......a sometimes
self-deprecating and occasional tongue-in-cheek look at ourselves and
the world around us ......
Sunday, 23 November 2008
.Newsletter
0211
News you won't find on CNN!
It's
Love All with No Strings Attached!
45 men took a
pre-tennis tournament pledge yesterday afternoon
(Saturday) not to condone violence against women
and children, and proudly donned their ribbons
in support of White Ribbon Day (Tuesday, 25th
November) just before getting the games
underway.
White
Ribbon Day Ambassador, Mustafa Ally, told
CCN that this was a most significant gesture on
the part of these men to come out in support of
this cause, one that, he hoped, would put pay
to the misconceptions that certain cultures and
communities were either accepting of the
practice or preferred to remain silent on the
issue.
A PUBLICITY-SHY group of
'concerned' residents are
planning a public meeting to
oppose plans for an Islamic
school in Carrara.
The group, which hides behind
a Hotmail address did not
return repeated emailed
requests for an interview.
They did, however, send a
fax describing themselves as
a 'passionate group of local
residents' and re-iterating
their opposition to the
school.
They have invited the public
to air their views at a
meeting at the Nerang
Bicentennial Hall at 7pm
tomorrow.
The invitation was
circulated via a brochure
which, among other things,
claimed approval of the
school would result in 'a
separated Muslim community
... that will grow to
eventually take over the
area and change its
character forever'.
One critic of the plan who
was prepared to be
identified, former Carrara
resident Pamela Graham, said
her mother was concerned her
property value could fall by
as much as 50 per cent. "My
parents have considered
moving if the school went
ahead," said Mrs Graham.
"They love it there but are
not prepared for their
property value to go down."
She said the meeting would
be emotion filled and there
was 'extreme anger' the
concerns of residents had
not been taken into account.
"There is a lot of
frustration in the community
and a lot of concerned
residents," she said. "This
will be a very angry meeting
- be prepared."
The proposed Islamic school,
planned for 19 Chisholm
Road, Carrara, is expected
to open in January, with a
decision by the Non-State
Schools Accreditation Board
still pending.
The prep to Year 7 school
has met staunch opposition
with some residents fearing
it will lead to an 'Islamic
takeover'.
Mrs Graham hoped the meeting
would end plans for the
school, and said the
'logical' choice was next to
the Gold Coast Mosque in
Arundel.
The apparent community
concern was rejected by the
leader of the Muslim
community on the Gold Coast,
Imam Imraan Husain, who said
he was confident the
community would embrace the
school if given the go
ahead.
"The Muslim community is
very positive the people in
authority will be fair when
they make their decision,"
he said.
`'If people have a
legitimate concern, I
understand their concern but
if it is based on suspicion
and perceptions, I don't
think it should be reason
enough to stop it."
Imraan Husain said he would
not be attending the
meeting.
The Sun contacted the
Australian International
Islamic College, who applied
to have the school built,
but chairman Imam Abdul
Quddoos Al Azhari was
overseas and could not be
reached for comment.
Source: Gold Coast Sun
Wednesday 19/11/2008
Virtual Hajj in Second Life
Have you ever dreamed of
being able to be part of the
full hajj experience without
leaving your home?
Today, that is possible with
the launch of
IslamOnline.net's
educational hajj program on
the virtual world of Second
Life.
"I think this would be an
unparalleled experience for
anyone who is going to go to
hajj and is unsure of what
should and should not be
done," says Breathe
Swindlehurst, IOL's
coordinator in Second Life.
The program is a powerful educational tool for
people embarking on the soul-searching journey,
in the real world, or anyone else who wants to
learn about it.
As part of its mission
statement to better educate
Muslims worldwide about
their faith, IOL will launch
the hajj educational program
on December 9, on its own
island inside Second Life.
The program is a powerful
educational tool for people
embarking on the
soul-searching journey, in
the real world, or anyone
else who wants to learn
about it.
Rather than reading through
a course or watching a
video, people can actually
go through all the steps of
hajj with all the details of
the journey from beginning
to end.
"We have setup points
throughout the island that
can direct any visitors
through the whole
experience," said
Swindlehurst.
"In addition to that, we
plan to have special,
preannounced sessions where
visitors can go through the
hajj under guidance of
counselors from the IOL
Shari`ah department who will
teach the group everything
they need to know about
hajj."
One of the five pillars of
Islam, hajj consists of
several ceremonies, which
are meant to symbolize the
essential concepts of the
Islamic faith and to
commemorate the trials of
Prophet Abraham and his
family.
Every able-bodied adult
Muslim — who can financially
afford the trip — must
perform hajj, which starts
later this month, at least
once in their lifetime.
Second Life, created in
2003, is entirely built and
owned by its booming
population of over 11
million registered users.
In the animated world, real
people use their avatars to
"live" alternate identities
in a virtual community,
complete with homes, cars,
shopping malls and a virtual
currency, known as Linden
Dollars.
Interactive
The project designers say
the degree of interactivity
in the 3D virtual world
would allow participants the
ultimate step by step guide
to hajj.
"The Second Life hajj
project is exceptional as it
breaks all the traditional
limits of training," says
Khawla Masala, one of the
designers.
"It allows the trainees to
actually interact and be
part of the program besides
giving them all the textual
material they may need."
The program is designed to
be as accurate to real life
as possible.
Virtual pilgrims will go all the way through Al-Masjid
Al-Haram in the holy city of Makkah to Mena and
Mount `Arafah
At the start of the virtual
course, trainees will be
able to take a free bag
containing all the virtual
tools they need in their
pilgrimage.
It features ihram garb
(special clothes worn by
people during hajj), a tent
and a sleeping bag.
This is all designed to give
the visitor a feeling of the
real hajj experience.
Virtual pilgrims will go all
the way through Al-Masjid
Al-Haram in the holy city of
Makkah to Mena and Mount `Arafah.
Through their avatars,
trainees will also be able
to gather pebbles for the
symbolic stoning of the
devil at the Jamrat Bridge.
Walid Weston, who worked on
parts of the program, is
fascinated by the idea.
"Walking through the Al-Masjid
Al-Haram for the first time
was a fantastic experience!
"It is very awe-inspiring
and I believe it is the
closest you can get to the
real thing."
More to Come
The virtual hajj program is
only the latest of IOL's
projects in the
computer-generated world.
The first was the Ramadan
tent during the holy fasting
month.
The tent was a great hit and
gained instant popularity
with nearly 100 visitors
daily.
It received wide media
coverage, in Second Life as
well as in the real world,
in many different languages.
IOL was the first Islamic
media organization to host a
full island inside Second
Life.
The organization is
currently planning a center
for lectures and fatwa
sessions in the virtual
world.
Using text and audio, the
center will be the first
stop for all new visitors to
the island. It will offer
many of the website's
services to SL residents.
IOL will also unveil new
projects in Second Life that
make use of the 3D tools of
the world on a regular
basis.
[CCN Editor] Keep an
eye open for one
Mussallahman Mefusula
when you visit this region
and don't forget to wish him
salaams.
Multicultural Garden
You are invited to attend
2 exciting events at SPIRAL’s community gardens in West
End: the Multicultural Food & Gardens Day, and
the Bush Tucker & Bush Food day.
At the Multicultural Food & Gardens Day on
Saturday 29th November, a new multicultural
foods garden which will contain the food of different
local cultures will be exhibited. There will also be
cultural performances and food to enjoy. It is a great
chance to share your garden skills and knowledge about
your traditional foods.
At the Bush Tucker & Bush Foods day on 7th
December, there will be a bush foods workshop where
everyone can learn more about the foods which are native
to Australia and to learn more about Aboriginal
traditional foods and culture. You can also taste some
bush foods which are cooked on the day.
Members of different local community are invited to
assist with the Multicultural Food and Gardens Day by
speaking about their traditional food and gardening, or
by giving a cultural performance.
You are invited to help plan the multicultural garden
and speak about your traditional food and gardening
skills. You can also help to plan the multicultural
garden by telling SPIRAL what to plant that represents
the food from your culture, and can even be involved in
planting this garden. SPIRAL is interested in hearing
from groups who would like to share their cultural
performances at the event on Saturday 29th
November. To be involved please contact James Douglas
at SPIRAL.
For maps showing the event locations, follow the
links below:
AUSTRALIAN Muslims are more
socially and economically
disadvantaged than their
non-Muslim counterparts,
despite being, on the whole,
better educated and more
youthful.
Research presented at a
Melbourne conference this
week shows Australian
Muslims have significantly
higher rates of high school
completion and are also more
likely to go to university
than are non-Muslims.
But only 15% own their homes
compared with 30% of
non-Muslims, twice as many
live in public housing and
unemployment among Muslim
youth is double that of
non-Muslim Australians.
"One would expect that they
should be able to
participate in the economic
and social life as other
educated people are and they
are not doing so, and I
think that's nothing to do
with their religious
beliefs," Flinders
University sociologist Riaz
Hassan said.
"That's something to do with
the larger community,
whether it's discrimination,
or prejudice or exclusion
prompted by other factors."
Analysing 2006 census
figures, Professor Hassan
found that of 340,391
Muslims recorded on census
night (1.7% of the
population), 38% were born
in Australia and the rest
born overseas in countries
including Lebanon, Turkey,
Afghanistan, Pakistan and
Bangladesh.
Despite their higher rates
of high school and tertiary
education — 24% of Muslim
men and 26% of Muslim women
had completed year 12
compared with 15% and 17% of
non-Muslim men and women
respectively — Professor
Hassan found Muslims were
not equally represented in
well-paying white-collar
professions.
However, they had higher
rates of work in skilled
blue-collar and labouring
jobs.
Overall, 52% were in rental
accommodation — private or
public — more than 20%
higher than other
Australians.
Average household incomes
also tended to be lower and
Muslim children were twice
as likely to live below the
poverty line.
Professor Hassan said the
findings were significant
because of public concern
about religious radicalism.
He argued that radicalism
was more likely to rise out
of socio-economic
inequality, negative
stereotypes and
discrimination.
In Papua New Guinea a
growing number of people are
now choosing to pray at a
mosque rather than a church.
PNG is experiencing a sharp
increase in the number of
people turning their backs
on Christianity and
converting to Islam.
"A lot of Papua New Guineans
are converting to Islam not
because they don't like the
other religion. It's just
they've become, they feel
comfortable in there," said
Khalid, an Imam who received
his training in Malaysia.
"The practice of Islam is
much easier than the other
religions. In the religion
of Islam you are your own
preacher. You learn how to
pray.
"God is not only in the
mosque, it's everywhere. So
if I don't come into the
mosque, the house of prayer,
I can pray under the trees,
in the house, anywhere."
Papua New Guineans began
converting to Islam in the
early 1980s, and there are
now more than 4,000
followers with recent
reports of entire villages
converting at the same time.
Many are drawn to Islam
because of the similarities
the religion has with
Melanesian customs, says Isa
Teine, the general secretary
for PNG's Islamic Society.
"When we greet people we hug
them. This is Islam. We
don't shake hands and leave
them, so most of our
cultures are Islamic," she
said.
"Polygamy - this is Islam.
Islam encourages four wives.
Before Islam came in, people
already had two, three, four
wives. This is Islam.
"So when the religion came
in and said, 'oh we have to
do this, our Islamic
culture, we have to do this
and that', people fit in
easily. So it's very easy
for Papua New Guineans to
embrace Islam.
"Once the religion itself
spread I tell you, I'm just
predicting in 20, 30 years'
time, all Papua New Guinea
will submit to Islam."
Church leaders like Pastor
Joseph Walters say they do
not feel threatened by the
rapid growth of Islam.
"This nation is a very
strong Christian country and
I travel around a lot
preaching the gospel of the
kingdom of God around the
nation and the people
generally are very strong,
very dedicated, very
committed to the Christian
faith," he said.
"And so it may look like a
threat to Christian faith in
the country, but as a church
leader in this country the
way I see this, and because
I travel a lot in crusades
and just talking to people,
Christianity is even
stronger than ever before."
But not everyone has
embraced the religion, with
incidents of discrimination
and Islam phobia quite
common.
The mosque in downtown Port
Moresby has been
fire-bombed, there is a
bullet hole in one of the
windows, and a senior PNG
Government minister once
said that Islam was
dangerous and a serious
threat to peace and unity
here.
"There is not much
understanding," Khalid said.
"There is not adequate
understanding by the people
of this country about Islam,
because the more negative
pictures are painted on the
religion of Islam, the more
people tend to believe what
the other people say instead
of coming and hearing from
the Muslims."
Khalid says attitudes will
change as the number of
Papua New Guineans
converting to Islam
continues to increase.
Imrana Noormahomed
(of Crescents of Brisbane)
became a grandmom for the
first time.
Liyana was born on 19
November weighing 6lbs and
10oz.
Congratulations!
Up
Close and Personal with Dr. Sadiq
Dr. Sadiq steals a moment in the mountains away
from an intensive week of lectures,
workshops and consultations
On the weekend of the 7th of
November, IWAQ invited Dr
Mohammed Sadiq to facilitate
a series of workshops and
lectures entitled ‘The
Marriage Toolbox’.
Dr Sadiq raised important
points not just about
marriage, but generally
about how the success and
health of a society depends
on the health of
individuals.
A participant at the
workshops interviewed Dr
Sadiq one-on-one for CCN and
the following is a brief
summary of the discussion
with him.
Dr Sadiq’s Background…
Dr Sadiq is from Canada and
has lived there since 1975.
Prior to that, he was in
California for six and a
half years. Dr Sadiq
obtained
his second Masters degree
and Doctoral degree from
California in Behavioural
Psychology & Clinical
Psychology. Since
graduating, Dr Sadiq decided
he didn’t want to take the
academic route and preferred
to practice in the
community, working with
people of all walks of life.
Worked not just with
Muslims…
Dr Sadiq worked in the
larger community and it was
only in the Fall of 1984
that his work with Muslims
began when he established
his own practice while still
working at a full time job.
Working a full time job
and running a private
practice…
The private practice was
very small and limited to
the Muslim community in
Edmonton where Dr Sadiq
lives. The work tended to
relate mainly to emergencies
that cropped up in the
community, when issues
became public and couldn’t
be hidden any longer and it
was then that Dr Sadiq
stepped in to assist.
Dr Sadiq reflects how back
then there was a lack of
awareness and willingness to
seek this type of help
because of the stigma
attached to it, and in some
communities today, that
hasn’t changed. However,
through the work that Dr Sadiq has been doing,
perceptions have been
changed through community
education by helping the
community understand that
the issues they experience
are not unusual or something
to be ashamed of and that
lots of other people are
going through similar
problems.
Dr Sadiq always wanted to
retire from his full time
job and devote the rest of
his life to serving Muslim
communities. He was forced
to take an early retirement
as the Government Department
he was working for was
cutting jobs and his
position, being in upper
management, was one to go.
This turned out to be a
blessing in disguise and Dr Sadiq decided not to work
for the general community but
to focus on his private
practice.
How the community work
developed…
Around 1998 an Islamic
Family Social Services
Association was established
in Edmonton, independent of
the government. They applied
for a grant from the
government to do some
community work with the
youth as the youth problems
such as drug addiction etc
were increasing. They were
given a very small grant,
and this was where the work
in the area of community
awareness began, working
with families and the youth.
How it grew from there
and word got around…
Dr Sadiq began with
workshops in Edmonton on a
very small scale. It was by
word of mouth that the
numbers grew and eventually
word spread nationally where
Dr Sadiq presented at
conferences with 4,000/5,000
people from all over North
America. Dr Sadiq recalls
how the one session he ran
had standing room only. Being
the humble man that he is,
Dr Sadiq didn’t attribute
this to his skills and
abilities, but explained
that it was the topic itself
that
was relevant to the
community and dealing with
the issues that needed to be
dealt with, hence attracting
the numbers.
Crossing the borders…
Dr Sadiq spent a semester in
Malaysia as a visiting
professor where he lectured
a couple of courses mainly
in the area of counseling
and guidance from an Islamic
perspective and also taught
a practical class with
Masters level students in
order to train them to help
others.
Australia was fortunate
too…
A psychologist by the name
of Hanan Dover, from the
University of Western Sydney (UWS)
was looking for affiliation
with UIA to start an Islamic
Psychology Program at the
UWS. Dr Sadiq was invited
to a conference in Sydney
in October 2003. This
involved work with the
general community,
presentations at the
conference, workshops with
local community and work
with local patients.
Marriage, family, youth,
relationship problems is
just one area of specialty…
The other areas include
stress related disorders
such as depression,
obsessive compulsive
disorders, anxiety, phobias
etc. Youth development is
another major topic. When Dr Sadiq is invited to
facilitate workshops, the
themes are different every
time.
The balancing act with
family life….
In the earlier days, while
traveling, it was difficult
for Dr Sadiq’s wife to
travel with him because they
had young children and she
had responsibilities at
home. However, regardless of
where Dr Sadiq is at any
time, he is constantly in
contact with his family. He
describes it as ‘always
being a part of the
integrated fabric of his
life’.
Dr Sadiq’s evaluation of
the Brisbane program…
Dr Sadiq observes that the
response from people is
generally the same across
the board, regardless of
where he is, that is, where
Dr Sadiq is presenting for
the first time, people are
generally reluctant until by
word of mouth, more people
get to know about the issues
being discussed and
effectiveness of the
sessions and then numbers
tend to increase. Dr Sadiq
explains that it is only if
Allah (SWT) means for him to
be of some benefit to some
people that it works out
that way.
His observation of our
Brisbane community…
Dr Sadiq explained that his
experience here in Brisbane
was a unique one. He
observes that the community
has a sense of togetherness
and there is generally lots
of mutual care which really
touches him particularly
after visiting the IWAQ
Respite Centre.
He sees the Brisbane people
reaching out for no reason
but just out of love,
goodness and care and that
the efforts of our community
seem more consistent and
dedicated Alhamdullilah.
When asked how he doesn’t
allow the fame to get to his
head…
Dr Sadiq explains and knows
that what he does is not of
his doing. He firmly
believes it is Allah’s work
and that He puts it in his
heart as to what to say next
and so it just flows from
there. In Dr Sadiq’s words,
“That’s why it cannot get to
my head, because it is not
from my head”.
Final words of advice to our
community…
“If you want a good solid
community, build good solid
individuals”.
It is about each individual
looking at themselves and
self-reflecting about what
needs to be changed at an
individual and personal
level instead of pointing
fingers at others and
looking for faults in
others. This proactive
self-reflection must be done
with sincerity and for the
love of Allah.
Most importantly, do not
expect anything in return
except from Allah. Dr Sadiq
believes (and rightly so)
that with sincerity and love
of Allah in our hearts, our
community will become a
beautiful community insha-Allah.
A
United Effort
Hussein
Karimshah signed up yesterday (Saturday) as a
volunteer at
The Gap Uniting Church along with
(left to right) Riaz Essof, Ayob Ismail, Ismail
Essof, Mel (Uniting Church volunteer
coordinator)and Hamid Kassim.
Several other members
from the local Southside-based Muslim community
also answered the
Uniting Church's call for assistance in the Gap
area which was devastated by the recent storms,
and they helped with clearing debris,
replenishing food supplies and providing
information.
From
the IWAQ Desk....
IWAQ
was involved in presenting
at the National Centre of
Excellence for Islamic
Studies Conference 2008 held
at University of Melbourne
from the 19-20th November
2008.
The theme was “Challenges to
Social Inclusion in
Australia: The Muslim
Experience”.
The Queensland panel was
made up of Muna Ibrahim
(IWAQ) (left in
picture), Dr. Hanief
Khatree (MBN) (centre)
and Faiza El-Higzi (right)
and we talked about the
Muslim community initiatives
in Queensland.
Over the two packed days,
there were many papers
presented with many
prominent speakers like
Jamila Hussain, Helen
McCue, Abdul-Aziz
Cooper (Senior Prison
Chaplain), to name but a
few.
There were parallel sessions
on Islamic Banking and
finance.
It would have been great to
explore this bustling city
with its many halal outlets.
The strange thing for me was
to pray maghrib at 8.15pm
and Isha close to 10pm. It
was stranger still to cast
my mind back to when I came
to Melbourne the first time
22 years ago and seeing
trams in the midst of cars
and bikes. Maybe the next
time in Melbourne, the
weather would be less
strange!
Wassalamu Alaikum
Muna Ibrahim
Tennis
Tournament
The third mini-tennis
tournament was held
yesterday (Saturday) at the
Sport Tennis courts in
Padstow Road, Eight Mile
Plains.
The doubles partnership of
Zishaan Omar and
Idris Jangda (pictured
above) beat Reyhaan
Omar and Farouk Omar
(pictured below)
in the finals.
The first semis was played
out between Zishaan Omar
and Idris Jangda
and Ayob Ismail and
the second between Farouk
Omar and ReyhaanOmar and
Dinmahomed Karim and
Ridwaan Surtie.
Halal
Butcher Opens in Woodridge
Zac's Halal Meats, a
Lebanese halal butcher shop
opened yesterday at Shop No.
7/3 North Road, Woodridge.
Manager Ziad Ghamrawi
told CCN that his store
specializes in poultry,
lamb, beef, goat and many
goods.
They can also save you time
and put the meat on skewers
ready for your BBQ if you
required.
Tel: 3208 0888
For
rent
A low set unit is for rent:
3 bedrooms with en-suite and
separate bathroom, single
garage, swimming pool,
tennis court, and fully
functioning gym.
Contact Aslam Ismail -
0423089617, Safoora -
0423631785 or 34237287
The address is Glenmoor
Court 40 Glenefer Street,
Runcorn
Realty
TV
Doco on
SBS: Becoming Muhammad Ali
Friday 8.30pm
As it Happened - The story
of Cassius Clay, a
charismatic black boxer from
Kentucky, who defied the
personal and political
restraints of his time, to
emerge a global hero.
As with other
African-Americans, Cassius
Clay endured years of legal
segregation in restaurants,
rest rooms, stores and
hotels - something which
continued even after winning
a Gold medal at the 1960
Olympics in Rome. Covers his
conversion to Islam, his
name changes and his
opposition to the Vietnam
war.
His refusal to be inducted
cost Ali his boxing career,
but his sincerity and
commitment to his beliefs
won him many fans.
Around the Muslim
World with CCN
Michael Jackson becomes a
Muslim: report
Pop star Michael Jackson
has changed his name to Mikaeel and become a Muslim,
according to a UK newspaper report.
Jackson, 50, wore a special Islamic hat to pledge
allegiance to the Koran in a ceremony at a friend's
mansion in Los Angeles, The Sun said.
British singer Yousef Islam - formerly Cat Stevens - was
reportedly in attendance as Jackson recited the shahada,
the Muslim declaration of belief.
Jackson had rejected an initial name choice of
Mustafa in favour of Mikaeel, the name of an angel
in Islam, the Sun reported.
It said the ceremony was held at the home of Toto
keyboard player Steve Porcaro.
The reclusive Jackson is due to testify in court next
week in a lawsuit brought by a Bahraini prince, who
claims the singer agreed to record songs and failed to
deliver.
Israeli was “angered” by
the statements of Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; as she
called on Israel to immediately lift its blockade over
the Gaza Strip as this siege violates the international
and humanitarian law.
Pillay issued a statement
from her office in Geneva urging Israel to allow the
entry of food, medicine and fuel into the Gaza Strip and
called on Israel to restore electricity and water
supplies.
In her statement, Pillay said that Israel is depriving
1.5 million Palestinians from the basic human rights and
called on Israel to halt its air strikes and invasions
to the impoverished Gaza Strip.
Navanethem Pillay is the United Nations
High Commissioner for Human Rights. A South African, she
was the first non-white woman on the High Court of South
Africa, and she has also served as a judge of the
International Criminal Court and President of the
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. Her
four-year term as High Commissioner for Human Rights
began on 1 September 2008.
A FRENCH appeal court has
overturned a ruling that annulled the marriage of a
Muslim couple after the husband discovered his bride was
not a virgin, the husband's lawyer says.
Public outrage at April's annulment ruling forced the
government to order the case be reviewed, against the
wishes of both spouses.
A GLOBAL campaign to
apply religion's "golden rule" — treat others as you
would like them to treat you — has been launched by
Christians, Jews and Muslims.
The campaigners, claiming that compassion is at the
heart of most religions, have launched an online Charter
of Compassion and invited atheists and others to join
them.
The movement is headed by a "council of sages" of world
religious leaders, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu of
South Africa, leading European Muslim Tariq Ramadan and
Rabbi Baroness Julia Neuberger.
This
week, the art world will descend on the tiny Gulf
country of Qatar to see the museum that oil and gas
built.
The museum is hard to miss, sprouting from an artificial
island in the Persian Gulf located just off the sandy
shore of Doha, the capital city.
Pei, the architect, inspired by the geometric forms of a
13th-century fountain at a mosque in Cairo, shaped the
five-story museum like a staggered set of creamy
building blocks, each cube adjusted just enough to catch
a triangle of harsh light or deep shadow.
Visitors can reach it by boat - there is a dock for
dhows, an Arabian-style fishing vessel made of wood - or
by traveling a palm-lined path and crossing a small
bridge.
Islamic art, the museum's focus, is traditionally
defined as decorative or sacred items made in
Muslim-ruled territories from the rise of the faith in
the early 600s through the collapse of the Ottoman
empire in the early 1900s.
Its iconic objects and buildings, such as the Blue
Mosque in Istanbul, feature a riot of geometric
patterns, interwoven botanical shapes, or carefully
wrought calligraphy.
Portraits were not incorporated into religious artworks
since the Islamic faith feared their use as idols, but
faces and animals popped up in books, jewellery,
ceramics and carpets in Muslim homes from Spain to
India.
Trade Role For Former
Actor, Socialist And Diplomat
Wellington: Tim Groser
has been an actor, a socialist, a top trade negotiator
and now the second-term National MP is a National Party
Cabinet minister.
The 58-year-old former diplomatic high flier was
appointed trade minister in Prime Minister elect John
Key's new-look Cabinet today.
But Mr Groser defines
himself as a social liberal.
It will also come as a surprise to most that he is
legally a Muslim, technically making him New Zealand's
first Muslim Cabinet minister.
But he said the designation was entirely technical and
required so he could legally marry his third wife in
Indonesia, whom he met while serving as New Zealand's
ambassador there.
The couple have since separated, but they have a
daughter and he has not revoked the status.
He has been married three times and has three children
ranging in age from 10 through to 35.
An
aide to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has come under fire for
attending a ceremony that involved actions deemed
insulting to the Koran, a row that has given fuel to the
Iranian president's opponents before next year's
election.
...... opponents targeted
his vice-president, Esfandiar Rahim Mashaie, who is in
charge of a culture and tourism body, for hosting a
ceremony where women in traditional dress carried in the
Koran, Islam's holy book, to music.
Media described the
ceremony as a dance.
"Violation of the sanctity (of the Koran) in the
presence of your Excellency's deputy and under his
management ... causes deep regret for every Muslim," the
head of the Islamic Coalition Front, Mohammad-Nabbi
Habibi, said in a letter to the president.
The CCN
Readers' Book Club:
You are what you read!
This week
CCN
recommends
The Grand Inquisitor's Manual:
A History of Terror in the Name of God
by
Jonathan Kirsch
"The inquisitorial apparatus that was first invented in
the Middle Ages remained in operation for the next
six-hundred years, and it has never been wholly
dismantled. As we shall see, an unbroken thread links
the friar-inquisitors who set up the rack and the pyre
in southern France in the early thirteenth century to
the torturers and executioners of Nazi Germany and
Stalinist Russia in the mid-twentieth century. Nor does
the thread stop at Auschwitz or the Gulag; it can be
traced through the Salem witch trials in the
Massachusetts Bay Colony, the internment of
Japanese-Americans during World War II, the Hollywood
blacklists of the McCarthy era, and even the
interrogation cells at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo."
Would you like to see the cover of
your favourite book on our book shelves below?
Using the book
club you can see what books fellow CCN
readers have on their shelves, what they are
reading and even what they, and others,
think of them.
Q: Dear Kareema, I suffer from back pain every so
often and my doctor normally prescribes rest for a few
days or ice / heat packs. Are there any exercises I can
try to alleviate the pain or to strengthen my back?
A: The biggest mistake people make with back pain is to
lie around until the pain subsides. Back muscles thrive
on activity! You should aim to strengthen your lower
torso, hips and hamstrings. Try the following over the
next few weeks and see how you go:
1.BUILD FAB ABS:
Work your tummy muscles three or more times a week for
at least 10 mins. at a time. Strengthen all the muscles
around your spine including the obliques (side of
torso).
2.AIM TO BE MORE
FLEXIBLE: When your hamstrings, hips and
back are tight, they tend to put extra stress on your
spine. Stretch these muscles at least 5 mins. at the
end of each workout.
3.BEND KNEES:
When lifting anything, make sure you bend your knees
(equal weight on each leg). Don't twist while lifting.
4.SMART POSTURE:
Slouching strains your lower back, as does sitting with
your knees at the same height as your hips. By lowering
your knees below hip level, it's easier to maintain the
natural curvature in your back.
5.
BAGS LADIES!!: Make sure your handbag weighs
no more that 10% of what you do. Heavy
handbags causes back pain.
5.SLOW WITH THE SUGAR
/ SWEETS: Extra 'jelly in your belly' pulls
you forward, creating an exaggerated curve in your back,
which puts additional pressure on the disks.
Try visiting a physio as well for some advice. Take
care!!
All questions sent in are published here anonymously and
without any references to the author of the question.
KB's Culinary Corner
Chicken and Fettuccini
Ingredients
1
Cup chicken fillet cubed
1 Tab sesame seeds
1 tsp green chilies
1 tsp Garlic
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
250g fettuccini boiled in salted water
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup fresh cream.
Method
1. Cook chicken fillet in olive oil with the
green chilies, garlic, pepper, salt, and
sesame seeds until cooked but still moist.
2. Add boiled fettuccini
3. Fifteen minutes before serving add fresh
cream and sour cream
4. Heat through and serve.
Please Note:
A CCN Reader has draw our attention to an error in last
week's Strawberry Swiss Sensation recipe regarding the
quantity of gelatin. It should have read 4 teaspoons
(and not tablespoons).
Do you have a recipe
to share with CCN readers?
Send in your favourite recipe to
ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org and be our "guest chef" for
the week.
The CCN Chuckle
Mula Nasruddin walks
into his old friend Jallaudin’s home and sees him
dancing and jumping around the room with joy.
"What's the matter,
Brother Jalladudin?" Mula Nasruddin inquired.
"Nothing at all,
Brother Nasruddin. I have just finished a jigsaw puzzle
in record time!" Jallaludin beamed.
"How long did it
take you?"
"Well, the box said
'3 to 5 Years' but I did it in a month!"
University of Queensland,
323 Hawken Drive,
St. Lucia
Every Monday
Event: Weekly Learning Circle: Sharh
Riyad-us-Saliheen (An Explanation of
'Gardens of the Righteous'
Venue: Prayer Room, University of Queensland
Time: 6.45pm to 7.30pm
Every Friday
Subject:
Fiqh Made Easy
Venue:
Room E215 Building 1 (Forgan Smith),
University of Queensland
Time: 6.30pm to 7.35pm
Every Friday
Subject:
Tafseer al Qur'an (Explanation of the
Qur'an)
Venue: Room E215 Building 1 (Forgan Smith),
University of Queensland
Time: 7.45pm to 9pm
Sunnah Inspirations is a
non-profit organisation to cater for Muslim
social support and supplying information to
Muslims and non-Muslims. They have
been doing various activities around
Australia, and have organised Da'wah
information stalls at various universities
in Brisbane. More info can be found on
their website above.
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
ccn@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.
IWAQ
was involved in presenting
at the National Centre of
Excellence for Islamic
Studies Conference 2008 held
at University of Melbourne
from the 19-20th November
2008.
This
week, the art world will descend on the tiny Gulf
country of Qatar to see the museum that oil and gas
built.
An
aide to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has come under fire for
attending a ceremony that involved actions deemed
insulting to the Koran, a row that has given fuel to the
Iranian president's opponents before next year's
election.
Catch
Crescents
Community News at
