On Sunday 22 July 2016 the
Islamic Women’s Association
of Australia (IWAA)
officially launched its
Sydney Branch. From all over
Australia, over 250 people
including IWAA’s Board of
Management, staff, clients,
members, key community and
religious leaders,
stakeholders and supporters
travelled to attend the very
successful launch in Lidcome.
With its expansion into
Sydney, IWAA is able to
bring its recognised
expertise and award-winning
high level of quality care
in the aged care sector to
target communities. Many in
attendance remarked how
important this expansion
into NSW was for the
multicultural and multifaith
communities.
As one social worker and
mental health specialist
remarked, “This is a
much-needed service. I have
been waiting for a provider
like this to refer my
clients to.”
In only a few months of
operation, IWAA Sydney has
made over 100 referrals for
clients who are eligible to
access aged care services;
the majority of the
referrals choose IWAA as
their preferred service
provider.
IWAA started in August 1991
when a small group of
inspired Muslim women with a
dream to make a difference
gathered at a community
centre in Logan and decided
to form their own
organisation.
Twenty-six years later, IWAA
employs a workforce of over
158 staff and caters for the
diverse needs of the
community, in the areas of
settlement, aged care,
disability and community
development. Moreover, at
its most recent strategic
planning held on 23 July
2017, IWAA is preparing
itself for major growth
leading into 2020.
To find out how IWAA can
meet you, your family, or
community’s needs please do
not hestiate to contact us
on (07) 3208 6333. For
specific aged care needs or
to join the team in Sydney,
please contact our Sydney
Office on (02) 8764 6425.
The Brothers
In Need Brisbane team, Muslim
Charitable Foundation and Muslim
Aid Australia have
partnered this week to help
with the food distribution
to the needy and less
fortunate every Friday and
Sunday night!
The accreditation was a
rigorous process that
assessed our governance,
program management capacity,
policies, risk, and partner
management.
This recognition, along with
its ACFID (Australian
Council For International
Development) membership and
ACNC (Australian Charities
and Not-for-profits
Commission) Registered
Charity tick means that
donors, can now "give with
even more confidence to an
organisation that the
Australian Government
supports, and has accredited
to be professional, well
managed, and capable of
delivering quality
development outcomes,"
Riyaad Ally of MAA told CCN.
Last weekend, 40 girls went
on a Youth Camp, an
initiative of the Islamic
Council of Queensland,
supported by Islamic Relief
Australia. The camp was
aimed at enabling young
women in the Muslim
community to build a strong
support network for one
another.
The camp was held at Binna
Burra Mountain Lodge where
many camp attendees tried
activities like flying fox,
abseiling and high-ropes for
the first time.
The girls partook in a
variety of such activities
during the day, in the
evenings collecting around a
campfire to discuss
important topics chosen by
the group.
A survey done at the end of
the camp identified
Islamophobia, Domestic
Violence and Mental Health
as the most useful topics of
discussion.
Community Liaison officer
for the Australian Federal
Police, Amna Karra-Hassan,
was invited to share her
experiences.
Her talk was deeply
motivational as she firmly
discussed the importance of
being confident with one's
identity and succeeding in
every aspect of life whilst
never having to compromise
one’s religion.
The camp experience
concluded with Imam Uzair’s
“Ask An Aalim” segment,
wherein Imam Uzair visited
the camp site to answer
anonymous questions
accumulated by the group
over the weekend.
This segment was widely
acknowledged by attendees as
the highlight, as well as a
perfect conclusion to the
camp.
Dean, manager at Binna Burra
Mountain Lodge said, "We are
so pleased to have met such
a wonderful and extremely
polite group of young
girls."
One attendee named Silda
said, “I would like to thank
everyone for sharing their
experiences over the last
few days. I hope this has
provided everyone comfort in
knowing that we are not
alone. Man, this was such a
good camp!”
The girls were not the only
ones sad to say goodbye to
the weekend. Supervisors
Nadima Peer, Shameem Rane
and Susan Almaani have
organised a "Pizza in the
Park" to see all the girls
again for many more
meaningful conversations,
laughs and of course, pizza.
Visit the Islamic Council of
Queensland website for more
information on upcoming
events and "Like" the
Facebook page for updates.
(L to R)
David Forde, Addin, Hafiz Junaid,
Usman, Sameer, and Abdi Musse
Multicultural
Affairs Qld (MAQ) represented by
David Forde meet with the
Executive of the Townsville
Islamic Society to discuss
issues and to hear about the
positive work being undertaken
As a Muslim, I believe that
everything that was, is, and
will be, is by the will of
Allah. But I also know that
there is a distinction
between Allah’s will and the
actions of mankind. While
the Qur’an is not a history
book, rather, among other
things, a confirmation of
all that was before it, it
expressly encourages us,
many times, to understand
the history of the nations
and peoples before us, in
order to learn from them.
Examining and understanding
history is therefore
important.
However, what many of us are
taught about some of the
most significant global
events in modern times is,
unfortunately, incomplete.
The Forgotten Heroes 14-19
Foundation has discovered
previously unknown stories
of the diversity in the
First World War by
uncovering unique documents
in English, French, Urdu,
Arabic and Farsi – including
photographs, field reports,
personal diaries, and
letters that didn’t make it
home.
The Foundation has learnt
that approximately two
million Muslim soldiers and
labourers from around the
globe volunteered to fight
in a European war that was
not of their own making.
Why is this important today,
and what can we learn from
it?
The growth of the far-right,
xenophobia and ‘religious’
extremism is alarming, and
it is rising. I think it is
plain for all to see.
Furthermore, all of these
extremists try to convince
us that Islam and ‘the West’
are different – that it is a
‘clash of civilisations’;
that they’re both
incompatible; and that we
should live separately. What
the Foundation has found
proves otherwise.
Among
the personal diaries are
numerous heart-warming
accounts of European
soldiers benefiting from
natural medicines and
treatments learned from
their Muslim comrades. There
are accounts of Muslim,
Christian and Jewish
soldiers fighting united,
side-by-side; sharing their
experiences and
accommodating each other’s
cultures, music, gastronomy
and religious practices,
despite the difficult
conditions in the trenches.
Furthermore, what will also
be learnt is the honourable
ways in which chaplains,
priests, rabbis and imams
went out of their way to
learn, Arabic, Hebrew,
English and French, in order
to accommodate religious
burials of the dead on the
battle front. If soldiers
then could accept and
accommodate each other in
this way in the trenches
during wartime, what’s
stopping us from doing the
same today?
Many far-right activists and
sympathisers in Europe say,
and believe, “Muslims have
never done anything for us”.
The truth is one which they
can’t deny. They (Muslim
soldiers) made the greatest
sacrifice. They died for you
too. Hundreds of thousands
of them. They left their
families, who, without this
project, will never learn of
their service.
Why is it important to me?
Born
and raised in Britain, to a
Pakistani mother, and an
Indian father: I’m British;
I’m European. I have
multiple identities, and I’m
not unique. I’m also Muslim…
just Muslim. I want to know
all the ways in which
Muslims of all denominations
have contributed to our
world. All denominations. I
emphasise this because
members of the far-right
don’t care what sect I
follow, or what my
nationality is. To them, I
am just a Muslim.
I want to know how Muslims
experienced the Great War.
The battles a soldier must
endure are well-known, but
what do we know about the
internal battles that
practising Muslim soldiers
went through when travelling
to a continent they had
never been to? Or how they
came to terms with exposure
to new people, practices and
food – something all Muslims
can relate to! I also want
to know all of the positive
things that Muslims have
brought to Europe. We are
already learning of the
contributions by Muslims to
the advances in science. But
what about to humanity and
medicine on the battlefield?
Hayyan Ayaz
Bhabha, Executive Director
Forgotten Heroes
The Australian National
Imams Council (ANIC) this
week announced that they
have partnered with Hills
Legal Group to launch its
new Islamic and Legal Wills
Project and Initiative.
First advocated by Alfred
Deakin at the turn of the
20th century, compulsory
voting stands among the most
recognisable features of
Australian democracy.
It may come as a surprise
then that an estimated 2.2
million votes were not cast
that might have been at the
last Federal election. That
translates to 22 MPs in
notional terms – potentially
game changing stuff in an
electorate now famous for
dishing up the proverbial
cliff hanger.
A community event at Acacia
Ridge Community Centre on
Saturday 2 September aims to
counter this trend by
getting more residents
registered with the
Electoral Commission, and
providing them with the
knowledge and confidence to
get out to their local
polling place on election
day.
Despite media commentary
pointing towards mounting
public cynicism, the
community centre’s director,
Trish Cattermole believes
there are many other factors
at play that can be easily
addressed with education and
practical support.
“It’s often the case that
people simply lack the
confidence, or believe that
the process of registering
and voting is too
complicated to deal with,”
Ms Cattermole said.
“There are many in our
community with low levels of
literacy and numeracy that
are unaware that support is
available to them to help
them have their say. Others
may simply not understand
the power of their vote, and
how their vote has a very
direct impact on decisions
that can transform our
communities for the better,”
she said.
“Our centre also operates in
some of Australia’s most
culturally diverse local,
state and federal
electorates. In some cases,
people’s experiences of
politics in their countries
of origin may set up the
belief that authority cannot
be trusted, and that their
voting behaviour is
monitored.”
“Our Active Citizenship
event on 2 September aims to
show members of our
community that being a voter
is easy, safe, and has a
tremendously positive impact
on the communities we live
in.”
A crash course in Australian
civics will be followed by a
practical workshop where
attendees receive direct
support from volunteers to
register with the Australian
Electoral Commission online.
The volunteers will also
include people with diverse
language skills to assist
participants where English
is not their preferred
language.
Ms Cattermole also says the
event will feature guest
speakers and a free lunch
including that famous staple
of polling places across the
nation, a good old Aussie
sausage sizzle.
“We invite the community to
come enjoy a Democracy
Sausage on us,” she said.
The Acacia Ridge Community
Centre invites all people
from the public to attend
this event, in particular
citizens who are not already
registered to vote, and
others who feel they would
benefit from additional
information in a friendly
community setting.
Participants are asked to
bring their Citizenship
Certificate (if born
overseas), their Birth
Certificate (if born in
Australia), and Proof of
Identity documentation (e.g.
driver’s license) to assist
with registration.
Muslim
businessman Mohamed Elmouelhy
says Australia's white race will
die out in 40 years
A leading Muslim businessman
predicts Australia's white
race will become extinct
within 40 years because
Australian men are too busy
smoking, drinking beer and
taking drugs to procreate.
Halal certification boss
Mohamed Elmouelhy told his
Facebook followers
Australian women needed
Muslim men to 'fertilise
them' and 'keep them
surrounded by Muslim
babies'.
Mr Elmouelhy made the
comment after Hebrew
University in Jerusalem
published research which
showed sperm counts in men
from Australia, New Zealand,
North America and Europe had
declined by more than 50 per
cent in less than 40 years.
'Your men are a dying breed,
Australian women need us to
fertilise them and keep them
surrounded by Muslim babies
while beer swilling,
cigarette smoking, drug
injecting can only dream of
what Muslim men are capable
of,' he said.
'Muslims have a duty to make
your women happy.'
Mr Elmouelhy, who is the
president of Halal
Certification Authority,
said Australia's white race
'will be extinct in another
40 years' if the country is
'left to bigots'.
The Muslim businessman
called on these 'bigots' to
kill themselves or plan to
die.
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.
Iman wa Amal
Special Award:
For outstanding
contribution to
Islam and Muslims.
A
special award at the
discretion of the
judges.
Winner: Mohammed Zafran
Mohammed Zafran is a
community worker who
set up a charity in
Birmingham in honour
of his murdered
brother-in-law.
The tragedy led
Mohammed to set up
All 4 Youth And
Community and
numerous educational
and sporting
projects to help
young people and
Asian women in
deprived areas of
the city, including
Bordesley Green,
Ward End, Alum Rock
and Handsworth. Over
16,000 young people
have since
benefitted from his
work.
His work has been
recognised through
fifteen national
awards including the
Sir Bobby Moore
Trophy at Wembley
Stadium and the
Asian Football
Awards.
In 2014, he was
given the ‘Pride of
Birmingham Award’.
He has been listed
on the Junior
Chamber
International ‘ten
most outstanding
young persons in the
UK 2015’ and was
included in the
Independent on
Sunday’s Happy List
2015.
In that year, he was
named in the Queen’s
Honours list with a
British Empire
Medal.
..........The UK Muslim News
Awards for Excellence CONTINUES IN NEXT
WEEK'S CCN
Nadia Selim is a
PhD candidate at the Centre for
Islamic Thought & Education,
University of South Australia
What about
Arabic? By Nadia
Selim
The Quran,
entirely in
God’s voice (kalamullah),
stipulates that,
“We have sent it
down as an
Arabic Quran so
that you
[people] may
understand”
(12:2) and
therefore the
sacrosanct
nature of Arabic
in Muslim hearts
has held strong
for centuries.
Guided by
Allah’s
commandments to
the Prophet
Muhammad to
“read”, Muslims
of the early
Islamic
civilisation
were extremely
disposed to seek
knowledge even
if it were in
China and to
spare no effort
in advancing the
cause of Arabic
literacy.
The efforts of
Muslims to
transform these
teachings into a
way of life
fashioned a
significant body
of written
knowledge and
solidified
Arabic’s
position as a
lingua franca of
the Muslim
civilisation for
hundreds of
years. It also
led the rise of
the translation
movement that
lasted for three
hundred years,
which rendered
the ancient
knowledge of the
Greeks, Indians
and Persians
into Arabic. In
these efforts,
Muslim leaders
were devoted to
equipping
Muslims with
Arabic,
especially the
recently
converted, in
what is
considered one
of the earliest
grassroots
literacy
campaign.
Wonder Woman
Banned in
Tunisia (and the
West Gets It
Wrong Again) By Randa
Abdel-Fattah
Listen:
Wonder Woman is
not a feminist
movie.
It doesn’t
matter that it
stars a woman
kicking ass. It
doesn’t matter
that the film’s
(highly-talented)
director is a
woman. It
doesn’t matter
that the woman
at the centre of
the movie is her
own independent
self.
None of it
matters when
Wonder Woman, a
movie about
unity and love,
is being played
by Gal Gadot, a
former Israeli
soldier and tank
instructor who
has expressed
her support for
the continued,
illegal Israeli
occupation of
the West Bank
and Gaza and the
indiscriminate
murder of Gazans.
None of it
matters when the
lives of some
women are less
valuable than
the lives of
other women,
especially when
that value is
determined by
ethnicity.
None of it
matters when
Tunisia,
Lebanon, and
Qatar all ban
the film, state
their reasons,
and Western
mainstream media
only decides to
say that the ban
occurred because
Gal Gadot is
Israeli, or
because the Arab
world is
regressive. Look
at this shameful
headline from
The Independent:
“Wonder Woman
banned in
Tunisia where
70% of the
female
population
suffers from
gender-based
violence.”
None of it
matters, in
other words,
when feminism is
white.
Over on Al
Jazeera, writer
Susan Abulhawa
has presented a
well-considered
case as to why
Wonder Woman
isn’t a feminist
film. It's a
highly
recommended
read.
The news here is
that Tunisia has
now banned
Wonder Woman.
But maybe the
bigger news is
that “the West”
should really
start listening
to the voices
they claim need
hearing.
Gal Gadot is not
that voice.
ALBAWABA
The lived
experience of
racism Black
South African
Muslims go
through
everyday.
truggles of A
Zulu Muslim
Woman
And this is how
black South
African Muslims
experience
racism from
fellow Muslims
As my taxi
turned into
Plein Street, I
began to feel
thirsty. I
shouted “after
robot” as the
taxi approached
Wanderous
Street. I got
off looking at
the long Braam/Auckland
Park taxi line.
I was conflicted
on whether I
should go buy
water or join
the line and get
water on campus.
My thirst won,
and I went to
the shop that’s
next to the
line. I often by
stuff here,
especially if I
need anything
that may not be
available on
campus. I head
straight for the
fridge and grab
a bottle of
water. I get to
the till and
pay. As I put my
change into my
purse, the
shopkeeper asks
me if I’m
Muslim. Clearly,
my hijab doesn’t
give it away, so
I respond
positively. He
asks “Are you
South African?”
He then asks
whether I am
married to a
Bangladeshi or
Pakistani. I
tell him that
I’m not married.
He then asks if
I’m sure that
I’m not married
to a Bangladeshi
or Pakistani.
At this point, I
feel a spark of
rage flaming up
inside of me.
It’s the same
feeling of
humiliation that
I felt when a
Pakistani man
asked me to
prove that I’m
Muslim by
reciting Quran
verses in a taxi
a few years ago.
The same feeling
that I always
feel when my
marital status
to a foreign
national is
asked to verify
whether I’m
Muslim or not.
The same feeling
that I had when
my friend was
called a ‘kariya'
( the Indian
version of k*ffar)
when we were 14.
The same feeling
that I had when
a Maulana in
school said that
because of how
our (black
people) hair
grows we will
not enter Jannah.
The same feeling
that I had when
my madressa
teacher
described munkar
and nakir having
dreadlocks when
they punish
sinners in the
grave. The same
feeling I had
when we were
told not to
speak our home
languages at
school. The same
feeling that I
had when I could
only be domestic
worker every day
when we played
house-house in
nursery school.
The same feeling
I had when my
little sister
was told that
putting her Zulu
beaded band on
top of her scarf
is haraam, yet
Punjabis are
halaal. The same
feeling that I
had when we were
told that the
women of Jannah
are fair in
complexion. The
same feeling
that I had when
a Maulana at
school asked why
we (black
students) kept
our “Christian”
names and
further said
non-Arab names
like Shirin and
Shabnam are
acceptable
“muslim names”.
The same feeling
that I had when
I was told that
being Zulu and
Muslim do not
mix but
constantly heard
the same
teachers ask the
other kids in my
class if they
are Alipore,
Memon etc. The
same feeling
that I had when
my history
teacher made a
joke in class
and said I
wouldn’t get it
because I’m not
Indian. The same
way I feel when
I pass Salam and
the wajib
response is not
given back to
me. The same
feeling that I
had when black
Maulanas are
called Shaikh
instead of
Maulana, even
though they are
equally
qualified. The
same way I felt
when I watched
some of my
friends leave
Islam because of
the way they
were treated.
Our parents send
us to Muslim
schools so we
can be in an
Islamic
environment. We
attend Muslim
festivals to we
can get
spiritual
upliftment. We
go to the masjid
to talk with our
creator. But
instead, these
places have
become toxic
places to our
well-being.
Racism lurks in
and selective
Islamic
principles
become the norm
of the day.
And he finally
says, “How is
that possible?
You can only be
a Muslim if you
are married to a
Bangladeshi or
Pakistani man.”
I furiously
walked out and
never set foot
into that shop
again.
Helping Hand:
Rebuilding a Chicago
neighborhood by forging
connections to the Muslim
community. The South Side of
Chicago has long been
plagued with some of the
highest crime rates in the
nation, but a man of faith
is trying to transform the
area by focusing on the
everyday needs of those who
live there. Jeffrey Brown
visits the neighborhood with
Rami Nashashibi, founder of
the Inner-City Muslim Action
Network, to see how his
efforts are improving health
and well-being.
Woman Who Defended Muslim
Subway Rider Meets Ellen
Ellen Generis
Show
"As a Muslim, thank you
for supporting me."
Ali Kadri, at Mackay
Mosque Open Day
ISLAMIC EDUCATION VIDEOS
Addressing misconceptions
about Muslim The Deen
Show
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.
American
Muslims growing more liberal, survey shows
The
Pew survey showed 9 in 10
American Muslims said they were
proud to be both.
US: American Muslims are
growing more religiously and socially
liberal, with the number who say society
should accept homosexuality nearly
doubling during the past decade,
according to a major new survey.
American Muslims are also more likely to
identify as political liberals and
believe there are multiple ways to
interpret the teachings of Islam, the
survey found.
Conducted by the Pew Research Centre,
the survey of 1,001 American Muslims
depicts a community in tumult, with the
vast majority disapproving of President
Donald Trump and worrying about the
direction of the country. Even so, many
remain hopeful about their future in the
United States, the survey found, despite
persistent anxiety about Islamic
extremism and religious discrimination.
The wide-ranging survey, which was
released on Wednesday, solicited
opinions on everything from religious
practices and politics to terrorism and
social values. In addition, Pew found
that the American Muslim population has
been rising steadily for a decade,
adding about 100,000 people per year. An
estimated 3.35 million Muslims now live
in the United States, just 1% of the
overall population.
The survey interviews were conducted in
English, as well as Arabic, Farsi and
Urdu, between January 23 and May 2,
2017. The average margin of error is
plus or minus 5.8 percentage points.
Some of the study's findings won't
surprise people paying attention during
the acrimonious 2016 presidential
election, in which Trump repeatedly cast
suspicion on American Muslims. Of the
44% of American Muslims who voted in the
election, nearly 8 in 10 voted for
Democrat Hillary Clinton. Just 8% voted
for Trump.
The survey, conducted in the days and
months following Trump's inauguration,
portrays a Muslim community still
largely wary of the President. Nearly 7
in 10 say Trump makes them feel worried,
and 45% say he makes them angry. Nearly
three in four Muslims say Trump is
"unfriendly" toward members of their
faith, and nearly two-thirds are
dissatisfied with the direction of the
country.
That's a stark contrast from 2011, when
Barack Obama was President. Then, 64% of
Muslim-Americans told Pew researchers
that Obama was friendly toward Muslims
and more than half were satisfied with
the direction of the country.
British newlyweds detained in Los Angeles
airport on honeymoon and sent home 'due to
groom being Muslim'
The couple were
held for 26 hours before being
handcuffed and flown back to
Britain. The couple suspect they
were refused entry because Mr
Gul is Muslim
US:
A couple of
British
newlyweds have
told how they
were detained at
a US airport for
26 hours and
their honeymoon
utterly ruined,
“because the
groom is
Muslim”.
The couple, from
West London, had
spent Ł7,000
($9,100) for a
two-week trip
that would take
in Los Angeles,
Hawaii and
finally Las
Vegas. But after
being held at
Los Angeles
International
Airport for more
than a day, they
were handcuffed,
marched to a
plane and flown
back to London.
The couple,
Natasha
Politakis, 29,
and Ali Gul, 32,
said they were
not given an
explanation for
the way they
were treated.
However, against
a backdrop of
Donald Trump’s
immigration
crackdown and
his effort to
prevent Muslims
from
half-a-dozen
Muslim-majority
countries from
entering the
country, they
suspect it was
because of Mr
Gul’s Turkish
heritage.
“I am in utter
shock that this
has happened,”
Ms Politakis
told the Sun.
“We had just got
married, we were
on our way to
our honeymoon as
excited as
anything and
never expected
that we would be
deported.
“We were treated
like criminals
and we had all
the relevant
documentation
and answered all
their questions.
“It’s not okay
to treat people
like that.”
The couple said
they were pulled
aside for
questioning, a
process they
suspected would
take ten
minutes. It
turned into 26
hours, during
which they were
refused to a
shower and their
luggage was
taken from them.
Their phones
were only
returned to them
once they
returned to the
UK.
Afghan
girls robotics team land in US after visa
U-turn
US authorities
had originally refused access to
schoolchildren from a number of
Muslim-majority nations to
participate in the science
contest, decisions that followed
implementation of stricter visa
policies under Trump
US: A team of Afghan
girls who were earlier denied visas to
attend a Washington robotics competition
landed in the United States early
Saturday following an intervention by US
President Donald Trump.
The six-member team were greeted at
Dulles International Airport by a throng
of supporters, including Afghan
ambassador Hamdullah Mohib and acting
special representative for Afghanistan
and Pakistan Alice G Wells, and were
presented with bouquets.
They are due to take part FIRST Global
Challenge -- a three-day international
robotics competition that aims to
promote science and technology among
youths worldwide that begins Monday.
"Our acting special rep to
#Afghanistan/#Pakistan welcomes #AfghanRoboticsTeam
to USA! Go girls!," tweeted State
Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert.
US authorities had originally refused
access to schoolchildren from a number
of Muslim-majority nations to
participate in the science contest,
decisions that followed implementation
of stricter visa policies under Trump.
But the US president urged a reversal
following public outcry over the Afghan
girls' inability to attend the event.
The reversal was announced on Wednesday.
The competition's organizers noted that
163 teams from around the world had
gained visa approval, including other
Muslim-majority nations like Yemen,
Libya, Morocco, as well as Gambia, which
was also previously barred.
The six girls from Herat, Afghanistan,
were reportedly blocked from attending
the robotics competition even after two
rounds of interviews for a one-week
visa.
The rejections appeared to contradict
the administration's claim it wants to
empower women globally.
"We were not a terrorist group to go to
America and scare people," 14-year-old
competitor Fatema Qaderyan told AFP
before the reversal.
"We just wanted to show the power and
skills of Afghan girls to Americans."
KB says:
An approximate replication of the recipe
for our Hajees who will be enjoying this chicken
when they are in Saudi Arabia soon inshallah.
Al Tazaj Chicken
1 chicken skinned and cut into eight pieces and
rubbed with the marinade below
Marinade
2 tsp ground garlic
1 tsp salt
Ľ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp lemon pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp fresh ground chillies
2 Tab Olive Oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Sauce
Heat 1 tab garlic butter and add in 3 tsp
mayonnaise, 3 tab. garlic sauce, 3 tab. lemon
and herb sauce,
1 tab peri peri sauce, 1 tsp dried parsley
METHOD
1. Cook chicken in ghee until chicken is cooked
and the water has burnt out.
2. Transfer to a grilling tray and pour sauce
(recipe below) over the chicken.
3. Place pieces of butter over the chicken and
grill in the oven for approx. 20 mins.
4. Serve with chips and pita bread.
History
The first Al Tazaj restaurant opened in Mecca in
1989. Founded by Abdul Rahman Fakieh, owner of
Fakieh Poultry Farm, it took live poultry from
that business. The restaurant uses a traditional
Arabian recipe for barbecued fresh chicken. Al
Tazaj currently serves its fresh barbecued
chicken in more than 100 locations in Saudi
Arabia, making it the first national fast food
chain in the Middle East. It is now franchised
in other countries
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:
Are You Living
Your Life By Design
Or Default?
Did you know that
apart from the five
senses of sight,
smell, touch, taste
and hear, ALLAH
subhaanu wa ta’ala
has also blessed us
with six mental
faculties.
ALMIGHTY ALLAH gives
us challenges and
tests on a daily
basis whereby every
moment in life one
needs to make use of
the six faculties of
the mind and react
or respond to the
five senses.
The simple thing to
understand is that
if you are living
your life by default
you are operating on
a default setting
known as REACTION.
In other words,
HABITS.
This means that you
are facing your
tests and challenges
from ALLAH in a
reactive mode. The
result of living on
this reactive mode
is that you are not
pausing to evaluate
your life and make
sense of your
habits, patterns and
ingrained self-talk.
You are giving in to
your nafs (sensory
desires) and hence
Living Life on
DEFAULT.
Now, the ideal
Muslim life is to
pass those tests and
challenges daily
that ALMIGHTY ALLAH
places in our lives
so that we may grow
more joyful, kind,
considerate and
perform righteous
deeds which please
ONLY ALLAH.
___________________________________________ Al-Ankaboot Verse
No:9
Verily! Allah is
with those who do
good deeds.
___________________________________________
How To Live Life By
Design
Living life by
design requires us
to pause and
evaluate our
thoughts, words and
actions every single
moment and perform
righteous deeds that
are pleasing to
ALMIGHTY ALLAH. That
in itself is an
enormous challenge.
There are strategies
that you may use
daily to understand
and transform your
life so that you are
not reacting but
responding to life’s
tests and
challenges.
1. Gratitude
- every morning,
upon waking, thank
ALMIGHTY ALLAH for
the new day HE has
blessed you with.
Thank ALLAH for
making you Muslim,
thank ALLAH for your
family and loved
ones and your
health.
2. Record your
behaviour for seven
days - make
notes in a journal
about how you react
or respond to life’s
daily challenges.
Write without
judgment.
3. Analyse your
behaviour - now
take each behaviour
pattern that you
recorded in your
journal and analyse
it with deep
reflection. (Contact
me if you require
help with this)
Usually a timeline
of your life can
help with behaviour
analysis. Noticing
what happened in
your life helps you
understand how those
behaviour patterns
were formed. For
example, it was very
early in my life,
around the age of
five, that I was
told that Muslims
were “bad people,
traitors and
cheaters”. I only
figured this out
when I worked on my
personal timeline.
This phase requires
you to use the six
faculties of your
mind mentioned
above.
4. Challenge your
behaviour - this
is the phase that
requires you to be
completely honest
with yourself and
tell yourself that
your ultimate
purpose is be and
remain a Muslim.
Challenge your
behaviors and ask
yourself if they are
in alignment with
ALLAH’s
commandments.
5. Transform your
behaviour - be
kind to yourself.
Transformation does
not happen
overnight. It
requires a proper
strategy, discipline
and immense support
from people who want
the best for you.
These people are
always very positive
and display good,
righteous deeds.
Seek help from these
people to start your
transformational
journey.
6. Reflect on
your transformation
daily - the best
time to do this is
after Fajr when your
mind is alert.
Reflect on your
behaviour patterns
from the day before
and check in with
yourself regarding
your transformation.
7. Teach
someone else how to
become aware of
their habits and
support them in
their
transformational
journey. When you
engage in being of
service to another,
you are obliged to
practise what you
preach.
In Shaa ALLAH, next
week we will explore
the topic:
Cultivating Joy In
Your Marriage
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.
Do not say of anything, ‘I
will do that tomorrow,’
without adding, ‘God
willing,’ and, whenever you
forget, remember your Lord
and say, ‘May my Lord guide
me closer to what is right.’
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..
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thoughts, feelings and ambitions for our community through CCN.
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encourage them to enter their details
here.
Among
the personal diaries are
numerous heart-warming
accounts of European
soldiers benefiting from
natural medicines and
treatments learned from
their Muslim comrades. There
are accounts of Muslim,
Christian and Jewish
soldiers fighting united,
side-by-side; sharing their
experiences and
accommodating each other’s
cultures, music, gastronomy
and religious practices,
despite the difficult
conditions in the trenches.
Furthermore, what will also
be learnt is the honourable
ways in which chaplains,
priests, rabbis and imams
went out of their way to
learn, Arabic, Hebrew,
English and French, in order
to accommodate religious
burials of the dead on the
battle front. If soldiers
then could accept and
accommodate each other in
this way in the trenches
during wartime, what’s
stopping us from doing the
same today?
Born
and raised in Britain, to a
Pakistani mother, and an
Indian father: I’m British;
I’m European. I have
multiple identities, and I’m
not unique. I’m also Muslim…
just Muslim. I want to know
all the ways in which
Muslims of all denominations
have contributed to our
world. All denominations. I
emphasise this because
members of the far-right
don’t care what sect I
follow, or what my
nationality is. To them, I
am just a Muslim.
American
Muslims growing more liberal, survey shows 
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our Wall
7
August 2011