......a sometimes
self-deprecating and occasional tongue-in-cheek look at ourselves and
the world around us ......
Sunday, 21 December 2008
.Newsletter
0215
News you won't find on CNN!
Festive
Season Greetings
CCN
wishes all our non-Muslim readers who are celebrating
the festive season
all
the very best and a very happy New Year.
Zahed
Top Scores
Zahed, son of
Iqbal and FaridaLambat, scored an
OP1.
Zahed is a pupil of
Brisbane State High and studied English, Maths B,
Physics, Chemistry, Accounting and Economics.
As for his future career,
his proud parents informed CCN that he was reviewing his
options.
Condolences
CCN extends its deepest
condolences to the Latif family on the passing away
yesterday (Saturday) morning of Mr. Haroon Abdul
Latif, father of Talha Latif and Laila
Elias.
His Ghusal
was carried out at the Kuraby Mosque yesterday and his Jannazah
(funeral service) and burial took place at the Mt. Gravatt
Cemetery immediately after.
''Innaa lillah hi wa Innaa
ilay hi Rauji'oon''
To Allah do we belong and to Him is our return
MYServices Holiday Activities
Girls Swimming Days - 24th Dec 08 and 5th Jan 09
Pamper n Movies Drama Queens' Slumber Party - 31st Dec
08
Laser Skirmish - 12th Jan 09
Circus Skills - 22nd Jan 09
Fencing (TBA)
As places are quite limited, register early to avoid
disappointment
See the CCN Date Claimer
and Notice Board below for all the details.
Muslim Aid Australia Christmas Season Appeal
Dear Brothers & Sisters,
In the
spirit of brotherhood/sisterhood in humanity,
MAA will be supporting a local humanitarian initiative
to assist the homeless this coming Christmas Season.
During such period, like Ramadan, there is the buzz and
anticipation of happy gatherings, celebration and
feasting in homes throughout the land, amongst families
and friends. However, many will be missing out, ie the
Homeless . . .
Each day nearly 1 in every 200
Australians is homeless, without safe, secure or
affordable housing. Last year, 105 000 Australians
experienced homelessness. One in every 154 Australians
sought help from a homeless assistance service. One in
every 42 children aged under 4, slept in a homeless
service. Indeed, 23% of Australia’s homeless are
children –almost 1 in 4 homeless people is under 18.
(From
http://www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au, 2006
Census, ABS).
And, as with Ramadan, so too does
this season call upon charitable and generous giving.
Thus Muslim Aid Australia’s Christmas Season Appeal will
be supporting the Just Enough Faith (JEF) initiative of
feeding the homeless in Sydney.
JEF, during the seven days of the
week for 12 months of the year, has served more than 400
hot meals a night out of their van, primarily drawing on
their own funds and relying on the goodwill of food
suppliers to cover the remaining gap. Further, JEF’s
objective goes further than just feeding the homeless.
It’s about giving hope and helping regain respect.
MAA invites your participation to
assist the Homeless through your generous donation or
sadaqa.
The jumble and hustle of
modern-day India provides the steamy, energetic backdrop
to Danny Boyle's electrifying new feature, SLUMDOG
MILLIONAIRE, the story of a young man from the
Mumbai slums whose success on 'Who Wants to be a
Millionaire' reveals his true desire.
Now
Open: Applications for Australia-Indonesia Muslim
Exchange Program 2009
Australian Ambassador to
Indonesia Bill Farmer announced this week that applications
were now
open for the Australia-Indonesia Exchange Program for
Young Muslim Leaders in 2009.
“This is an excellent program for young Muslims in
Indonesia and Australia to promote interfaith
understanding and harmony in support of the robust
traditions of diversity our nations share,” Ambassador
Farmer said.
The Ambassador encouraged high-calibre young Muslim
leaders to embrace this opportunity to be international
ambassadors for Indonesian Islam by applying for the
prestigious bilateral interfaith program.
Now approaching its seventh year and a highly regarded
model for fostering inter-faith dialogue, the program
aims to build links between Muslim communities in
Australia and Indonesia.
ROOKWOOD Cemetery’s Muslim
Trust says there is nothing to fear from non-coffin
burials at Camden’s main graveyard.
Camden Council last week approved a 70-plot Islamic lawn
section at Camden General Cemetery, and voted to seek
NSW Health Department approval for burials without
coffins.
The trust’s secretary Wasim Raza said Rookwood had been
following the Muslim custom without incident since the
1980s.
The council’s undertaking followed an appeal by
Campbelltown-based Suburban Islamic Association, which
also asked for a lawn cemetery and for Macarthur area
Muslims to be charged the same as Camden locals to be
buried.
Mr Raza said Muslims had been buried in Rookwood in
coffins before the Health Department approved non-coffin
burials “around 1985 to 1990”.
“(Approval was) a pretty hard process. The union was
opposing it because of reasons for workers handling the
bodies,” he said.
“When the body is released for burial ... if there’s any
infectious disease then it’s ordered to be buried in a
coffin.”
NSW Funeral & Allied Industries Union secretary Aiden
Nye said workers at Rookwood had objected to non-coffin
burials “in strong public view of the Catholic section
and from the crematorium” prior to approval.
“They were disposing of the coffins in the bush,” he
said.
He said resealable aluminium coffins cleaned after each
use were now used, or wooden caskets placed upon a layer
of dirt on top of the body and covered, and that burials
were out of public view.
“People don’t want to go to a cemetery and see dead
people being carried around,” he said.
A NSW Health Department spokesman said the council’s
request would be responded to “in the near future”.
Some 40 young (and not so
young) men spent last weekend at Bornhoffen and engaged
in sports, games and discussions under the supervision
of Imams Akram and Ikram.
Away from the comforts of
home and their moms and wives they pitched in with the
cooking and the cleaning and it seemed all worth the
while for young Ameer Omar who declared the outing "the
best I've been to".
Imam Akram told our
Man-on-the-Mussallah that they had more such outings
planned for 2009 and encouraged others to participate.
Changes to the 2008-09 Skilled Migration Program
The Minister for
Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, has
announced a number of measures that will "ensure the
2008-09 Skilled Migration Program is better targeted and
more responsive to the changing needs of the economy."
Further information about
these measures is available on the following websites:
The Brisbane Muslim
Burial Society (BMBS) runs an SMS service to inform
local residents of deaths and funeral services in the
South East area of Queensland.
To subscribe to this free
service email your mobile phone number to
janaza786@hotmail.com.
Radio
CCN's home
State-of-the-art equipment and broadcasting
studios (shown above) and software
will be used to deliver Internet Radio
CCN initially on Sunday mornings in the
New Year.
If you or your
organization would like to play a part in
developing programmes on Radio CCN email
ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org or call
Mustafa Ally on 0402 026 786.
Community Partnerships for Human Rights
Applications now open
for projects between police and Muslim communities
A second round of
partnership funding is now available for groups wanting
to build relationships and improve trust between Muslim
communities and local police, national Race
Discrimination Commissioner Tom Calma said today.
Partnership funding of up to $10,000 is available to
those projects which are approved by the Steering
Committee, the membership of which is made up of a
balance of police and community leaders.
The partnership funding is through the Community
Policing Partnerships Program (CPPP), a partnership
between the Australian Human Rights Commission and the
Australian Multicultural Foundation (AMF). The CPPP
encourages police and Muslim communities to work
together in responding to current issues identified and
agreed upon by Muslim communities and police.
"The CPPP provided funding to 19 projects in the first
funding round and already we have tangible results,"
Commissioner Calma said.
"Police and community trust building programs have been
established in some areas, while other programs
encouraged young Muslim Australians to enter the police
force.
"Even more specific projects were funded such as the Tie
the Knot program in Sydney's South West, which aimed to
raise awareness of domestic violence in Australian
Muslim communities."
"More than 120 participants, including 80 Australian
Muslim students, 30 police officers, ethnic community
liaison officers, community leaders and community
workers, are graduating today from this CPPP-funded
project," Mr Calma said.
"The time has come to focus all of our efforts on
social, cultural and economic inclusion as the best way
forward in helping all groups within our society feel
like they are stakeholders in Australia's future."
Executive Director of the Australian Multicultural
Foundation, Hass Dellal, said the CPPP was a small
program but had the potential for huge outcomes.
"All of the 19 projects funded around Australia under
the first round have helped to build bridges between
local police and Muslim communities," Mr Dellal said.
"The CPPP provides a real opportunity to add value to
cultural diversity in community life and demonstrate
positive responses to community policing."
The CPPP is one of several programs the Australian Human
Rights Commission is running until the end of 2010 with
special funding of $250,000 it has received under the
National Action Plan to Build on Social Cohesion,
Harmony and Security. The National Action Plan aims to
promote social harmony across the Australian community.
Religious and community
leaders were invited to the inaugural Metropolitan South
Region Multi-Faith community dinner at the Greek Club,
South Brisbane, on Thursday in response to the ever
increasing multicultural, cultural and faiths in our
local communities, and the relevance this has to
providing policing services.
Amongst the keynote
speakers on the night were Dr. Mohammad Abdalla
of the Griffith Islamic Research Unit who spoke of his
recent experiences as a pilgrim on Hajj; Father
Dimitri Tsakas of the Greek Orthodox Community who
gave an inspiring discourse on the emphasis on rituals
over mystically experiences; and Commissioner Bob
Atkinson who championed the cause of community
engagement.
The Metropolitan South
Region is the most culturally and linguistically diverse
Region in Queensland and proudly serves a multicultural
community that is made up of 200 different communities
that speak 150 different languages as well as practising
130 different faiths.
Organizer Sergeant Jim
Bellos told CCN that faith groups play a key role in
all communities across Metropolitan South Region.
"In addition to providing
spiritual and support services they often are at the
forefront of connecting to youth, and providing for
community engagement," he added.
New Multicultural Advisory Group
The appointment of a new
Australian Multicultural Advisory Council was announced
during the week.
The new council will
advise the government on practical approaches to
promoting social cohesion, the engagement of migrants in
Australian society, and overcoming racism and
intolerance.
AFL chief executive
Andrew Demetriou will chair the 16 member council.
Members of the new council
are: Andrew Demetriou (chair), Susai Benjamin, Hass
Dellal OAM, Joumanah El Matrah, Carmen Garcia, Sylwia
Greda Bogusz, Rhonda Jacobsen, Gail Ker, Voula Messimeri
AM, Nola Randall Mohk, Brian Schwartz AM, Rauf Soulio,
Casta Tungaraza, Craig Waterhouse, Samina Yasmeen and
Katie Young OAM.
Engagement Announcement
Farouk and RaziaJoosab are proud to announce the engagement of
their eldest son Mahomed-Ayoub to Linh (a
recent revert to Islam) eldest daughter of Kiet
and Mai Huynh of Brisbane.
The Engagement took place on 30th November 2008
Around the Muslim
World with CCN
Muslim’s scarf leads to
arrest at courthouse
USA: A Douglasville woman
was jailed Tuesday after a judge found her in contempt
of court for refusing to remove her hijab, the head
covering worn by Muslim women.
Lisa Valentine, also known by her Islamic name, Miedah,
40, was arrested at the Douglasville Municipal Court for
violating a court policy of no headgear, said Chris
Womack, deputy chief of operations for the Douglasville
police.
Judge Keith Rollins ordered her held in jail for 10
days, but she was released Tuesday evening. The reason
for the early release wasn’t immediately clear.
French court convicts 10
neo-Nazis in Mosque burning
A court has convicted 10
members of a neo-Nazi group for an April mosque burning
outside Toulouse and sentenced them to prison terms of
up to 18 months.
The 10, who are aged 18 to 28, all belonged to a small
neo-Nazi group with the name "LW."
The entrance hall of the Colomiers mosque was set afire
before dawn on April 20 and the room reserved for ritual
washing was sacked.
Omar Yusuf lived in a
fantasy world, painting himself as an Arabian prince who
owned islands and aircraft so he could relieve
unsuspecting investors of millions.
For a while he was successful.
But that fantasy world came crashing down on Wednesday
when the Melbourne father of five was sentenced to at
least nine years' jail for defrauding 109 investors.
Five years after he launched a bogus scheme inviting
members of the public to sink millions into his trucking
company, On the Go Transport, Yusuf stood unflinchingly
in the Victorian Supreme Court dock as he was handed a
maximum jail term of 12 years.
Urgent action is
necessary to combat widespread
racial vilification on social
networking sites such as Facebook.
The call comes from the Race
Discrimination Commissioner, Tom
Calma, who said there was
insufficient monitoring of
cyber-racism and the law did not
provide adequate protection for
victims.
The comments follow
stories published on this
website last week revealing that
there are scores of racist groups on
Facebook, many of them based in
Australia, but the site has done
little to eradicate them even after
complaints.
Sample postings, too vulgar to be
reproduced here, are full of racial
epithets, derogatory remarks and
threats, and taunts for Muslim users
to blow themselves up or leave the
country.
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.
I write to ask our Brisbane readers if they may have
Electrical Appliances (in working order) and
Household Furniture that they wish to dispose of to
contact me on - 3423 0116 (home) 3800 7811 (bus)
0402 575 410 (mobile) as I am collecting for new
migrants arriving end of January.
Jazaak Allah
Was Salaam
Faisel Essof
Letter to the Editor
I
commend the tough stance taken by Brisbane City
Council and the Australian Industrial Relations
Commission to dismiss a bus driver for racist
comments ("Spear chucker" note ends driver's career,
The Courier-Mail, 18 December 2008).
The overwhelming majority of Australians embrace our
multicultural society and condemn all forms of
racism, especially in the workplace.
All of the bus routes twist and turn through my
electorate which is a vibrant multicultural
community with more than one third of the residents
born overseas.
This sacking sends a strong signal to all of us that
racism in all forms will not be tolerated.
Q: Dear Kareema, is it OK to hold onto my
treadmill when working out?
A: Holding onto the treadmill is not a good idea,
whatever your size, age, experience, weight or goals
(except for checking your heart-rate for a few seconds
or taking a brief turn to look behind yourself).
Problems Created by Holding Onto the Treadmill
. Turns walking into "make-believe walking" and running
into "fake-running"
. Ruins posture and body alignment
. Reduces calories burned
. Reduces effects of incline
. Doesn't build balance
All questions sent in are published here anonymously and
without any references to the author of the question.
KB's Culinary Corner
WHITE CHOCOLATE AND
COCONUT MUFFINS
THE INGREDIENTS
150g butter, softened
150g caster sugar
250g self-raising flour
2 eggs
125ml lite coconut milk
150g good quality white chocolate, finely
chopped
60g shredded coconut
1 cup frozen raspberries (optional)
Icing sugar to dust (optional)
THE FUN
• Preheat oven to 180ºC (160ºC fan-forced
for 15 minutes)
• Beat the butter and sugar until light and
creamy
• Add eggs one at a time and beat until well
combined
• Mix in the flour, coconut milk, chocolate
and shredded coconut and fold in the
raspberries.
• Divide cake mixture evenly between 12
muffin cups.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked
through. If a skewer comes out clean when
inserted into the middle of the muffins,
they are cooked.
• Allow to cool on the cooling rack
completely.
• When cool, dust with icing sugar before
serving (optional)
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
Our Jalllaludin
tried to light his cigarette.
He struck the first match on the seat of his pants, but
it wouldn't light.
He tried another.
It wouldn't light.
The third one finally lit.
He lit his cigarette, carefully blew the match out and
put it in his vest pocket.
"What for did you put that match in your vest pocket?"
asked a bewildered Mula Nasruddin who was watching with
intent.
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.
Girls Swimming Days - 24th Dec 08 and 5th Jan 09 
Catch
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