Australia's Muslim community
is urging the Morrison
government to redraft its
religious discrimination
laws to include an
anti-vilification provision,
saying incitement of hatred
and violence is a
"fundamental threat to
Australian Muslims".
A coalition of about 150
Muslim groups say Australian
Muslims are vulnerable
because they are "readily
identifiable" by their
names, appearance and dress
and the places they worship.
The groups, which include
the Australian National
Imams Council, the
Australian Federation of
Islamic Councils and the
Lebanese Muslim Association,
say anti-Muslim content has
become "mainstream" online,
which in turn, makes it
"normal" to attack Muslim
Australians.
In a submission to the
government's consultations
on the religious
discrimination laws, they
say the new bill must
include extra measures to
allow them to express their
religious identity and feel
safe.
"Australians Muslims - and
people of minority faiths
more generally - need a form
of recourse to challenge
those who openly vilify
them," they say.
The submission says there
have been worrying
Islamophobic attacks since
the deadly Christchurch
mosque shooting earlier this
year. It points to the
Holland Park Mosque in
Brisbane which was
vandalised last month with
the words "St Tarrant", in
reference to the
Christchurch shooter, as
well as a Nazi swastika.
It also says harmful content
about Muslims has become
"mainstream" online.
"[This is] radicalising
potentially violent
individuals and making it
'normal' to attack other
Australians in public places
because they are readily
identifiable as Muslim."
The groups say Muslim
Australians do not have the
same level of protection as
some other religious groups
- such as Jewish people and
Sikhs - because they get
extra protections under the
Racial Discrimination Act as
ethno-religious communities,
from behaviour designed to
"offend, insult, humiliate
or intimidate".
An upcoming Charles Sturt
University report on
Islamophobia in Australia is
expected to show Australian
Muslims experience attacks
on mosques and Islamic
schools, as well as verbal
assaults, posters and
graffiti and physical
attacks.
According to a 2016 eSafety
Commissioner survey of 2448
12-17-year-olds, 53 per cent
of young people said they
had seen hateful comments
about religious or cultural
groups online. More than 50
per cent of those surveyed
believed Muslim people were
a target.
Attorney-General Christian
Porter said the government
will "respond substantively
after all submissions have
been received and
considered".
A Jewish year
7 student at Cheltenham
Secondary College was filmed
while being forced to kiss the
shoes of a Muslim boy in July.
A 12-year-old Jewish student
was forced to kneel down and
kiss the shoes of a Muslim
classmate, while a
five-year-old boy was
allegedly called a "Jewish
cockroach" and repeatedly
hounded in the school
toilets by his young
classmates.
The two incidents this year
– the first involving a year
7 boy at Cheltenham
Secondary College and the
second a prep student at
Hawthorn West Primary School
– have prompted the
Anti-Defamation Commission
to sound an alarm about what
it says is a "rapidly
spreading" crisis involving
anti-Semitic bullying in
Victorian state schools.
Both boys, whose parents
have asked to remain
anonymous, have since left
the schools where the
incidents occurred, with the
five-year-old boy currently
being home schooled.
The older boy’s act of
kissing another student’s
shoes, under threat of being
swarmed by several other
boys, was filmed,
photographed and shared on
social media.
No disciplinary action has
been taken against the group
of boys involved in the
incident, which took place
in a public park.
The mother said she was
bitterly disappointed by the
response of Cheltenham
Secondary College and the
Education Department.
The school and the
department have denied
having responsibility for
the incident, because it did
not take place on school
grounds, the mother said.
"I took such offence with
the Education Department,
because there was nothing
they did to protect my son
at all, at any point in time
– that’s what’s cut me up,"
she said.
The mother sought out the
parents of the Muslim boy,
who were horrified by their
son’s actions.
"We sat down, his parents,
the two boys and myself,
around the table and
explained the velocity of
[the bullying] and what it
meant to us as parents as
far as building bridges
between Jews and Muslims in
society and not creating
division like that photo
does," she said.
One of the boys who watched
on was later suspended for
five days for assaulting the
Jewish student in the school
locker room.
The Jewish boy was punched
in the face and left with a
bruised back and had skin
gouged out of his shoulder,
his mother said.
The Alumni Association of
the Australian International
Islamic College held its 2nd
annual dinner on Friday to
acknowledge the role of the
school in affording its
members the opportunity to
build a career for
themselves and contribute to
society.
One student eloquently and
passionately spoke of his
first arrival at the school
as a refugee and being
placed in Year 8 knowing no
word of English. With the
help of his teachers, he
succeeded in completing his
Year 12 with distinction.
Alhamdulillah. Our Sheikhs
have finally arrived in
Gympie. We spent time with
the locals, and we have had
the ability to teach our
children the role Gympie has
played in Queensland's
history. Our next stop is
the Bundaberg Mosque for our
children and adult programs.
We cant wait to see the
brothers & sisters of
Bundaberg, Queensland there.
DAY 2: 29 September
Alhamdulillah. Day 2 of the
Queensland Regional Tour, we
got to spend the morning
on-farm Mulu with Uncle
Shahid Khan in Gympie before
making our way to the
Bundaberg Mosque. Stay Tuned
for our Bundaberg diaries.
DAY 3: 30 September
Mash'Allah. How time flies.
Day 3 of the Academy Alive
Queensland tour we visited
Bundaberg Mosque and drove
into croc country
(Gladstone) being greeted by
a large crowd. Follow our
mini adventures as we travel
around regional Queensland.
Stay Tuned for Ep # 3 of
Rockhampton Mosque-ISCQ and
Islamic Society of Mackay -
Mackay Mosque adventures.
Islamic Society of Mackay -
Mackay Mosque We are coming
your way for a Children's &
Adults program!! See you
there.
DAY 4: 1 October
Alhamdulillah. All praise
belongs to Allah, we have
safely made our way through
Rockhampton Mosque-ISCQ &
Islamic Society of Mackay -
Mackay Mosque such beautiful
locations greeted with
beautiful people. We are
deeply humbled to be given a
chance to spend time with
our brothers & sisters. Next
stop Townsville Mosque time
to hit the strand!
DAY 5: 2 October
Alhamdulillah. It was a long day. Day 5 done and dusted. We made our way to Townsville Mosque to be greeted by so many beautiful brother & sisters who showed us so much hospitality which we are extremely humbled by.
We are sad to leave Townsville Mosque. We are extremely excited to make our way to Cairns Islamic Society & Cairns Mosque & Mareeba in Sha Allah. See you there!
DAY 6: 3 October
Alhamdulillah. The second
last stop on our Regional
Queensland Tour with
Mareeba, Queensland being
our final destination.
We loved meeting the locals
here in Cairns Islamic
Society & Cairns Mosque with
a few surprises along the
way. A beautiful meal with
beautiful people. Stay Tuned
for as we wrap up our
regional Queensland Tour!
DAY 7: 4 October
Alhamdulillah. We have
reached our final
destination in Mareeba,
Queensland. Once again
greeted with open arms by
the beautiful locals.
Alhamdulillah. We had the
ability to try some of the
fresh produce our muslim
brothers and locals are
producing for Australia.
JazakAllah to all the
viewers who have supported
us and JazzakAllah Kheir to
brothers & sisters in
regional Queensland who
opened their doors, their
hearts and showed us great
hospitality. We will
definetly return you have
helped us create memories
for our children & In Sha
Allah for our next regional
tour, we will upgrade from a
Torago to a Bus.
This week the Indian
community of Brisbane
celebrated the 150th birth
year of Mahatma Gandhi by
undertaking a symbolic Salt
March visiting a Sikh
Temple, a Christian
Cathedral and the Holland
Park Mosque and the
Queensland Muslim Museum.
Islamic Council of
Queensland (ICQ)
spokesperson, who undertook
the trip along with Mr
Curtis Pitt, MP (Speaker of
the Legislative Assembly),
said:
"Engaging with people of
other faiths does not
dilute your faith or
weakens it. It makes it
stronger. This 388 km
trip I believe makes me
a better person than I
was before this trip.
Religions are a force
for good and those who
misuse them are doing a
great disservice to
their faiths and to
humanity."
Islamic Society of Holland
Park president, Mr Tanveer
Ahmed, welcomed the
travellers and showed them
around the Mosque.
ICQ president, Mr Habib
Jamal, spoke of the Gandhi's
days in South Africa and the
legacy Gandhi had left on
the local Indian community
in the 1920's.
Gandhi aged 23, spent 21
years in the country
developing his political
views, ethics and politics.
The Burmese Rohingya
Association in Queensland
Australia (BRAQA) held its
annual Extraordinary
Achievers' Award Ceremony
and AGM at the Australian
International Islamic
College Hall yesterday
(Saturday).
It was an occasion to
recognize, award and
celebrate the academic
success of Rohingya youth in
Queensland Australia,
through the years of
persistent hard work,
dedication and
determination.
The Association's message to
the community:
In a short time spectrum
on the Australian soil,
after fleeing
unspeakable persecutions
in Myanmar, our Rohingya
youths have achieved far
greater than ever
before. Most of our
achievers came to
Australia with very low
literacy. Ten years on,
the Rohingya men and
women who came to
Australia are now
graduates seeking to
contribute and give back
to Australian society.
We are grateful for the
generosity of Australia
and specially the people
of Queensland who
welcomed us.
This school holidays the
Hurricane Stars Club
organised a variety of fun
activities to keep children
busy. We started with a fun
pool party for teen boys at
Acacia Ridge Pool where they
enjoyed playing water polo,
water ping pong and having
swimming races. Then they
jumped out from the pool and
enjoyed Sam’s Pizza for
lunch followed playing
volleyball. Then they went
back into the water and
continued playing by
throwing a football.
After numerous requests by
parents to do activities for
younger children and those
with special needs. We
organised our first Sensory
Play session for children in
Svoboda Park. Children had
fun doing all the activities
parents are not enthusiastic
to do at home because it
will make a mess. The
children played with play
dough, finger painted,
played with shaving foam,
melted ice eggs to find the
fossil inside, dug for
tinsel worms, found animals
buried in the sand, made
bubbles, twisted balloon
animals and played with
squishy bags. Kids had fun
playing with their hands,
engaging all their senses,
squishing all the different
textures and mixing colours
together.
We then had our regular
school holiday programs that
are part of the Logan City
Council’s Krank School
Holiday program – Be A
Junior Vet and Girls Soccer.
We had 64 children attend
our Be a Junior Vet program,
almost all of them from the
general local Australian
community, helping to break
down barriers and
misconceptions in the local
community. This time the
kids were excited to have a
special visit from Minx the
cat from Monte and Minx’s
Vet in Calamvale.
This school holidays the
Hurricane Stars Club
partnered with the Ultimate
Disc Association of QLD to
introduce a new sport to
kids in the community.
Ultimate Disc (or Frisbee)
is the fun game of throwing
a disc between team members,
similar to soccer, but
instead of kicking a ball
the children threw a disc to
their team members and then
through the goal posts to
score a goal. Twenty-six
children came to have fun
learning to play Ultimate
Disc for the first time at
Gould Adams Park. All of
them can’t wait to play it
again and they left nagging
their parents to buy them a
frisbie if they didn’t
already have one.
Then another twenty children
then had fun learning to
make sushi. They made a
variety of different types
of sushi (inari, maki,
nigiri, to name few) and
also learned how to make
Japanese omelette (tamagoyaki).
After watching the
demonstration by the chef,
the children learned to make
their own sushi. After
everyone had finished they
enjoyed eating their own
sushi with pride and also
tried the sushi made by the
chef. Our final activity for
the school holidays was
rocket science, where the
children enjoyed a lovely
day in the park learning to
make and launch their own
rockets made with soft drink
bottles.
The Hurricane Stars Club
continues its wonderful
programs for the community
next term. We will have our
monthly Sisterhood
Gatherings, we have had
fascinating presentations
last term from our special
guests Eve Boyer and Baayan
Grant. This term we continue
with an exciting
presentation by Saalihah
Seedat called Recharge Your
Life for this week’s Mental
Health Week. Our weekly
Little Stars Playgroup
continues every Wednesday
and this week we have a
special presentation by Dr
Nada Hassan at the playgroup
for mothers for Mental
Health Week. Our popular
ladies only fitness and
pilates classes continue
twice a week to get ladies
out of the house and getting
fit and active. Our female
only soccer classes continue
all year along at Gould
Adams Park. Our Teen Chilli
Out program for girls aged
15 to 25 continues with the
amazing Salam Elmerebi to
support and inspire young
women. We will be having a
fun morning tea for men and
women over 50 years old at
Abboud’s Bakery Underwood
coming up for Get Online
Week. Follow us on Facebook
to stay up to date on
upcoming and ongoing
programs. Look out of our
exciting program coming up
for Cyber Bullying Month.
Newly elected executive
committee of the Australian
Association of Islamic and
Muslim Studies (AAIMS).
President: Associate
Professor Halim Rane
Vice President: Dr Zuleyha
Keskin
Secretary: Dr Raihan Ismail
Treasurer: Dr Leticia
Anderson
General executive: Dr Josh
Roose
General executive: Dr Jan
Ali
AAIMS is an association for
scholars dedicated to
creating and disseminating
knowledge about Islamic and
Muslim societies. AAIMS
promotes teaching and
research excellence on Islam
and Muslim experiences as a
minority or majority.
Yasmin Khan received her
Churchill Fellowship medal
for her work in 2017 on best
practice methods to support
victims of domestic violence
from the Indian
subcontinent, Singapore,
Malaysia, UK, Canada and
USA.
The purpose of this
Fellowship was to explore
how other countries with
large Indian sub-continent
populations engaged with
community, educated them
around domestic abuse,
minimized occurrences of
domestic abuse and maybe
offered innovative solutions
that could be adopted in
Australia. Even though this
community is rather an old
community in Australia,
dating back more than 150
years, it is a small
community, which is rapidly
increasing with student
visas and skilled migrant
visa applications. Ms Khan
wanted to see what other
countries were doing that
she could utilize in this
country "before the
population got too big and
create unnecessary social
issues".
For the last two weeks on a
Friday night, IWAA has been
hosting Crafting
Conversations, a program
aimed at combating social
isolation and improving
conversational English
skills in individuals of a
refugee background.
For over 2 hours, those who
attend have the opportunity
to practise their
conversational English
skills, with fluent
English-speaking volunteers,
while learning a new craft,
in a casual setting.
Different crafts are on
offer such as knitting,
painting, sewing, stamping,
clay modelling, beading,
stick building and so forth.
Although the program is
aimed at refugees, it is
open to other community
members who may also be
vulnerable and socially
isolated.
There are still volunteering
opportunities for those who
have a craft and would like
to teach it to the
participants, while
conversing with them in
English. Please note, no
experience in teaching
English is necessary, this
volunteering opportunity is
open to anyone who is fluent
in the English language and
would like to converse with
the participants. If you or
anyone you know would be
interested in volunteering
their time, please get in
touch with IWAA.
An ICQ inspired
Dreambuilding Workshop was
conducted during the week
with a group of young men
and women who want to make
"meaningful and sustainable
changes to promote social,
economic, mental, physical
and emotional wellness in
the lives of Muslim youth in
Queensland and Australia".
The workshop was facilitated
by Princess Lakshman.
The winners at the first
International Muslim Film
Festival in Australia held
in September included film
Nooreh by Ashish Pandey
(India) in the fiction
category and Dolls Fiction
by Amir Karami (Iran) in the
documentary category.
This year’s festival also
highlighted local talent
including films by Kauthar
Abdulalim (Found), Guner
Hussein (Just by Your
Voice), Fazal Subhani
(Overcoat), Shejuti Hossein
(Creed) and Ayan Yusuf
(Bittersweet). All films
were of a high calibre and
entertained crowds.
Festival Director, Joanne
McKeown was happy with the
first run and is confident
it will just grow from here.
“I am very excited about
making this an annual event,
that will be screened not
only in Perth and Melbourne
but Sydney, Brisbane and
Canberra, inshallah,” she
said.
The film Raheel was just one
of the many films and
documentaries from the 2019
Muslim Film Festival which
recently screened in Perth
and Melbourne.
Raheel is a moving short
film that captures the
plight of so many Afghan
women who are caught between
their marriages and poverty.
Director, Ayat Asadi Rahbar,
portrays one woman’s plight,
so poignantly and
evocatively, in this short
half-hour drama.
We are exposed to several
themes of exploitation,
domestic violence and rare
displays of compassion and
kindness all wrapped up in
this moving story of a
desperate woman on a
mission.
A distraught Raheel, feeling
hopeless and despondent,
stands on the edge of a
bridge about to jump. The
camera closes in on her hand
as it lets go of the
railing.
Since the last two decades
of war and instability in
Afghanistan, there have been
very few opportunities for
employment for thousands of
men, who have found
labouring work in Tehran.
Raheel has not heard from
her husband in months and
decides to travel there to
find him.
Initially, she is met with
disappointment discovering
that he has moved to another
part of the city and in the
middle of the night she
tries to find a taxi.
A driver stops to assist and
after some awkward tension,
he agrees to take her to a
hotel. Thus, this uneasy
friendship begins.
Mawlana Tariq Jamil, named
as one of ‘The 500 Most
Influential Muslims’ having
2 million YouTube followers
with 124 million views is
scheduled to talk in Sydney
on Monday 7 October hosted
by OnePath Network and in
Melbourne on Saturday 12
October hosted by Al Siraat
College.
The Sydney event will be
held on Monday 7 October
6.30 – 9.30 pm at the
Whitlam Leisure Centre, 90
Memorial Avenue Liverpool,
NSW 2170.
The lecture will be
delivered in Urdu and is
open to both men and women,
as well as children above
10. Ticket for men and women
with segregated seatings can
be bought for $21.93 from:
The Melbourne event will be
held on Saturday 12 October
3-5 pm at Al Siraat College,
45 Harvest Home Rd Epping,
VIC 3076.
This will be an outdoors
event where the lecture will
be delivered in Urdu with
English translation.
Mawlana Tariq Jamil is a
scholar and preacher
associated with Tablighi
Jamaat and frequently
delivers Islamic speeches at
rallies in which he preaches
peace and harmony, tolerance
and respect for everyone.
He promotes ethnic and
sectarian harmony and has
been highly influential in
transforming the lives of a
large number of people
including sportsmen, film
stars and celebrities.
Mawlana Tariq Jamil’s
lectures incorporate a wide
range of issues of Islam and
social concern with emphasis
on self-rectification,
self-accountability, honesty
in social life, avoidance of
violent ways, observance of
God’s commands, and the
following of the teachings
and the model of life as
suggested by the Prophet
Muhammad (s).
While most of his
teammates were resting their
hangovers the day after a
premiership win, Bachar
Houli was at the MCG
coaching a junior team.
The unassuming veteran was
again superb in Saturday's
grand final-thrashing of GWS,
gathering 26 disposals off a
half-back flank.
In a repeat of the Tigers'
2017 premiership, Houli
finished second in the Norm
Smith medal count behind
runaway winner Dustin
Martin.
Not bad for a player who has
been on one-year deals for
the last few seasons.
But even more impressive was
what the Richmond star was
doing the morning after the
premiership win.
The 31-year-old was up
bright and early to coach
his Bachar Houli Academy
team against young
footballers from the AJAX
football club - a clash
between players from Islamic
and Jewish backgrounds.
Speaking on Channel 7’s Game
Day, AFL great Leigh
Matthews said he was
“amazed” by the Richmond
star's service, the morning
after a premiership win.
Houli said it was an
incredibly important part of
his football career, watch
his interview in the video
at the top of the page.
“Yes Leigh, it’s a massive
part of my football journey,
football’s very, very
important, but giving back
to these young men and women
in our community is just as
important if not more,”
Houli said.
"I feel like it's an
obligation that I've got to
be that role model for them.
“The best form of being a
role model is being present
and showing that I truly
care.
“I’m very very proud of
these young men, I just want
them to be proud Australian
Muslims and just be part of
society, we live in such a
fortunate society.
“Sometimes you can go into
your shell a bit – the
message I’m sending out is
to be yourself, be humble,
be grateful, be proud of
your identity.”
Humble Tigers never lost
hunger: Houli
Richmond backman Bachar
Houli reckons the club lived
by a key motto on the way to
a legacy-shaping second AFL
premiership in three years.
Remain humble.
And arguably no Tiger has
better lived that ethos than
Houli, whose reputation as a
big-game player continues to
grow.
The Tigers' second flag in
three years places them in
similar company to the great
Hawks side in which Richmond
coach Damien Hardwick cut
his teeth as an assistant.
"But for us, we're very
humbled by it. Very, very
humbled.
"Our motto this year was
'remain humble' ... even
when you're winning, stay
humble, stay grateful.
"But at the same time, we
were very, very hungry for
success."
While he is showing no signs
of slowing down after 13
seasons, Houli acknowledged
the significance of winning
another flag in the twilight
of his career.
Opinion by Rita
Markwell, Policy Advisor of Australian
Muslim Advocacy Network (AMAN)
A glimpse of our
potential
Last
week the Australian Muslim
community made history in
collaborating across
organisations at the
national and state level to
get behind a common call.
150 organisations signed a
submission to the Australian
Government on the Religious
Discrimination Bill.
That submission recognised a
significant truth for our
community – That, although
many of us are readily
identifiable as Muslim, and
experiencing real dangers in
the community, we have no
protection at the federal
level.
This lack of legal deterrent
is contributing to the rise
of radicalised speech and
conduct against our
community.
It was quite a journey to
create this detailed
submission, involving the
contributions of many
brothers and sisters from
different organisations, all
pushing in the same
direction. Many worked
tirelessly and quietly
behind the
scenes, just wanting to see
an outcome.
At every roundtable with the
Attorney-General, every
Muslim advocate has been on
the same page, arguing the
same points. Then sharing
notes, so
advocates at the next
meeting were prepared. It
was noticed.
We are at an exciting point
as a community because we
are standing together for
the benefit of the Ummah.
Unity and clarity of message
is a powerful thing. We are
standing up for the most
vulnerable community members
who are being targeted.
We are prepared to build
alliances and relationships,
not only across the
community, but across the
political arena.
Our support can no longer be
taken for granted by any
politician. We are thinking
and working in a pragmatic
way.
Muslim advocates had to make
the decision to distance
ourselves from previous
calls to broaden section 18C
of the Racial Discrimination
Act, to include religion.
The Government has said this
would place an unreasonable
burden on freedom of speech,
and prevent religious
criticism. Continuing to
talk about section 18C would
take us nowhere.
But no politician can deny
that religious peoples shoud
be protected from violence,
and from speech and conduct
that endangers their
communities.
So Muslim advocates have
reframed the debate with a
different proposal. It does
not borrow from the wording
of section 18C. It is about
avoiding harm and danger, as
well as preserving security,
social harmony and social
cohesion.
Following Christchurch,
there were sincere and
heartfelt comments made by
politicians from the LNP,
Labor, Greens and Centre
Alliance, rejecting
incitement to
hatred and violence and
making it clear that it
wasn't 'free speech'.
Now it is time for us to ask
what action they will
support to give effect to
those words.
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
Leading scholar for the
Deobandis and in Islamic
finance
Justice Sheikh Mufti
Muhammad Taqi Usmani is a
leading scholar of Hadith,
Islamic jurisprudence and
Islamic finance. He is
considered to be the
intellectual head of the
Deobandi School of Islamic
learning, as well as an
authority outside of the
Deobandi School. He served
as Judge of the Shari’at
Appellate Bench of the
Supreme Court of Pakistan
from 1982 to May 2002. He
specialises in Hadith,
Islamic jurisprudence and
financial matters.
Influence
Deobandi De facto Leader:
Usmani is very important as
a figurehead in the Deobandi
movement— one of the most
successful of the Islamic
revivalist initiatives of
the past century. His views
and fatwas are taken as the
final word by Deobandi
scholars globally including
those at the Deoband
seminary in India. Usmani
was born in Deoband, India,
to Mufti Muhammad Shafi (the
former Grand Mufti of
Pakistan) who founded the
Darul ‘Uloom, Karachi, a
leading centre of Islamic
education in Pakistan. He
has authority to teach
hadith from Sheikh al-Hadith
Mawlana Zakariya Khandelawi
amongst others, and he
traversed the spiritual path
of Tasawwuf under the
guidance of Sheikh Dr. Abdul
Hayy Arifi, a student of the
great revivalist scholar of
India, Mawlana Ashraf Ali
Thanvi. His students in the
thousands are spread across
the globe, especially in the
Indian subcontinent, central
Asia and many Western
countries. It is estimated
that over 65% of all
madrassas in Pakistan are
Deobandi as well as 600 of
the 2000 mosques in the UK.
Deobandis consider
themselves orthodox Hanafi
Sunnis.
Leading Islamic Finance
Scholar: Usmani’s other
influence comes from his
position as a global
authority on Islamic
finance. He has served on
the boards, and as chairman,
of over a dozen Islamic
banks and financial
institutions, and currently
leads the International
Shariah Council for the
Accounting and Auditing
Organization for Islamic
Financial Institutions (AAOIFI)
in Bahrain. He is also a
permanent member of the
International Islamic Fiqh
Academy of the Organization
of the Islamic Conference,
one of the highest legal
bodies in the Muslim world.
Writer: He has translated
the Qur’an both into English
and Urdu. He is the author
of a six volume Arabic
Hadith commentary on Sahih
Muslim. He is the Chief
Editor of both the Urdu and
English monthly magazine ‘Albalagh’,
and regularly contributes
articles to leading
Pakistani newspapers on a
range of issues. His legal
edicts (fatwas), written
over the period of 45 years,
are published in 4 large
volumes. He has authored
more than 80 books in
Arabic, English, and Urdu.
New Works: He is directly
supervising The Hadith
Encyclopaedia, a masterful,
pioneering compilation which
will provide a universal
number to each Hadith in a
manner that will make
referencing any Hadith as
easy as it is to refer to an
Ayat of the Quran. The
Encyclopaedia will be over
300 volumes. A second major
work recently published is
entitled “The Jurisprudence
(Fiqh) of Trade”. The Book
concludes with a proposed
Code of Islamic Law of Sale
of Goods and Transfer of
Property, which serves as a
powerful “Call to Action”
for regulators and standard
setting organizations alike.
Assassination
Attempt:
On March 22, 2019, as Mufti
Taqi was on his way to
deliver a Friday sermon,
gunmen riding three
motorbikes opened fire on
his and an accompanying car.
The Mufti, his wife and two
grandchildren (a girl aged
seven and boy aged five),
miraculously survived the
shower of bullets untouched,
but two people lost their
lives and a further two were
severely injured. The Prime
minister of Pakistan
condemned the attack as did
scholars and politicians
across the board. As of yet,
no-one has claimed
responsibility for carrying
out the attack.
Quotes
“Since wealth is the
property of God, humanity
does not have autonomy in
this ownership but through
the specific path He has
instituted in the Islamic
Shari ‘ah.”
“Nothing destroys one’s
respect in the hearts of
others more than greed.”
Statistics
143 – publications authored
in Arabic, English, and
Urdu.
10 thousand – students at
the Darul ‘Uloom Karachi.
Most of the Australian women
stranded in Syria are not
strangers to each other —
they are relatives of one
man.
Who they are and how they
got there has until now
remained a secret.
Mariam Dabboussy is risking
her safety to reveal how her
brother-in-law Muhammad
Zahab delivered her and her
baby into the grip of the
Islamic State (IS) group.
“Of course we’re angry at
him,” Mariam told Four
Corners in the al-Hawl camp
in Syria.
“If it wasn’t for him, none
of us would have found
ourselves here.”
Four Corners can reveal that
Zahab was at the centre of a
network that delivered more
than a dozen Australians to
Islamic State.
Like most of the Australian
men he recruited to join IS,
Zahab is now dead.
Many of the 20 Australian
women and 44 children
languishing in squalid tents
on the other side of the
world are a part of his
legacy.
Mariam’s life in Syria is a
far cry from her comfortable
middle-class upbringing in
Sydney’s western suburbs in
the 1990s.
She worked at a migrant
support service and in
childcare.
She was not devoutly
religious as a child but
that changed when, at 22,
she married a young man by
the name of Kaled Zahab.
Kaled lived in the shadow of
his high-achieving and
deeply religious older
brother, Muhammad.
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.....
Newspapers Reveille
and the Hobart Mercury
in 1937 wrote about a unique
scene at Kingaroy
(Queensland), describing it
as “an unusual tribute” in
the Anzac Day remembrance
services that year:
As the war veterans’
procession was nearing
the memorial gates, a
coloured man dressed in
Oriental costume, red
Turkish fez, and medals
on his breast, was
noticed. He jumped
smartly to the salute,
and held it till the
procession passed. Then
he joined the crowd and
remained till hymns were
sung, speeches made, the
lament played, and the
‘Last Post’ sounded.
Then he walked smartly
up to the memorial,
which, by then, was
covered in
flowers. He saluted and
stepped smartly back one
step. Then he prayed an
Islamic prayer ... With
his hands raised
heavenwards, he ‘recited
something in a foreign
[Arabic] tongue.’
Another backward step
and he went down upon
his knees and placed his
forehead on the ground
for a few seconds ...
Rising, he put his right
hand over his left
breast, saluted, and
walked back into the
ranks.
Several diggers spoke to
him after the ceremony
and ascertained that he
was a ‘full-blooded
Mohammedan Indian –Cass
Mahomet, ex-10th
Battalion, AIF.’
Ben Bird, a season-ticket
holder at Nottingham Forest,
writes: ‘Mohamed Salah was the
first Muslim I could relate to.’
I have gone from
hating Islam to
becoming a
Muslim – and the
Liverpool
forward is the
principal reason
for that
Mohamed Salah
really and
honestly
inspired me. I’m
a Nottingham
Forest
season-ticket
holder, I can be
myself but
because I made
the declaration
of faith I’m a
Muslim. I’m
still me and
that’s what I
took from
Mohamed Salah.
I’d love to meet
him, just to
shake his hand
and say “Cheers”
or “Shukran”.
I don’t think my
mates quite
believe that I’m
a Muslim because
I’ve not really
changed. I just
think my heart
is better. I’m
really trying to
change on match
days. Normally
it’s pub, put a
bet on, then
after the game
back to the pub
and realise
you’ve lost a
lot of money.
It’s hard when
you’re used to
such a culture
and it’s part of
football for a
lot of people.
I’m embarrassed
to say this but
my opinions on
Islam used to be
that the
religion, the
culture and the
people were
backward; that
they didn’t
integrate and
wanted to take
over. I always
looked at
Muslims like the
elephant in the
room. I had a
hatred of
Muslims.
When I was in
sixth form it
was a period
where I think I
needed someone
to blame for my
misfortunes.
Unfortunately
Muslims got the
brunt of it and
I quickly
discovered
right-wing media
pages. They sort
of groomed me by
sending me long
propaganda
pieces and
suchlike.
Even though I
had these
horrible ideas
of Islam, I
would never say
them to a
Muslim. At this
point I didn’t
know any
Muslims. My
degree in Middle
Eastern Studies
at the
University of
Leeds changed
everything.
We had to do a
dissertation and
I wanted to do
something a bit
different. I
remember my
dyslexia tutor
telling me:
“What about
Mohamed Salah’s
song?” I was
aware of it and
I thought it was
fantastic but I
hadn’t
considered it in
those terms.
I finally got
the question:
“Mohamed Salah,
a gift from
Allah. Is the
performance of
Mohamed Salah
igniting a
conversation
that combats
Islamapobia
within the media
and political
spheres?”
The Liverpool
fans’ song – to
the tune of
Dodgy’s hit Good
Enough –
includes the
line “If he
scores another
few then I’ll be
Muslim too”, and
I literally took
that to heart.
I was a typical
white-boy
student who went
to a different
city, would get
absolutely
hammered and
lived the
student life. My
degree was the
first time I
learned about
Islam in an
academic way.
University gave
me the
opportunity to
meet a lot of
students from
Saudi Arabia. I
thought they
were evil people
who carried
swords but
they’re the
nicest people
I’ve met. The
conceptions I
had about Arab
countries
completely
dissolved.
Mohamed Salah
was the first
Muslim I could
relate to. It’s
the way he lives
his life, how he
talks to people.
The other week
he posed for a
picture with a
Liverpool fan
who suffered a
broken nose
chasing after
him. I know some
other
footballers
would do that
but you expect
it now from
Salah.
At university I
interviewed
Egyptian
students and
when they found
out my research
was about
“Mohamed Salah,
a gift from
Allah” – which
is also another
Liverpool song –
they would talk
to me for hours
about how great
he is and what
he’s done for
their country.
One million
Egyptians
spoiled their
ballots and
voted for him to
be president
last year.
One of the
Egyptians I
talked to told
me that Salah
encompasses what
being a Muslim
is, following
Islam correctly.
He believed that
Salah is making
people love
Muslims again.
That really
resonated with
me. When Salah
scores I think
he’s scoring for
the faith.
Ben Bird, a season-ticket
holder at Nottingham Forest,
writes: ‘Mohamed Salah was the
first Muslim I could relate to.’
When he won the
Champions League
I said to my
friend that was
a victory for
Islam. After
each of his
goals Salah
practises the
sujood
(prostration)
and exposes a
very Islamic
symbol to the
world. How many
people watch the
Premier League
every week?
Millions
globally.
Salah showed me
that you can be
normal and a
Muslim, if
that’s the right
phrase. You can
be yourself.
He’s a great
player and is
respected by the
football
community and
his politics,
his religion,
don’t matter –
and to me that’s
what football
can do.
When people read
the Quran, or
read about
Islam, they see
something
different that
is not always
portrayed in the
media. I’m new
to the Islamic
community and
I’m still
learning. It is
hard. It’s a
lifestyle
change.
What would I say
to the Ben of
old? I’d give
him a smack, to
be honest, and
I’d say: ‘How
dare you think
like that about
a people that
are so diverse.
You need to
start talking to
people. You need
to start asking
the questions.’
We live in a
multicultural,
multifaith,
multinational
society.
Last season
Chelsea fans
were singing
“Salah is a
bomber”. That’s
the first time
on my social
media that I had
a right go. I
was livid
because I’m for
football banter
but you know
when things are
just not true.
Now, I’d say to
Muslim kids:
‘Don’t be afraid
to go to a
football match.’
I think that’s
an issue we have
to look at from
both sides. I
was afraid of
being
segregated. I
don’t want to
lose my mates
because I look
at them as
brothers to me.
Now I’ve got a
fifth of the
world’s
population as
brothers and
sisters.
The community
has to branch
out, play
football, go to
football. It’s
up to us to
realise that
we’re in this
together. And
the best
spokesman for
that could be
Mohamed Salah.
An international research
project working with art to
explore identity, values and
beliefs of children and
communities
The
Interfaith Childhoods
project works with schools,
communities and religious
organisations to collect and
share stories of community
belonging in everyday life,
told by both secular people
and those of faith in
Australia and the U.K.
The project is lead by
Professor Anna Hickey-Moody,
and funded by The Australian
Research Council and RMIT
University, it has over 400
participants in 6 cities and
2 countries. We have just
returned from Canberra, are
heading to Adelaide next
week, and will be in London
soon for an exhibition of
works created by children
attending previous art
workshops.
Astronaut
Hazza answers questions from
space
The National
“All of the
astronauts were waiting for
the moment to pass above the
UAE to see The Palm …”
Astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri
answers questions from the
International Space Station
Muslim
Woman Suing Company
After
Being Denied Job Over
Religion
NowThis
Politics
This Muslim woman says her
request for a prayer break
cost her a job — now she’s
suing for discrimination
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.
FIFA: Iran 'assures' women can attend
World Cup qualifier
Iranian female fans have been
denied access to football
matches in the country
IRAN: Body's president says Iranian
officials have guaranteed that women
will be allowed to attend match against
Cambodia.
Iran has "assured" FIFA that women will
be able to attend a World Cup qualifying
match in Tehran next month, according to
Gianni Infantino, the president of
football's global governing body.
A female Iranian fan died this month
after setting herself on fire to protest
against her arrest for attending a game.
"We need to have women attending - we
need to push for that with respect but
in a strong and forceful way and we
cannot wait any more," Infantino told a
FIFA conference on women's football on
Sunday.
"We have been assured that, as of the
next international game of Iran, women
will be allowed to enter football
stadiums," he said.
"This is something very important, it is
40 years that this has not happened,
with a couple of exceptions, but it is
important to move to the next level and
to the next stage," he added.
Dakar's Massalikul Jinaan mosque: The
'biggest in West Africa'
SENEGAL: Senegal's Sufi Mouride
Brotherhood will inaugurate a mosque
that can hold 30,000 worshippers,
described as the largest in West Africa,
in the capital Dakar on Friday.
Work on the Massalikul Jinaan mosque,
which means "the Paths to Paradise",
began a decade ago on a swampy
six-hectare site in the poor area of
Bopp, on land donated by the government
of the majority Muslim nation.
The name is derived from the title of a
poem by Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba Mbacke, the
19th-century founder of the Brotherhood,
who is revered by followers as a Sufi
saint.
Based in the city of Touba, the movement
is a pillar of Senegal's reputation for
religious tolerance.
Mouride derives from the Arabic word for
"one who desires to learn". The
Brotherhood preaches service to humanity
and upholding the principles of Islam.
The movement also holds considerable
economic and political influence in
Senegal and in neighbouring Gambia.
With a Carrara marble exterior and five
minarets, the tallest of which is 78
metres, the mosque has a capacity of
15,000 worshippers inside and another
15,000 in an outside esplanade.
Renowned Muslim scholar lauds PM
Imran's UNGA speech
SOUTH AFRICA:
Renowned Muslim
scholar Maulana
Ahmed Akoo on
Thursday lauded
Prime Minister
Imran Khan’s
speech at the
74th session of
the United
Nations General
Assembly (UNGA)
in New York,
thanking him on
behalf of the
entire Muslim
ummah.
Hailing from
South Africa,
Maulana Akoo, in
his video
message praised
the powerful
speech of PM
Imran and said
that he
presented a
strong case for
Muslims all over
the world at the
UNGA.
“My message to
you is that
you’ve touched
the hearts of
millions of
Muslims across
the globe,” he
said.
Maulana Akoo
also thanked
premier Imran
for highlighting
the plight of
many Muslims
around the world
and said that
the speech gave
him a ‘great
sense of hope’
by shedding
light on the
‘myth of radical
Islam’.
“The bravest and
the most
courageous of
actions that can
be undertaken by
a Muslim is when
the word of
truth is spoken
against
oppression and
against the
opposition – and
that is exactly
what you [PM
Imran] have
done,” he said.
The scholar also
praised the
premier for
giving a voice
to the
‘sensitivities
of the Muslims,’
adding, “Love,
respect and
honour for the
blessed Prophet
(PBUH) is
something that
resides in the
heart of every
single
believer.”
He ended the
video by
officially
inviting PM
Imran to visit
South Africa.
This book is a scholarly piece of work,
well written and rich in the
conversations that the author has had
with Muslim women, primarily from
Australia and Pakistan. Shakira Hussein
has compared her findings to the
experience of Muslim women in the
Western hemisphere.
Hussein discusses how Muslim women
cannot be placed in any given narrative,
and are often used as a PR opportunity
to further a foreign agenda. Their
susceptibility to being used – with or
without their consent – leads to
scepticism both abroad and at home.
Gender norms have always been a sticky
subject in Muslim communities across the
globe. They revere the traditional roles
that are played by women as carers and
the patriarchal system is sceptical of
the feminist woman, who is right to
question the misogyny that she finds on
the home front and is also unexpectedly
supported for she becomes the purpose of
an external liberation even if she might
not desire it.
What is interesting is that nobody asks
the woman for her opinion, and this book
is an attempt to give women across the
divide a platform to explain their
viewpoint which is often unfathomable to
her counterparts in the Western
hemisphere.
The case of Malala Yousufzai illustrates
this well. Malala championed secular
education and so-called enlightened
moderation and was targeted horrifically
as a result. In the furore that
followed, the masses in Pakistan did not
resent her for championing education for
girls, they questioned her motives for
removing the role of religion in
educating girls.
Malala was taken abroad and symbolised
as an image for secularisation, which
has led to scepticism for her cause at
home. Hussein highlights this inciting a
conversation with Raheel Qazi, the head
of the women’s wing of Jamaat-e-Islami,
a political party in Pakistan, who
states that secularization cannot exist
in a society that is 97 per cent Muslim.
That viewpoint is completely disregarded
in the discussions about gender norms in
the countries that the West seeks to
liberate. Hussein doesn’t go on to
provide solutions but scrutinises who
and what shapes the narrative about
Muslim women. She also talks about the
‘lighter’ aspects of life such as
fashion which is also an indicator of
the sentiments against Muslims. On the
subject of burqini bans and the
resentment to its appearance on French
and
Australian beaches, Hussein states, ‘If
the burqini was permitted to become an
unremarkable feature on our beaches then
Islamic dress indeed come to be regarded
as representative of “our” cultural
identity. The case of the burqini
illustrates differing attitudes to
secularism and multicultural governance,
but also the capacity for both fashion
and racist moral panics to travel across
borders.’ (p91)
This is a marked shift from the hijab as
a symbol of oppression to a symbol of
terrorism. The Muslim woman’s connection
with terrorism came after stories of
them leaving their homes to become a
part of the “Islamic State”, and they
are regarded as the traitors within:
‘The Muslim woman who refuses “rescue”
is considered to be an agent of
Islamisation by default’ (p95). She is
then pitied and reviled in one go.
Hussein’s richness in the book lies in
her ability to detangle the different
narratives that exist about female
gender norms within and outside of our
community and it also considers the
different impacts depending on our
differing geographies. She cites that
Muslim women who — out of their own free
will — choose to be visible, are abiding
by their principles, thereby rejecting
mainstream thought which is then
resented.
I haven’t read anything like this
before, but if a (complex) conversation
on women’s rights and gender norms is
what you are seeking, then this book is
for you. It is not a study based on
empirical evidence but anecdotal, and
this creates a warmth in the writing
which I thoroughly recommend.
KB says:
This quiche is a great accompaniment to your
afternoon tea or your Sunday brunch.
Quiche – 3 steps
INGREDIENTS & METHOD
Step One – Combine
1¼ cup of sifted flour
2 tsp. baking powder
A pinch of salt
110g grated butter
Add ¾ cup milk to make a soft scone like dough.
Pat down the dough (you may need to wet your hands) onto a
rectangle oven tray (30cm X22cm) which has been greased or
lined with baking paper.
Step 2 – Mix the ingredients below and
place on one above.
1 cup cooked chicken – shredded
½ cup frozen vegetable (thawed and steamed in a microwave)
Pinch of salt
Pinch of lemon pepper
¼ tsp green chillies (if you like it hotter)
¼ cup cheese
Step 3 - beat ingredients below and pour
over the ingredients in step 2
1 cup cream
2 eggs
¼ tsp green chillies
Top with slivered almonds or finely diced green peppers
Bake in a pre-heated oven of 180 degrees until the quiche is
light brown.
Cut into squares and serve warm.
Notes:
1. I prepare steps 2 and 3 first.
2. It’s easier if you have cooked up chicken in the freezer,
it’s a great help.
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.)
Sudanese Chicken Curry with boiled Eggs
Chef Balla Abdulrahim shows how to cook
“Chicken Curry with boiled Eggs” prepared in Sudan,
Ethiopia, Eriteria etc.
Welcome to my weekly
column on
Self-Care and
Clarity of Mind.
If you’re taking
time out to read
this, pat yourself
on the back because
you have shown
commitment to taking
care of your mind
and body.
Today, In Shaa
ALLAH, we will
explore the topic:
Do You Suffer From
FOMO - Fear Of
Missing Out?
If you are a social
media user who feels
symptoms of anxiety,
jealousy or regret
while looking at
posts of other
people having a good
time at a party,
event, trip or work,
you could be
suffering from FOMO
- fear of missing
out.
FOMO is a pervasive
apprehension felt by
those who think that
they are missing out
on great experiences
and feel stuck in
their current
situation. It’s a
vicious cycle that
takes over your life
whereby you feel you
need to constantly
check your social
media to give
yourself a dopamine
hit to feel good
about yourself by
not feeling left out
or miss the action
of celebrity
lifestyles and so
on. The phenomenon
of finding instant
gratification of
one’s own self-worth
through Insta...or
many other such
social media front.
While you
addictively obsess
over social media
updates, what you
are really missing
out on is LIFE. The
moment of NOW. Your
moment of NOW.
How you spend your
moment of now will
determine the
quality of the past
that you will look
back on. Future is
merely an illusion.
It’s not happening.
The only truth is
your moment of now.
You are living your
future in this
moment right now,
through your
thoughts, words,
deeds, choices,
decisions. NOW is
all there is.
Once you begin
living in the now,
there won’t be any
fear of missing out.
Wherever you may be
right now, ALLAH has
put you there for a
reason. That spot
you are standing or
sitting on. The
clothes you are
wearing. The country
you are in.
Everything that is
happening to you
right now is
ordained for you by
ALLAH. Feeling
anxious in your
moment of now is to
deny HIS mercy.
Instead, practise
gratitude. Instead
of asking ‘why me?’,
practice saying
‘what lesson is
ALLAH teaching me in
this experience
now?’
How To Overcome
FOMO
Replace Regret With
Gratitude
1. Praise ALMIGHTY
ALLAH for all that
HE has already given
you. Write down a
list of
everything you are
blessed with.
2. Now, Praise
ALMIGHTY ALLAH for
all the lessons you
have learned from
past
experiences,
negative and
positive.
3. Replace all
what-if statements
with “Alhumdolillah”.
4. Avoid comparing
your life with
someone else’s. Your
unique abilities and
experiences
make you different
from the rest of the
world. Focus on your
soulful connection
with
ALLAH. Increase your
own ibaadah and good
deeds. DOn’t worry
about who is saying
what and who is
doing what. Focus on
your deeds, your
thoughts, your
words.
5. Daily positive
affirmations.
Consciously choose
positive words when
talking about your
situation.
If you give
thanks, I
will give
you more…
(Al Quran
14:7)
Someone wise once
said, “When you
change the way you
look at things, the
things you look at
change.”
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.
The way you grow older is specific to you.
Lifestyle, among other
things, can play a role in this process. Try
some of the following to
slow down the signs of ageing:
• Get active.
Make walking part of your daily routine
• Stress less. Don’t sweat the little stuff,
if it’s out of your
control, let it be
• Bone health. Make sure your vitamin D
intake is sufficient (calcium) and keep
doing your body weight exercises. Getting
enough sunlight is vital too.
• Healthy diet. Opt for healthier versions
whenever possible. Steer clear of sugar,
fried, or processed foods.
• Stay hydrated. The body sometimes confuses
thirst with hunger. Keep drinking the clear
stuff!
• Water works. Stay cool in the pool this
summer. Try aqua-aerobics for a great
workout which is gentle on the joints & is
good for sore, tired muscles
• Just move. Not only is it good for
heart-health, it keeps the brain young too.
The 2019
National Report
on Australia’s
mental health
and suicide
prevention
system has just
been released.
The report makes
key
recommendations
to help improve
our mental
health system.
Download the
full report
including
messages from
National Mental
Health
Commission's CEO
Christine Morgan
and Chair Lucy
Brogden.
TAKE TIME 4
MENTAL HEALTH
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.
The Before 1770
team is requesting a medium
donation of $200.
We are nearing completion and
need your urgent assistance to
complete the project. We believe
that this endeavour will be of
great benefit for many long
years to come. When you give,
please know that you are
actually investing. The Prophet
(pbuh) said, "Charity does not
reduce wealth." See the video
below.
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!
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.
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someone you know who would like to subscribe to CCN please
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Last
week the Australian Muslim
community made history in
collaborating across
organisations at the
national and state level to
get behind a common call.
FIFA: Iran 'assures' women can attend
World Cup qualifier 
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7
August 2011