The AIIC Gold Coast has won
a silver medal achievement
at the Annual Australian
International Robotics
Competition sponsored by
Google and Griffith
University.
The achievement wraps up 4
Awards in Science Technology
Engineering and Maths (STEM)
achieved by the Gold Coast
College in 2017.
Mrs Eva Bay says that ‘the
achievements are an
indication of the
dedication, resilience and
belief of the students,
parents and teaching team.
Such exciting challenges
have renewed and ignited a
practical sense of
incorporating computational
thinking in their inquiry
based learning and social
responsibility in their
lives’.
The Carrara based College
entered various Regional,
State, National and
International Competitions
achieving finalists
positions and acknowledged
with Leadership Awards for
their holistic and
outstanding positive
attitude to learning and the
treatment of others in the
process.
Visitors to Marion Mosque
hold up signs of peace and
cross-cultural understanding.
SOUTH AUSTRALIA:
The Muslim congregation at a
suburban Adelaide mosque
where a worshipper was
attacked last week has been
overwhelmed by a show of
public support in the wake
of the incident.
After evening prayer on
Friday, the worshipper was
punched in the face at
Marion Mosque at Park Holme
by a member of the public.
The victim was struck after
refusing to answer questions
about the
Israeli-Palestinian
conflict, stating that he
did not have the necessary
insight.
The congregation has since
been inundated with
expressions of support,
including comments on social
media, Islamic Society of SA
President Ahmad Zreika said.
Mr Zreika said while the
Muslim community has often
grappled with racism,
particularly over the last
few years, such an
outpouring was reassuring to
the community's members.
"[It's] feeling you are part
of this community, you are
not isolated, you are not
alone," he said.
Ahmad Zreika with a
well-wisher following the attack
on a worshipper.
Mr Zreika said one man had
visited the mosque with
flowers to show his
solidarity.
"It's extremely touching
and means so much to our
community," Mr Zreika
said.
"Every single community has
good and bad people."
'Our doors will stay open'
The Islamic Society said
messages on Facebook from
members of the non-Muslim
community have offered
support and sympathy.
"There are many regular
Australians all around who
would actively assist if
anyone was causing trouble
for your community," one
person wrote.
Another said: "Although I am
not religious myself, all of
your mosques will always be
sacrosanct to me."
Mr Zreika said the victim
has also been praised for
not retaliating against his
attacker.
But he said while the
support has been incredible,
it is disheartening that the
community only garners
attention when there is a
negative event.
"When something bad happens,
all the [news] channels come
but when we have something
good we're doing, everyone
says it's not a story to
tell," he said.
The attack was not the first
at the mosque this year,
with earlier incidents
involving the severed head
of a pig, and a baseball bat
and eggs.
Mr Zreika said security at
the mosque would have to be
increased, but said
authorities were yet to
decide how.
"The mosque is a public
place and is open most of
the time," he said.
"Our doors will always
remain open to the public."
The aim of this newsletter
is to provide weekly updates
on events and projects which
have happened or will happen
in the following weeks in
our Muslim Community.
This includes family and
fundraising events, updates
on the Gold Coast Dawah
Centre, as well as
engagements with our local
community.
There are approximately 1.84
billion Muslims in the world
today, making up 24.38% of
the world’s population, or
just under one-quarter of
mankind. As well as being
citizens of their respective
countries, they also have a
sense of belonging to the ‘ummah’,
the worldwide Muslim
community.
The Muslim500 publication
sets out to ascertain the
influence some Muslims have
on this community, or on
behalf of the community.
Influence is: any person who
has the power (be it
cultural, ideological,
financial, political or
otherwise) to make a change
that will have a significant
impact on the Muslim world.
Note that the impact can be
either positive or negative,
depending on one’s point of
view of course.
The Man of the Year
Sadiq Khan
The Muslim 500’s Man of the
Year is Sadiq Khan.
As the son of Pakistani
immigrants, he was elected
Mayor of London in May 2016
at the age of 46. At the
time, Sadiq was a Labour
Party MP representing the
diverse neighborhood of
Tooting, in which he was
born and raised. Not only is
he the first Muslim Mayor of
a major European capital,
but in his successful
campaign for Mayor, he took
57 percent of the vote which
totaled 1,310,143 voters
giving him the largest
personal mandate of any
politician in UK history in
which he pledged to be the
Mayor for all Londoners.
Since being in office, he
has frozen fares on the
London tube and introduced
the hopper bus ticket
allowing London’s commuters
to take two bus rides for
the cost of one. Khan is
implementing an ambitious
affordable housing program,
all of which come as welcome
reforms for financially
stressed Londoners in a city
that has become increasingly
too expensive for any but
the well-to-do.
Two terrorist attacks hit
London shortly after Sadiq
Khan became Mayor. A series
of cowardly attacks ensued,
but Khan’s response was
swift and unequivocally
reinstated his commitment to
the safety and unity of
Londoners. Such heinous
attacks are assumed to be
the work of DA’ISH or by
those radicalized by their
violent propaganda.
The fourth terrorist attack
in London occurred in June
when a Brit from Wales drove
a van into a group of
Muslims who had just
attended late Ramadan
prayers at a London mosque;
an example of how Islamist
terrorism stimulates a
violent Islamophobia that
can take a deadly turn.
Sadiq has worked closely
with London security
agencies and succeeded in
thwarting 7 additional
threats. His calm presence
and hopeful messages during
such potentially divisive
times were praised even by
his Conservative Party
political opponents. Perhaps
in this lies his greatest
accomplishment: his election
and sustained popularity in
polls taken a year after
taking office are proof that
Londoners, in Sadiq’s own
words: “have chosen hope
over fear and unity over
division”.
By Shafiq
Morton. Shafiq Morton is a veteran
photo-journalist, and presenter of the
DriveTime programme on Radio Voice of
the Cape. He is also the author of
“Notebooks from Makkah and Madinah”.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK'S
CCN
In 22 years of democracy,
South African Muslims—4% of
55 million people—have
punched above their weight.
They are well represented in
Cabinet, in local
government, in city
municipalities, in academia,
in the arts, in sport, in
the media and in the
economy. Of the iconic Ahmad
Deedat, Mandela would
narrate—with a chuckle—that
in the Middle East the
preacher was more famous
than he was.
Since 1994, the community
has been strengthened by
thousands of refugees,
economic migrants and
academics from Africa and
the Middle East. The
conversion to Islam of High
Court Judge, Justice John
Hlope, and amaXhosa Chief
Mandla Mandela – the
grandson of Nelson Mandela –
have been well publicised.
In July 2016, the Zulu Royal
House officially
acknowledged Islam due to
certain members of the
Mkhize family, the nucleus
of the Royal House, having
been Muslim for more than 50
years. Islam has also been
on the rise in the country’s
black townships from Cape
Town to Johannesburg,
presenting new challenges in
a society marked by a high
Gini-coefficient.
Political scientist Dr
Hisham Hellyer, who has
visited South Africa several
times, has written in The
National that the enduring
history of the South African
Muslim community serves to
protect it against
suggestions of being alien
or disloyal, as is the case
with other minorities.
But beyond that, he
said, there is a legacy
of political activism.
While many from the
religious establishment
did acquiesce to
apartheid, many
individuals did not, and
they formed coalitions
to fight
institutionalised
racism.
When apartheid finally
fell, Muslim South
Africans had
already—organically—derived
social capital, which
they converted into
political capital.
In a democratic South
Africa, this Muslim
community is treated as an
integral part of society.
There are no doubts or
suspicions in that regard.
What is more, the Muslim
community itself would have
it no other way.
However, their sense of
South African patriotism
does not result in an
unnatural type of
assimilation either. They
belong to South Africa and
they see no contradiction
between that belonging and
their own specificities as
Muslims.
Georgia, located
in the Caucasus
region of
Eurasia, lies at
the crossroads
of Western Asia
and Eastern
Europe. It
shares borders
with Russia in
the north,
Turkey and
Armenia in the
south, and
Azerbaijan in
the southeast.
The current
population of
Georgia is about
3.718 million.
Tbilisi is the
largest city in
Georgia and its
capital. It is
also the
economic and
cultural hub of
the country.
Georgia is a
predominantly
Christian
country, with
Orthodox
Christians
making up 83.4%
of the
population.
Armenian
Christians make
up 2.9% of the
population while
Roman Catholics
constitute about
0.5%. The number
of Jews in
Georgia is
estimated to be
around 8,000.
The Orthodox
Church is the
most influential
institution in
Georgia and one
of the main
pillars of
Georgia’s
national
identity.
Islam reached
Georgia in 645
AD during the
caliphate of
Uthman. The
Muslim army
conquered
Eastern Georgia
and established
Islamic rule in
Tbilisi. During
this period,
Tbilisi (al-Tefelis
in Arabic) was a
flourishing
centre of trade
between the
Muslim world and
northern Europe.
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.
What does
any person with a reasonable level of
empathy think of a group that prides
itself on genocide and destruction?
People asking this question either think
that by virtue of being Muslim, I have
some privileged insights about ISIS
which others don’t, or they aren’t
comfortable enough around a Muslim
without ensuring they’re not holding
some deep dark secret.
The fact is that the number of Muslims
who have joined or sympathise with
violent extremist groups are tiny
compared to those who continuously
condemn and reject the perverse take on
Islam acted on by extremist groups. So,
no: most of the Muslims you know aren’t
secret ISIS sympathisers, and it’d serve
us all well if people were reflective
about the bias and stereotypes which
form their opinions before they decide
to ask a question like this.
A Little Boy
Thought This
Muslim
Accountant Was
Santa And He's
Played Along For
4 Years
"Santa" with
Alfie.
UK: Santa Claus
is 100% real –
at least for one
little boy who
first saw him
walking past his
front door in
south London
four years ago.
"Santa", whose
real name is Mr
Hussain, was
walking down the
street in
Tooting in
December 2013
when he was
spotted by Alfie,
who is now six.
He heard the
little boy call
him Santa, and
turned round and
gave him some
money, leading
Alfie to believe
that he really
was Father
Christmas.
Hussain, a
Muslim man who
works at an
accountancy firm
down the road
and just happens
to have a big
white beard, has
since called
back at the
house every year
with a gift for
Alfie and his
13-year-old
sister Hayley.
And after
getting to know
the family, he
even now calls
round on their
birthdays.
Alfie's mum,
Tracy
Ashford-Rose,
told BuzzFeed
News that
Christmas
wouldn't be the
same without a
visit from
"Santa".
She said she
remembers "my
little Alfie
shouting out for
me, 'look it's
Father
Christmas!'"
Hussain "got
three houses
away and came
back to knock on
my door; he said
he couldn't pass
without giving a
gift as my
little boy
thought he was
Father
Christmas,"
Ashford-Rose
continued.
"This was four
years ago, and
we still
exchange gifts
to each other.
He comes to see
Alfie and my
daughter Hayley
on their
birthdays and
gives gifts, he
never forgets,
the dates.
"We now call him
Grandad
Christmas. We
see him
throughout the
year, he shakes
Alfie's hand,
and has a
cuddle.
Christmas
wouldn't be the
same without him
now."
Amanda
Taylor-Purchase,
a professional
photographer and
the family's
former
neighbour, was
at the house
when Hussain
called round
last Sunday, and
she shared the
heartwarming
story on
Facebook.
"It's not very
often that I get
a tear in my eye
at a photoshoot,
but that guy
just did it for
me. I thought I
had to tell that
story," she told
BuzzFeed News.
"I've known
Alfie since he
was just a baby,
there's not much
that stops him
in his tracks,
but when he saw
'Father
Christmas' he
came running
into me and said
'you've got to
come, the real
Santa Claus is
at our door, he
comes to our
house.'"
Taylor-Purchase
added: "When I
looked out I was
a bit confused,"
because Hussain
does not
actually look
like Father
Christmas.
"Not at all,"
she said,
"obviously it's
just the beard
association for
Alfie – he's a
little fellow,
very skinny,
wearing a
business suit.
It's the
sweetest thing,
Alfie doesn't
see the colour
of skin, the
colour of
clothing, he
sees the colour
of someone's
heart.
"This guy looked
so friendly and
so welcoming and
he saw his big
white beard and
thought he was
Santa Claus."
"One year there
were balloons
outside and he
saw it was his
birthday,"
Taylor-Purchase
added. "Now he
stops by and
gives him a
birthday
present, and a
Christmas
present, it's
become a
tradition.
"For him to come
back and knock
every year and
not forget his
birthday, not
forget
Christmas, and
even remember
his older sister
who doesn't
believe in Santa
– it's just the
sweetest thing."
Taylor-Purchase
posted the story
on a local
Facebook group,
and many people
were so touched
that they said
they wanted to
give their own
gifts to the
"real Santa
Claus".
Accompanied by
Alfie, she took
two bags filled
with treats down
to surprise
Hussain on
Friday.
"I don't
want to make
assumptions
but if he's
not a
Christian
man, if it's
not his
faith, but
he's still
doing all of
this for a
little boy,
he's just
going above
and beyond,"
Taylor-Purchase
added.
BuzzFeed News
tried to reach
"Santa" to
comment on the
story, but his
firm was closed
on Christmas
Eve...
Author, poet,
rapper and spoken work artist
Omar Musa discusses his new
single 'Assimilate' and the time
Russell Crowe threw him a
birthday party.
Omar Musa - Assimilate -
Tonightly With Tom Ballard
ABC
Mansa Musa: One of the
wealthiest people who ever lived
TED-ed
The richest person in
history? An African king so
wealthy that just by passing
through a region, he could
undermine its entire economy
Allah Hoo Qawwali by
Fanna-Fi-Allah live in London
2017
The Great Muslim Panto: Penny
Appeal
BBC
News London
Abdullah Afzal (BBC's
Citizen Khan), Anisa Kissoon
and the cast of "Once Upon a
Panto" tell reporter Shabnam
Mahmood all about the #GreatMuslimPanto,
which went on tour from 12th of December!
A fantastic family show, all
in aid of Penny Appeal's #OrphanKind
appeal - raising funds for
needy orphans around the
world: http://pennyappeal.org/appeal/sponsor...
ISLAMIC
EDUCATION
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.
Indian
parliament votes to outlaw Islamic 'triple
talaq' divorces
India's lower house of
parliament has approved a bill
making the Muslim practice of
instant divorce, known as
"triple talaq", illegal and
punishable with up to three
years imprisonment.
KEY POINTS
1. Talaq is the Arabic word for
divorce
2. Saying Talaq three times at any
time and via any medium, including
text message or social media post
would mean instant divorce
3. The bill must be approved by the
upper house before becoming law
INDIA: MPs voted a few
months after India's Supreme Court
struck down the practice as
unconstitutional.
Most of the 170 million Muslims in India
are Sunnis governed by Muslim personal
law for family matters and disputes.
Those laws include allowing men to
divorce their wives by simply uttering
the Arabic word "talaq," or divorce,
three times — and not necessarily
consecutively, but at any time, and by
any medium, including telephone, text
message or social media post.
Several opposition parties criticised
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's
government for not discussing the
legislation with them before it was
introduced to Parliament.
The approved bill will now go to the
upper house for approval before it
becomes law.
More than 20 Muslim countries, including
neighbouring Pakistan and Bangladesh,
have banned the practice.
But in India, the practice continued
with the protection of laws that allow
Muslim, Christian and Hindu communities
to follow religious law in matters like
marriage, divorce, inheritance and
adoption.
While most Hindu personal laws have been
overhauled and codified over the years,
Muslim laws have been left to religious
authorities and left largely untouched.
The
Indian who became the first female doctor in
the UAE
Zulekha Daud
began practising medicine in the
UAE when the city had barely any
infrastructure
UAE: Indian national
Zulekha Daud is widely understood to be
the first practising female doctor in
the United Arab Emirates and has played
a crucial part in transforming its
healthcare sector.
Dr Daud, 80, vividly remembers the day
she was "parachuted" in to Dubai in
1963.
"When I landed here I found there was no
airport. There was only a runway. The
moment we got off we were hit by a wave
of unbearable heat," she recalls.
Given the number of state-of-the-art
hospitals it has now and its expansive
healthcare system, it's hard to believe
that the UAE once had no proper
hospitals and mostly borrowed doctors
from other countries.
Dr Daud is a storehouse of memories of
the time the UAE was crying out for
medical help. The people were suffering
from innumerable diseases, ranging from
tuberculosis to diarrhoea. There was no
female doctor to deliver babies and
children were suffering from
malnutrition.
Nigerian
Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs: Hijab
is constitutional
NIGERIA: On the 13
December, 2017, a young female Nigerian
graduate of Law. Miss Abdulsalam Firdaus
Amosa, was prevented from joining her
colleagues for the momentous call to bar
ceremony at the International Conference
Centre, Abuja. Her only offence was that
she wore a hijab under her wig. For this
unpardonable 'crime', as it was deemed,
she was wrongfully denied the
opportunity of being called to the
Nigerian bar as Barrister and Solicitor
of the Supreme Court of Nigeria with her
colleagues though she had passed all her
exams both at the University and the
Nigerian Law School.
The Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic
Affairs (NSCIA) views this unsavoury
development with grave concern. It is
the height of Islamophobia displayed by
the authorities of the Nigerian Law
School, the Body of Benchers and the
Council for Legal Education who now
willfully break the law. This is very
unfortunate and shameful because those
who are supposed to be teaching justice
and fairness now fail woefully to be
just and fair. With or without
sentiments, by refusing to expose her
hair in public contrary to her religious
injunctions, Miss Abdulsalam has not
broken any law. No law is superior to
the Nigerian Constitution which is the
grundnorm of Nigeria.
Iraqi
religious leaders call for restoring
religious and social cohesion
LEBANON: More than 40
religious leaders from Iraq gathered in
Beirut, Lebanon under the auspices of
the World Council of Churches for three
days of constructive interfaith dialogue
to identify and analyse opportunities
and challenges related to cohesion and
highlight the role of religious leaders
in restoring inclusive multi-religious
and multi-cultural communities in Iraq
after years of conflict. The leaders,
representing Iraq’s diverse religious
and ethnic fabric, included
representatives from the Shiaa, Sunni,
Shabak, Sabean Mandaean, Yezidi, Kaka’i
and Christian communities, for the first
time in the recent history bringing
together minority and mainline religious
groups to share their vision and commit
on working together for the future of
the country.
The group met from 11-13 December and
focused on the roles of four areas of
society which have emerged as critical
for advancing the national project of
unity in Iraq and forming an inclusive
and diverse community: education,
religion, the constitution and legal
frameworks for inclusive citizenship,
and transitional justice.
Charity
launches festive TV ad to challenge view of
British Muslims as anti-Christmas
The Penny
Appeal commercial explains how
the charity is helping poor and
homeless across the UK for a few
pence each day
UK: The first mainstream
television advertisement by a Muslim
charity will be aired over the festive
period, a development many hope will
help to challenge the misconception that
Muslims are anti-Christmas.
The 59-second advert for the West
Yorkshire charity Penny Appeal
highlights the often ignored role of
British Muslims in helping vulnerable
people across the UK over Christmas.
The commercial, which will debut on
Christmas Eve and will feature on ITV
and Channel 5 over the festive period,
underlines the fact that for many
British Muslims the festive season is
about helping others.
Recognition of the charitable
contribution made by Britain’s Muslim
community follows years of fake news
stories claiming that Muslims are
opposed to Christmas. The latest emerged
on Thursday, albeit in Italy, and
centred on claims – later found to be
misreported – from rightwing media
commentators that officials in the north
of the country had ordered the removal
of a Christmas tree to avoid offending
Muslims.
A UK parliamentary report published the
previous day promoted a more accurate
and competing view, concluding that
Muslims are not recognised for the
charity work they undertake,
particularly over Christmas. The report
by the all-party parliamentary group (APPG)
on British Muslims said that charitable
acts by the UK’s Muslim community were
“wilfully” ignored by the UK media.
Former Tory cabinet minister Baroness
Warsi, treasurer of the APPG, admitted
that her own party, aided by sections of
the media, had fostered negative and
ill-founded allegations against
Britain’s 3 million Muslims.
“The narrative at this time of year has
been that Muslims don’t like Christmas,
that they almost want to ban Christmas,”
she said. “My own party has done that in
the past. When we were in opposition we
would try to find ‘Labour banning
Christmas stories’ and invariably it
would have an ethnic minority link.”
espite the report trending on Twitter
and receiving a positive reception, it
also provoked a backlash from the far
right. “The usual suspects who would
normally say Muslims are trying to ban
Christmas were furious that we were
celebrating it,” added the former chair
of the Conservative party.
Last month, there were some protests on
social media over Tesco’s Christmas TV
advert which featured a Muslim family
celebrating. Tesco said it was “proud to
celebrate the many ways our customers
come together over the festive season”.
Bilal Hassam, creative director of
British Muslim TV, said he hoped more
people knew that Britain’s Muslims
embodied the true spirit of Christmas,
explaining that the faith encouraged the
helping of others but not the promotion
of such good deeds. “People don’t
showcase their work. There’s nothing
more Christ-like than giving, serving
and helping your fellow man.”
Warsi added that Christmas in a Muslim
household is the same as others
throughout the UK. “There will be
turkey, they’ll eat too much, they’ll
watch the Queen, but then they’ll go out
and help other people.”
Another element that Hassam said tended
to be overlooked was that most of the
charitable work by Muslims was for the
benefit of non-Muslims, including around
70% of Penny Appeal’s UK efforts. The
charity, set up eight years ago, now
operates in 30 countries supporting the
poor and homeless for a few pence each
day.
The Productive Muslim: Where Faith Meets
Productivity
by
Mohammed Faris
Description
Ever wondered if
there's a practical way to lead a productive
lifestyle that combines the best of Islamic
tradition and modern psychology and science?
In "The ProductiveMuslim" Mohammed Faris, the
founder of ProductiveMuslim[dot]com, provides
this practical framework that helps urban global
Muslims lead a productive lifestyle
Spiritually, Physically, and Socially.
I have been a fan of the Productive Muslim
website for many years now, and in many ways, it
has been the inspiration behind Islamic Self
Help and our eBooks. As an author of Self Help
eBooks, I really appreciate the effort that went
into this book.
The first thing that stands out about this book
is the simple language used. Every concept is
explained in the easiest manner, making it
accessible to any reader. The second thing that
I loved about this book is the illustrative
summaries at the end of each chapter that helps
you revise and remember the core points.
The book is well edited, structured in a
mostly-logical manner, and contains dozens of
productivity boosting tips. My personal favorite
section is the chapter on spiritual productivity
and especially the details about the benefits of
Salah. This chapter is a must-read for every
believer.
There are few things about the chapter order
which did not make sense to me. Goal-setting and
vision planning were mentioned at the very end
of the book, and very briefly. This chapter
could have benefited from more details and being
placed earlier in the book. Likewise, the
chapter on Ramadan seems out of place and would
be better suited as an Appendix.
These, however, are tiny nitpicks from a reader
who enjoyed the book so much, I wanted
perfection for it. At the end of the day, this
is a well-written, detailed, and ‘productive’
read indeed.
KB says:This icy
cold, refreshing drink, was also made very
popular in South Africa, by a Durban based
business, Mullah’s Cafe, when they first served
this as a milkshake, and called it ‘Bombay
Crush’. We have fond memories of enjoying it
during Ramadaan and during the hot summer
evenings along the beachfront.
1/4 cup Sabia seeds soaked in water (see below)
1/2 tub vanilla ice cream
1 box strawberry jelly prepared and set the
night before, then grated.
1/2 cup vermicelli boiled in water with 1 tbsp
rose syrup and a dash of pink colouring until
soft.
To assemble
In each glass place 2 scoops of ice cream,
1 tab. jelly,
1 tab. vermicelli,
1 tsp Subja seeds,
Pour milk mixture until glass is almost full and
stir.
Top with 2 scoops ice cream, 1 tsp jelly, 1 tsp
vermicelli, 1 tsp Sabia seeds and garnish with
pistachios and coloured slivered almonds.
What is Sabja seeds?
Sabja Seeds are also commonly known as ‘tukmaria
seeds’ or ‘falooda’, are the seeds of “sweet
basil”. They have a close resemblance to Chia
Seeds and offer a huge range of benefits. Sabja
seeds are popularly used in Ayurvedic and
Chinese Medicine and have many more health
benefits that you may have not known.
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:
Reboot Your Imaan
On my journal cover
is this beautiful
quote by designer
Adele Basheer:
“Inside each day we
are awakened to a
new beginning.
A chance to give,
grow and create the
life of our dreams.”
Your imaan, your
faith, is intangible
but it is dependent
on tangible things -
what you consume.
Your choice to
consume certain
foods, drinks,
literature, TV,
videos, newsfeeds,
gossip, to name a
few, all impact upon
your imaan. When
your computer starts
to lag and freeze,
you reboot it. You
check what’s
important and what’s
not and delete
folders, uninstall
apps, empty the
recycle folder,
maybe give it an
anti-virus scan and
then you switch it
off completely to
give it a rest for a
few minutes before
you restart it.
Your life is very
similar. Rebooting
your imaan requires
you to reflect on
your current
lifestyle, the
choices you’re
making, the food
you’re eating, what
you’re drinking, who
you’re spending time
with, what you talk
about, what you
watch, what you
read, how you are
sleeping, how much
you are physically
moving, and how
often you are
sitting in silence.
Basically, you need
to do a life-audit.
Once you are able to
identify what needs
to be deleted you
can then reboot your
imaan. Rebooting
your imaan may
require that you
distance yourself
from some people who
are not moving you
towards your purpose
of attaining Jannah.
It may be that you
have to stop
consuming things
(foods, drinks,
visuals, texts,
sounds), that are
slowing you down in
this purpose.
As we approach the
end of 2017 I hear
people around me
talking about new
year resolutions –
lose weight, quit
junk food, manage
time better, pray
all five prayers
daily, read Quran,
learn Arabic, start
studying, buy a
house, save for a
holiday – the usual
stuff that people
resolve to doing
from midnight 31st
December. Pretty
much every year the
pattern is the same.
And then they wake
up around midday on
the 1st of January
with a headache from
staying up all night
the night before,
switch on the TV,
have a greasy-high
fat-high-sugar
breakfast, followed
by endless hours on
the couch scrolling
through newsfeeds
and incessantly
comparing their own
lives with others.
Before they know it,
precious moments of
their lives have
been transformed
into ingratitude,
self-loathing and
hopelessness. And
then guilt kicks in,
giving rise to yet
another year of
negative choices.
Why do people put
themselves through
this? And why
specifically on 31st
December as though
the CREATOR has
designated this day
to be of some
special significance
which allows foolish
promises to be made
and later broken
with frivolous
excuses.
And have you ever
noticed how these
silly New Year
resolutions are so
selfishly petty?
Ever heard anyone
say “Today I commit
to doing an act of
kindness
everyday…Today I
commit to stopping
and acknowledging
the homeless who
sits on the bench
near Central station
– maybe say “Hi, how
are you doing?”,
just so he knows he
exists and that I do
see him when I’m
walking past him on
my way to work
everyday. Or today I
will smile at five
strangers because I
want to infect them
with a happy vibe
that smiles
generate. Or today I
commit to asking
someone at work how
he/she is and
actually waiting for
their response. Or
today I commit to
spending five
minutes of my
journey looking out
the window, being
grateful for the
perfection that
surrounds me,
instead of being
attached to my
electronic gadget.
Or today I resolve
to read about
something new and
try to challenge my
belief system about
this particular
topic. Or today I
will breathe deeply
and with each
breath, feel how I
alive I am, how
perfect my body is,
how precious my life
is.
So try this new
resolution, not just
for a new year but
for every single
day...a daily
affirmation: Today I
commit to a new
beginning, right
now, right this very
moment, to be
mindful of my
choices so that they
are constantly and
consistently moving
me towards Jannah.
Start being
grateful. Spend a
few minutes in
silence and
listen to this audio
on how to be
grateful:
In Shaa ALLAH, next
week we will explore
the topic: Awaken
Your Entrepreneurial
Mind
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, I’m embarking on my fitness
journey and am planning to mix up my workout
routines continuously. How long before I can
expect to see some results?
A:
Twelve weeks is a long enough time period to
make profound progress in your fitness journey.
If you are consistent with your workouts and
changing up your routines regularly, you should
see results within the first six weeks or so.
You’ll start feeling fitter and stronger early
into your journey, providing you take care of
your posture while exercising ensuring you
stretch after each workout.
The key is not to get disheartened if you don’t
get the results you’re after. Keep at it, keep
moving, and never give up.
Your Lord is Allah; He who
created the heavens and the
earth in six days, then
established Himself on the
Throne. The night overtakes
the day, as it pursues it
persistently; and the sun,
and the moon, and the stars
are subservient by His
command. His is the
creation, and His is the
command. Blessed is Allah,
Lord of all beings.
Sisters Support Services will be holding
a stall at the Logan Roos fundraising carnival to
promote our activities to support sisters in Brisbane
and we will be selling drinks and sweets.
If anyone would like to donate
• cans of soft drink
• small bottles of water
• desserts / sweets
that we can sell to raise money to help Sisters Support
Services please let me know.
Soccer 365
is now enrolling children for our summer vacation
program 2017 commencing on the 15th of december up until
the 20th january @ Svoboda park in Kuraby.
The sessions available this term:
- Fridays 3.50pm-4.30pm for children
aged 4-6 (toddlers)
- Fridays 4.30-6pm for children aged
6-8 (minis)
- Saturdays 4.30pm-6pm for children
aged 8-12 years old (juniors).
The lessons shall cover the
fundamental rules and skills of soccer encouraging
social skills, motor skills and recreational fun.
As it is summer holidays there will
also be a range of additional activities such as
scavenger hunts, free time in the playground, other
sports games, competitions and prizes.
Toddler sessions will be priced ay
$10per lesson
And mini and junior sessions will be
$12 per lesson.
Pay as you play sessions can be
booked on the day but please still register in advance
Places are limited so please contact
us to book a place for your child now.
Also please check out our Facebook
page Soccer 365 Brisbane for pictures, videos and
information on the sessions.
We have stopped having our ladies
swimming program at Joyous Swim School. Happily we have
moved to another swim school to have our ladies swimming
program. We have moved to Stanford Swim School in the
basement of Sunnybank Hills Shoppingtown on Compton Rd.
Thanks to their professional management we are able to
not only able to continue all the classes we had before
but improve them. Before our class size was 10 to 15
ladies now classes will have a maximum of only 6 ladies.
The price decreases from $18 a lesson to $11 a lesson.
We are also able to offer an even greater variety of
classes to include kids classes($18 per child) and male
only classes ($11 per person). For more information or
to join please contact Farah on 0432026375.
$300k needed
Bank details
Suncorp bank
Account name: Islamic
Association of Logan city
BSB: 484799
Account number:603274926
GOLD COAST
ISLAMIC CULTURAL CENTRE
Update as at
December 2017
Construction of
the Cultural Centre (Dawah &
Youth Centre) is progressing
well.
This week the doors, windows and
beams for the roof of our GC
Islamic Cultural Centre have
been installed. The plumbing
work is currently in progress
and the interior walls have been
partitioned for rooms and
toilets..
We still need donations to fund
this construction.
Please donate
generously.
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.
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.
HikmahWay offers online and
in-person Islamic courses to
equip Muslims of today with
the knowledge, understanding
and wisdom to lead balanced,
wholesome and beneficial
lives.
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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Indian
parliament votes to outlaw Islamic 'triple
talaq' divorces
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