Crescents Community News (CCN)
wishes all those making their
pilgrimage to Makkah this year,
a safe and rewarding Hajj,
insha'Allah.
This will be the journey of a
lifetime where you will,
insha'Allah, return sinless like
a new born baby. May Allah (SWT)
shower you with his blessings on
every step you take.
Gold Coast-based community
organization, Multicultural
Families Organization (MFO),
in liaison with the Islamic
Women's Association of
Australia (IWAA), introduced
their Leaders of Positive
Change initiative to local
Brisbane community leaders
at a dinner at Michael's
Oriental Restaurant.
MFO provides services for
newly arrived migrants and
their families, and CALD
women and children victims
of domestic violence.
Dr Nora Amath delivered the
keynote address an Ms Reaa
Ali was the Master of
Ceremonies.
The Daily Telegraph, a
Sydney based tabloid
newspaper published by
Nationwide News Pty Ltd has
been widely condemned for
its Islamophobic headline
“ALLAH AK BARRED!” appearing
against a background of flag
waving ISIS gunmen on its
front page published on
Thursday 9 August 2018,
while reporting on “Five
Aussie terrorists stripped
of their citizenship.”
The headline is a highly
insensitive and malicious
distortion of the Islamic
invocation “Allah Akbar”
meaning “God is Great”
widely used during Islamic
prayers and at various other
occasions in times of stress
or as an expression of joy.
The continuing exclusive
full story by Sharri Markson
& Jack Houghton on pages 8
and 9 appears with yet
another provocative headline
“EXILED TO AN ISLAMIC FATE”
with photos of the five
people stripped of their
Australian citizenship
against a background of
guns, barbed wire and Arabic
writing.
Dr Anne Fairbairn AM, grand
daughter of an Australian
Prime Minister, a celebrated
poet and regular columnist
of AMUST was highly stressed
by the sight of the headline
and called AMUST office
early on Thursday morning
drawing attention to the
offensive headline.
The Australian National
Imams Council (ANIC) in its
Media statement issued on
Thursday 9 August has
condemned the choice of
words used in the headline
that it considers an attack
on Islam and demonising the
Muslim community.
The statement reads:
“The Australian National
Imams Council and the
Australian Muslim community
are extremely outraged and
offended over the disrespect
portrayed by the choice of
title and wording in this
article.
While The Australian
National Imams Council and
the Australian Muslim
community respect and
advocate for freedom of
speech, this freedom must
not be exploited in
disrespecting any community
or religion and further
demonising and unfairly
targeting specific
communities.”
ANIC has demanded an
immediate removal of the
headline and an apology from
The Daily Telegraph for
causing offence to the
Muslim community in what it
considers an “ongoing
campaign against Muslims and
Islam” by The Daily
Telegraph that leads to
incitement and hatred
against the Australian
Muslim community.
The President of the
Australian Federation of
Islamic Councils (AFIC), Dr
Rateb Jneid has also called
for the retraction of the
offensive headline and issue
of an apology saying, “This
headline is inappropriate in
the extreme and media
outlets should be held to
account for such
irresponsible practices. It
just represents another
example of the continued
attack on our religion from
some sections of the media.”
Muslim Australians have been
outraged by the offensive
headlines and defamatory
articles continually
published by The Daily
Telegraph and there was
widespread condemnation of
this edition of the tabloid
in the social media.
The Hon Graham Perrett,
Member for Moreton, hosted
over 200 locals and
community groups at
Michael's Oriental for a
Multicultural Community
Dinner "to celebrate what
makes the Southside so
wonderful."
The special guest speaker,
Hon Tony Burke MP, Shadow
Minister for Citizenship and
Multicultural Australia
spoke about the importance
of always staying united, as
a community.
Mr Perrett said:
The vibrancy of our
community is something
to be proud of. We see
time and time again,
multiculturalism under
attack from the far
right, fringe political
parties and our own LNP
Government. It's my
commitment to you that I
will never entertain
voices that seek to
divide us and make us
weaker.
We've seen very recently
our local community come
under threat. I know the
Southside community is
stronger than these
divisive voices. The
Southside that so many
of us love and call home
has more that unites us
than divides us.
As the Master of Ceremonies
on the night, Mr Lewis Lee,
OAM, was both competent and
entertaining in his usual
trademark style.
Mayor Greg Williamson
speaking at the Mackay Mosque
open day on Sunday 5 August.
Federal member for Dawson
George Christensen accepted
an invitation to speak at
the Mackay Mosque Open Day,
along with member for Mackay
Julieanne Gilbert.
Mr Christensen spoke about
religious liberties, the
need for freedom in
expressing all religions,
extremism in Islam and his
maintained belief about the
need to ban the burqa.
The event has attracted over
100 community members along,
to learn more about the
Muslim faith and to hear
from guest speakers.
The funding round for
multicultural events under
the 2018-19 Celebrating
Multicultural Queensland (CMQ)
program is now open.
$1.4 million is available
for established and new
events under this funding
round, forming part of the
Queensland Government’s
commitment to increase the
CMQ program to $2 million
per annum from 2018-19 to
2020-21.
The CMQ program promotes
multiculturalism and
supports communities to
celebrate diversity and
connect and welcome migrants
and refugees into a wide
range of community
activities.
The increased annual budget
offers an opportunity to
achieve wider coverage of a
range of cultural events and
broader involvement of
community groups in
celebrations of diversity.
This funding round is for
multicultural events to be
held in 2019 that aim to:
• welcome migrants and
refugees into local
communities, and to
increase their sense of
belonging
• promote an increased
understanding and
acceptance of a
particular or an
emerging culture across
the wider community
• celebrate, promote and
increase opportunities
for intercultural
connections within local
communities and across
Queensland.
Through this round,
funding of up to $20,000
will be available per
individual event.
Community groups,
non-government
organisations, P&C
Associations, and local
councils that involve or
support migrants and
refugees, are encouraged to
consider submitting a
funding application under
this funding round.
I also encourage funding
applications from small and
emerging cultural and
community groups, as well as
funding applications for
events to be held in
regional areas.
Pending availability of
funds, multi-year funding or
sponsorship may be offered
to selected events.
To view the 2018-19 Funding
Information Paper for
multicultural events, and to
access the online
application form, please
visit the website.
THE CLOSING DATE FOR
APPLICATIONS IS FRIDAY, 14
SEPTEMBER 2018.
For more information, please
email Multicultural
Affairs Queensland.
Winners of
Business
Continuity Institute (BCI)
Australasian Awards were
announced recently and Wasim
Malik of Sydney won the
“Continuity and Resilience
Professional Private Sector
2018” for the second time in
3 years.
Mr Malik is currently the
Global Head of Business
Continuity Management at
Bravura Solutions, and, in
the past successful
implemented a BCM Program in
two major banks in Saudi
Arabia and for a major Group
in Bahrain, including
branches in Kuwait and
Bahrain.
Amna and her
sisters lost their brother Fathi
in a road accident last year.
Interview continued from last week's CCN......
The
power of volunteering
Don't worry if you don't
know where to start. Start
somewhere. Just start.
Volunteering and that
mindset of giving back is
where I learnt everything.
It's what equipped me for
the workforce and what has
taught me important life
lessons.
I hold a strong value of
compassion, but
compassion can't be
dormant.
We can't say we care about
our society then sit on our
hands and be armchair
critics.
I am a public speaker and I
sit on two boards, the
Council for Australian Arab
Relations and a
not-for-profit women's
health initiative called Go
Active. I live and breathe
the stuff around active,
healthy lifestyles.
I recognise that we can
influence change at many
levels, from the grassroots
to contributing to policy
and strategy on boards.
I struggled for a long time
with imposter syndrome but I
spent a good amount of time
working through issues that
made me want to be less
visible.
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.
Moez Masoud is an Egyptian
preacher, television and
radio presenter, and
activist who focuses on the
fields of contemporary
spirituality, interfaith
dialogue, and Islam in the
modern world. His influence
is derived from ongoing
academic work as well as
media.
Religious and academic
work: Founder of Al-Tareeq
Al-Sahh (The Right Way)
Institute, Masoud is trained
in the Islamic sciences and
is currently a research
affiliate at the University
of Cambridge. His writings
are primarily centred around
religious identity and
spiritual quest, as well as
religious radicalization, He
has spoken at such key
global events as the World
Economic Forum’s Annual
Meeting in Davos.
Media and Social Media:
His engagement in media has
been significant since 2007
when his first Arabic TV
show debuted, and by now his
programs and appearances
have acquired millions of
viewers across the Arab
world. His latest work,
broadcast during Ramadan,
“Khutuwat Al-Shaytan;” was
widely viewed across the
Arab world programs and was
ranked 9th most viewed in
the Gulf even when competing
with conventional TV dramas.
In 2017, Masoud produced the
Egyptian film “Clash” which
has been hailed as “one of
the most telling depictions
of modern Egypt yet filmed”
and the film has been
selected to represent Egypt
in the Oscars’ 2017 Best
Foreign Language Film race.
Masoud is active in various
social media sites,
including Youtube videos
(over 10 million views),
Facebook (8 million likes)
and Twitter (3 million
followers). Masoud
participated in the brief
post-Tahrir “Egyptian
National Dialogue” and has
continued that dialogue on
socio-political issues in
Egypt from within the
perspective of traditional
Islam.
ANOTHER FROM THE TOP 50
INFLUENTIAL MUSLIMS IN NEXT
WEEK'S CCN
CNN spent a year
interviewing more than 100
American Muslims, asking who
they think are the most
influential Muslims in their
fields. We sought nominees
for whom religion is part of
their public identity, but
other than that, we let
American Muslims do most of
the talking.
Farhana Khera was raised in
Painted Post, a small town
in upstate New York. The
fact that her religion was
different from 99% of her
classmates, Khera says, was
more a source of curiosity
than conflict.
After a foray into the
corporate world, Khera
served the US Senate
Judiciary Committee as an
expert on constitutional
law, where she fought to
amend the USA Patriot Act
and built key connections
with lawmakers.
In 2005, Khera co-founded
Muslim Advocates, a national
legal advocacy group that is
challenging President
Trump’s travel ban and other
perceived infringements on
Muslims’ civil liberties.
“The last eight months have
honestly been the craziest
time in the 12 years of the
organization,” Khera says.
What other Muslims say about
Khera:
“She doesn’t make a lot
of noise, but Farhana knows
how to work behind the
scenes and get things done.”
Go ahead, white
Australia, eat
your kebabs
while you remind
us of your
'values'
By Randa Abdel-Fattah
Continued from last week's
CCN......
‘We are
endlessly
reminded
of our
proud
British
heritage,
of our
inherited
values
and
institutions.
The
bloodstains
are
almost
always
covered
up.’
When I think
about Australia
and white
fragility, with
all its moral
pretensions, I
marvel at the
great hoax of it
all. The sheer
energy and
wealth invested
in concealing
and denying
racist policies,
ideas, outcomes
and realities.
Who are “we”?
Look around:
race is
everywhere. It
is so pervasive,
so embedded in
the fabric of
who we are, that
its terrible
fact is rendered
almost banal. It
is there in the
flyer hanging on
the pinboard
beside my local
GP’s computer,
reminding me to
notify the
doctor if I am
Aboriginal
because of the
additional
health risks.
It is there in
Aboriginal
deaths in
custody and
families waiting
for justice. It
is there in the
silencing,
persecuting and
hounding of
Indigenous women
and men who dare
to demand
justice. It is
there in the
manufacture of
crises and
panics when
brown and black
people refuse to
engage in
rituals of
loyalty to the
west.
Dissent against
colonisation,
against empire,
against race is
never heard as
dissent but only
as extremism, as
being
un-Australian.
Who are “we”?
There is no
collective “we”.
very attempt to
articulate or
impose a vision
of national
identity exposes
white
Australia’s
determination to
negotiate
belonging and
rights around
how closely one
associates with
white
Australia’s
vision of
history, society
and nation.
Minorities can
be part of white
Australia’s “we”
and “us” but
disassociation
from so-called
normative
“Australian
values” and
“identity”
immediately
reveals how
quickly the
black or brown
dissenter can be
relegated to the
status of alien,
to “you” and
“them”. It is
race that allows
white moderators
to create ideal
non-white
“moderates”.
The “moderate”
Muslim, the
“moderate
Aboriginal”, the
“moderate
minority” are
people emptied
of their
politics,
dissent,
resistance. They
are only allowed
to be a cosmetic
addition to a
multicultural
display with no
overt political
inclinations and
certainly no
agenda to
unsettle or
destabilise the
centrality of
whiteness on
which Australia
exists as a
nation.
Race is there,
in the
celebration and
protection of
the speech of
men like Milo
Yiannopoulos,
Mark Latham,
Andrew Bolt, the
late Bill Leak,
and on and on it
goes. It is
there in the
rejection of the
Uluru statement
of the heart, in
Tony Abbott’s
“Team
Australia”.
Race is
everywhere. All
nations lie to
themselves about
who they are. We
are constantly
reminded about
our unique mix
of “Australian
values”. Even
our “values” are
racialised,
deployed as a
discourse of
power, used as a
disciplinary
tool to school
and tame unruly
minorities.
As a Muslim, I
see this all the
time. The
government’s
dialogue with
Muslims is
almost always
framed within
the language of
counter-terrorism,
the
needing-to-be-reminded-about
Australian
values.
Soutphommasane
says sections of
media exploit
racism to make
money
In his
last
speech
in his
position,
released
ahead of
its
delivery
to the
Whitlam
Institute
on
Monday
night,
Soutphommasane
says
that
“race
politics
is back”
Outgoing Race
Discrimination Commissioner Tim
Soutphommasane has accused sections of
the media of “monetising” racism to hold
on to their audiences.
In his last speech in his position,
released ahead of its delivery to the
Whitlam Institute on Monday night,
Soutphommasane says that “race politics
is back”.
“Right now, it feels like there has
never been a more exciting time to be a
dog-whistling politician or race-baiting
commentator in Australia,” he says.
“Five years ago, I wouldn’t have said it
was likely that we would see the
resurgence of far-right politics. I
wouldn’t have expected that the biggest
threats to racial harmony would come
from within our parliaments and from
sections of our media. Yet here we are”.
He says “politicians are
enthusiastically seeking debates about
immigration, multiculturalism and crime.
"This is dangerous territory. When
politicians resort to using race in
advancing their agendas, they inevitably
excite racial anxiety and stir up social
division. They end up damaging our
racial tolerance and multicultural
harmony”.
Among various references, Soutphommasane
cites comments by Malcolm Turnbull about
Sudanese gangs, remarks by Citizenship
Minister Alan Tudge and other ministers
about separatism, Home Affairs Minister
Peter Dutton’s proposing white South
African farmers deserved “special
attention” for visas, and Tony Abbott’s
questioning of migrants from Africa. He
also points to commentator Andrew Bolt
last week arguing that a “tidal wave of
immigration” was overwhelming Australia.
“Clearly we are seeing a challenge to
the non-discriminatory immigration
program that Australia has conducted
since the end of the White Australia
policy,” Soutphommasane says.
And he warns about the debate on
preventing foreign interference in
Australia allowing some to reprise old
“yellow peril” fears.
“If we’re not more careful, we may end
up demanding that Chinese Australians
work many times harder than others to
demonstrate their loyalty to this
country. We may end up with what can
only be described as a form of racial
discrimination, justified as concern
about national sovereignty”.
Soutphommasane says that beside the
politicisation of racial fear we are
seeing as well the “monetisation of
racism”.
“Sections of a fracturing media
industry, under the strain of
technological disruption, seem to be
using racism as part of their business
model.
"Faced with competition from a
proliferation of news and entertainment
sources, some media outlets are using
racial controversies to grab attention –
as a means of clinging on to their
audiences.”
He accuses some media outlets of fawning
on far right political commentators from
North America.
“These avatars of white nationalism are
typically lauded as ‘alt-right showmen’
or ‘alt-right provocateurs’.
"They are fawned upon and given
sympathetic platforms to spread their
messages of hate and division. With this
kind of licence, it is no surprise to
find far-right groups being emboldened
like never before.
"It’s got to the point where
commentators on national television can
tell people to go back to where they
came from on air, and not experience any
sanction from their network.
Commentators can entertain fantasies on
radio about running over a Muslim
writer, with barely a slap on the wrist.
"Commentators with histories of inciting
racism and of running foul of laws
against racial discrimination have the
audacity to label anti-racist speech as
forms of ‘race baiting’,” Soutphommasane
says.
Former KKK Member &
Syrian Muslim Refugee: An
Inspiring Friendship
More In Common
Show
“We are so
divided now in this country
that we’ve forgot what makes
us strong is really reaching
out to the other side.”
This unlikely and
extraordinary friendship
between a former member of
the KKK and a Syrian refugee
who both live in Georgia
proves that hate is often
times just a cry for help.
Protest burqa ban in
Denmark
AJ+
These Muslim
women in Denmark are defying a
new law against wearing veils in
public.
The Frant: Different
races, same racist headlines
The Feed SBS
VICELAND
(Warning:
contains strong language)
PLEASE
NOTE
It is the usual policy of CCN to
include notices of events, video links and articles that
some readers may find interesting or relevant. Such notices
are often posted as received. Including such messages/links
or providing the details of such events does not necessarily
imply endorsement or agreement by CCN of the contents
therein.
Mufti Menk opens new multi-faith
prayer room at Blackburn Rovers
Mufti Menk
opens new multi-faith prayer
room at Blackburn Rovers8
UK: Mufti Ismail Menk joined Blackburn
Rovers manager Tony Mowbray at the
opening of new multi-faith prayer area
at Ewood Park.
The new-look facility, which is located
inside the Ronnie Clayton Blackburn End,
has been designed to provide existing
staff and supporters with a quiet space
for prayer and reflection, as well as to
encourage fans from all faiths and
backgrounds to attend more games and
functions at the stadium.
Following some introductory speeches in
the club’s Media Theatre from Rovers’
Chief Executive Steve Waggott, Mufti
Menk, Councillor Pat McFall, the Mayor
of Blackburn with Darwen, and Gordon
Taylor, Chief Executive of the
Professional Footballers’ Association,
the invited guests then made their way
to the refurbished prayer room for the
officially opening.
Steve Waggott said: “We are delighted to
be able to offer fans of all faiths a
fantastic facility of this kind.
“Everyone at the club remains committed
to working towards inclusion under the #OneRovers
banner and we look forward to welcoming
supporters and members of the public to
use the revamped room, starting from
this weekend."
Mufti Menk is regarded as one of the
leading scholars of his generation and
travels the world helping to share his
message of ‘peace and love’ to people of
all faiths.
Speaking at the launch Mufti Menk said,
“I would really like to congratulate the
club because as we know communities are
extremely important and this club serves
all the communities.
“The fact that we have this afternoon
the opening of the multi-faith room is
another feather in the cap for the club
in bringing the communities together.
What stands out for me is that the
prayer room caters for people of diverse
faiths.”
He added, “I want to also congratulate
those who made this possible and I think
this initiative needs to be supported
and it is one of the reasons I am here.
“Well done and
I pray we witness great success and
this can be model for others as well
and it can be a model for the
integration of peoples of diverse
faiths.”
Rovers were among the first football
clubs in the country to open a facility
of this kind back in 2008.
Available to use for the first time at
this weekend's Championship match with
Millwall, the updated space is a
continuation of Rovers' commitment to
promoting inclusion and engaging with
its diverse local community.
Last month, Rovers held its first ever #OneRovers
Festival.
Waggott added: “The local community is
hugely important to us as a club and is
an area we take very seriously.
"We cater for all at Rovers - we already
have a sensory room, have headsets for
our blind supporters and almost every
area of Ewood Park is accessible.
"We've had a prayer room before, but
this is a real key area for us with our
new, relocated, refurbished prayer room,
which is not only available on matchdays,
but 365 days a year.
"I see this as the next step and another
part of the football mosaic that we're
putting together here at Rovers."
Supporters who wish to use the
multi-faith room should report to the
Blackburn End Reception, where they will
be provided with access to the
facility.
China is tracking Muslims embarking
on the annual Hajj pilgrimage in what
experts say is likely part of widespread
government surveillance
CHINA: Chinese Muslims embarking on the
annual Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca are
being outfitted with GPS trackers in
what experts are warning is likely part
of China’s widespread surveillance
program already in place.
This year, about 11,500 Chinese Muslims
are expected to head to Saudi Arabia for
the month-long Hajj celebration,
beginning on August 19, a slow decline
from 14,500 in 2016 and 12,800 last
year.
State-run China Islamic Association,
which claims to represent ethnic Muslim
groups in China, posted photos of the
first batch of Chinese Muslims preparing
to depart for Mecca. Photos show
pilgrims wearing GPS trackers around
their necks as they prepare for their
journey.
According to the Global Times, each
device includes a QR code connected to
an app that reveals the wearer’s photo,
passport number, address, and name in
both Chinese and English. The Islamic
Association, which closely monitors and
organizes the Hajj trips, claimed the
devices make the trip safer for the
user.
“Using the GPS, the app can also help
Chinese organisers see the real-time
location of the pilgrims, which
organisers say will help facilitate
management of the activity that lasts
nearly 40 days,” a trip organiser who
did not want to be identified told
Global Times.
However, experts say that this system
likely hints that the government is
looking to exapand surveillance on its
citizens – particularly those in the
Muslim minority.
“Chinese Communist Party officials have
often justified invasive policies with
the excuse that they address legitimate
“safety” concerns,” Timothy Grose, a
China expert at the Rose Hulman
Institute of Technology, told Business
Insider.
Muslims in China, including the 8
million Uyghurs of the Xinjiang region,
are required to apply for permission to
embark on the Hajj and are carefully
vetted based on their age, ethnicity,
and social standing. But Uyghur Muslims
have been required to first pledge their
allegiance to the Communist Party before
they are allowed to leave the country.
Boris Johnson: burqa wearers look like bank
robbers, letter boxes
Response to
Boris's burqua comments
UK: Boris Johnson has sparked outrage
after saying women who wear burqas look
like “letter boxes” and bank robbers.
Britain Prime Minister Theresa May has
joined calls for her former Foreign
Secretary to apologise for the remarks,
made in a newspaper column earlier this
week.
Mr Johnson, who left Mrs May’s
government last month in a dispute over
Brexit, disparaged burka wearers in a
column that, ironically, defended their
right to wear the full face veil.
He said he opposed banning burqas and
other face covering garments but felt it
was “absolutely ridiculous that people
should choose to go around looking like
letter boxes.”
Mr Johnson’s remarks came after Denmark
last week followed France, Germany,
Austria and Belgium in banning
face-coverings in public places.
In a column for Britain’s Telegraph
newspaper Mr Johnson said he felt “fully
entitled” to expect women to remove face
coverings when talking to him at his
MP’s surgery, and said schools and
universities should be able to take the
same approach if a student ”turns up …
looking like a bank robber.”
His article drew criticism from Muslim
groups and fellow politicians. Mohamed
Sheikh, founder of the Conservative
Muslim Forum, said the article had been
“totally out of order.” Middle East
Minister Alistair Burt criticised Mr
Johnson for comments he said “many
people would find offensive.”
Conservative Party chairman Brandon
Lewis said in a tweet that he had asked
Mr Johnson to apologise.
Mrs May agreed, saying: “I do think that
we all have to be very careful about the
language and terms we use. And some of
the terms Boris used describing people’s
appearance obviously have offended.”
However Mr Johnson, who has a reputation
for controversy and political gaffes,
refused to back down.
“It is ridiculous that these views are
being attacked — we must not fall into
the trap of shutting down the debate on
difficult issues,” a source close to Mr
Johnson told reporters.
“We have to call it out. If we fail to
speak up for liberal values then we are
simply yielding ground to reactionaries
and extremists,” the source said.
Mr Johnson resigned as foreign secretary
in July, accusing Mrs May of killing
“the Brexit dream” with her plan to seek
close economic ties with the European
Union after the U.K. leaves the bloc
next year. The resignation solidified
his position as a leader of the pro-Brexit
wing of the Conservative Party, which is
deeply divided over its attitude to the
EU. Many expect Mrs May to face a
leadership challenge if faltering Brexit
negotiations don’t improve — and Mr
Johnson is likely to be a contender to
replace her.
Some suspected his burqa comments were
intended to boost his appeal among
right-wing members of the party.
Sayeeda Warsi, a Conservative member of
the House of Lords, said Mr Johnson was
using Muslim women as a “convenient
political football to try and increase
his poll ratings.”
“These were offensive comments but
clever politics,” she said. “Boris knew
the effect and the impact that this kind
of dog-whistle politics would have.”
Rashida Tlaib set to become first Muslim
woman elected to US Congress
Former
Michigan state lawmaker has won
the Democratic nomination to run
unopposed for a House seat
US: Former Michigan state lawmaker
Rashida Tlaib is set to become the first
Muslim woman elected to Congress after
winning the Democratic primary on
Tuesday for a House seat in the state.
Tlaib, 42, is a Detroit native. She is
the daughter of Palestinian immigrants
and the oldest of fourteen children.
She served in the Michigan state house
from 2009 to 2014, and was also the
first Muslim woman ever elected to the
state’s legislature.
Tlaib has said her decision to run was
prompted by increasing attacks against
American Muslims and immigrants since
Donald Trump was elected.
“I didn’t run because my election would
be historic,” she told ABC News last
week. “I ran because of injustices and
because of my boys, who are questioning
their [Muslim] identity and whether they
belong. I’ve never been one to stand on
the sidelines.”
“When you see a Palestinian person with
your name and faith succeed, it shows
[the government] can ban us from coming
into the country, but not from getting
elected,” Tlaib added. “Showing people
it can be done would be a victory to my
family.”
There are two Muslim American men
serving in the House, Democrats Keith
Ellison of Minnesota and Andre Carson of
Indiana, but no women.
She was among a dozen protesters who
disrupted a speech by Trump at the
Detroit Economic Club during the 2016
campaign, writing in an op-ed in the
Detroit Free Press that despite
criticism it was “unbecoming” behaviour
for a former state legislator, she
concluded that “confronting Trump was
the most patriotic and courageous act I
could pursue” because of his
anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric.
‘This is a huge victory for the Arab and
Muslim American communities – it’s also
a huge victory for the city of
Detroit,’’ Sally Howell, director of the
Center for Arab American Studies at the
University of Michigan-Dearborn, told
the Associated Press.
‘‘Rashida Tlaib brings forward the
legacy of John Conyers in terms of the
groundbreaking role he played in
Congress and his commitment to civil
rights.’’
The Upstairs Wife: An Intimate History of Pakistan
by
Rafia Zakaria
Description
A memoir of Karachi
through the eyes of its women
For a brief moment on December
27, 2007, life came to a standstill in Pakistan. Benazir
Bhutto, the country’s former prime minister and the first
woman ever to lead a Muslim country, had been assassinated
at a political rally just outside Islamabad. Back in
Karachi—Bhutto’s birthplace and Pakistan’s other great
metropolis—Rafia Zakaria’s family was suffering through a
crisis of its own: her Uncle Sohail, the man who had brought
shame upon the family, was near death. In that moment these
twin catastrophes—one political and public, the other secret
and intensely personal—briefly converged.
Zakaria uses that moment to begin her intimate exploration
of the country of her birth. Her Muslim-Indian family
immigrated to Pakistan from Bombay in 1962, escaping the
precarious state in which the Muslim population in India
found itself following the Partition. For them, Pakistan
represented enormous promise. And for some time, Zakaria’s
family prospered and the city prospered. But in the 1980s,
Pakistan’s military dictators began an Islamization campaign
designed to legitimate their rule—a campaign that
particularly affected women’s freedom and safety. The
political became personal when her aunt Amina’s husband,
Sohail, did the unthinkable and took a second wife, a
humiliating and painful betrayal of kin and custom that
shook the foundation of Zakaria’s family but was permitted
under the country’s new laws. The young Rafia grows up in
the shadow of Amina’s shame and fury, while the world
outside her home turns ever more chaotic and violent as the
opportunities available to post-Partition immigrants are
dramatically curtailed and terrorism sows its seeds in
Karachi.
Telling the parallel stories of Amina’s polygamous marriage
and Pakistan’s hopes and betrayals, The Upstairs Wife is an
intimate exploration of the disjunction between exalted
dreams and complicated realities.
KB says:
Known for its light texture and rich flavour,
chiffon cake isn't difficult to make, but it
does require a little attention to detail.
1. Eggs must
be at room temperature, to left out of the
fridge for at least 30mins.
2. Do not beat after the addition of the dry
ingredients, gently fold it in.
3. Make sure that the pan is greased and the
oven pre-heated.
Chocolate Chiffon Cake
INGREDIENTS & METHOD
Ingredients
4 eggs separated
125 ml water
85ml oil
250ml castor sugar
300ml flour
75 ml cocoa
10ml baking powder
Method
1. Beat Egg whites,
water and vanilla
until foamy.
2. Add the oil then
the yolks and then
add the sugar slowly
and beat well.
3. Sift in flour,
cocoa and baking
powder and gently
fold in.
4. Place mixture in
a well-greased
chiffon baking pan
(a tube pan)
5. Bake in a
pre-heated oven at
180degrees and bake
for approx. 25mins.
6. When cool
decorate with
chocolate ganache
and fresh cream
(optional)
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:
What To Do When
Your Child Tells You
That She/He Has Been
Sexually Abused
One of the things
that were normalised
in the paradigm of
my childhood life
was pedophilia.
Until I was 33 years
old and sobbing
uncontrollably in
the first session
with my
psychologist, I was
under the
misconception that
every single home in
the whole world had
children who were
being sexually
abused. It took me
several
psychotherapy
sessions to
understand that
pedophilia was not
the norm of every
household. That
realisation crushed
me because now I was
faced with the great
big question - Why
didn’t anyone stop
these heinous acts
from happening,
especially when
stories were being
told and exchanged
as though they were
talking about
mundane things.
These acts were
carried out on
children by adults
and young adults -
an intergenerational
cycle of sexual
abuse - and no one
stopped them from
happening. No one
stood up for the
children, even when
few children did
fathom the courage
to speak out.
According to a news
report from ABC in
February 2017, there
are 4,444 alleged
cases of child
sexual abuse
recorded against the
Australian Catholic
Church, where ninety
percent of the
victims were boys
and ten percent
girls, all under the
age of 12. Source:
(http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-06/child-sex-abuse-royal-commission:-data-reveals-catholic-abuse/8243890
)
The heartbreaking
truth is that
children tend to
block such traumatic
experiences from
their mind when
their trust is
betrayed and when no
one listens or
acknowledges their
story. Later on in
life, these same
children live a life
yearning for
justice. Some pursue
their yearning
through becoming
abusers themselves,
some resort to
self-harm, alcohol
and substance abuse,
and some become the
voice to advocate
for justice for
these children and
the child that still
dwells in them,
broken and deeply
hurt.
It’s never easy
hearing a child talk
about their
experiences of
abuse. Here are ways
you can help deal
with this sensitive
issue. It doesn’t
matter whether the
child is under 18 or
much older. Treat
the person with the
utmost respect and
dignity.
1.
Believe the
child’s words.
Listen and for
God’s sake,
believe the
child. No child,
no adult for
that matter, is
ever going to
create a story
about this
traumatic
experience. Most
children don’t
even have a
language to
express what
happened and why
it happened
because they are
made to feel
like it was her/
his fault. 2.
DO NOT cross
check the
child’s story
with the person
she/ he is
naming as the
perpetrator. 3.
Document
everything,
record
everything. 4.
Comfort your
child and tell
her/ him how
very sorry you
are that this
happened. 5.
Assure the
child that she/
he is now safe
and will NEVER
have to see the
perpetrator
again. 6.
Have a close
family meeting
with trusted
individuals.
Gather all the
recordings. 7.
GO TO THE
POLICE. It
doesn’t matter
how young or old
your child is -
4 or 40, doesn’t
matter, the incident(s)
happened and now
it is time to
report this
heinous crime. 8.
Take the
child to the GP
and get a
referral for a
psychologist to
begin the
healing process. 9.
Keep the
matter private
and do not
discuss this
issue with the
perpetrator or
the
perpetrator’s
family members.
The perpetrator
will receive
appropriate
communication
from the law
enforcement
agencies and the
court. 10.
Teach the
child that while
the justice
system on earth
has limitations,
ONLY ALLAH’s
Judgement Day
will give true
justice to all.
This will help
the child heal
better.
Remember, you are
not your traumatic
experiences, you are
the force that
overcomes them.
Alhumdolillah.
In Shaa ALLAH, next
week we will explore
the topic:
Tactful Texting...How
To Write
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.
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.
A lady in a taxi
leaned forward to ask Jallalludin the driver a question.
She gently tapped his shoulder to get his attention.
Jallalludin screamed, lost control of the cab and nearly
hit a bus. He drove over the curb, almost going through
a shop window.
For a few moments the inside of the cab was silent. The
shaken Jallalludin turned and said, "Are you ok? I'm
very sorry, but you scared the hell out of me!"
The passenger, very startled at this point, apologizes
to Jallalludin and says "I didn't realize a mere tap on
the shoulder could scare some one so bad"
Jallalludin replied "No, no, I'm the one who is sorry,
today is my first day driving a cab. I've been driving a
hearse for the last 20 years!"
Do not say of anything, ‘I
will do that tomorrow,’
without adding, ‘God
willing,’ and, whenever you
forget, remember your Lord
and say, ‘May my Lord guide
me closer to what is right.’
Cycle from Brisbane to Byron
Bay on the 10-12 August and
raise money for children’s
education in Hebron and help
spread understanding and
awareness about the
Palestinian plight with our
local community.
Riders from all backgrounds
and faiths take part because
they want to be a beacon of
hope for the people of
Palestine showing that all
over the world there is
support for the Palestinian
cause and an aim to bring
about peace in the region.
There is something for
riders of all levels of
fitness with a free family
city ride and community
event on the Friday night
and then the two day main
event cycling from Logan to
Byron Bay. You can sign up
for one, two or all three
days. Remember your sign up
costs include: accommodation
(Saturday), food, jersey,
support vehicles, insurance,
stickers, flag and
wristband. Sunday includes
bus back to Gold Coast or
Brisbane.
A lot of
people are doing it tough
right now, but instead of
standing up against big
corporations and a morally
corrupt banking industry,
politicians are turning us
against one another, blaming
migrants of non-European
backgrounds when they should
be blaming our broken
economic and political
systems.
The
government has been pushing
massive tax cuts for big
corporations and cutting
basic services, while
simultaneously whipping up
fears about immigration,
scapegoating migrants for
everything from traffic
congestion to crime rates.
Racism and
anti-immigrant rhetoric is
on the rise in mainstream
discourse, and we need to
stand up against it.
Everyone
seems happy to condemn
isolated examples of overt
racism on public transport.
But when racists like Tony
Abbott and Andrew Bolt make
similar comments in
parliament or in the
mainstream media, they are
rewarded with more coverage.
All this
happens against a backdrop
of ongoing colonial racism
against First Nations
peoples - the theft of land,
wages and children, and the
continued rejection of
Aboriginal sovereignty.
In the next
few months, the federal
government will try to
change citizenship and
immigration laws. If passed,
these changes will:
- Make
the English language
tests and ‘Australian
Values’ tests even
stricter
- Require
permanent residents to
have lived here for 4
years before becoming
citizens, when it’s
already very difficult
and can take many years
just to get permanent
residency
- Require
citizenship applicants
to ‘prove they have
integrated’
- Make it
harder to reunite with
elderly parents and
disabled relatives, even
after you become a
citizen
- Make it
harder to have overseas
educational
qualifications
recognised in Australia
- Make it
harder for asylum
seekers to be accepted
as refugees
- Give
the Immigration Minister
stronger powers to
deport people and reject
visa applications
without going through
fair processes
Without
strong public opposition to
these changes,
anti-immigrant policies will
become the new normal, and
refugees will continue to
languish in offshore
concentration camps.
Please join
us at a positive,
family-friendly public rally
to say no to racism and
imperialism, and yes to
unity and multiculturalism.
This will be
a short rally and march,
featuring poets and
performing artists but not
too many speeches. After the
poetry, we'll be marching
down Adelaide St to the
Immigration Department
building, then back up to
King George Square.
We want to
remind politicians of all
parties that racist policies
and messages are a
vote-loser, not a
vote-winner, and remind
broader society that with
the exception of Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander
people, everyone on this
continent has come from
somewhere else.
Multiculturalism should be
celebrated and encouraged,
not undermined.
This event is
taking place on stolen land.
We acknowledge the Jagera
and Turrbul peoples, and pay
respects to their elders
past and present.
Sovereignty was never ceded,
and the struggle against
racism and anti-immigrant
xenophobia is fundamentally
a struggle for
decolonisation and justice
for First Nations peoples.
Event banner
image by artist James
Fosdike.
QPS
RECRUITING WORKSHOP
This workshop
is designed to
educate/encourage youths of
Islamic background re the
recruiting process in
Queensland Police Service (QPS).
"Let's Talk Women" is a monthly
support program for Women in the community. It is an
opportunity for women to seek knowledge and most
importantly, to connect with one another. Our first
event will be a panel discussion on Women's Health.
This event is organised by women, for women, and is
supported by the Islamic Council of Queensland.
New Muslim Care (NMC) are proud to
be working in alliance with Sisters Support Services
(SSS) and National Zakat Foundation (NZF) to
support new Muslims with the Islam 101: The Foundations
courses.
Through collaboration we are strengthening our
organisations and sharing resources in order to continue
to provide much needed services to the community.
Our aim is to offer continuous support to new Muslims
through Islamic workshops, classes and social avenues
and enable a more seamless transition successfully to an
Islamic way of life Insha'Allah.
Sessions for brothers are envisaged for the near future.
On 31 December 2017 the only
Islamic childcare centre in the whole of Brisbane had to
unfortunately close its doors due to the Department of
Transport requiring it for their future expansion. To
date they are still in the process of securing new
premises to continue serving this very important need of
the community and the wait continues….
In the interim the need is
still there. The question most Muslims would be asking
themselves is “Where do I send my child so that he/she
can learn, grow and develop in an Islamic environment,
and establish a sound Islamic foundation?”
Msasa Montessori is a private home based learning centre
for 3-5 year olds. The focus is an Islamic based
learning environment alongside the Montessori method of
teaching. Children will be taught their basic duas,
surahs, tasbeehs, stories of the Prophets will be read
and enacted, and Inshallah their love for Allah and His
Noble Prophet Muhammed S.A.W will develop. Supported by
the Montessori method of teaching they will develop
their independence and will utilise equipment which will
enable them to develop and grow.
Montessori is a method of education based on
self-directed activity, hands-on learning and
collaborative play. The Montessori materials cover
developmental activities designed to meet the needs of
children in five curriculum areas:
Practical life skills, Sensorial activities,
Mathematics, Language and Cultural Studies.
By providing such an
environment, the children will develop a strong sense of
wellbeing and identity as Muslims and they will become
confident and involved learners with the ability to
communicate effectively and with confidence.
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..
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.
Soutphommasane
says sections of
media exploit
racism to make
money
Mufti Menk opens new multi-faith
prayer room at Blackburn Rovers 
.jpg)
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011