Islamic Relief Australia has
appointed Dr Nora Amath as
its new Chairperson. Dr
Amath is an academic and a
humanitarian who has
dedicated her career and
much of her personal time to
human rights advocacy and
community work. She will be
Islamic Relief Australia’s
first female Chairperson and
is a member of numerous
other charity and government
advisory boards.
Over the years, Dr Amath has
served as a consultant and
cross-cultural trainer for
various Australian
government agencies and
organisations on issues
related to Islam, Muslims,
multiculturalism, diversity
and community development.
In 2006, she received the
prestigious award of
Australian Muslim Woman of
the Year; and in 2013,
received an Australia Day
Community Award. In 2017,
she was a finalist in the
Australian of the Year
Awards. Dr Amath is seen as
a role model to many young
Muslim women in the
community.
Dr Amath knows all too well
the plight of refugees; she
was born in Vietnam and is
part of the persecuted Cham
Muslim minority group native
to the country. After being
forced to flee their home
after the Vietnam War, at
the age of three, Dr Amath
and her parents trekked
through the jungles of
Cambodia and arrived in
Thailand where they were
processed as refugees. By
the time she was five years
old, she had already lived
in five different countries.
It wasn’t until Dr Amath’s
family was granted political
asylum in the US that they
would be able to settle down
and find stability. After
completing her secondary
education in the US, Dr
Amath decided to move to
Malaysia to pursue Islamic
studies at the Islamic
University of Malaysia. It
was there that she would
meet her husband, a fourth
generation Australian, and
move to Australia shortly
after. They have three
children, aged 21, 20 and
17.
Experiencing life as a
refugee early on in life,
Islamic Relief’s mission is
something very close to Dr
Amath’s heart.
“I know all too well the
feelings of displacement,
vulnerability and poverty,
the sense of loss
experienced by so many
refugees around the world. I
distinctly know what it is
like when the support you
are given is not a hand out
but a hand up. This is why I
am so passionate about my
work with Islamic Relief.
Guided by the values of
sincerity, excellence,
compassion, social justice
and custodianship, at
Islamic Relief we envisage a
world where communities are
empowered, social
obligations are fulfilled
and people respond as one to
the suffering of others,
regardless of one’s race,
political affiliation,
gender or religious belief.”
“It is an incredible honour
to hold the highest ranking
position within Islamic
Relief Australia,
particularly as a female in
what has been traditionally
a male dominated industry.
However, it is important to
note that the Chair of
Islamic Relief Worldwide is
also female so there is
precedent within the Islamic
Relief family. What this
indicates is that there is
full support and strong
encouragement for women in
the organisation to step
into these senior roles. As
a female, my leadership
style is different – in how
I may tackle problems and
make decisions. That
diversity should be embraced
and celebrated as it allows
for the organisation to
reach its full innovative
potential.”
As the new Chair of Islamic
Relief Australia, Dr Amath
will see in Islamic Relief
Australia’s pivotal 10th
year anniversary,
celebrating a decade of
transformational change for
the world’s most vulnerable
people.
“The appointment of Dr Amath
as the first female Chair of
Islamic Relief Australia is
a significant milestone for
the organisation. We’re very
fortunate to have someone of
Dr Amath’s calibre on our
Board and leading the
charity’s strategic
direction over the coming
years. I’m looking forward
to working closely with Dr
Amath and I have no doubt
that she will provide all
the support and leadership
needed to grow Islamic
Relief Australia into one of
Australia’s leading
charities,” said Walid Ali,
Islamic Relief Australia CEO.
Women
and Leadership Australia
awarded Ms Jamila Rizvi with
the 2020 Victoria Award for
Excellence in Women's
Leadership
Jamila is Chief Creative
Officer of the Nine
Network’s Future Women and a
weekly columnist for the
Sydney Morning Herald and
the Age.
She is a regular television
commentator on gender issues
and an occasional host on
ABC Radio Melbourne.
Jamila is the author of two
best-selling books Not Just
Lucky, a career manifesto
for millennial women and The
Motherhood, an anthology of
letters about life with a
newborn.
She is currently working on
her third book, with fellow
author Rosie Waterland,
about the intersection
between physical and mental
health, inspired by her
ongoing brain tumour battle.
Jamila is the co-founder of
the popular event series Tea
with Jam and Claire and
previously worked in
politics for the Rudd and
Gillard Governments.
She is an ambassador for
CARE Australia, as well as
donating profits from the
sale of her second book to
their cause of empowering
women and girls in
developing communities.
Jamila is a board member of
the Melbourne Writers’
Festival and lives in
Melbourne with her husband
Jeremy, son Rafi and many
loads of clean but
regrettably unfolded
washing.
Acro SMSF &
Financial Services
was established in
2017 as a sister
company to Acro
Accounting &
Financial Planning.
With a large need
from clients for
assistance with
their personal
finance matters, a
separate service was
created to focus
efforts and better
assist with our
valued clients’
financial
situations.
Led by principal
adviser
Mohammed Saheed,
our team is
committed to helping
our clients secure a
better future
through personalised
advice and
customised plans.
We specialise in the
following areas and
can provide advice
in relation to:
If you are in need
of a trusted and
professional
service, then please
do not hesitate to
contact our office
on (07) 3341 4658 or
email us at
mohammed@acrofs.com.au.
Assalamu Alaikkum. May God’s
peace be upon to All.
ISD greatly do acknowledge
the NT Government. Excellent
works by the Community
volunteers Mrs Sumaira
Khurram, Mrs Anisha Manzoor,
Mrs Sana Rahman & Mrs Amina
for your great helps with
the face painting and Henna.
The community children and
parents were so grateful for
your hard works today.
Thank you Tejinder Singh,
family, team offering food
to our community, also
feeding
underprivileged,travelling
with us for many years&also
to interfaith friends
joining us. We do apologise
as we couldn’t invite many
Interfaith friends due to
limited space availability.
Special mention to Senior
Women volunteers Mrs Tanveer
Banu, Mrs Warda, Mrs Sophia
&ISD Executive Committee for
the hard works to make the
Children’s performance &
event very successful. Also
to Mr Saly Ahamod, Mr Fadlly
Shiddiq and Mrs Dasri Melfi
for the Assistance.
Thank you Beloved Bishop
Charles Gauci, Respected
Imam Shyamsul Bahri, Deputy
Chief Minister&
Multicultural Affairs
Minister Hon Nicole Manison
: Member for Wanguri,
Minister for Tourism and
Culture Hon. Lauren Moss :
Member for Casuarina,
Assistant Minister for
Multicultural Affairs Ms
Kate Worden MLA: Member for
Sanderson, Opposition Leader
Mrs Lia Finocchiaro,
Indonesian Consul Mr Gulfan
Afero- Mrs Oeke Gumiarni, Dr
Edwin Joseph JP, Staff from
MCNT, Vice-Chairman Islamic
Council of Northern
Territory - ICNT Mr
Chowdhury, President ISD,
Vice-President ISD for your
felicitation messages to the
Top End Islamic Community.
Great works by Mr Robiul
Islam Rubel, Mr Arif H
Jewel, Mr Quayum Hassanat
-team & Pilot Abul Mohammed.
YOUTH Vollies Anaz, Nazmus,
Adil, Atif, Farooq, Sulaiman,
Hassan Skegsy, Bilal Mir,
Fayaaz, Ms Sofia Ghouse Syed,
Ms Sara Othman (Dr Saidah
Haron), Ms Abeera Nadeem &
Ayisha and you have embedded
with enormous potential with
“CAN DO” positive
Vibrations.
May the Almighty bless all
the VOLUNTEER Teachers who
are working hard in their
own time by sacrificing
their family commitments-but
only to caring the VARIETY
of Community children to
gain leadership Skills, the
Future leaders of this
Country. Ameen!!!
Feroz M Ibrahim,
Community Volunteer&Advocate
for Interfaith Harmony
Commissioner for Oaths (NT)
Arabic speakers say parts of
this message are "nonsensical"
"Nonsensical" and
"laughable" language
translations of COVID-19
public health messages are
being distributed to
multicultural communities,
prompting fears migrants and
refugees will lose trust in
authorities' handling of the
coronavirus pandemic.
The ABC has examined
official translations of
COVID-19 messages produced
by the Federal and Victorian
governments. Some had
translation errors, while
one failed to differentiate
between two entirely
different languages.
One Federal Health
Department campaign aimed at
encouraging Arabic speakers
to wear face masks was so
poorly formatted it "doesn't
make sense", according to
the Refugee Council of
Australia's Deena Yako, a
native Arabic speaker.
"It's gibberish and it's
nonsensical," she said.
The translation errors have
occurred on a state level as
well.
In Victoria, one poster
about using face masks when
leaving home featured
information in both Farsi
and Arabic — two entirely
different languages, which
share a similar alphabet.
Ms Yako said those were just
some examples of bad
language translations during
the pandemic.
She said the errors risked
eroding both the authority
of the health messages, and
trust in all levels of
government.
In response to the ABC's
questions, a spokesperson
for the Federal Department
of Health said the error in
the Arabic translation was
fixed quickly, and the
mistake happened when the
document was uploaded to the
website.
The department said it
intended to have translators
check material once it was
posted online to avoid
future problems.
A spokesperson for the
Victorian Health Department
said it also fixed the
translation error as soon as
it was made aware of it.
ABC NEWS
In some cases, flyers with
the wrong language on them have
been distributed.
It has all the hallmarks of
a blockbuster, but what has
turned this Turkish saga into a
global phenomenon is its nuanced
portrayal of the Islamic world
On a trip to Istanbul two
years ago, outside a
restaurant a stone’s throw
from the Blue Mosque, the
waiter arrived. As he leaned
forward to pass a menu, the
name on his silver badge
caught my mother’s eye:
“Your name is Turgut?! Like
the character in Ertuğrul?”
In a split-second, the two
had plunged into an
impassioned exchange in
broken Turkish and English
about a hit series of which
I had never heard. To my
horror, my mother began
yelling “Haidar Allah!” and
“Ey Vallah” – expressions
from the series, I later
learned – to the delight of
our waiter, who grinned a
wide, Cheshire cat smile.
The series my mother was
referring to was Diriliş:
Ertuğrul (Resurrection:
Ertugrul). Set in the 13th
century, it is a historical
drama loosely based on the
life of Ertuğrul Ghazi, the
father of Sultan Osman, who
founded the Ottoman empire.
Engin Altan Düzyatan plays
the heroic, hirsute Ertuğrul,
gallantly fighting an array
of pugnacious Crusaders,
Templars, Byzantines and
Mongols. As the son of the
tribe’s leader, Suleyman-Shah,
Ertuğrul carries the fate of
his people, the Kayi tribe,
on his rippling shoulders,
but he carries a heavier
burden in his heart: his
undying love for his
“wide-eyed gazelle”, the
Seljuk princess Halime Hatun,
played by Esra Bilgiç.
With plenty of romance,
opulent costumes, a sweeping
musical score and bloody
battle scenes, the
five-season show, as well as
bearing the hallmarks of a
Ridley Scott epic, has been
dubbed the “Muslim Game of
Thrones”. Its positive
depiction of Islamic rituals
and scripting, which often
includes words of wisdom
from Ibn ‘Arabî of Andalucía
– one of the greatest Muslim
philosophers – has helped it
to carve out a unique place
in the entertainment
landscape. Therein lies its
global appeal to the Muslim
diaspora.
Since its release in 2014,
the Turkish TV series has
captured audiences in Latin
America, South Asia and
Africa. Nelson Mandela’s
grandson and Venezuela’s
president, Nicolás Maduro,
are among its burgeoning
army of fans. The English
subtitled version released
on Netflix in 2017 has
beguiled English-speaking
audiences across the UK and
the US. The series is now so
popular that it has been
dubbed into six languages
and broadcast in 72
countries. On YouTube alone,
Ertuğrul has surpassed 1.5bn
views.
Its maker, Turkish Radio
Television (TRT), describes
it as a show with an
“ability to connect global
audiences through shared
values. The strongest
sentiment that fans express
about the show is that
they’re able to see
themselves in the hero
characters of the show.
Often the stories we see in
big productions lack nuance
in how they portray
narratives and characters
that don’t fit a typical
mould.”
Indeed, for Tausif Khan, a
30-year-old senior manager
at a consulting firm in the
UK, it was the first time he
saw his own cultural and
religious history powerfully
reflected. “If you’re white,
you get Downton Abbey and
all these period dramas,” he
says. “Whenever I see
historic dramas about
British Asians, it’s always
‘poor Asians’ in the 1970s
being attacked by the
National Front. The only
story we’re allowed to have
is: ‘I’m so confused about
my identity.’ Then you’ve
got films like Blinded by
the Light and The Big Sick,
stories about a brown person
who needs to marry a white
person in order to be happy.
“Ertuğrul is the Muslim
world’s Black Panther,” Khan
adds. “It’s not because a
Muslim audience is
brainwashed by Islamic
rhetoric. It’s because we
want to see brown people on
TV who are portrayed in a
good light and are proud of
their culture.”
The stereotype of Muslims in
films, diagnosed by British
actor Riz Ahmed as “the
minicab driver/terrorist/cornershop
owner”, persists in
Hollywood and television;
Homeland and Bodyguard are
just two recent examples.
Shaf Choudry, the co-founder
of The Riz Test, which
measures the portrayal of
Muslims on film and TV, said
the majority of films
submitted failed because
they used Islamophobic
tropes and stereotypes.
“The most frequently
submitted ‘pass’ by a long
way is Ertuğrul”, said
Choudry. “Riz Test reviewers
often submit Ertuğrul
reviews with explanations of
how refreshing it is to see
nuanced Muslim characters on
screen with high production
values.”
The absence of sex scenes
means the series may be more
accessible to younger
viewers, too – although
there is still a healthy
smattering of gore.
Thirteen-year-old Aminah
Shahid, from Bradford,
became so infatuated with
the show that her mother
bought her Ertuğrul-themed
pillows. She began learning
Turkish after rewatching the
show 12 times. “I got
obsessed. It’s probably why
I need glasses!” she says.
Advertisement
Its depiction of politically
engaged women with agency
has not escaped the notice
of its female fans – and
runs contrary to much of the
negative stereotyping
surrounding Muslim women. In
the pilot episode, Halime
wields a sword and defends
herself against a man who
sexually assaults her. Hayme
Ana, the gracious first lady
of the tribe and Ertuğrul’s
mother, often advises her
husband and sons at pivotal
moments in the series.
Antagonist Selcan Hatun is
another strong female
character, led by an
insatiable ambition and
desire for revenge.
“The women of Ertuğrul are
depicted as strong, resolute
and nuanced,” says Hind
Makki, a journalist and the
co-host of Ertuğrul podcast
Bey Watch. “They are not
mere love interests – they
are warriors and leaders in
business and politics.
Still, they are
circumscribed by the
patriarchy of their time and
place – and being or
becoming a wife and mother
is the most important
milestone of their lives.”
The series has found renewed
popularity during lockdown,
especially in Pakistan. In
October last year, the prime
minister, Imran Khan, urged
state-run Pakistan
Television (PTV) to
broadcast the series dubbed
in Urdu, reportedly because
its promotion of Islamic
values and positive
depiction of Muslims could
be an antidote to
Islamophobia. Since PTV
uploaded the series on to
YouTube on 25 April,
coinciding with the first
day of Ramadan, the channel
gained 5.74 million
subscribers.
Yet despite its global
fanbase, the series – part
of the Turkish genre of “dizi”,
sweeping epic dramas with
seemingly infinite episodes
– is not without its
controversies.
In 2018, audiences across
the Middle East were
deprived of all Turkish TV
dramas, including Ertuğrul,
after they were banned by
MBC, the largest private
media network in the region.
In Egypt, religious scholars
cautioned against the
dangers of Turkish soft
power cultivated by its TV
shows.
Domestically, the show has
become entangled in a
culture war between
religious conservatives and
secular critics. Parallels
between the nationalist
sentiment evoked by the
drama and Turkey’s political
reality under president
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan have
been made. Erdoğan’s
presidency has been mired in
accusations of autocracy and
censorship following the
failed coup of 2016.
At an award ceremony in
Turkey in the same year,
Erdoğan extolled the series
for “entering the nation’s
heart”. But Sevda Alankuş, a
professor at Yaşar
University in Turkey, said
that a “discourse of
populism fed by nationalism
and conservatism” and
fuelled by Erdoğan’s
government was being
deployed through popular
culture dramas such as
Ertuğrul to “rewrite
history”. TRT isTurkey’s
public broadcaster.
Yet its popularity shows no
signs of dimming. Turkey is
now second to the US in
worldwide TV distribution,
according to the Turkish
culture and tourism
ministry, exporting nearly
150 series to more than 100
countries. TripAdvisor is
saturated with humorous
requests from internet
literate children organising
Ertuğrul-themed holidays to
Turkey for their parents.
Sogut, the first Ottoman
capital where Ertuğrul
himself is buried, is now a
tourist destination because
of the series. As fan
gatherings erupt from London
to Cape Town, Ertuğrul is a
cultural behemoth that seems
unlikely to disappear any
time soon.
Islamic banking has been a
growing feature of
international finance for
many years and now efforts
are underway to introduce it
in Australia.
A group of
Muslim-Australians and
industry veterans are behind
efforts to establish the
country's first Islamic bank
as an "ethical alternative"
to conventional banking.
Islamic banks do not deal
with interest, which is
forbidden by the Quran,
rather they use
profit-sharing agreements to
generate income.
The institution would add to
an expanding landscape of
culturally compliant
financial services and bring
Australia in line with a
global sector worth
trillions of dollars.
Proponents say non-Muslims,
who are looking beyond the
"big four" banks, might also
find the start-up's moral
mindfulness appealing.
What is Islamic banking?
Islamic banks operate in
dozens of countries around
the world, inlcuding
Malaysia, Indonesia, and the
UK.
Their main difference to
conventional banks is that
they do not deal in usury,
or interest, which is called
riba and forbidden in the
Quran.
They believe profit should
come from real material and
real labour, whereas usury
makes money by trading money
and giving nothing in
return.
Instead, banks enter into
profit-sharing agreements
with customers.
If the borrower, say, a
business, makes a profit,
they share it with the bank
but if there are losses, the
bank does not make money.
Dealing with products like
gambling, tobacco and
alcohol are also forbidden.
It is this core belief that
inspired Rashid Raashed to
found the group Islamic
Banking Australia (IBA)
eight years ago.
"I wanted to provide an
alternative for those who
wanted to live true to their
faith," Dr Raashed said.
The law scholar from
Macquarie University has
been working on a range of
financial products and
services that are compliant
with Sharia and Australian
regulations.
The Australia Prudential
Regulation Authority is
currently considering
whether to grant IBA a
restricted licence to
service a small customer
base.
The institution would be
digital — offering
transaction accounts,
deposits and home finance —
with plans to eventually
branch into small business
lending.
Opening IBA for business, he
said, would be a victory for
more than the 600,000-plus
Muslims living in Australia.
"Multiculturalism will be
truly lived up to," Dr
Raashed said.
"It will bring a bit of
diversity and another model
for those interested in
ethical banking.
"I feel that we have done
something good for all
Australians."
Muslim-Australians can
already access Sharia-compliant
products through a range of
institutions but the market
is still developing.
Muzzammil
Dhedhy from Hejaz Financial
Services said the opening of
an Islamic bank would be a
significant achievement for
the community.
"Muslim-Australians really
have limited options when it
comes to Sharia-compliant
services that also deliver
the right financial outcomes
the client is seeking," he
said.
But Mr Dhedhy said customers
were also looking for a
quality product.
"That's the new standard
that Muslim-Australians are
setting for service
providers," he said.
"A Muslim can already access
an interest-free savings
account with a conventional
bank, so it comes down to
whether an Islamic bank will
deliver the outcomes
customers have sought for so
long."
Industry veterans at the
helm
It is a venture that has
attracted the interest of
some industry veterans both
in conventional and Islamic
banking.
ME Bank founding CEO Anthony
Wamsteker serves as chair of
IBA Group, while director
Sultan Choudhury was made an
Officer of the British
Empire for promoting Islamic
finance in Great Britain.
IBA's chief executive Dean
Gillespie was the former
head of loan sales for
Commonwealth Bank and has
worked in senior roles at
Bankwest and in retail
banking overseas.
He said the chance to
establish a new model of
banking in Australia
inspired him to get
involved.
"The opportunity to build
something from scratch that
would really help a segment
of the community was really
interesting for me," he
said.
With a customer waiting list
of more than 1,000 people,
Mr Gillespie said the
community's appetite was
real.
"There's also an opportunity
for a challenger brand in
the Australian ecosystem.
People have banked with the
big banks for a very long
time," he said.
Ten years ago, a discussion
paper on Islamic finance led
to a charged political
debate.
The then chair of the Board
of Taxation, Dick Warburton,
declared the discussions
were playing on "emotion
rather than fact".
"There's clearly some
resistance in the community
to anything Islamic at the
moment … [but] I think
you've got to look at every
one of those things on their
face value, not on some
emotional feel," he said at
the time.
It was a position Mr
Gillespie hoped most
Australians had moved past.
"We're trying to be an
ethical bank that does good.
Some people might have an
opinion about that, but I'm
not going to get into it,"
he said.
Suzanna Martanti has been
knocked back from almost 80
jobs since mid-February, and
was at one point competing
against more than 700 other
applicants for a medical
receptionist role.
She had been mostly trying
for similar jobs due to to
her skills and previous 10
years of experience, but had
felt increasingly anxious
and upset every time she was
unsuccessful.
"It's a daunting and
overwhelming task, but I
will keep trying," said Mrs
Martanti, who lives in
Melbourne's northern
suburbs.
She attributes the increased
competition to the economic
impact of the coronavirus
pandemic and subsequent
lockdowns.
Mrs Martanti said
notifications from SEEK
often told her hundreds of
people tried to apply for
the same job, and one
part-time medical
receptionist role received
more than 700 applications.
..........
The mother-of-two, who
migrated to Australia from
Indonesia in 2005, said she
had been diagnosed with
"high functioning anxiety" a
few years ago, but the
"accumulation of feelings"
triggered by the lockdowns
had worsened her mental
health.
She said she was mostly able
to function normally, but
when anxiety hit she felt
like crying over the
smallest things.
"I don't want to talk, even
with anyone at home. All I
want to do is just be
sitting in my room by
myself," she said.
Mrs Martanti's mental
struggles are far from
unique — the growing weight
of the coronavirus burden
has lead to an increase in
mental health issues across
Australia.
There was a child who was
vivacious and full of joy,
who turned out to have a
severe speech and language
delay. When she began
school, her parents were
worried about how she’d go,
but such special efforts
were made, especially by the
permanent teacher aide in
her preppie classroom, to
connect her socially, that
this little girl grew to
love school. She was proud
to go to big school. She had
a small little friendship
group, and one solid female
bestie, who always looked
out for her. When the family
moved, this little girl
started out at another big
school, that made all the
promises that care would be
taken of her. But they broke
these promises, and that
little girl went into a
psychological downward
spiral – she was barely 7
years old.
Compassion is at the heart
of our religion, and I
believe the same goes for
Islamic pedagogy (the “way
of teaching and learning”).
But Australia as a country
is a lot less clear on what
it values when it comes to
school education. Numerous
studies over the past two
decades show many of our
school kids don’t feel like
they belong at school.
As a former high school
teacher, I can speak to the
overwhelming tide of
adolescent learners who have
formed a negative view of
themselves and school very
early on, and have carried
the tag as ‘the problem’ or
‘special needs’ student ever
since, without ever finding
a positive and independent
sense of who they are. By
the time they reach high
school, the damage is
heart-breaking and very hard
to unravel.
Many of us parents long for
an education system that
values the full formation of
the child – socially,
emotionally, spiritually,
intellectually, creatively.
But the Queensland education
system has a problem at its
core, because although it
has an impressive sounding
‘inclusive education’ policy
for those kids that don’t
fit the ‘norm’, it has a
range of other policies that
work against it. It is a
pressure cooker environment
for teachers and students.
‘Inclusive education’ can
translate well for some
families where schools are
invested in marshalling
resources, whilst leaving
others completely adrift. It
all comes down to the school
leadership, experience of
teachers, and knowledge of
parents. If you’re a parent
who is missing knowledge
about what to advocate for,
and the school leadership is
not transparent or engaged,
and the teacher lacks
experience – well, your kid
is very vulnerable. And even
if you do know what to
advocate for after tireless
research on your part, if
you’re trying to change a
system that doesn’t want to
change, you and your child
are at risk of burn out.
Facebook these days has
groups like QCIE support and
the Community Resource Unit
(CRU) trying to build that
peer support between
parents. Efforts to empower
parents are important, but
we can’t allow this
haphazard approach to
inclusion to prevail. How do
we build accountability and
transparency into the
education system so
low-performing schools in
relation to inclusion are
exposed?
Worldwide, nations are
dealing with a similar issue
in relation to social media
companies. They have
impressive sounding policies
to reduce harms to users,
but their enforcement is hit
and miss. Hence there is a
push to demand
‘transparency’ reports from
them, to inform about how
well they are managing
safety. Their legal duty to
create a safe environment is
a lot less pronounced than
the Australian legal duty of
care on schools, and yet,
this commitment to
transparency has not yet
been envisioned for schools.
There should be transparency
requirements published about
school leadership
performance when it comes to
inclusion, for example the
number of discrimination
complaints made against
them, satisfaction data from
teachers, students and
parents, and a star rating
of how up to scratch and
transparent their processes
are for marshalling
disability support. At the
very least this could be
made available to new
enrolling families.
Instead our system currently
compares schools only by
their academic scores
through NAPLAN. And the
responsibility for picking
up the pieces of schools
that disregard our children,
falls on the shoulders of
parents and those children
themselves, as well as
exhausted teachers. Efforts
to empower parents are
helpful, but the greatest
empowerment will come with
knowing the power of their
vote to demand real system
change.
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) or any
organizations the author may
be associated with.
Do you want to inform and
get your opinion and
expertise out there into the
community?
Christchurch attacks: dozens of victims
arrive in New Zealand for gunman's
sentencing
More than 50 people,
including those wanting to
support victims, enter
quarantine ahead of 24 August
court date
A memorial outside al-Noor
mosque in Christchurch, New
Zealand. The man convicted of
the shootings will be sentenced
on 24 August.
Dozens of people affected by
the Christchurch mosque
shootings have returned to
New Zealand ahead of this
month’s sentencing.
Christchurch MP and cabinet
minister Megan Woods said 53
people – including some from
Australia – were in managed
isolation facilities,
quarantining for a
fortnight, so they could
either attend or support
family.
Brenton Tarrant will be
sentenced for the attacks on
two mosques in a multi-day
hearing in Christchurch’s
high court from 24 August.
The Australian was convicted
of 51 counts of murder, 40
of attempted murder and one
terrorism charge in March
after reversing his initial
plea to guilty.
High court justice Cameron
Mander has withheld the
sentencing to allow the full
participation of as many
victims as possible.
Woods said she was pleased
to be able to overcome
Covid-19 and facilitate the
movement of people.
“They’re just incredibly
pleased that in the middle
of a global pandemic, where
it is incredibly difficult
to move around the world,
that they have been able to
travel here,” she told Radio
NZ.
Woods said among the cohort
were 34 victims and 13
support people, who had
travelled “to be able to
support their family
members, many of whom are
those who lost immediate
family members, fathers and
brothers and so forth, in
the shootings”.
Of the group, 28 were New
Zealand citizens and 25
needed an exemption to enter
New Zealand, travelling from
Australia, the UK, Turkey,
Jordan, Bangladesh,
Pakistan, Fiji, Egypt and
Singapore.
Woods said they were happy
to comply with the
compulsory quarantine. “The
list of countries ... where
some of the people coming
from [show] that it is
vitally important that we do
have that 14 days of managed
isolation,” she said.
The group will not have to
pay for their quarantine,
arriving before the
government’s charging regime
kicked in.
“This group is coming in at
a particularly traumatic
time,” she said. “We’re
working with police who have
liaison members with each of
the families.
“The court is also aware of
the need to take what steps
it can to minimise the
re-traumatisation of victims
and their families and
avoid, to the extent
possible, the hearing
causing further potential
harm.”
Last month, it was revealed
that Tarrant’s stay in an
Auckland prison was costing
around $NZ2m ($1.3m) a year.
The 29-year-old livestreamed
his crimes and is expected
to be sentenced to life
imprisonment.
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.
Abdul-Karim Abdullah
is Lambeth’s
community champion,
working with young
people across the
borough to help them
escape a life of
violence and trauma.
As a key member of
the London
Independent Youth
Safety Board, he has
played an important
role in changing the
approach of the
Mayor’s Office for
Police and Crime
toward violent
crime.
This, in turn, has
led the Mayor of
London, Sadiq Khan,
to set up the London
Violence Reduction
Unit which is now
being led by Lib
Peck, the former
leader of Lambeth
Council and a
supporter of
AbdulKarim’s work.
AbdulKarim is the
Chair of Lambeth’s
Stop and Search
Monitoring Board,
the Chair of
Lambeth’s Youth
Violence Forum and
the Chair of the
Metropolitan
Police’s Youth
Independent Advisory
Group.
A recipient of the
National Diversity
Award, AbdulKarim is
invited by both
print and broadcast
media to share his
expert opinion on
violence and crime
among young people.
AbdulKarim is a
spoken word poet,
producer of the
documentary Road 2
Recovery, and the
youth and community
events manager of
Brixton Mosque.
Abbas, also known as Abu
Mazen, is the President of
the Palestinian National
Authority, and chairman of
the Palestine Liberation
Organization.
Influence Politics: President
Abbas is one of the few
surviving founder members of
Fatah the main political
grouping within the PLO. He
has always been committed to
pursuing an independent
Palestinian state through
negotiations and was one of
the principal architects of
the Oslo peace process. He
accompanied Yassir Arafat to
the White House to sign the
Oslo Accords. He was elected
President of the PNA in 2005
in what was due to be a
four-year term. No elections
have been held since then,
and so he remains President.
Treaty with Jordan:
President Abbas signed a
historic agreement with King
Abdullah II of Jordan
confirming the Hashemite
Kingdom’s custodianship over
the Holy Sites of Jerusalem.
This treaty makes formal a
situation which has existed
since 1924, and it will not
merely avoid any disputes
between Jordan and
Palestine, but will more
importantly enable both
countries to jointly legally
protect the Holy Sites in
Jerusalem against Israeli
(official or unofficial)
incursions, physical
destruction and illegal
annexation.
Key Issues: President
Abbas has been vocal in his
opposition to the ‘Deal of
the Century’, refusing
promises of billions worth
of investment. This in a
context of no political
progress for the Palestinian
situation, aid cuts of
hundreds of millions of
dollars by the US and an
economy in ruins. The
financial crisis has led to
deep salary cuts which in
turn have fueled further
unpopularity to his rule.
Internal politics are
heating up as potential
candidates eye up the
succession to Abbas.
Belgian
protest for
headscarf rights
at university
Some 1,000 people protest court
ruling and stand up for freedom
to wear headscarves
People gather at the Mont des
Arts for a demonstration against
the headscarf ban at a Brussels
college, in Brussels, Belgium on
July 5, 2020. The demonstration
came after the remark of the
Constitutional Court not to
annul the ban on headscarves
imposed by the university
college.
BRUSSELS: Some
1,000 people
took the streets
in the Belgian
capital last
month to
advocate for the
right to wear
headscarves at
universities.
The #HijabisFightBack
event was
organized by
three local NGOs
representing
Muslim women and
fighting for
social
inclusion.
The protest
targeted a
recent
constitutional
court ruling
that allows a
ban on religious
symbols in
higher
education.
The protest was
dominated by
young women,
including many
not covered who
wanted to
protest
discrimination
and show
solidarity with
their peers who
wear
headscarves.
Protesters
carried signs
such as “Don’t
judge a woman by
her cover!” “Why
should I be
neutral?” and
“Where is the
freedom if I
can’t put on
whatever I
want?”
Respecting the
rules of Belgian
authorities, the
demonstrators
wore masks and
tried to keep
social distance.
In June, the
Belgian
constitutional
court ruled that
prohibiting
religious
symbols –
including hijabs
– in higher
education does
not constitute a
violation of
freedom of
religion or the
right to
education under
the Belgian
Constitution and
European
Convention on
Human Rights.
The decision
came after a
Brussels court
referred to the
constitutional
court the case
of a group of
Muslim women who
challenged the
Francisco Ferrer
College for not
allowing its
students to wear
head coverings.
However,
headscarf bans
are not
widespread in
Belgium.
Several Belgian
higher education
institutions –
including the
famous Free
University of
Brussels (VUB)
or Catholic
University of
Leuven – made
clear in July
that they
welcome students
"regardless of
gender, origin
or social
status, with or
without a
headscarf.".
AA
Petition
calls for the
lifting of the
banning of
Hijabs in higher
education in
Belgium
Some people on social media have been blaming Oldham’s BAME community for the spike of Covid-19 cases in the area.
We’ve spoken to four British Asians from Oldham to get their thoughts on why BAME are disproportionately affected by coronavirus and whether they’re really at fault.
Some people
on social media have been
blaming Oldham’s BAME
community for the spike of
Covid-19 cases in the area.
BBC Asian
Network spoke to four British
Asians from Oldham to get
their thoughts on why BAME
are disproportionately
affected by coronavirus and
whether they’re really at
fault.
Imen Siar
on Britain's Got Talent 2020
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.
The inspirational story of Jawahir Roble,
the UK’s first female Muslim referee aiming
for the Premier League
UK: Jawahir Roble
is hoping to become the UK's
first female Muslim referee to
officiate in the Premier League.
She moved to the UK with her
parents at the age of ten as the
family looked to escape the
civil war in Somalia.
They took up residence in
Wembley, London, and Roble says
that her love of football not
only helped her to make friends
but to integrate in the
community despite speaking no
English at the time.
"You don't need to know
anybody's language to play
football," she told the Press
Association’s Jamie Gardner.
"Football has helped me so much,
it has developed me as a person.
Sometimes communicating with
people is difficult, especially
with other kids. That's how I
started learning the language -
it was bringing my own football
to the school and kids would
come to me and say 'Oh, Jawahir,
you have a football, can we
please play?' Just with hand
gestures they could say 'come
on, let's play together' and I
was like 'OK, let's go'."
Initially she held dreams of
becoming a professional
footballer, but those were ended
when her parents forbade her
from playing.
Refusing to give up on her
passion completely, Roble turned
to refereeing instead.
"I started volunteering at my
local clubs and then one time I
was asked to this local girls'
league and they did not have
enough referees so they asked me
to volunteer," she recalls.
"It was such a cool Saturday, I
just went straight into it. I
love football, I love the rules.
I've learned to appreciate
referees more and I'm so glad I
gave it a chance, because
sometimes you have to give it a
go.
"My plan in life was to become a
professional footballer and then
a few years later it became a
passion with refereeing. That
was never my plan but I am glad
it happened."
And now she hopes to referee in
the Premier League or the
Women's Super League one day.
"Honestly that's the mission,”
she said.
"I'm getting my fitness up, I've
lost a lot of weight you know,
I've got cheekbones and
everything. It's happening -
university has finished and I am
going all out."
"I am very fortunate," she
continued. "I am a black woman,
I am visibly a Muslim, I don't
think I can recall any
incidents. Once, a parent came
up to me and said 'ref, someone
said something discriminatory to
you, you should chase it up'.
But apart from that one
incident, I've been very lucky
so far."
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
Assumption versus
Clarification
It is a mercy from
ALLAH that we humans
are gifted with a
mind that is able to
think. Thoughts may
be factual or
hypothetical – based
on actual facts or
merely imagined, and
based on feelings.
Assumption is the
act of accepting
something as true,
or as certain to
happen, without
proof.
Clarification is the
act of seeking facts
or proof to support
a thought or
hypothesis.
One of the main
reasons why
relationships break
down in today’s
society is that we
don’t communicate
with clarity.
Instead, assumptions
have become the norm
of our dysfunctional
family units.
A classic example of
assumption in this
age of smartphones
would be where the
blue ticks on
Whatsapp may be
assumed as “message
read”, when in fact,
this may not always
be the case.
Furthermore, if
there is no response
to the message, the
sender would, most
often, assume that
the recipient is
“ignoring the
message”. It is no
wonder we are living
on edge with our
emotions and are
quick to judge
others.
How to seek
clarification
Reflect on the last
few days of your
life and make a list
of things you have
assumed about people
or situations,
without having any
real proof. Now,
reflect on how each
of these assumptions
has panned out for
you.
For example, in my
own life, a couple
of years ago I felt
extreme pain in my
left abdominal area.
Immediately, I
assumed the worst
diagnosis. There was
no proof, yet, there
was a toxic,
addictive yearning
from me to gravitate
towards a negative
outcome.
I now know that it
was based on my
fears of a past
medical condition. I
had assumed that it
was recurring. The
only way to douse
those fears was to
seek clarification
from my GP. Blood
tests and scans
later indicated that
my fears and
assumptions were
baseless.
The important thing
to remember is that
when we assume, what
we are actually
doing is creating a
“false story” and
choosing to believe
in it as though it
were true. The
repercussions of
believing in this
false story may cost
us our peace of
mind, damage
relationships and
even cause ailments
in the body and
mind.
The only solution is
to seek
clarification. Not
only that, but seek
clarification
tactfully to ensure
you don’t impose
your fears and
insecurities on
another.
Notice the
scenario below:
Husband forgets to
take his phone with
him. He has been
gone all day. Wife
tries to reach him.
His phone vibrates
silently by the
bedside table. Wife
doesn’t notice the
phone there. She
assumes he is
ignoring her calls.
She lets this
thought catapult to
numerous unpleasant
assumptions about
her husband.
Eventually, husband
returns in the
evening. He walks in
with a smile,
however, the wife
begins showering
accusations at him.
He finds it
difficult to
comprehend her
words. Finally, he
realises he left his
phone at home. He
tells her about it.
She chooses to
ignore him because
she is too worked up
to see things
rationally. She
chooses to remain
grumpy the whole
evening.
The above scenario
could easily have
been handled
differently had the
wife tactfully
sought clarification
from her husband.
All it required was
for her to let him
know that she had
tried calling him
all day and became
concerned when there
was no answer. Was
everything alright?
Simple. The act of
seeking
clarification not
only opens and
deepens our
communication
channels but also
opens the mind to
exercise patience –
one of the most
important virtues
that ALLAH commands
us to practise. In
the above scenario,
the amount of time
spent on negative
assumptions and
later accusations
could have instead
been spent on
exercising patience
and making duaa for
the safe return of
her husband.
“When you assume,
you make an ass of
you (u) and me” –
What may seem like a
clichéd adage tends
to hold immense
truth.
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
Healing with the Medicine of
the Prophet (Peace be upon
him) is the panacea for
those in search of good
health. It is a magnificent
work that is a treasure for
every Muslim household.
Although it was written by
the author, Ibn Al-Qayyim,
over six hundred and fifty
year ago, it is an extremely
timely work for our
generation in which health
and natural health care
products have become an
important aspect of the
lives of so many.
The author presents the
guidance of the Prophet
(Peace be upon him) in
dealing with variety of
health issues, including
treatment of the Qur'an and
Sunnah are the main sources
of Islamic lifestyle, it
only stands to reason that
they should likewise be
referred to in the matters
of health as he presents
verses of the Qur'an, and
statements of the Prophet
(Peace be upon him) as his
main reference in these
issues of health and
medicines. The final
chapters of this work
include an extremely
beneficial glossary of
remedies, herbs, foods and
other natural substances
that aid in the journey
towards better health.
Healing with the medicine of
the Prophet (Peace be upon
him) is an invaluable
reference guide for the
Muslims of every land and
every generation. May Allah
bestow His mercy and
blessing upon the author,
Ibn Al-Qayyim, for surely
his work will be cherished
throughout time.
[KB SAYS] This is a winner of a chicken dinner! Easy
and delicious comfort food at its finest.
ROASTED CHICKEN IN FRESH CREAM
INGREDIENTS & METHOD
Marinate the chicken pieces in the
following marinade and stand for 1 hour
Marinade:
Mix together
3 tbsp Tandoori spice
1 tbsp chicken spice
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp dried chilli flakes
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup double cream yoghurt
1 tbsp garlic paste
Black pepper
Thyme
Grease an ovenproof dish and layer the
chicken pieces shaking off the Marinade.
To the excess marinade add 250ml fresh
cream and 1 tbsp peri peri sauce and set aside.
Add 2 tbsp coconut oil to the chicken and
cook in a hot oven on 200° C for 30 minutes. Turn
chicken over. If there is excess liquid - drain out. Add
the fresh cream mixture over the chicken and cook for a
further 20mins until chicken is cooked and golden. Take
care that the sauce does not completely dry out. Serve
with a salad. This is really delicious!
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.
Years of being denied food
and access to shelter,
coupled with physical abuse,
took a toll on the Muslims.
The persecution probably
played a role in the death
of the Prophet’s wife,
Khadijah, in 619.
She had been the first
convert and had stood by
Muhammad through the
adversity he had faced at
the hands of Quraysh.
The emotional support she
provided in the early years
was indispensable for the
Prophet, encouraging him to
continue in the face of
persecution.
The loss was a huge one on
Muhammad, but it was not the
only loss he had to deal
with.
Soon afterwards, his uncle
who had protected him, Abu
Talib, became ill and died.
Although he did not accept
Islam, he endured
persecution like the rest of
Banu Hashim and never gave
up protection of his nephew.
Beyond being another
emotional loss for Muhammad,
the death of Abu Talib had
huge implications for the
Muslim community.
Without a strong leader,
there was little to protect
Muhammad and the rest of the
Muslim community from the
leaders of Quraysh, who were
becoming bolder in their
attacks on the Muslims,
verbally as well as
physically.
Despite his love for the
city of Mecca, Muhammad
decided to try to find
another city that would
accept him and give him more
freedom to preach his
religion than the Quraysh
did. The natural choice was
Ta’if, a town ruled by the
tribe of Thaqif, sixty-five
kilometers to the southeast
of Mecca.
He rode out to Ta’if and met
with the three brothers who
led the tribe. They
unequivocally rejected his
proposal that they accept
Islam and refused to grant
him any form of protection.
To make matters worse, on
his way out of the city and
back to Mecca, a crowd of
people from Ta’if gathered
to pelt him with stones and
insults, leaving him
bloodied by the time he was
safely out of range of the
city. Islamic tradition
holds that he was visited by
the angel Jibreel, who asked
the Prophet if he would like
him to destroy the city of
Ta’if between two mountains
as punishment for their
treatment of the Messenger
of God.
The Prophet replied in the
negative, stating that he
hopes perhaps one of their
descendants would one day be
a believer.
This event would play a huge
role in the spiritual
connection between Indian
Muslims and the Prophet in
later centuries.
Juicier. Tastier. Saucier. 🤤🤤🤤
Two of our most loved burgers‼️
🍔 The Mr. Chicken
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Available on Uber, Deliveroo and MenuLog.
www.mrfishandchips.com.au
Mr Fish and Chips, home of the juiciest, freshest, tastiest burgers located in Logan Central, using fresh ingredients, handmade, hand cut everyday with burgers cooked fresh to order.
A certified Halal Restaurant. Call to pick up your order or get it delivered to your door with Uber, Deliveroo and MenuLog. Follow us on Facebook and stay up to to date with our latest meals, and deals.
Islamophobia
&
Refugees
6pm, Wed
19
August –
Online
forum
Join
this
online
forum
next
Wednesday,
19
August,
looking
at how
successive
Australian
governments
have
both
stoked
and used
Islamophobia
as part
of its
negative
narrative
against
people
who have
sought
asylum
in
Australia.
Speakers,
Mehreen
Faruqi
and Jeff
Sparrow
will
discuss
the
racism
and
prejudice
behind
the
cruel
policies
towards
refugees.
M.C.
Emeritus
Professor
John
Minns -
ANU
Speakers
Mehreen
Faruqi –
Senator
for NSW,
Australian
Greens
Mehreen
Faruqi
entered
the
Senate
in
August
2018
becoming
the
first
Muslim
senator
in
Australian
history.
Mehreen
frequently
speaks
in the
Senate
about
the
increasing
occurrence
of
Islamophobia
in
Australia,
particularly
towards
Muslim
women.
She has
also
spoken
about
the role
that
politicians
have
played
in
demonising
particular
groups
in the
community
saying,
in a
speech
to
parliament
in
December:
“Merchants
of hate
in
parliament
inflame
divisions
between
Australians,
between
the ones
they
think
belong
here and
the ones
that
they
think
don’t.”
Jeff
Sparrow
– author
&
journalist
Jeff
Sparrow
is a
regular
contributor
to The
Guardian
and
other
publications
and the
author
of a
number
of
books.
In his
most
recent
book,
“Fascists
Among
Us:
Online
Hate and
the
Christchurch
Massacre”
Jeff
explores
the
re-emergence
of
fascism
and the
far
right
and how
these
ideas
have
gained
ground
because
of
“Islamophobic
and
xenophobic
rhetoric
in the
media,
particularly
with the
United
States’
war on
terror
and
Australia’s
“stop
the
boats”
campaign.”
Jeff won
the 2019
Walkley-Pascall
Prize
for arts
criticism
for his
essay ‘A
Place of
Punishment:
No
Friend
But the
Mountains
by
Behrouz
Boochani’
published
in the
Sydney
Review
of
Books.’
You can
find
Jeff’s
essay
here.
Zoom
Meeting
Link
Use this
link to
join the
Islamophobia
&
Refugees
online
forum at
6pm on
Wednesday
19
August –
Islamophobia
&
Refugees
forum.
Please
aim to
join the
forum a
few
minutes
early so
we can
kick off
at 6pm.
If you
haven’t
joined a
Zoom
meeting
before,
it’s
easy.
Just
click on
the link
above,
select
‘allow’
and
you’ll
be
brought
into the
meeting.
Email
mail@refugeeaction.org
if you
are
having
any
difficulty.
The Academy Alive annual
Queensland tour is only 5 WEEKS AWAY!!
Our team is working hard on bringing you the
BEST tour yet, and we are counting down until we
get to meet all our beautiful brothers and
sisters around the state.
We are also excited to share that our production
crew will be travelling with us, and putting
together some amazing Live events, to showcase
the Muslim communities in regional areas of
Queensland.
We will be starting our journey on the 24th of
September, making our way north all the way up
to Cairns. A timetable for the full tour will be
released soon.
If there is anything you’d like to see us do
during our tour, please reach out to Academy
Alive and let us know!
JazakAllah.
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.
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.
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.
This is the Southport
Masjid in the heart of
the Gold Coast Australia
where Muslims make up
less than 5%.
Southport
Masjid is the second
masjid on the Gold
Coast. It was
established to
accommodate the growing
Muslim community. It is
situated less than 10
minutes from Cavill
Avenue, Surfers
Paradise, making it a
prime location to also
serve the needs of
Muslim tourists. There
is ample parking and
easy access.
Because of COVID we
cannot fundraise
traditionally putting
the masjid in grave risk
of immediate
foreclosure.
Help us pay for the
masjid before it is
forced to close.
We are in desperate and
urgent need of the
masjid to save our
community.
From protest to piety,
from hate to love, from
loneliness to community,
from ignorance to
guidance, from church to
masjid, from dunya to
akhira.
With your help, our
desperation will turn to
hope. Fight alongside us
to save the masjid!
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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Women
and Leadership Australia
awarded Ms Jamila Rizvi with
the 2020 Victoria Award for
Excellence in Women's
Leadership 
Muzzammil
Dhedhy from Hejaz Financial
Services said the opening of
an Islamic bank would be a
significant achievement for
the community.
Christchurch attacks: dozens of victims
arrive in New Zealand for gunman's
sentencing
The inspirational story of Jawahir Roble,
the UK’s first female Muslim referee aiming
for the Premier League
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