Egyptian authorities have
detained an Australian man
on charges of spreading
false news and supporting a
terrorist organisation,
according to his lawyer.
Hazem Hamouda, 54, was
detained shortly after
landing at Cairo
International Airport on
January 25, the anniversary
of Egypt’s 2011 revolt.
Mr Hamouda’s children
maintain that their father
has no history of political
activism in Egypt, but
rather that his activity on
Facebook in Australia, which
in the past included
material sympathetic to the
Muslim Brotherhood, may be
the cause of his arrest.
His arrest was one of the
latest amidst a tumultuous
pre-election crackdown by
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi,
as Egypt heads to the polls
on March 26.
Mr Hamouda, who lives in
Brisbane, was born in Cairo
and was serving in the
Egyptian Navy when he met
his Australian wife in
Victoria in 1987. But he has
lived in Australia since. He
became a citizen in 1993.
He had travelled to Egypt to
join his children on a short
holiday. He texted them
after landing but failed to
meet them outside the
airport as planned.
After waiting several hours,
they were informed by
airport workers that Mr
Hamouda had been taken by
National security.
The three older children,
Saja, 22, Harun, 19 and
Lamisse, 28, all born and
raised in Australia and with
little knowledge of Cairo’s
sprawling metropolis, home
to over 25 million people,
began to search police
stations across the city,
but to no avail. Nobody
would tell them where their
father was.
“For the first few days we
were in a complete state of
disbelief and panic, but
also trying to stay calm and
respect the advice to follow
the rules of the country to
help Dad. But it been very
frustrating as we have come
across constant obstacles to
getting answers”, said his
eldest daughter Lamisse.
Mr Hamouda with his
Australian born daughter,
Lamisse, 28, who was featured in
the 3-part SBS production, A
Mosque Near You
After more than a week of
searching, the family found
that Mr Hamouda was being
held in the notorious
maximum security Tora prison
south of Cairo. He had
managed to smuggle out a
letter. Trying to remain
calm, he reassured his wife
that he was unharmed, and
urged the family to contact
Australian authorities.
Two other letters have been
subsequently smuggled out of
the prison and are less
upbeat. In them Mr Hamouda
details the poor conditions
and treatment he’s
receiving. Mr Hamouda has a
heart condition and needs
daily medication but it
remains unclear whether he
has had access to medical
treatment which is often
denied to prisoners at Tora.
The Australian Embassy is
Cairo have said they are
working on Hamouda’s case,
but no consular visit has
been made since his arrest.
His family say that embassy
staff could be doing more to
better support them as they
have felt that the staff
could have been more
forthcoming with details of
Mr Hamouda’s case, but
instead were told that due
to privacy regulations even
the closest family members
could not be briefed on the
relevant information without
Mr Hamouda’s permission.
“To be constantly barred
from knowing what’s
happening and being left in
the dark is very
distressing. This is my
father, I’m his closest
relative in Cairo, if I am
not authorised to know
what’s going on then who is?
"We didn’t expect this kind
of bureaucracy from the
Australian authorities,”
Lamisse said.
Requests to visit their
father in prison have also
been denied by Egyptian
authorities.
After lodging a complaint
with the public prosecutor,
the family were told there
would be a hearing at the
State Security prosecution
on the outskirts of Eastern
Cairo on February 10, where
they hoped they would catch
sight of their father. But
the hearing took place
behind closed doors days
earlier and Mr Hamouda’s
pretrial detention was
renewed for another 15 days.
Another hearing held on
Thursday also saw Mr
Hamouda’s pretrial detention
extended for a further 15
days.
According to his lawyer
Sameh Samir, Mr Hamouda’s
case was initially added to
that of former presidential
candidate and government
critic Abdel Moneim Aboul
Fotouh, who was arrested
last week following an
interview with Qatari news
channel Al Jazeera in which
he criticised President Sisi.
Mr Samir says Mr Hamouda is
now part of a larger case
that includes Mohamed al-Qassas,
the deputy of Dr Aboul
Fotouh's political party
along with several
well-known activists,
bloggers and journalists.
None of whom Mr Hamouda has
ever met according to his
children.
In a similar incident, a
20-year-old woman from
Alexandria was sentenced to
three years in prison in
January after hosting
Facebook pages with content
related to the outlawed
group.
Mr Hamouda’s arrest came on
the anniversary of the mass
protests that culminated in
the ouster of long-time
autocrat Hosni Mubarak. It
also comes amid a tense
political climate in Egypt
which has seen the
intimidation and arrest of
several potential election
candidates, the blocking of
hundreds of websites and the
ban of popular TV shows in
recent months.
Prominent opposition figures
who have labelled the
election process a charade
and called for a boycott are
also being investigated on
charges of trying to
destabilise the country.
Australian journalist Peter
Greste spent over a year
also in Tora prison after
being arrested with two Al
Jazeera colleagues and
convicted on similar charges
of spreading false news. Mr
Greste was later sent back
to Australia.
Following the trial of Mr
Greste and his colleagues
which garnered widespread
international condemnation a
presidential decree was
enacted that allows for
foreign nationals to be
deported back to their home
countries to either be tried
or serve their sentences.
Mr Hamouda’s family are
hopeful the same law could
be applied to their father,
but fear he may be kept in
pretrial detention for years
as he is now part of a
politicised case with 63
other defendants, and cases
of similar size and nature
often take years to be
heard.
Mr Hamouda’s oldest
daughter, Lamisse who is
currently studying for her
masters at The American
University in Cairo, said
she found the uncertainty of
her father’s predicament the
hardest to bear.
“We are so worried for his
health and wellbeing and the
wellbeing of our family as
this goes on, and the stress
of not having him with us,"
she said.
"Our hearts go out to all
families in similar
situations, and we just hope
for this nightmare to end.”
Myanmar
opposition leader Aung San Suu
Kyi receives the Desmund Tutu
Award from Global Reconciliation
at Monash University.
The University of Queensland
Union Council voted to
change the name of the Aung
Sang Suu Kyi Conference
Centre building after a
meeting on Tuesday 27
February.
The motion to change the
name of the building was
drafted by Duncan Hart and
presented a year after Adeel
Qureshi and Hamza Surbuland
started this process after
meeting with the Vice
Chancellor’s
representatives.
"While changing the name of
this building is but a step
of symbolic significance, it
is what we can do with the
power we have," Hamza
Surbuland said.
A signed petition of the
students and staff was
initiated November last
year.
Myanmar’s de facto leader
Aung San Suu Kyi has been
stripped of a number of
human rights award after the
backlash over the
beleaguered former icon of
freedom’s response to the
Rohingya crisis.
On Sunday 24th of
February, the Islamic Practice &
Dawah Circle, backed by the
Islamic Council of Queensland,
held its annual group Blood
Donation Day, at the Australian
Red Cross Blood Service
Springwood Donor Centre. With 7
brothers donating blood, this is
enough to save 21 lives, as per
the Red Cross. Another 6
brothers have been booked to
give blood in the coming weeks.
IPDC hopes this event will
encourage more Muslims to donate
blood and hope to make more
appointment slots available in
next year's blood donation day.
Over 200 attendees were at
“The Agency of Muslim Women in
the Australian Context”
Symposium
“Muslim women don’t
all share the same story;
our lives are complex and
diverse, and our voices
reflect this.”
These were the words of
senior lecturer at the
University of Sydney, Dr
Ghena Krayem, to a diverse
group of over 200 Muslim
academics, community leaders
and activists gathered at
the ‘The Agency of Muslim
Women in the Australian
Context’ symposium held on
Wednesday 21 to Thursday 22
February 2018 at Dockside,
Darling Harbour, Sydney.
For the first time in
Australia, the symposium
brought together Muslim
women from a number of
different professional
backgrounds and expertise.
The impressive line-up of
over 35 speakers conveyed
their own insights,
experiences and research
over the two days.
The symposium was supported
by The University of Sydney
Law School and the
University of Melbourne Law
School and included two
keynote speakers, Professor
Julie MacFarlane, Faculty of
Law, University of Windsor,
Canada and Dr Susan Carland,
Monash University,
Melbourne. Dr Carland
showcased her research
investigating the way Muslim
women fight sexism within
the Muslim community while
Professor Macfarlane called
on allowing Muslim Women’s
voices to be heard in their
own words.
From left: Dr Ghena Krayem,
Dr Susan Carland and Dr Nada
Ibrahim provide their own
insights, experiences and
research at the two day
symposium with many other
accomplished speakers.
They discussed Muslim women
and agency in topics such as
leadership, spirituality and
scholarship, dealing with
challenges and Islamophobia,
representation, new spaces,
family law and identity.
This event is a
“demonstration of the
capacity and capability of
Muslim women as experts and
leaders on a broad range of
issues including legal,
psychological, academic and
spiritual matters. Muslim
women are at the forefront
of many of these fields,”
said Dr Krayem.
The atmosphere of the
symposium, with every
speaker challenging the
widespread misconceptions
about Muslim women, was
powerful.
In the first panel examing
Muslim women and leadership,
CEO of the Muslim Women
Association, Maha Abdo OAM
Faith over Fear: Muslim
women empowerment through
faith.
“Faith is our driver. It is
through hope in our faith,
that we overcome the fear
that is prevalent within us
and around us. We cannot let
our emotions and fear take
over, because we have our
faith. And that is why we
are here. We need to keep
representing and engaging.
And the key to change for us
as Muslim women is to keep
representing with
sincerity.”
Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah and Dr
Mehal Krayem
Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah from
Macquarie Universit and Dr
Mehal Krayem from UTS
delivered their talk titled
Off-Script and Indefensible:
the Failure of the Moderate
Muslim.
“The celebritization of the
moderate Muslim becomes a
perverse attempt at
silencing dissenting voices
and controlling the way
acceptable forms of Islam
are expressed and discussed.
The celebrity moderate
seldom speaks on their own
terms, instead their very
presence is a response to
White anxiety. Their purpose
is to assure the mainstream
that the Muslim problem is
under control.”
Feda Abdo, Communications
Manager for the Muslim Women
Association discussed
finding a way forward: the
revival of female
scholarship in Islam.
“When you have confident,
empowered women whose
abilities and skills are
based on sound knowledge
then that is when you are
setting up society for
success. We need to empower
women to take ownership of
their Islam. And inspire
them to believe that they
can achieve this without
compromising any part of
their identity. The
empowering of Muslim women
to assert their Islamic
identity and excel in
Islamic knowledge only
serves to enhance the
society we live in, ” she
said.
Journalist Ms Sarah Malik
spoke about engaging community
and broader society through the
media.
A number of speakers spoke
on Muslim women as the main
targets of Islamophobia and
what can be done about it.
Dr Nada Ibrahim from the
University of South
Australia spoke on her
research findings on
Domestic and Family Violence
(DFV) and its reporting
mechanisms.
SYDNEY: The very essence of
what inspired the creation
of The Sydney Cycling
Sisters (SCS) in 2015, was
sisterhood.
At the time, many Muslim
women increasingly had to
modify their activities
considering the growing
number of harassment
incidents and attacks. Many
were reluctant to go out
beyond what was necessary,
and this was having an
impact on their mental
health.
The group was established to
provide a safe and
supportive community while
undertaking leisure
activities such as cycling.
Three years on and the group
has expanded, comprising of
women from diverse
backgrounds. Diverse in
culture, religion,
profession, and lifestyle:
some of us are mothers, some
of us are students, some of
us are doctors and teachers,
and some are all the above!
Everyone has a story,
everyone has a battle
they’re overcoming daily but
they all have a purpose for
what drives them to ride.
Over the years women have
been achieving incredible
personal goals, riding to
raise funds for local and
international charities;
overcoming serious injuries
and health issues; smashing
personal records and
discovering new adventures
and pathways.
Women join for all sorts of
reasons; health benefits,
the social factor and the
desire to try something new
and exciting with other
like-minded women; as well
as encouragement from their
family. When asking the
group what inspires them to
ride with SCS some of the
responses included:
“A sense of belonging, safe
and social: Sydney stands
for belonging, Cycling is
safe, and Sisters are
social.”
“Sense of comradery, sense
of achievement particularly
with the bigger rides like
the Heart Foundation Gear Up
Girl. A great community and
I feed off that energy.”
“Friends bonding over a
shared activity and getting
suitably caffeinated at the
end”.
“The best part are the
conversations we have during
the rides, or during our
coffee stop. I’ve gotten so
many tips about life in
general from these
incredible women.”
The
Australian National Imams
Council (ANIC) expresses its
deepest condemnation of the
recent and ongoing events
which have transpired in
Ghouta, Syria.
As well as being subject to
a seven-year long civil war,
the people of Ghouta have
been bombarded with air
strikes by the Syrian Regime
forces and its Allies.
These actions have resulted
in the deaths of more than
400 people, with over
two-thousand or so wounded.
In addition to such tactics,
planes have struck
residential areas in which
more than 400,000 people
live, destroying more than a
dozen hospitals, making it
difficult if not impossible
to treat the wounded.
In the spirit of justice and
good will, ANIC calls on the
Australian government to
take imminent action in
seeking an end to such mass
killings and to save and
protect the lives of
innocent civilians in Ghouta
and Syria in general.
Finally, ANIC calls on
Muslims to utilise all legal
efforts to promote an
understanding of what is
taking place to others and
to supplicate for their
brothers and sisters who are
suffering such calamities
wherever they may be.
When Rabea Khan says her
biggest dilemma growing up
was whether to follow her
dream of becoming a writer
or her Dad’s recommendation
she become a lawyer.
“Pakistani culture puts a
very big emphasis on
following professions like
the law, medicine or
engineering – for women as
well as men. My dad
suggested that because I was
good at writing and arguing,
it might be good for me to
try a law degree.”
In the end Ms Khan
compromised, doing a double
degree in law and
communications at the
University of Western
Sydney. She quickly fell in
love with the law. “I was
always interested in human
rights, and I really liked
the idea that law could be
used to help others and be a
real change in people’s
lives.”
Her parents were slightly
less enthusiastic when her
interests moved to criminal
law. She was an advocate at
the Redfern Legal Centre in
Sydney before going to work
at the Office of the
Director of Public
Prosecutions. She moved to
Melbourne last year to work
in the criminal law unit of
the Victorian Aboriginal
Legal Service and is now a
senior lawyer at IBAC.
“My father probably would
have preferred me to work in
a top tier law firm, and my
mum was a bit worried about
me being in unsafe
situations. But they were
always supportive and
understood that I need to do
work that is meaningful or I
lose interest.”
Even as a non-hijab wearing
Muslim woman, Ms Khan says
she sometimes still gets
mistaken for the interpreter
or even the client in court.
She has also experienced the
discomfort of being part of
a marginalised and often
ostracised community. “I’ve
come across a lot of
offensive views about the
Muslim community, including
that Muslims are
overrepresented in the
criminal justice system
because of their religion.
I’ve been told that I was
one of the few good ones.”
Those who think there’s a
contradiction between the
Muslim faith and Australian
law are misinformed, she
says. “Islam is very clear
that if you’re a minority
living in another country it
is a sin to break the laws
of that country.”
Her biggest dilemma now is
whether, as a successful
lawyer who is also a devout
Muslim, she can afford to
start wearing the hijab.
“People see the headscarf as
a political statement. But
it’s not – it’s a connection
to your spirituality in your
daily life. But I worry that
if I wear it now, what if
I’m treated differently and
I am judged by the headscarf
rather than being taken at
face value – even though I’m
still exactly the same
person?”
Following
Cassie Cohen and Jackson
Bursill on their marathon a
day (see
CCN), here is another
migrant/refugee personal
story:
Story 81: Khalil
“If you’re a migrant in
Pakistan you have an
uncertain future. Each day
you risk your life. If you
have no documents you have
no job. I started planning
when I was 12 years old, but
finally, after many years of
working hard, in 2011,
December, I managed to
organise my plan, and I came
to Australia. Even though my
parents didn’t allow me, I
had to do it. It is very
difficult to say goodbye to
parents. I didn’t say
goodbye. Early in the
morning, 5 o’clock, I
grabbed my bag and left.
But then in the afternoon I
called them and say ‘I am on
my way to Australia’. It
took me 2 months, from
Quetta to Christmas Island.
Me, I was lucky. I was 15
and a half years old. I came
here with nothing, zero, but
then the Australian
community supported me. So I
just say, thank you, for the
generosity and kindness.
People like me, we never
forget that.”
“I tell [my younger
siblings] to think about
what is the purpose of your
life. You need to decide
your own life, make an
effective plan, think. If
you fail, it doesn’t matter,
life experience, keep
going.”
Muhammed Khalil Kumali is a
Hazara Muslim now studying
Law, Politics, Philosophy
and Economics at the
Australian National
University in Canberra. He
works up to 16 hours a week
in two restaurants and is a
proud private in the
Australian Army Reserve.
Khalil has successfully
founded his own publicly
owned international mining
company, which he aims to
develop in the coming years.
Since arriving in Australia
he has also pursued his
passion for Taekwondo,
ranking 2nd in Australia for
his weight division in 2012
and competing in
international competitions.
For those fortunate to know
him, he's an inspirational
friend.
How one university
student was almost
buried by the
“people's war on
terror.”
Since announcing a
“people’s war on
terror” in 2014, the
Chinese Communist
Party has created an
unprecedented
network of
re-education camps
in the autonomous
Xinjiang region that
are essentially
ethnic gulags.
Unlike the surgical
“strike hard”
campaigns of the
recent past, the
people’s war uses a
carpet-bombing
approach to the
country’s tumultuous
western border
region. Chen Quanguo,
Xinjiang’s party
secretary and the
architect of this
security program,
encouraged his
forces to “bury the
corpses of
terrorists in the
vast sea of a
people’s war.” But
the attempt to drown
a few combatants has
pulled thousands of
innocent people
under in its wake.
Sporadic violence
has rattled the
region since July 5,
2009, when
indigenous Uighurs,
a largely Muslim
minority, took to
the streets of
Urumqi, the regional
capital, to protest
the murder of fellow
Uighurs who worked
in the southern
Chinese city of
Shaoguan. The
protests spiraled
into a riot, which
claimed 197 lives
and nearly 2,000
injuries before
order was restored.
Insurrection has
since spread beyond
the capital, and
skirmishes between
Uighurs and security
personnel have
become common
occurrences.
Amid the protracted
conflict and rising
Islamophobia in
China, Communist
Party officials are
responding by
creating a
surveillance state.
In the 12 months
preceding September
2017 alone, the
party-state
advertised nearly
100,000 security
positions in
Xinjiang. Every
resident of the
region has been
affixed with the
label “safe,”
“normal,” or
“unsafe,” based on
metrics such as age,
faith, religious
practices, foreign
contacts, and
experience abroad.
Those deemed unsafe,
whether or not they
are guilty of
wrongdoing, are
regularly detained
and imprisoned
without due process.
Estimates indicate
that as many as
800,000 individuals,
mostly Uighurs, have
been incarcerated in
the re-education
camps. Based on the
current population
of Uighurs in
Xinjiang, which
stands at some 11
million, this
amounts to the
extrajudicial
detention of nearly
10 percent of the
ethno-national
group.
There are approximately 1.84
billion Muslims in the world
today, making up 24.38% of
the world’s population, or
just under one-quarter of
mankind. As well as being
citizens of their respective
countries, they also have a
sense of belonging to the ‘ummah’,
the worldwide Muslim
community.
The Muslim500 publication
sets out to ascertain the
influence some Muslims have
on this community, or on
behalf of the community.
Influence is: any person who
has the power (be it
cultural, ideological,
financial, political or
otherwise) to make a change
that will have a significant
impact on the Muslim world.
Note that the impact can be
either positive or negative,
depending on one’s point of
view of course.
"If I asked for people
to die for the sake of God,
I would have them lining up
at my house. But when I ask
people to live for the sake
of God, I can’t find anyone."
President of the Forum for
Promoting Peace in Muslim
Societies
Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah’s
influence is derived from
his scholarship, piety and
preaching. Uniquely, all of
the different sects and
schools of Muslims respect
him as a scholar. A
testament to this is the
notable fact that whilst he
is not a Salafi, the Saudi
government promulgates his
fatwas as authoritative. He
is an instructor at King
Abdulaziz University in
Jeddah and was the deputy
head of the Union of Muslim
Scholars having previously
been a Judge at the High
Court of the Islamic
Republic of Mauritania and
the Head of Shariah Affairs
at the Ministry of Justice.
Education: Sheikh bin
Bayyah was raised in a
household famous for its
scholars, and his Sheikh
Mahfoudh bin Bayyah, was the
head of the Conference of
Mauritanian Scholars
established after the
country’s independence.
Sheikh bin Bayyah studied in
the Mauritanian centres of
learning known as Mahadhir,
in which all the sacred
sciences were taught
including: jurisprudence,
legal theory, syntax,
language, rhetoric, Qur’anic
exegesis and its auxiliary
sciences, and the science of
Prophetic tradition.
Diplomat: As a member of the
International Islamic Fiqh
Academy or Al Majma’ al
Fiqhi of the Organization of
the Islamic Conference,
Sheikh bin Bayyah is at the
forefront of the legal arm
of a dynamic organization
with a permanent delegation
to the United Nations.
Author: Having
written numerous texts,
Sheikh bin Bayyah’s
scholarly explorations have
gone global through speaking
engagements that draw crowds
of tens of thousands. He has
spoken at length about the
endurance of the Islamic
legal tradition and also
written extensively on
rulings for Muslims living
as minorities in foreign
lands, or fiqh al aqaliyaat.
Activist: In June
2013, Sheikh Abdullah bin
Bayyah visited the White
House where he met with
senior advisers and aides to
President Obama. He called
for the protection of the
Syrian people and the Muslim
minority in Myanmar. Also,
he met with Bill Gates
during the Global Vaccine
Summit in Abu Dhabi in April
2013. He recently initiated
the ‘Muslim Council of
Elders’ which embraces
leading scholars (including
the Sheikh of Al-Azhar), and
presided over a large
gathering of religious
scholars at a forum entitled
‘Forum for Promoting Peace
in Muslim Societies’.
The Marrakesh Declaration:
Sheikh Abdallah bin Bayyah
led around 250 Muslim
religious leaders, in
addition to approximately 50
non-Muslim religious
leaders, in a three day
summit in Marrakesh
entitled: ‘The Rights of
Religious Minorities in
Predominantly Muslim
Majority Communities: Legal
Framework and a Call to
Action’. The summit used the
original Charter of Medina,
drawn up by the Prophet
Muhammad (PBUH) himself, as
a basis for addressing the
current crisis of religious
minorities in parts of the
Muslim world. With
extremists committing
violence in the name of
Islam against other
religions, as well as
against most Muslims, it was
necessary to voice the
position of normative Islam
vis-à-vis religious
minorities through a
gathering of its leading
scholars. The summit
concluded with the release
of the 750 word Marrakesh
Declaration (see page 123).
ANOTHER FROM THE TOP 50
INFLUENTIAL MUSLIMS IN NEXT
WEEK'S CCN
Rahman came into the station
on a recent Wednesday with a
few stories in mind. She was
hoping to find a good daily
piece somewhere in the
station's coverage area of
the greater Quad Cities
metro, which includes
Davenport, Bettendorf, Rock
Island, Moline and East
Moline.
There was a union dispute,
but a representative said it
looked like a deal was on
the table. The local
newspaper had covered an
ongoing dust-up between
Palmer College of
Chiropractic and the
Davenport Civil Rights
Commission over the
college's plan to expand in
a low-income housing area —
a story Rahman thought could
interest viewers.
Cradling the phone in her
shoulder and vigorously
taking notes, she schedules
an afternoon interview with
the civil rights
commissioner. She hangs up
and adjusts her hijab back
into place, breathing a sigh
of relief that she'll have
something for that evening.
Rahman has donned a
headscarf on and off her
whole life. Attending a
private Muslim school in
Bridgeview, Illinois, she
began wearing a hijab all
the time in about fifth
grade.
Headscarves, or hijabs as
they are commonly referred
to in the West, are normally
worn by Muslim women after
puberty as a way of showing
their devotion to God and
fulfilling the Quran's
commandments for modesty.
“I remember the first day I
decided to wear it full
time, because I wouldn’t
wear it outside of school or
anything,” Rahman said. “I
walked out of the house and
I was like, ‘Oh my God, no,
I'm starting to wear it
now,’ and I ran back in and
put it on.”
Her mom discouraged her from
wearing it so early, telling
her she had her whole life
to make that choice. In
reflection, Rahman thinks
her mom knew the scarf came
with the possibility of
backlash.
But Rahman was stubborn.
“I knew there was no one who
looked like me who rushed
Greek life, but I did
because I wanted to,” she
said. “I would show up to
formals and Panhellenic
events and I would be the
only one who wore a
headscarf, but it never
stopped me, and I still had
fun and I still studied
abroad and I still traveled
with my sorority sisters to
Spring Break."
Being so openly devout was
unique even at Loyola
University Chicago, the
Catholic college Rahman
attended. And living as a
young person who is
religious can have “negative
connotations,” said
Stephanie Jarosz, Rahman’s
sorority sister.
“I can go through my life
being Catholic and no one
would know, but in Tahera’s
case there is an immediate
visual association that,
hey, I'm Muslim and I'm
devout,” Jarosz said.
“But what is amazing about
Tahera is that she is
totally secure in wearing
her hijab despite what
American society tells us is
cool or not cool or what
young people should be
doing.”
As a child, the lack of
people who looked like her
on TV was evident, Rahman
said. The dearth of
representation became even
more obvious as Islamophobic
stories about Muslims
grabbed headlines and
airtime in the wake of the
Sept. 11, 2001, terror
attacks.
The narrative back then
centered on “who (Muslims)
really are and what they
really believe in and whose
side they are on?” she said.
“That’s when I realized they
are talking about us, but
there is no one who looked
like us who can speak to it
truthfully.”
After college, Rahman sent
reels to professors and
internship managers seeking
criticism. She heard from
one producer that maybe she
should apply to a market
such as Dearborn, Michigan,
which has a significant
Arab-American population.
Another colleague told her
that
“America wasn’t ready” for a
hijabi on TV.
“It’s those subtle
statements that actually
have a big impact,” Rahman
said.
“It’s those little things,
those little pebbles that
keep pelting you and saying,
‘Hey, it’s not going to
work.'"
She went on Facebook soon
after receiving these
critiques and saw an article
about the first
Somali-American legislator,
a hijabi, to be elected to
office.
She devoured the story and
anything else she could find
about the woman before
posting a piece to her wall.
"Tell me again about how
America is not ready for
this," she remembered
thinking.
14 stages of
love according
to the Arabic
language
By Rayana Khalaf
Arabs are in a
league of our
own when it
comes to
romance. I mean,
just look at the
ways we express
love, we're
always ready to
sacrifice our
skin and bones
for the people
we love.
Over-the-top
demonstration of
love goes beyond
our everyday
conversation, as
it is rooted
deep within our
literature.
There is no
shortage of epic
and fiery poems
in Arab
literature,
brought to us by
the likes of Abu
Nawas and Nizar
Qabbani.
In these poems,
we see
variations of
words referring
to love, like "'oshk"
and "gharam"...
but contrary to
popular belief,
these words are
not synonymous.
They each refer
to a unique
degree of love.
Actually, there
are 14 degrees
of love in
Arabic language.
Here they are in
increasing order
of intensity:
This
is when
feelings
of
actual
love
begin to
surface
and
people
are
basically
love-struck.
The
Arabic
word
"al-shaghaf"
refers
to
الشغافة
(al-shaghafa),
which is
the
outer
layer of
the
heart.
What No One
Told You about
Spiritual Abuse
in Islam
By Janet Kozak
Abuse in
relationships is
not only black
eyes, bruises,
and broken
bones. With the
exception of
traumatic brain
injury in Muslim
victims, it’s
often the abuse
hidden from
plain view –
like financial,
verbal, and
spiritual abuse
– that does the
most damage to
victims
long-term.
However, it’s
the spiritual
abuse we
experience in a
relationship
that can leave
us doubting
ourselves, our
goals, and even
our belief
systems –
changing us for
the worse and
leaving
lingering
invisible scars
over time.
Spiritual abuse
can leave
victims feeling
alone, isolated,
and confused
about not only
their
self-worth, but
their close
companions and
even their
relationship
with their
creator.
With Allah and
Islam
When spiritual
abuse is used as
a control tactic
in a domestic
relationship it
comes in the
form of twisted
and incorrect
understandings
of religion to
achieve an
abusers goals
and aims.
When abuse goes
further, and
involves other
members of the
community who
condone or
amplify the
abuse, this can
cause a victim
to question not
only their
relationship,
but their faith
as well.
In my talks with
abuse survivors,
especially
converts to
Islam who are
either in, or
have recently
left abusive
relationships,
I’ve learned
that many are
very frustrated
and confused by
their choice to
convert to Islam
because of these
abusive
experiences. It
can be
incredibly hard
understand the
abusive
behaviours of
some, process
the abuse, and
heal oneself,
when one also
feels the whole
community was
(or is)
condoning and
supporting the
ongoing abuse.
If spiritual
abuse was part
of the
relationship
dynamic, there
is usually a
long process of
relearning
religious
principles and
reconnecting to
faith that must
occur before a
survivor can
overcome the
negative
perceptions and
understandings
they’ve
associated with
Islam.
When we looked
more closely, we
saw that certain
names came up
time and time
again, as they
have been for
almost 2
decades. We
looked into 6 of
the most
controversial
commentators in
the Australian
news media,
including
figures like
Andrew Bolt,
Miranda Devine
and Janet
Albrechtsen. On
average, 31% of
their opinion
pieces were
devoted to
Islam, with the
overwhelming
majority of them
being negative
and divisive in
nature. For
Jennifer Oriel,
that number was
54%. Even though
they are stated
to be “opinion”
pieces, they are
often written as
fact and
encourage..
Hana Assafiri
speaks out about
her violent past
as Muslim child
bride
"I didn't want
those events to
define me, and
they don't,"
Hana Assafiri
says.
Hana Assafiri
opened
Melbourne's
Moroccan Soup
Bar 20 years ago
this June.
Now the owner of
two restaurants,
she is also the
founder of Speed
Date a Muslim, a
community event
to combat
Islamophobia.
Since
revelations of
sexual abuse and
harassment have
gone viral with
the #MeToo
movement, Hana
Assafiri
believes it's
her turn to end
the silence. For
the first time,
she shares her
personal story
of abuse.
At 15 was the
last time he
abused me. He
took me out of
school and when
he returned me I
was in a state.
For the first
time I confided
in a teacher.
She realised I
was behaving
quite strangely,
even for me.
Hana's mother
She insisted
that my family
should be told
and I felt that
she didn't
understand the
culture and
family dynamics,
and the last
thing I wanted
was to have to
marry this guy
because I
assumed if she
told my family I
would have to
marry him. I
couldn't deal
with that
reality.
So I took a
whole heap of
pills that my
mother had and
ended up in
hospital and
that's where Mum
and the family
found out
[except for Dad.
He didn't find
out until many
years later].
My mother
responded the
best way she
knew how. She
was afraid about
the humiliation
and
embarrassment to
the families.
She felt the
only way of
solving this
massive problem
was for me to
marry and then
we would somehow
transition
through this
unscathed. Then
she found me a
husband.
How were you
allowed to be
married at 15?
It was 1980 and
in Australia
there were laws
which enabled
your guardian to
give consent on
your behalf. So
I was married to
someone I'd seen
very few times.
It was like he
was on a
shopping
expedition and
picked me and
everybody who
was an adult and
a decision-maker
thought he was a
good man,
including the
perpetrator of
my sexual abuse.
I thought "I
don't care, just
get me out of
this situation",
only to find
myself in a
profoundly
violent
marriage.
I gave birth
within 10 months
of being with
him. The
marriage lasted
three-and-a-half
years with two
children. He
wanted a child
every year; an
entire football
team, as he
said.
A House
Divided:
Tablighi Jamaat
(TJ)
By Sajid Iqbal
In a world where
belief and
militancy are
becoming fused,
there are
peaceful yet
puritanical
forms of
religion that
still capture
peoples’
imagination. One
such form is
advanced by the
Tablighi Jamaat
(TJ), a
worldwide
Islamic
missionary
movement
popularising the
concept of inner
reform among
believers.
What makes TJ
fascinating and
relevant is its
complete divorce
from the
politics of
militancy.
Instead, TJ
focuses on being
unassuming and
austere. Instead
of training guns
at others,
da’wah
[invitation to
the righteous
path] encourages
Muslims to train
their thoughts
on inner reform
and spiritual
cleansing.
Pakistan’s
experience of
the TJ centres
around Raiwind,
near Lahore, but
the notion of
da’wah pervades
most of the
Muslim world as
well as
countries that
have a
significant
Muslim populace.
In fact, TJ’s
roots pre-date
the partition of
South Asia —
perhaps this is
why it manages
to attract
hundreds of
thousands of
devotees to
their ijtima
[congregation]
every year in
Raiwind,
Nizamuddin
(India) and
Tongi
(Bangladesh).
Not only has TJ
weathered many
storms during
the 90-plus
years of its
history, it
remains one of
the
fastest-growing
religious
movements whose
influence has
been felt across
this country and
indeed elsewhere
too.
What makes
TJ
fascinating
and relevant
is its
complete
divorce from
the politics
of militancy
Yet, the
organisation,
which observes
the revivalist
Deobandi school
of thought, has
faced bitter
verbal clashes
with rival
Deobandi
organisations
and faced
allegations of
sheltering
extremists in
the aftermath of
9/11. Still, it
has survived and
none of these
crises have
deterred TJ
volunteers
around the world
from the days,
weeks and months
they dedicate to
da’wah work. But
an emerging
internal
struggle might
change that.
TO BE CONTINUED
IN NEXT WEEK'S
CCN: THE BIG
DIVIDE
Does a
Sudanese youth
criminal issue
really exist?
By Hafsa Hersi
The collective
Sudanese
population
within the State
of Victoria
totals to just
about 6000,
accounting for
significantly
less than 1
percent of the
entire
population. It
is very
important to
note that
selected facts
and figures have
been used as a
strategy to
justify the
existence of a
‘youth gang’
issue within the
Sudanese and
African
communities. As
a result of this
misrepresentation,
responses
suggested for
tackling this
issue are often
either too rash,
disproportionate
or simply
ineffective.
Between 2016 and
2017, the number
of alleged youth
offenders from
Sudan was less
than 3 percent
of the total
alleged
offenders for
the same crime.
In fact, the
majority of the
alleged
offenders were
white Australian
youth and youth
of New Zealand
origin. This
begs the
question whether
or not the rise
in criminal
activity that so
often
exclusively
broadcasted as
Sudanese is, in
fact, a Sudanese
problem or in
actuality a
problem among
Australian youth
in general?
There is an
overwhelming
amount of
evidence that
shows the
outright
over-representation
of crime linked
with Sudanese
youth. In fact,
data from the
Victoria’s Crime
Statistics
Agency indicates
indicates that
though the
Sudanese and
South Sudanese
community
accounts for
0.14 percent of
the population,
they only made
up 1 percent of
all alleged
offenders in
Victoria. This
means that there
is another 99
percent of
offenders that
is not Sudanese.
Therefore, to
propagate a
‘severely’
alarming issue
of young
Sudanese
criminals is
unreasonable at
best, and this
is without even
mentioning the
various
contributing
factors that
would need to be
individually
analysed and
included in the
debate. One of
these is the
notable skew of
age within this
demographic,
particularly
when compared
with the rest of
the Australian
population. The
Sudanese
community has an
incredibly young
population, with
half of the
population being
under the age of
25 as opposed to
a mere 35
percent for the
general
Australian
population,
further
foregrounding
that even the
very basis for
comparison is
conspicuously
biased.
Another factor
that adds to the
bias driven by
the media is the
cherry-picking
of facts and
figures used to
propagate this
agenda. By
focusing on
particular
crimes where
Sudanese youth
are purportedly
over-represented
(which is still
significantly
less than their
non-Sudanese
counterparts), a
distorted
perception is
created that
Sudanese youth
is responsible
for the vast
spectrum of
crimes
committed. The
augmentation of
figures when
taken with a
younger average
age can create a
convincing
picture for a
‘crisis’ and
inevitably
initiate a
disproportionate
public response.
The media itself
is principally
responsible for
creating this
situation.
Television
reports and
entertainment
programs
construct a
portrait of
crime,
criminals, and
victims that is
not
substantiated by
the data. In the
case of the
alleged Sudanese
youth criminals,
the issue is
significantly
hyperbolised and
the individuals
concerned are
wrongly seen as
the literal and
figurative
strangers who
are not ‘one of
us’. This then
further
stigmatises a
vulnerable
community. In
fact, according
to Professor
Nancy Heitzeg,
decades of
research show
that heavy TV
viewers tend to
overestimate the
crime rate, the
likelihood of
crime
victimization,
and the extent
of
stranger-related
violence. Hence
media outlets
depending
heavily on
over-reporting
high profile
cases can sway
general public
perceptions. By
misportraying
the reality of
Sudanese youth,
the media are
able to create
the perception
that crime among
them is far
worse and far
more frequent.
These patterns
of reporting on
‘African youth’
in Australia are
reflective of
the context of
institutional
racism that
allows for these
racialising
frames and
encourages their
widespread
repetition.
Media headlines
create fear in
the public
triggering false
and irrational
concerns. It is
these
multimillion-dollar
corporations
that reap the
benefits.
According to
Walker, Spohn,
and DeLone
(2009), ‘Our
perceptions of
crimes are
shaped to a
large extent by
the highly
publicised
crimes featured
on the nightly
news and
sensationalised
in newspapers.’
The fact that
initial
reporting is
determined by
journalists’
reliance on
police accounts
of incidents
involving a
racially defined
‘problem group’
underpins a
narrative of
worsening crime.
The racialising
premises
established by
law enforcement
is then retained
and perpetuated
by politicians,
lobby groups,
and racist
organisations.
So, is the
issue racial?
To answer this
question we
could
comparatively
analyse some
examples. In the
United States,
for instance,
the targeted
group is young
African
Americans. The
racialisation of
Black people in
the United
States is at the
core of serious
social problems,
exemplified by
names like
Trayvon Martin
or Tamir Rice,
victims of a
culture of
systemic racial
profiling,
discrimination,
and
criminalisation.
It is far easier
to answer the
‘whys’ of
society by
blaming failed
integration and
so-called
‘problem
groups’. We all
witness the
emotionally
charged
socio-political
context, and the
hyper-partisan
and racialised
narratives that
animate news
stories.
Although the
majority of
Sudanese youth
would disagree
with the notion
of ‘parallel
lives’, this
discourse is
forced upon
them, thus both
negatively
affecting the
Sudanese
community and
threatening
social cohesion.
Instead of
asking Sudanese
people to
shoulder all the
responsibility
for integration,
the media should
be at the
forefront of
promoting
interconnected
cosmopolitan
lives by
refusing to
narrow its focus
to just African
youth. They
should
foreground ways
to promote
inter-ethnic
collaborations,
in which people
can find shared
solutions.
These are
questions we
need to ask
ourselves before
we quickly point
fingers. To the
critics of
immigration,
minority youth
have been
increasingly
linked to crime,
criminal gangs,
anti-social
behaviour, and
riots. Sudanese
criminal gangs
do not exist.
Criminal gangs,
which happen to
include Sudanese
youth, do. We,
as a
multicultural
society, need to
find an
effective way to
solve youth
crime and not
‘Sudanese
criminality’.
The
AUSTRALIAN CRITICAL RACE AND
WHITENESS STUDIES
ASSOCIATION
ABOUT THE
WRITER
Hafsa Hersi is a
second-year
Biomedical
Science student
at Griffith
University,
Queensland. She
is a contributor
to a spectrum of
blogs discussing
social and
political issues
in Australia.
Summary
by Mohideen:
Mufti Junaid
started off
by asking
what can we
do for
whatever is
happening in
the world
today. He
explained
how when a
person gets
a headache
for example
the whole
body is
affected and
how the
Prophet (pbuh)
said that
the Ummah is
one body. He
expressed
his sorrow
how today we
need to ask
for
donations
instead of
people just
giving
without
asking. He
related a
story of a
Pakistani
doctor
travelling
and staying
in Masjids.
He reminded
us that at
the end of
the day each
person is
accountable
for his or
her action.
He related
the story of
Hazrat
Zunayra and
how Abu
Jahal
treated her
when he got
to know that
she has
accepted
Islam. He
explained
how this 85
years old
lady’s dua
was accepted
by Allah
instantly.
He concluded
that how
this week a
brother was
taking Wudu
incorrectly
and what he
said when
the Mufti
went to
advise him.
TOPIC:
“What are
those Amana
which was
placed on
Mankind"
IMAM:
Mufti Naeem
Ali
Summary
by Mohideen:
Mufti Naeem
continued
his Kuthba
from last
week
regarding
Amana
(Trust). He
explained
what Amana
is and went
on say that
it is an
agreement
between
oneself and
Allah. He
said some
Ulama’s of
the opinion
that this
Amana is
Salah and
explained
that Salah
is the first
thing to be
questioned
and
accountable.
He warned
how people
dismiss the
Sunnah
Salah’s. He
asked how a
Muslim can
call himself
a Muslim but
neglect his
Salah. He
explained
who our
biggest
enemy was.
He spoke
about how
Allah has
given us the
eyes, ears
and tongue
and how the
Prophet
advised to
use these
bounties
wisely.
Spoke about
backbiting
and dealing
with
interest. He
said how if
one is just
listening to
backbiting
then the
listener
will also
become part
and parcel
of the sin
of
backbiting.
He warned
about
forwarding
things which
come via
social
media. He
gave the
definition
of interest
and warned
against
taking
interest. He
concluded
that
according to
some ulama’s
the Quran is
also Amana,
he advised
to at least
recite Quran
everyday
even if it
is one page.
Leading
Muslim cleric comes out in support of
repealing Ireland’s abortion laws
Shaykh Dr Umar al-Qadri with
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
IRELAND: ONE of Ireland’s
leading Muslim leaders has revealed his
support for the campaign to repeal the
Eighth Amendment.
Dr Umar al-Qadri, a Dublin imam who is
chairman of the Irish Muslim Peace &
Integration Council (IMPIC), said he
believed it was now time the rights of
women in crisis pregnancies were
“recognised”.
Dr al-Qadri added that IMPIC is planning
to distribute a special guide for Irish
Muslims on the upcoming abortion
referendum on May 25.
The pamphlet will explore the vote’s
implications and what they mean for
Islam.
"Islam is neither exclusively pro-life
nor pro-choice," he tweeted.
"The rights of the unborn child have to
be balanced with the rights of the
mother.
"I am in favour of 'Repeal the Eighth'
and IMPIC will release soon a guideline
for Muslims in Ireland who may be unsure
how they should vote."
Dr al-Qadri’s words have been welcomed
by 'Repeal the Eighth' campaigners who
have hailed them as a significant boost
for the referendum campaign.
"The Eighth Amendment should be repealed
so as to relieve the unnecessary burden
on women and medical professionals at
what already constitutes a highly
traumatic time,” he continued.
"We must sincerely consider our
consciences and the moral responsibility
that weighs upon us as we decide how to
vote in the referendum.
"Every vote is a decision on the future
destinies of women like Savita and also
of the unborn children of the nation."
Savita Halappanavar died at University
Hospital Galway (UHG) following a
miscarriage in 2012, after doctors
refused her request for an abortion.
The 31-year-old, who was originally from
India, contracted sepsis and later died
from cardiac arrest.
Dr al-Qadri said the referendum three
months from now is about women in crisis
such as Savita.
"It is the responsibility of the State
to facilitate both legislation and
funding for ease of access to abortion
in extraordinary circumstances such as
risk to the mother's life, rape, incest
etc," he said.
UK: The UK’s first ever
festival entirely dedicated to Muslim
culture, literature and ideas will take
at the British Library this April.
MFest, running from April 27-29, will be
comprised of almost 30 events, with
Kamila Shamsie, Akram Khan and Elif
Shafak amongst the names on the line-up.
It will include poetry readings,
workshops, performances, discussions and
family events, bringing together Muslims
and non-Muslims to celebrate the
richness of Muslim cultures.
The festival will bring together
emerging artists with established
voices, celebrating and bringing
visibility to Britain’s diverse
population of approximately three
million Muslims.
Other topics that will be
discussed include Islam and feminism,
and the consequences of the Grenfell
fire for activist movements.
KB says:
Sharing Raeesa Khatree's recipe from her The
Great Australian Bake Off appearance.
This baklava-inspired pull apart hits the sweet
spot.
Baklava pull-apart
Recipe by Raeesa Khatree
from The Great Australian
Bake Off
Ingredients
Dough
6 tbsp warm water
(approximately 43°C)
4 ½ tsp dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
113g unsalted butter
160ml milk
6 cups plain flour
½ cup caster sugar
1 tsp sea salt
4 extra-large eggs
beaten
1 tsp vanilla
extract
1 tsp ground
cinnamon
Baklava
filling
220g unsalted
butter, melted
1 cup caster sugar
2 tsp ground
cinnamon
1 ½ cup pistachios +
a tbsp extra for
decorating
1 ½ cup walnuts
1 ½ cup almonds
Zest half lemon
1 tsp ground
cardamom
¼ tsp rose extract
½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp orange
blossom water
Syrup
1 cup caster sugar
¾ cup water
¼ tsp rose essence
½ tsp ground
cardamom
2 whole cinnamon
sticks
2 tsp lemon juice
½ tsp orange blossom
water
1 tbsp honey
Method
For the dough:
In a jug or
small bowl,
combine the warm
water, yeast and
sugar. Stir
gently and let
it stand until
foamy.
Meanwhile,
combine the
butter and milk
in a saucepan
and heat on
medium till
butter is
melted. Remove
from heat and
let it cool to
51.6°C. While
mixture is
cooling, whisk
together the 4
cups of flour, ½
cup of sugar,
cinnamon and
salt. Using a
stand mixer,
fitted with a
dough hook,
combine flour
mixture and
yeast mixture.
Add milk
mixture, vanilla
extract and
beaten eggs.
Stir on low
speed, then
increase to
medium until all
ingredients are
well
incorporated.
Add remaining 2
cups of flour, a
little at a
time, then mix.
Turn out onto
floured surface
and knead well
for a few
minutes. Place
dough in a large
greased bowl and
cover with cling
wrap. Leave
dough to prove
in warm place
for 1 hour.
For the filling for
bread:
Toast all nuts
in the oven on
140°C till
golden and
crunchy,
approximately 15
minutes. Mix
sugar and
cinnamon and
place aside. In
a food
processor, pulse
nuts, salt, ½
tsp cardamom,
lemon zest, rose
extract and
process together
to form a chunky
paste- it should
be crunchy and
colour of
pistachios
should be seen.
For the syrup:
Using a
saucepan,
dissolve sugar
in water on
medium heat with
cinnamon sticks
and once mixture
starts bubbling,
reduce heat and
add all other
ingredients. Let
it simmer on low
heat till syrup
forms,
approximately 10
minutes. Keep
aside for
pouring over
baked bread.
To assemble:
Once the dough
has risen after
approximately 60
minutes, turn
out onto
well-floured
surface and
divide into 2
pieces. Roll
each piece out
into large
rectangle. For
each rectangle,
brush on melted
butter, sprinkle
cinnamon sugar
and spread nut
mixture all over
the rolled out
dough. Starting
from one end,
roll up like a
swiss roll by
pulling dough
gently and
tightly. Repeat
for second roll.
Place rolls onto
lined and
greased large
flat baking pan.
Using very sharp
scissors, cut
down into roll
but stop almost
at the bottom,
starting from
left to right.
As you cut a
piece, turn over
and form a leaf
shape. The loaf
will form a
gorgeous array
of leaves. Do
not egg wash it.
Leave to rise
for 30 minutes
in a warm place,
then bake on
180°C for
approximately 45
minutes or until
bread sounds
hollow when
tapped. Remove
from oven and
pour over warm
sugar syrup.
Sprinkle with
pistachio
slices.
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:
Pulling Out The
Culture Card On Your
Teenage Child?
Culture, unlike
religion, evolves.
If you put several
like-minded people
together for a long
period of time,
their ‘group
thought’ will become
a paradigm within
which they will
operate in order to
maintain harmony.
Culture is a group
thought paradigm.
Muslims across the
world are culturally
diverse. Their group
thought paradigms
differ. Thankfully,
following the
Prophet’s (SAW)
sunnah has
maintained
consistency in the
way we all pray,
regardless of
cultural
differences.
Our teenage
children, however,
may be the ones
going through the
hardest test of time
ever, bearing in
mind the current
climate where the
only group thought
paradigm is the
INTERNET. While
those born in the
70s and before grew
up spending time
listening to ‘spoken
stories’ and used
the power of
visualisation to
perceive these
stories, our
teenagers’ extent of
‘stories’ go as far
as SnapChat Streaks
and Instagram. Their
power of imagination
and visualisation
have been
extensively diluted
by continuous online
streaming of all
kinds of visuals.
Our teenage children
are growing up in an
‘online culture’.
Recently, my husband
pulled out the
culture card on our
teenage daughter. He
was annoyed that she
was choosing to
follow a certain
trend rather than
think critically and
form her own opinion
about something. She
retaliated with her
counter arguments. I
watched them both as
they debated.
Finally, my husband
decided to end the
argument by throwing
the ultimate defence
line at her: “We are
not them. It’s not
in our culture to do
this.” He didn’t
wait for her
response and simply
left the room (hmmm,
not a wise move).
She looked at me and
replied to his
comment: “I was born
here. This is my
culture. I wasn’t
born where you guys
were born. I’ve
never lived there. I
live here. I don’t
connect with your
culture.”
She had a point. How
can we expect our
children to follow
the culture of a
certain place to
which they feel no
connection? Most of
my clients are
having this exact
same issue with
their teenagers.
Parents are
constantly pulling
out the culture card
on them. Teens are
retaliating in the
same way my daughter
had. So how do we
resolve this? How
can parents
effectively
communicate with
their teenagers with
the intention to
understand and
support them rather
than shut them down
by pulling out the
culture card every
time a discussion
starts to heat up?
How can you, as a
parent, empower your
child with good
values rather than
give a
culture-thumping
session which will
drive your child to
rebel?
Six Strategies to
Avoid
Culture-Blackmail
1. Focus on
humanity, not
culture. Instil
values in your
children that help
them become
compassionate and
empathetic towards
all of ALLAH’s
creation. Focusing
only on one culture
is discriminatory
and closes the mind.
2. Reflect on
your own cultural
biases before you
preach to your
teenager. Why do
you feel that way?
Who put those
beliefs in your
mind? Challenge your
own biases and
understand how they
may be affecting
your wellbeing and
your relationships.
3. Pray together
with your teenager.
Read a surah
together from the
Holy Quran and
ponder together
about the beautiful
message in the
surah.
4. Have a weekly
family meeting and
call it “I
Understand You”.
Create a weekly
space for your
family where you all
can speak without
interruption and
voice your fears,
concerns,
compliments and
expectations,
without judgment or
bullying. The idea
is to let the
speaker speak
without interruption
while the rest of
the family listen
without judgement.
5. Share stories
about your cultural
heritage with your
teenager in a gentle
way, NOT in a
condescending
manner.
6. Be supportive,
not critical. As
it is, the
environment outside
is quite challenging
for our teenagers.
Create a supportive
environment in your
home so that they
feel safe to share
their
vulnerabilities with
you and seek
guidance from you,
not Google. Foster
this support by
giving your teenage
child a hug
regularly. Tell them
that he/she is your
priority and you
love them
unconditionally.
Love has to be
expressed to them.
They can’t read your
mind.
In Shaa ALLAH, next
week we will explore
the topic:
The Danger Of
Personalising
Everything
DOWNLOAD
Muslimah Reflections
- my new ebook of
poetry and
affirmations
DOWNLOAD The
Ultimate Self-Care
Guide For Muslimahs
WATCH VIDEOS
from Muslimah Mind
Matters YouTube
Channel.
DOWNLOAD
Muslimah Meditation
Moments - audio
files for
self-awareness
meditation.
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.
Let’s celebrate International women’s day
through movement. Get your
group of friends together for a walk or cycle in
the park. Whatever it is,
motivate each other through movement and reward
yourself with a coffee
after.. Make it a regular occurrence and reap
the long-term health benefits
of being active. The rewards are beyond measure.
And give from what We have
provided for you, before
death approaches one of you,
and he says, “My Lord, if
only You would delay me for
a short while, so that I may
be charitable, and be one of
the righteous.”
This International Women's
Day, Muslim Aid Australia
and Muslim Charitable
Foundation are launching a
truly ground-breaking
project called '1000 Women,
1000 Futures' (TWTF).
What's it all about?
MAA and MCF will empower
1000 women in Australia and
developing countries around
the world by providing them
an impactful and sustainable
method to overcome poverty.
Once each case has been
carefully assessed, we will
provide the chosen
beneficiaries sustainable
livelihood opportunities,
worth an average of $1000
each, to help them towards
starting a small business.
We will also equip each
beneficiary with the skills
required for running their
business so that we ensure
long term success for them
and their families.
Help empower women by
attending our upcoming
fundraising dinner on
Friday, 9th March at
Michael’s Oriental by
calling 0434 984 520 or via
www.bit.ly/TWTFBNE.
Logan Roos
Football Club
sponsored by the
Islamic Council
of QLD, will be
playing against
Ridge Hill this
Sunday 4th
March at
Stanley Day Park
1.
Logan Roos will
be playing hard
for a win to
take revenge for
the FFA game
which they lost
to Ridge Hill on
a penalty
shootout 2 weeks
ago. Join us on
the day to
support our
local team!
VENUE: Stanley
Day Park 1
ADDRESS: 75
Grand Street
Bald Hills QLD
4036
Australia
KICK OFF: 4pm
sharp
For more
information,
please contact
Abdul Samim Khan
on:
0413669987
BRISBANE - 17
March 2018 at Chandler
Theatre, Sleeman Complex
About
InfoReset
Seminars:
Conscious Events
returns to
Australia & New
Zealand in
February and
March 2018 with
their latest
seminar brand
called
InfoReset. The
Full Day Seminar
Tour (11am to
6pm) features an
amazing lineup
of authors who
will be speaking
in this part of
the world for
the first time.
Ex Economic Hit
Man, John
Perkins
(USA) who has
spoken at
international
economic summits
will present
hard evidence on
the role of
Economic Hit Men
in the
destruction of
entire countries
and how the
current Death
Economic system
can be
transformed into
a Life Economy!
Conchita
Sarnoff,
Investigative
Journalist and
research
professor at
American
University, will
address the
global epidemic
of human
trafficking and
child abuse that
haunts the
corridors of
power from
Harvard to the
White House.
Son of Oscar
winning
Hollywood
director Olive
Stone and
co-host of RT’s
Watching the
Hawks, Sean
Ali Stone is
the expert
commentator on
global
geopolitics and
the
imperialistic
agenda behind
world events.
Sean has
dedicated his
life to becoming
a symbol of
peace between
the major
religions by
accepting Islam
as his chosen
faith, and to
put an end to
the
miscommunications
and
misrepresentations
of Islam to the
western world.
True to the
name, InfoReset
Seminars
promises to be a
powerful
Information
Reset for all
who attend!
www.inforeset.com
Need to improve your English for work or
social settlement? Learn for FREE with the Adult Migrant
English Program at TAFE Queensland.
The AMEP provides up to 510 hours of free English
language, literacy and numeracy training to eligible
refugees and migrants, at more than 40 sites throughout
Queensland.
At National
Zakat Foundation (NZF) we
aim to utilise Zakat funds
collected in Australia to
provide a lifeline for
local, deserving recipients.
This group consists of some
of the most vulnerable
members of our community,
including widows, orphans,
refugees, the elderly and
the homeless.
National Zakat Foundation
has had the opportunity to
assist our local sisters &
brothers right here in QLD.
Sara, a mum with 5 children
had been in a violent and
abusive relationship for
many years. Fearful for her
children's well being and
hers, she needed to move to
a new and safer place away
from her husband. NZF helped
her relocate by paying for
upfront costs. Sara moved to
new premises immediately.
She and her children are no
longer living in constant
fear and have started a new
and happier life.
David had just lost his
business where he had
invested a lot of money and
with mounting debts and a
young family to take care
of, he needed help urgently.
NZF came to his assistance
immediately.
Sadia a single mother and a
refugee came to Brisbane few
years ago with a young
child. She had been
hospitalised with serious
medical conditions. NZF has
assisted her with ongoing
financial support and
provided her with equipment
to start a small home
business, empowering Sadia
to do something she is
passionate about.
(ALL names have been changed
to protect identity of
clients)
Assalamu
alaikum warahmatullah.
I am sure you are aware
of the hell that Syrians
are going in the face of
non-stop bombing of USA,
Russia, Israel, ISIS,
and you name it.
The ultimate goal is to
kill as many Muslims as
possible. It is a race
that no global leaders
want to stop.
Please raise your hands
to Allah for the
Mustadafeen, helpless
sufferers of modern
killing machines.
Islamic Society of
Toowoomba has decided to
collect donations for
the recent victims of
Syrian war.
Donations should be
directed to the Imam
Abdul Kader of Garden
City Masjid, Toowoomba.
Alternatively, please
deposit/transfer your
charity to the Comm Bank
of Australia:
BSB 06 4459 A/c 1000
3579 (Reference Syria).
May Allah accept your
charity for the best of
His creation, and
protect our helpless
children, sisters and
brothers in Syria.
Jazak Allah Khair.
Fi amanillah,
Shahjahan
GOLD COAST ISLAMIC CULTURAL
CENTRE
Update as at
February 2018
The external
structure has been completed and
the scaffoldings were removed
this week. Now, the work will
commence inside the complex.
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.
Nuria Khataam
Date: Every last Wednesday of the month
Time: After Esha Salaat
Venue: Algester Mosque
Contact: Yahya
Ph: 0403338040
MASJID TAQWAH
Bald Hills, Brisbane
Daily program
(after Esha salah by Mufti Junaid)
Monday to Thursday = Quran Tafseer
Friday = Prophet’s (pbuh) Seerah
(All programs run for approximately 15 minutes)
Weekly Madrasa
Monday to Wednesday
3:30 pm to 5:00 pm
Conducted by our Imam Mufti Junaid
Every Sunday
Jaula & remembrance of Allah
between Maghrib and Isha.
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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The
Australian National Imams
Council (ANIC) expresses its
deepest condemnation of the
recent and ongoing events
which have transpired in
Ghouta, Syria. 
Hana Assafiri
speaks out about
her violent past
as Muslim child
bride 
Leading
Muslim cleric comes out in support of
repealing Ireland’s abortion laws 
s
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011