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Crescents Community News (CCN)
wishes all our non-Muslim
readers, subscribers,
followers, advertisers
all
the very best for the
festive season, and
to everyone - have
a
great and safe holiday
season, insha'Allah.
Yesterday (Saturday),
200,000kgs of hay bales was
delivered by Muslim Aid
Australia in South Australia
to drought affected farmers
in Peterborough and the
Upper mid-North region of
SA.
In what was one of the
biggest drops of hay bales
that SA has ever witnessed,
15 trucks delivered over 570
hay bales.
This is part of an ongoing
drought relief operations,
and specifically for the
farmers in South Australia
who have been severely
affected the past 3 years.
This project was made
possible with the help and
co-operation of the Islamic
Society of South Australia (ISSA),
Muslim Charitable Foundation
(MCF), the Deen Family,
Helping SA Farmers (HSAF)
and a number of donors and
supporters.
Belal Shmait, Talal Kanj,
Jawad Nabouche, Huseyin Jasli
came back to cook at the
Willawarrin Fair.
Four Muslim men have driven
from Sydney to northern New
South Wales for a second
time to put on a barbecue
for bushfire victims.
The builders by trade
travelled about six hours
from their homes in Auburn
in Western Sydney to be at
the first get-together for
the community of
Willawarrin, which has been
devastated by the recent
fires.
After the fires hit, the men
surprised Kempsey locals by
just turning up at the
evacuation centre with the
barbecue, but this time they
were happy to come back to
cook for Willawarrin's fair.
Leaving just before six
o'clock in the morning,
Jawad Nabouche and his mates
drove north on the Pacific
Highway with a ute loaded
with about 30 kilos of
sausages and 30 boxes of
water and all the utensils
and equipment they needed to
cook a barbecue.
"It's the least we can do,
to try help the community
and help everybody up here
and put a smile on
everybody's faces," Mr
Nabouche said.
"We
can't fight fires but we can
put a barbecue on."
Jawad Nabouche and
his friends brought
30 kilos of sausages
to cook.
Our adopted people'
Kempsey Shire Council Mayor
Liz Campbell recalled how
the men "just arrived" one
Saturday morning.
"At that stage, the roads
were cut but we had to wait
to be able to get through
and we came up to the pub
and they put on this
fabulous barbecue and became
part of the Willawarrin
community," Cr Campbell
said.
She said that support meant
"everything to us now".
"When you're down you need
that support to keep you
up," Cr Campbell said.
"They've become part of
Willawarrin, they're our
adopted people."
The builders by
trade downed tools
for the day to be at
the Willawarrin
Fair.
Locals 'gobsmacked'
Maree Tyme, who lost fences
in the fires but not her
home, said it was "amazing"
the amount of people who
have come to support the
fire victims at Willawarrin.
"You see it in other places
with different things that
happen in life but to happen
in your own little hometown
that I grew up in, born and
bred here, it's just amazing
to get support from outside
communities," Ms Tyme said.
"They literally brought
everything besides the
kitchen sink and the
barbecue.
"It's a beautiful gift to
give to our little village
and there are lots of
fire-affected people here
and around us who have lost
their home."
The Mayor said many
residents were in need of a
morale boost like this.
"We've got families in
Willawarrin with children
who have lost everything,
they've lost their home,
they've lost all their
childhood stuff and that's
hard for kids," Cr Campbell
said.
"For them to come up from
Sydney, bring all their own
stuff, all their equipment,
they come up, cooked us food
and went home and they
didn't know any of us," he
said.
"It's been daunting and
mind-blowing the amount of
support that I've got from
all the community. It's been
great, really."
Tania and her husband, who
married a week before the
devastating fires, stayed
and fought the fire.
Their house was saved but
their property was burnt all
the way around.
"Everyone was just
gobsmacked and just so
overwhelmed that they did
that for us, they're
beautiful people," she said.
Last weekend the Hurricane
Stars Club had it’s first
annual general meeting since
incorporating as a
not-for-profit organisation
in 2018. The committee met
and discussed their programs
over the past 18 months with
a great sense of
achievement.
There is a common myth that
the Hurricane Stars Club is
a government funded
organisation but it is not.
It receives no funding from
the government except of a
few small grants to run
specific programs like a
workshop for mental health
week or on cyberbullying.
The Hurricane Stars Club is
run completely by hard
working volunteers who
receive no payment for their
positions or roles
coordinating our activities.
Our volunteers give up their
own time to plan, organise
and run the activities with
no reimbursement for their
time or petrol. We only
charge participants cost
price for the activities to
help to cover costs. In the
beginning of 2019, we opened
our own centre so that we
can run consistent
activities to benefit the
community. We share the
space with mental health
counsellor Kholoud Abdulla.
Our volunteers hold a
Bunnings BBQ once a month to
raise money to pay our share
of the rent and expenses.
All of our fundraising goes
completely towards covering
our activity costs, so that
our activities remain low
cost for the community.
We are proud of the programs
we have been able to create
and run successfully over
the past 18 months. One of
our major focuses has been
to develop a wide variety of
programs to engage women in
physical activity. We
started and continue to run
ladies only fitness,
Pilates, aqua aerobics and
soccer skills classes and a
ladies walking group in
Karawatha Forest. We ran
fitness classes after school
at the Islamic College of
Brisbane(ICB) for mothers,
students and staff. We
organised adventurous
activities for ladies to
challenge themselves like
indoor and outdoor rock
climbing, abseiling, surfing
and kayaking. We were chosen
by Logan City Council to
train female sports coaches
in soccer, volleyball and
netball.
The cornerstone of our
program is our unique ladies
only (and now men only also)
swimming program. It is the
only ladies only program in
Brisbane that gives women a
safe female only space to
swim. Our proudest
achievement is that for the
past 3 years that we have
been running this program,
we have changed the lives of
100’s of women by teaching
them how to swim. Our
program has been successful
because of the dedication of
our volunteer staff, we
receive no commission from
the pool but we keep the
price at a low at cost price
for the participants. The
success of our swimming
program was even mentioned
in the Queensland Parliament
by Minster Cameron Dick and
we have been chosen by Metro
South Queensland Health to
train community members as
swimming instructors and we
have successfully trained 7
qualified female instructors
over the past year.
The other successful
programs that we have
started over the past year
is an Islamic Playgroup,
monthly social gatherings
for sisters, Quran, Arabic
and fiqh classes. We run
regular activities for kids
in the school holidays,
including partnering with
Brisbane City Council to run
activities for the community
for Youth Week 2019. We have
run a variety of workshops
for parents, including a
highly successful workshop
on the dangers of computer
gaming. We run the Be
Connected program to teach
digital computer literacy
skills to people over 50
years old. We partnered with
the Muslim Charitable
Foundation to host iftars
for ladies during Ramadan
and we partnered with Muslim
Aid to run Ramadan
activities for children in
Underwood Marketplace. We
have enjoyed successfully
partnering with a wide
variety of community members
and organisations over the
past 18 months to do a
variety of programs for the
community.
We have organised 5 major
community events in the past
18 months. We had two highly
successful mother and
daughter events - a high tea
at Stanford Plaza and a
dinner at IWAA. We had a
movie night at ICB for the
only showing in Brisbane of
the Bilal: A New Breed of
Hero film. We arranged for
the Zaky and Friends Show to
come to Brisbane, doing
shows at the Islamic
schools, visiting the local
madressas and doing a
weekend show for the
community. Our biggest event
was a family fun day at ICB
for child protection week
that was attended by 1000
people who enjoyed a variety
of stalls and rides. Our
other biggest achievement
for the year was to
successfully created
Brisbane’s only Muslim scout
group called the Muslim
Crescent Scouts. It took 10
months of meetings,
paperwork and training to
finally start in October
2019. We have 3 scout
sections – cubs(7-10 years
old), scouts(11-14 years
old) and venturers (15-18
years old), who meet every
Sunday afternoon and do a
variety of fun activities.
We look forward to
continuing our regular
activities and the starting
of our exciting new youth
program and many more
programs next year inshallah.
We love working with other
community organisations and
members. If a community
organisation or member has
skills or knowledge they
would like to share with the
community or has a program
idea we are happy to support
you, if we can. Follow us on
Facebook or Instagram to
find out about all our
upcoming programs.
Far-right extremist Blair
Cottrell, who was found guilty
of inciting hatred, contempt and
ridicule of Muslims, told
reporters he was broke.
Judge upholds religious
vilification conviction and
says 2017 beheading of dummy
was calculated to promote
‘demeaning stereotyping’
Far-right extremist Blair
Cottrell has lost his appeal
against a conviction for
religious vilification, with
a judge finding a 2017 stunt
in which he beheaded a dummy
to protest against a
proposed mosque in Victoria
was “calculated to promote
rank and demeaning
stereotyping of Muslims”.
On Thursday the chief judge
of the Victorian county
court, Peter Kidd, dismissed
the former United Patriots
Front leader’s appeal
against the conviction,
saying he did not believe
that Cottrell had not
intended to incite hatred,
contempt and ridicule of
Muslims with the stunt.
“I reject completely the
many explanations advanced
by the appellant that this
was not directed to
engendering extreme feelings
about Muslims in general,”
Kidd said in his judgment.
“His explanations smack of a
manufactured post facto
rationalisation and are
lacking in credibility. I do
not believe the appellant.”
Kidd said Cottrell’s
argument that the stunt was
“intended to be humorous”
was “lacking in all
credibility” and was
“patently disingenuous”.
“I have concluded, beyond
reasonable doubt, that it
was the appellant’s
intention to incite these
extreme feelings against
Muslims because of their
religious beliefs,” Kidd
found.
“That is, that the appellant
intended that the strong
feelings be stirred up in
his target audience, towards
Muslims, because of the
religious beliefs of
Muslims.”
Outside the court on
Thursday, Cottrell told
reporters he was broke.
“My bank account’s been
closed down, my PayPal
account has been closed
down,” he said. “The fact
that I’m at court now
wearing a suit is a
miracle.”
Cottrell was found guilty of
inciting hatred, contempt
and ridicule of Muslims
after making a video
beheading a dummy in protest
of a Bendigo mosque in 2017.
Cottrell, Neil Erikson and
Christopher Neil Shortis
were convicted and fined
over the beheading video,
involving a dummy made of
pillows and red liquid
squirting from its head.
One of the group wore an
imitation of a Muslim head
covering while one or more
shouted “Allahu Akbar”.
The video also showed the
group chanting “Aussie,
Aussie, Aussie” while
carrying and driving around
with flags.
Cottrell had his previous
magistrates court conviction
reinstated and he was fined
$2,000 by the county court
on Thursday.
During the case Cottrell’s
lawyer, John Bolton, had
argued his client had been
protesting against local
government and not Muslims.
But Kidd said in his
judgment that while the
stunt was filmed outside the
Bendigo council building it
did not “cure the
vilification intended”.
“The fact that [Cottrell]
may have wanted to incite
extreme feelings against
Muslims [because of their
religion] for a political
purpose to attend a
political rally, does not
cure the vilification
intended,” Kidd said in his
judgment.
“That is, even if the ends
were political, the means
remain vilifying. Having a
political end is not a
defence to the charge. The
prohibition does not provide
such a justification or
excuse. Finally, I do not
accept the appellant’s bare
denial in his evidence that
he did not intend to stir up
strong feelings. It does sit
with the weight of all of
the other evidence.”
Muslim Aid Australia CEO,
Shayhk Hassan Elsetohy,
resigned effective 31
December 2019.
The MAA Board wrote:
Shayhk Hassan has been
the critical element in
the success and
performance of MAA over
the last 8 years. The
organisation will miss
his unwavering
commitment to the
mission of MAA and his
dedicated and
world-class approach to
all aspects of the
not-for-profit and NGO
environment. Most of all
we will miss his passion
for helping those who
need it most.
We would like to thank
Shayhk Hassan for all
the achievements he has
made. His achievements
are numerous but some of
the key ones include:
• Achieving
double-digit growth
for every year of
his leadership.
• Achieving DFAT and
ACFID accreditation
and recognition
industry-wide as
being a leader in
processes and
planning in the NFP
space.
• Creating parallel
support programs in
times of crisis and
sustainable
lifecycle
development programs
aimed to reduce long
term poverty and
distress.
• Overseeing the
growth of the
organisation from 7
staff to over 30.
We would again like to
thank Shayhk Hassan for
his efforts and
commitment which have
been unwavering and his
implementation of
class-leading programs
and processes for MAA.
This has made MAA a
better organisation and
charity for the future.
We wish him every good
in his future endeavours
and we believe his
contribution to the NFP
& NGO space has only
just begun. His ability
to help and educate the
sector is going to be
something we will
continue to learn and
benefit from.
Shayhk Hassan Elsetohy has
delivered the Friday lecture
and kuthbah at the Kuraby
Mosque on a number of
occasions over the past
years.
Shayhk Hassan Elsetohy
posted on Facebook the
following message:
Assalamou Alykom dear
stakeholders of MAA,
first of all I would
like thank all of you
for the wonderful
support I was privileged
to have throughout the
almost 8-years in my
role as the CEO of MAA.
Every beginning has an
end! It was a hard
decision, and with mixed
feelings, I am writing
this public statement to
inform you that my last
day in MAA will be the
31st of December 2019.
The journey has been,
both really, enjoyable
and challenging.
However, to describe it
in one sentence, it was
“Going from strength to
strength, based on
ethical, moral and
professional
principles”. It was
almost a dream to build
a faith-inspired charity
that truly combines the
best of the two worlds,
the world-class
professional corporate
way of management and
the ethical,
transparent, responsible
and moral values.
The results speak for
themselves, and after
achieving such amazing
results, with my
wonderful team and all
stakeholders of the
organisation, I feel my
job is done, and it is
time to move on to
another endeavours that
fall in the core of my
passion. I am leaving
behind a truly
transparent, trustworthy
and professional NGO.
As for the future, I
will be focusing on a
number of initiatives,
mainly developing the
next-generation model of
not-for-profit (NFP) and
charity organisations,
consulting to the NGO
sector to help them
reach the optimal
operating models, and
Permaculture consulting.
I will be consulting to
a number of NGOs sharing
my experience with them
and other experts in the
field to raise the
efficiency and
effectiveness of the
sector.
For the past eight
years, I saw the NFP
sector evolving
considerably, and I
believe the sector is at
a stage where it is
ready, and actually
needs, a new innovative
business model to be
able to perform its role
optimally along-side
both the for-profit and
the government sectors.
That business model is
clear in my eyes with
all aspects of its
canvas, such as supply
chain, resources,
channels, frameworks,
technology,
sustainability,
environment and
partnerships to mention
a few. The day-to-day
hectic and complex
operations prevented me
to progress finalising
this model and actually
writing it. I will now
have the time to do so,
and most importantly
test it.
I would like to thank my
team, MAA board, donors
& consultants, ACFID,
the ACNC, DFAT and all
stakeholders for the
wonderful support, and
wish all the best
Fourth generation sugar cane
farmer Alma Mohammed lives
in Gordonvale, outside of
Cairns in far north
Queensland.
They are the only Muslim
family in the small town.
Her family has been in
Australia for more than 100
years but that does not
protect her from racist
slurs telling her to "go
back to where you come
from".
She is not alone.
A major study from Charles
Sturt University has found
woman wearing head coverings
are the most common targets
of Islamaphobic incidents in
Australia.
Ellisa Parker lives outside
of Toowoomba.
She and her two young
children have been
experienced harassment in
her community.
She says things have been
worse since the Christchurch
mosque shootings.
Striving to be the world’s
most EMPOWERING and most
OBTAINABLE provider of
Islamic Education on Demand.
Academy Alive studios in
Underwood, is now
delivering, accessible
Islamic education content
directly into the homes of
Muslims around Australia
through online engagement.
Empowering each Australian
Muslim with their ULTIMATE
goal, connect to the words
of Allah Subhanahu wa Ta’ala.
Have you always wanted to
taste the sweetness of the
Quran directly in Arabic?
The Quran Alive course is a
journey for the seeker of
knowledge. A culmination of
14 years of research and
development, the Academy
Alive scholars, made up of 4
Australian born Imams, and 3
Ustadhs, have continuously,
tailored, refined, and
systemised our unique
curriculum producing,
world-class, modern
standards of education.
Quran Alive is available
ONLINE!
And Enrolments are
closing soon.
Register TODAY to begin your
journey as a seeker of
knowledge.
Narrated by Abu Hurairah:
that the Messenger of
Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever
takes a path upon which
to obtain knowledge,
Allah makes the path to
Paradise easy for him
We all know sheikh Shady
Alsuleiman as the founder of
Australia’s largest youth
centre, and president of
Islamic governing body,
Australian National Imaams
Council.
Real Talk Podcast delved
into the life of Sheikh
Shady Alsuleiman. From the
early years, his desire to
seek knowledge at a young
age, to his life abroad,
experiencing the cultures of
Pakistan and Syria.
Upon moving back to
Australia, Sheikh Shady
found a calling, calling
Muslims and non-Muslims
alike to Islam, all for the
pleasure of Allah Subhanahu
wa Ta’ala.
A thought-provoking podcast,
with one of Australia’s most
influential Islamic leaders
with Sheikh Shady. Gain
insight into how United
Muslims of Australia, are
focusing their efforts in
reaching the youth, and how
the Australian National
Imams Council is raising
awareness of growing
concern, and issue for the
Muslim community,
Islamophobia, and an Issue
for all Australian’s the
rise of white supremacy.
Junior doctor Farah Roslan
(left) with consultant surgeon
Gill Tierney
UK: A hospital trust
believes it is the first in
the UK to introduce
disposable sterile
headscarves for staff to use
in operating theatres.
Junior doctor Farah Roslan,
who is Muslim, had the idea
during her training at the
Royal Derby Hospital.
She said it came following
infection concerns related
to her hijab that she had
been wearing throughout the
day.
It is hoped the items can be
introduced nationally but
NHS England said it would be
up to individual trusts.
Ms Roslan, who works in
Lincolnshire, said the idea
came to her while she was a
medical student with
University Hospitals of
Derby and Burton NHS Trust.
"I'd been using [the same
headscarf] all day which
obviously wasn't clean and
ideal," she told BBC Radio
Derby.
"I didn't feel comfortable
taking it off and I was
pulled out from the theatre,
respectfully, due to
infection control."
She said a middle ground had
to be found between "dress
code due to faith" and the
"passion" of being in the
operating theatre.
Ms Roslan looked to
Malaysia, the country of her
birth, for ideas before
creating a design and
testing fabrics.
"I'm really happy and
looking forward to seeing if
we can endorse this
nationally," she said.
Consultant surgeon Gill
Tierney, who mentored Ms
Roslan, said the trust was
the first to introduce the
headscarves in the UK.
"We know it's a quiet,
silent, issue around
theatres around the country
and I don't think it has
been formally addressed,"
she said.
"It hasn't cost much and
hopefully the effect will be
enormous."
The University Hospitals of
Derby and Burton NHS Trust
said the new headscarves
were available to use for
the first time earlier in
December.
The Sisterhood Empowerment
(SHE) Campaign Inc.
collaborated with @podium
productions for their second
Sincerely Yours open mic
night. Theme: Redefining
Success in Melbourne.
It was an evening with raw
spoken word poetry,
brilliant rapping skills,
inspiring artwork and
stories that were altogether
heartbreaking, hilarious and
uplifting.
Audience members also came
out to share their stories.
"We are proud to have worked
with Podium to create this
safe space where women can
connect, support and empower
each other," the organizers
posted.
The Sisterhood Empowerment
(SHE) Campaign Inc. is an
women empowerment non-profit
organisation. Through
charity work, advocacy and
education, The SHE Campaign
Inc. aims to unite, inspire,
educate and empower women
both nationally and
internationally.
Each scholarship includes a
living stipend and tuition
fee scholarship. The per
annum tax-free value of the
living stipend for each
scholarship is $28,092 with
the exception of Aboriginal
Christianity in Queensland:
a comparative perspective
(Indigenous applicants only)
which has a value of
$38,092.
These amounts are indexed
annually.
Duration
The scholarships are for a
duration of three years with
the possibility of two
6-month extensions in
approved circumstances.
Closing date
Friday 17 January, 2020
Islam
and Queensland: assessing
generational patterns - PhD
Scholarship
This project traces the deep
history of the Muslim
community in Queensland,
setting Islam’s largely
marginalised history against
the dynamics of recent
diasporic arrivals from
various parts of the globe
(Africa, the Middle East and
Southeast Asia). In keeping
with other analyses of
diasporic religious
communities, this study will
explore factors of community
cohesion, civic
participation and identity
amid the dislocations and
challenges of migrant
experience.
This project will be
supervised by Dr Ryan
Williams and Dr Tom Aechtner.
Please contact Dr Ryan
Williams and/or Dr Tom
Aechtner with any questions.
The successful applicant
will enrol through the
School of Historical and
Philosophical Inquiry.
POSITION PURPOSE: Reporting
to the Community Programs
Manager, the trainee will
through on the job learning,
assist the with development,
roll out and execution of
Community based programs.
Completing a Certificate in
Business the trainee will
also develop administrative
skills with a sports
administration background.
KEY RESULT AREAS:
1. Assist in developing
internal and external
relationships to build the
Brisbane Lions Community
Department
2. Complete all
administrative duties as
requested and required to
fulfil the role
3. Work in with external
parties i.e. schools,
community groups, football
clubs to deliver community
events and programs.
In 2012, the Executive
Council of Australian Jewry
brought a complaint under
the Racial Discrimination
Act against Facebook, after
it had failed to respond to
a number of complaints about
content. Facebook had to
attend a compulsory
conciliation. This process
prompted Facebook to remove
‘hundreds of crudely
antisemitic racist images
and comments that had
appeared on 51 Facebook
pages’. Facebook
suddenly became more
accountable to the
Australian Jewish community.
Australian Muslims have no
such leverage, because
unlike the Jewish community,
we don’t have protection at
the national level.
Federal legislation is what
counts when it comes to
social media, which is why
Australian Muslims have been
fighting for the proposed
Religious Discrimination
Bill to include a shield
against incitement of hatred
or violence (vilification).
The Facebook complaint
wasn’t the only one. The
Council has been able to
achieve a lot through direct
conciliation.
But they’ve also reported
that in most cases they were
able to resolve the issue
without even going to the
Commission by just pointing
to the law.
In rare cases, the peak body
was not able to resolve the
matter at conciliation and
chose to litigate. In the
landmark cases of Jones v
Scully and Jones vs Toben,
the Council established
‘gross forms of antisemitic
discourse, including
Holocaust denial…’ were
clearly unlawful.
In a submission to
Parliament in 2016, the
Jewish peak body wrote that
this ‘redress and public
vindication’ provided the
‘community with reassurance
about the essential
fairness, tolerance and
civility of Australian
society and thus of
preventing or counteracting
the harms that public
expressions of antisemitism
would otherwise cause them.’
Wouldn’t it be nice for our
community to also feel this
redress and reassurance from
Australian society? And to
reduce the violence that
flows on from this speech?
Imagine if our legal and
advocacy bodies, were able
to stand up on the
community’s behalf against
those who incite hatred
against us.
A civil remedy is within our
grasp, if we do our best
with the Religious
Discrimination Bill debate
to elevate our concerns.
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
Green ReEntry housemates pray
together in the film 'The Honest
Struggle.'
...continued from last
week's CCN....
Have you seen attitudes
among American Muslims
change toward incarcerated
and previously incarcerated
people?
Absolutely. In the past five
years or so there have been
various programs that have
been started from the Muslim
community to do both
in-reach and outreach.
Organizations like the Tayba
Foundation and Link Outside
provide educational
opportunities and religious
training for incarcerated
Muslims via correspondence
and in person, and they’re
also linking them with
communities for housing and
other services when they’re
on the outside. These
organizations are really
invested in convert care,
which a large swath of these
Muslim prisoners are.
The Lighthouse Mosque, which
was created by Imam Zaid
Shakir in Northern
California, is just starting
its reentry program Al Ouda,
which means “The Return,”
with a house and social
services. Islah LA, with
Imam Jihad Saafir, has two
homes, one for men and one
for women. Five or six years
ago the Ta’leef Collective
spearheaded a reentry
program to give people a
space to share their stories
and offer social
rehabilitation and mental
health services.
This conversation is brewing
in our community, and people
are realizing how important
these services are. I
believe the tide is
shifting, and I'm hoping
this film can amplify that
conversation.
Has your own faith been
affected by making this
film?
It's made me realize how
important it is to empower
men and women that are
formerly incarcerated
because they have witnessed
oftentimes the most
difficult of tragedies and
hardships. They’ve been
compacted. When you have an
incredible amount of
pressure on a soul — it’s
like how coal can create a
diamond. It gives me immense
perspective and reveals a
lot of ugly truths about
society.
In America, Muslims have a
long legacy of caring about
issues of incarceration.
People remember Malcolm X as
a political figure, not as
someone who cared for souls
inside and coming out of
prison. The Nation of Islam
has pioneered this type of
work, and I want to see that
continued in contemporary
American society: creating
systems to assist people
that are coming home and
people that are in
transition. People deserve
relief from that oppression.
It's actually an obligation
on us to provide that. We
can learn from the Nation in
how they created structures
of employment. At one time
the Nation owned a fish
company in which they were
fishing, canning, selling
and feeding people, and they
were self-sustaining in many
ways. It's something I would
like to see in our own
community.
We have examples of leaders
that were unjustly
imprisoned in the history of
Shia Islam. Imam Musa al-Kazim,
who was a descendant of
African people, was
imprisoned for most of his
life and was still able to
make an incredible impact on
the Muslim community while
incarcerated. Imam Hasan al-Askari
was behind bars for much of
his life as well. People
drew an incredible amount of
wisdom and guidance from him
and he was able to shape
structures while being
incarcerated.
We talk about speaking truth
to power in our current
discourse. What better
person to speak truth to
power than somebody who has
been oppressed by that power
in an incredible way?
Where is Sadiq now?
He’s currently in Los
Angeles. He’s founded a
cleaning company and is
hoping to employ men and
women who are formerly
imprisoned to give them a
chance. They’re cleaning the
school and mosque space at
Islah-LA. We see each other
every week or so since we’re
doing screenings.
Quotes “We are open to dialogue
to iron out all the pending
issues, not only for the
benefit of our peoples and
governments, but also to
spare our region the
pointless efforts to
dissipate our gains.”
“Suffering and injustice
pave the way for terrorism
to flourish. Evil actors
will twist religious dogmas
to poison the minds of
desperate people.”
Statistics
25 billion barrels of crude
oil reserves
Under 400 thousand citizens
in Qatar.
Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani
Emir of Qatar
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani
became the Emir of Qatar at
the age of 33 after his
father, Sheikh Hamad bin
Khalifa Al-Thani, abdicated
in June 2013. Qatar is the
richest country in the world
with a GDP per capita of
$63,505. It has under
400,000 citizens whilst the
rest of its population of
three mil- lion are ex-patriate
workers. It is the top
exporter of liquefied
natural gas, and the site of
the third largest natural
gas reserves in the world.
Influence Family: Sheikh Tamim
is Sheikh Hamad’s fourth son
and was chosen as Crown
Prince in August 2003. His
mother is the powerful
Sheikha Moza, who still
plays a prominent public
role as an advocate for
social and educational
causes.
Education: Sheikh
Tamim completed his studies
at a private school in UK
before going on to graduate
at the Royal Military
Academy in Sandhurst (in
1998). During his time as
Crown Prince (2003-13),
Sheikh Tamim had exposure to
a wide-range of posts
including security (he was
deputy commander of the
armed forces), economics
(chairman of the Qatar
Investment Authority) and
sports. He supervised
Qatar’s successful bid to
host the 2022 FIFA World
Cup.
Expectations: Qatar
exploded onto the world
scene under his father’s
reign, and expectations are
that Sheikh Tamim will try
to consolidate these achievements. Packing a
punch far above its weight
has led to neighbouring
countries questioning the
purpose of so many
initiatives. He has had to
repair relations with other
Gulf countries over
supporting the Muslim
Brotherhood, and defend
Qatar’s world image over the
treatment of labourers in
Qatar.
Blockade: In June
2017, Saudi Arabia, United
Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and
Egypt cut all relations with
Qatar and imposed trade and
travel bans. This drastic
action resulted from various
claims that Qatar was
supporting terrorism and had
violated a 2014 agreement
with GCC countries. Its good
relations with Iran and it
hosting Al-Jazeera TV
network are also factors in
this tense situation which
has seen foodstuff imported
from Iran and Turkish
soldiers called in to help
safeguard Qatar assets. A
further complicating factor
in this family feud is that
Qatar hosts the largest
American base in the Middle
East and all the blockade
partners are close allies of
the US. Two years of the
blockade seems to have made
little impact, with the Emir
enjoying good international
relations and continuing
foreign investment.
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.....
In the Eastern Seamen’s
Club, music was provided by
a military band. The
soldiers could eat their
customary food, listen to
Indian records on a
gramophone or play specially
imported Indian drums.
Air letter forms were also
provided to the seamen to
assist them in writing home.
Languages spoken within
groups there included
Gujarati, Hindee, Bengali,
Urdu and Pushtu.
On the bookshelves of the
club, various books and
magazines in Arabic, Urdu,
Bengali, Hindee and Chinese
were available, including
magazines called ‘Oranje’
for the Javanese seamen.
The Indian name for the
Eastern Seamen’s Club was
Kush Dil, which means
“Heart’s Delight.” It was
written in Bengali on the
front of the building
alongside its official name.
The club was considered the
only one of its kind in the
world outside India.
In the club, besides the
Indians, were Malays and
Javanese seamen, and others
were also welcomed
–“Chinese, Arabs,
Abyssinians and Egyptians
have all made the club their
home during their temporary
stay in port.”
However, the need for the
club largely disappeared in
peacetime.
One of the Malay seamen,
Amat bin Kassam, was called
up in Australia for military
service in 1943 as he “was a
British subject.”
The seaman served throughout
the war in various
capacities in the navy and
with the American small
ships.
He was a third-class
engineer gunner on HMS
Bawong-Liong and was
discharged with a
certificate of competency.
He then joined the USA
Service of Supplies, SW
Pacific Area, and was
discharged in 1945. His
discharge paper noted his
“conduct and ability very
good.”
Afterwards, Amat began
working at Howard Smith’s
shipyard, but soon faced
deportation.
Many Muslim soldiers after
service returned to
Australia remembering their
brothers-in-arms and
recalling unforgettable
memories.
In the Muslim section of the
Mt Gravatt cemetery, graves
of World War II soldiers are
clearly identified,
including thoseof: Gunner
Ramzan Din (d. 1944), Hong
Kong-Singapore Royal
Artillery; Muhammad Sarwar
(d. 1945), Rajput Regiment;
Allah Dita (d. 1945), 14th
Punjab Regiment; and Pt. A.
Aleman (d. 1990), 20th
Infantry Brigade.
On their headstones, there
are Islamic inscriptions.
The badge of their regiment
is carved on each with the
man’s name, date of death
and age.
Indian Prime
Minister Narendra Modi, center,
waves as Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) President Amit Shah, left,
looks on during a public meeting
in Ahmedabad, May 26, 2019.
Continued from
last week's CCN....
None of the
white
supremacist,
neo-Nazi groups
that are on the
rise in the
world today can
boast the
infrastructure
and manpower
that the RSS
commands. It
says it has
57,000 shakhas—branches—across
the country, and
an armed,
dedicated
militia of over
600,000
“volunteers.” It
runs schools in
which millions
of students are
enrolled, and
has its own
medical
missions, trade
unions, farmers’
organizations,
media outlets,
and women’s
groups.
Recently, it
announced that
it was opening a
training school
for those who
wish to join the
Indian Army.
Under its bhagwa
dhwaj—its
saffron
pennant—a whole
host of
far-right
organizations,
known as the
Sangh Parivar—the
RSS’s
“family”—have
prospered and
multiplied.
These
organizations,
the political
equivalents of
shell companies,
are responsible
for shockingly
violent attacks
on minorities in
which, over the
years, uncounted
thousands have
been murdered.
Prime Minister
Narendra Modi
has been a
member of the
RSS since he was
8 years old. He
is a creation of
the RSS.
Although not
Brahmin, he,
more than anyone
else in its
history, has
been responsible
for turning it
into the most
powerful
organization in
India, and for
writing its most
glorious chapter
yet. It is
exasperating to
have to
constantly
repeat the story
of Modi’s ascent
to power, but
the officially
sanctioned
amnesia around
it makes
reiteration
almost a duty.
Modi’s political
career was
jump-started in
October 2001,
just weeks after
the 9/11 attacks
in the United
States, when the
BJP removed its
elected chief
minister in the
state of Gujarat
and installed
Modi in his
place. He was
not, at the
time, even an
elected member
of the state’s
legislative
assembly. Five
months into his
first term,
there was a
heinous but
mysterious act
of arson in
which 59 Hindu
pilgrims were
burned to death
in a train. As
“revenge,” Hindu
vigilante mobs
went on a
well-planned
rampage across
the state. An
estimated 2,500
people, almost
all of them
Muslim, were
murdered in
broad daylight.
Women were
gang-raped on
city streets,
and nearly
150,000 people
were driven from
their homes.
Immediately
after the
pogrom, Modi
called for
elections. He
won, not despite
the massacre but
because of
it—and was
reelected as
chief minister
for three
consecutive
terms. During
Modi’s first
campaign as the
prime
ministerial
candidate of the
BJP—which also
featured the
massacre of
Muslims, this
time in the
district of
Muzaffarnagar in
the state of
Uttar Pradesh—a
Reuters
journalist asked
him whether he
regretted the
2002 pogrom in
Gujarat. He
replied that he
would regret
even the death
of a dog if it
accidentally
came under the
wheels of his
car. This was
pure,
well-trained,
RSS-speak.
You have heard of ”Great
Wall of China”, have you
heard of “Grand Wall of
Masjids”?
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.
Arsenal distance themselves from Mesut Özil
comments on Uighurs’ plight
• Midfielder highlighted persecution of
Muslims in China
• Club says it ‘does not involve itself
in politics’ in statement
Arsenal have distanced themselves from
comments made by Mesut Özil on Instagram,
in which he spoke out strongly against
China’s persecution of the Uighur
population in the north-western region
of Xinjiang and criticised Muslims for
not doing more to highlight the issue.
The club sought to limit any damage
caused to its business in China, where
it has numerous commercial interests
including a chain of restaurants, by
releasing a statement on Weibo – a
leading Chinese social media site – as
well as other platforms stressing it is
apolitical and does not associate itself
with Özil’s views.
“Regarding the comments made by Mesut
Özil on social media, Arsenal must make
a clear statement,” it read. “The
content published is Özil’s personal
opinion. As a football club, Arsenal has
always adhered to the principle of not
involving itself in politics.”
Özil had added his voice to the wave of
international outrage about the
treatment of the Uighurs, a
Turkic-speaking Muslim minority who have
been subjected to a campaign of
religious and ethnic persecution by the
Chinese authorities.
Around 10 million live in Xinjiang and
there are claims that more than a
million have been held in detention
camps over recent years. Özil’s post had
listed a range of the issues facing
Uighurs in China, accusing other Muslims
of staying silent on the subject.
His Instagram message read: “East
Turkistan, the bleeding wound of the
Ummah, resisting against the persecutors
trying to separate them from their
religion. They burn their Qurans. They
shut down their mosques. They ban their
schools. They kill their holy men. The
men are forced into camps and their
families are forced to live with Chinese
men. The women are forced to marry
Chinese men.
“But Muslims are silent. They won’t make
a noise. They have abandoned them. Don’t
they know that giving consent for
persecution is persecution itself?”
It is not the first time Özil has become
involved in social and political issues.
His support for Turkey’s president,
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, has caused
controversy and he was widely criticised
in 2018 after posing with him for a
photograph. Erdogan was also best man at
Özil’s wedding in June.
INDIA: A group of women
wearing hijabs have been praised for
standing up to riot police in India,
amid protests in Delhi against a new
citizenship law based on religion.
In footage widely shared online, the
women can be seen shouting at the
officers at the gate of a south Delhi
home before pushing them back into the
street.
A man who attempts to shepherd the women
back into the home is then seized by the
officers, who drag him to the floor and
started beating him with long sticks.
But the women were able to protect the
man by forming a circle around him, as
officers continued trying to strike at
his legs.
The man later stands up after the police
have backed away and tells the women:
“I’m fine, go inside.”
Thousands of university students flooded
the streets of Delhi to protest the
citizenship law, which allows
non-Muslims who entered India illegally
from several neighbouring countries to
claim citizenship on the grounds they
faced persecution as minorities.
The Saudi "ulama"
are known for their strong
opposition to Shi'a
theology, Shi'a communities
in Saudi Arabia, and
external Shi'a influences
such as Iran and Hezbollah.
Their potent hostility,
combined with the influence
of the 'ulama' within the
Saudi state and the Muslim
world, has led some
commentators to blame the
Saudi 'ulama' for what they
see as growing sectarian
conflict in the Middle East.
However, there is very
little understanding of what
reasoning lies behind the
positions of the 'ulama' and
there is a significant gap
in the literature dealing
with the polemics directed
at the Shi'a by the Saudi
religious establishment.
In Saudi Clerics and Shi'a
Islam, Raihan Ismail looks
at the discourse of the
Saudi "ulama" regarding
Shiism and Shi'a
communities, analysing their
sermons, lectures,
publications and religious
rulings. The book finds that
the attitudes of the "ulama"
are not only governed by
their theological
convictions regarding Shiism,
but are motivated by
political events involving
the Shi'a within the Saudi
state and abroad. It also
discovers that political
events affect the intensity
and frequency of the
rhetoric of the ulama at any
given time.
Border
Crossings
My Journey as a Western Muslim
by
Mohammad Tufael Chowdhury
BOOK EXCERPT:
Continued from last week's
CCN....
I
reprised the story of how I
emerged through a series of
testing passages in life
that caused me untold anger
in childhood and left me
with years of unconsoled
bitterness towards Britain
and Bangladesh. I was
brought up in a crossover
generation where our parents
idealistically inculcated
the religious and social
perspectives of their
homeland on us, leaving us
to close out the gaps
between what they taught us
to expect and what actually
happened. Real life was more
brutal: exclusion for not
being white and frozen out
for not being proper
Bengali. As I laboured
through the narrative, I
began to realise that even
in my formative years seeds
were sown that would later
help me conquer my
challenges and emerge as a
more culturally settled
person. In particular I saw
how learning multiple
languages had helped me
bridge cultural gaps, and
how my global perspective
somehow connected my modest
life to major world events.
I am not sure my late father
would have felt that I was
fulfilling my potential as I
established my career,
advising Ministers, CEOs and
a few heads of state on what
to do with their economies.
I suspect a part of him
would be disappointed that I
haven’t done more to join
the ranks of my clients
rather than remain their
adviser. Whilst he wasn’t
vocal about it, he held
great expectations for me to
one day enter public office
and before his death he took
the opportunity to expose me
to influential politicians.
As a young graduate I met
Peter Shore, Member of
Parliament for Bethnal Green
in London and a senior
member of the Parliamentary
Labour Party, in the times
when he was keen to see a
Bengali emerge as his
successor in his largely
immigrant-populated
constituency, and in
Bangladesh we regularly
visited the home of my great
uncle, General Osmani, who
was a national hero and the
country’s first Minister of
Defence. In Britain, my
father saw an opportunity
for me to rise through the
ranks since the government
wanted to see non-whites get
into positions of influence
and I was one of the best
educated immigrant graduates
available.
But as political upheaval
and Islamic fundamentalism
spread across Asia, Europe,
the Middle East and Africa,
my career opportunities
mesmerized me, taking me to
the world’s hotspots and
exposing me with uncanny
regularity to societies in
flux. Regularly I got to
look inside and, due to the
nature of my work as a
government adviser, here and
there I got to apply a twist
to the golden thread of
political and social reform.
At times I liked worked on
topics which were pertinent
to social trends that were
resulting in political
upheaval in Muslim
countries. For example, in
Egypt I headed government
relations for a major
telecommunications operator
at a time when the
military-backed government
of President Hosni Mubarak
was attempting to get mobile
operators to open up their
networks for more
surveillance of potential
uprising activity. A few
years earlier, I had advised
the Saudi Arabian government
over liberalizing access to
the internet, having to
consider carefully how to
create competition in
internet services provision
whilst safeguarding against
uncensored content in
politics, religious topics
and pornography.
In fact through my career I
remained directly or
indirectly connected to the
question of how Muslim
societies have been trying
to adjust their relationship
with the Western world, all
along occupying the cultural
no man’s land I had been
stuck in ever since school
days. But as time went on I
learnt to deal with the
downsides of being in this
space, and became more
comfortable with its
ambiguities and advantages.
This life of traversing
cultural and physical border
crossings has given me the
narrative for this book.
There are plenty of
“identity” themed books out
there, including a few
excellent Muslim ones. What
lies in Border Crossings is
my journey, and the time it
has taken me to complete the
book has been taken up
looking for a way to relate
it to yours. This is
regardless of whether you
happen to be a Muslim, of
any faith or of no faith at
all, whether you are man or
woman and British or any
other nationality, because
we live in a world where we
are exposed to some form of
being the “other” some of
the time, and most of the
time for many. My journey
has been one of
understanding, accepting and
benefiting from being such
an outsider. It has taken a
few knocks and incidents to
appreciate it, but I have
discovered that the hardship
of being the “other” is in
fact one of life’s hidden
privileges.
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:
Comparisons Are
Pointless - The
Grass Is ALWAYS
Greener Where You
Water It
Social media has
become a platform
for comparisons. In
my nature of work, I
meet many people
struggling in
relationships,
careers and battling
with self-esteem
issues. However,
when they show me
their social media
pages, their
pictures tell a
different story.
Upon delving on the
issues surrounding
their struggles, the
most commonly
identified feelings
are:
• I’m not good
enough
• I wish my life
was like so an
so
• How come
everyone else
has a better
life than me?
• Why is Allah
punishing me?
These feelings all
revolve around a
very common whisper
that shaitaan
practises causing a
divide, competition
and jealousy among
people -
COMPARISONS.
The only place where
comparisons have any
validity is in
scientific research
studies where the
researcher has
knowledge of all the
variables of the
experiment and is
able to logically
analyse results by
comparing and
contrasting those
variables.
Humanity is not a
scientific
experiment. We are
not comparable. Why?
Because when you
compare yourself to
another, unlike the
researcher in a lab
experiment who knows
everything about all
the variables of the
experiment, YOU
DON’T KNOW
EVERYTHING about the
people you are
comparing yourself
with. From the
start, it is a
pointless exercise
to even put any
effort into. ONLY
ALLAH knows
everything about
everyone and yes,
there will come a
day where HE will
compare deeds and
judge us all. Your
comparisons are
baseless, pointless,
not to mention a
complete waste of
your precious energy
that could be spent
in ways to please
ALLAH. Comparisons
are shaitaan’s way
of taking you away
from the practice of
gratitude to the
practice of constant
fear and complaints.
The Grass Is
ALWAYS Greener Where
You Water It
Water the garden
of your soul...do
not waste time
wishing for a
different soul.
If you compare
yourself to others,
somehow you are
wishing for their
life. Your soul
needs nourishment,
it needs watering so
that you can see the
abundance from
ALLAH.
Your self-esteem is
based on how you
value yourself. If
you really feel the
need to compare,
compare yesterday’s
self with today’s
self. The beauty
about Islam is that
ALLAH has given us
five daily prayers
where we can pause
and reflect on
ourselves to better
ourselves from the
time we finish one
prayer to the time
we begin the next so
that we are
constantly growing.
Compare your
behaviours, your
response or reaction
to situations, your
gratitude meter,
your complaints
meter. The more you
affirm your life
positively, the more
positive outcomes
arise from
situations. Here are
some gratitude
statements to help
you switch your
mindset from
comparison to
gratefulness.
Situation
Negative
Self -Talk
Gratitude
Statements
Money
How come I
don’t have
as much
money as so
and so.
Thank you,
ALLAH, for
my financial
abundance.
Marriage
I wish my
marriage was
like...
Thank you,
ALLAH, for
my joyful
marriage.
Disobedient
children
Why aren’t
my kids like
theirs?
Thank you,
ALLAH, for
making my
children
healthy and
joyful and
keeping them
on the
straight
path.
Job
I hate my
job. I wish
I had a
different
job.
Thank you,
ALLAH, for
helping me
realise I am
not happy in
my job.
Please help
me find my
purpose.
Body Image
I don’t like
my body. I
wish I was
like...
Thank you,
ALLAH, for
my healthy
body which
unconditionally
breathes for
me and
allows me to
accomplish
righteous
deeds that
may please
you.
Someone wise once
said, “When you
change the way you
look at things, the
things you look at
change.”
If you wish to know
about a specific
topic with regards
to Self-Care and
Clarity of Mind,
please text or email
me. If you wish to
have a FREE one hour
Finding Clarity
telephone session,
contact me on
0451977786
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.
KB says:
Avocado is an incredibly nutritious food with a
high content of healthy fats and nutrients
…..and with the combination of avocados in
abundance and our hot summer days, Ice-cream is
just the perfect solution, give it a try
especially since there is no churning required.
Avocado, Lime and Coconut Ice Cream
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
2 ripe avocados
1 lime, juice and zest
300ml thickened cream
1 x 200g of condensed milk
¾ cup of desiccated coconut
1 tsp of cinnamon
pinch salt
Place the avocado and lime into a food processor and
blend until smooth.
Add the cream and condensed milk and blitz again until
well incorporated and light and fluffy.
Now add the coconut and cinnamon and on a low speed fold
through.
Pour into a 1.5 litre plastic container, and then cover
with plastic wrap and the lid. Freeze for 6 hours or,
even better, overnight. Serve as is or in ice cream
cones
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.
Q: Dear
Kareema, How do I possibly ‘survive’ the end of
year get-away with my extended family? How do I
keep active if everyone wants to relax and just
chill?
A:
All you have to do is keep moving.
Go for early morning
strolls or if you’re on your own, jog it.
Play some active
games with the kids and torch some calories
while you’re at it.
Pack your skipping
rope and small weights if you have any.
If you’re on the
beach, try some soft-sand running, volleyball or
beach cricket, etc.
When the family are
all together, sitting and chatting, do your
stretches or bodyweight exercises.
Their weekend
assignment was to sell something, then give a talk on
productive salesmanship.
Little Saliha led off: "I sold cookies and I made $15,"
she said proudly, "
My sales approach
was to appeal to the customer's civil spirit, and I
credit that approach for my obvious success.
"Very good," said
the teacher.
Little Zuliekha was next: "I sold magazines," she said,
"I made $20 and I explained to everyone that magazines
would keep them up on current events."
"Very good, Jenny,"
said the teacher.
Eventually, it was Little Jallalludin's turn.
The teacher held her
breath...
Little Jallalludin
walked to the front of the classroom and dumped a box
full of cash on the teacher's desk. "$1045.27," he said.
"$1045.27!" cried the teacher, "What in the world were
you selling?"
"Toothbrushes," said Little Jallalludin.
"Toothbrushes!" echoed the teacher, "How could you
possibly sell enough toothbrushes to make that much
money?"
"I found the busiest corner in town," said Little
Jallalludin, "I set up a chip and dip stand and gave
everyone a free sample." They all said, "Hey, this
tastes like dog poop!" Then I would say, "It is indeed
dog poop. Wanna buy a toothbrush?"
"I used the government's strategy of giving you
something for free, and then making you pay to get that
taste out of your mouth."
He that
does good shall have ten
times as much to his credit:
he that does evil shall only
be recompensed according to
his evil: no wrong shall be
done to [any of] them.
Australian
International
Islamic College
along with Al-Noor
Institute have
planned an
intensive
program for the
youth during the
school holidays.
This is an
excellent
opportunity to
occupy our
youngsters while
gaining
beneficial and
practical
knowledge about
Islamic topics
taught in a fun,
easy to
understand
format. It is
not only good
for our youth,
but for our
wider community
as well.
Topics for the
junior alim
group include:
Quranic
vocabulary,
Akhlaq of Nabi,
Basic tajweed.
Quran
memorisation,
Wudu and Salah
and concluded
with a fitness
session. Younger
ages from 5
years old will
learn basic duas,
some surahs,
Islamic manners,
Wudu & Salah and
more.
For more
information
contact the
numbers on the
flyer.
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!
1st National Conference 2020. "Environmental Crisis and Our
Obligations to Act: Teachings from Islam and Abrahamic Faith
Traditions"
Griffith University Centre for Interfaith and Cultural
Dialogue
0413 067 160
23 March
(tentative)
Monday
LAILATU
MI'RAAJ
(Ascension
night)
27th Rajab
1441
10 April(tentative)
Friday
NISF SHA'BAAN
(Lailatul
Bahrat)
15th Sha'baan
1441
25 April(tentative)
Saturday
RAMADAAN
(Start of the
month of fasting)
1st Ramadaan
1441
21 May(tentative)
Thursday
LAILATUL-QADR
(Night of
Power)
27th Ramadaan
1441
25 May(tentative)
Monday
EID-UL-FITR
(End of the
month of fasting)
1st Shawal
1441
31 July(tentative)
Friday
YAWMUL ARAFAH
(Day of Arafah)
9th Zil-Hijjah
1441
1 August (tentative)
Saturday
EID-UL-ADHA
10th Zil-Hijja
1441
21 August(tentative)
Friday
RAʼS AL-SANAH
AL-HIJRĪYAH
(Islamic New
Year)
1st Muharram
1442
30 August (tentative)
Sunday
DAY OF ASHURA
10th Muharram
1442
30 October
(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..
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Arsenal distance themselves from Mesut Özil
comments on Uighurs’ plight
I
reprised the story of how I
emerged through a series of
testing passages in life
that caused me untold anger
in childhood and left me
with years of unconsoled
bitterness towards Britain
and Bangladesh. I was
brought up in a crossover
generation where our parents
idealistically inculcated
the religious and social
perspectives of their
homeland on us, leaving us
to close out the gaps
between what they taught us
to expect and what actually
happened. Real life was more
brutal: exclusion for not
being white and frozen out
for not being proper
Bengali. As I laboured
through the narrative, I
began to realise that even
in my formative years seeds
were sown that would later
help me conquer my
challenges and emerge as a
more culturally settled
person. In particular I saw
how learning multiple
languages had helped me
bridge cultural gaps, and
how my global perspective
somehow connected my modest
life to major world events.
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7
August 2011