Premier Annastacia
Palaszczuk with Mrs. Banwa
(AIIC’s Education Advisor) and
Umme Kulsum
Mrs. Banwa and I were
invited to attend the
International Women’s Day
breakfast held at the
Brisbane Convention Centre
to celebrate International
Women’s Day on Friday the 8
March.
In attendance where a number
of school principals
accompanied by their female
College Captains.
It was a delightful morning.
The guests were treated to a
delicious breakfast. There
were many guest speakers who
spoke about the important
role that women play in our
society.
Our Premier Annastacia
Palaszczuk spoke about the
progress that Queensland as
a state has achieved so far
in recruiting more women
into entering politics.
She also encouraged women to
focus on entering careers
that were previously male
dominated areas e.g. in
Science, Technology,
Engineering & Mathematics.
It was an enjoyable morning,
meeting with students from
other schools as well as
well as other invited guests
who were from
non-educational backgrounds.
We felt very honoured to be
invited to attend such a
prestigious event and we
would like to thank Ms.
Palaszczuk for extending
this invitation to our
College.
This year, the well known
*International Prince Sultan
bin Abdulaziz Quran and
Hadith competition* will
take place from 11th -15th
in Jakarta, Indonesia with
contestants from 25
countries.
Five contestants from
Australia will participate:
1. Alaa Yassir of
Sydney (category of the
entire Quran) [TOP
LEFT ABOVE]
2. Umair Khokhar
of Gold Coast (category
of 20 Juz) [TOP
MIDDLE ABOVE]
3. Uzair Shuaib
of Brisbane (category of
15 Juz) [TOP RIGHT
ABOVE]
4. Abdur-Rahman
Seedat of Brisbane
(category of 10 Juz)
[BOTTOM MIDDLE ABOVE]
5. Abdullah Sarhan
in the branch of the
Prophetic Sunnah in the
category of memorisation
for over 400 Hadith.
[BOTTOM LEFT ABOVE]
This group was selected
under the supervision of
Sheikh Mohamed Ali (Imam of
the Gold Coast Mosque)
[BOTTOM RIGHT ABOVE].
ANIC president
Imam Shadi Alsuleiman addresses
the Council
The Australian National
Imams Council (ANIC) held
its 12th General Assembly
and AGM on Sunday 3 March
2019 in Sydney.
The AGM was honoured by the
participation of the
Chairmen and members of the
respective Councils of Imams
from New South Wales,
Victoria, Queensland, South
Australia, Western Australia
and the ACT.
The General Assembly of ANIC
discussed and considered
various topics and affairs
that concern Australian
Muslims. It also discussed
various proposals and
strategies relating to, and
the future direction of,
ANIC and the Australian
Muslim community.
Among the matters discussed
was the importance of the
ongoing unity of Imams in
Australia and the Australian
Muslim Community.
The ANIC General Assembly
also resolved to establish
the Australian Fatwa Council
which will focus on Fatwas
(Islamic Verdicts) on
contemporary issues and
matters pertaining to
Australian Muslims and
preservation of the Islamic
Identity. The Fatwa Council
will be chaired by the Mufti
of Australia.
Another matter which was
canvassed was the importance
of encouraging the
Australian Muslim community
to be more politically
active and engaged,
particularly in the upcoming
State and Federal elections.
Finally, all of the Imams
affirmed their commitment to
serving Islam, the
Australian Muslim community
and Australia.
The ANIC General Assembly
elected new Executive
Committee office bearers for
a three-year term. ANIC also
takes this opportunity to
thank the outgoing Executive
Committee members for their
dedication, contributions
and achievements.
Queensland Member for
Woodridge, Hon Cameron Dick
MP, acknowledges the work of
Hurricane Stars in the
Queensland Parliament this
week.
For two years the Hurricane
Stars Club has been running
a ladies-only swimming
program. The program was
founded and developed by
Farah Scott, who saw a
strong need and demand in
the community for
ladies-only swimming
classes. As a result of her
regular interaction with
ladies in the community, she
realized that the majority
of Muslim women did not know
how to swim and they were
often very terrified of the
water. This limited the
lady’s ability to exercise
because for many ladies
exercising in a gym or very
walking was too difficult
due to problems with their
joints and muscles. They
needed the low impact of
exercising in water so that
they could exercise
effectively. Many women’s
lack of ability to swim
limited their ability to
participate in activities
with their families because
most of the time their
children, who had been
raised in Australia could
swim but they could not, so
they had to sit on the
sidelines and watch. There
were even a few tragic
occasions in which children
got into difficulty while
swimming and the mother was
unable to help because she
could not swim.
Seeing the need and demand
in the community, Farah
arranged in a private swim
school, that gave the women
complete privacy, to start a
class for Muslim ladies to
learn to swim. When she
first posted an
advertisement on social
media advertising the first
class she had 150 ladies
contact her within a few
hours. Since that time the
classes have grown to
multiple learn to swim
classes per week and even a
variety of different classes
were added to the program,
as a result of feedback from
the ladies. Classes expanded
to include aqua aerobics,
mums and bubs learn to swim,
kids lessons and men’s learn
to swim classes. More than
100 ladies a week attend
classes and over the past
two years more than 500
ladies have participated in
the program.
As a result of Farah’s
tireless efforts to promote
swimming for women, her
program came to the
attention of Access
Community Services and one
of their departments, the
Multicultural Sport Club,
chose Farah’s program to
coordinate their ladies only
swimming program. The
Multicultural Sports Club’s
is funded by Metro South
Queensland Health, therefore
Farah began working closely
with these two major
organisations to provide
more opportunities for
ladies only swimming. As a
result of their sponsorship
of the program, the
Hurricane Stars Club now
runs swimming classes in two
different pools, one in
Kingston and one in
Sunnybank Hills. Metro South
Queensland Health funded the
Hurricane Stars Club to
train 15 Muslim ladies to
become culturally sensitive
swimming instructors,
enriching the community to
sustain the program longer.
As a result of Farah’s
efforts to promote the
program, Brisbane City
Councillor for the Runcorn
ward, Cr Kim Marx, has
visited the Sunnybank Hills
program herself while the
Queensland State Member of
Parliament and Queensland
Minister for State
Development, Manufacturing,
Infrastructure and Planning,
the Hon Cameron Dick, has
visited the program in
Kingston. They both
congratulated Farah on what
she has achieved for ladies
swimming through this
program and were happy to
offer more help in the
future. Last week, the
Hurricane Stars Club was
extremely honoured and
grateful to be mentioned by
Cameron Dick MP in the
Queensland Parliament, for
their efforts in promoting
water safety for women.
Members of the Hurricane
Stars Club were grateful to
Cameron Dick MP for
acknowledging the tireless
efforts of Farah Scott to
promote ladies swimming.
Many think that Farah is
employed by the swim schools
as an agent or she receives
a commission from the swim
school for her efforts but
she does not. She has spend
more than two years
volunteering her time and
paying expenses though her
own fundraising efforts, and
earning nothing more than
the grateful thanks of the
participants. She continues
to passionately promote
ladies swimming because of
the positive effect she has
seen it have on so many
women’s lives. The Hurricane
Stars Club earns no money
from the swimming program.
They charge the participants
the same cost price that
they are charged by the swim
schools to make it
affordable for all ladies.
In fact they made a loss of
$800 last semester because
of the need to pay a minimum
charge to the swim school
per class, even if the
ladies do not show up for
the class they are booked to
attend.
The Hurricane Stars Club
looks forward to continuing
to support women in the
community to learn water
safety and have a variety of
water based exercise.
Ged Kearney, Federal Member
for Batman with Islamic Museum
Founder, Moustafa Fahour OAM
(left) and Islamic Museum of
Australia's Chief Executive Ali
Fahour (right).
An afternoon tea to
celebrate five years since
the opening of the Islamic
Museum of Australia was
attended by more than 80
guests joined by staff and
volunteers at its Melbourne
premises on Thursday 28
February 2019.
Images revealing the former
water bottling facility on
the site where the Islamic
Museum of Australia now
stands, and its
transformation into an
architecturally designed
centre of learning are now
on display at the Museum to
celebrate five years since
opening.
Keynote speakers at the
event included Ms Ged
Kearney, Federal Member for
Batman and IMA Founder
Moustafa Fahour OAM.
Islamic Museum of Australia
CEO, Mr Ali Fahour, said he
was excited to share and
re-live memories from the
Museum’s early days with the
community.
“The Museum opened on
28 February 2014, there
was a heightened sense
of anticipation in the
community after years of
fundraising to make it
happen. Looking through
our archived photos
brought back great
memories, especially for
those who have been
involved from the
beginning,” said Mr
Fahour.
The Museum was established
as a space that both
portrays the beauty of Islam
and imperatively, offers
educational experiences that
deepen the visitor’s
understanding of Islam.
“The idea was
conceived post 11
September 2001, negative
sentiment towards
Muslims and Islam was on
the rise. A comfortable
learning space that,
among other things,
offered the opportunity
to dispel myths about
Islam was more than
necessary.”
Five years on, the Museum’s
Director of Education, Ms
Sherene Hassan said the
Museum continues to meet
these objectives.
“The most rewarding
aspect of the museum is
to witness firsthand the
transformation of
students after a visit.
Many look tentative and
visibly uncomfortable
when they first enter
the museum. By the end
of their visit, they are
relaxed and smiling with
a newfound respect for
Islam and Muslims,”
said Ms Hassan.
Caulfield Grammar teacher,
Ms Ellen Langmead agrees
with this sentiment,
“The Islamic Museum of
Australia is one of the
most valuable venues our
students visit as a part
of the Year 9 program.
The space combines the
beauty of a gallery, the
information of a museum
and the education of an
immersive classroom.
Most crucially, the
staff offer students a
chance to interact, ask
questions and break down
misconceptions. Without
a doubt, all students
leave this venue as more
informed young people
who are infused with a
new confidence about how
the world and all of its
people fit together.”
Mr Fahour said the education
sector is important to the
Museum, “Since opening, the
Museum has welcomed over
50,000 guests, around
two-thirds of whom have been
school students. We have
been well supported by
educators who see the value
in including a visit to the
Islamic Museum in their
teaching plans. Our
curriculum linked activities
ensures the Museum
experience is relevant to
learning areas across
primary and secondary
levels.”
“We are pleased the
Museum continues to be
high on the list not
just for educators but
the community at large.
It’s a great privilege
to share the beauty of
Islam with our guests.”
The Islamic Museum of
Australia is located in
Thornbury, in Melbourne’s
north. It is the only
Islamic museum in the
country and provides
educational and
cross-cultural experiences
for all ages. The Museum is
open 10am – 4pm, Monday to
Saturday.
The
AMUST
Ged Kearney, Federal Member
for Batman with staff and
volunteers at the Islamic Museum
during their Five Year
Anniversary celebration.
Frida Deguise is Australia's
first Muslim comedian. After
multiple sold-out shows and
receiving 4 stars from Time
Out at MICF 2018, she is
bringing her new show
'Living on a Prayer' to
Adelaide Fringe. Frida will
take you on a journey of
being raised in Australia by
Muslim Lebanese parents. Be
ready to see how she won by
failing as a Muslim girl.
It’s not easy being a mother
of four, Lebanese and
Muslim. But with a hijab and
a microphone, Frida Deguise
is smashing any stereotypes
people might have of Muslim
women in comedy. She is
funny and outspoken, pushing
the boundaries of perception
and making her own rules
about what a Muslim woman is
allowed to say and what her
audience is allowed to laugh
at.
Frida performed in her first
solo stand up show at the
Sydney Fringe 2016 and
toured with the annual
comedy hit show, A Very
Woggy Xmas Gala with Joe
Avati, and Gabriel Rossi.
You can see Frida breaking
down preconceptions with her
explosive comedy act in
regular appearances in
comedy clubs around Sydney.
Muslim News UK readers
nominated the following
illustrious men, women,
children and projects deemed
worthy of short-listing for
a Muslim News Award for
Excellence. These exemplars
of good practice, excellence
– future role models – will
be treated to a Gala Evening
in the presence of their
peers and other renowned
guests in April, when the
finalists are announced for
the 15 coveted Awards for
Excellence
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK'S
CCN.......
Imams Hasan & Husayn
CHILDREN’S Award for
Excellence
Jena
Al-hashimi Grant
is 12 years-old and in
training to be a British
Olympian in taekwondo. She
started training in martial
arts in 2011 when she was 6
years old. She achieved a
black belt in karate in
2013, a black belt in
taekwondo in 2014 and an
orange belt in Hapkido. She
is now preparing for her
second dan grading in
taekwondo which she hopes to
achieve this year. In 2016,
she competed in 10
competitions and took away
13 medals. Of these, 9 were
gold medals. In 2017 Jena
took part in the 2017
Ultimate Taekwondo
Championships in Barnsley.
She missed her target weight
by 0.15kg and was put up to
the -41kg category. She won
the semi-final 30-12 and
went on to bring home gold.
Jena also recently returned
from a championship in
Lisbon, Portugal and
achieved a 1st in the under
14 female teams.
Hasan
Patel,
from East London, was just
15 when he rose to
prominence as a political
activist. In September 2018
he was the youngest ever
delegate to speak at a
national party conference,
representing his
constituency of Leyton and
Wanstead. He addressed the
annual Labour party
conference in 2018, saying
“school’s are being run like
businesses and failing our
school children”. In his
speech, he talked about how
his local youth centre was
shut down as a result of the
financial crisis and
Government austerity
programme, even though he
was only 7 when the
financial crash of 2008
happened. In an interview
with Vice magazine, he spoke
about why he became active
in the Labour party: “The
policies that most appeal to
me are abolishing tuition
fees so that everyone has
the chance to go to
university without any
financial disincentives; the
introduction of a £10/hour
living wage, because the
minimum wage discriminates
against young people; and
Labour’s pledge to build
more homes, because
youngsters around here are
all worried that, once we’re
enough to live on our own,
we’re just gonna get priced
out of this area.” Hassan
has amassed more than 18,000
followers on Twitter.
Suffering from allergies
from a young age, and seeing
a lack of available desserts
suited for his needs and
others like him,
Husayn Yahya Merali
decided to fill the gap by
founding his own baking
company at the age of 10
years called HY Bakes. His
delicacies cater to those
suffering from dairy, egg
and nuts allergies. The
allergy-free cakes and
biscuits are sold through
Facebook. Along with his
sister and cousins, he has
led and fundraised over
£12,500, with a recent
fundraiser for Yemen still
open and collecting funds by
hiking through the desert
between Najaf and Karbala,
Iraq in October 2018. As an
avid sportsman, Husayn plays
numerous sports including
cricket, badminton and table
tennis, and represents his
school and community in
tournaments, receiving
numerous trophies, including
Stanmore Jaffery’s Sports
Personality 2018 for his age
group.
Salih Yucel and Abu Bakr
Sirajuddin Cook, editors Australian
Journal of Islamic Studies
Editors' Introduction (Vol 3
No 3 2018):
The history of Islam within
Australia is an important,
yet often overlooked, part
of Australian history.
Muslim presence in Australia
has helped shape
multicultural experience
facilitating intercultural
dialogue as well as
contributing significantly
to the development of the
Australian nation. However,
to date, it has received
minimal scholarly attention.
There have been significant
studies on the engagements
of the Maccasans, Muslim
fishermen from Indonesia,
with the Indigenous peoples
of northern Australia. These
studies have detailed the
cultural interactions and
trade between them and the
lasting impacts of the
inclusion of language
foreign to Australian soil.
There is also an increasing
awareness of Australia’s
cameleers, many of whom were
Muslims, and the
contribution they made to
maintaining trade routes and
assisting early Australian
explorers.
Despite the growing interest
in the field, the history of
Islam in Australia remains
an understudied area of
research.
This rich history dates back
further than we thought and
has possibly had a greater
impact than what is
recognised. Given the
current political and social
climate surrounding Islam
globally, it is timely that
this volume of the
Australian Journal of
Islamic Studies is
published.
This volume brings to light
the depth and richness of
Australia’s Islamic
heritage, challenging some
of the prevalent assumptions
on the topic, and calls for
further studies in this
field.
Australia has proclaimed
itself as being a successful
example of a multicultural
society. It is a society
that has been shaped, and
continues to be shaped, by a
diverse range of cultural
inputs. With this being the
case, it is justifiable to
ask how and why the
contributions of Muslims to
Australia have been largely
overlooked.
Over the weeks, CCN highlights extracts from
the Australian Journal of
Islamic Studies which is an
open access, double-blind
peer-reviewed journal
dedicated to the scholarly
study of Islam.
THE EARLY HISTORY OF MICRO
AND MESO DIALOGUE BETWEEN
MUSLIMS AND NON-MUSLIMS IN
AUSTRALIA.
Interfaith dialogue has been
touted as a means to solve
many of the religious
divisions that have arisen
in an increasingly global
and multi-faith society. In
Australia, now a
multi-cultural and multi
faith society, a range of
organisations exist to
facilitate this dialogue,
most coming in to existence
after the 1960’s This paper
will review the early
dialogue between Muslims and
non-Muslims as portrayed in
the public record.
By examining the public
record and the narratives
surrounding the Macassans,
Afghans and other early
Muslims, this paper will
firstly argue that micro and
meso dialogue prior to the
1950s’ between Muslims
immigrants and non-Muslims
made a contribution to the
social harmony in Australia.
The
Converts
In addition to Muslim
migrants, there were
European and Indigenous
converts to Islam. Many of
these converts married “in”,
such as Jean Emsley, Allum’s
wife,and Emily Ozadelle (née
Murcutt), Abdul Wade’s wife.
Others adopted it once the
beliefs and practices became
clear,such as Allum’s
secretary, Halimah Schwerdt.
Another significant
individual was the
indomitable Winifred Steger,
possibly the first
Australian woman to perform
Hajj. Steger’s story is
remarkable. Born in England
in 1882, she migrated to
Queensland around 1890 with
her father. Winifred married
Charles Steger at the age of
16, giving birth to four
children then deserting
them; possibly due to issues
of domestic violence. In
1915,she married Indian
hawker Ackba Nuby and
converted to Islam.
Following his death, she
re-married, this time to
Karum Bux in an Islamic
ceremony at Marree Mosque.
In 1927, accompanied by Bux
and her small children, she
made Hajj to Mecca, an
account of which was
published in the Adelaide
Register on her return. The
entire journey was
eventually serialised in the
Register. She also wrote14
novels, along with a range
of other writings, most of
which never saw a printing
press.
Her account of the Hajj is
one of the first by an
Australian, maybe one the
earliest accounts by a
‘white woman’. In her
narrative, she is matter of
fact, describing the scene
from a unique perspective.
The sad pity is that her
voice was not heard outside
of a few regional areas
until a few years ago,
indicating that, despite all
her writings and reporting
on various aspects of Islam,
her contribution to meso
level dialogue was largely
unsuccessful.
Steger’s marriage was not
unique. Christine Steven’s
seminal work on the Afghans
outlined problems with
isolation and a lack of
suitable brides. Stephenson
adds that cultural
convergence and kinversion
played a part, given both
groups were marginalised by
white society and the
options available to Muslim
men were limited.88A range
of solid relationships did
form between Muslims and
both indigenous and
Europeans. Nameth Khan
married an Aboriginal Sunday
School teacher in
Hermannsburg; Beejah Dervish
married an Irishwoman,
Amelia Shaw; and Gool
Mahomet married a French
courtesan, Adrienne Lesire.
Camel Cup, demonstrating a
local instance of social
harmony. Many of the
descendants of these unions
still identify as Muslims,
even though they may have
lost the language, beliefs
and practices their
forebears brought with them.
It clearly remains a
significant contribution to
many peoples’ cultural
heritage and provides
localised social harmony in
country towns such as
Marree. The marriages of
Muslim men to Australian
women demonstrate some
significant issues regarding
early Islamic dialogue in
Australia.
Marriage demonstrates micro
level dialogue, despite
cultural and language
barriers. Furthermore, the
Muslims gained a sense of
belonging in their new
homeland, putting down roots
and enabling the foundations
of a family, a key aspect of
Islamic society. In some
aspects, it showed a desire
for permanency on behalf of
the Muslim men, and the
acceptance of Islam by their
wives demonstrated that
Islam can be a universal
religion; not just the
religion of Muslim
immigrants but also, new
Australian converts.
Hanan Ibrahim has made
history as the first woman
to wear a hijab at the
Melbourne Fashion Festival.
ISLAMIC
Hadith with Imam Uzair
Hadith
Jibreel Part 4
19/03/05
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.
Man who deliberately mowed people
down in car near Muslim centre jailed for
five years
UK:
A man who deliberately drove a car into
a group of pedestrians outside a Muslim
community centre has been jailed for
five years.
Martin Stokes (pictured), 25,
injured three people when he hurled
“racist and anti-Islamic taunts” while
he veered into the group outside the
Hussaini Association hall in Cricklewood,
northwest London, last September.
One man, in his 50s, sustained a serious
leg and hip injury that kept him in
hospital for nearly a month, the
Metropolitan Police said.
Astronomer and
National Geographic grantee
Munazza Alam is on the hunt for
planets beyond our solar system
that have a climate like ours
with the potential to host life.
US: Munazza Alam
didn’t grow up
gazing at the
stars. But an
inspiring
teacher and a
passion for math
led her to dive
deep into the
hunt for
habitable
planets.
ARE WE ALONE in
the universe?
It’s a question
that often
sparks debate.
For a young
woman named
Munazza Alam, it
sparked an
entire career
path.
Alam wasn’t
always
interested in
the cosmos.
“Growing up, I
was not a space
nerd,” she says.
There was no
telescope in her
backyard, and
trips to the
museum centered
on dinosaur
exhibits. As a
kid, she
preferred
playing outside
and riding
around on her
bike to gazing
at the stars.
But by her
freshman year in
college, she’d
fallen
completely under
astronomy’s
spell.
Field of
view
Alam, 24, is
bright in every
sense of the
word. She is
intelligent and
vivacious, and
her voice
radiates warmth.
She can discuss
the merits of
condensed matter
theory as
comfortably and
clearly as her
feelings about
her family
background.
A
first-generation
Muslim American,
Alam grew up on
Staten Island, a
borough of New
York City that
is predominately
white. Her
mother was born
in Hyderabad,
India, and her
father is from
Lahore,
Pakistan. “I
always had this
sense of
otherness, this
idea of
questioning
belonging,” she
says. For one
thing, her
relatives on the
Indian
subcontinent
viewed her and
her two older
sisters as
Americans, while
“here we were
viewed as not
American,
because our
parents are
immigrants,” she
says.
Adding another
dimension to her
experience, Alam
and her sisters
attended
Catholic school
from
kindergarten
through 12th
grade. A cousin
had done well at
the school, and
her parents
wanted their
daughters to get
the best
education
possible, so
they enrolled
all three girls.
“It was a great
way to learn to
foster these
ideas of
acceptance,
being among
different groups
and just
learning how to
understand what
other people
believe and the
ethics that they
live by,” Alam
says.
Catching
fire
Her attraction
to physics began
in high school,
thanks to an
inspiring
teacher with
infectious
enthusiasm. Alam
had always
enjoyed math,
science,
critical
thinking, and
problem solving,
but this
teacher’s
passion for
physics and her
ability to break
down complicated
concepts stuck
with Alam.
Her teacher was
also inspiring
on another
level. “She
moved from
Israel as a
little girl to
New York City,”
says Alam, who
adds that she
felt they shared
a “kind of
overlapping
identity: She
was first
generation, and
she loved
physics, and was
a minority
student when she
went through
graduate studies
as a woman.”
By the time she
began her
freshman year at
CUNY Hunter
College in
Manhattan, Alam
had settled on
physics as her
major. She soon
began her first
research project
on the low-mass
objects known as
brown dwarfs,
and by the end
of the year, she
had a chance to
visit the Kitt
Peak National
Observatory near
Tucson, Arizona.
“I was 19,” she
says, “and it
was the first
time I had ever
seen the Milky
Way.” The sight
solidified her
decision to
pursue astronomy
long-term. It
also reminded
her of how far
she’d come: “I
mean, I grew up
seeing a handful
of stars at a
time at best,”
she laughs.
Rising
star
Alam, who is a
National
Geographic
grantee, is now
earning her
graduate degree
at the Harvard
Smithsonian
Center for
Astrophysics in
Cambridge,
Massachusetts.
Her current
research focuses
on a category of
large, bright
exoplanets
called hot
Jupiters.
A
transformative book urging twenty-first
century-women to embrace their anger and
harness it as a tool for lasting
personal and societal change.
Women are angry, and it isn’t hard to
figure out why.
We are underpaid and overworked. Too
sensitive, or not sensitive enough. Too
dowdy or too made-up. Too big or too
thin. Sluts or prudes. We are harassed,
told we are asking for it, and asked if
it would kill us to smile. Yes, yes it
would.
Contrary to the rhetoric of popular
“self-help” and an entire lifetime of
being told otherwise, our rage is one of
the most important resources we have,
our sharpest tool against both personal
and political oppression. We’ve been
told for so long to bottle up our anger,
letting it corrode our bodies and minds
in ways we don’t even realize. Yet our
anger is a vital instrument, our radar
for injustice and a catalyst for change.
On the flip side, the societal and
cultural belittlement of our anger is a
cunning way of limiting and controlling
our power.
We are so often told to resist our rage
or punished for justifiably expressing
it, yet how many remarkable achievements
in this world would never have gotten
off the ground without the kernel of
anger that fueled them? Rage Becomes Her
makes the case that anger is not what
gets in our way, it is our way, sparking
a new understanding of one of our core
emotions that will give women a
liberating sense of why their anger
matters and connect them to an entire
universe of women no longer interested
in making nice at all costs.
Following in the footsteps of classic
feminist manifestos like The Feminine
Mystique and Our Bodies, Ourselves, Rage
Becomes Her is an eye-opening book for
the twenty-first century woman: an
engaging, accessible credo offering us
the tools to re-understand our anger and
harness its power to create lasting
positive change.
KB says:
Avocado is one of the few fruits that will
provide you with "good" fats. That means it can
help keep your cholesterol levels already in the
healthy range, and help lower your risk for
heart disease.
Avocado and Apple salad
INGREDIENTS & METHOD
Ingredients
2 Avocados cubed and tossed in lemon juice
2 green apples cubed and tossed in lemon juice
1 cup of spinach
3 tablespoon chopped pecans
¼ cup dried cranberries
¼ cup of goats cheese
Toss the above with the exception of goats cheese into your
salad bowl
Dressing
1 tab Apple cider vinegar
1 tsp garlic
1/4 tsp salt
Pinch of black pepper
3 tablespoon mayo
1 green chilli
Liquidize dressing ingredients together and pour over the
salad.
Before serving place goats cheese over the top
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.
• Blitz your fitness – It’s the intensity of
your workout that’s key!
• Short bursts, high intensity
• Try skipping for 1 – 3 mins
• Stair climb – faster than you would normally
go
• Running / jogging instead of walking
• 10 - 15 min quick routines – using body weight
• Move a little more everyday
• Boost your metabolism and tone your muscles
• Don’t forget to stretch!
Writer, Clarity
Coach, Founder and
Facilitator of
Healing Words
Therapy - Writing
for Wellbeing
Muslimah
Mind
Matters
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:
Women Respecting
Women
There is no other
way to say this, so
brace yourself,
because what I’m
about to tell you is
not pretty at all. I
grew up in a
household where
sexual abuse on
children and
emotional and
physical violence on
teenage females were
perpetuated by
women.
There, I’ve said it.
This is in no way to
gain your sympathy
but merely to
request that you
take a moment and
reflect on your life
to understand the
women in your
immediate and
extended family.
Most of you may not
relate to my
experience and
that’s fine. In
fact, I’m grateful
if you don’t relate.
However, if you
examine your life
carefully, somewhere
along the way you
too may find that
there have been
times where women
have failed to
respect each other.
Through observation
and understanding of
case studies of my
own clients, I see a
pattern where women
may choose to
surround themselves
in deep insecurity,
self-loathing and
negative self-talk
which then
perpetuate
disharmony in their
relationships with
other women in the
home and in the
community.
Sisterhood, a great
blessing and mercy
from ALLAH, is
deeply affected when
women disrespect
each other.
Some of the negative
behaviours women
tend to display with
other women are:
•
Passive-aggressive
remarks
• Sarcastic
remarks
• Aggressive
outbursts
• Cyber-bullying
• Backbiting
• Interrogation
(trying to get
personal
information from
someone - such
as husband's
salary)
• Commenting on
physical
appearance
(“you’ve gained
weight”, “you’ve
lost weight”,
“you look really
tanned, don’t go
in the sun so
much”, “you
should go on a
diet”, “you need
to get with the
program”).
• Commenting on
and judging
another sister’s
practice of her
deen (“she took
her hijab off”,
“why does she
wear the niqab?”)
I confess that I am
guilty of at least
one of the above.
The state of the
ummah can only
improve if the state
of each household
and family
relationships
improve. This
heavily depends on
how women treat each
other. It’s time to
develop strategies
to at least respect
our differences and
make a genuine
attempt to
understand one
another.
Alhumdolillah, women
are powerful beings.
ALLAH has blessed
women with inherent
power to persevere
through life with
resilience and
courage, provided
that she
acknowledges these
attributes in
herself and use them
to positively
empower other women
in her family and
community. The
following poem is
dedicated to my
fellow sisters.
SISTERHOOD
She
means
well,
just
like you
She has
been
hurt
before,
just
like you
She was
once a
little
girl
with
dreams
and
demands,
just
like you
She has
her
daily
battles,
just
like you
And
sometimes
loses
her
cool,
just
like you
She
cries
every so
often,
just
like you
She
loves
wholeheartedly,
just
like you
She
deserves
respect,
just
like you
She is a
unique
creation
of
ALLAH,
just
like you
Together
we share
a
blessed
sisterhood
So treat
her with
love,
compassion
and
respect
Just
like how
you wish
for her
to treat
you
She is
after
all,
just
like
you.
1. Listen
without
commenting.
2. If you feel
the need to
comment, THINK
before speaking.
3. Send a kind
text message to
inquire how
other sisters in
your family/
community are
doing. Your
caring message
could be exactly
what they need
that day.
4. Always ask
for forgiveness
if you cross the
line.
5. Always
forgive when
another sister
seeks
forgiveness from
you.
6. Refuse to
part-take in
backbiting. Walk
away, simply and
absolutely
refuse.
7. Give a
genuine
compliment about
the sister’s
wellbeing, not
only about her
physical
appearance.
8. If you are
unable to help
another sister,
tell her you
will find
someone else to
help her. Do not
leave her
hanging on false
hopes.
9. NEVER COMPARE
her with anyone
else. Never
compare her
circumstances
with another
person’s
circumstances.
We are all
fighting our own
unique battles
daily.
10. STOP
JUDGING. Judging
involves ego and
ego is a sin. Be
ALLAH conscious
and stop judging
your fellow
sisters.
If you wish to know about
a specific topic
with regards to
Self-Care and
Clarity of Mind,
please email me on
info@healingwordstherapy.com.
If you wish to have
a FREE one hour
Clarity Coaching
phone session,
contact me on
0451977786
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.
Jallaludin parks his
brand new Porsche in front of his office in Brisbane to
show it off to his colleagues.
As he's getting out of the car, a truck comes speeding
along too close to the kerb and takes off the door
before speeding off.
More than a little distraught, Jallaludin grabs his
mobile and calls the police.
Five minutes later, the police arrive.
Before the policeman
has a chance to ask any questions, Jallaludin starts
screaming hysterically:
"My Porsche, my beautiful black Porsche is ruined. No
matter how long at the panel beaters it'll simply never
be the same again!"
After Jallaludin finally finishes his rant, the
policeman shakes his head in disgust: "I can't believe
how materialistic you bloody foreigners are," he says.
"You lot are so focused on your possessions that you
don't notice anything else in your life."
"How can you say such a thing at a time like this?",
snaps Jallaludin.
The policeman replies, "Didn't you realise that your
right arm was torn off when the truck hit you."
Jallaludin looks down in absolute horror "WHAT THE
HELL!!!!"
And be steadfast in prayer
and regular in charity: and
whatever good you send forth
for your souls before you,
you shall find it with
Allah: for Allah sees well
all that you do."
Smash-hit
Super Muslim
Comedy Tour
returns for its
second
successive year
The
side-shattering
Super Muslim
Comedy Tour
makes a welcome
return for its
second
successive year
in the
spotlight.
Following on
from the tour’s
2018 success,
this year’s
iteration of the
spine-tingling
night of
hilarity is
hosted across
four cities in
Australia, from
13th March to
16th March.
The tour has
been organized
by Penny Appeal
Australia, an
international
humanitarian
charity. All
funds raised
will support
Thirst Relief
projects, in
which Penny
Appeal supports
initiatives to
provide clean
and safe
drinking water
within
impoverished
communities
around the
world.
With a diverse
array of comedy
styles and
unique voices,
the Super Muslim
Comedy Tour is
guaranteed to
hold audiences
rapt. The
charity has
lined up 4 world
class comedians
for the events.
Each evening
will consist of
4 stand-up acts,
including
Australia’s very
own Khaled
Khalafalla best
known for his
performance in
Ali’s wedding.
Attendees will
also be
entertained by
the likes of US
comics Azeem
Muhammad who
returns after
captivating our
audiences during
last year’s tour
and newcomer
Salma Hindy.
Also returning
is the UK’s
Abdullah Afzal,
best known for
his role as
Amjad Malik in
BBC One’s
long-running
Citizen Khan.
Abdullah Afzal
said, “Following
on from the huge
success of last
year’s tour, I
can’t wait to
get out on the
stage again with
my fellow
artists, in aid
of what is a
fantastic
initiative.
Through a great
night of
entertainment,
we can really
transform lives
around the
world; I’m
really looking
forward to it!”
Penny Appeal
Head of
Fundraising and
Tour Manager,
Aamon Sayed,
added, “We
expect this
year’s tour to
be an even
bigger success
than last
year’s. We have
some of the best
Muslim comedians
from Australia,
the UK, the USA,
and Canada, who
will have the
audience roaring
with laughter.”
“We hope that
everyone can
come together,
enjoy a
fantastic night
of
entertainment,
and really help
to aid those
living without
access to clean
drinking water-
one of life’s
most basic
necessities. We
are sure that
with the support
of the public,
and everyone who
comes to this
year’s comedy
tour that we
will be able to
make a big
difference.”
The tour will
run from 13th
March to 16th
March, visiting
Perth, Brisbane,
Melbourne, and
Sydney.
Early Bird
tickets are
priced at $10
but won't last
long, with
standard ticket
prices at $20.
For more
information
about Penny
Appeal
Australia’s
Super Muslim
Comedy Tour, to
buy tickets, or
to donate to
Penny Appeal,
call 1300 347
947 or visit
pennyappeal.org.au/supermuslim.
Please mark your
calendars for
Sisters Support
Services
Multicultural
Fete on Sunday
the 31st of
March ! There
will be a
selection of
exquisite
multicultural
food stalls,
exotic homewares,
Islamic
bookstall,
Henna, Islamic
Art workshops
and a tremendous
selection of
FREE kids
activities
including animal
farm, jumping
castle, face
painting and
exciting prizes
for best dressed
multicultural
outfits !
Our event is
supported by
Queensland
Government and
our generous
sponsors for the
event are Acro
Accounting &
Financial
Planning,
Mabrouk & Sons
Halal Meat,
National Zakat
Foundation and
Sha Sha
Fashion.
We look forward
to seeing you
there in sha
Allah !
Or you can call the secretary Abdul
Samim Khan on 0413669987.
Click on the image to sign up
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.
At Sisters
Suppprt Services Inc we have
qualified volunteers who help
women in their darkest moments &
time of need to empower them to
make the right choices for
better outcomes for their own
lives.
Here are some examples of our
cases over the past few months.
ALL names have been changed to
protect client identities.
1. Aisha, a victim of Domestic
Violence came to us for
assistance. We assisted her by
giving her money to buy clothing
and personal items as she left
her home quickly and with very
little. Aisha has also needed
ongoing counselling which she
has been receiving from us for
the past few months. She was
taken to appointments and
connected with the right people
who helped her start a new life
in a safe environment.
“Thank you so
much for your help. I am so very
grateful. Thank you to Sister
Services. Allah bless you all.”
2. Katie, a revert sister with
young kids needed ongoing
counselling and support as she
had not been coping well at home
and was not able to look after
herself and her family. Sisters
Support Services was there for
her; “I can’t tell you enough in
words how grateful I am, just by
listening to me when I was
feeling so low. Life is not
looking so dark anymore !”
3. Sarah also a revert sister
recently divorced with a young
child arrived in Brisbane with
virtually nothing. We have
helped her with everyday
essentials, food supplies &
assisted her to find suitable
accommodation. Sarah has some
health issues & needed financial
support with purchasing
medications & by being driven to
medical appointments by our
volunteers.
"So happy with
the help I've received from
Sisters Support Services."
Islamic College of Brisbane (ICB), 45 Acacia Road, Karawatha
3364 4159
7PM to 8.30PM
13 April
Saturday
Open Day and 6th Annual Toowoomba International Food
Festival
Islamic Society of Toowoomba
217 West St.,
Harristown, Toowoomba
0421 081 048
11AM to 3PM
20 April
21 April
(tentative)
Sat (EVE)
Sunday
NISF SHA'BAAN
(Lailatul Bahrat)
15th Sha'baan 1440
6 May
(tentative)
Monday
RAMADAAN
(start of the month of fasting)
1st Ramadaan 1440
26 May
(tentative)
Sunday
LAILATUL-QADR
(Night of Power)
27th Ramadaan 1440
5 June 2019
(tentative)
Wednesday
EID-UL-FITR
(end of the month of fasting)
1st
Shawal 1440
11 August
(tentative)
Sunday
YAWMUL ARAFAH
(Night of Power)
9th Zil-Hijjah 1440
12 August
(tentative)
Monday
EID-UL-ADHA
10th Zil-Hijjah 1440
17 August
Saturday
Eidfest @ Dreamworld
Eidfest
Dreamworld
0418 722 353
from 6PM
1 September 2019
(tentative)
Sunday
RAʼS AL-SANAH AL-HIJRĪYAH
(Islamic New Year)
1st Muharram 1441
16 November
Saturday
Annual Milad-un-Nabi
Al-Mustapha
Institute of Brisbane
TBA
0422 433 074
from 3.30PM to
Maghrib
PLEASE NOTE
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.
Jena
Al-hashimi Grant
is 12 years-old and in
training to be a British
Olympian in taekwondo. She
started training in martial
arts in 2011 when she was 6
years old. She achieved a
black belt in karate in
2013, a black belt in
taekwondo in 2014 and an
orange belt in Hapkido. She
is now preparing for her
second dan grading in
taekwondo which she hopes to
achieve this year. In 2016,
she competed in 10
competitions and took away
13 medals. Of these, 9 were
gold medals. In 2017 Jena
took part in the 2017
Ultimate Taekwondo
Championships in Barnsley.
She missed her target weight
by 0.15kg and was put up to
the -41kg category. She won
the semi-final 30-12 and
went on to bring home gold.
Jena also recently returned
from a championship in
Lisbon, Portugal and
achieved a 1st in the under
14 female teams.
Hasan
Patel,
from East London, was just
15 when he rose to
prominence as a political
activist. In September 2018
he was the youngest ever
delegate to speak at a
national party conference,
representing his
constituency of Leyton and
Wanstead. He addressed the
annual Labour party
conference in 2018, saying
“school’s are being run like
businesses and failing our
school children”. In his
speech, he talked about how
his local youth centre was
shut down as a result of the
financial crisis and
Government austerity
programme, even though he
was only 7 when the
financial crash of 2008
happened. In an interview
with Vice magazine, he spoke
about why he became active
in the Labour party: “The
policies that most appeal to
me are abolishing tuition
fees so that everyone has
the chance to go to
university without any
financial disincentives; the
introduction of a £10/hour
living wage, because the
minimum wage discriminates
against young people; and
Labour’s pledge to build
more homes, because
youngsters around here are
all worried that, once we’re
enough to live on our own,
we’re just gonna get priced
out of this area.” Hassan
has amassed more than 18,000
followers on Twitter.
Multi-faith Redfern in
1900 and observing the 'Sabbath'...
UK:
A man who deliberately drove a car into
a group of pedestrians outside a Muslim
community centre has been jailed for
five years.
A
transformative book urging twenty-first
century-women to embrace their anger and
harness it as a tool for lasting
personal and societal change.
.jpg)
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011