Yesterday (Saturday 9
November 2019) was a
historic day for the Muslim
community of Queensland when
the Islamic Council of
Queensland (ICQ) hosted it's
very first Australian
Citizenship Ceremony (and a
first for a Muslim
organization in Australia).
99 men, women, children of
diverse ethnic backgrounds
became Australian citizens
in a flawlessly organized
event put together by the
ICQ Team and Ms Janet Deen
in particular.
ICQ president, Mr Habib
Jamal was the Master of
Ceremonies and the Hon Jim
Chalmers, Member for Rankin
was the Presiding Officer.
Indigenous Elder Aunty Betty
delivered a heartfelt
welcome at the start of the
proceedings, and Aunty Betty
and her son Mr John McGrady
took part in conferring the
citizenship along with Mr
Muhammad Khatree and Mr
Farouk Adam from ICQ.
A recent citizen himself, Mr
Alaa Altamimi spoke of
his journey from Iraq and
settling and studying in
Australia to become a civil
engineer.
Queensland
Senator, Mr Paul Scarr,
welcomed the new citizens
and was profuse in his
praise for the efforts of
the Muslim community for
organizing the event,
hosting it in the Islamic
College and for their recent
support for drought farmers.
A large cake was cut to
celebrate a very successful
inaugural event that could
well become a permanent
fixture in the Brisbane
calendar.
Stunning scenes as
drought-affected town
flooded with donations from
Muslim community
A community affected by
drought has been floored by
truckloads of water and hay
from Aussie Muslims, who
trucked the donations to the
town.
A Queensland town struggling
through the drought has been
touched by a massive
donation of hay bales and
water, which arrived on 20
semi trailers over the
weekend.
The incredible donation to
the drought-affected town of
Stanthorpe was organised by
members of Australia’s
Muslim community, who have
previously donated a similar
amount to the town, about a
month ago, according to 7
News.
Stanthorpe received the
donation over the weekend of
438 bales of hay and 190,000
litres of water, which
arrived on 20 semi trailers.
Images of the scene went
viral on social media, as
stunned locals shared photos
of the trucks rolling into
town.
The town in Queensland’s
south east has been majorly
affected by the ongoing
drought, and is tipped to
run out of water over the
summer months.
The group, Muslim Aid
Australia, began working to
assist with drought relief
in Australia by raising
funds to assist struggling
Aussie towns. Their first
donation, to the outback
Queensland town of
Goondiwindi, saw more than
150 tonnes of hay handed to
the struggling area.
Riyaad Ally, from Muslim Aid
Australia, said the group’s
fundraising efforts to help
the drought affected Aussie
communities were extensive.
He told 7 News they had
received donations from
local Aussie businesses, as
well as organisations in
Turkey and the United
Kingdom.
“Everybody just wanted to
unite. We had really amazing
support from not only our
donor base, but other
organisations’ donor bases
that all came together,” Mr
Ally said.
He said the group was
welcomed with open arms, but
they “don’t need the
thanks”.
“We do this because we love
it.”
News.com
Media Coverage
MUSLIM AID AUSTRALIA'S CEO,
Sheikh Hassan Elsetohy on
SKY NEWS
It's been been
a hard day's night,
and they've been
working like the
Deens
(l to r) Dicky,
Funny, Happy,
George, Ray and
Louie
Happy Deen - driving
a Mack Truck for the
first time in more
than 30 years
(l
to r) Dzavid Haveric, Janeth
Deen and Sherene Hassan
(Director of Education and
Community Engagement at the
Islamic Museum of Australia (IMA).
Dzavid Haveric’s new book
‘Muslims Making Australia
Home' was launched at the
Islamic Museum of Australia
in Melbourne this week.
The story of Islam and the
Muslim people is an integral
part of Australian history.
This book covers the period
from post-World War II until
the 1980s when the history
of Islam in Australia
unfolded into a rich
multi-ethnicity, manifested
by diverse Muslim ethnic
groups. Muslim migrants
found Islam in Australia
more pluralistic than they
found possible in their
homeland, because in
Australia they met fellow
Muslims from many different
ethnic, racial, cultural,
sectarian and linguistic
backgrounds.
Muslims are an integral part
of Australia's social fabric
and multicultural way of
life, shaping their
Muslimness in an Australian
context and their
Australianness from Muslim
viewpoints and experiences.
Documenting socio-historical
characteristics rather than
providing a theological
interpretation, Muslims
Making Australia Home covers
interrelated Islamic themes
in the sociology of religion
by noting how these themes
reappear in cultural
history.
The book reveals many
unknown or little-known
historical facts, stories
and valuable memories.
If you would like to
purchase a copy of the book
in Brisbane call 0435
086 796
A DEAKIN graduate who
arrived in Australia as an
Afghan refugee unable to
speak English has been
awarded the university’s
Young Alumni of the Year
award.
Khyber Alam has achieved an
incredible amount working as
a volunteer optometrist
around the world, raising
funds for charities and
opening an orphanage,
Now a Deakin University
researcher, Mr Alam arrived
in Australia as a
13-year-old.
He went on to excel at
school and was drawn to
optometry because of its
ability to change lives.
He has been a volunteer
optometrist in rural clinics
in Australia, Bangladesh and
India, and has raised more
than $75,000 for various
charities.
Using his own savings, Mr
Alam has also opened an
orphanage in eastern
Afghanistan.
He hopes this orphanage, —
named House of Knowledge to
reflect its aim of
encouraging children towards
learning — will be the first
of many across the country.
He is now undertaking a PhD
at Deakin’s School of
Medicine.
Deakin Vice-Chancellor
Professor Iain Martin said
the Deakin University Alumni
Awards were an opportunity
to acknowledge the influence
and achievements of the
university’s thriving alumni
community, which now totals
more than 285,000 people.
“Deakin is an institution
that works with — and
for — the community,” Prof
Martin said
Yusuf Osman, IWAA's Finance
Manager, Sue Hamdoush IWAA’s
Sydney Branch Coordinator
with Matt Comyn,
Commonwealth Bank’s, CEO and
Galila Abdelsalam OAM, IWAA
CEO together at the
Commonwealth Bank Customer
Forum.
Where do Australian Muslim
families see the situation
between themselves and
non-Muslim Australians in 20
years? Do we have a sense of
what our kids will be doing,
who they will hang out with,
who they will marry, how
they will be different to
us?
For me, as someone who has
an Anglo-Saxon mother and
Lebanese father, I have
spent my life trying to make
sense of two worlds –
neither of which I really
belonged to. And it wasn’t
until I travelled to
Lebanon, that I realised
that the closest descriptor
I could have is Australian.
My generation is not the
last to experience a bit of
an identity crisis.
Go back to where you came
from, love it or leave it,
fit in or f*** off have all
become poison to the
generation of Aussies who
don’t look like what some
Aussies have decided is the
Aussie look.
Mr Chin Tan, the Race
Discrimination Commissioner
asked that question about
our 20 year vision at an
event about combating
Islamophobia. He said
Australian Muslims need to
think about the
counter-narrative they want
to create.
It is an ambitious question
for a peoples with diverse
outlooks and attitudes. But
we do all want one thing –
and that is the right to
express who we are freely
without fear. To have
security, belonging,
connection, respect,
dignity.
And while I get that
Australian Muslims should
contemplate this question, I
also feel like its ignoring
the elephant in the room,
which is Australia’s
identity crisis.
Australia is evolving fast
into a pluralistic,
cosmopolitan nation. And yet
there are vast tracts of
suburbs that are completely
mono-cultural.
We haven’t quite worked out
how all these cultures live
together and what makes that
togetherness uniquely
Australian. We haven’t
worked out how to move
beyond a one-handed embrace
with our First Nations
brothers and sisters and the
truth of our history.
The champion of identity
politics for beleaguered
white people, Pauline
Hanson, cries, it is okay to
be white, and white people
are being lost.
Even today, politicians from
across the arena will refer
to non-white people as
multicultural. Multicultural
people refer to white people
as Aussies.
These are all signs of a
nation in parts.
The is compounded by dog
whistling by political
opportunists, who make money
through the Electoral
Commission by weaponising
the anxiety of Anglo-Saxon
people. The more poison that
comes from them, the more
other segments of the
community perceive they are
racist. Invisible walls rise
up.
For Australian Muslims, I
don’t think our focus needs
to be on finding a counter
narrative. It needs to be on
reaching out, to get behind
the drivers of Islamophobic
behaviour.
Getting together to bash on
Muslims might seem like a
worthwhile past time for
some in far right groups,
but what if we looked behind
that veneer, and in hand
with other Australians
addressed the underlying
causes.
Older Australian women have
next to no super or job
prospects. The Australian
job market is completely
squeezed for unskilled work
opportunities. There is no
job stability or security
for those at the bottom end.
The construction industry
has such a macho culture -
intolerant of difference -
that it has skyrocketing
suicides. This is the hotbed
of anxiety, waiting to be
reframed and redirected
against the latest
scapegoat. In our next
phase, of educating
ourselves and others, we
have to find a way to reach
out to them.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sister Rita Jabri
Markwell is an
advocate with the
Australian Muslim
Advocacy Network, a
specialist political
advocacy and policy
development body now
working at the
national level. She can be
reached at
advocacy@aman.net.au
The brand new
podcast series with
Professor Saeed Khan - the
millennial Muslim’s guide to
what the “hell” happened in
Islamic history. 1400 OMG is your guide to
what the heck happened in
Muslim History.
Muslim lands are currently
wrought with war. The
Caliphate formally ended.
Sectarianism rampant. Terror
in the name of Islam. Barely
any theological progress. This series will reflect on
the last 1400 years in the
Muslim world and dig deep
into some of the root causes
of the situation many
Muslims find themselves in
today. The series is
inquisitive and reflective.
Quotes “There is not moderate or
immoderate Islam. Islam is
Islam and that’s it.”
“We are followers of a long
established tradition which
has, throughout history,
considered social, cultural
and religious differences as
richness.”
Statistics
42nd – largest military
standing force in NATO
4 million refugees are
hosted by Turkey
Recep
Tayyip Erdogan
President of the Republic of
Turkey
HE Recep Tayyip Erdogan was
the Prime Minister of Turkey
for 11 years, winning three
consecutive elec- tions with
a majority (2002, 2007 and
2011), before becoming
Turkey’s first
popularly-elected president
in August 2014 and then
securing a second-term in
the 2018 election. During
his terms, Turkey has seen
unprecedented economic
growth, constitutional re-
form, and a re-emergence as
a major global power.
Influence President: Erdogan
secured 52.5% of the vote in
the 2018 Presidential
election (electoral turnout
was 86%), and thereby
avoided a second round
runoff. This was a
continuation of his
remarkable popularity and
success at the ballot box
over the past two decades.
During his time as president
he has pushed for more
powers for his post, a move
not welcomed by all, and
criticised by many as signs
of wanting excessive power.
He has lost support from key
members of his own party,
and been criticized for
cracking down on the media.
Failed Coup
Ramifications: The
failed coup of July 15 2017,
which led to about 200
deaths, has led to huge
ramifications as Erdogan
looks to root out all those
involved. He has squarely
laid the blame of
orchestrating the coup on
Fethullah Gulen, and has led
an all-out attack on Gulen’s
organisations and
supporters. There has been a
major crackdown on many
sectors with about 160,000
civil servants being
dismissed in various state
institutions, with over half
from the education sector.
Also, 50,000 people remain
in detention with this
number continually rising as
authorities press ahead with
regular raids.
Global Relations:
Under Erdogan, Turkey has
focused on building stronger
relations with all of its
seven land-contiguous
neighbours (especially
Greece) and also all of
those countries bordering
the Black Sea (an important
trading hub and a
geopolitically significant
area). In Africa, it has
opened up over twenty new
embassies and consulates,
and when Somalia suffered
from a crippling famine and
drought in 2011, Erdogan not
only gave aid, but also
became the first leader from
outside Africa to visit
Somalia in nearly two
decades. While Turkey has
about 45% of its foreign
trade with European
countries, it is developing
strong trade relations with
other regions and attracting
investment from all over the
world.
Bait-and-Switch? In
July 2015 Turkey finally
declared war on da’ish after
an agreement with the US. It
immediately proceeded to
bomb sites in Iraq and Syria
that it said were PKK sites.
Turkey was consequently
accused by the Kurds and by
some US officials of a
‘bait-and-switch’ ploy,
using da’ish as bait to
fight its old nemesis, the
Kurds. Between the US and
Russia: Ties with the US
have strained considerably
since Turkey decided to
purchase the Russian S-400
defence system. The US
responded by suspending
Turkey from the F-35 jet
programme. Turkey is now
looking at the Russian Su35
and Su-57 planes as possible
alternatives.
The Beginning of the End?
President Erdogan returned
to the leadership of the AKP
in 2017 and expected to
continue his amazing streak
of victories in the 2019
local elections. This time,
the AKP lost not only
Istanbul, for the first time
in 25 years, but also five
of Turkey’s six largest
cities. The Turkish
government ordered a
re-election in Istanbul, but
the AKP fared even worse in
the re-run elections in
June. With the economy still
struggling, criticisms of
authoritarianism, frayed
relations with the US, and
invincibility at the polls
smashed, President Erdogan’s
position has never looked
weaker.
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 II
....continued from last
week's CCN.....
Four brothers – Raymond,
Henry, Alfred and Edward
Long – went to war in 1941,
while another brother,
Archibald, served with the
Volunteer Defence Corps.
Their mother did not let the
youngest son join the AIF.
The shortage of labour
increased the roles for
women and voluntary
self-sacrifice was promoted
by the government; hence,
their mother and sister
Dorris, like many other
women, helped the Red Cross
during wartime.
Private Edward Long served
in Unit 2/26th in the
Australian Infantry
Battalion, died due to
cholera at the age of 24 in
1943 as a prisoner-of-war in
Sonkurai camp in Thailand
(formerly Siam) and was
buried in Burma.
Of the 1,600 men sent to
Sonkurai camp by 1943, 1,200
died, with 200 hospitalised
and many not expected to
recover. A large number died
because of disease,
starvation and exhaustion.
Edward died in the arms of
his brother, Raymond Maroop
Long, who later returned
home from thewar.
Archival sources also reveal
others who enlisted and
became privates in the AIF
to serve in World War II.
Most of them were registered
as “Muslims by religion and
labourers by occupation.”
The Department of Veterans’
Affairs Case File (Soldiers
Pay Book, service records
only) at the Australian
National Archives,
Queensland, registered
Raymond Long and Alec Aleman
as Christians; however,
researcher Dr Kabir’s
interview with Raymond and
her conversations with
Alec’s relatives, indicated
both men were Muslims. Alec
Aleman was the uncle of Imam
Barry Hassan, a fourth
generation Australian-born
Muslim of Javanese origin.
Later, Alec Aleman enlisted
voluntarily in the AIF in
World War II and served in
Jerusalem, Crete, New Guinea
and the Middle East. Other
names included William
Dulvarie and William
(Wilson) Saron.
The
latest issue of
ISNA's Islamic
Horizons
features
coverage of the
release of the
historic Fatwa
(Religious
ruling) on
Fossil-fuel
Divestment by
the Fiqh Council
of North America
(FCNA) at the
Financing the
Future Summit
which was held
in Cape Town
South Africa
(September
10-12, 2019).
At that historic
gathering over
300 leaders from
44 countries,
representing
diverse
organizations
working at the
intersection of
climate justice
and social
justice:
faith-based
institutions,
governments,
NGOs,
foundations,
academia,
environmental
and human rights
advocates,
social impact
investing,
healthcare,
social
enterprise, and
other
values-driven
institutions,
came together to
fight against
climate change
and to continue
to build upon
the achievements
of the fossil
fuel divestment
movement that
has recently
seen 11 trillion
US dollars of
total assets
pledged to
divestment from
fossil fuels.
Statement of
Fiqh Council of
North America on
Fossil Fuel
Divestment
We recognize and
re-affirm the
scholarly work
regarding the
issues of Islam
and the
Environment
which are found
in existing
Islamic
statements,
declarations and
religious
rulings on these
matters.
The 2015 Islamic
Declaration on
Global Climate
Change was put
forward by
groups of Muslim
scholars,
religious
councils and
organizations
around the
globe.
We acknowledge
the 2016
decision and
public
announcement of
the Islamic
Society of North
America (ISNA)
to divest all
its financial
assets from
fossil fuel
industries. We
acknowledge that
there is an
urgent
existential
threat to the
health,
wellbeing and
continuity of
life on Earth.
According to the
Qur’an [the
highest source
of Islamic
teachings],
Allah [God]
appointed human
beings as His
trustees
[stewards,
guardians and
care-takers] of
the Earth. As
such, it is the
individual and
collective duty
and
responsibility
of humanity to
develop Allah’s
gifts of natural
resources for
its prosperity.
This requires
the maintenance
of the delicate
ecological
balance,
biodiversity and
sustainability
of all forms of
life on earth.
The Qur’an
refers directly
to such balance
[Al-Meezan], not
only on earth,
but also in the
cosmic order and
warns against
the disturbance
of that balance
[55:5-9] or
corrupting the
earth, land and
sea, with its
adverse effect
on all people
[30:41]. As
humanity should
take care of the
earth, Allah
created the
earth also to
take care of
humanity
[45:12-13], so
long as we
abstain from
waste [6:141;
7:31].
the Fatwa
The Fiqh
Council of North
America (FCNA)
is a body of
recognized and
qualified
Islamic Scholars
from the United
States and
Canada who
accept the
Qur’an and
authentic Sunnah
as the primary
sources of
Islam.
Furthermore,
FCNA is guided
by the judicial
heritage of the
Prophet’s
companions and
the legal
rulings and
methodology of
established
classical
normative Muslim
Scholarship. The
mission of FCNA
is to provide
guidance to the
Muslims of North
America in all
matters related
to Shari’ah
(Islam’s Sacred
Law).
There could be
number of
reasons to
switch from full
time to part
time, maybe you
want to start a
side business,
looking for work
experience, need
time to improve
your health, you
are a new mum, a
mum that is a
new immigrant
and doesn’t have
any immediate
family support
any more.
No matter the
reason, now the
real challenge
is to prepare
yourself to find
suitable part
time work for
you. As the part
time market is
more competitive
than full time
work. You need
to plan, still
wondering how to
do it??? Then
these are the
answers for your
planning and
hunting:
1. If you are
already working,
then research
your company
policies and
check your
present work
load. You need
to keep yourself
in your boss’s
shoes to check
if your idea is
workable or not.
If this is not
working, then
switch to some
other position
with in your
organisation
with less work
load or apply
externally.
2. You will be
surprised to
know, there is
more competition
in part time
jobs as compared
to full time. Be
ready to receive
feedback that
more than 300
people applied
for the same
job. You need to
find the right
industry based
on your previous
experience and
qualification,
this will give
you some edge on
other
applicants.
Check for niche
market and
employers, in
spite of high
volume of
applications for
part time work,
recently one
local Muslim
organisation got
only 10
applications
through Seek for
a part time
coordinator
position.
3. Luckily, if
you have got
part time work,
the work load
might feel like
its full time
under the title
of Part time.
Even if you have
committed to
limited hours,
you must have
some back up
plan in case you
need to work
extra hours to
complete some
urgent
assignment at
work.
4. Why not try
some business
idea? I know you
have already
reinvented
yourself many
times as a new
migrant but now
it’s time to do
it again. I know
it’s difficult
but you can
contact local
council, there
are many support
programs
available for
new
entrepreneurs.
You can also
contact
community
organisations,
like Multilink
has recently
conducted
information
session for
small business
start-up for
migrants. Just
google it and
you will find
many options for
initial planning
and support
like: https://www.business.qld.gov.au/
5. Yes, there is
another option
available to
continue your
full time work,
the idea to ask
for support from
parents!
However,
research this
option as it is
too expensive.
Only the cost of
“contributing
parent permanent
visa” is $47,755
with average
wait time of 4
years for
approval.
“Parent
permanent visa”
has low fee
$6,415 but the
longest wait
time which is
more than 30
years!! (Source:
ABC news dated
02 Nov, 2019).
So, don’t be
afraid to try
new ideas and
accept
challenges, just
prepare in
advance, do some
research and act
smart. You will
definitely get
something either
an experience
after failure or
reward after
success.
She’s married with two small
children and studying
psychology, but what makes
her special is her role as a
standard-bearer for the
Oromo people.
Muslim
Sisters of Eire
Muslim
Sisters of Éire, is a
grassroots non-profit all
female organisation,
established in July 2010,
with the primary objective
to provide support and a
safe place for Muslim and
Non-Muslim women alike. This
organization was set up to
provide vital services for
the community, to facilitate
integration by building
bridges and braking
stereotypes. Our homeless
support and soup run is held
outside the GPO every Friday
for the past 3 years. We are
breaking down stereotypes of
migrants and Muslim women
who are viewed as being
oppressed and under male
domaintion by caring for
society's most vulnerable.
It is important to do this
because we believe that
strong women can integrate,
bind together and support
one another to build a
better society.
Our organization is
providing relief for the
homeless. Our ongoing
service is providing
immediate and vital support
to the homeless community
who are being failed by the
mainstream services. Our
women treat our service
users with empathy and
respect by serving them and
engaging in conversation
with one human being to
another, elevating their
sense of dignity and
belonging. This project
addresses many challenges
facing Ireland today
including integration,
poverty relief and building
community cohesion. We meet
at least once a week and our
weekly operation is
conducted via our WhatsApp
group to manage set up,
cooking rotation and
collection of supplies. We
manage and mentor a large
number of dedicated
volunteering women from
Dublin, PortLaoise, Kildare,
South County Dublin and
Balbriggan.
A case study we wish to
share with you is about a
lovely young woman and her
family who was experiencing
a family breakdown around
the same time her lease was
up. The landlord at the time
required the property back.
This resulted in her being
homeless. The young woman
and her infant children were
thrown across the country
from hotel to hotel and BnB
to BnB. Throughout the year
she had been heavily
supported by us to assist
her in meeting her basic
needs. Every time our pool
of volunteers would support
her. The lady and her infant
children were a regular at
our table. Eventually after
a year she found a HAP
property with our support.
She is now thriving in her
new life as she’s working
part time and cooks for our
soup run on occasion. We
also wish to share another
case study of a young man
who relied on our services.
Every Friday he would wait
for us to set up our stall,
enjoy a meal from our table
and have a chat. He had been
sleeping on the streets for
two years. Our chair would
often make many phone calls
on his behalf to assist him
in finding a bed for the
night. We hadn’t seen him
for a while and began to
worry and ask about him. One
day he come over and shared
with us that he had been in
a rehabilitation program,
found a job and recently
moved into a flat. Despite
all he achieved, he was
still short so our
volunteers made his flat a
home. He shared that if it
wasn’t for our sisters he
would have been dead long
ago. This broke our hearts.
Depending on the number of
volunteers each soup run
collects, this could go up
to 50 members each group.
Our soup run in Dublin
currently serves up to 500
people per week. The impact
will increase in other
counties and each table
could easily serve 300
people every week, impacting
the lives of approximately
1700 homeless people every
week across the nation. This
will also reduce the
congestion of homeless soup
runs in Dublin. Some of our
service users have shared
that we been able to
contribute towards a
reduction in crime rates as
the rough sleepers are fed
and provided with much
needed provisions, thus
reducing the need of poverty
driven crimes. Overall,
approximately 4000 people
our across Ireland will
directly benefit from the
project either as a service
providers or service
receivers
What makes our organization
different to others working
in the area community
development and homeless
outreach is our ability to
mobilize and assist anyone
who reaches out to us. We
are able to meet their
individual immediate needs.
Muslim Sisters of Eire has
made a huge impact in the
media and in wider Irish
society in regards to women
and volunteering. The
majority of our volunteer
base is made up of Muslim
and migrant women. Our group
has combatted stereotypes of
Muslim women being meek and
without autonomy throughout
our engagement with the
wider Irish society. We have
provided a platform for
migrant women to bind
together and to do what we
can for society. This
platform companionship and a
safety net of support for
newly migrant volunteers and
foster their community
integration.
Bilal Rauf
on ABC ANIC
ANIC’s
Spokesperson - Bilal Rauf
Interview with the ABC on
the recent Police misconduct
towards the two Afghani
Women
ISLAMIC
A reverts
guide, for new reverts
A reverts guide, for new
reverts by sister Khadijah Durani
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.
26 American Muslim Candidates Win in Nov. 5
Elections for Total of 34 Muslims Elected in
2019
US: Throughout 2019, CAIR, Jetpac and
MPower Change have identified at least
34 Muslim candidates who won elections
in local and statewide races across the
country. More than 80 Muslims ran for
office this year at the local and state
level.
“These electoral victories clearly
indicate that American Muslims are
stepping up and showing their commitment
to public service,” said CAIR National
Executive Director Nihad Awad. “We
congratulate these Muslim trailblazers
who are creating a more inclusive
democracy for everyone.”
"American Muslims are running for office
in large numbers because more of us are
realizing that we have a unique
perspective that will help fix massive
inequities in healthcare, education, and
the criminal legal system,” said Jetpac
Executive Director Mohammed Missouri.
“We're also aware that staying on the
sidelines while anti-Muslim bigotry runs
rampant will increase the threat to our
community. A truly representative
Democracy will help us get out of this
dark era as a stronger society.”
"What do Muslim Americans do during a
time of heightened Islamophobia under a
xenophobic administration? We run for
office and win," said MPower Change's
Executive Director Linda Sarsour.
"Muslim Americans are engaging in the
democratic process in unprecedented ways
and we can't wait to continue this wave
in 2020 to save our democracy."
SOUTH AFRICA: Check
out this
exquisite new
masjid which
opens its doors
in eMalahleni in
Mpumalanga!
Following a 5
year struggle,
the Witbank
Jumuah Masjid
will host its
first
congregational
prayers this
Friday.
According to
Radio Islam, the
Witbank Jumu’ah
Masjid project
faced numerous
objections,
despite all
protocols being
adhered to. In
December 2012,
the Pretoria
High Court
declared the
sale of a
portion of land,
previously a
park, by the
local
municipality to
the Witbank
Muslim Jamaat,
invalid.
The Propark
Association – a
group who
campaigned for
the park to
remain – took
this decision on
review to the
High Court. They
argued that
while they were
not against a
masjid they
wanted the park
to be preserved.
Cape Town's
Maulana Dawood
Sampson will be
of the many
shuyookh to
grace the
official opening
on Friday.
New Kings of
the World: Dispatches from Bollywood, Dizi and K-Pop
by
Fatima
Bhutto
DESCRIPTION
There is a vast cultural movement
emerging from beyond the Western world.
Truly global in its range and allure, it
is the biggest challenge yet to
Hollywood, McDonald’s, and blue jeans.
This is a book about these new arbiters
of mass culture arising from the
East―India’s Bollywood films, Turkish
soap opera, or dizi, and South Korean
pop music.
Carefully packaging not
always secular modernity with
traditional values in urbanized
settings, they have created a new global
pop culture that can be easily consumed,
especially by the many millions coming
late to the modern world and still
negotiating its overwhelming challenges.
Acclaimed author Fatima Bhutto profiles
Shah Rukh Khan, by many measures the
most popular movie star in the world;
goes behind the scenes of Magnificent
Century, Turkey’s biggest TV show,
watched by upwards of 200 million people
across 43 countries; and travels to
South Korea to see how K-Pop started it
all, and how “Gangnam Style” became the
first YouTube video with one billion
views.
KB says:
For family meals or special dinners, white fish
is a great choice. Low in fat and high in
protein, white fish is enhanced by your choice
of flavourings and textures as per the recipe.
Pan Fried Fish
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
4 white
fish fillets (could use
frozen fish too)
2 tsp crushed garlic
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp chilli garlic paste
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp crushed red chillies
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
˝ tsp turmeric
Ľ tsp crushed black pepper
1-tab Olive oil
Salt to taste
Combine the
above ingredients in a bowl.
Gently rinse
the fish and pat dry with paper towel.
Rub marinade
over fish
Marinate for
approx. half an hour
Heat ghee or
butter in pan and fry fish on both sides till golden
brown.
You may need
to clean your frying pan with a paper towel in between
the frying.
Serve hot on
a bed of rice or with chips and wedges of lemon
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.)
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:
Awaken The
Brave Within You
So, here’s a
question for
you...Are you brave?
What’s the first
response that comes
to your mind when
you read this
question?
I know my answer.
Today, I want you to
ponder on yours. If
you know you are
brave, great. You
probably don’t need
to read on, but
maybe forward this
article to someone
who may benefit from
acknowledging their
inherent courage and
learn strategies on
how to awaken the
brave within them.
To be brave is to
feel the fear
without letting fear
own you.
It is to feel the
fear by listening to
what it’s saying to
you rather than
believing in what
it’s saying to you.
When you
can feel your fears
as and when they
arise, observe them
without judgement
and put your
complete trust in
ALLAH to protect
you, that’s when
courage is born.
The trigger for
courage is fear.
But
first, you must
allow yourself to
observe your fears
without judgement
and banish all
preconceived beliefs
about those fears.
Once you start
observing your
fears, you will
begin to notice that
they are merely
other people’s fears
that you have
inherited as you
were growing
up...other people’s
beliefs imposed upon
you that you were
then conditioned to
adopt as your own.
9 Strategies To
Awaken The Brave
Within You
1. Make a list of
all the things you
want to be, do, or
have in life but are
too scared to pursue
them.
2. Choose one thing
from this list and
put a circle around
it. Perhaps choose
the thing that
causes you the least
fear in comparison
to the others on the
list.
3. Now write down
what is the worst
thing that could
happen to you if
you decide to pursue
this.
4. Write a detailed
description of the
fear you are feeling
about pursuing this
particular thing.
Describe how this
fear is making your
body feel. Is it
causing hurt or
pain? Write down who
all are affected by
this fear of yours.
5. And now write
down what is the
best thing that
could happen to
you if you pursued
this thing.
6. Write down a
detailed description
of how your body is
feeling when you
think about all the
great things that
you could feel from
pursuing this thing.
Write down who all
would be affected if
you felt this great.
7. Now take time to
read what you have
written and observe
how your body feels
when you read both
scenarios.
8. Which of these
two scenarios makes
you feel closer to
ALLAH?
9. Now answer if you
are still feeling
fearful about
pursuing this or do
you have trust in
ALLAH. If you are
still feeling fear,
keep analysing
deeper as to how you
came to hold this
fearful perception.
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.
Q:
Dear
Kareema, I travel quite a bit with work and am
wondering what I can do to keep my fitness
levels up as I don’t get to the gym as often as
I’d like while I’m away?
A:
Some of my best
‘travel tools’ for working out on the go are my
skipping rope, resistance bands, and gym ball
(inflates within minutes). They’re portable,
cost-effective and incredibly versatile.
It’s important to keep your training momentum
going, so keep these handy even when you’re not
travelling as they are great for a total body
workout wherever you may be. Light ankle and
wrist weights are good to add extra resistance
to any workout too.
Bodyweight exercises such as walking, jogging,
sit-ups, push-ups, tricep-dips, etc. are great
for toning and strengthening, no tools required!
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!
Australian International Islamic College
724 Blunder Road,
Durack
0422 433 074
from 3.30PM to
Maghrib
14 March 2020
Saturday
1st National Conference 2020: “Environmental Crisis and Our
Obligations to Act: Teachings from Islam and Abrahamic Faith
Traditions”
Centre for
Interfaith and Cultural Dialogue, Griffith
Nathan Campus, University
TBA
23 March 2020
(tentative)
Monday
LAILATU
MI'RAAJ
(Ascension
night)
27th Rajab
1441
10 April 2020(tentative)
Friday
NISF SHA'BAAN
(Lailatul
Bahrat)
15th Sha'baan
1441
25 April 2020(tentative)
Saturday
RAMADAAN
(Start of the
month of fasting)
1st Ramadaan
1441
21 May 2020(tentative)
Thursday
LAILATUL-QADR
(Night of
Power)
27th Ramadaan
1441
25 May 2020(tentative)
Monday
EID-UL-FITR
(End of the
month of fasting)
1st Shawal
1441
31 July 2020(tentative)
Friday
YAWMUL ARAFAH
(Day of Arafah)
9th Zil-Hijjah
1441
1 August 2020(tentative)
Saturday
EID-UL-ADHA
10th Zil-Hijja
1441
21 August 2020(tentative)
Friday
RAʼS AL-SANAH
AL-HIJRĪYAH
(Islamic New
Year)
1st Muharram
1442
30 August 2020 (tentative)
Sunday
DAY OF ASHURA
10th Muharram
1442
30 October 2020
(tentative)
Friday
MILAD UN NABI
(Birth of
Prophet Mohammed (pbuh)
12th Rabi-ul-Awwal
1442
PLEASE NOTE
1. All Islamic Event dates given above are supplied by
the Council of Imams QLD (CIQ) and are provided as a guide and are
tentative and subject to the sighting of the moon.
2. The Islamic date changes to the next day starting in
the evenings after maghrib. Therefore, exceptfor Lailatul
Mehraj,
Lailatul Bhahraat
and
Lailatul Qadr - these dates refer to the commencement of the event
starting in the evening of the corresponding day.
HikmahWay offers online and
in-person Islamic courses to
equip Muslims of today with
the knowledge, understanding
and wisdom to lead balanced,
wholesome and beneficial
lives.
Articles and
opinions appearing in this newsletter do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of the CCN Team, its Editor or its
Sponsors, particularly if they eventually turn out to be
libellous, unfounded, objectionable, obnoxious, offensive,
slanderous and/or downright distasteful.
It is the usual policy of CCN to
include from time to time, notices of events that some
readers may find interesting or relevant. Such notices are
often posted as received. Including such messages or
providing the details of such events does not necessarily
imply endorsement of the contents of these events by CCN
The best ideas
and the best feedback come from our community of readers. If you
have a topic or opinion that you want to write about or want
seen covered or any news item that you think might be of benefit
to the Crescents Community please
e-mail us..
Share your
thoughts, feelings and ambitions for our community through CCN.
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someone you know who would like to subscribe to CCN please
encourage them to enter their details
here.
26 American Muslim Candidates Win in Nov. 5
Elections for Total of 34 Muslims Elected in
2019
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7
August 2011