AMUST
AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIMES
www.amust.com.au ISSUE # 185
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Multicultural News & Views
APRIL 2021; RAMADAN 1442
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Sydney celebrates Women’s Day
Fasting is good for your soul and body
Sydney’s Ramadan Calendar
EDUCATION PAGE 41
April/May 2021
Hijra Emsak & Fajr
Sunrise
Zuhr
Asr
(Hanafi)
Iftar & Maghreb
Isha
RAMADAN
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It was the month of Ramadan in which the Quran was (first) sent down as Guidance for all people, having clear proofs of guidance and the criterion between (right and wrong)… (Quran 2:185)
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O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it has been prescribed for those before you so that you may be ever Allah-conscious. (Quran 2:183)
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April/ Ramadan* May
Asr
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Wednesday
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6:35
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5:10
6:34
5:09
6:34
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2:47
3:30
5:10
6:33
Sunday
9
26
5:10
6:35
11:57
2:46
3:29
5:09
6:32
Monday
10
28
27
5:10
6:36
11:57
2:45
3:28
5:08
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Tuesday
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6:37
11:57
2:45
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5:07
6:31
12
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29
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5:06
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30
5:12
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Thursday Friday Saturday
Wednesday
COMMUNITY PAGE 11
Ramadan Calendar
1442
Tuesday
CALENDAR PAGE 47
Thursday
5 6 7 8
* RAMADAN DATES START AT MAGHREB THE PREVIOUS DAY
Dua at Emsak
Allahumma Bisaumi ghadin nawaitu min Shahr-e Ramadan O Allah! I intend to fast this day for the whole day in the month of Ramadan.
Dua at Iftar
Allahumma inni laka sumtu wa bika aamunto wa alayka tawakkaltu wa ‘alaa rizqika aftartu O Allah! I have fasted this day, for your sake and believe in you and, having confidence in you, I open my fast by your sustenance.
Islamic Dates Islamic dates are subject to the visibility of the new moon and variation can take place if this sighting of the crescent is done globally, regionally or locally. The following possible scenarios can occur this year: 1. Global Sighting (or prediction of sighting) Ramadan (30 days) starting Tuesday 13 April and ending Wednesday 12 May with Eid on Thursday 13 May 2021. 2. Regional Sighting Ramadan (29 days) starting Wednesday 14 April and ending Wednesday 12 May with Eid on Thursday 13 May 2021. 3. Local Sighting Ramadan (30 days) starting Wednesday 14 April and ending Thursday 13 May with Eid on Friday 14 May 2021. When you are notified of the commencement of Ramadan through your community, indicate the dates you will follow under the relevant “Ramadan” column. Please stay in contact with your local mosque for announcement of Ramadan and Eid dates.
MULTICULTURAL
EID FESTIVAL & FAIR
Sydney marks the second anniversary of Christchurch massacre AMUST
AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIMES
Abla Kadous wins Premier’s Multicultural Community Medal
ISLAMIC FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION & WELFARE
SEENA
I N C O R P O R AT E D
Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammad, Mufti of Australia.
Zia Ahmad
Diana Tarm The Premier of NSW, Gladys Berejiklian awarded the SBS Lifetime Community Service Medal to Abla Tohamy Kadous on Saturday 13 March 2021 at Sydney’s Interna-
tional Convention Centre in recognition of the Muslim veteran leader’s services for the community in general and women in particular spanning for more than 35 years. A number of awards were presented at the Premier’s Harmony Dinner 2021 in the presence of over 600
guests recognising and celebrating the significant contributions made by individuals and organisations in building community harmony in NSW. Continued on page 12
The Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) commemorated the tragedy of the Christchurch massacre on Monday 15 March 2021 at Orion Centre, Campsie in order to remember and honour the victims and their families and offer messages of peace for all, in the presence of a large gathering of parliamentarians, diplomats, government agencies and religious and community leaders. Continued on page 15
Nationwide recognition for Year 12 high achievers Alsu Kurlow There has been a surge in the number of Muslim high achievers completing their year 12 in 2020 where an incredible 307 students achieving ATAR of 90 and above were recognised at award ceremonies, organised by Human Appeal Australia (HAA) during the month of March in all major cities of Australia. The high achieving students were awarded with certificates of achievement and valuable gifts in front of community leaders, politicians and school principals and administrators in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide at the HAA 14th Year 12 Muslim Achievement Awards, nationwide. This year 2021 marks the 30th anniversary of HAA since its formation back in 1991, the same year AMUST multilingual newspaper was launched, where both platforms have partnered together in providing unique, pioneering and essential services to the community in their respective fields, and have been highly successful. Year 12 students who achieved an ATAR of 90 or above in 2020 were invited to register HAA Year 12 Muslim Achievement Award Recipients along with Human Appeal’s team and VIP quests in Sydney. for the awards from all over Australia and then to be recognised in events in their own state. Continued on page 12 and 13. Proudly Printed in Australia by Spotpress Pty Ltd
Dispose of this paper thoughtfully - PLEASE RECYCLE
NEWS International report points to Australian government deficiencies on right-wing extremism AMUST
AMUST Media A report has named Anti-Muslim populist movements as the predominant actor behind radical right wing extremism, and exposes an Australian Government record of letting it flourish that continues to this day. The Report, prepared jointly by the UK’s Centre for the Analysis of the Radical Right (CARR) and Hedayah, a UAE-based violent extremism research centre, was published on Monday 22 March 2021. It revealed that the mosque shooter in
Perth in 2010 was affiliated with an anti-Muslim and Neo-Nazi violent extremist organisation later banned in Canada and Germany. At the time, the mosque shooter was charged with non-terrorism offences and fined $9000. Another person who has avoided the terrorist label. The organisation in question continues to operate freely to raise funds and recruit members. Over a number of years, including just last month, evidence of their recruiting efforts have been forwarded to National Security with no action by the Australian Government. The Report also revealed that four (4) neo-Nazi groups banned in Europe and North America are operating in Australia. The report also found anti-Islam protest movements and anti-Muslim narratives to be the predominant actor behind radical right wing extremism in Australia – a fact never once acknowledged by ASIO or Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton. The Report defines ‘Anti-Muslim Populism’ as a fusion of anti-Muslim hatred and populist forms of nationalism, including tropes around Islamisation and negative depictions of Islam. This finding shatters the assumption that this problem festers in the dark corners of the web. AMAN has been pushing for Facebook and Twitter to reject pages, groups and accounts that create echo chambers for the dehumanisation of Muslims – forums that
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inspire radical and violent responses. The first Recommendation of the report is “long-term and sustained work in challenging formulaic or rigid conceptions of Islam, refugees and migrants circulating in radical right extremist milieus (both online and offline).” “Surely the first step to countering Anti-Muslim populism is to name it. It should
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have been recognised ten years ago, and it is even more troubling that is not recognised today by ASIO or the Home Affairs Minister,” said Rita Jabri-Markwell, spokesperson for Australian Muslim Advocacy Network (AMAN). Read the report here: https://tinyurl.com/4sjphatn
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Call us on 02 9826 2273 from 8.30am-4pm www.kempscreekcemetery.com.au
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ISSUE 185 / APRIL 2021
LIFESTYLE 33 - 37
UMMAH 38 - 40
EDUCATION 41 - 43
BUSINESS 44 - 45
NEWS
SOCIAL 46 - 47
AMUST
Graffiti, arson, death threats New research finds widespread violence against Australian mosques
Scott Poynting, Derya Iner, Gail Mason, Nicole L Asquith, and Ron Mason The horrendous mass murders in New Zealand on March 15 2019 had a strong link with Australia. The New Zealand royal commission into the attacks found the Australian perpetrator had long subscribed to violent rightwing Islamophobia and had taken this with him to New Zealand. In fact, Muslim communities in New Zealand had reported threats and violence for years, including suspicious behaviour at one of the mosques targeted in Christchurch. After the Christchurch attack, we surveyed mosques in Australia to gauge the extent of anti-Muslim attacks here. We cannot understand the Christchurch massacre without comprehending the Australian context that at least in part incubated it. Our research finds the threat of similarly motivated acts of hatred remains widespread. During 2020, we surveyed 75 mosques from five states and two territories of Australia about their experiences of violence in the five years from 2014 to 2018, as well as detailed questions about 2019. About half of the responses were from imams or mosque officials, 15% from volunteers and 35% from other congregation members. Most concerning is that over half (58.2%) of participating mosques (or worshippers
at them) had experienced targeted violence between 2014 and 2019. The threat of an attack increased in cases where there had been public attention. For example, mosques that were reported in the media (100%) or experienced online opposition to the development of the mosque (83%) experienced higher rates of victimisation. The types of violence suffered by mosque attendees and the mosque buildings included arson, physical assault, graffiti, vandalism, verbal abuse and online abuse and hate mail, including death threats. There were notable geographical differences in these occurrences of violence. Despite being home to more mosques, attacks against Sydney mosques between 2014 and 2018 were proportionally lower (at 41% of the 51 respondent mosques) than for Melbourne (70% of 17 mosques) and Brisbane (89% of nine mosques). The proportion of attacks against mosques in Australian states and territories was 29% in 2019, in the wake of the Christchurch massacre. Again, these were disproportionately distributed between the states, with a higher proportion of attacks directed at mosques in Brisbane and Melbourne. In 2019 alone, 30% of respondent mosques had experienced a graffiti attack,
with 17% reporting two or more instances. Some 12% had experienced one or more arson attacks, with one mosque reporting six such incidents in that year. Mosques were also vandalised, with 34% of participating mosques experiencing at least one such incident, and three mosques experiencing four to five incidents. Hate mail was received by 17% of the mosques. Beyond attacks against mosques themselves, their attendees were targeted similarly by Islamophobic violence. Just under 40% of the mosques reported verbal abuse of their attendees in 2019. In addition, 17% had received threats of violence (with one actual physical assault), while 20% experienced objects thrown at them or the mosque. Mosque attendees in Christchurch before the 2019 attacks reported similar experiences. Some were reported to police, some were shared within the communities. This ripple effect of community knowledge about safety and visibility no doubt shapes all mosque attendees’ experiences of religious observance. Visibility enhances community connectedness, yet it also means hate crime perpetrators can easily find targets. Some mosque officials attested anecdotally, during our follow-up, to a higher level of attention by mosque communities to security during 2019 in the aftermath of the Christchurch atrocity. They also said they feared drawing attention to their mosque out of concern for the safety of their attendees. This probably affected our survey’s response rate by making people wary of responding. This was a pilot study, with a relatively small sample size. A larger survey completed by nominated mosque officials who con-
sistently report incidents will provide more robust data in future studies. In line with the calls by the Race Commissioner, we suggest a national, independent hate crime reporting system is needed to capture the experiences of targeted communities in Australia. While the Islamophobia Register Australia offers a forum through which some Muslims can report their experiences of Islamophobic violence, a system of reporting these incidents at the mosque in real time may provide us with a better idea of their full impact. Our findings from this pilot study suggest mosque attacks in Australia are neither new nor rare. Too often, only the most egregious cases of hate-crime violence, of which the Christchurch massacre is one of the worst, come to media and public attention. This should not lead us to overlook the everyday terror that Muslim clergy and mosque attendees must grapple with when enlivening their faith at their places of worship. A systematic and timely analysis of mosque attack data will enhance long-term security for mosques and their communities. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article: https://tinyurl.com/f8djpvnx. Scott Poynting, Adjunct Professor, Charles Sturt University. Derya Iner, Senior Lecturer, Charles Sturt University. Gail Mason, Professor of Criminology, University of Sydney. Nicole L. Asquith, Director, Tasmanian Institute of Law Enforcement Studies, University of Tasmania. Ron Mason, Research Associate, University of Tasmania.
Is your meat really halal? Mariam Sarhan Can you actually guarantee that the meat or chicken you consume is halal even with certification? In a recent investigation showcased on Friday 26 March titled “Ruffled feathers – Exposing the Halal Industry” by OnePath Network, the integrity of the Australia’s halal industry has been threatened with shocking revelations of organisations we trust to be honest about certifying meat as halal. Halal means something which is permissible for Muslims. The slaughterman must be a Muslim, Jew or Christian, the animal should be a permissible animal and the tool used to slaughter the animal should APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 185
be a sharp and one that will cause the least amount of pain to the animal. With the growing demand for meats, slaughterhouses in Australia are processing millions of animals on a weekly basis which therefore raises concerns on whether or not these companies are meeting the halal standards that would be permissible for Muslim consumption. The halal slaughter process seem to have been compromised by not mentioning Bismillah (mention of God’s name/seeking permission), cross-contamination and the use of stunned animals or gassed animals
who sometimes are dead. It has become increasingly easier for anyone to create a halal certification business simply by using a few clicks for applying online and ready for issuing halal certificates. Some businesses are also self certifying their own business. Nagi Taleb from ANIC has advised consumers to be sure whether the halal certification body is legitimate or not. “It’s very important to make sure you recognise a genuine halal certification and try to stake-out those certification bodies”, Nagi Taleb told One Path Network.
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In the Australian local Halal Industry, there is no body that oversees and regulates halal certified operations and processes. In a shocking revelation, gas stunned chickens, where some have already died even prior to slaughtering it have been sold as halal. “It all comes back to the consumer, we are the consumers and if these companies, slaughterhouses and certifiers see that there is genuine concern in the Muslim community for more regulation and transparency to take place then they will fall in line,” Sheikh Haroun Kanj told OnePath. Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/sZ6nmjlqyus Mariam Sarhan is a Journalism intern at AMUST. She is based in Sydney.
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ASIO to avoid ‘left’, ‘right’ and ‘Islamic’ in an overhaul of its descriptions of extremism Michelle Grattan ASIO is changing the language it uses to describe violent threats, because it says the current labels are “no longer fit for purpose.” This means terms including “left”, “right”, and “Islamic extremism” will be avoided. Announcing the update in his annual threat assessment, the security organisation’s head, Mike Burgess, said it would now employ two categories: “religiously motivated violent extremism”and “ideologically motivated violent extremism”. Burgess said the terms in use now did not “adequately describe the phenomena we’re seeing”. It was unhelpful to categorise the many violent groups of various political ideologies as simply “extreme left wing” and “extreme right wing”. “ASIO does not investigate people solely because of their political views, so labels like ‘left’ and ‘right’ often distract from the real nature of the threat,” Burgess said. “While the views advocated by many extremist groups are appalling, as a security service, ASIO’s focus is on the threat of violence. “In the same way, we don’t investigate people because of their religious views – again, it’s violence that is relevant to our powers – but that’s not always clear when we use the term ‘Islamic extremism’.” He said some Muslim groups understandably saw the term as “damaging and misrepresentative of Islam”, and stigmatising them
“by encouraging stereotyping and stoking of our priority counter-terrorism caseload, to around 40%. This reflects a growing indivision”. Language was needed that matched the ternational trend, as well as our decision to evolving threat environment and could ac- dedicate more resources to the emerging docommodate groups outside traditional cate- mestic threat. “The face of the threat is also evolving, gories. An increasing number of individuals and and this poses challenges as we seek to groups didn’t fit on a left-right spectrum, identify and monitor it. “People often think we’re talking about Burgess said. Rather, “they’re motivated by a fear of societal collapse or a specific social skinheads with swastika tattoos and jackboots roaming the backstreets like extras or economic grievance or conspiracy.” He instanced the violent misogynists who from Romper Stomper, but it’s no longer followed “incel” (involuntary celibate) ide- that obvious. “Today’s ideological extremist is more ology. Burgess said many of Australia’s Five likely to be motivated by a social or economic grievance than national socialEyes partners had updated their lanism. More often than not, they are guage. young, well-educated, articulate, But he inserted the qualificaand middle class – and not easition that the new labels were ly identified. umbrella terms and in certain “The average age of these incases ASIO might “need to call vestigative subjects is 25, and out a specific threat that sits beI’m particularly concerned by neath them”. Burgess said ideological ex- ASIO head Mike the number of 15 and 16 year Burgess. olds who are being radicalised. tremists “are now more reactive They are overwhelmingly male.” to world events, such as COVID, the He said “compared with other forms Black Lives Matter movement, and the reof extremism”, ideological extremism “is cent American Presidential election”. COVID had reinforced extremist beliefs more widely dispersed across the country, including in regional and rural areas”. about the collapse of society and race war. “ASIO anticipates that the threat from this “As a consequence, we are seeing extremists seeking to acquire weapons for self-de- form of extremism will not diminish any fence, as well as stockpiling ammunition time soon – and may well grow.” Burgess noted that in his first threat asand provisions.” Australia faced threats from both reli- sessment, delivered last year, he had warned giously motivated violent extremists and adversaries that ASIO would hunt those “a growing assortment of individuals with conducting espionage or foreign interference against Australia. ideological grievances”. It had made good on this promise. “We Burgess said that last year he had called have dealt with multiple attempts – from out “so-called right-wing extremism”. “Since then, ideological extremism inves- multiple countries – to steal Australia’s setigations have grown from around one-third crets and undermine its sovereignty.”
Last year ASIO investigated a “nest of spies, from a foreign intelligence service, that was operating in Australia. “The spies developed targeted relationships with current and former politicians, a foreign embassy and a state police service. “They monitored their country’s diaspora community. “They tried to obtain classified information about Australia’s trade relationships. “They asked a public servant to provide information on security protocols at a major airport. “They successfully cultivated and recruited an Australian Government security clearance holder who had access to sensitive details of defence technology.” ASIO confronted the spies “and quietly and professionally removed them from Australia”. He said the foreign intelligence service in question was not from a country in Australia’s region. Burgess warned that as we came out of the pandemic crisis, “some of our adversaries are seeking to undermine and exploit Australia’s recovery. We have already seen extremists trying to stoke social divisions, and foreign intelligence services wanting intelligence about Australia’s key export, technology and research industries.” This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://tinyurl.com/46tzknss. Michelle Grattan is one of Australia’s most respected political journalists. She has been a member of the Canberra parliamentary press gallery for more than 40 years, during which time she has covered all the most significant stories in Australian politics.
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ISSUE 185 / APRIL 2021
LIFESTYLE 33 - 37
UMMAH 38 - 40
EDUCATION 41 - 43
BUSINESS 44 - 45
BOOMERANG
SOCIAL 46 - 47
A paradigm shift during the month of Ramadan
Muslims are generally a generous com- benefited the community with many other acmunity donating their personal earnings tivities. With the passing of time and requirement of for various causes to serve Islam, Muslims and in support of the weaker sections a change of place, the community needs have further developed needing building of new inof the society. From a finance point of view Muslims are stitutions. The first of these was the madrassa, schools supposed to be engaged in spending via the and universities for imparting of education that institutions of Zakat and Sadaqa. developed integrated with mosques at Zakat is one of the Five Pillars of the beginning. Islam and is an obligatory annuWith the development of social al payment made to purify all welfare, philanthropic instituwealth held above the Nisab tions were developed to help threshold value. the needy, the traveller, the Sadaqa or donating monZia Ahmad wayfarer, the orphan and the ey is not obligatory but widow. Assalamu simply a kind gesture made In modern times we need with the intention of helping Alaikum new innovative institutions to others. Greetings serve the cause of Islam and to Traditionally a large portion of Peace serve the Ummah and the commuof Muslim donations end up nity at large. in building mosques since this is Volunteering indeed is a good virtue but indeed considered a good value for the money motivated by the Hadith of Prophet sustainable institutions can not be maintained Mohammad (s), “Whoever builds a Masjid by volunteers and funding is needed to apfor the sake of Allah, Allah will build for him point paid professionals to develop and run institutions that can best serve the community a house in Paradise.” Most Muslims take a very narrow inter- in the long run. Thus Zakat and Sadaqa funds should be pretation of this Hadith by donation money only to the building of mosques without real- diverted from narrowly funding only mosque ising that in the time of Prophet Mohammad building towards founding of innovative insti(s), the Mosque was the only community tutions that serve the community on a local as institution that in addition to worship also well as on a global scale.
Great article, mental health in the Muslim community is over looked this really includes all the taboos and what is usually said about mental health in our Muslim community. Good read. Walid Mohamed
Re: IHRA definition of antisemitism must be rejected
Right-wing Israel leaders have hijacked antisemitism and Holocaust to prevent any criticism of their brutal policy towards the Palestinians. There are several Jewish notables who are critical of this red herring. Our Australian leaders should support a more nuanced policy where Justice for the Palestinians does not equate to Jew-bashing. mal
Re: Sydney celebrates International Women’s Day
Kudos to women celebrating! Great to see so many ethnicities gathered under 1 roof Muslims & non Muslims. Muslim women need more empowerment and appreciation globally. God bless Muslim men that treat Muslim women and “any woman” with respect and utmost care. We live in a world of racism, unfortunately women face that and sexism. As a Canadian Muslim, former nurse and certified women’s advocate have faced many challenges as well. Trials and tribulations makes you stronger ! My words are from personal experiences and from seeing the current political climate in North America. “Sisters rise up racism, sexism can be defeated fight for your right”. I believe every girl must be given the opportunity for higher education. This promotes independence with “dignity” enhancing their goals to tackle better with societal challenges. APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 185
HAVE YOUR SAY Email your thoughts or comment of current events to
info@amust.com.au Re: Silence over China’s abuse of the Uyghur is deplorable Assalamu Alaykum, Thank you for this article and support. Bahtiyar Bora
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- Sydney celebrates Women’s Day - Personal stories at IFEW Dinner - Sydney celebrates Pakistan Day
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- Recipes for Ramadan - what’s cooking in 2021
Australia
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- Unhappy with hold on new cemetery - Youth PoWR: Sydney Statement - Concern for heat in Western Sydney
This should include aid organisations, universities, research institutions, media organisations, think tanks, sports organisations, hospitals and other institutions that will benefit the community at large. It’s about time that the Hadith of the Prophet towards donation to mosques only is further integrated and extrapolated to include the modern institutions that serve needs of the Ummah today. The best time to have this paradigm shift should be this month of Ramadan.
offensive will be its shame. Some have even tried to claim that Nazism was left-wing, in an effort to cloud the perspective. Unfortunately for them the level of education in this country is too high to be so easily fooled, unlike the USA. Bilal Cleland
Re: Abla Kadous wins Premier’s Multicultural Community Medal
At this turbulent moment, when Australian women are demanding to be heard, their lives protected and needs be addressed and met by the government, it is reassuring that there are outstanding women leading successful community programs for their sisters; leaders and programs that the government would be well advised to consult and emulate. I heartfully salute Abla Tohamy Kadous for her love, for her vision, for her dedication and efficacious achievements. Brava! Mabrook! Dr Vacy Vlazna
Re: Newsletter 184-4
Thanks for sharing! Daniya you ROCK best of luck. Awesome tea party Australians with a muhajaba ballerina ( picture perfect) graceful & yet respectful. Great illustration of advancement among Muslim females. Good luck sisters! Marrifah AlSerdah Canada
Re: International report points Re: Faith groups unhappy with to Australian government defi- delay on new cemetery ciencies on right-wing extremAlhamduliLah for those who are working ism towards all our futures while we live this That hatred of Muslims is the motivation behind the neo-nazi upsurge, is as you note “a fact never once acknowledged by ASIO or Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton.” The present government tries to confuse the picture and seems unable to take a firm stand against this threatening rise of white supremacist terrorists. That it has pushed ASIO into obfuscating about right-wing vi-
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- Abla Kadous wins Premier’s Medal - Report on right-wing extremism - Is your meat really halal?
Community
Also am happy to read about achieve- olent extremism because so many Liberal Re: The dangers of personalisments in the Muslim community in Austral- party members feel the term “right-wing” is ing everything
Re: Mental well-being within the Muslim Community
News
- A paradigm shift during Ramadan - Elitist behaviour needs to change - Fallen values of Republican France
Readers comments ia where systemic racism is quite deep. In North America women have been vocally active on gender equalities fair wage and stopping sexual advances at workplace. Good luck to all Muslim Australians remember triumph comes at a price! Godspeed! Marrifah AlSerdah Canada
AMUST ISSUE # 185 FRIDAY 2 APRIL 2021 19 SHA’ABAN 1442
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This is exactly what I needed to read today, very aspiring! Nada
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world not thinking of its end. cmw_australia
Lifestyle
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- Cultivate Joy in Your Marriage - Supporting victims of blood cancer
Ummah
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- Reflecting on Sufferings of Uyghurs - Stop pending famine in Yemen
Education
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- Fasting for your soul and body - Khaksar Martyrs’ Day
Business
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- Addressing the impact of COVID-19 - Grow With Me: Excellence
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- Social Spotlights - Ramadan Calendar for Sydney
Disclaimer The views and opinions expressed in articles, and Letters to the Editor, Website Comments are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Australasian Muslim Times.
AMUST Team Editor-in-Chief: Zia Ahmad Graphic Designer: Rubinah Ahmad Chief Adviser: Dr Qazi Ashfaq Ahmad OAM Multimedia Journalist: Mehar Ahmad Multimedia Journalist: Mobinah Ahmad Multimedia Journalist: Faseeha Hashmi Columnist: Dr Abul Jalaluddin (Finance) Columnist: Bilal Cleland (Victoria) Columnist: Manarul Islam (ACT) Columnist: Dr Daud Batchelor (QLD) Columnist: Zahid Jamil (NSW) Columnist: Shahjahan Khan (QLD) Columnist: Imam Malik Mujahid (USA) Promotion: Dr Wali Bokhari Web Developer: Shadow Approved Multimedia: iMoby Productions Printers: Spotpress Pty Ltd Distributers: Abul Fateh Siddiqui, Shujaat Siddiqui, Usaid Khalil, Ibrahim Khalil, Usman Siddiqui, Zahid Alam, Shahab Siddiqui, Mahmoud Jaame, Mateen Abbas, Rashid Idris, Sakinah Ahmad, Anjum Rafiqi, Hasan Fazeel, Dr Quasim, Ismail Hossain, Hanif Bismi, Luqman Landy.
Re: Salwa recognised with 2020 Newcastle Volunteer Ser- Contact AMUST vice Award PO Box 111, Bonnyrigg (Sydney), Bravo, Salwa! You excel wherever you are and what ever you do! Hug congrats! F Firdaus
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The month of Ramadan distinguishes us as Muslims Nada Khalifa Fasting, sawm is the 4th pillar of Islam that allows Muslims to share the hunger and thirst of the needy as a reminder of our religious duty, Zakat, 3rd pillar of Islam, to help those less fortunate. Abstaining from food, drink, and sexual relations for 11 to 16 hours during a month, allow Muslims to possess self-retainment. Allah teaches us that if we can restrain from our essential needs then we are also capable of controlling our desires. Thus, we are accounted for our actions and choices we make. Fasting is not only beneficial for our physical well-being, but it benefits our mental and spiritual health too. Spiritual wellness acknowledges our search for deeper meaning in life. It does not only enable people to be connected to a higher power, but also to those around us. People have more clarity when it comes to making everyday choices, and their actions
“fasting
become more consistent with our beliefs and values. Islam develops this spiritual wellbeing through its six articles of faith, Aqida al-Islam and five principles, Arkan al-Islam. David R Williams and Michelle J Sternthal’s ‘Spirituality, religion and health: evidence and research directions’ stated that time-use data for Australia have shown that 14% of households engage in some form of religious activity weekly, and only 10% engage in religious activities daily. Most of us Muslims perform our daily prayer and fast the month of Ramadan yearly. Hence, in according to these statistics, we are part of the 10% Australians who engage in religious activities daily. And as fasting, sawm is one of the five principles of faith, it implements and strengthens our spiritual connection with Allah hence, we fast yearly. Fasting detaches us from unnecessary matters in life and improves our relationship with Allah and sequentially, our relationship with others. Consequentially, we perform good deeds with dedication and maintain focus on what matters to us the most while relying on Allah.
benefits us physically, mentally and spiritually...
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Moreover, during the month of Ramadan, our rewards are doubled and our sins could be forgiven. As Abdur Rahman ibn Awf reported: The Messenger of Allah (s), said, “Verily, Ramadan is a month in which Allah Almighty has obligated its fasting. I have instituted for Muslims the practice of prayer at night. Thus, whoever fasts it with faith and expecting reward will be rid of sins like the day he was born from his mother.” (Hadith)
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Hence, the month of Ramadan is indeed a holy month, when we sacrifice eating and drinking to gain Allah’s favour. Yet, fasting benefits us physically, mentally and spiritually and empowers us, as Muslims with self-discipline, sincere commitment, patience, and empathy. Nada Khalifa is a senior student at Al Noori Muslim School(ANMS) and is based in Sydney, Australia.
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Elitist arrogance and behaviour needs to change Christian Porter, Attorney-General of Australia has been accused of rape.
Bilal Cleland We have recently been inundated with reports of atrocious behaviour in our prosperous, relatively COVID-19 free nation. The huge demonstrations against gendered violence led by Australian women on 15 March, indicated that things need to change. Allegations of rape in our national parliament, allegations of rape levelled against the leading law officer of the nation and the level of domestic violence against women, have made the country take stock. At the same time our national security agencies have warned against the rise of right-wing extremism, now called “”ideologically motivated violent extremism” ” as a response to Liberal party objections to the association of the term “right-wing” with fascists and neo-nazis. The arrests of two young men and one 16 year old boy in the northern suburbs of Melbourne in an investigation of Muslim terrorism, now to be called “religiously motivated violent extremism,” served to divert some attention from the expulsion of a 15 year old boy to New Zealand for his criminal activities in Australia. This was on the second anniversary of the Christchurch Massacre, carried out by an Australian terrorist. It did not go unnoticed in New Zealand. One MP commented: “It’s not something
that nations who do have a rule of law and a commitment to human rights are doing.” [16 March 2021 RNZ] There has also been an upsurge of criticism of the behaviour of young men and boys from elite schools all over the country, schools which produce our conservative politicians. A huge petition, started by Chanel Contos, a former student of Sydney’s Kambala girls’ school, reached 16,500 signatures by 22 February . More than 2,500 testimonials were received from students, some only 13, who had experienced sexual assault by other students. Students from Scots College, Cranbrook, Sydney Grammar, Waverley College, Kambala, Kincoppal-Rose Bay, Monte Sant Angelo and Pymble Ladies’ College are repeatedly mentioned in the testimonies. [22 February 2021 Guardian] Previous to this, between 2015 and 2017, George Variyan of Monash University, interviewed 32 teachers in three elite private boys’ schools, in two capital cities, in a yetto-be-published study. He found many examples of sexual harassment amongst the students and other staff towards female teachers. There was a low level of awareness of the problem. “It may be that elite private schools, with high fees and high expectations struggle to speak back to their clientele. Studies have suggested when a scandal arises in such a school and puts its reputation at risk, this can seriously jeopardise their market share and viability.” [10 March 2021 The Conversation]
Mike Seccombe put the issue clearly in “The children of gods: how power works in Australia.” He found 16 of the 22 members of the Morrison cabinet are men and traced the educational backgrounds of 15. “Eleven went to non-government schools, mostly elite private ones. Seven of them, including Morrison himself, attended boys-only institutions. The Treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, provides some diversity; his schooling was elite, but also co-educational and Jewish Orthodox.” Private education may not be of particular benefit academically but things that are valued more for the status they advertise than for their utility are called “positional goods” by economists. “It’s often said that the eye-watering fees paid for places at some of Australia’s elite non-government schools are an investment in a child’s future social network, far more
than in their academic future.” [13 March 2021 The Saturday Paper] The elite schools provide, at substantial taxpayer expense, status and contacts to these “children of gods.” That these schools are producing people of the calibre we see in our federal cabinet and boys like those dealt with in the Contos petition, is surely a matter of national concern. Notions of inherent superiority, of feeling above the common herd, which are apparently one of the effects of constantly being told you are special, bear venomous fruit. Indeed the sin of Iblis was the arrogant belief in his own superiority over mankind, that he was created of superior substance. A grave mistake. Bilal Cleland is a keen reader, a prolific writer and a regular columnist of AMUST based in Melbourne.
The fallen values of Republican France Dr Daud Batchelor Insistence of the French in promoting disrespect of Islam’s Prophet in caricatures in schools, displays a fundamental flaw in their civilisational values. The French slogan now means ‘liberty to defame Muslim minorities,’ ‘equality reserved for white French,’ and ‘brotherhood of secularists and rightwing extremists.’ Global NGOs petitioned the UN Human Rights Council to investigate France for “entrenching Islamophobia and anti-Muslim discrimination.” President Macron pushes an Anti-Separatism Bill to rob Muslims of their identity. His ‘Republican principles’ law causes concern. Amnesty denounced the Interior Minister who cited praying and fasting as ‘signs of radicalization.’ 76 mosques, Islamic schools, and France’s largest anti-Islamophobia organization, were closed on false grounds of ‘extremism.’ As such laws erode democratic freedoms, France betrays itself. “The crisis France faces with Muslims is that of French chauvinism, and refusal of white supremacist Christian and [secular] French to recognize their country is a thirdrate neocolonial power that insists holding to undeserved past glories, when they need to repent genocidal sins that extend from the Caribbean to South-East Asia, to Africa, that killed millions. The French need repay debts they owe to all whom they robbed and killed.” (Massad). In Algeria alone, the French killed millions. The poor state of West Africans today results from three factors reflecting unhealthy French-African relations. First, the Atlantic Slave Trade was partly led by France. Nunn investigated its endurAPRIL 2021 / ISSUE 185
Demonstration in Bamako, capital of Mali, called by the President, High Islamic Council of Mali, to protest against the government regarding civilian massacres in Ogossagou and France’s presence
ing effects: “Poorest African countries today are those from which most slaves were taken. If slave-trades hadn’t occurred, 72% of the income gap between Africa and rest of the world wouldn’t exist.” It’s also due to France’s neocolonial impositions. Italian politician DeMaio declared France caused Africa’s impoverishment leading to the European refugee crisis. Before conceding independence, France forced African colonies to set-up a common currency (CFA franc), demanding they deposit 50% of their foreign reserves plus 20% financial liabilities, in the French Treasury.
CFA arrangements retarded growth as African countries channeled more money to France than receiving aid. Third, is France’s marginalisation of Muslim communities. “The neo-colonial practice of controlling the polity/economy of African states ripened conditions for terrorism. Deliberate ignorance of Muslim minorities by France radicalised those communities.” 5000 French troops presently engage Islamic militants. Operations in Mali forced 80,000 people to flee. 500,000 were displaced in Burkina Faso. Problems facing Chad, Niger, Mali, Bur-
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kina Faso, Mauritania are not just armed groups, but a worsening humanitarian crisis and climate change. The US and France excessively project terror dimensions of the crisis. France’s Mali intervention for its interests did not consider the consequential instability to Africa. “The solution in the Sahel is political not military. While French are involved, settlement is unlikely as [militants] consider French as mortal enemies.” The intensifying security mission is stalemated. France’s policies push countries into a ‘vortex of death, destruction, violence.’ Unsurprisingly, protests erupted against French presence in the region. The Qur’an admonishes: If they gain the upper hand over you, they would be enemies to you and extend against you their hands and tongues with evil. (60:2) France fearing the linking of Libyan with Saheli ‘terrorist’ groups, disrupts their supply lines. France acted inhumanely bombing post-Gaddafi Libya, whose destabilisation opened pathways for Africans seeking advancement in European society, historically enriched by their suffering. “Without Africa, France will slide to a third-rate power.” (Chirac) It’s time states strongly reject French interests. We support the Muslim Theologians’ Council, South African call: “It cannot be that after attacking the beloved personality of Prophet Muhammad (s), that relations between the Muslim Ummah and France continues normally. It is the Ummah’s duty to cease all support to France and boycott its products.” 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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Three Honeybees Caught In The Web Fazlul Huq
Mia Leigh
Most Australian states and territories are still lacking hate crime laws, but that might be about to change for Queensland. Queensland has had more than its share of hate incidents. A Muslim woman whose family had been in Australia for more than 100 years, was told “I’m sick of you people, why don’t you f*** off… go back to where you came from,” while being physically intimidated at her car. Her infant and daughter were with her. Queensland is home to people from more than 220 countries with over 100 religious beliefs and 180 languages being spoken at home. This is a significant strength that needs to be protected to maintain social cohesion and to achieve health and economic prosperity for all, regardless of gender, ethnicity, and religious beliefs. Religious hatred and racial intolerance carry horrific consequences and psychological costs in the form of ongoing trauma for the victims. The current Queensland Anti-Discrimination Act 1991, particularly involving serious vilification, does not cover most attacks that communities continue to experience. As a result, the community has lost confidence to report at all. Perpetrators also quickly get the message that there are no real consequences. The #BetterLaws4SafeQld campaign was launched by a coalition of communities in September 2020 and supported by the Queensland Human Rights Commission. The Community Coalition represents
An anti-Muslim, anti-immigration and economic protectionist sentiment rally in 2015. more than twenty diverse ethnic and religious communities. The Palaszczuk Government has committed to a Parliamentary Inquiry to investigate the legal options put forward by these groups. On the table are some initial ideas like introducing substantive hate crime laws, community scrutiny panels to improve police investigations, and civil injunctions to provide longer term victim protection. The biggest aim is to increase community confidence in the justice system. “We know that’s only a fraction of the number of incidents which take place,” says Scott McDougall, Queensland’s Human Rights Commissioner. He further adds, “Community surveys do show the majority of people who are targeted by hate speech don’t report their experiences, and that one of the reasons is that some people feel their experiences of this are so frequent that they don’t see the point in reporting it. That should distress all of us, and it’s one of the things we hope this campaign will help change.” Rita Jabri-Markwell, one of the Co-Chairs of the Coalition says the Muslim communi-
ty knows first-hand why these changes are essential. “There is a real sense of optimism that Queensland might become a leading state in protecting citizens against hate,” Rita says. The Australian Muslim Advocacy Network (AMAN) is one of the members of the Coalition and has been lending its expertise, along with lawyers from other communities. AMAN is also looking to transfer ideas and good practice between states through the Australian Hate Crime Network. Ali Kadri and the Islamic Council of Queensland were leading forces in establishing the coalition. Kadri remains a very vocal advocate for the campaign on social media and in the news. Muslim community members should continue to report to the Islamophobia Register, at www.islamophobia.com.au/report/. To learn more about the Better Laws for Safe Queensland Campaign, visit: https:// betterlawsforsafeqld.com.au/ Mia Leigh is a law undergraduate volunteering with the Australian Muslim Advocacy Network (AMAN).
RAMADAN
Registered Charity & Public Benevolent Institution
The place at the end of the cul-de-sac is seen to abound in garden beds filled with flowering plants. Including roses and periwinkle, geranium and iceberg rose, gardenia and succulent, camellia and jujube, lychee and cherry guava, white mulberry and persimmon, agapanthus and lablab vine, tomato and eggplant, bitter melon and frangipani. As the honeybees are seen to come and go with the nectars. But as the spiders have the trap, three honeybees caught in the web are seen to struggle as best as they can. While the spider is witnessed to slowly make its way from the hiding. 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.
For Everyone
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Use the law to defend Australian Muslims Rita Jabri-Markwell Facebook can do much better, but they won’t do it without significant pressure. First it was Black Lives Matter and now there is a movement growing, quite rightly, for Asian Lives. The march against Islamophobia happened somewhere with very little charging, even after Christchurch and the crimes we see in India, China and across the Western world. Look at Trump and what damage he caused to Muslims around the world. Facebook can do much better, but they
won’t do it without significant pressure. The Australian Muslim Advocacy Network (AMAN) may be relatively small, but we are taking our fight to Facebook all the way if we have to. As reported in SBS news, this month we have issued a legal warning to Facebook. We’ve also laid out a path for them to step up, based on our research and careful policy work. As a community we like to send money to build mosques. It’s time we remember that the house of Islam won’t be protected in bricks and mortar, but building a society that affirms our kids and their humanity.
Support for Race Discrimination Commissioner’s anti-racism strategy
If our mosques were being vandalised in the same way our Deen is being vandalised by Facebook, community would be protesting loudly in the streets. Australia has a Race Discrimination Act at the federal level. We have collected evidence that Facebook is failing to take action. Australian Muslims, who largely come from Middle Eastern, Asian and African backgrounds, are discriminated against. Hateful groups and pages continue to pretend they are there to criticise our religion, when their racism is clear. In those forums, people call for our genocide, and for mass deportation. They call us a cancer, parasites, a disease. This has been going on for years. These groups rely on a relentless diet of anti-Muslim stories from outside websites – stories designed to trigger such deep disgust that people see violence against us as somehow more acceptable. It’s also true that we have been dehumanised by people within Australian politics and policies on counter-terrorism, war and asylum seekers. Altogether this Islamophobia has cultivated a creeping silence from many
allies, who’d rather maintain their proximity to power than stand with us. We can continue to do our best from the sidelines when it comes to politics. But law is different. The law is supposed to apply the same to everyone. By law, Facebook has to apply Australian legal standards. The only question is when. Let’s make this moment happen. Over the past year we have directly engaged with Facebook. Birchgrove Legal has supported us as much as they can. Moving forward, to stay strong and independent, we will need more community input, sharing and donations. We need people to stand with us. We need help from the Ummah and that means you. Will you help us take on this jihad and protect our Deen? Rita Jabri Markwell is a lawyer and adviser based with the Australian Muslim Advocacy Network (AMAN), a national body engaged in policy dialogue, political advocacy and litigation, to achieve social harmony, inclusion and security for Australian Muslims. @JabriRita
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Breaking down barriers: Jewish and Muslim students at an Inter-schools Program run by Together For Humanity. Nicky Sandler Multicultural organisation Together For Humanity welcomes Race Discrimination Commissioner Chin Tan’s call for a national anti-racism framework, but says that a focus on prevention is key to effect longstanding change. Together For Humanity’s National Director, Zalman Kastel AM said that it is important that such a strategy goes beyond what we are against – racism. “We must focus on prevention and ensuring Australians of different backgrounds understand each other, have empathy and feel they belong with their fellow Australians. Our recent results are good in this regard, but not good enough,” he said. Together For Humanity teaches tolerance, understanding and respect for all others. The not-for-profit has been working with school communities to combat prejudice, teaching students how to deal with differences for nearly two decades. “We are a multicultural organisation that is actively preventing racism. An example of this is helping children make friends with children from different backgrounds. We endorse the Commissioner’s call for a national anti-racism framework that reflects Australians’ commitment to inclusion, equality and social cohesion. “Mr Tan is correct in saying “measures to address racism will be more effective when accompanied by measures to promote social cohesion, inclusion and equal opportunity and participation.” APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 185
Rabbi Kastel said “the research is clear – we need more than slogans. We need a coordinated approach based on the evidence that brings Australians of different backgrounds together, developing empathy and greater understanding. It is not enough to pass each other in supermarket aisles or play against each other in sport. “Diverse societies are wonderful almost all of the time, especially if you work at it. And many of us do, but sometimes we fail to get a good enough result. Many Australians pulled together during COVID, but the treatment of many Chinese Australians demonstrates that our approach is not robust enough to prevent bigotry from some who are out-of-step with community standards,” he said. In the wake of International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 21 March, Rabbi Kastel said the outcomes of a national strategy must include high levels of empathy and acceptance between Australians of different backgrounds, confidence to interact with each other and an absence of fear of others, a strong sense of belonging together among all Australians, and a willingness to challenge prejudice if it occurs. These outcomes have been achieved by Together For Humanity’s work as verified by Western Sydney University[1], and can be scaled up nationally. Nicky Sandler is the Communications Officer for educational, not-for-profit organisation Together For Humanity and is based in Sydney, Australia.
The Holy Month of Ramadan is a time of fasting, prayer and charity and is a reminder of the important contribution Australian Muslims make in our community. As we welcome the beginning of Ramadan this week, I wish all Muslims the very best for a Blessed Ramadan.
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Sydney celebrates International Women’s Day Nasreen Hanifi The International Women’s Day (IWD), marked yearly on 8 March, celebrates women’s achievements forging a gender equal world and calling out inequality. My Ability Care, a Sydney based service provider marked the International Women’s Day on Monday 8 March 2021 at the Waterview, Sydney Olympic Park showcasing the power, strength and influence of women in the community together with Aboriginal culture insights while celebrating IWD. Many people around the world gathered together to celebrate International Women’s Day this year. Women from all walks of life gather together for a simple purpose and that is to be celebrated for being a woman. This year, My Ability Care, celebrated International Women’s Day in the presence of some amazing people from Sydney’s diverse community, both women and men. My Ability Care is a company based in Sydney who have been running a bunch of services to help those that are in need within communities. They also run an effective clinical team which help raise awareness and educate people around specific psychological issues. The event provided a range of motiva-
tional women speakers who spoke about the role of women in society, what it means to navigate through the corporate field as a woman, and the journey of a gold-medalist Paralympian. The formal program was MC’ed by Ms Mariam Latifi with a welcome followed by Chief Executive Officer of My Ability Care, Maywand Hanifi stating the importance of the day and the vision of My Ability Care in ensuring it met the needs of women within their own organisation. The vision for My Ability Care has been quite simple, we employ women that are a source of inspiration to us as a service provider….and we believe in giving women in our service ample opportunities to use their skills and that is what will set us apart,” Mr Hanifi said. The day was packed with Aboriginal story-telling of the dream time and the role of women within the Indigenous culture who are considered as the main role models narrated by Mr Walangari, Karntawarra together with showcasing and playing Aboriginal musical instruments. Nasreen Hanifi, co-founder and Clinical Director of My Ability Care spoke about the injustices that are continuously perpetrated against women around the globe and how we can harness our collective energies to help bring change to these unforeseen circumstances. Nasreen, finished the day by commenting on the late Afghanistan Human Rights Com-
missioner, Hamida Barmaki and her relentless energy in changing the circumstances of the women within Afghanistan. A letter penned by her student quoting Albert Pine “what we do for ourselves dies with us, what we do for others and the world remains and is immortal” showcased the immense amount of work that needs to be done for women across the globe. Nasreen Hanifi is a qualified trained Psychologist with experience in government, not-for-profit and corporate sectors. With a passion and a Masters thesis focussed on drug and alcohol counselling, she is Director of Clinical Operations for drug and alcohol service Hayat House. She is actively involved in the Islamic community as President of Mission of Hope.
Happy Women’s Day Princess R. Lakshman Because She can and She will… not just today but every day… Here’s to every woman. Here’s to us living life authentically, neither above nor beneath anyone else… for we are created to be equal but different.
Wishing you and your family The blessings of the Holy Month of
Ramadan
The Hon.
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Shaoquett Moselmane MLC
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Nationwide recognition Continued from page 1 The five separate ceremonies started off in Sydney, on Saturday 6 March where 147 students were awarded on the night at The Highline Venue in Bankstown. The Sydney ceremony was co-MC’d by Omar Al-Jamal and Raghda Assoum and opened with the heart-warming recitation of the Quran by Sheikh Khaled Zrayka before the HSC students were honoured for their hard work, awarded certificates of recognition and were each gifted with an 8th generation iPad. A video clip showcasing the achievements and the services rendered to the global community of HAA was displayed on the big screen. Human Appeal Australia’s Director, Bashar Al-Jamal welcomed guests, expressing his delight at the achievements of an in-
HAA Year12 Muslim Achievement Award Recipients 2021 Melbourne. creasing number of Muslim HSC students every year.
From left: Habib Jamal (ICQ), Award recipient Mohamed Abdirahman, Hajj Habib Deen at Year 12 Muslim Achievement Awards 2021 Brisbane.
Abla Kadous wins Premier’s Multicultural Community Medal Continued from page 1 One of Abla’s greatest achievements, was the establishment in 2000 of the Islamic Women’s Welfare Association (IWWA), a not for profit organisation of which she is President. Abla currently manages over 50 staff members and volunteers. IWWA has close to 2000 members from over 50 different nationalities and the welfare of the members has always been Abla’s focus. Abla oversees the running of weekly women’s lessons in English, Arabic, Urdu and Bahasa, school readiness programs, preschool, playgroup and three Arabic community language schools for children. Classes for Pre-Teens and Teenage girls are also held and the first all girl’s Islamic Jujitsu team was formed by Abla. Abla also organises Ramadan Iftars, Eid celebrations, Seniors day trips, school holiday activities and personal and community information sessions for the members of IWWA. During recent years Abla has set up a food assistance programme at IWWA in association with Second Bite, OzHarvest, Coles and Baker’s Delight. Abla has previously been awarded:
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Mr Al-Jamal talked about the ordeal during the COVID-19 pandemic where he was stranded overseas for months, but availed the opportunity to visit many places for the distribution of HAA aid. The audience were addressed by a number of guest speakers including Wendy Lindsay, the member for East Hills whilst also representing the NSW Premier and Minister of Skills and Tertiary Education; The state member for Lakemba Mr Jihad Dib, a former principal and an educationist said that these high achieving students in spite of drawbacks during the COVID-19 year made the Muslim community feel proud for their hard work and a successful outcome. Encouraging words of praise were also offered by the Mayor of Canterbury Bankstown Khal Asfour along with a member of Human Appeal’s board of directors Mr Mustafa Al-Omari, and Dr Yassir Zaki from Tender Loving Care Disability Services, one of the sponsors of the event. On Sunday the 7 March 2021, the 14th Year 12 Muslim Achievement Awards for the state of Victoria was organised in Melbourne at Laila Reception in Brunswick and was attended by students, members of the community, politicians, school principals, businesses and family members where 81 Students were awarded certificates of recognition and were gifted with iPads. The ceremony was opened with the amazMr Abdullah Khan Principle of Australian Islamic College at the Perth event.
• City of Canterbury Citizen of the Year Awards 2008 • Australian Muslim Lifetime Achiever of the Year 2017 • NSW Volunteer of the Year – Senior Winner Mid-Western Sydney 2019 • NSW Volunteer of the Year – Senior Volunteer of the Year 2019 • Westfield Local Hero 2020 – Burwood To enquire about IWWA’s programmes visit the office at 181 Haldon Street, Lakemba or telephone 9759 1675 and 0451 394408. More Photos: www.fb.com/multiculturalnsw/
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ing recitation of the Quran by Sheikh Alaa Elzokm from the Board of Imams of Victoria. Human Appeal Australia’s Victorian Branch Manager Rabih Baytie welcomed guests followed by various speeches delivered by Dr Samantha Ratnam, MLC for Northern Metropolitan and the Leader of the Victorian Greens; Islamic Council of Victoria’s President Adel Salman; Deputy Chair of Victorian Multicultural Commission Bwe Thay; the Hon David Hodgett, Shadow Minister for Education; Prof Akhtar Kalam, Chairman of MCCA; Dr Yasser Zaki from Tender Loving Care Disability Services while the keynote speech was delivered by Dr Ashraf Chehata, an orthopaedic surgeon. In Brisbane the event was held on Saturday the 13 March, honouring 36 students at the Michael’s Oriental Restaurant & Function Centre and was attended by students along with their parents/guardians, members of the community, politicians and school principals. The event was MC’d by Dr Mustafa Ally, OAM with a heart-warming welcome from Bashar Al-Jamal, Director of Human Appeal Australia. The audience were also addressed speeches from Ali Kadri, CEO of Islamic College of Brisbane; Mrs Helen Kenworthy, Department of Education; Dr Abid Majid, Secretary of Islamic Medical Association of Queensland; Habib Jamal, President of Dr Samantha Ratnam MLC for Northern Metropolitan and the Leader of the Victorian Greens at the Melbourne event.
Ali Kadir HAA Adelaide Manager, The Hon Steve Murray MP, high achievers and Hon Stephen Patterson at the Adelaide event.
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for Year 12 high achievers Audience were also addressed by Mr Steve Murray MP Member for Davenport, Abdul Salam Hamid Juma, President of Islamic Information Centre and previous Human Appeal Umrah leadership participant and by Sheikh Abdul Salam Alim. It was a celebration where leaders of the community and politicians celebrated the achievements of amazing Muslim students in year 12. Human Appeal Australia would like to congratulate all the Year 12 students of 2020 for their success and wishing them all the best in the near future. This event would not have been possible without our generous sponsors, who have always believed in HAA’s mission and vision, by giving their utmost support to the annual Year 12 Muslim Achievement Awards.
Year 12 Muslim Achievement Awards recipients 2021 along with Human Appeal’s team and VIP guests at Perth. the Islamic Council of Queensland; Galila Abdelsalam OAM, CEO of Islamic Women’s Association of Australia and The Hon Cameron Dick, MP, Treasurer and Minister for Investment. On 14 March 2021, 27 Muslim High achievers celebrated their achievement of scoring ATAR of 90+ in Perth. The event that was organized by the team members of the WA branch of Human Appeal Australia conducted at Duxton Hotel and hosted the Deputy Mayor of Canning, Cr Jesse Jacobs as well as the Councillor of Canning Cr Yaso Ponnuthurai. The highest student in WA Afiq Abdillah Effiezal Aswadi received an impressive score of 99.85 in his ATAR. The event was well received by the attendees with an engaging program MC’d by Sheikh Yousuf Parker. The Program included speeches by VIP guests including the City representatives from the City of Canning, the executive principle of Australian Islamic College Mr Abdullah Khan, the president of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils Dr Rateb Jneid, Dr Naser al-Ziyadat from Murdoch University and Sheikh Wael Ibrahim, Founder of the Aware Academy, mentor and Student counsellor at The Australian Islamic College. Human Appeal Australia in WA awarded Mr Abdulrahman al-Omari and Mr Tarek al-Chamkhi a plaque during the event for
their outstanding contributions to the communities through the years. Bilal Ghufran, one of the High Achievers in 2020 during his address shared his personal journey through school, thanking the people who helped him and his future aspirations. “My success is due to the people around me who helped me throughout the year. Thank you to my parents, for always encouraging and supporting me in times of stress, to my teachers, who put in their best efforts to help me achieve my goals and my older sister, who motivated me to work hard. After seeing my older sister’s amazing achievements when she was in year 12, I knew that I wanted to strive for the best and work hard just like she did,” Bilal said. Year 12 Muslim Achievement Awards night in Adelaide were held on 14 March at Stamford, honouring 16 High Achievers. The event commenced by acknowledging of land followed on by a Quran recitation by Sheikh Mohammed Syed. Human Appeal’s State Manager, Ali Kadir acknowledged the high achievers and outlined the amazing work Human Appeal has been doing over the years, locally and overseas. The Hon Stephen Patterson MP, representing the Premier, spoke on ethics of success. The Hon Zoe Bettison, Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Shadow Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment spoke on
social responsibility of contributing to society.
Alsu Kurlow is the Community Care Events Coordinator for Human Appeal Australia.
Year 12 High Achievement Awards Recipients 2021 and guests in Adelaide.
To the Muslims in Victoria and all around Australia, I wish you and your family a blessed Ramadan.
From left: Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohamed, Grand Mufti of Australia; Mohamed Ajjaward and Mr Bashar Al-Jamal, HAA Director at the Sydney event.
Ramadan Kareem
Bruce Atkinson MLC
Member for Eastern Metropolitan Region Member of the Legislative Council Mr Jihad Dib, MP, Member for Lakemba at the Sydney event. APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 185
Top Queensland ATAR recipient Dina Musameh at the Brisbane event.
Phone: 03 9877 7188 | Address: R19B | Level 3 West 5 Car Park Entrance, Eastland Shopping Centre
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Ramadan Mubarak Shadow Minister for the NDIS Shadow Minister for Government Services A: Suite 1A, 12 Hall Street, Moonee Ponds VIC 3039 P: PO Box 214, Moonee Ponds VIC 3039 T: 9326 1300 E: bill.shorten.mp@aph.gov.au BillShorten @billshortenmp @billshortenmp Authorised by Bill Shorten, Australian Labor Party, Suite 1A, 12 Hall Street Moonee Ponds, VIC, 3039.
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Sydney marks the second anniversary of Christchurch massacre in NZ
vicious and unprovoked, physical attack on Continued from page 1 The ANIC speakers at the event called for the night of 20 November 2019, pregnant at government action against Islamophobia and the time while sitting in a cafe with friends hate speech, which it was said “contributes Parramatta. “I have had no affiliation or previous conto an enabling environment for the terrorist tact with the perpetrator. This was an attack, event which occurred in Christchurch”. They called the Federal and State govern- purely based on my Islamic faith, made eviments to take more action, including having dent through my veil, and also because, I am protective laws against vilification and pro- a woman,” Rana said. She recalled, “in the moments after the athibiting discrimination on the ground of a tack I was shocked and disappointed at the person’s religion or religious belief. They also highlighted the deficiencies of comments that followed. Patrons of the café who had witnessed the attack said things the existing legal frameworks. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison like ‘I thought he was your husband’ or ‘I sent his apologies for not being present, but though you knew him’. This is a mindset sent a message saying, “today we remember that needs to shift. No matter who the perthe appalling act of terrorism in Christchurch son is, we are equal as human beings and nobody deserves to be abused that took place on this day two Rana Elasmar. in that way. This change starts years ago. We remember and here and now.” honour the victims, send our Ramia Sultan, solicitor and love to the survivors, and stand ANIC adviser shared her rewith the families and loved flections after the Christchurch ones who are rebuilding their tragedy and her concern for lives.” Muslims,, men, women and The formal program started children who visit mosques for with a welcome by the MC, Bitheir prayers. lal Rauf, ANIC Senior Adviser, “The events that took place starting with Acknowledgeon Friday 15 March 2019 have ment to Country followed by emphasising the significance of the day and made me reflect a lot, on things I either nevacknowledging the presence of guests from er saw or perhaps chose not to see. I realised diverse faiths, background and walks of life. that Christchurch was never an “unforeseen “It is a day on which the most significant circumstance”, Ramia said. She further explained, “There was always terrorist event for our country occurred. It was close to home and the perpetrator was a lead up to it. How is it OK to sit in parliaan Australian. It is a day on which the peace ment and call Islam a “disease”, or refer to a of so many people in NZ was shattered for- “final solution” when talking about Muslim ever. Many others, including in Australia, presence in society? How is it OK to turn became gripped with a paralysing fear at the up to parliament wearing and ridiculing relivery notion of going to a mosque to pray,” gious attire or claim that it was a “mistake” to let a cohort of Muslim immigrants come Bilal said. He further added, “We gather, and re- to Australia in the 1970s? It is comments member, and hope that the sadness, pain and and statements such as these that contribute horror of what occurred can motivate us to to severe hatred.” “The Islamophobia in Australia report be better and stronger in the steps we take to stamp out hate and violence against anyone, released in November 2019 showed that Isincluding based on their religious identity.” lamophobia in Australia does exist and is a After the recitation of Quran by Anas persistent social issue that overwhelmingly Yaghmour, ANIC President Imam Shady targets women who are visibly Muslim due Alsuleiman after welcoming the guests re- to the hijab, and places of worship such as called the events of Friday 15 March 2019 mosques.” “Hence, it becomes our duty as bystandwhen he was preparing to go to the mosque ers, policymakers and law changers to quesfor leading the Juma prayers. tion and assess what protective “The perpetrator of this horlegislative measures are in rific crime was radicalised by place to better protect minority far right and white supremacist communities - including Ausideology that existed and contralian Muslims – from Islamtinues to exists that is a great ophobia.” threat to our diverse community “Better measures, which will and peace and must by counhold perpetrators to account, tered by our political leaders need to be implemented in orand religious leaders and our der to monitor both online and law enforcement agencies,” Ramia Sultan, offline hatred and violent exImam Shady said. ANIC adviser. tremism to ensure that another The Mufti of Australia, Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammad during his address Christchurch never happens again,” Ramia said that although the act of terrorism in concluded. Dr Geof Lee MP, Minister of Sport, Christchurch was committed by an extremist Australian, not all Australians hold an Multiculturalism, Seniors and Veterans addressed the audience starting with the Isextremist view. “Islamophobia is not a new phenomenon, lamic greeting of Assalamu Alaikum and there are published works promoting Islam- while acknowledging the presence of civic ophobia and a number of people in influ- and religious leaders expressed his sympaential positions have used Islamophobia to thies on behalf of the NSW government at gain power and remain in power in many the occasion. Ms Jodi Mckay MP, NSW Leader of the countries,” Dr Ibrahim said. “If we agree that there are extremists in Opposition and Shadow Minister for Mulboth East and West, we find that those who ticulturalism conveyed her appreciation to are operating in the East are doing so against Rana for bravely sharing her story and asthe law and are contained and we find them sured her of her support as a Hijabi Muslim in jails or in hideouts, but the greater prob- women. She said that since the perpetrator lem is that the extremists in the West exist was an Australian, Australia has a responamongst those who legislate and are in influ- sibility to ensure that this kind of atrocity ential positions and able to propagate their never happens again. There was a reading of the names of the 51 extremist views widely to radicalise others,” victims of the Christchurch attack by Imam Dr Ibrahim emphasised. The main victims of Islamophobia have Ibrahim Dadoun and Mariam Ardati togethbeen Muslim women, identified by their Hi- er with the photos of the victims displayed jab who have faced abuse and live in fear in on the screen as the names were called, to their day to day lives. Two of these women honour and remember them. The program concluded with a moving bravely shared their stories at the occasion Dua, supplication for the victims, the well with the audience. Rana Elasmar, 33 became a victim of a being of all in Australia by Imam Ahmed APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 185
Abdo, President of the Council of Imams, NSW: Christchurch Commemoration Prayer O Allah, You are the Giver of life and the Bestower of death. We send prayers and salutations upon our Beloved Messenger Muhammad. Indeed, to You we belong, and to You shall be our return. Each of the 51 Muslims who were martyred in Christchurch 2 years ago - we ask You to raise their ranks and cast upon them an eternal radiant light that shines from their resting place on earth to the highest Garden in Paradise. O Allah. The persecution and agony they experienced on that Friday - where they visited your House to seek nearness to You through their devotional prayers - we ask You to replace their pain with an everlasting vision of Your Countenance in the Garden of Paradise.
O Allah. They were followers of the pure and peaceful path of the Last Messenger, Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, going to drink from his practice on the blessed day of Friday. We beseech You, Lord of the Heavens and Earth, to grant them a drink from the blessed hand of your Messenger, at the basin of the hawd - a drink which they will never become thirsty afterwards. O Allah. You saved Ibrahim from the flames of the fire. You saved Yunus from the belly of the whale. You saved Yusuf from the darkness of the well. You saved Noah from the overflowing waters of the earth. You saved Musa from the tyranny of Pharaoh.
As you begin Ramadan, I wish you and your loved ones a safe and blessed time. May Eid be a special time for you and your family.
- Anne Stanley
Anne Stanley MP FEDERAL MEMBER FOR WERRIWA Shop 7, 441 Hoxton Park Rd, Hinchinbrook 2168 (02) 8783 0977 anne.stanley.mp@aph.gov.au www.annestanley.com.au Authorised by A. Stanley MP, ALP, 7/441 Hoxton Park Rd, Hinchinbrook 2168
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Sydney celebrates Pakistan Ms Julia Dorothy Finn, Shadow Minister for Consumer Protection, and Carers, NSW
Hijabi ballerina at IMA’s Women’s Morning Tea Stephanie Kurlow speaking at the Islamic Museum of Australia’s Women’s Morning Tea.
Mei Nee Cheong Professional dancer Stephanie Kurlow was the guest speaker at Islamic Museum of Australia’s biannual Women’s Morning Tea, held at the Museum in Thornbury on Thursday 18 March 2021. Kurlow, 19 captivated the audience of both Muslim and non-Muslim women as she talked about her journey in the ballet world and the challenges she’s faced as she continues striving for her goal as being the first professional hijabi ballerina in a company. Kurlow who uses the negative feedback she’s received in her industry – such as being told she’ll never make it in the ballet world unless she removes her hijab – as motivation to continue dancing and blazing a trail for other budding young hijabi dancers who she hopes will one day walk the same path a little easier and see that their dreams are possible. Kurlow advocates for and is passionate about creating a world
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Mehar Ahmad
Pakistan Day, marking the Lahore Resolution passed on 23 March 1940, was celebrated on Saturday 20 March at Himalaya Emporium in Bankstown organised by the Pakistan Association of Australia coinciding with its 50th anniversary joined by a large number of invited guests, family and friends. The Pakistan Day, Yaum-e-Pakistan is also known as the Republic Day marking the adoption of first constitution of Pakistan on 23 March 1956 making Pakistan the world’s first Islamic republic. The celebration also marked 50 years since the formation of the Pakistan Association of Australia (PAA) back in 1971 highlighting the contribution of Pakistani expatriates in building a diverse and prosperous Australian society. The President of the PAA, Mr Farhat Jaffri, delivered special messages from the Prime Minister of Australia and the Premier of NSW for the Pakistani community celebrating the Pakistan Day. “I send my best wishes to the Pakistan Association of Australia as you celebrate Pakistan’s Republic Day. The decades of Australia’s friendship with Pakistan has enriched our nations. In education, trade, defence, sport and, above all, the bonds between our peoples, our relationship instils confidence and optimism”, PM Scott Mor-
Mr Farhat Jaffri, President of the Pakistan Association of Australia (PAA). rison said. He further added, ”today, many thousands of individuals and families of Pakistani heritage call our nation home. As the most successful and cohesive multicultural country on earth, we can unite in celebrating the humanity, goodwill, sacrifice and resilience of generations that has built our nation.” The Premier of NSW, Gladys Berejiklian said, “As our Australian Pakistani community comes together to celebrate independence, I would also like to thank you for the contribution you have made to our rich multicultural society.” The event recognised the achievements of Pakistani students who completed their HSC in the year 2020 with an ATAR of 90+ and awarded trophies to the winners of the
of prof e s sional dancers of colour, different races and religion where all dancers will be accepted and celebrated. The next Wo m e n ’s Morning Tea will be held in September 2021. Full details will be released on the IMA’s website in August. Mei Nee Cheong is a marketing professional who has worked across the arts, arts education and travel. She is currently the Media and Marketing Manager at the Islamic Museum of Australia and is based in Melbourne, Australia.
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Dr Mehreen Faruqi with HSC High Achiever.
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Day with all Australians • Mr Babar Amin, High Commissioner for Pakistan.
Dr Akbar Khan. PAA’s Squash and Badminton competitions which were held last weekend. The event also recognised the significant accomplishments of gifted and talented Pakistani children in a variety of fields including sports and technology. The highlights of the night included musical items by local artists and theatrical performances by children dressed in colourful traditional Pakistani clothing. The night was capped off with a delicious ethnic Pakistani cuisine. The event was very popular and highly successful with over 400 attendees which resulted in great pride and recognition of the Pakistani Australian community, not only from the office of the Consul General and the PAA, but also amongst members of the
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community itself. The High Commissioner of Pakistan recognised and congratulated PAA for its exceptional contributions in organising the Pakistan Day event with a variety of programs, entertainment, dinner and addresses by community leaders and diplomats. The speakers and honourable guests at the Pakistan Day 2021 celebration included: • Mr Babar Amin, High Commissioner for Pakistan • Dr Mehreen Faruqi, Australian Senator • Ms Julia Dorothy Finn, Shadow Minister for Consumer Protection, and Carers, NSW • Ms Julie Owens, Deputy Chair of Standing Committee on Appropriations and Administration, Tax and Revenue • Mr Muhammad Ashraf, Consul General of Pakistan, • Mr Laurie Ferguson, former Australia Politician • Mr Sheryar Khan Mandokhel, Deputy Consul General of Pakistan • Mr Masood Chowdhury & Mr Rey Manoto, Councillors for Campbelltown City Council Representatives from a number of multicultural community organisation, institutions and businesses including ICAN, IFAM, Seena Inc, PPBSA, ANIC, AFIC, PACS, 5 News Australia, Sada-e-Watan, Rabita Magazine, Pak-Oz media as well as Dr Akbar Khan, community leader and Mr Zia Ahmad, Editor-in-Chief, AMUST. Mehar Ahmad based in Sydney is a Public School Teacher and President of Seena Inc, Publishers of the Australasian Muslim Times AMUST.
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Celebrating ‘Women in Leadership’ for International Women’s Day 2021 pandemic. They emphasised how social media has acted as a platform for them to grow their brand and connect with clients, at a time when many women were seeking to transform their home, lifestyle and mindset. Another speaker who shared the story of the humble beginnings of her business during the pandemic, was Lea Kassar the founder of Zamrud Apparel. Zamrud Apparel provides quality one piece prayer clothes for women at affordable prices in a variety of colours and styles. During her talk, Lea demonstrated a lot of excitement and passion for her high-quality one-piece prayer garments, which the women in attendance found to be so awe-inspiring. What was even more inspiring was that she built the courage and inspiration to launch her business after attending the MWWA Life Skills Workshops that were held in 2019 and the beginning of 2020. The tools, experiences, and connections she gained through the workshops opened the door of opportunity for her to launch her own business and make it flourish in Australia and overseas even during the COVID-19 pandemic. The event concluded with the presentation of small tokens of appreciation to the guest speakers and volunteers.
Noura Awad
The Muslim Women’s Welfare of Australia (MWWA) hosted its first event for this year on the occasion of ‘International Women’s Day’ on Saturday 13 March 2021 with a breakfast The theme of this year’s IWD was ‘Women in Leadership’; Challenges Overcome by Businesswomen during the Pandemic. Despite all the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, many local businesses owned by women have shown their resilience by not only managing the hurdles along the way, but even growing their brand during the pandemic. The program began with a blessed recitation of the holy Qur’an presented by former student of Salamah College, Fatima Beirouti. MWWA president, Hajjah Faten El Dana OAM then addressed the attendees and emphasised how great it is that we can finally physically reconnect with all the amazing ladies who have been eagerly awaiting another informative and exciting MWWA event after a yearlong break due to the COVID-19 restrictions. Hajjah Faten also took the opportunity to congratulate the attendees on the advent of the great occasion of Al Israa’ and Al Mi’raaj and gave a brief account of the miraculous journey that Prophet Muhammad (s) took from Makkah to Jerusalem, then to the heavens above.
In keeping with the theme of the event, Holistic Health Coach Samah Medlej and
Terra Leader Chayma Jebara, were invited to share their experiences in the recent
Noura Awad is a graduate in Human Psychology and has also attained a Diploma in Education teaching English to high school students. Mrs Awad has spent the past 5 years volunteering with the Muslim Womens Welfare of Australia by developing new and interesting programs to target serious issues like health, domestic violence, parenting and other matters.
Ramada Mubara
Wishing you, your family & the community. Celebrating the Month of Mercy Islamic Help Australia Empowering people in Need
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Moving personal stories at IFEW Dinner Zia Ahmad The Islamic Foundation for Education and Welfare (IFEW) hosted its 18th Presentation Dinner on Sunday 14 March 2021 at Darulislam in Bonnyrigg, its first major event exactly after one year of lockdown restrictions due to COVID-19. IFEW Presentation Dinners are organised twice a year in order to develop mutual understanding between IFEW, MEFF, Seena Incorporated and AMUST with other sister organisations and institutions in Sydney. The guest invitees this year included Princess R Lakshman from Mind Body Healing Hub, Mr David Purcell from Toastmasters and Mr Nafay Siddiqui and Shahriyar Mirza from Up Pay. IFEW President Sakinah Ahmad welcomed the guests and after brief introduction of attendees, showcased almost half a century of history of the extended family of Dr Qazi Ashfaq Ahmad OAM and pioneering services rendered in the field of Daawah and education during these long years by IFEW. Mr Nafay Siddiqui Co-Founder of Up Pay and Head of Growth elaborated on his unique organisation who strive to assist the growth of strong and sustainable Muslim communities. Nafey showed how Up Pay helps Mosque associations professionally to collect donations, manage funds and sustain membership sharing testimonials from successful
Mr Nafay Siddiqui from Up Pay. organisations that they have helped so far. Mr Aamir Ahmad, Vice President of MEFF gave the historical background and organisational structure of the Multicultural Eid Festival and Fair, the first, the longest running and the largest Eid Festival in Australia. He said that the MEFF has been continuously running for the last 36 years, but had to be cancelled last year in 2020 due to COVID-19 and will be most probably cancelled again this year in 2021. Princess R Lakshman, clinical nutritionist, writer, speaker life coach, councillor and workshop facilitator spoke from her heart in an honest, bold, highly moving and inspiring story of her life displaying her strong Iman and convictions as a revert Muslim.
Princess R Lakshman, clinical nutritionist and Life Coach. Mrs Mehar Ahmad, President of Seena Inc showcased the success of AMUST currently in its 7th year of publication as well as other innovative projects such as marking International Day for People with Disability, Grandparents Day, multicultural cooking classes and helping refugees and victims of human rights violations and the upcoming Accessibility FunFest. Mr David Purcell, a Distinguished Toastmaster and former CEO of Toyota talked about his life experiences in various parts of
Mr David Purcell, Distinguished Toastmaster. the world and with a diverse variety of political, business and community leaders during his rich career. He urged the attendees to join Toastmasters in order to develop their communication skills. Dr Qazi Ashfaq Ahmad OAM ended the session with a brief conclusion and dua for peace, harmony and safety from the coronavirus pandemic followed by Maghreb prayer and dinner hosted by Mrs Mehar Ahmad and family.
Mrs Mehar Ahmad (left) from Seena Inc.
Remember the oppressed in your supplication this Ramadan Sukoon Quteifan Ramadan Mubarak, and praise be to Allah, the Almighty who blessed us to witness the holy month of Ramadan this year. Dear AMUST readers, Please remember the oppressed Muslims around the world in your supplications this Ramadan and at all times. Remember our brothers and sisters in the deepest of oppression and difficulty. Please keep in your supplication the forgotten Muslims of China “The Uyghur”, the Muslims of Myanmar “The Rohingya”, the Muslims of India and Kashmir, the Muslims in occupied Palestine, the Muslims in miserable condition in Yemen and in many other countries. Please keep in your supplication the innocent detainees and prisoners around the world and whomever Allah has the knowledge of their APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 185
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needy condition and we are not. May Allah help them and relieve them from their suffering very soon, Ameen. “Oh Allah, improve the state of the ummah of Prophet Muhammad (s). Oh Allah, grant ease to the ummah of Prophet Muhammad (s). Oh Allah have mercy on the ummah of Prophet Muhammad (s) Allahumma aslih ummata Muhammad. Allahumma farrij `an ummati Muhammad. Allahumma Rham ummata Muhammad (salla Allahu `alayhi wa sallam.) May Allah reward you all with goodness, and accept your good deeds. 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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Harmony day celebrations in Riverwood
AMUST Media The 15th Harmony Day Celebration of the Canterbury Bankstown Harmony Group was held on Monday 22 March 2021 at Riverwood Community Centre joined by members of the diverse community from the area. The yearly event, held since 2004, is an initiative of Karl Saleh, former deputy Mayor of Canterbury Bankstown Council and
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the founder and convenor of the Canterbury Bankstown Harmony Group. “Harmony Day is an important celebration of our local community and it is wonderful to be able to come together again after the significant Covid 19 challenges to celebrate unity peace and respect,” Mr Saleh said. The event opened with Riverwood Community Choir & showcased cultural dresses, and incredible special performances from people originally from China, Lebanon, Sudan, Bangladesh, Vietnamese and more.
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The celebration was attended by a number of community leaders and politicians including Sophie Cotsis MP, Member of Canterbury, Mark Coure MP, Member for Oatley while Tony Burke, Federal Member for Watson send a special message read by Anne Sinclair. “We are a community which celebrates diversity and social cohesion. We come together with respect for each other, young and old and to stand together in peace and harmony,” Mr Burke said.
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He further added, “we are a vibrant nation of cultures, faiths and communities bound together with threads of unity and there are over 18 diverse communities which make up the fabric of the Harmony Group.” “Our multicultural society is a patchwork of diverse backgrounds. And like a quilted patchwork blanket, each culture, while retaining its own unique traditions, is attached to another with threads that are strongest when we all unite on one front – respect for all people,” Mr Burke concluded.
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AIA Students harmonise to de-stress with music and education AMUST Media The Kellyville campus of the Australian International Academy of Education (AIA) celebrated their Harmony Day on Thursday 25 March in front of 300 excited students. School Chaplain Imam Farhan Khalil opened proceedings with prayers followed by thanks to the organisers and then introduced the keynote speaker, Philip Feinstein from the Music for Refugees. After emphasising how music can play an important part in people‘s lives, especially Philip Feinstein of Music for Refugees
when it came to handling stress, Philip related how the Music for Refugee organisation achieved that goal in many different circumstances. “Prior to Covid we visited the Villawood Detention Centre every week to have jam sessions with the refugees” he explained. “So we are all going to have a short jam right now: Get you keys out or get ready to clap your hands in time to me!” The 300 students wildly followed Philip as he led them into a timely session of rhythm. These Kellyville students certainly knew how to keep a good rhythm. The Australian International Academy of Senior staff member, Muhamed Merhabi
Students receiving their awards. Education is an equal opportunity educational institution dedicated to the provision of high quality education for students from kindergarten level to Year 12 matriculation in Australia and globally. Their head office is located in Melbourne where the first branch commenced in the late 1980’s. The Academy’s student population and staff comprise of a wide range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. With a high level of educational prowess, AIA graduates become well prepared for admission into the best universities both nationally and internationally with many AIA alumni becoming global professionals. “Just watching some of these students delivering their speeches made me realise that I was in the company of future leaders in Australia” Philip Feinstein commented. One of the senior staff, Muhamed Merhabi, said, “All mankind is from Adam
and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a White has no superiority over a Black nor a Black has any superiority over a White except by piety and good action.” Wearing dark glasses during his speech he became quite a fan amongst the students. And following with a sermon on peace and equality, Chaplain Imam Farhan Khalil said, “Fundamental Islamic society motto is that believers are nothing else than brethren. The verse refers to equality between individuals and lack of difference in terms of ethnic group, tribe and race.” The Harmony Day concluded with awards to some students and their acceptance speeches. This was followed by a scrumptious array of food that everyone partook in. The atmosphere of harmony flowed on during the day!
AIMEP online applications closing soon Rowan Gould The Australia-Indonesia Muslim Exchange Program (AIMEP) is now open for applications! One of Australia’s longest-running programs for emerging Muslim community leaders, the AIMEP will run online this year due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Applications opened on Saturday 6 March and close on Saturday 10 April 2021. The AIMEP aims to build bridges of friendship and understanding between Australians and Indonesians through emerging (23-40 years old) leaders of the Muslim communities in both countries. Australian Ambassador HE Gary Quinlan AO, and his counterpart, Indonesian Ambassador HE Kristiarto Legowo, jointly launched the AIMEP in a special online event streamed via Zoom and Facebook. “The Muslim Exchange Program is so important. Over the last two decades, more than 260 people have gone through the program and formed a very powerful alumnus network, which continues to make a very
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strong contribution to both our countries, and the relationship, the understanding, and the knowledge [that exists] between the two of us,” Ambassador Quinlan said. Ambassador Legowo added: “I would like to express my sincere appreciation to the Australia Indonesia Institute for nurturing this excellent agenda for almost 20 years. I always say that AIMEP is one of the best programs that we have conducted in strengthening further people to people linkages between Indonesia and Australia. I am also proud that in the midst of this
pandemic we are all able to remain active, creative, and innovative, as reflected in the first time the AIMEP has been held virtually this year.” The AIMEP counts among its Australian alumni prominent Muslim community members such as cross-cultural consultant Tasneem Chopra AM and television personality Nazeem Hussain, as well as sportswoman Assmaah Helal, police officer Maha Sukkar, Islamic Council of Victoria manager Ayman Islam, AMUST Managing Editor, Mobinah Ahmad and others.
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This year, AIMEP program organisers will partner with Gould Studio to deliver the AIMEP as a fully interactive, virtual experience. “Our team is thrilled to support this exciting next chapter for the highly successful AIMEP program. We’ve designed an engaging, interactive virtual experience that will enable participants to foster meaningful connections without the need to travel in person,” Chief Design Officer Peter Gould said. Successful applicants will engage in an interactive program of dialogue and exchange over 7 weeks in July-August 2021. 24 participants, including 16 Indonesian and 8 Australian Muslim leaders, will be selected in April this year by a panel of experts and alumni from both countries. Application criteria and further information about the AIMEP program is available at: www.aimep.com.au. Interested applicants are encouraged to begin preparing necessary documents ahead of the Saturday 10 April 2021 deadline. Rowan Gould is the Director of the Australia Indonesia Muslim Exchange Program (AIMEP) and a researcher at the University of Melbourne.
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Ramadan, 30 years of blessings & giving.
Iftar Meal
Zakat Al Fitr
Eid Gift & Clothing
Zakat Al Maal
Provides a complete iftar to let the needy enjoy their Ramadan.
Compulsory Zakat that removes ones sins & provides food to the poor.
Gift a needy child on the day of Eid with a gift and new clothes.
Obligatory Zakat Al Maal providing relief to those in need.
10 per meal $
15 per person $
25
$
2.5%
per gift
Hygiene Kit
Fidya (compensation)
Sponsor an Orphan
Income Generation
Provides a needy family with a hygiene kit for the month.
A compulsory payment by those who can’t fast during Ramadan.
Sponsor an Orphan and be with the Prophet (pbuh) in Paradise.
Help needy families generate a sustainable income and rebuild their lives.
50
$
15 per day
$
50
$
600
$
per month
Feed a Family
Build a Water Well
Daily Bread Dist.
Sadaqa Jariyah
Provides a needy family with food for the month of Ramadan.
Provide clean water solutions to the needy. This is a Sadaqa Jariya. from
Provide 100 needy families with bread loaves for a day.
Ongoing charity that benefits everyone involved. Forever.
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$
450
150
$
$
200
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Give today. Visit www.hai.org.au Call 1300 760 155 Sydney Office: 119 Haldon St, Lakemba NSW 2195 P 02 9750 3161
22
Melbourne Office: 149 Sydney Rd, Coburg VIC 3058 P 03 8374 3000
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Adelaide Office: 1/53 Henley Beach Rd, Mile End SA 5031 P 08 7200 2882
Brisbane Office: 16 Queens Rd, Slacks Creek QLD 4127 P 07 3493 4222
Perth Office: 2/1397 Albany Hwy, Cannington WA 6107 P 08 6269 3556
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SCAN HERE TO DONATE
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Hajjah Aziza: A true pioneer amongst women Feda Abdo Hajjah Aziza El Saddik, a pioneer amongst Sydney’s Muslim community passed away early in March and her Aza to pay respect to her family was organised on Thursday 11 March 2021 at Lakemba mosque for men and at Muslim Women Australia (MWA) headquarters in Lakemba for women. Hajjah Aziza, a vibrant and forceful woman, first came to Australia sixty years ago though she and her family returned to Lebanon for a period of eight years during that time, returning permanently to Australia in 1972. She was used to being active in community work in Syria, “everyone knew me in the city”, and was always an avid reader. She learnt English “by proxy”, as she put it, from overseas magazines sent by her sister. Fluent in Arabic, she joined Douha, another female community member in organising Quran classes for women and in looking after the sick and needy. Aziza was inspired to go on hajj (pilgrimage) after a dream she had that Sheikh Taj interpreted as a desire for the pilgrimage and, when she returned, she started to attend the mosque every day. The number of girls and women attending the Lakemba mosque grew larger and Sheikh Taj suggested a separate day for
Hajjah Aziza remembered at MWA headquarters in Lakemba. women to attend the mosque on their own. When MWA was established, Sheikh Taj proposed that Aziza be the chairperson because of her work in the community and her knowledge of women’s rights in Islam. She shattered the stereotype of Muslim women
as “shy and scared”. Aziza recalled that, in the beginning, her family or community were not enthusiastic about her involvement in the MWA but she was quietly confident of the significance of the organisation. When the MWA moved to a rented house in Lakemba, Aziza led a group of committed women who taught lessons in English, religion and Arabic to other girls and women. During school holidays, they organised an array of fun activities for the children and lessons at the mosque. This had a cumulative effect as families of children who attended these events developed an interest in and involvement with MWA.
Aziza was also involved in assisting women and children who were experiencing homelessness and domestic violence with accommodation and support. “We’d go and find her a place to sleep and it was very hard because it depended on people opening up their homes,” Aziza recalled who was one of the women involved in forming the first ever Muslim women’s refuge in Australia Aziza thought that one of the main goals of MWA should be education of Muslim women in Australia, so that they are strong enough and equipped to stand up for themselves and represent the best image of their faith and their country.
Muslim women leaders gathered at MWA headquarters on Thursday 11 March 2021.
Blast off! Activate Youth launched!
RAMADAN KAREEM Bilal Aboobucker Activate Youth Inc (AY) was launched as an independent, Australian Muslim Youth-led, notfor-profit organisation on Sunday, 28 February 2021. The launch attracted 45+ attendees that actively participated in co-designing the future of AY. AY seeks to address challenges around the social, mental, physical and financial well-being of multicultural youth. AY provides a platform for young people in Victoria to #empower, #lead and #inspire each other and the wider community irreAPRIL 2021 / ISSUE 185
spective of race, religion and language. Some of the first organisational supporters of AY announced their tangible contributions at the launch. Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) announced a one year membership for AY and sponsored the launch venue and catering costs. The Board Of Imams Victoria provided a significant grant to hold the event. Other sponsors of the event include Above All Home Services, Taxhouse Group Accountants, Officeworks, Jestreats and Soheb Sarwar’s Graphic Design. Bilal Aboobucker is the Marketing Manager of Activate Youth Inc. Based in Melbourne, Australia.
Wishing you and your family a blessed Ramadan
KEN WYATT AM MP
FEDERAL MEMBER FOR HASLUCK
Shop 10-12, Hawaiian’s Forrestfield, 80 Hale Road, Forrestfield WA 6058 08 9359 0322
kenwyatt.com.au
ken.wyatt.mp@aph.gov.au KenWyattMP
teamkenwyatt
Authorised by Ken Wyatt AM MP, Liberal Party, Shop 10-12, Hawaiian’s Forrestfield, 80 Hale Road, Forrestfield WA 6058.
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Recipes for Ramadan - what’s cooking in 2021 Lina Jebeile (The Lebanese Plate) sharing her Ramadan recipes.
lives of the people we work with and believe MAYEfoodz will do that.” The company will be importing Mloukiya One of Recipes for Ramleaves, making them easier to find in Ausadan’s aims is to unpack tralia insh’allah. Check out the recipe Lina what Ramadan means. Jebeile (aka the Lebanese Plate) inherited Fitting then that Human from her mum and Lina’s story at https:// Appeal Australia has berecipesforramadan.com/recipes/linas-lebacome Presenting Partner nese-mloukiya/ and to mark its 30th anniOther community partners include Amity versary, the partnership College (Prestons, NSW), Unity Grammar will reflect and demon(Austral, NSW) and Together For Humanity, strate the central role of food in Ramadan, the educational not-for-profit working with exploring the relationship between food, school communities to foster intercultural fasting, sharing what we have and the im- understanding and acceptance and helping portance of charity and zakat to Muslims. students learn to deal with difference, regard“Ramadan is beginning to find a place on less of faith or ethnicity. the Australian calendar,” says Bashar Al-JaCBCity - Canterbury Bankstown Counmal, Human Appeal Australia’s Director, cil – is also continuing its partnership with “and food has a special role to play.” Ramadan Nights Haldon Street Markets in “What we put on our tables and who we Sydney’s Lakemba cancelled under a second choose to share it with is one way so many year of Covid restrictions. of us engage with the wider Australian comWe were flattered by Greenleaf Foods munity, sharing religious and cultural tradi- keenness to be involved: “We have seen tions and stories, and building lasting rela- the great work Recipes for Ramadan has tionships, community and social done and would love to see the cohesion.” great work continue,” wrote “Fasting is also an ABWFoods Key AcLina Jebeile’s important act of counts Manager - InMloukiya dish. self-sacrifice which ternational Foods, focusses our emWalid Afiouny. pathy for those And we’re facing real povexcited by the erty and hunger people keen to – people who contribute – indo not have a cluding a pharchoice about macist and nuhow much or tritionist with little they eat. tips on healthy And breaking eating and avoidthe fast togething putting on er is about sharing weight in Ramadan. what we have, an act We’ll be sharing recof hospitality, generosity ipes, stories, videos and and charity, inviting others to family photos from early April sit and eat whilst we as hosts serve and and daily through Ramadan - on-line at provide.” www.RecipesForRamadan.com and on InsAcross the world, Human Appeal Australia tagram, Facebook and YouTube. is ‘feeding the fasting’ and in collaboration The Guardian is also running a five-part with Recipes for Ramadan, is planning local Recipes for Ramadan series, presenting a activations from sharing footage of its iftars recipe and story every Saturday from April at Al-Aqsa to feeding the homeless in Aus- 10 to May 8. tralia. Watch this space… So please join us for Iftar – as a virtual We are also delighted that Tender Loving ‘host’, sharing a recipe and story dear to your Care Disability Services (TLC) is partnering family or be our guest, find inspiration to again. This year involving MAYEfoodz, a cook and others’ life-stories to enjoy. new venture TLC CEO Yasser Zaki and his Ramadan Mubarak. team are establishing to provide a pathway to employment for people with a disability. For further information about future plans, “Domty cheese is arguably the world’s contributing, partner opportunities, interculbest feta and we’re excited to establish na- tural initiatives, sponsorship opportunities, tional distribution for this and a great range please contact of fruit juices and quality frozen vegetables jane@RecipesForRamadan.com from Egypt but what excites us most is our plan for 70% of our staff to be people with a Jane Jeffes is a producer and director and disability in roles right across the business,” former head of ABC Religion & Ethics. A says Mr Zaki. UK-Australian dual national she is based in “We want to make a real difference in the Sydney, Australia. Jane Jeffes
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Recipes for Ramadan’s virtual iftars beat COVID-19 Jane Jeffes When it became clear last April that COVID-19 lockdowns would mean a completely different Ramadan with no opportunity to share daily iftars with extended family, neighbours, friends, colleagues and the wider community, several community organisations banded together to extend an invitation to a virtual iftar when it was impossible to meet face-to-face. Before the word pivot even became a thing, we pivoted a TV idea originally pitched to SBS into a feel-good community project, asking members of the Muslim community to share their recipes and family stories, using food to unlock their family history, stretching back to the lands of their ancestors – just as they would share food and conversation at their iftar table. One of the best ways human beings can get to know and understand one another is over food
and with Australian Muslims’ family roots stretching back to 183 countries and every corner of the globe, the food we put on our plates, the ingredients we use, the way we prepare it, the way we eat it and the conversations we have as we eat reflect the different lands from which we come and the diversity of cultures we bring with us. Traditionally, wherever you are, the daily Ramadan fast is broken with a date – but after that first date, the food we share tells many different stories. Those stories prompt us and others to think more about our identity, the legacies we have inherited from our grandparents and great-grandparents, and the kaleidoscope of rich cultures that make Australia what it is today: a jigsaw of 25million different pieces, with different stories and different traditions inherited from our forefathers and foremothers In 2020, Recipes For Ramadan shared 33 recipes from 15 different countries with contributors (our virtual iftar hosts) telling family stories reaching back to Afghanistan, the Cocos Islands and Egypt; India and Iraq; Japan and Jordan; Kurdistan, Lebanon, Morocco and Palestine to Scotland, Somaliland, South Africa and Turkey. Contributors ranged from primary and high school stu-
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dents to grandparents, local politicians to some of Australia’s most popular Muslim cooks and food experts. The Recipes and Stories can be found at www.RecipesForRamadan.com with easyto-follow instructions for starters like soup and samosas to main dishes, desserts, cakes and Eid biscuits. Videos shot by contributors take us inside family homes and professionally shot ‘chop and chat’ videos show that our local foodies can give the likes of Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver and Yotam Ottolenghi a run for their money! An online Facebook Live Zoom Iftar and Watch Party hosted by Amity College, Unity Grammar and Together for Humanity proved there are other ways of hosting large numbers of people even in the most challenging circumstances. And social media (Instagram, Facebook and YouTube) achieved a reach of more than 220,000 with enthusiastic and appre-
ciative feedback from Muslims and non-Muslims in such faraway places as Venezuela, Japan, the USA and the UK. Equally gratifying, the project which started on a wing and a prayer was chosen as a finalist in the NSW Premier’s Multicultural Communication Awards 2020 – for Best Use of Digital and Social Media.
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Ramadan Mubarak Wishing you and your family a joyous celebration
Graham Perrett MP
Jim Chalmers MP
Terri Butler MP
Member for Moreton. Shadow Assistant Minister for Education
Member for Rankin. Shadow Treasurer
Member for Griffith. Shadow Minister for the Environment & Water
www.grahamperrett.net.au
www.jimchalmers.org
www.terributlermp.com
Authorised by Terri Butler MP, Australian Labor Party, Stones Corner, Qld.
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Faith groups unhappy with delay on new cemetery Zia Ahmad
Melinda Pavey, NSW Minister for Water, Property and Housing has put a stop to the construction work at Macarthur Memorial Park (MMP) at Varroville, despite the shortage of burial places in Sydney. More than 50 faith groups including Jewish, Muslims, Orthodox and Christians have been in discussion with the Catholic Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust for the last 6 years in transitioning to MMP. The chief executive of Catholic Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust, Peter O’Meara said that he was very surprised and frustrated by the Minister decision given that the (Government) Crown Cemeteries are a few short years away from running out of burial space. Cemeteries such as Rookwood, Liverpool, and Woronora which have served Sydney residents well for over 100 years are nearly full. “We are at a critical stage. I am about to shut Liverpool cemetery [also run by the Catholic trust] in 12 months because it is running out of burial space. Where are the people in Sydney’s south-west going to be buried? What is going to happen to the faith groups who are running out of burial space now?” Mr O’Meara said. The Catholic Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust (CMT) has two major multi-faith cemetery developments at Wallacia and Varroville. Over 180,000 plots between them across 150+ hectares. After 8 years of preparation by CMT and their consultants, Macarthur Memorial Park (MMP) at Varroville was due to commence construction in February 2020 when the Minister put an initial hold pending a Statutory Review into Cemeteries. This review report titled, “The 11th hour: Solving Sydney’s cemetery crisis” was finally tabled in Parliament on 19 February 2021. The Review identified the critical shortage of burial space and the urgent need for both these new cemetery developments to proceed. The report said a shortage of burial space made burials unaffordable for some sections of the community and stopped communities from burying loved ones in accordance with their religious customs. However the Minister on Monday 8 March said that the government had yet to respond to the report and decided to stop all construction works at MMP. Mr O’Meara said that, “the Minister’s decision made no sense and for some inexplicable reason, the Minister and bureaucrats again put these developments on hold saying the Government has made no decisions or commitments regarding the ongoing operations of Crown Cemeteries.” “My phone has been running hot from concerned groups who like us are disappointed in this unnecessary interference and continuous delays by Government, who seemed paralysed in terms of taking action.” “So much for the Premier’s instruction to
Mr Peter O’Meara (left) and Mr Kazi Ali (centre) at Macarthur Memorial Park (MMP) at Varroville last year. get the economy going with ‘shovel-ready’ projects in these times of high unemployment. The civil contractor told me they had to lay off 20 subcontractors because of Minister Pavey’s decision.” “It is critical we finalise a solution quickly for the new Macarthur Memorial Park site as we are incurring escalating building costs. More importantly, within 3 years Sydney will begin to have insufficient burial land for various faith groups.” Mr O’meara concluded. Mr Kazi Ali, the president of the Muslim Cemeteries Board and a veteran of four decades putting volunteer work into Muslim burials said that he was highly disappointed with the Ministers decision and the government’s paralyses in finding solution to shortage of burial places for faith communities. Mr Ali has been working with CMT and Mr O’Meara with interfaith collaboration to facilitate provision of Burial places for the Muslim Community in accordance with Islamic guidelines for burials. Statements of support for CMT and its highly respected CEO Mr Peter O’Meara has been sent by a large number of community organisations commending the long track record of the Trust in finding burial solutions accommodating their religious practices and in accordance with Australian regulations. Mr Anjum Rafiqi from Australian Kashmiri Association Inc said, “I would like to put on record the fact that we have been very impressed with the work of Kemps Creek Management under Catholic Cemetery Trust, in how they have been managing the Muslim section.” Mr Nasib Mohammed, President of Islamic Association Western Suburbs Sydney (IAWSS) writes, ” I am writing this letter in support of the Catholic Cemetery Board, that they should maintain the Kemps Creek Cemetery and other future cemeteries project. They have been carrying out their role very professionally. They have the experience and have good governance in maintaining the Cemetery.” Mr Mansur Mansur, secretary of the Af-
ghan Community Support Association of NSW said, ” The Afghan community are happy with the management of Kemps Creek Cemetery by Catholic board. We would like to see future burial of Muslims in Catholic cemetery at Varroville and the continuity of Catholic cemetery board to manage and support Muslim burial like Kemps Creek Cemetery.” Dr Md Moinul Islam, President, The Lions Club of Sydney South Shapla Shaluk said, “I know about Mr O’meara & his team for a long time. He is a kind soul & equally respected to Catholic & Muslim community. He is a very humble person. I know about
his projects- Kemps Creek & other Cemetery places where he offered free burial spaces for the Muslim.” Dr Haider A Naqvi, President, Mohammadi Welfare Association (MWA) wrote, “We thank Kemps Creek Cemetery management for their cooperation and services. They are doing a great job in providing the community a space for burials. The registration process is smooth and easy. The facilities at the Cemetery for prayers and get together are wonderful.” Zia Ahmad is the Editor-in-Chief of the Australasian Muslim Times AMUST.
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Wishing you and your family the best for the Holy Month of Ramadan.
Lynda Voltz MP Member for Auburn
MMP site at Varroville, south Western Sydney. APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 185
Phone: (02) 9737 8822 email: auburn@parliament.nsw.gov.au Address: Mezzanine Level 92 Parramatta Road Lidcombe
Lynda Voltz MP Member for Auburn
Authorised by Lynda Voltz MP, Mezzanine Level, Lidcombe Centre, 92 Parramatta Road, Lidcombe NSW 2141.
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Faith communities sound the alarm for the climate Thea Ormerod Over one hundred local faith communities across Australia from diverse traditions held events on Thursday 11 March 2021 as part of a major global multi faith Day of Action to ‘sound the alarm’ for the climate. Across 40 countries, religious organisations representing 100 million members are holding actions to ‘sound the alarm’ at the yawning gap between what is required to limit global temperature rise and actual commitments by governments and financial institutions. Shaykh Mohammad Ramzan called the Azan on Thursday at 11 am at the City Mosque in Melbourne, and others did the same at Mosques elsewhere. Churches rang their Bells, Rabbis sounded the shofar and some groups held silent Vigils to draw attention to a series of calls on Prime Minister Scott Morrison for climate justice. There was also multi-faith Vigils outside the offices of the Prime Minister, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and Special Envoy for the Great Barrier Reef, Warren Entsch. The Day of Action is in support of a “Sacred People, Sacred Earth” Statement signed by very prominent religious leaders including the former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, and the Vatican Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, Cardinal Turkson.
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There are also high-profile Australian signatories including Professor Mohamad Abdalla at the University of South Australia and Associate Professor Mehmet Ozalp at Charles Sturt University. Bishop Philip Huggins, President of the National Council of Churches, and Bishop Vincent Long of the Catholic Diocese of Parramatta are among those who have signed the statement. The Statement has been signed by over 200 faith leaders and thousands of people from a very wide range of faiths. The signatories seek net zero emissions for wealthy countries by 2030, a leap ahead of net zero by 2050. The Statement also calls for economic recovery money to be spent on renewables rather than fossil fuels, and that governments “must not perpetuate an outdated economic system that relies on fossil fuels and the destruction of the very forests, waters, oceans and soils that make life possible.” Australian signatories are calling on Scott Morrison’s Government to submit higher emissions reduction targets that are in line with a net zero target by 2030 this year in the lead-up to the crucial COP26 negotiations in Glasgow. Instead of a “gas-led recovery”, they want post-COVID recovery spending to be on low carbon jobs, and for finance to be provided to the UN Green Climate Fund for developing countries. In Australia, the lead organisation is the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC), which is part of GreenFaith International. Director of the Centre for Islamic Studies at Charles Sturt University, Associate Pro-
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St Philip’s Anglican in Melbourne - the first Sacred People Sacred Earth event in the world fessor Mehmet Ozalp said, “Islam calls on humans to act as vicegerents on earth and look after the pristine environment with its wildlife. At a time when the earth’s climate is changing for the worse due to human action, every nation including Australia has to show more responsibility and tangible action.” Bishop Philip Huggins said, “We all need to be imaginative and generous together now to prevent a worsening climate emergency. Our Federal Government has a crucial leadership role both in our nation and as good neighbours in the Asia-Pacific region. “The transition to net-zero requires we make a bold Australian contribution to COP26, as is expected by the Paris Agreement. It means coordinating Regional Industry Plans so that workers in fossil fuel industries can transition to durable and clean energy employment.” “We have the innovative expertise to ensure our economy flourishes and our climate is safe for this and future generations. “We now just need the quality of coherent national leadership that, as with the pandemic, builds trust and takes initiatives to prevent more suffering,” urged Bishop Huggins. Ann Zubrick, Presiding Clerk of Quakers Australia, said, “One clear lesson from this pandemic is that things we considered impossible can, with thoughtful planning, suddenly become possible. It’s also shown that
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amazing things can happen when the science is heeded and the welfare of all is taken into account. However, when governments act too slowly or without regard for our common good, the poor are hurt the most. “In the terrible fires of the last two summers, we’ve seen what happens when the science of climate change is denied and its growing effects not heeded.” “Climate scientists are urging the most ambitious emissions reductions possible, hence our suggested target for wealthy countries of net zero by 2030. This won’t happen while governments like that of Scott Morrison remain complacent.” Bhante Sujato, a monk in the Theravada tradition, said, “Buddhism teaches compassion for all living beings not just those we think might vote for us in marginal electorates. Australia is the largest exporter of coal and gas. Compassion means basic empathy for our neighbours in the Pacific who are seeing their homes swamped by the sea – and for our own farmers battling droughts. It means caring enough about the billions of animals killed in last summer’s fires to actually act. It means doing everything we can to stop the Great Barrier Reef from dying.” Thea Ormerod is the President of the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC), a Catholic Christian, retired social worker and grandmother of eight.
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Youth PoWR launches The Sydney Statement Kim Chong Youth PoWR (Parliament of the World’s Religions), a coalition of young adults from different religions, launched their interfaith charter, The Sydney Statement: Building Bridges Between Believers from Different Religions, on Thursday 11 March 2021 at Sydney Town Hall. The audience at the event included members of the media and a religiously and culturally diverse representatives of civic, religious, community and educational leaders, students, interfaith advocates, colleagues, friends, and family. After more than two years generating, writing, consulting and authorising the content of The Sydney Statement, Youth PoWR presented a world-class resource of values, gious society, and provided concrete steps principles and commitments for fostering for getting there,” Ryan Epondulan, said of greater interfaith dialogue and friendship. the Statement. The launch programme was started of by “The Sydney Statement has been deMC Ryan Epondulan, the project’s youth scribed as ‘inspiring’, ‘comprehensive’, coordinator with a Welcome to Country by ‘timely’ and ‘courageous’,” Mr Epondulan Theresa Ardler and the Doonooch Danc- continued. “It forms people for growing iners followed by an introduction by Rev Dr terfaith relations which are authentic, honest Patrick McInerney, Project Executive of and respectful. It also educates them about The Sydney Statement, and Director of the the different ways of carrying out this task.” Columban Centre for Christian-Muslim ReDuring his speech, Rev Dr Patrick McInlations. erney acknowledged Australia Statements of support and as one of the most successful encouragement were delivmulticultural societies in the ered by Dr Geoff Lee MP, world but reminded the auMinister for Multiculturdience that to maintain this alism; Jodi Mackay MP, success we must do better. Leader of the Opposition He cited the and Shadow Minister for Christchurch massacre Multiculturalism. “by one of our own”, A highly moving antisemitism, the rise keynote address was of hate speech, Islamdelivered by Alpha ophobic attacks sufCheng reflecting on fered daily by Musthe murder of his lims, and the shadow father Curtis, who, of racism cast by when leaving work White Australia as at Parramatta Pomotivations for lice Station, was pursuing the acshot and killed by tions presented in a 15-year-old boy The Sydney Stateclaiming to act for ment. Islamic State. Rev Dr McInerAlpha’s compasney also revealed that sionate plea was to in the initial responsnot take the easy way es to the Statement, out and lay blame at the some people thought it feet of an entire group was too religious, while of people. He would not others said it was not rehave politicians use his ligious enough; that it was father’s death to attack too secular, or not secular Muslim community. and all-inclusive enough; Rev Dr Patrick The proceedings also inthat on some social issues McInerney speaking cluded responses by Rabbi it goes too far, or not far at the event. Benjamin Elton, Chief Minenough. ister of The Great Synagogue, To which Rev Dr McInerdelivered by Rabbi Phil Kaplan; Rev Pravra- ney exclaimed: “To the young people who jika Gayatriprana, president of the Ramakr- authorised The Sydney Statement, I say, if ishna Sarada Vedanta Society of NSW; and everybody is against it, you must have got Youth PoWR committee members, Zubaida it just right!” Alrubai and Joshua Moses. “The Sydney Statement never intended to “The members of Youth PoWR identified be motherhood platitudes,” Rev Dr McInervalues and principles for a peaceful, just ney continued. “It is not a pacifier, or a paland harmonious multicultural, multi-reli- liative. Its purpose is not to affirm the status
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quo, but to disrupt it. It is a call to action.” “The Sydney Statement serves as a preventative and an antidote to threats to Australia’s peaceful and harmonious existence. Some may not agree with parts of the document, for it is made up of many different voices,” Rev Dr McInerney said, “But it is in respecting differences that we can begin to speak with one another and “form a symphony”. The Sydney Statement is a catalyst for conversation and action that bridges difference and division.” Now you can be part of it. Youth PoWR invite the wider public – peers, religious leaders, co-religionists, believers from all religions and all people of good will ¬– to commit to living out the values, principles and commitments of The Sydney Statement by signing up to it on its dedicated website: www.thesydneystatement.org.au. Please lend your commitment to act. The website is also packed with interfaith resources, such as posters, a booklet, the sto-
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ry of The Sydney Statement; the interfaith statements from other cities that inspired it; information, websites and articles on interreligious dialogue; and more. These resources are of use to schools, councils, community organisations, multicultural and multi-religious groups, and more. As Rev Dr McInerney concluded in his speech, “It is a pedagogy, a programme, a roadmap for Building Bridges Between Believers from Different Religions.” The Sydney Statement is an initiative of the Columban Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations, in partnership with Western Sydney University. It was supported by the NSW Government with a COMPACT Grant through Multicultural NSW and underwritten by St Columban’s Mission Society. Kim Chong based in Sydney is Media & Community Liaison, Columban Centre for Christian-Muslim Relations.
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Concern for heat in Western Sydney shared Sawsan Alfayadh New research suggests that Western Sydney locals are concerned about the rising prevalence of heat waves, with 49 per cent of locals surveyed indicating interest in relocating due to heat waves and the effects of climate change altogether. For young people, aged between 25 and 34, this number is even higher, with 62% of the age group indicating they might consider moving. Heat waves have increasingly impacted Western Sydney, with areas like Penrith reaching 48.9 degrees Celsius during the January 2020 bushfires, making it the hottest place in the world. Data from Polling results – Heat in Western Sydney was shared with Energy Minister Matt Kean and Multiculturalism Minister Geoff Lee by Sydney Alliance representatives from Western Sydney’s diverse multicultural communities at a Parliamentary Forum on Wednesday 17 March held at the Parliament of NSW In the poll, locals express concerns around the health implications of rising heat, with 73 per cent of Western Sydney residents worried about the effect of extreme heat on the health of their elderly family and friends, 76 per cent of people worried about the health and wellbeing of their pets, and 60 per cent unable to sleep on really hot days. Residents are also worried about the cost of energy bills because of extreme heat, with 79 per cent of people worried about the increase in their power bills on really hot days. This number is even higher for people who speak a language other than English at
home, with 86 per cent of this cohort concerned. Polling reveals overwhelming support for Sydney Alliance’s proposed renewable energy initiatives. 83 per cent of respondents supported fitting schools with solar panels, air conditioning and energy efficiency devices, 80 per cent of respondents supported grants for energy efficiency upgrades for residences, and 79 per cent supported grants
Daniya Syed: finalist for NSW Women of the Year Award 2021
to install solar and batteries on residences. Respondents also overwhelmingly supported grants for public spaces to install solar panels, and a minimum energy standard for rental properties. Sawsan Alfayadh from Sydney Alliance, said, “Western Sydney is home to 2.5 million people and some of Australia’s most diverse communities and is an up-and-coming economic and business district. The NSW governments owes it to the people of Western Sydney to restore their hope that Western Sydney will be a safe and viable area for people to live, raise families and work into the future. Minister Kean and the NSW
government should support initiatives that cool down Western Sydney, and also take action on climate to keep temperatures from becoming even more extreme.” “In many ways, the future of Sydney itself relies on a stable and sustainable Greater Western region. Ensuring people in Western Sydney can live, work, learn and grow comfortably and safely as heat waves continue to rise is critical for the health of our entire city.” Sawsan Alfayadh is the Digital Campaigner for Sydney Alliance.
AMUST Media Daniya Syed is a robotics enthusiast and is passionate about helping underprivileged people. Earlier this month she was selected as a finalist for the NSW Women of the Year Awards under the “One-ToWatch” Category. This category recognises girls and young women aged 7-17, who demonstrate courage, strength, determination, and/or kindness to support those around them. From over 60 nominees, only 9 were selected as finalists who were honoured through a two-day event. On the 9th of March, the Finalists for the OTW category were invited to a private morning tea hosted by Minister of Women Bronnie Taylor held in the NSW State Library where the girls socialised with one another. The main event was held the next day in the International Convention Centre (ICC) Sydney, where many significant personalities were present, such as NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant. She is the only young girl from Greater Sydney Region selected as a finalist under ‘The One to Watch’ category and also is the youngest female of Pakistani origin qualifying in NSW Women of the Year Awards. Daniya succeeded in several FLL & FTC Robotics regional and national championships along with her team and qualified to represent Australia Internationally Twice, FLL Estonian Open 2018 and FLL Japan Open 2019. Daniya has ventured into a variety of technology-based projects ranging from App Development to hardware development. She has a keen interest in new and emerging technologies and is a strong advocate for girls to embrace Robotics & Artificial Intelligence. Amongst her many projects, her most recent project “Bionic Hand” received recognition at the NSW Women of the Year Awards. The Bionic hand is an artificial device that allows a user to mimic the hand APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 185
motions or gestures of their hand onto the Robotic Hand by projecting their every movement. The robotic technology provides human-like dexterity in a variety of environments where a human cannot physically be present. It is operated remotely through a haptic glove using tactile sensors. The robotic hands purpose is to assist those with disabilities. Daniya also received Achievement Award from High Commissioner of Pakistan at Pakistan Day event in Sydney on Sat 20 March 2021. Daniya is an active volunteer for various charity organizations and she actively participates in Ramadan Food Drive, promote girl’s education in Pakistan and other charitable initiatives to help the community and underprivileged people. WWW.AMUST.COM.AU
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Reviving the Village by empowering families!
AMUST Media Community Support Service is a Social Enterprise that takes a holistic approach to empower vulnerable members in Bankstown and Canterbury Area. For the past three years, CSS looked after marginalised families, domestic violence victims, refugees, seniors, people with disabilities, international students, and any other minority groups. However, everyone who is facing financial hardship or going through a tough time in their lives can access these services. CSS provides integral assistance to all their members, including emergency relief services, skill-development programs, and coaching sessions. They also provide referrals to broader community bodies, access to networking events, or liaise on their behalf when re-
quired. CSS stand together with their members and sponsors as a village; They strongly believe that collectively, they can enhance the wellbeing and welfare of our community. Thus, CSS clients not only have a welcoming space for them to interact and receive the help required but to grow within the community. Seeing their development after challenging times is what makes all their hard work and efforts fully worth it! The impact of CSS services is greater than the one anyone would think; Many lives are saved, many families are supported, and an optimistic, bright future is put in place. In 2020 alone, CSS fed 25,000 families and give them the right tools to thrive and not merely to survive. Creating a significant difference in our community is CSS motto and therefore, partnerships with organisations, like Seena, are always welcome.
People with special needs can always count on CSS; we provide a safe space for them to interact as we promote fair treatment and equal opportunities for all. However, under the petition of some careers and support workers, CSS has facilitated an exclusive day for NDIS members to come to our centre and collect their groceries. They have also opened our doors to volunteers with special needs, like Henry who has been helping us since October last year with his outstanding creativity and graphic designing skills. “Together we are stronger, and we will bring a brighter future for all. Thank you so much for trusting us and for allowing us to be part of the Accessibility Funfest.” To find more about CSS services and initiatives, please visit www.cssvillage.org.au
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Ramadan Kareem to Australian Muslims. Wishing you a spiritually fulfilling month of unity and goodwill. In peace,
Maria Vamvakinou MP FEDERAL MEMBER FOR CALWELL Town Hall Broadmeadows Precinct, Level 2, Office 1, 14 Dimboola Rd, Broadmeadows VIC 3047 PO Box 3218, Broadmeadows VIC 3047 maria.vamvakinou.mp@aph.gov.au
9367 5216 Canberra: 02 6277 4249
MariaVamvakinou
mariavamvakinou.com
Authorised by M.Vamvakinou, Australian Labor Party, Level 2, Office 1, 14 Dimboola Road, Broadmeadows VIC 3047
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Cultivate joy in your marriage Princess R. Lakshman Almighty Allah enjoins a man and a woman in marriage, a union so beautiful in every way. Admittedly, it’s not always a bed of roses. Cultivating joy in your marriage is a daily challenge. It takes unconditional love, dedication, commitment, kindness and a tremendous amount of respect and understanding to maintain a joyful marriage. It all starts with respectfully listening to understand, rather than listening to reply. Strategies to Cultivate Joy in Your Marriage 1. Look your spouse in the eye when you communicate. There is no barrier when you are together. Looking in the eye when communicating reaffirms your commitment and caring nature. 2. Listen to the reply when she/he speaks.
REALLY LISTEN. Do not formulate a response while she/he is speaking. Do not interrupt. 3. Give undivided attention to each other. Multi-tasking is a wonderful skill but NOT when you are communicating with your spouse. 4. Ask each other this question: “What matters to you most in life?”. Knowing what matters most to your spouse helps you understand what you can do to fulfil his/ her wishes. 5. Speak well about the people who matter to your spouse. If you speak ill about people who matter to him/her, it is hurtful. Causing your spouse hurt will eventually turn the relationship sour. 6. Respect each other’s fears and sentiments. Fear is very real to the person experiencing it. You do not have to encourage it, but you need to show the sensitivity to the person experiencing it. 7. Do not bring up past arguments/ negative events when addressing a new issue. Be clear from the beginning of any discussion that the topic of discussion is to remain a specific one and you both need
Love, Fear or Need? Ismail Davids Many of us naturally love people around us. We want to help. We want to be there when people are in need. We want to celebrate when things go well, and more importantly, we want to live in the hope that if we are ever in need, we would be shown the same love. It is in our Fitra. It is what pushes us to give back to our community. It is what pushes us to reach out to our community for help. It has been 8 years since we started National Zakat Foundation (NZF) Australia in 2013. Everyday, I wake up looking forward to helping people in need with Zakat but also assisting people to calculate & pay their Zakat and fulfil their obligation. I always thought to myself, there are two reasons we do this at NZF – 1. there is a local need and 2. the fear of us not fulfilling this obligation of Zakat, a pillar of Islam. However, recently I’ve begun to realise that what drives us is much bigger. It is an intrinsic sense of love. Love for Allah. Love for our Deen. Love for our brothers and sisters, right here in the community we live in. It is this Love, that drives us to do the work we do, difficult as it may be, to assist those in need around us, establish the pillar of Zakat and transform this amazing community we love. Earlier this year, one of our team members attended a fundraising event for an organisation run by new Muslims (reverts/ converts). The event itself was beautiful and moving, and very well organised. During the event, our team member found out that the organiser was a previous beneficiary of Zakat through NZF; a sister we had helped through her most difficult times as a new Muslim. Today, she is a successful Muslimah who has healed from her traumas, grown in love with Islam, in pursuit of her dream career, and a community leader. At a micro level, just in this one interaction, our team member had an overwhelming sense of love for the sister who is now running her own organisation. It was clear to see that the sister in turn had a strong love for the comAPRIL 2021 / ISSUE 185
munity, which is what drove her to start this organisation, and this is exactly how your Zakat is transforming our community! We have received over 14,000 cases since 2013 and around 6,000 people who have paid their Zakat to NZF. Can you imagine the number of connections created through these thousands of actions of Zakat payments and
to respect that rule. 8. Thank your spouse regularly. Expressing gratitude increases positivity in your relationship. 9. Emphasise each other’s good points. Dwelling on mistakes or negative traits will only put stress on your relationship. You both may slip every now and then too. Say sorry, forgive, and move on. 10. Say salaam. When leaving for work, exchange Salaams and a loving hug. There is no shame in hugging your spouse 11. Spend COUPLE TIME at least once a week where you are by yourselves for a couple of hours to share an activity you both love. 12. Follow Allah’s commandment that the husband is the guardian of the family. The wife is created equal and has different responsibilities. Following this
commandment increases harmony in the home. Disharmony creeps in when these roles are reversed. 13. Be content with life and all that your spouse is doing for you. Express gratitude to Allah. If you want more from life, ask Allah instead of nagging or complaining to your spouse. 14. Compliment. Admire one another. Pay a compliment. 15. Protect each other’s honour. Guard it fiercely. Do not speak ill of your spouse to another person. If the matter is serious and your spouse’s behaviour concerns you, seek appropriate, professional help. Badmouthing will not fix your marriage. Princess R. Lakshman is a writer, speaker, qualified clinical nutritionist, life coach and a counsellor. She is based in Sydney, Australia.
Ramadan Mubarak Wishing you and your family a happy, Zakat distributions? It is these interactions that is continually fuelling the love in our community, driving a generational transformation, right here, right now. And I can see it around me – a surge in Muslim entrepreneurs, a rise in Muslim graduates, an increase in the number of our Mosques and more. So, the next time you think about Zakat as an obligation, think of the love it creates between you and Allah. The next time you hear about someone in need, think about the love it creates between that person and the community. Reflect on the love you have deep down for your brothers & sisters around you and while Zakat is an obligation in Islam, know that the joy of helping others comes from a place of love beyond our finite existence. Ismail Davids is the CEO of NZF Australia. WWW.AMUST.COM.AU
safe, and blessed month of Ramadan. May this holy month bring health and happiness to your life. Happy Ramadan Mubarak!
Councillor Nathan Hagarty Liverpool City Council AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIMES
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The Fast and the Fasting: Osman to run 300 km for global change Deanna Hadid Unity Grammar College’s Osman Karolia has pledged to help some of the world’s most impoverished communities by running 300 km across Sydney throughout Ramadan. An educator by profession and a philanthropist at heart, the 48-year-old teacher will be among the 1.8 billion Muslims around the world who will observe the ninth month of the Islamic calendar by performing the obligatory acts of fasting and charitable deeds. As part of his charitable goals, Osman will push himself to his physical limit whilst fasting from sunrise to sunset to raise awareness of the ongoing conflicts that continue to ravage countries across Asia and the Middle East, killing and displacing thousands of people daily. “Ramadan is a time of giving; a time of reflection, and also a time of gratitude,” he said. “To run 300 kilometres is difficult, but it is insignificant compared to the difficulty experienced by displaced people, orphans, and victims of violence. “Overcoming challenges is what makes life meaningful, so this is [my] small bit that I can do to positively impact the lives of those in need with the support of everyone around me.” Ramadan is the busiest, most charitable time of the year for global humanitarian relief organisation, Penny Appeal Australia
Osman Karolia will run 300 km whilst fasting throughout the month of Ramadan to raise funds for Penny Appeal Australia’s Global Emergency Relief projects. (PAAUS). This year’s campaign compels the community to “Take Charge” against global injustice by supporting the charity’s ongoing global emergency relief projects. Osman has set a fundraising target of $50,000 via the crowdfunding platform, Launchgood to help with the delivery of immediate respite in the form of food and hygiene packs to families and individuals severely affected by ongoing conflicts, and trying to overcome the devastating effects of a global pandemic. “Our vision is to provide a sustainable world through empowering people and
building strong communities,” said Mohamed Mayat, PAAUS’ Chief Executive Officer. “Over the years that I’ve known him, Osman has demonstrated that he is a man of conviction, and is devoted to not only directly helping those most vulnerable both here and abroad, but for teaching and actively demonstrating the simple act of kindness among his own students. “We are grateful to have the likes of Osman support the work we do.” Whilst fasting, Osman is likely to face exhaustion and dehydration. To curb the risk, Osman will run during
cooler periods of the day to allow for rest in between work and family commitments after his daily challenge of 10km has been completed. “This is a challenge, but nothing like the challenges that millions of innocent people experience on a daily basis,” he said. “It is their challenges that inspire me to make a big difference in their lives, and encourage others to do the same—we need to take charge.” Deanna Hadid is the Relationships and Activities Coordinator for Penny Appeal Australia and is based in Sydney, Australia.
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We wish you and your family a happy and blessed holy month of Ramadan
Jodi McKay MP
Jihad Dib MP
Sophie Cotsis MP
Julia Finn MP
NSW Labor Leader Member for Strathfield
Member for Lakemba
Member for Canterbury
Member for Granville
Ron Hoenig MP
Guy Zangari MP
Member for Heffron
Member for Fairfield
Nick Lalich MP
Edmond Atalla MP
Member for Cabramatta
Member for Mount Druitt
Authorised by Jodi McKay MP, Jihad Dib MP, Sophie Cotsis MP, Ron Hoenig MP, Guy Zangari MP, Nick Lalich MP, Edmond Atalla MP & Julia Finn MP. Funded using Parliamentary Entitlements
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Supporting victims of blood cancer Excerpt from an address by Mr Jihad Dib MP in the Legislative Assembly, NSW Parliament on Thursday 18 March 2021.
We have all been touched by cancer in one way or another. We all know somebody who has had cancer and someone who has unfortunately lost their life to cancer. When it comes to blood cancers in Australia, 47 people a day are diagnosed. It is horrific. It is an awful experience and it encompasses not only the person who awfully suffers it but also the entire family. It affects everything about the way they live. My family has a personal link to this: Many years ago my uncle passed away from leukaemia. I spent many of my university years being with him every day. He was only a young person. Leukaemia touches a lot of young people. Tragically in my first year as a member of Parliament my sister in law lost her life to leukaemia at the age of 26. It still breaks our hearts every single day. At the time, my dad, who gave bone marrow to my uncle, said that he always hoped one day his children and our family would do something to support people in the same way people supported us, by providing food and giving us assistance and a friendly smile. We all know about the World’s Greatest Shave and we have heard about the Leukaemia Foundation. My family connection to this started with what we could do as a little family. A few years ago my eldest daughter dyed her hair blue in honour of my sister-in-
law’s favourite colour. I was really proud of her for doing that. It really went against the grain, and she did it. A couple of years later our next daughter, who had been growing her hair since she was five, cut off 50 centimetres of it to donate so that people could make wigs, which are really special and important things. They inspired my nephews. Last year one of them, Jordan, raised $14,000 for Wo r l d ’s Greatest Shave. It was really fantastic; it was brilliant. But this year he wanted to go one better, because he knew that he could do it. He set up a team with his best mate Maksim, who just lost his 12-year-old cousin to leukaemia. My other nephew, Rami Dib, wanted to come on board because he knew that he could help as well. I checked before I came into the Chamber, and so far they have raised $71,000. Three kids have raised $71,000 and there is still more that they can do. That goes into the pot of nearly $12.5 million for the World’s Greatest
Let the light in
Chris Hayes to retire from politics
Jihad Dib MP
Princess R. Lakshman She looks in the mirror Deep within her She finds an unhealed wound. Silent tears, Frozen in her throat, Yearning to freely flow. But it hurts to let go. It pains to let go. “Letting go…what exactly does that look like?” she asks. “Is it to give up control? Is it to shut up, grin and bear it all? Is it to fade away in the background and be like a fly on the wall?” No! Says the face in the mirror. No, that’s not how you let go. “So, how do I let go?” She begs to know The face in the mirror stares back with kindness and says: The unhealed wound in your heart is but a crack in the window of your being, Draw the curtain of dark clouds from this window of your soul Let the light in Ya An-Nur, The Light Breathe out the anxiety, the depressive thoughts, the self loathing And with each breath Give shukr for every moment, every experience, every breath, every tear, every smile, every morsel of food, every drop of rain, and every salah, every dhikr, with the dhikr Shukr Alhumdolillah Understand this ultimate truth Nothing, absolutely nothing, has power over you except Allah alone Remind yourself and believe Prostrate and submit To these liberating, peaceful words Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 185
Shave. The Leukaemia Foundation does really incredible things. It supports people and their families, whether it is through transport, accommodation or providing the emotional support that they need to get through those really difficult times, keeping in mind that so many young people are affected by leukaemia. All of the things that the Leukaemia Foundation does make a difference. We in this House, as people anywhere w o u l d , hope that we can find something to cure blood cancer. We hope that we can put people in a place where they feel better and can recover from those awful cancers that affect every single one of us in some way. The thing that makes me proud is a bit of an indulgence, and I ask the House for its indulgence. I am really proud of my nephews and I am really proud of my kids. All we ever want is for our children and the people that we love to understand the meaning and importance of charity and that
there is always somebody who needs help more than we do. As bad as we might think we have it, there is somebody else who is in a life and death situation. Somebody else’s mother or father is having to drive them to hear bad news. Somebody is having to bury a loved one. That is a hard thing for kids to comprehend and it is hard for us to comprehend, but you want that understanding for your children. When I talked to my dad the other day he said, “I couldn’t do much except give bone marrow, but how proud it makes me feel that my grandchildren dye their hair, cut their hair and raise a phenomenal amount of money.” They are going to be embarrassed because they do not know I am going to be talking about this, but when you are inspired by children, how can you not get up and talk about it? How can you not say that this is where our future is? Our future is about building empathy, creating opportunity and getting people to understand that every single one of us has a role to play in society. To my children and my nephews I say: I cannot tell you how proud I am of what you do. In this House we make some really important speeches, but the things you are doing are important. You have inspired people to do things—to dig into their pockets—and that is what making a difference is about. Somebody is going to be the beneficiary of that kindness, compassion and goodness. If we have more charity, goodness and empathy in the world, as we have seen with these two 12 year olds, then we will have a better world. Jihad Dib is the NSW state member for Lakemba and a former school principal.
AMUST Media Mr Chris Hayes MP, Federal Member for Fowler and Chief Opposition Whip has announced that he will not be contesting the seat of Fowler at the next federal election. Since the Werriwa by-election in 2005, Mr Hayes has been serving in the Federal Parliament for the past sixteen years. He transferred to Fowler in 2010, one of the most multicultural electorates in the nation. “The people of Fowler have been very kind to me and indeed very patient while I learnt and understood the various customs and traditions of this diverse community,” Mr Hayes said. He explained, “the fact is, I feel that I am slowing down and my health issues have regrettably been on public display, so I believe it is in the best interest of my community to make way for someone with the energy and commitment to champion the needs of Fowler.” “Be assured that I will continue to represent the local community to the best of my ability up until the next election and my office will still provide the same level of service, should you need it,” Mr Hayes reassured.
RAMADAN KAREEM Wishing you and your family a blessed Ramadan
Amanda STOKER Assistant Minister to the Attorney-General LNP Senator for Queensland
Suite 10, Level 36, 1 Eagle Street, Brisbane QLD 4000 07 3001 8170
senator.stoker@aph.gov.au
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Rana Hussain reflects on racism, diversity and sports Gulhan Eryegit Yoldas “It’s not just a Collingwood problem, it’s a problem for the entire country and we see it across the football league, but racism in different forms is everywhere. We want to start to see different types of people from the leadership down, in the organisations, in the League itself, with real legitimate power that can affect change and bring different perspectives... where lots of different types of people can contribute to making the game better.” - Rana Hussain Following on from the damning Do Better report uncovering a “culture of systemic racism” at Collingwood Football Club, an Anti-Racism Advisory Committee was established to assist the club in developing a framework of change. We interviewed Rana Hussain who’s been appointed to the Committee. Could you tell us a bit about yourself and your background? Rana Hussain: I was born here in Melbourne in 1986 and my parents arrived in Australia, in the early 70s, from India. They came as skilled migrants, both doctors. It was an interesting time because the white Australia policy had just been dismantled politically. It was a period of transition for the country. We very much lived a Muslim and Indian life at home and my parents always prioritised Islam from an identity point of view, for us. Being Indian was important and definitely added so much to our culture and our lifestyle, but they always instilled in us the idea that we were Muslims first and that our faith was the core of who we are and then after that we were Australian and Indian.
My sisters and I went to a private girls school from kindergarten through to year 12 and that was its own really nurturing, positive community environment. I have great memories of my school life in Australia. I felt like I belonged and then we had the Muslim and Indian cultural environment at home that I felt like I belong to. Of course, as we all know, being kids of migrants ourselves, there’s always tension in that too in shaping who we are and how we see ourselves. You’re currently with Richmond football club. Tell us a bit about your role there. Rana Hussain: For the last five years I’ve been working at the Richmond Footy Club, as the diversity and inclusion lead. I studied a Bachelor of Creative Arts out of high school and I did a masters in social work and I went into school counselling. I worked at an Islamic school and I really thought that would be the path that I’d go down. I just became more and more interested in how does football interact with how we see ourselves. What about those of us who are from different backgrounds; how do we interact with football and do we see ourselves in the game? I just started to get more and more involved and, eventually, I realise, I had a really deep love and passion for the sport, but also representation in the sport and in media. I want to see different voices, diverse voices in the media and in sport. I decided to take a risk and leave my job as a school counsellor. Richmond were looking for somebody to come in and do some multicultural work for them, so I just dived into the deep end. At the club I look at questions like; What does belonging mean? What does it mean to belong at Richmond and in football and particularly is the club inclusive of different types of communities? Can a Muslim walk in and be who they
Salwa recognised with 2020 Newcastle Volunteer Service Award AMUST Media Salwa was awarded the 2020 Newcastle Volunteer Service Awards in the Community Service category receiving her certificate of recognition from the Hon Sharon Claydon MP in the virtual awards held on 26 November 2020. In addition, Salwa was also one of the shortlisted of Hunter Adult nominees of the 2020 NSW Volunteer of the year awards receiving her certificate at the virtual awards held by the Centre of Volunteering in October 2020. Salwa is an international student from Indonesia doing a PhD in Education at the University of Newcastle, Australia. She loves volunteering as she has been part of Uni Crew Volunteering Program at her university since 2018. For the last three years, Salwa has devoted many hours of her time to volunteer in multiple university events including Uni Open Day, Graduation Day, Orientation week, Multicultural Ramadan Iftar, Peer mentor, Drive-In cinema, hosting delegations visiting the university, Harmony Day and Cultural Awakening Program. All these events aim at promoting cultural diversity and inclusiveness among international students at the University of Newcastle Australia. Salwa believes that volunteering
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leads to increased life satisfaction because when you volunteer and make a difference in your community, you feel happy with your accomplishment. “In Islam, the power of volunteering is very significant as in the Qur’an, Allah encourages human to do charity, the act of kindness and giving both your money and your time,” Salwa said. As an academician, Salwa also shared her knowledge by presenting her project focusing on English language teaching as a foreign language (EFL) in the 17th CamTESOL virtual conference held 5-7 February 2021 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIMES
are, not changed, but still be part of the Richmond footy club. Can people with disabilities come into the club and feel like they can belong too? It’s those kinds of conversations that I’ve been leading from the club. That’s led me to now do a lot of consulting for other organisations like Ben Simmons in the NBA basketball and other sporting codes like Cricket Australia. Can you tell us about your role as a part of the anti-racism advisory committee. What are some of the things that you’d like to see change at the Collingwood FC? Rana Hussain: This will be a huge piece of work that I’m about to take on. The group is formed to implement the recommendations that came out of the Do Better report that Collingwood commissioned to investigate what racism looked like in and around the club. The club has historical incidences of racism. In our forum we looked at the processes that the club has at the moment to manage those situations and whether the club is capable of managing incidences of racism. Our job will be to implement a lot of those recommendations and advise the club on how they actually can “do better,” and what would that look like. It’s not just a Collingwood problem, it’s a problem for the entire country and we see it across the Football League, but racism in different forms is everywhere. We want to start to see different types of people from the leadership down, in the organisations, in the League itself, with real legitimate power that can affect change and bring different perspectives around what it feels like to be on the outside of football or on the outer of mainstream society. That’s what I hope to leave behind when I do leave the industry one day, where lots of different types of people can contribute to making the game better. From a racism point of view, I think some really strong education around what racism looks like when it’s not the one to one conversations, because we can all recognise a harsh word said or a racist comment. What we don’t recognise so readily is when our systems and our structures exclude people. Those are the things I wanted to try and break down and it’s going be a lot of work, but hopefully we do something meaningful there. As an Australian Muslim woman, and in general, have you faced any obstacles on your journey to where you are? Rana Hussain: Sometimes I think I don’t even know when I have faced them. I think the barriers can often be blurred. We get relegated to parts of society so it’s not that anybody’s ever mean to me or refuses me opportunities, but I often find that people don’t consider me. I’ve been doing a lot more media now and up until recently, when I used to say, I want to get on camera or I want to be a broadcaster, people are surprised by that because they’ve never really seen a hijabi Muslim woman on camera. It was just about getting people to think a
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little bit outside what they know and what they expect of me when they see me. I think there are the stereotypes that we all deal with and are constantly breaking down for people. The flip side of that is that I’ve seen a change in that people now want different voices. What used to feel like a barrier is now so much closer and people want to hear different types of experiences. They want to hear from different Australians and what I used to think would hold me back is now my unique selling point, what’s getting me through doors. My advice to anyone who feels on the outer is to use that as your point of difference. What advice would you give to young Muslim women that are looking to pursue positions in leadership and on board in media and sports? Rana Hussain: The biggest piece of advice, I have to give it to myself before anyone else is, to hold on to your faith and to really make that The Center of everything you do. The opportunities might come and go, but if that’s what you’re holding on to, then you will always win because you know what’s driving you. You have that strong inner compass. Don’t think that you don’t belong, because you do, you have every right to and you might look different, sound different, be different, but that doesn’t make you less. It just makes you different and actually that could potentially be your strength that you can leverage. Make sure you have a good circle of people who get you to understand who you are and whose experiences mirror yours, because the world can sometimes feel really isolating if you’re the only one in the room who’s a little bit different. My experience going to really male dominated industries and really white industries I realised, no matter how well-meaning people are in those spaces, they don’t know what it’s like to be Muslim and they don’t know what it’s like to be Muslim in this country. I really rely on my family to have that connection back to who I am, my identity, a safe space for me to turn to. Don’t ever lose sight of those people in your life that really support you, without any agenda. Do you have any closing comments for our readers? Rana Hussain: I want to thank my parents for their guidance and support, Alhamdulillah. They gave me the tools I need to get to where I am. I see myself, even in my day to day when I’m doing different things, I see the input, I can see the purpose. My mother is still a working woman and she showed me the strength it takes to do what I’m doing now. Listen to the interview: tinyurl.com/f75xn7ae Gulhan Eryegit Yoldas is the president of Whittlesea Interfaith Network, the Community Engagement Facilitator for Al Siraat College & a media advisor. Gulhan has three published books and a robust history of advocacy for gambling industry reform, Interfaith dialogue and media literacy. ISSUE 185 / APRIL 2021
LIFESTYLE Amina, the Hunger Bugs and the Noonday Dragon LIFESTYLE 33 - 37
UMMAH 38 - 40
EDUCATION 41 - 43
BUSINESS 44 - 45
SOCIAL 46 - 47
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Maureen Farah Usman “You have a great responsibility Amina – not only to your guardians and others but also to yourself. You will find challenges ahead but have faith in Allah and always believe in yourself”. Amina’s beloved late grandfather spoke these words to her during Ramadan. He said she would one day visit a Garden of Knowledge to retrieve a precious book called ‘The Month of Magnificence’. This book would give her a deeper knowledge of Ramadan but finding it would mean overcoming several fears and challenges. That night, Amina heard her grandfather sing an old folk tale… A camel sings a web of strings snaring the stings Though you may tire in a whirlwind of fire you will rise higher *** “Eeeeeeooooooggggggrrrrrrhhhhhh!” A camel bellowed, echoing ten-fold through the desert. “You can’t stop now Ruhail – you have to take us to the Garden of Knowledge!”, Amina pleaded. Ruhail refused to inch another step. Amina tugged gently on the leather reins, persuading Ruhail to press on but he dug his heels in even more. Ruhail laid his head down on the sandy, golden carpet as if he were ready to sleep a thousand sleeps. Amina, though frustrated, dismounted and took a moment to acknowledge Allah’s creations. She planted a finger on the unique mole above her left upper lip (shaped like a black half moon, a talking point sometimes among people she knew and met). She lifted her head to the sky, her hazel-brown eyes bordered by the folds of her pale blue hijab. The sun was such a powerhouse of energy and heat to all who lived on earth. So far yet so near, felt especially near during Ramadan. Her skin warmed as her spangly gold and pearl brooches shone brightly, pinned to either side of her hijab. Though Amina was fasting, she was certainly able to give Ruhail some dried grass. As Ruhail chewed (and chewed and chewed again), Amina pondered her journey ahead. Amina knew fasting was a physical sacrifice but also one that required great mental, emotional and spiritual strength. Her grandfather had also warned her of several trials she would encounter. She was not alone though. She had Ruhail, and in her bag there were her precious prayer beads, a book of prayers, a prayer mat and a pocket knife. She also had a beautiful pewter compass inscribed with her name though she never used it, using the sun as her guide instead. There was also a Bird of Paradise’s yellow feather she had found earlier, a keen and colourful reminder that the Garden of Knowledge existed. Amina hung a copper shield off her back, etched with the most ornate Arabic inscriptions. This was her precious Shield of Sabr, her amulet of protection. Above all though, she knew she had Allah’s divine protection. “Right Ruhail, time to go!” Though the sun had not yet reached its zenith, Amina and Ruhail felt its searing warmth. Squinting her eyes, Amina saw the tiniest black dots forming on the horizon. These were the dreaded Hunger Bugs that her grandfather had told her about. Amina started to feel small stitches of pain form in her stomach. “I must be ready for them”, she told herself. As Amina and Ruhail pressed on, the tiniest dots became tiny dots but Amina also saw some glistening, white strands and gnarled, dark branches. Amina realised it was a giant spider’s web anchored across a barren tree. Then, a huge spider came into view! Amina was very scared of their spindly bodies and long legs. APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 185
“Arrrrgggghhhh! Ruhail, let us pass quickly!!!” Amina tugged on the reins with a sense of urgency, forcing Ruhail to change course but he became confused and tumbled right down in front of the spider’s lair. After gaining her footing, Amina was standing so close, she could see her very own reflection in the spider’s two shiny, beady eyes. She could even see the tiny hairs on its eight spindling legs! Amina was fixed to the ground, unable to blink her eyes. “Do not fear me, dear Amina. I know all about your quest. You’re a very special girl”, the Spider acknowledged her presence in a shrill yet tender voice, raising its two front forelegs and joining them together in a sign of respect. Amina started blinking her eyes, a talking spider! “Though you have many more miles and you are bereft of food and water, you are a strong girl” But!”, the spider’s voice became highstrung and serious. “You must take note of what I am about to say”. Ruhail started sniffing the spider’s web, licking the outer edge of the stringy vines as if it were sweet fairy floss – the spider looked on with great disdain. Ruhail stopped mid-lick, frowned, and planted his head under his feet. “Watch for the middle of the day Amina; it is the hour at which you will feel your biggest weaknesses, your greatest pangs. It is perhaps the hardest hour”. “At this time, you will encounter the Noonday Dragon. This dragon is a very powerful enemy in these parts, only appearing in the middle of the day. The dragon will cause you to feel terribly weak, thirsty and will speak in strange tongues which sound Arabic but are not Arabic”. “You must think quickly to defeat this creature using your Shield of Sabr”. After dispensing the valuable advice, the Spider knitted a book bag of white silk in which Amina would carry her book. Amina also repaid the spider’s kindness by carving and weaving some branches together. “Thank you Spider, a water catcher for you!” “Much appreciated, my dear child. May the rains come soon. Godspeed and Allah guide your way”. *** Sure enough, the tiniest dots that had earlier become the tiny dots had now become six waspish, very real Hunger Bugs swarming towards Amina and Ruhail. They had steely olive eyes and thorny twig-like legs. Ruhail started shaking its head and drumming its feet while Amina brought her Shield of Sabr out to defend their onslaught. Bzzzzz-urggghhh-ssshhh! They were too fast! Amina ducked as she
felt the pesky horde buzz above her. She turned to see Ruhail trying to dodge two of them as they flew past him. The six of them circled back, with four taking a swipe at Amina, entrapping her arms with their legs. “Unhand me!”, shouted Amina, shaking them off with all her might. They buzzed off but came back in a frenzy. Amina skillfully maneuvered her Shield of Sabr up, tailoring her position carefully as each bug came close. As they made contact with her shield, one by one of the barrage whittled to the ground. “Ruhail!” A Hunger Bug had ricocheted onto Ruhail trying to sting his ear but the bug finally succumbed to unconsciousness. She patted Ruhail’s ear to comfort him and noticed the little pangs in her stomach had momentarily disappeared… *** After walking for many miles, Amina noticed a bright orange feather in the sand… another Bird of Paradise must have past earlier. She knew “We must be getting closer”. *** Amina had now grown wearier like a gnawing giant was burrowing a cave inside her. “…It is perhaps the hardest hour”, she heard the spider’s words drum inside her head. It was then that the Noonday Dragon came out from behind a gigantic sand dune with the heaviest of footsteps, making large moulds in the sand. It sent a chasm down the desert. Amina was terrified by the sheer size of her enemy, feeling weak and thirsty but she managed to jump up from the split. Ruhail retreated several steps back; camels were loyal but not fighters. The dragon’s molten scales of green, copper and violet offset his ashen amber eyes. Amina felt her pangs of hunger sear. As the Spider said, the dragon spoke in strange tongues in among its roars. Menacingly, it stepped forward and lunged its head, swooping towards Amina. It breathed fire without warning. Within a millisecond, acting on instinct and smarts, Amina lifted her shield towards the powerful sun, catching its laser beam, which hit the centre of her shield. Both forces collided at such alarming speed, the shield deflected the fiery furnace back towards its breather, something the dragon did not expect. “Help me, Allah”, Amina cried, twisting her head away from the force of the sun’s ray coming off her shield. The dragon roared and toppled back, singeing its scales and tail. All of a sudden, there came a great gust
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of wind. Grains of sand landed in the dragon’s eyes. It roared loudly, lost its footing and engulfed itself in a sandstorm of its own making. The dragon swirled in and out, bewildered, writhing and twisting as the tornado whooshed the dragon away. Amina and Ruhail rode swiftly out of harm’s way, leaving the dragon dancing to a whirlwind of smoke, sand and fire… *** Praying zohr, Amina thanked Allah for the wind, her shield, a creature with eight legs and for her riding companion – Allah’s comforting ways of letting Amina know she was never alone, both in life and in nature. Feeling a great sense of peace, Amina was gleeful to meet the Garden of Knowledge and was patient for the coming hour of breaking fast… *** At last Amina and Ruhail arrived at the Garden! A sign hoisted at the opening doorway made of vines and flowers had a Quranic quote scripted in calligraphy: “And if all the trees in the earth were pens, and the sea, with seven more seas to help it, (were ink), the words of Allah could not be exhausted. Lo! Allah is Mighty, Wise” (Surah Luqman, 31:27) Ruhail was happily singing (sounding like an opera singer with a frog stuck in his throat) while he drank gallons of water from the Lake of Luqman; Birds of Paradise hovered overhead with plumage of every bright colour (Amina managed to get a purple feather, one of her favourite colours); butterflies, flowers and fountains adorned the Garden; there were glistening honey waterfalls and an apple orchard. A little marching colony of ants, the smallest of creatures but the hardest of workers, dropped a feather quill softly onto Amina’s feet. Carved into the trees were rows and rows of books. The most adored and adorned, the mighty Quran, the greatest book ever, was sitting on the highest ledge of the canopy… As she retrieved her book ‘The Month of Magnificence’, Amina took a bright green leaf as a bookmark, she felt a moment of quiet solitude as she read the pages and wrote her thoughts with her feather quill. She then placed her book into the book bag the Spider had made her. Amina took a moment to affix the yellow, orange and purple feathers she had collected to Ruhail’s leather brace, tassles of remembrance of a journey never forgotten. As she left the Garden, Amina saw a shimmering lake, so real she could almost taste it! It was no mirage. A proud palm tree stood tall full of glistening dates beside a small lake. Amina ate the dates and drank the water, fragrant like the finest Eid atr. Amina felt an enormous amount of gratitude to her creator and sustainer, her one and only Allah. *** The night sky of Lailatul Qadr landed! A black slate with painted stars, like little white alifs befriending the moon. She and Ruhail looked towards the sky, appreciating Allah’s creativity, their two silhouettes stenciled against the horizon. As Amina lay down to sleep that night, she did not have nightmares of monsters. Instead, she dreamt of flying on her prayer rug, holding “The Month of Magnificence”, together with a thousand angels, singing a heavenly chorus: Waiting for the blessed moon Eid will come soon! the holiest of celebrations the joyous of salutations the brightest of gleeful faces the sweetest of warm embraces Amina’s inner nur shone like a lamp in a library, a chandelier in a mosque, a candle in a minaret… Maureen Farah Usman is a children’s & young adult’s writer and poet of general & religious poetry. lllustration by Ziyaad at Ziy Art @ziy_art. Ziyaad is a photorealistic, comic and cartoon artist and produces both hand drawn and digital art.
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BOOMERANG 4-9
COMMUNITY 10 - 23
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Reflections on the sufferings of Uyghur Muslims Professor Shahjahan Khan China has been on the hot spot in recent years for its systematic oppression of Muslims in some parts of China. While Governments in Muslim countries are silent about the serious allegations of ongoing ethnic cleansing and genocide, some western Governments and Rights Organisations are continuously accusing China of its undeterred oppressive acts. In a recent landmark report prepared by more than 50 international experts, and released by the Washington-based Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy, claims that the Chinese Government has violated all five acts that constitute genocide: • killing members of a group; • inflicting serious bodily and mental harm; • trying to prevent births; transferring children to another group; • creating living conditions designed to bring about the group’s destruction. In 2018, UN human rights committee had credible reports that the Chinese were holding up to a million people in “counter-extremism centres” in Xinjiang. The Australian Strategic Policy Institute found evidence in 2020 of more than 380 of these “re-education camps” in Xinjiang, an increase of 40% on previous estimates. Former US Secretary of States, Mike Pompeo said: “I believe this genocide is ongoing, and that we are witnessing the systematic attempt to destroy Uyghurs by the Chinese party-state.” Chinese Government is not denying the concentration camps, rather claiming them to be ‘re-education’ centres to prevent terrorism and separatist ideas. In 2017, President Xi Jinping issued an order that all religions in China should be Chinese in orientation. However, people who escaped the so called re-education camps have reported physical, mental and sexual torture – women have spoken of mass rape and sexual
abuse. At least 1 million Muslim minority Uyghurs are held in Chinese government-run detention centres. There are about 12 million Uyghurs, mostly Muslim, living in north-western China in the region of Xinjiang, officially known as the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR). Latest media reports show that the Chinese authorities are selling organs of Uyghur Muslims, and separating the children from their parents. Often when the man of a house is taken to custody by the security forces they deploy a security guard in the house to monitor what happens inside the home. In many cases these guards rape the women of the house in the absence of men. Historical background In the early 20th Century, the Uyghurs briefly declared independence, but the region was brought under the complete control of mainl a n d China’s n e w Communist government in 1949. In recent decades, there’s been a mass migration of Han Chinese (China’s ethnic majority) to Xinjiang, and the Uyghurs feel their culture and livelihoods are under threat. As a result anti-Han and separatist sentiment rose in Xinjiang from the 1990s. It was reported that in 2009 over 200 people died in clashes in Xinjiang, which the Chinese blamed on Uyghurs who want their own state. But in recent years a massive security crackdown has crushed dissent. Xinjiang is situated in the north-west of China and is the country’s biggest region. The region is rich in oil and natural gas and producing about a fifth of the world’s cotton. It is close to Central Asia and Europe and an important trade link for China.
Islam reached China nearly 1,400 years ago. Majority of Muslims in China are Hui Muslims. However, the greatest concentration of Muslims is in Xinjiang, with a significant Uyghur population. Muslims also live in the regions of Ningxia, Gansu and Qinghai of China. It is estimated that between 60–80 million Muslims in China. Of China’s 55 officially recognised minority peoples, ten groups are predominantly Muslims. Islam first came to China in 616–18 AD when Sa`d ibn Abi Waqqas, Wahab ibn Abu Kabcha and other companions of Prophet Muhammad (s), arrived as traders. The first m a j o r Muslim settlements in China consisted of Arab and Persian merchants, especially in the port cities of Guangzhou, Quanzhou and Hangzhou on China’s southeastern seaboard. In the year 760 in Yangzhou, troops killed Arab and Persian merchants targeted for their wealth in the Yangzhou massacre. Around 879, rebels killed about 120,000–200,000 mostly Arab and Persian Muslims during the Guangzhou massacre. Current situation According to media reports, Xinjiang is now covered by a pervasive network of surveillance, including police, checkpoints, and cameras that scan everything from number plates to individual faces. According to Human Rights Watch, police are also using a mobile app to monitor peoples’ behaviour, such as how much electricity they are using and how often they use their front door. The US has accused China of committing
genocide against the Uyghurs. According to international convention, genocide is the “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group”. China has said that the reports on detention of Uyghurs are completely untrue. It says the crackdown is necessary to prevent terrorism and root out Islamist extremism and the camps are an effective tool for re-educating inmates in its fight against terrorism. China has dismissed claims it is trying to reduce the Uyghur population through mass sterilisations as “baseless”, and says allegations of forced labour are “completely fabricated”. There are half a million children in the detention camps. These boarding schools are to create a new generation of Uyghurs who will be more loyal to their party and nation. In fact, they will be totally deprived of their Islamic and Uyghur heritage. Western role The situation of Uyghur Muslims in China is seriously worrying. The Western voices in support of them is welcome. But the question remains, is the verbal support of the west to seriously engage with Chinese Government to protect the heritage and human and religious rights of Uyghurs or to embarrass China for political reasons? Given continuing inaction of the Western powers to stop the illegal occupation of Palestine for generations, continuous aggressive land grabbing by Zionist Israel and continuing apartheid regime to exterminate the Arab population in their own homeland exposes their lack of serious engagement and willingness. This, and support/allowing for many other anti-Muslim acts including Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia, non-existed Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq, Rohingya genocide in Myanmar, and brutal occupation of Kashmir by India have raised legitimate questions of their sincerity. Professor Shahjahan Khan is professor of Statistics at University of Southern Queensland, Australia. He is the former President of Islamic Countries Society of Statistical Sciences and Expatriate Fellow of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences.
How to stop pending famine in Yemen? Faseeha Hashmi The UN has warned that with the conflict in Yemen escalating, the country is speeding towards the worst famine the world has seen in decades. For more than six-year, the war in Yemen has created a dire situation in one of the Arab world’s poorest country. United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) has reported that virtually all of Yemen’s 12 million children require some sort of assistance from humanitarian agencies. The brunt of the conflict has severely touched its youth; with malnutrition stunting a generation of children. According to the UN, the numbers are stark with more than 2 million Yemeni children under the age of five expected to endure acute malnutrition this year. Yet, it is not only children that need emergency care. About 1.2 million pregnant or breastfeeding women are also projected to suffer due to severe malnourishment. Though it is often reported that Yemen is on the brink of famine due to war, international observers cannot declare whether a famine has taken place without obtaining accurate data on the ground. A famine is said to occur when a mass number of people die from starvation or hunger-induced diseases. Regrettably, if Yemen is in fact in a state of famine; it may
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already be too late. As the World Food Program executive director David Beasley explains the circumstances in Yemen is highly complex. “The crisis in Yemen is a toxic mix of conflict, economic collapse and a severe shortage of funding to provide the life-saving help that’s desperately needed,” said Mr. Beasley. A severe lack of funds has hampered hu-
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manitarian programs in the country, as donor nations have failed to make good on their aid commitments. This is a major wake-up call for the international community that has been largely focused on curbing the spread of a global pandemic. Before the CO-VID19 pandemic, the international community was more willing to support this humanitarian emergency. Last year, humanitarian programs in Yem-
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en received only $US1.9 billion ($2.5 billion) of the required $US3.4 billion ($4.4 billion). Yet, it is not just a war on the ground that is causing havoc. The economy has contributed to the suffering of its people as a battle over old and new banknotes has created two economies in the same state. Feuding parties have weaponised the economy which has meant that the north and south of Yemen are not dealing with the same currencies. Inflation has also added to the nation’s woes, exacerbating the fiscal challenges. The Houthi movement that controls the capital Sanaa, outlawed the use and possession of crisp new Yemeni riyal bills issued by its rivals in the internationally recognised government based in the southern port town of Aden. More than ever, the international community needs to step up to mediate an agreement to end this protracted political and humanitarian crisis. Indeed, if international aid is not provided now, catastrophic mass-scale deaths in Yemen will ensue. Please consider donating to humanitarian agencies on the ground such as the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund or the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. 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. ISSUE 185 / APRIL 2021
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EDUCATION 41 - 43
BUSINESS 44 - 45
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In search of supporting Muslims in China Professor Shahjahan Khan In spite of lots of verbal debates on the persecution of Uyghur Muslims in China there is no real movements or efforts from anyone to help them on the ground. Who will be helping them if the Muslims don’t come forward in their support? What are the practical ways to help them? Why Muslim Governments are silent? Many in the West are asking, why Muslim Governments are in silence against China atrocities whereas they were furious against Charlie Hebdo? They are also asking, why in July 2019, many leading Muslim-majority states helped to block a Western motion at the United Nations calling for China to allow “independent international observers” into the Xinjiang region? Most of the leading Muslim countries have significant economic and political stake with China. In many cases this is imbalanced against them, and China is using its economic power to exert political influence. Understandably, Muslim Governments decided not to engagement with China including not issuing any public statement, even expressing any verbal criticism or concern. They seem to have forgotten that friends need to look after friends by communicating what is good and bad to friendship. What Muslim citizens could do? Undeniably, China is taking over the US as the most powerful nation on earth, how Muslims should engage with the nation which already has a dominant role in the regional and international stage? Muslims in the West are actively engaging with the governments and communities for peaceful co-existence with respect and dignity. Not only Muslims opening their Mosques for members of the wider community, they are also taking leading role in many multi-faith and multicultural activities, not to mention significant contribution in education, business, sports and professional jobs. They are very much a part of the success story of multiculturalism in many Western
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vice? We need to be realistic in our approach and should pursue a long-term goal of living in peace with the culturally diverse population. Our main focus should be to help protect the lives, properties and religious freedom of Muslims in China. We also need to keep in mind that there are many Muslims in other parts of China who are not facing the same kind of persecution and systematic oppression as the Uyghurs. It would be unwise and unhelpful if anyone’s act endangering their way of life. This may be a good time to remember the situation under which Prophet Muhammad (s) accepted and signed apparently the most humiliating conditions of Hudaibya Treaty that was later termed in the Qur’an as Clear Victory. The wisdom behind this was to achieve peace which was, and still is, a precondition for the spread of Islam. We can learn from the history and benefit.
Engagements for common ground Muslims, especially those living in the west, should seriously think about citizen-level intellectual, professional and faith-based engagement with their China counterparts. They need to verify if the claims of the western media and governments accusing China of genocide and ethnic cleansing of Muslims is true or not. This is more important as China is consistently denying any wrongdoings, and labelling it as pure western propaganda. If China is worried about terrorism, they should know that Islam is a religion of peace and against any form of terrorism. We are very clear about this and no country, let alone China, should be under the threat of terrorism by anyone, especially from Muslims. The present-day world is becoming more concerned about the far-right extremism than anything else. As for their claim of separatist or independence movement in the north-west China, should we be taking any side as no Muslim country has the commitment and ability that would benefit anyone? Given the current global geopolitics, would it be wise to put the Muslims in China under greater risk by giving only lip ser-
Moving forward for peace Seriously speaking, we have two options either to accept the status quo and let Muslims continue to suffer amid contradictory claims of the west and China, and silence of Muslim governments, or initiate a citizen-level engagement process with China to understand mutual concerns and make a headway to assess and improve the grassroot level situation of Muslims in China. If Chinese Government and citizens care for the long-term good economic and political relationship of Muslim nations and counter US influence in the Muslim countries they should come forward to meaningfully engage with Muslim leaders at different levels. Such engagements will help remove any misunderstanding, create scopes for cooperation, and build strong mutual trust to work for mutual benefit of both parties. The proposed citizen level engagements may pave the way for some Muslim Governments to discuss and achieve friendly goals in improving the situation of Muslims in China. It is worth mentioning the ground breaking role of the civil society in negotiating the peace in Mindanao between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.
A young Uighur activist holds up a poster during a demonstration outside the Foreign Office in Berlin before talks between the Chinese and German foreign ministers on Sept. 1 2020.
countries. This is well recognised by everyone both at the government and community levels. Why can’t Chinese Muslims do the same, if not better, if they get the opportunity? Should conscious, educated and professional Muslim citizens and community organisations join their Governments to sit idle and do nothing while Muslims in China need their urgent help? What about the highly educated and well-established Muslim professionals and community leaders living in the West? We all know the devastating impact of boycotting English language in the subcontinent when the British took over India from Muslims in the eighteenth century. Should we adopt the old ‘boycott’ policy and disengage with China abandoning the already isolated millions of Muslims there. Or we should engage with China to know the facts on the ground about Uyghur and other Muslims in Xinjiang and other regions in China. Even though Muslims in general are very worried about their brothers and sisters in China, it is highly unlikely that any Government in Muslim countries will seriously ask China about the situation of Uyghur Muslims. They have too much at stake in doing so. They are increasingly becoming more dependent on China as the US slides down its
Afghanistan: Seeking justice for women and girls Nasreen Hanifi On 19 March 2015, a group of men and the local Imam in Afghanistan falsely accused a young woman by the name of Farkhunda Malikzada for going against the Qur’an and questioning the local Imam about his teachings. He falsely accused her of burning the Qur’an. No witnesses were present to testify that she had done this. No procedure was followed through as per the legal rulings of the country. No one stopped the ferocious attacks on her. She was brutally beaten and tortured, lit on fire, and stoned to death in front of the public. Her clothes were torn, blood pouring out of her entire body and her inability to fight for her right was stolen by a bunch of cowards who called themselves men. This incident alone caused a public outcry until the men were captured and sentenced according to their involvement in the crime. However, the instigator who started the accusations was not even trialled. I watched the entire incident unfold via social media and 6 years later the memory still triggers me. It triggers me for a lot of reasons but the most important one is the way she was savagely murdered for a crime that she did not even commit. Afghanistan’s legal system is quite corrupt like most third world countries and even some developed countries like Australia. Justice is never served unless you’ve got position, power or you’re from an affluent APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 185
family. A patriarchal system that continues to demean women and disallow them to portray their voices. Let’s be honest at the end of the day it’s a man’s world. And why wouldn’t it be a man’s world, years of cultural stigmas and misappropriations, lack of educating young men on how to respect women, and positioning women as just the homemaker and unintelligent would definitely make it man’s world. Whilst the sentences served some kind of a “justice”, it wasn’t enough to stop the crimes from happening. A few days ago a young 8-year-old girl was going to the local mosque to learn the Qur’an when she was brutally raped by her Qur’an teacher. She was only 8. A horrifying experience that she will now have to
deal with for the rest of her life. Her innocence was snatched away from her because of a man who had the inability to control his overly disgusting thoughts and desires. The trauma that she will now have to endure for the rest of her life particularly in a country where there is so many misconceptions and stereotypes around rape. To place his hands over her mouth whilst raping her means that she will now have to live the rest of her life thinking that she may have been the cause of it. Women are always sexually objectified even when you are an innocent 8-year-old girl. Women have to constantly fight for their rights in a country like Afghanistan who prides itself on having “ghayrat” (honour). How is it possible for women to be down-
Women carry the coffin of Farkhunda Malikzada to her burial place after her brutal killing in March 2015. (Wakil Kohsar / AFP/Getty Images) WWW.AMUST.COM.AU
graded and mistreated constantly in a country where Islam should take precedence? Because rest assured Islam does not teach these men to commit crimes against women because they are “men.” Islam positions women in the highest regard, it has never demeaned women to a level where she does not have the ability to create her own identity. But men snatch that away from them. That level of so-called honour is only shown towards women in countries like Afghanistan. Why don’t the men of Afghanistan stand firm against the man who brutally raped that young girl? Why don’t they collectively get together, stone him, torture him, and brutally bash him for committing such a heinous act? Or are men exception to the rule? Do we only allow this kind of ferocious acts to happen to women because we can? From Farkhunda who wasn’t given the opportunity to present her case, to the perpetrator who held the young girl’s mouth so tight so no one could hear her scream, and to the family who now have to live with the trauma of what happened and listen to the constant gossip of uneducated neighbours, family, and friends. This reality is damning for many women who live in Afghanistan because whilst it seems we are fighting for equal gender rights, better education for girls, and giving women opportunities to work, it still seems that women’s voices are no longer heard or accepted.
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Enjoining what is right for Timor-Leste and Palestine Dr Vacy Vlazna On the 18th March 2021, I was a recipient of The Hon Shaoquett Moselmane’s generous hosting at Parliament House of the launch of my book, East Timor Reveille for Courage; Reflections of an Australian Human Rights Activist 1998-2004. The book was officially launched by HE Mr Luciano Valentim Da Conceicao, Consul-General of Timor-Leste together with my conversation with Em.Professor Stuart Rees OAM followed by Dr Susan Connelly SOSJ in conversation with former ACT Attorney-General Bernard Collaery about Timor Sea Justice. I also invited the dedicated editor of AMUST, Mr Zia Ahmad who graciously attended the Parliament House event despite the heavy rain. AMUST readers, particularly those of you from Sydney’s diverse multicultural communities, are intimately familiar with
Mr Shaoquett Moselmane MLC.
the warm indefatigable generosity, care and service of The Honourable Moselmane who is a Member of the NSW State Legislative Council. Mr Moselmane is a role model for walking on and for encouraging others to walk the straight path, “You are the best community that has been raised up for mankind: You enjoin what is right and forbid what is evil.” (Quran 3:110) I met The Hon Moselmane some years ago at a function he hosted for Palestine in Parliament House. He is one of the rare politicians, federal and state, who dares diverge from the Australian government’s support for Israel to do what is right for the men, women, children of Palestine. So why is East Timor, now Timor-Leste, of significance for us. Islam demands that the oppressed, whether Muslim or non-Muslim, be helped. My political activism for the Timorese led me to activism for Palestine. How? In my book I present the similarities of the Timorese and Palestinian struggle; in brief, there are 4 basic parallels; 1. A violent military occupation daily in-
flicting war crimes and crimes against humanity. (by Indonesia and by Israel) 2. Theft of land, resources and dignity. 3. United Nations’ dereliction of international law obligations. 4. Western government accomplices and bystanders. Also as Australians, we have a WWII blood debt to the brave Timorese people who saved the lives of Australian commandos. But rather than supporting Timorese in their legal struggle for independence in 1975, our successive governments handed East Timor to the Indonesians, just as the British handed Palestine to the Jewish army. And soon after Timor-Leste became independent in 1999, our government planted spyware in Timorese government offices to get the advantage over the negotiations for Timorese oil and gas resources in the Timor Sea. Now, in Canberra, Witness K and his lawyer Bernard Collaery are being persecuted by the government for exposing the spying operation against our neighbour, the poorest country in Asia. Furthermore these two men of integrity are being tried in undemocratic
SECRET trials and have, so far, been forced to attend court 40 times. I am reminded of the innocent Gazan prisoner, Mohammad el Halabi who has attended the Israeli court 158 times and due to attend again in April. There is a petition: https://tinyurl.com/ryfk8dan Integral to my own spiritual practice, I begin the day reflecting on the daily Rumi poem on the 18th, the day of my book’s launch, the poem ended with these lines, The universe and the light of the stars come through me. I am the crescent moon put up over the gate of the festival. I understood it as a blessing: the crescent moon is the symbol of Islam, and of course I thought of Shaoquett and his staff- Louay, Sadaqat and Saleh, who were there above the gate, the entrance to the day’s festival - my launch. Dr Vacy Vlazna is Coordinator of Justice for Palestine Matters. She is the editor of a volume of Palestinian poetry, I remember my name.
Selective quoting and perception engineering: An “Islamic” approach in Turkey? Aishah Jacobs The evolution of the Ottoman Empire into a Turkish secular state brought with it authoritative and oppressive political reform, which ultimately changed the way Islam was able to be practiced in the public sphere and the influence it had over the nation. The radical secular regime also lead to the birth of Diyanet (Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs) in 1924 – the official state institution established to execute the works concerning the beliefs, worship, and ethics of Islam and control of the sacred places of worship. In the recent decade, Diyanet has been utilised by the Erdogan regime to stifle critics through religious rhetoric. It has been a particularly effective tool in furthering Turkey’s post coup crackdown on the Gulen movement, by releasing reports prepared mainly by the former President of Diyanet, Dr Mehmet Gormez, and sermons, in which scholar Fethullah Gulen and his followers were accused of heresy and treason. In late 2020, Dr Mehmet Gormez spoke about excommunication and accusations of heresy in Islam whilst referring to controversial religious statements made by Dr Mustafa Ozturk. Dr Gormez stated that while he did not agree with Dr Ozturk’s comment that the Quran cannot be the word of Allah, Ahl-al Sunnah needed to evaluate Dr Ozturk under the sphere of Ahl al-Qibla. He proclaimed that it was not acceptable to skilfully and selectively quote people to
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take their words out of context, and thus the excommunication of Dr Ozturk was wrong. Dr Ergun Capan, who completed his PhD in Islamic Studies, published an article titled ‘Selective Quoting and Perception Engineering: A Critique of ‘F Gulen’ Report by Diyanet’. The article aimed to evaluate the extent to which Diyanet’s team, headed by Dr Gormez, adhered to the aforementioned principle of Ahl al-Sunnah in their report on Fethullah Gülen. Dr Ergun Capan’s article titled ‘Selective Quoting and Perception Engineering: A Critique of ‘F Gulen’ Report by Diyanet’. https://www.drerguncapan.com In the article, Dr Capan attempts to examine whether the report titled ‘FETO In His Own Words: Organised Abuse of Religion’, in which Dr Gormez wrote the preamble, measured up to his commendable ‘methodological and moral standards’. The report quoted the following words from Gulen’s sermon dated 16 November 1989: “A believer enters into the atmosphere of the reverence and affection of the One that is meant to be revered and excited from the moment they enter a mosque. That gathering is such that on the pulpit is Allah who looks, sees, hears and intimately knows all about us. And if there is one person who walks between your rows and among you and provided he is given permission from above, who is present in all gatherings about him to bestow blessings onto the gathering, it is Muhammad Mustafa (pbuh)… the presence Muhammad Mustafa (pbuh) who looks in His eyes and observes His beauty.”
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Dr Capan stated that Diyanet’s report concluded that Gulen’s claim reduced Allah’s existence to a specific location, and that he was wrongly influencing and risking the faith of the masses as Allah is beyond the physical realm. The report also found that Gülen likened Allah to humans by attributing Him physical attributes such as eyes, claiming his Islamic knowledge was deficient and that he abused sacred values. By way of example, Dr Capan thoroughly measured the report’s above finding against the criteria of the Ahl al-Sunnah, to unearth the “Diyanet’s attempt to engineer perception by selectively quoting Gulen”. In doing, so Capan stated the following criticism: • “Since Görmez believes that “judgment should not be passed by selectively quoting and by excerpting from a speech” the above excerpts of Gülen’s sermons should have been assessed within their original context. As a preacher, it is perfectly normal and expected that Gülen, a powerful orator, makes use of such strategies to convey his messages.” • “There are many metaphorical expressions in the Quran and the Sunnah,” he continued. “If we were to apply the methodology in Diyanet’s report to [ayahs in the Quran]… one would have to conclude that… these verses would pose a challenge from an Islamic perspective and they would have to be rejected. • Dr Capan then explained that scholars of Kalam, who studied the articles of Islamic faith, have pointed out that metaphorical and allegorical expressions in the
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Quran and Sunnah have been included to assist people in understanding higher truths and have cautioned against taking their meaning literally as it may lead to heresy. In Diyanet’s own publications, the importance of metaphorical expression has been emphasised. In Diyanet’s Encyclopedia of Islam’s entry on anthropomorphism, is it emphasised that it is deviation and disbelief to interpret [metaphorical] expressions in the Quran and Hadith literally without recognising the relationship between the metaphors and the truth they refer to,” he continued. With regards to anthropomorphism, Capan proclaimed that Gulen’s position is the same as the Ahl al-Sunnah ulamah, as he believes that attributing body parts to Allah, such as hand, feet and eyes, is heresy, and has made it numerously clear that Allah is free from space and time. Lastly, Capan refers to a multitude of renowned Muslim scholars who have expressed their support for Fethullah Gulen’s ideas and affirmed that his approach to belief and Islamic service are in line with Ahl al-Sunnah. Some of these named scholars include Prof Dr Muhammad ‘Imārah, one of the most significant ulama of today; Prof Dr Saīd Ramadān al-Būtī, who is one of the distinguished Muslim scholars of our time; Prof Dr Fathī al-Hijāzī of Al-Azhar University, Egypt, and Prof Dr Ahmad Ali Rabi’ of Al-Azhar University, Egypt. Dr Capan concludes the article by stating that “the Diyanet report on Gulen, which was ordered to be prepared by Prof Gormez himself was based on a misguided method, represented a double standard and was compiled through multiple examples of selective quoting”. ISSUE 185 / APRIL 2021
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Fasting is good for your soul and your body People who attended religious services at least once a week were significantly less likely to die from deaths related to suicide, drug overdose, and alcohol poisoning, according to a May 2020 research report from the Harvard School of Public Health. The study showed that the association between higher service attendance and lower risk of those kind of deaths was even stronger for women in the study than for men. Why do almost all religions have major restrictions on what their adherents eat and drink? Because everyone eats and drinks every day and that gives everyone the opportunity to do, or not do, what their religion teaches them to do or not do. This gives daily purpose and meaning to the simple activity of eating and drinking; and more important to the daily self-denial of not eating and drinking; and even more important to the special occasions when we do not eat or drink at all: fasting. For example, alcohol is linked to cancer-related proteins in the blood so abstaining from drinking can drastically reduce their levels. This finding could help explain why alcohol is linked to at least seven types of cancer. The lack of self restraint so evident in much of modern life leads us first to pleasure seeking and then increasingly to self induced suffering. Millions of people spend billions of dollars on pills, diet books and gym clubs but still lack the self discipline to control themselves. We have largely lost the spiritual value of self restraint that is so important in the Hindu, Jewish and Muslim tradition. That self restraint was promoted annually by voluntary community fasting. Both Islam and Judaism place major emphasis on fasting as a means of religious self discipline and spiritual self control. For Muslims the major fast occurs during the daylight hours of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. For Jews the major fast occurs during the 24 hour fast of Yom Kippur-the Day of Atonement, which is the holy of holies of Jewish time: a day of fasting and prayer, introspection and self-judgment when, collectively and repeatedly, we confess and make restitution for our sins and pray to be written into God’s Book of Life. In North America and the UK, Jews and
Muslims are the two religious groups that most noticeably practice fasting. The rules about fasting are very similar in both Jewish and Islamic law. Since there are several religious values involved in fasting; Muslims will see many similarities, and a few differences, in the following teachings from the Jewish tradition about restricting what and when we eat. Fasting is a very personal, experiential offering that one makes from one’s own body and fasting has many spiritual benefits. The Qur’an (2:183) says, “Oh you who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that you may (learn) self-restraint.” What self-restraint discipline is Hinduism, Islam and Judaism teaching us by decreeing the importance of fasting? What spiritual benefits occur when we fast? First of all, fasting teaches compassion. It is easy to talk about the world’s problem of hunger. We can feel sorry that millions of people go to bed hungry each day. But not until one can actually feel it in one’s own body is the impact truly there. Compassion based on empathy is much stronger and more consistent than compassion based on pity. This feeling must lead to action. Fasting is never an end in itself; that’s why it has so many different outcomes. But all the other outcomes are of no real moral value if personal morality and compassion for others is not enlarged and extended through fasting. Thus, Prophet Muhammad (s) said, “Whoever does not give up deceitful speech and evil actions, Allah is not in need of his leaving eating his food and drink.” (Bukhari Vol 3, 31, #127) And as Prophet Isaiah said, “The truth is that at the same time you fast, you pursue your own interests and oppress your workers. Your fasting makes you violent, and you quarrel and fight. The kind of fasting I want is this: remove the chains of oppression and the yoke of injustice, and let the oppressed go free. Share your food with the hungry and open your homes to the homeless poor.” (Isaiah 58:3-7) Second, fasting is an exercise in will-power. Most people think they can’t fast because it’s too hard. But actually the discomfort of hunger pangs is relatively minor. A headache, muscle pains from too much exercise, and most certainly a toothache, are all more severe than the pains hunger produces. The reason it is so hard to fast is because its so easy to stop. The food is all around, and in easy reach; all you have do is take a bite. Thus the key to fasting is the will power to decide again and again not to eat. Our society has increasingly become one
The Christchurch tragedy: Triumph of love over hate Farid Ahmed Friday 15 March 2019 in Christchurch was a day of hate crime that took many peaceful precious lives. The whole world watched in shock, how a human can act worse than an animal with hate. Hate made himself a victim and made other innocent people his victims too. Hate made the hater to lower himself down from the honourable human status do commit the most dishonourable act of atrocity. Hate motivated to kill innocent old people, young people, women, men, and APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 185
children with no mercy. The question is, did hate win? Or did he win? Mankind need to be reminded about the truth by this simple question. Could he eliminate 1.8 billion Muslims from this earth by his hate attack? Could he scare Muslims to abandon their peaceful prayer in the Mosques? Could he turn all the non-Muslims friends to hate peaceful Muslims? Could he win the gold medal for his atrocity? Did the world cheer for his hate crime? Or did the world embrace hate philosophy from him? Or did he receive a better life for his hate crime? The answer is very clear. He did not win people’s hearts. Hate did not win. Hate did
of self indulgence. We lack self discipline. Fasting goes in direct opposition to our increasing “softness” in life. When people exercise their will-power and fast, they are affirming their self-control and celebrating mastery over themselves. We need continually to prove that we can do it, because we are aware of our frequent failures to be self-disciplined. The third outcome of fasting is that fasting is a positive struggle against our dependencies. We live in a consumer society. We are constantly bombarded by advertising telling us that we must have this or that to be healthy, happy, popular or wise. By fasting we assert that we need not be totally dependent on external things, even such essentials as food. If our most basic need for food and drink can be suspended by self discipline how much more our needs for all the nonessentials. Judaism doesn’t advocate asceticism as an end in itself. In fact it’s against Jewish law to deny ourselves normal pleasures. But in our overheated consumer society it is necessary periodically to turn off the constant pressure to consume, and to remind ourselves forcibly that “Man does not live by bread alone.” (Torah Deuteronomy 8:3) Fourth, fasting serves as a penance. Though self inflicted pain may alleviate some guilt, it is much better to reduce one’s guilt by offsetting acts of righteousness to others. This is why, for Jews, contributing to charity is an important part of Yom Kippur. The same is true for Muslims during Ramadan. Indeed, fasting that doesn’t increase compassion is ignored by God. Also, the concept of fasting as penance helps us understand that our suffering can be beneficial. Contemporary culture desires happiness
above all else. Any suffering is seen as unnecessary and indeed evil. Though we occasionally hear people echo values from the past that suffering can help one grow, or that an existence unalloyed with pain would lack certain qualities of greatness, many today seem to think that the primary goal in life is “to always be happy and free of all discomfort.” The satisfaction one derives from the self-induced pain of fasting provides insight into a better way of reacting to the externally caused suffering we have to experience anyway. Taking a pill is not always the best way to alleviate pain especially if by doing so we allay the symptoms without reaching the root cause. Always remember while fasting that Prophet Moses (a) and Prophet Elijah (a) both fasted for 40 days and nights (Torah Deuteronomy 9: 9 &18 and 1 Kings 19:8), and Prophet David (a) fasted for 7 days (2 Samuel 12:16-20). And as Prophet Muhammad (s) said: “The blessed month of Ramadan comes to you, a month Allah made fasting obligatory for those who are able; whosoever denies himself the benefits of that month; denies himself many virtues.” (Hadith)
not get support from the peaceful people in this world. The world rejected hate and embraced the opposite. The opposite is that humans must love another human regardless of faith, no faith, race, religion, or ethnicity. Mankind reacted to hate with love. As a result, hate lost terribly. Love, on the other hand won. The First responders risked their lives without asking who the victims were, or what was their race or religion. They had one thing in their minds and that was “Human Love.” Their love for hu-
love. All the flowers, all the tears, all the support, and all the compassion made Love the winner. One persons hate was replaced by the millions expressing love. Love quickly spread all around New Zealand, across the sea in Australia, and all around the world. Hate could not spread as much as love did. If we look at the comparison between the hate and love from the Christchurch tragedy, what should we remember from it? I think, we must remember the power of love that unites human, saves lives, brings peace, and brings safety for the next generations. We must continue reminding the mankind that we must choose love, not hate. We must spread this message as much as we can for a better world. We also must come together as humans to break barriers, to remove misunderstandings, and to build unity in diversity to promote a safe planet for all of us.
“The world rejected
hate and embraced the opposite.
“
Rabbi Allen Maller
manity have m a d e t h e m honoura-
ble heroes. What was the overwhelming reaction to the hate attack in Christchurch Mosques? Again, it was
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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.
Farid Ahmed is a survivor of Christchurch attack on 15 April 2019, a peace advocate, author of HUSNA’S Story and Quran teacher in Christchurch. AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIMES
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From Schools to Parliaments: Australia needs a broad approach to values education heart than its opposite.” So, we need to learn how to love, but what does that mean? Is there confusion in this space? It is through relationships that we develop psychologically, physiologically, and learn how to behave socially towards others. Authentic and dysfunctional love have ‘real’ implications. For example, sex does not mean love. You can have sex with someone, but not love them. As a society, we are generally cool with casual sex, but at the same time have not intrinsically taught sexual ethics to our youth. Events that have occurred recently by parliament staff testify to this fact.
John Bellavance ABC news reported that Shepparton Secondary is a picture of racism, cultural exclusion, and violence. It is easy to criticise schools, but as a society, have we provided our young people with the values and skills that allow them to be good citizens? The problem is not limited to Shepparton Secondary. As an Information Technology educator, I have watched the values education space for 20+ years in Melbourne High schools and completed a doctorate on Values in the Digital World. Below are my observations. In Australia, values education in has been a political circus for the past 20 years. Some areas receive focus, while other areas are ignored because they do not fit a particular worldview. Today we are facing a crisis of values and we need a broad and holistic approach to values education. Holistic Approach A holistic approach requires several dimensions: • Managing ourselves well • Managing our relationships well • Contributing positively to society and our natural environment. This holistic focus is not new; it has been around for 100+ years. In fact, the Victorian government adopted a holistic approach 15 years ago, but where is this now? In part values education is found within the school curriculum, but it is not complete.
Managing Ourselves Shepparton Secondary is enlisting extra teachers and security amid outbreaks of violence. This measure is occurring after the fact, highlighting a prior need. • How do you deal with violence? You educate for managing oneself and one’s relationships well. Helen Keller said, “many persons have the wrong idea of what constitutes true happiness. It is not attained through self-gratification, but through fidelity to a worthy purpose.” • As a society, are we demonstrating to our children that self-gratification is the highest value? Self-management requires us to live a life of meaning, by knowing ourselves, finding our meaning in life
(values and purposes) and taking the responsibility for ourselves. • Managing ourselves requires self-control and working towards a purpose. The widespread phenomena of depression, aggression and addiction are not understandable unless we recognise the vacuum of meaning and responsibility in the lives of many people within our society. Managing Relationships Nelson Mandela said, “No one is born hating another because of the colour of a person’s skin, background, or religion. People learn to hate! If a person learns to hate, they can also be taught how to love, because love comes more naturally to the human
Global Citizens • As educators and adults, it is important to foster ‘global citizens’ who understand that as a ‘global village’ there are shared values that exist across faiths and cultures with different worldviews. • Fostering an awareness of our interconnectedness as a human community is imperative. • A sense of interdependence and shared identity underpins social justice and relationships. • A Global Citizen also recognises that our mutual prosperity is dependent on local, national, and international dimensions. Dr John Bellavance has worked in the non-profit sector for 40 years. He has completed his PhD in 2018 at Monash University on the role of values in the use of Information Technologies. In Australia he is the national Vice-President of the Universal Peace Federation, which is an NGO in General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.
I hope you all have a month of blessings and peaceful reflection with loved ones and friends
MehreenFaruqi.org.au | fb.me/MehreenFaruqi Senator.Faruqi@aph.gov.au | 02 9211 1500 Authorised Mehreen Faruqi, The Greens, Parliament House, Canberra 2600
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EDUCATION Khaksar Martyrs’ Day marks struggle for freedom LIFESTYLE 33 - 37
UMMAH 38 - 40
EDUCATION 41 - 43
Nasim Yousaf Martyrs’ Day is observed on 19 March to pay homage to the Khaksars who were injured or sacrificed their lives to free Muslims and non-Muslims from British Raj in India. The day 19 March 1940 was a black day in the history of the Indian subcontinent and cannot be forgotten. On this day, police opened fire and mercilessly injured and killed innocent Khaksars, heroes of the freedom struggle in India. The day began with a peaceful march in Lahore by 313 Khaksar members of Allama Mashriqi’s, chief of the Khaksar Tehrik’s private army. The Khaksars were marching in protest of the Government’s prohibition on their activities; the Government had imposed the ban because the British rulers considered the Khaksar Tehrik’s military style undertakings as a threat to their rule. In order to stop the Khaksar parade, Donald Gainsford (Superintendent of Police), accompanied by P C D Beaty (Deputy Superintendent of Police), F C Bourne (District Magistrate), a City Magistrate, and heavily armed policemen arrived on the scene. The Khaksars were ordered to immediately abandon the protest march, but they brushed aside the instruction. Not to be defied, Gainsford slapped the leader of the Khaksar contingent. This resulted in a “Serious clash between Khaksars and police” (The Tribune, 20 March 1940). The police’s indiscriminate firing took over 200 Khaksar lives (though officially reported figures falsely stated a lower number) and an even larger number were injured. According to the register of the Moharir (record keeper) of the district police, 1,620 rounds had been issued to the police at the start of the day and only 1,213 were returned, meaning 407 bullets were fired. The dead and injured Khaksars were brutally dragged, kicked, and humiliated by the police. The slaughter was the bloodiest and most ruthless killing since the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar by General Dyer on 13 April 1919. The people of the nation were outraged by the massacre and the treatment of the Khaksars. In Lahore, the military was called in; curfew, press censorship, and Section 144 were also imposed. The news flashed not only in British India, but was also reported by print media as well as radio in many parts of the world. Due to Government propaganda, the killed Khaksars were not declared heroes or martyrs, but rather labeled as rebels and fascists. On the day of the tragedy, Mashriqi, his two sons, and a large number of Khaksars were arrested. The police and military jointly raided the Khaksar Tehrik headquarters and Mashriqi’s adjoining house. Mashriqi’s brilliant son, Ehsanullah Khan Aslam, was injured by the police. Aslam died on 31 May, 1940 due to fatal injuries; over 50,000 people gathered near Sunehri Masjid (Golden Mosque) in Lahore to attend his funeral.
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BUSINESS 44 - 45
SOCIAL 46 - 47
AMUST
It is believed that this was the largest funeral for any child in the history of the region. Both men and women were emotionally charged and some of them cried hysterically or fainted. Ehsanullah Khan Aslam’s martyrdom at the age of 16 brought tremendous resentment against British rule. Mashriqi, who was in Vellore Central Jail in Madras (South India), was denied permission to travel to Lahore to take a last glimpse of his beloved son and to bury him. The treatment of Mashriqi, the killing of his innocent child, and the brutal murder of the Khaksars brought new fuel to the freedom movement. Three days after the tragedy, the All-India Muslim League held its session in Lahore (22-24 March 1940) at Minto Park (now Iqbal Park and the site of the Minar-e-Pakistan monument). The Khaksar massacre was still fresh in people’s minds and tens of thousands thronged to the venue and demanded an inquiry into the barbaric killing along with the release of Mashriqi, his sons, and the Khaksars, and the removal of the ban on the Khaksar Tehrik. As a result of the fierce public pressure, the Muslim League passed the Khaksar Resolution on 24 March 1940 (not 23 March as is usually reported) along with the Lahore Resolution (later Pakistan Resolution). Regrettably, no information about the Khaksar Resolution is mentioned at the site of the Minar-e-Pakistan monument. Based on intense public demand, an inquiry committee was formed by the Punjab Government to investigate the firing of the Khaksars. The committee was headed by Sir Douglas Young (Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court). Upon completion of the investigations, a report was submitted to the Government. However, the findings of the report were never released – the Government should make them public now. The first Martyrs’ Day was observed in British India on 19 March 1941. Sir Henry Duffield Craik (Governor of Punjab) confirmed the occasion in a letter (dated 28 April 1941) to Lord Linlithgow (Viceroy of India), informing him that the Khaksars observed “Martyrs’ Day” in remembrance of the massacre on 19 March 1940 and distributed black flags. The rulers resented honouring the martyrs. Yet from 1941 onwards, Khaksar Martyrs’ Day was solemnly and regularly observed by the Khaksar Tehrik nearly every year across British India. The somber occasion not only reminded people to remember the martyred, but greatly bolstered the freedom movement. The Khaksars’ martyrdom did not go to waste and, within seven years of the bloodbath of 19 March 1940 , two hundred years of British rule in India came to an end. Unfortunately, after the partition of India in 1947, Jinnah’s Government confiscated Mashriqi’s and the Khaksar Tehrik’s extensive literature. Since Mashriqi and the Khaksars fought for a united India and did not support the creation of Pakistan, the new Pakistani Government sought to suppress their voice in history. Similarly, in India, Jawaharlal Nehru, who was Mashriqi’s classmate at Cambridge University, did not want Indians to know
Allama Mashriqi, Founder of the Khaksar Movement. of Mashriqi’s leading role in the freedom movement. Thus, Nehru not only banned the Khaksar activities, but also seized Mashriqi’s and the Tehrik’s historical documents. The idea behind seizing Mashriqi and the Khaksars’ papers in both countries was not only to deny Mashriqi’s role in the freedom movement, but also to hide the fact that the leaders who endorsed partition had actually collaborated with the British to divide India for their own as well as British political and economic interests. This suppression of history continues in both countries even today. With these actions, Pakistan and India continue to teach a distorted history and only recognise those leaders who worked with the British rulers. I have demanded via open letters (available on the internet) to Pakistan, India, and the United Kingdom’s Governments to declassify Mashriqi’s and the Khaksar Tehrik’s materials (confiscated during the pre- and post partition era), but thus far nothing has come from this effort. Although some files from the Government of British India are available on the Khaksar Tehrik, they only represent the British Government’s version of events. Writers have used this one-sided view of history to tarnish Mashriqi’s image. Despite no official recognition in Pakistan and India, Mashriqi’s supporters and the Khaksar Tehrik in Pakistan have continued to observe the Khaksar Martyrs’ Day for decades. Each year, a ceremony is held at the Khaksar Tehrik Headquarters at 34-Zialdar Road in Icchra, Lahore (where Mashriqi is buried). This year, the Khaksar Tehrik has already announced that the day will be observed across Pakistan. The day will include speeches to remember the departed souls and their contributions toward freedom shall also be shared with the attendees. Mashriqi’s supporters and the Khaksars’ shall visit Miani Sahib graveyard to offer Fateh and lay flowers on the graves of martyred Khaksars. In other cities of Pakistan, apart from paying homage, prayers for the departed souls shall also be held. These martyrs deserve to be remembered, as they sacrificed their lives for the freedom of Muslims, Hindus, Sikhs, and people of other faiths living in British India and for their future generations. Historically, freedom from strong and oppressive rule does not come via constitutional fights, table talks or other passive methods alone; it demands constant resistance subverting activities, and deep sacrifices such as those made by the Khaksars. This was also the case in the freedom of British India. To conclude, people of the sub-continent should remember that they have freedom today as a result of the Khaksars’ martyrdom and unwavering defiance of the colonial rulers. The Governments of Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan should officially declare
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March 19th “Khaksar Martyrs Day.” In addition, these Governments should issue instructions to museums to include artifacts from Mashriqi and the Khaksar Tehrik’s fight for freedom. The authorities in Pakistan should also ensure that the Khaksar Resolution is inscribed at the Minar-e-Pakistan site and a memorial is built at the location where the Khaksars were ruthlessly injured or killed. The nations must honor the Khaksar heroes of the past, whose sacrifices brought freedom to the region and cannot be erased from history. Nasim Yousaf, a grandson of Allama Mashriqi, is a researcher based in the USA. He has presented papers at academic conferences, published many books, compiled a digital version of his historic works (“Al-Islah” weekly journal), and contributed articles to prestigious and peer-reviewed encyclopedias and academic journals. His works have been published in newspapers in both the East and West.
The last days of summer Dr Reginald Naulty The last days of summer depart in the soft wind, and await the first star. The fading light yields slowly and yellows the trees which murmur faintly and are still. The mild evening comes on; through the branches gleams the moon. At the coast, the turquoise sea crashes on the beach, and further out is dark blue and motionless; the dusky green forests slope to the sand, and in the far distance, a misty cape recedes. All is peace and magnificence. Dr Reginald Naulty, originally from Adelaide, has taught at Charles Sturt University and has been a prolific writer since 1972.
AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIMES
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AMUST
BUSINESS
NEWS 1-3
BOOMERANG 4-9
COMMUNITY 10 - 23
CENTREFOLD 24 - 25
AUSTRALIA 26- 32
Addressing the impact of COVID-19
An Australian experience FINANCE Dr Abul Jalaluddin The COVID-19 had high economic and financial impacts on the Australian economy. The economic response to the pandemic by Australian Federal and State/Territory governments were swift, substantial and targeted. Australian Islamic financial services industry is an emerging sector of the economy. It offers a limited Islamic financial services and products to address the impact of COVID-19. Economic and Financial Impacts of COVID-19 In almost 3 decades, Australian economy was in a COVID-19 induced recession in March 2020 and June 2020 quarters.
In June 2020, the economy experienced a negative growth of 7 per cent, the previous biggest fall in economic growth was 2 per cent in 1974. In March 2020, the negative growth was 0.3 per cent. As a comparison with the last recession in 1990-91, the Australian economy had a negative growth of 1.3 per cent in March 1991 and 0.1 per cent in June 1991. This shows the enormity of economic impact caused by COVID-19 in the recession of 2020. In the quarter ended 30 June 2020, the downturns on various sectors of the Australian economy were high. Certain vastly impacted sectors with negative growth were Accommodation & Food (-39 per cent), Arts & Recreation (-23 per cent), Transport (-22 per cent), Other Business Services (-19 per cent), Wholesale & Retail Trade (-14 per cent), Manufacturing (-10 per cent), Construction (-9 per cent) and Healthcare (-8 per cent). Growth in wages went back 2.5 per cent and household expenditure decreased by
3000inThirty: Ramadan Kids Arabic Learning Challenge
12.1 per cent. Only good news story of this recession was that the rate of private savings increased by 20 per cent, a 50-year high in the Australian economy. While this might have been Australia’s worst recession on record, it is not as bad as experienced in other developed countries in June 2020. While Australia had a downturn of 7 per cent in this quarter, Spain had a negative growth of 22 per cent, UK (-21 per cent), France (-19 per cent), Italy (-17 per cent) and Europe (-15 per cent). Australia performed much better than other similar countries due to a better management of health/Coronavirus issues and targeted economic response. Australian Economic Response to COVID-19 Pandemic Australian Federal Government provided stimulus packages for workers, households and businesses. These included JobKeeper Scheme, JobSeeker Scheme, Cash Flow Boost for Employers, Instant Asset Writeoff for Taxation, Supports for Apprentices/ Trainees, Support for Regional Australia, Two Lump-sum Payments of $750, Early Release of Superannuation, Low Cost Credit Facility by Reserve Bank of Australia, Reduced Social Security Deeming Rates and so on.
Mohannad Qassar with his Arabic learning book (KITABEE) that all participants will receive. Faizan Ahmed The Institute of Australia Middle East Business and Education in Canberra has launched a campaign to teach 3000 Australian kids between 5-12 years how to read and write in Arabic during the 30 days of Ramadan. Since Thursday 11 March, the Institute of Australia Middle East Business and Education (IAMBE) has begun to offer 3000 Australian children a chance to participate in its Ramadan 3000inThirty challenge. Initially promoted by SBS Arabic 24, this non-for-profit initiative will rely on written material, short explanatory videos, and prizes to make learning Arabic as enjoyable and rewarding as possible. “This Ramadan will be different. 3000 Australian children will be able to read and write in Arabic on the day of Eid inshaAllah,” said Mohannad Qassar, General Manager at the IAMBE. This Arabic challenge aims to teach children how to read and write, with short and long vowels, the twenty-eight letters of the
44
Arabic alphabet in thirty days. The Institute will release a short video each day explaining to participants how to pronounce, write and connect a particular letter. Children will watch this video then complete the ensuing exercises in their KITAABE Arabic workbook. All parents will also receive a Parent Prize Pack which will include a set of small prizes to award their child after every five-six days. Upon the completion of these thirty days, all those who successfully completed the challenge will be able to enter into a raffle for their chance to win one of thirty special prizes. The Institute encourages all parents who wish to enable their children to read and write Arabic to register for this competition. Registration will close on Sunday 4 April to ensure adequate shipping time for course materials prior the commencement of Ramadan. To register or to know more about this challenge, please visit: www.iambe.com.au/3000challenge
Australian Islamic Financial Services Industry There is a number of Islamic financial services entities providing various financial services and investment products to Australians. These include Islamic Home Loans, Islamic Superannuation, Income Fund, Property Trust, Units in Friendly Societies, Islamic Cash Investment, High Wealth Investments, Australian Shares and International Shares.
Availability of Islamic financial services to address the impact of COVID-19 The product offerings by Australian Islamic financial services providers mainly include home loans, superannuation and investment products. These are not specific to addressing the COVID-19 pandemic impacts. Shariah compliant business loans probably based on lease to purchase (financial lease) or partnership would be useful for Muslim small businesses. Equipment financing based on similar concepts would also be useful for the Australian small business market. Islamic philanthropic products such as Zakah and alms have limited applications in the Australian markets. Concluding Remarks and Policy Recommendations In about 3 decades, the COVID-19 pandemic induced the worst recession and economic conditions in Australia. Australian economic response to the pandemic was appropriate which was instrumental for the economy to rebound in the quarter ended 30 September 2020. Australian Islamic financial services industry is an emerging market and wealth creator. I recommend the Australian Islamic financial services industry to expand its product offerings, including Shariah compliant business loans and equipment financing. With good economic and health policies, Australia should be able to gradually cushion the blow of Covid-19 and Islamic finance should be able to make a positive contribution to the national recovery process from COVID-19 Dr Abul Jalaluddin is an Islamic Finance expert, taxation advisor and a regular columnist for AMUST. He is based in Sydney.
Faizan Ahmed is the Marketing Officer at the Institute of Australia Middle East Business and Education (IAMBE) and is based in Canberra, Australia.
AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIMES
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ISSUE 185 / APRIL 2021
LIFESTYLE 33 - 37
UMMAH 38 - 40
EDUCATION 41 - 43
BUSINESS 44 - 45
BUSINESS
SOCIAL 46 - 47
AMUST
Grow With Me: Beginning with Excellence Anisa Khan The Grow With Me Childcare team celebrated and acknowledged their staff for their tireless work on Saturday 27th March 2021 at GupShup Lounge in Auburn. Every parent wants a level of excellence for their children’s foundational years providing a nurturing, experience-based learning environment. Grow With Me Childcare in Greenacre, Sydney strives for this Excellence, recently receiving their first ever Assessment and Rating by the Department of Early Childhood Directorate Office as overall Exceeding! Cofounders and Directors Anisa and Sadia Khan ventured into a purpose built long day care centre right in the midst of COVID-19. After successfully running a Cultural and Religious Centre, Dar Al Ihsan and not being able to accommodate the back log of students waiting, both sisters ventured into a Long Day Care centre to accommodate longer hours for working parents. What they didn’t know was coming was the impact of COVID-19 on their centre. Their team at Grow With Me with highly experienced and passionate staff from all cultural backgrounds were determined to continue to provide outstanding service and care to the children and community. There was a time during the pandemic when both partners thought they would close their doors! With the support of their staff, management and the community they not only remained afloat but were waitlisted and reached full capacity within 6 months.
Most children are of the Islamic faith. The centre provides language and religious classes to the children through a very hands on approach. They have families that travel as far as Maroubra, Illawong and Prestons. The centre also has accommodated children with additional needs from having students with Autism to young ones having Joubert Syndrome. The centre recently underwent a rigorous two day assessment and rating where the Department of Early Childhood assesses 7 Quality Areas that are part of the National
Quality Framework. This assessment & rating is undertaken every 3 years. Grow With Me achieved in their first ever assessment Exceeding in 4 quality areas and Meeting in 3 quality areas giving them an overall ranking of Exceeding. These quality areas benefit first and foremost children in care and their parents as it gives them an external, unbiased view of the quality of care at a particular centre. 2017 Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority (ACECQA) figures show that of the 12286 quality rated centres only 29% receive an overall rating of ex-
ceeding across the country. Next step is to work towards being awarded the Excellence in Education and Care which only approximately 50 centres across the country achieved (2017 ACECQA figures). Anisa and Sadia would like to thank their staff, families and all the community efforts as it truly takes a village to raise a child. Anisa Khan is the Cofounder and Director of Dar Al Ihsan and Grow With Me Childcare. She is also runs the Circles of Harmony Iftaars program with her family.
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RAMADAN MUBARAK Hon Michael O’BRIEN MP
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AMUST
#SOCIAL
NEWS 1-3
BOOMERANG 4-9
COMMUNITY 10 - 23
CENTREFOLD 24 - 25
AUSTRALIA 26- 32
Social Spotlights Islamic Forum for Australian Muslims
Asylum Seeker Resource Centre
@IfamAustralia
@AsylumSeeker ResourceCentreASRC
A letter by Aheda, one of the featured chefs on #FeastForFreedom “I have two secrets for cooking. The first, is not my secret but my country’s secret: ‘cook with your hands’. The second secret is love. You need to put some love in your cooking! I‘ve been cooking my whole life. In Palestine I was a chef and I ran a catering business. All my favourite recipes come from my mother and my grandmother. I need to hold onto them. I need to share them. Because these recipes are my culture and I want my culture to last a long time. My story is very hard. In my country there’s no safety and we don’t have freedom. But here in Australia I feel safe. When I take the bus I am safe, when I go for a walk in the street or in the park, I am safe. I think I am happiest in my garden. Everyday I wake up, make a coffee and sit in my garden to chat with my plants. I ask them how they are feeling, ‘do you need something? Some food? Some water?’ This is a very happy place for me. Right now, it’s summer, so I have zucchini and eggplant ready. When you cook Palestinian food the vegetables must be fresh. It’s very very simple. For my mothers’ baba ganoush, you just smoke the eggplant, then add lemon, salt, garlic, tahina and it’s ready. So classic. When I first arrived in Australia, I could only say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. I couldn’t speak any English. I went to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre to learn English. I went to classes every day. For me, ASRC is my home, my family. When I walk in, people are so friendly, asking me how I am doing. It’s a very good feeling. Before I was volunteering in the kitchen at ASRC. I was cooking my food sometimes for 200 people. But now I am volunteering in the Foodbank. I pack the sugar, salt, dates, soap, coffee, almonds, washing powder, and the fresh vegetables into the boxes. My dream is to open up a food truck, called ‘Aheda’s Kitchen’. I want to travel all around Australia sharing people my Palestinian food. When people try my dishes and they say ‘oh my gosh that’s so delicious’ it makes me feel so happy. I wish you luck cooking my recipes and I hope they bring you happiness too.” Host your own #FeastForFreedom cooking the recipes gifted by Aheda. Visit her page and register today https://bit.ly/3bdSz4d
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AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIMES
Brothers In Need @brothersinneed.org Tonight we had the team from Crescent Foundation assist us during our Saturday Night Homeless Program at Martin Place. The team brought carefully assembled sanitary packs - packaged in a beautifully designed waterproof and reusable case, that were distributed to members of our Homeless Community. The items were a great hit, and we plan on further distribution in the foreseeable future. Thank you to Dr Sayd Farook, Professor Talal Yassine OAM, Nebras Sawalha and the rest of the team for their wonderful contribution towards our program tonight. #BrothersInNeed #charity
Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: Cleanliness is half of faith” #Ifam Riverstone, NSW participated in #cleanupaustraliaday today at Riverstone Village and station. #cleanupaustralia #stepuptocleanup #ifamaustralia
ISRA Australia @isra.org.au
Muslim Women Australia @MuslimWomenAustralia You’re an inspiration to us all! Congratulations Doumuoa on receiving recognition for all your hard work at the Sydney Community Connect Inc International Women’s Day Achievement Awards 2021. Doumuoa is always there to give whenever she can, fundraising for numerous community initiatives, and using her voice to share positive, inspiring messages of hope and togetherness. MWA is incredibly proud of Doumuoa’s achievements.
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We would like to congratulate Dr Mehmet for recently becoming the chair for the Heads of School Forum at Charles Sturt University, Faculty of Arts and Education. This role involves advocating on behalf of various Schools of the Faculty, to have the needs of students and staff met. We are very blessed to have a team of change makers who put our students first and give them a voice. Dr Mehmet Ozalp is a prominent Muslim community leader in Australia. He is a scholar, public intellectual, community leader and author. Mehmet is an Associate Professor of Islamic studies and the Director of the Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation (CISAC) which he founded at Charles Sturt University. He is the founder and Executive Director of ISRA (Islamic Sciences and Research Academy of Australia). Mehmet is the editor-in-chief of the Australian Journal of Islamic Studies. He serves on the Human Research Ethics Committee at the University of Sydney. Mehmet is the author of more than 30 publications including the books: 101 Questions You Asked About Islam, Islam in the Modern World and Islam between Tradition and Modernity: An Australian Perspective.
ISSUE 185 / APRIL 2021
LIFESTYLE 33 - 37
UMMAH 38 - 40
EDUCATION 41 - 43
BUSINESS 44 - 45
SOCIAL 46 - 47
My Choice
#SOCIAL
Ramadan Calendar
1442
AMUST
April/May 2021
Hijra April/ Ramadan* May
Emsak & Fajr
Sunrise
Zuhr
Asr
(Hanafi)
Iftar & Maghreb
Isha
RAMADAN It was the month of Ramadan in which the Quran was (first) sent down as Guidance for all people, having clear proofs of guidance and the criterion between (right and wrong)… (Quran 2:185)
Asr
Indicator: Tick
Tuesday
13
1
-
4:52
6:16
12:01
3:08
3:55
5:36
6:57
Wednesday
14
2
1
4:53
6:16
12:01
3:07
3:54
5:35
6:56
Thursday
15
3
2
4:54
6:17
12:00
3:06
3:53
5:34
6:55
Friday
SAUM
16
4
3
4:55
6:18
12:00
3:05
3:52
5:33
6:54
Saturday
17
5
4
4:55
6:19
12:00
3:04
3:51
5:32
6:53
Sunday
18
6
5
4:56
6:19
12:00
3:03
3:50
5:30
6:52
O you who believe! Fasting is prescribed for you as it has been prescribed for those before you so that you may be ever Allah-conscious. (Quran 2:183)
Monday
19
7
6
4:57
6:20
11:59
3:02
3:49
5:29
6:51
Tuesday
20
8
7
4:57
6:21
11:59
3:01
3:47
5:28
6:50
Wednesday
21
9
8
4:58
6:22
11:59
3:01
3:46
5:27
6:48
Thursday
22
10
9
4:59
6:22
11:59
3:00
3:45
5:26
6:47
Friday
23
11
10
4:59
6:23
11:59
2:59
3:44
5:25
6:46
O Allah! I intend to fast this day for the whole day in the month of Ramadan.
Saturday
24
12
11
5:00
6:24
11:58
2:58
3:43
5:23
6:45
Sunday
25
13
12
5:01
6:25
11:58
2:57
3:42
5:22
6:44
Dua at Iftar
Monday
26
14
13
5:01
6:25
11:58
2:56
3:41
5:21
6:43
Tuesday
27
15
14
5:02
6:26
11:58
2:55
3:40
5:20
6:42
Wednesday
28
16
15
5:03
6:27
11:58
2:54
3:39
5:19
6:41
Thursday
29
17
16
5:03
6:28
11:58
2:54
3:38
5:18
6:40
Friday
30
18
17
5:04
6:28
11:58
2:53
3:37
5:17
6:40
Saturday
1
19
18
5:04
6:29
11:57
2:52
3:36
5:16
6:39
Sunday
2
20
19
5:05
6:30
11:57
2:51
3:35
5:15
6:38
Monday
3
21
20
5:06
6:31
11:57
2:50
3:34
5:14
6:37
Tuesday
4
22
21
5:06
6:31
11:57
2:50
3:33
5:13
6:36
Wednesday
5
23
22
5:07
6:32
11:57
2:49
3:33
5:12
6:35
Thursday
6
24
23
5:08
6:33
11:57
2:48
3:32
5:11
6:35
Friday
7
25
24
5:08
6:34
11:57
2:48
3:31
5:10
6:34
Saturday
8
26
25
5:09
6:34
11:57
2:47
3:30
5:10
6:33
Sunday
9
27
26
5:10
6:35
11:57
2:46
3:29
5:09
6:32
Monday
10
28
27
5:10
6:36
11:57
2:45
3:28
5:08
6:32
Tuesday
11
29
28
5:11
6:37
11:57
2:45
3:28
5:07
6:31
Wednesday
12
30
29
5:11
6:37
11:57
2:44
3:27
5:06
6:30
13
-
30
5:12
6:38
11:57
2:44
3:26
5:06
6:30
Thursday
* RAMADAN DATES START AT MAGHREB THE PREVIOUS DAY
Dua at Emsak
Allahumma Bisaumi ghadin nawaitu min Shahr-e Ramadan
Allahumma inni laka sumtu wa bika aamunto wa alayka tawakkaltu wa ‘alaa rizqika aftartu O Allah! I have fasted this day, for your sake and believe in you and, having confidence in you, I open my fast by your sustenance.
Islamic Dates Islamic dates are subject to the visibility of the new moon and variation can take place if this sighting of the crescent is done globally, regionally or locally. The following possible scenarios can occur this year: 1. Global Sighting (or prediction of sighting) Ramadan (30 days) starting Tuesday 13 April and ending Wednesday 12 May with Eid on Thursday 13 May 2021. 2. Regional Sighting Ramadan (29 days) starting Wednesday 14 April and ending Wednesday 12 May with Eid on Thursday 13 May 2021. 3. Local Sighting Ramadan (30 days) starting Wednesday 14 April and ending Thursday 13 May with Eid on Friday 14 May 2021. When you are notified of the commencement of Ramadan through your community, indicate the dates you will follow under the relevant “Ramadan” column. Please stay in contact with your local mosque for announcement of Ramadan and Eid dates.
MULTICULTURAL
EID FESTIVAL & FAIR
AMUST
AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIMES
SEENA
ISLAMIC FOUNDATION FOR EDUCATION & WELFARE
APRIL 2021 / ISSUE 185
I N C O R P O R AT E D
WWW.AMUST.COM.AU
AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIMES
47
NEWS 1-3
BOOMERANG 4-9
COMMUNITY 10 - 23
CENTREFOLD 24 - 25
AUSTRALIA 26- 32
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Join the waiting list today: www.ibagroup.com.au We are not yet a bank. We are aiming to launch in 2022. Our banking licence application is currently under consideration by APRA. IBA Group Pty Ltd (ABN 37 609 971 280). IBA cannot offer deposit or credit products at this time.
48
AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIMES
WWW.AMUST.COM.AU
ISSUE 185 / APRIL 2021