The Australian Government
awarded the Kuraby Mosque
with nearly $200,000 in
funding for their community
safety project.
The Mosque will be putting
this funding towards the
installation of 43 new CCTV
cameras, 106 security
lighting systems, 6
bollards, new fencing, a
public address system, a
security and alarm system,
and access control on their
doors.
As soon as he heard the
news, Federal Member for
Moreton and Shadow Assistant
Minister for Education and
Training, Graham Perrett MP,
paid Imam Ahmed Nafaa, the
Mosque’s Imam a visit.
Imam Ahmed told Mr Perrett
that the grant “is going to
mean a lot for the
community. We have a big
crowd of Australian Muslims;
they are going to feel safer
and as they do, feel that
they belong to the
community.”
They chatted about how
important it was that the
local Islam community felt
safe at their place of
worship and the great impact
that this grant would have
on making that happen.
Mr Perrett told CCN: Not
only will this grant help
the local Islam community to
feel safer at their Mosque,
it will also help to create
a number of local jobs for
the area. The installation
of all of the new security
technology will give the
Mosque the opportunity to
hire local businesses and
tradies. This announcement
is so exciting, especially
as it creates local
employment where small
businesses and tradies have
been doing it tough as a
result of coronavirus.
During the period of this
year's Hajj, Fajr Travels
will be producing a short
video every day of the Hajj
experience for us to enjoy
and be uplifted virtually.
FUNDRAISING UPDATE:
Alhamdulillah, we've
collected 35% of our target
of $2.4 million. Thank you
to all who have donated thus
far. We still need your
continued support to reach
the $2.4 million target by
December, so please dig deep
and spread the word to
family and friends!
BCEC OPEN DAY
We are excited to invite
everyone to our upcoming
Open Day! Saturday 25 July,
10am till 4pm. Come and meet
the committee, learn how you
can continue to support the
project, and find
inspiration in our vision
for this community centre.
$5 parking available nearby.
The Islamic Centre at 2094
Camden Valley Way, Edmondson
Park NSW is on the way to
completion. You can donate
to this Australian Islamic
House initiative here:
✅ Bank: Commonwealth Bank
✅ Account Name: The
Australian Islamic House
✅ BSB: 062196
✅ Account No.: 10400227
✅ Reference: Masjid Or
through our secure online
link:
✅
www.taih.org.au/live
✅ Note: this account is only
dedicated for the Masjid
Project.
In a piece for
The Independent, Ilyas
Nagdee argued on the back of
‘Defund the police’
movements in the UK, US and
elsewhere, that Britons
should be rethinking the
anti-radicalisation, Prevent
program.
He wrote:
The capture of more and
more areas of social
life by systems of
“counter-extremist”
surveillance in Britain
– from healthcare to
education to social work
– also indicate the
urgent task at hand for
those opposing policing
and state violence: we
need to both moving
towards the abolition of
formal policing, and to
resist the outsourcing
of policing to other
sectors.
Much has been written about
the deleterious impacts of
securitisation on social
cohesion and belonging in
the UK – pointing to a
system that has been
counter-productive in many
respects.
New research shows that the
bulk of NHS referrals into
the UK’s ‘Prevent’
anti-radicalisation program,
come from mental health, and
after being referred, mental
health has worsened, in fact
new mental illnesses are
diagnosed.
In the year to March 2019,
there were 5,738 referrals
to Prevent, although only
10% ultimately received
specialist intervention in
relation to radicalisation
concerns, through what is
known as the channel
process.
The study found that Prevent
referrals could worsen a
subject’s mental wellbeing,
and in some cases appeared
to be a key cause of a new
mental health condition.
Stories included a
GP referring her
“acutely depressed” and
“psychotic” patient to
Prevent before mental health
services, despite no
indication the patient posed
a threat. In one case,
according to a GP, a
schoolboy developed
obsessive compulsive
disorder as a direct result
of the trauma and anxiety
caused by his school
referring him to Prevent.
In Australia, information on
‘preventative channels’ for
radicalising individuals is
pretty scarce. But how this
is handled is an important
question for our community,
not only because of the way
Muslim people are
stigmatised, particularly if
they are experiencing mental
health concerns, not only
because of the way Muslims
are racially profiled, but
because this community is
also impacted by growing
white supremacist ideology
and extremism.
Despite the US now accepting
that right wing extremism is
the dominant domestic terror
threat, in Australia, it is
consuming a much smaller
portion of resources. It is
very unclear what
‘prevention’ or
deradicalization programs
are available for this
group.
As a community that
historically has been
stigmatised and thrown in
with overseas terror groups,
and now being actively
defamed and endangered by
malicious propaganda from
far right groups, it is hard
to know where to stand and
how to be most constructive
for the benefit of
community.
Ultimately though, as we
pressure governments to
counter anti-Muslim and
anti-Islam white supremacist
ideology and extremism, it
is an opportunity to not
cement harmful policy
responses, but instead
advocate a better approach.
Instead of allowing this
slippery slope of more
unconstrained surveillance
and compulsory questioning
of 14 year old’s, as
proposed by a Bill before
the Australian Parliament
right now, we need to think
how we might build a society
that is resilient to hate.
That means dealing with
Islamophobia and white
supremacy head on. At an
even more fundamental level,
it will mean confronting
unresolved business with
First Nations peoples of
this continent. There are
layers of ‘othering’
happening on a fragile base.
Let’s deal with the base.
As Nagdee writes, ‘the
struggle against Prevent and
surveillance is not just
about opposing a policy or
programme, it entails a
systematic rethink of how to
rebuild society, and replace
ingrained suspicion with
solidarity.’
There are pockets of police
wanting to increase the role
of health and education, but
we need to resist the
outsourcing of policing and
surveillance, and the
tendrils of securitisation
that have infected the UK.
Let us as the whole
Australian community define
what can be done to repair
community bonds, online and
offline, while Australia
still can.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rita Jabri-Markwell
is a Lawyer and
Adviser to the
Australian Muslim
Advocacy Network (AMAN).
The views,
thoughts and opinions
expressed here are the
author’s alone and do not
necessarily reflect or
represent the views and
opinions of Crescents
Community News (CCN).
New Zealand Mosque Shooter To Be Sentenced
On 24 August
WELLINGTON: An Australian
white supremacist who murdered 51 Muslim
worshippers in last year's New Zealand
mosque shootings will be sentenced next
month after delays caused by the
coronavirus pandemic, court documents
revealed on Friday (Jul 3).
Far-right extremist Brenton Tarrant was
convicted in March of 51 murder charges,
40 of attempted murder and one of
terrorism, after dropping his previous
not guilty plea.
At the time, New Zealand was in COVID-19
lockdown, meaning surviving victims and
families of the slain could not attend
court to see him sentenced.
The South Pacific nation has since
contained the virus, allowing social
distancing rules to be suspended, which
High Court judge Cameron Mander said
cleared the way for Tarrant to be
sentenced on Aug 24.
"Now, in the absence of community
transmission of the COVID-19 virus in
New Zealand, our courts have returned to
normal operations," Mander said in a
judicial minute released Friday.
"The public and, importantly, victims
and their families living in New Zealand
can attend court sittings."
He said three days had been set aside
for the sentencing but added "the
hearing will take as long as is
necessary".
New Zealand does not have the death
penalty but Tarrant, a former gym
instructor from the Australian country
town of Grafton, faces the prospect of
spending the rest of his life behind
bars.
The terror and murder charges all carry
life sentences, setting a minimum
non-parole period of 17 years but giving
the judge power to imprison without the
possibility of release.
Mander acknowledged that some victims
and support people based overseas wanted
sentencing delayed so they could attend
in person, but pointed out that borders
were likely to remain closed for a long
period.
"In the meantime the proceeding will
continue to drift. That is an
unsatisfactory situation," he said.
The judge said livestream links could be
set up for those based overseas to give
victim impact statements.
He said many other victims were finding
the lengthy court case "exhausting and
frustrating" and wanted it to come to an
end.
"They wish sentencing to happen as soon
as realistically possible," he said.
"Finality and closure is considered by
some as the best means of bringing
relief to the Muslim community."
Tarrant armed himself with an arsenal of
semi-automatic weapons and attacked the
Al Noor mosque first, before moving on
to the Linwood prayer centre,
livestreaming the killings as he went.
His victims were all Muslim and included
children, women and the elderly.
In a rambling manifesto posted online
before the killing spree, Tarrant said
he had moved to New Zealand with the
specific aim of conducting an atrocity
against Muslims.
His actions prompted New Zealand to
tighten gun laws and step up efforts to
curb online extremism.
CNA
Mosque attack survivor
wants to look gunman in eyes again at
sentencing
Farid Ahmed (pictured
below), whose wife Husna was shot
dead in the March 2019 Christchurch
terror attack, wants to meet the man who
killed his wife to let him know he is
loved and forgiven.
A survivor of the March 15 mosque
shootings wants to look the gunman in
the eye and give him a message of unity
and defiance when he appears for
sentencing.
The fate of Brenton Tarrant, who pleaded
guilty to 51 charges of murder, 40
charges of attempted murder and a charge
of committing a terrorist act, will be
known on August 24, it was announced on
Friday. The hearing is expected to take
three days.
Temel Atacocugu, who was
shot nine times at the Masjid An-Nur,
wants to read a statement to the gunman
in court.
“I will look in his eyes when I read
it,’’ he said. “It is showing that we
are not the loser ... we are the winner,
we are strong and we are one.”
“We are not scared of him or his
ideology. I want to give the message
that we are here and standing in front
of him.”
Atacocugu hoped there was time for his
brother to travel from Turkey and go
through quarantine, to support him
during the hearing.
He was hopeful the Government would help
arrange special permission for his
brother’s travel.
“I feel safer with them around me.’’
Some survivors are trapped abroad due to
Covd-19 travel restrictions and
concerned about making the sentencing
date.
Singapore-based Dr Hamimah Tuyan, whose
husband Zekeriya Tuyan died nearly seven
weeks after being shot at the An-nur
Masjid, welcomed the confirmation of a
sentencing date after what had been "a
long wait".
However, she feared that she, and
others, might be stranded overseas and
able to attend the hearing only via
teleconference.
"It is difficult to go through it
without being there physically, with
others who are going through the same
grieving.
"It would be good to be there and to
heal together. But it is beyond our
control."
She has provided a victim impact
statement to the court.
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.
PLEASE
NOTE:
Due
to the
unprecedented
uncertainty
regarding
the
coronavirus
pandemic,
The
Muslim
News has
postponed
its
prestigious
annual
awards
ceremony
until
late UK
summer.
Hawra Milani
is a computing
researcher and
educator
specializing in
cybersecurity and
its effects in the
education system.
Currently studying
for a PhD at
University College
London in the
Department for
Security and Crime
Science, Hawra
dedicates a lot of
her time to
attending,
organising, and
speaking at
community events
aimed at raising
awareness about
technology.
Hawra is a Community
Lead in the Google
Developer Ecosystem,
where she is the
lead organiser for
GDG Oxford and GDG
Najaf. She is also a
Google Women
Techmakers
Ambassador both in
the UK and Iraq,
where she runs
events to further
female participation
in the tech field.
Hawra is founder and
CEO of Code 2 Serve,
a community
organization which
teaches children how
to code and get
ahead in the
software development
industry.
She uses her
international
speaking platform to
advocate for the #HijabisInTech
movement that she
began, aiming to
give a voice to
Muslim women in tech
by sharing their
stories, successes,
and challenges.
Sheikh Al-Yaqoubi is a
widely respected religious
scholar who also has a
significant spiritual
following worldwide. He was
appointed as member of the
Royal Aal al-Bayt Institute
of Islamic Thought in 2016.
Influence Background: Sheikh Al-Yaqoubi
was born in Damascus and was
trained in Islamic studies
by his father, who was an
Imam and instructor at the
Grand Umayyad Mosque. Sheikh
Al-Yaqoubi followed in his
father’s footsteps teaching
in the same mosque, and
becoming a world renowned
Islamic scholar of theology,
jurisprudence, and Hadith.
He is widely-recognised as
one of the reliable
authorities for the issuing
of fatwas in Islam.
Against Extremism: He was
one of the first scholars to
speak against dai’sh,
denouncing its atrocities
and showing that its actions
are un-Islamic. His book
Refuting ISIS (now in eight
languages), has become an
essential reading, providing
theological arguments
against the extremists and
calling on the mainstream,
traditional followers to
combat them. His criticism
of the Syrian government’s
response to protests made
his stay in Syrian
untenable, and so he had to
flee the country, eventually
seeking refuge in Morocco
where he is still based.
Educator: As a teacher, he
has trained several hundred
Imams and teachers who work
in the Arab World, the West,
in the Far East and South
Africa. As a spiritual
guide, he focuses on the
spiritual well-being of
Muslims and gives personal
spiritual instruction to his
disciples, of which he has a
significant following in
Europe and the USA. He is a
charismatic public speaker
in both Arabic and English
(he also speaks Swedish) and
one of the most powerful
voices of Islam making a
huge positive impact via his
public talks, writings and
numerous media appearances
worldwide. His public
teaching includes readings
of the entire collection of Hadiths in Sahih Bukhari.
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
SUGGESTED SOLUTIONS TO AN
OLD PROBLEM
...continued from last
week's CCN
On the contrary,
Siddiqui explains
radical religion need
not be ‘destructive’ or
‘a negative force,’ but
it should be understood
in the context that the
person wants to practise
their religion publicly
without forcibly
influencing others to
accept their message.
Similarly, the word
‘moderate’ usually
refers to ‘Westernised’
Muslims who are good
citizens, hardworking
people and have a
mortgage.
However, moderation
presupposes another type
of Islam that is
irrational and
immoderate. In this
discourse, Rutledge
says, Islam is perceived
as “dangerous, because
it operates outside of
reason.”
For instance, while the
West may find wearing
the hijab an
unreasonable behaviour,
it makes perfect sense
for Muslims. Siddiqui
argues there is no
benefit in seeking to
find answers to
questions by using
reason.
She provides examples of
how some of our actions
towards, for instance,
‘love’ and ‘friendship’
are not necessarily
guided by reason.
Finally, education plays
a key role when
combating Islamophobia;
education based on
interfaith dialogue
conducted at various
educational platforms
from primary school to
tertiary.The programs
should focus on
debunking some of the
established myths and
prejudices about some of
the religions’ ethos and
practices.
Further, one should
question the authority
of people who speak or
comment on the
characteristics of a
certain faith without
authority or training.
For instance, it might
be unfitting for a news
outlet to broadcast the
views of a layperson,
for instance, on
scientific matters such
as a medical
breakthrough.
Hence, people with
little Islamic
knowledge, including
knowledge of the Arabic
language, Qur’ānic
Arabic, rhetoric and
education on Islamic
matters should be
discouraged from
commenting on the merits
of Islam.
Their misinterpretations
may lead to serious
consequences, such as a
rise in xenophobia and
violence. Propagating
peace in the world
through, for instance,
the dissemination of
truthful reporting,
should be a perennial
human endeavour.
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn,
Russian philosopher and
historian, spoke about
hypocrisy and applying
double standards. In
this seminal statement,
he provides the
ingredients for a
peaceful world:
only if the creative
and active forces of
mankind dedicate
themselves to
finding gradual and
effective restraints
against the evil
facets of human
nature to an
elevation of our
moral consciousness
– only then will a
faint, distant hope
exist.
To embark upon this
path, and to walk
it, requires a
penitent, pure heart
and the wisdom and
willingness to place
constraints on one's
own side, to limit
oneself even before
limiting others.
But today that path
only elicits an
ironic chuckle, if
not open ridicule.
In June, during
national Refugee
Week, there was
a Coronavirus
outbreak in
Victoria which
some news
agencies swiftly
took the
opportunity to
label as “caused
by Muslims
celebrating Eid
at the end of
Ramadhan.”
They couldn’t
just write “One
family does the
wrong thing.”
Instead they had
to throw us all
under the bus.
Some even went
too far as to
blame
multiculturalism.
In one
particularly
disturbing
article they
used images of a
full mosque
congregation
alongside an
image of people
wearing PPE in a
medical setting,
presumably
tireless working
on COVID-19
patients or a
cure.
This kind of
reporting is
designed to
ignite emotion
in the reader by
giving the
impression that
while the white
Australian
medical staff
are looking for
a cure there are
masses of
irresponsible
brown Muslims
gathering at
their mosques
and not even
abiding by the
1.5m social
distancing laws.
As the entire
Australian
Muslim
population
knows, all our
mosques took the
preventative
action to close
their doors
during Ramadan
this year.
The Board of
Imams sent
through several
notices
cautioning and
reminding the
Australian
Muslim
population. The
same messages
were repeated
through our
newsletters at
schools and
workplaces and
through many
social media
platforms.
The
images used in
their articles
of a full mosque
congregation are
pre-COVID-19
photos, used
opportunistically
to paint the
picture of
Muslim
Australians not
obeying the law.
These are
misleading,
deliberately
defamatory and
divisive.
More importantly
this reporting
is not
reflective of
what Ramadan and
Eid was actually
like for the
overwhelming
majority of
Australian
Muslims this
year. Ramadan
through the
pandemic of 2020
will go down as
the most quiet
and sombre ever,
at least in
Australia’s
history.
Within
the next 24
hours after
these articles
were published,
it was no
surprise that
all shades of
white
supremacists
came out of the
woodworks,
putting their
best
demonstration of
Islamophobia and
even blaming
multiculturalism
as the root
cause of
COVID-19.
It’s situations
like these that
make the role of
key places like
Islamic Museum
of Australia all
the more
crucial.
When dealing
with experts at
erasing and
replacing the
truth, the best
and only weapon
is truth itself.
For their latest
project, over
the last month,
Islamic Museum
of Australia has
been approaching
Australian
Muslim
communities;
collecting
information
regarding impact
of COVID-19
through the lens
of Australian
Muslims. They
are gathering a
collection of
stories and
images for the
Islamic Museum
archives.
“We’re asking
Australian
Muslims to tell
us how you’ve
coped and how
you’ve thrived
during this
time. We want to
know, collect
and archive what
Ramadhan and Eid
looks like in
2020 through
your eyes and in
your words. How
you’ve filled
the void of not
attending
Jummuah in the
masjid (Friday
prayers at the
mosque). If you
were due to
perform Hajj
this year, tell
us how you feel
right now…”
These projects
which share our
truths and our
history as
Australian
Muslims are
incredibly
important
resources that
must be
supported,
funded,
encouraged and
shared.
They are crucial
in countering
the often
relentless
islamophobic
elitist
sentiments of
mainstream media
and for the the
prominent voices
who’ve pledged
allegiance to
white supremacy.
In the noble
Quran, Our
Creator tells us
that He “Made
you into nations
and tribes so
that you may
better know one
another. The
most honourable
of you is the
most pious of
you.”
We are all
brothers and
sisters in
humanity and we
all have a role
in eradicating
racism and
discrimination.
It starts with
educating
ourselves, our
families and our
communities. Let
the
truth-telling
begin.
Lockdown Lab
is a channel for
experimental cooking mixed
with discovering places,
adventure and history.
Cooking with travel stories.
This is a 6-minute video on
a delicious and traditional
Italian fish and pasta dish
by a cook who discovered
this recipe while olive
picking in the gorgeous
Umbrian hills.
AFRO PAKISTAN: The
African Diaspora In Pakistan
Did you know
that Pakistan has the
largest population of
African descent in South
Asia? Afro-Pakistanis are
known as the Sheedi, and
there are between 50,000 and
250,000 living in Pakistan
today. They are largely
concentrated in the
provinces of Sindh and
Balochistan in Southern
Pakistan, which formerly
housed major slave-trading
ports. All this and more
coming up in this video!
Is Coronavirus making us
all Muslim?
Robert Carter
explains how the pandemic
forced us all to adopt a
more Islamic lifestyle to
survive...
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.
Contact Naseema via WhatsApp or SMS to order from South Africa and Australia +61475455409
Feeding the smaller villages and communities that the large organisations don't reach. These communities are usually left out and that's why I've been doing this for the last 10 years
SOUTH AFRICA:
‘Hobe’ tells the story of
Muhammad Hobe, one of the first
Africans to receive the Ijaza
(license) in the sacred art of
calligraphy from world renowned
master calligrapher Hasan Çelebi.
Hobe recounts the
story of a young African man
from the townships of South
Africa that fell in love with
the art of calligraphy and how
that love changed his life
forever.
Coronavirus doctor's diary: A 'dying'
patient's miraculous recovery
UK: When Mohammed
Azeem arrived in Bradford Royal
Infirmary he was in critical
state, with far too little
oxygen in his blood - at one
point his oxygen levels were
"not compatible with life"
according to the intensive care
specialist treating him. But
incredibly he survived, writes
Dr John Wright.
Mohammed's story is a miraculous
one. This 35-year-old taxi
driver loved working out and
lifting weights and never
thought he would be at risk from
the brutal effects of Covid-19.
Once his breathing problems
began, he was reluctant to call
the NHS for help, because of the
myth then circulating in parts
of the Asian community that
people admitted to hospital were
never discharged alive. It was
his friend, Haleem, who insisted
on calling an ambulance and even
helped to carry him into it, as
by this stage he was unable to
walk.
When Mohammed arrived in A&E it
was clear that his life was in
immediate danger. This was a
young man who was dying in front
of us and he was whisked
straight to the Intensive Care
Unit. It was touch and go from
his first day and his perilous
journey was only just beginning.
He ended up in a coma in ICU for
48 days, and in hospital for 68.
The doctor treating him
throughout was ICU consultant Dr
Michael McCooe, who describes
him as the sickest young man he
has ever seen.
A healthy person has blood
oxygen saturation levels of 95%
or higher - in other words their
red blood cells are carrying
almost as much oxygen as
possible (100%). Mohammed's
saturation levels were 60% to
70%, and that was after
ventilation with undiluted
oxygen. Even when he was
intubated in ICU it was a
struggle to keep his oxygen
levels above 80%, the point
below which there is a risk of
damage to organs such as the
heart and brain.
He was an athlete in the best shape of his
life. Then Covid-19 nearly killed him
US: When Ahmad
Ayyad woke up, he was delirious.
He didn't realize where he was,
why there was a tube down his
throat, or how long it had been
since he last fed his dog.
And when he looked down, he
couldn't recognize himself. Once
a 215-pound athlete with
chiseled muscles and astounding
strength, the 40-year-old looked
like a completely different
person.
"I woke up and looked at my
arms, my legs, and my muscles
were gone," he said. "I was kind
of freaking out, like where are
my legs? Where did my legs go?"
Ayyad is a coronavirus survivor.
Doctors had placed him in an
induced coma for 25 days to save
his life.
It's been a little over two
months since those touch-and-go
days and he's still recovering.
Still out of breath at times.
Still nursing the damage to his
lung and heart.
But he has a message -- for
those who refuse to wear a mask
during this pandemic, for those
dismissive of public health
guidance, for those in the prime
of their health and feel
invincible against coronavirus.
"It worries me a lot seeing
people take this lightly," he
told CNN on Tuesday. "I got it
and survived, and I'm still
terrified."
How it all began
It started with an overwhelming
feeling of weakness.
One week, Ayyad
was running his own restaurant
and club in Washington, DC while
working at his family's retail
furniture business. He was
racing marathons and competing
in obstacle course races, taking
weekly basketball classes, and
boxing, one of his favourite
sports.
The next week, his entire life
had changed. Walking up the
stairs left him exhausted. So
did cooking, talking, and
driving.
Then came the
coughing and sneezing.
Eventually it was a high fever,
total loss of energy and
appetite, and a difficulty
breathing.
Ayyad thought he had the flu.
to the hospital,
he took an Uber to Sibley
Memorial Hospital on March 15.
Their suspicions were confirmed;
he tested positive for influenza
and the coronavirus.
British MPs demand retraction of misleading
story blaming Pakistan for half of UK's
imported COVID-19 cases
LONDON: British
parliamentarians and community
organisations have strongly
condemned a misleading story by
The Telegraph which claimed that
Pakistan was responsible for 50%
of the imported COVID-19 cases
in the UK, based on merely 30
cases.
Labour MPs Afzal Khan and Naz
Shah have written to the paper
demanding the removal of the
sensational story that was run
by The Sun and The Daily Mail as
well.
In a letter to the editor of The
Telegraph Chris Evans, the
Member of Parliament from
Manchester Gorton Afzal Khan
wrote: "I am writing to you
today regarding the article
published on Friday 26 June with
the headline: 'Exclusive: Half
of UK's COVID-19 infections are
from Pakistan'."
"Your choice of the headline
distorts the statistics quoted
and is therefore deeply
misleading. If a reader were to
read no further than the
headline, they would be under
the impression that half of all
COVID-19 cases were imported
from Pakistan to the UK
throughout the pandemic," he
said.
"In total, there have been over
310,000 confirmed cases in the
UK. The 30 cases from Pakistan
represent less than 0.01% of
this total," Khan added.
The MP from Bradford West, Naz
Shah, also wrote to the editor
of The Telegraph and demanded
that the story be retracted.
"It saddens me that despite
writing to the editor of The
Telegraph days ago asking for
this headline to be amended, it
still stands. Each moment such
headlines exist, conspiracies
about minority communities being
a threat to this country
continue," she said.
Responding to a request for
comment by Geo.tv, the writer of
the story, and the Home Affairs
editor of The Telegraph, Charles
Hymas confirmed that he did not
have any other data except for
the 30 cases provided by Public
Health England (PHE).
"It is based on our
understanding of PHE (Public
Health England) data. The only
information they are providing
publicly is that figure," he
said
Meanwhile, a group of Pakistani
professionals under the umbrella
of the UK Pakistan Science
Innovation Global Network (UKPSIGN)
also condemned the biased
headline in The Telegraph.
The UKPSIGN said the article
gave a false impression that the
travel of people from Pakistan
has had a significant
contributory effect on the high
COVID-19 death toll in the UK.
“In fact, as of May 7, 2020, the
UK death toll was a staggering
50 times that of Pakistan. The
Telegraph’s fake news headline
seeks to counter the real facts
that most early infections in
the UK (which have ultimately
contributed to the high UK death
toll), actually came from
Europe, well before June.
Indeed, the highest number of
cases reported in the UK were
linked with people travelling
from countries such as Spain
(more than 33%), France (more
than 28%) and Italy (14%),” the
group said.
"This creates a sense of
insecurity across all
generations who are already
struggling with [a] lack of
privilege and opportunities.
This kind of constant bashing of
minority groups must stop. We
believe that freedom of the
press must be balanced with
responsibilities to not create
hysteria using fake
sensationalist headlines (which
feed into the far-right
agenda),” it added.
The statement was signed by
Professor Jawwad A Darr from
University College London;
Professor Ihtesham Rehman from
Lancaster University, Prof Tariq
Butt from the University of
Swansea, Dr Parveen Ali from the
University of Sheffield, Dr
Khalid Mahmood from Rothamsted
Research, Madiha Sajid from UCL
and Riaz Hassan, Executive
Director of Global Educational
Matters (GEM), and President PTI
Wales.
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
The Dangers of
Personalising
Everything
Are you easily
affected by people’s
words? Do you
retaliate and give a
nasty comeback? Do
you find that
sometimes people’s
comments are able to
ruin your mood and
frustrate you? Do
their words play in
your mind over and
over, affecting you
for the rest of the
day or week?
When you operate on
a reactionary mode,
your default setting
is to react.
Anything that is
said to you and done
to you, no matter
how small, will
trigger you in some
way so that you
produce a reaction.
Most times, these
reactions are in the
form of damaging
thoughts. These
thoughts can play
over and over in
your mind and slowly
you begin to accept
them as your
reality. Assumptions
about yourself and
others are formed in
your mind as a
result of these
recurring damaging
thoughts.
These reactions from
you perpetuate your
habit of
personalising
everything that
happens to you and
around you. You
become sensitive to
even a harmless
comment. I struggled
with this for years.
Even a simple
comment like, “You
look tired” was
enough to make me
feel useless and a
failure. I was
taking everything as
a personal attack
and felt that I had
to constantly defend
myself. My reactions
ranged from
aggressive outbursts
to
passive-aggressive
gestures. I lost
faith in the
goodness in people,
thinking that
everyone was
critical about
everything I did and
no one was ever
acknowledging my
hard work.
I failed to
understand that the
only one attacking
me was me. The only
person critical of
me was me. The only
one doubting my
abilities was me.
All because I had
chosen to
personalise external
factors and allow
them to shape my
reality. I was
completely
disconnected from my
internal compass, my
intuition.
ALLAH has blessed
you with a mind with
immense potential.
You have the ability
to use your mind and
become aware of
these damaging
thoughts the moment
they begin to occur.
Once you do, you
will shift from the
default setting of
reactions and begin
operating from the
mode of response.
This mode requires
you to understand
that what is said to
you by people and
what is done to you
by people are only
one aspect of your
life. HOW YOU
RESPOND TO THESE
WORDS AND ACTIONS
governs how your
life unfolds.
How To Respond To
Triggers
ALLAH has blessed
you with a mind to
articulate your
response in any
situation where you
are being triggered,
by doing the
following:
1. Pause
2. Breathe
3. Listen
4. Observe your
body while
someone is
speaking to you.
Is it getting
hot, sweaty,
muscles are
tightening,
heart
palpitations,
shallow
breathing, heavy
breathing,
forehead
frowning, nose
squinting, eyes
narrowing? By
observing these
body sensations,
you will raise
your awareness
that these
sensory
manifestations
are your
physical signs
to guide you on
choosing the
appropriate
response.
5. Make the
choice to remove
yourself from
the triggering
situation.
6. Understand
that other
people’s words
and actions have
nothing to do
with your
purpose in life.
7. Find a quiet
space and
breathe deeply.
Drink water to
hydrate yourself
during these few
moments of
silence.
8. Close your
eyes and spend
some quiet
moments thanking
ALLAH for giving
you the strength
to choose calm
over aggression.
9. Write your
feelings down in
your journal.
Acknowledge
them. Process
them through
journaling.
Always remember,
you are not your
experiences. You are
the FORCE that
overcomes them.
Illustration
of how being Emotionally Intelligent contributed to the
successful creation of a nation
by
Farhan Al Bastaki
DESCRIPTION
Emotional Intelligence is a
relatively new science, and
one that is still in the
stages of early recognition
- and like any of the human
sciences, the more evidence
there is of how effective it
is, across nationalities and
ages and beliefs, the more
recognized the science
becomes and the more valid
its tools, leading to more
people studying it and using
it in their lives.
This book was therefore
written with the intention
of increasing awareness of
Emotional Intelligence and
how it can enhance people's
effectiveness in all aspects
of their lives through all
of their tasks and roles.
[KB SAYS] Hasselback potatoes were created in 1953 by
Swedish chef-in-training Leif Elisson.
Hasselback potatoes are thinly sliced, but not
quite through, leaving the potato intact. They
are basted with butter or another fat throughout
the baking process, giving them a crispy
exterior and soft, creamy centre.
Roasted Hasselback Sweet Potato
INGREDIENTS & METHOD
Ingredients
Orange sweet potatoes
Salt
Crushed black pepper
Oive oil
Garlic butter softened
Yoghurt
Chilli flakes
Parsley chopped
Method
Wash and thinly slice sweet
potatoes ¾ way down
Brush with olive oil
Sprinkle salt and pepper
Bake at 190 deg for 45 - 50
mins or till tender
Brush with soften garlic
batter
Place back in oven for 5 -
10 mins
Remove from oven top with
yoghurt,
Chilli flakes and chopped
parsley
Serve as a side dish with
meat, leaving the extra liquid from the steak in the pan
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.
It’s easy to go off track when it comes to our
fitness.
Stay organised & motivated by breaking down big
goals into realistic smaller weekly goals.
Keep measurable and time-bound targets & be sure
to stick to it.
Set phone-reminders, place your exercise gear in
sight, mark your calendar with your fitness
activities so you can tick them off – whatever
you have to do to not lose sight of your fitness
goals.
And spend something [in
charity] out of the
substance which We have
bestowed on you, before
Death should come to any of
you and he should say, "O my
Lord! Why did you not give
me respite for a little
while? I should then have
given [largely] in charity,
and I should have been one
of the doers of good.
According to Islamic
tradition, in 610, while
sitting in the cave he had
come to many times before,
Muhammad experienced
something new.
An angel suddenly appeared
to him in the cave,
commanding him, “Read!”
He responded that he did not
know how. Like most people
in Mecca, Muhammad was
illiterate.
Again, the angel demanded he
read.
Again, Muhammad responded
that he was unable to.
A third time, the angel
demanded he read, and for a
third time, Muhammad
responded that he was unable
to.
The angel then recited to
him the first verses of the
Quran to be revealed:
Recite in the name of thy
Lord who created
He created man from a clot
of blood.
Recite; and thy Lord is the
Most Bountiful,
He who hath taught by the
pen,
Taught man what he knew not.
(Quran 96)
He repeated the words after
the angel, who then informed
him that he is Jibreel
(Gabriel), an angel sent by
the one God and that
Muhammad is the Messenger of
God.
Shaken and scared, Muhammad
rushed home, not knowing
what to make of the
encounter.
He was comforted by Khadijah,
who believed his account of
the encounter in the cave.
She asked her cousin, who
was familiar with Jewish and
Christian scriptures, what
this could mean.
When he heard of what
happened, he immediately
accepted Muhammad as the
messenger of his time, like
Moses and Jesus before him.
Consoled by his wife and her
cousin, Muhammad accepted
his mission as the Messenger
of God, and his life as the
Prophet began.
"A person should train
himself not to overreact
to the minor incidents
or things that he hears
or sees.
When he trains himself
to tolerate these little
irritating experiences,
this will (in time)
become habitual and he
will then be able to
tolerate things that are
more frustrating and
experiences that are
more annoying.
In doing so he will be
analogous to one who
(gradually) trains
himself to tolerate the
painful effects of a
slight increase in
temperature, heat or
cold, as well as other
minor bodily pains,
without showing
impatience or tension
until this becomes part
of his usual habits.
This will then help him
to endure the test of
greater pain if he were
to encounter it.
This approach is the way
to train the body and is
the same approach to
train the soul."
~ Abu Zayd al-Balkhi’s
Sustenance of the Soul: The
Cognitive Behavior
Therapy of a Ninth Century
Physician, Malik Badri, IIIT,
p. 32
Accompanied
by me
with
Aboriginal
Elders
and
complete
cultural
experience.
We
will get
to know
each
other.
Prayer
facilities
bring
your own
prayer
mat.
I
did this
cruise
last
year and
saw SO
many
whales.
Totally
recommended
nothing
like it
in
Australia.
I've
been on
six
other
cruises
for
whale
watching
and
nothing
comes
close to
this
experience.
See the
whales
the
Indigenous
way.
Speak
their
language.
Alhamdulillah, over many years
I have worked with many non-Muslims who have
always asked me about Muslims & Islam, and I
have shared as much and as best as I could
within my understanding and knowledge.
Alhamdulillah I have watch them develop a
beautiful understanding of our practices, to the
extent I have seen them explain and clarify
misconceptions to others.
Once again during this past Ramadan, much was
discussed over our staff iftar dinner meeting.
So I decided to document some of this basic
Islamic information in a simple to read and
understand website and share with my staff and
colleagues.
It’s intended to be as simple as can be, whilst
still providing a good overview, including some
multi-faith interviews which I found very
valuable even to me as a Muslim.
Feel free to use and share if you feel
appropriate.
I have also shared some of the beautiful Quran
recitations and supplications with English
translation.
DR MOHAMMED IQBAL SULTAN
MFS JANAZA
Muslim Funeral Services guidelines adopted on
dealing with Janazas during this pandemic.
This includes the Covid and non-Covid Janazas, for
burials in South East Queensland.
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
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Where ignorance is bliss...
Towards
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