'What words adequately
express the pain and
suffering of 50 men, women
and children lost, and so
many injured?' asked New
Zealand prime minister
Jacinda Ardern during her
address at a memorial
service for the Christchurch
victims.
'I thought there were none.
And then I came here and was
met with this simple
greeting. As-salaam Alaikum.
Peace be upon you.'
She says those words 'have
left us humbled, and they
have left us united.
Adern was speaking at the
National Remembrance Service
in North Hagley Park in
Christchurch, New Zealand to
remember the 50 people
killed in the Christchurch
mosque shootings on 15 March.
Yusuf Islam performs in
Christchurch at national
remembrance service
Now I've been crying
lately, Thinkin' about the
world as it is.
Why must we go on hating,
Why can't we live in bliss?
Yusuf / Cat Stevens performs
Peace Train at the national
remembrance service for the
victims of the Christchurch
mosque terror attack.
Sonny Bill Williams at
National Remembrance Day
Leading By Example | Waleed
Meets NZ PM Jacinda Ardern
Non-Muslims Learn about
Islam in the Mosque which
was Attacked in New Zealand
This is the mosque in New
Zealand in which over 40
people were murdered by a
terrorist. Today the mosque
was opened up to the
community where hundreds of
non-Muslims came to visit.
In this video, John Fontain
from England can be seen
educating people about what
Islam really is.
Organized by AMYN, funeral
prayers were conducted by
the UQ Muslim Chaplain for
the Christchurch victims at
UQ & QUT.
A Message from Christchurch
| Imam Omar Suleiman
"A powerful message from
Christchurch, New Zealand to
all those affected by the
recent terror attack. May
Allah have mercy on all the
victims and grant them a
swift entrance into
Paradise.
This short reminder focuses
on the importance of
grieving with the victims in
a manner that befits the
Prophetic Sunnah and not
that of a passing social
observer."
A Maori Muslim elder, led
the traditional Maori
welcome, the Karanga, for
Punchbowl Boys High School
students in Sydney.
The boys greeted the
custodians of Lakemba Mosque
with the traditional Maori
greeting, the hongi before
performing a heartfelt hymn
to acknowledge the lives
lost in Christchurch and
stand in solidarity with
their Muslim brothers and
sisters.
From
One Friday to Another
by
Shakira Mohammed
Dedicated to the martyrs
in NZ and
the millions who stand by us
From one Friday to another,
to shock and horror I
surrender.
So much loss, so much pain,
how can we remain sane?
From one Friday to another,
to solidarity and kindness,
I surrender.
So much love, so much peace,
how can my heart not be at
ease?
From one Friday to another,
we bury a Muslim one after
the other.
So much strength, so much
power,
as we stand and raise one
another
From one Friday to another,
to Islam and humanity, I
surrender.
So much learnt, so much
felt,
as we lost and found one
another.
Shakira Mohammed is a
teacher at Islamic College
of Brisbane
On the 27th of March,
members of the Brisbane
Muslim Community attended a
workshop outlining the
response of the Queensland
Muslim community to the
Christchurch massacre that
killed 50 people.
The workshop was attended by
forty-two participants from
diverse backgrounds from
health, law, academia,
social work, education,
business and officials from
Council of Imams Queensland
(CIQ) and the Islamic
Council of Queensland (ICQ)
respectively.
The workshop analysed the
timeline of events that took
place in response to the
massacre from the Muslim and
non-Muslim communities. This
included looking at the
broad range of group
responses, the courageous
acts of individuals, the
supportive and
not-so-supportive actions of
public officials as well as
the ongoing efforts that
contribute to social
cohesion.
The workshop highlighted the
need for further
collaboration. There were
many examples of best
practices in the timeline,
however it was noted during
the workshop that there is a
need for greater sharing and
communication of ideas,
resources and practices
across the community.
It was acknowledged that
while we have many different
cultural traditions and
experiences, we share common
dreams and hopes for peace,
security, opportunity,
belonging and prosperity for
our families and loved ones.
Moreover, we must remember
that to be Muslim is to care
for the welfare of humanity.
A report is currently being
compiled from the outcomes
of the workshop that intends
to provide lessons from the
responses to the
Christchurch massacre so
that we may grow as a
community. Without question,
Muslims have suffered, and
continue to suffer, in many
places throughout the world.
We hope that we can meet the
challenges that face our
community through clear and
open channels of
communication and
collaboration with Islamic
bodies, masjids and welfare
groups. We have seen clear
signs of concern and care by
the greater Australian
community which emphasises
our shared humanity.
Now, more than ever, we must
welcome those who show
concern and be patient with
those who are indifferent.
All of us have a role to
play. Perhaps the simplest
charities, like a welcoming
smile, are among the best
ways to build bridges of
understanding and respect.
Sonny Bill Williams' mum Lee
Williams and his teammate Ofa
Tu'ungafasi (far right) have
taken the Shahada, the Islamic
creed declared when accepting
Muhammad as God's prophet
Rugby union star Sonny Bill
Williams' mother and best
friend have converted to
Islam less than a fortnight
after the Christchurch
massacre.
The 33-year-old New Zealand
athlete's mother Lee
Williams and his teammate
Ofa Tu'ungafasi have taken
the Shahada, the Islamic
creed declared when
accepting Muhammad as God's
prophet.
Muslim sheikhs have been
celebrating the news,
including Zimbabwean-based
imam Sajid Umar who showed
his support on Twitter on
Tuesday.
'Just came across great news
that the mother of our
brother @SonnyBWilliams
accepted Islam, along with
his best friend and team
mate. All praises belongs to
Allah alone. He is most
kind. Even though I'm far
away; I am genuinely pleased
for my brother. Allah has
honoured him', he tweeted.
Photos of the ceremony,
posted by fellow converted
Muslim John Fontain, show
Tu'ungafasi dressed in white
tunic alongside Williams.
Lee's and Tu'ungafasi's
religious commitment comes a
decade after Williams
himself became a Muslim and
quit drinking and less than
a fortnight after Australian
gunman Brenton Tarrant
allegedly killed 50 Muslims
at two mosques in
Christchurch.
Williams met with survivors
of the shooting in hospital
on New Zealand's South
Island on Saturday and was
joined by Tu'ungafasi, and
Richmond Tigers player,
Bachar Houli.
The All Blacks centre also
joined hundreds of fellow
Muslims and thousands of
other New Zealanders for
prayers at Hagley Park in
Christchurch last Friday as
the country fell silent to
remember the victims.
Rugby union
star's mother Lee (far right
with her son) converted to Islam
less than a fortnight after the
Christchurch massacre and ten
years after he converted
The two-times World Cup
winner, the first Muslim to
play for the All Blacks, was
visibly shaken by the
shooting and posted a
tearful message of support
on his social media
accounts, shortly after news
of the incident broke.
Williams, whilst fighting
back the tears, said: 'I
just heard the news and I
couldn't put into words how
I'm feeling right now.
'I'm just deeply saddened,
saddened that this would
happen in New Zealand.'
Last year, Williams
travelled to Mosque of the
Prophet in Medina in Saudi
Arabia before making a
pilgrimage to the holy city
of Mecca.
Footage posted to social
media showed Williams being
led into an Islamic prayer
by Sheikh Kamal Abu Mariam
as they stand beside the
grave.
Williams' manager confirmed
to Daily Mail Australia that
Lee Williams converted to
the religion on Tuesday.
Williams' mum had continued
to work as a carer at a
retirement home in
Auckland's Mount Albert
district as her son became a
rugby league star in
Australia and later played
for the New Zealand All
Blacks.
In 2016, he revealed he
managed to buy his mum a
house and regularly helps
out his family members
including New Zealand
Olympic rugby star sister
Nial.
The
DAILY MAIL UK
Ziyaad Shah, a
former Capetonian who was
injured in the deadly attack at
the Al Noor mosque in
Christchurch, New Zealand, got a
surprise visit in hospital from
All Blacks rugby star Sonny Bill
Williams and other rugby players
on Friday.
Shah is recovering from the
bullet wounds he sustained
during last week's horrific
Christchurch mosque shootings
which left 50 people dead.
Lying down in his
hospital bed, 47-year-old Shah,
who was born in Grassy Park and
grew up in Atlantis, was
surrounded by his wife Shamilah,
and their three daughters
Zakkiyyah, Salaamah and Aadilah
as as the New Zealand Prime
Minister Jacinda Ardern also
popped in to visit him.
Sayed Noor Mohamed told News24
that Shah, the uncle of his wife
Aqeeda Maneveld Mohamed, moved
to New Zealand for a better life
for his children.
The fitter has been living in
New Zealand for 12 years, and is
a citizen, coming out to South
Africa every few years to visit
his family.
The youth at the Darra
Mosque organised a hugely
successful Open Day for the
local people who have
supported Muslim community
in the aftermath of the
Christchurch tragedy.
The open invitation to the
event read: In
appreciation of the love and
support we have received due
to the recent tragedy in
Christchurch. Your local
Muslim community welcome you
& your family to join us for
a sausage sizzle. Take a
tour of our place of
worship, chat over some tea
and coffee while the kids
get serious in the colouring
corner.
A constant flow of some four
hundred people called in
during the hours from 10am
to 2pm.
In addition to tours of the
Mosque, there was an
impressive display of
posters explaining the
Islamic religion and
cultures, a henna table,
calligraphy table, dawah
table and children’s
activities.
Guests were treated to
baklav, biscuits, drinks and
tea and coffee. There was
also a sausage sizzle
accompanied by spring rolls
and halva around which the
guests got an opportunity to
meet and greet.
The police were also on duty
and said they appreciated
the hospitality extended to
them.
Many of the visitors
commented that they would
like to visit on more open
days.
David Forde, representing
Multicultural Affairs
Queensland, described the
Open Day as “a wonderful
initiative that was clearly
embraced by non-Muslims who
seemed to be a mix of those
wanting to show solidarity
with Queensland Muslims, and
those who were curious about
Islam and Muslims and wanted
to find out for themselves.
It was a very positive and
inclusive atmosphere. It was
great to sit down and have a
chat with a vast range of
people, both attendees of
the Mosque and visitors.”
The Oxley Nursery gifted
fertiliser for the Foxtail
Palms in the car park.
Six Brisbane Broncos players
visited the Islamic College
of Brisbane this week to
show their support for the
Islamic community and
highlight inclusion,
following the Christchurch
massacre.
"It's just good to show
our support, make sure
everyone knows we're all
valued members of the
community, whatever
background or where you're
from." - Darius Boyd,
Broncos Captain.
Free tickets were given out
for the Thursday game.
On Saturday the 30 March,
the Logan Roos Football Club
hosted a community barbecue
at their clubhouse in Oates
Park Woodridge.
It was sponsored by Logan
City Council and attended by
a wide range of community
members who enjoyed a halal
sausage sizzle at the
majority Muslim soccer club.
The club was able to
celebrate their great
achievements over the past 2
years and share their
success with the community.
Demonstrating to the
community the friendly
family attitude amongst the
club members and their
families.
Duncan Pegg MP with Hazem's
Brisbane family inside
Parliament House
Member for
Stetton, Duncan Pegg speaks in
Parliament about Kuraby local
Hazem Hamouda, who has been
detained without charge in Egypt
for over 14 months.
"
I rise today to speak about
Hazem Hamouda, a 55-yearold
father of six from Kuraby in
my electorate who has been
detained in Egypt now for
over 14 months. I
acknowledge the presence in
the gallery of Hazem's wife
Evelyn, his daughters
Lamisse, Jasmine and Amira
and also his granddaughter
Amalia. The nightmare for
the Hamouda family began
back on 25 January 2018 when
Hazem landed in Cairo for a
two-week holiday with his
family. Hazem was to meet up
with his children Lamisse,
Saja and Haroom, who were
already in Egypt. Hazem
never made it past airport
security. He was detained
for two days at the airport.
For eight days his family
searched for him in Cairo as
they had no idea where he
was. Eventually they found
Hazem in the notorious Tora
Prison where he was kept for
22 hours a day in a nine by
three metre cell in
appalling conditions with 13
other men. He slept on the
floor as there were no beds.
Hazem had trouble getting
the correct medication and
he contracted scabies.
Hazem's daughter Lamisse
gave up her studies and her
job to try to help her
father and also bring him
food.
Over the weekend of 16-17
February this year the
family were informed that
Hazem was due to be released
from Tora Prison on 18 or 19
February 2019 following an
order from the prosecutor
general Nabil Samek. The
family were obviously very
excited when the Department
of Foreign Affairs contacted
them to say that Hazem would
be released with all charges
dropped and they were
understandably distraught
when Hazem was not brought
to the appointed police
station. He had disappeared.
Hazem was eventually located
and finally released in the
early hours of 6 March 2019
having spent 405 days in
arbitrary detention. To make
it clear, at no stage did he
ever have a charge laid
against him and at no stage
was there ever any evidence
presented against Hazem at
any point.
Ultimately, Hazem arrived at
the airport on the evening
of 6 March this year with
his daughter Saja. Their
passports were confiscated
and Hazem was informed that
because he had been in Egypt
for more than six months,
despite the fact the only
reason for him staying
longer than six months was
his detention by Egyptian
authorities, he was required
to produce a national ID
document or a birth
certificate and a military
service exemption permit.
Hazem was unable to produce
his national ID document
because it was lost by the
police during his period of
detention. Plain-clothes
national security officers
were present at the airport
when he was refused the
ability to leave the country
causing Hazem significant
distress and concern he
would again be arrested. He
requested sanctuary in the
Australian Embassy but this
request was refused. Hazem
has since requested the
support of the federal
government to obtain the
relevant documents he needs
to be able to leave the
country and this support has
also been refused.
Currently Hazem is stuck in
Cairo waiting for a military
exemption certificate and
the hearing is happening
this Saturday. While the
federal government has been
offering consular assistance
to the family, this
assistance has been limited.
Hazem has requested further
help from the federal
government so that he can
return back to my local
community. I strongly urge
the federal government and
the Minister for Foreign
Affairs to do all they can
to bring Hazem home.
Peter Greste, the well-known
Australian journalist who
was imprisoned in Egypt, had
this to say about Hazem's
case—
Hazem's torment of
imprisonment without
evidence, without trial
and without due process
has continued far longer
than any respectable
justice system should
allow. I well understand
what Hazem and his
family are going through
and I call on the
Interior Ministry to
correct this injustice
and release Hazem
immediately. I also urge
Australia's foreign
minister Marise Payne to
do all she can to find
the Australian national
and have him returned to
his family in Brisbane.
I want to conclude with the
words of Hazem himself. He
says—
Australia is home. It is
my country. It is who I
am. My release will be
completed when I am
reunited with my family
back home in Australia.
Hazem may not be a famous
sports star, he may not be a
celebrity, but he is a local
father in my community with
a family who loves him. In
fact, he has lived in
Australia for over 30 years.
It is well and truly time to
bring Hazem home, back to
his family and his local
community where he belongs.
"
Duncan Pegg MP outside
Parliament House with supporters
of the #BringHazemHome campaign
Report supplied by
Hurricane Stars Club and edited
On Sunday
March 24, the Zaky and
Friends Live Show was held
at the Islamic College of
Brisbane with more than 240
parents and kids attending
the show.
Zaky and his friends, Kazwa
and Nadeen, sang nasheeds,
danced and entertained the
children, while at the same
time educating them all
about the Greatness of
Allah.
Junaid Ally was an amazing
MC for the show, where he
organised a number of stage
games with the excited kids
during the intermission
break, so that the Zaky team
could have a break from
their very hot costumes.
The games allowed many of
children to come up on to
the stage and win amazing
prizes, like their own plush
Zaky and Kazwa toys.
The show was a great
success, with parents and
kids having so much fun and
having nothing but praise
for the professional show
being put on. We are very
happy to say that 100% of
all ticket sales during the
School shows as well as the
Sunday Live Show goes back
to One4Kids to help towards
making more Zaky animations
in the future.
The Hurricane Stars Club
team was very excited to
volunteer their time to
support these shows as a
sadaqah jariyyah towards
future productions and
developments of Halal
Islamic children
entertainment. As part of
fundraising efforts, the
Hurricane Stars Club had a
stall at the show selling
hot food, desserts, drinks,
popcorn and fairy floss.
Parents and children lined
up patiently to order and it
was a pleasure to see
exemplary behaviours from
all attendees. Indeed this
bodes well for the future of
the younger generations that
usually learn more from
actions rather than words of
their parents.
We are very grateful to
Sunny Meats butcher shop in
Sunnybank Hills Shoppingtown
for sponsoring the delicious
sausages for the sausage
sizzle and the Cheesecake
Shop in Sunnybank Hills for
providing amazing desserts
that quickly sold out, both
Muslim-owned businesses who
are always very supportive.
We also would like to thank
some amazing ladies in the
community who made and
donated delicious cupcakes
and cakes for us to sell.
All funds raised from the
food sales will go back
towards supporting the
various Hurricane Stars
Club’s volunteer-run
community programs. It was
an amazing experience for
the Hurricane Stars Club
team and an honour to meet
and help the talented
founder and manager of
One4Kids Subhi Alshaik and
his staff and family. We
look forward to their return
in Ramadan to premiere their
new Ramadan-themed Zaky film
as well as further
cooperation with them in the
future in shaa Allah.
Lead up
to organizing the event
On October 2018, the
Hurricane Stars Club saw the
advertisements for the Zaky
and Friends Live Show in
Sydney and they contacted
the One4Kids team in Sydney
and volunteered to help them
bring the show to Brisbane
for the first time.
Members of the Hurricane
Stars Club have children
that have grown up watching
Zaky's songs and dvds so
they were all excited and
passionate to support the
development of Islamic
animations for children.
More than that, these
efforts are to promote Halal
entertainment alternatives
that are of high quality,
engaging as well as
educating for Muslim
children.
The Hurricane Stars Club
team volunteered their time
to help One4Kids to organize
school shows for the younger
grades at Brisbane’s two
Islamic schools, the Islamic
College of Brisbane and the
Australian International
Islamic College. Then they
also coordinated a Sunday
Live Show on stage at
Islamic College of Brisbane
open to all, especially for
those children who do not
attend the Islamic schools.
Promoting the show was not
an easy task. Other than
using social media to
announce the coming of Zaky
and Friends to Brisbane, our
volunteers have spent the
past month going around
Brisbane’s mosques handing
out flyers after Jummah to
promote the upcoming show.
We also had to stand at the
gates of several schools
with majority of Muslim
students at pickup time to
handout flyers to parents.
After all the hard work of
promoting, it was at last
the time for the One4 Kids
team to arrive in Brisbane.
They stayed for one week and
the Hurricane Stars Club
team volunteered to bring
them around Brisbane for
Meet and Greet sessions
beginning with babies and
toddlers in our own Little
Stars Playgroup and also
with kids in the local
madrassahs and to the school
shows. Children of all ages
(and teachers!) enjoyed
interacting with Zaky and
these sessions have
increased awareness of the
good work that One4Kids are
doing in children
entertainment.
To be updated on our
programs and activities for
the community, please like
and follow our FB page or
Instagram account "Hurricane
Stars Club".
By Ammarah Seedat,
President of the UQ Muslimah Society
The UQ Muslimah Society in
collaboration with the UQ
Arab Association, held its
International Women’s Day
Brunch on Sunday 10 March at
the beautiful Newstead
Studios.
The sold out event with over
100 guests was an
opportunity to mingle,
network and listen to
empowering and inspirational
speakers. The event boasted
an art exhibition from local
artists such as ceramic
artist Ronelle Clarke, Fifth
Dimension artist Gabrielle
Conescu, LovelyLane
Creations founder Andrea
South and Islamic artist
Shaheda Osman Prints.
The talented Huda
Fadlelmawla delivered a
powerful spoken word piece,
and vocal performer Aaishah
Ahmed made her debut
appearance. Journalist,
producer and founder of
‘Mindful Living’, Lujayn
Hawari gave the keynote
speech.
The female entrepreneur
panel and Q&A provided great
insight and advice to young
women wanting to start
business ventures; whilst
the Creators of Change panel
and Q&A inspired guests to
make impactful change in
their communities.
The Hajera Bibi Seedat
Emerging Leader of the Year
award for 2019 was presented
to Aryana Mahmood for her
selfless commitment and
involvement with the QLD
Afghan Community
Association.
Guests were treated to a
delicious grazing board
brunch catered by Events By
Aysha (Aysha Sabdia), and a
beautiful four-tiered, rose
gold lace cake was kindly
donated by Sweet Pea
Creations (Yasmin Omar).
The event concluded with an
uplifting group affirmation
practice, and each guest
received a luxury pamper
giftbox.
JazakAllah to our lovely
guests and sponsors (Islamic
Council of Queensland,
Pascoe Vale Rd Family Clinic
and Senator Larissa Waters)
for supporting our events.
The
Premier of Queensland,
Annastacia Palaszczuk held a
Harmony Day Reception at
Parliament House this week.
Ms Nadia Saeed (pictured
above) was the
keynote speaker and told the
audience of her experiences
growing up as a Muslim in
Queensland as well as her
reflections on global issues
currently at play in the
world.
(l to r)Princess
Lakshman, Farah Scott, Cornelia
Babbage, Kirsty Peterson, and
Senator Larissa Waters
On
the morning of Thursday 28
March, Muslim ladies
attended a delightful day
full of fun activities under
the theme Crafting the
Future.
Held at Islamic Women’s
Association of Australia (IWAA)
the event was co-hosted by
the Greens Senator for
Queensland, Senator Larissa
Waters, the Hurricane Stars
Club and Multicultural
Families Organisation (MFO).
The day began with a welcome
to the country by Kiana
Piazetta Charlton and a
welcome note by Senator
Waters. Larissa, who is a
mum of two herself. She
emphasized the importance of
affordable childcare for
everyone leading on to
similar options for TAFE and
affordable University
education.
After a brief introduction,
the audience broke into
small groups and started the
first activity of the day.
All attendees including
Senator Waters designed
their vision boards, on the
theme ‘women in 21st century
and what we want’.
It was empowering to see
women from all different
ethnicities and backgrounds
working in the same space
creating their own boards
and helping each other with
ideas. They later reflected
on the strong sense of
independence and positivity
that they felt.
After the first activity was
over everyone who wanted to
pray, took a prayer break
followed by delicious lunch
from around the world.
There were flavours of
Bosnian Ricotta Pasteries,
Pakistani Chana Chaat, Pizza
Bread, Iraqi Hummus,
Lebanese Baklava and last
but not least some delish
handcrafted cookies
handcrafted by Radical
Passion Cakes. The cookies
were stamped with slogans
like ‘all equal- all
different’, ‘here to stay’,
‘the future is female’,
‘sweet and strong’.
The second activity started
with formal welcome by
Senator Waters sent her
condolences to the wider
Muslim community on the
Christchurch terrorist
attack. She assured the
Muslim community of Greens
unrelenting support and
solidarity in these testing
times. A panel discussion on
diverse issues involving
women followed suit.
Our panellists included
Princess Lakshman from the
Muslimah Mind Matters, Farah
Scott from the Hurricanes
Stars Club, Cornelia
Babbage; the Queen of
Multiculturalism, wearing
her Queenie tiara and a
dazzling attire from the
Multiculturalism Families
Organization Gold Coast,
Kirsty Peterson (Greens
candidate for Forde) family
lawyer and mediator.
The panel was moderated by
Senator Larissa Waters . We
heard moving stories of
courage and determination
from these brave women
focusing on women’s
wellbeing in general.
The panel concluded after
the question answer session
and everyone took pictures
with their smashing cookies.
Amongst other members from
Greens, IWAA, MFO, Hurricane
stars club were Patsy
O’Brien, Greens candidate
for Moreton and Tracy
Burton, Greens candidate for
Fisher.
The day ended on a sweaty
note when all the women
moved their muscles in a
very energetic exercise
session.
It was day designed in a way
that women from all cultural
backgrounds could feel
relaxed in a space where
they felt comfortable and
safe.
Panellists: Roxane Gay,
Writer, editor and 'Bad
Feminist'; Tony Burke,
Manager of Opposition
Business; Mehreen Faruqi,
Greens Senator for New South
Wales; Simon Cowan, Research
director, Centre for
Independent Studies; and
Teena McQueen, Federal
Vice-President Liberal
Party.
Selected extracts:
MEHREEN FARUQI
But the...it also says... If
we look at the letter, it
also says that there was
intervention in spreading
fake news, that there was
intervention and hacking of
Democratic Party emails. So,
we should be really
concerned about that. But I
think, if we are concerned
about what Trump means for
the US, what Trump means for
the world, then we should be
concerned about his
politics. His politics of
racism. You know, he’s
had... He’s called for a
travel ban from people from
Muslim countries. He is
demonising Mexican
immigrants. He is a
standard-bearer for sexism.
He’s cutting back women’s
rights to choose. That’s
what we should be worried
about. That’s what we should
be calling out every single
day and helping our friends
in the US to get rid of him
at the next election.
MEHREEN FARUQI
Um, Rabia, I completely feel
for you and your pain. Like,
we are all shattered still
from what happened in
Christchurch and, you know,
we are still grieving for
the friends and families of
the targets of the horrific
terrorist attack. Uh, but,
you know, since the attack
has happened – and even
before the attack had
happened – um, you know,
Muslim Australians, for
years, had been talking
about this hate speech, this
vilification, this
demonisation of migrants and
of Muslims that had started
happening in Australia, but
in the highest office of
Australia. And we had been
saying that this is
damaging, this is hurting,
and this will have
consequences. But it wasn’t
just us saying it. It wasn’t
just me saying it. You know,
our previous Race
Discrimination Commissioner
has clearly said that, you
know, what he has seen, what
research suggested – that
hate speech and political
violence are linked. In the
aftermath of this attack,
the New Zealand Prime
Minister Jacinda Ardern
wasn’t shy of saying that,
you know, hate speech leads
to extremism. There are
experts in the UK who have
said that, you know,
mainstream newspapers, when
they spread this hate, they
do actually feed the
radicalisation of far-right
extremists.
MEHREEN FARUQI
Referring to a ‘final
solution’ – that’s not
subtle. You know, calling
for a certain community in
Australia – and this is
Minister Peter Dutton I’m
referring to – that it was a
mistake to let them in? That
is not subtle. I think there
is a clear difference
between freedom of speech
and hate speech. We do not
have to blur the line. Like,
in a democracy, I would
defend freedom of speech to
the nth degree, but I will
never, never say that hate
speech is freedom of speech.
But I think what’s really
important here as well is
that, you know, our leaders
are not learning. This is
what has put me in a bit of
despair after Christchurch,
is that we have been saying
this for years. We are still
saying this. And, you know,
neither Scott Morrison nor
any of the Liberal-National
government are actually
listening. They’re just
dismissing it as if, you
know, it doesn’t mean
anything. They have to admit
that this has been
happening, they have allowed
it to happen, they have to
reflect and they have to
change.
The Multicultural Queensland
Awards recognise the
valuable contributions of
Queenslanders who support
and promote an inclusive,
harmonious and united
Queensland community.
The most prestigious and
longest running
Multicultural Awards program
in the state, the
Multicultural Queensland
Awards provide individuals
and organisations with a
unique opportunity to
showcase their achievements,
best practice and
innovation.
The awards not only
highlight the value of
diversity, but also open
doors for winners and
finalists.
Nominations for the 2019
awards are now open until
Thursday 18 April 2019.
The 2019 Award Categories
are:
Outstanding Young
Achiever
Outstanding Individual
Achiever
Community
Business
Government (local)
Government (state)
Education, training and
skills
Media
There will also be a
Minister’s Multicultural
Award that recognises the
outstanding achievements of
a finalist, selected by the
Minister for Multicultural
Affairs from all finalists.
Four finalists will be
selected under each
category. One winner will be
selected from the finalists
and recognised with an award
at the Multicultural
Queensland Awards dinner to
be held on Friday 30 August
2019, during Multicultural
Queensland Month.
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.......
Sankore University Award for
Excellence in EDUCATION
Esmail
Suleman Patel
is profoundly deaf and uses
British Sign Languages. He
is one of the founders and
CEO of Deaf Education
Advocacy Fellowship (DEAF).
He is very passionate, an
excellent deaf role model
and a valuable contributor
to the deaf Muslim community
in the country. Esmail has
been recognised and honoured
for his brilliant work by
the public/private sectors,
health and police service
and educational
establishment.
He is believed to be the
first deaf entrepreneur ever
in the UK, and he’s also
been working in partnership
with over 10,000
organisations to make a
difference in peoples lives.
Imran
Awan is an Professor of
Criminology at Birmingham
City University whose public
engagement and expertise
research on hate crime and
Islamophobia is deeply
impactful.
His recent report presented
in Parliament examined how
non-Muslim British men
suffer Islamophobia. His
leading research has a
public outfacing approach as
he uses his work to engage
with local Muslim
communities.
His exhibition on
Islamophobia raises
awareness of this issue
within the grassroots
communities. His work
continues to provide a
much-needed antidote to
difficult times in which
hate crimes have increased.
His work at the Governmental
level continues to shape
policy and help victims of
hate crime.
Dr
Musharraf Hussain is the
compiler of a new Qur’an
translation called The
Majestic Qur’an.
It has been lauded as an
excellent translation,
revealing the clear message
of the Holy Qur’an in plain
English language and style.
A special feature of this
translation is that he has
added section headings for
the sake of clarity. These
headings correspond to major
themes and subject matter
presented in the text. The
headings of each section are
not just attention-grabbing
but reflect its contents,
themes and specific topics
that help the reader to
understand the words of
Allah.
The Majestic Qur’an is a
must read for those who want
to understand the message
and teachings of Islam.
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.
CONCLUSION
If you look at the long
history of Australia, the
initial interfaith dialogue
between the Yolgnu (and
others) and Macassans
represented a high point in
regional meso level
interfaith dialogue. This
mirrored the way Islamic
traders with their Sufi
teachers moved into
Indonesia between the 7th
and 13th centuries.
It seems to have allowed
true two-way conversation to
have taken place, with
mutual respect offered from
both sides. Once Australia
was colonised, monologue was
the rule. White Anglo Saxon
Protestant was the preferred
hegemony, to the detriment
of the Indigenous population
and other migrants.
This monologue painted
anyone outside the required
profile as the different
other. What we see from the
public record is a small
group of mostly devout
Muslims trying to live in a
strange country with some
even stranger customs. The
individuals discussed in
this article represent a
small portion of the stories
available.
However, they demonstrate
attempts by the early
Australian ummato be heard.
They engaged in a range of
individual and community
negotiations and used any
opportunity to demonstrate
their good intent and the
nature of their religion. In
doing so, they set the scene
for the next period and the
waves of migration to come
after 1945. The legacy of
the early Muslim migrants
has only recently been
written back into history.
What is apparent from our
past historical writings is
not what is there, but what
is missing. As an example,
Manning Clarke’s opus, The
Complete History of
Australia, make no mention
of the Afghans or early
Muslim migrants throughout
the six volumes, despite
their contribution to early
infrastructure building.
This cannot be seen as the
fault of the Afghans,
Albanians or other Muslim
migrants, many of whom
attempted to have their
voices heard above the often
racist white noise emanating
for much of our early
colonial history. What is
apparent is that, throughout
Australian history, dialogue
has waxed and waned. It
would be disingenuous to
talk of this early colonial
Islamic dialogue as true
interfaith dialogue.
Post colonisation, the
initial dialogue with
non-Christian religions
occurred at a micro level.
Miners, farmers and
squatters probably engaged
in dialogue with Afghans and
Indians through necessity,
despite the colonial
narrative emphasising White
European’s social
superiority. This initial
research touched the tip of
the iceberg.
Further research through
private holdings and
un-digitised records should
enable a more complete
exploration of dialogue in
the early days of colonial
Australia that has led to
the establishment of our
current range of interfaith
dialogue organisations.
Christchurch
needs to be a
defining moment
for Muslims in
the West
By Fahim
Khondaker
Fahim
Khondaker
speaking
with the
Brisbane
Lions at
the
Gabba.
As a Muslim, I
have been
overwhelmed by
the kindness
shown towards us
since the
Christchurch
attack and was
physically
reduced to tears
while reflecting
on it yesterday.
But I cannot
blame anyone for
thinking that
the public
sympathy
directed towards
Muslims in New
Zealand and
Australia over
the last week is
now reaching a
point of being a
little too much.
Taking cues from
Prime Minister
Jacinda Arden
and the people
of New Zealand,
thousands of
Australians
attended prayer
services and
vigils to #standtogether
in solidarity
with the Muslim
community.
The media ran
countless
stories with a
positive
sentiment on
Muslims (and hit
pause on the
relentless
negative ones we
are all
accustomed to).
AFL and NRL
football clubs
including the
Brisbane Lions
and Brisbane
Broncos made
significant
public
statements of
support at home
games.
Kochie did a
strangely
aggressive
interview with
Pauline Hanson
on Sunrise.
Waleed Aly’s
video hit more
than 12 million
views and Prime
Minister Scott
Morrison
publicly
referred to us
as his "Muslim
brothers and
sisters".
There can be no
denying that
Muslims, who
form a mere 2
per cent of
Australia’s
population, have
been showered
with love this
week – and for
that, I am truly
grateful.
Many people are
now asking
whether the
Christchurch
attack means
that everyone
has to blindly
love Islam and
Muslims? Of
course not,
nobody is
seeking that.
It does
not need to
allay any fears
or criticism of
Islam that one
may have –
people are free
to dislike the
religion. Do we
as Muslims like
this? No, but we
also understand
that people are
allowed to be a
critic of our
religion.
All we are
hoping for is
that people now
realise that the
manner in which
this criticism
has been
expressed over
the past decade
has had severe
consequences on
our mental and
physical health
– and 51 people
lost their lives
for it (may they
rest in peace).
If we were to
push the
envelope, we
would hope that
people would
make an effort
to understand
Muslims and
Islam better and
be accepting of
our right to
practice it.
It is, after
all, a religion
that is
centuries old
and features
well-known
prophets such as
Jesus, Moses,
Abraham and Noah
(peace be upon
them).
Yet it is
misunderstood
and frequently
misrepresented
in 'Western'
countries today.
Islam shares one
thing in common
with
vaccinations –
the internet is
flooded with
misinformation
on the matter.
The Christchurch
attack has
reminded
everyone (or in
many cases made
them realise for
the first time)
that Muslims are
also human and
that we can be
and are victims
of terrorism
too.
As bad as
it sounds, it
feels almost as
if we have had
to go through
something this
horrific to earn
our right to
sympathy from
many quarters of
our society. It
didn’t matter
that thousands
of Muslims lost
their lives on
9/11 and the
countless other
terrorist
attacks since.
Many Muslims,
particularly
hijab-wearing
women who are
easily
identifiable as
such, have
feared for many
years that a
violent attack
on Muslims
living in
Western
countries was
inevitable.
The
dehumanisation
of Muslims and
the negative
rhetoric towards
Islam was only
ever going to
inspire an
attack like
this. Most of us
had internalised
this fear given
that we were
always told that
Islamophobia is
something we
have made up to
get ahead in
life.
We were too
small in numbers
to take on that
battle. We
focused,
instead, on
protecting our
children from
the hatred as
best as we
could.
There have been
terrorist
attacks at
mosques in
Canada and the
UK in recent
years, but those
attacks didn’t
elicit the raw
emotional
response of the
Christchurch
massacre.
Perhaps it was
the brazenness
of the alleged
attacker or the
fact that it was
so close to
home.
Whatever the
reason, it has
galvanised our
society. A line
has been crossed
and we all agree
on that.
This week
Australians
proved that we
can all get
along and care
for one another
irrespective of
our religious
and/or other
differences.
We proved
that we can
drown out the
voices of the
minority who
spread hatred
among us and
give courage to
the silent
majority to
politely speak
out against
hatred in all
its forms
whenever and
wherever they
see it.
I have seen many
people
expressing
inclusive views
to counter
hatred in social
media
conversations.
Before
Christchurch,
they would have
let it be or
worse, joined in
– their courage
gives me hope.
As Australians,
it is our
collective
responsibility
to ensure that
such behaviour
is sustainable
in the long
term. We have an
opportunity to
seize the
momentum and
deliver a
significant blow
to the messages
of hatred before
they can rise
again.
March 15,
2019, the date
of the
Christchurch
attack, can be
our defining
moment as a
society if we
choose it to be.
The great thing
is, if we are
all involved, we
only need to do
something very
small to have a
huge impact.
We cannot afford
to be complacent
about this, our
future and that
of our children
depends on it.
Fahim Khondaker
is a chartered
accountant and
management
consultant
working at a
multinational
professional
services firm in
Brisbane. He is
also actively
involved with a
number of
organisations
which promote
social cohesion
and
understanding
including
Multicultural
Development
Australia, the
Islamic Council
of Queensland,
and the
Queensland
Government’s
Social Cohesion
Implementation
Committee. He
can be found on
Twitter: @Fahim_Khondaker
Senator Jordon Steele-John
sums up the problem with
Australian politics.
Greens Senator Jordon
Steele-John has given a
damning assessment of why
Australia's politicians are
failing the public.
Baba's Talk Show: Halal
Cosmetics
Hussain Baba
3D model of the burial
site of prophet Muhammad (pbuh)
IlmFeed
Andrew Bolt vs Senator
Richard Di Natale
ScoMo: Where the bloody
hell were ya?
The Weekly
Trudeau condemns
Christchurch attack
ABC News
Politics
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.
Democrats finally rally behind
besieged Muslim congresswoman
US: House of Representatives Speaker,
Nancy Pelosi, finally backed Minnesota
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar from
accusations of anti-Semitism following
the uproar against her remarks on the
influence of Israel lobby on US
lawmakers.
“I feel confident that her words were
not based on any anti-Semitic attitude,”
said Pelosi on March 7 almost a month
after the freshman lawmaker faced a
barrage of Islamophobic and racist hate
for questioning the uncritical support
that many members of Congress give
Israel’s increasingly hardline,
right-wing Government.
On February 11, Democrat leaders
criticised Omar – one of two Muslim
congresswomen – for tweets that implied
that money spent by pro-Israel lobbying
organisations, such as the American
Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC),
was fueling American politicians’
support of Israel.
Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and
Majority Whip, Jim Clyburn, criticised
the tweets, with the Democratic House
leadership releasing a statement that
called Omar’s tweets anti-Semitic and
“deeply offensive.”
Omar issued an apology the next day,
stating, “I am grateful for Jewish
allies and colleagues who are educating
me on the painful history of
anti-Semitic tropes”, however, she
insisted she is reaffirming “the
problematic role of lobbyists in our
politics, whether it be AIPAC, the NRA
or the fossil fuel industry”.
Omar came under criticism for a second
time after she told a progressive town
hall meeting on February 27 that critics
labelling her an anti-Semite looked to
silence a necessary conversation. “I
want to talk about the political
influence in this country that says it
is OK for people to push for allegiance
to a foreign country.”
Omar has been subject to a series of
Islamophobic hate and death threats. On
March 1, the West Virginia Republican
Party held ‘WV GOP Day,’ an event to
celebrate the Republican Party, at the
West Virginia Capitol. An exhibitor
displayed a poster at the event falsely
connecting Omar to the 9/11 terrorist
attacks, along with Islamophobic flyers.
Omar pointed to the poster as an example
of why she is targeted with violence,
also citing white nationalist domestic
terrorist Christopher Hasson placing her
on his hit list and “Assassinate Ilhan
Omar” being written in a Minnesota gas
station.
The FBI arrested Hasson, who was
allegedly plotting to assassinate
various journalists and left-of-centre
figures and organisations in the US,
including Omar.
Muslims Invited To Pray Inside
Synagogue After Fire Damages Their Mosque
Nearly 600 Muslims prayed inside
New York's Central Synagogue
last Friday, after being
displaced from their own worship
space.
Central
Synagogue is a historic Reform
Jewish congregation located in
midtown Manhattan.
US: When a New York mosque discovered
that a fire had rendered their worship
space unusable for Friday prayers, a
neighboring Reform Jewish congregation
jumped into action ― inviting the
Muslims to pray inside their synagogue.
The spontaneous, last-minute invitation
resulted in a profound moment of
interfaith solidarity at New York City’s
historic Central Synagogue, senior
cantor Daniel Mutlu told HuffPost.
“We talk a lot about the unity of people
and the unity of love and that was so
apparent on that day,” Mutlu said.
Mutlu said he and other clergy and
members of Central Synagogue gathered
outside the Islamic Society of
Mid-Manhattan last Friday afternoon to
show support for local Muslims in light
of New Zealand’s mosque massacres.
The March 15 shootings at two
Christchurch mosques killed 50 people
and injured dozens of others. The
attacks, which occurred during weekly
congregational prayer services, left
many American Muslims anxious about
security at their own mosques and
Islamic institutions.
Congregants arrived at the Islamic
Society of Mid-Manhattan on Friday
afternoon to participate in the weekly
prayer service and grieve together on
the one-week anniversary of the attacks.
But a fire in a restaurant located
underneath the mosque on Wednesday
damaged the worship space, NBC 4 New
York reported.
The congregation’s imam was hoping
inspectors would determine it was safe
enough for people to enter on Friday,
Mutlu said. It soon became clear that
they would not be able to worship in
their usual building.
After realizing the swelling crowd of
worshippers could be turned away, a
rabbi from Central Synagogue told the
imam that the Muslims were welcome to
worship inside its building, about a
block away, Mutlu said. The imam
accepted the offer and the rabbis led
the Muslim congregation down the street
to doors of the synagogue.
Muslims from
the Islamic Society of
Mid-Manhattan worshipping inside
Central Synagogue.
Ultimately, Mutlu estimates close to 600
Muslims packed into the synagogue’s
Pavilion event space to worship on
Friday. The worshippers took their shoes
off and sat in rows on the floor, facing
Mecca, he said.
In a sermon, which was posted online by
the Forward, the Islamic Society of
Mid-Manhattan’s imam called it the “most
blessed moment” in his life in New York.
He thanked God that he and his
congregants were able “to witness the
love and the care of our neighbors.”
The imam later led his congregation in a
call and response, in which members
enthusiastically prayed for blessings on
the synagogue and its rabbis.
Mutlu said it was an “incredible sight”
that illustrated to him that even though
there are differences in the ways that
Jews and Muslims pray, there are many
more things that unite these two
religious groups.
From left)
Rabbi Ari Lorge, Rabbi Stephanie
Kolin, Imam Ahmed Dewidar and
Cantor Daniel Mutlu pose for a
photograph at Central Synagogue.
“What it meant to us is that we need to
lean into love and focus on what we
share, focus on really taking care of
each other,” he said about the service.
The cantor said that the mosque had
asked to use the synagogue’s space again
this coming Friday ― and that Central
Synagogue is ready to “welcome them with
open arms.”
“One person can cause a lot of damage
and cause a lot of pain,” Mutlu said,
referring to the New Zealand shooter.
“But we can come together and we can
heal.”
“These are the stories we should uplift,
these are the moments where we truly
find out who our neighbours are,” he
said.
Israeli Journalist Gideon Levy
Supports Ilhan Omar’s Critique of Israel
Gideon Levy,
Haaretz columnist and member of
the newspaper’s editorial board
interviewed.
US: The House of
Representatives overwhelmingly passed a
resolution Thursday condemning
anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim
discrimination, white supremacy and
other forms of hate, following a week of
debate among congressional Democrats.
The controversy began
after some lawmakers accused Democratic
Congressmember Ilhan Omar of invoking
anti-Semitic tropes while questioning
U.S. foreign policy on Israel. The House
leadership initially drafted a
resolution condemning anti-Semitism in
what was seen as a direct rebuke of
Omar.
But many progressive
Democrats said Omar, one of the first
two Muslim Congresswoman in U.S.
history, was unfairly being singled out.
The split within the Democratic Party
forced the leadership to withdraw its
initial resolution and then present a
much broader one.
Congressmember Ilhan Omar
voted for and praised the new resolution
in a joint statement with fellow Muslim
lawmakers Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and
André Carson of Indiana.
“With her
long skirt and headscarf Layla certainly
stands out at her new high school.
Everyone thinks they know her, just from
a glance. But do they? And does Layla
really know herself?”
Layla's mind goes a million miles a
minute, so does her mouth –
unfortunately her better judgement can
take a while to catch up! Although she
believes she was justified for doing
what she did, a suspension certainly
isn't the way she would have wished to
begin her time at her fancy new high
school. Despite the setback, Layla's
determined to show everyone that she
does deserve her scholarship and sets
her sights on winning a big invention
competition. But where to begin?
Looking outside and in, Layla will need
to come to terms with who she is and who
she wants to be if she has any chance of
succeeding.
Jam-packed with heart and humour You
Must Be Layla by Yassmin Abdel-Magied
reveals a powerful new voice in
children’s writing. Touching on the
migrant experience and exploring
thought-provoking themes relevant to all
teens, this book shows the strength
required to be a Queen with a capital
‘Q’.
KB says:
A secret to really moist cakes is to place an
oven resistant bowl (I use a ramekin) of water
in your oven when baking as it will keep the
cake moist.
Sara Lee Pound Cake
INGREDIENTS & METHOD
Ingredients
125g butter (softened)
1 cup castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
3 eggs
4 tsp baking powder
1 Ľ cup flour
Ľ cup milk
Ľ cup double cream yoghurt
Method
Beat all the ingredients together for 4 mins pour into deep
greased loaf pan or bundth tin and bake in a preheated 175
degree oven for approx. 30mins.
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.
Q:
Dear Kareema, how can I burn more kilojoules
during my treadmill run?
A:
You’ll find that outdoor running is more
challenging and typically burns more kilojoules
than slogging away on your treadmill.
So mix up your running routine to get the most
out of each run. Alternate between your incline
and speed to get out of your comfort zone and
spike your heart rate. Try interval-training
where you sprint for 30 secs and then recover by
walking for 30 secs – repeat.
Another fun idea is to alternate treadmill
sprints with body weight exercises.
Sprint for 30 secs, hop off and do some lunges,
squats, push-ups, etc., and get back on the
treadmill for more sprints.
Welcome to my weekly
column on
Self-Care and
Clarity of Mind.
If you’re taking
time out to read
this, pat yourself
on the back because
you have shown
commitment to taking
care of your mind
and body.
Today, In Shaa
ALLAH, we will
explore the topic:
Enrich Your Life
Pause for a few
seconds and reflect
upon your life. Ask
yourself some tough
questions. Most
times people ask
themselves questions
that are focussed on
material enrichment,
for example, how
much money do I
have? Is it enough?
Should I get another
degree to get a
better job? Am I
earning enough?
Should I stop
renting and buy a
house to keep up
with societal
expectations, even
if that means paying
riba to the bank?
Should I buy this or
buy that?
These are actually
what I call the “band-aid
questions”.
Answering these band
aid questions will
merely cover the
deep, unaddressed
yearnings of life
and keep you
enslaved to objects.
So, how about you
ask yourself the
real questions that
will open your mind
and let you enrich
your life with
spiritual abundance?
Questions like, are
you satisfied with
how you are
responding to
circumstances? Are
you content with
your behaviours? Are
you in complete
submission to your
Creator? Are you a
better individual
today than you were
yesterday?
These tough
questions require
immense
self-reflection and
not everybody is
ready to confront
the revelations that
come about from
self-reflection. The
best part about
self-reflection is
that you will not
only experience a
breakthrough in
terms of finding
crystal clarity
about all the things
that may be unclear
with your life
presently but you
will also become so
much closer to
ALLAH.
Enrichment of life
comes through
self-reflection,
followed by
self-transformation
into a better
person, a more
enlightened being,
who responds to
situations with
absolute faith and
submission to the
flow of the
Creator’s plans. A
being who fully
accepts that this
life is temporary
therefore all
accumulated material
objects is also
temporary and
meaningless. A being
who appreciates and
expresses gratitude
to ALLAH rather than
complains and
compares about their
life based on other
peoples’ meaningless
material possessions
or social status. A
being who
understands that
solutions to life’s
challenges, such as,
marriage, family,
workplace, national
politics, and so on,
come not from
intimidation and
retaliation but from
respect and
understanding and
from a consistent
daily practice of
peace and kindness
to self and others.
How To Enrich
Your Life
Understanding where
you are today and
examining how you
arrived at that
place in your life
will help you
understand what you
really want. Take
each of the four
primary areas of
your life and
examine them.
Health
Relationships
1. How do I
feel in my
physical
health?
2. Why do I
feel this
way?
3. How do
feel in my
mental
health?
4. Why do I
feel this
way?
5. How do I
want to feel
in my
overall
health?
6. What can
I do right
now to
achieve my
health
goals?
1. How do I
feel in my
relationships?
2. Why do I
feel this
way about my
relationships?
3. Who are
the people
that bring
out the best
in me?
4. Who are
the people
who trigger
negativity
in me?
5. What do I
need to do
to enhance
my
relationship
with
positive
people and
minimise my
relationship
with
negative
people?
Spiritual
Growth
Work/
Business
1. How often
am I
connecting
with ALLAH
in silence?
2. How do I
feel when I
connect with
ALLAH?
3. What can
I do right
now to
connect more
with ALLAH?
4. How am I
being of
service to
my
community?
5. How do I
feel about
the way I
practise
Islam?
6. What can
I do to
become a
better
person today
than the
person I was
yesterday?
1. Is what I
do for work
or in my
business
fulfilling
me?
2. How do I
feel about
my work/
business?
3. Why do I
feel this
way?
4. What does
my ideal
job/
business
look like if
I visualised
it in my
mind right
now?
5. What can
I do right
now to start
the process
of attaining
this ideal
job/
business?
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.
A
very beautiful woman enters the Jallalludin's shop
and asks him if the shop belongs to him.
Jallalludin was struck by the beauty of the woman and
answered:
"Yes of course, it's my shop! And this is the smallest!
I have 3 others! I also have 5 cars and 10 massive
houses. And I have billions of dirhams in my account.
And best of all, I am free and I can get married again."
The beautiful woman said:
"I'm delighted! My name is Fatima Jallo, Tax Officer".
Jallalludin quickly replied: "I'm the biggest liar in the neighbourhood, you can ask all my friends and neighbours.
Wallahi, I am a very big liar!!!"
Many are the Jinns and men
We have made for Hell: they
have hearts wherewith they
understand not, eyes
wherewith they see not, and
ears wherewith they hear
not. They are like cattle, -
nay more misguided: for they
are heedless (of warning).
Please mark your
calendars for
Sisters Support
Services
Multicultural
Fete on Sunday
the 7 April ! 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 !
Yassen Khatam, Lecture, Naat and Salawaat un Nabi.
Bring a plate to share.
IWAA
Community Action
for
Multicultural
Society (CAMS)
Coordinators are
pleased to
invite you to a
Community
Connections Day
Expo at IWAA
Hall, 11 Watland
St, SPRINGWOOD,
on Wednesday 3rd
April 2019 from
10am - 1pm
The idea behind
this expo is to
promote the
range of
services that
service
providers/
organisations
provide to you
as a consumer in
order to enhance
access of Muslim
women to
mainstream
agencies, while
also assisting
mainstream
agencies
identify
strategies to
effectively
engage Muslim
women.
Come along to
the Expo and
meet service
providers and
agencies (such
as Centrelink,
TAFE, Australian
Taxation Office,
Office of Fair
Trade, etc) who
can give you
support and
advice.
This is a free
event, so come
along and bring
your family and
friends.
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."
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.
On
the morning of Thursday 28
March, Muslim ladies
attended a delightful day
full of fun activities under
the theme Crafting the
Future.
Esmail
Suleman Patel
is profoundly deaf and uses
British Sign Languages. He
is one of the founders and
CEO of Deaf Education
Advocacy Fellowship (DEAF).
Imran
Awan is an Professor of
Criminology at Birmingham
City University whose public
engagement and expertise
research on hate crime and
Islamophobia is deeply
impactful.
Dr
Musharraf Hussain is the
compiler of a new Qur’an
translation called The
Majestic Qur’an.
A well organised group of Muslims in
Queensland... c.1914.
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7
August 2011