3 trucks each loaded with 44
250kg hay bales heading for
Goondiwindi
2PM Saturday 15 September:
The
offload in Goondawindi
Due to the ongoing drought
affecting farmers in west
Queensland and New South
Wales, Muslim Aid Australia
(MAA) has partnered with
local NGOs to help Aussie
farmers in their time on
need by trucking hay bales
and delivering food hampers
to farmers.
"Farmers impacted by
drought often struggle to
ask for help and many due to
the financial strain of
trying to keep the farm
afloat also battle mental
health issues," MAA's
Riyaad Ally told CCN.
"By providing bales to
help farmers feed their
animals you'll be taking a
huge financial burden from
them as well keeping their
livestock alive."
Organizations and businesses
involved in this initiative
are:
Muslim Aid Australia (MAA),
Muslim Charitable
Foundation (MCF), the
Deen Bros., Global Aid
Foundation, Macktrans
Heavy Haulage, Strike
Fuels and Islamic
Council of Queensland
(ICQ)
You can still donate towards
this bale project and help
our Aussies farmers:
On Saturday, 8 September,
the Hurricane Stars Club
held the first and currently
only Brisbane screening of
the latest Islamic movie,
Bilal: A New Breed of Hero.
The event was held inside
the Islamic College of
Brisbane’s multipurpose hall
and it was proudly sponsored
by Human Appeal
International.
The event was a great
success Alhamdulillah.
There were 330 people who
attended, 164 adults and 166
children, showing that
adults were interested as
kids to see this wonderful
animated version of the life
of one of the sahabah,
Bilal (R.A).
We were honoured to have
Brisbane City Councillor Kim
Marx and Sgt Jim Bellos
attend our movie night to
show their support for the
community and our projects.
The Hurricane Stars Club
also sold popcorn, fairy
floss, chocolates, desserts,
drinks, hot dogs, hot chips
and burgers to the
attendees. The school's
tuckshop run by Bosthan's
Catering, opened to sell
their delicious special
dishes. All the funds raised
from the event go towards
subsiding the Hurricane
Stars Club’s ladies and
family activities.
The day after the movie
night, the Hurricane Stars
Club held a fundraising
sausage sizzle at the new
Bunnings Warehouse on
Compton Rd, Underwood.
On the second Monday of
every month, the Hurricane
Stars Club have been holding
a 100% halal Bunnings BBQ as
part of their fundraising
efforts. This was our first
opportunity to meet the
community demand to hold it
on a weekend so more can
come to enjoy it. At the
same time it was also a good
dahwah opportunity to
the wider community. We are
happy to report that the
reception was amazing with
long lines formed by Muslims
and non-Muslims just to
order the sausage sizzles!
Alhamdulillah we are
very grateful for wonderful
community support at both of
these events. The funds
raised have been used to
subsidise the cost of our
upcoming Mothers and
Daughters dinner, ladies
only swimming classes and
kids' school holiday
activities.
To buy dinner tickets,
register for the holiday
activities or just to get
further information, please
go to
www.hurricanestarsclub.org
or our Facebook page
Hurricane Stars Club.
Students from Al Siraat
College spoke at the
Victorian Parliament House
on Friday 31 August 2018 on
the theme “My Vote My Voice:
Diversity in Community
Organisations.
The annual event is
organised by the National
Council of Women of Victoria
(NCWV) and in 2018 it was
designed to encourage
students to investigate the
level of diversity (gender,
ethnicity, age, disability),
in community workplaces by
visiting and conducting
interviews.
The focus of research is on
diversity of leadership,
decision-making and/or
composition and then to make
three-minute presentations
in the Legislative Council
Chamber to an audience of
students, community members
and a panel of eminent
women.
Al Siraat College students
and staff together with Tina
Hosseini former VMC Youth
Commissioner
A select number of students
from twelve reputable
schools from across Victoria
attended the event including
students from Al Siraat
College: Fatima Mohamed
(Year 12), Hafsa Sarwar
(Year 11), Aisha Arain (Year
10), Sondos Mahmandar (Year
10), Melike Cokmez (Year 10)
and Nur Naziihah Hafidi
(Year 8).
The student speeches
included reflections on
Prophet Mohammad’s (s) wife,
Khadijah (r) as an investor,
entrepreneur and a respected
leader of her community.
The students also shared the
Islamic perspective that
both men and women are equal
in the eyes of Allah except
in piety and righteousness.
One student explained that
Al Siraat College was part
founded by the former
principal Ms Rahat Arain, a
Muslim woman who wears a
face veil, a respected
leader in our community.
Gulhan speaking at Parliament
House
During their research the
students were able to
interview City of
Whittlesea’s Mayor Kris
Pavlidis who has supported
the students in
understanding the current
gender pay gap in Australia
and the lack of equality for
women in leadership
positions and on corporate
boards.
The Al Siraat College
students finished with the
message that the underlying
cause of gender inequality
is lack of respect for the
contributions of women,
whether they choose to take
up a role in leadership or
take on a nurturing role.
The speeches by the students
received thunderous applause
across the Legislative
Chamber of the Parliament
House.
From left, Aisha, Sondos,
Naziihah, Ms. Nurdan, Fatima,
Melike, Hafsa, Ms. Noori from Al
Siraat College
Respected Sheikh Ahmad Odeh,
the Imam of the West End
Mosque, passed away in
Brisbane this week. His
janazah (funeral
services) was conducted from
the Kuraby Mosque.
Imam Odeh served the
community for many years and
made outstanding
contributions for the
Muslims in Brisbane and
beyond.
Refugee advocate Shukufa
Tahiri says she is honoured
to be named as a "woman of
influence" and says it will
spur her on to continue her
work changing peoples'
attitudes towards refugees
and asylum seekers.
Twenty-four year-old Shukufa
Tahiri has been named one of
Australia's most influential
women for her refugee
advocacy work.
In its seventh year, the 100
Women of Influence Awards
recognises the achievements
of women who have overcome
adversity to reach a
position of influence.
As a 12-year-old, Shukufa
arrived in Sydney in 2006
through the refugee
resettlement program.
Her first thought upon
arriving was "home at last".
“I was thinking my family is
safe and that we have an
educational opportunity,"
she said.
“I don’t remember much from
the evening, but I do
remember impatiently waiting
for the sun to rise. For me,
it was important to be able
to see the light of day.”
A six-year journey fleeing
the Taliban with her family
took her from Afghanistan to
Pakistan before reaching
Australia.
“We fled the Taliban rule,
they were infiltrating
villages. They were
executing people. We fled
for safety,” she said.
“The journey of escaping
Pakistan was a very
difficult and uncertain. We
spent two weeks on the road
from Afghanistan to
Pakistan. Then in Pakistan
we were in a refugee enclave
for six years before coming
to Australia.”
The first order of priority
was registering for school -
and the learning curve would
be steep.
Learning English would be
the first challenge and then
filling in the gaps in
education was another.
But it was identity
challenge which took a while
to work out.
“Understanding whether I was
Australian from then, you
know my background being
born in Afghanistan, then
going to Pakistan. Which
identity was mine? Where did
I stand in terms of my
belonging?”
“In the high school context,
it was very difficult to
navigate so many challenges
and barriers at the same
time. High school was a
roller coaster until I
graduated.”
Fast forward 12 years and
Shukufa Tahiri has started a
number of social
enterprises, including a
free driving mentorship
program for refugee women.
She works as a policy
assistant at the Refugee
Council of Australia while
also studying law.
Her report on the experience
of refugees accessing
assistance through
government-funded employment
services led to changes in
service delivery.
Drivers licences empowering
women
Seeing the looks on the
women’s faces solidified the
importance of Ms Tahiri's
work.
“To take them to learner
driver test, it was a huge
obstacle for them. And once
people get their licences,
once they get behind wheel,
it symbolically gives them a
sense of empowerment -
especially for the women who
come from Afghanistan and
Pakistan - who have never
driven in their lives
before," she said.
Ms Tahiri also started the
Hazara Women for Change
aimed at “bringing change at
the grassroots level”.
She said comparison with
Malala Yousafzai, who also
escaped the Taliban, makes
her uncomfortable.
But she acknowledges she
shares some affinity with
the youngest Nobel Prize
laureate in her driving
desire to give back and help
others.
“I think that a large part
of being recognised for
anything, and I think the
same is true with me, is
that it increases the
expectation, obligation and
responsibility for me to do
better for the community,
for the Australian society,
and the whole world at
large.
She said she hopes her story
does inspire others.
“I want to be a positive
role model for people who
want to pursue their goals
and visions. To empower
people, women, girls to move
beyond what they expected to
do.
“To tell people: as long as
you have the capacity to
learn and grow, you are able
to achieve everything. It is
about the work and effort
you put into something. It
is the grit and perseverance
that will define to what
extent you reach your
goals.”
Changing attitudes towards
refugees is also a key part
of her work.
“I would like to influence
people to see beyond
categories, beyond labels,”
“Asylum seekers and refugees
are not victims, they are
people who are misplaced
from their homes.”
Member for Moreton, Graham
Perrett MP, tabled a
petition in Federal
Parliament signed by local
Muslims calling on Australia
to recognise Palestine.
"It saddens me that millions
of Palestinians continue to
live under occupation or as
refugees, Mr Perrett said.
The petition "requests the
House to recognise the state
of Palestine because, if the
House is genuinely committed
to a lasting two-state
solution and advancing peace
in the Middle East and
beyond, then it must
formally recognise the state
of Palestine to ensure two
sovereign states, based on
the implementation of
relevant United Nations
resolutions and
international law".
The Principal Petitioner
David Forde told CCN, “This
was a very significant show
of community support and
really does underline
Australian foreign policy on
this issue is out of step
with community sentiment and
the interests of peace based
on international law”.
“You can’t say you support a
two-state solution while
only recognising one party
(Israel) who is aggressively
increasing its dispossession
and occupation of the other
party (Palestine)”.
"Special mention must go to
the efforts of Prof
Shahjahan Khan and Dr
Mohammed Islam and to
everyone else who signed.”
The petition is now being
considered by the relevant
Federal Parliamentary
Committee.
The Australian National
Imams Council (ANIC) issued
a media statement condemning
the "ongoing persecution and
violation of human rights
against the Uyghur Muslims
by the Chinese authorities".
Violations highlighted in
the statement include the
banning of the Uyghur
language in schools, fasting
in Ramadan, wearing Islamic
clothing, growing beards and
wearing the hijab.
Australia's largest Islamic
school has had its funding
permanently restored by new
federal Education Minister
Dan Tehan, after several
years of court battles.
The Malek Fahd Islamic
School's future hung in the
balance after a full bench
of the Federal Court
dismissed an appeal against
its $19 million federal
funding cut earlier this
year.
Former federal education
minister Simon Birmingham
cut the school's funding in
2016, saying it had several
governance issues and was
operating at a profit.
However, major reforms have
occurred to bring the
school, which has about
2,500 kindergarten to
Year-12 students, in line
with education department
rules.
Mr Fahd's school board took
Mr Birmingham's decision to
the Administrative Appeals
Tribunal, and the Federal
Court.
The school's largest campus
is in Greenacre, on land
owned by the Australian
Federation of Islamic
Councils (AFIC).
"The approval has been given
subject to the board meeting
numerous conditions and
following a robust and
rigorous assessment
process," Mr Tehan said.
He added that the Australian
Government would not
tolerate the misuse of
taxpayer dollars intended
for schools.
"All school authorities must
meet the requirements of the
Education Act to ensure
taxpayer dollars, as well as
any private investment by
parents, is spent to benefit
Australian students," he
said.
"To remain an approved
authority, the Malek Fahd
Islamic School must ensure
the board is demonstrably
independent of the
Australian Federation of
Islamic Councils, along with
several other conditions."
The NSW Attorney-General has
criticised the “repugnant
views” of a Sydney Muslim
preacher who told members of
an Islamic group in Sydney’s
west it was a “major sin”
for wives to refuse their
husband’s demands for sexual
intercourse.
Nassim Abdi made the
comments condoning marital
rape in a video posted and
later removed from the
YouTube page for the Auburn
branch of Ahlus Sunnah wal
Jamaah, which means the
Followers of Sunni Islam and
the Community.
“If the husband calls the
wife to be intimate and
there’s no legitimate reason
for the woman to say no,
then she must answer the
call of her husband,” Mr
Abdi said in the ASWJ Auburn
video on Friday. “She must
answer the call of her
husband and if not, she had
committed a major sin.”
He goes on to say that women
who refused marital intimacy
would be cursed by angels.
“The man calls the wife to
bed and the woman refuses?
The angels curse this woman
and he sleeps with her while
she’s angry the angels curse
her until she wakes up.”
Mark Speakman slammed Mr
Abdi’s comments: “Respect
for all women is a central
value of Australian society.
The views expressed by this
preacher are repugnant to
those values.”
While Mr Speakman said
non-consensual sex was a
serious crime that should be
reported to police, it was
up to authorities to
determine whether Mr Abdi’s
remarks constituted a
criminal offence.
NSW Minister for Family and
Community Services Pru
Goward said the preacher was
“completely out of step with
Australian values because
nobody in Australia thinks
it’s a sin to say no to
sex.”
The centre, which describes
itself on its website as a
Masjid (mosque), youth
centre and one of Sydney’s
largest Islamic bookstores,
practices the most strict
form of Sunni Islam.
In December 2015, The
Australian reported the
national branch of ASWJ was
founded in 1985 and has
alleged ties with al-Qa’ida
and Jemaah Islamiah, the
group behind the Bali
bombings in 2002.
England all-rounder Moeen Ali
says he was called ‘Osama’ by an
Australia player in 2015.
ENGLAND all-rounder Moeen
Ali claims he was called
“Osama” by an Australia
player during the 2015
Ashes.
Moeen played a key role in
England’s 169-run win in the
first Test at Cardiff,
scoring a half-century (77)
and taking five wickets for
the match in his first Ashes
encounter. However, he says
the memory was soured by an
unnamed Australian player.
“An Australian player had
turned to me on the field
and said, ‘Take that,
Osama,’” Moeen wrote in his
new autobiography Moeen,
which the Times are
currently running excerpts
from. “I could not believe
what I had heard. I remember
going really red. I have
never been so angry on a
cricket field.”
According to Moeen, England
coach Trevor Bayliss took
the issue to his counterpart
Darren Lehmann, who in turn
asked the Australia player
for his version of events.
“Lehmann asked the player,
‘Did you call Moeen
‘Osama’?’ He denied it,
saying, “No, I said, ‘Take
that, you part-timer.’
“I must say I was amused
when I heard that for there
is a world of difference
between the words “Osama”
and “part-timer”. Although I
couldn’t have mistaken
‘part-timer’ for ‘Osama’,
obviously I had to take the
player’s word for it, though
for the rest of the match I
was angry.”
Cricket Australia has
described the alleged
remarks as “unacceptable”
and is seeking further
clarification from the
England and Wales Cricket
Board.
“Remarks of this nature are
unacceptable and have no
place in our sport, or in
society,” a CA spokesperson
said.
“We have a clear set of
values and behaviours that
comes with representing our
country.”
“We take this matter very
seriously, and are following
up with the ECB as a matter
of urgency to seek further
clarification around the
alleged incident.”
Moeen says the two teams
barley spoke off the field
until the end of the series
– he believes the
Australians were instructed
not to interact with
England’s players – at which
point the unnamed Australian
sought him out.
“He came up to me and said,
‘I know what you thought I
said, but I didn’t say that.
I’ve got Muslim friends and
some of my best friends are
Muslims.’
“I did not argue with him.
But I was so clear that is
what he said. Why should I
invent it out of the blue?
I’ve got nothing against
him. I have never had any
fights with him before. I
did not even know the guy.
And I thought his denial was
a standard response.”
Earlier this week, Moeen
told the Times Australia’s
side under former captains
Steve Smith and Michael
Clarke were rude and lacked
respect.
“Everyone you speak
to...they are the only team
I’ve played against my whole
life that I’ve actually
disliked,” he said. “Not
because it’s Australia and
they are the old enemy but
because of the way they
carry on and [their]
disrespect of people and
players.”
He also he feels no sympathy
for banned trio David
Warner, Smith and Cameron
Bancroft.
“I’m someone who generally
feels sorry for people when
things go wrong but it’s
difficult to feel sorry for
them,” he said.
“The first game I ever
played against them, in
Sydney, just before the 2015
World Cup, they were not
just going hard at you, they
were almost abusing you.
“That was the first time it
hit me. I gave them the
benefit of the doubt, but
the more I played against
them they were just as bad,
the Ashes here [in 2015]
they were worse actually.
“Not intimidating, just
rude. Individually they are
fine and the Aussies we’ve
had at Worcester have been
fantastic, lovely guys.”
A
selection of
domestic and family
violence-related media
articles from the past two
weeks supplied by Queensland
Government's Department of
the Premier and Cabinet's
Domestic and Family Violence
Implementation Council
Secretariat.
QUEENSLAND
Council
member Wendell Rosevear
talks about his fascinating
life (so far) on the ABC’s
Conservations. Listen or
download the podcast
here.
Minister
Farmer has released the 2018
update on the Supporting
Families, Changing Futures
child protection reform
program during Child
Protection Week. Find out
more
here
and read the update
here.
‘As a
Business, it is your
Business’, an upcoming
half-day symposium on
workplace-related issues of
domestic and family
violence, is being hosted in
collaboration between
Queensland Police, Ipswich
Chamber of Commerce, True
and Queensland Health. See
more
here.
The North
Queensland Women’s Legal
Service and Women’s Legal
Service Queensland will hold
a free domestic violence
workshop in Mackay next
month to help agencies
support local people
experiencing domestic and
family violence. Read more
here.
Find out
about the school students
who have been awarded joint
winners of the Search for
the Next Tech Girl Superhero
competition for their
app which is disguised as a
cleaning app but allows
victims of family and
domestic violence to contact
police
here.
NATIONAL
The NSW
Government has announced it
will introduce a new
strangulation offence and
longer apprehended domestic
violence orders under
proposed new laws. Read more
here
and
here.
Read about
the NSW respectful
relationshipsprogram
designed for women with
intellectual disabilities
here.
The
Australian Government has
introduced legislation to
Parliament to provide for a
guaranteed five days’
domestic and family violence
leave for all employees
covered by the Fair Work
Act. See more
here.
The Chief
Executive of the Council of
Small Business Organisations
of Australia discusses why
business groups want to see
family violence leave
offered through the welfare
sector and not through the
workplace relations system.
Find out more and listen to
the interview
here.
WA experts
discuss the extent of
domestic violence in the
state, following the murders
of five members of the same
family in Bedford. Read
more
here.
Find out
about the Port Adelaide
Football Club’s Power to
End Violence Against Women
program which teaches
Year 10 boys how to
recognise and stand up to
disrespect of women
here.
Rosie Batty
has been appointed as
official ambassador For
Friends with Dignity.
Read the announcement
here.
The Our Watch
media awards to recognise
and reward excellence in
reporting on violence
against women have been
announced. Read about the
winners
here
and
here.
REPORTS
Download the
Australian Institute of
Criminology’s latest trends
and issues publication on
Understanding domestic
violence incidents using
crime script analysis
here.
NEWSLETTERS
The latest
edition of the ANROWS
Notepad is available
here.
The WAW awards celebrate the
quiet achievers through
nominations of Muslim women
who have contributed to
family and community or
promoted peace, human
rights, advanced arts,
education, STEM, public
health and environmental or
social justice.
NOMINEE NO. 4
Currently, Naima is
an educator at the
Pillars of Guidance
Community Centre (PGCC)
– Al Miraaj
Institute whereby
she teaches Tajweed
and delivers talks
with her main focus
on spiritual
development and
tazkiyyah
(purification of the
soul).
Meet
Naima Usman. Naima
received her B.A.
Degree in Journalism
and Mass
Communications from
the American
University of
Sharjah, UAE. During
the pursuit of her
education, Naima
completed various
short courses in
Tafseer, Tajweed,
Tazkiyyat an-Nafs
and Da’wah training
and conducted
Islamic talks on
various topics and
seminars amongst
many university
students of all
backgrounds.
Naima volunteered as
a youth co-ordinator
for the Islamic
Association at AUS.
She also worked as a
staff columnist in
the Gulf Today
newspaper in Sharjah.
Currently, Naima is
an educator at the
Pillars of Guidance
Community Centre (PGCC)
– Al Miraaj
Institute whereby
she teaches Tajweed
and delivers talks
with her main focus
on spiritual
development and
tazkiyyah
(purification of the
soul). She is also
currently head of
the PGCC Sisters
Committee.
"Naima is extremely
well-loved by
members of her
community, and
rightly so. We are
incredibly
privileged and
honoured to
acknowledge her work
here!"
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.
Traditional Sunni Mustafa
Hosny is a well-known
televangelist and Islamic
preacher who presented his
first show back in 2004.
Changing careers:
Mustafa Hosny started his
career in sales after
obtaining a BA degree in
Business from the Ain Shams
University in Egypt. His
career witnessed a great
transformation when he
successfully received a
Certification from the
Institute of training
preachers, an affiliate of
the Ministry of Awqaf
(Egypt).
Preacher: Mustafa
Hosny delivers sermons and
lectures worldwide and
currently presents more than
13 programs on TV and radio
channels. He also delivers
weekly sermons and lectures
at Yousef El Sahaby and El
Hosary mosques as well as
delivering the Friday
sermons at Al Bilal Mosque
compound in Mokattam twice a
month in Cairo.
Humanitarian: Some of
his activities include
combating drug addiction
amongst youth. He is a
supporting member for the
Children’s Cancer Hospital
campaign in Cairo, and
delivers seminars and
campaigns for the “Life
Clear of Smoking
Association” in Egypt. He
also supports blood donation
campaigns.
Social Media: He has
nearly 32 million fans on
Facebook in addition to over
5 million on Twitter. He has
a great following on social
media where the combined
followers and likes are over
37 million. His daily
advice, closeness to the
public and softly spoken
words endear him to the
public and account for his
continued influence.
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.
G. Willow Wilson thought
breaking into the comic book
world might take a miracle.
At the time, Dutch cartoons
insulting the Prophet
Mohammed had sparked
protests across the Middle
East; Islam and comics were
seen as incompatible.
But, Wilson says,
“no Muslim leader has ever
told me that I can’t write
comics. Ever.”
When she guest-wrote two
issues of “Superman,”
however, right-wingers were
apoplectic, she says,
accusing her of using the
superhero to spread Shariah
law.
Wilson appears to have had
the last laugh.
Her Ms. Marvel series, the
first to feature a
Muslim-American superhero as
the title character,
regularly reaches the top of
the bestseller lists.
She has also written books
for young adults and a
memoir about her conversion
to Islam.
Wilson’s mission:“To
tell stories that inspire
you.”
Faith and
creation:
Possibilities of
an "Islamic"
environmental
ethic
By Rosemary
Hancock
In August 2015,
over sixty
Muslim religious
and political
leaders from
twenty countries
gathered in
Istanbul, Turkey
to release an
Islamic
declaration on
climate change
in the lead-up
to the Paris
climate summit.
The declaration
came only a
month after the
release of Pope
Francis's
encyclical
Laudato Si';
nevertheless,
the Islamic
declaration
received
significantly
less media
attention.
Following so
close on the
heels of Pope
Francis's
encyclical, the
Islamic
declaration on
climate change
appeared to be
riding the wave
of religious
attention to
environmental
crises, but it
in fact
reflected
decades of work
by Muslim
scholars and
activists eager
to find an
Islamic response
to environmental
crises.
Working on the
margins of Islam
and the
environmental
movement alike,
these scholars
and activists
looked to both
the resources of
the Islamic
tradition and
the learnings of
the secular
environmental
movement to
build a uniquely
Islamic
environmentalism.
The foundations
of Islamic
environmentalism
lie within the
Islamic
scriptures, the
Qur'an and
ahadith
(collections of
the sayings and
practices of the
Prophet
Muhammad).
Unlike
Christianity,
where the
creation story
of Genesis
1:1-2:3
instructs
humankind to
"fill the earth
and subdue it,"
the Qur'an does
not give
humankind
dominion over
nature. Rather,
humans are made
Khalifah: God's
representative
on earth.
ABC Religion & Ethics
While
I lost my mum to
domestic
violence but I
won't let fear
or racists keep
me silent
By Amani
Hayda (lawyer,
artist and
executive board
member at
Bankstown
Women's Health
Centre dedicated
to advocating
for the health
and wellbeing of
women. In 2018
she was a
finalist in the
Archibald Prize
and the Law
Society of NSW
Just Art Prize
and is currently
completing a
Masters in
Islamic Studies
at ISRA/CSU.
Speaking
up after
my mum
was
killed
was
worth
the fear
I
confronted.
And it
was
exactly
what my
mum
would
have
wanted
me to do
CONTINUED FROM
LAST WEEK'S CCN....
The
double bind Muslim women find ourselves
in
In its ongoing series,
ABC News has been investigating the role
of religion in influencing the behaviour
of perpetrators and victims of domestic
violence in different faith communities.
The most recent piece reported on the
confusion and harm being caused by
popular translations of verse 4:34 in
the Quran, which some Islamic scholars
argue permits men to beat "disobedient"
wives.
Such interpretations hinder the work
being done by Muslims to tackle
gender-based violence. Meanwhile,
contemporary, non-violent
interpretations of the same verse have
not yet gained consensus.
There also appears to be a rift between
what classical scholars and imams
understand about trauma and gender-based
violence and what victims, survivors,
advocates and social workers know about
it.
As the illustrator of that piece, I was
tasked with visually depicting the
nuances of the topic, which required me
to engage in a delicate balance: to
highlight the seriousness of the issues
while also resisting both patriarchy and
Islamophobic stereotypes.
We don't need another image of an angry
bearded man or a downtrodden Muslim
woman and, as documented by the ABC in
previous pieces, the fear of
contributing to these harmful
stereotypes deters many Muslim women
from talking publicly about domestic
violence.
Such is the double bind Muslim women
survivors and activists find ourselves
in. Between the screeches of
Islamophobes and the booming voice of
patriarchy within our own community,
there is little room left for Muslim
women to share their truths freely.
We want to critique patriarchy, to talk
frankly about how rigid gender roles and
inequality fuels violence and abuse. But
we're also worried our stories will feed
the racists or invite family
disapproval, victim-blaming and slander.
So, we self-censor, and contain our
struggles to private spaces, where our
power and influence is limited.
This Muslim American
fought to save his
attacker's life
Vox
Ten days
after September 11, Rais
Bhuiyan was shot in a hate
crime. Then he fought to
save his attacker’s life.
3000 Jews and Muslims
Sign Up to Learn a Song
Together
Koolulam
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.
Rashida Tlaib: First Muslim woman to
be elected to US Congress
Palestinian-American Rashida
Tlaib's speech after it was
announced that she won the
Democratic nomination to become
a US House representative for
Michigan
US: Former Michigan state representative
Rashida Tlaib will become the US’s first
ever Muslim woman elected to Congress
after she won a Democratic primary
election to represent Michigan’s 13th
district.
Running in a crowded field of candidates
vying to replace John Conyers Jr, who
served from 1965 until retirement last
year following claims of sexual
harassment, Ms Tlaib took 33.6 per cent
of the vote following a strong
grassroots campaign in which she raised
over $1m (Ł780,000).
There are no Republican candidates
contesting the seat, so Ms Tlaib will
enter Congress unopposed following a
special election on 6 November when she
will formally replace Mr Conyers.
Ms Tlaib, the daughter of two
Palestinian immigrants, was born in
Detroit in 1976, where her father had a
job at the Ford motor company. She
studied politics at Wayne State
University, and then law, graduating in
2004.
On Tuesday evening, she said her day had
been filled with emotion and described
it as “happy chaos” to The Detroit News.
“Especially meeting voters and talking
to them, they are inspired,” she told
the paper before the polls closed.
“One resident said she’s happy for me
and has already written. It’s been
amazing to interact with families at
polling locations. I feel very much
supported.”
‘Strongest woman ever’: Hijab-wearing
bodybuilder defying stereotypes in India
INDIA: A hijab-wearing female
bodybuilder has been breaking
stereotypes in India by winning medals
in heavy-lifting championships. Her
coach called her the “strongest woman
I’ve ever seen.”
Currently a dentistry student, Majiziya
Bhanu, from Kozhikode, Kerala, said she
wants to show the world that wearing a
hijab doesn’t have to be an obstacle to
pursuing one’s dreams.
Defying stereotypes attached to Muslim
women bearing the traditional headscarf,
footage from Ruptly video agency shows
Bhanu lifting heavy weights and arm
wrestling in a gym as she trains for
upcoming competitions.
Describing how what she does makes her
feel special, Bhanu said: “I am really
so comfortable in this hijab because my
identity is my hijab and I do not want
to change this identity for any reason.”
She said she wants to be an example of
how “everything is possible with this hijab.”
Bhanu has already won silver medals in
two international events, Asian
Powerlifting - held in Indonesia, and a
lifting competition in Aluva, Kerala.
Her coach, Saleesh, has high
expectations for her and said he thinks
the “very dedicated” Bhanu will win a
medal for India. She is currently
training for the World Armwrestling
Championship in Turkey in October.
Man arrested in Saudi Arabia for
having breakfast with woman
Saudi
authorities accuse Egyptian
hotel worker who appeared in
‘offensive’ video with female
co-worker
SAUDI ARABIA:
Saudi authorities have arrested an
Egyptian hotel worker who appeared in
what officials described as an
“offensive” video eating breakfast with
a female co-worker.
The footage – which was filmed by the
man and showed the pair sharing a meal
at a desk and joking together – sparked
outrage on social media in the
ultra-conservative kingdom.
The woman, draped head to toe in Islamic
niqab, is seen waving to the camera and
eating breakfast. The video has been
shared widely on social media where it
has caused outrage. The point that has
prompted the most anger is at the end of
the 30-second video when the woman
appears to feed the man.
“The labour ministry arrested an
expatriate in Jeddah after he appeared
in an offensive video,” the ministry
said.
Local media identified the man as an
Egyptian national.
Strict segregation between men and women
is enforced in Saudi Arabia. In
workplaces and many restaurants, women
and men who are not close relations must
sit separately from one another.
Women are also not allowed to go about
many activities without being
accompanied by a male guardian – often a
male family member.
The ministry said the hotel owner had
been summoned for failing to adhere to
government regulations that stipulate a
gender-segregated workplace.
As the video sparked a torrent of
criticism from arch-conservatives, the
public prosecution urged expats in the
kingdom to respect “values and
traditions of Saudi society”.
The incident comes in the midst of Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s
far-reaching liberalisation drive that
has ended a decades-long bans on women
driving, has seen cinemas reopen after
35 years, and some mixed-gender concerts
allowed.
The backlash underscores the challenges
facing the prince as he seeks to
modernise a country steeped in
conservatism.
In April, Saudi sports authorities shut
down a female fitness centre in Riyadh
over a contentious promotional video
that appeared to show a woman in tight
gym clothes.
Later in June, Saudi Arabia sacked the
head of its entertainment authority,
following an online backlash against a
circus featuring women wearing
skin-tight leotards.
A
confronting new novel from award winning Sydney
Morning Herald Best Young Novelist Michael
Mohammed Ahmad.
'Bani Adam thinks he's better than us!' they say
over and over until finally I shout back, 'Shut
up, I have something to say!'
They all go quiet and wait for me to explain
myself, redeem myself, pull my shirt out, rejoin
the pack. I hold their anticipation for three
seconds, and then, while they're all ablaze, I
say out loud, 'I do think I'm better.'
As far as Bani Adam is concerned Punchbowl Boys
is the arse end of the earth. Though he's a Leb
and they control the school, Bani feels at odds
with the other students, who just don't seem to
care. He is a romantic in a sea of
hypermasculinity.
Bani must come to terms with his place in this
hostile, hopeless world, while dreaming of so
much more.
Review
(James Whitmore): I
found this an immersive and thrilling reading
experience. We meet Bani Adam at Punchbowl Boys
High School in Western Sydney sometime around
2001. Punchbowl Boys is more of a prison, or a
pressure cooker, than a school, where the boys
casually fling knives, fists and insults at each
other down the corridors. Bani calls many of
these boys 'Lebs', but they are not all
Lebanese. He uses the term to refer to any
number of Muslim and Arab identities. He wants
to be a novelist, which makes the other boys say
he thinks he's better than them (he does). But
much to his horror, outside the school his
'Middle Eastern appearance' (a term used widely
in Australian media) causes him to be lumped in
with the other boys.
You could call it a coming of age novel. The
major turns of the narrative are the boys
witnessing the September 11 attacks, Bani
getting his first girlfriend, and Bani joining a
multicultural arts project. For me the most
enjoyable part moment of the plot was a
character sashaying in from another novel, Bucky
from Peter Polites' Down the Hume. Polites and
Ahmad are both members of Western Sydney's
Sweatshop literary movement, raising the
enticing possibility that they have some master
conspiracy at play. The ending is subtle and
heartbreaking, a moment of catharsis earned by
every word in the previous 200-odd pages.
This novel touches on many themes: race,
religion, class, sexuality, gender. I guess
where it will be seen as most relevant is its
window into 'multicultural' Australia (and not
in the bureaucratic sense championed by
Australia's politicians). It is also a window
onto particular moment in time, when, in the
wake of September 11, Muslim and Arabic men were
all lumped together as terrorists and rapists. I
thought it was a clever and provocative
technique to write from Bani's outsider
perspective, which is in someways aligned
discomfortingly with my own as a white
Australian (except, as Bani says, he would not
be seen as white). The writing conveys an
admirable complexity around some pretty heavy
moments. For example, Bani describe the boys'
reaction to September 11 as 'orgasmic'. At the
same time it's clear this reaction comes from a
mix of pride, teenage rebellion,
hyper-masculinity and pain at the stigma from
being different.
My favourite part of this book is its writing,
which is a thrilling mix of the sacred and
profane. Never before have I read romantic
desert imaginings juxtaposed with lyrical odes
to Big Macs and KFC, insults hurled by Bani's
compatriots (usually variations of "slut" and
"faggot" - it's always women and gays), Arabic
phrases and prayers, and quotes from Nabakov's
Lolita, often all within the same sentence. I
can't wait to read it again to pick up on more
of the nuances.
Review
(Anne Fenn): Boom!!!
As my grandson writes when he's making an
impression, this novel will knock you off your
feet! It's hugely energetic, packed full of
incident, emotion, action and reaction. It opens
in Sydney's Punchbowl High, a pack, a gang of
young Lebanese males set about destroying the
joint. Well, not really, just in their thoughts
and dreams. We follow Bani, he's the outsider,
smart and not afraid of it. I can't describe how
dramatic the nature of Ahmad's writing
is...chockfull of strong language, violent
words, sometimes actions too. Division is a key
theme, we're all divided by so much - ethnicity,
religion and religious tribes within religion
were most powerful and interesting to me. It's
eye-opening in its account of how Sept 11 is
regarded in one high school in Australia. I
couldn't sleep after I finished it, my poor old
brain was just too wired.
KB says:
Make this Portuguese peri-peri at home and add
your personal touch to this popular take-away.
Nando-STYLED Chicken Strips on Savoury
Rice
INGREDIENTS
& METHOD
Boil 2 cups rice
with ˝ tsp salt
and ˝ tsp
turmeric powder
Strain and then
add
2 tsp spice for
rice
leave aside
Separately stir
fry in
1 tbsp
olive/coconut
oil
1 sliced onion
Julienne red
/green peppers
Julienne carrot
And toss into
rice
Steam the rice
with 2-tab ghee
or butter and ˝
cup of water and
˝ cup of milk
Chicken
Cut ľ kg fillets
into strips
Marinate in
Salt
1tsp steak and
pepper spice
1 tsp garlic
Lemon juice
1 TSP red
chillies/garlic
paste
1 Tbsp Nando’s
sauce
Cook on med high
& remove from
heat when done
but not dry
Add the
following to the
chicken and set
aside.
2 tbsp Nando’s
garlic sauce
2 tbsp
mayonnaise
4 tbsp tomato
puree
1 tbsp Nando’s
peri peri sauce
Place the rice
into your large
serving bowl and
place the
chicken in the
centre.
Garnish with
chopped
coriander and
chopped cashews
fried slightly
in butter.
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.
Writer, Clarity
Coach, Founder and
Facilitator of
Healing Words
Therapy - Writing
for Wellbeing
Muslimah
Mind
Matters
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 meaning
of Silence
and strategies to
practise moments of
silence daily in
your life so that
you are able to
“hear” the answers
to your prayers.
We often voice our
supplications to
ALLAH, but rarely do
we practise silence
to hear HIS answers
to our questions
because we are
caught up in
reacting to
circumstances.
We behave similarly
with other people as
well. Have you
noticed how we talk
more and listen
less? We sometimes
ask people how they
are, however, we do
not spend time in
silence to listen to
their response. We
either walk right
past them or busy
ourselves with other
chores or we start
talking about
ourselves.
Sometimes, when
another person is
speaking, instead of
listening to them
attentively, we
start formulating a
reply to their words
to make a point.
Practising daily
moments of silence
can calm us and make
us attentive to
people and things
around us. Silence
does not mean we
need to be away from
noise. It means that
even in the midst of
noise we are still
able to hear and
listen to our inner
voice and keep calm.
30-seconds of
Daily Practice of
Silence After Fajr
Salah, DO NOT GO
BACK TO BED.
1. Sit in
silence on your
prayer mat.
2. Straighten
your back and
let your upper
body feel tall
3. Breathe in
slowly and
deeply, so that
you feel your
belly expanding
4. Hold for a
few seconds
5. Breathe out
slowly
6. Repeat for 10
long, deep
breaths in and
10 long, deep
breaths out
We are generally
shallow breathers.
Repeating long, deep
in-breaths and
out-breaths supplies
oxygen to all the
organs in your body.
This abundant supply
of oxygen energises
your mind and calms
your nervous system.
Practising moments
of silence, whether
for 30 seconds or 30
minutes a day will
transform your
physical, emotional
and mental health.
Do try it.
Find Clarity with
Silence
If there is an issue
that is bothering
you, ask ALLAH’s
guidance to find
answers to your
questions. With each
in-breath and
out-breath, submit
to ALLAH’s wisdom
and HIS PLANS for
you. Let go.
Total submission to
ALLAH will enable
you to feel calm and
joyful. It will
bring clarity to
your mind and enable
you to make
decisions mindfully.
In doing so, you
will live a life of
love, compassion,
kindness and service
to all of ALLAH’s
creation, including
yourself.
If you wish to know about
a specific topic
with regards to
Self-Care and
Clarity of Mind,
please email me on
info@healingwordstherapy.com.
If you wish to have
a FREE one hour
Clarity Coaching
phone session,
contact me on
0451977786
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.
FREE event, light lunch and
refreshments provided.
This is open to community
members, advocates,
activists, future makers and
anyone interested in
community development,
action and building a
culture of peace.
Admission is free, but
numbers are limited.
21 September 2018 9:30am -
2.30pm
LOCATION: Maleny RSL, 1
Bunya Street, Maleny,
Queensland 4560
Join us for a
night of fun, games and
prizes. Ladies enjoy
dressing in your finest and
enjoy a girls night out with
your favourite person.
Mothers and daughters of all
ages are welcome. Whether
you are a 30 years old with
your 60 year old mother or
with your 10 year old
daughter, or both.
Hosted by
Susan Al-Maani.
Kathryn Jones is
the author of
Step Up. Embrace
The Leader
Within,
a book dedicated
to supporting
Muslim women
discover their
inner leader and
step up in every
aspect of their
lives.
She is the
founder of the
Beautiful
Muslimah Academy,
the annual
ME First Summit
and the
Great Ramadan
Giveaway.
She is known
internationally
as the Peaceful
Parenting Coach,
as well as a
Business
Performance
Coach
for Muslim women
experts &
professionals
who wish to
launch a legacy
by bringing
their life's
work online. Her
primary focus is
on supporting
Muslim women to
step up and
embrace the
leader within
themselves so
they can take
charge of their
lives, rather
than have life
take charge of
them.
Kathryn’s
mission in life
is to make a
difference in
the world of
Muslim women and
lead them from
oppression to
success and
purpose in life.
She is
particularly
passionate about
addressing the
‘tough’
subjects, such
as depression,
child abuse,
domestic
violence,
bullying,
abusive
parenting and
other topics
that are often
swept under the
carpet. Although
she would love
to change the
lives of every
individual
touched by these
experiences, she
realises that to
fulfil this
mission she
needs other
Muslim women to
be successfully
doing this work.
To build a
revolution of
Muslim women
coaching Muslim
women, she
established the
annual ME
First Summit
and her own
online marketing
program
especially to
fast track their
success.
She loves to
bust the
stereotypes
people have
about Muslim
women just by
being herself
and supporting
other Muslim
women to follow
suit. It is
possible for
every Muslim
woman to be a
part of the
solution by
embracing the
leader within
themselves.
Kathryn’s
program
Step Up:
Leadership For
Muslim Women
helps Muslim
women take
charge of their
lives and live
purposefully.
New Muslim Care (NMC) are proud to
be working in alliance with Sisters Support Services
(SSS) and National Zakat Foundation (NZF) to
support new Muslims with the Islam 101: The Foundations
courses.
Through collaboration we are strengthening our
organisations and sharing resources in order to continue
to provide much needed services to the community.
Our aim is to offer continuous support to new Muslims
through Islamic workshops, classes and social avenues
and enable a more seamless transition successfully to an
Islamic way of life Insha'Allah.
Sessions for brothers are envisaged for the near future.
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.
You would be pleased to know
that the construction of
burned Toowoomba Masjid has
started last week,
Alhamdulillah.
The concrete work has begin.
We are in short of
AUD$650,000.
As you know our community is
small and financially
stressed and hence we need
generous help from people
like yourself to complete
the project.
Our request to you is for a
contribution (donation or
loan or mix of donation and
loan) to complete the
project.
But we also request you to
reach your relatives and
friends on your mailing
lists or social media who
may be able to make more
significant contributions.
Bank Account Details:
Commonwealth Bank of
Australia,
Toowoomba Plaza Branch
A/C Name: Toowoomba Islamic
Charitable Organisation
BSB: 064459 A/C Number: 1034
1586
Swift Code: CTBAAU25XXX
For more information, call
Prof Shahjahan Khan on
+61421081048
Fundraising Dinner/Auction for Australian
Drought Relief, Kerala-Indian Floods and Indonesian
Earthquake Victims
Combined ICQ,
Rotary Club of Archerfield,
MCF, and
MAA
slamic College of
Brisbane, KARAWATHA
0418 738 432
TBA
17 November
Saturday
Annual Milad-un-Nabi
Al-Mustapha Institute of Brisbane
TBA
3PM to Maghrib
19 November
20 November
(tentative)
Monday (EVE)
Tuesday
BIRTHDAY OF PROPHET MOHAMMED
(pbuh)
(Milad un Nabi)
12th Rabi-ul-Awwal 1440
2 April 2019
3 April 2019
(tentative)
Tues (EVE)
Wed
LAILATU MI'RAAJ
(Ascension night)
27th Rajab 1440
20 April 2019
21 April 2019
(tentative)
Sat (EVE)
Sun
NISF SHA'BAAN
(Lailatul Bahrat)
15th Sha'baan 1440
6 May 2019
(tentative)
Mon
RAMADAAN
(start of the month of fasting)
1st Ramadaan 1440
26 May 2019
(tentative)
Sun
LAILATUL-QADR
(Night of Power)
27th Ramadaan 1440
5 June 2019
(tentative)
Wed
EID-UL-FITR
(end of the month of fasting)
1st
Shawal 1440
11 August 2019
(tentative)
Sun
YAWMUL ARAFAH
(Night of Power)
9th Zil-Hijjah 1440
12 August 2019
(tentative)
Mon
EID-UL-ADHA
10th Zil-Hijjah 1440
PLEASE NOTE
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
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While
I lost my mum to
domestic
violence but I
won't let fear
or racists keep
me silent
Rashida Tlaib: First Muslim woman to
be elected to US Congress
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our Wall
7
August 2011