As you know our government
has ordered all elderly and
vulnerable (such as those
who are immunocompromised)
to stay at home due to the
Corona Virus pandemic, with
the help of our food and
essential packages, the
groups mentioned don’t need
to risk going out for a
minimum of two weeks,
reducing their chances of
exposure to the virus.
Moreover, those who are
financially struggling due
to job loss, reduced work
hours and other reasons can
benefit by providing for
their family for 2 weeks
with our packages.
On Saturday the 11th of
April, a group of volunteers
helped pack over 100
Covid-19 food and essentials
packages at the Human Appeal
Australia Queensland (HAA
QLD) Office at Slacks Creek
Masjid. The packages
included staple food such as
long-life milk, cereal,
rice, flour, pasta, honey,
biscuits and tea to name a
few along with essentials
such as hand sanitiser.
On the following Tuesday,
HAA QLD Officials Dr Zakaria
Amin and Dr Humanyun Kabir
alongside volunteers Hamza
Djojic, Ayman Ali and Uzair
Shuaib drove down to the
Gold Coast to deliver the
food and essential packages.
Most were picked up by those
who were young or had been
struggling from the Gold
Coast Masjid, where strict
social distancing measures
were in place for everyone’s
safety. And a few of them
were dropped off to the
houses of the elderly and
sick so they need not leave
their houses.
Together we as a community
can work together to
‘Flatten the Curve’ and
reduce the spread of the
Corona Virus. As
Australians, we can support
one another to make sure we
all get through this
difficult time with ease.
Help the elderly and
vulnerable by making sure
they stay indoors and send
them supplies, and aid those
who are financially
struggling. To make a
donation towards our
Covid-19 Food and Essentials
Package, please visit the
Human Appeal Website at
www.humanappeal.org.au
or call the QLD office on
(07) 3493 4222.
Ramadan is fast
approaching,
and without a
doubt, this will
be a Ramadan
different to any
other Ramadan
the world has
experienced
before. With
coronavirus
looming over our
shoulders, we
can choose to
make the most of
this very
unfortunate
situation by
uplifting
ourselves
spiritually and
mentally.
Academy Alive
have you
covered this
Ramadan with a
jam packed
24 hour live
stream. Our team
have been busy
in the
background,
making sure you
can make the
most of this
blessed month.
Returning by
popular demand,
is Imam Akram’s
Q&A every night
at 6:30pm.
Co-hosting with
Imam Hakim Najib,
this live
program allows
viewers to call
in and have
their questions
answered
directly.
The respected
scholars from
the Council of
Imams Queensland
(CIQ) will keep
you spiritually
uplifted with
their episodes
covering varying
Islamic topics.
Stay informed
with The Working
Hour, hosted by
Hajji Hussin
Goss and Sheikh
Luqman Najib.
Coming live to
you every
Monday,
Wednesday and
Saturday
mornings, you’ll
be kept informed
and entertained
with the latest
news and daily
matters. Tune
In, give us a
call and tell us
what’s on your
mind.
Keep your kids
occupied with
Academy Alive’s
Ramadan
Children’s
program.
Children will be
entertained with
our educational
programs. We
have cooking
shows, arts and
craft and many
more programs
lined up to keep
them busy during
Ramadan.
Allow this
Ramadan to be
your best
Ramadan with
Academy Alive.
All Academy
Alive programs
can be viewed on
Facebook and
YouTube.
An aerial view shows deserted
streets in the Saudi holy city
of Mecca on April 8
Suspension of group prayers
at mosques will not be lifted
until end of coronavirus
SAUDI ARABIA: The Saudi
Ministry of Islamic Affairs,
Dawah and Guidance announced
that Taraweeh prayers during
Ramadan will only be
performed at home as the
suspension of prayers at
mosques would not be lifted
until the end of coronavirus.
Al Riyadh newspaper quoted
Dr. Abdul Latif Al Sheikh,
Saudi Minister of Islamic
Affairs, as saying: “The
suspension of performing the
five daily prayers at
mosques is more important
than the suspension of
Taraweeh prayers. We ask
Allah the Almighty to accept
Taraweeh prayers whether
held at mosques, or homes,
which we think is better for
people’s health. We ask
Allah the Almighty to accept
prayers from all of us and
protect humanity from this
epidemic that hit the entire
world,” Al Sheikh clarified.
In line with the
instructions and precautions
issued by the Ministry of
Health and relevant
authorities, five to six
people from the deceased’s
family are to perform
funeral prayers for the
dead, Al Sheikh said. “This
is a precaution in line with
the prohibition of
gatherings, so that funeral
prayers take place at
cemeteries should not exceed
five to six of the
deceased’s relatives, and
the rest pray at their
homes, he emphasised.
Al Sheikh confirmed that
funeral prayers are not
greater than obligatory
prayers, so it is possible
to pray individually, as
more important is that there
should not be a large number
of people gathering in the
same place, where it would
be possible to transmit the
infection.
Rozanna Alameddine
is a
Consultant
Pharmacist/Hospital
Pharmacist (B.Sc M.Pharm
AACPA MSHP)
Rozanna is a superwoman
frontline worker whose day
to day work during this
pandemic involves:
-Managing
medication
supply chain
disruptions to
ensure vital
medicines are
reserved for our
hospital and
community
patients.
-Providing a
reliable source
of information
to educate and
reassure
patients about
the current
pandemic.
-Providing a
referral pathway
for vulnerable
patients to
access
government
funded
medication
management and
home delivery
services.
-Working
collaboratively
with GPs and
nursing staff to
deliver the best
possible health
outcomes through
urgent
amendments to
the legislation
to ensure a
streamlined
process for
delivery of
prescription
medications.
-Taking part in
intensive
COVID-19
specific
training and ICU
up-skilling
programs.
Authenticity underpins all
the pursuits and connections
that Rozanna makes both
personally and
professionally. Her mission
to educate and empower
people in medicine
management is driven by a
belief that the best health
outcomes are achieved when
there is connection with and
compassion for our patients.
We salute your work Rozanna!
Rima Darwiche
is a Clinical
Research Manager at
WalteR and Eliza
Hall Institute in
Melbourne and is
currently involved
in managing a large
scale COVID-19
treatment clinical
trial involving
around 14 different
clinics/hospitals.
Rima at the urging
of the a Federal
Health Minister has
just set up a
clinical trial using
Hydroxychloroquine
(an age-old therapy
used as
anti-malarial agent)
as a prophylactic
(preventative
measure) to protect
frontline healthcare
workers.
Rima hit the ground
running and in just
under 6 WEEKS (a
record time, the
trial has begun.
Rima has been
working around the
clock to secure the
drug for the trial
which is in high
demand since
President Trump
publicised
Hydroxychloroquine
as a cure for the
infection. While
these claims are
being made, we need
the evidence and
this trial will do
just that whilst
protecting our
health care workers.
Rima’s team is
working 24/7,
weekends and public
holidays to make
this happen. Apart
from this drug study
and clinical trial,
our HCW only have
personal protective
equipment such as
masks, gloves and
gowns to protect
them from COVID19.
We applaud heroes
like Rima for their
groundbreaking work!
Americans began donning face
masks this week after
federal and local officials
changed their position on
whether face coverings
protect against coronavirus.
This is new terrain for
many, who find themselves
unable to recognize
neighbors and are unsure how
to engage socially without
using facial expressions.
But not for Muslim women who
wear the niqab, or Islamic
face veil. Suddenly, these
women – who are often
received in the West with
open hostility for covering
their faces – look a lot
more like everyone else.
‘Everyone suddenly
understands it!’
Now, in an unexpected turn
of events, people across the
West are jogging in face
masks and grocery shopping
in bandannas tied across
their mouths. That’s making
public life in the niqab
much more pleasant, say
Muslim women.
“There’s a marked difference
to the way I’m being
perceived. Nobody is giving
me dirty looks because of my
gloves and the covered
face,” said a woman I’ll
call Afrah, from the the
U.K., in a Facebook
Messenger chat. “Everyone
suddenly understands it!”
“I was wearing a handcrafted
niqab today and it was
amazing,” Jameelah wrote to
me from France, where the
niqab is legally banned in
most public spaces. “Because
of the situation, I didn’t
receive malicious glares.”
Fashion designers are even
trying to make face
coverings look stylish – an
effort that has Muslim women
long perceived a security
threat rolling their eyes on
social media.
Rumana, a Muslim from
Croatia, told me that the
growing acceptance of face
covering has helped her
overcome a reluctance to use
the niqab.
“I am usually an anxious
person who doesn’t like to
attract attention so that
was always the biggest
issue. Now that face
coverings are seen
everywhere,” she says, “I
have finally found the
courage to wear it.”
Even some non-Muslims are
interested in the niqab as a
means of protecting against
coronavirus.
Afrah, from the U.K., told
me that her non-Muslim aunt
wants to use a niqab now
because she finds regular
face masks uncomfortable.
And Sajida, an American
Muslim, spoke of a convert
friend whose father – a
vehement critic of Islam and
believer in anti-Muslim
conspiracy theories – now
encourages his daughter to
wear a niqab to prevent the
spread of coronavirus.
The niqab alone is not
sufficient protection
against influenza-like
viruses because it is not
airtight. Mosques are
warning women who wear the
niqab to additionally wear a
mask underneath for more
effective protection.
However, the niqab, like any
cloth face covering, is
likely to protect others
from the wearer’s sneezes if
worn snugly around the eyes,
ears and nose.
Plant
virologist Dr Safaa Kumari
discovered seeds that could
safeguard food security in the
region – and risked her life to
rescue them from Aleppo
Dr Safaa Kumari’s seeds are
resistant to the climate-fuelled
viruses that have destroyed
crops of pulses in Syria.
The call came as she sat in
her hotel room. “They gave
us 10 minutes to pack up and
leave,” Dr Safaa Kumari was
told down a crackling phone
line. Armed fighters had
just seized her house in
Aleppo and her family were
on the run.
Kumari was in Addis Ababa,
Ethiopia, preparing to
present a conference. She
immediately began organising
a sprint back to Syria.
Hidden in her sister’s house
was a small but very
valuable bundle that she was
prepared to risk her life to
recover.
Kumari is a plant
virologist. Her work focuses
on a quiet yet devastating
development crisis.
Climate-fuelled virus
epidemics affecting fava
beans, lentils and chickpeas
are spreading from Syria to
Ethiopia, gradually
destroying the livelihoods
of low-income populations.
Known as “poor man’s meat”,
these pulses are vital for
both income generation and
food security in many parts
of the world.
Finding a cure was urgent,
Kumari explains. Hopeless
farmers were seeing
increasing levels of
infected crops turning
yellow and black. The cause?
“Climate change provides
aphids with the right
temperatures to breed
exponentially and spread the
epidemics,” she says.
For 10 years, Kumari worked
to find a solution. Finally,
she discovered a bean
variety naturally resistant
to one of the viruses: the
fava bean necrotic yellow
virus (FBNYV). “When I found
those resistant seeds, I
felt there was something
important in them,” says
Kumari from her lab in
Lebanon where she now works.
Only the fighting in Syria
had moved. “I had left them
at my sister’s in central
Aleppo to protect them from
the fighting,” she says.
Determined not to let a war
get in the way of her work
“for the world’s poor”,
Kumari felt it her duty to
rescue the seeds in Aleppo.
“I was thinking: how am I
going to get those seeds out
of Syria?
“I had to go through
Damascus, and then drive all
the way to Aleppo. There was
fighting and bombings
everywhere.” After two days’
driving along dangerous
roads, seeds in hand, Kumari
made it to Lebanon, where
she now works as a
researcher at Icarda
(International Center for
Agricultural Research in the
Dry Areas) in the Bekaa
valley, close to the Syrian
border. Hassan Machlab,
Icarda’s country manager
says: “Many of the Syrian
scientists we welcomed here
have suffered. It is tough.”
But bringing the seeds to
safety was only the
beginning. Kumari needed to
turn them into a sustainable
solution.
As crop production collapsed
in the region, producers
started to rely heavily on
insecticides. “Most farmers
go to the field and spray it
without safety material –
masks and appropriate
jacket,” she says. “Some are
dying, others are getting
sick or developing pregnancy
issues.”
At first, the sample failed.
“So we crossed them with
another variety that had a
better yield and obtained
something that is both
resistant and productive,”
says Kumari. “When we
release it, it will be
environment-friendly and
provide farmers with a good
yield, more cheaply and
without insecticide.”
Seed samples in the
laboratory.
Kumari now plans to
distribute her super-seeds
free to farmers. She has
already turned down an offer
from a large company for the
virus detection technology.
“They wanted to buy our
product and then sell it to
the farmers, but we
refused,” says Kumari. “Ours
is free. It’s our
responsibility to provide
our solutions to people
everywhere,” she says.
But, as for many Syrian
refugees, the war is never
far from her thoughts,
“Something she won’t tell
you is that it wasn’t easy
for her,” says Machlab. “She
was working on all this and
she didn’t have a clear mind
as her family were in Aleppo
and her house was
destroyed.”
Kumari adds: “Last week I
saw my family in Turkey. I
have five sisters and three
brothers, scattered in
Germany, Turkey, Syria. The
last time we met was in
Aleppo in 2012. When I came
back someone told me ‘Safaa,
you’re looking great today!’
Of course, I had just spent
time with my family again!”
she says, laughing.
But she adds: “It’s not easy
for me, it’s not easy for a
woman to work on agriculture
(research). It’s not easy,
but it’s OK.
“When I’m working, I’m not
thinking I am a Syrian or a
woman though. But I do feel
I sometimes receive funding
[from westerners] because
I’m a woman,” she says.
“Perhaps!”
I was a high school teacher
for just over two years and
I’m not sure I can ever go
back. It’s not the kids, or
my colleagues, or the
constant deep end
experience. They’re things I
actually loved. It was the
dreaded Monday afternoon
staff meeting. Oh just a
meeting, you say? This was
not your ordinary afternoon
meeting!
It will begin with a hundred
hot, exhausted teachers,
who’ve most often been
running on empty all day,
piling into adjoined
classrooms within minutes of
the bell. Heads of
Department will stand at the
front, checking the time
every minute, poised over a
keyboard, ready to detonate
a series of announcements
via power-point.
They will always begin with
the question, ‘what went
well today?’ to try to
cajole this mass of forlorn
beings into thinking that
their opinion matters.
Wearily, these teachers will
stare blankly into space.
You will wonder about the
teachers who’ve been there
for 10 years, 20 years. How
did they do it? Are they
superhuman, or seriously
mentally unwell? One will
tell you their secret:
Teflon-coat yourself, they
say, so it all just slides
off.
Then would begin the true
innovation of the Monday
afternoon, your ‘design
sprints’. Let me explain; an
entrepreneur bottled the
‘agile’ method of the tech
industry world and sold it
to schools as a method of
‘revolutionising’ the way
teachers collaborate and
innovate. As someone who is
married to a tech industry
guy who is all about the
stand ups and scrums, and
who taught grade 8 geography
students how to run a scrum
throughout their final
8-week project, I’m all into
it – if it’s something
you’re doing every day. But
30 minutes once a week
between teachers who rarely
see one another? How
effective can that design
sprint be? Most of the
teachers have no idea what
management is talking about,
but the best of them can
make it appear as if they
do.
There will be moments of
internal flitting rage where
you will want to jump on top
of a desk and yell at the
top of your lungs, ‘Leave us
be!’ But of course you never
will (although, you kind of
wish that you did just to
feel human again – just
imagine).
The Monday afternoon meeting
is only starting to build
momentum. You then begin a
15 minute ‘burst’ of
professional development.
I’m not talking about a cool
refreshing fruit burst that
one longs for a hot summer
day. Think more about
power-points and piles of
photocopied academic
material being tennis balled
at your face. Thankfully
you’ll be allowed to stay in
the same spot for this one.
It’s time to hear about the
next random experiment in
‘fostering teacher
excellence’ that senior
management want to trial
because apparently it’s what
us teachers asked for, and
they have some money to
spend on it, and they want
to know what we think as
‘teachers need to drive
this’, as long as it looks
and sounds exactly like what
they already have planned.
They show us the ‘data’ from
the first few months of the
trial and after admitting it
is pretty much useless, want
our creativity to ‘grow the
project’. Barely an eye will
flicker in the room. This is
a perfect time to be
Teflon-coated. You raise,
‘what about that awesome
project that Jack created
and is working on? Couldn’t
you just support that with
some action research.’
Management will look at you
blankly – such is the
disconnect between the
amazing innovation of
teachers and the reality of
those on the hill.
So now the sludge, formerly
known as Monday afternoon
teachers, will slide into
the final chapter of this
wondrous journey – an all
staff meeting in the gym
hall, where you will hear
from the Principal, who
presides over the mother of
all power-points. There will
be an overbearingly loud
inspiring video of flying
geese, or soldiers falling
out of a tank, or babies
making a mess, without any
discernible point, and you
will be prepared with your
noise cancelling headphones.
At the end of this whirlwind
experience, you’ll be
grateful to pack up your own
chair, and escape from this
mangled mess of human
shells.
For this is the rub about
Monday afternoon meetings.
They could just offer those
two miserly hours to
exhausted teachers to
organise their week and
collaborate organically as
teaching professionals, but
instead, they are
micro-managed, shuffled
about like industrial
vessels to be filled to the
brim.
Teachers are not staying on,
if they do stay on, they
suffer under intolerable
conditions for someone who
is carrying out a job of
that complexity. The whole
system is overrun by
bureaucrats who believe the
key to addressing
relationship breakdown, poor
staff morale, bullying and
bad classroom behaviour,
student disengagement, and
low academic scores – are
more power-points and
meetings and acronyms. When
all this system mostly needs
is trust in teacher
professionalism, proper time
to prepare for their
classes, and much smaller
class sizes.
Now I was only there for 2
years, and maybe that one
school experience was not
representative of all
schools. But can I ask,
rather than counting down
the days until
self-isolation and
home-schooling is over, can
we start talking about this
education system?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rita Jabri-Markwell
is a Lawyer and
Adviser to the
Australian Muslim
Advocacy Network (AMAN).
ABOUT THE SHOW
7 Stories is a podcast for your
ride to school. These highly
produced 7 minute stories are
sure to keep your kids engaged
while in the car! A Toledo
original and the first of its
kind for Muslim parents and
children, this show is hosted by
Wasan and Moeed.
We'll have funny stories…and sad
stories…and scarrrrry
stories….but each story has an
important message for you to
discuss with your children!
We’ll hear stories such as
Spidey the big red spider, and
about the chicken that was an
eagle!
Wasan Altikriti is a mother of
two young girls and is the
founder of Arabic
learning-resources start-up
called 'Arnoub'. Wasan is a
public speaker with a PR and
Media background.
Moeed Ahmad is a digital media
executive who has spearheaded
the launch of multiple
successful brands like AJ+,
Jetty and Contrast VR within Al
Jazeera where he currently heads
Innovation and Research. He is
passionate about open source
technologies and other community
enabling movements such as the
Creative Commons. Most
importantly though, Moeed is a
father of three boys with plenty
of experience dropping his kids
to school!
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, when the
finalists are
announced for the
[15] coveted Awards
for Excellence.
PLESE
NOTE:
Due
to the
unprecedented
uncertainty
regarding
the
coronavirus
pandemic,
The
Muslim
News has
postponed
its
prestigious
annual
awards
ceremony
until
late UK
summer.
Jameel
Mohamed-Hussain
attends a mainstream
school in Birmingham
with a resource base
for the visually
impaired.
Complications
following an
operation meant that
he could not
regularly attend the
first year of
school. Until 2017,
he was fed through a
tube due to
difficulty with
chewing.
Jameel’s teachers
and parents strove
to maintain his
education and Jameel
now reads and writes
using Braille.
His world is what he
can touch, feel, and
hear, and he
regularly surprises
those around him
with his displays of
knowledge — not just
spelling and
arithmetic — but
also memorisation
and recitation of
the Qur’an which has
impressed
competition judges.
Mustafa Hosny is a
televangelist and Islamic
preacher who presented his
first show in 2004 and has
gone on to become a
household name.
Influence Changing Careers:
Mustafa Hosny started his
career in sales after
obtaining a BA degree in
Business from the Ain Shams
University in Egypt. He
changed careers to become a
full-time preacher after he
received a Certification
from the Institute of
training preachers, an
affiliate of the Ministry of
Awqaf (Egypt).
Preacher: Mustafa
Hosny delivers sermons and
lectures worldwide and
currently presents more than
13 programs on TV and radio
channels. He also delivers
weekly sermons and lectures
at Yousef El Sahaby and El
Hosary mosques as well as
delivering the Friday
sermons at Al Bilal Mosque
compound in Mokattam twice a
month in Cairo.
Humanitarian: Some of
his activities include
combating drug addiction
amongst youth. He is a
supporting member for the
Children’s Cancer Hospital
campaign in Cairo, and
delivers seminars and
campaigns for the “Life
Clear of Smoking
Association” in Egypt. He
also supports blood donation
campaigns.
Social Media: He has
nearly 52 million followers
on different social media
platforms in addition to 2.5
million subscribers on
YouTube. His YouTube videos
have over 287 million views.
His daily advice and softly
spoken words endear him to
the public and account for
his continued influence.
.
ABSTRACT
Islamophobia has been a
recurrent socio-political
narrative for some time now,
and it has been exacerbated
since the aftermath of 9/11.
Despite the plethora of
studies on the subject,
little is known about Muslim
scholars’ perception of this
phenomenon. This is due
primarily to the language
barrier since the Arabic
language is the code for
their discourse.
It is essential to consider
both Islamic and Western
perspectives to understand
the problem thoroughly and
suggest solutions, as
relying on one approach is
both biased and
uncompromising. Accordingly,
the purpose of this paper is
threefold:
First, it explains how
Islamophobia should be
defined contextually. It
frames its arguments within
three contexts: a historical
setting (Meccan and Madinah
period), Islam in the Arab
world, and Islam in the
West.
Second, the paper
demonstrates how a Muslim’s
perspective contrasts with
the Western narrative. It
critically challenges some
of the arguments put forward
in social sciences and
intellectual discourses and
adopts an unapologetic and
non-defensive approach in
the treatment of
Islamophobia.
Third, the paper discusses
the variables that affect
Islamophobia, such as
Western media and terrorism
(including state terrorism).
Finally, the paper proposes
some approaches to
mitigating the situation.
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
INTRODUCTION
...continued from last
week's CCN
Language and power are
interrelated dimensions and
power commands the structure
of discourse. Institutions
“have considerable control
over the shaping of our
routine experiences of the
world and the way we
classify the world.”
Language can be used to
control the masses,
manipulating the truth by
omitting it, cutting it,
emphasising marginal details
or by ignoring what matters.
Journalism is “about bravely
finding the facts and
delivering them to the
public with neutrality so
that the truth can be
known,” but reality dictates
otherwise.
Machin emphasises a point
“that news footage we see,
should be thought about
first not as about
representing reality but as
the products of an
institution.”
Machin and Jaworski develop
this further:
When the events in the
world are chosen as news
they need to some degree
fit in with such
existing accepted
discourses or news
frames such as
terrorism. So, we can
think of the archive as
providing visual
realizations of
particular established
discourses. The owners
of the archive might
argue that rather than
being political, they
are supplying what
customers require.
For instance, crimes such as
theft or cheating on the
welfare system are usually
associated with the
working-class. However,
these are rarely interpreted
as the inevitable outcome of
inequality in wealth
distribution, government
policies and privatisation.
Machin explains succinctly
the three main criteria for
a news item to be qualified
as newsworthy:
personalisation,
dramatisation and
fragmentation.19 With
personalisation, significant
events such as famine get
extraordinary attention when
a famous pop star or actor
visits an impoverished
nation.
Dramatisation occurs when
reports of a terrorist group
are associated with archival
footage of their alleged
training. With
fragmentation, the whole
picture of an event is often
reduced and decontextualised.
For instance, terrorism is
not linked to biased foreign
policy and poverty is not
related to the greed of
major corporations who want
to control developing
nations.
Machin points out that “news
outlets that are part of
massive corporations will be
unlikely to be critical of
views that are favorable to
corporate capitalism.”20
This view is supported by
Mayr, who states “they
[institutions] have
considerable control on the
shaping of our routine
experiences of the world and
the way we classify the
world.”
So far I have outlined the
main arguments put forward
in the general and academic
narratives on Islamophobia.
The internal dimension to
how Muslim scholars view
this phenomenon will now be
theorised and considered.
The paper aims to answer
three interlocking
questions: First, how is
Islamophobia conceptualised
within the binary notion of
‘US’ versus ‘THEM’? Second,
how does the Muslim view
differs from the ‘Western’
and Orientalist perspectives
on Islamophobia? And third,
what are the identifiable
variables that are used to
fuel Islamophobia? The paper
will also suggest some
strategies to combat and
lessen the impact of
Islamophobia.
‘God Created
the Virus. But
Now He Has Lost
Control.’
Opinion by
Mohammed Hanif,
THE NEW YORK
TIMES
Pakistan’s
government is
dithering in the
face of the
epidemic because
it’s not sure
what to fear the
most.
Pakistanis at
Friday prayer in
Karachi on March
27 despite an
official curfew
designed to
limit
attendance.
KARACHI,
Pakistan — Is
the coronavirus
an expression of
God’s wrath, a
punishment for
our sins or, as
some of us
believers like
to think, merely
another sign
that He is
testing us? I’ll
address later
the godless
anthem that
insists this
epidemic is
about nature
healing itself,
because matters
of God are
urgent and they
might be getting
us killed at the
moment.
Until a few
years ago,
Fridays in
Pakistan were an
occasion to
remember God’s
grandeur and His
kindness, as
well as the
terror exacted
in His name. We
used to get
together in
mosques for
weekly prayers,
and regularly
mosques used to
get blown up.
Security guards
were posted at
the entrances,
and the
terrorists were
hunted down or
made peace with.
But the mosques
were never shut
down.
And so last
month, as the
first Friday
after the
coronavirus’s
arrival in
Pakistan
approached, the
government
dithered: Can
you close the
mosques during
an outbreak? You
can shut down
McDonald’s —
yes, even home
deliveries — but
the mosques?
Wouldn’t that be
like declaring
war on God?
But maybe it’s
God who has
declared a war
on us? Or is
this epidemic
just a test? How
can anyone be
sure?
The first wave
of coronavirus
cases arrived in
Pakistan in
early March with
pilgrims
returning from
Muslim holy
sites in Iran
and Iraq.
Pakistan’s
largest
missionary
organization,
Tablighi Jamaat,
went ahead
anyway with its
annual gathering
in early April,
bringing
together more
than 100,000
people near
Lahore, a major
city in the
northeast.
The government
then had to
quarantine more
than 20,000
attendees, and
it is still
trying to track
down many more
across the
country. Two
participants
brought the
virus back to
Gaza. I have not
heard of
Pakistan or any
other country
sending anything
else to Gaza
recently.
On the issue of
shutting down
the mosques, at
first the
government
appealed to
religious
scholars for
guidance. It
didn’t really
need to. Prayers
had already been
suspended at the
holiest of
mosques in Saudi
Arabia. Many
other Muslim
countries had
closed theirs.
But Prime
Minister Imran
Khan and his
team say they
worry about the
economic
suffering that a
complete
lockdown would
bring — and
while they do
that we all keep
waiting for
proper guidance
on the subject
of mosques.
Three wise men
appeared on
television at
one point to
give their
counsel about
Friday sermons
and other
religious
congregations.
They laid out
absurd criteria
for attending
prayers: If you
have the
coronavirus, or
are above age
50, don’t go.
But how is
anyone to know
if they have the
virus until they
get tested, and
almost no one in
this country can
get tested?
Some provincial
authorities,
alarmed at the
vagueness of the
central
government’s
directives, have
taken matters
into their own
hands. The
government of
Sindh Province,
where Karachi
is, ordered
various
restrictions in
late March. The
local police
force, despite
meager
resources, has
done a
reasonably good
job of ensuring
that everything
except for food
stores and
pharmacies
remains shut.
Sindh has
stopped shy of
shutting down
mosques, but it
has ordered a
curfew designed
to prevent
people from
going to Friday
prayers. Many
worshipers still
turn up. The
Sindh government
filed cases
against some
mosques for
violating its
orders, but then
retracted them.
On Friday, April
10, several
police officers
were assaulted
in Karachi while
trying to stop
public prayers.
While Mr. Khan’s
government still
can’t seem to
decide whether
to be more
afraid of the
coronavirus or
the men of God,
more and more
people
throughout the
country, seeing
the number of
infections
multiply, are no
longer going out
to pray.
But they
continue to come
out for
something that
may be greater
than God
Himself: their
daily bread. In
Pakistan, the
economy, that
rickety
firmament of our
existence, may
be spreading
disease more so
even than is
religion.
I have lived in
Karachi for half
of my life, and
the city can’t
stay under
lockdown for
even three days
because millions
of people here
won’t have
enough food in
their homes if
they don’t go
out to earn a
few rupees. When
you can’t trust
the government
to deliver the
food you need,
you have to defy
lockdowns and
step outside,
and leave the
rest to God. You
can challenge
even a testy
God, but you
can’t say no to
hungry children.
People of no
faith who lose
no opportunity
to rub science
in the faces of
believers are
gloating at the
pictures of a
deserted Great
Mosque of Mecca
and a deserted
Western Wall in
Jerusalem, and
are asking,
Where is your
God now?
The questions
they get from
believers are
equally valid:
Where are your
Ubers and
AirBnBs? Where
is your vaccine?
This godless
world of yours
never gave us
anything, and
now, as you tell
us that we are
all going to
die, you want to
take your God
away from us?
But the people
who have no God
also live in
fear — and
that’s not fear
of the virus so
much as fear of
the poor or fear
of what the
virus will do to
them.
“What will
happen to the
poor people?”
some ask. By
that they don’t
really mean,
“How will the
poor survive?”
The rich have
always been in
awe of the
resilience of
the poor, as
they pay them
monthly wages
that are a
fraction of the
bill for their
own three-year-old’s
birthday party.
What the rich
worry about is
that if the poor
really starve —
and this time
they actually
might starve —
the poor will
come for them to
try to eat them.
The nonpoor, be
they godless or
godful, try to
console
themselves by
sitting at home
and telling each
other that this
epidemic is
nature’s way of
healing itself.
Consumerism was
destroying the
planet, and now
we have the
chance to save
it by organizing
Zoom parties and
baking cakes.
The poor
don’t have
anywhere to
turn. Mosques
are Pakistan’s
only social
centers, except
for the clubs of
the very rich
and some parks
for the middle
class. They are
equipped with
public-address
systems and have
running water;
many are
air-conditioned.
Mosques could
have been used
to disseminate
health tips and
distribute food
to the needy, or
as quarantine
centers and
temporary
hospitals.
But the
government is
too reluctant to
take on the men
of God to do any
of that. So
mosques, the
very places that
might have
provided relief
to the people,
have been left
to become, at
best,
battlegrounds
over God’s
intentions or,
at worst,
incubators of
infection.
Before Pakistan
had a
coronavirus
problem, it had
a polio problem.
The country came
very close to
eliminating that
one, but the
polio virus has
resurfaced: Some
people were
refusing to get
their children
vaccinated
because they
feared that the
United States
government was
using the
inoculation
program to spy
on them. They
were also
thinking: If God
wants to cripple
our children,
who are we to
stop Him?
Soon after the
lockdown of
Karachi began
last month, I
called up a
doctor friend
who worked at
the front lines
of an anti-polio
campaign in the
city a few years
ago. He told me
that while his
team
administered
polio drops in
hostile
neighbourhoods
he would stay a
street away.
Because you just
never knew, he
said: Here you
were wanting to
save somebody’s
newborn from
losing the use
of her limbs,
but the parents
might just shoot
you in the head
for interfering
with God’s plan.
My friend has a
government job
and works in a
hospital that’s
not supposed to
handle Covid-19
patients. But
things might
change, and he
said he wasn’t
looking forward
to that. He is
half a believer
and half a man
of science.
The problem with
this coronavirus,
my friend told
me, is that it
doesn’t
recognize class
or sect.
“It doesn’t
differentiate
between a
Tablighi and a
fashion
designer. It
adapts to local
cultures
quickly. It
doesn’t even
spare doctors.”
“Where
did this virus
come from?” I
asked. “God
created it,” he
said. “But now
He has lost
control.” It’s
not God’s virus
anymore. It’s
ours.
by
Amber Kamran
Freelance Career
Advisor-
Electrical
Engineer
We are
definitely
passing through
a tough time and
our faith in
Allah is the
only way to keep
us motivated. He
is the only one
who can keep us
safe and help us
to pass this
situation.
I am concerned
for the casual
workers,
International
students and
many others who
have lost their
jobs and they
have no support
from Centrelink.
Act on the
Hadith “Trust in
God, but tie
your camel”
narrated be Al-Tirmidhi,
these suggestion
might help you
“tie your camel”
1-Manage your
money. You have
low finance but
still mange your
budget around
your expenses.
If you really
need help then
check with our
wonderful
community, many
are working to
support families
like YFS,
Hurricane club,
MCF ......
2- Keep
searching . It’s
ok to assume
there is no
activity right
now. But I
believe, even
during these
days some
sectors are
working more
than their
expectations,
you have already
received jobs
opening from
leading
companies to
fill the
services gap due
to high increase
in demand by
customers.
3- Utilise your
available time
to increase your
network.. This
activity will
create more
chances to land
on a job and if
you are looking
for future
business
opportunities
then try to
contact all the
entrepreneurs,
they are in
better postpone
to guide for
future
opportunities .
Future will
definitely come
with new
business
opportunities.
Like we never
thought about
the simple hand
sanitisers but
many SMEs have
already switched
to avail the
current business
opportunities.
4- Think
positive. It’s
ok to feel low
with wide range
of emotions like
fear, anger,
anxiety,
failure, etc.
However, you
have to mange it
because things
will change
Insha Allah.
Plan some
activities to
keep you away
from being
anxious or ask
help from
professionals.
5- Get ready for
the opportunity.
I strongly
believe when
things will
settle down, the
world will
create more
opportunities.
Get ready to
capitalize it,
this is the time
to learn new
skills. Just
have a look at
old California
city, how it
emerged from
Spanish flu and
now every big
brand has HQ in
California.
6- Sit and then
move forward.
You can take a
break to refresh
yourself to move
forward.
Look for the
bright side
after the storm
and prepare your
strategy to act
and grab the
future
opportunities.
Stay safe, Do
not loose hope,
Pray make Dua
and up skill
your learning as
per new market
demand and
prepare plan to
snap future
opportunities.
Corona
warrior Dr Saud Anwar
surprised with unsung hero
parade
US:Residents
in South Windsor surprised
Connecticut State Senator
Dr. Saud Anwar with a convoy
of cars that paraded by his
house, to show their
gratitude for the work he’s
doing on the front lines as
a lung doctor at Manchester
Memorial Hospital.
Ventilator machine for
multiple patients
Dr. Saud Anwar, Pakistani
American doctor, invented a
setting – connection modus
in the US, wherein one
medical breathing air
ventilator will help
ventilate 7 patients at a
time. An ideal means to
manage scarce resource.
Residents in South Windsor
took out the unsung hero
parade honouring state
senator Dr Saud Anwar on
April 10 2020. They put
placards on their vehicle
with complimentary remarks
like ‘Dr Saud Anwar’ ‘Your
heroism inspires us!’ ‘thank
you’ ‘thank you for your
heroism’ etc.
People inside the cars were
seen clapping and waving
hands. Dr Anwar waved them
back to thank them. They
exchanged flying kisses as
well.
Dr Anwar got emotional
during the surprise parrade.
In any interview Dr Saud
Anwar revealed that since he
is taking care of Covid
patients and he doesn’t want
his family to be exposed, he
is living in isolation. “It
has been lonely and
challenging”, he said,
adding that he felt blessed
due to the surprise parade.
How to set
up a ventilator machine for
multiple patients with Dr.
Saud Anwar
Dr Saud Anwar thanks for
the surprise
Dr Anwar posted the video on
his facebook timeline and
wrote: “Thank you for all
the people who came in today
to surprise me. I am truly
humbled and overwhelmed with
the love that you have all
shown. I feel blessed to be
part of the community and
also work with the finest
group of health care workers
that I love and respect.
His sister
Bushra Anwar commented on
his post: “There was a time
when I taught you ABC and
Masha Allah you are being
genuinely appreciated so
much. I feel blessed to have
a brother like you so
sincere with everyone. Stay
blessed State Senator Saud
Anwar. This you have earned
for yourself with your own
efforts mA,,,”
Dr Saud Anwar’s profile
According to Dr Saud Anwar’s
linked profile, he is a
physician who specializes in
Lung Diseases and Critical
Care Medicine. Currently, he
serves as Chair of the
Department of Internal
Medicine of Eastern CT
Health Network. He is
currently serving as Mayor
of the Town of South
Windsor, CT.
Dr. Anwar is involved in
humanitarian and peace
initiatives nationally and
internationally. He is
frequently invited to
consult for our government
and has organized medical
missions for disaster
relief. His efforts have
been recognized at the state
and federal levels and by
several professional
organizations.
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.
Scott Morrison’s
government is right now
discussing whether to
adopt legislation that would
allow it to impose
sanctions against human
rights abusers, money
launderers, and kleptocrats
across the globe --
including those responsible
for human rights abuses
against Uyghurs.
Let’s make sure they do!
Initial bipartisan support
has been expressed for an
Australian Magnitsky law,
but whether it makes it
through Parliament is
largely dependent on whether
an investigative committee
of MPs and senators
recommends in favor of it,
and on the Minister of
Foreign Affairs who decides
whether to table it.
Hearing from citizens can
encourage the committee
Chair Kevin Andrews to
recommend this impactful
legislation to Parliament!
Will you take a few minutes
to stand up for the Uyghurs
and for human rights
everywhere? Click the link
below to reach out to the
committee Chair:
Our campaign to stand with
the million Uyghur people
brutally detained in China
recently made a splash at a
UN meeting, but now it’s
time to move from words to
action -- and Australia can
lead the way!
Adopting a targeted
sanctions law -- known as "Magnitsky
sanctions" -- would allow
Australia to freeze assets
and ban the travel of those
responsible for human rights
abuses and gross corruption
across the world. The UK,
US, and Canada have already
adopted similar legislation.
Click below to stand up now
for human rights and for the
Uyghur people by taking 5
minutes to reach out to the
committee Chair:
Reaching out with an e-mail
or by phone only takes a few
minutes out of your day, but
if every one of us does it,
we can make a real impact --
and help hold to account
some of the worst human
rights abusers and corrupt
kleptocrats across the
world. For humanity, and for
all the Uyghur people abused
in China.
With hope and
determination,
Alice, Meetali, David,
Huitheng, Luis, and the rest
of the Avaaz team
'Slim' leads South Africa's charge against
COVID-19
SOUTH AFRICA: The
chairperson of the 45-person Ministerial
Advisory Committee, advising Health
Minister Zweli Mkhize on Covid-19 is
Professor Salim Abdool Karim.
His role is akin to that
of USA's Dr. Anthony Fauci and
Australia's Prof. Bredan Murphy.
Professor Salim Abdool
Karim, an internationally-recognised
epidemiologist and infectious diseases
specialist, appeared beside Mkhize at an
online public engagement to present the
facts and figures behind the
government's Covid-19 response to the
public.
the life,
times and education of Salim
Abdool Karim
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan declared
‘Muslim Man of the Year’
Jordan’s
Royal Islamic Strategic Studies
Centre says he won title for his
peace efforts
Pakistani Prime
Minister Imran Khan wants to
tackle child abuse incidents
effectively.
Dubai: Pakistan Prime
Minister Imran Khan has been declared as
Muslim Man of the Year 2020 by Jordan’s
Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Centre.
Imran won the title in the recent list
of the most persuasive Muslims in the
world issued by the Centre.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran has also
become the sixth most popular world
leader on Twitter, boasting 10.5 million
followers on the social media platform.
The Royal Islamic Strategic Studies
Centre (RISSC) is an autonomous research
entity with the Royal Aal Al-Bayt
Institute for Islamic Thought in Jordan.
Imran’s name has been included in The
Muslim 500 – the Most Influential
Muslims In the World published by the
RISSC.
“If ‘The Muslim 500’ was in print back
in 1992 and I was the Chief Editor then,
I would have nominated Imran Khan as our
Muslim Man of the Year because of his
brilliant performance in cricket when he
won the 1992 Cricket World Cup for
Pakistan,” said Professor S. Abdallah
Schleifer, a professor emeritus of
journalism at the American University in
Cairo, who chose both the winners for
the titles.
But what is particularly to Imran’s
credit is that upon taking office as
Prime Minister of Pakistan in August
2018, he made it quite clear that one of
his top priorities was to work for a
lasting peace with India.
“Imran wanted to normalise relations
through trade, and settling the Kashmir
dispute, “the foremost impediment” in
the Prime Minister’s own words “to the
normalisation of relations between us,”
noted Prof S Abdallah Schleifer
Pakistani Prime Minister Imran’s
popularity increased manifold after what
his supporters said his impressive
speech at the United Nations General
Assembly in September this year.
It was perhaps due to his hard-hitting
speeches which he delivered on different
occasions during his visit to the United
States, Imran has become one of the
most-searched world leaders attending
the UN General Assembly session last
month.
Professor Schleifer said Imran’s role in
cricket was not the only criteria for
him being bestowed with the title.
He said he was also impressed with Imran
for launching a successful fund-raising
campaign to establish a hospital devoted
to both the care of cancer patients and
its research.
He said that it was also Imran’s desire
for peace with neighbouring India which
earned him the title.
The RISSC has also declared Rashida
Tlaib, an American Congresswoman, as
Muslim Woman of the Year 2020. Rashida
Tlaib (Democrat, Michigan) is this
year’s Muslim 500 Woman of the Year. She
is the first Palestinian-American woman
and joint first Muslim woman (along with
Ilhan Omar (Democrat, Minnesota) to be
elected to the American Congress as
member of the House of Representatives.
[LISTEN] Mufti Menk Weighs in on Mosque
Reopening During Lockdown Debate
SOUTH AFRICA: Islamic
scholar Mufti Ismail Menk says while
South African Muslim scholars have
differed on the matter of temporary
Mosque closures during the lockdown,
some people who are against the
restrictions have incited their
followers through their constant abuse
and use of derogatory descriptions to
threaten those who oppose them to the
extent of violence and killing.
Mufti Menk was indirectly referring to
The Majlis in Port Elizabeth who
threatened to approach the courts in a
bid to challenge the national lockdown
regulations prohibiting large groups
from attending daily prayers at Mosques.
President Cyril Ramaphosa consulted a
number of leaders from religious
communities before measures were taken
to limit social distancing, especially
at place of worship like Mosques.
Secretary General of the Jamiatul Ulama
South Africa Ml Ebrahim Bham also
expressed support for the measures that
government chose to take including the
need to ensure congregations were either
suspended or minimized to ensure social
distancing.
However, The Custodians of the Haq who
have disagreed with the closure of the
masaajid and is supporting The Majlis
have issued a list of a number masaajid
who want the places of worship opened
despite the lockdown.
A number of Masaajid in South Africa
have vehemently refuted claims that they
are part of a group supporting the
Majlis’ call for the lockdown
regulations imposed by president Cyril
Ramaphosa to be relaxed.
The Presidency has denied The Majlis'
request to open Mosques during the
lockdown.
Mufti Menk says a heavy price is paid
when Islamic scholars insult one
another.
“Unfortunately, one group is saying that
the other group is asking the public to
forsake the Almighty and the teachings
of Islam. That is absurd. It is totally
absurd. We all care for the deen, but
some of us actually care for the lives
of the people out there as well. Whereas
there are others, we differ with them
and I differ with them very
respectfully.”
Mufti Menk however says he doesn’t
appreciate their abuse.
“The way that they have taken people out
of the fold of Islam simply for holding
a different opinion also based on
evidence.”
Mufti Menk says those that have been
disrespectful and hurled abuse at
others, have actually erred and paid a
disservice to the Ummah, insulted the
sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)
and strayed from the path of Islam.
India coronavirus: Tablighi Jamaat leader on
manslaughter charge over Covid-19
INDIA: The leader of a
prominent Muslim group has been charged
with manslaughter in India after a
meeting it held in Delhi spawned
numerous Covid-19 clusters.
Police say Muhammad Saad Khandalvi
(pictured above) ignored two notices
to end the event at a mosque in the
capital in March.
The event has been linked to 1,023 cases
across 17 states - believed to have been
spread by infected foreign attendees.
Mr Saad and his Tablighi Jamaat group
have denied any wrongdoing.
Delhi police said that Mr Saad had been
charged with culpable homicide not
amounting to murder, which means he will
not be able to apply for bail.
The charges were brought against him
while he was in self-isolation.
Police say the Tablighi Jamaat gathering
in Delhi's Nizamuddin area, which began
on 3 March, was not ended even when
India announced a lockdown on 24 March.
However, the organisation says they had
suspended the event and asked everyone
to leave as soon as Prime Minister
Narendra Modi announced that there would
be a day-long national curfew on 22
March.
While many were able to leave, they say,
others were stranded because states
began to seal their borders the
following day, and two days later, India
went into lockdown, suspending buses and
trains.
The mosque's premises include
dormitories that can house hundreds of
people.
The organisers say they informed the
local police about all of this and
continued to co-operate with medical
officers who came to inspect the
premises.
Princess R. Lakshman
is a writer, poet,
life coach, and
spiritual
counsellor. She
lives in Brisbane,
Australia. Her
website is
www.princesslakshman.com
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
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Mind Matters YouTube
Channel.
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self-awareness
meditation.
If you wish to know
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Clarity of Mind,
please text or email
me or visit
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If you wish to have
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Finding Clarity
telephone session,
contact me on
0451977786.
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:
What You Feed
Your Mind Determines
What You Feed Your
Body
For years I used
food for comfort.
Any emotional
occurrence such as
happiness, sadness,
anger, guilt,
frustration, and
more, would be my
cue to hit the
pantry and finish a
whole packet of
crisps or an entire
family-size
chocolate bar (the
giant Toblerone from
Airport Duty
Free?...Oh
boy...Don’t even get
me started on that
story!).
Every Monday morning
I would decide to
eat healthily and
every Monday
lunchtime I would
decide to postpone
the healthy-eating
commitment to next
Monday. That was my
pattern. Apart from
the weight gain, I
was also feeling
lousy about my sugar
addiction. Yes,
sugar is poison and
yes, sugar addiction
is very real and
detrimental to
mental and physical
wellbeing. And I was
tired of feeling
lousy about myself,
my weight, my lack
of energy and my
irritability. This
had to stop.
I was aware of my
pattern. As Oprah
says, when you know
better, you do
better. I had to
find out why I had
this pattern and
address the elephant
that incessantly
roamed the jungle of
my mind. I sat
myself down with my
journal and fiercely
wrote. It took three
hours for me to
trace my pattern
back to an incident
that happened when I
was around five
years old. It took
another few hours to
link my eating
pattern with my
life’s major
incidents where I
had to make choices
that affected my
wellbeing. Most of
those choices were
harmful to my
wellbeing and when I
connected the dots
between my dietary
pattern and those
lifestyle choices
and how my mental
state was back then,
everything became
crystal clear.
A paradigm shift,
which I now call my
Gut-Shift, revealed
to me that for me to
make better choices
in life, stay strong
in my imaan and
nourish my soul with
love, light, peace
and joy, I must
first and foremost,
nourish my mind with
the right mental
foods so that I
could then choose
better foods and
beverages to nourish
my physical self. If
my essential self,
my soul and my mind,
was starving, how
was I ever going to
choose the right
foods for my body?
How To Feed Your
Mind And Body
Good thoughts, good
words, good deeds. I
had to heal from my
emotional eating
pattern one thought
at a time. The
following are
strategies to feed
your mind, process
your emotions and
then choose the
right foods to
manage your
emotions:
Junk
Thought
Healthy
Thought
I hate
myself
I am a
beautiful
creation
of ALLAH
I’m a
failure
I have
survived
through
my tests
and
learnt
my
lessons
I need
food to
feel
better
ALLAH is
my
comforter.
Only
ALLAH
can make
me feel
better.
I submit
to
ALLAH.
I’m
stuck
My life
is
unfolding
according
to
ALLAH’s
plans
for me.
Alhumdolillah.
I hate
feeling
like I’m
always
struggling
I am
grateful
for
everything
I’m
learning
through
this
experience.
ALLAH
has put
me to it
and HE
is
putting
me
through
it. I am
wiser
and
stronger
now that
I am
going
through
this
experience.
No one
loves me
I will
end up
alone I
am a
beautiful
creation
of
ALLAH. I
deserve
love,
light,
peace
and joy.
I give
love, I
receive
love.
(B)ordering Britain argues that
Britain is the spoils of empire,
its immigration law is colonial
violence and irregular
immigration is anti-colonial
resistance.
In announcing itself as
postcolonial through immigration
and nationality laws passed in
the 60s, 70s and 80s, Britain
cut itself off symbolically and
physically from its colonies and
the Commonwealth, taking with it
what it had plundered. This
imperial vanishing act cast
Britain's colonial history into
the shadows.
The British Empire, about which
Britons know little, can be
remembered fondly as a moment of
past glory, as a gift once given
to the world. Meanwhile
immigration laws are justified
on the basis that they keep the
undeserving hordes out. In fact,
immigration laws are acts of
colonial seizure and violence.
They obstruct the vast majority
of racialised people from
accessing colonial wealth
amassed in the course of
colonial conquest.
Regardless of what the law,
media and political discourse
dictate, people with personal,
ancestral or geographical links
to colonialism, or those
existing under the weight of its
legacy of race and racism, have
every right to come to Britain
and take back what is theirs.
Nadine El-Enany sets out the
arguments she makes in her book
here.
KB says:
Looking for something to make in the kitchen
with the children, this is perfect, they can
help at every step, except the frying and they
will simply love the end product, who can resist
drop dougnuts!
Drop doughnuts
INGREDIENTS & METHOD
Ingredients
2 eggs
½ cup sugar
½ tsp vanilla essence
1 cup yoghurt
2-tab melted butter
2 cups self-rising flour
Method
Place all the ingredients in a bowl and beat with an
electric beater.
Drop a teaspoonful of the batter
in hot oil.
Fry until golden brown
Dip in cinnamon mix (see below)
Serve hot with melted chocolate.
Cinnamon mix
1 cup castor sugar
1 tsp cinnamon powder
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.
The current
information out
there indicates
that we should
prepare
ourselves for
the long run and
things will
worsen in the
coming months.
Rapid changes
have given rise
to an air of
selfishness
where those who
are able hoard
leaving the rest
to perish. We
need to
continuously
adapt to these
changes which
can be
challenging.
In response to
the
uncertainties
that lies ahead,
ICQ is planning
to launch
PROJECT HUMANITY.
The goal of this
Project is to
shift the focus
from selfishness
to selflessness
by promoting a
culture of
positivity. The
Muslim community
has a wider
array of skills
and talents,
which ICQ
intends to
coordinate and
make services
available to the
people of
Queensland.
LAUNCHING
27.03.2020
STAY SAFE
ACADEMY ALIVE
ENROLMENTS OPEN
The Year of Endless
Opportunities, Don't Miss Your OPPORTUNITY.
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!
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
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Jameel
Mohamed-Hussain
attends a mainstream
school in Birmingham
with a resource base
for the visually
impaired. 
Towards
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