On 16 July 2019 (Tuesday),
Haji Aslam Nabi passed away
at his residence in Gold
Coast and he was buried on
Wednesday in the Mount
Gravatt cemetery.
Haji Aslam Nabi hailed from
Fuji and he was one of the
founding members of the
Islamic Society of Gold
Coast which was established
in 1984. He held various
positions in the Management
Committee. In 2013, he was
appointed as the first
Chairman of the newly
established Gold Coast
Mosque Trust which he held
till his time of death.
According the Trust
Secretary Haji Hussain Baba:
“He is a well-known and
well respected senior member
of the Islamic Community in
Queensland especially in
Gold Coast. He is polite,
friendly, well liked by the
community and he was like a
father figure to me and to
most of the members of the
community. He is well known
for his generosity and his
charitable work. He was the
pillar of our Gold Coast
Islamic Society and it is a
big lost to our community.
May almighty Allah have
mercy on him and grant him
Jhannathul Firdhous. Ameen”
Some 15 years ago, Haji
Aslam was a founding member
of the Taqwa Charity Welfare
Association which raised
funds for the Aboriginal
Islamic Centre in Redfern,
NSW. In 2004 he helped set
up the Queensland Muslim
Times - the first registered
Muslim newspaper in
Queensland.
Ms Naseema Mustapha posted
on Facebook:
Uncle Aslam. Such a
special soul. Years ago
at a time of absolute
crisis in my family, he
came and offered his
home to us to live in
when we had no income as
a family. He said stay
as long as you need to
without paying rent. An
empty four bedroom house
in Wishart was ours for
2yrs. My father's very
very close friend. Who
does that? An angel.
This Ramadan, Haji Aslam
appeared in Baba’s Halal
Kitchen cooking show called
Cooking for 100 Homeless
People and he also donated
financially to purchase the
materials (see below)
Inna lillahi wa inna
ilaihi raji’un
(We belong to Allah and to
Allah we shall return)
The Islamic College of
Brisbane (ICB) held a ground
breaking ceremony on 16 July
to celebrate the
commencement of the building
of a 5-storey block of
classrooms at the campus.
Councillors Angela Owen and
Kim Marx and Federal Member
for Rankin and Shadow
Treasurer, Jim Chalmers MP,
were amongst the invited
guests at the function.
School Board chairman, Ali
Kadri, described the long
and difficult road the Board
had gone through to get to
this stage and said that the
school was now is a good
position having benefited
significantly from the
stewardship of retired
principal, Dr Ray Barrett
OAM.
Board Treasurer, Junaid
Qadri acknowledged the
behind-the-scenes work of
past ICQ president, Ismail
Cajee, whose tireless
efforts had seen this
project come to eventual
fruition.
Imam Riyaaz Seedat, Head of
Islamic Studies and Arabic
Department at the school,
closed the function with a
prayer.
Ali Kadri
Junaid Qadri
Dr
Ray Barrett OAM
Councillor Angela
Owens
Jim Chalmers MP
Imam Riyaaz Seedat
Mr Abdul Shariff (left),
the school's Deputy
Principal, has been
appointed as the new
Principal replacing the
retiring Dr Ray Barrett OAM
(right)
Ninety women of mixed faiths
attended the Women of Faith
Dinner held at the Aspinall
Centre on 17 July. This was
the third dinner held by the
Qld Faith Communities
Council.
The aim of the dinners is to
share a meal over a table of
mixed faiths to enable a
greater understanding of
each other’s religions and
break down barriers brought
in by misunderstanding and
stereotypes.
Two guest speakers Helen
Paget, an Anglican minister
and Janeth Deen from the
Islamic Council of Qld spoke
on how faith impacted their
lives.
A variety of ethnic
vegetarian food was on the
menu followed by a range of
sumptuous sweets.
Janeth Deen told CCN:
"There was plenty of time
for groups to interact and
meet new people and share
great conversations about
culture and faith. A great
time was enjoyed by all."
The multi-faith group from
the Gold Coast was
well-represented as were the
women from The Abbey in
Caboolture.
Hamid Kassim,
Mustafa Ally, Yumnah
Shamsodien, Farah
Khatree, Nazeera
Khatree, Raeesa Ally-Khatree
and Sameera Docrat
are seen at the end of
The Bloody Long Walk - a
35km walk and run from
Sandgate to South Bank which
took place last Sunday (14
July) in support of people
living with mitochondrial
disease.
The Race Discrimination
Commissioner is undertaking
a project to listen to and
share the stories of
Australian Muslims. He is
holding national
consultations with members
of the Australian Muslim
community about their needs
and experiences of
discrimination, Islamophobia
and hate speech and their
right to safely practice
their religion.
The project is an
opportunity to identify
community strengths,
concerns and priorities and
hear from the community
about ideas for change.
The national face-to-face
consultations are supported
by a national online survey
of Australian Muslims aimed
at collecting data about
Islamophobia, racism and
related intolerances.
The project aims to build
robust intelligence about
the experience of Australian
Muslims to inform the
Australian Human Rights
Commission’s work in
promoting social cohesion
and providing evidence for
change.
The consultation program is
below. If you’d like to
register to participate in
the consultations, please
follow the relevant link
below. These links will be
available very soon.
Queensland Multicultural
Awards finalists received
their certificates on Friday
at the Parliamentary Annex’s
7th floor roof terrace from
the Hon Stirling Hinchliffe
MP. The winners will be
announced at a gala dinner
on 30 August.
Osman
Rane and Yusuf
Khatree representing
Muslim Charitable
Foundation (MCF) a
finalist in the
Community category
Nadia
Saeed, a finalist in
the Outstanding
Young Achiever
category
Four Corners' full
documentary on the
atrocities being perpetrated
by China against Uyghurs and
other Turkic peoples in East
Turkestan (Xinjiang): Mass
internment of adults, forced
assimilation of children,
wiping out of religion and
culture, inflicting mass
trauma.
Documents reveal this is
“the largest imprisonment of
people based on religion
since the Holocaust”.
The Hon. Stirling Hinchliffe
MP Minister for Local
Government, Racing and
Multicultural Affairs hosted
an official luncheon on
behalf of the Queensland
Government in honour of His
Excellency Mr Babar Amin,
High Commissioner for
Pakistan.
Eman Younus studied a
Bachelor of Electrical and
Communications Engineering
at Ajman University in the
UAE, and is now a Network
Engineer Specialist at
Telstra in Melbourne. In her
role, Eman designs radio
networks for the Federal
Government’s Mobile Black
Spot Program in Victoria and
Tasmania.
Curious to know what a day
in the life of a Network
Engineer Specialist is like?
Here’s a typical day…
5.30 AM
I’m an early bird on
weekdays. The first thing I
do after waking up is to do
my morning prayer, then I
pack my snacks and get ready
to go to work.
7.15 AM
I catch a train into the
city and then another tram
to the office, which is
close to the State Library
of Victoria in Melbourne.
While commuting, I check my
work email and calendar to
see if there’s anything I
need to prioritise when I
get into the office. It’s
also a good time for me to
relax and prepare for the
day.
8.30 AM
I arrive in the office –
it’s time to say ‘good
morning’ to my co-workers
and make myself a cup of
green tea.
8.40 AM
After settling down, I log
onto my computer while
enjoying my cup of tea.
9.00 AM
A big part of my role is to
look after a fascinating
project - the Federal
Government’s Mobile Black
Spot Program, which aims to
provide mobile phone
coverage to regional and
remote parts of Australia.
Some of these sites will be
designed and delivered
through mobile base
stations, and some through
Telstra’s 4G small cell
technology.
I’m currently assigned to
sites in Victoria and
Tasmania, and my task for
the day is to look for
potential site locations
around a specific search
ring in regional or remote
areas.
11.00 AM
It’s now time for our
fortnightly team meeting. We
go through things like
current Victorian and
Tasmanian coverage, customer
complaints, incident reports
and priority site status’.
12:30 PM
I run a program on my
laptop, which looks for
errors in our mobile towers.
This takes some time to
finish, so I leave for lunch
and catch up with my
co-workers. We usually pick
a restaurant around the
office to avoid walking
outside in the heat in
summer.
1:00 PM
I’m back in the office after
indulging in delicious fries
and a burger from a local
shop. I check my laptop for
the results on the program I
ran earlier. Now I just need
to review the outcome and
pass the information onto my
Manager.
2.30 PM
Every fortnight, I host the
Telstra Innovation Challenge
(TIC) team meeting. The TIC
is an IoT hackathon Telstra
runs each year, which is
open to university students
and the general public, with
new themes every year. As
the Project Manager for the
2019 challenge, I go through
the tasks that have been
completed by the team and
assign new tasks for the
upcoming weeks.
3:45 PM
I take a brief break to
perform my afternoon prayer
in the prayer room. It’s so
helpful that every Telstra
building I have worked in
has a dedicated prayer room
and I’m able to complete my
religious obligations.
4:15 PM
Back to my desk – completing
my radio networks designs
for the project I started in
the morning. Each design
takes about a day or two. As
I may come across a site
that could be too close to
residential areas or
schools, I like to involve
my colleagues and ask their
opinions in case I stumble
upon a challenging design
project.
5:30 PM
I head to the train station
to catch my train home. I
usually listen to music, or
I catch up on an online
lecture part of the master’s
degree in Astrophysics from
the University of Southern
Queensland that I'm
pursuing.
7:20 PM
I get home and promptly
perform my evening prayer,
then I exercise at home or
go for a walk, shower and
have some dinner.
8:15 PM
It’s my favourite time of
the day – I either watch
something on Netflix or play
games on my PS4.
10:00 PM
It’s bedtime! I perform my
final prayer for the day and
get ready for bed after a
busy day. Looking forward to
seeing what’s in store for
me tomorrow?
Among the pieces performed by
the wind band include a
classical version Siti
Nurhaliza’s ‘Cindai’
Malaysia’s Sekolah Seri
Puteri Symphonic Winds
Orchestra (SPWinds) grabbed
the gold at the 30th
Australian International
Music Festival 2019 in
Sydney.
The band of the all-girls
boarding school in
Cyberberjaya wowed the
festival jury with their
unique renditions of Datuk
Seri Siti Nurhaliza
Tarudin’s Cindai, Queen’s
Bohemian Rhapsody, Armenian
composer Aram Khachaturian’s
Spartacus and Primavera by
Satoshi Yagisawa.
The 59 students from
Malaysia competed against
more than 1,000 participants
from Australia, US, China,
Europe, Singapore, Japan and
New Zealand.
The festival features all
ensembles types including
wind bands, orchestras,
choirs and jazz bands.
The week-long festival was
held from July 4 until July
11 with the aim of providing
youths with performing
opportunities and
educational workshops at
some of Sydney’s most iconic
venues including the Sydney
Opera House, Darling Harbour
and the heritage-listed
Conservatorium of Music.
“On behalf of the
administration of Sekolah
Seri Puteri, we would like
to express our utmost
appreciation and gratitude
to the Parents-Teachers
Association (PTA) of Sekolah
Seri Puteri, the SP Parents
Support Group, the main
sponsors and those who
contributed endlessly to the
victory of SPWinds.
“To the SPWinds team, we are
absolutely proud to see you
stand in the eyes of the
world,” Sekolah Seri Puteri
PTA chairman Hasnal Hashim
said.
Hasnal also took the
opportunity to thank
Malaysia Airlines for
sponsoring the students’
flights from Kuala Lumpur to
Sydney.
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)
.....continued from last
week's CCN.....
THE ROAD AHEAD
The place of Australian
Muslims and Islam in
Australia’s print media has
evolved within a specific
Australian context, as well
as a peripheral one
partially influenced by
British colonial
affiliations.
The arrival of the first
cameleer settlers in the
1860s saw them occupy a
rather ambiguous place in
the local papers, eclipsed
by the explorers they were
hired to assist and
secondary to the camels they
handled.
As drought and economic
hardship hit Australia’s
outback communities towards
the end of the 19th century,
the contentious place of the
increasingly successful
cameleers dominated the
local papers.
Unionists and miners were
among those who drew on
growing nationalist
sentiments to highlight the
need to stop coloured
immigration, lobbying for
policies that sought to
exclude the very Muslim
pioneers who had helped open
Australia’s harsh interior.
As the influence of
protectionist policies
heightened, particularly
after Federation, stories of
White converts to Islam were
already appearing in
Australian newspapers.
Partly inspired by the
Liverpool Muslim Institute
and the pan-Islamic
movement, the curiosity
surrounding the conversion
of ‘White’ people opened the
world of everyday Islam to
the Australian public.
While it may not have been
enough to make significant
changes to the lives of
Australia’s early Muslim
pioneers, it saw a change in
the presentation and
perceptions of Australian
Muslims and Islam.
This article is only the
starting point for
discussions surrounding the
role of converts to Islam
during this period, and the
importance of their efforts
in clarifying misconceptions
and mobilising local Muslims
to end discrimination and
ignorance..
Captain Eoin Morgan praises
England's diversity after
World Cup win
TEN News
England’s
Eoin Morgan hailed the
diversity of his World
Cup-winning team after the
hosts beat New Zealand in
the final at Lord’s.
Morgan, who was born in
Dublin and switched
allegiance from Ireland to
England a decade ago, was
asked: “Do you think the
luck of an Irishman got
England over the line?”
His response has since gone
viral on social media.
“We had Allah with us
as well,” said Morgan. “I
spoke to Adil (Rashid), he
said Allah was definitely
with us. I said we had the
rub of the green.
“It actually epitomises our
team. It has quite diverse
backgrounds and cultures...
to actually find humour in
the situation that we were
in at the time was pretty
cool.”
Rashid and Moeen Ali are two
Muslims who featured in
England’s World Cup triumph,
while the team includes
several players who were
born in other countries.
Bowler Jofra Archer is
Barbados-born to a
Liverpudlian father,
all-rounder Ben Stokes was
born in New Zealand, and
batsman Jason Roywas born in
South Africa.
A Community Story- The
Logan Roos
Zaparas
Lawyers
Zaparas
Lawyers have a long history
of involvement with
community and sporting
groups, but every now and
then we come across a group
that really touches our
heart.
We recently had the honour
of getting to know a very
special club we sponsor, The
Logan Roos. Many members of
the club are refugees who
have left their families
behind in search of a better
life. The Logan Roos has
given them a sense of family
and community that we are
very proud to be a part of.
Khaled Flint takes on the
course with massive support
Australian
Ninja Warrior 2019
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.
Explainer:
what Western
civilisation
owes to Islamic
cultures
Sculpture
of
ninth-century
Persian
scholar
Al-Khwarizmi
in Khiva,
Uzbekistan.
Latin
discovery
of Al-Khwarizmi’s
work
introduced
the
numerals
0-9, one
of many
ways in
which
Islamic
cultures
have
contributed
to
Western
civilisation.
Algebra,
alchemy,
artichoke,
alcohol, and
apricot all
derive from
Arabic words
which came to
the West during
the age of
Crusades.
Even more
fundamental are
the Indo-Arabic
numerals (0-9),
which replaced
Roman numerals
during the same
period and
revolutionised
our capacity to
engage in
science and
trade. This came
about through
Latin discovery
of the
ninth-century
Persian scholar,
Al-Khwarizmi
(whose name
gives us the
word algorithm).
This debt to
Islamic
civilisation
contradicts the
claim put
forward by
political
scientist Samuel
Huntington in
his book The
Clash of
Civilizations
some 25 years
ago, that Islam
and the West
have always been
diametrically
opposed. In
2004, historian
Richard Bulliet
proposed an
alternative
perspective. He
argued
civilisation is
a continuing
conversation and
exchange, rather
than a uniquely
Western
phenomenon.
Even so,
Australia and
the West still
struggle to
acknowledge the
contributions of
Islamic cultures
(whether Arabic
speaking,
Persian, Ottoman
or others) to
civilisation.
In an initial
curriculum
proposed by the
Ramsay Centre
for Western
Civilisation,
only one Islamic
text was listed,
a collection of
often-humorous
stories about
the Crusades
from a
12th-century
Syrian
aristocrat. But
Islamic majority
cultures have
produced many
other texts with
a greater claim
to shaping
civilisation.
Philosophical
and literary
influences
Many of the
scientific ideas
and luxury goods
from this world
came into the
West following
the peaceful
capture of the
Spanish city of
Toledo from its
Moorish rulers
in 1085.
Over the course
of the next
century,
scholars, often
in collaboration
with
Arabic-speaking
Jews, became
aware of the
intellectual
legacy of
Islamic culture
preserved in the
libraries of
Toledo.
Their focus was
not on Islam,
but the
philosophy and
science in which
many great
Islamic thinkers
had become
engaged. One was
Ibn Sina (also
known as
Avicenna), a
Persian
physician and
polymath (a very
knowledgable
generalist) who
combined
practical
medical learning
with a
philosophical
synthesis of key
ideas from both
Plato and
Aristotle.
Portrait
of Ibn
Sina
(Avicenna)
on a
silver
vase
from
Museum
at BuAli
Sina
(Avicenna)
Mausoleum,
Hamadan,
Western
Ira.
Another was Ibn
Rushd (or
Averroes), an
Andalusian
physician and
polymath, whose
criticisms of
the way Ibn Sina
interpreted
Aristotle would
have a major
impact on
Italian
theologist and
philosopher
Thomas Aquinas
in shaping both
his
philosophical
and theological
ideas in the
13th century.
Thomas was also
indebted to a
compatriot of
Ibn Rushd, the
Jewish thinker
Moses Maimonides,
whose Guide to
the Perplexed
was translated
from Arabic into
Latin in the
1230s.
While there is
debate about the
extent to which
the Italian
writer Dante was
exposed to
Islamic
influences, it
is very likely
he knew The Book
of Mohammed’s
Ladder
(translated into
Castilian,
French and
Latin), which
describes the
Prophet’s ascent
to heaven. The
Divine Comedy,
with its account
of Dante’s
imagined journey
from Inferno to
Paradise, was
following in
this tradition.
Dante very
likely heard
lectures from
Riccoldo da
Monte di Monte
Croce, a learned
Dominican who
spent many years
studying Arabic
in Baghdad
before returning
to Florence
around 1300 and
writing about
his travels in
the lands of
Islam. Dante may
have criticised
Muslim teaching,
but he was aware
of its vast
influence.
Domenico
di
Michelino,
Dante
and the
Divine
comedy,
fresco,
1465.
Dante is
thought
to have
been
influenced
by
Islamic
cultures.
Islam also gave
us the
quintessential
image of the
Enlightenment,
the self-taught
philosopher.
This character
had his origins
in an Arabic
novel, Hayy ibn
Yaqzan, penned
by a
12th-century
Arab
intellectual,
Ibn Tufayl. It
tells the story
of how a feral
child abandoned
on a desert
island comes
through reason
alone to a
vision of
reality.
Hayy ibn Yaqzan
was published in
Oxford, with an
Arabic-Latin
edition in 1671,
and became a
catalyst for the
contributions of
seminal European
philosophers
including John
Locke and Robert
Boyle.
Translated into
English in 1708
as The
Improvement of
Human Reason, it
also influenced
novelists,
beginning with
Daniel Defoe’s
Robinson Crusoe
in 1719. The
sources of the
Enlightenment
are not simply
in Greece and
Rome.
Civilisation is
always being
reinvented. The
civilisation
some call
“Western” has
been, and still
is, continually
shaped by a wide
range of
political,
literary and
intellectual
influences, all
worthy of our
attention.
THE CONVERSATION
Arab world
turns its back
on religion –
and its ire on
the US
Survey
of
25,000
people
in
Middle
East and
North
Africa
Trust in
religious
leaders
decreased
in each
of the
11
states
and
territories
surveyed
bar
Lebanon.
Fifty years
after his
imprisonment,
the activist
example of Imam
Abdullah Haron
lives on
Imam
Abdullah
Haron is
known in
South
Africa
as one
of the
most
renowned
martyrs
of the
anti-apartheid
struggle.
He is
pictured
here at
a mosque
library
in 1967.
(The
Haron
Foundation)
CONTINUED
FROM LAST WEEK'S
CCN......
Younas’s letter
echoes the
example of
another scholar
in the
contemporary age
― the Egyptian
revolutionary
shaykh, Emad
Effat. As I have
written
elsewhere:
There was a
sense of Shaykh
Emad Effat
bringing
together what I
would call the
‘Hasani’ and the
‘Husayni’
approaches to
power. The
former being an
engagement with
it, to minimize
damage and
lessen conflict.
The latter being
an opposition to
it, through open
declarations.
For Shaykh Emad,
they were
intertwined ― by
consistency, by
persistent
adherence to
principle, by a
refusal to bow
to
authoritarianism
of any type.
How significant
is this letter?
It remains
unclear. The
letter is
gaining a good
deal of
attention, and
scores of rather
important
traditional
scholars in the
Sunni Muslim
mainstream of
the West are
signing up to
it, with efforts
to get
signatories led
by Rabbani and
Younas. But it
is also
non-sectarian,
with a noted
Shi’i Canadian
scholar,
preachers and
scholars who are
more Salafi- and
Brotherhood-inclined,
even though the
list seems to be
predominantly
Sunni
traditionalists
in nature.
Such a letter
would not be the
most
ground-breaking
within Muslim
majority
communities― but
in the context
of the West, it
certainly is a
marked shift.
Perhaps Imam
Haron’s message
lives on in
different ways
in different
parts of the
world after all..
Ten years ago, I
thought Britain
was becoming
more tolerant. I
was wrong
Autobiography
and memoir by
Sarfraz Manzoor
Sarfraz
Manzoor
recalled
the
racism
of his
childhood
in Luton
in his
memoir
Greetings
from
Bury
Park. As
a film
adaptation
is
released,
he asks
how much
has
really
changed
Luton
life …
from
left:
Kulvinder
Ghir,
Meera
Ganatra
and
Viveik
Kalra in
Blinded
by the
Light.
CONTINUED
FROM LAST WEEK'S
CCN......
The book was, at
its heart, the
story of a brown
boy who
desperately
wanted to
belong. I grew
up at a time
when racist
football fans
would run
through Bury
Park smashing
shop windows and
abusing anyone
who happened to
be on the
street. My
parents would
warn me to get
home before
kick-off in case
things kicked
off.
On television I
would watch Tory
politicians such
as Norman Tebbit
question the
loyalty of folks
who looked like
me. White boys
would urinate
through the
letterbox of my
friend Amolak’s
home.
The suggestion
that, being
brown-skinned
and Muslim, I
would never be
fully British,
was reinforced
by my own
parents. My
father would
tell me that
Pakistan was my
true home even
though I had
left before I
was three. He
would say that
white people
would never
accept me –
there was no
point in trying
to integrate
because I would
never belong.
Whenever I told
myself or others
that I was
British, there
was a nagging
sense that I was
a fraud. My
right to say I
belonged in this
country felt
fragile.
It was not until
the election of
Tony Blair in
1997 that this
fragility began
to be replaced
with some sense
of ease and
confidence. I
vividly remember
the Observer
headline on the
first weekend of
the Blair
government,
declaring
“Goodbye
Xenophobia”.
Nine months
after Blair was
elected, indie
band Cornershop
were No 1 in the
singles charts
with “Brimful of
Asha”, a song
about a female
Bollywood
singer. The old
certainties
seemed to be
giving way to
exciting new
possibilities.
By the time
Greetings from
Bury Park was
published, I was
convinced that
the arc of
British history
was bending
towards
tolerance. I was
wrong.
'Utter
ignorance':
Boris Johnson
claimed Islam
set Muslim world
'centuries
behind'
The man
set to
be the
UK's
next
prime
minister
wrote
that
Islam
hampered
the
development
of the
Muslim
world.
"There must be
something about
Islam that
indeed helps to
explain why
there was no
rise of the
bourgeoisie, no
liberal
capitalism and
therefore no
spread of
democracy in the
Muslim world,"
he wrote in an
essay unearthed
by the Guardian.
In the essay,
titled 'And Then
Came the
Muslims', he
also said
"Muslim
grievance"
played a role in
most if not all
global
conflicts.
"[The further
the Muslim world
has] fallen
behind, the more
bitterness and
confusion there
has been, to the
point where
virtually every
global
flashpoint you
can think of –
from Bosnia to
Palestine to
Iraq to Kashmir
– involves some
sense of Muslim
grievance," he
wrote.
"It is time to
get deep down
and dirty and
examine the
central charge
made by everyone
from Winston
Churchill to the
Pope, namely
that the real
problem with the
Islamic world is
Islam."
The Muslim
Council of
Britain hit back
at the
politician,
telling the
Guardian, "we of
course are of
the view that
Islam has a role
to play in
progress and
prosperity, be
that in the
Muslim world or
here at our home
in the west".
Mr Johnson's
comments have
attracted
widespread
criticism on
social media.
Mr Johnson, the
former foreign
minister and
ex-London mayor,
has a history of
inflammatory
comments towards
the faith.
Last year he
said burqas were
"ridiculous" and
made women look
like letter
boxes and bank
robbers,
prompting an
outcry from
other
politicians and
British Muslim
groups.
Israel mosque find: Archaeologists unearth
1,200-year-old ruins in desert
The mosque was
found in the Israeli Bedouin
town of Rahat in the Negev
desert.
Muslims pray
at the newly discovered remains
One of the world's earliest known
mosques, built around 1,200 years ago,
has been discovered by archaeologists in
Israel's Negev Desert.
The remains, dating from the 7th or 8th
century, were found in the Bedouin town
of Rahat.
Israel's Antiquities Authority (IAA)
says the mosque was unearthed during
building work in the area.
It is the first known mosque from this
period in the area, rivalling the age of
those found in Mecca and Jerusalem, the
IAA said.
Excavation directors Jon Seligman and
Shahar Zur said the mosque would be "a
rare discovery anywhere in the world".
Researchers believe the mosque's
congregation were likely to have been
local farmers.
The building was open-air,
rectangular-shaped and had a "Mihrab" -
or a prayer niche - facing south toward
Mecca, Islam's holiest city.
"These features are evidence for the
purpose for which this building was
used, many hundred years ago," said Mr
Seligman.
It is one of the first mosques
constructed after the arrival of Islam
in what is present-day Israel, when the
Arabs conquered the then-Byzantine
province in 636, according to Gideon
Avni, an expert on early Islamic
history.
"The discovery of the village and the
mosque in its vicinity are a significant
contribution to the study of the history
of the country during this turbulent
period," he said.
Muslim cleric who hid Christians
during attacks honoured in the US
Imam Abubakar Abdullahi saved
Christians who ran to his home
in central Nigeria.
NIGERIA: The US government is honouring
an 83-year-old Muslim cleric who hid 262
Christians in his home and mosque during
an attack in central Nigeria.
Imam Abubakar Abdullahi, along with four
religious leaders from Sudan, Iraq,
Brazil and Cyprus, were awarded the 2019
the International Religious Freedom
Award, which is given to advocates of
religious freedom.
Abdullahi was recognized for providing
shelter for hundreds of Christians
fleeing attacks from Muslim herdsmen who
had launched coordinated attacks on
Christian farmers in 10 villages in the
Barkin Ladi area of Plateau State on
June 23, 2018, the award organizers said
in a statement.
The cleric refused to give them up when
their attackers asked about their
whereabouts, International Religious
Freedom Ambassador Sam Brownback said at
the awards ceremony in Washington on
Wednesday.
"The imam gave refuge to his Christian
neighbours, sheltering 262 Christians in
his mosque and his home.... then stood
outside the doors confronting the Muslim
attackers, pleading with them to spare
the lives of the Christians inside, even
offering to exchange his own life for
theirs," Brownback said.
"His actions bear witness to true
courage, true selflessness, and true
brotherly love," he said.
More than 80 people were killed in the
attacks by suspected herders who also
set fire on many homes in the villages.
Violence between the nomadic Fulani
herdsmen, who are mostly Muslims, and
farmers, who are predominantly
Christians, in Nigeria's middle belt
dates back to 2013.
The State Department, organizers of the
award, given to advocates of religious
freedom, said the Muslim cleric
selflessly risked his own life to save
members of another religious community
who without his intervention would have
been killed.
Historical Istanbul mosque brings
fresh hope to homeless
TURKEY: A historical mosque at the
center of a populous Istanbul district
is providing free showers, clothing, and
food to the homeless.
Selime Hatun Mosque - a small Muslim
house of worship in the Beyoğlu district
dating back to the 17th century - has
emerged as a place of hope and temporary
shelter for dozens of rough sleepers in
the metropolis.
Through the efforts of its philanthropic
imam Osman Gökrem, 52, who has been
working at the mosque for 17 years,
homeless individuals have a chance to
meet more of their basic needs.
“This is the only mosque across the
country where at least 50 homeless
people are able to take a free bath on a
daily basis,” Gökrem told Anadolu Agency
in an exclusive interview.
The project, designed by the leader of
the worship service - who dedicated his
life to providing help for the needy -
started in 2017 when a bathwater heater
was installed inside the mosque.
“At first, three to five people were
coming and taking a shower here. Now
it's risen to at least 50 people daily.
There are also some homeless individuals
who come from throughout the city to
take a bath,” he said.
The helping nature of the selfless imam
has always motivated him to rush to the
help of the needy.
“I was always wondering where they can
take a bath, where they can eat, how
they buy what they need, because nobody
wants them.
“When a homeless person goes to a
barbershop, the barber doesn't let them
in. Not because they have no money, but
because they're dirty and smell bad.
Hamams [Turkish public baths] do the
same, they don't want to let them in,”
Gökrem said.
Thanks to the support of donors, the
imam also delivers free food every
Saturday at the mosque, which is open
24/7, and donates clothing.
Amid his busy schedule as imam, he also
shaves and gives rough sleepers free
haircuts in order to boost their chances
of reintegrating into society.
“I shaved some 15-20 homeless people
this Saturday. If we think that it's not
our business to shave them or give them
haircuts, then we'll lose them,” he
said, stressing the importance of
helping the needy.
Helping them find a job is the other
part of Gökrem's self-designed project.
When they find one, Gökrem lets them
sleep at the mosque for over a month
until they can afford an apartment
themselves.
“When they tell me 'I got a job,' I
discreetly go to their workplaces to see
if it's true or not,” he said.
Currently, the mosque hosts five people
at nights.
Gökrem said many people hesitate to
approach a homeless person to help them,
as they worry about the reaction.
“People often think if a person lives on
the streets, he must be a thief, may
attack them, carry a knife, or have
mental problems.”
“You need patience, love, and mercy to
help them. You need to show them
empathy,” Gökrem said.
There are many reasons why a person
might become homeless, he stressed,
adding that anyone could end up homeless
one day.
“Once-wealthy people or people with a
good career could become homeless. You
get a paycheck today but you don't know
what will happen to you tomorrow.
They're also human and have their
reasons for sleeping on the streets.”
He also listens to their problems and
tries to help solve them, sometimes
reuniting them with their family
members.
A sign at the
entrance of the mosque calls on
homeless people to come inside
if they need shower, clothing or
shelter.
The imam called on everyone, no matter
their income level, to do something for
the needy and the homeless.
“Come here and hand out the supplies
yourself,” he urged.
“Do something personally. I oppose
donations made only through a bank
account. The rich need to look into the
poor' eyes and invite them into their
homes in order to understand their
situation.”
The imam concluded the interview with a
verse from the Quran: “Whoever saves a
single life it is like saving the whole
world.”
From
prizewinning Bangladeshi novelist
Tahmima Anam comes her deeply moving
second novel about the rise of Islamic
radicalism in Bangladesh, seen through
the intimate lens of a family.
Pankaj Mishra praised A Golden Age,
Tahmima Anam's debut novel, as a
"startlingly accomplished and gripping
novel that describes not only the tumult
of a great historical event . . . but
also the small but heroic struggles of
individuals living in the shadow of
revolution and war."
In her new
novel, The Good Muslim, Anam again
deftly weaves the personal and the
political, evoking with great skill and
urgency the lasting ravages of war and
the competing loyalties of love and
belief.
In the dying days of a brutal civil war,
Sohail Haque stumbles upon an abandoned
building. Inside he finds a young woman
whose story will haunt him for a
lifetime to come. . . . Almost a decade
later, Sohail's sister, Maya, returns
home after a long absence to find her
beloved brother transformed.
While Maya
has stuck to her revolutionary ideals,
Sohail has shunned his old life to
become a charismatic religious leader.
And when Sohail decides to send his son
to a madrasa, the conflict between
brother and sister comes to a
devastating climax.
Set in
Bangladesh at a time when religious
fundamentalism is on the rise, The Good
Muslim is an epic story about faith,
family, and the long shadow of war.
Q: Dear
Kareema, my schedule is constantly changing and
I was hoping to get some ideas on keeping my
fitness up?
A:
Try not to over think your fitness routine.
Keep it simple by
working out whenever you find you have some free
time. I’m a firm believer in 5-10min
mini-workouts.
Keep your skipping
rope handy for a cardio-kick and follow it up
with some body-weight strength exercises like
lunges, squats, push-ups, wall-sits, etc.
Always finish with
stretching for muscle recovery. Change it up as
your schedule changes, your body will love you
for it.
Some mindful
stretching / yoga every other session will be
good for flexibility and re-setting mind and
body. N-JOY!
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:
Get Marriage-Ready
Congratulations!
You’re getting
married! The venue
is booked, wedding
outfits are curated,
guest-list looks on
point, the caterers
have been instructed
about dietary
requirements, the
limo is hired and
the cousins have
been warned to not
post wedding pics
online until the
professionally
airbrushed
photographs have
been formally
released to the
bride and groom.
You’ve met people
who are preparing
for their big day.
Rarely do you meet
people who are
preparing for their
marriage, a lifelong
commitment to
another human.
People meet or get
introduced to each
other. In most
cases, what follows
next is the
exchanging of a
barrage of texts and
DMs to try to get to
know each other
before they decide
they want to be
married. The focus
is on the momentary
joy of being in love
or having that
attraction. People
forget to ask the
tough questions that
later begin to
frequently emerge in
the marriage and the
one thing that keeps
recurring in the
mind is “I wish I
had known this or
that about him/her
before I got
married.”
In my previous
marriage, I was that
person who focussed
on the physical and
material readiness
of the wedding day
ceremony and
pre-wedding henna
celebrations and
hair and makeup and
the perfect outfit.
Not once did I pause
to question if I was
spiritually,
mentally and
emotionally prepared
for the days that
would follow the few
hours of glitterati
of the wedding day.
I learned the hard
way. But you don’t
have to. The
following strategies
may help you and
your future spouse
become aware of the
different facets of
your commitment to
each other in
marriage. These
strategies are for
you both to do
together in a halal
and safe manner.
1. Meet with a
professional
counsellor,
coach or a
spiritual guide,
to openly
discuss the
expectations you
both have from
each other in
the four common
areas in your
life: Love,
Relationships,
Career and
Money.
2. Spend time
with a mentor
couple who has a
solid marriage
and can share
their wisdom
with you both.
3. Have regular
one-on-one, face
to face meetings
in a public
place where the
two of you can
sit down and
discuss these
relevant topics:
• Values -
if your
values are
similar, you
feel valued
in the
relationship.
• Beliefs -
if your
beliefs are
similar,
there is
less
conflict.
•
Self-confidence
- if there
is a healthy
level of
self-confidence,
there is no
competition,
rather
everything
becomes a
collaboration.
• Mental
health -
talk about
anxiety and
how you
manage it.
• Physical
health -
talk about
exercise and
how you can
plan on
incorporating
that in your
marriage.
• Emotional
health -
talk about
how you feel
about the
way anger,
suspicion
and jealousy
need to be
displayed in
your
marriage.
There is a
healthy way
of
expressing
these
emotions
that is
constructive
rather than
destructive.
• Spiritual
health -
talk about
your Creator
and share
your
inner-most
thoughts
about
spirituality
and how you
practise
this daily
to be close
to your
Creator
• Trauma -
being
transparent
about trauma
means that
you will
feel safe in
the marriage
and not feel
anxious
every time
there may be
a trigger.
Your future
partner will
be able to
understand
why you may
be acting
out and
support you
through
healing from
trauma. It’s
okay if you
don’t wish
to share
specific
details but
at least
tell your
future
partner if
“something
bad happened
in
childhood”.
Falling in love with
the person you are
marrying is
beautiful. Remember
though that love is
a verb and needs to
be demonstrated
through ways where
you value each
other, believe in
each other, are
collaborative in
your daily life,
enjoy optimal
mental, physical,
emotional and
spiritual health and
respect each other’s
trauma triggers and
help with each
other’s healing.
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.
Wanting to qualify as a
driver, Jallalludin reported for his Uber test which
consisted of "yes/no" type questions.
He took his seat in the
examination room and stared at the question paper for
five minutes.
In a fit of inspiration, he took his wallet out, removed
a coin and started tossing the coin and marking the
answer sheet - Yes for Heads and No for Tails.
Within half an hour he was
all done, whereas the rest of the fellow drivers were
still sweating it out.
During the last few minutes, he was seen desperately
throwing the coin, muttering and sweating.
The moderator, alarmed,
approached him and asked what was going on.
He replied, "I finished the
exam in half and hour, but I'm rechecking my answers."
Located in the hear of St.Lucia and open
from 11:00am-9:30PM Daily, Zambeekas St.Lucia is always available
when you need it.
Zambeekas St. Lucia opened on
the 1st of May 2019 boasting the same delicious flame grilled BBQ
chicken flavour that Zambeekas is renowned for.
What started as an
inherited recipe of homemade basting sauces from a small town family of
the Zambezia Province has evolved into an intriguing range of Portuguese
cuisine tempting even the finest taste buds!
Who would have thought the
flavours of a small Portuguese settlement in
Mozambique in the 1500’s would unite these two vastly different flavours
so wonderfully!
This fusion is what Zambeekas is known for. Pop
into our St.Lucia Store and get to know why Brisbane loves Zambeekas!
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.
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someone you know who would like to subscribe to CCN please
encourage them to enter their details
here.
Israel mosque find: Archaeologists unearth
1,200-year-old ruins in desert
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7
August 2011