On Friday night, the
Multicultural Queensland
Awards 2019 Minister's
Multicultural Award went to
Nadia Saeed. Nadia is a
20-year old youth worker who
is actively involved with
the Muslim community in
Brisbane.
As a member of the
Queensland Government's
Queensland Youth Engagement
Panel, Nadia is working hard
to break down barriers
within communities and
facilitate connections for
harmony.
Alhamdulillah, Academy Alive
Studio has been buzzing
busier than a beehive
recording their first
podcast, their online
tutorials and hosting
esteemed guests who have
been supporting Academy
Alive since day one of
inception. In our inaugural
podcast, we were joined by
Haji Hussin Goss from Gold
Coast, taking the listeners
down memory lane, causing
lots of rapturous laughter,
by a tear-jerker as well, as
he shares some deep and
personal life experiences.
Haji Hussin also shared a
piece of history, a letter
that was written in 1971,
readers will need to tune
into the podcast to find out
more.
The ICQ president, Haji
Habib Jamal joined us to
speak to our first live
audience, the audience being
the Quran Alive students. He
spoke of the importance of
education and his life as a
teacher and the roles that
the new generation of youth
are taking. Without
hesitation, Haji Habib Jamal
endorsed Academy Alive and
said that ICQ is behind
Academy Alive one hundred
percent, continuing the
legacy of the previous
pledge by the former ICQ
president Haji Ismail Cajee.
The week wrapped up with
visits from the Slacks Creek
Director Dr Akram Hussein,
congratulating the team at
Academy Alive for striving
continuously without
hesitation. Culminating a
huge week of esteemed
visitors, was Uncle Abdul
Hamid Omar, parting
important advice which the
team will take heed in order
that they survive the
hurdles of a startup.
Academy Alive is requesting
doa from everyone that their
endeavours are accepted by
Allah.
Two of Rami’s Thunder
Martial Arts Academy have
represented Australia at
Oceania Presidents Cup 2019,
and the Australian Open
2019.
The two competitions were
over three days, with
athletes from 47 countries,
represented by 16 National
Teams and 133 clubs from 99
regions, and over 700
fighters in each
competition.
“The event was the largest
ever gathering of athletes
in the Oceania region, where
were an Olympians and world
champions competing,” Master
Rami said.
“Our students have shown
fantastic skills and an
amazing level, this was
their first international
competition against
world-class fighters.”
"We were able to come back
home with silver medal at
the Oceania, and bronze
medal at the Australian
Open."
Also, Master Rami was
appointed to coach the
Egyptian team, where they
were able to win 2 gold
medals in the Australian
Open and 2 bronze in
Oceania.
“It was an honour and
privilege to coach two fine
athletes from Egypt, I do
wish them all the best and
may God bless them,” Master
Rami added.
“We are so proud of our
students and whatever is
coming next will be better
Insha'Allah."
We do have so much talent
and we will make sure to get
this talent out to the
world, our academy’s doors
are open to everyone and we
are willing to make the best
of our students.
Book your FREE trial today,
come and check us out and
learn a lifetime skill.
YCCC has won the warehouse
50 over championship (grade
C, north) in their first
year of participation. This
highlights the wealth of
talent we have in the
community and small
opportunity can facilitate
big successes.
Captain's Quote “Our hard
work throughout the season
paid off. All the boys were
really committed and I could
not have asked for more. I
would like to thank the
players, all our sponsors
and the team that worked
behind the scene to bring
the club where we are today.
We are very grateful.”
YCCC, was founded last year
to offer a platform to play
cricket for the
multicultural community of
Logan. The club is supported
by Youth Connect QLD,
Islamic Council of QLD,
Commbank Australia and Human
Appeal International; and
works closely with Logan
Roo’s Football Club.
The team offers playing
opportunity for all age
groups and skill levels
within reasonable fees.
This year the team is
recruiting for a junior
team.
For more details, don’t
hesitate to contact team
coordinator, Br Rasel
(0481395397).
In week 6 of term 3, AIIC
competed in the Brisbane
Futsal Challenge tournament,
held at the Brisbane Futsal
Centre in Oxley. Entering a
junior team (U/14) and a
Senior Team (U/16), the boys
were playing against Marsden
State High School, Grace
Lutheran College Caboolture,
Wisdom College Algester,
Redeemer Lutheran College,
Shailer Park State High
School, and Carmel College
Brisbane.
The tournament showcased
colleges with futsal
excellence programs, with
students representing their
schools, clubs, and also
state teams. AIIC was pitted
against these schools
setting up a great
competition.
The first game for our
Senior Boys ended in a
narrow defeat to Marsden SHS
with the score 4-2. The
Junior team played their
first game against Shailer
Park and emerged 6-1 victory
in a very convincing display
of skill, teamwork, and
focus.
As the day progressed,
results swayed with narrow
defeats for junior boys, and
wins for our seniors. The
highlight of the day was our
senior boys coming from 6-0
down to win the game 7-6 in
the dying moments against
Grace College Caboolture.
Standout performances from
Latif Ramazani as well as
some heroics from Arman
Mohammed in goalkeeping kept
the boys on their way to the
quarter finals.
Our Junior boys made the
finals on goal differences,
and were unfortunately
beaten 6-5 by Shailer Park
SS in the elimination.
Overall, our AIIC junior
squad finished fourth and
can be proud of their work
ethic and their performances
as a unit.
The senior boys faced off
against Shailer Park Senior
team in the first of their
games to the finals. A tight
affair saw the AIIC boys win
4-2 and progressed to the
semi-final against the day’s
rivals – Grace Lutheran
Caboolture College. An
entertaining game saw AIIC
win 5-1 and asserted their
dominance in the tournament
with convincing plays from
all players.
In the grand final, the team
standing in AIIC’s way of a
maiden Futsal Challenge Cup
gold medal was the much
fancied Marsden State High.
With MSHS being an excellent
college and hand-picked
players, it was all to play
for in the final. After a
quick first goal to AIIC,
Marsden replied with 1 of
their own and the teams went
in at 1-1 at half time.
After half time, a new found
determination and hunger
from AIIC was shown and the
team rallied and scored 3
unanswered goals. A
brilliant solo goal from
Latif Ramazani settled the
victory with AIIC winning
5-1.
A first championship win for
AIIC and also a stand-out
performance by the Senior
Team highlighted the talent
and abilities of the
athletes at AIIC. Their
dedication and sacrifice of
their personal free time at
college for training with
head coach Mr Gowreah paid
off and the gold medals were
given to AIIC for the first,
but not the last time.
The Bachar Houli Cup is an
initiative by Richmond AFL
star Bachar Houli which
encourages the participation
in AFL by young Muslims in
Australia.
The day started with both
AIIC Durack and AIIC Gold
Coast meeting at CJ
Greenfield Park, the home of
westside AFL. After an
introduction by head coach
Sally Young, the athletes
were introduced to former
professional St. Kilda AFL
legend, Ahmed Saad. Through
his years of playing AFL and
professional career, Ahmed
was a cult figure at St
Kilda and was a pioneer for
Muslim athletes to make the
transition to Australia’s
own football code, being one
of the very first to play
professionally since the
leagues inception.
The athletes took part in
routine fitness tests
presented by the Brisbane
Lions AFL Academy and the
Gold Coast Suns Academy.
Twenty metre agility
sprints, vertical-leap
tests, as well as rucking
and kicking drills were all
undertaken by the students
under careful watch of
professional coaches as well
as Ahmed Saad.
The climax of the day saw
AIIC Durack against AIIC
Gold Coast in the Bachar
Houli Cup. AIIC Durack took
an early lead in a hotly
contested match, winning the
first quarter 8-0.
AIIC Gold Coast took a
surprising but well deserved
lead in the second quarter
12-8 and followed it up by
winning the third quarter
16-12, leaving it all to
play for in the last
quarter. AIIC Durack dug
deep and scored a quick goal
and the last 2 minutes were
a very gripping and
entertaining affair.
By the end of the match,
AIIC Durack had won the game
22-16. Both colleges played
fantastically and showcased
their talents and abilities
not only for the coaches,
professionals, or teachers;
but for themselves and their
teammates.
The highlight of the day was
Ahmed Saad leading the boys
in their Salah after the
match and reminding them of
the importance of faith and
the role it plays in being a
good athlete.
The boys celebrated with
lunch provided by AFL
Queensland and had some time
to chat with Ahmed about his
career and also about what
it means to be a Muslim
professional athlete.
On behalf of Mr Gowreah and
Mr Celahmetovic, we thank
the students for a great day
of sport, friendship, and
camaraderie.
The
Australian Muslim
Achievement Awards (AMAAs)
attempt to raise the profile
of Australian Muslim
individuals and
organisations, promote their
achievements and prominence
in the Australian society
and encourage Australian
Muslims to participate and
excel in areas within the
Australian community.
The Australian Muslim
Achievement Awards (AMAA),
hosted annually by Mission
of Hope, aims to acknowledge
and celebrate some of our
most respected community
leaders from across the
corporate, public and
not-for-profit sectors.
Now in its 13th year, the
AMAA has established itself
as a much-anticipated and
well-respected award’s
night, with a robust
selection process to ensure
that assessments of nominees
are fair and transparent.
The AMAA’s 2019 aims to
recognise the success and
vitality of the Australian
Muslim community. This
unique annual awards program
has been established
specifically to acknowledge,
encourage and celebrate
excellence amongst Muslim
individual, community,
businesses and professionals
by giving them the
opportunity to gain valuable
exposure and well-deserved
recognition for their
contributions and ambitions.
The AMAAs are the highest
honours within Australia for
Muslims. The main goal of
the Award program is,
therefore, to help the
Muslim community grow and
prosper, and to acknowledge
their achievements.
If
you would like to submit
your nomination for 2019,
click here.
The show will centre on
Marvel's first Muslim
superhero to star in her own
comic book title.
With Captain Marvel flying
high on the big screen,
Marvel Studios is now
focusing on its other
marvellous heroine, Ms.
Marvel.
Marvel is developing a
live-action series for
Disney+, its upcoming
streaming service, based on
its acclaimed comic Ms.
Marvel, hiring British
writer Bisha K. Ali to write
and act as showrunner. Ali
is a comedian who is
currently a staff writer on
Hulu’s remake of Four
Weddings and a Funeral.
The show may be announced
during Friday’s Disney+
presentation. Marvel had no
comment.
Ms. Marvel as a comic and
heroine has existed since
1976, with the character
Carol Danvers using the name
for her crime-fighting
escapades. Several other
characters have briefly
taken up the mantle, and
Danvers herself became
Captain Marvel in 2012.
The latest incarnation, and
the one the show will be
focusing on, is a teenager
named Kamala Khan. Khan
broke ground by becoming
Marvel’s first Muslim
character to lead her own
comics title. Her identity
as a Pakistani-American
living in a religious family
in New Jersey whilst trying
to find her own way has been
a major focus of the
stories. Her powers have
been described as
polymorphous, meaning she
has the ability to stretch
and change her shape.
The comic has appeared on
numerous year-end top 10
lists and won a Hugo Award
for best graphic story in
2015.
No timetable has been set
for the show, and it's
unclear whether the show
will fit into the larger
Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Marvel is developing several
other shows for the streamer
that will be tied to the MCU.
These include The Falcon and
the Winter Soldier, to debut
in late 2020; WandaVision,
to debut in spring 2021;
Loki, also for early 2021;
and Hawkeye, for late 2021.
Hundreds of decision-makers,
thought leaders,
influencers, and
practitioners from
government, civil society
and the private sector will
gather at Western Sydney
University for the 3rd
National Advancing Community
Cohesion Conference – The
Way Forward.
The conference, to be held
from 10-13 February 2020,
will provide leaders with
the opportunity to discuss
challenges to social
cohesion and community
resilience and explore ways
to more effectively address
them through social,
economic, cultural, legal,
religious, and sexual/gender
identity perspectives.
Convenor of the forum and
Director of Equity and
Diversity at Western Sydney
University Professor Sev
Ozdowski AM said that as an
academic leader in combating
racism and harnessing social
diversity, Western Sydney
University is well placed to
host this important
gathering.
“Despite Australia’s strong
commitment to the equal
participation of diverse
groups, including those from
culturally and
linguistically diverse
backgrounds, the Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander
communities, people living
with a disability, and the
lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, intersex and
queer communities – more can
always be done and it is
important to ensure there is
continuing respect and
opportunities for all.”
“This Conference is designed
to achieve practical
outcomes and inform
participants’ ongoing work
in the social cohesion
space, contribute to
policies and strategies at
national, state and local
levels as well as provide
opportunities to build new
networks to facilitate
partnerships and
collaboration,” said
Professor Ozdowski.
Amongst the list of speakers
are:
Mr Aleem Ali, National
Manager, Welcoming Cities,
Brisbane
Dr Anne Aly MP, Member for
Cowan, Western Australia
Dr Hass Dellal AO, Executive
Director, Australian
Multicultural Foundation,
Melbourne
Assoc Prof Farida Fozdar,
The University of Western
Australia, Perth
Mr Ahmet Polat, Affinity
Intercultural Foundation,
Sydney
Cinespace
Fellow Mai Nguyen on creating
nuanced characters to counter
racial profiling, with examples
of Muslim characters from two
case studies, Ali's Wedding and
Degrassi : The Next Class
The representation of
Muslims in Western media has
been deeply problematic and
led to Islamophobia and
discrimination. With the
push for diversity in the
screen industry, it is
important more than ever to
have better Muslim
characters on screen. The
question is, how? How can
screenwriters write stories
about Muslims for the
mainstream non-Muslim
audience?
Here are the reasons that I
believe make Ali's Wedding
and Degrassi: Next Class
successful in their
portrayal of Muslims
.....CONTINUED FROM AST
WEEK'S CCN
#2 They don’t water down
their characters’ Muslim
identity.
Being a Muslim is complex
and different from person to
person; yet, as Leila Fadel
observes in an article
entitled Muslims Are Having
a Hollywood Moment Muslim
characters on screen often
fall into two camps: devout
individuals who can’t
tolerate differences (those
that would fail the Riz
Test) or confused Muslims
who abandon their culture
for the secular and Western
way of life (e.g.: Master of
None).
There’s also the third camp
which has become more
popular: the Muslim
‘exemplaries’ and ‘heroes’
without any real engagement
with Muslim culture. They
are characters who are made
to appear Muslim through
their look or their names
(as with Abed in Community)
but don’t do anything else
that is culturally or
religiously specific; rather
they default to the Anglo
Celtic norm. Goldi, in the
first two seasons of
Degrassi, falls into this
camp. Other than the hijab
that makes Goldi visibly
Muslim, we hardly know
anything about her
background, cultural and
religious heritage and if
that has anything to do with
her activism. While this
approach can help challenge
stereotypes by showing that
Muslims are like anyone else
(we go to school, we play
sports, we binge watch TV
shows, etc.), it does little
in helping the mainstream
gain any further
understanding about the
Muslim community. In fact,
it actually perpetuates a
tokenistic representation of
the Muslim community (women
in headscarves, men with a
long beard and a
Middle-Eastern name) and the
dichotomous “The West versus
Islam” view of the world.
To see the difference a show
makes when it takes the
Muslim character’s faith and
cultural heritage seriously,
look at Goldi from season 3
of Degrassi’s The Next
Class. Goldi’s faith then
plays a more crucial role in
her storyline and
personality development.
Seeing her being questioned
by her lesbian friends over
the Quran’s attitude to gay
people, seeing how she
gradually changes her
attitude arrives at a
conclusion that breaking one
rule doesn’t mean you are no
longer a Muslim, and seeing
her take off the hijab and
then put it on again, the
audience are positioned to
realise that being a Muslim
is not a fixed thing, but
rather a journey of
learning, rethinking,
acknowledging one’s mistakes
and changing one’s
perspectives of the world.
Goldi grows to be more
accepting of different
viewpoints and lifestyles
and accepts her position in
the world. It is refreshing
to see that she does so
without having to blame
and/or abandon her religion.
Another Muslim character in
the series is Saad Al-Maliki
(Parham Rownaghi), a Syrian
refugee character introduced
in season 4 of Degrassi.
Described as someone who has
seen the horror of wars in
his homeland, Saad struggles
to explain to his fellow
students that he would not
wear the T-shirt to support
Belgium after the recent
terrorist attack there
because he finds it
hypocritical to pray for
Belgium, and not for other
countries, including the
Muslim ones, that are also
affected by terrorism. The
fact that Saad’s storyline
and reactions are included
demonstrates the writers’
genuine attempts to allow
the audience to consider an
issue through the lens of a
Muslim refugee and
understand how being
ostracised can make one
vulnerable to
radicalisation. As the
show’s producer Stephen
Stohn said, it is easy to
dismiss the view of someone
whose approach to life is
different to us, and that’s
why characters like Saad are
necessary — they show us
that an issue is never black
and white, and it’s not
enough just to be tolerant
(put up with) of each other;
we also learn to listen and
understand where both sides
are coming from.
If you find Degrassi’s
approach too theological and
political, have a look at
Ali’s Wedding. This
feel-good, family-driven
dramedy, as writer Osamah
Sami himself asserts, is
“without the politics”, but
it has what many shows
featuring Muslim characters
lack: authenticity and
specificity. Many positive
reviews about Ali’s Wedding
often mention the way the
film unapologetically
features customs and
practices of an Iraqi Muslim
community such as scenes at
the mosque, chaste
courtship, arranged
marriages, and the search
for workarounds for the
Quran. Zoe Crombie from Film
Inquiry describes her
experience watching Ali’s
Wedding as being like “an
outsider [being] invited to
Sami’s family gathering”.
Like her, many audiences on
IMDB also appreciate the
fact that the film doesn’t
hold back for the sake of
the white audience. Not only
are these scenes educational
and eye-opening, but
accompanied by scenes of
Ali’s family bonding over
AFL and him striving to get
in Melbourne University’s
medical school, these warm
and affectionate peeks at
the Muslims’ way of life
provide the audience with a
vivid and nuanced portrait
of Muslim minorities living
in Australia.
The success of Degrassi and
Ali’s Wedding tell us that
the mainstream audience do
want to know more about the
Muslim community beyond the
headscarf, the Middle
Eastern look and the label
“Muslim”. Thus, the next
time you develop Muslim
characters, think carefully
about whether the Muslim
faith plays a small or large
place in their identity.
Don’t hesitate to present an
uncomfortable Muslim
perspective, rituals and
customs in a respectful way.
It would not only break down
the sense of otherness and
mystery around the Muslim
communities in Australia but
would significantly enhance
the development of your
characters and the
storyline.
TO BE CONTINUED IN NEXT
WEEK'S CCN...
Mai Nguyen was a Fellow in
the 2019 Cinespace Social
Cohesion on Screen Writer's
Fellowship, funded by the
Victorian Government.
Mai is a writer and video
maker who wants to tell
stories to make people think
and reflect about identities
and humanity. Mai has
produced several short
videos and photo essays,
some of which have been
screened at festivals
(Mokhtar Film Festival and
Victorian's Cultural
Diversity Week 2017),
exhibited at museum (Islamic
Museum of Australia), and
featured on Meld Magazine,
SBS and ABC Online. You can
see her work at
https://maihoangnguyen293.wordpress.com/
By Ryan
Al-Natour -
This is an edited extract from Racism
and Recipes by Ryan Al-Natour, published
in Arab Australian Other: Stories on
Race & Identity (Picador Australia).
The only way to get "Lebanese
zucchini" — which is different
to Australian zucchini — in a
town like Rockie is to grow it
yourself.
Continued from last week's
CCN....
A recipe is history
A year after moving to
Rockhampton, I visited
Sydney. It alarmed me to
realise how much I had
changed as a person. I found
the traffic unbearable.
Giant buildings had appeared
in my old stomping grounds.
I loved showing all my old
friends pictures of the
kangaroos around my home,
the two giant emus that
chased me, the geckoes that
lived in my kitchen, the
possum that ate all my
parsley, and giant
crocodiles! I went to Mount
Druitt and saw my amo. I had
waited a whole year for the
perfect hummus recipe he had
promised to share. I turned
up, eager to watch and
learn.
My amo didn't show me how to
make hummus as I'd expected.
He told me his secret
ingredient and the
significance of blending
certain ingredients in a
particular order.
When I flew back home, I
thought to myself: why
couldn't he have told me
this over the phone? Why did
he have to wait until I
visited him?
Then it clicked.
My amo didn't want to share
this over a quick phone
chat. Rather, he wanted to
see how his nephew was doing
up north. Arab cuisine is
traditionally passed down
from one generation by
watching and learning.
Recipes can be part of
storytelling conversations —
about life in the
motherland, exploring
Australia with my father,
politics in Palestine,
discussions about current
affairs, how certain
ingredients help you focus,
and how certain foods are
eaten at certain times of
the year. This is all served
with reminders that my amto
has probably already picked
out the names of my
children.
A recipe is history. It's
ancestry. It's culture. It's
language. It's family. It's
about surviving in the
diaspora on Aboriginal land
as Arab Australia.
I get it now.
By the way, no, I will not
be sharing the secret
ingredient for the perfect
hummus.
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.
ANZAC Muslims: An Untold
Story
By Dzavid Haveric, Charles
Sturt University
.
Abstract: When the
Commonwealth of Australia
became immersed in two World
Wars, Australian Muslims
accepted the national call
-they shed their blood and
gave their lives for
Australia's freedom and
democracy. With their
Australian brothers-in-arms
and allies they fought
courageously with honour
against their common enemies
in different battlefields
-but this is an almost
forgotten history. Muslims
in Australia were challenged
by Britain's imperial might
and by their status as
British subjects and
'aliens' to take part in
ANZAC showing their
commitment to their adopted
country.
The virtue of justice, sense
of responsibility and
loyalty are peculiar
qualities that find their
full justification in the
organised welfare of
Australian society. This
pioneering article, based on
ongoing research on ANZAC
Muslims, makes known their
unique contribution. It
reveals historic facts about
ANZAC Muslims who were
members of what has come to
be known as the Heroic
Generation. Although their
names have not appeared in
history books, they achieved
the glory of victory for a
better future for new
generations to come. Their
contribution is part of
Australian National Heritage
-Lest we forget.
....continued from last
week's CCN.....
ANZAC MUSLIMS IN WORLD
WAR I
Gallipoli looms large in
Australia’s national story.
Korpein The Gallipoli
campaign highlight the
foresight of John Monash,
the commander of the AIF 4th
Infantry Brigade, as he
wrote in a letter to his
family about the forthcoming
event of Gallipoli:
“Long before this letter
can possibly reach you
... great events which
stir the whole world and
go down in history will
have happened, to the
eternal glory of
Australia and all those
who participated.”
In the very first report on
the Gallipoli landing, the
British observer Ellis
Ashmead-Bartlett described
heroic images of ANZAC
soldiers –they are
“cheerful, quiet and
confident” going into
battle, “rather than nervous
or excited” and the
“physique of the men is
remarkable.”
Soon after landing, men of
the various allied forces
were deepening their respect
and admiration for each
other.
ANZACs tell stories of how
they fraternised. Indian
soldiers were comrades in
arms with Australian and New
Zealand troops on the rugged
hills of Gallipoli from day
one –“they fought together
were wounded and died
together, ate meals together
and shared dugouts
together.”
One Australian soldier also
noted what he described as a
“Mohammedan native”
observing Ramadan and making
“the air noisy with their
prayers and recitations from
the Qur’an.”
The Ottoman victory at
Gallipoli was relayed
throughout the empire and
beyond.
When peace was restored,
from another side of the
battle lines, Turkish field
marshal and statesman
Mustafa Kemal Ataturk
(1881-1938) would say words
of compassion and wisdom to
the mothers of the ANZAC
soldiers who fell in
Gallipoli: “those heroes
... after having lost their
lives on this land, they
have become our sons as
well.”
These words are often quoted
for good purpose and
resonated in the future and
constituted a foundation for
Turkish–Australian
friendship. In 1935, Tasman
Malcolm Millington, of the
Imperial War Graves’
Commission, stationed at
Gallipoli, gave some
impressions in The Mufti, a
booklet-tabloid of the
Returned Sailors’ and
Soldiers’ Imperial League of
Australia –Victorian Branch.
Living in the little town of
Chanak (Canakkale) in the
Dardanelles, Millington
gained some insights into
the Gallipoli campaign from
the enemy’s view-point:
They [Turks] have the
greatest respect for the
Australian soldiers and
the way they fought...
They in no way regard
the Gallipoli campaign
as a victory for
themselves. They are
simply thankful to Allah
that it ended when it
did, and they look upon
it as a very bloody and
very regrettable
conflict for both sides.
An emotional
tribute to one of the
greatest people Hoblos ever
met. May Allah have mercy on
Mustapha Dadoun, a man who
was for more than just a
neighbour.
Daily Booster: Sheikh
Ikraam Buksh
Academy Alive
Daily Booster
Sheikh Ikraam Buksh daily
booster highlights the
benefits of waking up early
in morning. How it
eliminates many stressful
situations. Allowing us the
opportunity to implement new
habits and routines.
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.
Arabic will be
one of the most
important
languages, say
young Brits
By Elham
Asaad Buaras
One in three
young Brits (18
to 24-year-olds)
thinks Arabic
will be one of
the world’s most
important
languages by the
next decade,
according to
YouGov data
published on
July 1.
However, fewer
than 15 per cent
of 55-year-olds
and over believe
Arabic will
become an
important
language in
2029.
Only one in five
older people
believe French
and German will
remain important
in the next 10
years, compared
to one in three
18 to
24-year-olds.
English tops the
list as the
world’s most
important
language across
all age groups
except for 18 to
24-year-olds
where Chinese
(Mandarin) ties
with English.
Despite
believing
non-European
languages will
become
increasingly
important, young
people would
still choose
Spanish (73 per
cent), French
(75 per cent)
and German (65
per cent) as the
only foreign
language that
should be taught
in schools,
ahead of Chinese
(Mandarin) (58
per cent) and
Arabic (36 per
cent).
According to
language
learning apps
providers, the
importance of
non-European
languages will
soar. “As the
world becomes
more global,
being able to
communicate in a
non-European
language like
Chinese and
Arabic will
become
increasingly
important for
travel and
business,” said
Colin Watkins,
Duolingo’s
Country Manager
in the UK.
“But it’s
not just travel
and commerce.
We’ve seen a
sharp rise in
the number of
people learning
languages to
challenge
themselves.
Learning a
language like
Arabic or
Chinese requires
you to rethink
how you learn.
Studies also
show that
learning a
language like
Arabic can
improve
cognitive
ability and slow
down the onset
of dementia.”
Arabic is spoken
by over 250
million people
and is the
official
language of 27
countries around
the world.
Arabic is also
the liturgical
language of over
a billion
Muslims around
the world, as
it’s the
language in
which the Qur’an
was revealed.
Five signs
your Muslim-led
organisation
might be failing
By Hassan
Joudi
In Part 1 of
this series, we
explored three
common types of
leadership
crises that many
voluntary groups
or associations
may encounter:
Founder’s
Syndrome, Power
Vacuums and
Splitting Up.
As Mosque
Affairs
Co-ordinator for
the Muslim
Council of
Britain (MCB),
I’ve met with
leaders of
Muslim-led
voluntary
organisations
across the UK,
from Aberdeen to
Plymouth, and
from Wales to
Yorkshire, and
no matter where
you are in the
country or what
the size of your
voluntary group
or association
is, the patterns
that lead to a
leadership
crises are the
usually very
similar.
So why do so
many voluntary
groups or
associations
suffer a
leadership
crisis? What are
the root causes?
And most
importantly,
what can we do
to avoid them in
future?
If you volunteer
with a group or
association, I
propose five key
‘tests’ to ask
yourself, to
help you gauge
what level your
group or
association is
at in terms of
leadership and
governance:
You haven’t
held an Annual
General Meeting
(AGM) for the
past 2 years.
AGMs or reviews
are an important
opportunity for
your active
volunteers to
come together,
reflect on past
successes and
plan for the
future. Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH)
is reported to
have said, “One
hour of
reflection is
better than 70
years of
worship.”
If you’ve had
an AGM, you
didn’t have
anything to show
off your work.
It may sound
surprising, but
I’ve been to
many AGMs where
the volunteers
are just so
stretched or
limited in terms
of resources,
that there isn’t
even a simple
report, video or
slide
presentation –
or anything else
to summarise to
their members
what they’ve
accomplished in
the previous 12
months.
Celebrating your
achievements is
an essential
building block
to a healthy
organisation and
acts as an
important avenue
for sharing
information with
your future
potential
leaders (see 3 &
4 below). Of
course, for
registered
charities,
reports and
accounts must be
filed to the
Charity
Commission as
well.
You’ve had
the same leader
(Chair,
President, CEO,
Secretary-General)
for more than 5
years.
Whilst a good
leader may have
a lot to offer,
having the same
leader for too
long risks
giving your
group or
association the
image that it is
an institution
fashioned in the
leader’s image.
Fresh ideas and
renewed purpose
from a new
figurehead are
key to
reinvigorating
your volunteers
and its passion
for achieving
the objectives
your group was
initially
established to
achieve.
Many incumbent
leaders will
often complain
that there is no
one suitable —
or no one
willing to put
in the hard work
they’ve put in —
to handover to.
This is
understandable
as finding a
suitable
successor is
certainly not
easy – no matter
whether you are
a small
voluntary
association or
an FTSE 100
corporate – but
having a plan is
essential. As
many business
gurus will tell
you, succession
planning starts
from before you
need it.
If you’ve
tried to have
leadership
elections,
there’s only one
candidate to
choose from.
Your written
Constitution or
Terms of
Reference (see
below) should
outline a
mechanism for
how the next
leader is
nominated,
selected or
elected.
Whatever the
mechanism, it’s
important that
either a) more
than one person
feels
comfortable and
empowered to put
themselves
forward for
their role,
and/or b) that
more than one
person has
sufficient trust
from the current
leadership team
such that the
incumbent leader
feels
comfortable
handing over the
keys of the
organisation to
them without a
nasty power
struggle.
Otherwise, at
best look
forward to a
boring election
at the AGM with
only one
candidate to
choose from, or
at worst a
heated and
emotionally
draining power
struggle that
benefits nobody.
Finally, you
haven’t got a
written
Constitution or
Terms of
Reference (ToR),
or if you do, it
hasn’t been
updated for the
last 5-10 years.
Why does your
organisation
exist? What are
its objectives?
How is the
leadership
selected? Whilst
best practice is
to have a full
Constitution
document
outlining these
and other key
elements of your
organisation
based on model
documents (e.g.
Charity
Commission model
documents), a
short ToR or
other simple
governing
document that
acts as a
reference point
that your
members agree on
can go a long
way to
minimising the
risk of
disputes.
And whilst there
is no formal
recommended
duration for how
often to update
your governing
document, it
should ideally
be reviewed
whenever there
is a major
change to your
group or
association, or
at least every
5-10 years,
otherwise you
may find it is
no longer
relevant or
practical (and
thus a barrier
to your future
growth and
development).
If you answered
‘Yes’ to two or
less of the
above, well
done! You’re
probably faring
better than most
voluntary groups
or associations
in terms of
leadership and
governance –
please share
your successful
formulae with
other groups!
With strong
leadership and
governance being
a necessary
foundation of a
sustainable
group or
association, you
are more likely
to have a stable
platform from
which your
voluntary group
or association
can grow, remain
true to your
community’s
needs and
attract more
active
volunteers.
If you answered
‘Yes’ to three
or more, don’t
despair. Take a
step back,
remind yourself
what your
organisation is
all about and
why you got
involved in the
first place, and
consider what
small things you
could initiate
now, to ensure
its long-term
sustainability
and future. A
compilation of
useful resources
that may help
you is provided
at the end of
this article.
In Part 3 of
this series, we
will explore
what lessons we
can draw from
the life of
Prophet Muhammad
(p) for the
leadership &
governance of
Muslim-led
voluntary groups
and associations
in Britain
today.
Hassan Joudi is
the Deputy
Secretary
General of the
MCB and also
volunteers for
several other
Muslim-led
organisations in
the UK.
Some businesses in Saudi Arabia have
been opening during prayer times
The
kingdom continues to implement a
law that forces outlets to close
during Muslim prayer times.
SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi Arabia continues to
implement a law that forces public
amenities and shopping centers to close
during Muslim prayer times, but some
businesses seem to be defying this rule.
According to recent news reports,
several outlets in Riyadh are no longer
abiding by the legislation that states
malls, restaurants, cafés, gas stations,
and even hospitals must close during
adhan (Islamic call to prayer) and
throughout prayer time.
Last month, the kingdom's officials
decreed that businesses can have the
option to stay open 24 hours a day. At
the time, the news reports led some to
think the country had scrapped its
mandatory prayer-time shutdown rule;
that wasn't the case. Authorities later
clarified the law is still in place.
Despite that, a few malls in Riyadh took
it upon themselves to lead with the
change by remaining open day and night,
including prayer times.
This month, a popular burger joint at a
Riyadh mall didn't close its doors
during prayer times as the restaurant's
manager received a text from its Saudi
owner instructing him to stay open.
"The (government) decides to allow
shops, restaurants and markets to work
for 24 hours and the decision
includes... prayer times," the message
the manager received read, according to
AFP.
Restaurants, cafés, and an indoor
amusement park located at Al-Nakheel,
another huge mall in the capital, also
remained open during prayer times.
Speaking to AFP, Francis, a Saudi-based
Asian coffee shop manager, explained
that more places are staying open
throughout the day than ever before.
"Most of the time stores here are (now)
open during prayer time," he said.
Two other store managers who gave
statements to AFP said the officials
"appeared to be looking the other way"
when it came to spotting stores open
during shutdown times. However, many
shops aren't yet ready to take the risk
and continue to abide by the law.
Former royal surgeon has denied
'bullying' Muslim colleagues when they took
time off for prayer
Professor Zygmunt Krukowski
UK: A former
royal surgeon
has denied
"bullying"
Muslim
colleagues when
they took time
off for prayer,
a tribunal
hears. Professor
Zygmunt
Krukowski
oversaw the
medical care of
the Royal family
at Balmoral but
was suspended
from Aberdeen
Royal Infirmary
after a
misconduct
investigation
was launched in
2015.
He has now
launched an
employment
tribunal into
his “unfair
dismissal”,
after he was
cleared by the
General Medical
Council in July
2015.
Professor
Krukowski, 70,
was cross
examined by Ian
Truscott who
asked if he had
said: “Some
patients were
more important
than some
religions.”
But Krukowski
claimed he said:
“What's more
important?
Patients or
prayers?”
The solicitor
said an NHS
colleague had
claimed
Krukowski used
the derogatory
phrase
“hairy-a***d
Muslims” when
talking to the
then chief
executive of the
NHS trust.
But Professor
Krukowski
“strenuously
denied” the
claims. He said:
“I have never
used that phrase
in my life.
“I would have
been astonished
that the chief
executive of a
national board
would not take
action
immediately.
“I strenuously
deny I would use
that phrase and
I would not be
so stupid to use
it at a chief
executive.”
Another worker
said he felt he
was being
“bullied,
harassed and
mobbed” after
Prof Krukowski
“raised his
voice” at him.
Mr Truscott read
from a diary
entry that the
surgeon was
unable to go
into theatre
after being left
“shaken”.
Krukowski said:
“That is a
falsehood. He
was not
scheduled for
theatre.
“We worked and
discussed it and
I thought we had
addressed the
issue.
“He recognises
that he misled
me about the
detail of the
surgery and
patient care was
far below what
should be
accepted.”
He added: “I
lost my temper
with him and I
was embarrassed
and mortified. I
have
subsequently
apologised.”
The then health
secretary Alex
Neil was first
alerted by a
whistleblower to
concerns from
senior medics of
the management
and clinical
standards at ARI
in March 2014.
Healthcare
Improvement
Scotland carried
out a full
review on
performance and
culture at the
hospital, with
inspectors
raising concerns
about a minority
of consultants
in general
surgery.
The Syrian refugee's poem that
exposed England's 'joyless' curriculum
English students, Syrian
refugees and sisters Ftoun and
Amineh, from Oxford Spires
Academy. Ftoun has won national
fame in Britain with a poem
remembering Damascus.
UK: A
melancholy,
evocative poem
by a teenage
Syrian refugee
has put English
education under
the microscope,
accused of
ignoring
creativity and
imagination and
rewarding
mechanical
memorisation and
a dry
regurgitation of
the classics.
On Thursday
writer and
teacher Kate
Clanchy, who
uses her Twitter
feed mostly to
post her
students’
poetry, shared
‘The Doves of
Damascus’ by
14-year-old
Ftoun.
The poem
described fading
memories of the
beauty of
Damascus, its
sights and
sensations, and
hinted at the
flight of
refugees from
its war and
violence.
It was widely
shared and
attracted praise
from some of
Britain's most
famous authors.
“Ftoun worked
and worked, but
only got 4 in
her English
GCSE,” Clanchy
wrote.
The GCSE is an
exam that
students need to
graduate from
high school, as
a precursor to
university
entrance level
tests. In the
GCSEs a 4 is the
equivalent of
the old C grade
– barely a pass.
“She came here
from Syria in
2016. Marks for
her poem below
please.”
Philip Pullman,
author of His
Dark Materials,
replied: "This
kind of talent
is unmeasurable,
so naturally the
system tries to
measure it, and
always fails”.
Clanchy
responded to
Pullman: “And
wounds people as
it does so. I
hate GCSE. Why
can’t we have
one leaving exam
at 18, like
every other
civilised
country. Ftoun
just needs a
little more
time.”
Compulsory GCSE
at 16 was
“stupid and
awful”, she
said. “Once you
have failed it
is so much
harder to
learn”.
Joanne Harris,
author of
Chocolat, said
she had read out
Ftoun’s poem as
part of a
keynote speech
about the future
of writing and
the writers’
community “to
which she
undoubtedly
belongs, Grade 4
or no”.
Last year
Clanchy
published a
poetry anthology
England: Poems
from a School,
from her time as
a writer in
residence at the
Oxford Spires
Academy, the
university
town’s chosen
school for
migrants where
more than 30
languages are
spoken.
Its students
have won
national poetry
competitions
with work that
documents their
experience and
observations
from their
English lives.
Clanchy told The
Times newspaper
the new GSCE
curriculum was
“the last straw
in a bundle of
shallow
thinking...
overdetermined
syllabuses and
bullying of
teachers which
has been getting
heavier for a
long long time”.
The Association
of School and
College Leaders
this month
called the
current English
curriculum
“joyless”.
Under the
influence of
conservative
minister Michael
Gove it moved
towards a heavy
focus on
analysis of
classic historic
texts, while
English
literature
switched to
closed-book
exams that
rewarded
students for
memorising
swathes of
quotations.
One assistant
headteacher was
quoted saying
the
school-leaver
English exams
were “sucking
the joy out of
the study of how
we communicate:
the power and
beauty in words.
English
literature
favours those
with excellent
memories; it has
reduced our most
magnificent
pieces of
writing to a
collection of
quotations”.
And there were
reports that the
reformed exams,
introduced in
September 2015,
were behind a
big decline in
the number of
pupils taking
the subject at
university
entrance level.
The Modern Shepherd: Leadership Lessons from the Desert
by
AlBaraa H. Taibah
DESCRIPTION
How can
tending a flock of sheep empower
leadership skills?
How does it build character and awaken
wisdom?
And why was shepherding the starting
point for so many of the great prophets,
such as Mohammed, Moses and Abraham?
These questions had long intrigued MBA
student AlBaraa Taibah before he decided
to become a modern-day shepherd and herd
sheep alone in the Sahara Desert.
Confronting the dangers of desert
snakes, getting hopelessly lost in the
dunes and suffering from dehydration -
all on the first day - made him ask
himself, 'Why didn't I just take that
leadership course back in Boston?'
The Modern Shepherd is a leadership book
unlike any other. Inspiring and
insightful, AlBaraa H. Taibah reveals
the secrets of the ancient art of
shepherding and how they can teach us to
become effective and successful leaders.
REVIEW
The Modern
Shepherd is a personal memoir, pegged on
the lessons Taibah learned tending sheep
in the desert. He claims all Prophets of
the Holy Books learned the art of
leadership from tending sheep, and so
too would he. What resulted was a lesson
in humility and the subtle art of caring
for a creature before it is willing to
be led. This book is Taibah’s philosophy
on ‘care centred’ leadership peppered
with stories about his achievements that
serve as evidence of his proposed
‘Shepherding leadership.’
Taibah sets aside 10 days to survive in
the desert – of which he survives 6 –
coming out with a sense of profound
personal change. The author sets up a
challenge to learn the art of
shepherding, but ‘the flock and I don’t
speak the same language; I cannot become
a shepherd before I connect.’ (p39). The
sheep stay away from him and refuse to
be led by him. It is only when he
started caring, that they begin to
gravitate towards him.
Taibah cites our human ability to care
as a central theme in this book and
states, ‘Care is not asking how you
feel…Care is understanding why and
individual is behaving the way they do.
(It) adds value to the understanding of
the current issues and empowers us to
achieve higher results. Connect before
offering care.’ (p 57).
Taibah credits all his successes down to
this one idea. The shepherd leader cares
about the people before leading them;
which is genius in its simplicity, but I
do question if it can be applied as a
leadership principle across the board.
He uses the lessons learned in the six
days to talk about his achievements,
such as a national project to set
standards and licence educators in Saudi
Arabia which was previously met with a
lot of opposition. However, when he
flipped the organisational structure and
put teachers at the centre of
identifying and delivering standards, he
was met with a lot more success.
Taibah also goes into his failures where
he did not heed his lessons of the
desert and damaged his team
relationships in favour of meeting a
deadline. He did not take the time to
‘care’ for his team, and although he met
the deadline he damaged human
relationships as a result.
These projects seem to be high profile
projects but to me, they come across as
abstract notions as Taibah does not give
detailed descriptions nor does he go
into how he achieved his professional
positions. As a result, I found it
superficial as an autobiography.
The only personal journey that we are
given details of is the 6 days in the
desert. It is, no doubt, a fascinating
experience, but beyond that, the book
lacks depth. There is no journey –
except for his personal growth in the
desert. As it is a biographical
narrative, the entire journey of
personal development is very important
and has been grossly overlooked.
So if you wish to know what it feels
like to spend (less) then a week in the
desert taking care of sheep, by all
means, do read the book. But if you are
looking for ways to create a lasting
impact into communities and societies
that we live in, perhaps another book
such as Karen Armstrong’s, Muhammed, a
prophet of our time or Nelson Mandela’s,
Long Walk to Freedom might be a better
and more thorough alternative.
KB says:
This chicken leg quarters recipe is one of the
most tastiest of chicken recipes you are likely
to come across. It's full of flavour and
oven-roasting it adds heaps of extra flavour.
The caramelized skin is just so tasty and
crispy. You be able to get enough of this
chicken!
Roast Chicken Leg Quarters
INGREDIENTS & METHOD
6 chicken leg quarters
Marinade
Ľ cup Honey
juice of one lemon
generous amount of dried thyme
salt
lots of crushed pepper and lemon pepper
green chillies
zest of one lemon
Ľ cup olive oil.
Slightly slit thighs and drumsticks, Rub marinade properly.
Place on tray along with balance marinade.
Scatter 1 head of garlic (separate cloves but leave peels
on)
Roast at 220 for around 25-30 mins or until done.
(In the last 10 mins place pieces of corn on the tray)
Remove from oven.
Heat olive oil in a pan. When very hot, place chicken
quarters on pan to give it a golden exterior, at the same
time remove the roasted garlic from skins and smash all over
the chicken on both sides.
Adapted from recipe
shared by Shafnaaz Fatharally
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.
Baba's Halal Kitchen
(Hussain Baba is the host and
chef of *BABA’S HALAL KITCHEN*, a show where he uses his own
unique style to cook 'Quick, Easy and Delicious' dishes.)
Looking after your wellbeing in the rush of
daily life can be challenging.
Here are a few tips to get that Spring in your
step:
• Meditate – take 5 mins out of your day to just
sit & breathe. It can reduce the negative impact
of stress.
• Nourish – Energise your body with food. Eat
good wholesome food that fuels your body and
makes you feel good.
• Sweat – Can’t beat a good sweat sesh a few
times a week. Find something you enjoy and add
it to your regular routine. Make this your
game-changer & reap the rewards!
• Hydrate – Track your water-intake. Everything
from tiredness to overeating can be due to
dehydration. Our bodies are made up of roughly
60% water, so keep topping up.
• Sleep – A lack of sleep can impair your
wellbeing, productivity and brain function.
Be sure to get some
shut-eye – at least 8hours a night if possible.
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
Strategies To
Develop And Maintain
Healthy and Positive
Relationships
with people in our
lives.
From the moment we
wake up in the
morning to the time
we retire to bed,
our lives revolve
around other human
beings. They all
impact our lives in
ways that propel us
to respond or react.
These responses and
reactions shape the
life we lead. How we
choose to respond to
people is completely
up to us.
When someone says,
“I didn’t have a
choice”, it simply
means they chose to
remain in the
situation instead of
choosing an
alternative. The
truth is, there are
always alternatives.
Our daily relations
and dealings with
family members,
friends, colleagues,
strangers and
virtual entities
(those who are
communicating with
us online) form a
vital part of our
existence. These
dealings and
relations give rise
to experiences.
Experiences become
memories and
memories
subsequently become
a significant
component of
reasoning. Most of
these memories are
as a result of
inherited memories.
For example, how we
respond to an angry
outburst of another
person is often the
same way our parents
and guardians
respond to such
outbursts. We grew
up watching their
reactions and
responses and
adopted them
accordingly.
Relationships are
formed and
maintained with some
basic ingredients in
life, such as love,
trust, respect,
compassion and duty.
The following
communication
exercise will help
you nourish your
relationships to be
more meaningful,
joyful and engaging.
The vital thing to
remember for this
exercise is one has
to be able to hear
the tone of the
voice of the other
person. Text
messaging will not
work as you are
unable to hear the
actual tone of the
voice. Telephone
or face to face is
always the best way
to have an engaging,
effective
communication.
Married couples
Spend a few minutes
daily with each
other alone in
conversation
regarding the
following specific
topics and ensure
that when one person
is talking, the
other is listening
with full attention
without any
interruption
whatsoever. When you
engage in a
meaningful
conversation such as
the one below, your
mind opens up to
embrace the joys of
life.
“What
was most
joyful
about
your day
today
and
why?”
“What
are you
most
grateful
for
today
and
why?”
“What
did you
do today
that has
made you
a better
person
than
yesterday?”
“How can
I be of
help to
you to
realise
your
purpose
in
life?”
Children
Spend time daily
with your child and
have the following
conversation. If you
have more than one
child, spend time
individually to have
this conversation.
Remember, every
child is different
and experiences the
world differently.
Ask your child the
following questions
and give full
attention to her/his
responses.
“What was
most joyful
about your
day today
and why?”
“What do you
feel most
thankful to
ALLAH for
today?”
“What was
uncomfortable
for you
today and
why?”
“What would
you really
like to tell
me but feel
scared to
share? You
can tell me
anything.
You can
trust me.”
“What would
you like to
do to
improve
yourself?”
“How can I
help you to
be better?”
Siblings and
Friends
Often the people who
manage to irritate
us most are our
siblings and close
friends. The
following exercise
may help open the
mind to enjoy a
meaningful, loving
relationship with
siblings and
friends. Again, the
tone of the voice is
a vital part of this
exercise.
Spend a few minutes
at least once a week
to touch base with
your sibling(s)/
friends. Ask them
the following
questions and pay
attention to the
answers without
interrupting or
formulating a
counter-argument.
“What
was the
most
joyful
part of
your
week so
far?”
“What
challenges
did you
face
last
week?”
“What
can I do
to be of
help to
overcome
those
challenges?”
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.
More about the
book:
In Sarah's house,
the Bible and the
Koran sit together
on a shelf - two
books bursting with
stories...
‘Sarah loves her two
grandmas –
Grandmother Azar and
Grandmother Maria.
Grandmother Azar
tells Sarah stories
from the Holy Koran,
while Grandmother
Maria tells her
stories from the
Bible. At Christmas
time, Sarah snuggles
in each of her
grandmothers' laps
and listens to two
nativities stories
about the birth of
baby Jesus. They are
the same in some
ways, and different
in others ... but
both can be Sarah's
favourite.’
About the author:
Janine M Fraser
lives on Phillip
Island in Victoria
for most of the
year, and three
months of the year
in Manhattan, New
York. She loves
books, writing and
travel and looks for
stories wherever she
goes. Her previous
books have been
short-listed for the
CBCA awards, the NSW
Premier's Award and
the WA Premier's
Award. Janine is
also a published
poet.
BRISBANE BOOK LAUNCH
- INTERFAITH
Sarah's Two
Nativities, written
by Janine Fraser
that I have
illustrated. It is
published by Walker
Books, out in
September.
The book,
beautifully written,
has a strong
multicultural
message that you
might be interested
in. The story is a
bridge between
Muslims and
Christians, to be
more precise.
I would love to
invite you at the
book launch on
September 21st at
2pm here in Brisbane
at the book store
Where the Wild
things Are.
It would be
wonderful to have
representatives of
different
communities as we
think it is a great
opportunity for
families and
children from
diverse cultural
background to share
a special moment
altogether around
this picture book
and its message.
So please feel free
to invite some
friends, families
and people who might
be interested as
well.
Helene.
About the
illustrator:
Award winning
illustrator Hélčne
Magisson began her
artistic career as a
painting restorer in
Paris, where she was
also trained in the
art of medieval
illumination. Helene
has lived all over
the world, including
Africa, France and
India. She loves to
discover other
cultures through
their arts and
customs. She now
calls Australia home
and has begun a new
career of
illustrating picture
books, some of which
have been CBCA
Notables.
Feel free to visit
my website:
www.helenemagisson.com
HFA is an
Australian charity helping and
supporting Australian and
overseas families, children and
the seriously disadvantaged,
along with many other Aid
programs.
To find out about our upcoming
projects please contact us.
At Sisters
Support 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.
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The
Australian Muslim
Achievement Awards (AMAAs)
attempt to raise the profile
of Australian Muslim
individuals and
organisations, promote their
achievements and prominence
in the Australian society
and encourage Australian
Muslims to participate and
excel in areas within the
Australian community.
Some businesses in Saudi Arabia have
been opening during prayer times 
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our Wall
7
August 2011