The ICQ Eid-ul-Adha prayer
gathering at the Islamic College
of Brisbane on Saturday
(yesterday).
The sermon,
delivered by Sheikh
Zohair of Canada who
is in Brisbane
studying for a
medical degree,
described the story
of Ibraheem
(Abraham) (a.s.) and
reflected upon how
Muslims should
emulate the
following three
phases of his life:
1. Discovery -
discover what
matters and what
doesn't
2. Growth - develop
through tests that
life throws at you
and pass through
devotion
3. Legacy - build
institutions which
serve the common
good and the
challenges of our
time.
The Eid prayer was
led by Imam Akram
Buksh.
More than two million people
have have travelled to
Makkah, Saudi Arabia to
perform Hajj this year.
The first day of the six day
Hajj journey commenced on
Wednesday 30 August and ends
on Monday 4 September. The
Hajj includes overnight stay
in Mina followed by spending
the day on 9 Zulhijjah at
the plain of Arafah and
completing the rituals of
Jamarat, sacrifice, tawaf
and sai during the rest of
the days.
During the same period on 10
Zulhijja, Muslims in other
parts of the world
celebrated Eid-ul-Adha, the
festival of sacrifice
commemorating Prophet
Ibrahim's (a.s.) act of
obedience to God’s command.
Eid-ul-Adha was celebrated
in Brisbane on Friday 1
September and Saturday 2
September based on regional
moonsighting.
CCN welcomes back all hajjis
and hajjianis returning from
Hajj
and prays it was a safe and
spiritually uplifting experience,
Muslims in Toowoomba
performed Eidul Adha prayers
on Friday, 01 September 2017
at the Darling Heights State
School.
In his khutbah, Imam Abdul
Kader emphasized the need
for unity of Muslims and
learn how to sacrifice the
most beloved things in life
from the sacrifice of
Prophet Ibrahim (AS) and his
son Ismail (AS).
Local Qurban was arranged by
Br Mohamed of Qld Fresh Meat
and Overseas Qurban was send
via Human Appeal
International.
Islamic Society of Toowoomba
has started collecting funds
to help Rohingya Muslims of
Myanmar and flood victims of
Bangladesh.
Observers of the same-sex
marriage debate will have
noticed the voice of one
particular community has
been largely missing from
the fray: Muslims.
With few exceptions,
including a statement from
the National Imams Council,
almost all of the talk of
religious freedom and
opposition to the bill on
the grounds of faith has
come from Christian leaders,
particularly from the
Anglican and Catholic
Churches.
But now one Muslim leader
has offered an explanation.
Last night on ABC's The
Drum, Ali Kadri, spokesman
for the Islamic Council of
Queensland and the
Australian Federation of
Islamic Councils, said his
community was stuck with the
choice of offending allies
or siding with critics, and
the result had been silence.
"Unfortunately, in the
current climate, the right
and conservative side has
attacked Muslims as
terrorists and extremists,
and naturally the left side
has been allies in defending
us for a long period of
time," he said.
"We are afraid if we come
out with our opinion then
the left may abandon us for
going against their view and
we can't be friendly with
the conservatives because
they have been bashing us
for 15, 20 years every
chance they get … and that
includes some Christian
sects as well."
Even though it was the
Australian Christian Lobby
that led the charge against
the Safe Schools program, Mr
Kadri said Muslims were also
deeply concerned about the
possible impact of any
legislative changes on
education.
"A lot of Muslim community
are concerned that religious
rights will be trampled in
Islamic schools [and that
they] will have to follow a
national curriculum that
will teach things that go
against the fundamentals of
their religion, so they are
concerned about it," he
said.
"There are people in the
Muslim community who want to
know the facts.
"Will it have an impact on
Safe Schools or not?
"Will it trample on our
religious freedom because we
are already afraid to build
mosques, because we get
right wing groups
complaining about mosques,
so will this have further
impact on our rights and
freedoms?
"The Muslim community is
not speaking because the
climate which is created
in this country, we are
not allowed to speak. We
speak up and are called
a terrorist, unpatriotic
and all those slurs.
"So we are missing out on
having our say in this
debate and that's the wrong
thing."
Divide emerging between
traditional and progressive
Muslim leaders
Not all Muslim leaders have
shown a reluctance to speak
though.
Recently Council of Imams
Queensland president Yusuf
Peer said gay marriage was
unacceptable to Islam, and
that Muslims should respect
LGBTQI people but "condemn
only their actions".
And the statement from the
National Imams Council was
unambiguous: "Islam places
the family unit at the heart
of a healthy society, and in
this context, the right of
children to be cared for and
raised by both a mother and
father is one that must be
protected.
"Islam also explicitly and
unambiguously states that
marital relationship is only
permissible between a man
and woman; any other marital
relationships are Islamicly
impermissible."
But the Muslim community's
view is not unanimous.
In recent weeks, strong
opposition to the
conservative leadership view
has begun to emerge.
National Advocacy group
Muslims for Progressive
Values has expressed support
for same-sex marriage and in
August, Muslims for Marriage
Equality was formed to build
support for the Yes vote.
In a press release, Muslims
for Marriage Equality
spokesman Fahad Ali, former
peer educator with the AIDS
council of NSW, stated:
"There is a diversity in
belief and opinion on equal
marriage within the Muslim
community … there is a
strong thread of
egalitarianism and social
justice within the Koran and
we think that it is very
applicable to the question
of same-sex marriage."
In recognition that many
LGBT Muslims — or supporters
— may be living with family
members who do not support
their views, Muslims for
Marriage Equality is
offering to provide
temporary postal addresses
for those who cannot have
their ballot paper sent to
their home addresses.
Consensus 'difficult' to
achieve
As Rusi Jaspal, Professor of
Psychology & Sexual Health
from De Montfort University
pointed out, it is difficult
to define a single Islamic
position on homosexuality,
because Islam is diverse,
with about 1.6 billion
followers across six
continents.
After all, while
homosexuality is illegal in
most Islamic countries
including Iran and Saudi
Arabia, it is not in others
such as Jordan and Turkey.
As Mr Jaspal wrote for The
Conversation: "Most Islamic
scholars are in agreement
that homosexuality is
incompatible with Islamic
theology.
"They tend to draw on the
story of Lot in the Koran
[also in the Old Testament]
which recounts the
destruction of the tribe of
Lot allegedly due to their
engagement in homosexual
acts as 'evidence' for God's
condemnation of
homosexuality.
"Many scholars also cite the
Ahadith [statements
attributed to the Prophet
Muhammed] that are
condemnatory of
homosexuality."
But not everyone agrees with
these scholars.
La Trobe university lecturer
Yassir Morsi said there have
been "massive debates in the
community" about a "Muslim
position" on same-sex
marriage.
"Our debates reflects
broader society's contests
between queer activists and
conservatives, as well as
dealing with the added
pressure of how to navigate
Islamophobia," he said.
Sydney lawyer Lydia Shelly
dismissed Mr Kadri's
suggestion that the Muslim
community is scared of
offending the left.
She claimed the debate is a
lot more nuanced.
"Firstly, Muslim communities
react with varying degrees
with respect to
homosexuality," she said.
"There are many, many gay
Muslims — some whom
practice, some who do not.
"The issue of same-sex
marriage and the support of
it varies depending on age,
class and nationality."
But Ms Shelly said the
reason around the relative
silence on same-sex marriage
is simple: power.
"The biggest reason why
we don't vocally
contribute to the public
'debate' is not only is
it harmful to our
same-sex attracted
brothers and sisters,
but because Australian
Muslims hold no power in
this debate," she said.
"Whether the Yes or No
campaign is successful
depends on the power of
politicians and that is it.
"It would be an illusion to
believe otherwise and that
we, as Muslims, hold the
power to influence that
decision.
"Further, why would we be
part of a 'debate', which is
not a debate but a thinly
veiled hate campaign, that
is incredibly harmful to the
LGBTQI community?
"That is the biggest reason
that keeps popping up with
my colleagues and I."
et the question of Safe
Schools education does not
bother her at all.
"There are many of us who,
whilst believing that the
act of homosexuality is
forbidden, understand that
we cannot judge someone and
that the issue of religion
is separate from the civil
laws that should be passed
to ensure equality before
the law," she said.
"The majority of people who
object to the Safe Schools
program have no
understanding of what is
actually taught and could
distinguish between
hyperbole and fact.
"Education on consent, safe
sex and healthy
relationships shouldn't be
viewed as controversial."
'Many
gay Muslims live in fear'
Mr Ali said he is aware that
his views are in the
minority in the Muslim
community, and that a lot of
LGBTI Muslims struggle to
find a place in their
community of faith.
Many live in fear, he said,
and have to "endure violence
from their families".
Australia's first — and only
— openly gay imam,
Melbourne's Nur Warsame,
received death threats after
coming out and establishing
an LGBT friendly mosque.
He recently told the ABC: "I
want to be known as an
independent Imam who is
sympathetic.
"My calling in this lifetime
is to help young, gay
Muslims who have been
traumatised by the Muslim
leaders in Australia."
Mr Farouk Adam will be part
of the Lord Mayoral Business
Mission to the 2017 Asia
Pacific Cities Summit
(2017APCS) & Mayors’ Forum
in the host city of Daejeon.
The Summit is an initiative
of Brisbane City Council and
is recognised as one of the
region’s premier business
and civic forums, providing
a platform for government
and businesses to identify a
common agenda, improve city
governance and promote trade
and investment opportunities
in the Asia Pacific Region.
Now in its 11th year, the
Summit program includes a
broad range of opportunities
including keynote and guest
speakers, Meet@APCS business
program, APCS Market Square
exhibition space, Mayors’
Forum and Young
Professionals’ Program.
The Lord Mayor, Graham
Quirk, said, "During the
mission I will be joined by
a delegation including my
colleagues from the Council
of Mayors South East
Queensland, some of
Brisbane’s top business
leaders and a number of our
city’s brightest young
professionals. The
size and calibre of this
delegation is testament to
South East Queensland’s
commitment to strengthening
ties with our neighbours
throughout the Asia
Pacific."
"I have every confidence
that these delegates will
impress upon you the
advantages of doing business
with a city known for its
strong growth potential and
innovative,
business-friendly culture."
Toowoomba
Goodwill Committee visited
Garden City Mosque this
week.
It was a part of their
regular meetings with
various components of the
Committee.
This Committee promotes
peace and harmony among the
residents of the city and
different religious, ethnic
and cultural communities.
Cr Megan O'Hara of Toowoomba
Regional Council was among
the guests. Imam Abdul
Kader, Venable Yu Chin, Mr
Roberto Garcia, and Mr Scott
McGrath were among the
speakers.
Professor Shahjahan Khan
welcomed the guests and
reminded everyone that the
Mosque was open to everyone
regardless of religion.
Everyone is welcome here.
He also highlighted some of
the activities and events
which have been evidences of
mutual respect and care
among Muslims and followers
of other faiths in the city.
We are proud of the
inclusiveness in Toowoomba.
It is a hard work which has
a beginning but it should
never stop.
Toowoomba has come a long
way in engaging with people
of different faith and
culture due to the goodwill
and hard work of the leaders
in the city.
The meeting also emphasized
the need to engage with
people who have different
views even though we may not
agree with them.
In this connection Professor
Khan mentioned that Garden
City Mosque invited
anti-Muslim politician
Senator Pauline Hanson to
discuss her one-sided
misleading views and share
our concerns over tea, but
we have not heard from her
yet.
The guests were invited to
the Garden City Mosque,
Toowoomba on Saturday, 28
October 2017 for the
National Mosque Open Day.
The meeting was followed by
mingling among the
participants and afternoon
tea.
Two students from the
Australian International
Islamic College - Gold Coast
were award recipients on
Thursday night at the
Griffith University Science
Competition. The annual
competition which closed on
Monday was open to students
from all schools across the
South East Queensland and
Northern New South Wales
regions. Students had the
opportunity to enter into
one of five categories in
divisions from Prep to Year
12. This year the
competition was tight with
more than 500 entries from
20 schools.
Leila Celahmetovic (Year 7)
was awarded 3rd place in her
division for Classified
Collection with her
submission of Paints Made
From A Classified Rock
Collection, and Noura Rijab
(Year 10) was also awarded
3rd place in her division
for her Classification of
Leaves from Plants at AIIC -
Gold Coast.
Science teacher, Fathima
Abba Omar commented, "I am
so proud of all 40 of our
students entries! This is a
huge accolade for our small
school, seeing that it is
the first time we have
entered and students were
placed. It is testament of
the combined hard work and
dedication of the students,
teachers and parents."
Domestic
Violence (DV) is a human
problem. In Australia, 1 in
5 women are victims of
domestic violence. Though
widespread, it is
preventable!
You, as part of the Muslim
community, can be involved
in making change happen.
When DV hurts the Muslim
community, it impacts on
everyone. We are taking
proactive steps through this
campaign…join us in this
journey to say “No to DV”!
Be proactive, spread the
word in your social media
platforms locally,
nationally and
internationally.
We can come together as
individual drops of ideas,
reaching out to form a
trickle of thoughts flowing
into a stream of
conversation, which
transforms into flowing
rivers of interactions
within a sea of
possibilities that will
bring about a tsunami of
change.
To run similar campaigns or
workshops for your
community/organisations
(facilitated by skilled
knowledgeable facilitators
operating from within the
Muslim worldview on domestic
violence) contact us on (07)
3208 6333 or
admin@iwaa.org.au.
Alia Sultana is a refugee who
runs a catering company and
helped set up SisterWorks, which
provides advice and assistance
to refugee women who wish to
become entrepreneurs.
Before Alia
Sultana came to Australia
she rarely left the house.
"I didn't go out in
Pakistan," she says. "In
Australia for the first time
my husband said 'Now you can
go. Whatever you want you
can do it.' When your
husband gives you permission
to go out it's a big shock.
Now he's more confident and
I'm more confident about
what I can do as a woman. In
Pakistan I was a housewife
and I cooked, cleaned and
cared for children but here
I am confident I can earn
money."
Sultana helped found social
enterprise SisterWorks,
which assists women who are
immigrants, refugee and
asylum seekers to start
their own businesses.
It's a big change for
Sultana who is a member of
the persecuted Hazara ethnic
group and fled Pakistan with
her husband after their
daughter came to Australia
as an international student.
She arrived in Australia in
2011 unable to speak
English, but met other women
at language classes run by
the Brotherhood of St
Laurence and was part of the
original group of women who
decided to set up
SisterWorks.
The social enterprise is
headed by Luz Restrepo, a
political refugee from
Colombia, and works to help
some of the most
marginalised women in
Australia by assisting them
with business skills and
administration.
"SisterWorks is like a home
for all the women," Sultana
says. "We are 55
nationalities in SisterWorks
but we live like family
members, like sisters we
share our problems, our
successes, our stories and
our skills."
SAAD IS AN ASSET TO THE
MUSLIM COMMUNITY, HE IS AN
absolute shining light for
the AFL. It'd clone him if
it could. The AFL has
lurched from one disaster to
another this season and one
of its core social
platforms, the much-vaunted
diversity policy that
encourages the inclusion of
women and people of
multicultural origin, is in
tatters.
Earlier this month, two
senior AFL executives, who
were accused of abusing
their position of power by
engaging in inappropriate
relationships with female
staff members were forced to
resign. It came in the same
week as sacking of the AFL's
diversity manager, Ali
Fahour, 33, after a tribunal
banned him for life for a
king hit in a suburban
Melbourne football game. His
victim, Whittlesea player
Dale Saddington, has since
been forced to hang up his
boots on medical advice,
while Fahour has been charge
by Victoria Police with
assault. The incident has
rocked Saad who feels
indebted to Fahour for
giving him the confidence
and the tools to create the
Saad Squad. "He shouldn't
have done it, but I fear the
backlash and the media
coverage is taking away all
the good he has done," Saad
says. He's been a major help
to me in my career and the
programs he set up paved the
way for me to start my
squad."
It leaves Saad and Houli as
the torchbearers for their
religion and although Saad
says he has never felt
anything but welcome within
the AFL community, he would
love to see more Muslims
playing the game at the
highest level. "If there are
10 Muslims in the AFL and
they are setting the right
example, trying to help kids
and doing the right things
in the community, it can
show what kind of people we
are" he says. "Because some
people can generalize about
us and you can't generalise
about a whole religion. As
Muslims Bachar (Houli) and I
can be a vehicle for
change."
When I first sit down with
Saad to interview him for
this article, it is the day
after the May 22 terrorist
attack at the Ariana Grande
concert in Manchester,
England, in which 22 adults
and children were killed by
a suicide bomber,
22-year-old British Muslim
Salman Ramadan Abedi. It is
the elephant in the room and
although I don't expect a
quiet young man to call out
a terrorist network, I ask
him how it made him feel. He
says his heart broke for the
victims and their families
and he fears for the way
people will view
peace-loving Muslims who
abhor terrorism. And he is
angry that atrocities are
committed in the name of his
God.
"Ours is a religion of
peace," he says. "He (Abedi)
cannot share the same
beliefs or faith as me, but
he is labelled a Muslim
terrorist. I am a Muslim,
and I am completely
different. Just because
people may have their own
beliefs, why do we have to
fight and dislike each
other? People committing
these acts and calling
themselves Muslims, and then
people generalising about
all Muslims, is frustrating.
I try not to watch all that
stuff, I try to stay at
peace."
Burkas are
political
symbols not
Islamic ones,
Muslim scholar
says By SIOBHAN
HEGARTY
The burka is a
symbol for a totalitarian
ideology that suppresses women,
says Dr Elham Manea.
Pauline Hanson's
recent burka
stunt attracted
criticism from
both sides of
Parliament, but
a Muslim scholar
and human rights
adviser says
it's the garment
itself that's
offensive.
Associate
Professor Elham
Manea, a
Swiss-Yemeni
citizen and the
author of Women
and Sharia Law,
argues it is
naďve — even
racist — to
regard the
wearing of a
burka as a
sincere act of
faith.
"The burka is
not Islamic,"
she told the
Religion and
Ethics Report.
"It's a
tradition that
comes from the
heart of Saudi
Arabia, a region
called Nejd."
Dr Manea says
the veiled
garment was not
worn by women
outside of Nejd
until Saudi
Arabia's Wahabi
regime came to
power in the
late 1970s.
"The re-Islamisation
of Saudi Arabia
according to the
Wahabi Salafi
fundamentalist
principles led
to the
mainstreaming of
the burka," she
said.
"With Gulf money
you had a
promotion of
this ideology
and a reading of
Islam that
turned the burka
into an
'Islamic'
tradition."
Criticising the
burka, not the
stunt
The Koran calls
for both men and
women to "cover
and be modest",
but this
reference is
open to
interpretation.
In Australia,
few Muslim women
wear burkas,
though many wear
other kinds of
hijab or head
coverings.
Dr Manea, a
member of the
University of
Zurich's
political
science
institute and a
former advisor
to the Swiss
government,
believes
conversations
around the
validity and
religiosity of
the burka are
essential.
"To tell me that
by talking about
the burka we are
hurting the
feelings of the
Muslims is not
only inaccurate,
with all due
respect, it's
almost racist,"
she said.
Though she was
careful not to
align her views
with those of
Senator Hanson,
Dr Manea did
agree with one
of the
politician's
points: the
burka is not a
religious
requirement.
"[The burka] is
a sign of
segregation,
separation,
rejection of the
values we see
all around us —
values of
acceptance and
tolerance and
otherness," she
said.
"[It reflects] a
culture that
treats woman as
a sexualised
object that has
to be covered.
"[This culture]
does not only
deny her basic
rights as a
human being, but
tells her that
in order for you
to go to heaven,
you almost have
to be a slave to
your own
husband."
The scholar went
on to criticise
the Parliament's
bipartisan
condemnation of
Senator Hanson's
stunt, in
particular
citing the
well-publicised
censure from
Attorney-General
George Brandis.
An audience from Tottenham
discusses homosexuality and
Islam.
Barcelona attack: Father
of youngest victim hugs imam
BBC News
A Conversion Story
Ask A Muslim
"I Feared
Islam Would Be Too
Prescriptive"
Go Beitar!
I Know Bro
When the
Israeli football club Beitar
Jerusalem contracts two
Muslim players, many of the
fans oppose the entire team.
From the documentary:
'Forever Pure.'
ISLAMIC EDUCATION VIDEOS
Sisters Support Services
Weekly Ladies Halaqah and
Tafsir
by
Umm Bilal
Why Muslims Celebrate Eid
on Different Days?
This video is
to answer the question Why
Muslims Celebrate Eid on
Different Days ? Answer
provided by Umm Bilal in
Brisbane, Australia.
Sisters Support Services
Weekly Ladies Halaqah and
Tafsir
by
Umm Bilal
Tafseer of Surah Al-Asr
This video is
about Tafseer of Surah Al-Asr
by Umm Bilal in Brisbane,
Australia.
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.
Mufti
Junaid
Akbar, Imam
of Masjid
Taqwa
Brisbane
spoke about
prophet
Ibrahim alai
salaam and
his
sacrifice,
he reminded
about death
and he gave
a list of
things we
must do like
the
importance
of reading
the Quran,
increasing
ibadah,
engage in
the
remembrance
of Allah and
giving
preference
to Allah
over one’s
desires and
goals.
Hafiz
Rashid Ali
visiting
Imam at
Oxley/Darra
Masjid spoke
about the
Farahid and
the sunnah
and how to
gain the
attention of
Allah. He
said about
Allah’s
rights and
how to get
closer to
Allah by
practicing
the sunnah.
Spoke about
Ibrahim alai
salaam and
his great
sacrifices
and thus
given the
name Allahs
friend. He
said how
Islam was
based on
many
sacrifices
and how
Allah
rewards when
these are
practiced.
He also
advised
about making
sure one
understands
the
slaughtering,
the method,
the Duas and
all aspects
of
slaughtering
the animal
in this
month of
Dhul Hijjah.
Pepe
the Frog creator forces withdrawal of
'alt-right' children's book, profits sent to
Muslim advocacy group
The author of
The Adventures of Pepe and Pede,
Eric Hauser.
USA: The cartoonist
behind the Pepe the Frog meme cartoon
has taken legal action to force a
self-published children's book that uses
the character to promote anti-Islamic
themes to give all of the profits to a
Muslim advocacy organisation.
Matt Furie created the Pepe cartoon in
2006, and the likeness became a popular
canvas for benevolent internet memes.
But the user-generated mutations became
increasingly hateful and ubiquitous more
than a year before the 2016 US
presidential election.
Furie's lawyers have now successfully
stopped the distribution of a children's
book entitled The Adventures of Pepe and
Pede.
According to the Washington Post, in the
book written by Eric Hauser — a former
assistant principal at a Texas school —
Pepe and his friend Centipede (a term
referring to Donald Trump supporters)
battle an alligator named "Alkah" to
"bring freedom to Wishington Farm".
The law firm representing Furie said the
book "espoused racist, Islamophobic and
hate-filled themes, included allusions
to the alt-right movement and was
deliberately targeted at children".
"Under US copyright law, Furie is
entitled to all of the profits that
Hauser made by selling his infringing
book. Instead, per the agreement — and
at Furie's insistence — Hauser will be
required to give all of his profits to
the Council on American-Islamic
Relations, the nation's largest Muslim
civil rights and advocacy organisation,"
it said.
KB says:
A lovely and simple way to prepare prawns which
can be served over rice or pasta. Great for
supper with family or friends.
Lemon Butter Prawns
Ingredients
1kg deveined prawns
Marinate for a few hours with 2 tab. crushed
garlic
˝ tsp. black pepper
1 tab. chili powder
Ľ tsp. turmeric powder
A little mixed herbs
˝ tsp. ground green chillies
Salt
Juice of a big lemon
60g butter
Methods
Grill prawns in a preheated oven, 180deg with
butter until water has evaporated.
Sauce
250 ml fresh cream
Salt
A pinch of black pepper
A little oregano
2 tab. of butter
1 tsp. crushed garlic
2 tab. lemon juice
Sauté the garlic in the butter and then add
oregano, pepper, fresh cream and salt. Boil for
a few minutes and lastly add the lemon juice.
Just before serving pour over prawns.
Accompaniments to the prawns could be rice or
garlic butter rolls or chips,
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:
Self-Care Is Not
Selfish
What self-care acts
you have performed
today? When I ask my
clients this
question, the common
response I get is:
“What do you mean,
self-care?”
To this, I reply,
“Now tell me, what
caring acts have you
done for others
today?”
As expected, the
usual response is a
long list of caring
acts that my clients
perform daily for
their family
members, friends,
colleagues and
others.
This brings me back
to my initial
inquiry: Why not
self-care? Caring
for others requires
one to care for self
first.
“But that’s selfish!
I can’t ignore
everyone else and
put myself first. I
wasn’t raised that
way.”
Let us understand
the vital difference
between self-care
and selfish and why
self-care is not
selfish but rather
without self-care it
becomes absolutely
impossible to care
for others and be a
healthy individual
in body and mind.
What is Selfish?
Selfish is to lack
concern and care
about others and
indulge in personal
pleasures and
profits.
What is
Self-Care?
Self-Care is to care
for yourself with
the intention to be
a better person in
mind and body so
that you live a full
life of love, light,
peace and joy and
are able to spread
love, light, peace
and joy to others.
In order to
understand self-care
at a deeper level,
let me explain about
your Physical and
Essential Self.
We often take our ‘Physical
Self’ as the
primary self. When
it comes to
self-care, we need
to delve deeper and
find the ‘Essential
Self’ - our
essence. This
Essential Self is
what dwells inside
the physical body.
For example...
When you use words
like : “I am angry”,
“I am fat”, “I am
confused”, “I am
hungry” and so on,
what you are really
saying is that your
physical body is
angry or fat or
confused or hungry.
Your energy force,
the Essential Self,
within you, “I”, is
free from anger or
hunger or confusion
or fat.
When the Essential
Self is ignored for
too long, the
Physical Self begins
to show negative
symptoms such as
anger, confusion,
anxiety, fear,
accumulation of
abdominal fat, lack
of sleep, fatigue,
worry, increased
blood pressure and
shallow breathing,
to name a few.
Now, ask
yourself...is it
selfish to care for
your Essential Self
so that your
Physical Self
operates at an
optimum level? Think
about it...if your
Physical Self has
been manifesting
symptoms of fatigue,
poor concentration,
agitation, anger,
irritability and
more, how is that
affecting your
ability to care for
others? How is it
affecting your
ability to pray? To
connect with ALLAH?
To live a life of
joy and positivity?
The truth is that
lack of self-care
leads to negative
behaviour patterns
whereby you
eventually feel
resentful towards
others (the same
people you are
caring for) and
resentful towards
yourself. This
further results in
terrible outbursts
of anger or complete
withdrawal from
people.
Strategies for
Self-Care
• Be compassionate,
gentle and caring
towards yourself. Do
not judge yourself
with negative
self-talk
• Change negative
thoughts by
immediately being
grateful to ALLAH,
and mean it
• Care for others
with an intention to
care, not with an
intention to seek
approval or to
please
• “No” is a complete
sentence. Practise
saying “No” and
understand that you
do not always have
to explain why you
are saying “No”
• Say “Yes” with
love and compassion,
not resentment and
guilt
• Upon waking up,
express gratitude to
ALLAH for giving you
this brand new day
to be a better
Muslim
• Be grateful for
your body and all
its organs. Take
care of it by
resting and sleeping
on time, eating the
right foods and
drinking water and
healthy beverages.
Exercise for at
least 15 minutes
daily
• Inspire others to
care for themselves
• Speak only
positive words,
think only positive
thoughts, perform
only positive deeds
• Repeat this
Positive Affirmation
daily:
ALHUMDOLILLAH -
Everyday in every
way, I am better and
better.
• Love yourself
In Shaa ALLAH, next
week we will explore
the topic:
Nurture Your
Relationship With
Your In-Laws
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.
Praise belongs to God, Lord
of the Worlds, the Lord of
Mercy, the Giver of Mercy,
Master of the Day of
Judgement. It is You we
worship; it is You we ask
for help. Guide us to the
straight path: the path of
those You have blessed,
those who incur no anger and
who have not gone astray.
Who doesn't
love a girl’s night in? Or
maybe even a girl’s night
out! If you've been waiting
for that perfect time to get
dressed up and let down your
hair - literally! We've got
you covered! (yes all you
gals wearing hijab, this
one's for you too).
UQ Muslimah
Society would like to
cordially invite you to our
first ever WOMENS ONLY
Annual Ball - 'Beauty In The
East!'
Who needs a
prince or a beast to save
their day? Lets all be the
Wonder Women in all our
eastern glamour and western
elegance sooo.....
LADIES get
ready for a magical night
that celebrates women in all
of our beauty. Enjoy great
company, exotic food and
dance the night away in a
safe, women’s-only
environment. Let’s just
forget about assignments,
boy drama and
responsibilities for this
one night, for the chance to
be the Belle of the Ball!
DRESS: Formal ball gowns
(all traditional and
cultural dresses are
welcome!)
NOTE: This is an alcohol
free event. All Muslim and
non-Muslim women of all
backgrounds are welcome. You
do not have to be a UQ
student to attend event.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FUNDRAISING: A portion of
the income from ticket sales
and parallel fundraising
will be donated to REVI, a
group of volunteers helping
Syrian refugee families
through job opportunities,
education and emergency aid
in Izmir, Turkey.
At the Islamic Women's
Association of Australia (IWAA)
this is what is being
organized over the next few
months.
1. inspiredNAFSi personal
leadership course:
This course is a signature
program of the Centre for
Islamic Thought & Education,
UniSA. The inspiredNAFSi
program is underpinned by a
strength-based approach and
Muslim worldview, that
utilises the nga
thanaluidha
Yarning Circle Framework
(developed by Aunty Debra
Bennett). This framework has
been adapted, infusing
Islamic worldview as this
informs Muslim people's ways
of knowing, being and doing.
The program offers a
holistic approach to
development of human
potential. It depicts a
journey of learning and
self-discovery, empowering
the individual and the
community and enabling
individuals with skills
through sharing, learning
and transforming life into
new futures.
Places are very limited.
Please the flyer below for
details.
2.
Parenting between Cultures
workshop
that will run over a three
week period on Fridays
starting 6th October. This
workshop has been very
popular and has been very
well received. The
facilitators are Joan
Burrows and Sr. Susan Al-maani
who come with a wealth of
knowledge and experience in
delivering these workshops.
Places are very limited.
Please the flyer below for
details.
3. “I am
Connected”
at IWAA. We have been very
privileged to start a
program to connect with our
indigenous sisters. The
“I am Connected” project
is aimed at developing
connections and linkages
between Muslim and
Indigenous women through
sharing of native foods,
customs, arts and crafts and
storytelling and
highlighting the
similarities between these
groups, forging friendships
and celebrating women's
interests across all
cultures in a respectful and
caring environment.
Current activities include:
• arts and crafts workshop
on Friday, 8th September at
IWAA hall from 5-7pm
• Soundtrack – Tuesday, 19th
September at IWAA hall from
11am-1pm
• Weekend camp – 12-14th
January 2018 (please note
that the dates for this camp
has changed from 24-26th
November). Please see flyer
for more details
• Walk in Country – date and
venue to be advised
We acknowledge our
indigenous and Muslim elders
for their support, advice
and guidance. Alhamdulillah
For more details and to
participate, please call
Muna on 0431 360 418
We are
inviting you to take part an
amazing opportunity of
building a home in Jannah.
Islamic Society of Gladstone
Inc. (ISG) started a journey
to build the First Masjid in
the region of Gladstone
Queensland Australia.
18 April 2017
marks a historic occasion
when Islamic Society of
Gladstone (ISG) was granted
the Developmental
Application (DA) for the
construction of the much
needed ‘place of worship for
Muslims’ which will be the
first purpose built Islamic
Centre / Masjid in the whole
Gladstone Region.
Having
already been purchased the
land, ISG hereby appeals to
the broader local and
international Muslim
communities to raise
$1,600,000 for the
construction stage of the
Islamic Centre in Gladstone.
The prophet
Muhammad (pbuh) said,
“Whoever builds a mosque for
Allah, Allah will build for
him likewise in Paradise” [Bukhârî
& Muslim]
May Allah
Almighty shower His
blessings upon us all in
this world and in the
hereafter. Ameen.
ISG bank
detail is as below:
ANZ bank Account Name:
Islamic Society of Gladstone
Inc.
BSB Number: 014 580
Account Number: 379 453 433
Assalamualaikum.
Shajarah Islamic Kindergarten is
in need of your help! The
Department of Transport who owns
the current premises at 2 Rothon
Drive, Rochedale South, require
the property to create a new
busway through the area. We need
to find a new location a.s.a.p.
Going back to
the beginning…. Shajarah
Islamic Kindergarten was the
inspiration of a new
Muslimah’s concerns that
there was no Islamic Kindy
where she could send her son
to for the most critical
years of his life i.e the
1st five years. (As we are
all aware of the importance
of the foundation phase in
the correct upbringing of
our children). She noticed
this empty Kindergarten
building at No. 2 Rothon
Drive and in October 2012
the first Islamic Kindy in
Brisbane opened it’s doors
to a pressing need in the
community. From such humble
beginnings up till now, we
are pleased to say that
through the Rahmah and mercy
of Allah we have grown to
become an established
institution serving the
needs of the Muslim
community.
In October
2016 we were assessed by the
Office of Early Childhood
Education and Care and
Alhamdullilah we were rated
as “EXCEEDING THE NATIONAL
QUALITY FRAMEWORK”. We meet
all government requirements
for the National governing
body “ACECQA” as well as the
Queensland State Government
Office of Early Childhood
Education and Care.
Our Service
Approval currently includes
:-
- An
Approved Kindergarten
Program for children in
their final year before
school,
- Long Day Care for 3year
olds to school age,
- Before School Care
- After School Care
- Vacation Care for School
Aged Children
- A Montessori Program
across all ages.
We have 24 childcare places
per day. Our Kindergarten is
set in a beautiful garden
setting and it will be sad
to see it go. We even have
parents coming from the
North side and as far as
Gold Coast, braving the
traffic for up to an hour
just to place their child in
our Islamic Kindy!
To date we have approached
various organisations and
individuals and visited
buildings for rental but
unfortunately have not been
successful in securing
premises for our new Kindy.
We beseech anyone who can be
of any assistance in helping
us to find new premises,
renovate if required, and
relocate by the 31st
December 2017 to come
forward and assist us in
continuing this humble but
integral venture for the
future of our children in
this environment we find
ourselves in.
This is an environment where
our children will learn
about Allah and his beloved
Prophet Muhammad S.A.W.,
recite their duas and surahs,
learn about the 5 pillars of
Islam, following the Sunnah,
the values of Ramadaan and
Eid and go to sleep
listening to the beautiful
recitation of the Quran or
Zikr. …….
GOLD COAST
ISLAMIC CULTURAL CENTRE
Update as at July
2017
Work is
progressing according to
schedule but still short of
funds.
Please donate generously for
this worthy project and earn
Saadaqah Jaariya.
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
Date: TBA Time: TBA Venue: TBA
Community Contact Command, who are situated in Police
Headquarters, manages 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..
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Toowoomba
Goodwill Committee visited
Garden City Mosque this
week. 
Domestic
Violence (DV) is a human
problem. In Australia, 1 in
5 women are victims of
domestic violence. Though
widespread, it is
preventable!
Pepe
the Frog creator forces withdrawal of
'alt-right' children's book, profits sent to
Muslim advocacy group 
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011