In the last 6 months Sakina
Refuge House merged with
IWAA and was officially
launched at Parliament House
by co-hosts the Hon Di
Farmer MP and the Hon
Shannon Fentiman MP on 20
February 2020.
Sakina House is a crisis
accommodation and
psycho-social support
service for CALD women and
children escaping DFV
situations and receives no
government funding for its
work.
Sakina Refuge House started
in 2014 by a group of Muslim
female leaders who witnessed
regularly the plight of
sisters in the community
having no place to go when
their safety was at risk in
their own homes. Sakina aims
to provide a tranquil, safe
space where holistic healing
begins through complex
casework, advocacy and
support, including
innovative art therapy
sessions.
As it was not funded by any
government grants, the
founders of Sakina managed
and operated the
organisation on a wholly
voluntary basis from
casework management, to
fundraising, to packing and
moving homes when the
premise was no longer
suitable. In its 3rd year of
operation, Sakina managed to
receive enough community
donations to employ a
part-time caseworker.
In 2018 and without
long-term funding, Sakina
could no longer sustain
itself financially.
Realising that the Islamic
Women's Association of
Australia (IWAA) held the
same ethos of service for
vulnerable communities,
Sakina board members
approached IWAA to acquire
their service in order to
continue to meet the needs
of women and children in
these predicaments.
IWAA is a national community
organisation providing
support services for CALD
communities in the Aged
Care, Disability, Community
Development and Refugee
Settlement space.
Significantly, it is the
only community service
organisation funded in
Queensland to provide
specialised settlement
support to refugees from
Muslim countries (Muslim and
non-Muslim).
Established since 1991, IWAA
is well-regarded and has
strong influence as a key
organisation in the
community service sector and
is now operating from Logan,
Brisbane, Gold Coast,
Ipswich, Toowoomba, Sydney,
Melbourne and Adelaide.
One of IWAA’s key strengths
is its ability to
collaborate with the
community, business and
other local agencies in
order to host events and
deliver programs that
respond to new and emerging
needs. It has won many
awards for its innovative
programs and excellent
service delivery.
For over a decade, IWAA has
focused on the primary
prevention of violence
against women, through
research and respectful
relationship workshops for
participants as young as 12
years of age. It has been
funded for the last 4 years
by the QLD government under
the Community Action for a
Multicultural Society (CAMS)
program to specifically
address violence against
women.
In more recent times, IWAA
has also identified an
urgent need to provide safe
spaces for women and their
children who need to remove
themselves from the violence
and abuse and merging with
Sakina Refuge House aligned
strongly with its ethos for
a more safe, caring and
compassionate world.
The Sakina fundraising
launch was a partnership
between the Commonwealth
Bank of Australian and IWAA;
this partnership is expected
to progress into the future
as both organisations are
deeply committed to
eliminating violence against
women.
When IWAA issued a call out
for sponsorship, we were
humbled by the response.
Organisations and
individuals have generously
donated to ensure that
affected women and children
are provided with safe
shelter and the casework
management they need to live
a life free from violence.
IWAA would like to thank:
Youth and Family Services (YFS)
Cath Bartolo; World Wellness
Group Rita Prasad-Ildes;
Islamic Council of
Queensland Habib Jamal;
Optus Sunnybank HIlls; Real
Law Figen Cingil; Aspire
Financial Services;
Australia's CEO Challenge;
the Hon Leanne Enoch MP; the
Hon Cameron Dick MP; Dr Jim
Chalmers MP; Peter Samuel
Russo MP; Cr Kim Marx and
Mitra Khakbaz.
This story is part of a
special SBS series featuring older
Australians looking back on their lives.
Abla Kadous started life in
Egypt before moving to
Australia and helping set up
the country's first welfare
service for Muslim women. At
70, she reflects on her
career and why she would
"never send anyone away".
In the backyard of a women's
welfare centre, a feast is
taking place.
Falafel, Japanese dumplings,
samosas, Egyptian lasagne
and numerous desserts are
laid out across two tables.
A group of about 50 women
and children are enjoying
the feast.
The Islamic Women's Welfare
Association (IWWA) is a
not-for-profit organisation
in Lakemba, an area of
Sydney dotted with
Bangladeshi and Middle
Eastern restaurants, and
where about half of the
residents identify as
Muslim.
At the helm is 70-year-old
Abla Kadous.
"If anyone comes with a
problem, I never send anyone
away. First of all, I sit
with them and I discuss it
with them and I see which
area,” she tells SBS News.
“If it’s a small issue, not
physical abuse, if she has
problems with raising the
children or just a little
disagreement with the
husband, I can help them
here. But if it's bigger
than that, I refer them to
the correct service."
The IWWA was set up in the
year 2000 and provides
programs and services for
about 150 women and 300
children each week.
They include childcare,
camps for teenage girls and
Arabic language schools, as
well as welfare and referral
services for at-risk women
who need extra support.
Abla is one of the centre's
50 or so volunteers and has
been the president for
almost 20 years.
She and her family migrated
from Egypt to Australia in
the late 1960s when she was
a teenager. It was a time of
political unrest in her home
country.
She says Sydney reminded her
of Port Fouad, the Egyptian
town where her family had
once lived.
"I grew up with many
different nationalities. My
neighbours were from Greece,
from Italy. We had people
from Germany. A lot of
people from the
Mediterranean would come and
work in Egypt.”
“We used to exchange recipes
and cook together, go out
together. We grew up
together with their children
and we are still in contact
with them until today. Very
few of them are still in
Egypt; we left and also many
other nationalities left as
well."
Councillor
for Calamvale Ward, Angela
Owens, has made
representation to Swimming
Australia regarding swimwear
code on behalf of families
in her electorate who are
"seeking for Swimming
Australia to uphold their
policies of inclusion by
ensuring all, but
particularly young swimmers
are enabled to swim
competitively, at all
levels, wearing swimwear
which protects their
modesty."
"My electorate is the most
multi-culturally diverse in
the City of Brisbane and our
local community is built on
a foundation of tolerance,
inclusion, and respect for
one another, Cr Owens wrote.
"At this point I would
like to raise that currently
the swimwear restrictions
Swimming Australia imposing
on swimmers, particularly
young swimmers, DOES NOT
uphold the capacity for
swimmers to participate, and
more specifically compete at
a higher level, of THEIR
choosing."
She addressed Swimming
Australia's CEO:
"I recognise that
Swimming Australia, and
yourself as CEO, may not
be as involved as I am
in dealing with many
cultures combining
together. Further it may
be that you are not
receiving the important
feedback from State
Swimming bodies, nor
from District levels or
coaches that swimmers
are retreating from
participating
competitively because of
the embarrassment and
humiliation they feel
when they are told they
cannot compete wearing
swimwear which protects
their modesty. This is
often being dictated in
an insensitive manner
via announcements over
loudspeakers at
carnivals, which
exacerbates unwanted
attention being drawn to
swimmers, and this is
hardly an atmosphere of
inclusion.
For many of these
swimmers they are scared
to voice their needs
which is why I am
advocating on their
behalf. The sentiment
expressed to me is that
it is easier to give up
swimming because it is
too hard to battle the
institution. The current
restrictions on swimwear
deny opportunities
rather than promote
them."
Monday at 8pm Academy Alive
released their newest
podcast series, featuring
the president of Council of
Imams Queensland, Sheikh
Uzair Abkar as one of the
main hosts, with Academy
Alive Scholar, Sheikh
AbdurRaheem.
In the first episode of
Imams Corner, Sheikh Uzair
discussed the importance of
utilising the golden
opportunities, to hasten
towards good deeds, as we
are only benefiting
ourselves.
Check out the newest
series from Academy Alive
Imams Corner.
In other news, Academy Alive
began their first-ever
LaunchGood campaign.
Support Academy Alive as
they take their next big
step, the mission of
allowing individuals and
communities around the world
to find fulfilment, and
contentment, through the
Quran.
An exclusive LaunchGood
campaign. Aiding society the
ability to rejuvenate their
connection with the Quran by
allowing communities to
genuinely understand the
Quran directly in Arabic.
This is a "turning point" in
the lives of Muslims in the
country.
Muslims living in Slovenia
will finally be able to
practice their faith the way
they want to after the
country's first mosque
opened its doors in
Ljubljana on Monday.
The place of worship has
been decades in the making
as the initial request to
build it was filed back in
the 1960s while Slovenia was
still part of former
Yugoslavia.
The muslim community in the
predominantly Christian
country received permission
to start building the mosque
15 years ago but
construction only began in
2013. This is due to the
fact that its launching
faced obstacles of every
kind, including financial
hurdles and opposition from
the country's right-wing
political parties.
Opponents of the project
tried to halt it multiple
times in 2004 and 2009.
However, the nation's
constitutional court denied
these requests every time.
Despite all the obstacles,
Slovenia's muslims, who make
up 2.5 percent of the
country's 2 million people
and are considered its
second largest religious
group, pressed on and now
have something to celebrate.
It took 50 years for them to
get a proper mosque to pray
in but they never gave up.
In the years leading up to
the opening, people of the
faith were forced to perform
prayers and hold religious
ceremonies in sports halls
or in other rented
properties.
Speaking of the
transformative moment, head
Mufti of the country's
Islamic community Nedžad
Grabus explained how the
mosque's opening constituted
a "turning point" in the
lives of muslims in
Slovenia.
"Slovenia is the last former
Yugoslav state to get a
mosque, making Ljubljana a
capital rather than a
provincial town on the edge
of the world," he explained
during a press conference.
Grabus added that the
mosque's construction cost
around 34 million euros ($39
million), most of which (28
million euros) were donated
by Qatar.
The mosque can cater to
1,400 people and is
surrounded by six buildings
that are now host to a
full-fledged Islamic
Cultural Center.
The area features the
"community's offices; an
education center, which
includes a library; a
restaurant; a basketball
court; housing for the
Muslim clerisy; and a
40-meter (131 feet) high
minaret," Arab News
reported.
Designed by the Bevk Perović
Arhitekti architecture firm,
the buildings' design is
quite unique. It features
blue and white concrete
combined with steel, glass,
and wood.
Muslims living in Slovenia
are excited over the
mosque's opening and believe
it will help younger
generations connect to their
faith.
In this show Imam Mohamed
Ali (Imam of the Gold Coast
Mosque and graduate from the
renowned Al Azhar university
in Egypt) will address
questions that you wish
answered.
Opinion by Rita
Markwell, Policy Advisor of Australian
Muslim Advocacy Network (AMAN)
Rowan Baxter’s violence
and the harm of weasel words
Imagine all the things done
to destroy your people,
their language and identity
over
successive generations, is
met with a ‘statement of
regret’. That was the
situation under
former Prime Minister John
Howard, who over more than a
decade, failed to understand
the purpose of an apology
was to facilitate healing
and closure for Indigenous
peoples.
Years later, one of his
party successors, Mr Brendan
Nelson, would stand opposite
PM
Kevin Rudd to deliver a
speech on the Day of the
National Apology. Remember
him?
Probably not. His
miscalculation of the moment
made his contribution a
footnote in history.
Nelson began with empathy
before derailing into a
speech designed for his
political circle, to
argue that not all
intentions behind the Stolen
Generations were bad, that
there were cases
of child neglect, that there
continue to be.
As this unnotable leader of
the opposition continued to
speak, Australians stood and
silently
turned their backs, others
buried their heads in
disbelief. He was missing
judgement at that
moment, but also lacking
taste and sincerity of
intention.
Yesterday I stumbled upon a
long thread of conversation
from the Brisbane Muslim
community about the heinous
murder of a woman and three
children by their estranged
husband and father. They
died in the most inhumane
circumstances, burning
alive, at the
hands of someone who Allah
swt has entrusted to care
for them.
The thread was reeling from
the commentary of two
individuals within our
community, who
were arguing that regard
needed to be paid to the
circumstances that drove him
to this
incomprehensible act. They
were angry about the family
law system which, they
argued,
was rigged against fathers.
There are two things I want
to say:
First, I think as Muslims we
are agreed that he breached
the most fundamental code of
being a parent, and human.
The deep grief that is
permeating the Australian
community is
compounded by the fact he
will never face court and
receive the sort of justice
that would
deter another man from
committing this crime.
But there has been a new
resolve from the community
to reject any attempt to
soften or
qualify condemnation for
this man. One woman is
murdered a week at the hands
of
someone she knows. Domestic
violence has reached epic
proportions with QLD police
estimating 260 callouts on
average a day. But the
heinousness of this
particular crime has
pushed the public over the
edge and caused a revolt.
The usual media behaviour,
making
light of violence, or giving
sentimental backstories to
criminals, was suddenly
visible, and
entirely sickening.
If we want to reduce the
chances of another man
deciding that
homicide-suicide is the only
option, we need to
categorically position that
behaviour as selfish,
criminal, heinous and
depraved of the worst kind.
They must know that their
story won’t be told, that
their
experience will never be
acknowledged.
This is my second and final
point. In a moment of
collective grief, choose
your words. You
can be like Brendan Nelson
MP, trying to not offend
certain audiences who are
part of your
club, running an agenda,
grinding an axe. Or you can
rise to the moment and
recognise what
is needed: unqualified
condemnation and unqualified
support for all those who
are grieving.
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
Quotes “Let the entire world
hear me. Our hostility to
the Great Satan is
absolute.”
Statistics
1992 CE the year he assumed
office of Secretary General
of Hezbollah
Over 45 thousand– active
duty troops and reservists
in Hezbollah.
Seyyed Hasan Nasrallah
Secretary General of
Hezbollah
Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah is
serving his sixth term as
the current and third
Secretary-General of
Hezbollah (the Party of
God). Hezbollah is a Twelver
Shia Islamic political
party, social and
paramilitary organization
based in Lebanon which seeks
social justice through
Islamic ideals.
Influence Military Power:
Hezbollah remains a de facto
security force in southern
Lebanon, and its military
presence is felt throughout
the country. The military
successes Nasrallah had in
the late nineties are seen
as the main factor for
Israel’s withdrawal from
southern Lebanon in 2000,
and the repulsion of Israeli
forces in July 2006 earned
Nasrallah many more
supporters. Hezbollah
fighters have been key in
strengthening the Syrian
regime during the Syrian
civil war, and their
presence there has pushed
out da’ish but draws
reactions from Israel.
Hezbollah has continued to
develop its arsenal, and as
well as developing accuracy,
latest estimates include at
least 100,000 rockets and
missiles.
Social Services:
Hezbollah has also won
significant grassroots
support by cultivating a
social welfare system that
provides schools, clinics
and housing in the
predominantly Shia parts of
Lebanon. These welfare
activities are run with
efficiency and rival those
carried out by the state,
giving the organisation even
broader appeal. It also runs
Al Manar—an influential
television station.
Popularity: His
popularity peaked just after
the 2006 conflict with
Israel, when many Sunni
Muslims looked to him as a
figure of defiance against
Israel. Since the Syrian
conflict, however, many if
not all of these supporters
have left him because of his
support of the Syrian (Alawi)
regime against the Syrian
people, the majority of whom
are Sunnis. His claim that
the Syrian conflict is not
sectarian in essence is not
one that many Sunni Muslims
agree with. He is widely
seen as one of the main
victors of the Syrian
conflict. Nasrallah recently
declared “victory” in the
Syrian war, adding that what
remained was “scattered
battles.”
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
RELATION WITH THE
AJAYOGLU FAMILY
One of the few Muslim
families the Dellals were
close to in the 1950s was
the Ajayoglu family, which
immigrated to Australia in
1952. İbrahim and Mehmet
Ajayoglu were good friends
and worked closely together
for the betterment of the
Muslim community until
Mehmet’s death in 1978.
Mehmet’s experiences and
views left a deep impression
on İbrahim, who took Mehmet
as a mentor in community
service despite some
cultural differences.
Mehmet was a Pan-Turanist
(some call Pan-Turkish),
which was one of the three
major philosophical and
political groups before the
fall of the Ottoman
Empire.
Pan-Turkism
ideology was based on
secularism and nationalism,
which aimed to unite all
Turks under one flag.
The Ajayoglu family
originally lived in the
Karachai region, which was
populated by the Muslim
Turkic people of North
Caucasus. Karachai is on the
border of Russia near
Georgia. When Germany
invaded Russia during World
War II, the German army
occupied Karachai.
The people of Karachai lived
under Ottoman rule before
the Russian annexation of
Karachai in 1828. However,
they always resisted Russian
domination and periodically
established an autonomous
state.
Mehmet was an activist and
community leader in Karachai.
The Ajayoglu family and
others who remained behind
in Karachai and did not
resist the German occupation
were branded as traitors by
Stalin. When the German army
began withdrawing from
Russia in 1943, many
residents of Karachai feared
the Communist government’s
harsh punishments and fled
with the German army.
They were prepared to settle
in any land where they would
be safe, since those
who remained behind were
executed or deported.
However, they could not
imagine it would take seven
years to finally settle nor
could they imagine their
final home would be
Australia.
Over the
next few
episodes,
in
Season
2, we
will
dive
deep
into the
events
that led
to the
formation
of the
State of
Israel.
Together,
we will
understand
the
roots of
the
Palestine-Israel
Conflict,
and
understand
the
history
of this
important
region
of the
Muslim
world.
When
we last visited
Palestine, the
British had
drafted the
Balfour
Declaration,
creating new
problems in the
region.
The British has
promised the
land of
Palestine to
various parties.
Unsure of how to
move forward,
the British
created the
Mandate of
Palestine
placing it under
their own
authority.
Herbet Samuel
was appointed
British High
Commissioner for
Palestine in
1925 and
remained in that
position for
five years.
Through the
mandate, the
British
controlled
Palestine for
almost three
decades.
During this
period, they
faced multiple
protests, riots
and revolts from
both the Jewish
and Palestinian
Arab
communities.
Let’s take a
look at some of
the events that
occurred during
this era.
2020 Clark
Lecture in English Literature,
instituted by Trinity College,
Cambridge.
Thank you for
inviting me to
deliver this,
the Clark
Lecture, now in
its one hundred
and
thirty-second
year. When I
received the
invitation, I
scrolled down
the list of
previous
speakers, the
many “Sirs” and
Sir-sounding
names who have
spoken on topics
as varied as
“Literary
criticism of the
age of Queen
Anne,”
“Shakespeare as
criticised in
France from the
time of
Voltaire,” “The
crowning
privilege:
professional
standards in
English poetry”
and “Makers and
materials: The
poetry of
Spenser,
Shakespeare,
Milton, Yeats,
and Eliot.” In
the cartoon
version of this
story, at this
point the
character
playing me would
furrow her brow,
and her speech
balloon would
say, “Huh?” I
was reassured
when my eye fell
on “Studies in
American
Africanism” by
Toni Morrison,
but only
momentarily. I
asked John
Marenbon, who
invited me, if I
could look at
the texts of
some previous
lectures, since
I couldn’t find
them on the
internet. He
most helpfully
replied that
speakers were
never asked to
deposit their
lectures with
Trinity, but
that TS Eliot’s
The Varieties of
Metaphysical
Poetry had
evolved from his
Clark lecture,
as had EM
Forster’s
Aspects of the
Novel.
In other
words—No
pressure.
This lecture has
evolved from a
series of recent
talks I have
given about the
place for
literature in
the times in
which we live
and about the
politics of
language, both
public and
private. This
makes my task a
little slippery.
It might
occasionally
involve the
presumption that
many of you are
familiar with my
work, which may
not be the case
and for which I
apologise.
Graveyards in
India are, for
the most part,
Muslim
graveyards,
because
Christians make
up a minuscule
part of the
population, and,
as you know,
Hindus and most
other
communities
cremate their
dead. The Muslim
graveyard, the
kabristan, has
always loomed
large in the
imagination and
rhetoric of
Hindu
nationalists.
“Mussalman ka ek
hi sthan,
kabristan ya
Pakistan!”—Only
one place for
the Mussalman,
the graveyard or
Pakistan—is
among the more
frequent war
cries of the
murderous,
sword-wielding
militias and
vigilante mobs
that have
overrun India’s
streets.
As the Hindu
Right has taken
almost complete
control of the
state, as well
as non-state
apparatuses, the
increasingly
blatant social
and economic
boycott of
Muslims has
pushed them
further down the
societal ladder
and made them
even more
unwelcome in
“secular” public
spaces and
housing
colonies. For
reasons of
safety as well
as necessity, in
urban areas many
Muslims,
including the
elite, are
retreating into
enclaves that
are often
hatefully
referred to as
“mini-Pakistans.”
Now in life, as
in death,
segregation is
becoming the
rule. In cities
such as Delhi,
meanwhile, the
homeless and
destitute
congregate in
shrines and
around
graveyards,
which have
become resting
places not just
for the dead,
but for the
living, too. I
will speak today
about the Muslim
graveyard, the
kabristan, as
the new
ghetto—literally
as well as
metaphorically—of
the new Hindu
India. And about
writing fiction
in these times.
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.
Australia's Afghan cameleers' forgotten
history revived by their living relatives
Cameleers, Aboriginals, and
Europeans in Coolgardie between
1892 and 1900. (Supplied: State
Library of Western Australia)
....continued
from last week's CCN
Search for final resting place
In 2014, Kam Khurram Bux
decided it was time to honour his great
grandfather's memory, Indian cameleer
Ameer Bux.
Mr Bux came to Australia in the late
1800s to help his son, Mahomed Bux, with
his thriving trade business.
Mohamed was importing camels into
Fremantle and at the age of 70 Ameer
offered to help take a camel train to
the prosperous gold rush town of
Coolgardie in the Goldfields region of
WA.
The 600-kilometre journey was to take 12
days, but tragically Ameer died of heat
exhaustion and dysentery.
A religious
necklace known as a misbahah or
tespih hangs in Coolgardie
cemetery in front of Ameer Bux's
grave. (ABC
Goldfields-Esperance: Madison
Snow)
His body was buried in an unmarked grave
in the Afghan section of Coolgardie
cemetery.
Mr Bux decided to properly mark the
grave with a headstone.
Mr Bux said he felt his great
grandfather had not rested because
no-one from his family had come to visit
his grave.
"Nobody had been there since 1897 when
he died," he said..
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
Muslims in Germany call for action against
far-right groups
'Actions
must follow words,' said the cousin of
one of those killed in Hanau on
Wednesday night.
Hanau
residents march with a banner
reading 'Fascism and racism kill
everywhere' in a vigil for the
victims of the shooting.
Hanau, Germany - Thursday's attack in
the small western city of Hanau has
deepened fears in Germany that minority
communities are vulnerable to fascist
and Islamophobic violence, and has
raised questions about how much state
authorities are doing to combat any
threat.
The killings of 10 people, mostly with
immigrant backgrounds, has also prompted
a backlash against the far-right
Alternative for Germany (AfD) party,
which one senior politician said should
be placed under surveillance.
At Friday prayers on the outskirts of
the city, attendees continued to pay
respects to the dead, with some members
of the local Kurdish community asking
what action could be taken to prevent
another attack.
"We don't believe yet that this
mentality has been spread everywhere; we
know that there's still a society that
likes its diversity," said Mohamed
Erkelen, shortly after leading prayers
for one of the victims.
"The fascist mentality and fascist
organisations do not have a place in
this society," he told Al Jazeera,
adding that political figures need to
take stronger action to ease concerns
among minority groups.
Tobias Rethjen, the 43-year-old killer
from Hanau, posted a number of far-right
conspiracy videos on YouTube, as well as
publishing a lengthy manifesto on social
media, in which he espoused racist and
eugenicist views, Germany's federal
prosecutor said.
Ali Unvar's cousin, Fehrad, was shot
dead while buying cigarettes. He is
convinced that police reports of Rethjen
scouting the scene of the second
shooting in the days before the attack
is evidence that he meant to target
Muslims or Arabs.
Saudi women smoke in public to 'complete'
their freedom
Women smoke
publicly at a coffee shop in
north Riyadh on January 25, 2020.
SAUDI ARABIA: Rima
settles in a chair at an upscale Riyadh
cafe, looks around carefully, and seeing
no one she recognizes, drags on her
electronic cigarette and exhales a cloud
of smoke.
"I feel that smoking in public is a part
of exercising my newly won freedoms. I
am happy that now that I can choose,"
the 27-year-old Saudi who works for a
private company in the capital told AFP.
Like Western feminists of the early 20th
century, in an era of social change in
Saudi Arabia some women are embracing
cigarettes, shisha pipes or vaping as a
symbol of emancipation.
The sight of women smoking in public has
become much more common in recent
months, an unthinkable prospect before
the introduction of sweeping reforms in
the ultra-conservative kingdom.
The kingdom's ambitious de facto ruler,
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, has
rolled out an array of economic and
social innovations to project a
moderate, business-friendly image.
Women are now allowed to drive, attend
public sporting events and concerts, and
obtain passports without the approval of
a male guardian.
Rima, who started smoking two years ago,
dismisses concerns about the harmful
effects of tobacco, but is worried her
family will find out.
She says she is prepared for a showdown.
"I won't tell them that this is about my
personality liberty, because they won't
understand that women are free to smoke
like men," said Rima, dressed in a
traditional black abaya with gold
embroidery matching the hijab that
covered her hair.
Najla, 26, who like Rima asked to use a
pseudonym, said that despite the rapid
social changes, double standards still
existed, and that it was still
considered a "scandal and disgrace" if
women smoked.
The only woman lighting up amid several
tables of male smokers, she said she
intended to "challenge society" and
ignore the occasional dirty looks.
"My rights will be fully respected when
my family accepts me as a smoker," she
said, recalling that a friend was sent
to an addiction clinic when her parents
found out about her smoking.
Najla started smoking while still a
school student, and like her, up to 65
percent of female Saudi high schoolers
light up secretly, according to a 2015
study by the medical faculty at King
Abdulaziz University cited by Arab News.
'Everything is allowed'
Despite the limitations, in a country
where until just a few years ago
religious police would chase and hit
women for infractions like wearing nail
polish or allowing a strand of hair to
escape from their hijab, the changes
have been head-spinning.
"Most of our women clients order shisha.
It's something that was totally
unimaginable just three months ago," a
Lebanese waiter told AFP at an upscale
cafe in north Riyadh.
Heba, a 36-year-old longtime smoker who
sat at a table nearby, described growing
up in a closed country where "everything
was forbidden to women".
"I never imagined I would be able to
smoke shisha in public next to men," she
told AFP.
"Now, everything is allowed. Women
venture out without hijab, without abaya
and they even smoke publicly."
But even as the kingdom has introduced
reforms, it has attracted condemnation
for a heavy-handed crackdown on
dissidents including intellectuals,
clerics and female activists.
In 2018, authorities arrested at least a
dozen women activists just before the
historic lifting of the decades-long ban
on female motorists.
Many of the detained have accused
interrogators of sexual harassment and
torture. Saudi authorities reject the
accusations.
"There is no doubt that at the persona
level there is more freedom," said Walid
al-Hathloul, whose sister Loujain is on
trial over allegations of having
contacts with foreign media and
diplomats.
"But the reforms in favour of women are
part of a public relations campaign to
improve the kingdom's human rights
record," he told AFP.
"The arrest and demonization of women
activists is proof of this -- it's
designed so that the reforms will not be
credited to the activists," he told AFP.
If you wish to know
about a specific
topic with regards
to Self-Care and
Clarity of Mind,
please text or email
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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:
Replacing Regret
With Gratitude
The Reality Of
Regret
To regret is to wish
that you had
something other than
what you have now.
It is to spend the
present moment
wishing it was
different. It is
human nature to
dwell on thoughts
that start with
‘What-if’ or ‘I wish
I had’.
Regrets can quickly
turn into a default
setting in the mind
if you are not aware
of your present
moment.
Your moment right
now is your moment
to design your life
in a way that will
serve your purpose.
Moments spent in
regret do not serve
your purpose - they
hold you back and
before you know it,
a vicious cycle of
regrets becomes your
default setting.
You lose sight of
your present moment
and forget to
appreciate the
beauty and serenity
of surrendering to
ALLAH’s plans for
you.
Let us transform
ourselves right this
moment and cultivate
a mindset which
replaces regret with
absolute gratitude..
How To Replace
Regret With
Gratitude
1. Praise
ALMIGHTY ALLAH
for all that HE
has already
given you. Write
down a list of
everything you
are blessed
with.
2. Now, Praise
ALMIGHTY ALLAH
for all the
lessons you have
learnt from past
experiences,
negative and
positive.
3. Replace all
what-if
statements with
“Alhumdolillah”.
4. Avoid
comparing your
life with
someone else’s.
Your unique
abilities and
experiences make
you different
from the rest of
the world. Focus
on your soulful
connection with
ALLAH. Increase
your own ibaadah
and good deeds.
Don’t worry
about who is
saying what and
who is doing
what. Focus on
your deeds, your
thoughts, your
words.
5. Daily
positive
affirmations.
Consciously
choose positive
words when
talking about
your situation.
The more you
affirm your life
positively, the
more positive
outcomes arise
from situations.
Refer to
examples below:
Situation
Negative
Self -Talk
Positive
Affirmation
Money
I don’t have
enough money
yet.
Thank you,
ALLAH, for
my financial
abundance.
Marriage
It’s not
going well.
Thank you,
ALLAH, for
my joyful
marriage.
Disobedient
children
What more
can I do?
They are so
ungrateful.
Thank you,
ALLAH, for
making my
children
healthy and
joyful and
keeping them
on the
straight
path.
Job
I hate my
job.
Thank you,
ALLAH, for
the
opportunity
I have to
provide
service to
others.
Body Image
I don’t like
my body.
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.”
In Shaa ALLAH, next
week we will explore
the topic: Are You
Being Of Service?
Lessons from
Surah al-Kahf (Pearls from the Qur'an)
by
Yasir Qadhi
DESCRIPTION
The Qur’an is full of
parables. Each one, when its
meaning is unpacked and
understood, offers wisdom
and guidance. Surah Kahf,
chapter 18 from the Qur’an,
is particularly thought
provoking, and Muslims are
advised to read it at least
once a week.
But why? And what can we
gain from it?
In this book Yasir Qadhi
leads us through Surah Kahf,
unfolding the lines, stories
and symbols that have
inspired people for over a
thousand years: the people
of the cave, Prophet Musa’s
momentous encounter with
Khidr, the two men and their
gardens, and Gog and Magog.
And surely We have
explained matters in people
in the Qur’an in diverse
ways, using all manners of
parables. (Qur’an 18:54)
Through Yasir Qadhi’s
unmistakeable voice, modern
Muslims may glimpse some of
the Qur’an’s profound
meaning.
Say: “If the sea were to
become ink to record the
Words of my Lord, indeed the
sea would all be used up
before the Words of my Lord
are exhausted…” (Qur’an
18:109)
If you haven't already, you need to
get yourself a copy! I've been glued to this book
the past two days Subhan'Allah!
The knowledge and wisdom behind all
four stories Subhan'Allah. It's really changed the
way I read Surah al-Kahf.
I'm in the process of learning Arabic
alhamdulillah but this has made me fall in love with
the surah itself that much more Subhan'Allah. It's
just gems upon gems Subhan'Allah. Wow.
The lessons to take from each story. How to
implement them in our weekly lives, it's all so
amazing!
I can't lie, it's just as scary as
it is amazing! But that's good! Islam is a Balance.
Allah (swt) with all His infinite mercy teaches us
this throughout the Qur'an. If He mentions His
wrath, He will follow it up with His Mercy
Subhan'Allah.
Whatever I say will not do it justice. I loved
reading this book. Alhamdulillah.
KB says:
Dates are a nutrient-dense food, which makes
them beneficial for most people's diets; they
contain fibre, iron and vitamins A and K, as
well as minerals such as magnesium, potassium
and niacin. Dates are also fairly low in
calories.
Date and Nut Loaf
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
150g chopped dates
5ml bicarbonate of soda
200ml boiling water
60g butter
100g brown sugar
1 egg
5ml vanilla essence
50g chopped pecan nuts
200g flour
5ml baking powder
Chopped Pecan nuts for decorating.
▪
Sprinkle bicarbonate of soda
onto the dates, pour boiling water over and allow it to
soak.
▪
Cream the butter and
brown sugar, beat in the egg, and add essence and the nuts.
▪
Fold in the sifted flour
and baking powder and lastly add the date mixture. This
makes a soft mixture.
▪
Pour into a greased loaf
pan or mini loaf pans, decorate with pecans and bake at
180”c for approx 10 mins for mini loaf pans or approx 20
mins in a loaf pan.
▪
This can be served warm with ice
cream as a desert or sliced and served with tea.
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.
If you disclose [acts of]
charity, even so it is well,
but if you conceal them, and
make them reach those
[really] in need, that is
best for you: it will remove
from you some of your
[stains of] evil. And Allah
is well acquainted with what
you do.
The Indonesian
Diaspora
Queensland and
Rotary Club of
Archerfield are
hosting the
fundraiser event
for "Bushfire
and Drought
Relief".
The event will
be held on
February 29,
2020 in
Brisbane.
This event will
also be an
opportunity for
all our attendee
to engage with
committed hard
working members
of various
community who
will be joining
us on the night.
Invitation have
also been
extended to
Ambassador of
Republic of
Indonesia for
Australia in
Canberra and
Consulate
General of
Republic of
Indonesia in
Sydney. Also to
local government
representatives.
Please join us
in this
fundraising
night. The Night
will be wrap as
"Indonesian
Cultural Night"
with Indonesian
Foods, Dances
and Fashions.
Please support
us by purchasing
the tickets and
invite others.
Ticket price is
$35 pp or $315
per table.
Ticket is
purchase via
Eventbrite. Cash
Donation are
welcome.
Join us to
discuss and
better
understand the
global
environmental
crisis – climate
change, wildlife
extinctions,
mass pollution
and how our
religious
principles and
values can be
applied.
The event is
co-organised by
the Islamic
Council of
Queensland, and
supported by
AFIC, CIQ, The
Climate Reality
Project, the
Australian
Religious
Response for
Climate Change
and CICD.
Two
internationally
renowned keynote
speakers
Professor Odeh
Al-Jayyousi
(author of
“Islam and
Sustainable
Development”)
from the Arab
Gulf University,
Bahrain, and
Ibrahim Abdul-Matin
(author of
“Green Deen”)
from New York
City, USA will
be speaking
together with
other
presenters. The
tentative
programme is
attached.
This is an
academic
conference cum
community event
designed to
provide an
understanding of
the
environmental
crisis from
well-founded
research
findings.
It will stress
our obligations
to act based on
our religious
principles and
values, as well
as views on how
these teachings
can be applied –
individually and
as societies.
To encourage
interfaith
action on common
problems faced
by humanity, we
also invite
facilitator/speakers
from other
Abrahamic
faiths.
For further
details contact
Mohammed Hayat
(0401 162 199)
or Daud (0413
067 160).
Venue: Multi-Faith
Centre, Griffith
University, Nathan
Campus
Date: Saturday, March
14, 2020, 8:00 am - 5:00
pm.
Australian International
Islamic College
724 Blunder Rd, Durack
Schedule
10.30 Welcome Guests
10.45 Welcome to Country by Elder
11.00: Speech by Chief Guests
11.30: Speech by President of Imams Council of
Queensland
11.45: Presentation by Indigenous community
12.00: Speech by President of Islamic Council of
Queensland
12.15: Prayer for Humanity - Multifaith Organisations
12.30: Maori Prayer Song and Haka
So we thought
we'd take a
moment to
introduce
ourselves.
A teacher, a
graphic designer
and a pharmacist
walk into a
bar... Ok, so
not a bar
(OBVIOUSLY), but
it was over a
lunch. Like many
beginnings, this
one started at
the end... of
last year, and
has taken off
since then.
We are SZL
Events. Being
mothers
ourselves and
most of us
holding jobs, we
are all working
hard behind the
scene to bring
awesome events
to you. Our aim
is to provide
more
opportunities
for Gold Coast
Muslims to
socialise and
have fun.
Vendors! Get in
before
registration
closes at the
end of February
in order to have
a stall with us.
We can't wait to
hear from you!
Don't want a
stall? Are you
more interested
in being a
sponsor instead?
Use this
opportunity to
get your name
out there!
Contact us today
to check out our
sponsorship
packages.
The Islamic Council
of Queensland (ICQ) would like to invite you to
support the upcoming EID DOWN UNDER festival
taking place on Saturday the 6th of June at the
Australian International Islamic College. Eid as
you know is a time for celebration for Muslims
and more than 15,000 people are expected to
attend the social event for hours of fun, food,
rides, entertainment, competitions, cultural
performances and much more, the Brisbane City
Council considers this a major event in
Brisbane. It also provides a chance for the
Muslim community to connect with other groups
and communities in Queensland, promoting an
inclusive and harmonious Australian society.
Insha Allah this year the festival will be
bigger than previous years.
The event provides a platform for businesses to
promote their activities and the opportunity is
huge as the event brings together people from
all walks of life, and many different
communities from across Queensland. Over the
years, the event has seen major sponsorships
from well-established leading Muslim businesses
and Insha Allah this year we hope to see your
kind support. In doing so, you’ll not only be
promoting your business but also be supporting
social cohesion, mutual respect and
understanding within our society, which is a key
focus for ICQ and cornerstones of our Muslim
identity.
Starting at only $1000.00, we have tailored
sponsorship packages to suit all types of
businesses, we humbly request you to consider
being a sponsor of this year's event.
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!
It's
the 4th time in 5
years we have been
involved.
MarshaAllah Brisbane
sent more than 1450
backpacks (with the
Islamic Society of
Algester and friends
packing over 670
backpacks with the
generous monetary
donations) in last
year's very short
campaign! This year
we will exceed that
InshaAllah! 2020 in
2020!
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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Councillor
for Calamvale Ward, Angela
Owens, has made
representation to Swimming
Australia regarding swimwear
code on behalf of families
in her electorate who are
"seeking for Swimming
Australia to uphold their
policies of inclusion by
ensuring all, but
particularly young swimmers
are enabled to swim
competitively, at all
levels, wearing swimwear
which protects their
modesty." 
SAYYID
İBRAHIM DELLAL: AN ANALYSIS
OF UNTOLD STORIES OF A
‘LIVING HISTORY 
When
we last visited
Palestine, the
British had
drafted the
Balfour
Declaration,
creating new
problems in the
region.
Australia's Afghan cameleers' forgotten
history revived by their living relatives
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011