MUSLIM
AUSTRALASIAN
Multimedia News & Views
ISSN: 1039-2300
AMUST
Print Post Publication No. 100021354
Print edition published Monthly on first Friday with Website updates
Reconciliation to End Sectarian Conflicts
BOOMERANG PAGE 7
Forum on Mental Illness, Drugs & Alcohol COMMUNITY PAGE 9
S
TIME
www.amust.com.au
Phone: (02) 8006 2063 Email: info@amust.com.au
Issue # 142
September 2017; Dhul Hijjah 1438
Introducing FoodFlukes LIFESTYLE PAGE 14
$2.00
Debt & Promises: A Toxic Soup BUSINESS PAGE 21
Over 2 million performing Hajj Zia Ahmad More than two million people have descended on Makkah, Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj this year. Comparatively, 1,080,000 men and 780,000 women performed Hajj last year. Most pilgrims for Hajj come from Indonesia, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Egypt, Iran, Turkey and Nigeria in descending order. Hajj or the annual pilgrimage to Makkah during the specific Islamic calendar dates in the month of Zulhijjah is considered one of the five obligatory pillars of Islam. The first day of the six day Hajj journey commences on Wednesday 30 August ending on Monday 4 September and includes overnight stay in Mina followed by spending the day on 9 Zulhijjah at the plain of Arafah and by completing the rituals of rami, sacrifice, tawaf and sai during the rest of the days. During the same period on 10 Zulhijja, Muslims in other parts of the world will be celebrating Eid-ul-Adha, the festival of sacrifice commemorating Prophet Ibrahim (a) act of obedience to God’s command. Eid-ul-Adha will be celebrated largely on Friday 1 September throughout the world based on the global sighting of the crescent moon except in India, Pakistan and Iran where it will be celebrated on Saturday 2 September based on regional moonsighting. The Mufti of Australia Dr Ibrahim Abu
Masjid Al-Haram (The Grand Mosque) with the Kaaba in the centre in Makkah. Mohamad together with the Australian National Imams Council in a media release has declared Friday 1 September for Muslims to celebrate Eid-ul-Adha in Australia. The overwhelming majority of Muslims in Australia will be, therefore, offering Eidul-Adha prayers on Friday 1 September
while some mosques will organise Eid-ulAdha prayers to be conducted on Saturday 2 September. The celebrations for the feast of Eid-ulAdha will continue from Friday well into the weekend with early morning prayers, sacrifice of animals, visits to family, friends,
neighbours and backyard BBQs. Many Muslims on this day visit the sick and elderly at their residence, hospitals or nursing homes as well as pay a visit to the cemetery to remember their loved ones who have passed away and pray for their salvation.
The face against hate Exclusive interview with Brice Hamack, President of Islamophobia Register Australia
Manarul Islam AMUST: Assalamulaikum. We are speaking with Brice Hamack who has just recently been elected as the president of Islamophobia Register Australia (the Register). Brice, considering what Mariam (Veiszadeh) went through as the past President of the Register, what led you to volunteer? Brice: Well, in my time at the Council of American Islamic Relations (CAIR), I grew accustomed to a lot of the hate and the vitriol that people in those positions deal with. To me it’s just part and parcel of being in a position where you’re really pushing back against deeply entrenched prejudices and bigotry. Also, unfortunately, I think that because Mariam was a minority Muslim woman wearing hijab, that whatever she went
through will not be anywhere near in comparison to what I’ll have to go through, inshaAllah, as a Western Caucasian male with an American accent. What’s your day job? Right now I work in Legal Aid ACT client services. My job is mostly comprised of reviewing applications for legal aid that come to our office. Making sure they comply with the Legal Aid Act and the guidelines. Client Services is more or less the front line of legal aid - we interact with people who are seeking out legal assistance. I really do see almost every single application for legal aid that comes through our office. This helps me gain a better understanding of how I and institutions can better serve that community, including the Australian Muslim community contained therein. What is the primary function of the Reg-
Proudly Printed in Australia by Spotpress Pty Ltd
ister? The primary function is to correlate incidents of Islamophobia across Australia to create a central database that can be relied upon in producing academic papers and reports to present to elected officials and to community leaders to say this is how much abuse our community is getting, here are specific examples, what can you do to help us, how can we work with you to solve these issues. The data from the register is the data in Islamophobia in Australia, a report which was just referenced in Parliament House the other day by a senator discussing the issue of Islamophobia in Australia. Until you have this type of verifiable accredited information to put out there to give to people, you’re not going to be able to have your story told properly.
Islamophobia like abuse or harassment of a Muslim or the Muslim community, and they will report that through the Register’s reporting tool (islamophobia. com.au). Continued on page 9
So how does the Register work? Well there are no paid people, we’re all volunteers. It mostly works when people experience or witness an incident of Dispose of this paper thoughtfully - PLEASE RECYCLE
100% INTEREST FREE
LAND FOR SALE Wollert, VIC 3750, Phase 2 After the successful completion of various projects in NSW, VIC and QLD, we are delighted to announce the release of new land in Wollert VIC, a brand new and highly sought after prestigious suburb in the north of Melbourne. Lot size starts from 327.0 sqm. Expected delivery 2020 - 21
Pakenham-VIC
Australasian Muslim Times
(PLUS DEVELOPMENT CHARGES)
- Walk to proposed Wollert Town Centre - Walk to proposed Public and Non-Government Schools - 25 min to Melbourne International Airport - 10 min drive to Hume Highway - 6 km to Al Siraat College - 10 min drive to Epping Town Centre - 5 min drive to Donnybrook Train Station - 26 km to Melbourne CBD - 14.7% Annual growth rate (ref: realestate.com.au)
Riverstone-NSW
info@qartabahomes.com.au | www.qartabahomes.com.au +612 9627 3073 | 0437 100 237 | 0400 382 227 | 0412 421 596
2
$91,900
www.amust.com.au
Schofield NSW
address name, city
September 2017
September 2017
www.amust.com.au
Australasian Muslim Times
3
AMUST
NEWS
NEWS 1-4
BOOMERANG 5-7
COMMUNITY 8 - 12
AUSTRALIA 13 - 14
LIFESTYLE 15 - 17
Muslim candidates contesting local government elections in Sydney Zia Ahmad There are a number of Muslim candidates contesting the local government elections to be held on Saturday 9 September 2017. New local faces have joined the Labor team for Canterbury-Bankstown Council election for Roselands Ward. The Labor team organised a fundraising on Thursday 24 August evening at Orion Function Centre, Beamish St, Campsie followed by a Campaign Launch BBQ on Saturday 26 August at Riverwood wetland in Riverwood. The Australian National Imams Council in a statement released on Thursday 24 August have urged all eligible Muslim Australians living in the state of New South Wales to vote in the upcoming council elections to be held on Saturday 9 September. “The ANIC and the Council of Imams NSW urges you to check who the candidates in your electorate are and carefully consider what their positions are with regard to improving the state of your local community insofar as the following are concerned: fair representation of the community, fairness in dealing with community needs and infrastructure development applications, community engagement programs, improving local services and amenities,” the statement reads. Nadia Saleh, who has been Manager of Family Services at Riverwood Community Centre for over 18 years, is the lead candidate of the new Roselands Ward Labor Team. She has lived in the Roselands Ward with her family for 27 years. Through her solid experience and close involvement in the
Labor Team for Roselands ward, from left Nadia Saleh, Khodr Saleh, Tony Burke, Hassan Kureshi and Mohammad Huda. community she has gained a strong understanding of its diverse needs. She is committed to inspiring positive change and enriching community services and facilities. Nadia and the Labor team have set as their priority to fight against overdevelopment, and work for better council services in the local area. The other members of the Labor Roselands team are Mohammad Huda and Hassan Kureshi. Mohammed has a Master’s degree in Accounting from the University of Queensland and has worked with the Department of Family and Community Services for the last 11 years. He brings with him enthusi-
asm and commitment to enhance the living standards of the local community. Hassan Kureshi graduated in Economics from the University of New South Wales. He understands the importance of Council initiatives that provide services for the local community. “Integrity, honesty, and experience in the local community is what counts,” said Nadia Saleh. “Our commitment is to stand up for our local community, to stop the overdevelopment of our area and to work for better infrastructure and better local services.” “We believe democracy should be restored in the local area, by the community exercising its right to a vote on the Liberal Government’s forced amalgamation,” stated
Nadia. Bilal El-Hayek is campaigning as the Labor candidate for Bankstown Ward for the Canterbury-Bankstown Council elections to be held on Saturday 9 September 2017. “I am very excited to announce that I will be standing on the Labor ticket for the Canterbury Bankstown Council that will be held on the 9 September 2017 alongside the former Mayor of Bankstown Khal Asfour and the wonderful Nahil Chidiac for the Bankstown ward. Thank you for all support you have given me over the years and I look forward to the next 4 weeks of campaigning.” Bilal El-Hayek was born in Lebanon and moved to Sydney with his family in 1999. It was through his part-time job as a martial arts instructor that he found his calling as a community worker. Human Appeal International Australia, a humanitarian NGO, observed how well he worked with young people and offered him a job running the Orphan Sponsorship Program. He continued to work with the community through the Lebanese Muslim Association and in 2013 he was approached by The Smith Family to become the Youth Coordinator at Bankstown PCYC – a job he loved. Bilal is currently a Youth Coordinator at Bankstown Police Citizens and Youth Clubs (PCYC) where he ran Bankstown Families Connect– a project that brought together disadvantaged children and mothers from the local area to participate in different activities three evenings a week, ending with a group dinner. Lincoln Shafiqullah, a Public Practice Accountant is standing as an independent candidate for the Roselands Ward with the slogan “to keep the council free from party politics.
From left: Tony Burke, Bilal El-Hayek, Jason Claire, Jihad Dib.
4
Australasian Muslim Times
www.amust.com.au
September 2017
UMMAH 18
EDUCATION 19 - 20
BUSINESS 21
BOOMERANG
SOCIAL 22 - 23
Self-sacrifice - a lesson from Hajj and Eid-ul-Adha Muslims throughout the world celebrate rificing our ego, self-interest, whims and Eid-ul-Adha, the Festival of Sacrifice, fancies, our wrong desires, our corrupt betimed towards the end of Hajj. haviour, injustice and unfair treatment of Generally, the event is celebrated as a others, friends or foes. festival of joy with dressing up, feasting Muslims generally are suffering from disand having a good time with family and unity, violent conflicts, injustice, inequity friends. leading to suffering on a grand scale. However, there are deep and most Character building, understandsignificant lessons embedded in ing, empathy, love and peace marking this most important needs to be built from the occasion in the Islamic grass root level and therecalendar. fore pondering on the lesBoth Hajj and its insons of self-sacrifice from tegration with it EidEid-ul-Adha and reflecZia Ahmad ul-Adha commemorate tions on our behaviour the trials and triumphs will certainly lead us to of Prophet Ibrahim (a) live Islam in our daily Assalamu together with his wife life. Alaikum Hajrah and son Ismail Solution to inter-Mus(a). lim conflicts, injustice, Greetings Ibrahim’s (a) willingness sectarian hatreds, corrupof Peace to sacrifice his most beloved tion and violence needs to be possession, his son Ismail (a) addressed first on an individual and in turn Ismail’s (a) willingness level. to be sacrificed are considered as ultimate The Imam of Makkah’s Grand Mosque, acts of obedience to the commandments of Sheikh Saleh Mohammed al-Taleb during Allah. his sermon last Friday before Hajj strongDuring the celebration of Eid-ul-Adha, ly denounced those who “cause conflict Muslims remember Ibrahim’s (a) trials by among Muslims,” reflecting on rifts among themselves sacrificing an animal where Gulf neighbours and sectarian wars in the most of the meat is given away to others Middle East. including the poor, family and friends. “Anyone who causes conflict and discord The act of sacrifice symbolises the will- among Muslims ignores the blessing of haringness to give up things that are of benefit mony, imitates those who lived in ignorance to us or close to our hearts, in order to fol- [before Islam], harms his people and cheats low God’s commands. his nation,” he said. It also represents our willingness to give Muslim leaders, thinkers and writers need up some of our own bounties, in order to to come out and express their strong unhapstrengthen ties of friendship and help those piness with the state of the Ummah in order who are in need. to bring inter-Muslim discord, that is causHowever, sacrificing an animal is just ing great suffering and world chaos, to an symbolic. The real lesson from this sac- end. rifice is indeed self-sacrifice, that of sacIn this issue, a number of AMUST col-
AMUST Issue # 142 Friday 1 September 2017; 9 Dhul Hijjah 1438 News
Boomerang
Community
Australia
I think this is a great initiative as a non Muslim all we hear is negative things and always ask why don’t peaceful Muslims do more. A step in the right direction. Rennie Coventon Great idea and a chance for the world to see the compassionate side of the Muslim world
Lifestyle umnists have written on conflict resolution, reconciliation, toleration and understanding and correct response to hate and injustice. Dr Daud Batchelor pleads for reconciliation to end sectarian conflicts. He contends that in reality these conflicts are based on political manoeuvring and self-interest of ruling elites rather than any religious differences of theology. Mohammad Hassan Bakhtiari writes on virtues of patience and toleration against rage, hostility and hate in order to lead a peaceful life. Dr Salih Yucel quotes from Quran and Sunnah in order to develop the correct response to hate and injustice rather than inflammatory rhetoric, outright condemnation and violent protest or reaction. Hence let’s pledge on this day of Eid-ulAdha to inculcate good values and develop strength of character within ourselves, our young people and in our community in order to bring about peace and harmony in our society, our nation and our global village.
YOUR SAY
Re: Unjustified stand against Qatar
Send us your thoughts about news or current events to be published in the next issue of AMUST
Email us at info@amust.com.au
Re: Launch of MPA to empower Australian Muslims into employment
Thank you for a well-presented publication. Well worth reading. Usman N Ali
Read More Advertise Subscribe Visit our website at amust.com.au for more news and photos Signup to our Email Newsletter September 2017
Choose from 3 ways of effective advertising
• Newspaper • Website • Email Newsletter For more info, Email info@amust.com.au
13 - 14
- Structure of Salary and Wage - Marching Off for Commissioner O’Callaghan
Mark D Breslin
Peace and security is sorely needed in the Middle East. The wise leader will seek to mend fences, encourage reconciliation and at all times remember the needs of the poor and suffering masses who need hearts of mercy to restore their human dignity. Lets work together to achieve this in line with teachings of the Blessed Qur’an. Dr Daud Batchelor
8 - 12
- Twin Talks - Chris Hayes’ Praise for MEFF - Youth PoWR: ‘Light in Dark Times’
Re: Book review: A Closer in action. I hope this initiative gets off the ground. Look at Islam
Re: Taken: Support for hostages
5-7
- Editorial - Religious freedom in the West - Reconciliation to End sectarian conflicts
Readers comments HAVE It appears that the House of Saud is causing some mischief in the neighbourhood and going by the maxim that the enemy of my neighbours can be my friend. They could better use their petrol dollars to foster education and welfare instead of needless hostilities. Rub’al Khali
1-4
- The Face Against Hate - Muslim Candidates in Local Elections
EDITORIAL
Syed B Ali’s A Closer Look At Islam introduce to the reader Islam role models in the person of Ali, Husayn and Ali Zayn al-Abidin. Their uncommon character of humbleness and spirituality are truly inspiring. This is indeed a layman’s book of what is beautiful about Islam and the true stalwarts of Islam. It is a timely introduction and for unbiased readers you will learn What Islam is NOT about. mal
AMUST
Yearly subscription
$10 E-newspaper $30 Newspaper $40 Institutions
15 - 17
- Combat Bullying in Schools - NZF Opens Zakat Cente in Lakemba - Predictors for a Healthy Marriage
Ummah
18
- Charitable Action Changes Poverty - India Abolishes Instant Triple Talaq
Education
19 - 20
- Toleration, the Key to Peaceful Life - “Visualise Failing, Not Success.” - Correct Islamic Response to Hate
21
Business
- Debt & Promises: A Toxic Soup - MAA Accredited by Foreign Affairs
Social
22 - 23
- Muslims in the Mainstream - Halal Advisor App
AMUST Team
Managing Editor: Zia Ahmad Graphic Designer: Rubinah Ahmad Chief Adviser: Dr Qazi Ashfaq Ahmad Multimedia Journalist: Mobinah Ahmad Multimedia Journalist: Zaynab Gul Sub-Editor: Mohammed Sinan Siyech Columnist: Dr Abul Jalaluddin (Finance) Columnist: Bilal Cleland (Victoria) Columnist: Manarul Islam (ACT) Columnist: Dr Daud Batchelor (Brisbane) Promotion: Dr Wali Bokhari Web Developer: Shadow Approved Multimedia: iMoby Productions Printers: Spotpress 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, Sakinah Ahmad, Anjum Rafiqi, Hasan Fazeel, Dr Quasim, Ismail Hossain, Hanif Bismi, Zohair Ahmad, Luqman Landy.
AMUST Contacts PO Box 111, Bonnyrigg (Sydney), NSW 2177 Australia. Email: info@amust.com.au Ph:(02) 8006 2063; Mob: 0490 813 359
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.
Subscribe now at
amust.com.au/subscribe
www.amust.com.au
Australasian Muslim Times
5
Trusted for over 25 years Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said: “O people, it is compulsory for every household to make a sacrifice yearly” (Ahmed)
” “يا أيها الناس إن على كل أهل بيت في كل عام أضحية:) ( قال النبي رواه أحمد-
Charity No. NSW - CFN 17891 VIC - 12875 SA - CCP2001 QLD - CH2796
Your Qurban will be slaughtered, shipped and distributed to the poor and needy in the following locations: Palestine Lebanon Iraq Jordan Egypt Somalia
Syria (& Refugees) Burma (Refugees) Indonesia Fiji Vanuatu India
Kosovo Bangladesh Kashmir Pakistan Afghanistan Sri Lanka
Only
135
$
Distributed in 25 Bosnia locations! Sudan Eritrean (Refugees) Tunisia Nepal Cambodia
Call 1300 760 155 or visit www.hai.org.au Like us on Facebook SYDNEY
119 Haldon St, Lakemba NSW 2195 P 02 9750 3161 F 02 9750 2524
6
MELBOURNE
149 Sydney Rd, Coburg VIC 3058 P 03 9386 4677 F 03 9386 4688
Australasian Muslim Times
Follow us on Twitter
ADELAIDE
1/53 Henley Beach Rd, Mile End SA 5031 P 08 7200 2882 F 08 7131 9209
www.amust.com.au
BRISBANE
16 Queens Rd, Slacks Creek QLD 4127 P 07 3493 4222 F 07 3493 4220
September 2017
UMMAH 18
EDUCATION 19 - 20
BUSINESS 21
BOOMERANG
SOCIAL 22 - 23
AMUST
Concern for religious freedom in the West Bilal Cleland The inability of the Trump Administration to denounce the rise of white supremacy, so clearly illustrated by the swastika and Confederate flagged neo-nazi rally in Charlottesville, served to shock the civilized world. The extreme right appears to be moving into the mainstream of American politics. Then we were presented with a contradiction by the Secretary of State. The International Religious Freedom Report for 2016 – published by the US Department of State – criticised One Nation’s federal election campaign. [https://www. state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2016/eap/268714.htm] “Four senators from the One Nation Party were elected during the July federal elections on a platform which included ceasing Muslim immigration, holding a royal commission on Islam, halting construction of mosques, installing surveillance cameras in mosques, banning wearing of the burqa and niqab in public places, and prohibiting members of parliament from being sworn in under the Quran. In her first senate speech, One Nation Party Leader Pauline Hanson said the country was “in danger of being
swamped by Muslims.” The Sydney Morning Herald opened its article on the Report: “The Trump administration has listed Pauline Hanson’s One Nation Party as a threat to religious freedom…” [16 August 2017]. Unfortunately for her, such freedom is protected by our constitution. The response of the judiciary to the Bendigo Mosque campaign received a positive mention but the Casey Council got a guernsey for intolerance. “In April the local council blocked approval for the building of a mosque in southeast Melbourne amid opposition from nationalist groups and local residents. The local government said the mosque should not be built due to its size and because it would not fit in with the local landscape, but critics said the decision represented community and nationalist backlash against Muslims.” State and commonwealth governments came out rather well in the Report. “The Australian Multicultural Council continued to provide guidance to the government on multicultural affairs policy and programs. The government’s national multicultural policy, The People of Australia, was based on a government-wide approach to maintaining social cohesion and included religious tolerance as a component. The government provided a range of youth-focused early intervention, outreach, and education programs to promote religious tolerance
as well as “deradicalization” programs for prison inmates convicted of terrorism-related offenses.” Society’s responses were assessed as rather mixed. The Report shows that it is important to keep recording events. “Over 300 incidents were reported in the first 12 months of the Islamophobia Register Australia, which was founded in September 2014 as an online resource for victims and witnesses of anti-Muslim attacks. The register was designed to provide a means to report and record incidents of anti-Muslim sentiment to inform the media and public. The figures represented an average of 5.4 incidents per week. A spokes-
Reconciliation to end sectarian conflicts Dr Daud Batchelor
Yemen, pre-war was the poorest Arab country with high child mortality rates and the severest water scarcity. Violence escalated to war in 2015 pitting Iranian-supported Houthis controlling north Yemen against Saudi-led US-supported forces who hold the South. More than 10,000 people have been killed, WHO announced in May the world’s worst cholera outbreak with 1,400 children dead, while coalition air strikes hit hospitals, schools and funerals that likely represent war crimes. The war is intractable without hope of resolution unless Saudi Arabia and Iran compromise in the wider interests of the Muslim Ummah. Ongoing Syrian civil war similarly strains the Ummah resulting in hatred, violence, loss of life, witnessing terrible devastation and the worst refugee crisis since World War 2. For Yemen Houthis should be included in any reconciliation government, while any Syrian solution logically requires removal of the immoral and brutal Assad regime. Conflicts in Iraq, Syria and Yemen, although political in nature have fanned sectarian passions, not only in the Middle East but on a global scale highly detrimental to the unity of the Ummah. This analyst believes that the solution to these conflicts must be based on Islam’s calling: “Believers are but a single brotherhood: so make peace and reconciliation between your two (contending) brothers” (Qur’an 49:10). A great majority of Sunni scholars accept that Shia, particularly Twelver Imami Shia, are Muslims. Shaykh al-Azhar Shaltoot, former rector of Islam’s leading institution, ruled this. Similarly in 2005, 200 of the world’s most influential Muslim scholars released the Amman Message calling Sunnis and Shias towards tolerance and unity. Ayatollah Khomeini emphatically downplayed Shia-Sunni differences. Unfortunate-
September 2017
man for the Melbourne Islamic Community stated the register showed an increase in the frequency of anti-Muslim attacks.” Interfaith initiatives and the mosque open days were also positively mentioned in the Report. Bilal Cleland is a keen reader, a prolific writer and a regular columnist of AMUST based in Melbourne.
The Nest Fazlul Huq Standing on a platform of rocks and stones, Peeping through a veil of casuarina and gum trees, A fire-trail divide between the place and beyond, Engulfing darkness of black hole at night! Banksia and other natives garlanding the body, Dawn singing of early rising birds, Infrequent sighting of deadly reptiles, A meeting place for leporid mammals, Ready to withdraw even at the faintest sound. Lychie, mango, guava and other fruit trees,
ly, after his death, the Iranian conservative establishment weakened his pan-Islamic movement while blinkered sectarian Shia spirit rose in facing US and Saudi threats to Iranian interests. Main doctrinal differences from Sunni Islam are Shia belief in infallible leadership of their 12 Imams and reported disappearance of the twelfth Imam. Shia’s severe criticism of Prophet’s (s) close companions, Abu Bakar (r) and Umar al-Khattab (r) , seems untenable considering Imam Ali’s (r) sons, Hussein (r) and Hassan (r), pointedly named their own sons, Abu Bakar and Umar, indicating respect for their predecessors. Imam Jaafar Sadiq, Twelver Shia’s sixth Imam was the teacher of Hanafi and Maliki jurists. Imam Abu Hanifa spoke very highly of him. Imam Jaafar disavowed those who regarded Abu Bakar (r) and Umar (r) as enemies. Muslim scholars on both sides have encouraged reconciliation. Shia academician, Kazemi Moussavi, suggested that if there is any possibility for Sunni-Shia understanding, it lies in a new generation of mujtahid emerging scholars who can combine traditional knowledge with modern scholarship to revive Islamic values. “This would leave behind historical differences and generate a natural dialogue in which sectarian differences fade.” Zafarul Islam Khan believes “With some hard-work, far-sightedness and mildness, we can unite Shia and Sunnis, provided our Islamic scholars, Ulema and jurists strive to get out of their limited constituencies.” While some Sunni ‘Ulama promote ap-
proaches within the ‘Sunna wal Jamaah’ tradition and caution against Shia doctrines. However, contributions of Shia Muslims to Islamic revival in contemporary times must be acknowledged, led particularly by Iranian successes in modern Islamic governance, science & technology achievements; enhanced civilian wellbeing, and better civic political representation specially in comparison with oppressive Sunni middle-eastern regimes. Apart from Sunni-Shia discord, further divisions amongst Gulf nations, all should be quickly resolved as otherwise they are a no-brainer recipe for disaster as they only benefit enemies who successfully instigated clashes pitting one against another towards mutual destruction. Reconciliation is the solution to resolving not only Syrian and Yemeni wars but also sectarian violence in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and recently Australia. If achievable, then opportunistic powers - Russia, the US, NATO - could be asked to leave Muslim conflict zones so leading Muslim countries could collectively promote peace and reconciliation. This is surely an urgent humanitarian objective and a religious obligation. Dr Daud Batchelor, 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. Email: daud.batchelor@gmail.com
www.amust.com.au
The long shy arms resonating with the breeze, The vine necklace covering the bare bones, Robinias eager to shake hands with one and all. Distant views of the Blue Mountains, The roaring sound from storm water drain, Asimina trilobas shading the walkway, Symbiosis of banksia, bees and birds, The tall gum tree at the front standing alone. The mother bird’s unending affection and love, Eager to welcome back but unease in saying a goodbye. Would that you knew what the place is! Associate Professor Fazlul Huq is based in Sydney and leads the Biomedical Science Cancer Research Group in the School of Medical Sciences, Sydney Medical School. He is also an accomplished poet with over 8300 compositions in Bengali and English and has also been involved in various community projects.
Australasian Muslim Times
7
AMUST
8
COMMUNITY
Australasian Muslim Times
NEWS 1-4
www.amust.com.au
BOOMERANG 5-7
COMMUNITY 8 - 12
AUSTRALIA 13 - 14
LIFESTYLE 15 - 17
September 2017
UMMAH 18
EDUCATION 19 - 20
BUSINESS 21
COMMUNITY
SOCIAL 22 - 23
AMUST
Forum on mental illness, drugs and alcohol Farhana Aqiludeen The second Eyes Wide Shut Forum was held on Thursday 24 August 2017 at Prest Theatre, University of Melbourne raising awareness of critical issues that concerned the community. Mental illness, drugs, alcohol and support for refugees and Muslim reverts were all among the topics discussed at the second Eyes Wide Shut Forum (EWS) session hosted by the National Zakat Foundation (NZF) in conjunction with the Muslim Students Association (MSA) of Victoria at the University of Melbourne. The Eyes Wide Shut forum is a monthly series of discussions initiated by the National Zakat Foundation in recognition of the need to start conversations to address critical issues facing the community and to provide a platform for professionals, community members and those affected by any of these issues to come together and create positive dialogue within the community. Summayyah Sadiq-Ojibara, a counsellor, psychotherapist and life coach spoke about the pains caused by mental illness. An issue that many are in denial about. Mental illness impacts not just the individual, but their immediate family & wider community if not recognised and addressed. Heba Bendak from the Federation of Australian Muslim Students and Youth said, “It is sad to see that majority of people who advocate for this issue [refugees support] are the non-Muslims, while most of the refugees come from a similar background to ours. Shouldn’t we be the front line who protect our brothers and sisters in Islam?” The challenges faced by Muslims moving to Australia were highlighted by George
Green, a revert and an author who had migrated to Australia from the United States and is an active community member working with those affected by drug and alcohol abuse. “I got so confused when I first came here. In USA, we don’t have different mosques for different communities. Everyone comes together as one. It’s so difficult to offer help to a segregated community,” George commented. Abdul Karim, a revert and the Victorian president of SPIN (South Pacific Islamic Network), further highlighted the challenges reverts, majority of them being female faceed in Australia, ranging from death threats and abuse to social exclusion and homelessness. Munir Abdella, head of Zakat payer services at NZF, discussed the importance of the role of local Zakat in financing many of the initiatives needed to support those in need here in Australia. He pointed out that one of the outcomes of us being in denial of these issues in our community is the lack of understanding for the need for local Zakat collection and its local distribution. This results in most of our Zakat being sent overseas, ignoring the need of our support for our immediate neighbours. This greatly cripples the capability of the Muslim community to support our own local community. In order to join the next EWS Forum, please visit website www.nzf.org.au; facebook page facebook.com/NZFAus or give NZF a call on 1300 663 729. Farhana Aqilah Aqiludeen is the Marketing Coordinator for NZF Australia. She is passionate about empowering the local community through raising awareness of implementing Zakat locally, the often forgotten pillar of Islam. You can reach out to her at engage@nzf.org.au
AUTHORISED BY J OWENS 1/25 SMITH STREET PARRAMATTA
- ADVERTISMENT -
Eid Al Adha 2017 I wish you and your family peace, good health and blessings on the joyous occasion of Eid Al Adha. Thank you for sharing the richness of your faith with our wider community.
If I can be of any assistance with Federal Government matters, please contact my office on 9689 1455 or email julie.owens.mp@aph.gov.au
Julie Owens MP Federal Member for Parramatta
1/25 Smith Street, Parramatta p (02) 9689 1455 f (02) 9689 3813 e julie.owens.mp@aph.gov.au f www.facebook.com/julie.owens.mp
September 2017 EidAlAdha_Annahar.indd 1
Summayyah Sadiq-Ojibara, on Mental Illness.
Al-Hajj George Green, on Drugs and Alcohol Abuse.
Heba Bendak, on Refugees Support.
Munir Abdella, on Role of Zakat.
The face against hate Continued from page 1 Once received we put it into our database which then someone else in our organization like Dr Derya Iner from ISRA - she’s our statistical data analyst, and she’ll collate everything and analyse it and write up on it. We just keep track of everything so that when we do produce a report or are called on to respond to questions we have the information available.
Do you provide any support for those who report these incidents? Right now it’s very basic. We help them file a report with police or maybe reach out to services like counseling. Someone in our group often calls people back and counsels them directly, just talks to them and gives them an ear to listen to or talk to. And I think that alone does a lot of benefit. What your plans for the Register? Just enhancing the reporting tool, using Facebook more, making sure that we’re getting the right information to allow us to best assist people and increasing the frequency of the reports. Also hoping to increase communication with academic bodies, with journalists, with government agencies - just sharing that information. So what challenges does the Register face? The same challenges that any nonprofit faces which are sustainability and funding. Like I said it’s all volunteer based now. But as it grows it requires more time and more energy and more effort. And if we really want to see it take the leap to the next level it’s going to require paid staff at some point. And if the community really wants this organisation, and wants to see a long lasting presence, it needs to invest in it at some point. Another challenge is dealing with the hate out there against the Register itself - it’s quite a lot of hate. As much hate as we got at CAIR, it amazes me how much hate there is for the Register, and how much hate there is for Muslims actually speaking up for themselves in Australia. Also, we can’t let this just be about us. We
www.amust.com.au
14/09/2015 3:16:21 PM
Mariam Veiszadeh, former President of Islamophobia Register Auatralia. have to realise that the best thing we can do is to advocate against oppression no matter who the oppressor or the oppressed is. How can the community help? First thing is just reporting incidents. Too often Muslims normalise discriminatory behaviour. And so really reporting those things to the register and giving us the data that we can then use to promote the Register and provide to elected officials and community leaders to show them that this is what our community is going through. And so if people can just talk about the register in their local community, if they can donate to help us pay for our P.O. Box or pay for our web domain, if they can offer a couple hours a month to call back people who have reported incidents and just talk to them and just check in on them. If you’re a law student, offering to research legal issues and write legal papers. If you’re someone interested in writing or academia offering to do some analysis or write editorials - little bits here and there can really go a long way. The Islamophobia Register can be accessed via: www.islamophobia.com.au Facebook: www.facebook.com/ islamophobiaregisteraustralia/ The full interview can be found on the AMUST website. Manarul Islam is an IT professional and AMUST correspondent based in Canberra.
Australasian Muslim Times
9
AMUST
COMMUNITY
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS 1-4
BOOMERANG 5-7
AUSTRALIA 13 - 14
COMMUNITY 8 - 12
LIFESTYLE 15 - 17
WISHING YOU PROSPERITY, JOY AND HAPPINESS ON THE OCCASION OF EID UL ADHA.
Eid Mubarak Luke Foley MP Member for Auburn
Luke Foley MP
Member for Auburn Leader of the Opposition
Steve Kamper MP Member for Rockdale
10
Sophie Cotsis MP
Member for Canterbury
Jodie McKay MP
Member for Strathfield
Australasian Muslim Times
Jihad Dib MP
Member for Lakemba
Edmond Atalla MP
Member for Mount Druitt
www.amust.com.au
Julia Finn MP
Shaoquett Moselmane
Michael Daley MP
Hugh McDermott MP
Member for Granville
Member for Maroubra
Member of the Legislative Council
Member for Prospect
September 2017
UMMAH 18
EDUCATION 19 - 20
BUSINESS 21
COMMUNITY
SOCIAL 22 - 23
Twin Talks: The Survival of Civil Islam and Difference in Dialogue Minh Ai Nguyen Professor Scott Alexander, from the Chicago Catholic Theological Union delivered two talks during the Sydney leg of his Australia and New Zealand tour in August with a presentation titled, Reforming Reform: Hizmet and the survival of ‘Civil Islam’ in contemporary Turkey; and another one titled ‘Difference in Dialogue: Promise or Peril?’ The first event was held on Monday 7 August at Western Sydney University’s new Peter Shergold Building in collaboration between Affinity Intercultural Foundation and Western Sydney University’s School of Social Sciences and Psychology. The talk included a response from Professor Kevin Dunn, Dean of the School of Social Science and Psychology and Professor in Human Geography and Urban Studies from Western Sydney University (WSU). The conversation was moderated by Associate Professor Cristina Rocha, WSU’s Director of Religion and Society Research Cluster. Special guests in attendance included Deniz Erdogan, Executive Principal of Amity College, Laura Beylerian, Multicultural Community Liaison Officer from the Department of Social Services as well as Commander Jodi Radmore from the NSW Police
From left: Ahmet Polat, Professor Scott Alexander, Associate Professor Cristina Rocha and Professor Kevin Dunn. Force. Professor Alexander began his talk by giving a background of Islamic renewal and reform, before highlighting its contemporary iterations, which include Neo-Modernist, Neo-Traditionalist, Puritan and Shiite thought. He discussed Secular Nationalism and the seeds of “civil Islam” (a term coined by Professor Ihsan Yilmaz) in the Nurcu and Hiz-
met Movements and proceeded to highlight the principal teachings of Fethullah Gulen, which are inspired by Said Nursi and the Nurcu Movement. For Professor Alexander, the survival and future of “civil Islam” in Turkey and other Muslim majority societies will depend on a “re-evaluation of the role of the state in post-colonial social renewal and reform, as well as the depth of popular commitment
ACU Associate Professor Salih Yucel presenting a gift to Affinity advisory board member Clive Pearson presentAssociate Professor Cristina Rocha. ing a gift to Professor Scott Alexander.
AMUST
to an intersectional approach to building strong civil societies.” Professor Alexander’s second presentation was on Tuesday 8 August with a Lunchtime Lecture at Affinity Intercultural Foundation’s offices in Sydney on the topic of Difference in Dialogue: Promise or Peril? The talk included a response from Professor Neil Ormerod, Professor of Theology at the Australian Catholic University. The conversation was moderated by retired ABC radio journalist, John Cleary. Special guests in attendance included Leo Oaeke, Papua New Guinea Consul, Karl Hartleb, Austrian Consul-General and Anthony Long, Chief Inspector Commander of the Engagement and Intervention Unit, Anti-Terrorism and Security Group and Counter Terrorism and Special Tactics Command from the NSW Police Force. In his talk, Professor Alexander interrogated what he refers to as the ‘sameness platitude’ and questioned what inter-religious forms of dialogue would be like if they were founded on the alternative premise that we are often more different than we are alike. He quoted verse 13 from the Surat al-Hujurat from the Quran to highlight that “human difference is not an accident of history, but instead an outcome of divine providence and design.” According to Professor Alexander, our difference should be viewed as, “an opportunity for growth…in knowledge and awareness of one another, self, and ultimately God through the process of relational encounter in difference.” He questioned why in the present day, society is still afraid of difference. He offered that one reason is because we have “become so attached to the necessary but limited sense of security we get from homogeneity and the familiar, that we erect it as a false idol and lose the capacity to see the inherent beauty and transformative power of the heterogeneous and the strange.” He proposed that dialogue and education be viewed as “sources of hope” to counteract hostile views of difference. Professor Alexander concluded his talk with a hopeful message about looking inwards and self-reflecting to realise our potential and begin to take positive action in our daily lives. Minh Ai Nguyen has a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and International Comparative Literature from the University of Sydney. She has worked in communications within the start-up sector and the education industry. She is currently an Executive Assistant at Affinity Intercultural Foundation based in Sydney.
Chris Hayes’ praise for MEFF in Parliament AMUST Media Mr Chris Hayes MP, Chief Opposition Whip and Federal Member for the electorate of Fowler in south west Sydney highlighted the contributions of MEFF towards multiculturalism during his constituency statement in the Federal parliament on Wednesday 16 August 2017. Last month I had the pleasure of attending the Multicultural Eid Festival and Fair in the Fairfield Showground. It is an event which is held annually in my community to celebrate the end of the holy month of Ramadan. The event, hosted by the Australian MEFF Consortium, provides a wonderful showcase of multiculturalism in Australia and a great display of diversi-
September 2017
ty, peace and tolerance. It is an event which welcomes Muslims and non-Muslims alike. It was a delight to take part in this terrific event, a very festive occasion celebrated with fine food, entertainment and various cultural displays. It was a genuine family and community event. This year’s event marked 34 years that the Multicultural Eid Festival and Fair has been occurring. It is an event which was first celebrated in my community back in 1985. This festival is one of the first, largest and longest-running Eid festivals held in Australia, bringing together families and friends from over 35 different cultural communities. I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the commitment, dedication and hard work of the organising committee and the various volunteers who put this event on each and every year. MEFF continues to grow and spread the
word of peace and social harmony, whilst at the same time combining fun, family entertainment and celebration, which is very much the basis of our community. The festival also provides the opportunity for all Australians to join with those of the Islamic faith in celebrating the diversity and vibrancy of our culture and traditions, showing the benefits of our multiculturalism and encouraging interfaith dialogue and cross-cultural understanding. In this regard, I congratulate the MEFF Consortium for its excellent community reputation, which comes from its extraordinary efforts and a dedicated team who work tirelessly throughout the year to encourage social inclusion throughout our local community. In particular, I would like to congratulate Mr Zia Ahmad and his wife, Mehar, for their ongoing commitment to MEFF and its ser-
www.amust.com.au
Chris Hayes MP, Federal Member for Fowler speaking at MEFF 2017. vices to my local community. I’m honoured to represent the most multicultural community of the whole of Australia, and it makes me proud to know that multiculturalism, our diversity and the vibrancy of our community in Western Sydney makes it one of the best in the country.
Australasian Muslim Times
11
AMUST
COMMUNITY
Events Calendar Eid Festivals Sydney Eid Festival: 2 - 3 Sept Paul Keating Park, NSW Eid Show: 2 - 3 Sept Bankstown Showground, NSW
Malek Fahd Eid Festival: 4 Sept 405 Waterloo Rd, Greenacre, NSW ISRA Eid Picnic: 9 Sept Parramatta Park, NSW Liverpool Eid Festival: 15 - 17 Sept Bulldogs park, NSW Islamic Eid Festival: 9 - 10 Sept Ilim Reserve, VIC Eid @ Luna Park: 10 - 11 Sept Luna Park, VIC Adelaide Eid Festival: 3 Sept Rymill Park, SA
Everyone’s Reading About Them Melbourne Thu 7, Sat 9 Sept, 2017 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM 250 Hume Hwy, Somerton
VIC
www.isra.org.au
The Story of Musa Reviving the Islamic Art of Story Telling
Sat 9, Sun 10 Sept, 2017 9:00 PM - 6:00 PM LMA, 71-75 Wangee NSW Road, Lakemba www.facebook.com/ events/293694934437489
Crescent Wealth Eid at Luna Park Melbourne
Sun 10, Mon 11 Sept, 2017 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM VIC Luna Park, 18 Lower Esplanade, St Kilda crescentwealth.com.au/ eidatlunapark/
One4Kids Dinner Night Sunday 17 Sept, 2017 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM NSW Bicentennial Park, Homebush one4kids.net/start/one4kidsdinner-night/
Twins of Faith 2017
My Life, Our Reality, The Future Sunday 24 Sept, 2017 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM NSW Rosehill Gardens, James Ruse Dr, Rosehill attend.twinsoffaith.com/syd/
View more events online or add your own at amust.com.au/calendar
12
NEWS 1-4
BOOMERANG 5-7
COMMUNITY 8 - 12
AUSTRALIA 13 - 14
LIFESTYLE 15 - 17
Youth PoWR brings ‘Light in Dark Times’: Sparking an interfaith movement of hope
Dr Patrick Mclnerney More than 200 young people participated in this year’s Youth PoWR (Parliament of World Religions) on Sunday 20 August 2017 in Strathfield, Sydney. Now in its third year, Youth PoWR is a multi-faith initiative of the Columban Mission Institute’s Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations. It brings together young people from diverse religions – Aboriginal, Baha’i, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism and Sikhism – and secular society. Youth PoWR is by young people – the members of the Coordinating Committee are young representatives from different religions who plan, organise, promote and host the event; with young people – the speakers and performers are young people; for young people – the participants are young people from diverse religious and cultural backgrounds across Sydney. The venue was Santa Sabina College, where young people aged 17-35 engaged with each other on the practical implications of this year’s theme, ‘Light in Dark Times’. In a video message from Chicago, Rev Dr Larry Greenfield, Executive Director of the Parliament of the World’s Religions, had a positive and encouraging message for the participants. Dr Greenfield said he was keen to listen and learn from this gathering of Australian youth from different religions, and extended an invitation to join him and others from around the world at next year’s Parliament of the World’s Religions to be held in November in Toronto, Canada. The event began with all attendees taking part in an exciting icebreaker activity. The program featured inspiring talks, dynamic performances expressing compassion and justice in artistic form, and great engagement of the young people with each other. The program included speakers from four
Rabbi Zalman Kastel, Performers from Natyanivedan Indian Dance School and Jihad Dib, MP. Meet and greet your neighbours and work faiths: Leonard Choy (Buddhism), Rabbi Nicole Roberts (Judaism) Matin Gouniai colleagues from other religions; Be friendly, (Baha’i) and Sourosh Cina (Islam). There a smile can make a world of difference; Ofwere also performances from Hope Unit- fer congratulations for a wedding or a birth; ing Band (Christian), Natyanivedan Indian Offer condolences on a death. Learn about the faiths of others from a reDance School (Hindu) and Shaheedi Faujan liable source; the best way to break down Gatka Akhara (Sikh). Participants gathered in small groups and stereotypes is to meet with one of the faithconsidered a range of issues. Racism and ful, so that their religion is not just an idea, Discrimination and Climate Change and the but has a face and a name. Be curious; ask questions; do not be invaEnvironment emerged as the two most important issues to them and to young people sive, but a sincere, respectful enquiry will in their faith community. The group partic- almost always allay fears, elicit a genuine ipants then discussed their chosen issue in response and lead to better mutual underdepth and came up with one concrete, prac- standing. Youth PoWR is an initiative of the Columtical action to address that issue. The entire gathering then voted on the action propos- ban Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations. This year’s Youth PoWR was sponsored by als. Through meeting, discussing and agree- The Glenburnie Program, the NSW Governing on shared commitments, the members ment through Multicultural NSW, and Saint of Youth PoWR demonstrated how young Columban’s Mission Society. people from different religions can model harmonious inter-religious living for the rest Rev Dr Patrick McInerney is the Director of the Columban Mission Institute and Coorof the world to emulate. The panel discussed some of the ways to dinator of its Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations and is based in Sydney. foster interfaith relations include:
Independence Day Celebrations for India and Pakistan
Hanif Bismi
The 71st Independence Day celebrations for both India and Pakistan were held in Sydney organised by diplomatic missions as well as various community organisations. The Pakistan Association of Australia (PAA) organised Pakistan’s 71st Independence Day celebration on Sunday 13 August was held at the Orion Function Centre in Campsie. Pakistan celebrates its Independence Day on 14 August. The program was conducted as “Azadi Mela” which attracted people of Pakistani origin and others from all walks of life. There were various stalls for food and other merchandise, cultural entertainment including songs and speeches by guests. The Consulate General of India marked the 71st Independence Day on Tuesday 15 August morning at their City premises by organising a flag hoisting ceremony followed by cultural performances and patriotic songs. The event was attended by 250 guests from Indian diaspora. The same evening a reception was hosted by the Consulate to mark the 70th Anniversary of India’s Independence at ‘Pier One,’ overlooking the Sydney Harbour Bridge attended by around 300 guests.
Australasian Muslim Times
The reception was graced by many dignitaries including Hon Ray Williams MP, Minister for Multiculturalism and Minister for Disability; Hon Victor Dominello MP, Minister for Finance, Services and Property; Hon David Elliott MP, Minister for Counter Terrorism, Minister for Corrections, and Minister for Veterans Affairs amongst other Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Council, representatives from Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, local business representatives, mainstream and ethnic media and prominent members of the Indian community. The chief guest at the PAA event was Hon Ray Willaims, Minister for Multiculturalism and Disability Services. He highlighted the many contributions of Pakistani community particularly enriching Australia’s Multiculturalism. Shaoquett Moselmane MLA stressed the contribution of late Abdul Sattar Edi and all observed one minute silent in the honour of the great humanitarian philanthropist of Pakistan. Mr Jihad Dib MP and Geoff Lee MP appreciated Pakistani community’s involvement and contribution to the larger Australian society. Sophie Cotsis MP and Julie Owens MP expressed their warm feelings for the Pakistani community and noted how t smoothly they integrated into the mainstream Australian society. In the presence of the Consul General of Pakistan Mr Abdul Majid Yousafani and
www.amust.com.au
Vice Consul Ms Bushra Salam, Dr Ruth Pfau, the German-born medical missionary who dedicated her life in containing leprosy in Pakistan who recently passed away at the age of 87 was honoured. A unique event was organised by the Saturday School run by Muhammadi Welfare Association to jointly mark the 71st Independence Day celebration of both India and Pakistan on Saturday 12 August that was attended by children of Australians of Indo-Pak origin.
September 2017
UMMAH 18
EDUCATION 19 - 20
BUSINESS 21
AUSTRALIA
SOCIAL 22 - 23
AMUST
Structure of Salary and Wage in Australia
Australian workforce is changing. There are varied levels of employees covered by different award systems. There is a higher proportion of highly paid managers and professionals in the Individual Arrangements category than Enterprise Agreements. Some industries are growing faster than others but different industries have different degrees of reliance on particular wage-setting structures and methods. This makes Australian industrial relations system as interesting as its people.
FINANCE Dr Abul Jalaluddin Australian workforce enjoys one of the most sophisticated and complex remuneration structures in the developed World. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) finds 3 main ways of setting salaries and wages of employees: (i) Industrial Award, (ii) Enterprise Agreements and (iii) Individual Arrangements. Industrial Awards Industrial Awards are legally enforceable determinations which are mainly made by the federal Fair Work Commission. The Commission is responsible for setting the minimum pay and conditions for employees in a particular industry or occupation. Any employer paying less than the minimum wage specified in the relevant award is in breach of law and could be prosecuted. Every year the Commission reviews and usually increases the “national minimum wage”, which is the lowest amount any adult employee may be paid. In June 2017, the national minimum wage was increased by 3.3% to $18.29 an hour. According to the latest statistics by ABS (May 2016), 23% of 10.1 million Australian employees were subject to minimum wage set by the Commission. Most part time employees are covered by Awards. The slowly increasing proportion of part time jobs are contributing to the greater coverage of workforce in this Award system. Industrial Awards are most common in hospitality (covering 43% of employees), administrative services (42%) and retailing (34%). Enterprise Agreements Enterprise Agreements are made at an
September 2017
Dr Abul Jalaluddin is an Islamic Finance expert, Director of MCCA, taxation advisor and a regular columnist of AMUST. He is based in Sydney.
enterprise level between employers and employees with representations by their union. In these Agreements, they collectively bargain for pay and conditions for all employees of the enterprise or agency. These Agreements must be registered with the Commission and they usually have wage rates and conditions (such as paid leave) that are more generous than provided for in the Industrial Awards. Approximately 36% of employees are covered by Enterprise Agreements in Australia. Collective bargaining is most common in public sector including public administration (78%), education and training (63%), utilities (60%) and health care (55%). Individual Agreements Individual Agreements are negotiated between an employer and employee. They certainly include executives and employees in highly paid professions whose wages and
conditions have always been set by direct negotiation with the boss or board of directors. Chief Executive Officers of large corporations are employees whose contracts are individually agreed upon with their respective board of directors. The largest share of employees’ (41%) wages are set by Individual Agreements and some of which could include people who are still on individual contracts left over from the Work Choice era. Individual Agreements are most common in professional and technical services (80%), wholesale trade (70%), rental and real estate services (63%), construction (58%) and manufacturing (55%). By comparison, the hourly rates of pay are highest for employees with Enterprise Agreements ($39.60), with Individual Arrangements next on $38.50 and Industrial Awards last on $29.60.
www.amust.com.au
Like us on
fb.com/amust.au
Australasian Muslim Times
13
AMUST
AUSTRALIA
NEWS 1-4
BOOMERANG 5-7
COMMUNITY 8 - 12
AUSTRALIA 13 - 14
LIFESTYLE 15 - 17
Marching off for Commissioner O’Callaghan Zia Ahmad An event to farewell Dr Karl O’Callaghan, the WA Police Commissioner was held on Friday 11 August 2017. Dr O’Callaghan’s 44year policing career including 13 years as WA Police Commissioner was celebrated during this moving march-off ceremony at the Joondalup Police Academy. He maintained a strong public voice, known for his advocacy on a range of social issues impacting policing and the community. His annual morning tea with the Muslim community Imams and Leaders in WA have grown as an important event on the WA Police calendar In his final years Dr O’Callaghan implemented the Frontline 2020 program, which included a restructuring of the agency to better meet rising demands for policing services with limited resources. He is credited with bringing the agency into the 21st century and tactically preparing police for dealing with contemporary operational challenges. Starting as a 17-year-old cadet in 1973, Dr O’Callaghan graduated as Dux of Course from the Academy in January 1976. He went on to serve with distinction, gaining experience in key roles across the agency including general duties, country policing,
Chris Dawson, newly appointed WA Police Commissioner.
The march-off ceremony for Dr Karl Academy, Western Australia. traffic, community engagement, training and professional standards. In 1998 his academic endeavours culminated in becoming the first WA Police officer to complete a PhD. He was awarded the Australian Police Medal in 2002, and at age 47 he was the youngest post-war Commissioner when he was appointed to the top job in June 2004. Dr O’Callaghan’s term began by implementing the reforms of the Kennedy Royal Commission. He went on to oversee and implement widespread cultural, business and process change in the Western Australia Police. He also championed the Frontline First policing direction and reintroduced a ‘back to basics’ reassurance style of policing. Commissioner Dawson to replace Dr O’Callaghan Dr O’Callaghan will be replaced by the new WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson APM. In his previous 38 years with the agency, including ten years as Deputy Commissioner, Mr Dawson managed operational policing within metropolitan and regional areas,
Multilingual Doctor Helping Multicultural Communities Zaynab Gul Multilingual doctor, Alifa Khan from Cranbourne, Victoria, is determined to using her language skills to help the elderly and migrant communities receive higher standards of medical care and services. Born in Bangladesh, Dr Khan now practices at Unique Medical Centre, a new and well equipped modern practice in the heart of Cranbourne, where she hopes to contribute to the community in every possible way. Dr Khan, who is fluent in Bengali and English and can understand Urdu and Hindi, said that knowing a language doesn’t only mean a new set of vocabularies, but rather it means understanding a different culture. “This is more appropriate while treating elderly residents and new migrants coming to Australia from around the globe., Knowing these languages helps me to overcome the main barrier of communication and to treat the patients properly,” she said. When Dr Khan first moved to Australia six years ago, she felt that she had to find a Bangladeshi GP to help to solve medical issues for herself and her family. “This made me think that maybe it’ll be great if I can support those new migrants in
14
need. Now, on multiple instances, my patients have expressed their gratitude for my efforts in their management. At the end of the day, I feel satisfied with what I am doing for myself and the community.” For Dr Khan, the best part of her journey has been the experience itself which is still ongoing. Over last 6 years, she has become an Australian citizen and a Fellow GP from Royal college of General Practitioners. But, more than this, Dr Khan said that the enormous love and respect she has received from the patients can never be compared with anything else. “Last month, one of my 82 years old patient gifted me a hand-made throw blanket. Due to extreme tremor and poor eyesight, it’s difficult for her to sew it. But she still did and I didn’t know what to say.” Dr Khan sees herself as a good Australian Muslim citizen and doctor whose utmost priority is to maintain the Australian standard of healthcare and follow all required guidelines and ethical responsibilities. “I hope I’ll continue working in this community for a long time. I want to work with individuals and their families, thus knowing them better and contributing to the society and the communities from all backgrounds.” Zaynab Gul is a university student studying Law and Media at UNSW.
Australasian Muslim Times
O’Callaghan at the Joondalup Police including the specialist portfolios of serious and organised crime, counter terrorism and state protection. Mr Dawson returns to WA Police after a three-year stint as Chief Executive of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission. He joined the Western Australia Police as a cadet in February 1976, going on to provide 38 years of continuous service in country and metropolitan positions across a range of portfolios. Appointed to the rank of superintendent in 1999, he became the inaugural principal of the WA Police Academy in Joondalup. The Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2002 saw him awarded the Australian Police Medal for distinguished service. After long stints acting up as an Assistant Commissioner, he was appointed Deputy Commissioner under Karl O’Callaghan in July 2004, with a brief to lead an agency reform program resulting from outcomes from the Kennedy Royal Commission. From May 2008, he had overall management of all operational policing within metropolitan and regional areas, including
Dr Karl O’Callaghan, former WA Police Commissioner. the specialist portfolios of serious and organised crime, counter terrorism and state protection. In 2011, Mr Dawson headed up the biggest security operation in the history of WA Police, as State Commander for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). He was responsible for the security of all attending Heads of State from 53 Commonwealth countries and their respective senior ministers and delegates. After ten years as Deputy Commissioner, Mr Dawson left WA Police in April 2014 to take up the role of Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, formerly the Australian Crime Commission. He has also served as Director of the Australian Institute of Criminology. This experience is a key factor in his return to WA Police in August 2017 as the newly appointed WA Police Commissioner. Zia Ahmad is the Managing Editor of the Australasian Muslim Times & is based in Sydney.
Survey of visitors to detention centres
Philip Feinstein Many people visit Villawood and other detention centres throughout Australia to give stressed refugees some company, as well as news of the outside world. Some of these visitors are ordinary people, while others are volunteers teaching art, music and other pleasantry and stress relieving activities The Refugee Council of Australia came to realise that things were not easy when it came to visiting centres and accordingly conducted a survey of challenges faced by
www.amust.com.au
people visiting immigration detention. The questions in the survey ranged from asking what barriers the visitors faced, what issues refugees in detention asked them, how effective they found the meetings, and what suggestions they might make to improve the effectiveness of the visits. Most people answering the survey were anonymous for obvious reasons. Apparently, the Department of Immigration and Australian Border Force have both received a copy of the survey results and are looking closely at it. The result is a big read, but very interesting: https://goo.gl/EZU8ke Philip Feinstein is a Sydney based writer, musician and activist working for MUSIC FOR REFUGEES www.musicforrefugees.org
September 2017
UMMAH 18
EDUCATION 19 - 20
BUSINESS 21
LIFESTYLE
SOCIAL 22 - 23
AMUST
Australia needs to combat bullying in schools Gulhan Eryegit Yoldas Bullying is a serious issue in our schools which can lead to devastating consequences like suicide and self-harm in the child being bullied. The Australian Bullying Prevalence Study states that 1 in 4 school aged children (between 8 and 14 years of age) are being bullied in Australian schools every few weeks (1). Australia is clearly in urgent need of a unified anti-bullying program that’s inclusive, transparent, encompassing of all victims of bullying including those students bullied because of their ethnicity, race, faith, weight, socio-economic status and the many many other reasons why children are being bullied. The Safe Schools program does none of this. There’s nothing that makes me want to build a tiny house and live off-grid more than the Safe Schools program, in my opinion a social engineering initiative dressed in sheep’s clothing. There’s actually only one reason for bullying and that is a behavioural issue within the bully. Bullying has little to do with the victim, what they wear, how they look, what they believe, or don’t believe. It makes no difference to the bully. The fact that the Safe Schools program isn’t actually addressing bullying as a behavioural issue is very troubling. Furthermore, using anti-bullying as a facade for transgender advocacy is evidently infuriat-
ing for many, given the political and social backlash for the program. By correctly addressing bullying as a behavioural issue in school aged children, we’re able to address the problem at grassroots level, paving the way to reducing incidents of things like domestic violence rates and youth suicide rates in Australia. Children that bully don’t stay children forever. The Safe Schools program lacks unbiased expert advice. Australia needs a program with a clear agenda specifically to
NZF reopens Zakat Centre in Lakemba
combat bullying. While many parents have been vocal in their opposition to this program there are also many that choose to quietly show their disapproval by turning to options like home-schooling. There’s been a substantial increase in home-schooling in Australia, in some regions by up to 300% (2). The more we try to push these theories onto school aged children, parents will continue to react in the best interest of their child. Most Muslims won’t engage in any form of discussion on this topic for fear of having words like ‘shariah law’ and ‘extremist’ and ‘homophobic’ being thrown around. Ask the Muslims who went to school or work the day after 9/11 about bullying. Muslims don’t commit suicide as a fundamental condition of their faith. There’s essentially no suicide statistics to prove the extent of the bullying that occurs against
young people of the Muslims faith, or unfortunately sometimes bullying of young people of other faiths that get mistaken for Muslim. There is no data collaborated on the number of Muslim girls who’ve had their hijab pulled off their heads, been spat at, the racial slurs, the threats… the relentless verbal and physical bullying. Why are all minority groups and the most vulnerable members of the student body not adequately represented as a part of this ‘anti-bullying’ program? If there was no other agenda, you would expect the Safe Schools program to have an entire section just dedicated to understanding Islam and Muslims. But what we really need is a program dedicated to instilling wholesome core values in the bully like respect, integrity, human decency, compassion and empathy as the core strategy. A program dedicated to transforming the bully into a productive citizen that makes positive contributions to their families and communities instead of being a liability. We need to do this now while bullies are still in school, in a way that’s unbiased, inclusive and sustainable. Lastly it must be stated that people of faith in God who disagree with the choices of the LGBTIQ community are swiftly labelled homophobic. More often than not it’s not the community people of faith, in accordance with their religious tradition, fear, it’s God’s wrath. No one is perfect enough to pass judgement on anyone else, except God, The Most Glorified. The door of repentance is always open for anyone who wishes to repent sincerely, and God is Most-Merciful, Most-Forgiving. Gulhan Eryegit Yoldas has a background in marketing and has been involved in organising many intercultural events including the first Telstra Iftar Dinner in Melbourne.
PAYMENT IN AUSTRALIA Farooq Syed Lakemba The National Zakat Foundation (NZF) re-opened the doors to their frequently visited Zakat Centre on Thursday 27 July, located in the suburb of Lakemba, after undergoing major renovations. Mr Jihad Dib, MP, the Labor Member from Lakemba cut the ribbons accompanied by Mr Ismail Davids, the National Manager of NZF. The renovation of the Centre was made possible through the Community Building Partnership, an initiative of the NSW government that awards grants for community infrastructure projects. Mr Dib discussed with Mr Davids and the NZF team, the various initiatives run by NZF to empower those in need in the local community. Many parallels were drawn between the common interests of the government and NZF in making our local community better and stronger Ideas were exchanged between the attendees on how to tackle social issues such as family violence, affordable housing, education, unemployment, refugees, emergency relief, crisis accommodation and ex-offenders.
September 2017
Some key findings included: • Community issues are not specific to any one nationality /culture. • 68% of those NZF assists are female. • Zakat is not just about receiving & distributing money; it’s about what programs we run with that money to empower those in need. The event ended with a note of appreciation from both Mr Dib and the National Zakat Foundation team acknowledging the contribution that each makes to the community. The National Zakat Foundation has been operating in Australia since 2013 and has assisted over 4,000 cases in need locally here in Australia. You can visit their Zakat Centres in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth or Adelaide should you need any assistance with understanding & calculating your Zakat. Watch highlights of the event on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2qTGQZSQxwY For more information, visit www.nzf.org. au. Farooq Syed, NZF National Marketing Manager leads the marketing & communication teams with the aim to increase awareness of the services that NZF provides to the local community both to payers & receivers.
$99
Australian Dollars
OR SHEEP
GOAT
All slaughtering is done by our Ustads & Deeni students. All meat goes to poor villagers and madrasas. ANZ BSB: 012 341 | Account Number: 540 136 101 Account Name: Luqman Hakim Landy Send your name, proof of payment, email & mobile to: yjimslhl@yahoo.com or 0413 662 880
www.amust.com.au
Australasian Muslim Times
15
AMUST
LIFESTYLE Introducing FoodFlukes
Mobinah Ahmad
In an AMUST first, we bring to you a food blog like no other. FoodFlukes is an incredible food blog that provides “next-level dishes created by chance”. FoodFlukes was created by Fadeela Saloojee, and it’s full of recipes that she’s stumbled across in her quest to banish the banal from weeknight suppers and desserts. Fadeela is a South African woman with Indian heritage who moved to Australia about a year ago with her husband, affectionately named Mr Foodflukes. “Since moving to Sydney, I realised that we South Africans have some quirky names for fruit. Our beloved naartjie, which moonlights as a type of mandarin. My search for naartjies in Australia went on for a while before I figured this one out.” A chemical engineer working as an energy consultant, Fadeela’s passion for documenting her interesting recipes began one a half years ago during her free time. Whilst modestly called FoodFlukes, the food blog portrays exceptional skills and expertise in cooking a sumptuous array of desserts and savoury dishes as well as beautiful photography and food design. FoodFlukes was born from an idea of experimenting with unusual flavour combinations. “That’s my style of cooking,” said Fadeela during the interview. “I wanted to share and hopefully inspire others to get into the kitchen.” However, having said that, she does admit that “not all my “experiments” turn out well, but fortunatel y ,
NEWS 1-4
BOOMERANG 5-7
COMMUNITY 8 - 12
AUSTRALIA 13 - 14
LIFESTYLE 15 - 17
ICSOA organises unique “Consular Camp” in Sydney
the disasters don’t go further than Mr. Foodflukes.” What makes FoodFlukes especially exquisite is Fadeela’s interesting cultural background, passion for trying new and exciting recipes and incredible mouth-watering photos. FoodFlukes is all about fresh ingredients and quirky twists on classics. “If you’re going to be a regular here, stock up on the dark chocolate,” she writes in her blog. Fadeela’s inspiration comes from many places, starting from a regular trip to the grocery store to an episode of Masterchef. However, what makes her food blog particularly fascinating is that she takes well-known dishes and adds an interesting spin to it. Take for example, The Mandarin Sponge with Cardamon Whipped Cream and Mandarin Curd. “The mandarin cake was inspired by a classic Victoria sponge, but I switched out the traditional jam and cream with a curd made from mandarins (which we call naartjies in South Africa), and cardamom-flavoured cream. The colloquial name for this cake is my naartjie and elachi cake. Because I like food that rhymes” said Fadeela. Some of Fadeela’s favourite blogs to follow are The Kate Tin and Drizzle and Dip, both which are South African blogs, and a Swedish blog called Call me Cupcake. If you haven’t subscribed to foodflukes. wordpress.com, do it now and be sure to follow her blog on Instagram @ foodflukes where she shares her food photography and recipes. Stay tuned for recipes in our next AMUST issue!
Professor Rajeshwari Prasad Mathur presenting an ICSOA gift to Mr S K Verma, Consul (Consular) from CGI Sydney. highlighted the ongoing, issues and hardDr Fasihuddin Khan ship faced by the Indian community in obtaining Indian visa. He pointed out the services which are proThe Indian crescent socivided directly by Consulate General namely ety of Australia (ICSOA) life certificate, emergency paper, transportaorganised a Consular tion of dead body while others provided by Camp for the community VFS, document attestation, OCI, driver’s on Saturday 19 August license, passport and renewals. 2017 at Berala ComMr Verma clarified that in the case of inmunity Centre, Berala, complete form; applicants are not required NSW. to re visit, instead asked to post the required This event was organised in order to create awareness among the com- documents which are needed to complete munity about services provided by Indian the form. It was also explained that ADHAR Consulate in Sydney and VFS and address and PAN card is not required for the holder concerns related to the processing of visa of OCI card. The Question and answer session folapplications. The popular event was attended by people lowed by presentations were most interestof Indian origin including representatives ing and highly interactive. Many questions and office bearers of various community or- were related to visa processes, hurdles and inconvenience to applicants. ganisations. Questions were also asked regarding passMr S K Verma, Mr Krishna Yallapragada and Mr Wasihaider Syed were the invited port cancellation and how to keep proof of guests from the Indian Consulate General in surrendering passports. Rights of OCI card holder were also explained limited only for Sydney and VFS. The program started with the recitation of buying of agricultural land and exercising Quran by Ms Tahera Chaudhary followed voting during election. Mr S K Verma, Mr Krishna Yallapragada by welcoming of all present by Dr Fasihuddin Khan, ICSOA Secretary. He gave a and Mr Wasihaider Syed were all presentbrief overview about the Consular Camp, its ed with gifts from ICSOA in recognition of relevance and importance to both the com- their services towards the community. Secretary of ICSOA, announced the upmunity as well as to the Indian diplomatic coming event, “ICSOA Legal” organised in mission. ICSOA President, Mr Abbas Raza Alvi association with the Migrant Resource Cenduring his address provided an update on tre on 16 September 2017 at 2:30 pm at ParICSOA activities, mission and future goals ramatta. Seminar focus will be on common explaining that the objective and purpose legal issues and rights of citizens. Further of ICSOA is to integrate and have a collec- details from contact@icsoa.org.au tive voice for Indian Muslims in Australia, representing them on Indian platforms in Dr Fasihuddin Khan based in Sydney is an Australia as well as contribute towards the IT professional working at the University of New South Wales. He is currently Secretary welfare of Muslims in India. Mr S K Verma, Consul (Consular), Head of ICSOA and is a past President of AMU of Consular and Community Welfare Wing Alumni of Australia and is associated and from Consulate General of India in Sydney served with a number of community, literwas the keynote speaker at the event. He ary, social and educational organizations.
Mandarin Sponge with Cardamon Whipped Cream and Mandarin Curd.
16
Australasian Muslim Times
www.amust.com.au
September 2017
UMMAH 18
EDUCATION 19 - 20
BUSINESS 21
LIFESTYLE
SOCIAL 22 - 23
AMUST
Predictors for a healthy marriage Marriage
Bureau
HEALTHY MARRIAGE HACKS
Seeker & Sought For
Bilal Dannoun Two of the highest predictors of a healthy and long-lasting marriage are communication and knowledge of your spouse. Communication This is about listening, sharing your thoughts, and avoiding being critical. Communication is also about understanding your spouse’ needs and expectations through conversation and consequently exploring their physical, emotional and spiritual needs. Healthy couples who communicate what they want, avoid getting what they don’t want. Communication is to a marriage like oxygen is to life; in both cases, the latter cannot survive without the former. Effective communication involves turning towards your lover whilst listening (not just hearing) with your ears and eyes. Genuine communication enables you to solve your problems with ease. When you’re having any sort of problem, you’ll be honest with your spouse so you can work through it together. Being honest and building trust are incredibly important in any relationship. Without communication, neither of these things will happen. Knowledge of Your Spouse This is about knowing how to have fun with them, knowing their preferences, and caring about their values and wishes. When you know someone well, you know exactly what they like and dislike. You’ll be doing more thoughtful things for them be-
An initiative by the Islamic Foundation for Education and Welfare (IFEW)
Seekers
cause you know they’ll enjoy them. You’ll also avoid talking about any issues you know they feel a bit sensitive about. Additionally, you’ll understand each other for who you both really are. If you can’t be your true self around your spouse, then the relationship will most likely not last. Authentic connection is the key to a healthy relationship. It is unfortunate that many of us have no clue what our other half’s dreams are. Well, it’s not too late if you don’t know your loved one’s dreams. Why not approach them and pop the question, ‘What are your dreams?’ Once you have found out (after they will most likely have replied with, ‘I thought you’d never ask’), the next action you’ll want to take is to honour their dreams. If you only talk about the dreams with your spouse, then it will most likely stay a dream.
If on the other hand, you envision the dreams, seeing yourself actually engaging in them, you program your mind to see it becoming a possibility. The best course of action is to schedule the dream, taking baby steps that lead to the successful accomplishment of your lover’s dreams. These small habits are what can contribute to a healthy marriage in the long term. Bilal Dannoun is a renowned Islamic and Civil marriage celebrant based in Sydney. He is an experienced marriage counselor, offering marital advice with a blend of Islamic texts and modern day research. For more information about his relationship services, courses and events visit: bilaldannoun.com
F1515: Female, 58, Bangladeshi Muslimah, Divorced. I have 3 son’s. One of them living in Australia. I take Islam seriously and try to practice my best. Currently I am living with my son. I am looking for a practising Muslim who is an Australian citizen, open-minded with good manners.
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
`Marriage equity’ for not married and not equals Professor Shahjahan Khan According to the Australian Marriage Equity website the demand of the LGBTQIA group is the following: “We believe a person’s gender or sexuality should not affect their legal rights and responsibilities under Australian marriage law. Our approach to achieving marriage equality is through lobbying, advocacy and education.” The issue from their point of view is achieving legal rights and responsibilities. As citizens, if the state wants to recognize them the legal right, they should enjoy the rights within the legal system. Why would it require ‘marriage equity?’ I believe the phrase ‘marriage equity’ is misleading and deceiving as it uses the word ‘marriage’ wrongfully and totally against what marriage has been known since the inception of human creation. Marriage is a well-known social institution which has been serving as the foundation of family and enhanced the human population. Marriage is historically a religious and civil practice allowing union of two individuals of opposite gender. One of the main essence of marriage is to produce children for the continuity of human race. Marriage makes relationship of a woman and a man legal with the permission to live as one unique pair and entrusts the responsibilities of mother and father for their children. Legal rights and religious entitlements for the married couples are as wife and husband, and as mother and father. No extra-marital relationship should be included under marriage, as it is unnecessary and inappropriate. Marriage entails fatherhood and motherhood of the biological children of the couple, and this is impossible for relationship between people of the same gender. The legal recognition of same-sex
September 2017
union or cohabitation requires a new and different definition of the relationship, and the politicians should work to ensure this happens to respect the choice of people. Followers of all faiths including Jews, Christians and Muslims, believe marriage was instituted and ordained by God for the lifelong relationship between one man as husband and one woman as wife. They consider it as the most intimate of human relationships, a special gift from God, and a sacred institution. It is a gift of God, and the sacrament of matrimony is intended to perfect the couple’s love and to strengthen their indissoluble unity. By this grace they help one another to attain piety in their married life and in welcoming and educating their children. Almighty God, Allah has created every one of us from Adam and Eve (peace be upon them), and they were the first married couple – man/husband and woman/ wife. The institution of marriage continued throughout the history of mankind as the matrimonial union of a man and a woman. This is a sacred institution that is the foundation of the continuity of human race. Why should anyone temper with it? Why don’t we think about the consequences of abnormally changing something that is perfectly working for the society and mankind? If everyone decides to have relationship
only with people of the same gender, what will happen to the future of human race on earth? In nature, God has created living creatures in pairs – female and male for the progeny to continue. Human being is a part of the animal kingdom of God and inherit the same traits. In Islam any sexual relationship beyond married man and woman is a major sin and condemned in the Qur’an. Any violation of this will attract severe torment from Allah. The purity and continuity of human race is dependent on valid marriage. Can’t the government give legal rights to people who are not married but somehow related by some kind of commitment? If the government wants they could recognize the legal rights of the people of LGBTQIA groups accepting their relationship under another name with appropriate definition that reflects the nature of their relationship. Relationship between members of the same gender was never called or recognized as marriage, and logically speaking this is not marriage at all. Find another appropriate term to express their relationship (eg harrage for his/his or her/her relationship) so that they could enjoy their legal rights from the state without misusing the sacred institution of marriage. If we mix hydrogen and oxygen under certain conditions, we could produce wa-
ter. But if we mix hydrogen with hydrogen or oxygen with oxygen, we would never produce water under any conditions Why would you call the two mixtures equal? Is hydrogen equals to oxygen or water? The answer is NO, so why would we call union of two things something when they are clearly different than it. Marriage requires matrimonial relationship between a man and a woman – husband and wife. And certainly relationship between two men or two women will never satisfy the requirements to be called marriage. The whole motive, intention and phenomenon of relationship between people of the same gender is new, so we must find a new term for it, and certainly not try to make it equal to something that is totally different. The phrase ‘marriage equity’ reflects neither marriage nor equity. Relationship between a man and another man is not the same as the relationship between a man and a woman. If two people of the same gender fall in love, that is not marriage. As for the equity, simply (man + man) = two men, and similarly (woman + woman) = two women which are never equal to (man + woman). Why should we call two unequal things as equal? Since the underlying issue is the legal rights from the state, it is not necessary to express the relationship of people of the same gender using the misleading and inappropriate phrase ‘marriage equity’, while they are people with non-marriage, and never equal. Note: The views expressed in this article are exclusively of the author, and unrelated to any organization or institution or publication. Professor Shahjahan Khan is the former Vice President of the Islamic Council of Queensland, the Director of MCCA and Professor of Statistics, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland.
www.amust.com.au
Australasian Muslim Times
17
AMUST
UMMAH
NEWS 1-4
BOOMERANG 5-7
COMMUNITY 8 - 12
AUSTRALIA 13 - 14
LIFESTYLE 15 - 17
Does charitable action change poverty? Kyle Byrnes Why should Australians, or citizens of any developed nation, donate their time, energy, and money to social causes which do not affect themselves? It is easy to see that apathy reigns for the modern Australian in regards to social issues. When governments decimate foreign aid budgets, reject those seeking asylum, and the world’s richest continue to increase their share of global wealth, it is understandable for group mentalities to waver towards the opinion that each individual must rectify their problems without the aid of others. When it appears everyone else is focused on self-servicing, the only logical conclusion is that you follow-suit – or fall behind the pack. What possible difference could the efforts of one individual make to global poverty amidst a sea of inaction. We must understand what poverty is. Beyond traditional notions of material wealth, poverty is a deprivation of the capability to perform the actions one might wish to. Those in poverty may not have the capability to be well-nourished due to a lack of food supply, they may not have the capability to receive an education due to fears of persecution, or they may not have the capability to shelter their family as they are required to spend their money on food instead. It is in this multi-dimensional view of poverty that the ability for individual action to create tangible change becomes apparent. Modern development theory promotes the implementation of programs aimed at sustainability – the ability for the targets of the programs to reap the benefits into the future. Have no doubt that there are organisations who have not developed an eye for sustainability, and continue giving fishermen fish while their equipment lies in disrepair. Organisations like ours, Mahboba’s Prom-
Mahboba and the children of Abdara Girl’s School, Afghanistan. ise, fully embrace the concept of sustainable bought a midwifery kit to complete her development. training and go on to save innumerable chilEach dollar provided to us goes almost dren, for $25 tables and chairs can be bought entirely into the programs we run, giving a upon which widows will sit to get skilled in widow the education she needs to earn an farming and go on to be self-sustainable inincome for her family after her husband’s come generators, for $25 a girl can be put passing, training midwives so that less chil- through a month of schooling helping her dren die in infancy, or building a farm and towards a future filled with opportunity. training locals how to cultivate it so that Life changing donations go beyond monthey are capable of feeding their community etary, with children being able to attend indefinitely. school because they finally have appropriate For $200 a prospective midwife can be clothing donated to them, with awareness
of the circumstances facing those in poverty being raised by those volunteering their hours in offices, or even the money raised by those running a race in support of a charity. Each action taken by an individual can, and does, create real change in the fight against poverty. Stand up to the wave of apathy, and change the lives of those in need. To find out more about Mahboba’s Promise, visit our website at www.mahbobaspromise.org, or call 02 98871665.
India abolishes instant Triple Talaq Zahid Jamil In a historic decision on Monday 21 August 2017, a five-judge constitution bench of the Indian Supreme Court struck down by 3:2 majority, the practice of “Triple Talaq”, or instant divorce. The two judges, Chief Justice J S Khehar and Justice S Abdul Nazeer held triple talaq to be part of fundamental rights to religion of Muslims and said it was not unconstitutional. But, Justices Kurian Joseph, R F Nariman and U U Lalit said triple talaq violated the fundamental rights of Muslim women as they are subjected to arbitrary, instant, irrevocable divorce through this practice. Interestingly, the bench consisted of five male judges from different faiths — Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Sikhism and Zoroastrianism. They told the Government to come up with a new law within six months. The debate has been raging across India about the validity of Triple talaq for the past few decades. Eventually the Central Government challenged the practice and took the case to Supreme Court against the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB), the body providing for the application of the Islamic Law Code of Shariat to Muslims in India in personal affairs, known as Indian Muslims Personal Law. According to groups opposing instant triple talaq, the practice has caused injustice to many ordinary Muslim women in India.
18
Very often short tempered men pronounce talaq three or more times in anger or otherwise most of the time following differences or disputes. Under this practice, the triple talaq results in divorce between the couple with no way of reconciliation except going through Halala, where the wife has to marry another man and get divorce from him to remarry the previous husband. Instant triple talaq supporters claim that incidents of triple talaq constitutes less than 1 % cases of divorce among Muslims as found in a survey conducted by the New Delhi-based Centre for Research and Debates in Development Policy (CRDDP). They claim that it is an attempt by the Hindu Nationalist government to interfere with Muslim Personal Law provisions for Muslims in India. Islam aims at strengthening the institution
Australasian Muslim Times
of marriage. The right of divorce is given but only in exceptional circumstances. It is important to safeguard the best interests of women and children as well as peace within the family. Many Islamic scholars around the world regard the practice of triple talaq in one instance un-Islamic, clearly contrary to Quranic teachings that specify a period of three-month process during which attempts of reconciliation should be made. The practice of instant triple talaq has been abolished in most of the Muslim countries including neighbouring Pakistan and Bangladesh. While debate on instant triple talaq divides Muslim groups, they all oppose current government’s attempt to implement uniform civil code to replace the personal law provisions of major religious communities in India covering marriage, divorce,
www.amust.com.au
inheritance, adoption and maintenance. Thirteen years ago, nationally acclaimed Justice V R Krishna Iyer, pleaded in a piece titled ‘Unifying personal laws’ saying, “My powerful plea is that the personal laws may be reformed from within, without a quantum leap into a common code. Remarkable changes in Islamic laws are possible without violating the Quran but adopting progressive hermeneutics.” The issue described as ‘triple talaq’ has unnecessarily been confused with the issue of a uniform civil code, thus thrusting India’s minority Muslim community into the defensive. But this dilemma is essentially a question of whether the Supreme Court can pronounce on an issue of religious personal law? Zahid Jamil is an engineering post graduate and runs a financial planning practice based in Sydney. He heads South Asian Muslim Association of Australia, SAMAA: samaa. org.au), a benevolent institution offering wide range of services to the community elders.
Subscribe
to AMUST prices start from
$10
per year
Visit amust.com.au/subscribe
September 2017
UMMAH 18
EDUCATION 19 - 20
BUSINESS 21
SOCIAL 22 - 23
As-Sabur
EDUCATION
AMUST
The Timeless, The Most Patient, The Patiently Enduring (He Who Times Everything Perfectly) BEYOND THE BOX Dr Q Ashfaq Ahmad Substituting number 99 Attribute. We assert that the most important criterion for the distinction between the attributes of Allah under Asma-ul-Husna depends upon its inclusion either within the verses of the Quran, or mentioned in the authentic hadith of the Prophet, or within some authentic tafsir/commentary of any one of the renowned exegeses. Hence we submit the following two divisions of the parts A and B on this basis. A – By and for those who specify this attribute specifically as Number 99 of the attributes of Allah in Asma ul Husna. Note that points 1 to 4 can also be considered as a part of B. Allah does not rush nor delay action in an untimely way; rather he causes things to happen in a measured, deliberately considered manner. This signifies that He is not laid back in delaying nor is He impatient in rushing. 1. As-Sabur – He who specifies, not laid back in delaying nor impatient in rushing In our lives we feel multiple needs, desires, and other emotions, creating conflict both within ourselves and between other people. These emotions frequently incite the need for an immediate reaction that often does more harm than good. Allah tells Believers to recognise this, and also provides a solution in the Quran: “Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.” -- Al-Quran, Surat Al-`Aşr (The Declining Day), 103:3. “O you who have believed, persevere and endure and remain stationed and fear Allah that you may be successful.” -- Al-Quran, Surat ‘Āli `Imrān (Family of Imran), 3:200. “O you who have believed, seek help through patience and prayer. Indeed, Allah is with the patient.” -- Al-Quran, Surat Al-Baqarah (The Cow), 2:153 The lessons to Believers from the above verses are as follows: 1. Advise each other to practice patience, if you want to be avoid being in loss. 2. Persevere and endure, if you want to attain success. 3. Being patient is one of the primary methods of seeking Allah’s help. In addition, Allah gives us the benefit of the passing of time to help us resolve our issues and be successful, until our last breath. Therefore, if we reflect, the notion of time is not only provided to us to manage and conduct our affairs; it is also a gift from Allah that enables us to have the opportunity to practice patience as instructed in the Quran, which is a critical pre-requisite of achieving success in both this world and in the hereafter. As al-Ghazali says: “Al-Sabur—the Patient—is the one that does not let haste move him to carry out an action before its time, but rather decides matters according to a definite plan, and brings them about in delineated ways.” Sabur comes from sabr (patience), and the root means to confine or contain. So to have sabr is to contain oneself from acting rashly. Al-Ghazali also says that when Allah (swt) brings about an action, He does not delay it out of procrastination like a lazy person would, nor does He speed it up out of haste. 2. Narrated by al-Bukhaari (7378) and
September 2017
Muslim (2804). Al-Khattaabi (may Allah have mercy on him) said: As-Saboor is the One Who does not hasten to wreak vengeance upon the sinners; rather He delays that until an appointed time, and He gave them respite for a certain amount of time. The meaning of the name as-Saboor, as a description of Allah, may He be glorified, is close to the meaning of the name al-Haleem (the Most Forbearing), except that the difference between the two is that in the case of as-Saboor, it does not imply that they are safe from punishment, whereas in the case of al-Haleem, it implies that they may be safe from it. And Allah knows best what is correct. https://islamqa.info/en/191329 3. As-Sabur - He Who Times All Things Perfectly As-Sabur is the One whom haste does not induce to rush into an action prematurely. Rather does He bring matters about in a determined measure, and makes them happen according to definite ways-of-acting. He does not delay them beyond their appointed time as a lazy one might do, and He does not hasten them ahead of their appointed time (that is to say, He does not act precipitately in this respect) as an impatient one might do. Rather does He bring about everything in its proper time, in the manner that is necessary that it be and just as it ought to be. He does all of that without permitting himself to be subjected to a motive force opposed to his will. As for the patience of man, it is not free of this disciplining because the meaning of his patience lies in the constancy of his intellectual or religious motivation vis-a-vis the motivation of greed and anger. If two opposite motives pull him in different directions and he turns from the one calling him to boldness and rashness and turns to the one that cause a delay, (then) he is called a patient man for he has caused the inclination to haste to be overcome. . In respect of God Most High the inclination to haste is non-existent. God is farther removed from haste than the mortal in whom the motive exists but is overcome. He is more worthy of this name, since one has dismissed from consideration any conflict of motivation and any overcoming of it by effort. B – By and for those who do not specify this attribute specifically as Number 99 of the attributes of Allah in Asma ul Husna. 4. ALLAH: As-Sabur, The Most Patient, The Patiently-Enduring The One who is most patient, steadfast, and enduring. The One who is not moved by haste to carry out any action before it’s proper time. The One who patiently endures and does everything in its proper time and proper manner, no matter how long that may take. The One who patiently accomplishes each thing in its proper time, in the way it needs to be and according to what it requires. From the root s-b-r which has the following classical Arabic connotations: • to be patient, to be enduring • to endure trial or affliction with good manner • to be contented in trial or affliction without show of complaint • to make no distinction between comfort and affliction • to bear calmly, to persevere cheerfully • to be steadfast, constant • to restrain, confine, restrain, withhold from something The name Sabûr is not specifically used as a Beautiful Name in the Qur’ân.
Mankind’s share of this attribute is the bountiful reward bestowed upon those who patiently persevere in overcoming the trials, lusts and errors of this world. The meaning of Islam is submission; to forego one’s appetites, desires and will in the favor of the will of Allâh. To be able to submit, one has to be patient. In Islam, patience is a sign of faith... Related names: Halîm is the patience that arises from a sense of deep serenity, lenience, calm deliberation. Sabûr is the patience that arises by self-restraint, enduring something without complaint. http://www.quran-al-mubeen.com/allah-as-sabur.html Edited from: http://wahiduddin.net/words/99_pages/ sabur_99.htm 5. The meaning of the Name of Allah As-Saboor The question of whether as-Saboor is one of the beautiful names of Allah remains a matter of ijtihaad and individual scholarly opinion, BUT it is proven in the hadeeth that Allah, has the attribute of sabr (patience). It was narrated that Abu Moosa al-Ash‘ari (RA) said: The Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “No one is more patient in bearing offensive things that he hears than Allah, may He be glorified and exalted; others are associated with Him, a son is attributed to Him, but He still grants them health and provision.” Narrated by al-Bukhaari (7378) and Muslim
(2804). In what sense is Allah patient? In the sense He sees the people committing sins, trangressing the limits set by Himself but still He is not hasty in punishing them but rather He gives respite to the people that perhaps they will repent seek forgiveness, turning back to Him but when the appointed time (punishment) comes none can delay it nor postpone it. As Allah said in many verses like Surah Nuh … Noah said ‘Worship Allah , fear Him and obey me, Allah will forgive you of your sins and delay you for a specified term. Indeed, the time [set by] Allah , when it comes, will not be delayed, if you only knew.’ (71:3,4) “Al-Khattaabi (RA) said: As-Saboor is the One Who does not hasten to wreak vengeance upon the sinners; rather He delays that until an appointed time, and He gave them respite for a certain amount of time. The meaning of the name as-Saboor, as a description of Allah, may He be glorified, is close to the meaning of the name al-Haleem (the Most Forbearing), except that the difference between the two is that in the case of as-Saboor, it does not imply that they are safe from punishment, whereas in the case of al-Haleem, it implies that they may be safe from it. And Allah knows best what is correct. End quote from Sha’n ad-Da‘wah (98) https://contemplatequran.wordpress. com/2015/01/26/the-meaning-of-the-nameof-allah-as-saboor/ https://contemplatequran.wordpress.com
UAK DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION
PTY LTD
LET US DESIGN & BUILD YOUR DREAM HOME
• GRANNY FLAT FROM $109,000* • ARCHITECTURAL & STRUCTURAL PLANS • BUILDING APPROVAL - DA, CC & CDC
*CONDITIONS APPLY
Usaid Khalil 0411 081 624 (02) 9729 0484
www.amust.com.au
www.uakdesign.com.au info@uakdesign.com.au
Scan and add us to your contacts
Australasian Muslim Times
19
AMUST
EDUCATION
NEWS 1-4
BOOMERANG 5-7
COMMUNITY 8 - 12
AUSTRALIA 13 - 14
LIFESTYLE 15 - 17
Toleration, the key to a peaceful life Mohammad Hassan Bakhtiari Anger or wrath is a drastic emotional reaction. It is an emotion that involves a potent hostile and distressed repercussion to a perceived incitement, hurt or threat. According to psychologist T W Smith, anger is “an unpleasant emotion ranging in intensity from irritation or annoyance to fury or rage.” Also based on modern psychology, anger has been recognized as a primary, natural, and mature emotion experienced by virtually all humans at times, and surprisingly, as something that has functional value for survival. Despite the fact that anger is a completely normal, usually healthy, human emotion, it’s unhealthy when it flares up all the time or spirals out of control. According to Dr Tony Fiore and Dr Ari Novick, as explained in their praised book, Anger Management for the 21st Century, uncontrolled anger can adversely affect one’s health, self-esteem, relationships, the emotional well-being of their children, and one’s productivity at work. In extreme cases, it can lead to such undesirable behaviors as road rage, domestic violence, child abuse, physical assault, and even murder. As Imam Ali (r) asserted: “A moment of
patience in a moment of anger saves a thousand moments of regret.” As well as “Anger begins with madness, and ends in regret.” (The Path Of Muhammad: A Book On Islamic Morals And Ethics. p. 182.) One of the important methods is thinking before speaking. In the heat of the moment, it’s easy to say something you’ll later regret. Take a few moments to collect your thoughts before saying anything — and allow others involved in the situation to do the same. This is an important advice because we may do or say wrong things in anger which we regret later. As the Prophet Muhammad (s) said: “If one of you becomes angry then he should be silent.” (Al-Adab al-Mufrad). Identifying possible solutions, getting some exercises, and avoiding malice are other solutions of anger management. Beside these solutions, individuals should practice toleration, moderation and forgiving in their interactions. One of the positive consequences of being lenient and patience is the gaining of trust and approval of the people. As Imam Ali (r) said in Nahjul-Balaghah,: “The first remuneration that one can gain for showing clemency (forbearance) is having the people as his supporters against the ignorant.” Eventually, rage and hostility are not the efficient solution. We should learn to tolerate even disrespectful acts and behavior. We should also learn to resolve irritation with peaceful and humanitarian action. As philosopher Bertrand Russell said:
“Visualise failing, not success.”
Aisha Mohsin
There’s this one thing I do when I’m looking for inspiration; I read quotes. Sometimes, if a quote doesn’t make sense to me, I write it down and reflect on it later - much like the quote I started my post with, by Chris Hadfield. I kept coming back to it time and again because honestly at first, I didn’t quite get what the author actually meant. This quote sounds slightly unusual, right? I mean everyone tells you to visualise yourself on a higher level. Something more, something bigger than yourself. Strive. Hustle. Push the limits. Imagine. Dream. Whereas this quote is telling you to start off as a negative thinker. Come to think of it, negativity here implies preparing ahead of time for what could go wrong. And that’s not entirely a bad thing. Why? Let’s dissect the myth. Let’s just say you have a goal to accomplish. There are ways to make progress. You’ll have an agenda. You’ll plan. There’s going to be a checklist. Perhaps you’ll break it down to smaller portions. Once all is in place, you’ll get going, take things as they come and follow through. There’s one thing, however, that we tend to overlook in this entire process. Which is mentally and emotionally preparing for what could go wrong and if it does, what next? That’s the thing about goals and dreams. The outcome is never in our hands; only the effort is. This is one part sad but ten parts hopeful. There’s unpredictability, The not-knowing where it’ll take you. I am a firm believer in ‘aiming high & shooting for the moon and if you fall short, you’ll land somewhere among the stars’ ...true! but make sure that you have *psychologically* trained yourself enough to accept and get on
20
with the risk, fear and failure. Preparing against the odds is absolutely wise but yes, materialising your fear to an extent that it leaves you paralysed isn’t. And sometimes, only sometimes, when visualising success ahead of time, we are inclined to overestimate our ability & underestimate the challenge. It’s like being a bit over-confident and taking it lightly & procrastinating perfect efforts. So I think what one could do is: Work very hard but stay humble, pray for the best but be prepared for the possibility of things not going as planned. Rejoice if it’s all good, but be patient if it isn’t. And try again when you are ready! If you win.. then nothing like it! but if you lose, you’ll gain perspective... Aisha Mohsin is a Melbourne-based academic editor and blogger. She has a knack for writing. You can find her at www.aishamohsinblog.wordpress.com
Australasian Muslim Times
“Love is wise; hatred is foolish. In this world, which is getting more and more closely interconnected, we have to learn to tolerate each other, we have to learn to put up with the fact that some people say things that we don’t like. We can only live together in that way. But if we are to live together, and not die togeth-
er, we must learn a kind of charity and a kind of tolerance, which is absolutely vital to the continuation of human life on this planet.” Mohammad Hassan Bakhtiari, based in Tehran has a Masters degree in international relations and is an expert in International Relations and Knowledge Management.
Correct Islamic response to hate and injustice Dr Salih Yucel The editor of The New Republic, Leon Wieseltier, aptly said, ‘No faith has suffered more at the hands of the improper usage than Islam.’ Since the beginning of the twentieth century and onward, especially post late 1970s, Islam has been presented by some groups as a form of human-made revolutionary ideology operating under the flag of Islamism. The word Islamism appeared in the late 19th century and was used mainly by Orientalists to divide Muslims. It has no place in the Islamic sacred text and in scholarly works before the 19th century at all. Just like other faiths, Islam is no stranger suffering from assaults. However no other religion has been attacked as much as Islam during the last three decades, particularly since 9/11. The Muslim reaction to these assaults, injustice and tyranny have included various acts in the guise of Islamic defence such as radical speeches, burning of flags and effigies and condemning entire nations and non Muslims, which have created more enemies than friends Such defensive acts by Muslims have been viewed as religious obligations or holy struggles, and therefore a necessary display of Muslims in defence of Islam and Muslims. Sometimes these acts have turned into incidents of violence. However such behaviour has been reactionary more so than proactive and it has provided ammunition to be used against Islam and Muslims. This reactionary response justified in the name of Islam and its methodology needs to be critically viewed in the light of teachings Qur’an and Sunnah. The Qur’an sets guidelines on how to respond to assaults. The story of Prophet Abraham (a) in the Qur’an was revealed when Prophet Muhammad (s) faced death
www.amust.com.au
threats, persecution and harsh treatment at the hands of the polytheists of Mecca. There are many moral lessons that can be learned from the story of Abraham and the Sunnah of the Prophet in regard to how to respond to aggression. When Abraham’s (s) polytheist father threatened to stone him to death (Qur’an, 19:46), he was still kind in his speech and treatment towards him. In his response, he addressed his father with respect as “Ya abati “, which means my dearest father (Qur’an 19:47). In Tabari’s (838-923) exegesis, Abraham’s (a) response to his father’s threats was ‘Even if you stone me, I will not harm you.’ Another Quranic commentator, Ibn Kathir (1301-1373) extends this further adding ‘I will not harm, insult or even disrespect you’. God commanded Moses (a) and Aaron (a) to speak gently with Pharaoh (Quran 20:4344). Al-Qurtubi (1214-1273) interprets the command to mean speaking gently, implying that Moses (a) should not use any word implying hatred or animosity. Al-Qurtubi goes on to state that this is a general rule to be applied by those who seek to enjoin good and forbid evil. Another commentator, Al-Qushayri (986-1072) extends this rule to cover not only a person’s speech but also their demeanour. When the Prophet’s (s) actions and sayings are analysed, it can be concluded that his response to aggression was based on making friends out of his enemies and channelling the anger of Muslims for a common good rather than animosity. Otherwise, Makkah would not have been conquered by the Prophet (s) without any bloodshed where sworn enemies were turned into friends entering the fold of Islam. Dr Salih Yucel is an Associate Professor at the Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation, Charles Sturt University. He worked as an Imam at Redfern Mosque in Sydney between 1987-1992 and then as a Muslim chaplain at Harvard Medical Schools’ hospitals for seven years.
September 2017
UMMAH 18
EDUCATION 19 - 20
BUSINESS 21
BUSINESS
SOCIAL 22 - 23
Debt and Promises: A Toxic Soup
stitution so that once a sale is transacted, the ultimate creditor (lender) is the institution. What is sometimes conveniently forgotten in such deals is that when the debtor defaults (i.e. does pay off the whole debt within the stipulated period) the lender effectively backdates all interest and charges to the actual purchase date which may be a few years. In so doing, the debtor is not only burdened with additional debt but also risks losing credit worthiness. On the other hand there are genuine businesses whose credit lines have been stopped or denied or who effectively are unable to access mainstream credit sources and who then, as a last resort, turn to the black economy and loan sharks for bailouts. Yet others resort to pawning valuables to meet debt obligations. Both circumstances are extreme measures aimed at narrowing cash-flow gaps. The fundamental principle under most legal systems is that debt however incurred, is to be discharge in terms of contractual obligations.
Dr Mahmood Nathie A disturbing problem often encountered in contemporary financial practices is the manner in which people incur debt through a coterie of easy and sometimes absurd means. These include: lure of easy pay-day loans; credit card issuance; margin lending; credit union lending; instore credit and loyalty programs, and ‘loan sharking’. While some personal debt (such as housing loans) may be genuine, others are purely unnecessary and frivolous. They often originate at one extreme from: peer pressure and societal demands occasioned by changing lifestyles; over-capitalised homes; social occasions and events (aka lavish weddings and parties) to the destabilising and highly frowned extreme of gambling, Ponzi, and highly speculative investment schemes. To the extent debtors rationalise their payment future obligations will be met from some anticipated present illusory windfall or unexpected gain (lotteries and pokies), regular and genuine supplementary income (e.g. investment income) may be insufficient to service all their debt obligations. Compounding the debt problem are unexpected losses and income disturbances such as sickness, physical incapacitation and retrenchment. In short left unpaid, debt compounds further through interest charges, penalties and
AMUST
legal costs. In relation to commercial practices, a further debt layer is that accumulated through a myriad of borrowing practices and schemes contrived through complex legal stratagems that often go beyond the credit worthiness and repayment capacity of the business. All this makes for a toxic soup when the underlying debt is unable to be serviced or repaid.
Banks, institutions and suppliers may be accused of unfair and deceptive lending practices but that does not absolve debtors from their obligations. Many of these practices are simply highly leveraged ‘debt traps’. Consider the so called ‘interest free’ schemes promoted by stores and suppliers. The ‘front end’ supplier merely intermediates on behalf some ‘back end’ financial in-
Dr Mahmood Nathie, based in Adelaide, is a scholar and practitioner of Islamic Finance. He holds a PhD in Islamic Finance (with academic excellence) from Griffith University’s Islamic Research Unit. As a qualified CPA in Australia as well as a former chartered accountant, he also holds degrees in finance, economics and business. He is presently conducting research into Islamic Financial Literacy in Australia. His interests include financial modelling, statistical methods, corporate finance, community-based SEMs and microfinance.
Muslim Aid first to be accredited by Foreign Affairs Zaynab Gul Muslim Aid Australia has become the first and only Islamic charity organisation to be accredited by the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (DFAT) following a successful assessment of the NGO’s governance, program management capacity, policies, risk, and partner management. The accreditation process aims to provide the Department and the Australian public with confidence that the Australian Government is funding professional, well managed, community based organisations that are capable of delivering quality development outcomes. Accredited Australian NGO’s are eligible for funding under the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). In 2016-17 the ANCP provided $127.3 million to accredit Australian NGOs to deliver hundreds of development projects worldwide. MAA’s accreditation means that they will receive a fixed annual grant amount of $150 000, while opening up the possibility of receiving several other grants from the government, usually of higher amounts. MAA has already received an Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) membership and Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) Registered Charity tick. Through these certifications, MAA donors can now give with confidence to an organisation that the Australian Government supports, and has been recognised to be professional, well managed, and capable of delivering quality development outcomes. Have you donated your Qurban yet? This year, MAA will distribute FRESH Qurban ($100) in 45 countries including Somalia, Myanmar, Lebanon and Palestine andREADY-TO-EAT Qurban (cans and pouches) for Syria ($145). To donate, call 1800 100 786 or visit www.muslimaid.org. au.
Follow us on
twitter.com/amust_au September 2017
www.amust.com.au
Australasian Muslim Times
21
AMUST
#SOCIAL
NEWS 1-4
BOOMERANG 5-7
COMMUNITY 8 - 12
AUSTRALIA 13 - 14
LIFESTYLE 15 - 17
Osamah Sami: Channel 10 The Project Actor, Writer and Comedian, Osamah Sami featured on The Project for his successful movie, Ali’s Wedding. Australia’s first Muslim Rom-Com is “way overdue” according to Sami, “And I hope this is only the beginning. You know, we’re part of the Australian Narrative, whether the bigots like it or not.” Sami “It is only a start, I think there’s a lot of stories, we’ve got heaps of stories of tell. We are on the land of stories, this is a land of song and story and dance.” He discusses arranged marriages and how personal this movie is for him, based on his personal memoir, Good Muslim Boy. Osamah Sami is an award-winning Australian of Iraqi origin, and Ali’s Wedding is based on his true Australian story.
Amren Abrahim: SBS.com.au
Ethiopian-born, Australian Rules-bred: The pre-teen heading for AFLW. She’s just 12 years old and only saw her first game of AFL three years ago, but Amren Abrihim’s already breaking down cultural barriers and demonstrating her potential as a future AFL star. Arriving in Australia from Ethiopia in 2013, she’d never heard of the game and she admits her first impressions weren’t favourable. “I watched it on TV and I was like okay, I have no idea what they are doing, they’re just running around and the umpires are
calling some rules.” But, a year later, she stumbled upon a clinic run by the North Melbourne Football Club. It was being run by the club’s diversity and inclusion manager Bridget Barker, who said Amren’s eagerness to try something new showed she was a natural leader. “She literally walked up to us and said, what’s this - can I join in? So a nine-yearold who’s able to do that with confidence is a nine-year-old who really has it within her, I think.”
Lydia Shelly: ABC News
ABC News published an article by Lydia Shelly titled “Pauline Hanson’s burka stunt disproved her point: you can safely wear a burka in Parliament” Here’s an excerpt: “When Pauline Hanson shrugged off her burka costume, revealing her smug face revelling in the attention, it barely caused a ripple in the lives of Australian Muslim women. It was if amnesia had taken hold. Forgetting that Muslim women had long ago been boiled down to a reduction, a caricature of oppression. That Muslim women had been fought over through the narratives of liberation, in the wars of culture, the lightning rod in the clash of civilisation debates.”
22
Australasian Muslim Times
Colour in the image above, and send a photo or scan to info@amust.com.au with your age, for a chance to win a free one year subscription!
www.amust.com.au
September 2017
UMMAH 18
EDUCATION 19 - 20
TOP 6 Muslim Memes
BUSINESS 21
#SOCIAL Halal Advisor app locates halal food in Australia
SOCIAL 22 - 23
TOP 7 Tweets #Burqa
AMUST
VIDEOS
To Watch
Linda Abdelqader
Pauline Stunt & George’s Speech
Attorney-General George Brandis’ thundering condemnation of Pauline Hanson’s burqa stunt in the Senate was not just a moment of fine moral and political clarity, it was also common sense. Here is his speech: “Thank you. Senator Hanson, no, we will not be banning the burka. Senator Hanson, I am not going to pretend to ignore the stunt that you have tried to pull today by arriving in the Chamber dressed in a burka when we all know that you are not an adherent of the Islamic faith.
I would caution and counsel you with respect to be very, very careful of the offence you may do to the religious sensibilities of other Australians. We have about 500,000 Australians in this country of the Islamic faith. And the vast majority of them are law-abiding, good Australians. Senator Hanson, it is absolutely consistent with being a good, law-abiding Australian and being a strict, adherent Muslim. To ridicule that community, to drive it into a corner, to mock its religious garments is an appalling thing to do and I would ask you to reflect on what you have done.” Video: https://goo.gl/QcH81M
September 2017
www.amust.com.au
A free app that locates restaurants and cafes offering halal foods in Australia is now available and taking the country by storm. Businessman, Aladdin Moukhallalati, created the Halal Advisor app to accommodate the need for the availability of halal food for the growing Muslim population in Australia. With over 600 000 people who identify as Muslims across the country, Moukhallalati sought to create an app which makes the eating out process simpler, easier and much more enjoyable. “I am a Muslim and always trying to find halal food to eat when I’m out at work or with friends socialising,” Moukhallalatii says. “Having this app means I don’t have to ring up or walk into a restaurant and ask if there’s anything on the menu I can eat.”
Halal Advisor determines your location and provides you with a list of cafés and restaurants in the vicinity that offer halal food. It includes over 3000 cafes and restaurants that serve halal food, mainly based in Sydney and Melbourne. The app also informs its users if the restaurant or café is halal certified or if they only provide a certain amount of halal dishes. “You can broaden or hone in your search or pick a certain cuisine then decide whether you want to dine in or takeaway,” says Moukhallalati. “[Australia is] such a muliticultural country and the demand for (halal) food has risen.” “We are constantly updating it so our users have the most up-to-date information possible”, says Moukhallalati. The app has been downloaded over 7000 times and is now the number one trending food app in Australia. It is available on both Android and iPhone devices.
Australasian Muslim Times
23
PRICE FROM
$161,000
+ DEVELOPMENT COST
48 Months
Payment plan
INTEREST FREE LAND FOR SALE Project 3 released
AUSTRAL & LEPPINGTON NORTH
Sydney South Growth Centre
Book your interest now
Land size 308 - 711sqm
CLOSE TO NEW BADGERYS CREEK AIRPORT
Project 1 sold | Project 2 sold
4 Minutes to new Leppington Train Station now open with services running 45 Minutes to Sydney CBD Easy Access to M5, M7 2 High Schools, 5 primary schools 4 Muslim Schools and colleges
12 km to Liverpool City Close to Austral Public School 3 Minutes drive to Unity Grammar College 9 Minutes drive to Malek Fahd Islamic School
Expected Delivery 2021 - 2022
Interest Free Installments & Flexible Payment Plan FOR MORE INFORMATION
1300642300 | 02 8021 6099 0450 899 349 | 0470 336 246 0410 988 858 | 0423 085 500 Site Office: 404 Fourth Ave, Austral 2179 Head office: Suite 6 Level 13, 329 Pitt St, Sydney NSW info@mhahomes.com.au www.mhahomes.com.au
24
Australasian Muslim Times
www.amust.com.au
September 2017