Sunday, 13 May 2007

Newsletter 0131

This week's CCN is kindly sponsored by

Kimaya International

International Fashions for the Modest Woman

لسلام عليكم

The Crescents of Brisbane Team will be busy preparing some 650 race packs this week for Saturday's RACE PACK PICK UP DAY.

Entrants should pick up their race packs on Saturday 19 May between 2 and 5pm at the Kuraby Community Hall.

It's still not too late to enter for this year's Fun Run.

You can

register (and pay) online, or

download an entry form and complete and fax to 32198741

Report by CCN's Man-on-the-Mussallah

With a menu comprising garden salad, raita, date and tamarind chutney, chicken tandoori bites, samosa, onion pakora, pappadum, lamb roghan josh, prawn malbari, roast vegetable, butter chichen, roast lamb, nasi goreng, saffron rice, fresh bread rolls, baklava, honey cake, lady finger, fruit platter and ice cream one would have thought it sufficient to warrant rating the event an unmitigated success.

But this was not the only highlight of an evening in which a motley make up of Muslims found themselves on arrival being shepherded by a veritable guard of honour through the corridors of the Queensland Police Service Academy and on to the Recreation Club to be met by some of the State's finest and (if the medal count is anything to go by) shiniest.

Ms. Faiza el-Higzi led the Muslim charge as MC with all the charm and confidence of a seasoned trooper.

Laila Rafiq spoke quiet eloquently of her experiences as a young Muslim growing up in Queensland and the need for more contact with the wider community.

Introduced as the "coolest Imam in town", Ahmad Ghazaleh confirmed his newfound title regaling his audience with stories of his own personal encounters with the law - once as a speedster and an inexplicably large number of times as a "random" selection at airport security checks. Then the duff was introduced into the proceedings and, despite very evidently suffering from a case of the dreaded lurgies, Ghazaleh succeeded in entertaining with a couple of Nasheeds.  

Commissioner Bob Atkinson remembered the calm reaction of the community to the burning of the Kuraby Mosque as a defining moment in his future relationships with the Muslim community.

These formalities were followed by a drum ensemble by the Medraj sisters that had the audience very nearly doing a "Happy Feet". 

Using her elegantly clad mannequins couturière, Susan Almaani, then explained the finer points of Eastern dress through a journey embracing several cultures and countries.  

Full credit to the organizers on both sides who succeeded in turning the social gathering into an unpatronizing, entertaining and informative night out that did them both proud.

With CresWalk just days away here's some useful advice that may help you along the way:

Shin splint pain commonly happens whenever walkers start a walking program, start walking faster, change their shoe style, or change their stride.

Shin splints are due to an imbalance between the muscles that lift the foot and those that pull it down.

Overstriding can cause  shin splints, as can wearing walking shoes with a relatively high wedge heel.

The shin splint pain will eventually go away as you develop your shin muscles and adjust to your new stride.

Here's how to take precautions against shin splints:

Today (13 May) there will be a Public Lecture with Sheikh Naeem Abdul Wali and Mohammad Hashim Kamali  at the GRIFFITH ISLAMIC RESEARCH UNIT (GIRU), Griffith University between 10am-1pm.

Click here for a map of the location.

A CONTROVERSIAL late goal gave Japan victory over England in the third annual Ethnic Community Council of Queensland/Queensland Police Service (ECCQ/QPS) Cup held at Queensland Roar’s headquarters in Richlands.

England’s protests that the ball had gone out of play before it was cut back for the decisive goal fell on deaf ears and the skilful Japanese outfit held on against a gallant England side.

Both teams will get the chance to replay the final as a curtain-raiser to a Hyundai A-League game at Suncorp Stadium in the upcoming season as part of the prize for making it through to the conclusion of the highly entertaining tournament.

The football and the colourful festivities were enjoyed by over 4000 people across two venues, who feasted on food from all over the world, witnessed flamboyant goal celebrations and ultimately saw Japan take home the prize.

With 24 teams each representing their nation of origin and plenty of supporters in tow, highlights of the day included the opening match between Australia v England and the sheer spectacle that ensued when Ethiopia put one past Greece early in the day.

Queensland Roar players turned out too, signing autographs and playing ‘freestyle’ football with plenty of eager youngsters inside the Roar Rapid Fire inflatable fields.

Roar CEO Lawrence Oudendyk commended the football community, who he said had shown their support through sheer numbers.

“The day has gone very well; there has been a lot of people coming and going throughout the day and it’s a good day for football in our community,” said Oudendyk.

“There are a lot of people here and certainly a lot of people we haven’t been seeing at our Hyundai A-League games, so hopefully today’s message will rub off on them and they’ll come and support us.

“Multiculturalism is obviously what today is about; football is the world game. Everyone can play and everyone understands; I think football has been the big winner today.”
 

“We’ve been having a bit of a look today; there are certainly a lot of players here that are outside the club system, so you never know.”

Creator and Metropolitan South Region Cross Cultural Liaison Officer, Sergeant Jim Bellos, reinforced Oudendyk’s sentiments.

“It’s been a great day with great weather and really an all-round success,” said Sgt Bellos.

“So many people have turned out and there is so much cultural diversity out on show. The tournament promotes cultural diversity and harmony and has been greatly supported by the community.”

In presenting the trophy to the winning Japanese captain, Queensland Police Commissioner, Mr Bob Atkinson said: “Queensland is a great place to live and after this tournament it will be a little better tomorrow than it was yesterday.”

Source: http://www.qldroar.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=7559&pageid=375

The Algester Mosque will be holding a Youth Programme (HALQA – E – YOUTH) on Saturday evening, 19 May, from 5:30 pm until Eshaa at 7:30 pm.

On behalf of the Imams of the Algester Masjid, a cordial invitation is extended to the youth of our community to partake in this Halqa-e- Youth (youth circle) programme.
This invitation is for both males and females.

Programme format (approx. 1 ½ hours)

1. TILAWAT
2. QASEEDAH
3. NAAT (URDU + TRANSLATION )
4. WELCOME SPEECH + AIM OF PROGRAMME
5. MAIN SPEECH
6. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
7. ZIKRULLAH + ISTIGHFAAR
8. DUA
9. BBQ after Eshaa Salaah

A certain prominent Brisbane dentist (who shall, for professional and personal reasons, remain nameless) was informed by his staff that he did not qualify to become an Australian citizen despite having attended a citizenship ceremony recently.

They had discovered that he had not to date eaten and tasted the delights of Australian cuisine in the shape of Vegemite and so could not truly and lawfully claim a right to an Australian passport.

In order to expedite the good dentist's assimilation into Australian society and adoption of Australian values at the same time the staff started up a collection drive and presented him with a bottle of what can best be described as Australia's answer to black gold.

The said dentist, desperate to secure his passport at all costs, "took his medicine like a man" and reported his second citizenship ceremony in an email to his staff thus:

Hi ?? and ???

Thank you for advising me that the citizenship ceremony I went through the other day in town was not the complete process and that I had to eat Vegemite to officially become an Australian. Thank you also for the jar of said material duly provided.

Please find attached, photographic proof that the material passed my lips. The imbrication¹ of the lower incisors is good enough forensic evidence that it is me.

I trust that passing the lips is the minimum standard as I could barely swallow the stuff.

It not only looks like s**t, it tastes that way as well.

The fact that only a corner of the pictured toast had the material on it surely saved me from an agonizingly slow and painful death.

I shall use the rest of the jar to kill painful pulps in our emergency patients. A tiny quantity should be enough for a whole jaw.

Please can I have my passport now?
 

Regards
Bruce ?
 

1. That's 'crowding' for the non dentists amongst you! (Editor)

First-year Bomber Bachar Houli made his debut on Friday night against the Kangaroos.

Houli, who turned 19 yesterday, received the call-up after impressing with the Bendigo Bombers in the VFL. He collected 32 touches against Williamstown last weekend.
 

Despite his team's 95-117 loss to the Kangaroos, Essendon coach Kevin Sheedy expressed his delight in the debut of highly publicised recruit Bachar Houli.

“Houli was good tonight. He kicked a goal and had the ball 15 times. He kept running which was good. He could get rid of it a little bit earlier at times.”

 

Pre-match report
The onballer, the first devout Muslim to play AFL football, was told of his debut by coach Kevin Sheedy in front of his teammates.

"I had tingles, had heaps of them, from the time Sheeds said it to just now when we had another meeting. It's really kicked in," he told the Herald Sun.

Houli hasn't been able to catch-up with his parents face-to-face since getting the news, but they are equally excited.

"Apparently my dad's reaction was amazing," he said. "He was working at the fish and chip shop (in Werribee) and he was basically serving five customers at once, that's how excited he was."

Sheedy said he expected Houli to quickly become a fan favourite.

"Friday night is a great opportunity for the young man and we are looking forward to him beginning his AFL career," Sheedy said.

"He will be a favourite of the crowd because he is a hard working young player which is the sort of footballer Essendon supporters love."

Houli was taken at No.42 in the 2006 NAB AFL Draft after playing for the Western Jets and representing Vic Metro in 2006.

Essendon CEO, Peter Jackson said beyond football, Houli had played a key role in the club's work with the community.

"We conduct a multicultural program which aims to get newly arrived refugees and multicultural communities involved in football. … Bachar has been heavily involved in all initiatives," Mr Jackson said.

"He has attend several multicultural school visits, participated in the harmony walk to the Dome and always finds time to speak to students about his culture and beliefs."

Source: http://www.bombersfc.com.au/Default.aspx?tabid=6477&newsId=42942

The Al-nisa Youth Group is holding an open forum to present the findings of the Muslim Youth Summit at Darra Mosques on Saturday 19 May after Magrib. A light dinner will be served thereafter.

The Muslim Youth Summit is an initiative of the youth group and aims to identify issues that young Muslim people here in the Brisbane region face, and come up with possible strategies to address them in collaboration with the community, other service providers and government.

"You can attend and become a part of the change to the better of the community," said Al-nisa President, Faiza El-higzi.

This project is funded by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and supported by the Islamic Council of Queensland.

Source: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,21711924-1702,00.html

Muslims are feeling the love from companies seeking a piece of the Muslim consumer dollar. But being the latest attractive market demographic might come with a high price.
________________________________________
By Zahed Amanullah, April 30, 2007
 

As public opinion regarding Muslims continues to be challenged by recent news events, there are some in the West

who are looking past all that and are instead considering how to best cater to their needs. But it's not necessarily a new found socio-political sympathy. Just as oil revenues have kept certain Muslim states economically linked to the West, the growing purchasing power of Muslims in Western countries has created a group too seductive to be reviled completely.

Until recently, companies that merely listened to a potential Muslim clientele invited accusations of "dhimmitude", consorting with the enemy, or caving in to religion in an agnostic (or at least Judeo-Christian) marketplace. Yet, in spite of this, more companies are noticing the estimated $170 billion annually that Muslim consumers spend in the US alone (and these Muslim Americans, many of whom immigrated as highly-educated professionals, consistently rank as one of the highest per-capita income groups in the country). Similarly, Muslims in the US and UK are attracting the attention of marketing professionals because they are a younger, more attractive demographic than their non-Muslim peers. As a result, Muslim economic ( i.e., halal) needs area slowly being supplied in greater numbers by non-Muslims.

While companies have targeted ethnic groups for some time now, there have been few examples of target demographics based on religion. Some publishing companies have had luck with targeting Christian households with appropriately-themed materials, but those markets are also served by well-established niche companies. Muslims, on the other hand, have a purchasing power that overwhelms the still-small collection of businesses that caters exclusively to them (mainly Mom-and-Pop restaurants, stores, and markets). And since nothing attracts the corporate world like the smell of unharvested profits, businesses from Citibank to IKEA are wondering just how much Muslim marketing they can produce without alienating their other customers, and initial forays are meeting with some success.

For example, when two McDonald's restaurants in Melbourne, Australia switched to halal sources for their meat, sales doubled despite some protests by non-Muslims (select McDonald's restaurants in the UK followed suit this week). The Nando's restaurant chain has profited immensely by offering halal offerings of its Portuguese chicken in 25% of its stores in the UK. One entrepreneur is even seeking to export prepackaged organic halal pizzas from Canada to Muslim populations throughout North America and Europe. "There are a lot of Muslims who would eat this up," says Angelo Alof , founder of Organic Halal International Foods (and master of puns, evidently).

As for mainstream foods, another businessman has helped introduce and distribute in the UK halal sweets (including Gummi Bears) by Haribos, one of Europe's biggest sweet manufacturers. Nestle has become the biggest multi-national food manufacturer for Muslims, producing halal food in 75 of its 481 factories and earning over $3 billion in annual sales. And for those Muslim entrepreneurs, such as restaurant owners, who are looking for Islamically-compatible business-to-business services, Lloyd's TSB Bank has begun offering Islamic business accounts in Britain.

Next month, two conferences on the halal industry, the World Halal Forum and MIHAS, will take place in Malaysia, a country that aims to be a " halal hub" for the world halal food industry. But among the attendees will be representatives of many non-Muslim countries, such as New Zealand, South Africa, and India, which are aiming to be the leading suppliers of halal meat to Muslims, both domestic and international. These countries are starting to take notice of changing tastes among Muslims around the world, as the spending patterns of younger generations more closely mirror their non-Muslim peers rather than their Muslim parents.

For Muslims, all this attention is a double-edged sword. Becoming an official (and lucrative) demographic in the eyes of the corporate world ensures a base level of respect and protection by the larger society. After all, nobody likes to slaughter a cash cow. But in the process, the Muslim community stands to lose a great deal of control over its own economic potential. What chance does the local Halal butcher have, for example, when Muslims can pick up shrink-wrapped halal meats at the local Safeway while they do their everyday shopping? The irony is that the Muslim consumer market is maturing faster than Muslim food and halal service providers. But the good news is everybody might start to love us.

Zahed Amanullah is associate editor of altmuslim.com. He is based in London, England.

MBN will be hosting a Dinner Meeting 0 TUESDAY 22 MAY at the ABRUZZO BRISBANE CLUB, 150 FURSDEN RD, CARINA

TIME: 7.00PM FOR A 7.15PM START

COST: $30 FOR MEMBERS AND $35 FOR NON-MEMBERS

TOPIC: RETIREMENT AND SUPERANNUATION

SPEAKER: NOEL WHITTAKER

Some of the issues that will be addressed are Do I have enough to retire?, Self Manageg Super Funds, Allocated pensions, One off contribution before 30 June 2007 and Preparing for Retirement.

Noel Whittaker is one of Australia's best known financial advisers and is a foundind director of Whittaker Macnaught Pty Ltd.

He is a pioneer in the field of consumer education and his books Making Money Made Simple, More Money with Noel Whittaker,  Golden Rules of Wealth, Getting it Together, Living Well in Retirement are best sellers.  He writes weekly columns in many of Australia's major newspapers including The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The Courier Mail.

He broadcasts every week on ABC News Radio, 3 AW and 4BC and appears regularly on television.

Tickets can also be purchased from any of the Committee members.

A FLAG is soon to flutter above the troubled suburb of Redfern, proclaiming a new religious face to Aboriginal Australia. At the centre of a backdrop of equal halves of black and red, the colours of the Aboriginal people, is a yellow crescent moon and star. It's to be the symbol of the Koori Muslim Association, which will open the only Aboriginal mushalla in NSW at a shopfront location on busy Regent Street next month.

Conversion among indigenous Australians is growing, driven by the higher visibility of Islam, a rejection of Christianity as a post-colonial religion, identification with Islamic principles, and conversions in prisons where Aborigines dominate the population.

Read the rest......

Reflecting on his experiences and opinion in South Africa, Galloway, one of the leading critics and agitators against the apartheid government, related the story of his arrest in the country on a visit during the apartheid years.

"I was arrested in this very city of Cape Town, in the Gugulethu township. I was dragged by the police into the station. I was beaten-up by a police officer…he treated me very brutally."

He also drew comparisons between apartheid South Africa and Israel's treatment of Palestinians.

"The prevailing opinion in Israel is rather like the prevailing opinion amongst whites in South Africa until almost the end; they want peace, but they are not prepared to pay the price for peace. And the price of peace in Palestine is justice for the Palestinian people."

But Galloway had nothing but praise for the country since the establishment and inception of non-racial democracy in 1994, "The foreign policy of South Africa, is something to be proud of, it might be improved but it is something to be proud of nonetheless."

Galloway added wittily, "I don’t say this because, my friends are now in power, people I bought fish and chips for, because they had no money in exile with the ANC."

One of the few areas he refused to comment on was the domestic policies of the country, as he felt it was not his place to speculate, criticize or laud policies which did not affect him as a British citizen.

He nonetheless praised the South African people and the government. "I know that there is some disappointment amongst people who hoped for better.

But I tell you that someone who comes from Britain and travels the world, you have a better government than almost all the other countries in the world."

Read the rest.......

George Galloway's speech to the British Parliament, January 2007

One of the few places where Islam has found a place in modern Western culture is in hip-hop music.

Artists like Mos Def and Jurassic 5 have shown that it is possible for Muslim identities and Islamic values to find their place amid the bling of the hip-hop world.

Now, a street-smart Muslim kid from Chicago has attracted a lot of attention, proving that the aforementioned artists aren't a fluke.

Wasalu Muhammad Jaco, otherwise known as Lupe Fiasco, grew up in Chicago's southside and began rapping while in high school.

Raised in a family of 9 children, Fiasco was immersed in global cultural influences (thanks to his well-traveled mother) and grounded in the local Muslim community.

After a few guest appearances on various rap singles, Fiasco attracted the attention of Atlantic Records (founded by the late Muslim-American Ahmet Ertegun) as well as Jay-Z, who assisted him with the production of his debut album.

The iconic style magazine GQ recently named Fiasco the "Breakout Artist of the Year", and Fiasco was one of the first hip-hop artists to secure a fashion endorsement before releasing an album (an avid skateboarder, Fiasco was spotted by Reebok wearing one of their caps and recruited him). But it's not just his fashion sense that has been receiving accolades.

Rolling Stone magazine praised Fiasco's Grammy-nominated debut album, Food and Liquor, observing that "Fiasco reflects on the personal and the political, and reminds fans of everything hip-hop can be."

The Washington Post noted that when "the Muslim MC rhymes over well-known hip-hop tracks and manages to outshine the artists who made the beats famous - without mentioning sex or illegal substances - his skill is undeniable."

That talent is apparent in Fiasco's "Muhammad Walks," a clever remix of the famous Kanye West song "Jesus Walks", which can be downloaded free because, as Fiasco raps in the song, "I ain't trying to make profit of off the Prophet." Fiasco is not eager to parade his Muslim identity, though.

When asked about his faith, he said, "I was born Muslim, so Islam plays a part in my everything I do, to a certain extent. I'm not like the poster boy for Islam, you know what I'm saying? So it's like I still got my flaws and stuff like that, so I don't really wear that on my sleeve."

That consciousness infuses his entire album, whether he is addressing misogyny, the conflict in the Middle East, or inner city poverty. In the song "American Terrorist", he raps "camouflaged Torahs, Bibles and glorious Qur'ans / the books that take you to Heaven and let you meet the Lord there / have become misinterpreted, reasons for warfare / we read 'em with blind eyes I guarantee u there's more there."

It's a lesson that many - including Muslims - could heed.

Zahir Janmohamed is the co-founder of The Qunoot Foundation and associate editor of alt.muslim

Source: http://www.altmuslim.com/perm.php?id=1853_0_26_0_C

BUTTER SEEKH KEBAABS
Ingredients
½ KG Mince - steak or mutton - 1 tsps ginger garlic - 1 slice brown bread (grated) - 1 tsp red chillies - 1 tsp dhania - 1 tsp jeeeroo - 1 tblsp lemon juice - ½ tsp tumeric powder - 1 onion grated - ½ tsp nutmeg - salt to taste - handful of dhania - handful of spring onions (optional).
 

Method
1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Make into balls.
3. Pat each in palm.
4. Add a blob of butter in the middle of the mince and then roll into a kebab.
5. Place in oven tray.
6. Drizzle 4 tblsps of ghee and 4 tblsps of lemon juice in tray.
7. Bake in oven for 30 minutes or until cooked.

THE REAL "3 BEARS" STORY

Baby Bear goes downstairs and sits in her little chair at the table. She looks into her little bowl.

It is empty.

"Who's been eating my porridge?!!" she squeaks.

Daddy Bear arrives at the table and sits in his big chair. He looks into his big bowl and it is also empty.

"Who's been eating MY porridge?!!" he roars.

Mummy Bear puts her head through the serving hatch from the kitchen and yells...

"For goodness sake, how many times do I have to go through this with you dears? It was Mummy Bear who got up first, it was Mummy Bear who woke everyone in the house, it was Mummy Bear who made the coffee, it was Mummy Bear who unloaded the dishwasher from last night, and put everything away, it was Mummy Bear who went out in the cold early morning air to fetch the newspaper, it was Mummy Bear who set the table, it was Mummy Bear who put the cat out, cleaned the litter box and filled the cat's water and food dish, and now that you're both up and ready for breakfast, let me say this one more time dears ..........


...........I HAVEN'T MADE THE PORRIDGE YET!!!!"

(Happy Mother's Day!)

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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.