Mehdi Hasan in conversation
with Stan Grant in Sydney
"If we want to
defeat extremism of all types
then we have to stick together.
We have to stand together, be
united and focus on what unites
us, not sets us apart."
Australia, your misplaced
fear is giving terrorists
exactly what they want By Mehdi Hasan
What are Australians so
afraid of? Why has fear
started to paralyse your
once-confident and uber-relaxed
nation?
A recent ANU poll revealed
that almost half of you (45
per cent) are now concerned
that you or one of your
family members could become
the victim of a future
terrorist attack, while more
than half of you (56 per
cent) think your government
could do much more to
prevent such an attack.
Another poll found almost
half of you (49 per cent)
even support a Trump-esque
ban on all Muslim
immigration.
What is going on in a
country that prides itself
on a fair go for all?
Are you really so
petrified by the
possibility of a
domestic terror attack?
Have you forgotten that
yours is an island nation?
That the Bali bombings back
in October 2002 may have
resulted in the tragic
deaths of 88 Australians but
there have been zero
mass-casualty terror attacks
on Australian soil since
September 11, 2001?
Australia is not France. Nor
is it the UK. Terrorism is a
real and present danger, of
course, yet terrorist
attacks have claimed the
lives of just five people in
your country over the past
two decades. That's five too
many but put that number in
context, as Professor Greg
Austin, an international
security expert at the
University of NSW, did last
October: "More Australians
have died at the hands of
police (lawfully or
unlawfully) in 10 years (50
at least from 2006 to 2015)
or from domestic violence in
just two years (more than
318 in 2014 and 2015) than
from terrorist attacks in
Australia in the last 20
years."
Got that? You are also much
more likely, as an
Australian in Australia, to
be killed falling out of bed
in the morning than by a
terrorist during the day. To
borrow a phrase from the
Aussie vernacular — fair
dinkum!
Perceptions miss the mark
Take it from this Pom
journalist who has reported
on the Eurozone crisis, the
Brexit referendum and the
election of Donald Trump —
whether it's terrorism,
crime or the state of the
economy, you Aussies have
less to worry about than
most other Western nations.
Despite recent
terror-inspired stabbings
and deaths, the threat of "homegrown"
extremism has been
overstated. As even your
government has conceded,
"only a very small
proportion of the population
supports the use of violence
to try to achieve
ideological, religious or
political goals." Yes, about
100 Australian Muslims are
believed to be fighting for
Islamic State in Syria,
which is 100 too many, but
that's a tiny fraction of
the Australian Muslim
community of 600,000-odd.
(Incidentally, the
proportion of your
population that is Muslim is
nine times smaller than many
of you seem to think it is.)
The threat posed by bearded,
dark-skinned foreigners has
been equally overstated. Why
do Muslim refugees, arriving
by the boatload from
war-torn Syria and Iraq,
keep so many of you up at
night? The truth is the
security threat posed by
such men, women and, yes,
don't forget children, is
truly miniscule.
Don't take my word for it:
Duncan Lewis, the head of
your national security
agency, the ASIO, has said
he has "absolutely no
evidence to suggest there's
a connection between
refugees and terrorism."
Or as your deputy prime
minister, Barnaby Joyce, so
memorably put it, there is
as much a link between
refugees and terrorism as
there is "between testicles
and terrorism."
The model
is working
The truth is that Australia
should be the envy of the
Western world. Yes, your
country has an ugly — and in
many ways, unresolved —
history of racism and
discrimination, both towards
non-white immigrants and
Aboriginal peoples. Yes,
your government has failed,
in the words of Human Rights
Watch, to "respect
international standards for
asylum seekers and
refugees". Yes, you have a
growing number of nativist
politicians vying to be
Australia's Donald Trump,
from Pauline Hanson to
Jacqui Lambie.
Yet integration, by and
large, is working in
Australia, despite it having
one of the highest
foreign-born populations (28
per cent) in the West. In an
era in which conservative
leaders from Britain to
France to Germany have been
falling over one another to
declare multiculturalism
outdated or even dead, your
current conservative
government deserves praise
for issuing a recent
official statement declaring
your country "the most
successful multicultural
society in the world".
"Australia," wrote Prime
Minister Malcolm Turnbull in
the foreword, "is an
immigration nation
...embracing its diversity."
It is your remarkable and
admirable diversity which
the terrorists seek to
disrupt and undermine;
groups such as Islamic State
do not hide the fact that
their goal is to sow fear
and division. Their little
helpers in the West — the
Trumps, the Le Pens, the
Hansons, with their "Muslim
bans" and obsession with "sharia"
law — are, wittingly or
unwittingly, bolstering
their message.
Don't believe me? Listen to
the French journalist and
former Islamic State hostage
Nicolas Henin, who says the
group is "heartened by every
sign of overreaction, of
division, of fear, of
racism, of xenophobia …
Central to their world view
is the belief that
communities cannot live
together with Muslims, and
every day their antennae
will be tuned towards
finding supporting
evidence."
Islamist terrorists and
Islamophobic politicians
both want the same
thing: for you to be
filled with fear,
suspicion, hate, anger.
So Australians, don't give
them what they want. Don't
be afraid. Be defiant. Don't
be frustrated. Be proud.
Your nation could be a model
for the rest of the West; a
beacon of both immigration
and integration. A nation
that refuses to be cowed
either by terrorist attacks
or by those who would
exploit terrorist attacks
for partisan gain.
Many of us across the West
are cheering you on. As the
legendary American
cartoonist Charles M Schulz
put it, "Don't worry about
the world coming to an end
today. It is already
tomorrow in Australia."
The Australian National
Imams Council (ANIC) this
week announced its new
initiative ANIC HALAL
AUTHORITY & CERTIFICATION.
PRESS RELEASE
ANIC HALAL AUTHORITY was
established for the purpose
of:
i) Providing a greater
awareness on HALAL
certification in
Australia and
globally
ii) Securing products
that are HALAL and
lawful for consumption
by the
Muslim community
iii) Maintaining and
preserving the Islamic
religion and faith.
ANIC HALAL AUTHORITY is led
by prominent Imams from
across Australia
including the Grand Mufti of
Australia Dr Ibrahim Abu
Mohammad and the authority
upholds the objectives of
Halal compliance according
to the teachings of the
Quran and Sunnah, the
recognized Global halal
standards, transparency,
accountability and
professionalism.
ANIC
HALAL AUTHORITY is a
registered organisation
under ASIC and approved by
the department of
Agriculture and Water
Resources and numerous
overseas authorities.
ANIC HALAL AUTHORITY
provides a reliable and
trustworthy Halal
Accreditation and
Certification Services to
abattoirs, slaughter houses,
meat processing
establishments, consumable
goods, cosmetics and
pharmaceutical products.
ANIC Halal Authority is
approved by major importing
countries and accredited by
the Australian Government
making it one of the leading
certification bodies in the
Halal industry.
Halal Accreditation from
ANIC will ensure the
consumer confidence in the
product meeting the Islamic
requirements and that the
product has been scrutinised
by a global Islamic
Organisation.
A report has revealed lone
women are most likely to be
targeted in Islamophobic attacks
by men of Anglo-Celtic
backgrounds.
“You Muslim dog, get out
of this country, you’re not
Aussie”.
“Watch as we come for you in
your sleep”.
“This isn’t the only
incident I had like this”.
These are just some of the
stories found in the 'Islamophobia
in Australia 2014-2016'
report released on Monday.
Research conducted by the
Centre for Islamic Studies
and Civilisation, Charles
Sturt University and the
Islamophobia Register of
Australia has revealed women
who are alone and wearing
Islamic headwear were the
most likely to be targets of
attacks.
Females who were accompanied
by children or pregnant
further increased the
chances of becoming a target
of an Islamophobic attack.
The perpetrators are most
often male, of Anglo-Celtic
background and by themselves
when incidents occur.
Children also appear to be
at risk of being targeted,
with one woman describing
how a neighbour came to her
door and verbally assaulted
her and her baby.
“I really feel harassed by
her as she expressed so much
hate, especially to my
baby," she said.
Other cases include an
elderly man calling a
teenage boy “a terrorist”,
while a customer demanded a
young Muslim employee at a
supermarket remove her
headscarf.
Despite the gender skew, the
research has shown that
females tended to submit
fewer reports when they were
the target.
Cyber crimes are accounting
for a growing number of
Islamophobic incidents,
though some attacks included
both an online and offline
component such as the
posting of a video of a
person harassing someone.
Some posts explicitly
incited violence, such as a
Facebook post calling for
people to get guns “for
revenge after [the] Martin
Place shooting”.
“I’m going to hit and then
spit on every single
Islam/Muslim I see” another
post said.
Australian
Muslim women are bearing the
brunt of Islamophobic attacks.
Telling them to hide their
religion is victim blaming #TheDrum
One witness described seeing
two men verbally abuse a
group of women wearing
headscarves, telling them
“you’re not wanted here."
Many of those who had been
targeted reported saying
they had lost faith in
Australia and
multiculturalism,
particularly when the
response from authorities
was less than adequate.
“They didn’t even take it
seriously”, one person said
after telling the police.
“Shocking!”
There were also incidents
were non-Muslim citizens
expressed their
disappointment and concern
for those being targeted.
One woman recounted meeting
a Muslim woman in public and
offering her support.
“It might sound trite, but
there are so many of us out
there that want the brothers
and sisters to know, ‘you
are respected and loved’”,
she said.
Students will be safer when
travelling to and from
school thanks to the
Palaszczuk Government’s $12
million flashing school zone
program, with Stretton among
those set to receive the
signs.
Duncan Pegg MP said signs
would be installed on Formby
Street serving Wisdom
College over the coming
financial year.
“We have already installed
over 740 flashing signs
across Queensland, and it
will be great to see yet
another school benefit from
our safety initiative,” Mr
Pegg said.
“Our flashing signs have
made school zones much safer
ever since they started
lighting-up our roads in
2011.
“This is because significant
planning goes into ensuring
the signs are delivered to
where they’ll be most
effective, benefiting the
schools and communities that
need them most.
“We work closely with local
councils and schools leading
up to the installation
phase, to ensure these
important safety signs are
placed in highly visible
places.”
Mr Pegg said the Palaszczuk
Government was committed to
enhancing road safety for
students across the state.
“Flashing signs play an
important role in alerting
motorists that they are
entering a school zone,
reminding drivers to slow
down and keep an eye out for
children,” Mr Pegg said.
“The signs only flash on
school days and during
school zone times, so
motorists will be notified
when children are likely to
be around.
“We want to create a safe
environment for our students
to allow them to focus on
their studies, rather than
having to worry about
careless drivers.
“Adhering to the speed limit
is always vital, and we urge
all motorists to follow the
road rules and help us
create a safe environment
for students when they are
arriving and leaving
school.”
Schools are selected for
flashing school zone signs
following detailed analyses,
which considers crash
history, vehicle and
pedestrian traffic, speed
limits and visibility
problems.
Commonwealth funding will be
restored to Malek Fahd after the
Federal Court ordered the
government to no longer delay it
over transparency concerns.
One of Australia's largest
Islamic schools has won a
legal fight to receive about
$6.5 million in Commonwealth
funding which had been
withheld due to governance
and transparency concerns.
The Malek Fahd Islamic
School in NSW was in April
notified its funding would
be delayed and there were
fears it would be forced to
close ahead of term three,
which begins on July 18.
The Federal Court of
Australia on Thursday ruled
the government must continue
the month-by-month funding
and back-pay it to April,
representing a reprieve as
the school also fights a
separate case about its
future.
Justice John Griffiths said
the matter had "considerable
urgency" about it, with
obvious practical
ramifications for more than
2300 students and 250
teachers across three
campuses.
"Unless Commonwealth funding
which is provided to the
state and then passed
through to the school is
restored, the applicant will
shortly go into
administration," he said in
the judgment.
Board chairman John Bennett
called the decision "a great
relief" after a difficult
time for the community.
"It's been very anxious,
very stressful for parents,
for students and staff," Dr
Bennett told AAP.
Justice Griffiths
acknowledged the school's
"troubled history" in recent
years.
Part of the funding
disagreement centred on
whether the school was
operating on a for-profit
basis.
It was argued that public
funds were at risk of being
passed to the Australian
Federation of Islamic
Councils because of a
current contractual
obligation to pay
non-commercial rent to AFIC.
Justice Griffiths rejected
the submission and agreed
with the school's
explanation that it was
"asset rich but cash poor".
Dr Bennett said many of the
problems related to a
previous board which was
replaced in March last year.
Since then, it has been
adjusting its governance and
financial operations. AFIC
no longer has representation
on the board.
The school was "very, very
close" to addressing the
government's concerns, Dr
Bennett said.
A separate case involves the
government's February 2016
decision to revoke approval
of the school's responsible
authority, the result of
which is still pending.
A Department of Education
and Training spokesman on
Thursday defended that
decision and said the school
had a responsibility to make
sure it complied with
legislation, including
"unresolved issues involving
past boards".
"The department considers
that the authority for Malek
Fahd Islamic School remains
non-compliant with the
Australian Education Act
2013," he said in a
statement.
At a time — we're told —
when Australians are
disengaged from politics and
politicians, hundreds of
people are bucking the trend
and giving up their weekend
in Brisbane for three days
of grassroots democracy at
the Queensland Liberal
National Party (LNP)
convention.
Like their ALP counterparts
who will do the same thing
later this month at the
Labor Party conference in
Townsville in north
Queensland, LNP branch
members over the coming days
will debate policies and put
forward resolutions about
sharia law, Adani,
ideological traffic signals
and "ABC bias".
The doctrinal debate by this
year's congregation
includes:
Resolution 71:
"That this Convention of
the LNP call on the
Federal Coalition
Government to suspend
immigration from Islamic
nations that recognise
sharia law."
Some will pass, some will
fail — all will be debated
with varying levels of
oratorical skill, occasional
uproar, a few sleepy moments
and some bits of unintended
comedy.
Then in two weeks in
Townsville it will be the
ALP's turn.
A conservative commentator
on Sydney’s 2GB radio
station has joked about
wanting to “run over”
Yassmin Abdel-Mageid, after
the Sudanese-Australian
engineer detailed death
threats and rape threats she
had received while in
Australia.
Former journalist Prue
MacSween made the comments
on 2GB’s Chris Smith show on
Wednesday, on a segment
called “Smithy’s Deplorables”–
a reference to the nickname
adopted by supporters of
Donald Trump.
Abdel-Mageid left Australia
for London last week,
writing that she had become
“Australia’s most hated
Muslim” and received daily
death threats and videos of
beheadings and rapes after a
post made on Anzac Day was
seized on by conservative
media.
MacSween told Smith Abdel-Mageid’s
fears might be well-founded.
“She has fled the country
and is blaming all of us”,
MacSween said. “She says
she’s been betrayed by
Australia and didn’t feel
safe in her own country.
Well actually she might have
been right there, because if
I had seen her I would have
been tempted to run her over
mate.”
Smith responded by laughing
heartily and agreeing that
Abdel-Mageid, who apologised
for her Anzac Day comments,
was “not really sorry”.
Responding to critics on
Twitter, MacSween defended
her comments as humour and
free speech and attacking
critics as “festering,
humourless ... ferals”.
She later told News.com.au
that “it’s sad people have
now lost their sense of
humour, we used to celebrate
larrikinism in this country,
celebrate free speech and
sadly that’s gone”.
But critics denounced
MacSween’s comments as
hypocritical and encouraging
violence against Abdel-Mageid.
“So what exactly is your
problem with Yassmin?” asked
ABC Radio National presenter
Mark Bevan. “Isn’t it just
her exercising free speech
too?”
Smith broadcast an apology
on his show after listeners
complained about the
segment.
“I laughed over the top of
it at the time so I didn’t
hear exactly what she said,”
he said. “Suffice to say it
was meant in a light-hearted
non-literal fashion and
we’re hardly ever going to
encourage people to run
someone over ... If it’s
upset people we apologise.
That’s not what I would
intend for her [Abdel-Mageid].”
In the original segment,
MacSween also referred to
Abdel-Mageid as a “flea” who
was both “irrelevant and
dangerous”.
“We don’t even give this
flea a second thought
anymore since she slinked
away from this country in
disgrace ... She’s quite
irrelevant but she’s
dangerous ... we’re actually
one of the most tolerant
[countries], so I’m glad she
hates us.”
The Guardian
Yassmin Abdel-Magied, who
has called herself the most
"publicly hated Muslim in
Australia", says she feels
betrayed by her home country
and that people in Australia
are happy to accept you "as
long as you toe the line".
"And I had toed the line for
10 years in the public eye …
and for some reason I
decided that at that point
that if I didn't say
anything, who would?"
Abdel-Magied, 26, said it
was "exhausting" to be the
subject of controversy in
Australia.
"I feel a little bit
betrayed by Australia,
because it's my country and
these are my country people
and it's my home, and to
sort of fight for your right
to exist in your home
country — it's exhausting,"
she said.
"It's funny that … freedom
of speech doesn't really
apply to the truth.
"For me that was my truth,
but I wasn't really allowed
to say it and people were
very upset, so it's taught
me a lot."
"The reality is the visceral
nature of the fury — almost
every time I share a
perspective or make a
statement in any forum — is
more about who I am than
about what is said."
Gaida Merei and Mohamad
Abdalla hold signs promoting
peace and unity with the
community.
A new high school curriculum
will help young people
realise there's no conflict
between following Islam and
being raised Australian,
despite an atmosphere of
Islamaphobia, according to
young student Gaida Merei.
Ms Merei was part of the
pilot program of what will
eventually become a national
syllabus for Islamic and
Arabic studies.
She said young Muslims often
find themselves questioning
their identity because they
don't have the answers to
questions about their faith
that are raised in the news.
"It makes them makes you
feel like you're
constantly being
attacked," Ms Merei
said.
"It could make them [young
Muslims] question their
belonging and negatively
impact the way they view
their role in society and
whether their contribution
has value."
She said the pilot program
gave her a confidence boost.
"It meant I could embrace my
identity a lot more
confidently, and confirmed
that just because I followed
the faith, it didn't
conflict with being raised
Australian."
Experts work toward
creating national curriculum
Currently, Australian
Islamic schools use approved
curriculum for core subjects
such as maths, science and
English, but there is no
cohesive religious studies
or Arabic program.
In an attempt to change
that, leading experts in
Islamic education from
around the globe are meeting
in South Australia to look
at creating a standardised
national Islamic studies
curriculum that would become
the first in the western
world.
The two-day conference
brings together
international experts from
New Zealand, Indonesia,
North America amongst others
to discuss a renewed
approach to teaching in
Islamic schools.
For the last couple of years
several Islamic schools have
been in the spotlight for
governance concerns.
Centre for Islamic Thought
and Education, Professor
Mohamad Abdalla, said these
issues shed light on the
need for Islamic schools to
re-evaluate future
direction.
As part of the conference
agenda academics and policy
specialist will look at
creating a learning program
relevant to a modern-day
Australian context.
Professor Abdalla said
that's something current
Islamic studies in schools
lack.
"Given the [political]
climate, young
Australians may feel
they don't belong to
this country, Islamic
studies could empower
them to feel confident,"
he said.
How to applying faith to
modern Australia
Ms Merei said from her
experiences of attending an
Islamic school, students are
missing out on education
relevant to their lives in
Australia.
"The way the religion is
followed and applied in
modern Australia will differ
to the way it is followed in
countries in the Middle East
or Europe or Asia," she
said.
"It seems like religious
teachers force their
understanding of the
faith from overseas onto
young Australians not
understanding the issues
and struggles we face
are extremely
different."
The course explored often
misunderstood topics of
sharia, women in Islam,
terrorism and identity.
Ms Merei said she missed out
on learning about these
subjects at the Islamic
school she attended and now
understands the value of
learning about them from a
credible source.
"They can properly engage in
debate and discussion with
people who have different
understandings and
perspectives.
"They'll be less frustrated
when questioned on these
topics because they can
actually respond."
She said in today's world
self-proclaimed scholars are
brainwashing young people
who have little
understanding of their
faith.
Ms Merei said having a basic
understanding of these
topics would empower them to
see through their
politically motivated
propaganda.
Professor Abdalla said an
Australian curriculum was
expected to be ready in the
next two to three years.
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.
Faezeh Hashemi
Award for Excellence
in SPORT:
For outstanding
sporting achievement
or the initiation of
a sports project for
the benefit of the
Muslim community at
national or local
level
Winner: Muslimah
Sports Association
The Muslimah Sports
Association is a
volunteer-led
organisation based
in Ilford, East
London, committed to
providing
opportunities and
empowerment through
sports to Muslim and
Black, Asian and
Minority Ethnic (BAME)
women.
They offer a diverse
range of sports,
from basketball to
karate, to squash
and football,
benefitting over 400
women from Muslim
and BAME
backgrounds.
They have
collaborated with
the Football
Association and
Badminton England
for courses aimed at
Muslim and BAME
women, and have also
developed free
football coaching
for local Islamic
primary schools in
the area in
partnership with
Essex FA.
They currently have
six trustees and are
going from strength
to strength with
their brand now
recognisable not
only across East
London but
country-wide.
..........The UK Muslim News
Awards for Excellence CONTINUES IN NEXT
WEEK'S CCN
Randa
Abdel-Fattah has
been abused
while she was
walking down the
street with her
children.
Islamophobia:
My children hear
the ugly reality
of racism in the
street, it's not
up to them to
toughen up
OPINION:
By Randa
Abdel-Fattah
Dropping my
children off to
their Islamic
school one
morning, a car
slowed down and
one of the male
occupants yelled
out, "F*** off
Arab
terrorists".
My children
processed the
"F" word first
and foremost. I
remember the
relief that he
had used the "F"
word, given it
deflected the
children's
attention from
"Arab" and
"terrorist".
The children did
not seem to have
understood what
had happened,
but weeks later,
the radio was on
and they heard
the words
"Muslim" and
"terrorists".
"Like what that
man said," the
eldest said,
casually and
matter-of-factly.
Then they
started asking
me questions:
"Do people hate
Muslims? What's
a terrorist?"
It was one of
the most
difficult
conversations of
my life. Trying
to say enough,
but not too
much. Wanting to
protect their
innocence for as
long as I could.
Sadly, what
happened to my
children and me
pales in
comparison to
what many veiled
Muslim women
endure. The
findings
documented in
the report of
the Islamophobia
Register of
Australia
demonstrate how
much more
vicious and
violent such
incidents of
abuse,
intimidation and
harassment can
be.
The report found
veiled women are
the main targets
of Islamophobic
abuse and that
more than 30 per
cent of women
had their
children with
them at the time
of the reported
incident.
The presence of
children at the
time women have
been followed
and taunted,
intimidated by
groups of men or
physically
harassed is
deeply
disturbing. It
vindicates the
repeated
testimonies of
Muslim women,
particularly
veiled ones,
that they are at
the front line
of Islamophobic
abuse given
their visibility
and the
misogynistic
cowardice of
perpetrators.
There can be no
doubt witnessing
such abuse
negatively
affects
Australian
Muslim children.
All parents seek
to protect their
children from
the ugly
realities of
racism. Yet
racialised
minorities do
not have the
luxury of
choosing when to
open up such
conversations.
They do not have
the luxury of
speaking about
race and
Islamophobia in
intellectual
terms, as part
of classroom
conversations or
Harmony Day
assemblies.
Islamophobia is
forced upon
families as a
lived experience
and children are
therefore
confronted with
a confusing
chasm between
feel-good
multicultural
rhetoric and the
abuse they
witness in their
daily lives.
ABC News
Yassmin
Abdel-Magied
left Australia
after being
hounded in the
media and on
social media for
her comments on
Australia Day.
Yassmin
Abdel-Magied:
the latest woman
to be roasted on
the spit of
public life
COMMENT: Julia
Baird
In 2017, it is
Yassmin Abdel-Magied,
a 26-year-old
mechanical
engineer who
argued her
Muslim faith
could be
feminist, and
wrote a Facebook
post on Anzac
Day about
remembering
other people
fleeing from,
and suffering as
a result of,
wars today. Some
of this is
provocative. Not
ill-intentioned,
but ill-timed.
But hardly
incendiary.
You'll hear
similar ideas
about how to
remember war
debated among
students and
veterans alike.
The reaction has
been lacking in
all proportion
and reason. In
the past few
weeks, a crowd
bearing torches
have gathered in
the town square
and jabbed fists
in the air:
Deport her! Sack
her! Run her
over! Shut her
down! Seize her
passport! Shut
the gates! Pull
up the
drawbridge!
Front-page
stories,
editorials,
polls, a
clogging of
social media
arteries.
What on earth is
going on? Why
the hysteria?
SMH
There must be
something good
in your culture
if it taught you
to think
rationally and
embrace the
truth, whatever
the cost.
Dear
Converts, Don’t
Give Up Your
Culture
Kaighla Um Dayo
“Can I go to the
masjid with you?
I have always
been so curious
what happens
there,” she
asked.
My friend Sara
and I had spent
hours talking
about the finer
points of Islam.
In our small
town, most
people wouldn’t
give me 5
minutes, but she
and I love
talking culture
and religion.
That Friday, I
took her to the
local masjid and
found there was
already a tour
in progress for
another visitor,
so we joined
along. After the
service, we went
to the library
in the Islamic
center and
enjoyed
conversation
over gyros
Just as we were
wrapping up that
conversation,
someone came in
the door and she
had with her a
young woman
whose eyes were
wide with wonder
and anxiety. She
was introduced
to us as Sam.
She had just
converted a week
before.
In that moment,
my mind flashed
back to my first
weeks as a
Muslim and the
overwhelming
feelings that
washed over me.
The look I saw
in her eyes that
day mirrors the
look I have seen
in so many new
converts.
She was
obviously
uncomfortable,
feeling out of
place and
confused.
I took Sam
aside—under my
wing, as it
were—and told
her that nothing
matters right
now more than
learning to
pray. But I also
told her one
piece of advice
I wish someone
had told me when
I first
converted: do
not abandon your
culture.
Your Culture
is Not Bad
When we first
embrace Islam,
we are
surrounded with
love and warmth
from people that
come from all
walks of life,
all cultures,
and all
countries.
But they all
have one thing
in common most
of the time:
they see Islam
through their
own cultural
lens and they
pass that vision
onto us,
converts.
Stop. Think
What happened in
your heart to
guide you to
finding Islam
during a time
when doing so
will most
certainly cost
you something?
Maybe you lost
your closest
friends, maybe
your family
pushed you out,
maybe you even
lost your job.
And why did you
choose this
course?
Because you have
a thinking,
reasoning mind
that was
unwilling to
accept the
status quo. And
guess what?
There is a good
chance that this
quality within
you was
inculcated by
your family,
your home, and
your culture.
There must be
something good
in your culture
if it taught you
to think
rationally and
embrace the
truth, whatever
the cost.
Unless there is
something which
is obviously
haram—like
drinking
alcohol, having
a
boyfriend/girlfriend,
or doing
drugs—you have
absolutely no
responsibility
to abandon it.
In many cases,
doing so would
cause more harm
than good.
Your Name is
Your Name
Sister, brother,
please listen to
me: do not
change your
name. I say this
so passionately
because I see it
all the time.
Your mother and
father gave you
that name. They
spent months
thinking of the
perfect name for
you. You have
spent your
entire life
carrying that
name and,
believe it or
not, it is part
of you, and
there is nothing
wrong with that.
Unless your name
has a very
clearly haram
meaning—like the
name of a pagan
God, or a name
that means
“evil” or
“wicked”, for
example—I advise
you with all
seriousness to
keep your name.
Respect your
mother and
father and
respect your own
identity.
Arab/Paki/Indo
DOES NOT Equal
Muslim
People will tell
you that you
must speak
Arabic to be a
good Muslim.
They may tell
you that you
need to learn
Urdu. They will
be dropping
Muslimese words
here and there,
words like
MashaAllah and
InshaAllah and
Alhamdulillah
and you may feel
like you’re not
part of the
club.
Don’t worry.
These words are
just the Arabic
way to express
thanks to God
and trust in His
perfect Will.
MashaAllah means
“God has willed
this”, so you
say it when you
are happy to see
something good.
InshaAllah means
“If God wills
it”, meaning you
will do such and
such only if God
wills it to
happen.
Alhamdulillah
means “thank God
for this”, and
that is
self-explanatory.
Beyond learning
how to read the
Quran in Arabic
so that you can
read and recite
it in
prayer—something
which is much
easier than it
sounds and can
be done within a
matter of
months—you have
no obligation to
learn any
language to be
Muslim. Period.
Islam is for all
people, all
nations, all
cultures, and
all tribes.
There are many
things in the
Arab, Indo, Pak…
cultures which
are beautiful
and in-line with
Islam’s
teachings, but
there are many,
many things
which are not.
Do not make the
mistake of
assuming that
just because
someone from a
“Muslim” country
told you
something, it
must be true in
Islam.
The fact is that
there are many,
many religions
in these other
parts of the
world that have
intermixed with
the culture and
permeated Islam.
You will learn
to tell the
difference
between religion
and culture with
time, but for
now, know this:
if you are
Muslim, your
name, your home,
your life, your
identity are
Muslim.
SBS Viceland’s
The Feed has just beautifully
skewered conservative media’s
obsession with Yassmin Abdel-Magied
in a parody video pitching a
news network dedicated solely to
tearing down Yassmin.
“YNN is the first 24-hour news
network devoted entirely to
criticising Yassmin Abdel-Magied,”
the video announces. “I mean,
other than Sky News”.
The two-and-a-half minute vid
manages to thoroughly roast most
of Australia’s conservative news
outlets in one fell swoop. The
Daily Mail is recast as The
Daily Hate Mail, bland radio
shock jocks broadcast “hate song
dedications” on “Smooth AM
(Abdel-Magied)”, and Mark Latham
gets a shoutout for doing what
he does best: offering inane
commentary on Yassmin’s totally
innocuous tweets.
There’s also a very timely roast
about using virtual reality
goggles to simulate hitting
Yassmin with a car, following
conservative commentator Prue
MacSween’s comments earlier this
week about being “tempted to run
[Yassmin] over”.
The video spins some much needed
laughs from the appallingly
racist media campaign against
Abdel-Magied, which started in
April over a seven-word Facebook
post. Yassmin herself has seen
the video, and certainly seems
to enjoy the reprieve.
Muhammad Ali was Muslim,
so why is social media
avoiding his faith?
Muhammad Ali was Muslim,
therefore the presence of
many Muslims and the
recitation of Quran at his
funeral comes as no
surprise, having 12-hours of
continuous coverage by most
mainstream media outlets is
unthinkable in almost any
other situation.
It seemed the identity of
Muhammad Ali was now
inextricably linked with his
faith. A societal
recognition that Muhammad
Ali was Muslim first and
foremost. And yet the
official social media
accounts of the Champ, run
by the Authentic Brands
Group, have failed to
represent the central place
of Islam in his legacy.
Despite the widespread
coverage of his funeral,
there was no mention or
promotion of the event on
any of his social media
pages. Both Ramadan and Eid
al-Fitr, two key events in
the Muslim calendar, came
and went without a word.
“Islam is conspicuously
absent from the Ali brand,”
writes Hannah Allam on
Buzzfeed News. After looking
through Ali’s official
social media accounts, which
date back at least 4 years,
she concluded that there was
“not a clue that Muhammad
Ali was Muslim, an omission
so glaring that it seems
deliberate.”
These social media feeds are
“the main conduit for
introducing Ali to a new
generation of Americans
coming of age after his
death… [they] celebrate
Ali’s activism and
humanitarian work without
mentioning that Muhammad Ali
was Muslim,” which Ali
stressed continuously was
his faith.
As Professor Sherman Jackson
of the University of
Southern California put it,
” the duty now falls to
American Muslims to ensure
that a central part of his
legacy isn’t lost to
revisionism and
commercialization.”
"When I wake
up in the morning and I
remember who's sitting in
the White House, I am
outraged."
Muslim activist Linda
Sarsour is under fire for
using the word “jihad."
Srebrenica massacre in
Bosnia
TRT World
It has been
22 years since the
Srebrenica massacre in
Bosnia. More than 8,000
people were killed in what
was the greatest atrocity on
European soil since the
Second World War.
Man attacks Muslim Woman
over Christmas
9 News Perth
A Yangebup
father has faced court
accused of attacking a
Muslim woman because she
didn't wish him a Merry
Christmas.
ICQ's Chaplaincy Program
explained
Ali Kadri visits
Wolston Correction Centre
for an awareness session on
behalf of the ICQ Jail
Chaplain program
American couple fights
Islamophobia
The Secret
Life of a Muslim
She was kicked out of
home for becoming Muslim OnePath
Network
This young woman was kicked
out of her house after
converting to Islam.
She grew up in a violent
household in Brisbane,
Australia until she moved
out to live with her Uncle
and Aunty. She converted to
Islam after working with
Muslim colleagues and
eventually decided to wear
the Hijab permanently. Upon
her conversion, she was
evicted from her house and
left on the streets to make
ends meet herself despite
her young age.
She spent many nights living
on the streets and sleeping
on park benches until she
eventually decided to seek
help on Facebook. Her call
was immediately responded to
by the White Coats, a
charity of Muslim brothers
run in Sydney. They offered
her shelter and temporary
accommodation at their
Women’s Shelter to assist
her in getting back on her
feet.
The White Coats are
currently in the process of
opening a full-time women’s
safe house to house women in
similar situations escaping
from violence and abuse.
For more information please
visit the White Coats’
Facebook page “Homeless
Run”.
Five reasons Muslims
should be more
environmentally friendly OnePath
Network
How do we as
human beings neglect the
environment and forget to
give it the importance it
deserves. As Muslims,
looking after the
environment is no doubt, an
underrated part of our faith
that many have failed to
implement.
We have compiled five
reasons for every Muslim to
become more environmentally
friendly, all based on
select Quran verses and
Hadith of the Prophet
Muhammad (pbuh)
Lebanese Food Sydney
A cool video
about Lebanese food if you
are not hungry you will be
after watching it.
High fashion's hijab
queen CNN
Stockholm-based designer and
fashion blogger Iman Aldebe
designs modern hijabs,
headscarves and veils with
the goal of helping
observant Muslim women feel
stylish, unique and visible.
Despite some
initial resistance, Aldebe
recently received an order
of veils that would match
the Swedish police uniform,
in addition to orders from
pharmacies, hospitals, the
military and other .
Minnesota REP. Ilhan Omar
The Daily
Show
"I'm
America's hope, and the
President's nightmare".
The first Muslim Hijabi
woman state legislator on
the Daily Show with Trevor
Noah
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.
KB says:This is a great
starter to a meal or be served as finger foods
and could be made in advance, frozen and then
reheated when you need it.
Zucchini and Spinach fritters
INGREDIENTS
2 cups zucchini -grated
1 cup spinach - shredded fine
1 medium onion -grated
1 tsp salt
2 tsp crushed coriander seeds (dhana)
2 tsp crushed cumin ( jeeru)
˝ tsp crushed pepper
Green chilies to taste
˝ cup almond flour
˝ cup flour coconut flour
˝ cup almond milk
2 eggs
1 Tab of feta - crumbled
2 tsp baking powder
METHOD
1. Beat eggs and milk together.
2. Add remaining ingredients with the exception
of baking powder.
3. Add the baking powder when ready to fry.
4. On a greased tawa or griddle place I tab of
the mixture, flatten it and allow to cook for a
minute and then turn over and cook on the other
side.
5. Fry till golden brown.
6. Serve with tomato salsa (see below)
Salsa:
1. Boil 2 to 3 tomatoes on the stove or
microwave with a little water.
2. When it's soft, liquidize and strain.
3. Discard seeds and peels.
4. To the juice add: 1 small chopped onion, 1
Tab. vinegar, salt and green chillies.
5. Adjust seasoning to suit your taste buds.
6. Refrigerate.
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:
Happiness and
Joy...what is the
difference?
You may be familiar
with this common
adage “Pursuit of
Happiness”. I’ve
always wondered why
it is that we must
pursue happiness. I
used to be one of
those people who
worked really hard
at pursuing
happiness. One
wonderful day I
realised that as
ALLAH’s highest form
of creation I was
blessed with an
inherent, pure thing
known as JOY.
Once I realised
this, embraced joy
and began to live
from it, I stopped
pursuing happiness.
It sounds bizarre.
Difference
Between Joy and
Happiness?
The English
dictionary may
display both these
terms as synonyms,
however, society has
designed a paradigm
for human beings
which defines
happiness as
something that
results from
fulfilment of
material and
physical desires. In
other words,
happiness, in
today’s world, is
circumstantial.
Joy, on the other
hand, is something
that we feel as our
“fitra” and is not
defined by physical
and material
desires. Joy is the
elation we feel when
we operate from our
inherent spiritual
virtues of kindness
and compassion.
Once you operate
from joy, the
pressures that
society places on
you vanishes - the
six-figure salary,
the mansion, the
perfect body shape -
none of these
material and
physical desires
will matter anymore.
Living from joy
makes you a joyful
being and spreads
joy to the rest of
the world. Instead
of the six-figure
salary, ask yourself
if you love what you
do for work. Instead
of the mansion that
you live in
(probably under
mortgage), ask
yourself if your
home is a space that
is spiritually
fulfilling. Instead
of obsessing over a
perfect body shape,
ask yourself if you
are using your body
and its energy to
spread goodness and
perform righteous
deeds.
How to Cultivate
Joy in Your Life
Living authentically
and being true to
yourself helps you
be true to others.
“Fake it till you
make it” may not be
the most authentic
approach to living
joyfully. Rather, a
daily practice of
experiencing joy in
small things can
make every moment of
your life be a
joyful experience.
•
Smile more
• Laugh out loud
• Write a
heartfelt note
to someone
special to thank
them (handwrite
it, it’s more
personal)
• Breathe deep
full in-breaths
and exhale
slowly
• Do a fun
activity that
moves your body
and makes you
sweat
• Spend a few
minutes daily to
connect with
nature
• Say out loud
to yourself -
five things
about yourself
that you are
grateful for
• Say out loud
to yourself -
five things
about your life
that you are
grateful for
• Say out loud
to yourself -
five things
about another
person that you
are grateful for
• Do something
nice for someone
without their
knowledge
• Cook a
wholesome meal
for yourself and
your family
• Hug your loved
ones often and
tell them you
love them
• Visualise
yourself in
Jannah
If you feel confused
about whether you
are pursuing
material and
physical happiness
or whether you are
living joyfully, the
one question you
need to ask yourself
is “Is what I’m
pursuing pleasing
ALLAH or pleasing
people?”
Choose to please
ALLAH and ONLY
ALLAH. When you
please people, you
fall in the trap of
material and
physical desires.
In Shaa ALLAH, next
week we will explore
the topic:
Decisions - The Four
Key Questions To
Help You Make
Decisions
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.
“Here's to the crazy
ones. The misfits. The
rebels. The
trouble-makers. The
round pegs in the square
holes. The ones who see
things differently.
They're not fond of
rules, and they have no
respect for the
status-quo. You can
quote them, disagree
with them, glorify, or
vilify them. But the
only thing you can't do
is ignore them. Because
they change things. They
push the human race
forward. And while some
may see them as the
crazy ones, we see
genius. Because the
people who are crazy
enough to think they can
change the world, are
the ones who do”
~
Steve Jobs
c
I searched for God and found only myself. I
searched for myself and found only God.
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: TBA VENUE: Islamic College of Brisbane [ICB].
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
ANIC
HALAL AUTHORITY is a
registered organisation
under ASIC and approved by
the department of
Agriculture and Water
Resources and numerous
overseas authorities.
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011