E E R F Monthly - Independent - Moderate - N 7 May 2009 www.crescenttimes.com.au
Crescent Times is now distributed in Perth and Melbourne through selected shops, Muslim businesses and mosques.
Is Islamophobia on the rise in Australia?
Camden School Protests Details p 8 and 9
Muslim cemeteries across the country are a sign of the long standing presence of Islam in Australia:
Why are our cemeteries so neglected?
Our old cemeteries across the country from Koolgardie to Alice Springs, Broken Hill to Wyndham, Broome to Marree are landmarks of our heritage in this country. Along with the Adelaide mosque and the Perth mosque they bear witness to the presence of Muslims in Australia since at least the early 1800s. When Crescent Times team visited Broome cemetery it was shocked to
Crescent Times is distributed in Melbourne from this month. We appeal to all Victorian Muslims to support their newspaper
Left: Photos from Alice Springs “Mahommedan” cemetery, Wyndham “Afghan Cemetery”, Broome “Muslim” Cemetery. Photos: Crescent Times.
find the Japenese cemetery beautifully maintained and presented like a living city, while the Muslim section has been allowed to deteriorate to the extent that it looks like an abandoned rubbish tip with scattered broken headstones. Our previously reported experience in Wyndham was similar. This cemetery is at least considered to be an important historic
site by the local council and is fenced off. Sadly the information board states incorrectly that the Afghan cameleers were buried with their camels. There has been no repsonse to our contact with the local council regarding this matter. When it comes to the Alice Springs cemetery, maintenance is better and the cemetery is currently in use for Muslim
burials. Sadly, the council has labelled the Muslim section “Mahommedan” in a further example of lack of understanding of Islam. We appeal to our Islamic councils, organisations and individuals to do something about our preserving and maintaining our cemeteries. This is one way to improve respect for Australia’s Muslims and our heritage.
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Bismi’ Allah
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dawaa Association of Western Australia 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.
A Little Bird Told me.. Once again, this little bird has been out and about witnessing events in our community. This little bird heard about a family trip over the recent holiday break - mum and dad, doing the right thing, took the two children on a sightseeing trip to Uluru (Ayers Rock). The first day involved getting there and walking around the rock - now mum and dad thought this was all very interesting and educational for everyone until the morning of the second day. Getting into the car the two year old announced “I no want see more big rock!” Hmmm, this little bird guesses that future holiday plans are under review! Now for something a little more serious,
As I am the public relations officer from The DAWA Association of Western Australia, I have to clarify some points regarding your editorial last issue of Crescent Times about Daawa and the DAWA Association. There were a couple of points which you made which I feel were truly unfair and truly hurtful, as you mentioned yourself it is more hurtful when rejection comes from Muslims themselves First and foremost the DAWA Association is led by a Shura committee, this committee is a mix of Australians from Arab, Somali, Eritrean and Indian backgrounds. The premises is completely run and overseen by this Shura committee with authority given to the president and vice president to make executive decisions. Where the Shura sees it necessary, we will accept and reject material, be it advertising or editorial, if we find that it falls out of line with our beautiful religion. When you spoke with our president regarding distributing the paper in masjid Alsuuna, he clearly outlined the reason that particular edition would not be distributed and that reason being Islamic hip hop music. This was the sole reason, nothing to do with mathabs or creed or any matter, just our solid Islamic stance regarding music, islamicised or otherwise. We do our utmost best to teach and practice Islam as closely as we can to the teachings of Rasool Allah Salla Allahu Alayhi Wasalam, we believe that the best and correct path to guidance is the guidance of Muhammad peace be upon him, as such we take our stance and stand by it regarding music. As for your statement in the editorial, that we should Islamise things in order to appeal to the youth or in order to keep them from being bored, well I have to say that with all due respect to you and to your Shariah studies and understandings, that this is incorrect.
We strongly believe that we can continue to educate the youth, without turning a blind eye or islamising things in order to keep up Islam’s appeal, but rather by educating and reminding. I ask Allah to forgive our shortcomings and to guide us to the truth and keep us steadfast on it. I also ask Allah to teach us what is beneficial to us and give us benefit with what he teaches us. Remember brother, deen is sincere advice, and this is all I’m trying to give here. Please I ask you not to help others undo any good work we are doing and trying to do in the efforts of Daawa, Allah knows we have enough people from within and without trying to stomp on us. Jazaak Allahu Khayr. Your Brother, Ali Elhaouli The editor responds: Thank you for sending your letter to Crescent Times newspaper, we have published it in full as we strongly believe in avoidance of censorship. Allah created Muslims with a range of abilities, understanding, thoughts and Ijtihads. These are all signs of his perfect creation. Crescent Times has chosen to avoid censorship of any Islamic or Islamised opinions or actions. Most scholars of Islam agree with the concept of Islamising things, which is different to fabricating daleels (evidence), or following the shaytan or nafs (inner bad thoughts). Islamising refers to simply looking for existent daleel (evidence) for a new situation such applications of evidence are commonly referred to as fatwas. This is the pure so called Ijtihad or Islamic jurisprudence. Scholars of Islam agree as well that if you are unable to achieve all of your aim it is better to achieve most of it than none of it at all. In our case if you did not like a particular article published in Crescent Times in December 2008 that would not be a good reason to throw away all
the topic of names. This little bird has noticed a tendency amongst Muslim brothers recently to change their names. This is not done officially, but more and more brothers are forsaking the names their parents gave them and turning to more western names for day to day use. For example, this little bird met an Egyptian Muslim brother recently who insisted that his name was James. Even when this little bird prompted him by asking him for his real name this brother refused. This little bird played the parent card - “I am certain that is not the name your mother gave you” and the brother eventually “admitted” his real name. Now, this little bird has a problem with this practice for a number of reasons. First amongst them is that it seems to be a little bizarre that Muslim sisters are prepared to go out in public wearing hijab which clearly identifies them as Muslim but the brothers are not even prepared to use their real names - even when those names do not even necessarily reveal their Muslim identity. Everyone knows someone called Mohammed who is known as Mo but that type of nickname is not what this little bird is talking about. This little bird is worried about those brothers who forsake the names their parents gave them - why be frightened of using your real name brothers?? Stand up and support your sisters - let our community know who you are and what you believe instead of hiding behind dodgy names. Sisters are wearing hijab everywhere you go - have the courtesy to wear your real names!! The final topic for this week is that of “people who know everything”. Crescent Times office has been plagued in recent times by numerous “people who know everything.” Whether it be about religion, business or pure “sticky-beaking” these people are tireless in their efforts to pass on their “wisdom”. Having been on this earth for more than five minutes, this little bird can assure “those who know everything” that they are mistaken in their belief that their wisdom exceeds that of all others. A wise man once told this little bird - those who can, do; those who can’t, merely comment. CT staff are doing, all the rest is just commentary.
Crescent Times No 7 May 2009 copies of the newspaper thereafter. Please tell your committee of Shura, brother, that their decision is not exercising opinion in a Shura way, (through consultation with your Ummuh), although you presumably have Shura within your organisation. It would have been better to write earlier to the paper expressing your jurisprudence view about music in Islam, advising us to take up a particular editorial policy, or to write to us a scholarly article with daleels (Islamic evidence) to show our readers the best way regarding this issue. This would have been a wiser and better course of action than to throw the copies of Crescent Times in the rubbish (a popular form of censorship) for months while we assumed they were being distributed for the benefit of our brothers and sisters! Boycotts and censorship were never the prophet’s (peace be upon him) method of dealing with our follow Muslims. Even with groups fabricating in religion (bid’aa) we are instructed first to argue with them and refer them back to the right path of Sunnah, not to “throw the shoes” at them straight away! The aims of the newspaper include dawaa; I am still financing the newspaper from our family income in order to support our Muslim community having a media outlet and a voice! I pray that Allah will accept our family’s sacrifice as a little deed to wipe out our sins (Inchaa Allah). Also, I pray to Allah to give your Shura team the best knowledge and guidance in your decision making. Ameen. Please let them know that a Crescent Times newspaper that contains some views they do not agree with is much better for the community than no Islamic media outlet at all!
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Crescent Times No 7 May 2009
Community
Perth: the ICWA team is doing it’s best, it is up to our community to support and participate with us or not, says Imam Abdul Jalil Imam Abdul Jalil Ahmed is a well qualified Imam born in Aceh, Indonesia, he has held the position of Imam at the Rivervale mosque since 1986. He has been an active member of the Islamic Council of WA for over two decades. Crescent Times contacted him to catch up with a range of local, national and intercommunity issues. When did ICWA (Islamic Council of Western Australia) start working in dawaa in WA? do you think ICWA is to serving our community well? ICWA started Da’wah work when it was established in 1975 (incorporated in 1977). And I do think that ever since then, ICWA has been serving the community well. However, it should have done better, and there is a lot of room for improvement. The problem is that we are unable to find people who are really dedicated to voluntary works such as Da’wah. What’s the latest news about ICWA’s planning for a community center? Is this plan still going ahead or consigned to the archive? The story about the Community Centre is a long one. In a nutshell, the Centre was a house bought in 1975 with financial help, mostly from King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. Because the number of Muslims at the time was relatively small, it was unchanged until 1984. Due to the drastic increase of Muslim population in 1984, as a result of the migration of many Malays from Christmas Island and Cocos Island to Perth, the existing building was renovated by having the interior walls removed and having the front elevation built along with other facilities. Because
the building was used a place of worship, ICWA applied for a permit from the Belmont City Council, which was granted initially for 40 worshippers, and later after the provision of more parking bays, the permit was upgraded to allow 100 worshippers. The permit was given on a non-conforming basis, meaning we can use the building for the stated purpose on the condition that we do not do anything to it apart from its maintenance. Therefore, to secure the current building, we have just submitted an application for the toilet and bathroom renovation. We have to do this first because if we plan to demolish the building and rebuild it the authority will surely reject the plan and then we will have no place to pray. We are trying to maintain the current status of the building so it is not easy for the authority to remove us. As for the major project it is still a dream which is not impossible to realise in the long term. What you think about the fuss over the asylum seekers who reached our shores over the last few weeks? Did you visit the victims in Perth hospital as Imam Adama Konda did in Darwin hospital? (if not why?) As to what happened to the asylum seekers, it is a tragic thing, but nothing can happen without the Will of Allah and His permission. To be honest I don’t know how many of them are in Perth hospitals or where they are. What I know is that they are under strict surveillance from the Federal Police. Last week, the Federal Police contacted me, requesting me to come with them to see some of the victims, but later they called me back telling me that the plan was postponed for
some reason, and they would let me know again when they need me. What is your response to the critics who say that ICWA should do more than it has done already? As I said earlier, ICWA should have done more, but the problem is we don’t have enough manpower and resources. The easiest thing to do is to criticise, but to come forward to offer help is a different story. In fact, many times ICWA has tried to persuade other groups to work together, but they don’t seem interested. However, we recognise and appreciate the good works organised and done by some of them, May Allah reward them. What you think about the Islamophopia created against the Camden school project in Camden NSW? Why do you think that local churches have united against this Islamic school project? Islamophobia is not a new thing. Therefore, it is a challenge to us all as Muslims, but in this country whatever we do we have to abide by the law of land. So we can do something as long as it is legal. With regard to the local churches being against the Islamic School project, I believe, it is because of their misconception and misunderstandings about Islam and Muslims, so we have to approach them and organise meetings with them if necessary to explain out position. Do you have a plan for interfaith and inter community dialogue or ideas about integration with the wider community, taking into account the fact that we should still maintain our own identity and religion? Interfaith dialogue has been in place for many years and ICWA is actively
Melbourne: IISNA: Sharing Islam As Crescent Times reaches out to become the first National Muslim Australian newspaper, we welcome profiles of: mosques, Islamic organisations and Imams across the country. Please send us your suggested profile with relevant photography for publication. Your contribution is most appreciated by your community.
Melbourne: Nasya Bahfen Each month Crescent Times will profile an Islamic organisation in Melbourne. This edition looks at the Islamic Information and Services Network of Australia. Suggestions for organisations to profile can be sent to nasya.bahfen@crescenttimes.com. au The Islamic Information and Services Network of Australia (IISNA) was established in 2001. It gained a measure of notoriety recently when a lecture delivered six years ago by its founder Samir Mohtadi, better known by his nickname Abu Hamza, was reported as front page news by the Herald Sun, who accused Abu Hamza of inciting violence towards women. Crescent Times covered the lecture and the response delivered by
Abu Hamza at a subsequent IISNA class. Yet IISNA’s other activities mainly go unheralded and unreported, including a joint fundraising project with Balha’s Pastry – a Lebanese sweets supplier in Melbourne – that raised more than five thousand dollars for the Victorian Bushfire appeal. IISNA is also working with Victoria Police on a campaign to try and remove misconceptions about Islam and Muslims. The organisation distributes pamphlets and books about Islam, and organises sporting and other excursions for brothers and sisters. A gym on the premises is open on alternate days for men and women, and counselling services are provided for marital and family problems. IISNA speakers are heavily involved in helping young Muslims learn about their religion through informal lectures and talks and formal Arabic, Quran recitation,
and religious classes which are very well subscribed to. Cem Huseyin from IISNA says the early Sunday evening lecture on general Islamic matters (segregated, but for men and women) and the Quran recitation classes are the most popular ones. “Attendance varies but there’s usually a hundred and fifty (at the Sunday class),” he says. “Other classes and lectures during the week have fifeen or more people attending. The children and adult Quran classes total in excess of 120 students.” IISNA is funded through the donations of the Muslim community, and operates thanks to the efforts of volunteers. Mr Huseyin says in the near future IISNA is hoping to purchase its own building, set up more classes and possibly an Islamic school, establish dawa through a television program, and open a larger gym and fitness centre.
Page 3 involved, especially in the wake of 9/11. If you would like to see part of that, you are welcome to Mirrabooka Mosque (Masjid Al-Taqwa) on Thursday 7th May 2009 at 1.55pm. Integration with the wider community does not mean that we have to get rid of our own identity or religion, but it is more about exchange of information for mutual understanding and tolerance. This is so because it is absurd that human beings do not have differences. Differences are everywhere: in the family, in the Parliament, and in all walks of life. So differences are something human, hence natural. But what is important is how can we complement each other to have a better society, which is united in diversity? After all, are not differences signs of Allah?
My Imam WA, RIVERVALE MOSQUE IMAM:
Abdul Jalil Ahmed
Photo: Imam Abdul Jalil Ahmed Courtesy: Imam Abdul Jalil Ahmed
I was born in Aceh (pronounced Acheh), Indonesia, on 19th August 1955. I graduated from “Religious Teacher Training College” in 1994, and I continued my study at the Islamic University of Ar-Raniry, Darussalam, Banda Aceh, until I graduated in 1981. When I was a high school student I joined the Da’wah Training Course held by the Da’wah Students Association in Banda Aceh. In December 1979 and January 1980, I also attended the Training Course for Imams, Du’ah (Preachers) and Khutaba’ in Jakarta, organised by the Muslim World League (Rabitah) in collaboration with the Ittihadul Muballigheen of Indonesia. In 1981, I travelled with some friends to Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand on a comparative study tour to learn about the Islamic movements in the region. Since I liked the da’wah movements and activities in Malaysia, in 1982 I migrated to the country against all odds, and I spent about four years there as a free-lance religious teacher. In 1985 I was sent twice to Christmas Island (part of Australia) to relieve the Imam there who was on leave. During my first visit I had a chance to travel to Perth, to visit the Muslim Community here especially the Malays. Subsequently, when I was back in Malaysia, I received a letter from Perth Muslim Association (PMA), offering me the position of Imam at the Rivervale Mosque, which, after consulting my family, I accepted. But because at the time I had already enrolled to perform my first Hajj with my wife, so after performing Hajj, on 4th October 1986, I, along with my wife and a two and half year old daughter, left Malaysia to take up my new job in Perth, W.A. When PMA terminated my contract in 1988, ICWA took over my service up till now.
Refugees
Page 4
PLANET IRF:
Our Asylum Challenge
Irfan Yusuf* I have no idea what it’s like to leave behind just about every material possession I’ve ever owned, to leave behind my homeland knowing I probably won’t see it again, to leave behind my friends and even my family and to just keep running. If there’s one word that sums up what refugees do, it is running. A good friend of mine from Sydney spent much of his life on the run. He was a member of an indigenous tribe in Liberia, a West African country founded by freed slaves from the United States. He was so busy running from one part of Liberia to the next, and then from one West African state to the next that he missed much of his high school. He tells me that to this day he finds it almost impossible to sleep comfortably throughout the night. When he was “on the run”, he couldn’t afford to sleep too soundly in case militiamen stumbled upon his makeshift bed and made it his final permanent resting place. Liberia isn’t the only country to struggle through civil war. The Weekend Magazine of The Australian recently featured a story by Drew Warne-Smith on the struggles faced by many Somali families in Melbourne. The article provided us with a glimpse of the experiences of many Somalis fleeing from civil war there. The article referred to a young man who arrived in Australia aged 12 along with his mother and seven siblings in 1996. His family fled the Somali capital Mogadishu in 1991 when the civil war erupted. Warne-Smith writes: “He remembers sitting on the crowded roof of a truck as it drove south towards
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info@whs.org.au. Presenter: Susan Lee When: Saturday 16th May Time: 10:30am - 12pm Venue: 100 Aberdeen Street, Northbridge WA RSVP is a MUST as numbers are limited. Please see the advertisement opposite for more information.
Kenya, dead bodies littering the side of the road. They were five years in a refugee camp in Kenya, awaiting asylum; a camp where rape and theft were commonplace and school comprised 50 kids in a room with one adult. His father was killed by Kenyan soldiers near the Somali border in 1993. He doesn’t know how or why.” Then there is the story of a man who fled with his wife and three children from their Baidoa home in 1991. “For three days and three nights they walked without stopping, until they reached Ethiopia about 140km away. Soon after, their youngest son died from illness in the suffocating heat. They buried him and kept walking. Six months and 4000km later they wandered into a refugee camp in Kenya, where they waited two years until being accepted into Australia.” Then there was the family who “lost two sons escaping Somalia. A militia group kidnapped the eldest – being old
Crescent Times No 7 May 2009
enough to carry a gun – and they never saw him again. A crocodile killed the second as they crossed a river by night. The father still draws pictures of his boys to stop the memory of what they looked like from slipping away”. I doubt many readers could relate to experiences such as these. The vast majority of Muslims did not come to Australia under any refugee or humanitarian program. Yet an increasing number of newer Muslim migrants are arriving as refugees from warzones or even as asylum seekers on leaking boats. Which raises this question – to what extent are Muslim communities and their organisations equipped to cater for the social and settlement needs of these new arrivals? Can we, either alone or in conjunction with welfare agencies and church groups, provide the support services needed by these migrants? Then there is the sectarian factor. A
large proportion, if not the majority, of these newer arrivals will be Shia Muslims. This applies to virtually all Afghan Hazara and a large number of Iraqi Arabs. Our religious institutions and umbrella bodies are dominated by Sunni Muslims, many of whom are not exactly Shia-friendly. Already a national umbrella body of Shia Muslims has been formed, and I could find no evidence on the website of the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils website of any efforts to even meet with, let alone build alliances with, this new body. Asylum seekers pose challenges not just for the broader Australian community but also for Muslim communities and their religious institutions. Are we ready to meet those challenges? *Irfan Yusuf is a Sydney-based lawyer and
writer whose columns have appeared in over 15 newspapers in Australia, New Zealand and Brunei. You can read his blogs: http:// planetirf.blogspot.com/ Irfan is the opinion editor of Crescent Times, he can be reached on: opinion@crescenttimes.com.au
Crescent Times No 7 May 2009
Community
Page 5
University misled students, public and media: RMIT Islamic Society Nasya Bahfen* Nasya Bahfen reports the gloves are well and truly off in the standoff between a Melbourne University and its Islamic Society over a prayer room on the city campus. In the last edition of the Crescent Times we reported that RMIT had placed a link to its Muslim student facilities on its website, saying it already provided eight prayer rooms across its campus. We added that the University did not mention that the prayer facility listed as two rooms (men’s and women’s) on the city campus were actually located in building 108 in Bourke Street, away from the main city campus in Swanston Street. Building 108 houses the College of Business. That link has now disappeared, and in the media releases section of the University website there is a statement in response to the March rally by Muslim students. At a public information session in late April, the Islamic Society of RMIT said the University was being deceptive in making the claims about the the prayer room on the city campus, because they neglected to mention that Building 108 will be closed
down as the College of Business relocates to Swanston Street. The statement by RMIT in response to the March rally by Muslim students and their supporters criticises the Islamic Society’s campaign to have the prayer room returned, because of what the University calls the ”continuing provision of Muslim prayer rooms on the City campus”. But the statement does not mention the closing of Building 108 at all, only that RMIT provides a male and female prayer room on the city campus in Bourke Street. The University has made it clear on other parts of their website that Building 108 will shut down, when the College of Business moves to Swanston Street. What is unclear is what will happen to the dedicated Muslim prayer rooms that are currently in Building 108. “The University is trying to discredit RMIT’s Islamic Society and blame the students,” says RMIT Islamic Society president Mohamed Elrafihi. He says the Brunswick campus prayer room had always been a multi-faith centre and was suddenly and without warning re-branded as a Muslim prayer room, so the university could claim it as one of eight Muslim prayer rooms provided to students.
Right: the new building 19 where the University established a multi faith “spiritual centre”, which does not replace the old Islamic prayer room. Photography: Nasya Bahfen, Crescent Times.
Mr Elrafihi told the Crescent Times that in 2008 RMIT claimed they had five Muslim prayer rooms in its Victorian campus, but in 2009 that number jumped to 9. (In October 2008, RMIT Vice Chancellor Professor Joyce Kirk told the Herald Sun that RMIT “offers five Muslim-friendly prayer rooms on its Victorian campuses, two in the city, two in Bundoora and one in Brunswick”.) “RMIT says it has 9 Muslim Prayer Rooms in 2009, but in 2008 they said they had five,” said Mr Elrafihi. “In reality they only have three – one on Bourke St in a building that will be closed down, and two in Bundoora. The Brunswick campus has always been multi faith as advertised in Salaam RMIT and International Student Guides.” The Islamic Society of RMIT has protested for more than a year by boycotting the room slated to replace the old city campus prayer room, which was in
Building 9. This room was demolished to make way for the relocation of the School of Applied Communication, where I work as a lecturer, to Building 9. RMIT promised the Islamic society that the room they had used for fourteen years would be replaced, and a Muslim architect was engaged to design the new room. But for reasons which the University has never made clear, the rooms were then re-designated as multi-faith centres with preferential bookings given to the Muslim students (despite the fact that the city campus had existing and little-used multifaith rooms). *Nasya Bahfen lectures in journalism at the
School of Applied Communication, RMIT University Melbourne. She awarded recently her PhD. She is also a reporter for ABC Radio Australia and SBS Radio. She is the Victorian editor of Crescent Times. Could be reached at: nasya.bahfen@crescenttimes.com.au
Darwin, NT: Imam Adam Konda had a chance to support asylum seeker victims of the SIEV 36 explosion The Imam of the Darwin mosque, Imam Adam (or Adama) Konda, grew up in Burkina Faso (West Africa). He finished his primary education there then went to Syria for middle and high school, which he completed in 1989. He then attended Madina University for his Bachelor degree in Faculty of the Holy Quran and Islamic studies, which he completed in 1994. After his degree he relocated to Malaysia International Islamic University to carry on with his post graduate education, while In 1995 while he was still studying he received an offer from the Muslim community in Darwin to be their Imam. He has been in darwin since then apart from 2004 when he worked at the Islamic College of Victoria as a full time teacher and was Imam at the Fawkner Mosque. Recently he found himself under the spotlight after he visited the asylum seeker victims of SIEV 36 explosion who were treated in Darwin hospital. As a religious leader he was happy to visit them and offer the moral support they needed the most. “Asylum seeking is a global phenomenon in which people are leaving their countries for various reasons, looking for a better life,” he told Crescent Times. “Since we heard about these asylum seekers in Darwin from
the media and Government Departments, we visited them and inquired about their health and well being. They were very thankful for the medical treatment they received from the Royal Darwin Hospital and they said they have been treated very well” he said. When asked if they needed any thing apart from moral support, he added “We asked if we could do anything for them, they requested only to pray for them and few copies of Quran and prayer mats, which we provided at the next visit”. He continued “We collected some clothes for them, which they can use once they are released from the Hospital, we also offered some other Islamic materials.” The Department of Immigration informed Darwin mosque about the presence of the Muslim asylum seekers in the Hospital and told them that the asylum seekers wanted to see the Imam. In responsding to whether he thinks that the Australian people have started to change their opinion gradually towards refugees and asylum seekers and become more tolerant since the Tampa crisis in August 2001 he said “Yes I believe if Australian people start to understand the real reasons people are fleeing their
Crescent Times new editors: Victoria editor: Nasya Bahfen nasya.bahfen@crescenttimes.com.au
NSW editor: Keysar Trad nsw@crescenttimes.com.au
Opinion editor: Irfan Yusuf opinion@crescenttimes.com.au
Production McKeown
editor:
Joanne
Above: Imam Adam Konda of Darwin Mosque. Photo: Courtesy of Adam Konda
editor2@crescenttimes.com.au
countries and families, then humanitarian feeling will make them welcome and help those in need of help. Feeling for your fellow human has nothing to do with being Australian or any other nationality, but it has to do with being a human being, and Australians are human beings with feelings”.
melb@crescenttimes.com.au
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0430 204 076 ALL OTHER INQUIRIES TO BE SENT TO: info@crescenttimes.com.au
Page 6
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PRODUCTION EDITOR: Joanne McKeown: editor2@crescenttimes.com.au MELBOURNE EDITOR: Nasya Bahfen nasya.bahfen@crescenttimes.com.au SYDNEY EDITOR: Keysar Trad: nsw@crescenttimes.com.au OPINION EDITOR: Irfan Yusuf: opinion@crescenttimes.com.au Contributors in this issue: Tansel Ali - Nasya Bahfen - Zabrina A. Bakar - Tarek Chamkhi - Jamal Daoud - Linda Delgado - Hanan Dover - Eugenia Flynn - Haroun Hunter Joanne McKeown - Debora McNichol - Adam Parker - Yvonne Ridley - Irfan Yusuf
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Books
Crescent Times No 7 May 2009
Irfan Yusuf launches his first book:
But was he really radical? Crescent Times team is happy to see one of our contributors launch his first book. Irfan’s new book is a Bernard Shaw style mocking of growing up Muslim in Australia. Tarek Chamkhi and Joanne McKeown “interrogated” him about his book.
Photo: Irfan Yusuf in Indonesia Courtesy Irfan Yusuf.
Who or what inspired you to write the book? The publishers did by granting me a publishing contract, some hard cash and this wonderful gong called the Iremonger Award. I had already started it, but without the help from Allen & Unwin it might have remained an unfinished project. I also received encouragement from some really good writers who looked over the early draft chapters – Hanifa Deen, Malcolm Knox and Shakira Hussein. I never imagined writing a book about something even vaguely Muslim. If anyone inspired me to do so, it was my deceased former teacher, a Turkish history professor named Mahmud Esad Cosan (pronounced “Jo-shan”) who encouraged us all (Muslims included) to remove ourselves from our cultural and intellectual ghettoes. Gee, that sounds impressive. Next question … Are you planning a sequel? Find me a publisher and some hard cash and I’ll give you a sequel! Has your mum had a chance to read the book? What did she say about the way you portrayed her speaking English? She pokes fun at my Urdu, so we’re square. After reading your book, we found your opinion and political involvement was not really that radical or fascist. In the title of your book, you describe yourself as “a teenage Islamo-fascist”. We’re guessing – was this only for marketing and propaganda purposes taking advantage of the sexy sounds of such words in today’s media outlets? Or something else? Well I saw what happened to Salman Rushdie’s book sales after the intervention of a few Iranian ayatollahs. I know that Australia’s media has many ayatollahs. I’m still waiting for the fatwas to come flying
in my general direction so I can perhaps retire early. Being a bored Sydney lawyer isn’t that glamorous, you know. Actually, I also wanted to get people curious about the true nature of fascism. Personally, I think fascism is all about … um … I’ll tell you when you get to the end of the book. Many Muslim families in Australia are trying to raise their children to speak English as well as their native second language (Arabic, Urdu, etc,..). Have you found it useful to be able speak two languages outside home? Is this practice something you would recommend based on your own experience? If you have the benefit of having migrant parents, you should definitely take advantage and learn their language. If you speak a second language yourself and have kids, be a lingo-nazi and enforce a rule that no English is to be spoken at home. If you are in neither category, learn Bahasa Indonesia. I hear it’s super-easy to learn. Crescent Times readers may be surprised to read your positive feedback about the ex Mufti of Australia Sheikh Tajeddine Hilaly! You’ve written about him some two decades ago as a wise moderate scholar. You’ve also praised his talk about differences of opinions and how the Companions of the Prophet agreed, basically, only to disagree! To be honest, we would have expected from you a different description of Hilaly. Could you explain why? Sheik Hilali has good and bad in him, just like the rest of us. When he does the right thing, he should be acknowledged and praised. When he does the wrong thing, he and his supporters shouldn’t be surprised when people criticise him.
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Opinion new editor:
Crescent Times editorial team welcome Irfan Yusuf as Opinion editor. Please send all your opinion contributions to Irfan on: opinion@crescenttimes.com.au
Regarding the current Mufti Sheikh Fehmi El Imam, you went even further to claim that he saved you from hell by convincing you not to join the Mujahideen war in Afghanistan back in 1985. What you think about him today while he is a mufti of Australia? Do you still respect his wisdom and scholarship? I haven’t sat with him since the camps. The Board of Imams he chairs doesn’t seem to do much. In fact, the Islamic industry as a whole doesn’t seem to make a huge difference to the lives of many people who tick the “Muslim” box on their census forms. You mentioned in the book that your dad is a PhD qualified! Is he a professor or what? My dad’s an academic legend with a publication record a mile long. His textbook has been translated into God knows how many languages. However, I hope my book sells better than his. Don’t tell him I said that. You mentioned your mum frequently in the book but your dad does not appear so prominently. Why is that? This book is about the development of my religiosity. My father is very private about religion. He prefers to lead by example. My mum prefers to lead by frequent and loud verbal intervention. Her approach wins out every time. Both Dad and I are scared shiteless of her. Are you planning to write political or non fiction books in future? If so, what sort of projects do you have in mind for your community and readers to wait for? I’ve actually found some of the most effective books on politics have been fiction. Randa Abdel-Fattah’s most recent novel was a work of young adult fiction that dealt with the Israel/Palestinian issue. Even poets can write politics. One recently deceased Pakistani singer named Iqbal Bano was famous for singing banned dissident poetry during the reign of the military dictator General Zia. I personally think everything in life is political. Politics is about power relations. The most powerful being is God, so even purely religious books are arguably political.
Anyway, the above paragraph was my way of covering up the fact that I haven’t yet figured out what my next project will be. In your book, you claim humbly that your book was a memoir and not a work of scholarship. How then should we classify you? As a journalist? Or thinker? Or columnist? Or anything else? I’m not sure if I could be called a journalist. I understand a journalist to be someone who goes out and finds and researches and reports on stories. Journalists are supposed to be objective and informed. I try to be informed, but the reality is I end up spending more time advocating opinions than reporting facts. A thinker? I try not to think too hard. A columnist? Thus far, the only column I’ve secured so far is in your august newspaper! You’re having launches in Canberra and Sydney. What about Perth? Well I understand from WA’s Premier that you Western Australians are too busy preparing for the inevitable invasion of your shores by nasty warlike and aggressive Tamil and Hazara asylum seekers. How on earth would you have time or patience to read an allegedly jihadi memoir? Still, if you want me to disturb you during this difficult time, let me know and I’ll fly across.
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Opinion
Page 8
Editorial: INCLUSIVENESS NOT CENSORSHIP
Since the first edition last year, Crescent Times office has received a range of interesting feedback from the community, both Muslim and non-Muslim. Some of these contacts have been seeking information - for example, where is my nearest halal butcher, where can I get a copy of the Quran, where can I purchase a shisha pipe(!), how can I contact Muslims in my area. It has been an interesting and unexpected aspect of our work that we have been able to serve our community by connecting people with the products or services they require. It has also highlighted for us how disconnected our community is when the only way to find out information about products or services is to contact the editor of a newspaper. Given the level of individual isolation that we have been made aware of, we have taken our responsibility to help unite our community very seriously. When I refer to our community, I mean both our Muslim community and the broader Australian community. In order to provide a voice for our community we have chosen to enable members of the community to speak for themselves. Therefore you will find, in any given edition of the newspaper, a range of opinions and attitudes. You will also find a range of individual expressions of faith and Muslim identity. This is the reality of the community we are living in. There are no religious police here and people are free to believe and practice in a way that reflects their understanding and meets their needs. A principal aim of this newspaper is to promote unity and I do not believe that this can be done in any other way than promoting the rights of individuals to have their thoughts and beliefs heard and acknowledged. It is by increasing our knowledge of others that we recognise the similarities of our hopes and dreams. By affirming our similarities we grow stronger as a community. If we are doing our job properly, when you read Crescent Times you will sometimes come across points of view that you do not agree with. You might see Muslims behaving in a way that you disapprove of. You might see Muslim sisters who choose not to wear hijab, you might read about music or concerts, you might find out about Muslims joining a political party you disapprove of. When you read or see something you do not agree with, stop and think for a moment before you rush to make a judgement about the people involved (or indeed about the editors of this newspaper!). Reading something that you disagree with gives you an opportunity to reflect on your own beliefs and the way that you practice Islam. The real reason many people find alternative viewpoints distressing is that these points of view threaten and challenge their own long held beliefs and ideas. If this newspaper publishes something that upsets you then use the opportunity to examine yourself before you rush to judge and censor someone else. Open your heart to our Muslim community in a spirit of inclusiveness rather then a spirit of judgement. Allah alone will judge both our efforts and actions and the efforts and actions of our brothers and sisters - your input is not required. Joanne McKeown Production editor
Crescent Times No 7 May 2009
We need to work together for a brighter future Keysar Trad* We’ve all seen it, lived through it or read about it: every time we seek to the meet the needs of our society and seek to establish a school or a mosque, we are tarnished with very similar accusations, you don’t need to read the full article anymore, it is summed up in the headlines. Just check out these headlines from a local paper: -Islamic terrorist link question ruled out -Islamic school ‘bad planning’, council says -Residents tell of Islamic school ‘fear’ -Islamic school ‘not compatible’ -Camden Islamic school: the court battle -Councillors react to religion in Islamic school case -Islamic school hinges on rural traits The state based Sydney Morning Herald had more to say: -Islamic school would breed terrorists: resident Generally, all it takes is a couple of leading questions from the reporter to an unsuspecting resident, a question such as: “Are you concerned that the school may be a breeding ground for terrorists?” is sufficient to make an unsuspecting resident think that this is an expected concern and all they have to do is just repeat the question in the form of an answer and you have a new headline-stealing media magnet. Adding fuel to this fire is the letter
from the “Minister’s Fraternal” signed by five representatives of four Christian groups alleging that this school is a takeover “beachhead” like some world war two scenario. And the papers loved this: -Churches oppose Islamic school (Sydney Morning Herald) -Churches attack Muslim proposal for new school (The Daily Telegraph) A few years ago, this could have all been a comedy skit on Monty Python. Unfortunately today, this is how Islam and Muslims are treated in most areas, all a legacy of the media treatment of the terrible September 11 tragedy, Bali, Madrid, London and Mumbai. Why do they do this to us? It is not just because of Islam, it is because there is that nagging voice inside every person that hates to see change unless you are an agent for that change. The media coverage of events like September 11 just provides the excuse to rationalise the irrational. It is a recourse of those who resist progress, clutching onto anything to ensure that there is no change, even if that
Photo: a painting by Mohammed Hamoudi, Perth, 2009.
change may well be for the better or in the best interest of society. The best way for us to deal with this is to be inclusive from the very start, to be open and upfront, to reach out, to connect, to invite and to engage. Imagine a different scenario, one where we actively communicate with our neighbours, where we always invite them to our functions, where we revive some of our lapsed customs of hospitality, hiring the local park for a community bbq, or the local mosque organising an open and inclusive monthly picnic. Imagine that next time we seek to buy a piece of land in another location, say the NSW town of Nabiac (which interestingly literally means your prophet in Arabic, probably inspired or influenced by some sort of interaction with Muslims), or the town of Bulahdelah which is probably a variation of Belaadullah (which is not far from Nabiac and means the land of Allah in Arabic, probably also inspired by early interactions with Muslims), if we were to hold a few information sessions first, then get to know the local community, business and religious leaders and then work together on community events and engage the people beforehand. Once they know that we are genuine and that all we are trying to do is safeguard the future of our children, I am sure that the level of objection would be dramatically reduced. *Keysar Trad is the president of the Islamic Friendship Association of Australia Inc. He is a regular speaker at various events including peace and human rights rallies and gatherings. Keysar has recently edited the Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation of the meaning of the Holy Qur’an. He is the NSW editor of Crescent Times. nsw@crescenttimes.com.au
Camden school row and rising Islamophobia: time to stand up for our rights? Jamal Daoud* There is no doubt that the collapse of John Howard’s regressive regime in 2007 was a positive step to stop the constant attack on many marginalised groups. More than one year after this collapse, we are realising that reversing the detrimental effects of Howard’s regressive policies is not that easy. We are realising now that after more than 12 years of constant racist attacks on marginalised groups (including Muslims) had deep consequences that need a lot of efforts and resources to counteract. I will take the example of politicising non-political issues and using them as political footballs, as an example of the devastating effects of Howard’s regressive politics. One of these non-political issues is the issue of building Muslim schools to serve the fast growing community.
We can even see that in the case of the Camden Muslim school, the Camden Christian leaders have entered the Muslim community bashing ring by joining forces to try influencing the judicial system and stop the building of an Islamic school in the area. This could not happen without Howard’s government spreading a culture of Islamophobia, discrimination and violating the separation of powers. This separation was the founding stone of the contemporary Western secular democracy. In their letter to the court, the Churches spread further Islamphobia by accusing Muslims and Islam of being “incompatible with the Australian way of life”, as the major reason to oppose building of the school. The Churches’ letter could not provide one shred of evidence to support the serious allegations they made against the Muslim community and the Islamic faith in general. The Churches did not detail what the Australian way of life is. They also did not detail in which way Islam is not compatible
with the Australian way of life. On the contrary. The churches’ letter to the court asking them to oppose building the school is a clear violation of the fundamental basis of the Australian way of life by abandoning secularism. The combined efforts by different churches were aimed at influencing the judicial system, in a move reminding us of medieval dark ages. The letter did not mention any objections to building the school for development reasons. It also gave no indication about concerns of the impact on environment or noise. All that was mentioned in the letter was merely based on prejudice and antiMuslims feelings and opinions. We can see here the complete silence from all political parties represented in the parliament about this move and their failure to take any step to counteract these destructive allegations and claims and the possible setbacks to real Multiculturalism and fighting against racism and discrimination. Even the so-called continued next page
Crescent Times No 7 May 2009
Opinion
Page 9
Islamophobia - a disease A Brief Encounter Yvonne Ridley* I’ve often said Islamaphobia is the last refuge of the racist and it can manifest itself in many forms. Sometimes it is right in your face, erupting into physical violence or verbal abuse while other times the attack can be almost subliminal, thinly veiled, cloaked in ambiguity. The net result is the same in as much as the victim of Islamaphobia often suffers in the same way as a victim of racism – it is painful, humiliating and deeply hurtful. The usual image conjured in the mind of such a purveyor of this sort of hate is the stereotype of a thick set thug wearing an England t-shirt with his sovereign covered knuckles trailing the pavement. I’ve had several encounters of this kind, happily none of the threatened violence has followed through … although I must admit the occasional death threats are a bit unsettling. I hate to play the role of the victim so most times I try to walk on by and ignore some of the more demonic rants or outbursts from bigots who are infuriated by the sight of a European-looking woman wearing a hijab.... And I have to say most times I manage to rise above their crass stupidity, often resisting the attempt to correct their appalling lack of English grammar. Even one time I afforded myself a wee smile as a legless tramp (not disabled, merely so drunk he couldn’t stand) snarled from the kerbside: “Why don’t you go progressive small parties, who got a big slice of Muslims’ votes in the last elections, were deadly silent on this serious issue. This complete silence should not surprise us, as these parties made other anti-Muslim allegations and moves earlier. They are clearly using us as election numbers just on ballot day to win more seats to gain more power. The irony here is that they (especially the small parties like the Greens) are getting more votes and hence power through our votes, and later using this power to discriminate against our community’s members. It could be that in doing this they are under the impression that we have no other choice. Maybe we are faced with highly racist parties like the Liberal National coalition, Family First and One Nation. And maybe we also have a cowardly centre-left Labor government that is not moving very fast to reverse the devastating effects of the racist parties. So they (small parties of no ideology, like the Greens and Democrats) would assume that we have no other choice but to vote for them. Then we should wait for them to choose when to stand up to defend our rights. And so far, they did not use their power to do so.
back home?” I was with an Arab friend on my way to the House of Commons from St James’s. I swung around and replied in an exaggerated Geordie accent: “I’m off to Newcastle tomorrow, Pet - but just for the weekend.” His face was a picture. But, at the end of the day, it is unsettling and frightening, and upsetting for women to be targeted for their style and choice of dress. It is something that is often raised when I meet other Muslim women in the UK who are trying to rise to the challenge of following their faith while attempting to blend in with the rest of society. Unless we remove our hijabs, nikabs, headscarves we Muslim women cannot simply blend in and why should we? I have as much right to cover as any woman has to wear an outfit regarded as revealing. The cruel jibes, lack of tolerance and understanding has driven some Muslim women to remove their hijabs placing them in direct conflict with their religious obligations. Having experienced such venom and hostility firsthand, I find it very difficult to criticise those women who are too afraid to wear their hijab because of the bullies. My hijab is part of my business suit, it tells the world I’m a Muslim woman, someone to be taken seriously and I expect to be treated with the same respect as anyone else. In exactly the same way that a Sikh chooses to wear a turban or an orthodox Jewish woman also chooses to cover her So, here we have a serious question to ask ourselves: what to do? The theoretical answer is easy. We should create an alternative political force from marginalised groups to stand up for their own rights. At the moment, there is complete unity amongst the existing parties in either attacking us or remaining silent on such attacks. This deadly silence amounts to complacency in spreading Islamophobia and racism. I believe that if the situation stays as it is now, it could result in widening the gap between the different communities in Australia. If not addressed, this could result in other new Cronulla-like incidents and violence. It is clear that we currently have no other choice but to stand up for our rights. The ancient Arabs say: you should only depend on your nails to scratch your skin when you need to do so! *Jamal Daoud is a community worker and human rights activist. He writes regular articles in Arabic newspapers about multiculturalism, Islamophobia, human rights and other social justice issues. He is co-founder of the Social Justice Network.
Photo: Arabic Calligraphy: I witness that there is no god but Allah, and Mohammed is his messenger.
head. Since I began wearing the hijab after embracing Islam I ’ve had many challenges. Some of them pleasant, others deeply unpleasant. Just the other day a very close barrister friend of mine invited me to a swish cocktail party over-looking the River Thames to celebrate her well earned elevated status to Queen’s Counsel. I don’t mind telling you I was nervous, not least of all because I knew I would probably be the only hijab in an eclectic group of people from media and legal circles. I felt deeply self conscious as I approached the room, took a deep breath and strode in. There was a sea of strange faces and so it was with great relief I spotted the host and bounded over to her. Obviously this was her night and I couldn’t monopolise her company for long as others were queuing to congratulate her on her well deserved position. Then, to my relief, I spotted an old friend from my days on The Observer – let’s call him Nick Cohen for that is indeed his name. There he was standing, glass in hand, holding court just as I remembered him although now follically challenged and with a paunch. I bounded over grinning from ear-to-ear to say hello to my old buddy … and giggled as I remembered a brief encounter we had with a bottle of absinthe in a watering hole next to The Observer. But my joy at seeing an old mate (it had been more than five years) was short-lived as I said hello. He squinted his eyes as though trying to focus and swooped down his head without his shoulders moving. “Who are you?” he bellowed. I laughed and said: “Yvonne.” And with that he jerked his head forward a few inches, slightly tilting it to one side. “I’m sorry I don’t know you,” he shouted in an abrupt manner. “Nick, it’s me, Yvonne … Yvonne Ridley!” I exclaimed, but by this time my smile was rapidly fading although I tried my best to fix my grin. He twitched and his head moved slightly to the other side like some predator about to swoop for the kill. “What on earth have you done with your hair, where has your
hair gone?” he demanded. By this time, those around him began to shuffle uncomfortably while I just stood there rooted to the spot. Grin still fixed, I retorted: “Well I might ask the same of you Nick. What’s happened to your hair?” He then swooped back up, stung by the unexpectedly swift response and continued his conversation with those around him. There I was, left standing like a bag of pork scratchings at a Ramadan feast. Some kind observer nearby came to my rescue and we began talking – in truth I was so aghast I really can not remember much about the conversation. In short I was deeply upset. My old pal had turned on me in the most vicious way. I was told by mutual friends he had not approved of my conversion to Islam though he never told me himself. If I remember correctly I publicly thanked him for helping me with a sentence or two in an anti-war speech in November 2001 when I used his phrase: “Tony Blair is carpet bombing our freedoms and liberties.” I remember even crediting him from my Trafalgar Square platform and referring to him as “my friend Nick Cohen” much to the annoyance of some of the people on the same platform. Over the years I have sent him a few emails and left a couple of messages on his voicemail, but just thought he must have changed numbers when there was a lack of response. I knew we’d bump in to each other again because the media village is small, so I wasn’t unduly perturbed by his silence, but I will admit that when we finally caught up I was staggered and deeply hurt. Nick Cohen is not a racist, and I know he doesn’t dislike women – some would say quite the reverse – so what has changed? I hold the same political views as I did before and I still pray to the same God, having moved from Christianity and St James’ Church in Piccadilly to Islam and Regent’s Park Mosque. The cigarettes and alcohol have gone since I became a Muslim, but what else has changed? I am still a journalist writing for titles as diverse as The Washington Post to the Tehran Times. So all I can assume is that our friendship has come to an end because I am a Muslim and wear a hijab. Why else would he want to try and humiliate me in such a way? I remember Nick as being funny and clever, but never cruel and offensive. I am very sad because I feel I have lost a good friend … because I did consider him a friend. What a pity he didn’t have the bottle to tell me he disapproved of my faith, but had too much bottle that night to remember our friendship. Now there’s a sobering thought. *Yvonne Ridley is a founding member of Women in Journalism, author and broadcaster. She presents a weekly political show called The Agenda which goes out on Press TV - www.yvonneridley.org
Education
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Speed reading, why the rush? Tansel Ali* As we delve deeper into the information age, we are reading more and more each day, often online. Was the Internet meant to be the death of the humble old book as it plays a part in selling more books online each day? Let alone reading on forums, online news, Facebook, Twitter, Blogger and even YouTube provide tons to read and comment on. So much to read, so little time! Our brain is capable of amazing feats and speed reading is one of them. By speed reading, we are able to tap into huge potential and save some valuable time in the process. So why the rush? Isn’t reading at average speed good enough? There is nothing wrong with reading at average speed, but in today’s society with work, study, stress, and many other factors, time is crucial. You want to be able to work more efficiently with greater effectiveness. Learning how to manage your time effectively by speed reading can save some serious time without compromising on comprehension and recall. The average reading speed in Australia
is around 240 wpm (Words per minute). Adopting speed reading techniques can accelerate you to a rate of up to and even over 1000 wpm. The difference can be finishing a book in two hours instead of two weeks! Now imagine the number of books you can read in the very little time you have. Impressive isn’t it? But is it just a gimmick? So how does speed reading really work? Do we simply read faster and expect to understand more? It is possible that at the moment you are thinking that reading faster decreases your comprehension. Many people believe speed reading is skimming words and only reading key points. Some people also believe if you read faster you will miss important elements and words which help you understand the text. However these are all myths! Speed reading is much more than looking at words quickly. Let’s take an example of driving a car. Imagine driving 10km/hr in a 100km/hr freeway. How would it feel? First of all your destination would feel even further away. Second, your mind would start to wander and you might be thinking about tonight’s dinner or thinking about a movie you have recently seen. This will cause you to actually concentrate less!
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Now imagine driving a car 100km/ hr in a 60km/hr zone. (Note: I do not encourage driving at these speeds) How would that feel? Not only you would arrive at your destination quicker, but you will be alert and forcing yourself to concentrate every second of the way. This is how speed reading works. The faster you read, the more you concentrate. You absorb more information but without the risk of crashing at high speeds! The art of speed reading is not only reading fast, but reading with increased accuracy, concentration and most importantly, comprehension. This can only be achieved with speed reading techniques. Ask yourself, how would your life be if you could read at least twice as fast and understand more? Speed reading is much easier than you think and is something that can be learned in only a couple of hours. To find out how speed reading can benefit you, visit www.improveyourmemory.com.au *Tansel Ali is the current Australian Memory Champion, based in Melbourne. His website is: www.improveyourmemory.com.au
Crescent Times No 7 May 2009
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Debora McNichol* “You have informed us that diapers are used solely for sanitary and health reasons and not in order to humiliate the detainee” (Memo to John A. Rizzo, Office of Legal Counsel, U.S. Department of Justice, p. 13, May 13, 2005). This is just one of the bizarre comments contained within the “torture memos” recently released by the Obama administration. After simple people like myself have picked our chins up off the floor and breathed subhan Allah, we cannot help but ask, “Who the hell does he think he’s fooling?” Sadly, the answer is everybody. The torture memos are representative of the madness of the old administration. Waterboarding and “mild” techniques such as sleep deprivation, water dousing, wall slamming, and slapping have been combined to produce de facto, if not Bush-legal, torture of alleged enemy combatants. Medical personnel checked prisoners for physical and mental stamina, and supposedly prisoners who were incapable of handling the interrogation were not subjected to interrogation. (How ironic is that?) Posthumously, the administration oozes insane malevolence as Dick Cheney has this week calmly justified the waterboarding incidents by the results that they have generated. Law professors, the good ones, take time
Opinion
You’ve Got to be Kidding Me
to tell their students that they have the moral obligation to counsel their clients to do the right thing. Too often though, the question becomes not whether the practice is wrong or right, but rather, is it legal? And what are the costs of getting caught versus the costs of compliance? Arguably, the government must do costbenefit analyses when it comes to ensuring the safety of its citizens and the questions are not easy to answer. But this time, like too many times since 9-11, my government has gone way over to the Dark Side. In defining “torture” and in deliberating how far is too far, there’s no doubt in my mind that rationality, common sense, and even sanity have taken extended holidays. Consider, for example, Brian Kilmeade’s recent comments on his FoxNews radio program. Kilmeade stated that because (ex-presidential candidate) John McCain went through “unspeakable pain and punishment” in Vietnam, his opinions on torture were “skewed” and his insight should not be permitted in such discussions. Apparently, Kilmeade believes that torture is a good thing, and balanced debates on the subject are simply a waste of time. “Is he serious?” you ask. Yes, Dear Readers, he is. McCain, to his credit, has always pushed for American bans on torture and for
purging waterboarding from American interrogation practices. Because let’s face it: if the prisoner’s diet must be restricted to liquids in order to prevent his choking on his own vomit, then yeah, it’s torture. Further supporting my “insanity” hypothesis is the fact that the American military (not known for its gentle handling of combatants) warned the Central Intelligence Agency years ago that extreme interrogation techniques were unreliable, and that practicing these methods would have the undesirable consequence of psychologically enabling an enemy to do the same to US soldiers. This is not news. It’s common sense, for goodness sakes. Sad to say, the large-and-in-charge signed off on the interrogation techniques. Judge Bybee, in his memo, stated that there had been no legal precedent (why didn’t that raise a red flag?) but that the circumstances and practices described by the CIA would not constitute torture. Too bad simple people like me, and probably you, Dear Readers, were not let in on the administration’s dirty little secret. We could have set the good judge straight. Allahu alim. *Deb McNichol is an American Muslim, mother, wife, writer, lawyer, and editor in North Carolina and Virginia, USA. Visit her editing business website www.SawaLad. com.
Crescent Times No 7 May 2009
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Life Storyteller Zabrina A. Bakar* One day I asked my little nephew to go upstairs to get something for me. ‘But aunt, it is dark up there and I am scared!’ he answered with a very concerned face. ‘Come on, sweetheart, you are a big boy. I know there is a really brave little warrior somewhere in there. Can you help me, please?’ ‘Okay…’ he gave in quite reluctantly. As I smiled watching him walk towards the stairs, I knew in my heart the kind of fear my nephew was having. I definitely have many episodes of fear in my life too- fear of failure, fear of unrealised expectations, fear of disappointing others, fear of new territory, fear of hurting others and tens of types of fears I couldn’t afford to mention here. That made me wonder - how do I overcome this fear I have in my life? Do you wonder too, my brothers and sisters? I remembered this advice from Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) to Abdullah ibn Abbas, “Young man, I shall teach you some words [of advice] : Be mindful of Allah, and Allah will protect you. Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you…” (Tirmidhi)
Care for a full time guard, anyone?! I absolutely love this advice. Even though I know that he (pbuh) was talking to Abdullah, right now, I feel he was actually talking to me, I really do… Somehow the words “in front” used by our beloved Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) have intrigued me. Let us ponder for a bit - what does it mean when we say someone is in front of us? What do you think, my friends? If someone is in front of us, don’t you feel it means that they are blazing the road for us? That they are taking the risk first before us? That they are making sure that the road we are walking on is danger-free? That we could depend on that person to protect us? Just take as an example the President, if he has only one National Guard with him, where do you think he will be standing? Behind the President? Beside the President? Of course, in front, right? Covering and protecting the President using his own body as the shield! And like in any horror movies, when two people are walking, say in a dark unknown corridor, who would be in front and who would be at the back? Doesn’t the character in front always seem to be braver? And
the one hiding behind the other is usually living up to the phrase “frightened as a mouse” - you agree? So, let us ask ourselves this question - Do we want Allah, our Lord, the Almighty to be in front of us all the time? Or do we, the mouse, think that we can be the one taking the lead? Obvious answer, you agree? And what do I have to do so that He is in front of me? What do we have to do, my brothers and sisters? Yes! The one thing that we should do is to always be mindful of Allah, our Creator! If for example we wanted to make a new business deal, or meet a new friend, or go to a new place or we want to say something or do something, we should pause, think for a while and ask ourselves these questions - Is this something that Allah would allow me to do? Would He, the Almighty, approve of what I am doing? Would this anger Him or make Him love me more? Yup, in other words- to always be mindful of Him… Sounds easy, huh? And if we could do that, He, our Lord has promised that He shall be protecting us from the front!
Could you imagine Allah being in front of us, my brothers and sisters? Shielding us, guarding us and taking care of us? How brave would we be? How fearless would we become? How protected would we be from harm knowing Allah is right in front of us, taking care of us? SubhanAllah… Publilius Syrus once said, “One is not exposed to danger who, even when in safety is always on their guard.” Interesting, don’t you think? But the question is this - how much could we depend on ourselves to be on guard every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day, of every year of our lifetime? Think about it. *Sis Zabrina also known as Zabrina A. Bakar, is a Life Storyteller, motivational and inspirational writer and speaker; and author and creator of Islamic motivational book Life Open Secret book series http://wwww. LifeOpenSecret.com. She maintains an active Life Storyteller Islamic Motivational blog at http://www.WisdomThruWords. blogspot.com and social networking platform at http://www.LifeStoryteller.ning.com
Crescent Times No 7 May 2009
Society
Sakeenah Hanan Dover:*
Feeling the Blues Allah told us we were created weak. But also remember that we were given the tools to combat this weakness and the restless state that we find ourselves in whether it is from the scriptures, sheikhs, health professionals, friends, peers, family, teachers, etc. If you do not know what to do to cope or recover, you need to outsource help from the people listed above. Distraction techniques such as making dua, reading Quran and praying, taking walks, swimming, running, exercise (exercise is a great method because it releases natural endorphins), going out with friends, eating your favourite food, being hugged by your spouse, listening to soothing sounds, imagining waves at the beach are all ways to help you be distracted and remove the focus on your sadness. Distraction is good so you do not feel overwhelmed at that time of worry. Pleasant distraction techniques are something that can be used temporarily, but addressing the concern appropriately so it does not resurface is the key. The way to address the deep sadness is a mind-control phenomenon. Firstly, we must realise that we as humans are not in full control of our destiny. Some tests and trials in our lives, even failures, have been created to teach us certain lessons. So, we need to acknowledge that Allah is in control of our past, present, future. Ali (ra) said, that “what makes me a believer in God is the fact that I realise that after doing everything humanly possible to make certain things go right, it goes wrong unexpectedly, making me believe that someone else was in control of that
situation, not me.” We will be be questioned for things we can do that we must do, but we will not be questioned on things that are beyond our control. One of the best remedies for sadness and difficulties is hope. Allah made hopelessness haram by saying, “Do not despair of God’s mercy.” Hence, it does not matter what, we cannot give up hope and the greatest of hope is in Allah’s Mercy. Hope is the answer which keeps one alive and ticking. Work out what is is you are sad about and try to tease out the reasons you are sad and determine some better outcomes, suggestions, thought processes, etc that will help you see things from a different perspective. Usually we are our own worst enemy making a big thing out of nothing or taking a simple issue into an extreme. Rely on the facts of the situation, address it and make sense of it, then accept it and move on. Allah said: “You will not enter Paradise until you are tested. “ 2:15 He has also said, “Be sure we will test you with something of fear and hunger, a small loss in wealth and lives and the fruits (of your labours), but give glad tidings to those who patiently persevere, when afflicted with calamities, to God we belong and to Him shall we return.”
A response to the letter of Tony O’Donnell:
is no compulsion in religion” declares the Qur’an. We do not go and knock on strange doors to testify. We do teach children about other faiths and children from the various other religious schools visit ours regularly to exchange ideas. Thus the interaction which he calls for is very present. Muslims are taught from an early age to be kind and courteous. Thus, non-Muslim teachers at Muslim schools love their jobs because there is none of the abuse and threats from students that teachers at other schools often have to endure. Tony decries war. We all should. There is no reason why we cannot sit down and settle our differences. Whilst I do not want to in any way attempt to justify those wars initiated by Muslim countries of the past, the difference was that those wars initiated by Muslims did not result in large numbers of lives being lost. Instead, Islam brought considerable enlightenment to the world. Cities such as Toledo, Cordova, Salerno and Lorraine became centres of learning and opulence in a Europe that had been bathed in ignorance and barbarism. The clergy in Europe were, by and large, the only people who could continued page 19
Feeling the blues, is a state of sad thoughts, associated with various feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, loss of interest in pleasurable activities, lethargy, and tiredness. These feelings could be a result of unexpressed anger, frustration, helplessness, loss of control or other factors. It is while in this state that many other things could go wrong if it is not dealt with properly and most importantly very quickly. Sadness can slowly build up and accumulate like a moth which slowly eats away the human spirit and body. If sadness continues to build unaddressed, it can lead to depression. People need to have their own quick guide to remedy themselves and their thoughts, to notice the triggers and ward against the downhill spiral of pessimism/sadness that will just roll and snowball to become bigger if it is not detected quickly. Depressed people tend to dwell on their sadness and this is like a virus that will eat away at your senses. The best way to deal with sadness is to address the issue spiritually first by having faith in Allah and knowing that He is with you and wants you to need Him. And be aware that Allah wants you to make every effort to address this issue as Allah does not give you a burden that you cannot bear. Your difficulty was given to you for a reason and Allah knows you can bear it. He promised us in the Quran that we won’t be given something that we can’t cope with. Hence, you need to access the inner faculties that you were given to try and recover.
About Islamic schools and Atheism Adam Parker I respond to the letter of Tony O’Donnell (Crescent Times 6th April,2009). My hope is to respond with the same sincerity and honesty as his contribution. At the outset, I would like him to know that I have great sympathy for his viewpoint. There was a time in my life that I was equally confused, not knowing what to believe. Tony declares that he is an atheist. Even in childhood, I could not accept the idea that there was no God, or designer of the universe. The more I thought of it as I grew up, the more impossible it seemed to believe that life came into being from some unknown incident which resulted in lifeless matter giving rise to life! Not only that, but the human being staying alive, complete with anti-bodies and the various systems (Digestive, Respiratory, Circulatory, Nervous, etc.) to sustain it ! – and even more improbably, replicate itself ! Scientists tell us that the chances of that happening is less than if an explosion
occurred in a junkyard which resulted in a brand new Merc., complete with trim, standing there, when the dust settled, ready to be driven away! If one takes into account that evolutionists have not been able to create a single living cell in the best equipped laboratories, one has to concede that it is far more realistic to believe in creation by a Creator! I could go on in this vein, but I hope Tony will reconsider his stance in the light of most scientific knowledge, which proves, beyond doubt, that life had to come about by some designer, other than by mere chance. Tony does not like religious schools. I am an avid supporter of Muslim schools. Indeed, I have been on the founding committees of all three Muslim schools in Perth. You see Tony, anyone who knows anything about Islam must also know that none of your fears would be realised if people received an in depth Islamic education. We do not denigrate other faiths. “There
*Hanan Dover is a forensic psychologist and regular contributor to Crescent Times. You can reach her on hanan.dover@crescenttimes.com.au
Page 13
FOCUS: Marry Me-Not! Linda Delgado* When I first became Muslim I had a little difficulty with easing into the Islamic teaching that brothers could marry up to four wives. Then I thought about all the centuries before our “modern times”. Back in “Biblical times”… way before the time of the Prophet(pbuh), when men of those times married more than one wife. It was natural and often done to help the widow of a family member or maybe because the man’s wife was barren. So… eventually, I was able to accept that this was a law from Allah and who was I to be objecting to it. Last month I celebrated nine years as Muslim and here I am back at square one… having doubts about brothers marrying more than one wife. Not because I don’t accept the will and law of Allah, I do. My problem isn’t with Islam. But, I strongly object to many of our brothers saying “marry me” when they cannot afford another wife. They don’t have the time, resources, or money to properly take care of a second family. Some are unable to even provide adequately for a first wife and children. What happens? They place my sisters in Islam in a position of having to leave their home to get employment to earn money to pay for the family’s basic needs. They have to leave their children in the care of others… and…often the caregivers are not Muslims, but day care centers and after school secular programs. I have met dozens of sisters who have husbands who married second and third wives without being able to manage their time and resources fairly among their wives. I have seen Muslim children growing up in homes where the fathers visit several times a year and then the children are left without guidance the rest of the year while putting even more strain on mothers. Some sisters have told me they never even knew about the other wife or wives and families until their own marriages began to break down and their husbands finally had to fess up to what they were doing and why they couldn’t be with them and children more often. So… when a brother says “marry me” and especially if you are living in a secular country as revert sisters and not having extended Muslim family (this happens frequently) … I always tell my sisters in Islam to meet and talk things over with the Imam or have a trusted brother – husband of a sister friend investigate the “groom” first, so they at least have some idea of who they are marrying and what challenges they will be facing in marriage. To my brothers in Islam I would like to remind them that Allah said that if you cannot deal fairly with more than one wife, provide for her needs and that of your children, then marry one and that is better for you.
*Linda Delgado is the publisher of Muslim Writers Publishing, author of the award winning Islamic Rose Books series and a Muslim revert of nine years. www.MuslimWritersPublishing.com
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International
Viva Palestine Left: Yvonne Ridley welcomed by Gazan supporters on a previous visit to Gaza. Photo: Courtesy of Yvonne Ridley.
Yvonne Ridley, high profile journalist and regular contributor with Crescent Times, has been to Gaza with the Viva Palestine convoy of aid in February 2009. How did the idea of Viva Palestine start? The idea for Viva Palestine was born in a coffee shop at the back of the Israeli Embassy in London where most of the protests during the war on Gaza were held. George Galloway had already taken a red London double-decker bus from London to Baghdad to highlight the brutality of the UN Sanctions on Iraq some 10 years earlier. This was an extension/development from that. What’s the role of George Galloway? George was the mastermind of Viva, right from the name through to the route across
North Africa. He smoothed through, via the embassies, paperwork, visas and logistical problems. How did the needy people in Gaza benefit from this convoy of aid? All the people in Gaza are needy and we thought the best way of distributing our aid was through the democratically elected government. The Palestinian people are extremely dignified and hate being aid dependent. We did not want to put them through the humiliating procedure of distributing aid to the “neediest family”, or the “cutest-looking children” etc’. What sort of problems did you face on your way through Arab countries? Most of the governments clearly did not want us but were tolerating us for fear of not showing support to Gaza, although
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the people were quite different. Without exception they came into the streets to cheer us on in spite of intimidation shown by the authorities to this spontaneity.. Which Arab regime caused the most harassment to your caravan aid? The most subversive regime was the Tunisian regime which hated the very Islamic nature of our convoy, despised our insistence to stop and pray during prayer times and were clearly not happy with the reaction of their own people cheering us on. The Egyptian authorities were obstructive and clearly are in the thrall of, or under the supervision of, the Israelis. They tried their best to break up the convoy and sent a large number of vehicles through Israeli checkpoints. The concept of solidarity and unity was clearly something to be feared or
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treated with contempt by the authorities. Is there any follow up for this idea? George is returning with a 500+ vehicle convoy from America. He and Ron Kovic of ‘Born on the 4th of July’ Vietnam fame are leading the US convoy into Gaza on July 4, American Independence Day. There are several other projects including a Viva from Venezeula. What sort of support did you get during your trip? from who precisely? All of the ordinary people of the Maghreb were hugely supportive. Individual acts of generosity were incredible. Gadaffi’s generosity - he doubled the size of the convoy and gave free fuel throughout the Libyan leg of the journey - was most welcome. Libya was the only country which allowed us through the capital.
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Native The Hard Questions! Matters Eugenia Flynn* The lack of understanding and solidarity between the Indigenous peoples of Australia and the largely immigrantbased Muslim community in Australia is baffling to me. Here are two communities much maligned by the “white” systems, government and media in this country and here are two communities that only sometimes come together against our common enemies of racism, ignorance and injustice. There is no better example of this than the Gaza Rally I attended earlier this year at which there was a lot of clapping to each statement made. A politician got up to speak to the 1800-strong crowd. He started off by acknowledging that the rally was on Kaurna land (the traditional Aboriginal people of the area) and how fitting it was to have a rally against illegal invasion, occupation and dispossession on Aboriginal land, as Indigenous Australians know all too well what invasion, occupation and dispossession mean. Unfortunately, the clapping was nowhere near as loud or widespread for this statement – the majority of Muslims and Arabs in the crowd looked confused as to
Above: Eugenia Flynn Photo: Courtesy Eugenia Flynn
symptomatic of the relationship between the two communities? For me, the incident was an outward display of the ignorance and covert racism I believe exists within the Muslim community towards Indigenous Australians. I believe no issue is more pressing than the one of disadvantage experienced by Indigenous Australians in this country. The fact that many Muslim Australians do not know or rally against this issue, in my opinion, makes them complicit in the continued injustices carried out against Indigenous Australians. I wonder, how can Muslims maintain the moral high ground that Islam affords us, when we do not take it upon ourselves to learn and challenge the issue of disadvantage experienced by Indigenous Australians? I hope, I wish, I pray that you wonder too. * Eugenia Flynn is an Aboriginal (Tiwi and
why this politician had started speaking about Aboriginal Land Rights issues. As I looked around, I noticed that there were a number of non-Muslim Aboriginal people in the crowd, whom I assume were there in solidarity for justice. Seeing those other Aboriginal people in the crowd triggered something inside of me; and it left me wondering if this incident is
Larrakia) and Chinese (Teo Chew) woman. She reverted to Islam in 2002 and in 2007 founded the Indigenous Muslim Support Network, which she continues to run. Eugenia aims to see Indigenous Australians healthy, strong and free and is the Deputy Chair of the National Indigenous Youth Movement of Australia. She can be contacted via email: genie_fly@yahoo. com.au.
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Crescent Times No 7 May 2009 continued from page 13 read and write in the middle ages, and they, in spite of their prejudices, flocked to the (Muslim) cities mentioned, to acquire knowledge, in just about every science, from Medicine to Astronomy, from Mathematics to Accounting. Indeed, translation from Arabic to Latin was a large European industry. Muslims feted their scholars, we did not execute them, because God had ordered us to seek knowledge and because our Qur’an makes literally 100’s of Scientific statements, most of which modern day scientists have only recently confirmed. Surely any reasonable person must come to the realisation that it had to be divine knowledge. At my school, I was taught that the sun was motionless in the sky. Yet more than 1400 years ago, the Qur’an taught us, “It is not for the sun to overtake the moon, nor for the night to outstrip the day. They both move along their own orbits. (Surah Yasin Verse 40). Imagine, less than 60 years ago this Qur’anic knowledge was not known to the western world. I could go on ad nauseum on this issue, but I believe that I have made my point. In general one should realize that wars are NOT caused by religion. Religion is the EXCUSE! I know of no religion that promotes war. The State of Palestine is a case in point. It is purely an excuse for Israel to steal land which it has no right to. It is a fact that the Palestinians were in the Land of Canaan long before the Prophet Abraham (may peace be with him) migrated from Iraq. Tony says that we can all live together and we do not need to believe in God to live good, loving, law abiding lives. This is true. But really what he is doing is promoting the theory of what is known as
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“Humanism”. Humanism is a secular way of life. It removes God completely from the equation. When we examine the second “Humanist Manifesto” signed in 1973, we find in the atheist dogma that the “universe and human beings were not created but exist independently; that human beings are not responsible to any other authority besides themselves ….. and God has retarded the development of individuals and societies” The manifesto has certain considerations upon which it is based. Sufficient to say that they believe that the universe is eternal: that life began as an accident when lifeless matter produced life. However, all the Humanist theories are, nonetheless, dogma, like many cults and religions – they have no basic proof of any of their theories. They try to use science as a means to destroy religion. Little do they realize that science is God in Action! As stated before, there are many scientific statements in the Qur’an. Even the scientific theory of the “Big Bang” is confirmed in the Qur’an, thus, “Do the unbelievers not know that I created the universe as one and then cloved it asunder?” Even scientists now believe that the universe will come to an end. How much proof does one need to prove God’s existence? I want Tony to know that Muslims do not consider people like him to be infidels. Christians and Jews are respectfully referred to as “People of the Book”. We may, on occasions refer to people “who are in error and go astray”, but he should know that words such as “infidel”, “pagan” and “heathen” are very often used in reference to those of us who are Muslims! May Peace be with you.
Prayer Schedule May 2009 Perth, Western Australia
Fajr 5:26 5:27 5:28 5:28 5:29 5:29 5:30 5:30 5:31 5:31 5:32 5:33 5:33 5:34 5:34 5:35 5:35 5:36 5:36 5:37 5:37 5:38 5:38 5:39 5:40 5:40 5:41 5:41 5:41 5:42 5:42
Sunrise 6:48 6:48 6:49 6:50 6:51 6:51 6:52 6:53 6:53 6:54 6:55 6:55 6:56 6:57 6:57 6:58 6:59 6:59 7:00 7:01 7:01 7:02 7:03 7:03 7:04 7:05 7:05 7:06 7:06 7:07 7:07
Dhuhr 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:14 12:15 12:15 12:15
Asr Maghrib 3:17 5:39 3:16 5:39 3:15 5:38 3:15 5:37 3:14 5:36 3:13 5:35 3:13 5:34 3:12 5:33 3:11 5:33 3:11 5:32 3:10 5:31 3:10 5:30 3:09 5:30 3:08 5:29 3:08 5:28 3:07 5:28 3:07 5:27 3:06 5:27 3:06 5:26 3:06 5:25 3:05 5:25 3:05 5:24 3:04 5:24 3:04 5:23 3:04 5:23 3:03 5:23 3:03 5:22 3:03 5:22 3:03 5:22 3:02 5:21 3:02 5:21
Isha 6:57 6:57 6:56 6:55 6:54 6:54 6:53 6:52 6:52 6:51 6:50 6:50 6:49 6:48 6:48 6:47 6:47 6:46 6:46 6:46 6:45 6:45 6:44 6:44 6:44 6:43 6:43 6:43 6:43 6:43 6:42
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Page 19
Thoughts about Muslim division and praying at the mosque
Haroun Hunter* There are brothers and sisters who don’t go to certain mosque because a particular person might help out at the mosque or they have a bad opinion of a leading figure in the mosque and/or they have had arguments with some brothers/sisters in the mosque. But this denies these brothers or sisters a lot of rewards and pleasures. You can’t deny that this happens. Then one should ask why??? This all comes down to people’s judgment and opinions. Yet we should not judge any one but ourselves because Allah is the best judge. We get our opinions from our cultural background, people that we associate with and our personal circumstances. Quite often the people who have problems with not going to the mosque because of other people are the same brothers/sisters that believe that they are following Sunnah But they only see part of the Sunnah, not all of it. An important part of the Sunnah is going to the mosque for prayer and the rewards for going to the mosque just to pray your fard (compulsory) prayers are many. You will receive more rewards for praying at the mosque than praying at home. If you pray Isha at the mosque in congregation you will get the same reward as praying for the first half of the night. This alone should get you going to the mosque just for prayer. There are many more rewards for praying at a mosque. You don’t have to get into mosque politics, you just go there and pray your salaat and leave.
Day Fri Sat Sun 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
Prayer Schedule May 2009 Melbourne, Victoria
Fajr 5:33 5:34 5:35 5:35 5:36 5:37 5:38 5:38 5:39 5:40 5:40 5:40 5:42 5:43 5:43 5:44 5:45 5:45 5:45 5:47 5:47 5:48 5:49 5:49 5:50 5:50 5:51 5:52 5:52 5:53 5:53
Sunrise 7:00 7:01 7:02 7:02 7:04 7:05 7:06 7:07 7:08 7:08 7:08 7:09 7:11 7:12 7:13 7:14 7:14 7:14 7:15 7:17 7:18 7:19 7:19 7:20 7:21 7:21 7:22 7:23 7:24 7:24 7:25
Dhuhr 12:18 12:18 12:18 12:18 12:17 12:17 12:17 12:17 12:17 12:17 12:17 12:17 12:17 12:17 12:17 12:17 12:17 12:17 12:17 12:17 12:17 12:17 12:17 12:17 12:18 12:18 12:18 12:18 12:18 12:18 12:18
The avoidance of mosques happens a lot more often than it should. People say that there are Friday Muslims, who only go to the mosque for Friday salaat. Then there are just Ramadan Muslims who only go the mosque for Ramadan night prayers. Then there are just death & marriage Muslims, who only go to the mosque for janazah prayer or to celebrate a wedding. This does happen & you can’t deny it. Just have a look at the numbers massively increase on Friday salaat and in Ramadan. One should ask oneself, why does this happen and how can I help to fix this? If we associate with people that have good Islamic knowledge and practice, this would also help us getting to the mosque and it will also help the greater community with the spread of knowledge. It is of the utmost importance to go the mosque. A big part of our lives should be at the mosque in prayer and worshipping Allah. There are brothers and sisters who live far away from the mosque and they manage to go to the mosque on a regular basis. On the other hand, there are Muslims living close to the mosque but you never see them in the mosque. This is disappointing because Allah should come first in everything that we do. Quite often people forget where they have came from and they are very ungrateful. This is a sad state that we are in. You can’t just blame the people that don’t come to the mosque, you should blame yourselves because you know in your heart that you could be doing much more for the benefit of our Muslim community. So lets wake up as a community and get our mosque nice and full, Inshallah and welcome all our brothers and sisters when they do come. *Haroun Hunter is a Muslim revert brother from Perth WA
Asr Maghrib 3:11 5:34 3:10 5:33 3:09 5:31 3:09 5:31 3:07 5:29 3:06 5:28 3:05 5:27 3:05 5:26 3:04 5:25 3:03 5:24 3:03 5:24 3:02 5:23 3:01 5:22 3:00 5:21 2:59 5:20 2:59 5:19 2:58 5:18 2:58 5:18 2:57 5:18 2:56 5:16 2:56 5:15 2:55 5:15 2:55 5:14 2:54 5:14 2:54 5:13 2:54 5:13 2:53 5:12 2:53 5:11 2:52 5:11 2:52 5:11 2:52 5:10
Isha 6:57 6:56 6:55 6:55 6:54 6:53 6:52 6:51 6:50 6:49 6:49 6:48 6:47 6:46 6:46 6:45 6:44 6:44 6:44 6:42 6:42 6:41 6:41 6:40 6:40 6:40 6:39 6:39 6:39 6:38 6:38
Crescent Health Dr. Aisha Feel free to send medical or health questions to Crescent Times’ doctor. Questions can be emailed to: doctor@ crescenttimes. com.au or posted to: P.O.Box628 Mirrabooka, 6941 WA
Fi amani’Allah
Page 20
Crescent Times No 7 May 2009
Muslims, Melbourne and Mirth Nasya Bahfen Nazeem Hussain talks to Nasya Bahfen about his journey from Islamic youth camps to successful standup In Victoria, Muslim comics are so cool they’re a bit passe. There is a curious intersection of careers spanned by three of Melbourne’s first Muslim comedians – and I’m hesitant about using the word pioneer instead of first because these brothers are still in their twenties. Yet even younger Muslims who aspire to comedy are already looking to them as veterans. Nazeem Hussain finished a law degree and became a comedian. Apparently you can do that. When asked why he chose the notoriously fickle world of comedy, he says the humour thing wasn’t always in the plan but an extension of his community work. “We never really made a conscious decision to do standup or to start a side career in comedy,” explains Hussain, who is currently the treasurer of the Islamic Council of Victoria. His partner in crime Aamer Rahman is a youth worker. Both are regulars on SBS TV’s Salam Cafe.
In 2007 Hussein, Rahman and another Victorian comedian, Mohamed El-leisy, performed the first Fear of a Brown Planet standup gig to packed houses as part of the Melbourne Fringe Festival. El-leisy worked with the Centre for Multicultural Youth Issues in Melbourne. Earlier that year, Rahman had taken out second prize in the Raw Comedy Grand Final, which Hussein and El-leisy had also taken part in. In 2008 Hussein and Rahman performed the same show as part of the Melbourne Comedy Festival, and took the show on the road to the Adelaide Fringe and Sydney Cracker comedy festivals. El-leisy has also continued with his comedy (performing in “Mo the Plumber” with Trent McCarthy in 2009’s Melbourne Comedy Festival, and as part of the “Who is Abdul Smith?” crew in the 2008 Melbourne Fringe). I’ve seen most of their shows, and heard most of their gags (some multiple times). What strikes me is that all three are involved in community work, and all three use comedy to get a message across. “With all the community work that I do, and that Amer is involved with too, the easiest way for us to be able to communicate with a young audience is through making
things kind of funny,” Hussain explains. “I guess that’s automatically how I communicate with a young audience. I think if you can make a joke about a point, that point is more easily accessible to that audience.” He points out that some young people in the Muslim community find comedy a bit easier to relate to than other mediums. “Comedy allows you to speak to a wider audience about some things which you might not otherwise be able to get across to that audience through any other medium because they might not be interested in listening to a lecture or reading articles about that sort of subject matter.” Hussain says seeing American comics in “Allah Made Me Funny” was the first time he saw the nexus between being Muslim and using comedy to talk about your beliefs. But while he started by targeting his material at fellow Muslims, Hussain has found a receptive audience among non-Muslims too. “I think non-Muslims felt - especially after September 11 – they wanted to know what Muslims have to say about so many things,” he says. “What we talk about with our Muslim audience is relevant to our non-Muslim audience as well who want
Above: the Muslim comedian Nazeen Hussein. Photo: Courtesy of Nazeem Hussein
to know what sort of discussions we have about ourselves and about non-Muslims.” Fans of Fear of a Brown Planet can look forward to more gags, as Amer and Nazeem are currently writing material for a comedy show for the ABC based on their successful standup shows. “The jokes are aimed at our own community,” Hussain says, “but you get to a broader audience because people in general are interested in what a particular community says about itself – especially a community that’s so under the spotlight as the Muslim community.”
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