Based at the old Landmark
building at Applethorpe and
open on Wednesday afternoon
and Saturday morning the
Granite Belt Water Relief is
the group who distribute
bulk water for stock, some
domestic drinking water (20
X 1 L packs and 10 L
bottles), dogfood, and some
groceries for those most
needy.
Their operation is well
organized and there are some
great people involved. It
was an eye opener seeing
some of the folk who are
obviously struggling. Some
are not struggling
financially but just need
stock water.
Water is pumped into 1,000
litres pods on the back of
utes and trucks, or on
trailers. They filled 110 on
Saturday and 70 on
Wednesday. Most people also
took 20 litres of drinking
water. Over 200,000 litres
in a week!
At 10.00am George Deen the
President of the Rotary Club
of Archerfield arrived with
another semitrailer tanker
containing 24,000lt of
potable water and was
welcomed by Fran Hodgson the
President of Stanthorpe
Rotary and Past District
Governor Jitendra Prasad.
PDG Jitendra had arrived
early in the morning with
Rotarians from the Brisbane
International Rotary Club,
an energetic team who cooked
and provided in excess of
350 meal of delicious butter
chicken – that was
distributed to the
recipients as they collected
their allocation of water
for the day. Brisbane
International Rotary also
delivered two truck loads of
bottled drinking water
containing in excess of 900
packs.
full report
Rotary
President
Archerfield
George
Deen,
President
Fran
Hodgson
Stanthorpe,
and
President
Elect
Mary-Ellen
Nielsen
Brisbane
Taylor
Bridge
"I honestly couldn’t believe
Allah’s grace when I got the
email. I want to take this
moment to thank those who
have helped me on this
writing journey, folks who
supported me, offered
opportunities and opened
doors
I share this to show that
this journey is not one I
have embarked on alone, and
that any success is the
success of a team of people
who I feel so grateful to
have in my life.
Alhamdulilah!
Oh and also - I did not
believe for one minute that
I had a chance, but took the
plunge to apply. So to all
of y’all reading this
thinking ‘it could never be
me-‘ Yes, it could. Just
throw your hat in the ring.
PS My residency starts in
2021 inshallah folks, so a
while yet - gona be
practicing my French until
then inshallah!"
Naseema Mustapha was
celebrated by her University
this week at a special
breakfast with the Pro Vice
Chancellor in recognition of
her Global Community Service
Award.
Baba's Cantonese leaves Goss
uncharacteristically lost for
words :-)
Some of the guests who
appeared on the 'Bushfire
Appeal Telethon, on 10
January in the Gold Coast
which was coordinated by
“Multicultural Social
Network” in conjunction with
“ICare” and produced by
“Academy Alive” delivered
their messages in their own
mother tongues.
Based on Islamic
perspective, the Imam, the
Doctor and the Social worker
discuss the sex issues based
on Islamic teachings and
health & social issues,
education etc. related to
Muslim youth, singles,
parents, educators...
Guests:
1. Imam Mohamed Ali
2. Dr. Saima Salahuddin
(Medical doctor)
3. Sister Salaam El-Merebi
(Social Worker)
3D models highlighting
places and events of
significance during the era
of Prophet Muhammad (s) are
now on display in a new,
temporary exhibition at the
Islamic Museum of Australia.
Saudi-based traveling
exhibition The Seerah of the
Prophet Muhammad (s) opens
for the first time in
Australia and offers visual
context to some of the
stories many Muslims have
grown up with.
Islamic Museum of Australia
founder and Chairperson,
Moustafa Fahour OAM said the
Museum is pleased to have an
opportunity to share these
important stories with the
Muslim community.
“Prophet Muhammad (s), is
known in the Qur’an as a
mercy to mankind because he
was enveloped in mercy –
sheltering children, holding
women in high regard, and
serving those in need.”
“Not only does this
exhibition highlight
important events in the
Prophet’s life but
demonstrates how he
exemplified the best in
humankind,” said Mr Fahour.
The Museum has scheduled
programs to complement the
Seerah of the Prophet
Muhammad (s) exhibition
including public lectures
and children’s craft. The
two lectures, to be
delivered by Sheikh Alaa of
Heidelberg Mosque will focus
on the qualities of the
Prophet Muhammad (s) and
dealing with hardship the
Prophetic way.
The Seerah of the Prophet
Muhammad (s) is open until 6
March 2020. Visit the IMA’s
website for more details or
to book your place at the
related programs.
The Islamic Museum of
Australia is located in
Thornbury, in Melbourne’s
north. It is the only
Islamic museum in the
country and provides
educational and
cross-cultural experiences
for all ages.
The Museum is open 10am –
4pm, Tuesday to Saturday.
A team of Emirati volunteers
from the UAE have travelled
to Australia to help in
bushfire devastated regions
of NSW. Identified on social
media as #mateshelpmates,
the group have been working
with Australian emergency
services, surveying damage,
supporting in relief centres
and working with operation
teams in affected areas.
The volunteer team lead by
Dr Hazza Mohammed Aldaheri,
includes Emirati Astronaut
Sultan AlNeyadi and a group
of Emirati professionals,
all international alumni
from Australian
universities. In a
statement, they expressed
their solidarity with
Australia, the country where
they once lived and studied
for many years.
The UAE initiative #Mateshelpmates
has received widespread
endorsements globally and
from Emiratis and Australian
expats living in the UAE.
Prime Minister Scott
Morrison also expressed his
appreciation to the UAE in a
Tweet, “Thank you UAE for
your condolences and offers
of support”.
It's a cafe chain you've
probably visited while
inside a hospital in
Australia. One of the
founders of Zouki speaks to
SBS Arabic24 about his rise
to success.
When Faddy Zouky decided to
study law in the late 1980s,
he hoped that it would lead
him on a path to success in
Australia.
Having migrated from Lebanon
with his father and
brothers, his plan was to
appeal to other Arabic
speakers who needed a
lawyer.
He was a man with a plan.
But, what he didn’t
anticipate was the economic
recession that hit Australia
during the early 1990s,
which made securing a job in
the legal field difficult
after he graduated from law
school in 1992.
However, his ambition to
succeed led him on another
path.
During his studies, Faddy
worked at his university
cafeteria, which was run by
another Lebanese migrant,
who also owned a restaurant
in Melbourne.
As the recession continued,
Faddy and his brothers began
working in the hospitality
industry, and they decided
to open their own cafe at
the Alfred Hospital in
Melbourne.
"We thought of hospitals
because hospitals are never
affected by the economic
crisis or by politics, and
it was a wonderful and
successful idea.
“Back then, the hospital had
no restaurant, except for
some volunteers selling food
to the hospital’s
employees.”
He recalled that at the
time, food providers were
reluctant to open in
hospitals due to the
perceived health risks in
preparing fresh food around
sick people.
But Faddy and his brothers
saw in the hospital a great
opportunity.
“The number of workers in
the hospital was very large,
six thousand employees
manage the patients, and
they needed food and coffee,
so the atmosphere was great
for business and investment.
“We turned the hospital
cafeteria into a shopping
centre, we had a florist, a
hairdresser, a post office
and a branch of a bank. We
provided everything, so
people from the
neighbourhood started to
shop at the hospital.”
He said that their first
successful venture
encouraged other hospitals
to get in touch and to
submit tenders to their
respective managers.
Following their first
venture, the brothers
decided to expand across
Australia. Today, they
operate 60 restaurants and
cafes, inside hospitals,
across the country with
plans to expand to the
Middle East and the United
States.
While he’s managed hundreds
of staff over the years,
Faddy said he has a soft
spot for migrants like him.
“[The workers] coming from
abroad are thirsty to work,
to succeed, and to create a
future for them in this
country," he said.
"Australians can learn from
the ambitious strong
immigrant sometimes the
migrant does not know the
language or skill but works
with all his heart to
learn."
Despite his own success, he
says there is still a “glass
ceiling” that exists for
migrants in reaching the
upper echelons of large
companies in Australia.
“I will not sugar coat my
words: I do not think every
company or every
organisation will employ
migrants, because they know
that a migrant may need some
training when he starts."
In contrast, although he
believes that Australia
guarantees freedoms and
rights to all citizens, he
says discrimination still
remains.
“Even in Australia, we have
some kind of racism towards
immigrants, especially if
the migrant brings the
culture from their country
[with them].”
Therefore, Faddy advises
newly arrived immigrants to
engage in volunteer work in
order to build their
experience in dealing with
the Australian workforce. He
says the benefits of
volunteer work will help
significantly when applying
for a job in the future.
As for those who wish to
start their own businesses
or establish a commercial
company, Faddy says it is
pivotal to learn the
industry first as an
employee.
Now, after the success of
the company, Faddy has
decided to get back to his
first passion, law.
In 2018, Faddy was appointed
as The Honorary Lebanese
Consul General to Tasmania
by Lebanon's Prime Minister
Saad Hariri.
He has also been awarded the
Order of Australia Medal
(OAM) for his contribution
to the business community in
Victoria.
Quotes “No one who fears failure
or criticism has ever
achieved anything
significant in life.”
Statistics
1992 CE the
year he led Pakistan to
victory in the cricket World
Cup
$225 billion Pakistan’s
debt.
Imran Khan
Prime Minister of Pakistan
Imran Khan became the Prime
Minister of Pakistan in 2018
amid huge expectations that
he could bring the country
forward on issues of
governance, accountability
and reduction of corruption.
He has endured a tough first
year; the economy is
fragile, reforms to
financial systems are slow
and there are questions
asked about the influence of
the army on his government.
Influence A Long Journey: When
the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
(PTI) party won the 2018
General Elections, it was
the culmination of a 22 year
journey for Imran Khan. He
had founded the PTI in 1996
hoping to oust the
‘political mafias’ ruling
Pakistan. He garnered
national support over the
next two decades and in 2013
had become the second
largest in the country by
popular vote, before
eventually winning in 2018.
Corruption: A major
crackdown on corruption has
seen a former prime minister
and a former president both
imprisoned on charges of
corruption. Having the money
returned to the nation is
proving to be more difficult
although some progress has
been made with local
businessmen who benefitted
enormously through contacts
within previous
administrations. He has also
pursued cutbacks in any
extravagant government
expenditure, himself setting
a personal example.
Economy: He managed
to avert a default on the
balance of payments by
securing loans from allies
and then reluctantly from
the IMF (he had pledged not
to go to the latter). This
was the country’s 13th IMF
bailout since the 1980s.
With economic growth slower
than expected, the currency
dropping by 15% and
inflation rising to 10%, the
economy is in crisis. One of
his major challenges is to
increase the tax base in a
country where tax evasion is
the norm.
International Relations:
Early on, he stated his
intentions to develop much
better relations with India.
But with military incidents
never far away and with
India virtually annexing
Kashmir, it is difficult to
see how peaceful relations
will develop. He was
accredited internationally
for returning a captured
Indian air force pilot who
had been shot down during an
incursion into Pakistan. He
has pushed the development
of the Kartarpur Corridor,
which will allow Indian Sikh
pilgrims the opportunity to
make a pilgrimage,
visa-free, to their holiest
site. The site is 5km from
the Indian border and
represents a major
opportunity for cooperation.
He has managed to
re-establish good relations
with the US, and the Gulf
states, but has been
criticized for not speaking
out against the treatment of
the Uyghurs by the Chinese
government, one of
Pakistan’s closest allies.
Past Projects: Imran
Khan started fund-raising
for a cancer hospital soon
after his mother died from
cancer in 1985. His appeal
within Pakistan and to the
diaspora Pakistani community
raised enough funds to open
the Shaukat Khanum Memorial
Cancer Hospital and Research
Centre in 1994, in Lahore.
It is a hugely successful
project with 75% of patients
receiving free treatment. He
also spearheaded a
successful project to build
Namal University, which
provides scholarship
assistance to over 90% of
its students. A Sporting
Legend: Prior to entering
politics, Imran Khan played
professional cricket for 22
years and is recognised as
one of the game’s finest
all-rounders. His ability to
lead and unite an often
disparate team, culminated
in Pakistan winning the 1992
world cup. It is this
ability and success that
many hope can be replicated
in the political field.
SAYYID
İBRAHIM DELLAL: AN ANALYSIS
OF UNTOLD STORIES OF A
‘LIVING HISTORY
by Salih Yucel
Abstract: İbrahim
Dellal (1932-2018) was a
community activist and
played a pioneering role in
establishing religious and
educational institutions
after his arrival in
Melbourne in early 1950.
As the grandson of a late
Ottoman mufti, being
educated at the American
Academy, a Baptist
missionary school in Cyprus,
clashed at times with his
traditional upbringing based
on Islam, service and
Ottoman patriotism.
İbrahim’s parents,
especially his mother,
raised their son to be
Osmanli Efendisi, an Ottoman
gentleman.
He was raised to be loyal to
his faith and dedicated to
his community. I met him in
the late 80s in Sydney and
discovered he was an
important community leader,
a ‘living history’, perhaps
the most important figure in
the Australian Muslim
community
since the mid-20th century.
He was also one of the
founders of Carlton and
Preston mosques, which were
the first places of worship
in Victoria. I wrote his
biography and published it
in 2010. However, later I
found he had more stories
related to Australian Muslim
heritage.
First, this article will
analyse İbrahim’s untold
stories from his unrevealed
archives that I collected.
Second, İbrahim’s
traditional upbringing,
which was a combination of
Western education and
Ottoman Efendisi, will be
critically evaluated. He
successfully amalgamated
Eurocentric education and
Islamic way of life.
Finally, his poetry, which
reflects his thoughts, will
be discussed.
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
....continued
from last week's CCN
IBRAHIM’S LINEAGE
İbrahim has been linked to
Muslim history through
lineage. He was the grandson
of the last Ottoman mufti of
Cyprus. His grandfather
Sheikh Mehmed’s mother was a
widow with six children who
immigrated to Cyprus in the
middle of the 18th century.
Apparently, a wealthy Arab
businessman named Kanan
supported the family in
Cyprus. Kanan may have been
a relative, since it is Arab
custom for the males to take
care of female relatives,
increasing the possibility
Sheikh Mehmed Abdul Aal had
an Arab background. İbrahim
did not have information
about his great-grandfather
or why his great-grandmother
immigrated toCyprus.
While Sheikh Mehmed was born
in Cyprus, İbrahim did not
know his maternal
grandfather’s ethnic
background. He assumes he
was Turkish. Looking at his
last name, Sheikh Mehmed may
have Arab roots. ‘Abdul Aal
(or Abdu al Aal) is made up
of two words and one
article. ‘Abd is the word
for “servant” and ulor“al”
is the article “the”.
The second Aalmeans family.
Sheikh Mehmed also spoke
Arabic well. I found tattoos
on the left hand of
İbrahim’s aunt, Cemaliye
(see figure 2 in below).
This is part of Arab culture
in the Middle East rather
than Turks. After completing
his studies at Al-Azhar
University, İbrahim’s
grandfather Sheikh Mehmed
travelled to the Balkans and
worked in religious affairs,
though it is unclear if he
was assigned the position.
He learned Bosnian and
Albanian, interacted with
Orthodox Christians, and was
comfortable working with
individuals possessing
differing religious and
ethnic backgrounds.
This made him a suitable
choice as a spiritual
religious leader of Cyprus.
Ozkul provides the list of
Ottoman muftis in Cyprus
between 1571 and 1878.
According to this list, 64
of the 114 muftis were
Sayyids. It was Ottoman
policy to assign Sayyids due
to great respect of the
state as well as the people.
The genealogical heritage
into which İbrahim was born
plays out in important and
interesting ways throughout
his life.
Opinion by Rita
Markwell, Policy Advisor of Australian
Muslim Advocacy Network (AMAN)
Polarised debate is
quick-sand for us
A federal religious
discrimination bill would be
a great benefit for
Australian Muslims in terms
of giving us a legal basis
to combat the harms we face
online and offline.
But landscape in response to
this Religious
Discrimination Bill is
quickly polarising and
turning into quicksand.
Fairfax news, The Guardian
and 10 Daily have responded
to their more progressive
and youthful markets,
choosing opinion pieces that
characterise this Bill as an
exercise in bigotry. The
Australian newspaper and
other parts of the Murdoch
press have highlighted
opinions that the Bill
doesn’t go far enough in
protecting religious
freedoms and freedom of
speech. Since the release of
that second draft, opponents
to the Bill have escalated
their pitch and protests are
being organised nationwide.
The LNP has a clear interest
in religious freedoms. Labor
has a clear interest in
maintaining
non-discrimination for all,
and not being wedged by LNP
as an anti-religion party,
especially for the sake of
Western Sydney electorates -
but this won’t stop Labor
voting down the Bill. At
this stage it appears the
Green’s interest in the Bill
is to leverage progressive,
secular and youth support
behind the assertion that it
is a ‘license to
discriminate’ and a sign of
an out of touch government.
The risk of a binary debate
like this is that no media
will highlight the Muslim
push for an
anti-vilification clause
because we aren’t part of
their agenda. The agenda on
either side is to either
kill or pass the Bill – not
improve it.
It’s in our interests to
help make this debate less
polarised by building common
ground, and that means
reaching out to different
sides.
.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sister Rita Jabri-Markwell
is an advocate,
community supporter
and connecter. She
is allergic to cats,
but has a cute human
family. she can be
reached at
advocacy@aman.net.au
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....
On August 5,
2019, the Indian
Parliament
unilaterally
breached the
fundamental
conditions of
the Instrument
of Accession by
which the former
princely state
of Jammu and
Kashmir agreed
to become part
of India in
1947. It
stripped Jammu
and Kashmir of
statehood and
its special
status—which
included its
right to have
its own
constitution and
its own flag.
The dissolution
of the legal
entity of the
state also meant
the dissolution
of Section 35A
of the Indian
Constitution,
which secured
the erstwhile
state’s
residents the
rights and
privileges that
made them
stewards of
their own
territory. In
preparation for
the move, the
government flew
in more than
50,000 troops to
supplement the
hundreds of
thousands
already
stationed there.
By the night of
August 4,
tourists and
pilgrims had
been evacuated
from the Kashmir
Valley. Schools
and markets were
shut down. More
than 4,000
people were
arrested:
politicians,
businessmen,
lawyers, rights
activists, local
leaders,
students, and
three former
chief ministers.
Kashmir’s entire
political class,
including those
who have been
loyal to India,
was
incarcerated. By
midnight, the
Internet was cut
and phones went
dead.
The abrogation
of Kashmir’s
special status,
the promise of
an all-India
National
Register of
Citizens, the
building of the
Ram temple in
Ayodhya—are all
on the front
burners of the
RSS and BJP
kitchen. To
reignite
flagging
passions, all
they need to do
is to pick a
villain from
their gallery
and unleash the
dogs of war.
There are
several
categories of
villains—Pakistani
jihadis,
Kashmiri
terrorists,
Bangladeshi
“infiltrators,”
or any one of a
population of
nearly 200
million Indian
Muslims who can
always be
accused of being
Pakistan-lovers
or anti-national
traitors. Each
of these “cards”
is held hostage
to the other,
and often made
to stand in for
the other. They
have little to
do with each
other, and are
often hostile to
each other
because their
needs, desires,
ideologies, and
situations are
not just
inimical, but
end up posing an
existential
threat to each
other. Simply
because they are
all Muslim, they
each have to
suffer the
consequences of
the others’
actions.
In two national
elections now,
the BJP has
shown that it
can win a
majority in
parliament
without the
“Muslim vote.”
As a result,
Indian Muslims
have been
effectively
disenfranchised,
and are becoming
that most
vulnerable of
people—a
community
without
political
representation,
without a voice.
Various forms of
undeclared
social boycott
are pushing them
down the
economic ladder,
and, for reasons
of physical
security, into
ghettos. Indian
Muslims have
also lost their
place in the
mainstream
media—the only
Muslim voices we
hear on
television shows
are the absurd
few who are
constantly and
deliberately
invited to play
the part of the
primitive
Islamist, to
make things
worse than they
already are.
Other than that,
the only
acceptable
public speech
for the Muslim
community is to
constantly
reiterate and
demonstrate its
loyalty to the
Indian flag. So,
while Kashmiris,
brutalized as
they are because
of their history
and, more
importantly,
their geography,
still have a
lifeboat—the
dream of azadi,
of
freedom—Indian
Muslims have to
stay on deck to
help fix the
broken ship.
(There is
another category
of
“anti-national”
villain—human
rights
activists,
lawyers,
students,
academics,
“urban
Maoists”—who
have been
defamed, jailed,
embroiled in
legal cases,
snooped on by
Israeli spyware,
and, in several
instances,
assassinated.
But that’s a
whole other deck
of cards.)
The lynching of
Tabrez Ansari
illustrates just
how broken the
ship is, and how
deep the rot.
Lynching, as you
in the United
States well
know, is a
public
performance of
ritualized
murder, in which
a man or woman
is killed to
remind their
community that
it lives at the
mercy of the
mob. And that
the police, the
law, the
government—as
well as the good
people in their
homes, who
wouldn’t hurt a
fly, who go to
work and take
care of their
families—are all
friends of the
mob. Tabrez was
lynched this
June. He was an
orphan, raised
by his uncles in
the state of
Jharkhand. As a
teenager, he
went away to the
city of Pune,
where he found a
job as a welder.
When he turned
22, he returned
home to get
married. The day
after his
wedding to
18-year-old
Shahista, Tabrez
was caught by a
mob, tied to a
lamppost, beaten
for hours and
forced to chant
the new Hindu
war cry, “Jai
Shri
Ram!”—Victory to
Lord Ram! The
police
eventually took
Tabrez into
custody but
refused to allow
his distraught
family and young
bride to take
him to the
hospital.
Instead, they
accused him of
being a thief,
and produced him
before a
magistrate, who
sent him back to
custody. He died
there four days
later.
Listening to a
Muslim
psychologist
speaking about
patterns of
abuse while on
stage at the
American Islamic
College on
Saturday (Jan.
11), she pulled
up Twitter.
“First panel
discussion and I
am already
reeling,” typed
Ahmad-Chan, a
Toronto-based
researcher
studying
gender-based
violence and
Islamophobia,
who was one of
about 100 other
attendees at the
newly launched
Hurma Project’s
first
conference.
Started by
prominent
Canadian Islamic
scholar Ingrid
Mattson, the
three-day
research
conference was
the first to
focus entirely
on abuse in
Muslim spaces.
“We are actually
having
conversations on
spiritual abuse
and sexual abuse
in our
community,”
Ahmad-Chan
wrote. “It's
actually
happening. Been
a long time
coming.”
Over the past
two to three
years, scholars
and advocates
say, North
American Muslims
have risen up in
an unprecedented
movement to
openly confront
sexual and
spiritual abuse
perpetrated by
Muslim religious
leaders.
“I’m definitely
seeing an
increase in
people willing
to talk about
these issues,”
said
Phoenix-based
certified sexual
health educator
Angelica
Lindsey-Ali, who
founded the
Village Auntie
Movement two
years ago and
has worked with
victims of
Muslim religious
leaders accused
of sexual abuse.
“The unfortunate
part is that it
isn’t
necessarily by
choice. In some
cases, I think
the recognition
of the rampant
spiritual abuse
in the community
has forced them
to have to talk
about these
issues.”
The conference
comes in the
wake of several
explosive
scandals
impugning
well-respected
Islamic
teachers,
including
Bayyinah
Institute
founder and
superstar
preacher Nouman
Ali Khan, who
was caught in a
sexting scandal
and accused of
luring women
into sexual
relationships
disguised as
secret
marriages; Tariq
Ramadan, a
prominent Swiss
Islamic scholar
and author who
is currently
awaiting trial
over charges of
raping multiple
women who
accused him at
the height of
the global #MeToo
movement; and
Usama Canon,
whose
organization
Ta’leef
Collective
published a
statement saying
the founder
“deeply betrayed
the sanctity of
the position of
spiritual
teacher" through
"verbal abuse
and abuse of
authority," as
well as actions
of a "more
serious nature."
Ladies of the Australian
Islamic Centre (NSW) who
felt compelled to help out
their community. They
travelled 4 hours with 5
trucks of supplies to cook
for the fire-fighters.
American
singer stuns the internet
with flawless Quran recital
"Quran recitation is an art
in itself and can be
appreciated by anyone and
everyone," says Jennifer
Grout.
With the complex rules
governing tajweed (the
science of reciting the
Quran), reciting Islamic
scripture can be rather
challenging and requires
long periods of practice.
The challenge reaches a
whole other level for
non-Arabs, who are faced
with the rules of the
intricate Arabic language on
one hand and the principles
of tajweed on the other
hand.
Nevertheless, one American
singer, Jennifer Grout,
pulled it off and made it
look rather effortless.
You can probably sense by
now that Grout is not your
typical American musician.
Despite being born and
raised in the American city
of Boston and not having any
Arab roots, Grout
specializes in Arabic music
and once made it to the
finals of Arabs Got Talent.
She recently made waves
online after sharing a video
of herself reciting Ayat Al-Kursi,
a powerful verse in the
Quran.
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.
At
present,
there
are
STRICTLY
NO
wudhu
facilities
at
the
premises,
so
in
the
interim,
brothers
are
requested
to
perform
their
wudhu
prior
to
coming
through
for
salaah
‘No Arabs please’: Job rejection sparks
racial controversy in Germany
GERMANY: Modern Germany
is a byword for racial tolerance, yet
one architecture firm’s blunt response
to an Egyptian job applicant has ignited
a storm of controversy on social media.
Egyptian-born architect Yassen Gabr
recently applied for a vacancy at GKK+
Architekten, a prestigious Berlin-based
firm whose website boasts of its
ethnically diverse workforce. He posted
a screenshot of the rejection letter he
received on Wednesday, which simply read
“no Arabs please.”
Gabr’s post quickly gained traction on
social media. “He should sue them,” one
commenter wrote. “And, why not publish
the name of the office so that we can
all see who this racist is?”
The firm told DW that the incident was a
“misunderstanding,” and that the message
was “cut short” and “taken out of
context.” The letter was apparently an
internal communication sent to Gabr by
mistake, and the company apologized in a
subsequent email.
According to a study by the German
Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency,
workers with “foreign sounding names”
were 24 percent less likely to be called
by employers for an interview.
Foreign-born residents in Germany are
also twice as likely to be unemployed as
ethnic Germans.
A significant number of these
non-nationals are of Arabic descent, as
over a million Middle Eastern and North
African have come to Germany since the
migrant crisis of 2015. Chancellor
Angela Merkel has since been criticized
for her “open door” immigration
policies.
Western
Perceptions of the Prophet of Islam from the Middle Ages to
today
by
John V.
Tolan
Medemer is
the first book by Nobel
Peace Prize awardee and
Prime Minister of Ethiopia,
Abiy Ahmed since he came to
power in 2018.
In the book,
the prime minister advocates
for a fresh,
Ethiopian-centric approach
to the country’s politics,
citing the past half-century
when previous
administrations applied
successful ideologies and
theories from outside of
Ethiopia that failed, being
alien to Ethiopian problems
and realities.
Abiy calls
for reversing the trend of
importing ideologies for a
renewed Ethiopian political
ideology that emanates from
Ethiopia’s social-political
context and taps into the
country’s historical and
cultural values.
About the
Author
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed
(PhD) was born in 1974 in
Jimma Zone of Oromia region.
He started his political
career at the age of 15 by
joining the then Oromo
People Democratic
Organization (OPDO) now
Oromo Democratic Party (ODP),
a militant group, as a radio
operator. His military
career included his
participation as a member of
the UN peacekeeping mission
in Rwanda and participation
in the Ethio-Eritrean border
war. In 2008, he helped
found the Information
Network Security Agency (INSA),
the intelligence agency of
Ethiopia, and served as one
of its first directors. In
2014 he was elected as a
member of the Ethiopian
parliament, representing
Agaro electoral district in
Oromia Regional State. Later
he also served as head of
the Oromia House and Urban
Development Office and later
as deputy president of the
Oromia Regional state. On
Monday April 02, 2018, Abiy
was sworn in as the Prime
Minister of The Federal
Democratic Republic of
Ethiopia. The Prime Minister
was lauded for launching
swift changes in the
political space by
implementing
transformational moves that
saw the end of twenty years
of stalemate between
Ethiopia and Eritrea, the
release of thousands of
political prisoners, the
lifting of a ban on
political parties and
persons who were barred from
entering the country and the
opening up of political
space in the country. On
October 11, 2019 Prime
Minister Abiy became the
first Ethiopian leader to
win the Nobel Prize for
Peace for his bold decisions
to end the decade old
"no-war, no-peace" situation
between Ethiopia and
Eritrea, for his
constructive roles in
brokering peace among East
African countries, and for
championing democracy
locally.
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:
Catastrophising
Has anyone ever
called you dramatic?
Or a drama-queen? Or
that you are blowing
things out of
proportion? Or that
you are creating a
mountain out of a
molehill? If so,
then it may be
because you have
interpreted a
situation in an
exaggerated manner
whereby you
perceived it to be
worse than it
actually was in
reality.
So, how do you know
if you are
catastrophising?
Well, next time you
are in a situation
which evokes a
reaction in you to
say “Oh No!” or
“What if!!!”, it may
be that you are
catastrophising.
Catastrophising is
to present or
perceive a situation
to be a lot worse
than it actually is.
Often when people
harbour unprocessed
emotional pain or
trauma, they may
have a tendency to
catastrophise events
in their lives. The
reality may not be
as bad as they may
perceive it to be,
yet they become
defensive and react
to the situation
with high caution.
For example,
statements like the
following: “Oh no, I haven’t
received his/her
text reply. Maybe
he/she just doesn’t
care about me”
or “He hasn’t said
much today...what if
he’s having an
affair?”
or “Oh no! I’m
having a chest
ache!...what if I’m
having a heart
attack”
All these statements
have one thing in
common - a negative
thinking pattern
known as “unhelpful
thinking styles”.
Identify Your
Thinking Style
Think of a situation
where you may have
catastrophised.
Describe the
situation
What were
your
thoughts at
the time?
What were
your
feelings
during this
situation?
Strategies To
Stop Catastrophising
Constant
catastrophising zaps
away all joy from
your life. The
following strategies
may help overcome
the habit of
catastrophising.
1. In any given
situation, identify
what is real.
Resist the
temptation to
exaggerate things in
your mind. If you
are confused about
what is real, ask
someone.
2. Belly
breathing - the
moment you feel the
need to express “Oh
no!” or “What if”,
bring your awareness
to your breathing.
Take in slow, deep
breaths and feel the
movement of your
belly as you inhale
and exhale. This
brings your
awareness to the
present moment.
3. Focus on the
situation at hand,
NOT on a similar
situation that
may have happened in
the past or with
someone you know.
Every single
situation has its
unique set of
reasons and deserves
to be examined
without comparison.
4. Lie down -
whenever the feeling
of “Oh no” or “What
if” overwhelms you,
lie down. Try to
have a nap to relax
the nervous system.
5. Make wudu
- bring your
awareness to make
wudu with complete
mindfulness. Perform
each action with
focus.
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.
It’s simple… feeling sluggish?
Try some of the following:
• DEHYDRATION - drink more water
• DIET – the body uses food as fuel. Eat
nutrient-rich foods
• STRESS – take some time out for you.
Mindful meditation
• EXERCISE – this will help feed the
brain & release the feel-good hormones
• CAFFEINE – too much will keep you from
getting a good night’s sleep
• POORPOSTURE – avoid sitting for
long periods at a time if possible. Stretch or
go for a brief walk
• In general, try to move more every day
O you who
believe! Fear Allah, and
[always] say a word directed
to the Right: that He may
make your conduct whole and
sound and forgive you your
sins.....
Over 50,000 Muslim performs itikaf (staying in a
mosque solely for the purpose of worship and meditation) each
year in the Grand Mosque, MASJID-AL-HARAM, Makkah during the
last 10 days of Ramadan!
“During this period these worshipers would not go out from the
mosque for worldly purposes, except for essential needs, and
devote their whole time for reading the Holy Qur’an and engage
in prayers seeking forgiveness and blessings of Allah,” a
religious expert said.
Some people start itikaf even early to get suitable places
inside the mosque before the big rush. There are people like
Ahmed Saleem (Syrian) who is doing Itkaf for last 25 years in
the Grand Mosque.
QLD based agency, Fajr Travels have announced an Itikaf program
in 2020. It is a 2-night stay in Madinah and a 12-night stay in
Makkah.
Their CEO Dr. Zakaria said “Itikaf in
Masjid-Al-Haram during last ten nights of Ramadan is very common
in Sub-continent, South Africa and around the world. We feel
honour to start the culture in Australia.”
• Know of
any Muslim
counselling
service
providers?
• Who can
our youth
approach for
mentoring
and advice?
• Are you
aware of
safe shelter
spaces for
Muslims?
• Do you
know who to
approach
when you
need respite
care?
• Where can
you send
your
children for
Islamic
classes?
Yes? So have we.
Many times.
The Qld Muslim
community is
diverse and
there are many
services being
provided within
the Muslim
community and to
broader society.
But the range of
services is not
widely known or
understood
across the
state.
ICQ is hosting
the "Playing Our
Part" workshop
to bring all Qld
Muslim
organisations
together. We
will:
• Share
information
about
services
being
offered by
all
organisations
• Discuss
our
community's
strengths
• Identify
areas where
organisations
are
duplicating
efforts and
seek ways to
make this
more
efficient
• Work out
how to fill
gaps in our
community
services.
All registered
Muslim
organisations
are requested to
attend (2 people
per
organisation).
Alhamdulillah, only for Brisbane
residents are we so fortunate to have the ability to
access Islamic Education on a variety of different
platforms.
With registrations CLOSING SOON there are limited spots
remaining until classes are at full capacity 2020 with
both Full – Time and Part – Time close to capacity.
“The Quran Alive course is the culmination of over 14
years of research and development. Our Academy Alive
scholars have tailored, refined and systemised our
unique curriculum, producing world class standards of
education to suit all learning styles."
View some of our success stories of our students of
2019. 2020 could be your year!
Griffith University Centre for Interfaith and Cultural
Dialogue
0413 067 160
8AM
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
6 September
Sunday
CRESWALK2020
Crescents of Brisbane
Orleigh Park,
WEST END
0402 026 786
9AM STARTER'S GUN
to 12PM
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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SAYYID
İBRAHIM DELLAL: AN ANALYSIS
OF UNTOLD STORIES OF A
‘LIVING HISTORY 
Ertugrul craze in South Africa
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August 2011