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Muslims stand in solidarity Order of with Indigenous Australians Australia for Uncle Hashim Amara Khan
Muslims from around Sydney joined members of the wider Sydney community gathered together at the Invasion Day Rally on Tuesday 26 January 2021 at Djarrbarrgalli, the local Gadigal word for Sydney’s Domain in spite of the restrictions due to COVID-19 pandemic. For Indigenous people and their allies, 26 January, the so called Australia Day is not a day of celebration, but one of mourning and one of healing. It has been named as ‘Invasion Day’, also known as ‘Survival Day’ or ‘Day of Mourning’ marking the beginning of a long fight for justice and liberation for the First Nations People. It marks the arrival of the First Fleet in Australia in 1788, formally declaring the land as belonging to the British colony. Decades on, First Nations People demanded the truth of Invasion Day to be unveiled to Australians and recognising the ongoing pain and suffering experienced by the Indigenous Community at the hands of settler colonialism. The rally was also joined by indigenous people from Kashmir, Palestine and other parts of the world, now living in Australia, showing solidarity for indigenous Australians, who know the adverse impact that settler colonialism, occupation and oppression has on surviving indigenous cultures. continued on page 2
Abdul Rahman Hashim Alim Akbar
Raising alarm: Hindutva hate speech in Australia Zia Ahmad A number of webinars, organised between Thursday 18 and Friday 19 January, supported and published online by Hindu Council of Australia , where speakers used hate speech against Islam and Muslims has raised great concern amongst members of the Australian Muslim Community. Inflammatory statements by Islamophobic speakers using the typical Hindutva hate speech and incitement against Muslims aired from the platform of a mainstream Hindu organisation in this country has the potential of creating a communal divide disturbing the social fabric of Australia. The inflammatory statements clearly incite the same type of hatred that saw the pogroms by Hindutva advocates against churches and mosques in India. The rise of Hindu extremism in India is also believed to be behind rising Hindu nationalism and isolationism amongst Hindu diasporas.
Pushpendra Kulshrestha dismissed Islam as a religion while defaming Prophet Mohammad (s) and his companions merely as tent dwelling robbers and rapists.
One of the speakers, Pushpendra Kulshrestha dismissed Islam as a religion while defaming Prophet Mohammad (s) and his companions merely as tent dwelling robbers and rapists concocting a holy book and befooling many in following it as a religion over the centuries. In order to mitigate the damage caused by
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such statements, the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC) invited senior leaders of the Hindu Council of Australia (HCA) together with a number of Muslims leaders for a dialogue and explanation in moving forward in an attempt to maintain communal harmony. continued on page 10
One of Canberra’s prominent, well respected and hard-working Muslim elder statesman, Abdul Rahman Hashim has been honoured with the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) on Australia Day 26 January 2021. He migrated from Malaysia in 1969, has been at the forefront of most Islamic community and student organisations since his arrival in Australia. Uncle Hashim, as he is now lovingly known, has not only served the Malaysian community and students in Canberra, but also has had a distinguished career with the Australian Public Service, spanning from 1972 to 1998, culminating in some senior diplomatic postings overseas. His service to the Muslim community in the ACT is unparalleled and to date he is still serving as the Treasurer of the Islamic Society of the ACT, which he founded in 1972. Dedicated to bridging the gap between the Muslims and the wider Australian community, Hashim has worked tirelessly to this end and today we reap the fruits of a Canberra where Islam is well accepted, and Muslims are regarded as fellow Canberrans. To further this very admirable commitment of his, Hashim joined the Rotary Club of Canberra City in 1974 and served in various positions, including President, until 1983. He later re-joined the Club in 1987 and served until 1996, once again being elected to various positions within Rotary, including at District level. He was awarded Rotary’s highest recognition, the Paul Harris Fellow in 1987. In his student days, Hashim was instrumental in the formation of the Canberra Council for Overseas Students, Malaysian Students Association, Canberra Muslim Students Association and the Australian Malaysian Society for the integration of Malaysians within the wider Australian community. continued on page 9
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Muslims stand in solidarity with Indigenous Australians Photo: @ the_human.animal
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Continued from page 1 Activists from the ‘Stand With Kashmir’ group, a grassroots organisation aimed at raising awareness of the ongoing brutal oppression of Kashmiris and highlighting injustice and gross violation of their human rights. For centuries, our Indigenous people of this country have been victims of genocide, dispossession, forced conversion, frontier violence, destruction of culture, exploitation, abuse, separation from families and subjection to unjust policies aimed at creating a further gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. The initial plan of the rally to march from the Domain towards the Royal Alfred Park was abandoned after a deal had been struck between the NSW Police and protest organisers in order to minimise tension and avoid
arrests. However, the message remains clear Indigenous People and their allies demand an immediate end to police brutality, state sanctioned violence, and a denial of their right to self-determination. Amongst the many speakers was Aunty Lizzy Jarrett, a Dunghutti, Gumbaynggirr, Bundjalung activist fighting on the frontline for justice. During her address she spoke about the power of Love, the importance of learning the art of loving one’s self, loving one another, and loving the desire to see the community prosper. Another speaker, Wiradjuri and Torres Strait Islander woman Lynda-June Coe stated that, ‘your government, your police force, your health system, every single system in this country is built on racism, and the one thing this country is still proud of is that history’.
It is loveless-ness that has brought about so much hurt, so much torture, and so much injustice. We have much to learn from our Indigenous brothers and sisters about the essence of courage, compassion, strength, and resilience. The alias for ‘Revolution’ is in fact ‘Love’. This is what we will carry on for generations until we see a change in the narrative, a change in the conditions, and a change in the spirit of the masses. We as a Muslim community ought to do more to stand in solidarity with the Indigenous Community, stand by their side in the fight for justice, and work towards becoming part of a movement that will see true liberation for our Indigenous brothers and sisters. To borrow the words of revolutionary freedom fighter Angela Davis, every day we have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world for the better. These ral-
lies, demonstrations and protests are a piece of the puzzle we call justice. We have much to do in order to heal the wounds of this country, to reimagine and rebuild the system that is designed to fail the Indigenous Community. We must become true allies and stand together in support of the truth. We need to show solidarity mourn with our First Nation brothers and sisters who are survivors of a settler colonial project rooted in hatred, divisiveness, brutality, and occupation. Sovereignty was never ceded. This was, is, and always will be Aboriginal Land. Amara Khan is a recent Law/Social and Political Sciences graduate from the University of Technology, Sydney. She is currently undertaking her Practical Legal Training at the Aboriginal Legal Service. Her areas of interest are politics, history, and philosophy.
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Sydney Leading by example: BBL drops the term: ‘Australia Day’ protest for
freedom in Egypt
Faseeha Hashmi It’s that time again. When Australian’s are supposed to celebrate our founding day. Yet, for many of our First Nation’s People, Australia Day symbolises ‘Survival’, ‘Invasion’ and most painfully, a ‘Day of Mourning’. Recognising the sombre meaning for Indigenous Australians, Cricket Australia is standing its ground by not referring to 26 January as “Australia Day” as part of its Big Bash League (BBL) promotion. Promoting cultural inclusion and respect, influential sporting organisations and numerous local councils across Australia have tried to respectfully open the conversation by opting to drop the term altogether. Cricket Australia has been leading the way by removing all references to its BBL promotions after consultation with its Indigenous advisory committee. As part of its effort to normalise the conversation over the contentious date, three BBL clubs will also be wearing Indigenous-inspired uniforms in matches on 23, 25 and 26 January. Co-chair of Cricket Australia’s National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cricket Advisory Committee Mel Jones said she backed the decision not to refer to ‘Australia Day’. “We’ve got five Indigenous players playing those games and a lot of Indigenous fans that come to the cricket, we just want to make this space as safe and inclusive as possible,” said Ms Jones. This comes as Federal member for Warringah and Winter Olympian Zali Steggall leads the charge to have a minute’s silence be observed on Australia Day. “January 26 provokes a range of emotions for many within our community,” said Ms Steggall. Historically, 26 January is a date of significance to many, as it marks the arrival of the First Fleet landing in 1788 in New South
Wales. “While it marks the commencement of European colonisation of this land, it also represents the commencement of violence, disempowerment and displacement of our Indigenous communities that …(have) created sorrow, discrimination and hardship that has lasted for generations.” The gesture could provide some level of acknowledgement and maybe a step towards national healing. “It is only right that we acknowledge all that this day represents and build remembrance into our ceremonies to recognise the price that has been paid by First Australians.” Tanya Hosch, a Torres Strait Islander woman in the AFL’s executive general manager has championed the rights of Indigenous players within Australian Football. In her role for inclusion and social policy, she was instrumental in securing an apology from the AFL for former Sydney Swans player Adam Goodes, following the racial vilification he endured throughout the final years of his football career. She says it is time for a mature conversation in Australia to permanently change the national holiday.
“I’m definitely one of those Australians who think we’ve got an opportunity for a nation-building moment to change the date that we hold ‘Australia Day’ on,” said Ms Hosch. She explained that day comes into question every year and remains unresolved until is it revisited each year. “I think that would be a great conversation for us to have as a nation. Because we have the conversation perennially — like every 12 months, we have the conversation — we have the same debates and the same ideas, but we don’t ever seem to resolve it.” Confronting as it may be, change is a fact of life. As a country, we must fully come to terms with our history and heal from the past; if we are to grow. The leadership of sporting bodies and other organisations gives little reason left for those resistant to change. Faseeha Hashmi, based in Melbourne has a Bachelor of International Relations from La Trobe University and a Master of International Relations from the University of Melbourne. A prolific writer, she has an interest in politics and human security.
Muslim concentration not related to Islamophobia A/Prof Karien Dekker People living in suburbs with concentrations of Muslims are less likely to express or experience Islamophobia, according to new RMIT research published in January 2021. The study led by Associate Professor Val Colic-Peisker and Associate Professor Karien Dekker examined whether the concentrations of Australian Muslims affected local community cohesion and Islamophobia. “The data, collected through an analysis of census data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, The Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, interviews with residents of Sydney and Melbourne as well as a large scale survey suggest that the significant presence of Australian Muslims reduces Islamophobia because they accidentally meet in the streets,” Dekker said. “We found evidence for the ‘contact theory’: when people meet regularly with other cultures fear and prejudice is reduced,” she said. Researchers from RMIT University and FEBRUARY 2021 / ISSUE 183
Western Sydney University focused on the effectiveness of programs to increase social cohesion in ten suburbs where many Muslims live: Broadmeadows, Campbellfield-Coolaroo, Dandenong, Fawkner and Meadow Heights in Greater Melbourne (Victoria) and Lakemba, Wiley Park, Auburn Central, Auburn South, Greenacre-Mount Lewis in Greater Sydney (NSW). “Many Australian Muslims are experiencing disadvantage on the labour market and have low incomes. This means they are concentrated in disadvantaged suburbs,” Dekker said. “On the individual level, respondents who are dissatisfied with their income and older respondents with low education tended to be more Islamophobic, which confirms findings of other Australian and overseas studies,” she further added. Respondents with more diverse local social networks expressed significantly lower levels of Islamophobia. The study shows that suburb attachment of Muslim and non-Muslim residents is lower in more disadvantaged localities. This was especially so for local Muslims, who liked their suburbs, interacted with their diverse neighbours and felt accepted and safe in their local areas. Interestingly, the share of Muslim Australians did not affect attach-
ment or satisfaction with the suburb. “We have clear evidence that it is the concentration of problems that people dislike, not the concentration of Muslims,” Dekker said. Libraries, community houses and playgrounds have been identified as a welcoming setting for Muslim Australians. Organisations that want to create more cohesive and less Islamophobic communities can best focus on fostering bridging social networks in the community: ongoing, positive local relationships between diverse cultural communities. “It seems that school-based programs, those targeting women, children and youth are most effective. It is also a very good idea to support local entrepreneurship and support migrant-run businesses,” Dekker said. The study was conducted in collaboration with the Islamic Council of Victoria and the Department of Social Services of the Federal Government. Contact: Associate Professor Karien Dekker, (03) 9925 3354 or 0409 001 218 or karien.dekker@rmit.edu.au Associate Professor Karien Dekker is an urban geographer and sociologist, she works at RMIT University Melbourne, Australia.
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AMUST Media On Sunday 24 January, a group of Egyptian Australians, part of the International Coalition for Egyptians Abroad (ICEGA) protested outside the Egyptian Consulate in Sydney, Australia in commemoration of the Egyptian revolution of 2011 during the ‘Arab Spring’. The military tried to brutally suppress the freedom fight of the people, killing a large number of people including the ones at Rabaa Aldawia massacre and putting thousands into jails. Until today, the military remains behind the scenes, and in full control of everything in Egypt hindering the efforts of the Egyptian revolution and destroy all hopes of democracy. The protests every year on this day raise the hope of the Egyptian people in achieving justice by overthrowing the corrupt Egyptian military dictatorship and achieving freedom and peace in Egypt. The revolution began 25 January 2011 in line with the simmering Arab Spring in neighbouring countries, and quickly spread across the whole country, gathering millions of Egyptian protestors on streets seeking freedom. Inspired by the Tunisian revolt, tens of thousands of young Egyptians rallied for 18 days of unprecedented street protests in Cairo’s central Tahrir Square and elsewhere in 2011, fighting against the monopolisation of power, as well as rising poverty and youth unemployment. The revolution has since devolved into a continuing crisis, plunging Egypt in protests, political deficit, violence and waves of brutal oppression. At the time, the demands were simple enough. They consisted of socio-economic reforms and the aim to overthrow the long time Egyptian dictator Hosni Mubarak. Mubarak, ruled Egypt for almost 30 years until he was finally overthrown by the Egyptian people during the 2011 revolution and later establishment of a democratically elected government led by President Mohamed Morsi. Yet the generation that claimed the streets against long-stagnant politics would soon be pushed aside by an intense conflict that pitted the military and secular parties against Egyptian activists. Military leader Abdel Fattah el Sisi’s rise to power pinnacled in the 2013 coup that overthrew democratically elected President Mohamed Morsi, two years after the revolution.
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Social Media is conditioned to be addictive Nada Khalifa The Australian Bureau of Statistics found that teenagers between the ages of 15 and 17 are the biggest internet users, with 99% of the people in that age group using the web, reaching 18 hours average weekly usage. Overwhelmingly, the amount of time Australian teens are on the internet is spent on social media which clearly indicates an addiction! Social media apps like Tiktok, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest are intentionally conditioned to be addictive to its users. But how exactly are they addictive? All types of social media apps and platforms use the same techniques to keep their users regularly engaged. Firstly, the number of followers, friends, views, reactions, clicks, tags, hashtags, likes, and shares are very demanded by us-
ers for social validation. The more likes, reactions or shares a picture or a video gets, the better it is. Social validation has become extremely crucial to some people that a person who does not get that validation are considered to be ‘unsuccessful’ or ‘boring’ or even ‘antisocial’. Hence, social validation is just one big technique. Secondly, social media have built a fear of missing out (FOMO) in people. Users catch up with the trends and celebrities’ lifestyles on social media through their feed or for you page. These are pages that everyone showcases their self and their lifestyle. These involve their clothing, the food they eat, the places they go to, the time they spend with their family and friends and much more. Which brings me to my next point, that people feed their ego via their posts and profile. In a study published in the respected Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Harvard University researchers conducted a series of experiments to assess how much people liked talking about them-
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impacts our physical, mental, and psychological health dramatically.
ADAM GHOZ May you rest in peace and be granted the highest ranks in heaven.
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selves. The results showed that humans spend 40% of conversations talking about themselves. Another research led by Diana I Tamir and Jason P Mitchell at Harvard’s psychology department, found very similar results, that humans devote 30–40% of speech output solely to informing others of their own subjective experiences. Interestingly, that number reaches up to 80% on social media posts, roughly double the amount on social media than in real life. Thus, this proves that users use social media platforms to represent themselves and gain their confidence through these presentations. Push button notifications are another method. When we receive a notification it alerts us, leading our brain to secrete a neurotransmitter called dopamine, which plays a role in how we feel pleasure. This creates a psychological graving, lur-
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ing us onto our phone screens. Our demand for social validation, FOMO, self-ego, push button notifications all lead us to comparing ourselves with others and we start to be competitive with one another in a virtual world! Hence, social media apps are built to create a sense of need and dependence for their platforms. The constant excitement, competition, and comparison that all social media apps create has an astronomical effect on people. Social media impacts our physical, mental, and psychological health dramatically. Many of us have indeed become addicted to represent ourselves in the best image possible. Nada Khalifa is a senior student at Al Noori Muslim School(ANMS) and is based in Sydney, Australia.
Words cannot describe the sorrow our Amity College family is feeling. It is with a heavy heart that we announce the passing of our beloved student, Adam Ghoz, who was involved in a tragic accident in Casula on Thursday 7 January 2021. Our deepest condolences and prayers are with the Ghoz family as they grieve their sudden loss. We wish Adam’s family, friends and loved ones utmost strength and patience to get through these troubled times.
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Normalisation of Israel by stealth continues On Monday 1 February 2021, Kosovo on Pakistan to normalise relations with Israel signed up to normalise relations with Is- resulting in a domino effect in paving way for rael and even recognise Jerusalem as Is- other Muslim countries to recognise Israel. These normalisation agreements by coerrael’s capital by establishing the Kosovo cion have been sanitised by naming them as embassy there. This is again part of the legacy of former the “Abraham Accords” disguising them as US President Donald Trump who “sought interfaith reconciliation between people of three Abrahamic faiths, Christians, Jews and to build political capital with Israel first Muslims. by moving the US embassy to JeThese normalisation agreements rusalem and recognising Israeli will now allow Israeli businesssovereignty over the Golan es to attract investment from Heights last year. wealthy Arabs and provide Israel has been working goods and services openly to hard in its attempts to norZia Ahmad the vast Muslim markets dimalise relations with Musrectly or indirectly. Assalamu lim countries in general and The sole beneficiary of this Arab countries in particular Alaikum is the state of Israel and the rich for years spearheaded by its Greetings and powerful in these countries, intelligence agency Mossad of Peace totally ignoring the indigenous targeting authoritarian leaders inhabitants of Palestine, Muslims as through a variety of incentives and well as Christians who have been suffering pressure against the wishes of the people from occupation, oppression and domination in these countries. Normalisation of relations between Unit- within Palestine and abroad since the creation ed Arab Emirates and Bahrain were an- of the Jewish apartheid state. Although Trump’s legacy of four years is nounced in September 2020, with Morocco in December 2020 and with Sudan in Janu- considered a dark period globally as well as a vast majority of Americans, his achievements ary 2021. There is speculation that Saudi Arabia will in the service of Israel have not only been follow suit at a time of minimum domestic hailed by Israel and its supporters, but by the opposition while intense financial blackmail new Biden-Harris administration as well. President Biden, soon after his inauguration from Saudi Arabia and UAE is being exerted
EDITORIAL
In your important editorial “South Asia: Bigotry with a difference” you describe worrying attacks ,on Hindu temples in Pakistan and on mosques in India and Sri Lanka. The Pakistan authorities are trying to prevent a repeat, not the Indian government. We in Australia have Moslem, Hindu, Buddhist, Jewish and Christian places of worship and can’t imagine any of them being attacked with impunity. New Zealand wasn’t so lucky in Dunedin, but that was an INDIVIDUAL terrorist, and the whole nation reacted with horror. DONT ALL THESE RELIGIONS PREACH PEACE? Stewart Truswell
Re: Despite chaos in Washington, Democrats control US government
It really doesn’t matter who is in the White House. They are all the same. War, war and more war. The US President is a puppet figure, controlled by the Deep State and beholden to the Zionist Jewish and Big Pharma lobbies and the Industrial Complex Industry. Muslims rejoiced that Obama was FEBRUARY 2021 / ISSUE 183
Re: The spirit of Christmas and the plight of Palestinians
Dr Vlazna, Thank you for writing and speaking out on the humanitarian plight of the Palestinian people. Shaoquett Moselmane
Re: 26 January does not unite all Australians
Remember this response from the PM to the show of some intelligence by Cricket Australia: “I think a bit more focus on cricket and a bit less focus on politics would be my message to Cricket Australia… When those 12 ships turned up in Sydney all those years ago, it wasn’t a particularly flash day for the people on those vessels either … You can’t just airbrush things that have happened in the past. I think one of the great things about Australia … is we are pretty up front and honest about our past.” — Scott Morrison. Bilal Cleland Australia must put an end to this debate about its history and officially and unreservedly admit to the wrongs committed against our first nations people. We must acknowledge and act on addressing their grievances and providing them with mechanisms to help them reach their aspirations . Its a fact that Australia was colonised. Its a fact that the Aboriginal and Torres straits islander people were, to say the least, maltreated. Its a fact of history one can not deny. The Aboriginal and Torres strait islander people deserve our frank and unreserved apology for past practices followed immediate by action to provide them with genuine voices and machinery platforms at all levels of our system of government and administration so that we, all together, help address their current shameful plight. Shaoquett Moselmane
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Australia on Wednesday 20 January 2021, embarked to correct most of the wrongs of the Trump era addressing racial divide, climate action, fighting COVID-19 pandemic, end to Muslim ban and humane immigration policy, economic stimulus package and global human rights, all highly commendable actions. However he himself, his Vice President and almost all members of his senior administration have hailed one of the legacies of Trump namely strong support for Israel at the expense of Palestinians, their aspirations to live with freedom and restoration of their human rights. Both President Biden and his Secretary of State Antony Blinken have expressed their support for the extension of “Abraham Accords” facilitating the normalisation of the relations of Israel with many more countries, this ditching the Palestinians who still will remain in limbo.
Re: South Asia: Bigotry with a elected many years ago thinking things will Re: US 6 January 2021: A rechange but alas he was the same monster as minder of the Iranian hostage difference Just as white supremacists in the USA are all the others. crisis incited to commit violence against Black Americans by their President, so too the Hindutva fascists are given free rein and impunity to perpetrate violence against Muslims by their PM Modi . Modi has racist form as chief minister of Gujarat: ” Let’s look at the carnage of 2002 first. On 27 February that year, a train coach carrying Hindu pilgrims caught fire in Godhra station in Gujarat. Fifty-eight people died. Within hours and without a shred of evidence, Modi declared that the Pakistani secret services had been to blame; he then had the charred bodies paraded in the main city of Ahmedabad; and let his own party support a state-wide strike for three days. What followed was mass bloodshed: 1,000 dead on official estimates, more than 2,000 by independent tallies. The vast majority of those who died were Muslim. ”. Dr Vacy Vlazna
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Readers comments Mohamed Soliman
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Not sure how you describe yourself as a historian, but clearly here you are attempting to deceive readers through deliberate omission. In 1953, the United States and the United Kingdom launched “Operation AJAX”. This was the overthrow of the democratically (the only one at the time in the Middle East) elected government of Mohammed Mossadegh. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki /1953_Iranian_coup_d%27état They did this because Mossadegh had effrontery to think Iran’s resources (principally oil & gas) were its own. At the time, they were literally being stolen from it by the then Brtitsh Anglo-Iranian Oil company (renamed to BP after its was finally kicked out of Iran). They never allowed Iran to audit what they were extracting and never paid anything like market value for even the oil they admitted to taking. The local forces they bribed and hired arrested Mossadegh and placed the Shah in power who then led a despotic, oppressive and utterly corrupt regime until he was other thrown in 1979. The Command & Control centre for Operation AJAX was the US embassy in Tehran. This was not only a severe violation of the diplomatic laws you quote, but a crime against humanity which all apologists (such as yourself) casually ignore.. Mohammed
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Indigenous Australians and Palestinians: Both victims of colonial terrorism Dr Vacy Vlazna
Fazlul Huq
That would be gone in a day or two but at times it continued to linger for many more days.
“One Pain, One Sorrow.” 2020. By Sukoon Quteifan, a Palestinian Australian Graphic Designer and Illustrator. “2. Reaffirms the legitimacy of the struggle of peoples for independence, territorial integrity, national unity and liberation from colonial and foreign domination and foreign occupation by all available means, particularly armed struggle;” Occupation and apartheid In Australia, violent genocide was replaced by the more covert cultural genocide ie the genocide of indigeneity through the government policy of assimilation intended to eradicate indigenous identity by cruelly and systematically destroying connections to family, the tribe and ancestral lands. Australia’s apartheid policies marginalised the First Nation peoples onto reservations and missions, restricted entry into white towns, exploited unpaid slave labour, their indigenous languages and sacred rituals forbidden, and mixed blood children (The Stolen Generations) were forcibly kidnapped from their parents for resocialisation – ie to be made ‘white’. Assimilation is where Australia differs from Israel. For Israel the assimilation of Palestinians is an anathema. The Zionist goal is racist; a pure Aryan-like Jewish state, rid of all Palestinians from the river to the sea. Ergo, Israel perpetrates a slow-motion brutal genocide and a relentless push of Palestinians over the exile cliff. Until the 1967 Referendum, Aborigines were government property: “The right to choose a marriage partner, to be legally responsible for one’s own children, to move about the state and to socialise with non-Aboriginal Australians, were just some of the rights which Aboriginal people did not have.” Sound familiar? Israel’s apartheid policies similarly impact on Palestinians. Israel has passed racist laws that impose severe movement restrictions dividing families, preventing family reunification and obstructing the marriage of couples who come from different zones. At least a third of Gazans have relatives in Israel and the West Bank. The personal pain
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see a thread of colonial superiority and racism binding Australia to Israel?
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Herd Loss In Immunity From Isolation
But every time he came out of isolation to visit the market place or a bank outlet, an office or friends at home, he was found have sore throat or a fresh bout of cold.
“... do you also
Resistance The British imperial genocidal wars and massacres (guns vs spears) such as those at Hawkesbury, Nepean Richmond Hill, Risdon Cove, Appin, Bathurst, Port Phillip, Swan River (Battle of Pinjarra), Gravesend, Vinegar Hill, Myall Creek, Kinroy, Rufus R, Long lagoon, Dawson River, Kalkadoon, Cape Grim, The Black war, McKinley River, West Kimberly, Tasmania resisted by Aboriginal warriors like Pemulwuy, Winradyne, Woureddy, Multuggerah, Yagan, Jandamarra, as well as starvation and western diseases decimated the dispossessed Aboriginal population to about 70,000 by 1920. Since the state terrorism of the Jewish State of Israel beginning with the Nakba – the destruction of 675 Palestinian villages and towns that generated the forced exile of two thirds of Palestinians into foreign and internal camps – Palestinians have bravely maintained both armed and non-violent resistance as is their right guaranteed under United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/33/24 of 29 November 1978:
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The old man and his dear wife too spent almost year mostly in isolation to help minimize spread of Covid-19. Although living on acreage they had room to move within bounds of the place.
Just as Israel’s Independence Day and the Palestinian Nakba Day, in remembrance of deportation and deadly dispossession, have a bloody symbiosis, Australia Day or Invasion Day, on 26 January, is celebrated or mourned according to the victors or the vanquished. The tragic past and near narratives of the suffering of unspeakable colonial atrocities against Indigenous Palestinians and Indigenous Australians bear close resemblance and are written in blood and great injustice. Is it just me, or do you also see a thread of colonial superiority and racism binding Australia to Israel? “Imperialism after all is an act of geographical violence”: Edward Said, Palestinian intellectual, author and activist. Terra Nullius Both Israeli and British colonists took the terra nullius doctrine i.e. ‘empty land’ approach to justify their brutal occupations and wholesale land theft of Palestine and Australia. The Jewish settlers claimed they had a God-given right to Palestine, ‘a land without a people’ and boast they made the empty desert bloom though for centuries Palestine traded in olives, oil, quinces, pinenuts, figs, carob, cotton, dates, indigo, artichokes, citrus fruit, almonds, mint, sumac and abundantly more. The island, named Australia by British invaders and colonists, was home to almost a million peoples of, at least, 200 nations that traced their ancestry back 120,000 years along spiritual songlines of the land to the Dreaming – to Creation and guardianship of country was/is a sacred trust. The Aborigines maintained their food supply with a sophisticated management of the land with fire.This genius was belatedly understood after the mega-bushfires of 2019-20 caused by non-Aboriginal negligent ignorance.
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of such enforced separations which deny Palestinians the shared and cherished moments we enjoy freely is immeasurable… grandparents have never seen their grandchildren who may live 5 kilometres away… adult children are denied the right to be with a dying parent…births…weddings…funerals ..are overshadowed by painful absences. Racist policies Australia’s Native Title Act, 1993, finally acknowledged that some Indigenous Australians ‘have rights and interests to their land that come from their traditional laws and customs.’ But, as mining boomed on resource rich indigenous lands, corporate colonialism reared its rapacious head undermining this landmark act with the Northern Territory Intervention. It was initiated by the Howard government in 2007 and maintained by successive governments including that of Kevin Rudd who made the historic apology to the Stolen Generations while indigenous communities were suffering the humiliation of apartheid welfare payments, now the Cashless Card, and struggle to survive in third world conditions. As the Prawer Plan was debated in the Israeli Knesset, the sound of the Australian government salivating with envy must have been deafening while imagining the power to evict, from their ancestral lands, 40,000 pesky Bedouins hindering Israel’s land expansion or the power to simply bulldoze Palestinian villages and orchards to build settlements for Zionist colonists. I hope that Australians who have fled the Australian-backed USA military imperialism from their homelands in Philippines, Bosnia, Vietnam Somalia, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Syria have empathy for colonised Australians on Invasion Day which is saturated with flags boasting the British Union Jack that mocks Truth, freedom and the fair-go of oneness. Colonial terrorism, disguised as civilised democracy, is not only perpetrated by the hollow men and women in authority. They are the monsters for whom you and I vote and without us they are powerless. Until our moral conscience, intelligence and compassion determines how we vote, we too are their accomplices. Dr Vacy Vlazna is Coordinator of Justice for Palestine Matters. She is the editor of a volume of Palestinian poetry, I remember my name.
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As this continued he was at a loss to know about what was happening to his own self. The best he could think, being in advanced age that he was ageing at a faster rate. Although he was happy to note that his mind remained fresh able to think, recollect and create anew. But when he shared this with his daughter, and others young and old, he was assured to know that others too were meeting with bouts of infection. Suddenly it dawned on him like a flash of lightning that the isolation had served to cause herd loss in immunity. Dr Fazlul Huq was an Associate Professor in Discipline of Pathology in the School of Medical Sciences University of Sydney (just retired). Besides being a poet over 29,000 compositions, he used to lead Cancer Research Group focused on drug discovery and therapy. Dr Fazlul Huq is a retired academic and Editor-in-Chief Emanreserch Journal Of Angiotherapy. He is also the poet “Jujube” at Allpoetry. com with over 35,000 compositions.
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26 January does not unite all Australians Bilal Cleland With the uproar around the murder of George Floyd in the USA, followed by the Black Lives Matter movement across the English speaking world, the notion of white supremacy has once again been put under the spotlight. The white supremacist/QAnon conspiracy insurgency in Washington, which appears to have been intended to remove political figures who disobeyed Trump, increased the intensity of that light. It is not only the USA with its history of indigenous genocide and black slavery which struggles to rise above its bloody past. The upsurge against slave trading “philanthropists” and colonial killers in the United Kingdom, leading to protective barriers being placed around Churchill’s statue, rattled conservative cages. Here in Australia BLM protesters took to the streets despite the pandemic, highlighting the 432 deaths in custody since 1991. The number was in fact higher; “… based on reports that have reached us from families and other sources, including coronial reports, we can say that number is now at least 437.” [Guardian, 9 June 2020] That the USA, despite its internal white supremacist terror threat, has produced a black president and now a black vice-president, suggests it is more civilised regarding
its racist undercurrent than Australia. Here in Australia the beginning of white settlement, the arrival of the First Fleet on January 26, is still the central national celebration. Independent MP Zali Steggall, who defeated the former PM Tony Abbott, called for us to observe a minute’s silence on that day to recognise the “price paid” by Indigenous Australians during colonisation. Abbott is remembered for telling one of the Sydney shock jocks “What happened on the 26th of January 1788 was on balance, for everyone – Aboriginal people included – a good thing because it brought Western civilisation to this country, it brought Australia into the modern world.” [SMH, 22 January 2018 ] He is an English immigrant and may not be aware of our colonial history of indigenous genocide but that may be too generous an interpretation. Of deeper concern is the opinion of a younger member of the federal government. Recently promoted Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, associated like several other ministers with Hillsong, accused Ms Steggall of “playing negative politics.” Despite all the evidence to the contrary, he claimed this day “united all Australians.” [News.com, 20 January 2021 ] The changing of one word of the national anthem from “young” to “one” which was supposed to be a gesture towards acceptance of First Nations concerns, is pathetic tokenism. Continued refusal to acknowledge the Frontier Wars, which marked resistance to
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Sydney, NSW, AUSTRALIA - 26 January 2019: Thousands of aboriginal protesters and supporters assembled in Hyde Park Sydney asking the government to change the controversial date of Australia Day. colonialism, adds to the refusal of the colonial mindset to come to terms with the real history of this country. What appears to be a “cop-out” appears on the Australian War Memorial website: “The “Frontier Wars” were a series of actions that were carried out by British colonial forces stationed in Australia, by the police, and by local settlers. ….but the Memorial has found no substantial evidence that home-grown military units, whether state colonial forces or post-Federation Australian military units, ever fought against the Indigenous population of this country.” [https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/ response-question-about-frontier-conflicts] The promotion of the commencement of
the penal colony, the beginning of convict slavery on this continent, as the beginning of our nation, insults the First Nations which were subsequently destroyed physically or culturally, as well as the suffering of those exiles from England who for minor crimes, were forever separated from their families. The adherence to the old imperial ideology found in “Brittania Rules the Waves” is still strong in the minds of the ruling coalition, despite masses of evidence that those days have long gone. Bilal Cleland is a keen reader, a prolific writer and a regular columnist of AMUST based in Melbourne.
China’s barbarous genocide of Uyghurs must be countered Dr Daud Batchelor Strong international pressure has erupted against the draconian policies of President Xi Jinping and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), who are trying to destroy the religio-cultural identity of the Uyghur people of East Turkestan (Xinjiang) and forcefully assimilate them into the dominant Han community. A Canadian parliamentary committee declared last year that China’s Uyghur policy amounts to ‘genocide’ as defined in the UN 1948 Genocide Convention. The conclusion on genocide of Uyghurs and other Chinese Muslims, was confirmed by the Trump administration, while Secretary of State-designate Blinken concurs it is ‘genocide’. Rather than promoting a healthy multicultural-ethnic nation like Australia’s, the Chinese have made to ‘disappear’ whole nations over past millennia. Is this not barbaric extremism? Ethnic groups forcefully assimilated during historical expansion of the Han from their origins in the North China Plain, include the Wuhuan and Xianbei, the Qiang, the Dongxiang and Jie, the Yue people of Min Viet and Baiyue (Southeast China), and the Dian (Yunnan). The Vietnamese threw-off the Chinese yoke after 900 years and preserved their identity. Their courageous example inspires hope for the Uyghurs. Rights groups believe one to three milFEBRUARY 2021 / ISSUE 183
People rally outside the White House to urge the United States to take action against the Chinese government to stop the oppression of the Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims.
lion Uyghurs and other Turkic-speaking Muslims have been incarcerated in camps in north-western China; the largest mass internment of an ethnic-religious minority since World War II. Witnesses say China seeks to assimilate Uyghurs by eradicating Islamic practices, including forcing Muslims to eat pork and drink alcohol, forbidden in Islam. Chinese authorities subject Uyghur women to mass sterilisation, forcing many to take birth control measures or have abortions. Detainees are forced to denounce their religion, forbidden to speak their language, and taught to adopt the norms of China’s Han majority (Leibold). In 2016, Xinjiang got a new leader, CCP strongman, Chen Quanguo, whose previous job was imposing control over Tibet. Massive expansion of internment camps for Uyghurs followed. Evidence including witness accounts,
satellite imagery and leaked government orders documents large-scale detention of Uyghurs. This author was himself refused boarding to a paid flight to Urumqi in 2017 due to new rules preventing foreigners spending more than a brief transit through the Uyghur capital (AMUST #152). The Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) has documented 380 re-education camps, detention centres and prisons in Xinjiang. The camps are similar to the mass indoctrination (‘brain-washing’) cum forced labour camps developed by the Nazis and Stalin-era gulags. Uyghurs are the victims of Modern Slavery and exploited for forced or cheap labour. The ASPI listed 82 international companies implicated as having links in their supply chains to 27 identified forced labour factories.
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They include Amazon, H&M, HP, Land Rover, Nintendo, Nokia, Sharp and Victoria’s Secret. Their report provides three case studies: one involving a factory “equipped with watchtowers, barbed-wire fences and police guard boxes” producing shoes for Nike, another supplying Adidas and Fila. Australian laws on slavery require companies to eradicate forced labour from their supply chains. What can be done to help the Uyghurs? I suggest the following: • Fund and Establish Uyghur Nation Centres world-wide and support the East Turkestan Government overseas to ensure their people’s continuing governance, culture and language are maintained. Declare that East Turkestan remains eternally the sovereign territory of the Uyghur people. • Promote Uyghur cultural performances. • Boycott the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and ‘Made in China’ products, especially those made for companies that utilise Uyghur forced labour. • Belt and Road agreements, such as with Victoria, should be rescinded. • Governments, Institutions and Han representatives worldwide, are invited to condemn CCP’s genocide policies. We request your du’a and advocacy that God Almighty blesses efforts of the Uyghurs and their leaders to seek freedom and end their genocide. Dr Daud Batchelor, holds an MA in Islamic and Other Civilisations and a Diploma in Islamic Studies from the International Islamic University Malaysia, PhD from University of Malaya, MSc from the University of London.
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Religious views on COVID-19 and vaccinations Rabbi Allen Maller Almost two-thirds of American believers think that COVID-19 is God telling humanity to change how it lives; according to a poll conducted by the University of Chicago Divinity School and The Associated Press which indicates many people are searching for deeper meaning in the devastating COVID-19 outbreak. The poll found that 62% of Americans who believe in God feel strongly or somewhat strongly, that the virus is a sign from God telling humanity to change. Evangelical Protestants are more likely than others to believe that strongly, at 43%, compared with 28% of Catholics and mainline Protestants. Among black Americans who believe in God, 49% say they feel strongly that God will protect them from the virus, compared
with 34% of Latino and 20% of white Americans. I think the poll should have asked two more questions about God’s protection. Whether or not people get infected depends mostly on the other people; but whether infected people die depends more on one’s own belief in God and one’s own previous health. The good news is that 26% of Americans polled say their sense of faith or spirituality has grown stronger as a result of the outbreak. Only 1% say their sense of faith or spirituality has weakened. All of us are being tested personally as individuals; and as organic members of a nation, a society and even the whole of humanity. We are tested as individuals as the Qur’an states: “Indeed We shall put you to test; some with fear and hunger, and some with loss of wealth, lives, and offspring. And (Muhammad) convey good tidings to those who are patient, who say, when inflicted by hardship, “Indeed we are of God and to Him shall we return;” upon them is the blessings
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of Allah and His mercy.” (2:155) And the Hebrew Bible states: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23:4) And we are tested as nation, community or a society as God states: “So that I may test them, whether they will follow My law or not” (Torah Exodus 16:4) and “Remember the entire path along which the Lord your God led you these forty years in the desert, He sent hardships to test you.” (Torah Deuteronomy 8:2). “Or do you think that you will enter Paradise before Allah tests those of you who fought and (also) tests those who are patient [sufferers]? (Qur’an 3:142). On the other hand super religious leaders in Israel have been pushing their followers to oppose anti-COVID-19 measures. Many members of the ultra-Orthodox community were slow to begin heeding social distancing regulations and initially resisted the shutdown of their schools and synagogues. Several prominent ultra-Orthodox rabbis opposed government efforts to close ultra-Orthodox schools as the pandemic began to spread across Israel in March and the fight goes on ten months later. Roni Numa, the government official who oversees the pandemic response in the ultra-Orthodox community, said in a press briefing on 18 January 2021 that more enforcement was needed to close Haredi schools for another 10 days, and emphasised that most ultra-Orthodox schools are closed, but about 15 percent remain open. Numa said that 30% of infections in Israel were coming from the ultra-Orthodox community, but it appears the very high rate of infection was decreasing. The ultra-Orthodox community constitutes around 10% of the general population. Some 20% of virus tests are coming back positive in ultra-Orthodox areas compared to around 5% in the general population. Meanwhile in Iran, media outlets controlled by the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei try to justify the government’s refusal to purchase COVID-19 vaccines. For instance, on 14 January, Asr-e Iran daily quoted a letter signed by ‘2,500 physicians’ as explaining irreparable consequences of US and British vaccines. And Iranian officials have made strange comments. For instance, Ali Asghar Annabestani, member of the Parliament (Majlis) Social Affairs Commission, said, “American and
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British vaccines will make its users sterile and they are carcinogenic.” And there’s a difference of opinion amongst Islamic scholars about taking pork gelatine and making it undergo a major chemical transformation. Is that still considered to be religiously impure. The majority consensus from past debates over pork gelatine use in vaccines is that it is permissible under Islamic law, as “greater harm” would occur if the vaccines weren’t used, said Dr Harunor Rashid, an associate professor at the University of Sydney. There’s a similar assessment by a broad consensus of religious leaders in the Orthodox Jewish community as well. “According to the Jewish law, the prohibition on eating pork or using pork is only forbidden when it’s a natural way of eating it,” said Rabbi David Stav, chairman of Tzohar, a rabbinical organisation in Israel. If “it’s injected into the body, not (eaten) through the mouth,” then there is “no prohibition and no problem, especially when we are concerned about sicknesses,” he said. Yet there have been dissenting opinions on the issue — some with serious health consequences for Indonesia, which has the world’s largest Muslim population. In 2018, the Indonesian Ulema Council, the Muslim clerical body that issues certifications that a product is halal, or permissible under Islamic law, decreed that the measles and rubella vaccines were “haram,” or unlawful, because of the gelatine. Religious and community leaders began to urge parents to not allow their children to be vaccinated. “Measles cases subsequently spiked, giving Indonesia the third-highest rate of measles in the world,” said Rachel Howard, director of a health care market research group Research Partnership. “A decree was later issued by the Muslim clerical body saying it was permissible to receive the vaccine, but cultural taboos still led to continued low vaccination rates,” Howard said.
“All of us are
Sukoon Quteifan Buraida said that he heard God’s Messenger say: “A human being has three hundred and sixty joints, upon each of them charity is due.” On being asked who was capable of doing that he replied, “It may be mucus in the mosque which you bury and something which you remove from the road; but if you do not find such, two rak’as in the forenoon (Dhuha) will suffice you.” Source: [ Hadith: Sahih Al-Albani ] As most joints are too small to be observed with the naked eye, it was impossible for Prophet Mohammad (s) to have known their number in the human body.
The exact number of joints was discovered with recent developments in the fields of anatomy and histology. However, the Prophet (s) accurately pinpointed their number fourteen centuries ago. In addition, this hadith emphasizes the status and virtue of Dhuha prayer, two rakaahs of which is sufficient as a charity on behalf of every joint in the body, and a sign of genuine gratitude to Allah. The Prophet (s) said: “None is diligent in establishing Dhuha prayer except one who is oft-repentant (awwab), and it is the prayer of the oft-repentant.” Source: [ Hadith: Sahih Al-Albani ]
Sukoon Quteifan is a graphic designer and illustrator based in Sydney, Australia. She is the creator and the illustrator of “Sukoon Al Quloob - Peace of Hearts”, an Islamic Cartoons facebook page. You can follow her on facebook @SukoonQuteifanArt.
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The Scientific Miracle of The Human Joints
being tested personally as individuals; and as organic members of a nation, a society and even the whole of humanity.
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 website 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’ (31 articles previously published by Islamic web sites) is for sale ($15) on Amazon. ISSUE 183 / FEBRUARY 2021
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Order of Australia for Uncle Hashim
Continued from page 1 Most of the above organisations still exist but Hashim’s lasting legacy will be the formation of Canberra College of Advanced Education Students Union. The College, which is now the University of Canberra still has the Students Union active and functioning for the welfare of the students. When the above student and community bodies were initiated by Hashim, he had to take the helm as the President or the Chair to guide them through their formative years. Later he served on the committee of most of the bodies. In total, Hashim has initiated six organisations for the welfare of students, especially, overseas and Muslim students and five community bodies for the advancement of Muslims and Malaysians in the ACT. Despite being 79 years of age, Hashim is still active in the Canberra Muslim community. Currently he, with some other community minded Muslims, is involved in Islamic burial rituals such as the bathing and shrouding of the deceased and the arrangement for burial at the Muslim cemetery. Hashim is a qualified and registered pastoral service provider with the Canberra Hospital’s Pastoral Care and visits Muslim patients in the two main Canberra hospitals on a weekly basis. He reads to the patients from the Holy Quran, prays for and with them and generally provides them with comfort and solace. The latest venture that Hashim is launch-
ing is the AMAR Community Services Network, an umbrella body that will endeavour to serve the Canberra Muslim community by harnessing the various facets of government paid welfare services, which sadly most our Ummah is missing out on. Services included in this venture are AMAR Aged and Respite Care, AMAR Community Welfare Services, AMAR Islamic Education and AMAR Community Education. AMAR Aged and Respite Care is proposed to be a modern, up to date aged and respite care facility to cater for the fast growing and rapidly ageing Muslim population in Canberra. AMAR’s aim is to provide our Muslim seniors with a homelike atmosphere with full medical and professional aged and respite care and at the same time respect and cater for their religious, cultural, social and dietary requirements. AMAR which stands for Australian Muslim Aged and Respite Care Cooperative Limited has elected Hashim as its first Chair for the Board of Directors. Hashim is well regarded by the ACT Muslims and the greater Australian community for his diplomacy, honesty, integrity and his dedication to serve humanity to the best of his ability. His tenacity for detailed accuracy, drive and enthusiasm to help the under privileged and the deserving has made him worthy of this award. Within the Malaysian community he is known as the “unofficial ambassador for
Malaysia’’ as he not only serves the Malaysian community and students in Canberra but is well regarded by the officials of the Malaysian High Commission and is often consulted on matters pertaining to all aspects of social, religious, cultural and local events. The award of the Order of Australia Medal bestowed on Abdul Rahman Hashim by the Governor General of Australia has
gone to a most deserving, ever helpful and a staunch community-minded Muslim – an award well deserved. May Allah shower His blessings on Hashim and grant him a long life so that his services may continue to be available to us in the future. Alim Akbar has been involved with various Islamic organisations for the past 47 years.
Who is Abdul Rahman Hashim OAM? Amadu Barrie It’s nothing short of an understatement to say most of Canberra’s Muslim and multicultural communities are excited that one of its own, Mr Abdul Rahman Hashim or uncle Hashim as he is fondly called, was recognised with the Order of Australia Medal (OAM) on Australia Day Tuesday 26 January 2021. The once in a lifetime opportunity has been covered by both mainstream media like the ABC Radio Canberra, Canberra Times Newspaper, Australian Muslim Times AMUST and on social media rightly covering his life and achievements in Australia. The award is also widely covered by the media in his native country of Malaysia thanks to a tweet from the Australian High Commission in Malaysia. This article tries to shed some light on uncle Hashim’s life in his native Malaysia prior to relocating to Australia in 1969. Uncle Hashim, now 79, came from a
Uncle Hashim and wife, Zaiton Jamil, at a function during younger days in the ‘80s.
modest background. He was born in Alor Setar in the state of Kedah in Malaysia to an Indian father from Kerala in India and a local Malay mother. The eldest of 6 living children; 2 brothers and 3 sisters, his father ran a small kiosk selling sweets and cigarettes before moving on to groceries adjoining to a café shop. Hashim attended the Alor Merah prima-
A group staff photo at the school where uncle Hashim was teaching (Sultan Abdul Halim Secondary School in Jitra, Kedah, Malaysia – SMSAH) taken at the beginning of 1969 shortly before his departure for Australia. In the photo, uncle Hashim is standing behind those seated, 3rd from the left. His late wife (Zaiton Jamil) who also taught at the same school is in the same row, 2nd lady teacher from the right. There is also one Australian lady teacher of English (Australian Volunteers Abroad (AVA) Program), Margaret Bowering, seated at the far right. She received her OAM in June 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honour List for services to Higher Education. FEBRUARY 2021 / ISSUE 183
ry school and Sultan Abdul Hamid College secondary public education institutions. After completing his year 10, Hashim was awarded a scholarship to undertake teacher-training at the Birmingham Institute of Education in the UK. He was at the Institute at the same time with the sister of another popular Canberran of Malaysian decent, Mrs Zuraida Shelmerdine, Mrs Zawiah and
her husband. He returned home in 1962 after completing his studies in the UK to teach at an Upper Secondary school (Sekolah Menengah Sultan Abdul Halim) until 1969 before deciding to undertake further studies in Computer Science in Canberra, Australia. Between 1962 and 1969 Hashim taught both students and teacher-trainees. He also participated in a pilot Biology TV Education program for Year 10 students, aired in schools across Malaysia. Upon graduation in Computer Science at the Canberra College of Advanced Education (CCAE) in 1972, he was ahead of his time in Malaysia as computers were still non-existent there then. He accepted a job offer with the Australian Public Service Board in Canberra and decided to remain with his family in Canberra. Uncle Hashim was married with a daughter and a son. His wife passed away 10 years ago from cancer. His daughter works with Vision Australia in Melbourne and has a daughter and son while his son works at Sheraton Waikiki in Honolulu and has a daughter. Amadu Barrie is an ICT Systems Analyst with the Department of Human Services.
Uncle Hashim, wife and members of the Malaysian community celebrating Eid festival at the home of the then Malaysian High Commissioner’s Defense Adviser Colonel Nazri Aziz (now Brigadier General). Uncle Hashim’s late wife, Aunty Zaiton Jamil (with white hijab) is seen standing beside close family friend aunty Zuraida (also late).
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COMMUNITY Raising alarm: Hindutva hate speech in Australia NEWS 1-3
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Continued from page 1 The CEO of AFIC, Mr Keysar Trad organised a dinner on Saturday 30 January at Harris Park attended by the former President of HCA, Professor Nihal Agar, current Secretary Mr Sai Paravastu and Mr Bhagwat Chauhan together with a number of leaders from various Muslim organisations. It was conveyed that the President of HCA Mr Prakash Mehta could not attend due to a family emergency. Welcoming all those present Mr Trad said that AFIC, whilst accepting the reason for Hindu Council president Prakash Mehta’s inability to come from Canberra due to a family emergency, was disappointed that the Hindu Council Vice President was unable to make it. “We are happy that our long-time friend Professor Nihal Agar, former president of the Hindu Council was able to join us to offer his regrets over the inflammatory speech made by the Indian PM’s speech writer during the 19 January 2021 Webinar, ” Mr Trad said. While putting the meeting into a historical context, Mr Trad said, “Muslims have contributed to India’s growth and development for over 1200 years. Muslims transformed India into one of the most rich and powerful nations on earth.
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From left: Professor Nihal Agar, Imam Azhari and Keysar Trad at meet with community leaders to mitigate damage from hate speech.
He further added, “The majority of Indians remained Hindu during Islam’s contribution to India, the temples were protected as were the places of worship of minority religions.” “Muslims have always been well-wishers for India, however, RSS, BJP and Indian government intolerance towards minorities has transformed India. We’re extremely upset over the forceful annexation and blockade of Kashmir, the racist Citizenship Amendment Act, the pogroms and the ris-
ing sectarian intolerance in India,” said Mr Trad. The secretary of HCA, Mr Paravastu explained that the webinars were held at the time to commemorate the 19 January 1990 “The Kashmiri Pandit Exodus Day” and while accepting the Islamophobic hate speech during the webinar informed that the offensive remarks have now been edited out of the current online version of the webinar videos. The President of AFIC, Dr Rateb Junaid
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addressing the gathering on phone said, “The social disharmony in India breaks my heart. Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and minority faiths lived in harmony in the subcontinent for over 1200 years” “I welcome you all and look forward to continue to work together in harmony so that we can remind our families in India of what we once were, neighbours, friends and brothers, and what we can again be: United in our love for India rather than divided by political opportunists,” he concluded. AFIC National Sharia Board (ANSB), Imam Abdul Quddoos Al Azhari said, “We all love India and want the best for India, this best only comes when citizens are accorded freedom from hate, freedom from violence, freedom from divisive political opportunism, freedom to learn, to work and to believe and follow the faith of their choosing. I ask you to put your hand in mine to live as brothers and sisters in Australia and to remind the leaders in India that India’s prosperity lies in respecting the religious and cultural freedom of all the people of India.” Other speakers at the dinner event included Professor Nihal Agar, Dr Haroon Kassem from The Humanism Project (THP), Mr Zia Ahmad from AMUST, Ms Shafaq Jaffery from Pehchan TV, Dr Sarfaraz, Mr Mumtaz Mian, Mr Aijaz Khan and Mr Abraham Zoabi. In moving forward members of the Muslim Community demanded that a written apology from HCA be tendered assuring the community that such hate speech has no place in Australia and Islamophobic speakers should not be given the opportunity to disturb communal harmony in Australia. The Secretary of HCA assured that he will convey these sentiments to the Board of HCA for a response. “Muslims will always strive for social harmony and mutual respect, however, whilst we reach out, we also say that we will take an assertive stand to defend our faith, defend our beloved prophet, peace and blessings upon him, and defend human rights, whether these are the rights of innocent Hindus caught up in the RSS/Hindutva racism or Muslims in Kashmir, Assam or the rest of India. We want to see a fair India, an India that celebrates Multi-cultures and Multi-faiths just like Australia. Australia’s success is vastly enhanced by our celebration of religious and cultural diversity, we wish the same success for India, but it must first eliminate religiophobia and xenophobia,” Mr Trad concluded before ending the meeting. Zia Ahmad is the Editor-in-Chief of the Australasian Muslim Times AMUST.
Promotion of disturbing hate webinars held in Australia
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Peaceful car protest in Australia against forced cremation in Sri Lanka Amaani Siddeek Sri Lankan Muslims in Sydney gathered as a motorcade to protest against the ‘cremation-only’ policy being implemented in Sri Lanka, a policy that has been identified as discriminatory and a human rights violation. The policy, which was in place since April 2020, has received global backlash for its forceful cremation of COVID-19 fatalities with reports of some cremations being done without the consent of the family, sparking protests in countries across the world. The motorcade headed by the Austra-Lanka Muslim Association (ALMA) made its way around Western Sydney towards Sydney CBD on Sunday 10 January 2021, bearing posters that called on the Sri Lankan Government that the “Sri Lankan Government is denying the burial rights of Christians and Muslims.” ALMA President, Mr Ubaidur Rahmaan Mahmood said, “Cremation has left the minority communities, especially the Christian and Muslim communities, feeling helpless.” The Sri Lankan Government continues to cite “ground water contamination” as its primary reason for implementing a ‘cremation-only’ mandate for all COVID-19 fatalities. The claim has since been debunked by epidemiologists and virologists across the world. The World Health Organization clearly identified that burial of coronavirus fatalities is safe and that burial rights may be permitted if adapted for COVID-19 safety
ALMA President Mr Ubaidur Rahmaan Mahmood addresses protestors.
regulations. Nearly 10 months into the pandemic and with numerous petitions, protests and global outcry, Sri Lanka remains one of only two countries in the world that continues to implement the policy. “This has nothing to do with science,” Mr Mahmood said. “Many opposition politicians [in Sri Lanka] have pointed out that the hardline policy of the government is nothing but to hurt the feelings and religious practices of the Muslims,” Mr Mahmood explained. As the car parade made its way throughout Sydney, protesters expressed the need for proactive global intervention. “It’s absolutely devastating,” one protester, Mohamed Fazli, said, “we believe burning is a punishment that only God has the
A motorcade makes its way through Sydney suburbs, protesting against forced cremations
right to do.” For many Muslims in Sri Lanka and around the world, burial of the deceased is one of many sacred rights that must be upheld by those who are alive. But under the stringent policy, the extensive burial rites dedicated to the deceased are unable to be carried out, leaving the surviving families distraught from the loss and from the inability to hon- our them properly. “It is our responsibility to bury the dead,” said Mr Fazli. “We have failed them.” Burial rites are not just present in Islam but are also upheld by many Christians, Jews and through- out other cultures as well, prompting many communities to rally together against the human rights violation. During early December 2020, protests held in the UK saw Muslims, Christians and
Catholics unite in solidarity against the policy. “We at South Asia Solidarity Group, stand in solidarity with the Muslims, Christian and Catholic communities of Sri Lanka who are at present facing the thoroughly inhumane and arbitrary policy laid down by the Sri Lankan government,” said protest organizer Baazir Rahman. “Mourning and grieving for their loved ones has become a fraught political issue, provoking great pain and anger amongst the Muslims and Christians,” he said. Amaani Siddeek is a freelance journalist with bylines in both The Guardian Australia and Central News UTS.
Australia’s COVID-19 CALD communities take vaccine information charge of Energy Bills campaign AMUST Media
AMUST Media The Australian Government’s $23.9 million public information campaign to encourage Australians to get a COVID-19 vaccine begins today. The campaign will keep Australians fully informed and up to date about the safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines as they become available, including when, how and where to get the jab. This follows Australia’s first COVID-19 vaccine approval by the Therapeutic Goods Administration – for the Pfizer vaccine. From the start of the pandemic, the COVID-19 campaign has been a trusted source of information for the community. The new vaccine campaign will build on this, providing timely, transparent and credible information to all Australians. The new campaign will be in three phases: • Reaffirm that COVID-19 vaccines have been put through our world-leading independent approvals process, ensuring both the safety and efficacy of our vaccine candidates • Provide information on how the vaccine will be rolled out, particularly to priority groups, and dosage requirements. • Inform people about how and where to get vaccinated, dosage requirements, and support vaccine uptake. The roll-out will begin by providing protection to those who need it most – the elderly and disabled, and frontline workers who are tirelessly working to save lives and protect lives. The information in this campaign, based FEBRUARY 2021 / ISSUE 183
on expert, and independent, medical advice, will help answer the questions people may have. The campaign will run across a variety of mediums, including television, radio, press, digital, social, mobile, search and out of home. To ensure the campaign reaches all Australians, special committees representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, people with a disability and the multicultural community are informing the communication approach, ensuring communications are appropriate and disseminated through the best communication channels to these communities. Australia is a vaccination nation – we have one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. Australians understand that vaccines work. They save lives. They improve lives. They protect lives. I am confident, given Australia’s high vaccination coverage rates that Australians will take up a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine in equally high numbers. This campaign will help every Australian to understand how the vaccine works and how it will keep them and their family safe.
A new program is helping people from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) backgrounds to take charge of their energy bills during summer, when energy use and household energy bills typically increase. Delivered in language, in culture, and in community, the Voices for Power ‘Train the Trainer’ Project will turn leaders from seven different cultural and religious communities across Sydney into “energy experts” who can then share energy insights and tips with members of their community, while also advocating on their behalf. The $200,000 pilot program is a partnership between national energy retailers AGL and Origin Energy, New South Wales electricity distributors Ausgrid and Endeavour Energy and gas distribution company, Jemena. The program will be administered and delivered by Sydney Alliance, a civil society coalition. Thuy Linh Nguyen, Project Lead of the Voices for Power Project at Sydney Alliance said the Alliance had received feedback from over 1,160 community leaders who stated many people are experiencing structural, technological, language and other barriers when it comes to understanding energy, or being able to engage in meaningful decisions. “Our members have told us that they prefer to receive important information in-language and through people and places they’re familiar with and trust, including peers, local community and religious lead-
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ers,” said Ms Nguyen. “This project provides a strong platform for informed community conversations around energy. It’s encouraging to see energy companies come together to help improve energy affordability, advice and outcomes for people across our local communities.” Speaking on behalf of participating energy companies Jemena’s Managing Director, Frank Tudor, said the program is a first of its kind in Australia. “As an industry, we want to ensure no one is left behind when it comes to energy,” said Mr Tudor. “Through this program, we will work closely with people from across the Filipino, Vietnamese, South Asian, Pacific Island and Maori, Jewish, Middle Eastern Christian and Muslim communities to understand what they’re most interested in and concerned about, how they wish to be communicated with, and develop information resources that empower them by being tailored to meet the unique needs of their individual communities,” said Mr Tudor. “Our ambition is to empower community leaders to support others to take control of their energy concerns, adopt simple energy safety practices, and negotiate a better deal on their power bills.” Workshops as part of the Voices for Power ‘Train the Trainer’ Project are expected to commence in March, with the program scheduled to run until December 2021. For more information about the program visit www.sydneyalliance.org.au /voicesforpower
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Culling of nonnative animals
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Australians help Burundian refugees Humanity’s crime? in Ugandan camps
Philip Feinstein
Rida Ansary We cannot imagine our daily lives without them, we need cows for dairy and chickens for eggs. We need bees for the sweet gooey syrup that goes on our toast. We need sheep for the wool that keeps us warm and even the little suckerfish that cleans our goldfish tanks at home. Every animal has a purpose, whether it was here in the first place or not. Yet, we seem to find it acceptable to choose whether an animal belongs in our ecosystem or not. A few weeks ago, a racing pigeon arrived in an Australian backyard, worn out from its trip all the way across the Pacific. The owner of the backyard, Kevin Celli-bird, was later contacted by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection service and told to catch and hand over the bird, a missing contestant from an Oregon bird race. They suspected the bird was a ‘threat’ to local bird species, due to its being from the US. They feared it may pass disease from its homeland to the local birds and informed Celli-bird it would be put to death. Now, perhaps it would be wise to consider, why did the bird arrive here in the first place? Let’s go back in time to the rule of Sulayman (a), who was king of humans, jinn, and birds. “One day he inspected the birds, and wondered, “Why is it that I cannot see the hoopoe? Or could he be absent? I will surely subject him to severe punishment, or ˹even˺ slaughter him unless he brings me a compelling excuse.” It was not long before the bird came and said, “I have found out something you do not know. I have just come to you from Sheba with sure news.’’ (Quran: Surah Naml 20-22). The Hoopoe bird was burdened with such a weighty responsibility as a messenger that a prophet of Allah threatened to punish the bird for not appearing at the assembly of creatures. His responsibility of relaying news from distant lands is reflective of the immense value Allah has given to the smallest of creatures. Every single animal has a purpose and a job. Perhaps the racing pigeon was here to provide key information on the migratory patterns of birds. Rather than welcoming it and helping arrange its return, actions were taken to dispose of the creature that arrived on Allah’s will. On a more serious note, a similar stance has been taken regarding another animal, the European rabbit. Since the introduction of rabbits in Australia, a deadly virus has been used by the government to keep rabbit
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numbers under control. The Mixomavirus was released in 1950 after rabbits grew in large numbers due to fast breeding rates after being introduced for recreational hunting in the 1800s. According to the CSIRO website, initially, the idea of using the virus to kill off a large number of the rabbit population was rejected, as rabbits were a source of income for many people and due to their popularity as pets. However, there were claims of the virus being related to the outbreak of encephalitis in humans in Victoria. These were swiftly dismissed when the head of CSIRO injected himself and was unaffected. The first wave of success for the virus was in January 1951 when a large number of rabbits living in watery areas were infected. The Myxoma virus was not consistently successful and had to be replaced once rabbits began to grow immune to it through genetic mutation and adaptation, and an even more lethal virus became the next biological weapon. In the 1980s scientists began to conduct experiments with the Calicivirus or ‘Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease’ on Wardang Island, off the coast of South Australia. This virus had a much higher success rate due to its mortality rate, killing over 70% of infected rabbits. The virus was released in the past decade and is in use today, infecting household pets and wild rabbits indiscriminately. The symptoms include loss of appetite, difficulty breathing, abnormal bleeding, and sudden death. Humanity was given responsibility for all other living things to care for them and make the best use of them; when did this ever mean we could decide whether they belong in our environment or not? The rabbit issue could easily be solved in a humane way by farming them for meat to be transported to famished places around the world. This would help to keep the numbers under control while being more merciful towards the animal we deem as a ‘pest’. It was humans who brought the rabbits in the first place, starting the ‘plague’. It is our God-given duty to clear our mistakes with wisdom. Allah entrusted us with the planet, it does not mean we decide life and death. It simply means it’s under our care until the appointed time comes. After all, “There is no man who kills a sparrow or anything beyond that, without its deserving it, but God will ask him about it.” - (Hadith: Ahmad and An-Nasai)
Music for Refugees ran a fundraiser in Sydney last year for the refugees of Burundi who were, and still are living in poverty in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. The main focus of the fundraiser was about a church and refugee camp clinic in Uganda called Abaryango in Nakivale, where there was no water, very little medical supplies and shocking living conditions. The money collected at the fundraiser was sent to that refugee camp and after lots of construction work, they now have water, reasonable medical services and much better living conditions. See the pictures below. Philip Feinstein, head of Music for Refugees in Australia and the organiser of the event said: “It was wonderful to see so many Australians put their hands in their pockets to donate money towards these unfortunate people. The evening was good fun with lots of Burundian dancing and singing, but it was the desperate situation of the refugees that really got people to come to the fore.” Margaret Court of Australian tennis fame, has just won a prestige Australia Day Award for her tennis accomplishments. The Aus-
tralian government did not recognise her anti-gay and anti-lesbian stance, as well as her acceptance of the dangerous Burundian state to have a consulate in her Perth church. Uganda recently had their elections and the result was excellent from a Burundian refugee perspective, as the previous government remained in power and will hopefully continue helping the refugees as they have in the past. In Australia refugees in all detention centres are isolated because of COVID-19 and they are not allowed any guests and their lives are quite miserable. “We are hoping that the government, which has done a good job in preventing COVID-19 from spreading, will also allow these poor souls to have a better life, together with social groups, we are still waiting to have access again to do our music jams for refugees in detention,” Philip said. Music for Refugees continues to hand out music instruments to all refugees wanting one. “We have opened a branch in Melbourne, so Victorian refugees will now also have easy access” said Philip. Do you know of a refugee wanting a free music instrument? Contact Music for Refugees on philip@musicforrefugees.org. Philip Feinstein is a Sydney based writer, musician and activist working for MUSIC FOR REFUGEES www.musicforrefugees.org
Rida Ansary is a high school student in Sydney planning to study in the International Relations field. She is interested in matters relating to politics and how to improve the world.
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Sacred People, Sacred Earth
A Year of Climate Action
religious leaders as well as regular people of faith, and it will form part of the international multi-faith voice at COP26. The second way to participate is to join our Day of Action on 12pm, 11th March. We are asking faith communities and places of worship around the world to ‘sound the alarm’ and call for climate justice. Each place of worship can choose its own way to interpret this – by calling the Azan, performing a short prayer, a dhikir group, meditation, or whatever that feels appropriate for you and your community. Neighbourhood and family groups can be involved too. We are hoping each action group will record their ‘sounding the alarm’ on social media on the day, and if you can, get local media to report on the action. In the weeks leading up to Thursday 11 March, ARRCC will be holding online training sessions on producing effective videos for your action, basic Facebook and Twitter skills to publish them to social media, and we also have an action kit to help you organise and get in touch with other multi- faith groups across Australia who are gearing up for the day. Go to arrcc.org.au/global to sign up, or you can get in touch at fahimah@arrcc.org.au. This year we must shine the light on need for urgent climate action. Muslims and other people of faith have a credible voice in turning the tide from inaction to zero carbon, and we must speak up now, louder than ever.
Fahimah Badrulhisham
While the Covid-19 pandemic has dominated headlines and occupied our attention, the climate crisis has not stopped. It’s more urgent than ever that we work together to achieve deep, rapid emissions cuts, and we can do that by changing our lifestyles and changing our systems. The Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC) is one of the founding partners of Greenfaith International (GFI), an ambitious global multi-faith climate justice advocacy group. We launched last year with members from 15 partner countries: Australia, Indonesia, India, Germany, UK, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Brazil, Chile, US and Canada. GFI’s mission is to create communities to transform ourselves, our spiritual institutions and society to protect the planet and create a compassionate, loving and just world. We demand bold and immediate climate action from individuals, faith communities, businesses, and governments. These ambitious demands form the basis of ‘Sacred People, Sacred Earth’, our 2021 Year of Action . We have a series of campaigns planned throughout the year to build a global movement of strong faith voices so our demands can be heard at COP21 in November. We would like to invite Muslim commu-
nities all over Australia to add their voices to our campaign. The Year of Action starts with a multi faith
statement that calls for the creation of a just world order while tackling the climate crisis. This letter will be signed by high profile
Fahimah Badrulhisham is a committee member of the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC) . She is also an architect specialising in sustainable homes.
Leading Australians join marie claire in rally to prevent violence against women AMUST Media Three Australian federal parliamentarians - Linda Burney MP (Barton), Dr Anne Aly MP (Cowan) and Senator for Tasmania Jacqui Lambie - have joined marie claire’s campaign to create nationally consistent legislation that criminalises coercive control –a precursor to the domestic violence and murder of women. The politicians join Sue Clarke, mother of Hannah Clarke who was murdered in 2020 with her three children, Nithya Reddy, sister of murdered Sydney dentist Preethi Reddy, TV personality Edwina Bartholomew, model Tania Gacic, actor Danielle Cormack and journalist Jess Hill and urge all Australian’s to sign a petition in support to criminalise coercive control. In a year likely to lead to federal election, Are Media and marie claire are calling on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to take carriage of this issue and work with state governments to implement national laws to prevent the intimidating abuse, financial control and humiliation which presents in 99% of domestic violence murders. This would follow the precedent set by Scotland, the UK and Wales where coercive control is already recognised as an illegal behaviour. marie claire editor Nicky Briger says “Coercive control is abuse without a bruise and with intimate partner violence being the greatest health risk for women aged 24-44, and inconsistent state laws mean women’s lives are still being lost. “This country needs consistent coercive control laws across Australia, especially in the wake of worsening family violence statistics post-COVID. We are asking for FEBRUARY 2021 / ISSUE 183
Prime Minister Scott Morrison to listen to the calls of Australian women and to recognise this behaviour as a real and substantial threat to their safety.” adds marie claire editor Nicky Briger. According to Women’s Safety NSW, coercive control has not been enacted into a separate criminal offence in Australia, nor has it been incorporated into any existing domestic and family violence offences. There is no national consensus on the definition of domestic and family violence, or recognition of the common behaviours used by abusers to exert control and power over victims. While there are no coercive controls laws some governments are starting to consider reforms: FEDERAL: The commonwealth is currently holding an inquiry into domestic violence, which in part, is considering coercive control. TASMANIA: More than a decade ago, Tasmania introduced laws relating to domestic and family violence to prohibit economic and emotional abuse, and intimidation — yet these laws have rarely been used. NEW SOUTH WALES & QUEENSLAND: Both the NSW and Queensland Governments have indicated or are currently undertaking inquiries looking into legislative reform and the possible introduction of coercive control laws. SOUTH AUSTRALIA: SA is a step further along the track and is currently considering laws that would criminalise coercive control and impose a maximum jail sentence of up to seven years. OTHER STATES: Victoria, West Australia, the Northern Territory and the ACT have not yet introduced specific coercive control
Jacqui Lambie, Senator for Tasmania.
Linda Burney MP (left) and Dr Anne Aly MP (right) join marie claire’s campaign to create nationally consistent legislation that criminalises coercive control.
laws and while not ruling them out, are not moving towards change. Ensuring all States and Territories have consistent and effective coercive control laws, that there is appropriate training and education for the police and the judiciary to
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enforce these laws is essential if we are going to stop the murder of innocent women around Australia. “We urgently need more people to sign the petition at tinyurl.com/1t08n5or and put pressure on the federal government to act.”
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The dangers of personalising everything Princess R. Lakshman
“The only
person critical of me was me
How to respond to triggers Allah has blessed you with a mind with immense potential. You can use your mind and become aware of these damaging thoughts the moment they begin to occur. The following steps may help: 1. Pause 2. Breathe 3. Listen 4. Observe your body while someone is speaking to you. Is it getting hot, sweaty, muscles are tightening, heart palpitations, shallow breathing, heavy breathing, forehead frowning, nose squinting, eyes nar-
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Are you easily affected by people’s words? Do you retaliate and give a nasty comeback? Do you find that sometimes people’s comments are able to ruin your mood and frustrate you? Do their words play in your mind over and over, affecting you for the rest of the day or week? When you operate on a reactionary mode, your default setting is to react. Anything that is said to you and done to you, no matter how small, will trigger in you a reaction. Most times, these reactions are in the form of damaging thoughts that play over and over in your mind and slowly you begin to accept them as your reality. Assumptions about yourself and others are formed in your mind as a result of these recurring damaging thoughts. These reactions perpetuate your habit of personalising everything that happens to you and around you. You become sensitive to even a harmless comment. I struggled with this for years. Even a simple comment like, “You look tired” was enough to make me feel useless and a failure. I was taking everything as a personal attack and felt that I had to constantly defend myself. My reactions ranged from aggressive outbursts to passive-aggressive gestures. I lost faith in the goodness in people, thinking that everyone was critical about everything I did, and no one was ever acknowledging my hard work. I failed to understand that the only one attacking me was me. The only person critical of me was me. The only one doubting my abilities was me. All because I had chosen to personalise external factors and allow them to shape my reality. I was completely disconnected from my internal compass, my intuition.
rowing? By observing these body sensations, you will raise your awareness that these sensory manifestations are your physical signs to guide you on choosing the appropriate response. 5. Make the choice to remove yourself from the triggering situation. 6. Understand that other people’s words and actions have nothing to do with your purpose in life. 7. Find a quiet space and breathe deeply. Drink water to hydrate yourself during these few moments of silence. 8. Close your eyes and spend some quiet
moments thanking Allah for giving you the strength to choose calm over aggression. 9. Write your feelings down in your journal. Acknowledge them. Process them through journaling. Always remember, you are not your experiences. You are the force that overcomes them. Princess R. Lakshman is a writer, speaker, qualified clinical nutritionist, life coach and a counsellor. She is based in Sydney, Australia.
School leaders urge Victorian Government to amend conversion practices bill
Joy Dr Reginald Naulty Everything had been bleak, arid and painful; surely God, to whom he had been loyal, would do something, anything. Waiting at last came to an end; next to him, a bird sang, his favorite one, the eastern spinebill, whose wings brushed together when it flew, and a wind stirred around his face. There was joy in the world, there would be more; it is not constant, but like flowers, it is frequent, delightful and surprising, abundant. Dr Reginald Naulty, originally from Adelaide, has taught at Charles Sturt University and has been a prolific writer since 1972.
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AMUST Media Victorian Christian and Islamic school leaders are calling upon the Victorian Government to adopt their proposed amendments to the controversial the Change or Suppression (Conversion) Practices Prohibition Bill. “While we support a ban on coercive gay conversion practices, the scope of this Bill is far too broad and could prevent teachers
AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIMES
and parents exploring the best care options for young people who are questioning their gender identity,” said Vanessa Cheng of the Australian Association of Christian Schools. “Parents and teachers across the State are very concerned about this Bill and have sent thousands of emails to their political representatives. The way it is currently drafted, this new law could criminalise teachers and parents for encouraging their child to love the body they were born with,” said Mark Spencer of Christian Schools Australia.
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We applaud Liberal Democrat David Limbrick for taking a stand to oppose this Bill and agree with his statement that…“there is a genuine possibility that this legislation contravenes sections relating to religious freedom in both the UN’s Declaration of Human Rights and the Victoria’s Charter of Human Rights.”[1] The Victorian Government must demonstrate their respect for our communities by hearing our concerns and fix this deeply flawed Bill. ISSUE 183 / FEBRUARY 2021
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Essentials of Islamic Wills in Australia As Muslims living in Australia, it is important to be aware of your Islamic obligations and how they fit within the scope of the Australian legal jurisdiction. For example, it is possible to have estate planning documents such as a Will and/or an Enduring Guardian document, which comply with both shari’ah (Islamic Law) and Australian Law requirements. What is a Will? A Will is a document which sets out what you want to happen to your assets after your death. Your Will also states who is to be your executor. It is your executor who follows your wishes which are set out in your Will and generally look after your estate after you die. Your Will details who you wish to leave something to and what you want to leave to them. How is an Islamic Will different to a standard Australian Will? An Islamic Will distributes your estate in accordance with the Mawarith schedule, being the set shares as stipulated in the Qur’an (Surah an-Nisa). The Will states your wish to be buried in accordance with Islamic principles and provides details in relation to same. Further, in relation to your debts being paid from your estate prior to distribution, the Islamic Will also includes: payment of
any outstanding obligations between yourself and Allah (swt) as a debt to be paid, such as outstanding zakat. The Will stipulates details of acceptable beneficiaries who can received your estate as distributed in accordance with the Mawarith schedule. The Will also sets out further shari’ah aspects including but not limited to: the requirement that a beneficiary who is to receive part of your estate as calculated by the Mawarith schedule cannot be a Non-Muslim; or, to ensure that no part of your estate (not including a bequest), shall be inherited by a person whose claimed relationship to you is the result of a non-Islamic or unlawful marriage or through adoption. The Islamic Will incorporates the option to bequest 1/3 of your estate at your discretion. The bequest is distributed prior to the estate being divided amongst your surviving relatives in accordance with the Mawarith schedule. If an individual exercises their right not to make a specific bequest, their estate will be distributed solely in accordance with the Mawarith schedule. If however, an individual wants to make a bequest, they can only bequest up
“If you do not
have a Will you have no control over who inherits your assets after your death.
The 2 Minute Productivity Rule
Umar Khan The 2-minute productivity rule is a great way to improve your productivity and get things done faster! The basic premise, as in David Allen’s bestselling book, Getting Things Done, is that if something takes less than two minutes, then do it now. We put off so many things that we can finish in 2 minutes or less, such as sending an email, cleaning clutter on our desk and so on. If a task takes less than 2 minutes, complete it immediately. Will it take more or less than 2 minutes to do? The question we must ask when deciding whether to do a task immediately or set it aside for later. If the task takes longer than 2 minutes, FEBRUARY 2021 / ISSUE 183
to 1/3 of their estate (pursuant to hadith). The bequest can be made to i.e., a non-relative, a Non-Muslim or a charity/organisation.
What happens if you do not have a Will? If you do not have a Will you have no control over who inherits your assets after your death. The Succession Act 2006 (NSW) sets out a strict list of the beneficiaries of an estate, when someone dies without a Will. This strict list might not be what you want. It will also not automatically distribute the assets in accordance with Islamic Principles.
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Hayley Kelloway
Can an Islamic will be recognised under Australian law? Yes. A standard Australian Will generally
distributes an estate in percentages to elected beneficiaries. The Islamic Will also distributes an estate in percentages to beneficiaries however, both the percentage and the beneficiaries are determined in accordance with Shari’ah and not by the discretion of the individual making the Will (but for the 1/3 bequest option as previously noted). It is important to note, that it is the individual making the Will who uses their testamentary freedom to enter into the Islamic Will, thus acknowledging and approving the said percentage divisions. It is therefore possible for Muslims residing in Australia to have a valid Will, which is Shari’ah compliant and in accordance with Australian laws of inheritance. Hayley Kelloway is a practising solicitor with over 15 years’ experience; registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner (Mediator); and trained Family Law Collaborative Professional.
note it down in your second brain. That way you will declutter your mind and allow you to focus on the task at hand. Make sure to write the task down! Whether a task will take less than 2 minutes or more than 2 minutes, by using the 2-minute productivity rule, you’ll ensure your brain is less cluttered with little jobs that can eat away at your mind. Larger tasks meanwhile would have been noted down so that you remember to do them in the future – allowing you to focus on what’s really important to complete at that moment. Be productive! Umar Khan is a recent IBDP graduate, now attending Macquarie University and is based in Sydney, Australia. You can check out his blog at https://katutoring.com/blog/. WWW.AMUST.COM.AU
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Trump’s legacy: insurrection, impeachment and threats Dr Aslam Abdullah The chaotic US Presidency of Trump has finally ended, but the damage he has caused inside the country and abroad will linger on resulting in a divided America and polarised world. On the day of the failed ‘coup’ on Wednesday 6 January 2021, white supremacist supporters of Trump, Christian evangelists, Hindutva fascists, and Zionist extremists, hoisting their respective flags walked in the chambers of democracy with the possible intent to murder Democratic members of Congress and a few Republicans. The threat of violence from armed Trump supporters in Washington DC and all 50 US states leading up to the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday 20 January had lead to the mobilisation of US troops on advice from FBI. Now that the US Congress has voted to charge Trump with “inciting violence against the government of the United States” for his role in encouraging the rioters who stormed the US Capitol last week, a trial will be held in the Senate where a two-thirds majority will be required to convict Trump, needing the support of 17 Republicans voting with all the Democrats. The Police have so far learned of at least three more potentially gruesome demonstrations planned in the coming days, with one plot to encircle the US Capitol and assassinate people considered Trump’s enemies. Such plots are impossible without the help of Trump-supporting congressional staff. The noted documentary maker, Michel Moor, gave a detailed account of the Capitol
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terror attack in a brief write-up. Here are his seven conclusions. 1. This attack on the Capitol was an Inside Job. Some Republican members of Congress and their staff assisted the mob in getting into and through the Capitol building. 2. Various law enforcement elements also assisted in the attack, as rogue cops and current and ex-military were from around the country. Current members of the NYPD and the Seattle police force are in footage as part of the mob. Officials also identified active-duty troops participating in the attack – plus a police chief and a sheriff – as members of the group. The guy inside the House chamber carrying the large number of police-grade handcuff zip-ties is a retired Lt. Colonel. 3. Trump was the ringleader and the inciter – and when some officials made cries of help to him to send in the National Guard to protect the Capitol and the elected representatives, he refused.
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4. The attack was a dry run for more violent attacks the terrorists are planning to launch before the Inauguration. 5. Many Republican Congress members tell their staff to stay home on Wednesday “for their safety.” Everyone knew there would be trouble. Yet, stunningly, 1,900 Capitol Police were told to stay home on Wednesday. Only 400 reported to work. 6. So far, the officials did not charge the arrested terrorists as domestic terrorists. “Trespassing” is the most common charge. 7. White supremacists were everywhere in the mob. Some wore T-shirts proclaiming, “6 Million Was Not Enough.” The U.S. military and police departments across the country have many white supremacists and hard-core racists. Moore is not the only one who discovered the plot. Anyone watching the terrorists invading the Capitol figured that out. They knew the entry points; they knew the stairwell of Congress. They knew the chambers of congress members as if someone had briefed them about it. They had a plan and were willingly carrying it out. The President, his family, and trusted friends were watching it on television to await the news of the murder of a few Democrats and Republicans to declare a state of emergency and impose martial law to save the Republic. In the crowd were people who had sided with Trump during the last four years. One such group comprised of Hindutva fascists, the Indian PM Modi supporters, who had endorsed Trump in the Howdy Modi rally
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in his official capacity. He proudly told his Hindu fans in Houston in 2019, “Abki Bar, Trump Sarkar” (Elect Trump this time). In several Hindu temples, special religious ceremonies (havan) took place before the November 3 election seeking Trump’s deities. Angry at the loss of Trump, the Hindu fascists, carrying India’s national flag were present among the terrorists, cheering and inciting the crowd. For them, Trump was a reincarnation of Vishnu. It did not bother them that they were not yet the citizens of the country. nation in large numbers with religious symbols holding the Bible and praising the Lord. They received grants from their churches or wealthy donors to travel to DC to bring about revolution. Many of these religious fanatics were from law enforcement agencies or veterans with combat training. When Guiliani incited the crowd and assured them of a trial by combat, he was appealing to ex-servicemen and women to be part of the terrorist mob. Those who climbed the walls of buildings, broke the windows had come intending to kill. Some got killed. Zionist extremists hoisting Israeli flags were also part of the crowd with their plan. After all, a Zionist extremist was the son-inlaw of the President involved in ensuring the interests of the apartheid state in the Trump administration while coercing some Arab regimes into normalising relations with Israel. Zionist extremists such as the gambling Tzar, Sheldon, believe that the Democratic Administration could plot for the removal of Netanyahu while giving some concessions to the Palestinians. They view Christian evangelists as an ally for creating a greater Israel. The dangers are looking large on the Republic. The Inauguration of Biden would not suppress the terror by the groups mentioned above. Americans need to be aware of these groups and their intentions. A victory in an election does not mean a triumph over terror. Dr Aslam Abdullah is a resident scholar at Islamicity.org. He is also the editor of the Muslim Observer published from Detroit, MI, USA. He is based in the USA and is a trustee of the American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin. He has taught at several colleges and universities in India, England, and the USA.
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Despite chaos in Washington, Democrats control US government Mohamed Ainullah While mobs of pro-Trump supporters rioted and stormed the iconic American buildings in Washington on Wednesday 6 January, with Democrats winning both Senate seats in Georgia, the party now controls the Congress and the Senate in addition to the US Presidency likely to bring normalcy to the country after four years of mayhem by Trump. After weeks of Trump’s false claims about voter fraud costing him the presidential election, Washington erupted in chaos on Wednesday 6 January as his supporters stormed the Capitol during a joint session of Congress to certify the results of the recent US elections. David Smith from the University of Sydney writes in the Conversation, “Trump has spent weeks insisting the election was stolen, with very little push-back from the Republican Party. There have been some notable people who have challenged him, but even while this riot was going on, there were more than 100 Republican lawmakers trying to block certification of the election. This has been a highly opportunistic process on the part of Republican legislators.” “Amid all of this, it was inevitable at least
Trump rioters inside the Capitol Hill building.
some Americans would take the word of their current president very seriously. Having fired them up in this way, it becomes much harder to control mob behaviour. His belated tweet telling protesters to go home and go in peace (now removed by Twitter) was far too little, too late.” CNN reported, “The insurrection at the heart of America’s democracy, egged on by Trump’s rhetoric, represented a stunning show of force for the fringe movements and their adherents”. “The mob of Trump supporters who stormed the US Capitol on Wednesday included conspiracy theorists linked to QAnon and the Proud Boys — two right-wing extremist factions that President Donald Trump repeatedly refused to condemn during his election campaign last year.” Storming of Capitol Hill building in Washington has been compared with the storming and destruction of Babari mosque in India by Trump’s US and Modi’s Indian fascists respectively. US President Trump and his support for white supremacist has been compared with Indian PM Modi’s support for Hindu supremacists in India and the strong bond the two have developed during the last few years that has brought chaos in both nations.
US 6 January 2021: A reminder of the Iranian hostage crisis Dr Nahid Kabir As an historian, I can see similarities between the hostage crisis in 1979 in Iran and the Capitol Hill insurrection in Washington DC, USA in 2021. Before the former incident, Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini gave his followers his blessing to conduct this unlawful act against the American diplomats in Tehran, and before the latter US President Trump incited domestic terrorism against his fellow Americans in Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. On 4 November 1979 Iranian students seized the US embassy in Tehran and held it for 444 days. The American hostages were released on 20 January 1981. This horrendous incident was globally condemned. On 5 December 1979, The Australian published a letter from the President of the International Law Association, Australian Branch,
stating that the Executive Council of the International Law Association had condemned the Iranian students’ entry into the American embassy. It stated that it was illegal for the members of the receiving country, Iran, to enter the embassy of the sending country, the United States, without its consent. Thus, entry into diplomatic premises without the consent of the sending country violates principles of international law and fundamental standards of human rights. Iran’s relations with the West began to deteriorate when the Iranian spiritual leader Ayatollah Khomeini replaced the “Western-oriented dynastic monarchy” of the Shah of Iran with a cleric-led Islamic republic in February 1979. Khomeini considered the United States − which he called “The Great Satan” − to be the number one enemy of Iran, because the nation had given protection to the Shah of Iran. Khomeini declared the US embassy in Iran to be a “nest of spies” and demanded the return to Iran of the Shah and his assets. Instead of condemning the students responsible for the hostage crisis, Khomeini gave them his blessing
Capitol Hill insurrection, 6 January 2021: On 6 January 2021 US President Donald Trump’s supporters climbed the wall of the US Capitol building in Washington, DC. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana). FEBRUARY 2021 / ISSUE 183
Iranian hostage crisis, 4 November 1979: On 4 November 1979 Iranian students climbed the gates of the United States embassy in Tehran, and seized 66 hostages, mostly diplomats and embassy employees. Source: Wikipedia (Kabir). theorists is considered by many to be an act In the 2020 US election, Democrat Joe of sedition. There is now intensified presBiden defeated Republican President Don- sure on President Trump to resign. There ald Trump to become the 46th president of are calls from some American politicians the United States. But President Trump has that President Trump should be stripped of been misleadingly telling his supporters that his power by the 25th amendment of the it was a fraudulent election. On 6 January US Constitution or he should be impeached 2021, when the Congress sat to confirm that (New York Times). President-elect Joe Biden won the election, These two rebellious acts applied simiPresident Trump urged his supporters to lar strategies, climbing up the gates or the head to Capitol Hill with the message, “If wall to create havoc, chaos and terror over you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going innocent people. Yet the irony of these two to have a country anymore” (TIME). Pro- situations is that in 1979 the Iranian students Trump supporters vandalized the Capitol were “outsiders” attacking “American insidbuilding and this rampage led to the death ers”, while in 2021 the American “insiders” of five people. attacked their fellow “insider Americans”. In a tweet, President Trump called the Both acts were unlawful. Yet, the 2021 acpro-Trump mob “great patriots who have tion is so “un-American”! been badly & unfairly treated for so long” (Forbes). In a taped video, President Trump Dr Nahid Afrose Kabir is Professor of Hisreiterated to his supporters, “This was a tory in BRAC University, Bangladesh; a Visfraudulent election … You’re very special. iting Researcher at the Prince Alwaleed bin You’ve seen what happens. You see the way Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Underothers are treated that are so bad and so evil. standing at Georgetown University, USA; I know how you feel. But go home and go and Adjunct Professor at Edith Cowan Unihome in peace” (The Hill). versity and the University of South AustralPresident Trump’s incitement to white ia, both in Australia. supremacists, nationalists and conspiracy
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India: An overview of the year 2020 Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan
Farmers protest in December against recent agricultural reforms in Singhu, India. Photo: Sajjad Hussain.
The year 2020 was unusual in our recent history. Not only we grappled with an unprecedented epidemic, our country also saw during this year two of the biggest protest movements in our history. Anti-CAA-NRC protests The first was the anti-CAA-NRC movement across the country. This continued for more than three months and could be stopped only under the Corona lockdown restrictions. These protests were triggered by the contentious Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), piloted by Home Minister Amit Shah with a grandiose plan to marginalise Indian Muslim by snatching away citizenship of millions of them. This movement was spearheaded by ordinary people, especially by Muslim women who braved the cold weather and continued to protest at hundreds of sites across the country for over three months. The protests could be dispersed only using the Covid lockdown late in March 2020. While government refused to listen to the protesters or negotiate with them, administration and police everywhere, especially in BJP-ruled states, used draconian measures and violence to disrupt these protests. Huge fines were imposed on hundreds of protesters disregarding legal procedures. Delhi riot The year also saw a major communal riot in the north-east district of Delhi in the last week of February 2020. These were engineered by some BJP and Hindutva leaders while a high-profile state visit by the US President was midway. No action has been taken against people like Kapil Mishra who planned and ignited the riots in order to end the anti-CAA protests. Police has failed to take action against the real planners, instigators and executors of these riots. Instead, it is blaming the victims and anti-NRC protestors for plotting and carrying out the riots. Corona pandemic The year also saw total mismanagement of the Corona pandemic – whimsical and unthought of lockdowns, unlockdowns and re-lockdowns but there was no sign that the virus is being contained anytime soon. A real and hard problem was sought to be solved by gimmicks like “diya jalao” and “taali-thali bajao” campaigns. Taken in haste at four hours’ notice and complete disregard of consequences, it disrupted millions of lives and left millions of migrant workers and the poor to fend for themselves. Amid a severe lockdown, many of the migrant workers had to walk hundreds of miles to reach their homes in various states. It will take decades for us to regain what we lost during 2020. The pandemic exposed the weak healthcare infrastructure we have in the country. There are no signs anywhere that government healthcare will be improved. This leaves hundreds of millions of Indians at the mercy of heartless private hospitals which are using the pandemic to fleece the public. Blaming the Muslim community The worst part of this pandemic was that both government and media tried to blame the Muslim community for importing and spreading the virus. Most probably the virus was imported into India by the hundreds who descended on India with President Trump a month before the Indian lockdown. Tablighi Jamaat, and by extension, the whole Muslim community, was blamed to be spreading the virus as part of a diabolical conspiracy which, in fact, existed only in the sick minds of some government officials and mediapersons, especially the lap-dog (godi) media which is wont to turn every opportunity to malign the Muslim community as part of BJP’s polarisation plan. Poor abandoned to their fate
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There is no record of how many millions had to walk back to their homes or how many died on their way due to accidents, exhaustion and hunger. No compensation has been paid to the victims. Images include a toddler trying in vain to awaken his mother who lay dead on a railway platform. But there was no sense of shame or embarrassment on the faces of the rulers in Delhi or the state of Bihar where this tragedy occurred. In the process, millions of migrant workers were left to fend for themselves. Small businesses all over the country suffered a death blow. While government miserably failed to live up to the challenge, ordinary people and thousands of NGOs came forward in a big way to help the victims, poor and people stranded due to the lockdown. Economy The Indian economy is in shambles because of wrong policies like the ill-conceived demonetisation in 2016 and the thoughtless implementation of GST scheme shortly thereafter, in addition to the utter mismanagement of the Corona pandemic. Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) report claimed that 12.2 crore Indians (about 122 million), majority of them daily wage labourers, lost their jobs in April 2020 alone. Despite the acute economic crisis, the Central and state governments continued spending billions on promotion of Hindu religion and development of areas held sacred by Hindus. Modi adamantly went ahead with his Delhi Vista plan despite widespread criticism and shortage of funds for welfare schemes. The year also saw sharp decline in rule of law. Under Corona lockdown, Police everywhere started behaving as if it was the master and others were slaves. Even migrant workers walking back home were thrashed at umpteen places. Border dispute with China Another serious issue faced by the country during the year was mismanagement of the dispute with China. Modi had thought that hospitality of Chinese leaders and good words about relations between the two countries will win China’s friendship but the opposite happened and China occupied hundreds of kilometres of our land in Gal-
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wan Valley and Pangong Tso Lake region of eastern Ladakh, while Modi claimed on June 20 that there was no infiltration into our territory! The Chinese are still camping and building facilities on our land and the government is in denial while independent sources say that China is fast consolidating its new occupation with new roads, airstrips and other facilities. Instead, the Modi government tried to invoke national pride by banning 59 Chinese apps, including the popular short video app Tik Tok. Restoration of the status quo ante in our occupied land in Ladakh seems unlikely. Cheap political games Opposition-ruled governments were toppled in states like Karnataka, Goa and Madhya Pradesh. Attempts at other places like Rajasthan and West Bengal continued. Under the opaque electoral bond system, BJP is now the richest party in the country while coffers of other political parties are empty mostly as a result of the demonetisation exercise. During 2020, Central agencies were increasingly used for political gains. If the CBI seemed like a caged parrot under the UPA, the ED and NIA are acting as rottweilers under Modi 2.0. Hindu Temple The year also saw the laying of the foundation of a Hindu temple on the land of the Babri Mosque which was awarded to the Hindu party by the Supreme Court although it had accepted in its November 2019 order that it was a mosque for hundreds of years, that idols were planted in it by criminal conspiracy and that the demolition of the mosque was a crime. Then the Prime Minister of a secular state himself laid the foundation stone of a temple on 5 August amid elaborate Hindu rites. The “secular” divide between personal belief and political power was erased by a prime minister proudly presiding over a religious ceremony on a land claimed by another community. Fake Love Jihad: The year also witnessed a renewed vilification campaign against the Muslim community in the name of the fake “Love Jihad” which was given official sanction and BJP-ruled states started passing laws to criminalise inter-faith marriages
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under which only Muslims marrying Hindu girls are punished while Muslim women marrying Hindus are provided support and police protection. Manufactured crisis in Kashmir A manufactured crisis continued in Kashmir as a result of the thoughtless scrapping of Article 370 without consulting anyone, not even the stakeholders in the state. Kashmir remains since August 2019 under lockdown, political leaders are either in jails or under house arrest. High speed Internet remains denied to the Kashmiris amid frequent reports of violation of their human rights by the security forces. Farmers’ protest: Instead of trying to bring economy back on wheels, Modi-government passed three contentious pro-corporate laws for the agricultural sector without consulting any farmer or farmers unions and organisations. The farmers at once rose in agitation and when their voice was not heard despite two months of agitation in their respective states, they marched to Delhi where they are still camping on the borders of the capital, braving cold and open sky, yet there is no sign of government readiness to listen to their grievances. Government wants to wear them down and force them to retreat without any concessions. This is not a democratic approach. People and stakeholders must be consulted, heard and reassured. There are no signs that they will budge until their demands are met. Modi government is ready to defer the controversial laws for 1.5 years but the farmers are adamant on their total abrogation. Like the anti-NRC protests, the farmers’ protests too are popular and spontaneous with no role of political parties. Conclusion The year ended while we were still fighting a four-front war COVID-19, China, economy and communal politics. On all these fronts we are clueless about the next move of the government. This situation has highly dented India’s place and image in the world today. Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan is Editor, The Milli Gazette, New Delhi. ISSUE 183 / FEBRUARY 2021
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Religious pluralism: Will 2021 be better or worse than 2020? Rabbi Allen Maller The first two decades of the 21st century saw a major rise in the number of people in the USA who describe their religious identity as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular,” which now stands at 26% of the American population, up nine points from 17% in 2009. And the 2018 General Social Survey of US attitudes, “no religion” became the single largest group, edging out evangelical Christians. While the world struggled with the coronavirus pandemic, millions of people also had to cope with the usual plagues of extreme weather events in 2020, according to a report from the charity Christian Aid, which listed 10 events that saw thousands of lives lost and major insurance costs. Floods in China and India caused damages of more than $40bn. In the US, record hurricanes and wildfires caused some $60bn in losses. Christian Aid’s list of ten storms, floods and fires all cost at least $1.5bn – with nine of the 10 costing at least $5bn. Over a period of months, heavy flooding in India saw more than 2,000 deaths with millions of people displaced from their homes. The value of the insured losses is estimated at $10bn. China suffered even greater financial damage from flooding, running to around $32bn between June and October this year. In Africa massive locust swarms ruined crops to the tune of $8.5bn. The UN has linked these locust swarms to climate change, with unusually heavy rains in the Middle East and the Horn of Africa in recent years contributing to the locust outbreaks. I believe that all these events will produce in the next two decades a major post COVID-19 religious revival as Prophet Amos predicted: “Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord God, when I will send a famine on the land, not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, but rather for hearing the words of the Lord.” (Amos 8:11) But the next religious revival will happen only if the leaders of today’s religions are open to the desire of young people for religions that are not homophobic; and advocate religious diversity by respecting oth-
er religions because they do not claim an exclusive ‘we have the only truth’ or ‘our religion is the only one approved by God’ theology. According to a 2008 Pew survey, one in five Christians in America believe that non-Christian faiths cannot lead one to salvation. That number soared to 60 percent for white evangelical Protestants who attend church once a week. This is especially important for America’s Islamic leaders because the Qur’an is a strong proponent of Religious Diversity: “Indeed, the believers, Jews, Christians, and Sabians—whoever believes in God and the Last Day and does good will have their reward with their Lord. And there will be no fear for them, nor will they grieve.” (Quran 2:62) The Pew survey of over 35,000 Americans in 2 0 0 8 found that most Ameri c a n s a g r e e with the statement: many religions – not just their own – can lead to eternal life. Among those affiliated with some religious tradition, sevenin-ten say many religions can lead to eternal life. This view is shared by a majority of adherents in nearly all religious traditions, including 82% of Jews, 79% of Catholics, 57% of evangelical Protestants and 56% of Muslims. Thus, in 21st century United States most Christians, Jews, and Muslims have rejected the ‘only one truth’ religious mind set and believe in the Qur’an’s pluralism teachings: “For every one of you did We appoint a law and a way. If Allah had wanted, He could have made you one people, but (He didn’t) that He might test you in what He gave you. Therefore compete with one another to hasten to do virtuous deeds; for all return to Allah (for judgement), so He will let you know [about] that in which you differed.” [Quran 5:48] Only those who reject God by disbelief or by unrepentant evil activities will be the losers when Judgement Day comes. Although
most ‘only one truth’ or ‘only one God approved’ religious mind set theologians will learn that they might not be as smart as they thought they were. It is very important to understand that ‘religious pluralism is the will of God’ is different from religious, moral or cultural relativism. Relativism teaches that all values and standards are subjective, and therefore there is no higher spiritual authority available for setting ethical standards or making moral judgments. So, issues of justice, truth or human rights are, like beauty, just in the eye of the beholder. Religious pluralism as the will of God is the opposite of cultural psychological or philosophical relativism. T h e fundamental idea supporting religious pluralism is that religious people need to embrace humility in all areas of religion. All religions have always taught a traditional anti self-centered personal egoism type of humility. Religious pluralism also opposes a religious, philosophical, and self righteous intellectual egoism that promotes a tendency to turn our legitimate love for our own prophet and Divine revelation into universal truths that we fully understand and know how to apply. Religious pluralism teaches that finite humans, even the most intelligent and pious of them, can not fully understand everything the way the infinite One does. This is true, for every human being, even for God’s messengers themselves. When prophet Moses, “who God spoke with face to face, as a person speaks with a friend” (Exodus 33:11) asks to see God face to face, he is told, “You cannot see My face, for no man can see My face and live.” (33:20) Similarly, in the Qur’an prophet Jesus admits to God, “You know everything that is within myself, whereas I do not know what is within Yourself”. (Quran 7:116) And when Prophet Jesus was asked, in
private, by his disciples, “What will be the sign for your coming (back) and the end of the age?” (Matthew 24:3) Jesus warns his disciples about upheavals and false Messiahs that will come. Then Jesus concluded by saying, “But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, not even the son: only the Father”. (24:36) A similar statement was made by Prophet Muhammad when he was asked, “Tell me about the Hour”. He said: “The one questioned about it knows no better than the questioner.” (Muslim book 1 Hadith 1&4) God taught the general principle of epistemological humility through his Prophet who taught his followers “I am no novelty among the messengers. I do not know what will be done to me, or to you.” (Qur’an 46:9) In truth, the only universal truth should be the humility to admit: “Only God knows.” Or as Allah’s Apostle said, “Don’t give me superiority over Moses, for people will fall unconscious on the Day of Resurrection. I will be the first to regain consciousness, and behold! Moses will be there holding the side of Allah’s Throne. I will not know whether Moses was among those people who became unconscious and then has regained consciousness before me, or was among those exempted by Allah from falling unconscious.” (Hadith: Volume 8, Book 76, #524) As God declares through Prophet Zechariah: “These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord.” (8:16-17) Finally: “Righteousness is not that you turn your faces toward the east or the west, but [true] righteousness is [in] one who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, and the prophets and gives wealth, in spite of love for it, to relatives, orphans, the needy, the traveler, those who ask [for help], and for freeing slaves; [and who] establishes prayer and gives zakah; [those who] fulfill their promise when they promise; and [those who] are patient in poverty and hardship and during battle. Those are the ones who have been true, and it is those who are the righteous.” (Quran 2:177)
CITE offers a new major in Islamic Studies Nezar Faris The Centre for Islamic Thought and Education (CITE) at the University of South Australia (UNISA-Adelaide) is delighted to announce the offering of the new Major in Islamic Studies from semester 1/ 2021. All courses are fully online that could be taken locally and interstate. The major consists of main courses as follows: Understanding Islam, Islamic Law 101, Islam and Global Politics, Islamic Civilisation, Eastern Origins of Western Civilisations, Arabic Level 1A, World History Trends and Transformations, and Intercultural Communication. The Major will provide students with a deeper understanding of above mentioned courses. Understanding Islam aims to develop students’ understanding of the most fundamental aspects of the religion of Islam, including its origin, main teachings and practices, and diversity of its representations. The course enlightens the most important contemporary issues around Islam and Muslims such FEBRUARY 2021 / ISSUE 183
as Islam and democracy, women and Islam, Islam, and Jihad. Islamic Law 101 aims to develop students’ understanding of Sharia (Islamic Sacred Law), and the meaning and scope of Sharia, (dealing with law, ethics, morals, and spirituality). It aims to assist students in their understanding of Islam’s sacred law and its application in Muslim majority nations, and non-Muslim nations. Furthermore, it sheds light on the similarities and differences between Sharia and the Common law. Islamic Civilisation aims to develop understanding of the factors that led to the rise and fall of great Islamic empires; to develop students’ understanding of the conditions in which various Islamic empires originated, and the relationships between religion, power, culture and economy in their creation.
The course emphasises the interconnectedness between Islam and other civilisations, such as the Greek and the Western civilisations, by examining some contributions to science, mathematics, astronomy, and medicine. Eastern Origins of Western Civilisations aims to demonstrate civilizational interconnectedness through an in-depth study of the vital contributions of Indian, Chinese, Islamic and African civilisations to Western civilisation Arabic Level 1A aims to build beginner-level proficiencies in spoken and written Modern Standard Arabic and to stimulate intercultural reflection. It also aims to develop the learners’ capacities for successful interactions with Arabic-speakers in Australia or overseas.
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Islam and Global Politics aims to advance students’ knowledge about the role of Islam in contemporary international affairs through the prisms of both Islamic and Western discourses. The Major will enable students to engage with Muslims and non-Muslims on intellectual grounds concerning issues in the contemporary context, enhance their cultural and religious competencies and capabilities and manifests these understandings and knowledge in contemporary professional settings. The study of these courses can enhance career opportunities in media, politics, foreign affairs, and education. The courses are online, and the contents are designed in a welcoming and inclusive environment that makes for easy engagement with course coordinators and to meet your academic expectations. Students can choose to take the courses as Major, Minor or single electives. Nezar Faris is lecturer at the Centre for Islamic thought and Education, UNISA. He is the co-author of Leadership in Islam: Thoughts, Processes and Solutions in Australian Organizations and his work has appeared in The Leadership Quarterly Journal. Email: nezar.faris@unisa.edu.au
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The Abraham Accords: What next for Australia, Bahrain & Israel Simon Harrison After several years of patient but focussed statecraft the Abraham Accords 7 memoranda were completed and signed in Washington on 15 September last year and at its conclusion in Manama on 19 October 2020. The former US Administration hailed the Accords as a major milestone in the changing fortunes of the Bahrain Israel relationship. His Excellency Abdullatif Al Zayani referenced the Accord as a ‘Warm Peace’. In this context utilising the name of the Prophet Abraham encapsulates the aims of the Accords and his larger mission of enabling Muslims, Jews and Christians to recognise commonalities and common interests. This perhaps has never been more important than it is today. His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa recognised the importance of the Accords and of course, less we miss the wider issue, the importance of also moving forward for the Palestinian peoples stating that “we consider [a viable and independent Palestine] as a cornerstone for achieving a just and comprehensive peace”. And whilst the new American Administrations cascade of Executive Orders undid much of the Trump Era legacy the Accords are not one of those. Indeed the Accords have the full support of President Biden. So where to next for, especially in our context, the Accords and Australia’s role going forward. In November 2020 thanks to the significant efforts and initiative of Ron Gerstenfeld DCM at the Israeli Embassy in Canberra, the Australia Bahrain Business Council, The Australia Israeli Chambers Simon White and the Israeli Australia Chamber of Commerce’s
Paul Israel the first commercially led MOU was negotiated and executed between representees’ of these interests to promote and drive the Accords on a tripartite basis. As Ron termed it a “triangle of Trade”. One of the main focal points for the practical realisation of the Accords is in the arena of commercialisation, Food Security and logistics. The newly formed ‘The Australia, Bahrain and Israel Food Security Group’ has now been established to facilitate the Accords and bring together expertise from Australia, Israel and Bahrain in one holistic offering and purpose. Bringing together experts from the 3 nations under ‘The Group’ will assist Bahrain to link in a very practical and commercially progressive manner with Israeli know how and expertise. It has the potential to create a regional Food Security Hub under the templates developed by the Group which will draw on the food security and agri related commercialisation expertise of Israel and the Food and agribusiness experience that Israel and Australia offer as global leaders. It will also bring to bear the unrivalled commercial trading expertise of Bahrain which dates back as far as the ancient kingdom of Dilmun and has been perfected into an art by modern day Bahrainis. The potential is now to build upon the remarkable acceleration underway in the Bahrain SME sector led by the Bahraini SME Association and the Bahrain Economic Development Board. Bahrain’s role as one of the centres of regional and international gatherings focussing on economic development security and freedom of religion would see it play the major role in developing out the proposed Food Security and agribusiness hub. This would almost overnight create SME and strategic linkages trilaterally, give a much needed impetus to all nations Research and Development as well as creating trade and vocational training opportunities for all.
Most importantly it would be the initial powering conduit from which a myriad of relationships, trading and economic opportunities branching far beyond any initial remit would be established: a high profile, readily commenced and far reaching catalyst. As the holy Quran says in relation to Abra-
ham succeeding his trials that “Abraham fulfilled his engagements”. Let us now do likewise in our small way and fulfill our engagements. Simon Harrison is the President and Director of the Australia Bahrain Business Council.
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amust ISSUE 183 / FEBRUARY 2021
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Money habits series 3 and 4 Living within your means
Fahd Dameer Read part 1 and 2 here: tinyurl.com/yxjcvqqz This is something quite important, especially amongst the generations young and old, the youngsters often cop more flak for it unfairly. Life is about living within your means and not the designer clothes and luxury cars. If one has the got the spare cash, fair enough if they knock themselves out. If they later end up being indebted for the quick pleasures, well that’s their choice too. Hindsight gives everyone 20/20 vision. If you look at most successful people, you will see that they live within their means. They avoid a habit that most of the population is guilty of. The habit? The more they earn, the more they spend. I’ve always believed the successful journey to financial freedom is based not on how much we earn, but how much we keep. There are people who increase their credit card limit when their salary increases or finance a newer car because they can afford higher repayments. There are many reasons people’s spending increases when their income increases and below is just a small list, if one these reasons is at the forefront of their spending, it’s likely to reflect their situation and should ring an alarm bells: 1. Keeping up with the Jones’s
2. Avoiding the truth of their financial situation because it’s too uncomfortable 3. Immediate gratification 4. Sense of self worth 5. Maintain a lifestyle So from Series 1 and 2, if one does not track their money and have discipline they are increasing their chances of getting more and more behind. This is because most people end up maxing out their lines of credit, if they do not have any savings to access funds. The average debt per household in Australia is a whopping $168,600. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 30% of Australians were classified as over-indebted. Below are more statistics for us to consider and think on: 1. 62% of people aged 25-34 are over indebted 2. 51% of people aged 35-44 were over indebted The most common reason driving the above numbers is the lifestyle and people living above their means. Therefore, it is extremely important to live within your means and set ourselves up to make a difference in our lives and those of our loved ones. This is not financial advice. Please view our disclaimer at https://tabarr.uk/disclaimer/ Fahd Dameer is the co-founder along with Moin Zaman, of Tabarruk, a website that teaches halal investing on the ASX share market in Australia.
Protect the prinicipal
Fahd Dameer I recommend reading Moin’s article on the essence of making money work for you. This provides the relevant context for Series 4, Protecting the principal invested Let’s get right to it. The last principle which one needs to apply, is to never touch the principal. Principal - Principal is the original amount of investment made What does it mean, when someone says you should never touch the principal? Principle basically means, the amount of money you put aside to invest initially. This means whatever money you’re using to invest, should not be touched as far as possible, as they are decisions one is making to secure a long-term future. For eg Let us look at a company named Fortescue Metals Group Ltd (ASX: FMG), so that you have a real life I currently own 374 stocks of FMG, purchased at $9.27 which include brokerage fees. The principal amount invested was $3481.93. Let us look at the table below, to understand why I would never touch the principal, assuming the company grows in the same rate as the Australian Stock Market Index and whatever dividend is paid is invested back into the business. (FMG currently pays $1 for every share owned, annually)
The assumptions made is that the company will grow at 5% p.a. and the current dividend yield is 5.41% p.a. We also assume the dividend amount stays the same, throughout the lifecycle of the company. If the money is made to work for you, the table below shows its value for 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 years. The above table shows, why you should never touch the principle. A principal amount of $3500, has the amount to transform itself if you do NOT touch your principal. For this to be easier and have the base which allows it to work, I set up an emergency fund to cover myself and my family for 6 months as the first step before I started my investment journey. I realised later how important this step was, as there is no point investing if I was just going to sell at the first emergency that I came across in my life. Most of us are already at a disadvantage because we trade our time for money, working full time jobs to have a source of income. For people like you and me it becomes doubly important to understand why we should never touch our principle. As a result any money we spend from our income is directly reducing our wealth, which is why following the 4 money habits series becomes the foundational pillars to understand, digest and put into practice. This is not financial advice. Please view our disclaimer at https://tabarr.uk/disclaimer/
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psychCentral @psychcentral_aus When a world champion athlete attends and trusts our physiotherapy clinic in Liverpool we are truly blessed and excited Sonny Bill Williams
Mahbobas Promise @mahbobaspromise Masudah is an 8 year old girl living at our Badakshan Hope House. Masudah was born blind and until now, had never received the opportunity to have her sight restored thanks to our amazing sponsors ! Masudah travelled to Kabul to undergo life-changing eye surgery that restored sight in her left eye
Jihad Dib MP @JihadDibLakemba The ultimate in humanity. When every fibre in you says you should hate and be bitter, the Abdallah and Sakr families find something inside that says we should forgive. To lose your children is a tragedy but to respond in this way is an inspiration. Feb 1 designated as i4GiveDay. I am so honored to know these beautiful humans; they make me a better person.
Helping ACT @HelpingACT From Mohammed Ali’s FB: Australian Islamic Medical Association (AIMA) and Australian Red Cross collected pledges for Blood Donation at Friday Congregational Prayers yesterday at Gungahlin Mosque. More than 150 pledges were collected including that of Imam Hamza who lead the prayers, President of North Muslim Community Mr Abdul Bari, a significant number of Muslim women, and a large number of young worshippers. This was third such event in the last one year organised by AIMA. Last year two such events were held at the Canberra Islamic Centre in Monash, the first event was thankfully covered by #ABC Canberra. Witnessing the great number of pledges yesterday visiting Radio Broadcaster, journalist and distinguished Urdu Sports Commentator Mr Jamil Siraj commented, ‘It is the beginning of a new era in Canberra’. Let us all please consider donating blood. One pint of blood donated can potentially save 22 lives. And any such donation becomes ‘Sadaqa Jaria’ - a good deed that continues pumping life in other human.
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APAN - Australia Palestine Advocacy Network @AustraliaPalestine AdvocacyNetwork SPOTTED at the Invasion Day rally in Sydney/Gadigal land this morning. Whose land are you on? #InvasionDay #InvasionDay2021 #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #BlackPalestinianSolidarity
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Brothers In Need @brothersinneed.org Clothing apparel and footwear were just some of the items on high demand during last night’s program at Martin Place. Special mention to our friends at House Of Sadaqa ( charityclothing.org.au ) for continuing their generous contributions into 2021. Once a month, their volunteers support our community members in need with donated clothing apparel.
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Dr Sami Yahya al-Hajj drives around providing free medical services in war torn Yemen that’s also being hit hard with covid. FEBRUARY 2021 / ISSUE 183
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APARTMENT FOR SALE
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