Standing alongside the
commemoration plaque for
Moheddeen Abdul Ghias Howsan in
the gardens of the Sunnybank RSL
are
l to r: Fazul Karrim
Muhammed, his great grand
nephew, and great grand nieces,
Zulaikha Goss and Zubaida Ahmed
In November 2017 the
Queensland Indian community
erected a memorial in the
Sunnybank RSL gardens for
Australians of Indian
heritage who fought in the
world wars.
The Queensland Muslim
Historical Society Inc had
two such war veterans’
records in its collection,
namely, Moheddeen Abdul
Ghias Howsan (Bob) and Abdul
William Bernard Kaus (Bill).
These war heroes were
grandsons of the Kaus and
Howsan families, who were
the first two Muslim
families to settle in the Mt
Gravatt area. They are also
related to many of our
original Queensland Muslim
families including the Kaus,
Howsan, Rane, Goss, Mohammed
and Deen families.
The two cousins served in
the Royal Australian Air
Force in Europe in Bomber
Squadrons.
Moheddeen
Abdul Ghias Howsan
(pictured left) in his
final task was to bomb the
Ford Motor Factory in France
before the Germans could
reach it. His crew
successfully carried out the
mission but was hit in the
back of the plane by enemy
fire. The plane was headed
for the Village of Mary Le
Roy which would have caused
the loss of many civilian
lives. Moheddeen was the
pilot who managed to change
the direction of the plane
to a park. When the burning
plane hit the ground the
crew were incinerated but
the village was saved.
Moheddeen was only 23 years
of age when he was buried in
France. The village people
erected a monument to
remember the crew who gave
their lives for the war
against the Germans and
their village.
The Muslim Historical
Society has a book which
contains his letters home to
his family and his war
diary. They were gifted to
the Society after the death
of his sister. His brother
Mohammed Howsan was the
owner of Howsan’s for Holden
which was in Mt Gravatt up
until Zupps bought it out in
the early 1970s. Howsan
Street in Mt Gravatt is
named after the family.
Abdul
William Bernard Kaus(pictured right)
was the grandson of Abdul
Ghias Kaus. He was younger
than his cousin when he
joined the Royal Australian
Air Force. He had a
distinguished career and was
often given the task of
flying the famous Australian
spy, Nancy Wake, into
London. He was awarded the
Distinguished Flying Cross
(a high award) for his
effort during the war. He
returned home after the war
and went into politics with
the Liberal party as the
Member for Mansfield. One of
his daughters also held a
seat in the Liberal party in
a country town. In 2005 the
French government awarded
him their highest award, the
Legion of Honour, just one
year before his death. The
Muslim Historical Society
holds newspaper copies of
this event. He was 83 when
he passed away.
On Saturday 26 May members
of the two families gathered
at the veterans memorial
service at the Sunnybank RSL
to install plaques in
remembrance of their service
to Australia - the first two
Australians of Indian
heritage to be installed
near the Indian monument.
They will be remembered and
prayed for every Anzac Day
from now onwards.
The Queensland Muslim
Historical Society was
instrumental in negotiating
with the RSL to have the
plaques installed in its
Veterans Memorial Garden.
Fazal Muhammed
recites a prayer
from the Quran as
part of the memorial
service
Muslims in Toowoomba partake
in Ifhar and dinner at the
Garden City Mosque every
night.
The Islamic Society of
Toowoomba has been
organizing community Ifthar
and dinner programmes for
many years. Various
communities and individuals
provide meals on selected
days as per the monthly
schedule.
Sheikh Hafiz Abdullah Isa
from Saudi Arabia has been
leading the Tarawi prayers
in the Garden City Mosque as
a sponsored Imam of WAMY.
Studded with Muslim
celebrities, almost 500
people including Muslim
community leaders, members
of parliament, councillors,
commissioners from Victorian
Multicultural Commission and
movers and shakers who have
served our communities, this
year the Premier’s Ramadhan
Dinner was the largest ever,
held on Monday 21 May 2018
at the glamorous Sofitel
Melbourne.
The sound of the blessed
athan (call to prayer)
echoed across the
beautifully decorated hall,
voiced by non other than our
very own football favourite
Bashar Houli following the
moving recitation of the
Noble Quran by a young man
Abdirahman Hassan.
The event with the theme
“Contribution & Belonging”
was MCed by VMC Youth
Commissioner, Tina Hosseini.
MC for the night VMC Youth
Commissioner, Tina Hosseini
Premier of Victoria, Daniel
Andrews gave a wonderful
speech highlighting how
humbled he was by the
countless positive
“contributions of Muslims to
their community, to the
economy, in the health
sector and in many different
ways”
He enthused about the
importance of sharing our
heritage and culture and
explained that “Here in
Victoria we don’t ‘tolerate’
diversity, we in every
respect celebrate it and
embrace it and recognise it
to be our richest asset.”
The Premier announced that
$7 million dollars in
funding has been allocated
for security upgrades at
places of worship with $3
million dollars going
towards Islamic places of
worship.
Saara Sabbagh, Director of
Benevolence Australia
Keynote speaker, Saara
Sabbagh, Founding Director
of Benevolence Australia
gave a very moving speech
highlighting how much has
changed in the past 10-15
years in Victoria, “a time
which has broken the Muslim
community.”
She reflected back to how
this talk of inclusion,
belonging and contribution
was not around for many of
us growing up in Victoria.
Saara Sabbagh shared her
optimism as she explained
how the conversation is now
changing from being just
about terrorism and why we
wear headscarves to having
things like exhibitions at
the museum celebrating the
whole month of Ramadhan.
Saara ended her address with
a call to action for
everyone to speak up for
social justice and drive
change through advocacy and
awareness against injustice.
Robin Scott MP, Minister for
Multicultural Affairs spoke
about having greater gender
equality and working with
everyone present so that
more Muslim women are
sitting on boards, in
government, private and
community leadership
positions.
She recognised the
incredible role of Muslim
women in ensuring the
success of our multicultural
society.
Grand Mufti of Australia –
Sheikh Abdel Aziem Al-Afifi
The final speaker for the
night was the incredibly
charismatic and engaging
Sheikh Abdel Aziem Al-Afifi,
the newly elected Grand
Mufti of Australia.
He explained that “the month
of Ramadhan isn’t just about
eating and drinking. It’s
about friendship, sharing
and caring and thank you to
the Premier of Victoria for
this invitation and this
opportunity to share food,
share values, to talk and
better understand one
another.”
This week, Australia's
Foreign Minister, Julie
Bishop announced the
appointment of Mr Ridwaan
Jadwat as Australia's next
Ambassador to Saudi Arabia,
with non-resident
accreditation to Bahrain,
Oman and Yemen.
"Australia's relationship
with Saudi Arabia is built
on strong commercial ties,
shared regional security
interests and engagement in
international groupings,
including the G20 where I
was delighted to meet with
my counterpart, Saudi Arabia
Foreign Minister Abdel bin
Ahmed Al-Jubeir at the G20
Foreign Ministers' Meeting
in Argentina," Ms Bishop
said.
Saudi Arabia is Australia's
second-largest trading
partner in the Middle East,
with two-way goods and
services trade reaching
almost $2.39 billion in
2016–17. Saudi investment in
Australia was worth $3.9
billion in 2016.
"People-to-people links
between our two countries
continue to grow. Saudi
students have chosen
Australia as a great
destination to study, with
more than 6,500 enrolled in
Australian educational
institutions in 2017," Ms
Bishop added.
Mr Jadwat is a senior career
officer with the Department
of Foreign Affairs and Trade
(DFAT), and was most
recently on secondment as
Assistant Secretary and Head
of Policy, ASEAN-Australia
Summit 2018 Taskforce, in
the Department of the Prime
Minister and Cabinet (PM&C).
He has previously served
overseas as Counsellor,
Australian High Commission,
Kuala Lumpur; and Deputy
Head of Mission, Australian
Embassy, Tehran. In
Canberra, he has served as
Assistant Secretary, South
and Southeast Asia, Americas
and Middle East Branch,
PM&C; and Director, ASEAN
and EAS Section, DFAT.
Mr Jadwat holds a Bachelor
of Laws (Honours) and a
Bachelor of Economics
(Social Sciences) from the
University of Sydney.
Mr Jadwat visited the Gold
Coast Mosque last week,
where he held talks with the
Mosque Committee.
Joining Tony Jones in
Melbourne Victorian Liberal
Senator Jane Hume, Tasmanian
Labor Senator Julie Collins,
philosopher/ethicist Peter
Singer, The Australian's Foreign
Affairs Editor Greg Sheridan and
author Randa Abdel-Fattah.
Selected transcripts
ROYAL WEDDING & YOUNG
MONARCHISTS
RANDA ABDEL-FATTAH
Look, I’m not above, you
know, enjoying Hollywood
celebrity gossip and
stories, but for me the
monarchy represents an
institution of imperialism
and racism, and it has been
enriched by that, by
corruption, imperialism,
racism, slavery, and for me
it’s not just that suddenly
we have a biracial bride and
so suddenly that kind of
diversity politics erases
the history of that
institution.
So, for me, we need to be
critical, and I think we
shouldn’t lose our critical
eye when we look at these
things and not be seduced by
the pomp and ceremony and
actually recognise what this
institution stands for. The
fact that homeless people
were taken away from the
streets, the fact that the
Grenfell massacre...Grenfell
fire people have still not
been compensated – these are
the real issues here, not
what Meghan was wearing and
whether or not she’s now
reformed an institution that
is fundamentally sick at its
core.
TONY JONES
I’m going to just interrupt,
‘cause Randa hasn’t come in
here yet. I think we might
have to bring you in on the
serious end of the
discussion. So do you think
an animal’s life could ever
have the same value as a
human life?
RANDA ABDEL-FATTAH, AUTHOR
AND ACADEMIC
No, I don’t. But that
doesn’t mean that I don’t
believe animals should be
treated humanely and
ethically. I also think this
is a topic…without in any
way at all trying to say
that we should abuse animals
or mistreat them, but it is
a topic in a First World
country. It’s a topic of
privileged people. The fact
that there are people who
have $12,000 bills for their
children, the fact that
there are people who have
$12,000 medical bills that
they can’t pay but we’re
talking about a $12,000 vet
bill.
I’m not trying to say that I
don’t believe that pets
should be treated well and
that we should treat them
with compassion, but I do
think this is a conversation
that it doesn’t speak to
everybody in the audience or
in the community, and there
would be people who would
say that we spend a lot of
time thinking about how we
treat animals. What about
people who we lock up in
detention, refugees? Again,
it’s not about trying to
equate one... You know,
trying to mount a “what
about these people?”
argument or “what about this
cause?” But there is a
fundamental problem if we
are going to focus a lot of
attention on the ethics and
care of animals and we treat
human beings as animals.
GAZA
RANDA ABDEL-FATTAH
Where do I start? Let’s
start with why Palestinians
are protesting in Hamas...in
the Gaza strip. I think it’s
important to put this into
context if we’re really to
make sense of this conflict.
They are protesting a brutal
siege. They are an open-air
prison – the largest
concentration camp in the
world, as it has been
described by a prominent
Israeli sociologist. They
are about 1.8 million people
in a size of about 355
square kilometres. There’s
about 41km by 10-12km. They
have a blockade for the last
11 years. Israel described
it as economic warfare,
where they were calculating
the number of calories that
Palestinians could live
under, just short of
starvation. They have a
population of 75% under the
age of 25. 51% of those are
children. 97% of the water
is poisonous. It is
undrinkable. And why is
that? Because Israel denied
them a water desalination
plant and bombed their water
treatment facility in the
2008 and 2009 siege.
It is an area that is trying
to send a message to the
world that, after 11 years
of being besieged, of being
traumatised, of having no
sense of dignity or hope and
being trapped – they’re not
even allowed to leave –
they’re trying to tell the
world, “Wake up. It’s been
11 years now. What more do
we have to do for you to
take notice?” And they did
it in a non-violent protest.
And what were they met with?
Nuclear-armed state drones.
They were met with live fire
by snipers. They were met
with people who... The IDF
tweeted and then quickly
took it down, tweeted that
they acted precisely, that
they knew exactly where
those bullets were landing.
And as Lieberman said, he
said that every person there
at the protest was a Hamas
operative. Was Leila
Ghandoor, an eight-month-old
baby who died, a Hamas
operative? He said that
there were no innocent
people in Gaza.
And this is the dehumanising
rhetoric that we get when it
comes to the Palestinians.
That when they protest
against something that we
would all protest against,
they are considered
terrorists, and they are
blamed for their own murder,
as Julie Bishop implied in
her tweet, where she put
first, before any criticism
of Israel, that the
Palestinians should exercise
restraint. So she is clearly
siding there with people who
are using expanding bullets
on children, on people who
are protesting, people who
are 700m from a perimeter
fence.
So, yes, I’m angry on behalf
of Palestinians that it
takes us this long for the
world to wake up. Wake up to
what’s happening to
Palestinians under our
watch. It’s a shame. It’s a
disgrace that Australia
voted against something that
doesn’t even need an
investigation. It’s no
mystery. It’s no mystery
what happened. There’s live
testimony. There’s video
evidence. There’s
photographic evidence. We
don’t need another
investigation, and then
what’s going to happen after
that? Nothing. Nothing.
JOSH GLADWIN
Hi guys. Um, cool story,
Randa. According to American
lawyer and academic Alan
Dershowitz, the most recent
Hamas provocations, having
40,000 Gazans try and tear
down the border fence and
enter Israel with Molotov
cocktails and other
improvised weapons, are part
of repeated Hamas tactics
that he has called the Dead
Baby Strategy. Hamas’s goal
is to have Israel kill as
many Gazans as possible, so
that the headlines always
begin and often end with the
body count. Do you agree?
RANDA ABDEL-FATTAH
Oh, poor Israel. We’re
forcing it to murder us. And
look at what the
Palestinians are up against.
And I don’t even need to
make this up. The IDF
tweeted a pictorial
inventory of Hamas weapons
of war. Let me explain what
was on that inventory –
arson kites, Molotov
cocktails, wire cutters,
rope for fence, disabled
civilians, children. So
that’s basically telling us,
in the IDF’s eyes, these are
weapons of war – children,
disabled civilians – and
they are therefore
legitimate targets. So
instead of blaming Hamas and
blaming Palestinians for
being murdered, how about we
actually look at the people
who are actually shooting
people and killing babies?
(APPLAUSE)
RANDA ABDEL-FATTAH
And not just that – what I
find so contemptible about
this is the dehumanisation
of Palestinians. The way
that we, in a very racist
way, assume that they are
puppets and pawns of Hamas.
They are human beings with
free will.
JOSH GLADWIN
Human shields.
RANDA ABDEL-FATTAH
No. Oh, excuse me. Not human
shields. They have dignity,
they have free will, they
have agency, and they are
not some monolithic mass of
Arabs. Each one of them
there is there for a purpose
– to protect and to defend
themselves. And they haven’t
given up on their right to
freedom. And this is what
frustrates Israel so much,
and its apologists – that we
are still there. This is the
circle that Israel cannot
square. That it wants to
maintain and establish an
ethno-racial exclusive
Jewish nation, but the
Palestinian people are
there, and we won’t
disappear.
JOSH GLADWIN
So why does Egypt have a
blockade against Gaza?
RANDA ABDEL-FATTAH
OK, Egypt, it’s disgraceful.
You are complicit. But the
problem is Israeli
occupation and the siege.
(APPLAUSE)
FAITH OR NEO-LIBERALISM?
TONY JONES
Randa, what
does faith mean to you? And
are you...to take the
questioner’s point, do you
think this is something to
do with our failures in our
economic system?
RANDA ABDEL-FATTAH
Faith, for
me, is about trying to see
the bigger picture. I am a
devout Muslim, and faith
guides everything I do in my
life. It is what drives me
to be passionate about
social justice. And it’s
what drives me to constantly
check myself, and always
check my intentions – who am
I speaking for, what
platform am I on, and how am
I helping to elevate other
people’s voices? So, for me,
faith is what drives me to
be a better person, a more
moral person.
That doesn’t
mean that I don’t believe
people without faith can be
moral people as well. I
think this isn’t a debate
about whether or not atheism
is destroying society or
whether or not faith is
destroying society. I think
people are capable of good
and bad. Of course, as a
Muslim, I believe I am on
the right path, but I also
believe that I’m living in a
pluralist society and that
there is space for
everybody. Ultimately, all I
care about is people’s
actions and character. And I
believe that God will judge
us in the end.
It is a matter of great
humanitarian concern that 60
unarmed Palestinians have
recently been killed by the
Israeli Forces, and a
further 2700 injured.
As Australians, we are
shocked to hear that
Australia was one of only
two countries (alongside the
US) to vote against a
resolution of the United
Nations Human Rights Council
to investigate this horrific
incident.
The Australian National
Imams Council and the
Australian Muslim Community
condemn this decision in the
strongest terms and demand a
more neutral and
impartial stance from our
Australian Government as
exercised by the
overwhelming majority of
nations around the world.
It seems unfathomable that
anyone seeking justice would
deliberately take steps to
block an impartial
investigation from taking
place, one which would
result in facts being
uncovered and justice being
done.
ANIC calls on all
compassionate and fair
minded people to stand
against injustice wherever
they see it, by any lawful
means necessary and to
uphold universal and the
true Australian values of
being fair and just to all.
Dr Matthews
has been working with the
Australian Islamic Mission since
1991.
After 23 years of planning,
a $7 million
council-required carpark and
a case in the High Court,
Punchbowl's newest mosque is
expected to open its doors
by the end of Ramadan next
month.
Funded by the community —
through grants, donations
and non-interest-bearing
loans — non-profit
organisation Australian
Islamic Mission (AIM) has
been pushing the project
since the mid-1990s.
South African-born
pharmacist and AIM
vice-president Zachariah
Matthews has been the
build's project-manager for
the past three years.
"It started way back in 1994
when we rented a prayer hall
at 29 Matthews Street," he
said.
"We bought that property two
years later, and bought
another two properties on
either side, making it into
one lot."
Fortunately for AIM, the
land was previously owned by
another Muslim group who had
petitioned for it to be
zoned as a place of public
worship.
Still, according to Dr
Matthews the group faced
objections from the local
council and ended up taking
their request to the High
Court in Canberra.
"It took them 17 years to
get it approved," he said.
Greek-Orthodoxy and a sign
from God
Despite the High Court
head-start, AIM still needed
someone to design the dream
mosque (and in their
original plan, an Islamic
primary school, too), and
the funding to pay for it.
"We canvassed, we enquired,
and a counsellor suggested
we look at Angelo [Candalepas],"
Dr Matthews said.
Concrete-cast
mini-domes, known in Arabic as
muqarnas, line two sloping
ceilings inside the mosque.
Indeed, Mr Candalepas had
designed a primary school
attached to the All Saints
Church in Belmore, but it
was Greek Orthodox — the
faith of his family.
When Mr Candalepas received
the architectural offer from
AIM to build a mosque in one
of Sydney's biggest Muslim
communities, he was
surprised, to say the least.
"I think the term is
'freaked out'.
"I didn't know what to say.
What do you say when someone
asks you to do what could be
one of the most important
buildings [to their
community], particularly
when their aspirations are
so lofty?"
It wasn't an immediate
"yes", but over coming days
Mr Candalepas prayed to God
for a sign. He received a
week's worth.
Mr Candalepas
drew inspiration from European
and Middle Eastern mosques in
his design.
Leaders from six other
religious communities
approached Mr Candalepas. He
was asked to design churches
and a great synagogue.
Still unconvinced he was the
right architect for the
Punchbowl mosque, he
confided in a Greek-Orthodox
priest from one of the
parishes also hoping to
commission him.
"He said, 'We are all the
children of God, and you
must do every single one of
these projects and they must
be the most important
projects of your life,'" Mr
Candalepas recalled.
'Appalling' council
regulations
With an architect on board,
designs were taking shape
until the Canterbury council
issued a stipulation that
threatened to blow the
entire budget.
"The worst example of
treachery was in the
requirement of the
offices of the council
to have one car parking
space per two people,"
Mr Candalepas said.
"What we're creating is a
mosque in a place that most
people could walk, and yet
there was an impost of a car
park for 150 cars… it's
appalling.
"Car parks are there for the
frequency of use and if you
use a church once a week it
becomes nonsense, doesn't
it, to require everyone to
park at that place?"
Due to limited space, a
multi-storey carpark was
designed to sit underneath
the mosque.
A two-storey
carpark now sits underneath the
mosque.
But there was another issue.
"When they did the geotech
survey they hit a water
table, so what that meant is
that if council insisted on
us building the third level
we had to water tank that
entire third level for the
car park, and that
potentially could have
doubled the cost of the car
park," Dr Matthews said.
Fortunately, council reduced
their requirement and agreed
that a two-storey carpark
with 109 spaces would
suffice.
Even still, the underground
carpark drained more than $7
million from the budget,
causing AIM to "shelve"
their idea of an on-site
primary school.
The star and
crescent are the only Islamic
symbols on the outside of this
modern minaret.
Master artist denied visa
The mosque's construction
started in October 2015, and
it was hoped the space would
be open in time for this
year's Ramadan, which began
on May 16.
But the delayed visa of one
Turkish calligrapher, and
the denied visa of his
teacher, created a major
setback for the intended
completion date.
Zachariah
Matthews's wife Faiza (L) and
Oula Qasim say the mosque will
provide a social and religious
space for the community.
The calligraphers were
commissioned to paint the 99
names of God on 99
mini-domes on the ceiling of
the mosque, a task that is
expected to take two people
two to three weeks.
"I think everyone thinks
if you're a Muslim,
you're a terrorist — I
shouldn't say that, I
think it's just so
extreme," Mr Candalepas
said.
"Here we have two gentlemen
that want to come to our
building and inscribe into
the building names of God,
and they're not allowed into
this country."
This week, Dr Matthews
confirmed that a third
calligrapher — who could
ostensibly replace the
master artist barred from
entering the country — has
had his papers accepted.
Once the calligraphy is
complete, the carpets — a
mix of Turkish and New
Zealand wool — can be laid,
and the Muslim call to
prayer will, finally, sound
across Matthews Street,
Punchbowl.
[ABC EDITOR'S NOTE: Throughout
Ramadan, Muslim scholars,
intellectuals and activists from
around the world will be
contributing reflections on the
moral demands and spiritual
meaning of this holiest month.
But, as Susan Carland makes
clear in her introduction, these
meditations also act as an
invitation - to Muslims and
non-Muslims alike - to reflect
on the way we neglect the health
of our souls during the rest of
the year.]
Susan Carland
Monash University
Susan Carland is a lecturer
and researcher at Monash
University's National Centre for
Australian Studies, and the
author of Fighting Hislam:
Women, Faith and Sexism.
The first Ramadan began with
a man climbing a rocky
mountain and retreating into
a tiny cave. He sat there,
alone, for a month of
fasting, meditation,
reflection and prayer, as he
had many times before. He
was trying to distil the
mysteries of the universe,
compassion and the knowledge
of God.
Somewhere during the last
ten days of that month, the
angel Gabriel - the same
angel that visited Mary in
the Gospels - appeared to
this man in his cave and had
an exchange with him that
would change his life,
revolutionise his society
and affect the world
forever.
It was also an exchange that
gives us profound lessons
about the nature of our
physicality, and the
connection between our
bodies and divine
inspiration - lessons that
have resonated through every
Ramadan since.
When the angel Gabriel (Jibreel
in Arabic) first spoke to
Muhammad, he ordered him to
"Recite!" Muhammad,
understandably terrified at
the sudden appearance of a
supernatural being, replied
he neither knew how to
recite nor what to recite,
which indeed was true. While
public oral poetry was very
popular and highly prized
during his time, he, an
illiterate man, was not
known to have ever come up
with as much as a single
line of verse in his life.
Upon his reply, Gabriel
embraced Muhammad, and
squeezed him so hard
Muhammad reported later he
feared he would pass out
from the pressure.
Again Gabriel ordered
Muhammad to recite and,
again, the frightened man
said he couldn't. Once more
he was embraced so tightly
that he said he almost could
not bear it.
A third time Gabriel told
him to recite, and a third
time an increasingly
desperate Muhammad claimed
his inability. Gabriel took
him and embraced him so hard
Muhammad felt he was being
crushed, and then Gabriel
proceeded to recite to a
stunned Muhammad the words
that would form the first
revelation of the Qur'an and
thus transform him from man
to prophet.
This interaction between
angel and human should be,
in many ways, analogous to a
Muslim's experience of their
own Ramadan. Every Ramadan,
adult Muslims are to abstain
from all eating, drinking
and sex during daylight
hours. This intense
discipline is supposed to
align us more closely to God
- by controlling our most
basic desires and thus be
more fully in submission, we
can be more in touch with
the divine will. Authentic
Muslim traditions state that
Allah said, "All the deeds
of people are for them,
except fasting which is for
Me ... People have left
their food, drink and
desires for My sake. The
fast is for Me."
By emptying ourselves out -
physically of food and
spiritually of our
attachment to anything that
takes us away from God - we
create the necessary space
for the holy. Just as you
cannot add to a full vessel,
a soul full of itself has no
room for God. A gap must be
created.
Muhammad had to be enfolded
into an almost unbearable
angelic clutch until he felt
his very breath had left his
body, as indeed it did. He
needed empty lungs to fully
inhale the sacred
inspiration. It is no
coincidence that inspiration
can also be defined as the
act of drawing air into the
lungs. And he was taking in
not only the words that
would form the holy text for
Muslims, but the very intent
God had for his life from
then on - a life of complete
submission.
During the course of the
month of Ramadan, we can
feel as if we are being
crushed, but in fact we are
draining the space within -
space for that which we
truly need. Just as Muhammad
did, we may want to proclaim
our inability to do what is
required. The fasting may
feel too hard, the inner
labour too intense. It might
leave us feeling as though
we are gasping for air. But
as the interaction in the
cave demonstrates, it is
precisely in those moments
of lack of belief in
ourselves that the emptying
out is most required. When
we say, "I can't do it,
God!" we are showing we are
still placing too much stock
in our own selves. We need
to be emptied out to make
room for more of the divine.
True submission and the
ego-self cannot exist in the
same vessel.
Ramadan marks the time of
the first direct
communication between the
holy and the final prophet
of Islam. It also was a time
of self-doubt, and an
emptying of self that was
painful. But the reason for
this - the creation of
spiritual space to fill up
with sacred guidance - is
one for all Muslims to keep
in mind during their own
thirty days of emptying out.
If we truly want the divine,
we must create the space
within for it.
Ramadan is an opportunity to
tip it all out and, as the
tradition says, leave it all
behind. Ramadan has a
crushing embrace, but it is
that immense constriction
that conversely creates the
space our souls so
desperately need.
To experience love and show
grief is not weakness but an
expression of mercy - God's
mercy."
One of the few benefits in
the Australian tax
legislation is the ability
to secure a tax deduction
for contributions made to
zakah funds who have
Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR)
status.
Many Australian zakah
organisations have DGR
status. You can easily
recognise them by the
statement “100% tax
deduction” on their websites
and advertisements.
Iqbal Lambat explains how a
zakah contribution made to a
DGR fund impacts the actual
cost of zakah to you. Your
cost is reduced by your
marginal tax rate which
enables you to either pocket
the tax deduction or make a
higher contribution.
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.
21
"We are open to
dialogue to iron out all the
pending issues, not only for
the benefit of our peoples
and governments, but also to
spare our region the
pointless efforts to
dissipate our gains."
Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani
became the Emir of Qatar at
the age of 33 after his
father, Sheikh Hamad bin
Khalifa al-Thani, abdicated
in June 2013. Qatar is the
richest country in the world
with a GDP per capita of
$93,352. It is the top
exporter of liquefied
natural gas, and the site of
the third largest natural
gas reserves in the world.
Family: Sheikh Tamim
is Sheikh Hamad’s fourth son
and was chosen as Crown
Prince in August 2003. His
mother is the powerful
Sheikha Moza, who still
plays a prominent public
role as an advocate for
social and educational
causes.
Education: Sheikh
Tamim completed his studies
at a private school in UK
before going on to graduate
at the Royal Military
Academy in Sandhurst (in
1998). During his time as
Crown Prince (2003-13),
Sheikh Tamim had exposure to
a wide-range of posts
including security (he was
deputy commander of the
armed forces), economics
(chairman of the Qatar
Investment Authority) and
sports. Indeed he supervised
Qatar’s successful bid to
host the 2022 FIFA World Cup
Expectations: Qatar
exploded onto the world
scene under his father’s
reign, and expectations are
that Sheikh Tamim will try
to consolidate these
achievements. Packing a
punch far above its weight
has led to neighbouring
countries questioning the
purpose of so many
initiatives. He has had to
repair relations with other
Gulf countries over
supporting the Muslim
Brotherhood, and defend
Qatar’s world image over the
treatment of labourers in
Qatar. Joining a Saudi-led
alliance against the Houthis,
and pledges made to improve
working conditions of
labourers seemed to have
addressed both issues.
Blockade: In June
2017, Saudi Arabia, United
Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and
Egypt cut all relations with
Qatar and imposed trade and
travel bans. This drastic
action resulted from various
claims that Qatar was
supporting terrorism and had
violated a 2014 agreement
with GCC countries. Its good
relations with Iran and it
hosting Al-Jazeera TV
network are also factors in
this tense situation which
has seen foodstuff imported
from Iran and Turkish
soldiers called in to help
safeguard Qatar assets. A
further complicating factor
in this family feud is that
Qatar hosts the largest
American base in the Middle
East and all the blockade
partners are close allies of
the US.
ANOTHER FROM THE TOP 50
INFLUENTIAL MUSLIMS IN NEXT
WEEK'S CCN
CNN spent a year
interviewing more than 100
American Muslims, asking who
they think are the most
influential Muslims in their
fields. We sought nominees
for whom religion is part of
their public identity, but
other than that, we let
American Muslims do most of
the talking.
Hind Makki was fed up. The
Chicagoan entered the
women’s section of a local
mosque, only to find it was
just 6 feet wide, much
smaller than the men's
prayer space.
She posted a picture of the
cramped area on Facebook and
sparked a conversation about
gender and inclusivity that
continues to this day.
Makki says her blog, Side
Entrance, refers not just to
the separate door that many
mosques make women enter,
but also the physical and
emotional expectations
placed on Muslim women.
Women across the globe have
cheered her -- and sent in
pictures of their own
mosques. Mosque leaders have
learned to fear the power of
Side Entrance to draw
attention to unequal gender
arrangements.
As one Muslim-American said,
“No mosque wants to be
blasted on her list.”
What other Muslims say about
Makki:
“Hind’s work with
Side Entrance has been
the catalyst for a lot
of progress. She is the
fault line of a major
cultural shift.”
The lives, ambitions, and
beliefs of more than 40
members of Brisbane's Muslim
community have been put
under the spotlight in a new
project aimed at dispelling
misconceptions about Islam
and its followers.
Award-winning documentary
photographer Matt Palmer
interviewed and photographed
41 Muslims living in the
Queensland capital for his
online project, Faces of
Islam.
Why the Far Right Believes
Every Muslim—Including Me—Is a
Liar
Tear Stains On Her Prayer Mat
Solace 'for
revert sisters in difficulty'
Did you know a
large number of reverts end up
leaving Islam?
Why American TV needs a
Muslim Modern Family
VOX
More pop culture
representation can transform the
way Americans view Muslims,
argues Reza Aslan.
Prime Minister Trudeau
delivers a message on Ramadan
Justin Trudeau –
Prime Minister of Canada
Coca Cola - Ramadan 2018
Ramadan Lectures
with Imam
Uzair Akbar
Living Muslim LIVE with
Hoblos and Stuzz!
Living Muslim
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.
UK
Mosque Opens Crypto Donations in National
First ‘Bitcoin Ramadan’
Gurmit Singh, Erkin Guney and
Zayd al Khair
UK: A Dalston mosque is thought to be
the first in the UK to accept Bitcoin
donations, to tap into a potentially
phenomenal amount of worldwide cash
throughout Ramadan.
Leaders at the Masjid Ramadan have made
the decision to also accept another
popular crypto-currency, Ethereum, to
try and get urgent repairs carried out
at the mosque in Shacklewell Lane.
They want to benefit from Muslim
crypto-currency users who are obliged to
give away 2.5pc of their wealth to
charity during the 30-day Muslim
festival. Known as Zakat, or Zakah, the
annual donation is compulsory for all
but the very poorest Muslims.
The mosque, a registered charity, hopes
to raise at least Ł10,000 in
crypto-currency donations over Ramadan.
Erkin Guney, the chairman of the board
of trustees, told the Gazette: “We are
hoping to bring the attention to the
Muslim world we need support. I’ve grown
up around here and I have watched the
community grow and the challenges it’s
faced with - it’s a struggle, with
housing, food, the cost of funerals and
government changes. We are trying to
appeal to a wider audience with the new
money. It’s big in the Islamic world,
and we have set up a platform for
wealthier Muslims outside our community
to support and donate to our mosque.”
Shacklewell Lane Mosque
The founder of blockchain technology
start-up Combo Innovation, Gurmit Singh,
has advised the mosque on how to
receive, store and sell crypto-currency
safely.
Donations can be made on the mosque’s
website, and will be transferred to the
bank’s crypto-currency hard wallet which
will be visible for all to see. The
donation will then be traded for
sterling through a currency exchange
like LocalBitcoin UK.
“If Muslims, who make up a quarter of
the world’s population, hold just 1pc of
Bitcoins – or Ł1.04bn – then Ł26 million
in Zakat contributions is due,” said Mr
Singh.
“It’s
likely the actual figure is much higher.
Currently hardly any mosques or Islamic
charities accept Zakat in
crypto-currency. They are potentially
losing out on millions of pounds.”
Zayd al Khair, a religious advisor at
Masjid Ramadan has been gauging opinions
of the emerging currency from Islamic
scholars all over the world.
“Bitcoin is a new phenomenon so scholars
are divided,” he said. “Some have taken
a practical approach and others have
embraced it fully, and we have decided
to take their position.”
UK: Mohamed Salah will
not fast in the build-up to Liverpool’s
Champions League final with Real Madrid
on Saturday, according to the club’s
physiotherapist.
The Egyptian is a devout Muslim and has
been, as all who follow Islam do,
abstaining from eating food and drinking
any liquid during daylight hours as part
of Ramadan, which began on 16 May.
Under Islamic teachings, it is
permissible to break your fast “with
anything that is adequate need” or if
you are travelling during the day –
which Salah will be doing.
It had previously been reported in Egypt
that Salah would uphold his fasting
during the final, which means he would
not be allowed to consume anything, even
water, in the hours leading up to
kick-off in Kiev.
However, Ruben Pons, Liverpool’s physio,
has revealed that the 44-goal sensation
will be breaking his fast in preparation
for the game on both Friday and
Saturday.
“We were in Marbella and the
nutritionist established a work plan,”
he told Spanish radio station Cadena
SER. “Tomorrow and the day of the match
he won’t, so it’s not going to affect
him.”
Manager Jurgen Klopp was quizzed on his
star man's plans but insisted it was a
private matter for Salah and Salah
alone.
"Religion is private, how I understand
it," he said in his pre-match press
conference. "Nothing to say about that
but all fine you will see him out there.
In training he is full of power - you
need to be the day before a final."
Salah has not played a game since
Ramadan began, with the Reds’ final game
of the domestic season – in which he
scored his 32nd league goal against
Brighton – being played on 13th May.
The 25-year-old’s battle with the
Champions League’s top scorer Cristiano
Ronaldo is one of the headline
sub-contests in Kiev, with the two
players on a collision course for this
year’s Ballon d’Or, along with Lionel
Messi.
Muslim
prisoners 'fed ham sandwiches by guards'
after breaking Ramadan fast
Judge grants
emergency order telling
corrections officers to
serve nutritional meals to
fasting prisoners who were
allegedly only given pork-based
meals
ALASKA: A federal judge
has ordered an Alaska prison to stop
feeding Muslim inmates pork when they
break their fasts during Ramadan, a
civil rights group says.
The Council on American-Islamic
Relations (CAIR) said a restraining
order had been granted by a court on
Friday after it accused the Anchorage
Correctional Complex of “cruel and
unusual punishment”.
In a lawsuit filed on Tuesday, CAIR
claimed two practising Muslim prisoners
at the jail were being “starved”, as
corrections officers were offering them
pork-based meals as they observed the
holy month.
The suit demanded a “balanced
nutritional diet” for the inmates,
policy changes and compensatory and
punitive damages, the group said.
It claimed those observing Ramadan
receive bagged meals each evening after
sunset that provided between 500 and
1,100 calories a day, arguing the men
should be receiving 2,600 to 2,800
calories a day under federal health
guidelines.
Food packages given to inmates contained
sandwiches filled will Bologna ham,
which they were prevented from eating by
their faith and no alternatives were
offered, the lawsuit said.
“The constitution and congress forbid
prisons from compelling inmates to
choose between their faith and food,”
said CAIR’s national litigation director
Lena Masri.
“We hope that a court will do what
Anchorage Correctional Complex officials
will ensure that Muslim inmates are not
starved or forced to violate the
principles of their faith during the
holy month of Ramadan.”
An attorney for the state, Matthias
Cicotte, disputed allegations made by
CAIR that the prisoners were deprived.
However, US district court judge H
Russel Holland said he would generally
uphold the requests of inmates to
receive adequate, pork-free food during
the month.
Denmark
Minister Calls Fasting Muslims ‘a Danger’ in
Ramadan
Inger
Stojberg, Denmark’s immigration
minister
COPENHAGEN — Denmark’s
immigration minister, who last year
celebrated the country’s increasingly
strict entry laws by posting a Facebook
picture of herself with a cake, has
suggested that Muslims fasting for
Ramadan should stay home from work “to
avoid negative consequences for the rest
of Danish society.”
The minister, Inger Stojberg, made the
remarks in a newspaper column on Monday
in which she called adherence to the
religious practice “a danger to all of
us.”
The monthlong Ramadan holiday, which
began last week, involves daily fasting
from dawn to dusk, a period that in
Denmark lasts up to 18 hours a day
during the spring and summer. Ms.
Stojberg pointed in particular to bus
drivers and people working in hospitals.
Her comments prompted criticism from
Muslims and immigration advocates.
“This is a minister who is supposed to
strengthen integration and strengthen
social cohesion between population
groups,” said Natasha Al-Hariri, an
integration consultant who holds a law
degree and is Muslim. “But she’s doing
the opposite: She’s stirring up a debate
based on no figures, no statistics and
no anecdotes.”
Former
Somali refugee becomes youngest mayor of
Sheffield
UK: A 28-year-old Muslim
former refugee broke the glass ceiling
by becoming the first Somali-British
Lord Mayor of Sheffield in the United
Kingdom, and also its youngest ever.
Magid Magid, who was born in Somalia and
moved to Sheffield with his family at
five years old after staying in a
refugee camp in Ethiopia for six months,
is also the first Green Party councilor
to ever hold the office.
Magid's success and his inaugural
portrait as mayor at the town hall
quickly became viral on social media,
with the young mayor gaining hundreds of
fans around the world for his unique
style and promise to bring a modern
twist to the office.
"Me and my family moved
to Sheffield from Somalia when I was
five years old to look for a better life
and it was this great city I call home
that welcomed me and many others like
me. But I am not arrogant enough to
think that I made it here all by
myself," Magid said in a statement.
Magid studied marine biology at the
University of Hull, where he first
entered politics. He was elected as
Green councilor for Broomhill and
Sharrow Vale ward in Sheffield in 2016.
Muslims
forced to drink alcohol and eat pork in
China's 're-education' camps
CHINA: Muslims were
detained for re-education by China‘s
government and made to eat pork and
drink alcohol, according to a former
internment camp inmate.
Omir Bekali, one among perhaps a million
people reportedly arrested and held in
mass re-education camps, said he was
detained without trial or access to a
lawyer and forced to disavow his beliefs
while praising the Communist Party.
Mr Bekali, a Kazakh citizen, said he
contemplated suicide after 20 days in
the facility – which itself followed
seven months in a prison.
Since spring last year authorities in
Xinjiang region have confined tens or
even hundreds of thousands of Muslims in
the camps, including some foreign
nationals. One estimate put the figure
at a million or more.
A US commission called it the “the
largest mass incarceration of a minority
population in the world today” while a
leading historian called it “cultural
cleansing”.
The Independent has contacted the
Chinese foreign ministry for comment.
Asked to comment on the camps by the
Associated Press, the ministry said it
“had not heard” of the situation. When
asked why non-Chinese had been detained,
it said the Chinese government protected
the rights of foreigners in China and
that they should also be law abiding.
Chinese officials in Xinjiang did not
respond to requests for comment.
When Mr Bekali refused to follow orders
each day in the camp, he was forced to
stand at a wall for five hours at a
time. A week later, he was sent to
solitary confinement, where he was
deprived of food for 24 hours, he
claimed. After 20 days in the heavily
guarded camp, he wanted to kill himself.
“The psychological pressure is enormous,
when you have to criticise yourself,
denounce your thinking – your own ethnic
group,” said Mr Bekali, who broke down
in tears as he described the camp. “I
still think about it every night, until
the sun rises. I can’t sleep. The
thoughts are with me all the time.”
KB says:
The perfect accompaniment to Haleem in Ramadaan.
This is an adaptation of a recipe from Mehroon
Hans.
Naan
INGREDIENTS
& METHOD
Introductory
Notes
Step One
Mix together
3 cups of sifted
bread flour less 1˝
Tab
1 x 10g yeast
sachets
1 tsp. salt
1˝ Tab. full cream
milk powder
1 tab soomph/ fennel
seeds
Step Two
Cream together
1 tab butter
1/8 cup oil
1/3 cup of castor
sugar
Then add one egg and
beat well.
(Remembering to
leave aside a little
egg to brush the top
of the naans before
baking)
Step 3
Rub in the creamed
mixture into the
flour mixture with
light fingers and
make soft dough with
˝ cup of warm milk
and ˝ cup of warm
water. The dough
will be sticky and
soft so used oiled
hands. Leave to rise
in a warm place
until double in
size.
One the dough has
risen, used oiled
hands to divide the
dough into 4
portions and place
in a baking tray, (I
used mini pizza
trays) brush with
the beaten egg and
sprinkle with poppy
seeds or sesame
seeds.
Bake at 180 degrees
until light brown.
Do you have a recipe to share with CCN
readers?
Send in your favourite recipe to me at
admin@ccnonline.com.au and be my "guest chef" for the week.
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:
Comparisons Are
Pointless - The
Grass Is ALWAYS
Greener Where You
Water It
Social media has
become a platform
for comparisons. In
my nature of work, I
meet many people
struggling in
relationships,
careers and battling
with self-esteem
issues. However,
when they show me
their social media
pages, their
pictures tell a
different story.
Upon delving on the
issues surrounding
their struggles, the
most commonly
identified feelings
are:
•
I’m not good
enough
• I wish my life
was like so an
so
• How come
everyone else
has a better
life than me?
• Why is Allah
punishing me?
These
feelings all revolve
around a very common
whisper that
shaitaan practises
to cause divide,
competition and
jealousy among
people -
COMPARISONS.
The only place where
comparisons have any
validity is in
scientific research
studies where the
researcher has
knowledge of all the
variables of the
experiment and is
able to logically
analyse results by
comparing and
contrasting those
variables.
Humanity is not a
scientific
experiment. We are
not comparable. Why?
Because when you
compare yourself to
another, unlike the
researcher in a lab
experiment who knows
everything about all
the variables of the
experiment, YOU
DON’T KNOW
EVERYTHING about the
people you are
comparing yourself
with. From the
start, it is a
pointless exercise
to even put any
effort into. ONLY
ALLAH knows
everything about
everyone and yes,
there will come a
day where HE will
compare deeds and
judge us all. Your
comparisons are
baseless, pointless,
not to mention a
complete waste of
your precious energy
that could be spent
in ways to please
ALLAH. Comparisons
are shaitaan’s way
of taking you away
from the practice of
gratitude to the
practice of constant
fear and complaints.
The Grass Is
ALWAYS Greener Where
You Water It
Water the garden of
your soul...do not
waste time wishing
for a different
soul.
If you compare
yourself to others,
somehow you are
wishing for their
life. Your soul
needs nourishment,
it needs watering so
that you can see the
abundance from
ALLAH.
Your self-esteem is
based on how you
value yourself. If
you really feel the
need to compare,
compare yesterday’s
self with your
today’s self. The
beauty about Islam
is that ALLAH has
given us five daily
prayers where we can
pause and reflect on
ourselves to better
ourselves from the
time we finish one
prayer to the time
we begin the next so
that we are
constantly growing.
Compare your
behaviours, your
response or reaction
to situations, your
gratitude meter,
your complaints
meter. The more you
affirm your life
positively, the more
positive outcomes
arise from
situations. Here are
some gratitude
statements to help
you switch your
mindset from
comparison to
gratefulness.
Situation
Negative
Self -Talk
Gratitude
Statements
Money
How come I
don’t have
as much
money as so
and so..
Thank you,
ALLAH, for
my financial
abundance.
Marriage
I wish my
marriage was
like...
Thank you,
ALLAH, for
my joyful
marriage.
Disobedient
children
Why aren’t
my kids like
their’s?
Thank you,
ALLAH, for
making my
children
healthy and
joyful and
keeping them
on the
straight
path.
Job
I hate my
job.
I wish I had
a different
job.
Thank you,
ALLAH, for
helping me
realise I am
not happy in
my job.
Please help
me find my
purpose.
Body Image
I don’t like
my body. I
wish I was
like...
Thank you,
ALLAH, for
my healthy
body which
unconditionally
breathes for
me and
allows me to
accomplish
righteous
deeds that
may please
you.
Someone wise once
said, “When you
change the way you
look at things, the
things you look at
change.”
In Shaa ALLAH, next
week we will explore
the topic:
Listening To Your
Intuition
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.
Mula Nasruddin
recently met a Chinese man in Toronto and got to know
that his name was Habbibullah.
He asked him, "How did you ever get a name like that
being a Chinese?"
He said -"Many, many years ago when I first went to
Canada, I was standing in line at the Political Asylums
Immigration queue counter...The man in front of me was
an Afghani refugee.
The lady at the counter looked at him and asked "What is
your name?"
He replied "Habbibullah".
After processing his papers, she looked at me and asked
"What's your name?"
It is He who sends the wind
ahead of His mercy. Then,
when they have gathered up
heavy clouds, We drive them
to a dead land, where We
make water come down, and
with it We bring out all
kinds of fruits. Thus We
bring out the dead—perhaps
you will reflect.
3rd Annual Australian
Islamic Schooling
Conference:
Islamic Schooling Renewal
– A Focus on Pedagogy
Tuesday 10 and Wednesday
11 July 2018
Adelaide
Pedagogy can be defined in
many ways, narrowly as a way
of teaching or a methodology
of instruction, and more
broadly as a framework for
conceptualising what is
meant by approaches to
schooling. A critical
reflection on pedagogy
within the field of Islamic
schooling is timely as we
move beyond the
establishment phase and
embrace an era characterised
by renewal.
If one considers the
provocation that pedagogy is
never politically neutral, a
unique lens for exploration
exists in the field of
Islamic schooling given the
complex politics of Muslims
and Islam in popular
Australian media as well as
in other contemporary
Western contexts and the
intersection with
contemporary schooling
contexts, sometimes
criticised as neoliberal.
How much progress has been
made in the area of pedagogy
within Islamic schooling?
What is an Islamic pedagogy
and what does it offer to
the field of Islamic
schooling? Are our current
pedagogies responsive to the
educational context and the
needs of Australian Muslim
students? How does
pedagogical practice in
Islamic schools align with
AITSL teacher standards? How
equipped is the field of
Islamic schooling to manage
necessary pedagogical
renewal?
These are just some of the
questions that Islamic
Schooling Renewal – A Focus
on Pedagogy will tackle over
two conference days, as it
examines pedagogy and
Islamic schooling for Muslim
students from a
whole-of-life and
whole-of-community
perspective.
With an impressive line-up
of international and
national speakers from
specialist disciplines and
diverse sectors, Islamic
Schooling Renewal – A Focus
on Pedagogy is sure to offer
valuable and practical
insights into the future of
pedagogy in Islamic
schooling in the West.
The conference will
critically explore pedagogy
and Islamic schooling for
Muslim students from a
whole-of-life and
whole-of-community
perspective.
Topics and themes of
presentations will include
the following but not
limited to:
• Conceptualisations of
pedagogy in Islamic
schooling
• Pedagogy – theory and
praxis
• Pedagogical leadership
• Politics and pedagogy
• Pedagogy, identity and
citizenship
• Critical pedagogical
perspectives
• Culturally Responsive
Pedagogy
• Professional learning
communities – pedagogical
conversations
• Pedagogy and implications
for curriculum and
assessment
• Professional learning and
teacher education
The 3rd Annual Australian
Islamic Schooling
Conference: Islamic
Schooling Renewal – A Focus
on Pedagogy will be held on
Tuesday 10 and Wednesday
11 July 2018 in
Adelaide, South Australia,
for more information please
contact
cite@unisa.edu.au or 08
8302 6919
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..
Share your
thoughts, feelings and ambitions for our community through CCN.
If there is
someone you know who would like to subscribe to CCN please
encourage them to enter their details
here.
The CCN's "We'll
take that as a
comment" Column 
Moheddeen
Abdul Ghias Howsan
(pictured left) in his
final task was to bomb the
Ford Motor Factory in France
before the Germans could
reach it. His crew
successfully carried out the
mission but was hit in the
back of the plane by enemy
fire. The plane was headed
for the Village of Mary Le
Roy which would have caused
the loss of many civilian
lives. Moheddeen was the
pilot who managed to change
the direction of the plane
to a park. When the burning
plane hit the ground the
crew were incinerated but
the village was saved.
Moheddeen was only 23 years
of age when he was buried in
France. The village people
erected a monument to
remember the crew who gave
their lives for the war
against the Germans and
their village.
UK
Mosque Opens Crypto Donations in National
First ‘Bitcoin Ramadan’ 
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011