The annual Jalsa was hosted
by the Islamic Society of
Darra and Darra Madrassah.
Certificates of achievement
and performances were given
by the pupils of the
madressah including a
Nasheed of Madina by the
young boys.
The keynote speaker was Imam
Riyaaz Seedat of the Islamic
College of Brisbane and
other guests included Sgt
Jim Bellos, A/Inspector Pete
Flori of the Centenary
Patrol Group and Senior
Sergeant Michael Coulson,
officer-in-charge of
Sherwood Police Station.
There was also Hifz
completion graduations for
Hafiz Mohammed Umar Naeem
and Hafiz Muhammed Umair
Naeem the son’s of Mufti
Naeem Ali, the Imam of the
Darra Mosque.
Laith had surgery on Monday
3rd December to remove a
brain tumour. The operation
was performed by the world
renowned surgeon Dr. Teo in
Sydney.
What was expected to take 4
hours ended up taking almost
9 hours to perform the very
complex operation. He spent
a few days in hospital and
was then discharged to the
care of his family who are
staying in Sydney until he
is well enough to fly home.
He was readmitted to
hospital a few days later
with a fever and vomiting
due to an infection. This
was treated and he is again
in the care of his family.
He is still in a lot of pain
and discomfort and has lost
a lot of strength.
The Muslim Charitable
Foundation has paid for the
surgery and hospital which
has cost $110,000.00 so far.
MCF and the family are very
grateful to all those who
have remembered him in their
prayers and everyone who
gave so generously towards
the appeal.
Laith has a long recovery
ahead of him and faces
continual check ups and
treatment with ongoing
expenses.
Anyone wishing to donate,
please deposit in to Muslim
Charitable Foundation
Emergency Account:
On the last day of
Parliament for 2018, Mr.
Duncan Pegg MP for Stretton
spoke about "some of the
fantastic things that have
happened in our local
community this year!"
from l to r:
Osman Rane, Pieta Trad-Merheb,
Rita Prasad-Ildes, Yusuf Khatree
World Wellness Group Health
and Medical Clinic had the
official opening of their
new clinic on Monday 10
December 2018 at their new
premises in Stones Corner.
The group provides a broad
range of medical care,
mental health and wellbeing
services, providing
affordable and accessible
multicultural health care to
marginalised migrants,
refugees and asylum seekers.
The official opening was
attended by the Deputy
Premier, the Honourable
Jackie Trad, and other
dignitaries.
Muslim Charitable Foundation
was represented by Yusuf
Khatree and Osman Rane and
was acknowledged for its
invaluable contribution of
medical and surgical
equipment and the ongoing
financial assistance to
Muslim patients who are
Medicare ineligible.
MCF has been working closely
with WWG since its inception
some five years ago.
Yusuf / Cat Stevens,
legendary singer/songwriter
and humanitarian has donated
over one million dollars
from his ‘A Cat’s Attic’ -
Peace Train Tour’ to support
local and international
charities.
A host of Australian
charities are being engaged
to develop programs that
give back to the community.
The first to receive support
will be drought-afflicted
farmers through the ‘Rural
Aid Australia’, elderly
citizens through the
‘Gallipoli Home Care
Centre’, cancer sufferers
through the ‘Olivia
Newton-John Cancer Wellness
and Research Centre’, and
many more to be announced in
the coming weeks.
At the end of last year,
Paul Dainty, in
collaboration with
Moonshadow Australia Pty,
brought Yusuf and his band
to Australia and New Zealand
where he performed to packed
arenas in 9 cities across
the continent. Performing
such classics as Father &
Son, Morning has Broken and
Wild World, crowds sang
along and enjoyed his latest
songs from critically
acclaimed, Grammy-nominated
album “Laughing Apple”.
“I believe that concerts are
positive opportunities to
receive as well as to give
back, making people happy is
what I love to do.”
As well as supporting these
organisations, funds will
also be channelled through
Penny Appeal to launch a new
initiative directed towards
education for children from
remote communities through
the Indigenous Literacy
Foundation and emergency
relief. ‘Peace Train’ buses
and mobiles will soon begin
rolling in the UK, South
Africa, Australia as well as
other regions across the
globe.
Aamer Naeem (Global CEO,
Penny Appeal) comments
“Yusuf has shown us over the
years what a true
humanitarian he is, we are
honoured to be working
alongside such an
inspirational figure. Peace
Train will help bring
communities together,
through compassion and love,
spreading peace and putting
others first."
For further information or
images, please call Mohamed
Mayat, CEO of Penny Appeal
Australia on 1300 347 947,
or reach out via email
bigdifference@pennyappeal.org.au.
Charities donated to
include: Olivia Newton-John
Cancer Wellness and Research
Centre, Gallipoli Home Care,
Centre for Multicultural
Youth, Indigenous Literacy
Foundation, Rural Aid
Australia, Addison Road
Community Centre
Organisation and Concern
Worldwide.
An
ancient rule that appears in the
Bible, Torah and Koran is at the
heart of a Muslim super fund’s
$2.5b pitch to Aussies.
Talal Yassine OAM
The head of the country’s
first Islamic superannuation
fund wants to use the
scandals exposed by the
banking royal commission to
sell the value of
“sharia-compliant” investing
to mainstream Australians.
Crescent Wealth managing
director Talal Yassine OAM
said in three-and-a-half
years his fund had gone from
$1 million under management
to $250 million and was now
“set up for explosive
growth” to a projected $2.5
billion within five years.
Around 10 per cent of
Crescent Wealth’s 7000
members are not from the
Muslim community, and Mr
Yassine said he would “like
to get that to 50-50” as he
pitches the benefits to
customers in the wider
ethical investment “family”.
“What we don’t invest in
are things that harm
humanity,” he said.
“Tobacco, weapons,
pornography, alcohol,
insurance companies and
banks. People used to
ask me, ‘Why insurance
companies and banks?
That sounds weird.’ Now
I don’t get that anymore
after the royal
commission.”
Unlike “green” ethical
funds, Crescent Wealth is
the “only fund that doesn’t
invest in banking and
insurance companies as a
matter of policy”.
Along with things like pork
and alcohol, sharia law
prohibits “usury”, or the
charging of interest. Mr
Yassine said the ancient
prohibition, which is also
contained in the Bible and
the Torah, was all the more
relevant today.
There are around 650,000
Australians who identify as
Muslim, according to the
2016 Census. Mr Yassine
estimates his fund has 1 per
cent market share of working
Muslims and expects to
double that in 2019.
“But we want to take it
much broader and let
Australians know we
would like to contribute
to the social fabric, as
millennials and others,
especially with the
royal commission, get a
sense of what happens
when banks (commit
usury),” he said.
“The Koran has a
prohibition against it
for the same reason the
Bible and the Torah do,
it’s making money from
money. The Islamic
community believes that
your money itself should
not be making money with
you not doing anything
and not having any
risk.”
Many of the scandals
highlighted in the royal
commission came down to
banks “lending money to
people who can’t afford it”.
“It’s no risk to the bank,
the entire risk is on the
borrower,” he said.
Islamic finance, by
contrast, involves the
lender “partnering” with the
borrower “more like a joint
venture”. “Someone comes to
me and says, ‘I want to buy
something for $10, I’ve got
$1 you need to lend me $9’,”
Mr Yassine said.
“I say OK, as a bank I will
own 90 per cent of that
house and you’ll own 10 per
cent, you’ll pay me rent and
buy it back from me over
time. If (it’s a business
and it) fails, the bank
loses its equity. Therefore
as a bank I’m going to take
a lot more interest in the
risk being taken.”
Crescent Wealth, which
describes its investment
style as “responsible, long
term, low risk and medium
return”, has a second set of
four “quantitative filters”
once a potential investment
makes it through the Islamic
“quality filter”.
First, it has to be lowly
geared, with less that 33.3
per cent debt. Second, it
can’t have more than 70 per
cent of accounts receivable
owing. The third rule is it
can’t have more than 30 per
cent liquid capital on the
balance sheet.
“For two reasons,” Mr
Yassine said. “We don’t
like hoarders, you’ve
got to spend in the
economy. The second is
we don’t like vulture
capital, saving up money
and waiting until
everything goes down.”
The fourth rule is the
“materiality test”. If an
invested company earns a
small amount of revenue from
“prohibited goods” — under
around 5 per cent — Crescent
Wealth will calculate that
percentage and donate the
corresponding return to a
registered charity.
“About $50,000 goes to
charity, it’s not a material
amount,” he said. “We apply
those rules to every
investment. It’s a global
standard, it’s not a
standard we made up.”
Crescent Wealth instead
focuses on “socially
responsible investing in
healthcare, property and
infrastructure, utilities,
manufacturing and innovative
industries”.
Its property fund has
returned an average of 14.9
per cent per annum over the
past five years, while its
Australian equity fund “is
doing quite well over five
years” but Mr Yassine
concedes “it could have done
better”.
Morningstar ranks Crescent
Wealth’s property fund
second in its category but
its conservative, balanced
and growth funds rank at or
near the bottom of theirs.
“On a super fund level we’re
at least in the top
quartile,” Mr Yassine said.
It comes as former Liberal
leader and economist John
Hewson joins the Crescent
Wealth board, where he will
sit alongside banker
Nicholas Whitlam and former
Macquarie University vice
chancellor Diane Yerbury.
The fund has also signed up
NAB Asset Servicing as
custodian, Mercer as its
super fund administrator,
Equity Trustees as super
fund trustee, Malaysia’s
CIMB Principal as its cash
manager and London-based
bfinance as its investment
adviser
Mr Hewson said he had been
interested in Islamic
finance for “quite some
time” and saw potential for
Australia to become a
regional centre as Muslims
in Asia look to “broaden
their investment base”.
“There’s a lot of money that
comes in from the Middle
East, Brunei, Malaysia,
Indonesia, but it’s not sort
of efficiently channelled
through anything really,” he
said. “They’re looking at
life beyond petroleum,
they’re planning and
investing. Australia is a
natural place, politically
stable, pretty well
developed financial centre.”
The former Macquarie Bank
director said the timing was
“impeccable” given the
revelations of the royal
commission and the “lack of
faith and trust in banks”.
“One of the defining
characteristics of Islamic
finance is its transparency
and honesty,” he said.
“I think you’ll find quite a
lot of interest from people
who have lost interest in
our banks and traditional
financial institutions. Its
appeal is not just to the
Islamic community but more
broadly to the non-Islamic
community looking for a
reliable alternative.”
Mr Hewson said he would use
his decades of experience in
funds management to help
Crescent Wealth “develop
their business”.
“It’s hard to pre-specify
what you actually do,” he
said. “A source of general
financial and strategic
advice is probably the
principal role on the board,
but you deal with issues as
they come up.”
Mr Yassine said simply being
one of the only sharia-compliant
super funds wasn’t enough to
automatically attract
working Muslims. “If that
was the case I’d be in a
very good financial
position,” he said.
“It’d be an Islamic
monopoly. We don’t say,
‘You’re a Muslim, you
ought to do this.’
That’s not the pitch at
all. We go to the
community based on five
things. The first is
performance, second
performance, third
performance. The fourth
is cost. The fifth is
service.”
But are Muslims invested in
non-sharia-compliant super
funds doing the wrong thing?
“Technically, yes, they
may be doing the wrong
thing,” Mr Yassine said.
“But technically I don’t
pray five times a day
every day.”
When asylum seekers looked
to an affluent Australia for
hope, it was disappointing
to see some were treated
with "hatred" and weren't
even allowed to set foot on
its shores, said activist
Malala Yousafzai.
Yet when the Taliban came
for Ms Yousafzai's family in
Pakistan, her family was
given sanctuary by friends,
family, strangers, true to
the country's culture of
welcoming those in need.
The 21-year-old activist –
who in 2014 became the
youngest Nobel Laureate in
history – attacked
Australia's offshore
processing of refugees on
Manus Island and Papua New
Guinea as being out of touch
with its people's warm and
welcoming nature.
"I was a bit disappointed
for a long time now,
following the news on
Australia and how they are
treating refugees,
especially children,
especially young people, who
are going through a lot of
mental issues," said Ms
Yousafzai. She is releasing
a book on refugees,We Are
Displaced, next month.
After being in Australia for
a few days for public talks
in Sydney and Melbourne as
part of the Women World
Changers series, Ms
Yousafzai said she loved
Australia, cricket and the
Australian cricket team. On
Thursday, she was planning
to meet young refugee
students in Sydney. In
Melbourne, she sought out
Indigenous archaeologist,
Maddison Miller, to better
understand Australia's
history and culture.
"Australia is a
welcoming and warm
country. And when you
look at the immigration
policies, they do not
actually represent the
people of Australia,"
she said.
"[Refugees] want safety,
they want homes, they want
somebody to give them
protection, and then
suddenly you welcome them
with hatred," she said.
"You do not even allow them
to land or step their feet
on Australia," she said
referring to the offshore
processing of asylum
seekers. "So I think it is
disappointing and I hope
that the people of Australia
do stand up for refugees and
show their true human-side."
Craig Greenhill's photo of
Craig Campbell beating people
back during the Cronulla riot.
For many people, Craig
Campbell is a hero.
It was during the Cronulla
riots, 13 years ago today,
that he dispersed a crowd
that was beating up two
young Middle Eastern men on
a carriage at the train
station.
"The crowd was sort of
circulating around, chanting
and cheering," witness and
photographer Craig Greenhill
told 7.30.
"And then there was two guys
who decided to go in there
and attack them.
"No one was standing up for
them until Craig Campbell
came.
"I think he's a hero of the
Cronulla riots."
'It all turned ugly...'
Mr Campbell was a police
officer with over 15 years
of service in 2005.
"I joined the NSW Police
because I wanted to do
something for my community,"
he told 7.30.
But he had a bad feeling
about that now infamous day.
"It just started out as an
8:00am shift, let's go and
see what it's going to be
like," he said.
"I drove up towards
Woolooware train station and
see this girl walking down —
and this is like 8:30-9:00am
— with a [Vodka] Cruiser in
her hand, drinking it.
"I just said to the boys,
this is going to turn to sh*t
by lunchtime … and it did."
There were already tensions
between local white
Australians and young
Lebanese-Australian men from
the western suburbs.
Then reports that a
lifeguard had been assaulted
became a catalyst for the
riots.
"It all turned ugly … when I
saw three people of maybe
Mediterranean backing,
walking along the
beachfront," Mr Greenhill
said.
"They got spotted by the
crowd — about 1,000 of the
crowd decided to turn on
them, start chasing them.
"And then there's whispers,
'There's a train-load of
Lebanese coming to
Cronulla'.
"And then, slowly but
surely, everyone turned and
started to run up to
Cronulla train station."
It was there that Mr
Greenhill witnessed the
sickening attack on the two
youths.
'He was an old-school cop,
he just took control'
Mr Campbell was one of the
first police officers on the
scene.
"[The young men] were
getting hit with bottles and
being kicked and punched and
everything," he said.
"I used my baton to move
people on."
"He was just going hell for
leather, smacking anyone in
sight. And he dispersed most
people really quickly," Mr
Greenhill said.
"He got to the guy that was
getting beat up in front of
me, and grabbed him and held
him.
"Without him … he was an
old-school cop as I see it,
and he just took control."
"I had to get the two young
blokes out of there to
safety … I had to get them
medical attention," Mr
Campbell said.
"I had no option. What were
we going to do? Say, 'Excuse
me can you please move back
so we can get these two
young blokes out that you're
trying to beat to death'?"
The photos that Mr Greenhill
took were used as evidence
in court and put Mr Campbell
on the front page of
newspapers around the world.
Off the force
Locals hailed Mr Campbell
for his actions.
"The people of Cronulla were
so disgusted with these
redneck idiots that they
were actually coming into
the Cronulla police station
with homemade biscuits and
cakes and boxes of lollies
and everything, just going,
'Here, thank you very much
for doing what you're
doing'," Mr Campbell said.
And initially his superiors
in NSW Police were of the
same mind.
Mr Campbell was nominated
for a Commissioner's
Commendation for Courage.
But that was revoked when it
was determined he used
excessive force in getting
the two young men to safety.
"Some bloody
carpeted-corridor shuffler
decided I used excessive
force," he said.
Two years later he suffered
a breakdown and in 2009 he
left the force with chronic
PTSD.
'He suffered, we suffered'
Appalled by his treatment
and grateful for what he
did, the Muslim community
rallied around the former
officer.
"What he did was
extraordinary," community
leader Dr Jamal Rifi told
7.30.
"What he suffered from was
also extraordinary."
Dr Rifi initiated the Craig
Campbell Cohesion Cup, a
charity soccer match, to
help him get back on his
feet.
"Craig is the symbol of what
NSW Police force stood for —
someone who stood his
ground, defended innocent
people from thugs," he said.
"He suffered, we suffered."
Mr Campbell still bears the
scars, but they are healing.
"I am so grateful for
[the Muslim community]
because I was struggling
at the time," he said.
"That really helped me
out a lot."
He now lives a quieter life
in rural NSW.
"This is the best place for
me to be," he said.
"The people I've met here
are just incredibly great,
generous, nice people."
But that fateful day in 2005
will always be with him.
"I've lost my job that I
always wanted to do, I've
lost my 30-year marriage, my
house, everything …
everything I worked for
since I was like 14," he
said.
Moutia Elzahed
leaves the Downing Centre
District Court, in Sydney last
February.
The wife of a convicted
Islamic State recruiter is
appealing to the federal
Attorney-General, arguing it
was unconstitutional under a
new NSW law against
disrespectful behaviour in
court for her to be
sentenced to community
service.
Moutia Elzahed, the wife of
Hamdi Alqudsi, has filed an
appeal in the NSW Supreme
Court against a decision
earlier this year that she
“repeatedly and
intentionally” failed to
stand for a judge in the
District Court nine times in
2016.
According to court documents
filed in the Supreme Court,
Ms Elzahed’s lawyer, Zali
Burrows, said her client’s
religious views were not
taken into account and the
NSW law goes against the
“implied freedom of
political communication”
enshrined in the
Constitution.
She has filed what is known
as a section 78B application
that says the case has a
“constitutional issue”, and
must be passed to the
Australian government
solicitor for consideration.
Ms Burrows said others
regularly showed blatant
disrespect for the court but
did not face the same charge
as her client, who meant no
disrespect.
“Look at all the Supreme
Court matters in which
Muslim terrorist suspects
don’t stand for the judge
and they don’t cop a charge
of contempt or disrespectful
behaviour. The judges get on
with the business of the
court and ignore it,” she
said.
“If she wasn’t in a
niqarb (sic) do you
think they would bother
charging her in the
first place?”
In a civil trial in November
and December 2016, Elzahed
did not stand when judge
Audrey Balla entered the
courtroom.
In July this year, Elzahed
became the first person
sentenced under new laws
against disrespectful
behaviour, with NSW Local
Court magistrate Carolyn
Huntsman sentencing her to
75 hours of community
service.
Ms Burrows has argued the
court did not take into
account that Elzahed meant
no disrespect and said she
did not disrespect the
judge.
She also said the court was
wrong to disregard her
client’s religious views
because she didn’t give oral
evidence.
“The court should have
found on the balance of
probabilities that the
plaintiff’s reason for
failing to stand was her
religious belief,” Ms
Burrows has argued.
She wrote there were 12
questions that came from the
decision to convict and
sentence her client,
including: “Did the Local
Court err in holding that
there was no evidence before
it that the plaintiff held
any relevant religious
belief?
“She wore a full
body-covering niqab for the
entirety of the hearing, as
well as the civil trial in
2016, though the magistrate
found: ‘There was no
evidence presented that this
was a genuine religious
belief held by the
defendant’.”
Elzahed’s husband, Alqudsi,
was jailed for a minimum of
six years in September 2016,
for helping young
Australians travel to Syria
to fight with extremist
jihadi groups.
The Abboud
Bakery aims to help refugees
with the opportunity to work at
the bakery while sharing Middle
Eastern food to Brisbane.
Syrian refugee and chef
George Tabbakh who left his
family bakery behind in his
war-torn country is getting
a second chance to share his
food and culture with the
opening of Middle
Eastern-themed Abboud
Bakery, south-east of
Brisbane.
The third-generation family
baker will make Lebanese
bread and Middle Eastern
treats at Underwood with the
help of Brisbane lawyer
Angelo Anthony and Coco
Bliss franchisee Gus
Khcheiche.
Mr Tabbakh and other
refugees working at Abboud
Bakery will serve a
traditional delicacies,
including shakshuka dishes,
meat bakery treats with
kafta and lahembajin pizzas.
Baklava and knafe, a
traditional dessert made
with thin noodle-like pastry
infused with a sugar-based
syrup, layered with cheese
and ingredients such as
clotted cream or nuts will
be on offer.
Abboud Bakery’s Middle
Eastern menu with a twist
will also offer coffees and
teas served in traditional
and western styles.
The idea to create Abboud
Bakery was born when the Mr
Anthony and Mr Khcheiche met
Mr Tabbakh, with the hope to
provide opportunities to
refugees wanting to start a
new life.
Mr Tabbakh and his family
migrated to Australia two
years ago as refugees from
Aleppo in Syria but with a
language barrier, he had
been unable to use his
skills.
Some Middle
Eastern treats that will be on
offer.
Mr Khcheiche said Mr Tabbakh
had so many skills and a
passion for the food
industry but was unable to
find opportunities to work.
"To have experienced such
loss with family and to have
seen their family bakery
taken from them in a
war-torn country, leave
their home and start fresh
in Brisbane is a tough thing
to do," he said.
"We sometimes forget how
fortunate we are to live in
Australia and need to
remember to help those who
are deserving of a second
chance.
"He and his family are so
humble and nice that I can't
wait for everyone to meet
George while he works at
Abboud Bakery and we hope
that one day he will be able
to own it."
Mr Khcheiche said he was
amazed at the team effort
involved between staff
members and friends who
helped make the bakery-cafe
come to fruition.
"It was a mammoth of a task
to put it all together,
working through language
barriers with George and
taking him to Melbourne to
pick a concept we wanted but
we did it," he said.
"I think Brisbane is lacking
in Middle Eastern food with
a mixture of Western food
and the concept of a
bakery-cafe and I am eager
to see customers learn more
about George, his culture
and food."
Mr Anthony said the bakery
would introduce people to
the rich culture of the
Middle East through its
wonderful food, coffee and
people who would work there.
"To be able to enjoy
interesting and delicious
food, to receive a warm
welcome and a make a sincere
connection with people from
different cultures, sends a
powerful welcoming message
to the whole community," he
said.
“Anywhere you travel in the
Middle East, you will find
that kindness and
hospitality is an important
part of the experience."
"It's where the saying of
breaking bread together
originated."
Mr Anthony said Mr
Khcheiche's guidance and
culinary creations would add
a traditional and authentic
Middle Eastern flavour to
Brisbane.
"George will work in Abboud
Bakery for a few years
before taking it over as his
own business," he said.
"We see this as a great way
to give migrants arriving in
Australia a helping hand to
start their new life in this
wonderful country.
"More importantly, through
food and friendship, George
and Abboud Bakery will give
our community something
uplifting and positive to
know about the people of
Syria and the Middle East.
"Our intention is to make
Abboud Bakery a beacon of
hope in the community and to
encourage our staff to be
ambassadors for our culture
and diversity everywhere."
Abboud Bakery opens on
Monday at Underwood
Marketplace on Logan Road
and will open every day from
9am.
Mustapha and
Diaa Kara-Ali front the Supreme
Court to face contempt charges.
A Sydney judge has scolded
the barrister for two men
who conducted illegal land
clearing and construction on
a property in Sydney's
north-west, saying their
"time has absolutely run
out".
The men, Dr Mustapha
Kara-Ali and Diaa Kara-Ali,
were ordered by the Land and
Environment Court four
months ago to remove illegal
structures and remediate the
cleared land on the Colo
property.
That included planting five
thousand saplings from a
specialist nursery, and
monthly weed spraying.
In a related matter, the men
are facing contempt of court
charges for continuing to
illegally build on the
property after being ordered
to stop.
At today's directions
hearing, Hawkesbury Council
said it was dissatisfied
with the progress of the
remediation.
It argued a report, tendered
to the court, from an
engineer engaged by the men
read more like a development
application than a plan to
comply with the remediation
orders.
Justice Terrence Sheahan
expressed his frustration
after the defendant's
barrister, Steven Beverling,
asked for extra time for the
men to comply with the
orders.
"You have had a long time to
do that and you haven't,
that's why we're here," he
told Mr Beverling, who
responded: "Can I say
there's movement at the
station."
Justice Sheahan also told Mr
Berverling that rather than
handing up a "development
application" he should be
telling his clients to
comply with the remediation
orders, adding "is that
clear?".
Dr Mustapha Kara-Ali, is the
Iman of a religious guild
called Diwan Al Dawla on the
Colo property.
His claim Diwan Al Dawla was
a religious charity was not
supported by the Australian
Charities and
Not-for-profits Commission.
There will be another
directions hearing for the
matter next Wednesday.
A final directions hearing
for the contempt charges has
been scheduled for next
year.
What
and When: Oz Sports has
been hired for the
community's sole use on
Saturday 19 January
2019 from 6pm to 8pm.
Activities will include
netball, soccer, cricket and
volleyball all in the name
of fun.
Teams will be randomly
selected and participants
will be able to play at
least 2 different sports on
the night. Salaah facilities
will be provided.
For food, there will be a
sausage sizzle.
Who's Invited: Everyone!
Men, women, boys and girls 4
years old and above are
invited to participate. Kids
under 4 and non-sports
participants are also
invited to join us on the
night.
Why: The purpose is
purely for the community to
get together, network and
have some fun through sport.
How do I Sign On:
Registration can be done
online.
Click here.
Muslim Engagement & The
White House – Dalia Mogahed
There are few Muslims who
can say they had a seat at
the President’s table, and
Dalia Mogahed is one of
those rare few.
An Egyptian American at the
forefront of Muslim Activism
for over a decade, Dalia’s
journey has seen her
lecturing at colleges,
training law enforcement and
eventually, advising the
Obama Administration.
We trace Dalia’s life from a
normal Egyptian American
childhood to the banality of
corporate life up until an
event that radically changed
the fabric of American
society: 9/11.
We dig deeper to uncover an
inspiring mix of
spirituality, hope,
desperation and wisdom that
drives Dalia to navigate the
perplexing maze that is the
life of an American Muslim.
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.
Seyyed Hossein Nasr is
University Professor of
Islamic Studies at George
Washington University. He
remains one of the most
influential Muslim scholars
in the world for his work on
Islamic tradition and
philosophy. He is the only
Muslim to be included in the
Library of Living
Philosophers and has written
over 50 books and over 500
articles.
Background and career:
Nasr was born in Iran and
raised in a house of
scholars and physicians. He
was sent to school in the
USA, won a scholarship to
MIT for undergraduate study
in physics and obtained a
doctorate in the history of
science and philosophy from
Harvard. He returned to Iran
in 1958 where he swiftly
rose through academic ranks
to become Vice-Chancellor of
Tehran University and then
President of Aryamehr
University. The 1979 Iranian
revolution forced Nasr to
leave Iran and so he settled
in the USA.
Reviver of Tradition:
Nasr’s work has covered the
most important areas of
contemporary Muslim thought
from classical Islamic
philosophy, Islamic science,
Sufism, and critique of
modernity to interfaith
relations, Islam–West
relations, and the
environmental crisis. Nasr
was the first Muslim scholar
ever to be invited to give
the prestigious Gifford
Lectures, which were later
published as Knowledge and
the Sacred. Nasr’s work has
been ahead of its time in
predicting the disastrous
consequences of the
environmental crisis. Books
such as The Encounter of Man
and Nature (1968) critique
the rise of a secular,
modern conception of nature
as inert matter to be
conquered by modern
technology, and attempt to
revive a sacred notion of
nature.
Legacy: For Nasr, the
quest for knowledge,
specifically knowledge which
“liberates and delivers him
from the fetters and
limitations of earthly
existence,” has been and
continues to be the central
concern and determinant of
his intellectual life.
ANOTHER FROM THE TOP 50
INFLUENTIAL MUSLIMS IN NEXT
WEEK'S CCN
In
the aftermath of
the recent
mammoth anti-ICERD
rally in Kuala
Lumpur, many
non-Muslims
would
understandably
be frightened
and perhaps
worried about
Islam and the
country’s
future. Let me
tell the story
of three mosques
in Melbourne
which I hope
will shine a
light onto the
seemingly dark
future of
Malaysia with
respect to
Islam.
Last April, I
took nine
non-Muslim
architecture
students to
Melbourne to
visit three
mosques as part
of their
research method
subject
assignment. My
main purpose was
to expose the
students to a
different side
of Islam.
I thought, at
first, that in
order to teach
what a true
mosque could be,
I would have to
find one in a
non-Muslim
country. Having
been trained in
architecture in
the US and
Edinburgh,
Scotland, and
having written
my PhD
dissertation on
rethinking the
idea of what the
mosque is in
modern,
progressive
Islam, I thought
it was the only
way to show the
“true” side of
Islam that could
mix and mingle
without
fanatical
notions bred by
political
parties or the
state-managed
conservative
Islam in
Malaysia.
I heard that the
leadership of
the Islamic
Council of
Victoria had
announced that
they were asking
the city to
allow the design
and building of
the first city
mosque in
Melbourne, to
replace the
small and
adaptive reuse
structure that
sat on a street
in the city
centre. I had
gotten an
agreement from
my friend, Dr
Jan from RMIT,
who was also a
practising
architect there,
for a
collaborative
studio project.
The first thing
I did was to
assess the
students’
knowledge about
Islamic
architecture and
their
understanding of
the mosque. My
students
received a
public school
education before
going on to
further their
studies at a
private
university. What
did they know of
the history,
rituals and
architecture of
the mosque after
15 years of
Malaysian
education? Next
to nothing. They
knew Muslims
pray and have
loud sermons,
and that mosques
in Malaysia are
one of the most
expensive
buildings from
the public
purse. That was
it. Oh, they
also found it
most convenient
and healthy to
steer clear of
mosques, Muslims
or any other
Islamic issue.
I decided to
give them a
three-day crash
course in the
teachings of
Islam, the basic
requirements of
the mosque, and
the different
social issues in
the various
political
ideologies of
Islam.
Some may now
wonder, what is
a professor of
architecture
doing, talking
about political
ideologies on
the subject of
architecture?
Well, they have
plenty in
common. Show me
five mosques and
I can recite the
political
ideologies of
the users and
clientele of the
mosques.
Political
ideologies
govern cultural
practices in
Islam which in
turn become
rituals and
values related
to what is
considered
“proper” in how
one acts in
society and uses
the mosque.
Most architects
do not bother
with this aspect
of politics and
prefer to play
around with
historical forms
using modern
technology to
give their
clients the
“wow” factor
while charging
million-ringgit
fees.
Should the
mosque be
iconic, splendid
and expensive?
Should it even
belittle the
non-Muslim
tourist into
subservience to
the political
grandeur of the
religion?
The mosque, to
me, should be a
small, exciting
place where
Muslims and
non-Muslims can
interact in
peace and
harmony. The
mosque is not an
isolated
centrepiece of
iconic culture,
which Prophet
Muhammad warned
of and predicted
as the downfall
of the Islamic
faith. The more
expensive and
the greater the
“wow” factor of
the
architecture,
the further away
from Islam the
mosque will be.
To me, the
mosque should
also be a place
nice enough for
Muslims and
non-Muslims to
drink teh tarik
or eat at the
mosque cafe, buy
books or other
Islamic
merchandise,
attend public
talks, use the
toilets or even
just rest and
nap for a while
at the mosque
serambi. But
these activities
would
immediately be
hailed by
conservative
Muslims here as
“deviant” or “sesat”.
In the Prophet’s
history, the
mosque, which
was also his
house, had a
multitude of
communal and
political
functions which
were not so
alien from my
ideas. What the
Prophet
prohibited
building –
large, expensive
mosques for vain
purposes, with
domes and
minarets that
are unnecessary
and wasteful –
we find in great
abundance in
Malaysia.
Many non-Muslims
frequented the
mosque to confer
with the
Prophet, and
there were many
homeless people
who took shelter
at the mosque
while
maintaining its
upkeep as
“payment”. I am
just trying to
relive the true
spirit of the
Prophet’s mosque
during his
lifetime.
So with this
message and
research intent
for the
students, we set
out on the study
and research
trip.
Meet
the former
garbageman now
running NSW
schools
By Jordan Baker
Murat Dizdar
is responsible for the
day-to-day operation of the
state's 2200 schools
When he took his
first teaching
gig, Murat
Dizdar didn't
give up his
garbage run. He
and his mate, a
bus driver, just
worked harder to
get the job done
before their
official day
began, lifting
and emptying the
bins so quickly,
the driver could
barely keep up.
"We would be
filthy," he
says. "The smell
and the grit and
the rubbish. We
were both super
fit, we'd run
our guts out."
Then he'd go
home, have a
long shower, and
arrive at school
before the bell,
his students
none the wiser.
These days,
Dizdar is one of
the most senior
officials in the
NSW Education
Department,
responsible for
the day-to-day
operation of
2200 schools. He
lives in one of
the houses whose
bins he used to
empty. He is
there as a
result of two
things: a
prodigious work
ethic, learnt
from his migrant
parents, and the
opportunities he
was given - as a
student and
teacher - by the
education system
he now runs.
They are
opportunities he
wants others to
have.
We meet in a
restaurant in
Leichhardt,
where he often
brings his young
family for
dinner - a
mid-range,
hearty Italian
eatery, complete
with pizza oven,
rustic wood
paneling and
hanging plants.
It has been open
since the late
1970s, but back
then it would
have been as
unreachable as
the moon for a
young Turkish
kid growing up
in public
housing down the
road.
Over prawn
linguini, the
46-year-old
takes me back to
his parents'
arrival in
Australia, when
he was one-month
old. They
supported their
young family by
working in
factories; his
mother would
work during the
day, his father
at night. "Not
once would they
say, 'this is a
tough road to go
down'," Dizdar
says. But it was
tough. "When
your dad is
taking you
fishing as a
young boy down
to Walsh Bay in
weeks where, if
we caught
something, we're
going to get
some protein,
you learn really
quickly the
importance of
hard work and
endeavour."
Dizdar began
contributing to
the family
finances when he
was seven, when
he got a job at
a Turkish deli,
standing on a
milk crate so he
could serve
customers over
the counter. It
was the first
job in what
would become an
eclectic CV,
ranging from
waiter and shop
assistant to
fitness
instructor and
garbageman. His
work ethic runs
so deep, he
often worked two
side jobs while
teaching. Even
as a school
principal,
Dizdar would
moonlight as a
fitness
instructor on
the weekend.
This Quran
recitation, delivered by
Sheikh Muhammad Al Harby
will most definitely strike
a chord. In this special
recording, the Sheikh
recites verses 38-48 from
Surah Al-Ahzaab.
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.
There
is currently much discussion regarding
the causes of terrorist acts, as well as
the connection between terrorism and
religion.
Terrorism is
attributed either to religious
'fanaticism' or, alternately, to
political and economic factors, with
religion more or less dismissed as a
secondary factor.
The
Cambridge Companion to Religion and
Terrorism examines this complex
relationship between religion and
terrorism phenomenon through a
collection of essays freshly written for
this volume.
Bringing
varying approaches to the topic, from
the theoretical to the empirical, the
Companion includes an array of subjects,
such as radicalization, suicide bombing,
and rational choice, as well as specific
case studies.
The result
is a richly textured collection that
prompts readers to critically consider
the cluster of phenomena that we have
come to refer to as 'terrorism, ' and
terrorism's relationship with the
similarly problematic set of phenomena
that we call 'religion.
Review
Depoliticised approaches to the
understanding of terrorism and
politically compromised scholarship
The academic field of Terrorism Studies
is a highly dubious one, fraught with
many problems. As Tom Mills and David
Miller point out in Chapter 4 of The
Cambridge Companion to Religion and
Terrorism, terrorism studies first
emerged as a field in the West during
the Cold War era, spearheaded by a group
of researchers known as the ‘terrorism
mafia’.
This network of people was replete with
former military and intelligence experts
from America and Britain who specialised
in counter-insurgency propaganda tactics
during 20th-century conflicts. Experts
from the terrorism mafia were not
interested in studying terrorism in a
casual way and were sceptical that
terrorism could be stopped by removing
its “roots causes”.
After the Soviet threat diminished in
the 1990s, the United States continued
to support Israel and Arab state
autocracy as par for the course, and any
threat to their power in the region was
still given the label of “terrorism”.
But without the Soviet spectre looming,
potential uprisings and insurgencies in
the Middle East had no ideological
commonality, that was until 9/11
happened, and the invention of
“Islamism”. The subsequent evolution of
terrorism studies as an academic field
then became overwhelmingly concerned
with defining and understanding
“Islamism” as a theocratic ideology.
A Mills and Miller point out: “…the
overwhelming focus on Islam and Muslims
in terrorism policies and terrorism
research reflects the interests of
Western states which are themselves
major driving forces behind the
contemporary conflicts of which
‘terrorists’ are part.
Such states, principally the United
States and its close allies in Europe
and the Middle East, have recklessly
pursued policies known to fuel
‘terrorism’, whilst at the same time
fostering forms of knowledge and
expertise which are geared towards the
management of political violence, rather
than developing and understanding its
underlying causes. In this sense, the
problem is not so much depoliticised
analysis as politically compromised
expertise.”
A good example of how terrorism studies
are politically compromised is King’s
College London’s Department of War
Studies. King’s College works closely
with the Ministry of Defence, providing
advice to them and training for the
armed forces. A visiting professor at
their department is David Omand, a
former Security and Intelligence
Co-ordinator and, according to Mills and
Miller, “reputedly the main architect of
the United Kingdom’s counter-terrorism
policy”.
The department is fostering the academic
field of ‘new terrorism’, which evolved
from the old terrorism mafia and
attempts the impossible feat of
independent scholarly study whilst also
being aligned to a clear political
pro-war position.
The Cambridge Companion to Religion and
Terrorism is similarly compromised as
its opening chapter is by a new
terrorism scholar called Mark
Juergensmeyer. In her 2013 book
Disciplining Terror: How Experts
Invented ‘Terrorism’, Dr Lisa
Stampnitzky describes Juergensmeyer as
intellectually aligned with the core
members of the terrorist mafia of the
1970s.
In the opening chapter of this book,
Juergensmeyer talks about the
religiosity of Palestinians and how it
exacerbates their violence but is not so
much interested in the religiosity of
Americans and Israelis and how it
exacerbates their violence, as they are
state actors.
Bizarrely, state violence is not within
the remit of terrorism studies which
only concentrates on the violence of
non-states actors, and looks only at one
side of a violent struggle.
Juergensmeyer frames the whole
Palestinian resistance to occupation as
religiously violent aggression, one that
is potentially never-ending, because for
Palestinians “the timeline of sacred
struggle is vast; perhaps even eternal”.
In this way, terrorism studies invert
power relations, looking at the
aggression of states as a defence, and
the defence of non-state actors as
aggression. This view is propagated
continually in Western media outlets
with regards to the Israel-Palestine
conflict.
The majority of the chapters in The
Cambridge Companion to Religion and
Terrorism are either politically
compromised or depoliticised,
decontextualised approaches to
terrorism, looking at terrorism in
isolation of its war-time context.
This approach is reflected in the Editor
James R Lewis’ own contributing chapter
in which he concludes that the theory
that Western Muslims join international
terror groups because they wish to
travel back in time and live how they
imagine life was like for the Prophet
Muhammad, is an important ‘variable’ in
understanding their behaviour, and just
as important as any political variable.
Lewis’ approach is effectively trying to
understand the power of the Islamic
State through its recruitment methods
rather than through the means in which
it came about in the chaos of post-war
Iraq. This is the “analytical void” that
Mills and Miller talk about from which
it is impossible to make a rational
analysis of terrorism at all.
It can be argued that The Cambridge
Companion to Religion and Terrorism is a
politically compromised piece of
scholarship, and therefore academically
compromised.
Due to the primacy, it has given to the
work of Mark Juergensmeyer who is
intellectually aligned to both the
original ‘terrorism mafia’ and academics
at the Department of War Studies at
King’s College London, it is difficult
to see this book as pure scholarship
outside of the context of the
counter-terrorism policy framework.
Given that the majority of the chapters
of this book are depoliticised
approaches to the understanding of
terrorism, the book is doing little to
redress the implications of terrorism
studies for the civil liberties of
Muslim citizens all over the world. Not
even a Cambridge Companion to
Islamophobia, which doesn’t exist, can
counteract the negative human
implications of the field of terrorism
studies.
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:
Decisions - The
Four Key Questions
To Help You Make
Decisions
One of the most
common themes I come
across with my
clients during our
Clarity Coaching
sessions is their
ability, rather
inability, to make
decisions.
You make a decision
when you carefully,
with an open mind,
consider all
information at hand
and find a solution
or resolution to act
upon in order to
progress in life.
Once you make a
decision there is no
further need for
procrastination. If
the action you take
yields you results
that are not to your
expectations, you
need to re-evaluate
those outcomes and
make another
decision. Life is a
series of moments
that require you to
consider information
at hand, make the
best possible
choices and come to
a decision.
As Muslims, we call
these series of
decision-making
moments, tests.
ALLAH swt tests us
every day, every
moment of the day.
It is up to us to
pass those tests so
that we progress
positively and
joyfully to the next
test.
Often you may find
that you may get
tested on the same
thing over and over.
This means that you
have yet to pass
that test. Somehow
the pattern you are
living in needs to
be challenged, make
better choices and
take decisions to
pass these tests.
Four Questions
When your mind has
too many thoughts
you may feel
overwhelmed and
confused. Here are
four simple
questions that you
can ask yourself
that may help find
clarity in your
thoughts and assist
you with making an
informed decision.
1. DO I WANT TO
be, do or have this?
2. Will being, doing
or having this
MOVE ME IN THE
DIRECTION OF MY GOAL?
3. Is being, doing
or having this IN
HARMONY WITH ALLAH’S
COMMANDMENTS?
4. Will being, doing
or having this
VIOLATE THE RIGHTS
OF OTHERS?
Make your decision
if the answer to the
first three
questions is YES
and the answer to
the last question is
NO. However
if your answer is No
to one of the three
first questions or
Yes to the last
question, then you
may need to
reconsider.
For example:
Let's say that
someone is
contemplating going
into a mortgage to
invest in a
property.
So, the situation at
hand is:
Whether I should
enter a mortgage:
1. DO I WANT TO
be, do or have
this? (YES)
2. Will being,
doing or having
this MOVE ME IN
THE DIRECTION OF
MY GOAL? (YES)
3. Is being,
doing or having
this IN HARMONY
WITH ALLAH’S
COMMANDMENTS?
(NO)
4. Will being,
doing or having
this VIOLATE THE
RIGHTS OF
OTHERS? (NO)
Notice how the third
question has a NO
answer. Clearly, the
decision to take a
mortgage would be
wrong if one wants
to obey ALLAH’s
commandments as per
the Quran.
Now, take a pen and
paper and write down
a situation in your
life that requires
you to make a
decision. Tackle the
above four questions
honestly and MAKE
YOUR DECISION. Email
me if you need
further guidance on
this topic.
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.
Say: "Whether you hide what
is in your hearts or reveal
it, Allah knows it all: he
knows what is in the
heavens, and what is on the
earth. And Allah has the
power over all things."
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.
What and When: Oz
Sports has been hired for
the community's sole use on
Saturday 19 January 2019
from 6pm to 8pm.
Activities will include
netball, soccer, cricket and
volleyball all in the name
of fun.
Teams will be randomly
selected and participants
will be able to play at
least 2 different sports on
the night. Salaah facilities
will be provided.
For food, there will be a
sausage sizzle.
Who's Invited: Everyone!
Men, women, boys and girls 4
years old and above are
invited to participate. Kids
under 4 and non-sports
participants are also
invited to join us on the
night.
Why: The purpose is
purely for the community to
get together, network and
have some fun through sport.
How do I Sign On:
Registration can be done
online.
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.
This is
urgent plea to all our
brothers and sisters.
We have paid
a deposit to purchase a
church on the Gold Coast to
make it into a Masjid, the
church is already approved
as a place of worship as a
Masjid.
So far we
have raised $2.6m in loans
qarz e hasna and donations
and are $500,000 short.
Our
settlement is in just over
1week time. We are pleading pay
back in 12 months.
We cannot
miss out on this church
which can accommodate 500
people. We will not get this
opportunity again in the
middle of Gold Coast.
There is only
1 Masjid on the Gold Coast
which is overflowing, again
I point out we can not miss
this opportunity we will
never get this opportunity
on the Gold Coast again.
Please help
towards this house of Allah
as the reward great - a
house in Jannah Insha’Allah.
Complete the
Pledge Form or please
message or contact me......
.
Please contribute whatever
you can and share with
family and friends.
May Allah swt grant you and
your family a dwelling in
Paradise.
Imam Akram
Buksh
0431201164
Gold Coast
Islamic Cultural Centre
Islamic Care clothing
bins are now operational
around South East Queensland
Bank
Account Details:
Commonwealth
Bank of Australia, Toowoomba
Plaza Branch
A/C Name: Toowoomba Islamic
Charitable Organisation
BSB No
064459,
A/C No 1034
1586,
Swift Code: CTBAAU25XXX
Contacts:
Prof Shahjahan Khan Ph
+61421081048, Email:
khans@usq.edu.au, Dr
Mainul Islam Ph
+61432533550, and Br Shahbaz
Rafiq Ph 0402398608
(Brisbane).
Water
scarcity is a major concern
for those living in Yemen,
especially those in conflict
areas. This has resulted in
people seeking water from
unclean sources and the
spread of water-borne
diseases to over 1 million
people.
MAA has embarked on a major
project to provide water to
over 3,000 people by digging
an artesian well with a
depth of 170m.
The structure will include a
concrete reservoir,
generator room, and pipes
networked to distribute
water to local areas.
You now have the opportunity
to invest in the
construction of this
life-saving Sadaqah Jaariyah
project for just $50.
Invest on behalf of
yourself, your family, and
your friends and reap the
rewards!
1. All Islamic Event dates given above are supplied by
the Council of Imams QLD (CIQ) and are provided as a guide and are
tentative and subject to the sighting of the moon.
2. The Islamic date changes to the next day starting in
the evenings after maghrib. Therefore, exceptfor Lailatul
Mehraj,
Lailatul Bhahraat
and
Lailatul Qadr – these dates refer to the commencement of the event
starting in the evening of the corresponding day.
HikmahWay offers online and
in-person Islamic courses to
equip Muslims of today with
the knowledge, understanding
and wisdom to lead balanced,
wholesome and beneficial
lives.
Articles and
opinions appearing in this newsletter do not necessarily
reflect the opinions of the CCN Team, its Editor or its
Sponsors, particularly if they eventually turn out to be
libellous, unfounded, objectionable, obnoxious, offensive,
slanderous and/or downright distasteful.
It is the usual policy of CCN to
include from time to time, notices of events that some
readers may find interesting or relevant. Such notices are
often posted as received. Including such messages or
providing the details of such events does not necessarily
imply endorsement of the contents of these events by CCN
The best ideas
and the best feedback come from our community of readers. If you
have a topic or opinion that you want to write about or want
seen covered or any news item that you think might be of benefit
to the Crescents Community please
e-mail us..
Share your
thoughts, feelings and ambitions for our community through CCN.
If there is
someone you know who would like to subscribe to CCN please
encourage them to enter their details
here.
What
and When: Oz Sports has
been hired for the
community's sole use on
Saturday 19 January
2019 from 6pm to 8pm. 
In
the aftermath of
the recent
mammoth anti-ICERD
rally in Kuala
Lumpur, many
non-Muslims
would
understandably
be frightened
and perhaps
worried about
Islam and the
country’s
future. Let me
tell the story
of three mosques
in Melbourne
which I hope
will shine a
light onto the
seemingly dark
future of
Malaysia with
respect to
Islam.
Meet
the former
garbageman now
running NSW
schools
UK's Oldest Mosque: Incredible
pictures shine a light on Britain’s oldest
mosque dating back to the reign of Queen
Victoria
There
is currently much discussion regarding
the causes of terrorist acts, as well as
the connection between terrorism and
religion. 
post comments on
our Wall
7
August 2011