Issue 191 - October 2021

AMUST

AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIMES

www.amust.com.au ISSUE # 191

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Multicultural News & Views

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Religious discrimination to be outlawed in NSW NEWS PAGE 3

NSW roadmap to recovery announced against discriminatory lockdowns

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Islamic ethical deliberation on vaccination COMMUNITY PAGE 8

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Justice, not gender for true Islamic leadership FEATURE PAGE 12 - 13

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Strategy to deal with emotional blackmail LIFESTYLE PAGE 17

Australia’s first Muslim Writers Festival launched Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah.

Waleed Aly.

Zia Ahmad The NSW Government finally revealed the roadmap to recovery on Monday 27 September in order to lift the COVID-19 lockdown heavily criticised for discriminatory rules for restrictions between different areas of greater Sydney.

Residents in the so called areas of concern in general and those from Sydney’s South West have been critical of over policing including mounted police on suburban streets with helicopters constantly flying over and frequent ID checking at shopping centres and instances of excessive use of force by police. continued on page 2

Ozge Sevindik Alkan The inaugural Australian Muslim Writers Festival was launched on Saturday 25 September 2021 by The Right Pen Collective featuring renowned writer and journalist Waleed Aly and author and academic Dr Randa Abdel-Fattah.

Taking place online from Saturday 25 September to Saturday 2 October, the weeklong festival is aimed at celebrating the work of Australian Muslim writers. Many of its sessions have already been sold out.

The festival features a stellar line up of well-known Muslim writers such as Miles Franklin shortlisted and Sweatshop Literacy Movement founder Dr Michael Mohammed

Ahmad; Peter Porter Poetry Prize winner poet Sara Saleh; and Archibald Prize finalist artist and author Amani Haydar.

International bestselling Muslim authors Ausma Zehannat Khan and Uzma Jalaluddin will join in for a special panel to discuss publishing as Muslim authors overseas.

The panels have a mix of established authors and emerging authors. continued on page 9

Keneally to represent Fowler at the highest level Mobinah Ahmad

Chris Hayes MP. Proudly Printed in Australia by Spotpress Pty Ltd

Senator Kristina Keneally.

Tu Le.

Senator Kristina Keneally, a former Premier of NSW is set to succeed much loved retiring MP Chris Hayes for the South Western Sydney’s federal seat of Fowler that includes multicultural suburbs of Cabramatta and Liverpool.

In an exclusive interview with AMUST on Thursday 23 September, she talks about the controversy over her endorsement by the Labor Party at the expense of local Vietnamese-Australian lawyer Tu Le, representing Fowler at a higher level in government, her engagement with multicultural community and her passion in fighting Right Wing Extremism.

In a passionate facebook post, Ms Tu Lee said, “The local community has not had a say in who represents us for far too long.

Once again, we feel unrepresented and unheard. The people of Fowler deserve to be represented and heard. We deserve someone who truly understands the local area.” continued on page 15 Dispose of this paper thoughtfully - PLEASE RECYCLE

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AUSTRALIA 14- 17

NSW road to recovery announced against discriminatory lockdowns Continued from page 1 The roadmap is dependent on the vaccination rates and will be fine-tuned by NSW Health with the monitoring of the COVID-19 situation over the coming weeks.

“Vaccination remains our ticket to freedom so we need to work even harder to get jabs in arms, to help stop the spread, minimise outbreaks and ensure people are protected when we open up,” Premier of NSW, Ms Gladys Berejiklian announced.

From the Monday after NSW hits the 80 per cent (aged 16 and over) double dose vaccination target, eased restrictions will allow those who are fully vaccinated to have up to 10 people visit their home, participate in community sport, and access hospitality venues with all premises operating at 1 person per 4sqm indoors, and 1 person per 2sqm outdoors.

With vaccination rates reaching 70% hopefully by Monday 11 October, up to five visitors will be allowed inside homes while up to 20 visitors can gather outdoors, all to be fully vaccinated.

Places of worship including mosques will reopen and accomodate everyone even in LGA’s of concern when vaccination rate hits 80%, by Monday 18 October with increase in number of visitors at home.

It is understood that by Wednesday 1 December further changes will be introduced including no limits to visitors at home, all venues moving to the 2sqm rule, masks will not be required indoors at offices, indoor pools and unvaccinated people will have greater freedoms.

Multicultural NSW has been actively engaged in bringing together community leaders, health authorities and state government minister and officials for consultations and

dissemination of information in order to work together in coping with COVID-19 pandemic.

With community concerns of over policing and incidences of alleged police brutality, the Australian National Imams Council (ANIC) has conducted a number of webinars inviting community leaders and Imams to express their concerns with police commanders in various areas.

Moreover community forums are being conducted to discuss policing issues in South West Sydney seeking advice from lawyers and social workers in order to maintain community harmony and solidarity in fighting the pandemic.

A number multicultural organisations and media outlets have organised webinars to debunk vaccination myths, engaging trusted

medical professionals emphasising the need for all adults to get vaccinated.

These efforts have already resulted in desired outcomes where the vaccinated rates in suburbs populated by migrant communities has skyrocketed, ensuring safety for all with some evidence that infection rates in NSW have now peaked and are coming down together with reduction in hospitalisations.

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ISSUE 191 / OCTOBER 2021

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Religious discrimination to be outlawed in NSW

Zia Ahmad

The NSW government announced on Tuesday 7 September 2021 that following the parliamentary enquiry, it will include discrimination on the basis of religion added to the anti-discrimination laws, but will wait until the Morrison Government introduces and passes a new Religious Discrimination Bill at the national level before deciding on changes.

This means Muslims have to wait for another year to be finally protected from discrimination and vilification unlike Jews or Sikhs and other racial minorities who have some recourse under the current legislation.

“NSW is a proudly multicultural and multi-faith society. We’re pleased to be taking this critical step to protect people of faith and of no faith from discrimination and to support freedom of religion,” Mr Speakman said.

He further added, “by making discrimination on the grounds of religion unlawful, we’re ensuring that our laws reflect modern community values.”

The NSW Government will introduce a bill in Parliament to amend the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW), adding religion to existing protected grounds of disability, sex, race, age, marital or domestic status, homosexuality, transgender status and carer’s responsibilities.

In June 2021, the Commonwealth Government announced its intention to introduce a Religious Discrimination Bill to protect against discrimination based on religious belief or activity in key areas of public life into Federal Parliament by the end of this year.

The NSW Government plans to await the passage of the Commonwealth Bill through

Parliament before finalising the detail of NSW reforms, to enable it to consider the interaction of Commonwealth law with NSW reforms and to avoid constitutional inconsistency.

“Despite the headline, the announcement by the government is disappointing in that it has effectively cast to the side progressing the bill. The proposed changes had widespread support and strong recommendations in the joint senate committee’s report. There is no reason to delay the progress of the laws based on what happens at a federal level. The NSW statutory framework is entirely different and fundamentally deficient in protecting on the grounds of religion,” ANIC Senior Adviser Bilal Rauf said.

Although the Attorney General defended the delay on legal principle grounds, the Australian Muslim Advocacy Network (AMAN) said this principle only applied when the public interest was served by waiting. AMAN has urged Premier Gladys Berejiklian to not delay.

“Already 3 years have passed since the Expert Panel Report: Religious Freedoms Review recommended this change,” said a spokesperson for AMAN. The spokesperson further added, “the law change would be simple because it would be best done by expanding on current provisions. The debilitating harm it will reduce is widespread. Muslim children, students, workers and communities are discriminated against with impunity in NSW.” Minister for Multiculturalism Natalie Ward said the reforms will support those facing religious discrimination to access remedies and support through Anti-Discrimination NSW. “Religious discrimination is unacceptable in our community and the NSW Government is committed to stopping this behaviour,” Mrs Ward said.

She further added, “we have a harmonious multi-faith community in NSW which is

grounded in respect. It deserves recognition and protection to thrive.”

NSW Labor MLA Shaoquett Moselmane welcomed the announcement for the of inclusion of religion into the NSW anti discrimination Act that will now provide some protection to the members of the Muslim community.

“This is great news that the NSW Government is finally moving on a pressing issue of religious protection. I am delighted to have commenced the process of outlawing religious discrimination and vilification after submitting thousands of signed petitions calling on the NSW government to provide the urgently needed protections,” Mr Moselmane said.

He further added, “importantly we must have the anti discrimination laws protect against religious discrimination and against vilification of all, in particular our Islamic community who have been subjected to much abuse, discrimination and vilification particularly after September 11 2001.”

“I am grateful to former Shadow Attorney General Paul Lynch for initiating the process in the lower house by introducing in the Legislative Assembly, Anti-Discrimination Amendment (Religious Vilification) Bill 2021 and delighted today that the government is finally acting on protecting religious

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rights in NSW,” Mr Moselmane concluded.

AMAN is urging the State’s Government, Opposition and Greens to acknowledge the suffering the Muslim community has endured and treat it urgently by introducing basic protection for discrimination and vilification in line with existing race-based laws.

Such new laws would apply to police, schools, workplaces, clubs and a range of public services and places.

“We have witnessed how discrimination, when there is no way to challenge it, is profoundly devastating. It can destroy careers and lives,” AMAN spokesperson said.

“We succeeded against Fraser Anning because Queensland has vilification laws. In New South Wales, there is nothing we can do to stop a public person inciting hatred against us.”

“It is heartbreaking to see this disconnect between our community’s experience and the leisurely approach of elected representatives.”

“How many more of our children, brothers and sisters will suffer before action is taken?”

You can view the bill here: https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/bills/ Pages/bill-details.aspx?pk=3869 Zia Ahmad is the Editor-in-Chief of the Australasian Muslim Times AMUST.

Pushback against academic exposure of Hindutva Mohamed Ainullah An academic conference in the US titled “Dismantling Global Hindutva” held online 10-12 September 2021 cosponsored by more than 50 universities addressing Hindu extremism has been being targeted by rightwing Hindu groups sending death threats to speakers.

Hindutva, based on Hindu supremacist ideology is a right wing movement that believes that India should be a Hindu state, rather than a secular nation where non-Hindus will be living as second class citizens.

The conference aimed to bring academics to discuss Hindutva from universities including Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Columbia, Berkeley, the University of Chicago, the University of Pennsylvania, and Rutgers and many more.

Far-right groups were mobilised on a global level accusing conference of spreading Hinduphobia and an attack on Hinduism itself rather than discussing the ideology of Hindutva.

In order to defend Hindutva, these groups have themselves used hate speech against Indian religious minorities specially engaging in Islamophobia as well as threatening and demonising those trying to expose Hindutva as a fascist ideology.

Professor Mohan Dutta, Dean Chair of Communications at Massey University in New Zealand who published a paper on “Islamophobic elements” in the Hindutva ideology was hounded, abused and threatened prompting NZ police recently to put in place plans for his safety.

The Hindu Council of Australia has been OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 191

accused of fronting in speakers at its conferences who deliver hate speech against Muslim and other minorities living in India.

In a Youtube one hour long video titled “Kick Hinduphobia Out of Australia”, Sarah Gates, an Australian Cultural Studies PhD candidate, while explaining “academic systematic Hinduphobia in the Asia Pacific and America”, herself used hate speech against Indian minorities.

During her discourse she justifies Muslims being called invaders in India on the basis that white Australians are invaders and justifies Islamophobia on the basis that Australia was involved in similar genocide against its indigenous people.

She further justifies the hate crimes against Muslims and Sikhs on the basis that they are terrorists consistently referring to Sikhs as Khalistanis implying that they are anti-Indian terrorists.

In a submission by Australian Advocacy Muslim Network (AMAN) titled In Defence of Diversity”, advocates of Islamophobia propagate concepts to dehumanise Muslims such as: (1) personal religiosity in Islam in itself leads to sub-humanity and extremism, (2) Islam/Muslims are invading the West to take over through immigration and higher fertility rates, (3) Islam/Muslims are in a clash-of- civilisations style violent ‘jihad’ war with the West – are harmful and dehumanise Muslims.

Due to the global campaign against the Dismantling Global Hindutva conference, several of the would be participants have withdrawn over fears of being banned from returning to their families in India or being arrested on their arrival into the country.

More than one million emails were sent to the universities involved in the conference

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pressuring them to withdraw and dismiss staff who were participating, pointing to an organised campaign by groups in India and the US. One email sent to the organisers said: “If this event will take place then I will become Osama bin Laden and will kill all the speakers, don’t blame me.”

The rightwing TV news channels in India have accused that the conference is designed to support the Taliban and Islamic extremists.

The groups campaigning against the conference are the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti, an Indian organisation that has faced allegations of being linked to the murders of intellectuals and journalists, and US-based rightwing groups the Hindu American Foundation and the Coalition of Hindus of North America.

In a statement the Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) USA, the overseas branch of RSS, a Hindu supremacist organisation in India has urged all universities involved to withdraw support.

Dr Audrey Truschke, professor of South Asian history at Rutgers University in the US, whose works on Mughal history have made her a target for Hindu rightwingers, had to contact the police after a threatening voicemail was left for her.

“Because of what’s happening in India, the Hindu right and Hindu supremacists in the United States feel particularly emboldened, and the virulence their attacks on scholars is accelerating significantly,” Professor Truschke said.

Almost 1000 academics from across the world and over 50 organisations connected to south Asia issued a collective statement in support of the conference.

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Australian Islamic Medical Association statement on the permissibility of Heparin use Dr Mohammad Afzal Kahloon Heparins are a vital and life-saving medicine for many people in the Australian community. To better inform the Australian Muslim community, we have contacted Eli-Lilly, a multinational medicines corporation and a major supplier of heparin-based medicines in Australia. We have also conducted preliminary research into the origins of heparin, the Islamic literature on heparin, other societies’ positions, and the Australian heparins market.

Nearly all heparins are derived from animal tissues.1 To make heparin, the animal tissue is sent through multiple steps to remove impurities. The final product is rigorously tested to ensure quality and reliability.

In addition, the final product has had any other harmful proteins and DNA removed.1, 2 Please note that beef and sheep are not used commonly because of the threat of prion related diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Encephalopathy.

Whilst it would be ideal to have a completely artificial product, presently, this is not possible in Australia. If people miss out on this medicine, the consequences are grave; they may die because they have not treated their pulmonary embolus, brain clot,

or heart clot.

The Australian Islamic Medical Association would advise that if you as a health practitioner discuss this with your patients, you inform them that heparins are an essential medicine and place this in the context of their medical issues.

It would also be advised that we inform patients that scholars agree on animal-derived heparins’ use when prescribed by a doctor, and an alternative is not available.3 In a similar stance, the Islamic Medical Association of North America’s ethics committee states that the use of animal-derived

“If people miss

out on this medicine, the consequences are grave;

AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIMES

“

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or porcine heparin is permitted for Muslim patients based on the following circumstances4: 1. Necessity makes that which is prohibited lawful.

2. If there are two evils, then you use the lesser one. In this case, the bigger evil is that not using the available heparin could lead to significant morbidity or mortality.

3. As long as there’s some modification of the original porcine product, then it’s appropriate to use. www.aimamed.com.au References:

1.

Taylor, S. L., Hogwood, J., Guo, W., Yates, E. A. & Turnbull, J. E. By-Products of Heparin Production Provide a Diverse Source of Heparin-like and Heparan Sulfate Glycosaminoglycans. Sci. Rep. 9, 2679 (2019).

2.

Van der Meer, J.-Y., Kellenbach, E.

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& van den Bos, L. J. From Farm to Pharma: An Overview of Industrial Heparin Manufacturing Methods. Mol. J. Synth. Chem. Nat. Prod. Chem.

22, 1025 (2017).

3.

Zarif MMM, Murad AHA, Fahmi Md Yusof A. The Use of Forbidden Materials in Medicinal Products: An Islamic Perspective. 2013;6.

4.

IMANA Brochure: Use of Heparin | IMANA. https://imana.org/resources/imanabrochure-use-of-heparin/.

Dr Mohammad Afzal Kahloon is the President of Australian Islamic Medication Association (AIMA). He is fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (FRACS) and member of the Urological Society of Australia & New Zealand (USANZ) and the Australian Medical Association (AMA). He travels overseas regularly to provide medical care to charitable organisations in numerous developing countries.

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Muslim minority in India under attack

There is an ongoing oppression of the spective of their faith and caste.

Muslim minority in India perpetrated by Similarly another Islamic figure both central and a number of state gov- Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui, a well ernments using the state institutions in- respected Islamic scholar and cluding the military, police and even the preacher was arrested on Tuesday judiciary.

21 September by the ATS on alWhile brutal military lockdown continu- legations of using foreign funds ing in its third year in the Kashmir valley, in religious conversions. victims of the anti-Muslims riots in early The arrest has been con2020 are still being hounded by Delhi Po- demned by a number of human lice victimised on the pretext of taking part right organisations and Muslim in protests against discriminatory citizenship leaders in India as well as overlaws. seas.

With the upcoming elections in “The arrest is being seen the most populated state of Uttar as a malicious attempt to Pradesh (UP) ruled by an expromote Hindu-Muslim clusive Hindu state governhatred in the context of ment led by a priest, Yogi, the upcoming elections in Zia Ahmad lynching of Muslims and Uttar Pradesh,” Jamaat-e-Isarrest of young Muslims on lami Hind (JIH) president Assalamu accusation of engaged in soSyed Sadatullah Hussaini said.

Alaikum called ‘love jihad’ continues Another state where Musunabated. lims are being persecuted is the Greetings From time to time daawah state of Assam where an ongoing of Peace workers have been arrested by pogrom to strip Muslims of their Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) of UP citizenship and land is being orchestratpolice in order to intimidate the state Muslim ed by the state government under the influence population, falsely accused of being funded of Hindutva. by international organisations and even ISI Last Thursday 23 September, a 30 year old of Pakistan. father of three children, Moinul Haque and Earlier in June ATS arrested Maulana caretaker of two elderly parents was shot by Umar Gautam and Mufti Jahangir Alam of heavily armed police, then brutally thrashed Islamic Daawah Centre for mass converting and his dead body stomped on by not only poHindus under various sections of anti-con- lice personnel but also by a photo journalistic version and national security acts. in a Hindutva driven rage.

Maulana Gautam is himself a revert MusThe video of the whole incident was posted lim who has dedicated his life to preach online and went viral, attracting condemnaabout Islam and serve the community irre- tion by almost everyone who watched the

AMUST ISSUE # 191 FRIDAY 1 OCTOBER 2021 23 SAFAR 1443 News

Community

Despite the headline, the announcement by the government is disappointing in that it has effectively cast to the side progressing the bill. The proposed changes had widespread support and strong recommendations in the joint senate committee’s report.

There is no reason to delay the progress of the laws based on what happens at a federal level. The NSW statutory framework is entirely different (and fundamentally deficient in protecting on the grounds of religion).

The NSW Government has hoodwinked the masses while avoiding the need to pursue any laws with empty rhetoric.

Bilal R Thank you for the update. Muslims have to push for their rights here in Australia, others would not do it for us.

Ahmed

Re: Kashmir under military lockdown after freedom fighter dies

Even in death not everyone is equal.

Some would be send off with the tsunami of mourners without the State’s directive.

Some would be given a State’s gun salute escorted by functionaries. Some would be buried in a clandestine manner to prevent the tsunami feared by the State. Some dead OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 191

I have been a huge fan of Kristina Keneally for many years. There is not enough space for me to point out her wonderful achievements.

However I feel that she should not have gotten in the way of Tu Le who not only is a local representative of the Vietnamese people, but could also be a powerful Labor representative in years to come.

I now fear that Labor might lose her.

Philip Feinstein OAM It is a disappointing to see the incumbent, Tu Le, ousted for Northern Beaches resident, Kristina Keneally. Tu Le has invested her time and energy in representing and connecting with constituents in that electorate.

Now, because Keneally does not wish to stand in her resident seat, she pushes Tu Le aside.

The notion that she can better represent Fowler is also disingenuous. It immediately implies that, firstly, people from different backgrounds who toil for the community can be discarded and are not good enough and , secondly, neither will they be given opportunities because the reality is that there will always be someone more influential and established. On that approach, nothing much will change and there will remain little diversity in the major parties. It also

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- Islamic deliberation on vaccination - What is happening in Afghanistan?

FEATURE Maulana Kaleem Siddiqui.

Australia inhuman

act.

The brutal oppression of Muslims in Assam that constitutes almost 30% of the population, by the state government continues unabated resulting in gross human rights violations, homelessness and great human misery.

The State government of Assam has demolished, in addition to homes, many mosques, schools and temples during this inhuman eviction drive without apparently following due process of the Law set out by the Supreme Court of India, creating a huge population of internally displaced and homeless people.

The Indian Muslim minority is being attacked on all fronts and needs strong supports from human right organisations to highlight their plight in international forums.

Bilal R

It will be challenging for Kristina Kenneally to fit into Chris Hayes shoes specifically regarding Mr Hayes’ morally rogue ( i.e. a rogue in a pro-Israel Labor party) stand against Israeli persecution of Palestinians notable Mohammad a-lHalabi in Gaza.

While Kenneally, like most MPs and Senators have been on Zionist-paid Rambam tours of ‘Israel’, she remained circumspect and didn’t gush like most MPs about ‘Israel’s’ ‘achievements’.

I am hugely impressed by her going rogue to visit the Biloela family on Christmas Is given Labor’s partisanship on incarcerating innocent mainly Muslim asylum seekers for years.

I urge the wonderful Tu Le to run as an Independent Senator as the Independents have balance of power.

Dr Vacy Vlazna

HAVE YOUR SAY info@amust.com.au

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- Call on Morrison to do more on climate - Marriage during the lockdown in NZ

Lifestyle

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- Dealing with emotional blackmail -Heal and grow from trauma

Ummah

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- Human rights violation in India and Bangladesh: Striking similarities

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Education

- Conference on Hindutva extremism - Panic in Hindutva circles

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Business

- Working from home: Good outcome - Small business: IT management

Social

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- Kids Deen Times - Social Spotlights

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: rubinah.design 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.

Contact AMUST

Email your thoughts or comment of current events to

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- Justice, not gender dictates the true Islamic leadership

Re: The Right Pen Collective to deliberately neglected would be almost de- looks that Keneally did not have the confiLaunch Australia’s first Muslim ified by posterity. Mr Modi would have to dence to challenge in her Northern Beaches decide where the late Syed Ali Shah Geelani seat, yet she has confidence in Fowler.

Writers Festival

Re: Religious discrimination to Re: Keneally to represent Fowler at the highest level be outlawed in NSW

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- Muslim minority in India under attack - Permissibility of Heparin use - Vaccination politics and fairy stories

Readers comments falls into. By deliberately going against the sentiment of the Kashmiris and insisting on the quick interment of Syed preventing his mourners to pay their due respect could put Modi on the wrong side of history. A villain leader that robbed Syed from the homage of his people only to have his contemporary and posterity putting Syed on the pedestal.

Mal

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- NSW road to recovery announced - First Muslim writers festival - Keneally to represent Fowler

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EDITORIAL

Congratulations for organizing such events as it is need of time. Writers may play very constructive role in shaping the nation and developing the individual personality especially the school going children. Today’s children are futures makers i e Memaar.

Dr Muazzamuddin

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Racism: A threat to public health AMUST

Gulhan Eryegit Yoldas Many years from now, medical students will be analysing the case study of Victoria and NSW to understand the impacts of racism and Islamophobia on public health during a pandemic.

Hopefully by then, communities that have suffered systemic racism and intergenerational trauma in Australia, will be living in a society where things like systemic, institutionalised and internalised racism, are a thing of the past.

Racism poses a serious threat to public health.

A recent research article published by JAMA Health Forum explores the correlation between racism and vaccine hesitancy amongst health care workers in the United States.

The research identified that vaccine hesitancy was five times higher amongst black health care workers compared to white and two times higher in Hispanic or Latino communities. (1) It further argues that “Vaccine Hesitancy Is a Scapegoat for Structural Racism” stating that, “Mistrust of medicine and science is based in a long and sordid history of unethical practice and research on African American, Latinx, Indigenous, and Asian American populations in this country.” (2) Another recent article by Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) argues that “Socioeconomic privilege and political ideology are associated with racial disparity in COVID-19 vaccination.” (3) This research once again highlights the correlation between racism, socio-economic

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status and vaccine uptake concluding that, “Failure to address these structural barriers poses the dual risks of additional lives lost and a significant slowdown in progress toward ending the COVID-19 pandemic or combating similar future outbreaks.”

These are timely, valuable and important lessons Australia can learn from as similar references can be made with communities that experience systemic racial and religious discrimination here in Australia.

Health care workers, in the last week of September 2021, have reported that some migrant communities were disproportionately represented in the emergency wards, being treated for COVID-19 symptoms ranging in age from 24 to 71.

To be clear, there are countless countries around the world, with predominant Muslim populations, that have stronger vaccination numbers than Australia, per capita. United Arab Emirates being the global frontrunner (at over 80% fully vaccinated), followed closely by Turkey which has a population of over 90% Muslim and over 60% fully vaccinated.

Our national response to COVID-19 must include a framework that includes the needs of marginalised communities, proactively and transparently addressing any distrust due to racism and inter-generational trauma, while dismantling the systems and structures that continue to discriminate against minorities.

Sadly, State leadership in Victoria have also conveniently delegated the job of dismantling the effects of decades of systemic and institutionalised racism on community leaders during the pandemic. Their grassroots efforts must be complimented by an intersectional top down approach.

There have been countless virtual information sessions led by community leaders, sheikhs, doctors, experts in the field, to dis-

AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIMES

pel myths and misinformation.

Tirelessly and thankless throughout this pandemic Muslim doctors, nurses, sheikhs, volunteers have been present, repeatedly spoken up, gone above and beyond their duties to diligently serve their community with compassion, during these unprecedented times.

It is unreasonable to expect the impacts of systemic racism to be dismantled by leaders from within the communities that are being discriminated against.

Much of the good work of the community leaders is often undone by racism and Islamophobia in mainstream media, by prominent public figures and politicians that opportunistically use even the pandemic to peddle anti-Muslim sentiment and racism.

We can’t keep ignoring the elephant in the room. Our governments must acknowledge the impacts of structural racism on vaccine hesitancy and approach communities impacted in a way that demonstrates trustwor-

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thiness and inclusion. Where there’s trust, there’s no need for mandates More importantly let’s learn from other countries who are already leading the way in dismantling systemic racism as a strategic pathway out of this pandemic.

1.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2783615 2.https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2778073 3.https://www.pnas.org/content/118/33/ e2107873118

Gulhan Eryegit Yoldas is the president of Whittlesea Interfaith Network and Head of Community Engagement at Al Siraat College. Gulhan has four published books and a robust history of advocacy for gambling industry reform, Interfaith engagement, Muslim female leaders and mentoring young people to be spokespeople for their community.

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Vaccination politics and COVID-19 fairy stories Bilal Cleland Vaccine hesitancy and virus denial are major problems in the USA where the pandemic has, become a pandemic of the unvaccinated. Rightwing politics is killing Americans.

A total of 17 of the 18 states that voted for Trump in the 2020 election have the lowest vaccination rates in the country.

The Bloomberg School of Public Health found in an analysis of data that “… Republican-governed states began to have consistently higher rates of positive swab tests in May, of COVID-19 diagnoses in June, and of COVID-19 mortality in July.” [10 March 2021 Johns Hopkins University] It has become so bad that there appears to be a change in attitude from some Republican politicians but the extreme right is unbending.

Tennessee’s Governor Lee has banned school masks and infections are spreading rapidly.

16.5% of citizens have now tested positive for COVID-19 while only 43% of the state’s population has been vaccinated.

It vies for the title of the sickest state with Florida, which has 3.4 million cases.[12 September 2021 Daily Kos] In Florida, with a population of 21.48 million, the funeral business is booming.

20% of all US cases are now in that state where Governor DeSantis has forbidden public schools from having masks.

To date it has registered 44,000 deaths and they are running at about 300 a day. [15 Sep-

tember 2021 Alternet] Florida has over 55% vaccinated, but opening up is still very dangerous.

Dr Sean Brooks Fairy Story A You Tube video of a man who identifies himself as Dr. Sean Brooks, addressing an Ohio School Board, has gone viral.

His damaging claim that recipients of the vaccine will die because of a dramatic decrease in their immune system, antibody dependent enhancement, and blood clotting has been taken up by anti-vaxxers across the world.

His claim of a PhD from Oxford is fake.

He apparently attended Walden University in his town of Oxford Ohio and he is qualified as an educator not a doctor of medicine.

Reuters has a fact check page on this person’s false claims at https://tinyurl.com/cbwpheau Rapper Nicki Minaj’s Fairy Story In celebrity worshipping America the opinion of rapper Nicki Minaj was considered important enough for her to be offered a phone call with one of the Biden administration’s doctors to address her false claims about the Covid-19 vaccine.

She tweeted an unverified story that a cousin’s friend had been vaccinated then developed swollen testicles, so his marriage had to be called off.

Dr Anthony Fauci, the nation’s leading infectious disease expert, said on CNN. ”There’s no evidence that it happens, nor is there any mechanistic reason to imagine that it would happen.” [18 September 2021 Guardian] Israeli Pandemic Fairy Story Another fairy story which is promoted by

the anti-vaxxers is that Israel proves vaccination is a waste of time.

There is indeed breakthrough of the vaccinated in Israel and it has recognised that booster shots are needed.

But it is obvious that “Those that have yet to receive even one shot of a COVID vaccine are only 17 percent of the eligible population in Israel, but they currently represent 65 percent of all serious cases in the country.”

For every serious case of an Israeli over 60 that had received the booster shot, there are 33 serious cases of unvaccinated Israelis in the same age group. [14 September 2021 Haaretz] Vaccination matters Anti-vaccination propaganda promoted by the American Right and its clones in Australia is causing infection and death amongst its adherents but one very positive emerging sign is that vaccine hesitancy in Australia is subsiding.

A Melbourne Institute study of vaccine

“Al Talbinah”: One of the sunnah remedies

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hesitancy showed that earlier this year 40% of respondents reported that they were opposed to or uncertain about getting the vaccine. But the latest study shows of adults aged 18–44, only “…12.1% of respondents indicated they are not willing to be vaccinated, while 9.9% said they are still unsure.”

Associate Professor Seale said “We may get up to 90%. Beyond that, I really don’t think we’re going to get there.” [17 September 2021 Royal Australian College of General Practitioners] Bilal Cleland is a keen reader, a prolific writer and a regular columnist of AMUST based in Melbourne.

Body Of Grass Gained In Laughter And Shine Fazlul Huq

Sukoon Quteifan Talbinah is mentioned in a number of saheeh ahaadeeth, such as the following: It was narrated from Aisha (r), the wife of Prophet Mohammad (s), that if a member of her family died, the women would gather together, then they would depart, except her own relatives and close friends. She would order that a pot of talbinah be cooked, then some thareed would be made and the talbinah would be poured over it. Then she would say: Eat some of it, for I heard the Messenger of Allaah (s) say: “Talbinah soothes the heart of the sick person, and it takes away some of the grief.” [Sahih al Bukhari] Aisha (r) narrated that she would order that talbinah be made for the sick and the one who was mourning a death, and she used to say: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (s) say: “Talbinah soothes the heart of the sick and takes away some of the grief.” [Sahih al Bukhari] It is clear from these two hadeeths that Talbinah is used to treat the sick and to reduce the grief of one who is grieving, soothing his heart and giving him energy.

So what is Talbina?

Talbinah is a broth that is made from two spoonfuls of barley flour

AMUST

with bran, then a cup of water is added to that and it is cooked over a low fire for five minutes. Some people add a spoonful of honey to it. It is called talbinah because it is like milk (laban) in its whiteness and consistency.

There is no doubt that barley has many benefits, some of which have been discovered in modern studies, such as: lowering cholesterol, treating the heart, treating depression, treating high blood sugar and high blood pressure, softening the stools and soothing the colon.

Studies have also demonstrated

the importance of barley in reducing the incidence of colon cancer.

This shows the miraculous nature of the words of the Prophet (s): “Talbinah soothes the heart of the sick.”

Sukoon Quteifan is a graphic designer and illustrator based in Sydney, Australia. She is the creator and the illustrator of “Sukoon Al Quloob - Peace of Hearts”, an Islamic Cartoons facebook page. You can follow her on facebook @SukoonQuteifanArt.

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The acreage is made into two halves named as high and the low. As the dwelling placed on high has garden beds in front and back and by the sides of the house.

While the extended lawn at the back goes further than the beyond to say hello to the dwellers of the orchard.

As the deep down has the rainwater tank next to the septic, fire trail and unclaimed land, deep down bush and amenities place.

While the mighty wall made of sandstone boulders is seen to rise from the low to make into partition in unity and divide.

As the creamy white fence stays in front of the no man’s land made on top of the rock wall.

Soon bodies of green including grass and weed are seen to have made the claim over the no man’s land.

So you witness the body of grass gained in height and hued in shining green stops not to show off in laughter and shine as an expression for life and living.

Dr Fazlul Huq is a retired academic and Editor-in-Chief Emanreserch Journal Of Angiotherapy. He is also the poet “Jujube” at Allpoetry.com with over 35,000 compositions.

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Webinar on Islamic ethical deliberation on vaccination Dr Habib Bhurawala

The Australian Islamic Medical Association (AIMA) organised an online seminar and Q&A session for medical and health professionals and the community on Islamic ethical deliberation on vaccination and COVID-19 pandemic on Saturday 18 September 2021. Dr Mohammed Ghaly, a professor of Islam and Islamic bioethics from Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar, was the guest speaker at this event.

The online event was attended by medical and other health professionals from different Australian states, internationally, and many Australians from diverse backgrounds, including representatives and office bearers of various community organisations.

The programme commenced with the recitation of the Holy Quran by Ali Kashif, a health professional followed by Dr Habib Bhurawala, Sydney based Paediatrician and central executive committee member of AIMA, welcoming everyone and providing a brief update on the event’s purpose, especially the recent surge of COVID-19 cases in Sydney and Melbourne as well as vaccine hesitancy in some sections of the community.

Dr Asif Raza, Sydney based senior specialist in intensive care medicine and anaesthesia, explained that the objective and purpose of AIMA is to unite and inspire Muslim health professionals in Australia.

He further stated that AIMA members wish to serve and contribute towards the welfare of Muslims and the broader Australian com-

munity.

Dr Raza emphasised the need to organise interactive sessions with health experts to help health professionals and community members with any questions about COVID-19 and vaccines.

Dr Fariha Dib, Sydney based general practitioner and member of the ICSOA health committee, welcomed and introduced Dr Mohammed Ghaly.

Dr Ghaly completed Bachelor in Islamic Studies from renowned Al-Azhar University in Egypt and later completed Masters in Is-

lamic studies and a PhD in religious studies from Leiden University in The Netherlands.

He is an acclaimed academic with numerous publications in reputed international journals, authors of books and editor in chief of the journal of Islamic ethics.

Dr Mohammed Ghaly gave an overview of the historical perspective of vaccines in general and in Muslim countries in particular.

He also discussed and explained that COVID-19 vaccines are supported by the majority of current Islamic scholars in many countries, Muslim government organisations and authorities across the world.

Dr Ghaly emphasised the need to have a proactive approach from the scholars and described in detail vaccines’ ingredients and their permissibility within the Islamic framework.

The question-answer session was moderated by members of AIMA, Dr Hatem Elkady (intensive care specialist), Dr Wajdi Hadi (anaesthetist) and Dr Zeina Merhi (obstetrics and gynaecology).

This session generated much interest from the audience.

The seminar program concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr Mohammed Ali Tahir, Sydney based respiratory specialist who is a member of AIMA in NSW. Recording of this session and details of other activities conducted by the Australian Islamic Medical association is available on the website: www.aimamed.com.au Dr Habib Bhurawala (MBBS MD FRACP DCH) is a consultant general paediatrician currently working at Nepean & Blue Mountains hospitals in Sydney. He has a strong interest in community work, especially health education/promotion.

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Importance of Muslim woman Frazia Ali Your scarf is sign of the dignity of the nation Your nobleness is the light for the nation for following the true path Your Kalama is strength for the nation Since a child learn the Kalma in yours lap All leaders of the nation are educated from your lap Your light shines on the ground and on mountains Frazia Ali is a Pakistani American Muslim single mother. She has two children and lives in San Ramon California, USA. She started writing poetry to spread peace and love through her writing.

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Australia’s first Muslim Writers Festival launched

Continued from page 1 Ozge Sevindik Alkan, joint founder of The Right Pen Collective and a self-published author, said the unique feature of this festival was the connection of independent authors alongside traditional published authors.

“I found that many Muslim authors choose to self-publish to tell their stories as authentically as possible.

“Unfortunately, this can limit the events authors are invited to speak at.

“We want to amplify and give voice to all Muslim writers in Australia, regardless of how they were published,” she said.

The Right Pen Collective joint founder Aksen Ilhan is an emerging writer who will share her story about a relentless pursuit of a traditional contract with Australian publishers.

All panels will be chaired by The Right Pen Collective joint founder, book blogger, and emerging Sydney author Annie Mcann.

Well, known for her warm and engaging style, Annie regularly interviews authors through her Read3r’z Re-Vu network of bloggers and readers. She most recently hosted panels at Sydney SuperNova.

Annie said growing up as a Muslim in Australia she never seen herself represented in books.

“This virtual festival is an opportunity for us see and learn from amazing talent that resides with the Australian Muslim community – there’s so much out there and it’s time they took to the stage,” she said.

The panels are organised by the age group and the genre the authors write in. They will be talking about all aspects of the craft of writing including but not limited to diversity.

Ms Sevindik Alkan said the authors invited to present at the festival all wrote from an unapologetically Muslim and own voice perspective.

“The festival organisers are looking forward to showcasing the voice of Muslim authors beyond what they add to the diversity of books available,” she said.

The festival is free for all to view. The bookings for the program was made available from Wednesday 15 September 2021 via Eventbrite https://linktr.ee/therightpencollective.

Report in confidence with Islamophobia Register Sana Afiouni

Ozge Sevindik Alkan is the co-founder of The Right Pen Collective an organisation for Muslim Australian Authors.

The Islamophobia Register “sparked not only hope (for change), but also confidence to stand up for myself”, says Farah*, a worker and mother who recently reached out for advocacy assistance.

The Muslimah had faced bullying at work, leading to deeper trauma and anxiety.

Farah explained her experience with Islamophobia as, “reaching a point where I lost all hope, I felt powerless. I couldn’t navigate the system on my own without assistance”.

She says the Register provided her with professional and moral support, and was a “personalised service that made me feel I was their only client”.

With the recent appointment of a community development & advocacy officer, the Islamophobia Register Australia (“the Reg-

Mariam Veiszadeh, Founder & President of the Register.

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Cold Winds Dr Reginald Naulty

ister”) is looking to support more sisters and brothers in the community.

The Register provides a secure and reliable service that allows people from across Australia to report any form of Anti-Muslim abuse.

The Register’s reporting tool, accessible through its website, can be utilised by both victims and witnesses of anti-Muslim abuse or Islamophobia.

The reporting of incidents also helps draw a better picture of Islamophobia in Australia. In the past, the Register has published two academic research reports (2016, 2019) which provided a deeper insight into Muslim experiences with Islamophobia in Australia.

These reports have had wide reaching results where the Islamophobia in Australia

Report III reached 750 million readers in the first week of its release.

The third Islamophobia Report is coming, commissioned by the Register and Charles Sturt University – so the time for reporting experiences is now.

The Register encourages the community to report any incident of Islamophobia, whether it is experienced online or in the physical world.

Mariam Veiszadeh, President and Founder of the Register since 2014, said, “Insha’Allah the IRA will become a source of real strength to our community.

“Our vision is a community where everyone feels like they can raise their voice and feel a sense of control again.” *Name have been changed to protect privacy

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The long winter lingers, the cold winds blow in September, the shrubs, after early blooms, hesitate, and hope, at a loss, waits.

But something has come into view there is something I can do: a peace needs to be re-made, an anger and a sorrow re-appraised with a calmer mind: to be both again kind to be ready with a helping hand.

Dr Reginald Naulty, originally from Adelaide, has taught at Charles Sturt University and has been a prolific writer since 1972.

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Q&A with AMA Art Prize 2021 winner Fatima Killeen

Azlin Ali

A mother, an artist, the voice of the voiceless.

Fatima Killeen was born and raised in Casablanca, Morocco, where she started her journey as a visual artist at the Les Beaux Arts Art School. She then pursued her studies in Washington DC at the Corcoran School of Art earning a Dean’s Merit Scholarship.

She moved to Australia in 1994 and continued her studies at the Canberra School of Art from where she graduated with first class honours plus three graduation awards.

Fatima’s journey into arts did not stop there. Since 1997, she has been involved in countless exhibition in Australia, Jordan and Morocco collecting awards and recognition along the way.

“The Crooked Narrative”, Fatima Killeen.

Recently, she was awarded the Australian Muslim Artist Art Prize 2021 by the Islamic Museum of Australia for her work titled The Crooked Narrative.

“My work delves into self-contradictory insolence of the perceptions of ‘Peacekeeping Nations’ a western notion of misrepresentation and motives for their involvement in the lands of Islamic nations.”

When asked about her inspirations, Fatima had only two words; human rights. For the past two decades, Fatima has been consumed with the idea of war and peace keeping especially in Muslim countries.

“I live and breathe it.”

Her work is a constant merger between the agony of war and the sublime beauty of her art.

“I want my art to have a purpose. A message to the viewers. I want them to leave with something in their heart.”

“The space within a shroud rising up from an ammunition box is an effort to provide a spiritual escape from the ruthlessness of war.

Capitalist power brokers engineer invasions that plunder valuable resources with no regard for innocent lives.

The shroud wrapped in a prayer is a reminder of when we die; taking nothing with us except a prayer.

“My work is a tribute to women in war zones who are left behind to pick up the pieces, carry out the burial of their husbands and uphold the faith of their families,” said Fatima describing her 2012 work The Shroud Has No Pockets.

As a migrant herself, Fatima understands the life of living away from home. Not only the place of familiarity but also the life of leaving family and friends behind.

“Doing this keeps me feeling rewarded as

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a migrant. It keeps me connected. Something to be a purpose for. We have a very short life, my dear. Find that fulfillment in life.”

When not making art, Fatima enjoys gardening, mentioning how proud she is of her garden.

“I just love sitting in my garden under the sun. Especially now that the weather is beautiful, Alhamdulillah.”

Fatima has made a beautiful home away from home here in Canberra, Australia. Happily married with a supporting husband and two beautiful daughters Amira, who is 19 and studying Astrophysics, and Yasmine, who is

17 and in Year 11 doing literature and screen writing.

The interview ended with me asking Fatima who inspires her? “Frida Kahlo”.

She continue, “Frida went through a lot in her lifetime but despite that she managed to produce over 200 pieces of art. And I would love to visit her garden one day.”

Azlin Ali is the art curator at Gallery One62, a privately owned art gallery showcasing local and international artists, as well as art workshops, based in Sydney, Australia.

Holding our heads up high

NZF’s support through COVID-19

Denise Il Yesterday there was a package left for me at the front door; from a sister who I hadn’t seen since the start of the pandemic. A container of food for my family, with a beautiful message stating that she was missing me.

She was a volunteer at National Zakat Foundation (NZF), she enclosed some food vouchers for groceries and meat. She knew me well that I wouldn’t accept the package if she handed it to me. So, she left it at my front door.

I found myself unable to contain my emotions. It wasn’t the first gift I had received.

But this time it was different. The simplest acts of kindness have profound effects after we have been fighting for the longest time.

The food was delicious of course, but it was the gesture that hit me the hardest. The fact that someone had remembered me. That somehow, this sister had reached through the unaccommodating stale walls of isolation and for that brief moment I was seen, acknowledged and supported.

People say that whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Sometimes, it feels like the opposite is true. Tests break us in a million little ways and the thought that it will all pass and get better is sometimes far from a certainty. Of course, we put our trust in Allah and keep pushing on. We have to. But quite often, the most difficult struggle is the inter-

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nal one we face, because it is the foundation upon which everything else relies.

To be brave and tenacious enough to grasp onto hope, the belief that we have what it takes to get through this. Just like a boat trying to make its way across an ocean cannot survive a hole which allows water to seep in, so too, it is with hopelessness – even when the smallest amount seeps in, it’s enough to make you sink.

The pandemic has been difficult for us all.

Continuous lockdowns, layers of confusion and anxiety, fear about our health and future.

Intense feelings which can be debilitating when you belong to the vulnerable cohort of society. Measures preventing the positive feelings of connection, belonging, support.

Drop by drop, the hopelessness rises, making us question how much more we can withstand.

This is why these seemingly simple gestures of love and support are so important.

They have the power to shift our focus from one which is negative and stagnant, to everything positive. Forgetting our struggles long enough to remind us that we are part of an amazing ummah, one that is brave enough to mend the holes at the bottom of our boats and remind us not to give up.

A simple act of kindness does so much more than alleviating the external struggle. It restores our foundation of hope. It reminds us that we are not forgotten. Even miles apart, collectively we can stop the despair from setting in and allow hope to seep in instead.

Denise Il is a writer at National Zakat Foundation Australia, and is based in Victoria.

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What is happening in Afghanistan and what does it mean for the rest of the world?

Aishah Jacobs Advocates for Dignity collaborated with the Massoud Foundation Australia to explore the question ‘What’s Really Happening in Afghanistan?” in their live webinar held on Wednesday 8 September 2021.

The webinar was opened by Mr Mehmet Saral, President of the Advocates for Dignity, who thanked the Massoud Foundation Australia for their partnership. The panel guests included Professor Amin Saikal, Adjunct Professor of Social Sciences at the University of Western Australia, and Professor William Maley, Professor of Diplomacy at the Australian National University.

Former ABC Radio National Host John Cleary moderated at the webinar.

International conflict in Afghanistan commenced in 2001, triggered by the 11 September terrorist attacks on US soil and consisted of three phases: 1. The first phase was focused on toppling the Taliban regime, lasting just two months.

2. The second phase, from 2002 until 2008, was marked by the US strategy of defeating the Taliban militarily and rebuilding core institutions of the Afghan state.

3. The third phase began in 2008 and was a turn to the classic pacification doctrine.

It was accelerated with U.S. President Barack Obama’s 2009 decision to temporarily increase the US troop presence in Afghanistan.

The US and NATO formally ended their combat mission in Afghanistan on 28 December 2014, but retained a reduced force of approximately 13,000 troops to support and train Afghan troops until a reduction was implemented in 2020.

A full withdrawal of US troops, initiated in 2020 continued into 2021 anticipating the end of US deployment to Afghanistan, but the resurgence of the Taliban during the withdrawal returned the country back to where it started when the US forces arrived 20 years ago.

“Afghanistan is the only country in the

world that has been invaded by the three major powers of the last two centuries; Great Britain, the Soviet Union and the United States,” said Kabul born Professor Saikal.

“This says something very profound about the nation and its society, despite all of their shortcomings, they have been freedom loving people and they’ve not really accepted foreign impositions.”

When asked about the composition of Afghanistan as a country and what that would mean for the Taliban, Professor Maley said, “If Taliban aim for a centralised state, they are going to run into a lot of difficulties because the Afghanistan in which they are operating is very different one to what was the case 20 years ago, it is much more globalised.”

He continued, “support was given to the Afghan mujahideen against the Soviets, but they were native Afghans, whereas the Tal-

iban are backed by Pakistan, which is why they are not as accepted today. The Taliban are quite likely to run up against contentious politics, the politics of protests and demonstrations, which can become difficult to manage.”

Afghanistan is central to many South Asian countries, which naturally results in many countries having vested interests in it.

Though it has been vehemently denied by their government, one country of particular concern seems to be Pakistan.

On this point, Professor Saikal said, “In many ways, this is a Pakistan backed invasion. For the first time, Pakistan has succeeded more than any other foreign power to have a strong cross border proxy force to control Afghanistan indirectly… hoping that they would be able to rely on Afghanistan as a backup in order to confront the main regi-

oional force – India.’

Professor Maley also touched on the damage the US acquired to its reputation and the damage it has done to its allies as a result of its effectively failed mission, despite US deployment in Afghanistan for 20 years.

“This raised questions of just how reliable the US could be as a partner. Will the US hold the line only until it can no longer be bothered doing so?” he said. “The situation in Afghanistan will likely reduce US partnerships with nations other than those who are locked into alliances with them.”

Finally the program was officially closed with a vote of thanks by Mrs Marina Nawabi, who is an Afghan human rights activist, representing the Massoud Foundation Australia.

The webinar can be viewed on Youtube at: youtube.com/c/AdvocatesforDignity

Not all heroes wear capes, some wear hijabs Sana Afiouni & Sabreen Hussain Six months ago when Narmin Abbas told her cousins she dreamt of starting a charity, she did not imagine that a month later her passion and initiative would create ‘helplebanon2021’.

The pervading social, economic and political issues in Lebanon since the Beirut blast last year has put the country in a dire position, where it now relies (almost) solely on external support from Lebanese expats and international NGOs providing humanitarian assistance.

Narmin, a 19 year old construction student at Western Sydney University, has always supported her family by sending supplies to her village back home. With the worsening situation however, Narmin knew this wasn’t enough. She needed to do more.

Narmin established helplebanon2021, a grassroots not-for-profit charity, as a way to give back and help the vulnerable people of Lebanon.

The charity’s Instagram page, which began among Narmin’s family and friends has now become known nationally in Lebanon.

Suffering from political corruption, a collapsing economy, deadly bushfires and a OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 191

pandemic, the Lebanese people have been deprived of basic necessities such as baby formula and medicine.

“I get a lot of messages from mothers who need baby formula, nappy rash and baby medicine”, says Narmin.

After receiving requests from individuals and families, through Instagram or Whatsapp, the next step is to either “purchase these products using money donated to me, or donors choose to drop off these items,” says Narmin.

The items are then loaded into crates and shipped to Lebanon. Shipping goods to Lebanon is usually very expensive, but Narmin’s family friend works at the ports and ships all the crates free of charge.

Once these crates arrive in Lebanon, they are taken to one of two warehouses owned

by Narmin’s grandfather. These warehouses are located in Abu Samra, Tripoli and Haref, Al Danniye. Narmin’s team of distributors (namely family members and friends) then deliver the items to those who have requested them.

Due to the ingrained corruption in Lebanon there is fear that these items, including baby products will be taken and sold on the black market. To counter this, all individuals must show ID when collecting products, and parents wishing to collect baby items must show the distributor proof and identification of their baby.

Inspired by the works of MATW, Narmin hopes to continue and grow helplebanon2021 in the future. She aims to develop her distribution channels to reach people

in all areas of Lebanon, and provide food packs to feed those in need.

Narmin is proud of helplebanon2021, an organisation that assists everyone in Lebanon regardless of religion, race, class or gender.

The family and community drive behind the initiative has helped Narmin in effectively and efficiently getting items to those in need.

This grassroots charity has grown in size and popularity in the last few months, but relies on the support through donations, drop-offs and the promotion of the charity to raise awareness among society. Narmin encourages the community to be a part of this narrative and support the charity.

S a n a Afiouni is a recent graduate of The University of Sydney who studied a Bach-

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elor of Political, Economic and Social Sciences. She is passionate about all things community development and interfaith dialogue as well as bridging the gap between Muslim & non-Muslim communities.

Sabreen is an Arts/ Law student at UNSW. Sabreen is passionate about providing equal opportunities to underprivileged communities, as well as diversifying media discourses to highlight new perspectives.

Narmin Abbas.

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Justice, not gender dictates AMUST

Dr Rashid Raashed Quote: “Allah is not only theirs; He is also ours. They [the Taliban] don’t have a special contract with God. We are also Muslims”. This was the heartfelt lament of an Afghan, Dr Rubina Stanekzai quoted in her interview with Al-Jazeera published on 5 September 2021.

The applicable qualification 1. Given the freshness of the wounds inflicted upon the parties of the Afghan conflict and the associated sensitivities, we deliberately have avoided to make any finding as to who was right and who was wrong in this invasion, occupation and the sudden withdrawal of the American and the NATO forces from Afghanistan. For discharging the duty of information and knowledge, nobody wants to end up in the “Little Gitmo” at Guantanamo Bay! Ironically, it is called ‘Camp Justice’!

What a shameful hypocrisy!!!

2. Here it is, just a click away: News|11 September 2021, Al-Jazeera “Muslim man spent 15 years in prison after post9/11 crackdown”: ‘Yassin Aref was a victim of Islamophobia and a controversial arrest by the FBI that led him to 15 years in jail’.

3. The verses of the Qur’an in this article are rendered, in a contextual translation, by the author himself. As opposed to the literary and textual translation, the contextual rendition helps the divine message being delivered closer to the reader’s heart, making it easier to grasp!

For an easy reference to a reader however, the Arabic texts of the relevant verses are also produced.

4. The argument and the information contained in this article express that of the author alone. The contained information is of highly legal and technical nature.

It does not associate with the policies or views of AMUST news platform in anyway.

Preaching and Guidance, the Propagation of Virtues and the Prevention of Vice’. But this must not be at the expense of the Ministry for Women’s Affairs!

Here I dare to reiterate the quote from the daring Afghan Muslim lady Doctor Rubina Satankezai: “Allah is not only theirs; He is also ours.

They [the Taliban] don’t have a special contract with God. We are also Muslims”.

Al-Jazeera, 5 September 2021. A rebuking lament such as this, would pierce through the heart of any serious Muslim!

We cannot imagine that any Islamic political leadership in a sound mind, would abolish the Ministry for Women’s Affairs.

Women are the mothers, they are the sisters and the daughters! May I now say this?

If this is what the Taliban Government is thinking of doing, in itself, it would be a grave vice that needs to be prevented! My Naseehah and Irshad to the Taliban government is that ‘it is all wrong, please reverse your decision on it’!

It was equally annoying to see the acting government of the Talibans did not include any women as a Minister. Nor did it include any ministers from other Islamic groups in Afghanistan.

If establishing a just and good governance is the Islamic ideal, and sure it is, what Taliban has done, in selecting its acting government, is all wrong! Abolishing or replacing the Ministry for Women’s Affairs was a disgrace from the true Islamic viewpoint!

It was equally annoying to see that the High school aged girls are not returning to their schools. Why can’t they do the schooling for girls in the morning and for the boys in the afternoon? This can continue until they arrange separate school buildings for girls and boys!

There are compelling proofs both in the Qur’an and Hadith that both male and female are equally obliged to seek knowledge on issues of religion and a decent living as well. (Ref Qur’an: 09:122, 02:201 & 39:09)

“There are

compelling proofs both in the Qur’an and Hadith that both male and female are equally obliged to seek knowledge on issues of religion and a decent living as well.

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model, the exercise might end up as a great disservice to the very mission the Taliban Government is trying to serve!

Now is the decider: Is it the justice or the gender?

The Qur’an is both outstanding and clear as to who and how a Muslim leader should provide the socio-political leadership. According to the Qur’an 04:135 and 05:08, the fundamentally qualifying criterion for this is ‘the leader’s maximum commitment to establish justice’ on all the subjects.

He or she must do so without discriminating the subjects along the lines of race, religion or other variations. In delivering the mandate of justice, should a Muslim leader get preference over a non-Muslim? The answer is a resounding No!

“ Allah

only t He is als They [the don’t h special with We ar Mus

”

- Dr Rubina Afghan

“

A bit of reality check first On 18 September 2021, the following headline appears in Al-Jazeera online: “Taliban replaces ministry for women with ‘guidance’ ministry”.

“In Kabul, a new sign was up outside the Women’s Affairs Ministry, announcing it was now the ‘Ministry for Preaching and Guidance and the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice’ ”.

We don’t know what moves things within the Islamic, political or administrative wisdom of the Taliban Government in Afghanistan. The bottom line is, none has the sole agency of God on earth, anyway! The global believers in Islam would defend the true Islamic alternative as defined by the Qur’an and authentic Hadith in its support.

It is very encouraging to see a new ministry being setup under the title: ‘Ministry for

in place, an acting government was not the ideal one!

We can only hope that these errors will be corrected while selecting a long term government. The Taliban government must learn from the global Islamic scholarship. The Taliban Government, must learn from the global mix of the communities today. Islam was meant to be “the grace for the entire humanity at” at all times and not for Muslims only. (Ref Qur’an 21:27) More importantly, the ready willingness of Islam to accommodate all the needs, necessities and means of comforts of the global communities, is indeed a gold mine for Taliban to utilise! But the attitude of forcing the traditional model of the Hanafi Fiqh of Deobandi understanding today, will make a blunder of Islam as a formidable and contemporary alternative.

The Hanafi Fiqh of Indian orientations was never applied and tested on a moving life. The aspect of ‘pragmatism’, is thus missing from this model. This untested application will fail miserably, on the divine mandate of “Call others to the path of your Lord by means and advice that are both wise and appealing”. (Qur’an 16:125) Without accommodating a custom-made and realistic

The gender based discrimination Islam has nothing to do with this gender driven discrimination!

The Taliban seems to have not learnt from the Prophet Mohammad’s (s) initiative to sign peace treaties with various groups in Madinah after the migration.

Let’s hope that given the urgency, the need and the rush in having a quick government

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s the true Islamic leadership

“is not

theirs; so ours. e Taliban] have a contract God. re also slims.

”

a Stanekzai, woman.

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giance for the female leader!

Said simply, choosing a leader on the basis of justice alone, is a solemn Islamic duty that must be upheld at any cost!

Going to the extreme, should a choice is to be made between a Muslim male candidate who is proven to be a dictator and unjust, and a non-Muslim female candidate, with the sound track record and the declared agenda of upholding justice for all, the Muslims must vote for her!

With the Qur’an in 04:135 and 05:08, being so specific, clear and outstanding on this subject, to make a decision, a believer does not need to look any further!

invest your maximum effort to establish justice” (Qur’an 05:08) But in the verse 04:135, the Qur’an delivers the same message in a rather mind blowing and applied setting!

Here, it mentions the six (6) major barriers that may otherwise, stand on the face of one’s commitment to deliver justice: 1.

Indulgence in one’s self-interest, 2.

The bias for one’s parents, 3.

The prejudice for one’s relatives, 4.

The sympathy to the poor, 5.

The fear from or favour to the rich & 6.

The submission to one’s desires Rebutting all these barriers, the verse The documentary 04:135 insists: “By subproof as to the above mitting to these presA leaders’ commitsures, should you decide (Qur’an 05:08) ment to deliver justo turn yourself from the tice alone will decide, course of justice, bewhether he or she can legally proclaim the ware of God’s overwhelming scrutiny, as socio-political loyalty from the believers. In to your deviation. Hence, the likelihood of the equation of the Islamic political leader- God meting you, the befitting retribution” . ship, the agenda of a Muslim man or woman To a faithful conscience, a warning such as would dictate whether he or she should be this, would strike a severe blow to any devigiven a chance to lead and ation from the course of justice! rule.

Above all, the mandate of “Keeping God Here is the as the only witness”, is deeply thought-proQur’an han- voking! It is also severely intimidating at dling the the same time! The Qur’an in 05:08 promandate to vides a mandatory obligation to a leader rule head on: that he must keep delivery of justice as the “O believ- priority number one of his office. ers! Keeping God as the Justice is the closest part only wit- to be God-conscious! ness over The divine order as to the leadership many o u , date of the Qur’an is deeply impressive: “O’ believers…, commit yourself to deliver justice, as it is the closest par to you living constantly conscious of God…Indeed, He is fully aware of all your actions” .

(Qur’an 05:08) It further states, one may only deviate from the course of justice, by being unaware of the constant scrutiny, by the Omni-Present God! A deliberate deviation such as this, may end up defeating a believer’s faith!

The mandate of delivering justice as a duty cannot get any stronger than committing to it by ‘Keeping God as the only witness over you”! The emphasis of the Qur’an on delivering justice continues: “The fact that you have enmity with your adversaries, must not incriminate your hearts, by not delivering the full justice to them….”

(Qur’an 05:08) Hence, the proverb: ‘the seat of justice is the heart of the judge’ is the direct reflection of this revealed theme!

Being just to the neutral ‘other party’, is not that hard to a fair-minded individual! But delivering justice to ‘the adversarial enemy’, who, at times, may have hurt you, or at worse, is now waiting for your blood, is a bloody knife-edge test!

The mandate of a true

“O’ believers…,

commit yourself to deliver justice, as it is the closest par to you living constantly conscious of God…Indeed, He is fully aware of all your actions” .

“

Legally speaking, a leader’s commitment of delivering ‘the maximum justice’ decides whether he or she must be obeyed or challenged by the believers. Guided by the verses 04:135 and 05:08, of the Qur’an, the gender of the ruler thus, has no role whatsoever, in selection of a Muslim leader!

By the same token, the delivery of justice alone would decide as to which leader the Muslims must actively obey and declare their political loyalty to! The Qur’an provides the compelling proof that the selection of Islamic leadership is dictated by the sole mandate of delivering justice and not by the sex or gender of the leader!

If a stark choice is to be made between the political agenda of an aggressive, dictator and un-just male, as opposed to that of a just, all-inclusive female, the Muslims are duty bound to declare their alle-

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Islamic leadership thus, can only be earned by passing the test of ‘Committing to deliver the justice to the maximum degree’. (Ref: Qur’an 04:135 & 05:08) In conclusion thus, the Qur’an provides the compelling proof that the selection of an Islamic socio-political leadership is dictated by the sole mandate of investing the maximum effort to deliver justice to the subjects and not by the sex or gender of the leader!

An important clarification In rebutting a just and fair woman’s leadership as established above, the following Hadith of Prophet Mohammad (s) may be quoted: “Abu Bakrah (r), a companion of the Prophet said: ‘God helped me avoid my joining the army led by Ayesha (r) the Prophet’s wife, against Ali (r), in the War of the Camel. When the news broke out to the Prophet that the daughter of Persia’s King was appointed as their leader, after the death of her father, the Prophet commented saying “The nation that have rested their leadership to a woman, will never succeed”. (Sahih Bukhari Hadith No 4425 and Sunan Nasai 8/227) In reply however, one has to accept that no matter what, a Hadith of any kind will never abrogate or limit the application of the six emphatic verses of the Qur’an on this subject: 04:135, 05:08 & 27:32-34. This ruling will directly apply to the above Hadith related by ‘an individual narrator’ Abu Bakrah (r).

Legally speaking, this is how an evidentiary finding is to be made, preferring the contradictory legal texts on a subject. It may sound a little harsh, but should it come to that, the duty of a legal scholar is to uphold the Qur’an, at any cost, come what may!

But when looked more deeply and critically, the Hadith of Abu Bakrah (r) was relating the Prophet’s opinion as to the appointment of a female leader just because of her lineage to the King and not because of her commitment to uphold justice or political foresight.

As the Persians were not Muslims at the time of the Prophet, making an Islamic finding on their decision, was never relevant, for it to be halal or haram, anyway!

In this context, the meaning of the Prophet’s comment on Abu Bakra’s (r) Hadith will stand as: ‘selecting a female leader driven only by her gender, kinship or lineage to the King, will not lead to good governance’. This will be perfectly in line with our arguments established above.

It will further explain why the Qur’an is praising the visionary leadership by a legendary woman leader, Balqis, the Queen of Sheba, Yemen. Instead of a conflict she had manoeuvred the peaceful settlement out with the King Solomon: “O my entourage, provide your opinions on the topic of dispute, as I will not decide on it until you all come together with me on a common platform”. The Queen’s approach, on how tactfully and diligently, she engaged her political entourage on finding a common ground for a peaceful way out of the conflict, is highly impressive. (Ref Qur’an 27:32-34) Dr Rashid Raashed based in Sydney is currently the Director of Islamic Financial Services Australia (IFSA).

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Religious Australians call on Scott Morrison to do more on climate

Thea Ormerod

Over six hundred people of faith from around Australia have penned hand-written letters calling on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to do more to protect the climate. After the recent high profile scientific warnings and before the United Nations Climate Summit in Glasgow, people of faith are pleading with the Prime Minister to act now and act vigorously on a plan to reduce our climate pollution.

The letters were collected and sent this week by the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC). They are calling on the Morrison Government to submit higher emissions reduction targets to negotiations in Glasgow, re-start contributions to the United Nations Green Climate Fund and abandon a ‘gas-led recovery’ in favour of job creation in low carbon industries.

‘The earth’s climate is no longer changing incrementally but it is changing at an accelerating pace,’ Ps Buckingham said. ‘The intensity of climate-fueled disasters is increasing world-wide, causing extreme human suffering. We Christians cannot walk on the other side, worried about the cost of taking action. The costs of not taking action are being paid by the world’s poor and younger generations.’

‘Australia has a moral responsibility to urgently wind back our coal and gas exports and scale up our use of renewables. To do this compassionately, communities currently dependent on coal and gas should receive public support for locally developed plans to diversify their local economies,’ he said.

‘Just as individuals are called to live eth-

600 letters from people of faith to the PM. Photo credit: Gill King

ical lives, as a nation we should do what is right, not what suits the short-term political or economic advantage of particular groups.

Australia should aim for at least two-thirds emissions reduction in the next decade in order to keep global warming to under 2°C.’ Letter-writer and Co-President of the Muslim Collective, Fahimah Badrulhisham, said, ‘The world needs to act urgently and swiftly at COP26 but fairness suggests that Australia, one of the world’s biggest coal producers, should do much more to pull our

weight. We have both the economic capacity and moral responsibility to drive down our emissions.

Therefore, Australia must re-start contributions to the Green Climate Fund to assist our neighbouring countries to adapt to the climate impacts that they are already experiencing. They have emitted far less greenhouse gases than us, but they are the first to bear the brunt of this crisis. This is a question of basic justice.’

ARRCC is coordinating the participation

Fahimah Badrulhisham in Maroubra.

Photo credit: David Curzon of hundreds of Australian faith communities in a global ‘Faiths 4 Climate Justice Day of Action’ on 17 and 18 October, two weeks before the Glasgow Summit. They will be calling on the Morrison Government to take much stronger climate policies to the negotiations.

Thea Ormerod is the President of the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC), a Catholic Christian, retired social worker and grandmother of eight.

Border closures impact heavily on migrant communities

How to apply for a travel exemption Chris Dammann There’s no set end date yet for international border closures. One of the hardest things migrant communities experience is being separated from family for extended periods. This has long been a struggle for those with families overseas, but the pandemic has made it even more difficult to travel home.

Chris Dammann sees this every day. As the founder and CEO of The Migration Translators, he has worked in the translation and language services industry for 13 years, and his business has supported many individuals and families in their journey as they prepare their documents to migrate and settle in Australia. The team provides support in over 180 languages. Chris says that many of the documents they work with now are related to applications for a travel exemption.

website of the Department of Home Affairs.

To qualify for a travel exemption, your trip must be for your business or employer, for urgent medical treatment that is not available in Australia, for a compelling reason for three months or longer, or on compassionate grounds. Alternatively – but these are more exceptional situations and don’t apply to most migrants – your travel must be in the national interest or part of the response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including the provision of aid.

It’s not enough to state that you miss your

family. You must provide solid evidence that you have a compelling reason to travel. The authorities will carefully assess your application based on the evidence you submit – so you need to make sure your paperwork is in order. Obviously, if any of these documents are not in English, they have to be translated into English.

What evidence is required?

Evidence may include passports, marriage certificates, birth certificates, death certificates, proof of relationship, documents

Translations for other purposes Many of The Migration Translators’ clients are in Australia, but they also translate documents for people who are still overseas and want to come to Australia. Obviously, this part of the industry is a lot less active than it used to be, but there is still some level of migrant intake. With the right visa and sufficient funds to spend two weeks in hotel quarantine, you can still enter Australia.

There is usually a fee payable to the translator for their service, but the Department of Home Affairs also offers a Free Translating Service, which allows holders of certain types of visas to get key documents translated for free.

Chris Dammann is the founder and CEO of The Migration Translators, Australia’s leading provider of translation and multicultural communication services to migrant communities.

How to apply for a travel exemption?

All applications are done online on the

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showing that you are moving to another country on a long-term basis, proof of your current valid visa, a letter from a doctor or a hospital about your medical treatment/condition and why travel is necessary, a letter from your employer showing that you are travelling for a business reason, and a statement or evidence to show when you wish to return to Australia.

It is crucial to have all your ducks in a row – the application will be thoroughly assessed by the authorities. Once your application is approved, you should also carefully evaluate the risk of getting stuck overseas due to return flight caps and cancellations.

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Keneally to represent Fowler at the highest level Continued from page 1 During the interview Senator Keneally frankly spoke on why she would be able to give Fowler what it desperately needs, experienced influence over diverse representation.

“Fowler has been left behind by Liberal state and federal governments, particularly during the pandemic, Fowler had never had a minister or shadow minister represent them,” she said.

Senator Keneally is currently the Deputy Leader of the Opposition in the Senate, Shadow Minister for Home Affairs, and Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship. She previously served as Premier of New South Wales from 2009 to 2011, the first woman to hold the position.

Questioned on diverse representation in the federal parliament, Keneally’s compared the track record of Labor and the Liberals as follows: “I would reflect on the parliament in which I sit, which includes Penny Wong, Anthony Albanese, Ed Husic, Anne Aly, Michelle Rowland, Mike Freelander – we have a strong and good record on bringing diverse voices into the parliament. Can we do more? Yes. Should we do more? Absolutely. On the other side of the chamber, their record is much poorer. I would stack our efforts on ensuring that we have diverse representation in terms of gender, in terms of multiculturalism and in terms of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, up against the Liberals, any day of the week.”

Keneally wants to bring “Fowler into the heart of the government” as it deserves to have a voice at the most senior level of government.

“I seek to be that voice,” remarked Keneally confidently.

The former Premier of NSW spoke about how the community of Fowler is quite well known to her, “Fowler is an Incredibly diverse community with the strength of the Vietnamese, Assyrian, Chinese, Muslim and Indian community. Historical groups of Italians and eastern Europeans: Croatian, Serbian migration means that we have a really diverse and amazing part of Sydney,” she said.

The veteran MP for Fowler, Chris Hayes, although initially advocated for Tu Le to replace him, has now backed Keneally in a bid for unity in the ALP. In a statement on Monday 20 September, addressing his constituents, he said: “I understand your concerns and that’s why I gave my support to someone who I thought was best suited to represent the diverse nature of our community.

While the outcome is not what I had hoped for, I believe the most important thing for the people of Fowler is to have a Labor Government at the next election, and I am sure Kristina Keneally will play a significant role in securing that objective.

Once again, thank you for contacting me and as I am retiring, please know that it has been my great honour to have represented

Chris Hayes conducted regular ‘Fowler Human Rights Forums’ listening to concerns of human rights violations in the home countries of his constituents. this vibrant multicultural community in the Federal Parliament.”

The highly popular MP amongst his multicultural electorate was admired for his stand on human rights violation in the home countries of many of his constituents including Palestinians, Rohingyas, Vietnamese, Cambodians and Uyighurs.

Keneally shared fond words of her predecessor and aims to build on from his great work: “Chris Hayes is well known for his decency and compassion and strong representation of the people of Fowler. He’s well known for advocacy for human rights in Australia and around the world. I pay tribute to Chris and I pledge that if elected I would seek to serve with the same passion and decency he has shown.” she said.

With an understanding of the local area of Fowler, Keneally and her husband are planning to move and establish roots in the area.

“We’re looking for a place to live in Fowler, we need to move as soon as possible – that’s shaping the decision that we’re making. My children are adults, It won’t be too disruptive. In seeking the election, my husband and I made a clear decision to move to Fowler.” she said.

Keneally is well acquainted with AMUST and the Muslim community in the local area of Fowler. She was the Chief Guest at Australia’s first, the longest running and the largest Eid festival, the Multicultural Eid Festival & Fair MEFF during her term as Premier of NSW. “What stood out to me was the inclusive sense of the celebration. There were, I remember, the stalls, an amazing array of food from all over the globe, the opportunity to browse through clothing, jewellery, showbags. It was a quintessential Australian event celebrating the Muslim community but doing it generously with the wider community. I was proud to be the leader of a state that showed that generosity and welcomed people from all over the globe and faiths where people felt the confidence to share themselves with fellow Australians,” she recalled.

AMUST wanted to dig deeper into the

Senators’ stance on Right Wing Extremism (RWE) and what does she plan to do in order to keep the Australian community safe.

“A lot has changed in 20 years, and I am pleased to see that there is a much better appreciation for the role and the contribution of Muslims in Australia. However,I am concerned by the rise of right wing extremism, a form of hatred and division that in fact threatens the very strength of our multicultural society. RWE rejects the very thing that makes Australia so strong, that we are a multicultural and a multi faith society. They target Muslims, women, migrants, the Jewish community and others – this is another growing challenge for Australia and one where it calls on us again to come together and reject that form of racism, hatred and division,” she said.

With a precedence of taking action towards Right Wing Extremism (RWE), Keneally is well aware of the serious nature of the issue.

“Last year, at my instigation, Labor held an inquiry into RWE. I am concerned that in the face of a new terrorist threat, we do not have the right laws and tools to prevent radicalisation and to keep Australians safe from RWE. That inquiry was accepted by the government and is currently underway. I’m incredibly pleased that our national security agency has participated so completely in providing recommendations and proposed new policies,” she said.

Keneally shared her three point plan in tackling RWE to protect the lives and strength of a multicultural nation.

“In particular, we, as a country need to focus on three things when it comes to RWE: 1. Proscribing RWE groups, as terrorist organisations, as is done in Canada and the United Kingdom, 2. We should be doing more to disrupt radicalisation before it occurs and that involves working with the broader Australian community and social media platforms.

Much of the propaganda is shared online particularly during pandemic, and there are things we can do to disrupt and remove abhorrent content.

3. We need a new anti racism campaign

in Australia, we haven’t had one since the Gillard government in 2012 – if we are to uphold and maintain multicultural communities we have to reinforce the value of multiculturalism in every generation,” she said.

As a person of faith, Keneally shared her reflection on the role faith plays in her political activities: “Before I ran for parliament in 2003, I was partaking in a doctorate in theology, after completing a Masters in theology.” This impacted Keneally in understanding the role of faith of the citizens she represents.

“Early on in state parliament, one of my first engagements was in an ecumenical meeting between the Muslim and Christian communities, I coming together as one Australian community to better understand one another and to build stronger community cohesion.

That was quite formative for me as a person of faith. I’ve appreciated that different faith communities come together, they have far more in common than what divides. From our strengths, we can learn from one another. As a new politician 20 years ago, I gained an insight into how that benefits the whole community, not only faith communities in a political sense, not a party sense – the community came to work together to get things done. In the aftermath of September 11, I worked amongst the East lakes Muslim community, it was a real lesson on the importance of looking after and supporting one another and that begins with better understanding one another.”

“My contention – human beings are spiritual beings, such as the Aboriginal community. We all have a spiritual dimension, and we bring that to our political activity – it’s part of your worldview. How you understand, and your spiritual self, does shape how you engage with the world, conversations in the public square, it’s important to understand that aspect of one another instead of ‘that person is a conservative so they believe in this or that’. It’s important to understand what motivates people, how they interpret the world, not just their political and economic views but their spiritual sense of themselves and connection to the world, It’s fundamental to build a cohesive successful multicultural community. “ When asked, what are three things she is grateful for, Keneally said: “I’m grateful for my family, they are the foundation of my life and my greatest accomplishment are my children. I am grateful for my parents who instilled in me a strong sense of faith and social justice and taught me that hard work pays off and never let me think that because I was a girl that anything was off limits. It was their view that their daughter could contribute to the world just as much as their sons. I’m grateful to live in Australia – its not the country of my birth, but it is my home and it is a most amazing, generous, successful country and what I love about Australia – when people come here, they are not judged by where they were born and came from, but instead they are welcomed for who they are and what they contribute.”

Path to self employment program for migrant and refugee women Erin Wallis Women of the World (WOW) is a pilot program that aims to support 10, Melbourne-based, migrant and refugee women to build and run their own health education business.

The fully-funded, 12-month program offers 10 women the opportunity to start a Parentmedic social micro OCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 191

franchise, while also accessing workshops that build their business skills and coaching that addresses mindset barriers that come with starting a business, at no cost.

Parentmedic is a proven health education franchise, founded by Contribute Group.

Parentmedic provides parents and families with the knowledge to keep their child safe for the first 1000 days, providing education on what to do if their child is sick, injured or in an emergency.

They have been operating for 7 years, and have successful franchises across the country, however, currently don’t reach Migrant

communities.

The program is being delivered by partners Contribute Group, and The Difference Incubator (TDi). Contribute Group design and build health education franchises, including Parentmedic.

TDi have deep expertise in delivering accelerator programs that support women entrepreneurs in building their business capability and confidence. The program is funded by the Ecstra Foundation.

We are currently seeking applications for the program from interested women or community groups who would like to host

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an information session with their women’s group.

To register your interest as an applicant or to host an information session, please visit: https://contributegroup.co/wow-project/ and click the REGISTER YOUR INTEREST link.

Erin is a Senior Consultant at The Difference Incubator - an organisation that supports entrepreneurs and social enterprises create businesses that are both financially and socially sustainable.

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Review: Mark Willacy’s Rogue Forces Dr Vacy Vlazna Mark Willacy’s Rogue Forces is imperative reading for its exposé of Australian SAS war crimes in Afghanistan and the systematic cover-ups at varying levels of the Australian Defence Force operations.

Willacy’s window on war crimes is narrow, focusing on three SAS members of Squadron 3; Soldier A, Soldier B and Soldier C who executed innocent Afghan farmers in 2012.

It makes one wonder about the breadth of horrors that would inevitably be disclosed if ALL the Australian and Allied windows were flung open on the 20-year invasion and occupation of Afghanistan.

As with his 4 Corners documentary, Killing Field, Willacy brings us face to face with participants; the deviant killers, their fearful complicit colleagues, the moral injury and inner agony of whistleblowers and the forever shattered lives of the Afghan victims and their grieving families.

Soldiers A, B and C are bullies and killers who are variously described by their colleagues as ‘unhinged, psychopath, rogue, toxic, monster, thugs, sadist, mad, animal, bully, egotistical sociopath, shoot’ em up boys’.

“The rhetoric has always been that you are looking for similar features to a psychopath,” says a psychologist who was involved in screening Special Forces candidates.’

These SAS deviants ride high on the heroic SAS reputation and hubris wrapped in impunity. Their war crimes include the cold-blooded executions of unarmed, wounded, and disabled Afghan men and boys, the ritual of blooding that coerced the first kill of rookie soldiers, a kill count that was indifferent to innocence, the desecration of the bodies of the Afghan dead, the appalling racism and brutal beatings, the massacre at the Tractor Job, the planting of guns, grenades, radios and battle-bras on murdered innocent farmers.

Don’t for a moment think such dishonourable behaviour is about a few bad apples.

War crimes are inherent to and hidden away throughout ANZAC history; note the

same Australian racism, bloodlust, the brutal atrocities at the Sarafand Massacre 103 years ago in Palestine.(http://www.palestinechronicle.com/the-sarafand-massacreand-cover-up/) There’s nothing noble about a ‘code of silence’ – it is a synonym for covering up crimes and corruption. The Rogue Forces cover ups, from the killing fields to ADFHQ spawned the impunity for ongoing barbarism.

On the field it was common knowledge that the mandatory photos of the kills were falsified by planting weapons on the innocent dead to look like combatants and added to fabricated reports ’to justify lethal force’.

Inquiries into Afghan complaints were implicated in cover-ups; ‘We reported these things…the perpetrators were not punished,

Marriage during the COVID-19 lockdown in NZ

Farid Ahmed

Lockdown due to COVID-19 is not pleasant.

It disrupts the normal activities including the marriage ceremonies. As an independent marriage celebrant, I can see the struggles in many families, but I can also see how many families are opting for easier options.

I can see Allah’s words in the Holy Quran are always true, in terms of hardship, “So, surely with every difficulty there is relief; surely, with every difficulty there is relief.”

[94:5-6] Cultural expectations in marriage In many marriages cultural expectation is too high that can overwhelm the groom’s or bride’s families. In some cases, the intended marriages are either postponed or even cancelled as the expectations are too hard to

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meet.

Expectations may make the marriages very expensive, and to meet the expenses some may borrow the money, or others may sell something, or some may spend all the savings without investing for a secured future.

Unfortunately, the expenses could be for glamour, competitions, or for showing off etc. Due to COVID-19 lockdown, I find some people are trying to exclude the cultural expectation as much as possible. That is very positive indeed.

True spirit in Islamic marriage Glamour, extravagance, showing off or expenses beyond affordability has nothing to do with religious teachings. If cultural expectation is not within the religious teachings, many are not, then again, Islam teaches to avoid them.

The true spirit in Islamic marriage is joining two parties together in a righteous team in the name of Almighty Allah to do everything that pleases Allah to receive Paradise as reward from Allah.

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they were decorated.’

The Brereton Inquiry exonerated the brass of ‘direct responsibility’. Yet the book challenges the leadership ‘ignorance’ of war crimes.

The ultimate merit of Rogue Forces is Willacy’s going beyond the crimes to explore complicity in the code of silence and its high personal cost to decent soldiers.

Willacy points out the reasons why decent fellow soldiers remained silent; a herd compliance based on a loyalty to the SAS that overrode the Geneva Conventions, fear of isolation, losing a valued career, and justified fear based on psychopathic intimidation; “I genuinely believed that if they’d have had the opportunity if we’d raised certain things, that they had the capability- they’d

The focus must be how to arrive in the everlasting happiness as a couple with families in Paradise for which Allah has described in the Holy Quran: “For them there is the final reach of the eternal Home, Paradise that hold unending joy: They will enter there, like the righteous ones from their fathers, their spouses, and their children.” [13:22-23] Easier options in lock down for the greater blessings COVID-19 lockdown has brought many restrictions. It is making many families to reflect, to reason about things in their lives including marriages. I thought lockdown period would have zero interest in marrying, but I was wrong.

Wise people want to take the easiest and

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already proven it- to put a bullet in the back of your head and just turn around and say it was the Taliban,’ Australia has a code of silence culture.

Children learn it at school, and all of us are familiar with the code- ‘Everyone hates a dobber or squealer, or rat, snitch, traitor.

The code is rife; it’s in the military, the police (deaths in custody), the government, the churches, the banks, the media, sport, education, and among victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse.

So, perversely this code protects the bullies and multiplies their victims while perversely whistleblowers suffer e.g. David McBride, Jeff Moss, Peter Fox, Julian Assange, Witness K and Bernard Collaery who face persecution by governments to deter future whistleblowers.

Despite the depravity, from the ignoble darkness Willacy salvages the human soul – the repository of and the verve of our conscience, compassion, and morality and its insistent pressure on us to do the right thing; ‘I could have and should have done more.

Speaking up may have minimised or prevented more unnecessary and unlawful deaths. I hold responsibility for my silence and inaction.’

Willacy probes among his whistleblowers the effects of moral injury that their silence inflicts; PTSD, sleeplessness, nightmares, excessive boozing, a deep well of shame’, ‘unquenchable guilt’, rage, grief, agonising memories, violence, pointlessness, feeling compromised, loss of trust in self and others, self harm, attempted suicide, self-alienation -‘not the person I thought I was’, ‘I couldn’t look at myself anymore.’

By having reached a point ‘where the truth is more important’ than self-interest, each of the whistleblowers are freed from the code’s in-built fears to testify to the truth that it was an unjust war, that the SAS violence was worse than the Taliban, ‘and see that we were the guys in there murdering and invading and not there to do something honourable.’

This is the point of courage, truth and integrity regained.

And we too must hold fast to our responsibility to speaking out and to act.

Dr Vacy Vlazna is Coordinator of Justice for Palestine Matters. She is the editor of a volume of Palestinian poetry, I remember my name.

cheapest marriage option in their marriages because they are choosing their priorities.

For example, they say, “Is my marriage more important or is the wedding party more important?” Or they say, “Does the simplest marriage have most blessings from Allah or the expensive one?”

Some want to practice the teachings in the Hadith, that is narrated by Ayesha (r), as Prophet Mohammad (s) said: “The most blessed marriage is the marriage that is performed with the least difficulties.” [Bayhaqi fee Shu’abul Imaan] Farid Ahmed is a survivor of Christchurch attack on 15 May 2019, a peace advocate, author of HUSNA’S Story and Quran teacher in Christchurch.

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in Strategy to deal with Hit my blind emotional blackmail spot!

Princess R Lakshman

Emotional blackmail is fuelled by fear. It involves threat in exchange of fear. The act of threatening someone to succumb them into believing that they need to perform a certain act or behave in a certain way or else the consequence would be negative is known as Emotional Blackmail.

Believe it or not, Emotional Blackmail is practised in most homes on a daily basis, especially in parent-child and husband-wife relationships.

Notice the next time you say to your child something that sounds a bit like this – “If you don’t score above 90% in your exams this year, you certainly won’t be getting that new PlayStation game you’ve been asking for.”

Or, how often have you heard something that may sound like – “If you don’t do as I say, I’ll leave you.”

When there is emotional blackmail in a relationship, love, respect and understanding get replaced with dictatorship, bullying and oppression. Instead of understanding why the child’s exam results are lower than expected and trying to address the underlying causes, the parent emotionally blackmails the child into fearing a situation that is undesirable.

Instead of understanding and empathising with our spouse, we give emotional ultimatums.

Adults who emotionally blackmail are often suppressing anger and have an intense need to control. Adults who give in to emotional blackmail are often lacking self-worth and self-esteem and identify themselves as victims of situations.

Each time a fear-inducing statement is made to emotionally blackmail another, fear dominates.

As Muslims, we must understand that where there is fear, there is no faith. If we are to truly practice faith in only Allah, instead of be governed by the fear induced by nafs, then we must live from the space of understanding, compassion and meaningful conversations.

Often the argument my clients make is that if they don’t resort to emotional blackmailing, they feel things don’t happen according to their expectations.

But think about this for a moment – are you really in control? Do you really feel that succumbing to fear of situations would ever yield positive outcomes in the long term?

People may obey you the first time or even several times, however, eventually resentment takes over and arguments, retaliation, rebelliousness, and sometimes violence, become the norm of the home.

Princess R. Lakshman is a writer, speaker, qualified clinical nutritionist, life coach and a counsellor. She is based in Sydney, Australia.

Kathryn Jones

3-Step-strategy to avoid emotional blackmail 1. Self-reflection is important.

Spend a whole day or week to be mindful and become aware of what you say to people and what they say to you. Do this as an observer without judgment.

2. Write down these observations in a notebook. Analyse these statements and look for those that revolve around fear and punishment.

3. Have a conversation with the people involved and say: “Let’s discuss this issue with the goal to understand what is actually causing it. Once we understand the cause, we can work on a solution.”

Is it possible to heal and grow from trauma?

Carol Mroue Trauma: “a sudden or unexpected event that goes beyond a person’s ability to cope which often can lead to a disruption to the individual’s psychological well-being” Trauma due to domestic violence (DV) can have a profound effect on one’s mental health as well as physically, verbally, emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically.

The traumatic event itself is a negative experience. Posttraumatic growth occurs when healing journey begins. This healing occurs internally.

It is not only inner strength that produces the growth, but also develops from a range of possibilities such as building new relationships, a stronger connection to Allah and a stronger appreciation to life.

From an Islamic worldview, posttraumatic growth can be applied to key faculties of the human such as the soul (nafs), heart (qalb), intellect (‘aql), and spirit (ruh).

In Ihya Ulum-al-Din, Al-Ghazali (d.1111) discusses human nature, outlining a model that describes a relationship between four of these key human faculties.

Al-Ghazali described the qalb both physically and psychologically, and the ruh as a substance which knows and perceives.

The nafs is the ego that can move across different levels such as the lowest soul which is known as the evil commanding soul (nafs al-ammarah bi su) and can move to a higher level known as the tranquil soul (nafs al-mutmainah).

The aql according to Al-Ghazali plays two important roles-the ability to underOCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 191

stand knowledge and meaning of things.

Though the faculties have their own tasks, ultimately, they function as one entity, developing through different stages in life.

The ruh in particular plays a significant role in a person’s healing and growth due to its tendency to seek growth (Rothman, 2018).

Healing and growth come from knowing and understanding trauma and how much it has affected one’s ruh.

The question arises about what Muslim women need to support their healing journey following DV. Spirituality plays a key role in healing as it provides a coping mechanism and functions as a healing process.

Having total reliance on Allah (tawwakul) guides this process as preliminary research analysis have shown. Interviews indicate that growth occurs as a result of spirituality and a reconnection with Allah through various means such as prayer, meditating upon the Qur’an, daily invocations and tawwakul.

Tawwakul creates a symbiotic relationship with Allah and finding and knowing yourself; ultimately creating a balance. This

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has been key in creating that balance for DV survivors as illustrated by “In your deepest, darkest, covered, and most hurtful parts of your life where no one knows about, understands, or has access to. You can find Allah swt there. Healing you, comforting you, restoring you, from the inside out.”

DV survivors sometimes choose to do their own research to understand what is going on. Having tools and methods that can help in their healing journey means they can self-reflect and use this as a guidance if they are not ready to seek other means of support.

Education and knowledge empower Muslim women during their healing journey, giving them inner strength, and potentially clarity of their own personal journey.

If you would like to participate in this current study, please contact carol.mroue@gmail.com

Have you ever been tested out of the blue by something you never imagined possible?

I have found that this is Allah’s way of making sure we stretch ourselves to the next level!

Prophet Mohammad (s) said: “The people who face the most difficult tests are the prophets, then the righteous, then those following them in degree. A person is tried according to his religion. So if there is firmness in his religion, then the trial is increased, and if there is a weakness, then it is lightened.

Verily a trial remains with a servant until he walks the earth having no sin left upon him.”

[Bukhari].

Tests expose our faults and weaknesses in ourselves—and that awareness enables us to have clarity on where our blind spots have been.

There have been many times when I have been tested out of the blue and through those tests, I became a better version of myself.

About 18 months ago I really felt that I was able to handle all the tests of this Dunyah (world), I had been through so many. I was even arrogant enough to declare to Allah that I could handle this life now, that I was detached from it.

Within less than a week of saying this, I was blind sighted by a test I never expected.

Something I never imagined. I am still going through parts of that test even now, Alhamdolillah.

What I noticed was how each aspect of this test was shining a light on where I was not being the best version of myself. I discovered some pretty dark aspects of my inner self. I had to be squeezed so that I would see it and have the insight needed for me to change for the better.

There were times I didn’t enjoy it at all, felt quite distressed by what I discovered about myself, but in the long run I realised that this was a love letter from Allah, guiding me to being more successful in this life and the next. Inshallah.

This was all possible for me because I have reconnected with my innate well-being, the well-being that is innate and available in every human being. It comes from trusting in Allah (Tawakkul) and knowing that He never burdens us with more than we can bear.

Being able to see that means we are free from all the busy thinking to reflect deeper within ourselves for the answers. To notice what we haven’t been able to see before, our blind spots.

The great thing is that, by definition, once you see them, they are no longer a blind spot anymore.

That’s the first step to a better you!

Kathryn Jones is the CEO and Founder of Back To The Fitrah Mentoring Academy (BackToTheFitrah.com), building emotional and spiritual resilience in the Ummah.

Carol Mroue is currently a PhD student at Charles Sturt University under the Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation and is based in Sydney, Australia.

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Nineteen year old responds to the Lebanese crisis and raises $20k Soukina Kassir It’s not an everyday occurrence that a 19 year old manages to successfully put together a charity organisation all by herself and raise $20,000 in one month for a humanitarian crisis back in her home country.

Narmin Abbas, a 19 year old Australian Lebanese studying construction management at university, while juggling a job at IGA Supermarkets, doesn’t believe that age, occupation or gender should ever be an obstacle to helping others.

“It all started when my cousins and I made a Whatsapp group to help relatives back in her home village,” Narmin narrates. “I saw how much relief we were providing for our village in Lebanon and thought why not do the same for the whole of Lebanon?,” she continues.

Three months later, upon hearing the news of a huge explosion in North Lebanon that killed 31 people and injured many others, Narmin was horrified at the fact that many Lebanese people couldn’t afford or find burn medication and bandages.

“That was the turning point for me. I felt a personal and humanitarian duty to do something, so I decided to set up a non-profit charity page on social media, under the name of HelpLebanon2021, even though many people said it wouldn’t work,” a moved Narmin states.

Surprisingly, her Instagram page did receive a lot of support. Donations from

friends and family started pouring in and her Instagram page gradually gained more and more popularity. In one month, Narmin was able to put together $A20,000 to help people back in Lebanon with basic necessities such as baby formula, fever medication, pain relief medication, sanitary needs, basic food needs and much more.

Narmin was overwhelmed by the support from the community, whether it was friends, family or local businesses like IGA supermarkets that sold her products at cost price, ShoeGrab in Bankstown that donated money, VividWhitening that donated a percentage with every sold teeth-whitening kit, Semilla Skincare that was the first to donate a genrous amount of money, and Islamic Women Counseling that immensely helped in growing the popularity of her initiative.

“I would like to thank all of these businesses for making this initiative come true

and for making it possible to help some very needy and hungry families back in Lebanon,” Narmin gratefully mentions.

“I would also like to thank my “Jedo’ (grandfather) who has always been, and continues to be, a great supporter for my cause” Narmin goes on. “He has supported my cause from day one and this wouldn’t have been possible without his belief in me and his amazing mental support,” Narmin explains with a big smile.

When asked what challenges Narmin faced in putting this together, she mentions that juggling her personal life, education and job was probably the hardest part of all.

“I would have to say this has been the most stressful time of my life,” Narmin tells me and I could sense the honesty in her voice.

“Collaborating with different people here in Australia and back in Lebanon, getting back to messages from people and just managing

the whole thing did indeed put a lot of pressure on me.” she continues. “At one point, I got physically sick,” she tells me.

Another big challenge Narmin points out to me and which many people might overlook is how being involved in such a humanitarian cause has an indirect impact on a person’s mental and emotional health.

“Hearing heartbreaking stories of people back in Lebanon was not easy to take in. I spent many nights awake thinking how badly these people were suffering back there as I lay on my bed in peace,” an emotional Narmin narrates. “It did require a lot of mental strength and I thank God that I was able to mentally bear all of this,” she states.

“What are your plans for the future?,” I ask a bright, optimistic, and hardworking Narmin. “Well, I plan on making things more organised and expanding the cause from a social media platform to a more professional digital form as a website or application. I also plan on creating different food packages like a ‘feed a family for a month’ package. Maybe also particular fundings for particular causes within the organisation,” Narmin illustrates.

“What’s your message for today’s youth?,” I finally ask her. “Be thankful. Be grateful. Thank God for the food you have on your table because there are people who go to bed hungry every night. And when you can, help. Donate, spread awareness, shed light on what’s happening, check on your relatives back home and offer help where needed,” Narmin concludes with a full heart.

Soukina Kassir (Juelliet) is a mum of two, an image consultant and a former instructor (in Lebanon). Charity and non profit work has always been a passion of mine.

Winners and losers in Afghanistan Professor Shahjahan Khan The recent military victory of Taliban (students) against the most powerful army in the world is undoubtedly a remarkable event in the history of mankind. This was the end of the occupation of Afghanistan by foreign forces for twenty years.

The world has witnessed the unceremonious but safe withdrawal of the defeated armies of the US and UK along with their local Afghan Security Forces they had created and trained. As the last act of destruction, the fleeing US soldiers had destroyed huge quantity of military hardware including many aircrafts in the Kabul airport hours before their departure under the watch of Taliban fighters.

While Taliban fighters allowed and helped US soldiers and citizens to leave Afghanistan safely, the US Government froze all the assets of Afghan Government in the USA. However the UN has now called for the release of frozen Afghan assets to avoid total breakdown after UNDP said Afghanistan faces staggering poverty.

Why the USA would freeze the money of another nation whenever the rulers do not obey their orders?

The Taliban, nonconventional fighting militia, mostly educated in traditional religious institutions in Pakistan, originated in Afghanistan to deal with the failure of the Mujahideen led Government that followed the defeat of the Soviet occupying army in 1989 who invaded Afghanistan in 1979.

Although supported by the US and its allies against the Soviet Union, the Mujahideen failed to bring peace and prosperity

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in Afghanistan due to infighting.

Can the Taliban achieve what the Mujahideen and West-backed governments in Kabul could not do for the people of Afghanistan? Every Afghan is worried and watching closely with hope and fear if the future will be better than the past.

They are not pro or anti Taliban, they are sick of fighting for no common good in their sight. But they are happy to see that the war is over, and hope that Taliban will be able to deliver the common good to the helpless people of Afghanistan.

They are equally worried about the past of the Taliban, and hope that the new Taliban will take this opportunity to turn their controversial past into an illuminating future by uniting the people and ensuring their wellbeing.

They also know that this is not any easy and quick task, and require support and participation of all Afghans. Taliban believe, “The stage of bloodshed, killing and contempt for people in Afghanistan has ended, and we have paid dearly for this.”

The early signs of the new Taliban are not so bad as many people thought and predicted. Apart from some isolated and small incidences the overall security management of Taliban was reasonably good. No mass murder, no sporadic killing, no revenge attacks, no celebrations, and no violent reactions.

Instead, the Taliban have declared general amnesty to their former enemies including those who directly fought against them as Afghan Security Forces. They have asked all pubic servants, women included, who served under previous Government to join their duties without any fear or reprisal.

They helped with the safe return of US,

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UK and Australian forces and citizens.

They promised to cooperate with everyone and work for a unity government including various sections of Afghan population and international partners.

These are all good signs and indicative of their adherence to their commitments.

Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan has asked everyone to work with Taliban to achieve inclusive government and save lives from acute shortage of food, medicine and shelter.

As a traditional society, Afghans have a different way and lifestyle, and they should be left with their choice. Like any other people/nation if they are happy with their cultural heritage and way of life which may be different from mine or yours, we should leave them alone as long as they are not imposing their values to others.

If the Taliban are genuine in introducing Islamic system they must not ignore the rights of different sections of the population granted by Allah in the Qur’an and teachings of His last Prophet Mohammad (s).

This includes equal pay for men and women doing the same job, universal education of women and men, women working outside home including law enforcement and defence force.

The world appears to be divided in recognising the new Taliban government in Afghanistan. Countries like Russia and China are already working with Taliban. On the other hand the USA, UK and their allies are asking Taliban for an inclusive government and respect for human right.

Qatar, Turkey and Pakistan are already helping the Afghan Government, and as a neighbour Iran would continue working

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with them. Being a best ally of ousted President Ashraf Ghani, India is yet to decide the type relationship they will have with the Taliban.

The Taliban is already working with all parties in Afghanistan including former Presidents and Prime Ministers installed/ supported by the USA such as Hamid Karzai, Abdullah Abdullah, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and others to form an inclusive government.

Until, an agreement is reached, the Taliban will rule Afghanistan with an Interim Caretaker Government. Afghanistan will be the biggest loser if it’s government engages or tolerates extremism and violence within and outside its borders, and does not work with its neighbours to overcome the crisis.

The main challenge for Taliban Government is to work for the unity of the country by winning the hearts and minds of people, and working with international partners to manage the humanitarian crisis and poverty elimination.

At the same time, in no circumstances, Taliban should allow to grow any radical ideology and violent extremism within and outside Afghanistan. The notion of killing enemies should never be used to kill innocent.

The most powerful countries in the world who attacked and occupied this unconquerable land with the false hope of democracy and development could not simply abandon over 40 million helpless people taking no responsibility other than those few collaborators employed by them.

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.

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Kashmir under military lockdown after freedom fighter dies

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Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

Zia Ahmad Soon after the death of Kashmiri veteran leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani 92, at 10 pm on Wednesday 1 September in Srinagar, the Indian Military forcibly snatched his body at 3 am next morning and buried it in a nearby graveyard denying the family any funeral rites. Since then the BJP government has put the Kashmir valley into strict military lockdown setting up road barricades banning all civil movement and cancelling all communication lines including internet services.

Syed Ali Shah Geelani (29 September 1929 – 1 September 2021) was a popular, and respected Kashmiri leader who devoted his life advocating for the self determination of Kashmiris without compromising with the Indian occupation authorities.

He was previously a member of Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir and later founded Tehreek-e-Hurriyat serving as the chairman of All Parties Hurriyat Conference, a coalition of organisations seeking plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir.

Born in Baramulla, North Kashmir and educated at Oriental College in Lahore, he was an MLA from the Sopore constituency of Jammu and Kashmir in 1972, 1977 and in 1987.

He was in ailing health for the last few years and under house arrest for the past 11 years with restriction on his movement and communication put on by the Modi government.

Geelani has two sons; Nayeem and Naseem, and four daughters; Anisha, Farhat Jabeen, Zamshida, and Chamshida. Nayeem and his wife are both practicing doctors while Naseem works at an agricultural

university in Srinagar. Farhat is a teacher in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and her husband is an engineer there.

His cousin Ghulam Nabi Fai currently in London and has been actively working for the self determination for Kashmiris in the West.

On 29 November 2010, Geelani, along with writer Arundhati Roy, activist Varavara Rao and three others, was charged for sedition carrying a maximum sentence of life imprisonment as the result of a self-titled seminar they gave in New Delhi, “Azadi-the Only Way” on 21 October 2010.

Human rights violation in India and Bangladesh: Striking similarities Dr Faroque Amin Syed Ali Shah Geelani, an iconic Islamic and resistance leader of Kashmir, passed away on the night of Wednesday 1 September 2021 at the age of 92. As soon as the news of his death spread, the Indian authority blocked the internet and mobile communication and barred all media from covering the events. At 3 am, police entered his house, engaged in an altercation with his grieving family members and forcefully snatched his dead body.

Geelani’s family members wanted to wait till morning to organise the funeral prayer and bury him at the central martyr’s graveyard in Srinagar city. However, police quickly buried his dead body in a local graveyard at 4 am where even his sons and other family members were not allowed to attend a funeral prayer.

The way the Indian authorities dealt with the dead body of this Jamaat-e-Islami Kashmir and Hurriyat leader in Kashmir has an incredible similarity with how the Bangladesh government dealt with the dead bodies of the Jamaat leaders in Bangladesh.

Abdul Quader Molla, a Bangladeshi Islamic leader, was executed in prison on 12 December 2013. That night, Bangladeshi police quickly took his dead body to his village and buried him before sunrise.

Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, another Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leader, was also executed by hanging at Dhaka Central Police taking Mir Quasem Ali’s dead body to bury him at 3 am under harsh security

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Geelani delivering speech during a 2015 protest.

Jail on 11 April 2015 and precisely in a similar fashion, police took his dead body to

his village. They buried him before sunrise where most of the family members were not allowed to join the funeral prayer.

Mir Quasem Ali was executed on 3 September 2016 and buried at 3 am under tight security measures. He expressed his last wish that his funeral prayer would be led by his son Barrister Mir Ahmed Bin Quasem Arman. However, the Bangaldeshi security forces abducted Mir Ahmad about a month earlier on 9 August 2016, and since then, he has been one of the victims of enforced disappearances in Bangladesh.

Funeral prayers of the other executed Jamaat leaders in Bangladesh, such as Motiur Rahman Nizami and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, were also harshly controlled by the police, and since it was after sunrise when their bodies reached their villages, people joined their funeral prayers in great numbers despite all restrictions and adversities.

All these Jamaat leaders were victims

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of judicial killing through a sham tribunal, questioned and condemned by many international organisations.

Bangladesh is a Muslim majority country where the government treated the dead bodies of the democratic Islamist leaders in a way similar to the Hindu majority Indian government’s treatment of the dead body of another democratic Islamist leader there.

This has clearly demonstrated that the democratic struggle of the people in both countries is more of a political nature than religious. The regimes in both countries are occupying power by manipulating weak democracy, and both extremist governments are violating people’s rights with striking resemblance.

Dr Faroque Amin works with Suprovat Sydney, a Bengali community newspaper published from Sydney, Australia.

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EDUCATION International Conference on Hindutva extremism NEWS 1-3

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Zahid Jamil There has been keen interest among Indians around the world in an unprecedented online international conference titled ‘Dismantling Global Hindutva’ held on 10-12 September 2021.

The rise of Hindutva, an extreme right-wing ideology has became a major concern for among Indian diaspora around the world that led to the initiative of holding the conference which brought together leading scholars in South Asian Studies and public/political commentators from around the world.

The conference was backed by over 50 departments and Centers from 41 universities including Stanford, Harvard, Princeton, Chicago, Berkeley, other Western universities as well as several leading academics from India. There were more than 70 co-sponsoring entities from 53 universities and received a letter of support from over 900 academics across the world.

Most of the panelists were Indian academics serving in reputable institutions across the globe. It is interesting to note that most of the presenters were Hindus, most willing to speak up against fascist forces overtaking India under the BJP government led by PM Modi.

The conference discussed a variety of

interlinked subjects to address the threat and power of Hindutva. They investigated the historical development of Hindutva, the fascist dimensions of the ideology, its alignment with other right wing supremacist movements and the threat it poses to a range of social, political, religious and economic issues.

They also looked into it as a creed which has spread in the Indian diaspora, resulting in the financial support which flows to the Hindutva political allies and affiliates in India. Speakers expressed concern on how conservative populism transformed itself into ultra nationalism leading to the emergence authoritarian governance in India.

Gyan Prakash, Professor of History at Princeton University, Christopher Jaffrelot,

Professor of Indian Politics and Sociology at Kings college London, famous activist from Chennai Meena Kandasamy explained the phenomenon of global Hindutva and how it poses threats to minorities, in particular Muslims in India.

The Hindutva fake news propaganda, which has become a tool for inciting Hindu sentiments, was exposed by freelance journalist Cyril Sam and Salil Tripathi, the editor at Mint and at Caravan in India who has written extensively in international magazines including The Wall Street Journal, The International Herald Tribune, The Washington Post and The New York Times.

The speakers also defended Hindu faith as a religion which propagated non-violence, justice, truth and how it was different to

Meena Kandasamy & Jyotsna Kapur.

Salil Tripathi.

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violent and fascist philosophy of Hindutva.

They emphasized the distinction between “Hindutva” and “Hinduism”.

Hindutva being a political philosophy inspired by European fascism of the early twentieth century that aims to alter the constitutional order of India and to diminish India’s credentials as a secular and plural democracy by establishing an exclusive Hindu rashtra.

Demetrius Eudell, Professor and Chair of History at Wesleyan University and Anjali Arondekar, Associate Professor at Centre for South Asian Studies, UC Santa Cruz gave a fine presentation on Islamophobia, White supremacy and Hindutva.

Other subjects covered at the conference included the political economy of Hindutva , mishandling of the COVID-19 pandemic, including campaign against Muslims in the capital New Delhi itself.

Speakers exposed Hindutva followers using conspiracy theories against scientific medicine thus posing threat to healthcare healthcare and the way they use rape and fear as a weapon to exploit politics and the contours of the nation.

India has experienced aggressive crackdown on all forms of democratic dissent over past few years. Many journalists and human right activists who have advocated for marginalised communities have been sent to jails without trials.

The conference organisers felt the need to develop a comprehensive understanding of Hindutva and its global implications through its constant effort of involving the large Indian diaspora and its potential for building links with other supremacist ideologies in US and other Western countries.

The conference concluded that a global effort is needed to counter Hindutava idelology and empower the groups who are determined to challenge them in an effort to return India to its glory as a tolerant nation where minorities also prosper and live in peace without discrimination free from oppression.

Zahid Jamil is an engineering post graduate from Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and runs a financial planning practice based in Sydney. He heads South Asian Muslim Association of Australia, SAMAA: samaa.org.au.

Panic in Hindutva circles over an academic conference

Dr Aslam Abdullah

The three-day conference on Dismantling Hindutva created unprecedented anger and panic in Hindutva ranks in India and overseas, so much so that its leading advocates, the RSS, the BJP, the VHP, and the Bajrang Dal, used all the possible techniques to intimidate and shut down participating scholars. They threatened to kill, rape, and harm their children.

They approached universities, deans of faculties, and provosts to get them fired, and they tried to convince people that scholars, 80 percent of whom came from the Hindu faith, were anti-Hindus. Furthermore, they even called the event ISI or CIA or MI5 sponsored.

Why were they in a state of panic and angry?

They were afraid of being exposed by those who devoted their resources to study Hindutva past, present, and future designs.

They were fearful of losing their image in the West, where they have been trying to project themselves as a peaceful, pluralistic, and democracy-loving community.

Truly the scholars, risking their lives and

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careers, exposed them completely.

Hindutva is a hyena in the clothes of a sheep. Its philosophy is hate towards all those who do not subscribe to its ideas.

Its methodology to impose its ideology is through intimidation, violence, and lynching. Its source of strength is social media, whose platform it has purchased or bribed heavily.

Its allies are mainly Gujarati businessmen, who reportedly finance violence and hate in an organized manner through financial resources. Its protectors in the USA and Europe are Indian embassies that promote Hindutva instead of India. Its defenders in India are police officials, bureaucracy, judiciary, and the army that is more loyal to Hindutva than India.

India is not Hindu and was never Hindu.

Instead, the upper castes focussed on India’s composite culture, including animists, atheists, agnostics, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs, Christians, Jews, and Muslims. They created a theology where everyone else was untouchable, impure, and profane and based on their self-proclaimed scriptural authority, determined the eternal status of others.

Hindutva never mentions the persecution of those assigned to lower caste status by the upper castes. Its hatred towards Muslims and Christians is well known and documented. Moreover, it denies the right to Indians to choose a religion of their own. The choic-

AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIMES

es millions of Indians made in the past to become Buddhists, Christians, Sikhs, and Muslims are seen as a betrayal of the supremacy of the upper castes.

Hindutva is a misogynist ideology that views women as commodities. The rapes of Muslims and the so-called lower castes are tools in their hands to degrade women.

Above all, Global Hindutva’s hypocrisy in having two standards of human rights and democracy in India and the West speak of its demonic designs. While it seeks equality in the West, it finances inequality and violence against Muslims and the lower castes in India.

Hindutva has a strong presence through HSS and other similar outfits who breed hatred of minorities amongst mainstream Hindus. They practice caste inequalities and their businesses finance violence and terror groups in India.

For all these reasons mentioned above,

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the hate-filled Hindutva groups in India, through their contacts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and google, orchestrated a campaign against the conference. They directly attacked the first amendment, a rejection of the US Constitution that allows freedom of expression.

Their betrayal of the constitution means they are least concerned about values and founding principles in US. In their attempt to impose their hateful ideology, Hindutva can go to any length.

Dr Aslam Abdullah is a resident scholar at Islamicity.org. He is also the editor of the Muslim Observer published from Detroit, MI, USA. He is based in the USA and is a trustee of the American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin. He has taught at several colleges and universities in India, England, and the USA. ISSUE 191 / OCTOBER 2021

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BUSINESS

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Working from home Small businesses A good outcome must catch up with from COVID-19 IT management Muhammed Eryegit

FINANCE Dr Abul Jalaluddin The lockdowns due to COVID-19 pandemic are continuously forcing employers and employees to experiment working from home. The Productivity Commission (PC) released its major report on “Working from home” on 16 September 2021 and found that working from home just one day a week saves the equivalent of seven working days in travel time and $394 in public transport costs over a year.

As productivity hasn’t decreased, working from home is a good innovation from this pandemic.

In fact, working from home is not new in the industrial relations history of the world.

Prior to the Industrial Revolution, most people worked from home in agriculture and as skilled artisans in their enterprises of textiles, painted ceramics and leather goods.

The rise of the factory system and then invent of offices led the historic shift from home to central workplace. This was supported by affordable cost of travel for work via public transport system.

In 2019, around 8% of Australian employees had a formal work from home arrangement with their employers. According to the census in 2016, only 5% of employees worked from home instead of commuting to workplace on the Census Day. Although the technology allowing many people to work from home has been available, the rate of take up was very low prior to the pandemic of Covid-19.

The PC report found that approximately 40% of Australian employees are working from home in the past two years. This phenomenon is expected to continue even after the pandemic ends. In the future, many more employees and employers are expected to negotiate working from home arrangements and some people might even take a pay cut to remain in their home offices due to savings in travel time and transport cost.

Employers are likely to allow employees to split their time between office and home under the, now dubbed, hybrid model.

The downsides of working from home are found to include a worsening physical and mental health due to less incidental exercise, increased isolation and having no boundaries between home and work life.

This could result in deteriorating social well-being and hence, requiring greater reOCTOBER 2021 / ISSUE 191

sources from government coffers.

Working from home is not for everyone in the community. Census data from 2016 shows that around 35% of workers had jobs that were amenable to working from home.

These jobs would involve office-based employees such as managers, professionals and administrative officers, where employees use computers, interact less with the public, do not perform outdoor work or physical activity, and do not work with immovable structures, materials or equipment. Working from home mostly suits full-time employees with higher education and income.

Most Australian employees want to work from home, at least some of the time. The PC found approximately 75% of employees consider that they were at least as productive working from home as from the office. The primary benefit is to avoid daily commute to work. In Sydney, the mean commute per day is almost 75 minutes while in Melbourne it is almost 70 minutes. On the contrary, there are actual or perceived costs to working from home, including reduced opportunities for team-work, networking, face to face interaction and possible consequences for long-term career prospects.

Employers are largely concerned with the actual or perceived productivity and costs of working from home. These possibly comprise of an increase in co-ordination costs, reduction in serendipitous interactions and knowledge-sharing. Companies may be able to realise office rent savings, although they may have been locked into long-term leases and reluctant to relinquish office space in this intertemporal situation.

The Australian Work Health and Safety (WH&S) system is relevant in working from home. This system is designed to protect the health, safety and welfare of all workers and others in relation to workplaces and work activities. The WH&S laws are relatively broad and principle-based which are a joint responsibility of employers and employees.

This responsibility applies wherever work is carried out, including in the home.

The community stands to potentially achieve overall gains in working from home. Hence, there is a strong case to allow employees and employers to negotiate mutually beneficial outcomes through individual contracts and agency agreements. It is therefore appropriate for the government to continuously monitor labour market and regulatory settings to ensure the safety and protection of employees and employers.

As the world continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, it is becoming more essential than ever before for businesses of all sizes to adopt tools and utilities that help enable their employees to work efficiently from home.

This raises many new challenges both in the technological front as well as human resources. Many businesses have stayed stagnant in progress and integration of Tech facilities and utensils when it comes to business functionality and operations.

As of 1 July 2019, the ATO reports that 98.45% of businesses are accounted for by small businesses where many of these small businesses are accustomed to find their productivity until now through tremendous amounts of human input and live managerial interference to keep the “wheels spinning”.

Many businesses have found themselves shellshocked and unable to cater to the demands of a work from home economic environment.

In the modern era we now are privileged with the commodity of high-speed internet and with such, business technological trailblazing must follow.

Many businesses today are challenged with long overdue upgrades to their IT infrastructure as well as maintenance that is well and truly past their indicated due date in years.

Businesses today that are spearheading progress find themselves in need of a modern-day technological partner. With industry knowledge and an architectural understanding of the things that are required many businesses are moving their tech needs to trusted, reliable IT Managed Service providers.

Through the right IT management, businesses are able to run their documents over the cloud and in some cases even adopt fully

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browser-based management tools and operations, completely unlocking their human resources allowing work possible from anywhere the internet is available, essentially setting themselves free.

Business have been struck with emergency lockdowns, unprepared and unaware of a better way, finding themselves in a last-minute effort to transport complete workstations to employees homes as they feel there is no other way to access their tools, leading many businesses to the conclusion of physically relocating devices of essential employees to maintain any operations in those times of crisis.

As technology advances so does the methodology of IT management and the delivery thereof. Businesses that are well equipped with modern day cloud services and browser-based operational utilities have a significant advantage and can fend off those stressful times of uncertainty.

Through the right IT Support team or Managed Services Provider businesses are better off, freeing themselves and finding the ability to focus on their human challenges that arise from having employees working from home.

Thus enabling businesses to manage and assist their staff actively as if they were in a physical office.

At LayerTwo Technology, the team has many years of industry leading expertise in network engineering and IT management infrastructure and integration. Through cutting-edge methodology, they facilitate such services and management possibilities to their respective clientele.

Having an IT MSP in the modern day on your team, equates to having a tech-partner sit on the same side of the table. Fine tuning and really understanding technological stress points to better address businesses tech demands and needs.

Muhammed specialises in Business IT solutions for Australian small businesses. He’s the Head of customer relations for LayerTwo. Muhammed is born and raised in Melbourne’s highly diverse western suburbs.

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

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BOOMERANG 4-7

COMMUNITY 8 - 11

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KIDS DEEN TIMES 5 Pillars of Islam Drawings

Keeping What is a promise in Islam? a promise Momina Ali

Eshaal Adeel Keeping a promise is very important because breaking a promise is called lying and it is very bad.

Shatan always lies, if someone has asked you to keep a promise, we should not break their trust.

Eshaal Adeel is a grade 3 student at CS school Ontario Toronto Canada.

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When we make a promise it is highly important we see it through . If we don’t it can raise feeling of uncertainty , distrust and conflict .

Islam strongly encourages us to be honorable people by keeping our promises . It is strongly disliked by Allah SWT when one makes a promise loosely , or with intentions of breaking it .

By nature , the child expects that promises will be kept . When the parents fulfill their small promises the child gets trained in this important aspect of life . But if they take their small promises lightly and neglect them , the child takes the negative ex-

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ample and develops the habit of breaking his word .

So we should never break our promises , cause you to hurt other person , even if you

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did not break it on purpose .

Momina Ali is 9 years of age and from Sydney Australia.

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Social Spotlights

AMUST

Amani Haydar

AMUST

@amustnews Vaccination certificate against pandemic in Ottoman Empire during the period of Sultan Abdulhamid II in 1908/1326 AH: It is a brilliant piece of history. Record keeping and the meticulous health system behind it.

Seal: Abdulhamid Han bin Abdulmecid el-muzaffer dâima.

Serial number: / Vaccination certificate Name: Ismail efendi Years: 10 Father’s name: Mehmed Aga Profession of parent: Carriage Religion: Islam City: Istanbul Apartments: 17 County: Üsküdar Name of neighborhood: Tûnusba Street: Edhem Pasha House number: 44 voluntarily and without imposition, the person in question was vaccinated for the second time for protection from the pandemic and this certificate was handed over on October 13, 1326 h.

Islamic Museum of Australia

@islamicmuseumaustralia Our new CEO, Nesreen Bottriell, has officially started at the IMA. She has already imbued her position with an exciting, committed and optimistic energy, and we look forward to seeing the IMA soar under her experienced leadership.

We thank our Founder & Director @moustafa_fahour OAM who has led the team in the interim period including the challenging and unpredictable times brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

@amanihaydar

Honoured to be receiving the 2021 @utslaw Alumni Award at a virtual awards ceremony this evening. I had an empowering and enriching university experience so this means a lot to me. Thank you UTS, I really appreciate the acknowledgement as do my kids who sneakily ate all the chocolate from my gift hamper (including the dark block) while I was fast asleep the other day!

Also a big thank you to my beautiful, funny, supportive, friend @imakimbo who nominated me by surprise Image description: 1. A black graphic with my photo in the top right corner. The text reads ‘Winner. Amani Haydar/ UTS Alumni Award’ 2. A wooden box with two packs of chocolates, a can of tea, a keep cup and a bag of coffee beans in it.

Academy Alive

@AcademyAlive

Muslim Women Australia

@MuslimWomenAustralia

Stephanie Kurlow

@stephanie.kurlow.official You may have seen this campaign with The Sydney Morning Herald of me floating around Australia the past few months!

If you had told little 14 year old me that this photo taken in my backyard would be on billboards and buses, I wouldn’t have believed you. <3

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Congratulations Hajeh Maha, you are and always will be our hero Today we are so proud to announce that our very own Hajeh Maha Abdo Krayem OAM is the inaugural winner of the Committee for Sydney’s Unsung Hero Award.

The Unsung Hero Award is designed to recognise people who go under the radar and celebrate their selfless acts to improve our city and our community.

Thank you for making our city a better place

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Academy Alive was honoured to be a part of the Queensland Parliament Multi-Faith Prayer Service on the 1st of September.

Imam AbdurRaheem Haase spoke about the importance of the role that each individual plays in ensuring that each of us are fulfilling our responsibilities as leaders, whether this is leadership of ourselves, or others we engage with.

We were inspired to see many leaders of different faiths come together as a community to pray for our elected leadership, especially for their strength and wisdom. Academy Alive values these events as a means of nurturing relationships, strengthening connections and fostering understanding between faiths.

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NEWS 1-3

BOOMERANG 4-7

COMMUNITY 8 - 11

FEATURE 12 - 13

The Real Truth Behind COVID-19 & Vaccines COVID is deadly It should not be forgotten that COVID is a deadly and highly contagious virus, which has already taken the lives of many in the community and caused significant economic harm to people’s livelihoods. Dealing with this is imperative from a moral and material point of view.

What's in the Pfizer vaccine?

There's nothing to be worried about. The vaccine contains Oil, Sugar, Water, Salt and mRNA. That doesn't sound scary, does it? Wait, but what is mRNA?! This is the active ingredient. The only active ingredient, actually. This is where a code for part of the genetic material for the virus is stored. The mRNA will assist in teaching your own body how to develop an immune response to the COVID-19 virus. But rest assured, it’s not a live part of the virus. It’s more like a set of instructions. That's it! There's nothing else that is scary, haram or harmful.

Is the Vaccine Safe?

Vaccines are among the most utilised medications in the world, ranking alongside tablets like Paracetamol. This is because so many people have taken them that any problems would have become apparent long ago.

Do I have a responsibility to others to take the vaccine?

The more people who are vaccinated, the better control we will have over the epidemic. This way, we take good care of each other and of people who are at a higher risk of becoming severely ill from COVID-19.

Do the vaccines contain any haram products or foetal cells?

None of the currently available vaccines contain gelatine or any animal products. This has been independently verified by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency. No vaccine contains foetal cells. Most vaccines need to be carried into the body using a harmless virus. These carrier viruses for vaccines need to grow in cells – whether animal or human: this is part of the process of their production. However, a cell is hundreds of times the size of a virus, so it is impossible for a cell to be in a virus. In the final production of the vaccine, there are no cells of any kind remaining.

Is the vaccine halal?

"Based on what was conveyed by the trusted Muslim doctors and medical experts, the vaccine for the Coronavirus (COVID-19) is permissible according to the Islamic law as there is no known religious harm attributed to being vaccinated nor does it contain any forbidden substances. The vaccine will be considered necessary if there is any possible risk of harm to other humans due to non-vaccination. There is a religious obligation to preserve human life that has been honoured

by Allah the Almighty. And Allah Knows better." - Australian National Imams Council

Are people taking the vaccine?

In Australia, 10.8M people, 52.6% of the population are fully vaccinated, 26.4M doses are given. Most people have taken the second dose and soon the majority will be vaccinated, so get onto it.

Read more about COVID-19 and the vaccine at tinyurl.com/amustoncovid

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Does the vaccine cause infertility?

The theory that COVID-19 vaccines cause infertility is based on the disproven idea that one of the spike proteins in COVID-19 and the Syncytin-1 protein (which help placenta development) are the same. They are not. There is currently no evidence that antibodies formed from COVID-19 vaccination cause any problems with pregnancy, including the development of the placenta. In addition, there is no evidence suggesting that fertility problems are a side effect of ANY vaccine.

Can the vaccine change my DNA or allow tracking?

The idea of introducing genetic material to the body might sound strange, but it is a fact of human life that we are exposed to RNA and DNA from foreign bodies all the time – viruses, other pathogens and even the food we eat. Neither vaccine type appears to affect the DNA inside our cells, nor have any vaccines (which have been around for decades) been shown to affect human DNA.

Do all medical professionals share the same opinion about the vaccine?

Vaccines have prevented over ten million deaths since the 1960’s alone, and are among the safest of all medications ever produced.

Most doctors are not specialists in vaccines, and take their medical information from trusted experts and evidence in the medical literature to decide whether a new medication has benefits which outweigh its possible risks. In the context of COVID-19 vaccinations, medical experts in virology and vaccines, and who are involved in COVID-19 research, have clearly stated that the benefits of these vaccinations far outweigh their risks.

Keep up to date with the latest COVID-19 and lockdown updates at health.gov.au

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ISSUE 191 / OCTOBER 2021