In an historic
event on Sunday 22 July, members of the
Muslim community joined forces with key
intellectuals and academics to denounce not
only the treatment of Dr Mohammed Haneef,
but also the repressive and unrelenting
anti-terror legislation enacted by the
Howard government and supported by the
Labour opposition. A forum was held at the
Griffith University Multi-faith Conference
Centre to expose these repressive laws used
by the government in order to wrongly detain
and charge Dr Haneef under the Anti-terror
legislation.
Whilst all of
the delegates recognized the need to have
anti-terror legislation, there was a
unifying call for all Australians to be
aware of the erosion of basic human rights
under this legislation and for these laws to
be reviewed.
Forum participants
Senator Andrew Bartlett
and AFIC President Ikebal Patel
What is of
most concern to the Muslim community is the
fact that we seem to be “targeted” under
these laws due to the racial profiling
methods used by the government in it’s
effort to combat terrorism. What perplexed
most of the delegates, was the harsh
treatment of Mohammed Haneef despite not
only the apparent lack of strong supporting
evidence, but the presence of false or
incorrect evidence connecting him to any
terror activity. One of the delegates,
Sister Wendy Flannery, was almost brought to
tears as she recalled seeing the Doctor
brought into court barefooted.
Master of Ceremonies,
Sandy McCutcheon (left)
Mr. Nasser Abdalla and Mr. Ismail Moola
Dr Mohammad
Abdalla mentioned the dehumanising treatment
that was meted out to Dr Haneef would only
serve to radicalize Muslims in the community
and alienate our youngsters further from
mainstream culture. He also mentioned that
the insidious demonization of Muslims was
one of the strategies the government had
used in the past to create fear against
Muslims and that we can no longer stand by
and accept this polarization between our
communities.
Dr. Mohamad Abdalla
(Director of GIRU), Mr. Peter Russo (Dr. Haneef's solicitor), Prof. Ross Homel
(Director of Key Centre for Ethics, Law,
Justice and Governance) and Mr. Andrew Boe
(legal expert)
Sasha Esperson
(Amnesty International) outlined numerous
acts of the law which represent a gross
violation of human rights not least being,
the right to innocence until proven guilty
and the right of habeas corpus, two pillars
upholding our individual freedoms
Mr. Iqbal Siddique, cousin of
Dr. Haneef
Mr. Emad Soliman, GIRU PhD
Scholar (left),
Associate Prof Regina Ganter (right)
There was a
unanimous view among delegates that a bill
of rights whilst not even being considered
federally would provide adequate protection
against the erosion of basic human rights as
applied in the anti-terror legislation. Even
though Australia is a signatory to all of
the treaties under the International Bill of
Rights, it is not bound by any of them. A
poignant endorsement of the hypocritical
charge levelled against the current
government by Human rights organisations
activists.
Michael Cope, President of
Queensland Council for Civil Liberties
The delegates
urged all Australians to be aware of these
laws since they impinge on the basic human
freedoms we all take for granted. The forum
also impressed upon all Australians, the
need to lobby government at all levels to
bring about change and a fair go for all.
Andrew Schwartz, President
of Australian Doctors Trained Overseas
Assoc.
Sasha Jesperson, Amnesty
International
Sister Wendy Flannery
reads the forum's statement
Dr. Nader Hosen, Lecturer
Wollongong University
At the conclusion of the forum, Sister Wendy Flannery
presented the following joint statement on the case of
Dr Haneef:
"As a testament to the breadth of public concern over
the government's treatment of Dr Mohamad Haneef,
academics, legal experts, medical professionals, civil
libertarians, union representatives, representatives of
community organisations - including Amnesty
International, Queensland Council of Civil Liberties,
and the Association of Australian Doctors Trained
Overseas - Griffith University, religious leaders and
faith groups, and members of the general public have
come together to hold a forum on this issue.
Those gathered for the forum agreed that, despite the
fact that Dr Haneef is well-respected amongst his
community and particularly his colleagues and his
patients, his treatment by the authorities in the court
process has been degrading and undignified.
The delegates noted with utmost concern the perceived
attempt by the government to interfere in the judicial
process and undermine the presumption of innocence and
hence the possibility of Dr Haneef to get a fair go.
The organisations and individuals who attended this
forum feel confident that it has positively contributed
to the public debate on this critical issue. This forum
also demonstrates that a large and diverse cross section
of the Australian public is strongly committed to
preserving democratic and legal processes and
principles, as well as human rights, for all people in
Australia, not only Muslims but members of all religious
and ethnic communities.
In view of the perceived seriousness of the issue at
hand for the future of Australia, the forum participants
call on all political parties to independently review
the anti-terrorism laws and the Migration Act, and to
ensure they are consistent with our cherished Australian
values.
To demonstrate our solidarity with Dr Haneef and our
determination to see justice done in his case, the
groups who attended today's forum have planned a show of
support on August 8th, at 9 am, at the Federal Court,
Quay Street, Brisbane, when the hearing about the
cancellation of Dr Haneef's visa will take place. Anyone
who has a concern about this issue is encouraged to
participate, and efforts will be made to mobilise
similar gatherings in other parts of Australia on the
same date."
Mr. Nasser Abdalla,
Mr. Naseem Abdul (Islamic Council of Gold Coast
President), Dr Mohamad Abdalla and Abdul
Raoof Shtawi, PhD Scholar
It'll cost you nothing (and you could
come away with a fabulous prize or two for your
troubles). Also remember, your contribution can help
save three lives.
Did you know
that.........
"During all the first part of the Middle
Ages, no other people made as important a contribution
to human progress as did the Arabs, if we take this term
to mean all those whose mother-tongue was Arabic, and
not merely those living in the Arabian Peninsula.
For centuries, Arabic was the language of
learning, culture and intellectual progress for the
whole of the civilized world with the exception of the
Far East.
From the IXth to the XIIth century there
were more philosophical, medical, historical, religious,
astronomical and geographical works written in Arabic
than in any other human tongue."
Outgoing president Sultan Deen
handed over the reigns of the Rotary Club of Archerfield
to Marie Jackson at the annual changeover last
month.
The Club celebrated a successful year by
handing over $16,000 to various community groups.
It is heavily involved in Rotary projects
overseas and has several initiatives planned for this
year.
Anyone interested in joining the club
should phone 3277 2687.
Islamic Intensive
Course for Youth
Google Pedometer
Ever
wondered what distance you were covering accurately and
exactly how many calories you were burning during your
daily jog or walk?
Well now you can compute both from the
comfort of your computer.
Go to
www.gmap-pedometer.com, a Google map based website
where you can plot your walking route, and it will
compute the kms and calories burned over the marked
distances.
Jump to and zoom into the area you want
to trace, start recording and place markers at
appropriate turns and corners along your route.
FRONT ROW Muhammed Peer and
Khaleel Waqar
BACK ROW Nabeel Khan, Chris Johnson and Aaqib
Abdul Ala
on the big screen
Adam Goodfellow and Muhammad Hatia
[Editor] Could the Lion's massive
win over the weekend be attributed to the vociferous
support of a group of new found fans? We'd like to think
so!
From
the CCN Cradle
Congratulations to Muhsin and
FarzanahAlly on the safe arrival of their
daughter, Amani (meaning hope) on 15 July at the
Mater Private Hospital and weighing in at 2.75kg.
Suliman
in Selangor
The
translated version from Bahasa Malaysia to English
Language extracted from the archives of the website of
the office of Selangor chief minister.
Shah Alam (capital
city of Selangor Darul Ehsan), 19 July 2007: The
Chief Minister of Selangor, the most Hon. Datuk Seri (local
titleship) Dr. Mohamad Khir bin Toyo today
received and welcomed the visit from the respectable
Suliman Sabdia as President of ICQ, Australia.
In this meeting, the ICQ president hoped
to establish bilateral co-operation and relationship
with the State of Selangor.
Besides this meeting with Dr. Mohamad
Khir, ICQ was given various formal briefings by the
State Economic Development Corporation (SEDC) on
economic status and progress in the state.
Suliman has stated that there were
immense opportunities that could be explored between
Queensland and Selangor especially for the good and
development of the Muslim community in the states.
He also offered ICQ’s readiness as a
conduit body to promote Malaysia in particular the
Selangor state in economy, education, agriculture,
health and tourism.
“We hope to establish closer co-operation
for the benefit of the people of Queensland and
Selangor,” he said after the briefings.
Suliman was impressed with the running
and operation of the Bank of Islam in that country and
has expressed his wish to set up of a branch in
Queensland in the future.
Before Selangor, he had visited Putrajaya
(federal capital of Malaysia).
He hoped that information learnt from
this trip could soon be implemented at home.
“This will definitely benefit the Muslim
community there” he said.
In his first trip here to Malaysia, he
was most touch by the reception he received and was
taken aback by the beauty of this country and its
wonderful people.
The President of the Islamic Council of
Queensland, brother Suliman Sabdia announced today of
the historic meeting between the Chief Minister of the
State of Selangor, Malaysia, Dato Dr Mohamad Khir Bin
Toyo and the President of the Islamic Council of
Queensland. Brother Suliman Sabdia was invited by Dato
Dr Mohamad Khir Bin Toyo as a guest of Chief Minister.
Prior to his visit to Malaysia, Br Suliman Sabdia had a
meeting with the Premier of Queensland, the Hon Peter
Beattie MP to discuss his visit to Malaysia.
Brother Suliman Sabdia initiated this visit to promote
religious, cultural, educational, economic and political
ties between the state of Queensland and the State of
Selangor.
In his meetings with the Chief Minister and the Premier,
Br Suliman Sabdia has received strong support for his
initiatives, and will be working very hard to promote
and strengthen good relations between the people of
Queensland and the people of Selangor.
SLP by
IFA Youth
A
Tribute to AIIC Volunteers
by Principal Peter Michalski
Volunteers are unique people. Unique in
that they are always there when you need them, they
don’t expect praise, recognition or financial reward.
They come from all walks of life;
cleaners, electricians, doctors, teachers, students,
computer engineers, bus drivers, mums, dads,
grandparents, aunts, uncles and college friends.
Whenever there is a function like a
College Fete, they are there early to set up before the
crowd arrives and work late to pack up after the crowd
has gone.
Australian International Islamic College
fete was a success because parents, teachers and friends
of our College, volunteered and assisted in setting up,
operated all kinds of stalls: (food, clothes, show bags)
painted faces, manned our car park and auctioned donated
items.
Thank you volunteers, it is people like
you who make Australian International Islamic College a
very special place.
You volunteered your time, energy and
talents in making our Fete our success.
Thank you because not only did we make a
little profit for our classrooms and P & C Association
sign project but also made some great friends on the
day.
Thank you volunteers. Australian
International Islamic College thanks you, I cannot
imagine ever being a principal without your support.
Thank you!!!
Contestants pull out of competition
Last week CCN included a report on the
Oaktree Foundation and Queensland Business Icon
competition in which Luqman and Sameer were taking part.
Both young men were successful in the
first task and in fact led their entire group to victory
in their first venture.
However, they have decided to pull out of the
competition because the second task involved them
creating a new product for Lion Nathan (Australia's
largest brewery).
The drink could have been non-alcoholic
but both felt that it would, for obvious reasons, be
better that they did not have associations with the
brewery.
Mosque
in Squatter Camp in Cape Town
To donate money to alleviate the
hardships in squatter camps in the Cape Flats, South
Africa contact the Al Waasil Ladies Group of
Minto, Sydney:
The TAQWA committee wishes to thank the
many sponsors from Brisbane and the Gold Coast for their
generous contributions towards the Centre in Redfern
Sydney, which has now been renovated.
The Centre provides counseling for drug
and alcohol dependency and coordinates food distributing
to the needy with the assistance of local social
workers.
Adam Bowden, who leads the
programme at the Centre, said that without the support
of the Queensland community so much with not have been
achieved in this short time.
TAQWA aims to engage business and
professional people in Sydney to coordinate support and
efforts from New South Wales. If CCN readers know of
persons or organizations in Sydney who might be able to
help in this regard, please contact the following
urgently:
The Ek Raath One Night concert of music
and culture from the Sub-continent was presented last
night by the Indo-Queensland Institute of Music and Art.
There were songs and Qawwali by Hafiz
AliKhan, sitar performance by Radhey Shyam Gupta
and speeches by IQIMA co-founders Dr Farid Khan
and Mr. Suliman Sabdia
Munira Bassa, Safia Casoojee,
(removed on request) and Faiyaza Omar
Shireen and Dr. Mohammed Seedat
2007 Queensland Youth Conference
Young people and youth workers will be
given the chance to share their skills and knowledge and
highlight the issues that affect them at the State
Government's Department of Communities’ first youth
conference.
The 5-7 September 2007 conference, which will be hosted
by the Office for Youth, will cover a broad range of
topics through presentations, plenary sessions and other
unique activities.
Networking will also be high on the agenda, with
delegates from across the state representing a variety
of organisations. The conference will provide an ideal
opportunity for young people to build partnerships with
community and government agencies.
A limited number of subsidies is
available (check the website for details), so register
today to avoid missing out.
Hows Your Ticker – Are you Heading for a Heart Attack?
What Can you do to reduce your risk
SPEAKERS INCLUDE A CARDIOLOGIST (DR.NASSER ESSACK);
DIETITIAN; EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGIST
Date : Tuesday 14 August 2007
Time : 6.45pm for a 7.00 pm start
Venue : Acacia Room, Acacia Ridge Hotel
1386 Beaudesert Rd, Acacia Ridge 4110
$30
members $35 non-members
Kareema's Keep Fit Column
Q:
I would like to strengthen / bulk up (build muscle)
particularly in my upper body.
Any tips?
A: The fit ball (gym ball) is a great tool and one
of my favourites! Try some bench presses on the ball.
Because of the unstable surface, your abdominal, arm and
shoulder muscles will work much harder. (According to
Prevention magazine, you will work between 60 - 70%
harder while using the ball)
All questions sent in are published here
anonymously and without any references to the author of
the question.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bridge-to-Brisbane Sunday 5 August
2007
Week 4 of our 4 week Bridge-to-Brisbane
training program:
This is our last chance to get ready as race day is
almost here.
Please note that the following program is suitable for
beginners. For the more competitive or serious athlete,
intensity, duration and frequency of exercises need to
be increased!
REMEMBER: NUTRITION IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS YOUR
TRAINING REGIME. SO START EATING HEALTHIER TODAY
AND DON'T FORGET TO DRINK YOUR WATER!
DAY 1:
If you've been consistent with your training, then this
is the week to take it slightly easier.
On the other hand, if you didn't do as much as you
should've, then pick it up a notch.
Try to improve on your best time or distance. We need to
get out bodies where we need
it to be for race day - PREPARED!
REMEMBER TO STRETCH AFTER EVERY WORKOUT!
Healthy Tip: Always keep your body hydrated - carry a
bottle of water with you daily!
DAY 2:
Try a cycling session to improve on leg strength. If
you're not able to, then take on
a a few flights of stairs.
DAY 3:
Low impact session. Today is all about rewarding
yourself for all the hard work.
Choose an activity you love.
DAY 4:
If you're racing against the clock on Sunday, then set
yourself a race pace and
get out and practice today. Remember to start easy, set
your pace and finish
strong!
If you go out too hard at the start, you are going to
run out of steam before you
reach the finish line...
If your goal is simply to complete the course, then take
an easy paced walk.
DAY 5:
Try and spend at least 45mins in a heated pool if
possible. Your muscles will love
you for it. The resistance of the water will guarantee a
great workout, even if you're
just walking from one end to the other!
DAY 6:
Relax and recover! Try and have an early night so you
are in peak condition tomorrow.
DAY 7:
RACE DAY! Have a good breakfast filled with protein for
lots of energy throughout the race.
ENJOY!!!!
PLEASE NOTE: The above training program assumes a
healthy participant. Those with medical conditions,
injuries or who are not physically active, need to seek
clearance from their GP before starting any form of
exercise.
Naan Rotis
Ingredients
1 ¾ cup self raising flour 1 tsp salt ¼ cup yoghurt ½ cup warm water
Method
Mix the flour, salt, and yoghurt together.
Add water a little at a time to make a soft dough.
Knead and cover with a cloth, leave for 1 hour.
Preheat grill and place a baking tray under the grill.
Divide the dough into eight pieces.
Roll out into round rotis.
Place 2 rotis at a time on the heated baking tray and
bake until light brown specks appear.
Remove from oven and brush with melted butter.
Source: Radio Islam Newsletter -
Wednesday, 25 July 2007
Do you have a recipe to share with
CCN readers?
Send in your favourite recipe to
theteam@crescentsofbrisbane.org and who
knows, you could be our "guest chef" for a future
edition of CCN.
The CCN Chuckle
Mula Nasruddin and
his friend, Abdul Jalalludin, go on a fishing trip.
They rent all the
equipment: the reels, the rods, the wading suits, the
rowboat, the car, and even a cabin in the woods. They
spend a fortune.
The first day they go fishing, but they don't catch
anything.
The same thing
happens on the second day, and on the third day.
It goes on like
this until finally, on the last day of their vacation,
Abdul Jalalludin catches a fish.
As they're driving home they're really depressed.
Abdul Jalalludin
turns to Mula Nasruddin and says, "Do you realize that
this one lousy fish we caught cost us fifteen hundred
dollars?"
Mula Nasruddin says, "Wow! It's a good thing we didn't
catch any more!"
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.
If there is someone you know who would like to subscribe to CCN please encourage them to send an e-mail to theteam@crescentsofbrisbane.org with the words “Subscribe Me” in the subject line.
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.
Several
donors have already enrolled for year's Crescents and Red Cross Blood Drive.
Ever
wondered what distance you were covering accurately and
exactly how many calories you were burning during your
daily jog or walk?
.jpg)
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Q:
I would like to strengthen / bulk up (build muscle)
particularly in my upper body.