MUSLIM
AUSTRALASIAN
Multimedia News & Views
ISSN: 1039-2300
Print Post Publication No. 100021354
Print edition published Monthly on first Friday with Website updates
Ramadan: Let Your Jihad Begin
BOOMERANG PAGE 3
IFAM Islamic Quiz Competition COMMUNITY PAGE 8
AMUST
Issue # 127
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June 2016; Ramadan 1437
Unjust execution of Nizami
UMMAH PAGE 15
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Making of the Modern Ibne Batota TRAVEL PAGE 21
Summit brings Muslim Youth Together Manarul Islam Over 160 Muslim youth from all over Australia converged on the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra on Saturday 28 May to discuss issues close to their hearts. The event, jointly organised by the Canberra Islamic Centre (CIC) and the Islamic Sciences and Research Academy (ISRA), aimed to allow the youth themselves to “explore constructive solutions to religious and social issues,” according to the President of CIC, Azra Khan. “A network of Muslim youth can play a very active and influential role’ added Ms Khan. “The Summit will cover a broad spectrum of issues including extremism, religious discrimination, drugs and alcohol abuse, social exclusion, unemployment and mental health.” Appropriately subtitled “Nothing for us, without us”, Associate Professor Mehmet Ozalp, President of ISRA, stressed that the summit aimed to allow “robust discussion, propose solutions, collaboration, networking and looking to the future together.” “Muslim youth need to be empowered to deal with challenges they face in the land they call home,” A/Prof Ozalp added. The event featured prominent speakers from the Muslim community. including long-term youth worker Shaykh Wesam Charkawi; leading Muslim youth activist, author and professional Ms Yassmin Ab-
A/Prof Mehmet Ozalp with delegates to the National Muslim Youth Summit on Saturday 28 May 2016, Canberra. del-Magied, community leader A/Prof Meh- doesn’t make you a doctor, you must learn A/Prof Mehment Ozalp spoke about somet Ozalp, and author, activist and academ- from a proper teacher. cial activism and posed the question what ic Ms Mehal Krayem. He concluded by making the point that is the right way to be socially active in AusShaykh Wesam Charkawi, a long term technology can help but it must be from per- tralia. He emphasised the guiding characteryouth worker, spoke about how verses from son to person contact. istics of Islam – surrender and submission the Quran is being used in topics or preached Ms Mehal Krayem, a sociologist and cur- to Allah – that Islam is fundamentally conbut are not properly understood because the rently co-editor of an online magazine, Sajj- structive and to keep on the straight pathbackground of the verses is not known. eling, spoke about social issues affecting Siratal Mustaqeem. He stressed that treating ignorance as fact Muslim youth: the challenges they face by Leading Muslim youth activist, author is a grave sin quoting the hadith that the living their lives primarily online, advising and professional, Ms Yasmin Abdul Majeed Prophet (s) said “Those who give ruling them to stay away from “anything that com- spoke about youth empowerment and inbased on ignorance will be in hellfire.” He promises your humanity and the preserva- spired everyone with her life journey. pointed out just by reading a medical book tion of your soul”. continues on page 3
Modest fashion exhibition in Canberra Saminah Ahmad Faith Fashion Fusion: Muslim women’s style in Australia exhibition opened on Thursday 26 May at the National Archives of Australia in Canberra. Visitors will be able to see the exhibition daily from 9 am to 5 pm till 4 September 2016. The exhibition explores the emerging modest fashion market and the work of Muslim designers and entrepreneurs. Developed by the Museum of Applied Arts and Sciences (MAAS) in Sydney, with advice and assistance from Multicultural NSW, Australian Muslim organisations and community members who shared stories, loaned objects and took part in the film and fashion shoots that make the exhibition visually and emotionally rich. According to MAAS fashion and dress curator Glynis Jones, ‘modest fashion is one of the global fashion industry’s largest growth areas. It’s also interesting to see the market for these designs is not limited to Muslim women but has broader appeal for woman looking for looser fitting fashionable clothing that offers more coverage.’ Faith Fashion Fusion also illustrates that faith and fashion are not incompatible. Faith Fashion Fusion also provides a space where Muslim women speak more
broadly about themselves, their experiences and their faith, countering misconceptions that exist in Australian society. The women share their opinions, challenges and achievements through photographs, treasured objects and interviews; including author Randa Abdel-Fattah, academic and media commentator Susan Carland, Australia’s first Muslim surf lifesaver Mecca Laalaa and author Arwa Abousamra. Proudly Printed in Australia by Spotpress Pty Ltd
The exhibition includes commentary by Sydney’s first, and highly influential, Muslim fashion blogger Delina Darusman-Gala. Delina shares her love of clothing and offers advice on modest fashion, where to buy outfits and accessories, and how to make mainstream fashion trends more modest. Saminah Ahmad is a writer, poet and cartoonist based in Sydney. Dispose of this paper thoughtfully - PLEASE RECYCLE
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June 2016
UMMAH 15 - 16
EDUCATION 17 - 19
TRAVEL 20 - 21
BUSINESS 22
BOOMERANG
SOCIAL 23
Ramadan: Let your Jihad begin You must get up early in the morning for This is Ramadan, the blessed month of fasting: a month of rigorous training for Suhoor, the early morning meal to mark the you to increase your mental control over beginning of the day of fast, even if you don’t want to eat much. Offer your Fajr your bodily desires. It’s time to wage war against your own prayer and study Quran. Resist the bad habit self in order to free you from being your of sleeping again after Fajr. Then you perform all your normal daily own slave. This is Jihad-al-Akbar, The responsibilities of household duties, study greater Jihad. It is easy to fight others, criticise others and work with extra diligence with breaks and to point out what’s wrong with them. for Zuhr and Asr prayers and study of But it is most difficult to look at yourself, Quran. Avoid the bad habit of sleeping durcritically evaluate your past conduct and ing the day while you are fasting or cutting scrutinise your own self in an objective down on your school study or begging your supervisor to cut down on your work hours manner. with the excuse that you are fasting. Ramadan is a month of striving, During the day you must maintain fighting and embarking on a warpath, not against your obvious EDITORIAL your Jihadi spirit of continuous struggle, watch yourself at all enemies, but the greater enemy Assalamu times not to indulge in wastage within. of time. You should display your Alaikum It is a fight against self-rightbest behaviour in the society, eousness, laziness, false pride, Greetings treating all those around you, ego, unlimited freedom, anger, of Peace family, fellow students at school boasting, inefficiency, insensior your colleagues at work with tivity, undisciplined life, unlawful courtesy, compassion and friendliness. relations, as well as over-eating. You should be punctual, should not waste How does Ramadan train you for this self control and how does this fight begin with time, should not talk or laugh too much and should not get too excited or angry. Your beyour own Jihad, the enemy within. Sawm or fasting is much more than sim- haviour must be very thoughtful and sober. This daily good behaviour inculcates a ply abstaining from food and drink from lifestyle of conscious living in which you dawn to dusk. Firstly, fasting is not for show. No one are careful of not encroaching upon the can ensure that you do not eat or drink dur- rights and property of others, fulfil your obing the day. It is an act you impose on your- ligations and duties and remain within the self with your own choice with only Allah hudood, boundaries set by Allah. By the evening when you are tired, after as the witness. You take this decision of your own free will and you ensure that you Iftar, the evening meal to break your fast, again you cannot simply retire and have stick with this decision. Abstaining from eating and drinking rest. You have to offer additional special does not mean that you go slow. As matter prayers in Ramadan, Taraveeh, thereby enof fact you have to be more active and effi- gaging yourself in further worship and meditation in order to gain spiritual strength and cient during the month of fasting.
AMUST
AMUST Issue # 127 Friday 3 June 2016; 26 Sha’aban 1437 News .................................1 - 2 • Summit Brings Muslims Together • Modest Fashion in Canberra Boomerang ..................... 3 - 5 • Why the Bigots get Excited • Open Burma for all Burmese Community ..................... 6 - 9 • AIA Umrah Service & Action • MEP Delegation Visits Indonesia • Islamic Quiz Competition 2016
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Australia ....................... 10 - 11 • Indigenous Culture and Islam • Budget 2016-2017 • Muslims to be Proactive on Palestine Lifestyle ...................... 12 - 14 • How Not to be a Muslim Jerk • 15 Minutes Fish Kebabs • Australian Spouse Visa Challenges
consciousness of Allah. After the training period of Ramadan is over, you can not go back to your old ways. You have to maintain the NEW YOU that you have created during Ramadan for the rest of the year. You keep control over yourself, your Jihad and carry on this Jihad-al-Akbar throughout the next 11 months of the year until next Ramadan when you get the opportunity to improve yourself even further. (Addressing “you” here includes myself) ZI Ahmad
Ummah ........................ 15 - 17 • Unjust Execution of Nizami • We Must Not Forget Afghanistan • Modi Warms Up to Muslim World Education ..................... 18 - 19 • Scientific Enquiry in the Quran • 99 Divine Attributes of Allah Travel ............................ 20 - 21 • People of Persia: Part 2 • Making of the Modern Ibne Batota Business ............................ 22 • Australia’s Largest Industry: Retail Social .................................. 23 • App Review: Islamophobia Watch
National summit brings Role models: Waleed Muslim youth together Aly and Sadiq Khan
continued from page 1 Her key message was to look at everything as an opportunity to learn and never underestimate your capacity to change the world. She also spoke about the importance of follow-through: “Don’t give up if you fail just keep pushing ahead.” She recounted her own story of when she was a teenager she wanted to make a change but people wouldn’t respond to her because of her age. However, with dedication and follow-through she was able to create Youth Without Borders, an umbrella organisation that works towards positive change for young people of all backgrounds. Since 2011, Youth Without Borders has carried out projects that have provided kids with learning and social opportunities that they would otherwise have missed out on. The attendees then separated into groups. Each table was provided a discussion topic and attendees were told to walk around the room and sit on the table of their choice. A facilitator then joined to instigate the discussion on the topic. The topics included: Islamic education; radicalisation; Islamophobia; mental health; and Muslim identity.
Speaker: Mehal Krayem.
June 2016
Speaker: Yasmin Abdul Majeed
Zia Ahmad
From left: Organisers Tamana Daqiq (ISRA), Azra Khan (CIC); Speakers Shaykh Wesam Charkawi and A/Prof Mehmet Ozalp. Each table was then asked to choose two people to present the key points from each discussion. The attendees had an overwhelming positive view of the summit which bodes well as there are plans to make this an annual national youth summit. Sourosh Cina, from Sydney, said that the youth summit “was a great initiative.” He said he came in with open expectations and was impressed with the high quality of speakers and how their topics flowed. “The discussions were good but we suffered from the lack of time,” he added. He suggested that the next time they could “come with certain definitions” so that there could be “more depth in the discussions.” He hoped that this could be a stepping stone to something bigger both nationally as well as back in the communities of the attendees. This story was written with substantial input from Azra Khan, Areeb Siddiqui, Saminah Ahmad, Ibrahim Khalil and Afzal Ahmad who were attendees at the Summit.
Waleed Aly, the recipient of the Golden Logie for the Best Personality of Australian Television and Sadiq Khan, the newly elected mayor of London are great role models of integration of Muslims in the West. They symbolize the success story of integration as opposed to assimilation of a diverse range of migrants and their children in Western democratic societies. Both these gentlemen were voted in, by popular vote based on their merit and performance, by the mainstream community in their respective countries against the backdrop of rising Islamophobia and demonization of Muslims. While Waleed Aly’s nomination was criti-
cized by the usual bigots in the media, Sadiq Khan’s opponent ran a virulent campaign against him based on his racial and religious identity. Both Waleed Aly and Sadiq Khan, while heavily engaged with their country’s mainstream institutions, did not hide their identity of being Muslims, or representing the views of the Muslim community as and when needed. However their success against all odds shows that the silent majority of the mainstream community in the West in general and Australia, Canada, UK and US in particular is certainly not swayed by the tide of Islamophobia propagated by a minority of bigoted politicians, certain sections of the media and various racist fringe groups. This bodes well for the future of Muslims living in the West.
Waleed Aly, Australian writer, academic, lawyer, media presenter and musician.
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BOOMERANG
Readers comments
“The evidence demonstrating the need Re: Australian Team wins Innofor Safe Schools is sound. This week it has vation Challenge Keep it up guys! really felt proud after reading this news. Marriam
Well done Shihaab and Hamza.It is really good to see Muslim students doing so well on an international stage. Dr Abdul Azam Congratulations young people - really great news! Shifa Mustapha
Re: Radical sex education program being rolled out in schools
Sadly what you have published is a one sided hit piece from people with conservative views who misrepresent the program. The fact that the organization pushing the petition is supported by an extreme right wing fundamentalist Christian politician like George Christensen whose other specialty is Muslim bashing should be alarming enough. The organization is also linked to the National Civic Council which promotes similar extreme Christian views. and in the past it has expressed support for South African Apartheid. It also founded the Australian family Association as its political arm with the aim of controlling the Senate to get its extreme conservative views passed into law. This has links with the American Family Association which is designated as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center.. If you are really interested in balance you should have contacted the La Trobe University’s Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society which developed this education program. The comment below from their website shows that it is not a program developed by a couple of “deviant” academics to subvert society. It enjoys wide support across the community.
been supported by a letter from 363 academics from more than 27 different institutions across the country, including our own Vice Chancellor at La Trobe University, Professor John Dewar. Safe Schools is an important part of broader efforts to create more inclusive, supportive and safe education spaces for our young people. School should be a place where all students can thrive and meet their full potential, regardless of their background, beliefs… or sexuality. Sadly, that basic human right has been overshadowed. Let’s get back to the facts.” Source: http://www.latrobe.edu.au/news/ articles/2016/opinion/facts-needed-in-safeschools-debate Your alarmist article has only contributed to a misinformation campaign by the extreme right who are no friends of Muslims or a just and fair society. Gazza
BOOMERANG 3-5
COMMUNITY 6-9
Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in articles, and Letters to the Editor, Website Comments are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Australasian Muslim Times. cine wars exploiting sectarian differences. Muslim countries especially those that are awashed with petrol-dollars should have the decency to assist their unfortunate kindred either directly or indirectly. Provide them refuge or pay any host countries that accommodate these refugees. Nero fiddled while Rome burned which may or may not be true historically but it does seem to have some credence today with those Muslims who aspire for some strategic balance of power in their region at the expense of their marginalised brothers and sisters. Mal
Re: CIC signs $1.4m masjid donation agreement with Kuwait Re: Hijacking of religions by Congratulations to all those who made it extremists possible. Such effort where there is no material gain for the individual deserve the collective gratitude of the community. Perhaps the next step would be a continuous dissemination of tolerance of sectarian differences. A House of God where Peace and Knowledge takes precedence over a mere label of piety for any one particular sect. Yes the Friday Khutba emanating from this mosque could set the standard for genuine spirituality. Amen! Mal
Re: Malek Fahd school funding restored So AFIC has expelled the Islamic Council of NSW, its replacement the Super Supreme Islamic Pizza Council of NSW and now its replacement Muslims NSW. Seems to me the solution is to expel AFIC. Gazza
In blindness Fazlul Huq
In blindness, he would say: Repeatedly tell the lies until truth germinates, Repeatedly hit the ground until it fragments, Repeatedly wet the soul until it suffocates, Repeatedly befog the mind until it blinds, Repeatedly roll the cage until mud sticks, Repeatedly shake the tree until it uproots, Repeatedly block the flow until it retrogrades, Repeatedly light the fire until it engulfs, Repeatedly deny the truth until darkness spreads, Repeatedly aid the tyrants till they continue to serve, Repeatedly pierce the mind until it escapes, Repeatedly drain the blood until the life is gone, Repeatedly tie the knot until it takes the hold, Repeatedly hit the pot until it disintegrates, Repeatedly blow the wind until the tempest sets, Repeatedly apply the force until all submit, Repeatedly create the havoc but continue deny and disown, Repeatedly bend the rules until the rules are gone. Repeatedly blind in arrogance, selfishness and greed, Repeatedly plunge into chaos and darkness. Nay! Have you ever wondered where these will end! Associate Professor Fazlul Huq leads the Biomedical Science Cancer Research Group in the School of Medical Sciences Sydney Medical School. He is also an accomplished poet with over 2400 compositions access more of his poetry at: http://allpoetry.com/Jujube.
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Australasian Muslim Times
Re: B4H project: Cycling for humanity
It’s such a wonderful charity, and an amazing example what a group of volunteers with a common goal can achieve. Never doubt your power of “being the change” you want to see in this world. Tan Yeti
Re: Who is Ghamidi?
I find Ghamdi sahib’s views are practical and logical. Most of the Muslims including myself have never bothered about teachings of Quran because of traditionalist Mulvis. Ghamdi,s views agitate our mind and forced us to start thinking and ultimately analyzing. May Allah give him a long and healthy life to guide the Muslims. Asif Mohammad Khan
Re: Muslim Ummah must maintain its unity
I am sure many of us are appalled by the grim situation of Muslims refugees scrambling for Western shores while our pompous Muslim rulers and leaders are waged in interne-
The emergence of extreme and ill-informed movements is not a new phenomenon in our history, but they do not last the great current if the Islamic ummah goes on. This book gives great confidence about our role in the word right now. “One Islam, Many Muslim Worlds.” Ch.1. The Mystery of Islam’s Strength. Raymond William Baker. OUP.2015 “Proponents of criminal versions of Islam have been successful in making themselves available to the Western media and policy elites for interested manipulations that advance the interests of extremists in both the West and the Islamic world. However, they have not captured the hearts and minds of the vast majority of Muslims, whose faith continues to find its most compelling and durable expressions in the Islamic midstream. Muslims of the center, the book argues, are writing Islam’s epoch-defining story.” [pages 4-5] Our ummah is still very strong, hence the Islamophobic hysteria around us, but attempts to brand all Muslims with the criminal smear have not worked. Most people love truth and can smell lies. That is part of being human. Bilal Cleland
Re: Halal Expo 2016: Ongoing success
Singapore a non-Muslim country does the halal certification pretty well. Any outlet that does want to sell halal food cannot sell non-halal. In the Melbourne shops some of the halal sticker are a bit dubious. The food sold is a mixture of halal and non-halal which complicates the situation. Singapore halal outlets are well patronised by non-Muslims who are indifferent to the certification. Maybe Australian capital cities have yet to gain the critical mass of customers who either insist on halal food or is not prejudiced about halal outlets. The economic benefits of serving halal food through increase Muslim patronage and Muslim tourists could entice businesses to be halal-friendly. Mal
Re: Waleed Aly wins gold logie
Eight years ago when Obama won the US presidentship, I send an email to all family, friends and Uni colleagues, how great America was, a land of opportunity for all irrespective of caste, colour or religion where a black man, son of a Muslim and a name like Hussain could be voted in to highest office on land based on merit. Today I am so proud to be an Australian, the lucky country that gives a fair go for all where now a practicing Muslim with a wife in Hijab can win the highest media award the Gold Logie by the popular public vote. Well done Australia and Waleed Aly. Zia Ahmad
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LIFESTYLE 12 - 14
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.
Contact AMUST PO Box 111, Bonnyrigg (Sydney), NSW 2177 Australia. Email: info@amust.com.au Ph:(02) 8006 2063; Fax: 9823 3626
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EDUCATION 18 - 19
TRAVEL 20 - 21
BUSINESS 22
BOOMERANG
SOCIAL 23
Why the bigots are excited Bilal Cleland The acceptance of Muslims and their attitudes on a range of matters in mainstream Western societies is becoming a real problem for the xenophobes and bigots. Although small in number and promoted by certain elements of the media, far beyond their numerical significance, the impact of anti-Muslim extremists seems increasingly restricted to the far-right fringe of conservative political parties. The whole world stood up and took notice of the election of a Muslim to the position of Mayor of London, defeating an extremely Islamophobic campaign, stage managed by associates of Sir Lynton Crosby, knighted for his service to the Tories. A few years ago, these Crosby tactics were successful here in Australia, succeeding through dog-whistling Islamophobia and refugee-phobia, in having John Howard, then Tony Abbott, elected to high office. The tactic was a spectacular failure in Canada where the anti-Muslim campaign saw the demise of the Harper government and the rise of the articulate supporter of a multicultural Canada, Trudeau, to office. The tactic also spectacularly failed this time round in London. It got the horrid Boris to office but failed with Goldsmith. The xenophobes cried out in anguish that a non-Muslim would never get elected in any Muslim dominated land. However as the media free from the influence of Rupert Murdoch soon explained, this was a furphy.
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, UK. The Independent pointed out that the upper house in Bahrain chose a Christian woman as chair, that Pakistan has a Christian Minister of Ports and Shipping, that Mardin in Turkey has a female Christian mayor, that Jakarta has a Christian governor, Senegal 92% Muslim, had a Christian president for 20 years, Lebanon has a Christian president, Ramallah in Palestine has a Christian mayor, a woman, and Egypt’s Foreign Minister for 14 years was Boutros Boutros Ghali, a Coptic Christian. That something positive is happening regarding attitudes to Muslims was indicated by the fact that within a month Britain saw a Muslim elected to head the National Union of Students, a Muslim was selected to bake Her Majesty’s birthday cake and Muslim
footballer Riyad Mahrez was one of four Leicester players named in the Professional Footballer’s Association Team of the Year in April 2016, and later that month he won the PFA Player’s Player of the Year award. While in Australia the frontline personnel of the main media outlets are still overwhelmingly Anglo-white, with but few exceptions in SBS, it was Waleed Aly, a presenter from a commercial TV channel who won the Golden Logie for the Best Presenter. The most significant feature of this award is that it is a publicly voted award, not decided by an elite group. Although the bigots appear to enjoy the support of a certain minority, including some members of the government in Canberra, and they became quite hysterical over
Open Burma for all Burmese Abdul Malik Mujahid A public official (Aung Ko) giving an interview in which he calls members of an entire religion less than citizens of his country and a celebrated and overwhelmingly elected champion of the people (Aung San Suu Kyi) remains silent as many of those people are persecuted. The circumstances sound like Nazi Germany but they describe today’s Burma. Newly appointed Minister of Religious Affairs, a former military general, Aung Ko, told Voice of America that while Buddhists are “full citizens” of Burma, Muslims and other minorities count only as “associate citizens”. This statement implies that Muslims are foreigners who do not deserve the full rights accorded to citizens of Burma, or even that they are sub-human. Sadly, the new minister is following the old “solution“ as offered by the former President of Burma who officially asked the United Nations to resettle all Rohingya Muslims in a third country. Rohingya are indigenous people living in their ancestral land who have always been citizens, and have always voted and elected their representatives in Burma until the racist and Islamophobic policies of the military regime took away their citizenship. Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya have fled to neighboring countries after their homes were burned down and thousands of them were killed. Almost 125,000 are living in what the New York Times describes as the 21st-Century Concentration Camps. This statement of the “religious” minister comes up with a fictional category of “associate” citizenship & officially expands the state-sanctioned Islamophobia beyond the Rohingya population to other Muslims in
June 2016
Burma. While Rohingya Muslims have been the main target of hate and bigotry, the rest of the Burmese Muslims have also suffered heavy discrimination and some attacks. Burmese Muslims believe they number about six million; almost half of them are Rohingya and the rest are Chinese-speaking Muslims on the border of China, Muslims of Indian heritage and even Muslims who are ethnically Burman, the majority race of Burma. Since in the recent Burmese census the government refused to follow the UN guidelines, there’s no authentic way of assessing the real numbers of ethnic groups. The transformative process from military dictatorship to pluralistic democracy must continue unabated - with equal benefits to all people, all considered full citizens. Full citizenship for non-Rohingya Muslims is
enshrined in Burma’s Constitution, which states that Islam is a recognized religion of Burma. It further states, “The Union may assist and protect the religions it recognizes to its utmost.” The Constitution makes no reference to these “associate citizens” and such rhetoric should be immediately abandoned. Rather, the government of Burma should take steps to protect these suffering minorities and maintain their integration with the rest of Burmese society. Burmese Muslims must remain full citizens as the new government restores Rohingya’s citizenship as well. This is the time for Burma to be open to all Burmese. Imam Abdul Malik Mujahid is President of Sound Vision and Chair of Burma Task Force USA and is based in Chicago, USA.
AMUST
Waleed Aly and the Mayor of London, they are no longer forming public opinion. Bigotry has not yet run its course however. The promotion of Ayaan Hirsi Ali as an authority on Islam by the ABC on its Q&A Program indicates that there are important influences which want to attack Islam and Muslims. Michael Brull in New Matilda May 20, 2016 in an excellent article “Ayaan Hirsi Ali: The Acceptable Extremist ,” quotes one of her most notorious interviews in which she claims the West is at war with Islam, not extremists but Islam itself . This must have been known. They must also have known about her lies, well covered by Alternet News and Salon. This was one occasion when Bolt praised the ABC. The attempt by Minister Dutton to whip up anti-refugee fears for the election, was met with widespread outrage. Many leading citizens with refugee backgrounds came out in strong defence of refugees but despite this PM Turnbull gave him his unequivocal support. Bigotry is beginning to fail as a political tool. That is a positive development which all people of goodwill welcome. Bilal Cleland is a keen reader, a prolific writer and a regular columnist of AMUST based in Melbourne.
Human Harmony Down Under Anne Fairbairn AM PhD (Hon) - A Poet’s words to a Priest On the day we first met you soon said to me, ‘We’re two sides of a coin surely you agree.’ ‘Yes indeed I do,’ I replied since clearly We are both striving for human harmony. ‘With interfaith dialogue you bless many With mutual respect so then soon empathy, Thus contrition, compassion, and clemency. While I with voice of the soul poetry - Here in our now multicultural country Urge those who are soul-voiced to constantly - Maintain harmony in our diversity, Since poetry transcends differences surely, Helping those Down-Under to live joyfully. Our ongoing bridge-building may hopefully Soon help heal the deep wounds of humanity, Inflicted by greed and avarice daily. A primitive passion for power with money! So let’s all now with love serve one another, Treating everyone as our sister or brother. May the years ahead prove fulfilling for you Doing what you now miraculously do, For as you always say so very wisely, To be truly religious it is necessary To respect other’s religions surely. Indeed you feel about this passionately, So you have studied the Muslim faith deeply, Having true respect for Muslims consequentially - A feeling we now share undoubtedly. So with faith-to-faith understanding your goal You’re drawing many together soul-to-soul, Inspiring dozens and of course always me. So I trust all living Down Under shall be True Soul Mates and yes coin-close spiritually.’
Dr Anne Fairbairn AM is a widely published poet. She is also an artist with extensive connections and travels across the Arab World. For her many publications and work involving building understanding between cultures, Fairbairn was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM, for service to literature as a poet and for international relations, particularly in the Middle East, through Cultural Exchange. Aung San Suu Kyi.
Aung Ko.
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Together, reviving the spirit of giving this Ramadan. نحيى روح العطاء في رمضان...معًا Ramadan Mubarak
As the blessed month of Ramadan arrives, Human Appe al with the poor and needy arou nd the world, would like to wish you a Ramadan Mubarak . We also invite you to join us in making this Ramada n a special one for the less fortun ate worldwide. May Allah Accept fr om you and us our good de eds.
Assalamou Alaykum, On behalf of Human Appeal Australia we are delighted to convey to you glad tidings on the arrival of the blessed month of Ramadan. We invite you to join us in reviving the special spirit of giving this Ramadan. With many around the world affected and suffering daily by disasters and hardships, especially in Syria, Burma and Somalia, we call out to you in this blessed month to give generously.
Human Appeal International, with your support, delivers donations every Ramadan to more than a quarter of a million poor and needy people in 25 locations. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “The most beloved of people to Allah is the one who brings most benefit to people...” Please donate generously this Ramadan. May Allah bless you, your wealth and your family this Ramadan.
Ameen!
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UMMAH 15 - 17
EDUCATION 18 - 19
TRAVEL 20 - 21
BUSINESS 22
COMMUNITY
SOCIAL 23
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AIA Umrah service and action program AMUST Media The Australian International Academy (AIA) Year 10 boys’ class from the two Sydney AIA Campuses and the Melbourne Campus took part in an international trip of Service and Action for the IB program along with a spiritual retreat of Umrah to Makkah and Madinah last month. Umrah trip Coordinator, Dr Abdurrahman Asaroglu and Student Management and Welfare Senior Teacher Mr Wassim Zoabi, have been leading this project since 2010. The memories of such a blessed trip remain etched in the students’ minds long after they have performed the blessed journey “While Umrah trip expenses are paid for by the parents, AIA subsides Abu Dhabi component of the project.” Dr Asaroglu said. AIA sister school in Abu Dhabi, Australian School of Abu Dhabi, which is also an IB World School, hosts the students from the Sydney and Melbourne campuses. Mr Zoabi further explained “our students from Melbourne and Sydney not only participate in workshops, seminars and class activities with Abu Dhabi students, but they also experience the unique culture of the region through Safari visits, Farari world and site visits by engaging with local Emirati students. “They then move to Madinah first to inhale the spiritual atmosphere to enhance their values starting from care & compassion for one another, doing their best, Integrity, respecting one another, being responsible, practicing fair go, tolerance, honesty, trustworthiness & taqwa”, Dr Asaroglu added. Under the guidance, care and support of their teachers and mentors, students engage
Australian International Academy year 10 boys at Madinah during their Umrah tour. in many team building activities that proSaj, another student from Kellyville camMrs Mona Abdel Fattah, the Principal of mote these values and allow students oppor- pus indicated that he felt more spiritual nat- the Kellywille Campus and Deputy Director tunities to practice and embed these quali- urally without forcing himself. of AIA Schools said “The Umrah journey ties in their character. “I guess it’s to do with holy places where with the school provides a strong foundation Baraa, one of the students from the Strath- the whole time I never did anything wrong for students to build on their future learning field campus who participated in the pro- to anyone and I never got in trouble practi- & spiritual growth. It certainly is an experigram said “environment has strong effect on cally enjoyed my life. I loved the food too ence that helps motivate and inspire students people and I felt like crying when I first saw but the only thing I missed is my mom.” He to strive to be the best Muslim they can be and touched the Kaaba.” said. at whatever challenges they are faced with.”
MEP delegation visits Indonesia Zia Ahmad A delegation of five young Australian Muslim community leaders paid a two week visit to Indonesia from 16 to 28 May under the Muslim Exchange Program (MEP) 2016. Two delegates, Mr Aamon Sayed and Mr Feroz Sattar were selected from Sydney while three delegates Ms Nada Kalam, Ms Faten Mohamed and Ms Yasmin Moussa were selected from Melbourne. Facilitated by the Australian Embassy in Jakarta the Australian MEP delegates travelled to three cities in Indonesia (Jakarta, Bandung & Yogyakarta), where they visited various Indonesian institutions including mosques and community centres and attended various meetings with the Indonesian Muslim community. While being interviewed by the Indonesian media they talked highly of religious freedom in the Australian multicultural society to live Islam including the freedom to wear hijab in all educational, professional and governmental institutions. However Nada Kalam talked of some difficult situations when Muslim community came under pressure whenever there was media hype about terrorism, locally or overseas. “When major events like the Sydney Hostage crisis occurred, immediately all Muslims were blamed and ostracized”, she said. Faten Mohamed pointed out some of the weaknesses in the Australian Muslim Community. “Muslims are still organized on the basis of their ethnicity where many mosques are run by people from the same country of origin”, she said. The delegation members fully participated and enjoyed their two week long visit and thanked the facilitators as well as their hosts for making the program a great success. “I am so grateful for being selected for the Muslim Exchange Program this year and
June 2016
this is the most well thought out and well organised program”, Faten Mohamed said at the conclusion of the program. “Learning about the work of the various Indonesian community organisations we have had the pleasure of visiting has been truly inspirational”, She added. Funded by the Australian Government and run through the Australia-Indonesia Institute (AII), MEP was established in 2002 in order to build links between Muslim communities in Australia and Indonesia. The program is designed to build greater awareness among the Indonesian participants of Australia’s multicultural society and a greater awareness among the Australian participants of the nature of mainstream Islam in Indonesia. So far almost 60 Australian and 140 Indonesian young leaders including writers, academics, professionals and workers in non-government and religious organisations have participated in the Australia Indonesia Muslim Exchange Program. A brief profile of the MEP delegates is as follows: 1. Ms Faten Mohamed is currently employed at Darebin City Council in Melbourne as a Community Development Officer and has an Honours Degree of Social Sciences from the RMIT University. 2. Ms Nada Kalam is an Electrical and Instrumentation Engineer, currently working as a Transformation Business Analyst for WorleyParsons in Melbourne. 3. Ms Yasmin Moussa is a Bachelor of Law/ Arts student at Victoria University, in Melbourne and volunteers for the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre’s (ASRC). 4. Mr Aamon Sayed is based in Sydney and works in positive reinforcement and creative approaches in mentoring youth. 5. Mr Feroz Sattar is a community advocate and the current president of Mission of Hope based in Sydney.
The Australian MEP delegation 2016 with their Indonesian hosts.
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AMUST
COMMUNITY
NEWS 1-2
BOOMERANG 3-5
COMMUNITY 6-9
AUSTRALIA 10 - 11
LIFESTYLE 12 - 14
Events Mainstream media: Enemy or ally Calendar Mobinah Ahmad
Moments to Ramadan NSW, VIC, QLD, SA NSW, SA: Friday 3 June, VIC, QLD: Monday 6 June NSW, VIC, QLD, SA www.fb.com/ISMA.Aus/ events
FAMSY ‘s Girls Ramadan Seminar Saturday 4 June, 2016 9:30 AM - 1:00 PM 33 Matthews Street, Punchbowl, Sydney, NSW www.fb.com/events/ 1691032741162751/
The God of Mercy in Judaism, Christianity, Islam Sunday 5 June, 2016 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM The Light of Christ Centre, Yardley Ave, Waitara, NSW www.trybooking.com/kmfb
Ramadan 1437 Crescent Sighting Monday 6 June, 2016 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM Peace Park Trevenar St, Sydney, NSW www.fb.com/events/ 1047222662029322/
Premier’s Iftar Dinner Tuesday 14 June, 2016 4:15 PM - 6:60 PM Parliament House, Macquarie St, Sydney, NSW Invitation Only
4th ISRA Ramadan Iftar Dinner Sunday 19 June, 2016 4:30 PM Bicentennial Park, Bicentennial Drive, Bicentennial Park, NSW Invitation Only
MLN (NSW) - Ramadan Iftar Dinner 2016 Monday 20 June, 2016 4:30 PM - 6:30 PM 181 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW www.fb.com/events/ 1606845659643515/
View more events online or add your own at www.amust.com.au/ calendar
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The Lebanese Muslim Association (LMA) organised a Youthink Panel Event on Saturday 14 May with the “Mainstream Media: Enemy or Ally” at their function centre in Wangee Road, Lakemba. The discussions covered a number of issues including Muslim community engagement with mainstream media, Muslim representation in the media, response to crises (overseas/local), and differentiating between conversation within the community as well as outside the community. The discussions were regulated by the MC, Sara Saleh who directed it to a diverse line up of panelists including Dr Alana Lentin, Associate Professor in Cultural and Social Analysis at University of Western Sydney, Dr Mehal Krayem, PhD in Communications: Arab representation on Australian screens, Widyan Fares, Senior Writer for the Point Magazine at Multicultural NSW and Lydia Shelly, solicitor with the Supreme Court of NSW and high court of Australia. What would be the end goal of engagement with media and what are we trying to achieve as members of the community, was
a question posed by the MC. While there are a number of individuals in the community that speak to media, however, “not necessarily because they always want to, but because sometimes they are the only people who are willing to” said Widyan Fares. While speaking about community representation, Lydia Shelly said “The large majority of community leaders that do engage are very conscious of the fact that a larger portion of the Australian population will take their comments as being reflective of the broader Muslim community, so that’s why they often have to think twice about the topic on which they’re engaging, who they’re engaging with and on what terms.” Dr Mehal Krayem said “Our primary responsibility should be for caring for one another, not towards convincing others that your friend or your brother is not a terrorist. And we don’t take that responsibility of caring seriously.” Widyan Fares shared her research findings where all women she interviewed who were somehow engaged with the media suffered from some sort of mental health issues, marriage breakdowns downs or were stressed due to community backlash.
“We need a safe space for our media spokespeople to come together and talk about their experiences, what has worked and what hasn’t worked”, she said. “I’m highly critical of laws that have been brought in purely to disproportionally target, especially young Muslim men in our community and to essentially just see them as a prism of radicalisation and criminality.” said Lydia Shelly.
Islamic Quiz Competition 2016
Ali Zafar The highly popular Islamic Quiz Competition was held on Sunday 22 May at the Western Sydney University, Parramatta campus organized by the Islamic Forum for Australian Muslims (IFAM). Having run this program successfully for the last ten years in Canberra and highly appreciated by students as well as their parents, it was the first time that this unique program was organized in NSW. With the slogan “Learn & Win: every child will win a prize”, almost 200 youngsters ranging from kindy to year 10 registered for the competition. At the end of the long day, final winners at the competition were as follows: 1. Group D (Grades 7 & above) Abeer Kamran stood first, followed by Aishah Navaid second and Nabiha Rajput third. 2. Group C (Grades 4, 5 & 6) Syed Muzammil Ahmad stood first, followed by Zaina Siddiqui second and Muhammad Mehroz Khan third. 3. Group B (Grades 2 & 3) Uzair stood first, followed by Ajwa Binte Adnan second and Muhammad Talha Adnan third. 4. Group A (Kindergarten & Grade 1), there was no competition. They had a pictorial quiz in order to prepare them for the next year Quiz program. The registration for the quiz started from early March, where the participants from Years 2 to Years 10 were sent Quiz Booklets in order for them to learn about Islam with the supervision of parents and prepare themselves well in advance of the competition. The IFAM specialized team of Quiz organisers including Brs Adnan Shafiq, Shafqat Ali, Asaf Siddiqi and Zaffar Khan and Sr Bushra Shoukat arrived at 9 am to manage the day long program at the venue. Br Nazim Farooq who had just finished supervising the ACT Quiz the previous day on Saturday 21 May in Canberra was parachuted into the Sydney venue to take charge. Zafar Khan was the stage secretary, while Ibrahim Khalil and Fahad Hameed conducted the Q & A sessions. The highly technical task of scoring was undertaken by Br Shafqat Ali. The program started at 10.30 am with the Kindy Round which included children from Kindy and Year 1. All other rounds except for the kindy round started off with a written quiz followed by oral quiz in front of the
Australasian Muslim Times
Enthusiastic participants at IFAM’s Islamic Quiz competition 2016. whole audience consisting of children and Muslims their parents. The selection of successful Registration for next year Quiz program candidates were then tested in the ‘buzzer’ has already started at ifamnswquiz@gmail. round which was fast and exciting. com. Br Hamid Abbasi, assisted by Brs Gulzar Ali and Khurram Jawaid managed the food Ali Zafar is a computer engineering gradstall feeding the competition participants as uate working in the IT Department at the well as their parents. University of NSW. He is associated with The Islamic Quiz competition will be con- IFAM’s Lakemba/Bankswtown Halaqa) tinued in order to provide a platform and in- where he organises kids/youth engagement centive for gaining knowledge on Islam and programs.
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June 2016
PRESS RELEASE NSW Unit 2 10 Newton Street South, Auburn NSW 2144
AUSTRALIAN RELIEF ORGANISATION
VIC 22-24 Lismore Street, Dallas VIC 3047 WA 12 Karri Way, Ferndale WA 6148
Welcome Home
As part of its social inclusion services, the Australian Relief Organisation has arranged a refugee excursion on Sat, 14 May 2016. Refugee excursions are developed to integrate the recently arrived refugees into Australia and familiarise them with the Australian culture. On this occasion, 20 youth from Syria and Iraq covered the Clovelly to Maroubra Beach walk with our representatives. A group of Amity College Girls High School students also joined the walk, where they exchanged cultures and established new friendships.
Considered as one of the best picturesque walks around Sydney, some thirty people group started this 7 km walk around 11 am from Clovelly Beach and reached Coogee Beach by noon.
AustralianReliefOrganisation
aro_org www.aro.org.au | info@aro.org.au | 02 8065 8469
Hinting long term solidarity and social support statements, welcome speeches to the country made by our officials were highly appreciated by the group.
suburbs for more than 40 years. The meaningful gathering also served as a remembrance for the lonely and secluded mothers in our community, where a specially prepared cake was shared with the patrons and flowers were provided to mothers and the staff of the centre.
Happy Mother’s Day
To honor the Australian mothers for their selfless efforts in raising new generations and to acknowledge their importance for the society, our volunteers team organised a “Mother’s Day Event” at an aged care facility in Rosehill. After being served refreshments, the group continued onto the second leg of the walk and reached Maroubra beach by 2 pm for lunch. Spirits were high and the crowd relaxed in a friendly environment and enjoyed the beach with ball games played.
Our volunteers team has been organising nursing home visits to a number of aged care facilities in NSW over the last two years and these social inclusion visits is open to volunteers from all ages and backgrounds. Should you wish to volunteer for our social inclusion activities, email us on volunteer@aro.org.au
The gathering was held on 06 May 2016 at the Fairlea Aged Care with over thirty residents. Fairlea Aged Care facility has been providing aged care services to Sydney’s southern and western Registered Charity & Public Benevolent Institution
RAMADAN RAMADAN CHARITY ENVELOPE
FOR EVERYONE
2016 Iftar & Food Pack Campaign
5
$
30
$
per person
for more information visit www.aro.org.au/ramadan-appeal-2016
per family
Iftar Donations
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Bank Details for Campaign Donations
NSW, WA, ACT, SA & QLD Bank ANZ Bank BSB 012 220 Acc Number 3818 66288 Acc Name Australian Relief Organisation Ltd Ref Name Surname Ramadan Appeal
VIC Bank BSB Acc Number Acc Name Ref
Australian Relief Organisation Limited Unit 2, 10 Newton Street South, Auburn NSW 2144 02 8065 8469 | www.aro.org.au | info@aro.org.au
June 2016
ANZ Bank 012 220 1959 21925 Australian Relief Organisation Ltd Name Surname Ramadan Appeal
Your donations will be distributed to locals in Vietnam, Thailand & familiesPapua in New Guinea
Victoria Branch 22 - 24 Lismore Street, Dallas VIC 3047 03 9309 6168 | www.aro.org.au | infovic@aro.org.au
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Campaign ends on Fri, 17 June 2016
Australasian Muslim Times
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AUSTRALIA
NEWS 1-2
BOOMERANG 3-5
COMMUNITY 6-9
AUSTRALIA 10 - 11
LIFESTYLE 12 - 14
“Indigenous culture & Islam” AMUST
Interfaith dialogue at Al Siraat College, Melbourne Dr Sonia Cheema Melbourne’s Al Siraat College conducted an interfaith program on their school grounds on Tuesday 17 May with the theme “Indigenous Culture and Islam” where the invited Wurundjeri Elder Ian Hunter conducted the Aboriginal Smoking Ceremony. The event was part of an ongoing interfaith dialogue program joined by three schools located within the City of Whittlesea in Melbourne’s northern suburbs. Al Siraat College commenced an ambitious partnership with St Monica’s College last year, interacting through an interfaith program for the first time. The results had such a positive impact on the students and staff involved that it was decided to widen the circle this year and include another school Thomastown Secondary College. The interfaith program aligns with one of the Al Siraat College’s strategic directions: Their Identity as being an Australian School in the Islamic Tradition. This is aimed at promoting and implementing the understanding that there is no conflict between being an Australian and a practising Muslim at the same time. The interfaith theme for Term 1 was “Learning essential skills for interfaith dialogues”. St. Monica’s College took the lead and conducted this program, with Al Siraat College and Thomastown Secondary College attending. This term’s theme is “Indig-
Interfaith Dialogue at Al Siraat: From left, Maria Meilak (Scientology), Zartash S. (Vice-Captain Al Siraat College), Rebecca Ewer (YMCA), Albert Fatileh (Victoria Police), Jan Lester (Scientology), Ian Kavelin (Baha’i Community), Avraham Schwarz (Jewish Community/JCMA), Maqsood (Al Siraat pony), Tanya Kubitza (JCMA/Al Siraat College), Venerable Tinh Dao (Chua Linh Son Buddhist Temple), Claire (St Monica’s College), Raiyan Ouaida (Islamic Relief), Zahraa Abdelzaher (Islamic Relief). enous Culture and Islam”. In their roles as interfaith ambassadors, all 33 students from the three participating schools learnt about indigenous culture as well as various perspectives, the different religions hold of Aboriginal people. Dr Sonia Cheema is the Head of Wellbeing at Melbourne’s Al Siraat College.
Aboriginal Smoking Ceremony at Al Siraat College on Tuesday 17 May, conducted by Wurundjeri Elder Ian Hunter.
Exclusion and Embrace: Disability, Justice and Spirituality conference
AMUST Media
Ramadan Kareem I and members of Western Australia Police wish you and the WA Muslim Community a blessed and happy Ramadan and joys of Eid-ul-Fitr. from Dr Karl O’Callaghan Commissioner, Western Australia Police
www.police.wa.gov.au facebook.com/WA.Police | twitter.com/WA_Police
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Australasian Muslim Times
An Early Bird offer closes on 17 June for the multi-faith ‘Exclusion and Embrace: Disability, Justice and Spirituality’ conference taking place 21-23 August at Jasper Hotel, Melbourne. The conference explores the relationship between spirituality and disability and has attracted excellent speakers presenting a range of thought-provoking topics and personal experiences. Sheikh Isse Musse, Imam of the Virgin Mary Mosque in Hoppers Crossing will be providing the conference with Islamic insights about disability. He is a member of the Dispute Settlement Centre in the Department of Justice. The conference will also hear from Saara Sabbagh, founding director of Benevolence Australia, an organisation formed to meet the growing needs of Australian Muslims in Melbourne. Saara is particularly interested in how we can change our condition through promoting spiritual excellence, revival of sacred knowledge and creating welcome community spaces. The three day conference includes keynote speakers Prof Hans Reinders, Chair of Ethics at Holland’s VU University, David Tacey, Emeritus Professor Humanities at La Trobe University and Rev Bill Gaventa, an international expert in faith-based support.
www.amust.com.au
Rev Gaventa will focus on ways congregations can be supportive. Dr Emmanuel Nathan and Dr Dermot Nestor from Australian Catholic University will explore the human body in relation to Hebrew and New Testament Bibles and Dr Lorna Hallahan from Flinders University will discuss the importance of spirituality within the National Disability Insurance Scheme. The ethical responses of the Good Samaritan story are the focus of Griffith University’s Dr Jayne Clapton’s presentation and disability inclusion/exclusion within John’s Gospel feature in a talk by Dr Louise Gosbell from Mary Andrews College, Sydney. The conference also features an art exhibition that reflects people’s experience of disability and spirituality. The conference is endorsed by a wide number of organisations including the Jewish Christian Muslim Association, the Faith Communities Council of Victoria and the Victorian Council of Churches. To learn more, go to http://exclusionandembrace.melbourne/ or phone Ann Byrne on 03 9251 5404.
June 2016
UMMAH 15 - 17
EDUCATION 18 - 19
TRAVEL 20 - 21
BUSINESS 22
AUSTRALIA
SOCIAL 23
AMUST
Budget 2016-17: How does it affect us? FINANCE Dr Abul Jalaluddin The federal budget for 2016-17 was pitched to popular issues such as superannuation, budget creep, company tax, multinational tax and infrastructure. In this budget forecast, the economy is expected to grow at 2.5 per cent, unemployment is expected to be 5.5 per cent and the budget deficit is estimated to $37.1 billion. Reduction in Income Tax From 1 July 2016, income threshold will be increased from $80,000 to $87,000 at which marginal tax rate rises from 32.5 per cent to 37 per cent. This will deliver a tax cut of up to $6.04 a week or $315 a year to the wealthiest 25 per cent of the population, leaving 75 per cent of Australians with no tax cuts. The cost to the budget for these tax cuts will be $3.95 billion over 4 years. From 1 July 2017, the budget deficit repair levy of 2 per cent on those earning above $180,000 a year will be abolished which will effectively deliver two tax cuts to rich Australians. Superannuation From 1 July 2016, the annual income threshold at which concessional contribution tax of 30 per cent applies will be lowered from $300,000 to $250,000. Annual threshold on concessional superannuation contribution is lowered from $30,000 to $25,000 for all Australians. Australians earning less than $37,000 a year will continue to receive an automatic superannuation rebate of up to $500 per annum to compensate and augment their superannuation income accumulation. From 1 July 2017, there will be a cap of $1.6 million that can be transferred from a superannuation accumulation account into retirement account, where earnings are tax free when the age of superannuant is 60 or over. Only 4 per cent of Australians will be
affected by this measure of $1.6 million cap. From the budget night (3 May 2016), there will be a life time non-concessional contribution cap of $500,000 which are made from after tax incomes. The superannuation measures will cost the budget $2.9 billion over 4 years. Reduction in Company Tax From 1 July 2016, small business tax rate will be reduced by 1 per cent from 28.5 per cent to 27.5 per cent. The annual turnover threshold for small business will be increased from $2 million to $10 million. Approximately 870,000 companies employing 3.4 million Australians will be eligible for this reduced rate of tax. The annual turnover threshold will be gradually increased with a gradual decrease in company tax rate. By 1 July 2026, all businesses including multinational large corporations will pay a company tax rate of 25 per cent. The current tax cuts to small businesses will cost the budget $5.3 billion over 4 years. A Slug on Multinationals If multinational corporations with global revenue of more than $1 billion per annum are caught shifting profits offshore, they will be hit with a 40 per cent penalty rate of tax on that income. This tax avoidance measure will raise $3.9 billion over 4 years from multinational companies. Education Budget has allocated $1.2 billion for school finding over the next 3 years, with new quality conditions on literacy and numeracy. It has scrapped the full deregulation of university fees but left the door open for fees on certain elite courses to increase in the future. The budget released a new Discussion Paper retaining a 20 per cent cut to university course funding, allowing universities to set their own fees for certain courses, recovering HECS debt from deceased estates and shelving federal funding for private colleges and sub-bachelor degrees. Health From 1 July 2017, public hospitals will receive an additional $2.9 billion over 3 years,
of which NSW will receive $652 million. Budget cuts an amount of $1.2 billion from complex healthcare provided by aged care providers. It will continue to freeze Medicare rebates for all PGs, medical specialist and allied health services till 2020 which will save $925 million over the period. The private insurance rebate and Medicare levy surcharge will also be freezed till 2021, saving $744 million for the budget bottom line. Over the next 4 years, restrictions will be placed on Medicare Benefit Schedule and Veterans Benefit Schedule, saving $51 million. Infrastructure Sydney’s proposed airport at Badgerys Creek received $115 million in this budget; $3 billion to build Melbourne’s East West Link; $57 million for Melbourne Metro Rail project; $594 million to build an inland freight rail link through Victoria, NSW and Queensland and $2 billion in loans for dams and water infrastructure. Defence and Security In the next financial year, Defence budget will reach 1.88 per cent of GDP, totalling $32.3 billion. The budget allocated $153 to Australian Federal Police and Australian Crime Commission for upgrading their security systems. The fight against IS in Iraq and Syria is allocated $351 million in the next year. A $4 million allocation is provided for a new hotline for parents to get advice and counselling if they are concerned their kids are succumbing to religious extremism.
Immigration Government will offer premier border Clarence for certain passengers with fast tracked border Clarence and separate lounges, initially at Sydney, Melbourne and Perth airports. It will close 4 onshore detention centres located in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Darwin. Christmas Island centre will be mothballed from 2018. New Zealand citizens will be granted a streamlined path to Australian residency from 1 July 2017. Welfare Over the next 4 years, a new $840 million Youth Employment Package will assist an estimated 120,000 vulnerable young people to find work. The budget established a $96 million fund to help identify groups at risk of long-term welfare dependency and move them into employment. From 1 September 2016, government will cut carbon tax compensation from new welfare recipients, saving $1.3 billion over 5 years. Other Budgetary Measures Climate Change Authority is unfunded from 1 July 2017. The Great Barrier Reef received $171 million over 4 years. From 1 July 2017, excise on tobacco will increase by 12.5 per cent raising $4.7 billion over 4 years. A pack of 25 cigarettes that now costs about $25 will cost $41 by 2020. Dr Abul Jalaluddin is an Islamic Finance expert, Director of MCCA, taxation advisor and a regular columnist of AMUST. He is based in Sydney.
Muslims to be proactive on Palestine Manarul Islam Melissa Parke, the retiring Labor Federal MP for Freemantle, has urged the Muslim community to take the plight of the Palestinians to their local state and federal MPs. “I would encourage the Muslim community to be proactive in talking to MPs,” she requested in an interview with AMUST. “(Muslims should) encourage their MPs to have a visit to Palestine. If (their MPs) do go to Israel then to make sure they have a balanced trip and see the Palestinian point of view,” she added. “If their local member is already supportive, ask them to speak to another MP about the issue.” Ms Parke was the key speaker at a dinner held by the Australians for Justice and Peace in Palestine (AJPP) at the Canberra Labor Club on Friday 6 May. She was the Minister for International Development in the second Rudd ministry and has been a prominent advocate for human
Melissa Parke.
June 2016
At the AJPP Dinner (L-R): Guest, Suheir Gedeon, His Excellency Mr Nabil Al Saleh, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Australia, Melissa Parke, Diana Abdel-Rahman, Hamzeh M. AL-Omari, Kevin Bray. rights, refugees, public services integrity verely restricted including access to water She clarified that BDS is not anti-semitic and foreign policy. and arable land. and not all the companies targeted are JewIn federal parliament she had been an “Israel claims these measures are neces- ish. active member of the bipartisan Australian sary for its security,” she explained. “But if “BDS must be understood as legitimate Parliamentary Friends of Palestine. you look at the circuitous route of the wall, form of non-violent protest against incesIt was in her earlier career as a lawyer to for example, you will see it has very little to sant violation of international law,” she the United Nations that she saw for herself do with security.” pointed out. the impact of conflict and oppression in She sees Israel moving from the current On 4 May, her Valedictory address in parplaces such as Kosovo, Lebanon and Gaza. hope of a two-state solution to one of blatant liament, war against indifference must go In introducing Ms Parke to speak at the apartheid. on, was a heart warming but challenging dinner, Dr Kevin Bray, Chair of AJPP deMoreover she sees that the internal debate speech to the nation and in particular her scribed her as vocal supporter for the rights within Israel is being heavily stifled as Israel ex-colleagues in parliament, in which she of Palestinians. lurches further to the right. described Australia’s asylum seeker policy Ms Parke, in her speech at the dinner, “If the international community does not as a ‘festering wound that is killing people.’ reminded guests of the gross imbalance act fast, then it may be too late for the two The speech can be seen and read on her between Israel and Palestine and the daily state solution due to the number of settle- website: http://goo.gl/1XtGSx atrocities committed by Israel on Palestin- ments,” she warned. The AJPP can be contacted via their Faceians, UN workers, international observers Ms Parke also impressed upon the au- book page: http://goo.gl/naNeVC and aid workers, most of which are un- dience the importance of the Boycott, Dider-reported, not investigated thoroughly vestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement Manarul Islam is an IT professional, comand then forgotten. “which has attracted a lot of negative pub- munity worker and AMUST correspondent She said that lives of Palestinians are se- licity in Australia.” based in Canberra.
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Lot size start from 360 sqm to 622.5 sqm Current average market price is $650,000 for 600 sqm Our Price is $288,000 excluding development cost for 600 sqm Lot size start from 360 sqm to 622.5 sqm Current market price $650,000 600 sqm AIRPORT LotCLOSE size average start TO from 360 sqm tois622.5 sqm forCREEK NEW BADGERYS Lot size start from 360excluding sqm sqm for 600 Our Priceaverage is $288,000 development costsqm for 600 sqm Current market pricetois622.5 $650,000 Current market price is $650,000 for 600 Our Priceaverage is $288,000 excluding development costsqm for 600 sqm Minutes new Leppington Train Station now open services Our5 Price is to $288,000 excluding development cost with for 600 sqmrunning
Sydney South Growth Centre
CLOSE TO NEW BADGERYS CREEK AIRPORT 40 Minutes to Parramatta CBD CLOSE TO NEW BADGERYS CREEK AIRPORT اقساط 45 Minutes to Sydney CBD Interest free CLOSE TO NEW BADGERYS CREEK AIRPORT بدون فوائد 5 Minutes to new Leppington Train Station now open with services running Easy Access to M5, M7 Installments Minutes Parramatta Minutes totonew Train Station now open with services running 2540High Schools, 5 Leppington primary CBD schools
اقساط برنامج اقساط فوائد بدون اقساط للدفع مناسبفوائد بدون بدون فوائد برنامج برنامج للدفع مناسب برنامج للدفع مناسب مناسب للدفع
5 Muslim Minutes totonew Leppington 45 Minutes Sydney Parramatta CBDTrain Station now open with services running 240 Schools and CBD colleges 40 Minutes Minutes totoSydney Parramatta Easy Access M5,City M7CBDCBD 45 to 12 km to Liverpool 45High Minutes totoSydney 2Close 5Public primary schools Easy Access M5, M7CBD toSchools, Austral School Access to M5, M7colleges Muslim Schools and 2Easy High Schools, 5College primary schools campus) Next to AI-Faisal (Liverpool 2 Minutes High Schools, 5 primary schools College km to Liverpool Citycolleges Muslim Schools and 3212 drive to Unity Grammar 2 Minutes Muslim Schools and Close Public School km to to Austral Liverpool Citycolleges 912 drive to Malek Fahd Islamic School 12 Minutes kmtoto toAI-Faisal Liverpool City Next College (Liverpool Close Austral School 12 drivePublic to Preston Mosquecampus) Austral Public School 3Close Unity Grammar College totoAI-Faisal College (Liverpool campus) 7Next Minutes drive to AIMadinah Masjid Next to AI-Faisal College (Liverpool campus) MalekGrammar Fahd Islamic School 39 Minutes drive to Unity College 3 Minutes Minutes drive totoMalek Unity Grammar College Minutes drive Preston Mosque 912 drive to Fahd Islamic School Site Office: 404 Fourth Avenue, Austral 2179 9 Minutes drive to Malek Fahd Islamic School 7 Minutes drive totoAIMadinah Masjid 12 Minutes driveSuite Preston Mosque Head Office: 6 Level 13 | 329 Pitt St. Sydney NSW Minutesdrive drivetotoAIPreston Mosque info@mhahomes.com.au 712Minutes Madinah Masjid www.mhahomes.com.au 7 Minutes drive to AIMadinah Masjid Austral 2179 Site Office: 404 Fourth Avenue, Head Office:404 Suite 6 Level 13 | 329 Pitt 2179 St. Sydney NSW Site Office: Fourth Avenue, Austral Site Office: Fourth Avenue, Austral 2179 info@mhahomes.com.au Head Office:404 Suite 6 Level 13 | www.mhahomes.com.au 329 Pitt St. Sydney NSW Head Office: Suite 6 Level 13 | www.mhahomes.com.au 329 Pitt St. Sydney NSW info@mhahomes.com.au
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PRICE FROM
$ 157,500 24-30 Months FROM Payment Plan PRICE +
PRICE FROM DEVELOPMENT COST
$PRICE 157,500 followingFROM 2 years $ Months 157,500 24-30 Payment Plan +Payment Plan $ Months 157,500 24-30
DEVELOPMENT COST 24-30 Months+ Payment Plan following DEVELOPMENT COST + 2 years following 2 years DEVELOPMENT COST following 2 years
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EXPECTED TIMELINE
Booking starts الحجز يبدأ من EXPECTED TIMELINE from April 2016 2016 نيسان EXPECTED TIMELINE يكونمنفي EXPECTED DELIVERY Booking starts التسليم يبدأ الحجز EXPECTED TIMELINE Booking نيسانيبدأ الحجز from Aprilstarts 2016 من 2016 2019 - 2020 Booking starts من نيسانيبدأ الحجز from April 2016 2019-2020 2016 نيسان يكون التسليم EXPECTED DELIVERY from April 2016 في2016
Interest free Flexible Payment Interest free Installments Interest free plan Installments EXPECTED DELIVERY التسليم يكون في Installments التسليم يكون في EXPECTED DELIVERY 2019-2020 2019 - 2020 Flexible Payment 2019 - 2020 Flexible PaymentINFORMATION 2019-2020 plan FOR MORE 2019 2020 Flexible Payment plan 0423 085 500 | 0470 336 2462019-2020 plan FOR MORE INFORMATION FOR0423 MORE INFORMATION 085 500 | 0470 336 246 FOR0423 MORE INFORMATION 085 500 | 0470 336 246 0423 085 500 | 0470 336 246
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How not to be a Muslim male jerk LOVE HAQTUALLY Zeynab Gamieldien In a previous article, I wrote all about the struggles faced by Muslim women in their search for a partner. I know that many men may have read it and thought, ‘well geez, sucks to be them’. But sympathy isn’t going to get us anywhere. When the system we operate in is so skewed and unequal (yes patriarchy, I mean you), real action needs to be taken and men need to play their part. I’m going to give men the benefit of the doubt and assume that you guys don’t know what you can do to help when it comes to the area of romance, so let me make it easy for you with a few suggestions: Don’t stuff women around Are there women who are happy to engage with men without wanting it to go anywhere? Undoubtedly, yes. However, society dictates that a woman’s window to get married is much narrower than a man’s is. When she likes you, she’s not operating
on your time; she can’t simply wait around indefinitely for you to get it together. If it doesn’t work out, the stigma attaching to her as a woman with a failed relationship or two is so much worse than yours as a man, so if you know you have no intent of getting married to her, leave her be. (None of this ‘I-thought-we-were-just-friends’ business when confronted with your actions.) Approach her! Tell her you like her! She may just like you too, but she most likely can’t do anything about it. If and when women do initiate, they run the risk of being seen as overly forward or ‘desperate’, so please help her out and kick things off. But if she doesn’t return your interest, don’t get angry. Some men seem to think they are entitled to being considered by any woman they ‘choose’, that the attention they pay to a woman is a coveted privilege they are bestowing upon her. It’s not. She has as much of a right to say no as you do. Don’t assume she’s going to say no because of your wallet size Please, please don’t pre-emptively pull the plug because you think you don’t have enough to offer. Let her be the judge of that. But at the same time, at least try to sort yourself out Work at a supermarket. Do security work. Get a lemon of a car. Meet her parents. Do
LIFESTYLE
what you need to do to get things across the line. Show her that you’re serious about her by taking your life seriously. Stop taking six years to finish a three year degree. You can do it. Don’t be a jerk Just don’t be a jerk, ok? Please? (And yes, if you’re generally a ‘nice guy’ who just happens to be a jerk to women when it comes to your love life, you’re still a jerk.) If you need some hints on how not to be a jerk and the above hasn’t enlightened you, please note the following: 1. Sneering at women’s less-than-perfect hijab is not on. 2. Repeated flirting when you have no intention of following through is not on. 3. Sharing sexist jokes/memes/anything at all is also really, really not on. 4. Repeated flirting when you have a partner already is really, really, really not on. Really. This article was originally posted on www. lovehaqtually.com 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.
AMUST
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. 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. M1513: Male, 30, Pakistani, Currently doing PhD research at Tohoku University, Japan. I enjoy travelling. I am seeking a practising Muslimah. M1512: Male, 57, divorced, Australian citizen from Arabic background. I have been in Australia for 35 years and work as a painter. I like playing and watching sports. I like travelling as well. I am seeking for a Muslimah from any nationality.
15 minutes fish kebabs AFSHA CUISINE
Makes 15 Kebabs 425g Canned Tuna (In Spring Water Or Brine) 1 Large Potato (Or 2 Medium) 1 Egg 1/4 Tsp Salt (To Taste) 1/2 Tsp Roasted Cumin Powder 1 Cup Oil (For Frying) Optional 1 Onion Sliced Coriander Leaves 1/4 Tsp Red Chilli To Taste 2 Green Chilli. Chopped Finely 1. Microwave potato for 6 min. 2. Peel and mash the potato. 3. Drain the tuna liquid. 4. Add tuna, egg and the spices in the mash potato and mix it thoroughly. 5. Add sliced onion, chilli and coriander leaves to the mixture. 6. Make patties and Fry in a shallow oil till brown on both sides. For any comments or questions about this recipe, email Afsha@amust.com.au
June 2016
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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 to 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
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AMUST
LIFESTYLE
NEWS 1-2
BOOMERANG 3-5
COMMUNITY 6-9
AUSTRALIA 10 - 11
LIFESTYLE 12 - 14
Designer Spotlight: Beba’s Closet THE MODEST BRIDE
Saltanat Bora
The Spanish really know how to make beautiful, modest gowns. They also have a unique take, with gowns that are intricate in their detail and flowing and modest in their silhouettes. Today’s ‘Designer Spotlight’ on Beba’s Closet is an inspiring example of this aesthetic… “We create wedding dresses for brides that look beyond conventional styles and dare to be themselves. Unique, authentic brides who dream of being surrounded by ultra-feminine shapes with innovative and incomparable finishing touches. After 10 years developing, maturing and earning recognition in the Spanish market, we now start with great enthusiasm a new
chapter by making our creations available internationally. We expand our horizons and dream of dressing and inspiring brides from all over the world, from all origins and backgrounds but always with something in common; a passion for detail and the finest craftsmanship…” We love the modern take on romantic dresses with touches of lace, floral appliqué and finished off with sweeping capes. Enjoy the following images from their editorial shoots and head to their website for more details. This article was originally published on www.themodestbride.com.au
Australian spouse visa challenges Larissa Dulat Partner Visa is one of the most popular visa types applied for annually in Australia. Refusal rate is high, too, with large number of applications going through Administrative Appeals Tribunals (AAT) for review. About 40% of the migration Tribunal’s caseload consist of dealing with Partner Visa refusals by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP), according to the latest figures from the AAT. Of the total cases decided, just under half are being affirmed (AAT agrees with refusal) and over a third being set aside (ATT disagrees with refusal). The others are either withdrawn or discontinued. Cases are generally taking
about a year to finalise. What are the reasons for these alarming statistics? Let’s look closer at this visa type to find answers. On the surface, Partner Visas, seem relatively straight forward. A happy couple makes a plan to spend the rest of their lives together, get married (or not) and lodge their visa application with the DIBP. What could go wrong when there is so much love in the air? Right? Sadly, in many cases things go wrong. Visa application preparation can be confusing, frustrating, time-consuming process. It is definitely an expensive one, too! I shall come back to it later. Visa application processing by the DIPB may bring in its own challenges and obstacles. There are so many things during processing that can go wrong and lead to visa refusal. Some common ones
Ms Larissa Dulat Registered Migration Agent (#1462180)
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include relationship break-down, false information provided in the application form, visa applicant not meeting health or character requirements, poor immigration history, issues with sponsorship by Aussie partner, children from previous marriages, dob-ins, etc. One of the main requirements that need to be met is genuine nature of the relationship. Many couples may be indeed in long-lasting genuine relationships, but they have difficulties proving that on the face of documents. Sometimes, couples must wait to accumulate enough documents before they can even lodge a complete application. It is also very hard to say how many documents are enough, and what sort of documents you need as it all comes to discretion of a case officer on deciding whether a relationship is genuine. The couple is also required to present witnesses who can confirm genuine nature of relationship. Witnesses enter legal obligation by signing their statements. Interestingly, you do not have to be legally married to lodge a partner visa applica-
tion, although slightly different criteria applies then. Same sex couples are also able to apply for Partner Visas. A word on fees, again: an onshore application for a Partner Visa costs $7,000. That is the fee for the primary applicant alone; if migrating partner has children then it will cost even more. Then there are other costs, also: translator, courier, medical examinations, X-rays, police clearance certificates, etc. Poorly presented applications may end up in a refusal and a loss of thousands of dollars. Consulting a professional and subsequently lodging a well-prepared application can save a lot of trouble, money and time down the track. Larissa Dulat is a registered migration agent since 2014. She holds Graduate Certificate in Australian Migration Law & Practice from the Australian National University. Larissa is experienced in spouse, student and skilled visas, and is always interested in challenging visa refusals or cancellations at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
Australian visa & immigration advice Assistance with visa refusals and cancellations E: larissa@ptlabs.com.au W: www.ptlabs.com.au
Australasian Muslim Times
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June 2016
UMMAH 15 - 17
EDUCATION 18 - 19
TRAVEL 20 - 21
BUSINESS 22
UMMAH
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Unjust execution of Maulana Nizami This is a summarised version of an article, by Maulana Nizami’s son Dr Naeemur Rahman Khaled describing the family’s meeting with him at the eve of his execution Dr Naeemur Rahman Khaled Just before the Maghrib prayer on 10 May 2016, twenty six family members entered the central jail after passing through the crowds of journalists and security screening procedure. There we received the letter issued by the jail authority and it became clear to us that it was going to be the farewell meeting with my father. We were taken to the room of my father in the condemned cell. My father was praying on a green prayer mat. He was reciting du’a in Arabic with clarity and softness. Mu’az, his 3-year-old grandson, climbed up the stairs and said, “Grandpa, we are here. Open the door”. My dad finished his prayer calmly and stood up. Looking at us, he came near to the door and said, “You all came? Is it then the farewell meeting?” My sister emotionally said, “It may not be the last meeting if Allah wills otherwise”. He shook hands with everyone from the other side of the bars. There was no sign of anguish or anxiety in his complexion. Who would say that soon he is going to be unjustly executed by the oppressive regime! He made his position clear about mercy petition saying, “Jail superintendent asked me if I would apply for mercy petition after reciting the verdict of dismissal of the review petition. I replied that I did not commit any crime and there is no question of mercy petition to the President as seeking mercy implicitly means confession of the crime. Moreover, the Owner of the life and death is only Allah and I don’t want to lose my Iman by seeking clemency from any human being. At that time, a highly emotional scenario was created there. My dad was advising everyone to be steadfast and patient over and over. I haven’t seen tears in my father’s eyes. Also, he never seemed like emotionless or rude. Rather, it seemed that a tranquil soul is waiting eagerly to meet his Glorified Lord. All the family members except my mom came out for a while so that my father can talk to her alone in private. My mother was trying to give him courage and was stating the high status of martyrs in the sight of Allah. She added, “We will also testify to Allah that you were an honest and pious man. You never committed any crime.” On the other
Maulana Motiur Rahman Nizami, the Ameer (Chief) of Bangladesh’s Jamaat-e-Islami party was executed just after midnight on Wednesday 11 May 2016 by the Bangladeshi regime of Shaikh Hasina Wajid. On 29 October 2014, he was sentenced to death by the sham “International Crime Tribunals” whose proceedings have been declared against the international legal standards by almost all global institutions including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch etc. Maulana Nizami was elected to the Parliament for two terms (1991-95 &
2001-2006). He was the former Agriculture Minister (2001-2003) and Industry Minister (2003-2006) of Bangladesh. He was the Central President (19691971) of Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba Pakistan and the permanent Member of the Muslim World League (Rabita). Maulana Nizami was a Prominent Islamic Scholar & Author of 54 valuable books in different disciplines and was named as one of the top 50 Influential Muslims of the World in 2009 by USA based prestigious “the Royal Islamic Strategic Studies Center”.
side, my dad advised my mom to play the dual role of mom and dad to all the sons and daughters after his demise. He stated: “You would find me in the personality of our sons and daughters”. After that, we all entered that room again. My father gave us naseehah. He said, “All of you (siblings) will always live harmoniously, follow the path of Allah and His Prophet (s) and take care of your mother. You will find me in your mother. And also make sure that your mom finds me in you. Describe me to the people as you saw me. Don’t exaggerate. My
age is 75 years now. Most of my colleagues and co-workers did not get such a long life and you got your father alive for a long time. Life and death is destined by Allah. If Allah wills me to die tonight, then I would have died even if I had stayed at home. Always be optimistic about Allah’s mercy and also be thankful to Allah.” We took our children to him and reminded him that three of his grandsons were named after him and also sought his du’a so that they can be like him. My dad replied, “I am praying for them so that they become greater than me, like the compan-
BDS is free speech The Dutch government last month affirmed that calling for boycott, divestment and sanctions on Israel (BDS) is a form of free speech. Dutch foreign minister Bert Koenders said that “statements or meetings concerning BDS are protected by freedom of expression and freedom of assembly, as enshrined in the Dutch constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights.” The Dutch foreign minister’s comments are a serious blow to Israel’s relentless efforts to criminalize BDS and silence supporters of Palestinian rights. In a related development, 352 organizations from across 19 countries have pub-
Media Scan Ainullah
lished a statement urging the European Union to protect BDS as a form of free speech.
ions of the Prophet (s).” He then told us a relevant story. Once a great alim (scholar) asked his son, “What is your aim in life?” He replied, “I want to be a great scholar like you”. Listening this, the scholar started crying. When he was asked the reason of crying, he said, “I wanted to be like Hazrat Ali (r) and now you can see the difference of knowledge level between me and Hazrat Ali (r). Now if you would want to be like me, and then think, how far you can go?” Then he went to another topic of discussion. He urged us to convey his salam and thanks to all leaders and workers of the Islamic movement and also sought everyone’s du’a so that his martyrdom is accepted by Allah. He then raised both his hands for prayer along with us for about an hour on our request. He started with the praise of Almighty Allah and invoking blessings and salutations upon the Prophet (s) and then for the first 20 minutes recited the du’as taught by the Prophet (s), as he used to do throughout his life. He also prayed, “Ya Allah, please accept this country for your deen and make this country peaceful. Save this country from murder, hooliganism, kidnapping and from imperialism.” He also made du’a for the development of the country. During the time of this very emotional prayer, my daughter saw tears in the eyes of some of the jail employees. As a physician, I saw many deaths. I saw many people waiting for death while fighting with disease. I saw shadows of death in their face, the wish to live for one more second. But, looking at my father in his last meeting with us, I saw a fearless heavenly man, waiting and preparing to meet his Lord. All of us shook hands with my father before leaving. After getting out of the jail we left behind our living father to prepare for his funeral. The famous hadith of the Prophet (s) frequently came to my mind at that time: “Whenever you are afflicted with any calamity, remember the greatest catastrophe of losing me” (Ibn Majah). This Ummah has felt the pain of losing the Prophet (s), it can tolerate any other trial and tribulation. (Courtesy of The Milli Gazette, 1-15 June, 2016)
Imam’s daughter breaks record in top school
Nida Khanam, daughter of a poor imam of a mosque, Abdul Momin from Bara Hindu Rao area of old Delhi has smashed all previous records of Delhi’s top English-medium Modern School. She scored 99 marks out of one hundred in English and her aggregate in all subjects
is 96 per cent. She has scored 96 per cent in history, 97 per cent in political science, 95 per cent in economics and 91 per cent in legal studies. (Courtesy, The Milli Gazette, 1-15 June, 2016)
Fines for not shaking hands Swiss authorities have ruled that Muslim students must shake the hands of teachers at the start and end of lessons, or their parents could face fines of up to $7,000. Parents or guardians of pupils who refuse to shake hands with a teacher could face fines similar fines as well. The Islamic Central Council of Switzer-
June 2016
land (ICCS) has threatened court action if the measures are enforced. In a statement the ICCS said mandating physical contact between individuals amounted to “totalitarianism”, There are about 350,000 Muslims in Switzerland, which has a population of eight million.
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June 2016
UMMAH 15 - 17
EDUCATION 18 - 19
TRAVEL 20 - 21
BUSINESS 22
UMMAH
SOCIAL 23
We must not forget Afghanistan
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Mitchell Wnek Afghanistan is a country that is shrouded in mystery, war, tragedy, and uncertainty. The land is barren and prone to harsh environments and weather conditions. Afghan culture however, represents a diamond in the rough; a rich blend created over centuries of Middle Eastern and Asian influences. At this time, unfortunately, there is still much to address in the humanitarian, health and education spheres of Afghan society. According to UNICEF, Afghanistan is the world’s second least developed country, with 36% of the population residing under the poverty line. UNICEF identifies that Afghanistan holds the second highest child mortality rate for children under five at 97/1000. With an average population age of 18 years old it is crucial that these children receive an education to grow into leaders for the country. However, most of the population (77%) live in rural areas where education is largely unattainable. In order for the economy to grow and expand, there needs to be a stronger push for education, and also in health. Afghanistan maintains the world’s highest maternal mortality rate at 18,000 deaths per year. There remains a lack of medical facilities within Afghanistan. Lack of facilities extends to a lack of stock and medicines. It is a country that remains fragile and dependent on outside sources for support, even to sustain basic functions, capabilities and routine. It is unfortunate that currently the public overlook Afghanistan as a country in need of support. With contemporary media focusing on the hardships experienced in Syria and Iraq, Afghanistan fades into the background. It suffers in terms of support and donor exhaustion due to the scale of misery that currently
Education of girls and women is essential for bringing prosperity to Afghan people. plagues the world, particularly in the Middle gun to collapse and the Afghan people are tention on Afghanistan. It’s far from being East. more frightened than ever. Attacks on civilians over”. Afghanistan has become one of the most and medical facilities have risen by fifty perWe must remember Afghanistan. elusive countries in the world. It has become cent during the last year heightening fear and so obscure that the world is beginning to forget insecurity. Mahboba’s Promise is currently running a Reabout it. Over the recent years Afghanistan has The conditions in Afghanistan are dire. member Afghanistan appeal during this time experienced an atmosphere that is shrouded in Recently, a retiring senior Red Cross offi- of end of financial year giving. To find out more violence, insecurity and fear, yet the cameras cial made headlines when he emphasised the how you can make a tax deductible donation have been turning away. need to prioritise Afghanistan as precedence visit the website (http://mahbobaspromise.org/ The past year has seen an increase in vio- in donor applicants. “The world must not let remember-afghanistan/). lence that is predicted to surpass those before Afghanistan become a forgotten crisis…the Mitchel Wnek works as an intern in the Of2001, when the Taliban fell. Security has be- international community must keep their at- fices of Mahbobas Promise In Sydney Office.
Modi warms up to the Muslim world Zahid Jamil Indian Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi concluded a two day state visit to Iran on Monday 23 May 2016 where he received a warm welcome by the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani. He also met the Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Modi and Rouhani together with their business delegations signed several agreements and MOUs to boast business relations between the two countries. These included a contract to develop the Iranian Chabahar port for which India will invest $500 million, a trilateral agreement on transport and transit corridor signed by India, Afghanistan and Iran, which Modi said could “alter the course of the history of the region”. These agreements will facilitate India’s easy access to Afghanistan, Central Asia, Europe and Russia. The north-south business corridor offered by Iran will reduce business transport time and cost by at least thirty per cent. Iranian oil and gas on easy terms and competitive prices will promote India’s industrial growth. India owes 6.4 billion dollars to Iran for oil imports between 2012 to 2015 due to sanctions on bank transactions with Iran Earlier in April, Modi travelled to Saudi Arabia where he received a royal welcome by King Salman bin Abdulaziz at his Palace. The historic visit paved the way for India and Saudi Arabia to boost economic and business ties. Saudi business leaders showed keen inter-
June 2016
est in investing in India’s infrastructure development in areas such as railways, roads, ports, shipping, and energy. Modi also sought deeper involvement of Indian companies in upstream and downstream oil and gas sector projects. In a sign of Saudi Arabia recognising India’s growing importance on the world stage, Saudi king conferred his country’s highest civilian honour on PM Modi. In August 2015, Modi visited UAE, first by an Indian Prime Minister in 34 years. The two sides agreed to enhance cooperation in energy and trade and reach out to investors to hardsell India as an attractive business
destination. Modi also visited the historic Sheikh Zayed Grand mosque, the world’s third largest and a masterpiece of Islamic architecture. Modi has also visited several other Muslim countries in past 12 months including a short and surprise visit to Pakistan. More than any political objective, it was also inspired by his business ambitions arranged by the business tycoon Sajjan Jindal, a steel baron who has been active in promoting steel industry ties between the two countries. Modi’s warming up to the Muslim world is surprising as the current Indian Prime
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi With Iranian President Hassan Rouhan during a joint press conference after their meeting at the Saadabad Palace in Tehran, Iran.
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Minister is a hard core Hindu fundamentalist who himself and his political affiliates have a terrible domestic record in relation to the large Muslim minority in the country. Modi’s infamous role as Chief Minister during riots in his home state of Gujrat can never be forgiven and forgotten by Indian Muslims. He has been criticized heavily for not reigning in his extremist Hindu supporters for creating an intolerant situation for Muslims in India. He has kept silent after a series of murders of Muslims purportedly linked with the slaughter of cows that his supporters want banned through out the country. His government has also been criticized for rounding up of innocent Muslims on fictitious charges of terrorism, many of whom have been later freed by the courts. Muslims have also been very critical of closer overt and covert ties with Israel that have been strengthened to a large degree since his Bhatariya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014. Yet his dream of making India an economic super power is such that he is not reluctant to embrace any counterpart, Muslims or otherwise in the national interest. Zahid Jamil is an engineering post graduate from prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and runs a financial planning practice based in Sydney. He heads South Asian Muslim Association of Australia, SAMAA: http://samaa.org.au ), a benevolent institution offering wide range of services to the community elders. He also moderates an Islamic website “Islamic Forum for Education and Research” http://isfer.info/. Zahid Jamil regularly expresses his opinions on Talk Back Radio and writes on various forums.
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NEWS 1-2
BOOMERANG 3-5
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Scientific enquiry in the Qur’an AMUST
Dr Daud Batchelor The Muslim ummah needs to regain the spirit of wonder of the early Muslims whose faith in God soared under inspiration from Qur’anic revelations. Muslims were aware of God’s benevolence in creating the universe with man as the khalifah (custodian) of the heavens and earth! God says: “He has subjected to you, as from Him, all that is in the heavens and on earth” (45:13). The Muslim’s imagination on reading the Qur’an would be stirred by verses where Allah avers to natural phenomena, encouraging mankind to investigate. Islam as a science-friendly religion promotes investigation and technological advancement that contributes to human wellbeing. Mohammad Iqbal wrote in Reconstruction of Religious Thought in Islam that for a long time Muslim scholarship was influenced by theory-oriented Hellenistic thought. The Qur’an eventually changed that and in this sense Iqbal characterised the Qur’an as ‘anticlassical’ in its focus on deductive reasoning. Consequently, early Muslim scientists expanded the frontiers of science and technology and built the world-leading Islamic civilisation. A Muslim (natural) scientist inspired by the Qur’an would maintain a connection of science with spirituality whilst acknowledging the world’s divine origin. The Qur’an refers to ‘ilm (knowledge) in the broadest sense; not separating knowledge of the manifested world from the unseen. God Almighty provides humanity with two books – kitab at-tadwini (written
revelation) and kitab at-takwini (book of natural phenomena). Understanding from these two books deriving from one Source should obviously be in agreement. If they appear not so, then scientists need to revisit their theories since Muslims believe the Qur’an is flawless. Muslim scientists have a great advantage over other scientists in that the Qur’an is without error. Verses on natural phenomena can yield true insights. Scholars believe that the Qur’an contains references to essential themes but does not go into details. It however provides numerous insights in more than 750 verses on natural phenomena. Informed tafsir (exegesis) of the Qur’an depends traditionally on the Qur’an explicating other verses, and from the Sunnah, Arabic language, and Prophet’s Companions. These would also be investigated regarding scientific exegesis of the Qur’an, Tafsir ‘Ilmiy. Classical scholars applied this approach, including al-Jahiz (776-869). The great Qur’an commentator, al-Razi (1149-1209) used scientific knowledge in his Mafatib al-ghayb (Keys to the Unknown). From Allah’s title, rabbil ‘aalameen (Lord of the worlds) in surah Al-Fatihah, he proposed that many ‘universes’ existed rather than the one known - the Milky Way. Other galaxies were confirmed much later using powerful Hubble telescopes. Among the most impressive ‘scientific’ verses are those describing human foetus developments in the womb (32:8-9): “Then He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him of His spirit. And He gave you hearing and sight and feeling (heart)”. These clearly prefigure more recent findings of the true sequence of organ appearance in the foetus – first ears, then eyes, and finally heart. As a young scientist, my own experi-
ence in realising the Truth and so embracing Islam resulted partly from being shown Qur’anic verses accurately describing natural phenomena. My faith increased on reading verse 21:30: “Do not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and earth were joined before we clove them asunder? ... Will they not then believe?” As a student being taught on the origin of the universe, the “Steady state theory” now considered obsolete, was still accepted. Only subsequently did the “Big bang theory”, closely compatible with Qur’anic statements, gain prominence. The Muslim world is on the doorstep of important advances in Qur’anic-inspired scientific understanding. Close collaboration between scholars of revelation (‘Ulama) and scholars of natural phenomena (‘scientists’), particularly those capable of
crossing tadwini /takwini boundaries, can recapture the initiative for a new Islamic enlightenment of religious-inspired scientific understanding. Dr Daud Batchelor, an Australian Muslim, was Associate Fellow until December 2015 at the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies Malaysia. He holds an MA in Islamic and Other Civilisations and a Diploma in Islamic Studies from the International Islamic University Malaysia, PhD from University of Malaya, MSc from the University of London, and MEngSc in environmental management from Griffith University. He is cofounder of the Islamic College of Brisbane and currently resides in Brisbane.
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Luqman Hakim Landy, an Australian Muslim revert has been serving the people of Indonesia through his JIMS Foundation in the field of daawah and education for more than 15 years. Luqman was born in Sydney and was introduced to Islam at a university in Canberra. He converted to Islam in 1975 after a six year search for TRUTH in Australia and a supernatural experience in Jakarta. He performed Hajj in 1979, worked with AFIC in 1979 - 1982 and was Mudir of a government Islamic Orphanage in Sabah, Malaysia 1983-85. He has 10 years teaching experience in Darwin & 12 in Jakarta He did HIJRA to Indonesia 1988 and fell into DA'WAH activities, in remote villages where people did not know Islam. He lives in Greenacre and is happy to assist your da'wah visit to these schools in Indonesia.
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The 99 Divine attributes of Allah Part 22 - Attributes 79 – 80
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 79 - Al Barr – The Benign Benefactor. They will converse with one another, putting questions to each other:1 Before this, when we were among our families, we were full of fear of God’s displeasure. 2 God has been gracious to us and has saved us from the torments of Hell’s intense heat, before this, we used to pray to Him. Surely, He is the Benificient, the Merciful. Therefore continue to give warning, for by the grace of your Rabb, you are not a soothsayer or a mad man.3 If they say, “ He is but a poet, we are waiting for some misfortunes to befall him.4 say [to them], “Wait then: I too am waiting along with you! 5 is it their minds that prompt them [to say] this, or are they merely insolent people.6? Or they do not say, “He has invented himself? Indeed they are not willingly to believe. Let them produce a scripture like it, if what they say is true. 7 (Al-Tur 52: 25-34) 1. These are the persons enjoying the bounties as rewards of the paradise. In the relaxation time they used to ask each other their experiences while living in this world. Now they are expressing their happenings in these words: “We were not living in luxuries passing a carefree living: indeed on the attainments of the world rather we had always the anxiety never to indulge in any action for which we may be punished by Allah.” They used to express these statements with a sense of contentment that the persons indulge in evils because of engrossing themselves and their family members in the comforts and the material attractions of the world. 2. In this next verse, they are openly confirming that Allah saved them from the torments of the Hell Fire because of their prayers to Him being benevolent and merciful. 3. From here onward, this dialogue in Quran now deals with the arrogances of the Makkan non- acceptance of the Prophet’s Message, though apparently the Prophet is addressed. When the Prophet used to present Allah’s divine message to the Chiefs and Religious Leaders of Makkah, they never paid serious attention to this truth nor did they like that the public took interest in this message. Hence they used to taunt the Prophet with the concocted titles of Soothsayer, Lunatic or a Poet. The prophet is addressed in AlQuran, “O Prophet! In reality, as stated in the beginning of this chapter about your genuine efforts, you should ignore the absurd propaganda of your opponents. You should continue your original task of disclosing the Truth to alert people from their carelessness, as you are, in no case, a Soothsayer or a Lunatic by the grace of Allah.” 4. They also blame the Prophet as a poetry composer so that if people become annoyed with his preaching and continuous reminder of Allah to transform them to a people of high character. By spreading the baseless lies, the non- believers wish to be free from removing their arrogance and high-handiness. 5. It means that Allah tells the Prophet to wait for the outcome of their fictitious titles because in the end who is to be punished: the non-believers for their polytheistic ideas and blasphemy or the Prophet with his conveyance of the divine mes-
June 2016
sage to the people? 6. The opponents are so interested in their position that they adopt pride and present these three baseless “deficiencies” of the Prophet. The chiefs and religious leaders of Quraish propagate foolish ideas. How can the intellect be used for concocting three different absurd titles for the Prophet. 7. If the opponents claim that the message of Muhammad is not divine but human directives so then they should bring any material piece of this nature before the public to judge whether any literary piece better than the Quran specifically verse 34 in this chapter 52. This challenge was also offered in Makkah twice again and then in Medina after migration but no one has bought up till now any literary piece of the same status as the Quran. 80. Al – Tawwāb – The Accepter of Repentance And [mention] when We said to the angels, “Prostrate before Adam”; so they prostrated,1 except for Iblees. 2 He refused and was arrogant and became of the disbelievers.3 And We said, “O Adam, dwell, you and your wife, in Paradise and eat therefrom in [ease and] abundance from wherever you will.4 But do not approach this tree, lest you be among the wrongdoers.”5 But Satan caused them to slip out of it 6 and removed them from that [condition] in which they had been. And We said, “Go down, [all of you], as enemies to one another, and you will have upon the earth a place of settlement and provision for a time.”7 Then Adam received from his Lord [some] words, and He accepted his repentance. Indeed, it is He who is the Accepting of repentance, the Merciful.8 We said, “Go down from it, all of you. And when guidance comes to you from Me, whoever follows My guidance - there will be no fear concerning them9, nor will they grieve.10 And those who disbelieve and deny Our signs11 - those will be companions of the Fire; they will abide therein eternally.”12 (Al-Baqarah 2:34-39) 1. Allah called and introduced all the angels assigned from the services in the universe that a new creation, the Human Species, is established to work as the vicegerent (deputy in charge) on behalf of Allah. Therefore, now all the angels are hereby ordered to consider the human beings also as their masters to follow their orders and wishes and Allah hereby permits and helps the angels to work under them as well. Hence, now onward every one of the angels should carry on the work under their jurisdiction also under the direction of the humans. Prostration of humans did not mean any subjugation to humans rather it is a prestige for the angels to serve the humans as well. 2. “Iblees” is an Arabic word meaning “a highly deprived creature”. Technically it is referred to the species of jinn who outrightly rejected to surrender to the humans. This entity is also termed as AlShaitan. Iblees is not the name assigned to an imaginary power but this species is also an existing one even nowadays. Allah has specified at other places in AlQuran that Jinn is also a specialized specie like angels but entirely different than the angel ones. 3. It seems that Iblees is not an individual being but a group of Jinns being inclined to disobey this divine order. The name Iblees has been given to the chief of this species as the main leader of the group. In Al-Quran, the Arabic word “shayateen” has been used for such Jinns including all their progeny. 4. It connotes that this human couple is
being dispatched to the Earth as Allah’s vicegerent. They started to have the stay in the paradise for a test for their trends and interests and to know to what extent they maintain the divine order during the temptation and persuasion by the devils. 5. So far the test they were ordered never to go near a tree because if they do so they shall be construed as the offender and oppressor in the eyes of Allah. It was not important to inform about the peculiarity of the tree or its product. As the main aim was to test the obedience or the rejection of divine order by the two. To select paradise as the place of test the necessity was to ascertain them to carry on the assignments of the vicegerency of Allah. Paradise is the best and deserving place as a deputy for Allah to to return at the end of assignment. 6. “Oppressing” is actually usurpation used for the one who disobeys Allah; he commences the rejection of the the basic duties to Allah, as all humans should be obedient to His order. The Quran has used oppression as the word for the evil-doer for their corruptions. 7. It means “shaitan” is the enemy of “insan” and “insan” is the enemy of shaitan. Hence it is not meant to live as the enemy of shaitan but shaitan is to behave as the enemy of insan because of his jealousy and pride. Also some humans, because of the future material gains, considered shaitan as the friends as well as their intelligent advisors. 8. When Adam realized his blunder, he wanted to transform his disbelief to the repentance for forgiveness from his Rabb but he could not use the verses of prayers for repentance and forgiveness. Allah used His benevolent mercy and taught him the words and actions for forgiveness. The Arabic word “taubah” means to return back and ask for forgiveness and pledge of repentance not to repeat again this blunder. Taubah on behalf of servant is that he is now to abandon the characteristic of mistakes and has to return back to the practice of servitude and taubah on behalf of Allah pertains to forgive the humans ad-hock with the mercy, blessings, and good will. 9. Al Quran condemns the idea a sinner is always permanent and so he should be considered doomed. This is one of the wrong man-concocted conception. On the contrary, Allah has given the opportunity of freedom from evil-doing if one
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sincerely asks forgiveness and commits not to repeat the sin again. 10. This verse affirms that Adam repented and Allah accepted his repentance. This clearly declares that the blot of being permanent sinner imposed on him has now been taken away, neither on him or her nor on their on-going progeny. Now when the order of leaving the paradise has been given again it pertains to the idea that the acceptance of repentance was not meant to keep Adam forever in paradise because he is actually destined to serve as the care-taker of world affairs by living in this world. Paradise is not destined to all the human being as the permanent abode. Hence the present exit from the paradise is not meant as the real punishment but has been used for human-beings to fulfill their mission of vicegerency in the world. Adam was placed in the paradise temporarily initially for the test for Adam together with the grant of the final and best abode in case Adam becomes successful in the test. 11. The Arabic word “ayāt” is the plural of Arabic “ayat” which means the sign or pointer to guide towards the specific directives. In Al-Quran this world has been used for different purpose. Firstly, only assigned; secondly, manifestation of the universe and many manifestation in the universe. Thirdly, this indicates the miracle given by Allah to the Prophet for the evidence of Allah (God) because the Prophet, to persuade the people to repent and ask for forgiveness, could use these miracles. Finally, this word has been used in the verses of Allah in Al-Quran as His attributes that can be understood and practiced by human beings according to their levels and capacities. 12. The verses number (2:38,39) are the permanent axiom of Allah for the humans. A human is not supposed to select his or her ideas and decision for the worldly pattern of living. The best duty of the humans is to serve Allah as the final Sovereign, always acquire the knowledge of Allah’s directives and adhere strictly for their practice. If any mistake or sin occurs, no human being should despair - rather they should immediately repent and ask for forgiveness as soon as he or she realizes the mistakes or sins. Continued in AMUST issue #128 July
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People of Persia: Part 2 Mobinah Ahmad
A man sits outside of Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, Esfahan and watches me take a photo of him.
Her name is Mrs Simin Amiri. She was the hotel manager at Safavi Hotel in Esfahan and she struck up a friendship with my mother.
I met a group of turkish tourists. We exchanged our thoughts on travelling in Iran and they were super lovely.
At the mausoleum of a famous Persian poet named Saadi in Shiraz, a young handsome boy notices me taking a photo of his class as they visit the grave on an excursion to learn about poetry. He was shy but smiled.
A father plays catch with his young son under one of the beautiful arches in the Siesepol bridge in Esfahan, just after sunset. His wife with her baby in the pram, and a few kids on the left watch them play.
It was a cold windy night under the Siesepol Bridge, Esfahan. A family gathered around a gas stove for heat have their evening meal in one of the arches under the bridge.
A shop keeper is framed around so much colour at Imam Square in Esfahan.
Three german women who were sitting in the gardens near the Mausoleum of the famous Persian Poet, Saadi. It is strange to see big groups of white women wearing scarves loosely on their head. It made me wonder what their experience of it was like.
A man selling spices at the Esfahan Bazaar. I was drawn to the way they displayed the spices. The man behind the mountain of spices was kind.
A young man serves me coffee near the Armenian Vank Cathedral in Esfahan. He lifted up his arm and rested it on the machine to pose. At first, I didnt know why – but then I smiled and took the photo.
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The making of the Modern Ibne Batota MODERN IBNE BATOTA Zia Ahmad From an early age I have been greatly inspired, to be a globe trotter, by the 14th century Berber Muslim Traveler Ibne Batota (Mohammad Ibn Battuta) who spent more than 30 years visiting most of the Muslim world and beyond during his time. At the age of 21, Ibne Batota left his hometown Tangier, Morocco for Hajj and then intensively visited the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia, South East Asia, China, North Africa, West Africa as well as Spain known as Al-Andalus at the time. He documented the account of his extensive travels in an encyclopaedic book called Rihla meaning journey. The only difference between the real Ibne Batota and the Modern Ibne Batota, myself has been that while he travelled single, taking on a number of wives on the way in various places he visited, I have been travelling with an entourage, sometimes with my wife (she would rarely let me travel by myself), with my 4-5 children, with my parents, with my grandchildren, amounting occasionally to four generations travelling together. Unlike Ibne Batota, I performed my Hajj with my family including my wife, four daughters and son in law. I have travelled to many countries using all modes of travels flights, buses, cars, trains, caravans, motor homes as well as cruise ships visiting Fiji, New Zealand, Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, China, Sri Lan-
ka, Maldives, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Kashmir, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, most of Europe, UK, US, Hawaii, Canada, Mexico, and of course all over Australia. The highlight of my globe trotting activities include 3 month tour of US/Canada in 1992 in a 7-bed motor home with my five young children; 3 months Umrah tour in 1997 with my wife and daughters visiting Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and a month long comprehensive train travel all over India; and the four generation 35 days tour in 2009 of Europe, UK and Morocco in two 6-bed motor homes (yes, I visited my hero, Ibne Batota’s mosque and gravesite in Tangier). Having a good sense of history and geography, I was always fascinated to visit different places and meet different people. Working at the University of Sydney for more than 40 years gave me the opportunity to meet people from all over the globe and understand and appreciate their thoughts and culture. Being associated with the Muslim student movement in Australia and while visiting University campuses all over the country, I developed strong bonds with a large number of overseas students who completed their PhD from Australian Universities and went back to their home countries where many progressed well in their respective fields. I made a point to meet these former students and now high achievers in their own right whenever I visited their countries. This has helped me to maintain a global network of friends with a strong bond amongst them.
Driving two 6-bed motorhomes in Europe and UK, 2009.
Visit to Ibne Batota’s Mosque and gravesite, Tangier, Morocco, 2009. I commenced writing as the Modern Ibne Batota back in 1992, staring with the account of my travels in the motor home tour of US and Canada that was serialized in the Australasian Muslim Times for a number of years that readers, then found very interesting. I now wish to continue with the same running title and highlight my subsequent
accounts of travels, study tours and insights into people and places all over the world. Next: Iran Tour - Safarnameh Zia Ahmad is the Managing Editor of the Australasian Muslim Times and is based in Sydney.
Travels of Ibne Batota during the 14th century.
The 3 highlighted travels of the Modern Ibne Batota 1992 North America & Pacific 1997 SE & South Asia 2009 Europe, UK & Morocco
June 2016
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Australia’s largest industry: Retail marketing Rima Dabliz In 2013 I became an employee of one of Australia’s largest industries. It is not mining or forestry or any of those generally hot topic industries, but the average person takes advantage of this industry daily. The industry makes up 20.9% of Australian employees alongside Wholesale Trade, Transport, Postal & Warehousing and Information Media & Telecommunications and experienced a relative growth rate of roughly four percent from 2014 to 2015. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, you are more than likely to have experienced working in this industry if you were employed in high school or commenced work straight after high school, particularly if you are female. The industry accounts for 19% of all casual workers in Australia and 16% of people who have more than one job also work in this field. It is not just an Australian giant, it is global. In the last four years Australia has opened its doors to a growing number of international derivatives in this industry. GAP, Topshop, Zara, Hollister, Uniqlo, H&M and Costco entered the Australian market, and yes you guessed it, have challenged the Australian retail industry on unprecedented levels for market share. I am no economics expert, but if that is true, I would expect retailers to have some form of educational accreditation on which to base the development and growth of their
businesses upon. However retail is an area where the majority of the highest employing occupations require no formal education. For people who combine part-time/casual work with full time study, entering the retail industry is almost a default undertaking if they have any chance of surviving university hunger or gaining some form of financial advantage before they graduate. While no formal education is required, there is a remarkable amount of work that goes into keeping retailers alive and well. There is an unwritten, unassessed education that all retail workers need if they have any chance of making it through those busy shopping periods. As an employee of Australia’s largest lighting retailer, here are some very, very, very important lessons I have learnt in the past three years: 1. The customer is rarely right. The return policy is on the receipt. If you have exceeded the length of time in which you can return or exchange an item, the likelihood of a retailer providing you with a refund or allowing you to exchange the item is minimal. It is not because we are mean, angry salespeople who do not want to satisfy your shopping needs - it is because that is what the policy says. 2. How to communicate. While we might learn how to speak in school, we do not learn how to communicate. In retail, you will be exposed to every type of customer; the haggler, the arrogant, the not fluent in English- the list could go on. It is your job to simplify the unsimple and eloquently put twenty online training modules of information about light bulbs into a few sentences for the
customer to understand. Like I said, communication. 3. It is not as easy as it looks. Customers look to you for information about style, electricity, fans and the works. There is a substantial amount of training required before you actually get the hang of things. Customers, please take that in mind when dealing with trainee employees. Even using an Electronic Point of Sale System or an Eftpos machine is not as straightforward as you would assume. 4. Patience, limitless patience. 5. If the work environment is not fun, your work life will be miserable. It is your job to make it fun. Balancing work with study and the remnants of a social life is one of the most difficult feats for university students. Waking up early on the weekend is not an incentive. Sometimes not even money is enough. But when there are people at work you you genuinely enjoy spending time with, working no longer seems like a burdensome exercise. 6. You are basically always hungry. Even if you just had your lunch break. But time has taught you how to sneak food into your rumbling belly in four hour shifts that do not entitle you a break. Always bring food to work. It makes people happy. 7. How to deal with people who think they know more than you. There will be times when customers have done a Google search and are intent on using that research as a basis for their purchase. A simple Google search does not provide the best guide for purchasing spe-
cialised lighting products. I recall one customer (among many) trying to convince me I had no idea what I was talking about and so resorted to asking my workmate. I was unsure if it was because I was young or it was because I was female, but I provided the exact same solution as my older, less experienced male workmate. 8. You are also a mediator. There is no question about whether designing a home is difficult. It requires time, money, negotiation, money, compromise and more money. Sometimes you may be put in situations where you are stuck in the middle of a couple arguing about which lights they want. It is your task to put principles (of how people should treat each other) aside and continue to provide an objective solution to their quarrel. 9. People will try to haggle with you, especially once they realise they share your ethnicity. Please don’t be one of those people. 10. Work is a love-hate relationship. No matter how much people will get on your nerves, it is strangely rewarding to see the end product of something you created or to see people happy with your service. Sometimes customers will show you photos of their end product and they really are House Rules-worthy. Rima Dabliz, 20, is a blogger studying B Communication majoring in journalism/ B Laws at UTS. Her occupational goal is to work as a criminal defence lawyer whilst maintaining her passion for writing about the world and aims to develop an online youth magazine.
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Mahboba’s Promise: Donate To Charity Mahboba’s Promise is an Australian nonprofit organisation dedicated to the women and children of Afghanistan. Phone: (02) 9887 1665 Website: www.mahbobaspromise.org SAMAA South Asian Muslim Association of Australia (SAMAA) aims to provide care to the elderly of South Asian Muslim Community. Phone: (02) 9543 9769 Website: www.samaa.org.au
Education University ISRA Australia ISRA is a point of reference for Islamic education, resources and information services. ISRA conducts pioneering research on social and religious issues of relevance to the Australian society and international community. Phone: (02) 9649 9040 Website: www.isra.org.au UCSI University Malaysia UCSI University offers more than just certificates and qualifications. We are committed to raising scholars, explorers and unique individuals who aspire to discover and actualise their talents. Website: www.ucsiuniversity.edu.my
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#1in5Muslims: Twitter users respond with humour towards The Sun front page story
Cats, the dress and sarcasm is how Twitter has chosen to respond to a controversial front-page story from The Sun newspaper that claimed 1 in 5 British Muslims held sympathy for jihadis. The #1in5Muslims hashtag is being flooded with humour and pop culture references in reaction to the story, which has also received a record amount of more than 1,200 official complaints. The poll interviewed 1,003 people who identified themselves as Muslims, with 14.5 per cent saying they held “some sympathy” for young individuals who had left the UK to fight in Syria, and 5 per cent said they had “a lot of sympathy”. However, some have questioned whether the results were fairly reported, with UK political analyst Mike Smithson noting the proportion of those polled with “a lot of sympathy” was just 1 in 20. Twitter users also showed scepticism towards the poll’s wording, with Daniel Kraemer saying: “If it doesn’t specify who they’re fighting for, surely it could include sympathy for those fighting with the Kurds.” The Sun said it had “published the poll’s findings clearly and accurately, including the questions in full”.
Don’t Panic, We’re Muslim
Hijab wearing dance group brings people together through hip hop. ‘We’re Muslim, Don’t Panic’ is an award-winning dance group stamping out Islamophobia with their sneakers. Wearing traditional islamic garments in performance to combat Muslim-American stereotypes, the ensemble wears hijabs, niqabs and abayas in every performance. Together they are challenging the stereotype that Muslim women are necessarily oppressed, voiceless by traditional clothing. They express themselves through interpretive dance whilst wearing religious garments. Founder, Amirah Sackett founded WMDP in 2011 to not only combat Islamic stereotypes but also to inspire Muslim girls to pursue what they love. She said “I wanted to open people’s eyes to the different image of Muslim women. And I also wanted them to see the scariest image we have out there in the full covering. The group collaborate with hip-hop artist Brother Ali for hi music video “Mourning in America” in 2012 which not only has over a million views on youtube but also sparked a political debate in the comments section. Amirah hopes her group can spark more conversation and more understanding.
Islamophobia Watch Australia
Available on iOS, Android Price: Free Saminah Ahmad Islamophobia Watch Australia is an app for Australians to report and document any harassment or abuse. These reports can be on physical or verbal attacks as well as insults, vandalism and racism that carried out in any place, be it at home, the work place or in public areas. The app can be used by anyone as long as you must give your name and email address. You can read other reports and see where they have occurred; the app asks for the location of the incident. When you make a report you can add what, where, description of the incident and complete other fields. You can attach a video, photos and/or documents with the report.
Video Link: https://goo.gl/QhfiZy
11 Awkward Moments That Happen During Ramadan
Buzzfeed’s Video on Ramadan is making the rounds again as Ramadan approaches. and they have given us 11 awkward moments that happen during Ramadan. Speed Eating Before Dawn – that awkward moment when you wake up a few minutes before dawn and speed eat all the food you need to sustain you during the day. Mornings without Coffee – Get ready for those mornings of seeing and smelling coffee all around you. Life can be your pick me up! Lots of Questions: Get prepared for the awkward questions – So you don’t eat anything for 30 days? So, not even water? So Ramadan’s like Christmas, right? Being Excited To Get Your Period – And awkwardly having to explain why you’re eating during Ramadan. Its definitely not as awkward as explaining to people who aren’t Muslim, as it is to face the Muslims at times. Watch the video to see the rest! Video Link: https://goo.gl/guQf3s
June 2016
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It’s quick and easy to file a report together with attachments. It also asks you how you have reported the authorities and even offers assistance if needed. The fact that it can grab your location is great tool. You don’t always remember exactly where an incident took place. It would be good to add some emergency numbers such as police and information on what a person should do if at risk. Every Australian, Muslims in particular should have this App so the information can be gathered on how frequent incidents our infrequent incidents are occurring in Australia. It can be part of a collective database and a great resource for the community as well as authorities. The App provides an opportunity to record and share your story in order to encourage others to do the same and help reduce Islamophobia.
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Australasian Muslim Times
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March 2016