Issue 153 August 2018

AMUST

AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIMES

www.amust.com.au ISSUE # 153

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Multicultural News & Views

AUGUST 2018; DHUL QADAH 1439

Dangers of the Developing Social Imbalance

BOOMERANG PAGE 7

Susan Carland to host SBS TV’s Child Genius

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MEFF 2018 Highlights Rights Violations

COMMUNITY PAGE 9

Mobinah Ahmad Susan Carland: scholar, author, feminist, and now quiz show host! Carland has been announced as the host of Child Genius, a quiz show on SBS TV which will air later in the year.

“Presided over by quizmaster, Dr Susan Carland, this brand new six-part series to find Australia’s brightest child in a unique competition documentary format, follows the lives of some of Australia’s brightest children and their families,” an SBS statement said. “These gifted children all have very high IQs and showcase phenomenal cognitive abilities in maths, general knowledge, memory and language.

Susan Carland told her 36,000 Instagram followers that she was so thrilled to finally be able to share the wonderful news.

“So thrilled to finally be able to tell you I’m hosting a new tv show on @sbs_australia! No, I’m not taking over from Lee Lin Chin - I’m hosting Child Genius, a show about really smart kids! These kids will astound you....and make you feel pretty dopey.

I did. Repeatedly. Airs in November!” she said.

Carland has appeared on a number of other TV shows including Salam Cafe, The Project and Home Delivery.

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Richard Di Natale on Greens and Muslims

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Australian Islamic Wills Part 1

BUSINESS PAGE 22

Imran Khan for a new Pakistan

Zia Ahmad

Susan Carland.

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The former cricket star and now the prime minister-in-waiting Imran Khan has vowed to create a ‘New Pakistan’ eradicating poverty, corruption and violence and promoting education, social welfare and rule of law aiming to create a modern Islamic welfare state.

Running on a populist, anticorruption platform, Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (Pakistan Movement for Justice) PTI party led by Imran won the general elections for the 15th National Assembly held on Wednesday 25 July 2018.

Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi, 66 is the Chairman of PTI having founded the political party in 1996 after his retirement from cricket. He was the member of National Assembly of Pakistan from 2002 to 2007 and again 2013-2018.

Born in a Pashtun family in Lahore, Imran started playing cricket at the age of 13.

He was educated at Keble College, Oxford, UK where he played county cricket and joined the Pakistan national cricket team at the age of 18. He led Pakistan to victory at the 1992 Cricket World Cup in Australia.

After his retirement from cricket in 1992 as one of Pakistan’s most successful players, Imran became a philanthropist, concentrating on education and health, raising tens of millions of dollars to establish cancer research centres and hospitals and educational institutions in Pakistan.

He served as the chancellor of Bradford University between 2005 and 2014 and was the recipient of an honorary fellowship by the Royal College of Physicians in 2012.

During the elections held on Wednesday

25 July 2018, PTI has won 115 seats, 22 short of an absolute majority and is in negotiation with smaller parties and independents to form the government.

The ruling party, the PML (N) won a total of 64 seats, while the PPP won 43 seats, with 34 seats being won by smaller parties and 13 by Independents.

The National Assembly consists of 342 members, of which 272 are directly elected while 70 seats are reserved for women and minorities which will be allocated proportionally.

The PTI has not only won the national elections but will also be able to form government in two provinces namely Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab while Sindh will be ruled by Pakistan People’s Party PPP and Balochistan Awami Party will form a coalition government in Balochistan.

PTI ruled the province of Khyber Pakh-

tunkhwa in coalition with other parties since the last elections in 2013 and established a relatively sound track record in good governance.

The government was credited with improving law and order, health and education over the past five years and hence has won comprehensively in the 25 July elections to form the provincial government in its own right. Continued on page 2

Gallipoli Home: First intake of residents Zia Ahmad The first facility in Sydney dedicated for serving the needs of elderly from Muslim and culturally diverse background commenced its first intake from Monday 2 July 2018.

Gallipoli Home is an upmarket 102-bed residential complex located next to the iconic Gallipoli Mosque on 11 Gelibolu Parade, close to Auburn train station.

The uniquely designed purpose built 3-level building incorporates state of the art facilities, alongside a beautiful aesthetic fusing of modern architecture with traditional Turkish, Arabic, Indigenous, Australian, and Islamic elements.

The first residents were welcomed to their

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new home on Monday 2 July 2018. The facility will aim to accommodate resident admissions during the coming year. Interested residents and their families are encouraged to come in for a tour of the facilities and discuss options with the team.

The formal opening of the facility has been planned for the middle of October this year.

The Editor-in-Chief of AMUST, Zia Ahmad was given an exclusive guided tour of the complex by Dr Abdurrahman Asaroglu, The Executive Director of Gallipoli Home on Tuesday 3 July.

He also had an opportunity to meet Dr Yusuf Bulbulia, another Board Member, Ms Andi Richardson, General Manager and Mr Hasan Alca, Finance Manager.

Continued on page 4

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Imran Khan for a new Pakistan Celebrate Pakistan Day Theresa Dyckman

PTI supporters celebrating their victory at the Pakistan elections held on Wednesday 25 July 2018.

Continued from page 1 Imran Khan has strong views in pursuing an independent foreign policy.

Although an admirer of China as a success story, he has voiced opposition to China’s huge investment in Pakistan, which has racked up billions of dollars in debt to China.

Imran has offered an olive branch to neighbouring India, saying that both neighbours should move towards conflict resolution through dialogue.

“Wars can breed tragedies instead of facilitating resolution of conflicts” and “both

countries should invest in poverty reduction, pulling millions out of the poverty trap,” Imran was quoted while in conversation with Indian Prime Minister Modi who called him soon after the elections to offer congratulations.

Imran has also been an outspoken critic of the US-led war in neighbouring Afghanistan and of drone strikes against militants in Pakistan.

Ideologically, Imran Khan is highly inspired by poet-philosopher Allamah Muhammad Iqbal and the Iranian sociologist Ali Shariati. He is considered to be a na-

tionalist and a populist and highly popular amongst his countrymen of all ages and persuasions.

Imran Khan’s political views include Islamic values, to which he rededicated himself almost like a born-again Muslim, liberal economics in creating a welfare state, decreased bureaucracy and the implementation of anti-corruption laws in order to create and ensure a clean government.

He wants to establish an independent judiciary and overhaul the country’s police system with an anti-militant vision for a democratic Pakistan to live in peace with the international community.

The Meri Pehchan Pakistan organisation is hosting an event celebrating the nation’s independence at 6 pm on Saturday 11 August 2018 At Bryan Brown Theatre in Bankstown, Sydney.

The event will include an array of stage performances, competitions, and prizes for the audience. It will celebrate the diversity, courage, and patriotism of the Pakistani community, Dinner will be provided, and the proceeds of the event will be donated to Australian charity, Crescent Relief which provides holistic aid to orphans in Pakistan.

Established in 2016, Meri Pehchan Pakistan is non-political, not-for profit organisation involved in organising various fundraising events, and activities as well as to engaging the youth to get actively involved.

The last year’s event saw over 600 people in attendance. This year, the group aims to provide great entertainment and foster deeper ties within the community.

If your kids are interested to participate in Speech, Milli Naghmay, Quiz Competitions or Character Parade please contact Meri Pehchan Pakistan facebook event page or call Syed Atif Faheem @ 0413 911 091.

Muslim Lawn KEMPS CREEK CEMETERY

Kemps Creek Cemetery now has a dedicated Muslim Lawn, offering a peaceful rural cemetery to the Muslim community.

Located only 25 minutes’ drive from Blacktown and 35 minutes from Auburn. › Single and double burial graves available › 3 year interest free payment plans available

Part of the local community For further information please contact:

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Kemps Creek Cemetery on 02 9826 2273 from 8.30am-4pm 230-260 Western Rd, Kemps Creek NSW 2178 www.kempscreekcemetery.com.au

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The struggle of identity politics in India Minh Ai Nguyen Professor Anwar Alam, a visiting academic from India presented an optimistic view of modern Indian identity politics at the special lunchtime conversation hosted by Affinity Intercultural Foundation on Wednesday 25 July in Sydney.

Professor Alam is currently a Senior Fellow with Policy Perspectives Foundation, New Delhi having served as a Professor in the Department of International Relations, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Science, Zirve University, Gaziantep, Turkey.

Earlier he was a Professor and Director of the Centre for West Asian Studies, Jamia

Professor Devleena Ghosh, UTS.

Millia Islamia (JMI), Associate Professor at the Centre for West Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi and Lecturer, Department of Political Science, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India.

In a conversation facilitated by Professor Devleena Ghosh from the University of Technology Sydney, Professor Alam shared his optimistic outlook on the way identity politics has evolved in India.

“If we look at the trajectory of the last 20 years of Indian politics, the Hindu-Muslim conflict is epidemic. Now is not the first time we have seen conflict between different groups in Indian society,” he said.

“The only difference now is that minorities are standing up and asserting themselves and coming into the mainstream.”

Professor Alam reiterated his point by stating that India as a nation is founded on the diversity of its people.

“A person in India by default knows several languages in their infancy and relates to several subcultures because of diversity,” he said.

“In India, every caste group is a minority.

India as a state is successful in negotiating with every minority group. It’s a country of minorities.”

He further asserted that in modern India, there is no discrimination due to one’s cultural or religious beliefs.

“I do not subscribe to the idea that Muslims in India are culturally marginalised. I believe that they are in a position to communicate and assert their rights,” he said.

Professor Anwar Alam shares his optimistic outlook on the way identity politics has evolved in India.

“Identity politics has enriched democracy, “Religion cannot be used for the purpose rather than obstructed its development in of humiliating others or mobilising political India.” goals,” he said.

Professor Alam concluded by stating the ways that secularism has enriched religious Minh Ai Nguyen has a Bachelor of Arts in diversity in the nation.

English Literature and International Com“Secularism in India operates in a way parative Literature from the University of that welcomes different religious groups, Sydney. She is currently an Executive Asrather than restricting them or showing pref- sistant at Affinity Intercultural Foundation erence to one religious group over another.” based in Sydney.

Gallipoli Home: First intake of residents

Continued from page 1 With regard to the funding of the facility, Dr Asaroglu advised, “The total project cost is $33 million; $10 million from a Federal Government grant, $20 million through Shariah compliant finance and the remaining $3 million from the generous donations of the community.

The facility is comprised of three level of residential suites built around a central internal courtyard with a garden which includes a fountain. The underground level consists of a car park with 43 spaces and services including industrial-size kitchen, laundry and amenities for staff.

The residential suites are comprised of 82 single rooms with ensuites and 10 double rooms with ensuite to accommodate admission of couples. The bedrooms, amenities, communal, dining and activity area are generously proportioned.

The state of the art building has high tech facilities in terms of security, communication and quality of furniture.

Residential aged care becomes a complex issue for those Muslims who try to observe their faith and to be able to continue with a lifestyle that follows the tenets of Islam

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even when they become old and frail.

Previously known as Rahma Aged Care, Gallipoli Home is run by the same group of people who began this project, with the

same vision to serve our elders. Rahma is our core value. It drives us and focuses our delivery of our commitment based on active compassion, kindness, and respect for our

From right: Dr Abdurrahman Asaroglu with the first resident of Gallipoli Home.

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clients and their families from all cultural & religious backgrounds.

Mainstream aged care centres have limitations when it comes to delivering cultural, linguistic and spiritual care, particularly to residents of an Islamic background. It is for this reason that Gallipoli Home has been developed to cater for these residents.

Gallipoli Mosque and affiliated community associations based in Sydney came together to develop Gallipoli Home. Their knowledge and understanding of their communities has played an integral role in the planning of Gallipoli Home.

The well-trained staff at Gallipoli Home speak a diverse range of languages, including; Turkish, Arabic, Urdu and Hindi. The team reflects the diversity of the community that we operate in with over 50 diverse cultural communities represented.

The Directors of Gallipoli Home include: Dr Abdurrahman Asaroglu, Dr Yusuf Bulbulia, Mrs Nihal Uckan, Dr Hassan Kadous, Mr Yucel Cifci, Mr Said Comert.

For further information, please contact: Andi Richardson, General Manager.

P: 02 8644 0630, M: 0428 909 221, E: andi.richardson@gallipolihome.org.au

ISSUE 153 / AUGUST 2018

LIFESTYLE 16 - 18

UMMAH 19

EDUCATION 20 - 21

BUSINESS 22

BOOMERANG

SOCIAL 23

From Malaysia to Pakistan: Yet another display of people power It has happened again and too soon af- voted in a sensible way. ter the stunning defeat of a powerful Due to his cricketing achievements Imand yet corrupt government in Malay- ran Khan was always admired by all cricket sia. fans globally and specially in Pakistan. But The voters in Pakistan have comprehen- this popularity in Pakistan did not translate sively rejected the two political dynasties into him succeeding in politics for a couple who have been ruling Pakistan and getting of decades. elected repeatedly in spite of endemic corAs on the cricket field, Imran with the ruption. tenacity of a fighter did not give up and The Pakistan elections held on Wednes- persevered on opposing the establishment day 25 July 2018 mark a turning point for years trying to expose corruption and sweeping aside established political par- injustice in the country and finally he has ties with a second consecutive peaceful succeeded. handover of power from one democratiThere have been suspicion of him being cally elected government to an opposition. supported by the Pakistan military and acImran Khan and his party PTI had failed cusations that he will toe their line. Howevin the past to make a dent into the vote er the Lion of Lahore, as he has been known banks of PPP and MLN for more than 20 is a man of his convictions and an independyears. This was due to the feudal poent thinker and a natural leader. litical culture in Pakistan where The indications are that he will votes were given on the basis govern on the basis of his values of ethnicity and linguistic and convictions rather than alliance prevailing in the pleasing the electorate and country. the powers within or outside Votes were also sought the country.

Zia Ahmad in this Muslim nation He will stand up to any carved out of India on bullying by the superpowAssalamu the basis of nationalistic ers specially USA and safeAlaikum fervour and in the name guard the national interest of Islam. A number of reand welfare of all Pakistanis.

Greetings ligious parties sought votes On the other hand he has alof Peace on the basis that they were ready indicated that he wishes to the true representatives of Islam develop equal and reciprocal good to lead the nation in accordance with will towards all other nations including Islamic values.

India.

However during this election the young Unlike the past Pakistani politicians who generation, who now form the great ma- used belligerent language against India and jority of voters saw through the obvious raised slogans regarding the issue of Kashcorruption of the two political dynasties mir mainly for domestic consumption, he and slogans of the religious parties and has already offered an olive branch to India

Re: China civilised? Destroying good will in the Muslim world Thank you for your article #152.

Just read the article ‘China civilised? Destroying good will in the Muslim world’.

It’ s sad to hear how our brothers and sisters are being treated in that part of the world.

If only all Muslim countries can get together and help/pray to get rid of the oppression that is happening over there would be such a blessing to all.

Zahir Ali

Until Muslims can get over their concern that one should pray with their hands folded, open or somewhere in between the likes of Oh I See (OIC) and other Islamic organAUGUST 2018 / ISSUE 153

istions can do very little to educate China or Burma to treat their Muslim citizens like their very own.

Mal

Br. Daud, jazakAllah khayr for writing about this very important under-reported distressing news, the oppression of our brothers and sisters at the hands of China.

Right now there are countless Muslim Uyghur girls that are forcibly being married to Chinese non-muslim men in a bid to drive the “Islam” out of their future generations.

These young women are in my prayers daily.

As you’re aware China also has an imbalanced male population due to generations of burying their own daughters (more commonly referred to as gender selection before or after birth). This male preference has caused millions of “bare branches” in China and as a Muslim I pray that every one of those forced marriages results in offspring that are more righteous and devoted to Allah Subhanahu wa Teala than any of their forefathers. If anyone wants to investigate forced marriages, they need to start with the forced marriages of the Uyghur girls of East Turkestan to non-Muslim Chinese men.

Gulhan

Re: Ibn Sahnun: visionary educator of the 9th century

An excellent read Nadia. It would be good to see the handbook. Thank you for the article.

Andrew

HAVE YOUR SAY Email your thoughts/comment of current events to info@amust.com.au

News

1-4

- Imran Khan for a New Pakistan - Susan Carland to Host TV Show

5-8

- From Malaysia to Pakistan - Dangers of Social Imbalance - Birds on the Wing Glorify

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Community

- MEFF 2018 Highlights Human Rights - Muniba Mazari Australian Tour

Centrefold

12 - 13

- In Pictures: Multicultural Eid Festival & Fair MEFF 2018

Australia

14 - 15

- Di Natale on Greens and Muslims - Rally for Support of Refugees

Lifestyle

16 - 18

- Susan Carland’s Logies Dress - Gender Equality in Leadership - Wan Azizah Breaks Gender Myths

Ummah Imran Khan at the Multicultural Eid Festival & Fair, (MEFF) 2008. Photo

by Sadaewatan. which has been reciprocated by the Indian Prime Minister Modi.

This sounds a good beginning for bilateral relations between India and Pakistan to solve their differences through dialogue, open borders and engage in trade with cooperation in all fields that will have great mutual benefits for the people of both nations who are joined by linguistics, cultural and historical relations.

Readers comments Subscribe I would like to invite all AMUST readers to our Hostage Happening, 5.30pm every Friday at the Queen Victoria statue in front of the QVB in Sydney. You are welcome to bring your own banner or placard or banner and to use our megaphone. The only condition is that you are for human rights for refugees.

The hostages we are campaigning to free are the ones on Manus Island (PNG) and Nauru. They have been there for five years.

There have been 12 deaths. Australia is violating the 1951 UN Refugee Convention. It is almost unreported and is an abomination.

Most of the hostage-refugees are Muslim. If these people were Christian and were European, they would not be persecuted in this way. Both major parties are indulging in racism, and making the lives of innocent people, hell.

Please join us. Fridays 5.30pm at the QV statue. We have tea and coffee afterwards, sign letters, and discuss the latest developments and ideas for further pressure to change this intolerable situation.

Stephen Langford OT

AMUST ISSUE # 153 FRIDAY 3 AUGUST 2018 20 DHUL QADAH 1439

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- Mufti Al-Afifi Passed Away - India Denying Citizenship in Assam

Education

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- Importance of Girls’ Education - Australian Multiculturalism

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Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in articles, and Letters to the Editor, Website Comments are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Australasian Muslim Times.

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The dangers of the developing social imbalance Bilal Cleland Many decades ago, the Islamic scholar Said Nursi, in his critique of Western civilisation, pointed to its two inherent characteristics: extreme individualism and ‘appalling inequality in the means of livelihood.’

It was, he wrote, the departure of Western civilisation from the revelation of religion that it had degenerated into a society which was subjected to terrible upheavals in the twentieth century.

The cause of these upheavals could be described in two phrases: “One is “So long as I’m full, what is it to me if others die of hunger,” and the other, “You struggle and labour so that I can live in ease and comfort.”

He asserts that if they are to be eradicated, it will be through applying the Qur’anic injunction of alms-giving and prohibition on usury and interest.

Because Western civilisation had become

distant from true Christianity and was based not on principles of revealed religion, but on those of Greek and primarily Roman philosophy, he predicted it would eventually “be dispersed” and “change its form,” and make way for the emergence of Islamic civilisation.

Peter Whiteford, a Professor in the Crawford School of Public Policy at the Australian National University remarked: “As the IMF reported in its Fiscal Monitor for 2017, “Australia is among countries with the highest growth in income inequality in the world over the past thirty years.” [5 July 2018 Inside Story] Andrew Leigh, the author of Battlers and Billionaires: The Story of Inequality in Australia, and Shadow Assistant Treasurer, points to evidence of the growing social gap.

While retail in general is in trouble, due to stagnant incomes, “luxury retailing in Australia has surged.”

He also mentions a Salvation Army survey of disadvantaged clients who rely on its services.

It found two-fifths of families couldn’t afford to feed their children properly. [15 June

“Australia is

among countries with the highest growth in income inequality in the world over the past thirty years.

2018 Inside Story].

The reluctance of the conservative political parties to tax their major contributors may be related to the attempts by conservatives to ‘budget repair’ at the expense of the disadvantaged.

“Australia is on track to eclipse Qatar as the largest exporter of gas by 2020, but is expected to only earn $600 million in 2018 the same amount of revenue the government earns in beer tax every year - compared

“

Birds on the wing glorify their Sustainer Lord (Rabb)

Dr Daud Batchelor

It is God’s mercy that while He destroyed the dinosaurs long before Adam and Eve appeared, He allowed their winged descendants – birds – to live on to adorn this planet and charm humanity.

God Almighty draws our attention: “See you not that it is God Whose praises all beings in the heavens and on earth do celebrate, and the birds with wings outspread. Each knows its own prayer and praise.” (Qur’an 24:41).

Modern science posits that the Nightingale’s sonorous song and the excited dawn quorus such as the bower-bird’s melodies or whip-bird’s ‘crack’ are mainly intended to attract mates.

This is not incompatible with the view that these birds are also glorifying their Lord. Why wouldn’t they?

The Prophet (s) remarked: “If you were to rely on Allah as He should be relied upon, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds. They go out early in the morning hungry and return in the evening full.”

(Tirmidhi).

Bird calls and song are best heard at dawn and dusk - times also when Allah encourages humans to “glorify your Lord morning and evening.” (Qura, 76:25).

Worshippers arriving for fajr prayer at Kuraby Mosque Brisbane are frequently welcomed by raucous kookaburras’ laughter.

Here we sample some typical Australian bird calls at dawn https://goo.gl/hggwXd Humans and birds communicate with each other. Parrots mimic human speech. Humans in empathy mimic bird calls such as in traditional Japanese music (hogaku). At a higher level, humans

‘speak’ with birds.

Ecologists witnessed an amazing collaboration of the indigenous Yao people in Mozambique communicating two-ways with wild honey-guide birds who lead them to hidden beehives. The Africans then share the booty of honeycombs with the birds.

We have the wonderful Qur’anic example of the Hoopoe bird who reported to Prophet Solomon about Sheba’s lovely

Queen and her subjects misguidingly worshipping the sun (Quran, 27:20-24).

Farid ud-Din Attar in his 13thcentury epic poem “Conference of Birds” narrated about a group of birds led by the Hoopoe (the wisest) coming to realisation of their spiritual achievement through journeying towards God Almighty.

We need to attune ourselves to nature realising that birds hymn praises to Him. Resist Satan who ignores man’s spiritual element (ruh) and treats us as clay, and incites us to pollute and destroy nature and its sacred life; thereby preventing nature from glorifying its Lord, as Satan’s ‘proof’ of human baseness.

Let’s promote the message that we should restore the natural environment - and also listen to bird songs to inspire us to start the day seeking God’s provisions and thanking Him for untold blessings.

“Let’s promote

the message that we should restore the natural environment

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AUGUST 2018 / ISSUE 153

Other winged creatures, glorious angels, also congregate at dawn and before sunset.

Prophet Muhammad (s) informed that they all “come together a t times of Fajr a n d A s r prayers.

Those w h o passed the night with you ascend and Allah asks them ... ‘In what state did you leave my slaves?’ The angels reply, ‘When we left them, they were praying and when we reached them they were praying.’”

(Bukhari).

Birds flocking at sunset, often seen at shopp i n g centres on trees and overhead wires, could represent a “Conference of Birds” praising Allah.

While doing so the birds may be amazed by ‘goings-on’ of the humans passing below, some of whom are neglectful preoccupying themselves with other than praising God. You may exclaim, “How could we know if they chirp about us.” We could ask them!

We need a spiritual seeker to recover their language that Solomon knew so we can conclude this matter convincingly.

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.

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to Qatar’s $26.6 billion.” [12 March 2018 Eryk Bagshaw, SMH].

Failure to address this ‘appalling inequality in the means of livelihood,’ will have a dangerous response.

Nursi writes: “Through urging the wealthy classes to act in a cruel, oppressive, and arrogant manner toward the poor, the first phrase (“So long as I’m full, what is it to me if others die of hunger,”) has been the cause of such sedition and strife that it has come close to overturning humanity. And the second phrase, (“You struggle and labour so that I can live in ease and comfort”) through driving the poor to harbour hatred and envy toward the rich, has for several centuries destroyed public order and security, and this century, due to the struggle between capital and labour, has given rise to disaster and disorder on a vast scale.”

Unless our political leaders heed the dangers of this growing inequality, there is a very rocky road ahead.

Reference: Vahide, Sukran. Islam in Modern Turkey. An Intellectual Biography of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi. State University of New York Press. Albany. 2005.

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

Where many would live in mud brick house Fazlul Huq The woman dressed in orange and green with the head cover hued in pink, Would be witnessed to stand at ease in front of the tent house hued in dull white as it stands on the meadow hued in green, When her faced with covered with the smile beamed in purity and contentment, When her posture too would say much about her life and living.

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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MEFF 2018 highlights global human rights violations Mohamed Ainullah With the tradition of setting up a theme every year, the MEFF 2018 theme was “Concern for Global Human Rights Violations” highlighting case studies in Myanmar, China, Gaza, Kashmir as well as drawing attention to the poor treatment of refugees and asylum seekers in the West.

Mr Zia Ahmad Editor-in-Chief of AMUST, the Australasian Muslim Times and Trustee of Islamic Foundation for Education and Welfare and Australian MEFF Consortium, while introducing the theme for MEFF 2018 said, “Historically, Western countries in general and the US in particular including Australia have been in the forefront of protection of Human Rights for all people. However, there has been an erosion of care of Human Rights during the last few years as a result of influx of refugees and asylum seekers due to wars, conflicts and oppression in a number of countries.”

“We, as a people living in the West as well as our governments generally have developed double standards when it comes to protecting universal Human Rights. In order to safeguard our national interests, we are not as much concerned in protecting Human Rights universally,” he said.

Mr Chris Hayes MP, Federal Member for

Mrs Zulfia Erk, an active member of Sydney’s Uyghur community.

Fowler and Chief Opposition Whip said, “I sued between the Myanmar security forces reflect on today’s theme for this reception, in the Rakhine State, and the minority Roby taking this opportunity to discuss the de- hingya Muslims, since August of 2017.” teriorating humanitarian crisis that has en“I will continue to advocate for ensuring

Mr Zia Ahmad, Editor-in-Chief of AMUST.

Mr Hanif Bismi, Vice President of MEFF.

Rev Dr Patrick McInerney, Director of the Columban Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations.

AMUST

that the Government takes a strong stance against the authorities in Myanmar, and maintains its support for unimpeded humanitarian access,” he said.

Mrs Zulfia Erk an active member of Sydney’s Uyghur community talked on the plight of Uyghur people in the Xinjiang province living under oppression by Chinese authorities. She highlighted persecution by the Chinese government of Uyghur Muslims, a religious and cultural minority in the communist nation. She talked about forced marriages, rapes, brainwashing camps, prohibition of Islamic religious practices and discrimination against Uyghur people in the Western part of China.

Mr Hanif Bismi, Writer, Political Analyst and Community Activist and Vice President of MEFF who visited Kashmir recently talked about the denial of self determination of Kashmiris by the Indian Government and the atrocities being committed by the Indian military in the valley of Kashmir against young people.

Rev Dr Patrick McInerney, Director of the Columban Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations while reflecting on the theme said, “There is no such thing as the Muslim community. You are Muslim communities.”

Mohamed Ainullah is an honorary Sub-Editor responsible for mediascan section of AMUST.

Mr Chris Hayes MP, Federal Member for Fowler.

The five case studies highlighted during MEFF 2018 included: WEST: Treatment of refugees and asylum seekers with long internment in refugee camps and separation of families and children in US, Europe and Australia go against the upholding of human rights.

MYANMAR/BURMA: Hundreds of thousands of Rohingyas have fled due to atrocities being committed against a vast population in their homeland and there is no solution in sight of their settlement and punishment for those who have committed their human right violations.

ISRAEL: The Gaza Strip remains an unliveable open air prison where more than 130 unarmed protestors have been killed and thousands injured by Israeli snipers, that UN is investigating as war crimes.

CHINA: The treatment of the Uyghur minority by Chinese authorities unnoticed by the word is of great concern. There are reports of a million Uyghurs in “brainwashing camps” who are being de-Islamised and normal religious Islamic practices of prayers, fasting are being restricted in the state of Xinjiang.

KASHMIR: According to UN Human Rights Council, Indian Military forces have killed and wounded a large number of Kashmiris since mid 2016 and their right to self-determination have been denied.

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Turning adversity into opportunity Muniba Mazari Australian tour

Faseeha Hashmi

Renowned international motivational speaker, TV anchor and artist Muniba Mazari from Pakistan spoke in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney during her first Australian tour in July.

Speaking with finesse and infectious warmth, on a cold Melbourne night on Friday 13 July, Muniba Mazari captivated her audience at Melbourne University.

Opening the night with a Baloch folk dance, which Muniba is native too, the evening was organised by the inspiring Shaheens sporting organisation and was held at the University of Melbourne.

Holding the audience captive, Muniba Mazari spoke with prowess and professionalism as she shared her story of trials, self-realisation and success.

At the age of 21, at the very prime of her life, Muniba experienced a tragic car accident that paralysed her lower limbs. Doctors told her that she would be unable to walk, paint, or give birth; this left her devastated as she questioned her existence in the world. “…that day I decided that I’m going to live life for myself. I am not going to be that perfect person for someone. I am just going to take this moment and I will make it perfect for myself, that I’m going to fight my fears,” said Muniba.

In her frustration, Muniba emerged as a fighter, using her disability as her strength.

She said “(I decided that) the only thing

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that I can do was to accept myself the way I was, (and) the sooner the better, that’s what I did,” said Muniba.

Today, she has earned herself, the laurel of Pakistan’s first female goodwill ambassador for the United Nations and has been named one of BBC’s “100 Most Inspirational Women in 2015” and also featured in Forbes’ “30 under 30” the following year.

“You know, when you end up being on the wheelchair, what’s the most painful thing. People think that they will not be accepted because in the world perfect people are imperfects. So I decided to appear more in public,” said Muniba.

Her presence in Pakistan continues to grow as she works as an anchor at Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV). She has also worked on campaigns for Toni&Guy and refused to portray herself as a victim of her circumstances.

Muniba said, “the wheelchair cannot be an excuse for not doing anything…be grateful for what you have, and trust me, you will end up having more.” A firm believer in “turning adversity into opportunity,” Muniba has made it her mission to inspire others to do the same.

One projects she has personally championed for in Pakistan is challenging social stigmas of transgender people.

Although, not having any personal background with transgender people, Muniba felt a kinship from her struggle with her disability and the Pakistani transgender community.

Sadly, most of the time, transgender people are viewed as beggars or entertainers and nothing more.

Addressing this inequality, Muniba established a food drive with a difference that

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Shaheens Female Program Coordinator Faeeza Jawaid presented Shaheens Team Jumper to Muniba Mazari. would actually break social barriers by es- was to “be happy, be grateful, be alive and tablishing transgender people at the helm of don’t let anyone ‘dis’ your abilities.” the project. This simple but grand gesture has helped to inspire confidence in trans- Faseeha Hashmi holds a Master of Intergender people to be valued within Pakistani national Relations from the University of society.

Melbourne, with an interest in politics and Her final advice to her young audience human security.

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Fairfield Eid Festival hits record numbers in attendance Zia Ahmad The annual Multicultural Eid Festival & Fair (MEFF) was held on Sunday 8 July 2018 at the Fairfield Showground with tens of thousands of people celebrating post-Eid festivities after the fasting period during the month of Ramadan.

As one of the most anticipated events on Sydney’s multicultural calendar, MEFF is the first, the largest and the longest-running Eid Festival in Australia, welcoming all Australians of various faiths and cultural background.

This was the 34th year the festival has been organised and the event was a tremen-

dous success with Australians of all background and faiths attending with more than 120 market and international food stalls, thrilling rides, showground entertainment and a life-size baby dinosaur, Tarek the T-Rex! The festival was open all day Sunday with stall holders coming in at 8 am for setting up while gates opened to the public at 11 am with Reception and Cultural Programs starting at 12.30 pm running throughout the day and ending with a spectacular fire show and fireworks at 7 pm lasting for almost 40 minutes.

Four congregational prayers strictly on time were held with thousands of people joining in while children big and small

Photo by Belinda Gardiner

Photo by Ash Wheatley

Photo by Isabelle Andarakis AUGUST 2018 / ISSUE 153

enjoyed thrilling rides and various showground entertainment throughout the day.

Before the formal proceedings of MEFF 2018 commenced on stage, Mr Zia Ahmad, MEFF Trustee recited the Islamic prayer for peace and acknowledged the Cabrogal people of the Darug Nation, traditional custodians of the land in Fairfield where the festival is held paying respect to the elders, past and present followed by the welcome address by Mr Ali Alsalami, President of MEFF. The chief guest, Mr Ray Williams MP, Minister for Multiculturalism and Disability Services addressed thousands of people from the stage during the Main Ceremony and said that Australia was a highly successful multicultural country and MEFF

Photo by Belinda Gardiner

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was a success story highlighting how we all in NSW got along together thus enriching Multicultural Australia.

Mr Jihad Dib, state member for Lakemba also addressed the crowd from the stage appreciating the long wonderful track record of MEFF in bringing people of diverse background together and the hard work put in by three generations MEFF Team volunteers spanning more than 35 years.

The formal MEFF Reception and Eid Lunch MC’ed by Mr Orhan Kaba from ISRA was attended by politicians, diplomats, businessmen and interfaith leaders and included a theme “concern for Global Human Rights violations” where invited speakers presented case studies in Myanmar, China, Gaza, Kashmir as well as highlighting the poor treatment of refugees and asylum seekers in the West.

Mr Chris Hayes MP, while acknowledging the long track record of MEFF said, “This historic festival is one of the first, largest and longest running Eid festivals to be held in Australia, bringing together family and friends, from over 35 various cultural communities for thanksgiving, celebrations and memorable experiences.

He further added, “I pay tribute to the founder of MEFF, Dr Qazi Ashfaq Ahmad, for forging what has now become an event imprinted in the landscape of Western Sydney.

The Indian Crescent Society of Australia (ICSOA) launched its website from the main stage on MEFF Day showcasing its activities, projects and engagement of Muslims of Indian origin in Australia with other communities.

MEFF 2018 was sponsored by Low Cost Housing, Human Appeal Australia, Smartraveller, Hentley and Red Chilli Catering and organised with the support of Islamic Foundation for Education & welfare (IFEW) and promoted by Australasian Muslim Times, MEFF Media Partner.

Mr Ray Williams presented awards to all the sponsors and a number of organisations and individuals serving the community towards the end of MEFF VIP Reception & Eid Lunch.

The organisers of MEFF, The Australian MEFF Consortium, is a non-profit community based organization that brings cross-cultural and cross-religious dialogue and goodwill via an engaging festival. It welcomes feedback from the public and requests other organisations to work in collaboration to make it a more successful event.

See more photos on page 12.

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In Pictures: Multicultural

Photo by Ahmad Dalati

Photo by Ahmad Dalati

Photo by As

Photo by Photographik Illusion

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Photo by Ash Wheatley

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l Eid Festival & Fair 2018

Photo by Photographik Illusion

Photo by Isabelle Andarakis

Photo by Ash Wheatley

sh Wheatley

Photo by Ahmad Dalati AUGUST 2018 / ISSUE 153

Photo by Ash Wheatley WWW.AMUST.COM.AU

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Richard Di Natale on Greens and Muslims

Manarul Islam

In late June, Senator Richard Di Natale, Federal Greens leader, granted Manarul Islam, representing AMUST, an exclusive interview in his offices at Parliament House in Canberra.

AMUST: What is your view on the approach some political parties take on targeting Muslims and other minorities.

RDN: Well there’s no question that Islamophobia is on the rise. Muslims are an easy target and that the political parties of different persuasions attack Muslims because they see political advantage in doing it.

It’s not just in Australia - although in Australia there’s been a significant shift. I mean One Nation represents obviously the focus of that and you only need to look at Pauline Hanson’s first speech which was disgraceful - where the Greens stood up as a team and walked out as a show of our disgust with those comments.

I suppose my own personal experience is informed by that as a son of migrants I see some of the things that have been said about Muslims and I reflect on some of the things that were said about my parents and grandparents.

I see politicians, Peter Dutton for example, criticising Lebanese Muslims and saying that it was a mistake “to let in” Lebanese Muslims. What I hear is not just an attack on Muslims but an attack on people like my family and the many immigrants from right around the world that have settled here.

Those of us who value multiculturalism and believe that we’re a better country because of the contribution of Muslims and many other faiths cultures need to take the stand and so that’s why we’ve continually been a strong voice in support of Australian Muslims.

AMUST: Regarding refugees, how do you balance the human rights aspect

which you seem to focus on with the idea of protecting Australian borders and the risks that refugees take in crossing the seas to get here.

RDN: This is it’s a very difficult and complex area but our response is one that is guided by compassion and decency towards fellow human beings. People often talk about protecting Australia’s borders but what are we protecting them from? I mean we have people who are fleeing persecution and torture, who are coming here seeking our help.

Refugees are not a threat. In fact refugees have made a huge contribution over many, many generations to the Australian community. The language of border protection is intentionally designed to try and create a sense that somehow we have something to fear when the reality is the complete opposite - that we can enrich the country and improve the lives of our fellow human beings by showing more compassion and decency.

If (the loss of life) is the concern, and of course we are all concerned about that, then we have to direct resources in those areas that refugees are coming from to ensure that there have an opportunity to be processed - where there’s an ability through the UNHCR assess people’s refugee status and to bring people to Australia. If that’s the concern that should be the response.

The reality is for most people who argue against what the Greens are saying, their concern is not driven by compassion

or humanity or a concern about the welfare of refugees.

In fact when this first become a big political issue with Tampa, the government at the time wasn’t talking about concern for the welfare of those people - in fact it was doing the opposite. It was implying that they were prepared to throw their children overboard.

John Howard’s famous cry “we will decide who comes and the circumstances in which they come” wasn’t born out of compassion or concern.

So there’s a bit of a rewriting of history here.

I think that many people who continue to advocate for indefinite detention and for the cruelty that that is our refugee policy right now are not driven by those concerns.

If they were they’d be putting in place a number of policies like a greater investment in the UNHCR process and increasing the humanitarian intake.

The Greens want to see a doubling, at least, of a humanitarian intake - that’s what you’d be doing if you were concerned about the welfare of refugees.

AMUST: Muslims tend to see the Greens as faithful allies however they see a conflict of values when it comes to LGBTI and the current issue of voluntary euthanasia. How do you counter that amongst the Muslim supporters?

RDN: Well, I think firstly I would say that Muslims, like any other religion, are not a monolithic group.

T h e y don’t all share exactly the same b e -

liefs and I have met Muslims who do support LGBTI equality and who do support the choice of people being able to choose the terms on which they die.

The second thing is we fight for the rights of minority groups whether that be on the basis of sexuality or on the basis of ethnicity, culture or religion and we say that is a universal proposition that we should be supporting individuals who are discriminated against no matter what the reason for that discrimination whether that be gender sexuality religion, race, culture and disability.

AMUST: Why should Muslims vote for the Greens?

RDN: Firstly, because we’re a party that values the contribution of the Muslim community. We’re very proud supporters of multicultural Australia. We think that Muslim Australians have made an enormous contribution to the Australian community and will always be strong allies.

We are also a party that believes in the notions of equality between people, economic equality and equality on the basis of religion, race, ethnicity and agenda.

We’re a party that is founded on the notion of protecting our environment. In fact I’ve been to many Muslim events and it’s interesting that one of the central features of the Qur’an is this notion of protecting the earth that sustains us.

Also a recurrent theme in the Qur’an is the notion of equality between people.

So I would say to the Muslim Australians, as I would say to Australians right across the board, the Greens is a party that cares for the people, wants to protect the environment and thinks about the future.

I’d also say that if you want to see more accountability and transparency in politics, the Greens is a party that is there to ensure that whoever governs is accountable to the community, acts in a way that’s transparent and aims “to keep the bastards honest.”

Manarul Islam is an IT professional, community worker and AMUST correspondent based in Canberra.

Be The Change: Solutions Focused Youth Summit Ibrahim Taha

Shifa Institute held a “Solutions Focused Youth Summit” in Sydney on Saturday 23 June 2018 at the Rydges Hotel, Bass Hill.

The Summit captured the most exciting, innovative and creative ideas of young people in NSW. More than 50 Youth were brought together to be challenged to put their innovation caps on and to solve some of the pressing issues in society around four key areas.

These included: Science and Technology, Environment, Education and Social Issues.

The theme of the Summit was “BE THE CHANGE”.

The Summit was funded by the NSW Government, with over 50 young attendees aged between 9 and 24 years.

The day was opened by Sheikh Ahmed Abdo, who said the objective of the day was “to have some fun and engage in practical sessions to look at how to solve problems in life”.

The NSW Minister for Multiculturalism, Mr Ray Williams MP delivered the opening address to the young attendees with motivating stories of how simple ideas can lead to an innovation that radically transforms society. The crucial part he noted, was to never give up, but to remain determined to find a solution until every avenue was exhausted.

Ghaith Krayem, from Hikmah Consulting, facilitated problem solving sessions that

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Group photo with Minister for Multiculturalism, Mr Ray Williams MP. taught students how to identify and analyse a problem.

The attendees were divided into the categories that explored one of the four broader issues. Some of these included driverless cars, virtual reality classrooms, homelessness, environmental degradation, pollution, global warming and many more. After being briefed on their given category by mentors who had background information on the topic, each group was encouraged to delve into their creativity, find solutions to the problems and present these using the abundant resources available.

Some created multimedia presentations, speeches and slideshows while others created short videos using media resources, on their solutions. A popup recording studio with special lighting captured the innovative

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solutions that were presented in an engaging and creative manner. There was a buzz of activity to observe: some young people recording videos by the poolside, others recording a news interview in the studio, some on a laptop creating a slideshow, and others putting coloured pens to paper!

It was so refreshing to see positive and innovative ideas coming from the young and bright minds in the community.

At the end of the presentations, Sheikh Abdo called upon students to write about their previously held assumptions before the summit, to what they now believe. Perhaps the response that captured the spirit of the summit most, was the note that had written on it “I thought I could not change anything” to “Now, I believe I can make a difference”.

Shifa Institute, with its many volunteers

WWW.AMUST.COM.AU

and dedicated parents of attendees, should be congratulated for fostering an innovative culture among the youth. It was an event that challenged youth to think outside the box and find solutions to some of the bigger issues in society. It was lovely to see the summit was open to young people of all faiths, cultures and educational backgrounds.

Students came from a variety of schooling methods, including homeschooling, selective schools, public schools, and private schools. This gathering ignited a spark in the minds of youth which could potentially lead to bright ideas in the future.

Ibrahim Taha is a young, first year student at Sydney University. Ibrahim is involved in many organisations and has keen interest in politics, religion and social issues.

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How’s your Maths? How’s your Heart?

Rally for support of refugees and asylum seekers Philip Feinstein At huge rallies throughout Australia Saturday 21 July, supporters of refugees and asylum seekers vented their anger at the ongoing policies to keep people behind bars. Some of the detainees have been deprived of their freedom for over 6 years.

Yes, that is 6 years behind the wire! And there is no government enthusiasm for the laws to change any time soon - the Australian constitution was formulated on 1 January 1901, via the British Parliament, and is now one of the oldest in the world despite being totally antiquated and out of date.

There were many speeches during the Sydney Town Hall rally with important messages coming from Dulce Muñoz, (Mums for Refugees and Mexican migrant), Avi Selva (Tamil activist and lawyer), Shannen Potter

Adults and kids march for refugees throughout Australia on Saturday 21 July 2018.

Ian Rintoul addressing the crowd.

(former Young Labor NSW Vice-President), Lee Rhiannon (Greens senator), Father Dave Smith (eyewitness to Manus detention) and Ian Rintoul (head of RAC).

Among the points raised were: • The preventable deaths in custody • Off-shore detention should cease forthwith, while mainland custodial sentences should at least have their time period in custody dropped considerably • There should be no children in custody • There should be no punishment because of the transport used by refugees to reach Australia • We should welcome all refugees and asylum seekers - they are future Australians and need to be given support and respect • The taxpayers’ money could be spent on worthwhile projects instead of paying foreign governments to mind Australian refugees and asylum seekers • The refugee intake should be increased immediately Looking at the cost of housing refugees on Manus Island and Nauru is a very expensive exercise - Senate estimates hearing transcripts show Manus at costing $420 million to build and maintain, giving a total of more than $1.6 billion. Maybe the man in the photograph has even more accurate figures . . . .

The enthusiastic crowd then marched through the southern part of city down to the immigration offices near Central Railway where a brass band welcomed them all.

The main organiser of the rally, Ian Rintoul, had the final words by thanking everyone for their attendance. He emphasised the importance of keeping active for refugees and also writing to our politicians for more positive action.

Philip Feinstein is a Sydney based writer, musician and activist working for MUSIC FOR REFUGEES www.musicforrefugees.org

THE YARD now touring schools across Western Sydney Johanna Mulholland THE YARD is an award-winning anti-bullying program by contemporary dance theatre company Shaun Parker & Company dealing with themes of bullying, social exclusion, peer pressure and resilience through dance and music.

Drawing inspiration from William Golding’s Lord of the Flies and its analysis of human behaviour, THE YARD exposes these same themes in the modern day Australian school playground, ultimately finding unity in the diversity of culture, gender and ethnicity that are the experience of young Australians.

THE YARDis taught with the tension and humour of conflicts played out every day even as it celebrates the extraordinary in the ordinary.

The relate-ability of the show and the five archetypal characters is immediately obvious from the questions and comments from students during the Q&A that follows.

Although there is no dialogue in the show, students immediately recognise the dynamic between the bully and the bullied, and are quick to empathise with the victim. The moment when one member of the group offers a hand to the victim is a major turning point in the show and a gesture that is not lost on the audience.

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program features a performance of dance piece THE YARD followed by a Q&A and workshop with students. The program will be touring to schools in Western Sydney in July and August 2018.

Recently, Amanda Barwick at the Scots College said of the program: “Not only are the dancers spectacular, but the concept and rendering of intention stunning, clever and richly provocative. A wonderful short and relevant piece to study with juniors for appreciation and to inspire narrative-based composition for all stages.

The Yard picks up and navigates so many key social issues expertly, for students of all ages. It also interweaves such special stories and is testament to the rigorous workshop development origin.

Add to that the dancers’ beautiful, humble, approachable manner and Shaun’s extensive and sensitive management of both content and student-audience... they ticked every box we didn’t even know we had. And it is stupidly affordable….I think this genius deserves a round of applause for purveying not only the advancement of his cast- but the exposure of students across the country to important and accessible artistic work.”

To enquire about the program please contact Johanna Muholland johanna@shaunparkercompany.com or 02 9351 1941 Johanna is an experienced producer and venue manager. She joined Shaun Parker and Company as Associate Producer in 2018.

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Susan Carland’s Stunning Logies Dress

An intricate green bespoke gown by talented Australian designer, Aleem Yusuf What they wore in previous years

Mobinah Ahmad Out of the best and worst dressed lists that pop up after an awards event, it’s pretty rare to see something that is modest and beautifully stunning at the same time.

Cue in, what Susan Carland wore to the 2018 Logies.

The Australian Logies were held on 1 July 2018, where Dr Susan Carland, accompanying TV presenter Waleed Aly debuted her stunning green floor-length bespoke gown, after sharing the preparation process to her 36,000 Instagram followers leading up to the event.

In an Instagram post, she said

“I’m an academic

and, let us speak frankly, friends: academics are known for being badly dressed.

But for one day of the year, this boring & badly dressed academic gets to feel like a Queen.

“

Susan Carland was listed in the Harpers Bazaar Best Dressed list for the Logies 2018, as well as appearing on the list in previous years.

Carland wore the beautiful green dress with grace and style.

Designer Aleem Yusuf The dress proved an opportunity to showcase a new generation of Australian design talent.

“The idea of having a couture gown specially made for you, is the epitome of expressing who you are.” said Aleem Yusuf.

Aleem Yusuf is inspired by the contrasts of nature, surrounding environment and bygone eras.

An experience, texture, vision or conversation may translate into a creative emotion-

al response that results into the next piece or collection of intricate wearable art, composed of classic traditional techniques juxtaposed with contemporary design elements.

Being passionate about custom-designing wedding gowns, red carpet, special occasion

and stage costumes; Aleem Yusuf’s design process is an emotional journey and the client he works with is a part of that journey, which is continuously evolving.

Check out more of Aleem Yusuf Couture’s incredible work at aleemyusuf.com and follow him on social media.

The stunning dress designed by Aleem Yusuf Couture (@Aleem.Yusuf.Couture) was made from intricate lace and sequins that draped Dr Susan Carland at the 2018 Australian Logie Awards on 01 July 2018 in the Gold Coast. The designer gave followers a sneak peak as the dress was under construction.

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ICV hosts the Amity Cup Table Tennis Championship Faseeha Hashmi The Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) hosted its inaugural Amity Cup Table Tennis Championship on Friday 29 June at the ICV building in partnership with Table Tennis Victoria as they roll out a new training program to scout for budding new Victorian talent.

The 4-week table tennis training program from accredited coaches will end with a tournament to identify the champions who will then go on to represent each Islamic centre at the Amity Cup Finals which will be held in September.

The training program will be held across Melbourne which includes IREA iHub (Hoppers Crossing), AMSSA Centre (North Melbourne), UMMA Centre (Doncaster),

Islamic Museum of Australia (Thornbury) and Australian Islamic Centre (Newport).

“We aim to identify centre champions, and make history by discovering star talent,” said Jazeer Nijamudeen who is hosting the event.

Eager to develop a new generation of table tennis champions, Australian Table Tennis CEO Dennis Makaling encouraged the importance of increasing engagement and participation of our state’s diverse community groups.

“The Muslim community falls within the category of Culturally Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds (CALD) and so we are hoping to target and advance our engagement with this community”, explained Dennis. Table Tennis Victoria’s State Development Officer Marie Karek who came to support the event said that she was en-

The Amity Cup has begun, contact your participating Masjids and Islamic centres to participate.

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Young participants with Commonwealth Table Tennis Champions, as the Islamic Council of Victoria kicks off its inaugural Amity Cup Table Tennis Championship. couraged to see young Muslims enthusiastic is capable of achieving absolutely anything. about the sport.

“Traveling to these countries, (taught me) “Our aim tonight is to establish connec- to remind myself how good we’ve got it, tions and engage with the Muslim Commu- and I might not have had everything (benity in table tennis,” said Marie. cause of my disability), but that just made Hosting the event, Jazeer Nijamudeen in- me focus on how to be better with what I vited two extinguished table tennis players have,” she stated. to demonstrate their skills.

Gold-medalist David Powell explained Energising the audience with an incredi- his arduous journey towards achieving his ble display of skill, Commonwealth Games sporting success.

Champions Melissa Tapper and David PowDiscovering his love for the game at a ell played a quick game for the crowd. young age, David found himself at crossThere was an almost musical beat to the roads between his passion for tennis and way the pin-pong hit the table as the pair table tennis. However, ultimately he found held wide grins while maintaining perfect himself drawn to table tennis. Being a fullcomposure. time teacher and pursuing professional table Eagerly watching the gold medalists, a tennis meant many long nights of training young teenage girl called Souad exclaimed after work which was naturally very diffiwith excitement, “the technique was flaw- cult. less, they made it look so easy.”

He explained that his many defeats along “It was amazing watching them play,” the way were very painful. There were even added Sayed, another attendee. times when the Olympics was on that he Australian Champion Melissa Tapper “couldn’t even turn on the TV”. But overall, spoke about her experience of completing table tennis taught him about perseverance the Paralympics, she then went on to rep- and hard work. Nevertheless, he says he is resent Australia as the first non-Paralympic encouraged to see the next generation of champion. young guns.

Achieving these pinnacles did not come To join in on the action of the Amity Cup, without trials though. contact your participating Masjids and IsDespite being born with brachial plexus lamic centres. We are looking for male and injury in her arm, Melissa has never seen female aged 10-30, as we scout for our next herself as having a disability. Her experienc- Table Tennis champions in the making. es completing with Paralympic champions For more information contact ICV. overseas has taught her that the human body

Learning life skills from a 2-year-old Abdul Basit Ghias I have always been fascinated with silent films, action literally speaks louder than words in them. The initial years of a baby are very similar to it and exhibit the true nature of a human being without any adulteration of false pretences.

Observing my 2-year old cousin, I came to the realisation that humans are inherently born as people of action. Few of the life skills that I learned or might I say recalled watching my cousin are as follows: 1. Smile, it is the first step of the ladder It’s an open secret that kids are attracted to smiles and they keep a distance from people who don’t. A smile is the first step to initiate a conversation, to pave a way for a healthy relationship, to develop the charm around oneself to allow people to engage with you. It is one of the vital traits that if utilised properly can change the dynamics of any situation in ways unimaginable. Amazingly for kids, it is only one of the few expressions that they can AUGUST 2018 / ISSUE 153

use which we, adults, take for granted.

2. Be curious - My cousin walks around the house like a man on a mission and most of the time the mission is to break something and then ask his dad to fix it. Clearly, he is oblivious to the financial aspect of the things he intends to break and that is one of the liberties he enjoys at his age. Nevertheless, curiosity makes one an interesting person and creates more opportunities for oneself. It improves your problem-solving skills and awakens your inner Sherlock.

3. Have a routine - I would call my cousin ‘Johnny Boy’ in the morning when I was able to meet him. Once I said it in the evening and he reminded me that I say that in the morning.

My cousin’s day is so structured owing to the routine of his parents that anything different raises questions in his mind.

A routine keeps one healthy and it’s a natural progression towards perseverance.

4. Take risks - Babies are born with two fears, falling

and loud noises. Kids are unaware of the dangers lurking around them and they learn about them mostly by the expressions of caution that elders make regarding them. Nonetheless, kids take risks, fail, cry, get up and start again. If o n l y the adults had no sense of failure, regret or depression, this i n herent abili t y would be

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enough to be content with the progress of life.

5. Cry for what you want - Crying is the kids’ way of persevering to get what they want. Crying is nature’s response to anxiety and it secretes feel-good chemicals.

As a famous Jewish proverb goes, tears are for the soul as soap is for the body.

Religiously speaking, it is an act loved

by Allah when we cry to Him to ask for something or someone.

6. Forgive and Forget - This is a divine characteristic kids are born with. They rise above hate, fraud, oppression, depression, and would easily forgive you over a lollipop. The sole reason for it is that kids are not materialistic and they do not care about the status quo. Even if yesterday’s wound is still fresh, they would forget and start the new day with a smile.

Abdul Basit Ghias is an engineer, an avid reader, a traveller and a student of Islam. He lives in Canberra and enjoys the calm and professional air of the city. He has a keen eye on world events and likes to share his perspective.

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Gender equality in leadership positions Gulhan Eryegit Yoldas The current gap in what men in leadership are paid compared to what women in leadership are paid in Australia is appalling. Even women dominated industries, like aged-care, childcare, health and community sectors, are lead overwhelmingly by men.

The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) is a government agency dedicated to achieving greater gender equality in Australian workplaces. They report that “currently, Australia’s national gender pay gap is 15.3% and has hovered between 15% and 19% for the past two decades.” This means that currently in Australia in 2018 women are being paid 15.3% less than men for their average weekly full-time base salary earnings (1).

Australian women are over-represented as part-time workers in low-paid industries and in insecure work and continue to be underrepresented in leadership roles in the private and public sectors (2).”

There are several reasons for these standards, namely discrimination and bias in the hiring process and the fact that women dominated industries attract lower wages overall.

Sadly nurturing and caring roles and domestic work inside the home are also largely undervalued by society and grossly underpaid.

Instead, financial contribution to the household income and overall commercial value of a person has become the measuring stick of human value.

This lack of respect for the daily contributions of women to their homes and their families is reflected in our ever-increasing

national family violence epidemic.

It’s no wonder Australian Human Rights Commission website states “It is estimated that violence against women and their children cost the Australian economy $22 billion in 2015-16” when discussing the importance of gender equality (3).

Gender equality in leadership positions makes good business sense and is better for our economy overall. Forbes states that this year “Women will control over $18 trillion in worldwide spending.”

So over 80% of all consumer purchases are made by women for products from industries lead by men.

This probably explains the excessive amount of objectifying of women across almost every industry with cringe worthy tone deaf marketing campaigns to sell pretty much anything from cars to technology, sporting events to gluesticks, roadside assistance and property to name a few.

Gender equality is about respect and it’s time to untangle the socially engineered disrespect of women and call out any platform where women are objectified.

A strong role model for Muslim women is our beloved Prophet Muhammed’s (peace be upon him) wife, Khadijah (RA.) who was not only his advisor, supporter and confidante, a nurturing caring wife, she was also an entrepreneur, an investor, a pioneer and a leader of her reputable tribe. Many Muslim women aspire to be like mother Khadijah (R.A).

Muslim women in Australia have much to contribute to the conversation on gender equality in decision-making positions.

The misrepresented, under-reported Muslim women that are currently in leadership positions are best placed to become relatable ambassadors and advocates for gender equality amongst Muslim communities nationally and globally.

Giving these women platforms to share their stories is a powerful way to expel the

Meet the 13 most powerful Muslim women in Britain (Source: http://www.crescentsofbrisbane.org) engineered repetitive false narrative that 2 www.humanrights.gov.au/education/facefacts/face-facts-gender-equality-2018 Muslim women are oppressed.

Muslim women must be a part of the ad- 3 www.humanrights.gov.au/education/facevocacy of gender equality in the workplace, facts/face-facts-gender-equality-2018 in leadership positions and boards in a way that is non-tokenistic, inclusive and sustain- Gulhan Eryegit Yoldas is on the advisory board for ECCV Gambling Harm project. able.

“O mankind, indeed We have created you She’s an active member of Whittlesea Infrom male and female and made you peo- terfaith Network and currently works as the ples and tribes that you may know one an- Community Engagement Facilitator for Al other. Indeed, the most noble of you in the Siraat College. Gulhan has a robust history sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. of advocacy for Interfaith dialogue & buildIndeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” ing resilient, compassionate communities.

She is passionate about empowering and (Noble Quran – 49:13) developing Muslim youth as spokespeople Reference: 1 www.wgea.gov.au/about-wgea/our-role-0 for their communities.

Wan Azizah breaks gender myths Dr Zeenath Kausar Dr Wan Azizah, the current Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia has challenged the long standing myth that woman lack leadership skills in the general public space.

Wan Azizah was born on 3 December 1952 in Singapore and raised up in Malaysia as a Malay Muslim. She received a gold medal in obstetrics and gynaecology and also qualified as an ophthalmologist in Ireland in 1978.

In 1980 she got married to Anwar Ibrahim, who was then a young Islamic activist and an emerging politician. In 1982, He joined UMNO, the United Malays National Organization, the largest party in the then ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional, BN. During the Prime Ministership of Dr Mahathir Mohammad, Anwar Ibrahim headed several ministries namely Culture, Youth and Sports in 1983; Education in 1986 and Finance in 1991.

In 1993 he was appointed as the Deputy Prime Minister while he was the Minister of Finance at the same time.

However during the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, a rift developed between Anwar and Mahathir regarding policies and strategies in order to respond to the financial crisis Furthermore, Anwar Ibrahim also wanted to stop the cronyism and corruption prevalent within UMNO at the time.

But Anwar Ibrahim was sacked from his positions on 3 September 1998 and from UMNO on 4 September the same year.

Anwar launched a Reformasi Campaign’ on 20 September, 1998, but he was arrested at night the same day and after six months of trial, he was sent to the prison in 1999 on

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charges of corruption and sodomy.

Since then, Anwar Ibrahim suffered three prison sentences and eleven years of imprisonment. Finally he received the royal pardon from the present King of Malaysia and was released on 16 May, 2018.

During this whole long period of twenty years from 1998 to 2018, Wan Azizah who served as a successful doctor for fourteen years before Anwar was arrested, left her medical profession and took over the ‘reform campaign’ launched by her husband while taking care of her young children, who were aged 17 to 6 at the time

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Anwar was arrested.

Wan Azizah launched an NGO, on 10 December 1998, as the Movement for Social Justice, or Adil to press for political, economic and social reforms.

During the following year the following year, on 4 April 1999, the reform movement under her leadership formed its own political party, Parti Keadilan Nasional, (PKN) and this party later merged with another party, Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) and formed a new party, Parti Kaedilan Rakyat, (People’s Justice Party) PKR, Kaedilan on 3 August 2003.

Wan Azizah remained the President of the party, Kaedilan since its formation in 1999 and con-

tested five General Elections consecutively in 1999, 2004, 2008, 2013 and recently in 2018 through an opposition coalition, Pakatan Harapan, PH. Parti Kaedilan and the opposition coalition, Pakatan Harapan, PH performed well in all the General Elections and successfully brought to an end the 61 year old rule of Barisan Nasional, BN. Dr Wan Azizah agreed to work with Dr Mahathir who sent her husband, Anwar Ibrahim to prison twenty years before and thus she kept aside the personal grievances of the family for the sake of saving the country.

The opposition leaders mutually agreed that they should focus on the interest of the nation and unite together to fight the election in order to end the corruption and save the country.

Dr Mahathir was sworn in as the Prime Minister of Malaysia on 10 May, 2018, Anwar Ibrahim was released from the prison on 16 May, and Wan Azizah was appointed as the first female Deputy PM and also the Minister of Women and Family Development on 21 May. Wan Azizah through her twin- Presidency of the party and the opposition coalition, PH has played a leading role in defeating the formidable BN government and in bringing the new coalition, HP in order to form the government, by sheer dint of her own merit and excellence in political leadership.

Dr Zeenath Kausar, originally from India has worked as Associate Professor at International Islamic University Malaysia, IIUM. Her areas of interest and specialization include Islamic and Western political thought; Gender studies; and modernization and development studies. She currently lives in Kuala Lumpur with her husband Professor Mumtaz Ali.

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UMMAH 19

EDUCATION 20 - 21

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Mufti Sheikh Al-Afifi passed Away The funeral of the Grand Mufti of Australia, Sheikh Abdel Aziem Al-Afifi who was appointed in this position in March this year was held in Melbourne on Thursday 12 July attended by a large number of mourners. He passed away on Wednesday 11 July.

In a media release, the Australian National Imams Council, while announcing the death, praised the services of Sheikh Al-Afifi to the Australian Muslim Community for over 20 years.

Sheikh Afifi was the founding members of ANIC, serving two terms as the President, and was elected the Grand Mufti of Australia in March 2018.

The ANIC statement said that the ANIC Executive Committee will, in the interim, take on the responsibility and act in the role of the Mufti of Australia until an emergency Executive Committee meeting is held within 15 days in order to appoint the New Mufti.

The Minister for Multiculturalism, Mr Ray Williams MP on Wednesday offered his condolences to the Muslim

Australian community on the passing of His Eminence the Grand Mufti of Australia Sheikh Abdel Aziem Al-Afifi.

“For two decades, Sheikh Abdel Aziem Al-Afifi dedicated himself to serving the Australian community. Sheikh Abdel Aziem Al-Afifi promoted unity and harmony and placed young people at the heart of his work,” Mr Williams said.

“Members of the Muslim Australian community in NSW will mourn the loss of the Grand Mufti of Australia today.

At this sad time, I extend to Sheikh Abdel Aziem Al-Afifi’s family and the Muslim Australian community my sincere condolences,” he said.

Sheikh Al-Afifi succeeded Dr Ibrahim Abu Muhammed, who held the post since 2011 for a maximum of two consecutive terms of three years.

ANIC is the peek Islamic religious and legal authority, representing Muslims in Australia comprising of more than two-hundred Imams and Muslim scholars of different backgrounds and schools of thought across all states in Australia.

Great scholar of our time passes away aged 111

One of the greatest scholars of our time, Muhammad Bin Salek Bin Fahfu, known as Murabit Al Hajj passed away in Mauritania on Tuesday 17 July 2018.

He was a master in the Maliki school of thought and was well known for his piety and scholarship.

In the early 1920’s aged 19, he traveled to perform the Hajj pilgrimage by foot. Upon returning, he dedicated his life to worship and teaching of the Islamic sciences.

He was rarely seen outside of the Masjid or the tent in which he taught his students.

Tributes have since been pouring in from around the world.

Shaykh Hamza Yusuf posted on Instagram “Shaykh Murabit al-Hajj, he told me several times, “Hamza, this world is an ocean, and those who drown in it are untold numbers. Don’t drown.”

I have never seen anyone like him before him or after him, and I don’t think that I ever will. May Allah reward him for his service to this deen and his love and concern for the Muslims. He was never known to speak ill of anyone.

He said to me, “And what is man other than a comet that flashes brilliant light for AUGUST 2018 / ISSUE 153

Media Scan Ainullah

a moment only to be reduced to ashes.”

Shaykh Murabit al-Hajj is a master of the sciences of Islam, but perhaps more wondrous than that, he has mastered his own soul. His discipline is almost angelic, and his presence is so majestic and ethereal that the one in it experiences a palpable stillness in the soul. As the Arabs says, “the one who hears is not as the one who has seen.” May Allah grant him the highest level of paradise. Ameen. #murabitalhajj” He has left behind a legacy having influenced thousands of scholars and students alike.

In a video, Murabit Al Hajj said: “From the medications of Satanic whisperings for the belivers in the book of Islamic Juriprudence, is that the beliver places his right hand on the left side of his chest, and he says the supplication that relieves all Satanic whisperings, “Glory be to the King, the Holy, the Creater, the Doer. If He wills He will do away with you and produce a new creation. And this is not upon Allah difficult.”

May Allah grant him the highest rank of paradise and bless him.

India denying citizenship to millions in Assam

Indian authorities have left the names of almost 4 million people off a controversial registry list in the state of Assam, effectively denying citizenship to mainly Muslims of Bengali origins.

The publication of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) on comes amid popular anger over illegal migration into Assam, which shares a porous border with Bangladesh.

Proponents of the registry say it will help root out illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, but the move has prompted fears of possible deportation among Assam’s hundreds of thousands of Bengali-speaking Muslims.

The decision to impose a state-wide register of citizens has drawn parallels with Myanmar’s Rakhine State, where Rohingya Muslims have long faced persecution owing to their Bangladeshi ancestry.

Last year, hundreds of thousands of Rohingya were forced across the border into Bangladesh as part of a targeted attack labeled by the UN as ethnic cleansing.

Tensions over citizenship have been brewing for decades in Assam, resurfacing earlier this year with a government effort to rid the state of “Bengalis” and “foreigners.”

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Many of the state’s Bengali community have lived in India for decades, crossing the border into Assam during the bloody Bangladesh (formerly East Pakistan) independence struggle in 1971.

Many others can trace their history back even further, arriving before the independence of India in 1947.

The All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) General Secretary Aminul Islam said his party was shocked to see the number of people left off the list.

“It’s quite a huge number. We are shocked,” said Islam from the AIUDF party, which fights for the rights of people of Bengali origin in the state.

“There are several objections. The update process was being done under the supervision of the Supreme Court but it was unfortunate to see the intervention of the state government on several occasions. We will approach the court later,” Islam told Al Jazeera.

“But for the time being, we appeal to the people to maintain peace and harmony.”

Human rights activist Suhas Chakma dubbed the NRC list the “biggest exercise for disenfranchisement in human history”.

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EDUCATION

The unparalleled importance of Girls’ Education

Emily Mays

Would you believe if I told you that all the women in the world had a primary education, 1.7 million children worldwide would be saved from malnutrition? Well in fact, if all women had a secondary education, 12 million children would be saved from malnutrition.

These indisputable facts from UNESCO show us that when we educate women from a young age, we are saving millions of lives from malnutrition, child mortality, maternal mortality and poverty. Not just girl’s lives, but all lives. However, with 31 million girls of primary school age currently not enrolled in school, we are still worlds away from realising the unmatched importance of educating women.

If women all over the world had a secondary education, child deaths would be reduced by half, saving an astonishing 3 million lives each year. But how come this is the case?

Malnutrition is the underlying cause of more than a third of the global child deaths.

And so, when mothers are educated, they are more likely to know about appropriate health and hygiene practices, and ensure their children are receiving the best nutrients to fight off ill-health.

While there are many more contributing factors as to why children are nutrient-deficient and malnourished, education is always the root of the solution.

The preeminent factor for the high rate of malnourished children would be that nearly half the world’s population – more than 3 billion people – live on less than $2.50 a day.

Many women around the world lack skills and education that would otherwise allow them to find work and provide an income for themselves and their families.

Therefore, when educated women enter the workforce, they are able to afford nutrient-rich foods which will ultimately prevent malnutrition and child mortality.

The most compelling aspect of female education is the positive ripple effect that follows. When we educate girls who will become mothers, we instill the value of education on future generations.

“You educate

“

a man; you educate a man.

You educate a woman; you educate a generation.

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A student at Abdara Girls School in Panjshir Valley, Afghanistan.

“You educate a man; you educate a man.

You educate a woman; you educate a generation.” – Brigham Young In times like these, when faced with inconvenient truths, it is easy to feel overwhelmed and powerless. But sometimes the smallest of acts can instigate the biggest change. Educating women is the key to fighting poverty, and all adversity that it entails. Mahboba’s Promise runs a sponsorship program that provides girls of primary school age with all the necessary materials, support and security they need to attend school.

Sponsoring just one girl’s education will not only make a difference in the life of the individual, but will also benefit many generations of young girls and boys to come.

Visit mahbobaspromise.org or call (02) 9887 1665 for more information about our Sponsorship Program and our other humanitarian projects. To stay up to date with our work, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Sister schools across NSW support the education and security of hundreds of disadvantaged girls in Panjshir Valley.

The empirical testing of the claim

Dr Rashid Raashed

Celebrating NAIDOC Week: 8-15 July 2018 Dr Anne Fairbairn AM Dedicated To Dr June Oscar AO and to all Aboriginal people who lived here in Harmony with Nature for about 70,000 years.

A star falls across the sky, A man of the desert sighs ‘’it is my heart’’ Over darkened Spinifex to Biami he chants his joy For his spirit place among the stars, As star spirits leap and dance on Blackwater Creek, So in the brilliance above him tonight his spirit is dancing.

This man is Djuringa - touched so he will go on in his Dreaming, As the eastern rim of the sky grows pale and the stars fade.

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BOOMERANG 5-8

‘The Qur’an Contains No Doubt’

Djuringa

Notes • Dr June Oscar AO who received the Person of the Year award at NAIDOC week this year is an Australian Aboriginal woman of Bunuba descent, indigenous rights activist, community health and welfare worker, film and theatre producer, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner.

• Djuringa is an Aranda word meaning all that is sacred.

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Dr June Oscar AO • Biamsi is a god of some Aboriginal people.

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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.

This is part 3. Read part 1 & 2: https://wp.me/ p4ICdM-4P4 As this research seeks to demonstrate, every single injunction of the Qur’an launches human potentials to its best use. Indeed, reminding the human to ‘look back to his origin, the origin of a gushing water drip that excretes from between the back and stomach’ is uniquely rebuking [13]. Logically thus, the argument progresses further; ‘The One who created the human with such a precision, is indeed, well apt to recreate him’.[14]. Entwining spirituality with critical logic, takes much more than a creed! This indeed, is an outstanding feature of the Qur’anic spirituality. In doing so, it strikes a sound balance between all variables and constants of human life; spiritual and material including. Empirically thus, shooting human accountability within the bounds of affordable compliance, is indeed, the best measure of testing fairness and justice. Beyond doubt, the Qur’an would prove to champion all such logical measures.

One must however acknowledge that although critical to their certain aspects of authenticity, this research holds the earlier two revealed Scriptures (the Torah and the Gospels), both respectable and in high in honour. Finding a common ground between the all revealed scriptures, the Qur’an declares: ‘We have believed in all that has been revealed upon us as well as in all that has been revealed upon you. As our Lord and your Lord is the One; to whom we all surrender’[15]. This obviously, is the greater scope in which they all concur, advancing the mission of God, the original source of all

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revelations. The constant agony however remains that in absence of evidentiary proofs, to what extent that originality is reserved today, can neither be tested, nor can it be effectively determined.

This point of variation notwithstanding, a Muslim cannot be a believer without believing in the original messages of all Prophets before Muhammad (P), ‘as being true and from God without a discrimination’[16]. It includes Abraham, Jacob, Moses Jesus and many other prophets of God before and after them. The humanity today can at least relish this common belief, making life on earth complementing and mutually comforting as well. By declaring the principle and practice of “You already have a religion of your choice, which, I both accept and admit, so, please let me have mine” [17] the Qur’an has already declared the one sided truce. To a true Muslim, this is not only a policy of religious neutrality to others, it is a faith and belief. On the issue of religious neutrality thus, the Qur’an will live on as the lone star!

[13] The Qur’an 86:06.

[14] The Qru’an 86:08.

[15] The Qur’an 29:46 & 02:136.

[16] The Qur’an 02:285 & 02:136.

[17]. The Qur’an 109:06.

Dr Rashid Raashed is the Chairman, Leadership University College (Bangladesh) & Director/Secretary, Islamic Financial Services Australia (IFSA) and is based in Sydney.

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Australian Multiculturalism

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Fitting Muslims in the mosaic Dr Jan A Ali In the last decade and a half, the Muslim population in Australia has seen a noticeable growth through immigration and birth, making it the fastest growing and the third largest faith-based group in Australia.

This truism might give the impression that this has been made possible through Australia’s cultural sensitivities, tolerance, and benevolent ‘Judeo-Christian’ heritage.

The impression is one thing and the reality another. This is simplistic and the fact is that the situation is more complex and even nefarious.

Whilst Australian Muslims have witnessed a comparatively fast growth in their population in recent years, they have also at the same time experienced an increase in Islamophobia and racism and, based on the racialisation of Islam by the government, the media, and the broader Anglo-Celtic population, a sustained pattern of socio-cultural, economic, and political exclusion.

These two sets of rather dialectic experiences reflect an inherent tension in Australia between competing visions of an integrationist modern secular liberal Australia and a multicultural Australia.

Some suggest that the vestiges of anti-Muslim-Islamic sentiments that exist are confined to a small minority of older Anglo-Celtic Australians and by and large, the majority of Anglo-Celtic Australians who make up the Australian mainstream are Muslim-Islamic friendly, open-minded, and forbearing.

However, the reality at the coalface shows otherwise and seriously challenges the legitimacy of this acuity. The post-9/11 anti-Muslim-Islamic grandiloquence, racially motivated riots such as the Cronulla riots, the racially charged anti-immigrant political proclamations, and the Anglo-Celtic Liberal Party’s stance against multiculturalists and its mission to protecting the so-called core Australian values (Anglo-Celtic ethnicity, liberalism, and Christianity, to mention but a few) are strong testimonies clearly revealing Australia as an anti-Muslim-Islamic and

racist society.

Multiculturalism, when initially formulated, meant the de facto recognition of the diversity of the Australian population. The policy supported the promotion of tolerance and acceptance of diverse cultures of Australian people and encouraged and assisted individuals, groups, organisations, and institutions to reflect the multicultural character of the country. It also meant that all members of the Australian society had the right to equal access to services, regardless of their ethnic background.

Immigrants were granted fundamental rights to live according to their own cultural values, yet, nevertheless were expected to integrate into Australian society. Ethnic and cultural diversity is encouraged, however, only to the extent that it does not undermine the values, customs, and institutions of the dominant Anglo-Celtic society and conformity is expected.

It was basically assumed that immigrants arriving in Australia would automatically adapt to the dominant Anglo-Celtic way and they would simply abandon their customs and habits. This became the distinctive Australian trajectory to full citizenship. Integration in essence then entailed participation in the key areas of society - namely labour, education, and housing; a pathway to fruitful existence for immigrants.

Failure to integrate would result in deprivation. In other words, cut off from the many benefits and privileges available to ordinary citizens.

Equality did not mean simi larity but a ‘plain field’ for all.

The idea of a monocultural society was abandoned and cultural difference was celebrated and was no hindrance to integration.

However, if Australia is a multicultural society in which cultural diversity is celebrated then why is it that cultures are valued differently? As Michael Humphrey (2001: 37) asserts ‘The lexicon of multiculturalism differentiates and values cultures differently according to undeclared criteria’.

Why, for example, is the Islamic presence, the result of immigration, perceived to present a threat to the Australian national mosaic, or why are Islamic beliefs and practices considered to be in discord with the patterns of public life, or why is the application of sharia (Islamic law) and religious practices such as prayer and fasting seen to challenge the conformity of modern public sphere and its ideals?

The attitude towards Islam in Australia shows that, despite the formulation of multiculturalism as a public policy, the views of the dominant group predominate. Immigrants, particularly from more traditional societies from the Third World are expected to assimilate to secularism and individualism.

This ‘modernist’ view is founded on the premise of the diminishing significance of religion forcing it from the public sphere into the private domain. Thus there is the expectation that immigrants, perhaps the second-and third-generation, will eventually assimilate and become divorced from t h e i r ethnic and cultural roots.

In regards to Islam, Humphrey (2001) says that t h e

dominant view is that it is a homogenous culture that is resistant to modernity. In the discourse of multiculturalism, the discussion about Islam often touches on the concerns regarding cultural resistance.

In Australia, Islamic organisations and culture have emerged from settlement and immigration processes connected in a complex way to working-class immigrants’ experience of social marginalisation and economic deprivation. For Muslims, this immigration experience has forced them to negotiate their Islamic identity with the Australian state and society. In relation to this, Humphrey argues that Islam in Australia is a reflection of the politics of multiculturalism that limits both pluralising and homogenising tendencies: It is pluralising through the migration process that has generated local, ethnic community-based Islamic religious institutions which, in turn, helped decentre and localise the religious authority of tradition. It is homogenising through a multicultural politics of ‘re-traditionalisation’ – the essentialisation of culture as a defensive, as well as representational, strategy that tends to place ethnic culture in compartmentalised social space (2001: 35).

The negotiation by Muslims of their Islamic identity and the practice of their religious law in the context of Australian multiculturalism has left them relegated to the ‘Other’ in the national imagination, which is both defined by, and predominantly represents the culture of, the hegemonic group.

It incorporates Muslims in Australian society only insofar as they contribute to the ‘cosmopolitanism’ of the dominant group, and, therefore, merely as the ‘Other’. This aspect of multiculturalism is thus essentially a policy for the management of ethnic minorities.

According to Hage (1998) it involves strategies of exclusion alongside the rhetoric of inclusion. In a sense, then, this form of multiculturalism maintains the marginality and liminality of immigrants and their descendants.

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.

The frailty of human perception “How canst thou have patience about things of which thy understanding is not complete?”

(Qur’an 18:68).

Even the most upright and knowledgeable of people may fall into the trap of making judgements without having all the information. This may be seen in the Qur’anic narration of Moses’ meeting and journey with Al Khidr.

He was there to observe, to learn from this Servant of Allah, and set out very confidently. However, Moses soon began to question the actions of his teacher as Al Khidr seemingly defied all that he had previously understood. It was not until the journey came to an end that Al Khidr gave explanations regarding those actions frowned upon by Moses.

We, too, tend to be impatient, to confidently judge as we see fit, but when it comes down to the wire we really know so little.

I am reminded of High School days, or at AUGUST 2018 / ISSUE 153

least one of them, when we trooped into the Music Room for our weekly session. Usually we girls enjoyed this lesson, but as usual the boys came in as if they were being dragged to their deaths.

This particular day we were to sing, “Derry Vale”, an old Irish song which, as with many other from that genre, held significant pathos. Our Music teacher was away and we had one of the Form teachers noted for his cutting remarks and quick temper, so we should all have been on our toes. However as we started to sing, there was notable rebellious, loud, and unmelodious droning from the boys’ side of the room.

Eventually the teacher stopped us and to our amazement we noted that he looked at us all quite brokenly and with tears in his eyes said, “Have you people no souls?” With absolute silence we listened as he told us the meaning of the lyrics, “Here is a man who

has had to leave all that he loved. He longs to be able to return to his homeland, to those whom he loves, but he knows that he will never live to see that day.” It was a sombre group who then, with due care and attention, sang that old Irish ballad to the best of its ability.

Only weeks later we lined the street as this teacher’s funeral cortege passed. Only then did we realize that we, as students, had judged him harshly but had never known this man or his pain; that he, too, was leaving those he loved and would soon not live to see his children reach adulthood; that “Derry Vale” had been a foreshadowing of his own future.

As I look at all the refugees and immigrants who attempt to come to our shores, as well as those who do not make it, I remember that like most Australians I am the result of immigrants who left their own

“No one

leaves the land of his or her birth lightly

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“

Shifa L Mustapha

“Derry Vales”, bringing with them very little but hope. I realize that in most instances they left behind their hearts. No one leaves the land of his or her birth lightly; the families and friends; the memories of love and laughter; it has to be something very serious which would cause such a journey. Yet so often in this era these people are judged harshly and perceived as being interlopers or worse.

Unfortunately the ability to feel and the desire to understand has been lost. Compassion and patience have faded as fear and greed lead a merry dance to an existence beckoning away from all those beautiful human characteristics. Characteristics which have been created to uplift and render assistance to humanity.

Do we forget that the trials and trauma faced by so many today are also our trials?

Will we pass this test? Will we put aside our self-interest and work toward a better world.

May it please Allah The Compassionate to grant us true perception.

Shifa Mustapha is writer and community worker based in Brisbane.

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Distribution of GST revenue to states and territories AMUST

FINANCE Dr Abul Jalaluddin

Goods and Services Tax (GST) is levied by the Federal Government of Australia and the total GST revenue collected is distributed to the States and Territories to fund their services and associated infrastructure.

The Commonwealth Grants Commission (CGC) is responsible to manage the distribution of GST revenue to achieve Horizontal Fiscal Equalisation (HFE) amongst the States and Territories.

The CGC defines HFE as “State governments should receive funding from the pool of GST revenue such that, after allowing for material factors affecting revenues and expenditures, each would have the fiscal capacity to provide services and the associated infrastructure at the same standard, if each made the same effort to raise revenue from its own sources and operated at the same level of efficiency.”

Australian States and Territories have varying levels of population density, economic activities and remoteness which impact on GST collection and cost of providing services. The HFE aims at distributing GST revenue to facilitate the provision of services to all Australians including remote locations at the same standard. This necessitates the sharing of GST revenue with States/Territories of less fiscal capacity to fund services.

In a final report by the Productivity Commission released on 5 July 2018, the Gov-

ernment proposed a plan to update the way the GST is distributed to reflect changes to the economy since the GST was introduced on 1 July 2000. This plan would improve the resilience of the HFE system against economic shocks and reduce volatility in GST relativities amongst the States and Territories.

To ensure a fair and sustainable transition to the new equalisation standard, the Federal Government would provide an additional and direct boost to the GST pool. They will allocate an extra $7.2 billion to ensure no state is worse off under the new fiscal equalisation benchmark.

The plan has 3 phases and runs from

2019-20 to 2026-27. In Phase 1, the Federal Government would provide funding over three years from 2019-20 to 2021-22 to ensure that no State receives less than 70 cents per person per dollar of GST for their State.

This funding would be untied, allowing recipient State governments to spend it as they see fit to deliver services such as transportation, schools, hospitals and infrastructure in their States.

In Phase 2, a within-system GST floor would be introduced in 2022-23 to ensure no State can receive less than 70 cents per person per dollar of GST. Two years later, in 2024-25, this floor would be increased to 75 cents per person per dollar of GST. No

State’s relativity is expected to fall below 0.75 after 2024-25 on current projections.

Phase 3 will realise the completion of the transition to the new equalisation benchmark. In 2026-27, the Federal Government would continue to boost the GST pool to ensure that all States and Territories would be better off, with additional funding every year from 2019-20 to deliver essential services. A 0.75 within-system relativity floor would be a permanent feature of the HFE system in Australia.

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

Australian Islamic wills - Part 1 LEGAL CORNER

Hyder Gulam

Salaams All. This article is part 1 of 2 parts that will discuss Islamic wills in the Australian context.

Islam is referred to in the Qur’an as not just a religion but also as a ‘deen’ or way of life. As such, it provides detailed guidance for Muslims on how to conduct their affairs in every aspect of their lives. When it comes to the hugely important matter of death, it is not surprising that Islam has placed great emphasis on the manner in which the deceased and their estate is to be treated.

Even though many Muslims are scrupulous in ensuring that funeral rites are observed, namely the funeral prayer (janazah), the ritual washing of the body (ghusl) and the funeral shroud (kafn), there is much less emphasis, or even on occasion indifference, in ensuring the assets of the deceased are distributed amongst the family in accordance with Quranic requirements. From a Shariah perspective the correct distribution of assets is a compulsory (fardh) obligation on the observant Muslim and hence is of paramount importance.

In order to maximise the likelihood of a Muslim’s assets being distributed correctly upon death, most scholars maintain it is an obligation to prepare a legally valid will, so that the family of the deceased are left in no doubt as to the wishes of the deceased.

The implication of dying without a will in Australia are complicated by the ‘laws of intestacy’ which would be enforced if a will was not left, and the family were unable to amicably agree on the distribution of the deceased’s assets. These laws of intestacy

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would distribute assets according to Australian law, and may conflict with Shariah principles unless a properly compliant will is devised.

Quranic Considerations The Quran lays out a number of important considerations in Surah Nisa, verse 11and verse 12. The above two verses of Sura Nisa in the Qur’an encapsulate the key principles governing the distribution of assets upon death. Muslim scholars have drawn out some universally accepted principles which allow the lay person to understand the key lessons within the verses more easily.

The main Shariah rules pertaining to distribution of assets upon death 1. Any outstanding debts owed by the deceased should be repaid. If a situation arises where the debts exceed the assets left by the deceased, the family are not obliged to repay the shortfall. However, this would be strongly recommended so as to spare the deceased being held to account for these debts on the Day of Judgement.

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2. All funeral expenses should be paid from the assets of the deceased. It is perfectly acceptable (and often the case) that the expenses are met voluntarily by one or more family members.

3. Any bequests or will (Wasiyya) made by the deceased should be honoured on condition the value of these bequests do not exceed one third of the value of the remaining net assets (assets left after deducting debts and funeral expenses if applicable), and also on condition the recipient of the bequest is not an individual who is entitled under Shariah to receive a share (e.g. the spouse, child, parent etc. of the deceased.) Many Muslims choose to make a bequest to charity as a means of ensuring some good deeds continue to benefit them even after their death (Sadaqah Jarriyah). Making a bequest is optional not compulsory.

The following Hadith refers specifically to bequests: ‘It is a duty of a Muslim who has anything to bequeath not to let two nights pass without including it in his Will.(Sahih alBukhari)

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Most contemporary scholars hold that in a country where Shariah law is not applied by the government to one’s assets on death (as is the case in Australia), then the duty referred to in the above Hadith applies not only to bequests but to all assets owned.

The remaining assets, after deducting debts, funeral expenses and bequests (if applicable) are to be distributed according to Quranic injunction. The actual distribution depends entirely upon the number of surviving family members. We have summarised below the Shariah position which applies to a conventional family situation where the deceased was married with children: * If the husband passed away, his parents (if surviving) would each be entitled to 1/6th of the value of the assets. His wife would receive 1/8th and the balance would be split amongst the children in a manner so that the sons received twice the share received by the daughters. * If the wife passed away first, the above distribution would be the same except the wife’s parents stand to inherit 1/6th each, and the husband would receive 1/4 of the assets (not 1/8th).

In next months article, we will discuss some legal considerations about wills in Australia, the law of intestacy, some key differences between an Australian Will and an Islamic Will, and benefits of an Islamic Will for Australian Muslims.

Hyder Gulam, AMUST Legal Writer, is a lawyer, an accredited mediator, qualified nurse as well as a Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing in Australia with postgraduate qualifications in business/management, law, nursing and Islamic studies. He is the founder of the Muslim Legal Network. He has served for close to 10 years as an officer with the Royal Australian Air Force.

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