The AIIC celebrated it's
students’ knowledge of the
Islamic subjects taught
during the year at its
annual Jalsa held a few
weeks ago.
This provides the whole
school community an
opportunity to share and
reflect on the teachings of
Islam.
Throughout the academic
year, students have been
attending lessons in the
Arabic language and Islamic
Studies. In addition to
that, they received lessons
in Quran reading and Tajweed.
The students were therefore
very excited to get a chance
to showcase their knowledge
to their parents, teachers
and the wider school
community.
This year’s Jalsa contained
a wide range of programs in
multiple languages. Quran
readings with translations,
nasheeds in different
languages, plays on
prophetic stories, speeches
on contemporary issues and
multimedia presentations.
A Brisbane woman is
encouraging people to
discuss organ donation after
two of her sons suffered
from heart conditions.
Jasbinder Sanghera and her
husband Abdullah were left
devastated after losing
their son Ameen to
cardiomyopathy – a disease
of the heart muscle – in
2005. He was just 16 months
old.
Ameen's heart showed signs
of failure and it was too
late for him to receive an
organ donation that could
save his life.
Four years later, the
Brisbane couple had another
son, Jibreel. But when he
was three years old, they
were told he had VCLAD
deficiency, a rare condition
that prevents the body from
properly breaking down
certain fats and can affect
the heart.
"It was very much like déjŕ
vu," Ms Sanghera told SBS
News.
"Not only the timing of the
[same] day that they went
into hospital but the way it
progressed and how acutely
they fell critically ill...
lightning struck twice."
Jibreel was flown to
Melbourne for emergency medical
treatment.
Jibreel was immediately
flown to Melbourne and put
on a heart support system
while the family waited for
a suitable donor. He needed
a new heart to save his
life.
After a successful
transplant at the end of
2012, Jibreel underwent
several more surgeries -
including four operations in
seven days.
'Every time, I thanked God'
Ms Sanghera, a practising
Muslim who also has two
other children, said her
faith helped her through the
ordeal.
"It really can cripple you,
that worry and anxiety and
stress... I think the sense
of peace that it [her faith]
gave me was the only way I
was able to move on and do
my job," she said.
"When he was wheeled back
into that room every time, I
thanked God he had come
back."
Ms Sanghera says her faith
helped her get through the
ordeal.
Five years on, Jibreel is
fighting fit and Ms Sanghera
is using his story as
inspiration to speak
publicly for the first time,
ahead of DonateLife Thank
You Day on Sunday 19
November 2017.
It is a national day
dedicated to honouring all
organ and tissue donors and
their families.
Ms Sanghera said her
knowledge of organ
transplantation,
particularly in relation to
her faith, was limited
during Jibreel’s ordeal, so
she prayed for guidance to
make the right decision.
Research shows she’s not
alone. A study by the Organ
and Tissue Authority in 2014
found that 40 per cent of
Australians didn’t know if
their religion supported
organ and tissue donation,
and 20 per cent of families
that declined donation in
2014 did so over religious
or cultural concerns.
According to DonateLife, an
Australian Government-funded
agency; Islam, Christianity,
Buddhism, Hinduism and
Judaism all support organ
and tissue donation.
One organ and tissue donor
can transform the lives of
more than ten people.
'Conversations need to be
had'
Ms Sanghera was asked to
tell her story to the
Islamic Women's Association
of Australia. She also hopes
it can lead to discussions
about organ donation amongst
community leaders at the
top.
"I think these conversations
do need to be had, even
within the faculty of the
Imams… where they are in a
position where they are
doing sermons and talking to
the community," she said.
"These are issues that are
very relevant nowadays and I
think they need to revive
these types of topics and
address it correctly."
In a message of support
provided to DonateLife,
Australia’s Grand Mufti
Ibrahim Abu Mohammed said:
“The Muslim faith in
Australia places saving a
life very highly.
"It accepts organ donation
during life provided it does
not harm the donor and
sought absolute permission,
and after death in order to
save a life. It is seen as
an act of merit and in
certain circumstances may be
an obligation.”
The Sanghera family after
Jibreel (front, centre) made a
full recovery.
John Howard says the argument
that extra religious freedoms
could mean the establishment of
Islamic law in Australia was a
disgraceful fear campaign.
John Howard has debunked
Malcolm Turnbull’s argument
that religious freedoms will
lead to sharia law in
Australia and declared he
fears the fight for
protections in the same-sex
marriage debate will “die in
the sand”.
The former prime minister,
who campaigned for religious
freedoms and parental rights
during the same-sex-marriage
postal survey, yesterday
said the argument that extra
religious freedoms could
mean the establishment of
Islamic law in Australia was
a disgraceful fear campaign
that was not true.
“The argument that
religious freedoms will
lead to the imposition
of sharia law is just
plain wrong and is a
disgraceful appeal to
community fears,” Mr
Howard said.
“Sharia law cannot be
introduced without state
government approval and
that is simply not
going to happen. Anyone
practising some of the
punishments of sharia
law would be committing
a crime.”
The Prime Minister has
cautioned against additional
religious freedoms because
of the danger of allowing
sharia law and has created a
committee, including Howard
government minister Philip
Ruddock to report by March
on necessary religious
protections in expectation
of the passage of the
same-sex marriage bill
before Christmas.
Mr Howard, who challenged Mr
Turnbull to disclose
religious protections before
the same-sex- marriage
debate, said the government
“should have had a plan”
setting out religious
protections in the event of
a Yes vote on same-sex
marriage.
He also predicted that the
proposal for a committee to
look at religious freedoms
next year would mean the
extra religious protections
the Prime Minister promised
during the same-sex debate
would never come to
legislation next year.
Myanmar’s
Rohingyas: world’s most persecuted and
forgotten ethnic minority needs your help
RSG,Q members
Submitting a Memorundum to Mr.
Grahan Perrett, MP
A Rohingya Support Group,
Queensland (RSG, Q), a group
of concerned people in
Brisbane has since formed a
team to help Rohibgyas.
It has initiated several
activities. For example,
they have met several
Members of Parliament
(Honourable Graham Perrett,
Member of Morton; Honourable
Jim Chalmers, Member of
Rankin and Honourable Terri
Butler of Griffith) and
requested them to lobby the
Federal Government to take
up the cause with the
Myanmar government to ensure
their safe return to their
homeland and also provide
humanitarian aid at refugee
camps in Bangladesh. MPs
Graham Perrett and Jim
Chalmers have since met
Julie Bishop, the Foreign
Minister and also raised the
issue at the parliament.
Turnbull government has
since provided $20.0 million
in humanitarian aid for the
refugees in Bangladesh.
article
written by Professor Adil
Khan about the Rohingya
crisis
You See Monsters is a film
about the power of art to
challenge assumptions and
change the way that we view
the world. Commissioned by
the ABC and supported by
Screen Australia and Film
Victoria, the documentary
explores the work of a new
generation of Australian
Muslim artists who are
fighting anti-Islamic
bigotry with creativity,
satire, and irreverence.
Following the creative
endeavours of contemporary
artists working on the fault
line where art, racism, and
Islam intersect. You See
Monsters is an inspirational
story about the capacity of
art to expand our horizons
and enrich the idea of what
being an Australians means.
FEATURING
Abdul Abdullah
Cigdem Aydemir
Safdar Ahmed
Abdul-Rahman Abdullah
Aamer Rahman
Sara Mansour
Tensions are
building at the mosque as leader
Imam Uzair and his right-hand
man Ali Kadri try to steer their
community through the headwinds
of Muslim and nationalist
extremism. It seems everyone is
ready to take offence as Ali
struggles to reconcile attitudes
to the hijab or head scarf and
Imam comes under fire from
extremists abroad, all the while
dealing with the deeply
emotional realities of life and
death.
A
ground-breaking Channel 4
survey has revealed that
almost two thirds of Muslim
women married in Britain are
not in legally recognised
marriages, as they have not
had a civil ceremony
alongside their Nikah
religious ceremony. Many of
these women are unaware that
they therefore do not have
the same rights and
protections afforded to
couples who are married in
the eyes of the law.
The survey also explored
attitudes towards polygamy,
finding that the vast
majority of women questioned
did not wish to be in a
polygamous relationship, and
more than a third of those
who were in such a
relationship had not agreed
to it. (The Truth about
Muslim Marriage, Channel 4,
10pm, 21st November).
One ceremony which unites
virtually all of Britain’s
three million Muslims is the
Nikah – the traditional
Islamic wedding ceremony.
Ninety-nine per cent of
those women questioned had a
Nikah marriage. But, without
having a separate civil
ceremony, the Nikah alone is
not a legally recognised
marriage. This can cause
serious problems for some
people if their
relationships break down.
Without the rights and
protection provided by a
legally recognised marriage,
women are unable, in the
event of a divorce, to go to
the Family Court where the
Judge would then have looked
as a starting point at
dividing their assets 50/50
depending on the needs of
the couple and their
children. Instead, if they
cannot agree between
themselves, couples who are
not in a legally recognised
marriage have to apply to
the civil court for assets
to be divided fairly, which
can be time-consuming and
costly.
There are no reliable
figures on the extent of
Nikah-only marriages in the
UK, so Channel 4 worked with
a group of Muslim women to
undertake the first major
survey of Muslim women who
were married in the UK.
The
survey, of 1000 women across
Britain, reveals that while
78 per cent of those
questioned wanted their
marriage to be legally valid
under British law, nearly
two thirds (61%) only had a
Nikah marriage, meaning that
their marriage is not
legally recognised. Two
thirds of those who did not
have a civil marriage
ceremony said that they did
not plan to have one in the
future.
More than a quarter (28%) of
those women with only a
Nikah marriage did not
realise that it did not give
them the same rights and
protections as a
legally-recognised marriage.
The survey suggests that
Imams could be better at
explaining to couples
the legal difference
between a Nikah and a
civil ceremony. Just one
in eight of the women
questioned said that
their Imam had advised
them on what is required
to be married in the
eyes of British law.
The programme interviews one
woman – Rukhsana Noor, a
successful IT consultant –
who only had a Nikah. She
says that it was only when
her marriage broke down and
she went to see a solicitor,
that she found out she
couldn’t get a divorce, as
she wasn’t legally married.
If Rukhsana had had a civil
marriage, she could have
gone to the Family Court for
her divorce. The judge would
then have looked at a
starting point of dividing
their assets 50/50 but this
could have been varied
depending on her and her
children’s needs. Rukhsana
had to go to the Civil Court
to prove her financial
contribution to the purchase
of her house before being
able to sell it. Rukhsana
has now been in and out of
court for five years and has
spent over Ł100,000. In the
meantime, the house has
become derelict and she’s
been unable to sell it.
The survey found that
89% of respondents did
not want to be in a
polygamous relationship.
Just over one in ten of
those questioned were in
a polygamous
relationship. And more
than a third of those
(37%) had not agreed to
it.
Solihull
born Habiba Jaan has four
children. She tells the
programme that after having
a Nikah, she wanted to get a
civil marriage, but her
husband kept putting it off.
She says she found out that
he had been married to
another woman for 13 years
before he met her and had
another wife as well. When
she refused to carry on in a
polygamous marriage, she was
unable to get a divorce as
she had only had a NIkah.
She had to sell her house
and most of her assets and
ended up homeless and had a
mental breakdown.
Aina Khan, a family lawyer
and specialist in Islamic
law, tells the programme
that although many faiths
are affected, the law
particularly disadvantages
Muslims because most don’t
get married in a registered
place of worship, which is
one of the criteria for a
marriage to be legally
recognised. In fact the
majority of Muslims prefer
to get married either at
home or in a rented hotel or
hall. She says the problem
is growing and that the
government is failing to do
anything to address it, as
they say data is needed on
the extent and numbers of
women affected. She is
lobbying for the current
marriage law to make it
compulsory for all faiths to
register their religious
marriages.
In Scotland and Northern
Ireland, marriage laws have
been updated so they are
much simpler. There, an
authorised celebrant – which
includes Imams - can perform
the ceremony anywhere and
the marriage is legally
recognised.
Two years ago the Law
Commission produced a report
calling for wholesale reform
of the marriage act. Its
author, Professor Nick
Hopkins, tells the programme
that what is needed is a law
that works for the society
we have today not the
society we had in 1836.
Britain’s marriage laws have
changed as society has
changed – for example people
of the same sex can now get
married. But unlike
recognising the rights of
people with different sexual
orientations, it’s still
failing to take into account
the millions of people of
different faiths living in
modern, multicultural
Britain.
Six individuals of Pakistani
origin have featured on
Forbes magazine's '30 under
30' list released on
Tuesday.
The list, which is released
annually, features 600
individuals making strides
in 20 different industries,
including art and style,
education, games, food,
enterprise technology and
media.
The four individuals of
Pakistani origin featured in
the 2018 list have been
selected for their
achievements in the
industries of retail and
e-commerce, enterprise
technology and education.
1.
Anna Khan,
29, has made it to the list
for sourcing several
breakout startups since
joining Bessemer Venture
Partners in February 2012 —
she has raised over $141
million in total financing.
Khan was named a “Global
Shaper” by the World
Economic Forum and a Rock
Centre Fellow by Harvard
Business School.
Kerrie and Mobinah have very
different views on Islam in
Australia.
What happens when they sit
down to talk?
Australia’s national
conversation about Islam is
often heated, sometimes
abusive.
Kerrie and Mobinah were both
born in Australia but they
have very different
backgrounds — and
contrasting perspectives on
Islam.
Kerrie fears the spread of
Islamic terrorism in
Australia. Mobinah thinks a
lot of the fear is driven by
ignorance. They’ve promised
to hear each other out.
Kerrie begins by explaining
what she thinks are some key
Australian values: a fair
go, respect for others and
the value of human life.
But Mobinah challenges her,
saying those are all
universal human values and
suggesting that the idea of
‘Australian values’ is often
used as a loaded term to
ostracise people who are
from other places.
Kerrie: “I don’t
seem to see it from that
perspective. I guess I
just seem to see it from
the perspective that we
have certain
expectations of people
that come to our country
that you’re going to
respect our country,
you’re going to respect
our way of life, you’re
going to appreciate what
we’ve done to build the
country to be what it is
today ... I guess that’s
what the Australian
values to me really
means. It’s not saying
that we don’t think you
have any of that.”
Mobinah: “That’s
exactly what I want. I
want anyone who is
coming to my country to
be able to love and
appreciate everything it
has to offer.”
As we observe
White Ribbon Day
this week to
prevent men's
violence against
women, I wish to
share a personal
story. I was in
a violent
marriage for 10
years. It took
10 years and a
brain tumour for
me to finally
realise that the
man I was
married to was
killing me
slowly but
surely.
Now,
Alhumdolillah, I
have forgiven
him and I have
spent the last
six years
deconstructing
my life to
understand my
own patterns as
to why I stayed
and accepted
that violent,
disrespectful,
self-sabotaging
decade of my
life. Why didn't
I realise my
self-worth when
that thunderous
slap landed
across my face
the first time?
Why did I
condone such
oppression? I
know my patterns
now and I know
what never to
accept anymore.
Alhumdolillah, I
have remarried.
To a man who
respects himself
enough not to
disrespect
another, who
loves himself
enough not to
hate another and
who is secure in
himself enough
not to feel
insecurity by my
achievements.
Self-Care and
Self-Love are
vital for men
just as they are
vital for women.
Broken, damaged
men will break
and damage
others unless
they heal. Its
time to
understand and
support these
broken, damaged
men to help them
heal.
My poem "Men Do
Cry" is
dedicated to all
men who are
fighting their
battles,
yearning to be
understood. #menshed
#mendocry
7 questions
Muslims are
tired of hearing
By Adeel
Qureshi,
Associate
Producer of The
Mosque Next Door
These are only
just some of the
questions, based
on prevalent
misconceptions
about the Muslim
community, that
people keep on
asking.
Hopefully,
this little
piece can give a
little more
perspective, a
little more
nuance for the
next time you
talk to a Muslim
you know.
This question,
for me, is the most difficult to answer
but the most commonly posed. Unless you
live under a rock it’s difficult to
ignore the issue of religiously
motivated extremism. As a young Muslim,
you constantly feel the pressure to
explain the totality of your religion to
people outside of it or prove your
innocence in matters related to
terrorism. But this issue requires a lot
of unpacking.
First, the extremist violence
perpetrated by groups like ISIS has been
denounced by various Islamic
organisations and Muslim scholars as
fundamentally un-Islamic. Not only does
ISIS represent a significant break from
Islamic tradition, among their victims
are Muslims that don’t agree with them.
Living a
translated Islam
By Nadia Selim,
Centre for
Islamic Thought
& Education,
UniSA
Nadia Selim
Umar
Ibn-ul-Khattab (R.A)
was to become
renowned for his
unfailing
justice and
asceticism. The
story of his
acceptance of
Islam is well
known to
Muslims. A
powerful man
both in physique
and demeanor
storms home
enraged by the
knowledge that
his sister and
brother-in-law
have converted
to Islam.
Bellowing and
thundering, he
is stopped cold
in his tracks by
the power,
beauty and
excellence of
the Qur’an. The
verses had such
power over him
because he
comprehended
them. He was
shaken to his
core because he
filtered what he
perceived
through a
meshwork of a
deep-seated
knowledge of the
Arabic language
and appreciation
for its
subtleties and
cadence.
Centuries of
love for the
Arabic language,
have been firmly
rooted in the
fact that Arabic
was the language
that Allah chose
to communicate
his final call
to humanity. For
instance, Ali
Al-Farisi
(901-987 CE) a
famous
grammarian and
linguist, when
asked to compare
Arabic and
Persian, replied
that Arabic “was
far superior to
Persian both
aesthetically
and rationally”.
This love for
Arabic meant
that Arabic was
claimed by
Muslims of all
cultural
backgrounds.
Arabic became a
binder of the
ummah, a
language of
Muslims and not
just a language
of the Arabs. In
fact, many of
the renowned
Arabic scholars
and grammarians
were of non-Arab
origins.
Today, however,
it has become
commonplace for
Muslims to
practice deen
without having
acquired
knowledge of the
Arabic language
or having tried
to acquire it.
Various societal
transformations
have normalized
this phenomenon
and made it
acceptable for
millions of
Muslims to
live a
translated Islam.
White Ribbon
Breakfast
By Umucaltum
Hassan and
Fatema Noor
yr11, AIIC
On Wednesday 22
November the
Queensland
Government
hosted the 2017
White Ribbon Day
Breakfast at the
Brisbane
Convention and
Exhibition
Centre.
Two year 11
students from
our school were
selected to take
part in the
ceremony. For
those who are
not aware, White
Ribbon Day is an
Australian
campaign to
prevent violence
against women.
White Ribbon Day
became a
national event
in 1991 and was
initiated by a
male-led
movement with an
aim to raise
awareness
annually.
Too many
Australian women
live with fear
and violence.
Staggering
statistics show
that one woman
is killed every
week by a former
or current
partner.
The impact of
this violence on
women can be
physical,
sexual,
psychological
and emotional.
From the program
we also learnt
that through
togetherness and
eagerness to
stand up against
this problem
there can be a
bigger chance
for a brighter
future with no
violence
whatsoever.
The burka is
an assault on
women’s freedom
By Caroline
Overington
The burka is not
a religious
garment. It is
not a
requirement of
Islam. Muslim
women do not
have to be
covered head to
hand to toe, not
according to the
Koran.
The Koran
requires both
men and women to
dress modestly.
It does not say
that all women —
and only women —
must be covered
up in black
cloth, revealing
only the eyes.
It has nothing
to do with
religious
freedom.
The burka is
worn in cultures
where the lives
of women, the
freedom and
independence of
women, is
severely
curtailed, and
that now
includes
Sydney’s west,
where the burka
can now be seen,
even on little
girls.
It is used as a
tool of shame,
and of control.
It is designed
to remind women
that they are a
temptation. That
they are sinful.
That they will
be the ruination
of men. That
their sexuality
must be
controlled and
contained.
It is sexist,
misogynist
nonsense.
Anyone who says
so will
assuredly be
accused of
“attacking
Muslims” or
worse, not
protecting
“religious
freedoms.”
On this page
yesterday, The
Australian’s
national
security
correspondent
Paul Maley
flogged Tony
Abbott for
hypocrisy after
Abbott gave a
speech, arguing
for Western
freedoms.
He said: “Where
was Abbott when
Pauline Hanson
walked into the
Senate chamber
in a full length
burka?
“Did Abbott rise
up in defence of
Australia’s
600,000 Muslims?
Did he call a
press conference
and condemn
Hanson for her
attack on the
hard-won right
to free
worship?”
He wondered why
Abbott did not
defend the
“right of a
Muslim woman to
walk down the
main street of
Lakemba wearing
whatever she
likes.”
Instead, he
said, “here was
Abbott a few
days after
Hanson’s grubby
photo op: “I
understand the
point she was
trying to make.”
Hanson wore the
burka into
parliament to
make a point
about security
issues: you
can’t see who’s
under it,
basically. It
was a stunt, and
we could easily
do without it,
but it had
nothing to do
with religious
freedom, because
the burka is not
about religious
freedom.
It is the
opposite. It is
an assault on
women’s freedom.
It’s designed to
keep women and
girls in their
place, in the
home, out of
commerce, under
the control of
men. It is
anti-feminist,
and therefore
the antithesis
of Western
values, such as
religious
freedom.
The AUSTRALIAN
Islamic
Council Director
says 40 per cent
of Muslim
Australians said
Yes to marriage
equality
Nail Aykan, the
executive
director ICV
It seems that a
sizable
proportion of
Australia’s
non-Anglo Celtic
communities in
key Labor
electorates
voted ‘No’ in
the Marriage
Equality survey.
As did many
traditional
Australians
living in these
electorates. Now
a perilous
narrative is
arising that
Muslim
Australians were
all opposed to
Marriage
Equality.
Nail Aykan, the
executive
director of the
Islamic Council
of Victoria,
tells Daily
Review there is
a “misconception
that the Muslim
community is
homogenous and
that they all
voted ‘No’”.
“There is a good
proportion,
around 40 per
cent that voted
‘Yes’, and from
anecdotal
evidence,
overwhelmingly
young Muslim
women voted
‘Yes’,” Aykan
says.
Some of my peers
on the Left,
especially those
from Western
Sydney, are
handwringing
either in
surprise or
shame. But why?
Don’t they know
their own
communities?
What makes some
progressive
peers think that
immigrant
communities are
less
conservative
than other
Australians?
Class,
education,
faith, age and
family
background have
much to do with
a citizen’s
position on
social issues.
And the pattern
shows that most
largely
immigrant and
traditional
working class
seats in the
outer suburbs
had a higher
‘No’ vote than
most inner-city
and more
socially and
politically
progressive
seats.
Andrew
Jakubowicz, a
Professor of
Sociology at the
University of
Technology
Sydney, points
to the
successful
anti-Safe
Schools campaign
by the ‘No’
coalition that
targeted
communities with
traditional
cultural and
religious mores.
Many immigrant
background
Australians have
low English
language skills
and settled here
as poor rural
immigrants. This
group of
immigrants are
very different
to the young
Spanish, Greek,
and Italian
professional
immigrants
arriving here
after the EU’s
financial
crisis. This
latter group
includes middle
class Middle
Eastern, Iranian
and Afghani
refugees who
have resettled
here.
Western Sydney’s
‘No’ vote
reflected
similar patterns
in Melbourne.
This shouldn’t
be a surprise to
activists,
especially those
who ‘engage with
communities’.
Jakubowicz wrote
in The
Conversation
that “in
localities where
there are strong
communities
built around
Eastern
Orthodoxy,
Islam, Eastern
Catholicism,
African
Christianities,
Asian
Christianities
(from Catholic
to Evangelical),
and even in
other areas with
pockets of
Orthodox
Judaism, there
were singular
funnels of
information
presented in
cultural and
moral terms.”
Muddathir
Karaali and Steve Dabliz visit
the Gold Coast
Mosque.
Muslims in America
RT
The Community Fridge - Helping
Those In Need
BBC The Social
A generous shop boss has set up
a community fridge filled with
free food for people in need.
Rekz Afzal, 31, wants to help
struggling locals in Paisley ’s
Ferguslie Park, an area blighted
by the worst deprivation in
Scotland. He has stocked the
chiller at his shop in the
town’s Moss Street with
sandwiches, wraps and other
goods. Rekz said: “I think it
was a Jamie Oliver idea to
encourage retailers to set up
community fridges. “I wanted to
do something similar in Paisley
to show businesses can give
something back to their
community. I know just how hard
it is for folk out.” Rekz is
running the project as a trial
and hopes others will help with
donations. He added: “ Food
banks do a fantastic job and the
community fridge wants to add to
that. It is here for everyone.”
ISLAMIC
EDUCATION VIDEOS
Tafseer of Surah Al Kawthar by Umm Bilal
SistersSupport
Services
Putting Your Reliance on
Allah (SWT) - Logan Unit Program
IPDC QLD
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.
Summary
by Mohideen:
Mufti Junaid
started by
saying
everything
Allah has
created in
this dunya
has some
sort of
effect and
gave some
examples of
these
effects. He
also said
that one
cannot be a
Muslim if
one is not
praying his
fard salah.
He said how
the prophet
(pbuh)
mentioned
that he
would burn
the houses
of people
who does not
come to pray
Fajr salah
with jamaat
in the
Masjid. He
further said
that a
Male’s fard
salah is not
accepted at
home if
there is no
valid
excuse. He
advised
people to
live close
to the
masjid so
that the
male’s can
attend the
salah in
congregation.
He said how
all four
schools of
thoughts
confirmed
that a
person who
does not
pray becomes
a murtad and
needs to be
imprisoned.
He concluded
with a story
of hazrat
Abu Nasar
Fatah bin
Shahram a
well-known
Muhadhis in
Bagdad.
Summary
by Mohideen:
Mufti Naeem
started by
explaining
the month of
Rabi Al Awal
and the
month our
prophet (pbuh)
was born. He
said how
Allah has
conferred a
great favour
by sending
the prophet
(pbuh). He
said those
days in Arab
world kids
were sent to
villages to
get fresh
food and air
and learn
the pure
language of
Arabic. He
explained
how hazrat
Ali answered
a question
raised by a
Jew and said
how the
believers
worship
Allah 24
hours a day
by following
the sunnah
of our
prophet (pbuh).
He explained
the story of
how Haleema
Sahdiya had
the last
choice of
taking the
prophet (pbuh)
to the
village and
the miracles
that
happened in
that
journey. He
concluded by
requesting
the
congregation
to read the
history of
our prophet
(pbuh) and
practice his
sunnah.
I have been wanting to thank the person who added so
much professionalism in terms of layout and
presentation of the subject article. It really
enhanced my write-up.
I also want to thank the person (behind the CCN team
signature), who I have been liaising with, for their
promptness, ‘personal’ touch and thoughtfulness.
The hard work and effort put behind the entire
newsletter is amazing. The editing, syntax and
layout and quality of articles, is second to none!
Saudi
Arabia bans photos, videos at Islam’s two
holiest sites
SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia banned
visitors from taking photos and videos
at Islam's two holiest mosques, a
statement said Thursday.
According to the Saudi General
Directorate of Press and Information,
the decision to prohibit photos and
videos in Mecca's Masjid al-Haram, known
as the Great Mosque of Mecca, and
Medina's Masjid an-Nabawi, or 'The
Prophet's Mosque,' was taken by the
Saudi foreign ministry on Nov. 12, 2017.
The ban, which applies regardless of the
objective and includes representatives
of the media, was imposed to protect and
preserve the holy sites, the statement
said. The ban also applies to the
mosques' surrounding areas.
Saudi authorities cited disturbance of
worshippers at the mosques as another
reason for the introduction of the
measure.
"In the event of a violation of the ban,
imposed to ensure the carrying out of
worship in a healthier way, tools used
to take photos and videos will be
confiscated and legal action will be
taken," the statement said.
Earlier this week, a picture of an
Israeli man in The Prophet's Mosque
caused uproar on Arab and Muslim social
media. Non-Muslims are strictly
forbidden from entering Central Medina,
where the mosque is located.
Indonesia
unveils plan to roll out 1,000 eco-mosques
by 2020
The
initiative to help mosques establish
better water supplies and storage
facilities
INDONESIA: Worshippers in
Indonesia, the world's largest
Muslim-majority country, are set to go
green with a new initiative that aims to
establish 1,000 eco-mosques by 2020.
Launched this week by Indonesian Vice
President Jusuf Kalla, the initiative
will help the mosques to source
renewable energy, manage their water and
food needs sustainably, reduce and
recycle waste and provide environmental
education.
The project will see the top Muslim
clerical body work with the private
sector, the government's health and
planning ministries, universities, and
other religious groups in a bid to boost
environmental awareness in communities
across the country.
"Most Muslims in Indonesia listen more
to religious leaders than the
government," Hayu Prabowo, head of
environment and natural resources at the
Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) told the
Thomson Reuters Foundation.
"If
an Islamic leader says something
they will follow but if the
government says something, they may
not."
Indonesia, with 250
million people, has a mixed
environmental record.
The archipelago is the world's top
thermal coal exporter and palm oil
producer, which has led to the clearing
and development of swathes of forest
land and intense international pressure
to limit deforestation.
Many of Indonesia's rural and poorest
provinces suffer regular droughts due to
climate change, while children's
education is often hampered by the lack
of regular power supply.
Hening Parlan, coordinator for
environment and disaster management at
Aisyiyah, the women's wing of
Indonesia's second-largest Islamic
organisation Muhammadiyah, said the idea
of eco-mosques stemmed from asking how
to make mosques the centre for
environment and education within a
community.
"For many Indonesians, their
understanding of the environment
only happens when they see the
impact of climate change (rather
than through education) ... if they
suffer from floods or landslides for
example," Parlan said.
She said the initiative
would help mosques establish better
water supplies and storage facilities,
offer fundraising advice and provide
funding to mosques to help them become
environmentally friendly.
Solar power and biogas will also be
promoted over fossil fuels and imams
will teach better environmental
awareness.
In Chiapas,
400 Mexicans are building a new
identity by merging their
indigenous practices with Islam.
MEXICO: In a corn field in the Mexican
state of Chiapas, Salma Palamo Diaz
wears a traditional tzotzil skirt.
Muslims in Mexico blend their indigenous
ways of life with the customs required
by Islam.
In photographer Giulia Iacolutti’s
native Italy, the conversation about
Islam revolved around fear and
terrorism, but when she arrived in
Mexico, she found none of that.
In 2014, a professor introduced
Iacolutti to the imam of one of the
mosques popping up around Mexico City to
host a growing Muslim community. For a
year, she embedded herself in their
homes, rituals and feasts for a project
called Jannah, an Arabic word that
represents paradise in Islam.
Islam came to Mexico in spurts over the
past decades, with immigrants from
Lebanan and Syria, and even a group of
Spanish Sufi Muslims who came to convert
members of the Zapatista revolutionaries
in the ‘90s. It caught on quickly. The
country now has around 5,270
Muslims—triple what it had 15 years ago,
Iacolutti says. An Arabic teacher helps
them read the Quran and a scholarship
offers a chance to study at a medina in
Yemen.
Baraka (second
from left) is the mother of
three daughters and the imam of
the Al-Kausar Mosque in Chiapas.
After converting to Islam she
changed her name from Dominga.
In Mexico, which is
largely Catholic, Iacolutti found that
having a belief system is more important
than following a particular religion.
She spoke to Catholic mothers who didn’t
want their daughters to convert to
Islam, but were pleased when the change
inspired a more pious way of life. “In
Mexico it’s better to convert to Islam
than in Europe,” she says. “They don't
think of terrorists.”
They want to build identity,” Iacolutti
says of the new Mexican Muslims. “What
is pleasing about Islam is that it
brings practical actions in daily life:
You have to pray five times each day.
You can’t eat pork and you can't drink
alcohol.” (Read more about progressive
Muslim women)
Converts are fueling the growth in
Mexico City, while high birthrates and
large families spur it on in rural
regions.
After a year of living with the
community, Iacolutti asked for an
introduction to the imams who tended to
a rural community of Muslims in the
southern state of Chiapas. By merging
their indigenous practices with Islam,
these 400 converts lived much
differently than their Mexico City
counterparts.
For one, they tend to blend in easily,
since many indigenous women wrap their
heads in scarves. “I want to speak my
language, I want to put on the
indigenous dress, but I also want to
believe in Allah,” they told Iacolutti.
This bright
hijab—a gift from one of the
foreign Muslims who've come to
know the community—is Salama
Palamo Diaz's favourite.
But the remoteness makes
it difficult to maintain important
tenets of their religion. Chiapas is a
poor state, and meat that has been
butchered in accordance to Islam, called
halal, is rare. During one holiday
feast, Iacolutti watched as the
community sacrificed two cows and
immediately brought meat to their
Christian neighbours. “One ideal of
Islam is you have to help a person that
is poorer than you,” she says. “It’s not
important if you believe in another
god—you are my neighbour and you can eat
the same food.”
Iacolutti is an atheist, but she was
never once asked to convert. In such a
devout country, her subjects seemed
unbothered by a nonbeliever in their
midst. Once, in a conversation with a
Muslim woman in Mexico City she felt a
longing for the other’s faith. “I think
you have a very rich life because you
believe,” Iacolutti told her. “I don't
believe. I see you and think you have a
better life.”
The woman scolded her. “You take
pictures,” she replied. “Your god is
photography and beauty and information.
You believe in this. I believe in
Allah.”
The Townsville Islamic
Society is looking for
"someone who can become part
of us and lead us to the
right path in this world as
well as the hereafter and
are keen to welcome the
right person to our
community."
KB says:
With the green
mangos so readily available at the moment, make
the relish now and freeze for use during the
rest of the year.
Mango and Carrot Pickle
INGREDIENTS
5 green mangoes,
peeled and grated
2 carrots, peeled and grated
1 tsp salt
Ľ cup methi masala (available at an Indian
Grocery Store)
Combine the above well.
Heat the oil, add the garlic, mustard seeds and
curry leaves
Pour the wagaar over the mango and carrot mix
and mix well.
When cool, bottle and 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:
Foster A Healthy
Marriage With Couple
Goals
Your marriage is a
soulful platform
where you and your
spouse can thrive
with love, mutual
respect,
understanding,
kindness and service
to each other to
become better in
your deen.
It’s not always
easy. Marriage is
hard work, and like
everything that is
hard to practise,
you will require
patience, compassion
for self and your
spouse and daily
goals to work
towards fostering a
healthy and
meaningful marriage.
It is one thing to
say “I love you” and
another to practise
it. Great virtues,
such as, love,
kindness,
understanding,
respect and service
must be cultivated
every single moment
in one’s life and
practised
consciously, every
single day.
Seven Couple
Goals
These seven couple
goals could be a
great start. Try
practising one a day
for a week and see
how you both feel on
the eighth day.
1. Find a quiet
moment, hold each
other’s hands,
look into each
other’s eyes and say
these words: I thank
ALLAH for blessing
my life with you.
Thank you for being
my soulmate.
2. Sit together
in a quiet space,
take one ayat from
the Holy Quran,
read it together and
ponder over it. Tell
each other how this
ayat is relevant to
your marriage.
3. Have a journal
where you both can
discuss your hopes
for the future.
Write them down.
Don’t worry about
how or when you are
going to do them.
Trust ALLAH to help
you both to realise
those hopes.
4. Sit facing
each other. Take
turns in paying each
other a compliment.
Really mean it when
you say it.
Graciously receive
the compliment.
5. Write a
heartfelt letter to
each other and leave
it on the pillow as
a surprise.
6. Take a walk in
nature, just the two
of you and speak
only about ALLAH.
Admire all HIS
creations in nature.
7. Pray extra two
rakat salah to
express gratitude to
ALLAH for your
healthy marriage.
In Shaa ALLAH, next
week we will explore
the topic: Saying
No...Please ALLAH,
Not People
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.
Q:
Dear Kareema, what are some type of foods we
should eat before and after exercise & how long
before should we eat?
A:
Aim to have a snack 1 to 3 hours before your
workout so it can be digested. More blood goes
to the muscles while working out, leaving less
for digestion. After exercise your body is ready
to refuel and rebuild muscle tissue, so it’s
best to eat within an hour of finishing your
workout.
For a morning
workout, try some high-fibre oatmeal with fruit
so you can feel energised for longer. For a dose
of protein and calcium, add some low-fat milk.
Research shows that eating small amounts of raw
nuts may help with maintaining a healthy weight.
So I suggest you have these as a snack
throughout the day.
If you’re going for an easy walk or yoga class,
try a healthy wholegrain sandwich with enough
time for it to digest. Smoothies are also easy
to digest.
Post-workout : Protein rich foods such as fish
or chicken with egg and greens will help with
muscle-recovery. Brown rice and veggies is a
good combination too.
And do not go near the
orphan’s property, except
with the best of intentions,
until he has reached his
maturity. And honour your
pledge, because the pledge
involves responsibility.
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
Salam aleikum everyone. This Sunday 29th
of October marks 5 years since the opening of Shajarah
Islamic Kindergarten back in 2012.
Alhamdulillaah since then we have come along in leaps
and bounds until last year we received an Exceeding
Rating in the National Quality Framework from the
Department of Early Childhood Education and Care.
In March this year we were informed by the Qld
government that we must relocate as they will be
demolishing our building in January 2018 to make way for
a new upgrade of the M1.
After 7 months of searching and exhausting all avenues
we could think of as well as through whatever advice
others gave us, we are able to finally announce that we
have an agreement in place to lease a property in
Hillcrest, just opposite Browns Plains Grand Plaza. The
property is to be renovated and should be ready by the
start of the school year in January 2018.
Alhamdulillaah: A big thankyou and jazakumAllaah khair
to the parents of our children for their continued
support and all those who have tried hard to help us and
wished us well in our search for a new place. A new
start for Shajarah! InshaAllaah onwards and upwards!
We will now be starting our fundraising efforts in
earnest for our relocation. Our Gofundme page is
here. Please help us continue the Quality Islamic
Early Education we are known for inshaAllaah.
Please see our facebook page and website for updates on
construction and all info and news.
• Accounting – Secondary
• Algebra
• Alternative Dispute Resolutions – Law
• Arabic – Beginner
• Biology - Primary, Secondary
• Business Studies - Secondary
• Calculus – Secondary
• Calculus - Secondary, Tertiary
• Communication - Secondary
• Contract Law
• Creative Writing - Primary, Secondary
• Criminal Law
• Economics - Secondary
• Engineering
• English - Primary, Secondary
• English Literature - Primary, Secondary
• Essay Writing - Primary,
Secondary
• Evidence and Proof - Law
• Finance - Secondary
• General Science – Primary
• Geography - Primary, Secondary
• History - Primary, Secondary
• Human Biology
• Interviewing for Advocacy – Law
• Legal Studies - Secondary
• Management - Secondary
• Maths - Primary, Secondary
• Mechanical Engineering
• Physical Education - Primary, Secondary
• Reading - Primary, Secondary
• Society and Culture - Secondary
• Statistics - Secondary
• Taxation - Secondary
I am a distinction average student
currently studying a Bachelor of Laws and have two years
of experience in the tutoring industry. I am currently
employed as a Paralegal at Havas and Dib Lawyers, a top
tier law firm based on the Gold Coast, Brisbane and
Sydney.
I achieved a Dux position in both Grade 11 and 12 and
attended Trinity Lutheran College and Surfers Paradise
State School, and am now tutoring in Brisbane and the
Gold Coast. I specialize in Secondary Education and am
more than capable of tutoring Primary, Secondary and
Tertiary students.
I previously was also enrolled in a Bachelor of Civil
Engineering (Honours) and Commerce (Finance) at the
University of Sydney for two years before returning to
the Gold Coast and taking up the change to a Bachelor of
Laws (which I love).
I have a passion for passing on the knowledge I have
worked very hard to attain and provide my students on
extensive and well tested notes compiled on most
subjects I tutor to ensure my students are only learning
what is included in the Australian Curriculum and not
redundant information that is not tested (which most
textbooks contain a lot of). I focus upon specific
subjects and work with students on useful skills such as
exam techniques, exam preparation, study habits and
more.
I not only provide standard tutoring services but make
myself available around the clock for proofreading and
last-minute exam/assignment preparation.
If you have any inquiries please don't hesitate to
contact me via phone or email.
Over
the past several
months MCF have
utilised your valued
donations to assist
many people in need
from our local
community.
Among those assisted
in July was a single
young man who is an
amputee and also a
heart attack victim.
MCF assisted by
spending some time
with him and also by
taking care of some
of his outstanding
living expenses
(which he was unable
to cover due to his
condition).
Among those assisted
in August was was a
single mother with 2
children. She
suffers from a
debilitating,
serious and
persistent skin
condition which
involves the use of
expensive
medications to
control. MCF
utilised your
donations to provide
financial aid
enabling her to both
pay for medications
and to cover
outstanding rental
bills.
In September,
through our
community youth
outreach program,
the Muslim
Charitable
Foundation was able
to assist a young
brother with his
battle against
substance addiction.
Contact was made
with the brother
during routine
community outreach
activities. After
the initial contact,
a sustained effort
was made to stay in
contact with the
brother to provide
council and support.
With Allah's help,
daily moral support
and coaching saw a
change in the
brother's lifestyle.
To assist the
brother with his
lifestyle change he
was given temporary
accommodation in the
MCF house for about
8 days, while
helping him look for
shared
accommodation. He
now attends the
mosque regularly and
his condition has
greatly improved.
May Allah reward all
of the MCF donors
abundantly
inshaAllah. If you
would like to donate
to MCF please use
the bank details on
our website:
www.mcfaustralia.org.au
Among those assisted
in October was a
family who tearfully
explained that they
could not afford the
hefty costs for the
expert childcare
needed to treat
their autistic 3
year old son. The
family arrived in
Australia 3 years
ago on bridging
visas with 2 young
boys. They are not
eligible for
childcare rebates on
their visas. MCF
paid for a three
month expert
childcare trial and
new assessments were
then made. The
results were, that
he has made
significant progress
in relation to his
social and emotional
development. The joy
and emotion
expressed by his
mother when MCF
agreed to continue
to pay the childcare
fees was
overwhelming.
Among those assisted
in November was a
single mother with 3
children. MCF
utilised your
donations to provide
her with a basic bed
and a basic washing
machine. The washing
machine will
inshallah help the
family to maintain a
healthy hygiene
level and also for
the children to
obtain a restful
sleep.
The cases mentioned
above are but a few
of the many cases we
deal with almost on
a daily basis. Your
continued support
ensures that the
most vulnerable
people in our
Community receive
the help they most
need.
To donate to MCF,
please use the
electronic banking
details on our
website:
www.mcfaustralia.org.au.
May
Allah bless both the
MCF volunteers and
the people who
donate.
Without your
support, community
assistance like this
would not be
possible.
A
reminder that all
money donated to MCF
is received by those
in need. MCF has no
paid staff and no
admin fees.
Due
to the ongoing drought
affecting farmers in west
Queensland, MAA have joined
local organisations to help
Aussie farmers in their time
of need by trucking hay
bales from Victoria and New
South Wales to farmers in
west Queensland.
Farmers impacted by drought
often struggle to ask for
help and many due to the
financial strain of trying
to keep the farm afloat also
battle mental health issues.
By providing bales to help
farmers feed their animals
you'll be taking a huge
financial burden from them
as well keeping their
livestock alive.
GOLD COAST
ISLAMIC CULTURAL CENTRE
Update as at
October 2017
Construction of
the Cultural Centre (Dawah &
Youth Centre) is progressing
well.
The walls for the second floor
have already been erected and
very soon they will be working
on the roof.
We still need donations to fund
this construction.
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.
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.
A
ground-breaking Channel 4
survey has revealed that
almost two thirds of Muslim
women married in Britain are
not in legally recognised
marriages, as they have not
had a civil ceremony
alongside their Nikah
religious ceremony. Many of
these women are unaware that
they therefore do not have
the same rights and
protections afforded to
couples who are married in
the eyes of the law.
The
survey, of 1000 women across
Britain, reveals that while
78 per cent of those
questioned wanted their
marriage to be legally valid
under British law, nearly
two thirds (61%) only had a
Nikah marriage, meaning that
their marriage is not
legally recognised. Two
thirds of those who did not
have a civil marriage
ceremony said that they did
not plan to have one in the
future.
Solihull
born Habiba Jaan has four
children. She tells the
programme that after having
a Nikah, she wanted to get a
civil marriage, but her
husband kept putting it off.
She says she found out that
he had been married to
another woman for 13 years
before he met her and had
another wife as well. When
she refused to carry on in a
polygamous marriage, she was
unable to get a divorce as
she had only had a NIkah.
She had to sell her house
and most of her assets and
ended up homeless and had a
mental breakdown.
Saudi
Arabia bans photos, videos at Islam’s two
holiest sites 
Due
to the ongoing drought
affecting farmers in west
Queensland, MAA have joined
local organisations to help
Aussie farmers in their time
of need by trucking hay
bales from Victoria and New
South Wales to farmers in
west Queensland.
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011