The Building
Resilience &
Leadership Camp
initiative was
hosted by the
Australian
International
Islamic College Gold
Coast Campus. The
camp was undertaken
as part of a
collaborative effort
that involved the
Islamic Society of
Gold Coast (Gold
Coast Mosque) and
Queensland
Transcultural Mental
Health Centre on the
weekend of 28th of
April 2017 in
Northern New South
Wales at Lake
Ainsworth.
In all, there were
50 young people
represented at the
camp from a total of
21 countries across
Asia, Africa and
Europe who were
mainly from the Gold
Coast and from other
areas of South East
Queensland including
Brisbane, Logan,
Ipswich and the
Sunshine Coast. The
camp proved to be an
excellent
opportunity for
young people to
explore and
celebrate their
multiple identities
with the help of a
team of excellent
bicultural health
professionals,
school teachers and
community members.
Imam Imraan Husain
of the Gold Coast
Mosque said, "The
youth camp was a
Gold Coast first in
terms of its
engagement of young
people from so many
diverse backgrounds.
As an Imam, it was
great to be part of
an activity that
provided a safe and
positive space for
young people to
build their
resilience and
confidence in being
part of a
multicultural
Australia."
Lena Halak, a
teacher as the
Australian Islamic
International
College said, ‘It
was great to be part
of a camp that
included boys and
girls mainly between
the ages of 12 to
18. For many this
was the first time
they had an
experience to be
away from their
normal activities.
It was a great
opportunity for
young people to have
exposure to
leadership
development skills
that explored topics
such as
self-awareness,
self-esteem and
aspiring to
achieving their
best, academically
and socially’.
The lead up to the
camp included
education about the
BRITA Future
resilience building
training which is
evidence based and
developed by a team
of transcultural
mental health
experts and up to 14
members of the
community attending
and achieving Mental
Health First Aid
accreditation. The
were sessions were
conducted by
qualified
professionals and
facilitated by imams
and teachers to
motivate the youth
to open up about
issues they are
dealing with,
navigating through
solutions and
providing them with
the ability to
problem solve. The
main focus of the
camp was to inspire
the youth to be
proud of their
Islamic identity and
motivate them to
develop their own
initiatives in the
community.
The was also lots of
opportunities for
fun, games and new
friendships being
formed with young
people being able to
play tug of war on
the beach, sit
around a camp fire,
play soccer,
kayaking and high
ropes which the
youth thoroughly
enjoyed.
The Gold Coast is
increasingly
becoming a more
multicultural
community. The need
for community
development
approaches and
capacity building to
engage young people
so they can achieve
their potential and
have the support in
being confident in
their multiple
identities both in
the community and
wider Australian
society is so
important.
Haji Habib Jamal,
Treasurer of Gold
Coast Mosque
concluded by saying,
"We thank the
local communities
and the Queensland
Mental Health
Commission for their
support of this
initiative and the
Australian Islamic
International
College for their
coordination and
leadership of this
project. I learnt a
lot of skills
through the Mental
Health First Aid
program and the camp
provided a valuable
insight into issues
faced by young
people. This is
important as we
build the social and
civic capacity for
young people to feel
a sense of belonging
through a range of
approaches which
also includes the
flagship development
of a Youth &
Community Centre
that we are
currently building
at the Gold Coast
Mosque."
THE Garden City Mosque has
announced it is dropping
controversial Imam Sheik
Zainadine Johnson from an
upcoming event.
Imam Johnson was due to
speak at the mosque's open
day on Sunday.
Professor Shahjahan Khan,
founding president of the
Toowoomba Islamic Society
and speaker at the event,
said the mosque had decided
to drop Imam Johnson from
the program so it could
focus on promoting local
unity of Toowoomba and
surrounds.
"It's easier for us to work
with Toowoomba Regional
Council and university and
religious leaders locally as
we have done in the past.
"We want to continue on the
same line that we have been
working on - and Toowoomba
is proud of that."
Imam Johnson was
controversially sacked from
his position at the Sunshine
Coast as Imam after six
months because - he claims -
he posted a graphic image on
Facebook of a bloodied man
holding a knife.
But that was disputed by the
Muslim Organisation Sunshine
Coast which said he was
sacked because there were
not enough funds to support
him.
Imam Zainadine - known as
the surfing Sheik - once
described the Australian
flag as a "symbol of bloody
colonial history" and was
due to speak alongside
Toowoomba Mayor Paul
Antonio.
For the first time, a Jewish
representative will speak at
the Toowoomba mosque.
Ariel Heber is the president
of Queensland Jewish
Community Services and was
invited as part of a drive
by the mosque to foster
religious harmony in the
Toowoomba community.
Director of Multicultural
Affairs Queensland Julie
McDougall, Inspector Sharee
Cummings, Dr Mark Copland,
Cr Antonio and interim USQ
Vice Chancellor Professor
Janet Verbyla will also be
among the speakers.
The open day is from 11am to
4pm at the mosque on 217
West St and will feature
entertainment and an
international food festival.
Dr Khan said about 50
Muslims from the mosque were
invited to a local church
recently which he called a
"sharing faith" dinner.
"There were more than 150
people there and we want to
maintain the spirit of
unity," he said.
The 53rd Annual Congress of
Muslims Australia (AFIC),
the national umbrella body
of the Australian Muslim
community was held in Sydney
during the weekend.
Delegates attending from all
States of Australia
including Christmas Island,
ACT and Northern Territory
met over two days to review
AFIC’s activities, give
directives and policies for
the future and to elect a
new President and Executive
Committee.
As per tradition, a Congress
Dinner was held to celebrate
the 53rd anniversary of
Muslims Australia The
inter-state delegates and
Muslim leaders were joined
by many other members of the
Muslim community of Sydney
and many friends and
colleagues from the
multicultural and religious
communities including
political leaders.
Dr Rateb Jneid from
Perth, was elected as the
New President, Dr Jamal
El Kholed from
Queensland was elected as
the new Vice President,
Dr Harun Abdullah from
Tasmania was re-elected as
the Secretary and Dr Abul
Khair Jalaluddin from
NSW was elected as the
Treasurer.
The other members of the
Executive include Dr
Kazim Ates from
Melbourne as Assistant
Secretary, Dr Bilal Refai
as Assistant Treasurer,
and Dr Sabrija Poskovic
as an Executive Committee
member.
AFIC vice
president, Jaml
El Kholed
The Executive Committee and
the office-bearers will hold
office for the next three
years.
Dr Jneid, addressing the
Congress Dinner assured the
guests that AFIC under his
leadership will be
transparent and will work
hand in hand with the AFIC
State Councils and Societies
to uplift the image of AFIC
and thanked the outgoing
Executive Committee and its
President Mr Keysar Trad for
their outstanding
performance during the
difficult times.
He further stated that AFIC
will utilise its resources
towards uniting communities
in Australia’s multicultural
society, and make Australia
a proud country that all
Australians call home.
ICQ response to the AFIC
elections:
Assalaamu
Alaikum,
This email is
to provide you with an
update on the AFIC Congress
which was held this past
weekend on the 6th
and 7th
of May.
Dr Rateb
Junaid was elected President
and Br Jamad el Kholed was
elected Vice President by a
significant majority vote of
the State Councils. We pray
that Allah guides the new
leaders in carrying out
their duties for the benefit
of the Australian Muslim
community.
On the other
hand, we are disappointed
for Dr Shahjahan Khan. He
put forward a very strong
case for the roles of
President and Vice
President. He has won the
support and respect of many
of our member societies.
However, he did not receive
enough support from the
Council of the various
States (the actual voters).
On behalf of
all the QLD societies, we
would like to express our
gratitude to Dr Khan for his
efforts on the campaign.
As the state
council of QLD, we will
continue to advocate for Dr
Shahjahan to be given a key
role on any project
committees that the new AFIC
Executive Committee may form
in future.
Parents watch COB CODERS
demonstrate their programming
prowess
The
CoderDojo Crescents of
Brisbane 4-week pilot
session ended on a high-note
yesterday (Saturday) at the
Islamic College of Brisbane
with young budding computer
programmers showcasing off
their newly acquired skills
to their parents, and
earning themselves the title
COB CODER, a SCRATCH badge
and certificate of
achievement.
"Amongst the 40 young boys
and girls some were as young
as 7, and our mentoring team
was hard pressed keeping up
with the enthusiasm and
passion for programming that
was shown with each week," CoderDojo coordinator,
Mustafa Ally told CCN.
The next CoderDojo will be
held in August at the
Australian International
Islamic College.
During Term One 2017, Year 11
students from the Oxley District
were invited to submit artwork,
poetry short stories or essays
on what ANZAC Day means to them.
Two students from Australian
International Islamic College
were awarded with the Oxley
Spirit of ANZAC Highly Commended
Award 2017.
The awards were presented to
Mohamed Adam Mohamud and Fatema
Noor
by Federal Member for Oxley the
Honorable Mr. Milton Dick.
Muslim Charitable
Foundation's Ramadan
Food Pack is well on
its way and promises
to be a tremendous
success.
This
week with the
overwhelmingly
generous support of
the community not
only have the first
purchases been made
but with a dedicated
team of volunteers
the first 100 boxes
have been packed
ready for
distribution before
Ramadaan.
A
spokesperson for MCF
said it was a
humbling experience
to witness the
community come
together so
generously to ensure
that the less
fortunate locals
would have some food
to help them through
our holiest month.
May
all those who have
contributed to this
project in anyway be
blessed abundantly.
VICTORIA – Fifteen mosques
across Victoria welcomed
hundreds of locals through
their doors to celebrate the
very first Victorian Mosque
Open Day, offering many
families a chance to visit a
mosque for the first time.
"What we want to do is
facilitate an opportunity
for non-Muslims in local
suburbia who've never really
met a Muslim," Islamic
Council of Victoria's
executive director Nail
Aykan told AboutIslam.net.
"Our focus is average mums
and dads to meet average
Muslim mums and dads," he
added.
Aykan said that the mosque
doors are open anytime, and
the official open day is an
attempt to open hearts.
The Islamic Council of
Victoria started the open
day initiative to give
people the opportunity to
come in and have a look at
what goes on inside a
mosque, and encourage them
to ask questions to engage
in open dialogue.
It comes at a time where
today's climate of fear and
misunderstanding has lead to
a lot of uncomfortable
attention towards Islam and
the Muslim community.
Advocating on behalf of the
Muslim community, the ICV
started the project to help
the Victorian community look
beyond what is portrayed of
Muslims and to build
dialogue and friendship.
"We also want them to
feel comfortable in asking
any questions. Making a
friend today is what we want
visitors to achieve," ICV
President Mohamed Mohideen
told AboutIslam.
Guided mosque tours, henna
tattooing, and try-on-a-hihab
workshops proved to be
popular among families, many
first-timers getting
involved and participating
in the activities.
There are currently over
fifty mosques in Victoria,
and many of those are built
on suburban streets, and
many neighbor schools and
churches.
Jewish Muslim dialogue
from the Victorian Mosque
Open Day
Fostering community spirit
as Victoria's mosques open
their doors
SBS World News Radio:
Dispelling myths about Islam
has been the motivation
behind the inaugural
"Victorian Mosque Open Day
in which 14 places of
worship opened their doors,
providing a rare opportunity
for non-Muslims to visit,
participate and learn.
At Dandenong Mosque in
Melbourne's south east,
dozens of worshippers faced
Mecca, knelt and prayed.
But as part of Victoria's
inaugural Mosque Open Day,
intrigued non-Muslims
watched on.
Mohamed Mohideen from the
Islamic Council of Victoria
says the day provides a rare
opportunity to dispel myths
around issues like Sharia
Law, Halal and more.
"One of the key things that
people say is that we are
training terrorists - we are
not. Jihad in it's real
sense is not holy war Jihad
is striving to achieve the
best."
Deanna McKeown had never
entered an Australian
Mosque, and viewed the day
as an opportunity to learn.
Volunteers even helped her
try-on a Hijab and explained
it's significance - which
certainly wasn't wasted on
Ms McKeown.
"They are chosing to do this
so I think that if it's pure
choice then it's liberating
to do what you wish to do."
At nearby Hallam Mosque,
volunteer Inaz Janif
escorted several groups
through a range of Islamic
information booths and
stalls.
She says opening the
places-of-worship and
offering accurate, informed
cross- cultural and
religious information is
extremely important.
"I think it's a good way of
showing that here we are -
we're not going anywhere
we're open come and learn
what we're about ."
Ms Inaz, a local school
teacher, says she's
witnessed how
misunderstanding and
anti-Muslim rhetoric is
damaging her community
"I've seen with my own eyes
the impact of Islamophobia
on them where I've even seen
teenagers attacked over hate
and fear of Muslims."
So highlighting
similarities, not difference
became a theme of the day -
especially for volunteer
Zarqa Nur who says she too
learned plenty from her
discussion with Jewish
visitor Keren Harel-Gordan.
"I've known that Judaism
it's one of the Abrahamic
faiths so I know the
similarities are there but
just to speak about the
daily way we live it - and
how similar it is, it's
really nice."
And the sentiment was shared
by Ms Harel-Gordan.
"Prayers - ok so in Islam it
would be 5-times a day and
Judaism 3-times a day but
again it's very similar."
It's intended for the
Victorian Mosque Open Day to
become an annual event.
Effendy, the Secretary
General for the Indonesian
Moslem Community of Victoria
talked about Victorian Mosque
Open Day which was held on
Sunday, 7th of May 2017.
SYDNEY: One of four Muslim
women targeted in four
successive and unprovoked
Islamophobic attacks on
Wednesday said she was
randomly punched in the face
as she walked through the
city wearing her headphones.
Maria Claudia Gimenez
Wilson, a 39-year-old
journalism student from
Paraguay, is charged with
assaulting the four women,
aged 18-23, as they walked
along busy roads near UTS in
Ultimo on Wednesday
afternoon.
All four women were wearing
head scarves, or hijab, and
were allegedly punched in
the face.
Officers are treating the
assaults as "bias-motivated
crimes" after Ms Wilson
allegedly told police she
was motivated by a hatred of
Muslims.
Ms Wilson, who moved to
Australia to study, was
ordered to undergo a
psychiatric assessment in
Prince of Wales Hospital on
Thursday after her Legal Aid
solicitor, Vanya Hampel,
told Central Local Court
that her client was seeking
to be dealt with under
mental health legislation.
A report by a Justice Health
nurse said that Ms Wilson
had schizoaffective disorder
and "appears to be suffering
persecutory beliefs".
Ms Wilson, whose Facebook
profile is littered with far
right-wing and anti-Islamic
material, interrupted
proceedings to say that she
was not unwell.
"The only thing I did was to
take a bull cut [sic] to a
Muslim lady," she said. "I
don't see any problem with
that."
Vituperative attacks on
writer and presenter Yassmin
Abdel-Magied cited as evidence
of the increasing normalisation
of hate speech against
minorities
Gillian Triggs, president of
the Australian Human Rights
Commission
Attacks on Yassmin Abdel-Magied
come amid 'growing tolerance
for demonising Muslims',
Gillian Triggs says.
Gillian Triggs, president of
the Australian Human Rights
Commission, has expressed
alarm at Australia's growing
tolerance for 'demonising'
Muslims and hate speech
directed at minorities.
Triggs said the controversy
over an Anzac Day Facebook
post by the writer and
television presenter Yassmin
Abdel-Magied – 'a hijab-wearing
Muslim woman' – was an
example of a 'growing
tolerance for demonising
Muslims generally'.
Abdel-Magied posted "LEST.WE.FORGET.
(Manus, Nauru, Syria,
Palestine ... )" on her
Facebook page on 25 April,
before deleting it.
"Despite a speedy apology
for what she conceded was a
disrespectful comment on
this day of remembrance,"
Triggs said, "this
relatively minor incident
has been used to demand the
removal of Abdel-Magied from
the Council of
Australian-Arab Relations,
to constrain her right to
freedom of speech and to
demand that, as an
Australian resident since
she was a young child, she
should return to Sudan, her
country of origin."
But she said the
vituperative attacks on
Abdel-Magied were evidence
of the increasing
normalisation of hate speech
against minorities, in
particular Muslims.
"There is consistent
evidence that Muslims are
subject to higher rates of
racism than pertains for all
other racial and religious
groups within the Australian
community ... the
headscarf has become a
lightning rod for attacking
Muslim women.
"The Muslim community is
disproportionately subject
to ‘hate speech’ and
discrimination in employment
and the delivery of goods
and services."
....
"Over my professional life I
can think of no more
important time than now to
speak up for the ideas that
inform Australia's
commitment to
multiculturalism:
non-discrimination on the
basis of race, equality
before the law and cultural,
racial and religious
inclusion.
"We need to push back
against political spin,
alternative truths and the
cynical view that the truth
is anything you can get away
with. We need to be vigilant
in rejecting finely tuned
and artfully camouflaged
whistling to extreme
rightwing groups."
Dr Carland says sharia law
can be used to promote
women's rights.
She told an audience
including feminist Eva Cox
in Sydney's inner-west that
a hardline, Islamic legal
system was compatible with
feminist goals.
Promoting her new book
'Fighting Hislam: Women,
Faith and Sexism', the
Monash University lecturer
said sharia law could be
used to persuade Muslim men
that it was wrong to stone
or lash women for adultery
who had been raped.
The writer told the function
at the Gleebooks bookstore,
in Glebe, how an American
lawyer had used sharia law
to criticise Pakistan's
punishment for adultery.
'For those of you that don't
know, if a woman is raped
she can be punished for
adultery,' Dr Carland said
during a question and answer
session on Wednesday night.
'The woman I interviewed
said, "I could go to them
with these human rights
justifications for why it's
wrong but I know that if I
do that, they will double
down on this law because
they will feel it's an
insult to their culture and
their tradition and their
religion", so she said, "Why
would I just not use the
sharia to make the argument
this is wrong?".
Dr Carland said her
interview subject had argued
against punishment for
adultery on religious
grounds with a 'massive
manifesto' that was
compatible with sharia law.
'Those are the things we
need to be focusing on,' she
said.
Dr Carland, who converted to
Islam when she was 19, said
Muslim women in Western
countries often felt more
comfortable discussing
women's rights in a
religious context than their
counterparts in
conservative,
Muslim-majority nations.
'Living in Western countries
gives these women freedom,
particularly with
theological interpretations,
than women living in other
countries where they have
things like blasphemy laws,'
she said.
'Some of the most
interesting or challenging
theological stuff to come
from Muslim women has come
from Western countries
because the government
doesn't care what you say.'
She also said feminism
existed within Islam, and
not just the secular West
which separates religion and
state.
'One of the criticisms made
of second wave feminism was
that it was very
uni-dimensional in its
focus. It was very middle
class, white, educated,
heterosexual and secular in
its approach,' she said.
'You can have secular
feminism, you can have
Islamic feminism, you can
have all different types of
feminism.'
Veteran feminist Eva Cox,
who was in the audience,
politely told Dr Carland she
disagreed with her take on
Western feminism.
'I'm older and I've been
around for a long time. I
actually defend the second
wave,' she said to laughter
and replies of 'fair enough'
from Dr Carland.
Dr Carland's book, published
by Melbourne University
Press, interviews Muslim
women about sexism in their
own community and outside
their religion.
The Turnbull government has
introduced a new visa that
lets citizens bring their
foreign-born parents to
Australia on a temporary
basis.
The temporary sponsored
parent visa will begin in
November 2017, with 15,000
visas available annually.
The new visa will allow the
parents of Australian
citizens, Australian
permanent residents and
eligible New Zealand
citizens to stay in
Australia for periods of up
to three or five years.
It is estimated that the
visa will be a $99 million
cost to the government over
four years.
Under the rules of the visa,
it can be renewed from
outside Australia to allow a
cumulative stay of up to 10
years, but visa holders will
not be eligible to apply
onshore for a permanent
parent visa.
The Australian child of the
visa holder will also have
the legal liability for
public health expenditure —
including aged care
arrangements — incurred by
their parent.
“This is designed to reduce
the cost to the Government
of health services for
temporary parent migrants,”
says the government.
The introduction of the visa
follows community concerns
around existing parent
visas, including wait times
and visa costs.
A review of the new visa
will be completed at the end
of the first program year.
Year 11 and 12
students of the
Australian
International
Islamic College took
an industrial tour
of pharmaceutical
company, Heath World
Ltd. to enhance
their studies of
quality and quantity
analysis of
pharmaceutical
products.
The students got the
opportunity to learn
about chemistry in
real life, workplace
health and safety,
large-scale
preparation, sample
analysis and
future careers in
the Pharmaceutical
Industry.
The
Tour Report
by
Dr. Mohammad Nurul
Islam, Operational
Coordinator &
Chemistry Teacher
This company
is an international company
that requires a technical
auditor for food, beverage,
pharmaceutical and cosmetic
industry. We are seeking
male or female applicant,
who is confident for a part
time/contract position in
Melbourne.
The successful applicant
must have the following
requirements:
Must
believe in Islamic
Principles
Qualifications in
sciences or food science
or equivalent
Proficient in typing,
computer and reporting
skills
Proven analytical
skills
Excellent customer
relations and initiative
Excellent
Communication and
organizational skills
Willing to travel
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.
Imams Hasan and
Husayn
CHILDREN’S AWARD for
Excellence:
For a child 5-15
years who has
demonstrated
outstanding
achievement.
Winner: Shanzay &
Shezil Butt
Sanzay and Shezil
Butt are twins and
have been nominated
for doing well at
school in London
despite suffering
from a health
condition that
severely restricts
their attendance in
school. Despite
prolonged absences,
they return to
school, catch up
with the class and
are always within
the top 10% of
academic performance
in all their
subjects. Not only
do these girls excel
academically, the
twins take part in
varied
extracurricular
activities. They
have taken part in
the debating club
and have entered
competitions against
more senior
students. Both girls
have volunteered
with St John’s
Ambulance, and are
currently training
to become St John’s
Ambulance cadets and
have also learnt
sign language to
enable them to help
the deaf.
..........The Muslim News
Awards for Excellence CONTINUES IN NEXT
WEEK'S CCN
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)
“I grew up with Croats, I
grew up with Serbs,” says
Husic of his Australian
childhood. “My parents did
the same thing… I have
Muslim cousins married to
Serb women, right? But I’d
read the stuff that happened
and it was just terrible.”
At the time, Husic was in
his twenties, and Labor was
in power. “It did give me a
sense of what could be
achieved by being involved
in the political arena. I
often would think, ‘I’m
lucky … I’m here now. I can
speak up. Who knows what I
can do?’”
More than 130,000 people are
estimated to have died in
the decade of Balkan
conflicts fuelled by
historic hatreds in the
Husics’ homeland. The
horrors, insists the
politician, provided the
bedrock of his attitudes
today.
“This is not about us
reliving the fights of
some other country. I am
your representative.”
“One of the biggest, most
instructive things that came
out of that for me is the
corrosive impact of hate
that would drive people
apart. Everything I do in
public life is informed by
that event.” The MP
demonstrated the point when,
following his election, he
visited Serb communities in
his electorate to put his
position beyond doubt.
“I said in my broken
Bosnian, in a way they’d
understand: ‘Regardless of
what people would say
[about] how we should
behave, or how we would be
with each other, I am here
as your servant’. I was
saying to them, ‘This is not
about us reliving the fights
of some other country. I am
your representative’.”
When I ask how hard it was
to say those words, he
replies, simply, “They are
not the people who committed
those acts. These are fellow
Australians from that
background who may have had
certain sympathies – but
we’re here now.”
“I get chipped for being
friends with people in
other political parties
– like, I can’t see them
as the enemy.”
Does he never feel any of
the old animosities?
“No, because I refuse to. I
drive myself to it. I think
it’s a responsibility. I
definitely think, in this
day and age, that’s become
even more important to me
than ever.”
He applies the same metric
to his parliamentary
adversaries. “I get chipped
for [being] friends with
people in other political
parties – like, I can’t see
them as the enemy.”
Husic’s friendship with
Liberal Environment and
Energy Minister Josh
Frydenberg is, in
Frydenberg’s terms, “of
quite a bit of interest to
outsiders” because of its
“particular
characteristics”. The
particulars are that Husic
is a Muslim and Frydenberg a
Jew.
“He’s not a hater. He’s
somebody who, in all my
dealings with him, sees the
better side of people,” says
Frydenberg of Husic.
Why Muslim women
need to stop
justifying
domestic
violence in the
name of religion
By Ro Waseem
Muslim men are
allowed to hit
their wives –
not with fists,
but gently using
only short
sticks and
pieces of
fabric, as per a
video recently
released by the
Australian
women's branch
of Hizbut Tahrir.
The video,
posted on the
Islamic
political group
Hizbut Tahrir's
Facebook page,
shows two
Australian
Muslim women
from Sydney
telling a small
audience of
veiled women
that Muslim
husbands are in
a position of
leadership in a
marriage and "it
goes
hand-in-hand
that he would
have the right
to undertake
disciplinary
measures".
The verse under
discussion
proposes three
potential
responses to
unfaithfulness
on part of the
wife, namely,
admonishing
them, abandoning
them in bed, and
to beat them
(4:34).
When I stumbled
across this
video for the
first time, I
had no doubt in
my mind that
this was quite
obviously a
satirical piece
targeting the
normalisation of
domestic
violence in
conservative
Muslim
societies. As a
satirical piece,
I thought it was
brilliant. And
then came the
hollowing
realisation –
the two women
actually
believed every
word they were
saying.
The verse in
question has
long been used
by men to
justify domestic
violence in the
name of Islam,
but what comes
as a surprise is
the lack of
resistance by
educated Muslim
women on this
particular
interpretation
of this verse.
Religion, you
see, is not set
in stone. Anyone
with a basic
grasp of Islamic
theology will
tell you that
apart from the
very basic
pillars of
religion, there
is difference of
opinion in
almost
everything else.
This particular
verse is no
different. Some
interpretations
of this verse
argue the case
that the Arabic
verb 'wadhribihunna'
which is
translated as
'beat them' can
also mean to
'separate with
them', according
to the context.
Looking at the
verse from a
rational
perspective, it
makes little
sense that God
in all His
Wisdom would
permit beating
your wife as a
last resort to
'discipline' her
when the very
foundation of
marriage should
be based on love
and mutual
affection
(30:21). If the
foundation of
the marriage has
been compromised
on part of
unfaithfulness,
beating your
wife hardly
seems like a way
forward. Rather,
the
interpretation
that if mutual
dialogue and
barring intimacy
doesn't work,
the couple
should separate
as a last resort
seems much more
sensible and
befitting.
We usually
suspend critical
thinking in
matters of
religion because
we've been
taught,
consciously and
subconsciously,
to never
question what
we've been
brought up with.
But this is a
direct violation
of the Holy
Quran's most
fundamental of
messages – dare
to think for
yourself, and do
not blindly
follow anyone as
everyone is
responsible for
their own soul.
You cannot say
that Islam is
egalitarian
while
simultaneously
maintaining that
men are allowed
to beat their
wives. This is a
glaring
contradiction in
belief, no
matter how you
try justifying
it. It is high
time that Muslim
women acquaint
themselves with
the egalitarian
roots of Islam
and reject any
and all
interpretations
which suggest
otherwise. Such
a step will be
paramount in
addressing the
deep misogyny
that is
unfortunately
rampant in our
cultures.
For the love of
all that is
sacred, please
do not be
complicit in
your own
oppression.
AMUST
A Saudi cleric
has found
himself in hot
water after he
publicly made a
prayer for
'servant of
Allah' Donald
Trump to advance
the interests of
Muslims.
Trump a servant
of Allah,
according to
Saudi cleric
A Saudi cleric
has found
himself in hot
water after he
publicly made a
prayer for
'servant of
Allah' Donald
Trump to advance
the interests of
Muslims.
Saad bin Ghoniem
said on Friday
that he hoped
God would take
Trump under his
wing and steer
him in the right
direction
towards ending
injustice
against Muslims,
prompting an
online backlash.
"O Allah, Trump
is one of your
servants, you
control him and
his fate.
Command him -
willingly or not
- to serve the
best interests
of Muslims and
eliminate
oppression done
to them. Spare
us from his evil
deeds and guide
him on the right
path," Ghoniem
tweeted.
The cleric's
invocation for
Trump to aid the
Muslim world did
not go down so
well on social
media with
dozens of users
harshly
criticising the
post.
"I spit on your
beard all you
have left to do
is pray he goes
to heaven. Even
the devil would
be too ashamed
to do this," one
Twitter user
replied to the
sheikh, sharing
a report about
civilian
casualties in a
US-led coalition
air raid in the
Iraqi city of
Mosul.
Another user
said: "You think
that Trump the
Zionist, who is
battling Islam,
will do good for
the religion.
Shame! You will
be held
accountable for
your words."
Other users told
Ghoniem he
should rather
pray for the
hundreds of
Yemeni children
who have been
killed during
the Saudi-led
military
intervention
against the
Houthi rebels.
The New Arab
‘The
assumption is
that Muslim
women need to be
extricated from
the religion
entirely before
anything close
to liberation or
equality can be
achieved.’
If you want to
know about
Muslim women's
rights, ask
Muslim women
OPINION By Susan
Carland
Islam’s
patriarchy and
western feminism
have said a lot.
Now Muslim women
who fight sexism
(yes we exist)
must be heard
Within minutes
of arriving to
collect my
professionally
bound thesis, I
found myself on
the receiving
end of an
unsolicited and
impenetrable
rant about
female genital
mutilation.
“What’s your
paper on?” the
shop owner
inquired.
“It’s on Muslim
women and … ,” I
began, but
before I could
finish my
sentence, he had
launched into
the subject.
The fact that I
hadn’t even
mentioned the
words “female
genital
mutilation” was
irrelevant;
merely saying
“Muslim women”
was a wide
enough rabbit
hole for him to
dart down. My
presence as a
Muslim woman and
my
half-delivered
topic were the
only
encouragement he
needed.
That he felt
authorised to
deliver a
lecture to me
about his
understanding of
the allegedly
sexist treatment
of women in
Islam, the very
subject of my
years-long PhD
dissertation,
didn’t surprise
me. This was not
the first time a
stranger had
felt entitled to
raise the
potential
religious
interference of
my genitals with
me.
"In Islamic
dowry practice, the bride
requests an amount from the
groom. Naseema, a social
worker like her husband,
Mohamad, used her request in
a way that reflects her
philosophy on giving: one
goat, to be fed to the
poor."
Woman
shopper rant goes viral 7News24
Woman seen in
Trader Joe's video incident
with Muslim shopper: It was
taken out of context
RESTON, Va. - A video
showing an unidentified
white woman telling a Muslim
shopper, "I wish they didn't
let you in the country," has
gone viral, but the woman
seen in the video tells FOX
5 there's more to the story.
The cell phone video was
recorded Saturday at a
Trader Joe's in northern
Virginia, and it was posted
on Facebook by a South
Carolina-based comedian who
says the Muslim woman
involved in the incident is
his friend.
Comedian Jeremy McLellan
posted the video on Facebook
just before midnight on
Saturday. McLellan's friend
wants to remain anonymous
for fear of backlash. In the
Facebook post, he says his
friend let the other woman
cut in front of her in the
checkout line because she
was in a hurry. It was at
that point, McLellan says,
that the woman "started
talking bad" about another
Muslim woman in the store,
who was wearing a niqab,
which is a type of head
covering. McLellan says the
woman then asked his Muslim
friend why she didn't cover
as well, and his friend
replied that it was a
choice.
"The woman didn't believe
her and started talking
about FGM (female genital
mutilation) and telling her
"I wish they didn't let you
in the country," he wrote in
the Facebook post. At that
point, he told FOX 5 his
friend pulled out her phone
and started recording.
In the seconds that
followed, the white woman
tells the Muslim woman, "I
wish they didn't let you in
the country," and goes on to
say, "Obama's not in office
anymore. We don't have a
Muslim in there anymore,"
adding that the former
President might be in jail
in the future.
McLellan told FOX 5 he
shared the video because
this is not an isolated
incident.
"I wanted people to know
that it has happened," he
said in an interview Monday.
"I have a lot of Muslim
friends, and they experience
these types of things quite
often. And whenever they
tell people, people don't
believe it or they come up
with excuses, or they come
up with some sort of
scenario where they are
exaggerating it-- like this
is not a really big problem
that is going on."
But the woman seen in the
video making those
statements tells a different
story. She called FOX 5 on
Monday and talked to
reporter Anjali Hemphill
over the phone, but would
not give her name or allow
the interview to be
recorded.
The woman told FOX 5 she is
extremely upset because the
video was taken out of
context, and it does not
show what led up to the
portion of the encounter
that's now gone viral. She
claims the Muslim woman on
the other side of the camera
actually ambushed her,
making "strong statements"
about the U.S., like that
it's full of murderers and
rapists. She says that
happened before the
recording started, and the
conversation escalated from
there.
The woman told FOX 5 she's
now seeking legal
representation, and she and
her family are receiving
threats as a result of the
video.
Gold Coast
Mosque Hussin Goss Facebook
"Instead of
Rosalind going to the Church
tonight, she came to the
mosque to accept Islam.'
Hussin Goss
Largest contribution to
charity Life in Saudi Arabia
Sulaiman Al Rajhi donates
$16 billion to the Charity.
It is considered to be one
of the largest contributions
to Charity in Islamic
History.
Muslims and Jews NAS daily
WE'RE BACK!
This time with my good
friend Meir Kay to show that
you know...that a person
looking religious can be
more than just their
religion.
Effective
Supplication To Remove
Distress IslamInFocus
This is
based on an authentic hadith
where the Prophet (salalllahu
alaihi wa salam) taught the
Muslims that the du'a of
Prophet Yunus (alaihi salam)
is effective in removing
one's distress.
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.
Belgium
votes to ban kosher and halal slaughter in
its biggest territory
Both Jewish kosher and Islamic
halal rituals require the
butcher to swiftly slaughter the
animal by slitting its throat
and draining its blood
European Jewish Congress
condemns decision as 'the
greatest assault on Jewish
religious rights in Belgium
since the Nazi occupation of the
country in World War II'
BELGIUM: Belgium's Wallooon region has
voted to ban kosher and halal meats by
outlawing the slaughter of unstunned
animals.
The environment committee of southern
Belgium's Walloon Parliament voted
unanimously for the ban, which will take
effect in September 2019 if the
parliament's plenary approves the ban
later this month.
Both Jewish kosher and Islamic halal
rituals require the butcher to swiftly
slaughter the animal by slitting its
throat and draining its blood, a process
condemned by animal rights campaigners,
who argue it is more humane to stun
animals before killing them.
Similar legislation has been proposed by
the parliament in the northern Flemish
region.
The European Jewish Congress has
strongly condemned the decision, calling
it "scandalous".
"This decision, in the heart of Western
Europe and the centre of the European
Union, sends a terrible message to
Jewish communities throughout our
continent that Jews are unwanted," EJC
president Moshe Kantor said.
"It attacks the very core of our culture
and religious practice and our status as
equal citizens with equal rights in a
democratic society. It gives succour to
antisemites and to those intolerant of
other communities and faiths."
He added: "We call on legislators to
step back from the brink of the greatest
assault on Jewish religious rights in
Belgium since the Nazi occupation of the
country in World War II."
A ban on the slaughter of animals
without stunning will come into effect
in January 2019 in the Flemish region of
Belgium, the De Morgen daily newspaper
reports.
Belgium's Muslim community said its
religious council has previously
expressed its opposition to stunned
slaughter and there had been no change
in its stance since then.
"Muslims are worried about whether they
can eat halal food ... in conformity
with their religious rites and beliefs,"
the Belgian Muslim Executive said.
Countries including Denmark, Switzerland
and New Zealand already prohibit
unstunned slaughter.
Update. An earlier version of
this article indicated that unstunned
slaughter of animals had already been
outlawed in Wallonia and that kosher and
halal meat had been banned as a
consequence. In fact, while the
Environment Committee of the Walloon
Parliament has voted to prohibit
unstunned slaughter (with a proposed
start date for the ban of 1 September
2019), the plan has yet to be approved
by Parliament in full plenary session.
The proposal will be debated by
Wallonia's parliamentarians later this
month. Our article has been updated to
reflect this position. 9/5/17
SAUDI ARABIA: The Jeddah
Marriage Forum, organized by Al-Zawaj to
help young people get marriage and
family guidance, opened on Sunday.
Some 1,400 youths are taking part in the
three-day forum under the patronage of
Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal,
under the theme: "How to control the
expenses of marriage."
Experts are covering topics including
"etiquette", "happy marriage life",
"resolving marital differences" and
"pre-marriage screening."
Academics, consultants and advocates who
specialize in family guidance are also
taking part.
The director general of Al-Zawaj, Fahad
Al-Hazmi, said the forum aims to give
young men and women who are going to get
married knowledge and skills to build a
stable and happy family.
The forum seeks to develop effective
communication skills, prepare couples
psychologically for married life, and
explain the rights of the husband and
wife, required social behaviour in
married life, the basics of a successful
marriage, health issues and proper
financial planning, he added.
Jakarta
governor Ahok sentenced to two years in
prison for blasphemy
Shock sentence comes after
hardline Islamist groups called
for Christian official to be
jailed for referencing Qur'an
verse
At the end of
the day I'm not a terrorist, I'm
not a Supporters weep as court
jails Jakarta governor
INDONESIA: Jakarta's
Christian governor has been sentenced to
two years in prison after a trial that
was widely seen as a measure of
religious pluralism in Indonesia, the
world's largest Muslim-majority country.
Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, better known as
Ahok, was "found to have legitimately
and convincingly conducted a criminal
act of blasphemy, and because of that we
have imposed two years of imprisonment",
the head judge, Dwiarso Budi Santiarto,
told the court.
"As part of a religious society, the
defendant should be careful to not use
words with negative connotations
regarding the symbols of religions,
including the religion of the defendant
himself."
Another judge, Abdul Rosyad, said
reasons for the stiff sentence included
that "the defendant did not feel guilt,
the defendant's act has caused anxiety
and hurt Muslims".
After the verdict was read out, Ahok was
taken in an armoured police van to a
prison in Cipinang, East Jakarta.
Hundreds of supporters wearing his
signature red and blue check print
gathered outside the jail on Tuesday
afternoon. A candelit vigil was planned
for the evening.
Photos posted on social media showed
prison officials posing with the
convicted governor.
Ahok's lawyer said he would appeal
against the sentence. It was unclear
whether he would be released once the
legal challenge was under way.
The blasphemy charge related to Ahok's
reference to a passage of the Qur'an
during his re-election campaign in
September, which hardline Islamist
groups said amounted to insulting the
holy book.
He insinuated that his opponents had
used a Qur'anic verse to trick people
into voting against him. An edited
version of the speech went viral,
sparking outrage. Ahok, a Christian with
ethnic Chinese roots, is a "double
minority" in Indonesia.
A series of protests against him drew
hundreds of thousands on to the streets
of the capital late last year. On
Tuesday, hundreds of members of hardline
Islamist groups gathered outside the
south Jakarta courtroom amid a heavy
security presence, with many calling for
Ahok to receive the maximum penalty.
As news of the sentence emerged, some
protesters shouted "God is greatest".
The government has been criticised for
not doing enough to protect religious
minorities, but President Joko Widodo,
an ally of Ahok's, has called for
opponents to respect the legal process.
Thousands of police have been deployed
in the capital to prevent clashes
between Ahok supporters and opponents.
"Both groups will have the opportunity
to demonstrate but we are taking steps
to prevent clashes," said the national
police spokesman, Setyo Wasisto.
Ahok lost his bid for re-election in an
April run-off to a Muslim rival, Anies
Baswedan, who is scheduled to take over
in October. The vote was the most
divisive and religiously charged in
recent years.
With Ahok in detention, Jakarta's deputy
governor, Djarot Saiful Hidayat, will
assume the role of acting governor.
The decision to jail Ahok surprised some
observers because prosecutors had called
for a conditional sentence of two years'
probation.
They also dropped their demand that Ahok
be charged with blasphemy under article
156a of the criminal code, which carries
a maximum five-year sentence, instead
recommending that he face a lesser
charge.
Andreas Harsono, an Indonesia researcher
at Human Rights Watch, said the verdict
was "a sad day for Indonesia".
"Ahok's is the biggest blasphemy case in
the history of Indonesia. He is the
governor of Indonesia's largest city, an
ally of the president. If he can be sent
to jail, what could happen to others?"
he said.
Saudi
king orders that women no longer need a
man's permission to travel, study or make
police complaints
SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi
Arabia to give women more control over
their life choices by relaxing male
guardian system is welcomed as another
small step for women in the kingdom.
Saudi Arabia is well known to be one of
the world's most gender-segregated
nations, where women live under the
supervision of a male guardian, cannot
drive, and must wear head-to-toe black
garments in public.
Women need approval from a man to
travel, study and get some health
treatments.
But local media reported this week that
King Salman has issued an order allowing
women to benefit from government
services such as education and
healthcare without the consent of a male
guardian.
This means women could, in some
circumstances, study and access hospital
treatment, work in the public and
private sector and represent themselves
in court without a guardian's consent,
according to Maha Akeel, a women's
rights campaigner and a director at the
Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic
Cooperation.
He said: "Now at least it opens the door
for discussion on the guardian system."
The order made by King Salman, pictured,
is the latest in a series of steps to
include more women in the workforce to
help diversify the country’s economy and
reduce its reliance on oil
The trend started in 2011 when the late
King Abdullah allowed women onto the
government advisory Shura Council. Women
can now vote in municipal elections,
work in some retail and hospitality jobs
and were allowed to compete in the
Olympics for the first time in 2012.
But Saudi Arabia was still ranked 141 of
144 countries in the 2016 Global Gender
Gap, a World Economic Forum study on how
women fare in economic and political
participation, health and education.
The system of male guardianship, which
requires women to obtain permission from
a father, husband, or son to travel,
study or marry is an impediment to
realising women's rights, say rights
groups.
Mr Akeel said: "Male guardianship is
un-Islamic and humiliating for women."
"Some (men) take
advantage of this male guardianship for
their own benefit and abuse it."
Why
Muslims, led by Malaysians, are flocking to
Japan in record numbers
JAPAN: Japan is rolling
out the red carpet to visitors from
Muslim nations, with the 'qiblah'
appearing in hotel rooms, prayer rooms
being signposted in airports and
commercial complexes, and halal food
becoming a staple in restaurants and the
cafeterias of companies that conduct
business with firms from Muslim states.
There has been a steady growth in the
number of Muslims opting to settle in
Japan. Halal meals first became
available on menus about a decade ago,
but the nation's recent tourism boom is
driving supply and demand.
The total number of tourist arrivals in
Japan in 2016 surpassed 24 million, well
ahead of the 20 million target set by
the national government for 2020. And
tourists from Muslim nations accounted
for a growing number of the arrivals.
According to the Japan National Tourism
Organisation (JNTO), more than 394,000
Malaysians arrived last year, up from
89,000 seven years ago. Similarly,
nearly 271,000 Indonesians travelled to
Japan in 2016, up from just 63,000 in
2009.
The sharp increase in arrivals from
Southeast Asia is in part due to the
Japanese government relaxing visa
requirements, the growth in low-cost
airlines serving Japan and a growing
middle class with a larger disposable
income, according to the JNTO. Yet
another contributing factor has been the
ease with which Muslim travellers can
have their specific needs met.
"There has been a combination of factors
that are behind these impressive
figures, including the low yen rate,
which has made holidays in Japan much
more affordable for people from
Southeast Asia, in particular," said
Susah Ong, deputy director of the JNTO
office in Singapore.
"But I also think that the Japanese
travel sector has become more receptive
to overseas visitors," she said.
Shigeru Yamashita opened the Shariah
Hotel Fujisan specifically to meet the
needs of Muslim travellers in July 2016.
"I opened the hotel in order for Muslims
to feel comfortable when they visit
Japan," he said.
"All the meals that we serve are
Japanese dishes but prepared using halal
ingredients," he told This Week in Asia.
"We also have a qiblah in each guest
room, while there is also a dedicated
prayer room."
The hotel, a spacious former home that
has been extensively renovated, is close
to Kawaguchiko Lake, at the foot of
Mount Fuji, one of the must-see
locations in Japan for many foreign
visitors.
"So far, we have had around 300 Muslim
guests come to stay with us, but the
business is young and I believe that
this sector will grow and that many
Muslims will come to Japan in the years
ahead."
Other business operators also see Muslim
consumers as a significant opportunity.
In Nov, nearly 7,000 people attended the
third Halal Expo Japan, which ran over
two days in Tokyo in conjunction with
the Tokyo Modest Fashion Show. A similar
event is scheduled to take place in
Osaka in May and again in Tokyo this
Nov.
In Okayama prefecture, the Okayama
Health Tourism Association launched a
scheme earlier this year giving hotels
and restaurants that have
Muslim-friendly facilities or meals a
Peach Mark logo to display. Restaurants
that do not serve pork and prepare food
in the appropriate manner are eligible
for certification, along with hotels
that provide prayer mats.
The Shisui Premium Outlets retail park,
in Chiba prefecture, opened a prayer
room for Muslims in 2014, the same year
that a similar facility opened in the
Shinjuku store operated by Takashimaya.
The Shiroi Koibito theme park in Sapporo
opened a worship room earlier this year
after 24,000
Malaysians and Indonesians visited the
park in 2014, a 74 per cent jump from
the previous year.
Facilities are also being introduced for
longer-term visitors. Rikkyo University
in Tokyo, which plans to increase its
enrolment of foreign students to 2,000
by 2024, opened a prayer room, complete
with a qibla, in April. The university
said the prayer room "provides an
opportunity for our Japanese students to
learn about Islamic culture".
Nearby Sophia University, which already
has 50 students from Muslim-majority
nations, has also opened a cafeteria for
students with a wide range of halal
meals.
YKK Corp, a fastener manufacturer,
started providing halal meals in its
factory cafeteria in Kurobe to
accommodate an increasing number of
Muslims who visit the plant for
training. The YKK Group has operations
in 71 countries around the world.
Mohammed Naji Matar joined Osaka-based
Miyako International Tourist Co four
years ago, after leaving Syria. He was
tasked with starting up the company's
Muslim business and says he believes
there are plenty of opportunities in
Japan's travel sector.
"A few years ago we started seeing
Muslim travellers from Southeast Asian
countries taking off, but now we are
seeing similar interest in Japan from
Dubai, Saudi Arabia and other countries
in the Middle East," he said.
"Japan is fashionable as a destination
for people from those countries, and is
famous for its technology, cuisine,
traditions, history and the sights of
Tokyo and Osaka," he said.
"A lot of these people have already been
to many European countries and the
United States, and they are looking for
a new destination to explore."
Matar said that halal food is "slowly"
catching on in Japan, but he believes
growing demand by visitors from
increasingly wealthy Muslim nations
would speed the process up.
"It is already easier to come here,
because of the visa situation and the
increase in flights, and foreigners know
that Japan is safe and clean and the
people are hospitable," he said.
"Once halal food is more readily
available, then I think even more people
will want to come here."
Expecting skinheads,
John Safran rocked up to a far-right rally in
Melbourne. What he found led him into the mad
world of misfits who helped propel the second
coming of Pauline Hanson and foreshadowed the
era of Trump.
No one turns up where they're not wanted quite
like John Safran. In this hilarious and
disorienting adventure he gets among our diverse
community of white nationalists, ISIS
supporters, anarchists and more, digging away at
the contradictions that many would prefer be
left unexamined. Who is this black puppet-master
among the white nationalists? And this Muslim
fundamentalist who geeks out on Monty Python? Is
there a secret radicalisation network operating
in John's own Jewish suburb? And ultimately – is
hanging with all these radicals washing off on
John himself?
Populated by an extraordinary cast of 'ordinary'
Australians, Depends What You Mean by Extremist
is a startling, confronting portrait of
contemporary Australia. We all think we know
what's going on in our own country, but this
larger-than-life, timely, and alarmingly
insightful true story will make you think again
. . .
Drinking shots with nationalists and gobbling
falafel with radicals, John Safran was there the
year the extreme became the mainstream.
KB says:This dough can be used
for pizzas, rolls etc. or you can vary it a
little by adding 1tsp fennel seeds and make it
into naan. I used the dough to make it into
steak buns which are ready to freeze for
Ramadaan.
10
minute Arabic dough
2
cups warm water
4 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoon yeast
2 cups sifted flour
Ľ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon milk powder- secret ingredient that
makes them so soft
Mix and knead until combined then use as desired
allowing a further 30 mins to rest after it has
been shaped.
Tip: To reheat the buns or any yeast product,
which is in a frozen state, place in an oven
bag, seal the bag and place in a pre-heated oven
of 180 degrees for approx. 10 mins. The bun will
come out as if it’s just been baked.
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 "Emotional
Blackmail”.
Experience and
observations from my
sessions with
clients have
confirmed to me a
notion I have had
for several years
now - that Emotional
Blackmail is the
root cause of fear.
Let's deconstruct
this phrase and
understand what it
really means.
'Emotional’
is when someone
gives in to a
feeling which
results from sensory
stimulation. For
example, your sense
of smell may detect
the aroma of freshly
baked cake and you
give in to that
stimulation by
enjoying fresh, hot
bread with butter.
As a result you feel
joy and
satisfaction.
Another example
could be when your
sense of sight
catches a glimpse of
terrible media
coverage showing
people being hurt.
This stimulation
results in you
feeling sad for
those suffering and
angry with those
afflicting pain on
others.
'Blackmail’ is
to extort money from
someone by
threatening them.
Emotional Blackmail
does not involve
money, however it
involves threat in
exchange of fear.
The act of
threatening someone
to succumb them into
believing that they
need to perform a
certain act or
behave a certain way
or else the
consequence would be
negative is known as
Emotional Blackmail.
Believe it or not,
Emotional Blackmail
is practised in most
homes on a daily
basis, especially in
parent-child and
husband-wife
relationships.
Notice the next time
you say to your
child something that
sounds a bit like
this - "If you don't
score above 90% in
your exams this
year, you certainly
won't be getting
that new Playstation
game you've been
asking for.”
Or, how often have
you heard something
that may sound like
- "If you don't do
as I say, I'll leave
you.”
What happens to
relationships when
there is Emotional
Blackmail?
When there is
emotional blackmail
in a relationship,
love, respect and
understanding get
replaced by
dictatorship,
bullying and
oppression. Instead
of understanding why
the child's exam
results are lower
than expected and
trying to address
the underlying
causes, the parent
emotionally
blackmails the child
into fearing a
situation that is
undesirable. Instead
of understanding and
empathising with our
spouse, we give
emotional
ultimatums.
Adults who resort to
emotional
blackmailing are
often suppressing
anger and have an
intense need to
control. Adults who
give in to emotional
blackmailing are
often lacking
self-worth and
self-esteem and
identify themselves
as victims of
situations.
Each time a
fear-inducing
statement is made to
emotionally
blackmail another,
fear takes over. As
Muslims, we must
understand that
where there is fear,
there is no faith.
If we are to truly
fear only ALLAH then
we must live from
the space of
understanding,
compassion and
meaningful
conversations.
Often the argument
my clients make is
that if they don't
use emotional
blackmailing, they
feel things don’t
happen according to
their expectations.
But think about this
for a moment - are
you really in
control? Do you
really feel that
succumbing to fear
of situations would
ever yield positive
outcomes in the long
term? People may
obey you the first
time or even several
times, however,
eventually
resentment takes
over and arguments,
retaliation,
rebelliousness and
sometimes violence
become the norm of
the home.
3-Step-Strategy
to avoid Emotional
Blackmail
1.
Self-reflection
is important.
Spend a whole
day or week to
be mindful and
become aware of
what you say to
people and what
they say to you.
Do this as an
observer without
judgment.
2. Write down
these
observations in
a notebook.
Analyse these
statements and
look for those
that revolve
around fear and
punishment.
3. Have a
conversation
with the people
involved and
say: “Let us
discuss this
issue with the
goal to
understand what
is actually
causing it. Once
we understand
the cause, we
can work on a
solution.”
In
Shaa ALLAH, next
week we will explore
the topic:
Respecting Personal
Space
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
Swap some of your
coffee / lunch dates with your spouse for an
exercise date.
Co-ordinate your
workout routines to challenge and strengthen
each other.
Working out with your significant other will
keep you motivated and encourage both of you to
give 100% every time.
Whether it's a brisk walk, a strength workout,
or a cardio blast – you'll be amazed at how hard
you push yourself to help your spouse get the
results they want.
From now to early
October is the
growing season in
Brisbane.
Here are the best
tips:
• Prepare the ground
well by digging and
loosening the soil.
• Use good seeds.
Bad seeds equal bad
plants.
• Coriander needs a
little
superphosphate when
small to set strong
roots.
• Use chicken manure
or other high
nitrogen fertiliser
to develop big
leaves.
• Pinch out the top
narrower leaves when
they develop to
delay seeding.
• Use
everything-broad
leaves, narrow
leaves, flowers,
stems and green
seeds. All are
aromatic.
• Allow some plants
to go to seed
(brown) and save for
the next crop.
• Mulch and regular
watering are
essential.
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
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
Belgium
votes to ban kosher and halal slaughter in
its biggest territory 
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. 
Nothing
beats the aroma of
home grown
coriander.
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our Wall
7
August 2011