This year, the Queensland
Government received a
record-breaking 133 award
submissions for its annual
multicultural awards which
"recognise the valuable
contributions of
Queenslanders who support
and promote a united,
harmonious and inclusive
Queensland community".
The finalists were announced
this week.
The winner of each category
will be announced at a gala
awards lunch held in
Brisbane on 19 August.
Amongst the finalists are:
Outstanding Young Achiever
Madina Mohmood
Madina
Mohmood is passionate
about supporting and
promoting cultural
diversity within the
community. An Ambassador
for World Vision in 2014
and attendee of the
United Nations Youth
Forum in New York in
2015, Madina has
travelled throughout
Queensland to engage
with students about her
experiences overseas.
She has also co-founded
the University of
Queensland Afghan
Student Association to
assist Afghan students
and break-down ethnic
tensions and stereotypes
between subcultures
within Afghan culture,
and between Afghan
communities and the
wider community.
Imaan Ashraf
Imaan
Ashraf, a school captain
at the Whitsunday
Anglican School, is a
proud and visible
ambassador of Islam and
works within the Mackay
community to raise
awareness and dispel
misunderstandings about
Islam. She is also
committed to giving back
to her community –
participating in the
School Amnesty Club,
acting as President of
the School Zonta Club
and MC of the Mackay
Open Day, which helps
bring the people of
Mackay together.
Outstanding Individual
Achiever
Faiza El-Higzi
Sudanese-born
Faiza El-Higzi is an
active campaigner for
human rights and
cultural diversity
within the Queensland
community. She is
described as a ‘bridge
builder’ who strengthens
community ties by
creating spaces for
conversations and
interactions. Her work
on community and
government boards are
important opportunities
to bring attention to
multicultural community
issues and enable
discussions that lead to
positive outcomes.
Multicultural Queensland
Ambassador
Islamic Women’s Association
of Australia
The
Islamic Women’s
Association of Australia
(IWAA) has worked
consistently towards
dispelling myths about
Muslims and promoting a
fair and harmonious
Queensland through
community education
campaigns addressing
local issues. IWAA has
also worked specifically
at addressing those
issues within culturally
diverse communities that
may contribute to
negative stereotyping by
the broader community.
They appeared in the SBS
documentary, ‘The Mosque
Next Door’, which
provided a national
television program that
dispelled myths and
challenged stereotypes
surrounding Muslims in
Australia. They have
also delivered parenting
workshops that assist
migrants to develop
non-physical strategies
for parenting their
children and respectful
relationships programs
which are aimed at
educating young Muslim
people on the positive
foundations of
non-violent
relationships.
Police investigating the
murder of Abdul Basith in
Kuraby last year are looking
for the man in this CCTV
video footage, seen
prior and after the murder.
If you have any information
call Crime Stoppers on 1800
333 000.
Details of the $250,000 reward, CCTV
and related press
conferences completed to
date
can be found here.
The work of anti-racism is
done by many in the
community. These profiles
highlight just a few of the
Australians who have stood
up against racism, and
spoken up for equality.
How would you describe
your work or advocacy on
anti-racism,
multiculturalism and
cultural diversity? Two words summarise my
work in this area: listening
and understanding.
Most of the racism and hate
stems from fear which is
caused by lack of
understanding and fear of
the unknown. While calling
racism out is important, it
is equally important to
listen to and understand
valid or invalid concerns of
those who may seem racist or
prejudicial.
How has Australia changed
over time? During my time in
Australia and especially in
more recent times, I have
seen an erosion of values
and positive attitudes of
tolerance, giving a fair go
and empathy. While we have
come a long way from the
legalised racism of the
“White Australia policy”, it
has become commonplace to
use racist and prejudicial
language when describing
migrants and refugees. The
most worrying thing for me
is that such language is
sometimes expressed by
politicians, both populist
and mainstream. However, I
still believe we are much
better than most nations
when it comes to ensuring
equality under the law.
If there is one thing
anyone can do to support
diversity or counter
prejudice, what would it be?
Create more and more
opportunities at the
grassroots community level
for people from different
cultures to come together
and get to know each other.
While it is important for
community and political
leaders to keep doing
activities which promote
cultural diversity and
counter prejudice, it will
not be effective till
everyday people are taken on
that journey as well.
Do you have a favourite
story about people learning
about other cultures? In 2016, I was part of
the team which organised Eid
Down Under festival in
Brisbane, our flagship Eid
celebration program. The
event was attended by over
15,000 people from all
backgrounds.
At the end of a long day at
the festival, I heard a
gentleman – who was from a
European background – call
my name in distance. I
waited for him to get to me
and he introduced himself.
His name was familiar
because he had, in the past,
had a few exchanges with me
on social media, and his
messages were rather
Islamophobic.
He said to me, “I came to
your festival to open my
mind and I am happy I came
out of my comfort zone to
experience your culture”.
That statement felt like
best reward for all the
sacrifices I have to make to
volunteer my time in
community service.
What, or whom, do you
look to for inspiration? As a Muslim Australian I
draw strength and
inspiration from my faith.
Also, I was born in Gujarat,
the western Indian state
where Mahatma Ghandhi was
born. His way of defeating
injustice through
non-violence is something
which I truly admire and
aspire to. I think I am
especially privileged to be
close to his great grandson,
Mr Tushar Ghandhi who has
given me advice and
inspiration from time to
time.
What advice would you
give to your 13-year-old
self? To get out of my comfort
zone and reach out to those
I didn’t understand or held
prejudice against.
A 21-year-old man from
Kuraby, south of Brisbane,
has been charged with
terrorism-related offences.
The man was arrested at his
home on Didcot St this
morning, following a raid by
the Australian Federal
Police, Queensland Police
Service and the Australian
Security Intelligence
Organisation.
It will be alleged that
between late 2016 and early
2017, the man made
preparations to travel to
Syria to engage in “hostile
activities”.
It will also be alleged he
encouraged and recruited
children to join him in
travelling to Syria, so that
they could also “join
organisations engaged in
hostile activities against
foreign governments”.
The Kuraby man and the kids
he was encouraging were not
successful in leaving
Australia.
The man has been remanded in
custody and is due to appear
before the Brisbane
Magistrates Court on Monday.
He has been charged with
five counts of preparations
for incursions into foreign
countries for the purpose of
engaging in hostile
activities (preparatory
acts), two counts of
recruiting persons to join
organisations engaged in
hostile activities against
foreign Governments (both
juveniles), and seven counts
of preparations for
incursions into foreign
countries for the purpose of
engaging in hostile
activities (preparatory
acts).
The maximum penalty for the
preparation for a foreign
incursion offence is life
imprisonment, and for
recruitment for foreign
incursion offences, 25
years.
The investigation is
ongoing.
“The Queensland JCTT (Joint
Counter Terrorism Team)
would like to reassure the
community there is no
current or impending threat
to the community as a result
of today’s activities,” a
statement read.
The first Australian
screening of acclaimed
documentary film Freedom was
held on June 24th at Islamic
Womens’ Association of
Australia in Springwood.
This spiritual and emotional
film features 50 converts
from 25 different
nationalities over 6
continents in 15 languages.
Freedom features 25 men and
25 women of different
backgrounds from countries
including Sri Lanka, Peru,
China, Columbia, Australia,
France, USA, Kenya, England
and India. We hear from an
engineer, a teacher, a
lawyer, an actor, an
environmentalist, a marriage
counsellor and more - all of
them speaking from the very
depths of their soul about
their perspectives on
Freedom and Islam.
Before the film began, the
enthusiastic Brisbane crowd
in attendance were given a
brief introduction about
Halis Media; the production
company that created
Freedom. Halis Media is a
project of a Malaysian-based
husband and wife team:
French convert Julien Drolon
and Malaysian TV producer
Zara Shafie. Its vision is
to introduce the pure
message of Islam through the
most innovative media
platforms. Freedom is the
first not-for-profit project
of this startup which is
behind all the initiatives
of Freedom - production,
directing, marketing,
promotion and distribution
of the film.
The lights were then dimmed
and those present were taken
on a beautiful journey of
discovery about freedom and
Islam through the minds and
hearts of our fellow Muslims
on screen. These poignant
interviews share a rare
sincerity of people who had
been outsiders looking into
Islam. Each interview was
conducted in the native
language of the converts in
order to preserve the soul
of their messages and to
allow the people of their
respective countries to
connect more with them so
they can truly become
“Freedom Ambassadors”.
After the film there was a
chance for audience members
to speak in depth with
co-director Zara Shafie in a
Q & A session. “The Islamic
concept of freedom applies
to all voluntary activities
of man in all walks of life.
This documentary-film will
inshaAllah, shed light on
how Islam liberates mankind
from all kinds of
oppression,” Zara said.
Attendees were invited to
fill in a feedback form
about the film and the
average score was 9.3 out of
10. Here are some reviews
from that day:
“I believe this is an
innovative way to
explain Islam to
non-Muslims. It made the
connection between
worlds.” - Asilah,
Australia
“Amazing. Really
moving and inspiring.”
- Iman, Somalia
“Very well produced.
A thought provoking
film.” - Amina, New
Zealand
Australia is the 5th country
that Freedom has been
screened in as part of the
2018 World Screening Tour so
far and coincided with
another screening of the
film on the same day in Cape
Town, South Africa. Other
countries where Freedom has
screened are Malaysia, UK,
Turkey and South Africa.
More Australian screenings
are planned for later on
this year inshaAllah.
Many thanks to Muslim Aid
Australia who worked as a
local partner to help bring
Freedom to Brisbane. If
you’d like to keep informed
about further Australian
screenings of Freedom or
would like to join the
Freedom volunteer team in
Australia, please send an
email to
info@halismedia.com.
Eid Down Under Ambassador
Tasmiya Ahammad (12) is the
granddaughter of the late
Imam Hajji Mohammad
Rahimullah (Imam of the
Holland Park
Mosque1979-1990). Tasmiya
attends Year 7 at the local
Mt Gravatt State High
School.
She plans on doing weekly
reviews of halal food, teen
Muslimah fashion, and kids
outings and activities via
her Facebook Page.
In a
press release dated
Tuesday 26 June 2018, the
Australian National Imams
Council (ANIC) announced
that Sheikh Shady’s
defamation action against
News Corp has been settled.
Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman, the
current President of ANIC
commenced defamation
proceedings on 16 June 2017,
against the publishers of
The Daily Telegraph and
Courier Mail regarding a
series of articles published
in June 2016.
Sheikh Shady stated that the
matter has now been resolved
on confidential terms. The
articles that concerned him
have been removed from the
internet.
He thanked Barrister Sue
Chrysanthou and the
Birchgrove Legal team for
their outstanding work in
taking this matter to a
successful conclusion.
Sheikh Shady, 40 is
Australian born and amongst
the first homegrown Imams
serving the diverse Muslim
community in Sydney.
Justice Geoffrey Flick, a
Federal Court judge had
earlier ordered that
newspaper articles that
Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman
claimed were defamatory of
him, be removed from several
News Corp websites.
Justice Geoffrey Flick also
criticised News Corp, the
parent company of Nationwide
News Pty Ltd, which
published the defamatory
articles, for tardy action
over a motion to tender a
new affidavit by an expert
witness, as well as change
some particulars pleaded.
“This case has not been
conducted by the respondent
in a way that covers them in
glory” and when it concluded
“will be a model of how not
to conduct litigation”,
Justice Flick said.
He ordered that costs of the
court’s proceedings be paid
by News Corp.
Earlier last year in April
2017, the former Grand Mufti
of Australia, Dr Ibrahim Abu
Mohammed, had won a
defamation case against
Nationwide News regarding an
article published in the
Daily Telegraph on 18
November 2015.
It is hoped that with such
successful actions by
Australian Muslim leaders,
the culture of blameless,
inaccurate, irresponsible,
bigoted and damaging
reporting within Nationwide
News and News Corp will be
brought to an end.
Sheikh Shady’s lawyer filed
the case with the federal
court on Wednesday 14 June
2017 claiming that he had
been “brought into hatred,
ridicule, and contempt” by
the articles, which “gravely
injured his character and
reputation” and caused him
hurt and embarrassment.
The defamation case has been
brought against Nationwide
News, publisher of the Daily
Telegraph and the Courier
Mail.
It mentioned three articles
that were published after
the Iftar dinner, the prime
minister, Malcolm Turnbull,
hosted at Kirribilli House
to break the Ramadan fast on
16 June 2016 inviting
prominent Muslims to the
event from all over
Australia.
Sheikh Shady was invited to
the Kirribilli dinner in his
position as President of the
Australian National Imams
Council.
After being hounded by the
Murdoch media, Mr Turnbull
said he regretted inviting
Sheikh Shady to the Iftar
after being told of
homophobic sermons delivered
by Sheikh Shady.
The articles mentioned in
the defamation case included
an online article that ran
on several News Corp
websites on 16 June 2016
titled “Prime Minister
Malcolm Turnbull dines with
hate preacher”, a column by
Peta Credlin in the Daily
Telegraph on 19 June 2016
called “Islam threat ignored
with gay abandon”; and a
column by David Penberthy
published in the Courier
Mail on the same date,
titled “Plateful of hate on
the menu”.
The defamation case alleged
that the Courier Mail
article defamed him by
suggesting he “preaches
hatred of homosexuals,
women, and people who have
sex outside marriage”,
“advocates and espouses
despicable views, namely
that women should hang by
their breasts in hell if
they dare to look at men,
that adulterers should be
stoned to death, and that
homosexuality is a crime for
which AIDS is a divine
punishment”, is “a barbaric
troglodyte,” and “incites
violence against women”.
Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman was
born in Sydney, Australia to
an Arab-Palestinian family
that migrated to Australia
in the late 1960’s. He
completed his school
certificate in Sydney before
embarking on an eight-year
journey to seek knowledge in
the Muslim world including
Pakistan and Syria.
He is a Hafiz Quran, having
memorised the whole of Quran,
mastered Arabic language and
specialised in Islamic
Sciences. He holds Bachelor
and Masters degrees in
Islamic Studies.
Sheikh Shady currently lives
in Sydney with his wife and
two children and is heavily
involved with the Muslim
community. He is the founder
of the United Muslims of
Australia (UMA) that
operates an upmarket popular
Islamic Centre in Padstow
with a gym, sports complex,
prayer hall, cafes and
classrooms attended by
hundreds of young people on
a daily basis.
Secure a spot at the Harvard
Club of Australia 2018 Program
for Leaders by submitting a
world-changing idea to The
Crescent Institute
As a part of our commitment
to build a more thoughtful,
well-connected Australia,
the Crescent Institute has
created the inaugural, 2018
Future Makers Challenge,
where your ideas could
change the world.
CI giving away two fully
paid scholarships to the
Harvard Club of Australia
and is looking for
professionals to submit
ideas that may change the
world, and the two best
ideas will win the
scholarship.
Are you a manager or
executive with
responsibility for strategy,
leadership, and
organisational performance?
Do you dream of making the
world a better place?
CI is calling on innovators,
entrepreneurs, and social
change leaders,
country-wide, to submit your
most original,
world-changing idea. With
the potential for the best
submissions to be presented
to a select panel of
Australia's industry
leaders, and angel investors
- and the ultimate reward of
all expenses paid attendance
at the
Harvard Club of Australia's
2018 Program for Leaders
in late July.
The most ingenious ideas
will be voted on, with
shortlisted applicants
announced on Thursday 12
July 2018 to present to
an esteemed panel on
Wednesday 18 July 2018.
The challenge includes two
divisions for corporate and
non-profit submissions,
promoting the Crescent
Institute's aim to encourage
learning in leadership
throughout all sectors of
Australia.
Key dates
Submit your idea online
before 5PM (Sydney-time)
Wednesday 11 July 2018.
Shortlisted applicants
announced on or before
Thursday 12 July 2018.
Judging will take place on
Wednesday 18 July 2018.
Debate has been raging about
Australian Muslim designers
taking their place at the
forefront of the global
fashion industry.
Compass revisits key players
and meets some new ones with
serious skin in the game.
Highlights from the program:
So this collection is
inspired by the greatest
Muslim women in Islamic
history.
I’m so sick of telling
people why I wear a
hijab. Who cares! Like,
you know, I want to talk
about what I’ve
designed.
So it’s amazing that
Australia has become
this knight in shining
armour for Muslim women
around the world.
The hijabi woman was
just covered. She just
wore black. it was just
long. She didn’t really
have a personality. But
now, we’re like, “No,
this is our voice.” It’s
a very empowered Muslim
woman these days. The
modest industry has
definitely increased
since we’ve last spoken
and it’s probably worth
around $400 billion now.
That was the last count
and they can’t keep up.
Hijab House started
because I have a younger
sister named Ranane and
she had just put on the
hijab for the first time
as a young teenage girl
and I watched her kind
of struggle to reconcile
her taste and
preferences as a young
girl with what was
available to her in the
Islamic fashion
industry, so I thought
there would be a gap
that I could fill, in
that sense.
In the last five years,
Hijab House has grown,
our social media
presence has expanded
exponentially, we’ve
entered new global
markets and we now have
a flourishing online
store with thousands and
thousands of customers
worldwide. Our customer
base has grown beyond
Muslim women.
We now sell to a lot of
non-Muslims that just
want modest clothing.
Especially, oddly
enough, in places like
Queensland. Our
Queensland market has
grown so much since I
last saw you guys simply
because it’s so hot and
a lot of women are very
sensitive to the sun.
And so they try and find
clothing that kind of is
light, breathable but
also covers their skin.
What I think has changed
in the last five years
is an awareness about
modest fashion because I
would suggest that it
used to be a bit of an
us-and-them situation in
the traditional fashion
sense. If you were not
devout, you were not
thinking about the
devout or the religious.
But it just so happens
that fashion is
following quite a modest
trend at the moment
outside of religion
because there’s all
these prairie dresses
and those longer lengths
and high necks and long
sleeves. So they’re
coexisting.
I don’t believe in mass
production. I love the
relationship between a
customer and a designer
so I love to see who
bought my outfit, where
are they wearing it to,
how are they wearing it.
I love that relationship
to see the difference
that I’m making in
people’s lives rather
than producing 100 of
them that I don’t know
where they’ve gone and
who’s wearing it and
what’s happening to it.
I see myself as a
designer that isn’t
focused just about
designing beautiful
clothing but to use my
fashion to bring a
message into society. So
the one that I did for
university was my
graduate collection and
it was inspired after
the terrorist attack in
Martin Place. I wanted
to bring out the Islamic
art from the mosques and
the gold that I was
seeing in, like, the
Roman churches and I
combine them together to
create a message of
peace to talk about,
like, how coexistence,
particularly in
Australia. What makes
Australia great is the
multiculturalism and so
I wanted to show that
through that collection
and I had, like,
calligraphy in Arabic
that, you know, spoke
words of peace and love
and unity. I think that
today there’s so much
negativity surrounding
Muslims in the world so
I kind of think that
everybody should use
their talents to kind of
show the positive light
of Islam and show how we
are peaceful people, we
are just normal.
It came about with
hijabi brides. 10 years
ago, they didn’t really
have anything to suit
their wedding dress –
they either had like a
really big hat or just
like a cap to cover
their hair or a
high-neck top, there was
no variety. Now you can
get that awesome,
elegant look and have
your hijab properly put
on for you and have
everything covered
without having to worry,
“Oh, my hair is showing,
Oh, my neck is
showing.”
It’s like how non-hijabis
have a hairdresser – the
hijabis have a scarf
dresser. So it’s really
nice, yeah. We’ve
evolved.
So this collection is
inspired by the greatest
Muslim women in Islamic
history. There’s
something like this one
that’s inspired by
Bilqis, Queen of Sheba
and so it’s got that
sort of, like, African
kind of vibe and at the
same time, it’s like she
was a queen and so has
this, like, really royal
feel to it. And again,
it’s just things go
through my mind and how
I interpret it into one
of my pieces of work.
Dr Raihan Ismail from The
Australian National
University (ANU) has been
awarded this year's
prestigious Max Crawford
Medal from the Australian
Academy of Humanties, for
her outstanding scholarly
achievement.
Dr Ismail, a lecturer at the
Centre for Arab and Islamic
Studies since 2014, was also
recognised for her
publications, which make a
significant contribution to
the understanding of
humanities disciplines by
the general public. Her
book, The Saudi Clerics and
Shi'a Islam, was published
by Oxford University Press
in 2016 and Dr Ismail
engages in many public
policy discussions and
debates about issues of the
Middle East.
"I am honoured to be
recognised by the Australian
Academy of the Humanities
for the work about which I
am passionate in the areas
of Islamic and Middle
Eastern studies," Dr Ismail
said.
The Director of the Centre
for Arab and Islamic Studies
Professor Amin Saikal said
Dr Ismail is an enormous
asset to ANU and Australia.
"Dr Ismail is one of the
brightest, most diligent and
productive scholars of her
generation. It is extremely
gratifying to see that her
contributions as a leading
researcher, teacher and
public speaker in the field
of Arab and Islamic studies
are recognised in this way,"
Professor Saikal said.
"This recognition comes to
her as an early career
researcher, and Dr Ismail
has indeed already proved to
be one of the highest
achievers."
Acting Vice-Chancellor
Professor Mike Calford said
Dr Ismail has a very bright
future ahead of her.
"In her short but
illustrious career, Dr
Ismail has demonstrated
immense capacity to analyse
and evaluate the issues of
the Middle East region and
inform and engage the
Australian public on these
critically important
matters," he said.
"I am confident we will see
Raihan Ismail recognised and
honoured as an outstanding
scholar in many ways in the
future."
Dr Nora Amath delivered a
masterclass on diversity and
inclusion for women in senior
management across diverse
sectors at the
Clifton Training Centre as part
of the
Crown Leadership training
programme.
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.
26
"The safety and peace
of our neighbouring
countries and our brothers
and friends across the world
are among the pillars of our
foreign policy."
Abbas, also known as Abu
Mazen, is the President of
the Palestinian National
Authority, and chairman of
the Palestine Liberation
Organization.
Politics: President
Abbas is one of the few
surviving founder members of
Fatah – the main political
grouping within the PLO. He
has always been committed to
pursuing an independent
Palestinian state through
negotiations and was one of
the principal architects of
the Oslo peace process. He
accompanied Yassir Arafat to
the White House to sign the
Oslo Accords.
Historic Treaty with
Jordan: President Abbas
signed a historic agreement
with King Abdullah II of
Jordan confirming the
Hashemite Kingdom’s
custodianship over the Holy
Sites of Jerusalem. This
treaty makes formal a
situation which has existed
since 1924, and it will not
merely avoid any disputes
between Jordan and
Palestine, but will more
importantly enable both
countries to jointly legally
protect the Holy Sites in
Jerusalem against Israeli
(official or unofficial)
incursions, physical
destruction and illegal
annexation.
Future Issues: Mr
Abbas is in the 12th year of
what was initially meant to
be a four-year term in
office and the lack of any
clear progress for the
Palestinian situation, and
an economy in ruins has led
to support for Fatah waning
even in the West Bank. The
PNA has submitted initial
documents to the
International Criminal Court
to investigate possible war
crimes by Israel during
their onslaught of Gaza in
2014. There have been strong
signs of a reconciliation
with Hamas and this along
with the need to stop
illegal Iraeli settlements
from ever-expanding are the
main issues of the day for
Abbas.
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.
When Feryal Salem was
growing up in Illinois, many
of the teachers who
instructed her in Islamic
law and theology were women,
a tradition she continues as
co-director of the Islamic
Chaplaincy Program at
Hartford Seminary.
The Connecticut seminary
offers one of the country’s
few accredited programs for
Islamic chaplaincy, which
means that Salem has a large
role in training the next
generation of Muslim
interfaith ambassadors and
spiritual counselors for
colleges, hospitals, prisons
and military units. Salem is
also an assistant professor
of Islamic scriptures and
law at Hartford and
associate editor of The
Muslim World, an academic
journal.
Salem’s mission:
“I teach students both to
think critically as well as
to see that their faith is
not something that is to be
embarrassed about”
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.
Muslim community offers
to house separated children
ILMFEED
A Muslim
community in America steps
forward to house all the caged
children until they can be
reunited with their families.
Imam Recounts Traumatic Visit
to
Immigrant Detention Facility
in Texas
NOW THIS
'This is not the
land of the free.' — This imam
experienced things at U.S.
detention centers that he never
even encountered at Syrian
refugee camps
Wajahat Ali Op-Ed On Being
Muslim In America Post-9/11
Now
This Opinions
Actor and writer
Wajahat Ali is sharing just some
of the ridiculous things people
ask him as a Muslim in post-9/11
America
How a Respected Muslim
Journalist Became an Outcast
When He Wrote About Israel
Slate's 'Who's
Afraid of Aymann Ismail?'
Islamist terrorist groups have
found a new home, and it's not
in the Middle East — it's in
Africa.
Young, British and Muslim
Revealing UK Muslims'
generosity during Ramadan
ITV News
According to the
Charity Commission, British
Muslim charities raise £100
million during the month of
Ramadan alone. That's equivalent
to each British Muslim donating
£371 per year. Compare that to
an average of all Britons, who
donate £18 per year.
In this episode we hear about
the events, iftars and charity
initiatives taking place across
the country during Ramadan, and
how British Muslims came to the
aid of others during the
Grenfell Tower fire and terror
attacks at Manchester Arena and
Finsbury Park, which all
happened during Ramadan a year
ago.
Would relationships between
Britain's faith communities be
improved if - as one of our
guests believes - these acts of
charity were better highlighted?
Our guests in the
studio with Rageh Omaar are:
Shelina Janmohamed, author of
Generation M: Young Muslims
Changing the World and and
vice-president of Ogilvy Noor,
an Islamic branding consultancy
Omar Salha, founder of social
enterprise Ramadan Tent Project,
which runs an annual Open Iftaar
initiative for the homeless and
people of all faiths. His
organisation helped victims of
the Grenfell Tower fire.
Samra Said, manager of Human
Appeal charity’s UK projects
including poverty, homelessness
and emergency responses
including the Manchester attack.
We also speak to Mohammed
Mahmoud, the imam of the Muslim
Welfare House in Finsbury Park.
He protected Darren Osborne
moments after he attacked Muslim
worshippers as they came out of
his mosque during Ramadan in
June last year. He spoke
exclusively to us about what has
happened in the year since. You
can watch more of that interview
here.
And we visit the Outer Hebrides
where one man, the local
community and national donations
have helped build their first
ever mosque which has opened
just in time for Ramadan.
Watch all episodes of Young,
British and Muslim
here.
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.
World Cup 2018: Sardar Azmoun retires from
playing for Iran at 23
RUSSIA: Iran World Cup striker Sardar
Azmoun has retired from international
football at the age of 23, claiming his
mother has become seriously ill because
of the insults he has received.
Azmoun - nicknamed the 'Iranian Messi' -
had scored 23 goals in 33 games for his
country before the tournament.
He did not find the net in Russia as
Carlos Queiroz's side finished third in
Group B behind Spain and Portugal.
Azmoun described his decision to stop
playing for Iran as "painful".
He scored 11 goals in 14 games in
qualifying and played the full 90
minutes in all three group games in
Russia as Iran beat Morocco, lost to
Spain and drew with Portugal.
However, Azmoun said the criticism he
had received had made his mother ill.
"My mother had overcome a serious
illness and I was happy," said Azmoun,
who plays his club football in Russia
for Rubin Kazan.
"Unfortunately because of the unkindness
of some people, and the insults that me
and my team-mates in no way deserved,
her illness has become severe.
"This has put me in a difficult position
where I must pick one or the other - and
as a result I pick my mother."
Azmoun made his debut for Iran at the
age of 19.
He is fifth on his country's list of
all-time top scorers and was compared to
national hero Ali Daei, the record
international goalscorer of all-time
with 109 goals in 149 appearances.
Renault Kicks Off Race Day by Handing Keys
to New Driver
SAUDI ARABIA: Saudi
Arabian Aseel Al-Hamad, the first female
member of the Saudi Arabian Motorsport
Federation, was given the opportunity to
drive a Renault Sport Formula One Team
E20 car on the Le Castellet circuit,
France, as part of the Renault ‘Passion
Parade’ just hours before the start of
the first French GP in ten years. It is
the very same car former F1 world
champion Kimi Raikkonen drove to victory
in the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Renault and
F1 are proud to enable Aseel to pursue
the passion for motorsport she has
cultivated over the years on the same
day women are able to drive on the roads
of Saudi Arabia.
Aseel got her first experience of
Formula 1 power at a Renault training
day on 5 June at Le Castellet. Under the
expert tutoring of Renault Sport Formula
One Team engineers and technicians,
Aseel got accustomed to the demanding
circuit in a Renault road car before
switching to a Formula Renault car and
the E20 Formula 1 car in the later part
of the day.
Aseel represents her country on the FIA
Women in Motorsport Commission, chaired
by former World Rally Championship
driver and winner Michèle Mouton.
Amongst Aseel’s many responsibilities,
she is tasked to put in place strategies
and policies to promote the education
and training of women in motorsport in
Saudi Arabia by collaborating on joint
projects and participating in
international forums and conferences
devoted to the place of women in sport.
Aseel Al-Hamad commented: “I have
loved racing and motorsport from a very
young age and to drive a Formula 1 car
goes even beyond my dreams and what I
thought was possible. It is a genuine
honour to drive the Renault Sport
Formula One Team E20 car in front of the
crowds at its home Grand Prix in France.
I hope doing so on the day when women
can drive on the roads in the Kingdom of
Saudi Arabia shows what you can do if
you have the passion and spirit to
dream.”
Ramadan
in South Africa: Muslims hosts iftar to
protect heritage
SOUTH AFRICA: The Islamic
holy month of Ramadan is a time of
sharing and reflection for millions of
Muslims across the globe. In the Cape
Town suburb of the Bo-Kaap, young and
old are using the month to highlight the
battle they have in protecting their
homes and community from private
developers.
KB says:
The first Mosbolletjies was made by the French
Huguenots and in texture it is similar to the
French Brioche, but the taste is quite unique
and delicious. This recipe was shared by Nazrina
Joosub.
MOSBOLLETJIES
INGREDIENTS & METHOD
4 cups flour
(sifted)
4 Tab. Klim or any
creamy milk powder
1 pkt yeast-10 grams
1 tsp salt
Mix the above.
Beat the following
ingredients together
and add to the
flour:
½ tin condensed milk
1 egg
1 cup cold milk
1 cup boiling water
1 cup oil
Dough will be very
soft so work with
oiled hands.
Leave in a warm
place to allow it to
rise.
Working with oiled
hands, form into
small tennis balls
and pack into a
greased tray for a
second rising and
then bake in a
pre-heated oven on
180deg 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:
How Conditional
Is Your Relationship
With Your Spouse?
Divorce rates are
pretty high
nowadays. More and
more people are
jumping into
relationships with
unrealistic
expectations and
soon after, finding
themselves in
situations that are
no longer loving and
romantic. One fine
day, the romance,
cuddles and
compliments fly out
the window and you
realise you are
angry, upset,
insecure and lonely
because the one whom
you thought
completed you is no
longer the same
person he/she was
when you first met.
REALITY CHECK!!!
No one completes
you. ALLAH has
created you in a
complete state. You
are enough. You are
fine. Even when you
think you are
lonely, think again,
because at that
precise moment ALLAH
is with you and HIS
angels are with you.
Another thing that
is with you at that
time is shaitaan’s
on-going
whisperings.
However, ALLAH has
equipped you with a
free will to choose
whether you want to
dismiss those
whispers or fall for
them.
Take a moment today
and do a
relationship
stocktake. Make a
list of all the
conditions you have
placed upon your
relationship with
your spouse. Ask
yourself - do I love
him/her
unconditionally?
Understand that
there is a
difference between
loving someone
unconditionally and
being loyal to
someone
unconditionally.
Often in domestic
violence, people
choose to
unconditionally
remain in toxicity
due to loyalty and
fear.
Once you understand
the conditions you
have placed on your
relationship, decide
if you really
actually love your
spouse or do you
simply ‘approve’ of
him/her because
he/she is meeting
most of your
conditions. And now,
take a moment and
ask yourself this:
Do I merely approve
of myself or do I
actually love myself
unconditionally?
Unless you are
completely and
unconditionally
accepting and loving
of yourself, you
can’t practise it on
another.
Unconditional love
is rarely practised
today. People are
engrossed in
measuring their own
worth and their
spouse's worth by
material yardstick
such as financial
success, family
status, education
and so on. Sadly,
this is due to our
cultural
conditioning from
childhood. We have
been taught to value
materialistic
accomplishments over
virtues such as
kindness,
generosity,
peaceful, helpful,
pious and joyful.
Truth is, it is only
when your
relationship can
thrive on virtues
such as these that
you will feel joy
with your spouse.
Anything other than
these virtues will
always bring about
conditions such as,
not enough money,
too busy, not enough
time for me and the
kids, too loud, too
quiet, too fat, too
lazy, too
insensitive, too
sensitive...too
this, too that.
How To Embrace
Unconditional Love
The only strategy to
practise daily in
order to shed
conditions and
embrace
unconditional love
for self and others
is to completely
surrender to ALLAH
and equip yourself
with knowledge and
positivity so that
you are able to see
the difference
between what brings
your relationship
love, light, peace
and joy and what
brings it darkness
and depression.
Awareness is key.
Unless there is
awareness, there is
no transformation.
In Shaa ALLAH, next
week we will explore
the topic:
Do I Stay Or Leave?
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.
Jallalludin was
flying to Dubai and was seated next to the erudite Mula
Nasruddin.
Mula Nasruddin: You
know it's going to be a long flight, why don't we have a
competition. I'll ask you a question, and if you can't
answer it, you give me $5. Then you can ask me a
question and if I can't answer it, I will give you $500.
Jallalludin
(thinking that this was a very good deal): OK, you go
first.
Mula Nasruddin: OK.
How far is the moon from the earth?
Jallalludin (after
much deliberation): I really don't know the answer to
that question. Here is my $5.
Jallalludin (taking
up his turn to ask the question): What goes up a hill
with three legs and comes down with four?
Mula Nasruddin
(racking his prodigious brain for an answer, but with
little joy): I don't really know. Here is your $500.
Mula Nasruddin;
Before I ask you my next question - What does go up a
hill and comes down with four?
Jallalludin (puts
his hand into his pocket): Here is my $5.
O you who believe! When the
call is made for prayer on
Congregation Day, hasten to
the remembrance of Allah,
and drop all business. That
is better for you, if you
only knew..
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
Noura Erakat is a human
rights attorney and an
Assistant Professor at
George Mason University,
whose research interests
include humanitarian law,
refugee law, national
security law, and critical
race theory.
Noura is a Co-Founding
Editor of Jadaliyya e-zine
and an Editorial Committee
member of the Journal of
Palestine Studies. Prior to
joining GMU's faculty, she
served as Legal Counsel for
a Congressional Subcommittee
in the House of
Representatives, as a Legal
Advocate for the Badil
Resource Center for
Palestinian Refugee and
Residency Rights, and as the
national grassroots
organizer and legal advocate
at the US Campaign to End
the Israeli Occupation. She
is a Co-Founding Board
Member of the DC Palestinian
Film and Arts Festival and
is a Board member of the
Institute for Policy
Studies.
A powerful spokesperson for
the Palestinian cause,
Noura’s media appearances
include CNN, MSNBC, Fox
News, PBS NewsHour, BBC
World Service, NPR,
Democracy Now!, and Al
Jazeera. She has published
in the Nation, the New York
Times, the Los Angeles
Review of Books, Huffington
Post, Jezebel, IntlLawGrrls,
The Hill, and Foreign
Policy, among others.
Noura is the author of
Justice for Some: Law As
Politics in the Question of
Palestine (forthcoming
Stanford University Press,
2019).
Palestinian-American human
rights attorney Noura Erakat
is the guest speaker for the
2018 Edward Said Memorial
Lecture, an annual public
lecture to honour the memory
of groundbreaking
Palestinian scholar,
courageous advocate,
passionate critic and an
unfailing humanist - the
late Edward Said.
She will be touring several
capital cities - so check
details for your city below.
Bookings are essential!
⚬ ADELAIDE
Edward Said Memorial
Lecture: Anti-Blackness,
Settler-Colonialism and the
Question of Palestine
> Details:
Adelaide Town Hall
Saturday 14 July at 5.30pm
> NB: If you aren't in one
of these key cities, then
please make sure you are
following APAN - Australia
Palestine Advocacy Network -
for an announcement of a
Facebook live event with
Noura Erekat!
THE BIG RIDE
AUSTRALIA for PALESTINE
Cycle from Brisbane to Byron
Bay on the 10-12 August and
raise money for children’s
education in Hebron and help
spread understanding and
awareness about the
Palestinian plight with our
local community.
Riders from all backgrounds
and faiths take part because
they want to be a beacon of
hope for the people of
Palestine showing that all
over the world there is
support for the Palestinian
cause and an aim to bring
about peace in the region.
There is something for
riders of all levels of
fitness with a free family
city ride and community
event on the Friday night
and then the two day main
event cycling from Logan to
Byron Bay. You can sign up
for one, two or all three
days. Remember your sign up
costs include: accommodation
(Saturday), food, jersey,
support vehicles, insurance,
stickers, flag and
wristband. Sunday includes
bus back to Gold Coast or
Brisbane.
On 31 December 2017 the only
Islamic childcare centre in the whole of Brisbane had to
unfortunately close its doors due to the Department of
Transport requiring it for their future expansion. To
date they are still in the process of securing new
premises to continue serving this very important need of
the community and the wait continues….
In the interim the need is
still there. The question most Muslims would be asking
themselves is “Where do I send my child so that he/she
can learn, grow and develop in an Islamic environment,
and establish a sound Islamic foundation?”
Msasa Montessori is a private home based learning centre
for 3-5 year olds. The focus is an Islamic based
learning environment alongside the Montessori method of
teaching. Children will be taught their basic duas,
surahs, tasbeehs, stories of the Prophets will be read
and enacted, and Inshallah their love for Allah and His
Noble Prophet Muhammed S.A.W will develop. Supported by
the Montessori method of teaching they will develop
their independence and will utilise equipment which will
enable them to develop and grow.
Montessori is a method of education based on
self-directed activity, hands-on learning and
collaborative play. The Montessori materials cover
developmental activities designed to meet the needs of
children in five curriculum areas:
Practical life skills, Sensorial activities,
Mathematics, Language and Cultural Studies.
By providing such an
environment, the children will develop a strong sense of
wellbeing and identity as Muslims and they will become
confident and involved learners with the ability to
communicate effectively and with confidence.
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.
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someone you know who would like to subscribe to CCN please
encourage them to enter their details
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The CCN's "We'll
take that as a
comment" Column 
Madina
Mohmood is passionate
about supporting and
promoting cultural
diversity within the
community. An Ambassador
for World Vision in 2014
and attendee of the
United Nations Youth
Forum in New York in
2015, Madina has
travelled throughout
Queensland to engage
with students about her
experiences overseas.
She has also co-founded
the University of
Queensland Afghan
Student Association to
assist Afghan students
and break-down ethnic
tensions and stereotypes
between subcultures
within Afghan culture,
and between Afghan
communities and the
wider community.
Imaan
Ashraf, a school captain
at the Whitsunday
Anglican School, is a
proud and visible
ambassador of Islam and
works within the Mackay
community to raise
awareness and dispel
misunderstandings about
Islam. She is also
committed to giving back
to her community –
participating in the
School Amnesty Club,
acting as President of
the School Zonta Club
and MC of the Mackay
Open Day, which helps
bring the people of
Mackay together.
Sudanese-born
Faiza El-Higzi is an
active campaigner for
human rights and
cultural diversity
within the Queensland
community. She is
described as a ‘bridge
builder’ who strengthens
community ties by
creating spaces for
conversations and
interactions. Her work
on community and
government boards are
important opportunities
to bring attention to
multicultural community
issues and enable
discussions that lead to
positive outcomes.
The
Islamic Women’s
Association of Australia
(IWAA) has worked
consistently towards
dispelling myths about
Muslims and promoting a
fair and harmonious
Queensland through
community education
campaigns addressing
local issues. IWAA has
also worked specifically
at addressing those
issues within culturally
diverse communities that
may contribute to
negative stereotyping by
the broader community.
They appeared in the SBS
documentary, ‘The Mosque
Next Door’, which
provided a national
television program that
dispelled myths and
challenged stereotypes
surrounding Muslims in
Australia. They have
also delivered parenting
workshops that assist
migrants to develop
non-physical strategies
for parenting their
children and respectful
relationships programs
which are aimed at
educating young Muslim
people on the positive
foundations of
non-violent
relationships.
World Cup 2018: Sardar Azmoun retires from
playing for Iran at 23 
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7
August 2011