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......a sometimes self-deprecating and occasional tongue-in-cheek look at ourselves and the world around us ......

 

 

Sunday, 12 July 2009

 .Newsletter 0244

 

News you won't find on CNN!

 

 

Queenslanders Support Sounds of Light Show

 

The Sounds of Light concert kicked off in Brisbane on Friday night ahead of the Sydney and Melbourne legs scheduled for the following days.

 

Ahmad Abu Ghazaleh of Brisbane warmed up the 700-strong audience at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre with stirring recitations and nasheeds (devotional songs) before the International line up of stars took to the stage.

 

Maher Elzein of Sweden, who has in the past performed with top stars of music in the USA, sang songs that he hoped would "spread a positive message among the youth of today". The young members of the audience certainly took to the contemporary sound and the meaningful words.

 

Mesut Kurtis' singing had all the ingredients of a Turkish delight - sweet, soft, and beautifully and seamless combining Arabic, Turkish and English. 

 

Syrian Imad Rami and his group performed heart rending songs that drew spontaneous applause from a very appreciative crowd.

 

After the intermission it took little to no time to raise enough pledges from the audience to support 200 orphans ($600 supports an orphan for a year).

 

Finally, and directly from Detroit, the much anticipated SEVEN8SIX - the boy band of the Islamic music scene - arrived on stage to a thunderous round of applause. The young and vibrant five man group (Shahaab Quraishi, Omar Razzacki, Zafar Razzacki, Muhammad Saadullah (Saad), and Muhammad Saeedullah (Saeed)) delivered a range of songs in Arabic, Urdu and English with equal harmony and aplomb backed by drummer Wesley Jafar Porter. Their nasheeds ranged in musical genres from classic Qawwali in the inspiring 'Tajdar-E-Haram' to contemporary R&B style in  'Heaven's Key's, 

 

The show was compered with passion and professionalism by Brisbane activist Anas Abdalla whose previous experiences rallying crowds over more weightier issues held him in good stead on this night.   

 

For a family night out that offers music, melody and munificence in equal abundance the Sounds of Light Concert is hard to beat.

 

QPAC ablaze with the Sounds of Light

 

Saha Jusufspahic, Mirsida Hadziahmetovic,

Medina Smasic and Medina Meco

Umar Batchelor, who helped co-ordinate the Brisbane leg of the show,

and his team of volunteers

QPAC foyer during Intermission

 

(left to right) Iqbal Sultan, Omar Khan, Yunie Omar, Yunus Paruk and

Faisal Hatia top up the donation bucket

(back row) Nora Amath (2nd left) and her USA-based siblings

with (front row) her three children 

Ramadhan & 'Eid ul-fitr - National SMS Notification & Online LIVE Update

 

The Australian National Crescent Sighting Coordination Centre (ANCSCC) will be providing both LIVE updates online as well as a national SMS notification of the results of crescent sighting for the upcoming lunar month of Ramadhan as well as Shawwal.

 

The 1st day of Ramadhan effects the commencement of fasting, and the 1st day of Shawwal effects the end of fasting and establishes the day of ‘Eid ul-Fitr.

 

ANCSCC is the only nationally coordinated effort in Australia, with Scholars for on-time advice and resolution of all sighting claims, which undertakes monthly crescent observation. Physical sighting of the crescent is the only Shar’i and scientifically acceptable method available to establish the Islamic lunar months.

 

To register your mobile number for SMS notification of the results of crescent observation (and which day to start and end fasting), please go http://crescentwatch-australia.alghazzali.org/?page_id=170# and enter your mobile number.

 

To check LIVE updates for the results of crescent observation online, go to http://crescentwatch-australia.alghazzali.org/?page_id=629. Make sure you refresh the browser regularly to update your webpage with new information. This service is also available via your Twitter account- just update your setting to include ANCSCC on your settings!

 

For further information, go to http://crescentwatch-australia.alghazzali.org/?page_id=29 and submit your enquiry.

 

Lecture on Islamic Political Systems

 

Dr. Daud Batchelor will talk on his Masters in political science research at a forum organised jointly by the Indonesian Muslim students organisations of Griffith University and University of Queensland.

 

His topic will be "Contemporary Models for Development of Islamic Political Systems: Pakistan & Iran".

 

Dr Daud Batchelor, born and bred in Brisbane, first arrived in Indonesia in 1971 and worked on mining projects, married an Indonesian lady from Palembang and now has five children and six grandchildren. Daud embraced Islam in Indonesia and spent 18 years in Southeast Asia. He has a Master of Science from Imperial College London and his PhD is from University of Malaya. He has maintained his connections with Indonesia and last year spent three months on Bangka Island (where he first met his wife) undertaking tin ore reserve mining estimation for PT Tambang Timah.

Daud is currently involved in environmental management but has pursued a life-long interest in Islamic studies. He has a Diploma in Islamic Studies and is now currently pursuing external studies by research with the International Institute of Islamic Thought & Civilisation (ISTAC) in Kuala Lumpur, part of the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM). His research topic for a Masters in Political Science is “The Political Systems of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Islamic Republic of Iran – A Comparative Study” Daud is currently a Visiting Fellow at the Griffith University Islamic Research Unit (GIRU).

SUNDAY, 12 July 2009
10.00am to 12.00pm
Venue: Building 63 (Physiology), Room 358, University of Queensland (UQ St. Lucia)

 

Australian Federation of Islamic Council (AFIC) Press Releases

Muslim Co-op hopes to become an Islamic bank

 

THE Muslim Community Co-operative (Australia) is confident of securing a banking licence in three years to become Australia's first Islamic bank.

MCCA managing director Chaaban Omran (seen with "Best Islamic Bank in Australia" award in January 2009) said the co-operative would work with the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority to change its registrable superannuation entity licence into a banking licence.

"We are (currently) regulated by ASIC (the Australian Securities & Investments Commission) and are the holder of an RSE licence," Mr Omran told business leaders at an Islamic banking and finance conference in Melbourne.

"The way the supervision will work will be a modification of that particular licence.

"If we get enough momentum from the industry it may be less than three years."

In four years, MCCA planned to have a presence in the investment banking sector, Mr Omran said.

MCCA, established in 1989, provides property finance, is setting up a superannuation investment mandate and plans to build funds around that mandate.

"The investments are the most critical thing for us," Mr Omran said, adding that MCCA was also planning to launch a range of equity investment funds.

"We have a lot of challenges. Apart from capital requirements, there are issues to do with how we manage cash for example because APRA requires a certain level of funds to be invested."
 

"Sharia-compliant finance was innovative, ethical and had been tried and tested throughout the centuries"


Mr Omran said there were about 500,000 Australian Muslims, forming a market worth $1.3 billion.

MCCA complies with sharia law, which prohibits interest charges.
 


Islamic banks are governed by a supervisory board of Muslim clerics to ensure compliance with sharia law as well as banking regulations in the countries in which they operate.

Islamic finance does not recognise the concept of caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) in which risks can be transferred to unsuspecting buyers of products and services, PricewaterhouseCoopers Islamic finance head Mohammed Amin said.

Sharia-compliant finance was innovative, ethical and had been tried and tested throughout the centuries, Mr Omran said.

"We're not dealing with a new concept. The only difference is that the awareness has not been raised in Australia."
 

Formal wear for women

 

Soiree Designs is a relatively new initiative aiming to provide Muslim women with elegant formal and semi formal wear.

 

You can view their 2008 clothing range at www.soireedesigns.com.au and they will also be releasing their newest clothing range at the end of July 2009.

 

We're not a religious mob, but Muslim numbers boom

The Canberra Times 9/07/09

 

We have the largest percentage of foreign-born residents in the world, more women are joining the workforce and we're getting fatter.
We're also living longer and less likely to follow an organised religion, although the number of Muslims in Australia is set to boom over the next decade, according to figures released this week by business information analysts IBISWorld to mark World Population Day.

The figures predict Australia's population will reach more than 25 million by mid-2020, and more than half the working population will have dependants.

Yet by 2020, more than 45 per cent of those dependants will be over 65, compared to just 39 per cent in 2009.

Based on long-term studies and analysis of trends for the next decade, IBISWorld's figures give us a sense of what we're doing and where we're headed.

The fertility rate is rising, but is now contributing just 40 per cent to the population growth, while migration has accounted for the rest.

But the figures suggest this may slow now the government has curbed the country's migration program. Australians come from 150 different ancestries.
 

Source
 

FAMSY in QLD

 

The Federation of Australian Muslim Students and Youth (FAMSY) is a professional Muslim student and youth organisation committed to the education, training and development of future community leaders.

 

Through its Tarbiyah and other programs, based on a balanced Islamic methodology, FAMSY develops students and youth for the betterment of the Australian community.

FAMSY has been part of the Muslim Community in Australia since 1969, providing a variety of community services to both students and young professionals.

 

Through a variety of programs FAMSY has made a commitment towards the education, training and development of the future leaders of Australia’s Muslim community.

 

They achieve these goals through programs like:


• Tarbiyah: mentorship and learning program.
• Sports and recreation: Camps and sporting competitions.
• Workshops: regular “In-focus” sessions on topics like, public speaking, media relations as well as various Islamic topics.
• International speakers: FAMSY has hosted various international speakers and guests annually, since 1982
 

Led by Umar Batchelor (National and QLD President) and with support from their well-resourced and established NSW and Victorian offices, FAMSY QLD is working towards the same goals and is re-establishing its presence in Brisbane and surrounds.

 

Their most recent events, include assisting in organising the Brisbane leg of HAI Sounds of Light 2009, and the Brisbane leg of the internationally renowned Annual Conference (Sirah Tour 2009) - see the CCN Notice Board and Date Claimer below for all the details

 

FAMSY QLD is working towards organising similar events in the near future, and they have put out a call for support from the Brisbane Muslim community, especially the youth.


For more information, go to www.famsy.org.au or call Umar Batchelor on 0421 717 846
 

Female Designed Mosque Opens In Turkey

 

Last weekend, the first mosque designed by a woman in Turkey opened in Istanbul.

 

The interior of the Sakirin Mosque was designed by Zeynep Fadillioglu (shown below)

 

More images are available here

 

Golf Tournament Update

 

Interested golfers are reminded that the next two rounds of the 72 Hole Golf Tournament will be played at Colonial Golf Club on Sunday 19th July at 11am and Brookwater Golf Club on Sunday 26th July.

 

There are a few slots available and interested parties are asked to contact Shahaad on 0404 280 582.

RESULTS of Game 2 held at Colonial on 5th July which was a Better ball format:


1st Place with 50 points Zeyn Kara and Falla Ahmed and 2nd Place with 45 points Ayoob Ismail and Faizal Ismail.

 

Consider Islam on TV

 

Consider Islam TV Guide 2009 – Series 2

Channel / State

Dates/Times

Programs

C31, MELBOURNE

20/06/2009 to 25/07/2009

Every Saturday at 6.30am

 

 

 

 

THE SCIENTIFIC COLLAPSE OF THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION

i.e. COLLAPSE OF DARWINISIM

 (Documentary film based on works of Harun Yahya)

 

MOSES, JESUS AND MUHAMMAD

(peace be upon them all)

THREE PROPHET’s ONE MESSAGE

(by Abdul Raheem Green)

TVS, SYDNEY

13/07/2009 to 17/08/2009

Every Monday at 7.30am and repeat on Wednesday 5am

 

QCTV, BRISBANE

19/07/2009 to 23/08/2009

Every Sunday at 3pm

 

C31, ADELAIDE

19/07/2009 to 23/08/2009

Every Sunday at 9pm

 

The CCN Inbox

 

Salaam Alaikum

Congrats on doing such a great job here within the community, more initiatives such as yours would be great around Australia!

Coming back to the point of this email, in my search for Counsellors in the Brisbane area I found your website and I am hoping you may be able to help me out with some information.

I am relatively new to the area coming from NSW and I am trying to locate anyone who is involved in Counselling or the like, preferably from the Muslim community. Reason being that I am currently studying the course and would like to get in touch with qualified or soon to be qualified practitioners who understand the requirements of Islam. I do know that there are not many Muslims, especially Muslim women who delve into this field, but I thought it might be worth the try anyway before moving onto the broader society.

Kindly do get back to me as soon as possible, any information would be much appreciated.

Kind Regards

Shaakira Khan

 

[Editor] If you able to help out with any information please email ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org and we will put you in touch with Ms. Khan

Around the Muslim World with CCN

 

Islam takes back seat as Indonesians vote

 

Religious issues hardly featured in the campaign for this week's Indonesian presidential election - despite the efforts of some rivals to make an issue out of whether candidates' wives wore Islamic headscarves.

The nation's founding father, Sukarno, promoted the five principals of Pancasila - the national philosophy - including a belief in a one and only God.

But there were no specific references to Islam, and consequently Indonesia did not become an Islamic state.

But Islamic parties have always had a significant share of votes in elections.

Decline

In 2004, they won 38 percent of votes. But this April's legislative elections saw a sharp decline in the popularity of Islamic parties, which won just 24 percent.

Political commentator Dr Anies Baswedan, who is president of Jakarta-based Paramadina University, told Radio Australia's Connect Asia program that Muslim Indonesian voters have become increasingly disillusioned by the failure of Islamic parties to convert religious principles into policies that benefit society.

"They have not been able to explain clearly to the audience how would they translate this into reality - Islamic principles into policies."

In the past, he says, it was enough for a party to say they were Islamic - but now they had failed to note the new trend.

Exploited

The decline in political support for Islamic parties does not mean the religion's influence in the political process is diminishing.

Over the past month, religious issues were exploited to try to win over Muslim voters.

The Islamc Prosperous Justice Party claimed that conservative Indonesians would be reluctant to vote for the incumbent Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, because the wife of his running mate, Boediono, rarely wore a traditional headscarf.

But Dr Baswedan says: "Voters are not interested in unimportant issues, with regard to the agenda for the nation."

Ironically, it is the advancement of democracy that has allowed radical groups to beef up their campaign for adopting Islamic sharia law in Indonesia.

But Syafi'i Maarif, former head of Muhammadiyah, Indonesia's second largest Islamic organisation, says such efforts by radical groups are likely to fail, as long as governments are effective.

"It's just a big dream, that won't happen," he says.

"I think they have no future, unless this nation fails to combat corruption."

 

Source

 

 

Uighurs protest at Chinese consulate

 

Uighur protesters have rallied outside the Chinese consulate in Sydney, demanding freedom and justice for their Muslim countrymen in China.

They chanted "freedom to Uighurs" and "shame on you murderers" in front of the closed consulate in Camperdown.

Some carried banners reading "World listen to our plea" while others draped themselves in chains symbolising the oppression of their people in China.

The rally was in response to the deaths of 156 Uighurs in a Chinese military crackdown in Xianjing in western China at the weekend during what was intended to be a peaceful protest.
 

Read the rest.....

 

 

The headscarf martyr: murder in German court sparks Egyptian fury

 

Woman was stabbed 18 times during hijab trial
• Outrage at lack of media coverage fuels protests

 

Egyptian Marwa el-Sherbini and her husband Elvi Ali Okaz

It was while Marwa el-Sherbini was in the dock recalling how the accused had insulted her for wearing the hijab after she asked him to let her son sit on a swing last summer, that the very same man strode across the Dresden courtroom and plunged a knife into her 18 times.

Her three-year-old son Mustafa was forced to watch as his mother slumped to the courtroom floor.

Even her husband Elvi Ali Okaz could do nothing as the 28-year-old Russian stock controller who was being sued for insult and abuse took the life of his pregnant wife. As Okaz ran to save her, he too was brought down, shot by a police officer who mistook him for the attacker. He is now in intensive care in a Dresden hospital.

 

While the horrific incident that took place a week ago tomorrow has attracted little publicity in Europe, and in Germany has focused more on issues of court security than the racist motivation behind the attack, 2,000 miles away in her native Egypt, the 32-year-old pharmacist has been named the "headscarf martyr".

She has become a national symbol of persecution for a growing number of demonstrators, who have taken to the streets in protest at the perceived growth in Islamophobia in the west. Sherbini's funeral took place in her native Alexandria on Monday in the presence of thousands of mourners and leading government figures. There are plans to name a street after her.

Sherbini, a former national handball champion, and Okaz, a genetic engineer who was just about to submit his PhD, had reportedly lived in Germany since 2003, and were believed to be planning to return to Egypt at the end of the year. They were expecting a second child in January.



Unemployed Alex W. from Perm in Russia was found guilty last November of insulting and abusing Sherbini, screaming "terrorist" and "Islamist whore" at her, during the Dresden park encounter. He was fined ¤780 but had appealed the verdict, which is why he and Sherbini appeared face to face in court again.


Even though he had made his anti-Muslim sentiments clear, there was no heightened security and questions remain as to why he was allowed to bring a knife into the courtroom.

Angry mourners at the funeral in Alexandria accused Germany of racism, shouting slogans such as "Germans are the enemies of God" and Egypt's head mufti Muhammad Sayyid Tantawy called on the German judiciary to severely punish Alex W.

"Anger is high", said Joseph Mayton, editor of the English-language news website Bikya Masr. "Not since Egypt won the African [football] Cup have Egyptians come together under a common banner."

In Germany the government of Angela Merkel has been sharply criticised for its sluggish response to the country's first murderous anti-Islamic attack. The general secretaries of both the Central Council of Jews and the Central Council of Muslims, Stephen Kramer and Aiman Mazyek, who on Monday made a joint visit to the bedside of Sherbini's husband, spoke of the "inexplicably sparse" reactions from both media and politicians.

They said that although there was no question that the attack was racially motivated, the debate in Germany had concentrated more on the issue of the lack of courtroom security. "I think the facts speak for themselves," Kramer said.

The government's vice spokesman Thomas Steg rebuffed the criticism, saying not enough was yet known about the details of the incident.

"In this concrete case we've held back from making a statement because the circumstances are not sufficiently clear enough to allow a broad political response," he said, adding: "Should it be the case that this was anti-foreigner [and] racially motivated [the government] would condemn it in the strongest possible terms".

"Anger is high", said Joseph Mayton, editor of the English-language news website Bikya Masr. "Not since Egypt won the African [football] Cup have Egyptians come together under a common banner."



As hundreds of Arab and Muslim protesters demonstrated in Germany, and observers drew comparisons with the Danish cartoon row, Egyptian government representatives in Berlin said it was important to keep the incident in perspective.

"It was a criminal incident, and doesn't mean that a popular persecution of Muslims is taking place," Magdi el-Sayed, the spokesman for the Egyptian embassy in Berlin said.

But because it occurred just days after Nicolas Sarkozy gave a major policy speech denouncing the burka, many Egyptians believe the death of Sherbini is part of a broader trend of European intolerance towards Muslims.

The German embassy in Cairo has sought to calm the situation, organising a visit of condolence by the ambassador to the victim's family and issuing a statement insisting that the attack did not reflect general German sentiment towards Egyptians.

There have been repeated calls by protesters for the German embassy to be picketed. The Egyptian pharmacists' syndicate said it is considering a week-long boycott of German medicines.

The victim's brother, Tarek el-Sherbini, labelled Germany as a "cold" country when interviewed by a popular talk show host. Media pundits such as Abdel Azeem Hamad, editor of the daily al-Shorouk newspaper, have attributed the western media's disinterest in the story to racism, arguing that if Sherbini had been Jewish the incident would have received much greater attention.

Politicians in Egypt have been scrambling to ride the groundswell of popular feeling. But some commentators have criticised reaction to the murder as a convenient distraction for the unpopular regime of President Hosni Mubarak, which is currently being challenged by a nationwide series of strikes and sit-ins.

"The tragedy of Marwa el-Sherbini is real, as is anti-Arab racism in Europe and elsewhere, but ... her death has been recruited to channel resentment of the west, Danish-cartoon style," the popular blogger The Arabist said.
 

Source
 

Related Article

 

 

Rick Warren to Muslims: Talk is cheap, let's work together

 

The Rev. Rick Warren speaks at the 46th annual Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)convention in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, July 4, 2009

WASHINGTON – Evangelical pastor Rick Warren told a crowd of some 8,000 Muslim Americans that he wasn’t satisfied with just talking to them.

“I will tell you that I am not interested in interfaith dialogue. I am interested in interfaith project. There is a big difference,” said Warren to attendees of the 46th annual Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) convention Saturday evening.

“Talk is very cheap. You can talk and talk and talk and never get anything done. Love is something you do,” Warren maintained. “It is something we do together.”

Warren, the founding pastor of Saddleback Community Church in Lake Forest, Calif., was the only Christian invited to speak at Saturday’s evening main session, which organizers described as the “cornerstone” of the convention.

Warren was warmly received by the Muslim audience, many of which could be seen snapping photos of the popular evangelical pastor, taking notes of what he said, or breaking into applause whenever he said something to their liking.

 

Warren maintained his religious differences with the Muslim crowd and encouraged audience members to also not compromise their conviction

Before Warren stepped on stage, Dr. Ingrid Mattson, president of the Islamic Society of North America, gave a flattering introduction for the megachurch preacher, highlighting how he reverse tithes, giving away 90 percent of his income and living off 10 percent.

The audience, who had been pressed to donate the whole night by the group’s fundraising committee, broke out into applause.

“I am very much an admirer of his, Pastor Warren’s organization and as someone who has increased his interfaith outreach in the last number of years,” said Mattson, a Canadian-born convert to Islam from Catholicism.

But despite the praises, Warren maintained his religious differences with the Muslim crowd and encouraged audience members to also not compromise their conviction.

“You know as an evangelical pastor, my deepest faith is in Jesus Christ,” Warren stated. “But you also need to know that I am committed not just to what I call the good news, but I am committed to the common good.”

 

He called on the members of the two largest faith communities in the world to not only figure out how to live in peace and harmony with each other, but also to find a way to work together for the greater good without compromising each group’s convictions.

In his speech, Warren suggested that Muslims and Christians work together to challenge the mischaracterizations and stereotypes in the media about each other’s faith; to restore civility in America by showing that people can “disagree without being disagreeable;” and to promote peace and freedom, particularly freedom of speech and religion, together.

“Let me just say this to those of you who have been in America for many generations now,” Warren said, noting that they were gathered on the Fourth of July, America’s Independence Day. “Part of your responsibility is to help the newcomers learn what it means to be Americans.

“America is a country not built on race, not built on a creed, but built on an idea – liberty and justice for all and freedom for all,” Warren said as he called for citizen education.

Read the rest.......

 

 

Muslim women need protection beyond sharia law

 

COMMENT: ILHAM RAWOOT (South African Mail&Guardian Online)

 

The Muslim Marriages Bill has brought to light the potentially embarrassing problem of the many Muslims who live their lives, and their marriages, according to shariah law when it suits them, but throw those rules away when it's less convenient for their pockets and desires.

It has also shown up the gap between Muslims living in the ivory towers of financial and familial happiness and those from poorer backgrounds, whose daughters often don't get to go to university -- and in some cases to finish school -- or to be independent.

If the Bill is passed, it will enable the state to enforce the provisions of shariah law for those Muslims married under its provisions. Those opposing the Bill are either unaware of the problems faced by many Muslim women in a country that doesn't recognise their marriages, or are holding on to a religious system of laws without realising that even though the system is thorough, it works only if it is thoroughly followed.

 

 What they seem to be forgetting is that the laws of the Qur’an can be enforced only if there is a body to ensure that these laws are followed.

Organisations such as the Muslim Women's Association, a body with a presumptuously representative name, are opposing the Bill because they feel that it would make the Constitution, and not the Qur’an, supreme. What they seem to be forgetting is that the laws of the Qur’an can be enforced only if there is a body to ensure that these laws are followed. But Muslim judicial bodies have no power of enforcement and they rarely champion the cause of Muslim women.

One Muslim woman told the Mail & Guardian ("Marrying rights with tradition", May 22) how when she went to the Jamiat ul Ulama (the regional judicial council) in Pietermaritzburg to complain about her physically and emotionally abusive husband, she was told to "go back to him and make sabr [be patient]".

Had the council stood up for her rights, she would not be in the situation she is now. Soon after her complaint, her husband threw her out of the house with only the clothes on her back, but refused to give her a divorce.

And had a court been able to enforce shariah law, she would be able to get divorced and receive the maintenance owed to her. At present she has no husband for all intents and purposes, but cannot remarry.

"go back to him and make sabr [be patient]"


As a result of the unIslamic practices of some Muslims who believe that women should not be educated, there are Muslim girls in South Africa who are taken out of school at 13 and married by 16. These girls have no financial or educational independence. If their husbands cheat on them or leave them -- a regular occurrence in marriages into which girls are not forced but rather nudged by sexism-induced guilt -- there is no way for these women to receive any support or maintenance. And without ample education, they cannot be self-reliant: some end up begging or in shelters.

These women are often unaware that they could get married in court for their rights to be recognised by the state. And even women who are educated are sometimes told that a civil marriage is socially disapproved of. Although Islam has no room for sexism, patriarchal authorities have, over many decades, created a system where women are not only treated as inferior, but have been made to believe that their inferiority is necessary to be an obedient Muslim.

Polygamy poses an interesting example of why shariah law must be enforceable. Polygamy is allowed in Islam only if a man can afford all his wives and can make all of them feel equally loved. A man planning on marrying multiple times is obviously confident that he has enough love to give all the world, but if a court were to give his wife a chance to voice her feelings legally, it could find differently.

 

The sad reality is that while Muslims' marriage ceremonies are conducted according to shariah law, the rest of their marriages are not always practised accordingly. Muslim women deserve a powerful institution as strong, fair and respected as the one that takes care of all other South Africans: the Constitution.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Have your say on the CCN Forum

 

CCN Reader's Discussion Forum

 

Have your say on www.ccnforum.ning.com

 

Kareema's Keep Fit Column

 

 

 

Dear Kareema, like many of us, I don't have much time to workout.  The best time for me at the moment is night-time. Is working out at night a good idea and what do I need to do to recover after a workout?

 

 

 

 

 

 

A: If night time suits you best, then go for it.  Try to plan your sessions as early as possible though, as working out too close to bedtime is not such a good idea.  Make sure to replenish your fluid levels as you lose them and drink lots of water after your workout as well.  Your recovery process starts as soon as you finish your workout session (include stretches at the end of your session).

 

Have a healthy dinner (low GI carbs, protein and vegies) as soon after your workout as possible. It's a good idea to plan your evening so you don't eat too close to bedtime either.

 

GET READY FOR........

 


TOGETHER, LET’S FIGHT GLOBESITY

Kareema

My Health and Fitness

Tel: 0404 844 786

(Accredited Member of Fitness Queensland)

 

Need an answer to a fitness related matter? Send your question to Kareema at  fitness@crescentsofbrisbane.org.

All questions sent in are published here anonymously and without any references to the author of the question.

      

CCN Readers' Book Club: You are what you read!

 

Would you like to see the cover of your favourite book on our book shelves below?

Then simply email the title and author to thebookclub@crescentsofbrisbane.org

 

Double click a book cover to find out what others think of the book

 

CCN has set up an online Book Club at Shelfari to connect with CCN book readers at:

http://www.shelfari.com/CCN_BookClub

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.

The CCN Readers' Book Club

KB's Culinary Corner

  

   Warm Pumpkin Pudding
 

Ingredients
2 cups of mashed pumpkin
3 eggs
¾ cup coconut
¾ cup milk
¾ tin condensed milk
 

Method

Combine all the ingredients, pour into a pudding pan or heatproof container, dot with butter, and sprinkle with ground elachi/cardamom seeds and bake on 180 degrees until light brown.
 

Serve hot with ice cream or whipped cream

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

 

One morning, Jallaludin went to see his friend Mula Nasruddin and told him that he hadn't been feeling well at all.

Mula Nasruddin examined Jallaludin, left the room, and came back with three different bottles of pills.

Looking at Jallaludin he says, "Take the green pill with a big glass of water when you wake up. Take the blue pill with a big glass of water after you eat lunch. Then just before going to bed, take the red pill with another big glass of water."

Startled to be put on so much medicine, the Jallaludin stammered, "
اللعنة عليك يا بلادي, Brother Nasruddin, exactly what is my problem?"

Mula Nasruddin replied ”Jallaludin, you’re not getting enough water”.
 

Notice Board

 

Click on image to enlarge

 

Speed Intros

Reverts Course

Parenting Workshop

USQ Islamic Centre Open Day

Islamophobia Conference

Pre-Ramadan Islamic Expo

FAMSY: The 2009 Sirah Tour

Quran Competition: Sydney

Annual Quran Competition

Prof Kamali Lecture

Romeo & Juliet

butter chickened!

Unity Cup Indoor Soccer Tournament

Mini World Cup

Course: Road to Recovery

 

Golf Weekends

Islamic Classes for Teenagers

AMAL Muslim Helpline

OurWorld Hajj Travel Package

 

The CCN Date Claimer

 

 

(provisional)

Date

Day

Event

(Click on link)

Organizer

Venue

Contact

Time

19 July

(provisional)

Sunday

Lailatul Me'raj

13 July

Monday

Symposium: Prof. Kamali - ‘Shariah: A View from the Higher Objectives’

GIRU & MBN

Function Room, Runcorn Tavern, 124 Gowan Rd, Runcorn

0422 349 785

6pm

17 July

Friday

Speed Intros for Muslims

Julu Latif

Sebel Citigate Hotel, Brisbane

0400 142 786

8pm

20-21 July

Mon & Tues

FAMSY: The 2009 Sirah Tour

FAMSY

UQ, Griffith, Kuraby, Algester & Gold Coast Mosques

0411 650 682

see details

19-21 July

Sun to Tues

National Social Cohesion Symposium & Conference: Challenging Islamophobia

Affinity Intercultural Foundation

Auditorium, Law Building, Sydney University

0400 142 786

see details

24-25 July

Fri & Sat

Romeo & Juliet: butter chickened!

NS Charity

Schonell Theatre, University of Queensland

0450 769 803

10.30am to 3pm

25 July

Saturday

USQ Islamic Centre Open Day

Islamic Soc. of Toowoomba & USQ Multicultural Centre

USQ Islamic Centre, TOOWOOMBA

3735 7051

10am to 3pm

25-26 July

Sat & Sun

IBC Islamic Shopping Expo

IBC

Kuraby Special School

(03) 93862771

10am to 5pm

26 July

Sunday

Mini Tennis Tournament

Shabir Elias

Griffith University, Mt Gravatt Campus

0415 467 868

8.30am

26 July

Sunday

Annual Quran Competition

Islamic Council of Queensland

Islamic College of Brisbane, Karawatha

3849 4876

9am to 1pm

6 August

(provisional)

Thursday

Lailatul Baraat

8 & 9 August

Sat & Sun

New Muslim Reverts Course

Sunnah Inspirations

UQ, St Lucia campus

reverts@SunnahInspirations.org

9.30am to 5.15pm

9 August

Sunday

Unity Cup Soccer Tournament

Queensland Muslims

Acacia Ridge Futsal Centre

0412 786 168

9am

22 August

(provisional)

Saturday

Start of Ramadhan

4-6 September

Fri to Sun

Mini World Cup soccer tournament

Queensland Police Service

Brisbane Olympic, Cansdale Street, Yeronga

0438 114 619

9am to 9pm

5-6 September

Sat & Sun

Sydney's 5th Annual Quran Competition

Albayan Institute, Sydney

1/40A Ferndell St, Granville, SYDNEY

0424 810 689

TBA

16 September

(provisional)

Wednesday

Lailatul Qadr

19 September

(provisional)

Saturday

End of Ramadhan

20 September

(provisional)

Sunday

Eid-ul-Fitr

26 September

Saturday

Eidfest

Eidfest Committee

Mt Gravatt Showgrounds

0418 722 353

All day

27 September

Sunday

MBN Eid Dinner

Muslim Business Network

The Coffee Club, RNA Showground

secretary@mbn.net.au

7pm

3 October

Saturday

Eid Dinner

Islamic Society of Darra

Darra Mosque, 219 Douglas St, Oxley

0418 757 157

5.45pm

24 October

Saturday

Breast Cancer Awareness

Crescents of Brisbane

TBA

0404 296 297

TBA

27 November

(provisional)

Sunday

Eid-ul-Adha

18 December

(provisional)

Friday

Islamic New Year

27 December

(provisional)

Sunday

Day of Ashura

 

To claim your date for your event email ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org.

 

 

RECURRING EVENTS

The ladies Taaleem programme this Thursday will be at the home of

Farahnaaz Omar

57 Dandelion Street

Eight Mile Plains


11-12pm
 All Ladies Welcome!

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

Sunnah Inspirations

http://www.sunnahinspirations.org

Contact: 0408 270 421

University of Queensland,
323 Hawken Drive, St. Lucia

Every Friday

Subject: Fiqh Made Easy

Venue: Room E215 Building 1 (Forgan Smith), University of Queensland

Time: 7pm to 7.50pm

Every Friday

Subject: Tafseer al Qur'an (Explanation of the Qur'an)

Venue: Room E215 Building 1 (Forgan Smith), University of Queensland

Time: 8pm 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.

 

CCN @ Facebook

 

Catch Crescents Community News at

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Crescents-Community-News-CCN/30163063922

Please feel free to post an entry on our Wall, start up a Discussion thread and/or become a Fan.

 

Useful Links

 

Crescents Community News (CCN) Readers' Forum

 Discussion Forum & Social Network for CCN Readers

Queensland Muslim Historical Society Inc.

Promoting the study and awareness of the rich history of the Muslims of Queensland

Young Muslims of Queensland

Social network for young Muslims of Brisbane

Sunnah Inspirations

Providing information about Islam - its beliefs, culture, practices, dispelling misconceptions

Kuraby Mosque

Holland Park Mosque

Al-Nisa

Provide young Muslim women in Queensland with support and opportunities to express themselves

Gold Coast Mosque

South African National Halaal Authority (SANHA)

Muslim Womens' Convert Support Group (MWCSG)

Network of Muslim women converts from the Brisbane and Gold Coast areas of Queensland.

Australian International Islamic College (Durack)

Eidfest 2009

Kotku Mosque - Dubbo NSW

Islamic Society of Algester

Jamiatul Ulama Western Australia

Body of Muslim Theologians (Ulama, Religious Scholars)

Islamic Women's Association of Queensland (IWAQ)

Community based, not-for-profit organisation providing Settlement, Aged Care, disability, social activities and employment opportunities.

Federation of Australian Muslim Students and Youth (FAMSY)

 

If you would like a link to your website email ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org.

 

Write For Us

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 ccn@crescentsofbrisbane.org.

 

Share your thoughts, feelings and ambitions for our community through CCN.

 

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Disclaimer

Articles and opinions appearing in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Crescents of Brisbane Team, CCN, its Editor or its Sponsors, particularly if they eventually turn out to be libelous, unfounded, objectionable, obnoxious, offensive, slanderous and/or downright distasteful.

 

It is the usual policy of CCN to include from time to time, notices of events that some readers may find interesting or relevant. Such notices are often posted as received. Including such messages or providing the details of such events does not necessarily imply endorsement of the contents of these events by either CCN or Crescents of Brisbane Inc.