ICQ has issued a
joint statement
with the Council
of Imams
Queensland (CIQ)
regarding the
attacks in Sri
Lanka. Please
see the attached
statement.
We have also
reached out
directly to the
Honorary Consul
of Sri Lanka and
the Federation
of Sri Lankan
Organisations of
Queensland to
express our
condolences and
offer support.
We advise all
organisations to
make the effort
to attend any
services/vigils
in honour of the
victims. The
message is clear
and simple:
different faith
communities
don’t have to
agree on matters
pertaining to
religion, but we
all agree that
terrorism and
hatred are
antithetical to
all faiths, and
we must unite
against the
common enemies
of intolerance,
hatred and
narrow-mindedness.
Further to our
affirmation that
any loss of life
is a tragedy for
all of humanity,
we also affirm
that all places
of worship and
holy days are
sacred to their
own communities
and must be
respected as
such.
On 24 April 2019,
the Australian International
Islamic College commemorated
ANZAC Day.
We were honoured
to have Mr Peter Mapp from the
Returned & Services League of
Australia (RSL). He mentioned
the pride he feels when he
attends the ANZAC Day
commemoration at AIIC, the
positive friendships and
camaraderie he witnesses between
students and staff, and the
respect shown by AIIC on such a
memorable day.
Thank you to the
primary school students Moussa
Boukhriss, Hoda Jama Ali,
Fathimath Madathil and Sarah
Rehan for their wonderful
recitation of the story, The
Poppy.
We would like to
congratulate our college captain
Umme Kulsum, Sadiya Ismail and
all the participants who lead
the Anzac Commemoration ceremony
at our college.
Our college
leaders actively participated in
the 2019 Anzac Student
Commemorative Services held at
the Anzac Square, Brisbane.
Our leaders laid
wreath on the Anzac memorial in
remembrance of the sacrifices
made by our soldiers. When asked
about the message they gained
from attending 2019 Anzac
Commemorative ceremony in Anzac
Square, our students replied,
“Nobody is a winner in war. No
matter what the outcome of a war
is, at the end both parties at
war are losers. Such mature
words from our High school
student leaders made us proud.
Report by Uzair Shuaib
& Ma-azah Shah, College Captains,
Islamic College of Brisbane
Islamic College of Brisbane
school hall decked out for
commemoration
Each year, we commemorate
those who have made many
sacrifices, for our freedom,
on ANZAC day. In Islamic
College of Brisbane, we hold
an ANZAC ceremony every
year, to show our respect to
the fallen. We remember the
service and sacrifice of the
Australian and New Zealand
Army Corps from the landing
at the Gallipoli as well as
the other fallen countries.
This commemoration marked
the 101th year since the end
of the war.
This year, Captain James
Barret, from the Australian
Army and Lieutenant Colonel
Bradley Taylor, New Zealand
Liaison officer at the
Enoggera Barracks, both gave
a speech on ANZAC day,
showing their insight and
commemorated the fallen. Mr
David Forde, representing
the Sunnybank RSL, also
shared his insight before
passing the ANZAC Spirit to
a group of our student
leaders. The Last Post
historically has been used
to signify the end of the
day and was played during
the assembly by a bugler
from the Australian army as
a tribute to the fallen,
followed by a minute's
silence as a time for
reflection and a sign of
respect. The Ode that has
been recited since 1919 were
then recited beautifully by
our primary school leaders.
Every year, we show the
perspective of the ANZACs on
the war and of the Gallipoli
landing, however we have
also included the Turkish
perspective. This was shown
by one of our Turkish
students, who shared their
insight on the war. Then for
the first time the Turkish
national anthem was led by
one of our brave Turkish
students. Our Turkish
student shared with us a
speech by Mustafa Kemal,
which he said to first
Australians, New Zealanders
and British to visit the
battlefields since the war,
which stated:
“Those heroes that shed
their blood
And lost their lives.
You are now lying in the
soil of a friendly country.
Therefore, rest in peace.
There is no difference
between the Johnnies
And the Mehmets to us where
they lie side by side
Here in this country of
ours,
You, the mothers,
Who sent their sons from far
away countries
Wipe away your tears,
Your sons are now lying in
our bosom
And are in peace
After having lost their
lives on this land they have
Become our sons as well”.
The Queensland Maori Society
led the New Zealand national
anthem beautifully and the
Islamic College of Brisbane
Choir led the Australian
National Anthem. As the
ceremony came close to an
end, the College Captains
led the laying of the
wreaths at the memorial,
followed by the guests.
As we laid the wreaths, a
moment was taken to show our
respects to those who have
fallen, and this concluded
our service.
SUNNYBANK
RSL ANZAC DAY
The Islamic College of
Brisbane were well
represented among the
thousands who attended the
Sunnybank RSL Sub-Branch's
annual ANZAC Day Parade and
Service.
ICB captains spoke as part
of official proceedings.
Other speakers spoke about
the terrible impact of war,
not just on service men and
women, but also civilians,
many who became refugees,
and how ANZAC Day is about
commemoration and not
glorification. The RSL
Chaplain commenced her talk
by welcoming people of all
faiths and cultural
backgrounds. Among the
wreath layers was Jenny Deen
OAM on behalf of the
Queensland Muslim Historical
Society.
Reported by Professor Shahjahan Khan,
Founding President of Islamic Society of
Toowoomba
Visit to
St Anthony’s Church
On Tuesday, 23 April 2019
some members of Toowoomba
Masjid visited St Anthony's
Church with flowers. Led by
President of Islamic Society
of Toowoomba, Professor
Shahjahan Khan, and Imam
Abdul Kader the team felt a
bit relieved to be able to
reciprocate some of the
humanity shown to the Muslim
community by their Christian
friends after the
Christchurch mosques
attacks.
Professor Khan said,
“Unfortunately our friends
and we had to do this again
to stand together against
the evil acts of some coward
criminals. Let us send
strongest possible message
to the forces of division
and hate that we are all
untied to live in peace and
harmony with mutual respect
and care."
Community
leaders and members at the St
Anthony’s Church with
representatives of the Church
Prayers for Sri Lanka
Toowoomba Mosque organised a
“Prayers for Sri Lanka”
gathering after Magrib
prayers (at 5:30pm) on
Wednesday, 24 April at the
Garden City Mosque. Muslims
and Non-Muslims joined the
prayers led by Imam Abdul
Kader. Mr Ahamed Muneer a
Sri Lankan Australian
Toowoomba community shared
his feeling about the
massacre and how Sri Lankan
Muslims have been living
peacefully with fellow
Christians for centuries. He
appreciated the united stand
of Toowoomba community in
support of his country of
origin.
Dr David Tutty of the Social
Justice Commission of
Catholic Dioceses of
Toowoomba asked everyone to
remember God all the time.
And the one sincerely
remembers God can’t do any
evil.
Imam Abdul Kader said that
everyone of us is created by
Allah (God) from soil and
decedent of Adam and Eve as
brothers and sisters. Islam
is a religion of peace and
Muslims must protect
religious freedom of people
of other faiths, especially
sacred places of worship,
even at the time of wars.
Non-Muslims and Muslims at the
Prayers for Sri Lanka in
Toowoomba Mosque.
Gold Coast Mosque Secretary,
Husain Baba, attended the
services at the Robina
Hospital on Friday.
ARUNDEL
The newly
formed Sri Lankan Support
Group in the Gold Coast held
a prayer service gathering
of over 500 people on
Saturday morning at the
Cricket Club across the road
from the Gold Coast Mosque.
Prayers were
offered up by a Buddhist
monk, Christian priest and a
Muslim Imam.
Speeches were delivered by
Hussain Baba, Sam O’Connor
(State MP) and Pastor Terry
Ayling.
Imam Uzair Akbar and Ali
Kadri participated in the
Anglican Church multi faith
prayer service to pray for
peace in response to the
terror attacks in Sri Lanka.
"We went there as Muslims,
Buddhists, Christians,
Hindus, atheists who came
out with the same faiths we
went in but with better
understanding and respect
for each other", Ali Kadri
posted on Facebook.
"Listening to all the
religious leaders speak
about importance of peace in
their faiths, one can not
help but notice that above
everything else the creator
wants us all to live and let
live in peace, said Ali
Kadri.
The Islamic Council of
Victoria (ICV) has commenced
an initiative called
MyVoteMatters (myvotematters.com.au)
in the lead up to the
federal election on May 18.
This follows on from the
successful campaign ICV ran
last year in the lead up to
the Victorian state
election.
MyVoteMatters (MVM) utilises
all of the main digital
channels (website, FB,
Twitter, Instagram, YouTube)
to communicate with the
community. The FB page (https://www.facebook.com/myvotemattersau/)
is updated on a daily basis
and does receive significant
community comments.
MyVoteMatters (MVM) has
three primary objectives:
1. Encourage Muslim
community engagement
with the political
process via exercising
their right to vote, and
educating the Muslim
community about how the
political system works.
The MVM website has a
lot of information about
this (https://myvotematters.com.au/category/2019-federal-election/).
2. Providing easily
understood material to
the Muslim community
about the issues that
matters and the relative
policies of the
political parties so
that they make an
informed choice at the
polling booth. The final
product will be a Policy
Scorecard (I have
attached the Scorecard
used during the
Victorian state election
last last year).
3. Developing Muslim
community capability and
capacity for grassroots,
community-led,
campaigning.
ICV Vice president, Adel
Salman, said,"In relation to
the second objective, we
want to ascertain the
relative priorities of the
community on the many issues
in the public domain. Many
of these issues are common
(i.e. common across the
entire Australian society)
and some are more more
specific to the Muslim
community.The shortlist is
based on national poll
results, anecdotal feedback
from the Muslim community,
and MVM team knowledge.
"Once we have the final
shortlist, they will be
converted into a
SurveyMonkey online survey
which will be open to the
entire Muslim community
insha-Allah. Our plan is to
issue the online survey by
Monday of next week (29/4).
The results of the national
survey will be used to
identify the priority issues
that will form the basis of
the Policy Scorecard, which
will be the tool used to
assess and compare the
relative policies of the
three main parties
inshaAllah."
Common Issues
1. Healthcare
(affordability, access
to services, mental
health services,
disability services)
2. Education (government
funding, affordability,
TAFE, NAPLAN)
3. Economy (personal and
corporate taxation
rates, government debt,
support for small
business, housing
affordability)
4. Job Security (casualisation
or the workforce, worker
rights, living wage)
5. Immigration &
Refugees (current intake
levels, offshore
detention, refugee
settlement and temporary
protection visas)
6. Aged care and
pensions
7. Social justice (First
Nations people, poverty,
wealth disparity,
homelessness)
8. Climate change
Muslim
Community Issues
9. Islamophobia (racism
and discrimination,
media reporting,
political rhetoric)
10. Foreign Affairs
(oppressed Muslims in
Myanmar and China,
Palestine)
Grand Mufti Dr
Ibrahim Abu Mohammed has
convened a forum to promote the
interests of Muslim Australians
The Grand Mufti of Australia
has convened an election
forum to advocate for the
interests of Muslim
Australians, as community
leaders press for action on
Islamophobia in the
aftermath of the
Christchurch shooting.
Islamophobia is not the only
item on the agenda. The
event invitation also lists
social policy, employment
and climate change as key
interests.
But Australian National
Imams Council spokesman
Bilal Rauf estimated that
combating hatred and
vilification was "by far the
most important issue" for
the community.
"[Christchurch] highlights
that words matter, and that
they result in consequences
... the people who are most
vulnerable are women and
children," he said.
Grand Mufti Ibrahim Abu
Mohamed has previously
called on the Prime Minister
to enact anti-discrimination
laws comparable to those
prohibiting anti-Semitic
speech.
Liberal Senator Concetta
Fierravanti-Wells, Labor
member Tony Burke, and
Greens leader Richard Di
Natale will speak at the
forum.
The organisers said their
"objective is to present a
positive and powerful
impression on the Australian
leadership, by the
participation of Australian
Muslims in the elections".
But community leaders said
they recognised the limits
of their political leverage.
Islamic Council of Western
Australia representative
Zouber Sayed said Muslim
groups had limited resources
in terms of "funding and
political alliances", in
addition to a relatively
small population.
As of the 2016 census, 2.6
per cent of Australians
identified as Muslims.
They comprised as much as 29
per cent of the electorate
in Blaxland and 23 per cent
in Watson, both in Western
Sydney. These were safe
Labor seats, held
respectively by Jason Clare
and Tony Burke.
Mr Rauf said that on issues
such as protections from
hate speech, politicians
claimed to recognise the
problem but failed to act.
"It's a problem of political
will and momentum," he said.
The Australian National
Imams Council has urged
their 200 registered imams
to use the Friday sermons to
stress the importance of
responsible voting.
The Curtin incident
Some Muslim and
pro-Palestinian groups said
their frustrations had been
compounded by the Labor
Party's decision to abandon
its candidate in Curtin over
her remarks condemning
Israel.
The Australia Palestine
Advocacy Network (APAN) said
the move was an "outrage".
"Is it now a sin to
criticise Israel? Is it
against the law?"
"Isn't that what you want
from politicians: the guts
to tell the truth of what
they saw on the ground?"
APAN vice president Bassam
Dally said.
Labor dumped human rights
lawyer Melissa Parke as its
candidate for the marginal
Western Australian seat
after reports that she had
called Israel's treatment of
Palestine "worse than the
South African system of
apartheid".
Co-chief executive of the
Executive Council of
Australian Jewry Peter
Wertheim rejected the claim
that Ms Parke's dismissal
would deter criticism of
Israel.
He focused instead on an
opposite chilling effect:
the harassment of Jewish
organisations to deter them
from speaking out against
"false or misleading claims
about Israel".
"They want to intimidate us
into silence. It’s
outrageous to suggest that
we don’t have the same
rights as every other
citizen to support or
criticise our politicians’
statements," he said.
APAN planned to campaign
around the federal election
under its recurring theme,
"I support Palestine and I
vote".
Mr Sayed, who is a member of
the Labor Party and a
resident of the electorate
that neighbours that of
Parke, said he was
disappointed in his party's
decision.
But he said he would not
stop advocating for issues
of importance to Muslims.
"The only way to have your
voice heard is through
social, political and
economic action. It's to be
an active participant,
rather than to keep yourself
distant.
IT IS that time
of the year
again once
again,
alhamdulillah
our NZF EID TOY
DRIVE 2019.
We will be
collecting brand
new toys for the
less fortunate
and the children
at the qld
children's
hospital in sha
Allah
So make this
Ramadan the most
rewarding by
earning the
pleasure of
Allah swt and
making a child
happy on EID al
Fitr.
For more info
and toy
requirements
contact Amra
0430589383 (NZF
Toy drive
coordinator)
MAA Preparing
to Distribute
Your Donations
in Ramadan
For over 30
years, Muslim
Aid Australia
has been
delivering your
donations to the
poorest
communities
around the world
including in
Syria,
Palestine,
Yemen, Burma and
across Africa.
This Ramadan,
donate your
Zakah & Sadaqah
or opt for some
of our special
'Donate &
Elevate'
packages that
focus on Food,
Sadaqah Jaariyah,
the Environment,
Women's
Empowerment and
more.
Don't wait -
help change the
lives of your
brothers and
sisters today to
ensure they can
benefit this
Ramadan and
beyond.
The brand new
podcast series with
Professor Saeed Khan - the
millennial Muslim’s guide to
what the “hell” happened in
Islamic history.
1400 OMG is your guide to
what the heck happened in
Muslim History.
Muslim lands are currently
wrought with war. The
Caliphate formally ended.
Sectarianism rampant. Terror
in the name of Islam. Barely
any theological progress.
This series will reflect on
the last 1400 years in the
Muslim world and dig deep
into some of the root causes
of the situation many
Muslims find themselves in
today. The series is
inquisitive and reflective.
Get ready for season 1 of
1400 OMG, a Toledo Society
original.
Season
1 dives into key events
during the last 200 years
including the fall of the
Islamic Caliphate, Muslims
and WWI, the 1979 Mecca
siege and the Iranian
Revolution.
Host: Saeed
A. Khan is currently in the
Department of History and
Lecturer in the Department
of Near East & Asian Studies
at Wayne State
University-Detroit,
Michigan, where he teaches
Islamic and Middle East
History, Islamic
Civilizations and History of
Islamic Political Thought.
Mr. Khan is also a Research
Fellow at Wayne State
University’s Center for the
Study of Citizenship. He is
also Adjunct Professor in
Islamic Studies at the
University of Detroit-Mercy
and at Rochester College,
co-teaching a course on
Muslim-Christian Diversity.
With areas of focus
including US policy,
globalization, Middle East
and Islamic Studies, as well
as genomics and bioethics,
Mr. Khan has been a
contributor to several media
agencies, such as C-Span,
NPR, Voice of America and
the National Press Club, as
well as newspapers and other
outlets, and is also a
consultant on Islamic and
Middle East affairs for the
BBC and the CBC. In
addition, he has served as
consultant to the US-Arab
Economic Forum. Mr. Khan has
founded the Centre for the
Study of Trans-Atlantic
Diasporas, a think tank and
policy centre examining and
comparing the condition of
ethnic immigrant groups in
North America and Europe,
consulting the US and UK
governments on their
respective Muslim
communities. Most recently,
Mr. Khan has become co-host
of the radio show “Detroit
Today” on Detroit Public
Radio.
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.......
Ibn Sina Award for HEALTH
Dr
Faheem Ahmed
grew up from humble
beginnings in a South London
flat. He was awarded a
prestigious academic and
sports scholarship at one of
the UK’s leading independent
schools – Dulwich College.
Faheem excelled both in
academia and sports, playing
at the highest level in
football and cricket,
subsequently being elected
by his peers as the
College’s first Muslim
Vice-Captain. After
achieving the top grades in
GCSEs and A-levels, he
secured a place at King’s
College London Medical
School where he was also
elected as the first Muslim
President of Guy’s King’s
and St Thomas’ Medical
Students’ Association. He
has published extensively in
major high-impact journals
such as the Lancet and
British Medical Journal and
presented at over 50
different conferences
internationally. Faheem is
also a founding member and
Director of Selfless UK, an
award-winning international
NGO that addresses health
inequalities through
technology.
Professor
Naveed Sattar
was born in Sheffield, lived
for 10 years in Cardiff, and
in 1977 moved to Glasgow
where he went to school and
university before becoming a
clinical academic and
Professor of Metabolic
Medicine in 2005 at the age
of 37. He is now amongst the
most widely published
academics in the world (over
750 peers reviewed papers)
and for the last 5 years has
been in the top 1% of cited
individuals in clinical
medicine worldwide. He is
well known for his expertise
in diabetes, heart disease
and obesity. However, it is
in diabetes where he is best
known, currently in the top
10 diabetes experts in the
world as measured by
objective criteria on the
expertscape website, a
metric used by academics
around the world.
Dr
Omar Mahroo
is a consultant ophthalmic
surgeon at Moorfields Eye
Hospital and senior lecturer
in medical retina and
electrophysiology. He
undertook his undergraduate
medical training in
Cambridge, where he also
completed a PhD in
electrophysiology. He was
previously an academic
clinical lecturer at Kings
College London, where he
continued his study of the
electrical activity of the
retina in health and
disease. Omar has recently
secured a Wellcome grant of
over Ł1m to continue his
research at Moorfields,
where he is investigating
how the electrical activity
of the retina can help in
the early diagnosis of
disease.
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 (Katy
Nebhan)
NATIONALISM, RACISM AND
REVULSION: MUSLIMS MAKE
HEADLINES
The development of a
distinctive Australian
identity towards the end of
the 19thcentury sought to
embed pure British roots
within the idea of a
‘national type’.
Many newspapers perpetuated
the ideal of a largely
exclusive male domain where,
as Clive Moore suggests,
“dominant colonial
Anglo-Celtic manhood and
masculinity was constructed
against the image of the
multiple ‘other’: women;
recent immigrant males;
non-Caucasian males.”
This was combined with
discussions of the other
pressing issues of the day,
including the threat of
cheap foreign labour,
abolition of private land
ownership and new
protectionist policies.
While Australia’s economy
was booming in the 1870s and
1880s,a severe drought
lasting four years from 1890
crippled the economy. The
frustrations from the
resulting unemployment,
poverty and industrial
strikes played out in
contemporary newspaper
coverage that sought to
curtail the ‘unfair’
competition.
The camel industry had grown
by the late 19thcentury and
rural communities felt
threatened. Although the
working conditions of the
cameleers were appalling,
the growing ‘Afghan’ owned
camel teams were seen to be
in direct competition with
the bullock drivers and
horse teamsters who were
‘White’.
In December 1894,Frederick
Vosper, the editor of the
Coolgardie Miner and an
ardent trade unionist, began
a media campaign against the
Afghans to have them
deported from mining
regions. Vosper was a
prominent Queensland radical
in the early 1890s and used
his position as editor to
further alienate the
cameleers, who he claimed
“weren’t wanted here or
anywhere near the
goldfields, which should be
kept for the benefit of the
white races.”
Referring to what he
perceived to be a cordial
relationship between Britain
and its ‘coloured’ subjects,
he urged his readers to “let
them conserve their
friendship. We don’t want
any of it, but what we want
is for Australia to be free
from such a complication.”
The cameleers’ religious
practices were directly
targeted and this is evident
in the coverage of the 1894
incident at ‘Afghan Rocks,’
where the ritual of ablution
led to the murder of Noore
Mahomet by a digger and the
“outbreak of racial war.”
Thomas Brandon Knowles faced
a “charge of double murder”
for shooting Mahomet and for
the death of Jehan Mahomet,
who was hit by a stray
bullet.
The trial was documented in
the local papers and closely
followed by the Anti-Afghan
League, which was formed by
Vosper in December 1894. One
article referred to a
“telegram received during a
meeting of the Anti-Afghan
League” stating Knowles had
been acquitted and described
the “great cheering ”that
followed.
Two critical points were
raised during the meetings
of the Anti-Afghan and
Anti-Asiatic Leagues, both
of which operated along the
same discriminatory premise,
and were documented in the
local papers. The first was
the appeal to grassroots
action and the advice given
to attendees “not to put
their trust in Prince or
Premier who were notoriously
great in promise, but small
in performance ”was used to
garner greater ‘individual
effort’ “to give effect to
public opinion.”
The second point, and what
appears to have been the
driving force behind this
popular movement, which
could attract up to 2000
attendees, was the
importance of grappling with
“the sneaking, crawling,
insidious Mahomedan invasion
now going on.
Australian
Elections –
What, Why and
Who Deserve Your
Votes?
By Professor
Shahjahan Khan,
Professor of
Statistics,
University of
Southern
Queensland,
Toowoomba;
Former Vice
President of
Islamic Council
of Queensland,
and Founding
President of
Islamic Society
of Toowoomba.
Australian
election system
is
‘preferential’,
unlike many
other countries
where ‘majority’
wins the
election. Also,
the election
system of the
Members of the
House
(Parliament) is
different from
that of the
Senate (Upper
House). In both
cases some rules
of mathematics
of proportion
(preference) are
used to
determine the
winning
candidate. These
make the system
more complicated
and difficult
for many
ordinary
Australians.
Good information
on election
system is found
at
https://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/briefs/brief01
Although
different
colours of the
ballot papers
distinguish
between House
and Senate vote,
the practice of
voting above and
below the line
of the ballot
paper is
complicated.
Voting above the
line is easier
but it is
tantamount to
voting for all
Senate
candidates and
candidate for
the House of the
specific party
you tick. On the
other hand
voting below the
line requires
more knowledge
of the
candidates to
determine the
preferences. The
matter is
further
complicated as
there are too
many political
parties in the
country and even
more independent
candidates,
especially for
the Senate,
adding to the
long list of
candidates below
the line.
In the recent
past, very small
number of voters
(only 37) made
the difference
between win or
loss. An
anti-Muslim
Senator received
only 19 primary
votes. So, every
vote matters,
and it matters
more in the
marginal seats.
Ironically, only
a few racist
Senators from
right wing
parties have
dominated and
directed agendas
of the outgoing
government. In
some cases they
forced the
government to
change its
policies and
modify
legislations to
pass the bills.
Voting in the
federal and
state elections
is compulsory in
Australia. If
any eligible
voter fails to
vote in the
election for
unacceptable
reasons, she or
he is required
to pay fine. The
fine for failing
to vote in
Queensland state
election is
$126.15.
Australians
could take the
advantage of
pre-polling
voting or postal
voting if they
can’t vote on
the election
day.
The above
scenario should
alert every
Australian to
have sound
knowledge about
the election
system of the
country. They
must conduct
research on the
political
parties to find
the political
views and
background of
the candidates
before deciding
their voting
preferences.
This is more so
for the migrants
turned citizens
who have decided
to permanently
settle in
Australia, and
hence they are
required to know
its system of
government and
election to
exercise their
voting right
correctly.
Every Australian
citizen must
register with
the Australian
Electoral
Commission
before being
able to vote.
More info at
https://www.aec.gov.au/enrol/
Australia is a
very successful
migrant nation,
like Canada and
USA. Diversity
is our identity
and strength.
The division of
‘us’ and ‘them’
is un-Australian
and should be
eliminated.
Other than the
First Nation,
the custodian of
the land,
indigenous
Australians,
everyone is
either a migrant
or a descendent
of migrants.
Voters should
reject anyone
dividing the
nation based on
ethnicity or
religion, and
reject all forms
of political
extremism and
religious
radicalism.
No Australian
should vote a
racist, bigot,
extremist or
promoter of hate
and division.
GREENING OUR
RAMADAN
Allah (swt)
tells
us: “He
is the
one who
made you
khalifahs
(vicegerents,
stewards,
guardians)
of the
earth”
(6:165).
Dear Masjid and
Islamic Centre
Leaders,
As-Salam-u-
Alaikum wa
Rahmat-u-
Lillahi wa
Barakatuhu
ISNA leadership
and ISNA Masjid
Committee Green
Initiative
requests your
Masjid/Islamic
Center to join
us this Ramadan
in “Greening Our
Ramadan”
Campaign.
Being sensitive
to the harm that
we do to our
environment and
committed to
living in
harmony with
nature, we, as
Muslims, must
seek to
implement
practices and
policies that
are
environmentally
friendly.
Let us live up
to our role as
stewards of the
earth by joining
the “Greening
Our Ramadan”
campaign again
this year.
We ask every
masjid/Islamic
center to adopt
and pledge at
least the
following five
practices during
the coming
Ramadan:
Conserve food
during Iftar and
avoid being
wasteful by
giving excess
food to people
in need.
Conserve water,
especially
during wudu.
Follow the
tradition of the
Prophet (PBUH)
Use relatively
quick degradable
paper products
for Iftar and
not at all use
Styrofoam cups
and plates
Recycle
material,
especially
plastic water
bottles
Replace all
light bulbs with
energy saver
bulbs and thus
conserve
electricity
Give a khutbah
on the Islamic
imperative to
conserve and
protect the
environment
Please fill out
the online
pledge form
(below) on ISNA
website that
your
masjid/Islamic
center will
implement these
five practices
this Ramadan.
Display the
poster showing
your commitment
to “Greening Our
Ramadan.”
For
participating in
the ISNA Green
Ramadan Campaign
and as a sign of
our gratitude,
the Pen and
Inkpot
Foundation (Pi
Foundation) will
plant trees
through the
Arbor Day
Foundation on
your behalf and
a certificate
will be sent to
you like in the
previous years
by the Pi
Foundation for
participating in
the ISNA Green
Ramadan
Campaign.
Please fulfil
your obligation
of being the
Caretakers of
this earth as
ordained by
Allah (SWT).
Reduce, Reuse,
Recycle, and
Re-think.
Have a blessed
Ramadan
President of
ISNA: Azhar
Azeez
Masjid Committee
Green
Initiative: Huda
Alkaff, Ihsan
Bagby, Saffet
Catovic, Nana
Firman, Uzma
Mirza, S.
Masroor Shah
(Chair)
WHY “GREENING
OUR RAMADAN”
ISNA
Capitalism is
failing us all.
Could Islamic
economics be the
answer?
By Muhammed
Yesilhark
Muhammed
Yesilhark
is a
philanthropist,
a
trustee
of the
UK
National
Zakat
Foundation
and
founder
of the
Q2Q
Foundation
Billionaire
Ray Dalio, manager of the
world's largest hedge fund
Bridgewater, recently
shocked the world when he
announced that "capitalism
is failing" and that a
"revolution" is coming.
There is no denying that
global inequality is at
unsustainable levels, and
that interest-based
economies are no longer fit
for purpose (in many
countries interest rates are
too low to incentivise
saving at all).
I believe that Islamic
economics, with its 2.5%
zakat wealth tax (and much
lower taxes in other areas)
might give us a clue on how
to eliminate the worst
social inequality. And with
a prohibition of abusive
high-interest businesses and
the incentivisation away
from interest-based savings
accounts, it can
reinvigorate the global
economy. These are not just
Islamic economic concepts;
these are universalist
traditional Abrahamic
ethics, and a common sense
way for us all to enjoy a
truly free market.
Once we
strip away
the Arabic
terminology,
concepts
like zakat
can return
our
economies to
the common
sense-based,
transparent
and
equitable
set up that
the
architects
of modern
capitalism
envisaged.
Dalio’s
statements matter, not only
because of how strongly
worded they are but also
because of how topical they
are in today’s news climate.
They are significant because
of who Dalio is, that is to
say probably the most
successful hedge fund
manager in the world. One of
my colleagues commented last
week that this was the
equivalent of the Pope
declaring that Catholicism
is failing.
Dalio’s words are perhaps
more shocking because they
violate one of the most
sacred unwritten rules of
the global rich: you’re not
allowed to criticise
capitalism if you have
benefited hugely from it.
Protest - or even
displeasure - with the
system is a luxury only the
poor can afford. It’s normal
to see cleaners, or even
Uber drivers, angry at
inequality. It is less
normal to see the world’s
wealthiest publicly stating
that the order to which they
owe their success is “not
providing the American
Dream.”
The “no protest for the
rich” rule has led
billionaires to channel
their sense of
responsibility, frustration
or even guilt into
philanthropy. This means
that we seldom have the
wealthy discuss these
issues, let alone the root
causes from which these
problems arise. Those root
causes go deeper than many
of us realise and addressing
them will mean re-examining
not only our economics, but
our politics and values.
Most of us want a societal
order where there isn’t a
huge vacuum between the
classes. Unfortunately, this
gap keeps widening as
“casino capitalism” and high
interest consumer products
entrench divisions.
To create societies where
there is mutual respect and
compassion, we need an
environment of
reconciliation between the
elites and the masses. The
only way to achieve this is
through a wealth tax such as
the payment of zakat - one
of the pillars of Islam -
and an effective tool in
addressing our current
issues. But first, to reform
a failing capitalism, we
need to fix two things:
taxation and the interest
rate system. Taxation is
easier (and far less left
field) to critique since
there is an emerging
consensus that the global
tax system simply no longer
works. Through a combination
of tax avoidance schemes,
tax havens and even
relatively innocent methods
like transfer pricing, high
net worth individuals and
their corporations have very
little (if any) tax to pay
on their wealth. In the
absence of effective wealth
taxes, governments have no
choice but to enforce taxes
that perhaps unfairly target
the poor, like sales tax and
inheritance tax. The
injustice of some of these
taxes further normalises tax
avoidance and polarises
society even more.
Critiquing the interest rate
system is more
controversial. Most people
feel that possessing money
has some inherent value that
should be recognised in a
zero (or almost zero) risk
way. But with negative
interest rates spreading
around in the developed
world, interest rates are so
low in many countries that
they simply do not fulfil
their purpose of
incentivising consumers to
save any longer. In short,
as Deutsche Bank’s Jim Reid
titled his research report
last year, we might be
witnessing “The Start of the
End of Fiat Money.”
Therefore, our current
fiat-based monetary system
might require a rethink.
After all, in the grand
scheme of global economic
history, it can still be
considered an experiment as
the vast majority of human
history was based on gold
and silver-backed sound
money. Current proponents of
digital currencies (such as
so-called Bitcoin
maximalists) are proposing a
new form of supra-national
sound money based on maths -
quasi-“digital gold” for the
globalised world.
Islamic economics, on the
other hand, can give us
clues to solve both these
issues. Zakat, or Islamic
alms, is a simple,
transparent annual wealth
tax of 2.5%. Let’s only
consider tax havens, where
estimated wealth of $10
trillion is held around the
world. That means if zakat
was paid on these funds
(perhaps as some kind of
amnesty agreement), there
would be $250 billion per
year flowing into the
world’s poorest areas and
worthiest causes.
At the same time, other
taxes could be reduced or
eliminated. In return for
the wealth tax, Islamic
economics suggests almost
zero tax in every other
area, including inheritance.
Solving the interest problem
will be more gradual and
will require a rethink of
the monetary system we
currently live in, as I
previously mentioned. I
can’t see a sudden global
ban on interest but
governments (particularly
those with low interest
rates) could incentivise
other forms of investment,
increasing regulation around
abusive high interest
products and businesses to
start with.
Some of these might seem
very drastic but once we
strip away the Arabic
terminology, concepts like
zakat can return our
economies to the common
sense-based, transparent and
equitable set up that the
architects of modern
capitalism envisaged.
When the richest guy in the
room is telling you the game
is rigged, it’s time to
change the rules.
Jerusalem:
Can Jews, Christians
,Muslims live together?
(Part II)
Al Jazeera
Jerusalem:
A Rock and a Hard Place
A remarkable new two-part
documentary special from Al
Jazeera English, goes behind
the scenes with residents
from each of the three
monolithic faiths who share
one of the world’s most
extraordinary cities:
Jerusalem.
Here, Israeli Jews and
Palestinian Muslims and
Christians exist in close
geographical proximity and
are bound in many ways by a
common history.
But as these films reveal,
they are also worlds apart.
The stark, every-day
challenges of life in a city
shaped by 70 years of
Israeli occupation – with
its oppressive
discrimination, security
walls and endless petty
restrictions – aren’t always
fully understood by
outsiders. To followers of
different faiths, Jerusalem
is a sacred and spiritual
place, to many tourists it’s
most famous for its
culturally significant
monuments, but to those who
live here its status is much
more complex.
These two insightful
episodes go beyond some of
the common misconceptions,
tracing the roots of the
occupation and exploring the
relationship that
Jerusalem’s different
communities have with their
city and with each other.
For Omar Harami, a young
Palestinian Christian, and a
lead character in the film,
the consequences of
Jerusalem’s divisions are
too often ignored. “ This is
an apartheid in the 21st
century and the world is
silent,” he says. “Israel
builds walls to hide the
[settler only roads]
highway, so it becomes an
invisible part. We
Palestinians in East
Jerusalem are invisible”.
Others, including some
surprising voices from
across the divided
community, explain how the
Zionist project to establish
a Jewish homeland in the
territory continues to
reinforce inequality and
prejudice in Jerusalem
today.
Dr. Meir Margalit is a
former soldier and settler
turned human rights
activist, who also
researches the history of
the Jewish community. “Forty
percent of the city’s
residents are not citizens
of the state, “ he says.
““They don't have the right
to be elected. More
importantly, they can lose
their right to live in their
city.“
Sahar Vardi, a young Israeli
woman who refuses to serve
in the armed forces, also
condemns the divisions. “The
education system, media,
everything around us is by
definition defined by fear,”
she says.
The film also features
interviews with UN Special
Coordinator Nickolay
Mladenov and South Africa’s
ambassador to Palestine
talking about their
experiences in one of the
world’s most renowned
cities.
Both episodes of A Rock and
Hard Place have been
produced and directed by
Awad Joumaa and edited by
Jameel Hodzic in cooperation
with executive producer
Stephen Phelps.
Sydney Imam delivers
ANZAC prayer
SBS News
A special
prayer for peace to honour
the nation’s servicemen and
servicewomen at an ANZAC
dawn service in western
Sydney.
Prince William at
Christchurch Mosque
Prince William speaking
inside the Al Noor mosque in
Christchurch.
“An act of violence was
designed to change New
Zealand, but instead the
grief of a nation revealed
just how deep your wells of
empathy, compassion, warmth,
and love truly run.”
Islamophobic attacks
rebuked in US legislature
NowThisPolitics
West Virginia
Lawmakers Address
Islamophobic Attacks From
State Leadership and
Activists
Islamophobic posters and
remarks in the halls of this
state legislature inspired
furious rebukes from W.
Virginia delegates, forcing
a member of GOP House
leadership to resign.
Why Turkish people love
animals
ilmfeed
Cats in
mosques, decorated bird
houses and blankets for
stray dogs. These are common
sights in Turkey. The
special place animals have
in the hearts of the Turkish
people goes back to the
Ottoman Empire when caring
for animals was encouraged
by the Sultan himself.
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.
UK: The architects behind
the UK's "first green mosque" say the
building will be a "cultural bridge" for
Islam in Britain in the 21st Century.
Cambridge Central Mosque, in Mill Road,
cost Ł23m and has capacity for 1,000
worshippers.
The mosque opened for prayers at midday
on Wednesday after more than a decade in
the planning.
Spokesman Dr Abdal Hakim Murad said the
"global city" of Cambridge had been
"slow off the mark".
Dr Murad, of the Cambridge Mosque Trust,
said the city's estimated 6,000 Muslims
have had to pray in shifts at smaller,
overcrowded Islamic centres locally as
well as converted houses.
"There has been an urgent need for a
proper mosque in Cambridge, it's an
overdue idea," he added.
"Cambridge is a global city but it's
been slow off the mark in having a
multi-cultural space like this."
The Central Mosque has been designed by
Marks Barfield Architects, who won the
original contract in 2009.
In 2011, anonymous leaflets were posted
through doors of houses close to the
proposed site, urging people to object
on grounds of potential congestion.
However, Cambridge City Council said it
received 50 letters opposing the plans -
but more than 200 in support.
Planning permission was granted in 2012.
'Cultural bridge'
The mosque includes a prayer hall,
ablution areas and accommodation for its
Imam's family and visiting scholars.
It boasts zero carbon on-site emissions,
rainwater harvesting and air source heat
pumps.
Julia Barfield, principal architect,
said the idea was to create "a truly
British mosque in the 21st Century".
"This mosque can be a cultural bridge,
and takes the environmental message to
one of the biggest faith communities in
the world," she said.
This photo went viral when a woman
'smiled in the face of bigotry'.
The picture went viral on
Instagram, with more than 100,000 likes,
and on Twitter, where it was liked more
than 150,000 times.
Shaymaa Ismaa'eel was attending a
conference of the Islamic Circle of
North America in Washington DC on Sunday
when she saw a group of protesters
holding signs against the Muslim faith
and the Prophet Muhammad.
So she asked her friend to take a
picture of her while she flashed a smile
squatting in front of them.
"I really wanted to combat their hatred
with kindness honestly," Ismaa'eel, 24,
told CNN via Instagram. "I wanted them
to see my face and simply walking by
wasn't enough."
Ismaa'eel, who works as a therapist with
children on the autism spectrum in the
DC area, posted the photo on Instagram
along with a quote from Prophet Muhammad
reading: "Kindness is a mark of faith.
Those who aren't kind have no faith."
The picture went viral on the
picture-sharing platform, with more than
100,000 likes, and on Twitter, where it
was liked more than 150,000 times.
"On April 21st I smiled in the face of
bigotry and walked away feeling the
greatest form of accomplishment," she
wrote on a tweet accompanying the
picture.
Ismaa'eel told CNN she noticed the
protesters for the first time on
Saturday, the second day of the
convention, adding that most people were
very upset by their presence and didn't
appear to know how to react. She said
that some teens tried to approach the
men, but most people just walked by
without giving them attention.
For her part, Ismaa'eel said she kept
thinking about the protesters during the
conference, which included sessions on
different topics including the Quran,
the life of Muhammad, lessons from the
Christchurch shooting, and so on
Mo Salah named in
TIME magazine’s top 100 most
influential people in 2019
Further evidence of
Mohamed Salah‘s growing status not just
in England and Europe but around the
world, with the Egyptian named in TIME
magazine’s most influential people of
2019.
"Mo Salah is a
better human being than he is a
football player. And he’s one of the
best football players in the world.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a
professional athlete in any sport
less affected by their success or
status than Mo, which is incredible
because I can’t imagine the kind of
pressure that comes with the
intensity of adoration he receives.
Mo is an iconic figure for
Egyptians, Scousers and Muslims the
world over, and yet he always comes
across as a humble, thoughtful,
funny man who isn’t taking any of
this too seriously.
As a footballer, he plays with
an infectious joy. I’ve always
wondered what it would feel like to
be able to play as well as him, and
watching his face light up after he
does something incredible, you get
the reassuring sense that it’s
exactly as fun as you’d want it to
be.
I absolutely love him."
- Oliver is the host of HBO’s Last
Week Tonight With John Oliver
Speaking to
TIME, Salah
discussed
women’s
equality,
saying: “I think
we need to
change the way
we treat women
in our culture.
It’s not
optional.
“I support the
woman more than
I did before,
because I feel
like she
deserves more
than what they
give her now, at
the moment.”
The Islamic Jesus: How the King of the Jews Became a
Prophet of the Muslims
by
Mustafa Akyol
When Reza
Aslan’s bestseller Zealot came out in
2013, there was criticism that he hadn’t
addressed his Muslim faith while writing
the origin story of Christianity. In
fact, Ross Douthat of The New York Times
wrote that “if Aslan had actually
written in defense of the Islamic view
of Jesus, that would have been something
provocative and new.”
Mustafa Akyol’s The Islamic Jesus is
that book.
The Islamic Jesus reveals startling new
truths about Islam in the context of the
first Muslims and the early origins of
Christianity. Muslims and the first
Christians—the Jewish followers of
Jesus—saw Jesus as not divine but rather
as a prophet and human Messiah and that
salvation comes from faith and good
works, not merely as faith, as
Christians would later emphasize. What
Akyol seeks to reveal are how these core
beliefs of Jewish Christianity, which
got lost in history as a heresy, emerged
in a new religion born in 7th Arabia:
Islam.
Akyol exposes this extraordinary
historical connection between Judaism,
Jewish Christianity and Islam—a major
mystery unexplored by academia. From
Jesus’ Jewish followers to the Nazarenes
and Ebionites to the Qu’ran’s stories of
Mary and Jesus, The Islamic Jesus will
reveal links between religions that seem
so contrary today. It will also call on
Muslims to discover their own Jesus, at
a time when they are troubled by their
own Pharisees and Zealots.
Interfaith Healer: The
Surprising Role of Jesus in
Islam
BOOK REVIEW
By Lesley Hazleton
.......
Akyol makes good use of both
canonical and noncanonical
sources, tracing where and
why the Islamic approach
agrees with Christian
tradition (yes to Jesus as
the messenger, prophet, word
and spirit of God), and
where it disagrees (no to
the Resurrection, and no to
divinity). Along the way, he
ups the ante by finding what
he calls “astonishing”
parallels between the Quran
and early Christian texts,
though such astonishment
seems unnecessary to this
reader. Given the fertile
interchange of ideas and
lore in the multiethnic
Byzantine Middle East, such
parallels were not only
likely, but even inevitable.
No new religion comes into
being fully made, like Venus
on her half-shell. And the
Quran is quite open about
this, as Akyol notes. It
fulsomely acknowledges its
debt by declaring that it
comes to confirm both the
Torah and the Gospels — to
renew their ethical
traditions. And since that
was also part of the Jesus
message — a renewal of
Jewish tradition, not a
break with it — Akyol
presents the Islamic Jesus
as more of a Jewish prophet
than a Christian savior.
To bolster his argument, he
delves into the split within
the early Jesus movement:
between the non-Jewish
Hellenic church founded by
Paul, which lasted and
flourished, and the Jewish
“Jerusalem Church” under
James, which did neither.
The idea is that remnants of
these “Jewish Christians”
might have survived into the
seventh century to influence
the Quranic concept of
Jesus, though this seems
something of a Dan Brownian
stretch.
But Akyol excels in the last
chapter, which will
doubtless raise some
eyebrows with its title
alone: “What Jesus Can Teach
Muslims Today.” In it, he
makes a forceful argument
for Jesus as the expression
of the spirit instead of the
letter of the law, and
against the soulless
legalism of both
first-century Pharisees and
21st-century Islamic
fundamentalists.
Step 2
Beat 2 eggs and 1 cup buttermilk, (leaving 2 Tab aside to
glaze) and mix with the above dry ingredients to form a
batter.
Step 3
Steak Filling
Make a spicy steak filling (see below for a recipe)
Step 4
Using foil pie holders, (you could use cup cake or muffin
pans) fill 1/3 of the container with the batter, you may
need to wet your hands to spread the scone like batter.
Step 5
Layer with steak filling, you could use chicken as well.
Step 6
Cover with the remaining batter, glaze with egg/buttermilk
mixture. Sprinkle with poppy or sesame seeds.
Step 7
And bake at 180degrees until light brown.
Steak Filling
˝ kg rump steak cubed
1 tsp crushed green chillies
1 tsp crushed red chillies
Juice of ˝ a lemon
Ľ tsp tumeric powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ginger garlic
1 onion diced
2 tomatoes diced
2 tab ghee
Method
Heat the ghee, add all the spices, cook for a minute add the
steak and lemon juice and cook until steak is tender and all
the water has evaporated. Add the onion and tomato and cook
until the mixture is dry, taste for salt.
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.
:
• Never compromise on your form
• Always maintain good technique
• Know your limits, and challenge them safely
• Modify exercises when necessary
• Stay motivated – aim to be better
• Take rest when needed
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:
Do You Suffer From
The “what will
people say
syndrome”?
This figure is
increasing daily.
100% of my clients
have symptoms of
depression and
anxiety.
I also battled with
depression and
Complex PTSD most of
my adult life. I had
to go through
intensive
self-reflective
therapy to
understand my
biggest fears and
triggers and how to
manage them or
overcome most of
them. Healing is a
daily process for
me.
The sessions made me
understand what
perpetuated my
fears. I was
suffering from, in
my own words, the
“What Will People
Say Syndrome”. Every
fear I had was based
on insecurities of
how people would
view me, how they
would judge me and
whether or not I
would measure up to
their expectations.
Bottom line was that
I was in the
business to
constantly please
everyone. Also
commonly known as
the ‘disease to
please’ or
‘people-pleasing
syndrome’. All I was
doing was trying my
hardest and still
failing at getting
approval from
people. It never
dawned on me that
the people whose
approval I was
desperately seeking
had displayed highly
disrespectful and
immoral behaviours
for as long as I
could remember. Not
only did they not
deserve my efforts
to constantly please
them but they also
didn’t deserve any
justifications of my
choices. I was not
answerable to them.
Period.
So, now, I’m asking
you to pause your
life for a moment
and reflect on your
day today. How much
of your day today
revolved around
pleasing people? Who
are these people you
are trying to seek
approval from? And
why?
As Muslims, we must
constantly remind
ourselves this
truth: We are here
to please only
ALLAH, not to please
Muslims or any other
being. You may be
displaying symptoms
of the Disease to
Please Syndrome
without even
realising it. It’s
because we want to
be liked by
everyone. The
yearning for
acceptance and a
sense of belonging
is natural. However,
acknowledging that
you are NOT a slave
to people’s
expectations is
vital if you are
seeking better
mental health and
wellbeing.
7 Strategies To
Overcome
People-Pleasing
Syndrome
The following
strategies will
hopefully help you
understand your
tendency to seek
approval from others
and better equip you
with ways to beat
this syndrome.
1. Know that you
probably don’t
like everybody
in the world and
that not
everybody in the
world has to
like you. It's
better to
respect someone
and celebrate
your differences
than to like
someone for the
sake of it.
2. ‘No’ is a
complete
sentence. Use
it. Don't feel
the need to
justify it. If
something
doesn’t feel
right in your
gut, SAY NO.
3. Examine the
boundaries you
have set in your
life with
people. What do
these boundaries
look like? How
much do they get
away with? If
you haven’t set
boundaries yet,
now is a great
time to do so.
(If you are
struggling with
setting
boundaries,
contact me and I
may be able to
help).
4. Write down
all the things
that would be
different in
your life if you
stopped pleasing
people and
started pleasing
ALLAH.
5. Take your
time to respond
to people’s
requests or
favours. You
have the right
to say “I’ll
think about it
and let you
know”. You don’t
need to react
immediately to
their requests.
You are not
their puppet.
You are a human
being who
deserves
respect.
6. Become
comfortable with
the thought that
you are not here
to please
people. You are
here to please
only ALLAH. When
you are pleasing
people you may
be compromising
on being in
alignment with
ALLAH’s
commandments as
per the Holy
Quran.
7. Read and
re-read your
Holy Quran often
to remind
yourself why you
are here.
Knowing your
ultimate purpose
will empower you
to banish all
fears,
insecurities and
yearning for
approval from
people.
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.
It is not righteousness that
you turn your faces toward
East or West; but is
righteousness - to believe
in Allah and the Last Day,
and the Angels, and the
Book, and the Messengers; to
spend of your substance, out
of love for Him, for your
kin, for orphans, for the
needy, for the wayfarer, for
those who ask....
You are also invited
for a Memorial Mass
which will be
celebrated by Most
Reverend Mark
Coleridge,
Archbishop of
Brisbane. This will
take place at
Cathedral of St
Stephen, Brisbane.
Date: Sunday 28
April
Time: 8am
Address: Cathedral
of St Stephen, 249
Elizabeth Street,
Brisbane
Contacts:
Fr Pan Jordan -
0415461620
Rebecca Lim -
0432650870
Yogi Srikanth -
0423114365
.
KURABY MOSQUE OPEN DAYS
Following the
tragedy in
Christchurch, it is
imperative that we
continue to
constructively
engage with our
non-Muslim brothers
and sisters.
As part of this
initiative, during
the month of April,
Kuraby Masjid will
open its doors to
the public between
10am-1pm every
Saturday.
The program will be
very informal. The
purpose is to make
people feel welcomed
and to engage in
dialogue with them.
Volunteers are
required. If
you are able to
assist in any
capacity, please
contact Ismail on
0431800414.
The Islamic Council of
Queensland (ICQ) is hosting
its annual Eid Down Under
festival on Saturday 8 June.
More than 15,000 people
attend for hours of fun,
food, rides, entertainment,
competitions, cultural
performances and more.
Brisbane City Council
considers this a major event
in Brisbane. It provides a
chance for the Muslim
community to connect with
other groups and communities
in Queensland, promoting an
inclusive and harmonious
Australian society.
Many companies and
organisations host stalls at
the event to sell products
and showcases their
services. The promotion
opportunity is huge as the
event brings together people
from all walks of life, and
many different communities
from across Queensland.
ICQ invites business and
organisations to host a
stall at the event. For
stall information and
prices, email
stalls@teamlacey.com.au.
ICQ is also seeking
sponsorships to help make
this year and even greater
success. Contact
eid@icq.org.au if your
organisation is willing to
sponsor.
Increase your
children’s
excitement about the
coming of Ramadan
with this fun new
experience. A
brand new Zaky
Ramadan film made to
welcome the coming
of Ramadan 2019.
Don't miss your only
chance to watch this
new Zaky Ramadan
film in Brisbane.
Enjoy the ultimate
luxury in this Gold
Class movie style
family event (dad’s
welcome) for the
whole family to
enjoy. Attendees
will be served a 3
course meal while
they enjoy sitting
and watching the
film, in this one of
a kind experience.
All children
attending the movie
night will receive a
free Zaky Dua Frame
Set (worth $10).
Come
along and join us,
as all the work is
done for you, so all
that is left to do
is sit back and
enjoy the company of
your loved ones with
a good Islamic
movie.
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.
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.
Saeed
A. Khan is currently in the
Department of History and
Lecturer in the Department
of Near East & Asian Studies
at Wayne State
University-Detroit,
Michigan, where he teaches
Islamic and Middle East
History, Islamic
Civilizations and History of
Islamic Political Thought.
Mr. Khan is also a Research
Fellow at Wayne State
University’s Center for the
Study of Citizenship. He is
also Adjunct Professor in
Islamic Studies at the
University of Detroit-Mercy
and at Rochester College,
co-teaching a course on
Muslim-Christian Diversity.
With areas of focus
including US policy,
globalization, Middle East
and Islamic Studies, as well
as genomics and bioethics,
Mr. Khan has been a
contributor to several media
agencies, such as C-Span,
NPR, Voice of America and
the National Press Club, as
well as newspapers and other
outlets, and is also a
consultant on Islamic and
Middle East affairs for the
BBC and the CBC. In
addition, he has served as
consultant to the US-Arab
Economic Forum. Mr. Khan has
founded the Centre for the
Study of Trans-Atlantic
Diasporas, a think tank and
policy centre examining and
comparing the condition of
ethnic immigrant groups in
North America and Europe,
consulting the US and UK
governments on their
respective Muslim
communities. Most recently,
Mr. Khan has become co-host
of the radio show “Detroit
Today” on Detroit Public
Radio.
Dr
Faheem Ahmed
grew up from humble
beginnings in a South London
flat. He was awarded a
prestigious academic and
sports scholarship at one of
the UK’s leading independent
schools – Dulwich College.
Faheem excelled both in
academia and sports, playing
at the highest level in
football and cricket,
subsequently being elected
by his peers as the
College’s first Muslim
Vice-Captain. After
achieving the top grades in
GCSEs and A-levels, he
secured a place at King’s
College London Medical
School where he was also
elected as the first Muslim
President of Guy’s King’s
and St Thomas’ Medical
Students’ Association. He
has published extensively in
major high-impact journals
such as the Lancet and
British Medical Journal and
presented at over 50
different conferences
internationally. Faheem is
also a founding member and
Director of Selfless UK, an
award-winning international
NGO that addresses health
inequalities through
technology.
Professor
Naveed Sattar
was born in Sheffield, lived
for 10 years in Cardiff, and
in 1977 moved to Glasgow
where he went to school and
university before becoming a
clinical academic and
Professor of Metabolic
Medicine in 2005 at the age
of 37. He is now amongst the
most widely published
academics in the world (over
750 peers reviewed papers)
and for the last 5 years has
been in the top 1% of cited
individuals in clinical
medicine worldwide. He is
well known for his expertise
in diabetes, heart disease
and obesity. However, it is
in diabetes where he is best
known, currently in the top
10 diabetes experts in the
world as measured by
objective criteria on the
expertscape website, a
metric used by academics
around the world.
Dr
Omar Mahroo
is a consultant ophthalmic
surgeon at Moorfields Eye
Hospital and senior lecturer
in medical retina and
electrophysiology. He
undertook his undergraduate
medical training in
Cambridge, where he also
completed a PhD in
electrophysiology. He was
previously an academic
clinical lecturer at Kings
College London, where he
continued his study of the
electrical activity of the
retina in health and
disease. Omar has recently
secured a Wellcome grant of
over Ł1m to continue his
research at Moorfields,
where he is investigating
how the electrical activity
of the retina can help in
the early diagnosis of
disease.
Australian
election system
is
‘preferential’,
unlike many
other countries
where ‘majority’
wins the
election. Also,
the election
system of the
Members of the
House
(Parliament) is
different from
that of the
Senate (Upper
House). In both
cases some rules
of mathematics
of proportion
(preference) are
used to
determine the
winning
candidate. These
make the system
more complicated
and difficult
for many
ordinary
Australians.
Good information
on election
system is found
at
"Anywhere in Australia for mine..."
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7
August 2011