Podcast: The South African
station, Radio Islam,
spoke to Ml Uzair Akbar
regarding the incident:
Graham
Perrett, MP - Member for
Moreton
"We on the Southside of
Brisbane are a close-knit
community and we care for
one another. The Holland
Park Mosque is a part of
that community. Good people
love their neighbours and
good people will always
fight against religious
discrimination......."
Joe
Kelly, MP - Member for
Greenslopes
"Holland Park Mosque arrived
to morning prayer this
morning to see this vile and
abhorent vandalism. This is
a disgrace. This is not how
we operate in this
community. We are a
community that tolerates
people, a community that
celebrates diversity. We are
a community of respect. We
are a community of peace. I
condemn this act and give
all my support to the Imam
and community at Holland
Park Mosque."
Members of south QLD
Anglican Church attended
Holland Park Mosque and made
a donation towards a
security fund set up in the
wake of the vandal attack.
They were greeted by Imam
Uzair (president of Councils
of Imam QLD), Tanveer Ahmad
(president of Islamic
society of Holland Park),
Ali Kadri (Spokesman) and
other members of the
congregation.
Details of the GoFundMe
security fund raiser can be
found here.
The power of community
knowledge sharing, truth telling
and problem solving on the
response to vilification
The "Love, Not Hate"
workshop was held in
Brisbane yesterday
(Saturday) where
participants learned about
the difference between
unlawful hate speech and
free speech, and the
importance of reporting
incidents of vilification.
"The event today raised a
lot of important issues and
considerations from the coal
face," AMAN's Rita Markwell
told CCN.
"Was exciting to see sisters
and brothers from diverse
backgrounds. Many Muslimah
lawyers too who are
passionate about this
issue."
In attendance were
Queensland Human Rights
Commission, Legal Aid
Queensland, Islamic Council
of Queensland, Australian
Federal Police, Queensland
Police Service, LGBTI
Community Legal Service,
Lawyers With Integrity,
@Together for Humanity and
community member.
Lord
Mayor of Brisbane Cr Adrian
Schrinner & Cr Krista Adams
STEM Tour at AIIC
Last Thursday 5 September AIIC had the
privilege and honour to
welcome The Right, The
Honourable Councillor Adrian Schrinner Lord Mayor of
Brisbane and Councillor
Krista Adams for an
exclusive private tour of
our STEM building.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner
addressed and thanked the
audience for the invitation
and briefly discussed the
importance of education
particularly for an
independent school as he
attended Citipointe
Christian College an
independent school.
He reflected about the
similarities between AIIC
and his former school
stating the school began
with demountables and with a
small number of students.
However, today its rapid
growth has been mainly due
to the hardworking teachers,
staff, parent’s involvement
and the support from the
wider community.
Prior to politics, Cr Krista
Adams was a secondary
teacher and is all too
familiar with the importance
of education and how
education can shape our
students to adapt and be
ready for the challenges of
tomorrow.
To mark the special occasion
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner
and Cr Krista Adams were
presented with a plaque from
our student leaders. .
Jessica
Pugh MP for Mt Ommaney AIIC
visit
Jessica Pugh MP for Mt
Ommaney delighted us with
her presence visiting our
school Tuesday 10th
September and addressed our
secondary students during
assembly.
On behalf of AIIC staff and
students presented a
certificate of appreciation
for the generous
contribution from the
Queensland Government which
went towards our STEM
building.
Ms Pugh toured our existing
science room and the new
STEM building, to see
first-hand how our new STEM
spaces will improve our STEM
learning experience.
She also dropped by to greet
our little preppies.
Lord Mayor of
Brisbane Cr Adrian
Schrinner & Cr
Krista Adams
On Saturday 7 September the
Hurricane Stars Club hosted
their first Family Fun Day
at the Islamic College of
Brisbane (ICB) to promote
Child Protection Week. It
was an incredibly successful
day with more than 1000
people attending over the
course of the day.
Alhamdillah, the beautiful
sunny day went smoothly
without any major incidents
except for light winds. Many
were surprised that the
entire event was organised
and run by a team of sisters
and they have since received
multiple requests to make it
a regular event. The
Hurricane Stars Club
volunteer team overcame the
challenge of not being able
to enter the hall to start
setting up until 10pm on the
night before, which resulted
in them having to stay awake
all night setting up both
inside and outside the hall
in preparation for the
event.
The hall was filled with a
variety of more than 50
stallholders selling a
variety of goods from
fashion, jewellery,
essential oils, handmade
goods, toys, books and
linen, while other stalls
promoted charities and
community organisations.
There were a wide variety of
amazing food stalls,
delicious desserts and
refreshing drink stalls both
inside the hall and under
marques in the hall carpark.
For many attendees the
family fun day was a food
festival, where they had so
much fun trying all the
different cuisines
available, as a result of
which many of the items had
sold out by mid afternoon.
There were a wide variety of
activities to keep the kids
busy throughout the event.
On the hall stage there was
a native Australian animal
display that allowed the
parents and kids to see,
touch and hold a wide
variety of animal throughout
the day, as well as doing a
number of shows throughout
the day. The Calamvale
Station police came and
allowed the kids to climb
around and investigate their
police car. We had amazing
face painting, henna, fairy
floss, show bags, animal
farm, jumping castles and
fun rides to keep the
children happy for hours.
The only downside for the
day was that the day
fireworks had to be
cancelled because of the
total fire ban issued by the
Queensland Fire Service.
Although the event was not,
alhamdillah, affected by the
extreme weather conditions
predicted but the occasional
wind gust meant that the
ranger ride could not
operate, one of the five
jumping castles hired for
the event and the inflatable
obstacle course could not be
inflated.
We were honoured to be
visited by a number of local
dignitaries throughout the
day. The ICB principal Mr
Shariff came twice to visit
the festival and the
Hurricane Stars team are
grateful for his support,
without which the event
would not have been as
successful. Brisbane City
Council Councillors Angela
Owen and Kim Marx attended
the family fun day, as well
as state MP Duncan Pegg.
The Hurricane Stars Club
volunteers team would like
to thank the stallholders
and attendees for making the
event a very successful day
for everyone.
The Muslim Women's Listening
Event event was held at the
Garden City Library last
week to hear the every day
pressures of Muslim women in
the community, and to share
ideas on strategies that
could assist community
organisations in overcoming
them.
AMAN's Rita Markwell said, "AMAN
was delighted to partner
with the Islamic Council of
QLD to run this first
dedicated women’s listening
event. One sister spoke
powerfully about the need to
´denormalise’ Islamophobia.
´If we don’t speak up now
about verbal abuse, the next
generation might think that
physical abuse is normal.’ A
powerful listening
experience, hearing a range
of issues."
A multicultural symposium
held in Malaysia explored
the strengths and problems
of diversity in Australian
and Malaysian societies.
The day-long symposium,
initiated by Prof Shahjahan
Khan of the University of
Southern Queensland and
supported by AFIC, took
place on Wednesday, 28
August 2019 at the Library
Auditorium of IIUM,
Malaysia.
Speakers included Professor
Dr Shahjahan Khan (USQ), Dr
Rateb Jneid (AFIC), Dr Leon
Moosavi, (University of
Liverpool), Professor Peter
T C Chang (University of
Malaya), Professor Siraj
Siat (WASD), Assoc.
Professor Muniruzzaman (IIUM),
Professor Dr Tahir El Mesawi,
(IIUM), Dato Faruk Musa, (IRF,
Malaysia), Assoc. Professor
Imtiaz Yusuf, (ISTAC, IIUM),
Dr Gary Dargon (Sydney,
Australia), and Assoc.
Professor Isharaf Hossain, (MWRC,
Malaysia).
Prof Khan covered the
Multicultural Statement
(united, strong, successful)
of the Australian Federal
Government (2017),
Multicultural Queensland
Charter (2017) and USQ
Multicultural policy and
strategies. Dr Rateb Jneid
stressed the problems faced
by Muslims in Multicultural
Australia, especially that
fuelled by the extreme,
divisive, hateful and
anti-Muslim political
activism.
the full
report on the symposium by
Prof Shahjahan Khan
Year 9 student, Naadirah
Peer, recently took home
gold medals at the QLD State
Taekwondo Championships and
the Australian National
Taekwondo Championships.
This is the first step
towards Naadirah’s goal of
becoming an Australian
Professional Athlete and
competing in the Olympics.
Lina Qasem is a finalist for
The Australian Women's
Weekly 2019 Women of the
Future Awards
Lina Qasem's passion for
coding and robotics has made
her a rising star in the
tech world, and it's a
passion she wants to share.
Nothing makes Lina happier
than seeing young girls come
to life as they learn about
science, technology,
engineering and maths
(STEM).
Two years ago she launched
Robofun a coding academy for
kids that uses children's
natural curiosity to teach
them STEM. The academy is
open to all young people,
but focuses on girls to
address gender imbalance in
the industry.
Lina's Robofun academy gives
kids hands-on experience
with STEM subjects.
robofun.com.au
"My dream is to engage more
girls in STEM to create a
more diverse tech industry
and achieve gender
equality," Lina says.
Working with schools,
libraries and parents, she
provides children with a
hands-on learning
experience. "We hire
qualified female instructors
to provide role models to
our students."
Lina holds free workshops in
disadvantaged areas and
offers instalment payment
plans to ensure STEM
learning is available to
all. The Women of the Future
bursary would allow her to
purchase more equipment,
expand her marketing efforts
and invest in more training
for her instructors.
Tayeba Quddus found an
anti-Islam campaigner's untested
claims in a lecture slide.
Tayeba Quddus was shocked
when she saw a lecture slide
from a subject on diversity
suggesting that while "most
Muslims are peaceful", up to
300 million Muslims were
"radicals who want to
destroy and murder".
The quote — sourced from a
prominent anti-Muslim
activist and presented
without qualification in
online lecture material —
left Ms Quddus feeling
"disempowered" and
bewildered that a claim she
described as "sickening in
its bigotry" would be part
of her tertiary studies.
"Given what happened in
Christchurch, and a huge
movement we have of
far-right extremism and
political campaigns that
seek to vilify most Muslims,
within that climate it's not
very helpful to be
discussing these things in a
way that seems like it
supports these ideas," Ms
Quddus said.
The 26-year-old had already
been disturbed by a
classroom discussion early
in the unit at Melbourne's
Holmesglen Institute, where
she said students had been
allowed to talk over her and
share false cliches about
Muslims.
So she complained to her
teachers, who she said took
her comments on board but
initially left the material
online.
Unsatisfied, Ms Quddus took
her complaint to the
Victorian Equal Opportunity
and Human Rights Commission.
Shortly afterwards,
Holmesglen Institute took
the material down and has
since offered an unreserved
apologised to her, promising
training for the teachers
involved.
In a statement to the ABC,
Holmesglen Institute said
the "inappropriate" content,
which had been uploaded to
the student portal but not
yet delivered in lectures,
was removed after an
investigation into Ms
Quddus's complaint.
"We have called the
complainant to acknowledge
their concerns and issued an
unreserved apology for the
offence caused," the
statement said.
"The teachers involved are
being suspended until the
investigation concludes."
Ms Quddus said she had
spoken out because she
feared other Muslim students
might be, or already have
been, "shut down" by such
views being discussed in an
approving light for the sake
of free speech.
"This isn't about free
speech or trying to police
what people are saying," she
said.
"I think it's more a matter
of the teacher publishing
overtly fear-mongering
material online that has no
evidence, and the fact that
that's completely
inappropriate for [the
lecturer] to have done."
Anti-Islam campaigner cited
in lecture
The lecture slides were to
be delivered within a unit
focused on "managing
diversity in a culturally
competent environment",
which was part of the
institute's certificates in
youth work and drugs and
alcohol.
In the offending slide,
titled "Most Muslims Are
peaceful", a YouTube link
takes students to a video
published in 2017, featuring
prominent anti-Islamic
activist Brigitte Gabriel.
She is the founder of ACT
For America, an organisation
which critics including the
Southern Poverty Law Center
has described as a hate
group and the US's largest
anti-Muslim organisation.
Ms Gabriel has written that
"in the Muslim world,
extreme is mainstream" and
has been widely accused of
spreading distorted views on
Islam.
Brigitte Gabriel's anti-Islam
activism has been criticised by
civil rights groups in America.
In the video, which has been
widely shared online, Ms
Gabriel claimed that
intelligence services around
the world estimated
"radical" Muslims to be
between 15 to 25 per cent.
"That leaves 75 per cent of
them [Muslims] peaceful
people," Ms Gabriel says in
the video.
"But when you look at 15 to
25 per cent of the world
Muslim population, you're
looking at 180 million to
300 million people dedicated
to the destruction of
Western civilization."
The text in the Holmesglen
Institute slide praises Ms
Gabriel, saying, "her
response could not have been
any more perfect".
"The fact is, 180 million to
300 million people are
radicals who want to destroy
and murder. You can't ignore
those numbers," the slide
read.
'Fact' cited in slide untrue
Deakin University's
Professor Greg Barton, an
expert in Global Islamic
Politics, said Ms Gabriel
was "the sort of person that
somebody like Pauline Hanson
goes to for research".
He said people like Ms
Gabriel were "not only
Islamophobic, but they make
the mistake of conflating
1.8 billion people into
either one undifferentiated
group or at least claim that
a large number of them
support the authoritarian
regime and politics that may
play in their country".
"And that obviously is both
inaccurate and
misunderstands the plight of
Muslims all over the world,
where people are stuck with
governments they don't like.
There are radical groups as
a result but they're not
broadly popular."
He said her claim about
"radical" Muslims was not
true.
"There's a small community
of people who make a living
out of demonising Islam and
Muslims and some of them are
more academic, some of them
less academic," Professor
Barton said.
"But they cherry-pick data
and then they take a very
jaundiced approach to
analysis.
"So you might find for
example … polling where a
question is asked in a
Muslim-majority country, 'Do
you support Islamic law?'
"And for most people, it's
like somebody from a
Christian background being
asked 'Do you support the
Ten Commandments?', the
answer is 'well of course',
you can't say you don't.
"But that's a long way short
of saying they would support
an Islamist government or
would support hudud
punishment [harsh punishment
for religious transgressions
including stoning and
amputation of hands]."
'This isn't a teaching
resource'
In initial correspondence
with Ms Quddus, seen by the
ABC, the institute suggested
there would be
"contextualisation and
discussion" while discussing
the material in the
classroom.
Ms Quddus rejected the
suggestion that any
discussion would have
justified the material's
inclusion.
"What I felt from reading
that slide wasn't that it
was there for an objective
discussion," she said.
"It looked more like it was
there to teach these ideas.
"I would say that I don't
really see a context in
which talking about 180 to
300 million Muslims being
radical exists.
"I would say that there is
no context in which you can
use anti-Islam activists who
aren't academic. This isn't
a teaching resource in a
class.
"There's no other slide that
kind of talks about
Islamophobia, there is no
resources of anti-
Islamophobia activists. You
are using an anti-Islam
activist and then following
up with this this statement.
I don't think there's
anything there that's
ambiguous.
"I think in the teacher's
own words, it says, 'the
fact is 180 to 300 million
Muslim people are radicals
who want to destroy and
murder'. It's very overt.
There is no room for
interpretation with that.
It's just a statement."
Another slide within the
same presentation, which was
titled "Terrorist Attacks,"
named as its source a
Wikipedia page specifically
listing Islamist terrorist
attacks.
Student felt need to 'out'
herself as Muslim
Ms Quddus decided to take
action about the online
material because she
believed it wasn't the first
time she had felt
marginalised as a Muslim in
the unit.
In the very first week, she
said a fellow student said a
"big movement" in the UK to
impose sharia law was
"terrifying", and that some
"ideologies are more prone
to extremism than others".
Ms Quddus said the teacher
"didn't intervene or try to
steer the discussion" as it
escalated to a point where
Islamophobic claims were
being made.
She said she felt the need
to "out" herself as a
Muslim, something she
normally does not feel the
need to do.
"I don't see how in the
context of a class about
working with diverse people,
sharing such overtly
Islamophobic ideas aids any
kind of conversation, and it
kind of gives more air to
already quite negative ideas
that exist in society."
She said even after she
spoke to rebut the false
claims, she was spoken over,
and in ensuing weeks became
nervous about sharing her
ideas in class.
"I was worried that
everything I said from then
on would just be seen as an
angry Muslim or someone who
is highly defensive. I felt
quite nervous about the
class targeting me after
that and anyone else would
probably feel the same way."
Institute vows to use
incident as 'catalyst'
The institute's chief
executive, Mary Faraone,
said in a statement that the
institute had taken steps to
address the issue and
prevent it happening again.
"Holmesglen is using this
incident as a catalyst to
further review its
professional development in
diversity, cultural safety,
and competency with the
Institute's educators," she
said.
"We welcome the opportunity
to receive feedback, to
assess it, and to act upon
it in order to improve
processes.
"This is an ongoing
undertaking and we want to
ensure that all students,
staff and broader
stakeholders of the
Holmesglen community
experience learning in an
inclusive way and in a place
that is committed to
positive action."
Ms Quddus will now enter
mediation with the institute
but worries that her
experience is not an
isolated one.
"I think there's something
systematically wrong in the
system that led to this
happening," she said.
"It's really a tip of the
iceberg situation in my
opinion."
'They've been very naive and
frankly rather slack'
Professor Barton said even
giving educators the benefit
of the doubt, the inclusion
of the materials suggested a
level of prejudice exists in
the Australian community.
"I assume, to give them the
benefit of the doubt, I
assume there wasn't
intention to cause offence,"
he said.
"But if we grant that
generous assumption then it
means that they've been very
naive and frankly rather
slack.
"Because it wouldn't matter
which community you were
talking about, whether it
was religious community or
racial group or ethnic or
social group, you'd be very
cautious about making grand
claims, particularly claims
that were likely to be
offensive, and you would
double-check your sources
and [if] in doubt wouldn't
put them in material that
goes out to students.
"When people, perhaps fairly
unintentionally, put up
material in the classroom or
elsewhere that is offensive
and they don't understand it
until it's pointed out, it
suggests a kind of level of
prejudice that leaves them
open to believing those
statements in the first
place, otherwise they would
have questioned them.
Opinion by Rita
Markwell, Policy Advisor of Australian
Muslim Advocacy Network (AMAN)
Listen up
“Recently at the airport
after a late flight from
Sydney, a group of young
guys were yelling at me. And
I didn’t even look twice,”
Dina said. “It worries me
that Islamophobia has become
so normalised to me, I don’t
even think about.”
As the women’s engagement
officer at the Islamic
Council of Qld, Dina is
always thinking about issues
affecting women – but
recently she started to
question her own beliefs. “I
don’t want the next
generation to think verbal
abuse is normal. If we don’t
speak up now, they might
think that physical abuse is
normal too.”
This is one of the stories
she shared during Brisbane’s
first Muslim women’s
listening event. In a small
group, every voice was
listened to without
interruption; Their messages
recorded. And who was
listening? Other Muslim
women.
For so long, many sisters
have looked to others to
listen to them. Thinking it
is the unlistening brothers
who were the problem. The
unlistening government. The
unlistening leaders.
The event took us through
stories about healing from
trauma, the need for women
to stand up and support
other women, the deep
humiliation of Islamophobic
attacks, the identity crisis
facing young people and the
mental health of young women
in particular when
straddling different
cultures. The struggles of
parents trying to teach
Islam in a changing world
also surfaced. And how many
spaces do we have to talk
about this?
This was just the tip of the
iceberg. One sister said
that being vulnerable with
each other was still a big
struggle for many Muslim
women. Many prefer to stay
at the chit chat level.
Dina spoke about the layers
of identity and her journey
to finding herself as an
Australian Muslim of Afghan
background. She spoke about
her desire to ‘de-normalise
Islamophobia’ amongst
Muslims and ‘normalise
getting help with mental
health.’
Dina had razor sharp insight
for someone her age, and an
engaging flair in the way
she spoke, but to be fair,
she was not the only one.
All the women sitting around
the table had amazing
courage.
This is the regular story
about how listening
campaigns start.
“We should do more of these
listening events,” she said.
“Imagine how powerful it
will be if women in our
community come together, two
hundred of them, and speak
with one voice on an issue
we feel deeply about?”
Dina was referring to the
assemblies that develop at
the end of these listening
campaigns in QLD and
overseas – community
campaigns that have
delivered all sorts of
concrete outcomes.
In that moment, I realised
many of us sisters are
turning a blind eye to a
huge resource. What could
happen if we listened to
each other? If our
conversation was unleashed
with vulnerability, with
more courage and frank
speaking? Insha’ALLAH, that
could transform our world.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rita Jabri Markwell
has degrees Laws and
Legal Practice
(First Class
Honours) and the
Arts. She was
admitted to the
Supreme Court of NSW
in 2003.
Rita has project
managed events like
the National Apology
to Australia's
Indigenous Peoples,
advising on key
negotiations,
planning events on
the day; advising
the Prime Minister
on the Apology and
speech; introducing
the Prime Minister
to Nanna Fejo who
featured in his
speech.
She has also played
a key advising role
in Australia's
support for the
United Declaration
on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples;
and appointment of
Indigenous human
rights lawyer, Megan
Davis to UN Human
rights Council.
Why is the
research being conducted?
It is hoped this research will
contribute to better mutual
understanding and social
relations. Much has been said
about Islam over the past two
decades but this has not given
enough voice to Muslims overall.
The information provided will
help address currents gaps in
knowledge and misinformation
about Islam and Muslims. It may
also assist educators and
service providers that work with
Muslim communities.
This survey hopes to find out
how Islam is experienced,
understood and expressed by
Muslim Australians in relation
to identity, sources of
information that are most
important and how they are
interpreted. The survey also
asks questions about various
issues concerning Islam in
society, social connections
within Muslim communities and
with wider society, as well as
views on how Islam is
represented.
It is being conducted by
Griffith University headed by
Professsors Halim Rane and Adis
Duderija.
It will take approximately 30
minutes or less to complete this
survey. It's being conducted
according to the ethical
standards required by Griffith
University and is not funded by
any government department,
agency or any other
organisation. The responses
provided will be completely
anonymous.
In addition to deepening our
knowledge and understanding of
Islam in Australia, our hope is
that this research will be
beneficial for a range of Muslim
organisations engaged in service
provision, social support,
education and other relevant
activities to assist Muslim
communities and relations with
wider society.
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.
ANZAC MUSLIMS IN WORLD
WAR I
....continued from last
week's CCN.....
Charles Khan, known also as
“Charley,” was described
variously as a Brahmin,
Indian, Afghan, Sikh,
Mohammedan, coloured man,
but was actually an Indian
Muslim from Calcutta who
lived in Renmark, South
Australia. Khan was a good
soldier. He served in
Gallipoli, France, Flanders
(Belgium) and Egypt, and was
badly wounded in the field
at Bullecourt, France, in
1917.
He was a soldier with an
excellent record and was
entitled to wear four
decorations. Khan was also
mentioned in despatches by
General John Monash.
His Aussie brother-in-arms
remarked: Everybody in the
battalion to which I
belonged knew him as
Charley. He was a most
valuable ally. I can testify
to that. He was an Indian
and the only coloured man in
the unit. Everybody liked
him; there was no colour
line in the trenches.
Khan’s work was always
carried out efficiently and
his cheerfulness and
willingness in adverse
circumstances made his
services valuable to the
battalion. The King was
pleased to approve the award
of the Meritorious Service
Medal to Khan and he was
proud of it. When Khandied
in Renmark, the flags in the
town were flown at
half-mast.
In historical accounts,
other Muslims, following the
examples of Mahomet and
Khan, served in the AIF in
various combat zones in
World War I. For instance,
Kiam Deen, 30-years-old, a
labourer from Delhi, who
lived in Sydney; Abdullah
Ahmed, of Indian descent, a
labourer born in North
Melbourne; Mahomet Hassian,
resident of Potts Point;
Mahomet Hussen, born in
Sydney; and Cecil Khan, an
18-year-old from Surry
Hills, NSW
Glamallie Khan was a Punjabi
Indian hawker who enlisted
in Adelaide with service
number 2019. He previously
served in the Native Light
Horse in Punjab for three
years and was assigned to
the 14th Reinforcement of
the 3rd Light Horse
Regiment.
He embarked from Adelaide as
a trooper abroad the
Warillda in 1916, landed in
Egypt, and for short time
remained there until he
embarked for England. While
in England, he was
transferred to the infantry
with the rank of private.
Glamallie then embarked for
France abroad the Golden
Eagle and joined the 32nd
Battalion. He was wounded
and hospitalised in Rouen
and remained in France until
February 1917. Once back in
England, he marched to a
convalescent depot and
stayed there until May when
he embarked for Australia
aboard the Ayrshire. He was
discharged from the AIF as
medically unfit on 3
September 1917
Sinéad O’Connor has sang on
first Late Late Show of the
new season and in her
interview with Ryan Tubridy
she speaks about how she has
embraced the Muslim
religion.
Sinéad O’Connor: ‘I have
been a Muslim all my life
and I didn’t realise it’
The singer has described
her experience of
‘reverting’ to Islam
Sinéad O’Connor has
described how she felt “at
home” after reading the
Koran and subsequently
embracing the Muslim
religion.
The singer, who has returned
following a five-year hiatus
from touring, announced her
decision to “revert” to
Islam almost a year ago and
says she often wears the
hijab as a means of
signalling her new-found
beliefs.
“The word ‘revert’ refers to
the idea that if you were to
study the Koran you would
realise that you were a
Muslim all your life and you
didn’t realise it. That’s
what happened to me,” she
said on Friday night’s Late
Late Show.
“I am 52. I grew up in a
very different Ireland to
the one that exists now and
it was a very oppressed
country religiously
speaking. And everybody was
miserable; nobody was
getting any joy in God.”
The singer, who has long
captivated audiences with
her views on Irish life,
spoke about reading the
scriptures as a child and
later exploring other
religious texts “trying to
find the truth about God”.
She left Islam until last
because she held her own
prejudices about the
religion, she said.
Sikh politician faces
anti-Muslim attack in Canada
TRT World
Sikh politician Gurratan
Singh was attacked by an
anti-immigration politician
at a Muslim event in Canada.
Here is how he responded
WHAT'S A QURANIC PARK?
The Dubai Quranic Park just
made Time's list of 'The
World's Greatest Places',
here is a look inside the
park, which is open and free
to everyone, and how it is
helping share who we truly
are as Muslims.
The Military Genius of
Muhammad Al-Fatih
OnePath
Network
Muhammad Al Fatih – The
Sultan who did the
impossible
The life of Muhammad Al-Fatih
Known to the west as Mehmed
II, he was born on 30th
March 1432 in the
northwestern province of
Edrine, Muhammad al-Fatih
was the son of Sultan Murad
II (1404-51) and was an
Ottoman Sultan who ruled
from 1451 to 1481. Muhammad
al-Fatih showed signs of
leadership right from a
young age, gaining
leadership skills and
experience from governing
cities like Amasya. Muhammad
al-Fatih’s father wanted to
make sure that his son
learned from of the best
scholars at the time.
Muhammad al-Fatih was a
devout Muslim and learned
under many teachers about
the Islamic faith which
moulded his mindset. He
mastered seven languages;
Turkish, Arabic, Latin,
Greek, Serbian, Hebrew and
Persian.
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.
With hajj
under threat,
it's time
Muslims joined
the climate
movement
By Remona Aly
Scientists say
global heating could endanger
pilgrims as soon as next summer.
This must be our call to action
‘The environmental threat to
the holy pilgrimage is a panic
button for British Muslims like
me.’ Hajj pilgrims circulate
around the the Kaaba in Mecca
According to
research
published last
week by US
scientists, hajj
is set to become
a danger zone.
As soon as next
year, they say,
summer days in
Mecca could
exceed the
“extreme danger”
heat-stress
threshold. The
news comes just
weeks after over
2 million people
completed their
journey of a
lifetime. The
environmental
threat to the
holy pilgrimage
is a panic
button for
British Muslims
like me,
signaling that
the climate
crisis is
endangering an
age-old sacred
rite.
Hajj is a pillar
of Islam that
I’ve yet to
undertake, and
the physical
endurance
required will
only become more
gruelling in
coming decades –
scientists
predict that
heat and
humidity levels
during hajj will
exceed the
extreme danger
threshold 20% of
the time from
2045 and 2053,
and 42% of the
time between
2079 and 2086.
Environmental
stewardship may
well be
advocated by my
faith – the
Quran states
that humans are
appointed as
“caretakers of
the Earth” and
the prophet
Muhammad
organised the
planting of
trees and
created
conservation
areas called
hima – but it
hasn’t mobilised
Muslims on a
mass scale for
what the world
needs now: a
global
eco-jihad.
Fazlun Khalid,
founder of
Islamic
Foundation for
Ecology and
Environmental
Sciences and
author of Signs
on the Earth:
Islam, Modernity
and the Climate
Crisis, has been
on a green
mission for over
35 years, but
his biggest
challenge has
been to motivate
Muslims. “Islam
is inherently
environmental,
but modernity
has induced all
of us to
distance
ourselves from
nature. The
reason I don’t
give up is my
grandchildren –
what kind of
planet will they
inherit? How can
they perform
hajj under those
conditions?”
Khalid
previously
gathered a team
of scholars and
academics who
drafted the
Islamic
declaration on
climate change
adopted at the
International
Islamic climate
change symposium
in Istanbul in
2015 (an event
co-sponsored by
Islamic Relief,
a global charity
that is again
calling on
Muslims to take
action now if
they want to
safeguard the
pilgrimage for
future
generations).
Maria Zafar of
Islamic Relief
UK said: “Hajj
has physically
demanding
outdoor rituals
which can become
hazardous to
humans. It isn’t
only Mecca,
other sacred
sites will be at
risk too, like
the religious
sites in
Jerusalem, the
Golden Temple in
India – it will
affect what we
hold dear to our
hearts. We think
that climate
change is
distant from us,
but there is no
area of life
that it won’t
touch.”
If we are truly
to tackle a
catastrophe as
huge as the
climate crisis,
we have to make
it personal.
Without a
personal stake,
it remains an
abstract and we
unite in
perpetuating it.
So if money is
the only form of
emotional
investment for
some, and if
economics wields
more power than
the will to save
our planet, we
must use it.
Next year Saudi
Arabia is
hosting the G20
summit, so let’s
pressure the
country to
consider the
financial threat
due to a loss of
religious
tourism. Hajj is
lucrative:
economic experts
have said
revenues from
hajj and umrah
(a lesser
pilgrimage
undertaken any
time of year)
are set to
exceed $150bn by
2022.
‘With
approximately 100m plastic
bottles left behind each year
after the pilgrimage ends, it’s
clear action is desperately
needed.’ Pilgrims walk from
their tents in Mecca.
“For the Saudis,
hajj is more
precious than
oil,” says Dr
Husna Ahmad, CEO
of Global One,
who’s been
campaigning for
a greener hajj
for years. Ahmad
created a green
guide to hajj in
2011, and is now
working on a
green hajj app,
which she plans
to launch next
year if funding
is secured.
With
approximately
100m plastic
bottles left
behind each year
after the
pilgrimage ends,
it’s clear that
action is
desperately
needed. Slowly,
Saudi
authorities are
beginning to
implement a more
environmentally
friendly hajj by
installing
recycling points
around the holy
sites, and they
aim to cut waste
volumes by
two-thirds by
2030. Pushing
for change has
been a struggle
in the kingdom,
but apathy is a
wider problem.
It’s bound up in
socio-economic
deprivation, and
too often
“saving the
planet” is seen
as something for
the rich, a kind
of green
elitism.
“Right now in
the UK it feels
like
middle-class
white women –
and Sadiq Khan –
are the only
ones taking up
the baton,” says
Ahmad. “We know
that climate
change started
with the
European
industrial
revolution and
poverty is
inextricably
linked to that.
“People are
trying to
survive, you
can’t blame them
if climate
change is not
their priority.
This is why
achieving the UN
sustainable
development
goals are high
on my agenda.”
The climate
crisis does not
exist in and
cannot be
tackled in
isolation. While
the big dogs
must green-up
their
institutions and
businesses,
grassroots
activists need
better relations
with governing
bodies, more
Muslims need to
get involved
with the broader
debate and we
all need to
rethink our
lifestyles – cut
down on meat
consumption, use
less packaging
and step back
from throwaway
consumerism.
We all have a
part to play –
institutionally,
socially,
morally,
economically and
religiously.
Whether it’s
through the lens
of our
conscience,
faith or
finance, it’s
imperative to
find our own
catalyst for
action. If the
threat to hajj
can motivate
Muslims, then
that’s all for
the good.
Sudanese artist Kamala Ishaq selected
for Dutch award
SUDAN: Born in Sudan, Kamala Ibrahim
Ishaq is one of Africa's finest artists.
A pioneer and feminist icon, she is well
known as one of the founders of the
Khartoum School.
Now in her 80s, she has
just been announced as the recipient of
the Netherlands's Principal Prince Claus
Award for 2019.
Somebody
once asked Warren Buffett about his
secret to success. Buffett pointed to a
stack of books and said,
Read 500
pages like this every day. That’s
how knowledge works. It builds up,
like compound interest. All of you
can do it, but I guarantee not many
of you will…
When I first
found this quote of Buffett’s two years
ago, something was wrong.
It was Dec. 2014. I’d found my dream
job. Some days, I would be there,
sitting at my dream job, and I would
think, “My god what if I’m still here in
40 years? I don’t want to die like
this…”
Something wasn’t right. I’d followed the
prescription. Good grades.
Leadership. Recommendations. College.
Dream Job. I was a winner. I’d
finished the race. Here I was in the
land of dreams. But something was
terribly, terribly wrong.
Every day, from my dream job desk, I
looked out into their eyes. Empty, empty
eyes.
There were no answers.
In January of 2015, I found Buffett’s
quote. I decided to read. I was going to
read and read and read and never stop
until I got some damn answers.
I didn’t quite make 500 pages a day,
but, in these last two years, I’ve read
over 400 books cover to cover. That
decision to start reading was one of the
most important decisions in my life.
Books gave me the courage to travel.
Books gave me the conviction to quit my
job. Books gave me role models and
heroes and meaning in a world where I
had none.
I want to say reading 200 books a year
is an amazing thing. But the truth is,
it’s not. Anybody can do it.
All it takes is some simple math and the
right tools.
1. Do not
quit before you start
When average
Joe hears the advice “Read 500 pages
like this every day,” his snap reaction
is to say, “No way! That’s impossible!”
Joe will then go on to make up reasons
to justify his belief without doing any
deep thinking at all. These might
include “I’m too busy,” “I’m not smart
enough,” or “Books just aren’t for me.”
But what if we go a little deeper? For
example, what does it actually
take to read 200 books a year? Two years
ago, I stopped to do the simple math.
Here’s what I found: Reading 200
books a year isn’t hard at all.
It’s just like Buffett says. Anyone can
do it, but most people won’t.
2. Do the
simple math
How much
time does it take to read 200 books a
year?
First, let’s
look at two quick statistics:
The
average American reads 200–400 words
per minute (Since you’re on Medium,
I’m going to assume you read 400 wpm
like me)
Typical
non-fiction books have ~50,000 words
Now, all we
need are some quick calculations…
200
books * 50,000 words/book = 10
million words
10
million words/400 wpm = 25,000
minutes
25,000
minutes/60 = 417 hours
That’s all
there is to it. To read 200 books,
simply spend 417 hours a year reading.
I know, I
know. If your brain is like mine, it
probably saw “417 hours” and immediately
tried to shut off. Most people only work
40 hours a week! How can we possibly
read for 417 hours?
Don’t let your monkey brain turn you
away yet. Let’s do a quick reframe for
what 417 hours really means…
3. Find the
time
Wowsers, 417 hours. That sure feels like
a lot. But what does 417 hours really
mean? Let’s try to get some more
perspective.
Here’s how much time a single American
spends on social media and TV in a year:
608
hours on social media
1642
hours on TV
Wow. That’s
2250 hours a year spent on TRASH. If
those hours were spent reading instead,
you could be reading over 1,000 books
a year!
Here’s the simple truth behind reading a
lot of books: It’s not that hard. We
have all the time we need. The scary
part—the part we all ignore—is that we
are too addicted, too weak, and too
distracted to do what we all know is
important…
All it takes to start reading a lot more
is to take “empty time” spent
Twitter-stalking celebrities or watching
Desperate Housewives and convert some of
it to reading time.
The theory is simple. It’s the
execution that’s hard.
4. Execute
We all know
reading is important. We all know we
should do more of it. But we don’t. The
main reason this happens is a failure to
execute.
I’m not so perfect at it yet, but here
are some tactics that have helped me get
results.
I. Use environmental design
If you were quitting cocaine, would you
keep it lying around the house? Of
course not. Media is designed to be
addictive. Moving away from media
addiction can be as difficult as
quitting drugs.
The biggest bang-for-buck changes here
are environmental.
If you want to read, make sure (1) you
remove all distractions from your
environment and (2) you make books as
easy to access as possible.
As an example, here’s my immediate
environment:
I travel a lot. That doesn’t stop me
from reading. The picture on the left is
of my “bookshelf” in Thailand. I try to
keep books everywhere so I can just pick
one up and start reading.
The picture on the right is my
smartphone desktop. Notice there are
only two apps. One of them—the Kindle
app—is for reading. The other is for
habits… Which brings me to my next
point.
II. Upload habits
Willpower is not a good tool for
lifestyle change. It always fails you
when you need it most. Instead of
relying on strength of mind, build a
fortress of habits—these are what will
keep you resilient in tough times.
If you’re not familiar with habit
science, my favorite book on the subject
is Tynan’s Superhuman by Habit. It’s
infinitely practical, and practical is
all I care about.
Getting good at habit formation took me
years. Many of the mistakes I made were
avoidable. If I could go back, I’d find
a habit coach. Here’s how I see it. One
game-changing idea from a good book is
worth thousands of dollars. If a coach
helps you read ONE more good book a
year, you already get your money’s
worth.
(A shout out to Cherry Jeffs and Nathan
Sudds, two coaches who have helped me
out a lot.)
III. Go multi-medium
When it comes to reading, be a jack of
all trades, not a specialist.
If your goal is to read more, you can’t
be picky about where you read or what
mediums you use. I read paper books. I
read on my phone. I listen to audiobooks.
And I do these things everywhere—on park
benches, in buses, in the toilet…
Wherever I can.
Make your reading opportunistic. If you
have a chance, take it. If you don’t
have a chance, find one.
I read a
book one day and my whole life was
changed.
— Orhan Pamuk
If I hadn’t
started reading, perhaps I’d still be at
my dream job. Perhaps I’d still be at my
desk, taking peeks at the clock and
wondering if that was how I was going to
die…
If you’re looking for answers, give
reading a try. You may find much, much
more than what you were looking for.
KB says:
Something slightly different to serve with a cup
of tea....
Tennis Biscuit Cake
INGREDIENTS & METHOD
Beat the following well
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
Add
1¼ cup flour (sifted)
3 tsp baking powder
½ cup boiling water
½ cup oil
Place cake batter aside.
Topping
100g butter
½ cup pecan nuts (chopped)
½ cup brown sugar
¾ packet tennis biscuit (broken into small pieces) Mix all
ingredients together, lay in an even layer at the bottom of
a well-greased pan.
Pour batter over and bake at 180 for 20-25 mins
When cool, remove from pan and dust the topping with sifted
icing sugar.
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.)
This is part 2 of “Volunteers
Cooking at Gold Coast Masjid in Australia”
Q:
Dear Kareema,
I’ve just recently
started running and find that I really enjoy it.
How can I burn extra kilojoules during my
treadmill-run?
A:
The simplest way to
boost the effectiveness is to incorporate
strategies that constantly shift you in and out
of your comfort zone, with your heart rate
increasing then decreasing throughout your run.
Alternating your
incline or speed is one way to do this – eg. try
1 minute sprint then jog for 30secs and repeat.
Or turn up the
incline and get your heart pumping, then
slow it down with a 30sec jog/walk on the flat
to recover.
Alternatively mix up your treadmill sprint with
some body-weight exercises completed off the
treadmill. Include squats, burpees, push-ups,
etc.
Also remember that outdoor running is more
challenging and typically burns more kilojoules
than slogging away on the tready.
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:
Cultivating Joy
In Your Marriage
ALMIGHTY ALLAH
enjoins a man and a
woman in marriage, a
union so beautiful
in every way.
Admittedly, it is
not always a bed of
roses. Cultivating
joy in your marriage
is a daily
challenge.It takes
unconditional love,
dedication,
commitment, kindness
and tremendous
amount of respect
and understanding to
maintain a joyful
marriage.
We may feel that
love is the only
ingredient in
marriage. Truth is,
it all starts with
respect. Respecting
anyone means to have
a regard for their
feelings, rights and
wishes. When you
respect, you are one
step closer to
understanding. And
when you understand
someone, there is no
room for assumptions
or accusations.
Take a moment and
ask yourself, when
was the last time
you displayed regard
for your spouse’s
feelings, rights and
wishes? How did you
display it?
Having an attitude
of respect and
understanding is not
the same as
practising them. It
is vital that your
spouse actually sees
you practising
respectful words and
respectful actions
towards him/her.
Strategies to
Cultivate Joy in
Your Marriage
1. Look your spouse
in the eye when you
communicate. There
is no barrier when
you are together.
ALLAH has enjoined
you in marriage and
permitted you to
communicate openly.
Looking in the eye
when communicating
reaffirms your
commitment and
caring nature.
2. Listen to the
reply when she/he
speaks. REALLY
LISTEN. Do not
formulate a reply
while she/he is
speaking. Do not
interrupt. Become
fully engaged. Curb
your urge to correct
or argue. You will
have your time
afterwards to
respond
appropriately.
First, LISTEN.
3. Give undivided
attention to each
other. Multi-tasking
is a wonderful skill
but NOT when you are
communicating with
your spouse. No
matter how important
certain chores or
tasks may seem,
remember ALWAYS that
your marriage is
more important than
any task you are
concerned about.
4. Ask each other
this question: “What
matters to you most
in life?” Understand
the response given
and honour those
wishes. Knowing what
matters most to your
spouse helps you
understand what you
can do to fulfil
his/her wishes.
5. Speak well about
the people who
matter to your
spouse. You may not
get along with all
the people who
matter to your
spouse and that is
fine. There is no
obligation to get
along. However there
is an obligation to
show respect. If you
speak ill about
people who matter to
him/her, it is
hurtful. Causing
your spouse hurt
will eventually turn
the relationship
sour.
6. Respect each
other’s fears and
sentiments. Fear is
very real to the
person experiencing
it. You do not have
to encourage it but
you need to show
sensitivity that it
is real to the
person experiencing
it. For example, “I
know it makes you
fearful when you
think about our new
baby. It is
overwhelming for
both of us. I am
with you all the
way. I am so pleased
that you are trying
your very best. That
is all that matters.
Allah rewards
efforts not results.
Keep doing your
best.”
7. Do not bring up
past arguments/
negative events when
addressing a new
issue. Be clear from
the beginning of any
discussion that the
topic of discussion
is to remain a
specific one and you
both need to respect
that rule. For
example, if you need
to discuss the
budget for your next
family vacation, it
is NOT advisable to
talk about how the
last vacation was
horrible because one
of you forgot to
book a hotel and
ended up staying
with in-laws!
8. Thank your spouse
regularly for being
your soulmate.
Expressing gratitude
increases positivity
in your
relationship.
9. Emphasize each
other’s good points.
Dwelling on mistakes
or negative traits
will only put stress
on your
relationship.
Instead, acknowledge
that you are human
hence you have your
own shortcomings.
Similarly, your
spouse may slip
every now and then
too. Say sorry,
forgive and move on.
10. When leaving for
work, exchange
Salaams and a loving
hug. There is no
shame in hugging
your spouse. ALLAH
has enjoined you in
marriage and allowed
you to display
affection towards
each other.
11. Spend COUPLE
TIME at least once a
week where you are
by yourselves for a
couple of hours to
share an activity
you both love. This
increases your
compatibility.
12. Follow ALLAH’s
commandment that the
husband is the
guardian of the
family. The wife is
created equal and
has different
responsibilities.
Following this
commandment
increases harmony in
the home. Disharmony
creeps in when these
roles are reversed.
13. Be content with
life and however
much your spouse is
doing for you.
Express gratitude to
ALLAH. If you want
more from life, ask
ALLAH instead of
nagging or
complaining to your
spouse.
14. Admire one
another. Pay a
compliment. Your
spouse feels nice
every time you
compliment him/her.
15. Protect each
other’s honour.
Guard it fiercely.
Do not speak ill of
your spouse to
another person, even
if that person is a
close family member.
Remind yourself that
ALLAH is watching
you if you backbite
about your spouse.
If the matter is
serious and your
spouse’s behaviour
concerns you, seek
appropriate guidance
and professional
help. Speaking ill
about your spouse
shows your poor
character - it
doesn’t fix your
marriage.
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.
O mankind! Reverence your
Guardian-Lord, Who created
you from a single Person,
created, of like nature, his
mate, and from them twain
scattered [like seeds]
countless men and women; -
reverence Allah, through
Whom you demand your mutual
[rights], and reverence the
wombs [that bore you]; for
Allah ever watches over you.
Insight into
building the
foundations to
translate the Quran
cover to cover!
Want to learn the
foundations to
translate the Quran?
Want access to
scholars who have
spent 11 years
teaching students of
all ages and
backgrounds how to
translate the Quran?
Pass the knowledge
onto your family and
your loved ones!
Academy Alive allows
all Australians to
connect and learn to
translate the Quran
cover to cover.
Academy Alive, an
Islamic education
institution focused
on delivering
relevant and up to
date Islamic
content. The course
is designed for the
learner to be able
to translate the
Quran and to
appreciate the
linguistic beauty of
the Arabic grammar
which has been
delicately woven
into the words of
Allah.
Allow Academy Alive
to show you how
simple it is, with
the determination
and dedication how
you can learn to
translate the Quran.
Hear from our
students, and here
their personal
success stories, the
issues they faced,
and how the
community of
students have helped
them over come their
personal struggles.
Refreshments will be
served on the day.
JazakAllah.
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 Hélène
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
This is a DFAT full scholarship program
bringing 18 young Indonesians to Australia to do work
placement and live with local families. Participants
will spend 3 weeks in Canberra and 3 weeks in Brisbane.
We are super excited to have them in Brisbane this year
during November 4 and 27th.
We are looking for host organisations for them to do
their work placement as well as local families willing
to host them. There is no cost for the organisations as
students come fully insured and their transport to work
covered. Families will receive a $600 groceries/fuel
voucher for the 3 weeks program.
This
historic 111 years
old mosque was
unfortunately
targeted today with
threatening
graffiti, symbols of
hatred and reference
to the Christchurch
terrorist. Sadly, in
recent times these
hate crimes have
become common and
many of our patrons
have been victims of
abuse, threats and
even bottles thrown
at them.
We are an open and
welcoming mosque. We
want peace and wish
to keep the
community safe.
After the repeated
attacks we are
looking to upgrade
the security of the
mosque to include
more cameras,
security locks and
gates.
The Australian
community has always
shown great support,
for which we are
very thankful for
and proud to call
Australia our home.
We welcome people
from all communities
to join us and stop
hatred and spread
the message of peace
and love!
Please help us
collect these much
needed funds and
show the offenders
that peace and love
will always win!
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.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Sudanese artist Kamala Ishaq selected
for Dutch award 
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011