Zeinab Mourad (far right)
usually celebrates Ramadan and
Eid with her extended family,
but not this year.
On Friday, most Muslims in
Australia (some on Saturday)
began observing Ramadan, the
fasting month, in a very
different way due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. But
despite the social
restrictions, many believe
the essence of the Holy
Month remains the same.
For the next 30 days,
Muslims in Australia will be
abstaining from food and
drinks during the daylight
and have anticipated "a sad
and quiet" Ramadan.
Mosques are deserted, homes
are now expected to be
spiritual centres, with
Islamic sermons delivered
through video callings.
It may have sounded
impossible to think about
Ramadan without social
interactions, but many
Muslims in Australia have
found ways to keep the
spirit of togetherness
during the Holy Month alive.
Fasting alone in a
regional town
According to the Australian
Bureau of Statistics,
Muslims make up 2.6 per cent
of the Australian
population.
That means there are
approximately 600,000
Muslims in Australia and the
majority live in big cities.
Muslim communities in
regional areas are much
smaller than their
metropolitan counterparts,
which is why a strong sense
of community is important to
them.
Yacoob
Phillips will miss going to the
mosque to pray during the month
of Ramadan.
Originally from Brisbane,
Yacoob Phillips is a high
school music teacher living
in a town an hour from
Townsville in North
Queensland.
"For me, moving to North
Queensland was the biggest
challenge in my faith
journey as I'd only
converted a year before I
accepted the job up north,"
he said.
During the month of Ramadan,
he would usually travel to
Townsville — the nearest
mosque — to attend taraweeh
prayers, a special evening
prayer Muslims would usually
do in congregation.
It is also an opportunity
for Muslims to meet each
other, asking for tips on
fasting and feeling a sense
of togetherness.
With mosques closed, this is
one of the challenges for Mr
Phillips on this year's
Ramadan.
"I try to attend taraweeh
prayers at the masjid
[mosque] in Townsville about
every second night, and for
me that is one of the
biggest things I will miss
this year due to social
isolation and COVID-19.
"My housemate is a
practising Catholic, which
means I'm up early eating
suhoor [the pre-fasting
meal] alone and then eating
iftar [breaking the fast]
often alone as well," Mr
Phillips said.
Many mosques around
Australia and the rest of
the world are offering
online Islamic classes, so
Mr Phillips can join
wherever he is.
"Now that it's shifted
online it's actually
positive. It means other
people from around Australia
and around the world can
connect," he said.
Students thousands of
miles from home
During Ramadan, many Islamic
student associations at
universities offer meals for
breaking the fast followed
by praying together.
These events help Muslim
international students in
Australia to not feel alone
during Ramadan.
However, with the current
restrictions on large
gatherings in Australia,
these gatherings will not
proceed this year.
Inessa Arif came to Brisbane
from Kerala, India, as an
undergraduate student and is
now doing a masters in
biotechnology at the
University of Queensland.
Inessa Arif
has been spending Ramadan in
Australia ever since she moved
from India in 2016.
As her mother and sister
live in India and her father
works in Dubai, the only
family connection she has
are her aunt and uncle in
Brisbane.
She would visit them every
week, but with the current
restrictions, those visits
have lessened.
As the only Muslim in her
household and with her
classes now online, she will
be fasting and celebrating
at home alone.
"I'm planning to make dishes
that my mother would make at
home during Ramadan," she
said, adding she would call
her parents every evening.
She is also close to her
housemate and they usually
hang out together after
dinner, helping maintain a
sense of normalcy during the
uncertainty.
Celebrating the first
Ramadan
For Zahra Fielding, who just
converted to Islam last
February, this year will be
her first year celebrating
Ramadan.
She said she found Islam in
an online game with a chat
feature, where players from
all over the world were able
to communicate with each
other.
Through that platform, she
had gotten close to a girl
who was a Malaysian Muslim
and took the opportunity to
ask her about the religion
and her headscarf.
"I always thought that the
headscarf was a sign of
oppression," she said.
Zahra's first
Ramadan will be spent in
isolation with her cat.
As she connected with more
Muslims through the game and
within Australia, she
learned more about the
religion and fell in love
with it.
Ms Fielding is not too
disappointed about spending
her first Ramadan in
isolation with her cat.
"I purchased a Ramadan diary
to keep track of my fasting
and my deeds," she told the
ABC.
Zahra is also planning to
break her fast with her
Muslim friends to help feel
a sense of belonging.
Stranded in Australia for
Ramadan
Newlyweds Syazween Zainal
and Jeff Davidson arrived in
Australia in February for
their honeymoon.
Initially, they had plans to
travel to Europe but with
the current restrictions,
both in Europe and
Australia, they are now
stuck at Sydney's Bondi
Beach for the next few
months.
Newlyweds
Syazween Zainal and Jeff
Davidson did not expect to be
stuck in Australia during their
honeymoon.
Having lived close to her
family in Malaysia her whole
life, this will be Ms
Zainal's first Ramadan away
from them.
"Being away like this is
definitely a massive change
for me. Not a bad change,
but massive nonetheless."
For Mr Davidson, who grew up
in America, this will be his
first time fasting.
While Ms Zainal does not
consider herself religious,
fasting is important to her
and she is grateful to be
sharing the experience with
her new husband.
They will Skype her family
each evening, though may not
be able to break their fast
at the same time due to the
time difference.
"On top of a Ramadan apart
we're also looking at the
very real possibility that
this will be our first Eid
apart too," she said.
"We just have to make the
best of the current
circumstances, I guess."
Families turning homes
into 'mosques'
Iman Shahrain grew up in
Malaysia and moved to
Australia seven years ago
with her five children for
her husband's work.
She was a principal at an
Islamic pre-school and is
now a homemaker.
Their house in Brisbane is
close to a mosque, which
made celebrating Ramadan
even more significant.
Involving
herself with her local Muslim
community was important to Iman
Shahrain (second from right)
when she first moved to
Australia.
"Ramadan for us in the last
seven years have always been
tied to the mosque," she
said.
Her family would often break
their fast with other Muslim
families.
Ms Shahrain also spends her
free time volunteering and
has worked with charity
organisations that host
Iftar for Muslim converts
who will spend it alone.
Now that gatherings have
been restricted, those
events will not take place.
That does not mean she has
no plans to make it special.
She will be starting by
decorating her house to
welcome the month of
Ramadan.
"We also plan to follow the
various channels/shows
online by local mosques,
aiming to keep the sense of
community together."
Her family has also been
praying in congregation at
home and they plan to follow
the content posted by local
mosques.
"This year it is going to be
more meaningful since this
[our house] is also going to
be our mosque," she said.
Ramadan in isolation is
'a blessing'
Zeinab Mourad, based in
Melbourne, said celebrating
Ramadan with her extended
family members was what she
will miss most this year.
For Eid celebration, marking
the end of Ramadan, her
family usually hires a
function hall. Not so this
year.
However, Ms Mourad said
physical distancing did not
discount the spirit of
togetherness during the most
significant period for
Muslims.
Zeinab Mourad
will miss her extended family
during Ramadan this year.
"We can still share the
memories over video
conversations," she told ABC
News.
Ms Mourad saw the COVID-19
pandemic and its social
restrictions as a special
opportunity to be more
spiritually aware, without
"any distractions".
"It's such a blessing,
because we can achieve so
much and there's no excuses
not to," she said.
"[Usually] we get so
distracted in Ramadan in
cooking and inviting people
over and going to events
[or] getting invited."
While the pandemic may get
in the way of celebrations,
it does not mean that it
will be less meaningful.
'A time out'
A group of Australian
Muslims in Sydney has hosted
an online event "Ramadan
Re-Imagined" to welcome
Ramadan, featuring
well-known Islamic scholars
in the Muslim community.
One of them was Belal Assaad,
an imam and Islamic scholar
based in Melbourne, who said
social isolation in Islamic
and spiritual perspectives
should be regarded as an
opportunity to take "time
out".
He believes it is actually a
time to "reflect ourselves
individually" and to learn
patience and sincerity in
the true meaning.
Belal Assaad
said that Ramadan in isolation
could be a reminder for Muslims
that the fasting month is not
only about feasting.
"We just have to worry about
our hearts and our
reflections," Mr Assaad
said.
He reminded Muslims not to
worry about missing out
going to mosques and social
gathering this Ramadan.
Mr Belal said worshipping
took more than one form and
the most important thing for
Muslims was character and
service to others, including
to non-Muslims.
The inability to host social
gatherings during Ramadan,
such as sharing meals after
the sunset is a probably a
good thing, according to Mr
Assad.
"Maybe God wants to teach us
not to be wasteful of food
and oriented only around
entertainment."
Instead, he suggested
Muslims share food with
their neighbours.
From Kindergarten to Year
Twelve, John Paul College
staff have worked together
to develop an innovative
'continuous learning'
platform that combines a
range of digital
technologies to support all
of our students during the
pandemic and beyond. Our
'continuous learning'
platform allows a balance of
on-screen and off-screen
learning for all students,
and collaboration through
video conferencing.
JPC delivers learning
experiences for all students
to become skilled
twenty-first century
learners, enhancing their
knowledge, conceptual
understanding and skills. It
is important that our
students stay connected with
teachers and their peers and
not feel isolated or feel
that their learning is not
progressing. To facilitate
this, JPC is deploying video
conferencing, videos,
forums, learning sharing
platforms and live chat.
Students and parents are
very impressed with the
platforms provided by the
College, with JPC being
praised as one of the
thought leaders when it
comes to learning in this
space.
As a College, we are
committed to adapting our
programs to the
ever-changing environment to
ensure our students are
continuing to receive the
personalised teaching they
need. Our ‘Continuous
Learning’ videos are
available on our YouTube
channel, for the wider
community to explore.
Click here.
The JPC Family is a caring,
resilient and multi-faith
community. We have a network
of Parents and Friends to
support our families and we
encourage connections to
continue to flourish between
our valued teaching staff
and Families.
For more information about
our programs in Early Years
to Year Twelve, or to book a
personalised campus tour,
please
contact our Admissions team
here.
On
behalf of
the
Queensland
Police
Service, I
wish you
a peaceful
and
happy Ramadan.
I am so
proud of the
positive
relationships
that exist
between the
Queensland
Police
Service and
the Muslim
communities.
Our
organisation
has been
working hard
to
establish,
maintain and
improve
these
relationships
to foster
effective
and
productive
partnerships.
The
Queensland
Police
Service has
a long and
proud
history of
community
engagement
across our
great state,
and we aim
to continue
and build on
this
tradition.
I
was saddened
that we made
the early
decision to
cancel the
2020
Queensland
Police
Service
Iftar and
the Women’s
Iftar
dinners. I
was looking
forward to
my first
hosting of
the events
as your
Police
Commissioner.
Nevertheless,
reflecting
on the
tragedy that
many
thousands of
people have
lost their
lives to
COVID-19,
and the sad
inevitability
that many
more will, I
believe it
was the
right
decision to
make.
Please take
care of
yourselves
and each
other. In
these times
of social
distancing
and
isolation,
it’s
important
that we stay
connected,
support each
other and
provide a
sense of
normality,
something
the Muslim
community
does
exceptionally
well. I
hope that
the
reflective
nature of
Ramadan
itself, is
able to
provide us
the
strength,
patience and
determination
to emerge on
the other
side of this
adversity, a
more
resilient
and
compassionate
community.
I am so
honoured to
be your
Police
Commissioner,
and I look
forward to
when we can
gather in
person for
fellowship
and to share
a special
meal
together
again.
To you, your
families and
all
communities
- Ramadan
Kareem!
Katarina
Carroll
Commissioner
South African
President Cyril
Ramaphosa's Ramadan
message
Malcolm Turnbull has accused
Peter Dutton of making
offensive comments about
young African-Australians
and Tony Abbott of
demonising Muslims in an
attack on his former Liberal
colleagues.
Former prime minister
Malcolm Turnbull says he
regrets trusting Peter
Dutton and condemned his
rhetoric about a series of
crimes linked to Australians
of African heritage.
Mr Turnbull unleashed on his
former Liberal colleagues in
an interview with SBS News
following the release of his
memoir, A Bigger Picture,
recounting his four decades
as a major figure in
Australian public life.
He admitted he held concerns
about Mr Dutton’s repeated
warnings "African gangs"
were allegedly terrorising
people in Melbourne.
"The answer is no I wasn’t
(happy) ... it may be that I
was being too understanding
- too trusting perhaps," he
said.
“But I often attributed
Dutton’s sometimes offensive
remarks to verbal clumsiness
and awkwardness, or as he
often used to do, he would
get on programs with shock
jocks like Jones or Hadley
or Bolt and they would sort
of lead him into agreeing
with them."
Mr Turnbull has also accused
the government led by his
predecessor Tony Abbott of
“demonising Muslims” through
its own rhetoric on
extremism.
“I felt they were
demonising Muslims in
the sense they were …
that all Muslims were
being blamed for the
actions of a very tiny
number of extremists,”
he said.
SBS
He told Leigh Sales on ABC's
7.30 program:
“His whole style of
government was erratic
and flaky … from a
national security point
of view,” he said.
“At a time when
terrorism was our
biggest …domestic
security issue, Abbott
was determined to ramp
up the rhetoric in a way
that was calculated to
inflame animosity
against Muslims.
“That was obviously
lapped up and echoed by
the Murdoch press, who
were doing the same
thing. That made
Australia less safe. It
was profoundly
dangerous.”
The Australian Muslim
Advocacy Network has
distributed the following
press release in response to
Malcolm Turnbull's claims
regarding former Prime
Minister Tony Abbott:
Empty kaaba:
To limit coronavirus contagion,
Saudi Arabia has emptied the
holiest site in Islam.
Some 1.8 billion Muslims
around the globe will
celebrate the most important
month of the Islamic
calendar very differently
this year due to the
COVID-19 pandemic.
As per the Islamic lunar
calendar, the month of
Ramadan is started for many
on Friday, April 24.
Abstaining from earthly
desires including eating,
drinking and having sex
between dawn and sunset for
the duration of Ramadan is
considered one of the
fundamental pillars of
Islamic teaching. Muslims
believe this instils
gratitude and introspection
and brings them closer to
God.
The majority of Muslims —
except those who are exempt
including people who are
sick, pregnant women,
children and the elderly —
will fast as usual.
But much like the Christmas
season, Ramadan is also
usually a social month of
feasts, group prayer and
other gatherings.
Lockdowns across much of the
world will make that all but
impossible in 2020.
Birth of the 'virtual iftar'
Iftar is the meal that marks
the end of the fasting day
and is generally shared with
family, friends or
colleagues.
In 2020, many will have to
share these online.
"There are virtual iftars in
the planning stages,"
Shakira Hussein, a
researcher at the University
of Melbourne's National
Centre for Excellence in
Islamic Studies, said.
"I'm practicing my most
photogenic recipes for the
Instagram Ramadan."
The Ramadan Tent Project
each year hosts the "UK's
largest open invitation"
event, providing Iftar meals
to the community in front of
iconic landmarks around
London.
But due to strict physical
distancing across Britain,
the organisers have turned
to technology.
"We have turned to
innovative means to achieve
this, allowing people to
connect with thousands of
others at our virtual iftars,
every day of Ramadan," Rohma
Ahmed, a spokeswoman for
Ramadan Tent Project, told
the ABC.
Collingwood
Iftar: People attend a community
Iftar at Collingwood Town Hall
in Melbourne in 2019.
Ms Ahmed said they will
broadcast a live call to
prayer at sunset marking the
time to break fast, invite
guest speakers, and provide
a platform for people to
share their iftar
experiences.
"We would advise people to
use this time of physical
distancing to pause, reflect
and reconnect with their
spirituality, faith and
collective humanity," she
said.
Month-long night markets,
such as those held at
Lakemba in Western Sydney,
are a popular feature of
Ramadan in many places.
Due to the coronavirus
pandemic, Malaysia, Brunei
and Singapore have banned
open-air Ramadan bazaars.
Indonesia is yet to ban the
annual mass migration to
people's hometowns for Eid
al-Fitr — known as mudik —
however, a semi-governmental
religious authority has
declared travelling from
virus-affected areas "haram",
or forbidden under Islamic
law.
Coronavirus hits the Ramadan
economy
Sundown during Ramadan in
Indonesia generally sees
hawkers flock to the streets
with sweet drinks and fried
goods for those breaking
their fast.
The Ministry of Religion
has, however, advised
Indonesians to celebrate
Ramadan at home this year,
following the implementation
of large-scale social
restrictions in major
cities.
Rika Shears, whose family
has been running a
restaurant in Punclut, West
Java for 40 years, told the
ABC she anticipates
coronavirus restrictions
will have major consequences
for her business.
Ramadan night
market: Popular Ramadan markets
cater for hungry people breaking
their fast.
"Since the middle of March,
my family's restaurant has
been quiet. This has never
happened before, since we
are located in one of the
most popular spots [in the
city]," she said.
"I predict we will lose 50
per cent of our revenue,
especially in Ramadan. It
will be quiet and different
with the large-scale
restrictions."
Instead, Ms Shears' family
is offering food for
takeaway and delivery, which
she said presents an
opportunity to help
app-based motorcycle taxi
drivers.
The Indonesian Food and
Beverage Association said
sales will "significantly
drop", despite Ramadan
usually seeing a spike in
consumption.
"We are predicting a drop in
sales of around 30 to 40 per
cent because there won't be
any festivities, resulting
in a decrease in
consumption," the body's
chairman Adhi Lukman told
the ABC.
Night prayer at home
After sunset and breaking
fast, some Muslims choose to
do extra night-time prayers
at a mosque, known as
Tarawih.
Saudi Arabia's Grand Mufti
Sheikh Abdulaziz Al
al-Sheikh has said that
Tarawih should be performed
at home this year.
Eid prayers, which are
generally also held in
congregation, may also need
to be held in private if the
outbreak continues, he said.
Saudi authorities have also
urged Muslims to hold off on
booking trips to Mecca for
the Hajj pilgrimage in July.
More than 2 million pilgrims
typically flock to the holy
city for Hajj. Its
cancellation would be the
first since Saudi Arabia
became a country in 1932.
Women pray
during Ramadan: Mosques are
usually packed in the evenings
during Ramadan.
Neighbouring countries such
as United Emirate Arabs,
Egypt, Jordan, and the
Palestinian Territories —
where Islam's third-holiest
site, the Al Aqsa mosque, is
located — have also
confirmed the closure of
mosques during Ramadan.
"Tarawih prayers will be
held at home, because
reopening the mosque is
linked to the end of the
coronavirus crisis,"
Palestinian Mufti Sheikh
Mohammed Hussein told the
Jerusalem Post.
Earlier this month, Egypt
announced the cessation of
"all congregational
activities", including the
provision of free iftar
meals at mosques.
Mosques will be reopened
when the Health Ministry
declares there are no more
coronavirus cases in Egypt,
local media reported.
'Never forget those in
need'
Depriving oneself of food
and water during Ramadan is
intended to evoke empathy
for the poor and
underprivileged.
Charity is especially
encouraged during the holy
month.
A mosque in the Indonesian
city of Bandung told the ABC
they have been planning to
adjust their charity program
to meet social distancing
requirements.
"In our district, more than
200 people lost their jobs.
Mainly they are labourers,"
said Muhammad Iskandar Umar
from Al Multazam mosque.
He said the mosque had
paired up with local street
vendors, who are also
experiencing hardship due to
the stay-at-home order.
They will keep running their
stalls across from the
mosque and we will
distribute vouchers for the
needy, which can be redeemed
in exchange for food from
the sellers," Mr Umar said.
"We may observe Ramadan by
ourselves at home, but never
forget those in need."
Ramadan activities at
home
Indonesian-born Rachmi
Yulianti, who lives in
Brisbane, told the ABC that
Ramadan this year would be
very different for her
family and community.
Ms Yulianti said in other
years, she and other women
would normally cook and
bring food to the local
mosque.
"It's really sad because
this year we can't do it
anymore," she said.
Ms Yulianti said she will
recreate Ramadan activities
at home with her husband and
three primary school-aged
children.
She still wants to create
the "spiritual atmosphere"
of Ramadan, so her kids can
experience it.
"We will start by making
Ramadan and Eid decorations,
which we usually buy, but
now we will make them
together," Ms Yulianti said.
Learning to read and
memorise chapters of the
Quran is another activity
that she has been preparing
for her children.
Despite having to adapt, Ms
Yulianti said the essence of
Ramadan will remain the
same.
"I think it's still an
opportunity to increase
piety, self-reflection, and
more focusing on the things
that really matter to my
family," she said.
Ramadan, which began on
Thursday night, is one of
the most important months of
the Islamic calendar, and is
said to celebrate the moment
Allah (God) first revealed
the words of the Quran to
Mohammed.
Muslims fast for the month,
only eating before sunrise
or after sunset.
The Toowoomba Islamic
Society's Professor
Shahjahan Khan said the
local Muslim community would
usually gather at the mosque
for a breakfast every day
after sunset.
"We're going to miss that
this year because (of
COVID-19)," he said.
"We're going to miss that
environment, and fraternity.
"Neighbours of the mosque,
friends within the wider
community, leaders, usually
join us as well.
"It's a difficult time where
people need support, so they
want to do (the usual
breakfast) but can't do
that."
Prof Khan said while the
mosque was closed because of
coronavirus restrictions,
the Imam was holding the
usual Ramadan readings and
advice sessions over Zoom
instead.
"We're trying to keep the
community connected and
teachings passed across," he
said.
He said the community, for
which this is a time they
usually come together, was
taking solace in the words
of Mohammed.
"He said 1450 years ago if
there is a pandemic don't
get out of it, and don't get
into it," he said.
"When there is a pandemic
you don't go out so you
don't spread it to others
and you don't go out and
make yourself sick.
"This time today is a
practical application of
that."
The community has also
raised $7000 to help people
who have been impacted by
the COVID-19 pandemic, such
as international students
and refugees.
"One of the teachings of
Ramadan is to give," Prof
Khan said.
"When you're fasting, you
feel like someone who
doesn't have any food to
eat.
"That felling of hunger
should drive person who is
fasting to help someone less
fortunate.
"That should be a teaching
that is intensified at the
moment."
Ramadan will run until May
23 this year.
The two students attended
Friday prayers with their father
during school time.
South Australia's Department
for Education has been
ordered to apologise to a
Muslim family over an
Adelaide public school's
handling of their attendance
of Friday prayers during
teaching hours.
Key points:
The family of refugees
felt "personally
attacked" by the
school's response, the
ombudsman found
The father believed his
children were being
expelled because of
their attendance of
prayers
The ombudsman has
recommended the school
change its practices
State ombudsman Wayne
Lines has released the
findings of an
investigation into the
matter, recommending the
department apologise to
the family and change
school attendance
policies to allow for
students to attend
Friday prayers.
Mahmoud Amirat and his two
sons attended a mosque for
up to 90 minutes every
Friday, during teaching
hours at the Adelaide
Secondary School of English
where the boys were enrolled
in 2017.
Mr Amirat and his children
were refugees who did not
speak fluent English at the
time.
In a letter written only in
English, the school
expressed concern the
children "missed part of
their lesson".
However, the ombudsman found
the West Croydon school
inadvertently gave Mr Amirat
the impression that his
children were being expelled
because of their religious
practice.
Mr Lines expressed concern
that the school "did not
show greater understanding
of the cultural significance
of engaging in Friday prayer
at a mosque".
"[This] was not a situation
where a parent was removing
a child for an improper
reason, instead, the
absences were for genuine
religious and cultural
reasons," the report stated.
"[Despite] the school's
awareness of the children's
regular absences, it did not
appear to negotiate an
alternative arrangement … in
the circumstances of this
case, it was inappropriate
and unreasonable to rigidly
insist that the children
attended all their Friday
lessons."
The ombudsman reported that
while school had prayer
rooms on-site, Mr Amirat and
his children felt
"personally attacked and
embarrassed" by the school's
response.
School said enrolment 'had
been terminated'
In October 2017, the
school's principal met with
Mr Amirat with the aid of an
Arabic translator.
The principal suggested that
his two children be moved to
an adult campus, Thebarton
Senior College, since the
eldest child was then almost
18 years old.
During the meeting, the
principal also stated
concerns about the Friday
absences, according to the
ombudsman's report.
Soon afterward, the school
sent a letter to Mr Amirat,
reiterating the concerns
about the Friday absences
and advising that the
children's enrolment would
be ended.
Mr Lines said the letter was
written in English, with no
translation.
He said the school had
concerns about one of the
student's "disruptive"
behaviour, and had contacted
Mr Amirat over the matter,
again advising the boy's
enrolment "had been
terminated".
The ombudsman accepted that
the school wanted to move
the children to the adult
campus because of the age of
the eldest, but found the
school never "clearly stated
this".
Mr Amirat's son said he had
felt "scared" when he got
into trouble at school for
attending Friday prayers.
"I felt alone, and no-one is
helping me, and no-one is
supporting me," he said.
"I was scared, me and my
brother … my knees were
shaking."
Speaking via his son as
translator, Mr Amirat said
his family's treatment by
the school had made him
question his belief in
Australian freedoms.
"Coming to Australia, we
thought it was a freedom
(sic) country and you can
practise your religion,"
said Mr Amirat.
"After [the ombudsman's]
decision we are happy."
The ombudsman recommended
the Department for Education
apologise to the family on
the school's behalf and
update attendance procedures
to allow for students to be
absent from school to attend
Friday prayers.
The report stated the
department had accepted the
recommendations.
The ABC has contacted the
department and the school
for comment.
UK: Muslims are being
targeted using “dangerous”
conspiracy theories claiming
they are spreading
coronavirus by violating
lockdown restrictions, a
report has warned.
Far-right extremists have
been circulating old footage
to claim that mosques are
still open, causing police
to be inundated with
complaints by duped members
of the public.
Abusive online posts have
called for the demolition of
all mosques to “cure”
coronavirus, and Muslim
women have been the victims
of suspected hate crimes in
public during the outbreak.
A report commissioned by
independent members of the
Anti-Muslim Hatred Working
Group (AMHWG), seen
exclusively by The
Independent ahead of its
release, warned that the
claims could lead to a spike
in attacks when the lockdown
lifts.
Co-author Imran Awan, a
professor of criminology at
Birmingham City University,
said: “The Covid-19 crisis
has been used to create
‘others’ of Muslims, blaming
them for the spread of the
virus. The spread of fake
news online is contributing
to this extremely worrying
trend.
“While we haven’t yet seen
this translate into physical
hate crimes, once social
distancing rules are relaxed
there are concerns that this
could be the case.”
In one recent incident, a
Muslim woman wearing a hijab
and a protective mask
overheard a man in a
supermarket say to his
partner “look, a bomb” as he
pointed at her.
In another incident, which
was reported to the
Metropolitan Police, a
Muslim woman said she was
approached by a man who
coughed in her face and
claimed he had coronavirus.
Roxana Khan-Williams, who
co-authored the report,
warned that anti-Muslim
hatred and conspiracy
theories were “penetrating
common-sense thinking”.
She told The Independent
that during her research,
she saw examples of people
who were not being
deliberately Islamophobic
but “were seeing this fake
news and absorbing it”.
“It has gained a lot of
traction, which is what has
made it more dangerous,” she
added.
“It’s the usual suspects
peddling [anti-Muslim
narratives] but it’s gained
a lot of support. What
they’ve done has worked
because people are worried
and Muslims are being
scapegoated.”
Analysing posts across
Facebook, Twitter, Telegram
and WhatsApp groups, the
report identified narratives
claiming that mosques and
Muslims are spreading
coronavirus, police are
giving preferential
treatment to Muslims, and
that the “UK’s Muslim
population is responsible
for a quarter of the
country’s Covid-related
deaths”.
“Online narratives rooted in
anti-Muslim bigotry are
evolving and transforming in
the new social context
created by the pandemic,”
the report says.
“In this new context, Islam
and Muslims have been
associated directly with the
causes of the pandemic,
fitting well within broader
well-known far-right themes
depicting Muslims as
parasitical to society –
foreign, alien and
‘disease-like’.”
Katie Hopkins, Tommy
Robinson and former Ukip
leader Gerard Batten have
been among those sharing
posts targeting Muslims in
connection with the
pandemic.
An old video shared by
Robinson, whose real name is
Stephen Yaxley-Lennon,
claimed to show worshippers
leaving a mosque in
Birmingham during the
lockdown.
The footage sparked a deluge
of complaints to West
Midlands Police, which was
forced to investigate the
false reports.
“Although we can confirm the
footage was filmed in Small
Heath, our officers have
conducted enquiries and are
satisfied that the mosque is
currently closed,” said a
police statement on 30
March, adding that it had
not opened since the
lockdown was implemented.
It was one of a series of
similar incidents, including
fake claims over mosques in
London, Leeds and
Shrewsbury.
The report contains numerous
posts claiming that police
were turning a “blind eye”
to the violations and
spreading “unfounded
narratives that argue ethnic
minorities, and particularly
Muslims, are given
preferential treatment by
the police”.
Its authors are concerned
that similar claims will
resurface during the Islamic
holy month of Ramadan, which
begins next week and
traditionally sees Muslims
gather for prayers and meals
with relatives and friends.
The Centre for Media
Monitoring, which campaigns
over the reporting of Islam,
launched complaints last
week about news articles
that claimed “experts fear
social gatherings in Ramadan
will lead to a spike in
Covid-19 cases”.
The Muslim Council of
Britain called the stories
“untrue and dangerous” after
issuing guides on performing
Ramadan prayers at home and
conducting digital worship.
The body said more than 375
mosques and prayer
facilities in the UK
suspended prayers before
Boris Johnson announced the
UK-wide lockdown, and the
remainder complied with the
restrictions.
The Muslim Council of
Britain previously issued
theological messages saying
the individual obligation to
perform Friday prayers in
congregations was lifted
because of the pandemic.
The vast majority of
coronavirus-linked hate
crimes so far reported in
the UK targeted people of
Chinese or southeast Asian
appearance.
Police said they recorded
“localised” spikes in
offences that slowed when
the virus started spreading
more rapidly outside of
China.
A report issued by the UN
Special Rapporteur on
freedom of religion on
Friday said antisemitic hate
speech had also “risen
alarmingly” during the
outbreak.
Ahmed Shaheed said it was
being exploited “to spread
hatred against the Jews and
other minorities” amid the
spread of conspiracy
theories claiming that
Jewish people are
responsible for developing
and spreading coronaviruse.
Academy Alive is
proud to present
this project in
association with
Human Appeal
Australia,
Council of Imams
Queensland (CIQ)
and the Islamic
Council of
Queensland
(ICQ).
Plan Your Ramadan –
Abdal Hakim Murad (UK)
Cambridge
Muslim College
Ramadan Live!
This month,
we’re bringing Cambridge
Muslim College to you with a
series of FREE talks
– online,
live and every day –
from renowned
scholars around the world.
Join us on
YouTube for a carefully
curated month of learning:
from the
Qur’an, Prophetic tradition
and self-improvement, to
arts, culture and astronomy.
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.
A talented athlete
with a strong work
ethic,
Muhammad Mustafa Ali
has been boxing for
four years and has
won numerous
national and
international
titles.
His passion has
inspired other
students at his
Leicester-based
Muslim school to
pursue their
sporting prowess and
become champions in
Mixed Martial Arts.
Muhammad is keen to
help others with
their training and
development.
He has travelled
across the globe for
training and
development
initiatives provided
by the England
Talent Pathway
Programme.
His numerous
accomplishments
include winning
England Boxing
School’s National
Champion, GB Three
Nations Champion,
England V Wales
International
Tournament in 2018;
winner at England V
Wales International
Tournament, England
V Ireland
International
Tournament in 2019
as well as many
other championships.
He adheres to a
lifestyle of a boxer
through diet,
nutrition and
fitness.
An outstanding
sportsman, he
adheres to
principles of Islam
and attributes his
success to hard work
and commitment.
Sheikh Usama Al-Sayed Al-Azhari
is an Azhari scholar,
preacher, an academic and a
Senior Fellow of Kalam
Research & Media. He teaches
Hadith, Logic, and Islamic
Creed at the renowned Al-Azhar
Mosque’s Riwaq Al-Atrak in
Cairo, Egypt. He also holds
a teaching post in the
Faculty of Usul Al-Din and
Da`wah at Al-Azhar
University, Egypt.
Influence Scholar: Sheikh Usama
was chosen by the Grand
Mufti of Egypt, Sheikh Ali
Gomaa to deliver the Friday
sermons on his behalf in the
Sultan Hassan Mosque. He has
studied with many esteemed
scholars from all over the
Islamic world, acquiring
numerous authorisations (ijazaat)
all testifying to his
accepted position in the
unbroken-chains of
transmission known as isnad
essential in the field of
Islamic sciences and
scholarship.
Peace Activist: He is
considered to be one of the
most influential voices
calling for and working
towards reaching new
understandings founded on
the Islamic tradition and in
ways that accommodate the
contemporary condition. In
this regard, he has
presented a number of
original and fresh ideas
attempting to renew
authentic Islamic outlooks,
through his publishing and
scholarly contributions.
Some of the ideas include,
creating a relational map of
Shariah sciences and their
relationship with other
circles of sciences,
creating “Islamic
hermeneutics”, reviving the
tradition of auditing
religious sciences and
transmitting them through a
chain of transmission as a
criterion of authenticity,
and the Qur’anic
accommodation of different
civilizations, amongst
others.
.
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
...continued from last
week's CCN
TOWARDS THEORISING
ISLAMOPHOBIA
In theorising the concept of
Islamophobia, I propose two
loosely connected
dimensions: the internal and
external views of
Islamophobia.
For the internal view,
understanding the phenomenon
of Islamophobia is framed by
a Muslim’s perspective.
This perspective hinges not
solely on the Qurʾanic and
prophetic traditions but
also engages with various
Islamic scholars’
interpretations,
philosophies and Islamic
history.
In other words, the Muslim
perspective “hinges upon the
dialectics of the past,
present, and future creating
a new consensus or a
confirmation of who Muslims
are, what they want to be,
and how they want to be.”
In this existentialist
pursuit of what forms a
Muslim identity, Mohammed
Arkoun, an influential
Algerian intellectual, warns
that Muslim intellectuals
should move away from being
mere offensive or defensive
apologists and should fight
“against social sciences as
practised by orientalism, in
a disengaged, narrative,
descriptive style.”
The external perspective,
however, does not engage
with Islamic sources.
It scrutinises the
phenomenon within the
frameworks of identity
politics, ethnicity,
anti-Muslim racism and
power.
More than
a thousand years
ago, some men
wrote against
the presence of
women at
mosques.
Contrary to the
Prophetic
practice where
men and women
prayed together
in the mosque
even at night,
the accretions
of the legal
opinions of
these scholars
over time
concluded that
women must be
excluded from
the mosques.
Their reasoning
– to prevent the
means to a
greater evil (sadd
al-dharai),
namely
socialisation
amongst men and
women. Despite
some small gains
in the form of a
few
gender-inclusive
masajid, to this
day a majority
of the mosques
around the world
either exclude
women or limit
their presence
in the mosque.
Today a small
group of
Muslims, the
very same who
uphold at all
costs the ruling
against women’s
presence in the
mosque are
arguing before
the South
African courts
that it is
unconstitutional,
unacceptable,
indeed deeply
and spiritually
painful that
they themselves
have been
excluded from
the mosques, to
prevent the
means to a
greater evil,
namely the
spread of
Covid-19. The
national
regulation does
not privilege
some religions
or some people
over others,
instead it
coincides with
broad principles
of maintaining
public interests
(al-masalih al-mursala,
allowing both
state and
Islamic ethics
to coincide on
this matter, and
so we think it
should stand.
But from the
women who have
been excluded
from the masajid
for a 1000
years, simply
for being women,
we see what
you’re doing and
so we want to
remind you that:
you’re
willing to
spend
hundreds of
thousands
sanitising
your masajid,
even
fighting a
court case
to re-enter
your masajid.
Your lawyer
told the
honourable
judge that
you are
sustained by
your
presence in
the mosque,
and so it
appears that
your masajid
have
replaced
your
Sustainer,
your Rabb.
When you
excluded our
sisters from
the mosques
all those
centuries
ago, we
leant then
already that
we are only
sustained by
God who also
assures us
‘wherever
you turn
there is
your Lord’,
our Rabb is
indeed
merciful,
for under no
other
circumstance
could you
possibly
have
understood
the pain of
being
excluded
from the
masajid
which, as
you
correctly
argued
today, is
the
spiritual
centre of
the Muslim
community.
We’ve known
this pain
from the day
we were
born; and
unfortunately,
now you know
it too,
this
pandemic is
a time for
deep
reflection
amongst all
of us, may
your pain at
the
exclusion
from the
masajid also
lead you to
deep
introspection,
perhaps use
your
experience
as a teacher
to hold up a
mirror that
reflects
your own
behaviour
and
contemplate
what it is
that you
have done in
excluding
women from
the
spiritual
centres of
the ummah –
the
community.
We don’t think
you will change
your views,
because your
misogyny and
patriarchy runs
deeply and is
mostly
unquestioned in
your masajid –
indeed some of
you believe that
Islam is
actually a
patriarchal
faith. Despite
having excluded
us, know that we
are not happy
that you are now
experiencing the
pain that we
have always
experienced.
What we are
happy about is
hearing you
express your
ideas about the
centrality of
the mosque to
the community,
and how
difficult it is
to be cut off
from the
spiritual centre
of the
community. We’ve
always known
this, even when
you tell us to
find solace in
praying hidden
in the darkest
corners of our
home, or when
you build ornate
mosques without
a space for us
to pray at, but
always a kitchen
for us to work
in.
You should have
seen our shock
when you even
told the Court
that the masajid
are a refuge for
abused women.
Wouldn’t that be
amazing, were it
true! And
God-willing
someday we will
make that
happen. But for
now, you will
recall that when
we ask for a
divorce through
your jurists’
councils you
send us back
over and over
again, and when
we complain
about our
treatment at the
hands of abusive
husbands you
remind us to be
patient; “make
sabr” you say.
So we offer you
the same
guidance today;
have patience
with this virus
dear Muftis and
Moulanas, with
the will of
Allah,
fortunately for
you it will
leave some day,
and you will
return to the
mosque. We,
however, might
be less
fortunate if
your patriarchy
doesn’t also
leave with the
virus.
The Qur’an tells
us that after
hardship there
is ease. So, we
pray that the
pain you
expressed before
the Court and
the hardship you
are enduring now
will ease as the
virus leaves.
When it does,
remember a
pandemic can be
either a time of
learning and
renewal or
people can
display stubborn
pride, takabbur,
and return to
their old ways.
We pray that
none of us
return to our
old ways after
this pandemic.
As you circulate
WhatsApp
messages with
heartfelt
supplications
repenting our
collective
wrongdoings,
perhaps think
about this as
one of them? As
a community we
can choose to
use this moment
to reflect and
reform ourselves
and consider
what we need to
learn from the
pain of
exclusion from
the masajid. If
those who have
excluded women
from the masajid
choose to reform
their ways after
the pandemic and
open the masajid
to women then
this experience
and this pain
may perhaps heal
us all.
NYC Muslim
funeral homes, cemeteries
overwhelmed amid coronavirus
As New York
deals with a mounting death
toll of coronavirus victims,
Muslim cemeteries in the
city are also getting
overwhelmed. An imam from NY
shows us how the funerals
are held.
Tribute to
Dr Sadeq Elhowsh
Whiston
Hospital near Liverpool
Sadeq Elhowsh,
a long-serving orthopaedic
surgeon with St Helens and
Knowsley Teaching Hospitals
NHS Trust in the UK, died on Monday
evening.
"A
hero's farewell to a
fallen friend and
colleague doctor
........."
He was a very quiet and
dedicated orthopaedic
surgeon. I would meet
him once or twice every
day in the hospital
mosque during prayer
times. Sometimes he
would join me quietly
while I was praying
tapping on my shoulder
to let me know. In
fourteen years I hardly
saw him talking to
anyone.....
But, in his death Dr
Sadeq Elhowsh has spoken
more loudly than he ever
could have in his life.
His death has shook the
hospital, the city and
now the country.
The whole of his
hospital in Liverpool
came out today to say
goodbye to their fallen
colleague who succumbed
to COVID-19 last night
while serving his
patients. The tributes
from the city are
pouring in and friends
and colleagues have
collected £39,000 out of
the target of £75,000
within fifteen hours of
his passing away. This
is to support his young
family of four sons age
6 to 19 years and their
bereaved mother.
COVID-19:
Please stay at home during
Ramadan
A message
from Australian Community Leaders ahead
of Ramadan 2020
Muslim
Londoners urge staying at
home this
Ramadan
.
NHS PPE
Campaign
Gold Coast
Multicultural Social Network
on
Channel 7
How Debbie
Rogers Converted her Family
and 30
Friends to Islam!
Aisha
embarked on a mission to
convert her parents and the
rest of her family..
She recalls: "My husband and
I worked on my mum and dad,
telling them about Islam and
they saw the changes in me,
like I stopped disrespecting
and talking back!"
Her mother soon followed in
her footsteps. Marjory
Rogers changed her name to
Sumayyah and became a devout
Muslim.
.
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.
Ramadan in
Lockdown?
How do we
pray
Taraweeh &
Eid ? Do
doctors have
to keep
fasts ? Self
isolation
rules ?
Congregational
Jamat at
home? Can I
join prayers
online or on
radio/receiver?
Answers to
all queries
in this
video by
Imam Uzair
Akbar:
COVID-19
Guidelines
for Ramadan
/ Eid
Imam Uzair
Akbar is
doing a
series of
short talks
amongst the
COVID-19
(Corona)
pandemic to
keep up the
spirituality.
Sadness as two Blackburn Imams from same
mosque die due to coronavirus
Masjid Al-Momineen
UK: TRIBUTES have been
made as two East Lancashire imams from
the same mosque sadly died after
contracting the coronavirus.
The deaths of the highly-respected
Muslim leaders, who lead prayers and
services at the Masjid-al-Momineen
mosque on Ash Street in Blackburn, were
announced this morning.
Imam Hazrat Moulana Abdul Razzak
Jalgaonkar and Moulana Abdul Majid
Hodekar were known throughout the region
and the community, and had supported
their mosque in a range of charitable
causes over many years.
Hundreds of Muslims from the local
community would normally attend the
funeral, or Janazah, of an imam, but due
to social distancing and lockdown
guidelines, mourners will not be able to
pay their respects in the usual way.
A statement from the mosque said: “Due
to the current Government guidelines we
are unable to share funeral details with
you.
“We kindly request that you abide by
these rules and support us in these
difficult times.”
UK Scholars Issue Fatwa Enabling Medics to
Postpone Fasts
UK: A group of prominent
British Muslim scholars have issued a
fatwa which gives medical professionals
consent to defer their Ramadhaan fasts.
This is if fasting could possibly
jeopardize the treatment of coronavirus
patients.
Ramadhaan is due to start at the end of
this week, with Muslim doctors, nurses
and healthcare workers at the frontline
in the battle against COVID-19. A number
have lost their lives to the coronavirus.
The challenge for those treating
COVID-19 patients, according to Muslim
medical professionals is that Personal
Protective Equipment includes a mask, or
powered air respirators which can result
in dehydration and heat stress. This is
because of the tight fit around the face
for extensive periods.
In hotspot areas in the UK, the shifts
of medical personnel has been increased
to more than 12 hours per day. It
becomes very difficult to keep such long
fasts (roughly 17 hours) especially if
the shift is busy. There are concerns
that if a doctor or nurse does fast
under these conditions, it could lead to
potentially life-threatening mistakes.
The fatwa, which was signed by scholars
in Blackburn, Batley, Bury, Bradford,
Leeds, London, Birmingham, Sheffield and
Leicester, states: “If it is possible to
fast without risking the lives of
patients, for example, if annual leave
can be taken and the hospital has
adequate staffing, this should be
considered, if not for the whole month,
then for as many days possible…”
It further states: “If, however, it is
not possible to fast due to the strong
likelihood of dehydration and severe
thirst along with the risk of making
clinical errors which could potentially
affect lives, the fasts can be postponed
to a later date. This is a judgement you
need to make on a personal level based
on your own health whilst keeping in
mind your duty of care to patients.”
It also states that the decision to fast
or to delay the fast to a later date
should be reviewed daily, and that the
fast should be attempted if, for
instance, the shift is not expected to
be busy or a shorter shift becomes
possible. However, if at any point the
medical worker begins to struggle, the
fast “can be broken and repeated at a
later date without any additional
penalty”.
The fatwa states that on days where
medics are not expected to be at work,
the fast must be kept.
Indian hospitals refuse to admit Muslims as
coronavirus causes Islamophobia surge
Two newborn
babies died in Jharkhand and
Rajasthan after hospitals
refused to treat their Muslim
mothers
INDIA: Two newborn babies
have died after hospitals refused to
admit their Muslim mothers amid a surge
in coronavirus-related Islamophobia in
India.
In Jharkhand state, a Muslim woman
miscarried after she was barred from
receiving treatment in MGM Hospital in
the city of Jamshedpur.
Rizwana Khatun, 30, had rushed to the
hospital after she began bleeding.
Accused of spreading coronavirus, she
was also beaten and asked to clean up
her own blood.
Earlier this month, a baby died in the
Bharatpur district of Rajasthan after a
government hospital refused to admit the
Muslim mother.
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
0451977786
DOWNLOAD
Muslimah
Reflections - my new
ebook of poetry and
affirmations
DOWNLOAD The
Ultimate Self-Care
Guide For Muslimahs
WATCH VIDEOS
from Muslimah
Mind Matters YouTube
Channel.
DOWNLOAD
Muslimah
Meditation Moments -
audio files for
self-awareness
meditation.
If you wish to know
about a specific
topic with regards
to Self-Care and
Clarity of Mind,
please text or email
me or visit
www.muslimahmindmatters.com.
If you wish to have
a FREE one hour
Finding Clarity
telephone session,
contact me on
0451977786.
🕋 Ramadan Greetings
🕋
My beloved sisters
and brothers,
Ramadan Mubarak.
Let this Ramadan be
a month of deep
reflections.
May this month bring
greater awareness
for the need to
practise love and
forgiveness in our
thoughts, words and
deeds.
May we surrender our
petty judgements to
Allah, The One Most
High, The One Who
Judges.
May we embrace His
mercy and blessings
this Ramadan and be
grateful...
So grateful and so
humbled
For, what if this
Ramadan is all we
have?
May Almighty Allah
accept our fasts and
forgive our errors.
May this holy month
of Ramadan be a time
that unites humanity
and brings about
clarity in our
purpose so that we
may love
unconditionally and
abandon all
judgements and
narrow perceptions
of one another.
May Almighty Allah
bless all people
with greater
awareness of
kindness, respect
and service to each
other. Ameen ya rabb.
The holy month of
Ramadan is the
perfect time to sit
in silence and
solitude and reflect
on our thoughts,
words, and deeds.
Are our thoughts,
words, and deeds
serving and pleasing
Allah subhaanu
wa'taala?
Or are we stuck in a
repetitive
reactionary cycle of
negativity to please
people and society's
capitalist culture?
In shaa Allah these
Ramadan Journaling
Prompts will help
you to start a
self-reflective
journal. There are
30 thought-provoking
prompts, one for
each day of the holy
month.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD
FREE RAMADAN
JOURNALING PROMPTS
Please share this
link with friends
and family.
Ramadan Mubarak.
Please forgive me
for my shortcomings
and my errors.
Your sister,
Princess R. Lakshman
(sister Iqra)
Muslimah Mind
Matters now has a
blog site.
Please visit this
link and follow the
website to get your
latest articles on
self-care and mind
wellness from
Princess R. Lakshman
(Sister Iqra).
Muslimah Mind
Matters blog site
advocates self-care
and clarity of mind
for Muslim women.
Princess R. Lakshman
is a writer, mind
wellness coach,
narrative therapist,
soon-to-qualified
clinical
nutritionist,
speaker, and
workshop
facilitator.
The Polymath:
Unlocking the Power of Human Versatility
by
Waqas Ahmed
DESCRIPTION
Every human
is born with multifarious
potential. Why, then, do
parents, schools and
employers insist that we
restrict our many talents
and interests; that we
'specialise' in just one?
We've been sold a myth, that
to 'specialise' is the only
way to pursue truth,
identity, or even a
livelihood. Yet
specialisation is nothing
but an outdated system that
fosters ignorance,
exploitation and
disillusionment and thwarts
creativity, opportunity and
progress.
Following a series of
exchanges with the world's
greatest historians,
futurists, philosophers and
scientists, Waqas Ahmed has
weaved together a narrative
of history and a vision for
the future that seeks to
disrupt this prevailing
system of unwarranted
'hyper-specialisation.'
In The Polymath, Waqas shows
us that there is another way
of thinking and being.
Through an approach that is
both philosophical and
practical, he sets out a
cognitive journey towards
reclaiming your innate
polymathic state. Going
further, he proposes nothing
less than a cultural
revolution in our education
and professional structures,
whereby everyone is
encouraged to express
themselves in multiple ways
and fulfil their many-sided
potential.
Not only does this enhance
individual fulfilment, but
in doing so, facilitates a
conscious and creative
society that is both highly
motivated and well equipped
to address the complexity of
21st century challenges
KB says:
Can be prepared in advance and a healthy choice
for either Sehri or Iftaar.
A
SMORGASBORD OF SMOOTHIES
INGREDIENTS & METHOD
1) Smoothies for Sehri (with Dates)
1. Best dates to use for smoothies are Medjool, de pitted
and sliced
2. Soak dates in milk/water for few hours before use
3. Substitute yogurt and milk interchangeably if desired.
4 Full cream milk is preferable
5. Add oat bran, almonds, flaxseeds (linseed) etc for a
healthier and energising kick
6. Freezing the fruit before blending will provide a
creamier texture
2) Vanilla Date Breakfast Smoothie
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1 cup milk
• 4-7 dates soaked in the milk overnight
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups ice cubes - optional
Blend. 2-3 Glasses
3) Simple Banana Oat Bran
Smoothie
• 1½ cup milk,
• 1 Tb oat bran,
• 1 Banana,
• 4 dates soaked in the milk overnight
• Vanilla to taste - optional
Blend. 2 Glasses
4) Banana Date Smoothie
• 250 ml plain yogurt
• 120 ml milk,
• 120 ml dates, fresh, pitted and chopped and soaked
overnight in the milk
• 2 bananas, sliced
• 8 ice cubes – optional
Blend. 2 -3 glasses
5) Strawberry Smoothie with Dates
• ½ cup strawberries
• ¼ cup almonds, soaked
• 3 dates, pitted and soaked
• 1 cup water or milk
Blend, 2 Glasses
6) Spiced Banana Date Smoothie
• 1 cup Milk
• 4 Medjool or other dates, pitted, chopped and soaked
overnight in the milk
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon Chile Powder*
• 1/16 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper*
• ¾ cup sliced ripe banana
• ¾ cup Ice - Optional
Blend. 2 Glasses
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
have a topic or opinion that you want to write about or want
seen covered or any news item that you think might be of benefit
to the Crescents Community please
e-mail us..
Share your
thoughts, feelings and ambitions for our community through CCN.
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someone you know who would like to subscribe to CCN please
encourage them to enter their details
here.
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On
behalf of
the
Queensland
Police
Service, I
wish you
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Towards
Demystifying Islamophobia: 
Sadness as two Blackburn Imams from same
mosque die due to coronavirus
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