On 4 December the Australian
International Islamic
College conducted the
Foundation Laying Ceremony
of the Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics
(STEM) Building.
The college principal Mariam
Banwa convened the program
attended by Mr. Peter Russo
– State Member of
Parliament, and Mr. Michael
Harding – General Manager of
BGA for their participation.
Key stakeholders of the
community, teachers and
students were also present
The State and Commonwealth
Governments contributed
towards the STEM project.
Ahmed Kilani
is one of four Muslim chaplains
employed across NSW prisons.
Imran* became one of
Supermax's youngest inmates
when he was imprisoned on
terror-related charges.
Disowned by his father, who
refused to visit him, Imran
was consumed by rage and
hatred. But then he met
Ahmed.
Ahmed Kilani is one of four
Muslim chaplains employed
across NSW prisons to
counter extremist doctrines
and provide spiritual
guidance to the small
population of Muslim
inmates. Every month, he
drives hundreds of hours
across the state to visit
Goulburn Supermax, Long Bay,
Lithgow, Bathurst and Oberon
prisons.
Our 10-minute phone call is
strictly monitored by
Corrective Services New
South Wales and took more
than two months to be
approved. His work is
controversial, but Mr Kilani
believes it's life changing.
When Mr Kilani finally
convinced Imran's father to
visit, Imran asked the
chaplain to place his hand
through the small opening in
his cage. Mr Kilani
hesitated — the young inmate
had previously threatened to
kill him, denouncing him as
an "apostate". He
tentatively offered his
hand, fearing Imran might
break his wrist. Instead, he
kissed and stroked it, a
sign of great respect in
Muslim culture.
Inspired by Mr Kilani's
positive ethos, Imran has
asked for forgiveness and
started praying. And he's
not the only inmate.
'Is he a government stooge?'
When Mr Kilani first started
as a chaplain he met a wall
of resistance from some of
the inmates, particularly
those with extremist
beliefs.
One of Supermax's most
radical inmates, Abdul*
often exploded in bouts of
rage and hostility towards
Mr Kilani, calling him a
"sell out Muslim".
"There's a lot of trust
issues with the guys who are
on the very extreme end of
the way they practise their
religion. It's like 'who is
this guy? Is he working for
ASIO? Is he a government
stooge?'," Mr Kilani says.
Eventually, he won over
inmates like Abdul by
organising barbeques and
providing them with books
and prayer mats.
"I kept persevering and
showing them a lot of love
and being non-judgemental. I
told them from the start,
'my rules are, as long as
you don't call me an
apostate and you show me
respect, then I'm happy to
discuss anything'," he says.
Can religion save
extremists?
Dr Julian Droogan, an
academic specialising in
violent extremism, believes
inmates can cast off
extremist religious beliefs
and reintegrate with
society.
"Although violent extremism
is rarely caused solely by
extreme religious beliefs,
religion can play an
important role in correcting
some of the mistaken
propaganda from groups such
as Al Qaeda and the
so-called Islamic State," he
says.
"Religion can also encourage
and support extremists in
finding a place in positive
religious communities and a
healthy and non-violent
identity."
However, Dr Droogan says
it's often difficult for
these individuals to make a
full recovery if extremist
beliefs are common in their
social circles. "If these
social contexts are
repeated, people may relapse
into violent extremism," he
says.
Backing from victims'
families
The deployment of Muslim
chaplains in prisons is
controversial. But it's
backed by some of the people
most affected by the
inmates' crimes.
Alpha Cheng's father Curtis
was murdered by a
radicalised teenager outside
the Paramatta police
headquarters in 2015.
But the high school teacher
says he "can't hate" Farhad
Khalil Mohammad Jabar, the
15-year-old boy who went to
a nearby mosque to pray
before shooting his father.
"Being a high school teacher
and working closely with
teenagers, it always hits me
that the shooter was a
15-year-old.
"It's a really tragic and
sad element that someone of
that age who is a
second-generation Australian
would believe that such an
act is a solution," Alpha
says.
"If we don't have people
working within the prison
system or at a mosque, we
have people forming views
without proper spiritual
guidance. If there's not
people doing this, the risk
is that the negative or
destructive ideology gets
perpetuated in prison.
"However, based on what I've
seen and experienced in the
trials, I have little hope
for rehabilitation. I hope
to be proved wrong."
'Everyone can change'
At the root of Mr Kilani's
spiritual work is the belief
that criminal behaviour is
complex and through
comprehensive rehabilitation
and expert guidance, inmates
can change.
"They're people that were
probably going to school
with you, going to work with
you and catching the bus
with you, their kids
probably go to school with
your kids. They're probably
your neighbours," Mr Kilani
says.
"Everyone makes mistakes,
and everyone can change. And
we should give them all a
chance to change."
THE Toowoomba Islamic
Charitable Organisation has
applied to the Toowoomba
Regional Council to make
minor changes to its
approved development
application for a mosque on
the corner of Stephen and
West Sts in Harristown.
The organisation applied to
the council this week,
seeking approval to
establish a caretaker's
residence at an existing
house at 82 Stephen St, and
to modify the carparking lot
to increase the number of
parking spaces.
The application proposes the
currently approved car park
off West St will become a
grassed overflow carpark,
and a larger carpark will be
built on the corner of West
and Stephen Sts.
"The proposed changes will
result in an increase in the
number of approved carparks
to provide a total of 56
parking spaces and two PWD
spaces," the application
report said.
"The development and the car
parking area have been
sensitively designed and
enhanced through the
provision of landscaping and
1.8m high screen fencing.
"This will reduce the
acoustic impacts of the
development on adjoining
land uses while improving
the aesthetic amenity and
enhancing the microclimate
of the site."
Toowoomba Islamic Society
president Professor
Shahjahan Khan said the
entrance to the Stephen St
car park would also be
shifted about 20m away from
the intersection, making it
safer for people to access
the property.
"That's going to be a big
plus from a traffic
management point of view,"
he said.
The proposal does not make
any changes to the existing
approval of the mosque
itself, which is presently
under construction, more
than three years after being
hit by two separate
fire-bombing attacks that
left the original building
severely damaged.
Professor Khan said
depending on fundraising and
other factors, ideally the
mosque would be completed by
the middle of 2019.
On 7 December staff from
Gold Coast City Council
(Cemetry Department) visited
the Gold Coast Mosque for
the first time.
The department has been
assisting the Gold Coast
Muslim community in
facilitating burial
documentation and
preparation of graves at the
Muslim cemetery.
In addition to a sumptuous
meal, the guests were taken
on a tour of the Mosque and
were told about Islam and
its teachings.
Prof Shahjahan Khan received
the University of Southern
Queensland Award of
Excellence for Diversity and
Inclusion this week from the
Chancellor and Vice
Chancellor of the University
An all-girl Muslim team from
Unity Grammar College in New
South Wales represented
Australia at the FIRST LEGO
League competition.
Year 8 student, Daniya Syed,
from Unity Grammar College
in New South Wales believes
IT is a male-dominated
industry but it does not
mean women can’t work and
succeed in it.
Earlier this year she headed
an all-girls, all Muslim
robotics team representing
Australia for the first time
in the FIRST LEGO League
competition in Estonia.
The journey to achieve such
a feat was no easy task but
Ms Syed says she feels she
has been lucky to have a
great network of support
around her.
Passion
“My parents, friends,
family, team members and
school have been very
supportive from the very
start. This support and
mentoring has lead me to
success,” said Ms Syed in a
conversation with SBS Urdu.
Since Year 6 Ms Syed has
been programming in HTML
code every Saturday or
whenever she could find
spare time. Her parents both
come from an IT background
and have supported her
enthusiasm all along.
Ms Syed is passionate about
breaking stereotypes and has
a message for all young
girls aspiring to work in IT
or male dominant fields. “I
believe IT is a male
dominant field, but it does
not mean women can’t do it.
“I want to spread this
message to all girls, follow
your passion regardless of
the field it may be. Women
and men are equal and we
have equal opportunities to
succeed.” she further added.
Team Background
STEM Cells X an all-girls,
all Muslim team from Unity
Grammar College in New South
Wales was formed in 2017
after a tryout was held in
which 26 students
participated.
Students were required to
possess basic knowledge of
robotics design and
programming. They were
tested on their knowledge
and practical work.
Six girls were selected out
of 26 and formed a team to
participate in the regional
competition of FIRST LEGO
League held at Macquarie
University 2017.
Ms Syed’s team qualified the
regional competition and
were selected as one out of
nine teams to represent
Australia at the
international competition.
FIRST LEGO League is an
innovative world-wide
program encouraging students
to come up with innovative
solutions to solve a
real-world problem.
Over 320,000 participants as
part of 40,000 teams have
taken part in 1,450 events
worldwide since its
inception in 1998.
Some 36 Grade 6 students
from Silkwood School,
accompanied by their three
teachers, visited the Gold
Coast Mosque recently.
Imam Mohamed Ali and James
showed them around the
Mosque and its facilities,
and gave them a brief
introduction to Islam and
answered their many
questions about the
religion.
Haroon
Meer – Founder of Thinkst: A
Method to the Madness
The answer to this question
was central to the success
of Haroon Meer; a South
African Muslim at the helm
of Thinkst, a cyber security
firm that consults
government agencies,
big-name internet clients
and more. He’s consulted
NATO on cyber security
before it was an active
international threat, and
his Canary cyber honey-pot
devices are connected to
major tech giants. With
humble beginnings in the
tail end of Apartheid South
Africa, Haroon’s success was
far from a silver spoon
upbringing.
So how did Haroon take off?
On The Transit Lounge – a
podcast from Toledo Society,
Haroon described the one
constant to becoming an
authority in his field:
relentlessness. Being at the
top of the game means just
that: putting the time in,
keeping up with trends and
staying competitive.
Central to Haroon’s
philosophy is the idea that
money follows value; not the
other way around. Almost
hard to believe, Haroon
failed his first year of
Computer Science. However,
take this with with a grain
of salt, as what followed
was a measured and masterful
pursuit of passion. He took
classes in anything and
everything he was interested
in: philosophy, legals,
sociology and more until he
found his passion in
computer science and pursued
it without fail.
Far from the denizens of
Silicon Valley and the West,
Haroon operates comfortably
out of South Africa, where
Thinkst’s main office is
located. Haroon reflects on
his “Muslimness” during the
episode, and the role his
cultural and religious
identity played in his
journey. He also speaks of
his early pool addiction and
his short stint at the
Quantico base!
The Second International
Conference on Organ
Transplantation in Islam
will be held at the Western
Sydney University on 22 and
23 November.
This conference explores a
rare topic in Islamic
theological and social
scientific discussions; how
Islam deals with organ
transplantation.
Existing studies on organ
transplantation, rare as
they are, either look at the
argument in support of organ
transplantation and
donation, or the argument
that considers organ
transplantation and donation
to be prohibited in Islam.
What is missing is a clear
and authoritative response
to the question of organ
transplantation and donation
in Islam.
Whether organ
transplantation and donation
is permissible or not in
Islam, robust theological
and social scientific
discussions are necessary
for individuals to make an
informed determination
Each week CCN presents the
abstract and biography of
one of the speakers at the
conference:
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.
Families
of
Australian
extremists
have
come
forward
for a
rare
series
of
interviews
they
hope
will
help
others
pick up
on signs
of
radicalisation
they
might
have
missed.
He knew he was
going to die. So
the Islamic
State fighter in
Syria made one
last phone call.
It was to his
family, at home
in Melbourne's
suburbs.
"He called and
said he was
going on a
suicide mission
in the morning
and he was just
calling to say
goodbye," a
family member
said.
It left his
family
desperately
searching for
answers that
would never
come.
Every act of
violent
extremism,
whether it
occurs thousands
of kilometres
away or on
Bourke Street,
leaves a series
of questions.
Researchers and
community
leaders believe
a new series of
interviews with
families of
young extremists
from Melbourne
could provide
some answers.
The identities
of the 11
families — who
agreed to be
interviewed
because of their
involvement with
a
Broadmeadows-based
social services
provider — were
protected.
The report's
researchers say
it is the first
time Australian
families of
violent
extremists have
participated in
research of this
scale and
nature.
The interviews
paint a complex
picture of the
anger, sorrow
and bewilderment
felt by those
closest to a
violent
extremist, and
detail troubling
allegations
about the
handling of some
cases by
authorities and
the process of
radicalisation.
Some families
saw the signs
and reported
them. Others
realised, in
hindsight, what
they had missed.
Often, violent
extremists gave
no indication
that they had
started to
spiral.
"Believe me,
there was
nothing," one
woman said, "He
grew up his
beard, but so
what?
"He still hung
out with his
cousins,
everything was
normal.
"But sometimes
he watched
YouTube, Syria,
and kids being
killed. When he
saw this he
would get upset,
saying 'why
this, why
that?'"
Seemingly
innocuous things, like a young
man growing out his beard,
retrospectively took on meaning
for family members of
extremists.
Otherwise
routine
adolescent
behaviour —
playing video
games, spending
a lot of time
online,
partying, risk
taking or
becoming
withdrawn — was
later seen in a
sinister light
by some family
members.
There were also
recurring
concerns around
drug use —
particularly ice
— as a key
factor in their
family members
becoming
vulnerable to
extremism.
Leila Alloush,
the chief
executive of
Victorian Arabic
Social Services,
which partnered
with Deakin
University to
produce the
report,
described drug
addiction as
"the number one"
factor driving
young men to
violent
extremism.
In two recent
fatal attacks
linked by
authorities to
Islamic State —
in Bourke Street
last month and
in Brighton last
year — both
perpetrators had
histories of
substance abuse.
Participants in
the research
reported some
young men became
more devout to
distance
themselves from
past drug use,
but later became
extremists.
In one case, a
foreign fighter
had alternated
between partying
hard and
following
religion,
behaviour a
relative
regarded as
intended to "do
a bit of good
and a bit of
bad".
Another relative
said he thought
this increased
piety was a
positive thing.
"I thought he
was just giving
up his bad boy
ways and
becoming a bit
more devout," he
said.
"I thought he
was just
maturing, coming
out of a phase."
Some said their
young male
relatives would,
on occasion,
leave early in
the morning and
not return until
later in the
day. They would
often pray in
small groups,
away from
established
mosques or
masjids, without
their parents'
knowledge.
"They'll gather
likeminded
people and
isolate
themselves," one
participant
said, describing
the segregation
as "quite
toxic".
Fears son was
used as 'bait'
The interviews
were conducted
in collaboration
between
researchers and
Victorian Arabic
Social Services
and form part of
a new Victorian
government-funded
report.
One mother told
interviewers her
son was used as
"bait" to gather
evidence about
Islamic State
recruiters.
He was used
by both the
traitors in
IS and also
by the
government.
I am a
victim of IS
recruiters
and of the
federal
police.
Researchers did
not
independently
verify the
information
provided during
the interviews.
The Department
of Home Affairs
would not
comment on
whether any
Australians had
been allowed to
join Islamic
State for the
purpose of
gaining
intelligence,
but said in a
statement it had
early
intervention
arrangements in
place across
Australia.
"The
radicalisation
to violence
process is
unique to each
person and
responses need
to be flexible
to meet the
individual's
needs," a
spokesperson
said.
"We encourage
families,
friends and
communities to
contact
authorities for
help and advice
if they see
indications an
individual may
be radicalising
to violence or
considering
participating in
a foreign
conflict."
Another
interviewee said
after
cooperating
extensively with
investigators
who were seeking
information
about a foreign
fighter, she was
told they could
not provide
support services
to help her cope
with his death.
Authorities also
failed to detect
a young man who
had obsessed
about suicide
bombing, bought
religious
textbooks and
chemicals used
to make bombs,
was collecting
metal fragments,
and researched
bomb making
online, and then
travelled
overseas to join
Islamic State,
his family said.
Duncan Lewis,
the director
general of ASIO,
told a Senate
estimates
hearing in
October that 230
people had
travelled to the
Middle East to
fight in foreign
conflicts since
2012, and that
as many as 94 of
them had died.
The majority
left Australia
to join Islamic
State.
Online,
obsessive and
vulnerable
Family members of
extremists said social media was
a key factor in their
radicalisation.
As the war raged
in Syria, the
social media
feeds of young
men quickly
filled with
images of
violence.
"This is what
made all our
kids angry — the
extensive
killing of
Muslims
overseas," one
woman said.
"I think that is
what has
motivated many
of them to
radicalise.
Sometimes they
go crazy — they
lose their mind
— they want to
help."
Often, the
language that
accompanied such
images
reinforced a
black and white
interpretation
of Islam.
Social media
puts out so
much
negativity
about Islam
that it's
easy for
influencers
to construct
these
narratives
of not
really
belonging,"
one man
said.
"It's easy for
people to say,
'These people
don't really
want me here,
why am I here?'"
It was
particularly
dangerous for
those already
predisposed to
fixations.
"My [relative]
always flipped
from obsessing
about one thing
to another
thing," a woman
said.
"He was a
teenager and was
looking for
identity. He'd
go from
obsessing about
one sport or
hobby to
another.
"So while the
religion part
was unusual, his
fastening onto
and obsessing
about things
wasn't."
Islamic State
propaganda
reinforced these
narratives, some
family members
said, and
packaged them in
a way that
appealed to
young men
looking for
adventure.
"For me it's war
propaganda —
it's the same
way … a
paedophile would
lure a child
in," a woman
said.
"It's very
seductive — they
offer them
excitement —
that feeling
that they are
doing something
great, a greater
purpose than
what they are
doing here.
"Daily life here
can get boring."
When one young
man was
challenged on
his beliefs, and
told he was
brainwashed, "he
was sure that he
hadn't [been]
and I was the
brainwashed one
who didn't
understand the
truth".
I pushed my kids
away from
religion and
they rebelled'
The interviews
conducted as part of the report
were often raw and painful for
the family members..
A
father suffered
a fatal heart
attack after
hearing his son
died fighting
with Islamic
State,
researchers were
told.
Another family
only learned
their relative
had died after
reading about it
in the media.
A sense of grief
and shame filled
the room during
the interviews,
Deakin
University
researchers
Professor
Michele Grossman
and Dr Vivian
Gerrand said.
It was this
grief that
motivated the
families to
speak, in the
hope their
experiences will
guide others.
"I just wanted
to sit in my
room and cry and
cry and cry and
think about my
brother," the
sister of a
foreign fighter
said.
Others regretted
not challenging
their children
to think
differently
about religion.
I left it to
externals
and God
knows what
they put in
my son's
head. Islam
is not about
extremism.
They got the
wrong
message from
others," one
woman said.
A
mother said she
should have
nurtured
religious
interest in her
son.
"I pushed my
kids away from
religion and
they rebelled
and went towards
religion."
There were also
lessons for
authorities and
community
leaders,
families
believed.
These included
forbidding
private lectures
from those who
extol a hardline
interpretation
of Islam,
stricter
accreditation
for those who
teach Arabic or
Islamic studies,
and
community-led
support services
for the families
of violent
extremists.
They also called
for assistance
with practical
tasks, such as
obtaining death
certificates,
which in some
cases compounded
their grief.
Professor
Michele Grossman
said there was
also a need for
greater research
into the role of
Islamic State
recruiters.
"We really do
need to
understand more
about how they
operate if we
are to build
resiliance
[against] that
kind of
recruitment."
The original
target had been
20 families, but
after repeated
instances of
families
postponing and
then cancelling
their
interviews, the
researchers had
to downsize.
Of the 11
families that
participated,
all lived in
Melbourne, eight
were Lebanese
Muslim, nine
spoke Arabic and
English at home,
and eight had
secure housing.
There were
between three
and 12 children,
aged from two to
41, in eight of
the families.
Four of the
interviewees
were siblings,
three were
mothers, three
were friends or
cousins, and two
were wives of
foreign
fighters.
The content has
been used by
Victorian Arabic
Social Services
to formulate a
training program
for families
about what to
look for in a
relative who
could becoming
radicalised, and
what to do next.
Professor
Grossman said it
should also be
used to inform
ongoing public
debate and
policy regarding
extremism.
In the Bourke
Street attack,
and in the case
of three men who
were charged 11
days later for
allegedly
planning a
terror attack,
authorities had
cancelled their
passports.
The research
showed there
were significant
problems with
how this process
was generally
handled,
Professor
Grossman said,
and the thoughts
of the families
should be
considered to
ensure this
punitive
approach was
matched with
support.
A similar stance
should be taken
when a young
person comes to
the attention of
authorities, but
does not have
their passport
cancelled, she
said.
"One of the
lessons that law
enforcement can
draw from this
research is that
early
intervention for
families means
providing
support — not
necessarily what
you might think
of as a
traditional law
enforcement
investigation
response,"
Professor
Grossman said.
New congresswoman Rashida Tlaib
rejects traditional trip to Israel in favour
of one to West Bank
USA:
Democratic
Congresswoman-elect
Rashida Tlaib of
Michigan has
announced she
will be leading
a congressional
delegation to
the
Israeli-occupied
West Bank, an
unprecedented
move given the
traditional
nature of
American Israeli
Political Action
Committee (AIPAC)
sponsored trips
to Israel for
new members.
Speaking with
the Intercept,
Ms Tlaib—the
first
Palestinian-American
woman elected
into US
Congress—said
she hopes to
“draw on her
roots” in the
Middle East to
allow her
colleagues a
different
introduction to
the
Israeli-Palestinian
conflict than
the one offered
from pro-Israel
lobbying groups
like AIPAC.
She said her
delegation will
emphasise on
subject areas
involving
education, clean
water access and
poverty. She
also hopes to
take her group
to Beit Ur al-Foqa,
a village in
northern West
Bank, where her
mother lives.
Ms Tlaib is
unsure of who
will join her
delegation. She
is also still
working around
the logistics
and preparations
of the trip. She
is currently
searching for
advocacy
organisations to
partner with in
order to fund
the delegation.
One thing is for
certain for Ms
Tlaib: She wants
her delegations
“to humanise
Palestinians,
provide an
alternative
perspective to
the one AIPAC
pushes, and
highlight the
inherent
inequality of
Israel’s system
of military
occupation in
Palestinian
territories,”
something she
compares to the
treatment of
black Americans
in the Jim Crow
era.
“I want us to
see that
segregation and
how that has
really harmed us
being able to
achieve real
peace in that
region,” Ms
Tlaib said. “I
don’t think
AIPAC provides a
real, fair lens
into this issue.
It’s one-sided.
… [They] have
these lavish
trips to Israel,
but they don’t
show the side
that I know is
real, which is
what’s happening
to my
grandmother and
what’s happening
to my family
there.”
Unlike the AIPAC-sponsored
trips, Ms Tlaib
does not intend
to meet with
Israeli
government
officials or the
Palestinian
Authority.
Flatshare bias: room-seekers with
Muslim name get fewer replies
‘Muhammad’ less likely than
‘David’ to get a positive
response, Guardian investigation
finds
UK: People from
ethnic
minorities face
arbitrary
discrimination
when they look
for a room to
rent, experts
have said, after
a Guardian
investigation
found that
inquiries from a
person with a
Muslim name
about flatshare
ads received
significantly
fewer positive
responses.
In a snapshot
survey of the
private
flatshare market
carried out as
part of the Bias
in Britain
series,
expressions of
interest were
sent from
“Muhammad” and
“David” to
almost 1,000
online
advertisements
for rooms across
the UK.
The Guardian
found that for
every 10
positive replies
David received,
Muhammad
received only
eight.
Muhammad was
doubly
disadvantaged
compared with
David as he was
more likely not
to receive a
response (44% of
the time
compared with
36%), and when
he did receive a
response it was
more likely to
be negative (25%
of the time
compared with
18%).
While the survey
gives only a
momentary view
of the situation
across five
areas in the UK,
charities,
pressure groups
and the
Residential
Landlords
Association
(RLA) all said
the findings
were
illustrative of
persistent bias
in the housing
market – whether
conscious or
unconscious. The
RLA described
the findings as
“disturbing” and
said a
government
requirement on
landlords to
check tenants’
immigration
status was
compounding the
problem.
Minority ethnic
groups have long
faced
discrimination
in the housing
market: in the
1950s, some
adverts for
properties
specified “no
blacks, no
Irish, no dogs”.
Such explicit
discrimination
is largely in
the past,
although last
year a landlord
was taken to
court after he
barred people
from south Asian
backgrounds from
renting his
properties
because of
“curry smells”.
But experts say
the Guardian’s
findings are a
reminder that
subtler forms of
bias remain and
have significant
consequences.
Kevin Gulliver,
the director of
the Human City
Institute, a
charity and
thinktank
focusing on
exclusion,
social injustice
and inequality,
said: “This is a
timely study.
BAME communities
are more reliant
on the private
rented sector –
24%, compared
with 14% of
white people.
Having equal
access to the
rented sector is
very important.
“Society is
generally less
racist than it
was in the 1950s
but that doesn’t
mean more subtle
versions of
racism don’t
exist. People
sort of justify
it to
themselves,
assuming someone
from that
community might
not fit into the
block. This sort
of study shows
it is prevalent,
and Brexit,
Trump etc could
have given
permission for
previously
hidden racism to
emerge.”
The Guardian set
up online
profiles giving
Muhammad and
David similar
ages, interests
and occupations.
Expressions of
interest,
similar in tone
and length, were
sent responding
to adverts
posted for rooms
in properties
listed in
Aberdeen, Devon,
Leicester,
London and
Sunderland. The
advertisers were
private
individuals –
either
housemates,
flatmates,
live-in or
live-out
landlords.
It is impossible
to know whether
any one case is
the result of
prejudice, but
experts in
unconscious bias
say it can shape
people’s
responses
without them
being aware of
it. And the
snapshot survey
found other
evidence of a
difference in
outcomes for the
two names.
Uyghur Muslims in China are
being widely persecuted
CHINA: Muslims
in the west of
China are facing
one of the worst
examples of
oppression and
ethnic cleansing
in the world
today. East
Turkestan, the
home of the
Muslim minority
known as the
Uyghurs, has
seen the
mass-internment
of two million
civilians who
face physical
and mental
torture until
they renounce
their faith. The
Chinese
government calls
these camps
“re-education
camps”.
These camps have
multiplied
exponentially in
recent years
with the
appointment of a
new Communist
Party Secretary
of Xinjiang,
Chen Quanguo,
whose previous
appointment in
Tibet was famous
for its brutal
security and
surveillance
policies. These
tactics are now
being
implemented in
East Turkestan.
Though East
Turkestan is
under Chinese
control, Uyghurs
tend to have a
closer ethnic
and cultural
connection to
other Turkic
peoples in
central Asia.
This means that
alongside
religion, the
re-education
camps are aimed
at wiping out
the Uyghur
language, dress
and cultural
practices
entirely.
To achieve this,
the Chinese
government has
created the
world’s most
extensive
surveillance
state. Facial
recognition
cameras, body
scanners,
mandatory apps,
GPS tracking,
and surveillance
drones cover
every inch of
the region, and
Chinese tech
companies like
Huawei use these
government
contracts to
develop even
more intrusive
systems. A
recent
propaganda video
released by the
Chinese
government shows
the extent of
this
surveillance,
with at least 5
cameras in a
single classroom
which was being
touted for its
simple teaching
objectives.
Beyond simply
assimilating the
Uyghurs to
become more like
the Han Chinese
majority, the
Chinese
government’s
policies point
to a larger
agenda. East
Turkestan is at
the heart of
China’s biggest
global project,
the Belt and
Road initiative.
This
multi-billion
dollar project
spans the entire
globe, and
allows China to
become an
economic
superpower in
competition with
the US. In order
to achieve this
though, they aim
to completely
dominate the
region of East
Turkestan, and
wipe out the
Uyghur people.
Absent
is set in Baghdad in the late 1990s, at
the time of the UN blockade. The
narrator, young Dalal, is a teenager
growing up in a city sanctioned by the
world following the first Gulf War. The
novel revolves around the lives of women
in an apartment building, including a
devout Muslim woman, Umm Mazin, who runs
a healthy trade in fortune-telling and
spell fixing.
Dalal is a wondrous child who survives
the car accident that killed both her
parents when she was an infant. She
grows up under the care of her aunt and
uncle in a crowded apartment full of
paintings, dress patterns and boxes of
buttons (the aunt is a seamstress who
uses buttons to give a new lease on life
to old garments). Dalal’s world is full
of adults who are preoccupied, slightly
eccentric, never shy of giving her
errands or unsolicited life advice, but
ultimately good people trying to do the
best in trying circumstances (in a
blockade the light goes off, the water
doesn’t run, phone lines drop off,
saffron costs a fortune, and there are
uncountable other everyday
inconveniences to overcome).
The novel has a plot twist towards the
end, which I can’t tell you too much
about. So suffice it to say that Dalal
begins to make her way thanks to the
help of friends and neighbours until
everything is threatened by a Baath
government informant.
I loved this novel for its portrait of
women’s lives – the unique mix of
mundane, funny and serious issues that
will be recognisable to many of you
despite the distance. A novel like
Absent is a welcome reminder that even
in the most trying of circumstances life
goes on, and there is washing to fold
and meals to cook, and that most of
those tasks fall on women. From the
distance of 30-second news stories, it’s
easy to imagine war as a constant state
of emergency and hopeless despair, when
the reality of it features a lot of
waiting, wondering what will happen
next, and far fewer men around.
While the novel is mostly set indoors in
Dalal’s family apartment, there is a bit
of strolling around too, which allows
the reader equipped with Google maps to
spot parts of this lively ancient city.
I’ve attached here a couple of pictures
of leafy boulevards on the bank of the
river Tigris, and the statue of
Scheherazade in the city centre.
Scheherazade is a necessary reference in
this book of course, seeing how rich and
strong the vein of storytelling and book
culture remains in Iraqi culture through
the centuries. Last year we read news
about volunteers working together to
save thousands of books from the Mosul
library, as well as a literary festival
that took place in that city as soon as
ISIS was finally routed:
World Books Reading Group - Brisbane
Meets 6:30 pm on the first Wednesday of
every month
Muooz Eritrean Restaurant. 54 Mollison
st, West End
New readers always welcome
KB says:
This recipe is super easy
and super quick and so versatile as you will see
from the picture below.
3 ingredient Dough
INGREDIENTS & METHOD
2˝ cups self-rising flour
(or 2˝ cups flour plus 2˝ tsp baking powder)
1 cup yogurt (or fresh cream)
ľ tsp salt
Combine to form a soft dough.
Allow to rest 10-15 mins
Roll out and form.
*Pitas* - roll thin and bake at 180°C. They will rise but
give it 30 secs to a minute and remove. Do not let brown or
else it will get crispen,
For *naan bread* - roll out and toast dry on a dripping pan /
flat skillet / griddle (tawa), brush with ghee after it
comes off the pan.
For *rolls* form and brush with egg and bake till lightly
browned, cover with cloth when you remove from oven.
For *pizzas* - roll out a large roti, not too thin. Cut with
round cutter to size of choice. Toast on tawa, top with
sauce and fillings. Top with cheese, bake in oven till
cheese melts or pop into the microwave
for a minute.
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.
Q:
Dear Kareema, I’m really tight through my
muscles and I do yoga to combat this. What else
can I do to release the tightness?
A:
I would combine running/jogging/walking with
yoga.
It will build mental resilience and alleviate
stress and also release the tight muscles.
Running will provide a wicked dose of dopamine
to get you started for the day and yoga can help
reset your nervous system. Combine the two and
you’re set for a highly productive and centred
day.
Take more time when stretching because too often
we rush through it. It’s great for lengthening
the muscles and will help them rest and recover
in time for your next workout.
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 topic:
Happiness and
Joy...what is the
difference?
You may be familiar
with this common
adage “Pursuit of
Happiness”. I’ve
always wondered why
it is that we must
pursue happiness. I
used to be one of
those people who
worked really hard
at pursuing
happiness. One
wonderful day I
realised that as
ALLAH’s highest form
of creation I was
blessed with an
inherent, pure thing
known as JOY.
Once I realised
this, embraced joy
and began to live
from it, I stopped
pursuing happiness.
It sounds bizarre.
Difference
Between Joy and
Happiness?
The English
dictionary may
display both these
terms as synonyms,
however, society has
designed a paradigm
for human beings
which defines
happiness as
something that
results from
fulfilment of
material and
physical desires. In
other words,
happiness, in
today’s world, is
circumstantial.
Joy, on the other
hand, is something
that we feel in our
“fitra” and is not
defined by physical
and material
desires. Joy is the
elation we feel when
we operate from our
inherent spiritual
virtues of love,
kindness and
compassion.
Once you operate
from joy, the
pressures that
society places on
you vanish - the
six-figure salary,
the mansion, the
perfect body shape -
none of these
material and
physical desires
will matter anymore.
Living from joy
makes you a joyful
being and spreads
joy to the rest of
the world. Instead
of the six-figure
salary, ask yourself
if you love what you
do for work. Instead
of the mansion that
you live in
(probably under
mortgage), ask
yourself if your
home is a space that
is spiritually
fulfilling. Instead
of obsessing over a
perfect body shape,
ask yourself if you
are using your body
and its energy to
spread goodness and
perform righteous
deeds.
How to Cultivate
Joy in Your Life
Living authentically
and being true to
yourself helps you
be true to others.
“Fake it till you
make it” may not be
the most authentic
approach to living
joyfully. Rather, a
daily practice of
experiencing joy in
small things can
make every moment of
your life be a
joyful experience.
• Smile more
• Laugh out loud
• Write a
heartfelt note
to someone
special to thank
them (handwrite
it, it’s more
personal)
• Breathe
deeply, fully
and exhale
slowly
• Do a fun
activity that
moves your body
and makes you
sweat
• Spend a few
minutes daily to
connect with
nature
• Say out loud
to yourself -
five things
about yourself
that you are
grateful for
• Say out loud
to yourself -
five things
about your life
that you are
grateful for
• Say out loud
to yourself -
five things
about another
person that you
are grateful for
• Do something
nice for someone
without their
knowledge
• Cook a
wholesome meal
for yourself and
your family
• Hug your loved
ones often and
tell them you
love them
• Visualise
yourself in
Jannah
If you feel confused
about whether you
are pursuing
material and
physical happiness
or whether you are
living joyfully, the
one question you
need to ask yourself
is “Is what I’m
pursuing pleasing
ALLAH or pleasing
people?”
Choose to please
ALLAH and ONLY
ALLAH. When you
please people, you
fall into the trap
of material and
physical desires.
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.
Be quick in the race for
forgiveness from your Lord,
and for a Garden whose width
is that (of the whole) of
the heavens and of the earth,
prepared for the righteous.
“Part of what fascist
politics does is get people
to disassociate from
reality. You get them to
sign on to this fantasy
version of reality, usually
a nationalist narrative
about the decline of the
country and the need for a
strong leader to return it
to greatness, and from then
on their anchor isn’t the
world around them — it’s the
leader.”
Brother Laith
from the community has a
brain tumour and needs
urgent brain surgery. All
proceeds will be going to
help his medical expenses.
Medical expenses may exceed
$150,000 due to the high
risk nature of the tumour.
Please support this worthy
cause by purchasing a ticket
or donating.
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..
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thoughts, feelings and ambitions for our community through CCN.
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@cfcsouthport
UK's Oldest Mosque: Incredible
pictures shine a light on Britain’s oldest
mosque dating back to the reign of Queen
Victoria
USA:
Democratic
Congresswoman-elect
Rashida Tlaib of
Michigan has
announced she
will be leading
a congressional
delegation to
the
Israeli-occupied
West Bank, an
unprecedented
move given the
traditional
nature of
American Israeli
Political Action
Committee (AIPAC)
sponsored trips
to Israel for
new members.
Absent
is set in Baghdad in the late 1990s, at
the time of the UN blockade. The
narrator, young Dalal, is a teenager
growing up in a city sanctioned by the
world following the first Gulf War. The
novel revolves around the lives of women
in an apartment building, including a
devout Muslim woman, Umm Mazin, who runs
a healthy trade in fortune-telling and
spell fixing. 
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011