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MARCH 2018; JAMAADIYUL UKHRAA 1439
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Symposium on Agency of Muslim women: Voices heard in their own words Mobinah Ahmad
From left: Dr Ghena Krayem, Dr Susan Carland and Dr Nada Ibrahim provide their own insights, experiences and research at the two day symposium with many other accomplished speakers.
‘Hell on Earth’ in Ghouta, Syria AMUST Media The ongoing ground attacks and aerial bombardment by Syrian government forces and their Russian allies on rebel held Eastern Ghouta, a suburb 10 km from central Damascus has created “Hell on Earth” for trapped civilians according to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The attacks by the Syrian Baathist regime have continued inspite of a unanimous UN Security Council Resolution on Saturday 24 February resulting in almost a thousand deaths mostly that of civilians. “I remind all parties of their absolute obligation and international humanitarian and human rights law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure at all times,” he said. “Similarly, efforts to combat ‘terrorism’ do not supersede these obligations,” he added. The doctors in the area have accused the Syrian government of launching a chlorine gas attack in the town of Al-Shifaniyah in Eastern Ghouta. Syria’s Civil Defence rescue team, also known as the White Helmets, said on Sunday at least one child died as a result of suffocation. Eastern Ghouta has been under rebel control since 2013 and from time to time the Syrian forces and its allies have tried to dislodge them from the enclave. continued on page 2
“Muslim women don’t all share the same story; our lives are complex and diverse, and our voices reflect this.” These were the words of senior lecturer at the University of Sydney, Dr Ghena Krayem, to a diverse group of over 200 Muslim academics, community leaders and activists gathered at the ‘The Agency of Muslim Women in the Australian Context’ symposium held on Wednesday 21 to Thursday 22 February 2018 at Dockside, Darling Harbour, Sydney. The Symposium was supported by The University of Sydney Law School and the University of Melbourne Law School and included two keynote speakers, Professor Julie McFarlane, Faculty of Law, University of Windsor, Canada and Dr Susan Carland, Monash University, Melbourne. For the first time in Australia, the symposium brought together Muslim women from a number of different professional backgrounds and expertise. The impressive line-up of over 35 speakers conveyed their own insights, experiences and research over the two days. They discussed Muslim women and agency on topics such as leadership, spirituality and scholarship, dealing with challenges and Islamophobia, representation, new spaces, family law and identity. continued on page 2
Mainstream media exposed Islamophobic bias in the Murdoch press
Zia Ahmad OnePath Network has carried out a groundbreaking analysis of coverage of Islam in the Media by tracking 5 of Australia’s biggest newspapers reporting on Islam during the year 2017. They focused on 5 newspapers owned by Rupert Murdoch’s company News Ltd, namely The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, The Herald Sun, The Courier Mail and The Advertiser. The results have been shocking, evidence of inherent Islamophobic bias in the Murdoch press pushing for a malicious agenda for the consumption of the mainstream Australian population by way of vilification of Islam and demonisation of Muslims. OnePath Network is Australia’s largest Islamic original content video production studio and media outlet with a global reach. Based in Sydney, it was established in February 2014 as a not-for-profit organisation in order to give the Australian Muslim community a voice. The study by OnePath concluded that in the popular Australian media, Muslims have been characterized as non-members of the Australian community, relegating them to the space of the ‘other’, alien, foreign and incompatible with Australian cultural values. The way the media talks about Islam
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in Australia is disproportionate, divisive and dangerous. T h e r e were more than 8 articles a day in the Murdoch press slamming Muslims with 152 front pages over the year that featured Islam in some negative capacity. A lot of the time, these articles and exclusives were the featured item, the most important story for selling the newspaper. In one year these 5 newspapers published almost 3000 articles that referred to Islam or Muslims alongside words like violence, extremism, terrorism or radical. Whilst a general overview clearly shows just how disproportionate the negative coverage of Islam is, it’s only when you zoom in and see the actual issues that
the obsessive and unnecessary nature of the coverage becomes clear. And it wasn’t just about terrorism. Many of the most absurd and overblown examples of coverage come from issues that the Murdoch press highlighted by themselves, dragging the rest of Australia into their worldview. continued on page 23
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Symposium on Agency of Muslim women Continued from page 1 This event is a “demonstration of the capacity and capability of Muslim women as experts and leaders on a broad range of issues including legal, psychological, academic and spiritual matters. Muslim women are at the forefront of many of these fields,” said Dr Krayem. The atmosphere of the symposium, with every speaker challenging the widespread misconceptions about Muslim women, was powerful. Dr Carland showcased her research investigating the way Muslim women fight sexism within the Muslim community while Professor Macfarlane called on allowing Muslim Women’s voices to be heard in their own words. A number of speakers spoke on Muslim women as the main targets of Islamophobia and what can be done about it. Dr Nada Ibrahim from the University of South Australia spoke on her research findings on Domestic and Family Violence (DFV) and its reporting mechanisms. In her speech about the ‘Politics of Representation: Challenging the Narrow Perception of Muslim Women’, Dr Mehreen Faruqi, Greens NSW MP said: “The overarching narrative about Muslim women these days is that we have little or no agency. People want us to fit into a box of what they think a Muslim woman should be – and when you don’t, it really disrupts their narrow world view. While Muslim women are at the frontline of the public disadvantage and abuse, they remain in the background of the political responses. It’s beyond time for us to stop knocking on doors. It’s time to push the doors open and knock them down.” Journalist Ms Sarah Malik spoke about engaging community and broader society through the media:
“You can’t complain about the lack of representation or the level of conversation if you’re not actively involved in creating a better one,” she said. And in a rousing speech, she implored the audience “I ask you to speak out and speak out loudly. To write, to engage, to be brave, very brave and to know I stand here with you in support and solidarity always. For all the naysayers, there’s so many quietly applauding - grateful you had the courage to vocalise what they feel and experience” before ending with a beautiful quote by Arundhati Roy in ‘War Talk’. Dr Anisa Buckley from Melbourne University gave a speech on Seeking Agency in Divorce: Exploring the experiences of Born and Convert Muslim Women in Australia. “Extensive research on women in Muslim countries demonstrates women are expressing agency using their deferred mahr as a powerful means of ‘bargaining’ for divorce. However, having a large mahr is not always beneficial for women as it meant they had to engage in these bargaining methods because there was a large financial cost at stake. For the convert women in my research, a benefit of having small amounts of mahr meant that their means of securing an Islamic divorce was not hinged upon the mahr as a bargaining tool to the extent of my other participants, and the process of divorce was slightly easier.” There were personal stories and experiences of living Islam in Australia by a number of speakers, many of them reverts. Ms Silma Ihram spoke on barriers to Muslim Women’s leadership during her struggles for the empowerment of women almost for half a decade. Dr Toni Pikos-Sallie from Perth gave a personal narrative of a revert Muslim woman who at one time had to leave Australia for a few years in order to find security living as
Panel 8 discussing Muslim women, identity and agency. (right to left), Ms Lisa Irving, Macquarie University, Dr Toni-Pikos-Sallie, Australian Islamic College Perth, Leading Senior Constable Maha Sukkar, Victorian Police, Mr Fadi Baghdadi, University of Sydney. a Muslim woman. Dr Krayem poignantly explained the necessity and importance of the Symposium, how there are similarities to other women and the additional challenges that Muslim women, in particular, are facing. “The simple fact of the event itself demonstrates the real agency that Muslim women exercise in their own lives. This personal agency is twofold. In common with other women, Muslim women face an ongoing struggle to create and occupy spaces within their own communities where their views and voices are heard and acknowledged. (…) For Muslim women, there is an additional challenge to their expression of empowerment. This is the perception in the broader community that Muslim women are either incapable of or not permitted to be agents of their own destiny, to have a voice
Over 200 attendees filled Dockside conference room in Darling Harbour riveted by the quality of the content and impressive speakers at the symposium on Agency of Muslim Women.
that can and should be heard.” The speakers included: Dr Rawaa El Ayoubi Gebara, Ms Maha Abdo OAM, Dr Nora Amath, Dr Mehreen Faruqi MLC NSW, Dr Ghena Krayem, Ms Feda Abdo, Prof Julie Mcfarlane, Ms Genan Dadoun, Ms Wajiha Ahmed, Ms Tasneem Chopra, Dr Derya Iner, Ms Hanan Dover, Ms Laura Smith-Khan, Dr Amira Aftab, Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah, Ms Sarah Malik, Dr Jennifer Cheng, Ms Monique Toohey, Dr Mehal Krayem, Ms Saffaa, Dr Susan Carland, Mrs Silma Ihram, Ms Leila Khaled, Assoc Prof Mehmet Ozalp, Dr Nuzhat Lotia, Ms Sarwa Abdelraheem, Dr Nada Ibrahim, Dr Anisa Buckley, Assoc Prof Asmi Wood, Ms Ayah Wehbe, Ms Lisa Irving, Mr Fadi Baghdadi, Dr Toni-Pikos-Sallie, Leading Senior Constable Maha Sukkar and Jane Jeffes.
AssocProf Asmi Wood from the Australian National University, discussing whether Islamic Law is Compatible with Gender Equality.
‘Hell on Earth’ in Ghouta, Syria Continued from page 1 The two major rebel factions in Eastern Ghouta are Jaish al-Islam and Failaq al-Rahman. Tahrir al-Sham, an alliance of opposition fighters, also has a small presence there. Last week, deadly air strikes and artillery fire launched by Syrian forces and their allies exacerbated a dire humanitarian crisis in the besieged enclave, home to some half a million people. Chronic food and medicine shortages have devastated Eastern Ghouta with severe cases of malnutrition. On Sunday, February 19, Syrian forces backed by Russian warplanes escalated the offensive on Eastern Ghouta with a relentless bombing that killed hundreds of people within days. The bombing, which Amnesty International said amounted to war crimes, has damaged or destroyed six hospitals and medical centres across the city, residents
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say. The Syrian Government forces have used mortar shells, barrel bombs, cluster bombs, and bunker-busting munitions and now Chlorine gas attacks. The Syrian American Medical Society said 16 people were treated for exposure to what appeared to be chlorine gas on Sunday, at an Eastern Ghouta hospital. The Syrian opposition-run Rural Damascus Health Directorate (RDHD) said the people were admitted to medical facilities showing signs that were consistent with exposure to “toxic chlorine gas.” In a statement, RDHD said, “The smell of people in the area, ambulance drivers, and victims all had the clear and known smell of chlorine gas.” The UN ceasefire resolution, which passed unanimously on Saturday, noted that the “cessation of hostilities shall not apply to military operations against the Islamic
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Muslims working to bring positive change The month of February was full of pro- a diversity of people with halal businesses grams and activities organised by Mus- showcasing all aspects of halal way of life. lims by themselves as well as in collab- A photo spread is published at the centreoration with other communities and the fold. Enjoy. mainstream Australians working for a On the other hand, I had the honour to atpositive change in the society. tend the funeral of a family friend and felIt seems that the time for protests, wing- low interfaith worker, a Christian at Gosford ing and demanding is gradually being re- Anglican Church, meeting and networking placed by productive efforts, collabwith many people of a different faith oration and working together in and reflecting on this experience a smart way so as they bring and documenting it. benefits to our own comCruising around Sydney munity and Australia as a Harbour with our elderly whole. and their families, singMy calendar was ing, eating, joking and full during the month sharing their thoughts Zia Ahmad of February mostly on was a great pleasure and weekends but also durtime well spent. Assalamu ing the week attending We attended the Zest Alaikum conferences, festivals, Awards meeting a large expos, picnics, award number of high achievers Greetings ceremonies and cruises. from Western Sydney and Punctuated with these were networking with them. of Peace occasional serene moments as well including funerals, cemeterI attended a meeting on Islamoies and visiting the sick all part of living phobia at ISRA discussing what to do next a life. after the publication of the report and what The March issue of AMUST is full of re- strategies to adopt for the reduction of hate ports on these positive activities with great and bigotry in our country. photos showcasing a collage of month-long The two-day symposium on the Agency living a positive life and sharing it with our of Muslim Women at Darling Harbour was readers. eye-opening and a proud moment listening The two-day Halal Expo at Rose Hills to a diversity of views from highly talentGardens was a great success attended by ed Muslim high achievers, mainly women,
Re: Muslims Like Us on SBS: A social experiment at the expense of Muslims?
Good Show.. Five Women Five Men. Two stand out. The lady in full covering and Jamal. Different in So Many Ways. All very polite and proper in the first Episode. Lets see what happens in the next Episode. Bob H
Sympathy and dua for Sadia and family Inna liliahne wa inna alaihe rajeoon Please accept my sympathy. It was up-
AMUST February issue. Even though she was not known to me, reading how it all happened and the kind of personality she had is enough to break one’s heart. Who is it that can question Almighty Allah? He knows what is presently before us and what will be after us. May Allah admit her into Jannatul- Firdaus, aameen. I wish her son Azzam a speedy and complete recovery. May Allah console her aged mother and the entire family. I also pray for his daughter-in-law, Atikah to be strong and support her husband and his family members at this most difficult of times. Mrs Nurat Lawal, Sydney (originally from Nigeria)
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from all over Australia. Lastly attending the Islamic Education Forum at Arkana College and meeting up with leaders in education associated with Islamic schools in Australia was highly stimulating. I had the pleasure of catching up with people who used to be at our youth camps during their school years and are now principals and teachers at Islamic schools.
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I bet the bigots went down there to have a kebab as well LOL. Omar E
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Re: Halal Expo 2018 highlights setting to read about the tragic demise of rapid growth of Halal industry my sister in Islam; Sadia Jamal Siddiqui in
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Editor-in-Chief: Zia Ahmad Managing Editor: Mobinah Ahmad Graphic Designer: Rubinah Ahmad Chief Adviser: Dr Qazi Ashfaq Ahmad Multimedia Journalist: Zaynab Gul Sub-Editor: Mohammed Sinan Siyech Sub-Editor: Aisha Mohsin Columnist: Dr Abul Jalaluddin (Finance) Columnist: Bilal Cleland (Victoria) Columnist: Manarul Islam (ACT) Columnist: Dr Daud Batchelor (QLD) Columnist: Simon Harrison (QLD) Columnist: Anne Fairbairn (NSW) Columnist: Zahid Jamil (NSW) Columnist: Shahjahan Khan (QLD) Columnist: Prof Irfan Shahid (India) Columnist: Imam Malik Mujahid (USA) 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.
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Modesty aside Caroline Overrington, Who wore it best? Faseeha Hashmi If you have not yet read it, let me be the first to tell you. Caroline Overrington’s article in The Australian dated 29 January 2018 is a perplexing read. One which might even leave you wondering what has got her knickers in a knot and her trousers in such a twist? In the article, ‘DFAT exhibition showcasing ‘modest Australian fashion’ does not represent us’ she describes how the Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), has marketed Australia’s face to the world to both Malaysia and Indonesia, showcasing “modest Australian fashion” to appeal to the diverse cultures of the Asia Pacific region. This, she claims is not representative of the vast majority of Australia. However, her
Caroline Overrington.
anger seems to be diluted by an insensitive eye for cultural diversity. Moreover, her argument shows little regards for the intermingling of global culture and fashion. The East has long influenced Western culture, a recent example of this can be seen by Zara’s lungi or sarong lookalike which has been worn by parts of South East Asian, East Africa and the Arab world for generations. Having personally visited the Malaysian exhibition, I cannot fathom how Overrington could come to such a conclusion. Being the first exhibitions of its kind, titled ‘‘Faith, Fashion, Fusion: Muslim Women’s Style in Australia’ at the Malaysia’s Islamic Arts Museum displays an elegant collection of diverse well-regarded women. Some examples include Aheda Zanetti creator of the ‘burqini’ swimsuit, Dr Susan Carland an academic and media commentator, and Mecca Laalaa Australia’s first Muslim surf lifesaver. The exhibition showcases diversity styles displaying the vast array of multicultural backgrounds within Australia. So when Overrington exclusively says, ‘modest Australian fashion does not represent us’, who exactly does she consider to be Australian to begin with? Modest fashion does not simply constitute Islamic tradition but also represents local conservative dress around the world. In actuality, conservative dress once regarded as ”less than cool” is now en vogue. According to Forbes, modest fashion made an estimated 243 billion dollars in purchases in 2015. Mass-market retailers and designers have taken notice too, adding modest fashion wear to their collections of hijabs and clothing apparel. Consequently, major designers such as DKNY, Tommy Hilfiger, Oscar de la Renta, Uniglo, Zara, H&M and Dolce & Gabbana have recognised the global appetite for modest fashion.
This appetite can best be explained by the fashion designer Coco Chanel that ‘In order to be irreplaceable one must always be different’ and that is exactly what modest fashion truly is. It is different. What seems most strange about Overrington’s article, however that she comes to the conclusion that modest fashion somehow constitutes an offensive language to those that do not espouse to such a wardrobe? When in fact, no one said that. Accusations of immodesty have little to do with regional engagement, if at all. A more important question to ask would be, if not fashion, how else should we seek to engage with our region? Unlike other tools of diplomacy, cultural diplomacy can have a powerful influence on the globe as seen by Bollywood and Asian Pop. Yet, if Overrington thinks that money is the only thing which speaks to our region, well than, think again.
In fact, the most visible signs I noted while in Malaysia was the branding of ‘Australian beef’ in Malaysian charcoal buns, watching Australian Masterchef on television and the influence of our strong cafe culture; but not much else. Is there a more effective and efficient way of conducting cultural diplomacy to appeal to millions of Muslims, Christians, Buddhist and Hindus in our region that ascribe and adopt diverse traditional dress styles? Setting aside preconceived notions of what fashion looks like, the question remains in Australia, in the pageant of ‘Who wore it better?’; can anyone truly represent the diverse multicultural face of Australia at all? Faseeha Hashmi holds a Master of International Relations from the University of Melbourne, with an interest in politics and human security.
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BOOMERANG The Islamic roots of our constitutional monarchy LIFESTYLE 18 - 22
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Bilal Cleland The Glorious Revolution of 1688, upon which our modern constitutional monarchy is based, is rooted in the example the Deists and Protestant Mahometans of Britain took from what they called “the Islamic Republic of Muhammad (s).” That revolution ushered in the notion of limited constitutional government, with an Executive bound by law and the will of parliament. No longer was the king to be God’s representative. whose will was equal to the Will of God. Written in the context of the “War on Terror” and the use of anti-Muslim rhetoric to promote conservative political agendas, Garcia in “Islam and the Enlightenment 1670-1840,” wrote that “Islamic republicanism is a term that describes how radical Protestants in eighteenth-century England self-consciously recast Islam in constitutional-nationalist terms, and in this book I argue for this action’s crucial significance.” Indeed: “This book thus challenges anachronistic postcolonial readings that project a dichotomy between a superior Christian Occident and an inferior Islamic Orient onto the early modern period.” (p.1-3) The depth of the influence of Islamic examples is undeniable and they transformed the English speaking world. “From the late seventeenth to the mid-nineteenth century,
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Islamic republicanism captivated the radical Anglo-Protestant imagination and redefined reformed orthodoxy in England, North America, and the transatlantic world, only to be silenced by the anti-Islamic sentiment that gripped Victorian culture after the 1857 Indian Mutiny.” (p.12) The Tories, supporters of the divine right claimant James II and enemies of a limited constitutional monarchy, claimed the supporters of reform Whigs and Protestant Radicals, were “… accomplices in a Hungarian conspiracy against church and state, exposing the constitutional principle of a limited Protestant monarchy as founded on Islamic innovation rather than Christian tradition.” The Hungarians in question were the Protestants around Count Teckeley who fought on the side of the Ottomans against the Hapsburgs of Austria in defence of freedom of religion. Even Edmund Burke, often quoted by conservatives today because of his opposition to the French Revolution, was a proponent of the government of the Mughals, under Islamic law. Seeking to impeach governor-general Warren Hastings for his imposition of arbitrary and tyrannical rule on India, using the excuse that he was just following Mughal precedents, Burke presented a different picture. He challenged the accepted stereotypes of ‘oriental despotism’ and declared that India was a nation protected by the long constitutional rule of ‘Mahometan Government.’ In his speech on 16 Feb 1788, just after the settlement on Sydney Cove, he said:
“‘Mahometan Government’ is to name a Government by law. It is a law enforced by stronger sanctions than any law that can bind a European Sovereign, exclusive of the Grand Seignior. The law is given by God, and it has the double sanction of law and religion, with which the Prince is no more
Truth-seekers to Islam through the ages Dr Daud Batchelor Anselm Turmeda, a prominent 14th Century Franciscan scholar in Europe trained for the priesthood. Once when his ill teacher was absent fellow seminarians discussed meaning of the mysterious ‘Paraclete” whom Jesus in John’s Gospel (14:25-28) explained: “your [Paraclete] whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and will call to mind all I gave you.” The similar Greek word ‘Periklutos’ means ‘Ahmed’ in Arabic. Turmeda went to the house of his teacher who asked, “What did you study today?” Turmeda informed on the disagreement about the Paraclete’s identity. He advised the name is known only by extraordinary scholars. Turmeda requested the gift of knowing to which the priest replied after receiving assurances of secrecy that it is a name of “our Prophet Muhammad (s).” He elaborated “My son, if Christians persisted in the original religion of Jesus, they would indeed belong to the religion of God, for the religion of Jesus and all Prophets is that of God.” He then advised Turmeda to enter Islam. He explained why he himself hadn’t converted: “God only revealed to me the truth ... of the superiority of Islam in my old age and after decrepitude of my body.” He feared losing his high status. He encouraged Turmeda to rush to embrace Islam “thereby gaining for yourself this world and the next.” Turmeda did so in Tunisia and the ‘straight path’ he lost while remaining a Catholic was regained in the path that was at once truly Christian and Islamic. The terrible Spanish Inquisition was wrought to arrest such spreading Islamic truths. During Prophet’s (s) lifetime, Heraclius, Christian Byzantine Emperor, also respected Islam. He once questioned Abu Sufyan about MARCH 2018 / ISSUE 148
to dispense than anyone else. And, if any man will produce the Khoran to me, and will but shew me one text in it that authorises in any degree an arbitrary power in the Government, I will declare that I have read that book and been conversant in the affairs of Asia to a degree in vain. There is no such syllable in it; but on the contrary, against oppressors by name every letter of the law is fulminated.” (Garcia p.93) Awareness amongst the Muslim community of the tremendous contribution made by the world of Islam to our modern constitutional government, incorporating the rule of law and the example of religious toleration once unknown to Europe, has diminished with the decline in scholarship. It will not always be thus. Garcia, Humberto. Islam and the English Enlightenment 1670-1840. The Johns Hopkins University Press. Baltimore. 2012. Bilal Cleland is a keen reader, a prolific writer and a regular columnist of AMUST based in Melbourne.
As mirrors are made by drops of rain Fazlul Huq Muhammad (s). Abu Sufyan, then a disbeliever, answered Heraclius’ questions, which confirmed that Muhammad (s) was indeed the prophet Heraclius was expecting from scriptural research. Heraclius also had strange dreams. He sought enlightenment from a scholarly friend who agreed that Muhammad (s) was the expected prophet. Heraclius then invited all Byzantium heads to his Homs palace and ordered all doors be closed. He spoke “O Byzantines! If success is your desire and you seek correct guidance, and wish for your empire to remain, pledge allegiance to this Prophet.” On hearing this people ran towards the gates like wild beasts but found the doors closed. Heraclius realising their hatred for Islam said “What I said was only to test the strength of your conviction about your religion.” People were then delighted as is reported by Imam Muslim and At-Tirmidhi. Byzantines shortly after lost much territory to the Muslims. Respected Muslim scholar, Sheikh Nuh Keller, once attended a Catholic university. One textbook by James Dunn, Unity and
Diversity in the New Testament, highlighted that “the thought of Jesus’ deity seems to be a relatively later arrival on the first century stage. Paul does not yet understand the risen Christ as the object of worship: he is ... the one for whom praise is given ... the one through whom the pray-er prays to God but not the object of worship.” The idea of Jesus being God was clearly not part of original Christianity but added later as seen in John’s Gospel. Sheikh Nuh left Christianity on the understanding that the two natures, divine and human, must be mutually exclusive. These exceptional cases witness the perennial struggle between truth and falsehood. Western commentators refer to the current age as a ‘Post-truth society.’ The Prize however, is won by those who seek the Truth (alHaqq), leading to God Himself. 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
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As the mirrors are made by drops of rain resting on the leaves of the gum trees, That would be seen to reflect more when the fattened leaves move at the push of the most gentle breeze, While the sun would be back to make the heightened burn when the cover would be no more but the mugginess in the air would be so much more, As if the nature would be bent on taking the revenge! 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 12,000 compositions in Bengali and English and has also been involved in various community projects.
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Islamic Education Forum focuses on curriculum Mehar Ahmad The 2nd Australian Islamic Education Forum was held on Saturday 24 February 2018 at the premises of Arkana College in Sydney attended by academics, researchers, educators, principals and teachers from a large number of Schools from all over Australia. The Annual Australian Islamic Education Forum organised by the Centre for Islamic Thought and Education (CITE), University of South Australia aims to provide a platform for educators in Islamic schooling (Islamic schools, Madrassah or home educators/homeschoolers) to network, build collaborative partnerships, share stories of hope and showcase projects and best practices in Islamic education. The theme for this year’s forum was “Islamic schooling Renewal – A Focus on Curriculum, “where the program was designed to be practical and interactive with time for question and answer and discussion between presenters and participants. The program started with recitation of Quran and Acknowledgement of country followed by a welcome address by Mr Sam H a l bouni, Principal of Arkan a college. Mr Halbouni pointed out that Islamic sector is one of the fastest growing sectors in the private education and Islamic schools have the potential of making positive changes in the field if we work together and colMuhammad Abdullah.
Panel discussion at the Islamic Education Forum. laborate effectively. • Service learning & debunking the myth of Mr Abdullah Khan, Principal of Australicultural seclusion in the Islamic school’s an Islamic College, and President of Islamic sector by Mr Osman Karolia Schools Association of Australia (ISAA) in- • Perspectives & identity: A revisionist aptroduced ISAA urging schools to join the asproach to enacting curriculum in secondsociation and work together in partnership. ary history by Ms Ayesha Ardati Currently, there are 20% of the 50 Islamic • “Who am I?” Sydney Youth Connected schools in the country who are members of by Shaykh Wessam Charkawi ISAA. • For the Forum Session 3 Professor MoMr Dylan Chown, CITE Research Fellow hamad Abdalla gave an “Update on Auswas the speaker in Forum Session 1 and tralian Islamic Studies Curriculum Protalked on Setting the Scene-Critical Perject.” spectives on Curriculum in Islamic SchoolForum Session 4 and 5 were again divided ing. into breakout workshops: He pointed out that the Australian national • Case Study: Irfan College - Integrating curriculum is not static and is evolving and Islamic worldview & Australian Curricuthe neo-liberal regimes focus on standardilum by Mr Ali Arabaci & Ms Samah Taki sation and performance leading to pressures • Using learning goals to revamp the Arthat leads to loss of teacher autonomy, inabic & Quran Curriculum by Mr Sam crease of compliance, NAPLAN etc. Halbouni Standardisation narrows education and • Case Study: Unity Grammar - STEM defines for us what a good teacher is and Cells: The Global Robotics Powerhouse what is good teaching. There is no evidence by Ms Laila Qadan & Mr Riad Naanai that standardisation improves students’ out- • Approaching the curriculum as a begincomes, but the opposite. ning teacher by Mr Ziyad Serhan Philosophy of Islamic education must be • Quality assessment & curriculum enacttaken into consideration when shaping our ment by Mr Muhammad Abdullah schools so that we are nurturing the intellect • The Road to Early Learning Success’ by and spirit/soul. Ms Shadia Ghazi & Mr Anthony Puglisi Forum Session 2 was divided into break- • Visualising a curriculum based on virtues out workshops: & values by Ms Fayerolla Jacobs
Forum Session 6 was taken by the keynote speaker Dr Deborah Price, Chair, Australian Curriculum Studies Association (ACSA); Program Director MMET, UniSA who spoke on: ‘Understanding the Australian Curriculum and how to make it work for your school’ Dr Price said that Curriculum is constantly changing and we should see it as an opportunity and not as a burden. Curriculum is not stagnant and role of teachers and leaders are pivotal in its translation and manifestations We need to be brave in making decisions in Islamic schools context as to what can be contested. Forum Session 7 consisted of a Panel Session where audience interacted with the panel members on a range of issues associated with curriculum During the Forum Session 8: Professor Mohamad Abdalla presented the Forum Summary & Vote of Thanks to delegates, organisers and hosts. (The author wishes to thank Professor Abdalla for sharing his summary notes used in preparation of this article). Mehar Ahmad is a school teacher based in Sydney and the President of Seena Incorporated, publishers of the Australasian Muslim Times.
Unity Grammar making waves in Robotics AMUST Media Unity Grammar Robotics team, STEM Cells X qualifies for the FIRST LEGO League Estonian Open International, where the students will compete alongside 100 other teams from all over the world. The STEM Cell S are the first allgirls, all Muslim team to represent Australia on an international scale in the field of Robotics. The competition will take place on 6 to 8 June in Tallinn, Es-
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tonia. The team worked six hours every Saturday for seven months under the guidance of their coach and teacher, Laila Qadan. Unity Grammar’s FIRST LEGO League (FLL) team – STEM Cells X, qualified to represent Australia at the National FIRST LEGO League Tournament at Macquarie University in December 2017. This year’s theme, Hydrodynamics, challenged teams to propose innovative
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solutions to how to find, transport, use, and dispose of water. STEM Cells X proposed a more efficient and sustainable method for pumping water through pipes using a Magnetohydrodynamic Drive (MHD). By using a clean energy source like a nuclear reactor rather than coal energy will not only provide large-power generating capacity but also reduce carbon emissions. STEM Cells X will be one of only nine teams to represent Australia on an In-
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ternational scale. They will be the first and only all-female, all Muslim team to reach this level to date. They were able to accomplish this in their first year of participation. The team is now working hard in over-drive to prepare themselves for the tournament. They will need to design, engineer, program and run an autonomous robot to complete the challenge missions on the Hydrodynamics mat. The team will have 2.5 minutes to score as many points as possible in each round. ISSUE 148 / MARCH 2018
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The Halal Expo Australia 2018 Opening: The Mufti of Australia Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed cutting the ribbon joined by Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman, Ms Julie Owens MP, Consul General of Malaysia, Mr Syed Atiq ul Hassan and family members.
Halal Expo 2018 highlights rapid growth of Halal industry Zia Ahmad The fourth Halal Expo Australia was held on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 February 2018 at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney showcasing a large number of trade shows displaying their halal products and services. The expo was opened by the Mufti of Australia, Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammed and the parallel Halal Conference was addressed by a number of local and international experts in halal industry as well as Mr Ray Williams, NSW Minister for Multiculturalism. First started in 2015 at Fairfield Showground in Western Sydney, at the peak of the anti-halal movement by a small minority of racists and bigots, the Halal Expo Australia has grown into a highly successful international yearly iconic event. The Halal Expo organising team led by Mr Syed Atiq ul Hasan, an award winning journalist, community worker and event organiser persevered against all opposition by anti-halal bigots and remained steadfast in promoting and showcasing halal concepts in Australia. Mr Hassan, using his skills of networking, outreach and inclusive approach has brought together a diverse range of sponsors, local and international, halal experts, businesses
engaged in halal products and services over the short span of three years to develop the expo into an iconic mega-event. The Halal Expo Australia 2018 included
halal trade shows covering a variety of Halal Products & Services from Food & Beverage; Finance, Investment & Banking; Arts & Culture; Fashion, Cosmetics & Ac-
cessories; Beauty & Health Products; Lifestyle & Wellness; Pharmaceutical & Herbal Products to Building Private & Commercial Projects; Travel, Tourism & Hospitality; Innovation & Technology; Education, Research & Development. Parallel to the trade show, a 2-Day International Halal Conference (IHC) was held providing a unique opportunity for the local and overseas Halal industry players, Halal certification bodies, Islamic leaders, interfaith dialogue leaders, and the representatives of the Government departments to meet, speak and seek consensual resolutions on critical issues related to Halal industry in ethical, professional and harmonious relations. The event included awards to expo partners namely Human Appeal Australia, Government of Indonesia, Australian National Imam’s Council, gold sponsors including Hejaz Financial Services, AFIC Halal Authority, Sydney Alliance, Ria, ITPC Sydney and many more. Awards were also presented to the Halal Expo Australia 2018 Media partners Mr Abdullah Yuosuf, Editor-in-Chief of Bangladeshi Newspaper Suprovat as well as to Mr Zia Ahmad, Editor-in-Chief of AMUST. See more pics on page 16.
Muslims put faith into action on cost of power Abdal Abumustafa On Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 February, more than 70 Muslims from across Sydney joined together at Rose Hills Gardens to raise their voices about the cost of electricity and how they should respond in light of the Islamic faith. The 90-minute process called a “table talk” was organised by the Sydney Alliance and its Voices for Power campaign and was led by the Alliance’s Muslim community committee. After hearing a theological reflection from Imam Hassan Elsetohy, CEO of Muslim Aid Australia, and expert input from NGO Solar Citizens, Muslim participants shared their own experiences of rising energy prices and the difficulty of accessing renewable power. The Sydney Alliance is a coalition of 40 organisations representing community organisations, unions and faith groups in MARCH 2018 / ISSUE 148
Sydney, working together to advance the common good and achieve a fair, just and sustainable city. The Sydney Alliance is a non-party political organisation whose purpose is to strengthen civil society. Amongst its members are the National Zakat Foundation, the Muslim Women’s Association and the Australian National Imams Council. Beginning last year, the Voices for Power Campaign aims to support diverse religious and ethnic communities to take a lead role in the effort to tackle the high cost of electric bills in Sydney and to guarantee fair and equal access to affordable renewable energy. At the table talk, stories emerged about the enormous pressure that the high cost of energy is putting on Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Participants shared stories about thousand dollar electricity bills and the difficulty for new migrants navigating a complex energy market. They also spoke of their hopes for renewable energy and their desire to look after the environment that Allah has made. Abdalnasser Abumustafa, Sydney Alliance Muslim Communities Organiser, said
“For Muslims in Sydney, we can’t solve the issues that confront us unless we become an active part of the broader civil society. I am proud that our committee brings together Muslims from many communities, including notably the National Zakat Foun-
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dation. All of us are committed to the common good of our city. By working to make energy cleaner and more affordable we are taking this opportunity to be politically and socially engaged and improve the lives of everyone who lives here.”
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Mufti Menk’s first visit to Melbourne
Faseeha Hashmi
Mufti Menk has returned to Australia but this time, his lecture series tour has made a beeline towards Melbourne for the very first time. Two Melbourne mosques, Islamic Community Milli Gorus (ICMG) in Meadow Heights and the Australian Islamic Centre in Newport had the pleasure to welcome him in Melbourne during the first week of February 2018. Born and raised in Harare, Dr Ismail ibn Musa Menk also known as Mufti Menk, is the Grand Mufti of Zimbabwe. He is a leading global Islamic scholar with a high profile in social media, particularly on Twitter. He has hundreds of videos on his YouTube channel and has even more followers. Obtaining his Islamic education in Madinah, Saudi Arabia and holding a Doctorate in Social Guidance, the Mufti is well-regarded for his Islamic knowledge and charming charisma. Speaking before two overflowing mosques, the sweet smiling Mufti began slowly in his usual manner but with no lack of vigour to a room full of enthused Melbournians. His main topic focused on the importance of taqwa or God consciousness. This he said, is most imperative to maintain within our lives.
We are all “connected” as human beings given that we are all from the bloodline of Adam. Hence, he said we should treat each other the way we would want to be treated. The disease is to think we are better than one another. God has only created different tribes “so we can appreciate each other,” says the Mufti. He also appealed to us to strive for the sake of God, no matter what circumstances
we are placed in or what we may look like. Speaking to the youth that they should appreciate the body that they have. “This body is temporary,” he says. “We must honour our bodies despite this, as Allah has created each and every person. Though, no one’s fingerprint is the same; as we are all uniquely fashioned by God.” “Yet, you are beautiful, please believe me,” he pleaded to the crowd, and the room
erupted in delightful laughter. Throughout his talk, he seamlessly interweaved his good humour into the speech. However, the audience was truly overwhelmed with laughter at his jokes of his new-found appreciation for Halal Snack Packs (HSP). Certain things are deemed as halal or permitted, whilst others are haram or forbidden. He integrated this within the story of Adam who was forbidden to eat from the tree within paradise and the importance of listening to the decree of Allah rather than the whispers of Satan. “Turn back to Allah, when you make a mistake,” exclaimed the Mufti. Ultimately, his talk was encouraging and uplifting, appealing to families and the younger generation, as the halls were packed with a youthful audience. “I really connect to the Mufti, (he has an) amazing gift with speaking with the masses,” said Aisha. The Melbourne crowd was encouraged by his visit, stating that he spoke very well and they were eager for him to return. “MashAllah, please come more often Mufti Menk,” said Hannah. Ultimately, the most important message he reminded us was “Allah will always forgive you. Turn back to Allah. Have hope in the mercy of Allah.” For “the best from amongst us are the most closest to Allah.”
Full house at SAMAA Cruise for seniors
AMUST Media
Almost 150 people, most of them seniors enjoyed SAMAA’s annual Sydney Harbour cruise on Sunday 18 Feb 2018. Seniors together with their family members, SAMAA members and volunteers packed the chartered boat to its capacity on a cruise through the Sydney waters for three hours, starting at Darling Harbour and touching the iconic spots of the Sydney Harbour and its many spectacles. The audience enjoyed the South Asian Music and songs. Sydney singers Riyaz Shah sang famous Bollywood songs of the 70s and 80s in his melodious voice. A few elders also joined in to recite poetry and songs. Mr Mushaf Riaz from Primunity Homecare spoke about future of aged care services. He spoke about the potential of using technology in improving healthcare delivery which will lighten the financial burden. He also spoke about how government funding, available to the elders, is likely to change in future years. He urged elders to play a more active role in their own health. Dr Bayzidur Rahman of School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of Western Sydney gave an inspiring talk about the importance of caring for elders including its significance in Islam, quoting from Quran and Hadith. Mr Zahid Jamil of SAMAA briefed the audience about SAMAA programmes. He
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emphasised that SAMAA’s volunteering programme needs support due to increased delay in availing professional aged care services by elders. He said that currently, more than 110,000 seniors are waiting for aged care assessment through MyAgedCare. Once elders are assessed and approved for certain level of service, there are further delays in receiving the service, they qualify for. Many seniors may not qualify for a service which they need due to minor technicalities. SAMAA volunteers try to fill this gap in offering the essential services to elders. SAMAA has signed MoUs with service providers who offer culturally appropriate services to South Asian Muslim seniors. Mr Jamil said that SAMAA aims to build a Respite Centre and needs community support in achieving this objective. Mrs Mehar Jahan Ahmad and Mrs Mona Zahid conducted an entertaining quiz competition for seniors many of whom received prizes for the correct answers. Dr Ahad Khan, in his vote of thanks, thanked volunteers and members for arranging another successful SAMAA event. He appreciated efforts of volunteers/members including Abubakar Saddozai, Fasihuddin Khan, Afzal Hussain, Hassan Qureshi and many more. The next SAMAA event is its Annual event of Jashne Buzurg which will be held at Bowman Hall, Blacktown on Sunday 15 April 2018.
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Bob Carr shares vision of a dystopian future Minh Ai Nguyen
Hon Bob Carr, former Australian Foreign Minister and NSW Premier.
Affinity launched its Lunchtime Lecture program for the year on Wednesday 14 February involving former Australian Foreign Minister and NSW Premier Mr Bob Carr. Affinity’s first official event of 2018 saw an impressive turnout of more than 70 guests, who gathered to hear Mr Carr present a talk titled ‘Australian and the World’. Mr Carr’s talk was facilitated by his close friend and former Australian ambassador to the Holy See, John McCarthy QC and the program was opened by former NSW Premier, Barrie Unsworth. The talk began with Mr Carr reading an excerpt from his new book, which is set in a dystopian society in 2050 where young people are forced to contend with a dire political, societal and envi-
ronmental predicament. “There are no deniers of climate change anymore, and young people are filled with rage and indignation at what they have inherited.” said Mr Carr. Mr Carr also outlined the political and social climate he envisioned for this dystopia, reimagining how the future would look had critical incidents of the past been different. In what was an engaging talk, Mr Carr raised many challenging questions related to pertinent issues of politics, policy and the environment. If you would like to watch Mr Carr’s talk, the recording of the event is available on Affinity’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/AffinityDialogue. 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.
Empowerment program on domestic violence Dr Nada Ibrahim A workshop on domestic violence was held from Saturday 3 to 4 February 2018 at the Islamic Women’s Association of Australia premises in Springwood, Queensland attended by more than 30 Muslim Community leaders. The topic for the workshop was Empowerment Program for Domestic Violence and it was organised in partnership with Kuraby Mosque, Centre for Islamic Thought & Education (CITE), University of South Australia and sponsored by the Islamic Women’s Association of Australia (IWAA) and Relationships Australia Queensland (RAQ). Relationships Australia Queensland was contracted to co-design and co-deliver this program. The project was led by Dr Nada Ibrahim from CITE and funded by Queensland Government as part of the Celebrating Multicultural Queensland initiatives across Queensland. The 2-day intensive event, with a breakfast start, included a combination of presentations and workshop-based individual, paired and group activities. The sessions were co-facilitated by Aunty Debra Bennet (RAQ), Dr Nada Ibrahim (CITE), Mohammed Abdi (RAQ), Riyad Rahimullah (RAQ) and Muna Ibrahim (IWAA). Evaluations from the members of the Muslim community who attended the event were very positive and it was heartening to see a lot of learning had taken place increasing the community’s capacity to respond to victims of domestic and family violence (DFV) in a non-judgemental and supportive way. The interactive activity based training was very well received by participants as it allowed them to share diverse opinions and understand diverse perspectives. Of particular benefit was Leaders/Imams realising that attitudes/beliefs stem from levels of country-of-origin, culture-of-origin and family-of-origin. Being able to work from a strength-based approach was necessary so that individuals could recognise that victims need a strengthbased approach when their issues are being addressed. The trauma-informed narrative practice model delivered by Aunty Debra Bennet was instrumental in participants realising the trauma that victims faced with DFV and that it has an impact on the decisions of a victim and what was of most benefit was helping victims develop post-traumatic MARCH 2018 / ISSUE 148
Attendees participating in the gender roles activity at the Empowerment Program for Domestic Violence workshop. resilience so that they can heal the trauma vention. when faced with a DFV situation and the and be empowered (this is a particular core Identifying the strengths of the Muslim automatic process that would be triggered of the inspired NAFSi Personal Leadership community and families through the group when DFV was identified such as safety of Program – one of CITE’s signature pro- activity of what Islam says about social jus- the victim, safety plan, etc. grams under Dr Nada Ibrahim’s portfolio). tice values, community & diversity, family The activity on duty of care added signifThe group activity of identifying myths of & marriage, and respect & compassion was icant value to Leaders/Imams so they could DFV was very useful as participants were particularly useful so that participants could identify their duty of care when presentthen able to identify what was reality and identify the strengths of the community. ed with a DFV case. Part of this involved what was myth when it came to DFV to give Often communities are focussed on fragil- identifying recent changes to legislation on them a better understanding of the complex- ities of the community and don’t realise the DFV. The activity that followed helped parities of DFV when responding to DFV. strengths that can be drawn upon when ad- ticipants identify what a healthy relationship This was further reinforced by the victim’s dressing DFV. One of the participants artic- looks like and how men can take responsiinternal & external voices activity where ulated how challenging it was to identify the bility in preventing DFV. Leaders/Imams were able to understand the strengths of the community because of the As these were Muslim community leaders conflicting information that a victim was be- conditioning of focussing on negative rath- it was vital that they have a space to discuss ing subjected to that was complicating her er than positive. The strength-based activity the Islamic perspective on the issue of DFV. decisions regarding DFV. further reinforced the importance of work- A role play was first acted out on how reliThe privilege activity also added to mak- ing from a strength-based approach. gion is misused by perpetrators to perpetuing leaders realise how privilege can be Role-plays were great for participants to ate DFV and particularly how verse 4:34 of forcefully taken away from a victim when identify in their groups and engage in how the Quran is misused. facing a DFV situation. The feedback from DFV is manifested in the family, workplace, Many Leaders were not able to identify participants was testimony that these activi- community and cyberspace. All these ac- what verse 4:34 of the Quran pertained to ties achieved the objective of making leaders tivities were paramount in identifying DFV so having a table discussion on the topic realise the complexities of these decisions in various settings and particularly what was of great benefit. Having Imams at the for victims and to take a non-judgemental Leaders/Imams can do to respond to DFV in tables was particularly useful in guiding this approach when working with victims. these situations. process. Leaders/Imams discussed how they The bystander and iceberg models were The activity of identifying barriers to re- would educate the community on verse 4:34 particularly useful in illustrating that under- porting of DFV and why it wasn’t reported and how they as leaders can break the cycle lying DFV abuse exists layers of disadvan- to police was reinforced by research data of of violence. tage, unequal opportunities and discrimina- Dr Nada Ibrahim that had interviewed MusA plan of action was then discussed by tion against women. The bystander model lim victims of DFV and their experiences individual groups to design how they could was particularly useful in making partici- when interacting with the Australian Crimi- respond to DFV to create safer families, pants aware that they couldn’t afford to not nal Justice System. more respectful and responsive workplaces take action in cases of DFV. The feedback This was a segway to Senior Sergent Neil and communities and actions and resources received from the participants was illustra- Gardener’s presentation on how the police needed to address DFV. tive of this realisation. respond to DFV and some of the challenges The workshop ended with a commitment An understanding of the extent of DFV that they encounter when dealing with Mus- of short-term, medium-term and long-term perpetration and victimisation in the Mus- lim cases of DFV. It was a great opportunity identification of what Leaders/Imams would lim community made the problem real to for Leaders/Imams to ask questions and get do to respond to DFV. Short-term goals the participants and this was reflected in the a response to build trust with police and vice were shared with the rest of the participants. comments from participants. versa on issues related to DFV. Also, the exercise on generating the posThe activity that followed was a role- (Read full article on AMUST website) sible factors that lead toward perpetration play on best practices when responding to and harmful attitudes towards DFV was of DFV situations (role-played by facilitators). Dr Nada Ibrahim is a Senior Research Felbenefit as it made them realise the value of This was particularly important for Leaders/ low at the Centre for Islamic Thought & Edevidence-based research (that was then pre- Imams so they could identify their own bias- ucation, University of South Australia with sented by Dr Nada Ibrahim from her DFV es when responding to DFV cases. a PhD (Criminology), MEd (Guidance & research) in identifying factors that need to What added value was having a teacher Counselling) and BHSc (Psychology with be addressed when responding to DFV pre- talk about what they would do in schools an Islamic Psychology intersect). WWW.AMUST.COM.AU
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Abbas Chelat wins double awards Manarul Islam
Veteran Australian Muslim community leader, Abbas Chelat has won two awards in quick succession to recognise his achievements both in the community service and business fields. In January Mr Chelat was recognised for his service to the community by the United India Association (UIA) and then in February, he was recognised by the Sydney Malayalee Association as the Entrepreneur of the Year 2018. On receiving the entrepreneur award, Mr Abbas stressed the need for establishing a community centre for the Malayalee community. “We need a place for ourselves - a building or converted factory - something where we can gather at least two thousand people for events such as this.” he proposed. He asked the current and future executive committees to place this as a priority. Mr Abbas arrived in Australia 40 years ago in 1978 and along with a distinguished career global education and career with Tata Engineering and 14 years at Asea Brown Boveri (ABB), he ran numerous successful businesses including multiple Donut King franchises and his current lab furniture enterprise. His businesses have employed over 300 Australians over 35 years. His community work has been as long and as committed. He is a founding and current board of directors of the Islamic Association of Western Suburbs Sydney (IAWSS) and was instrumental in the establishment of the Australian Islamic College of Sydney. The college now goes up to Year 12 and has over 1200 students. Mr Abbas has held various positions, including Secretary and Treasurer, of the
Selahattin Kefali, NZ Muslim pioneer passed away
Selahattin Kefali (right) with his grandson, Joel. Abdullah Drury Selahattin Kefali, a pioneer amongst the Muslim community in New Zealand passed away on Sunday night 18 February 2018 at the age of 87. He was one of the Albanian Muslim refugees who arrived in NZ in 1951 on board the MS Goya Nicknamed “Sol”, Kefali was born in Tetovo, Macedonia, in 1930. An agricultural worker, Kefali married a Pakeha lady. By 1956 Sellahuttin Kefali was working in Mercer but later he moved to Auckland. Along with his friends, he was involved in the New Zealand Muslim Association and worked closely with the Indian Muslim immigrants in the 1950s and 1960s. His grandson made a short film variously called ‘Baba’ and elsewhere ‘Dans’ (Turkish for ‘dance’) where he narrated a colourful yarn about his experiences in the 1950’s, discovering sausage rolls in central Auckland.
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Mr Abbas (right) is presented the Entrepreneur of the Year Award by Julia Finn, NSW Labor MP for Granville and Babu Varghese, President Sydney Malayalee Association. Sydney Malayalee Association and was the President of the World Malayalee Association for over seven years. He is also active in the Kerala Muslim Cultural Centre and the Indian Crescent Society of Australia which aims to engage with the Australian government and associated communities for a better understanding of
Indian Muslims in Australia. As the first Indian Malayalee Muslim to settle in Sydney, he and his wife, Saffiya, have provided considerable support to new Australians in their migration from India and UAE and provided assistance as they establish themselves into Australian society. .
Video of the UIA Award: https://goo.gl/6nYGBr Video of the Sydney Malayalee Association Award: https://youtu.be/Ps7vlWYTY5k Manarul Islam is an IT professional, community worker and AMUST correspondent based in Canberra.
Anniversary of Islamic Revolution marked in Sydney and Canberra Hanif Bismi The 39th anniversary of the victory of Islamic Revolution was held on Saturday 10 February 2018 at the Civic Theatre, Hurstville City Council in Sydney. The program began with the recitation of Holy Quran by Qari Mustafa Ashrafi followed by both the Iranian and Australian national anthems. Haji Hussein Dirani of Ahlul-Bait World Assembly, the organising body welcomed the guests. Mr Shaoquett Moselmane MLC highlighted that Australian and Iran had strengthened its bilateral relationship through trade and culture. Dr Tim Anderson from the University of Sydney highlighted the achievements of the Islamic Republic, such as longer life expectancy, excellence in education and scientific research, social justice and gender equality. Father Dave Smith stressed that spirituality had empowered the Iranian nation after the revolution and said that his prayers would always be with its government. Sheikh Nami Farhat said that Islamic Revolution changed the world order and protected Muslims in the region from terrorism. Iran continues to endure decades of financial sanctions imposed on Iran by the world powers. Even today Iranians still suffer from the horrific chemical attacks carried out 30 years ago by Saddam. Iran has been and remains a victim of many types of terror attacks. Multiple Iranian nuclear scientists have been selectively assassinated inside
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Dr Abdul Hussein Vahaji, Ambassador of Iran with the author. and outside Iran. Today the leader of the Revolution, Syed Ali Khamenei, himself is a living martyr. He survived an attempted assassination while he was leading Friday prayers. Hanif Bismi presented a short history of the revolution during his speech. Dr Rahim Latifi the visiting scholar from Qum also addressed the gathering. The main guest of the evening Dr Abdul Hussein Vahaji, the Iranian Ambassador presented the Iranian government’s achievements and how Iran empowers its neighbouring countries to protect their national security. He said that Iran gives political voice and moral support to oppressed people around the world particularly the Pales-
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The author presenting AMUST to the Consul of Iraq. tinian people. On Tuesday 13 February, the Iranian Embassy marked the occasion by hosting a dinner in Canberra at the Hellenic Club. Diplomats from various nations, Australian politicians and high profile bureaucrats as well as community leaders attended the event. The evening also hosted the Australian Navy which is going to Iran as part of the bilateral agreement in April. This is an evidence that today Iran and Australia enjoy a stronger bilateral relationship. Hanif Bismi is a Sydney based historian, political analyst, community activist and an Advisor to ARO. ISSUE 148 / MARCH 2018
AUSTRALIA Late Mark Blows: Reflections at the funeral service LIFESTYLE 18 - 22
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Zia Ahmad On Tuesday 13 February, I had the opportunity and the honour of attending the most dignified funeral of our family friend Mr Mark Blows, a clinical psychologist, musician and an interfaith leader, at the Gosford Anglican Church, who had passed away on Thursday 1 February 2018. Mark, and his wife Johanna, a psychologist as well, worked with my father Dr Qazi Ashfaq Ahmad and members of our family on a number of interfaith project associated with the Festival of Harmony conducted in the city of Fairfield including the production of a manual “ Reflections: Interfaith Youth Interactions, an “Interfaith Youth Friendship Diary” in 2007 and establishment of Interfaith Youth Friendship Centre at Bonnyrigg. I was accompanied by my son-in-law, Dr Wali Bokhari for the funeral service. We travelled by train, an hour’s journey from Strathfield station and arrived 5 minutes before 10.00 am, time given for ‘viewing’ and were greeted by four smartly dressed female funeral directors who led us to the small formal old church building designated as the sacred space. We first met Mark’s elder daughter Joanna and her Japanese husband, introduced ourselves in detail and then paid our respects by reciting Al-Fatiha in our own tradition and praying for Marks salvation and for his family. On the way out after viewing the body, we met Johanna and offered our condolences. After the ‘viewing’ we were welcomed by Father Rod Bower, the Anglican priest at the Church who I had met at a number of occasions previously at interfaith gatherings in Sydney. The Gosford Anglican Church and Father Rod are well known for their support of Muslims, asylum seekers and refugees and have been targeted by bigoted hate groups, frequently covered by various media outlets. Father Rod Bower took us for a brief tour of the main church hall where to my surprise, there was no furniture but wall to wall carpeting. Father Rod explained that he had the church benches removed in order to create a more flexible space and was often criticised by Islamophobes of turning the church into a mosque. A large number of family and friends started arriving who went into the church for ‘viewing’ in small groups while we introduced ourselves, the only Muslims in our caps amongst a mainly Christian congregation. At precisely 10.30 am, in accordance with the program, the funeral service commenced in the old church, St Marys. Father Rod greeted all those gathered and explained the proceedings of the service and gave his reflections on Marks life and achievements. Although the service was part of a grieving process after a death, it was regarded as an occasion to remember and hon-
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our Mark and celebrate his life and achievements, a point emphasised by all speakers. I was struck by the dignity, discipline and decorum displayed at the event by the family members and all those present to mark the solemn occasion. The proceedings included the singing of a hymn, readings from the bible, eulogies by family members, a musical performance by his younger daughter Tamina and Rhianne Grieve, a cousin of Mark, playing a beautiful piece,“The Lark Ascending” by Vaughan Williams, on her violin before the coffin was taken to the hearse for private family burial. A number of people attending the service were invited to refreshments in the main church hall where we had some great conversation with members of the local community. During his speech at the funeral service, Laurence Blows, younger brother of Mark recalled childhood memories in a most humorous but respectable manner as well as Mark’s exceptional achievements: “Mark was studious. At University he studied psychology and music, these were crucial pathways to wisdom. He was one of the earliest practising clinical psychologists, innovative in the help he gave his clients, he was an inaugural member of the Australian Psychological Society, he read widely and examined many healing practices, past and present. He wrote books. He was surprised to find that Buddha used techniques of healing to relieve suffering about 2600 years ago. Mark and Johanna joined a world wide group “The Transnational Network for the Study of Physical, Psychological and Spiritual Wellbeing.” Mark’s eldest daughter Joanna Hosoya during her address elaborated on her fathers working life and what she learnt from him: “Dad pursued his own path. He was attracted to that which was not the suburban Australia of his childhood. He married my beautiful and cherished Dutch mother at 23 and they lived upon a shoestring in Blacktown. I was born on my father’s 25th birthday and my sister 14 years later. Dad told me that we should be of service. He thought that the little man should stand up to authority and defend justice. You can understand his mind if you know that he also read widely and tried to learn about different cultures and religious thought. But I would not say he was an introvert.” The final speech at the service was given by Johanna displaying the utmost love and respect for her late husband. She twice mentioned the name of my father and our family, evidence of closeness and mutual respect that we had developed during our interfaith interactions. “I am very happy to see all of you here, on this very special occasion, to remember and honour Mark, and to celebrate his life Gathered here is such a variety of family and friends – Mark’s brother, our children, several of Mark’s cousins as well as two of my brothers – and Mark’s grandson, Laurence. Our granddaughter, Meriel, will be coming next week! Then there are the friends from our church, who have given us so much support during Mark’s long illness. There are
Mark William Blows. also our musical friends, and two of a group of friends with whom Mark and I were associated in the inter-faith group at Fairfield, with Dr. Ashfaq Ahmad and his great family. Mark and I first met at the University of Sydney, where both of us were studying psychology –in the hope of reaching some understanding of human life. Mark was a serious young man, he played the piano and loved the classics such as Haydn and Mozart, but especially, Beethoven, whom he used to see as “Uncle Ludwig”, standing just behind him, near the piano, giving him his advice or comments. (His mother was a piano teacher, after all!) Mark’s life and mine have been inextricably linked since 1960, and then shared with, first, Joanna, and somewhat later, Tamina. It has not been easy, but it was often exciting and wonderful. Our love seemed to me like a very deep friendship, vulnerable but alive. I am truly thankful for our life together. We travelled first to India, several times, a continent so colourful yet so starkly poor…. And yet, with such a rich religious life. We were fascinated to observe the differences in culture and religions - including Hindu, Buddhist, Islam and Sikh traditions’ Later we visited Europe to attend a conference at a monastery in Belgium, of a group of psychologists, together with Father Laurence Freeman, relating psychology and spirituality. Our interest in this field also led to our participation in the Interfaith Committee at Fairfield, where we had the honour of working with Dr. Ashfaq Ahmad and his family. In closing, I would like to express my warmest thanks for the kindness, support and friendship, and the prayers of our many friends in Christchurch and St Marys congregations. Also for the very capable help of our daughter Joanna and our special friend Sadraddin.. And lastly, I am deeply grateful to Father Rod Bower for his fatherly, loving
care for Mark and his prayers for us both, in our time of need.” Mark completed his Memoirs in April 2013, almost 100 pages long with a number of photographs, reflections on his childhood, his professional career, his thoughts and ideas and stories of people he met and worked with. I was able to obtain a printed copy at the funeral service and to my surprise, I found that he had devoted almost three full pages on my father, analysing his personality, thoughts and ideas during the relatively brief time he had spent with him. Quoted below are some selection from his Memoirs regarding Dr Ashfaq Ahmad and ‘clan’: “This story could never be complete without including Ashfaq. ... Ashfaq is an elderly, very traditional Moslem leader who lives in one of the suburbs in the city of Fairfield. Authoritative in manner, he is indisputably the head of his clan, he is a patriarch....He was a lecturer in Engineering at the University of Sydney. He generates many interesting plans and ideas. Then having done that, he “leaves the rest to God.”.... We worked with Ashfaq for some years, in a group of people from diverse religious background, who were interested in dialogue between religious traditions. This work had been Ashfaq’s initiative, and he and his extended family put much planning and organisational skills into it.” The same evening I passed on the memoirs to my father, 88, who read it from cover to cover the same evening with great fascination and shed a few tears in the memory of his great friend, colleague and fellow traveller in life. We pray for Mark to rest in peace and pass our condolences to his loving family. Zia Ahmad is the Editor-in-Chief of the Australasian Muslim Times AMUST.
Sir Nicholas Shehadie laid to rest Aisha Mohsin
Sir Nicholas Michael Shehadie, AC OBE, the former Lord Mayor of Sydney and national representative rugby union captain, died peacefully on 11 February 2018, aged 91. Sir Nicholas is survived by his wife Professor Marie Bashir, former NSW governor, daughters Alexandra and Susan, son Michael Shehadie and six grandchildren. Sir Nicholas was born on 15 November 1925 in Coogee, NSW. He served as Sydney’s lord mayor between 1973 and 1975 and was the chairman of SBS for two decades between 1981 and 1999. MARCH 2018 / ISSUE 148
He was a distinguished Wallaby (1946-58) and the prime mover in establishing the Rugby World Cup. Another notable achievement for Sir Nicholas was that he was knighted and made a Commander in the Order of Australia (AC). Above all else, Sir Nicholas was an inspiring person and a revered Australian whose contribution to public life, media, sport and community is instrumental in shaping his legacy both nationally as well as internationally. A State Funeral Service for Sir Nicholas Shehadie was held on Wednesday, 21 February 2018 at St James Church, Sydney. 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
Sir Nicholas Michael Shehadie with his wife Professor Marie Bashir.
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Arabs and Jews - Combatants for Peace Philip Feinstein
Completed in late 2016, the film “Disturbing the Peace” followed former enemy combatants—Israeli soldiers of elite units and Palestinian fighters, many of whom served years in prison—who joined together to challenge the status quo. The transformational journeys of fighters/ combatants from a commitment to armed battle to non-violent peace activists, lead to the creation of Combatants for Peace, a joint Palestinian-Israeli NGO committed to cultivating peace and promoting dialogue. The NGO was nominated for the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize. Among the awards, the film has garnered are the New York Times Critic’s Pick and the first Ebert Humanitarian Award. The film challenges us to understand the narratives we live in and to decide what role we are going to play in creating a more humane world. It starts with our willingness to disturb the peace. In front of a large audience last Sunday, the film raised important questions and included opportunities for structured and respectful discussions of the issues. In her summation of the film, Vivienne Porzsolt said the movie was memorable and moving in a number of ways. “My major concern is that it treated the Israelis and Palestinians more or less as equals, whereas the truth is that the Palestinians are resisting a brutal, illegal occupation, which they are
entitled to do under international law .” She then added: “Even more significant in my view than the film was the discussion afterwards and the fact that it was organised by people who have, and still often are, political opponents.” Israeli Na’ama Carlin pointed out that 6 years prior she had her first real Palestinian meeting with Souli, the man who was one of the founders of Combatants for Peace. “As I see it the film sets out to show the humanity behind the conflict, staying away from factional politics and the language of blame - it demonstrates how people move away from violence and militancy and come to see their enemy as human, and later - as friend.” In the process of moving forward, Shoshana Faire pointed out how she was touched
by the film as it showed a ray of hope amongst what is going on, which is people driven by fear, anger and hate and the inability to see that those on the other side are simply people too. She pointed out: “Those who started it took a huge risk to meet together with the ‘enemy’ and through the sharing of their personal stories, the barriers of mistrust were broken and bonds were formed. They saw their commonality and their humaneness.” And looking at a closer to home scenario, Alice Beauchamp drew attention to the impressive scene of husband and wife wrangling re the impending demonstration, symbolising the stand-off even within a family. Many people viewed the screening as an optimistic and important film about the importance of understanding the ‘enemy’s’
perspective. Others were of the view that talking and working together is essential for peace, but early education and early collaboration by young people would far extend the power of this approach. Sheree Waks, a fierce advocate for peace, said: “All of the people involved showed great courage in going against the views of the majority in their respective communities, and in some cases against their families as well, in standing up for what they believe is right.” She pointed out how many had undergone profound transformation in reaching the conclusion that the non-violent path is the most appropriate to achieving longterm peace with justice. “In the crazy world we live in, it is very important to have real everyday people like these as role models to inspire us all, when violence may be a temptation to those who seek quicker outcomes non-violence requires patience, persistence, skill and commitment.” And with those words of wisdom I will leave you with the final thoughts of Paul Reti: “For things to change, I have to change. For things to get better, I must get better.” What this means for today’s Palestinian people and today’s Israeli people is that they BOTH must stop wallowing in victimhood. Combatants for Peace, both Arabs and Jews, are showing proactively in trying to do just that. Combatants for Peace website: www.cfpeace.org Movie on Netflix: www.netflix.com/au/title/80134807 Philip Feinstein is a Sydney based writer, musician and activist working for MUSIC FOR REFUGEES www.musicforrefugees.org
Wonderful Moving Forward Together festival in Blacktown Tarlochan Singh Hundreds of people from Blacktown area and other parts of Sydney turned out on Sunday 18 February 2018 for a magnificent Moving Forward Together Festival, celebrating International Mother Language Day and Harmony Walk. The event brought together people from diverse communities, of all ages, in a day of togetherness and harmony, highlighted by music, dance, and great food, especially free food & Drink from the Sikh community to all. There were outstanding performances by young people result of hard work by efforts by kids and the parents of the Guru Nanak Punjabi School Glenwood, NSW. Kids aged between 5 to 15 years practiced
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for the last 2 months after school in order to perform at the festival. Even Basketball player Mr Amrit Pal Singh (basketball player for the Sydney Kings of the National Basketball League (NBL) joined in order to encourage the kids and their parents. He was highly surprised to see the dedication and hard work put in by performing kids and their parents. Thank you to the organisers including Blacktown City Council. And a special thank you to the wonderful performers – Maltese Cultural Association Choir, Australian Hindu Multicultural Association, Philippine – Australia Community Services (PACSI), ORA Sydney Gujarati Grammar School, Ben Adler, Ahmadiyya Muslim Association, Guru Nanak Punjabi School, Bahais, Peiji Chinese School, and BSPC Bangla School.
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Potential market and products for Islamic investment in Australia tives) d. Islamic Pension/Annuity e. Islamic Cash Investment f. High Wealth Investment g. Australian Shares h. International Shares
FINANCE Dr Abul Jalaluddin
Islamic finance is a large industry, operating in the Middle-east, Asia and Europe including the UK. This industry operates in over 70 countries. The size of the Islamic financial services industry was US$ 1.9 trillion in 2016. The major segments of the Islamic investment market are Islamic banking (78.9%), Sukuk or Islamic securitisation market (16.8%), Islamic funds (3.0%) and Takaful or Islamic insurance (1.3%). The key regions of the Islamic Investment market are Asia, Gulf Cooperation Council- GCC (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman), Middle East and North Africa- MENA (Algeria, Bahrain, Djibouti, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, West Bank and Gaza and Yemen). Islamic Investment Opportunities There are providers of Islamic investment services in Australia. A recent survey by the Islamic Financial Services Council of Australia (IFSCA) found that Australia has approximately 10 entities providing various types and levels of Islamic finance and investment services to all Australians includ-
ing Muslims. They are able to facilitate Islamic investments and generate a good rate of return for investors. The Islamic investment services entities have classified the Australian industries where money may be gainfully invested in accordance with Islamic norms and values. They designate them as approved industries and excluded industries where there are restrictions in terms of Islamic investments. The approved industries in Australia include properties, infrastructure, healthcare, telecommunications, natural resources/min-
ing, technology, utilities and manufacturing. The excluded industries comprise of interest based instruments such as bonds and treasury bills, alcohol, gambling, tobacco, armaments, banks and pig products. Islamic Investment Products in Australia There is a wide range of Islamic Investment products available in Australia including:
Islamic financial advice is available to grow and protect the wealth of Australian Muslims. This advice may act as an enabler for Islamic investment as the intricacies of investment, taxation and ever-changing regulations are not obvious to general investors. Australia has a secure and competitive investment environment which offers political stability, growing economy as well as good legislative and regulatory framework to protect the community of investors. An appropriate Investment advice entails a long-term strategy for investments. A speculative behaviour to earn quick bucks is rarely a good approach to grow and protect financial resources. Based on the Australian approved industries, the best idea for an Islamic investment portfolio would be to diversify into property, shares and Islamic Cash investments over a relatively longterm. Islamic investments by Australian Muslims will enhance economic growth, create employment opportunities and improve the standard of living for all Australians.
a. Income Fund b. Property Trust c. Units in Friendly Societies (Co-opera-
Dr Abul Jalaluddin is an Islamic Finance expert, taxation advisor and a regular columnist for AMUST. He is based in Sydney.
Interfaith Harmony Week celebrations in Melbourne
Gulhan Eryegit Yoldas In celebrating Interfaith Harmony Week this year, City of Whittlesea, together with Darebin City Council, Whittlesea Interfaith Network, Darebin Interfaith Council, United Religions Initiative, Beacon of Hope, Al Siraat College and several others organisations worked in collaboration to host the inspiring interfaith event titled “Power of Love - Paying it Forward” on Thursday 8 February 2018 at Mill Park Library in North Melbourne. World Interfaith Harmony Week celebrated during the 1st week of February (1-7 February 2018) offers a wonderful platform for bringing people together to celebrate the diversity of faiths that make up our community. Several enlightening speeches were made by key speakers. Maria Callipari City of Whittlesea Multicultural Officer presented a heartfelt speech about the importance of recognising the traditional owners of the land and the importance of reconciliation. Councillor and Deputy Mayor of the City of Whittlesea, Cr. Sam Alessi talked about the social and economic benefits of connecting our community and fostering a harmonious community. He encouraged the audience to MARCH 2018 / ISSUE 148
reflect on the idea that when we do something for others we’re in fact doing something for the betterment of our community. Darebin Council CEO Sue Wilkinson talked about developing compassionate inclusive communities, reducing discrimination, connecting communities and establishing a sense of belonging in a way that is sustainable. Al Siraat College’s very own Mufti Aasim
Rashid gave a very powerful speech about using interfaith dialogue platforms to address issues facing our communities collaboratively. As a newly arrived Canadian, he explained how his experiences in interfaith dialogue has been used to “create awareness, address issues, a platform for change, for advocacy, for justice, and for education.” Mufti Aasim explained that he’s passionate
about using education as a means of clearing up the air and resolving our differences and working together for the betterment of our communities. Einstein’s very moving letter to his daughter was presented by Nivy Balachandran United Religions Initiative highlighting the power of love as a cosmic force which binds us all which was very relevant to the theme of this event. The entertainment for the event included a mesmerising Oud (musical instrument) performance by Sarif Barwti and the incredibly talented engaging innovative performances by Melbourne Playback Theatre who re-enacted the stories shared by the audience. This year for World Interfaith Harmony Week lets recognise the need to build greater social cohesion, strengthen our community ties and approach those with a different view of our own with kindness and compassion. God bless all those who are actively contributing to the betterment of our highly diverse communities. Photos courtesy of Mr Mohammed Yassin. 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.
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Celebrating 4th annua AMUST
2nd Australian Islam
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al Halal Expo Australia
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mic Education Forum
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Options for Muslim burial places Zia Ahmad With the increasingly ageing and expanding population of Muslims, there has been a concern as to find suitable burial places for Muslims in Sydney. The main cemetery at Rookwood is filling up fast. The Muslim section at Liverpool is now full with no vacancies. The Reverston cemetery is again filling up fast. A relatively new cemetery for Muslim burial is at Narellan operated by the Lebanese Muslim Association (LMA). The veteran Muslim leader with corporate knowledge of Muslim burials for more than 35 years, Mr Kazi Ali has been articulating the need for planning and cost-effective services for Muslim burials. Initial discussions with the stakeholders providing burial services, mosque committees, community leaders and other concerned Muslims as well as government of-
ficials are taking place in order to plan and make user-friendly arrangements for the acquisition of burial land, funeral services and maintenance of cemeteries on a competitive and cost-effective basis to the consumers. One of the major service providers in this field is The Catholic Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (CMCT) who operate the Kemps Creek Cemetery and Crematorium at 230260 Western Road, Kemps Creek, NSW 2178. They have allocated dedicated Muslim Lawn, an exclusive area of the cemetery for Muslim burials. This site is conveniently located, only 15 minutes’ drive from Liverpool, Penrith, Fairfield and Blacktown and offers a choice of single and double sites. Graves are available at need or for pre-purchase including interest-free Pre-purchase payment for a duration of three years. This cemetery is located in a peaceful rural setting, professionally well maintained
Kemps Creek Cemetery. and with competitive pricing that is still under negotiation to make it more affordable for Muslim burials. Planning ahead for your burial or that of
your loved one is very important. Many families like to plan ahead to secure preferred locations at today’s prices. This provides peace of mind, knowing that final requests will be honoured and family members will be positioned together. Key decisions can be made ahead of time so that families can plan a tribute that best suits their needs. Kemps Creek Cemetery is a not for profit organisation committed to serving the needs of our families and community groups. The Catholic Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (CMCT) is heavily involved the future planning of burial places for Sydney. They are in the process of developing further cemeteries in Penrith and Campbelltown areas and negotiating with local councils and the government. They wish to develop Muslim areas in all these cemeteries and have called for support, discussions and negotiations in order to successfully complete these projects. There are ongoing discussions between The Catholic Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (CMCT) and various Muslim organisations, mosques and movers and shakers to join forces in working together for these projects.
Mr Peter O’Meara, CEO, Catholic Cemeteries & Crematoria in discussion with Muslim leaders at Rooty Hill Mosque.
Book release “Talkh Nawai” and Mushaera in Sydney Dr Fasihuddin Khan The Book release of Talkh Nawai by Mohammad Izhar-ul-Haq was held along with a Mushaera with prominent overseas and local poets on Saturday 20 January 2018 at Berala Community Centre in Sydney. The program was organized and supported by Indian Crescent Society of Australia (ICSOA) its Secretary Mr Fasihuddin Khan and Mr Arshad Saeed. The Chief Guest at the event was the author, Mr Izhar ul Haq, a poet, writer, columnist and critic; The program was presided over by Mr Asadur Rehman, a senior poet from overseas who shared the stage with ICSOA President Mr Abbas Raza Alvi and Professor Rais Alvi, a prominent poet, writer, linguist, educationist and the former Vice-Chancellor of New Port University in Karachi, Pakistan. The proceedings were started with recitation of Quran by young Ahmad, son of Mr Omar Ahmad and Hamd by Riaz Shah. Two minutes of silence with dua was observed for the departed soul of Mrs Sadia Siddiqui, wife of Mr Zafar Siddiqui who passed away at the beginning of the New Year in a tragic road accident. The audience also made dua for Mr Zishan Haider’s father who passed away the day before. Book release session was facilitated by Mr Arshad Saeed who introduced the au-
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thor Mr Mohammad Izhar ul Haq and his literary achievements. Mr Arshad Saeed is a prominent poet and well known in Sydney, author of a poetry Book “Hudood-e-Shaam Se Aage” and his second Book “Behte Paani Pe Tasveer” is under publication. Review of the Book “Talkh Nawai” was presented by Dr Kausar Jamal, a writer with a doctorate in the Chinese language. Ms Naushi Gilani, a very well know poet and writer amongst Urdu literary circles around the globe shared her thoughts about the Book Talkh Nawai. Several poetry books have already been published under her name. Mushaera session was conducted by Mr Fasihuddin Khan who briefed the audience about the importance, beauty, relevance and importance of Urdu poetry and sweetness of the language. Urdu has captured the hearts and minds of Urdu-speaking masses throughout the world, including here in Australia. Prominent poets who participated and shared their artistic expression, and creativ-
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ity were Mr Mohammad Izhar ul Haq, Professor Rais Alvi, Mr Abbas Raza Alvi, Mr Asadur Rahman, Dr Baqar Raza Zaidi, Ms Kausar Jamal, Ms Naushi Gilani, Mr Arshad Saeed, Mr Saeed Khan, Mr Rehan Alavi, Mr Riaz Shah, Mr Tarique Mirza and Ms Tehmina Rao. Various poets recited their beautiful poetry and expressed their thoughts on topics covering all walks of life, especially on current events, prevailing environment, political situations, various issues and occasions. Apart from Ghazal, poets recited very touching and heartfelt Nazms as well. The audience was mesmerized by the emotional, creative, idealistic and revolutionary poetry presented by poets. ICSOA president Mr Alvi thanked the audience, poets, organizers and guests. He listed the objectives and goals of ICSOA and its services and achievements. Mr Alvi on behalf of ICSOA presented an AWARD to Mr Izhar ul Haq. Prominent writer and poet Mr Tariq Mirza presented his recently published book “Sa-
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fare Ishq” to Mr Mohammad Izhar ul Haq. Mr Izahr ul Haq also addressed the audience and shared his thoughts about his book. Mr Asadur Rehman also shared his thoughts about the book, poetry and quality of literary work which is being currently written and produced while thanking the audience for participating. Mushaera concluded with a word of thanks by Secretary ICSOA Mr Fasihuddin Khan to each participant and poets as well Media Partners who supported the program including AMUST (Australasian Muslim Times), Sada-e-Watan and Suniye Tau. . Dr Fasihuddin Khan based in Sydney is an IT professional working at the University of New South Wales. He is currently Secretary of ICSOA and is a past President of AMU Alumni of Australia and is associated and served with a number of community, literary, social and educational organizations.
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LIFESTYLE Amity College celebrates AMUST recognised as Project of the Year HSC achievements LIFESTYLE 18 - 22
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From right: Mehar Ahmad, President of Seena Inc, publishers of AMUST with Zia Ahmad, Editor in Chief and Mobinah Ahmad, Managing Editor of AMUST. AMUST Media The Australasian Muslim Times was recognised as a nominee for exceptional project of the year within a non-profit organisation at the 8th annual Western Sydney Community Forum ZEST Awards on Friday 16 February at ANZ Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park. NSW Premier, Gladys Berijiklian said in her Patron’s message “Each year, the ZEST awards showcase inspiring success stories across the dynamic Western Sydney region. The breadth and depth of this year’s nominees is a clear demonstration of the terrific talent and skill here in Western Sydney.” The Premier congratulated all the nominees for the success they have achieved. “The finalists we are honouring tonight demonstrates true motivation and inspiration,” she said. The Western Sydney Community Forum started the ZEST awards 8 years ago to celebrate the innovative and inspiring successes that define and distinguish our communities. “The quality of the ZEST nominations this year attest not only to a thriving region and community sector, but also to the strength of the communities in Western Sydney.” The Australasian Muslim Times is a multicultural multiplatform newspaper run by
Seena Incorporated, serving a diverse multicultural, and multifaith audience. With a monthly newspaper, frequent Website updates with the latest news together with photos and videos and upcoming community events. Periodic Email Newsletters, Social Media, and mass distribution. Australasian Muslim Times seeks to address the lack of diversity in the Australian Media landscape through presenting news and views from an Islamic perspective, breaking down stereotypes and engaging with the wider community, as well as serving the needs of the Muslim community, whose first language is English. AMUST not only gives a voice to those who lack representation in mainstream media, it also promotes dialogue, freedom of expression, inclusivity, appreciation, and acceptance. The project provides social services to the wider community, for example; developing media skills amongst people with a disability, and empowering women and people from diverse backgrounds. Establishing multimedia enterprises to provide expression of ideas, and the exchange of information and entertainment, as well as being a platform for ethical learning, and teaching. Some examples of this include the exchange of skills within the administration, accounting, and technology amongst individuals and other organisations.
Boys High School Dux, Mohamad Kazal (ATAR 97.50) was given his award presented by Amity College Executive Principal, Mr Deniz Erdogan. AMUST Media On Thursday 22 February, Amity College held its annual HSC and ATAR Awards Ceremony to acknowledge and celebrate the outstanding achievements of the graduating class of 2017 in last year’s HSC. Attended by the 2017 Graduates, their families and friends, the current Year 12 students, teachers and principals, the awards ceremony saw generous prizes awarded to students who helped maintain a well-established tradition of academic excellence at the College. Constituting around half the graduated cohort, students who attained an ATAR of 80.00 or over were awarded with crystal trophies, gift cards and tablet devices. The ceremony began with an address by the Amity College Executive Principal, Mr Deniz Erdogan, who talked about a series of new goals and opportunities following the HSC and that overcoming each struggle serves to strengthen and prepare one for the next. Stating that the College would love to see all of its graduates as successful individuals
Girls High School Dux, Adna Mahmutovic (ATAR 99.60) with her cheque for $4500. in society regardless of the path they take, Mr Erdogan emphasised that success is amplified when value is added to one’s community. The ceremony concluded with the exciting announcements of the Boys High School Dux, Mohamad Kazal (ATAR 97.50), and Girls High School Dux, Adna Mahmutovic (ATAR 99.60), who each delivered their dux addresses. Ms Mahmutovic, also the College’s overall top achiever, addressed the new Year 12 cohort in her speech and explained that there was no secret to attaining HSC success and that there were several myths that presupposed achievement, which she uncovered one at a time. The Year 12 students in the audience listened attentively with one student noting that it was motivating to see such highly-driven students reflect on their experience and that their words of advice were very much appreciated. Established in 1996, Amity College is a leading independent and non-denominational school in Sydney’s south-west which provides K-12 education.
Demet Divaroren raises her voice Irfan Yusuf
Demet Divaroren arrived in Australia from Adana in Turkey in 1981 when she was a mere 6 months old. Turkey was in the midst of an upheaval. The scenes she describes in her blog are frightening: “650,000 people were taken into custody and 230,000 people were put on trial; 517 people received the death penalty and 50 people were hanged; 4,000 years of prison time was requested for 400 journalists while 31 journalists were jailed. Newspapers couldn’t print for 300 days and 39 tons of newspapers and periodicals were destroyed”. All this was a prelude to military rule that lasted for three years. Divaroren grew up in Melbourne and early on became a passionate fan of AFL football. It is a passion she covers in her essay The Year Of The Dogs, perhaps an appropriate piece of writing to mention given the Chinese New Year that has recently come upon us. The essay was published in the 2006 anthology From The Outer. Divaroren decided to try putting together her own anthology, joining with Bosnian-Australian writer Amra Pajalic to produce Coming of Age: Growing Up Muslim in Australia. Among the contributors to that anthology were boxer Bianca Elmir, lawyer and novelist Randa Abdel Fattah and yours MARCH 2018 / ISSUE 148
truly. Her most recent novel, Living On Hope Street, won the 2018 Victorian Premier’s Literary Award in the Young Adult category. The book is about 7 ordinary Australian suburban characters whose ordinariness hides both their hopes and fears of their neighbours or even their family members. The book deals with domestic violence, poverty, religion and racism through the eyes of characters young and old. At the heart of the story is teenager Kane, his brother Sam and mum Angie who are all afraid of the violent father and husband. The boys frequently stay with their neighbour, an elderly Turkish lady, Mrs Aslan who yearns for contact with her estranged daughter’s family. One character fears his African neighbours who are struggling to find a way in their new country. And the lessons of the book? Gosh, where do I start! We see how much a single perpetrator of domestic violence can affect not just his family but an entire community. We learn how fear of difference can be overcome by fear of violence; how cross-cultural friendships are often more endearing than family relationships. Divaroren teaches creative writing at TAFE. Her passion for writing came from voracious reading habits in high school. When she started writing, there were no mainstream Australian writers of Turkish heritage. In those days, Australia regarded itself as multicultural but its literary and cultural life was anything but.
But now with her third novel and a major Australian literary award, Divaroren has put both Turkish and Muslim authors well and truly on the Australian writing landscape. Divaroren lives in Melbourne with her Indian Catholic husband. And how did that happen? “Diversity is a huge part of my life … people often wonder how the Turkish/
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Indian, Muslim/Catholic mix “works.” Simple, I tell them. We are human first”. Irfan Yusuf is a lawyer and an award-winning writer and reviewer. He is a PhD Candidate at Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship & Globalisation, Deakin University.
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Indoor soccer kicks India’s dazzling display off by Youth Victoria in ODI in South Africa Syed Ali
KNOCK OUT
Faseeha Hashmi Sport is a spiritual pursuit - one that motivates individuals to rise above their limitations. Based on this philosophy, ICV Youth, in partnership with Youth Victoria, launched the first monthly ‘Sport and Spirituality’ indoor soccer event on 31 January 2018 at Westgate Indoor Sports Centre. The series of events is organised by ICV Youth and Youth Victoria and sponsored by the Islamic Council of Victoria and Werribee Islamic Centre. More than ever before, our young people are exposed to cultural plurality that makes caring about their religion difficult. Endeavours like ‘Sport and Spirituality’ encourage young people to choose their spiritual path while enjoying a supportive sporting experience. The Vice President of Youth Victoria, Owais Saeed, said the event “went incredibly well”. The game had a turnout of 20 boys of all ages and yet everyone was given a turn to play. “We played soccer to our heart’s content,” said Mr Owais. Jazeer Nijamudeen from ICV Youth said, “This was followed by a short chat about faith and the boy’s potential to make a positive impact.” After some more soccer, the boys got to know each other and network
while enjoying the pizza on offer. A strong healthy body helps invigorate spiritual life. Our teenagers have a tremendous capacity for spiritual growth especially when they are embedded in an environment telling them they have a purpose in life and that they are valuable and capable members of society. The chat was aimed at instilling purpose in our youth. This is very important because young people can start to feel isolated and disconnected from their community. Sport is an important medium for bringing them together as it provides an outlet for our youth to meet and learn from each other, and build a stronger community. The youngest player was an 11-year-old boy that displayed incredible skill. “He has a bright future ahead of him, and he will probably become a Socceroo in 2024,” added Mr Owais enthusiastically. The feedback from attendees was very promising, with comments that not only were the boys having fun but how much they were looking forward to continuing to participate in the community. “It was great. First time playing soccer in a long time!” said Mohammed. “it was great to see the brotherhood, the fun and the skills, MashAllah!” said Mr Nijamudeen. This event will run monthly and a similar series of events will be commenced for females.
India lost the Test series in South Africa 2-1 but totally dominated the ODI series, winning emphatically 5-1 to assert superiority in no uncertain terms. In an amazing display of batsmanship, Indian skipper Virat Kohli, proved to be a thorn in the flesh of South African bowlers as his scores in the last seven innings suggest 160,46 not out, 102,113,29,121 and 129 not out. No Indian batsman has ever been so dominant in South Africa in the past, not even the master batsman Sachin Tendulkar. The hallmark of Virat Kohli’s batting is his inimitable temperament and determination to stay at the wicket without any hiccups. His style of play, in fact, is much superior and classy than great batsmen like Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, or for that matter Rahul Dravid. Kohli plays in V shape as the great Don Bradman advocated and never plays in the air. He gradually builds his inning to lay a solid foundation to dominate. Young players around the world should take a leaf out of Kohli’ book to progress and prosper. Today, Indian batting without Kohli would be rudderless. If Kohli continues to score runs with the same frequency, he may well eclipse Tendulkar’s record tons in ODIs without any doubt. Batting apart, the Indian spinners too gave a good account of themselves, mesmerising the South African batsmen, including the great de Villiers and Hashim Amla. South African batting great of yesteryear, Jacques Kallis, has said that South African batsmen failed to read the Indian wrist-spinners, Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvender Chahal and perished at regular intervals. But Kallis forgets that attack is the best form of defence, and the South African batsmen were never on the attack. They were mostly glued to their crease and never used their feet to smother the spin safely. Great batsmen in the world like Ian Chap-
pell, Brian Lara, Vivian Richards et al. tamed the spinners and scored runs fluently which kept the spectators in awe and delight. Nowadays, batsmen do not use their feet against the spinners and succumb. Look how the Pakistan batsmen, Fakhar Zaman, Mohammad Hafeez, Shoaib Malik butchered the Indian wily and experienced spinners, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindran Jadeja, in the recent Champions Trophy final in England where Pakistan beat India by a whopping 183 runs. Neither Ashwin nor Jadeja could bag a single wicket, though both bowled ten overs each. Sixes were raining from the blade of Zaman, Hafeez and Malik against Ashwin and Jadeja. The Pakistani strategy was the result of Imran Khan’s counsel to Pakistan skipper Sarfraz: play attacking and aggressive cricket. A strategy Imran Khan himself adopted in 1992 World Cup final in Australia against England to lift the Cup in style. India’s performance in South Africa augurs well for the Indian team in view of the forthcoming ICC World Cup in England next year from May 30 to July 14. India won the World Cup in England in 1983 under Kapil Dev and again in 2011 in Mumbai under Mahender Singh Dhoni, apart from being the runners-up in 2003, and semi-finalists thrice in 1987, 1996 and 2015. But before the 2019 World Cup comes to the Indian tour to England. And that will determine how well the Indian batsmen adapt to the conditions in England where the ball swerves and swings a lot to bother a batsman of the highest class. How well Kohli plays in England is a million dollar question since the Indian batting line-up presently centres around him without the least doubt. Syed Ali has been writing on cricket for the last forty years. He was the feature writer for Cricketer International, London, for a decade. He played first class cricket and interacted with the world’s leading cricket and hockey players.
FOODFLUKES Next-level dishes created by chance
FoodFlukery Adapted from Chocolat by Eric Lanlard - Makes 16 squares With a heart-stopping amount of chocolate, these need little more than a good cup of coffee on the side, though nobody will fault you if you add a scoop or three of vanilla ice cream. A few tips: 1. Use good quality chocolate and cocoa. 2. Don’t over-mix. Mix till ingredients are just combined. 3. Don’t over-bake. You don’t want to cook out all the gooey fudgy goodness. Ingredients • 200 g good quality dark chocolate • 140 g butter • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 3/4 cup granulated sugar • 3 eggs, lightly beaten • 2/3 cup flour • 3 tbsp cocoa powder • 1 tsp salt • 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips
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Method 1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C and grease and line a 20cm square baking tin. 2. Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave. 3. Stir in the vanilla extract and sugar, and leave to cool for a few minutes. 4. Whisk in the eggs by hand. 5. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder and salt and fold into the mixture. 6. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 25 about 20 minutes, till the edges are set but the centre is still slightly wobbly. 7. Allow to cool completely in the tin, the cut into squares and serve. ISSUE 148 / MARCH 2018
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The Story of Us
Photographer Alexxa Walker
Boshia & Matuse Son of Samir Elali & Randa Elali, Saamer Matuse Peace Elali, 33, married the daughter of Valerie Jean & Gilbert Burgess, Boshia Raejean Burgess, 27, on 11 February at Brighton Lakes, Moorebank in Sydney, Australia. The couple also will be having another wedding reception in New Jersey, America. Matuse is a teacher, actor, writer and recording artist. Boshia is a doula/birth coach, model, speaker and recording artist. This beautiful reflection was written by the groom, Matuse in collaboration with his wife, Boshia. The Story of How We Met We met through planning a music collaboration. The connection was immediate but in its early stages, we were just becoming friends who were working towards creating an album together. We had both come across each other’s music and social media and became instant fans of each other’s music, aesthetics & spirituality. We had both come across each other’s music and social media and became instant fans of each other’s music, aesthetics & spirituality. That led to a remarkable closeness in a short time span & the more and more we explored each other’s world, we noticed there was a deep-rooted common ground and the same principles. We proceeded with naming our music group Zulfiqar, after the double edge sword of Imam Ali ibn Talib. To us this represented our two distinct styles and personas that are both rooted solidly into the same foundation (like the blades of the sword into the handle), as well as depicting the idea of the two essential elements of our union both spiritually, musically and romantically - that of the outward and inward expression of compassion & justice, of the feminine and the masculine. The Engagement The engagement was for about 4 months. Once we knew what we shared was undeniable I had to lock that down! I opened up and told her that I gave it plenty of thought and time to ensure a deep sincerity in my heart and knew that she was the woman I had made dua for. I prayed that Allah would send me in life as a true partner and queen, and she ticked every box there could be to tick. We didn’t approach it with a modern view, rather we took that time as courtship and worked towards marriage. Wedding planning process Boshia was in the US during the months leading up to the wedding and I was in Sydney so I was running around a lot trying to find the right place that suited our sensibilities. We wanted something simple, small and filled with love of our closest friends and family. It was important to us that we didn’t plan a wedding that was very showy and extravagant, it was more important that it was genuine and a day we could truly celebrate our bond with those most important to us. The wedding planning had its road bumps being that we were both in two separate countries at the time but because we’re both content people, it was very easy to MARCH 2018 / ISSUE 148
tling for the modern formalities of suites and white dresses. Boshia’s Dress was inspired by the elements of her regal personality and presence along with her head peace. Boshia wore a Gele which is found in traditional Nigerian weddings. Although Boshia is not Nigerian she comes from a Jamaican Western based family knowing that a lot of Jamaicans are considered to be mostly descendants from Nigerian tribes, she pulled inspiration from there. To top it all off was our florist Tegan O’Brien.
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WEDDING FEATURE
Photographer Alexxa Walker - Creator of RAW TRVL Blog rawtrvl.com Instagram.com/rawtrvl work through any issues that arose. Neither of us was over the top, and Boshia was the opposite of a “Bridezilla”, she was considerate, compromising and only concerned with ensuring we did right by Allah and our families. Wedding Venue Boshia had only really one request, that we would be somewhere near water. There was also a budget that was important to maintain because we didn’t want to go over a certain amount because something less expensive would mean more Baraqa for our marriage. The wedding venue, Brighton Lakes, was a perfect fit as it’s a brand new function and recreation space and hence the elegance we desired w a s there without be-
ing over the top. We both wanted to ensure that wherever we went that the food would be as tasty as the vegan caramel mud wedding cake we had & that it reflected our sensibilities about seeking Allah’s pleasure in our marriage rather than seeking to impress our guests. Wedding Style We wanted to celebrate our diverse cultures and heritage and since our group of friends and famil y are diverse we wanted them to celebrate this element with us. By incorporating our cultural backgrounds/ heritage into our style of dress instead of just set-
Memorable Moment A memorable moment of the day for me was definitely the nikah, Shaykh Wesam Charkawi came to my fiance’s parents house and gave an amazing Khutbah. We learned a lot more about the importance of this step in our deen. We had close friends and family there so it was an intimate and beautiful reflective moment. Although Boshia’s parents were not in attendance she still had the support of her Wakil over the phone to accept the marriage on her behalf. y family were so enthralled to have her as part of the family that it felt like a family gathering already. My family were so enthralled to have her as part of the family that it felt like a family gathering already. But I look forward to celebrating the wedding again when we return to New York & celebrate with her family and friends & sharing this beautiful beginning of our journey with them. A memorable moment for me was realising after the nikah that I am now bonded in the Sight Of Allah with my best friend, a woman I genuinely believe Allah sent to me to marry and honor. Every time I look at her I am reminded of the blessing, mercy and honor that Allah has bestowed upon me. So that moment started on that day and stays with me since then. The Meaning of Marriage Marriage is the unification of two people, and two families that is purely built off of the foundation of love. Marriage is the commitment you make to Allah and your husband or wife to honor them; to be kind and be a means to help them enter Jannah inshallah. I second what Boshia has said about marriage, indeed Allah states that the love between spouses is a mercy and when you’ve found that person destined for you, you truly comprehend this. You can contact Boshia and Matuse on their relationship page on instagram @boshiaandmatuse where they give their relationship advice and share their journey together.
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The importance of a Cycling Sisterhood Sydney Cycling Sisters: “Find your tribe and love them hard” Assmaah Helal The very essence of what inspired the creation of The Sydney Cycling Sisters (SCS) in 2015, was sisterhood. At the time, many Muslim women increasingly had to modify their activities considering the growing number of harassment incidents and attacks. Many were reluctant to go out beyond what was necessary, and this was having an impact on their mental health. The group was established to provide a safe and supportive community while undertaking leisure activities such as cycling. “You can tell who the strong women are. They are the ones you see building one another up instead of tearing each other down.” Unknown. Three years on and the group has expanded, comprising of women from diverse backgrounds. Diverse in culture, religion, profession, and lifestyle: some of us are mothers, some of us are students, some of us are doctors and teachers, and some are all the above! Everyone has a story, everyone has a bat-
tle they’re overcoming daily but they all have a purpose for what drives them to ride. Over the years women have been achieving incredible personal goals, riding to raise funds for local and international charities; overcoming serious injuries and health issues; smashing personal records and discovering new adventures and pathways Women join for all sorts of reasons; health benefits, the social factor and the desire to try something new and exciting with other like-minded women; as well as encouragement from their family. When asking the group what inspires them to ride with SCS some of the responses included: “A sense of belonging, safe and social: Sydney stands for belonging, Cycling is safe, and Sisters are social.” “Sense of comradery, sense of achievement particularly with the bigger rides like the Heart Foundation Gear Up Girl. A great community and I feed off that energy.” “Friends bonding over a shared activity and getting suitably caffeinated at the end”. “The best part are the conversations we have during the rides, or during our coffee stop. I’ve gotten so many tips about life in general from these incredible women.”
Time and again we see women hesitate and doubt themselves, but sometimes all it takes is a friendly gesture, and a healthy tribe with a similar story to instill confidence, to show you that YOU CAN and get started.
We set limitations on ourselves on what we can accomplish because we may not be aware of what is possible, or we are uncertain about our ability. Don’t limit your challenges, challenge your limits.
‘Keeping Youth Drug Free’ seminar in Liverpool Noura Awad A ‘Keeping Youth Drug Free’ seminar was held on Thursday 25 January 2018 organised by Muslim Women’s Welfare of Australia (MWWA) to help parents, guardians, and students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to gain a better understanding of the drug abuse by today’s youth. The seminar, sponsored by Liverpool Council, was followed by a free drug awareness lunch, which particularly focused on how to identify and detect drug use by their own children and by other children, methods of treatment and more importantly, how drug use can be prevented in the first place. The Seminar was opened with a speech by Mrs Faten El Dana OAM, the President of MWWA and the founder of the Drugs programs developed by MWWA, and featured expert guest speakers from Liverpool Police and health, who have had extensive experience with youth and drug abuse. Mrs El Dana stressed the importance of caring for our children by always being wary of where they are at all times and of who their friends are. “This is extremely important nowadays,” she said: “if your son returns home at 3am with red sunken eyes, do not ignore these signs, ask them about their whereabouts”. Another beneficial insight came from Mrs Jennifer Blundell, the Training and Development Officer from the Alcohol and Drug Service Contact Centre at St Vincent’s Hospital who shed a light, through her years of experience in counselling and Mental Health training, on the value of treating drug
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abuse right from the start. She indicated the harmful effects using drugs has on individuals by comparing the different type of drugs and their negative consequences. “These drugs can incur memory loss, learning difficulties, mood swings, regular cold or flues, reduced immune systems, reduced sex drive or even mood swings”. Afterwards, a real-life video presentation was shown to the audience to reflect a realistic picture of how persistent use of drugs leads to an array of problems, including academic difficulties, physical/mental health
issues, poor peer relationships and not to mention the consequences for family members, the community, and the entire society. This was followed by a presentation from the Liverpool Police Senior Constable and Crime Prevention Officer, Mr Tony Ha and Senior Constable and Liverpool Youth Liaison Officer, Mrs Rachel Kennedy. Mrs Kennedy started by showing pictures of different types of drugs to the audience many of them were unable to identify. She then went ahead and described names, attributes, uses and effects of each individual drug that she presented.
From left: Senior Constable Tony Ha, Senior Constable Rachel Kennedy, Mrs El Dana & Ms Blundell.
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Mrs Kennedy emphasised the need to monitor one’s children because some youth may find ways to use everyday home products as chemically based drugs. “These are just cleaning products that you may have at home, but some young people use these by sniffing them and as a way of becoming sleepy”. Whereas Mr Ha began by giving details about the criminal side of drug offences that youth who are caught with, would be convicted with, depending on the weight and type of drugs found in their possession. Mr Ha also warned that even a person as young as “ten years old” can be arrested if they are caught with illegal illicit drugs. He also cautioned against ‘Drink Spiking’ among students especially towards female ones during university and other school functions. Both Liverpool police representatives encouraged parents and children to come forward or not to be afraid of anonymously report anyone who may be doing drugs. They also reassured the audience that they can get assistance from the police at any time they need police help. Noura Awad is a dedicated community worker who has developed a passion for helping women and spreading awareness about issues that concern them. Mrs Awad is a graduate in Human Psychology and has also attained a Diploma in Education teaching English to high school students. Mrs Awad has spent the past 5 years volunteering with the Muslim Womens Welfare of Australia by developing new and interesting programs to target serious issues like health, domestic violence, parenting and other matters. She hopes to inspire Muslim Women to achieve their goals and life endeavours and is committed to showing them that with the path of guidance they can reach their full potential in this life. ISSUE 148 / MARCH 2018
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Mainstream media exposed
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Islamophobic bias in the Murdoch press
Continued from page 1 The analysis of columns by six of the most controversial commentators in the Australian news media, including figures like Andrew Bolt, Miranda Devine and Janet Albrechtsen showed that on average, 31% of their opinion pieces were devoted to Islam, with the overwhelming majority of them being negative and divisive in nature. Even though they are stated to be “opinion pieces”, they are often written as fact and encouraging and promoting ideals that could be threatening to a minority community. In the light of the findings from the analysis, OnePath concluded that: Media coverage of Islam does not exist in a vacuum of facts and objectivity. The reality is, print news is a struggling industry, and a very effective method for selling newspapers is fear, sensation and drama. The more that these methods are normalised, the more they will be used against anybody who the media paints as the next ‘enemy’ of ‘Australian values’. It is simply naive to think that journalists don’t have a choice in what they choose to talk about, and that those choices don’t have consequences on the public’s perception. This is not just an issue of bias or exaggeration in individual reports. As we found in our research, the overwhelming scale of association between Islam and terror, extremism, violence, and oppression through phrasing and word choice is far more significant than any isolated events or reports. If 2891 articles include the phrase “Islamic terrorism” or “Muslim oppression”, those ideas stick. This is coupled with stereotypical pictures and images on front pages and feature stories that are prominently shown in order to sell more papers. These images have been shown to significantly shape the way Islam and Muslims are framed in the public eye (Ewart 2017). In fact there have been a high number of incidents in which images have had to be withdrawn and apologies made for incorrect associations with events. Many newspapers seem to have a policy of “show the face, apologise later.” This kind of approach not only affects public perceptions, it has serious ramifications on the individuals that these papers choose to ‘name and shame’, whether correctly or not. However, what is said and shown is only one aspect of the equation. As Thomas Huckin points out, attempts by Muslims to articulate their views and opinions in the popular media often draw opposition from the public about accommodating the needs of Muslims. This can clearly be seen in the case of
Yassmin Abdel-Magied’s infamous Q&A appearance and ANZAC day post, or in the debates surrounding Halal food. In other words, whether Muslims stay silent and take the heat, or ‘play the game’ and push back, the result is the same: public animosity and resentment of Islam in Australia. Even to someone who has spent years working with Muslim communities to defend against anti-Muslim hate, the findings of this new study are astounding. That approximately 70% of Australians have little to no knowledge of Islam and Muslims, yet are concerned about the rise of Islamic extremism locally, demonstrates how disturbingly influential tabloid journalism is in Australia. It’s time Australians acknowledge these publications for what they really are, tabloid journalism aimed at preying on irrational fears of the unknown and sensationalising isolated incidents to increase profits. These practices show a complete lack of social and professional responsibility and create real safety risks for the vast majority of Australian Muslims who want nothing more than to build a peaceful life for themselves and their families. we know the difference between a trustworthy story and an untrustworthy story, the financial and political incentive for fake news drastically decreases. When we hold the media to a higher standard, they will have no choice but to meet it. (Courtesy of OnePath Network onepathnetwork.com)
An analysis of columns written by six of the most controversial commentators in the Australian news media. On average, 31% of their opinion pieces were devoted to Islam, with the overwhelming majority of them being negative and divisive in nature. MARCH 2018 / ISSUE 148
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Ghazi al Creating safe sacred space: Gosaibi #MosqueMeToo
Dr Anne Fairbairn AM
Faseeha Hashmi
Ghazi Al-Qusaibi [Al-Gosaibi] (19262010) was born in Eastern Saudi Arabia, moved as a young boy, after his mother’s early death, to Bahrain where he went to School. Graduating in law from the University of Cairo, he obtained his MA in International relations from University of Southern California and was awarded a PhD in Political Science from London University in 1978. He has served Saudi government as Minister of Industry and Electricity and Minister of Health as well as Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Bahrain. He published eight volumes of poetry and several anthologies of Arabic verse.
The solidarity movement “#MeToo” has struck a viral match in the courageous hearts of women around the world. It has revealed a plethora of tales of sexual assault being perpetrated in the workplaces, the church and now, also the mosque. Subsequently, setting alight a frenzy of new hashtags which break the race, class, gender and faith lines to expose sexual harassment in what one might consider to be the most safe and sacred of spaces (i.e. #ChurchMeToo and #MosqueMetoo). The phrase was created by grass-roots activist Tarana Burke and became popularised by high-profile celebrities. In October 2017, actress Alyssa Milano took to the twittersphere, stumbling along the phrase and began urging women to voice there personal stories. What transpired was an extraordinary outpouring of pain. This was aided through allegations of sexual misconduct by disgraced movie producer Harvey Weinstein. Hollywood stars did much to show their encouragement, dressed in black to champion the Golden Globes with their support.
Dr Anne Fairbairn AM is an accomplished poet and writer. She is passionate about First Nation peoples, Muslims and Arabic literature and culture. She is based in Sydney.
Oh Desert Ghazi al Gosaibi I’ve searched the world.. without finding Land more barren, Love more pure, Or rage more fierce than yours. I came back to you, oh desert, Sea-spray on my face; In my mind, a mirage of tears, A shadow moving in the sea before dawn And a golden flash of braided hair. On my lips, two lines of poetry – A song without echo. I came back to you, disenchanted. I’ve found there’s No trust between human beings. I came back to you deprived; The world’s like a rib cage Without a heart. Love is a word Devoid of love. I came back to you defeated; I’ve been fighting life’s battles With a sword forged from feeling. I came back to you.. and laid my anchor On the sand. As I washed my face with dew It seemed you were calling me. Then you whispered: “Have you come back to me, my child?” Yes .. mother .. I came back to you. A child, forever grieving, Flew to God’s countries; Unable to find his nest, He came back to search for his life in you. I came back to you, oh desert, I’ve thrown away my quiver and ceased wandering. I dally in your night-web Of Mystery, Breathing on the soft winds of the Najd* The fragrance of Araar*. In you I live for poetry and moons.
This create a torrent trend within the social media scene. Tarana Burke says, “there is inherent strength in agency”. Sexual assault often described by physiologists as establishing an asymmetrical power dynamic of dominate and control. The #MeToo campaign, she says, is about reclaiming a victim’s voice or power. Yet within our very own Muslim community, a disturbing revelation has come out of the woodwork. The mosque of all places, a place of peace; is not immune to the lewdness of predatory abuse. These revelations became public when Sabica Khan, a young Pakistani woman took to social media to share her harrowing experiences of being sexually harassed whilst performing the Islamic pilgrimage in the city of Makkah. During the tawaaf, Sabina reported how petrified she felt after being groped numerous times in public. “I felt so violated” she said. “My entire experience at the holy city (was)… overshadowed by this horrible incident.” Having experienced the same abuse, Mona Eltahawy an Egyptian activist start-
ed the twitter thread #MosqueMeToo. Yet, what is most powerful about this movement is how brave these ladies truly are. Muslim women are speaking up and holding men accountable. It is clear that men are at the centre of combatting predatory abuse, particularly our religious leaders. As no one is infallible in the eyes of Allah. Ultimately, there is something more important than covering up. Modesty and respect are intrinsically at the heart of the Islamic faith, but clearly, sexual assault is a universal crime. This is not a moment to be frightful. Our community has to step up and be made accountable, in order to safeguard our daughters, sisters and mothers.
Empowering women in need by MAA Shazil Rehman Like most Australians, if giving to charity is something of a habit for you, no doubt at some point you have felt like doing something really different or special with your donations. To do something, or be a part of a cause that involved providing more than just short-term, essential aid. For a charity like MAA International, this is a common request from our intelligent donor base. It is the primary reason why we started our immensely successful Life-changing Gifts project a few years back. Our aim has always been to not just provide short-term solutions but sustainable ways to help people. Amina Begum’s story is a perfect example of how this project works. Amina is a widow who lives in a village Bihar, India along with five children. Her husband, who was suffering from Tuberculosis, passed away 3 years back, leaving his large family behind in a difficult situation. As a widow with very little opportunity to work and support her family, she was struggling to make ends meet, and living off the donations of others. They were living in cramped accommodation and engulfed in poverty. Amina was assessed to be a beneficiary of
MAA’s Life-changing Gift, and was provided with two goats around a year back. The aim in giving Amina this gift was to empower her and create a source of livelihood for herself and her family. Today, the family are successfully rearing these goats and it will be a source of income for them in the months and years to come. A golden opportunity: In conjunction with International Women’s Day this year, MAA International is launching yet another ground-breaking project called ‘1000 Women, 1000 Futures’ (TWTF). MAA will empower 1000 women around the world by providing them an impactful and sustainable method to overcome pover-
ty. The chosen beneficiaries will be provided with sustainable livelihood opportunities, worth an average of $1000 each, to help them towards starting a small business. They will also be equipped with the skills required for running their business to ensure its long term success. How to invest in this project? Buy tickets to attend a TWTF Fundraising Dinner in your city. At the venue, enjoy a delicious meal and donate generously via the auctions, activities, purchasing MAA merchandise sales, or directly. To purchase tickets for the events in Sydney, Brisbane or Perth, please call 1800 100 786 or visit www.maainternational.org.au For Melbourne event tickets, call 0421491486 To donate instantly: If you cannot attend the event, but would still like to donate to TWTF, please visit http://bit.ly/DIRTWTF
Note: *Najd: Province in Saudi Arabia. *Araar: A sweetly-scented white flower growing in the Najd.
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AFMI Convention: aiming for 100% literacy Dr Habib Bhurawala The American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (USA & Canada), AFMI held its 26th Annual International Convention and Gala Awards Ceremony in the historic city of Jodhpur in Rajasthan, India on 30-31 December 2017. The convention was held at the beautiful campus of Maulana Azad University in coordination with Marwar Muslim Educational and Welfare Society. AFMI is a philanthropic service based and issue-oriented organisation formed by Muslim Americans of Indian origin in 1989. Since its inception, the AFMI has met each Prime Minister and President of India and currently is working on 100% literacy target for Indian Muslims. For motivation, AFMI awards Gold, Silver and Bronze medals to top performers along with Cash scholarships to the brilliant yet needy students. The US Senate has recognised AFMI’s humanitarian approach and model. The annual AFMI event has become a much awaited one in India with its focus on the promotion of educational excellence. More than 120 Muslim toppers of state board exams for grades 10th and 12th were awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals. The Sir Syed Ahmed Khan Award for the promotion of education was given to Prof Akhtarul Wasey, President of Maulana Azad University, Jodhpur. The Mir Taqi Mir Award for the promotion of Urdu literature was given to renowned poet Rahat Indori.
The chief guest at the Jodhpur convention was the Union Minister of Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi. He commended AFMI for undertaking the goal of achieving hundred percent literacy in India. He also announced that his ministry would soon launch an awards program similar to that of AFMI’s Sir Syed Award. Mr Naqvi also provided a summary of the various schemes which have been started by the ministry and urged the students to apply for them. During the event, Union Minister of State for Agriculture, and Jodhpur MP Mr Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that we are working to educate the minorities. He also announced to release 11 lakh rupees for Maulana Azad University from MPLAD fund. National Minority Commission member Sunil Singh said that effective representation of the Central Government has also been ensured in our journey. AFMI’s founding trustee Dr A R Nakadar in his message to students urged them to persevere despite all odds. Narrating the success of past AFMI medallists, he said that many of them are now pursuing successful careers in India and abroad. He appealed to them to give back to the community and to not to forget their roots. He said, “When you have the quality education, you become relevant to the community, society and the country”. Dr Razia Ahmed, AFMI’s President, in her speech, said that in today’s competitive world it is critical that students acquire necessary skills. She called for a holistic and nurturing form of educational paradigm. Dr Habib Bhurawala from Sydney, Australia was one of the invited speakers at this event. He is the health coordinator and executive committee member of the Indian Cres-
cent Society of Australia which works very closely with AFMI. Dr Bhurawala spoke on the importance of STEM (Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) education in school, identifying and nurturing talented students from the very young age and promoting enquiry based learning in schools with a specific focus on STEM education. The convention was attended by a large number of people from across India and abroad. Other Speakers at the convention included Mr Mohammed Atique (Secretary General Marwar Muslim Education and Welfare Society), Dr Khutub Uddin (AFMI’s President for 2018), Justice MSA Siddiqui, Dr Azim Khan Sherwani, Dr Shabistan Ghaffar, Mr Suhel Tirmizi, Dr Suhail Quraishi, Mr Mohammed Ayaz, Miss Mariam Ijazi, Mr Ashfaq Hussain, IAS, Prof Nandlal Kalla and many others. Speakers from the USA, Canada, UK, and Australia included: Dr Hussain Nagamia (Florida), Dr Iqbal Ahmed (Ohio), Mr
Shafi Lokhandwala (Michigan), Mr Tayeb Poonawala (Manchester, UK), Mr Siraj Thakor (Toronto, Canada), Mr Javed Mirza (New York), Mr Ayub Khan (Toronto-Canada), etc. Dr Aslam Abdullah (California) was the MC and kept the audience attentive with his wit and appropriate remarks. Dr Nakadar, after consultation with the AFMI executive members, announced that next year’s North American convention would be held in Toronto and the International convention will be hosted in Patna, on 22-23 December 2018. Dr Habib Bhurawala (MBBS MD FRACP DCH), based in Sydney is a consultant general paediatrician currently working at Nepean & Blue Mountains hospitals in Sydney. Originally from Gujarat state in India he moved to Australia to gain further training in Paediatrics in 2002. He has strong interest in community work especially health education/promotion.
Al-Idrisi, a great geographer and cartographer Professor Irfan Shahid Al-Idrisi was one of the great geographers and cartographers of the world. He designed an atlas with seventy sectional maps to depict the world, wrote a major book on world geography, and constructed a large silver disc showing the world in detail. Idrisi attempted to combine descriptive and astronomical geography and discovered and mapped the source of the Nile about six hundred years before the Europeans. Life Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Muhammed al-Sharifa al-Idrisi was born in 493 AH/1100 CE in Sabtah (Ceuta) in Morocco. His family claimed descent from the Prophet Mohammad (s) himself. One of his ancestors, Idris, traced his lineage to Imam a l Hasan ( r ) , grands o n of the Prophet. His immediate ancestors ruled over the city of Malaqa (Malaga) in Spain for some time. When they lost their auMARCH 2018 / ISSUE 148
thority, they migrated to Ceuta. In 1138 CE, The Christian King of Sicily Roger II invited al-Idrisi to Palermo, his capital. Roger was not satisfied with the existing Greek and Islamic geography and asked al-Idrisi to write an original work. Roger, whose father had wrested Sicily from the Muslim rulers after a long war of 30 years in 1091, treated al-Idrisi with great respect. He granted him a high rank and a king’s pension. In return, al-Idrisi dedicated his great geographical work Nuzhat al-mushtaq to Roger. Al-Idrisi stayed in Sicily for forty years. He travelled to Asia Minor, Africa and Europe including Spain, Portugal, France and England. In his last years, he returned to his birthplace Sabtah, where he died in 561 AH/1166 CE at the age of sixty-eight years. Contribution After fifteen years of hard work, al-Idrisi completed his book on the world titled Nuzhat al-mushtaq fi ikhtiraq al-afqaa (Amusement for one desirous of travelling around t h e world) which is acclaimed as one of the great books of geography. The book, which was planned as a key to the magnificent set of maps, gives a description of the earth as a
globe, the hemisphere, climate and seas. He stated that the earth ‘remains stable in space like the yolk of an egg’. He divided the earth’s surface into seven climatic zones attitudinally, each subdivided into ten longitudinal sections. For each section, he provided a map drawn with the corresponding latitude and longitude. The book is a treasure trove of information on a large number of countries and regions in Europe, Africa and Asia, from China and Malay Island to England and Iceland. It includes topographical facts, physical features, ocean, rivers, mountain, flora and fauna, crops, economic conditions, trade and commerce, commodities, arts, people, customs etc. He was the first writer to give an accurate description of Scandinavian Peninsula. He discovered and mapped the source of Nile centuries before the Europeans, and gave an exact account of the Niger and Sudan.
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He corrected various erroneous notions of Ptolemy (on the enclosed Indian ocean for instance), courses of several rivers (Niger, Danube), and the position of major mountain ranges. He designed a huge silver disc measuring 12 feet by 5 feet and inscribed on it the map of the world with all its features. The sectional map that he drew for his book was based on this disc map. His book was printed in Rome in 1591 CE and soon translated into Latin and Italian. As a geographer and cartographer, al-Idrisi influenced Europe for centuries. Professor Irfan Shahid, based in India is a prolific writer on Islam and Muslims. He is an Islamic Economist and a Sharia Scholar and can be contacted via shahid_ irfan2002@yahoo.com. For more detail please visit his personal website www.irfanshahid.net
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Debating the clash between science and religion Gary Dargan I have to take issue with Nadeem Alam’s views on religion and science, (AMUST issue # 147, February 2018, Page 14). Nadeem rightly asks if science is overshadowing religion. In these times when new scientific discoveries roll out on a seemingly daily basis “Yes” would be an unsurprising answer. He is also right that science does pose a threat to religious beliefs. Indeed ultra-atheists such as Richard Dawkins use the findings of science to beat up and discredit religion. Nadeem’s statement that “It is commonly said that scientific inventions and discoveries pose a great threat to religion and with the progress of science, religion will cease to exist,” has a ring of truth to it but he is correct about it being a misconception when he states: “There can never be a conflict between ‘True science’ and True religion.’” That there can never be a conflict between “true” science and “true” religion was recognised nearly 900 years ago by Ibn Rushd, (Averroes) who discussed this issue in his Kitab fasl al-maqal (On the Harmony between Religion and Philosophy). Ibn Rushd realised that theologians and jurists were often not masters of science and philosophy and that conflicts could only be resolved if both sides of the problem were examined. Nadeem describes religion as absolute faith in the creator and possession of scientific knowledge of his creation’. It is a permanent unchanging faith no matter the circumstances. However, there is another kind of faith which Ibn Rushd alludes to. That is a rational faith based on personal experience and observation and reasoning. This is the kind of faith held by scientists who also hold religious beliefs, (we are all not Richard Dawkins). While Ibn Rushd adopted the principle of there can be no conflict he recognised that in practice there was often an apparent conflict. Here he set out a two-pronged approach. Firstly you examined the theology and if it seemed correct you then returned and re-examined the science. Sometimes this would inform the scholars that a fresh theological understanding was needed in conformity with a rational, reasoned faith. At other times closer scrutiny of the science would reveal faults in reasoning or fresh evidence that changed the science. Ibn Rushd also recognised that sometimes reconciliation could not be achieved and it was best left to others, perhaps better informed to pursue at a later date. Modern science operates on a system of explanation and testing. A theory is developed to explain particular observations and facts of the natural world. I use theory here in its strict scientific sense not the vernacular sense of a mere hunch or guess. A theory has
strong explanatory and predictive powers. If it fails to explain or its predictions fail then the theory fails and is discarded or modified. Theologians, philosophers and scientists recognise this and typically adopt an approach described by the late evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould as non-overlapping magisterial (NOMA). In this approach religion and science use different approaches and methodologies and occupy different domains, (magisteria) of inquiry and authority. This is where Nadeem’s claim that “What scientists are discovering today was known to us centuries before through our religious texts” is problematic. If we make a claim that the Qur’an contains scientific information that modern science has only just discovered then that claim becomes subject to the same processes of scrutiny as the scientific claim. If that scientific claim is disproved then by association the Qur’an has been disproved. So let us examine some of Nadeem’s claims. Turning first to astronomy Nadeem states: “It’s an age long misconception that Astronomical inventions pose threat to religious beliefs. Nadeem then observes that after the phenomenon of meraj, the ascension of Prophet Muhammad (s), his companions asked “Oh Rasulullah! How did the earth look from the space above?” “A dinar in the sea of the sand” was his reply. Firstly I will admit that this was the Prophet speaking, not the Qur’an, however, anyone familiar with the Apollo mission photos of the Earth seemingly suspended in the black void of space knows that it is nothing like a dinar in a sea of sand. Of cours, the Prophet was speaking metaphorically, the vast emptiness of space was like the vast empty desert and the precious dinar was the earth that sustains us and gives us life. Indeed the Qur’an itself speaks in metaphors or allegories. This is clearly stated in Surah Al-Imran verse 7: “He it is who has bestowed upon thee from on high this divine writ, containing messages that are clear in and by themselves - and these are the essence of the divine writ - as well as others that are allegorical. Now those whose hearts are given to swerving from the truth go after that part of the divine writ which has been expressed in allegory, seeking out [what is bound to create] confusion, and seeking [to arrive at] its final meaning [in an arbitrary manner]; but none save God knows its final meaning…” Nadeem concludes: “Who did know that earth was a globe floating in this galaxy? How the astronomers see the earth from space now, Prophet Muhammad (s) saw 15 centuries ago.” However, a dinar is hardly a globe and the Prophet’s statement is more in keeping with a view of his time of the earth as flat than as a globe. Indeed there is one now infamous fatwa from Saudi Arabia in 1976 that stated the earth was indeed flat ac-
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cording to the Qur’an. The problem here and it is a trap that Nadeem falls into is to adopt an overly literal interpretation of the Qur’an instead of reading some verses as purely allegorical. For instance, Nadeem interprets the verse from Surah verse Ar-Rahman, verse 5 “The sun and moon follow courses exactly computed.” As referring to our present day knowledge of the orbits of the Sun and the Moon. The problem here is the use of translations and the inherent bias of the translator. Nadeem uses the Yusuf Ali translation referring to the courses as “exactly computed” not as orbits. The Pickthall translation is more circumspect: “The sun and the moon are made punctual.” Here they merely keep to a timetable. The Muhsin Khan translation with its propensity to incorporate commentary and opinion into the translated text turns the verse into a “scientific” statement: “The sun and the moon run on their fixed courses (exactly) calculated with measured out stages for each (for reckoning).” In fact, the key Arabic word is (Behusban) which is probably best understood as “according to” and if read in conjunction with verse 6: “And the herbs and the treesboth (alike) bow in adoration.” Could be interpreted as plants growing according to the seasons as measured by the Sun and the Moon. Now, this would not be a problem as even prior to the advent of Islam the positions of these two were used to mark the passage of seasons and planting and harvest times. So we have verses with a clear meaning in accord with the understanding of the time. This over literalisation and finding “science” in Islam is fraught with problems. As an example of one such apparent conflict Abu Aminah Bilal Philips rejects the theory of relativity because it conflicts with Gods attributes: Einstein’s theory of relativity (E=mc2), energy is equal to mass times the square of the speed of light) taught in all schools, is in fact an expression of Shirk in al-Asmaa’ waas-Sifaat.[1] In fact, In 1982 a seminar on the Islamisation of Knowledge was held at the International Islamic University in Islamabad. The Rector, A K Brohe, a lawyer by training delivered the keynote address. In his address, he also rejected Einstein’s Theory of Relativity as false and incompatible with Islam. [2] Both Brohe and Bilal Philips are wrong. Einstein did not pluck his theory out of thin air. It was based on observational evidence of Mercury’s orbit which was incompatible with the predictions of Newtonian physics. Einstein’s theory explained those observations. The theory also made predictions about the effect of the Sun’s gravity on the path of light through space. In 1919 the astronomer Sir Arthur Eddington made observations
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confirming those predictions. It is interesting to note that Einstein, a secular Jew and Eddington, a Quaker, both of whom hated war, maintained a clandestine correspondence through the course of the first world war despite their countries being on opposing sides in the conflict. There is another problem with the misuse of science in Islam. Speaking at the International Seminar on Qur’an and Science held in Karachi in 1986, Salim Mehmud, the head of Pakistan’s Space Organization offered the Miraj as an example of relativistic time dilation. His argument was that the duration of this event while long for the Prophet was almost instantaneous in earth time. Relativistic time dilation actually works in the opposite way. Assuming the journey took place at light speed or faster, (a miracle in itself), while time would have slowed down for the overnight journey of the Prophet it would have moved much faster for his earthbound companions and his absence would have been much longer than just overnight. Thus we have the situation of one Muslim, A K Brohe rejecting the theory as incompatible with Islam and another, Salim Mahmud accepting it as a valid explanation for the Isra and Miraj. Aside from demonstrating a complete misunderstanding of relativity you have to ask what is the value of using badly understood science to explain away miracles which, by definition, are not explainable by natural or scientific laws? Nadeem closes his article with the following quote from Dan Brown: “Religion and science are never at odds, science is merely too young to understand the former.” While this quote from a writer famed for that work of religious fiction, “The DaVinci Code” may fit the theme of Nadeem’s argument there is a much more appropriate quote for setting out the relationship between religion and science: “Travel through the earth and see how Allah did originate creation; so will Allah produce a later creation: for Allah has power over all things.” Surah al-Ankabut verse 20. In other words, engage in science to understand the world and how it works. Gary Dargan converted to Islam 1986 and has long been active in the Muslim community. He holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in science and has worked for over 30 years in the field of geology and palaeontology. He has long had an interest in the interface and overlap between religion and science, presenting at and participating in a number of international conferences and workshops in that field. Gary is a student at the International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilisation, (ISTAC) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and recently submitted his PhD thesis on evolution and Islam. Originally from Australia he now lives in Malaysia and is married with one son and two stepsons. ISSUE 148 / MARCH 2018
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Unpacking the ‘Modern Islamic Finance’ Dr Jan A Ali Unlike capitalism and socialism (the two most common economic systems in the world) whose ideological basis is materialism where capitalism lays stress on absolute and unconditional right to private property and socialism in which production and distribution of commodities are planned, organized, and managed by a centralized government, Islam takes a middle approach conceptualising its economic system based on Qur’anic and Hadithic teachings granting the right to private property but the right is neither absolute nor unconditional so as to avoid the spread of disorder on earth. In Islamic economic system, Allah (God) is the sovereign and all economic activity operates under the rules of divine law – shari’ah. Islamic finance is a part of this kind of economic system; a divinely guided and rule-based system in which the rules of transacting finance and other economic activity conform to Islamic scripture – Qur’an and Hadith – and the tenets of shari’ah (Islamic law). The great Muslim caliphates the likes of Khulafa-i-Rashidun (632-661), Ummayad (661-750), Abbasid (750-1258), Ottoman (1362-1923), Safavid (1502-1736), and Mughal (1526-1857) all had an Islamic finance system embedded in their economic structures. There were forms of market economy and merchant capitalism that existed as early as the 8th century and there was a presence of a robust monetary economy grounded on the broad circulation of a common currency (the dinar). In addition, there were circulating capital, capital expenditure, revenue, cheques, promissory notes, waqf (trust), saving accounts, transactional accounts, loaning, exchange rates, bankers, money changers, ledgers, deposits, the double-entry bookkeeping system, and lawsuits. The Islamic economy had a sophisticated and advanced financial system that served the individual Muslim societies for centuries. European colonialism changed all these in a fundamental way. The advent of colonialism broke up the established Islamic political order, socio-cultural structure, and economic system, particularly that of the
Mughal and Safavid dynasties and the Ottoman Empire, and contested traditional beliefs and norms, thus causing a major crisis of Islamic authority and Muslim identity. The processes of secularisation and western modernisation challenged, undermined, and transformed old myths, doctrines, institutions, social structures and relationships, economic system, and political order. As a result, the Muslim world was compelled to undergo revolutionary socio-economic, cultural, and political restructuring. Then in 1970s Muslims fortune changed. Muslims, particularly the Organisation of Petroleum-Exporting Countries (OPEC), gain some international political influence as a result of oil wealth; and active participation by prominent Muslims in global issues started to emerge then on. This led to the recognition of Muslim societies as important partners in the global community. Certain significant events such as the 1973 Arab-Israeli war, the Arab oil embargo and the Iranian Revolution of 1978–79 provided Muslims with a much needed boost in confidence. Suddenly vitalised Muslims and activists came to realise the potency of Islam and how they might change their predicament by strictly adhering to Islamic precepts as was the case of Muslims in the past for thousand years. The 1970s oil boom proved to be a “ game changer” for Muslims as they suddenly realised their strength and potency of their religion and were able to stand up to their Christian nemesis. Earlier, Muslim revivalists such as Maududi and al-Banna and the movements of Islamic revivalism they led began infusing Islamic zeal and raising Islamic consciousness in Muslim populace and laying the foundation for the return of Islam. For Muslims to regain their prominence
and Islam to recuperate its global supremacy, it was stressed that all spheres of life be governed by shari’ah and a complete Islamic way of living to be adopted by Muslims. Thus, the modern Islamic finance needs to be understood in this context. Islamic Finance: What is it Exactly? Islamic finance is a complex concept with multiple meanings or definitions. Bill Maurer asserts that there is somewhat a ceremonial exegesis in “almost every Islamic banking speech act or text” (2005: 40) of what denotes an Islamic finance and how it is or is not differentiated from “conventional” finance. This definitional conundrum, it seems, is due to the perception by many in the finance field as well as outside of it that Islamic finance is plainly conventional finance garbed in Islamic outfit. Despite this, all opinions agree that the fundamental distinction between conventional finance and the ideal-type of Islamic finance is, in the latter, the absence of dealing in riba (interest) and gharar (uncertainty). However, the absence of these two Islamic prohibitions in modern Islamic finance remains subject to disputation because Islamic financial organisations receive their religious guidelines and guidance from sources and Muslim scholars where consensus on interpretation and definition of the concepts of riba and gharar don’t exist. In the modern economy, there is no centralized and clear structure of the Islamic finance industry. Globally, there is no centralized shari’ah board and the interpretations of shari’ah loom far and wide. The disputation surrounding the interpretation of riba and gharar in modern Islamic finance industry generally explains the existing equivocality concerning what Islamic finance is exactly. Modern Islamic Finance The modern Islamic finance industry
started with the introduction of first Islamic banking service, the Mit Ghamr Local Savings Bank in 1963 in Mit Ghamr, a small provincial rural town in the Nile Delta in Egypt. Islamic finance features banking, capital markets, and insurance in different parts of the world, however, as far as its assets are concerned, the industry mainly comprises commercial banking in majority Muslim countries. Islamic finance is growing fast with total assets in Islamic finance estimated in 2013 at around US$1.5 trillion. Why are Muslims in particular attracted to modern Islamic banking in a world that largely operates under the imperatives of secularism and neoliberal capitalism? The answer to this is complex. In the last several decades there has been a significant surge in Islamic consciousness in Muslim communities across the globe. Muslims have been going through a rigorous process of proselytization within a larger framework known as “Islamic revivalism”. Islamic revivalism has manifested itself in a multiplicity of forms as a defensive reaction to an epoch characterised by modernity. Under modernity, society has essentially departed from a religiously authorised blueprint of how individuals should behave and the values that should be upheld by society as a whole. In this context, the re-establishment of religion (and in this case Islamic finance) offers a way to regain a sense of purpose, meaning, and spiritual fulfillment. Using Islamic financial services for many Muslims is a way through which they can contribute to Islamic revivalism (consciously or inadvertently) and elevate their piety and intensify their Muslim identity. It a strategy by which beleaguered Muslims attempt to preserve their religious identity as a people. Feeling this identity to be under threat in the modern world, these Muslims fortify it by retrieving practices from a sacred past as well as from the Islamic scripture or the shari’ah. These retrieved “essentials” are amended and halalified in light of pragmatism so as to buttress against the intrusion of outsiders who threaten to draw Muslims into a syncretistic, areligious, or irreligious cultural setting. Dr Jan A. Ali is a Senior Lecturer in Islam and Modernity in the School of Humanities and Communication Arts at Western Sydney University. He is a Sociologist of Religion specializing in Islam with a research focus on existential Islam.
Game Programming workshop for Children Sharmeen Ali During the summer holidays, the Young Innovators Network organised many sessions for kids to equip themselves with latest computer technologies. One of them was held on Saturday 19 January 2018 at Diversity Skills Training in Parramatta after successfully running sessions at Auburn and Campbelltown. Syed Nasir Ali who is a seasoned teacher and has conducted many sessions before was the lead trainer. He was fully supported by his wife Sarwat Nasir Ali. Students learnt basics of computer coding and they developed a fully working game in half a day workshop. Parents were also briefed about the Young Innovators Network’s “Passion Driven Interactive and Experiential Learning” approach and how it can help in their parenting. Parents were given a three-step approach to engage with their children and then encourage them on their positive actions and this MARCH 2018 / ISSUE 148
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way set up a healthy living and learning environment. The end of the session was presided by the Consul General of Pakistan, Mr Abdul Majid Yousfani who was the Chief Guest at the occasion for his great love for the kids and being very kinds always and fully supporting such activities. Speaking at the occasion he reiterated the fact that our future lies in the success of our young generation and that there was a need to organise more of such activities. He assured full support of the Pakistan Consulate in the future. He distributed certificates among children and also gave prizes to the two best programmers. Shafqat Ali, programme coordinator of Young Innovator Network thanked all the trainers, volunteers, parents and children for making it so successful. President PPBSA Dr Khurram Kayani expressed his gratitude to Almighty Allah for giving his team opportunities to serve the communities without distinction. He also let the audience know of many similar activities to be held in the future. The last activity before the event ended was a group photo with the Chief Guest.
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EDUCATION Islamic principles in dealing with the environment NEWS 1-4
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Riad Galil OAM Born and raised in Cairo of the Mu’ez (Old quarters of Cairo), I found myself surrounded by remnants of a glorious past. My extended family and I used to gather on the rooftop of our home to have our usual meals. Both the Qalawun complex (a school, hospital, mosque and mausoleum) and Barquq mosque command the landscape around us. These structures were established by the Mamluks in the middle ages. The Mamluk architectures in old Cairo reflect many devices that tend to effectively blend the built environment with the natural surroundings using some natural phenomena to improve the built environment. Such improvements helped to reflect the Islamic heritage. The key to understanding the Islamic influence on the environment is the full appreciation of the Islamic concepts of God, the role of man on earth, and the role of the natural environment. On the other hand, it is man who impacts the environment more than any other creature of God. Seyyed Hossein Nasr who is considered as the ‘founding father of Islamic eco-theology’, argues that “in the old days man had to be saved from nature, today nature must be saved from man in both peace and war”. Islamic teachings provide a blueprint for an ecological sustainability that is workable and ethical. When we look at the amount of deforestation, soil erosion, water and air pollution and toxic waste in the majority Muslim countries, we find that Muslim communities are sometimes worse than many advanced nations in the world. They tend to import inappropriate technologies to resolve local environmental issues. They overlook traditionally appropriate practices that were prompted by their Islamic teachings, and hence unnecessarily create difficulties and hazards.
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The Muslim Mamluks have employed some ecological measures that enabled them to introduce a number of environmentally friendly measures to improve their built environments. Their attitude was dictated by their belief in Islamic ethics. The environment holds a huge potential that man may wisely use for his benefit and other inhabitants of our earth making certain that enough resources for future generations were secured. Muslims need to be aware of their environmental heritage so that they would both reap the benefits in this life and be rewarded in the Hereafter as they would have fulfilled their obligations as vicegerents of God on earth. The primary sources of Islam; the Qur’an and the Sunna of the Prophet, contain many injunctions aiming at guiding the Muslim’s activities in this life so that on the one hand he/she would fulfil their obligations towards their God and on the other hand they would enjoy a good and healthy life with a promise of even better rewards in the Hereafter. Qur’anic verses describing nature and natural phenomena outnumber verses dealing with commandments and sacraments. Some 750 verses, or one-eighth of the Book, exhort believers to reflect on nature, to study the relationship between living organisms and their environment, to make the best use of reason and to maintain the balance and proportion God has built into His creation. The Qur’an and Sunna stipulate some principles that affect man’s attitude towards the environment. Fitra (initial state of creation), tawhid (Unity of God), khilafa (vicegerency), mizan (balance), and hikma (wisdom) are some important concepts that seem to lay the pathway for Muslims as they deal with their environments. Fitra (The Creation) Principle God created man as part of the primordial nature (fitra) of His creation [Qur’an 30:29]. Fitra is the intrinsic goodness in everything created by God. Man’s role is defined by that patterning . . . and the conscious expression of this rests with humankind. Tawhid (The Unity of God) Principle Muslims believe in one undividable God
who has no partner nor does anyone or anything may resemble. Tawhid implies the unity and the equality of all God’s creation who should strive to mutually benefit one another. God considers every type of creation, particularly in the animal world, as nations much like human nations. The Qur’an also emphasises the concept of the unity of God in many surahs (Qur’anic verses) indicating the supremacy of Almighty God over all of creation and that most creation willingly prostrate themselves to the will of God Khilafa (The Responsibility) Principle The Qur’an and the Sunna combine to remind mankind of their responsibilities towards maintaining and caring for the environment. God has created man to be His khalifa (vicegerent) on earth. Such prerogative carries with it a heavy responsibility. Humans are “responsible for maintaining the unity of all God’s creation, the integrity of the earth, its flora and fauna, its wildlife and natural environment. As representatives of God on earth, Muslims should effectively preserve and care for the environment in order to protect God’s creation. Mizan (The Balance) Principle As God has created all things in quantified amounts, balance is required to maintain equity between species and their environments. The concept of balance draws the attention that moderation is required to maintain the balance in nature. Violating the balance in nature has serious consequences. The destruction of the environment causes a severe imbalance in nature. Hikma (The wisdom) Principle “He giveth wisdom unto whom He will, and he unto whom wisdom is given, he truly hath received abundant good” [Qur’an 2: 269]. Undoubtedly wisdom is necessary for the right judgements to be passed so that future impacts of today’s decisions would perhaps be minimised. The five main principles for humans to deal with their environments named above, Fitra, tawhid, khilafa, mizan and hikma rep-
Volunteers wanted AMUST Media Are you 50 or over and interested in health issues? Would like to help your own community? Full training will be provided through adult education and health training facilitators. We need volunteers who can speak, read and write English and Arabic well. The volunteers will deliver information sessions to Arabic communities in their local areas. If you speak a language/s other than Arabic are encouraged to apply. Excellent training will be provided. Volunteers will receive 2 full day presentation skills and hour working with an interpreter training. Volunteers will also receive train-
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ing on various health topics of which the information sessions will be provided to the community groups. No previous training or experiences are required and all training will be provided and are free. All costs incurred in carrying out volunteering works will be reimbursed by the service. Volunteering in HPSOP is very flexible and should not affect other commitments the volunteers may have. Health Promotion Service for Older People is funded by the NSW Ministry of Health and provides free health information sessions in English and multicultural communities. If you are interested, please call Habib/ Estelle: 8836 2146/00 or 1800 451 488 or email: health@cpsa.org.au.
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resent the Qur’anic plan for the relation between man and the environment. Each creation should be guaranteed respect and the right to live in security and dignity. “Our God, the Creator, they said, is He Who gave form, shape and features to every entity. He created and vested each entity with its qualities and attributes which guide each creature to its inherent role in life” [Qur’an 20:50], The Qur’an asserts the universality of creation that would place every creation as an important contributor into the overall functioning of life on earth as we know it. God determined that “Everything, spiritual, animates and inanimate We create according to plan indicating the relations of objects to one another” [Qur’an 54:49]. The books of sirah are full of teachings pertaining to the good use of the environmental resources and other measures to help in maintaining the balance of nature. The Prophet advised his followers to restrict their consumption of the earth’s resources to their immediate needs without causing any waste. In a hadith the Prophet of Islam reprimanded one of his close Companions for using excessive amounts of water for their ablution. Muslims should be thrifty in the use of the earth’s resources even if resources were abundant. The Muslim should consume enough amounts to meet his/ her needs and then think of ways to recourse the surplus to those in the world who may need it. The concern for a lot of other humans is so much ingrained into the Muslim’s psyche that the rewards for kind and charitable actions are highly rewarded by Almighty God in both this life and in the Hereafter. In pursuit of conserving the environment, the Qur’an issues clear and unambiguous instructions dealing with the conservation of land animals. Almighty God has decreed in the Qur’an that “The calendar introduced by God . . . divides the year into twelve months, four of which are sacred” [Qur’an 9:36]. These four months were further elaborated in Suratul Ma’eda (The table). “Nor are you permitted to engage in the chase (killing) of wild animals or game”, while you are on pilgrimage –major or minor- (in the sacred months). God ordains what He will” [Qur’an 5:1]. For four months every year (three of which are consecutive and one stands alone), Muslims are not permitted, by order of God, to hunt land game. Such halt of killing the land game would allow the animals a chance to rejuvenate and multiply so that its numbers would not dwindle or even become instinct as the situation is today with so many species disappearing from the face of the earth after extensive harvesting by people. Mr Riad Galil OAM is Senior Imam at West Heidelberg Mosque and Chaplain both at RMIT University, City Campus as well as Deakin University, Burwood campus. Married with four children and nine grandchildren, he is based in Melbourne. ISSUE 148 / MARCH 2018
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Startup Ummah launch in Melbourne Faseeha Hashmi A great idea can be hard to come by. But when you find one you may wonder how you’ve been living without it. Take, for instance, the numerous Apps which you use on a daily basis. Have you ever used Uber? Snapchat? Or maybe you just use an App to confirm where the Qibla is? So if you are wondering where your next great idea is, look no further than a room full of creative innovators. Across the country, there are new initiatives been established by budding entrepreneurs in need of the right support to flourish. ‘Startup Ummah’ is one such enterprise seeking to bring together local talent in the community to discuss, share and network. Launched by Houssam Bizri the initiative started in 2017 and will travel across Australia and New Zealand. Houssam Bizri has a strong academic background in inspiring and nurturing young minds. Having a Bachelor of Adult Education, Master in Business and Technology and Master in e-Learning he has an excellent grasp on how to stay relevant in the digital age and what it takes to start a successful startup. Houssam said he would frequently attend workshop and events on entrepreneurship and began to ask himself the same question, why is the Muslim community not being represented in these spaces. I started thinking: “Where’s us? Where’s our talent heading? Realising this deficiency in the market, he set out to change the landscape for young people. “I wanted to create a platform to showcase local talent,” says Houssam Bizri. Utilising a storytelling narrative, his event has helped to encourage hundreds of young people to learn from successful entrepre-
neurs and their experiences. The official launch of their Melbourne program ‘Deen & Dunya: The Blossoming Islamic Startup Scene – Across the world’ during the weekend 3-4 February 2018 at the Islamic Museum of Australia in Thornbury focused on supporting a generation of young, tech-savvy, faithful Muslims to find creative solutions to diverse problems. Special guest Chris Abdur-Rahman Blauvelt a Muslim America entrepreneur and CEO of LaunchGood explained his experience as a successful crowd-funding platform that inspires and supports Muslims globally with creating their own startup projects. Established in 2013, LaunchGood has helped raise over $30 million for more than 3,000 projects across 100 countries and has been recognised for their impact and excellence with the Islamic Economy Award in Dubai and the American Muslim Consumer Conference Entrepreneurship award, as well as coverage on CNN, Al-Jazeera, and more. His enterprise has helped fund successful
start-up organisations in Australia such as OnePath Network, One4kids and Islamophobia Watch, all of which have blossomed into vital community organisations since. His advice for young people is “don’t do it alone.” He explains that young people often become used to do things on their own. But to get far, your going to “need mentors, teammates; your going to need to trust people and humble yourself to hire people that are smarter than you”. He encouraged, “You need to get in an environment where you have a lot of support to grow”. Inspired by his parent both of whom were entrepreneurs, and through his travels, Chris developed a keen interest to inspire the Muslim community, especially in the area of social entrepreneurship. Yet, he says that the best piece of mentoring advice came from his mother, that said whatever project you work on “give it three years”. This is because, some projects were slow, to begin with, steady off after the second year and then either succeed or
stagnated. He therefore suggests, a three year period of commitment as a good indicator to test whether an idea actually merits value. Most importantly though, he mentions is the importance of trusting in Allah. But, overall Chris says that he is “optimistic” about the Ummah, we are on the cusp something special and that this generation of young budding entrepreneurs has the “bright future” ahead. Houssam Bizri is also encouraged, he says “young people want to create” and learn. But most importantly, they just “need their voices to be heard”. So the question is, have you got a great idea that needs some nurturing to grow? What will you create in 2018? Subscribe to their website: startupummah. com. You can even book a free session by having a virtual meeting with a StartUp Ummah consultant. secure.scheduleonce.com/startupummah
Rouad El Ayoubi’s hard work led Alliance Project Group to success “
Tareq Nieroukh
Taking risks at the right time can lead to a lifetime of success. For Director of Alliance Project Group, Rouad El Ayoubi, starting his own business was a calculated risk. “In this journey there are a lot of hard work, a lot of risks, but eventually you get the return of the hard work and you see the fruits of your successful business,” the Director said. With over 17 years of experience in the property and construction industry, El Ayoubi’s passion and dedication led to implement a strong and sustainable business. Alliance Project Group has been leading the construction industry for the past five years in excellently executing high quality construction and turnkey projects. Alliance Project Group have delivered a number of successful multimillion-dollar projects. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, more than 60 percent of businesses cease operating within the first three years of starting. That startling figure is a stark reminder how difficult it is to go from an idealistic vision to a successful reality. Being in the property and construction industry requires leadership, it can be at it’s best – quite a cut throat industry. With hard work and perseverance, Mr El Ayoubi led his business from his vision into a successful reality. Alliance Project Group was successfully awarded the design and construction projects of many well-known buildings around Sydney located in Burwood, Hurstville, MARCH 2018 / ISSUE 148
Epping, Westmead, and Auburn. “We have completed various Design & Construct projects that we have completed using various leading engineering construction techniques to the upmost quality and standard that our clients have come to expect from Alliance Project Group,” El Ayoubi said. Along with offering services that range between Residential, Commercial, Industrial, Civil, Educational Facilities, Health & Aged Care Facilities, Hospitality and Retail Projects, the company offers turnkey solutions to meet all of their clients’ needs. El Ayoubi, with his passion in developing Alliance Project Group, dedicated himself to the functions of business develo p -
... the opportunities are there, you just need to seek it...
”
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ment, along with supervising the financials, mentoring staff, and assisting in pre-delivery and pre-planning stages. The Journey El Ayoubi had a few mentors along the way, during his work experience in large corporates where he was exposed to different types of managers. These mentors helped him to implement what he learned and gave him the encouragement to keep moving forward. El Ayoubi realised that once he started his business, there was no point of return, defeat or failure – it just was not an option. This motivated him to ensure that the business needed to stand on its own feet no matter w h a t kind of challenge s and
struggles he had to face. Going from a business that had no profit for many projects, he has now reached one of his greatest goals, turning over a $100M a year. This is quite an impressive feat, especially within the construction industry – where you always need to calculate the steps to meet the customers’ needs and wants. Advice to Budding Entrepreneurs El Ayoubi advises budding entrepreneurs to seek out, work hard and focus on what you are good at along with putting your time and passion to succeed. “Australia is a wonderful country and it is the land of opportunities. The opportunities are there, you just need to seek it, you just need to work hard for it, nothing comes on a silver platter,” he said. On the one hand, education is highly regarded in Australia and a degree is a basic requirement to get anywhere. On the other hand, it is essential to have practical experience in your field – to show that you know how to apply the knowledge. For a lot of budding entrepreneurs – getting that practical experience for the first time can be difficult. Being open to all opportunities, whether it’s paid or not, is all about the exposure to different situations which could eventually lead you to success. El Ayoubi gives a stark reminder about risk and adversity. “Taking the risk is great, but also my advice is to learn from every journey and experience around you.” El Ayoubi’s success demonstrates to young entrepreneurs that business and entrepreneurship is not about getting rich quick, that it takes time and requires long-term vision.
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Nahla Hamze: Tupperware Five Pillars of Islam Wordsearch
On 22 February 2018, Nahla Hamze was recognised for her incredible work as a United Sales Manager for Tupperware Australia and New Zealand (AUNZ), at the Convention Centre in Adelaide. As an executive promotion manager for the past seven years, Nahla coaches and inspires her team to become successful and achieve their goals for selling Tupperware. “An achievement I’ve never even dreamt of achieving as I’m just a normal mother of 4 doing something I love, building my amazing team, and selling a product I’m passionate about” said Hamze.” Tupperware Australia and New Zealand hold an annual 3 day training conference which ends in an awards ceremony to celebrate the highest achievement of the pre-
vious year. Out of 500 competing units (teams), the top 50 units are recognised, and the top 10 units get a special number printed on a car. Nahla’s team was listed in the top 10, “therefore making this my proudest achievement!”, she said. “I was personally recognised as 24th position in the top 50 personal sales category, my group made the 12th position in the top 25 group recruiting category, and 10th position in top 25 unit recruitment managers.” “For someone like me who battled with anxiety/ health issues and 13 operations over the last 9 years it’s amazing how much confidence this company offers me!” she said.
Paper Puppets - Colour us in & cut us out!
Hamida Novakovich: Australia Council for the Arts
HADITHS ON SOCIAL MEDIA
1. W HY? Actions are judged by their intentions, so each man will have what he intended. Therefore, he whose migration was to Allah and His Messenger, his migration is to Allah and His Messenger. But he whose migration was for some worldly benefit, or for a wife he might marry,his migration is to that for which he migrated (Bukharī and Muslim). Intention is at the core of any action and social media is no exception. It is famously said the intention should be checked before a deed, while performing a deed, and after the deed is done. We must assess why we are sharing something or posting a particular status update. What is the underlying message we’re trying to convey? Who are we really writing it for? What do we actually hope the response is?
Hamidah Novakovich received a travel grant from the Australia Council for the Arts to study Islamic arts in Turkey, Spain, Morocco & London.
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She will be researching all the interesting ways local communities from differing countries engage with Islamic arts with the aim to drive more interest in Australia.
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Islam in the Media 2017 OnePath Network
“These days, Islam sells. So it’s no surprise that newspapers are cashing in. But you might be shocked to know just how much they are. After a year long study by OnePath Network on five of Australia’s biggest newspapers, we found almost 3000 articles that referred to Islam or Muslims alongside words like violence, extremism, terrorism or radical. And that’s just in 2017. We’re talking more than 8 articles a day portraying Islam and Muslims negatively. Of those 3000 articles, there are 152 front pages about Muslims. That’s almost every second day. The Australian public really is being bombarded with negative coverage of Islam. Now there’s no doubt that we do need to talk about terrorism and violence, but we have to ask – were there really enough news-worthy stories to warrant a full two page newspaper spread talking about the perils and dangers of Islam, every single day?
Because that’s exactly what’s happening right now. It’s easy to see these figures as just numbers with no real effect on the Muslim community, but in 2016, an Essential Report poll found that 49% of Australians support a ban on Muslim immigration. This year, a report by the Islamophobia Register of Australia, directly links spikes in hate crimes against Muslims with negative media coverage of the Muslim community. But this is the crazy thing. Another study in 2016 by researchers at Griffith University found that nearly 70% of Australians admitted they knew “little to nothing” about Islam and Muslims. This is the real cost of our current media discourse around Islam in Australia. We know nothing about Muslims. But we hate them anyway.” Video: http://tinyurl.com/ybhjm4vf
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“Calling all Muslim space kids! Join the Muslimnauts Zazzy, Esmaa, Meem, Alpha and Kiya as they race to recover the missing pages from their special Quran! The Noor Quest app introduces basic arabic letters and Quran in a fun, entertaining and educational way with friendly, engaging and relatable characters, funky space sounds, vibrant graphics and a cool space masjid!
A great tool to help kids in learning basic arabic letter forms and familiarising them with the look and sound of the noble Quran. From the studios of award-winning designer Peter Gould. (www.peter-gould. com).” The app was funded on Launchgood in 2014. “Great effort! Ma sha Allah. This is a great effort. The characters, design, colors, and sounds are awesome! I would hope the game strategy be further developed though,
the verse fonts be more kid-friendly and a read along screen after the pages have been discovered. Looking forward to more efforts like this! Jak!” – AS “Subhanallah, very creative education games Hi there Peter, thank you for the creative concept. Don’t forget to keep updating us okay! Thank you… Jazakumullah..” – SS “Wonderful Masha’Allah a great app all my children love to play. Need more like this.” – LY
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