Professor Shahjahan Khan is
one of the few public faces
of social and religious
harmony in Toowoomba.
The Toowoomba Islamic
Society founder has been a
strong advice for the city's
Muslim community and helped
fundraise tens of thousands
of dollars for the
rebuilding of the city
mosque after it was damaged
in two separate arson
attacks.
He has broken down the
barriers of ignorance and
xenophobia, opening the
mosque to the wider public
for food festivals and other
events.
He has publicly condemned
terror attacks and acts of
extremism, no matter where
it comes from.
On top of his religious
activities, he specialises
in statistics in the School
of Science at the University
of Southern Queensland.
Dr Nada Ibrahim was inducted
onto Queensland’s first
Domestic and Family Violence
Prevention Honour Roll
on 25 September 2020 where
the Queensland Government
recognises Queenslanders who
are contributing to the
prevention of domestic
violence (DV). Nada is
involved in the Not Now, Not
Ever initiatives at a
grass-root level in the
prevention of, and recovery
from domestic violence (DV)
amongst the culturally and
linguistically diverse (CALD)
Queensland Muslim community.
These initiatives include
workshops creating awareness
about how
unequal/inequitable gender
roles can foster DV
producing the social media
campaign “We
Can Stop DV”; the
18-hours intensive “Muslim
Leaders Empowerment Program”
that upskills
Imams/Community leaders on
the prevention and early
intervention of DV through
collaborations with multiple
agencies such as Queensland
Police, Queensland court,
RAQ, IWAA, and Griffith
university (also delivered
in
Melbourne); and the
13-session “inspiredNAFSi
Personal Leadership Program”
that addresses the recovery
needs of Muslim DV
victims/survivors to heal
and empower them from DV
trauma (also delivered in
Melbourne).
Nada has also authored
"Domestic violence:
shattering the barrier of
silence, a pathway to
recovery" (published by the
Islamic Women’s Association
of Australia) and its
recommendations align with
Queensland’s "Not Now, Not
Ever".
For the first 4 days of the
school holidays the
Hurricane Stars Club Inc
used their new mini van to
transport 14 Muslim Crescent
scouts to Shorncliffe for a
sailing camp. The scouts
learnt how to sail small
sail boats and they were
joined by scouts from the
Brisbane South Chinese Group
and a few other groups. The
camp was an amazing
experience for all who
attended because they did
not just learn how to sail
boats but they made friends
with other scout groups and
learnt together about
teamwork, communication and
leadership.
Under the guidance of
trained scout’s sailing
instructors, the scouts of
all scout groups worked
together in 3-4 people crews
to learn how to set up the
boat by attaching the mast,
boom, sails, jibs, ropes and
to tell what direction the
wind is blowing, how to
control the sails to catch
the wind, knotting and how
to guide the direction of
the boat with the tiller.
The scouts had to quickly
learn to communicate
effectively and work
together or they would end
up capsizing the boat or
hitting someone with the
sail boom or knocking them
overboard. The scouts learnt
fast and by the second day
they were sailing out into
the open ocean of Moreton
Bay.
One of the most important
outcomes of the camp was the
strong friendships that were
developed between the
scouts. They had previously
only known each other
briefly each week for two
hours but by spending each
day together a real team
spirit was formed. They
enjoyed laughing at each
other’s darkening tan lines,
with the most hilarious
being one boy who’s holes in
his shoes tanned his feet to
look poka-dotted.
Under the watchful eyes of
the scouts instructors back
at the safety of the dock,
the scouts practiced what to
do if they capsized their
boats. Once again they
learnt the importance of
teamwork and communication
as they had to work together
to straighten the boat.
The sense of camaraderie had
so strongly developed that
other scouts jumped into the
water to help if a group of
scouts needed extra support.
Capsizing should be a scary
outcome of sailing but the
scouts had so much fun
capsizing, working together
and laughing with each other
that they just wanted to
keep capsizing.
On the final day it was too
windy to go sailing so the
group went canoeing down the
river. Although it was a
different set of skills
needed to control a canoe,
they had to draw on their
communication and teamwork
skills learnt during sailing
to control the 3 person
canoe in the currents of the
river.
After canoeing down the
river they stopped in a
clear section of the
mangroves and explored the
shoreline. They had fun
playing a spontaneous game
of rugby with a water
bottle. They worked together
as a team to practice
capsizing and rescues in
canoes in the running water
of a river. The currents of
the river forced the
teenagers to overcome their
instincts to be lazy and
give up and not work as part
of the team because they
would then experience their
canoe going backwards.
As a results of their
efforts, the scouts achieved
their level 4 badge in
sailing and level 2 badge in
canoeing. An amazing time
was had by all the attendees
who grew over the 4 days in
both skills and character.
Friendships were formed, tan
lines were darkened and lots
of laughter was enjoyed by
all.
When we stay in our comfort
zones for too long or do not
experience changes in our
world, we will find it hard
to find the true value of
life. The only way to
challenge this is to get our
hands dirty and to make the
changes for ourselves.
This is why Academy Alive
has packed up their gear,
loaded up the trailer and
have hit the road. This year
on our annual journey to
bridge the gap between
communities across
Queensland we are looking to
meet different people in
society to understand lives,
the foundations laid by the
sweat of the previous
generations.
Travelling from Brisbane to
Mareeba, over the next 12
days join us on Facebook and
be part of our journey and
where can the next steps
into bettering the future we
dream of can be taken.
7NEWS Young Achiever Awards
VIC Finalist for the Bridge
Create Change category, Afra
Cader, is a Senior
Management Consultant at
PwC.
"I am a firm believer in
the power of our young
people, the vision they have
for the world, and the
ability to harness their
lived experience as force
for change, and this is
exactly what we saw last
night.
I am excited to take this
work forward, working with
PwC Australia, with the
United Nations and the
Centre for Multicultural
Youth to create a more
equitable and inclusive
future."
Established in 1989, Awards
Australia is a Corporate
Social Responsibility market
leader.
Specialising in awards
recognition programs on a
state and national level,
clients and the community
receive win/win
opportunities and outcomes
through established
marketing, media and event
management expertise.
The Young Achiever Awards
are designed to recognise,
reward and most importantly
promote the positive
behaviours of our most
precious resource, our
Youth.
2020 has already been a year
like no other but some
things don’t change: the
Moreton Volunteer Awards are
back!
While individually, as a
community and as a nation we
face plenty of challenges.
However, we should always
take the time to recognise
and acknowledge the kindness
of strangers:
• People who deliver meals
or food hampers to the
elderly or vulnerable;
• Community groups who make
hundreds of meals;
• Generous souls who
telephone elderly people
just to check-in on them;
• Charities and churches
that give out vouchers, pay
small bills and fill medical
scripts for those who are
ill.
•
The list goes on. Let’s
recognise these local heroes
and thank them for their
community spirit by
nominating the most generous
individuals for a Moreton
Volunteer Award.
Iqbal Zafar and his family
have had to adjust to training
on vegetarian diets.
Sourcing culturally
appropriate foods in
regional areas is difficult
at the best of times, and
for Muslim residents
throughout Gippsland in
Victoria's east, strict
lockdown travel rules have
complicated shopping for
groceries even more.
Before the coronavirus
pandemic, most residents in
the Latrobe Valley would
travel several hours to
suburbs in Melbourne's
outer-east to buy halal-certified
goods in bulk.
Now with regional-to-metro
travel banned, many families
have resorted to
vegetarian-based diets.
The adjustment has proven
difficult for Iqbal Zafar,
the father of four budding
athletes.
"It's been very hard ... we
usually travel to Dandenong
and Narre Warren to get our
groceries because there's no
specialised outlets for
halal meats in the Latrobe
Valley," he said.
"The kids have resigned to
the fact that we cannot get
certain meats during
lockdown, so we're trying to
look for other sources of
protein."
Arfa Khan, president of the
United Sisters of the
Latrobe Valley, said some
families had initially
relied on a community
carpooling service to
receive goods.
"Around the first COVID wave
there was a local person who
put an online platform
together where people could
place orders and he'd pick
them up and deliver them to
us for a small profit, but
that's now stopped because
of the spike in coronavirus
cases in Melbourne," she
said.
"Now with home schooling and
work, I've had to try and
mix and match with foods ...
some days the girls notice
and ask why we don't have
any meat or chicken, but
I've had to explain that I
have to make arrangements
accordingly."
Local businesses fear
advertising halal
Kerem Boztay, the manager of
Marmara Halal Meats in
Dandenong, said the stigma
associated with halal
products had created a sense
of confusion in regional
areas.
"A lot of people were trying
to boycott halal because
they thought the funding and
all that was going to
terrorism overseas ...
unfortunately due to that, a
lot of places have taken off
the halal," he said.
Several Gippsland meat
suppliers have told the ABC
that while they stocked some
halal products, they stopped
advertising them after
receiving anti-Islamic
threats.
Halal refers to products
that are "permissible" for
consumption according to
Islamic law. Animals must be
alive and healthy at the
time of slaughter and all
blood should be drained from
the carcass.
According to the Halal
Certification Authority,
products must never come
into contact with haram
(forbidden) substances
during processing.
Mr Boztay's store was a
regular supplier to many
Muslims in Gippsland before
the pandemic, but he said
the lockdown had highlighted
a demand for more halal
manufacturers in regional
areas.
"On our Facebook platforms
... we've got a lot of
customers messaging, asking
if we can go out and deliver
to those areas ... but at
the moment it's not feasible
for us," he said.
"Unless [the Victorian
Government] could allow
providers something like a
day each fortnight to travel
and deliver to regional
areas, that's the only way I
see it working.
"In general, if you have
halal you can serve a wider
array of customers ...
there's no downside to doing
it, it just adds to
potential business."
Better understanding fosters
inclusion
Mrs Khan was recently
appointed to Latrobe City's
Diversity Advisory Committee
and intended to raise her
concerns with the council.
She said if more local
businesses advertised halal,
it would help to foster
inclusion and diversity in
Gippsland and save people
from travelling hours to the
city to buy goods.
"When we hear that
businesses do sell halal but
don't advertise it, we have
no idea that we can go there
to eat, so these kind of
gestures don't really sit
well when we talk about
inclusiveness in the
community."
Mrs Khan said more education
about Islam was needed in
country areas to resolve the
issue.
"Generally the wider
community don't know what it
is, but once you tell people
they say, 'Oh, that's
alright, we understand ...
it's just a different way
people eat food, it's
nothing more than that'.
"Gippsland is a beautiful
part of Victoria with so
much to offer and a very
welcoming community, so if
we can make more facilities
for everyone, it will create
a better environment for
people of different
backgrounds moving to the
area."
How to achieve “True Happiness” in our lives through simple ways?😊
Episode: 15 (Part 2of 4) “HEALTHY BODY”
5 Minutes with Imam
In this episode, we are pleased to have SHEIKH AHMED TALAAT as our guest.
Sheikh Talaat hails from Egypt and he is now based in Gold Coast, Australia.
Please LIKE & SHARE this video with your friends & family as this information will be important for them too.
May Allah bless you.😊
Please send your questions to info@BabasChannel.com
Posted by Hussain Baba on Wednesday, September 23, 2020
Topic: How to achieve “True
Happiness” in our lives
through simple ways
Episode: 15 (part 1 of 4)
In this episode, we are
pleased to have SHEIKH AHMED
TALAAT as our guest.
Sheikh Talaat hails from
Egypt and he is now based in
Gold Coast, Australia.
The stigma of help-seeking
behaviour around mental
health amongst Muslims
across continents has been
steadily reducing over the
last decade. This has been
more evident amongst
Generations Y and Z,
particularly in Westernized
societies. This
normalization has been
beneficial for many Muslims,
as they are more able and
willing to access
counselling, and
psychological services. The
increasing awareness around
mental health has been
gradually built and
supported by various Muslims
practitioners, faith
leaders, as well as
governmental policies.
As a young adolescent
growing up in a fairly
conservative home, I used to
wonder if there was anything
between prayer and suicide.
For some reason, I was
adamant that there was
something in between
accepting one’s suffering in
silence, and forcing the
self not to commit suicide.
Having grown up in the
Middle East, many of my
female friends was
self-harming or being abused
(in every way possible), and
there was no outside help.
It was a dark reality. On
the outside, we were
children of diplomats or
expats, carefree
international students. But
on the inside there was
torment by our loved ones,
our cultures, and
misunderstandings of our
faith. There was abuse under
the pretext of faith. We
were often ostracized,
humiliated, gaslit. Since
then, I had felt a deep
awakening towards building a
bridge between what was
falsely masked as Islam,
with knowledge,
understanding, relief, and
progress. I have painfully
learnt to appreciate that in
some places in the world,
there are neither realistic
nor safe solutions. But
there are opportunities for
help here. We actually can
find realistic solutions.
In order to address the
matter of stigma, let us
establish what a mental
health stigma is. In my
personal and professional
opinion, I tend to refrain
from using the phrase
‘mental illness’ stigma. To
me, the phrase ‘mental
illness’ carries a negative
connotation, implying a
disorder. However, as
humans, we experience
various trials and
tribulations during our
lifetime. We are exposed to
life’s lessons and human
suffering, from which we
build resilience, make
meaning, and transform
towards personal growth. In
some instances, we may cope
better with support, whether
formally or informally.
Having said that, there are
also instances whereby some
individuals do indeed have
psychiatric conditions which
require specialized care,
medication, and support. Our
internal worlds vary from
one to another, as much as
our external appearance
vary. This means that our
internal needs also vary,
along with the ways they are
met. Thus, for the purpose
of this writing, I shall
refer to the ‘mental
illness’ stigma, as a
‘mental health’ stigma.
People with mental health
concerns may face stigma,
whereby they may be treated
differently, rendered
‘incompetent’, ‘crazy’, or
‘dangerous.’ Such prejudices
and mindsets can lead our
fellow humans, and our
Muslim brothers and sisters
to be subjected to bullying,
violence, various
discriminations, and also
miss out on appropriate
support.
A mental health stigma
exists because of the lack
of understanding towards
psychological and emotional
health. This is compounded
by the negative attitudes
and beliefs people have
towards mental health.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Amirah
Shah
is a practicing
counsellor and a
researcher. She is a
member of the
Australian
Counselling
Association (ACA),
and does research at
the University of
Queensland.
Her work has
predominantly been
with culturally
diverse populations,
addressing anxiety,
depression, trauma,
end-of-life
spiritual care,
intergenerational
family therapy, and
grief.
Her dissertation
aims to understand
the spiritual
experiences of
Muslims in the face
of grief, in the
unique transcultural
tapestry of secular
Australia.
She runs a practice
called Road to
Recovery:
www.aroadtorecovery.org.
She can be reached
via email at
roadtorecovery12@gmail.com,
or through social
media at
http://facebook.com/roadtorecovery0/.
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?
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.
Nesrine
Malik
is a columnist and
writer for The
Guardian and the New
Statesman.
She was named
Society and
Diversity
Commentator of the
Year at the 2017
Comment Awards.
Nesrine’s writing
aims at busting
myths regarding
Islam and Muslims
and seeks to expose
misreporting.
She was one of the
few to reveal the
false reporting of
The Times concerning
a child who had been
placed in the foster
care of Muslim
parents.
She has also written
about how debates
over free speech are
exploited by racists
and ethnic cleansing
advocates.
Nesrine writes
without fear,
despite the personal
abuse she receives
on social media.
She received her
undergraduate
education at the
American University
in Cairo and the
University of
Khartoum and her
postgraduate
education at the
University of
London.
Prior to becoming a
journalist, she
spent ten years in
emerging markets
private equity.
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.
China has placed one million Uighur Muslims
in what the UN calls internment camps. But
who exactly are the Uighurs and why does
China want them “reeducated”?
Thousands of Xinjiang mosques
destroyed or damaged, report finds
Chinese region has fewer mosques and
shrines than at any time since
Cultural Revolution, says thinktank
Thousands of mosques in Xinjiang
have been damaged or destroyed in
just three years, leaving fewer in
the region than at any time since
the Cultural Revolution, according
to a report on Chinese oppression of
Muslim minorities.
The revelations are contained in an
expansive data project by the
Australian Strategic Policy
Institute (ASPI), which used
satellite imagery and on-the-ground
reporting to map the extensive and
continuing construction of detention
camps and destruction of cultural
and religious sites in the
north-western region.
The thinktank said Chinese
government claims that there were
more than 24,000 mosques in Xinjiang
and that it was committed to
protecting and respecting religious
beliefs were not supported by the
findings, and estimated that fewer
than 15,000 mosques remained
standing – with more than half of
those damaged to some extent.
“This is the lowest number since the
Cultural Revolution, when fewer than
3,000 mosques remained,” the report
said.
It found around two-thirds of the
area’s mosques were affected, and
about 50% of protected cultural
sites had been damaged or destroyed,
including the total destruction of
Ordam mazar (shrine), an ancient
site of pilgrimage dating back to
the 10th century.
To protect our communities from hate crimes,
we need better laws
In 2016, a young family’s
outing on a Brisbane train was shattered by
hate crime. Targeted because of his wife’s
hijab, Syed, the father, recalls his terror
when a man grabbed one of the younger
children and threatened to throw the kids
off the train, saying he wanted to kill them
all.
“As a father, I wanted to react,” Syed tells
me. “I didn’t want them to witness that.
I’ve never felt that much helplessness in my
life.” Although what Syed’s family went
through is a crime — serious vilification —
under the Queensland Anti-Discrimination Act
1991, Syed was unable to find justice, or
even an avenue for reporting what had
happened. Community groups say his is a
common experience for victims of hate crimes
— which are crimes motivated by animosity
towards a person due to their membership of
a marginalised group, on account of their
race, religion, sexuality or gender
identity.
The barriers to reporting both hate speech
(a civil wrong) and serious vilification (a
criminal act which must include a threat of
physical harm to a person or property) are a
core issue for the #BetterLaws4SafeQld
campaign, which was launched earlier this
week by the Cohesive Communities Coalition.
#BetterLaws4SafeQld, supported by the
Queensland Human Rights Commission (QHRC),
is calling for the Queensland government to
review the legislation and consider options
for strengthening the laws that deal with
hate crime. One option flagged by the
coalition is the creation of a specific
vilification summary offence to prohibit
crimes where racially or religiously
motivated hatred is the primary intent of
the offender. An alternative is to consider
prejudice-based motivations as a
circumstance of aggravation on existing
offences. This may have practical benefits
for police who are already familiar with
existing laws on assault and wilful damage.
In cases of assault — such as an offender
spitting on and throwing coffee at a Muslim
woman in a shopping centre in Brisbane — the
religious hatred element of the crime would
be acknowledged through the aggravating
circumstance, validating the experiences of
victims and raising awareness among the
public of the ubiquitous and serious nature
of racially and religiously motivated hate
crimes.
Syed spent years supporting his children to
recover from the incident on the train, and
from their negative encounter when they
tried to report it. The legacy is a
persisting sense that they could not rely on
help being available when it was needed.
Syed tells me at length how he grew up
overseas with a love of Australia, that it
was his destiny to come here, and he insists
on teaching his children that there are good
and bad people everywhere. He just wishes
the system had been more responsive — that
someone had listened, taken a statement,
provided them with options, validated their
decision to seek assistance to deal with
this traumatic, and criminal, event.
Blood and Oil:
Mohammed bin Salman's Ruthless Quest for Global Power
by
Bradley
Hope, Justin Scheck
DESCRIPTION
From award-winning Wall
Street Journal reporters
Justin Scheck and Bradley
Hope (coauthor of Billion
Dollar Whale), this
revelatory look at the
world's most powerful ruling
family reveals how a rift
within Saudi Arabian royalty
produced Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman, a
charismatic leader with a
ruthless streak.
Thirty-five-year-old
Mohammed bin Salman's sudden
rise stunned the world.
Political and business
leaders such as former UK
prime minister Tony Blair
and WME chairman Ari
Emmanuel flew out to meet
with the crown prince and
came away convinced that his
desire to reform the kingdom
was sincere. He spoke
passionately about bringing
women into the workforce and
toning down Saudi Arabia's
restrictive Islamic law. He
lifted the ban on women
driving and explored
investments in Silicon
Valley.
But MBS began to betray an
erratic interior beneath the
polish laid on by scores of
consultants and public
relations experts like
McKinsey & Company. The
allegations of his extreme
brutality and excess began
to slip out, including that
he ordered the assassination
of Washington Post
journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
While stamping out dissent
by holding three hundred
people, including prominent
members of the Saudi royal
family, in the Ritz-Carlton
hotel and elsewhere for
months, he continued to
exhibit his extreme wealth,
including buying a $70
million chateau in Europe
and one of the world's most
expensive yachts. It seemed
that he did not understand
nor care about how the
outside world would react to
his displays of autocratic
muscle-what mattered was the
flex.
Blood and Oil is a gripping
work of investigative
journalism about one of the
world's most decisive and
dangerous new leaders. Hope
and Scheck show how MBS's
precipitous rise coincided
with the fraying of the
simple bargain that had been
at the head of U.S.-Saudi
relations for more than
eighty years: oil in
exchange for military
protection. Caught in his
net are well-known US
bankers, Hollywood figures,
and politicians, all eager
to help the charming and
crafty crown prince.
The Middle East is already a
volatile region. Add to the
mix an ambitious prince with
extraordinary powers, hunger
for lucre, a tight
relationship with the White
House through President
Trump's son in law Jared
Kushner, and an apparent
willingness to break
anything -- and anyone --
that gets in the way of his
vision, and the stakes of
his rise are bracing. If his
bid fails, Saudi Arabia has
the potential to become an
unstable failed state and a
magnet for Islamic
extremists. And if his bid
to transform his country
succeeds, even in part, it
will have reverberations
around the world.
[KB SAYS] Enjoy this healthy alternative which has not
been compromised in flavour.
Chicken Schwarma Bowl
INGREDIENTS & METHOD
Chicken
500g chicken fillet
2 tsp ground garlic
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp crushed red chillies
2 tblsp tomato puree
2 tblsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt or to taste
½ tsp crushed black pepper
2 tsp chilli garlic paste (⅓
chillies and
⅔
garlic)
1 tsp crushed jeero/cummin seeds
4 tblsp prego or any chillie sauce
Marinate chicken in above ingredients
Allow to marinate for few hours
Heat little butter in frypan and fry chicken till cooked
Thinly slice the chicken
Salad
2 Cucumber sliced
Radish sliced
Parsley chopped
Kalamata Olives
Baby tomatoes halved
Dressing
2 tblsp lemon juice
2 tblsp oil
Salt to taste
¼ tsp crushed black pepper
Pinch sumac
Pinch zaatar
Drizzle of honey
Whisk together dressing ingredients
Adjust seasoning
Tzatziki Dip
1 cup Greek yoghurt
⅓ cup grated cucumber squeeze out water
¼ tsp crushed garlic
Salt and black pepper
Mint leaves chopped
1 tblsp lemon juice
Mix all ingredients
Refrigerate
Add dressing to salad just before serving
Place salad, sliced chicken and tzatziki dip on a serving
plate
Serve with pita bread
Do you have a recipe to share with CCN
readers?
Send in your favourite recipe to me at
admin@ccnonline.com.au and be my "guest chef" for the week.
Q: Dear
Kareema, like many others out there I have a
stressful job and find it hard to unwind. I know
that exercise will help, but any particular
type?
A:
I’d suggest you try taking a few yoga classes
during the week.
Yoga is a moving meditation which is a great way
to calm the mind and relax the nervous system.
It’s a great way to switch off, clear your mind
and reap the benefits.
You may even find that it helps you cope better
at work.
A lawyer defending
Jallalludin accused of
burglary tried a creative defence.
"My client only inserted his arm into the window and
removed a few trifling articles. His arm is not himself,
and I fail to see how you can punish the whole
individual for an offence committed by his limbs".
"Well put", the Judge replied. "Using your logic, I
hereby sentence the arm of the defendant to 5 years
imprisonment. His whole body can accompany it or not, as
he chooses."
Jallalludin, with the help of
his lawyer, detached his artificial limb, laid it on the
bench, and walked out.
The results of the battle
were disastrous for the
Muslims.
The Meccans, led by the
brilliant Khalid ibn al-Walid—who
would later convert to Islam
and lead Muslim armies into
Syria—managed to rout the
Muslims from the battlefield
up onto the slopes of Uhud.
Hamza, the hero of Badr, was
killed in the fighting and
his body mutilated by the
Quraysh.
Muhammad himself was at one
point surrounded along with
a small group of Muslims by
the Meccans and was injured
in the hand to hand combat
that followed.
The Quraysh, having defeated
the Muslim army in battle
and believing they had done
enough to damage Muhammad’s
reputation, retreated back
to Mecca.
The Battle of Uhud did not
manage to end Islam or the
Prophet’s authority in
Medina as the Quraysh had
hoped, although it did sow
seeds of tension between
Medina’s Muslims and the
Jews, most of whom had
refused to honor the terms
of the Constitution and join
the battle.
It was becoming clear that
neither the Muslims nor the
Quraysh were going to be
able to decisively defeat
the other on the
battlefield.
Both sides thus resorted to
trying to gain support among
the numerous Arab tribes of
the region, each hoping to
tip the scales against the
enemy.
The Meccans in particular
hoped to gain the support of
Medina’s Jewish tribes,
which seemed willing to
dislodge the Prophet from
their midst.
Five years after the
Prophet’s hijra, the Meccans
besieged the city of Medina
from the north, and sought
the help of one of Medina’s
Jewish tribes, the Banu
Qurayza, who lived on the
southern outskirts of the
city.
It was a calculated gamble
for the Jews.
The siege looked promising,
and by joining with the
Quraysh, they could wipe out
Muhammad and his followers
for good.
As it happened, however, the
Meccans and their Jewish
allies were unsuccessful.
Muhammad, advised by a
Persian immigrant named
Salman, ordered the
construction of a trench
around the city to thwart
the Meccan siege.
The Battle of the Trench, as
it was called, was a
disastrous failure for the
Quraysh, who failed to even
dent the power of Muhammad
in the city.
But it was even worse for
the Banu Qurayza.
They had broken the terms of
the Constitution, and thus
were liable to be punished
according to its terms.
An arbitrator assigned to
the case ruled against the
subversive tribe, ordering
that the men who had taken
part in the siege be
executed while the women and
children exiled from the
city.
Muhammad was setting an
important standard with his
handling of the Jews of
Medina.
He made clear that Islamic
law had no problem with the
presence of non-Muslims
living within a Muslim
state.
For years Medina’s Jews had
been tolerated.
But when they failed to live
up to existing agreements
and threatened the security
of the Islamic state,
punishment had to be doled
out.
Like everything he did,
Muhammad’s example in
dealing with Banu Qurayza
would set the precedent for
hundreds of years of Muslim
relations with non-Muslims.
Ahmad Totonji’s 35
Principles for Success in
Life and Work
1 Godliness
continued from last week's CCN.....
Make your
intentions fully for the
sake of Allah, give all that
you can, and be in a state
of acceptance of all God’s
gifts. Share God’s gifts
with all those in need, and
you will find bounties,
success and safety; God will
provide you with those who
will assist and support you
and remove all obstacles
from your path. These are
the results of fidelity and
working without faltering.
Every believer possesses in
his soul a jewel that is
embodied in his belief in
God’s unity and his strong
relationship with this great
religion. The dangers of
transgression, desires and
giving up are issues that
all humanity faces. These
ills cover the jewel in each
soul under a mountain of sin
and deface it with evil.
However, this is not the end
of the journey: faith,
repentance,
God-consciousness and
continuous searching enable
the believer to cleanse his
inner jewel of all sin and
return it to purity and
freedom from evil.
Belief in Allah along with
true commitment and
submission is our goal and
aspiration. It is the way to
achieve guidance,
tranquillity and calmness.
The secret of commitment
lies in connecting it to the
love of Allah, for through
it we achieve success and
tranquillity of the soul.
What is done for the sake of
Allah possesses continuity
and benefit, and what is
done for other reasons is
limited and will eventually
end.
One of the greatest things
in life is when all our time
on this earth is filled with
the worship of Allah and
good deeds and when
throughout our lives and
whenever we do good, we
thank Allah (the Most High)
for the bounties that He
bestows upon us.
The
Global Muslim Women’s
Conference
is a series of virtual
events focused on showcasing
and celebrating Muslim women
from all walks of life. It
provides an opportunity to
listen and speak to one
another on a local, national
and international level.
The virtual conference
provides a space to connect
and focus on significant
topics affecting the Muslim
woman. Its aim is to create
meaningful dialogue by
sharing unique skills,
knowledge, by unlocking
strengths and talents to
create collective progress.
The time has come,
the Academy Alive scholars, are
about to set off and embark on their
annual journey the Queensland Tour.
Tour dates for regional cities have
been announced. If you know anyone
living in those cities, let them
know! We want to meet them!
Every year, on the third term school
holidays it is a must for the
Academy Alive crew to visit our
neighbours in regional cities, where
we can experience the culture and
lives of Muslims around Queensland.
This Queensland tour will be like
none other before. Academy Alive
Studios will be filming a
documentary series showcasing the
beauty and hidden treasures within
the regional Queensland.
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..
Share your
thoughts, feelings and ambitions for our community through CCN.
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The CCN's "We'll
take that as a
comment" Column 
Amirah
Shah
is a practicing
counsellor and a
researcher. She is a
member of the
Australian
Counselling
Association (ACA),
and does research at
the University of
Queensland.
Nesrine
Malik
is a columnist and
writer for The
Guardian and the New
Statesman.
China has placed one million Uighur Muslims
in what the UN calls internment camps. But
who exactly are the Uighurs and why does
China want them “reeducated”?
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