The family of Ikraan Bakram
(pictured left), shot
dead by police in the centre
of Brisbane City this week,
says he had schizophrenia.
The Brisbane Muslim
community and Mr Bahram's
family have also been
angered by some reports that
the attack may have been
motivated by terrorism.
Mr Bahram's family said had
been hospitalised at least
four times in the last three
years due to his illness and
was most recently admitted
to the Princess Alexandra
Hospital in December.
The family said they are
angry and believe Queensland
Health failed their son.
"He has been in mental
health getting help," his
sister said.
"He didn't get enough
support.
"There are families hurting
from this, it's absolutely
heartbreaking."
His family said Mr Bahram
was born in Sydney after his
mother moved to Australia
from Afghanistan as a
refugee.
"The worst thing was when we
turned on the TV and saw
reports stating he was a
terrorist. That is
disgusting behaviour,
absolutely disgusting," his
sister said.
"He is not related to any
terrorist groups or anything
like that.
"We are just a normal Aussie
family who have had our
brother — my parent's son —
taken away."
Police confirmed there was
nothing to suggest the
incident was linked to
terrorism.
Islamic Council of
Queensland secretary
Muhammad Khatree said
misinformation was damaging,
not only to the man's
family, but to relations
between the Islamic
community and police.
"Any reports that try to
force a connection to
terrorism are highly
irresponsible," Mr Khatree
said.
"We have been informed by
family members that the
deceased was born in
Australia and suffering from
grappling with severe mental
health issues.
"We are also seriously
concerned by the excessive
force used by police
officers."
"To have his life taken away
like this is unjust," his
sister added.
"The police have gone about
this the wrong way. They
could have used tasers.
"It was excessive [force]."
The use of deadly force will
be investigated by
Queensland police's internal
ethical standards command
but, in an unprecedented
move, QPS Commissioner
Katarina Carroll has
publicly supported the
officers involved.
"Every day my officers go to
work to protect
Queenslanders," she posted
on Instagram.
"Two of our first responders
faced a critical situation
that, as police, we hope we
are never confronted with.
"I stand with them."
Queensland Police Union
president Ian Leavers also
stood by the action of the
officers.
The UK tourist who was
stabbed in the incident
received a single stitch in
hospital and was discharged.
ABC NEWS
The janaza of Mohammed
Ikraan Bakram was held at
Kuraby Mosque on Wednesday
26 February and his body was
laid to rest at Mt Gravatt
Cemetery.
Subsequent to a call for a
meeting with the Police
Commissioner, the Islamic
Council of Queensland issued
the following statement:
Keynote
speaker, Dr Dzavid Haveric (4th
from left), with some of the
participants
The Queensland Muslim
Historical Society hosted Dr
Dvaid Haveric at the
Multi-Faith Centre on the
Griffith University's Nathan
campus where Dr Haveric
spoke on the history of
Muslims in Australia.
Dr Dzavid Haveric is an
Adjunct Research Fellow at
the Centre for Islamic
Studies and Civilisation,
and the Centre for Public
and Contextual Theology at
Charles Sturt University. He
is also a Research Associate
at Museum Victoria. He has
worked as a Project Officer
and Program Assistant at the
Parliament of the World's
Religions within the
Victorian Multicultural
Commission. He also worked
as a reporter at the Special
Broadcasting Service (SBS)
Radio Program for the
Bosnian Community. Dr
Haveric is the author of ten
books, and number of
newspaper articles and radio
reports.
The audience participants
included members of other
historical societies,
academics and professional
and amateur historians.
Dr Mustafa Ally MC'ed the
lively discussion invoked by
Dr Haveric's historical
images, paintings and photos
of people and places going
as far back as the 8th
century.
On Saturday 22 February
2020, Kuraby Masjid hosted
Saint Peter's Parish from
Rochedale. The purpose of
this event was to take our
brothers and sisters from
Saint Peter's for a tour of
the Masjid, give them a bit
of background as to who we
are and what we do, and to
continue the conversations
that started after the Sri
Lankan bombings last year
when the Masjid sent Saint
Peter's (among other Church
groups) some flowers and a
message of condolence and
solidarity.
Allhumdulilalah, the event
went very well and the
relationship between Kuraby
Masjid and Saint Peter's was
further strengthened.
The Masjid strongly believes
that inter faith dialogue is
important in our diverse
community. We share similar
beliefs to our brothers and
sisters from different
faiths, and it is important
that we unite on our
similarities and respect our
differences.
The Masjid hosts a number of
schools, faith groups and
visitors throughout the
year.
Muslims pray at the Grand
Mosque during the annual Hajj
pilgrimage in their holy city of
Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia has imposed a
temporary ban on religious
pilgrimage, known as Umrah,
to historic Islamic shrines
in Mecca and Medina over the
coronavirus outbreak that
has recently spread to the
Middle East.
The oil-rich kingdom
announced on Wednesday that
the restrictions were put in
place to “provide the utmost
protection” to those living
in Saudi Arabia as well as
pilgrims and tourists
willing to visit the
country.
In a statement, the Saudi
Foreign Ministry said that
the government would suspend
"entry to the kingdom for
the purpose of Umrah," as
well as for visiting the
Prophet's Mosque in Medina,
the second holiest site in
Islam after the Grand Mosque
in Mecca.
Umrah is an Islamic
pilgrimage to Mecca that can
be undertaken at any time of
the year, unlike Ḥajj, which
should be attempted by every
Muslim at least once a
lifetime at a specific time
of year.
In addition, Riyadh
suspended entry for anyone
who has a valid tourist visa
but hails from countries
that have been experiencing
a COVID-19 outbreak.
Saudis and citizens of the
five other nations that
comprise the Gulf
Cooperation Council (GCC) –
Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar
and the United Arab Emirates
– will be barred from using
their national ID cards to
either enter or leave the
kingdom, the ministry said,
noting that those Saudis
citizens who want to return
from abroad and GCC
nationals who are now in
Saudi Arabia but want to fly
back to their respective
home countries will be
exempted from the ban.
It’s unclear when the
restrictions will be lifted,
with the ministry noting
that the move is “temporary”
and “is subject to a
continuous evaluation by the
competent authorities.”
Riyadh’s decision to
partially shut its borders
for pilgrims and citizens
from the coronavirus-stricken
countries comes as the virus
has been taking hold in
Europe and the Middle East.
The highest number of
coronavirus fatalities
outside China have been
reported.
RT
LATEST: Iran seals off
religious sites as
coronavirus death toll rises
and Pakistan reports new
cases
Pakistani singer Abida
Parveen: ‘You will never
understand this through logic
and brain; it always comes
through the heart.’
The devotional singer is
known to move audiences to a
higher plane. Meeting her in
Melbourne, Ben Eltham
writes, time went ‘all bendy
and loose’
Sufi superstar Abida Parveen
– a giant of world music –
is an arresting presence.
Dressed in flowing robes and
scarf, her hair a mass of
handsome dark curls, she
seems to carry a little
bubble of grace around with
her – despite being anchored
by pink sneakers.
Best known for her command
of the ghazal, kafi and
qawwali – classic forms of
Sufi music and poetry – the
colossal artistic stature of
Parveen in her homeland of
Pakistan is hard to convey
for the western reader. As
Kamile Shamsie wrote in
2005, “you could find entire
neighbourhoods, possibly
towns, in Pakistan where the
residents would be delighted
to be kept up until dawn by
the sound of Parveen”.
Melbourne gets her for a
single night only, in an
exclusive concert that’s
part of the three-month Asia
Topa festival of Asian
performing arts. “I’m very
peaceful, it feels like
there’s a lot of peace
here,” she says when we
meet.
Parveen began singing as a
three-year old, encouraged
by her father Ustad Ghulam
Haider – himself a famous
musician. At his knee, she
imbibed the Sufi canon and a
respect for its power.
Even as a young child she
had a “thirst for learning”,
she explains through her
translator. She would often
observe her father with his
music students at home,
where she learned “the
respect of the honour of
what this is”.
“Every shrine has a
different culture, every
Sufi saint has a different
culture, and you learn
through spirituality as well
… The true culture is of
Sufis, is [about] spreading
peace. This culture is
coming from the Prophet,
peace be upon him, and this
then travels through the
Sufi saints and spreads
through the world.”
What does it feel like when
she’s singing?
“Once you’re in this space,
this spirituality actually
liberates you,” Parveen
explains. “You’re not tied
by any worldly or
materialistic thing.”
Every concert is like her
very first, she says. “So I
pray every time to receive,
and once the Divine listens
to that, he creates a
gathering where I become a
channel, and then that flows
to everyone who is
interested. So that
gathering becomes a
spreading of the message.”
Parveen’s mysticism can
belie a more worldly
approach to the industry.
She is a highly successful
commercial artist in
Pakistan, and has even
appeared as a judge on the
Indian-Pakistani talent show
Sur Kshetra.
But the core of her music is
her spirituality, evident
not just from her
performances, but in the
philosophy she brings to her
art.
“The soul of the heart is
what is connected to the
Divine. It comes first in my
heart, and then to my lips,”
she says, in a reference to
the great 14th century poet
Hafez.
Parveen’s manner of speaking
has been called “densely
poetic”, and it is also in
Urdu, which I don’t speak.
But even without
translation, her lilting
cadences are mesmerising,
enlivened by flashes of
humour.
“You will never understand
this through logic and
brain; it always comes
through the heart, the heart
understands this.”
When I ask what that means,
she giggles.
“You don’t understand it,
you can’t understand it
yourself!” she tells me, her
eyes crinkling with mirth.
“Once the heart accepts and
submits, then the guidance
comes.”
At this point Parveen’s
translator, Ayesha Bux,
explains the word she is
using here is ilham, by
which she means not simply a
message, but divine
inspiration.
The power of music in a
cruel world has never seemed
more important than in 2020,
a year which has already
been dominated by drought,
bushfires, a fast-spreading
virus and deadly sectarian
violence in India.
“Even if one person
understands in the world, it
could bring salvation,”
Parveen tells me.
“When things like this
happen, or when they
explode, this is coming from
somewhere else – but the
solace comes from the
Divine.”
Here Parveen quotes a
well-known Qur’anic
reference to David: “The
prophet David, peace be upon
him, when he started
singing, the mountains would
sway and the birds would
sing.”
Called “Abdaji” by her
entourage, Parveen seems to
effortlessly command any
space, even an empty
cocktail lounge in the
bowels of Melbourne’s Arts
Centre. Maybe I’ve had too
many coffees, but it seems
the room gets quieter when
she talks, and time gets all
bendy and loose.
It’s a phenomenon her fans
talk about too, with her
performances regularly
transporting audiences to a
higher plane.
“With music, there are only
12 notes. You can’t increase
or decrease them. Those 12
notes are coming from the
Divine. And the whole world
is within them.”
• Abida Parveen performed
at the Hamer Hall, Arts
Centre Melbourne on Saturday
29 February, as part of Asia
Topa festival
UK's
Muslim News readers
nominated
illustrious men,
women, children and
initiatives deemed
worthy of
short-listing for a
Muslim News Award
for Excellence. The
nominees were
short-listed by an
independent panel of
judges who reviewed,
deliberated and
mused over the list.
Over
the next weeks, CCN
presents a
shortlisted
candidate who will
be treated to a gala
evening in the
presence of their
peers and other
renowned guests in
March, when the
finalists are
announced for the
[15] coveted Awards
for Excellence.
Nadifa Mohamed
was born in Hargeisa,
Somaliland
in 1981.
Her two novels have
attracted critical
acclaim and her
writing has been
published in the New
York Times, The
Independent and
anthologies
celebrating the best
of modern African
fiction and marking
the bicentenary of
Charlotte Bronte’s
birth.
Her first novel,
Black Mamba Boy, won
the Betty Trask
Prize, was
long-listed for the
Orange Prize, and
was short-listed for
the Guardian First
Book Award, the John
Llewellyn Rhys
Prize, the Dylan
Thomas Prize, and
the PEN Open Book
Award.
In 2013 she was
selected as one of
Granta’s Best of
Young British
Novelists.
Her second novel,
The Orchard of Lost
Souls, was published
in 2013 and won a
Somerset Maugham
Prize and the Prix
Albert Bernard and
was long-listed for
The Dylan Thomas
Prize and
short-listed for the
Hurston/Wright
Legacy Award.
Following the 2017
lorry bomb attack in
Mogadishu, Nadifa
helped raise over
£32,000 for Aamin
Ambulance.
Nadifa has
volunteered with
many mentoring
schemes for Muslim
children in London,
including Baraka
Youth in Portobello,
and was active in
the various
volunteer efforts
following the
Grenfell Tower
tragedy.
She has also worked
at the Hackney
Christmas Dinner
which was set up by
poet Lemn Sissay to
give young people
just out of the care
system a
family-style
Christmas Day.
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".
...continued from last
week's CCN
Champion rower to community
worker
It was in the waters of Port
Fouad where Abla says she
developed her work ethic.
At the age of 13, she took
up rowing, an activity
considered unusual for girls
and women at the time.
By 15, she was a national
champion.
"I started to travel the
whole of Egypt; Cairo,
Alexandria, Ismailia, and
have competitions with much
older girls."
"Whatever race, from the
beginning, any race I went
in I won. So I was Egypt's
champion rower in the skiff
[small boat], in singles."
Sport was, and still is, a
big part of her life.
She says she was lucky
enough to have a father who
encouraged her to be active
and trained her in
competitive rowing.
"I try to pass it on to my
children and grandchildren,
and even here, in the
centre, I try to organise a
lot of activities with
sport."
"I take groups to bowling,
climbing, rock climbing and
ice skating.”
Abla believes all women
should participate in sport,
especially team sports.
“A few years ago I had an
OzTag team (tag rugby) as
well. It's in my blood, I
know the benefit of playing
sport and I like to
encourage women to play and
to take part in teams."
Over the previous two weeks,
Imams Corner with President
of Council of Imams
Queensland, Sheikh Uzair
Akbar, has gone live with
two episodes, highlighting
the importance of taking
advantage of the good deeds
presented to us in the
moment of NOW!
The 3 Fundamental steps to
cultivate the connection
with our children.
Opinion by Rita
Markwell, Policy Advisor of Australian
Muslim Advocacy Network (AMAN)
Our dream for that child
What is it about a new child
that sparks joy in us? Their
innocence, unbridled
curiosity for the world,
their lightness.
At this moment they are
still completely fashioned
by love. It is a state of
being we long for, a state
without torment or
heaviness, without shame or
worry.
Through all those years we
experience the highs and
lows with them. We are there
as they begin to notice the
jagged contours of the world
as humans have made it.
With our imperfect habits,
we model to them an ethical
framework, cobbling it
together with advice that
doesn’t always correspond
with our actions. We stumble
along with moments of joy
and triumph mingled with
despair and witling fatigue.
Alhamdulillah, this is the
path we tread as parents and
carers.
Last week a set of parents
within our community lost
their child in horrible
circumstances after an
encounter with police in the
Brisbane CBD. It was a
horrific and abrupt ending,
not only to their journey
with a beautiful son, who
happened to suffer from
schizophrenia, but to all
the dreams they held with
him.
I’ve asked myself what more
we can do as a community to
support those living with
mental illness and their
families. Insha’Allah that
family may write about it
one day and answer that
question.
While I cannot speak to
their situation, I can speak
to the crippling harm of
stigma and judgement. For
any of us, who’ve had our
trust betrayed by someone
who is back biting or
ignorant, you will know how
it can lead you to
completely disconnect. You
cannot trust them anymore,
but you also begin to
wonder, who you can trust?
It makes you want to avoid
being vulnerable or share
your story. This is a lonely
place. It’s also paralysing
at a community level because
it stops people from sharing
their burdens or seeking
help.
Stigma and judgement do not
only have dire consequences
for mental health. It is
there for people who don’t
and cannot fit ‘the mould’
for whatever reason. And
there are so many reasons.
It could be a disability. It
could be that they are
attracted to the same sex.
It could be that they want
to pursue a career that
their family doesn’t approve
of. Maybe they don’t want to
marry. Yet our inability to
love and put humanity first
is a community problem, not
their problem. For without
love, there is no support,
and without support, there
is no safety.
If we are to honour the
dream of every child, we
must love one another more
than our need to maintain
perfect appearances. We must
stop looking the other way
and listen.
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 “The function of religion
means that faith is a lamp
in our lives which
illuminates the path for
people.”
Statistics
11 years – study under Habib
Abdul-Qadir Bin Ahmad al-Saqqaf
2005 CE – the year the Tabah
Foundation was founded
Habib ‘Ali Zain Al Abideen
Al-Jifri
Tracing his lineage to the
family of ‘Ali, the fourth
Caliph of Islam and cousin
of the Prophet Muhammad,
Habib ‘Ali Zain al Abideen
Al-Jifri is a leading
Islamic scholar and
prominent speaker in the
Muslim world. Al-Jifri is
Director General of the
Tabah Foundation in the UAE,
member of the board of Dar
al Mustafa in Yemen, member
of the Royal Aal Al-Bayt
Institute for Islamic
Thought in Jordan, and
affiliated with various
other international Islamic
organizations.
Influence Sufi Guide: As a Ba
Alawi Sufi, Al-Jifri is part
of a tradition that has been
based in Yemen for
approximately 800 years. His
numerous teachers include
the late scholars and
spiritual masters Habib
Abdul-Qadir bin Ahmad Al-Saqqaf,
and Habib Ahmad Mashhur bin
Taha Al-Haddad. Habib Ali
often teaches at Dar al
Mustafa in Tarim, Yemen, and
also travels all over the
world meeting his students
and giving lectures. Al-Jifri’s
counselling is also in
demand and his spiritual
insights have left a huge
impression on many. His
guidance is based on
incorporating as much of the
sunnah into one’s daily life
as one can.
Think Tank: Al-Jifri
founded the privately-funded
philanthropic Tabah
Foundation for Islamic
Studies and Research in Abu
Dhabi, a young nonprofit
institution that is a source
of reputable work in Islamic
research and thought. It
applies traditional
religious principles to
analyse contemporary issues.
Some of these have
inevitably become
controversial such as when
he made some statements
against popular revolutions
during the Arab Spring for
his belief that the
preservation of peace and
reducing bloodshed is
paramount.
World-Wide following:
Habib Ali’s popularity has
grown enormously over the
past few years with almost
15 million followers on
different social media
platforms, plus half a
million subscribers on his
Youtube channel. His
inspirational speeches often
leave many in tears, and his
smile and gentleness touch
all who meet him. Despite
not speaking English, he is
in huge demand by
English-speaking Muslims.
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
RELATION WITH THE
AJAYOGLU FAMILY
....continued
from last week's CCN
The Turanian Cultural
Festival was organised by
the Turanian Historical and
Cultural Association, of
which Mehmet Ajayoglu was
the president, at Estonian
House in West Brunswick on
Sunday, 25 September 1977.
In his speech at the
festival, Ajayoglu said: “I
am sure this good beginning
of Turanian Cultural
Movement will progress to
remedy many human problems…”
In his talk, he was very
proud to be of Caucasian
ancestry and referred to
noble blood running in his
veins.
Although a friend for more
than two decades, I could
not observe any ideological
influence of Ajayoglu on
İbrahim. After the World War
I until the late 80s,
nationalism had a very
strong influence on Turkish
peoples throughout the
world. However, there is no
mark of nationalism on
İbrahim’s philosophy.
It can be said İbrahim
encountered all political
and religious movements and
he was able to get along and
work with them without
confrontation. He
encountered Sufis, Salafis,
political Islamists,
religious radicals from
different faiths,
nationalists, aggressive
secularists, Islamophobists,
racists, self-interested and
aggressive atheists. Instead
of clashing with their views
and actions, he tried to
find common ground with all.
However, sometimes he
failed.
In my view, İbrahim strongly
believed Islam flourishes in
a peaceful environment and
society. If there is
conflict, then truth cannot
be heard. In his view,
without peace and security,
there is no good education
or economic prosperity. This
is mentioned many times in
his talks and poems.
Human Appeal
International
Australia's
Aspiring Leaders
Umrah Tour 2020:
Self reflection
By Ayman Ali
(Facebook
posting)
When I got
selected for the
trip
Alhumdulillah I
was so happy yet
so scared, I'm
probably going
to end up being
with 20 or so
extra religious
fanatics with
huge beards and
knee length
robes.... I was
definitely
wrong.
28 brothers from
different states
in Australia all
meet up in Dubai
for the first
time, yet it
felt as though
we've known each
other since
forever.
The three weeks
have proven to
be a
life-changing
experience for
every single one
of us.
There were so
many highlights
to this trip,
some of them
being: Doing
Umrah and
spending time at
the two holy
cities (Makkah
and Madinah),
visiting the
mountains,
caves, museums
and going to
places where our
prophet had been
too.
Going to Jordan
and spending
time with the
refugees at
their camps and
with the orphans
at the orphanage
in Amman both
sponsored by
Human Appeal
Australia.
Spending the
night at Wadi
Rum, the
diplomatic visit
to the
Australian
Ambassador to
Jordan, visiting
the different
companions of
the prophet
Muhammad (SAW)
burried at
iconic Jordanian
Masjids and
catching up with
Brother Ali
Raheem Rane.
And the final
stop, to
Istanbul,
visiting the
palaces,
museums, the
Ottoman Masjids.
Going to the
Grand Bazaar,
TRT world, the
school run by
the Iraqi
community, the
Bosphorus Cruise
and Erdoğan's
new Masjid the
Çamlıca Camii
all part of an
amazing tour
thanks to our
tour guide Metin
Yilmaz
Some of the many
lessons learnt
from this trip:
1) Be grateful
for what you
have
2) Don't always
complain
3) Don't judge
4) Take
advantage and
utilise your
youth
A special thanks
to the mentors
for organising
such an amazing,
beneficial and
practical trip
and for
selecting us to
be a part of it.
Hajji Bashar Al
Jamal - Director
Human Appeal
International
Australia and
Ameer of the
group.
Brother Ali
Kadir - State
Director South
Australia
Brother Abdul
Fattah - Digital
Technology
Manager
Brother Omar
Al-Jamal -
Marketing
Specialist
Another special
thanks to
Brother Kifli
Shahabuddin and
Brother Ammar
Haque for being
our video and
photographers
for the trip.
And thanks to
all my brothers
who made this
trip special,
memorable and
one never to be
forgotten.
.... Famous
sayings from
this trip:
1) Don't go
anywhere
2) Rent is due
3) Suh dude!
Apologies for
the spelling and
grammatical
errors, wrote
this while I'm
dying from post
travel sickness
and post travel
depression
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.
The
Palestinians had
had enough.
The year was
1936, and the
Palestinians
could no longer
handle to
frustrating
realities of the
Jewish
immigration and
the British
rule.
Determined to
take back their
land, they
started a war
against the
British that
lasted for three
years.
This war became
known as the
Great Arab
Revolt.
For three years,
the Arabs fought
against the
combined forces
of the British
troops and the
Jewish
immigrants.
In total, 5000
Palestinians
lost their lives
during this war,
while only 100
Jews lost there.
2020 Clark
Lecture in English Literature,
instituted by Trinity College,
Cambridge.
....continued
from last week's CCN
In some sense,
The Ministry of
Utmost
Happiness, my
novel published
in 2017, can be
read as a
conversation
between two
graveyards. One,
a graveyard
where Anjum—born
as a boy to a
Muslim family in
the walled city
of Delhi—makes
her home and
gradually builds
a guest house,
the Jannat Guest
House—the
“Paradise” Guest
House—and where
a range of
people come
seeking shelter.
The other, the
ethereally
beautiful valley
of Kashmir,
which is now,
after thirty
years of war,
covered with
graveyards, and
in this way has
become,
metaphorically,
almost a
graveyard
itself. So, a
graveyard
covered by the
Jannat Guest
House, and a
Jannat covered
with graveyards.
This
conversation,
this chatter
between two
graveyards, is
and always has
been strictly
prohibited in
India. In the
real world, it
is considered a
high crime,
treasonous even.
Fortunately, in
fiction,
different rules
apply.
Before we get to
the forbidden
conversation,
let me describe
for you the view
from my writing
desk. Some
writers may wish
to shut the
window or move
to another room.
But I cannot. So
you will have to
bear with me,
because it is in
this landscape
that I heat my
stove and store
my pots and
pans. It is here
that I make my
literature.
Today marks the
one hundred and
ninety-third day
of the Indian
government’s
shutdown of the
internet in
Kashmir. After
months of having
no access to
mobile data or
broadband, seven
million
Kashmiris, who
live under the
densest military
occupation in
the world, have
been allowed to
view what is
known as a white
list—a handful
of
government-approved
websites. These
include a few
selected news
portals, but not
the social media
that Kashmiris
so depend on,
given the
hostility
towards them of
the mainstream
Indian media, to
put out their
versions of
their lives. In
other words,
Kashmir now has
a formally
firewalled
internet, which
could well be
the future for
many of us in
the world. It’s
the equivalent
of giving a
thirsty person
water from an
eyedropper.
The internet
shutdown has
crippled almost
every aspect of
daily life in
Kashmir. The
full extent of
the hardship it
has caused has
not even been
studied yet.
It’s a
pioneering
experiment in
the mass
violation of
human rights.
The information
siege aside,
thousands of
Kashmiris,
including
children,
civil-society
activists and
political
figures, are
imprisoned—some
under the
draconian Public
Safety Act.
These are just
the bare bones
of an epic and
continuously
unfolding
tragedy. While
the world looks
away, business
has ground to a
halt, tourism
has slowed to a
trickle, Kashmir
has been
silenced and is
slowly falling
off the map.
None of us needs
to be reminded
of what happens
when places fall
off the map.
When the
blowback comes,
I, for one, will
not be among
those feigning
surprise.
Miswak, the
forgotten sunnah:
The value of the
natural chewing
stick for oral
health
by Rida
Ansary
What did you use
to clean your
teeth this
morning?
Electric
toothbrush?
Perhaps you
haven’t
considered using
a stick from a
tree? Yes, it’s
the Miswak.
The ancient tool
for mouth
hygiene has been
proven to be the
most effective
out of several
modern devices
despite its lack
of significance
for hundreds of
years.
Prophet
Muhammad’s (s)
only toothbrush
was a twig
extracted from
the Salvadora
Persica tree,
its place of
origin being the
Middle East,
Asia, Africa and
the Americas.
This became
known as the
Miswak.
There were other
methods of tooth
cleansing during
the time of the
Prophet Muhammad
(s) in the 7th
Century, such as
the hair bristle
and Ox bone
toothbrush of
China’s Tang
Dynasty (Medibank)
and the basic
herb flavoured
cloth used in
the West;
however Prophet
Muhammad (s)
emphasised the
profoundness of
the chewing
stick in oral
hygiene strongly
throughout his
teaching.
He insisted his
Ummah use it
several times
throughout the
day, especially
before prayer.
It can be used
with other
devices such as
toothpaste and
dental floss as
these can also
assist in
maintaining oral
hygiene.
One hadith
states that
“Miswak is a
means of the
purification of
your mouths and
the pleasure of
your Rabb.” (Sunan
Ibn Majah).
From this we can
infer that use
of the miswak to
clean our teeth
is not only an
act of Taharah
(cleanliness),
but also an act
of Ibadah
(worship).
The Miswak is
also
scientifically
proven to be
more effective
than modern
toothbrushes.
Numerous studies
have been done
in which the
performance of
the Miswak was
tested against
that of regular
brushes,
electric brushes
and fluoride
toothpastes.
An article (Eur
J Dent 2016)
states that
recent have
studies proved;
“The presence of
calcium and
chlorides in
miswak inhibit
the bacterial
attachment on to
the enamel
surface hence
providing a
protective
medium.”
The article also
mentions that
another study
indicated
“Miswak (S
persica) has
comparable or at
times greater
chemical and
mechanical
capability in
plaque removal.”
Hence, retaining
the practice of
using the Miswak
will not only
revive a
forgotten Sunnah,
but will reduce
the need for
expensive dental
treatment while
allowing us to
get closer to
Allah!
A refugee
created a video game to
teach the world what it's
like to be fleeing a
war-torn country.
Taking
the Shahada with Hussin Goss
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.
Australia's Afghan cameleers' forgotten
history revived by their living relatives
City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder
historian Tim Moore with a book
about Australia's cameleers.
....continued
from last week's CCN
Mosque murder scandal
Tim Moore, a historian for the City of
Kalgoorlie-Boulder, has spent many hours
investigating the long forgotten quirky
and sometimes gruesome tales of the
cameleers.
"Here on the Goldfields you've got this
fabulous community of people, and
they're very exotic," Mr Moore said.
The cameleers were astute businessmen
who managed to amass significant wealth,
which Mr Moore said caused conflicts
within the community.
Three camels
in front of commercial buildings
in Coolgardie in the 1890s.
(Supplied:
National Library of Australia)
Mr Moore said they also established WA's
first mosque, in Coolgardie.
"In 1896, a guy called Tagh Mahomet who
was a businessman here in the Goldfields
was shot in the back of the head by a
guy called Goulam Mahomet," he said.
"That caused an absolute scandal because
Tagh Mahomet was considered one of the
best businessmen on the Goldfields.
"A very trustworthy man. It also
happened in the mosque which was an
absolute no-no."
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
UK: A Birmingham-based Muslim girls’
school has launched legal action against
the Office for Standards in Education,
Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted)
after it was failed by the watchdog over
a 25-year-old leaflet.
Ofsted rated Birchfield Independent
Girls’ school in Aston as ‘inadequate’
after inspectors found an ‘inflammatory’
leaflet about a 1994 Islamic conference
in the library.
The school had been predicted to get a
rating of “good” until the discovery
during the second day of the inspection
last November.
Inspectors said: “The leaflet states,
‘Today we find that the sons and
daughters of Islam are under continuous
attack by the forces of non-Islam.’”
It promoted the ‘Khaleefah’, which is
defined as ‘the total ruler-ship of
Muslims over the world.’
The watchdog found the school was
providing a “good” education for pupils,
but said safeguarding was ineffective
owing to the contents of the leaflet.
This resulted in Birchfield being given
an “inadequate” rating.
The leaflet advertised a Muslim
conference at Wembley stadium in 1994,
and inspectors said it “could lead
pupils to views promoting the proposed
supremacy of Muslims in the world.”
Birchfield has launched a legal
challenge, saying it has been a victim
of Ofsted’s “draconian and inconsistent
inspection practices” against
faith-based independent schools.
The school issued a statement through
its website, insisting the leaflet in
question ‘has no place in our teachings,
curriculum nor ethos.’
And that the school library and all
newly added material are inspected to
‘ensure all materials are appropriate
and in line with fundamental British
values.’
‘Additionally, pupils’ access to the
library is always supervised and the
room is under lock and key when not
used. The room was given to the
inspectors as a base during the
inspection period. Subsequently, we were
unable to carry out our regular due
diligence on the days of the
inspection.’
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.
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:
Foster A Healthy
Marriage With Couple
Goals
Your marriage is a
soulful platform
where you and your
spouse can thrive
with love, mutual
respect,
understanding,
kindness and service
to each other to
become better in
your deen.
It’s not always
easy. Marriage is
hard work, and like
everything that is
hard to practise,
you will require
patience, compassion
for self and your
spouse and daily
goals to work
towards fostering a
healthy and
meaningful marriage.
It is one thing to
say “I love you” and
another to practise
it. Great virtues,
such as, love,
kindness,
understanding,
respect and service
must be cultivated
every single moment
in one’s life and
practised
consciously, every
single day.
Seven Couple
Goals
These seven couple
goals could be a
great start. Try
practising one a
day for a week
and see how you both
feel on the eighth
day.
1. Find a quiet
moment, hold
each other’s hands,
look into each
other’s eyes and say
these words: I thank
ALLAH for blessing
my life with you.
Thank you for being
my soulmate.
2. Sit together
in a quiet space,
take one ayat from
the Holy Quran,
read it together and
ponder over it. Tell
each other how this
ayat is relevant to
your marriage.
3. Have a journal
where you both can
discuss your hopes
for the future.
Write them down.
Don’t worry about
how or when you are
going to do them.
Trust ALLAH to help
you both to realise
those hopes.
4. Sit facing
each other. Take
turns in paying each
other a compliment.
Really mean it when
you say it.
Graciously receive
the compliment.
5. Write a
heartfelt letter to
each other and
leave it on the
pillow as a
surprise.
6. Take a walk in
nature, just the two
of you and speak
only about ALLAH.
Admire all HIS
creations in nature.
7. Pray extra two
rakat salah to
express gratitude to
ALLAH for your
healthy marriage.
Veiled
threats: Representing the Muslim woman in public policy
discourses
by
Naaz Rashid
As Muslim women continue to
be a focus of mediated
debate, Naaz Rashid uses
original scholarship and
empirical research to
examine how Muslim women are
represented in policy
discourse and how the trope
of the Muslim woman is
situated within national
debates about Britishness,
the death of
multiculturalism and global
concerns over international
terrorism.
Analysing the
relevance of class,
citizenship status, and
regional differences, Veiled
threats is a valuable
addition to the burgeoning
literature on Muslims in the
UK post 9/11.
It will be of
interest to academics and
students in public and
social policy, race
equality, gender, and
faith-based policy.
REVIEW
Muslim women used in Govt’s
discredited counter-terrorism
policy
Veiled Threats reads like a long
research paper with a very
specific remit. It was a bit of
a cumbersome read and unless you
are after a specific piece of
information with regards to the
counter-terrorism policies of
Prevent, which part of
counter-terrorism and how
women’s organisations that were
responsible for implementing
these policies operated.
This book is built upon numerous
interviews with a handful of key
actors in the process. There was
a drawback as the community that
she primarily navigated was the
Pakistani British community. At
no point was there an effort
made to include other
ethnicities in the discussion
about Prevent, which clearly
impacts in more than just one
ethnic community.
The discredited Prevent policies
are increasingly framed along
the lines of Huntington’s Clash
of Civilisation theory that
Judeo Christians will always be
fighting against the Muslims,
but in succumbing to the belief
of this theory we fail to
understand the socio-economic
implications of the history of a
group of people.In addition to
the socio-economic hurdles,
Muslim women also encounter an
assumed burden of
representation.
One of the interviewees, Almeena,
talks about her experience as a
journalist at the BBC and how
every time there was a so-called
honour killing or some kind of
Muslim and Asian story, everyone
would turn to her, but she was
as clueless as they were. Rashid
states, ‘The spaces in which
Muslim women can speak (or can
be heard) is often narrowly
defined and delimited
externally.’ (p144) It supports
this idea that Muslim women are
only able to comment on the
issues of their community.
When in reality, what affects
Muslim women also affects other
BAME communities and other women
too. With the establishment of
Prevent, the Government has
singled out the Muslim community
as a target of its
counter-extremism policies. It
has created a climate of fear
and hostility reinforcing the
incompatibility of Britishness
and Pakistani. (p 147)
This book does bring up a lot of
underlying issues in the way
that Muslim women are framed
within the policy discourse;
they are the mystical other that
needs to be managed and to a
certain extent rescued, which is
a colonial paradigm that we
haven’t grown out of.
Rashid argues the way ‘in which
Muslim women are seen solely in
relation to their religious
affiliation. This is based on
Orientalist stereotypes of the
uniquely misogynist Muslim man,
inflected with contemporary
representations of problematic
Islamic masculinity in the post
9/11 world.’ (p162). Rashid’s
work is a huge contribution to
the discussion about the
controversial Prevent policy of
the Government.
KB says:
These mini chicken pot pies couldn't be easier
to make or more delicious! Made in a muffin tin
using pre-made pie dough and stuffed with the
easiest filling containing veggies, spices,
rotisserie chicken, and my secret ingredient:
lemon juice!.
Mini Chicken Pot pies
INGREDIENTS
METHOD
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ small onion diced
• 1 stalk celery diced
• 1 carrot diced
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt more or less to taste
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tsp green chillies
• ¼ cup unsalted butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 cup chicken broth/stock
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup frozen peas
• 1½ cups cooked chicken
• lemon juice to taste
• Puff Pastry
1. Heat butter, stir in onion, celery, and carrots, and
spices. Cook until veggies are tender, stirring regularly,
about 10 minutes.
2. Add in 1/4 cup additional butter and allow to melt,
scrapping up any brown bits from the pan, if necessary.
3. Once melted, slowly sprinkle on flour, then cook for 30
seconds, stirring the whole time.
4. Reduce heat to low.
5. Slowly whisk in chicken broth and milk.
6. Stir in peas and chicken. The mixture should thicken up
immediately. If not, let simmer until thickened.
7. At this point, I like adding in a squeeze of lemon juice.
Taste and re-season, if necessary. Set aside.
8. Preheat oven to 200deg and spray a standard 12 slot non
stick muffin tin with cooking spray. Set aside.
9. Roll out one of the pie crusts on a clean surface.
10. Use a round cookie cutter to cut out 4 circles from one
of the pie crusts.
11. Repeat with remaining 2 crusts, you should end up with
12 total rounds.
12. Gently press one round into one muffin slot, then repeat
with remaining 11
13. Fill each pie crust with 2 medium cookie scoops of
mixture.
14. Bake in preheated oven for 15-25 minutes, or until pie
crust is golden and cooked.
15. Remove from oven and let sit for a few minutes to firm
up.
16. Serve and enjoy!
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.
O you who believe! Avoid
suspicion as much [as
possible]: for suspicion in
some cases is a sin: and spy
not on each other, nor speak
ill of each other behind
their backs. Would any of
you like to eat the flesh of
his dead brother? Nay, you
would most abhor it....
But fear Allah: for Allah is
Oft-Returning, Most
Merciful.
In
celebration and recognition
of Black History Month in
the United States, here is
one of the greatest and most
influential quotes by Black
Muslims who have made
history and continue to make
history in our world today.
"Why should they ask
me to put on a uniform and
go ten thousand miles from
home and drop bombs and
bullets on brown people in
Vietnam while so-called
Negro people in Louisville
are treated like dogs and
denied simple human rights?”
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.
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libellous, unfounded, objectionable, obnoxious, offensive,
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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
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SAYYID
İBRAHIM DELLAL: AN ANALYSIS
OF UNTOLD STORIES OF A
‘LIVING HISTORY 
The
Palestinians had
had enough.
Australia's Afghan cameleers' forgotten
history revived by their living relatives
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011