Issue 123 February

MUSLIM

AUSTRALASIAN

Multimedia News & Views

ISSN: 1039-2300

Print Post Publication No. 100021354

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TIME

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Issue # 123

February 2016; Rabi’ul Aakhir 1437

Justice for the Indigenous

Saudi Student’s Discovery

Modest Fashion Industry

Islamic Learning in the West

BOOMERANG PAGE 5

COMMUNITY PAGE 9

LIFESTYLE PAGE 12

EDUCATION PAGE 18

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Call for modernity in thinking Zia Ahmad

The Indian High Commissioner to Australia, Mr Navdeep Singh Suri has called for the need for an element of modernity in our thinking and value system.

He was addressing the audience at Sir Syed Day Celebrations, where he was the Chief Guest, on Saturday 30 January at the Strathfield Town Hall, organized by the AMU Alumni of Australia.

He praised Sir Syed Ahmad Khan who managed to bring about a balance between religion and enquiry and laid down the foundations for the Aligarh Muslim University which has served the community for almost 150 years.

Speaking on education, Mr Suri said that there was a great potential for India to develop vocational education, learning and using Australian strength in this sector.

He said that currently there are around 67,000 Indian students enrolled in Australian educational institution and there were plans to collaborate with TAFE in order to upskill Indians with vocational education.

Previous to his assignment in Canberra starting April 2015, Mr Suri was India’s Ambassador to Egypt and speaks fluent Arabic, a sample of which he displayed at Sir Syed Day. He highly appreciated the Poem composed by the last Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, sung in the most melodious way by Mr Riaz Shah at the occasion.

Sir Syed Day is globally celebrated on the birth anniversary of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan,

AMU Alumni kids singing Children’s Prayer by the famous poet of South Asia, Allamah Iqbal at Sir Syed Day. founder of the Aligarh Movement that greatly every year inviting educationists, community for working single mindedly on his educationcontributed towards the modern education of leaders and diplomats for a gala dinner, inspir- al mission in spite of widespread opposition Indians, Muslims in particular. ing talks and entertainment. from the community elites of the time.

AMU Alumni of Australia was founded in The President of AMU Alumni, Mr Aale Ali the early nineties and has been holding SS Day in his welcome address paid tribute to Sir Syed continues on page 7

Mariam awarded “Young Cricket: Usman Khawaja reinvents himself Citizen of the Year” Zia Ahmad

Hasan Fazeel

Mariam Moeladawilah, 8, an Year 4 student at Al Siraat College in Melbourne has won the “Young Citizen of the Year” award from the City of Whittlesea for her dedication to charity work.

She was nominated for her charity work towards kids fighting cancer, riding her bike for the Great Cycle Challenge to be sponsored (all donations going to the Children’s Medical Research Center, Sydney), her interfaith engagement (radio interview with J-Air, a Jewish radio station), her help and support in collecting donations for Mercy Wings towards refugees.

Mariam undertook a bike ride, together with her mum Tanya Kubitza, riding 1,061km late last year, to help raise funds for children with cancer.

Mariam was presented with the award from TV and radio icon John Blackman at the City of Whittlesea Australia Day celebrations held on Tuesday 26 January 2016 where Mayor Cr Stevan Kozmevski formally announced and congratulated the successful recipients of the City of Whittlesea continued on page 7

Usman Khawaja seems to have finally cemented his position in the Australian cricket team in all the three formats of the game namely the traditional test matches, the one dayers and now the T20 internationals.

His run scores in the last 10 innings have been 174, 9 (not out), 121, 109 (not out), 144, 56, 62, 104 (not out), 70 and 14, a total of 863 runs this summer.

Although he did not stay long enough to make a big score in the Sydney T20 final against India, he started well scoring 14 runs from 5 balls at a strike rate of 233.33. India won the match with a nail biting finish with the last ball of the match and clinching the series with a whitewash against Australia 3:0.

Khawaja was initially left out of the starting 11s for the three-game T20 series against India and the one-day matches on the tour of New Zealand. He is now included in the one day squad playing New Zealand.

The T20 series was lost mainly on the back of faltering batting. The collapses through the middle overs in successive run

Mariam Moeladawilah with her award on Australia Day.

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chases during the first two matches were terminal against Indian spin.

Khawaja is now considered as one of the hottest batsmen in world cricket in all formats of the game where he has reinvented himself from being a test cricketer to a continued on page 10

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February 2016

UMMAH 15 - 17

EDUCATION 18 - 19

TRAVEL 20 - 21

BUSINESS 22

BOOMERANG

SOCIAL 23

Safeguarding human rights for all The crisis last month with the execution on but implemented in daily living. of Sheikh Nimr al Nimr by Saudi authorHuman rights of all people need to be upities and subsequent protests leading to held within nation states as well as in the lothe burning of Saudi Embassy in Teh- cal community. There is a need for all indiran, although seems to have apparently viduals in the society in general and school subsided, it is still simmering and has students in particular to study Universal the potential to explode at any time Declaration of Human Rights adoptto the great detriment of the unied by the United Nations. It should EDITORIAL be understood and practiced by ty of the Ummah.

The unresolved Syrian criindividuals and the society as a Assalamu sis which has pitted Muslims whole.

Alaikum against Muslims, largely in the Every nation, society and Greetings name of Islam has drained the group should be questioned if human, financial and intellectual they are following the various arof Peace resources of the Ummah and has ticles of the Universal Declaration resulted in the suffering of Syrians of Human Rights and if not why not. on an unprecedented scale.

Islam itself gives humans the freedom It seems that we have lost the sense of of choice. The ultimate freedom being to justice and rather than looking at the big accept or reject the existence of God or to picture of safeguarding the interests of accept or reject Islam. There is no compulthe Ummah, we are suffering from tunnel sion in religion. vision with each group showing loyalty Integrating this freedom of choice further, to its own narrow group, based on friend- no one can force any one’s ideas on othships, national interest, ethnicity, school of though or sect.

The abuse of power by those in authority over the powerless sections of the society leads to disputes, rebellions and violence.

This is very much prevalent in the Muslim world today on a global scale as well as in community organisations locally.

For a peaceful living and harmony between people, it is important to practice justice, safeguard human rights and give people the freedom of choice.

While justice may be practiced through the court systems dealing with crimes, political practice of Justice and a fair go for all sections of the society must also be implemented.

All religions including Islam have emphasized the practice of human rights that need to be understood and not just lectured

ers. Whether it is religious belief, school of thought or a sectarian practice, people should have the freedom to choose and using force or perpetrating violence on others for these differences violates their human rights.

If there are atrocities being committed on others, who are not from your religious, ethnic or sectarian background, it is your duty to raise your voice. Call spade a spade.

So if you are a Muslim and injustice is being carried out on non-Muslims, be brave and condemn it. If you are a Sunni and injustice is being carried out on a Shia, raise your voice and vice versa.

This is the only way that we say good bye to our loyalties to our own groups and be impartial in practicing justice and safeguarding the rights of our fellow humans without any prejudice.

Z I Ahmad

Imam Abdullah Ibn Abdussalaam, was a prince and Islamic scholar who originated from the Ternate Islands in eastern Indonesia.

He was born in the early 1700’s and could trace his family descent directly to the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him. Tuan Guru, meaning “esteemed master”, was the titled granted to the prince in South Africa due to his extensive knowledge. His knowledge covered several branches of Islamic ‘ilm, including Qu’ran, hadith, ‘aqidah, fiqh and tasawwuf.

The earliest accounts of Islam in the Indonesian archipelago date back to the Abbasid Caliphate. It was followed by a series of slow, fragmented waves introduced by increasing trade links. As a result, tradesmen, merchants and royalty were some of the first to adopt Islam. For all that, Islamic activism grew predominantly in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Subsequently, the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Indonesia were marked by frequent battles between the colonising Dutch and the Muslim inhabitants of the land. Throughout, the Dutch exiled a number of Islamic leaders, who were viewed as a threat to their continuing expansion. Tuan Guru, was one of these exiles, and sent as far as Robben Island, west of the coast

February 2016

of Bloubergstrand, Cape Town, South Africa from 1781 and 1793.

While on Robben Island, he demonstrated his phenomenal memory, and tremendous grounding in the classical disciplines of Islam, by writing M’arifat al-Islam [Knowledge of Islam] - which consisted of a number of articles on hadith, fiqh, dua’, ‘aqidah, and numerous transcriptions of the Qur’an.

And upon his release at the age of 81, almost immediately, sought to establish an ‘ummah, a community of the faithful.

His knowledge extended to establishing the first Islamic school as a base for conducting Muslim education in the Cape.

Other achievements included founding

AMUST Issue # 123 Friday 5 February 2016; 25 Rabi’ul Aakhir 1437 News .................................1 - 2 • Call for Modernity in Thinking • Usman Khawaja Reinvents Himself Boomerang ..................... 3 - 5 • Safeguarding Human Rights • Increase in Wealth Imbalance Community ..................... 6 - 9 • Charity Trip to Vietnam & Laos • The Confident Muslims are Coming • Humanity at its Best

.

Australia ....................... 10 - 11 • What is Australia Day? • Falling Oil Prices & Saud Economy • Growth in Property Investing Lifestyle ...................... 12 - 14 • The Haters are Gonna Hate • Only Bad Things Happen Quickly • Abir & Mohammad’s Engagement Ummah ........................ 15 - 17 • What Would Pr Muhammad Think • Spreading the Warmth this Summer • A New Vision of Challenge for All Education ..................... 18 - 19 • 99 Divine Attributes of Allah • The Cedid Atlas Travel .......................... 20 - 21 • Arabian Gulf Cruise • Kind Muslims of Siem Reap Business ............................ 22 • Business Ethics in Islam Social .................................. 23 • Videos to Watch

Imam Abdullah Ibn Abdussalaam Ummah Legends

AMUST

the first mosque in South Africa, the Auwal Mosque in Cape Town, as the institutional centre for an emerging Muslim community.

Before Tuan Guru, Muslims were scattered, and congregated in small circles around individual shaykhs. Through his efforts, however, Muslims organised as an ‘ummah around the mosque.

When, Tuan Guru died at the age of 95 in 1807, he left a legacy.

Courtesy of Ummah Legends: A journey to discover and celebrate the gems in Islamic history. Created by Peter Gould, Illustrated

by Iman Ayoubi. www.ummahlegends.com

Admission Fazlul Huq Admission is never a sign of weakness, Rather it is a sign of profound strength.

Forgiveness is never a sign of frailty, Rather it is the means to achieve harmony.

Resentment is never a conduit to inner peace, Rather it is the obstacle against tranquillity.

Hatred can only heighten the hatred, While only the love will serve to dispel.

Unity is always the clout and strength As the disunity is always the fatigue and fracture.

Inaction can never lead to advancement, Rather it will serve to stagnate.

Treachery can never gain the trust, Rather it will serve to heighten the mistrust.

Inequality in treatment can never give confidence, Rather it will serve to corrode and alienate.

Deprivation can never unlock the potential, Rather it will serve to inactivate or dormant. .

Associate Professor Fazlul Huq is based in Sydney and leads the Biomedical Science Cancer Research Group in the School of Medical Sciences, Sydney Medical School.

He is also an accomplished poet with over 1400 compositions in Bengali and English and has also been involved in various community projects.

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Readers comments

Australian Jewish extremists Mozzified Malcolm did not wear it on his head, he terrorizing Palestinians Will these Jewish terrorists be allowed to return to Australia? mal

Australian Islamic emerge from ISRA

scholars

Why I applaud the achievement of the sisters success in acquiring an Islamic qualifications, I have reservations on the depth of the faith that this study espouses. I unfortunately must detract and criticise the sisters.

A poor representation. I refer specifically to the very eye catching makeup! What was learnt if not modesty? Certainly women must be public figures but this is not the public image I believe represents the value of Islamic modesty. Shameful.

Rania al Sultan

wore it on his heart and on his tongue. Many of our leaders wear it on their head, but not on their tongue. Time to step up!

AB Better Than Before

Why I refuse to condemn terrorism

You SHOULD condemn terrorism and those who call for it. So begin with Tony Abbott ]= Ange T Kenos Too true. We pay security forces to combat criminals and politicians to talk about them.

Rod Shearing

Book Review: “The covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the world”

Praise be to God!! Muhammad, Peace be upon Him. These Covenants will be a major source of peace if they can be made known worldwide.

David

A smile can change our world. / a smile can change everything

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COMMUNITY 6-9

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Simply so extra-ordinary and beautiful.

All I know, make no judgments where you have no compassion, as Confucius says, Wisdom, compassion, and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men.

Iqbal Naiyer Beautiful- yet sad that we even need to be reminded!

Tan Yeti

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AMUST Team

Managing Editor: Zia Ahmad Graphic Designer: Rubinah Ahmad Chief Adviser: Dr Qazi Ashfaq Ahmad Multimedia Journalist: Mobinah Ahmad Journalist: Rouba Issa Columnist: Dr Abul Jalaluddin (Finance) Columnist: Bilal Cleland (Victoria) Columnist: Manarul Islam (ACT) Columnist: Lydia Shelly (Sydney) Columnist: Anne Fairbairn (Sydney) Promotion: Dr Wali Bokhari Web Developer: Shadow Approved Multimedia: iMoby Productions Printers: Spotpress Pty Ltd Distributers: Wrapaway Transport Pty Ltd Distributers: Abul Fateh Siddiqui, Shujaat Siddiqui, Usaid Khalil, Aamir Ahmad, Ibrahim Khalil, Usman Siddiqui, Zahid Alam, Shahab Siddiqui, Mahmoud Jaame, Mateen Abbas, Rashid Idris, Kamrul Zaman, Sakinah Ahmad, Anjum Rafiqi, Hasan Fazeel, Dr Quasim, Ismail Hossain, Hanif Bismi, Zohair Ahmad.

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February 2016

UMMAH 15 - 17

EDUCATION 18 - 19

TRAVEL 20 - 21

BUSINESS 22

BOOMERANG

SOCIAL 23

Increase in wealth imbalance Lessons from the Bilal Cleland

As we enjoy a more comfortable standard of living than our parents and grandparents, and have a wide choice of consumer goods, exciting new technologies and better chances of a healthy life as medical knowledge improves, we assume that all is well with the world. That is until we start to think and observe events around us.

Australia to date has, with a few historical exceptions, such as during the Vietnam War and the Great Depression, enjoyed a relatively calm and peaceful existence. Even then it was not subject to the deep division that many other societies have experienced.

Factors are accumulating which could change this happy picture.

Winnie Byanyima, executive director of Oxfam International warned that an explosion in inequality is holding back the fight against global poverty at a time when 1 in 9 people do not have enough to eat and more than a billion people still live on less than $1.25-a-day. [18 January Al Jazeera] In 2010 just 388 people owned as much wealth as the poorest half of the world’s population. That was down to 80 people by 2015 and the 18 January 2016 Report showed that 62 rich individuals own as much wealth as the poorest 3.6 billion people. At this rate, by 2020 only 11 people could own as much wealth as half the world.

Dr Helen Szoke, chief executive of Oxfam Australia said: “The actual global checks and balances that might have once achieved

the kind of reasonable equality that occurred after the Second World War have broken down….” Oxfam said it would call for action to tackle rising inequality at the Davos meeting, …including a crackdown on tax dodging by corporations and progress towards a global deal on climate change. [21 January ABC The World Today] The concentration of wealth means concentration of power, so governments will respond to the needs of the most powerful.

As Oxfam pointed out: “At the moment in our domestic context, and in many other contexts, [the burden of tax] falls on labour and consumption. We’re saying if you have this concentration of wealth, we really need to look at capital and wealth tax.”

Winnie Byanyima warns: “The consequences of this extreme economic inequality are far-reaching. If inequality is not dealt with, we could see more social unrest across the world, a brake on growth and all the work that has been done in the last quarter-century on poverty halted - potentially reversed.

What this means to you and me is a more unstable, unequal world with fewer people able to escape poverty.”

Present wealth imbalance is now similar to what it was in the 1920s.That was the period of the rise of a strong labour movement,

as working people felt the pinch of deteriorating standards of living, and it witnessed the rise of the fascist and Nazi right-wing to suppress it. Combined with the Great Depression, which this wealth imbalance did much to create, the 1930s to the 1940s became a nightmare of unemployment, war and starvation. The ILO has revealed that 61 million jobs have been lost since the 2008 GFC and its World Employment and Social Outlook- Trends 2015 report said an extra 280 million jobs would have to be created by 2019 to close the gap created by the financial turmoil. The great difference is that this time around it is the Muslims, rather than the Jews, who will be the scapegoats for the crisis.

Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.

Oxfam is calling on government to adopt a seven point plan to tackle inequality: 1. Clamp down on tax dodging by corporations and rich individuals 2. Invest in universal, free public services such as health and education 3. Share the tax burden fairly, shifting taxation from labour and consumption towards capital and wealth 4. Introduce minimum wages and move towards a living wage for all workers 5. Introduce equal pay legislation and promote economic policies to give women a fair deal 6. Ensure adequate safety-nets for the poorest, including a minimum income guarantee 7. Agree a global goal to tackle inequality.

Bilal Cleland is a keen reader, a prolific writer and a regular columnist of AMUST based in Melbourne.

Justice for Indigenous people Lydia Shelly As Australian Muslims, we have an obligation to support the struggle of our Aboriginal brothers and sisters. We walk on the land that was violently colonised; which was never ceded, without any understanding of the importance of kinship and country to Aboriginal people. We speak about the injustice suffered by our Aboriginal brothers and sisters as if it is historical “fact”; a small blot on the pages of our country’s history. We fail to understand that injustice is alive and well in modern day Australia.

Australia is only “advanced” or “fair” for some Australians, according to the Human Rights Watch World Report for 2016.

The situation of First Nations people in this country is a national shame. The President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Gillian Triggs stated that “Even with good faith and political will, we are still failing to achieve the outcomes that we need to for our First Nations Peoples”.

The 2016 Report presents shocking statistics, which offers a glimpse into the reality lived by many First Nations people. They still live 10-12 years less than non-First Nations people and have an infant mortality rate that is twice the rate of non-First Nations people. Former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd stated in 2015 that “Australia is now facing an Indigenous incarceration epidemic”. In 2016, First Nations people account for 28% of prisoners in Australia and they are 14.8% more likely to be imprisoned that non-First Nations people (in Western Australia that figure jumps to 20%). More than half of all child detainees in the country are First Nations youth. The Report found that the youth in detention were subjected to “isolation in cramped quarters, sometimes for nearly three weeks at a time, as well as to excessive

February 2016

use of force.” The situation is so dire, that NSW Labor Lawyers are holding a lecture on 16 February where the Honourable Bob Debus will discuss the “Over representation of Aboriginal people in prison: The need for some genuine decision-making”.

You can begin to understand why Australia Day does not represent a day of national unity or a cause for celebration for our Aboriginal brothers and sisters. You can begin to understand why Former New South Wales NRL player, Joe Williams, refused to stand during the national anthem at an Australia Day awards ceremony in Wagga Wagga.

Australia Day was a day that many First Nations people gathered to mark the survival of their culture and people; after 228 years of colonisation, oppression and violence.

Many First Nation brothers and sisters refer to Australia day as “Survival Day”. Yabun Festival was held on Survival Day and is one of the largest annual gatherings of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the country, featuring a range of Aboriginal cultural activities, stalls and live music performances. It celebrates culture and surviv-

al. It is open for all to attend, and this year, over 15, 000 people attended.

One of the issues that were discussed at Yabun was the ongoing removal of Aboriginal children from their families and the “ongoing systematic racism of government policies and institutions”.

There will be a national protest on 11 February at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra to mark the anniversary of the Stolen Generation Apology and the ongoing forced removals of Aboriginal children. The Lebanese Muslim Association are sending a contingent to the protest to stand in solidarity with our First Nations brothers and sisters. This gesture also pays tribute to the historical and peaceful relationship that has existed between both communities.

We can measure both the ability of our country and our communities, to stand against oppression-by the level of support shown to our First Nations people.

Lydia Shelly is a the Principal Solicitor of Shelly Legal law firm in Paramatta and a community advocate.

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Nawaz saga Irfan Yusuf

As I write these lines, Maajid Nawaz is getting ready for his Sydney performance. The former Hizb ut-Tahrir cadre from the United Kingdom, jailed in Egypt for 4 years before returning to more HT activism in the UK has now become a poster boy of sorts for Western secular liberalism.

The prevailing political orthodoxy among many Muslims is that Nawaz is some kind of evil genius, a Muslim turncoat who has gone to the dark side and sold his soul to the forces of … er … bad mixed metaphors?

Apart from a small outfit known as “Muslims for Progressive Values”, Nawaz has been all but snubbed by Muslim organisations. I don’t know a single person who is attending any of his $42 sessions (that’s the student rate!), though I know plenty prepared to risk unpredictable weather to watch the Indian and Australian cricketers battle it out at the SCG for the same price.

Articles have been flying about social media accusing Nawaz of taking money from shady people, of breaking bread with neo-Conservatives and even of co-authoring books with evangelical atheists. Mr Maajid Nawaz Oh, and of cavorting with ladies of the night at his own buck’s night at a Muslim-owned strip club. No Aussie Muslim man has ever had a dirty buck’s night and/or owned a strip club, have they?

I can understand people’s reluctance to spend $42 on a single lecture. But I can’t understand the reluctance of some to even consider even a single aspect of the man’s message. Are his ideas all that hard to follow?

Apparently Muslims are supposed to be a bunch who have been told that wisdom is our lost property. Wherever we find it, we should grab it and squeeze the wisdom juice out. Granted, many of his points appear to have very little wisdom. Why should a Muslim woman in a hijab show solidarity to any oppressed person (other than her poor suffering husband!) by removing it?

But what about his challenge for us to reconsider our relationship to the liberal state?

Australia is a liberal state. It is not a theocracy. Maybe some Muslims here are hoping we cease to be liberal and transform into a sharia state where everyone is forced to sport beards and burkas and eat halal snack packs. I haven’t met any, not even in the local chapter of HT. The questions Nawaz is challenging us with are the same questions many of our fellow Australians would challenge us with.

We don’t seem to mind when someone like Swiss scholar Tariq Ramadan asks us similar questions about Muslims and their relationship with liberal values, citizenship, democracy and pluralism. Would we hesitate to consider the arguments of academics like anthropologist Gabriele Marranci or sociologist Gary Bouma about the condition of our communities in Australia just because they do not meet our standards of religiosity?

Sometimes the messenger may look a bit dodgy, like something out of a metropolitan tabloid. But we shouldn’t allow this to reject all parts of the message.

Irfan Yusuf is a lawyer and an award-winning writer and reviewer. His first book, “Once Were Radicals: My Years As A Teenage Islamofascist”, was published in 2009.

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February 2016

UMMAH 15 - 17

EDUCATION 18 - 19

TRAVEL 20 - 21

BUSINESS 22

SOCIAL 23

Call for modernity

The Indian High Commissioner Mr Suri, Mr Talal Yassine and Professor Sahajwalla with diplomats and guests at the Sir Syed Day celebrations.

Continued from page 1 The keynote speaker Professor Veena Sahajwalla from the Centre for Sustainable Materials Research and Technology (SMaRT), attended the function with a large contingent of her senior colleagues as well as a number of research students.

She elaborated on her research projects specially with respect to safe and economically sustainable recycling and refurbishment of computer and associated electronic equipment and their use by needy sections of the society.

She emphasized that it was the right of all children and youth globally to access electronic infrastructure and use the internet for their education.

Mr Talal Yassine, Managing Director of Crescent Wealth, highly commended the efforts of the Alumni in the field of education and talked about the financial services provided by Crescent Wealth particularly superannuation and ethical investment.

Dr Samiuddin Syed, Chairman of the Scholarship Committee of the Alumni elaborated on the scholarship program funded from Australia that was greatly benefiting Indian students with poor background giving them access to higher education.

The entertainment included a dress parade, songs and dances by Alumni kids as well as poems sung by Mr Khurshid Anwar and Mr Riaz Shah.

The formal program ended with the usual tradition of Tarana recited from the stage by

some members of the Alumni joined in by the audience.

Dinner was served by the popular Himalayan restaurant based in Granville. The event was sponsored by Crescent Wealth amongst others.

COMMUNITY Mariam awarded “Young Citizen of the Year”

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Continued from page 1 Australia Day Awards as follows: • Citizen of the Year – Bruce Batten and Joy Chatfield • Young Citizen of the Year – Mariam Moeladawilah • Senior Citizen of the Year – Ken and Lillian McClelland • Access and Inclusion Citizen of the Year – Natasha Ngarua “Congratulations to all recipients, all of whom have given so much of themselves to help others,” said Cr Kozmevski. “The Australia Day Awards are an opportunity for Council and the local community to acknowledge and thank you for your selfless and generous contributions.”

At the award ceremony, Cr Kozmevski thanked all 25 nominees for the Australia Day Awards for their positive contributions.

“Volunteers are a precious part of every community. It is that spirit of volunteerism and selflessness that makes Australia the wonderful country that it is. All nominees

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twitter.com/amust_au Mariam with her family.

Mariam with other award winners and the Mayor of city of Whittlesea, Cr Kozmevski (centre). have volunteered their time and efforts to assist the most vulnerable members of our community for little or no recognition.” He said.

Al Siraat College principal Mr Andrew Houghton and Year 3-4 Coordinator Ms Noori Ahmad were both nominated for the “Citizen of the Year” award as well.

Mariam belongs to a multicultural Australian family residing in Wollert, a northern suburb of Melbourne.

Her mother Tanya Kubitza was born in Germany and converted to Islam 15 years ago. She completed an Honours Degree in Business Administration and migrated to Australia in 2006. She has been working at Al Siraat College since 2010 where her current role is the College’s Registrar and Marketing Manager.

Tanya, passionate about interfaith projects and charity work, has participated in the Great Cycle Challenge for three consecutive years and raised over $17,000 for cancer research in those three years, with Mariam’s wonderful help and support.

Mariam’s father Hadi Moeladawilah is of Yemeni-Indonesian background and was born in Indonesia. He came to Australia aged 2 and has been living here ever since.

He holds a degree and has been working for Australia Post for the past 11 years. He is one of Benevolence Australia’s volunteers.

Mariam’s elder sister Safiyyah, 12, born in Bremen/Germany is a Year 7 student at Al Siraat College as well.

The whole family are very keen mountain bike riders.

Charity trip to Vietnam & Laos Ibrahim Khalil Early 2015, a group of alumni from Amity College, including myself, decided they wanted to take a trip somewhere after the end of a grueling year at the university. But that trip didn’t just need to be for leisure but also to help the needy.

And so began the Amity Alumni Charity Project for 2015.

Through this project having various donations we were able to collect $7500. $3000 for an orphanage in Vietnam and $4500 for a library in Laos.

First, we headed to Vietnam specifically Ho Chi Minh City also known as Saigon.

Here we met with a few brothers working at Horizon International Bilingual School.

For the orphanage, in Vietnam, we raised money to supply them with mattresses, pillows, fans and fridges which are incredibly important in the hot climate of Vietnam.

We met with the wonderful children and distributed sweets. They were incredibly excited to get out during what was supposed to

February 2016

be their nap time and see some new faces.

The caretakers at the orphanage informed us that many children residing at the orphanage had inherited both mental and physical illnesses as a consequence of the Vietnam War and the chemical agents such as Agent Orange used during bombardment.

The second leg of our trip took us to Pakse, Laos where the new library had been built. We were greeted by the wonderful staff at Eastern Star International School.

The books which we had brought from Vientiane by bus were placed in the library and we started the arduous task of setting up all the bookshelves, with a lot of help from the workers at the school. By the time all the shelves were assembled it was night and we loaded all the books on to the shelves, many books which I had read myself while growing up.

It was a wonderful trip with a lot of amazing experiences. The orphanage really opened up my eyes to show the lasting effect war can have on the future of a country, the children.

The aim of the school library project was to empower learning through education and we believed we fulfilled that goal. InshaAllah the books will be read by generations of children to go through Eastern Star Interna-

The author with Alumni members at the Vietnam orphanage. tional School.

I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to this wonderful project. May Allah reward all of you. Keep your eyes peeled for

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our 2016 project.

Ibrahim Khalil is a medical science student at the University of Sydney.

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COMMUNITY

Events Calendar Confident Muslim Conference Sunday 7 February, 2016 9:00 AM - 3:00PM Orion Function Center, 155 Beamish St ,Sydney, NSW www.fb.com/events/ 212160479120768

Home Sweet Home – A Proactive Approach to A Happy Family

Sat 13 - Sun 14 Feb, 2016 8:30 AM - 7:30 PM AlKauthar Sydney 2 Bullecourt Ave, Milperra, NSW

www.fb.com/events/ 534956146664556

Muslimah University Orientation Sunday 7 February, 2016 11:30 AM - 5:30PM Melbourne Madinah, 47 City Rd, Southbank, VIC www.fb.com/events/ 1553170748340955

Lady Zeinab (as) 2016 birthday anniversary dinner

Thursday 18 February, 2016 7:30 PM Marana Auditorium, MacMahon St, Hurstville, NSW

www.fb.com/events/ 437934599735303

SCS Monthly Women’s Social Rides for beginners)

Sunday 28 February, 2016 8:30 AM - 11:00 AM WatervieW in Bicentennial Park, 1 Bicentennial Drive, Bicentennial Park, NSW

www.fb.com/events/ 1532491310377370

Forum: Refugee women on Nauru Monday 29 February, 2016 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM NSW Teachers Federation, 23-33 Mary Street, Sydney, NSW www.fb.com/events/ 1649065405360592

View more events online or add your own at www.amust.com.au/ calendar

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NEWS 1-2

BOOMERANG 3-5

COMMUNITY 6-9

AUSTRALIA 10 - 11

LIFESTYLE 12 - 14

The confident Muslims are coming

Nasreen Dean Growing up in Sydney, we as Muslim youth are immersed in racialised and diluted interpretations of Islam. The global campaign against Islam on political, ideological and social levels is on the rise, and being visibly Muslim has never been more difficult. We sense the coloniser’s firm gaze is upon us while we are spoken about in mainstream media invariably as the irrational ‘other’. Our histories are no more than a two-page summary in a textbook and we find it difficult to express ourselves and feel understood. We are observed and critiqued in an atmosphere where there is immense pressure to conform.

Standing in the eye of this turbulent storm, our hearts still yearn to connect, once again, with the roots, with the core of our glorious and comprehensive deen of Islam. As we approach to speak its teachings however, why do we hear uncertainty in our voices?

Why do we hesitate and feel uneasy when mentioning Muhammad (saws) ‘s name?

Crushed in the confusion, many of us have internalised an inferiority complex. A complex in which we become passive, reactive, fatalistic and defeatist. We become Muslims who are accustomed to cushioning the white man’s anxieties.

From the desire to reignite confidence in the Muslim consciousness, the idea of the Confident Muslim Campaign (CMC) was born. A campaign that could serve as a vehicle in shifting old attitudes of timidity, uncertainty, reactionism, weakness and diffidence towards an elevated, forward-thinking, position of conviction, composure and confidence.

The question of “What does it mean to be confident?” became a hot topic of discussion. The campaign developed into an elaborate, collaborative effort of multiple Muslim Students’ Associations (MSAs) across eight university campuses. The campaign’s combined effort produced an enormous output of quality discussion and contributions from all MSAs in the form of lectures, videos, creative competitions, workshops, interviews, debates, panels, and a 36-page magazine. Mainstream Muslim student conversation in Sydney took to a new level on topics such as reviving the legacy of our pious predecessors, intellectual responses to atheism, contentions between secular law and the shariah, presenting the case for Tawheed, responding to arguments against

Abu Bakr (R) by Iman Ayoubi and Tauqir Ullah, second runner-up in the CMC Creative Competition by UTS MSA. the existence of a Creator, origin and design of the Universe, the Orientalist construction of the Muslim woman, sexuality and race theory. Tackling these areas via a range of male and female da’wah carriers locally, we were also honoured to have hosted international figures such as Sharif Abu Laith, Abdullah Andalusi and a special address by Moazzam Begg.

Drawing our campaign to a courageous close, the Confident Muslim Conference, scheduled to be held in Campsie’s Orion Centre on Sunday the 7th of February, in catering to a 700-strong Muslim audience,

will address the critical issues surrounding the Muslim psyche, reconnecting with our tradition, reinstating our self-worth, self-respect, reinforcing the need to stand defiant in face of government pressure and the media onslaught, and the mobilisation of youth at a grassroots level.

We hope this campaign will leave a clear impression on our local community: a impression that realigns our collective psyche, our certainty and our conviction in diagnosing the reality before us with a critical lens and living our lives with a clear vision and a clear purpose, on the basis of our Islam alone.

Dr McInerney’s visit to Towoomba Professor Shahjahan Khan As part of regular Professional Development (PD) of about 100 staff (teachers and general staff) of St Joseph College, Toowoomba visited the Garden City Mosque on Friday 22 January 2016.

This event was a part of the programs during the visit of Rev Dr Patrick McInerney Catholic Institute of Sydney, Head of Christian Muslim Dialogue for Catholic Church and Columban missionary priest from South Australia.

The President of the Islamic Society of Toowoomba, Mr Michael Yahay Anderson welcomed the visitors and spoke about fundamentals of Islam.

Professor Shahjahan Khan, Dr Javaid Iqbal and Dr Mark Copland also briefly spoke to the guests. Later the participants were divided into six groups for questions and answers on a more close environment and better interaction.

A day earlier, Thursday 21 January, Rev. Dr. Patrick McInerney spoke at a lunch gathering held at the Irish Club Hotel, Toow-

Australasian Muslim Times

Dr McInerney with Professor Shahjahan Khan and other guests. oomba which was participated by the Mayor Both the events covered some of the conof Toowoomba, Cr Paul Antonio, Dr Jona- temporary issues faced by religious commuthon Inkpin of St Luke Church, Dr Mark nities in Australia and world-wide, and emCopland of Social Justice Commission, phasised the need to remain united ignoring Professor Shahjahan Khan from Islamic So- all the hate propaganda by extremist groups ciety of Toowoomba, and Mr Haniff Abdul against Muslims and non-Muslims.

Razzak from Pure Land Learning College.

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February 2016

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Humanity at its best: All together Philip Feinstein Together for Humanity is a multi-faith, not for profit foundation that aims to help schools, organisations and the wider community respond constructively to differences of culture or belief.

Starting in May 2002, their first program was held at St Ives North Primary School where they invited students to join with people of all faiths to look at changing the world. They were told that together they could make a quilt with their messages and hang it off the harbour bridge or the parliament. And so In March 2004 over 1,000 children sat on Macquarie Street as their messages covered the NSW Parliament House.

Together for Humanity is very focused on engaging children to draw their own conclusions about how to respond to differences.

Much of their work is focused around educating children in a school setting.

This generally involves a panel of multi-faith presenters encouraging students to explore and understand stereotypes and assumptions, as well as giving them the opportunity to ask the diverse presenters questions about their own faith or culture.

As well as having Muslim, Christian, Jewish, and other presenters, they also hold inter-school programs where students from different geographical, socio-economic, cultural and religious backgrounds come together to learn more about each other.

In looking at recent social tensions, Mr Zalman Kastel, National Director for Together for Humanity, said: “Relationships are key to improving bonds between Muslim and Non-Muslim Australians, preventing alienation and ultimately preserving social cohesion and security. This needs to be mutual.” And looking forward he added: “At Together for Humanity we have found that it is often the outsiders, the Muslim teenagers, who are the most motivated to form connections.

Sadly the goodwill of the ‘outsider’ is sometimes weakly reciprocated. It is time to redouble our efforts to understand and embrace all our neighbours, even those with perfectly legal practices or opinions one

Together For Humanity team of volunteers, presenters, donors, stakeholders and board members at the home of School Programs director, Donna Jacobs Sife, to celebrate their work over 2015. may strongly and legitimately object to.”

Together for Humanity have big plans for 2016, as they plan to host an Inclusive Communities Youth Summit at Parliament house, bringing together students from various religious and cultural backgrounds to workshop initiatives to make our society more inclusive.

They have also introduced a new Australian curriculum / NSW syllabus aligned workshops, “Celebrations of our Diverse Communities” and “Our Diverse and Con-

nected People and Places”. Both workshops emphasise the importance of inter-cultural understanding and respect for diverse cultures.

Their programs are being offered to schools free-of-charge because of a grant from the Australian Government Department of Social Services. Together for Humanity is leading the way but needs more support from the greater community. The world needs to move forward and to embrace diversity and goodwill.

See more details on www.togetherforhumanity.org.au/ FOOTNOTE: Following the last story of the Music for Refugees band performing in Sydney, readers can view their performance on www.youtu.be/jGbfUzJjGDM and youtube.com/watch?v=kRMhgAyO6vQ Philip Feinstein is a Sydney based writer, musician and activist working for MUSIC FOR REFUGEES www.musicforrefugees.org

Saudi student’s research advances sludge treatment Rouba Issa Basma Khallaf, a Saudi PhD student at RMIT University, Melbourne has made pioneering advances on research in the treatment of sludge, a process for the disposal of sewage.

Sludge treatment is focussed on reducing sludge weight and volume in order to reduce disposal costs and potential health risks of disposal options.

Basma’s research aims to reduce the time required to stockpile biosolids which will reduce the storage costs and increases the nutrient value to agriculture. She has developed a method of removing Ascaris eggs from sludge samples. Ascaris is a round worm that infects humans when its eggs are ingested.

Increase in the rate of removal of Ascaris eggs from Sludge will allow the biosolids from sewage to be used for land application at a substantially higher rate. This outcome will support government policy on the use of biosolids in Victoria in terms of economic, environmental and social benefits.

“Overall my study has validated a new approach and showed the highest recovery rate, providing the EPA with an easy, accurate and effective method to detect Ascaris

February 2016

in sludge,” Basma said.

Basma arrived in Australia in 2007 as a scholarship student from Saudi Arabia where she studied at King Abdulaziz University majoring in Biology whilst also working as a laboratory assistant She has completed a Biotechnology degree in RMIT and is now completing her doctorate at RMIT University in Biotechnology.

Her research was funded by the Victorian government and has been published in the International Water Association Journal. A number of organisations have shown a keen interest in her discovery in both Australia as well as Saudi Arabia.

South East Water and ALS Water Resources Group were impressed with the current results and have since contacted Basma to collaborate and observe her techniques.

They have also offered her to be a co-author on any future publication in relation to this specific work.

“I have explored and evaluated sludge treatment during my PhD work, so I can share my knowledge with institute and research groups working on sludge treatment,” She stated enthusiastically.

Basma Khallaf in her research laboratory.

Rouba Issa is a Sydney based AMUST contributor with a Bachelor of Arts (Media, Text and Writing) and is currently doing a Masters in Education.

www.amust.com.au

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What is Australia Day? AMUST

Anne Fairbairn AM Australia Day is the official National Day of Australia.

Celebrated annually on 26 January, it marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet of British Ships at what is now called Port Jackson, New South Wales, and the raising of the Flag of Great Britain at that site by Arthur Phillip who was to become Governor of a country soon called Australia.

Celebrations each year reflect our diverse multicultural society and landscape of the nation, and is marked by community and family events, reflections on Australian history, official community awards, and citizenship ceremonies welcoming new immigrants into the Australian community.

Australia Day is not always celebrated

by Indigenous Australians who had lived in harmony with nature here for more than 40,000 year so they regard this day as Invasion Day. Muslims are contributing greatly to our country, Australia in so many ways since so many come from the area where civilization began.

My grandfather, Sir George Houstoun Reid who had been Premier of NSW , Prime Minister of Australia and our first High Commissioner in Britain and is known by

many as the true Father of Federation was according to his diaries very supportive of the idea of a National Day of unity and a celebration was planned but it was not until 1935 that all Australian states and territories had adopted the use of the term “Australia Day” to mark the date, and not until 1994 that the date was consistently marked by a public holiday on that day by all states and territories. However he was always very concerned for the indigenous people.

In contemporary Australia, the holiday is marked by the presentation of the Australian of the Year Awards and addresses from the Governor-General and Prime Minister..

It is an official public holiday in Australia.

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With community festivals, concerts and citizenship ceremonies, the day is celebrated in large and small communities and cities around the nation. Australia Day is indeed the biggest annual civic event in our country.

Outdoor concerts, community barbecues, sports competitions, festivals and fireworks are some of the many events held in communities across Australia. These official events are presented by the National Australia Day Council, an official council or committee in each state and territory, and local committees.

In Sydney the harbor is a focus and boat races are held, such as a ferry race and the

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tall ships race. Citizenship ceremonies are also commonly held with Australia Day now the largest occasion for the acquisition of Australian citizenship.

The official Australia Day Ambassador Program supports celebrations in communities across the nation by facilitating the participation of high-achieving Australians in local community celebrations. The Order of Australia awards are also a feature of the day. The Australia Day Achievement Medallion is awarded to citizens by local governments based on excellence in both government and non-government organizations.

The Governor-General and Prime Minister both address the nation. On the eve of Australia Day each year, the Prime Minister announces the winner of the Australian of the Year award, presented to an Australian citizen who has shown a “significant contribution to the Australian community and nation” and is an “inspirational role model for the Australian community”. Subcategories of the award include Young Australian of the Year and Senior Australian of the Year, and an award for Australia’s Local Hero.

Various music festivals are held on Australia Day, such as the Big Day Out, the Triple J Hottest 100, and the Australia Day Live Concert which is televised nationally.

For many years an international cricket match has been held on Australia Day at the Adelaide Oval. These matches have included both Test matches and One Day Internationals.

Dr Anne Fairbairn AM is an accomplished poet and writer. She is passionate about First Nation peoples, Muslims and Arabic literature and culture. She is based in Sydney

Cricket: Usman Khawaja Premier’s message on reinvents himself Australia Day 2016 Continued from page 1 flexible batman who can adjust to one day as well as to the compressed format of game, T20.

Australian batting hero, Mark Waugh has labelled him as the most in-form player while the legend himself, Ricky Ponting honoured him as the best batsman in Australia.

Khawaja is an Aussie of Pakistani origin, born in Islamabad, Pakistan and emigrated with his family when he was a child. His typical batting technique represents his sub-continental heritage, full or wristy flicks of the bat that has added another dimension to Australia’s batting line-up.

The first Aussie Muslim cricketer to represent Australian national side when he debuted against England in a much heated Ashes series of 2010-11 and as Michael Slater said last year in Gabba, “This is the first century for Australia by a Muslim.”

Khawaja have displayed faith as an integral part of himself, and have been comfortable and not shy in talking about it. At one time Khawaja mentioned using some interesting words being a pilot, “I pray because it keeps me sane and grounded.” However he has not being political or making political statements in relation to the predicament of Muslims in global trouble spots.

Besides being a cricketer, Khawaja is a qualified commercial and instrument rated pilot, completing a bachelor’s degree in Aviation before making his test debut and attaining his basic pilot licence before getting his driving licence.

As once Chief of Cricket Australia mentioned, Khawaja is an inspiration to Australia’s next generation of multi-cultural cricketers and represents the changing face of Australian cricket.

Australian cricket has not been known for its multiculturalism. It’s only been in the last three years, says Cricket Australia’s head of community engagement Sam Almaliki, that participants have been asked questions about their cultural background and disability.

Cricket Australia’s last year launched a diversity education program “A Sport for All” aimed at clubs to encourage inclusion.

The $350,000-a-year program includes a 93-page resource guide, of which almost a quarter is devoted to multiculturalism. It teaches clubs about the customs and values of ethnic groups, how to communicate and also advice on attitudes towards food and alcohol.

Hasan Fazeel is a Sydney based IT professional and cricketer.

AMUST Media Australia Day is about coming together and recognising our fortune as a nation.

It is a time to reflect on what inspires us and to embrace the common goals that unite us – our commitment to a tolerant, free and democratic nation that allows each of us to succeed while respecting our individual differences.

It is also a time to acknowledge our Indigenous people and the significant contribution of our ethnic communities.

I also want to welcome refugees who have recently sought to build a new life in Australia and I encourage individuals and communities to find ways to open up their celebrations to new citizens so they may experience our friendship and way of life.

Australia Day is an opportunity for us to spend time with family and friends and celebrate the freedoms we enjoy as a peaceful nation.

While Sydney is the historic home of our national day, there are thousands of other celebrations taking place across our great state that unite communities in a spirit of friendship and harmony.

Regardless of how or where we choose to celebrate let’s come together this Australia Day and show the world how we celebrate our nation’s favourite day.

I would like to wish everyone a happy Australia Day. MIKE BAIRD MP Premier of NSW

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UMMAH 15 - 17

EDUCATION 18 - 19

TRAVEL 20 - 21

BUSINESS 22

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Falling oil prices and Saudi Arabian economy FINANCE Dr Abul Jalaluddin Saudi Arabia is World’s largest oil exporter. It is the richest oil producing Muslim country in the World. Falling oil prices have profound implications for Saudi Arabian budget and its economy.

This economic phenomenon may prompt Saudis to diversify its revenue profile to avoid complete dependence on oil exploration.

From 2010 to mid- 2014, oil prices in the international markets had been fairly stable, at around $US110 a barrel. By early 2015, oil prices have plunged to $US60 a barrel.

On 21 January 2016, prices fell as low as US$27.88 (AUD 42.47) a barrel for the first time since April 2004. Forecast for oil price is US$30 a barrel in the next 12 months. Oil prices have fallen about 75% in the past 16 months.

There are 3 dominant reasons for this free fall of oil prices: a weak demand from many countries, mainly China, due to sluggish economic growth; surging US production of shale oil and oil cartel Opec’s determination to maintain current level of production.

Saudi Arabia is the most influential member of the Opec and it could support oil prices by cutting its own production but shows no sign of abating. In 1980s, the Kingdom

reduced its output to boost oil prices with little impact but adversely affecting the Saudi Arabian economy. Perhaps, Saudis might intend to create competitive pressures on the emerging US shale oil and gas industry which has a higher cost of production compared to Opec producers. This crowding out might lead to higher market share for Saudi Arabia in the long run.

The current record low level of oil prices will almost certainly lead Saudi budget into red. The Kingdom’s budget deficit will reach 20% of GDP as it estimated oil prices to be around US$60. Oil revenue accounts for 90% of Saudi Arabia’s total budgeted income. Saudi officials argue that it can afford to be in deficit for years as it has a foreign exchange reserves of about US$750 billion as of September 2015 built up over the past 10 years from its oil revenues.

IMF urged Saudi Arabia to limit spending and discontinue certain high-cost projects.

Standard & Poor’s downgraded the Kingdom’s credit rating from AA-/A-1+ to A/A1 in October 2015. In the same month, King Salman issued an ordinance to Ministry of Finance to stop new infrastructure projects and postpone purchases of cars and new furniture.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia needs to diversify economic activities and revenue generations. The Kingdom will be at budgetary risks if it does not reduce reliance on oil revenue which is exhaustive in nature. It should initiate programs to spur private en-

terprise to create jobs and incomes for Saudis to maintain their current standard of living. Capital intensive industries and Islamic tourism would provide opportunities for the economy.

The Kingdom should off load budget outlays through privatizing government owned businesses such as ports on the Red Sea and the Arabian Gulf; airports; Saudi airlines

and public utilities. These measures would create a platform for transitioning Saudi Arabian oil based economy into an industrial economy.

Dr Abul Jalaluddin is an Islamic Finance expert, Director of MCCA, taxation advisor and a regular columnist of AMUST. He is based in Sydney.

Growth in Property investing for 2016 Omar Khan It’s been a rough start to 2016 with financial markets feeling the heat.

Are we heading for an extended bear market – and how will this affect Australian property investors? Having launched our Islamic Property Fund in February 2013, Crescent Wealth delves into the state of investment markets providing unique insight into how property might be shaped over the next year.

Investors remain worried over slowing growth in China. Huge increases in oil supply have resulted in a significant price drop, sending commodities along with Australian, European and US indexes tumbling.

Australia is particularly dependent on China’s economic performance as most of the commodities driving our economy are sold to China.

Some experts say that carnage in China’s share markets at the start of the year could have a longer-lasting impact on the demand for Australian property. Such volatility could drive capital out of China and into safer assets in Australia, particularly property.

However this time around there are regulatory uncertainties which have people guessing Beijing might clamp down harder on the flight of capital, limiting the ability of the Chinese to buy property overseas.

Looking locally, we’re seeing quite a bit of red in Australian share markets. The latest Dick Smith receivership saga only underlines that fact. Yet the current share market instability will have a lot of investors looking for a safer and less volatile investment.

Commercial and residential real estate markets may benefit from such a move.

Commercial or residential property?

For most of us, a residential property investment is fairly straightforward and easy to understand, whereas commercial real estate is unfamiliar territory.

Commercial property is classified as assets that are primarily used for business purpose (office, retail and industrial).

As with most investment property, the capital growth potential of commercial

February 2016

property depends on its size, location and rental demand. In this respect, commercial and residential property investments are very similar.

However, commercial property is usually more influenced by the economy. Demand for commercial property assets will be determined by factors such as consumer confidence, unemployment, economic growth, interest rates and so on. Therefore while certain individuals will have the means to invest and monitor these sort of sophisticated assets, for most of us it becomes a case of investing through Managed Funds which have taken off in Australia.

Managed funds allow you to pool your money together with other investors so that you can invest in a range of assets that may otherwise be out of your reach. Some focus on a particular asset class, such as commercial property – allowing access without the headaches of real estate agents, stamp duty, mortgage insurance, or really large bank loans.

Recommended for investors who have a long term investment mindset, they provide diversification, liquidity to redeem your funds easily, and access to high quality assets and professional fund managers with a relatively small amount of cash.

Investing in a strategic mix of listed property securities (such as property trusts on the stock) the Fund has been exposed to soaring commercial property prices over the last two years. We’ve seen encouraging developments in Office and Retail sectors.

The Fund benefited from holding Stockland Property Trust (housing estates, industrial estates, retirement villages), GPT Group Property Trust (retail, office and logistics and business park assets). The strong specialty retail sales data helped propel the fund’s retail stocks, including Bunnings and Vicinity Group providing diversification and strong returns for investors.

The Fund’s recent purchase of a commercial office building in the Melbourne CBD, means that returns are expected to benefit from consistent rental income and capital growth in a strong office market.

Between February 2013 and December 2015, the Fund has performed exceptionally well returning 54%. If you want to look at it year on year (over 2014-15), that’s an average return of 18.5%.

The year ahead We expect some of the same fundamen-

tal drivers to continue propelling growth in 2016.

The appeal of the inner city areas over the last decade and more has transformed real estate markets. There is little evidence this trend is not set to continue into 2016 and beyond.

While conditions may temper a little compared with 2015, we’re expecting a far more normalised return environment in 2016 where the yield will make up most of the total return, as it traditionally has.

Here’s to an exciting year ahead!

Omar Khan is The Director of Strategy & Development at Crescent Wealth (Islamic Super & Investments).

If you would like to learn more about our Property Investing Strategy for 2016 then speak to Crescent Wealth Investor Services by calling 02 9696 9844 or emailing info@crescentwealth.com.au Important Notice: This article is not a financial advice and provides information only.

Crescent Wealth does not guarantee the performance of any of its investment funds.

Our Experience Whether you’re a Mum or Dad looking for a place to park excess funds, an individual looking for the next growth opportunity, or an SMSF holder seeking quality investment options – the Crescent Diversified Property Fund is a popular option.

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The double-edged sword of ‘modest fashion’ Saltanat Bora

In a world that rewards beauty and style over everything else, we Muslims have become caught up in this culture just as much as the “West”. We criticize the exploitation of women by the fashion industry, and yet we are just as desperate to be accepted by that same industry, in our bid to be recognized as stylish even with our modest wardrobe guidelines.

Just take a look at the proliferation of ‘Muslim style bloggers’. ‘Hijabistas’ are on the rise, with every young girl who owns a smartphone, has an Instagram account and buys clothing from mainstream clothing outlets posts photos on public accounts of their ‘OOTDs’. Inspired by the heavyweights of the industry who have hundreds and thousands, even millions of followers on social media, these girls have been given new role models to emulate, be ‘inspired’ by, and ultimately, to envy.

With designer wardrobes, wearing labels such as Chanel, Prada, Christian Louboutin, and even high-street labels such as Zara, H & M, Forever 21, these style bloggers are fuelling a booming modest fashion industry.

And big labels are taking note, by coming out with their own ‘modest’ lines. Dolce and Gabbana recently created an Abaya line, inspired by and aimed at, Arab women. DKNY released a ‘Ramadan’ collection last year. This trend is only expected to grow with modest fashion being estimated to be

worth $327 billion dollars (Source: www. arabianbusiness.com) Although it may seem to be a blessing to finally have our ‘modest fashion’ criteria being catered for and normalized, it comes with a flipside. And no, I’m not going into the identity debate, or the hijab debate, or the profit intentions so transparent in these companies. I’m talking about the cost of this consumerism.

Spending in the UAE and Saudi Arabia have actually topped the world list in consumption of cosmetics. They have become the biggest consumers of haute couture, what with the need to wear a different outfit to the 15-20 weddings a year that they are invited to.

And what is the cost? The hundreds and thousands of mothers, sisters, brothers and fathers in sweatshops working to churn out millions of items of disposable, seasonal, trendy clothing that will literally be worn once, then discarded. Their working conditions so unbearable, being forced to stand for hours on end doing one menial task, for wages that keep them below the poverty line. Or worse, risk their lives in dangerous conditions, seen in the Rana Plaza collapse in Bangladesh.

We must begin to shift our consumer habits. We must buy ethically, intelligently and consciously. We need to buy less, more expensive, but quality clothing that is ethically and sustainably made. We must place the impacts and consequences of our spending habits on the environment and fellow broth-

ers and sisters first- before style, fashion, selfies and OOTD’s.

The next time you find yourself in Zara, Sportsgirl, or some random cheap clothing

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store, stop and think about whose hands may have made that embellished jacket, under which conditions, and whether your need to look stylish is more important than them.

The haters are gonna hate MOBYDAYZE Mobinah Ahmad Not too long ago, my friendship theory went public. Whilst I received an overwhelming positive response, I have heard it all when it comes to people who disagree with my ideas on friendship.

I have no problems with the fact that they disagree, I’ve only claimed that this theory works for me.

If it doesn’t work for you, that’s because it’s not supposed to work for everyone.

Time and time again, I would hear the same responses one after the other. Every person seems to disagree for one of three reasons.

They are filtered through the way society views how we interact with one another and follow a series of (anti) social rules.

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These are the arguments that are put forward by people who disagree with the theory.

ONE: People who understand it but don’t feel it applies to them.

They read the theory, but they don’t believe there should be such an explicit hierarchical structure, and say everyone is their ‘friend’ on an equal basis.

While I can understand that the theory is not for anyone, anyone who claims that every human being they know socially is on the same level, is well disillusioned or perhaps does not want to think about it because its very confrontational.

TWO: Those who either understand or don’t understand - but they’re just trolling, but I still have relatively good relations with them. When the teasing gets quite strong, I begin to call them a frenemy (friendly enemy), with more emphasis on the friendly than the enemy part. When my theory came out, it became a tool for the frenemies to

Australasian Muslim Times

use. All of this is within playful banter, so it is pretty harmless.

THREE: those who criticise, without understanding intentionally - just hate for the sake of it.

They say the most ironic rubbish to judge me and my ideas and it really does not make any sense. Without truly understanding the premises of the theory, they accuse me of hurting others.

They say I’m too sensitive, too brutal, trying to be divisive etc, without being able to offer a tangible argument.

I have not once, had an intelligent conversation with someone where it has been proved that the theory hurts people.

The worst the theory does, it exposes and leaves little room for fake friends.

I get most disappointed when I meet the third type of argument.

If you’re going to disagree, do it intelli-

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gently with full knowledge of what you’re disagreeing to.

You cannot reason with a person who listens, only to think of a comeback rather than listens to understand.

Unfortunately, the third argument is the most common.

I think the reason for this is people have absolutely no idea how to discuss friendships.

It’s not figured out properly, and therefore everyone seems to think of letting friendships exist and depart naturally.

But the truth is, it’s not natural. Human beings are selfish, cowardly, lazy, and forgetful - and this is how friendships breakdown, by a lack of effort.

My theory brings to light the idea that not everyone is equal, and specifies what levels there are.

February 2016

UMMAH 15 - 17

EDUCATION 18 - 19

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BUSINESS 22

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Only bad things happen quickly LOVE HAQTUALLY Zeynab Gamieldien ‘Only bad things happen quickly.’

I read this in a book (‘Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart’, if you’re interested) and agreed wholeheartedly. Anything good seems to take time and effort to build up, but things can change in an instant for the worse. A car crash. A job termination. A careless word spoken in anger.

But this year, something wonderful happened quickly. I met someone wonderful.

Within a fortnight, we spoke about getting married. And just a couple of months later, we were.

We sometimes joke that we need to invent a more exciting story about how we met. Truthfully, there was nothing dramatic about how we came to be. We’d seen each other around. We’d spoken a few times in the tentative manner of Muslim-not-yetcouples. I’d formed an impression of him as being serious, but sweet, and when the idea of us was suggested, we both ran with it.

I always wondered what it meant when people said ‘you just know’. I still do, actually. For me, it was less about ‘knowing’ and more about doing. Plenty of people can feel things for each other –amazing, powerful, fuzzy feelings. But things come horribly undone when it comes to doing. They’re vague about your plans together. They’ll say ‘it’ll happen soon’, but it doesn’t. They disappear, then reappear. They’ll say now isn’t the right time for that conversation and that confrontation, all of it masking the fact that you aren’t the right people for each other.

So if you want to know how I knew with him, here’s what it was.

Everything he said he’d do, he did.

He was always kind, and he always listened.

He had unshakeable faith in Allah.

He made plans for our future, not just the lofty fantasies, but the nitty-gritty logistical details too.

He trusted me, and I trusted him in return.

Such simple things. Such rare things.

It wasn’t a ‘fairy tale romance’. He didn’t ‘complete’ me. We were two complex humans with complex backstories when we met, which inevitably meant there would be bumps along the way. We’d been disappointed before, but this only made us more careful not to disappoint each other. The sto-

Marriage Bureau

Seeker & Sought For

An initiative by the Islamic Foundation for Education and Welfare (IFEW)

Seekers

F1510: Female, 58, Fijian Australian widow from Indian background, Administrative officer. I like to Travel watch soccer, cook, socialise and help people.

I am looking for a down to earth, loving and caring person. Someone to be my life partner and is willing to accept my son (19 years) who also lives with me.

ries we’d lived through individually became shared ones, moments to relive and dissect and analyse together.

I’m married now. But I won’t presume to offer condescending pieces of advice like ‘it’ll happen when you’re least expecting it’, because some people can spend their whole life not expecting and then not receiving.

I won’t say ‘work on yourself first and it’ll happen’, because that implies that married people are somehow superior to singles.

(They’re not, and I’m not.)

I won’t even say ‘it’s all naseeb’, because my naseeb could just have easily been to remain alone.

I will say this: this year has been a dark one in so many ways. Desperation in the sea. Indifference, cruelty and blind privilege on the land. The widening gap between rich and poor and the continual denial of #blacklivesmatter. I don’t fool myself into thinking that this will change any time soon. But that

doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate our personal triumphs, our little everyday joys, even as we raise our voice against injustice.

I pray that as this year ends, you find a companion, if this is what your heart longs for. I pray that you find peace and tranquility in company or in solitude. I pray that you keep fighting and keep holding onto your faith. I pray that you eat delicious things and see wonderful places while remembering those who can do neither. Most of all, I pray that you find the strength to keep giving and receiving love in all its wondrous, unexpected and beautiful forms.

Zeynab is an Australian lawyer, social inquirer, traveller and chronic human observer. She created Love Haqtually as a space for Muslims (and anyone interested) to discuss relationships, love, the weirdness of being a Muslim in the 21st century.

Aamir Tuba weds

Dr Qazi Ashfaq Ahmad & Jamal Ara Ahmad announce the marriage of their grandson, Aamir-ul-Islam Ahmad, son of Najmul Islam Ahmad and Yasmeen Ahmad to Tuba Mahmood, daughter of the Late Tufail Siddiqui & Late Nusrat Siddiqui.

Aamir currently works as an engineer within the local government in Sydney and Tuba is currently finishing her degree in Biochemistry at Aligarh Muslim University, India.

The nikah took place in Bahraich, India on Monday 4 January 2016.

February 2016

AMUST

www.amust.com.au

F159: Female, 27 medical doctor, Indian residing in Saudi Arabia.

I apply Islam in my day-to-day life. I have performed Hajj twice and Umrah numerous times. I am soft spoken, humble and well cultured. I respect elders and very adjusting by nature. I am seeking for a life partner who is an educated and practicing Muslim.

F158: Female, age 35, an Australian from Bangladesh An accountant working as a finance manager. Enjoys reading books, likes cooking and loves to travel. Seeking for an educated and practicing Muslim who comes from a good family.

F157: Female, 23, New Zealand-Indian, Engineer I enjoy reading books, learning more about Islam, exercise, cooking, watching tennis and socialising with friends.

I am a practicing Muslimah and enjoy attending community Islamic events.

I work for a multinational company. I am seeking an educated, honest, caring, loving, upright and religiously compatible life partner who is committed to grow with me to achieve our dreams of fulfilling life together.

M1511: Male, 37, divorced, Bangladeshi Australian, Masters in professional accounting. I am a practicing Muslim, interested in attending Islamic and Educational seminars and socialising with friends.

I am seeking a practising Bangladeshi Muslimah who resides in Australia.

M156: Male 58 divorced Pakistani Australian. I have been in Australia for 30 years and worked in IT and now I am retired. I am seeking for a Sunni muslimah widow or divorced from any culture.

M154: Male, 42. Pakistani Australian, Accountant I come from a respectable family, I have been brought up with traditional Pakistani culture. I am a Sunni Muslim. I like reading Islamic Books, attending Islamic seminars and meeting friends of a similar background. I also like watching movies, listening to music and watching various sports. I am looking for a Sunni Muslim Pakistani woman who is educated and comes from a respectable family background.

See More at amust.com.au/ listing_types/seekers/ Placing/Responding a notice If you would like to place or respond to a notice, fill out the matrimonial form at: www.amust.com.au/marriage-bureau All information is held in strict confidence

Australasian Muslim Times

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AMUST

LIFESTYLE

NEWS 1-2

BOOMERANG 3-5

COMMUNITY 6-9

AUSTRALIA 10 - 11

LIFESTYLE 12 - 14

Abir & Mohammad’s DIY engagement THE MODEST BRIDE

Saltanat Bora

Abir and Mohammad’s engagement is by far one of the most beautifully executed DIY affairs I’ve seen, and let’s admit it, DIY-ing an event might sound like a good idea, but it can go horribly wrong with a lack of organisation and vision. Abir and Mohammad’s desire for a small and intimate affair coupled with what she calls her ‘indecisiveness’, but I suspect may simply be a clear vision, ultimately resulted in an inspiring affair.

Everything from the rustic chic (yes I may have just made it up) decor, flower arrangements, the food and even Abir’s beautiful gown was lovingly made by family and friends. I absolutely love the hanging greenery, the velvet curtain backdrop with the floral arch, the gratuitous dessert table, the eclectic table setting and also the plants as bonbonierres. It was no easy feat however, with Abir and her family working on the set up in the days leading up to the engagement.

After finally deciding on having it at her uncle’s backyard, they worked on setting up tables, laying out the table runners, organising chairs and getting the floral arrangements up. Abir says, “we stayed up really late, and if it weren’t for a great makeup artist, I would have looked like a zombie!”

Well, far from looking like a zombie, Abir

stunned in her red gown with intricate lace and beaded details, with overskirt. Pairing it with a neutral coloured headscarf was also a stroke of genius, as it complemented the dress perfectly.

On marriage, Abir remarks, “Marriage is being able to hang out with your best friend everyday. It is being there for one another, protecting and nurturing one another. With the lead up to our wedding, many people have asked me “are you all about the wedding or the marriage” and this question baffles me each time. I mean, I know weddings are important, but I could never imagine ‘being all about the wedding’ – for, without the marriage, what would even be the point of a wedding?”

Congratulations again Mohammad and Abir and we are looking forward to the wedding!

Photos by Jade Berber This article was originally published on www.themodestbride.com.au

Garden party providing Islamic relief

Rouba Issa

Islamic Relief Australia held a charity event entitled ‘Keep Them Warm’ on 23 January at Glacage at Chapel Road. The event successfully raised funds for people in Syria who are in desperate need of food, water and shelter especially during the harsh winter season. It is part on an on going appeal by Islamic Appeal as they raise funds for Syria.

‘Keep them Warm’ provided the opportunity for 150 attendees: friends, family and community to come together for a worthy cause.

While the cause is dire, the event itself was by no means a solemn one.

Islamic Relief provided an enjoyable atmosphere, one where guests were transported into an enchanted garden and enjoyed henna art, animal petting zoo, face painting, portrait photography, performances and an auction.

As deserts of all kind were lined up on a wooden table under a wooden archway the volunteers all dressed in a floral theme, the women with rose crowns on their heads began to sign guests in for the relaxing and fun day.

“It was a great afternoon for the whole family. There was good food and fun activities in a relaxed setting,” one of the guests, Sarah Chaabo. “It was the first of its kind that I’ve been too”.

Support Islamic Relief as they continue to support and help those in the war ravished country: by phone 1300 308 554, Acc Name: Islamic Relief Australia, BSB: 032070, Acc No: 465272

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February 2016

UMMAH 15 - 17

EDUCATION 18 - 19

TRAVEL 20 - 21

BUSINESS 22

UMMAH

SOCIAL 23

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What would Prophet Muhammad think of ISIS Prophet Muhammad, Peace & Blessings ISIS, the Terrible Terror Abdul Malik Mujahid God’s peace and blessings be upon our beloved Prophet Muhammad, the Mercy to the World.

Even mentioning ISIS and the Prophet in one phrase seems so disrespectful to Islamic sensibilities.

However, a question must be asked, does ISIS represent Islam as lived by the Prophet Muhammad?

This chart makes it clear that the terrorist group does not.

Prophet Muhammad, God’s peace and blessings be upon him, came to establish peace, justice, law, and order by inviting humanity to One God for All. As the table above notes, ISIS is diametrically opposed to everything he taught and expected his followers to adhere to.

ISIS does not represent Islam or Muslims A large number of Muslim scholars worldwide (http://www.lettertobaghdadi.com) have already articulately refuted the arguments and rationalizations put forth by ISIS that their crimes are “Islamic”.

As well, most Muslims have nothing in common with ISIS; in fact, the overwhelming majority of ISIS’s victims are Muslims.

That is why the majority of Muslims hold a very poor opinion rating of the terrorist group.

ISIS should be put in the same category as the KKK (Ku Klux Klan) (www.history.com/topics/ku-klux-klan) in the United States or the Lord’s Resistance Army in parts of Africa. ISIS should be treated as a grotesque aberration from Islam as the KKK and the LRA are considered aberrations from Christianity.

ISIS is political, not religious, as was the America’s disastrous invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan.

By using clever imagery steeped in Islamic symbols, ISIS has sought legitimacy for its criminality through religion as did KKK. The reality is that this political movement for revenge and power has violated, on countless levels, the very teachings of the

Asked us to be merciful to people so God is merciful to us

angers God by being merciless to humanity

banned killing prisoners

enjoys beheading prisoners

prohibited killing any civilians

kills civilians, including children

established law and order

seeks to destroy law and order

campaigned to end slavery

is reestablishing slavery

liberated all his slaves

enslaves people

prohibited rape

engages in the rape

established peace among warring tribes of Arabia and different religious groups

terrorizes and rejects peace among people

expressly forbade burning anyone alive

burns people alive

declared Muslims, pagans, and Jews of his state as one people with full freedoms

has no regard for people of other faiths like Christians and Yazidis.

ordered to protect churches

destroys churches

abided by his treaties and agreements

breaks all treaties

Prohibited calling a Muslim, kafir

calls everyone who does not follow them , kafiR

faith it claims to represent. It is an aberration from the guidance of Prophet Muhammad, whom Muslims the world over love,

Thousand of refugee children gone missing More than 10,000 unaccompanied refugee and migrant children have disappeared in Europe, many have been whisked into sex trafficking rings or the slave trade.

There was evidence of a “criminal infrastructure” established since mid-2014 to exploit the refugee flow. There seem to be

links between smuggling rings bringing people into the EU and human trafficking gangs exploiting migrants for sex and slavery.

Art of Aging: Gray Divorce

Media Scan

Divorcee Mary Ann Merlino Oleksa of Marlton, New Jersey, believes the complications were worth the effort. “More people at my age, at this time of life are starting to realize that you don’t have to put up with a lot of stuff that women did years ago.

You can be your own person.”

But research indicates that “being your own person” may come at a higher cost than many women realize.

The Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy held in cooperation with the Association Memory of the City, a regional seminar on the mechanism to address terrorism and extremism in Kairouan. Many activists from CSOs, trade union, security, educational and media sectors with some

Imams and representatives from the ministry of religious affairs were present during this event.

The workshop categorized the causes of terrorism and extremism and the mechanisms to address terrorism and extremism in order to eradicate it.

Workshop about the Mechanisms to address Terrorism and extremism

Abdul Malik Mujahid is chair of the Parliament of the World’s Religions and the President of Sound Vision Foundation in USA.

Mossad proxy faked violent Facebook anti-Semitism An Israeli legal group with intimate ties to the state’s intelligence agencies has admitted to faking an ostensibly pro-Pal-

estinian Facebook page and using it to post anti-Semitic statements including “Death to all the Jews.”

The Israeli group has also filed a lawsuit against Facebook, for allegedly permitting Palestinian “incitement.”

Swedish security officials are investigating Israeli death threats directed at their foreign minister Margot Wallström.

Last week, Zvi Zameret, a former official of Israel’s education ministry, published an article in Hebrew implying that Wallström deserved the same fate as Count Folke Bernadotte, a Swedish UN diplomat murdered by a Zionist militia in 1948.

“There are security people looking at this issue and we have no more comment than that,” Wallström’s spokesperson Kristian Brangenfeldt told the Swedish publication Etc. “But I know which article you mean,” Brangenfeldt added in reference to Zameret’s op-ed, “and it felt very strange.”

Wallström has raised the ire of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for

suggesting that there should be an investigation into Israel’s frequent killings of Palestinian youths that human rights groups term extrajudicial executions.

The Israeli leader recently denounced Wallström’s comments as “outrageous and stupid.”

Wallström also angered the Israelis by connecting the kind of radicalization behind the November attacks in Paris that killed 130 people to the situation in the Middle East, “where not least, the Palestinians see that there is not a future.”

Sweden was already in Israel’s bad books for announcing in 2014 that it would recognize the “State of Palestine”. Earlier this month, Wallström cancelled a visit to Israel after officials said they would refuse to meet her.

Ainullah

A record number of Americans are choosing to end their marriages later in life. Such a move largely led by women“can be particularly tricky,” says divorce and family attorney Mark Guralnick.

Couples who have been together for 3040 years may already have a shared will, and spousal support becomes more complicated when the spouse who would normally do the supporting is relying on social security or a meager pension.

February 2016

respect, and cherish not only as a Messenger of God, but as the epitome of love, mercy, and justice.

www.amust.com.au

Sweden investigating Israeli death threats

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Politics of hate and division: Canada leading the change Professor Shahjahan Khan Recently, the new Prime Minister of Canada, who is a son of another legendary Prime Minister, has banned controversial US Republican candidate, Donald Trump from entering his country. When he was asked whether he would condemn the “hateful rhetoric” of Donald Trump, he replied, “I don’t think it comes as a surprise to anyone that I stand firmly against the politics of division, the politics of fear, the politics of intolerance or hateful rhetoric,” Trudeau said. “If we allow politicians to succeed by scaring people, we don’t actually end up any safer. Fear doesn’t make us safer. It makes us weaker.”

After living six and a half year in Canada to obtain my MSc and PhD degrees from the Western University (previously University of Western Ontario) of London, Ontario and teaching, I have been keeping my Canadian connection and interest alive over the years.

The results of the recent general election of Canada has once again has revitalised my attention not just due to a dramatic change in the ruling party and the Prime Minister.

The current, and 23rd, Prime Minister of Canada is the leader of the Liberal Party, and Mr Justin Trudeau was appointed to the position on November 4, 2015 followed by the 42nd Canadian general election held

on October 19, 2015 to elect members to the House of Commons of the Canadian parliament.

In the election Mr Trudeau’s party won 184 seats (previously held 36 seats) out of 338 seats, allowing him to form a majority government. The Conservative Party, led by incumbent Prime Minister Stephen Harper, won 99 seats (previously held 159 seats), becoming the Official Opposition after nine years on the government benches.

The 44-year-old Prime Minister has surprised everyone by appointing a cabinet with equal numbers of women and men when he took office last year. When asked why he made gender parity in his cabinet a priority, Trudeau famously said, “Because it’s 2015.” Among its 30 ministers are two aboriginal politicians, two persons with disabilities, one Muslim and three Sikhs.

The Trudeau Government has adopted pragmatic policies related to the Syrian refugee crisis, arguing that those fleeing persecution and war deserved to be resettled in countries that had the resources to accommodate them. Canada plans to accept 25,000 Syrian refugees by February 2016, and thousands have already been welcome.

The greatest challenge of our time in Australian politics is how to unite the nation to include everyone in the nation building activities in the face of spreading of hate and division among the Australians by some ill-informed extremists. Any genuine patriotic political party should be working for national unity and come up with plans for nation building through improving our healthcare, education, social services, security, environment and economic development.

Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada.

Like Australia, Canada is a multicultural leaders elsewhere in the world. Unfortunateand multi-faith nation. It is also an official ly, Australian media has not covered the vibilingual country. Certainly the Canadi- sion of Trudeau which could have been very an Prime Minister has rejected politics of timely to benefit may Australians. hate and division, and has been leading the nation to unite its diverse people and take Professor Shahjahan Khan, Director of everyone on board to work for the coun- MCCA and Professor of Statistics, Univertry without underplaying its international sity of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, humanitarian commitment. Let’s hope this Queensland will be an example and inspiration for the

Spreading the warmth this summer Lucy Butler It is difficult to imagine as we are enjoying the summer heat in Australia that women and children are braving some of the coldest conditions at home in Afghanistan.

While Australians are catching waves on the beach, families in Afghanistan are bracing themselves for waves of avalanches to hit the mountainous regions as the winter progresses.

Many Afghan families occupy the hilly terrain of the nation during the harsh winter months because of wartime displacement and extreme poverty preventing their occupation of city centres.

Habitation of these regions leaves women and children vulnerable to unpredictable weather conditions including avalanches and snow blizzards that can make living conditions unsustainable. Just last winter the Panjshir Valley, where Mahboba’s Promise Hope House orphanage is located was hit by 40 avalanches, killing 310 people and wounding 129.

As one of the poorest countries in the world Afghanistan is hit hardest by winter. Respiratory infections are the leading cause of death in the nation, with children at greater risk of developing breathing difficulties as temperatures drop. With winter weather conditions expected to worsen in 2016 Mahboba’s Promise is concerned for the safety and livelihood of the women and children it supports.

While Mahboba’s Promise does not presume to control Afghanistan’s climate of extremes, it can help to ease the bitter chill felt

by Afghan families through funds received through its annual Winter Appeal. Mahboba’s Promise winter appeal not only funds the provision of warm clothes and snug blankets but also charcoal, an essential source of heat for family homes in Afghanistan. We are already beginning to see the positive effects of the first few shipments of warm winter clothes received by orphans at Kabul’s Hope House this year. The bright smiles on the children’s faces

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Mahboba with Afghan children. as they try on the clothes for the first time, was a delight. What shines through the children’s smiles is their gratefulness to possess items of clothing that are uniquely theirs and will keep them warm throughout the winter months. The orphan boys of Hope House wear the thermal tracksuits generously donated by Sydney’s Waverley college with a sense of pride and belonging that can only be instilled by wearing a school uniform. The children’s reaction is testament to the positive effects schooling has on the lives of the orphans provided education

Australasian Muslim Times

through Hope House.

After having recently visited Afghanistan Mahboba expressed her disheartenment with the bitterly cold conditions faced by so many impoverished women and children in need. In a letter issued via the Mahboba’s Promise blog page, Mahboba made a plea to her supporters to take a moment to consider the profound effect the basics we take for granted including a heat source and warm clothes can have on the lives of Afghan families. Despite the acknowledgement that much more needs to be done,

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Mahboba was inspired by the warmth and good health of the orphans at hope house. In her letter, Mahboba conveyed her appreciation for funding received by donors this holiday season that has helped spread the Australian warmth all the way to Afghanistan. Mahboba’s Promise dedicated staff and volunteers continue to be inspired by the overwhelming degree support the organisation receives and will continue to push for greater change and progress in the region.

February 2016

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EDUCATION 18 - 19

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BUSINESS 22

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Mushawarat celebrates Golden Jubilee and holds elections Zia Ahmad

The results of the elections for a two year term 2016-2017 for the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat (AIMMM), the apex forum consisting of diverse Muslim organizations, institutions and eminent individuals were announced by the returning officer Mr Rasheed Ahmad Khan on 1 January 2016.

AIMMM was established at a representative meeting of the community leaders held on 8-9 August, 1964 at Nadwatul-Ulema, Lucknow, as a Consultative Committee.

The meeting was inaugurated by Syed Abul Hasan Ali Nadvi and chaired by Dr Syed Mahmood. Mufti Atiqur Rahman, Maulana Abul Lais Islahi, Qari Mohd. Tayyab, Maulana Kalb-e-Abid, Maulana Minatullah Rahmani, Janab Mohammad Muslim, Maulana Jan Mohammad and Janab Ebrahim Sulaiman Sait played a key role in the establishment of AIMMM. Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, editor and publisher of the English fortnightly Milli Gazette has been the past President of AIMMM having served two terms from 2012 to 2015.

The new President is a Delhi based social worker and activist Mr Navaid Hamid elected for a term of two years for 2016-2017.

Other office bearers will be appointed by the President in consultation with the Central

Executive Committee.

The newly elected Central Executive Committee (Markazi Majlis-e-Amla) consists of Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan, Mufti Ataur Rahman Qasmi, Mr Ahmad Rashid Shervani, Prof Akhtarul Wasey, Maulana Asghar Ali Imam Mehdi Salfi, Mr Syed Shahabuddin, Mr Mujtaba Farooq, Mr Sultan Ahmed MP, Maulana Mohammad Wali Rahmani, Maulana Syed Jalaluddin Umri, Maulana Badruddin Ajmal MP, Maulana Mohammad Asrarul Haque Qasmi, Dr Syed Farooq, Mr Masoom Moradabadi, Mrs Uzma Naheed, Mr Khawaja Mohammad Shahid, Mr Sirajuddin Qureshi, Maulana Mohammad Salim Qasmi, Shaikh Manzoor Ahmad and Hafiz Rashid Ahmad Chaudhury.

Out of 158 members of AIMMM, there are only two women, Mrs Nusrat Shervani and Mrs Uzma Naheed, who is the first women ever elected to the Central Executive Committee and will serve the current term of two year 2016-2017.

The Golden Jubilee Conference of the Mushawarat marking 50 years of its establishment was celebrated last year on 31 August inaugurated by Mr Hamid Ansari, The Vice President of India and was held at India Islamic Cultural Centre, New Delhi.

The Golden Jubilee Conference was attended by more than 500 members and delegates from all over India representing Indian Muslims from diverse professions, schools of thought and ethnicity.

The Mushwarat conferred a number of Life Time Achievement Awards on eminent Indians including Prof Nejatullah Siddiqui,

AMUST

The Vice President of India Mr Hamid Ansari and Maulana Jalaluddin Umri, Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami Hind with the AIMMM Golden Jubilee Souvenir.

Mr Syed Shahabuddin, Maulana Muhammad Salim Qasmi, Dr Kalbe Sadiq Mujtahid, Mr Moosa Raza IAS, Dr Mumtaz Ahmad Khan, Mr KM Arifuddin, Mr PA Inamdar, Ms Teesta Setalvad, Justice Rajinder Sachar, Mr Ravi Nair, Mr Harsh Mander and Dr John Dayal. A number of awards were also conferred posthumously.

Prof Nejatullah Siddiqui is one of the two living founding members of the Mushawarat which was established by more than 160 members in 1964.

Professor Siddiqui, an eminent economist, played a pioneering role in the development of modern Islamic economics and has writ-

ten extensively in this field. He has received a number of awards including the prestigious King Faisal International Prize for Islamic Studies (the only other two recepients from South Asia being Maulana Abul Ala Maudoodi and Maulana Abul Hasan Nadvi).

His Mushawarat Life Time Achievement Awards acceptance speech was published and distributed at the AIMMM Golden Jublilee Celebrations and a slightly edited version is reproduced below.

Zia Ahmad is the Managing Editor of AMUST and is based in Sydney.

A new vision of challenge for us Professor Nejatullah Siddiqui We are passing through challenging times. Most of us think our failures in meeting these challenges are rooted in our not living up to our glorious records in the past. If only we could recreate our golden pasts!

That, however, is not true. The nature of challenges threatening our future is very different from what we have gone through, calling for fresh thinking.

Islam and Muslims are facing today a world increasingly growing suspicious if not outright hostile towards them. They are fast gaining the reputation of something to be avoided, kept at a distance.

Gone are the days when the Prophet of Islam universally enjoyed the image of a sage, one of the great teachers of humanity, a compassionate, loveable personality to be emulated.

A conspiracy of circumstances, in which our own behavior may not be quite free from blame, tends to make us unloved and unlovable, with our great religion itself being seen in a bad light.

It is ironical indeed that some of us are considering the mission of calling humanity to Islam to be the remedy while ignoring the current antipathy which the very word DAWAH or calling others towards something you are privileged to have monopolized invokes!

This seems to be devoid of the HIKMAH advised by the Quran (16:125). Better be humble and, instead of behaving as superior and all-knowing, participate in solving the vexing problems of the day bothering everyone irrespective of race, region or religion.

There are many, but I single out three areas of universal concerns: 1. Climate change or/and ecological imbalances 2. Finance and monetary management 3. Family and social relations The deteriorations taking place in these as-

February 2016

pects of living are so fast, so deep and so widespread that anyone able to contribute towards improving the situation is sure to earn people’s regard and respect.

Here is a chance to restore humanity’s regard for Islam by projecting teachings of Islam capable of relieving humanity’s distress and demonstrating how Islamic norms, values and the institutions that could be built on the basis can be able to serve humanity out of its predicament.

Climate change or/and ecological imbalances Effects of global warming and related changes are now hitting people everywhere in the form of storms, out of season rains/ droughts.

It is no longer possible to pretend Nature will take care of these changes and mankind can continue living in comfort as before, relentlessly pursuing the insane objective of limitless accelerated growth.

Something needs to be done, but what and how to motivate people to accept the needed

changes in life-style, etc.?

Finance and monetary management No less tricky are the issues relating to the creation and management of money, provision of finance wherever and whenever needed. Both are currently debt-dominated.

All debts carry interest and the whole system siphons income and wealth upwards increasing inequality, making the rich richer and the poor poorer.

Out of the seven billion plus humans inhabiting the earth presently five billions are poor, of whom 2 billion have to subsist on a dollar a day.

In the globalized world what is happening within national boundaries gets projected internationally, making indebted nations default, forced into austerity measures, face rebellion of their people, and ultimately threatening world peace.

Things can hardly continue as they are.

Change is necessary, but what changes and how to get them accepted by those concerned: Monetary authorities, banks and

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other financial institutions, regulators and above all, the people in general?

Family and social relations Raising children in homes accommodating both parents and preferably, some of the grand-parents would be the ideal setting for the health and wellbeing of the future generations.

But, alas, it is becoming a rarity rather the common setting, due to frequent break-up of families, tighter urban living conditions, career focused individuals and a host of other factors.

Very few care for others, most individuals try to use others as instruments for promoting their own interests. Social relations are increasingly, devoid of sympathy, sincerity, even honesty.

The very fabric of civilized living is threatened with most people out there: legislators, regulators, judges, shop-keepers, workers, bent on cheating.

Religions, Islam in particular, have something to offer by way of motivating people to behave by making them feel accountable to a supernatural being and making them care about life after the earthly existence.

Islam’s teachings of simple living, moderation and sincerity in human relations can help redress the imbalances in men’s relations with Nature as well as their relations among themselves.

Islam’s emphasis on sharing the risks and uncertainties of life, rather than shoving them all onto the shoulders of users of money and finance by making interest-bearing debts the king-pin of money and finance, has the potential of relieving humanity from tyrannies of current arrangements.

If only we could muster the courage to adopt a positive approach!

Protests, airing grievances, demands etc all have had their day. The founding fathers of All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat, 50 years ago launched it primarily seeking goodwill. It is time to explore the potentialities of service and participation in building a better future for all!

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AMUST

EDUCATION

NEWS 1-2

BOOMERANG 3-5

COMMUNITY 6-9

AUSTRALIA 10 - 11

LIFESTYLE 12 - 14

How to approach higher Islamic learning in the West Mehmet Ozalp How does one approach establishing higher Islamic learning in Western countries and Australia? The challenge stands before us – on one hand, there is the obvious inclusion of the vast array of classical Islamic sciences and disciplines; on the other, there are inconspicuous contemporary needs and academic standards. This challenge is precisely what we set out to address in the last six years of continually improving our course design for the Islamic Studies programme at ISRA and Charles Sturt University.

Since the tenth century, madrasas have been the primary education providers in the Muslim world. Ever since the introduction of Western-influenced educational institutions in the nineteenth century, there has been a chasm between madrasa and university educational approaches, not only in the study of Islam but educational approach in general. The result was the fragmentation of Muslim countries into two segments that had dramatically different visions for society. The problems facing Muslim societies could be traced to this chasm in education that has continued to widen for the last 200 years.

Even though madrasas and their influences have diminished in the twentieth century, they have survived in their traditional form in many Muslim countries. Islamic higher education in Australia and the West has also gravitated towards madrasa-style traditional education, mainly due to its low cost, being offered through mosques unencumbered by regulation, and esteem held about the sheikhs and the institution in Muslim religious circles.

Madrasa-style education is characterised

by a study of traditional Islamic sciences, including tafsīr (exegesis), the Qur’an, hadīth (Prophetic traditions), fiqh (Islamic law) and usulī (foundational methodology) disciplines, along with Arabic and logic.

The advantages of this style of education are: it focuses on usulī or method-based disciplines; it places greater emphasis on Arabic and therefore allows access to primary sources and classical texts; and the thorough coverage and memorisation of the Qur’an and hadith literature.

Madrasa-style education, nevertheless, has its disadvantages that are particularly accentuated in the Western context. Shortcomings include: limited curriculum constituting only classical disciplines; lack of or poorly designed assessments; over-emphasis on information recollection and memorisation; and limited focus on research skills and critical thinking.

Madrasas also fall outside the structured and formal educational system and their quality assurance processes; therefore, there is no acknowledgement by way of qualifications, accreditation or awards for students.

Consequently, while madrasa-style Islamic education gives an excellent grounding in tradition, graduands are usually not prepared well for the societies in which they live nor is there formal acknowledgement of their efforts and standard of education.

Although Islamic studies programmes offered at Western universities provided a contemporary approach and rigour of academic standards, a brief examination reveal shortcomings here also. For the last few centuries, university departments dedicated to Middle Eastern and Near Eastern languag-

es and civilisations often housed Islamic studies. These were historically dominated

by Orientalist approaches and non-Muslim academics who did not share Muslim sensitivities and priorities.

Further, the courses offered often exhibited an exaggerated emphasis on culture and politics, rather than Islam as a faith tradition. As a result, Muslims generally did not trust courses on Islam offered through Western universities and students often felt frustrated at their lecturer’s lack of knowledge of Islam and lack of depth in how Islam is understood and practiced by Muslims.

Hence, it seemed reasonable that, rather than picking one or the other, there was a need to bridge the chasm between the madrasa and university styles of education to provide a comprehensive, integrated and balanced course profile for students of Islam. It was with this specific intent that ISRA partnered with Charles Sturt University to establish CISAC (Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation) and design new bachelors and masters courses in Islam.

CISAC’s Islamic Studies course design

constituted three core components: classical Islamic sciences; contemporary academic liberal arts; and human development and leadership. The combination of these three components ensured balance between traditional and contemporary disciplines as well as setting a platform for encouraging desired graduate attributes of grounding in the tradition of Islam, being relevant for the society in which we live and prepare ourselves to address deeply rooted issues affecting all humanity.

Added to this is our approach to knowledge: Qur’an, Sunnah and authentic historical reports as well as the knowledge of the universe and natural world are essential sources. Human reason is the critical instrument that seeks correlation between the revealed sources and creation to correctly understand both.

The Muslim world and Muslims in Australia need men and women who have acquired a balanced higher education of grounding in core Islamic sciences, a deep familiarity with the contemporary world and human reality, and a competence in academic and liberal arts offered by universities.

Islam and the State: A counter narrative

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi

The situation that today has been created on the name of Islam by certain extremist organizations is an evil consequence of the ideology taught in religious seminaries and also propagated day and night by certain Muslim movements and political parties. The true understanding of Islam, in contrast to this, has been presented by this writer in his treatise Mizani. The part of it that relates to Islam and the state is summarized below.

The message of Islam is primarily for an individual. It wants to reign on the hearts and minds of people. The directives it has given to the society are also addressed to individuals who are the rulers of Muslims.

Hence, it is baseless to think that a state also has a religion and there is a need to Islamize it. People who presented and implemented this view actually laid the foundations of a permanent division in the nation states of these times.

It can be the dream of every Muslim that countries in which Muslims are in majority should unite under a single rule but this is no directive of the Islamic shari‘ah. Neither is khilafah a religious term nor its establishment at the global level a directive of Islam.

There is not a single directive found on this issue in the Qur’an and the Hadith.

The basis of nationhood in Islam is not Islam itself, as is generally understood. At no

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place in the Qur’an and Hadith has it been said that Muslims must become one nation.

On the contrary, what the Qur’an has said is “All Muslims are brothers to one another, (49:10)”. Thus the relationship between Muslims is not based on nationhood; it is rather based on brotherhood.

If some people of the world declare themselves as Muslims, in fact, insist on this and adopt a belief or deed which is not approved by one or more scholars or the rest of the Muslims, then this deed or belief of theirs can be regarded as incorrect and even a deviation and departure from Islam, yet these people cannot be termed as non-Muslims or disbelievers (kuffar) because these people adduce their arguments from the Qur’an and Hadith.

Polytheism, disbelief and apostasy are indeed grave crimes; however, no human being can punish another human being for such crimes. This is the right of God alone.

No doubt jihad is a directive of Islam. The Qur’an requires its followers, if they have the strength, to wage war against oppression and injustice. The primary reason of this directive is to curb persecution which is the use of oppression and coercion to make people give up their beliefs. However, only the collectivity but no individual or group of individuals has the right to take this decision.

The directive of jihad given by Islam is war for the cause of God; therefore, it cannot be waged while disregarding moral restrictions. Hence, it is absolutely certain that jihad can only be waged against combatants.

Centuries before the thinkers of the present age, the Qur’an had declared: “the af-

Australasian Muslim Times

fairs of the Muslims are run on the basis of their mutual consultation, (42:38)”. This clearly meant that a Muslim government would be established through their consultation, everyone will have equal rights in this consultation. However, if a decision cannot be reached through a consensus, then the opinion of the majority shall be accepted as the decision. This is precisely what democracy is.

If at some place a Muslim government exists, it is generally asked to implement the shari‘ah. This expression is misleading because it gives the impression that Islam has given the right to a government to forcibly implement ALL the directives of the shari‘ah on people. Only those directives which deal with the Muslim society as a whole may forcibly be implemented. These directives include: Establishment of facilities for daily prayers, collection of Zakah, provision of justice system and many other social needs.

Arrangement and organization of the Friday and the ‘id prayers.

Establishment of law enforcement institutions Treatment of justice and fairness with state adversaries.

Fulfillment of national and international agreements.

Implementation of capital punishment for two crimes only: murder and spreading anarchy in the land if the offender does not qualify for any concession.

Dissemination of Islamic teachings to all.

The Qur’an has stated that the real status of religious scholars is to invite people to

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the truth and warn them about any deviation from it. God does not want them to force people to follow Islam so that they should organize their followers in groups that ask people, at gunpoint, to follow the shari‘ah.

Javed Ahmad Ghamidi is an Islamic Scholar from Pakistan, founder-president of Al-Mawrid Institute of Islamic Sciences (www.al-mawrid.org) and chief editor of the Urdu Monthly “Ishraq” and the English Monthly “Renaissance”. He currently resides in Malaysia.

This is a much-shortened version of a detailed article which can be read on www.amust.com.au This summary was prepared by Dr Zulfiqar Khan who is a Managing Director of Al-Mawrid Australia and can be reached at Zulfiqar.Khan@al-mawrid.org.au

February 2016

UMMAH 15 - 17

EDUCATION 18 - 19

TRAVEL 20 - 21

BUSINESS 22

EDUCATION

SOCIAL 23

AMUST

The 99 Divine attributes of Allah Part 18 - Attributes 71

BEYOND THE BOX Dr Q Ashfaq Ahmad

This issue continues the series exclusive to AMUST on the 99 divine attributes of Allah.

Read previous parts at www.goo.gl/L1wvP2 71. Al – Muqaddim - The Foremost “Truly, We have granted you a clear victory1.

So that Allah may forgive you your past and future sins2 and complete His favor to you3 and guide you to a straight path4 and so that Allah might bestow on you His mighty help It was He who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the believer, to add faith to their faith5 – the force of the heavens and earth belongs to Him; He is all knowing and all wise.”

(Al-Fath , 48:1-4) 1. When tiding of victory was communicated after the Hudaybiyah treaty, the people wondered how the treaty should be considered as the victory.

Umar (r), on hearing the revealed verses for treaty, asked the Prophet, “O Prophet is it a victory?” The Prophet emphatically affirmed. After arriving in Madinah another believer commented to the expression “what kind of victory is this?”. We have been prohibited to visit the house of Allah, our camels were also not allowed for sacrifice. The Prophet had to stay only after Hudaybiyah. Moreover because of this treaty our two oppressed brothers (Abu Jandal and Abu Baseer) have been handed back to the tyrants. When the Prophet heard these rumours, he indirectly immediately replied “yes very true information has been conveyed in the verses, in reality it is a great victory. You approached the residents of polytheists and they begged you for coming back next year for Umrah. They themselves requested for a pact of treaty by stopping any fight at the moment. All this occurred even though they have great vengeance and jealousy against us.”

Not much time had passed that after the commencement of the treaty that everyone realised that the victory of Islam was mostly due to the Treaty of Hudaybiyah.

2. The context of this verse tells about the misgivings from the efforts for the successful achievement of the Islamic movement commenced by the last Prophet, Muhammad (s). That the believers had

been continuing for the last nineteen years under the leadership of the Prophet.

These deficiencies had not been known to them rather human intellect is totally incapable to discover these during this time.

But the lofty ideal of the perfectness of Allah is the same that traced the effects and secrets that could not enable the believers to achieve success over the Arab polytheists in such a short period. Here Allah conveys that the believers would have continued to struggle on this project and they could have acquired a very long period to dominate Arab polytheism. So Allah compensated the believers with His Intention and Help foregoing their weaknesses and shortness. Allah opened the entrance of victory through the event of Hudaybiyah and which could now be achieved by their own efforts. Please keep in mind that if a large group is making effort for any lofty ideal, it does not

naturally mean that any deficiencies of the group are necessarily the personal ones of the leader. Basically these are the intrinsic weaknesses of the struggle itself which are undergone by the whole group.

But the leader is addressed to point it for the whole group.

As this Prophet is addressed, Allah declares the forgiveness to his past and present shortcomings. Therefore, all the minor weaknesses and deficiencies of the Prophet are also forgiven by Allah.

So when the companions used to observe the extraordinary engagements of the Prophet in religious activities, they used to comment, “All your deficiencies have been pardoned by Allah then why do you undergo all these tiring efforts?” the Prophet used to answer “a-flā aquno ‘abdan shakoora (should I not become a thankful servant of Allah)” 3. Completing His favours pertains to the future in which the believers lived in

the world under the Islamic system controlled by Islamic civilisation and completely secure from foreign disturbances and intervention. They are procured to declare the call of Allah to the whole world population. The events of blasphemy and debauchery, always hindrance and problems against the propagation to the call to Allah are considered as fitna in the Quran. Be totally free from the fitna having a total liberal dar ul Islam ‘the house of Islam’ was the future which was indirectly hinted by the Hudaybiyah treaty. This blessing of Allah has been achieved to the believers to the Prophet. Allah has helped the Prophet to establish Islamic civilisation in the whole world and therefore He has bestowed this ni’mah to the Prophet.

4. To show the straight path to the Prophet means the way of victory and success. It means that Allah, through the Treaty at Hudaybiyah made the path easy and difficult as well. At the event of Hudaybiyah many unbearable behaviours and actions by the polytheists were making the Muslims to lose their temper. But having full confidence and patience on the leadership of the Prophet the believers very patiently carried on all these sufferings while a slight mistake or reaction would have destroyed the whole attitude of Allah who became very pleased with the believers at this time.

5. Allah bestowed the tranquillity of heart and peace to the believers in order to make their iman more pure and elevated.

Hence this verse proves that belief is not a simple static condition, rather it can be elevated as well as degraded. After accepting Islam up to the death a believer’s life meets across so many different types of temptations that it becomes difficult and very tempting to them to not sacrifice their nice opportunities and material advantages in comparison to giving away their life and properties, emotions and feelings all this for the sake of Allah. At this juncture if a believer adopts the way of sacrifice at every corner of temptation, his belief becomes elevated and his rank becomes raised by Allah, but if a believer fails and becomes slight weak, his belief becomes frozen and a time comes when the whole capital of belief is totally lost and he becomes out of the group of believers.

Continued in AMUST issue #124 March

The Cedid Atlas Firas Alkhateeb The Cedid Atlas (The New Atlas in Ottoman Turkish) was one of the first printed atlases in the Muslim world.

It was commissioned by the Ottoman government in 1803 as part of its 19th century reforms to bring the empire up to par with other European powers. All of the maps in the atlas were thus adapted from an earlier atlas made by the English cartographer, William Faden. Only 50 copies were printed of the atlas, and of those, only about 10 survive today.

The atlas contains 24 colored maps of various regions of the world. View more images at lostislamichistory.com/the-cedid-atlas/ Firas Alkhateeb is an Islamic History teacher at Universal School in Bridgeview, Illinois.

(Courtesy Lost Islamic History: http://lostislamichistory.com/the-cedid-atlas/ )

February 2016

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Australasian Muslim Times

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AMUST

TRAVEL

NEWS 1-2

BOOMERANG 3-5

COMMUNITY 6-9

AUSTRALIA 10 - 11

LIFESTYLE 12 - 14

Travel as far as China Mobinah Ahmad

Terracotta Warrior Figurines.

Chinese Flag at the back of a canal boat ride through water villages in Suzhou.

Shanghai Skyline at night.

A Chinese Bride on her wedding day.

Chinese Tea with flowers, a nut & fruit.

Chinese Longing Green Tea.

The Great Wall of China.

500 year old village on the water.

Dragon Bones Rice Terraces.

Chinese Gate at the Summer Palace in Beijing.

Under the dome of the Winter Palace in Beijing.

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Australasian Muslim Times

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February 2016

UMMAH 15 - 17

EDUCATION 18 - 19

TRAVEL 20 - 21

BUSINESS 22

TRAVEL

SOCIAL 23

AMUST

Arabian Gulf cruise for a relaxing holiday Manarul Islam Over the last few years we had friends and family who had been on cruises in the past and the experiences were largely positive. So we thought we would try it out.

As we had already planned on going for ‘Umrah at the end of 2015, our initial focus was the Winter Mediterranean market where prices and crowds (and temperatures!) are low.

Upon further investigation we came upon the 7 night Arabian Gulf cruise by MSC, an Italian cruise company which operates around the world. The prices were reasonable and since we were going to be in the region, it would save us the cost and time of flying to Europe.

Our other hope was that, as the cruise was originating from the UAE, the food would be halal. Our initial query (mid 2015) did not give us much confidence but when we pressed closer to the cruise date, they confirmed that the beef, chicken, lamb and turkey would be halal. We confirmed this upon check in and then, when on the cruise, with the head chef (who was from Goa).

Note that pork and alcohol-based foods and drinks are served but because all foods are very clearly labelled, it is very easy to avoid those items.

The cruise left Dubai’s Port Rashid on Saturday 9 January and made its way to

MSC Musica docked opposite the Corniche at Khor Fakkan, UAE.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi.

Abu Dhabi in the early hours, allowing the passengers to visit sights such as the Farrari World, Emirates Palace and the hugely impressive Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The late departure also allowed for things like the desert safari. For us it allowed us to have dinner with friends.

After departing Abu Dhabi, we spent the next whole day at sea which allowed us to explore the ship a bit more, reaching Khor Fakkan on Tuesday 12 January. There we visited Al Badiyah Mosque which dates back to 1446 and is considered the oldest surviving mosque in the UAE. After visiting Fujairah Fort and Fujairah’s Sheikh Zayed Mosque, we had a picnic lunch at the cor-

niche before heading back to the ship.

The next stop was Muscat, the capital of Oman where our Omani taxi driver, Amer Ali, took us to the Sultan’s Ceremonial Palace, the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and the Mutrah Souq where his haggling skills came in handy!

After another restful night we woke up to find ourselves docking at Khasab, which is part of Oman but oddly on the other side of Fujairah on the Musandam peninsula.

There we went on relaxing and beautiful dhow cruise to the fjords. During the cruise, which took approximately three hours, we had close encounters with dolphins as well as swimming and snorkelling opportunities

with fish.

We then returned to Dubai on the cruise on the morning of Friday 15 January which allowed us to pray Jum’ah there as well as meeting some friends and relatives. Our checkout was on the morning of the 16th.

However we had to have our luggage packed and put outside our cabins by 11pm the previous night.

All in all it was an enjoyable cruise. It was good value considering the food was all-inclusive (and largely halal). The only catch here was that drinks were extra and if you wanted to go to a speciality restaurant (eg Sushi), you will have to pay more. However, we didn’t find the costs exorbitant.

The kind Muslims of Siem Reap WAYFARER’S COMPASS Sana Gillani I’m currently reading a book published by Lonely Planet, entitled “The Kindness of Strangers”.

It’s an anthology of travellers’ stories where contributors have encountered selfless acts of kindness, fate and good fortune on their adventures. Reading this has had me thinking about my own encounters with kind people during my travels. One notable instance took place in 2014, when, as newlyweds, my husband and I were exploring the historic Angkor, near Siem Reap, in Cambodia.

We spent our days cycling around the ancient city of Angkor on our rickety, onegear, hired bikes in blistering heat, and our nights haggling with market vendors and searching for halal dinners. Thankfully, this wasn’t too hard a task.

Islam has a long history in Cambodia, the majority of its followers in the country tracing their roots to the ancient Cham Kingdom. The Cham Muslims form a minority along with other Muslims who have also settled from other parts of Southeast Asia such as Malaysia. Many Muslims may not be aware of the recent dark history of persecution of religious communities under the Khmer Rouge regime during the 1970s.

Over a hundred mosques were reported to have been destroyed in this period, along with the murder of thousands of Muslims, as part of a most brutal massacring inflicted on the Cambodian population.

We had undertaken our research and were

February 2016

aware of a mosque close to the city centre in Siem Reap, and when asked our kind Tuk Tuk driver take us to Kampung Stengmai to visit Neak Mah Mosque. As I waited for my husband to exit the men’s section, I met a young boy, about seven, examining me with curiosity, bright-eyes and an adorable smile.

He spoke to me with a few words in Khmer that I obviously couldn’t understand. When my husband exited from the men’s area, an elderly Cham man introduced himself to us as the mosque’s caretaker, Muhammed, speaking fluently in Malay to my husband.

He invited me into his humble home next to the mosque, to sit with his wife while he took my husband for a walk to meet and share a meal with some men in the community. The mosque was surrounded by studying children entering and exiting the madrasa behind the mosque, as well as followers, including what appeared to be Tablighi Jamaat brothers from the subcontinent. I couldn’t speak much to the caretaker’s wife, so I sat inside, escaping the heat and waited silently for my husband to return. I observed their humble abode and the wife’s steadfastness in her worship. Toting a miswak in her hand, she bustled about their quaint home, offering me drinks while she recited duas softly under her breath, almost constantly.

Eventually the old caretaker and my husband returned, with plastic bags filled with “Lakso”, a local take on Laksa, consisting of minced chicken, noodles and a mild soup.

We enjoyed the Lakso while the caretaker shared some of his story to us in Malay. He was a community leader and father of nine, who offered his home, service and any funds

The author’s husband with Siem Reap family. to the Muslim community in Siem Reap. He alluded to the suffering of his family from the Pol Pot regime, referring to life as ‘before’ and ‘after’ Pol Pot. Orphans and disabled children frequented their home during our visit, and the couple gently treated them like their own grandchildren. We left their home, offering a small donation to their community, feeling remarkably touched by

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their generosity and warmth. Never had I witnessed before, in a people, such prophetic behaviour, and such humble and service-oriented lives being led.

Wayfarer’s Compass is a Muslim Travel Hub created by Sana Gillani. This article was originaly posted on www.wayfarerscompass.com

Australasian Muslim Times

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BUSINESS

NEWS 1-2

BOOMERANG 3-5

COMMUNITY 6-9

AUSTRALIA 10 - 11

LIFESTYLE 12 - 14

Business ethics in Islam AMUST

Dr Muzammil Siddiqi

As Muslims, we have to adhere to ethical standards, not only in business but also in all aspects of life. Both business and ethics are interrelated.

It is worthy stressing here that when Muslims stick to ethics in their daily lives, they will become good examples to emulate. Perhaps this will help rectify some aspects of the distorted image about Islam. Thus they will, to some extent, become worthy ambassadors of their religion.

The Role of Business Ethics Today Business people and their enterprise require to be reminded about their role and responsibilities. The following issues need special attention in the present scenario.

1. Globalization should mean that all people are considered to comprise one family. All human beings should be treated with respect, equality, and fairness. Exploitation of one group by another should be stopped. There should not be any division among people because of their race, colour, nationality, gender, or faith.

2. The resources of the Earth are not only for us, we share this biosphere with other species, and so we take care not to waste or destroy them.

3. We should use the Earth’s resources with great care and should remember that we have a duty to leave this world in a better condition for the posterity.

4. Human beings are one family, although we have our differences. Diversity is natural and beautiful. We should try to understand other people’s religions and cultures and we should be sensitive to their feelings and emotions.

5. The universal golden rule states, “Like for others what you like for yourself.” We

should try to empower others and work to eradicate poverty, hunger, illiteracy, disease, and unsanitary conditions in order to live in peace and tranquility.

6. Businesses should promote ethical standards in their enterprise, People involved in business should always be honest, truthful, and fulfil all promises and commitments. We must eliminate fraud and

cut-throat competition.

7. We should also promote more political freedom, open debates, participatory democracies.

8. ­We must encourage and support an educational system that promotes openness, dialogue and that which guards against fanaticism. Our educational system should not teach every view in the

absolutist terms. Our children should be taught about the multitude of perspectives and one should be open to other points of view.

Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi is President of the Fiqh Council of North America based in Los Angeles, California.

(Courtesy of www.irfi.org)

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Is Australia really a multicultural safe haven of equal opportunity? Or is racism more prevalent than ever before? Stan Grant took to the stage for the last IQ2 debate of 2015. His speech is widely acknowledged to be one of the most powerful ever heard at IQ2.

The veteran journalist and Wiradjuri man, Stan Grant, has told a Sydney audience that racism is “at the heart of the Australian dream,” as he delivered a sobering speech about the impact of colonisation and discrimination on Indigenous people and their ancestors.

It has provoked a powerful reaction from Australians, going viral on Facebook and YouTube.

As part of the IQ2 debate series held by the Ethics Centre, Grant joined immigration lawyer Pallavi Sinha, Herald Sun columnist Rita Panahi and Australian actor Jack Thompson to argue for or against the topic “Racism is destroying the Australian dream”. The event was held last year, but the Ethics Centre only released the video online on Friday.

In his opening address, Grant, who is also Guardian Australia’s Indigenous affairs editor, argued that racism was at “the foundation of the Australian dream”.

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House of Sakinah

House of Sakinah is a women’s support centre that aims to assist & facilitate women in need & provide support.

Video Link: youtu.be/uEOssW1rw0I

@IslamicQuotesForAll1

Stop Making Marriage Difficult

@QuranSayings

Living Muslim with Hoblos by One Path Network posted a video on the topic of marriage. The video inspires powerful yet warm and touching words about one of the biggest barely spoken about problems facing the parents of youth today.

One of the many issues that we face in our current times is the issue of Marriage.

He specifically speaks to the brothers and fathers of the community, the responsibility is not just to feed and shelter them their daughters, but to also to play an active role in getting them married.

“Our women feel unappreciated and unloved. When was the last time, you as a father, sat down with your daughter, smiled at her and tell her how beautiful she is. When was the last time you took her to a cafe and made her feel involved in her life. You’re not speaking about marriage, no one is knocking on the door, no one is saying anything. Show them that love, smile at them, reassure them every now and then that hey, I haven’t forgotten about you.”

Video Link: https://goo.gl/Ry4HtD

February 2016

www.amust.com.au

Why Islam

Authentic and Useful information about Islam, providing free literature and brochure.

Multifaith Multicultural Youth Network

The MMYN is a group of diverse young people who consults on projects affecting cultural and religious issues alongside the Victorian Government.

Australasian Muslim Times

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Australasian Muslim Times

www.amust.com.au

February 2016