New Liberal senator Jim
Molan is making no apology
for using social media to
share inflammatory
anti-Muslim videos from
Britain First - the same
racist hate group Donald
Trump was widely condemned
for promoting.
Labor has accused Senator
Molan of stoking racism and
bigotry and the Islamophobia
Register of Australia says
his actions are dangerous.
Senator Molan admits he
cannot verify whether the
videos are real - or whether
they really show Muslim
violence as Britain First
claims - but has strongly
rejected the racism claims.
"I've put my life on the
line for major Islamic,
Muslim countries in this
world. And I find it deeply
offensive that this cheapo
hack at me has come out on
day one," the former major
general told the ABC, hours
after being sworn in to the
upper house.
"I see what I see in the
video and I invite everyone
who's listening to this
program to have a look at
those videos and judge for
yourself."
The conservative hardliner
has also shared articles
about banning Muslim
migration to Australia, as
well as posts highlighting
Prime Minister Malcolm
Turnbull's poor polling and
advocating for the Coalition
to "lurch to the right".
But it is his promotion of
Britain First - exposed by
Fairfax Media on Monday -
that has proven most
controversial.
Senator Molan - a retired
major general sworn in to
the Senate on Monday to
replace former Nationals
deputy Fiona Nash - shared
two of Britain First's
videos on his personal
Facebook page in March last
year.
A spokesman for Senator
Molan initially defended the
posts by saying: "The
senator often posts material
in order to generate debate.
The sharing of any post does
not indicate endorsement."
But Labor's Penny Wong said
the promotion of "bigotry
and divisiveness has no
place in our society and it
certainly has no place in
our parliament."
"This is not about
generating debate, it’s
about generating hatred and
division. Prime Minister
Malcolm Turnbull must join
Labor in telling Senator
Molan his actions are
unacceptable," Senator Wong
said.
The first video - which
Senator Molan shared on
March 12, 2017 - is titled
"Muslim Thugs Beat Girl in
Holland" and shows a man
punching, knocking down and
then kicking a girl in a
street. He posted the video
- which claims the violence
was motivated by the woman's
clothes - without comment
but many others weighed in
on the link.
"Charming. And we're meant
to be tolerant, accepting
and welcoming of this
'breed' in our country,"
says one of his Facebook
connections.
"Unbelievable," Senator
Molan responds.
Other Facebook users refer
to the men as "disgusting
apes", "disgusting thugs"
and "filth".
"Deport them. Send them back
to there (sic) shitty
country's (sic)," says one.
One commenter however points
out the video is likely fake
and urges Senator Molan to
take it down. There is
nothing in the video to
suggest the attackers are
Muslim or the violence was
in anyway motivated by race
or religion. Dutch news
sites have reported the
altercation was actually
about a scooter collision.
Two weeks later, Senator
Molan shared another of
Britain First's videos, this
one purportedly showing
Muslim men attacking French
police cars in a "Muslim
no-go area". Again the video
has no context or
verification.
Senator Molan again does not
comment on the video but his
Facebook connections
contribute comments like
"Machine gun them down, take
back the streets" and "Drown
the rounds in pigs blood
before using them though,
that'll piss em off".
Brice Hamack, president of
the Islamophobia Register of
Australia, said Senator
Molan's actions were
dangerous and unbecoming.
"Senator Molan's propagating
of Britain First material is
incredibly disheartening and
poses a real and direct
threat to the peace and
safety of all Australians,"
he said. "Our society should
not tolerate in the
slightest elected officials
that promote such violent
ideologies, and Senator
Molan should be held fully
accountable for his
dangerous behaviour."
The
SMH
"He's racist. Jim Molan used
a video by a known extremist
group to cause division."
Ali Kadri says the Liberal
senator needs to be held
accountable for sharing
Britain First's videos
Former
attorney-general George
Brandis departed Parliament
on Wednesday with an
outgoing swipe at cabinet
nemesis Peter Dutton and
other right-wingers in
Coalition ranks.
After 18 years in Parliament
and 11 on the frontbench,
Senator Brandis lamented
that "being a liberal is not
easy" - even in the Liberal
Party, in which he was a
giant of the moderate
faction.
He observed "powerful
elements of right-wing
politics" had abandoned the
liberal tradition in favour
of "a belligerent,
intolerant populism which
shows no respect for either
the rights of individual
citizens or the traditional
institutions which protect
them".
Senator Brandis did not name
Home Affairs Minister Peter
Dutton in his speech, but
delivered a pointed barb at
Mr Dutton's recent
disparaging of
"un-Australian" lawyers and
"weak" judges.
Senator Brandis will keep a
hand in public life in his
new role as Australia's High
Commissioner to the United
Kingdom, where he replaces
another former Liberal
minister, Alexander Downer.
Senator Brandis reflected
with pride on the
legalisation of same-sex
marriage under his watch,
and the several tranches of
national security laws he
authored. He denied those
laws had over-reached - but
warned that as
responsibilities for ASIO
are assumed by Mr Dutton in
the Home Affairs
super-portfolio, the spy
agency's independence from
ministers "must remain
sacrosanct".
He noted controversies had
sometimes befallen him -
such as his awkward attempt
to explain metadata in a
live television interview,
his defence of "the right to
be bigots", or his famed
taste for expensive
bookshelves.
Colleagues on both sides of
the chamber paid tribute to
Senator Brandis' long
career, including Finance
Minister Mathias Cormann,
who said he would miss "his
brilliance, his wit, and
above all his great stories
and his laughter".
Indigenous Affairs Minister
Nigel Scullion said Senator
Brandis' emotive, impromptu
rebuke of Pauline Hanson's
burqa stunt "made us all
proud to serve in this
place".
In a light-hearted farewell,
Labor's Senate leader Penny
Wong honoured her dispatch
box opponent as a "pedantic
grammarian" who at critical
junctures became "an
extraordinarily eloquent
advocate for liberalism and
democracy".
“Bilal: A New Breed of Hero”
is based on the life of the
warrior Bilal Ibn Rabah.
A fable about a real-life
hero from the early days of
Islam, the animated
adventure “Bilal: A New
Breed of Hero” was inspired
by the life of Bilal ibn
Rabah (A.D. 580-640), a
warrior and follower of the
prophet Muhammad. Epic in
its ambitions and often
visually and emotionally
strong.
Abducted as a child and
enslaved by pagan merchants
in pre-Islamic Mecca, Bilal
was a native of Abyssinia
(now Ethiopia). As an adult,
while still enslaved, he was
tutored in the new faith of
Islam by the merchant Abu
Bakr, a convert and close
associate of the prophet
Muhammad. Abu Bakr
eventually purchased Bilal’s
freedom, and the former
African slave became a
warrior, fighting for Islam
against the forces of
slavery, racism and
paganism.
It is a tortuous and ancient
story, about which different
branches of Islam hold
interpretations that vary in
their nuance. But audiences
— and reviewers — unschooled
in the faith can see “Bilal”
as a universal saga. Whether
they will also be happy to
hear its precepts repeated,
over and over, in an ever
more sermonesque style is
another matter, and that is
one more area where the film
falters.
Co-directors Ayman Jamal and
Khurram H. Alavi made their
$30 million CGI epic in
Dubai, the first such
production to be made there.
In 2015, “Bilal” premiered
there, followed by a release
in the Middle East and North
Africa. It will certainly
attract Muslim audiences in
the West, too, eager to see
a beloved story of their
faith dramatized.
“Bilal: A New Breed of Hero”
features impressive animated
desert vistas.
The animation in “Bilal”
offers impressive inanimate
beauty in its desert vistas,
ancient architecture and
richly coloured and textured
clothing.
The movie introduces us to
Bilal as a boy (voice of
Andre Robinson), playing
with his little sister and
their mother. The horizon
darkens, and they are beset
by raiders, and their gentle
mother (Cynthia Kaye
McWilliams) is killed. When
we next see the children,
voiced by Jacob Latimore and
China Anne McClain,
respectively, they are
teenagers, enslaved by a
greedy pagan merchant (Ian
McShane) in ancient Mecca.
Chafing at his and his
sister’s outcast state,
Bilal dreams of their mother
and how she once told him
that “being a great man
means living without
chains.” Bilal gets into
trouble a lot, especially
with his master’s sneering
son, who dogs him in later
years, too.
A scene from the animated
adventure “Bilal: A New Breed
of Hero.”
In one of the film’s
stunning transitions, the
adolescent Bilal “borrows” a
white stallion and gallops
bareback into the desert for
a joyride. When he returns,
he is a grown man (Adewale
Akinnuoye-Agbaje).
Bilal now encounters the
so-called Lord of Merchants,
Abu Bakr, and he is ready to
hear that “all mankind
should be equals and follow
the one Creator.” (Islam and
Muhammad are never
explicitly mentioned in the
film.) Bilal’s conversion
leads him to defy his master
and be tortured for days.
After Abu Bakr buys his
freedom, Bilal trains as a
warrior and takes part in
historic battles.
To be sure, there are
elements of historic
profundity and beauty in
“Bilal: A New Breed of
Warrior.”
Applications for the 2019
Australian Federal Police
Graduate Program will be
opening on Thursday 1
February 2018 and closing on
Thursday 22 February 2018.
The Graduate Program
provides a continuous supply
of highly capable university
graduates with the academic
qualifications required by
the AFP.
Through their participation
in the program, graduates
become experienced and
professional members of the
workforce, with the
knowledge, skills and
networks required to make
significant contributions to
the AFP during and on
completion of the program.
We are looking for
candidates who:
• Have completed a
university degree,
• are able to work in a
wide variety of roles
and apply their
qualification/studies to
the workplace,
• have critical thinking
skills and enjoy a
challenge, and
• have personal drive,
integrity and a strong
work ethic.
If you know of someone who
might be interested in a
career in the AFP, please
refer them to the
AFP website for
further information on the
recruitment process.
When Urfa Masood was
appointed a magistrate in
2016, it was a breakthrough
moment for Victoria’s Muslim
community, and especially
for its women.
The Sri Lankan born Ms
Masood had been practising
as a lawyer since 2003,
working in criminal and
family law.
“She’d done the hard
yards at the Bar,” says
Rabea Khan, lawyer at
IBAC and on the
committee of management
of the Muslim Legal
Network. “For her to
make it up to the
judicial level felt like
another stage of our
migrant history. It
makes things seem more
possible for the rest of
us.”
Ms Masood and Ms Khan are
among an increasing number
of Muslim women making their
way in the legal profession
in Victoria.
Far from the stereotype of
Muslim women as subservient
or oppressed, these women
are highly educated,
outspoken and respected in
their communities.
While the Muslim community
is diverse, coming from
South East Asia,
sub-continental India,
Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the
Middle East and North
Africa, each with their own
cultural traditions, the
professional ambitions of
women are encouraged and
supported across the
community.
Women make up nearly half
the membership of the Muslim
Legal network, a support
group for Muslim lawyers and
half its committee of
management.
If there’s any nervousness
about women going into law
it is from parents fearing
their daughters may be
discriminated against –
especially if they wear the
headscarf.
If they’ve had anything
holding them back, it’s that
they are the first in their
immediate community to go
into law, or because of
potential employers fearing
their visibility as Muslims
will turn off clients.
Which has made trailblazers
like Ms Masood so important
– a visibly Muslim woman,
respected as an equal in the
justice system, showing
those who come after her
that anything is possible.
She has inspired these
trailblazers who hope their
success and visibility will
encourage other young Muslim
women to see that the
justice system has a place
for them as well.
Following
Cassie Cohen and Jackson
Bursill on their marathon a
day (see
CCN), here is another
migrant/refugee personal
story:
Jamil and Ed
Jamil and Ed are friends who
met online when Jamil was
working as a research
analyst for an NGO in
Islamabad, Pakistan.
Originally from Peshawar,
Jamil was frustrated with
the security situation in
his country and the way the
western media was portraying
Islam.
Jamil and Ed found that
despite their religious
differences, they shared a
common bond in their view of
the world. So much so, that
the two began planning to
co-author a book on, amongst
other things, the issue of
interfaith harmony.
Since moving to Australia,
Jamil graduated from a
masters in social work and
now lives in Taree where he
is the head of the social
work department at Manning
Hospital. Jamil, his wife
Rani, and two daughters;
Zari and Mahroosh, all live
with Ed at his home in
Taree.
Interesting bits: Jamil
learnt English as his fourth
language and Ed spent 20
years in Bali, during which
he spent time as a religious
counsellor to the Bali 9 and
Schapelle Corby.
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.
"
A
commander of the Faithful,
it is out of the question
that I fight Islam. We need
to fight violence and
ignorance. It is true, when
one strolls out, one sees
women with scarves and men
with beards. This is always
been the case in Morocco.
Morocco is built on
tolerance."
King Mohammed VI is a direct
descendant of the Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) and his
family has ruled Morocco for
close to 400 years.
He is also constitutionally
the Amir al-Mu’minin, or
Commander of the Faithful,
thereby combining religious
and political authority.
King Mohammed VI is lauded
for his domestic reform
policies and pioneering
efforts in modernizing
Morocco and countering
terrorism. He tackles issues
of poverty, vulnerability
and social exclusion at
home, and has improved
foreign relations.
King Mohammed VI influences
the network of Muslims
following the Maliki school
of Islamic jurisprudence,
and is a leading monarch in
Africa.
Four-Hundred Year Alaouite
Dynasty: The 400
year-old Alaouite dynasty
traces its lineage back to
the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).
It takes its name from
Moulay Ali Cherif, who
became Prince of Tafilalt in
1631. It sees itself as a
continuation of the
Andalusian Golden Age of
Islam, which was
characterised by peaceful
co-existence, intellectual
and cultural exchange and
development.
Influence on Maliki
Network: Morocco is home
to the oldest university in
the world, Al- Karaouine.
This university is the
centre of the Maliki school
of jurisprudence. Since
early in his reign, King
Mohammed VI has implemented
the Mudawana family law code
that gives rights to women
in divorce and property
ownership, as well as
citizenship to children born
from non-Moroccan fathers.
He has also commissioned the
Islamic Affairs Ministry to
train women preachers, or
Morchidat, who are now
active chaplains to
Moroccans across the globe.
Huge
Influence over Muslims in
Africa: King Mohammed VI
leads the largest African
monarchy, with a population
of 32 million. Besides
political links, Morocco
maintains strong spiritual
ties with Muslims all over
Africa. Morocco is the site
of the tomb of a highly
revered Sufi sheikh, Mawlana
Ahmed ibn Mohammed Tijani
al-Hassani-Maghribi
(1735-1815 CE), the founder
of the Tijaniyya Sufi order,
whose shrine attracts
millions from across the
continent. Morocco is also
recognized as a source for
the spread of Islam through
West Africa.
The Marrakesh
Declaration: The King
invited hundreds of the
Islamic world’s leading
scholars to gather for a
3-day summit in Marrakesh in
January 2016 to address the
question of the treatment of
religious minorities in
Muslim-majority communities.
Basing themselves on the
Charter of Medina, also
known as the Constitution of
Medina, which was drawn up
by the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
himself, they issued calls
for majority-Muslim
communities to respect
minorities’ “freedom of
movement, property
ownership, mutual solidarity
and defense”. HM King
Mohammed VI of Morocco
delivered the inaugural
address and pointed to the
history of Islam’s
co-existence with other
religions. This showed how
Islam has enshrined the
rights of religious
minorities, and promoted
religious tolerance and
diversity. (see page 49)
Support for Jerusalem (Al-Quds):
The King and indeed all
Moroccans show strong
support for Palestinians and
for Jerusalem. The Moroccan
link with Jerusalem has been
strong since Salah al-Din’s
son endowed the Magharbeh
Quarter, next to the
Buraq Wall, to North
African pilgrims in 1193.
This 800 year old quarter
was demolished by the
Israeli authorities in 1967
after they captured East
Jerusalem.
Reform: King Mohammed
VI has implemented major
reforms in response to the
Arab Spring protests. These
have included a new
constitution which has
transferred many powers to a
freely and fairly elected
government. The gradual
reforms of the King have
been hailed as a model for
other Arab countries to
follow.
ANOTHER FROM THE TOP 50
INFLUENTIAL MUSLIMS IN NEXT
WEEK'S CCN
Zheng He
was born
in 1371
in the
southern
China
region
of
Yunnan
to a Hui
(a
Muslim
Chinese
ethnic
group)
family.
When people
think of great
explorers, they
think of the
usual names:
Marco Polo, Ibn
Battuta, Evliya
Çelebi,
Christopher
Columbus, etc.
But not many
know of one of
the most
interesting and
influential of
all time.
In China, he is
well known,
although not
always globally
recognized or
glorified. He is
Zheng He, the
Muslim who
became China’s
greatest
admiral,
explorer, and
diplomat.
Legacy
As an admiral,
diplomat,
soldier, and
trader, Zheng He
is a giant of
Chinese and
Muslim history.
He is seen as
one of the
greatest figured
in the spread of
Islam in
Southeast Asia.
Unfortunately,
after his death,
the Chinese
government
changed its
philosophy to a
more Confucian
one which did
not support such
expeditions like
Zheng He’s. As a
result, his
accomplishments
and
contributions
were mostly
forgotten or
overlooked for
hundreds of
years in China.
His legacy in
Southeast Asia,
however is quite
different.
Numerous masjids
in the region
are named after
him to
commemorate his
contributions.
Islam spread in
Southeast Asia
through many
forms, including
trade,
travelling
preachers, and
immigration.
Admiral Zheng He
was also a major
part of its
spread in that
region. Today,
Indonesia has
the largest
Muslim
population of
any nation in
the world, and
much of that
could be
attributed to
the activities
of Zheng He in
the region.
What No One
Told You about
Spiritual Abuse
in Islam
By Janet Kozak
Abuse in
relationships is
not only black
eyes, bruises,
and broken
bones. With the
exception of
traumatic brain
injury in Muslim
victims, it’s
often the abuse
hidden from
plain view –
like financial,
verbal, and
spiritual abuse
– that does the
most damage to
victims
long-term.
However, it’s
the spiritual
abuse we
experience in a
relationship
that can leave
us doubting
ourselves, our
goals, and even
our belief
systems –
changing us for
the worse and
leaving
lingering
invisible scars
over time.
Minimizing and
denying abuse
Abusers will do
everything in
their power to
pretend that the
abuse just isn’t
happening. They
also work to
convince the
victims that
they’re making a
big deal out of
nothing.
This
trivializing,
denying, and
minimizing of
abusive
behaviour can
also include
bringing
children onboard
to lie about the
abuse, or
denying the
abuse by calling
it by another
name, like
“discipline,”
when it’s still
just abuse of
adults and
children in the
home.
Blaming abuse
on the victim
In a spiritually
abusive
relationship the
abuser may blame
the victim. He
may claim that
the victim
“caused” the
abuse or invited
it by her
behaviour. This
can leave the
victim to doubt
her actions and
intentions in
their
relationship.
Over time, a
victim can start
to believe that
the abuse is her
fault entirely.
She may try
desperately to
change herself
to fit what
their abuser
wants her to
say, do, think,
or feel – losing
herself in the
process.
The DNA of the
Cheddar Man
suggests he came
to Britain after
the Ice Age,
from the
Middle-East. So
true Britons are
not only black,
they’re Arabs.
The English
Defence League
will start
demonstrating
against towns
where there
isn’t a mosque,
for not
preserving the
natural British
Middle Eastern
culture that’s
in our DNA.
And their
leaders will
make angry
speeches at
rallies, saying
“I’m PROUD to be
from this
country, and
that I can trace
my ancestry
right back.
That’s why we
must demand
every kid at
school is taught
the Quran. This
foreign
Christian muck
has GOT TO
STOP.”
The INDEPENDENT
Women
in Saudi Arabia
have a long way
to go in order
to be free
By Manal al-Sharif
Manal al-Sharif
was at the
forefront of the
Women2Drive
campaign in
Saudi Arabia.
Saudi women last
year celebrated
a big win when
they were
granted the
right to drive,
now the woman
behind the
campaign says
she'll celebrate
on the day she's
recognised as a
citizen of her
own country.
Manal al-Sharif
was at the
forefront of the
Women2Drive
campaign, which
was run by
rights activists
who saw the ban
as an emblem of
the kingdom's
repression of
women.
In 2011, she was
arrested after a
video appeared
on social media
showing her
driving in the
country.
Growing up Ms
Sharif was told
her role in life
as a woman was
to stay at home,
to be a mother
and a wife.
"My whole life
was minimised
and summarised
in that role for
me as a woman,"
she said.
"The education I
went through as
a woman inside
Saudi Arabia, as
a girl growing
up was really
destructive."
It was not until
she travelled to
Egypt with her
mother to visit
family that she
suddenly saw
another world, a
world where
Muslim women
were allowed to
do simple things
— like drive a
car.
"They were just
having normal
life, sitting in
restaurants
together,
talking," she
said.
"Mum was talking
with her
cousins, while I
was deprived
from talking to
my male cousins.
"So that was the
first
contradiction I
faced growing up
and in Saudi
Arabia."
Recognition
as a citizen
'the next
challenge'
Western leaders
and powerful
figures have
been watching
developments in
Saudi Arabia
closely.
And Ms Sharif
said there was
still much more
work to be done
before women
could become
"liberated".
But she has
learnt to
celebrate the
small victories,
and said the
right to drive
campaign — which
took 27 years —
has helped to
push the country
towards bigger
change.
One change Ms
Sharif remains
hopeful for is
the day that
women such as
herself will be
acknowledged as
a full citizen
of their
country.
"I'm still not
even recognised
as a citizen. My
son, I cannot
pass my
nationality, my
passport to
him," she said.
"If I'm in jail,
I cannot leave
jail without my
male guardian
permission. I
cannot leave the
country without
my male
guardian.
"So unless the
country
acknowledge me,
names an age
when I'm adult
before law and
acknowledges me
as a citizen,
then that's the
day I would
really
celebrate."
Ms Sharif said
80 per cent of
Saudi Arabia was
under the age of
40, and yet most
of the
leadership was
over 80.
And she said
that younger
generation were
being sent
overseas to
study, exposing
them to other
countries and
other
governments.
"So you have all
these highly
educated people
coming back,
they've lived
abroad in
functioning
democracies and
they go back and
of course, they
will push for
change."
The Saudi women
revolution
When Ms Sharif
tried to get the
attention of the
media on issues
such as the male
guardianship
system, or the
lack of women's
status within
the family, it
was impossible.
So she used
Women2Drive
campaign was
used as a symbol
for all those
issues.
"Driving was
really the one
that gets the
media attention
to shed light on
woman's status
in Saudi
Arabia," she
said.
"When a woman
goes out and
drives, everyone
is watching —
and then we just
pitch in all the
other issues
that we want to
discuss.
"We call it the
Saudi women
revolution, or
the pink
revolution."
The ban on women
driving meant
that for them to
get anywhere not
on foot, they
had to have a
male drive them.
Saudi Arabia
does not have
public
transportation,
and so walking
and driving are
the only options
to get around.
The two options
for women were
to hire a male
driver, or to
depend on a male
relative to
drive them —
even boys as
young as nine
years old.
"It's a very
strange
situation when
you are
separated from
the man all your
life… but we are
forced to be
locked in a car
with a complete
stranger to
drive us
around," she
said.
"That
contradiction
creates a lot of
discomfort and
also sexual
harassment —
blackmailing the
woman because
she needs that
man to drive her
around, so he
has access to
her house, her
number, her
life."
While many
countries have
some sort of
anti-harassment
laws, Saudi
Arabia has long
shied away from
putting any in
place.
Last year it was
reported that
draft
legislation for
a bill against
sexual
harassment was
stalled in the
Shura Council.
Members who
opposed it
argued that the
law would
encourage
intermingling
between genders,
as well as
allowing women
to go out in
more provocative
attire.
The law was
passed by royal
decree, but Ms
Sharif said it
remained "under
discussion" and
as such was not
currently
enforced.
Ms Sharif has
written a book,
Daring to Drive,
and will be
speaking at the
All About Women
festival at the
Sydney Opera
House.
Canadian Minister of
Immigration, Refugees and
Citizenship
I am Somali
One Team Toyota Commercial at
the Super Bowl
ICNA Council for
Social Justice
Muslim Fashion Outrage
ABC Media Watch
16 most powerful Muslim
stories of 2017
The Muslim Vibe
It's been a tough
year, but from running into
Grenfell Tower to winning Emmy
awards, these are the 16 most
powerful Muslim stories of 2017
I'm a Celebrity: Anthony
Mundine in Viper Room Challenge
TenPlay
Anthony and Danny endure 15
minutes in an underground snake
pit
ISLAMIC EDUCATION VIDEOS
The Leaking Bucket | Mufti
Menk | Sydney 2018
Saturday 3rd
Febrarury 2018 Quaycentre
(formerly Sydney Olympic Park
Sports Centre) MuslimAkhi
The life of the ‘Imam of
Imams’.
OnePath Network
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.
By Faranak Amidi, Women’s Affairs
Journalist, BBC World Service
IRAN: Muslim women are
using #MosqueMeToo to share their
experiences of sexual harassment during
the Hajj pilgrimage and other religious
settings.
Egyptian-American feminist and
journalist Mona Eltahawy first talked
about her experience of sexual assault
during Hajj in 2013.
She is behind #MosqueMeToo.
Muslim men and women from around the
world started using the hashtag
yesterday and in less than 24 hours it
was tweeted 2,000 times.
It has gone on to become
one of the top ten trends of Farsi
Twitter.
Many of the women sharing their
experiences on Twitter report being
groped, inappropriately touched or
having someone rub against them in the
crowd.
For Muslims, the Hajj is the fifth and
final pillar of Islam. It is something
that every sane adult Muslim must
undertake at least once in their lives
if they can afford it and are physically
able.
It is estimated two million Muslims
undertake Hajj each year, creating huge
crowds in the holy city of Mecca.
One of the main pillars
of the religion of Islam is female
modesty; women are encouraged to cover
their hair and body in public in order
to preserve decency and keep themselves
safe from male attention or harm.
Many Muslim women are taught from a very
young age that a hijab, or head
covering, is their protection from
harassment and assault.
Some people also believe that what a
women wears, where she goes and what she
does can encourage harassment and it is
her responsibility to manage this.
Many women in countries such as Iran,
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Afghanistan say
they still face sexual harassment and
assault on the streets, despite wearing
modest dress.
#MosqueMeToo supporters say that even in
the holiest of places, where they are
fully covered and praying, they can be
assaulted.
Many Iranian and Farsi
speaking Twitter users not only shared
their experience of harassment but also
challenged the belief that wearing the
hijab keeps women safe from assault and
harassment.
In Iran the hijab is mandatory. There
are posters in cities and towns
comparing unveiled women to unwrapped
candy and lollipops attracting unwanted
attention from flies.
One of the main slogans written on the
walls of every office and public
building in Iran says, "Hijab is not a
limitation, it is your protection."
In recent weeks, Iranian authorities
have arrested 29 people as part of a
crack down on protests against the
compulsory hijab.
The movement, which has been named "the
Girls of Revolution Street", started
after a woman took off her headscarf in
central Tehran.
Not everyone has been
supportive of #MosqueMeToo and some
people have criticised Mona Eltahawy for
bringing up the topic on social media.
The UK government has raised
concerns over religious freedom
in China's mainly Muslim
province of Xinjiang. One man
says he would rather his family
die than face persecution.
Draft
DHS Report Called for Long-Term Surveillance
of Sunni Muslim Immigrant
Two Muslim
women stand near a fence across
the street from the White House
before the start of a protest
against the Trump
administration's proposed travel
ban, in Washington on Oct. 18,
2017.
US: Department of
Homeland Security draft report from late
January called on authorities to
continuously vet Sunni Muslim immigrants
deemed to have “at-risk” demographic
profiles.
In the report, CBP identifies a broad
swath of Sunni Muslim residents as being
potentially “vulnerable to terrorist
narratives,” based on a set of risk
indicators, such as being young, male,
and having national origins in “the
Middle East, South Asia or Africa.”
A ferociously
intimate memoir by a devout woman from a modest
family in Saudi Arabia who became the unexpected
leader of a courageous movement to support
women’s right to drive.
Manal al-Sharif grew up in Mecca the second
daughter of a taxi driver, born the year
fundamentalism took hold. In her adolescence,
she was a religious radical, melting her
brother’s boy band cassettes in the oven because
music was haram: forbidden by Islamic law. But
what a difference an education can make. By her
twenties she was a computer security engineer,
one of few women working in a desert compound
that resembled suburban America. That’s when the
Saudi kingdom’s contradictions became too much
to bear: she was labeled a slut for chatting
with male colleagues, her teenage brother
chaperoned her on a business trip, and while she
kept a car in her garage, she was forbidden from
driving down city streets behind the wheel.
Daring to Drive is the fiercely intimate memoir
of an accidental activist, a powerfully vivid
story of a young Muslim woman who stood up to a
kingdom of men—and won. Writing on the cusp of
history, Manal offers a rare glimpse into the
lives of women in Saudi Arabia today. Her memoir
is a remarkable celebration of resilience in the
face of tyranny, the extraordinary power of
education and female solidarity, and the
difficulties, absurdities, and joys of making
your voice heard.
1. For the muffins,
using a stand mixer,
fitted with the
whisk attachment,
beat eggs and sugar
well. While the
above is beating,
sift dry
ingredients, drain
pineapple, grate
carrots and chop
pecans into four
pieces if the nut is
whole. Add vanilla
bean paste and
orange zest to egg
mixture. Once
mixture is fluffy
and smooth, add
carrot and
pineapples to bowl
slowly. Gradually
add sifted dry
ingredients to
combine. Lastly add
chopped pecan
pieces. Using a
spatula, make sure
all ingredients have
been incorporated.
Once smooth, pour
into muffin cases,
just under ľ full.
2. Bake in a
preheated oven on
180°C for 30-35 mins
until firm and
golden brown. Cool
completely on wire
rack once done.
3. For the crunchy
topping, using a
saucepan, place
butter, sugar and
milk on medium heat
until sugar
dissolves. Bring to
the boil and simmer
for a minute or two.
Stir in pecans and
cinnamon.
4. For the brown
butter cream cheese
frosting, place
butter in a saucepan
on medium heat and
melt butter down.
Swirl saucepan and
keep stirring until
butter gets a
golden-brown colour
and has a nutty
scent. Remove from
heat, making sure it
does not burn. Pour
butter into flat
bowl, cover and
place into freezer
to cool down,
approximately 15
minutes. The butter
should not
completely solidify.
If that does happen,
place into microwave
for short bursts to
melt slightly.
Butter should not be
warm.
5. Using a stand
mixer, fitted with
paddle attachment or
k-beater, place
butter in bowl and
beat for a minute or
until creamy.
Gradually add sifted
icing sugar, vanilla
bean paste and salt.
Continue to beat
until creamy, light
in colour and
texture. Thereafter,
add one piece of
cream cheese at a
time, mixing well
after each piece.
Continue until all
cream cheese is
incorporated into
butter mixture. Add
˝ tsp cinnamon and
fold into mixture.
Frosting will be
ready when the
consistency is
creamy, pipe-able
and should hold
peaks when lifted of
beater.
6. For the candied
pecans, melt sugar
in a saucepan on
medium heat,
swirling the pan so
that the sugar melts
evenly. Once sugar
is melted, add
cinnamon. Insert a
toothpick into each
piece of pecan nut
and dip into melted
sugar mixture,
taking care as it is
boiling hot!
Carefully and slowly
lift toothpick up to
create a long dipped
effect with melted
sugar and poke into
a piece of
polystyrene so that
the dipped effect is
in a vertical
position to the
pecan nut. Leave to
harden.
7. For the fondant
carrots, use ˝ tsp
of orange fondant at
a time and shape
into carrot. Add a
tiny sprig of baby
parsley or chervil
on top. Using a
brown marker, make
little marks across
fondant to create
carrot look.
8. To assemble, once
muffins come out of
oven, spoon topping
over and leave aside
to set and cool
completely (place in
fridge to cool down
if necessary), pipe
frosting onto muffin
using the 1M nozzle
in a rose swirl
pattern. Either
place the fondant
carrot atop frosting
or place candied
pecan atop muffin –
on the edge of
swirled frosting.
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:
Enrich Your Life
Pause for a few
seconds and reflect
upon your life. Ask
yourself some tough
questions. Most
times people ask
themselves questions
that are focussed on
material enrichment,
for example, how
much money do I
have? Is it enough?
Should I get another
degree to get a
better job? Am I
earning enough?
Should I stop
renting and buy a
house to keep up
with societal
expectations, even
if that means paying
riba to the bank?
Should I buy this or
buy that?
These are actually
what I call the “band-aid
questions”.
Answering these band
aid questions will
merely cover the
deep, unaddressed
yearnings of life
and keep you
enslaved to objects.
So, how about you
ask yourself the
real questions that
will open your mind
and let you enrich
your life with
spiritual abundance?
Questions like, are
you satisfied with
how you are
responding to
circumstances? Are
you content with
your behaviours? Are
you in complete
submission to your
Creator? Are you a
better individual
today than you were
yesterday?
These tough
questions require
immense
self-reflection and
not everybody is
ready to confront
the revelations that
come about from
self-reflection. The
best part about
self-reflection is
that you will not
only experience a
breakthrough in
terms of finding
crystal clarity
about all the things
that may be unclear
with your life
presently but you
will also become so
much more closer to
ALLAH.
Enrichment of life
comes through
self-reflection,
followed by
self-transformation
into a better
person, a more
enlightened being,
who responds to
situations with
absolute faith and
submission to the
flow of the
Creator’s plans. A
being who fully
accepts that this
life is temporary
therefore all
accumulated material
objects are also
temporary and
meaningless. A being
who appreciates and
expresses gratitude
to ALLAH rather than
complains and
compares about their
life based on other
peoples’ meaningless
material possessions
or social status. A
being who
understands that
solutions to life’s
challenges, such as,
marriage, family,
workplace, national
politics, and so on,
come not from
intimidation and
retaliation but from
respect and
understanding and
from a consistent
daily practice of
peace and kindness
to self and others.
How To Enrich
Your Life
Understanding where
you are today and
examining how you
arrived at that
place in your life
will help you
understand what you
really want. Take
each of the four
primary areas of
your life and
examine them.
Health
1. How do I
feel in my
physical
health?
2. Why do I
feel this
way?
3. How do
feel in my
mental
health?
4. Why do I
feel this
way?
5. How do I
want to feel
in my
overall
health?
6. What can
I do right
now to
achieve my
health
goals?
Relationships
1. How do I
feel in my
relationships?
2. Why do I
feel this
way about my
relationships?
3. Who are
the people
that bring
out the best
in me?
4. Who are
the people
who trigger
negativity
in me?
5. What do I
need to do
to enhance
my
relationship
with
positive
people and
minimise my
relationship
with
negative
people?
Spiritual
Growth
1. How often
am I
connecting
with ALLAH
in silence?
2. How do I
feel when I
connect with
ALLAH?
3. What can
I do right
now to
connect more
with ALLAH?
4. How am I
being of
service to
my
community?
5. How do I
feel about
the way I
practise
Islam?
6. What can
I do to
become a
better
person today
than the
person I was
yesterday?
Work/Business
1. Is what I
do for work
or in my
business
fulfilling
me?
2. How do I
feel about
my work/
business?
3. Why do I
feel this
way?
4. What does
my ideal
job/
business
look like if
I visualised
it in my
mind right
now?
5. What can
I do right
now to start
the process
of attaining
this ideal
job/
business?
DOWNLOAD
Muslimah Reflections
- my new ebook of
poetry and
affirmations
DOWNLOAD The
Ultimate Self-Care
Guide For Muslimahs
WATCH VIDEOS
from Muslimah Mind
Matters YouTube
Channel.
DOWNLOAD
Muslimah Meditation
Moments - audio
files for
self-awareness
meditation
In Shaa ALLAH, next
week we will explore
the topic: Is
Money Ruining Your
Marriage?
If you wish to know
about a specific
topic with regards
to Self-Care and
Clarity of Mind,
please text or email
me or visit
www.muslimahmindmatters.com.
If you wish to have
a FREE one hour
Finding Clarity
telephone session,
contact me on
0451977786.
Take charge of your inner health by choosing
foods that are good for your gut.
- Tumeric is a
great anti-inflammatory
- Vegetables
- Slow cooked meat
- Bone broths – making a stock (veggie
stock, fish stock). Use it for base of your
meals
- Aloe vera (soothes the lining of the gut)
- allows it to rest and digest.
Keep it simple. Eat fibre-rich foods daily. Try
porridge instead of sugary cereals and cook
simple meals with lots of veggies like stir-frys,
etc.
These are Verses of the Wise
Book, a Guide and a Mercy to
the Doers of Good, those who
establish regular Prayer,
and give regular Charity,
and have (in their hearts)
the assurance of the
Hereafter. These are on
(true) guidance from their
Lord; and these are the ones
who will prosper.
This International Women's
Day, Muslim Aid Australia
and Muslim Charitable
Foundation are launching a
truly ground-breaking
project called '1000 Women,
1000 Futures' (TWTF).
What's it all about?
MAA and MCF will empower
1000 women in Australia and
developing countries around
the world by providing them
an impactful and sustainable
method to overcome poverty.
Once each case has been
carefully assessed, we will
provide the chosen
beneficiaries sustainable
livelihood opportunities,
worth an average of $1000
each, to help them towards
starting a small business.
We will also equip each
beneficiary with the skills
required for running their
business so that we ensure
long term success for them
and their families.
Help empower women by
attending our upcoming
fundraising dinner on
Friday, 9th March at
Michael’s Oriental by
calling 0434 984 520 or via
www.bit.ly/TWTFBNE/.
Inviting
educators in Islamic
education and schooling
contexts to register for the
2nd Annual Australian
Islamic Education Forum,
held in Sydney and hosted by
Arkana College, Saturday
24th February.
Don’t miss
the premier professional
development event for
Islamic education in the
country. Join the ongoing
conversation and take away
practical tips and
understandings on evidenced
based practice at the
cutting edge of the field.
2018 Forum theme ‘Islamic
Schooling Renewal – A Focus
on Curriculum’ offers
delegates a highly relevant
focus that is timely.
Sessions are practical and
interactive delivered by
experienced educational
practitioners. Split
sessions allow delegates to
tailor their own program
based on their interests and
needs.
Presentations
will address the following
themes:
• Negotiating contested
spaces – curriculum and
Islamic schooling
• Strategies for engaging
with Australian Curriculum
• Islamic schooling & the
Early Years Learning
Framework (Belonging, Being
and Becoming)
• Leadership and curriculum
• Case studies and stories
of hope - curriculum
integration, curriculum
renewal, curriculum projects
• Case studies and stories
of hope - curriculum
enactment in &/or across
KLAs in Islamic schooling
(English, HaSS, STEM, HPE/PDHPE,
Arts, Music, Islamic &
Arabic studies)
• Enacting curriculum for
teaching faith perspectives
across the curriculum
• Quality curriculum,
assessment and pedagogy in
Islamic schooling contexts
The Annual
Forum aims to provide a
platform for educators in
Islamic schooling (Islamic
schools, Madrassah or home
educators/home schoolers) to
network, build collaborative
partnerships, share stories
of hope and showcase
projects and best practices
in Islamic education.
This event is
proudly presented by the
University of South
Australia’s Centre for
Islamic Thought and
Education (CITE) and
supported by Islamic Schools
Association (ISAA) of
Australia.
BRISBANE - 17
March 2018 at Chandler
Theatre, Sleeman Complex
About
InfoReset
Seminars:
Conscious Events
returns to
Australia & New
Zealand in
February and
March 2018 with
their latest
seminar brand
called
InfoReset. The
Full Day Seminar
Tour (11am to
6pm) features an
amazing lineup
of authors who
will be speaking
in this part of
the world for
the first time.
Ex Economic Hit
Man, John
Perkins
(USA) who has
spoken at
international
economic summits
will present
hard evidence on
the role of
Economic Hit Men
in the
destruction of
entire countries
and how the
current Death
Economic system
can be
transformed into
a Life Economy!
Conchita
Sarnoff,
Investigative
Journalist and
research
professor at
American
University, will
address the
global epidemic
of human
trafficking and
child abuse that
haunts the
corridors of
power from
Harvard to the
White House.
Son of Oscar
winning
Hollywood
director Olive
Stone and
co-host of RT’s
Watching the
Hawks, Sean
Ali Stone is
the expert
commentator on
global
geopolitics and
the
imperialistic
agenda behind
world events.
Sean has
dedicated his
life to becoming
a symbol of
peace between
the major
religions by
accepting Islam
as his chosen
faith, and to
put an end to
the
miscommunications
and
misrepresentations
of Islam to the
western world.
True to the
name, InfoReset
Seminars
promises to be a
powerful
Information
Reset for all
who attend!
www.inforeset.com
Need to improve your English for work or
social settlement? Learn for FREE with the Adult Migrant
English Program at TAFE Queensland.
The AMEP provides up to 510 hours of free English
language, literacy and numeracy training to eligible
refugees and migrants, at more than 40 sites throughout
Queensland.
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.
Nuria Khataam
Date: Every last Wednesday of the month
Time: After Esha Salaat
Venue: Algester Mosque
Contact: Yahya
Ph: 0403338040
MASJID TAQWAH
Bald Hills, Brisbane
Daily program
(after Esha salah by Mufti Junaid)
Monday to Thursday = Quran Tafseer
Friday = Prophet’s (pbuh) Seerah
(All programs run for approximately 15 minutes)
Weekly Madrasa
Monday to Wednesday
3:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Conducted by our Imam Mufti Junaid
Every Sunday
Jaula & remembrance of Allah
between Maghrib and Isha.
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
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Former
attorney-general George
Brandis departed Parliament
on Wednesday with an
outgoing swipe at cabinet
nemesis Peter Dutton and
other right-wingers in
Coalition ranks.
Women
in Saudi Arabia
have a long way
to go in order
to be free 
100
Women: Muslim women rally round #MosqueMeToo
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011