Councillor
Russell Lutton receiving a
present from ICQ President, Mr
Ismail Cajee, Imam Akram Buksh,
and Slacks Creek Mosque
Secretary, Ustaad Samim for his
support of the local community.
Yassmin Abdel-Magied posted
on her Facebook page: "Lest. We.
Forget. (Manus, Nauru, Syria,
Palestine)." Photo: SBS
Hysteria over Yassmin Abdel-Magied's
Anzac Day post cannot be
separated from racism
Yassmin Abdel-Magied made
headlines in almost every
publication in Australia on
Wednesday, over a relatively
innocuous Anzac Day post on
Facebook. By the time the
post made the news, she had
already deleted it and
apologised.
Despite this, the online
rage continues to escalate.
Yassmin's Anzac statement
'idiotic'
ABC presenter Yassmin Abdel-Magied
is labelled "un-Australian" and
"insensitive" for using Anzac
Day to highlight the plight of
refugees. Sunrise
It's impossible to separate
reactions to Yassmin's post
from her public identity as
a young woman of colour, a
Muslim, and the combination
of those selves in a person
who passionately defends
Islam when we are
indoctrinated to fear and
hate it above all else. And
it would be naive to the
point of delusional to think
this plays no part in the
weight of the rage that has
settled upon her.
Many of Yassmin's critics
are using the excuse of her
post's timing to justify
their rage, but it's not
unusual for Anzac Day to be
a source of controversy and
protest.
Nationalism and
glorification of war crashes
up against the genuine grief
for lives lost, and the
solemn memory of the broken
bodies of young Australia
men scattered across the
battlefields of Europe.
Feelings run high on both
sides and public clashes
over the politics are
standard social media fare
every 25th of April.
Scott McIntyre was sacked by
SBS in 2015 after a series
of tweets in which he
described the Anzac campaign
as "cultification of an
imperialist invasion of a
foreign nation that
Australia had no quarrel
with", Anzac supporters as
"poorly-read, largely white,
nationalist drinkers and
gamblers" and actions
committed by the Anzacs
themselves as "summary
execution, widespread rape
and theft". He refused to
retract the tweets and was
fired for breaching SBS's
social media policy. His
case of unfair dismissal has
since been settled.
Yassmin's Facebook post was,
by these standards, mild.
She didn't criticise
Australian soldiers or
comment on the politics of
wars Australia has fought.
There was no disparagement
of the people who remember
Gallipoli with pride and
sadness, nor did she make a
long or public statement
about the morality of wars
we are currently fighting.
She simply asked that we
remember, in addition to
past lives lost, the people
fleeing, dying and lost in
wars being fought today. And
she's hardly the only person
to have done so.
Andrew P Street is a
well-known columnist for The
Sydney Morning Herald; he
commonly critiques
government and right wing
commentators. The post
above, far stronger than
Yassmin's, linked to an
article he wrote for one of
Australia's most read news
sites, in which he described
Gallipoli as a "humiliating
defeat", and made a direct
link between Anzac Day and a
need to examine the
pointlessness and politics
of war. He did this with
specific reference to Syria
and the build-up of nuclear
rhetoric in the current US
administration.
Other than a few irritable
comments on Twitter, there
was no backlash to this post
or the attached article.
Street hasn't been
threatened with violence, no
one has demanded he be
summarily fired or deported,
he has not been exhorted
dozens of times to kill
himself, and not one article
appeared to question his
integrity as an Australia or
his moral failing as a
commentator.
Street, however, is a
straight, white man in
Australia, so making a
political statement is
something he's deemed within
his rights to do.
And he is certainly not the
only left leaning
commentator to critique the
politics of Anzac Day. Jeff
Sparrow's 2012 article for
Overland on the politics of
Anzac Day is still shared
every year, and rarely are
there calls for his
deportation or dismissal.
Stan Grant wrote an article
yesterday for the ABC about
the horrors and racism
experienced by Aboriginal
soldiers in WWI. Grant is
Aboriginal, but in drawing
attention to an issue that
is ignored by the Anzac Day
establishment, even he was
not subjected to the
entrenched national
viciousness that Yassmin
received.
Yassmin is a woman, she is
young, she is black and she
is proudly Muslim. She
dresses gloriously in the
style of her cultural
background and speaks
passionately about her
understanding of a religion
we are constantly inculcated
to fear and loathe. Merely
existing in the world, for
her, is a political act.
Having a public platform and
using it to talk about her
experiences and knowledge is
not just political, it is
exhaustingly dangerous.
Any women in the public eye
risks backlash simply by
being female, as does any
person of colour, and anyone
identifying as Muslim.
Yassmin is outspoken in the
combination of those
crosshairs; and adds youth,
beauty and association with
the national broadcaster to
her pile of perceived sins.
She hits every hot button of
ideology and it is
abhorrent, but sadly
unsurprising, that her every
action is scrutinised by the
right-wing conservatives
whose message of exclusion
is most threatened by the
identity she proudly carries
into the public eye.
The lynch mob tactics of
conservative press and
politics, centred on
identity rather than ideas,
was on perfect display
yesterday. The pile of
articles and commentary
reached out to a national
audience and demanded
instant and vicious
retribution against a
26-year-old woman who dared
suggest that all deaths in
war are worthy of
remembrance.
Repudiating the
politicisation of Anzac Day
(as if war is not always
political) while ignoring
the politics of the lynch
mob attack on a young,
black, Muslim woman could
almost have looked
satirical, if it had not
been so deeply venomous.
Many thousands of comments
appeared on Yassmin's
Facebook page overnight, the
overwhelming majority of
them complaining about her
"disrespect" and lauding
"Australian values".
This is just a tiny sample
of the respect and value
given a young Australian
woman who dared to voice an
opinion. And these aren't
even the ones with swear
words.
Yassmin will almost
certainly have the courage
to maintain her public
presence – she is, after
all, a woman of remarkable
strength. But it shouldn't
require so very much
strength and courage to
occupy a space in public
life without the protections
of white, Christian
maleness.
Surely the groundswell of
enraged hatred in response
to one young woman's opinion
is far more of a disgrace
than asking Australia to
recognise the value of all
lives lost to war.
The Sydney
Morning Herald
The attack on Yassmin Abdel-Magied
is unprincipled and wrong
The furor around Yassmin
Abdel-Magied’s “lest we
forget (Manus, Nauru, Syria
and Palestine) ANZAC Day
Facebook post, is based on
empty air. She did not
insult Australian who have
seen military service
ANZAC Day is about war.
Refugees are mostly the
product of war and the
suffering in Syria. The
suffering of Palestinians is
also the product of war.
Surely, ANZAC Day is
supposed to help us remember
that military conflict,
whether it is in a just
cause or not, causes a great
deal of pain and loss. ANZAC
Day should therefore promote
that everything should be
done to resolve differences
through peaceful means.
The counter to this is that
a war is a glorious
experience and that ANZAC
Day is meant to promote that
our freedom depends on war.
Hence the myth that the
diggers who participated in
war have been and continue
to be the guardians of our
rights.
This untruth belies the
reality that what we have
achieved, over the years, is
the result of the efforts of
the whole population and
often against from the most
privileged. It till goes on.
Saying this does not
diminish the significance of
the Diggers, but puts it in
its proper perspective.
When Attorney General
Brandis and other government
spokespeople come out and
publicly denounce Yassmin
Abdel-Magied and the usual
Murdoch media outlets,
accompanied by the band of
followers come out to do the
same, demanding her head on
a platter, the level of
hypocrisy has hit the
stratosphere.
Nationals MP George
Christensen went further and
tweeted, “Yasmin should no
longer on the public
broadcaster’s tax-funded
payroll. Self-deportation
should also be considered.”
Peter Dutton thundered, “It
is a disgrace that on our
most significant national
day to mark the passing of
people who have defended
this country, this advocate
seeks to make political
mileage.” Really? As if this
is not exactly what Dutton
is doing.
By and large, these are the
people who only a month ago
were demanding that Section
18C of the Racial
Discrimination Act that
refers to the “offend,
insult and humiliate” should
go, because free speech
means that people should
have the right to do these
things.
It seems that their free
speech is confined to only
their narrow view of the
world and denying it to
others, is the way to ensure
its dominance.
Add to this an attempt to
turn ANZAC Day into
something very different to
what it should be, a vehicle
for their sabre rattling
narrowness. Even if you
accept the myth that all the
wars have been about
protecting Australian
freedom, surely then, ANZAC
Day is about protecting the
right to have your say.
Those who want Yassmin
Abdel-Magied’s head are
violating this too.
The Pen
These Anzac Day
“Controversies” Reveal The
Huge Hypocrisy Of Australian
Conservatives
Nothing sums up the confused
incoherence of Australia’s
conservative media figures
and politicians better than
their response to a
seven-word Facebook post
published on Anzac Day
yesterday.
The post read: “Lest. We.
Forget. (Manus, Nauru,
Syria, Palestine)”. It was
written by activist and
author Yassmin Abdel-Magied
and it turned some of the
country’s staunchest
defenders of free speech
into a troupe they would
normally deride as
‘hyper-triggered,
PC-police’. They demanded
Abdel-Magied’s resignation,
and in one case even her
deportation — simply because
she wrote something they
disagreed with.
What’s Everyone Angry About?
After being criticised on
Facebook for the post Abdel-Magied
deleted it, explaining “It
was brought to my attention
that my last post was
disrespectful, and for that,
I apologise unreservedly”.
She posted a new message
that just said “Lest we
forget”.
But that didn’t stop the
criticism, with commenters
accusing her of “disloyalty”
and “disrespecting
Australian values”. Others
said she was using a day of
commemoration to pursue a
political agenda and had
“hijacked” the meaning of
Anzac Day. The media soon
picked up the story,
culminating in this
extraordinary Daily
Telegraph front page:
This morning
Pauline Hanson posted a
bizarre and terrifying video
urging her followers to
“never forget” Abdel-Magied’s
comments, attacking the ABC
for not sacking her (weirdly
by citing the ABC’s decision
to stand-down Natasha Exelby),
and suggesting that migrants
who don’t “respect” Anzac
Day should leave the
country.
Conservative commentators
Andrew Bolt and Gerard
Henderson have both
questioned whether Abdel-Magied
has the qualifications to
hold her job at the ABC.
Junkee
If Yassmin Abdel-Magied was
out of line, her attackers
were worse:
Madonna King
Yassmin Abdel-Magied taught
us all a valuable lesson
this week.
Free speech, to some of its
advocates, only works if it
supports bigotry, racism and
sexism.
To offer a view, contrary to
theirs, is to attract a
tsunami of abuse, hatred and
vitriol that makes you sick
to read.
Ms Abdel-Magied did not
attack our Anzacs. She did
not suggest that those on
Manus Island or Nauru, or in
Syria and Palestine should
take the place, in our
thoughts, of our Anzacs.
She simply asked, on a day
when we commemorate those
brave souls, that we also
not forget others - those on
Manus Island and Nauru, in
Syria and Palestine.
It was a mistake. People
were always going to read
that as an attack on a day
so, so important in the
history and the psyche of
our country.
So what did she do when her
error was explained to her?
She admitted it, deleted the
post immediately from her
Facebook account and
apologised.
And for that, she's been
labelled terms that made me
feel ill. A "shit slag".
Someone who should feel the
violent wrath of a strong
male Muslim colleague. She
should "piss off" to her own
land "of bombed out
buildings". And so the
drivel continued.
No doubt my
email box will fill quickly
too, simply because of a
decision to support a
26-year-old who made a
mistake.
But what about the irony
here? Free speech isn't
exactly free. To those who
spent Wednesday attacking
Abdel-Magied, it seems it is
only free when it supports
their side of the argument.
Our politicians led the
assault, in a cheap bid to
grab a few extra votes.
Like a school tuckshop queue
on a Friday, they lined up
to label her a disgrace, and
her conduct reprehensible.
Some demanded she be told to
leave Australia and that the
ABC's funding should be
slashed as retribution
against the part-time
presenter.
If Abdel-Magied was out of
line - and many people think
she was - that makes those
who spent Wednesday throwing
nasty, racist, sexist and
violent comments at her even
worse.
Free speech is one thing,
freedom to abuse is another
and doesn't match any
definition of Australian
values.
With her ukulele in hand,
17-year-old girl guide
Brittania Clifford-Pugh from
Toowoomba performed 'Safe
and Sound' by the Civil Wars
and Taylor Swift.
As a Muslim-Australian, she
said she was "here to crush
some stereotypes" and prove
that one's beliefs should
not impact their ability to
be an artist.
Boy George, who is Buddhist,
agreed with her "loving,
unifying message" and turned
for the young activist.
"We have a similar attitude
to life," he said, "let's do
some interesting things
together."
Brittania had the residents
of Toowoomba on the edge on
their seats in her national
television debut on the 2017
season of The Voice.
The ukulele player said she
was using the countrywide
platform as the show's first
Muslim contestant to create
more diversity in the
industry and challenge
stereotypes around her
religion.
Residents have been quick to
send their support.
Tamara King said: "She is
amazing at singing and so is
her sister. My younger
sister went to school with
them and we have watched
them grow."
Jodi Robinson described
Brittania as talented and
courageous.
Pamela Temple said the whole
town was backing her.
"Many of us have watched her
grow into the young lady she
is today," she said.
"We've applauded her many
times in her performances at
the Empire, in school
musicals, in Darling Downs
scout revues and at
eisteddfods.
"We've watched her go up
through the ranks of the
scouting movement. If that's
not supporting Brittania, I
don't know what is."
Candice Moore offered some
sound advice.
"Be you and sing your heart
out," she said.
Brittania is known around
town as a member of
five-piece acoustic pop band
The Fes, which performs at
markets and events.
Rai Akers said Toowoomba was
proud.
"We've heard her singing in
many places, including at
numerous inter-faith
events," she said.
Michelle Baartz said: "She
is a very talented,
dedicated and polite young
lady and I wish her all the
best on her journey."
Fiona Stevenson said: "She
is a young lady representing
her religion that is
surrounded by stereotypes.
Go you good thing and good
luck."
Member for Bundaberg Leanne
Donaldson and Bundaberg religous
leaders have called for an end
to bigotry and racism in the
region.
A GROUP of community leaders
has vowed to stand strong in
support of Muslims in
Bundaberg.
More than 20 leaders came
together at Buss Park
yesterday to speak out
against ignorance and
intolerance.
Among the group was
religious leaders of
different religious
denominations as well as
leaders of Bundaberg's
Muslim community.
Salvation Army Captain Chris
Millard spoke for the group
and said "faith is separate
to hate," as he expressed
his outrage and frustration
after seeing graffiti on a
fence on FE Walker St.
"Kill Muslims Assie's (sic)
Allea (sic) must be stopped
world wide," the sprayed
paint read.
"All of us here have
experienced people's
ignorance and rudeness in
horrible things they say,"
Cpt Millard said.
"Just because someone
doesn't believe what you
believe doesn't make them
wrong - it makes them their
beliefs and your beliefs -
and I'm allowed to have mine
just as they're allowed to
have theirs," he said.
"We are a community which
believes in doing the right
thing and we want to make
sure people have the right
to believe and think what
they like but others are
allowed to have their own
thoughts."
Cpt Millard said he believed
intolerance in the Bundaberg
region stemmed from fear.
Acts terrorism around the
globe were tragic, horrible
and sad, Cpt Millard said,
but religion was not to
blame.
"It's not religion that does
these things its the people
in the name of religion who
do things and we need to
stand against the violence,
against ignorance and
against racism," he said.
"We need to teach other to
respect each other.
"Disagreeing is not hating -
it's okay, but using in a
platform of hate or violence
is not acceptable or
tolerable in anyway."
Member for Bundaberg Leanne
Donaldson said everyone had
a right to practice their
religion freely and without
fear.
"Religious intolerance is
everybody's problem but I
believe we can be part of
the solution," Ms Donaldson
said.
"We are here in regardless
of anyone's political views
or faith it's important to
call this behaviour out for
what it is," she said.
"It's harassment on the
basis of religion and in
many case of ethnicity and
nationality."
Ms Donaldson organised
yesterday's event after she
was approached by the
Bundaberg Peace Project,
members of which have
experienced harassment and
verbal attacks, as well as
the FE Walker St graffiti.
She said the negative
mindset and actions of some
did not belong in 2017 and
would not be tolerated.
And, she said, there was an
obligation for political
leaders to call out the
behaviour.
"I think people believe
people can say or do thing
which will go unchecked and
they have a licence to do
these things," Ms Donaldson
said.
"We stand together to say
they do not have a licence
and it will not go
unchecked."
The group hopes residents
stand with them and put an
end to the bigoted actions
of others.
"If they see it in the
street, just like if they
saw domestic violence or any
other behaviour that is
unwanted they would call it
out when they see it," Ms
Donaldson said.
Imam Zainadine Johnson's role
as leader of the Sunshine Coast
Muslim community has been
terminated.
The Sunshine Coast's first
Imam is looking for a new
venue to preach Islam after
being sacked by the
committee heading up his
community.
Imam Zainadine Johnson took
up his full-time paid role
in October last year but
said factions within the
community had been moving
against him for a while.
He said he was told on
Sunday by his employers
there was not enough money
to continue paying him to
lead prayers and teach Islam
at the Kawana Family Centre.
But he said there had been
reluctance from some members
of his community to accept
his appointment as leader.
"They didn't like the fact I
was a white, Australian,
surfing Salafy,” Imam
Zainadine said.
He said some community
members, including Shia
Muslims, had boycotted
donating and attending
prayers since his
appointment.
"They are always going to be
against whatever I say
because I am a Sunni.”
"In Islam you have Sunni and
Shia.
"You can't be both.”
Imam Zainadine said he gave
a talk against extremism
during his Friday prayers
about a month ago which
mentioned a range of
examples, including Islamic
State.
He said he also spoke of
Shia Muslim extremism.
"Some other people thought
this was dividing,” he said.
"I have no regrets for
anything I've said.
"I only wish to guide people
to the truth and to the
straight path away from all
types of extremism.”
Imam Zainadine said there
were up to 200 people in the
Sunshine Coast Muslim
community but about 80
people regularly attended
prayers.
He said he had received
support from community
members since his role was
terminated.
"People are sick of the
in-fighting, that is what
I'm getting from this.”
He said he hoped to continue
teaching Islam on the Coast
and was looking for
somewhere else to give
sermons.
Fadila Chafic, Meltem
Kilicoglu and Anisa Buckley
practice on the beach.
IF YOU’VE ever gone swimsuit
shopping and struggled to
find the right fit — save a
thought for Anisa Buckley.
A keen squad swimmer as a
young teen, she was turned
away from the sport when she
couldn’t find the right
swimwear.
“Once I hit 14 I had to
start making do with
swimming clothes,” she said.
“I would wear light weight
long pants and long sleeve
cotton shirts because there
was nothing readily
available.
“A lot of pools had policies
about wearing clothes at the
time so it made it hard for
people who wanted to train
and wear modest clothes.”
In recent years she has
rekindled her love for
swimming with a group of
like-minded women known as
the Swim Sisters who
regularly meet to swim laps
and train for ocean swimming
at various pools across
Sydney.
Some in the group are Muslim
and wear the hijab but all
are simply in the group for
the company and the support.
On Sunday, they took to the
waves for a session of a
different kind, teaming up
with Speedo to test out
their new range of modesty
suits — their version of the
‘burkhini’ — with a surfing
lesson on Bondi Beach.
“Like there are bikinis or
one pieces, its nice to have
the modest option
available,” Ms Buckley said.
“I’m really happy that
Speedo, a reputable brand,
has decided to make
something like this. It
shows that they do care
about the fact that there
are so many people who want
to get into swimming and
sport.
“It validates Muslim women
and their desire to get fit
and get out and exercise.”
The Swim Sisters
show off the new
range of modesty
suits.
With hoods, long sleeves and
full length pants, modesty
suits are an alternative to
skimpy bikinis for women who
prefer to cover up when
hitting the beach.
“This is not just something
for people with religious
reasons behind their
modesty, but simply for
women who might be self
conscious about their bodies
and want to cover up or as a
means of staying sun safe,”
Speedo spokeswoman Lauren
Spence said.
“We have a philosophy that
we want to provide a swim
suit for any body and this
modesty suit is just an
extension of that.”
It's the first time the
swimwear giant has released
a range of this kind in
Australia with options for a
swim tunic or dress with
leggings or pants and hood.
“We were hearing that people
had to go to overseas
retailers to find the
products they needed or mix
and match between brands so
we wanted to fully provide
for what they wanted,” she
said.
‘The suit allows them to
have all over coverage while
still allowing women to swim
comfortably without too much
drag in the water.”
Modesty suits like these
made headlines in August
last year when the French
government imposed what was
widely known as a ‘burkini
ban’ — but Ms Buckley hopes
the new range will make
people feel less intimidated
by the swim suit.
“It can be daunting if
you’re wearing the modesty
suit on your own and you
feel like you’re more
visible on the beach but
when we all go down in a
group we support each other.
“I hope this will normalise
the modesty suits and show
people that we’re serious
swimmers too.”
Ms Buckley and several
others from the group have
already competed in several
ocean swims this year and
have been spurred on by the
positive feedback to their
group’s mission to remove
fear and empower women to
get in the water.
For most at the surf lesson
it was the first time they
had been on a board but
their enthusiasm was
contagious.
“As a woman who has spent so
much of my life at the beach
in swim suits to see these
women able to have the same
opportunity was really
liberating,” Let’s Go
Surfing swim school founder
Brenda Miley said.
“It was a positive
experience for us surfie
chicks to chat to those
women who cover themselves
up and realise we’re so
similar.
“Once you get in the water
it's a perfect leveller, no
matter who you are.”
Modesty suits are available
from a girls size eight to
ladies size 22 and work is
already underway for new
colour options in the coming
months.
Muslim fashion blogger
Delina Darusman-Gala gave
the suits her tick of
approval.
“The style is really simple
— its clean and there’s
different shapes available
depending on what you want,”
she said.
“Having a well-known brand
behind it makes the modesty
suit more mainstream.”
A designer herself, she said
the modesty wear industry is
gaining traction with women
becoming more comfortable in
their own skin.
“The first modesty suit I
ever got was all one piece
and made me feel really
uncomfortable — its nice to
see that there are more
options for people now, not
just those who want to dress
modestly but for sun
protection too.”
By Hayley Gleeson with Julia Baird
Illustrations by Rocco Fazzari
Most Muslims believe Islam
abhors violence. So why do
some say the Koran sanctions
"lightly" beating your wife?
An ABC News investigation
into religion and domestic
violence reveals the fight
within Islam to stop the
abuse of women and prevent
imams from telling victims
to stay and obey.
Refraining from beating up
women is now, we're told, a
core Australian value.
As Deputy Prime Minister
Barnaby Joyce put it last
week: "There's no polite way
to beat up your wife. If you
want to beat up your wife,
you can't become a citizen
of this nation. It's as
simple as that."
So who does believe there is
a gentle or prudent way to
strike a woman you are
married to? Was Mr Joyce
referring to some of the
diverse and often divergent
Muslim community in
Australia?
It has taken many decades to
ensure Australians recognise
intimate partner violence as
a crime that must be
exposed, not endured. In no
small part thanks to former
Australian of the Year Rosie
Batty, large swathes of the
country are now conscious of
the prevalence and myriad
destructive forms domestic
violence takes.
But one significant cultural
factor influencing the way
perpetrators act and victims
respond has been barely
discussed and is poorly
understood: religion.
In an ongoing ABC News
investigation, we look at
the ways Islam, Christianity
and other religions are
being forced to confront the
darkness in their own midst,
the fact that some of their
followers at times condone
or tolerate domestic
violence, and to grapple
with how best to combat it.
This week, Islam.
Wife-beating as a 'last
resort'
It was ostensibly an attempt
to explain a controversial
verse in Islam's holy book,
the Koran, that, if taken
literally, allows husbands
to physically discipline
rebellious wives.
In a video posted to
Facebook by the Women of
Hizb ut-Tahrir Australia, a
radical Islamic group, two
hijab-clad women laugh off
the idea that Islam is
"gender biased" but claim
the Koran permits men to hit
disobedient women — gently,
using small sticks or pieces
of fabric.
"He [the husband] is
permitted — not obliged, not
encouraged — but permitted,
to hit her [his wife]," one
of the women says. "That is
what everyone is talking
about. It should not cause
pain. Not harsh."
The backlash was swift.
Politicians including
Minister for Women Michaelia
Cash and Australia's first
Muslim frontbencher, Labor's
Ed Husic, called the
attitudes expressed in the
clip "abhorrent" and "out of
touch with community
standards". Social media
exploded.
And many Muslim leaders went
into damage control.
Only a few weeks ago, Keysar
Trad, the president of the
Australian Federation of
Islamic Councils, had
indicated to Sky News'
Andrew Bolt that his
religion allows a husband to
beat his wife as "a last
resort" — though he later
said his attempt to explain
the Koranic verse had been
"clumsy".
"To be honest," said Adel
Salman, the vice-president
of the Islamic Council of
Victoria, "we needed this
like a hole in the head".
He worried, he said, that it
would lead to "further
stereotyping of the Muslim
community".
The position that should be
made very clear to all
Muslims is that there is
never any justification for
any form of violence —
against women, or in
marriage."
But the questions remain: is
it clear to all Muslims? How
do those who are not
scholars interpret the
teaching in the Koran? Why
is it so complicated?
And why is it so difficult
to have an open discussion
about it?
ABC News has interviewed
dozens of scholars, imams,
social workers and women's
advocates over the past
several weeks with three
major findings.
First, there is a strong
consensus that Islam abhors
all violence, including
domestic abuse.
Second, there are serious,
legitimate concerns that
some in the community do
still believe Koranic texts
support husbands abusing
their wives, as revealed in
the Facebook video above.
And third, crucially, that
Australia's all-male imams
are often encouraging women
to stay in violent
situations.
Hizb ut-Tahrir a 'minority'
view in Islam
Following the uproar, the
Women of Hizb-ut Tahrir
Australia posted a statement
to Facebook which was later
deleted.
They said they wanted to
respond to "understandable
concern" from other Muslims
and clarify that: "Domestic
violence is an abomination
that Islam rejects in the
strongest terms."
However, they defended their
discussions on the grounds
of needing to work through
difficult texts despite
"liberal" opposition.
"We firmly believe that we,
as a community, must not shy
away from the clarification
of Islamic injunctions,
however controversial, let
alone succumb to
reinterpretations of Islam
forced by liberal hounding,"
they said.
"In fact, the greater the
pressure, the greater our
adherence to Islam must be."
But Susan Carland, who
teaches gender studies,
politics, and sociology at
Monash University, said Hizb
ut-Tahrir was a "minority
opinion within Islam" in
Australia.
"In this kind of situation,
we only want to be hearing
from people who actually
know what they're talking
about, we want to be hearing
from imams and those sort of
people," Dr Carland said.
What does the Koran say?
The question of whether the
Koran sanctions violence
against women continues to
be debated among Islamic
scholars in Australia and
abroad.
It's not just academic.
Social workers report that,
in some instances, it has
been used by abusive men to
argue for women's submission
and obedience, and as
justification for violence.
Debate around whether Islam
permits wife beating is
mostly concentrated on the
34th verse in chapter four
of the Koran (4:34).
For centuries male scholars
have argued that it gives
husbands financial and or
fundamental superiority over
women, as well as the right
to physically discipline —
or "beat lightly" — their
wives.
According to one
translation, it states:
Men are the
protectors and
maintainers of women,
because Allah has given
the one more (strength)
than the other, and
because they support
them from their means.
Therefore the righteous
women are devoutly
obedient, and guard in
(the husband's) absence
what Allah would have
them guard. As to those
women on whose part ye
fear disloyalty and
ill-conduct, admonish
them (first), (next),
refuse to share their
beds, (and last) beat
them (lightly); but if
they return to
obedience, seek not
against them means (of
annoyance): For Allah is
Most High, great (above
you all).
However, in recent decades a
growing number of scholars
have argued such
interpretations contradict
major Islamic teachings of
non-violence and gender
equality.
The verse should not be read
literally, they say, but in
context with other Koranic
verses, as well as the
example of the Prophet
Muhammad, who — as has been
well-established in hadiths,
which document his words and
actions — never hit his
wives, and encouraged men to
treat women with respect.
"There is conjecture around
the interpretation of 4:34,"
Mr Salman said. "But there
is zero conjecture about
[the hadith outlining that
the Prophet never hit his
wives].
"Throughout the 1,400 or
1,500 years of Islamic
scholarship, no-one has ever
questioned this particular
hadith."
Violence of any kind
directly violates sharia law
(which is the teachings of
the Koran, the hadiths, and
the expertise of Islamic
scholars), Mr Salman said.
Muslims in Australia are
required to abide by the law
of the land.
"One of the core objectives
of sharia is preservation of
life, which is sacrosanct."
Feminist scholars and
feminists have argued that
the problem is simple: for
centuries Islamic
scholarship has been the
domain of men.
Islamophobia makes it
difficult to talk about
Silma Ihram, president of
the Australian Muslim
Women's Association, said
that while Islam does not
condone violence, "men who
are less educated about the
complexities of [4:34's]
application and depth of
meaning can use it to
justify their superiority,
that their wife should
behave".
But few are willing to talk
about it in public.
"There is such a reluctance
for the community to
publicly address issues like
domestic violence because
it's seen as adding to the
Islamophobic narrative —
which we are already
struggling under — that
Islam is an ideology, that
it's archaic, that it
doesn't have relevance," Ms
Ihram said.
Federal MP Bob Katter was
caught on video making 'racist'
remarks about Muslims.
Federal politician Bob
Katter has been forced to
respond to criticism over
comments he made at a Sydney
pub about not wanting
Muslims in Australia.
Sydney DJ Kevin “Pon Cho”
Kerr, who recorded his
encounter with the
Queensland MP on his mobile
phone, accused Mr Katter of
exhibiting “racist vibes”.
“You don’t like much, do you
really?” he asked, to which
Mr Katter responded: “We’re
nice to you white blokes, I
think we are.”
When asked if he was “in
bed” with Pauline Hanson’s
One Nation, Mr Katter said:
“I don’t want any Muslims
coming here … No, I
shouldn’t say that.”
He was quick to deny the
claims, despite the camera
continuing to roll.
“That’s not what I said,
mate. Don’t go telling
lies,” Mr Katter said.
e then appears to grab the
man by the shoulder before
disappearing from the frame,
while the taunting Mr Kerr
seemed apparently smug after
having caught out the
politician.
The video, which was filmed
at a New South Wales pub,
has been viewed more than
34,000 times in 24 hours.
WARNING: EXPLETIVE LANGUAGE
Mr Katter released a
statement on Sunday,
reiterating his stance about
halting immigration from the
Middle East and north
Africa.
“The time is long overdue to
stop people from terrorist
regions coming to
Australia,” he said.
“Why we say the Middle East
and north Africa? The case
cannot be made against
Albania, Indonesia or
Malaysia – they are not
terrorist countries, even
though they are Muslim
countries.
“The exception of course are
the persecuted minorities …
We must, and please God will
always, welcome them.”
He also made a dig at Mr
Kerr for publicly releasing
the video.
“There is something wrong in
the media when you can
address this issue formally
and intelligently in the
Parliament with reason and
you get absolutely nothing;
and some loud-mouthed
budgerigar puts a video out
and we get nationwide
publicity,” he said.
“I’ll be writing Pon Cho a
letter of thanks.
“We will say again, and
again, bring in the
tormented, not the
tormentors.”
Mr Katter is no stranger to
controversy. In 2011 he
received backlash after
claiming same-sex marriage
deserved “to be laughed at
and ridiculed”.
More recently, he released
an election campaign
advertisement which depicted
Mr Katter smiling while
holding a gun, implying the
independent MP had shot two
men wearing shirts labelled
ALP and NLP.
The humble HSP has been
dubbed a "symbol of liberal
values and tolerance".
The Halal Snack Pack,
commonly known as the HSP,
is making headlines in
unexpected places.
A HSP is, at one level,
simply chips, halal kebab
meat, cheese, and a trio of
sauces in a styrofoam box.
But it's also being
applauded as a popular
symbol of tolerance in a
multicultural society.
While the dish had been up
on the menu boards of kebab
shops for years (and was the
2am food of choice for many
a drunken partier), it
garnered a lot of attention
in late 2015 and gathered
momentum in 2016, especially
when Labor senator Sam
Dastyari invited Pauline
Hanson to enjoy a HSP. "Not
going to happen," she told
Dastyari. "Not interested. I
don't believe in Halal
certification."
Everyone had a take on the
HSP:
Halal SNACK PACK! Kelis
Milkshake Parody
Now, the HSP has gone
international, with coverage
in the US.
The Atlantic published an
article earlier this week,
titled "Big in Australia:
Snacktivism", which outlined
the box of meat's huge rise
in popularity, as well its
cultural significance in
Australia.
While some Aussies will
flinch at the US-based site
referring to chips as
'French fries', the
publishing of the article
shows that not only is the
delicious snack gaining
momentum across the pond, so
is its message of
multiculturalism and
tolerance.
The Atlantic's article
explores the Halal Snack
Pack Appreciation Society,
the 181,000-strong Facebook
group that lovingly posts
reviews of HSPs.
Author Isabella Kwai writes,
"Australia’s federal
election campaign was
heating up, and xenophobia
was surging. Against this
backdrop, the Halal Snack
Pack Appreciation Society
Facebook group began to
function as a space for
Muslims and non-Muslims to
reaffirm their harmony, and
to vent about their fears."
The HSP, she writes, a
"Styrofoam box filled with
meat and french fries",
became a symbol of liberal
values and tolerance.
VICE's food site Munchies in
the US has also covered the
HSP rise to fame. The story
explains, "at a time when
Australia's Muslim
population is in the
crosshairs of a resurgent
far-right movement, the
East-meets-West creation
[the HSP] has become a
defiant symbol of the
country's cultural and
ethnic diversity."
Luke Eagles, one of the
creators of the Halal Snack
Pack Appreciation Society,
said that the group has a
small - but important -
international population.
Does that mean that the HSP
exists outside of Australia?
Eagles says it's not
exceedingly common, but the
group does receive reviews
from countries other than
Australia every now and
then. "I wouldn't say we
regularly get international
recommendations and reviews.
Occasionally though!"
He says he's seen the
existence of Halal Snack
Packs in Germany, Iceland,
Canada, New Zealand, Japan,
and more.
Eagles says he's thrilled
with the group's progression
from an Aussie cult
phenomenon to having an
international presence: "We
kinda envisioned it shaping
out to be that way, that's
the direction we've been
pushing it in from Day 1."
Michael Boss, a Christian
man from the City of Casey
in Melbourne's expansive
south-east, had what he
thought was a good idea. He
would ask all 105 local
Christian churches – Casey
is Melbourne's new bible
belt – to pledge
"friendship" with Muslims to
help stop "the growing
problem of Islamophobia".
A three-paragraph statement
went out to all the
churches. All of them – the
Catholics, Baptists and
Anglicans as well as the
many Pentecostal and
Evangelical churches booming
in Melbourne's most populous
local government area where
a third of all residents are
born overseas. They were
asked to sign the statement
and send it back.
Only one of the 105 replied.
That was the Hampton Park
Uniting Church, a place that
gives away lunch once a week
to the needy including many
of Islamic faith. Reverend
Mat Harry says: "It was a
no-brainer. It took us two
minutes in church council to
decide it was a good idea.
You have to stand up for
what you believe in and
racism is not acceptable."
Mr Boss, who is involved
with the Facebook group
Casey Against Racism, has
now defected to Reverend
Harry's church, leaving the
Pentecostal congregation he
worshipped at in protest at
what he calls the
"prosperity theology" and
"militant faith" rampant in
the Pentecostal and
Evangelical communities.
The "reconciliatory"
statement read, in part:
"We, as Christians who have
been called to love our
neighbours as ourselves,
unite strongly with the
Muslim community against
racism and bigotry. Muslims
are not our enemies.
Christians and Muslims are
brothers and sisters."
Sisters
Support Services are seeking
a suitable location to hold
classes and social sessions
for new Muslims and Sisters
in need.
A community centre or shared
space to accommodate an
Islamic library, Islamic and
women's social classes plus
office space for sisters
consultations and
counselling.
Sisters Support Services
include:
• Monthly Coffee Club
• Youth Group activities
• Support for New
Muslims
• Share accommodation
assistance
• Rosters for meals and
hospital visits
• Muslimah Swimming
lessons
• Advocacy and Referrals
• Quran classes for
beginners
• Islam 101 basics
Since the closing of Sisters
house in October 2015 the
group has continued to
service the community by
offering classes and support
to Muslim women in need,
including share
accommodation assistance and
referrals to related
services.
Regular organised youth
group and sisters activities
are run, including volunteer
groups which offer meals and
visits to those who are
isolated and in hospital.
Spokesperson for Sister's
Support Services told CCN:
"We would like to take
this opportunity to thank
the community for their
continued support over the
many years we have been in
service. Our plea is for
community support so we can
continue our service to
contribute to the community
in the best way possible."
Boxer Anthony Mundine has
defended his comments made
in a YouTube interview with
Mark Latham, saying he is
“totally against any
violence against woman
[sic].”
Mundine posted on Facebook
to say it was “disturbing &
bullsh*t” to say he
supported the notion of
beating.
“I’m totally against any
violence against woman
period !!! Watch the whole
interview I defend woman
always these people trying
to get headlines & slander
my name will get there’s!!!”
he wrote online.
That’s despite his earlier
appearance on Mark Latham’s
Outsiders, now a YouTube
show after the former Labor
leader was sacked from Sky
News last month, in which Mr
Mundine, sitting alongside
TV broadcaster and radio
veteran Ben Fordham,
discussed his views on his
religion while expressing
his support for Yassmin
Abdel-Magied, who claimed
Islam was a feminist
religion.
In reply, Mr Mundine said:
“God created two creatures,
male and female, different,
different in stature and
different roles to play in
society. For me, all the
answers are in the Koran,
the holy Koran,”
Mr Latham challenged Mr
Mundine on the “worrying”
comment and quoted a verse
from the Koran itself.
“It teaches followers that,
and I quote, ‘men are in
charge of women. Good women
are therefore obedient. For
women who might disobey,
it’s recommended to admonish
them, leave them alone in
their sleeping places and
then beat them’,” Mr Latham
said.
Mr Latham said “that doesn’t
sound very feminist”.
But Mundine appeared to
begin to back track by
clarifying, “it’s not a term
as far as to beat as to
hit”.
“In the Koran, you know what
a beating is? You know the
Arab toothbrush? Little
stick, that is a beating,
but you cannot harm the
lady, cause any injury or
any bruising,” he defended.
Mr Latham replied: “Why do
you need that? Why do you
need to encourage any sort
of physicality? Some men, in
a moment of anger, could go
over the top with real
violence?”
Mr Mundine said “it doesn’t
promote physicality. You
cannot beat your woman or
anybody by beating them
physically”.
Mr Latham continued to press
Mundine: “What about
rewriting or changing the
wording of the Koran to make
it clear?”
But Mundine tried to say
that translating Arabic into
English meant words were
lost in translation. “I
looked up on this and that
word beat, in the Arabic
language, the way it’s
pronounced isn’t really
beat.”
Mundine said domestic
violence was “totally
unacceptable” and leaders
needed to “brush up on their
beliefs and faith”.
Mundine said there was no
way the Koran could be
changed to reflect modern
day values.
“Surely any book written in
the Middle Ages, it’s too
backward,” Mr Latham said.
Mundine said: “The author is
God, it cannot be backward.
Allah, God, knows his
creatures better than any
body. He made you, he made
us, made every thing you
see, every thing you don’t
see, the heaven, the earth,
everything, the sun, the
moon, he’s the author.”
“We just gotta use our
faculties and reasonings to
see the truth. Just ask the
almighty, the creator to
guide you to the truth
without no bias. Truth is
black and white.”
Muslim Labor MP Anne Aly says
it's obvious why she was
attacked on social media over
unsubstantiated allegations she
refused to lay a wreath at an
Anzac Day ceremony in Perth.
Australia's first female
Muslim MP, Anne Aly, has
received an apology over
allegations she refused to
lay a wreath at an Anzac Day
service in Perth.
The unsubstantiated claim
was circulated by Kim Vuga,
from the 'Love Australia or
Leave Party', alleging the
Labor MP would not present
the wreath at the Wanneroo
service on Monday.
Dr Aly's Facebook page was
then inundated with a series
of posts demanding she
explain the alleged
indiscretion.
The Labor MP explained she
had in fact attended the
Ballajura service, where she
laid a wreath and made a
speech. She denounced the
claims as false.
Dr Aly told SBS News she was
insulted by the allegation
she refused to lay a wreath
given she had a strong
relationship with the RSL
and a high regard for
serving and ex-service men
and women.
"I also thought it was
absolutely disgusting that
people would use Anzac Day
to further their political
and social agenda," she
said.
Listen: Anne Aly
responds to claims
she refused to lay a
wreath at Anzac Day
service
It was "obvious" why she was
attacked, the MP said.
"I have a staff member who's
worked with different
members for about 20 years,
and she said in 20 years
I've never heard anyone -
anyone - questioned about
whether or not they attended
an Anzac Day ceremony or
whether or not they laid a
wreath," Dr Aly said.
"I think anyone with any
kind of insight can see that
(religion) was one of the
big things."
Ms Vuga apologised to Dr Aly
on Friday afternoon,
acknowledging the claims
caused the MP a "great deal
of stress and negative
feedback from the public".
"I should have confirmed and
checked the facts personally
with Anne Aly given my post
was posted late that day
after the Anzac
commemorations," Ms Vuga
said in a Facebook post.
"I take full responsibility
in posting Gary’s post to my
Facebook page and sincerely
apologise to Anne for any
stress caused and time taken
away from her busy
schedule."
Earlier, Dr Aly said she
would receive any apology
graciously.
"I have no reason to doubt
that it would be sincere,
and I hope that it doesn't
happen again," Dr Aly said.
The Big Autumn Fete at the
Islamic College of Brisbane
is always a great day for
our multicultural community
to get together with
something for everyone -
rides and activities for the
kids, a terrific variety of
stalls and different ethnic
cuisines.
In sha Allah, we hope this
year’s fete will be bigger
and better than ever before
with all proceeds from this
event going towards the new
Upper Primary School
Playground due for
construction later this
year.
An international foodfest
will be on offer and
community stallholders will
showcase a huge variety of
different clothing,
jewellery, islamic books,
toys and homewares. The
teachers and students of ICB
will offer a variety of
showbags, sweets and treats
as well as fun activities
for the kids including
games, face-painting and
henna.
For just $35, you can have
unlimited access to rides
that suit all ages,
including a Ferris Wheel, a
Merry-Go-Round, the
“Sizzler”, the “Tarantula”
and the “Satellite” as well
as a rock-climbing wall.
Tickets are also sold
separately.
There will also be an animal
farm and a reptile show. Our
local branch of the SES will
showcase a storm truck flood
boast or ATV and Acacia
Ridge Fire station hope to
join us with their big red
fire truck!
An impressive array of stage
entertainment has been
planned for the day. The
Multicultural Parade is back
again, with over 100
students from 25 nations
demonstrating their
traditional dress. We will
also host our first ICB
Great Spelling Bee
Competition and announce the
winners of the Adhan and ICB
Fete Baking competitions.
The College Parents’
Advisory Committee is also
proud to present a soul
touching nasheed performance
by Br Mu’adz Dzulkefly with
live percussions during this
year’s stage program.
The evening will close with
some spectacular fireworks!
So, come along and don’t
miss out on this day of
fun-packed entertainment.
PS: Don't
forget the famous and much
loved CresCafe
with the best cupcakes and
coffee in town!
The UK Muslim News Awards
for Excellence event was
held 27 March 2017 in London
to acknowledge British
Muslim and non-Muslim
contributions to the
society.
Alhambra Award
for Excellence in
ARTS
For achievement in
the fine art,
performing art or
architecture.
Winner: Shahida
Ahmed
Burnley born Shahida
Ahmed's work is a
fusion of
Lancashire, India
and Pakistan
influences.
Fundamentally a
potter, her latest
work also showcases
her paintings
inspired by poet
Rumi.
How did your
interest in Art
develop?
My interest in art
developed at an
early age because we
were a very creative
family. I think it
was something that
was in our blood. My
mother designed
clothes, she
stitched them and
had a great vision
for textiles, and my
sister, who was
older than me, went
to study art at F.E.
College. My
grandfather's
brother was very
creative and
produced many
paintings in water
colours in India and
Pakistan. These were
mainly of landscape.
In my teens at Edge
End High School in
Nelson I won a
competition with the
local army store
designing a poster
for keeping Pendle
tidy. The prize was
a tree for the
school grounds. Mum
had always
encouraged us to be
creative at home -
we made our own
dolls out of rags
and cut fabric and
we designed our
Asian clothes. We
were taught to cook
and make many food
dishes that were our
own ingredients; my
mother was the first
ambassador who
enabled us as
children to explore
creativity. When my
parents established
their business in
textiles 'Shehzad
Textiles' we were
introduced to
colours, fabric,
textures, different
materials and the
textiles industry in
the 1970s. The other
thing I vividly
remember as a child
is decorating our
house, interiors,
wallpaper and
furnishing.
My earlier works
were exploring
colour, using
patterns and picking
up on textures and
fabrics that
surrounded our
environment. This
included screen
printing fabric and
making clothes out
of them.
My parents were very
supportive for us
pursuing a career in
whatever field any
of us chose to do. I
came from a large
extended family of
eight siblings and
all of us were just
encouraged to gain
an education in the
fields we were most
comfortable.
How would you
describe your work? My
work is recognised
for being
traditional; by this
I mean the influence
of heritage plays a
huge role in my
work. I use Islamic
calligraphy,
patterns, buildings
and lots of textures
and colour. The main
body of my work is
in clay and I have
recently started
painting. When you
see my clay works
they look like old
authentic pieces
from many hundreds
of years ago. The
colours are earthy
and blues inspired
by the blue mosque
in Istanbul. The
clay forms are
amalgamated textures
which fuse in a very
high order to show
traditional art. I
use stoneware and
raku firing in my
pottery. My
paintings are
colourful and very
textural. I have
used an un-faced
figure in the
whirling dervish
figure inspired by
the poet Rumi.
How has your work
changed from your
early work?
My work has changed;
it has matured in
style and no longer
sketch and design. I
can get a piece of
clay and allow the
clay to mould into
an art piece from
inspiration within.
I manipulate it to
make something that
comes from
experience and
visual imaginations
of my travels and
thoughts. My journey
to Islam allows me
to focus on my
theme. I think many
artists use art as
an expression and
that is exactly what
I have tried to do
with my work.
My work has also led
me to develop arts
within the community
- such as children's
art groups, women's
art group and also
the first ever South
Asian and Middle
Eastern arts company
in Pendle.
Where do you get
your inspiration
from?
Travelling, poetry,
Islam and
traditional arts. I
am influenced by
drawings of Sadequin
and Gulgee's work. I
also like the works
of Jim Robison.
How
do you think
Lancashire and
Pakistan have
influenced your
work?
Lancashire: The
journey my family
had from India to
Pakistan to
Lancashire was all
due to the cotton
industry.
My father and uncles
were all weavers
when they came to
the UK, I remember
removing the fluff
from my father's
ears and the smell
of cotton from the
weaving shed. He use
to bring fabric home
and I remember we
used it to play with
and make things out
of it. Later they
developed their own
business and
Lancashire
contributed to this
very much. The
cotton link stemmed
from Pakistan/India
where weaving and
cotton was a great
industry. My
grandparents and
family all came to
Lancashire and were
very much part of
the weaving
industry. Lancashire
contributes to our
migration to the UK
from India to
Pakistan and then
Nelson.
Having settled in
the UK and having
children my parents
always had their
roots in Pakistan
but had accepted
that England was
home. I was 19 when
I first went to
Pakistan and was
overwhelmed with the
art scene in
Pakistan and the
wealth of culture
and architecture.
This inspired me to
develop the theme in
my work and use the
architecture from
the city of Lahore
into my work. I felt
I had been ignorant
about my culture and
heritage and through
art I wanted to
share that through
my work with others.
I wanted to share my
history and identity
which was one of
many people who also
had moved to
Lancashire because
of the cotton
industry. After the
death of my beloved
parents I decided
that I would share a
message of my
cultural history to
an audience, as art
is always a positive
medium to use. I am
proud of my
historical
background and my
culture and feel as
an artist I can
share this with
others to create
understanding.
Ed Husic is known to some as
'the minister for basketball',
to others as the first federal
MP sworn in on the Quran. He
became the first ever Muslim
frontbencher under Kevin Rudd.
What next for an outspoken Gen
Xer with a friend on the wrong
side of parliament?
(Continued from last week's
CCN)
Husic has a mischievous
exhibitionist streak, which
disposes him to stunts. The
most memorable in recent
times was in September 2016,
when he arrived at the
parliamentary entrance
carrying a plastic
anatomical model of a spinal
cord.
Husic was pleased to tell
waiting reporters that the
prop was the “the gift
Malcolm Turnbull needs
most”. In defence of the
display (which, it might be
said, was on the laboured
side) Husic invokes the
example of Paul Keating,
grandmaster of the political
razzle dazzle. A more
conventional assault on the
enemy would have been
unlikely to garner much
attention, Husic argues.
“How many people would’ve
reported on that? It’s like,
‘Yeah, yeah’.”
The stunt turned out to be a
spinal tap into the body
politic’s ennui. “The minute
[the prop] was brought out,
it became a talking point,
and it just went crazy in
the social media sense,” he
says.
Bowen calls this knack
“using comedy for a serious
purpose”. It was a bent
Husic indulged early on.
Husic understands that too
many stunts can be injurious
to a politician’s prospects
of advancement. On the other
hand, though, he parries:
“Do you want your words
ending up on the bottom of a
birdcage?”
Husic is taken aback at some
politicians’ squeamishness
about engaging full-throatedly
with the public on
contentious issues (“like a
doctor being afraid of
blood.”) Politics, he
insists, necessarily must
involve conflict otherwise
politicians run the risk of
being mere “tumbleweed”.
Keneally credits Husic with
a “capacity to understand
complex concepts and
translate them into everyday
language”.
“It’s not a patronising or
smarmy intelligence, it’s
one that’s relatable.”
However, she notes, Husic’s
ability to communicate
likely provokes a degree of
jealousy in some colleagues.
A compelling photo series
that explores the Muslim
faith in Indigenous
Australia, visually breaking
down preconceived ideas and
showing a rich and diverse
section of Australian
culture
The National Census reported
that 1,140 Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander
Australians identify as
Muslim. This figure has
grown significantly in the
last 15 years, almost
doubling that of what was
recorded in 2001. While
Muslim conversion and
identification is growing in
Indigenous communities,
there is already a long
standing history with Islam.
Dating as far back as the
early 1700s, influences came
from Asian neighbours who
worked, traded and
socialised with First
Nations’ people; Afghan and
Indian cameleers in Central
Australia, Malay pearl
divers in the Torres Strait
and Cape York Peninsula, and
Indonesian fisherman in the
Top End.
More recently, Indigenous
people have become drawn to
Islam independently,
interested in its guiding
principles, spiritual
beliefs and the cultural
parallels between the faith
and traditional Aboriginal
culture. However, each
journey is as diverse as the
people themselves.
In an 2012 interview boxing
great, Anthony Mundine was
asked about the portrayal of
him in the media, to which
he replied, “I’m three
things that you shouldn’t be
in this society, and that’s
Muslim, Aboriginal and
outspoken.”
Reflecting on Mundine’s
powerful words and the
preconceptions of minority
groups, we consider national
identity. NITV would like to
thank the participants,
those who are who are
dedicated to their faith and
simultaneously committed to
keeping culture strong, for
inviting us into their homes
and sharing their stories
with us.
(Continued from last week's
CCN)
Aunty Halima, a Torres Strait
Islander Elder, was the daughter
of an Aboriginal/Torres Strait
Islander woman and an Indo-Malay
pearl diver and grew-up in a
Muslim family on Thursday
Island.
Pictured above: Aunty Halima
with her granddaughters, Raheema,
Maimunnah and Tasneem, and her
close friend of 30 years,
Khadija, and Khadija's daughter,
Shifaa.
The Islamic
School as a
Sanctuary
Against the
Rising Tide of
Islamophobia
Keynote Address
Delivered by A.
Rashied Omar at
Celebration
Banquet of 18th
Annual ISNA
Education Forum,
Saturday April
15, 2017, Westin
`O Hare Hotel,
Chicago, IL.)
Muslims are
currently living
through one of
the most
challenging
periods in their
recent history.
Islamophobia and
hate crimes are
at an all-time
high.
This has been
empirically and
independently
confirmed
through studies
commissioned by
the Southern
Poverty Law
Center (SPLC) as
well as the
Council on
American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR).
Emblematic of
this spike in
Islamophobia is
that since the
beginning of
2017, more than
two-dozen
Islamic Centers
across the US
have received
bomb threats or
have been
vandalized. In
the early hours
of Saturday 28
January 2017,
the Islamic
Center of
Victoria in
Texas was burnt
to the ground by
unknown
attackers.
A day later, on
Sunday 29
January 2017, a
lone gunman
killed six
worshippers and
maimed eight
others at the
Grand Mosque in
Québec,
Canada.
Never before in
recent history
has the Muslim
commitment to a
more
peaceful and
humane world
been challenged
as it is at this
time.
It is against
this backdrop
that I would
like to provide
some modest
advice as to how
we as
conscientious
Muslim educators
and responsible
American
citizens should
respond to this
challenging
time. I argue
that young
learners live at
the cutting edge
of reality and
are not
oblivious to, or
unaffected by
the toxic
Islamophobic
environment we
are currently
experiencing. I
conclude by
making modest
proposals as to
how Islamic
schools could
play a crucial
role in
mitigating the
negative effects
of Islamophobia
and enable and
empower young
Muslims to
channel their
energies into
constructive
programs aimed
at social
integration.
The far-right
love fake "Muslims
celebrating terror" stories.
"Bus
Attack" AJ+
A bomb blast
on a soccer bus had
“terrorist involvement” when
the suspect was a Muslim.
But it became just a “bus
attack” when the suspect
turned out to be white. Can
only Muslims be
“terrorists”?
Adhan Styles IlmFeed
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 or agreement
by CCN of the contents therein.
Muslim
women issue fatwas banning child marriage,
rape
INDONESIA: A
ground-breaking Islamic women’s
conference has issued fatwas forbidding
child marriage and rape in marriage,
arguing that contextual interpretations
of the Koran and the Hadiths show both
are forbidden.
The three-day summit in the Indonesian
city of Cirebon, which brought male and
female Islamic clerics together from
across the Muslim world to discuss
issues affecting women, concluded with
three landmark Islamic fatwas,
non-binding though influential
directives, declaring all sexual
violence, child marriage and
environmental ¬destruction haram
(forbidden).
Organiser Ninik Rahayu told The Weekend
Australian child marriage was a “big
problem, and how to solve it is very
important because many people don’t
understand. In Indonesian culture it is
not seen as a big problem”.
Indonesia has among the world’s highest
absolute number of child marriages: one
in every seven girls is married before
they are 18, according to the Girls Not
Brides coalition. Ms Ninik said its
maternal mortality rate was also still
too high, a problem closely linked to
child marriage.
“One issue we must determine is a new
definition of adulthood for women
because … some scholars and jurists
believed that if a girl is old enough to
have a period, she is old enough to
marry. But for some, periods can happen
as early as seven years old,” Ms Ninik
said.
“So children as young as seven can
marry, regardless of whether they have
matured psychologically or
biologically.”
The conference has renewed calls for
Indonesia to raise the legal marriage
age for girls from 16 years to 18, a bid
previously thwarted by its
Constitutional Court which argued, in
part, that early marriage prevented sin.
But the most controversial edict was a
condemnation of rape in marriage, which
is still not recognised as a criminal
offence in many Muslim nations, and
marriage as a result of rape.
“We declared all forced sexual relations
are haram, whether outside or within
marriage,” Ms Ninik said. “We decreed
that rape is haram and that a marriage,
a sacred union of two individuals under
God, should not be based on something
haram.”
A common justification for a rape victim
to marry her attacker was that it could
avoid confusion over responsibilities,
inheritance and the possibility of
incest.
“But science has come a long way and can
ensure that doesn’t happen,” Ms Ninik
said.
EGYPT: The second meeting
of a delegation of the Muslim Council of
Elders led by the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar,
His Eminence Professor Dr Ahmad Al-Tayyeb,
and a delegation of the World Council of
Churches (WCC) led by Dr Agnes Abuom,
Moderator of the Central Committee of
the WCC and Rev. Dr Olav Fykse Tveit,
general secretary, took place at Al
Azhar, Cairo, Egypt, 26 April.
Dr Al-Tayyeb opened the
gathering by welcoming the World Council
of Churches to this important meeting
which was taking place at a critical
time in the history of the Middle East
and the world.
The WCC general secretary offered public
remarks, along with Bishop Angaelos,
general bishop of the Coptic Orthodox
Church in the United Kingdom, and Prof.
Dr Heidi Hadsell, president of Hartford
Seminary, Connecticut, United States.
Tveit reflected that, together,
Christians and Muslims represent about
half the world’s population. “So as we
are here, we are not talking about only
ourselves,” he said. “We are talking
about humanity in many ways. We should
address these questions from a basic
theological perspective. What does it
mean to believe today in one God that
created the one humanity?”
Amaiya Zafar,
left, trains with Aliyah
Charbonier in Minnesota.
US: For this teen
passionate about boxing, her fight to go
toe-to-toe with an opponent goes far
beyond the ring. She's fighting for the
right to compete in her hijab.
Amaiya Zafar, 16, started boxing three
years ago and is already making waves in
the boxing community. Not only is the
Minnesota teen competing in a
male-dominated sport, but she's also a
devout Muslim.
"When I walked into a real boxing gym
for the first time, I knew this was it
for the rest of my life," she said.
In the ring, Zafar wears a hijab, long
sleeves and leggings under her uniform.
She was disqualified at a bout in
November for wearing her hijab; it
violated USA Boxing uniform regulations.
"Why should I have to compromise the
sport that I love? This is my life."
Zafar told CNN affiliate WCCO. "I go to
the gym every single day, why should I
have to compromise that for my
religion?"
She continued to train several days a
week and study matches, just waiting for
the chance to compete in the ring.
Zafar, her family, gym (Circle of
Discipline) and The Council on
American-Islamic Relations, or CAIR,
have been petitioning the USA Boxing
Association to add a religious exemption
to its policies.
"You know, the battle is not given to
the swift but to he who can endure it to
the end," Zafar said. "At the end of the
day, if I never get to compete but get
the rule changed so other Muslim girls
in the US can compete, then I have won."
The amateur boxer just won a victory
last week that will allow her to compete
in her religious attire. The USA Boxing
Association granted Zafar a wavier to
compete at local matches.
Almost
160 Muslim candidates stand for local
elections
UK: An estimated 159
Muslim candidates will take part in the
local council elections in England,
Scotland and Wales on May 4, that is
according to data exclusively compiled
by The Muslim News.
Elections will be held in 34 councils in
England, all 32 councils in Scotland and
all 22 councils in Wales on 4 May 2017.
Political party breakdown: The majority
of Muslim candidates contesting seats
are Labour (70), 34 more than the number
standing for the Conservatives (36).
The Liberal-Democrats -the only major
political party with no Muslim MP or MEP-
fell way behind with only 18 Muslim
candidates, while 8 Muslim candidates
will represent the Scottish National
Party and only 4 Muslim candidates will
represent the Welsh Party Plaid Cymru.
Gender-breakdown: Only 29 Muslim women
will contest council seats next
month-constituting only 18 % of all the
Muslim candidates. Like their male
counterparts, the majority of Muslim
women candidates stood for Labour (18)
more than triple the number who stood
for the Conservatives (6) only one
Muslim female candidate will represent
the Liberal Democrats.
Mayoral Elections: In addition, six
areas in England are voting for
newly-created combined local authority
mayors. Mohammad Aslam is the only
Muslim running for mayor, Aslam from
Salford, will running to be the mayor of
Greater Manchester which includes the 10
borough councils – Bolton, Bury,
Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford,
Stockport, Tameside Trafford, and Wigan.
Aslam is a director of a
property letting company with years of
business experience. Born in Faislabad,
Pakistan where his father was a
councillor, Aslam moved to Manchester 17
years ago. He has been helping the
community in the Cheetham Hill area by
offering support and being a voice for
them in the local mosque. He says his
key pledge includes making Greater
Manchester “more developed and a modern
region”. He also wants to get homeless
people off the streets and improve the
roads. Alsam will be up against
political heavyweight Leigh MP, Andy
Burnham a one-time Labour leadership
contender and now favorite to become the
first elected mayor of Greater
Manchester.
Read a review by Muhammad Khan, author of Great
Muslims of the West: The Makers of Western Islam.
The latest in the
series based on the popular History of
Philosophy podcast, this volume presents the
first full history of philosophy in the Islamic
world for a broad readership.
It takes an approach
unprecedented among introductions to this
subject, by providing full coverage of Jewish
and Christian thinkers as well as Muslims, and
by taking the story of philosophy from its
beginnings in the world of early Islam all the
way through to the twentieth century.
Major figures like
Avicenna, Averroes, and Maimonides are covered
in great detail, but the book also looks at less
familiar thinkers, including women philosophers.
Attention is also given to the philosophical
relevance of Islamic theology (kalam) and
mysticism--the Sufi tradition within Islam, and
Kabbalah among Jews--and to science, with
chapters on disciplines like optics and
astronomy.
The book is divided
into three sections, with the first looking at
the first blossoming of Islamic theology and
responses to the Greek philosophical tradition
in the world of Arabic learning. This 'formative
period' culminates with the work of Avicenna,
the pivotal figure to whom most later thinkers
feel they must respond.
The second part of
the book discusses philosophy in Muslim Spain
(Andalusia), where Jewish philosophers come to
the fore, though this is also the setting for
such thinkers as Averroes and Ibn Arabi.
Finally, a third
section looks in unusual detail at later
developments, touching on philosophy in the
Ottoman, Mughal, and Safavid empires and showing
how thinkers in the nineteenth to the twentieth
century were still concerned to respond to the
ideas that had animated philosophy in the
Islamic world for centuries, while also
responding to political and intellectual
challenges from the European colonial powers.
KB says:An ideal comfort food
as we approach winter and ravenous appetites.
Steak
and Mushroom Sauce Tagliatelle
Ingredients
1 kg steak
1 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp crushed green chillies
1 tsp salt to taste
1 tsp English mustard
1/2 tsp lemon pepper
1 tab tomato sauce
1 tsp. Soya sauce
˝ tsp Worcester sauce
Marinate the steak in the above for a few hours
and cook in butter till done
Mushroom sauce
1 onion chopped
1 tab butter
1/2 tsp garlic
1/2 tsp green chillies
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp aromat
Thyme and organum to taste
A pinch of ground black pepper
2 tabs mayonnaise
1 cup fresh cream
1 cup sour cream
1 small punnet of mushrooms
2 potatoes
Grated cheese (optional)
Method
1. Saute onion in butter until soft.
2. Add spices stir and then fold in the
mayonnaise.
3. Add mushrooms and continue to stir until the
water has evaporated.
4. Add sour cream and fresh cream and let it
simmer for a few minutes.
5. Grate the 2 potatoes and fry.
6. Boil 10 bundles of tagliatelle (pasta) and
drain
To assemble
1. Layer the steak in your serving plate.
2. Top with pasta,
3. Top with mushroom sauce
4. And lastly top with fried potato crisps or
grated cheese
5. Serve immediately.
Tagliatelle are long, thin ribbons of pasta sold
either in curled nests or straight, like
spaghetti.
Do you have a recipe to share with CCN
readers?
Send in your favourite recipe to me at
admin@ccnonline.com.au and be my "guest chef" for the week.
Welcome to my weekly
column on
Self-Care and
Clarity of Mind.
If you’re taking
time out to read
this, pat yourself
on the back because
you have shown
commitment to taking
care of your mind
and body.
Today, In Shaa
ALLAH, we will
explore the topic “Assumption
versus Clarification”.
It is a gift from
ALLAH that we humans
are gifted with a
mind that is able to
think any thought we
choose. These
thoughts may be
factual or
hypothetical - based
on actual facts or
merely imagined and
based on feelings.
Assumption is the
act of accepting
something as true or
as certain to
happen, without
proof. Clarification
is the act of
seeking facts or
proof to support a
thought or
hypothesis.
One of the main
reasons why
relationships break
down in today’s
society is that we
don’t communicate
with clarity.
Instead, assumptions
have become the norm
of our dysfunctional
family units.
A classic example of
assumption in this
age of smartphones
would be where the
blue ticks on
whatsapp may be
assumed as “message
read”, when in fact,
it may not always be
the case.
Furthermore, if
there is no response
to the message, the
sender would, most
often, assume that
the recipient is
“ignoring the
message”. It is no
wonder we are living
on edge with our
emotions and are
quick to judge
others.
How to seek
clarification
Reflect on the last
few days of your
life and make a list
of things you have
assumed about people
or situations,
without having any
real proof. Now,
reflect on how each
of these assumptions
have panned out for
you.
For example, in my
own life, a couple
of days ago, I felt
extreme pain in my
left abdominal area.
Immediately, I
assumed the worst
diagnosis. There was
no proof, yet, there
was a toxic,
addictive yearning
from me to gravitate
towards a negative
outcome. I now know
it was based on my
fears of a past
medical condition. I
had assumed that it
was recurring. The
only way to douse
those fears was to
seek clarification
from my GP. Blood
tests and scans
later indicated that
my fears and
assumptions were
baseless.
The important thing
to remember is that
when we assume, what
we are actually
doing is creating a
“false story” and
choosing to believe
in it as though it
were true. The
repercussions of
believing in this
false story may cost
us our peace of
mind, damage
relationships and
even cause ailments
in the body and
mind.
The only solution is
to seek
clarification. Not
only that, but seek
clarification
tactfully. Notice
the scenario below:
Husband forgets to
take his phone with
him. He has been
gone all day. Wife
tries to reach him.
His phone vibrates
silently by the
bedside table. Wife
doesn’t notice the
phone there. She
assumes he is
ignoring her calls.
She lets this
thought catapult to
numerous unpleasant
assumptions about
her husband.
Eventually, husband
returns in the
evening. He walks in
with a smile,
however, wife begins
showering
accusations at him.
He finds it
difficult to
comprehend her
words. Finally he
realises he left his
phone at home. He
tells her about it.
She chooses to
ignore him because
she is too worked up
to see things
rationally. She
chooses to remain
grumpy the whole
evening.
The above scenario
could easily have
been handled
differently had the
wife tactfully
sought clarification
from her husband.
All it required was
for her to let him
know that she had
tried calling him
all day and became
concerned when there
was no answer. Was
everything alright?
Simple. The act of
seeking
clarification not
only opens and
deepens our
communication
channels but also
opens the mind to
exercise patience -
one of the most
important virtues
that ALLAH commands
us to practise. In
the above scenario,
the amount of time
spent on negative
assumptions and
later accusations
could have instead
been spent on
exercising patience
and making duaa for
the safe return of
her husband.
“When you assume,
you make an ass of
you (u) and me” -
What may seem like a
cliched adage tends
to hold immense
truth.
Resist assumptions,
instead seek
clarifications.
In Shaa ALLAH, next
week we will explore
the topic: Live
from Abundance.
If you wish to know
about a specific
topic with regards
to Self-Care and
Clarity of Mind,
please text or email
me or visit
www.muslimahmindmatters.com.
If you wish to have
a FREE one hour
Finding Clarity
telephone session,
contact me on
0451977786
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.
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
Next Meeting
TIME: 7.00pm –
8.30pm DATE: WEDNESDAY 17 MAY (postponed from 5 APRIL) VENUE: Islamic College of Brisbane [ICB].
Community Contact Command, who are situated in Police
Headquarters, will be taking over the secretariat role of
the QPS/Muslim Reference Group meeting.
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
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Births, Marriages,
New Migrants and
Condolences
Hysteria over Yassmin Abdel-Magied's
Anzac Day post cannot be
separated from racism
Sisters
Support Services are seeking
a suitable location to hold
classes and social sessions
for new Muslims and Sisters
in need. 
My
work is recognised
for being
traditional; by this
I mean the influence
of heritage plays a
huge role in my
work. I use Islamic
calligraphy,
patterns, buildings
and lots of textures
and colour. The main
body of my work is
in clay and I have
recently started
painting. When you
see my clay works
they look like old
authentic pieces
from many hundreds
of years ago. The
colours are earthy
and blues inspired
by the blue mosque
in Istanbul. The
clay forms are
amalgamated textures
which fuse in a very
high order to show
traditional art. I
use stoneware and
raku firing in my
pottery. My
paintings are
colourful and very
textural. I have
used an un-faced
figure in the
whirling dervish
figure inspired by
the poet Rumi.
How
do you think
Lancashire and
Pakistan have
influenced your
work?
Muslim
women issue fatwas banning child marriage,
rape 
Welcome to my weekly
column on
Self-Care and
Clarity of Mind.
If you’re taking
time out to read
this, pat yourself
on the back because
you have shown
commitment to taking
care of your mind
and body. 
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our Wall
7
August 2011