Eid al-Adha might be a little different this year, but it won't be any less special. The sacrifices we all make now will make a difference.
So to all those celebrating Eid al-Adha, from me and the whole Labor family – Eid Mubarak.
Canada Prime Minister justin Trudeau Wishing
Eid -Al- Adha Mubarak to Muslims 🌙
To all Muslim Canadians beginning their celebrations tonight: Eid Mubarak! I know festivities will be different this year, but I hope you have a happy Eid al-Adha no matter how you celebrate.
While most Mosques cancelled
their Eid prayer gatherings,
the Gold Coast Mosque took
the decision to go ahead
with their scheduled prayers
on Friday morning and under
strict COVID-19 protocols.
Two separate sessions were
held (6.30am and 8.15am)
each hosting up to 400 congregants.
SYDNEY:
Hundreds of Muslim
worshippers have marked one
of Islam's holiest days at a
Sydney mosque after the NSW
Government granted it a
temporary exemption from
coronavirus restrictions.
Up to 400 people were
allowed inside the Auburn
Gallipoli Mosque in Sydney's
west under the one-off
exemption, granted by NSW
Health Minister Brad Hazzard.
Under NSW coronavirus
restrictions, places of
worship are limited to 100
people, or one visitor per
four square metres.
The mosque's president
Abdurrahman Asaroglu said
those attending the annual
festival of Eid al-Adha,
also known as the festival
of sacrifice, would be
subject to temperature
checks, sign-in sheets, and
it would be mandatory to
wear a mask.
Worshippers at the mosque
will be expected to bring
their own prayer mats and
abide by social distancing
rules while praying.
Dr Asaroglu said attendees
would be spread out across
"four zones" including the
two levels of the mosque, an
adjoining function hall and
carpark.
"Our community is really
understanding and they are
OK to follow these measures
— no shaking hands, no
hugging — making sure that
they just pray," he said.
"If everyone does the right
thing I don't think there
will be any issues."
In a statement, NSW Health
said exemptions were only
considered under
"exceptional circumstances"
and the mosque had developed
a comprehensive COVID-19
Safety Plan.
It said none of the separate
zones would exceed 100
worshippers and would not be
allowed to mix between
areas.
Prime Minister Scott
Morrison urged religious
communities to find
alternative ways to
celebrate their faith.
"Jenny and I haven't had the
chance to be at our church
since February," the Prime
Minister said.
"I know faith is very
important to people, but
even at times like this it
is even more important that
we don't gather in those
large groups as important as
faith is, we really do think
of the health issues here"
Eid al-Adha marks the end of
hajj, a five-day pilgrimage
to Mecca in Saudi Arabia,
and is one of the holiest
days on the Islamic
calendar.
Last year, around 3,000
worshippers attended Eid al-Adha
prayers at Auburn Gallipoli
Mosque, with thousands more
spilling out onto nearby
streets.
But Dr Asaroglu said those
scenes wouldn't be repeated
this year.
"If anybody is not abiding
by the regulations, we have
security to make sure that
they are excluded," he said.
IRELAND: The GAA, long a
symbol of Catholic Ireland,
is embodying change as it
hosts Muslim celebration at
its HQ
For most of its 136-year
history the Gaelic Athletic
Association (GAA) has
embodied an Irish identity
that was Catholic,
nationalist and
conservative.
Croke Park, the
organisation’s main Dublin
stadium and its
headquarters, was named
after an archbishop, Thomas
Croke, who promoted Gaelic
football, hurling and other
indigenous games to counter
English sports.
The stadium became a
pantheon of sorts after
British soldiers stormed in
during the war of
independence in 1920 and
killed 14 civilians. The GAA
banned police and members of
the British army until 2001.
Protestants north and south
of the border largely
shunned an organisation they
associated with tricolours
and republican songs.
But on Friday this
nationalist crucible will
showcase a very different
Irish identity when it hosts
the Muslim celebration of
Eid al-Adha. Covid-19
restrictions limit indoor
gatherings so Muslim leaders
asked to use Croke Park and
received an emphatic yes.
“They didn’t hesitate,” said
Shaykh Umar al-Qadri, the
chair of the Irish Muslim
Peace and Integration
Council, which is organising
the event. “This Eid
festival is symbolic. It
gives us an opportunity to
express our dual identity.”
The decision by an Ikea
store in Germany to lend its
car park to a local mosque
for socially distanced
prayers prompted the idea,
said Qadri. “I thought
Ireland can do even better
so I approached Croke Park,
the most iconic, Irish,
symbolic venue you could
think of.”
Instead of hurling sticks
whacking a sliotar, or boots
kicking a ball, the pitch
will be filled with the
sound of prayers for the Eid
al-Adha holiday, also known
as the festival of
sacrifice, one of Islam’s
holiest days.
Government ministers are to
attend along with Catholic,
Protestant and Jewish
religious leaders. The
national broadcaster, RTÉ,
is to carry live coverage.
“Twenty years ago this
probably would not have been
possible. Ireland has
travelled a long way,” said
Qadri, who has a son who
plays hurling. “Not so long
ago GAA players were not
allowed to play soccer or
rugby. It just shows that
people have moved to accept
diversity.”
There is one disappointment:
organisers hoped to have 500
people at the stadium, one
of Europe’s biggest, with a
capacity of 82,300, but
authorities capped the
number at 200.
Croke Park has hosted no
matches since Covid-19
restrictions started in
March but the GAA welcomed
the chance to lend the pitch
to Muslims, said Alan
Milton, a GAA spokesman.
“In the past 20 years we’ve
probably moved more than we
have in all the years of our
previous existence. We live
in a very different Ireland.
I’d like to think that
people are now more moderate
and open to different
cultures and religions.”
Ireland is hardly immune to
Islamophobia. About half of
Irish people do not want
more Muslims in Ireland and
feel confident publicly
stating this, according to a
survey published this week
by the Irish Human Rights
and Equality Commission and
the Economic and Social
Research Institute.
“Many people in Ireland who
hold negative attitudes
towards Muslims believe that
their opinions are socially
acceptable, unlike people
who hold negative attitudes
towards black immigration,”
it said.
The GAA says it now stands
for pluralism and tolerance.
Last year it launched a
diversity-themed ad campaign
with the motto “where we all
belong”. Critics called it
treacly but Milton said it
expressed a new spirit.
“We’ve never excluded
anybody in recent times.”
Some Northern Ireland
unionists challenge that:
this week the former DUP
health minister Jim Wells
called the organisation
“sectarian”. However the DUP
leader, Arlene Foster,
signalled improving
relations by attending a GAA
game in 2018. And this month
a GAA club was formed in
east Belfast, a loyalist
bastion, for the first time
in half a century.
With the Muslim population
in the Republic of Ireland
increasing to about 100,000
– in the early 1990s the
population was in the low
thousands – the GAA has an
incentive to make them feel
welcome, said Milton. “We
want Muslim kids to play our
games.”
Ireland now has about 80
mosques and Islamic places
of worship, says Ali Selim,
a spokesman for the Islamic
Cultural Centre of Ireland.
“Muslims in Ireland are at
home. They share the Irish
layer of their identity with
a religious layer and
cultural layer.”
He credited state and
religious leaders of all
faiths with setting a tone
of inclusion that has kept
far-right voices on the
political fringe. It also
helped, said Selim, that
Ireland had not colonised or
invaded Muslim-majority
countries. “In fact Ireland
has been occupied by
Britain. So many Muslims
here share the same
history.”
The first day of the annual
Muslim pilgrimage season,
the Hajj, became a telling
indicator yesterday of the
effects of coronavirus
around the world.
Images of the Great Mosque
at Mecca showed a mere
handful of pilgrims circling
the courtyard round the
Kaaba, the black stone at
its heart, on marked tracks
and spaced out front and
behind to maintain social
distancing.
It was in stark contrast to
the millions of pilgrims who
usually throng in and
between the pilgrimage sites
in the holy cities of Mecca
and Medina in Saudi Arabia.
Muslim pilgrims cast
sanitised pebbles Friday as
they "stoned the devil" in
the last major ritual of the
hajj, which the Saudi king
acknowledged had been tough
to organise amid the
coronavirus pandemic.
Only a few short years ago
the Australian Federation of
Islamic Councils (AFIC), the
country’s leading Muslim
organisation, faced ongoing
controversies.
AFIC, became a household
name for all the wrong
reasons, a byword for
scandal. “Like a script from
a mafia movie” blared one
headline.
Now, facing election, the
President who claims credit
for getting the organisation
out of the news, speaks
publicly for the first time
during an exclusive
interview completed on
Friday 24 July 2020.
AFIC President Dr Rateb
Jneid was elected in 2017
after an extremely messy
internal dispute which
included one group raiding
and occupying the Sydney
offices and appeals to the
NSW Supreme Court, which
ruled the raid illegal.
In a three-way contest.
Outside runner Jneid faced
two opponents:
The incumbent president
Keysar Trad, a figure of
controversy in Australia
since he successfully sued
and gained a public apology
from high profile
conservative commentator
Alan Jones after the shock
jock called Lebanese Muslims
“mongrels” and “vermin”.
Also in the running was
Professor Shahjahan Khan, an
academic from Toowoomba, who
saw off two arson attacks on
the city’s only mosque.
Back in AFIC, Trad declared:
I’m donating my time and
energy to unite the
community and help make this
a clean election. For once
in his long career, Trad is
avoiding the media
spotlight.
Regarding the highly
competitive Halal
certification side of AFIC,
Jneid said:
“Since AFIC pioneered Halal
certification in Australia
many decades back, Halal
certification had become
cost intensive because many
international standards must
be met. Today’s standards
look at food safety, hygiene
and slaughter methods.”
“If it bears the AFIC stamp,
then it has gone through the
highest standard of testing,
you can trust AFIC Halal to
be 100% Halal. Our Halal
section includes a Sharia
committee that combines the
skills and experience of
several Imams.”
Despite issues impacting his
family’s reputation in the
broader community Jneid
fought for his beloved WA
Islamic Council. Within a
few months he had
successfully lobbied Muslim
leaders around Australia and
was elected AFIC president.
And then something amazing
happened: AFIC disappeared
from the headlines. Arguably
his greatest success.
Jneid has not given press
interviews since taking the
Presidency. But now he is
keen to face his critics,
ticking off his
achievements.
Dr Jneid says all disputes
with Malek Fahad school have
been settled and the
government has restored
funding to the school, their
rents were adjusted and
everything is back to
normal.
“One of my proudest
achievements is to play a
role in restoring the
funding of Malek Fahd so
that our children, our
students, can have certainty
and stability.”
“Our bank had threatened to
reject our business because
of past infighting. But,
Alhamdulillah, with the help
of Allah, right after we
settled our disputes, we
concerted our efforts on
repaying our loans.”
“The AFIC loans were taken
by previous committees who
were desperate to fund
school building projects and
make sure that there are
more classroom seats in
Muslim schools for our kids.
And he cut the bank loan in
half, from $10 million to
less than $5 million.
“This is a great blessing
from Allah. I have to say
here to all our brothers and
sisters, try to avoid taking
bank loans.”
Asked about a number of
controversial emails now
circulating which contain
allegations of corruption
and nepotism, Dr Jneid
responded:
“Unfortunately, every time a
member, a society, a council
president, or a former
employee do not get their
wish-list approved, they
start making accusations of
favouritism and corruption.
This has been the
unfortunate history of AFIC
for more than 20 years.
“I assure everyone, AFIC
financial affairs are
structured in accordance
with the regulatory
authorities’ requirements.
All our books are audited by
an external auditor who also
scrutinises all Finance
Committee activities.”
“AFIC is the most
transparent and most
democratic organisation in
the Muslim community. Every
allegation is being
addressed in detail.”
In a closing pitch to his
constituents and a tilt to
the future, Dr Jneid says:
“AFIC is the peak body for
Australia’s Muslims, AFIC
has thrived for 56 years, it
is older than I am and Insha
Allah, it will continue to
grow and thrive long after I
leave.
"Alhamdulillah."
Ramy Youssef's response to
being nominated on Tuesday
for an Emmy Award was to
simply thank God.
The co-creator and star of
Hulu's "Ramy" was nominated
for outstanding lead actor
and outstanding directing in
a comedy series. Co-star
Mahershala Ali earned a nod
for his season 2 supporting
role.
"Ramy" becomes the first
Muslim American sitcom to
score an Emmy nomination.
In the show, Ramy Hassan (Youssef),
a first-generation Egyptian
American, struggles to
balance his cultural and
religious values alongside
his American millennial
ways. "Ramy" celebrates the
Muslim faith while laying
bare a host of community
issues.
Although "Ramy" focuses on a
Muslim American character,
the show found a wide
audience with millennials of
diverse ethnic and religious
backgrounds who could relate
to the character's anxiety
over his romantic life,
career aspirations and
overbearing parents.
Following his Emmy
nomination, Youssef told The
Hollywood Reporter he's
hopeful that the show's
success will open doors for
others to continue exploring
the vast Muslim American
experience.
"It's really exciting
because we're so specific. I
think that you watch our
show, you realize in a good
way that we're not even
close to covering the
entirety of the Muslim
experience. For a show that
only portrays a sliver of it
to get recognized, I think
that that should mean that
we're going to get many more
Muslim stories greenlit
because the umbrella of the
Muslim experience is so vast
— it's so many different
groups, so many types of
people," Youssef said.
"There's so many more
stories that that could be
told so it excites me for
the bigger picture, one that
doesn't even include me," he
added.
While "Ramy" is largely
considered the first Muslim
American sitcom, the
Television Academy has
recognized and honoured
other Muslims -- including
Aziz Ansari for his work
with "Master of None" and
Riz Ahmed for "The Night
Of." Both portrayed Muslim
characters on their
respective shows.
The 72nd Primetime Emmy
Awards ceremony will take
place on Sunday, September
20, on ABC. Jimmy Kimmel is
set to host.
We all face some level of
adversity at different
points in our lives, but
it’s what we do in those
difficult situations that
can change the direction of
how our life turns out. Sam
Mohamad Khalef’s journey
involves coming from an
underprivileged background
with many hardships to
building a multi-million
dollar international company
in such a short amount of
time primarily by himself.
How did he do it? Now at 32
years old, Khalef shares his
journey to success and we’ll
see what life lessons,
inspiration and wisdom we
can gain from his story.
Khalef is the founder and
director of MYBOS:
Powerfully Simple. MYBOS
stands for MY Building
Operating System. MYBOS is a
powerful, extendable,
scalable cloud-based
building management platform
for Managers, Owners and
Tenants in Multi-Occupancy
Buildings.
Born in Lebanon, and coming
to Australia at the age of
5, Khalef entered the
workforce at the age of 12
and under unfortunate
circumstances, he left home
in his teens. Khalef spent
most of his time at a youth
centre where he met a
lifelong friend, Omar, with
who a decade later together
he developed the idea of a
building management
software.
Living in housing commission
and paying rent in his
teens, Khalef worked as a
cleaner, labourer, security
officer and courier for a
number of years.
Khalef did not have the
opportunity to attend
university and instead got
straight into work.
Working multiple jobs,
without a stable and
comfortable home
environment, Khalef
developed a sense of
discipline and knew the
value of hard work.
With 6 of his friends from
the youth centre, Khalef got
his first taste of business
when he was a part of
starting a manufacturing
company that eventually
failed.
“When I look back, I
realised there were just too
many people involved,” said
Khalef.
.........
Khalef’s story is inspiring
to everyone who gets the
privilege to listen to his
journey. He is a great role
model for young
entrepreneurs wishing to
start their business as well
as to current business
owners across all
industries.
Khalef’s MYBOS is now
serving more than 490,000
residents across Australia,
New Zealand, the United Arab
Emirates, and Singapore.
With rapid global expansion,
the Asia, Europe and the
Middle East and North Africa
region is on the agenda.
Let’s Talk is a discussion based panel, allowing young muslims to discuss different opinions and perspectives on topics that need to be talked about.
There are always resources to reach out to if you are struggling mentally and require some sort of support.
Mission of hope - https://missionofhope.org.au/hayat-line-telephone-crisis-intervention-service/
Beyond Blue - https://www.beyondblue.org.au/
Mensline - https://mensline.org.au/mens-mental-health/mens-mental-health-common-challenges/
Trump nominee for Pentagon faces Senate
grilling after Islamophobia claims
Anthony Tata
WASHINGTON,
July 29 (Reuters) - U.S.
President Donald Trump's
most divisive nominee for a
senior Pentagon post to date
is expected to face a
contentious Senate
nomination hearing on
Thursday, with Democratic
lawmakers likely to grill
him over remarks they deem
Islamophobic.
Anthony Tata, a retired Army
brigadier general and ardent
defender of Trump on Fox
News, would hold the most
senior policy position in
the Pentagon if confirmed.
Tata has falsely portrayed
former President Barack
Obama as a Muslim and
accused him of being a
"terrorist leader" working
to benefit Iran, according
to now-deleted Twitter posts
seen by Reuters.
The White House said it
stands by Tata's nomination
to fill the position of
undersecretary of defense
for policy.
"Anthony Tata is a
distinguished public servant
whose career has provided
him with planning, policy,
and operational experience
both at home and abroad,"
White House spokesman Judd
Deere said in a statement.
Tata did not immediately
respond to a request for
comment on his deleted
Twitter posts.’
'Virtually entire' fashion industry
complicit in Uighur forced labour, say
rights groups
Human rights coalition says
cotton produced in camps in
Xinjiang region finds its
way into one in five cotton
products worldwide
Many of the world’s biggest
fashion brands and retailers
are complicit in the forced
labour and human rights
violations being perpetrated
on millions of Uighur people
in the Xinjiang region of
northwestern China, says a
coalition of more than 180
human rights groups.
There is mounting global
outrage over the atrocities
being committed against the
Uighur population in the
region, including torture,
forced separation and the
compulsory sterilisation of
Uighur women.
Despite these abuses, the
coalition of human rights
groups says many of the
world’s leading clothing
brands continue to source
cotton and yarn produced
through a vast
state-sponsored system of
detention and forced labour
involving up to 1.8m Uighur
and other Turkic and Muslim
people in prison camps,
factories, farms and
internment camps in
Xinjiang. It says that the
forced labour system across
the region is the largest
internment of an ethnic and
religious minority since the
second world war.
Global fashion brands source
so extensively from Xinjiang
that the coalition estimates
it is “virtually certain”
that as many as one in five
cotton products sold across
the world are tainted with
forced labour and human
rights violations occurring
there.
China is the largest cotton
producer in the world, with
84% of its cotton coming
from the Xinjiang region.
Cotton and yarn produced in
Xinjiang are used
extensively in other key
garment-producing countries
such as Bangladesh, Cambodia
and Vietnam. Xinjiang cotton
and yarn are also used in
textiles and home
furnishings. This week the
New York Times reported that
factories in the region were
also supplying face masks
and other PPE to countries
around the world.
The coalition has published
an extensive list of brands
it claims continue to source
from the region, or from
factories connected to the
forced labour of Uighur
people, including Gap, C&A,
Adidas, Muji, Tommy Hilfiger
and Calvin Klein.
“Virtually the entire
[global] apparels industry
is tainted by forced Uighur
and Turkic Muslim labour,”
the coalition said in a
statement issued today.
The coalition says many more
leading clothing brands also
continue to maintain
lucrative strategic
partnerships with Chinese
companies, accepting
subsidies from their
government to expand textile
production in the region or
benefiting from the forced
labour of Uighur people
transferred from Xinjiang to
factories across China.
“There is a high likelihood
that every high street and
luxury brand runs the risk
of being linked to what is
happening to the Uighur
people,” says Chloe
Cranston, business and human
rights manager at
Anti-Slavery International.
In a call to action, the
coalition, which includes
more than 70 Uighur rights
groups, anti-slavery
organisations and labour
rights campaigners, says the
global apparel industry must
eradicate all products and
materials linked to forced
labour in Xinjiang within a
year.
“Global brands need to ask
themselves how comfortable
they are contributing to a
genocidal policy against the
Uighur people. These
companies have somehow
managed to avoid scrutiny
for complicity in that very
policy – this stops today,”
said Omer Kanat, executive
director of the Uyghur Human
Rights Project.
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.
Jamal Ahmed
is a leading privacy
expert who, on
observing a dearth
of accessible expert
services in data
protection and GDPR
compliance, founded
Kazient Privacy
Experts to offer
compliance solutions
to small, medium,
and large
businesses.
Jamal, from Romford,
East London has
delivered privacy
and GDPR compliance
solutions to
organizations across
six continents and
in thirteen
jurisdictions,
helping to safeguard
the personal data of
over 54 million data
subjects worldwide.
In 2019 Jamal was
awarded the Fellow
of Information
Privacy by the
International
Association of
Privacy
Professionals, the
first British Muslim
conferred the
status.
Passionate about
raising the profile
of GDPR compliance
among Muslim
businesses and
organizations, Jamal
has also been
featured by various
Muslim media
platforms and works
closely with several
Muslim charities.
Jamal combines his
professional
activity with
philanthropy,
raising £15,000 to
fund 100 communal
kitchens for
refugees in Calais,
over £100,000 to
provide iftar
[breaking of fast]
meals for displaced
people in Syria, and
£25,000 to provide
rice to flood
victims in
Bangladesh.
Mohamed Salah is an Egyptian
football player of global
fame.
Influence International Player:
Salah started his career in
the Egyptian Premier League
in 2010 before moving on to
join Basel, in Switzerland.
His stellar performances
there attracted Chelsea FC
and he moved to London in
2014. A disappointing season
saw him move on to Italy,
where he enjoyed a
successful season with Roma
in 2016/17. This success
prompted another English
team to sign him and Salah
enjoyed the most successful
season of his career with
Liverpool FC in 2017/18. He
broke many records and won
many accolades. He also
helped Egypt qualify for the
World Cup. The 2018/19
season saw more success with
Liverpool FC being
runners-up in the English
Premier League, and crowned
2019 European Champions and
World Club Champions.
Popularity: His
affable nature and polite
manners have won him many
fans across the globe, and
none more so than in his
native country of Egypt
where he has donated to
various charitable causes.
In the March 2018 Egyptian
Presidential elections, over
a million people struck out
the two names vying for the
presidency and inserted
Mohamed Salah’s name, making
him an unofficial runner up
in the election. His down to
earth nature has shown
itself in chance meetings
with fans and acts of
kindness towards those in
need.
Singing in the Terraces:
His footballing exploits
during his two seasons at
Liverpool FC have had the
unprecedented effect of
football fans singing
positive songs about
Muslims. “If he’s good
enough for you, he’s good
enough for me. If he scores
another few, then I’ll be
Muslim too. Sitting in the
mosque, that’s where I wanna
be! Mo Salah-la-la-la,
la-la-la-la-la-la-la.”
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.
My name is
Amirah Shah and I am
relatively new in the
Islamic community in
Brisbane. I am a researcher
at UQ, and am researching
spirituality, and
bereavement in Islam
(specifically in Australia).
I enjoy reading the
newsletter, and wanted to
extend my commendations on
running an interesting and
enjoyable newsletter. It was
particularly meaningful for
me during Ramadan and
lockdown.
I am also a
counsellor here in Brisbane,
and registered with the
Australian Counselling
Association. I am wondering
if there is a way I can
extend my services to the
Muslim community here
through CCN. My practice is
called Road To Recovery: aroadtorecovery.org and
facebook.com/roadtorecovery0/
My background
is a cultural blend, and I
am a TCK (Third Culture
Kid), who has always been
fascinated with
spirituality, philosophy,
and psychology. I was born
in Singapore, and grew up in
Asia, Middle East and
Central Asia, finally
settling here in Queensland.
I learnt that
there has been quite an
increase in mental health
issues in the past months,
traumas have been triggered,
losses have happened,
relationships have changed-
and whilst all these
tragedies are opportunities
for growth, I sense some of
us may be could use some
support. My heart goes out
to the individuals who have
had to withstand such a
storm from a deep personal
level, to a global one.
I have
experienced an increase of
concerns professionally, so
naturally, I became curious
how this affects the Islamic
community here. I wonder how
the brothers and sisters of
Queensland are managing, and
if they have the support
they need, if they have a
private, and safe space to
authentically work through
their struggles without the
demands and expectations of
themselves and the world. I
am aware that finances and
waiting time have been main
reasons people are reluctant
to seek support. And so I
thought I would reach out to
CCN, and offer my support
and services.
I thank you
for your time, and am
looking forward to hearing
back.
Kind regards,
Amirah Shah
[CCN EDITOR] Please
email
admin@ccnonline.com.au
if you would like us to put
you in touch with Ms Shah.
Emirates Sees A Boost To Bookings Generated
By Eid
DUBAI: Emirates is
gearing up for its busiest
travel period in months as
people travel to celebrate Eid
this weekend. An increase in
traffic is expected to start
today at Dubai International
Airport, to coincide with the
start of the Eid holiday
celebrations. Passengers have
been advised to arrive at the
airport three hours early in
case of delays.
Emirates has witnessed a surge
of interest in travel to Dubai
since the emirate reopened to
tourists at the beginning of
July. Eid Al Adha, one of the
premier Islamic celebrations,
begins today, and as such, the
airline is expecting a busy
travel weekend. The recent ease
of border restrictions, coupled
with the religious holiday, has
tempted people back to the skies
in search of a vacation.
Emirates recently committed to
covering the costs of any
COVID-19 associated medical
costs incurred by its passengers
during their travels abroad. The
insurance, which is free to its
customers, will cover medical
expenses of up to EUR 150,000.
The cover also expands to
include quarantine costs of EUR
100 per day for 14 days.
Suleiman al-Rajhi: A multi-billionaire with
no money
SAUDI ARABIA:
I feel light!
I feel free! I feel like a bird
... and when Allah calls on me,
I can answer His call with no
strings attached!
A palm grove in the Saudi Arabia
in the city of Al-Qassim has
more than 200,000 palm trees and
is dedicated in the path of
Allah. There are 45 varieties of
dates in this garden, the annual
production is 10,000 tons of
dates. This garden is the
largest waqf found on earth.
The income from this garden is
used for building mosques in
different countries of the
world, for charitable work and
arranging Iftar in the two holy
mosques (Makkah and Madinah).
This garden has been dedicated
in the way of Allah by the
richest man of Saudi Arabia
“Sulaiman Al Rajhi”.
Rags to riches
Suleiman al-Rajhi opened his
eyes in poverty. He was studying
in school. One day the school
administration organized an
entertainment tour and asked
each student to give one riyal.
He went home but his parents did
not have even one riyal.
He cried a lot as the date for
the tour was approaching. Then
comes the result of his
quarterly exams, he grabbed
first position in his class and
a Palestinian teacher gave him 1
riyal as a reward.
He ran to the head of the
entertainment program and gave
his 1 riyal.
As time goes on, he completed
his education and started
working. Naming a room in Jeddah
as a bank, he started his life
as a young entrepreneur with
dedication and hard work. Allah
blessed his work.
In a short period of time, a
network of banks called
‘Al-Rajhi’ spread throughout
Saudi Arabia.
Suleiman al-Rajhi goes in search
of his Palestinian teacher,
meets the teacher, he is
retired, the economic situation
is such that it is difficult to
light the stove in the house,
Rajhi puts his Palestinian
teacher in the car and tells
him, “I owe you.”
The teacher goes on to say, what
can anybody owe the poor, Rajhi
reminds his teacher that years
ago you gave me a reward of 1
riyal, the teacher smiles that
now you want to return that one
riyal to me?
Rajhi parks in front of a
bungalow in front of which there
is also an expensive car. Rajhi
tells his teacher that the
bungalow and the car are yours
from now on, we will be
responsible for all your
expenses.
There are tears in the eyes of
the Palestinian teacher and he
says that this magnificent
bungalow, this expensive car,
this is too much. Rajhi says
that my happiness was more than
your happiness when you gave me
a reward of 1 riyal that day.
Donates all his wealth
Suleiman al-Rajhi called his
children, wives and loved ones
in 2010 and distributed his
wealth among them and dedicated
everything that came his way.
At present, the value of
Sulaiman Al-Rajhi’s waqf is more
than 60 billion riyals.
He owns a Saudi company and Al-Rajhi
Bank, which has donated 170
million riyals for the corona
virus, and handed over two
hotels inside Makkah to the
Ministry of Health.
Guinness Book of World
Records
The garden is listed in the
Guinness Book of World Records
as the largest endeavour ever.
Forbes
Magazine
Forbes Magazine has named him
one of the world’s 20 greatest
benefactors. His biography is
worth reading.
In addition to founding the
world’s largest Islamic bank, he
established the largest poultry
farm across the entire Middle
East, Al-Watania Poultry.
You will probably
not find a city in Saudi Arabia
where mosques have not been
built by the Al-Rajhi family,
with full support of da’wah
centres, Quranic charitable
societies, etc.
And most importantly, they pay
their 1.5 million employees
before the end of the month.
In an interview he said: “It is
important that one leaves enough
for his heirs, and great to see
them enjoy their shares in peace
with each other!
However, as
important, one should return a
part of his fortune to the
nation and society.
We owe our success to the
country that nurtures us, and to
the people who trusted us and
bought our products.
Besides, you owe yourself as
much as you owe your family.
Once you leave this life, the
only investment that matters is
what you saved for your other
life.”
“So you gave half your wealth to
your family and half to your
endowment. What have you kept
for your expenses? A house? A
farm? A salary?”
“Simply, nothing!” he answered
with a beautiful, and calming
smile on his face.
“I am in my eighties! What would
I possibly need? The endowment
pays my bills, provides me with
accommodation, food, medical and
transportation, which I try to
keep at a minimum. I am well
covered!”
A multi-billionaire with no
money! “How does it feel?”
He smiled again, his eyes
misted, and said, “I feel light!
I feel free! I feel like a bird
… and when Allah calls on me, I
can answer His call with no
strings attached! What a
relief!!
WhereIsMyName: Afghan women campaign for the
right to reveal their name
A woman from
western Afghanistan - we will
call her Rabia - was suffering
from severe fever, so she went
to see a doctor. The doctor's
diagnosis was Covid-19.
Rabia returned home, suffering
from pain and fever, and gave
her prescription to her husband
to buy the medicine for her. But
when he saw her name on the
prescription he beat her, for
revealing it "to a strange man".
Her story - which was relayed to
the BBC through a friend - is
not unique. In Afghanistan,
family members often force women
to keep their name a secret from
people outside the family, even
doctors.
Using a woman's name in public
is frowned upon and can be
considered an insult. Many
Afghan men are reluctant to say
the names of their sisters,
wives or mothers in public.
Women are generally only
referred to as the mother,
daughter or sister of the eldest
male in their family, and Afghan
law dictates that only the
father's name should be recorded
on a birth certificate.
The problem starts early, when a
girl is born. It takes a long
time for her to be given a name.
Then when a woman is married her
name does not appear on her
wedding invitations. When she is
ill her name does not appear on
her prescription, and when she
dies her name does not appear on
her death certificate or even
her headstone.
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
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:
The Art Of Saying
Sorry
I often got into
trouble when I was a
little girl, all
feisty and
opinionated. Mother
used to reprimand me
with tight slaps.
Dad, on the other
hand, used to ask me
to say sorry. I grew
up saying “sorry”
many times and soon
it became a habit.
Soon, I was saying
sorry for things
that weren’t even my
fault. Worst part
about saying sorry
out of habit was
that I no longer
attached meaning and
value to my apology.
It became a word
which was convenient
to use when trying
to justify my
behaviours.
Upon reflection,
much later in life,
I became aware of my
habit of saying
meaningless sorrys
to people and never
really admitting
responsibility for
my actions. I dug
deeper into my
behaviour patterns
and discovered that
I actually was never
taught the meaning
of the word sorry
and why it needed to
be said. For years I
believed in the
misconception that
when I’m bad, I can
turn it into good by
saying sorry.
And then one day,
during my
self-reflection, it
dawned on me that
it’s not about me
being good or bad.
It’s about the
undeniable truth
that my actions, my
words, my behaviours
have actually caused
hurt to another
human being.
Acknowledging that
hurt and feeling
genuine remorse is
the only way to say
sorry.
Saying sorry is
actually about
SEEKING FORGIVENESS.
Saying sorry is NOT
ABOUT JUSTIFYING
your actions.
Saying sorry is
about forgiving
yourself and seeking
forgiveness from the
one who was hurt by
your words, actions
and behaviours.
Have you ever
received an apology
which seemed more
like a slap on the
face than an actual
sincere apology?
Where you felt more
hurt than when the
person initially
hurt you?
Have you ever said
sorry to another and
not really meant it?
Try practising the
following steps to
ensure that you are
mindfully saying
sorry and sincerely
seeking forgiveness.
Seeking
Forgiveness
1. Before
approaching the
person, pray
your salah and
ask ALLAH to
give you clarity
of speech
and help you
express a
sincere apology.
Ask ALLAH to
help the other
person with the
act of forgiving
you.
2. Express
genuine remorse
when you are
talking to the
person. A good
way to start
would be to say
something along
the lines of : I
am genuinely
sorry for
causing you
hurt. I feel
terrible about
it. I seek your
forgiveness. I
promise to be
mindful to never
repeat this
behaviour again,
In Shaa ALLAH.
Please forgive
me.
3. Wait for
the person to
process your
words. Even
if there is
silence, remain
calm. The person
may need time to
think about your
apology. He/she
has a right to
take this time.
Do not pressure
him/her to
respond
immediately.
Respect their
silence.
4. Tell the
person that you
respect the time
needed to think
about this.
Leave the room
to show that you
genuinely
respect the
person’s space
during this
time.
5. Sit
somewhere in
silence and make
duaa and dhikr,
express
gratitude to
ALLAH for giving
you this
opportunity to
express your
remorse. Ask
ALLAH to forgive
you for causing
hurt to another.
FREE
E-Book Muslimah
Mind Matters - The
Ultimate Self-Care
Guide For Muslimah
click here.
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
Arabs: A
3,000-Year History of Peoples, Tribes and Empires
by
Tim Mackintosh-Smith
DESCRIPTION
A riveting, comprehensive
history of the Arab peoples
and tribes that explores the
role of language as a
cultural touchstone
This kaleidoscopic book
covers almost 3,000 years of
Arab history and shines a
light on the footloose Arab
peoples and tribes who
conquered lands and
disseminated their language
and culture over vast
distances. Tracing this
process to the origins of
the Arabic language, rather
than the advent of Islam,
Tim Mackintosh-Smith begins
his narrative more than a
thousand years before
Muhammad and focuses on how
Arabic, both spoken and
written, has functioned as a
vital source of shared
cultural identity over the
millennia.
Mackintosh-Smith reveals how
linguistic developments—from
pre-Islamic poetry to the
growth of script, Muhammad’s
use of writing, and the
later problems of printing
Arabic—have helped and
hindered the progress of
Arab history, and
investigates how, even in
today’s politically
fractured post–Arab Spring
environment, Arabic itself
is still a source of unity
and disunity.
REVIEW
Who
is an “Arab”? What
makes one identify
as Arab?
Mackintosh-Smith
sets out to examine
these questions in
this erudite,
carefully crafted
book. He does not
take a strictly
chronological
approach. Rather, he
pursues themes
sometimes leading
him to skip over
details in the
story, only to
return to backfill
later. Notably, he
deals with the
historical, cultural
and centrifugal
forces that have
prevented Arabs from
achieving the unity
so many have sought
for generations,
while the magnetic
attraction of
language pulls them
together.
Readers who know
Arabic likely will
appreciate his
approach more than
those who do not.
While seasoning the
text with relevant
translations of
poetry and
observations
regarding the origin
and meaning of
Arabic words, his
style remains light
and entertaining.
Mackintosh-Smith is
as adept at coining
a phrase in English
as he is at
interpreting terms
in Arabic.
This is a book that
will be read by lay
readers and scholars
for decades.
—CHARLES O. CECIL
Q:
Dear Kareema, how can I ensure that my kids stay
at a healthy weight now that they are all at
school?
A:
It’s much easier for
kidsto stick to lifestyle changes so try to keep
them as active as possible.
When weight is
not the focus, kids will relax and enjoy being
active more.
Allow them to choose activities
they like and take a whole-family approach, do
the same in the kitchen with their involvement
in creating healthy snacks etc.
• Ensure they have a healthy
breakfast before school
• Pack a bottle of water as part of their
school lunch
• Try having at least one meal together as a
family
• Keep them active for at least an hour
daily
• Limit screen time
• A good night’s sleep is a must
A wealthy Mula Nasruddin was admitted to hospital for
heart surgery, but prior to the surgery, the doctors
needed to store his type of blood in case the need
arose.
As the gentleman had a rare type of blood, it couldn't
be found locally, so, the call went out.
Finally a Scotsman was located who had a similar blood
type.
The Scot willingly donated his blood for Mula Nasruddin.
After the surgery, Mula Nasruddin sent the Scotsman in
appreciation for giving his blood, a new BMW, 5 carats
of diamonds, and $50,000 dollars.
A couple of days later, once again, Mula Nasruddin had
to go through a corrective surgery.
The hospital telephoned the Scotsman who was more than
happy to donate more of his blood again.
After the second surgery, Mula Nasruddin sent the
Scotsman a thank-you card and a box of Black Magic
chocolates.
The Scotsman was shocked that Mula Nasruddin did not
reciprocate his kind gesture as he had before.
He phoned Mula Nasruddin and asked him: "I thought you
would be generous again, that you would give me another
BMW, diamonds and money ... but you only gave me a
thank-you card and a box of chocolates."
To this Mula Nasruddin replied: "Aye laddie, but I now
have Scottish blood in ma veins”.
Eventually the size of the
Muslim community became too
large for the rest of
Quraysh to ignore.
Previously the Muslims had
been able to perform their
prayers together in a
secluded area on the
outskirts of the town.
But as their prayer groups
grew larger, the chances of
them being seen increased.
That is exactly what
happened as a group of
praying Muslims were seen by
a group of idolworshippers,
whose immediate reaction was
to ridicule the Muslims and
their prayer.
At first the Quraysh were
content to view the small
community as an abnormality
to be mocked, until they
realized the gravity of
these new ideas.
Monotheism, social justice,
equality, and submission to
the rule of God were all
threatening theories to the
Quraysh.
In the eyes of many leading
members of Quraysh, the
solution was to rid
themselves of this new
religious and social
movement by getting rid of
the source: Muhammad.
But Arab society still had
structure and rules.
Although Muhammad was an
orphan, he was still under
the protection of his uncle,
Abu Talib, who was the
leader of the Banu Hashim
clan of Quraysh.
Abu Talib himself refused to
accept Islam, but his
dignity and respect for Arab
social customs demanded that
he protect his nephew.
Furthermore, age-old Arab
customs dictated that if
Muhammad was killed, his
clan would have permission
to go after his killers, and
thus civil war could break
out on the streets of Mecca.
So Muhammad himself could
not be harmed, but the
protection that he enjoyed
was not extended to his
followers, many of whom were
not protected by any clan or
family.
The Quraysh decided to
threaten and persecute them,
in the hopes of discouraging
others from joining the new
religion.
Muslims were thus regularly
harassed and deprived of the
same rights as polytheists
in Mecca.
While Muhammad himself had
protection, he was powerless
to stop the oppression of
his followers.
World Wellness Group are
pleased to announce the launch of
Multicultural Connect Line. A culturally
tailored service to help link community
members to supports to help with stress,
worry and practical issues that the
covid-19 pandemic has brought to our
lives.
This initiative is funded through the
Queensland Health covid-19 Immediate Support Measures.
Please give the helpline a
ring on 1300 079 020 or visit our website
www.worldwellnessgroup.org.au (new site
launching soon!) to find out more about the
suite of services offered at World Wellness
Group.
The Academy Alive scholars
are getting ready for their annual Queensland
Tour!
With the intention of connecting with our Muslim
brothers and sisters in regional Queensland,
Sheikh Ikraam Buksh and Sheikh Luqman Najib will
be driving from Brisbane, through to North
Queensland with several stops along the way.
We are so excited for this tour! To keep up to
date with the tour schedule and details,
please sign up here.
Please share this information with anyone you
know in regional Queensland, as we would love to
meet them and connect with our brothers and
sisters all around Queensland.
COMMUNITY SURVEY
As restrictions ease, the Hurricane Stars Club
Inc is restarting it's programs in August
inshallah. We want to ensure we are providing
effective services for the community to support
and engage men, women and children with the
programs they need.
Please assist us in
this process by completing two short surveys
that will only take 5 minutes. Have your say and
help us to provide the most beneficial programs
for the community.
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.
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..
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Trump nominee for Pentagon faces Senate
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Emirates Sees A Boost To Bookings Generated
By Eid
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