Crescent Times newspaper Feb 2010

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Winner of the Best Australian Muslim Media Outlet Award in 2009!

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new website: SheikhHaron

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Monthly - Independent CT EXCLUSIVE Gareth Smith* Cairo

T IMES

Australian Muslim Newspaper

RESCENT

Strengthening Our Community

Issue N 16 February 2010

www.crescenttimes.com.au Email: info@crescenttimes.com.au

Egyptian Regime Blocks Aid

Gareth Smith was one of 1,400 activists (matching the number killed by the Israeli Operation Cast Lead one year ago) from 43 countries who joined the Gaza Freedom March (GFM) on December 25 2009 hoping to get into Gaza and head up a mile long procession of 50,000 Gazans to the northern border with Israel at Erez. He reports from Cairo on the outcome of the March.

I was going not only as a peace and social justice activist but also as a psychologist and school counsellor hoping to join an affinity group of psychiatrists,

E E R F

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Sheikh Haron’s

WA: Terrorist Attack on Turkish Mosque

counsellors and social workers who would be working with deeply traumatised children at the the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme (GCMHP).

Their survey earlier this year found that about 75% of children over the age of six were suffering from one or more symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Almost one in 10 ticked off every criterion.

Dr Hasan Zeyada, a psychologist with GCMHP, said: “The majority of children suffer

Photo: Canning/Sulaymani mosque, Crescent Times

continued page15 Police were called to the Cannington Mosque (also known as Sulaymani Mosque or the Turkish Mosque) in Welshpool Road at approximately 1:00am on Thursday 3 February after local residents reported gun shots coming from the vicinity of the mosque.

Investigations have revealed that the dome of the mosque was hit with three shots that initial tests have indicated were fired from a rifle. No one was present at the mosque at the time of

the shooting and police did not release details to the media until almost a week after the incident.

Detective First Class Constable Steve Flanagan said “We have no indication to say that it is racially motivated. We are not sure how it happened at this stage. It could just be someone shooting at birds, then again it could be something far more serious.” No explanation was given for the delay in releasing details to the media.

A review of public comments on the story

continued page 3

Sydney: 5 Muslim men convicted of terrorism offences

Above: Members of Viva Palestine, protesting in Cairo. Right: Injuries to Gareth Smith’s leg caused by Egyptian crowd control police. Photos courtesy: Gareth Smith, Cairo.

The five Sydney based men who allegedly plotted terrorist attacks in Australia have been sentenced in a Sydney court, for minimum terms ranging from 17 years and three months to 21 years.

Justice Anthony Whealy sentenced the men on 15th of February in the New South Wales Supreme Court sitting at Parramatta.

Last October after four and a half weeks of deliberations, a jury found them guilty of the conspiracy which involved stockpiling explosive chemicals and firearms.

continued page 15

Page 2

Community events

Australia Wide Community Events: New South Wales

www.crescenttimes.com.au

Email: info@crescenttimes.com.au

IDCA - The Dawah Central Documentary “Muslims in Australia”

Date: 12 February 2010 Time: 8:30pm Location: Unit 1-2/354 Chisholm Rd, Auburn 2144.

Take a journey and discover how deep Muslim history runs in Australia. Discover the earliest contact that dates back to the 1600s, connections with the indigenous population and the rich contribution made by Muslims. Meet people, visit places, learn about Islam and witness how knowledge turns stereotypes and misconceptions around. DVD Available at the Centre for purchase.

Segragated Areas for Men And Women. Bring along a friend and help spread the dawah!!! Hot food and snacks will be available.

Victoria Australian Community Dawah Association Recreational and Social Program

Date: 27 February 2010 Location: Brimbank College Flexible Learning Centre, James St, St Albans Contact: Chairperson Abdul Khan on 03 83617292 or by email acdc_melb@hotmail.com for further details.

Muslim Minorities, Minarets and Modernity

Date: Sunday 21 February 2010 Time: 11:45am – 1:00pm Location: : Yasuko Hiraoka Myer Room, Sidney Myer Asia Centre, corner of Swanston Street and Monash Road, University of Melbourne.

Lecture by Issam Nabulsi: “Muslim Minorities, Minarets and Modernity” covering Islamic principles in Architecture, contemporary understanding of ‘Islamic Architecture’, and challenges for Australian Muslim communities in the 21st century”. Issam Nabulsi is a registered architect and the founding Director of DESYPHER (http://www.desypher.com. au/home), a firm which specialises in architecture, planning and urban design. He graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Melbourne 1990 before working under Andrew Kings (Melbourne) and Rasem Badran (Amman, Jordan). He established the practice upon his return from his overseas with a specific interest in community and cultural involvement. He has since overseen the development of Mimar Architects that he established in 1992 as DESYPHER in 2008.

Stories in the Park Melbourne 2010

A place where your family and friends can come and listen to inspiring stories from the Muslim tradition as they drift lazily into the fading evening light.

Dates: Every Friday Night Feb 19 - April 2nd Time: From Sunset - 9:30PM Location: Coburg Lake (near stage), Lake Grove/Murray Rd Coburg (near corner of Sydney Rd) For more information contact: Hisham Moustafa 0400 163 443 www.storiesinthepark.com

Western Australia Seminar – Muslim Women in Today’s World

Date: Thursday, 4 March 2010 Time: 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm Location: The University Club of Western Australia Cost: $65 or $35 for concessions (UWA students and affiliates) The University of Western Australia’s Centre for Muslim States and Societies is hosting a Luncheon Seminar, sponsored by the US Department of State. Professor Wadud will explore the position of Muslim women in today’s world, the challenges faced by them and how to address these challenges.

She is Professor Emeritus of Islamic Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University and an internationally renowned scholar. She is the author of the groundbreaking book, Qur’an and Woman, which is considered the classic of gender inclusive reading of the sacred text.

Strictly Limited Seating – Book Now. RSVP Monday 22nd February. Enquiries: Professor Samina Yasmeen and Adriaan Wolvaardt, phone: 6488 4554 or email: cmss@uwa.edu.au

issue 16, February 2010

Information Forum Improving the Quality of Disability Services

Date: 23 February 2010 Location: Technology Park Function Centre, 2 Brodie-Hall Drive, Bentley Are you a person with a disability or a family member/carer?

Would you like to have a say about the quality of disability services in WA? Do you enjoy meeting people and talking with them? Are you interested in improving the quality of disability services? The Disability Services Commission wants to hear from people who are interested in: Learning more about the quality of disability services and how to have a say about it; Part time work helping to improve the quality of disability services.

Would you like to know more? Attend this one-day Information Forum. To register and for more information go to News and Events at http://www.disability.wa.gov.au or contact E-QUAL disability consultants for more information: Phone: 9389 9930 or email: e-qual@e-qual.net Please note on the Registration Form if you require assistance to attend.

Centre for Muslim States and Societies Training Workshop – Conducting Meetings Date: 14 February 2010 and 21 February 2010 Time: 0900 – 1200 on each day

Cost: Free but registration is required. Phone 6488 4554 or email cmss@uwa.edu.au to register CMSS are offering Free Training Workshops to members of the Muslim community in Perth. The first series topic is Conducting Meetings and will provide participants with the skills to prepare and conduct professional meetings, particularly targeted to not for profit organisations.

Aged Care Services Information Session

Date: 19 February 2010 Time: 6:00 pm, dinner follows information session Location: Australian Asian Association House, 275 Stirling Street, Perth Pakistan Association of WA in collaboration with the Australian Asian Association is organising a series of information sessions. The first session will assist seniors and their families to understand more about how to access Aged Care Services and programs in Western Australia. There are limited places so please register your interest as soon as possible at pakistanassociation@hotmail.com . Due to the nature of program kids and students under the age of 18 will not be permitted to attend.

Young Muslim female artists’ wall mural sends anti-violence message

Low Cost Women’s Only Swimming Lessons

Date: Term One commencing in February Locations: Belmont Oasis Leisure Centre, Aqualife Centre Victoria Park, UWA Nedlands Women’s Health Services is now offering low cost Women’s only swimming lessons. Learn how to swim in a safe, friendly and female environment and enjoy greater water confidence now that the hot weather is here! These classes will suit beginners as well as women wanting to improve their swimming skills. This is a great opportunity to increase fitness and become more confident and comfortable in the water.

Childcare available during most classes at no extra cost. Do not miss out on this great opportunity by Women’s Health Services. Contact us now to secure your spot! Phone Adina Backlund: 9227 8122 or email adina@whs.org.au or contact Freda Cook phone 9227 8122 or email fcook@whs.org.au

International Women’s Day Dinner and Awards Night

Date: 20th March 2010 Time: 6:30pm-10:30pm Location: The Boulevard Centre - 99 The Boulevard, Floreat Cost: $50 pp (includes a 3 course dinner) - Tickets must be purchased prior to the event.

The Muslim Women’s Support Centre of WA is hosting a Formal Dinner for the Women of WA to celebrate International Womens Day 2010. Join us in awarding and acknowledging local women who have been nominated for their achievements, courage and strength. Awards will be presented for the following categories: Muslim Youth, Muslim Mother, Muslim Business Women, Muslim Senior, Muslim Volunteer, Muslim Women from a New and Emerging Community. Tickets and nomination forms are available from the Muslim Womens Support Centre. Contact The Muslim Womens Support Centre on 9451 5696 or Aziza on 0412830972 or go to the website www.mwsc.com.au. This is a womens only event and nominations for the awards close on the 28th of February 2010.

Breaking the Siege Inspiring Tales from the Gaza Freedom March

Date: 4 March 2010 Time: 6.00pm for a 6.30pm start Location: Fox Lecture Theatre, Arts Faculty, University of Western Australia Cost: Entry by donation If you want to hear more about the Gaza Freedom March,be sure to mark Thursday March 4th down in your diary. The event will include a presentation by FOPWA convener Alex Whisson and an interview with Australian GFM delegate Antony Loewenstein.

South Australia International Deen Intensive Retreat

Date: Friday 2nd April - Tuesday 6th April 2010.

Location: Conference Centre, Victor Harbour, SA Cost: $350 per person The Deen Intensive Retreat will be a very meaningful 4 days, with the opportunity to study sacred knowledge from international scholars in a peaceful environment perfect for reflection, with the chance to meet brothers and sisters from around Australia and New Zealand.

Please register your place via: http://www.aynacademy.com

Multicultural Cooking Session

Date: Wednesday, 17th February 2010 Time: 10.00am – 1 pm Location: Torrens Building, 220 Victoria Square, Adelaide 5000.

To learn Malaysian Cuisine join us. We are making “Rojak & Mee.” Please register your interest to Muslim Women’s Association of South Australia by 15th February as places are limited. Contact details: ph 8212 0800, mobile: 0430 065 535, email: mwa222@hotmail.com Sisters’ Afternoon Tea Date: 14 February 2010 Time: 4:00pm Location: Islamic Dawah Centre of SA. 5/121 Grange Road, Allenby Gardens (cnr East Tce) Enter from the car park at the back. (front door is locked for the safety of the children) All sisters welcome!!! Children too!!

Please join us for an afternoon for the sisters.

Above: Members of the Crooked Rib arts collective pose in front of their wall mural with fellow artists. Photo: Nasya Bahfen, Crescent Times.

CT Victorian bureau A bland wall in the inner-city Melbourne suburb of Collingwood has been given an arresting makeover by a group of Muslim women and three professional artists – and in the process, now sends a strong message against domestic violence.

The wall in Sackville Street, Collingwood was spray-painted with striking, confronting and beautiful images by Crooked Rib – a collective of young Muslim female artists from Melbourne.

Since the group was formed in November 2007, it has also been involved with 27 year old British-born Muslim graffiti artist Mohammed “Aerosol” Ali on a street art mural in Spark Lane in Melbourne’s CBD as

part of the 2008 Melbourne International Arts Festival.

In November 2009 Crooked Rib cohosted the Victorian visit of Chinese Arabic Calligraphy Master Haji Noor Deen Mi Guang Jiang, who was visiting Australia as part of the “Eastern Fusion” tour arranged by the al-Ghazzali Centre.

The mural on the Sackville Street wall was launched in January 2010 and created as part of the White Ribbon Day campaign, which aims to eliminate violence against women by promoting cultural change.

At the launch of the Sackville Street wall mural, group member Reeham Hakeem said the mural allowed the young women to work with non-Muslim artists to try to raise awareness of domestic violence.

QLD: Murder trial of Kaihana Tahseen Hussain CT Queensland bureau

Twenty year old Bangladesh born Gold Coast girl, Kaihana Tahseen Hussain has pleaded not guilty to killing her mother Shaheda Hussain and not guilty to attempting to kill her father, Dr Muhammad Hussain in 2006.

In custody for 22 months following the incident, Kaihana was granted bail in September 2008 when a fourth bail hearing found that she had a reasonable prospect of defending the charges. She was released on $100 000 bail to live with Adelaide couple Jan and Peter Kelly, parents of her friend Karen Kelly, who also posted the $100 000 bail.

On the first day of the trial, crown prosecutor Michael Byrne SC told the court Kaihana called her parents into their bedroom and blindfolded them, saying she had surprise gifts for them.

He said Dr Hussain would give evidence that Kaihana then used a 20cm knife to stab each of them once in the torso.

Barrister for Kaihana, Dennis Lynch, asked the jury to carefully assess Dr Hussain’s testimony, arguing that they would find

discrepancies between what he claimed had occurred and other evidence.

Mr Lynch said Dr Hussain’s DNA was found on the knife handle, while no forensic evidence indicated that Kaihana had touched the knife.

As the trial continued, Mr Byrne also alleged that Kaihana, then aged sixteen, attacked her parents to gain more freedom to convert from Islam to Christianity and move to Sydney to be with her boyfriend.

Defence lawyers however counter accused Dr Hussain of killing his wife and inflicting injuries on himself.

Mr Lynch, for the defence, cross examined Dr Hussain for over four hours concentrating mainly on whether he was angered by suggestions that his daughter was about to convert to Christianity.

Recent photographs of Kaihana entering the court reveal her wearing a crucifix confirming that she is now Christian.

The trial before Justice Margaret White continues.

Shayma Alshakshir Melbourne

Protesters in front of Egyptian consulate in Sydney. Photo courtesy: Jamal Daoud

Dozens gathered outside the Egyptian consulate in Sydney on the first anniversary of the end of the barbaric Israeli war on Gaza and in protest against the construction of the Egyptian wall of shame to suffocate the Gaza strip. The call for the protest came from the Social Justice Party (SJP).

This was in response to the call of international human rights organisations for protests outside Egyptian diplomatic missions around the world to expose the Egyptian regime’s participation in the blockade of Gaza. The blockade aims to starve Gazans in a bid to encourage them to rise against the resistance factions and accept surrender to the Israeli-American plan for a “New Middle East”.

The gathered protesters raised their voices in condemnation of the Israeli war against Gaza that left thousands killed and injured and caused widespread destruction that is still not rebuilt as the blockade does not allow vital equipment or materials to enter the strip. The protesters also condemned the open participation of Egypt in the blockade.

The first speaker, Jamal Daoud, the convenor of the SJP, emphasised that the Egyptian participation in the blockade is in fact participation in genocide against Palestinians living in Gaza. He also mentioned that the regime’s participation in the blockade by many means including building of a steel wall under and above the border with the strip constitutes a clear violation of many international treaties and laws. In particular, the IV Geneva Convention that demands that all states allow free movement of humanitarian aid to any area of conflict. He also mentioned that this protest is the first action organised by the party that targets Egyptian diplomatic missions to Australia. The SJP, in cooperation with other organisations objecting to the Israeli occupation, will endeavour to organise other actions to highlight the regime’s participation in these

From front page: Perth mosque terrorist attack: published on Perth Now website revealed that 30% of the posts were in favour of the shooting and openly anti-Islam and anti-Muslim, including comments such as “ it was [done by] one of the worshippers wives, she was peeved at her husband praying for 100 virgins.” However, the remainder of the comments were neutral or supportive of the Muslim community and concerned that the incident had occurred.

The attack comes some three and a half years after a similar incident at Perth’s Mirrabooka Mosque when rifle shots fired at the mosque narrowly missed women and children at prayer during Ramadan. No one was apprehended or charged over the Mirrabooka incident. Last week, a police source described the Mirrabooka incident as a closed case which is now unlikely to be solved.

crimes against humanity. These actions will aim to lobby the Egyptian regime to abandon its anti-Palestinian policies and practices. Mr Daoud also highlighted the fact that in the year when the whole world is celebrating the collapse of Berlin Wall, the Egyptian regime is celebrating constructing a new “BerlinWall” to suffocate Gazans. Mr Daoud finished his speech with condemnation of Australian politicians’ complete silence on the criminal blockade of the Gaza strip, and promised to turn this issue into an electoral issue in the next elections.

A number of human rights activists also addressed the protestors. One of them, an activist who recently visited the West Bank, talked about the extremely difficult circumstances the Palestinians are living under in the West Bank and Gaza. All speakers emphasised the fact that Egyptian steps in strengthening the blockade are in fact direct participation in the genocide in Gaza. The speakers thanked the Egyptian people for their overwhelming support for the Palestinian struggle against the Israeli occupation.

The Social Justice Party is preparing further actions to support international efforts to break the Gaza siege. This includes possible participation in the Life Line 4 trip proposed in mid March.

To keep in touch with the party or to follow its latest activities, you can send email to admin@socialjustice.net.au or access the website www.socialjustice.net.au

Above: Supporters of Palestine gathered at Federation square for a silent vigil that concluded with lighting candles for Gaza. Photo: Shayma Alshakshir, Crescent Times.

website reminded supporters that the siege is ongoing and so is the suffering.

“All we are asking for is to help create a presence and a connectedness with the suffering Palestinians, for whom last year’s war did not end” Ms Karkar said.

“The siege continues, but now [Israel] is attacking a people crippled by the effects of the war – the homeless, the jobless, the orphaned, the maimed, the disfigured and the dying,” she said.

Ms Karkar encourages sacrificing time for humanitarian causes such as this. She says one should not belittle any supportive steps taken

WA: CT Clean Up Australia Day Site

C

rescent Times is proud to support Clean Up Australia Day on 7 March 2010.

This is an ideal opportunity for the Muslim community to participate in an important Australia wide community event.

Crescent Times invites all Muslims in Perth to participate in Clean up Australia Day at our

Page 3

regardless of the outcome.

“It should not be too much for each of us to give up two hours to remember them. Each vigil, protest, march or other act to break the siege wherever it happens around the world helps to create a rippling energy that joins us all in an act of resistance against those who are selective in their humanity,” she said.

“Let us remind the people of Melbourne and the many visiting internationals that humanity means ALL of us, not least the Palestinians in Gaza,” Ms Karkar said.

For more information on AFP, visit: www. australiansforpalestine.com

registered cleanup site in Balga: Heritage Park, Western Australia.

Please meet at 0915am on the corner of Millgate Road and Wallington Road in Balga for site briefing and registration, The clean up is scheduled to run for 3 hours.

Participants should bring a hat, gloves and bottled water.

Children under 15 must be accompanied by an adult.

For any enquiries please contact editor@crescenttimes.com.au

Muslim Leaders visit Guide Dogs Victoria Hyder Gulam and Bashir Ebrahim Melbourne In January 2010, Muslim leaders visited Guide Dogs Victoria in Kew for a Victorian-first workshop. The workshop, for the Australian National Imams Council and the Victorian Board of Imams, was organised by the Islamic Council of Victoria and aimed to help grow awareness of services available to Muslims with low or no vision. The workshop included a tour of the Breeding and Training Centre.

Guide Dogs rehabilitation services manager Bashir Ebrahim said the seminar was the first of many with specific community groups. “We hope to build a greater awareness within the Muslim community about our association, and expand workshops to include the state’s many other ethnic and indigenous communities,” Mr Ebrahim said. “It’s only through open dialogue and education programs that we can ensure all Victorians with low or no vision are aware of the

services available.”

Islamic Council of Victoria Executive, Hyder Gulam said there is a need to promote a better understanding of cultural differences and address misconceptions within the Muslim community about guide dogs and assistance animals. “Guide dog services are provided free of charge and include white cane training, children’s programs, Above: Mufti of Australia Sheikh Fehmi Naji Imam, Sheikh Mohamadu Saleem counselling, electronic Sheikh Isse Abdo Musse, Sheikh Abdel Aziem, Mr Hyder Gulam FRCNA, ICV Executive, travel aid programs and Mr Tehseen Mian, Jenny Black, Mobility and OT Manager GDV, Bashir Ebrahim OAM, Rehab Services Manager, Dr Graeme White, CEO GDV. Photo courtesy: Hyder low-vision clinics. As a GDQ Gulam community we want to educate parts of the Muslim community to ensure that everyone who needs support to live ensure those living with impaired vision/ independently despite their vision loss is able brain trauma who used guide dogs or to get the help they need, and this workshop assistance animals received the same rights will go a long way in improving awareness and access as those with full vision, and are not within the state’s Muslim community.” disadvantaged or discriminated against with Mr Gulam said that there was a need to regard to public services and transport.

issue 16, February 2010

CT EXCLUSIVE NSW Bureau

Members of Australians for Palestine (AFP) and supporters congregated at Federation square on Friday 22 January for a silent vigil and candle lighting ceremony to remember Gaza and the events of January 2009. On the 18th of January 2009, Israeli forces ceased their operations from the Gaza strip after a two week ground invasion.

Sonja Karkar, founder of the AFP and the editor of the AFP’s

Email: info@crescenttimes.com.au

Gaza vigil: A light in the darkness

www.crescenttimes.com.au

Australians protest against Egyptian Steel Wall

National

www.crescenttimes.com.au

Email: info@crescenttimes.com.au

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National news

Victoria Police shows off multilingual, multicultural recruits CT Victorian bureau Following one of the biggest recruit intakes undertaken by the Victoria Police, more than 300 new police graduated in February, including several officers with multicultural backgrounds.

Constable Rammy Amsha from Wheelers Hill speaks fluent Arabic.

The double-degree graduate majored in Arabic for his Bachelor of Arts and marketing for his Bachelor of Commerce.

After working in marketing for a few years, Constable Amsha wanted to put his Arabic language skills to good use.

“Victoria Police have dedicated programs such as the multicultural liaison unit that go beyond policing,” he says.

“But having multilingual officers on the streets, being able to communicate with communities, means we can overcome some of the language and cultural barriers and help communities trust the police a bit more.”

Another of the new recruits is Constable Melissa Said who is of Maltese heritage, and sees a multicultural background as a definite asset.

“It helps when people identify with who you are, and when young people see someone in the police force with whom they can identify,” the Pakenham resident says.

Constable Said says she wants to make a difference in her work, and the sex crimes unit is one area she’s considering for the future.

The push for new officers comes as Victoria Police prepare to launch an Operational Response Unit – a team of about 200 police who will focus on crime, road policing and public order related offences in hot spots across the state.

Among the new police graduates: Above : Constable Said Below: Constable Amsha The state government has announced funding for 120 new police officers to resource the unit, in addition to 350 extra police already promised for this term of government.

Police Commissioner Simon Overland said Victoria Police would continue it’s recruitment push, with the launch of a new advertising campaign.

Carlton Mosque seeks Clean Up Australia Day volunteers

issue 16, February 2010

CT Victorian bureau At least four Australian mosques have registered as Clean Up Australia Day sites, including two in Victoria, one in Queensland and one in Western Australia.

Clean Up Australia Day is one of the country’s largest community events, and involves thousands of people meeting on a Sunday in March each year at designated sites around Australia to clear the local environment of rubbish.

The event celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2010, and the date this year is Sunday 7 March.

One of the Victorian sites is the Carlton Mosque, where the Albanian Australian Islamic Society is seeking volunteers for its third consecutive year as part of Clean Up Australia Day. Volunteers will meet outside the Mosque at 765 Drummond Street, Carlton North on Sunday March 7 at 12.00 noon.

Site Coordinator Selima Nasser said the Carlton Mosque site team will be cleaning up Drummond Street and surrounding roads.

“This is a great way to get involved in a community event,” she said.

“It’s a great opportunity to get the kids involved too and show them how important cleanliness is in Islam and how important it is

Above: Carlton Mosque in inner city Melbourne is one of four mosques across the country that have been registered as Clean Up Australia Day sites.

Photo: Nasya Bahfen, Crescent Times.

to help the environment around us.”

Volunteers can register at www. cleanupaustraliaday.org.au by searching for the Carlton Mosque site.

Other mosques getting involved in Clean Up Australia Day are the Bait-ul-Masroor Mosque in Queensland; the Al-Noor Mosque campus and park in Footscray, Melbourne; and a Perth mosque in Queens Park. Crescent Times office in Western Australia is also organising a site, see details on page 3 of this issue.

You Am I: An Exhibition of Contemporary Australian Muslim Artists

Nur Shkembi* Victoria

The Arts in Islam have a long and defining history and the impact Islamic arts have on the Arts as we know them today is immeasurable.

To the Muslim, the arts are both a treasured form of expression and an avenue to the remembrance of God. Not unlike the famous 7th century Muslim scholar and poet Rumi who spoke of our human condition, our spiritual yearning and of the Divine, with words of great artistry and truth. Life speaks through art in a language common to all.

There is no one thing that enters the heart more than the absolute expression of our humanity. With this comes a humble understanding that a spiritual and artistic expression of the human being exists with certainty. There is also the innate knowledge that from this, stems a common language.

This common language naturally and joyously defies any notion of cultural and religious barriers that mankind seems at times destined to struggle with.

This expression is not completely left in the domain of the arts. Every person is a unique expression of life and identity. Human identity, self image and the connectedness one feels to home go way beyond common notions and political ideologies, beyond even the personal and indeed actually becomes a spiritual journey. For the Muslim this autonomy in the experiencing of life and Qadar (divine fate) is like a necessary spiritual breath. Identity and place is as individual and unique to each living soul as the finger print.

The exhibition “You Am I” touches profoundly on the issue of identity and challenges the notion that Australian Muslims are a homogenous entity that can be moulded to fit a prefabricated ideal or stereotype.

As for the artist, every art piece begins with an internal intellectual and emotional dialogue not unlike the thought process that is behind combining a group of artists creatively for the conceptualisation of an exhibition such as this. The diversity of medium and expression is the main focus of the exhibition and is a definite statement about the talent, intellect and diversity found within the realm of the Islamic faith. Australian Muslim artists, from a vast array of cultural and socio economic backgrounds each with personal stories and unique connection to their Australian identity share this ‘finger print’ through the common language of the arts.

“You Am I” is an initiative of the Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) in co operation with the Hume City Council and Hume Global Learning Centre (HGLC). Contemporary Australian Islamic Art captures the unique blend of the much admired arts and culture of Islam fused with modern urban Australian culture, the soulful bounty of Indigenous Australia and the very unique, ever evolving identity of the Australian Muslim and their expression through contemporary art.

The exhibition runs from February 15 to April 7 at the Hume Global Learning Centre, Broadmeadows, Victoria. *Nur Shkembi is Arts Officer, Islamic Council of Victoria.

Editorial

Behind Crescent Times success!

“We love Crescent Times.” “Such an elegant, informative newspaper - much needed for our community.” “Such a wonderful paper, please keep up the good work.” “Please accept my humble donation of (such and such) dollars.”

These are just a few comments received by CT from readers and community leaders. We are here not just to whinge but also to thank all who are supporting us “sans frontiers”!

Alhamdulillah, we can see the fruits of our labours. No doubt about that, but we still struggle to maintain the quality and content of the newspaper. The mission has never been easy or simple for any one of our team.

Still our editor in chief struggles to coordinate between editors, writers, reply to emails, layout the newspaper design, follow up advertising, distribution, printing, public relations and so on - while he holds his new born baby on his lap! Same for our production editor, who looks after her newborn baby, cares for two todlers less than three years old, while editing and helping with many tasks of the paper.

In conclusion the management and editing of these 24 monthly pages has to be done by husband and wife while looking after their “three under three” kids. Of course the financial struggle to save money and provide such a heart to heart publication, has led to difficulty for CT’s publishers. With more officers and technicians everyone would be more relaxed and performing in a happier environment!

I hope our readers have some sort of idea of what happens behind the scenes.

Unknown soldiers are there striving to deliver for you the best pages of CT and making their utmost efforts to amuse our fellow Muslims, defend their rights and educate many sections of our community.

We still request all your support to enable our Nationwide newspaper to keep going well into the future insha Allah.

This week, the Islamic Council of Western Australia joined the pioneer organisations who have donated a significant sum of money to CT, may Allah reward them all. We hope in the near future we will see similar generous donations in support insha Allah.

Crescent Times editorial team

Bangladesh: Tablighi Jama’at 46th Global Congregation

Native An Invitation to Adab Matters Eugenia Flynn*

I spoke to a colleague and friend recently and she commented on my writing style; the way I tend to ‘invite’ people to change their point of view or to think about things in a different manner.

Alhumdilillah, a greater compliment I could not have a received. See, it got me thinking about invitations. The first time I encountered invitations as a social grace and formal mechanism was in Islam - not that this happened to me in an explicit way - but Muslims will often ‘invite’ non-Muslims to our faith.

Never before had I encountered such a formal mechanism that is so simple in it’s structure and so well used by a people.

And yet, despite being the height of good manners - inviting someone to Islam neither pushes them nor commands them - the mechanism is nonetheless a propagation method, anchored in a religious imperative.

I think my initial encounters with the invitation to Islam had a profound subconscious effect on me. As the invitation is a social grace, a propagation method, the height of good manners and a religious imperative, it is no wonder that I have developed a fond attachment to a concept that is, in its essence, true Islamic Adab.

It is with great displeasure then, that I wonder what is the Islamic imperative, the proper Adab, by which Muslims in Australia can appropriately deal with the legacies of colonisation in this country.

For me, the biggest invitation which has been missed since the day that Australia was invaded has been the invitation from Australia’s First Peoples, my people, to come into our country and share in our land and wealth. As this invitation has never been extended, nor has there ever been a mere asking from the majority, Australia as it is today is a stolen wealth, a stolen land.

Muslims in this country are no different to the rest in this: they have had no invitations extended to them by Australia’s First Peoples, in general they have not asked to enter and yet every day Muslims enjoy the benefits of stolen wealth and land.

Muslims in Australia, although being people of colour as well, enjoy the fruits of colonisation in what is now called Australia.

As I have stated many times before, unless you are fighting for what is just and right for my people in this country, you continue to be complicit in the ongoing oppression of us. Put more simply, Muslims in Australia continue to lack the ultimate proper Adab.

It is with all this in mind, that I invite you to think about another type of invitation – I invite you to the proper Adab of living on stolen land. *Eugenia Flynn is an Aboriginal, Chinese and Muslim woman. In 2007 Eugenia founded the Indigenous Muslim Support Network (IMSN), which she continues to lead. Eugenia is the Deputy Chair of the National Indigenous Youth Movement of Australia (NIYMA) and is the Company Manager of an Indigenous youth performing arts company based in Adelaide.

Email: info@crescenttimes.com.au

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Page 5

Native matters

Amanda Charmand-Mazumder* Bangladesh Retail and seconds outlet shop Orders Welcome

as they come focused on religion and prayer, not on hotel-quality arrangements. Food is cooked and provided on site, and sanitary facilities are available. The event was patrolled by about 10,000 policemen and R.A.B (law enforcement officers like a S.W.A.T team), to ensure three tranquil days of devotion and the safety of attendees.

The three-day programme included sermons on the foundations of Islam, faith in Allah (s.w.t), practicing of the religion and life after death. The Ijtema concluded with the Akheri Munajat, the last prayer, on Sunday 24th January, where prayers were made for global

peace, prosperity and unity.

Devotees flocked from countries including: United Arab Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Jordan, Algeria, Qatar, Palestine, Bahrain, Tunisia, Yemen, Iraq, Ethiopia, Lebanon, Djibouti, Somalia, France and many more. Roads were closed around the area and many government schools and offices were closed for the last prayer on Sunday (the working week in Bangladesh is Sunday to Thursday).

*Amanda is a registered Mental Health Nurse in the Sydney Area Health Service. Her passions include World Politics and Islam, Medicine, Psychiatry and Nursing.

Pies, Pasties, Sausage Rolls, Cakes, Tarts, Slices, Bread, Croissants, Donuts, Muffins Shop 5 Dyer Road, Bassendean, WA Ph: 08 9376 9319 Monday to Friday 7.00am - 3.00pm Saturday 7.00am 11.00am Monthly Specials

issue 16, February 2010

Bangladesh held the 46th annual 3-day Biswa Ijtema (global congregation) on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th of January 2010. Over a million people, including more than 25,000 foreigners from 110 different countries, gathered in Dhaka, by the River Turag in Tongi for the second largest congregation of Muslims in the world, surpassed only by Hajj.

Organised by Tablighi Jama’at, this gathering has been an annual religious event since about 1976 (other sources say 1946), that focuses on prayers and meditation and does not allow political discussion. Ulla’amas and Islamic scholars from Pakistan, India and a number of other countries delivered lectures, which were instantly interpreted into Bangla, English, Arabic, Tamil, Chinese and a number of other languages.

Many devotees, courageously battling the winter cold and fog, spent days and nights under open sky, unable to find space under the huge tent-like covers or designated shelters. Large numbers were also seen taking part in the congregation from nearby roads, boats and rooftops of buildings and buses.

Devotees congregate on a stretch of land that is approximately 160 acres in size, and live simply with peace between the millions of worshippers. Accommodation requirements are minimal for the Muslims in attendance,

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Page 6

National news

Crescent Times reveals the full story behind Sheikh Haron’s arrest:

The Terrorist Attack and the Letters CT EXCLUSIVE NSW Bureau Some media have inaccurately reported that the Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested Sheikh Haron at his home. Crescent Times exclusively reveals the first hand version of the story from Sheikh Haron himself.

On Friday 16 October 2009, on Sheikh Haron’s website it was announced: “Terrorist Attack in Australia in October 2009, Details Coming Soon!”

Sheikh Haron, sent the same announcement on that day by fax to many media outlets, politicians, police and other parties.

Sheik Haron said that the following day, Saturday 17 October, the AFP tried to contact him for details of the terrorist attack but the Sheikh was not available. As the AFP did not leave a contact number, Sheikh Haron later called the National Security Hotline and left a message for the relevant authories to contact his mobile number. On Monday 19 October, an AFP officer contacted the Sheikh and an appointment was made for Tuesday 20 October 2009 at 10am for him to provide information about the terrorist attack. At the meeting on 20 October, Sheikh Haron provided written information to the AFP about the terrorist attack he had reported on his website. The AFP officer read the letter and said that the AFP

would consider the information. The AFP officer then proceeded to arrest him.

Sheikh Haron was placed under arrest because the AFP charged him with sending letters to harass the families of the Australian soldiers killed in Afghanistan. The families had received letters from the Sheikh condemning the killing of civilians in Afghanistan.

Crescent Times has received a copy of the report of terrorist activity provided

by Sheikh Haron to the Australian Federal Police. In this report, Sheikh Haron details what he describes as a terrorist attack on his home on Friday 16 October 2009.

Since a Channel Seven, “Today Tonight” broadcast on 25 May 2009, Sheikh Haron has received anonymous threats to his life and property.

On 16 October 2009, intruders attacked the gate of Sheikh Haron’s house and broke it to enter his office, Haron revealed. “The metal gate was heavy and strong, so they have used enough force to break such a gate.

When they discovered that I was not there they have gone on the roof and they have written things on the walls,” he added.

Sheik Haron reported the incident

to the NSW police. “According to Australian law, any violence based on religious or political grounds is a terrorist act. The anti-terrorism law does not state that a terrorist act is an act which is done only by a bomb or a gun. It also does not state that a terrorist act is an act which is committed by Muslims only or an act against non-Muslims only” Sheikh Haron explained in his report to the AFP. Sheikh Haron stated that: “There should not be any difference between Muslim and non-Muslim offenders.” “There should not be any discrimination; the anti-terrorism law should apply to all whether the terrorists are Muslims or nonMuslims, whether the targets are Muslims or non-Muslims”.

Sheikh Haron also contacted The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to complain about Channel Seven’s broadcast. ACMA explained that they can only investigate complaints about breaches of Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice. “Threats to your life or those of others are a matter for the police” ACMA concluded in a formal letter to Sheik Haron.

Perth: “Seven Jewish Children” Debate between the Jewish Community Council of WA and Friends of Palestine

Above from left: Sheikh Al Hilali, Sheikh Haron.

Photo courtesy: Sheikh Haron

Sheikh Haron writes to Obama about Iran Sheikh Haron has exclusively revealed to Crescent Times his letter to the US president, Barack Hussein Obama in October 2009 (ten days before his arrest by the AFP). In his letter Sheikh Haron discussed the legitimacy of holding or building nuclear weapons.

“You believe that Iran is dangerous for the world and this is why Iran must be free of nuclear weapons. President Ahmadinejad also believes that the USA is dangerous for the world and this is why the USA must be free of nuclear weapons. Are you ready to make your country free of nuclear weapons?” Haron asked Obama.

He added: “Mr President, what is it that makes you

Freedom of speech under fire

issue 16, February 2010

CT EXCLUSIVE Vincent Sammut Perth The Israel/Palestine conflict has been the subject of an extended and robust debate reported in the “Perth Voice” a local community newspaper. Vincent Sammut reports.

It all began in December 2009 when Amnesty International attempted to stage a play called “Seven Jewish Children,” a pro-Palestinian drama, at the Kulcha arts venue in Fremantle.

Unnamed persons put pressure on Kulcha who cancelled this “controversial” production.

Following cancellation of the production, freedom of speech issues were raised in a protest article in Perth Voice by Kate Attwell, a political and international studies student at Murdoch University. Then, Steven Lieblich, representing the Jewish Community Council of WA, submitted his stamp of approval for the play’s cancellation on the grounds of antiSemitism and vilification of Jews. He then proceeded to outline his ground rules for detecting anti-Semitic commentary ie does it demonise Jews? does it single out Israel for criticism to the exclusion of other human rights violators? Does the writer question the legitimacy of the state of Israel?

I felt strongly that his conditions constituted a not so subtle form of censorship and a gag on free and full expression of one’s views on Israel.

I wrote a lengthy article exploring the invalidity of Mr Lieblich’s provisos, emphasising that “anti-Semitism” is to be identified in the undifferentiated hatred of all Jews, not in even profound disapproval of Israel’s policies against Palestinians.

Mr Lieblich countered with a long letter attacking “Friends of Palestine WA” for insisting on the public staging of “Seven Jewish Children” and for continuing to claim that Jews have for centuries engaged in ritual murder of non-Jewish children. He also blamed Arabs for “categorically rejecting every opportunity to form a Palestinian state alongside Israel”.

I responded in a letter reminding him that all his verbal jousting, citing failures in Arab leadership, was bereft of details which might explain the conditions and consequences of compliance with various proposals. But more importantly he said nothing of Zionist arrogance in operating on the self-serving assumption that they had a divine right “to make Palestine their homeland”. So Mr Lieblich wrote yet another article attempting to make a case for the Jewish claim to the land now called Israel, which in my opinion was full of enormous flaws. I said this in a

follow up article which attacked the totally disingenuous Zionist plan to pump as many Jews as possible into Palestine in order to force a decision favouring a Jewish state. I purposely used quotes from Jewish sources critical of the unethical and unhumanitarian motives which characterised Zionist actions.

Alex Whisson and Victoria Martin-Iverson of Friends of Palestine WA (FOPWA)also wrote challenging Mr Lieblich’s “irrelevant” notions of a 1500 year Jewish sovereignty describing it as “without foundation”. FOPWA stressed that whatever the results of a debate on the “true origins of both the Palestinian and Jewish people, there can be no argument about the illegality and immorality of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian land in the present day.”

My understanding is that the “Perth Voice” newspaper intends to publish further input from new contributors in the next issue. It is significant for supporters of the Palestinian cause that a local newspaper has elected to promote publication of quite strong views on issues which usually remain well below the radar and are not available to the general public.

The generous latitude granted by the “Perth Voice” is heartening as are the letters and articles of support for Palestine. It seems that this is a reflection of an increasing willingness of non Muslims to open their eyes and doubt Israel’s justification for it’s policy of punitive victimisation of Palestinians. To date, Israel’s

think that you are better than the Iranian President? What has made you come to the conclusion that President Ahmadinejad is more dangerous for world peace than former President George W Bush? Were one million casualties in the Iraq war the result of the policy of Iran or the policy of the USA, UK and Australia? Which country has killed more people, Iran or America?”

“No country in the world has caused death for mankind as much as the USA has,” he concluded. If the world wants to make dangerous countries free of nuclear weapons, the United States as the most dangerous one deserves to be on top of the list”.

“underdog” armour has shielded it from serious examination of it’s crimes but that shield is turning to mush as public disenchantment grows in the light of reports of brutal killings, bulldozing of homes, forced evictions and stone faced denials of wrongdoing.

Of course, many of the points raised in the articles referred to will prove offensive to some Jews as they touch on highly sensitive issues.

However, it must not be assumed that all Jews approve of Zionism or the creation of the state of Israel. Apart from the disastrous reality that it’s creation has become for Palestinians, it has been and will continue to be a kind of Jewish Vietnam, in the sense that it is a source of great shame for all Jews who supported it’s creation but who now realise it was all predicated on a gigantic Zionist political canard.

I must encourage all who are able, to voice their opinions in newspapers. We must never underestimate the subtle effect our sincere pleas have on the hearts of readers who can still feel for the downtrodden victims of injustice – the Palestinians. * Vincent Sammut is a Perth based peace activist and a member of Friends of Palestine WA.

:‫بعونه تعالى‬

HIJRAH Australian Muslim lifestyle magazine coming soon!

Those who like, and equally those who dislike, the European Muslim professor cannot afford to miss out on any of his workshops. Swiss academic and theologian Professor Tariq Ramadan was one of the international guests invited to speak at the Parliament of World Religions held in December last year.

His workshops generally focused on Islam with regards to faith, governance and education, peace, justice and ‘Western’ and ‘European’ Muslims.

Ramadan has been involved in interfaith dialogues for the past 25 years. In an interview with Crescent Times, the Professor said involvement in these discussions extends a further responsibility upon our shoulders as muslims.

“Our responsibility is not to talk to the people who are open and know how to translate this (interfaith dialogues) in our respective neighborhoods,” he said.

“I would say, the whole philosophy is that it is good to have interfaith dialogue.

But how we reach our respective communities?” Ramadan questioned.

Interfaith Dialogue Guidelines Ramadan advises there are conditions one should keep in mind when participating in such settings.

“There are conditions that we have to go beyond just talking, also doing, and that is to be committed together.

“The first condition, which is very important, is: don’t talk on behalf of the others, listen to them,’’ he said.

“It’s also about being able to ask all the critical questions. We should respond to critical questions and this is not often done in our [Muslim] circles—we are

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Amirudin Ahamed* Perth

Above: Tariq Ramadan speaking at the Parliament of World Religions in Melbourne.

Photo courtesy: Shayma Alshakshir.

same,’’ he said.

“What I try to reform is the Muslim mind; transforming our understanding and interpretations and to outline that which is helping us to change,’’ Ramadan said.

Is history repeating itself?

Tariq Ramadan, the youngest of six children, is the son of Said Ramadan and the grandson of Imam Hassan al Banna, the founder of the Egyptian Islamic movement, the Muslim Brotherhood formed in 1928.

His father was a prominent figure in the Muslim Brotherhood and was exiled

by Jamal Abdul Nasser from Egypt to Switzerland, where Tariq was born.

Ramadan referred to the last years of his father’s life in exile as ‘difficult’. However, he asserts that his father instilled within him a sense of never giving up.

Said Ramadan was always speaking about love and justice which were the two main notions Ramadan inherited from him when he passed away in August 1995.

Ramadan’s mother was the eldest daughter of Hassan Al-Banna and was 15 years old when he died. She transmitted many of the spiritual dimensions of her father to Ramadan and his siblings.

Ramadan says he learnt much from his father and mother, and takes experiences, stories and knowledge from history and translates them into his own context.

In relation to following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, Ramadan states that “it is a tradition, no one is sacred, and Islam vs. Modern Islam one should never idolise people’’.

While a lot of Muslim scholars, Ramadan constantly stresses the need to academics and thinkers welcome contextualise, criticise and take out of [the Ramadan and his thoughts; some situation] what is good. choose otherwise. He is accused of presenting a slightly different image of Mission Islam; a modern European Islam.

On a general note, Ramadan calls for Ramadan, however, rejects those the integration of Muslims into European claims. societies, and independence physically and “I think Islam doesn’t need any kind intellectually for the Muslims of the east. of modernization,’’ he said.

He calls for building a human community “Islam is Islam based on scriptural in common with the West. In short: he calls sources: The Quran and the Sunnah for a ‘European’ Islam. and they are not going to change,’’ Ramadan was labeled as one of the‘100 Ramadan said. most important intellectuals of the 21st Ramadan quoted the Hadeeth: century’ by American Time magazine and a “Allah will raise a person from every ‘Muslim Martin Luther’ by the Washington generation (some suggest every 100 Post. years) who will uphold the Truth of His latest book What I Believe was released Islam”, pointing out that that is what in November 2009. he’s trying to do. * Shayma and Fatima are Melbourne based “The texts are going to remain the students and frequent contributors with CT.

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People accuse him of being too modern, complicated, confused and impractical in his theories.

Critics accuse him of using a ‘double language’, in that he twists his words depending on the audience. While he agrees there may be ‘double talk’, he says there is also ‘double hearing’. Shayma Alshakshir and Fatima Dennaoui report from Melbourne.

gentle, kind, but critical questions are important” and need to be answered.

“The third condition is to be committed to change the world, in working together much more than to talk with each other, all in the name of common principles and shared values,’’ Ramadan said.

“The fourth condition is for everyone who’s coming here [Parliament of World Religions] to go back to his or her religious community and to be able to share all that, which is not done very often,’’ he said.

Ramadan says interfaith discussions help us to understand people of other religions better. Yet, he reminds us, some specific tools have to be gained before indulging in those dialogues, especially when youth are involved.

“It is dangerous to go to those dialogues without knowledge, because it would be morally wrong to go,” he said.

“Now, it is quite clear that in our contemporary time there is a list of questions Muslims are asked.”

“We have all the points, but the ranks are different depending on the country.

For example, in France it’s the issue of the headscarf. In the Netherlands, it is about homosexuality,’’ Ramadan said.

Ramadan adds knowledge is only one of the many challenges.

“It is not only about knowledge, but also about the psychology of the society and confidence, that some of our young Muslims experience a lack of. Confidence comes through experience. So, this is why I would say go and read and prepare yourself, study what you need to study, and if you don’t know say I don’t know,’’ Ramadan advised.

He cautions that that one should not attend those dialogues without preparation as confusion may arise.

“The problem is, you have now some intellectuals or some ex-Muslims, cultural Muslims - very superficial Muslims - who have a wrong understanding of what Islam is all about,’’ Ramadan said.

To demonstrate this point, Ramadan referred to the latest minarets’ debate in Switzerland, where some had perceived the ban as a form of freedom.

“Ayan Hersi Ali said that the ban of the minarets is in fact an act of openness from the Swiss government,’’ he said.

Apologies for overreacting.. but polygamy is still permissible!

Sabrine El Khodr has again reiterated that polygyny is to be practised only in special circumstances like the aftermath of wars when widows and their children need to be looked after. Yunous Vagh has agreed with her. Can either of them justify their claims from Islamic history? How many of the Prophet’s wives were war widows with children? To my knowledge, Maria, Hafsa, Zainab and Aisha were not so. During the later years in the Islamic Empire, many Muslims including well-known scholars were polygynous.

Did they all marry war widows with children?

God has made certain actions haram (e.g. drinking alcohol, gambling, fornication, murder, polyandry) and certain actions halal (e.g. non-vegetarianism, trade, charity, warfare, polygyny). True, both categories have conditions attached to them and polygyny is no exception. The choice is given to the male to decide whether or not it is possible for him to be polygynous. It is not for other people to decide for him. If this choice is taken from him, even the freedom to contract a first marriage can be taken away from a bachelor and given to the courts to decide whether he can afford to have a wife or should remain a bachelor. By the way, Ms El Khodr, the permission of the first wife is NOT required for polygyny. Did the Prophet get the permission of his existing wives before he took a new one? Can you show me proof from the Seerah?

Likewise, if becoming polygynous just for lust is abominable (as both writers hint), it is equally bad for a bachelor to marry for lust.

Then, marriage has to be only for lofty reasons such as founding a family for the survival of mankind. Then why did God create lust?

Isn’t it as an incentive to get married? If people cannot get married to satisfy their lust in a halal way, what else can they do, especially in a western society where so-much flesh is on display like “exposed meat”? Masturbate, visit brothels or fast interminably?

Sabrine El Khodr once again claims that polygyny creates social problems and marriage breakdown? Then, why did God make it halal? Didn’t He know any better? As one who has submitted to God, I accept that His wisdom is far superior to mine. So, I accept that whatever He has permitted for me (including polygyny) is good and whatever He has forbidden for me is bad whatever people say (whether they be westerners or Muslims). If polygyny causes problems in a society, the fault lies with the society – not in the Commandments of God. Polygyny worked very well in the past and works very well even today in some societies which are free from the influence of feminism – like Africa. I remember an incident mentioned by the Sudanese psychologist Dr Malik Badri in his talk to the audience in the Annual Islamic Conference in Stockholm in 1990 or so. He mentioned a wife in his country who was berating her husband for not taking a second wife because everyone else was doing it.

Ms El Khodr says that she did not criticise polygyny but the way polygyny is practised. Well, I can criticise the way a Muslim prays in the mosque and defend myself with the same argument that I am not criticising salat but the way it is offered. And what would be the result? Chaos and bloody murder inside the mosque – which does happen in the sub-continent!

I agree that I should not have advised Ms El Khodr to leave Islam which was extreme advice. But this was simply as a retort to her advice for polygynists to leave Australia for Mormon controlled Utah in USA. I am surprised that Yunous Vagh mentions a bruisedego. Ms El Khodr did not hurt my ego – if I have one. She simply criticised polygyny. As a Muslim, I defended it. That was all. By the way, I thank Vagh for calling me an erudite person but whatever academic qualifications I have, my intelligence is subjugated to the Quran. So, I would defend every injunction of the Quran.

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Shayma Alshakshir and Fatima Dennaoui Melbourne

issue 16, February 2010

What Tariq Ramadan believes

Polygyny debate resumes:

Page 7

Opinion

* Amirudin Ahamed, Born in Sri Lanka. Studied in India (B.Sc, M.Sc, M.Tech), Sweden (PhD) and New Zealand (Dip in Teaching). Profession: Scientist (1977 to 1997) High School Teacher 1997-to date). Has written articles and presented seminars on Islam which appeared in various newspapers.

A Cuppa for Connections: WA Police meet with Muslim Community Leaders

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Page 8

Business

Above: Community members attending the morning tea with WA police

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CT Head Office Perth

On Thursday 3 February, Western Australia police hosted a morning tea for Muslim community leaders at City of Canning, Civic Reception Room.

The morning tea was arranged to provide an opportunity to strengthen links between the police and the Muslim community and allow Muslim community leaders to voice relevant concerns to police. The meeting was addressed by Assistant Commissioner Duane Bell representing WA police; a number of Muslim community leaders raised issues of concern including the unsolved

Mirrabooka Mosque shooting in 2006, ongoing vandalism at the Rockingham Mosque and planning issues related to several mosques. Following the formal addresses, police and community members had the opportunity to meet and discuss specific issues. A/C Duane Bell also outlined plans to strengthen links between local councils and mosque committees to assist in resolving a number of planning issues that are of current concern.

Crescent Times staff including the editor in chief, Tarek Chamkhi and the production editor Dr. Joanne McKeown attended the meeting on behalf of readers.

East - West Tarek Chamkhi

Hunting invisible birds at midnight!!

The latest mosque shooting, at Canning Mosque, indicates that such incidents are not random or “innocent”. It is the second of its kind, following the 2006 Mirrabooka mosque shooting which narrowly missed killing or injuring children and female worshippers on the upper level of the mosque.

The WA police informed the community at the recent community leader’s morning tea that no one been charged over the offence and the case is now considered closed. It seems to be hard work to chase hate mongers or to prove that terrorism is a two way crime and inter religious behaviour. Muslims have been saying over and over again, to all the world: terrorism has no religion! It could be committed by a Muslim or Christian or Jew, by militia or by a state which is the case of the USA in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Sadly, despite the local media reporting the shooting in a fair way, no one has mentioned terrorism in reporting the event or tagged the offenders as terrorists.

If muslims made a similar attack on a church, the media would not hesitate to run headlines- “Islamic terrorism/ Enemy within” - as they have done in the past.

Maybe it is too hard to catch the mosque shooters as they shoot and run in the darkness of the night. But please do not try to convince us that maybe someone tried to shoot a bird in the middle of the night with a rifle, in a residential suburb as one detective suggested! These are just ridiculous excuses, that treat the entire community as halfwits.

We understand that investigation processes may take time and that the offenders may never be caught, due to logistic or reasonable factors but our community concern does not stop there, with an outlandish shooting on a religious place of worship in the dark of the night!

Our concern is basically a political struggle

with local and federal governments. What the Howard government did to damage the image of Aussie muslims treating us as traitors and aliens, is the prime party to be blame for the shooting!

The cowardly criminals or terrorists who commit such acts (such a shooting is motivatived by complicated religious and political beliefs about Muslims) have been brainwashed by the extreme right wing of Howard team and Liberals in general. WA police is not the party we should blame if we have any safety concerns when we go to the mosque for collective prayer, but rather we should blame our politicians!

In Perth Now’s online blog about the shooting, over 30% of the comments supported the carrying out of the shooting at the mosque. Some were even proud to be “Aussie rednecks” and showed their happiness over an heroic attack. No mosques should be allowed in our backyards, said those racist hatemongers.

Although the WA police in particular have maintained a wise, warm relationship with the Muslim community, major politician in this country have failed to do so.

It may be a useful option for our kids to think about joining WA police or other state police forces, so we can all feel safe in our homes, like any other Aussie citizen.

Police services want to recruit members from multicultural backgrounds and muslims are as welcome as non muslims.

When we see more muslim police officers - such as CT ‘s close friend, Adib Abdennabi, the WA police State Security Investigation Group’s Community officer - we may start to feel safer whatever events disturb our presence in this sunburnt country.

I pray to Allah for the best.

Editor in chief

issue 16, February 2010

Kim JANES AKA SHERRIN DATE OF BIRTH: HEIGHT: BUILD: Thin EYES: HAIR: COMPLEXION: Fair

07-Jan-77 165 cm (5’5”) Green Brown

Where is Kim JANES (AKA SHERRIN)?

It is alleged JANES was involved in drug offences in South Melbourne in November,

2007. Warrants for her arrest have been issued. Call us on 1800 333 000 or visit www.crimestoppers.com.au

Call us on 1800 333 000 or visit: www.crimestoppers.com.au

Australian Coroner’s report, which found it had contributed to the “wholly unnecessary and avoidable death” of a 46-year-old Aboriginal man in its custody in January 2008.

The company’s record in Victoria is also marred by a coroner’s finding last year that it contributed to the 2005 death of Ian Westcott, who died of an asthma attack in the G4S-run Port Phillip prison. A note found near his body read: ‘’Asthma attack. Buzzed for help. No response.’’

Courtesy: The Age and other sources

Perth Lebanese Bakery

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The NES overrides any term of an employment contract that is detrimental to an employee when compared to the NES. A corporation breaching the NES can cop a penalty of up to $33,000.

In this article, we’ll look at the first 5 NES. Next issue, we’ll deal with the remaining 5.

1. Hours of Work An employer mustn’t request or require employees to work more than 38 hours per week plus reasonable additional hours. How do you determine if the additional hours are “reasonable”? You look at factors such as: risks to the employee’s health and safety, needs of the workplace, and any notice provided.

Hours may also be “averaged” out over a 26 week period (for award/agreement-free employees) or up to 52 weeks (for award/ agreement covered employees). For example, an employer and employee may agree that an employee will work 46 hours one week and 20 hours the next, without offending the requirement than an employee is not to work more than 38 hours per week plus reasonable additional hours.

2. Parental Leave Parental leave is available to employees (including certain casual staff) who have worked for an employer for 12 months or more. Parental leave may be taken for a period

employees, pro rated for part time employees. Shift-workers are entitled to an additional week’s leave. In certain circumstances, and with agreement between an employer and employee, additional leave may be taken in exchange for foregoing pay. For example, an employer and employee may agree on the employee taking 8 weeks’ leave (rather than 4 weeks’) on ½ pay.

Leave may also be cashed-out in accordance with stringent rules which vary for award-covered and award-free employees. If leave is cashed-out, 4 weeks’ leave must remain after the relevant leave is cashed out. The agreement to cash-out leave must be contained in a separate written agreement.

5. Personal/Carer’s and Compassionate Leave The combined entitlement to personal/carer’s leave is ten days per annum for each 12 months of service for a full-time employee.

On agreement between an employer and employee, additional personal/carer’s leave may be granted in exchange for foregoing an equivalent amount of pay, but only in limited circumstances.

An employee is also entitled to two days of unpaid carer’s leave and two days of paid compassionate leave (unpaid for casuals) per relevant occasion. Compassionate leave may be taken as a single continuous period of 2 days, or 2 separate periods of 1 day each, or any separate periods agreed between the employer and employee. *Hyder is a lawyer with Logie-Smith Lanyon Lawyers, Melbourne. Hyder practices mainly in the areas of Commercial & Corporate, Defence Procurement and Islamic Finance. He is a registered nurse, a qualified lawyer, an accredited mediator as well as a Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing in Australia. He has post graduate qualifications in business/management, law and nursing.

This article is for educational and general information purposes only and should not be relied on as (or in substitution for) legal, accounting, financial or other professional advice.

Email: info@crescenttimes.com.au

10 new National Employment Standards (“NES”) came into force on 1 January 2010 as part of the Fair Work Act (“Act”). The NES sets the minimum employment standards/safety net for all employees covered by the Act (including senior and managerial staff).

The Victorian state government is poised to award a multi-million dollar prison contract to a private company whose human rights record has been called into question.

The Sunday Age revealed that private prison contractor G4S Australia & New Zealand is the preferred tenderer to take over the Melbourne Custody Centre, a city-based facility that each year processes 11,000 people through cells under the Magistrates Court.

The private security firm was last year named in a damning Western

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Hyder Gulam* Melbourne

of 52 weeks, with the option of requesting up to an additional 52 weeks (for the primary caregiver) provided the request is in writing and at least 4 weeks’ before the initial period of parental leave is due to end. If an employee requests such additional leave, an employer may only refuse requests on “Reasonable Business Grounds.”

Reasonable Business Grounds isn’t defined, but might include the effect on the workplace, the inability to organise work among existing staff, and/or the inability to recruit a replacement.

3. Flexible Working Arrangements Employees (including some casual employees) who are parents or have responsibility for the care of a child under school age or under the age of 18 with a disability may request “Flexible Working Arrangements” to care for the child. Such arrangements are also undefined in the Act but may include working from home, working “split-shifts” or job sharing arrangements, to care for the child.

Again, if an employee requests such an arrangement, an employer may only refuse the request on Reasonable Business Grounds.

4. Annual Leave Workers are entitled to annual leave, four weeks’ for full time

Victoria: Deal set despite prison firm’s ‘Cruel’ past

Some hope for ‘Camp of Horror’ refugees

Shayma Alshakshir Melbourne

The United Nations have granted forty two Palestinian refugees an opportunity to migrate to Australia. The refugees lived in the desert camp of Al-Hool (the camp of horror), 700 km northeast of Damascus for more than three years amid deteriorating humanitarian conditions.

The ‘Camp of Horror’ is one of the oldest desert camps for Iraq’s Palestinians, where it was founded in May 2006 after Syria agreed to host in the refugees trapped in the Trebil at the Jordanian border in Iraq.

The refugees left the ‘Camp of Horror’ through Damascus International Airport, a year after Australia declared its consent to host them on its territory.

The Association of Palestinians in Iraq, headed by Tamer Msheen, assisted the Palestinian refugees with

an ‘I’m returning to my homeland (Palestine)’ parcel. He urged the refugees to adhere to national and Islamic identity and belonging to the Palestinian cause.

The current number of refugees living at the ‘camp of horror’ exceeds 600.

The family of Al-Rabeea’ was one of those families granted permission to migrate to Australia.

They arrived in Melbourne two months ago and have settled in the western suburbs.

The family, who amidst the Iraq War in 2003 were forced out of their home, say they have witnessed death, torture, loss, dispossession and horror.

Their story in the next CT issue.

issue 16, February 2010

Are you ready for the new National Employment Standards?

Page 9

Business

www.crescenttimes.com.au

Email: info@crescenttimes.com.au

Page 10

International

U.S. Military Weapons with Secret ‘Jesus’ Bible Codes:

Pentagon Supplier for Rifle Sights Says It Has ‘Always’ Added New Testament References Coded references to New Testament Bible passages about Jesus Christ are inscribed on high-powered rifle sights provided to the United States military by a Michigan company, an ABC News investigation has found.

The sights are used by U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and in the training of Iraqi and Afghan soldiers. The maker of the sights, Trijicon, has a $660 million multi-year contract to provide up to 800,000 sights to the Marine Corps, and additional contracts to provide sights to the U.S. Army.

U.S. military rules specifically prohibit the proselytising of any religion in Iraq or Afghanistan and were drawn up in order to prevent criticism that the U.S. was embarked on a religious “Crusade” in its war against al Qaeda and Iraqi insurgents.

One of the citations on the gun sights, 2COR4:6, is an apparent reference to Second Corinthians 4:6 of the New Testament, which reads: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

Other references include citations from the books of Revelation, Matthew and John dealing with Jesus as “the light of the world.”

John 8:12, referred to on the gun sights as JN8:12, reads, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

Trijicon confirmed to ABCNews that it adds the biblical codes to the sights sold to the U.S. military. Tom Munson, director of sales and marketing for Trijicon, which is based in

Wixom, Michigan, said the inscriptions “have always been there” and said there was nothing wrong or illegal with adding them. Munson said the issue was being raised by a group that is “not Christian.” The company has said the practice began under its founder, Glyn Bindon, a devout Christian from South Africa who was killed in a 2003 plane crash.

‘It violates the Constitution’ The company’s vision is described on it’s web site: “Guided by our values, we endeavor to have our products used wherever precision aiming solutions are required to protect individual freedom.”

“We believe that America is great when its people are good,” says the web site. “This goodness has been based on Biblical standards throughout our history, and we will strive to follow those morals.”

Spokespeople for the U.S. Army and the Marine Corps both said their services were unaware of the biblical markings. They said officials were discussing what steps, if any, to take in the wake of the ABCNews.com report.

It is not known how many Trijicon sights are currently in use by the U.S. military.

A photo on a Department of Defense web site shows Iraqi soldiers being trained by U.S. troops with a rifle equipped with the biblecoded sights.

“It’s wrong, it violates the Constitution, it violates a number of federal laws,” said Michael “Mikey” Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, an advocacy group that seeks to preserve the separation of church and

state in the military.

‘Firearms of Jesus Christ’ “It allows the Mujahedeen, the Taliban, al Qaeda and the insurrectionists and jihadists to claim they’re being shot by Jesus rifles,” he said.

Weinstein, an attorney and former Air Force officer, said many members of his group who currently serve in the military have complained about the markings on the sights. He also claims they’ve told him that commanders have referred to weapons with the sights as “spiritually transformed firearm[s] of Jesus Christ.”

He said coded biblical inscriptions play into the hands of “those who are calling this a Crusade.”

According to a government contracting watchdog group, fedspending.org, Trijicon had more than $100 million in government contracts in fiscal year 2008. The Michigan company won a $33 million Pentagon contract in July, 2009 for a new machine gun optic, according to Defense Industry Daily. The company’s earnings from the U.S. military jumped significantly after 2005, when it won a $660 million long-term contract to supply the Marine Corps with sights.

“This is probably the best example of violation of the separation of church and state in this country,” said Weinstein. “It’s literally pushing fundamentalist Christianity at the point of a gun against the people that we’re fighting. We’re emboldening an enemy.”

Source: ABC NEWS

15 years after the Bosnian genocide against Muslims:

What has happened to the people of Bosnia?

issue 16, February 2010

Erin Rutherford Sydney I write this article 15 years on. For many this has been 15 long years after a war that killed many thousands of Muslim soldiers and civilians, including thousands of women and children. This was a war that was so scarcely covered here in Australia that I barely remember the news coverage. I write this not only to remind myself of the tragedy but also to remind all of us of the horrors that happened during the Bosnian War. “You will see, you Muslim. I am going to draw a cross on your back. I’m going to baptise all of you. You’re now going to be Serbs.” (Witness 50, quoting a Montenegrin soldier who raped her, http://www.icty.org) In the final weeks of the war, in July of 1995, the VRS (Vojska Republike Srpske or Bosnian Serb Army) commanded by General Ratko Mladic, cleansed 25,00030,000 refugees from Srebrenica along with killing at least 8,000 men and boys. This was the largest massacre in Europe since World War II. Even though The UN had already declared Srebrenica a “safe area”, and had 400 Dutch peacekeepers in the area, the killing went on.

Mladic is still in hiding, and there is an international arrest warrant against him for the charges of genocide, complicity in genocide, crimes against humanity and for violations of the laws or customs of war.

15 years later, there is still no justice for the people of Bosnia, still no closure for the thousands of families

Photo: Srebrenica massacre memorial gravestones, 2009 left fatherless, widowed and homeless after the brutal war and genocide at Srebrenica.

Even with the capture of Radovan Karadžić who, like Mladic, has been charged with genocide, complicity in genocide, crimes against humanity and for violations of the laws or customs of war, they wait… Radovan Karadžić, who evaded authorities for 13 years, made a mockery of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) last November, who allowed his trial to be postponed until March this year.

With anticipation, Alexander HergetMehic, an Australian Filmmaker, will follow

the trial of Radovan closely. He will be standing in solidarity with Bosnian relatives, in Lukavac, during the trial. Alex wants to document for the world, the effects that the war had on the local people who live on in Bosnia after the dark days of the war.

Will they continue to be haunted by the memories of 1995?

If there are any survivors or relatives of victims who want to come forward to talk to Alex, if you can contribute to endorse him to cover the trial with a Press Pass, or if you would just like more information about the documentary, please contact justiceforbosnia@gmail.com

The Kiki principle:

Debora McNichol*

Jefferson was Wrong America’s Declaration of Independence, signed in 1776, announced that all men are created equal and have inalienable rights bestowed upon them by the Creator. Thomas Jefferson famously stole John Locke’s “life liberty, and property” replacing the last of the list with “the pursuit of happiness.”

Ignoring the fact that Jefferson actually meant equality and rights for rich white men, that he was a great thinker and writer of his day, and, along with Ben Franklin, is one of my favorite colonial dudes (he owned a Quran, for goodness’ sakes), there is that problematic reference to happiness.

How does one define happiness? Is it elation, or is it something less exciting? Is it the lack of unhappiness? Is happiness the destination, or the road travelled, or a byproduct of a life well-lived? Where does one’s right to happiness end, and who has the right to infringe upon another’s?

An intrinsic difference between Islam and modern Western philosophies and interpretation of religion is the fact that Islam does not place such an emphasis on personal happiness, but instead on faith and deeds.

“Faith and deeds” makes sense in a way that “pursuing happiness” cannot. We do things every day that run counter to happiness. Mothers endure childbirth, change nappies - nasty nappies! - attend mind-numbing school functions, and clean house. Some women, I’m told, even cook.

For all the good things that a mother does, there is no guarantee that she will be happy in her parental role. Nor can she trade in her child for a better model.

A couple years after putting on the hijab, I met my extended family at a function in Philadelphia (where the Declaration was signed, incidentally). When my dear Aunt Wanda first saw me in the scarf, she sweetly told me that I looked like a nun. (She is not the only person who has admired my nun look.) Apparently, she had not gotten the memo that I had become a Muslim.

When I talked to her later that afternoon, it was clear to me that she was in a mild state of shock because all she could say over and over again was “Well, as long as you’re happy.” At that point, I could have told her I had to shoot one hundred baby seals as an initiation requirement or eat the beating heart of a US Congressman.

As if Congress had any heart. ( Just kidding, Mom.) Alhamdulillah, I am grateful that she was so accepting, even if she perhaps held warped notions of Islam and Muslims. I was, though, somewhat taken aback by her mentally justifying my conversion with personal happiness. How easily we throw that word around but fail to qualify it.

Jefferson should have stuck with the script. *Debora McNichol is a Muslim wife, mother, daughter, business owner, editor, and attorney in the USA. She has a general law practice in Virginia and North Carolina, and especially takes pleasure in discussing intellectual property and business law with willing clients, friends, and neighbours.

‫اسالميات‬

‫‪Page 11‬‬

‫المسجد مكانته‬ ‫مكانتنا‬

‫مقاصديات‬

‫‪Email: info@crescenttimes.com.au‬‬

‫من ضرورات‬ ‫المنهج االسالمي‬

‫طارق الشامخي*‬

‫حسن الشخشير*‬

‫‪www.crescenttimes.com.au‬‬

‫"أحب البالد الى اهلل مساجدها ‪،‬وأبغض البالد إلى‬ ‫اهلل عزوجل أسواقها " رواه مسلم ‪ .‬المسجد أول بناء‬ ‫بناه الرسول عند قدومه للمدينة فبنى قباء ثم مسجده‬ ‫عليه الصالة والسالم‪...‬كان مبنيا من اللبن و سقفه‬ ‫الجريد‪ ,‬وعمده خشب النخيل وفيه كوة (فتحة) يوجد‬ ‫بها نسخة واحدة من القرآن المكتوب على الجلد و‬ ‫الرقاع‪ .‬أرضه الحصباء إال من بعض الحصير‪...‬وهو‬ ‫أحب البقاع لرسول اهلل (صلى اهلل عليه وسلم) ال‬ ‫يقدم من سفر اال بدأ بالمسجد فصلى فيه ركعتين‪...‬‬ ‫وهو المدرسة التي يتخرج منها المسلم‪ ...‬وهو‬ ‫بيت األتقياء‪...‬ومكان اجتماع المسلمين يوميا‪...‬‬ ‫ومركز مؤتمراتهم و محل تشاورهم وتناصحهم‪...‬‬ ‫فيها يتعارفون ويتآلفون وعلى الخير يتعاونون‪...‬‬ ‫منه خرجت جيوشهم فنشروا العدل و أسعدوا‬ ‫البشرية‪...‬ومنه تخرج العلماء والفقهاء‪ ,‬علماء القرآن‬ ‫والسنة‪ ,‬والشريعة‪ ,‬واللسان‪ ,‬وسنن اهلل في األكوان‪...‬‬ ‫وفيه كان الجرحى يمرضون‪...‬وفي رحابه كان‬ ‫التقاضي و محاسبة الخلفاء‪ ...‬وفيه قسمت الغنائم‪..‬‬ ‫وفيه كانوا يعلقون العذق ليأكل الجائعون و الغلمان‪...‬‬ ‫وهوالبرلمان فيه شوار األمة وما عرض لهم عارض‬ ‫إال نودي" الصالة جامعة" و فيه يكون انتخاب‬ ‫الخليفة و البيعة وتبحث القوانين‪ ...‬المكث فيه عبادة‬ ‫و التعلق به سمت رواد األمة‪...‬منابرها تذكر بمنبر‬ ‫رسول اهلل (ص) ومحاريبها تذكر بالإلمامة العظمى‪...‬‬ ‫يدخله الداخل فينظر الى الزائل بمعنى الخالد و يهجر‬ ‫تراب األرض فال يمشي عليه و تراب المعاني األرضية‬ ‫فال يتعرض له ويدخل في الزمن المتحرر من أكثر قيود‬ ‫النفس‪ ,‬منحن في ركوعه ليخضع لغير المعاني الذليلة‪,‬‬ ‫ساجدا بين يدي ربه ليدرك معنى الجالل األعظم‪.‬‬ ‫كـأنما يقول لداخله ادخل في زمني و دع زمنك و‬ ‫جئني بقلبك و فكرك ليشعرا ساعة أنهما ِ‬ ‫في ال فيك ‪.‬‬ ‫ذلكم هو المسجد المتواضع بناؤه‪ ,‬الرفيع معناه‪ ,‬البالغ أثره‬ ‫مكان النظافة و التخلص من أدران البعد عن اهلل ‪...‬يا مسلم!‬ ‫* مهندس وباحث مسلم مقيم في ملبورن‪ ،‬فكتوريا‪.‬‬

‫طبيبة ألمانية ترفض عالج‬ ‫فتى مسلم بسبب اسمه!‬

‫‪issue 16, February 2010‬‬

‫رفضت طبيبة ألمانية عالج أسنان فتى مسلم يبلغ من العمر ستة‬ ‫عشر عا ًما‪ ،‬لمجرد أن اسمه “جهاد”؛ األمر الذي أثار استيا ًء بالغًا‬ ‫لدى عائلة الفتى والجهات الطبية فى والية بادن فيرتمبيرج‪.‬‬ ‫وقالت صحيفة “بادي‪-‬فورتيمبرغ” األلمانية‪“ :‬جاء الشاب‬ ‫البالغ السادسة عشـرة إلى مركز تقويم األسنان الذي يعالج فيه‬ ‫من دون أن يواجه أي مشكلة‪ ،‬وعند قراءة االسم على الئحة‬ ‫المرضى قالت الطبيبة إنها شعرت بـ”الغثيان”‪ .‬وللتأكد طلبت‬ ‫من الشاب أن يوضح معنى اسمه فقال لها “الحرب المقدسة”‬ ‫فرفضت معالجته‪ ،‬قائل ًة‪“ :‬ال أريد التعامل بتاتاً مع أشخاص‬ ‫مستعدين للجوء إلى العنف” وفق قولها‪.‬‬ ‫وتركت الطبيبة‪ ،‬وهي من بلدة دوناوشنجن‪ ،‬دعامة بداخل‬ ‫فم الفتى المسلم دون أن تعالجه‪ .‬وبررت موقفها بالقول‪ :‬إنها‬ ‫“تشعر أن االسم هو بمثابة إعالن حرب على كل من هو ليس‬ ‫إسالميًّا متطرفًّا”‪ ،‬على حد زعمها‪.‬‬ ‫استياء لدى عائلة الفتى المسلم‪:‬‬ ‫من جانبها‪ ،‬أعربت عائلة الفتى جهاد عن استيائها الشديد‬ ‫لتصرف الطبيبة األلمانية‪ ،‬الفت ًة إلى أنها تفكر حاليًا في تقديم‬ ‫شكوى قضائية ضدها‪.‬‬ ‫وقال والد “جهاد”‪“ :‬لم تنشأ مشاكل بسبب اسم ابنى من قبل‪،‬‬ ‫كما لم يُب ِد مكتب السجالت التابع للمدينة التى يقطنها ‪٢٢‬‬ ‫ألف نسمة أي اعتراض على اسمه عندما تقدمنا بطلب لتسجيله‬ ‫بعد مولده”‪.‬‬ ‫وأشار إلى أن هذا االسم (جهاد) شائع فى البلد األصلية له‬ ‫(تركيا)‪ ،‬وأن أحدا لم يتفهم موقف الطبيبة‪.‬‬ ‫ورفضً ا لتصرف الطبيبة األلمانية أيضً ا‪ ،‬أعلن اتحاد أطباء التأمين‬ ‫فى والية بادن فيرتمبيرج‪ ،‬التى تقع المدينة بها‪ ،‬رفضه ألن‬ ‫ٍ‬ ‫شخص ما‪.‬‬ ‫يكون االسم أو الديانة سببًا فى االمتناع عن عالج‬ ‫وقالت رئيسة االتحاد “أوتا ماير”‪ :‬إن الطبيبة قد تتعرض لغرامة‬

‫للمنهج اإلسالمي ضرورات ومسلّمات‬ ‫كما لغيره من المناهج في هذا الكون المتعدد‬ ‫المناهج والثقافات‪.‬والشك ان المسلم يعتقد‬ ‫اعتقادا جازما بان منهجه االسالمي يتفوق‬ ‫تفوقا مطلقا على غيره من المناهج الوضعية‬ ‫و الدينية‪ ،‬ذلك ان العقيدة االسالمية تقتضي‬ ‫من معتنقيها – كما هو شان معظم االديان و‬ ‫االديولوجيات‪ _..‬بان يسلم بمطلق كمالها و‬ ‫جمالها و علويتها بين العالمين‪(.‬ان الدين عند‬ ‫اهلل االسالم) و(من يبتغي غير االسالم دينا فلن‬ ‫يقبل منه) (وال تهنوا وال تحزنوا وانتم االعلون‬ ‫ان كنتم مؤمنين) اآليات‪ .‬كما ان المسلم يعتقد‬ ‫بداهة ان اهلل عز وجل لطيف بعباده رؤوف‬ ‫رحيم مقتدر ال تخفي عليه خائنة االعين ويعلم‬ ‫ما يقر في االرحام كما يعلم ما في الصدور‪،..‬‬ ‫فمن الطبيعي اذن ان نسلم بان المنهج االسالمي‬ ‫في الحياة هو المنهج االسمى و االكمل يقينا‬ ‫منا بانه منهج رباني من رب هذا الوجود نزل‬ ‫موحى به على خاتم االنبياء و المرسلين‪ ،‬وانه‬ ‫سبحانه وتعالى (وما ينطق عن الهوى ان هو اال‬ ‫وحي يوحى)اآلية‪.‬‬ ‫بيد ان العقل المسلم وخصوصا العلماء‬ ‫اولي الخبرة بموارد الشريعة و محكماتها و‬ ‫متشابهها‪ ،‬فض ً‬ ‫ال عن سائر العقالء المتفقهين‬ ‫لكتاب اهلل المنظور(العالم الرحب و الكون‬ ‫الواسع الذي أحسن اهلل صنعه) لهؤالء جميعا ان‬ ‫يجربوا المنهج االسالمي ال ليتشككوا في مدى‬ ‫جدواه‪ ،‬و لكن ليزدادوا ايمانا و شكرا للواحد‬ ‫القهار و لتطمئن قلوبهم‪ .‬و الشريعة االسالمية قد‬ ‫الفتها العقول و انستها انس الطفل بثدي امه على‬ ‫حد تعبير االمام الخضر حسين لما فيها من اتزان‬ ‫و شمولية و معقولية و جمالية و حكمة ومراعاة‬ ‫للفطرة‪(..‬انما يخشى اهلل من عباده العلماء)اآلية‪.‬‬ ‫وفي الجملة لما فيها من مقاصد عامة للشريعة‬ ‫مث ّلت ولن تزال أسمى حكمة وفلسفة و حلول‬ ‫لمآسي االنسانية ومشكالتها في أنفسها وآفاقها‪:‬‬ ‫(سنريهم آياتنا في االفاق و في أنفسهم حتى‬ ‫يتبين لهم أنه الحق) اآلية‪.‬‬ ‫والحق ان المنهج االسالمي‪ ،‬كما هو مبيّن‬ ‫في اصول الفقه وعلم االيمان (العقيدة)‪ ،‬منه‬ ‫القطعي الكلّي الذي ال يجوز مخالفته ونكرانه‬ ‫او الشك في صالحيته‪ ،‬ومثلها مسائل العقائد‬ ‫المختلفة القطعية ال الظنية و االحكام الشرعية‬ ‫القطعية المتواترة الورود (درجة صحة النص)‬ ‫او الداللة (المعنى الظاهر من النص) او االثنين‬ ‫معا؛ ومنها كذلك الظني غير قطعي الورود او‬ ‫الداللة او االثنين معا وهذه المناهج الظنية –‬ ‫التي يقرر العلماء و المختصون بانها من الظنيات‬ ‫ال كما يشاء الناس وتهوى انفسهم‪ -‬يجوز‬ ‫مخالفتها بين النظار وحتى عامة المسلمين تبعا‬ ‫لما يراه النظار و الفقهاء و المفتون الذين يتبعهم‬ ‫الناس في الفتوى و يقلدونهم في عامة المناهج‬ ‫االسالمية‪.‬‬ ‫ومن ضرورات المنهج االسالمي‪:‬‬ ‫التسليم الكلي بعلوية النصوص وشموليتها‬‫وصالحها في الزمان والمكان‪ ،‬كما اسلفنا‬ ‫اعاله‪.‬‬ ‫حسن المولج والمخرج في فهم النص‬‫واالتكال في ذلك على ارباب االختصاص‬ ‫في العربية و علم الحديث وأسباب النزول‬ ‫ومراتب االجماع والناسخ والمنسوخ ‪..‬وغيرها‬ ‫من المواضع التي ال يحسن بعامة المسلمين‬ ‫التو ّغل فيها بمفردهم من دون دليل و معالم‬ ‫مالية أو تحصل على إنذار لسلوكها هذا‪.‬‬ ‫تكرار “أزمة المآذن”‪:‬‬ ‫على صعيد آخر‪ ،‬قالت مجلة “دير شبيجل” األلمانية‬ ‫إن دعاية اليمين األلمانى المتطرف ضد الجالية‬ ‫المسلمة بالبالد تنذر بتكرار “أزمة المآذن” فى‬ ‫سويسرا‪ ،‬التى جاءت على خلفية استفتاء أجري‬ ‫هناك حول منع بناء مآذن المساجد‪.‬‬ ‫يأتي ذلك على خلفية رفض سكان محليين بمدينة‬ ‫فولكلينجين‪ ،‬غرب ألمانيا‪ ،‬خطة جالية مسلمة لبناء‬ ‫مئذنة على سطح مسجد‪.‬‬ ‫ولفتت “دير شبيجل” إلى أن هذا الرفض استند إلى‬ ‫دعاية اليمين المتطرف تجاه ما يعتبرونه “خططا‬

‫في الطريق‪.‬‬ ‫مستجدات العصر جيدا ً وتقليب‬ ‫فهم‬‫ّ‬ ‫اوجهها واستكناه (المعرفة العميقة) مفاصل‬ ‫االشتغال الداخلي (السير الذاتي او الدوافع‬ ‫الذاتية) او بتعبير االصوليين ‪ :‬استنباط العلل‬ ‫وتمييزها عن اشباه العلل ونظائرها‪ .‬ومثال ذلك‬ ‫مسالة الفوائد البنكية حيث تجب الخبرة بطرق‬ ‫اشتغال البنوك و كيفية تدوير الفوائد على‬ ‫المشتركين و ارتباط ذلك باالقتصاد العام للبلد‬ ‫او الدولة سلبا وايجابا ومحصلة ذلك النسق من‬ ‫االقتصاد في تفقير الناس او اثرائهم‪ ..‬و معرفة‬ ‫ان الفائدة هي زيادة على راس المال من دون‬ ‫جهد يبذل مقابلها واستحضار النص المحرم‬ ‫للربا لكي تتم عملية القياس بنجاح عبرنقل‬ ‫العلة(الزيادة على راس المال من االصل الذي‬ ‫هو الربا الى الفرغ الذي الفائدة البنكية ( ولكم‬ ‫رؤوس اموالكم فال تظلمون وال تظلمون)‬ ‫اآلية‪ .‬وهكذا دواليك‪.‬‬ ‫بالنسبة للعلماء والمختصين‪ ،‬استحضار‬‫مقاصد الشريعة و مراتب المصالح (الضرورات‬ ‫والحاجيات والتحسينيات و المصالح اللكلية و‬ ‫الجزئية وتعلق المصالح بعموم االمة ام بشعب‬ ‫محدود العدد من شعوب االمة ام بافرادها‬ ‫المتباعدين زمانا ومكانا‪ ..‬وهكذا دواليك كما‬ ‫هو مبين الرباب االختصاص في علم مقاصد‬ ‫الشريعة (لنا عودة اليه باذن اهلل)‪ .‬بيد ان غير‬ ‫المتخصصين مطالبون كذلك بان يتفقهوا‬ ‫في مناهج المقاصد الشرعية ما استطاعوا الى‬ ‫ذلك سبيال‪ ..‬واحسب ان ذلك من المندوبات‬ ‫الشرعية بالنسبة لهم‪ ،‬اما بالنسبة للعلماء فهم من‬ ‫الفروض الكفائية و ال يتم تحصيل االجتهاد‬ ‫في االحكام الشرعية او االفتاء في المستجدات‬ ‫من دون فقه علم المقاصد وفاقا لما ذهب‬ ‫اليه الشاطبي وابن عاشور و معظم العلماء‬ ‫المعاصرين و القدامى‪ .‬من الممكن لعامة‬ ‫المسلمين‪ ،‬وأبناء الحركة االسالمية بنظر خاص‬ ‫مني‪ ،‬ان يعلموا القدر المتاح من المصالح‬ ‫الشرعية وتزاحم المصالح والمفاسد و الموازنة‬ ‫بينها‪ .‬ومن الممكن االستعانة ببعض الكتب‬ ‫الميسرة في هذا الموضوع ‪ ،‬ككتاب‬ ‫الحديثة‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫العالمة القرضاوي‪:‬اولويات الحركة االسمية‬ ‫في المرحلة القادمة‪ ،‬وغيره كثير ومتوفر‪.‬‬ ‫فقه مبدا سد الذرائع الذي يتوجب العمل‬‫به واالكثار منه في اوقات الفتن وعموم البلوى‬ ‫كما هو الحال في عصرنا‪ ،‬و منه يتفرع العمل‬ ‫بالضرورات الشرعية و الضرورات التي تبيح‬ ‫المحضورات‪ ..‬والضرورات التي تقدر بقدرها‪..‬‬ ‫والضرر الذي يزال شرعا‪ ..‬والضرر االكبر‬ ‫الذي يدفع بتحمل الضرر االصغر‪..‬فاالضطرار‬ ‫الى هذين المبدئين هو موقف حساس ذو‬ ‫مزالق ومخاطر و يمثل الحاالت االضطرارية‬ ‫في الشريعة او قل حاالت الطواري‪ ،‬و ليس‬ ‫هو االصل في الحاالت العادية و االوقات‬ ‫الهنيئة الجميلة‪ .‬و للمسلمين عامة (اقصد غير‬ ‫المتخصصين في الشريعة حصرا‪ )..‬وخاصة‬ ‫( اقصد المتخصصين في الشريعة حصرا) ان‬ ‫يفقهوا هذه المفاصل الحساسة النها تمث ّل‬ ‫عصب المنهج االسالمي في الحاالت الطارئة‬ ‫و االوق��ات العصيبة التي يمر بها الفرد كما‬ ‫االمة‪ ،‬وال يمكن ان نتصور حلوالً للحاالت‬ ‫الغير االعتيادية مأخوذة من الحياة العادية او‬ ‫من االحكام الشرعية المتعلقة بالسير االعتيادي‬ ‫للحياة االسالمية كما هو الحل في المرحلة‬ ‫المدنية من الرسالة على سبيل المثال ال الحصر‬ ‫و للحديث صلة‪ .‬واهلل اعز واعلم‪.‬‬ ‫* طارق الشامخي كاتب متخصص في الدراسات‬ ‫الشرعية والعلوم السياسية‪ ،‬مقيم في برث غرب أستراليا‬ ‫وهو يشغل حاليا رئيس تحرير الكريزنت تايمز ‪.‬‬

‫لسعى الجاليات اإلسالمية للوصول للسلطة”‪.‬‬ ‫وأضافت المجلة أنه رغم طمأنة رئيس الجالية التركية‬ ‫المسلمة “عدنان أتاكلى” للسكان المحليين بأنه لن‬ ‫يتم رفع اآلذان من المئذنة وأنها مجرد زخارف‪ ،‬إال‬ ‫أن هناك اعتراضً ا من جانب عدد من السكان على‬ ‫المشروع‪ ،‬وذلك فى اجتماع بالمدينة عقد أواخر‬ ‫يناير الماضى‪ ،‬استند إلى مخاوف اليمين المتطرف من‬ ‫المهاجرين األتراك‪.‬‬ ‫ويشكل المسلمون من أصول تركية نحو ثلثي عدد‬ ‫المسلمين في ألمانيا بتعداد يصل الى‪ 5.2‬مليون نسمة‪.‬‬

‫القرضاوي‪:‬الرئيس الذي‬ ‫يدعو لغزو شعبه يجب‬ ‫رجمه‬ ‫ُ‬

‫أكد الدكتور يوسف القرضاوي‪ ،‬رئيس االتحاد العالمي لعلماء المسلمين‪،‬‬ ‫أن رئيس السلطة الفلسطينية المنتهية واليته محمود عباس هو الذي أحيا‬ ‫مشيرا إلى أن ذلك كان منذ عدة أشهر‪.‬‬ ‫موضوع الدعوة إلى رجمه‪،‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫وقال القرضاوي‪ ،‬معل ًقا على الجدل الذي ثار بعد اتهامه بالدعوة إلى رجم‬ ‫عباس‪ :‬إنه كان يرد على سؤال عن رأيه في “دعوة عباس “لإلسرائيليين” إلى‬ ‫مشيرا إلى أن ذلك كان منذ عدة أشهر‪ ،‬وأن عباس هو الذي أحيا‬ ‫غزو غزة”‪ً ،‬‬ ‫مؤخرا‪.‬‬ ‫الموضوع‬ ‫ً‬ ‫وأوضح القرضاوي‪ ،‬في مقابلة مع تليفزيون “بي بي سي” العربي‪ ،‬أن إجابته‬ ‫كانت مشروطة بثبوت ذلك‪ ،‬وهي أنه ال يكتفى بالحكم على عباس في‬ ‫هذه الحالة باإلعدام‪ ،‬بل يجب أن يرجم ألنه رئيس لكل فلسطين‪ ،‬مؤكدً ا أن‬ ‫“الرئيس الذي يدعو إلى غزو شعبه ال يستحق أن يحيا بل يجب أن يرجمه‬ ‫الشعب”‪.‬‬ ‫ور ًّدا على سؤال حول توزيع ملصقات في الضفة الغربيه تظهره يصافح‬ ‫حاخامات يهود‪ ،‬قال القرضاوي‪ :‬إنه ال ينكر قيامه بذلك‪ ،‬ألن “اليهودية دين‬ ‫كتابي نعترف به كالنصرانية”‪ ،‬معربًا عن ترحيبه باليهود الذين يقفون ضد‬ ‫الصهاينة‪.‬‬ ‫لكنه شدد على أنه ضد التعاطي مع حاخامات يهود إذا كانوا “إسرائيليين”؛‬ ‫ألنه يرفض كل يهودي رضي “بإسرائيل”‪ ،‬منو ًها إلى أنه من هذا المنطلق‬ ‫رفض حضور منتدى حوار يهودي إسالمي مسيحي؛ ألنه ال يرضى أن يجلس‬ ‫على منصة واحدة مع يهودي يعترف “بإسرائيل”‪.‬‬ ‫“الجدار الفوالذي”‪:‬‬ ‫ومن جانب آخر‪ ،‬جدد رئيس االتحاد العالمي لعلماء المسلمين معارضته‬ ‫موضحا أن‬ ‫لبناء “الجدار الفوالذي” الذي تبنيه مصر على حدودها مع غزة‪،‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫معارضته تنبع من تطبيقه لمبدأ في فقه المآالت يحرم فعل شيء حالل إذا‬ ‫كان مآله ينتهي إلى حرام‪.‬‬ ‫واعتبر القرضاوي أن مسألة بناء “الجدار الفوالذي” بين مصر وقطاع غزة ال‬ ‫تتعلق بأمن مصر القومي فقط‪.‬‬ ‫وأكد أن على مصر مسئولية عربية وإسالمية في الدفاع عن قطاع غزة‬ ‫مشيرا إلى أنه ال يريد لمصر أن تتخلى عن دورها العربي‬ ‫الذي حكمته لفترة‪ً ،‬‬ ‫والقومي واإلسالمي‪.‬‬ ‫وحول تحذيرات الشيخ القرضاوي السابقة من محاوالت إيران غزو‬ ‫المجتمعات السنية الخالصة‪ ،‬أكد رئيس االتحاد العالمي لعلماء المسلمين أن‬ ‫لديه دالئل على غزو الشيعة‪ ،‬منو ًها إلى أنهم لم يلتزموا بما اتُّفق عليه في‬ ‫اللقاءات بين (قيادات المذهبين) بأال يحاول أح ٌد نشر مذهبه في بالد خالصة‬ ‫للمذهب اآلخر‪.‬‬ ‫ورغم ذلك‪ ،‬ذكر القرضاوي أنه ال يرى تضاربًا في موقفه هذا من الشيعة‬ ‫ودعوته للتقارب معهم‪ ،‬وقال‪“ :‬نحن ندعو للتقارب مع “أديان” أخرى كتابية‬ ‫وغير كتابية‪ ،‬فكيف ال ندعو لذلك مع مسلمين نرى أن لديهم بعض البدع”‬ ‫وفق قوله‪.‬‬ ‫وقال القرضاوي في بيان سابق حول موقفه من خطر نشر التشيع ‪ :‬إن “الخطر‬ ‫في نشر التشيع وراءه دولة لها أهدافها اإلستراتيجية”‪ ،‬في إشارة الى إيران‪.‬‬ ‫وأضاف‪ :‬إن إيران “تسعى إلى توظيف الدين والمذهب لتحقيق أهداف‬ ‫التوسع ومد مناطق النفوذ‪ ،‬حيث تصبح األقليات التي تأ َّسست عبر السنين‬ ‫أذرعا وقواعد إيرانية فاعلة لتوتير العالقات مع العرب”‪.‬‬ ‫وتابع القرضاوي‪“ :‬لكني وجدت أن المخطط مستمر”‪ ،‬وأن اإليرانيين‬ ‫“مصممون على بلوغ غاية رسموا لها الخطط ورصدوا لها األموال وأعدوا‬ ‫لها الرجال وأنشأوا لها المؤسسات‪ ،‬ولهذا كان ال بد أن أدق ناقوس الخطر”‪.‬‬ ‫وزاد القرضاوي‪“ :‬فالغزو الشيعي للمجتمعات السنية أقر به الشيعة أنفسهم‪..‬‬ ‫لقد أقر بهذا الرئيس السابق رفسنجاني والذي يعدونه الرجل الثاني في النظام‬ ‫اإليراني في لقائي معه على شاشة الجزيرة في ‪ 12‬فبراير ‪.”2007‬‬ ‫وأشار القرضاوي إلى أن المرجع اللبناني “محمد حسين فضل اهلل‪ ،‬أنكر‬ ‫علي أني لم أغضب من أجل نشر “التبشير” المسيحي‪ ،‬كما غضبت من أجل‬ ‫َّ‬ ‫نشر “التبشير” الشيعي”‪.‬‬ ‫وأعربت دوائر صحافية عبرية عن ارتياحها من زيادة وتيرة الهجوم‬ ‫والتحريض ضد الداعية اإلسالمي الشيخ يوسف القرضاوي من جانب السلطة‬ ‫الفلسطينية برئاسة محمود عباس‪ ،‬بعد تراشقهما باالتهامات المتبادلة مؤخراً‪.‬‬ ‫وتساءلت صحيفة هاآرتس العبرية فى سياق تقرير خاص عن من يقوم‬ ‫بحملة التحريض ضد الشيخ القرضاوي‪ ،‬رئيس االتحاد العالمي لعلماء‬ ‫المسلمين‪ ،‬فى األراضي الفلسطينية؟‪.‬‬ ‫وأشارت الصحيفة إلى أن لوحة إعالنية كبيرة ُعلقت فى شمال رام اهلل‬ ‫وعليها صورة الشيخ القرضاوي وهو يصافح يهو ًدا ويعانقهم باألحضان‪،‬‬ ‫وقالت هاآرتس إن مثل هذه اللوحة الضخمة التى تهدف لتشويه سمعة‬ ‫القرضاوي باعتباره أحد كبار الدين فى العالم العربي واإلسالمي‪ ،‬ال يمكن‬ ‫أن يتم تعليقها دون موافقة السلطة الفلسطينية‪ ،‬بل وبأمر مباشر من عباس‪.‬‬ ‫مفكرة اإلسالم‬

‫أخبار األمة‬

‫فيما يعد نتيجة إلفراط الصين في استخدام المضادات‬ ‫الحيوية في نظامها الصحي والقطاع الزراعي‪ ،‬حذر عالم‬ ‫سويدي بارز من أن الصين قد تهدد صحة العالم بإنتاج‬ ‫ساللة خارقة من الجراثيم المقاومة للعقاقير وفق تقرير‬ ‫بريطاني نشر مؤخراً‪.‬‬ ‫ولفت العالم أندرياس هديني من "المعهد السويدي‬ ‫لمكافحة األمراض المعدية" إلى أن النظام الصحي في‬ ‫الصيني يتعامل مع المضادات الحيوية بتهور‪ ،‬حيث يقدم‬ ‫األطباء الصينيون‪ ،‬بشكل روتيني‪ ،‬جرعات متعددة من‬ ‫العقار لعالج أمراض بسيطة مثل التهاب الحنجرة‪ ،‬كما أن‬ ‫اعتماد المزراعين المفرط عليه قد لوث السلسلة الغذائية‪.‬‬ ‫وأظهرت دراسات في الصين تزايد "مرعب" في البكتريا‬ ‫المقاومة للمضادات الحيوية مثل "بكتيريا المكورات العنقودية‬ ‫ ‪ (staphylococcus aureus bacteria‬الذهبي‬‫كما أن هناك تحذيرات من سرعة انتشار ساللة ‪MRSA)،‬‬ ‫جديدة من الجراثيم المقاومة للمضادات الحيوية عن طريق‬ ‫‪.‬األجواء الدولية المفتوحة ومصادر الغذاء‬

‫رش����ح م��س��ؤول��ون‬ ‫في وزارة الثقافة‬ ‫السبت‬ ‫الجزائرية‬ ‫األميركي‬ ‫الممثل‬ ‫ليوناردو دي كابريو‬ ‫للعب دور البطولة‬ ‫ف��ي فيلم تاريخي‬ ‫جزائري‪.‬‬ ‫وقالت المصادر إن‬ ‫دي كابريو على رأس‬ ‫األس��م��اء المرشحة‬ ‫ألداء دور البطولة‬ ‫في فيلم حول األمير عبد القادر الجزائري مؤسس الدولة‬ ‫الجزائرية الحديثة‪.‬‬ ‫وأضافت أن الجهة المكلفة بمشروع الفيلم وضعت نصب عينها‬ ‫إسناد مهمة اإلخراج إلى اسم عالمي‪.‬‬ ‫وكانت وزيرة الثقافة الجزائرية خليدة تومي أعلنت الخميس‬ ‫الماضي عن تخصيص مبلغ خمسة مليارات دينار جزائري‬ ‫(حوالي ‪ 75‬مليون دوالر) إلنجاز الفيلم الذي كتب السيناريو‬ ‫الخاص به رئيس المجلس الدستوري بوعالم بسايح‪.‬‬ ‫وقال الرئيس الجزائري عبد العزيز بوتفليقة في رسالة‬ ‫للمشاركين في الملتقى حول شخصية الفيلم اليوم إن "األمير‬ ‫عبد القادر أحد عظماء الجزائر ومؤسس الدولة الجزائرية‬ ‫الحديثة"‪.‬‬ ‫ووصفه بوتفليقة بأنه "كان رجل سياسة محنك ومحارب إضافة‬ ‫إلى مسعاه في المجال اإلنساني"‪.‬‬ ‫ولد األمير عبد القادر في ‪ 23‬مايو‪/‬أيار ‪ ،1807‬وهو رجل‬ ‫دين وفيلسوف وشاعر اشتهر بمناهضته لالستعمار الفرنسي‬ ‫للجزائر‪.‬‬ ‫استسلم عبد القادر في ‪ 23‬ديسمبر‪ /‬كانون األول ‪ 1847‬بعد‬ ‫وعد زائف بترحيله إلى اإلسكندرية بمصر أو عكا حيث ظل في‬ ‫السجن بفرنسا حتى عام ‪ 1853‬ليستقر به المقام بدمشق في‬ ‫عام ‪ 1856‬حتى وفاته عام ‪.1883‬‬ ‫وفي عام ‪ 1965‬نقل جثمان عبد القادر إلى الجزائر بعد‬ ‫استقالل البالد بعامين‪ .‬المصدر‪ :‬الجزيرة‪.‬‬

‫يحق لعائلة امينوف ان‬ ‫تحتفل‪ .‬فالعائلة التي عانت‬ ‫علی مدار ‪ ٢١‬عام مع دائرة‬ ‫الهجره القناعها انها بال وطن‬ ‫يؤيها بعد انهيار االتحاد‬

‫الصورة‪ :‬عائلة امينوف خالل احد تظاهراتها االحتجاجية مطالبة بفيزا التي استمرت ‪ 21‬عاما من‬ ‫دون كلل او ملل‪ .‬الصورة من محتفظات جمال داوود‪.‬‬

‫السوفياتي السابق‪ ،‬قد استطاعت ان تكسب قلب الوزير‬ ‫العمالي ليحن عليها بتاشيرة اقامة دائمة‪ .‬ليس هذا‬ ‫فحسب‪ .‬بل ان االبن الوحيد للعائلة حصل والول مرة في‬ ‫حياته علی حق امتالك جواز سفر‪.‬‬ ‫لكن هذه المكاسب لم تات بطريق سهل‪ .‬كان علی‬ ‫العائلة ان تعيش حياة اقرب الی التشرد والخوف الدائم‬ ‫من احتمال ان تقدم دائرة الهجرة علی تصرف ارعن‬ ‫يودي بالعائلة اما الی احد معتقالت العار في استراليا او‬ ‫احتمال تسفيرها الی أي دولة علی وجه البسيطة‪ ،‬لتبدا‬ ‫الكرة من جديد في البحث عن مالذ آمن‪.‬‬ ‫والعائلة كانت ولمدة ال تقل عن نصف عقد من الزمان‬ ‫ال يحق لها ابسط الحقوق المنصوص عليها في ميثاق‬ ‫حقوق االنسان العالمي‪ .‬فكان ال يحق الفرادها العمل‬ ‫او الحصول علی مساعدات من الضمان االجتماعي وال‬ ‫يحق لها خدمات المديكير اوتعلم اللغة او أي مهنة‪.‬‬ ‫ندرك ان معاناة هذه العائلة البسيطة هو مثال صارخ‬ ‫علی نظام هجرة جائر مستمر الكثر من عقد ونصف‪ ،‬منذ‬ ‫ايام حكومة هاورد العنصرية‪.‬‬ ‫ولكن يبقی السؤال المهم عمن استفاد من تعذيب‬ ‫آالف االبرياء داخل معتقالت العار او خارجها؟ بل‬ ‫ان السؤال الملح اآلن هو من سيمتلك الشجاعة للعمل‬ ‫علی انهاء معاناة اآلالف المنتظرين لقرار مماثل ينهي‬ ‫معاناتهم؟‬ ‫ان عائلة امينوف وغيرها من العائالت التي افنت زهرة‬ ‫شباب ابنائها سعيا وراء حلم الحصول علی تاشيرة دائمة‪،‬‬ ‫هي ضحية سياسيين وضعوا مصالحهم الخاصة للفوز‬ ‫باصوات العنصريين والمغرر بهم من ابناء الشعب فوق‬ ‫حقوق هؤالء البسيطة المنصوص عليها في كل الشرائع‪.‬‬ ‫وفي خضم النضال من اجل انهاء معاناة العائلة امينوف‪،‬‬ ‫لم نتلق نحن او العائلة أي دعم من أي سياسي حتی‬ ‫اولئك المدعين زورا وبهتانا بالتقدمية‪ .‬فخالل اكثر من‬ ‫شهر من االضراب المفتوح عن الطعام‪ ،‬لم يكلف أي‬ ‫سياسي في البرلمان الفيديرالي نفسه عناء الخروج من‬

‫غرفهم المكيفة الی خارج ساحة البرلمان ليسالهم عن‬ ‫سبب اضرابهم عن الطعام أوعن كيفية عالج مشكلتهم‬ ‫المزمنة‪.‬‬ ‫ان انتهاء معاناة العائلة امينوف‪ ،‬بالرغم من انها كانت‬ ‫تاريخية حيث ان صمود افراد العائلة هزم اجهزة الدولة‬ ‫المستنفرة‪ ،‬ال يعني ابدا ان النضال من اجل مجتمع افضل‬ ‫قد شارف علی االنتهاء‪ .‬فمع ان نضال ومعاناة العائلة‬ ‫امينوف قد انتهی‪ ،‬فان هناك عشرات "االمينوفيين"‬ ‫منتظرين لفرج دائرة الهجرة الذي طال انتظاره‪.‬‬ ‫في نضالنا المحموم من اجل انهاء معاناة العائلة‬ ‫امينوف‪ ،‬كنا نحارب نظاما سياسيا ظالما جائرا خاليا‬ ‫من أي عواطف او مشاعر انسانية‪ .‬وهذا ال يشمل فقط‬ ‫نواب ووزراء الحكومة العمالية‪ ،‬بل يتعداهم الی كل‬ ‫نواب المعارضه‪ .‬ما اثارنا بشدة هي هؤالء السياسيين‬ ‫الذين يطالبون بمعاملة انسانية حتی للحيوانات‪ ،‬حتی لو‬ ‫ادی ذلك الی قطع العالقات مع اليابان ان هي لم توقف‬ ‫قتل الحيتان‪ .‬هؤالء السياسيون اظهروا نفاقا حادا عندما‬ ‫لم يالحظوا معاناه عائلة كاملة‪ ،‬ادت في احدی لحظات‬ ‫معاناتها الی محاولة االبن الوحيد للعائلة الی محاولة‬ ‫االنتحار امام البرلمان بعدما فقد االمل بانسانية أي نائب‬ ‫منهم‪.‬‬ ‫كان ال بد لنا الوقوف الی جانب العائلة امينوف بكل‬ ‫ما نملك من طاقة وامكانيات‪ .‬وسنتخذ نفس الموقف‬ ‫في المستقبل ان اضطررنا لذلك‪ .‬بذلك نكون قد اعطينا‬ ‫بارقة امل للمحتاجين والمهمشين في المجتمع بانه ما‬ ‫زال هناك بديل لنظامنا السياسي الحالي الخالي من‬ ‫االعتبارات االنسانية‪.‬‬ ‫قد ال يحق لنا‪ ،‬بوجود السكان االصليين‪ ،‬ان نرحب‬ ‫بالعائلة امينوف كاستراليين كاملي المواطنة‪ .‬ولكننا‬ ‫ندرك ان سكان البلد االصليين ال يمانعوا باضافة قليل من‬ ‫الرحمة الی نظامنا السياسي‪ .‬بل اننا نؤمن ان االستراليين‬ ‫من كل االصول يستحقوا نظاما ارحم وافضل‪.‬‬ ‫* جمال داوود كاتب وناشط سياسي عربي‬ ‫أسترالي مقيم بسيدني‪.‬‬

‫إيران‪ :‬انتاج وقود نووي بنسبة ‪%20‬‬ ‫أعلنت هيئة الطاقة الذرية اإليرانية أنها ستبدأ إنتاج وقود‬ ‫نووي مخصب بنسبة ‪ %20‬لتلبية متطلبات مفاعل طهران‬ ‫لألبحاث النووية‪ ،‬وذلك امتثاال لتعليمات الرئيس اإليراني‬ ‫محمود أحمدي نجاد‪.‬‬ ‫فقد نقلت قناة تلفزيون العالم اإليرانية الحكومية الناطقة‬ ‫بالعربية عن رئيس هيئة الطاقة الذرية علي أكبر صالحي قوله‬ ‫إنه سيسلم خطابا رسميا إلى الوكالة الدولية للطاقة الذرية اليوم‬ ‫يبلغها البدء بإنتاج الوقود المخصب بنسبة ‪.%20‬‬ ‫وأضاف صالحي أن بالده عرضت على الدول األجنبية عن‬ ‫طريق الوكالة الدولية أنها تفضل شراء الوقود لمفاعل طهران‬ ‫البحثي من الخارج‪" ،‬ولكن لألسف كانوا غير مستعدين‬ ‫للتعاون معنا في هذا المجال"‪.‬‬ ‫وأكد صالحي أن العرض للدول األجنبية ما زال مفتوحا‬ ‫وأن إيران مستعدة الستالم الوقود من الخارج‪ ،‬وقال إنهم‬ ‫سيوقفون التخصيب في أي وقت يتسلمون فيه الوقود لمفاعل‬ ‫طهران‪.‬‬ ‫وأوضح أن مفاعل طهران النووي ينتج أدوية مش ّعة لحوالي‬ ‫مليون إيراني هم بحاجة إليها لمعالجة األمراض الخبيثة بما فيها‬ ‫أمراض السرطان‪.‬‬ ‫وقد أعلن بالفعل مدير الوكالة الدولية للطاقة الذرية يوكي‬ ‫أمانو أنه أبلغ من إيران أنها ستبدأ حقا تخصيب اليورانيوم بنسبة‬ ‫عالية في منشأة نطنز‪.‬‬

‫وتأتي أوامر نجاد بإنتاج وقود مخصب بعد ثالثة أيام من‬ ‫إعالنه الموافقة على تخصيب اليورانيوم اإليراني في الخارج‪،‬‬ ‫ومع إعالن وزير الخارجية منوشهر متكي أن االحتمال قائم‬ ‫إلتمام المفاوضات الجارية مع الغرب بشأن التوصل إلى اتفاق‬ ‫مشترك حول صيغة لتبادل الوقود النووي خارج إيران‪.‬‬ ‫ردود غاضبة‬ ‫وفي أول رد فعل على تعليمات نجاد الجديدة قال وزير‬ ‫الدفاع األميركي روبرت غيتس إن رد الفعل اإليراني على‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫وحث المجتمع الدولي‬ ‫المقترحات الغربية جاء مخيبا لآلمال‪.‬‬ ‫على الوقوف صفا واحدا للضغط على إيران‪.‬‬ ‫وأضاف غيتس "ال أحد حاول بإخالص أن يتواصل ويصل‬ ‫إيران أكثر من الرئيس (األميركي باراك) أوباما"‪.‬‬ ‫من جهته قال وزير الدفاع األلماني كارل تيودورتسو‬ ‫غوتنبرغ في مؤتمر ميونخ األمني السنوي إن على المجتمع‬ ‫الدولي أن يوضح إليران أن "صبره بدأ ينفد" فيما يتعلق بالنزاع‬ ‫بشأن برنامج طهران النووي‪.‬‬

‫‪issue 16, February 2010‬‬

‫وص��رح هديني‪" :‬لدينا الكثير من البيانات من‬ ‫مستشفيات صينية تظهر صورة مخيفة للغاية الرتفاع‬ ‫حاد في البكتيريا المقاومة للمضادات الحيوية‪ ..‬األطباء‬ ‫يصطدمون يومياً بحقيقة عجزهم عن القيام بشيء إذا ال‬ ‫يجدي تقديم المزيد والمزيد من المضادات الحيوية‪".‬‬ ‫ولفت محذرا ً وقال "هناك خطر حقيقي على الصعيد‬ ‫العالمي بأننا سنعود إلى حقبة ما قبل المضادات الحيوية‪،‬‬ ‫حيث نجد أنفسنا في مواجهة خيارات طبية للعالج لم‬ ‫تعد متاحة‪ ..‬ما يحدث في الصين يؤثر ويهم بقية العالم‪.‬‬ ‫ويذكر أن صافرات اإلنذار قد أطلقت في مستشفيات‬ ‫الصين إثر تضاعف ح��االت انتشار ساللة الجراثيم‬ ‫المقاومة للمضادات الحيوية "مرسا" من ‪ 30‬في المائة‬ ‫إلى ‪ 70‬في المائة‪ ،‬وفق بروفيسور تشو يونغهونغ من‬ ‫""معهد علم الصيدلة اإلكلينيكية" في جامعة بكين‪.‬‬ ‫وفي العام الماضي‪ ،‬اكتشف باحثون ساللة جديدة‬ ‫من فيروس "مرسا" في خنازير صينية جرى تصديرها‬ ‫إلى "هونغ كونغ" ودعوا إلجراء دراسات عاجلة لتتأكد‬ ‫من قدرتها على إصابة البشر بالعدوى وذلك بعد تأكيد‬ ‫ظهور ساللة أخرى جديدة في إقليم "غوانزو" الصيني‪،‬‬ ‫حيث تربى أعداد كبيرة من قطعان الخنازير هناك‪.‬‬ ‫المصدر‪ :‬مفكرة اإلسالم‪.‬‬

‫دي كابريو مرشح‬ ‫لبطولة فيلم تاريخي‬ ‫جزائري‬

‫جمال داود ‪-‬‬ ‫سيدني‬

‫‪Email: info@crescenttimes.com.au‬‬

‫صين تصدر جراثيم‬ ‫شرسة للعالم‬

‫أماط قيادي في حركة المقاومة اإلسالمية الفلسطينية‬ ‫حماس اللثام عن المزيد من الحقائق بشأن اغتيال القائد‬ ‫القسامي محمود المبحوح في العشرين من شهر كانون‬ ‫الثاني ‪ -‬جانفي ‪ 2010‬الماضي بأحد فنادق دبي بعد‬ ‫مطاردة استمرت ألكثر من عشرين عا ًما من قبل الموساد‪.‬‬ ‫وأك��د القيادي الحمساوي بدبي أن دول��ة قطر‬ ‫تقوم بوساطة بين الحركة ودولة اإلمارات فيما يتعلق‬ ‫بالتحقيقات التي تجرى على خلفية عملة االغتيال‪.‬‬ ‫وأضاف هذا القيادي‪" :‬المبحوح كان يحمل جواز‬ ‫سفره الفلسطيني الرسمي الصادر عن السلطة الوطنية‬ ‫برقمه الوطني‪ ،‬ولقب عائلته المبحوح لم يكن مدون ًا في‬ ‫جواز السفر‪ ،‬وكان لديه سجل تجاري باسمه وبياناته"‪.‬‬ ‫وقال‪" :‬الضالعون في الحادث يحملون جوازات سفر‬ ‫إيرلندية غير مزورة‪ ،‬وجهاز االستخبارات "اإلسرائيلية"‬ ‫الخارجية الموساد يجند كل الجنسيات للعمل معه"‪.‬‬ ‫وأضاف‪" :‬هناك فريق كامل من الموساد كان يترقب‬ ‫وصول المبحوح إلى دبي وكان ينتظره طب ًقا لمعلومات‬ ‫مسبقة ومؤكدة‪ ،‬و"اإلسرائيليون" ال يملكون الجرأة‬ ‫على التحرك وإنجاز مثل هذه العملية إال بقرار سياسي‬ ‫ونرجح أن يكون اتخاذ هذا القرار قد تم منذ فترة ال تقل‬ ‫عن أسبوعين قبيل إنجاز المهمة"‪.‬‬ ‫دمشق هي المحطة األولى الرتكاب الجريمة‪:‬‬ ‫وأردف القيادي في حماس‪" :‬دمشق هي المحطة‬ ‫األولى النطالق عملية الموساد التي استهدفت المبحوح‬ ‫ألنه غادر دمشق متوج ًها إلى دبي‪ ،‬محطته األخيرة‪،‬‬ ‫وحماس معنية بالبحث وإجراء تحريات في المحطة‬ ‫األولى دمشق لبدء عملية استهداف المبحوح"‪.‬‬ ‫وقال‪" :‬البداية كانت من دمشق‪ ،‬وسنهتم بالبحث‬ ‫في دمشق مثل اهتمامنا في التوصل إلى المعلومات‬ ‫والمالبسات كافة التي جرت في دبي‪ ،‬المحطة األخيرة‬ ‫لعملية االغتيال ونحن نعتقد أن المبحوح قد رصد محليًا‬ ‫من دمشق"‪.‬‬ ‫وأعرب عن قناعته بأن قتلة المبحوح دخلوا غرفته‬ ‫في الفندق قبيل وصوله‪ ،‬وق��ال‪" :‬هذا التصور أقرب‬ ‫إلى الحقيقة‪ ،‬لكنه لم يحسم بعد‪ ،‬حيث كان وحيدً ا في‬ ‫الغرفة‪ ،‬ألن محاولة اقتحام الغرفة وهو في داخلها أمر‬ ‫مستبعد تما ًما لذلك نرى أن القتلة كانوا يختبئون في‬ ‫دورة المياه داخل غرفته‪ ،‬وفاجأوه خالل دخوله الغرفة‪،‬‬ ‫أو أنهم كانوا يختبئون داخل الغرفة‪ ،‬وعندما خرج من‬ ‫دورة المياه بعد عودته فاجأوه بهجومهم"‪.‬‬

‫واضحة لنظام هجرة جائر‬

‫‪www.crescenttimes.com.au‬‬

‫أعلن المدير العام لمصلحة الزكاة والدخل في‬ ‫المملكة العربية السعودية إبراهيم المفلح أن مشروع‬ ‫نظام الجباية الجديد المزمع يدرس حاليًا داخل هيئة‬ ‫الخبراء والجهات ذات العالقة‪.‬‬ ‫وأخبر المفلح صحيفة عكاظ أن مشروع النظام‬ ‫يرفع الغرامات على المتهربين من دفع الزكاة إلى‬ ‫‪ 25‬في المائة من المبلغ الواجب عليهم سداده‪،‬‬ ‫مشيرًا إلى إمكانية تقسيط الزكاة على من يعانون‬ ‫ضوائق مالية‪.‬‬ ‫وقال إبراهيم المفلح‪" :‬اإليرادات الزكوية خالل‬ ‫العام األخير لم تتأثر باألزمة المالية العالمية‪ ،‬بل‬ ‫على العكس تمامًا زادت بنسبة ستة في المائة عن‬ ‫العام السابق‪ ،‬حيث قفزت من ‪ 2.6‬مليار ريال إلى‬ ‫‪ 6.6‬مليار ريال"‪.‬‬ ‫وأضاف‪" :‬جميع هذه المبالغ وجهت بصفة يومية‬ ‫لحساب وكالة ال��وزارة للضمان االجتماعي في‬ ‫وزارة الشئون االجتماعية من أجل صرفها على‬ ‫المستفيدين"‪.‬‬ ‫اإليرادات الزكوية تغطي غالبية مصروفات الضمان‬ ‫وأردف المدير العام لمصلحة الزكاة والدخل‪:‬‬ ‫"اإليرادات الزكوية تغطي ما نسبته ‪ 06‬في المائة‬ ‫من مصروفات الضمان‪ ،‬فيما تتكفل الدولة بتغطية‬ ‫النسبة المتبقية"‪.‬‬ ‫وفي خطوة تستهدف الحد من التالعب في تحصيل‬ ‫الزكاة من الشركات ومدى سالمة ميزانيتها‪ ،‬أشار‬ ‫المفلح إلى رفع الرقابة والتدقيق في هذا الجانب‬ ‫إلى أربعة مستويات تبدأ أوالً بإدارات المراجعة في‬ ‫الفروع‪ ،‬ثم الرقابة والمراجعة في اإلدارة العامة‬ ‫للمصلحة‪ ،‬تليها إدارة مراقبة اإليرادات المالية في‬ ‫وزارة المالية وإدارة المراجعة في ديوان المراقبة‬ ‫العامة‪.‬‬ ‫ونفى رصد أي موظفين متالعبين في هذا الجانب‪،‬‬ ‫وأكد إمكانية أن تقوم المصلحة بالفحص الميداني‬ ‫لميزانيات الشركات المشكوك في التزامها‪.‬‬ ‫المصدر‪ :‬مفكرة اإلسالم‪.‬‬

‫جديدة عن اغتيال‬ ‫المبحوح‬

‫‪Page 12‬‬

‫رفع الغرامة على‬ ‫المتهربين من‬ ‫الزكاة ‪%25‬‬

‫حماس تكشف تفاصيل سيدني‪ :‬انتهاء معاناة العائلة امينوف‪ :‬ادانة‬

‫‪Arabic Lift out‬‬ ‫‪Page 13‬‬ ‫‪Email: info@crescenttimes.com.au‬‬

‫لجميع أشغال المطابخ‬ ‫والسيراميك والتبليط‬ ‫وأعمال الصيانة‬

‫الهالل تايمز‬

‫‪0401 817 921‬‬

‫‪editor@crescenttimes.com.au‬‬

‫اتصلوا ببالل الرفاعي‪ :‬كل‬ ‫منطقة برث‪ ،‬غرب أستراليا‬

‫‪UI/4 Malcolm Road‬‬ ‫‪Maddington, WA‬‬

‫ملحق جريدة الكريزنت تايمز بالعربي لكل الجالية العربية بأستراليا‬

‫طيب اهلل أوقاتكم‬ ‫ّ‬

‫‪www.crescenttimes.com.au‬‬

‫حافلتي‪..‬مواصالت‬ ‫نسائية بالسعودية‬

‫ع��رض المركز السعودي ل��ل��دراس��ات واإلع�لام‬ ‫فكرة جديدة على مجلس الشورى السعودي تقوم‬ ‫على تخصيص مواصالت عامة للنساء فقط‪ ،‬من أجل‬ ‫حمايتهن من مضايقات سائقي سيارات األجرة ولتقليل‬ ‫حجم إنفاقهن على التنقل‪.‬‬ ‫وأعلن الشيخ عبد المحسن العبيكان‪ ،‬المستشار في‬ ‫الديوان الملكي السعودي‪ ،‬دعمه للمقترح من الناحية‬ ‫الشرعية‪ ،‬حيث إن الرجال هم الذين سيقودون هذه‬ ‫نظرا ألنه ال يسمح للمرأة في السعودية بقيادة‬ ‫الحافالت‪ً ،‬‬ ‫السيارة‪.‬‬ ‫وقال جمال بنون رئيس المركز الذي قدم االقتراح‪:‬‬ ‫"الهدف من المشروع تقديم حلول تتناسب مع بيئة‬ ‫المجتمع السعودي الذي ال يسمح بقيادة المرأة للسيارة‪،‬‬ ‫والمرأة السعودية التي تستخدم سيارات األجرة تتعرض‬ ‫للعديد من المشاكل والمضايقات من ضعاف النفوس‪،‬‬ ‫فض ً‬ ‫ال على أن التكلفة المالية مرتفعة"‪.‬‬ ‫توفير مصاريف للمرأة العاملة‬

‫‪issue 16, February 2010‬‬

‫وأضاف بنون‪" :‬المشروع إذا طبق فسيوفر حوالي‬ ‫‪ %07‬من مصاريف المرأة العاملة‪ ،‬حيث إن قيمة الذهاب‬ ‫واإلياب لن تتعدى ‪ 4‬رياالت سعودية فيما سيكلفها‬ ‫الذهاب فقط عند استخدامها سيارات األجرة ‪ 01‬رياالت‬ ‫سعودية"‪.‬‬ ‫وحول ما إذا كان المشروع الذي أطلق عليه "حافلتي"‬ ‫سيكون بدي ً‬ ‫ال عن المطالبة بقيادة المرأة للسيارة نفى بنون‬ ‫ذلك‪ ،‬وقال‪" :‬حتى إذا سمح للمرأة بقيادة السيارة فلن‬ ‫يقبل على ذلك سوى ‪ %15‬فقط‪ ،‬والباقيات سوف يبحثن‬ ‫عن وسيلة مواصالت خاصة ونؤكد أن مشروع حافلتي‬ ‫سيحقق العدالة االجتماعية للمرأة وسيتيح لها فرصة‬ ‫اختيار وسيلة نقل أقل تكلفة وأكثر أمنًا"‪.‬‬ ‫وأضاف وف ًقا لـ"إسالم أون الين"‪" :‬المرأة السعودية‬ ‫العاملة تنفق ‪ %53‬من دخلها في سيارات األجرة أو لدفع‬ ‫راتب شهري للسائقين غير النظاميين‪ ،‬وهو ما يمثل جز ًءا‬ ‫كبيرا من دخلها‪ ،‬ال سيما إذا كانت سيدة تعول أسرة‪،‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫كما بين المشروع أن تنوع الفرص الوظيفية للمرأة‬ ‫واتساع مساحات المدن أجبر المرأة على استخدام‬ ‫سيارات األجرة‪ ،‬وهو ما خلق لها مشاكل عديدة تمثلت‬ ‫في قضايا أخالقية ومضايقات"‪.‬‬

‫جميع متطلباتكم من لحم‬ ‫الخروف والبقر والدجاج‬

‫حسومات خاصة لقراء الكريزنت تايمز‬ ‫(انظر صفحة‪)24‬‬ ‫‪Carousel Meats‬‬ ‫‪Shop‬‬ ‫‪1100‬‬‫‪Carousel‬‬ ‫‪Shopping Centre‬‬ ‫‪1380 Albany Hwy- Cannington‬‬ ‫‪WA Ph: 08 9356 5166‬‬

‫المسلسالت ترفع‬ ‫نسب الطالق‬ ‫والزواج العرفي‬ ‫بمصر‬

‫بقلم‪ :‬طارق الشامخي‬

‫نبدا ببركة اهلل الملحق العربي لجريدة الكريزنت‬ ‫تايمز وكلنا أمل بان يحقق آمالكم في قراءة مواد‬ ‫بلغة الضاد على صفحات هذه الجريدة الغراء‪.‬‬ ‫المهمة لن تكون سهلة على المستويين الفني‬ ‫والكمي‪-‬الكيفي‪ ،‬اذ ان دعمكم ومساهماتكم‬ ‫ستحدد مدى نجاح هذا المشروع‪.‬‬ ‫هذه الصفحات قابلة للتمدد باذن اهلل اذا كان‬ ‫التفاعل طيبا وال��دع��م ال��م��ادي في المستوى‬ ‫المطلوب‪.‬‬ ‫اسرة تحرير جريدة الكريزنت تايمز لن تدّخر‬ ‫جهدا في سبيل اتحافكم بالموضوعات الشيقة‬ ‫والمقاالت األصلية الغنية والتقارير المنفردة‪ .‬كل ما‬ ‫نريده هو دعمكم ومشاركتكم لنا في هذه المهمة‪.‬‬ ‫على مستوى العائلة نأمل من ربّ��ات البيوت‬ ‫واالمهات ارسال ما يروق ببالهم من وجبات شهيّة‪،‬‬ ‫الى همومم تربية االطفال والمحافظة عليهم في بلد‬ ‫غير اسالمي‪ ،‬كما مناقشة هموم تدريب االوالد‬ ‫على تحدث أكثر من لغة اصلية في وقت واحد‬ ‫وفي حالتنا هنا اللغتين العربية واالنجليزية‪ .‬تبادل‬ ‫الخبرات والقصص والتجارب هو من صميم عملنا‬ ‫االعالمي الذي تطمح جريدة‪ -‬ملحق "الهالل‬ ‫تايمز" القيام به وريادته في الشهور والسنوات‬ ‫القادمة باذن اهلل‪.‬‬ ‫دمتم في حفظ اهلل وعونه والى اللقاء‬ ‫اخوكم طارق‬ ‫رئيس التحرير‬

‫ملحمة كاروسال الحالل‬

‫استراليون يتظاهرون‬ ‫ضد الجدار المصري‬ ‫ال��ف��والذي لحصار‬ ‫قطاع غزة‬ ‫في الذكری السنوية االولی النتهاء الحرب االسرائيلية‬ ‫البربرية علی قطاع غزه واحتجاجا علی بناء مصر لجدار‬ ‫العار الفوالذي لالمعان في خنق قطاع غزه‪ ،‬تجمع عشرات‬ ‫االستراليين امام القنصلية المصرية في مدينة سيدني يوم‬ ‫االحد الماضي‪ .‬وقد لبی المحتجون دعوة حزب العدالة‬ ‫االجتماعیة لالعتصام‪ ،‬والتي جاءت تلبية لدعوات‬ ‫منظمات عالمية مؤيدة لحقوق الشعب االسترالي لكشف‬ ‫دور النظام المصري في محاولة القضاء علی المقاومة‬ ‫الفلسطينية عن طريق تجويع اهالي قطاع غزه لحثهم علی‬ ‫االنقالب علی فصائل المقاومة واالنخراط في مشروع‬ ‫التسوية الصهيو – امريكي‪.‬‬ ‫وقد هتف المحتجون ضد العدوان االسرائيلي البربري‬ ‫العام الماضي والذي خلف آالف القتلی والجرحی‬ ‫ودمار هائل ما زال ماثال للعيان بسبب الحصار المطبق‬ ‫علی القطاع وعدم السماح بادخال مواد اعادة البناء‪ .‬كما‬ ‫هتف المحتجون ضد مشاركة النظام المصري في احكام‬ ‫الحصار علی القطاع‪.‬‬ ‫وقد تحدث في االعتصام السيد جمال داود‪ ،‬منسق‬ ‫اعمال الحزب‪ ،‬وبين ان مشاركة النظام المصري في‬ ‫الحصار هو مشاركة في عمليات ابادة جماعية مخالفة‬ ‫لكل المواثيق الدولية‪ .‬كما ان مشاركة النظام المصري في‬ ‫حصار غزة والتي كان آخرها البدء ببناء جدار فوالذي‬ ‫يمتد الی اكثر من ‪ ٠٣‬مترا تحت االرض ياتي مخالفة‬ ‫صريحة اللتزامات النظام المصري الدولية‪ ،‬واهمها‬ ‫االلتزامات حسب معاهدة جنيف الرابعة التي تجبر‬ ‫الدول الموقعة ان تسمح بدخول االم��دادات االنسانية‬ ‫من دواء وغذاء ونفط ومواد اساسية الی مناطق النزاع‪.‬‬ ‫المشروع جائز شر ًعا‬ ‫من جهته قال الشيخ عبد المحسن العبيكان‪" :‬فكرة‬ ‫مشروع "حافلتي" جائزة شر ًعا‪ ،‬والمشروع شبه مطبق قي‬ ‫تسيير حافالت الطالبات والمعلمات من وإلى المدارس‪،‬‬ ‫وتطبيقه بشكل عام ال غبار عليه من الناحية الشرعية‪ ،‬لكن‬ ‫بموافقة أهل االختصاص ووالة األمر"‪.‬‬ ‫جدير بالذكر أنه من المتوقع أن تستفيد من المشروع‬ ‫نحو مليوني سيدة من عامالت المنازل والموظفات‬ ‫األجنبيات العامالت في قطاعات مختلفة وعوائل‬ ‫المقيمين في البالد‪ ،‬فض ً‬ ‫ال عن أنه سيضخ سيولة في‬ ‫السوق بإتاحة الفرصة للقطاع الخاص بتشغيل حافالت‪،‬‬ ‫باإلضافة إلى توفير فرص عمل للسائقين‪.‬المصدر‪ :‬مفكرة‬ ‫اإلسالم‬

‫وقال السيد داود ان االعتصام هو باكورة نشاطات سيقوم‬ ‫بها الحزب بالتعاون مع الجمعيات االخری المدافعة عن‬ ‫حقوق االنسان ستستهدف البعثات الديبلوماسية المصرية‬ ‫لممارسة الضغط علی القاهرة لتغيير موقفها المعادي‬ ‫للشعب الفلسطيني والممعن في حصاره‪ .‬كما استغرب‬ ‫السيد داود انه وفي الذكری العشرين النهيار جدار‬ ‫برلين‪ ،‬فان النظام المصري يقدم علی اقامة جدار برلين‬ ‫جديد لخنق القطاع وتركيع شعبه‪ .‬كما ادان السيد داود‬ ‫صمت السياسيين االستراليين المطبق عن حصار غزة‬ ‫االجرامي ووعد بتحويل الموضوع الی قضية انتخابية في‬ ‫االنتخابات القادمة‪.‬‬ ‫كما تحدث في االعتصام ناشطون في الدفاع عن‬ ‫حقوق االنسان منهم من قام بزيارة االراضي المحتلة‬ ‫وشرحوا المعاناة التي يعانيها الفلسطينيون تحت‬ ‫االحتالل‪ ،‬سواء في الضفة او القطاع‪ .‬كما اكد الجميع‬ ‫علی ان الخطوات المصرية في تشديد الحصار علی‬ ‫غزة هو مشاركة في الجريمة ضد اهالي القطاع‪ .‬واشاد‬ ‫المتحدثون بتاييد اغلبية ابناء الشعب المصري لحقوق‬ ‫الشعب الفلسطيني وتضامنهم مع نضاله العادل من اجل‬ ‫الحرية واالستقالل التام‪.‬‬ ‫كما تحدث بعض الحضور من اصول فلسطينية وادانوا‬ ‫بناء مصر لجدار العار وناشدوا الحكومة المصرية وشعبها‬ ‫ان يعملوا علی وقف هذا الجدار بكل الطرق والعمل‬ ‫علی فك الحصار الظالم عن قطاع غزة‪.‬‬ ‫وهتف الحاضرون ضد النظام المصري قائلين‬ ‫“ستعرف يا حسني مبارك قريبا ‪ ...‬ان غزة ستصبح حرة”‬ ‫و “اسرائيل وامريكا ‪ ...‬كم قتلتم من اطفال هذا اليوم”‬ ‫و “الحرية لفلسطين” و “الحرية لغزة” و “ليسقط نظام‬ ‫حسني مبارك”‪.‬‬ ‫ويحضر حزب العدالة االجتماعية لخطوات جديدة‬ ‫للمشاركة في الجهود الدولية لكسر الحصار عن غزة‪،‬‬ ‫منها امكانية المشاركة في رحلة قافلة شريان الحياة‬ ‫القادمة‪.‬‬ ‫للتواصل مع الحزب واالطالع علی نشاطاته‪ ،‬يمكنكم‬ ‫االتصال مع جمال داود علی‪:‬‬

‫‪admin@socialjustice.net.au‬‬ ‫‪www.socialjustice.net.au‬‬

‫سيدني‪ :‬احكام قاسية بالسجن‬ ‫على ‪ 5‬رجال أدينوا باألرهاب‬ ‫سيدني‪ -‬حكم يوم اإلثنين ‪ 15‬فبراير شباط على خمسة‬ ‫مسلمين أستراليين أدينوا بالتآمر للقيام بعمليات "جهادية عنيفة"‬ ‫في أستراليا بالسجن لفترات تراوحت بين ‪ 32‬عاما و‪28‬عاما؛‬ ‫وذلك في أكبر محاكمة تتعلق باإلرهاب في البالد‪.‬‬ ‫وأدي��ن هؤالء الرجال في أكتوبر ‪ 2009‬بالتآمر الرتكاب‬ ‫"جريمة إرهابية" فيما بين يوليو ‪ 2003‬ونوفمبر ‪ 2005‬من‬ ‫خالل تخزين أسلحة ومواد كيماوية لصنع قنابل؛ احتجاجا‬ ‫على مشاركة أستراليا في حربي العراق وأفغانستان‪.‬‬ ‫وخالل محاكمة استمرت عشرة أشهر‪ ،‬أبلغ ممثلو االدعاء‬

‫كشفت دراسة اجتماعية حديثة عن وجود عالقة بين‬ ‫الدراما التلفزيونية وارتفاع معدالت الطالق في مصر‬ ‫بصورة متزايدة‪.‬‬ ‫وبحسب الدراسة التي أجرتها الدكتورة عزة كريم‬ ‫أستاذ علم االجتماع فقد بلغت النسبة وف ًقا آلخر‬ ‫اإلحصائيات أكثر من ‪ 001‬ألف مطلقة عام ‪.9002‬‬ ‫وأضافت أن النظريات العالمية المفتعلة تؤكد ما‬ ‫للتليفزيون من أثر كبير على تكوين اتجاهات وآراء‬ ‫وأفكار أفراد المجتمع‪ ،‬ما يُحدث نو ًعا من التراكمات‬ ‫لدى الفرد من خالل المعلومات التي يستقيها من‬ ‫التليفزيون‪ ،‬حيث يكون أحد المصادر العامة لتكوين‬ ‫السلوكيات والمعلومات‪.‬‬ ‫وأشارت إلى أن نظرية الفرز الثقافي يمكن تطبيقها‬ ‫على العالقات الزوجية داخل المجتمع‪ ،‬حيث تقوم‬ ‫بإحداث نوع من الصراع بين األفكار التقليدية المتوارثة‬ ‫عند الزوج والزوجة وما يعرض في الدراما لينتصر في‬ ‫النهاية الفكر التلفزيوني‪.‬‬ ‫رجل مستبد وامرأة متمردة‪:‬‬ ‫ووفق الدراسة‪ ،‬فالدراما التلفزيونية تركز على شكلين‬ ‫من العالقة بين الرجل والمرأة‪ ،‬األول يظهر الرجل مستبدً ا‬ ‫يسيء معاملة زوجته ويخونها وغير قادر على أن يكون‬ ‫زوجا جيدً ا‪ ،‬مقابل ذلك تظهر المرأة متمردة طالبة‬ ‫ً‬ ‫الطالق وقد يصل األمر للخيانة‪.‬‬ ‫أما النموذج الثاني‪ ،‬فيظهر الزوج بشكل مثالي يفيض‬ ‫بالعواطف ويحقق للزوجة جميع طلباتها وهو ما يدفع‬ ‫الزوجة لعقد مقارنات بين ما تراه من الرومانسية بالدراما‬ ‫وما يفعله الزوج معها‪ ،‬وكلتا الصورتين تسببان للزوجة‬ ‫مشاكل تدفعها للتمرد واإلحساس بالظلم من الحياة‬ ‫الزوجية المليئة بالمقارنات الظالمة؛ ما يدفعها إلنهاء‬ ‫حياتها الزوجية عن طريق اللجوء إلى المحكمة لطلب‬ ‫الطالق أو الخلع‪.‬‬ ‫كما أن الدراما تروج لظاهرة غريبة ألفكار تسلط‬ ‫المرأة والرجل والدخول في صراع أسري تظهر األسرة‬ ‫أطرا غير‬ ‫فيه وكأنها في مباراة‪ ،‬فتظهر العالقة الزوجية ً‬ ‫سليمة تختلف عن الواقع التقليدي الديني الذي حدد‬ ‫فيه اهلل األدوار والتكامل بينهما‪ ،‬فأصبحت الحياة األسرية‬ ‫صرا ًعا وعن ًفا‪ ،‬ما انعكس على األسر المصرية خاصة‬ ‫الشابة التي انتهت في كثير من األحيان إلى الطالق‪.‬‬ ‫الترويج للزواج العرفي‪:‬‬ ‫واتهمت الدراسة التلفزيون بالترويج للزواج العرفي‬ ‫والذي جعله في الدراما ينتهي بالزواج الشرعي‪ ،‬فتسهيل‬ ‫األمور يؤدي إلى انتشارها‪ ،‬وأشارت أن الدراما المصرية‬ ‫نموذجا المرأة غير عادية طموحة جدً ا‪ ،‬شريرة‪،‬‬ ‫تقدم‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ذكاؤها يتفوق على ذكاء جميع الرجال‪.‬‬ ‫المذيعات المحجبات والتليفزيون المصري‪:‬‬ ‫يذكر أن التلفزيون المصري ال يسمح بظهور المذيعات‬ ‫المحجبات على شاشته‪ ،‬وذلك على الرغم من حصولهن‬ ‫على حكم قضائي يقضي بتمكينهن من العمل في البرامج‬ ‫التلفزيونية المصرية‪.‬‬ ‫ويوجد حاليًا ما يقرب من ‪ 54‬مذيعة مصرية تم‬ ‫حرمانهن من الظهور بالتلفزيون بسبب ارتدائهن الحجاب‪.‬‬ ‫المحكمة العليا في والية نيو ساوث ويلز بأن المتهمين حصلوا‬ ‫على تعليمات بشأن كيفية صنع قنابل قادرة على التسبب في‬ ‫سقوط قتلى ودمار على نطاق واسع‪ ،‬ومواد مطبوعة تمجد‬ ‫أعمال زعيم القاعدة أسامة بن الدن‪ ،‬ولم يوضح االدعاء قط‬ ‫للمحكمة األهداف التي كانت ستستهدفها العمليات المزعومة‪.‬‬ ‫وقال القاضي أنتوني ويلي‪" :‬ال مجال للشك‪ ،‬لوال تدخل‬ ‫السلطات لكانت الخطة نفذت في مطلع ‪ ،"2006‬مشيرا إلى‬ ‫حصول الخمسة على أقصى عقوبة والتي تراوحت بين ‪ 32‬و‪28‬‬ ‫عاما‪ ،‬على أن يقضوا منها على األقل ‪17‬سنة قبل أن يسمح لهم‬ ‫بطلب اإلفراج المشروط‪.‬‬ ‫وفي اإلطار ذاته‪ ،‬قالت المحكمة إنها تلقت ما يكفي من األدلة‬ ‫على أن الرجال كانوا يخططون "على األقل إللحاق ضرر كبير‬ ‫بالممتلكات"‪ ،‬وكانوا يهددون حياة الناس‪ .‬المصدر‪ :‬وكاالت‪.‬‬

Page 14 Email: info@crescenttimes.com.au

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issue 16, February 2010

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Zabrina A. Bakar*

Above: Viva Palestine aid group being bashed by Egyptian Police. Photo courtesy: Gareth Smith. many psychological and social consequences.”

“Insecurity and feelings of helplessness and powerlessness are overwhelming. We observed children becoming more anxious – sleep disturbances, nightmares, night terror, regressive behaviour such as clinging to parents, bed wetting, becoming more restless and hyperactive, refusal to sleep alone, all the time wanting to be with their parents, overwhelmed by fears and worries. Some start to be more aggressive.” They have a caseload backlog of 45,000!

However, our hopes of entry to Gaza were dashed by the Egyptian government who claimed the Rafah border area was unsafe. After an appeal was made to Suzanne Mubarak, wife of President Hosni Mubarak, 100 activists were chosen to enter Gaza.

The rest of us asked why all of us could not go seeing that the border was now presumably safe.

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a press release stating that the chosen 100 were good people but the rest of us were wicked trouble makers. Clearly this tactic was a ploy to divide us and it nearly succeeded.

As the bus filled there were shouts to “get off the bus” and “all or none”. Phillipines MP Walden Bello and Holocaust survivor Hedy Epstein counseled the departees not to go and to maintain our unity.

Finally, 85 people went to Gaza leaving a majority of disappointed activists behind.

Our stay in Cairo, however, was put to good use with protests at the Journalists’ Syndicate, the World Trade Centre, which houses the Australian embassy and the UN, a 300 person 3 day sit-in at the French embassy and protests at the US and Israeli embassies. Twelve of us from the Australian delegation visited the Australian embassy and delivered a petition to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd calling on the Australian government “to take all possible steps to secure an end to the Israeli siege of Gaza”. A French action put a gigantic Palestinian flag on the great pyramid of Cheops.

On December 31 about 1,000 of us “swarmed” onto a five-lane highway near the Egyptian museum and sat in front of the traffic, causing chaos. The

continued from front page: Sydney: 5 Muslim men convicted of terrorism offences each found guilty of conspiring to commit an act, or acts, in preparation for a terrorist act between July 2004 and November 2005.

During the long-running trial, which lasted for over 11 months, crown prosecutor Richard Maidment SC said the men were all devout Muslims “driven by extremist beliefs to plot violent jihad in retaliation for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan”.

They spent months working together to acquire chemicals, firearms and ammunition, and extremist literature found in their homes showed they had violent intent, he said.

Justice Whealy said at the very least the men had

police were taken completely by surprise and were frustrated by being restrained from using their usual “bash ‘em” tactics because they were now dealing with foreigners. Nevertheless, there was a lot of brutality with women being dragged by their hair, ribs broken, faces punched and, in my case, a badly injured leg which has still not healed. Passersby ignored police shouts and expressed support for our actions with lots of smiles, V-signs and shouts of encouragement. It is very clear that most people are opposed to the actions of Mubarak’s government.

Newspapers and TV carried our protests in headline news even though the press was harassed by the police. Where was the Australian media?

Perhaps the most significant result of our enforced stay in Cairo was a series of meetings coordinated by the South African delegation to plan a global campaign of boycotts, disinvestment and sanctions (BDS) against the Israeli government as a protest against their treatment of both Palestinian citizens within Israel and of the Palestinians in the occupied territories.

These meetings resulted in the adoption of a Charter of Action entitled End Israeli Apartheid, which includes an analysis of the profound similarities between apartheid as it was practiced in South Africa and the way Israel treats the Palestinian people. These similarities, which have been discussed in detail by Nelson Mandela for many years, include: the second-class citizenship of Palestinian Israeli citizens; the dispossession of Palestinian land and the creation of non-viable homelands; the collective punishment of civilian populations; and the development of racist ideology. This racist ideology is now institutionalised among an entire younger generation of Israelis, all of whom must serve in the Israeli Defense Forces. It is actively expressed through the brutal daily treatment of Palestinians at the vast number of checkpoints through which Palestinians are forced to pass every day, through the gratuitous destruction of Palestinian homes and olive groves, and in racist graffiti (“Kill all Arabs”, “Arabs to the crematoria”, “One down, 99,999 to go”) left behind after Israeli military incursions into Palestinian territories.

intended to cause serious damage to property, but he could not conclude they had intended to kill people, although they were aware it was highly likely life would be endangered.

He said the evidence did not establish the precise nature or target of the plot.

“There is a wide range of material that has never been recovered,” he also noted. None of the men had shown remorse and their prospects for rehabilitation were poor, the judge said.

Sheik Taj Din al-Hilali said the five convicted terror plotters had “no connection to acts of terror whatsoever”.

“I can confirm 100 per cent and I have known these young men for a quarter of a century and I know their thinking and their families, they have no connection to acts of terror whatsoever, and that the system seems to have allowed itself to play the role of God, thinking that they can see

One day in my local newspaper, I read about the food crisis in some countries. It was a sorry image of people queuing since dawn just so that they would be able to get a bag of flour for their families.

This was when I remembered this very verse from the Holy Quran where Allah the Almighty has said: And We will surely test you with something of fear and hunger and loss of wealth and lives and fruits, but give glad tidings to the patient.

(Al-Baqarah 2:155) Ya Allah, my tummy suddenly squirmed. He has promised us with the word surely…

He, the Almighty would certainly and definitely test us with fear, hunger, loss of wealth, loss of lives and loss of fruits too. And it is a promise from Him! That explains a lot of things that have been happening in this world, don’t you think?

But then, suddenly I saw the flipside mirror to this verse, Alhamdulillah!

As Allah said, He will definitely test us with those five things during our lifetime.

So, doesn’t that make you feel that surely, before He, the Almighty tests us with these The GFM participants also heard directly of the hardship faced daily by Gaza’s civilian population from the activists who made it to Gaza. They reported on their visits to children’s trauma centres where children draw horrendous images of people with bleeding and blasted bodies, images drawn from their actual experience and often reflecting the fate of immediate family members. GFM participants saw for themselves that the Israeli navy has moved in so close to the Gaza shore that it has effectively prevented any fishing by Gaza’s fishing fleet. Fish has been a traditional part of Gaza’s diet.

The effect of blockading Gaza’s fishing grounds has been to significantly reduce a key source of vitamin D provided through fish. Health workers are seeing increasing vitamin D deficiency-related diseases including an increased prevalence of osteoporosis, rickets and bone fragility. Many Gazans expressed their fear of starvation. They told how most of the food currently available in Gaza comes through tunnels that have been built under the Egyptian

through into a person’s true intentions,” he said.

The five were accused of stockpiling explosive chemicals, but Sheik Hilali said many workers and handymen required chemicals for their work.

Sheik Hilali said that like many others, he had also downloaded or collected articles on terrorism, “That’s a very big sentence,” said the sister of the youngest of five Muslim men sentenced to maximum terms of between 23 and 28 years.

“Not even murderers get sentenced to that much.”

Relatives of some of the other men yelled out expletives as they heard the sentences via closedcircuit TV outside the court room at Parramatta.

The sister, who said she attended every day of the 10-month trial, said she believed her brother was innocent.

Source: The Daily Telegraph and The Australian newspapers and other news agencies.

‘things’, He would definitely have to first give us these ‘things’, right?

I mean, He, the Almighty must first give us wealth in order to test us with loss of wealth, you agree? He must bless us food first in order to test us with hunger, right? And He must make us feel secure first in order to test us with fear, don’t you think?

Then, only after giving us all these, He could send us the tests…

Does that make sense to you?

Amazing, huh? SubhanAllaah So, the deal is this - first He shall give us something good, then He shall test us by removing them and if we are patient, He shall reward us with a place where we definitely want to be - His Paradise!

Don’t you feel like He has given us a deal that we can’t lose?

A Chinese proverb says: With time and patience, the mulberry leaf becomes satin.

With time and patience the mulberry leaf becomes a silk gown.

So, let us ask ourselves - are we ready to go through the time and patience so that we are able to not only become the satin, but to become the silk gown we are supposed to be?

Think about it… *Sis Zabrina also known as Zabrina A. Bakar, is a Life Storyteller, motivational and inspirational writer and speaker; and author of Islamic motivational book Life is an Open Secret http://wwww.lifeopensecret. com. She maintains an active blog at http://www. wisdomthruwords.blogspot.com.

Email: info@crescenttimes.com.au

Mulberry Leaf to a Silk Gown

continued from front page

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Life Storyteller From

border.

Egypt’s current plans, in collaboration with Israel and the US, to build a steel wall reaching some 30 meters underground, to block these tunnels, will result in increased and widespread malnutrition and perhaps even starvation. 1.5 million Gazans, crammed into the most densely populated area on the planet, are slowly being poisoned by their own waste which has rendered drinking water unsafe owing to a lack of fuel for their one power plant.

The blitzkrieg against Gaza and the continuing siege is a crime against humanity which Australia and the global community must denounce under their obligations to the International Criminal Court and the Geneva Convention.

GFM participants expressed concern that the actions by Israel, Egypt and the West, which aimed to weaken the popularly-elected Hamas government, have ironically weakened the links of Gaza’s nongovernment organisations to organisations abroad, and that this has in fact strengthened Hamas’ grip over the Gazan population. GFM participants who managed to get to Gaza noted that the international blockade of Gaza has led to the marginalisation and weakening of Gaza’s women’s organisations which had been developing strong links to nongovernment organisations throughout the world.

Indeed, the GFM participants who succeeded in reaching Gaza stated that members of Gaza’s women’s organisations expressed profound gratitude in being able to link up with people abroad as such opportunities are becoming increasingly rare.

In summary, the Egyptian government through its own actions, has succeeded in providing some 1400 committed activists from some 43 countries with an opportunity to plan international actions that will, over the next year and beyond, be of more practical use to the people of Gaza, and the Palestinian people in general, than would have been the case had we merely participated in the largely symbolic march on 31 December in Gaza. *Gareth Smith is a Byron Bay, NSW, based proPalestinian peace activist.

issue 16, February 2010

Bullying and Bashing by Egyptian Regime

Page 15

Business

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Page 16

Community

Home is where the Mosque is....

Irfan Yusuf* Mackay, QLD

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Above: Mackay mosque. Photo: Irfan Yusuf, Crescent Times.

They gather at Bakers Creek almost every evening. The numbers vary. Sometimes there are only 3 or 4 and sometimes it is a full house of 20 or so. Some are overseas students, some locals and some miners or meatworkers out here on “457” visas.

The building is a simple plain Queensland house, not unlike any other home you’d find in these tropical parts. For me, this part of Australia has recently become home. And this building has become a spiritual home.

I’m not sure when the house was built.

However, the building became an Islamic Centre in March 1983. I was in Year 8 at the time, over 2,000 km down south. I’d never have imagined at the time that I would end up this far north one day. It’s funny where life takes you.

I also never imagined that Muslims would have made it into these parts of Australia.

We city-dwellers often forget that it was in regional and rural settings like this that much of Australian Islam made its beginning.

Mackay has a small Muslim community. They have regular Friday prayers at Bakers Creek,

issue 16, February 2010

Afghan Farmers Removing Landmines Farmers and villagers are taking part in United Nations backed efforts to rid Afghanistan of landmines, which is also providing a muchneeded boost to their incomes. An average of 40 people are injured or killed every month by mines in the Asian nation, down from 150 per month three years ago.

But 40 “is still high and puts Afghanistan at the top of countries affected by mines” and explosive remnants of war (ERW), or unexploded bombs, said Haider Reza, Programme Director of the Mine Action Coordination Centre of Afghanistan (MACCA), supported by the UN and the Afghan Government. Last year alone, more than 100 people were killed and many more injured in incidents related to mines or ERW. Islamic tourism newswire.

and an imam from Brisbane comes up around once a month to provide pastoral care. The executive committee reflects the multicultural nature of the community. You will find here persons of Jordanian, Indonesian, Pakistani, Fiji-Indian, Irish and other ancestries. You will find both males and females.

They help manage and maintain this small Queensland house with its humble pair of green and white minarets. They sell halal meat products from the kitchen. I guess some things never change.

This mosque doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb. You would almost certainly miss it if you drove north up the Bruce Highway. I certainly did on numerous occasions.

Perhaps readers living in or travelling through other isolated locations can send some snapshots of their local mosque. It can serve as a reminder that indeed the whole world is a masjid – a place where we can prostrate in submission to our Creator. *Irfan is a Sydney based lawyer, writer and columnist. He is the opinion editor of Crescent Times.

Haramain Railway between MeccaMadinah Gathers Steam

The Saudi government has moved to speed up the construction of the 450-km Haramain railway project, which will link the holy cities of Mecca and Madinah with Jeddah and facilitate the transportation of pilgrims. King Abdullah, instructed the state-owned Public Investment Fund (PIF) to sign and finance service and business contracts for the project by providing interest-free loans from its revenues. The company that is contracted to carry out the project would enjoy all the incentives and facilities given to state projects and be charged at local rates for its energy requirements.

The government had earlier signed a SR6.7 billion contract with the Al-Rajhi Consortium, led by China Railway, to carry out civilian work. Dar Al-Handasa Consultants received a SR360 million contract to supervise the project while Scott Wilson won a SR89.8 million contract for the railway’s management.

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The World’s First Large scale Auto Wudu Washer film about Palestine

Iran has invited muslim and Arab countries to collaborate on producing a film on the illegitimate occupation of Palestine. Talking during the closing ceremony of the 2nd International Story of Resistance Film Festival in Beirut in January, the Iranian Deputy Culture Minister Javad Shamaqdari invited muslim countries to join the largescale project.

“Iran has decided to make a film about the 60-year occupation of Palestine,” Tehran Times quoted him as saying. The project will require over 10 million dollars and we need the cooperation of the Islamic and Arabic countries.”

Shamaqdari also said that his country would support films made on the theme of the 33-day war on Lebanon, which killed at least 1,200 Lebanese mostly civilians. The second International Story of Resistance Film Festival, screened documentaries, music videos and animations on anti-Zionist resistance movements.

PressTV

Anthony Gomez the creator of the world’s first ‘Auto Wudu Washer’ (AWW) confirmed that choosing Malaysia as the manufacturing base was a planned decision as the country is strategically positioned, has a sophisticated infrastructure and attractive government investment incentives The manufacturing plant in Malaysia has a production capacity of 5000 units per month, and about one million Euros has already been spent on Research and Development alone.

The prototype version was tested in Dubai and technical changes were made after that to accommodate the overall ablution process requirements.

The AWW system enables one to perform the Wudu ablution in a standing position efficaciously in conformance with the teachings of the Holy Quran. The infrared operated sensors of the unit permit one to perform the Wudu ablution without having to touch any tap. It is purpose built for the washing of ears, mouth, face, forearms, elbows as well as the feet and ankles. Furthermore it’s

environmentally friendly features are a bonus as water wastage is minimised.

The Auto Wudu Washer is the world’s first automatic pre-prayer personal washing system that enables an individual to perform the Wudu (ablution) in a standing position in full conformance to the teachings of the Holy Qur’an.

All these ablutions can be performed in the AWW reverently and comfortably without spillage or undue wastage of water as the water flow is controlled and dispensed electronically by sensor activated taps.

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Abu Jihad is dead at age 76. The man who led the holy war in Afghanistan is no more.

No, I’m not talking about a Taliban or alQaeda leader. Rather, I’m talking about an American who represented the second district of east Texas in the US House of Representatives from 1973 to 1996.

If there was one man who could claim credit for manufacturing the neo (and in my opinion, pseudo) Jihad of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, it was Congressman Charlie Wilson. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Wilson helped secure huge sums of money for the various Afghan factions collectively known as the “mujahideen”, a term which in those days was used to mean “freedom fighters”.

Today, of course, the term is used to mean terrorists. But back in the 1980’s, men like Mullah Omar and Osama bin Ladin were heroes.

In 1984, an Australian rock band Rose Tattoo released a song called “I Wish”. The lyrics to that song paid tribute to those fighting for freedom in various parts of the world – Poland, El Salvador and Northern Ireland. It became a virtual anthem for kids in my Year 9 class. Here is what Angry Anderson, the lead singer, had to say about Afghanistan: I wish I was a tribesman in the hills of Afghanistan.

I wish I was a soldier fighting for the peace. … Fighting insanity, inhumanity.

Belinda El Kadmiri El Azizi

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exclusivestyle@bigpond.com.au

Building a house in paradise: Daawah Association of Western Australia Mosque Project The Daawah Association of Western Australia (DAWA) has signed a contract to purchase a plot of land in Queens Park, not far from the current location. The size of the land is just under 2,500 sqm and it is situated near the railway line, making it easier for Muslims to attend. Neighbouring plots are vacant, allowing for expansion later on. Following the approval of the local council (the City of Canning) to build a place of worship, they have to raise $700,000 to purchase this property, otherwise they will lose the deposit they have paid and all the expenses they have incurred to get the council approval.

Under the contract, the purchase price for the property must be paid in full within 60 days of the date of council approval. The 60-day time to pay expired on 30 November 2009 and they now have to pay a penalty of $171 for every day from 30 October 2009 until the full purchase price of the property is paid. To minimise this penalty funds must be raised as soon as possible.

The new Mosque project is composed of two stages.

Stage 1: Mosque: Mosque and playground for children.

Estimated budget: $1.5 million (including cost of land and buildings) Stage 2: Youth and family sporting complex Multi-purpose hall for sports, lectures, gym and swimming pool for all Muslims to enjoy in an islamically appropriate manner.

Estimated budget $1.5 million

It is very important in the western world to provide halal activities for our youth and DAWA believes this project is essential for the Muslim community. Land is available next to the proposed mosque location and DAWA is endeavouring to acquire this land as well.

To donate: • DAWA Phone: +61 8 9258 4781 Email: info.dawa@ gmail.com • Fadel Baytie Phone: +61 422 229 571 Email: dawa@ iinet.net.au • Tariq Anzar Phone: +61 402 129 507 Email: tariqanzar@iprimus.com.au OR To make a donation please deposit into the following account: • Bank: Commonwealth Bank of Australia • BSB: 066134 • Account Number: 10522743 • Account Name: Daawah Association of Western Australia (Mosque Project) Any offers to lend money for a period of time will also be welcome.

As the deadline for payment (30 October 2009) has passed, funds must be raised as soon as possible in order to minimise the penalty required to pay, which is $171 per day.

PLANET IRF

Irfan Yusuf*

The Afghan jihad was a fight for peace. It was a fight against insanity and inhumanity.

The Soviet troops behaved insanely in Afghanistan. Soviet military tactics involved attacks on civilians, especially children.

Entire Afghan villages were destroyed.

Millions of Afghans poured into Pakistan and Iran. The region was transformed.

But in reality this wasn’t a war between Islam and Communism or between Afghans and Soviets. In reality, this was a proxy war between the liberal-capitalist West and the communist centralised Soviet-bloc East.

Men like Charlie Wilson funded and fostered not merely the military but also the ideological side of this war. Communism was presented as anti-religion. Islam and Christianity were allies in the fight for freedom. Those conservatives who so often today demonise Islam were back then the biggest jihadis. Amazing how times change.

And on a lighter note, might I remind all husbands reading this column to make sure they take their wives out to dinner this Valentines’ Day. That includes the editor of this newspaper! *Irfan is a Sydney based lawyer, writer and columnist. He is the opinion editor of Crescent Times.

Email: info@crescenttimes.com.au

24/53 Cecil Avenue Cannington WA 6107

www.crescenttimes.com.au

The American Abu Jihad has died

Philippine ulama call on Malacanang to recognise Mindanao agenda CT Victorian bureau The National Ulama Conference of the Philippines has concluded its third annual January summit with a call for the next Philippine president to recognise the Bangsamoro Agenda in peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The summit in Davao City was one of the largest gatherings of Muslim leaders ever held in the Philippines.

In May, the country will elect a new president. For forty years, separatist Muslim groups in the south including the MILF have waged a war for independence over the resource-rich southern island of Mindanao, alleging discrimination by authorities in the mainly Catholic Philippines.

The ten point Bangsamoro Agenda was drawn up in October 2009 by Muslim leaders in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao – a special region in Mindanao island composed of the country’s predominantly Muslim provinces including Basilan, Lanao del Sur, Manguindanao, Sulu and TawiSafwan Tawi.

The Bangsamoro Agenda calls for

measures to ensure peace and development in Muslim Mindanao, and for the enhanced participation of Muslims in the Philippines government.

In addition to urging the government to include the Agenda in talks with the MILF, the ulama called for moral reawakening among Philippino Muslims and urged respect for human rights, gender equality, and inter-faith dialogue.

The conference was a culmination of a three-year “Empowering the Ulama” project initiated by the Magbassa Kita Foundation Inc. and the Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy (PCID), and supported by the British and Dutch embassies as well as the Asia Foundation.

The project sought to provide more voice and participation from the ulama, or Muslim religious leaders, in the quest for peace in Muslim Mindanao.

Peace talks mediated by Malaysia are continuing between the MILF and the Philippino government who in late January offered a power-sharing deal covering areas such as tax collection, and the control of natural resources in the island, which Philippino Muslims see as their ancestral lands.

issue 16, February 2010

iTech Network & PC Support

Page 17

Ummah news

Page 18

Monique Toohey*

www.crescenttimes.com.au

Muslim Parent Education: Learning, Unlearning and Relearning

Email: info@crescenttimes.com.au

Education

A parent in my counselling room said to me today, “How come teenagers don’t come with a manual?”

It is not a new phenomenon that many parents feel ill equipped to raise adolescents, that tricky in-between age that defines the developmental transition between childhood and adulthood.

Twenty-four months ago I had a little baby boy. Alhumdullilah. Before I departed the hospital, I was given a show-bag full of free baby product samples, including nappies, baby lotions and several booklets on topics as diverse as breastfeeding, crying, bonding and playtime. By the time I left the hospital I was well educated on how to nurture a healthy, happy baby. Even after I got home, I was provided with additional support from a maternal health nurse who visited me at home to make sure we were both doing well.

Imagine if we were given this level of guidance from an Adolescent Psychologist or youth health nurse, just as our children hit adolescence. My client, a mother of 5 children (4 experiencing adolescence) was right when she said “we leave the hospital with so much information on how to look after a new born baby, but we get no support or information when our kids reach adolescence”. I guess if there were such a thing, a show-bag for parents of teenagers would probably contain samples of pimple cream, lip-gloss, funky stationary, mobile phone accessories and probably

condoms. Hopefully there would be booklets accompanying each item that would describe how to have conversations with our teens about puberty, body image, study, the use and misuse of technology and the subject avoided by most parents, relationships and sexuality.

It continues to amaze me that most mums and dads parent using trial and error. Parenting is unlike any other lifelong career. We don’t receive any formal training and yet the position is permanent, full time and responsible for the physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual development of other human beings.

Business people spend vast amounts of time and money investing in professional development to enhance the outcomes of their careers, businesses and bank account balances, yet most individuals invest little or nothing into their own ability to parent. In fact in many cultures the art and science of parenting is believed to be innate and therefore receiving parent education can imply weakness.

Parenting Education courses or books on

parenting and even well formed Playgroups are definitely the way to go!

The well-known saying “Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave”, does not mean leave out learning to be a parent.

As Muslims and parents we are not perfect, but we are encouraged to strive for excellence in what we do. Most parents will parent in a way similiar to their own parents and or rely on their own parents for advice, often not pausing to think if things could be done in an easier way, a less stressful way or a more effective way. Whilst self-reliance and seeking support from our own parents may yield adequate outcomes in our children, don’t we want to increase the standard to one of excellence? It is possible!

A quick look at the requirements of the job market, the unstable world economy, Muslim affairs in different countries, environmental and social justice issues internationally should tell us that we should be aiming for excellence in our parenting. We want to inspire our children to bring excellence to the world across these fields. Times have changed. What was required from our youth a generation ago in order for them to attain success is no longer applicable. It is estimated that 70% of the jobs that will exist in the year 2020 do not exist now and that knowledge is doubling every 3 years. The average IQs of children go up every 10 years. So kids are getting smarter - but are we, as their parents?

We need to get into shape to become better at shaping children’s characters for success, in this life and the next. We expect a lot from our children these days, but it is preferable

that we parent by education not expectation.

Our parenting role requires us to be teachers, mentors and role models to the next generation.

The quality of our teaching or mentorship will greatly depend on our knowledge of the topic, in this case, adolescence. We must make use of the techniques derived from the Qur’an and the Sunnah and from the emerging field of literature available on parenting and Islamic parenting. Attending parent education courses is very valuable, not only because you have access to a trained professional. By speaking with other parents of teens one can normalise the parenting experience. Ample resources are also available on the Internet.

Although the above resources are useful, parents must also search for their own internal resources and strengths. A prescription of strategies will not bring all families success.

We need to have faith that Allah (SWT), having blessed us with children, has given us individual strengths to parent our children.

It is the connection between fostering these strengths and a parent’s aspirations for their children that will be one of the steps towards generational change. *Monique is a Muslim Child & Family Psychologist with over a decade of experience working with Muslim women, teens and families. Comments are welcome at monique@nasihahconsulting.com. Please visit our training calendar for upcoming Melbourne Parenting programs on www.nasihahconsulting.com.

AL-HIDAYAH ISLAMIC SCHOOL WA QUALITY EDUCATION AND A SAFE CARING ISLAMIC ENVIRONMENT SINCE 1994 Phone 08 9351 8593 www.IslamicSchool.com.au

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issue 16, February 2010

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There is an email doing the rounds, supposedly a reprint of an article that appeared in the magazine Good Housekeeping, in 1955. It is entitled The Good Wife’s Guide, and lists several tips for a happy marriage. Of course, it is focused on what women can do to make their husband’s lives happier. The language used is old fashioned and according to today’s standards, the advice is laughable. However, is it? Is the advice given a modern day joke, or is it very close to the Islamic standard?

There are many theories about it’s origin but it is indeed a reminder of a bygone era.

An era when women generally stayed in the home and considered their primary concern to be raising and maintaining a family.

Notice that I didn’t say raising children, because raising a family involves so much more than just being concerned with the well being of children, as worthy as that task may be. Men and women of even 50 years ago were clear about the roles they played and their obligations to each other and the family. Sadly, this is not always the case these days.

The Quran states categorically that men and women are equal. There is nothing in Islam that prevents women from having equal pay for equal work, or from having access to education and employment opportunities.

Islam does however teach us that men and women are different. Their physiology and psychology are different. Men and women in Islam have different obligations, rights, and responsibilities.

These rights and responsibilities are not designed to repress one gender and raise the standard of the other. They are designed by our Creator to maximise our likelihood of attaining life in eternal paradise. Islam says that men are the maintainers of the household, they are responsible for paying the bills, and they are responsible for the safety and security of all members of the family. Women on the other hand are responsible for the emotional well being of the family, the home, and the rearing of the children.

This doesn’t mean that the man can place his pay cheque on the table every day and consider his obligation fulfilled, nor does it mean that the woman must stay inside the house only peering at the outside world through a faded curtain.

Islam is a religion concerned with family unity. Islamic marriages are about give and take, compromise, consultation and about creating a family environment which encourages worship rather than materialism.

When you read the list opposite and are either offended or rolling on the floor laughing, remember that while Islam encourages a woman treat her husband with respect and look after his needs it also encourages the man to do likewise. Roles can be reversed, changed, or shared. Men and women in Islam have choices, but their rights and responsibilities remain the same.

PUBLISHER: Crescent Press Pty Ltd MONTHLY - MODERATE - INDEPENDENT

The Good Wife’s Guide From Housekeeping Monthly, 13 May, 1955.

•Have dinner ready. Plan ahead, even the night before, to have a delicious meal ready on time for his return. This is a way of letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his needs. Most men are hungry when they get home and the prospect of a good meal is part of the warm welcome needed.

•Prepare yourself. Take 15 minutes to rest so you’ll be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your make-up, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh-looking. He has just been with a lot of work-weary people.

•Be a little gay and a little more interesting for him. His boring day may need a lift and one of your duties is to provide it.

•Clear away the clutter. Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives. Run a dustcloth over the tables.

•During the cooler months of the year you should prepare and light a fire for him to unwind by. Your husband will feel he has reached a haven of rest and order, and it will give you a lift too. After all, catering to his comfort will provide you with immense personal satisfaction.

•Minimise all noise. At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of the washer, dryer or vacuum. Encourage the children to be quiet.

•Be happy to see him.

•Greet him with a warm smile and show sincerity in your desire to please him.

•Listen to him. You may have a dozen important things to tell him, but the moment of his arrival is not the time. Let him talk first remember, his topics of conversation are more important than yours.

•Don’t greet him with complaints and problems.

•Don’t complain if he’s late for dinner or even if he stays out all night. Count this as minor compared to what he might have gone through at work.

•Make him comfortable. Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or lie him down in the bedroom. Have a cool or warm drink ready for him.

•Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes. Speak in a low, soothing and pleasant voice.

•Don’t ask him questions about his actions or question his judgment or integrity. Remember, he is the master of the house and as such will always exercise his will with fairness and truthfulness.

You have no right to question him.

•A good wife always knows her place.

EDITORIAL TEAM: EDITOR IN CHIEF: Tarek Chamkhi: editor@crescenttimes.com.au PRODUCTION EDITOR: Joanne McKeown: editor2@crescenttimes.com.au MELBOURNE EDITOR: Nasya Bahfen: nasya.bahfen@crescenttimes.com.au MELBOURNE OFFICE: Rashid Alshakshir: rashid@crescenttimes.com.au ADELAIDE OFFICE: Safwan Saparudin: safwan@crescenttimjes.com.au OPINION EDITOR: Irfan Yusuf: opinion@crescenttimes.com.au

saying.

“While one or other of the spouses is at work, the other is chatting online with someone else, wasting their time and flouting the sharia.”

Atrash went on to say: “While they (social networking sites) permit the spread of Islam, they allow people forbidden love and relations. That is why whoever uses such websites must be considered a sinner.”

The fatwa comes days after a study

by Egypt’s National Center for Social and Criminological Research (NCSCR) that found one in every five divorces in Egypt is caused by extra-marital affairs started on Facebook or other social networking sites.

Your ‘Private’ Facebook Message has been seen..

Email: info@crescenttimes.com.au

Aisha Stacey

A prominent Egyptian cleric has issued a fatwa forbidding Muslims to use Facebook, blaming the popular social networking site for rising marital infidelity and divorce, Daily News Egypt reports.

Sheikh Abdel Hamid al-Atrash labelled those using Facebook “sinners” and said the site “endangers the Muslim family”, the newspaper reported, citing an interview in London-based daily Asharq Alawsat.

“It’s an instrument that destroys the family because it encourages spouses to have relations with other people, which breaks Islamic sharia law,” Atrash, former head of the fatwa commission at Cairo’s Al-Azhar University, was quoted as

iPOET* Every word you typed in that message was being observed..

All your Facebook clicks are being watched...

That Photo you just saw has been recorded..

Your every word is being tracked..

Even what time you made it is known..

That profile you went onto is recorded..

The comment you made on your friend’s status is observed..

Line by line..

Word by word..

Letter by letter..

That poke you gave is recorded..

Did you know even as you read this, you’re being watched?

As I type this, I am being seen..

That Islamic group you made, is recorded..

That Islamic Society link you put up, is noted down..

The Wedding photo you uploaded recently is observed closely..

You’re being watched on Facebook and so am I..

Everyday.

Every Hour.

Every Minute.

Every Second.

Watched.

Observed.

Recorded.

Noted.

Nothing is hidden.

Even your Intention is known..

Was it good or bad?

Everything will be revealed.

You can not hide on Facebook..

Spooky right?

Do you feel uncomfortable using Facebook now?

www.crescenttimes.com.au

A Bygone Era or an Islamic Standard?

Egyptian Fatwa Forbidding Muslims to use Facebook

Photo: iPOET.

Who is Watching YOU and ME every Second On Facebook?

You Ask..

My Dear Friend, Allah is All-Seeing And All-Knowing My Friends..

And the Angels Record every small detail..

“He utters not any word except that there is with him an observer, ready.”

(Qur’an: 50:18) “And indeed, there are over you scribes, generous and recording.

They know what you do.”

(Qur’an: 82:10-12) Be God Fearing And God Conscious “(Ihsan is) it’s to worship Allah as you are seeing Him and while you see Him not yet truly He sees you.”

(Al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 48) * Aaqib, known as iPOET (www.islamicpoet. com) is a Motivational Speaker. Inspirational Writer. Islamic Poet. Entrepreneur. He is Marketing Manager for Productive Muslim, an Organisation that links Islam with Productivity.

In 2008 he was Head Brother for Marketing and Dawah at Birmingham Islamic Society.

Contributors in tHis issue: Amirudin Ahamed - Amr Alshakshir - Shayma Alshakshir - Zabrina A Bakar -Nasya Bahfen - Tarek Chamkhi - Jamal Daoud - Fatima Dennaoui - Bashir Ebrahim - Idris Ellis - Ebtisam El-Najjarine - Hassan Alshakshir - Eugenia Flynn - Hyder Gulam - iPoet- Amanda Charmand Mazumder Joanne McKeown - Debora McNichol - Erin Rutherford - Vincent Sammut - Nur Shkembi - Gareth Smith - Aisha Stacey - Monique Toohey - Adonis Vlahos - Harun Yahya - Irfan Yusuf

issue 16, February 2010

The Good Wife’s Guide:

Page 19

Family

issue 16, February 2010

www.crescenttimes.com.au

CT MONTHLY NATIONAL LIFESTYLE GUIDE

:Where to eat out halal, where to buy your halal meat? where to pray? where to buy Islamic clothes? This life style guide will be a permanent section for your convenience. Are you a business owner? Well, contribute your adver-

tising and invite your fellow Muslims to eat in your restaurant or buy your products. Are you a Muslim mum at home? Contribute your favourite recipe. (Either in Arabic or English) An Aussie Muslim who likes to eat out? Well, contribute to our upcoming NEW monthly restaurant review! Please send ALL your contributions to: info@crescenttimes.com.au

Islamic Fashion Space: Fashion Fever

Ebtisam El-Najjarine* I often get asked by people, ‘what is the latest Islamic Fashion?’

This is a tricky question to answer because in Islam we do not blindly follow the fashion.

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said, “Whoever resembles a people is one of them.”

(Recorded by Abu Dawud) On the other hand however, there are new clothing items that come out from time to time that we tend to purchase more. In each country it is different. In Australia, we take a little from most Middle Eastern countries because of our diverse cultures here; different people bring back different items.

But we are pretty much picky as to what we choose to wear here; to ensure that it blends in somewhat with what is currently available in shops locally. A good example of this is dresses. Maxi dresses are readily available today, so styles that come in from overseas that tend to be designed like a maxi dress,

Crescent Times is a monthly Muslim community newspaper and as such welcomes contributions of letters, articles and photographs from all members of the community. Contributions sent by email or on computer disk are appreciated; there is no publication charge for articles submitted. The deadline for all contributions is the 25th of the month prior to publication.

All contributions and advertising may be sent to: PO Box 628 Mirrabooka WA 6941 or by email to: editor@crescenttimes.com.au INDEMNITY AND WARRANTY Advertisers and/or advertising agencies upon and by lodging material with Crescent Press Pty Ltd for publication in the Crescent Times or authorising or approving of the publication of any material INDEMNIFY Crescent Press Pty Ltd and the Crescent Times against all claims, demands, proceedings, costs, expenses, damages, awards, judgements and any other liability whatsoever wholly or partially arising directly or indirectly in connection with the publication of the material, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing indemnify Crescent Press Pty Ltd and the Crescent Times in relation to defamation, libel, slander of title, infringement of copyright, infringement of trademarks or names of publication titles, unfair competition, breach of trade practices or fair trading legislation, violation of rights of privacy or confidential information or licences or royalty rights or other intellectual property rights AND WARRANT that the material complies with all relevant laws and regulations and that its publication will not give rise to any claims against or liabilities to Crescent Press Pty Ltd or the Crescent Times, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, that nothing therein is in breach of the Trade Practices Act 1974 or the Copyright Act 1968 or the Fair Trading Act 1987 or the defamation, consumer protection and sale of goods legislation of the Australian states or territories or infringes the rights of any person.

Crescent Press Pty Ltd and the Crescent Times accept no responsibility or liability in relation to any loss due to the failure of an advertisement to appear according to instructions.

The positioning or placing of an advertisement is at the discretion of the editor.

COPYRIGHT Where no charge is made for the preparation of advertising material, Crescent Press Pty Ltd will remain owner of the copyright in the advertising material. Such advertising material may be reproduced only with the consent of Crescent Press Pty Ltd and upon payment of such fee as Crescent Press Pty Ltd may require. Original works are subject to copyright and shall not be reproduced without authority.

HALAL POLICY Crescent Times does not represent or endorse the halal status of our advertisers products, neither the reliability of any of the advertisments, nor the quality of any products, information or other material displayed, consumed or purshased by any member of the public. Every individual shall conduct their own research on matters related to quality of product or its halal status.

with an A-length long skirt and spaghetti straps in style, are worn today rather than a dress with frills buttoned up to a collar.

So in case you are one of those people who likes to see what is out there so you can add a few pieces of clothing to your wardrobe, here is what our sisters in other countries are wearing today: Malaysia, our closest Islamic neighbour: Splashes of colour and two-piece sets, either Kaftans matched up with Pants or Skirts, or Abayas with Pants.

Saudi Arabia: Highly embellished Abayas, with matching shawls or square hijabs.

UAE: Black abayas with different style necklines, heavily embroidered with a little colour here and there to highlight certain features of the dress.

Turkey: Women are matching their hijabs with a top-coat (tessattur).

And for those that want a visual example, Google the words: “Islamic Fashion”...how ironic huh? They’re the only words you can google to see what Muslim people are wearing today, coming from people who don’t follow the fashion. *Ebtisam El-Najjarine, created Sissta Designs in 2005 to suit the needs of Muslim women and import quality designed clothing that would suit the needs of men, women and children. Her website: www. sissta.com.au.

Recipe: Apricot Rolls

3 cups of plain flour 1/4 cup of vegetable oil 1/2 cup of warm water 3tb of sugar 1tb dried yeast 1tb baking powder Pinch of salt 200g natural yoghurt

Cherry Blossom Jewellery Clothing & gifts

658 Sydney Rd, Brunswick VIC 3056 Next door to the Brunswick Masjid Tel/fax: 03 9383 1865 Wholesale & Retail Leading brands including AKER (silk scarves), TEKBIR & ARMAY. Large ranges of scarves and bonnets in all styles and colours. Handbags, jewellery, bridal jewellery, accessories and gifts

Combine ingredients to form a soft dough. Place ball of dough in bowl and brush with oil. Leave to rest for 15 minutes.

Form into small balls. Fill with apricot jam or cream cheese. Place on tray, brush with milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Bake in 180 degree oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown on top.

An ideal weekend breakfast treat or something special for the school lunchbox.

Source: CT test kitchen.

DA Kebab Cafe

Shop 19/53 Cecil Ave Cannington, WA (next to Halal meats) 08 93583737 0434 492 972

Special:

www.cherryblossomjewellery.com

Email: info@crescenttimes.com.au

Page 20

Lifestyle guide

Kebabs for $7.50 Whole Chicken for $13.50 Burger, drink and chips $9.95

Biryani rice now larger serving sizes but no extra charge Offer valid till 5th of March 2010 - Conditions apply.

OTTOMAN KEBABS & PIZZA HOUSE Shop7, 457 Sydney road, Coburg For fast home delivery call: 9354 2425

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Want to be a distributor?

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Fajr Sunrise Dhuhr 5:00 6:34 1:30 5:01 6:35 1:30 5:03 6:36 1:30 5:04 6:37 1:30 5:05 6:38 1:30 5:07 6:39 1:30 5:08 6:40 1:30 5:10 6:41 1:30 5:11 6:42 1:30 5:11 6:42 1:30 5:14 6:44 1:30 5:15 6:45 1:30 5:16 6:46 1:30 5:18 6:47 1:30 5:19 6:48 1:30 5:20 6:49 1:30 5:21 6:50 1:30 5:23 6:51 1:30 5:24 6:52 1:30 5:25 6:53 1:30 5:26 6:54 1:30 5:28 6:55 1:30 5:29 6:56 1:30 5:30 6:57 1:29 5:31 6:58 1:29 5:32 6:59 1:29 5:34 7:00 1:29 5:35 7:01 1:29

Asr Maghrib 5:15 8:24 5:15 8:23 5:15 8:22 5:15 8:21 5:14 8:20 5:14 8:19 5:14 8:19 5:14 8:18 5:14 8:17 5:14 8:17 5:13 8:15 5:13 8:14 5:13 8:13 5:12 8:12 5:12 8:11 5:12 8:09 5:11 8:08 5:11 8:07 5:11 8:06 5:10 8:05 5:10 8:04 5:09 8:03 5:09 8:01 5:08 8:00 5:08 7:59 5:07 7:58 5:07 7:56 5:06 7:55

Isha 9:53 9:52 9:51 9:50 9:49 9:48 9:46 9:45 9:44 9:44 9:41 9:40 9:39 9:37 9:36 9:35 9:33 9:32 9:30 9:29 9:28 9:26 9:25 9:23 9:22 9:20 9:19 9:17

Prayer Schedule February 2010 Sydney, New South Wales

H

ussana has just been launched in Australia, working under it’s parent company Dukkaan Ltd. The concept behind the Hussana brand started in early 2008. After researching the market, we found very few, if any, body care and beauty products were Halal certified. The products that were available were mainly cheap imports from the Middle East, with very poor packaging and available only in local Islamic shops.

Muslim world news:

Anomymous Emirati Donates Rare Jewellery Collection For Public Display

The aim of Hussana is to introduce a Halal alternative to the current high street products, many of which contain alcohol and other Haram ingredients from different animal parts. None of Hussana’s range contains any alcohol or animal products. The range consists of Shampoo, Conditioner, Body wash, Moisturiser, Cleanser, Face scrub, Lip balm, Baby shampoo, Baby lotion, Baby oil and Baby bath. The range is suitable for use by both males and females.

attracts about 50,000 local and foreign visitors annually. The sandstone structure, built circa 1896, also has the distinction of being one of the oldest buildings in the emirate and houses a quaint collection of rare photographs, historic documents, paintings, lithographs and a variety of attractive art objects that give the viewer a unique glimpse of the Emirate’s early socio-cultural scenario.

Shaikh Saeed resided here from 1888 until his death in 1958. The house was carefully restored and reopened as a museum in 1986. AlKhaleej Times

In a sterling gesture, a UAE national has donated his family’s rare collection of traditional jewellery for public display at the historic Shaikh Saeed Al Maktoum House in Al Shindagha — a popular heritage site on the banks of the Dubai Creek.

Abdullah Al Mutairi, Prayer Schedule February 2010 consultant and acting Perth, Western Australia Executive Director of Date Day Fajr Sunrise Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha Heritage Sites at Dubai 1 Mon 4:11 5:41 12:31 4:11 7:19 8:44 2 Tue 4:13 5:42 12:31 4:11 7:18 8:43 Department of Tourism 3

Wed

4:14 5:43 12:31 4:11 7:18 8:42 and Commerce Marketing 4 Thu 4:15 5:44 12:31 4:11 7:17 8:41 (DTCM) while welcoming 5 Fri 4:16 5:45 12:31 4:11 7:16 8:40 6 Sat 4:18 5:46 12:31 4:11 7:15 8:39 the gesture said the generous 7 Sun 4:19 5:46 12:31 4:11 7:15 8:38 national donor wishes to 8 Mon 4:20 5:47 12:31 4:11 7:14 8:37 9 Tue 4:21 5:48 12:31 4:11 7:13 8:36 remain anonymous.

10 Wed 4:22 5:49 12:31 4:11 7:12 8:35 The dazzling collection 11 Thu 4:24 5:50 12:31 4:10 7:11 8:34 12 Fri 4:25 5:51 12:31 4:10 7:10 8:33 includes prized objects that 13 Sat 4:26 5:52 12:31 4:10 7:09 8:32 reflect the glory of gold 14 Sun 4:27 5:53 12:31 4:10 7:08 8:30 15 Mon 4:28 5:54 12:31 4:10 7:07 8:29 jewellery typically used by 16 Tue 4:29 5:55 12:31 4:10 7:06 8:28 local Emirati women some 17 Wed 4:30 5:55 12:31 4:09 7:06 8:27 decades ago. Mutairi said 18 Thu 4:32 5:56 12:31 4:09 7:04 8:25 19

Fri

4:33 5:57 12:31 4:09 7:03 8:24 the priceless collection 20 Sat 4:34 5:58 12:31 4:08 7:02 8:23 includes a necklace of gold 21 Sun 4:35 5:59 12:31 4:08 7:01 8:22 22 Mon 4:36 6:00 12:31 4:08 7:00 8:20 coins and a set of shining 23 Tue 4:37 6:00 12:31 4:07 6:59 8:19 precious stones, besides a 24 Wed 4:38 6:01 12:30 4:07 6:58 8:18 25 Thu 4:39 6:02 12:30 4:06 6:57 8:17 Burqa made from threads of 26 Fri 4:40 6:03 12:30 4:06 6:56 8:15 pure gold.

27 Sat 4:41 6:04 12:30 4:06 6:55 8:14 28 Sun 4:42 6:04 12:30 4:05 6:54 8:13 Shaikh Saeed’s House, a striking symbol of local ‘Emirati’ architecture,

Date 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Day Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

Fajr Sunrise 4:43 6:16 4:44 6:17 4:46 6:18 4:47 6:19 4:48 6:20 4:50 6:21 4:51 6:22 4:52 6:23 4:54 6:24 4:55 6:25 4:56 6:26 4:58 6:27 4:59 6:27 5:00 6:28 5:01 6:29 5:03 6:30 5:04 6:31 5:05 6:32 5:06 6:33 5:07 6:34 5:09 6:35 5:10 6:36 5:11 6:37 5:12 6:38 5:13 6:39 5:14 6:39 5:15 6:40 5:16 6:41

Dhuhr 1:09 1:09 1:09 1:09 1:10 1:10 1:10 1:10 1:10 1:10 1:10 1:10 1:10 1:10 1:10 1:10 1:10 1:10 1:10 1:09 1:09 1:09 1:09 1:09 1:09 1:09 1:08 1:08

Asr Maghrib 4:53 8:01 4:53 8:00 4:53 8:00 4:52 7:59 4:52 7:58 4:52 7:57 4:52 7:56 4:52 7:55 4:52 7:55 4:52 7:54 4:52 7:53 4:51 7:52 4:51 7:51 4:51 7:50 4:51 7:49 4:50 7:48 4:50 7:47 4:50 7:45 4:49 7:44 4:49 7:43 4:48 7:42 4:48 7:41 4:47 7:40 4:47 7:39 4:47 7:37 4:46 7:36 4:45 7:35 4:45 7:34

Isha 9:29 9:28 9:27 9:26 9:25 9:24 9:23 9:21 9:20 9:19 9:18 9:17 9:15 9:14 9:13 9:11 9:10 9:09 9:07 9:06 9:05 9:03 9:02 9:01 8:59 8:58 8:56 8:55

Prayer Schedule February 2010 Melbourne, Victoria

Date 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Day Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun

Fajr Sunrise 4:53 6:33 4:54 6:34 4:56 6:35 4:58 6:36 4:59 6:37 5:01 6:39 5:02 6:40 5:04 6:41 5:05 6:42 5:07 6:43 5:09 6:44 5:10 6:45 5:12 6:46 5:13 6:48 5:15 6:49 5:16 6:50 5:17 6:51 5:19 6:52 5:20 6:53 5:22 6:54 5:23 6:55 5:25 6:56 5:26 6:57 5:27 6:58 5:29 6:59 5:30 7:00 5:31 7:01 5:33 7:02

Dhuhr Asr Maghrib Isha 1:34 5:24 8:34 10:09 1:34 5:23 8:33 10:08 1:34 5:23 8:32 10:06 1:34 5:23 8:31 10:05 1:35 5:23 8:30 10:04 1:35 5:23 8:29 10:02 1:35 5:22 8:28 10:01 1:35 5:22 8:27 9:59 1:35 5:22 8:26 9:58 1:35 5:22 8:25 9:56 1:35 5:21 8:24 9:55 1:35 5:21 8:23 9:54 1:35 5:21 8:22 9:52 1:35 5:20 8:20 9:51 1:35 5:20 8:19 9:49 1:35 5:19 8:18 9:47 1:35 5:19 8:17 9:46 1:35 5:18 8:16 9:44 1:35 5:18 8:14 9:43 1:34 5:17 8:13 9:41 1:34 5:17 8:12 9:40 1:34 5:16 8:11 9:38 1:34 5:16 8:09 9:36 1:34 5:15 8:08 9:35 1:34 5:14 8:06 9:33 1:34 5:14 8:05 9:32 1:33 5:13 8:04 9:30 1:33 5:12 8:02 9:28

*Al Furqan Centre Al Furqan specialises in the teaching of the proper recitation of the Qur’an for all ages. Catering for both Arabic and non-Arabic speaking backgrounds, we assist beginners through to advanced levels.

86 Highclere Ave Punchbowl NSW 2196 Phone: 02 8725 4840 Mobile: 0411 632 624 Web: http://www. alfurqancentre.com.au Email: director@alfurqancentre. com.au *AlFirdaus Quran College Our ambition at AlFirdaus Quran College is to facilitate the engagement of Muslims in the correct recitation, understanding and appreciation of the Glorious Quran.

Civic Drive, Thurlow Fisher Building, Ground Floor Bankstown 2200 Phone: 02 9791 6777 Fax: 02 9791 6788 Mobile: 0410 641 598 Web: http://www.alfirdaus. com.au Email: yousefa@alfirdaus.com. au *DAAR AISHA (r.a.) SHARIAH COLLEGE A shariah college dedicated to uniting the Ummah through the revival and dessimination of traditional islamic knowledge.

200 The Boulevarde PUNCHBOWL 2196 Phone: 02 9759 6222 Mobile: 0421 325 200 Web: http://www.daaraisha.org Email: info.@daaraisha.org *Dar al-Arqam Centre Regular Dawah Classes on weeknights and weekends 1/134A Waterloo Road Greenacre 2190 Phone: (02) 9740 9097 Email: dar_al_arqam@hotmail. com *GIYC Children’s Madrassah Madrassah for children between the ages of 5 and 15 years.

265 George Street Liverpool 2170 Phone: 96021900 Mobile: 0405143243 (brother Yusuf) Web: http://www.giyc.com.au *Sydney Islamic College A Shariah College for Men and Women providing Diploma of Islamic Studies (Shariah) and Diploma of Arabic and Quran (Tajweed, Memorisation of Quran) 69 Croydon St Lakemba 2195 Phone: 1300 730 698 Fax: 02 8214 6498 Mobile: 0416 000 742 (0416 000 SIC) Web: http://www.sydneyic. org.au Email: info@sydneyic.org.au

Appeal: Dear readers, Please send to us any information about education institutions, Quranic classes, Islamic schools, anywhere in Perth, WA, Adelaide, SA, and Melbourne, VIC. Your contribution and cooperation are most appreciated for the benefit Reach out to your community through your best forum! of all Australian Muslims.

Crescent Times always there! CT team.

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issue 16, February 2010

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Opinion

SCIENCE AND THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE Harun Yahya* How did the endless universe we live in come into being?

How did the equilibrium, harmony, and order of this universe develop?

How is it that this Earth is such a fit and sheltering place for us to live in?

Questions such as these have attracted attention since the dawn of the human race.

The conclusion reached by scientists and philosophers searching for answers with their intellects and common sense is that the complexity and order of this universe are evidence of the existence of a supreme Creator ruling over the whole universe.

This is an indisputable truth that we may reach by using our intelligence. Allah (swt) declares this reality in His holy book, the Qur’an, which He inspired as a guide for humanity fourteen centuries ago. Allah (swt) states that He has created the universe for a particular purpose, and with all its systems and balances specifically created for human life.

Allah (swt) invites people to consider this truth in the following verse: Are you stronger in structure or is heaven? He built it. He raised its vault high and made it level. He darkened its night and brought forth its morning light. After that He smoothed out the earth… (Surat an Naziat: 27-30) Elsewhere it is declared in the Qur’an that a person should see and consider all the systems and balances in the universe that have been created for him by Allah and derive a lesson from his observations: He has made night and day subservient to you, and the sun and moon and stars, all subject to His command. There are certainly Signs in that for people who pay heed. (Surat an-Nahl: 12) After many scientific findings during the beginning of the 20th century, scientists are now certain that the universe came into being from nothingness as the result of an unimaginably huge explosion, known as the “Big Bang”. In other words, the universe came into being - or rather, it was created by Allah (swt).

The Signs of the Qur’an The truth about the existence of the universe that is defended by religious sources is the reality of creation from nothingness. This has been declared in the holy books that have served as guides for mankind for thousands of years. In all holy books such as the Old Testament, New Testament, and the Qur’an, it is declared that the universe and everything in it were created from nothingness by Allah (swt).

In the only book revealed by Allah that has survived completely intact, the Qur’an, there are statements about the creation of the universe from nothing as well as how this came about that are parallel to 20th-century knowledge and yet were revealed fourteen centuries ago.

First of all, the creation of this universe from nothingness is revealed in the Qur’an as follows: He(Allah) is the Originator of the heavens and the earth…(Surat al-Anam: 101) And our Prophet (pbuh) expressed that first of all, there was nothing but Allah and that He is the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth as

follows: “My Lord! The Lord of the Seven Heavens, and The Lord of the great Throne, our Lord and The Lord of all, The Creator of plants and trees; You are The First; Nothing is before You. You are The Last; Nothing is after You. You are the Outward; Nothing is over You. You are the Inward; Nothing is inside of You…” (Muslim) Another hadith on this topic is as follows, “We accept it, O Allah’s Apostle! We have come to ask you about this matter (i.e. the start of creations).” He said, “First of all, there was nothing but Allah, and (then He created His Throne). His throne was over the water, and He wrote everything in the Book (in the Heaven) and created the Heavens and the Earth.” (Al Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 54, Number 414) Another important aspect revealed in the Qur’an fourteen centuries before the modern discovery of the Big Bang and findings related to it is that when it was created, the universe occupied a very tiny volume: Do those who are disbelievers not see that the heavens and the earth were sewn together and then We unstitched them and that We made from water every living thing? So will they not have faith? (Surat al-Anbiya’: 30) There is a very important choice of words in the original Arabic whose translation is given above. The word ratq translated as “sewn to” means “mixed in each, blended” in Arabic dictionaries. It is used to refer to two different substances that make up a whole. The phrase “we unstitched” is the verb fataqa in Arabic and implies that something comes into being by tearing apart or destroying the structure of ratq. The sprouting of a seed from the soil is one of the actions to which this verb is applied.

Let us take a look at the verse again with this knowledge in mind. In the verse, sky and earth are at first subject to the status of ratq.

They are separated (fataqa) with one coming out of the other. Intriguingly, cosmologists speak of a “cosmic egg” that consisted of all the matter in the universe prior to the Big Bang. In other words, all the heavens and earth were included in this egg in a condition of ratq. This cosmic egg exploded violently causing its matter to separate (fataqa) and in the process created the structure of the whole universe.

Another truth revealed in the Qur’an is the expansion of the universe that was discovered in the late 1920s. In 1929, an American astronomer Edwin Hubble, working at the California Mount Wilson observatory, made one of the most important discoveries

in the history of astronomy.

Observing a number of stars through his huge telescope, he discovered that their light was shifted towards the red end of the spectrum and, crucially, that this shift was directly related to the distance of the stars from Earth. This discovery of the red shift in the spectrum of starlight demonstrated that the universe is expanding and this truth is revealed in the Qur’an as : It is We Who have built the universe with (Our creative) power, and, verily, it is We Who are steadily expanding it. (Surat adhDhariyat: 47) The findings of modern science support the truth that is revealed in the Qur’an and not materialist dogma. Materialists may claim this all to be “coincidence” but the plain fact is that the universe came into being as a result of an act of creation on the part of Allah (swt) and the only true knowledge about the origin of universe is to be found in the word of Allah (swt) as revealed to us.

Allah (swt) indicates that He has Created everything on purpose in the following verse: “We did not create heaven and earth and everything between them to no purpose. That is the opinion of those who are disbelievers.

(Surah Sad: 27) * Harun Yahya, has written almost 300 books which are published in 63 languages all over the world. He is well-known as an author who has written many books on political, faithrelated and scientific issues, including very important works disclosing the imposture of evolutionists, the invalidity of their claims and the dark liaisons between Darwinism and bloody ideologies.

Harun Yahya’s books appeal to all people, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, regardless of their age, race and nationality, as they center around one goal: to open the readers’ mind by presenting the signs of God’s eternal existence to them.

Please visit: www.harunyahya.com To purchase the works of Harun Yahya, please visit www.bookglobal.net

Mecca Clock Royal Tower Set To Become World’s Tallest Hotel The 76-story, 577-meter high Mecca Clock Royal Tower, scheduled to open in the third quarter of 2010, will become the world’s tallest hotel, Fairmont Hotels and Resorts Group said early this week. The opening of the hotel will replace Rotana’s newly opened 333-meter tall Rose Rayhaan in Dubai for the world’s title. The tower, which is being developed by the Saudi Bin Laden Group, will also house the Emaar Residences.

The Fairmont hotel will be the center point of the iconic Abraj Al Bait Complex, part of the King Abdul Aziz Endowment Project which has been tasked with upgrading the areas around the Two Holy Mosques.

Located in the holy city of Mecca, the hotel will be adjacent to the Masjid Al-Haram. The hotel will have 858 rooms and will include a 40-meter clock,

Twisting the web to catch the terrorist

Amr Alshakshir

According to Jonathan Swift, “Laws are like cobwebs, which may catch small flies, but let wasps and hornets break through”. This is easy to understand because you know what a fly looks like and you know what a wasp and a hornet look like and you could take appropriate measures to capture your particular prey. But what happens when we try to catch a terrorist with our ‘Law cobweb’?

All humans have similar features, it is hard to ‘hunt’ someone that has no differentiating features. What are the consequences of enlarging the capacity of our ‘web’ to catch our sought ‘prey’?

In November of 2005, the Howard Government discussed introducing “new laws broadening the definition of a terrorist act [which] are urgently needed because of a specific and credible threat of terrorism in the last few days.”

Similarly, in the UK, Part 4 of the Anti-Terrorism, Crime and Security (ACTS) Act 2001 was introduced with the ability to hold terror ‘suspects’ for 42 days without charge.

According to the document Reconciling Security & Liberty In An Open Society “all those detained under part 4 of ACTS Act 2001, were Muslim men.”

So the problem of social profiling arises, which is something that the international community should be trying to combat - laws such as ACTS only revitalise it and make it grow stronger. This in turn causes the growth of distrust and insecurity within the targeted community; the Muslim community. “The group as a whole is stigmatised, and Muslims have often described themselves as feeling ‘under siege’” and consequently, “the relationship between British Muslims and the authorities is at an all time low”.

This therefore, as described by Dr. Siddiqui, the leader of the Muslim Parliament of Britain, forces the Muslim community to view the police (who, according to the Times, state that this plan is workable) and intelligence agencies as leading “a war on Islam, not a war on terror”, which has a negative effect rather a positive one.

Another consequence of the broadening of powers is the risk of undermining the very laws we aim to uphold and protect. As the Reconciling Security & Liberty document states: “The challenge, therefore, is how to retain long held and hard won freedoms and protections from the arbitrary use of power or wrongful conviction, whilst ensuring that democracy and the rule of law itself are not used as a cover by those who seek its overthrow”. Breaking our laws should not be an option even for “those for whom prosecution and punishment hold no fear”.

Sir John Major, former Prime Minister of the UK, stated that the 42-day law will “more likely encourage terrorist recruitment than defeat the extremist threat to Britain”. He also argued that these laws could harm the reputation of the country and the very values they uphold because “If we are seen to defend our own values in a manner that does violence to them, then we run the risk of losing those values.

Even worse, if our own standards fall it will serve to recruit terrorists more effectively than their own propaganda could ever hope to do.”

Resources: •Part 1 of the British government discussion paper Counter-terrorism Powers: Reconciling Security and Liberty in an Open Society. <http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/documents/cons-count-terrorpowers-310804> •Chapters 4-6 of Reconciling Security and Liberty in an Open Society? Liberty Response to Home Office Paper http://www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/pdfs/policy04/liberty •http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article4075989. ece, last accessed 5th May 2009.

•http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/wasps.html, Last accessed 5th May 2009.

•http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200511/s1496527.htm, Last accessed 5th May 2009.

more than five times larger than Big Ben in London, visible up to 17 kilometers away that will announce the daily prayers. The tower will also include the Lunar Observation Center and an Islamic Museum.

“The newly developed property, Makkah [Mecca] Clock Royal Tower in Saudi Arabia, will be a key destination for visitors from the United Arab Emirates and the Middle East,” the hotel group said.

On The Qibla, Prayer Times and the Months Idris Ellis* ‘Tell them, travel though the land, observing how....’ Q 29:20 Everybody has an opinion, few bother to look into what is known.

I trust that these few points will suffice most present needs, the calculation for True Noon may be gotten from the web, or books on Astronomy.

One might also go into the making of Sundials & Quadrants, but they are topics for another time, if God so wills.

How to calculate the Qibla, and the times for prayer: Definitions: • There: Mecca: Latitude & Longitude: N 21°25’21” [A] & E 39°49’34” [M]; as observed from Google Earth • Here: Latitude A [L] & Longitude B • Difference in Longitude: O • tan: tangent • sin: sine • cos: cosine • Distance between here and there: tan D=sinLsinA+cosLcosAcosO • Three formulæ for Direction from True North, or Azimuth: i) tanI=sinO/[tanAcosL-sinLcosO] ii) sinV=[[sinO-cosA]/sinD] iii) cosF=[[sinA-cosDsinL]/sinDcosL] It could be necessary to add the result to either 180 or 390.

Formulæ for calculating prayer times Definitions: • The periods for the five prayers are eventide (maghrib); night-time (isha); dawn (fajr); noontide (duhr); mid-afternoon (asr); • q the Sun or the Declination of the Sun; • meridian: local north-south line; • local: where you are standing. i) Eventide: Zenith +90°=J until ii) Night-time: Zenith +107°=J until iii) Dawn: Zenith -108°=J until Sunrise Noon90° iv) To calculate noon: Zenith=12 hours+1/15 arctangent [cos Latitudeq-cos Latitudeq*cos 23.44°+diff Longitude of meridian of Time Zone & here] v) Noontide: Noon, q on the Meridian, or Sun at Zenith: J=0° until vi) Mid-afternoon: Zenith + tan J=[x∫₁².+tan [declination q-A] vii) Note: sunrise and sunset times can be modified by altitude, thus: 90°+1.76√[ht in metres]=J Generally, one can observe sunset in real time. This holds true for the onset of dawn, the end of dusk, and noon. cosE=[[cosJ-sinqsinL]/cosqcosL], which is then converted from degrees to hours: E/15=hours, which are added to or subtracted from noon time for that day of he year and longitude. Noon means when the Sun is on the meridian, noontide is when the Sun has crossed the meridian. There has been confusion concerning asr, because the length of any shadow can equal the height of what casts it, this is most likely in summer in the tropics, when no noon shadow is cast, which happens on two days of any year, when declination q=Latitude of that place.

In winter, and in higher latitudes, the noon shadow will be longer than the height of what casts it. Early observers in Kufa’ seem not to

have taken this into account.

Naked eye observation of prayer times Generally, one can observe sunset in real time.

This holds true for the onset of dawn, the end of dusk, for noon and mid-afternoon, there is a method: • Dawn is usually seen as light, on the eastern horizon, sometimes preceded by vertical white rays, which are pre-dawn markers.

• Dawn ends with lavender & mauve in the west.

• Dusk begins with mauve & lavender in the East.

• Dusk ends with the stars all out, & no blueness left in the sky.

Another way of looking at it is the visibility of sixth magnitude stars, which are able to be seen when the Sun is at 107 degrees or more from the Zenith. Thus, when they disappear, it is the beginning of dawn [Zenith+108°]; it is the end of dusk when they reappear [Zenith-107°].

If one lives away from heavily-lit areas, the beginnings of dawn and the end of dusk may be seen with the unaided eye. These times can also be observed by means of the various groups of stars arriving on the celestial meridian, relative to the celestial latitude of the Sun, so may also be noted as Local Sidereal Time.

The Sun arrives in the East before it arrives in the West: remember that and much silliness will be avoided, especially concerning the Feast Days.

On calculating the start of the lunar month The Moon is not visible to the eye until more than 15.4 hrs from conjunction; 12.7 hours for binoculars; 12.2 hours for telescope.

To know when the crescent ought to be visible, simply add 15 to 16 hours onto the time of the New Moon, as given in an ephemeris or on some calendars or in a newspaper or online.

At day’s end, the Moon will be visible in that Time Zone.

Generally: April to September have 30 days, while October to March have 29 days.

Please be aware that the ulama of Saudi Arabia do not wait the required number of hours after the conjunction. For them, the Sunset after the New Moon is the start of the month, even if the Moon is not seen until the following day. *C.W.Idris Ellis, Christopher William Idris Ellis is a fourth generation Australian. He was born in Sydney in 1949; passed the HSC in 1967, moved to New Zealand in 1970 and returned in 1976. His interests include Astronomy, History, Language, Poetry, Bushcraft and various handcrafts, including Calligraphy, Cooking, and Music. He has worked in every imaginable situation, from art gallery and restaurant, to security and halal slaughter. He likes his own company and is happiest where the neighbours are few and far between.

Adonis Vlahos* Do you Remember?

Before time began, at the Great Gathering By decree of the One, our souls happened to meet..

Your presence was amazing and so I turned, Your soul radiated light and so my passion burned..

It was just us together back then.. You and I Those few brief moments we spent together..

We prayed that they’d last forever..

More than love at first sight.. It was a love so bright Like the brightest full moon on the darkest of nights I remember so clearly, as you left, You promised that you’d come back to me...

And so I wait.. I’ve waited so long..

And now, I feel empty..

60 Seconds in a Minute..

60 Minutes in an Hour..

24 Hours in a Day..

7 Days in a Week..

4 Weeks in a Month..

12 Months in a Year..

25 Years I’ve been right here..

For 25 Years I’ve been incomplete..

And so now I lie broken, in defeat..

I still wait, for you to fulfill your promise..

Forgive me now, I have to be honest..

I wait for you to serenade your sweet song of love to me..

As my head lay in your lap, you resting against an oak tree..

Like that old song goes, united, it’s just you and me, Just us my love, that perfect harmony, We’re the ebony and ivory..

I await for those times when you and I, Can sit together watching time go by For you to engage me in passionate discussion and debate..

Our own little world free from other people’s hate..

To share your dreams with me and I with you..

Photo: Adonis

Email: info@crescenttimes.com.au

The editor in chief

Poem: Eternal Promises, Broken

As we work hard together to make them all come true..

For you to sleep in my arms and be there when I wake, That was your promise! I remember clearly, it’s no mistake..

“So where are you my love?”

I cry out loud and lament..

Could it be that you had an event?

An engagement or meeting?

This waiting is nothing less than defeating..

I sit here praying for us to once again meet..

A love like ours, is so profound and so deep, I can’t think about it without my knees growing weak, So Earth shattering, at its mere sight God’s angels weep There could be no greater pain than that which I feel in my heart, And so, in limbo I wait for our lives together to start..

So, where are you my love?

You promised you’d come..

www.crescenttimes.com.au

to our readers, but we do our best to provide space for all schools of thought, personal beliefs and directions of Islamic thought! All are free to submit articles for publication to defend and hold what they see as truth!

* Adonis ‘Aqeel Shabazz’ Vlahos is a 25 year old half Greek and half Turkish revert to Islam currently living in Auckland, New Zealand. Born and raised in Melbourne Adonis thirsts for knowledge about Islam and inspiration to dedicate his life towards liberty and justice.

Adonis maintains a blog at http://thevitalissue. blogspot.com where he publishes his analysis and opinions on politics and religion in addition to his poetic expressions. He can be contacted via email on:adonis. vlahos@orcon.net.nz

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issue 16, February 2010

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However, we are not afraid of opinions! Our role is not to teach a particular package of opinions and beliefs

Page 23

Science & Poetry

Page 24

Crescent gardens ‫بامكانك استالل الملحق العربي واالحتفاظ‬ ‫به في مكان آمن! إن أردتم المشاركة بآرائكم‬ :‫ومقاالتكم بالعربية راسلونا على االيمايل‬

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‫الهالل تايمز‬ ‫ملحق لجريدة الكريزنت تايمز بالعربي للجالية العربية بأستراليا‬

LONDON: 1000 Years Of Science Exhibits From The Muslim World LONDON: - The Science Museum is hosting a new exhibition, 1001 Inventions: Discover the Muslim Heritage in Our World, which traces the forgotten story of a thousand years of science from the Muslim world, from the 7th century onwards.

The free exhibition, which runs until 25 April 2010, looks at the social, scientific and technical achievements that are credited to the Muslim world, and how those contributions helped build the foundations of our modern world. The exhibition is a British based project, produced in association with the Jameel Foundation.

Featuring a diverse range of exhibits, interactive displays and dramatisation, the exhibition shows how many modern inventions, spanning fields such as engineering, medicine and design, can trace their roots back to Muslim civilisation.

Prof. Chris Rapley, Director of the Science Museum, commented: “The thousand year period from the 7th century onwards was a time of exceptional scientific and technological advancement in China, India, Persia, Africa and the Arab world. This is the period in history that gave us huge advances in engineering, the development

of robotics and the foundations of modern mathematics, chemistry and physics. With over 15,000 objects in our collection spanning many different cultures, the Science Museum provides the perfect context for this exhibition, as a place which encourages innovation and learning amongst visitors of all ages.”

One of the focal points of the exhibition is a sixmetre high replica of the ‘Elephant Clock’- a visually striking early 13th century clock whose design fuses together elements from many cultures and is featured alongside a short feature film starring Oscar-winning actor Sir Ben Kingsley as Al-Jazari, inventor of the fabled clock.

Professor Salim T S Al-Hassani, Chairman of 1001 Inventions, explained: “The Elephant Clock is an early 13th century machine which gives physical form to the concept of multi-culturalism. This engineering marvel featured an Indian Elephant, Chinese Dragons, a Greek water mechanism, an Egyptian Phoenix, and wooden robots in traditional Arabian attire. It embodies cultural and scientific convergence of civilisations and is an appropriate centre-piece for an exhibition about the roots of

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illustrated through a display of rare and beautiful objects from the Science Museum’s collections, many of which have never been on public display before.

Launched in the United Kingdom in March 2006, 1001 Inventions was created by the Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation (FSTC), a British based non-profit, nonreligious and academic

Photo: Al Tusi one of the greatest scholars of Islam, book in Aljebra. science and technology.”

Other exhibits featured in this interactive exhibition include: •Model of an energy efficient and environmentallyfriendly Baghdad house.

•A large 3 metre reproduction of Al-Idrisi’s 12thcentury world map.

•Model of a 9th-century dark room, later called Camera Obscura, which Ibn al-Haytham used to revolutionise our understanding of optics.

Visitors can also learn about parallel stories of invention from other cultures and civilisations,

organization.

About the Jameel Foundation The Abdul Latif Jameel Foundation is a British charity established in February 2009 to support the arts, education, economic development and to tackle social/financial exclusion. The Abdul Latif Jameel Foundation has sponsored the 1001 Inventions exhibition and through this relationship it aims to improve mainstream understanding of Muslim contributions to arts, science and the development of modern civilisation.

Source: Islamic tourism newswire.

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