Crescents of Brisbane has been
overwhelmed by the willingness of sponsors to be
associated with CresWalk2007. The support of the
MAJOR SPONSORS and
PRIZE SPONSORS makes the event accessible
to many who would otherwise have found it less than
affordable.
In addition to random draw prizes on the
day, CresWalk2007 entrants will find several discount
vouchers and freebies in this year's race pack.
For the first time CresWalk will include
a tug-of-war event at the end of the race. So after
warming up with the 5km try your hand at a stretching
exercise with a difference.
Don't forget you have until 5pm today
(Sunday 22 April) to register and qualify for this
year's T-shirt:
“The local community at Zaytuna Institute has benefited
tremendously every time Shaykh Naeem Abdul Wali has
visited. His inspiring teaching style and breadth of
knowledge is something every community he has been a
part of can attest to.” Shaykh Hamza Yusuf (Zaytuna
Institute)
The lecture Topic (followed by Q&A) is entitled: "The
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) A man of paradise amongst us"
The venue is the Kuraby Mosque starting at 7pm till 9pm
on Friday 11 May 2007
The contact details for further information is 0412
318045.
Sheikh Naeem will also be speaking at Griffith
University on Sunday 10am-1pm 13 May 2007.
Wolfowitz Dating
Muslim Woman Causes Stir
Here’s a bit of news that had
Washingtonians choking on their coffee. President Bush’s
neoconservative hawk Paul Wolfowitz, the Pentagon’s
architect of the US invasion of Iraq, is dating a
Muslim!
While battle lines have hardened over
President Bush’s nomination of Wolfowitz to become
president of the World Bank, what many say is really
fueling the controversy is concern within the bank over
Wolfowitz’s reported romantic relationship with Shaha
Ali Riza, an Arab feminist who is the acting manager for
External Relations and Outreach for the Middle East and
North Africa Region at the World Bank.
Political foes of Wolfowitz portray him as a leader of
Washington’s Jewish neo-conservatives driving a blindly
pro-Israel policy in the Middle East. Critics have also
noted that his sister, Laura, a biologist, lives in
Israel and has an Israeli husband.
But Wolfowitz, a married father of three, is said to be
so blinded by his relationship with Riza, that
influential members of the World Bank believe she played
a key role in influencing the Pentagon official to
launch the 2003 Iraq war. As his trusted confident, she
is said to be one of most influential Muslims in
Washington.
What they are said to share is a passion to establish
democracy in the Middle East.
Riza, in her mid-fifties, was born in Tunis and grew up
in Saudi Arabia. Her childhood is said to have done much
to shape her commitment to democracy, equal rights and
civil liberties in the Arab world based on her first
hand experiences.
She brought those beliefs with her when she joined the
World Bank in 1997.
Riza studied at the London School of Economics in the
1970s before taking a master’s degree at St. Anthony’s
College, Oxford, where she met her former husband,
Turkish Cypriot Bulent Ali Riza, from whom she is now
divorced.
After they moved to America, Riza worked for the Iraq
Foundation, set up by expatriates to overthrow Saddam
Hussein after the first Gulf War. She subsequently
joined the National Endowment for Democracy, created by
President Ronald Reagan to promote American ideals.
It was this time that Riza, a British citizen eight
years younger than Wolfowitz’s wife — started to meet
with Wolfowitz about reforming the Middle East. They
allegedly began dating two years ago.
AWX
Labour Hire is placing 300+ people per day. They do
not charge for people to register with them.
The Multicultural Centre for Mental Health and
Well-Being is a non-profit, community based
organisation that works with people from culturally
and linguistically diverse backgrounds who have
mental health issues and with communities who are
vulnerable because of their life experiences of
developing mental health issues.
It was established in
1995 and is located at Yeronga and employs a
Manager, administration staff, mental health workers
and project workers.
The organisation
currently provides services in the greater Brisbane
area and is funded by Queensland Health with smaller
grants from other sources allowing a range of
projects which supplement and enhance the core
business.
The organisation is
seeking applications for a suitably qualified
Human Service Manager who is highly enthusiastic
and cross-culturally sensitive to manage the
organisation and facilitate the effective delivery
of services in a manner consistent with the
organisation’s mission.
For Position
Description and selection criteria phone (07)
38481600 or email:
admin@harmonyplace.org.au
Applications to be submitted by 5pm, 8 May, 2007
Lebanon
to India: A Musical Journey
Join Mirna Nehme and Rahim
Zullah, as they transport you from Lebanon to India
with melodies of Lebanese classical folkloric songs and
Indian spiritual tradition.
Mirna’s performance will be supported by
Rahim Zullah, a renowned master of Indian music from
Brisbane, who collaborates a combination of an
exceptional voice and extensive harmonium melodies.
Date: Friday, 4 May
Venue: BEMAC
Indoor Space, Yungaba 120 Main Street, Kangaroo Point
Time: 8.00pm Tickets: $16 full Price / $14 concessions / $12
BEMAC members Bookings: Phone 33914433
Attention Visual Artists!
The Brisbane Multicultural Arts Centre is
seeking expressions of interest from culturally diverse
artists of all visual arts disciplines.
They are developing a new gallery
featuring the best Australian multicultural talent.
It will be a fine art marketing and
distribution gallery opening in the Gold Coast in 2008.
Register early to be part of this unique
project.
Send your short Bio and 3-5 images (jpg)
of your work to:
Elda
Koro Email:
elda_koro@hotmail.com Mobile:
0433 111 757
At the Symposium and Expo on Queensland
Muslims held last month, Dr Mohamad Abdalla
delivered the keynote address on the topic of Islam's
contribution to Western civilization.
A "butter
chicken" recipe from SANHA halaal "guest chef",
Thurrayah Randeree.
The
famous 'butter chicken' dish has grown in popularity
over the years. Many budding cooks and chefs have
personalized and adapted it to cultural and taste
specifications hence the variation in recipes. This is a
wonderful way to add a twist and a difference to a
previously tried meal. Happy cooking! The proof is in
the taste so let us know how it goes.
Butter Chicken Ingredients
125g Butter
Onion
1 Tray Chicken Breast
1 t/spn Garlic
1 t/spn Mixed Masala
Dhania
2 Tomatoes grated
1 500ml Fresh Cream
Spicy Tomato and onion soup
Method:
Melt butter and add onions.
Add chicken (diced), tomatoes, garlic, dhania and
masala.
Pour in cream and leave for 5 minutes. Add spicy tomato
and onion soup. Turn heat down and mix in soup.
Send in your favourite recipe to
theteam@crescentsofbrisbane.org and who
knows, you could be our "guest chef" for a future
edition of CCN.
New
magazine in vogue for American Muslim girls
The glossy pages of most teen magazines
feature articles on dating, celebrities' jaunts to and
from rehab, and the latest miniskirt trend--topics of
little relevance to girls who grow up practicing Islam,
which frowns upon such things.
But inside Muslim Girl magazine, a bimonthly that
debuted in January, readers will not find headlines like
"Guys: Decode His IMs" or "585 Sexy New Looks." Rather,
it profiles professional women like BBC broadcast
journalist Mishal Husain, shows off models sporting
cute-yet-conservative clothes and offers specialized
advice, such as how to deal with a crush in a culture
that looks down on dating.
Started by Ausma Khan, a former lawyer who taught
international human rights law at Northwestern
University, Muslim Girl is aimed at 12- to 19-year-olds.
"I wanted to provide girls with an alternative to Cosmo
Girl! and Seventeen, where they would see fun stories
about popular culture but ... also provide guidance and
information to boost their self-esteem, develop their
self-confidence," said Khan, who lives in Evanston. "We
wanted to tell the stories of real American Muslims."
Muslim Girl joins a growing number of publications--on
and offline--catering to contemporary Muslims living in
the United States. The comedy Web site Islamica News,
for instance, pokes fun with satirical articles such as
"Santa Myth Exposed: Muslim 2nd Grader Ruins Christmas
for Entire Class."
Muslim Girl also demonstrates how women are increasingly
asserting themselves as Muslim Americans. A feature on
the magazine's Web site asks girls, "What's going on in
your mosque? Is it girl-friendly?"--a potentially
provocative question given that the topic of men and
women sharing prayer space continues to be
controversial.
In fact, one of the magazine's biggest challenges will
be appealing to a diverse population. For example, not
all young women in the magazine wear the hijab, or
headscarf, which could be objectionable to some Muslims.
"We make an internal motto to be as inclusive as
possible," Khan said.
Although such a broad approach might not work in other
countries, the magazine is likely to thrive amid the
cultural diversity and openness of American culture,
said Mamoon Syed, executive director of the Nawawi
Foundation, a non-profit education organization based in
Burr Ridge that provides Islamic teachings to first- and
second-generation Muslim Americans.
"If there's anywhere in the world where you have the
opportunity to be able to agree to disagree, it's the
United States," Syed said. "As they say, `I may not
agree with your voice, but I'll defend your right to say
it.' You can't do that in a lot of other Muslim
countries."
Muslim Girl follows in the footsteps of the
Atlanta-based Azizah magazine, founded in 2002 and aimed
at contemporary Muslim women. The publisher and
editor-in-chief of that magazine, Tayyibah Taylor, said
Muslim Girl could fill a significant void for younger
Muslims.
"Being a person who is not of the dominant culture has
an effect on people who are absent in the mainstream
media or have negative portrayals of themselves," Taylor
said. "It's a very subtle but very powerful process by
which you internalize a sense of, `Oh something's
wrong.' Having your own media and being able to see a
positive reflection of oneself is a very empowering
thing."
The development of media directed at Muslim women is
evidence of the group's growing influence in American
society, said Taylor, whose magazine has a circulation
of about 45,000. Muslim Girl currently claims a
circulation of 50,000 and is hoping to double that
number within the next few years.
Although Khan and her editorial team initially
envisioned the magazine for younger teens, "what we
found is that college-age girls are really interested in
the magazine," she said. "The issues we cover actually
have a broad appeal."
Aneesa Arshad, 21, a junior at Northwestern University,
said she has heard of Muslim Girl and is excited that
focuses on career and life goals rather than the latest
Nicole Richie/Paris Hilton feud.
"Those are definitely the articles that I would want to
read," Arshad said of the career features in Muslim
Girl. "As I'm looking at what career decisions I want to
make, those definitely relate to where I am in life
right now, more than an article about a celebrity."
Muslim Girl doesn't ignore fashion, but the styles are
conservative. It's an aspect of the new magazine that
Aamna Anwer, 19, said she found appealing.
Anwer, who was raised in Galesburg and also attends
Northwestern, said she used to subscribe to Allure and
Vogue and loves fashion but couldn't always wear the
clothes she saw on the models.
"It would be convenient if sometimes when we were
looking through a fashion magazine, there would be more
that would be available to Muslim women, or women who
were more modest," said Anwer, whose parents were born
in Pakistan.
Khan and Taylor hope that Muslim media will help change
perceptions of Muslims in the United States.
"Oftentimes, because Islam and Muslims are reported on
in the Middle East and politics, there is an association
with terrorism and bombings," Taylor said. "It is
painful to watch that and see that that's the definition
of Muslims in the world. Creating our own media allows
us the opportunity to say, this is who we are, this is
what we've done, from our frame of reference."
The premiere issue of the magazine
features girls who have joined the Peace Corps and
volunteered in Indonesia. Advice columns tackle
everything from boyfriends to divorced parents to
anti-Muslim discrimination. Regular departments range
from Qur’an Notes to Hot List reviews of TV shows like
The CW Television Network’s ‘Gilmore Girls.’ And a
special feature on the hit show ‘24’ directly confronts
the biggest elephant in the room—the association of
Muslims with terrorism.
Muslim Girl Magazine
is published by execuGo Media of Toronto, Canada and
distributed worldwide by RCS of Los Angeles, California.
The cover price is $4.95 US ($5.95 CDN). The annual
subscription rate is $19.99 at
www.muslimgirlmagazine.com.
Adam was hanging around the Garden of Eden feeling very
lonely.
So, God asked him, "What's wrong with you?"
Adam said he didn't have anyone to talk to.
God said that He was going to make Adam a companion and
that it would be a woman.
He said, "This pretty lady will gather food for you, she
will cook for you, and when you discover clothing, she
will wash it for you. She will always agree with every
decision you make and she will not nag you, and will
always be the first to admit she was wrong when you've
had a disagreement. She will praise you!
She will bear your children.
And never ask you to get up in the middle of the night
to take care of them.
"She will NEVER have a headache and will freely give you
love and passion whenever you need it."
Adam asked God, "What will a woman like this cost?"
God replied, "An arm and a leg."
Then Adam asked, "What can I get for a rib?"
Of course the rest is history......................
The Inbox
Assalamu Alaikum
Dear CCN Editor,
This is a reply to a letter in Crescents Community
News 15 April, 2007 by Abdul Haq (Bob Fletcher).
Abdul asked if anyone knows of any Indigenous
Australian Muslims between Cairns and Brisbane. I
have met quite a few Indigenous brothers who have
reverted or who are interested in Islam. My Ph.D
thesis examines this very subject: 'Indigenous
Australians and Islam: Spiritual, Cultural and
Political Alliances in the Twenty First Century'.
I would be happy to speak to Abdul and any
Indigenous brothers and sisters who have embraced
Islam. I agree with Abdul that many Indigenous
Australians find Islam empowering, just as (black)
ethnic minorities in other countries have. My
research has identified a majority of Indigenous
people find Islam while incarcerated which adds an
ironic twist to the life experiences of many
Aborigines. Indigenous Australians are
over-represented in prisons by a factor of about 10;
with the Australian average incarceration rate at
163 per 100,000 of population, and the Indigenous
incarceration rate of 1560 per 100, 000 of
population.
This over-representation is completely unacceptable
and points to many unresolved social, cultural, and
political issues. But it does raise the value of
access by Indigenous inmates to correct and
plentiful literature and ministry by qualified
imams. Insha Allah Muslims communities will
increasingly recognise and support Indigenous
Australians both in prison and in the wider society
contexts.
Kind Regards Rashid Saeed (Dave Lawson)
QUT
Dear
Editor
Salams Br Bob (Abdul Haq)
Alhamdulillah on your return to Islam. I am in
Brisbane and a good friend of mine is an Indigenous
Australian and born-Muslim, from the Torres Strait
Islands (although her family can be traced back to
far north QLD). Yes, that's right - she was born
Muslim. Islam has been in her family since the late
1800s and her children and grandchildren are all
Muslims (and TI descendents).
A lot of Aboriginal people in far north QLD in
particular, are the descendents of Malay Muslims who
were brought to the area in the 1800s as cheap
labour, particularly with the abolition of slavery.
However, due to a number of factors - including the
White Australia Policy - many lost their Islamic
roots.
So who knows? Maybe your friend Mark has an Islamic
past that he is unaware of? Anyway, I have contacted
my friend and she is more than willing to talk to
you and assist you in any way she can. She does have
family in Cairns and Mackay but they too have pretty
much lost their Islamic identity. But she is a great
example of how Islam and Indigenous identity can go
hand in hand so I would encourage you to try and
talk with her or meet her if you can come to
Brisbane.
Inshaallah, email me and we'll see what happens. It
is in Allah's (swt) hands afterall.
Wassalam Leila.
PS - I am a revert also, 11 years now.
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
Share your thoughts, feelings and ambitions for our community through CCN.
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Disclaimer
Articles and opinions appearing in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Crescents of Brisbane team, CCN, its Editor or its Sponsors, particularly if they eventually turn out to be libelous, 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 either CCN or Crescents of Brisbane Inc.
125g Butter 
