An audience of some 500 were
entertained to a diverse
range of singers and artists
at the 2017 Sounds of Light
concert at the Queensland
Performing Arts Centre on
Monday.
The show featured many
prominent Muslim Artists
from around the globe.
Performances included 'Salam
Alaikum' by Harris J (UK)
and "Ya Nabi Salam Alayka"
by Maher Zain (Sweden).
Sponsorship for more then
200 orphans were obtained,
with over $200,0000 in funds
raised.
Imam Ahmad Ghazaleh and his
daughter performed a duet as
winners of the Local Talent
Contest, and the students of
Wisdom College led the
singing of the National
Anthem.
The Sounds of Light
Concerts, organized by Human
Appeal International, have
been running for 10 years,
reaching an excess of over
50,000 audience members.
Performers:
Maher Zain - Sweden (Singer)
Sheikh Omer Turkmen - Turkey
(Quran Recitations)
Preacher Moss - USA
(Comedian)
Harris J - UK (Singer)
Dr. Adel El-Mishayti - Libya
(Singer)
Imam Suhaib Webb - USA
(Islamic Scholar, Video
Address)
Siedd - Canada (Singer)
The aim of this newsletter
is to provide weekly updates
on events and projects which
have happened or will happen
in the following weeks in
our Muslim Community.
This includes family and
fundraising events, updates
on the Gold Coast Dawah
Centre, as well as
engagements with our local
community.
On the evening of Saturday,
25 November, the Queensland
Branch of the Al-Tadhkirah
Institute (the education
branch of the Islamic
Practice & Dawah Circle (IPDC))
held its annual Madrasah
Jalsa (rebranded Slacks
Creek Mosque Madrasah).
The audience was entertained
with various performances
from the Madrasah's
children. The event was
attended by interstate
guests. Following the jalsa,
the audience was served
dinner.
Guests:
Maulana Rafiqul Islam -
Central President, IPDC &
National Al Tadhkirah
Principal
Maulana Abu Hurayrah - Al-Tadhkirah
NSW Principal & Imam of IPDC
NSW and Masjid, Saint Marys
(Sydney)
Maulana Abdur Rahman - Al-Tadhkirah
WA Principal & Imam of IPDC
WA and Armadale Masjid and
Islamic Centre
Performances:
"Oh Sing, Children of the
World" - Prep
"Open Your Eyes" - High
School Girls
"Wizard of Oz" - Years 3 & 4
"Bismillah" - Year 1
"5 Pillars of Islam Medley"
- Year 2
"Drug Away" - High School
Boys
The Shahrouk sisters have
been crowned the winners of
Family Food Fight 2017. It
was a nail-biting finale as
the Shahrouks battled with
the Butlers in what was a
neck and neck race to the
finish line.
“It was a real contest of
greatness,” Matt Moran said
as the two teams waited
nervously, waiting for the
winner to be announced.
“After a lot of deliberation
it came down to who we
thought made the most
jaw-dropping finale worthy
food and ultimately there
was one family that produced
dishes that we could not get
enough of. It is with great
pleasure that I can announce
Australia’s number one food
family is the Shahrouk
family,” Matt revealed, as
the Shahrouk family went
wild.
“You took home cooking to a
whole new level,” Matt
revealed as the sisters
teared up.
“My dreams have come true,”
Halla said bursting into
tears.
The winner is announced
From the moment they stepped
into the kitchen we knew
that the feisty Shahrouk
sisters were going to be
fierce competitors on Family
Food Fight.
Armed with years of cooking
experience and a multitude
of family recipes, these
sisters dominated the
series. They won a number of
challenges and while they
may have been in two
eliminations they always
came out victorious.
“Thank you to all our family
and friends who supported us
through this whole
challenge,” Rouba said
proudly.
“And all our fans,
we loved this competition
and we loved having you as
our viewers.”
“We are not only
representing us four sisters
we’re representing the
Shahrouk family,” Houda
added emotionally.
“Thank
you for all your support and
for believing in us from the
beginning.”
Al Mustapha Institute of
Brisbane hosted the Annual
Milad-un-Nabi on Saturday,
25 November 2017. It was an
exciting event with Zainab
Latif being the winner of
the lucky door prize, an
Umrah Package for Two
People, donated by OurWorld
Travel.
The Institute would like to
sincerely thank all the
Ulema who participated in
the program, especially the
key note speaker, Moulana
Ahmed Hussain, who delivered
a dynamic and inspiring
lecture.
AIIC's Year 5 pupil, Layth
Muthanna, was awarded a
certificate for Excellence
in Writing in a writing
competition organised by
Write4fun.
His short story was called ‘Detective
Work’ and the judges
indicated his story was of a
particularly high standard,
placing him in the top 5
percent of entries for this
competition.
There were over 10 000
entries and only 515
received the excellent in
writing awards.
In honour of his
achievement, Layth's story
will appear in the
‘Excellence in Writing’
section of the book of
stories to be published.
The Gympie Islamic Centre
was opened this week with a
gathering of Muslims and
non-Muslims from the local
community.
Slacks Creek's Imam Akran
gave a recitation of Surah
al Fatiha, Imam Abdul
Quddoos Azhari delivered a
speech and Dr. Sadeq
Mustapha performed a musical
item.
A collection of donated
Dawah posters was placed
around the walls of the
Centre.
Australians are less
tolerant, less open and more
nervous about the world than
10 years ago - but not as
much as our politics might
suggest. That's the
take-home message from the
Scanlon Foundation's
long-running social cohesion
study, which for the past
decade has tracked our
feelings about immigration,
multiculturalism and
Australian society.
Over the years, our sense of
belonging, worth and social
justice have all taken a
hit. From a benchmark of 100
points in 2007, the social
cohesion index now sits at
88 - an equal record low
since the survey began. But
on many measures,
Australia's commitment to
multiculturalism and
immigration remains upbeat
against the odds.
On the hot-button question
of Islam, the proportion of
Australians who feel
negatively about Muslims is
stable at 25 per cent - when
asked by a telephone
interviewer. But when people
complete the survey online
by themselves, that figure
increases to 41.4 per cent.
Positivity toward Muslims
was highest in Melbourne (34
per cent) and lowest in
Brisbane (24 per cent).
Islam in South Africa, which
has endured for 360 years,
is primarily the result of
Dutch interest in the Far
East – the corporate
ambition of the Vereenigde
Oostindische Compagnie (the
VOC), or the Dutch East
India Company, founded in
1602 by a coterie of Dutch
merchants.
In April 1652, Jan van
Rieebeck, a 53 year-old
company bureaucrat, arrived
at the Cape of Good Hope
from Batavia (modern-day
Jakarta). His mission: to
establish a way station for
VOC ships rounding Africa.
Distant from Europe and the
Far East, the Cape also
became a place of political
exile for those who had
resisted the
corporate-colonial VOC.
Apart from thousands of
slaves who arrived at the
Cape, 182 princes, emirs,
advisors and imams were
banished from the Indonesian
archipelago from 1667 to
1793. Only a few ever
returned.
On 24 January 1667, the
Polsbroek carrying the first
exiles left Batavia and
docked at the Cape in May
1668; on board were three of
the Orang Cayen, or
Indonesian nobility, in
chains. They had been
captured after the defeat at
Soeroesang in Sumatra.
According to local records,
Tuan Abdurahman Matebe Shah,
the last of the Malaccan
Sultans, was one of the
three.
One of the men
(unidentified) died on
Robben Island, where 56 of
the Orang Cayen would
eventually be confined. The
two others, Tuan Matebe Shah
and Tuan Mahmud al-Qaderi,
were sent to the “company
forests” of Constantia.
Oral traditions relate that
Tuan Abdurahman Matebe Shah
and Tuan Mahmud, a spiritual
adviser to the Sultan,
befriended the slave
population at
Constantia—establishing the
first known Muslim community
in South Africa—teaching
them near a stream, where
they took their ablutions,
meditated and said their
prayers.
Six individuals of Pakistani
origin have featured on
Forbes magazine's '30 under
30' list released on
Tuesday.
The list, which is released
annually, features 600
individuals making strides
in 20 different industries,
including art and style,
education, games, food,
enterprise technology and
media.
The four individuals of
Pakistani origin featured in
the 2018 list have been
selected for their
achievements in the
industries of retail and
e-commerce, enterprise
technology and education.
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK'S
CCN
2.
Sarah Ahmed,
28,was selected for her work
in the retail and e-commerce
industry. The New York-based
entrepreneur founded Warp +
Weft, "a premium denim brand
that weaves its own fabric
to guarantee the best value
and fit."
Kerrie and Mobinah have very
different views on Islam in
Australia.
What happens when they sit
down to talk?
Australia’s national
conversation about Islam is
often heated, sometimes
abusive.
Kerrie and Mobinah were both
born in Australia but they
have very different
backgrounds — and
contrasting perspectives on
Islam.
Kerrie fears the spread of
Islamic terrorism in
Australia. Mobinah thinks a
lot of the fear is driven by
ignorance. They’ve promised
to hear each other out.
Mobinah says she feels like
Islamic practices such as
eating Halal meat and
wearing headscarves are part
of Australian culture.
“It’s my Australian culture
and living the way I want to
in Australia.
“What is Australian culture?
Is it just what Anglo people
do, and anything against
that is the other? Or is
multicultural culture what
Italian Australians do, what
the Indigenous people do,
all their little subcultures
create this huge
multicultural culture.”
Kerrie presses the question
again, asking whether Muslim
Australians are accepting of
the way non-Muslims might
choose to live their lives.
Kerrie: “For example,
a lot of Australians
don’t practise a
religion, they might
wear a bikini to the
beach, they might eat
food through Ramadan...”
Mobinah: “Oh yeah, of
course, it’s Australia.
If you’re a Muslim and
living in this country
you’re going to have to
accept seeing people on
the beach, and having
non-Halal meat at
certain places or seeing
people drink. That’s
part of the culture
here, so absolutely.”
Kerrie: “And you
think that’s accepted by
most of the...”
Mobinah:
“Absolutely!”
Kerrie: “Really?”
Mobinah: “Absolutely.
Obviously any community
is complex, they’re not
going to have the same
views. But I’m telling
you now, I’ve never met
any Muslim that’s come
up to me and been like,
I don’t like the culture
in Australia, people
shouldn’t be drinking in
Australia. I’ve never
heard that.”
No
one talks about
the fact that in
sharia courts,
British Muslim
women have fewer
rights than
women in Islamic
countries
by Sufiya Ahmed
Dr
Suhaib
Hasan,
Maulana
Abu
Sayeed
and
Mufti
Barabatullah
of the
Sharia
Council
of
Britain
preside
over
marital
cases at
their
east
London
headquarters
Many Muslims on
my social media
are complaining
about a new
documentary
called ‘The
Truth About
Muslim
Marriage’, but
the truth is
that things do
need to change
The Channel 4
documentary
titled The Truth
About Muslim
Marriage,
examines whether
Britain’s
centuries-old
marriage laws
need to be
updated to
reflect and
better serve
today’s
multifaith
society.
The sighs and
groans have
already begun
from Muslims
about this on my
social media.
“Not another
documentary
‘othering’
Muslims,” have
been the cries.
I do not share
this complaint.
I have heard
enough tales of
women wronged
and almost
destroyed in the
cases of
separation and
divorce to know
that this is a
subject that
needs to be
shouted about
from the
rooftops in
order to obtain
a change in the
law. One which
will give
British Muslim
women the right
to a civil
divorce and a
share of
matrimonial
finances.
Take the case of
a friend of a
friend who tried
to separate from
her husband.
Actually, she
was already
separated. She
paid her own
rent, utility
bills and living
costs, as well
as solely
providing for
her three
children who
were all under
the age of 10.
Her peace of
mind and
happiness were
all on hold as
she tried to
obtain a divorce
through the
Sharia Council
because her
husband refused
to grant her
one.
For a Muslim
man, it is
simple. He
merely has to
say “I divorce
you” (talaq)
three times over
a period of
separation and
the divorce is
legitimate. A
Muslim woman
cannot say the
words. She has
to go to an
Islamic judge in
a Muslim
country, or a
sharia council
in non-Muslim
countries, to
seek a judicial
decree on
specific grounds
to be free. If
she does not
have any grounds
for a divorce,
she has to waive
her “Mehr” – a
compulsory
financial gift
by her husband.
I remember my
friend’s friend
at social events
10 years ago
when she was
dating her
husband-to-be.
She was so
happy. He was so
charming. He was
the type of man
who insisted on
paying for all
her friends at
the table if
they were single
or unaccompanied
by a husband. We
all thought he
was a gentleman
and she revelled
in the knowledge
that he was all
hers.
They tied the
knot with an
Islamic
ceremony, the
Nikah, and
didn’t bother
with a civil
one. They were
happy until the
pressures of
married life and
children brought
a whole
different
reality to their
lives.
He cheated –
several times.
She forgave and
tried to adjust
her life, her
views, and her
tolerance levels
over and over
again. It went
on for a while
until something
changed. She
became more
spiritual and,
in doing so,
reached the
conclusion that
she did not have
to tolerate his
behaviour. Her
faith taught her
that she was an
equal human
being who was
worthy of
respect.
He did his best
to twist her
newfound
spiritual
learning to suit
his needs: “God
rewards wives
for their
patience and
obedience in the
hereafter.”
The Independent
7 questions
Muslims are
tired of hearing
By Adeel
Qureshi,
Associate
Producer of The
Mosque Next Door
These are only
just some of the
questions, based
on prevalent
misconceptions
about the Muslim
community, that
people keep on
asking.
Hopefully,
this little
piece can give a
little more
perspective, a
little more
nuance for the
next time you
talk to a Muslim
you know.
While I was
talking to a local MP at a recent
community event, the fact that I’m
Muslim came up in conversation. The MP's
eyes lit up and she seemed genuinely
happy that young Muslims were getting
involved in the community, and exclaimed
how important community and inter-faith
cohesion is, before slipping in a quick
caveat ‘of course there are limits, you
can’t have everything, like sharia law
you know. We have to respect that
there’s Australian law here’. She then
continued on about how fantastic a
Muslim friend’s wedding she attended had
been. This comment took me by surprise.
It was unfortunate that this otherwise
well-meaning, sincere person I was
talking to felt she needed to ensure,
just for peace of mind, that I knew how
Australian law worked. This encounter
basically sums up how sharia and other
Islamic bogey-words are interpreted by
the wider public.
Sharia is a term that refers to the
moral, legal and religious codes that
guide a Muslim’s life, similar to
religious frameworks, which guide the
lives of other faith groups. Certain
aspects of it are also incorporated into
law in Muslim majority countries, but
how this is done is a topic of debate.
However, to think that sharia law is
some codified book that will suddenly be
enforced in a secular and multicultural
country like Australia one day is naďve
and misleading. Australia’s
multicultural society rests on secular
legal institutions. This means that the
religious beliefs of one group cannot
and should not be enforced on others.
Let alone the beliefs of a religion
whose adherents only make up 2.6 per
cent of the Australian population.
Importantly, this also means that
Muslims are able to practice their
religion freely and openly, rendering
any need or interest for the imposition
of ‘sharia law’ obsolete.
Not to mention the fact that being a
committed, active citizen of your nation
is encouraged in Islamic tradition.
Particularly in a country like Australia
which guarantees freedom of religion and
belief.
This Is How
Every Genocide
Begins: Why
Trump’s most
un-American
moment can’t be
overlooked.
By Daniel Altman
Donald Trump’s
retweeting of
anti-Muslim
propaganda
videos is the
most un-American
thing he has
done as
president. I
could just as
well end this
article here, as
the truth of
this statement
should be
self-evident.
But let me
explain.
A president can
do many things
that seem cruel,
especially from
the point of
view of his
political
opponents, such
as encouraging
Congress to
strip health
insurance away
from millions of
Americans. He
can also do many
things to offend
the moral
sensibility of
his
constituents,
such as talking
about grabbing
women by their
genitals. He can
even go so far
as to call into
question
American values,
perhaps by
equating the
actions of white
supremacists and
those who oppose
them.
Each of these
actions is
abhorrent in its
own way, but I
would argue that
none of them
creates the same
peril to the
nation — and to
humanity itself
— as the
president’s
retweets. I know
it may seem like
an enormous
exaggeration to
pin such
importance on
the result of
clicking a
button on a
webpage. But
again, please
bear with me.
Some of the
greatest crimes
in human history
have begun with
moments like
this one. Social
scientists agree
that attacks on
an entire class
of people —
whether
identified by
their race,
religion,
education, or
any other
distinguishing
characteristic —
do not happen
spontaneously.
First the mob
has to be
primed. The
targeted group
has to be
demonized
through a
campaign of
hateful
misinformation,
always presented
as legitimate
information by
people in
positions of
trust. Then the
signal for
violence falls
on ready ears.
It happened this
way in Germany,
Cambodia,
Rwanda, and
countless other
sites of
genocide, ethnic
cleansing, and
mass
persecution. The
pamphlets,
megaphones, and
radio broadcasts
came before the
pogroms,
murders, and
forced
relocations.
The pamphlets,
megaphones, and
radio broadcasts
came before the
pogroms,
murders, and
forced
relocations.
And today, we
have even more
effective ways
to reach
millions of
people at a
time, as the
president’s more
than 43 million
followers on
Twitter can
attest; the
established
media only
magnify his
reach. But could
another crime on
this scale
happen here?
For the answer,
Americans need
only look to the
historical case
they probably
know best: that
of Nazi Germany.
One of the
precursors to
the Nazi
ascendancy was
the immense
popularity, in
the painful
aftermath of
World War I, of
a book
purporting to
disclose Jews’
plans for global
domination: The
Protocols of the
Elders of Zion.
The book was a
forgery — no
such plan
existed or had
ever been
published by
Jews — but it
and similar
texts cemented
Jews as
scapegoats for
Europe’s
economic and
political ills
years before the
Nazis took
power.
The analogy to
the president
and his retweets
is striking. He
has used
populist
rhetoric to gain
sway with vast
numbers of
disadvantaged
and
disillusioned
Americans, in
part by
appealing to
long-held
prejudices. The
videos he shared
purportedly
portray outrages
committed by
Muslim migrants
in Europe, yet
in reality they
may be nothing
of the sort. And
just as Adolf
Hitler claimed
that the
mainstream
media’s
dismissal of the
Protocols proved
that they were
true, the
president has
repeatedly
switched fact
for fiction,
especially in
his
denouncements of
“fake news.”
Despite these
parallels, it
may still seem
like a stretch
to link a few
retweets to the
Holocaust. But
the path from
the Protocolsto
the
extermination
camps was not
traveled in a
single night.
The Nazis took
power in 1933.
Kristallnacht,
the two days of
riots that
marked the first
nationwide,
coordinated
outbreak of
violence against
German Jews,
happened in
1938. The camps
came a few years
later, in the
midst of World
War II.
I am worried
that the
president has
set us on this
long and
terrible path. I
worry for
Muslims, but
also for
everyone who
believes in
freedom and
equal rights.
Brendan
Cox,
whose
wife MP
Jo Cox
was
murdered
by a
far-right
extremist,
says
Donald
J. Trump
is a
“purveyor
of hate”
for
retweeting
anti-Muslim
videos.
I worry for
Muslims, but
also for
everyone who
believes in
freedom and
equal rights.
If our nation’s
democratic
institutions,
including the
office of the
president, have
been subverted
to take us even
one step closer
to Nazi Germany,
we have already
gone too far. No
tax reform bill
or allegation of
sexual
harassment,
however
ill-conceived or
despicable,
presents a
greater danger.
And with the
drums of war
beating again,
the chance to
spread hate more
widely in a wave
of nationalistic
fervour will
soon beckon.
As a person of
Jewish
parentage, I
feel the danger
evoked by the
president’s
retweets
especially
keenly. When I
was growing up,
my mother would
occasionally
pull out a book
of family photos
from the former
Czechoslovakia,
where both of
her parents had
been born. The
early pages were
full of
well-dressed
Moravian
urbanites from
the late 19th
and early 20th
centuries. Then
there were
photos of the
smiling faces of
their grown
children, all
people who were
later murdered
in the
Holocaust.
These people
were not poor
strugglers or
remote
countryfolk.
They were
city-dwellers
with the means
and the
opportunity to
escape their
impending doom.
But they didn’t
see it coming.
If we can, what
can we do?
Not only has 16-year-old
TED-Ed Clubs member Irfhana
felt targeted on the basis
of her ethnicity, but she
herself has judged others
based on their appearance.
In this thoughtful and
passionate Talk, Irfhana
describes how our
assumptions about each other
can go from harmless to
harmful, and what we can do
to stop our own racial
judgments.
They're my mum and dad, not
terrorists
Islam is the religion pf peace
and safety
There's a crisis in India...
Top three Muslims in the NBA!
OnePath Network
Milo Yiannopoulos and Muslim
activist Emma Eros in Sydney
Milo
Yiannopoulos is a British
political commentator,
publisher, media personality,
blogger, journalist and author
associated politically with the
alt-right. Yiannopoulos is a
former senior editor for
Breitbart News, who describes
himself as a "cultural
libertarian". He is a critic of
feminism, Islam, social justice,
political correctness, and other
movements.Yiannopoulos has been
accused of being an apologist
for or supporting child sexual
abuse, a charge he strenuously
denies. Following the release of
the tape, Yiannopoulos was
forced out of his position at
Breitbart, and lost a contract
to publish his autobiography
with Simon and Schuster.
Activist Emma Eros, who runs her
own plumbing business, grew up
in Sydney's west as the
Australian-born daughter of
Lebanese Muslim migrants.
Mandela's grandson Mandla
Mandela at Milad
ISLAMIC
EDUCATION VIDEOS
Prophet Sulayman a.s. (Part 1) by Umm Bilal
SistersSupport
Services
Shariah Law
Muslim Central
PLEASE
NOTE
It is the usual policy of CCN to
include notices of events, video links and articles that
some readers may find interesting or relevant. Such notices
are often posted as received. Including such messages/links
or providing the details of such events does not necessarily
imply endorsement or agreement by CCN of the contents
therein.
Summary
by Mohideen:
Mufti Junaid
started with
reminding
about the
effects of
emaan from
last week
and how
things will
become easy
to enjoy and
fulfil the
commandments
of Allah and
his prophet
(pbuh).
Mufti
reminded
about two
qualities of
the Sahaba,
that during
the day they
are going in
the path of
Allah and in
the night,
they are on
the musalla.
He spoke
about how
effort is
required to
build emaan
and
questioned
how many
pray nafl
salah. He
reminded how
time is
short and
angel of
death is
coming soon.
He said how
when Sa’ad
accepted
Islam his
mother told
him to
denounce his
faith but
Sa’ad did
not and his
mother went
on hunger
strike for
three days
and fell
unconscious.
Mufti
questioned
and said how
strong was
she on her
kufr and
today how
strong are
we on our
emaan. He
questioned
how many of
us are
sending
durood to
our prophet
(pbuh). Then
he came back
to the story
of Sa’ad and
said how
Sa’ad spoke
to his
mother and
said “no
doubt I love
you dearly
and if Allah
gives you
one thousand
life’s I
will not
denounce my
faith
despite how
it hurts me
to see you
in this
condition.”
Summary
by Mohideen:
Mufti Naeem
started with
reciting
ayah from
sura
Fussilath.
He requested
the people
to try and
learn the
life of our
prophet (pbuh)
in his birth
month of
Rabi al Awal
so that we
can learn
and practice
his sunnah.
He said how
the prophet
(pbuh) said
that if a
person is
steadfast in
practicing
one of his
sunnah
during the
period of
fitnah and
tribulations
then the
person will
get the
reward of
100 Shaheed
(maters).
Mufti said
that we are
presently in
that period
of fitnah
where people
are going
away from
practising
the sunnah.
Mufti
reminded how
the prophet
(pbuh) said
at the time
of his death
he is
leaving two
things being
the Quran
and the
sunnah and
advised to
steadfastly
hold on to
them. Mufti
said the
story of how
the Quraysh
sent an
intelligent
person Uthba
ibn Rabiah
to try and
speak to the
prophet (pbuh)
and convince
him to stop
preaching
and the
prophet (pbuh)
responded by
reciting
sura
Fussilath
the ayah
where Allah
said how he
punished the
people of
Aad and
Thamud.
Mufti
concluded by
saying how
the prophet
(pbuh) gave
his ummah
glad tidings
seven times
saying that
the ummah
has not seen
me but they
believe in
me.
RUSSIA: One of the oldest people on the
planet, 121-year-old Appaz Iliyev from
the Russian republic of Ingushetia, has
got his sight back thanks to a
successful surgery. Born in 1896, the
man still works daily in his garden in
the North Caucasus mountains.
The surgery on one of the oldest people
alive was performed by doctors at a
regional hospital in Ingushetia, Russian
media reported Saturday citing local
authorities. Iliyev, who had been
suffering from cataracts, spent only one
day at the hospital before returning to
his village high in the mountains. At
this stage, one of his eyes was treated,
with specialists predicting a full sight
recovery for their special patient, TASS
reported.
“After the surgery, he had no
complaints. The old man claimed he could
see much better,” the agency cited
doctors as saying. Before the surgery,
the man was apparently distressed he
couldn’t read the Koran. “Now that's in
the past,” according to local
authorities.
Born in March 1896, Appaz has been
married twice and raised eight children.
He now has 35 grandchildren, Rossiyskaya
Gazeta reports. The old man says his
raison d’etre is his family and also
hard work. Every day he works in his
garden, rarely leaving his home village.
“He only left his native mountains to
fight during the [1917] revolution and
World War II,” the man's nephew said. A
teetotaller who has never smoked, Appaz
leads a healthy lifestyle, only eating
produce from his farm and drinking
spring water.
Inspectors
to question primary school girls who wear
hijab
Ofsted head
says move is to tackle
situations in which wearing head
covering ‘could be interpreted
as sexualisation’
Most
Islamic teaching requires head covering
only for older girls.
UK: School inspectors in
England have been told to question
Muslim primary school girls if they are
wearing a hijab or similar headscarf,
the head of Ofsted has announced.
Amanda Spielman, the head of Ofsted and
chief inspector of schools, said the
move was to tackle situations in which
wearing a hijab “could be interpreted as
sexualisation” of girls as young as four
or five, when most Islamic teaching
requires headdress for girls only at the
onset of puberty.
The announcement – in the form of a
recommendation to Ofsted inspectors
rather than an update to the
inspectorate’s official handbook –
follows a meeting last week between
Spielman and campaigners against the
hijab in schools, including Amina Lone,
co-director of the Social Action and
Research Foundation.
“While respecting parents’ choice to
bring up their children according to
their cultural norms, creating an
environment where primary school
children are expected to wear the
hijab could be interpreted as
sexualisation of young girls,”
Spielman said.
“In seeking to address
these concerns, and in line with our
current practice in terms of assessing
whether the school promotes equality for
their children, inspectors will talk to
girls who wear such garments to
ascertain why they do so in the school.
“We would urge any parent or member of
the public who has a concern about
fundamentalist groups influencing school
policy, or breaching equality law to
make a complaint to the school. If
schools do not act on these complaints
they can be made to Ofsted directly.”
The announcement is the latest of a
string of requirements issued in the
wake of the “Trojan horse” affair that
erupted in Birmingham in 2014, which
provoked controversy over fears of
Islamist influence in state schools.
The Muslim Council of Britain
secretary-general, Harun Khan, responded
to the move saying: “It is deeply
worrying that Ofsted has announced it
will be specifically targeting and
quizzing young Muslim girls who choose
to wear the headscarf.
“It sends a clear message to all British
women who adopt this that they are
second-class citizens, that while they
are free to wear the headscarf, the
establishment would prefer that they do
not,” he said.
“The many British Muslims who choose to
wear the headscarf have done extremely
well in education and are breaking glass
ceilings. It is disappointing that this
is becoming policy without even engaging
with a diverse set of mainstream Muslim
voices on the topic,” he added.
Muslim
population of the UK could triple to 13m
following 'record' influx
UK: The Muslim population of the UK is
set to triple in 30 years, according to
projections from the Pew Research
Centre.
Under the model which assumes median
migration levels, the number of Muslims
in the country would rise from 4.1m in
2016 to 13m in 2050.
The US-based think tank says that the UK
has been the major destination for
economic migrants coming to Europe,
while Germany has been the top
destination for refugees.
It said the research followed a "record
influx of asylum seekers fleeing
conflicts in Syria and other
predominantly Muslim countries".
The UK also has one of the largest gaps
in fertility rates between Muslims and
non-Muslims, with Muslim women having an
average of 2.9 children compared to the
1.8 had by non-Muslims.
This means that even if migration were
to stop completely, the group's
population share would rise by more than
3 per cent in the UK, as well as in
France, Italy, and Belgium.
The paper suggests that if migration
continues at the same rate but refugee
movement stops, the UK will have the
highest overall population of Muslims in
the EU, at 13m, making up 16.7 per cent
of the population.
Currently the country is behind Germany
and France in overall population of
Muslims.
"Relatively few recent immigrants to the
UK (60,000) were refugees, but more than
1.5 million regular migrants arrived
there in recent years.
"Overall, an estimated 43 per cent of
all migrants to the UK between mid-2010
and mid-2016 were Muslims," the paper
said.
The study also shows that the UK has one
of the lower levels of hostility toward
refugees from Iraq and Syria.
Just over one in three people see them
as a major threat, compared to 39 per
cent in France, 42 per cent in Spain and
60 per cent in Poland.
It concluded that people in countries
with lower overall numbers of refugees
were more likely to believe they were a
threat.
According to figures from the
Oxford-based Migration Observatory, one
in five non-UK born people in the UK is
Muslim.
This is a short and
beautiful book about friendship between women
and about marital love. So long a letter is what
they call an epistolary novel: the text is a
letter (i.e., epistle) written by Ramatoulaye
during her enforced period of 40 days' mourning
after the death of her husband. Ramatoulaye
writes to her friend Aissatou, who grew up
together in rural Senegal and now works as a
translator in the United States.
I liked that Ramatoulaye is a woman of
experience. My guess is that she is in her late
40s or early 50s. I find her reflections on
adversity compelling. She adopts a philosophical
attitude if ever I saw one. Her faith and her
patience are tested when her husband of 25
years, Modou, takes on a young second wife. He
then proceeds to abandon Ramatoulaye and her
twelve children, leaving them without much
materially. Despite Modou’s infidelity,
Ramatoulaye chooses to remain married to him.
Reading this book I learnt that polygamy is
reasonably common in Senegal, a country in West
Africa with a reputation for religious tolerance
and where 85% of the population are Muslim
(though not all of them are practicing).
Polygamy is 100% legal in Senegal. They also
have this custom of 'inheriting' spouses, which
we read about in some detail in the novel.
Following the death of Modou, Ramatoulaye is
propositioned by a couple of men including her
younger brother-in-law.
Ramatoulaye belongs to the generation that grew
up under the French colonial regime and came of
age just as Senegal was achieving its
independence. So she is very politically engaged
and reflects often on the future of her country,
the role of tradition in modern life, and the
prospect of women’s liberation. She is
fundamentally a feminist, in that she wants
things to be better for her daughters than it
was for her. She speaks French and a little
Wolof, but mostly French. Not surprisingly,
Ramatoulaye is completely sceptical about
polygamy.
Our protagonist is a modern woman. She is a
teacher and has a professional life of her own,
as well as a mother who brings up a dozen young
people with a sense of justice. Ramatoulaye's
descriptions of her teenage children and her
reflections on motherhood generally have been on
my mind since I read the novel. She speaks very
touchingly of her children's encouragement as
she learns how to drive a second-hand car she
buys with the assistance of the addressee of the
letter, Ramatoulaye’s childhood friend Aissatou.
This is after Modou’s great betrayal at marrying
young Binetou (everyone has musical names in
this novel). It’s a short book, but very moving,
and I hope you guys have enjoyed it as much as I
have.
Welcome to my weekly
column on
Self-Care and
Clarity of Mind.
If you’re taking
time out to read
this, pat yourself
on the back because
you have shown
commitment to taking
care of your mind
and body.
Today, In Shaa
ALLAH, we will
explore the topic:
Saying
No...Please ALLAH,
Not People
Seeking approval is
a natural
personality trait.
It’s human nature to
hear pleasing
comments about one’s
self. It tends to
encourage us to
repeat that
behaviour that
earned us a
compliment in the
first place, in
order to receive
more praise and
encouragement. Over
time, we have been
conditioned to
accept this
reward-based
perception as a
measure of our
self-worth. As a
result, we now live
in a world where the
disease to please
has become the norm,
and honest
communication is
compromised in the
name of appeasement,
diplomacy or
political
correctness.
In the search for
more praise and
acknowledgements, we
have gotten into the
habit of “agreeing”
for the sake of
agreeing, so as not
to offend anyone. In
our yearning to feel
acceptance and a
sense of belonging,
we are saying “yes”
just to fit in,
instead of
evaluating the
situation for what
it is and responding
with awareness and
compassion to self
and others.
As Muslims, remember
that we are here to
PLEASE ALLAH, NOT
PEOPLE. This doesn’t
mean that you need
to be rude or
disrespectful. It
means that you need
to be honest with
yourself and others.
An honest life is
far better than a
resentful one.
Four-Step Process
For Saying “No”
“No” is a full
sentence. It doesn’t
need justification.
If something is not
within your capacity
and if it
intuitively doesn’t
feel right, it is
best to say no.
Saying yes to please
people will
eventually take a
toll on your
physical, mental and
emotional health,
whereby you will
begin to resent the
people to whom you
are saying yes. The
following four-step
process may help in
developing greater
awareness in how to
say no to people.
1. Take your
time. Consider
the proposal. Do
not be
intimidated or
pressured into
responding
immediately.
This step allows
you to think
about whatever
has been
proposed to you.
If the person is
in front of you,
say that you
will consider
their words and
respond shortly.
If it’s over
text or email,
respond with a
polite note
saying you will
consider the
proposal and
respond shortly.
Think about it
with a cool,
calm and
collected mind
so that you are
in fact giving
the proposal
honest
consideration.
If you feel
confused about
it, write down
pros and cons to
find clarity. Or
seek
professional
help if
required.
2. Ask yourself
these four key
questions and
answer them
honestly. If you
answer NO to
even one of the
first three
questions, then
you will know
with greater
clarity that it
would be wise to
say NO to the
proposal at
hand:
i. Do I WANT
to be, do or
have this?
ii. Will
being, doing
or having
this MOVE ME
IN THE
DIRECTION OF
MY GOAL?
iii. Is
being, doing
or having
this IN
HARMONY WITH
ALLAH’S
COMMANDMENTS?
iv. Will
being, doing
or having
this VIOLATE
THE RIGHTS
OF OTHERS?
3. Contact the
person in
question. It is
always best to
communicate
directly with
the person
rather than
through another
person, in case
of
miscommunication.
4. Thank the
person for
thinking of you
in this
situation (very
important step).
Say that you
have had a good
think about
things and at
this point in
your life you
are going to say
NO to the
proposal or
invitation.
Thank them again
and leave it at
that. Keep it
short and
direct. Remain
calm and
confident at all
times in your
posture and
voice.
In
Shaa ALLAH, next
week we will explore
the topic: You
Are Not Your
Experiences
If you wish to know
about a specific
topic with regards
to Self-Care and
Clarity of Mind,
please text or email
me or visit
www.muslimahmindmatters.com.
If you wish to have
a FREE one hour
Finding Clarity
telephone session,
contact me on
0451977786.
Q:
Dear Kareema, apart from pushing my body harder
during each workout, how else can I maximise my
sessions for greater or faster results?
A:
• Fuel up – maximise your training sessions with
pre and post workout snacks.
• Hydrate – water is very important. In fact,
exercising when the water tank is low can cause
damage to muscles and make it harder for them to
repair.
• Sleep well – studies show that poor quality,
or not enough sleep can make it harder for the
body to recover and perform during future
workouts.
• Prioritise recovery – take a day off after a
big workout. This doesn’t mean you don’t have to
do anything. Go for a leisurely stroll or maybe
gentle stretching to prep for future workouts.
Ever since Jallaludin
was a child, he had a fear of there being someone under
his bed at night.
So he went to a psychiatrist and told him "I've got
problems. Every time I go to bed I think there's
somebody under it. I'm scared. I think I'm going
crazy."
"Just put yourself in my hands for one year", said the
psychiatrist.
"Come, talk to me three times a week and we should be
able to get rid of those fears."
"How much do you charge?"
'$200 per visit,' replied the doctor.
'I'll sleep on it and if needed I will come back to
you,' Jallaludin said.
Six months later Jallaludin met the psychiatrist on the
street.
'Why didn't you come to see me about those fears you
were having?' he asked.
'Well, $200 a visit three times a week for a year is an
awful lot of money!
An Gujerati Indian friend of mine cured me for the price
of one plate each of fafda, jalebi and dhokla.
I was so happy to have saved all that money that I went
and bought myself a new SUV".
'Is that so!' with a bit of an attitude the psychiatrist
said, 'And how, may I ask, did the friend cure you?'
Currently on trend in the dieting world with the
endorsement of well known figures such as Pete
Evans and Megan Fox, the ketogenic diet (shortly
known as the keto) seems to be the new black.
Ketogenic describes a very low carbohydrate
(less than 10% of calorie intake) and high fat
(up to 60% of calorie intake) intake. However,
the dietary fats should be made up from healthy
and natural sources such as oily fish, nuts,
seeds, avocado, dairy, olive oil and other
mono/polyunsaturated oils. Traditionally, this
diet was used to treat epilepsy in children.
However, other therapeutic uses for this diet is
still under further investigations.
In a few research trials, it has been found the
keto diet can help with weight reduction and
body fat loss without reducing calorie
intake.... So is it something that we should try
and is it safe to follow?
Need an answer to a
nutrition related matter? Send your question to
Fitria at
fitria.s@hotmail.comAll questions sent in
are published here anonymously and without any
references to the author of the question.
Over
the past several
months MCF have
utilised your valued
donations to assist
many people in need
from our local
community.
Among those assisted
in July was a single
young man who is an
amputee and also a
heart attack victim.
MCF assisted by
spending some time
with him and also by
taking care of some
of his outstanding
living expenses
(which he was unable
to cover due to his
condition).
Among those assisted
in August was was a
single mother with 2
children. She
suffers from a
debilitating,
serious and
persistent skin
condition which
involves the use of
expensive
medications to
control. MCF
utilised your
donations to provide
financial aid
enabling her to both
pay for medications
and to cover
outstanding rental
bills.
In September,
through our
community youth
outreach program,
the Muslim
Charitable
Foundation was able
to assist a young
brother with his
battle against
substance addiction.
Contact was made
with the brother
during routine
community outreach
activities. After
the initial contact,
a sustained effort
was made to stay in
contact with the
brother to provide
council and support.
With Allah's help,
daily moral support
and coaching saw a
change in the
brother's lifestyle.
To assist the
brother with his
lifestyle change he
was given temporary
accommodation in the
MCF house for about
8 days, while
helping him look for
shared
accommodation. He
now attends the
mosque regularly and
his condition has
greatly improved.
May Allah reward all
of the MCF donors
abundantly
inshaAllah. If you
would like to donate
to MCF please use
the bank details on
our website:
www.mcfaustralia.org.au
Among those assisted
in October was a
family who tearfully
explained that they
could not afford the
hefty costs for the
expert childcare
needed to treat
their autistic 3
year old son. The
family arrived in
Australia 3 years
ago on bridging
visas with 2 young
boys. They are not
eligible for
childcare rebates on
their visas. MCF
paid for a three
month expert
childcare trial and
new assessments were
then made. The
results were, that
he has made
significant progress
in relation to his
social and emotional
development. The joy
and emotion
expressed by his
mother when MCF
agreed to continue
to pay the childcare
fees was
overwhelming.
Among those assisted
in November was a
single mother with 3
children. MCF
utilised your
donations to provide
her with a basic bed
and a basic washing
machine. The washing
machine will
inshallah help the
family to maintain a
healthy hygiene
level and also for
the children to
obtain a restful
sleep.
The cases mentioned
above are but a few
of the many cases we
deal with almost on
a daily basis. Your
continued support
ensures that the
most vulnerable
people in our
Community receive
the help they most
need.
To donate to MCF,
please use the
electronic banking
details on our
website:
www.mcfaustralia.org.au.
May
Allah bless both the
MCF volunteers and
the people who
donate.
Without your
support, community
assistance like this
would not be
possible.
A
reminder that all
money donated to MCF
is received by those
in need. MCF has no
paid staff and no
admin fees.
Due
to the ongoing drought
affecting farmers in west
Queensland, MAA have joined
local organisations to help
Aussie farmers in their time
of need by trucking hay
bales from Victoria and New
South Wales to farmers in
west Queensland.
Farmers impacted by drought
often struggle to ask for
help and many due to the
financial strain of trying
to keep the farm afloat also
battle mental health issues.
By providing bales to help
farmers feed their animals
you'll be taking a huge
financial burden from them
as well keeping their
livestock alive.
GOLD COAST
ISLAMIC CULTURAL CENTRE
Update as at
October 2017
Construction of
the Cultural Centre (Dawah &
Youth Centre) is progressing
well.
The walls for the second floor
have already been erected and
very soon they will be working
on the roof.
We still need donations to fund
this construction.
1. All Islamic Event dates given above are supplied by
the Council of Imams QLD (CIQ) and are provided as a guide and are
tentative and subject to the sighting of the moon.
2. The Islamic date changes to the next day starting in
the evenings after maghrib. Therefore, exceptfor Lailatul
Mehraj,
Lailatul Bhahraat
and
Lailatul Qadr – these dates refer to the commencement of the event
starting in the evening of the corresponding day.
HikmahWay offers online and
in-person Islamic courses to
equip Muslims of today with
the knowledge, understanding
and wisdom to lead balanced,
wholesome and beneficial
lives.
Articles and
opinions appearing in this newsletter do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of the CCN Team, its Editor or its
Sponsors, particularly if they eventually turn out to be
libellous, 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 CCN
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 us..
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here.
Doctors
restore vision to 121yo man, who’s happy ‘to
read Koran again’ 
Due
to the ongoing drought
affecting farmers in west
Queensland, MAA have joined
local organisations to help
Aussie farmers in their time
of need by trucking hay
bales from Victoria and New
South Wales to farmers in
west Queensland.
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011