Miss
this event............at your peril...........and then
only if you're a male!
OCTOBER is National Breast Cancer
Awareness Month.
Breast cancer has had a growing profile
since the early 90’s.
It has become a hugely important issue
because it affects so many of us – friends, family,
colleagues.
Each one of us probably knows of someone
who has been touched by this disease; whether that
awareness has come about through friends and family
being diagnosed or famous celebrities.
To commemorate National Breast Cancer
Awareness Month, Crescents of Brisbane will be hosting
an all ladies-only Breast Cancer Awareness afternoon on
Saturday, 20 October from 1:30-5pm at the Kuraby
State Special School Hall, Winifred St., Kuraby.
Key speakers include:
• Carolyn Brown - BreastScreen QLD
• Leonie Young – a Breast Cancer Survivor from the Kim
Walters Choices Support Program at The Wesley Hospital
• Therese Thorpe – National Training & Promotions
Manager (Brastylist) from Triumph International
Crescents of Brisbane has planned an
afternoon that is going to be informative, entertaining
and full of fun! And certainly one not to be missed!
There will also be a special beauty treat
for everyone who attends as well as giveaways, lucky
draw prizes and refreshments.
Entry is free, but you must register ASAP as seating in
the Hall is very limited and places are already starting
to fill up fast and it will most certainly be a case of
"first in best dressed".
You can
register
online, email
theteam@crescentsofbrisbane.org or phone Saalihah
on 3219 8274 or 0404 296 297 or Bilkish on 3219
7012 or 0423 297 300 who will also tell you all about
our exciting competition.
The
Kuraby Mosque Fundraisermeter
A
Winger and a Prayer: Must see documentary
The
man described as the greatest goal kicker in the history
of Australian rugby league reveals the secrets to his
success in Australian Story.
Hazem El Masri, Canterbury Bulldogs winger and
one of Australia’s few Islamic sporting stars, speaks
for the first time about the prayer he utters just
before lining up a kick.
"It’s pretty much a connection between me and God, and
asking God to hopefully make it easier for me," he says.
El Masri grew up in Tripoli during the Lebanese civil
war before moving to Australia with his family at the
age of 11.
Since rising to prominence on the sporting field, El
Masri has become a reluctant role model for Lebanese
youth in Sydney’s south western suburbs.
But he also found himself entangled in controversy when
members of his team were accused of raping a young woman
at Coffs Harbour. And again when a confrontation
developed with police who he claimed were harassing him
because of his race.
He says he is worried about what it will be like for his
children to grow up in a place where many people
perceive all Lebanese to be criminals and rapists and
has not ruled out leaving his adopted country in the
future.
Well-known for fiercely guarding his privacy, Hazem El
Masri granted Australian Story rare access to his
private life and the people closest to him.
Melanie Pilling of the Weekend Gold
Coast Bulletin spoke to a recent revert to the Islamic
faith about the challenges of abstaining from food, sex
and even gossip, during the month of Ramadan.
The following are extracts from the
article:
Fa'izah Batchelor and
her husband Hamdy Ibrahim with their
daughter Rahma and nephews Tarek
Ibrahim (left) and Khalid
Ibrahim
LIKE most women Fa'izah Batchelor
likes to gossip with her girlfriends.
But for the next month she is going to
have to bite her tongue.
She won't be able to have sex or even fantasize about
it.
And she will have to get through it on a
near-empty stomach.
When the 28-year-old Muslim convert tells
those outside her faith about the holy month of Ramadan
they think it's crazy.
"They say `why do you do this to
yourself?' " said the Coombabah mother of four-month-old Rahma.
"But I love Ramadan. When I was pregnant
(and could eat) I
actually missed it. I felt guilty because everyone
around me was fasting.
"Ramadan is our favourite time of the
year. You feel so good about yourself. It is great for
cleansing your mind, body and spirit and patching up
problems you have with people.
"It is a time for turning over a new
leaf."
There's also an unexpected benefit of
Ramadan, laughs Fa'izah.
"After Ramadan everyone gets pregnant,"
she said. "And it is not just because you're not allowed
to have sex during Ramadan.
"It is because the fast cleans your body
of all its toxins and makes women more fertile."
"After
Ramadan everyone gets pregnant," she said. "And
it is not just because you're not allowed to
have sex during Ramadan.
"It is because the fast cleans your body of all
its toxins and makes women more fertile."
Fa'izah converted to Islam in 2003,
shortly before she met her husband Hamdy Ibrahim while
on a trip to her native New Zealand.
Personal tragedy brought Fa'izah to God,
whom she later decided she knew best as Allah.
It was a realisation that shocked even
herself.
"I would never have thought of myself as
someone who would convert to Islam," she said.
"Religion didn't play a huge role in my
upbringing. I was raised by my grandparents, one an
atheist. The other was more spiritual, off with the
fairies.
"I smoked, I drank-not to excess, but I
did enjoy the pub - and I didn't really feel one way or
the other about God.
"I was teaching English in South Korea
when I found out my mum had been diagnosed with cancer.
"It was when I returned to Australia,
nursing her and taking care of her until the end, that I
started changing.
"I was there when she died, and I
believed in God.
"From there it was a journey trying to figure out where
my faith fits. And it wasn't until I looked into Islam
that I found my place."
"From there
it was a journey trying to figure out where my
faith fits.
And it
wasn't until I looked into Islam that I found my
place."
She didn't know much about Ramadan
before she converted and says her first attempt was
terrifying.
"I was really scared about my first
Ramadan, I thought `I don't know if I am going to
be able to do this'," she said.
"I thought at the time it was such a big
sacrifice.
"But if you think about it, people often
go without food without even realising, for a lot of
different reasons. They might not have time to eat and
then suddenly it's time for dinner and they realise they
haven't eaten all day.
"It is only when you are forced to go
without food that it becomes hard." Despite her
fear, she got through her first Ramadan unscathed.
"Once I got into it, it was easy because
I was already on this high of being new to Islam.
"You're
not allowed to talk bad about people, you're not
allowed to swear ... you have to watch what you
look at....
You have to
be careful of what your eyes are seeing. If you
don't, you make your fast worthless."
"I was walking around in a daze looking
at everything differently.
I was like 'wow, look at those trees,
look at how blue to sky is ... it was a bit
like being a hippie," she laughed.
Fa'izah describes it (Ramadan) simply,
like Christmas.
She says Ramadan brings family and
friends together for celebrations and feasts.
"It is better than Christmas because at
the end of Ramadan the celebration lasts three days,"
she laughed.
"I think a lot of people think it
is just about sacrificing food and water. But it
is more than that.
"You're not allowed to talk bad
about people, you're not allowed to swear
... you have to watch what you look at, you know,
if you turn on the TV and there are people having
sex, that's not allowed. You have to be
careful of what your eyes are seeing. If you don't, you
make your fast worthless."
To top off what was already a huge
life-changing experience, Fa'izah also met Hamdy
during her first Ramadan.
She fell in love with him immediately.
They were married in 2004.
"It was a very significant time in my life. I was going
through this huge change," says Fa'izah.
"It was my first Ramadan, I was moving back home (to
Australia) and I had met my husband. It was a very
spiritual time."
Mohamed Khadra is a former professor of surgery
who has had a successful and varied career as a leader
in education and medicine, internationally and in
Australia. He has a degree in medicine, a PhD and a
fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of
Surgeons. His memoir is called Making the cut: A
surgeon's stories of life on the edge.
Mohamed says there is nothing like being a surgeon.
"It's fantastic being a surgeon. The incredible ability
to be able to, as we say, heal with steel, of being able
to take a knife, plunge it into someone, hold their
heart in your hand. To be able to heal them, get
immediate results. It's hugely adrenaline-invoking."
"I wrote the book because I
wanted people to be able to
stand beside me, look
through my eyes at the
medical profession and at
the people who are ill or
facing death," he says.
"Having the name
Mohamed Khadra in 2007 is a tough ask. There's
an assumption of incompetence,"
Khadra's career has a sort
of inevitability about it,
but it was anything but
guaranteed. As a
working-class Lebanese youth
from a Muslim family he
keenly felt his outsider
status, but he made it work
for him.
"It's a spur," he says."I
was not going to accept that
as a reason for not
succeeding. I just felt I
had to work harder if I
wanted to compete with the
private school,
golden-haired boys. If I
wanted a job, I had to be
better than everyone else."
Khadra received his medical
degree from Newcastle
University then trained as a
surgeon. In his spare time
he completed a postgraduate
degree in computing and
received a Master of
Education.
But despite his success,
Khadra is still aware of
being different: "Having the
name Mohamed Khadra in 2007
is a tough ask. There's an
assumption of incompetence,"
he says. "I almost feel I
have to prove my competence
every time I shake hands
with someone. But I also
have preconceptions when I
meet people; why should I
expect different from anyone
else?'
The Islamic Women's
Association of Queensland's Ramadan Hamper Program
has been well received by members of the community
and many contributions have come in to support this
initiative.
Hampers were prepared and distributed to
those in the community with greatest need. The hampers
go to newly arrived refugees and humanitarian entrants
and clients who are living by themselves and have very
limited income.
The hamper consists of non-perishable
goods e.g. flour, sugar, oil, rice, dates etc.
If you wish to support this program you
can purchase these items and drop them off at the IWAQ offices
at 363 Gowan Rd, Sunnybank Hills. You can also call Muna
on
3272 6355 or 0410 533 203 or email her at
muna.i@iwaq.org.aufor
more information.
IWAQ is distributing the hampers on a
weekly basis on Fridays throughout Ramadan.
"IWAQ would like to thank all those who
contributed items and pray that Allah reward you and
bless you in your provision.", Muna Ibrahim told CCN.
Also,
IWAQ will be starting a homework club for children from
a refugee background.
If anyone can volunteer 2 or 3 hours of their time to
teach these children who are in need, contact IWAQ on 3272 6355 or 3272 6422.
The CCN
Centre Link
In
Semester 1, 2008, the LORD MAYOR’S MULTICULTURAL
ROUNDTABLE will be offering two scholarships to provide
financial support to applicants in completing a Diploma
of Business: specialisation Entrepreneurship at
Southbank Institute of Technology, Kangaroo Point
Campus.
The program includes 18 weeks study (3 hours 2 nights
per week and 5 Saturday workshops). The scholarships
will also provide membership access to the Enterprise
Centre at Southbank Institute of Technology for 6 months
from Semester 2, 2008.
Download details.
Twelve scholarships will be also be
available to provide financial support to recipients in
completing a Certificate IV in Small Business Management
at Sarina Russo Job Access, City Campus followed by a 12
month business mentorship program in 2008.
Download details.
Access Services Inc is offering a course in
“Certificate III in Community Services”. It is a 10
week course between the hours of 9am-2.30pm. The
course starts on 8th October.
Speak to Sushil (Muslim Employment Worker) on
38089299 if you are interested.
South
African Cricket Team Cops a Beating
After a slightly less than impressive
performance at the recent Twenty 20 the South Africans
asked some very serious questions of themselves:
Q. What do Mark Boucher and Michael
Jackson have in common?
A. They both wear gloves for no apparent reason.
Q. What's the difference between Graeme Smith and George
Bush?
A. George Bush has more victories.
Q. What is South Africa's best chance of a win at
Kingsmead?
A. Telling the other team the match is at the Wanderers.
Q. How bad is the South African batting?
A. Well, the selectors are thinking of moving Extras up
the batting order.
Q. What is the height of optimism?
A. A South African batsman putting on sunscreen.
Q. What is the main function of the South African coach?
A. To transport the team from the hotel to the ground.
Q. What's the South African version of a hat-trick?
A. Three runs in three balls.
Q. Why don't South African fielders need pre-tour travel
injections?
A. Because they never catch anything.
Q. What do you call a South African with 50 runs against
his name?
A. A bowler.
Q. What's the most proficient form of footwork displayed
by Graeme Smith?
A. His walk back to the pavilion.
Q. Who has the easiest job in the South African touring
party?
A. The guy who removes the ball marks from the bats.
Q. What does Graeme Smith and a drug addict have in
common??
A. Both spend most of their time wondering where their
next score will
come from.
Q. Who spent the most time on the crease of anyone in
the South African
touring party?
A. The lady who ironed the cricket uniforms.
Q. Why is Graeme Smith cleverer than Houdini?
A. Because he can get out without even trying.
At the AGM of the Islamic Council of
Queensland (ICQ) held last week at Rochedale Mosque the
President of ICQ, Mr. Suliman Sabdia, delivered
his annual report detailing his 250 days in office.
Mr. Sabdia pointed out in his
introduction that the Islamic Council of Queensland has
been in existence for some 43 years. After all this
time, the present committee "inherited an organization
with no income, no assets and no funds, no relevance in
the day to day lives of the Muslims of this State and no
recognition by Government, or non government
organizations as the peak umbrella body of the Muslims
in the State of Queensland".
He said that he had appealed to the
member societies of ICQ, other Muslim business and
Professional organizations, as well as Muslim
individuals to join, support and strengthen ICQ.
The ICQ has agreed in principle to rent a
residential premises near the Holland Park Mosque to
establish its offices and secretariat. The Islamic
Society of Holland Park are the owners of the premises.
The AMARAH Inc (Australian Muslim Advocates for the
Rights of All Humanity) Team would like to wish
everyone a most beautiful Ramadhan. May it be a
month of contemplation, remembrance, love, unity,
compassion, and generosity. May it also be a month
of striving to actively contribute to all of
humanity.
As Tariq Ramadan challenges: "What kind of models of
profound, intelligent and active spirituality do we
offer today to the people around us? What have we
done with our universal message of justice and
peace? What have we done with our message of
individual responsibility, of human brotherhood and
love? All these questions are in our hearts and
minds.. and there is only one response inspired by
the Qur'an and nurtured by the month of Ramadhan:
God will change nothing for the good if you change
nothing."
May your fasting be accepted and blessed. May your
efforts for a better humanity be abundantly
rewarded. And May Allah the Most High Grace you with
His Light, Love and Protection in this Holy Month
and always. Ameen
Nora Amath
Managing Director, AMARAH Inc
Ladies
Ifthaar Report
IFA Youth
together with Al-Nisa, hosted their third
consecutive Ifthaar last night, Saturday the 29th
September at Kuraby Community Hall.
More than sixty ladies attended with
representatives from the Somali, Arab, Fijian and
Southern African communities.
IFA spoke of the virtues of Ramadan in
light of the Quraan and Sunnah as a reminder of the
relevance of this auspicious month.
The night was an enjoyable one, with
appetizing food and vibrant company.
We would like to thank all those who attended, and look
forward to seeing you all again next year Insha-Allah.
IFA Youth would also like to thank Alnisa
for a successful evening, and may our work together
continue into the future Insha-Allah.
Over 650 men, women and children turned
up at Algester Mosque last night (Saturday, 29
September) for the breaking of fast dinner sponsored by
Moulana Nawaz, Yahyah Hasham, Yunie
Omar, Yunus Paruk, Mohammed Hanief Yusuf,
Omar Khan, Din Mohammed and Dado Sacur
and their families.
The traditional akhni went down a treat as did
the chance to catch up with old friends and meet up with
new ones.
The sponsors are to be commended for their generosity
and for a well-organized and well-catered event.
Interfaith Eid Dinner: Open Invitation
Ramadhan Kareem.
AMARAH Inc (Australian Muslim Advocates for the Rights
of All Humanity), Brisbane City Council, and a few city
Church groups have extended an open invitation to the
Muslim Community to attend an interfaith dinner
celebrating diversity and the wonderful occasion of Eid.
"This is a great chance to come together, reflect on our
pluralism, our diversity, our connection to Prophet
Abraham (may peace be upon him). But most of it is a
chance to engage in meaningful dialogue with our
neighbours.", said AMARAH MD Nora Amath.
"As Muslims, we sometimes whinge about how ignorant the
majority of Australians are about Islam because they
only get their information from the media or from
sensationalist books. But unfortunately the majority of
us aren't countering that ignorance. The truth of the
matter is that the majority of non-Muslims don't get a
chance to meet Muslims; hence we need to create
opportunities like these so that people can begin
talking, learning, and perhaps connecting."
You can join the party on Friday 19th October at 6pm,
West End Uniting Church, Sussex Street/Vulture Street to
celebrate with your neighbours the joyous time of Eid
and to reflect on the Blessed Month of Ramadhan. Magrib
Prayer facilities will be made available; in fact it is
part of the program.
"The sumptious dinner (catering done by a local Muslim
sister) is free, however as places are very limited,
please RSVP through me to book your seat.", was the
advice from AMARAH.
Click on the image for further details.
Unity
Cup on YouTube
Kareema's Keep Fit Column
Q: Kareema, how can I get the best out
of my workout now during Ramadan as I don't have much
energy but still do what I can?
A: That's your battle half won!!
Great to see that you are still working out as keeping
fit is all about being consistent.
To maximise your workout, alternate your periods of
intense exercise (working phase) with light exercise
(recovery phase), you'll burn more calories this
way than you would with continuous moderate exercise -
even if your workout is shorter than normal!!
All questions sent in are published here
anonymously and without any references to the author of
the question.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The
Culinary Corner
Baba ghannouj
is a popular
dip made from eggplant and tahini. It has a smooth,
creamy texture, and a slightly smoked taste. It is
traditionally served with pita bread (toasted or fresh),
however many people like it as a chip dip with potato
chips or tortilla chips.
INGREDIENTS:
1 large eggplant
1 clove garlic
1/4 - 1/2 cup lemon juice (depending on taste)
3 tablespoons tahini
1 teaspoon salt
3 tespoons olive oil
Garnishment
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoon olive oil
PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bake eggplant for 30
minutes, or until outside is crisp and inside is soft.
Allow to cool for 20 minutes.
Cut open eggplant and scoop out the flesh into colander
and allow to drain for 10 minutes.
Removing the excess liquid helps to
eliminate a bitter flavor.
Place eggplant flesh in a medium bowl. Add remaining
ingredients and mash together. You can also use a food
processor instead of by hand. Pulse for about 2 minutes.
Place in serving bowl and top with lemon juice and olive
oil. Add other garnishments according to taste.
Serve with warm or toasted pita or flatbread. Enjoy!
Garnishment Ideas for Baba Ghannouj
Baba ghannouj always has to have olive oil on top for
garnishment. However you can spice things up a bit by
adding crushed red pepper, a dash of cumin, parsley or
coriander.
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, a
shepherd, was looking after his sheep at the side of a
deserted road.
Suddenly a brand
new Porsche screeches to a halt. The driver, a man
dressed in an Armani suit, Cerutti shoes, Ray-Ban
sunglasses, TAG-Heuer wristwatch and a Pierre Cardin
tie, gets out and asks Mula Nasruddin, If I can tell you
how many sheep you have, will you give me one of them?
Mula Nasruddin
looks at the young man, then looks at the large flock of
grazing sheep and replies, Okay.
The young man parks
the car, connects his laptop to the mobile fax, enters a
NASA website, scans the ground using his GPS, opens a
database and 60 Excel spreadsheets filled with
algorithms and pivot tables. He then prints out a
150-page report on his high-tech mini-printer, turns to
the shepherd and says, You have exactly 1,586 sheep.
Nasruddin answers, That's correct, you can have your
sheep.
The young man takes
an animal and puts it in the back of his Porsche.
Mula Nasruddin
looks at him and asks, If I guess your profession, will
you return my animal to me?
The young man
answers, Yes! Go on then.
Mula Nasruddin
says, You are an auditor.
That was
quick...How did you know? asks the young man.
Very simple,
answers the Mula Nasruddin.
Firstly, you came
here without being wanted. Secondly, you charged me to
tell me something I already knew, and thirdly, you don't
understand anything about my business.
Now can I have my dog back? "
.....and now a word from this week's sponsor...........
MnM Packaging Australia
Contact Yahya on 0403 338 040 or Abdul on 0412 268 665
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
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“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
The
man described as the greatest goal kicker in the history
of Australian rugby league reveals the secrets to his
success in Australian Story.
In
Semester 1, 2008, the LORD MAYOR’S MULTICULTURAL
ROUNDTABLE will be offering two scholarships to provide
financial support to applicants in completing a Diploma
of Business: specialisation Entrepreneurship at
Southbank Institute of Technology, Kangaroo Point
Campus.
