The Islamic Women's
Association of Australia (IWAA)
hosted an evening of
reflection and recollection
for refugee mothers and
their daughters this week.
Through sharing their
stories, different
generations of 14 women
reflected on the past and
shared their stories of what
it means to be an Australian
Muslim woman to some 100
invited guests.
The event took inspiration
from the Butterflies in the
Field book of stories of
Muslim women first published
14 years ago.
IWAA has this to say on
their Facebook Page: The
storytellers shared their
migration, whether as a
skilled migrant or a refugee
and articulated their
journeys to Australia, some
as a result of horrific war,
persecution and hardship and
others as a source of
excitement and adventure.
While each story relayed
challenges, with experiences
of previous trauma,
prejudice and
discrimination, limited
English fluency, financial
stress, low self-confidence,
isolation and loneliness and
culture shock, each woman
also shared how she
triumphed, with gritted
teeth, hard work, courage,
strength, tenacity,
resilience and humour. The
daughters reflected on their
own journeys whether as
migrants, refugees or
Australian-born and what
growing up Muslim in
Australia was like for them,
how they have made sense of
their hyphenated identity,
and how their mother’s
journey has impacted on
them.
CEO of IWAA, Ms Galila
Abdelsalam OAM, who received
her Order of Australia medal
at Government House the day
before, spoke alongside her
daughter Mariam, about her
experiences settling first
in Sydney and then
eventually making Brisbane
her home.
There was a touching and
welcoming acknowledgement of
country by Aunty Peggy
Tidyman. Minister for
Employment and Small
Business and Minister for
Training and Skills
Development, Ms Shannon
Fentiman, delivered the
keynote address, and Dr.
Nora Amath MC'ed the
function.
A panel session with some of
the storytellers spoke of
their vision for the future
role of Muslim women in
Australia. There was also a
performance by Ms Mirsada
Hadziahmetovic which was
much enjoyed by the
audience.
At the meeting of the QPS/Muslim
Reference Group held on
Wednesday 10 April at the
Islamic College of Brisbane
(ICB), Police Commissioner,
Ian Stewart, praised the
Muslim Community for their
leadership after the
Christchurch attacks which
also demonstrated commitment
to their faith and community
in general, to encourage
relationships. Many
‘everyday’ Queenslanders
attended the many open days
and events to show their
support.
New Anti-Discrimination
Commissioner, Scott
McDougall, told the meeting
that the ADCQ was in
discussions with the
Attorney General regarding
the possibility of
increasing the penalties of
current anti-vilification
and discrimination laws. He
said that current laws were
introduced before smart
phones and social media, and
that it was important that
the community reports any
incidents of possible
vilification to the ADCQ. He
was also hoping to see
Islamic Studies included in
the Commonwealth Education
Curriculum review due in
2020.
There was a new project
underway involving male
Muslim youth on a road trip
to visit and learn about the
history of various Mosques
around Australia. The aim of
the project included
creating awareness and sense
of belonging to both Islam
in Australia an a connection
to country and
self-identity.
The QPS said that there was
increased police presence at
Mosques, especially at
prayer time on Fridays after
holding meetings with local
Muslim leaders and Imams in
relation to security advice
and emergency management
plans and conducting
security assessments.
In a discussion on the
possible causes of the
Christchurch terror attack,
one attendee suggested that,
from his personal research,
these could be attributed to
the weak gun laws in New
Zealand, poor media coverage
for Muslims, growth of a
materialistic society and
close ties to the USA.
It was also reported that
Muslim prisoners do not have
access to Halal food while
in custody. A representative
from Corrections Services
will be invited to attend
the next meeting to discuss
the availability of halal
food in prisons.
A new initiative, Radio
Ramadan, will start
broadcasting from midnight
to 8am and live broadcasting
on weekends.
It was a beautiful sunny day
for our Multicultural Family
Fete last Sunday the 7 April
with many families and local
community members coming
along to join in the free
children's activities and to
browse the interesting
stalls with goods from
different cultures.
The Artwork shops run by
local artist Shandelle
McGregor were a great
success with participants
learning about the history
of Islamic Geometric Art
along with making some great
art pieces to take home. The
animal farm, jumping castle
and kids art and craft
station with free face
painting and balloons was
constantly busy throughout
the day.
There was snow cones and hot
dogs for the kids including
delicious butter chicken and
cupcakes and Lebanese
treats. People had the
opportunity to have some
henna done and to browse the
interesting stalls of hand
painted Persian homewares
exquisite spices and hand
made kaftans, bags and
clothing or to buy some
Moroccan tea lights,
lanterns and ottomans to
list just a few.
We would like to say a big
thank you to Corrine
McMillan MP for Mansfield
who rescheduled her day to
attend our Fete and for
graciously presenting the
prizes to the winners of our
free raffle and kids
colouring competition.
Thank you to our generous
sponsors National Zakat
Foundation, Accro Accounting
and Sha Sha Fashion for her
gift voucher and Mabrouks
and sons who donated the
gift basket full of goods as
a prize for our raffle.
We are truly grateful to our
team of volunteers from
Sisters Support Services Inc
and their families including
the youth members who worked
diligently to bring this
family fete together and who
worked so hard on the day.
Thankyou you all as this
fete wouldn't have been
possible with out your
support and great team
effort. This fete was
sponsored by the Queensland
Government which enabled us
to bring together many
different cultures with the
wider community to share in
food and conversations
whilst embracing diversity
for a more harmonious and
cohesive Queensland.
The Islamic Council of QLD
(ICQ), in conjunction with
the Islamic Council of
Algester, has made
arrangements with the
Brisbane City Council Mt
Gravatt Cemetery to be
opened at magrib on Saturday
20 April to Sunday 21 April
with the gates closing at
normal time at 6PM.
The only access will be from
University Drive entrance.
Security will be patrolling
throughout the night and the
QPS will be on alert.
BCC has been very
accommodating as always and
visitors are requested
to obey all the rules,
regulations and decorum of
the cemetery.
There will be full lighting
facilities at both the old
and new Muslim sections. For
safety reasons, please be
mindful that all visitors do
not speed or cause any
issues that would be
detrimental to our
community/Ummah.
If you see anyone doing
anything untoward please
bring it to their attention
in a courteous manner.
Shukraan/WAASSALLAAM .
CO-ORDINATOR
Hj Abdul Rahman Deen
PO Box 1067 OXLEY QLD 4075
Ph: (07) 3879-8476
Fx: (07) 3879-6586
M: 0418 738 432
Logan Roos players had the
opportunity to team up and
participate in the Real
Madrid Foundation football
clinic. Sixteen lucky
players took part in the
four day long clinic.
Logan Roos head coach Abdul
Shamim said, "It was a great
opportunity for the young
players to come together and
learn from the best in the
game."
Event organiser Ali Ghafoor
told CCN that the value of
the clinic was in excess of
$399 per child. "The Real
Madrid Foundation helped to
make this programme a realty
for our young players and
also gave the club a way to
reach out to the larger
community", he said.
The Fundación Real Madrid
Campus Experience
residential program
emphasizes the development
of tactical and technical
soccer training as well as
intercultural exchange with
participants from other
countries.
The coaching sessions are
fun as well as educational.
Through soccer and a varied
program of fun and
innovative educational
activities, participants
also learnt Real Madrid CF
values such as leadership,
fellowship, tolerance, and
participation. During the
stay in each session, the
children were trained by
highly skilled professionals
both in the sport and the
educational aspects.
The Logan Roos community
came together to support the
clinic and the young team
members by sourcing
accommodation and transport
to and from the clinic over
the four days.
"It's also a great school
holiday program and
brotherhood for the young
people," Abdul Shamim said.
"We would like to thank Real
Madrid Foundation for making
the program possible for the
young people, and a special
thanks to Sam's Gourmet
Pizza for hosting dinner for
the boys. and to ICQ and
ACRO Accounting for
sponsoring the bus and food
for the group", Ghafoor
added.
The Australia Palestine
Advocacy Network (APAN) and
Muslim Charitable Foundation
(MCF) held a very successful
Change for Palestine dinner
at the Islamic College of
Brisbane.
A diverse range of
individuals and
organizations were among the
full house in support. MC
and APAN Executive member
David Forde said "it was a
very successful evening far
exceeding expectations and
that as important as charity
is, it is endless without
political change".
MCF president Yusuf Khatree
gave an overview of the
project in Gaza and said
"this has raised some
urgently needed funds for
important livelihood
projects and we really
appreciated the support for
the event".
Other speakers on the night
included Dr Halim Rane and
APAN Treasurer Nasser Mashni.
A special presentation was
also given to retiring
Senator Claire Moore, for
her tireless support for the
community and Palestine.
Over 100
people, majority of whom
were non-Muslims attended,
the Open Day at Majid Taqwa
last week.
Activities
included an Indonesian and
Fijian lunch, a jumping
castle for children, a book
stall, Mosque tours and
opportunities to network and
get-to-know the community.
Invitees and
speakers included Luke
Howarth MP Federal Member
for Petrie, Ali France Labor
candidate for Dickson,
Corinne Mulholland Labor
candidate for Petrie, Bart
Mellish MP Member for
Aspley, Councillor Denise
Sims of Division 7a Moreton
Bay Council, the Rev Garth
Reed from Uniting Church
Interfaith, Ken Farmer QPS
Carseldine and Jason Kennedy
Greens candidate for Petrie.
The event went off very well
and the organizers received
positive and encouraging
feedback from the visitors.
‘It takes one person to stand
up. As a young leader, I
strongly believe in myself that
I can make that change. I will
not stand here and complain – I
will take action. No matter how
big or small that may be.’
–
Nadia Saeed at the recent #EveryoneBelongs
Harmony Day event.
Iraqi refugee Fadhaa Al-Khalidi
says running the Fare Go food
truck is like a dream come true.
Before she moved to
Australia, Fadhaa Al-Khalidi
worked for 13 years as a
communication engineer in
the southern Iraqi town of
Diwaniyah.
Now the single mother of
four runs a food truck in
Perth and, while it might
seem like a step down for
someone with her skill set,
she could not be happier.
"It means a big thing," Ms
Al-Khalidi said.
"When people they come to
our food truck and say hello
and share with us that
connection — and not just
the Aussie people, many
cultures.
"And I learn many things
from these people — their
passion, their kindness and
helpfulness.
"When you live in bad
situation and then you
find these people around
you and [they] hold your
hand and support you,
it's a big deal for
you."
The Fare Go food truck sets
up at the Victoria Park Farmers
Market each Sunday.
New country, new opportunity
Ms Al-Khalidi moved to
Australia eight years ago to
meet her husband who was on
a scholarship to complete
his PhD in English
linguistics at Curtin
University, bringing with
her their four children, the
youngest then seven months
old and the oldest 10 years
old.
After numerous failed
attempts to find work, first
as a communication engineer
and then in other fields,
she turned her focus to
learning English and caring
for the children.
But three years ago her
circumstances changed and
she found herself a single
parent and unemployed.
In need of help she reached
out to the Centre for Asylum
Seekers, Refugees and
Detainees, otherwise known
as CARAD.
"You know everyone in
Australia, or anywhere, when
they leave their country
they need someone around
him, or around her, to
connect and make everything
easier," she said.
"So CARAD did, not just for
me but for everyone and many
cultures from around the
world."
At CARAD she met Joanna
Josephs, the general
manager, and the pair came
up with the idea of "Eat,
Share, Connect".
"We started having community
lunches at our office to
bring people together to
share culture through food,"
Ms Josephs said.
"Fadhaa was the one who came
to me and said that she had
a dream of one day having
her own food business and
maybe even a food truck.
"So when there was a grant
opportunity through
Impact100, we submitted a
grant application to get the
funds to start a social
enterprise."
Turning a dream into a
reality
Impact100, described as a
collective giving circle,
began in WA in 2012 with the
aim of getting 100 members
to each give $1,000 — their
contribution providing them
with a vote on where the
total $100,000 would go.
The philanthropic
organisation now has groups
across Australia and often
gives out multiple $100,000
grants each year.
In 2017 CARAD's Fare Go Food
Truck project took out the
top prize, allowing Ms Al-Khalidi
to turn her dream into a
reality.
The leader of One Nation,
Pauline Hanson, and her chief of
staff, James Ashby. The Pharmacy
Guild of Australia donated
$15,000 to the party.
Lobby group the
Pharmacy Guild of
Australia, which
represents pharmacy
owners, has defended
making a $15,000
donation to Pauline
Hanson’s One Nation.
Payments of $7,500
were made to the
political party by
the guild’s
Queensland branch in
June and July. In
March, the branch
made a $1,450
donation to Katter’s
Australian party.
While the guild has
also made donations
to Labor, the
Liberals and the
Nationals, no
donations have been
made to the
Queensland Greens.
Hanson has
previously made
controversial
comments about
vaccination. Last
week a secretly
filmed al-Jazeera
documentary showed
senior One Nation
figures meeting with
the National Rifle
Association in the
United States and
discussing ways to
roll back
Australia’s strict
gun laws.
A spokesman for the
guild, Greg
Turnbull, did not
respond to questions
from Guardian
Australia about how
guild members had
responded to the
donations. He said:
“The Pharmacy Guild
attends paid
political events and
functions across the
political spectrum,
with all such
payments to attend
events reported and
declared to
electoral regulators
and published by
them.
“Attendance at
political events by
guild officials does
not denote
endorsement of
policies of the host
party.”
But Dr Sajni Gudka,
a former pharmacist
who complained about
the donation on a
Facebook page for
early career
pharmacists, said he
did not accept the
explanation.
“According to me
donations are
mindful,
deliberative
activity,” she told
Guardian Australia.
“One decides where
and when and how
much to donate.”
Gudka posted on
Facebook that
“surely there’s a
line”.
“Would the guild
attend a function
for, say, Fraser
Anning’s party?”
The president of the
Victorian branch of
the Pharmacy Guild,
Anthony Tassone,
responded that “The
guild continuously
considers and
reviews its
donations to
political parties”.
Tassone justified
the donation to One
Nation by saying the
payments were “made
last year and well
before the latest
reported events in
the media”.
ASIO boss Duncan Lewis said
he saw no reason for a major
shift in resources dedicated to
right-wing extremism.
Spy agency boss Duncan Lewis
says there is no reason to
dramatically refocus
intelligence gathering on
right-wing extremism in
Australia, despite growing
concerns in the wake of the
mass shooting in
Christchurch allegedly
perpetrated by a white
supremacist Australian.
Mr Lewis - the
director-general of the
Australian Security
Intelligence Organisation -
said the threat of
right-wing extremism was
real but should be put in
perspective against the
record of Islamist terrorist
activity in Australia since
2014.
"The events of Christchurch
… don't really change the
calculus here," Mr Lewis
told a Senate estimates
hearing on Monday.
"If you have a look at the
terrorist attacks that have
occurred in this country
over the past five years …
there have been seven
attacks and 15 thwarted
attacks," he said.
"Of those 22 incidents, one
was allegedly perpetrated by
a right-wing extremist, and
that case is still before
the courts.
"It is an important issue
for ASIO, it is an important
vector of threat which we
have watched historically
and which we will continue
to watch."
Mr Lewis said those
statistcs "bring a
perspective to this which I
think we need to be very
conscious of".
He said ASIO was examining
whether it needed to
dedicate more resources to
fighting right-wing
extremism but it was not
clear at this stage that
such a change would be
justified.
"We are currently looking to
see to what extent we may
need to rebalance our own
internal work," he said
under questioning from Labor
senator Murray Watt.
"There's no early evidence
to me that there will be
some dramatic reset around
this.
"It won't surprise you that
after an incident such as
Christchurch ... we always
go back to the drawing board
to see if there are any
adjustments that need to be
made in our efforts."
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.......
Ummul Mu’minin Khadijah
Award for Excellence in
ENTERPRISE
Adeem
Younis
is founder of the digital
matrimony platform,
SingleMuslim.com. His
accomplishments were
recently shortlisted for a
prestigious Amazon Web
Service Award for Digital
Business of the Year.
Through SingleMuslim.com,
100,000 Muslims have found
their life partners. Adeem
takes his earliest
inspiration from his mother
who provided for her family
after his father passed away
when he was 8 years old. She
opened a stall at the local
market, teaching Adeem and
his siblings how
entrepreneurship and
ingenuity was a gateway for
transformation. Filled with
a deep sense of
responsibility, Adeem funded
his studies by founding his
first business, GoWebPrint,
above the pizza shop where
he worked part-time. At the
heart of his leadership,
today is a drive to provide
solutions to problems
through utilising the
potential of the digital
space. Adeem has proved that
anyone can lead that change
– even if all you have is a
storeroom above a pizza shop
in a tiny Yorkshire town.
HalalBooking.com
is a fine example of British
Muslim entrepreneurship,
combining innovative tech
and religious belief to
serve the global Muslim
community. The travel
website helps practising
Muslims enjoy their holiday
while not compromising basic
Muslim values, and was
recognised as “World’s Best
Halal Travel Website or App
2015” during the World Halal
Travel Awards in Abu Dhabi.
In 2016, it won the
prestigious “Islamic Economy
Award in Hospitality and
Tourism 2016” during the
third Global Islamic Economy
Summit held in Dubai.
Halalbooking.com now
operates end-to-end in 6
languages (Arabic, English,
French, German, Russian and
Turkish) and 40 currencies.
HalalBooking.com has the
largest portfolio of
properties with more than
950 properties in 45
countries. The website has
been popular among Muslims
worldwide and attracts
bookings from 74 countries
with approx. 70,000
customers in 2018.
Hasina
Zaman
founded Compassionate
Funerals in 2012, a need for
a completely different type
of funeral service for the
diverse community of East
London. In Islam, gentle
movement and awareness of
the person whose body they
are caring for are second
nature and Compassionate
Funerals trains anyone
assisting in the
arrangements of a Muslim
deceased person to use the
same reverent approach to
the body. In October 2015,
the company acquired its
premises in Wanstead,
opening the doors to their
beautiful space for the
general public. It’s been
described as the most
“un-funereal funeral parlour
that is around” – light,
open, airy, with rainbow
chandeliers suspended from
the high ceilings and mosaic
art scattered around.
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.
REVULSION AND REFLECTION:
THE COLOURED AND WHITE
MUSLIM IN AUSTRALIA’S PRINT
MEDIA FROM THE LATE 19TH TO
THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY
THE GREATEST MOHAMMEDAN
POWER? AN INTRODUCTION
By one of the
extraordinary freaks of
history, England is the
greatest Mohammedan
Power in the world. We,
who in the middle ages
sent our Knights to the
Crusades in that
terrific combat of
fanaticism which watered
the world with blood,
are now the protectors
of the faith of Islam,
which has its followers
in the heart of London.
These words introduced a
brief article published in
the West Australian Northam
Advertiser on 8 June 1912.
They echoed sentiments made
over three decades earlier,
in the South Australian
Register, that attributed
the “wholesale conversion to
Mohammedanism” in the East
to the extension of British
influence and the “absolute
freedom” enjoyed by its
subjects.
The Australian print media
used this example to
critique and voice the
concerns and suspicions of
local unionists,
missionaries and
politicians, who were intent
on maintaining the purity of
the old British stock
through active
discrimination against the
Indigenous population and
‘coloured’ immigrants,
including Muslims.
As custodians of the
Anglo-Saxon race, they
harboured the belief that,
as long as racial purity was
maintained and “only the
noblest racial strain was
permitted to flourish in
Australian soil, ”then the
future of this distant
outpost of the British race
was secure.
As a distinct Australian
national identity developed
towards the end of the 19th
century, and as more
‘Asiatic’ immigrants and
labourers made their way to
the colony, discriminatory
discourses evolved into
protectionist policies.
This article is interested
in the nuances and
approaches taken by the
Australian print media
towards those who did, and
those who did not, fit the
criteria for this
discrimination and
exclusion: the Muslim
cameleers and ‘White’
converts to Islam.
It will focus on the years
between 1860 and 1940, when
protectionist policies were
most vigorous, and reflect
on the significant role
played by converts in
demystifying Islam and
supporting Australian Muslim
activities.
'We ran the
Palestine
Marathon 2019
... in memory of
the fallen'
South
African Media
personality
Tahiya Moosa
(pictured left)joined
18 other South
Africans and
Australians on a
trip to
Palestine. Here
she recounts the
highlights of
her experience.
This year a team
of 19 people
made the trip to
Palestine for
the 2019
Palestine
Marathon, held
in Bethlehem.
Amongst the team
were a handful
of medical
doctors,
students, and
other
professionals.
For some, this
was their first
journey to the
'Promised Land',
and for others
they would be
returning after
years.
The Team
dedicated their
run in the 2019
Palestine
Marathon to the
lives lost in
the New Zealand
shooting, the
men, women and
children of
Bethlehem and to
the people of
Palestine.
Al-Qalam
Stoning
Gay People to
Death in Brunei
Is an Outrage
and Not My
Definition of
Islam
By Mehdi Hasan
I WAS 13 years
old when I first
heard of the
Sultan of
Brunei. The
absolute ruler
of a tiny,
oil-rich kingdom
in Southeast
Asia, Hassanal
Bolkiah was the
subject of a
much-discussed
TV documentary
by the British
filmmaker Alan
Whicker in 1992.
As a young
teenager,
sitting in front
of the
television, I
was in awe of
this Muslim
king. He was the
richest man in
the world! He
earned a quarter
of a million
pounds every
hour! He owned
more than 150
cars!
Today, however,
I’m filled not
with awe but
with disgust.
Brunei has
become the first
country in
Southeast Asia
to impose
capital
punishment for
“crimes” such as
adultery and gay
sex.
LGBTQ Bruneians,
who are in
particular
danger, have
been fleeing the
kingdom. Can you
blame them?
According to the
Associated
Press,
“Homosexuality
was already
punishable in
Brunei by a jail
term of up to 10
years. … But
under the new
laws, those
found guilty of
gay sex can be
stoned to death
or whipped.
Adulterers risk
death by stoning
too, while
thieves face
amputation of a
right hand on
their first
offense and a
left foot on
their second.
The laws also
apply to
children and
foreigners, even
if they are not
Muslim.”
This is
barbarism, plain
and simple. How
can a punishment
rightly
described as
“cruel and
inhuman” (U.N.
High
Commissioner for
Human Rights
Michelle
Bachelet),
“vicious”
(Amnesty
International),
and “medieval”
(Human Rights
Watch) be
considered
appropriate or
acceptable in
the 21st
century? Has the
Sultan — who
isn’t exactly a
paragon of moral
rectitude
himself — taken
leave of his
senses?
Then again,
shamefully,
Brunei isn’t
alone. A recent
study by the
International
Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Trans
and Intersex
Association
found that there
are already six
countries that
explicitly make
homosexuality a
crime punishable
by death. And,
as a Muslim, it
is a source of
deep frustration
for me that 5
out of the 6 are
Muslim-majority
countries —
Saudi Arabia,
Iran, Yemen,
Sudan, and
Somalia — and in
the sixth,
Nigeria, the
death penalty is
imposed only in
Muslim-majority
or
Muslim-plurality
states.
According to
ILGA, there are
also 70 member
states of the
United Nations
that
“criminalise
consensual
same-sex sexual
acts” — and,
again,
Muslim-majority
countries are
disproportionately
represented on
that list. In
fact,
homosexuality is
illegal in the
vast majority of
the world’s
Muslim-majority
nations, from
Senegal in West
Africa to
Malaysia in
Southeast Asia
to Qatar in the
Middle East.
(Full
disclosure: I
host two shows
on Al Jazeera
English, which
is funded by the
government of
Qatar. According
to the Qatari
penal code, gay
sex can result
in a prison
sentence.)
It is easy to
blame all of
this rampant,
state-sponsored
homophobia in
the
Muslim-majority
world solely on
Islam. Indeed,
the prominent
British atheist,
scientist, and
Islamophobe,
Richard Dawkins,
cited Brunei’s
barbaric new law
in order to
compare my faith
to cancer.
Yet the truth is
that nowhere in
the Quran is a
legal punishment
prescribed for
the sin, or the
“crime,” of
homosexuality.
There are no
authentic
reports in any
of the Muslim
books of history
of the Prophet
Muhammad
punishing anyone
for same-sex
acts. In fact,
even many
Muslims today
are unaware that
the Ottoman
Empire
decriminalized
homosexuality in
1858. Got that?
One hundred and
nine years
before the U.K.
and 145 years
before the
United States,
the biggest
Muslim-ruled
empire on earth
decreed that
there should be
no penalty for
being gay.
To be clear: The
consensus
position among
mainstream
Islamic
scholars,
whether Sunni or
Shia, is that
same-sex
relations, like
extramarital or
premarital
relations, are a
sin. There is,
however, no
consensus among
scholars about
any earthly
punishment for
committing this
sin. Don’t take
my word for it —
ask Shaykh Hamza
Yusuf, described
as “arguably the
West’s most
influential
Islamic
scholar.”
To point the
finger only at
Islam, or even
at Islamists,
doesn’t explain
why Egypt under
President Abdel
Fattah el-Sisi,
who came to
power after
toppling the
Muslim
Brotherhood and
is now a hero to
Ivanka Trump,
has violently
cracked down on
LGBTQ
communities; or
why Muslim men
are fleeing a
“gay purge” in
secular
Chechnya.
Homophobia is
not the monopoly
of any one
country,
culture, or
religion.
Catholic-majority
Brazil is
believed to have
the highest
LGBTQ murder
rate in the
world.
Orthodox-majority
Russia passed a
“gay propaganda
law” in 2013.
Here in the
United States,
anti-gay hate
crimes are on
the rise and,
according to
Rebecca Isaacs,
executive
director of the
LGBTQ rights
group Equality
Federation, the
Trump
administration
has “done so
many things that
are as anti-LGBTQ
as you could
possibly be.”
The president
has even joked
that his vice
president wants
to “hang” all
gay people. (As
my friend Owen
Jones, perhaps
Britain’s
best-known
progressive and
gay commentator,
has observed,
“If you only
talk about LGBTQ
rights to bash
Muslims, you
don’t care about
LGBTQ rights.”)
The Deafening
Silence Around
Amanda
Vanstone’s
Anti-Islam
Rhetoric
By
Dr Susie
Latham
Former
Howard
government
minister,
Amanda
Vanstone.
As Australian
leaders weighed into the
debate on Islamophobia in
the wake of the Christchurch
attacks, Dr Susie Latham was
struck mainstream
hate-speech has become, and
how exposed Muslim
Australians are.
I have more reason than most
to be favourably disposed
towards Amanda Vanstone. In
2004, when she was
immigration minister, she
exercised her personal power
to grant my husband, a
Muslim asylum seeker, the
visa that allowed him to
remain in Australia.
But last week, when she
argued that it’s reasonable
for (presumably non-Muslim)
Australians to be concerned
about Muslim immigration,
she lost me. In words that
echoed Pauline Hanson’s 2016
first speech to Parliament,
Vanstone said, “The problem
we all face is the not
knowing who is and who is
not a terrorist.”
It’s an extraordinary
intervention just weeks
after 50 Muslims were
massacred in Christchurch.
So first let’s get a few
facts straight.
In western countries,
Muslims are just as likely
as anyone else to be killed
in a terrorist attack.
Muslims died in 9/11,
Madrid, London and Paris. In
Nice, over one third of the
84 people ‘mowed down by a
truck’ were Muslims aged
between four and 70 years
old.
As Susan Carland has so
eloquently outlined,
Australian Muslim leaders
have repeatedly condemned
terrorism committed by
Muslims, but the myth that
they refuse to, repeated by
Vanstone, persists.
Many Australians are worried
about being victims of
‘Islamic’ terrorism, but
this fear is vastly
disproportionateto the
actual risk. The so-called
Islamic State created some
of this fear – that was
their aim, after all. But
they had some help. As
Jacinda Arden has shown the
world, political leadership
matters. Then Prime Minister
Tony Abbott repeatedly
declaring things like ‘the
Daesh death cult is…coming
after us’ heightened this
fear for political purposes.
Right-wing terrorism is a
serious problem. The
Christchurch killer was
inspired by Anders Breivik,
who murdered 77 mostly young
left-wing activists at a
summer camp in Norway in
2011 because of what he saw
as their softness on Muslim
immigration. Since 2014,
right-wing terrorists have
carried out more attacks in
the US than ‘Islamist’
terrorists.
Almost every Muslim involved
in a terrorist act has been
known to authorities, some
because other Muslims have
reported concerns about
them. But as is generally
being acknowledged in the
wake of Christchurch, law
enforcement, researchers and
politicians have not paid
enough attention to the
rising threat of right-wing
terrorism.
Now let’s talk about what
saying ‘Muslims are
dangerous and you’re right
to be scared of them’ means
for ordinary Muslims two
weeks after a massacre. The
argument that it’s
reasonable to question
allowing Muslims into
Australia leads very quickly
to more. Especially, how do
‘we’ protect ourselves from
the Muslims already here?
Mainstream politicians and
media figures across the
western world have come up
with solutions – paying
Muslim immigrants to leave,
mass deportations and
internments. Anders Breivik
and Brenton Tarrant took it
one step further.
I’ve been researching and
organising against
Islamophobia for almost a
decade. Despite attending
academic conferences and
political meetings, working
with Muslim organisations,
and socialising with Muslims
regularly for years, I have
never heard a single Muslim
claim ‘that Islam must be at
war with Christianity’. I’ve
never heard anyone feel they
have to avenge ‘the European
repulsion of the Ottomans’.
I don’t know what claptrap
Vanstone is reading. But I
do know this.
It’s actually Muslims who
have the most to fear from
terrorism in Australia at
the moment. Not only are
they the potential targets
of Muslim extremists and the
more likely targets of
right-wingers, they also
continue to be subjected to
the stereotypes which have
made them one of the most
marginalised groups in the
country.
Fifteen years ago Amanda
Vanstone used her power to
allow me to create my
gorgeous family. On Monday,
when she echoed the words of
Trump, Hanson and Sonia
Kruger, words NCAT recently
ruled encouraged ‘hatred
towards, or serious contempt
for, Australian Muslims by
ordinary members of the
Australian population,’ and
there was barely a ripple of
dissent, let alone outrage,
she demonstrated how far the
window of acceptable public
debate in Australia has
shifted.
Fraser Anning, who thinks
One Nation is too left, is
the new, low, benchmark.
Vanstone’s column, and the
non-reaction to it, has
crushed the small hope I’d
held that the tragedy of
Christchurch might give
people pause to think about
the damage such words can
do. Because of their
potential consequences, it’s
illegal to incite hatred
against people based on
their race. Muslims aren’t
protected from them, because
as those promoting
anti-Muslim hate constantly
assert, Islam is a religion,
not a race.
But if Christchurch has
taught us anything, it is
that this makes Muslims
more, not less vulnerable to
the consequences of hate
speech.
South
African Muslim
Siri: The first Halaal
digital P.A.?
Daltjies &
Kapparangs
The First Professional
Skater To Wear A Hijab
SAM NEIL ON AUSTRALIAN
POLITICS
Channel 9
TODAY
“The wearing
of the hijab...think of the
difference between that and
Pauline Hanson wearing a
burqa in parliament. There’s
a gulf between those two
people.” Sam Neil compares
the incredible leadership of
Jacinda Ardern to Australian
politicians.
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.
The cameleers
were familiar.
The cameleers were
foreign.
They lived the life
of nomads because
that's what it took
to take wool,
supplies & other
goods across the
outback.
In this image: the
wool clip being
taken from Granada
Station near
Cloncurry,
Queensland to the
Darling River at
Bourke, NSW for
transport by paddle
steamer to market.
c.1914
- Australian Estates
Company Collection,
Australian National
University
This election is very important for Muslims in
Australia.
We must vote wisely to make sure that anti-Muslim
candidates are not elected.
Special care should be taken in Senate voting.
You may need to do some homework on this to find out
and put anti-Muslim candidates last on your
preference.
Our community leaders should take interest in
encouraging Muslim voters to work against
anti-Muslim candidates (eg Peter Dutton, Steve
Christensen, One Nation etc).
If you are an Australian citizen you need to be
registered at
https://aec.gov.au/ to be eligible to vote, if
you are not already registered.
May Allah guide us to do the right acts to serve the
Ummah and help us to protect His servants.
Ilhan Omar asks God to forgive Trump
for mocking her hours after man arrested
over death threat
'My Lord, forgive my people for
they do not know,' Democratic
congresswoman tweets.
US: Ilhan Omar asked God to forgive
Donald Trump for attacking her just
hours after the arrest of a Trump
supporter who threatened to kill the
Democratic congresswoman.
A man from New York was arrested on
Friday after the FBI said he phoned up
Ms Omar’s office and told a staff
member: “Why are you working for her,
she’s a f***ing terrorist. I’ll put a
bullet in her f***ing skull.”
He later told bureau investigators he
“loves the president and that he hates
radical Muslims in our government,”
according to a criminal complaint filed
by prosecutors.
Shortly after his arrest, Mr Trump
mocked Ms Omar at a Republican Jewish
Coalition event in Las Vegas. Pretending
to thank the congresswoman for
supporting Israel, he said: “Special
thanks to Representative Omar of
Minnesota. Oh, I forgot. She doesn’t
like Israel. I forgot. I’m so sorry.”
Ms Omar responded late on Saturday,
tweeting in both English and Arabic, “My
Lord, forgive my people for they do not
know”; a phrase echoing Jesus’ last
words in the Gospel of Luke: “Father,
forgive them, for they do not know what
they do.”
The
INDEPENDENT
Ilhan Omar hits back at
Trump: ‘You can’t Muslim ban
us from Congress’
Ilhan Omar
has hit back at Donald Trump
following a tweet that
suggested Minnesota
Democrats were organising a
challenge to the freshman
congresswoman in next year's
primaries.
Ms Omar, one of the first
Muslim women elected to
Congress, took a swipe at
the president’s
controversial travel ban
that has targeted
predominantly Muslim
countries by limiting travel
into the US from those
locations.
“I am
sorry Mr [Trump]. I am for
real, you can’t #MuslimBan
us from Congress!” Ms Omar
tweeted.
Mr Trump had retweeted an
article that referenced
efforts in Ms Omar’s home
district to recruit a
Democrat to challenge her in
the upcoming primary, and
followed weeks of
controversy stemming from
her attacks on the Israel
lobby in Washington.
In the last
decade Islamophobia in Western
societies, where Muslims constitute the
minority, has been studied extensively.
However, Islamophobia is not restricted
to the geography of the West, but rather
constitutes a global phenomenon. It
affects Muslim societies just as much,
due to various historical, economic,
political, cultural, and social reasons.
Islamophobia in Muslim Majority
Societies constitutes a first attempt to
open a debate about the understudied
phenomenon of Islamophobia in
Muslim-majority societies. An
interdisciplinary study, it focuses on
socio-political and historical aspects
of Islamophobia in Muslim-majority
societies.
This volume will appeal to students,
scholars and general readers who are
interested in Racism Studies,
Islamophobia Studies, the MENA region,
Islam and Politics.
Q:
Dear Kareema, after facing a busy week at work
what can I do to de-stress and somehow calm my
mind?
A:
It is important to take some time out for
yourself every day rather than once a week only.
Find a nice quiet spot and try using your breath
to relax your body and calm your mind. Inhale
slow and deep as you feel the rise of your
chest, and exhale long and slow and feel the
chest fall.
Take about 3 – 5 mins, bringing the awareness to
your breath.
A brisk walk or 5 mins of aerobic exercise could
start calming and clearing the mind as well.
It can improve your mood, focus and sleep.
Being outdoors surrounded by nature makes me
feel more relaxed and refreshed.
It can also bring down the heart rate, stress
levels and even muscle tension.
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:
Nurturing Your
Children’s
Relationship With
Their Grandparents
Last weekend, my
teenage daughter was
blessed to have some
precious time with
the mother of a dear
friend of mine. That
evening, clad in our
comfy pyjamas and
sipping on hot
ginger chai, my
daughter got quite
emotional and opened
up to me about
something that I had
chosen to lock away
in a deep
compartment in the
depths of my heart,
too afraid to
unravel.
My daughter said to
me, “Mum, kids who
have grandparents
are so blessed. I
wish I too had my
grandparents in my
life.”
Then she went on to
share with me how
precious those
moments were that
she got to spend
with my friend’s
mum. The wise words
that she was blessed
to hear from this
amazing woman. The
laughter they both
shared and how they
bonded over their
mutual love for
coffee.
That’s when I
realised that in my
attempt to start a
new life with my
daughter post my
divorce from a DV
marriage, and the
rat race of trying
to find a new normal
for my child and me,
where we felt safe,
secure and joyful
all the while
practising our newly
embraced religion of
Islam, I had
completely forgotten
about how the
absence of
grandparents would
affect my child. How
lonely she must feel
in her heart seeing
other children enjoy
time with their
grandparents.
As busy adults and
even busier parents,
we somehow become
complacent about the
roles that
grandparents play in
the lives of our
children. In today’s
cyber-colony-gadget-glued
world, the time
spent between
grandparents and our
children is not only
necessary, but it's
also absolutely
vital. It also helps
alleviate loneliness
that our elders are
more commonly
experiencing
nowadays.
Today, I ask you to
pause and reflect on
how you are
facilitating the
bond between your
children and their
grandparents.
I ask you to reflect
on your daily choice
of thoughts, words,
and deeds that
affect your child’s
time with his or her
grandparents.
I ask you to reflect
on your belief
system about the
impact that
grandparents play on
the lives of their
grandchildren.
Here are some
questions to help
you reflect:
1. What daily
actions do you
perform to
facilitate a
better bond
between your
children and
their
grandparents?
2. What beliefs
do you have
about your
children’s
grandparents?
3. How much of
your own beliefs
about their
grandparents are
you imposing on
your children?
4. What thoughts
come to your
mind when you
think about your
child spending
time with her/
his
grandparents?
5. Do you
harbour any fear
about your
children
spending time
with their
grandparents? If
so, why?
6. What do your
children say
whenever they do
get to spend
time with their
grandparents?
7. How could you
help improve the
relationship
your children
have with their
grandparents?
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.
Who receives guidance,
receives it for his own
benefit: who goes astray
does so to his own loss: no
bearer of burdens can bear
the burden of another....
Or you can call the secretary Abdul
Samim Khan on 0413669987.
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.
🚛
to ensure we can
distribute the
packs by the
start of
Ramadan.
Thank you in
advance.
Muslim
Charitable
Foundation (MCF)
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.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Adeem
Younis
is founder of the digital
matrimony platform,
SingleMuslim.com. His
accomplishments were
recently shortlisted for a
prestigious Amazon Web
Service Award for Digital
Business of the Year.
Through SingleMuslim.com,
100,000 Muslims have found
their life partners. Adeem
takes his earliest
inspiration from his mother
who provided for her family
after his father passed away
when he was 8 years old. She
opened a stall at the local
market, teaching Adeem and
his siblings how
entrepreneurship and
ingenuity was a gateway for
transformation. Filled with
a deep sense of
responsibility, Adeem funded
his studies by founding his
first business, GoWebPrint,
above the pizza shop where
he worked part-time. At the
heart of his leadership,
today is a drive to provide
solutions to problems
through utilising the
potential of the digital
space. Adeem has proved that
anyone can lead that change
– even if all you have is a
storeroom above a pizza shop
in a tiny Yorkshire town.
HalalBooking.com
is a fine example of British
Muslim entrepreneurship,
combining innovative tech
and religious belief to
serve the global Muslim
community. The travel
website helps practising
Muslims enjoy their holiday
while not compromising basic
Muslim values, and was
recognised as “World’s Best
Halal Travel Website or App
2015” during the World Halal
Travel Awards in Abu Dhabi.
In 2016, it won the
prestigious “Islamic Economy
Award in Hospitality and
Tourism 2016” during the
third Global Islamic Economy
Summit held in Dubai.
Halalbooking.com now
operates end-to-end in 6
languages (Arabic, English,
French, German, Russian and
Turkish) and 40 currencies.
HalalBooking.com has the
largest portfolio of
properties with more than
950 properties in 45
countries. The website has
been popular among Muslims
worldwide and attracts
bookings from 74 countries
with approx. 70,000
customers in 2018.
Hasina
Zaman
founded Compassionate
Funerals in 2012, a need for
a completely different type
of funeral service for the
diverse community of East
London. In Islam, gentle
movement and awareness of
the person whose body they
are caring for are second
nature and Compassionate
Funerals trains anyone
assisting in the
arrangements of a Muslim
deceased person to use the
same reverent approach to
the body. In October 2015,
the company acquired its
premises in Wanstead,
opening the doors to their
beautiful space for the
general public. It’s been
described as the most
“un-funereal funeral parlour
that is around” – light,
open, airy, with rainbow
chandeliers suspended from
the high ceilings and mosaic
art scattered around.
South
African Media
personality
Tahiya Moosa
(pictured left)joined
18 other South
Africans and
Australians on a
trip to
Palestine. Here
she recounts the
highlights of
her experience.
Stoning
Gay People to
Death in Brunei
Is an Outrage
and Not My
Definition of
Islam
Bourke, NSW
8%2004.%2019_Page_1.png)
8%2004.%2019_Page_2.png)
.jpg)
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011