It was a heart-warming
experience to drop in to the
Australian International
Islamic College on Thursday
morning to share time with
the children who were eating
breakfast thanks to
donations received by the
Muslim Charitable Foundation
and delivered by Brothers in
Need.
Most of the children being
fed were from migrant and
refugee backgrounds and were
in early primary classes.
Breakfast is the most
important meal of the day
and going without has
detrimental effect on the
behaviour and performance of
young people.
Each child sat and ate his
or her food, ensuring there
was no wastage and each
child was polite and well
mannered.
The Muslim Charitable
Foundation is constantly
working to help the local
community when needs arise.
Breakfast is also provided
for needy students at the
Islamic College of Brisbane.
The protest started at 11am
at King George Square
yesterday (Saturday) to show
solidarity with Kashmiris
and to highlight the latest
issue of revoking article
370 and 35A.
According to one of the
organizers of the protest,
after the Indian government
revoked these articles from
their constitution,
Kashmiris had since "lost
their identity". He told CCN:
"Now anyone from India
can buy land in Kashmir,
run his/her own business
and by that, its now
much easier for India to
change the demography of
Kashmir. As per UN
resolutions, only people
of Kashmir have the
right to participate in
free and fair plebiscite
but with this
illegitimate move to
conduct ethnic cleansing
in Kashmir by changing
its demography in coming
years, such plebiscite
results will be altered.
Kashmiris after 5 August
don't have their own
flag anymore. Now it's
the Indian flag on all
government buildings and
having a Kashmiri flag
is now illegal.
India knew that there
would be strong reaction
from Kashmiris due to
this illegal and
unilateral action and
therefore, before
announcing this
decision, India sent
170,000 more troops to
Kashmir to back up
700,000 troops already
present in the valley.
There has been complete
curfew, serious
shortages of food,
medicines and basic
necessities of life,
there has been excessive
use of force, pellet
guns have been used on
children and young
people, mass rapes have
been happening,
approximately 6000-8000
people have been
detained from Kashmir
and they are not kept in
Kashmiri jails but in
Indian jails where they
are severely tortured on
daily basis. Such human
rights violations were
expressed in protest.
It was discussed that
India doesn't respect
any international law
and UN security
council's resolutions.
And therefore,
Australian government
should play its part in
calling on India to
respect these
resolutions, lift
current curfew, provide
relief to the affected
people, release
political leaders, and
give free access to
media to capture human
rights violations in
Kashmir."
A petition was signed by
attendees to be sent to the
government.
Regarding the next step in
the campaign, the
spokesperson told CCN:
"Future plans after this
protest is to have
another one with a march
in that as well. But
that future protest will
be with the complete
support of Islamic
Council of Queensland
where all Imams and
speakers will be
requested to participate
with some Australian
politicians as well.
This is just the start
and will be an on-going
effort InshaAllah until
Kashmir gets freedom."
AMA Art Prize recipient Abdul
Abdullah with La Trobe
University Vice Chancellor
Professor John Dewar and IMA
Chair, Moustafa Fahour OAM.
An Archibald Prize (2011)
finalist, Abdul Abdullah was
announced as the recipient
of the inaugural $15,000
Australian Muslim Artists
Art Prize 2019 at the
official opening of
‘Australian Muslim Artists’
exhibition in Melbourne on
Thursday 12 September.
Australian Muslim Artists Art
Prize recipient Abdul Abdullah’s
work entitled, You can call me
troublesome.
Australian Muslim Artists is
an annual exhibition hosted
by the Islamic Museum of
Australia, and 2019 marks
the first occasion the
Australian Muslim Artists
Art Prize supported by La
Trobe University has been
offered.
Perth born Abdullah, now
residing in Sydney,
submitted his work, You can
call me troublesome. Upon
hearing the news, Mr
Abdullah said it is an
honour to be selected for
the award.
“It’s really hard to
describe how much I
appreciate this recognition.
I am looking forward to
visiting the work in the
exhibition and really look
forward to seeing all the
other finalists,” he said.
The thirteen shortlisted
works will be on display as
part of the exhibition
alongside the five
shortlisted works in the
Future Australian Muslim
Artists category, which was
open to students in Years
10-12.
Fifteen-year old Hashim
Mohamed, a student from
Australian International
Academy is the recipient of
the $250 non-acquisitive art
prize in the Future
Australian Muslim Artists
category.
Future Australian Muslim
Artist Art Prize winning
artwork, Solitude by Hashim
Mohamed, 15.
The year four students at
the Australian International
Islamic College raised $367
for the drought relief water
drive and presented the
cheque made out to the
Muslim Charitable Foundation
on Thursday morning during
the primary school assembly
and collected by Janeth
Deen.
Janeth made an acceptance
speech telling them how
important their donation was
to the drought stricken
areas when it goes into the
drought fund, especially
when the food growing areas
are so dry. It is because of
donors that charities can
carry out their work. She
thanked the students for
their sacrifices to raise
the amount of money handed
over
The sign was changed from
"non halal" to "not halal" after
a complaint.
An Adelaide butcher at the
centre of a complaint over
window signage which said
the business was "non halal
certified" has now made a
concession to the
advertising watchdog.
Valley Butchers in
Adelaide's north-east was
the subject of complaints to
Ad Standards which claimed
the sign "pokes fun" at
Muslim people and
"perpetuates a culture of
vilification towards
religious minorities, that
results in harm towards
them".
The Canberra-based watchdog
upheld the complaint,
finding the sign — which
also has images of native
Australian animals —
breached its code.
When contacted by the ABC, a
spokesman confirmed the sign
had since been changed by
one letter, and now read
"not halal certified".
Ad Standards said this meant
the case was now considered
closed.
"It would appear from media
reports that the advertiser
has modified the
advertisement in line with
the determination of the
community panel," a
spokesperson told the ABC.
"The case report will be
changed to state that the
advertisement has been
modified.
"If Ad Standards receive
complaints about the
modified content of this
advertisement we would
create a new case to be
assessed by the community
panel."
Watchdog approves wording
change
Ad Standards chief executive
Fiona Jolly earlier told ABC
Radio Adelaide that changing
the phrase's wording from
"non" to "not" made a key
difference to the meaning.
"Saying that something is
non halal certified is
making fun of halal
certification because
there's no such thing," she
said.
"Saying that something is
not halal certified is a
statement of fact.
"This is a self-regulation
system and it does really
rely on the goodwill of
advertisers to follow our
rulings."
Puffin
UK has snapped up the first
fiction book from writer and
social advocate Yassmin
Abdel-Magied (pictured
left).
Ruth Knowles, publisher at
Penguin Random House
Children’s, acquired UK and
Commonwealth rights,
excluding ANZ, from Nerrilee
Weir, senior rights manager
at Penguin Random House
Australia. You Must Be Layla
will publish in February
2020.
Described as "warm and
funny", the pre-teen book
follows schoolgirl Layla.
"With her long skirt and
headscarf Layla certainly
stands out at her new
school. Everyone thinks they
know her, just from a
glance. But do they? Layla's
determined to show everyone
that she does deserve her
scholarship and sets her
sights on winning the big
robotics invention
competition," reads the
synopsis. "Layla will need
to come to terms with who
she is and who she wants to
be if she has any chance of
succeeding."
Knowles said: “Yassmin is an
inspiring and exciting
talent and force for change,
and we are delighted to
welcome her and her debut
novel for young people to
Puffin UK. Layla isn’t
someone we yet see often
enough in books for our
young people and so we are
proud and pleased to give
this sparky, incredibly
loveable character and her
story the chance to charm
and entertain fans of
Jacqueline Wilson and
readers of books like Ella
on the Outside.”
Abdel-Magied is a
28-year-old Sudanese-born
Australian mechanical
engineer, writer and social
advocate who lives in
London. Her TED talk, What
Does My Headscarf Mean to
You?, has been viewed over
two million times and was
chosen as one of TED’s top
ten ideas of 2015. Her
writing has appeared in many
publications including Teen
Vogue, the Evening Standard
and the Guardian. She also
contributed an essay to
Mariam Khan's It’s Not about
the Burqa (Picador). You
Must Be Layla was published
earlier this year by Penguin
in Australia.
She added: “You Must Be
Layla came from a place of
wanting to create and share
a character that I hadn’t
seen in books growing up: a
young, Sudanese-Australian
kid who was just trying to
live her best life. Layla’s
story talks to the relatable
dramas of family, friendship
and school, but also notes
the racism and islamophobia
that many young people must
take into their stride as
part of the diaspora
experience. I’m so excited
to bring You Must Be Layla
to the UK with Puffin: to be
able to share a book that is
so close to my heart through
a publisher with such
history, reach and passion
for story is a dream come
true!”
You are encouraged to take
the time to complete this
survey and encourage your
family and friends around
Australia to participate.
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.
This research is essential
to combat misinformation and
ensure better understanding
about Islam and Muslims in
Australia!
Fraser Anning
is believed to currently be in
the US ahead of bankruptcy
proceedings.
Fraser Anning's short
political career was built
on a platform of nationalism
and rhetoric about
Australian values.
But now the former senator
appears unlikely to return
to his homeland to face
court over bankruptcy
proceedings brought by the
Bendigo Bank.
The case is due to be heard
in the Federal Court in
Adelaide on Tuesday, but a
source close to Mr Anning
said he has not returned to
Australia to attend the
hearing.
Mr Anning, who is not
required to attend the
hearing, did not respond to
emailed questions about
whether he intends to fight
the bank's efforts to put
him into bankruptcy.
If Mr Anning does not appear
in court Bendigo Bank will
be able to proceed to the
next stage of pushing him
into bankruptcy so it can
recover its debt.
Bendigo Bank's subsidiary,
ABL Nominees, is chasing
$185,000 that is understood
to relate to Mr Anning's
investment in a failed
agribusiness scheme.
But even if the bank
succeeds in pushing Mr
Anning into bankruptcy, it
is unclear what assets it
will be able to sell to
recoup its money.
Property records show Mr
Anning and his wife sold
their waterfront
Maroochydore apartment in
2017.
It is the second time the
bank has brought bankruptcy
proceedings against the
controversial former
senator.
Mr Anning reportedly settled
the first case in October
2017, a month before he
entered Parliament to
replace a disqualified One
Nation senator.e
Opinion by Rita
Markwell, Policy Advisor of Australian
Muslim Advocacy Network (AMAN)
Declare the fire
When you’re faced online
with someone saying that
Islam is an ‘evil barbaric
cult’ or that we are
‘trained by the Qur’an to
lie and deceive for the
purposes of world
domination’, our natural
instinct is to leave the
conversation, right?
The question is: by doing
that, are we contributing to
the virus of Islamophobia
that is spreading online and
creating immense identity
stress for our youth and
converts? Sure, you say, but
how do we engage in a way
that holds people to account
without costing us huge
emotional labour?
There is a way.
We are facing a real online
problem that is translating
into real world behaviour.
See what happened to Holland
Park mosque last week.
More than half of
Australia’s youth (aged
12-17 years old) have
witnessed extreme
anti-Muslim harmful content
online.
An Imam once told me that we
are instructed to be very
careful when engaging with
foolish and ignorant people
whose only goal is to create
enmity. But he added this
should NOT detract from our
responsibility to engage
with those who seek truth,
and to put the truth out
there.
A sister at the community
discussion on combating
Islamophobia last week also
made this point. We need to
have clarity on this concept
of forbearance. Forbearance
is about the wisdom of when
and how to engage with
foolish people, it is NOT
about tolerating abuse. We
have a duty to use the
systems that are available
to us to improve our
situation.
We don’t want to add wood to
the fire, but we also don’t
want to pretend the fire is
not there. An out-of-control
fire is incredibly
dangerous. We need to
declare the fire when we see
it. There may be firebreaks
that can be created,
controlled burning;
firefighters can be called.
In the case of Islamophobia,
what is that action? Head to
the
Islamophobia Register –
you can use your smartphone
to record every incident you
see online and in person.
Help our advocates to create
an undeniably powerful and
confronting story that
politicians can’t ignore.
Their website also lists who
else to report to and how,
so every authority in
Australia cannot say they
weren’t told. It’s
surprisingly easy and can be
done online.
Our sustenance is from
Allah. We trust in Allah.
And we use whatever means we
have, material or otherwise,
to be a channel for good.
Next time you hear someone
dimiss an incident with,
‘but what are you going to
do’, ‘it’s best to just
ignore it’, speak up. This
thinking is wrong. YES - we
must be the beacons of good
character that we strive to
be for the pleasure of Allah
s.w.t. NO - that doesn’t
mean ignoring the fire.
Declare the fire when you
see it. Report, report,
report.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sister Rita Jabri-Markwell
is an advocate,
community supporter
and connecter. She
is allergic to cats,
but has a cute human
family. she can be
reached at
advocacy@aman.net.au
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.....
In service records, there is
a note about Abdullah Bin
Dahomey, originally from
Zanzibar, of “black
complexion” who served in
1915.
Another interesting example
is Abdul Ganivahoff, a
30-year-old Muslim seaman
from Kazan, a city in
Tatarstan (south-west
Russia). He was recorded as
a “Russian subject” and
enlisted in Melbourne for
World War I. His service
number was 1703.
Wade Abdul Hamid, born in
Paddington, Sydney, enlisted
and served in the navy in
World War I. His
service/reference number was
1204. Although he had a
Muslim name, his record of
service stated his religion
as “Church of England.”
Some names of Muslim
servicemen are preserved
through their actions,
bravery, sacrifice,
commitment and awards. Among
these are listed:
•Hassenain Suliman Joli
for bravery under heavy
shell and machine gun
fire while leading
camels bearing wounded
men out of line at El
Bur, morning of 1
December 1917.
•Khalile Mohammed Talel,
final rank driver,
Egyptian Camel Transport
Corps attached to the
3rd Light Horse Field
Ambulance.
•Ali Hamod Mohamedain,
served in the AIF in
World War I as a driver
in the Egyptian Camel
Transport Corps attached
to the 3rd Light Horse
FieldAmbulance.
•Suliman Abu Zaid,
driver, and Abdul al
Belnhit Khomis, native,
were leading camels and
organising cameleers
under heavy high
explosive shellfire at
Beit Sira on 30 November
1917, displaying
coolness and bravery.
One camel at the time
was conveying two
British wounded patients
from the front line and
Khomis, at the risk of
his own life, led them
to a place ofsafety.47
•Mohammed Ali,
previously the servant
of Lieutenant General
Henry Gordon Bennett,
employed in the 1st
Australian Light Horse
Brigade at Heliopolis,
near Cairo.
Further honours and awards
were recommended to
Sarbaland Khan, Jemadar
(junior officer) in the 19th
Lancers; Igbal Khan, a
driver in the 28th Mule
Corps; and Naik Piri Khan, a
Naik Corps Troops.
Gift of the Givers founder
Dr Imtiaz Sooliman receives
Chancellor’s Medal at
University of Pretoria.
Putin Quotes The Holy
Quran During His Speech
Russian President Vladimir
Putin quoted a verse of Holy
Quran during his speech at
Ankara, Turkey along with
Turkish President Tayyip
Erdogan and Iranian
President Hassan Rouhani.
Putin while calling for
peace in the war turned
region of Yemen quoted a
verse from the Surah-Al-Imran
of the Holy Book.
“And remember the favour of
Allah upon you – when you
were enemies and He brought
your hearts together and you
became, by His favour,
brothers,” Putin quoted the
Holy Quran.
His remarks for peace were
acknowledged by the Turkish
and Iranian President.
Saudi-led invasion in Yemen
has resulted in thousands of
casualties. The leaders
urged for an end to the war
in Yemen and called for
peace. Putin also gave
another reference from the
Quran regarding the
legitimacy of violence in
self defense.
“Nurses are
supposed to fix things. We
are healers."
CNN Hero Najah Bazzy is
providing food, clothes,
furniture, education and job
placement for those in need
in America’s poorest big
city. She's healing an
entire community at the same
time.
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.
Every part of
Allah’s creation
is worthy of
admiration.
There are so
many facets
which are
thought-provoking
if we will just
take the time to
look around us.
The Sea, the
Earth and the
skies and
everything which
Allah has made
is an incredible
work of art and
ingenuity far
beyond that
which we are
ever capable of
appreciating.
Modern science
and technology
often only
replicate the
Greatest Science
which is
incorporated in
Allah’s
Creation. We
could well look
into many
things, such as
how the study of
bats and whales
reveals the
characteristics
of radar and
sonar location;
how bees are
absolutely
miraculous in
their coded
communication
skills, to
mention but a
few. Then, as
Allah has
instructed us,
there are the
birds and their
flight modes.
In his
retirement my
Father took up
Gliding, flying
non-powered
aircraft, a
Blanik actually.
He went very
deeply, into
this, becoming
an Instructor
and travelling
around Australia
and overseas. He
was particularly
observant of how
the birds used
air currents in
flight. Some of
these updraft
currents,
thermals, may
lift a bird, or
aircraft, up for
thousands of
metres. This is
dependent upon
barometric
pressure
systems. There
are several
factors involved
here and pilots
become very
familiar with
causes and what
to look for, but
what of the
birds? Science
tells us that
the birds have
what is called
the Vitali organ
which is a small
sensory organ
located in the
inner ear,
alerting the
bird, quite
naturally, to
any barometric
pressure
changes, thus
allowing them to
source and soar
the updrafts.
Note well how
Allah, in the
Qur’an, mentions
the spreading of
the wings
(gliding or
soaring) and the
folding them in
(flapping). This
is very
interesting
because birds
travel great
distances and
many migrate
from continent
to continent
with the
seasons. How do
they manage
those thousands
of miles of land
and seas? Allah
Most High has
equipped them
with the ability
to use the air
currents by
which they may
glide. Have you
ever seen a
flight of birds
moving in a
circle? They are
making use of
the thermal
updraft which
carries them
forward, but to
stay in this
thermal they
have to retain a
spiral soaring
pattern. The
flapping or
folding of the
wings takes
place at other
times and may be
likened to power
flight. Just
think - all
birds, large and
small, have
these abilities.
Subhan Allah!
Two Muslim men say American Airlines
cancelled their flight to DFW because crew
'didn't feel comfortable' flying with them
'Airports
are a scary place for Muslims,'
says D-FW imam.
Muslim
community leader Abderraoof
Alkhawaldeh (right) spoke during
a press conference at the
Council on American-Islamic
Relations office in Dallas on
Thursday. Alkhawaldeh and
another Muslim community leader,
Issam Abdallah (second from
left), said they were profiled
and discriminated against during
a recent American Airlines
flight in Alabama.
US: Two Dallas-area Muslim
men say their American Airlines flight
was canceled because the crew "didn't
feel comfortable" after they waved to
one another boarding a flight from
Birmingham, Ala., to DFW International
Airport.
When they got off, they said they were
trailed by law enforcement officers,
interviewed by an FBI agent and had
their bags searched again by TSA during
their trip Saturday.
Abderraoof Alkhawaldeh, a Muslim
motivational speaker from Irving, and
Dallas nonprofit leader Issam Abdallah
said it was a blatant act of racial
profiling and they have filed a
complaint with the U.S. Department of
Transportation against Fort Worth-based
American. They said they want to talk
with the airline's leaders about their
treatment and what they say is an
increasing number of cases of
discrimination against Arabs and
Muslims.
"It was the most humiliating day of my
life," Abdallah said, speaking Thursday
at the Dallas-Fort Worth chapter of the
Council on American-Islamic Relations.
American spokeswoman LaKesha Brown said
the flight was cancelled as a result of
"concerns raised by a crew member and a
passenger."
"American and all of its regional
partners have an obligation to take
safety and security concerns raised by
crew members and passengers seriously,"
she said in a statement. "All customers
on Flight 5886 were rebooked on the next
flight to DFW. We're committed to
providing a positive experience to
everyone who travels with us. Our team
is working with Mesa to review this
incident."
Brown said the airline has reached out
to Alkhawaldeh and Abdallah to "better
understand their experience."
The Young Muslim’s Guide to Modern
Science is aimed at high schoolers,
university students and teachers, and
anyone wanting to understand what modern
science says.
This book
presents a wide range of topics, from
the Big Bang to genetic engineering, in
simple, clear, and scientifically
accurate language, but also showing the
Muslim or religious reader how this all
fits with his/her beliefs and cultural
background.
Dr Nidhal
Guesssoum shows how it is possible to
uphold both one’s religious teachings
and the scientific education that we
acquire in schools, in total harmony and
without sacrificing one or the other.
REVIEW
by Gary
Dargan
Modern
science poses challenges to most
religions, including Islam and students
getting their first exposure to science
at high school or university level often
find it difficult to reconcile the logic
and reason of science with the tenets of
their faith.
The Young Muslims guide to Modern
Science by Nidhal Guessoum, who is an
astrophysicist at the American
University of Sharjah, addresses this
problem.
The introductory chapter opens, under
the heading Science and Islam Mixed Up
with an account of a Saudi sheikh
lecturing to university students stating
that the earth does not move and
presenting religious and “scientific
proofs” for his claim which included the
claim that the moon landings were a
Hollywood fake.
After a discussion of the poor state of
scientific literacy in the world,
(strange ideas are not just confined to
Muslims), Nidhal goes on to outline the
importance of scientific literacy and
objectives to achieve it.
He points out that the major problems
such as climate change renewable energy,
healthcare and population dynamics all
need scientific understanding and input.
He closes with a brief discussion of the
interaction of Muslim culture and
science, setting the stage for
subsequent chapters.
A brief discussion of the history of
science in chapter two covers the early
Greek foundations and contributions by
Egyptian, Indian and Chinese science and
of course the golden age of Muslim
science and the development of the
scientific method.
A discussion of the development of
modern science from the mid-16th century
beginning with Newton and Copernicus
then follows and covers key developments
in most scientific fields up to the
current era, concluding with the words;
“The grand adventure continues…”
The third chapter discusses modern
science, its characteristics and
foundational principles. After an
explanation of scientific terms such as
law , hypothesis, theory and model the
discussion turns to the criticisms of
science most notably its practice of
reducing a subject to smaller more
easily studied parts then using this to
build up a bigger picture.
While this criticism has some validity
Nidhal reminds us this has resulted in
major scientific advancements. The
significant criticism from some Muslim
scholars is that science only looks for
explanations of nature from within
nature itself and neglects a higher
spiritual connection with God.
However Nidhal points out that simply
deciding God is responsible bypasses the
search for explanation of how things
work or happen.
While some scholars such as Ziauddin
Sardar and Mohammad Hashim Kamali have
minor issues with some aspects of modern
science, Nidhal points out that they
acknowledge that hadiths encourage
openness to knowledge from other
sources.
He also mentions the great Indian
thinker, Mohammed Iqbal who saw the
birth of intellectual thinking in
understanding the Qur’an, thus making
the mastery of the inductive methods of
science a religious obligation.
The next two
chapters are the main course of the
book. Chapter four gives concise
essentials of modern physics, astronomy
and cosmology and biology and reviews
the various forms of evidence supporting
these sciences.
The biology section is the most
interesting, dealing with genetics which
is the real cutting edge of biological
science and the contentious topic of
evolution, including human evolution.
These short pieces provide a taste of
the topics and assume the reader will
encounter more detail in the course of
their study. As with the rest of the
book these sections are accompanied with
simple, informative diagrams to aid
understanding.
KB says:
A simple and easy dish packed with flavour for
the holidays.
Chicken Casserole
INGREDIENTS & METHOD
1 large onion chopped
1 cup cooked chicken
1 tsp salt
1 tsp green chillies
1 ˝ tsp Baking Powder
2 tbs oil
4 tsp butter
Handful of grated cheese
˝ cup mixed vegetables
˝ cup boiled spaghetti
Chopped coriander
Place the above in a large bowl and mix well
In another separate bowl, beat 250ml fresh cream, 3 eggs and
4 tablespoons of flour.
Pour into chicken mixture mix well, pour the mixture into a
casserole, sprinkle with cheese, chopped peppers and bake at
180 deg until nicely browned.
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.)
Baba’s Potato Dhaal (Lentil)
with Caramelised Onion
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:
Practise
Understanding and
Give Up the Need to
Be Right All The
Time
Take an honest
account of your life
these past few
weeks...have you in
any way been
operating on a
default program to
feel the “need to be
right all the time”?
By this I mean, have
you stubbornly
persisted with a
certain mindset
about a situation
without practising
any kind of
understanding?
Understanding does
not mean agreeing.
It means to open
your mind to listen
to another person’s
perception about a
particular
situation. It means
to acknowledge that
the other person has
the exact same right
to an opinion about
an issue as you do.
It means to
respectfully listen
to each other’s
viewpoints.
When you fail to
open your mind, you
fail to understand.
When there is no
understanding, there
is an ongoing need
to be right. And
when there is this
addictive need to be
right, there is the
obsessive attachment
to judge others.
For example
Notice the tone of
this conversation
between a father and
his son who has
recently lost his
job and despite all
efforts, remains
unemployed.
Father:
“Shouldn’t you be
looking for a job?
You are locked up in
your room every
day.”
Son: “Whatever.”
Father: “So,
you’re just going to
give up? When I was
your age I supported
an entire family.”
Son: “What’s your
point?”
Father: “My point
is that you are lazy
because you have
everything given to
you on a platter.”
Son: “Abba, I’m
trying.”
Father: “Yes, but
you’re not trying
hard enough. You are
lazy, spoilt and
think that you are
entitled.”
The Son storms off
to his room and
bangs the door shut.
Father to Mother:
“He is the laziest
boy on earth.
Shame!”
In the above
scenario, the Father
failed to open his
mind and understand
his son. The moment
he said the words,
“Yes, but you’re not
trying hard enough”
was when he was
operating on his
addictive need to be
right.
Practise
Understanding - Give
Up The Need To Be
Right
Now, let us look at
the following
conversation from an
angle that displays
understanding and
empathy.
Negative
Positive
Father:
“Shouldn’t
you be
looking for
a job? You
are locked
up in your
room every
day.”
Father:
“What was
the most
interesting
job you
applied for
recently?
Son:
“Whatever.”
Son:
“Whatever.”
Father:
“So, you’re
just going
to give up?
When I was
your age I
supported an
entire
family.”
Father:
“Yes, I
know. It is
challenging.
Back in my
day, it was
probably
different,
now times
are
different.”
Son:
“What’s your
point?”
Son:
“What’s your
point?”
Father:
“My point is
that you are
lazy because
you have
everything
given to you
on a
platter.”
Father:
"My point is
that perhaps
we could sit
together one
day and talk
about your
dreams. I’d
like to know
what your
passion is,
what gives
you joy. I
was a young
man once
too. I
understand
how
frustrating
it can be
when you
feel the
weight of
the world on
your
shoulders. I
just want
you to know
that I’m on
your side,
son. I
understand."
Son:
“Abba, I’m
trying.”
Son:
“Abba, I’m
trying.”
Father:
“Yes, but
you’re not
trying hard
enough. You
are lazy,
spoilt and
think that
you are
entitled.”
Father:
“Alhumdolillah,
son. May
Allah reward
you for your
efforts. I
know you are
trying. Is
there any
way I can
help you in
your
efforts,
son? I’d
really like
to. Like I
said, I
understand.
I’ve been
there."
The Son
storms off
to his room
and bangs
the door
shut.
Father and
son hug it
out.
When you consciously
practise
understanding you
are in fact
detaching from ego.
It is ego that
demands the
addictive need to be
right all the time.
Remember to catch
yourself out every
time you feel the
need to be right.
Detach from that and
embrace an open mind
with which to
practise
understanding.
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.
And if all the trees on
earth were pens and the
ocean [were ink], with seven
oceans behind it to add to
its [supply], yet the Words
of Allah would not be
exhausted [in the writing]:
for Allah is Exalted in
power, full of Wisdom.
Presented by
Aneesa Kathrada
Ladies only
event
Saturday 12
October, 9:30 –
3pm
IWAA, 11 Watland
St, Springwood
Mental health is
important for
every single one
of us, yet it is
a part of life
that is often
overlooked. Busy
lives get in the
way of us caring
for ourselves.
Queensland
Mental Health
Week (5-13
October '19) is
an opportunity
to shine the
spotlight on
what all of us
can do to look
after our mental
health. This
years theme is
"Take Time for
Mental Health".
This event will
help you develop
practical
methods to
manage your
mental well
being, including
mindfulness and
gratitude, all
from an Islamic
perspective. The
modern age
places much
strain on us
with the many
roles we fulfil,
and the outcomes
of this workshop
will help you to
take charge of
your state of
mind.
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.
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Puffin
UK has snapped up the first
fiction book from writer and
social advocate Yassmin
Abdel-Magied (pictured
left). 
Two Muslim men say American Airlines
cancelled their flight to DFW because crew
'didn't feel comfortable' flying with them 
post comments on
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7
August 2011