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Crisis for professional journalism Zia Ahmad Two of Australia’s most eminent journalists and academics have raised concerns and pointed out the challenge journalism faces today in our society. Professor Monica Attard, Head of Journalism, UTS and Professor Peter Fray, Director, Centre for Media Transition, UTS were the panellists at the Alan Knight Media Series event hosted by Affinity Intercultural Foundation held at their Sydney offices on Tuesday 10 September. Recent raids by the Australian Federal Police on the ABC and journalists’ homes and record numbers of journalists throughout the world being imprisoned, killed and taken hostage are of great concern. The blatant murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi almost a year ago, whose body is still missing, implicating Saudi government authorities at the highest level is a prime example of authoritarian control on freedom of journalists to perform their job without fear or favour. Authoritarian government control on the means of communication and monopoly by media baron does not leave much room for the professional journalists to function in the pursuit of truth. With the advent of social media, the internet has equipped anybody to be a journalist and get away from scrutiny from being responsible, fair and truthful. This results in the spread of fake news and hate speech. The consumers of news are not giving
Professor Peter Fray.
Professor Monica Attard.
A demonstrator holds a poster with a picture of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi outside the Saudi Arabia consulate in Istanbul, Turkey October 25, 2018. value to the pursuit of truth and facts, but news has become of entertainment value, just to enjoy and feel good about it.
The facilitator of the panel discussion, Ms Roslyn Lawson, former ABC TV and radio news journalist started off by posing the
question, What is a journalist? continued on page 8
Senator Mehreen Faruqi calls for selfdetermination for Kashmiri people Mohamed Ainullah A Kashmir Symposium was held on Wednesday 18 September at the Australian Parliament in Canberra, attended by a number of parliamentarians, representatives of ‘Australian Forum for Kashmir’, community and interfaith leaders, raising concern for the current human rights situation in Kashmir under total lockdown by the Indian military, and calling for the self-determination of the indigenous people of Kashmir. The forum was addressed by Craig Kelly MP, Senator Mehreen Faruqi, Senator Deborah Oneill, Senator Richard di Natale, Former Senator Lee Rhiannon and other community leaders and activists. Mr Rab Nawaz, Coordinator of the Australian Forum for Kashmir (AFK) passionately described the plight of the Kashmiri people in the valley of Kashmir under strict curfew since Monday 5 August with all communication lines blocked and total curtailment of freedom of expression and freedom of movement for the civilian population.
their right to The Parlia- Senator Mehreen Faruqi self-determinam e n t a r i a n s (right) with Former tion. The Govshowed their Senator Lee Rhiannon. ernment did not full support and allow them to assured those move it, but the present that they Greens stand by will raise the the text, given concerns regardbelow. ing the Kashmir Text of the issue during motion: the upcoming Notes with sessions of the deep concern parliament urge that: the Australian 1. In Augovernment to gust the Indian call on the IndiGovernment an government decided to reto respect the voke Kashmir’s human rights of special status Kashmiri peoand its relative ple. autonomy unEarlier in Sepder India’s constitution, further eroding tember, Senator Mehreen Faruqi and SenaKashmiris’ right to self-determination; tor Richard Di Natale tried to move a motion urging the Indian Government to withdraw 2. The Indian Government shut down phone and internet connections, arbitrarily demilitary forces, end the mass lockdown and tained political leaders, evacuated tourrespect the human rights of Kashmiris and
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ists, restricted freedom of movement and oversaw an influx of tens of thousands of additional troops to Kashmir; 3. These actions risk a dangerous escalation of violence in the world’s most militarised region. 4. Expresses solidarity with the many Australian Kashmiris who have been deeply worried about their loved ones in Kashmir. 5. Further notes that, in response to the three wars between India and Pakistan over Kashmir, the UN has unequivocally called for Kashmiris’ right to self-determination. 6. Urges the Australian Government to call on the Indian Government to respect the human rights of the people in Kashmir, withdraw military forces, end the mass lockdown and respect the Kashmiris’ right to self-determination. Senator Faruqi took the first opportunity after Parliament returned from its Winter break earlier in September to speak in support of self-determination for the Kashmiri people. Watch her full speech at amust.com.au
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Brisbane mosque vandalised in Christchurch terrorist’s name AMUST
Faseeha Hashmi
The safety and sanctity of religious spaces have been challenged yet again. Devastatingly, Brisbane’s Holland Park mosque has been vandalised with painful reminders of the Christchurch massacre. The mosque was littered with graffiti on the exterior walls including a Nazi swastika during the early hours of Wednesday 11 September. The words such as “St Tarrant” was plastered onto the walls referring to the offender Brenton Tarrant who conducted the March terror plot in Christchurch. This was followed by the phrase “Remove Kebabs” derived from a Serbian anti-Muslim song relating to the massacre of Muslims in Bosnia. Holland Park mosque President Ali Kadri said that regrettably, though he was distressed by the incident, he was not surprised that it had occurred. “It is related to the neo-Nazi and white supremacist movements. Whoever has done this is no child, they have been radicalised,” asserted Mr Kadri. Queensland Police have confirmed they are investigating the incident of mean-spirited hate-speech and “wilful damage” at the mosque. The vandalism follows the 18th anniversary of the 11 September terrorist attacks in New York. “Around these kind(s) of (tragic anniversary periods)…there are more (hateful and bigoted) incidents (reported)…Obvi-
The mosque was littered with graffiti on the exterior walls. Source: ABC. ously ‘St Tarrant’ is a reference to Brenton Tarrant, the terrorist who killed people in Christchurch,” said Mr Kadri. The Holland Park Mosque was first established in 1908 by Australian Muslims of Afghan and Indian descent. The iconic religious space, however, embraces and supports a diverse Muslim community. Mosques around the country are also facing concern for their safety. In Canberra, police are also currently investigating a suspicious fire which occurred in the capital’s largest mosque. Certainly, more needs to be done in the fight against neo-Nazi and white supremacist ideology. The graffiti artist efforts were aimed at terrorising and creating a wedge within the wider Australian society. It is imperative to reflect upon what efforts have been effective to ensure the safety
and protection for all religious communities within our society. Whether this is by increasing safety monitoring features, enhancing advocacy with police and increasing the adequacy of legislative protection to all religious communities. Both Labor representative Terri Butler of the Brisbane electorate of Griffith and Opposition Multicultural Affairs spokesperson Andrew Giles released a joint statement condemning the graffiti. “The hateful and divisive vandalism at the Holland Park mosque this morning was bigoted, disgusting and unacceptable. Labor stands with the Islamic community against such vile conduct,” read the statement. The statement went further to acknowledge the importance of solidarity and respect for religious diversity. “The Brisbane southside community is
close-knit and caring. The mosque is a part of that community, having been there for more than a century. The support from locals vastly exceeds the ill-intent demonstrated by the coward who committed this act of vandalism.” In August, Queensland celebrated its Multicultural Queensland Month, cherishing its culturally diverse population. Sadly, vandalism at places of worship has been reported as a “regular occurrence” according to Mr Kadri, making it increasingly necessary for additional security during prayers. In spite of these increasing threats to safety, the Queensland community remains vigilant against those eager to divide the Australian community. Indeed, this vile action does not reflect who Queenslanders are. “Everyone in the community knows that Brenton Tarrant doesn’t define Australia,” affirmed Mr Kadri. By contrast, in Christchurch’s High Court, he has pleaded not guilty to 51 charges of murder, 40 for attempted murder charges and one count under the Terrorism Suppression Act for the massacre at two mosques in Christchurch. The decision of his fate is still pending. “People are afraid for their safety and their children. The mosque is a community centre, people come here with family and children. After Christchurch, the fear is real, this is not just words anymore,” Mr Kadri said. Faseeha Hashmi holds a Master of International Relations from the University of Melbourne, with an interest in politics and human security.
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Ideological nexus between Modi and Trump The circus of ‘Howdy, Modi!’ in Hou- 20th century. ston Texas on Sunday 22 September Today, the two groups share a common showcased both Modi and Trump shar- goal in eroding the secular character of their ing the stage in front of around 50,000 respective states and a common “enemy” in Indian American while several thou- Muslim minorities. This is why they often sand people gathered outside in a coun- act in coordination and openly support each ter demonstration shouting ‘AdiosMo- other. di’, meaning go back Modi. In an article published in Al-Jazeera, AaThere seems to be an ideological alli- dita Choudhary from York University in Toance between Narendra Modi, a lifetime ronto explains why white supremacists and member of the Hindu supremacist organ- Hindu nationalists are so alike. isation RSS and Donald Trump who has “In the US, the Republican Hindu Coalifar-right sympathies. tion, a group with strong links to the HinModi’s visit and Trump’s decision du nationalist movement in India, has to attend it was aimed at mobilisbeen rallying behind President ing votes of the largest Indian Donald Trump’s controversial diaspora for the Republican immigration policies, like the Party. Muslim ban and the border White supremacists and wall, neo-Nazis have projected Meanwhile, in India, a Zia Ahmad their fantasies about a rafar-right Hindu nationalist cially pure society onto group named Hindu Sena Assalamu the Indian culture and in (Army of Hindus), which Alaikum response received a warm has been linked to a series welcome from Hindu funof inter-communal incidents Greetings damentalists in India parin India, has been throwing of Peace ticularly the RSS. parties to mark Trump’s birthThere seems to be a strong alliday. ance developing between the Hindu far On top of their shared Islamophobia and right known as Hindutva and the Western disdain for secular state structures, the dealt-right but actually having a long histo- structive actions, protests and aggravations ry, going all the way back to the construc- of Hindu nationalists and the Western far tion of the Aryan race identity, one of the right are also very much alike. ideological roots of Nazism, in the early Hindu nationalists in India, empowered
EDITORIAL
Readers comments
Corrected: Evidence Muslims ours. my heartbreak, confusion, anger visited Australia 1,000 years andThrough fear I have experienced compassion, acago ceptance, and support from Muslims. Note: AMUST weekly Newsletter dated Friday 13 September used an incorrect headline “Evidence Muslims discovered Australia 1,000 years ago”. Several of our readers pointed out the usage of the word “discovered” that was promptly removed from the online article with apologies. One of the messages is published below with permission.
Dear Editor, Thank you for the interesting article on Muslim contact with First Nations people in the recent issue of AMUST. I found it particularly fascinating to learn more about Australia’s rich history. However, the use of the word ‘discovered’ both in the title and further in the article is offensive, and simply incorrect, given that First Nations people have been the custodians of this land for over 60,000 years. Here is an interesting article by Stan Grant https://tinyurl.com/y3cw2mn7 on why the term ‘discovered’ is damaging when talking about non-Indigenous contact with Australia. I believe it is imperative that in promoting our country’s diverse cultures we must not be complicit in furthering the myths perpetuated by white Australia and colonisation. Our aims cannot be at odds with recognition of First Nations and their sovereignty of this land which was never ceded. In solidarity, Alexandra Long Executive Officer, Multicultural Youth Affairs Network NSW
“We are one”
15 March 2019. A day that we will never forget. The day 50 innocent Men, women and children entered paradise while at Friday prayers in Christchurch, my home town. Our city knows struggles from the earthquake which killed 184 people. But that was nature. We had an understanding of why. But 15 March. How and why did one person have so much hatred towards our peaceful Muslim community in our city, not his, OCTOBER 2019 / ISSUE 167
Zia Ahmad who gifted me a copy of AMUST on Monday 18 March at Sydney airport and showed me compassion as I expressed my sympathy for those who had died, those injured and for my beautiful home. The random Muslim lady I stopped to speak to outside a bank who ended up hugging me as I shed tears. The 2 Muslim ladies whom with 3 little girls stood opposite Al Noor Mosque who I spoke with- unknown to me at that time, 2 of the girls lost their daddy in the Mosque. I thank each of you for sharing your grief, your compassion and your Aroha. We can not change the past but we also shall never forget. Kia Kaha. Abbie Montgomery, Resident of Christchurch
Re: State terrorism in Kashmir: Ummah needs to respond
Mashaallah! Well said .We really need to show our courage and should lead in the financial and political paths so that we get some importance in wordly matters. We need to unite and say one word out loud so that when we say it , other people get forced to take action accordingly. Moona Hasan A very innovative approach to address the declining state of Ummah to gain political strength. Uddin
Re: How to tackle anxiety?
We love the verse about treating our parents well, our relatives well, and the well trodden in the community. However in practice there are few initiatives: is there a Muslim aged care services throughout Sydney for the disabled and frail elderly who don’t have anyone! Do we provide them with social support such shopping, cooking and washing? Do we have care for the diverse ethnic communities such as Arabic, Urdu, Farsi, Bengali? Also do we have
AMUST
AMUST ISSUE # 167 FRIDAY 27 SEPTEMBER 2019 27 MUHARRAM 1441 News
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- Crisis for professional journalism - Self-determination for Kashmiris
Boomerang
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- Hindu supremacists calling the shots - The depravity of arrogance
Community by the BJP’s landslide election victory in 2014, and inspired by European ethnonationalism and fascism, reject the constitutional secularism of the Indian state, propose that India is fundamentally a Hindu nation, and insist that minorities, especially Muslims and Christians, do not belong in a “Hindu country”. Ever since the start of the normalisation of far-right ideas in the West, a surge in racist, anti-Semitic and Islamophobic attacks was witnessed across the US and Europe. The same happened in India after Hindutva officially became the governing ideology in the country. Over the past few years, countless Muslims, Christians and low-caste Hindus have been persecuted, assaulted and even killed for allegedly killing cows. Hindu nationalism and white supremacy are the two sides of the same coin. For the global movement against racism, white-supremacy and fascism to succeed, anti-fascists across the world need to acknowledge and stand up to the Hindu nationalism threat.” support workers in courts for Muslim men and women fronting tribunals? Further, do we have cooperation with hospitals to liaise about modesty in hospital settings? Halal food etc. Are there enough nurses males and females to cater for the growing elderly Muslim community in Australia? Khaled Elasmar
Re: Paradise on fire: Modi annexes Kashmir
The similarity to the expansion of Israeli colonies onto Palestinian land and the Serbian Chetnik campaign against Bosnian Muslims cannot be hidden. We can expect a campaign by Hindu extremists to buy up Kashmiri land and/or threaten Kashmiris to force them to move away. Ethnic cleansing is what the Serbs called it and the Hindu vigilante lynch mobs will no doubt soon be released to do their dirty work. Bilal Cleland
Re: Calls to end brutal repression of Kashmiris
Modi is encouraged by the pathetic silence of the world with the repression of Palestinians courtesy of Mr. Netanyahu and his government. He is cunningly seizing the moment and disenfranchising the Kashmiris. Unless there are backlash and boycott of all things Indian, it will be a fait accompli. The current whimper on the complete occupation of Kashmir by India would need to get louder by the hour. India would need to suffer at least economically by challenging the United Nations. Mal
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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.
AMUST Team
Editor-in-Chief: Zia Ahmad Graphic Designer: Rubinah Ahmad Chief Adviser: Dr Qazi Ashfaq Ahmad Multimedia Journalist: Mehar Ahmad Multimedia Journalist: Mobinah Ahmad Multimedia Journalist: Theresa Dyckman Sub-Editor: Aisha Mohsin Columnist: Dr Abul Jalaluddin (Finance) Columnist: Dr Ameer Ali (WA) Columnist: Bilal Cleland (Victoria) Columnist: Manarul Islam (ACT) Columnist: Dr Daud Batchelor (QLD) Columnist: Simon Harrison (QLD) Columnist: Zahid Jamil (NSW) Columnist: Shahjahan Khan (QLD) Columnist: Imam Malik Mujahid (USA) Promotion: Dr Wali Bokhari Web Developer: Shadow Approved Multimedia: iMoby Productions Printers: Spotpress Pty Ltd Distributers: Abul Fateh Siddiqui, Shujaat Siddiqui, Usaid Khalil, Aamir Ahmad, Ibrahim Khalil, Usman Siddiqui, Zahid Alam, Shahab Siddiqui, Mahmoud Jaame, Mateen Abbas, Rashid Idris, Sakinah Ahmad, Anjum Rafiqi, Hasan Fazeel, Dr Quasim, Ismail Hossain, Hanif Bismi, Zohair Ahmad, Luqman Landy.
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Hindu supremacists calling the shots in India AMUST
Hasan Fazeel
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the Hindu supremacist organisation is all set to open an Army school that commences operations in April 2020, ostensibly to help train the youth in getting into the Indian Army. This is again another failure of the UN Security Council to envisage the dangers or hear the loud and clear alarm bells as a result of this move by RSS well-known for its Nazism in its Asian context. RSS is a movement inspired by Maximiani Portas - a spiritual icon of Nazism, a spy of Axis Powers in Indiagoing by an adopted Hindu name, “Savitri Devi”. She influenced RSS through her writings, and in particular, motivated Hindutva-workers to embrace Hindu identity and “guard” the country against Islam and Christianity. This Nazi-inspired Hindu Supremacist organisation , the RSS was founded with a racist vision and a corresponding mission. The vision is that “The Hindu culture is the life-breath of Hindusthan” and the mission is that “It is, therefore, the duty of every
Hindu to do his best to consolidate the Hindu society. The Sangh is just carrying out this supreme task. The present fate of the country cannot be changed unless lakhs of young men dedicate their entire lifetime for that cause. To mould the minds of our youth towards that end is the supreme aim of the Sangh”. So to connect some dots and to lay out the picture behind the scenes - The excerpts from the RSS mission statement, history and recent acts of terrorism and violence conducted by its cadres under the protection of Hindu chauvinist BJP government, and the recent dress rehearsal of BJP Hindutva agenda (If you want to live in India, you have to be a Hindu) – in Kashmir. RSS has been notorious for their brutal killings of minorities – killing of Australian Christian missionary in Odisha, looting and setting houses of Christians and Christians themselves on fire in Ranalai, looting and burning shops and Christian killings in Pulbani, in Kandhamal the burning of more than 1400 Christian homes, 95 churches, killing of 50 people. In addition around 18,500 Christian were forced to flee their villages to refugee camps, demolition of Babri Mosque; killing of around 2000 Muslims in Gujarat and estimated property damage of $3.6 billion post Babri Mosque violence, cow vigilante kill-
“RSS has been
notorious for their brutal killings of minorities – killing of Australian Christian missionary in Odisha...
ing of Muslims across India over the years with the unofficial numbers of 142 incidents with 70 killings and 266 wounded to date. Moreover the BJP government RSS started spreading its terrorist agenda in Kashmir months ago, asking for weapons for its Sangh cadres (Hindu Supremacist volunteers) defence and not for their Army school and pushing for the abolition of Article 370 of the Indian constitution that stripped Kashmir with the significant autonomy it held due to its unique indigenous culture and history The UN that guaranteed plebiscite for the
people Kashmir for their self-determination has been completely paralysed except passing hollow resolutions, where just like the Israeli state the Indian military, continues its brutal occupation of indigenous populations of Palestinians and Kashmiris respectively in their homeland. Hasan Fazeel is a Sydney based IT professional of Pakistani origin. He is an experienced Project Manager who loves to meet new people, play cricket, read and travel. He is passionate about helping and mentoring people.
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The depravity of arrogance
AMUST
Forcing debit card on the unemployed start-up costs involved in servicing this type of program, but up to $10,000 for a private company to manage an account only worth up to $14,000 annually raises questions of whether the Indue company is the most cost-effective option for this scheme. It also raises the question of why Indue was chosen in the first instance, especially when the expertise and experience provided by the National Australia Bank, Commonwealth Bank, Westpac or ANZ would have been far superior.” [28 August 2019 New Politics]. Said Nursi summarised the weakness of western civilisation 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.” This has not changed.
Bilal Cleland
popular with the wealthy as well. Its messages, “ affirm the religious and spiritual legitimacy of wealth accumulation and reinforce a worldview in which financial success is an indicator of moral soundness.” This attitude is reflected in the opinion of David French, a devout evangelical Christian who writes about how religion is central to living a flourishing life. “It is simply a fact that our social problems are increasingly connected to the depravity of the poor. If an American works hard, completes their education, gets married, and stays married, then they will rarely — very rarely — be poor.
At the same time, poverty is the handmaiden of illegitimacy, divorce, ignorance, and addiction. As we have poured money into welfare, we’ve done nothing to address the behaviours that lead to poverty while doing all we can to make that poverty more comfortable and sustainable.” [24 August 2011 National Review]. Although the evidence suggests that this policy is ill-founded and doomed to failure, there is a silver lining. There is profit in poverty. “During the welfare card trials, Indue has received between $4,000 to $10,000 for each participant in the trial, even though the Newstart allowance is less than $14,000 per year. Certainly, there are
“Under a cashless
welfare card, the unemployed will not be able to buy healthy cheap produce from markets or most greengrocers, forcing them to pay double the price from supermarket monopoly mates of politicians.
Bilal Cleland is a keen reader, a prolific writer and a regular columnist of AMUST based in Melbourne.
Living in Solitude Fazlul Huq
Resident of a safe enclosure, A force field that none can penetrate, Except at the owner’s command, Even then no guarantee of an audience! Expressed in a myriad of forms, An eternal disguise in camouflage, Occasionally peeping through the veil, As if playing the game of hide and seek. At times standing still without the slightest movement, At other times traveling at the lightning speed, Away from the meddling crowd, Towards a far-off place that no one can locate. Lost in labyrinth of the maze, Or confined in a chamber of the place, A prolonged wait to meet the host, That is unmoved by the presence, Granting not an audience even for a moment!
Happy Islamic Hijri Year (1441) Sukoon Quteifan A special greeting to all the Muslims around the world for the occasion of the New Islamic Hijri Year (1441). May Allah Subhanahu Wa Ta’ala bring us all closer towards him and guide us to the path of truth.
“Why doesn’t he?” the visitant asks, And as he departs with a broken heart, A reply comes without a word being uttered. 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.
Sukoon Quteifan is a graphic designer and illustrator. She is the creator and the illustrator of “Sukoon Al Quloob - Peace of Hearts”, an Islamic Cartoons facebook page. Sukoon is based in Sydney, Australia. OCTOBER 2019 / ISSUE 167
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The Morrison Liberal-National Coalition is set upon a major shakeup of the welfare system. A central feature of this will be the national spread of a cashless debit card. This program will allocate 80% of unemployment and other welfare payments to the card, thus preventing benefits from being spent upon alcohol, drugs or gambling. It will also involve reviving plans for drug testing for new Youth Allowance and Newstart recipients. Refusal to take part in drug testing will mean cancellation of welfare payments. The shake-up will also involve forcibly taking rent and utility bills out of people’s social security or family tax benefit payments to ensure they’re up to date and don’t become homeless. [9 September 2019 9NewsStaff ]. The federal government is justifying the national roll-out of this policy on the basis of an evaluation of the first trial sites released in 2017. This found that 41 per cent of participants reported drinking alcohol less frequently, 48 per cent reported gambling less and 48 per cent reported using illegal drugs less often. South Australian Aboriginal Drug and Alcohol Council chief executive Scott Wilson accused the government of using “disingenuous” methodology to reach its conclusions. His opinion echoed an Australian National Audit Office report in June last year that the government’s “approach to monitoring and evaluation was inadequate” due to a “lack of robustness in data collection”. [10 September 2019 SMH]. The association of unemployment and the need for welfare with assumptions about drugs, alcohol and gambling reflects the world view of those who associate wealth with righteousness and poverty with sin. A theological trend in conservative evangelical circles in the USA and some other countries is the Prosperity Gospel “that emphasizes believers’ abilities to transcend poverty and/or illness through devotion and positive confession.” According to the Harvard Divinity School Religious Literacy Project, it is a theology
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Crisis for professional journalism Continued from page 1 “Let’s face it, anyone these days with a smartphone and the ability to use social media can take a photograph from any event and broadcast it. And government leaders these days can bypass traditional media scrutiny. Just think Trump and Twitter,” Ms Lawson tried answering her own question. Prof Attard, after describing how she became a journalist said that it was indeed difficult to define a journalist. “I think the problem, the definitional problems associated with journalism have gone back and they are the manifestation of the disruption heaped upon the industry by the internet,” Prof Attard said. Talking about the difficult position professional journalist were in Prof Attard further added, “Journalists are also under attack. I’m thinking Trump has referred to journalists as enemies of the people. For instance, last year, 348 journalists were imprisoned. 80 reporters were killed and a further 60 were held, hostage. Not much of a safe career, is it.” Prof Fray talked about the dilemma of the duality of interest for a journalist, working for the employer and serving the public interest of conveying the truth. “You’re working in the public interest at the same time as you are working in a commercial setting having this duality. There is an employer-employee relationship and there’s a set of expectations that come with that. Then there is the notion of serving the public interest,” Prof Fray explained. In his concluding remarks Mr Ahmet Polat, Executive Director of Affinity talked about the challenges that journalism posed.
“Today, the challenge journalism faces in our society, is both from within and from without. The external challenge is coming from rising populism equipped with various forms of racism and fake news. The root cause of this problem is the readiness of society in being happily deceived,” Mr Polat
said. He further added, “In many Middle Eastern countries including Turkey and recently in Kashmir, hundreds of journalists are behind bars on allegations of terrorist activity while others are collaborating with those in power safeguarding their self-interest rather
than standing for truth.” “Journalists need to abide by the ethics of their profession and remain the guardians of truth and they do not only have a duty of safeguarding the truth, but also the duty of nurturing love and respect for truth,” Mr Polat concluded.
Archibald Prize finalist wins ‘Australian Muslim Artists Art Prize’
Mei Nee Cheong
An Archibald Prize (2011) finalist, Abdul Abdullah was announced as the recipient of the inaugural $15,000 Australian Muslim Artists Art Prize 2019 at the official opening of ‘Australian Muslim Artists’ exhibition in Melbourne on Thursday 12 September. Australian Muslim Artists is an annual exhibition hosted by the Islamic Museum of Australia, and 2019 marks the first occasion the Australian Muslim Artists Art Prize supported by La Trobe University has been offered. Perth born Abdullah, now residing in Sydney, submitted his work, You can call me troublesome. Upon hearing the news, Mr Abdullah said it is an honour to be selected for the award. “It’s really hard to describe how much I appreciate this recognition. I am looking forward to visiting the work in the exhibition and really look forward to seeing all the other finalists,” he said. The thirteen shortlisted works will be on display as part of the exhibition alongside the five shortlisted works in the Future Australian Muslim Artists category, which was open to students in Years 10-12. Fifteen-year old Hashim Mohamed, a student from Australian International Academy is the recipient of the $250 non-acquisitive art prize in the Future Australian Muslim Artists category. Islamic Museum of Australia General Manager Maryum Chaudhry said the Museum is thrilled with the breadth of works included in the exhibition across both categories. “Overall the quality of submissions was of an extraordinary standard. This year saw an unprecedented level of interest from artists across the country, and we attribute this in part, to the new acquisitive Art Prize
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AMA Art Prize recipient Abdul Abdullah (centre) with La Trobe University Vice Chancellor Professor John Dewar (left)and IMA Chair, Moustafa Fahour OAM (right).
which we are thrilled to offer thanks to La Trobe’s support,” she said. Professor John Dewar, Vice-Chancellor, La Trobe University, said he was delighted Abdul Abdullah had been selected as the inaugural Australian Muslim Artists Art Prize recipient, sponsored by La Trobe. “La Trobe University offers our sincere congratulations to Mr Abdullah on such an outstanding and well-deserved achievement,” Professor Dewar said. “Our support of the Australian Muslim
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Artists exhibition and Art Prize – a core component of our deep collaboration with the Islamic Museum of Australia – reinforces our shared commitment to transforming lives through education and connecting with diverse communities.” The Australian Muslim Artists exhibition is on display from 13 September to 8 November 2019. The Islamic Museum of Australia is located in Thornbury, in Melbourne’s north. It is the only Islamic museum in the country and
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provides educational and cross-cultural experiences for all ages. The Museum is open 10 am to 4 pm, Monday to Saturday. Mei Nee Cheong is a marketing professional who has worked across the arts, arts education and travel. She is currently the Media and Marketing Manager at the Islamic Museum of Australia and is based in Melbourne, Australia.
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Evidence Muslims visited Australia 1,000 years ago Zia Ahmad A speaker series event was organised at the PwC offices in Adelaide on Wednesday 4 September 2019 hosted by Mr Chin Tan, Race Discrimination Commissioner, Australian Human Rights Commission featuring keynote speaker, Professor Mohamad Abdalla sharing Australia’s long and primarily positive contact history with Muslim people, stretching from coastal traders before colonial settlement through to prospectors during the Australian Gold Rush and the Afghan cameleers who opened central Australia, to the modern Muslims who now call Australia home. Professor Mohamad Abdalla is one of Australia’s most prominent and respected Muslim leaders, combining the roles of an academic scholar, public intellectual, community leader and commentator. He is the Director of Centre for Islamic Thought and Education (CITE), University of South Australia based in Adelaide. The event was attended by a large cross section of community members from a diverse background who were also addressed by Mr Chin Tan and Mr Andrew Larson, Partner, PwC as hosts and Ms Mobinah Ahmad, Project Officer at the Human Rights Commission in her capacity as the MC. Professor Abdalla’s keynote speech was given together with an audio-visual pres-
entation summarising the long history of Muslims in Australia. Professor Abdalla claimed that there was some evidence indicating that Muslims may have visited Australia as far back as the 14th century CE. This evidence is based on Kilwa coins found off northern Australia possibly originating from the 14th century prosperous Kilwa Sultanate 10,000 km away in modern day Tanzania. The coins may be 1,000 years old and could rewrite Australian History. Professor Abdalla said that trade links between Aboriginal people of northern Australia and Makasar from Sulawesi began as far back 1700 CE. The fishermen “camped along the Arnhem Land coast, catching, boiling and drying trepang. They met, traded and worked with local Aboriginal people. The people who live in the Miwatjor north-east Arnhem Land region are known generally as Yolngu, which simply means ‘people’. The Makasar did not settle in Arnhem Land but they did have an influence on the Yolngu people’s society and ritual. Words such as rupiya (money), and introduced metal blades, knives and axes which transformed Yolngu life. After 1901, the newly formed Australian Government banned trepangers from Makassar in order to protect Australia’s ‘territorial integrity’ and to encourage a local trepang industry. In 1907, the last prau from Makassar visited Arnhem Land. Between the 1860s and 1920s, approxi1.000 years old Kilwa coins from Africa found in northern Australia.
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Mr Chin Tan, Race Discrimination Commissioner, Australian Human Rights Commission with Professor Mohamad Abdalla. mately 2000 cameleers arrived in Australia to participate in the historic Burke and Wills expedition from Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria in June1860. The term ‘Afghan’ was used to refer to them, although they actually came from a variety of ethnic or national backgrounds apart from Afghan, such as Baluch, Pashtun, Kashmir, Sindh and other neighbouring ethnic regions. The introduction of camels and the socalled ‘Afghan’ cameleers proved to be a turning point in the exploration and development of the Australian interior. For a short period of time from the 1860s to the early 1900s, these cameleers and their ‘ships of the desert’ became the backbone of the Australian economy. Waves of Muslim migration starting with small number from Turkey (1911), Alba-
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nia (1920s) and increased migration from Lebanon after the Lebanese civil war in the 1970s added to the Muslim population in Australia. Altogether, Australian Muslims come from 183 countries, making them one of the most ethnically and nationally heterogeneous communities in Australia. Human Rights Survey of Muslim Australians: The Survey is LIVE! Sharing the Stories of Australian Muslims: National Survey takes 15 minutes to complete to share your experiences of Islamophobia, racism and related intolerances. Please click on this link to fill in the survey: https://tinyurl.com/o39ozmus, Please share on your social media, and email your networks.
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Muslim community helps Hospital-in-the-Home Program
AMUST Media The Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV), in partnership with The Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) Foundation and AFIC, launched an ambitious mission on Saturday 29 August 2019 to sponsor all the beds on the RCH Wallaby Ward by June 2020. Wallaby Ward is an innovative new initiative that provides patients with at home care as part of the Hospital-in-the-Home Program. This patient-centred model of care enables medically stable children access to
acute levels of treatment and support from RCH nurses and allied health professionals via the Wallaby Ward, a proven care pathway that helps improve patient comfort and recovery. Patients with chronic illnesses, those undergoing extensive treatment and chemotherapy, and patients from regional and remote locations can now access RCH specialist care in the comfort of their own homes. RCH Wallaby Ward team members work closely with the patients and their primary treating medical unit to provide care. Equally important, Wallaby Ward allows children to carry on with their daily lives and attend
school, leading to less disruption to family life. ICV President Mohamed Mohideen praised the pioneering initiative saying that, “The RCH is such an important pillar of our community and we are excited to grow the continuing relationship with the Muslim community.” “The Qur’an says that, ‘Those who spend in charity will be richly rewarded (57:10),’ and nobody ever became poor from giving, we believe the more charity we give, the more we are rewarded. We are excited to be a part of such an important cause in helping save lives,” Mr Mohideen further added. The Saturday night launch also featured
RCH chairman Hon Rob Knowles AO, who said, “By supporting the hospital, you are directly helping RCH doctors, nurses and allied health workers to continue providing world leading care to thousands of children in need and without your philanthropic support none of this would be possible.” Leading researchers in the field, Penelope Bryant and Dr Laila Ibrahim spoke about the patient experience and benefits of the ward. This innovative mission is a first for both the RCH and the Muslim community. Watch this space to learn more about this exciting initiative and how to support it. To make a pledge, go to this link: tinyurl.com/wallabyward
Spears club anniversary with presentations Ayman Alwan Liverpool Spears Sports Club held its end of year presentation on Sunday 8 September 2019 with all players, coaches and parents celebrating the end of the season with a fun-filled day at the home ground Whitlam Park 2, Busby. With the company of family and friends, the young Liverpool Spears soccer stars enjoyed the day with novelty and soccer games and a special BBQ prepared by our staff and volunteers. The presentation commenced with the recitation from the Holy Qur’an by a young Liverpool Spears U9s player Bilal Elhallak followed by the address by the president, Dr Ghayath Alshelh OAM. Dr Alsaleh thanked all the parents, players, volunteers and coaching staff for their commitment and dedication toward the club throughout the season and for their hard work on and off the field. The day also featured an official presentation of trophies to all players, tokens of appreciation to the volunteers, coaches, team managers and sponsors. One of the many great achievements during the 2019 winter season, 1st year of Liverpool Spears Sports Club is the establishment of the first Muslim U16s girls’ team in the southern district. The U14s boys’ team has successfully made it all the way to the finals and secured
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a 3rd place position in their group. Liverpool Spears Sports Club aims to maintain its services to the community working collaboratively to promote intercultural soccer hub within the region alongside youth to promote community participation, inclusiveness and harmony. The club also aims to maintain its ties and
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positive relationship with the local Southern Districts Soccer Football Association (SDSFA) members to develop and promote our game in the district through effective leadership, quality training and positive engagement to support all community members and families.
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Ayman Alwan JP is the Principal of Al Amanah College. He is a high-performing executive with more than 15 years of Education experience. He has in-depth knowledge of education operations at all levels. Ayman is highly passionate about teaching, learning, teamwork and team building. ISSUE 167 / OCTOBER 2019
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Amity Illawarra celebrates 20 years Mehar Ahmad Amity College, Illawarra Campus celebrated its 20th anniversary with the inauguration of the new High School buildings on Saturday 21 September at the school grounds in Shellharbour. The event was attended by a large number of guests including local and state politicians, academics, community leaders, parents and students in a festive atmosphere with performances, free lunch and gifts for everybody. Following a cocktail reception, the formal program commenced with welcome by the MC Mr Hussein Salem followed by national anthem by Amity College Choir and welcome to the country by Mr Jade Kennedy. A visiting educationist from Germany Professor Mehmet Ali Sengul talked about his first visit to Australia as far back in 1988 and congratulated the community for developing educational centres of excellence during the last three decades in Australia utilising the opportunities available in this great country. The principal Amity College, Illawarra Campus, Dr Mehmet Aslan during his address acknowledged the presence of distinguished guests extending a special thanks to Ms Marianne Saliba, Mayor of Shellharbour City Council for Amity to reach this milestone. “However, we will be knocking on your door for assistance in achieving the second stage that will benefit the whole community. We are not done yet and hope that the second part of the high school construction is smooth sailing. Mayor Marianne Saliba , we still have a lot to achieve together!” Dr Aslan emphasised. Pointing out to the new infrastructure, he
From left: Mr Stephen Jones MP, Dr Mehmet Aslan, Mr Deniz Erdogan, Mayor Marianne Saliba, Mr Abdullah Aksu and Professor Mehmet Ali Sengul.
said, “our new buildings are a true blessing as these great facilities are important to the growth and success which are illustrated in the great school outcomes. These children here today will be a result of the great contribution to our community now and into the future. He thanked the Amity College board members for their support for the Illawarra campus saying, “School board members, Mr Recep Aydogan and Mr Deniz Erdogan truly believe in the commitment to this region and their positive presence within our local campus and their meticulous work ethics have allowed Amity Illawarra to achieve the great success it is today. The current Executive Principal of Amity College, Mr Deniz Erdogan who arrived in 1999 in Australia to occupy the position of founding principal of Amity Illawarra during his address said, “ today we commemorate the past 20 years of Amity (Sule) College Illawarra Campus as well as celebrating the
Opening of the High School Stage 1 Building. We are honoured with your presence to witness this historic moment of Amity (Sule) College, just like some of you did 20 years ago.” Talking about the future plans, Mr Erdogan further added, “as you all know, our school was registered as a K-10 school in 2017, and we currently cater up to Year 9. I would like to take this opportunity to announce that our School Board has recently decided to extend our facilities in stage 2 buildings to cater for Year 11 and 12 as
well. We are hoping to complete stage 2 double-storey buildings by the end of next year.” The program included highly entertaining performances showcasing traditional Uyghur dance by Sumaya Jurad, African Waka Waka dance and Arabic folk dance supervised by Ms Fatima Raad, dance teacher. The audience were also addressed by Mr Stephen Jones MP, Ms Marianne Saliba, Mayor of Shellharbour City Council and Mr Gordon Bradbery Lord Mayor of Wollongong City Council. Mr Bradbury, during his address called for the celebration for Australia as a successful multicultural society and acknowledged the contribution of Islam to our modern civilisation from Arabic numerals to scientific advancement spanning several centuries as well as Turkish traditions and culture, all enriching Australian way of life today. Mr Abdullah Aksu, Chairman of the Amity College school board, who was born in Wollongong talked about the humble beginnings of Amity (Sule) college and its track record of rapid development and thanked all the early pioneers for their great contribution. The formal program ended with a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new school buildings at the Shellharbour campus and its guided tour. African Waka Waka dance.
Arabic folk dance.
Traditional Uyghur dance by Sumaya Jurad.
Emphasis on collaboration at ICAN Eid Brunch Hannan Mansuri The Islamic Community Academic Network (ICAN), organised an Eid Brunch on Saturday 7 September 2019, for Muslim Academics and research students across Sydney in collaboration with Western Sydney University and Charles Sturt University at the Parramatta city campus of WSU. The event content highlighted the three pillars of ICAN: interdisciplinary collaboration, mentoring and celebration of ICAN members’ achievements. During his welcome address, Professor Amir Mahmood, Dean of School of Business at WSU underlined the importance of collaboration, co-creation and cooperation. He also talked about his experiences as an economist and advised ICAN to track the ‘output’ of ICAN activities. Professor Mahmood also mentioned the importance of collaborative research on the OCTOBER 2019 / ISSUE 167
most pressing issues of our time and society. The second talk was by Professor Onur Kesten of University of Sydney and Carnegie Mellon (USA), who came with a very impressive pedigree in Economic Engineering and Market Design, having worked in Harvard University with Alvin E Roth & Lloyd Shapley, 2012 Nobel Prize winners in Economics. After a brief account of his research in Economics, Professor Kesten gave some practical tips to early and mid-career researchers. The mysterious admin person of the Australian Muslim Musings facebook page showcased how the engagement and impact of their research can be increased through a research-based history page on facebook. Although established only a year ago, @ AustralianMuslimMusings has become increasingly popular with 5K followers, including some renowned faces of Australia like Kevin Rudd, past prime minister. As the founder of ICAN, Dr Derya Iner stated the scope and goals of ICAN and introduced the steering committee of ICAN. While nibbling the delicious dishes, ac-
ademics from diverse fields met and exchanged business cards. The attendees enjoyed the opportunity to connect with their fellow academics from different fields and universities in the well-organised and cosy environment. ICAN is an independent platform bringing together Muslim academics from diverse disciplines and universities across Australia, and is inclusive of all ethnicities, cultures and political, philosophical and re-
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ligious worldviews. Australian Muslim academics are welcome to subscribe for ICAN membership via the ICAN website: www.academicnetwork.com.au (go to the ‘Become a Member’ tab) and ICAN Facebook www.facebook.com/ groups/180732965811721/ Hannan Mansuri is a research student at the University of Sydney.
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Recognition for Abla Kadous and the IWWA team
Dianna Tarm
Abla Tohamy Kadous has been recognised as the NSW 2019 Senior Volunteer of the Year for Mid Western Sydney Region at the NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards Ceremony held on Monday 9 September in Burwood, Sydney. Abla began volunteering in 1984 where she helped to establish the Muslim Women’s Association. She then went on to establish the Islamic Women’s Welfare Association (IWWA) a not for profit organisation in 2000 of which she is still the current president. IWWA as an organisation also received an award for being nominated in the category of NSW Volunteer Team of the Year. This nomination is a significant achievement as there were over 5,000 applicants. Abla currently manages over 50 staff members and volunteers. As well as running classes at IWWA four days a week, she also manages the administration. IWWA has over 1500 members from 56 different nationalities. With her background in accounting, Abla has been able to fundraise the purchase and development of a state of the art function centre in Sydney’s West to accommodate IWWA’s many activities, held every day of the week. Abla oversees the running of week-
ly women’s lessons in various languages, school readiness programs, preschool, playgroup and three community language schools for children. She has been vital in organising many local events such as White Ribbon day, anti-discrimination rallies, interfaith forums, voting information sessions and health campaigns. Abla has also volunteered as a hospital chaplain for many years. Abla has also organised many other events over the years. Some of these include: bus trips for the elderly such as fruit picking, Eid celebration dinners, Eid Fairs, school holiday activities, youth camps and cooking and sewing classes She also networks with many local organisations to help IWWA’s members. These include liaising with organisations such as ‘PCYC’ and ‘Second Bite’ to offer members additional recreational activities and to help supply food to those in need. Abla has also been involved in finding homes for foster care children in culturally appropriate homes. Abla has been essential in the organisation and planning of all the above activities and events; all of which are truly special as they benefit the Muslim community, specifically Muslim women. Abla’s aim has always been to empower women through knowledge, giving them various ways to socialise and helping them financially, mentally and emotionally. By educating women they can then
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Abla Tohamy Kadous receiving the NSW 2019 Senior Volunteer of the Year Award for Midwestern Sydney. benefit their families and communities. Her work helps to empower women and in turn, these women build better families
and better communities bringing up a generation of well-rounded citizens who are assets to the Australian community.
Conversation marks ‘R U OK? Day’ Gulhan Eryegit Yoldas Thursday 12 September marked R U OK? Day, a day dedicated to initiating meaningful conversations with family members or friends that may be struggling with life’s up and downs. This is a preventative approach in attempts at reducing Australia’s alarming rates of suicide that remains the leading cause of death for Australians aged between 15 and 44. This year students at Al Siraat College from years five to year nine were invited to attend a lunchtime R U OK? Day Conversation Cafe. The purpose of this was to raise awareness for this important cause and give students some basic skills on how to start a conversation with family and friends they may be concerned about. Presentations were made by student ambassadors Maryam Jawad and Morgan Hussein from year 12, on ways that young people can approach their friends by asking appropriate questions, using non-judgemental language and touching base regularly. Ms Huda Abdelkerim gave an insightful talk on what Islam teaches us about the sunnah of active listening, how even a smile is charity and the sunnah of visiting our sick friends, family and neighbours. Interactive discussions were facilitated with the boys and girls of years 5 and 6 by teachers
Sarah Naaman and Adam Sam’on, giving primary school-aged children an opportunity to reflect on ways they can support friends and family that may be struggling. Hundreds of students participating in this presentation received cupcakes supplied by Lendlease. Community liaison for Lendlease, Clare Swanson supported several local schools in raising awareness of this important cause. R U OK? Day Ambassador Tanya Kubitza stated “Let’s not wait for our family and friends to reach out to us and let’s be proactive in asking a simple question and actively listening to their response. It might save someone’s life.” It is narrated that Prophet Mohammad (s) would face the person talking to him with his entire body in demonstration of active listening. We need to remember that it’s not just about asking the questions but also paying attention to the responses we receive and showing the person in front of us that we care. …”Indeed we belong to Allah, and indeed to Him, we will return.” (Quran 2:156).
“... Let’s be
proactive in asking a simple question and actively listening to their response. It might save someone’s life.
Gulhan Eryegit Yoldas is on the advisory board for ECCV Gambling Harm project. She’s an active member of Whittlesea Interfaith Network and currently works as the Community Engagement Facilitator for Al Siraat College. Gulhan has a robust history of advocacy for Interfaith dialogue & building resilient, compassionate communities. She is passionate about empowering and developing Muslim youth as spokespeople for their communities.
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From left: Ms Huda Adbelkerim, Maryam Jawad, Gulhan Yoldas, Morgan Hussein, Psychologist Gulsum Ozluk.
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Governor’s ‘Life and Spirit Tour’ of Punchbowl Mosque AMUST Media The Governor of NSW, Mrs Margaret Beazley paid a visit on Friday 16 August 2019 to the Australian Islamic Mission’s Mosque in Punchbowl, Sydney considered an ‘architectural masterpiece’ with its unique design featuring 102 mini-domes and Muqarnas ceilings, first of its kind in Australia. The Executive Committee of the Australian Islamic Mission (AIM) hosted Her Excellency The Governor of NSW, Mrs Margaret Beazley AO QC, and her partner Mr Dennis Wilson on the tour of the newly constructed Mosque at Matthews Street, Punchbowl, NSW. The tour was headed by the AIM President, Mr Bashar Al-Jamal and Mr Angelo Candalepas, the architect behind the project. Among the guests and friends of AIM who were present were Hon Mr Tony Burke MP, Hon Mr Jihad Dib MP, Mayor Khal Asfour, Clrs Khodr Saleh and Nada Saleh and Clr Bilal El-Hayek, as well as Superintendent Kerrie Lewis from Campsie Police Station. Upon Her Excellency’s arrival, guests were given an exclusive opportunity to see the new Mosque with its unique Dome and Muqarnas ceilings – the first of its kind in Australia. Punchbowl mosque has been described as an ‘architectural masterpiece’, made from concrete and featuring 102 mini-domes, as well as central dome with a skylight, the mosque has been more than 20 years in the making. After the tour, Mr Bashar Al-Jamal formally welcomed Her Excellency and his guests to Punchbowl Mosque stating how the mosque will help educate our youth to
be understanding of others, live in harmony and become pioneers in creating a positive impact on society, in this beautiful home that we call Australia. This was followed by a few words from Her Excellency, congratulating AIM on such a unique and beautiful mosque, and mentioning that differences in cultures and diversity is normal here in Australia and this is what defines our country. Also, Mr Bashar explained the meanings of a number of Islamic scripts towering the walls of the Mosque and one of them is the verse in the women’s section on the mezzanine level (about Virgin Mary aka “Mariam”) which in meaning is:
O Mary, be devoutly obedient to your Lord and prostrate and bow with those who bow [in prayer].” (Quran 3:43). It was highlighted to the Governor that the Holy Quran has a whole chapter titled “Mariam.” During the tour Mr Candalapas, who has written a book called Australian Islamic Mission Co-authored with Adrian Curtin, Maryam Gusheh, and former Vice President of AIM Dr Zachariah Matthews, addressed the Governor and said “this is a project that offers the gifts of the worth of the Islamic Community to this nation.” Further he so eloquently said “tangible is the message that we love our Islamic
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Community in this country. Tangible is the message that we embrace our multi-cultural heritage and tangible is the message that we can provide something extraordinary when we cross those barriers put up by the bigots, those barriers between our communities put up by the mercenary and by the ignorant.” The Hon Mr Jihad Dib also congratulated AIM and welcomed Her Excellency and Mr Dennis Wilson back home to Punchbowl, since they were previous locals of the area. Mr Dib spoke of the reasons for migrants coming to Australia- to have a better life. “A community like ours in Lakemba, Punchbowl and surrounds we actually celebrate each other, we don’t tolerate each other, we respect one another.” The Hon Mr Tony Burke welcomed Her Excellency and spoke of the diversity in our community and of Islam saying “When the voices of love are so strong, when their artistry is so beautiful and when prayers are so heartfelt- voices of hatred don’t stand a chance.” The Master of Ceremony, AIM executive member, Mr Chaaban Omran highlighted how this timeless spiritual institution will hopefully exist for centuries spreading the balanced message of Islam to Australians. Mr Omran further added, “AIMs core of this balanced message are the all-encompassing human values that Islam emphasises; community, equality, justice, mercy, compassion and peace.” In closing, the MC hoped that the attending friends and Her Excellency would return for the Grand Opening to be announced soon. The afternoon concluded with gourmet buffet lunch and dessert for all the guests present at the occasion.
Unity Grammar celebrates Open Day Muhamed Saeed On Saturday 14 September, Unity Grammar brought the school grounds to life for the whole community with its annual Open Day. Families had a chance to enjoy student displays, expo style curriculum displays, interactive artworks, hands-on science experiments, robotics, sports activities, face painting, henna art, food and coffee carts, and solar boat racing competitions. The turnout was amazing from both the existing and new families to the College, with parents and children enjoying the festive atmosphere of the day. The two attractions particularly drawing the crowds were the Indigenous presentation, hosted by an Indigenous Education Liaison Officer and the annual Unity Grammar Quran Competition, judged by qualified Quran reciters. Unity Grammar also announced on the Open Day, their latest project, Unity Voice, a community podcast which can be listened to by searching for Unity Grammar on the SoundCloud App, available from the Appstore and Google Play. To stay up to date with all that is happening with Unity Grammar, follow them on social media or visit their website www.unitygrammar.com.au Mr Muhamed Saeed is the Business Development Manger at Unity Grammar, one of Sydney’s leading Islamic Schools located in Austral, NSW. He is a trained and qualified teacher with a strong and proven background in Sales, Business Consulting and Islamic Finance. OCTOBER 2019 / ISSUE 167
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MFest for ‘Visit Malaysia 2020’ AMUST
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Program to empower young women in community YAY CEO Ali Ahmed, Director Ahmed Hassan, Board members; Greg Lee, Romany Amarasingham, Ali Fahour, Tim Demetriou, Mr Peter Khalil MP, CEO of the Scanlon Foundation, Anthea Hancocks and The Hon Ms Gabrielle Williams MP with our Girls Leadership Program award winners.
Sakinah Bokhari The annual Malaysia Festival (MFest) was held in the city of Sydney over two days on the 21st and 22nd of September 2019 in Tumbalong Park in the iconic Darling Harbour precinct. It attracted more than 38,000 attendees including dignitaries such as the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, the High Commissioner of Malaysia, Dato’ Sudha Devi. Larissa Ping Liew, Miss World Malaysia 2018 presented a wonderful performance with the sape, a traditional musical instrument, like a guitar, used by indigenous tribes of Malaysia. MFest sported an array of traditional performances as well as cultural activities for visitors to experience. It had over 24 stalls, most of which were food stalls for visitors to discover traditional Malaysian foods.
Mr Amirul Hakimi, CEO of the Malaysia Festival, explained that his team of 97 international students delivered the 2-Day festival with the theme of “Visit Malaysia 2020”. MFest is an entirely student-run organisation with students from all ethnic backgrounds. The festival is a great opportunity for these students to learn new skills by interacting with real industry players with the help of the Malaysia Consulate staff. The festival had humble beginnings as a small event held on the main walkway of the University of New South Wales in 1990. It has now become a popular event and has grown into becoming the biggest and finest showcase of Malaysian culture outside of Malaysia. Next year is the 30th anniversary of the festival and the organisers hope to rebrand it creating a fresher appearance and spirit for all to enjoy. Sakinah Bokhari is a high school teacher based in Sydney.
Emily Maiorino Earlier this year, Youth Activating Youth (YAY) held an awards night for the participants of their Girls Leadership Program (GLP). YAY is a non-profit organisation that assists disadvantaged multicultural Australian youth to re-engage with their communities. YAY aims to bridge the gap that currently exists between different government organisations, non-profit agencies and other service providers. The GLP was launched in 2017 and encourages girls and young women from multicultural and low socioeconomic backgrounds to explore their full potential. The objective is to empower young women and girls to become leaders in their respective communities and to provide a platform to access education and employment opportunities. The program aims to bring together participants aged 13-25 from culturally diverse backgrounds, creating a gathering point to lead and empower multicultural young females to socialise, exercise and interact with members of other communities. The program focuses on four areas: education and training; career pathways; community participation; and health and wellbeing. Currently, there are 40 program participants from backgrounds such as Eritrea, Somalia, Libya, Ethiopia, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Palestine and Yemen. • 60% of the current participants are in
high school. • 30% of the participants are at university studying disciplines such as; nursing, teaching, psychology, radiology, osteopathy, social work and event management. • 10% of the participants are stay at home mothers. • Around 30% of the participants are currently working in fields such as teaching, nursing, social work, event management, pathology collection and speech pathology. Through this program YAY have been able to help several young females find employment in the following fields: • Child care • Child care cook/kitchen aid • Pathology collection Young women are engaged in a safe space through a variety of activities they have designed themselves, which hope to contribute to their sense of belonging in the community. Sports activities, workshops, interactive sessions and forums are all elements of the program which aim to engage participants with mentors, peers, instructors, speakers and other inspirational females in leadership positions. This event was an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the incredible girls and young women in the program, as well as highlight their determination, drive and enthusiasm for the future. Emily Maiorino is the Administrative Coordinator at Youth Activating Youth (YAY) based in Melbourne, Australia. She has previously worked on rural education and leadership programs in Cambodia, which targeted Muslim Cham minority groups.
Support for Stanthorpe suffering from water shortage Faisel Essof With the dams of Queensland’s town of Stanthorpe just weeks from drying up, locals fear that the ‘community cannot bear the cost’. Muslim Aid Australia (MAA), the Deen Family and the Muslim Charitable Foundation (MCF) worked with the local council and community to dispatch 10 truckloads of drinkable water on Saturday 7 September to Stanthorpe with 1000L water tanks, as well as thousands of 10L water bottles. The water was targeted to bene-
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ficiaries affected by severe water shortages and those affected by the fires which hit the area on Friday 6 September 2019 More than 100x1000L IBC Pods filled with clean water and over 9,600x10L bottled water were picked up by the locals. Contributors to the initiative included: Muslim Aid Australia (MAA, Muslim Charitable Foundation (MCF), Deen Family, Islamic College of Brisbane (ICB), Islamic Council of Queensland (ICQ), Granite Belt Drought Assist, Global Aid Foundation and Holistic Sustainable Solutions.
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Iconic speakers and music at ‘Together for Humanity Foundation’ fundraising dinner Mehar Ahmad ‘Together For Humanity Foundation’ held their annual fundraising dinner in Sydney on Saturday 14 September 2019 at the Himalaya Emporium Function Centre in Bankstown attracting a large number of community members from diverse backgrounds and faiths. The multi-award-winning organisation fosters students’ interfaith and intercultural understanding, particularly amongst Jews, Christians and Muslims with programs for both governments as well as private schools. The program at the event was started by the MC, ABC Radio talk show James Carleton welcoming the guests followed by a highly entertaining musical performance by the multicultural band, Masha’s Legacy, a unique intercultural performance ensemble featuring celebrated international performers from diverse backgrounds. The president, Ms Madenia Abdurahman, former principal of Arkana College together with Ms Chris McDiven AM, chair of Together For Humanity Foundation introduced the five strong Sydney based education team who work with children and their teachers, two Muslim educators, Taha Allam and Calisha Bennett, two Catholic educators, Kurt Bartelmy and Calisha Bennett and one Jewish educator, Rabbi Zalman Kastel, National Director Rabbi Zalman Kastel is an ordained minister of the Jewish faith and qualified teacher with over 20 years of experience as an educator in primary and secondary schools with a passion for working across communities to develop better understanding between the major faiths. He founded Together for Humanity (in an earlier form as the Goodness and Kindness project) in 2002. The audience were also addressed by Dr Fran Gale from Western Sydney University who is leading the evaluation team that is researching the impact of the work of Together for Humanity where her team have interviewed teachers and students and learned that students who participate increase their appreciation of what people from different faiths have in common and reject ideas
Chair: Chris McDiven AM.
A/Prof Munjed Al Muderis
Rabbi Zalman Kastel, National Director, Together For Humanity with Ms Madenia Abdurahman, President, Together For Humanity. based on prejudice. The highlight of the event was two iconic speakers, former refugees and now high achievers who spoke of their moving life experiences and their passion for advocacy against racism and hate. Associate Professor Munjed Al Muderis, is a leading innovative orthopaedic surgeon and author, who fled Iraq as he refused Saddam’s regime orders to surgically remove the ears of soldiers who deserted, In a very frank manner he described his journey as a fugitive from Iraq, as a refugee and long time in detention centre on Christmas Island eventually entering Australia and struggling through the elite medical profession eventually to become an orthopaedic surgeon with great contribution in advance research and clinical practice in Australia. Associate Professor Munjed Al Muderis also described his encounters with discrimination and racist attitudes as well as compassion and example of humanity during his
Wendy Lindsay MP member for East Hills.
Mr Alpha Cheng.
Together for Humanity new Education Manager and Mentor, Kurt Bartelme with Taha Allam.
journey and warned against hate on the basis of religious and cultural differences that could slide Australia away from the successful multicultural society it is today. The second speaker, Mr Alpha Cheng, of Chinese background, educator, and an advocate against racism and hate is the son of police accountant, Curtis Cheng who was killed by a young Muslim extremist in Parramatta in 2015. Mr Cheng methodically talked about how he should be one to be affected by Islamophobia and advocacy against acceptance of Muslims in Australia, but following his enlightened family legacy he chose not to do so, because of the actions of one misguided person who happened to be a Muslim. Watch Associate Professor Munjed Al Muderis at: https://youtu.be/4-nZ51ccumw Masha’s Legacy is a unique intercultural performance ensemble featuring celebrated international performers from diverse backgrounds. Their original music draws from
The band at the event, Masha’s Legacy.
our vast wealth of heritage and culture, as well as deep experience in mainstream artistic and commercial styles including jazz, European classical, Arabic styles, flamenco, and klezmer music. Watch them perform at: https://youtu.be/JZvvZhevp5A Visit Together for Humanity Foundation new website coming soon at: www.togetherforhumanity.org.au Photos by Noel Kessel Mehar Ahmad based in Sydney is a Public School Teacher and President of Seena Inc, Publishers of AMUST.
Australia, Amen. Dr Reginald Naulty
The grizzled old skeptics of Australia are well in decline. Their progeny is better educated, more urbane, broader, but the underlying skepticism still has agency. Their wives are more sympathetic, which opens their minds, they welcome new perspectives from abroad; the prospects for God are rising in places, but for many, God remains an empty word. What will incline them? Penetrating words, lofty song, patience, tragedy? When will heaven come down to earth with a greater Amen, a wider affirmation?
Labor member for Coogee Marjorie O’Neal (right) with Liberal Member for East Hills Wendy Lindsay (left).
From left: Ms Kate Xavier, Together For Humanity Senior Education Officer with Zia Ahmad, Editor-In-Chief, AMUST and Mehar Ahmad, President, Seena Inc. OCTOBER 2019 / ISSUE 167
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Dr Reginald Naulty, originally from Adelaide, has taught at Charles Sturt University and has been a prolific writer since 1972.
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Minaret College, a g AMUST
Minaret College has its humble beginnings, being established by its Founding Director, Mr Mohamed Hassan OAM, as Islamic College of Noble Park, twenty-seven years ago back in 1992 with only 33 students enrolled during the first year, but with the ambitious vision to provide Muslim children with an environment for the preservation of their Islamic Identity by fostering in them the Islamic Values and preparing them to be model Australian Muslim citizens that participate positively in building a prosperous, harmonious and safe society. The College now spans two campuses (Springvale and Officer), both of which cater for students from ELC to year 12 catering currently for 2000 students and their families and continues to grow as local families seek a school which has a proven record of academic success while nurturing students in a way which develops their Muslim identity and Islamic values. It was Mr Hassan, since his arrival in Australia in 1967 and having worked with many community and youth organisations especially at Muslim youth camps, who saw the need to cater for the education and training of young Muslim Australians and Identified the need for Muslim youth to be surrounded in an environment which caters for their academic, emotional and spiritual development. Since Mr Hassan’s retirement in 2017, the college board appointed Mr Mohammed Taksim as the Executive Principal of the College where under the leadership of Mr Taksim and his team, Minaret College continues to strive to produce students with a healthy Australian Muslim identity, which is connected, conscious, sincere to its traditions and committed to excellence, good citizenship and compassionate service to humanity. During the interview, Mr Taksim reflected on the history of the college and the legacy that has been created by the founder of the college and then the transition that has happened in the college from the founder to the next level of leadership. “These are not easy transitions, I know where somebody has basically created something as their own baby to then hand over to another person and I am very mindful of that, to be very respectful of the founder and to always acknowledge the transition where I am leading the college at the moment with a very capable senior executive team around me,” Mr Taksim acknowledged. With the smooth transition of leadership and support of the college board, the
ISLAMIC SCHOOL FEATURE
Zia Ahm
The AMUST core production team paid a 2019 meeting its Melbourne based writers awards to AMUST partners, visiting a num pecially Islamic schools and catching up w
One of the highlight of the visit was a day Springvale and Officer campuses, offering and students, meeting with its founder M senior executive team members and an ex cipal of Minaret College, Mr Mohammed Ta forms the basis of this feature on the succ
Mr Mohamed Hassan OAM, Founding Director, Minaret College with Mr Mohammed Taksim, Executive Principal of Minaret College. Minaret Team are working hard to take the College to new heights and by putting the student at the heart of their decisions, the College has made a significant investment in upgrading infrastructure and facilities at both campuses.
Springvale has seen the addition of a new Early Learning Centre as well as a Place of Assembly which is used for daily prayers as well as hosting Eid prayers for the community. Earlier this year a new VCE and Admin building was opened at Officer Cam-
Senior Executive Team at Minaret College.
The AMUST team wishes to thank Mr Su and Mr Riyaaz Ali, Assistant Manager - Co tating their visit to Minaret College campu friends, Mr Mohamed Hassan, Ms Susie H pus. These developments, as well as others, enable students to learn in state of the art facilities and build capacity to support the growing demand for enrolments. Mr Taksim while quoting from the hadith of the Prophet Mohammad (s), “The best of Mr Zia Ahmad (left), Editor-InChief, AMUST with Dr Ahmed Hassan (centre top), Mr Mohamed Hassan OAM (centre) and Ms Susie Hassan (right).
From left: Mr Subhan Ali, Mr Zia Ahmad and Ms Mobinah Ahmad in front of the Place of Assembly building.
Minaret College students at Harmony Day celebrations.
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ISSUE 167 / OCTOBER 2019
LIFESTYLE 18 - 22
UMMAH 23
EDUCATION 24 - 26
BUSINESS 27
TRAVEL 28 - 29
SOCIAL 30 - 31
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great success story
mad
a week-long visit to Melbourne in August s, advertisers and distributors handing out mber of organisations and institutions, eswith community leaders and elders.
y-long guided tour of the Minaret College g Juma prayers in congregation with staff Mr Mohamed Hassan, conversations with xtensive interview with the executive prinaksim conducted by Mobinah Ahmad, that cess story that Minaret College is today.
ubhan Ali, Executive Manager Operations ommunity Relations & Marketing for faciliuses and catching up with long-time family Hassan and Dr Ahmed Hassan. people are those who bring the most benefit to the rest of mankind” when addressing the Colleges’ graduates of 2018 talked about commitment to excellence as reflected in their results where six students achieved an ATAR above 90, the highest of which was
Mr Mohammed Taksim (left), Executive Principal of Minaret College, with Mr Subhan Ali, Executive Manager Operations being interviewed by Mobinah Ahmad (right), Managing Editor of AMUST. an outstanding 99.7. At the same time, Mr Taksim reminded the students that success in this life was not determined by an ATAR score, but success will be determined by what happens next. By that criteria, Minaret students continue
to succeed. Amongst their graduates are inspiring entrepreneurs, hard-working doctors and engineers, inspirational teachers and aspiring scholars of Islam. Minaret graduates continue to be part of the body of the College affectionately re-
Mr Zia Ahmad (right), Editor-In-Chief, AMUST presenting AMUST award to Mr Mohammed Taksim (left), Executive Principal of Minaret College. VCE/Admin Centre state-of-the-art learning building, Officer Campus.
AMUST
ferred to as the ‘Minaret Family’ and many of them return to offer support and advice to the current students. On being asked to point out tangible goals that the College strives for, Mr Taksim said that Minaret College has, in fact, a ten-point plan, but narrowed it down to focus on two distinct areas during the next five years, good quality facilities and resources. “What you see as you move around are the new facilities that are coming up and some have been already completed, that are on par with any other school or even better in order to make the place enjoyable for students. So, the other plan now is upgrading of our bathroom facilities and our canteen at Springvale campus. What you are going to see at the state of the art facilities at Officer campus, we are going to replicate it at Springvale campus, including ergonomic furniture so that our students are comfortable,” Mr Taksim explained. He further added, ” the other focus is on the quality of teaching and learning that is happening in the classroom. Support for students, quality teachers, quality resources making textbooks accessible to families and making education affordable to the community we serve as well as looking at so many other things like the cleanliness of the campuses.” On being questioned that some criticism of Islamic schools is that the Muslim students are segregated and isolated from the mainstream society, Mr Taksim said, “ this criticism to some degree is valid in that the community feels that sometimes we put our children in a bubble and don’t give them the experiences of real life. So, we address that in a number of ways. We started with a stop to gender segregation two years ago. We don’t have segregated classes anymore where we have mixed classes all the way from the foundation to year 12. This places emphasis on respectful relationship to prepare our students for the diversity in the workplace. Our students are also provided with a taste of the workplace by participating in the year 10 work experience program.” He further added, “You will be surprised to know that 40% of our staff are not of Islamic faith and we are part of a group of religious schools where we participate in the building bridges program with reciprocal student visits and interactions with people of other faiths.” Minaret College is well on its way to moving from good to great but Mr Taksim promises that the changes we’re seeing are just the beginning of what he and his team are planning to deliver. “Mr Hassan laid strong foundations with sincere intention and with the support of my capable team I intend to continue to progress his vision Inshaallah”, he said. Minaret College has limited places still available at both campuses and holds regular tours for current and prospective families to experience the changes first hand. The College welcome interest families to contact either campus to arrange a guided tour.
Mr Zia Ahmad with Mr Riyaaz Ali at the Officer campus in front of the first building housing the school and later used as ELC. OCTOBER 2019 / ISSUE 167
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Does counselling really work?
The effect of self-awareness Hena Jawaid Mental health is still an issue of conflict in many societies as most people find it a subject of taboo or stigma and therefore, they prefer not to talk about their mental health in public or even in private settings. People find it a matter of willpower, a matter of your mental strength, and stamina. Common men infer that mental illnesses are because of a lack of spiritual connection or supernatural influences. Mental health is still not equal to physical health for many. Because physical health can be seen, evaluated and assessed but mental health cannot be seen or measured easily. It is because apparently a person can look well and functional but mentally he or she can be distracted or even depressed. Counselling or psychotherapy are still considered to be dubious approaches. People find it rubbish because of various reasons. Most of them find it useless and conclude that it cannot change anything. Others have misconceptions, they equate counselling with medication. They deem that counselling works wonder in days or so (just like medicine). For them, if you receive a counselling then your abusive spouse would be cured instantly, rude parent/relative would show compassion and all difficult relationships turn into a good one, overnight. When it
A Poem of Reply
for Stephen Dobson & Pine Southon Abdul-Jaleel Abdalla They built a city of sand – grandfathers sheltering millenniums in pyramid tents. Pilgriming now marble courts I watch wind and Adan dip and rise together like a murder of crows in a ghost updraft. Sun Bedouin in tribal veil of cloud sends its sliver flesh to congregations of Holy, a body of light with forehead on emerald carpet. Disorientated star body off course hits a dome of mosque – its scream of light thrown into moody sand wind. Eyelids snare animal brut grains. I a child forbidden to look. Abdul-Jaleel Abdalla is an Australian/ Palestinian poet currently based in South Australia. His work has been published in Bareknuckle Poet Journal of Letters, Bareknuckle Poet Anthology 02, 2016, Deep Water Literary Journal, NoiseMedium, Anti-Heroin Chic, and Alwasat Newspaper.
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does not happen as they perceive then they assume the treatment method is futile. The concept of counselling is even not yet clear to many literate individuals. Counselling is offered to help a person to know him or herself in a better way. Self- awareness empowers with emotional control. Counselling is usually required when people show aggression, passive-aggression, avoidance, violence and manipulation. A person consults a counsellor when they find the situation out of their hands. This feeling of helplessness stirs emotional instability. Talking to a neutral person (a counsellor or therapist) who does not direct them to focus on other behaviours but their own. It eventually helps clients to identify the troubling emotion.
The same difficult situation can then be dealt with differently as now person knows more about self and associated emotion, limitations, weakness and strengths which ultimately imparts an improved sense of control. In the next phase, therapy drives ones to focus from problem-based spiral towards solution-based thinking. Solution-based thinking actually starts taking its course as soon as one talks about entangled emotions. The part of the brain responsible for solution-based thinking does not work until one does not talk about his or her feelings, thoughts and emotions. Counsellors take an impartial standpoint. They do not offer direct advice. They facilitate you to think more ration-
ally and less emotionally. They help you with the explanation of the pros and cons of every situation, thinking and behaviour. They explain the correlation and consequence. It is up to the client to decide the way forward on the basis of such discussion. Clients’ understanding about choices and situations guides their decision making. The main idea is to empower a person to feel more in control of him or herself in adverse situations. Counselling facilitates people to focus more on their strengths and less on their weaknesses, more on the solution and less on the situation, and thus after months of endeavour and struggle, it grows (not change) a person gradually, nothing happens overnight. It is a kind of remedy, which requires ample amount of patience and perseverance from both counsellor and clients’ sides. Hena Jawaid is a mental health professional having trained in Pakistan and US completing 5 years of medicine and then 4 years training in psychiatry. She has contributed to international and national newspapers, magazines and scientific journals on professional and community issues and spends many hours volunteering for various NGOs.
Saim joins under 12 cricket team AMUST Media Saim Siddiqui participated in the Cricket NSW Camden District Representative Cricket under 12 selection trial held on 18-25 August 2019. Saim was successfully selected in the team of 13 players out of 27 kids who participated in the trials and ranked as top 2 in the team. This great outcome has been as a result of his inherent talent as well as months of training under the capable leadership of his father Mr Sharjeel Siddiqui, a talented cricketer in his own right. Despite his sickness and violent cough that he was recovering from, he trained for hours on a daily basis before the trials and perfected his unique technique with serious efforts and determination to make the Representative Team under 12. Saim was nominated by the Liverpool Catholic Cricket Club where he was the was top player in his team while serving as captain during 2018/19 season under 11.
AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIMES
Saim with his coach Charlie Rich (left) and team manager Ben Condon at the Annual Cap Presentation for Representative Player Season 2019/2020
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ISSUE 167 / OCTOBER 2019
LIFESTYLE 18 - 22
UMMAH 23
EDUCATION 24 - 26
BUSINESS 27
TRAVEL 28 - 29
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‘Islam in Australia Survey’ to highlight Muslim views Dr Halim Rane
With the support of various Muslim community organisations from around the country, a team of researchers led by Dr Halim Rane at Griffith University is conducting the first, national, on-line survey of Islam in Australia. All Muslim Australian citizens and permanent residents are invited to participate. The survey is being conducted according to the ethical standards required by Griffith University (ethics reference number 2019/042) and is not funded by any government department or agency. It takes approximately 30 minutes or less to complete and all responses are completely anonymous. Over the past two decades, there has been an increase in misinformation about Islam and a rise in anti-Islam sentiments, including the emergence of social groups and political parties with an explicit anti-Islam agenda. Poll data and studies have shown that up to 50 percent of the Australian population has negative views of Islam and Muslims. Some of these studies show that Muslims
have been stigmatised by certain government initiatives, such as the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) programs that have reinforced a view of Muslim as posing a threat to national security. This survey is interested in the views of Muslim Australian citizens and permanent residents concerning Islam and society, including how Islam is experienced, understood and expressed in relation to identity, sources of information that are most important, and how they are interpreted. The survey asks questions about social connections within Muslim communities and with wider society, and about how Islam is represented. It is an opportunity for the Muslim voice to say what we mean by Islam and what it means to us. In addition to deepening our knowledge and understanding of Islam in Australia and capacity to address misinformation, it is hoped this research will be beneficial for a range of Muslim organisations engaged in service provision, social support, education and other relevant activities to assist Muslim communities and relations with wider society. The findings will be used for academic research purposes only and data will not be shared with any other organisations, government department or agency. The findings will be published in academic journals, books and a report, which will be available
AMUST
Gallipoli Mosque, one of Australia’s largest mosques. online and shared with Muslim community organisations around Australia. Further information about the survey is available on the Islam in Australia Survey Facebook page www.fb.com/IslamAustraliaSurvey. Australian Muslim citizens and permanent residents are invited to follow the following link to begin the Islam in Australia survey: bit. ly/30JPIbi Dr Halim Rane is an Associate Professor of Islam-West Relations at Griffith University
and grandson of Imam Abdul Raheem Rane (1916-2006), Queensland’s first Imam. He is the 2015 Australian University Teacher of the Year and author of many articles and books and on Islam and Muslim issues, including the recently published book Islam and Muslims in the West: Major Issues and Debates (co-authored with Adis Duderija). His latest peer-reviewed paper is titled “Cogent Religious Instruction: A Response to the Phenomenon of Radical Islamist Terrorism in Australia.”
Linking Hearts Ambassadors pledge to catalyse change AMUST Media “Together we are better” is the way to end domestic and family violence and this was the main message of the Linking Hearts Ambassador Breakfast hosted at MWA Lakemba on Thursday 29 August 2019, where Linking Hearts Ambassadors attended to reaffirm their dedication to ending domestic and family violence. Two new Ambassadors received their Linking Hearts Ambassador Pins and pledged to be catalysts of change, to influence social practices and community responsibility in putting an end to domestic and family violence in Australia. The Linking Hearts Ambassador Program is an alliance of male ambassadors who use individual and/or combined resources, knowledge and expertise to positively impact the sphere of Domestic and Family Violence in Australia; the goal is to end Domestic and Family Violence in Australia. “We all have a responsibility to end domestic violence and we need to use the platforms we have to make that change”, said Mr Graham Richardson, Sky News commentator, and a strong supporter of Linking Hearts as the first to be appointed as a Linking Hearts Ambassador. Alisa To’omata, Group Programs Manager, Crunch Fitness, on behalf of Ambassador Lusiano Afeaki, co-owner of Crunch Fitness, unveiled a truly innovative program as part of the Link-
“We all have a
ing Hearts Ambassador Program, during the 16 Days Activism against Gender-Based Violence. With 68,000 members, Crunch Fitness will be building awareness across all Crunch Fitness clubs in both NSW and VIC. Following the breakfast, approximately 30 participants attended the Linking Hearts and No to Violence Forum. The MWA CEO, Maha Abdo welcomed all emphasising that together, we are better and linking our hearts is the key towards ending domestic and fami-
responsibility to end domestic violence and we need to use the platforms we have to make that change
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ly violence and working to produce quality support to uplift the dignity of the women. The Linking Hearts Service Manager, Donina Va’a described the wholesomeness of Linking Hearts, as unique and innovative, achieved only through working together. Of the 1012 clients MWA Linking Hearts worked with throughout 2018-2019, 763 were exited and 570 exits were a result of goals achieved. Lizette Twisleton, Director Practice and Programs, No To Violence gave an overview of NTV and NSW men’s behaviour change program (MBCP) sector with details of the landscape these occur in, an overview of the various responses to men’s use of family violence, the pressure points in the community around men’s family violence (sector and community) and how we could work better. NTV is the Victorian peak body for organisations and individuals working with men
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to end their violence against family, funded to provide Men’s Referral Services and the Automatic Referral Pathway in NSW, as well as Victoria and Tasmania. Linking Hearts is the only CALD Domestic Violence specific service for women and families in the region it operates, Sydney and South West Sydney, areas which have a high proportion of people from CALD backgrounds. It provides families including women and children escaping domestic and family violence, single parents with children, couples with children and refugees with safe and supported crisis and transitional accommodation. As well as Domestic Violence and Homelessness Support for clients, Linking Hearts also provides community awareness, advocacy, and early intervention and support.
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Mind games for a positive lifestyle Dr Kamran Ayub “Give glad tidings, and do not scare people away. Make things easy, and do not make things difficult” (Hadith: Abu Dawud). The world is sometimes a very tough place to live in, with all the ups and downs in life it sometimes feels that we are in some sort of never-ending roller coaster ride. There is so much going on around us, positive and negative, good or bad which can lead us to experience many different emotions ranging from happiness to sadness. At times we take all the good things we have for granted and focus on being pessimistic, we forget whatever emotion or experience we are going through is temporary and we will eventually have to face something different. Many people find it difficult to deal with emotions and let negativity overcome them, however as Muslims we should have a positive outlook all the time. “Do not be people without minds of your own, saying that if others treat you well you will treat them well and that if they do wrong you will do wrong. But (instead) accustom yourselves to do good if people do good and
not to do wrong if they do evil” (Hadith: Tirmidhi). Let’s see how work towards a positive lifestyle: 1. Your Company: Who you choose to spend your time with and the input you get from further away like the TV, the internet and magazines will have a huge effect on your outlook. Always watch good and positive stuff, keep friendships with positive minds. 2. Salam and Shukr: Always initiate the salam (wish for peace), always be thankful to Allah (God). Islam as a religion does not support the idea of being depressed because it makes a person ungrateful which is a virtue furthest away from being a faithful and devout Muslim.
Roundtable Oh Spring discussions on social alienation Hosneara Zaman Ali
Oh Spring, Once again you are right at my door Widely opened my heart with a gentle knock Since we separated, life seemed so dull, Gloomy dark and poor! My time has been spent In absence from everything, Joyless, brightless and depressing. Trees and fields withered from cold death. Oh Spring, you give hope for rejuvenation to nature, It comes alive to rejoice again! The hills woods and valleys in rich array Enjoying each moment of the bright day. I stand in my garden to see Young flowers open their soft mouths Smiling up at me! The crisp air freshens with a pure scent New grass waving their heads in the wind Roses are blooming with pride Jacarandas in the air dancing cheerfully Birds leave their nests With light and gentle feathered flying freely. Deep blue sky holds an intimate conversation With the roaring ocean As the sky shares its color generously with him. Oh Spring, you soaked me up with your beauty And filled my heart with beautiful dreams. Truly the time has come for the winter To say goodbye I can hear it singing farewell, Murmuring in a distance It sings, I shall be back, dear Spring.... When the time arrives again.
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Hannan Mansuri The Australian Muslim Women’s Association is organising roundtable discussions on social alienation, its causes & solutions later in October 2019. There are three focus groups: Students, Professionals and Mothers, talking about their experiences with Social Alienation. This discussion is an opportunity for Muslim women to voice their opinions, explain how media and government decisions are affecting them, and have their stories told.
3. Kill your Fears: Sometimes you may want to take a chance in life. Start a new habit that feels unfamiliar, your o w n business o n the side. A common trap when you want to do one of those things is to get lost in vague fears and about what could happen if you actually took action and so the mind runs wild fueled by fear and it creates nightmare scenarios and plenty of selfdoubts. Remember “Hoping for good is also an act of worship of Allah” (Hadith: Tirmidhi and Hakim). 4. Be Positive for others: What you send out you tend to get back from the world and the people in it. So give value and
spread the positivity by for example by Helping out. Lend a hand when moving. Give a friend a ride in your car. If he or she needs information then help out by checking it up on Google or asking a friend of yours. 5. Boosting the mood: Give hugs when appropriate. Listen to the Quran when feeling down or help others when someone has had a bad day or are going through a tough time. 6. Have faith: One of the most essential qualities of a Muslim should be to never give up. Be brave, be patient and have faith. You will face difficulties on every step and corner of life and all you need to do is to keep your head held high. Keep trying with the faith that there are better things in store for you and that with your will power and dedication will pull through. This means that you have not lost hope and are positive about achieving a task in the near future. Dr Kamran Ayub is a researcher and public speaker. Academically he belongs to the Radio Electronics field. He is an emotional intelligence expert and loves to help young people in managing their stress, tackle with difficult situations and to become a team player. He has written dozens of papers.
Roundtable Focus Groups - Telling it like it is - your experiences, your opinions, your solutions, your stories. Organised by Australian Muslim Women’s Association and funded by Department of Premier and Cabinet Students: University of Sydney, Saturday 5 Oct 2019 Students: WSU Milperra, Saturday 12 Oct 2019 Professional Women at the Coal Face: The Connection, Sunday 20 Oct 2019 Mothers’ Voice: Winston Hills, Saturday 26 Oct 2019 Muslim women are often the last ones that are consulted when decisions are made about our community. The Premier of NSW has recognised this, and is keen to hear what problems, solutions, programs, or policies are working or not working for you. These will be a series of free interactive events on dates specified below, with full catering but since spaces are limited, advance registration required through Eventbrite With 4 sessions, 2 for students, 1 each for professionals within the community and mothers, supported by a fully catered for day
of activities and interactive sessions, this is a great opportunity to have your voice heard. Each session will be run by the Australian Muslim Women’s Association and experienced facilitators, with ‘fake’ names for each participant to allow honesty and genuine stories to be told. For further information, please contact: silma@australianmuslimwomen.org.au Phone 0434349897 Register for the appropriate session on Eventbrite: https://tinyurl.com/y2d5gz3c
Online journalism: Security concerns for female journalists Md Juman Hussan Female journalists are constantly being threatened online in response to their news reports and viewpoints. Courtney Radasch, the director of advocacy for the Committee to Protect Journalists, says the biggest reason for the safety concerns of female journalists online are threats and harassment. According to Radsch, “Blocking someone is not enough, we need to know if we are facing this threat and we need a more proactive response from technology platforms.” Brian from CNN says social media companies need to play a role in monitoring their platforms to curb such behaviour. According to a survey, 85% of female journalists said they are more vulnerable now than five years ago. Respondents say that they are constantly being victimised online by insecurity. Many are also threatened with violence. The threat to journalists in the digital space is steadily increasing. Therefore, they need to be careful in protecting their online
AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIMES
communications and information. Some studies have shown that journalists do not take any kind of basic security measures despite the depth of the threat. The Rory Peck Foundation has released a digital security guide for freelancers with the slogan “Small steps can make a big difference.” GIJN has helped with the various data related to the topic while creating this guide. PDN Pulse said, “No one can ever say
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she is 100% safe. But following some basic methods they can protect themselves as much as possible. Robert Guerrero recommends, “Learn about the risks first, then learn the rules. There are simple methods that anyone can follow if they want.” Female journalists should analysis potential risks and work out their risk management strategy to safeguard themselves. ISSUE 167 / OCTOBER 2019
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BUSINESS 27
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A traditional Malay wedding in Melbourne
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Ibrahim weds Hafsa The entire family & relatives of both groom and bride. Mohd Zarith Md Hanipah Last month I was invited to a traditional Malay wedding by my former boss, CEO of Rahman Brothers Group, Dato Haji Abdul Rahman Haji Ibrahim for his nephew’s son, Zulhilmi marrying Zarith Sophia in Melbourne. His nephew Haji Hamdan Mohamed is also the Vice President of Automotive in Rahman Brothers Group. In the sprawling estate of Wilsmere in Melbourne, I was taken by the palatial setting of the area overlooking the skyscrapers of Melbourne CBD. Inside one of the towers of the estate, the nikah was concluded by the local Imam, Muhammed Edwards from Vermont South Victoria. In his speech, the Imam reiterated that Muslim men must know of their true responsibilities in making a long-lasting marriage by contributing towards the housework and not relying on entirely on their wives to do so. There were about 30 guests from Malaysia flown especially for the special occasion. Showcasing Malaysian culture, the beautiful and colourful, classy traditional Malay dresses were on display together with sumptuous traditional Malay delicacies and food served at the wedding.
Dato Haji Abdul Rahman mentioned how grateful he is to Allah to be given an opportunity to oversee the growth of his businesses as well as his ever-growing large family all over the world. Rahman Brother Group is the flagship holding company of 17 subsidiary companies of various business interests owned by Dato Haji Abdul Rahman Haji Ibrahim. He ventured into business from scratch way back in 1975 in Johor Bahru, Malaysia as a petty trader at night markets, doing door-to-door sales and later on learning his way into automotive industry and later on he started to diversify into leisure & hospitality, travel and tours, property, housing development, construction and now looking for more opportunities in international trading and logistics. As a devout Muslim himself, he never forgets his responsibility towards sharing and caring for others in need. This is evidenced by the various charities he donates to and the many masjids he helped to build all over the world. He was awarded by the Sultan of Kedah a Dato’ship in 2000 as well has been recognised with multiple awards by the governments of Malaysia and Cambodia. Mohd Zarith Md Hanipah is a freelance, cross-continental journalist. He was former Europe Correspondent with National News Agency, worked in Europe & Southeast Asia. Currently, Sydney based.
Dato Haji Abdul Rahman & Mohd Zarith.
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Usaid Khalil and Najia Khalil announce the marriage of their son Ibrahim Khalil to Hafsa Wahab, daughter of Abid Abdul Wahab and Fatima Wahab. Ibrahim is the grandson of Mr Khalil Ahmed (Late) & Mrs Razia Begum (Late) and Dr Qazi Ashfaq Ahmad & Mrs Jamal Ara Ahmad. Hafsa is the granddaughter of Mr Mohammad Abdul Rab Shareef (Late) & Mrs Sajada Begum and Professor Mohammed Asghar Khan & Mrs Sabiha Sultana (Late). The nikah ceremony was held on Saturday 7 September 2019 at Rooty Hill Mosque and the reception/walimah was held on Sunday 15 September 2019 at the Lantana Reception Hall in Bonnyrigg. Najia Khalil The journey towards preparing the wedding between Hafsa and Ibrahim took only a few intense months, although both families had to obviously juggle our other commitments, work, study and community as much as we could alongside this important task. There were many phone calls shared between Fatima, the mother of the bride and myself. So much so, that when she was sick and didn’t call for a few days, I began to miss her voice. Once word got out of the intended wedding, I would find people coming to me and saying how blessed I am to be getting such a wonderful addition to my family as they had known Hafsa for a long time. Abid bhai, the father of the bride, was very excited for all of us, more so than the bride and groom, and had his very own angel alongside him, his wife, Fatima to organise everything to his heart’s desire. He was going to go all out - the typical father who was so much proud of his daughter. He was even prepared to cut the cake (and eat it too)!!! Growing up in Australia, I was surrounded by a large number of close families, those same families that we were able to invite for the walimah, families of key people who have passed away, Dr Mohammad Ali Wang, Uncle Qureshi, and the recently, Uncle Kazim Hussain (may Allah have mercy upon them all). I was so happy to be able to invite them all, however, Aunty Sultana Hussain, her daughters and their families were not able to make it as she was quite ill and could not make it travelling from Canberra. These were the same key families who helped us in the wedding of my eldest
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brother bhaijan, Ziaul Islam Ahmad married to Mehar Ahmad and my eldest sister apa, Fauzia Siddiqui married to Shahab Siddiqui. That was the first biggest wedding in 1975 that drew almost the entire Sydney Muslim community together. As it turns out, some of the others who were close to me when growing up, Mr & Mrs Qutbuddin Siddiqui (and their lovely daughters) and Dr Sikendar Naseeb Khan and Dr Mehar Khan (with their cute ‘little’ kids), Dr Khalid Rashid and Dr Anjum Rashid, are now related to us through Hafsa, my beautiful daughter-in-law. They’ve known me well throughout my life, and yet hardly knew Ibrahim since we started moving in different multiple circles as the community grew larger. Ibrahim has been surrounded by that similar loving community as well as myself. He grew up among talks and events organised by our key organisations IFAM and IFEW. He was later surrounded by his teachers and friends from Amity (previously Sule) College, his mentors and colleagues from ISRA, and much more of the loving extended family who have been there for him in good times and bad. Ibrahim and Hafsa’s walimah was a merging of different communities, old and new, a link between my generation and Ibrahims’. I may have not been able to have everyone at the wedding, but it was through everyone’s dua and Allah’s mercy and blessing that this event took place. Everything went so smoothly, that even the things I cringed at and hoped that I would never need to do, having a big wedding, and speaking in front of a large crowd, came so easily at this time. We pray that with everyone’s dua, this couple will continue to serve the community as a husband and wife team.
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Testing for inherited Importance and diseases for families benefits of blood
donation
Md Juman Hussan
Lucinda Maloney Thinking about starting a family? You could be a carrier of the world’s most common inherited blood disorders. Thalassaemia and Sickle Cell anaemia are devastating lifelong illnesses that require frequent hospital visits, blood transfusions, regular medications and treatments. If both you and your partner are Thalassaemia or Sickle Cell trait carriers there is a possibility that you can pass this condition on to your children. Families from the following regions are most at risk: The Mediterranean, Middle East, India, South East Asia, China, North and Sub-Saharan Africa as well as regions of Central and South America. It is possible you may have the trait and
Love of a woman for her husband
be unaware, however, with proper advice and medical support it is possible to plan a healthy family. To find out if you are a carrier, all it takes is a simple blood test at your GP and it’s bulk billed for the majority of cases. Planning a family in the future? Think of your babies, get informed and book in with your GP for a test today! For support or to find out more, please visit www.knowmytrait.org or email the Thalassaemia Society of NSW Inc at Coordinator@thalnsw.org.au and talk to your healthcare provider for more details. Lucinda Maloney is the Coordinator of the Thalassaemia Society of NSW Inc. and is based in Sydney, Australia.
Blood donation, also called blood banking, refers to the process of collecting, testing, preparing, and storing whole blood and blood components intended primarily for transfusion. Blood donors are typically unpaid volunteers. A blood donation occurs when a person voluntarily has blood drawn and used for transfusions and/or made into biopharmaceutical medications by a process called fractionation (separation of whole-blood components). Donation may be of whole blood, or of specific components directly (the latter called apheresis). Blood banks often participate in the collection process as well as the procedures that follow it. According to the Australian Red Cross 1 in 3 Australians will require blood at some point in their life. That means one day, someone you love might depend on it. Whole blood: You can save 3 people’s lives with a single whole blood donation, and donate as regularly as every 12 weeks. That means you can save 12 lives every year. Plasma: It’s a powerful part of your blood. By donating it, you can unlock 18 life-saving products – from treatments for serious burns and cancer to protections for people with brain or blood disorders. You can donate plasma as often as every 2 weeks.
Benefits of Blood Donation There are many health benefits with blood donation. Healthy heart and liver: The body uses a sufficient amount of iron while the excess iron is deposited in the heart, liver, and pancreas that can cause problems. By donating blood, iron levels are reduced that benefit heart and liver. Restoration of blood cells: During a regular blood donation, we can give around 470 ml of whole blood, nearly 9% of the average blood volume of an adult person. Within 48 hours lost volume will regenerate and within 9 weeks lost cells are regenerated by stem cells. With the newly generated blood cells, a person’s energy levels and activity increases where the body stays healthy and works efficiently. Weight reduction: By donating blood we burn nearly 600 calories. This reduction in calories comes without any exercise. It is better to donate blood once per quarter year. Saving human lives: By giving our blood to others who are in need, we can save a life. You saved not only one person’s life but also the life of many who depend on that person. Increased life span: The health benefits of blood donation leads to an increase in the life span of the donor as well as the recipient. Md Juman Hussan is the news editor of Showdesh Barta and Australia correspondence of sylhetview24.com. He is actively contribute by his articles and poems.
A sweet day at the ‘Sweet As’ Brisbane dessert festival
Frazia Ali Whenever I see the shadow of you I spread my eyelashes on that Whenever I listen your words I spend my whole life on that Whenever you call me I come to become as a flying kite to leave all the people and to leave all the world and to adopt the color of you You are my heart You are my life Whenever I see the shadow of you I spread my eyelashes on that Whenever I listen your words I spend my whole life on that The tears of your eyes I hide in my eyes The sand of your ways I decorate my hairs with that Yes my companion Frazia Ali is a Pakistani American Muslim single mother. She has two children and lives in San Ramon California, USA. She started writing poetry to spread peace and love through her writing.
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Suraya Daly It’s not often we can get away with eating doughnuts, waffles and cupcakes for breakfast and brownies and ‘rolled icecreams’ for lunch. But during the weekend’s annual ‘Sweet As’ Brisbane Dessert Festival, anything goes and all the rules were meant to be broken. Over a sunny Spring weekend of 14-15 September, patrons were treated to an assortment of dessert options with vendors and stalls a-plenty featuring brownies, cheese, chocolate, coffee, cupcakes, doughnuts, gelatos, ice-creams, meringues, popsicles,
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sorbets, waffles and more from a fantastic line-up of Queensland’s best dessert makers. The festival, presented by the World Food Markets, was held at the historic Musgrave Park in South Brisbane, near the CBD, which has long been important to the city’s indigenous people. All dessert-lovers alike were welcomed, with special dietary requirements catered to with lactose free, gluten free, nut free and vegan options on the table. There were street food, live music, popup bars, kids activities and entertainment as well as cooking demonstrations throughout the day. Naturally, there were also food eating contests and Brisbane’s best dessert and cake decorator competitions. Pals and I visited on a warm sunny Sunday, as one of the first attendees on the day arriving when doors opened at 10 am. We
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were delighted with doughnuts, cupcakes and healthy smoothies. We were very full by the end of the trip, so we voluntarily yet regrettably opted out of the surprising non-dessert entrant for the festival in the Malaysian satays (no surprises why I was keen for this one!) and happily rolled home away from the sinfully-delicious offerings in the park. Suraya Daly is a graduate of the Queensland University of Technology in the qualifications of the Graduate Certificate in Creative Industries and a Bachelor of Journalism. She is a Client Relations Executive and has a passion for writing, where she would often hone her creativity by contributing articles which can be found on her blog on www.surayaspeaks.wordpress.com. For enquiries, please reach out to suraya.daly@gmail.com ISSUE 167 / OCTOBER 2019
LIFESTYLE 18 - 22
UMMAH 23
EDUCATION 24 - 26
BUSINESS 27
TRAVEL 28 - 29
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SOCIAL 30 - 31
Multicultural symposium explores issues of diversity Professor Shahjahan Khan
A day-long symposium “Multiculturalism in the Contemporary World: Sociological and Religious Perspectives” was held at the International Islamic University of Malaysia (IIUM), on Wednesday 28 August 2019 at the university’s Library Auditorium in Kuala Lumpur, exploring the strengths and problems of diversity. A number of speakers from Australia, Malaysia and the UK emphasised the need for a multicultural, inclusivist approach to solving diverse problems in the modern world, particularly in societies with large migrant populations, such as Australia and Malaysia. Organised by Associate Professor Isharaf Hossain, Co-Founder of Muslim World Research Centre (MWRC) based in Kuala Lumpur, and Professor Waleed Faris at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), Director of the International Institute for Muslim Unity (IIMU), sponsored, among others, by Muslim Youth Movement of Malaysia (ABIM) and Islamic Renaissances Front (IRF), Malaysia, and supported by the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC) and The University of Southern Queensland (USQ), from Australia, the seminar heard the speakers’ views from diverse social scientific and religious viewpoints. During the Opening Session of the symposium the Deputy Rector (Internationalisation and Global Network) of the IIUM, Professor Dr Nor Faridah Bt Abdul Manaf
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emphasised the value of international engagements on diversity and welcomed the participants and presenters to the IIUM. Professor Dr Tahir El Mesawi (IIMU), Dr Rateb Jneid,(President of AFIC), and Professor Dr Shahjahan Khan (USQ, Australia) highlighted the importance of discussing issue related multiculturalism in Australia and Malaysia as the world is becoming more and more diverse in terms of ethnic, cultural and religious differences. The main speakers in the two-morning sessions were Professor Peter T C Chang (University of Malaya), Professor Siraj Siat (WASD), A/Professor Muniruzzaman (IIUM), Professor Dr Tahir El Mesawi (IIUM), Dato Faruk Musa (IRF, Malaysia), A/Professor Imtiaz Yusuf, (ISTAC, IIUM), and A/Professor Isharaf Hossain, (MWRC, Malaysia), Dr Leon Moosavi (University of Liverpool), and, from Australia, Dr Gary Dargan (Sydney, Australia), Dr Rateb Jneid (AFIC), and Professor Dr Shahjahan Khan (USQ). Dr Rateb Jneid stressed the problems faced by Muslims in Multicultural Australia, especially that fuelled by the extreme, divisive, hateful and anti-Muslim political activism. Dr Khan emphasized that cultural diversity is a reality of the modern world, with many now living in culturally diverse communities, and large scale migration and mass movement of a large number of refugees have made this diversity a reality almost all over the world. As a consequence, he said, it has become essential to come up with a common social narrative that ensures inclusiveness of every individual in the community, with Multiculturalism as an inclusive social and political term that proves a plat-
form to unite people of different origin and persuasion – as no single narrative under any ethnic or cultural or religious umbrella would provide a common identity of a nation with diverse population. He drew attention to the fact that this is particularly important for the minority communities to safeguard their cultural identity while becoming an integral part of the wider society. He covered the Multicultural Statement (united, strong, successful) of the Australian Federal Government (2017), Multicultural Queensland Charter (2017), and USQ Multicultural policy and strategies in his presentation. The afternoon session was a roundtable discussion forum, moderated by Professor El Mesawi. Many issues, problems and prospects of multiculturalism were openly discussed in this session by representatives of many academic, research, community, ethnic and religious bodies in Malaysia. In this session, Dr Khan focused on the status of humans on earth from the Qur’anic description of ‘khalifah’ (representative) and ‘insan’ (mankind), and drew attention to the fact that each human individual was invoked with the spirit (rooh) from Allah,
and that He has created each human with the best stature and honoured the son of Adam; that, as a blessed creation with the spirit from Allah, every human being deserves to be respected regardless of race, gender, religion and ethnicity. From there, he went on to note that the peace, stability and development of nations with migrant populations such as Australia and Malaysia, are largely dependent on successfully managing the diverse population and engage them in productive activities with mutual respect and dignity, through effective full participation of the people in nation-building activities, by ensuring a sense of their belongingness , and acknowledging their contribution, as in Multiculturalism. Other participants more or less echoed the same sentiments at the highly successful symposium.
mandate in May 2019. This outcome has boosted the morale of the hard-line chauvinist BJP party and within a span of few months since election victory, the Indian parliament passed bills which angered many Muslims and human right activists. The blatant move by the Modi government has been the annexation of Kashmir by repealing Article 370 which had provided the Muslim majority state with a special status since Indian independence in 1947. The situation in Kashmir continues to be a matter of concern as millions of people live under continued restrictions with the crackdown on fundamental rights and freedoms. A couple of weeks earlier Indian Parliament had passed the controversial Triple Talaq Bill which had angered many Muslims due to a clause which would send the hus-
band to jail for pronouncing the word Talaq three times, thus blocking any attempts of reconciliation between the alienated couple. Only a few weeks later, on 31 August, India excluded nearly 2 million people, a great majority of them Muslims from a citizenship list in the northeastern state of Assam. The action was prompted by a campaign over the years questioning the stay in the state of people of Bangladeshi origin. Hundreds of thousands of people fled to India from Bangladesh during its war of independence from Pakistan in the early 1970s. Most of them settled in Assam, which has a border with Bangladesh stretching over 200 kilometres. Activists have criticized the process of National Register of Citizens for anomalies and procedural flaws, aimed at deporting Muslims from the country.
In many cases, genuine Indian citizens, including former government officials, have been excluded from the list on the ground that their parents had come to India from neighbouring Bangladesh. To be included, people had to somehow prove that they had come to Assam before 24 March 1971, the day before former East Pakistan became independent as Bangladesh. Some leaders from BJP, including the home minister, Amit Shah, have demanded that National Register of Citizens (NRC), as the citizenship list is called, be implemented across the country to identify and deport undocumented immigrants. This has created fear among Muslims nationally as many poor Muslims will find it hard to get the documents needed to prove their claim of Indian ancestry. At the same time, a new Citizenship Amendment Bill seeks to provide Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains and Buddhists from the neighbouring countries. Muslims in India continue to face extreme bias in the secular and democratic India since Hindu nationalists have come to power who are propagating a Hindu supremacist agenda.
Professor Shahjahan Khan is professor of Statistics at University of Southern Queensland, Australia. He is the former President of Islamic Countries Society of Statistical Sciences and Expatriate Fellow of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences.
Indian Muslims are targets of Hindu supremacist agenda Zahid Jamil India continues to make news headlines around the world for targeting Muslims by the current Hindu nationalist government. In its first term since winning the election in 2014, the leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party BJP) government kept themselves engaged in anti-Muslim rhetoric and created an atmosphere of fear among ordinary Muslims. Vigilante groups targeted Muslims whom they accused of seducing and marrying young Hindu women to convert them, a phenomenon labelled as love jihad. This campaign was followed by the ghar wapsi (or homecoming) movement, which aimed to (re)convert Muslims and Christians to the Hindu faith, arguing that their forefathers were Hindus and they were converted Islam or Christianity by force. Then the issue of cow protection, an animal sacred to Hindus, has claimed many Muslim lives. The cow vigilantes regularly intercepted alleged cow traffickers and beef carriers and brutally killed Muslim truck drivers and couriers. The police rarely arrest these vigilante mobs even when witnesses have provided testimony and if trials were commenced, they have often gone nowhere. Though the BJP government has failed miserably on the economic front, Hindu nationalist slogans helped the re-election of the Modi government with an even bigger OCTOBER 2019 / ISSUE 167
Zahid Jamil is an engineering post graduate from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and runs a financial planning practice based in Sydney. He heads South Asian Muslim Association of Australia, SAMAA: http://samaa.org.au), a benevolent institution offering wide range of services to the community elders. He also moderates an Islamic website “Islamic Forum for Education and Research” http://isfer.info/ WWW.AMUST.COM.AU
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An examination of Ibn Khaldun’s theory of Asabiyyah Dr Jan A Ali Ibn Khaldun is best known for his conceptualisation of ‘Asabiyyah which generally translates to “group-feeling/ solidarity” and is the fundamental building block which gives support and strength to the successful origins and development of a new empire, city-state, or polity. Abd ar-Raḥmān ibn Muḥammad ibn Khaldūn was a 14th century Tunisian historian who travelled far and wide and came in contact with a range of peoples from various countries and regions and this helped him develop his theory and model of human social organisation. He was also a keen student of Islamic studies and his Islamic scholarship, therefore, had a strong bearing on his view of history’s divine organisation by Allah. To learn about Ibn Khaldun’s theory of Asabiyyah let’s start by talking about war. War is an activity that requires those involved in it to engage in an epic battle, stand ordered in line against an enemy force as dreadful or worse as themselves, fight with one’s heart and soul, and make a tremendous sacrifice. So much so that even if one has to make the ultimate sacrifice, that is, to lose his or her life in the process. Sacrifice in war not only denotes momentarily leaving one’s kith and kin behind, being away from home for a period, removed from the comforts of life provisionally, and be detached from the usual rhythms of living briefly, but perishing forever sometimes even without a trace. How does then a commander in chief of an army motivate his or her soldiers to follow and enforce orders despite the soldiers knowing fully well the sheer brutality of the killing fields of war and the real possibility
of never leaving the fields of battle alive? In ancient Egypt warfare, for example, winning a war increased the welfare of the victors and their people and fighters were rewarded handsomely for their valour with medals, promotions, the war booties, and given grants of land and slaves and chattels and those who refused to fight had their possessions seized, their homes destroyed, and were normally either enslaved or killed (Spalinger, 2005). The Pharaoh and the military class of ancient Egypt operated under the assumption that rewards for valour and severe penalties for weakness or rebelliousness would be sufficient to command the commitment of the soldiers. This perhaps was the case as they tried to bring into line the personal desires of the populace with the will of the state and despatched the conscripts and slaves into the battle fields without having to express concerns over soldiers’ loyalty and commitment to the cause (Shaw, 2000). As the success of Pharaoh Tuthmosis III armies, at the Battle of Megiddo in 1479 CE, reveals, the approach used worked. However, here is a scenario where the approach worked because the battle was easy and victory was almost guaranteed. This, be as it may, what happens when victory is not certain, when rewards are withheld, and those who follow orders and those who avoid them find themselves at the mouth of death? In such desperate moments the self-interested warriors have an epiphany that they will be better off abandoning the battlefield than to continue fighting for a greater good. An army comprised self-interested soldiers more focused on personal gains and benefits than on the welfare and wellbeing of the army as a whole will in such case almost certainly be crushed. The army or for that matter any power that defends and achieves victory by fighting “tooth and nail” and never gives up is one
filled with the feeling of solidarity whose source and strength are generosity, gallantry, and selflessness. This feeling of solidarity, the spirit of sacrifice, and a commitment to a common goal may be the result of patriotism or revolutionary zeal, though quite frequently it is simply the battleground loyalty that unites “strangers” into a brotherhood often much stronger than blood relations. It is this feeling of “brotherhood” that motivates and sends the self-focused individual to struggle and fight despite the seeming irrationality of what he or she is engaged with. It is not that the emotion overtakes the individual or that he or she suddenly opts to ignore it but the individual is now under the spell of virtue that causes him or her to ignore their narrow passions and self-interestedness and work for a greater good and a grander cause. So, for as long as this commitment continues, the warrior maintains the faith in earnest that the army’s achievements are their achievements are no different but are aligned. At this point the distinction between “self-interest” and “group interest” ceases to exist for the warrior. With this attitude and conviction the warrior struggles and works hard with the strength normally applied to attaining personal benefits and advantages. The focus moves from the self to a greater good and a
grander cause. It is this feeling of selflessness and the focus away from the “self” which causes an individual to think and act unselfishly and for a very noble cause is what Ibn Khaldun called asabiyah. 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.
Common Question: Why so many religions? Rabbi Allen Maller Most college students ask, ‘If there is only one God, why are there so many religions?’ A question I as a Rabbi have often been asked. My answer is that Allah could have made all of us monotheists, a single religious community, but (didn’t) in order to test our commitment to the religion each of us have been given by God. “If Allah had so willed, He would have made you a single people, but (God’s plan is) to test you in what He has given you: so compete in all virtues as in a race. The goal of you all is to (please) Allah who will show you (on judgment day) the truth of the matters in which you dispute.” (Qur’an 5:48) This means religious pluralism is the will of God. Yet for centuries most believers in one God have depreciated each other’s religion, and some believers even resorted to forced conversions, expulsions and inquisitions. Yet all monotheists pray to the same God, and all prophets of monotheistic faiths are inspired by the same God. How did this intolerance start, and how can we eliminate religious intolerance from the Abrahamic religions? Greek philosophy, with its requirement that truth must be unchanging and universal, influenced most teachers of sacred scripture during Medieval times to believe that religion was a zero sum game; the more truth I find in your scripture the less truth there
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is in mine. Instead of understanding differing texts as complementary, they made them contradictory and declared the other religion’s sacred text to be full of errors. If religion is to promote peace in our pluralistic world we must reject the zero sum game ideology and develop the pluralistic teachings that already exist within our sacred scriptures. All prophets are brothers. They have the same father (God) but different mothers (mother tongues, motherlands and unique historical circumstances that account for all the differences in their scriptures. Note that the Arabic word umm for mother derives from the same root as the word ummah: their mother people and their mother tongue. “Prophets are brothers in faith,
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having different mothers. Their religion however; is one.” (Hadith: Muslim, Book #030, Hadith #5836) I am a Reform Rabbi who first became interested in Islam when I studied it at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem 60 years ago. I continued my study of Islam off and on for many years; and for some time I have considered myself to be a Reform Rabbi and a Muslim Jew. I am a Muslim Jew ie a faithful Jew submitting to the will of the one God, because I am a Reform Rabbi. As a Rabbi I am faithful to the covenant that God made with Abraham (a), the first Jew to become a Muslim, and I submit to the commandments and the covenant God made with the people of Israel at Mount Sinai. As a Reform Rabbi I believe that we
should not make religion difficult for people to practice. This lesson Prophet Muhammad (s) taught 12 centuries before the rise of Reform Judaism in the early 19th century. Most statements in the Qur’an about Orthodox Jewish beliefs, and Ahadith relating Muhammad’s (s) comments about Orthodox Judaism, prefigure the thinking of Reform Rabbis some 12-13 centuries later. As the Qur’an tells us (17:110) “Say, call upon Allah or call upon Ar-Rahman, the Most Merciful. Whichever [name] you call - to Him belong the best names.” And do not recite your prayer [too] loudly or [too] quietly, but seek a way in between [moderation].” This ayah is a basis of Reform Judaism. God has many names because God has a complex personality; but also because different people and different peoples/tribes/ nations relate to the one God in different ways. Thus no one should raise his voice in prayer over others as though his prayers were better than those of others in his own community; or in other monotheistic communities.
Allen S Maller is an ordained Reform Rabbi who retired in 2006 after 39 years as the Rabbi of Temple Akiba in Culver City, California. His web site is: www.rabbimaller.com. Rabbi Maller blogs in the Times of Israel. His book ‘Judaism and Islam as Synergistic Monotheisms: A Reform Rabbi’s Reflections on the Profound Connectedness of Islam and Judaism’ is for sale on Amazon. WWW.AMUST.COM.AU
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LIFESTYLE 18 - 22
UMMAH 23
EDUCATION 24 - 26
BUSINESS 27
TRAVEL 28 - 29
SOCIAL 30 - 31
EDUCATION
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Study Tips: How Sewing the seeds to be Productive? of sadaqah (alms) Umar Khan
How Important is the Task?
Often, when exam period comes around, students tend to stress about the large amount of work and content they have to sift through to be best prepared. The biggest problem students face is not the actual content; but the time it will require to be prepared. Many students resort to all-nighters and are sleep-deprived. The best way to avoid all this stress – is to be more productive. Here are a few tips on how to be more productive; getting more done in less time efficiently. • Find your power hours – You don’t always work at full concentration, focus and energy. Find the times of the day
Very Important
Not Important
where you are fully focussed, motivated and energised to tackle your difficult and challenging work. Working on intensive tasks when your energy is depleted and your focussed has waned, leads to you making avoidable mistakes. Tasks attempted when you are not fully focussed take more time and effort to complete and increase the probability that you will become demotivated or overwhelmed with the task at hand. Use your power hours efficiently for challenging tasks, and use other times for less intensive activities such as eating, relaxing, organising work space and relaxing. • Prioritise your tasks. Use a priority matrix like the following to ruthlessly order your tasks. You need to make sure that your tasks are done as required.
Do First
Do Later
Very Urgent
Do Next
Don’t Do
Not Urgent
How Urgent is the Task? • Don’t multitask! It is less efficient as you have to spread yourself and your brain power over various, often different tasks. Research shows that your IQ can even drop and productivity drops when we multitask. So though it may seem good to multitask, resist the urge! • Just like multitasking reduces the brain power, listening to music whilst studying has a similar effect. Your brain will be divided between whether to listen to the music or study. Make it easier for yourself and your brain – do one thing at a time. • Notifications whilst studying are distracting and pull your attention away from your task at hand. Turn them off. If you can’t turn off your phone or computer, shut non urgent notifications so you can focus on your task. You can also set your mobile phone to flight mode. Use site blockers so that you can work without the danger of diverting off your task. • Drink water whilst studying. It keeps
you healthy, fresh and energetic. You will see that you are able to concentrate much better if you are hydrated. • Get some fresh air in! Fresh air will help keep you focussed, as you will have a constant supply of oxygen. • Declutter your workspace. A messy desk or workplace can influence your mental state, making you feel overwhelmed and stressed. A messy desk will also make you procrastinate. To make sure you avoid this, clear your work space and stay organised. • Do your least favourite task first, that way you will be motivated for the rest of the day and be more productive. These tips should help get you on track to being more productive – allowing you to get more done in less time! Happy studying! Umar Khan is a recent IBDP graduate, now attending Macquarie University and is based in Sydney, Australia
Jessica Swann
“If a Muslim plants a tree or sows seeds, and then a bird, or a person or an animal eats from it, it is regarded as a charitable gift (sadaqah) for him.” (Hadith: Bukhari) Bene Youth is a weekend Madrassa run by Melbourne based not-for-profit Benevolence Australia which brings together 30 young Aussie Muslims from grades 8-12 each weekend for spiritual nourishment. Each Saturday the students spend time learning the Sunnah and they find nourishment in spiritual and personal development. The students are also developing environmental consciousness, and in the spirit of cultivation and sustainability, the Bene Youth have literally taken things into their own hands by growing a community garden. Jessica Swann spoke with Benevolence Australia’s Internal Program’s Manager Sumaya Asvat about the project: Jessica Swann: It’s not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of a Madrassa, the idea of growing a garden, where did this idea come from? Sumaya Asvat: The whole idea was to get the Bene Youth cohort to engage with their environment as many young people haven’t had the responsibility of growing a community garden. Every small action that they do can and does make a difference, especially when climate change is so much a part of all of our lives now. How do they participate in the garden? We’ve had this garden sitting here for so many years and we haven’t really done anything with it. The whole idea was for them to see it as it was and to hopefully understand over the next few months how important it is to enrich the soil, plant new seedlings and to bear witness to the what happens when you plant seedlings and nurture them. By doing this with their own hands, they will see and feel the results in different ways both environmentally and spiritually. Bene Youth is a Madrassa, how does a community garden fit into the syllabus? It’s the idea that everything is connected and holistic. It would be remiss if we were just to teach them rules and regulations and history without tying nature into their everyday lives. But more than that, working with the earth, they have a heightened sense of where they are, the physical space and the reality and beauty of the place of gardens in our Deen. Being able to watch a garden grow has so many connections into the teachings of Islam. For our acts of worship to their garden, it’s all connected. What’s in the garden? Our garden coordinator Rawan Zahran
made sure we had fruit and vegetables. Bunnings donated everything for us, 30 bags of soil, 10 bags of compost and manure, gloves, tools literally everything as well as beans, peas, carrots, lettuce, herbs, passion fruit and even flowers. Is there a long-term plan for the garden? Our plan is to use the produce from the garden to cook with and possibly have a harvest day. We are also working with the Doncaster Church of Christ where they have a retired newly arrived migrant community and we are hoping they will come in as well and cook some of their food with us. How forthcoming were the students to get into the garden? At first, some were wondering what they were doing, they wondered if they were going to get gloves and how they would do it. Rawan was very clear in the instructions and explaining to them why and how they were in the garden, they quickly got on board and enjoyed themselves. How do you feel when you look at the garden? I hope it creates a sense of ownership for them, that they understand they have had a part in this. Pride as well, when I think of the garden it is so linked to the idea that everything we do can and does make a difference. In this era of social media, it’s hard when you’re that age to understand this idea because you see people doing these great feats but wonder how they make a difference. Literally, when they plant a seed, they can see what happens. It reinforces the idea that everything we do can make a difference. We are all living close to gardens and also community gardens whether you’re in the hipster-ville inner city or whether you’re in a rural community, what would be your message across Australia when it comes to the importance of this kind of experience? I think a lot of the time in life we tend to fall into the trap of immediacy, we look at the outcomes of things instead of the process. We are not so good these days with sabr (patience). We think, “I put in such a lot of effort but don’t see much reward or connection” so something like this creates slower more sustainable and meaningful energy and nourishes togetherness in partnership with each other and with the earth. The idea of just being with people in the space we are all sharing is about transferring something special, different, it’s something beautiful, timeless and nourishes the spirit of true sustainability of the mind, body and spirit. Jessica Swann (MIMW, BA) Intercultural engagement and media specialist in Islam West relations - Journalist I Presenter I Educator I Content-Creator. Director and Principal Consultant Jessica Swann Consulting Pty Ltd
Multimedia Journalism: A new era of journalism Md Juman Hussan Multimedia journalism is contemporary journalism that distributes news content using two or more media over the Internet, or disseminates news reports through multiple media platforms. According to Mark Dews, “multimedia journalism refers to news stories enhanced by various media elements, including text, images, audio, video and other formats.” The nature of journalism is changing because of the needs of the readers. People OCTOBER 2019 / ISSUE 167
now want to read, see and hear at the same time. As a result, change is needed. Robayet Ferdous, associate professor of mass communication and journalism at Dhaka University says, “everyone is going to be a journalist by using social media and it is challenging for real professional journalists in our contemporary world.” He further adds, “journalism is being integrated with new technologies and as media houses take on the responsibility of assimilating new technologies, universities will incorporate these into their syllabus for study. Zahid Newaz Khan, an online editor of
Channel I who works as a guest teacher in the journalism and media studies department of Jahangirnagar University says that since YouTube is also inundated with original TV content in terms of entertainment, the most popular show are the ones people watching on TV and later on YouTube. What tasks do multimedia journalists perform? Multimedia journalists will inform the public about events in the world by collecting information, writing stories with photos and videos and broadcasting them online using social media.
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What skills should a multimedia journalist have? 1. Computer skills 2. Problem solving skills 3. Creativity 4. Observation skills 5. Technical knowledge 6. Writing skills 7. Photographic knowledge 8. Editing knowledge for text, images and video
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COMMUNITY 8 - 13
AUSTRALIA 14 - 15
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Al Amanah College Applying for holds Year 12 university as a graduation Year 12 Student AMUST
Umar Khan
If you’re in Year 12 and are interested in applying for a University course, now is the time to get started with your UAC application. To start head to UAC’s website: www.uac.edu.au On their website there is information on various courses offered by universities. To start an application, click the ‘Apply of Log in’ tab on the top right of the homepage. From the dropdown menu, select undergraduate application. Read the information, then click start to start your undergraduate application. Select your citizenship status, and click Yes to the next question as you will be completing Year 12 this year. Enter your Year 12 student number and UAC pin, which would have been emailed to you. You will then be taken to the personal details page. Some details may have already been a d d e d ; check that they are correct and fill out any remaining fields. When entering your email, ensure that you enter a personal email, as this email will be the main way UAC will contact you. Your school email may expire, so it is important that you use a personal email account. When you click next at the bottom of the page, a UAC application number will be generated. Your UAC application number and PIN will be emailed to you. Keep them safe as you will need them to update your application in the future or whenever you contact UAC. After clicking continue, you will be directed to the qualifications page. Your Year 12 qualification would have already been added. You have the option to add other qualifications such as employment experience and online open courses, though they most likely won’t apply to you. Don’t add employment experience unless you’ve worked full time for 1 year or more. The next step in the application is the selection of your courses. The course prefer-
ences page is where you can choose up to 5 courses you’d like to apply for. You can always update this list later. Click ‘Search for Courses’ to get started. First, select an institution (you can select all or simply select the institutions you are interested in). Then search your course by using the six digit course code or course name to refine your search. Select the start date for your course choices to add them to the preference list. Once you are done, you can review your choices. Put your preferences in order of what you most like to do, as they will be considered in order. When you are done, save your changes to continue. Now, you need to review your application to ensure that all details are correct. Click the pencil icon, to edit any details. Once you are finished, click the ‘Submit’ button, read through the Declaration, and click the box to agree with the terms. Now, you need to make the payment, either through PayPal or Credit Card, or if you choose to pay later through POSTbillpay or BPay. If you choose to pay later, UAC must receive your payment before any offers can be made. Once you pay, your application is complete. Now, you can manage your application using your UAC application number and pin, apply for Educational Access Scheme (EAS) if eligible or upload documents. It is recommended that you download the confirmation package to ensure that all your details are correct. You can manage and edit your application whenever you like using your UAC application number and PIN by going to Undergraduate Application from the dropdown menu. From here you can track correspondence, change your pin or download your confirmation package. Make sure to check the UAC website for up to date key dates such as Offer Round Dates.
Ayman Alwan Al Amanah College, Liverpool held its Year 12 graduation ceremony for the class of 2019 on Friday 20 September. The Head Principal, Mr El Dana, The School’s Religious Advisor Shaykh Ibrahim El Shafie and the campus Principal, Mr Alwan, invited guests, parents and students were all present to congratulate the graduates on their successes. The school’s captains addressed the school as well as Year Advisor Mrs Jenan El Ayoubi. The 2019 Year 12 cohort have demonstrated leadership and academic excellence as the senior students of Al Amanah College. The school Captain opened the event with a recitation of the holy Qur’an. Guest speakers congratulated Year 12 students on their success in completing a 13year long schooling journey. Staff reminded students that despite their graduation and farewell bid, they all remain a part of the Al Amanah community. Al Amanah Head Principal Mr El-Dana
encouraged students to uphold the school’s principles, share their knowledge and experiences on the ethos of Al Amanah College. The School Religious Advisor Dr Sheikh Ibrahim El Shafie reminded students to abide by the Islamic teachings and values as they embark on their tertiary education at universities and workplaces. The Al Amanah College community congratulated students on their outstanding academic achievements and efforts in setting the high benchmarks in various areas of education and schooling. The ceremony concluded with a ’seniors 2019’ video capturing memorable moments in students Al Amanah journey, development, fun and friendships. The graduating students commence their HSC Examination study break from 21 September and begin their HSC Examinations on 17 October. The graduates will now be engaged in refining their skills to successfully appear for their HSC examinations. All senior teachers at Al Amanah College look forward to providing ongoing feedback to the graduating class over the HSC study period.
Rethinking Islam in postmodern times Gary Dargan The Bangladeshi scholar, Manwar Shakhawat addresses the perennial problem faced by all religions, including Islam: How do its followers reconcile the fundamental tenets of their religion with the progress of contemporary thoughts and knowledge? This poses a major challenge since religious knowledge and understanding have always had to reach an accommodation and consensus with advances in knowledge.
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This was not a great problem for Muslims in the past because the scholars advancing this knowledge were also religious scholars who developed sound approaches to address this issue. Today as knowledge advances and diversifies at an ever-increasing rate, religion struggles to keep up. In the Muslim world, this is compounded by the separation of this knowledge from a religious framework. It is further complicated by the loss of these traditional approaches to this problem arising from centuries of colonial occupation. Manwar’s solution is to return to basic principles by looking at the problem through the lens of Ibn Taymiyyah’s approach to reconciling
AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIMES
revelation and reason. In doing so he engages in a dialogue between religion and modernity. Returning to Ibn Taymiyyah’s traditional approach to scholarship provides a path to resolving this problem. However, there is an additional step needed. In the past religious scholars were also scholars of the modern knowledge of their time. Today knowledge is too vast and specialised for religious scholars working on their own. It requires a dialogue between them and experts in their respective fields. This is where the value in Manwar’s work lies. It provides a solution for Bangladesh but has a wider application. As such it needs to be trans-
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lated into formats and languages which make it more accessible to the wider Muslim world. Rethinking Islam is published by Boikendro, Islami Tower, Bangla Bazaar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. Gary Dargan converted to Islam 1986 and has long been active in the Muslim community. He holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in science and has worked for over 30 years in the field of geology and palaeontology. He has long had an interest in the interface and overlap between religion and science. Originally from Australia he now lives in Malaysia and is married with one son and two stepsons. ISSUE 167 / OCTOBER 2019
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Australians spending increasingly more time to commute FINANCE Dr Abul Jalaluddin
average daily commutes in australia
The recent survey on ‘Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australis’ (HILDA), conducted by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research at the University of Melbourne, focused on family life, household economic well-being, labour market, retirement, gambling, young-home-owners as well as attitudes to marriage, parenting and work. In 2017, Australian workers on average spent 4.5 hours commuting to work per week compared to 3.7 hours in 2002, an increase of 21%. Sydney had the longest average daily commutes (71 minutes), followed by Brisbane (67 minutes), Melbourne (65 minutes), Perth (59 minutes) and Adelaide (56 minutes). Reasons for the increasing commute time vary among different cities but may include increased road congestion, urban expansion and poor public transport services. The survey suggests that long-distance commuters (two hours or more a day) are
SYDNEY BRISBANE MELBOURNE PERTH ADELAIDE
71min 67min 65min 59min 56min
less likely than short-distance commuters (less than one hour) to be satisfied with their working hours, work-life balance and pay. Longer commutes not only impose physical and mental strains on workers but may also affect their work participation, engagement and productivity. Long duration commuting to work can reduce the time a person has for other activities which include physical exercise, time with family, social activities and so
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E R F
SOURCE: Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey 2017
on which are important for psychological well-being. Close to 28% of workers live and work in the same postcode. Approximately 55% of workers live within 10 km of their place of work. Only 11% of workers live 30 or more km away from their place of work. In 2017, 56% of men aged 18 to 29 lived with one or both parents, up from 47% in 2001. Over the same year, the proportion of women aged 18 to 29 living with their parents rose to 54%, up from 36% in 2001. More than 60% of Victorian young adults live with their parents, followed by 56% in NSW and approximately 53% in other states and territories. In Queensland, the proportion of young adults living at home rose from 31% in 2001 to 52% in 2017, the highest proportion of the increase in the country. A number of mutually reinforcing eco-
nomic and social factors are likely to be driving the overall increasing trend towards staying in the parental home longer, including the cost of housing, lack of full-time employment opportunities for young people, increasingly casual nature of work and growth in education participation in young adults. In 2017, the median age at marriage for males was 32.0 years, an increase from 31.9 years of age in 2016. In the same year, the median age at marriage for females was 30.1 years, an increase of 0.2 years in 2016. The average age of mothers at first birth has been creeping upwards and it was around 29 years in 2017. In 2001, the percentage of coupled parents who used paid childcare for their children who were not yet at school (up to 4 years of age) was 40% which increased to 43 in 2014 and then to 53% in 2017. Employment of parents is the key factor for seeking paid childcare services. If parents are not in work, the probability that their child will attend childcare falls by 25% and a massive 28% for single-mother families. The cost of childcare has been a dominant concern for families since 2011. In 2017, the amount of money families were spending on childcare for their 0 to 4-year-olds has increased by 145% compared to 2001, after taking into account subsidy receipts. This extent of spending increase has not been seen for childcare in relation to school-age children, long daycare and outside school hour care services. Dr Abul Jalaluddin is an Islamic Finance expert, taxation advisor and a regular columnist for AMUST. He is based in Sydney.
SUNDAY 3 NOVEMBER
SundaySYDNEY 3 November Sydney
Celebrate grandparents day with activities and games for the young and not -so -young ! Enjoy a day out with the family with lunch provided. Registration Essential: www.seena.com.au Tickets $62 For tickets & info: growingstronger.eventbrite.com.au
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COMMUNITY 8 - 13
AUSTRALIA 14 - 15
CENTREFOLD 16 - 17
Africa Tour Part 5 SA – Juma at the MODERN IBNE BATOTA Zia Ahmad & Mehar Ahmad Our next destination from Nairobi, Kenya was to Johannesburg, South Africa on Thursday afternoon 19 April. After checking in, we made contact with Br Davud from the local Dialogue Centre who promptly came to our hotel together with his wife Salma to meet us at the hotel. The young couple proved to be very warm and hospitable and took us to a huge mall complex, that reminded us of our shopping malls in Sydney to buy local sims for our phones and then to a Turkish restaurant for dinner. The weather in South Africa and Southern half of Australia is very similar and it was very was pleasant in April sitting outside having dinner. The menu was very similar to Turkish restaurants in Australia, but I boasted to my hosts that the best doner kebabs in the world are made in Australia perfected by our Turkish community’s well-developed skills with the use of Australian beef. We ordered a mixed plate and it was a huge plate with adana kebabs, chicken skewers, salads and rice. It was more than enough for the four of us. Turkish dinner cannot be completed without Ayan. Ayan is a Turkish yoghurt drink. The dinner was delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Pleasant atmosphere, great company and delicious food were a great way to end the day. Next day was good Friday and a public holiday and we were keen to offer our Juma prayers in the main mosque in the city. Davud and Salma took us to Nizamiye Mosque which from far looked very much like our Sydney’s Gallipoli mosque in Auburn, a thought that I conveyed to my hosts. However, as we drove closer, I had to apologise to Davud for my ignorant comparison, because Nizamiye proved to be a huge complex over a hill, a prime location overlooking the city and spread over 10 hectares of land. The Nizamiye Mosque is often the biggest mosque in the Southern Hemisphere, occupying around two-thirds of a hectare and a masterpiece of rich contemporary Islamic Ottoman architecture accommodating up to 6,000 people in the main prayer hall. At the complex, we were received Mr Huseyin Demirdelen, the office manager who gave us detail information and history of the mosque complex while we sipped Turkish tea. We sat in the Oriental room that was basically used to greet foreign guests. It is a big room decorated in Ottoman time style . One side of the room is decorated with the huge paintings of Ottoman Sultans. A huge golden ornament in the middle of
the room is basically to burn incense. The 16 century Ottomans style furnitures have been included in this room that adds the richness to it.
Uncle Ali), a Turkish businessman originally planned to build an Ottoman-style architecture in New York but moved the project to South Africa on advice by Mr Fethullah Gulen. Work began on the project in October
Outside the entry of the Nizamiye Mosque.
Traditional and modern wudu facilities.
Nizamiye school building.
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The roof of this room was specially designed and painted by the artists who came all the way from Turkey. All materials in this complex such as marbles were imported from Turkey. Mr Ali Katircioglu (popularly known as
AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIMES
Indigenous art of wire bending.
Nizamiye Mosque.
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ISSUE 167 / OCTOBER 2019
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UMMAH 23
EDUCATION 24 - 26
BUSINESS 27
TRAVEL 28 - 29
TRAVEL
SOCIAL 30 - 31
Johannesburg Nizamiye Mosque 2009, and it was officially inaugurated by the South African President Jacob Zuma on 4 October 2012. The basic plan of the mosque was adopted from the 16th century Ottoman Selimiye Mosque in Edirne, Turkey, designed by
Mimar Sinan. The name of the mosque was inspired by the 11th century Nizamiye Madrasahs, a higher education institution system used in Baghdad and other parts of the Muslim world. The Nizamiye Complex has several insti-
tutions besides the mosque and serves as a community centre with its several halls and facilities including a full-time school with Ottoman-style buildings. This complex has a huge mosque, a museum, medical centre, barber shop, restaurant
Internal courtyard of the Nizamiye Mosque.
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and 11 shops. It is open to public and people from other faith are welcomed here. Nelson Mandela when he was president, advised Uncle Ali to open a clinic that would provide free treatments to the local public. Doctors in this complex are employed by the government. The medical centre provides free treatment to the local public. We had the opportunity to meet Uncle Ali, almost 80, a humble character with an iron resolve and offered Juma prayers with him. Nizamiye School was opened in January 2012 and can accommodate up to 850 pupils open to the general public. The school has boarding facilities for around 300 boys. After the Juma prayers, the School principal Mr Isakh Turan invited us for lunch and we had a long conversation with him for more than an hour. Nizeme complex is a very busy place. Lots of activities are organised by the members of this complex. The ladies organises cooking classes where they teach local community to cook Turkish food. It is to teach cooking of Turkish food as well as to break the barrier and get connected with the ladies in the local community. Adjacent to the complex is a cemetery. The plan was to build an university, but since the turmoil in Turkey that project was abandoned because Uncle Ali’s assets was seized. The Nizamiye complex invites Imams from different sections of the Muslim community on a monthly basis to give khutba and lead the prayers, and the Nizamiye complex imams are also sent to different mosque in the city to lead the prayers on an exchange basis. Huseyin told us the story of Samantha, who wrote to him that she wanted to become Muslims. After 3 to 4 months she visited him and introduced herself and said I came here to become a Muslim. I said let us understand your inner dynamics. Why you want to leave Christianity and come to Islam? A man came while we were there. He is seeing Hussain every week as he wants to be Muslim. Huseyin is guiding him and discussing him about Islam. At Juma The mosque was filled with the local community from diverse backgrounds. Huge number of ladies came to pray as well. In the Nizaame complex good Friday was a family fun day with a great festive atmosphere After Jumma Families were there enjoying shopping as there were lots of stalls of food, toys and clothing. We nearly spent the whole day there and thoroughly enjoyed it. We had to catch a train ride from Johannesburg to Durbin the same evening and therefore had to hurry to get to the station. Next issue: Africa tour part 6 Train journey from Johannesburg to Durban.
The Oriental room inside the Nizamiye complex. Meeting with the Principal of Nizamiye School, Mr Isakh Turan (righ) and Salma (left.).
From left: Davud, Zia and Huseyin. OCTOBER 2019 / ISSUE 167
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#SOCIAL
NEWS 1-4
BOOMERANG 5-7
COMMUNITY 8 - 13
AUSTRALIA 14 - 15
CENTREFOLD 16 - 17
Social Spotlights Jihad Dib MP
My Home Disability Services
@jihaddib_mp
@MyHomeDisabilityService Last week we had a group of students from Unity Grammar visit us. Our participants enjoyed their energetic vibes and the delicious waffles they made with them. The students were very interactive and friendly. It was great meeting Osman Karolia and his colleges. We look forward to seeing you all again. Also a special Thankyou to brothers in need for always spreading awareness and encouraging new visitors to MHDS.
Great Cycle Challenge
A real pleasure to chat with @esbilgic tonight. Been a huge fan of the series Resurrection:Ertugrul and her character Halime Hatun for a long time. As you can see, I’m probably a bit over excited :D
@greatcyclechallenge Meet Tanja and her daughter Mariam! This is Tanja’s 7TH YEAR riding in GCC, and she’s aiming to take her total raised to a massive $30,000! Mariam joined her in 2014 and has ridden with her mum every year since. Tanja and Mariam ride to ‘keep hope alive for a cure’. Tanja told us, “it’s not really a question of why sign up again, rather…how can I not?” How amazing is this mother-daughter duo! Let’s show this them some love for their awesome efforts to kick cancer’s butt! <3 #gccoz #greatcyclechallenge #fightkidscancer
Muslim Professionals Association
@mpaaust
WINNER OF THE 2019 40 UNDER 40 ASIAN-AUSTRALIAN LEADERSHIP AWARDS (CORPORATE CATEGORY) DR IMRAN OMAR LUM
Together For Humanity
@together4humanity A beautiful day at @ourbigkitchen with students from Muslim and Jewish schools. We made 80 meals for the needy! #interfaith #interculturalunderstanding #justice #peace #socialjustice #feedtheneedy #together4humanity #togetherforhumanity #ourbigkitchen
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uBelong Here @Ubelong_here
I am honoured to be a recipient of the “Order of Australia John Lincoln Award” with my friend, the Captain of @StrathfieldGHS supported by Mr Ian Albertson @homebushbhs
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Dr Imran Omar Lum is a Director of Islamic Finance at the National Australia Bank (NAB). His primary responsibility is building the Islamic finance capability for bank’s Corporate and Institutional Banking division. At NAB, he successfully developed a Sukuk bond trading platform, an Islamic finance book of ~$800 million and executed ~$250 million of Islamic FX Forwards. All of these offerings are a first for the Australian market and NAB was awarded the Islamic Bank of the Year, Australia by The Asset Magazine’s Triple Islamic Finance Awards in 2019. Prior to this, Imran was the national Product Manager for NAB’s multi-award-winning Microenterprise Loans and under his management, the product was awarded Money Magazine’s Best Socially Responsible Product ’09. ISSUE 167 / OCTOBER 2019
LIFESTYLE 18 - 22
UMMAH 23
EDUCATION 24 - 26
TOP 5 Muslim Memes
BUSINESS 27
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#SOCIAL
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“Just call me Salah, TOP 6 to rhyme with Galah” Tweets #ClimateStrike
Why our stories matter Australian Muslim Musings
Salah, as he preferred to be known, actively sought to foster ‘interfaith dialogue’. He was invited to speak at various local events and in 1953 he addressed a group at a meeting arranged by the Taree Ministers’ Association. Salah focused on one of his key beliefs - that individuals were entirely diverse and that ‘the secret of unity lay in this diversity’. Following a hit and run accident on Parramatta Road in 1953 that left him with a spinal injury, Samman used the incident to spread his ‘Golden Rule pledge’: “At home and on the road, In all relationships I’ll love my neighbor as myself. This do I pledge.” The little we know about this Auburn resident tells us a lot about the importance of local stories/ histories and their role in the broader Australian Muslim narrative. Stories that we can relate to give us a sense of place and help us form a connection with the person we are reading about or listening to. Storytelling also inspires communities to action, and now more than ever, we need to tap into this valuable tool, this fundamental human experience in order to communicate, educate, share and make deeper connections with all members of our local communities.
A few months ago, I came across a photo of a man in the ‘Personality Pix’ section of one of Australia’s most popular weekly tabloid-style magazines of the mid-20th century Pix (1938-1955). The man was Muhammad Salah-Al-Samman and the caption read, “it seems impossible that the young man pictured above should be an Australian. But he is. He comes from Sydney, has blue eyes and an unmistakable Aussie accent” (Pix, 20 August 1949). Samman’s family emigrated from Damascus Syria to Sydney around 1860 and at the age of 18, he enlisted with the AIF where he fought in the Western Desert Battles. He was then transferred to New Guinea before being discharged in 1946. After touring the Middle East for the next three years he returned to Sydney in 1950. Reflecting on his journey, he stated that these travels brought home “two major facts – first, that the Moslem communities knew little or nothing Australian Muslim Musings is about each otha social media platform for exer. Second, that ploring the history of Australian relations beMuslims, sharing tween Islam and the rest of stories and inspirthe world could be ing broader comstrengthened by mUNITY engagea better acquaintment. ance.” A digger, a story-teller, an Australian Muslim who actively inspired interfaith relations (Courtesy, National Archives Australia).
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Millions of students and other activists abandoned school and work on Friday 20 September 2019 joining global mass protests calling for action against climate change before a UN summit.
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