42 minute read
September 2022, assuring the Muslim community to counter Islamophobia and religious vilification in NSW.
by AMUST
Celebrating Eid while reflecting on sacrifice and gratitude
Imaan Ashraf
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An Eid meet and greet event was held on Sunday 7 August 2022 at James Cook University (JCU), Townsville.
It was a joint event was organised by Muslim Student Association (JCU MSA ) along with the Australian Islamic Medical Association (AIMA) and Islamic Medical Association of Queensland (IMAQ)
Eid is a time to celebrate and enjoy with family and friends, but how often are we reminded to reflect upon the significance of the sacrifice in Prophet Ibrahim’s (a) life and think about the importance we give Allah in our own.
This event was open to students from all faculties of JCU including medicine, IT, those pursuing PhD’s and from varied ethnic backgrounds.
The event was addressed by 2 speakers, Dr Usama Shahid from the Townsville University Hospital and Dr Omer Shareef, Vice President of IMAQ.
Dr Usama’s talk began with a wakeup call from Surah Hadid: “Has the time not yet
Blue Grey Mountains With City In Front
Fazlul Huq
come for the believers’ hearts to be humbled at the remembrance of Allah…” (Quran 57:16)
This one ayah debased all my excuses like: ‘once I get into Uni I’ll have more time for my spiritual needs’, ‘once these exams finish, I’ll listen to more Islamic lectures’ or ‘once I’m stable in my job I’ll go back to Hifz’.
But the reality is that life will not pause for you to come back to Allah, there will always be something pulling you back, convincing you that Allah can wait but the dunya cannot.
Every decision we make is an active choice between this life and the next; between what we want and what Allah wants.
Although it’s hard to wake up for my 7am compulsory classes, I’ll never miss any because of the consequences. So why is it that some mornings I must battle and struggle with myself to wake up for Fajr?
I understand the consequences are much greater than missing a class, yet I’m comparatively lenient with myself. We work day and night for our worldly goals while stressing we aren’t doing enough, but congratulate ourselves for the bare minimum for Islam.
Dr Shareef shared from Surah Najm: Each of you will only be left with your efforts. So, what greater comfort could there be that there are no outcomes required of us, except our heartfelt efforts.
There were also takeaways on the benefits of being content and expressing gratitude.
The most beloved of deeds to Allah are those that are most consistent, even if they are small. (Bukhari).
In light of this, the MSA members began planning a fortnightly meetup to explore the Prophet’s (s) life and learn how to apply his examples in the modern way to strive for continual progression and improvement as Australian Muslims.
Overall, it was a night filled with food and laughter, but also advice from Dr Usama Shahid and Dr Omar Shareef who spoke about life lessons to take away from Eid-ulAdha.
Imaan Ashraf is a fourth-year medical student at James Cook University in Queensland, where she is the Academic Representative for her cohort and an executive member of the JCU Muslim Students Association.
Edhi Foundation joined Gallery One62 to raise funds for flood relief in Pakistan
Ranges of Rocky Mountains covered with ridges and dents extended towards the right and left are found to be hued in blue and grey mixed with tint of pink.
When distant mountains so much more gained in height are seen to have the cover of snow and ice.
As mountains held at low have also patches of white over the slanting face, valley like lows and the high mounts.
While land in front so even and flat is seen to have the city in place abounding in high rise dressed in white.
As other dwellings lacking in height scattered over body of the plain also have the hue mostly made in white.
While city edge right in front is seen to have in place extended bush dressed in green and gold.
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.
Shafqat Ali
Edhi Foundation and Gallery One62 both together organised an exhibition for Pakistan flood relief held earlier in September at the Gallery One62 premises in Auburn.
Many local artists including Zahid Ahmed, Ayesha Gillani, and many other peoples showcased their artwork at the event.
There were all sorts of paintings featuring Pakistani culture and also this was aimed to raise funds. Gallery One62 exhibited the pencil as well as sketch artworks of local artists, concern for humanity as well as calligraphy.
Edhi Sahib said, “No religion is higher than humanity”.
A number of patrons bought the artworks and the funds were donated to Pakistan flood relief.
If you are an artist and associated with art, you can also donate your artwork where the funds from sales will be donated to Pakistan flood relief.
The community members thanked artists who contributed to the exhibition including Zahid Ahmed, Ayesha Gillani, Jugni, Waqeea Chaudhry, Umar Ahmed, Mahrukh, Shahid Malik and many others.
There are some paintings available for purchase from Gallery One62, 162 Parramatta Road, Auburn, NSW 2144 .
For more details please Contact Shahid Malik: 0418 461 768, Hamid Khan: 0408 574 266.
Hamid Khan represents the Edhi Foundation while Shahid Malik manages Gallery One62.
Recognition for ICNSW volunteers
Elias Attia
The Islamic Council of New South Wales (ICNSW) held its inaugural volunteers lunch on Saturday 3 September 2022 in Bankstown kicking off its Islamic Awareness Month campaign in September, mobilising communities and volunteers to address Islamophobia in the community.
Community volunteers and workers are the backbone of our efforts. They work tirelessly on a regular basis and sometimes with limited resources of their own. They have incredible stories, networks and ideas about how we move our community forward.
The event provided an opportunity for volunteers to network with each other, learn about other volunteering opportunities and why their efforts were critically important to the Muslim community.
ICNSW’s long term objective is to make volunteerism a pathway to personal and professional development.
The event proved emotional for many volunteers. Following two years of COVID-19 disruptions, a recognition event was long overdue. Over 60 letters and feedback forms were received by ICNSW over the following days requesting more opportunities to get involved.
The event provided an opportunity to showcase what ICNSW has been able to achieve through its volunteers.
The majority of the attendees were teaching ICNSW’s Islamic Special Religious Education (ISRE) programs in NSW public schools. The program currently teaches 28,000 students each week through 540 volunteers working across over 300 schools.
With no government funding, ICNSW relies on donations, occasionally a contribution from a major sponsor, and the generosity of its volunteers.
“Many people don’t know what the Islamic Council of NSW does,” Said Khaled Sukkarieh, ICNSW Chairperson. “This event highlighted the important work of our volunteers that often goes unrecognised.”
Sister Megan wrote about her experiences volunteering as an ISRE teacher and the positive impact it is having on the students and the supervising teacher:
“Firstly, thank you for organising such a successful event to celebrate, inspire and encourage the community leaders, members, existent (and future) volunteers. It was fantastic to have the opportunity to meet other volunteers and hear their experiences and listen to such speeches that moved me to tears and cemented in my heart that I am where I am meant to be.” ICNSW was represented through its volunteer board, chaplains and ISRE teachers. Volunteers from other organisations attended. Around 180 attended the event.
Since my appointment as its CEO in 2021, I have been overseeing ICNSW’s post COVID-19 recovery effort.
A volunteer recognition event was one of the first events suggested by our ISRE supervisors. They’ve got their hands full, helping communities cope with trauma caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns of Western Sydney.
The least ICNSW could do is say “Thank you!”
Muslim men discuss domestic violence
Alia Sarfraz
“Domestic Violence is no longer an unaddressed phenomenon. Controversy is never far away from this topic. Culture wars, gender wars and the far right with the far left is all of what we have to deal with.” The podcast hosted by Faraz Nomani intended to discuss Muslim men’s perspective: they were the unheard voices in the situation.
The podcast opened to feature a true life story of a sister whose husband had been regularly absent from home and the COVID-19 lockdown made a situation become unbearable until her husband revealed that he had a second wife and the situation with his first wife had become unbearable. He now wanted out.
The sister had to unpack and leave with her two children who appeared to be under the age of ten. She had nowhere to go. She called another sister who asked her to call National Zakat Foundation. They were able to assist.
Shocking but also drawing the sisters in and showing a possible female perspective, it appeared to be a clip to highlight the work of the National Zakat Foundation.
Two young sheikhs in the community were able to join in and offer their viewpoints at this juncture. They were Sheikh Jamal-ud-din El-Kiki from the Lebanese Muslim Association who often deals with husband and wife reconciliation matters and Sheikh Mohammad Trad who is the Imam at Zetland Mosque and works for AFIC.
They both do not uniquely see domestic violence as a Muslim specific issue as it affects all communities. Coming out of lockdown has had residual effects and traumas especially within Muslim communities. Where there are cases of injustice, they normally involve some level of trauma which is why they recommends healing.
Sheikh Trad went on to talk about physical abuse and psychological abuse attributed to socioeconomic factors and he feels that branding of this issue as being associated with Islam is not right.
Faraz infers that a lot of brothers feel that they get labelled as an instigator.
Sheikh Jamal says that he deals with a lot of men who have the mentality that, “he has to teach her a lesson or she deserved it.”
Sheikh Trad went on to address, “toxic masculinity,” and how the times affect the understanding of this.
Toxic Masculinity is condemnable aggressive behaviour and it is not in line with Islamic teachings.
They quoted the hadith, “the best of you is the one who is best to his family (especially the wife).”
Sheikh Jamal also cautioned against throwing around of labels, “misogynist,”” narcissist.”
“The alpha male notion is not found in the Seerah,” said Sheikh Jamal.
Sheikh Trad warns of boasting in company, “my husband only does what I tell him, “or “she only ever has to listen to me” type mentality. No one knows behind closed doors.
We need to be quiet in community about personal matters and submit to Allah first. One of the tensions between men and women is the sense of individualism. Marriage is supposed to be about softness.
Questions from the audience included the showing of emotions for a male. Sheikh Jamal responded with the Prophet (s) being able to readily show his emotion.
“Bravery and courage is recommended in Islam with Haqq (truth),” said Sheikh Trad.
Though the topic was domestic violence, most of what was discussed was relationship dynamics between married couples. Gender roles, feminism, past traumas, narcissism and societal expectations.
Spiritual abuse was also touched upon. Issues of conflicts with religion and the need to prove oneself right for the court and fighting for the kids is where matters become more complex and where Muslim men feel unheard in marriage breakdown.
Men abusing to try to take advantage was when it was brave for a man to confront the issue head-on. Is this all about power dynamics?
The host’s conclusion: masculinity was set as an example by the Prophet Mohmmad (s). Who could argue with that? Where there is harm, there should be no further harm.
While some of this is difficult to apply, these are messages that are important for everyone. The overall tone was wanting relationships to thrive.
It was a positive message set forth by these brothers.
There are many takeaways from the topic which could apply to any relationship dynamic. The conversational dynamic and the diverse backgrounds of the panel were refreshing.
It was good to see young, informed Muslim men who are open to listening to all sides of a story.
AUSTRALIA 15 - 16 Boushra Elkheir wins Premier’s award
AMUST Media
Boushra Elkheir won the Alan Knight Student Award at the annual Premier’s Multicultural Communications Awards (PMCA 2022) held in Sydney on Thursday 8 September.
Boushra Elkheir at the Premier’s Multicultural Communications Awards.
The UTS student won the award for an observational documentary she produced during Sydney’s 2021 lockdown.
Her documentary, How the West Was Lost, provides an exclusive insight into the day-to-day activities of Western Sydney residents who faced the harshest Covid-related restrictions across Greater Sydney.
By showcasing the story through her family, Boushra drew upon the Tale of Two Sydney’s by comparing the state government’s handling of the pandemic in Western Sydney and how it differed with the city’s more affluent eastern and northern suburbs.
Boushra Elkheir, a fourth year Law and Journalism student, produced the 25-minute video as part of her capstone Journalism assignment and was mentored by Dr Helen Vatsikopoulos.
The 21-year-old felt the need to dedicate her assignment to raise awareness about her community’s struggles because she believed that “our voices were not being heard”.
“We had police tackling people to the
Boushra Elkheir (centre) at the Premier’s Multicultural Communications Awards.
floor for not wearing masks whereas in the eastern suburbs, police were turning a blind eye to the thousands of people flocking to the beaches.”
“We really felt like second-class citizens for simply living in Western Sydney,” she said.
The fourth-year student was presented the award by UTS academic Dr Kathy Egea, the wife of the late Alan Knight, who was the former head of journalism at UTS.
The award ceremony, held at the Sydney Theatre Company at Dawes Point, was attended by the Premier of NSW, Dominic Perrottet and Minister for Multiculturalism, Mark Coure.
“I’ve been in parliament for 11 years and with my background I didn’t really have a great appreciation until very recently of the importance of multicultural media and communications,” Mr Perrottet told the audience.
“I saw firsthand the role multicultural communications had by providing key health messages to communities right across our state. And the work that many of you here in this room did, I believe, had a lasting impact that we should never forget.”
Corporate groups visit Brothers in Need
Dean Mousad
Brothers in Need has recently been hosting corporate groups in their programs, as part of their employers’ allocation of volunteering hours.
One group who attended in late August was the Microsoft team. They had a tour of the Brothers in Need headquarters and packed non-perishables/toiletries into bags, and plan to distribute them at Martin Place in October 2022.
Brothers in Need is a Muslim not-forprofit organisation which was established in 2015. It acts as a family for Australia’s forgotten and aims to transform Australian community one life at a time.
Its largest focus is to assist the homeless community, refugees and asylum seekers.
Other groups which participated in the Warehouse programs and other programs include Salesforce, Clifford-Chance and Piety Group.
Salesforce and Piety Group attended the Soup Kitchen, whilst Clifford-chance did the packing activity.
The Piety Group’s Soup Kitchen event can be viewed in this video: https://tinyurl.com/keys6ayz
Dahlia, an administration assistant made the following comments re these visits:
“They came to our headquarters in October, with infectious enthusiasm. They were such a dynamic, bubbly group – we had a good laugh at the end about the ways in which we grew up. We seemed to have a lot in common, across the different cultures.
I loved going out to their flagship store on Pitt Street and seeing their ‘headquarters’, so to speak. They couldn’t stop telling us how wonderful it had been to help out, and were massively excited to distribute the bags which they had packed. I can’t wait to see them at the Homeless Outreach program in October!
It’s one of the best ways to spend a Sat-
Dean Mousad, Managing Director of Brothers in Need, and Dahlia, Administration Assistant, visit the Microsoft Flagship Store to discuss opportunities for volunteering with Brothers in Need.
urday night – so rewarding! I remember the first time that I went to the homeless run. I was over the moon to finally be able to directly help the homeless people who I had seen around my previous workplace (Garvan Institute of Medical Research) for years.”
Further information about corporate programs, as well as the other work of Brothers in Need, can be found at brothersinneed.org.au
Dean Mousad is the Co-founder/Managing Director of Brothers in Need, Co-founder/ Treasurer of Project Quran, a Teacher/Mentor at Alfirdaus College and a registered Counsellor with the Australian Counselling Association.
IWWA Youth holds Multicultural Night
Anhaar Kareem
The newly established IWWA Youth Committee ran a ‘Multicultural Night’, second event this year on Saturday 17 September 2022.
The first event, a trivia pizza night was held on the 25 July. This event was centred around introducing the concept of IWWA Youth and meeting new people.
Various activities at the Multicultural Night included world map games, potluck food from around the world, kahoots and best dressed competitions that were both fun and also a social mingling, helping young people to connect and to educate them about the importance of multiculturalism in Islam:
“O people, we created you all from a single man and a single woman, and made you into races and tribes so that you should get to know one another.” (Quran 49:13)
Many of the girls that attended mentioned how enjoyable and empowering the night was and IWAA is making an impact.
IWWA, the Islamic Women’s Welfare Association was established in 2000 and for the last 22 years, the organisation has strived in providing activities, lectures and support to Muslim women and children in the community.
While over those decades the organisation has also empowered young people through its initiatives, the IWWA Youth committee was started to give a voice to and empower young people, to determine what programs and events they would like to see more of in the community.
The next event will be held on Saturday 15 October, as the first of a speaker panel series, inviting inspiring Muslim women to address the youth.
These events have been facilitated by the generosity of IWWA and its president, Sister Abla Kadous.
Paying only $10 joining fee, attendees are invited to a state of the art facility with food, prizes and amenities provided to them that highly encourages young Muslim women to attend the programs.
“Indeed, they were youths who believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.” (Quran 18:13)
The importance of young people in Islam is demonstrated many times in the Quran and Sunnah and it is thus, so important for them to be empowered and united, through events such as this.
You can reach IWWA Youth Committee through our email: iwwayouthcommittee@gmail.com or on Instagram @iwwayouth.
SOCIAL 23 Victims of Enforced Disappearances remembered in Sydney
Dr Faroque Amin
International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances was observed in Sydney on Tuesday 30 August 2022 calling on the Australian government to implement the Global Magnitsky Act.
The rally was jointly organised by the South Asian Policy Initiative and Global Voice for Humanity.
A large audience gathered in front of the NSW Parliament building, on the corner of Macquarie Street and Martin Place in Sydney CBD, to protest against ongoing occurrences of enforced disappearances in many countries worldwide.
Representatives from diverse communities, political and community leaders, human rights activists and the general public were present at the event.
This protest event was initiated by the representatives of the First Nation’s Nadeena Dixon and Uncle Dave Bell. Shibly Sohail, the South Asian Policy Initiative’s secretary, presided over the program.
Senator David Shoebridge from the Australian Greensduring his address said that Australia now has the Global Magnitsky Act legislated and therefore the government should use this law to bring the foreign perpetrators to accountability who use Australia as their safe haven.
Senator David Shoebridge said that enforced disappearance and abduction were crimes that took place against the traditional owners of this land on the site where we stand today.
Same type of crimes taking place in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India and other countries.
He further added that US has recently sanctioned the Rapid Action Batallion of Bangladesh. If Australia doesn’t prioritise human rights issues at the expense of other trivial matters, that would be a short-sighted strategy.
Former Senator Lee Rhiannon during her address said that enforced disappearance is a crime against humanity and the international community needs to take a firm stand against this heinous crime.
Veronica Koman, the representative of Amnesty International Australia, said that her organisation is working tirelessly against these state-sponsored crimes in many countries. However, the international response is still not adequate in this matter.
Renuga Inpakumar, a representative of the Tamil Refugee Council, provided a heart-wrenching account of how the Sri Lankan Military have been torturing, abducting and killing Tamil people in the country. She said that Sri Lanka has now taken second place in terms of enforced disappearance numbers.
Mohammad Rauf, a representative of the Arakan Rohingya community from Myanmar, Amar Singh, a representative of the Sikh community from India, Anjum Rafiqi, a representative of the Kashmiri community from India, and Joe Collins, a representative of the West Papuan community from Indonesia talked about the plights, struggles and sufferings of their people by the State authorities.
Various representatives of the Bangladeshi community also addressed those present claiming that Bangladesh was now known as the enforced disappearance capital of the world.
The current regime has abducted more than 600 opposition leaders and activists over the last decade, many of whom have been not been heard from for several years.
Alongside torture, murder and other means of oppression, the Bangladesh government has been using enforced disappearance as a tool to spread fear and terror.
They described that the family members of those who have disappeared, many political leaders and activists are still waiting hopelessly for their loved ones. Children are growing older without their fathers while their parents have been waiting and some have died waiting for years for their sons to return.
The speakers at the event asked the international community to raise their voices and concerns to stop this gross human rights violation in Bangladesh and in many other countries.
Among the Bangladesh leaders, Moslehuddin Arif, Kudrat Ullah Liton, Sohel Mahmud Iqbal, Mohammad Hyder Ali, Faruk Hossain, and Rashed Khan highlighted the plight of those who have disappeared presumably under the regimes’ watch.
During the event, Rahat Shantanu sang a song, and Habib Rahman recited a poem to remember those countless victims of enforced disappearance.
At the end, Md Abdullah Yousuf, a senior member of the event organising committee, thanked all participants who had shown their concern by joining the rally.
The same day, a representative group led by Shibly Sohail and Faroque Amin submitted a memorandum to Md Ashfaq Hussain, Consul General of Bangladesh in Sydney demanding that the Bangladesh government stop the heinous practice of enforced disappearances immediately, bring back the victims and cooperate fully with a UN commission into this crime against humanity.
Senator David Shoebridge speaking at the event.
Dr Faroque Amin works with Suprovat Sydney, a Bengali community newspaper published from Sydney, Australia.
Former Senator Lee Rhiannon speaking at the event.
Shibly Sohail presiding over the event.
Moselmane being denied preselection by NSW Labor
Zia Ahmad
Concern has been raised that the NSW Labor Leadership seem to have decided not to preselect Shaoquett Moselmane MLA, the only Muslim representative in any state Upper House in Australia at the upcoming state elections on 25 March 2023.
If they finally do remove Moselmane, then Labor would be removing the first member of the Islamic faith in the Legislative Council and the first-ever member of the Islamic faith elected in any state or federal parliament.
Mr Moselmane has been a member of the ALP since 1982 and was elected to the Legislative Council of the NSW Parliament in December 2009.
He has a long-standing involvement with various communities including South Asian, Arabic, Greek, Italian, Macedonian, Chinese and many other multicultural communities.
OCTOBER 2022 / ISSUE 203
He was earlier elected to Rockdale City Council in 1995 where he served a number of times as Deputy Mayor and was elected Mayor of Rockdale City Council on four separate occasions, from 2001 to 2002 -3, 2005 – 2006 and again in 2009.
Mr Moselmane has been a strong advocate for Palestinian rights, speaking in the NSW parliament and raising his voice against the violation of human rights of Palestinians by the Israeli authorities from time to time.
The NSW MP was the target of radio shock jocks earlier in 2020 and a police raid under full limelight of the media in June that year but was fully exonerated by November 2020 again joining the parliament and his membership of the Labor Party was restored on Thursday 12 November after he was absolved of being the target of any foreign influence plot. On his return to parliament in October 2020, he read a statement in which he reaffirmed his position that he had done nothing wrong. “To date, Mr President, I remain nonethe-wiser as to what this investigation is all about. I don’t know why it was necessary for my public humiliation, nor do I know who decided that it was necessary for the media to accompany the police raid into my home.”
He never received any explanation as to why he was targeted in a meticulously coordinated campaign by right wing radio shock jocks, Australian media, AFP, ASIO as well as by supporters of Israel and was highly disappointed by his own Labor Party for not coming to his support against these concerted attacks.
Mr Moselmane acknowledged the support of grass root members of the multicultural community throughout the traumatic last few months that took a toll on him personally and on his family. He specially thanked members of the Australian Chinese, Arabic and Pakistani communities for their strong support.
If the news of his removal for pre-selection comes true, the Muslim community would be denied of its advocate in NSW Legislative assembly and the only outspoken critic of Israeli atrocities in the Australian parliament.
AUSTRALIA 15 - 16 Psychological underpinnings of racism and religious prejudice
John Bellavance
Each year in September the United Nations commemorates the UN Day of Peace. This year’s theme was “End racism. Build peace”.
The United Nations invites us to work towards a world free of racism and racial discrimination; a world where compassion and empathy overcome suspicion and hatred – a world that we can truly be proud of.
Racism in its most basic sense is the manifestation of a person’s tendency to attach significance to an individual’s race – one race, one culture or one religion as superior to another.
Twenty percent of Australians reported experiencing discrimination on the basis of skin colour, ethnic origin or religion. Most people reject blatantly racist attitudes, yet underlying attitudes that underpin discrimination and intolerance are still held by many people.
Psychological Underpinnings
Racist beliefs can develop early in a person’s life and become deeply rooted in their minds. People learn negative stereotypes about other races, ethnicities or religions as children. These lessons are critical to a child’s development because they help them form a sense of identity – their notions of self and others.
Nelson Mandela said, “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin, or his background, or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite.”
So much of contemporary racism has been driven by a sense of loss. Those who may have previously felt more powerful or in control are now feeling they are losing their place, and they are responding with anger.
Racism is also borne of fear and anxiety. The human ego can feel vulnerable and threatened by what people are not use to. Individual fear can extend to one’s culture and community. This has been one threat that has run consistently through the historical fabric of racism – fear that a certain other poses a danger to a national identity or way of life.
To cope with this vulnerability and fear, people cling to their worldviews as a means of protecting themselves and the world they are used to. These worldviews may be inappropriate and detrimental to others and themselves. Dr John Bellavance is the Vice-President, Universal Peace Federation Australia – UPF.org. UPF is an NGO in General Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations
Children learning about homelessness
Dean Mousad
Brothers in Need, a Muslim not-for-profit organisation/charitable organisation which primarily distributes food to the needy, has recently received donations of non-perishable food and hygiene items from childcare centres, who have proactively collected items during Homelessness Week in August.
One such centre is Kidz Connect Early Learning Centre in Punchbowl. They proactively collected items during Homelessness Week in August and aimed to teach the children about homeless and helping the needy.
It was just fabulous to visit them, meet the tiny children and pick up all of the items which they had collected. The owner, Rana Moussawel, kept saying that they hadn’t collected ‘many’ items, but I reassured her that ‘every little bit helps’, and that they had in fact collected quite a lot!
One packet of pasta can feed a family for a night and make a world of difference to them. They collected several packets of pasta! How many mouths does that feed? Heaps! I personally love pasta – a little goes
Dahlia, Administration Assistant, Brothers in Need, meets the children and staff of Kidz Connect Childcare Centre, Punchbowl during Homelessness Week in August.
a long way.
The kids were so endearing and friendly. I couldn’t stop smiling & absolutely struggled to hide my laughter behind my mask. One of them kept reintroducing himself over and over again…. when I mentioned how the Brothers in Need logo has four hands, they were quite confused and couldn’t understand why it has four hands when they only have two hands….I tried to explain what homelessness means and mentioned not having a bed to sleep in at night, then one told me that his mummy tucks him into his bed.
They were just so cute! They may have been a bit too young to understand the concept of homelessness, but I think that they understood it to some degree…I recall my niece being shocked that a homeless person had to sleep on the street, when she was about 6 years old…these kids were even younger but I feel as if they’d picked up on the concept of giving to those who have less than you. I loved meeting the kids and the staff and seeing the goodwill,” says Dahlia, staff member of Brothers in Need.
Further information about the work of Brothers in Need can be found at: brothersinneed.org.au or by calling 1300 007 433
Ground-breaking speech by Senator Fatima Payman
Continued from page 2
“Like many hard working Australians, this came as second nature to my parents, who just wanted the best future for their children. From discrimination and abuse to job insecurity and low wages. My father endured those hardships without complaining or seeking compensation.”
“My first experience of being made to feel like the other. At a university tutorial when a young man ridiculed my hijab. You see, I never felt different growing up. Perth felt like home from the get go because home is where the heart is and my heart was with my family.”
Many hijab-wearers around Australia will identify with the pivotal moment that Senator Payman describes as leading her to politics. She talked about discrimination and of the feeling of being different during her school and university studies and how she coped with it.
“So I didn’t feel different or strange. I felt like any other Aussie kid growing up in the northern suburbs of Perth catching public transport to university and hoping to become a productive member of society.”
“But comments like ‘go back to where you came from’ or inferences to extremism forced me to feel like I didn’t belong. So I started volunteering in the hopes that being part of the change, if I was seen to be spreading goodness in society, perhaps then I will be accepted as an equal member of this nation.”
“I joined the WA Police Muslim Community Advisory Group as the youth representative. I served as the President of University of Western Australia’s Muslim Students’ Association for two years and worked hard to have an active presence on university grounds to break down those barriers of the unknown.”
She talked about getting interested in politics and joining the Labor movement. ” I felt seen, appreciated and like I belonged. I made friends with people who shared the same core values. I remember my father always encouraging me to vote Labor, not because he was very well versed in Australian politics, but he had a firm belief that Labor cared for the working class people and ensured the wellbeing of everyone on the economic spectrum.
“It was Labor who established Medicare so that people like my father had access to the best treatments and medication without the financial burden being on the families to bear. It was Labor who abolished the White Australia policy to acknowledge, respect and celebrate the diversity of our growing multicultural society so families like mine don’t feel ostracised.”
“It was Labor who pioneered superannuation and fought for workers rights, ensuring everyone was afforded a fair day’s pay. So hard working Australians like my father, weren’t taken advantage of. And it is Labor who advocate strongly for education of all levels to be accessible to each and every Australian, to have the same opportunities to start life on the front foot. It was a proud moment when I finally joined the Labor Party as a member.”
“And from there on, my experience as a union organizer at the United Workers Union solidified my labor values and motivated me to spend every day fighting for fairness, justice and equality.”
Unlearn your fears: 5-Step Process
Princess R Lakshman
Fears are learned. The environment we grow up in and the mindset we are conditioned and programmed with shape our perceptions of fears.
So how do we unlearn our fears?
In the journey of transformation, one must first identify what needs to be transformed. Similarly, to unlearn fears, one must first identify what one fears.
5-Step Process to identify and unlearn your fears
1. Make a list of what you are fearful of.
These things could be emotional or physical. 2. Beside each fear, write down where you got this fear from? (parents, friends, TV or Film or books) 3. Write down what exactly would happen to you physically if you had to face this thing that was causing you to feel fear 4. Write down positive aspects about the thing you fear from a logical and rational point of view 5. Every time you feel fear, remind yourself about the positive aspects of that thing that is causing you to feel fear
It is the fourth step that people struggle with most.
For example, one of my clients had a fear of dying in a car crash. She didn’t fear death, however, a car crash was not how she wanted to die. She said she couldn’t find anything positive to say about a car crash.
You may agree with her. At some level, I do too. However, let us look at this from a Muslim’s perspective. Once I did this with my client, she was able to overcome this fear completely.
Where there is FAITH there is NO FEAR.
Example of how to unlearn fear
Let’s look at how my client unlearned her fear of dying in a car crash using the above 5 steps. 1. She listed her fear – Dying in a car crash 2. She listed how she developed this fear –
She saw pictures of a car crash in a newspaper clipping when she was very young 3. She wrote down what would happen to her physically if she was in a car crash – broken bones, brain damage, blood everywhere (notice she didn’t mention death) 4. She wrote down the positive aspect of this car crash – death, returning to Allah, and inshallah Jannah 5. She wrote what she needed to remind herself every time this fear gripped her – That dying in a car crash will not matter when her soul is released from her body because she will no longer exist in human form. She will be awaiting her judgment day. She needs to focus on the now and do good deeds and look forward to entering Jannah when she dies.
This logical confrontation of her fear gave her a renewed perspective of her temporary existence here in this duniya.
As Muslims, we are wonderfully equipped with this realisation that life in the duniya is temporary. Fear is shaytan’s whispers to make you think otherwise. Steadfast faith and trust in Allah overcome all fear.
Princess R. Lakshman is a writer, speaker, qualified clinical nutritionist, life coach and a counsellor. She is based in Sydney, Australia.
Dr Tuba Boz & Prof Hariz Halilovich
The community engagement ‘Making Ground: The Participation of Muslim Girls in Sport’, co-organised with Al Siraat College, the City of Whittlesea and the Social and Global Studies Centre (RMIT University), was held at Al Siraat College in Epping on Thursday 1 September 2022.
The event is an outcome of the project ‘In the Game: Overcoming barriers and parental attitudes towards physical activity outcomes of Muslim girls on the fringes of Melbourne’, funded by the Victorian Government’s ‘Change Our Game’ Grant, the Office for Women and Sport and Recreation (OWSR) and led by RMIT academics Dr Tuba Boz and Professor Hariz Halilovich.
Research partners, participating communities, policymakers, educators, sporting associations, parents and students came together to celebrate the successful completion of the project and share its main findings and highlights. The event commenced with a welcome message from Peggy O’Neal AO, Chancellor of RMIT University, who emphasized the importance of community-based research.
Dr Tuba Boz provided an overview of the findings from the study and introduced the panel discussion led by Professor Hariz Halilovich.
Panellists included: • Professor Hariz Halilovich (RMIT, Moderator) • Sarah Styles (Director, Office for Women and Sport and Recreation) • Rahat Arain (Director of Student Learning, Al Siraat College) • Sarah Loh (Executive Manager, FHG,
VicHealth) • Tanja Kubitza (Content and Relations
Lead, Al Siraat College) • Megan Harper (Sports Inclusion Officer,
City of Whittlesea) • Rachael Hussein (Community Engagement Officer, Al Siraat College) • Safiye Asanova (PE Teacher and Girls
Coordinator, Al Siraat College) • Nawal Jaleel (Student, Softball player) • David Halley (Head of Secondary PE, Al
Siraat College)
The panel discussed the opportunities and challenges of Muslim girls’ participation in sports from a variety of perspectives.
Ms Jaleel explained why she joined the softball team and gave advice to parents, students and local clubs about facilitating Muslim girls’ participation in sport. Ms Asanova discussed the challenges she experienced with clubs around culturally appropriate uniforms, while Ms Arain spoke of her experiences in leading the Bicycle Users Group.
Ms Styles and Ms Loh spoke of their own experiences in participating in sports and highlighted the efforts of VicHealth and the OSWR in overcoming barriers and creating fairer access to all.
Mr Halley shared his views as a ‘professional insider’ and ‘cultural outsider’ and Ms Kubitza who was featured in the ‘Whittlesea Girls Can’ video highlighted the importance of role modelling and the idea that ‘seeing is believing’.
Ms Hussein and Ms Harper highlighted the outcomes of their collaboration in facilitating the participation of Muslim women and girls in sports. Their ‘Golf come and try’ program yielded positive results and pathed the way for Muslim women and girls’ participation in this sport.
Here is a brief video about the program: https://tinyurl.com/3xyru3s4
The closing remarks were made by The Hon Lily D’Ambrosio MP, Minister for Energy; Environment and Climate Action; Solar Homes on behalf of The Hon Ros Spence MP, Minister for Multicultural Affairs; Community Sport; Youth; Prevention of Family Violence.
This event, like other project activities, facilitated networking opportunities and conversations between communities, schools, sports clubs, and state sporting associations and had a profound impact on breaking stereotypes and building relationships.
Dr Boz and Professor Halilovich plan on developing this project further and to continue working together with Muslim communities across Victoria.
Dr Tuba Boz is a Research Fellow at the Social and Global Studies Centre, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.
Prof Hariz Halilovich, Social and Global Research Centre, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies. RMIT University, Melbourne.
AMUST
LIFESTYLE Domestic Violence: Healing forward
Mujde Selek
Domestic Violence is one of the greatest challenges in the general community as well as in the Muslim community which is often hidden or denied.
Every single day, vulnerable Muslims continue to suffer silently from social, emotional, financial, physical and sexual abuse by family members they trust while living in a toxic home environment.
Those who are fortunate enough to escape these abusive relationships find themselves dealing with trauma, isolation, stigmatisation, and financial hardships while barely supporting themselves.
Although the victims are often women and children, it is important to acknowledge that men too are victims of domestic violence.
Through NZF’s Healing Forward Program, we aim to support the victims of domestic violence by providing the right services and resources for their needs.
We believe supporting domestic violence victims and helping them grow from their trauma will allow them to flourish as contributing individuals of the Australia Muslim community.
If you, or someone you know, who is or has been a victim of family and domestic violence, please submit your application and find out how we can assist you at https:// www.nzf.org.au/apply or call us on 1300 663 729.
Surviving DV
Anonymous
It all starts out so blissful Life’s a honeymoon You’re so besotted, never wanting it to end It’s your happy place This delusion You live in denial You live in deep pain You’re frozen in fear, can’t escape Trapped in a nightmare So, you trick yourself that you can change the one you love by loving them more You trick yourself, that it will be ok Living between reality and delusion Until one day it goes too far, and you understand It was all a delusion in your own head Reinforced by the broken promises he made Lies to keep you entrapped in his service So, the pain of staying becomes greater than the fear of leaving The terror of being caught trying to leave The fear of reprisals The fear of being alone and unloved But you get out You find safety, but still afraid The more you stand up for yourself The stronger you become And the weaker he becomes in your eyes The flashbacks keep coming The terror, the physical and emotional pain The re-occurring nightmares The anxiety builds over the years For a long time, panic attacks with indistinguishable triggers Three decades and six years of cognitive behavioural therapy later You’re finally ok But you wish you could erase those memories So, what’s the definition of “surviving” D.V.? I am alive, I have learnt a lot about myself, for the better, insha Allah. But I can’t erase the painful memories Only try to dull them down It never truly goes away.
AUSTRALIA 15 - 16 Diet, cholesterol, and heart disease
Dr Ahmed Khan
Dyslipidaemia is an abnormal level of cholesterol and other lipids, also called fats, in the blood. It is divided up into primary and secondary types. Primary dyslipidaemia is inherited. Secondary dyslipidaemia is an acquired condition. That means it develops from other causes, such as diet, obesity or diabetes.
Lipids, such as cholesterol or triglycerides, are absorbed from the intestines and are carried throughout the body via lipoproteins for energy, steroid production, or bile acid formation.
Major contributors to these pathways are cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). An imbalance of any of these factors, either from organic or non-organic causes, can lead to dyslipidaemia.
High LDL levels and risk of heart disease:
Elevated LDL “the bad cholesterol” is a major cause of heart disease. LDL causes the build-up of fatty deposits within your arteries, reducing or blocking the flow of blood and oxygen your heart needs. This can lead to chest pain and heart attack. tors include the insufficient consumption of fruits, nuts/seeds, vegetables, or high consumption of saturated fats.
High cholesterol can be due to familial disorders. Autosomal dominant mutations cause most cases of familial hypercholesterolemia in LDL receptors, which causes an elevation in LDL-C levels.
How to treat high cholesterol:
Initial management for dyslipidaemia involves lifestyle modifications. This approach should include a diet with an emphasis on the intake of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains within an appropriate calorie requirement.
Also, adults should participate in moderate to vigorous aerobic physical activity 3-4 times a week for at least 40 minutes (150 to 300 minutes per week).
For those who do not have cardiovascular disease, treatment is determined by your individual risk for developing heart disease. That risk can be estimated using calculators which factor your age, sex, medical history, and other characteristics. If your risk is high (7.5-10% risk of developing CVD over 10 years), your doctor may start you on treatment preventively. Firstline treatment for dyslipidaemia is statins therapy.
In summary: Prevent heart attack and stroke; do regular walk, healthy balance diet and weight loss. Medication if your risk is high.
High LDL and vascular disease:
Atherosclerosis, the medical term for “hardening of the arteries,” is not limited to heart arteries, it also occurs in arteries elsewhere in your body, causing problems such as stroke, kidney failure and poor circulation.
Causes of high cholesterol:
Several health behaviours can have effects and increase lipid levels. Examples include physical inactivity, nutrition, smoking and obesity. Specifically, nutrition risk facDr Ahmed Khan is an Australian-trained Interventional Cardiologist, who specialises in all aspects of interventional cardiology. His philosophy is one of constant refinement and excellence in all aspects of a patient’s cardiovascular care.
Dr Khan currently works as a Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at Heart of Canberra, Deakin. He runs a charity (Healthy Heart International-not profit organisation) provides free medical services in Pakistan in the field of cardiovascular health and education.
Are you damaging your liver?
Dr Ghazala Kirmani
Popular belief is that excessive alcohol consumption is the sole cause of liver damage, whereas it is only one of the reasons why liver function gets impaired.
Why is Liver a vital organ?
Liver is like a ”Powerhouse ” of our body as it stores fat, glycogen, iron, proteins and minerals. Whatever we eat and drink, after digestion goes into the Liver for processing of the nutrients. Liver can also be regarded as the ”Garbage Truck” since it removes all the toxins from blood. Apart from this, it produces cholesterol and immune factors. Regulating the levels of sugar in the blood, regulating blood clotting and maintaining optimal levels of Hormones are also functions of Liver. its can damage your Liver? Excessive consumption of processed food that contains high amounts of trans-fats and sugars can be deleterious to liver. Leading a sedentary lifestyle with no physical activity results in being overweight and obese. The excess fat gets deposited on the liver and cause fatty liver. Taking over the counter pain killers frequently leads to impairment of liver function and ultimately damage the liver. ing of stomach, swelling in the legs and ankles, itching, jaundice, confusion, irritability and tendency to bruise are the symptoms indicating liver function is impaired.
How to find out if Liver function is impaired?
If you have any symptoms see your doctor. You will be assessed by your doctor through a physical examination and doing certain tests. Apart from routine blood tests such as serum cholesterol and liver function test, specific tests can also be performed. Ultrasound, CT scan and MRI will detect the size and any growth in the liver whereas a sophisticated test called Fibro scan can detect liver damage and liver biopsy shows the extent of liver damage.
How can we Prevent Liver Damage?
Liver can be easily protected by improving our lifestyle such as eating healthy diet that contains low fat / low sugars and plenty of fruits and vegetables, exercising to maintain an ideal body weight. Managing risk factors by controlling high blood pressure and high blood sugar. Avoiding too many over the counter pain killers.
Foods Good for Liver
Apples, Grapes, Citrus, Blueberries, Avocados, Beets, Carrots, Green leafy Vegetables, Fatty Fish, Olive Oil, Papaya, Aloe Vera, Turmeric, garlic, Walnuts and beverages such as Tea, Coffee, Coconut Water and Lemon juice.
Dr Ghazala Kirmani is a qualified doctor from India and is based in Sydney. Worked for Priority care health solutions as an Injury Management Advisor. Runs Health and wellness workshops at House of Sakinah educating Women on health issues.
