Muslimah Night Bazaar
hosted its first bazaar in
2013 with the mission to
create a safe place for
Muslimahs with small
businesses to come together
and showcase their services
and products to fellow
Muslimah shoppers - fast
forward to 2020, Muslimah
Night Bazaar now runs under
the Muslimahs in Business
umbrella where they have
hosted as many as 20 events
across 2 major cities around
Australia; Brisbane and
Sydney.
Loriza Koya is the brains
behind this project and is a
well-known name amongst
female entrepreneurs in our
community. You may not know
how she looks like - but you
know the name and what she
stands for: building a space
for Muslim women to do
business and do it well.
Since coming back to Islam
in early adulthood, Loriza
became more involved in the
Muslim community and noticed
that there were many sisters
with and without businesses
that were experiencing the
feeling of isolation, lack
of a solid support network
despite their efforts to
benefit and serve the Muslim
community through their
products.
As a result of this, Loriza
had an idea to launch the a
bazaar just for women, with
the intention of supporting
and extending the business
reach of sisters within our
community, particularly
those who have smaller, home
based businesses and less
general exposure.
Zenah, the owner of Heiress
Hijab said that “Muslimahs
in Business network has
spring boarded our business
into new horizons. We have
developed a loyal consumer
base since participating in
the Muslimah Night Bazaar
events, both live and
online.”
“We went from a small
Instagram business in mind
2019 to stocking almost 10
stores nationwide with
international interest in
less than 6 months,
Alhamdullilah!”
“The multiple strategies
used by the network allowed
us to become discoverable to
businesses looking for new
products to add to their
business line. This support
has driven us to
continuously satisfy
consumer demands with
seasonal gifts for their
spirit,” Zenah said.
Muslimahs in Business
Magazine
Earlier this week, Loriza
launched her very first
Muslimahs in Business
Digital Magazine.
This beautifully designed
and exclusive Ramadan
edition has something for
every Muslimah; benefiting
the most from Ramadan,
business tips, Ramadan
recipes by esteemed Sydney
based chef; Tagrid Ahmed and
modest fashion tips, just to
mention a few.
There is also a special Eid
gift guide, and to add that
wow factor, the magazine has
a hyperlink feature that
links you directly to the
businesses, all with a push
of a finger.
Loriza said that she
“decided to bring forth a
magazine so that women have
a sense that there is a
community out there where we
all support each other.”
“Women are backbone of the
community and are often left
unnoticed and under
appreciated.”
The results has been
amazing, the quality of the
magazine speaks for itself
and brings out each and
every single article.
“The feedback from the
community has been
phenomenal! They were
excited just as I was and
I'm so happy, “ Loriza said.
Loriza will continue to
contribute towards the
community and holds on tight
with Muslimahs in Business
core value; supporting
businesses run by women
within the community.
Human Appeal
International Australia (HAIA)
hosted an online Live
fundraising yesterday (Saturday
9 May) from 6:30pm to 10pm via
Facebook, with respected
scholars including Mufti Menk,
in support of orphans and other
charity projects.
If you were
unable to attend, and if you
would like to make a donation or
pledge, SMS 0431 201 164 with
your name and amount.
May Allah reward
you and your family for
supporting orphans and those in
need.
Donations via Commonwealth
Bank of Australia, Toowoomba
Plaza Branch, A/C Name:
Toowoomba Islamic Charitable
Organisation, BSB: 064459
A/C Number: 1034 1586. Swift
Code: CTBAAU25XXX.
Even though her main field is
paediatrics, Dr. Dayang Iskandar
was re-trained to care for
COVID-19 patients.
Healthcare professionals and
other essential workers in
Australia are facing
unprecedented workloads
during the coronavirus
pandemic. They are working
longer hours and putting
themselves at risk of
getting exposed to the
virus.
For many Australian Muslims
who are currently observing
the fasting month of
Ramadan, working in
essential sectors adds an
additional challenge.
Dayang Iskandar, a
paediatric registrar at
Wesley Hospital in Brisbane,
said she had been asked to
treat adult patients,
including potential COVID-19
cases, after her paediatric
hours were reduced due to a
decline in admissions.
Dr Iskandar, a mother of
three, is also treating
patients in the intensive
care unit, but she has one
fear.
"The thought of not [being]
able to return back to my
family if I was exposed to
COVID at work," she told the
ABC.
Sari Bui, a support worker
for the elderly, worries
about contracting the virus
or potentially infecting her
clients in vulnerable age
groups.
"I always take precautions
such as checking my body
temperature at home before
going to look after them,"
Ms Bui told the ABC.
Coronavirus update: Follow
all the latest news in our
daily wrap.
"By [being] conscious of my
own health condition, I also
keep my clients from getting
sick".
Risyad Abmar (pictured
above), a nurse in a
public hospital in
Melbourne, told the ABC
about the parallels between
his job and fasting.
"If you think about nursing
and if you think about
fasting, the aims are all
quite similar," Mr Abmar
said.
"You've got to be empathetic
with nursing, but then also
with fasting, the whole
point is to develop that
empathy."
Ms Bui said being patient
was the key when working
with the elderly.
"For me as a Muslim, serving
the elderly is an act of
worship," she said.
"As its community grew
to more than two billion
people, it became
increasingly clear to
the Facebook company
that it shouldn't be
making so many decisions
about speech and online
safety on its own. The
Oversight Board was
created to help Facebook
answer some of the most
difficult questions
around freedom of
expression online: what
to take down, what to
leave up and why.
The board uses its
independent judgment to
support people's right
to free expression and
ensure that those rights
are being adequately
respected. The board's
decisions to uphold or
reverse Facebook's
content decisions will
be binding, meaning that
Facebook will have to
implement them, unless
doing so could violate
the law."
The purpose of the board
is "to promote free
expression by making
principled, independent
decisions regarding
content on Facebook and
Instagram and by issuing
recommendations on the
relevant Facebook
Company Content Policy."
When fully staffed, the
board will consist of 40
members from around the
world that represent a
diverse set of
disciplines and
backgrounds. These
members will be
empowered to select
content cases for review
and to uphold or reverse
Facebook's content
decisions.
"The board is not
designed to be a simple
extension of Facebook's
existing content review
process. Rather, it will
review a selected number
of highly emblematic
cases and determine if
decisions were made in
accordance with
Facebook's stated values
and policies."
Amongst the Board members is
Yemenese, Tawakkol Karman, a
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Tawakkol
Karman is a journalist,
civil rights activist and
Nobel laureate.
The first Arab woman to win
a Nobel prize, she has been
recognised for her work
building a culture of
non-violence in the Middle
East and was once called
"The Mother of the
Revolution".
As a journalist and activist
in Yemen working under
severe restrictions, she
organised events and wrote
on issues related to
governance and injustice,
corruption, extremism,
terrorism, women's rights,
girls' rights, early
marriage, malnutrition,
illiteracy, poverty and
religious reforms.
In 2005, Karman co-founded
Women Journalists Without
Chains, in order to promote
freedom of expression and
democratic rights.
During the Arab Spring,
despite attempts on her
life, Karman led peaceful
protests in Yemen's Capital
Sana'a, which ended with the
resignation of
then-President Ali Salehi.
In recognition of her
non-violent struggle for
democracy and advocacy for
women's rights in Yemen,
Karman was awarded the 2011
Nobel Peace Prize.
She was listed among Foreign
Policy Magazine's Top 100
Global Thinkers and one of
CNN's most powerful women in
the Arab world.
TIME Magazine described her
as a 'Torchbearer of the
Arab Spring' and named her
both one of the 100 most
influential women defining
the last century and one of
the Most Rebellious Women in
History.
Karman continues to advocate
against dictatorships,
extremism and terrorism and
takes an active role working
to restore peace and
political process in Yemen.
Alhamdolillah,
it has been a
long standing
tradition, that
the Deen Family
has been
providing a
Curry and Rice
Brunch for the
Community
gathering, after
the
congregational
EID UL FITR
prayers.
Due to the
current
situation of the
Corona Virus,
there will Not
be a
Congregational
Eid prayer at
the Islamic
College of
Brisbane at
Karawatha.
However, with
the Grace of
Allah SWT, the
DEEN FAMILY will
be continuing
with that
tradition,
albeit, in a
different way,
but still the
same Curry and
Rice.
With the
assistance of
Human Appeal
International,
who will be
providing the
volunteers to
package and
organise
distribution.
Inshallah, we
will package
2,000 takeaway
meals for a
drive through
pickup at the
Islamic College
of Brisbane,
Karawatha.
Dishing
it out
in the
good,
old days
Drive thru will
be from 10am to
12noon on the
day we Celebrate
EID UL FITR.
The drive thru
will be from the
Logan entrance
on Acacia Rd and
Exit at the
Compton Rd End.
It will be one
way only.
Sorry, but we
will be limiting
it to TWO
containers per
car.
To enable this
to happen, we
would like to
express our
appreciation to
Human Appeal
International,
Br Ismail Cajee
and the Islamic
College of
Brisbane, along
with the many
volunteers, and
the Queensland
Police Service.
WASSALAM Hajji Sultan
M Deen
Sr SULTANA
DEEN on this
annual family
tradition:
On the 8th
March 1962,
our mother
Hurmith Bebe
Deen passed
away during
childbirth
and the baby
was
stillborn.
It was Fajr
time the day
was Eid ul
Fitr, she
left behind
9 children,
Sultana 14,
Sultan 12,
Abdul Rahman
11, Habib
10, Nizam 9,
twins M.
Abdul Razak
and M Abdul
Gaffar 7,
Zorah 4 and
Haneef 2 and
my Dad was
39.
My
grandfather
as head of
the Deen
family
always gave
food on Eid
ul Fitr and
got my
mother to do
the cooking.
The
community
wasn't large
and it was
held at the
Holland Park
Masjid.
After my
grandfather
passed away
in 1963, my
Dad then
decided to
continue the
legacy of
the Deen
family to
give the
food on Eid
ul Fitr in
my mother's
name.
Inshah Allah
so she would
get the
blessings of
Allah. To
this day we
do this
especially
for my
mother and
father. My
mother was
only 35 when
she left
this Duniya.
So Inshah
Allah when
we pass we
pray our
children and
grandchildren
will
continue in
our
footsteps
and our
forefathers.
ICQ's VIRTUAL QURAN
COMPETITION
Whilst our
Masjid’s may be closed, the
ICQ would like to encourage
our community
to practice
memorising the Quran at home
this Ramadan
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.
Shereena and Emilee Kia
reading the Quaran during
Ramadan. April, 2020.
There is a call to
prayer, signalling the sun
is beginning to set. There
are dates passed across the
table. There are hushed
mutterings of thanks
underneath the tongues of
family members. There is
prayer.
Most notably, there is a
rich aroma wafting from the
kitchen. There is a great
feast, the first for the
day.
These short, poignant
moments are being shared in
the homes of Muslims around
the country during iftar
(breaking of the fast) as
individuals and families
observe Ramadan.
Walla family are taking
different steps during Ramadan.
.......continued from last
week's CCN
Extravagant buffets out
For Western Sydney-based
teacher, food blogger and
mother-of-three Walla Abu-Eid,
Ramadan is usually a hectic
time spent juggling life
commitments and cooking up a
feast for her extended
family.
But making "extravagant
buffets" is not on her to-do
list this year; instead
she'll be preparing a much
smaller family dinner for
just five — and appreciating
the slower pace.
"We're staying up late to
get our acts of worship in,
we're waking up at our own
pace, we're not rushing,"
she says. "And there is
plenty of time to get dinner
on the table."
Some Muslim families,
however, are unable to
access the ingredients to
make iftar as special as it
should be.
New meaning to worship
Not-for-profit organisation
AusRelief has been creating
essential care packs
containing food, cleaning
and personal hygiene
products for elderly and
at-risk people in the
community with the help of
volunteers.
The initiative was launched
when the COVID-19 pandemic
hit, but efforts have ramped
up for Ramadan, with the
organisation preparing to
deliver over 5,000 packs.
Director Danny Mikati says
families have been "stopping
by the warehouse to
contribute to someone else's
improvement." This includes
children, who have been
writing personal notes of
support to include in the
packs.
Director Danny Mikati
(centre) with his team at
AusRelief during coronavirus.
"Usually you donate online;
it's quick, send, bang, and
you hope it gets to where it
needs to," Mikati says.
"But for the Muslim
volunteers especially, they
know that during this time,
their contribution is a form
of worship."
As Muslims continue to fast
and feast for the remainder
of the month with homes for
mosques and additional time
to pray and provide, it has
come a surprise that this
Ramadan is shaping out to be
the most special one yet.
Says Emilee: "I feel like in
10 years people will think
about it and say, 'We've
never had a great Ramadan
the way we did when COVID
was happening'."
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.
Madiha
Raza
is Global
Communications
Coordinator for
Muslim Aid.
Her
role involves the
development of
relief programmes,
particularly in
emergencies, through
developing
communications
channels and
processes with all
stakeholders.
Her aid assessments
and delivery around
the world has
enabled her to bring
the real stories of
disaster-stricken
people to millions
of viewers and
readers in the UK.
In the last year,
Madiha has helped
support survivors of
the Grenfell Tower
fire; has travelled
into the heart of
war-torn Mosul;
worked with Rohingya
refugees who had
fled to Bangladesh
to escape violence
in Myanmar, and was
in Damascus during
the intense bombing
of Eastern Ghouta.
In her spare time,
Madiha loves to
travel and explore
new cultures and
adventures,
including deep-sea
diving and bungee
jumping.
Head of
the International Union of
Muslim Scholars
Yusuf al-Qaradawi is a
preeminent Egyptian scholar.
Articulate and widely read,
he is one of the most famous
Islamic scholars of our
time. He recently stepped
down as president of the
International Union of
Muslim Scholars (IUMS).
Influence Return to Egypt: In
February 2011, Qaradawi
returned to Egypt after a 30
year exile and addressed a
crowd of over a million
people at Tahrir Square
during Friday prayers. He
addressed all segments of
Egyptian society (including
the Copts and the military)
and called for unity and a
return to civilian rule.
Leading Figure of the
Muslim Brotherhood:
Qaradawi is the intellectual
leader of the Muslim
Brotherhood. He has twice
turned down offers to be
their leader—in 1976 and
2004—preferring to be free
of institutional
restrictions. As early as
1997 he stated categorically
that he was not a member of
the Brotherhood. Earlier in
his life Qaradawi was jailed
three times for his
relationship with the Muslim
Brotherhood and subsequently
stripped of his Egyptian
citizenship in the
1970s—driving him to seek
exile in Qatar. Qaradawi has
been sentenced to death in
absentia by an Egyptian
court along with over 100
other Egyptians affiliated
with the Muslim Brotherhood,
an organization banned in
Egypt. Meanwhile, Interpol
removed Qaradawi from its
“Wanted” list in 2017.
Fatwas: Qaradawi
vocally supported the ‘Arab
Spring’ movements issuing
fatwas for the killing of
Colonel Gaddafi, and fatwas
against the Asad regime in
Syria. He also issued a
fatwa condemning the
overthrow of Morsi, saying
that it was an obligation to
continue to support Morsi.
He advised Al-Sisi to remain
neutral and protect the
legitimate rule of
government. Finally, he
criticised the Sheikh
AlAzhar for supporting a
rebellion against the ruler
of a country.
.
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
TOWARDS THEORISING
ISLAMOPHOBIA
...continued from last
week's CCN
When racial politics
implements its agenda,
especially with
far-right groups, it is
argued that what is
considered to be ‘fear
of Islam’ is, in their
understanding, a
critique of the
religion, a democratic
right that does not hint
at racism. This
contrasts with clear
attacks on Muslims, such
as by Roberto Calderoli,
an Italian politician,
who asserts “let them
[Muslims] return to the
desert and talk with the
camels, or to the jungle
and talk with the apes.”
Islamophobia also
extends to issues such
as nationalism. The
‘Other,’ in this case
Islam and Muslims,
threatens the
homogeneity of the
nation. This is
reflected in the act
preventing the erection
of minarets in
Switzerland. This ban
was “significant for it
represented an attempt
to squeeze out of public
space and visibility
this jarring, alien
presence.”
Switzerland’s action is
an exercise of power,
for the common good,
according to its race
politics. Racism “is
inscribed as the basic
mechanism of power, as
it is exercised in
modern states.”
Racism is defined as “a
way of introducing a
break into the domain of
life that is under
power’s control: the
break between what must
live and what must die.”
Foucault concedes his
own interpretation calls
for ‘biopower’ where
“the death of others
makes one biologically
stronger as far as one
is a member of a race or
a population …, which is
an aberration from the
common understanding of
racism that is based on
“mutual contempt or
hatred between races.”
The analysis of
Islamophobia in this
paper does not adhere to
Foucault’s reasoning,
but more closely to
identity politics and
racism. However, in the
Islamic narrative,
racism is not considered
an underpinning for
Islamophobia; rather, it
is the “religious
framing for Islamophobia”
that comes into play.
This view is bolstered
by some Muslims’ violent
reaction to what they
perceive as an attack on
Islam, rather than an
attack on Muslims. There
are many instances of
this perception; for
example, the killer of
Teo van Gogh, the Dutch
film director, was not
motivated by Teo’s
racial slurs against
Muslims, but by the
production of the film
Submission, which
denigrates Islam and its
assumed stance towards
women.
We need to
change our
modality as
Muslims in the
West from being
grumblers to
being healers.
By Sheikh
Abdul Hakim
Murad
We need to
change our
modality as
Muslims in the
West from being
grumblers to
being healers.
And I have a
chapter about
that in my new
book, titled
'Western
Muslims: From
Complainants to
Therapists'.
Instead of
endlessly
grumbling about
Halal meat in
the prisons, we
want you to stop
Islamophobia,
give us this,
give us that,
and being
beggars really,
we need to see
how we can heal
society.
What can we do
about the people
who die
abandoned by
their families?
What can we do
about the
children who
arrive hungry at
school every
morning? What
can we do about
all of those
single parents
or the spiraling
rates of
anxiety,
depression, and
mental illness
in our society?
People are
hurting. Instead
of getting
judgmental and
blaming
everybody and
feeling superior
which is not a
proper humble
religious
response, let's
see what we can
do to help.
Professor
Mohamad Abdalla presented on
the importance of the
teacher from the Islamic
perspective.
Ramadan
and Beyond 24/7
The Ifthar
Show
Academy Alive
African media interviews
Naseema Mustapha
African Flava
with Anisa Mazimpaka.
TOPIC:
"Lockdown in a foreign
country, how are you
coping".
UK Mosques
set up mortuaries to cope
with COVID-19
At least 10
mosques in the UK have set
up temporary mortuaries to
cope with the number of
deaths from coronavirus.
With large numbers of
COVID-19 deaths in cities
with large Muslim
populations, like Birmingham
and London, mosques have
been inundated with requests
for burials.
One mosque in Birmingham
told Sky News they are now
carrying out 25 funerals a
week because of coronavirus,
which is what they would
normally do in a year.
Food for
Quarantined Muslims
Gold Coast
Muslims pick up
drive-through
Ramadan
meals amid coronavirus
pandemic
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.
Coronavirus: Pope Francis calls for fasting
during day in Ramadan for end of COVID-19
Monsignor
Yoannis Lahzi Gaid, personal
secretary of Pope Francis,
second right, speaks to
journalists as Prof. Mohamed
Hussein El-Mahrassawy, President
of Al-Azhar University, left,
and Judge Mohamed Mahmoud Abdel
Salam, former advisor to the
Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, attend a
roundtable discussion in Abu
Dhabi, United Arab Emirates on
Feb. 3, 2020.
VATICAN: Pope Francis has
called on “believers of all faiths” to
unite next Thursday in a day of fasting
and prayer to ask “God to help humankind
overcome the coronavirus pandemic.”
Top-level interreligious group, the
Higher Committee of Human Fraternity,
organized the day of worldwide prayer
scheduled for May 14, which falls during
the Islamic holy month of Ramadan when
Muslims fast from dawn to sunset.
Egypt’s Grand Imam Ahmad al-Tayeb has
also welcomed the initiative. He invited
people around the world to pray and do
charitable works “for the sake of Allah
Almighty, in order to lift this pandemic
off us and the entire world,” in a post
on Facebook.
The day will be historic moment,
according to Pope Francis’ aide
Monsignor Yoannis Lahzi Gaid, a priest
from Egypt and a member of the Higher
Committee of Human Fraternity.
“It will be the first time that all
humanity has united for a single goal:
to pray together, each according to
their faith, giving proof that faith
unites, not divides,” said Gaid in an
interview with Al Arabiya English.
Reflecting on scientific and technical
progress was a focus of the Committee’s
interfaith meetings that led to last
year’s signing of a landmark “Document
on Human Fraternity,” by Pope Francis
and Dr. al-Tayeb.
Other world leaders have also endorsed
the May 14 call for prayer, including
Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed
bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Lebanese President
Michel Aoun, UN Secretary-General
Antonio Guterres, and the Ecumenical
Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew.
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.
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)
https://muslimahmindmatters.wordpress.com
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.
To suggest topics
for blogs, email
info@princesslakshman.com
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:
Control Versus Care
A common dialogue
that happens during
my couple/ family
counselling sessions
is as follows:
Family Member 1:
You’re always trying
to control me. I
can’t stand it
anymore.
Family Member 2:
But, it’s only
because I care about
you, about our
relationship, about
our family. Why
can’t you see that I
care?
It’s easy for people
to yearn for certain
outcomes in life,
whether in a
relationship or in
life’s other
matters. The
yearning for these
outcomes leads them
to display
behaviours that make
them come across as
a ‘control freak’.
Any person who
demonstrates the
behaviours of a
‘control freak’
narrows the lens
through which she/he
perceives the world,
which then
constricts her/his
mind to only see a
single point of
view: ‘my way or the
highway’. She/he
begins to dictate to
other people that
things should and
must and only be
her/his way. The
intention behind the
yearning for the
desired outcomes may
be kind and caring,
however, the
execution of actions
to achieve those
outcomes are often
far from kindness
and care.
To care for
someone is to have
regard or liking for
the person and to
treat them with
respect and
understanding.
To control someone
is to command or
dominate them
emotionally,
physically and
intellectually.
Reflect on your own
life. Have a heart
to heart
conversation with
your spouse or other
family members. Find
out if your actions
towards them and
their actions
towards you come
from a space of care
or control. It is
vital that you are
able to identify the
difference between
care and control.
Trying to control
people or situations
leads us away from
completely
submitting to
ALMIGHTY ALLAH. It
also causes anxiety
and desperation.
This in turn
manifests as
aggression,
frustration and
self-sabotaging
decisions. No doubt,
you will have
challenges with
people and
situations daily in
your life. Instead
of trying to control
them, remind
yourself that it
is best to control
your own response to
them. Control
your thoughts, your
words, your actions.
The moment you
change the way you
look at things, the
things you look at
change.
Cultivate Care,
Banish Control
The following
strategies may help
you cultivate a
caring practice
rather than a
yearning to control
outcomes.
Test
Care
Strategy
Spouse -
when you
feel
your
spouse
is not
in
alignment
with
your own
thinking/
goals/
desires.
Child -
when you
feel
your
child is
rebelling.
1. Chat
with
your
spouse/
child to
find out
what
exactly
are
his/her
concerns.
Do not
be
tempted
to reply
to those
concerns.
Simply
listen
and jot
them
down.
2. Give
him/her
a hug
and tell
them you
will now
think
about
all
these
concerns
and pray
about
them.
3. Ask
ALLAH to
guide
you
through
each of
those
concerns
and help
you both
find the
right
way to
address
them.
4.
Demonstrate
to your
spouse/
child
that
ALLAH is
there to
fix
these
concerns
and that
you care
about
maintaining
peace in
the home
while
ALLAH
guides
you both
to find
ways to
deal
with
these
concerns.
5. Find
moments
together
everyday
where
you both
can
express
gratitude
to ALLAH
for the
peace in
your
home and
the
strength,
wisdom,
patience
and
guidance
that
ALLAH
gives
you
daily.
Expressing
gratitude
will
increase
your
peace,
wisdom,
patience
and
strength.
The Simple Past came out in
1954, and both in France and
its author’s native Morocco
the book caused an explosion
of fury.
The protagonist, who shares
the author’s name, Driss,
comes from a Moroccan family
of means, his father a
self-made tea merchant, the
most devout of Muslims,
quick to be provoked and
ready to lash out verbally
or physically, continually
bent on subduing his timid
wife and many children to
his iron and ever-righteous
will.
He is known, simply, as the
Lord, and Driss, who is in
high school, is in full
revolt against both him and
the French colonial
authorities, for whom, as
much as for his father, he
is no one.
Driss Chraibi’s classic
coming-of-age story is about
colonialism, Islam, the
subjection of women, and
finding, as his novel does,
a voice that is as cutting
and coruscating as it is
original and free.
REVIEW
The Simple Past was
originally written in
French, and Driss Chraibi is
considered a bulwark of
Moroccan literature. It’s a
tale of coming of age of a
boy who goes to a French
Lycee in colonial Morocco.
Like any other coming of age
account, it is full of
angst, but the eloquent
vulgarity with which he does
it that makes this book
really powerful. It’s a
pseudo autobiography.
Although we know it to be a
work of fiction, the
similarities between the
protagonists – also called
Driss – to the life of Driss
Chraibi are very hard to
ignore.
In writing a fictional
account, Chraibi can really
lean into the discomfort.
Each sentence punches you in
the gut. It’s a quest for
justice, but talks of the
rot he finds within the
community and the public way
in which he did so has made
him infamous.
The main protagonist is
Driss who is part of a
family of seven boys and a
submissive mother who is
overpowered by his father,
whom he calls ‘The Lord.’
‘The Lord’ is an overarching
presence throughout the
book, and you can feel his
angry and critical eye
everywhere.
The Simple Past is Driss’s
attempt to tear away from
his father, whom he abhors,
but can never truly break
away from.
As a young four-year-old boy
Driss was sent to a
religious school, which he
describes as: ‘The school in
question is quite simply a
shop that is generally dark
and has an earthen floor
covered in mats.
Children from four to twelve
years, and sometimes
adolescents, sit
cross-legged on the floor
all day long, holding their
board on their knee,
speaking with a nasal
accent, reciting in a drone,
and squeezing their fists
with every mistake of
memory. This hubbub is
coloured by suffering,
hunger, silent tears and
resignation.’ (p27)
His ability to re-enact the
physical and emotional
environment in the book is
what makes this book stand
out.
Driss is sent to a French
Lycee, and he mentions his
lack of belonging to the
French school: ‘Just imagine
a Negro who turns white from
one day to the next, but
whose nose, either by lucks
omission or by spite,
remains black.’ (p11)
His words are hilarious. It
is akin to when a person
intending to sit down misses
his chair and the public
humiliation stops you from
expressing the hilarity of
the poor soul’s predicament.
In articulating his
relationship with his
colonisers Driss mentions:
‘Let’s get to the core of
the matter: you do not
accept me. I cannot be your
equal, because that is your
secret fear: that I become
your equal, and that I come
to demand my place in the
sun.’ (p159). Which is so
true of any anti-colonial
movement.
Driss’s book is an effective
tool to talk about the
corruption that we see
within our communities.
However, it allows the
powerful to be exempt from
their responsibility for the
aftermath of colonialism,
and I find that disturbing.
This book eviscerates the
perpetrators of injustices
within our own community,
such as ‘The Lord’ and
articulates the fallibility
and underlying criminality
of religion and religious
practices.
As a story, the plot lacks a
journey, but the
anger-filled tirade is
riveting to read. The pain
is very personal and
private, but you cannot look
away even though you know
you ought to.
KB says:
A very delicious savoury to enjoy at iftaar
time.
Spicy Chicken Croquettes
INGREDIENTS & METHOD
Ingredients
500 g chicken mince (a
combination of thigh and breast chicken)
½ cup of sweetcorn
One medium onion grated
½ tsp crushed jeera/cumin seed
½ tsp crushed coriander seeds
Salt and pepper
2 tab. chopped dhania (fresh coriander)
1 tsp. ground green chillies
½ tsp ground garlic
½ tsp ground ginger
Juice of half a lemon
2 slices brown bread (remove crusts)
Method
1. Combine all the ingredients and knead well.
2. Add mince to bread and chilies.
3. Mould into mini kebabs, place on a greased tray and bake
at 190°c oven until done.
4. When cool, dip in egg and then bread crumbs and fry in
shallow oil until browned on all side.
Serve with a lemon butter sauce or chutney of your choice.
NB. Can be frozen after crumbing.
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.
Q:
Dear
Kareema, how do I find balance throughout my day
during these chaotic times?
A:
Try to set yourself a
few self-care goals every morning.
• Stay motivated and
positive – exercise helps
• Cope with the change – whether you’re
working from home or office, take time out
• Nourish your body – ensure variety in your
diet, packed with nutrients
• If you don’t tick everything on your to-do
list, it’s ok!
If Allah were to enlarge the
provision for His servants,
they would indeed transgress
beyond all bounds through
the earth; but he sends [it]
down in due measure as He
pleases. For He is with His
servants Well-acquainted,
Watchful.
Despite the
uncertainty
surrounding
COVID-19, our
guest speaker
Abdul Fattah
will share with
you some
effective
strategies to
maintain a
strong mindset
and thrive
during and
beyond the
pandemic.
In this
interactive
online session,
you will learn
how to:
1. Take charge
of your most
valuable assets
- your mind,
health & time
2. Maintain good
mental and
emotional health
3. Implement
practical steps
to redesign your
lifestyle
... and much
more.
Best of all,
it's FREE and
open to
everybody!
Tickets are
limited, so
register now
to reserve your
spot.
Featuring Abdul
Fattah -
Abdul Fattah is
a
High-Performance
Coach and
Business
Strategist. He
provides
leadership
development and
executive
coaching
programs that
help leaders
create and
sustain
high-performance
teams to
maximise
bottom-line
results.
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.
If there is
someone you know who would like to subscribe to CCN please
encourage them to enter their details
here.
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
Tawakkol
Karman is a journalist,
civil rights activist and
Nobel laureate. 
Her
role involves the
development of
relief programmes,
particularly in
emergencies, through
developing
communications
channels and
processes with all
stakeholders. 
Towards
Demystifying Islamophobia: 
Coronavirus: Pope Francis calls for fasting
during day in Ramadan for end of COVID-19
post comments on
our Wall