for
the better
WASHINGTON:
Polls conducted
in the last year
show that,
despite his
electoral
success, Trumps
views on Islam
and Muslims do
not have wide
support among
the American
public.
Americans
opposition to
accepting
refugees from
Middle East
conflicts have
been highly
exaggerated. As
I noted last
June, even in
the middle of a
U.S.
presidential
campaign that
has been
breathtaking in
its
exaggerations
and racism, with
devastating
terrorism
providing fuel,
59 percent of
Americans say
they are ready
to accept Middle
East conflict
refugees
assuming they
are screened for
security. As
usual, Americans
were deeply
divided along
partisan lines
on this issue.
Four polls
during the
election year
revealed
extraordinary,
progressive and
unexpected
shifts that
cannot be
explained by
events during
that year.
Attitudes toward
Muslim people
became
progressively
more favorable
from 53 percent
in November 2015
to 70 percent in
October 2016.
Even attitudes
toward Islam
itself
(generally more
unfavorable than
attitudes toward
Muslims) showed
significant
improvement:
favorable
attitudes went
from 37 percent
in November 2015
to 49 percent in
October 2016,
reaching the
highest
favorable level
since 9/11.
The two young
Muslim girls at the centre of a
controversial Australia Day
billboard have spoken out for
the first time.
They were in Adelaide for a
Muslim peace festival which aims
to raise awareness and
understanding of their culture.
'Tens of
Thousands' Take Part in CAIR-MA
Muslim Ban Protest in Boston
Complicating our
Deen
Professor Mohamad Abdalla
Centre for Islamic Thought and
Education
Lessons
From The Story of Prophet
Musa | Umm Bilal
IslamInFocusAustralia
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.
Jewish
people give Muslims key to their synagogue
after town's mosque burns down
Donations to
rebuild the Islamic centre are
adding up
US: Jewish people in a
small Texas city handed Muslim
worshippers the keys to their synagogue
after the town's only mosque was
destroyed in a fire.
The Victoria Islamic Centre burned down
on Saturday and had previously been
burgledthe cause is being investigated
by federal officials.
But the town's Muslim population will
not be without a place to worship while
their building is reconstructed, thanks
to their Jewish neighbours.
Robert Loeb, the president of Temple
Bnai Israel, told Forward: "Everyone
knows everybody, I know several members
of the mosque, and we felt for them.
When a calamity like this happens, we
have to stand together.
"We have probably 25 to 30 Jewish people
in Victoria, and they probably have 100
Muslims. We got a lot of building for a
small amount of Jews."
One of the mosque's founders, Shahid
Hashmi, said: "Jewish community members
walked into my home and gave me a key to
the synagogue."
Prayers and protests as
Dallas faithful react to Trump's immigration
orders
US: Dozens of Muslim
men and women walked down the
arrivals corridor on the ground
level of Terminal D at DFW
International Airport on Sunday,
away from the roar of demonstrators.
With men on one side of the baggage
carousel and women on the other, the
group gathered for Zuhr, the second
of five daily prayers. Imam Omar
Suleiman, who has been at the
forefront of the airport protests,
stepped to the front of the group,
removed his dress jacket and
carefully placed it on the ground in
front of him.
NETHERLANDS IN FLAMES:
Islamic centre burnt down in suspected arson
attack
The mosque has
been set alight by a suspected
arsonist in Culemborg, Holland
NETHERLANDS:
An Islamic centre has been
torched to the ground by a
suspected arsonist as
emergency services
desperately try to save
anyone who may have been
trapped inside.
There is an existing prayer
room at the rear of the
building and it is not clear
whether anyone was using
that at the time of the
suspected attack.
It is not clear if anyone
has been injured in the
blaze or if any arrests have
been made.
The fire was said to have
spread to two other
buildings stocked with heat
resistant abstestos.
The building was damaged
significantly and part of it
collapsed following the
blaze.
It is not yet known if
someone was inside the
building at the time of the
fire.
In
this side-splitting sequel to his best-selling history,
David Hunt takes us to the Australian frontier.
This was the Wild South, home to hardy pioneers,
gun-slinging bushrangers, directionally challenged
explorers, nervous indigenous people, Caroline Chisholm and
sheep. Lots of sheep.
True Girt introduces Thomas Davey, the hard-drinking
Tasmanian governor who invented the Blow My Skull cocktail,
and Captain Moonlite, Australias most infamous LGBTI
bushranger. Meet William Nicholson, the Melbourne hipster
who gave Australia the steam-powered coffee roaster and the
world the secret ballot. And say hello to Harry, the first
camel used in Australian exploration, who shot dead his
owner, the explorer John Horrocks.
Learn how Truganinis death inspired the Martian invasion of
Earth. Discover the role of Hall and Oates in the Myall
Creek Massacre. And be reminded why you should never ever
smoke with the Wild Colonial Boy and Mad Dan Morgan.
KB says:
Butter chicken wraps are tasty
and so versatile as an ideal snack to take to
picnics, for lunch boxes and for the occasional
Sunday brunch.
Butter Chicken Wraps
Ingredients for
the dough:
⅓
cup plain yoghurt
2
tab. lemon juice
1
tab. chopped garlic
1
tab. chopped ginger
1
tsp. ground cumin
1
tab. ground coriander
½
tsp paprika
salt and pepper
4
chicken breasts, cubed
25 g butter
2
red chilies, chopped
1
can (410 g) tomato purιe
Yoghurt, wraps and fresh coriander or lettuce
and red sliced onions to serve
Method
1. Preheat the grill to high.
2. In a bowl mix the yoghurt, lemon juice,
garlic, ginger, cumin, ground coriander,
paprika, salt and pepper
3. Add the chicken cubes and stir to coat.
4. Grill the chicken for 10 minutes.
5. Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat,
add the chillies and the grilled
chicken and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Add the tomato purιe and simmer for another 5
minutes.
7. Serve the chicken with wraps and fresh
coriander, sliced onions and a tab of yoghurt
(optional)
Welcome
to my new weekly
column on Self-Care
and Clarity of Mind.
If youre taking
time out to read
this, pat yourself
on the back because
you have shown
commitment to taking
care of your mind
and body.
Caring for self is
not an option - it
is a vital
necessity. Self-Care
starts with a
positive mind. A
positive mind is a
result of awareness.
When you are aware
of your habits, your
thought patterns and
your programmed
reactions to lifes
triggers, you are
able to transform
yourself whereby you
are no longer living
a life on a default
mode but rather a
life of mindful
actions, joy,
compassion and
gratitude for the
abundance ALLAH has
bestowed upon us.
In this weekly
journey, I intend to
touch on topics such
as anger, fear,
anxiety, obesity,
poor self esteem,
poor body image and
relationships with
self and others.
With 15 years
experience in the
field of mental
health, specifically
through Writing for
Wellbeing, I believe
I have great tips to
share.
We often take our
Physical Self as
the primary self.
When it comes to
self-care, we need
to delve deeper and
find the Essential
Self - our essence.
This Essential Self
is what dwells
inside the physical
body.
For example...
When you use words
like : I am angry,
I am fat, I am
confused, I am
hungry and so on,
what you are really
saying is that your
physical body is
angry or fat or
confused or hungry.
Your energy force,
the Essential Self,
within you, I, is
free from anger or
hunger or confusion
or fat.
When the Essential
Self is ignored for
too long, the
Physical Self begins
to show negative
symptoms such as
anger, confusion,
anxiety, fear,
accumulation of
abdominal fat, lack
of sleep, fatigue,
worry, increased
blood pressure and
shallow breathing,
to name a few.
To know your
Essential Self, you
need to be silent
for a few minutes
and do an Awareness
Scan of your
Physical Self.
Try it now. As you
read this
Blink your eyelids
and feel the inner
lids touching the
eyeball.
Now, bring your
awareness to your
neck, your throat,
and your shoulders.
Become aware of your
hands, your fingers
and fingertips.
Expand your chest
with deep, full
breaths in and out a
few times.
Bring your awareness
to your abdomen,
then to your lower
back and your
thighs. Now try and
feel the softness
that is underneath
your knee-caps.
And finally become
aware of your legs
down to your feet.
Wriggle your toes.
Spend a few minutes
daily in silence and
acknowledge your
Essential Self by
doing a body scan
similar to the one
above. Next week, we
will explore what it
is to access the
Subconscious Mind
that dwells within
the Essential Self.
Till then, take care
of yourselves and
spread joy.
Feel like some
pizza 1 slice of peperoni pizza = about 308
calories. So pedal for your pizza. Hop on your
bike and pedal almost 16 km for a few slices
2 Doughnuts = about 578 calories. That amounts
to roughly 2 hours of zumba dance classes. So
dance for your doughnuts
1 Hotdog = 296 calories. Just strap on a
backpack and head for the great outdoors. A
one-hour hike is what it will take to burn off
that hotdog. So hike for your hotdog
1 slice of chocolate cake = 537 calories. Get
out and walk it off. Itll take about 2 hours,
so cruise that cake off
A few buttermilk biscuits = 357 calories.
Round up some friends and go ten-pin bowling.
About 90 minutes of it. So bowl for your
biscuits
Remember: 80% diet, 20% exercise. The more you
eat, the more you have to move..
On the Day that the Hour (of
reckoning) will be
established, the
transgressors will swear
that they did not tarry but
an hour: thus were they used
to being deluded!
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.
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
Jewish
people give Muslims key to their synagogue
after town's mosque burns down
In
this side-splitting sequel to his best-selling history,
David Hunt takes us to the Australian frontier. 
Welcome
to my new weekly
column on Self-Care
and Clarity of Mind.
If youre taking
time out to read
this, pat yourself
on the back because
you have shown
commitment to taking
care of your mind
and body.
Jalalludin's
w
Grab
our essential pack and start your fitness journey today
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011