Crescent Times Muslim community newspaper

E E R F Monthly - Independent

N 9 July 2009 www.crescenttimes.com.au

HIJRAH Official acknowledgement of Muslim presence in Australia before European settlement: p3 coming soon!!

AUSTRALIAN MUSLIM

LIFESTYLE

MAGAZINE

Above: Afghan Memorial, Alice Springs

Photo: Crescent Times

DANGER: SWINE FLU

What you need to know: p6

EDITORIAL: editor@crescenttimes.com.au VIC BUREAU: nasya.bahfen@crescenttimes.com.au NSW BUREAU: nsw@crescenttimes.com.au

GENERAL ENQUIRIES: info@crescenttimes.com.au ADVERTS: sales@crescenttimes.com.au

New AFIC Islamic school in Hoxton Park approved: p7

MAIL ADDRESS: PO Box 628 Mirrabooka WA 6941 0414 155 366 PHONE:

Bismi’ Allah

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Crescent Times No 9 July 2009

Y TO ALL OUR VALUED CUSTOMERS I, Lossenie Toure, certify that all products produced at Prestige Poultry (61 Dellamarta Road, Wangara, Perth, Western Australia) are ALL certified Halaal.

All products are hand slaughtered by myself. I am certified by the Islamic Council of WA as an Authorised Muslim Slaughterman.

So please feel free to come to Prestige Poultry and try some of our wide range of Halaal products.

om ailable fr v A s t c u ers Our Prod lal Butch a H d r o f er Lang ra Butch a s m a ll o N allgood m S & t a e ds l Halal M mallgoo S & s Carouse t a Halal Me Bentley l Meats Carouse tcher alaal Bu H s ’ il a Ism ys d the Bo n a y r r a H s lal Meat Med Ha t Giant’s The Mea ts A.S. Mea ats Mas Me

Lossenie Toure

Authorised Muslim Slaughterman June 2009

PRESTIGE POULTRY PTY LTD 61 Dellamarta Road, Wangara Ph/Fax 9302 1180 AH 0411 457 995

National

Crescent Times No 9 July 2009

Editorial:

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A Little Bird Told me..

hen we started Crescent Times our first aim was to serve all our fellow Muslims across the diverse range of races, cultures and schools of thought. We chose as our motto or slogan “Strengthening Our Community” and by this we mean strengthening the Muslim community and the broader Australian community of which we are all part.

We refuse to be labeled as Sufi, Salafist of Tablighie, but we do our best to belong to all of them, to open our hearts to their voices and concerns and keep same level of respect for all as beloved Muslim brothers and sisters.

We do not believe in using this newspaper to promote extreme views nor do we exclude any of our Muslim brothers and sisters whatever their Islamic views or religious sect. All are welcome to express their opinions in an open free way in the Crescent Times newspaper. It is sometimes difficult to walk this path of openness and not censorship but we do our best insha Allah.

There has been some negative feedback from isolated sections of the community who disagree with such things as publishing photographs of Muslim sisters (despite their wearing modest hijab), printing material by writers that they “hate” or disagree with, publishing advertising for products that have been halal certified by organisations or individuals they dislike or have had a disagreement with.

We believe that freedom of expression is an authentic Islamic concept growing in the heart of Islamic civilisation since the 6th century, while the West was still sleeping in the barbarian dark ages. When we believe in everyone’s right to express his/her opinion we are not mixing up our religion! On the contrary we are practising the freedom of expression in the Quraan and Sunnah in the best way, insha Allah.

Crescent Times editorial team, and owners will continue this way despite the discouragment of the few who have closed minds. We thank those readers, advertisers and community leaders who support and appreciate the Crescent Times and our way of working with diversity in our Muslim community.

If any reader has concern about the content of the newspaper we remind them that the editor in chief is well qualified in shariaa studies in its native language. To those who prefer to criticise the newspaper or it’s contents, we challenge them to go ahead and produce something better! No one will stop them in a free democtratic country such as Australia! Please show us your abilities!

May Allah shelter all of us with his full mercy and peace, Ameen!

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nce again this little bird has been out and about winessing events in our community.

The first item for this month comes from a Muslim revert sister in Melbourne whose children attend a government school. On calling at the school office she overheard herself being referred to as “that Muslim lady who speaks quite good English.” She wasn’t sure whether to be amused or alarmed by the fact that the office workers all seemed to believe that speaking English was incompatible with being Muslim - and as for speaking “quite good” English, she is hoping to improve as she has only been speaking English since she learned to talk!

Something lighthearted but perhaps not far from the truth: The Imam prepared a beautiful khutbah for the Friday prayer, describing the plight of the poor. “Is it the duty of a wealthy Muslim to share his wealth with his poor brothers and sisters?” he asked. Later, when his wife enquired about how the khutbah had gone, he replied: “Well, it was a partial success. I convinced the poor” Out of the mouths of babes: a little girl of our acquaintance has heard some talk about the recent “Chk Chk Boom” scandal in which an intoxicated woman referred to participants in a shooting as “fat wog” and skinny wog.” Being quite small she has had some difficulty with the word “wog” and is now telling anyone who will listen that she is “no skinny woyig, I nice” which has happily removed any chance of anyone in the household taking the word “wog” in any way seriously ever again.

One last note: thank you to all those who were concerned about the whereabouts of this little birdie - I have more to tell but I have to get it past the editor first! Maybe next time.....

If you have any birdy news, unofficial statements or stories to tell, please send it in to us on: news@crescenttimes.com.au or SMS on: 0414 155 366

HIJRAH MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTIONS

For Muslims who cannot sponsor, or even small businesses who could not afford to advertise, we offer a yearly subscription with extra bonuses. For a small daily contribution, as little as 17 cents a day, you will be able to get a copy of Hijrah magazine delivered to your door before any one else. ($30 half year 3 issues, $60 a year for 6 issues, $100 for 2 years 12 issues)

Officially but quietly:

The Federal Government Acknowledges the Presence of Muslims in Australia before European Settlement The official website of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, published the following article about the long history of Muslims in this country: Muslims in Australia A long and vibrant history uslims in Australia have a long and varied history that is thought to predate European settlement. Some of Australia’s earliest visitors were Muslim, from the east Indonesian archipelago. They made contact with mainland Australia as early as the 16th and 17th centuries.

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Early Muslim visitors—the Macassar traders Fishermen and traders from what is today the Macassar region of Indonesia arrived on the northern coasts of Western Australia, the Northern Territory and Queensland. The Macassarese traded with local Indigenous people and fished for ‘trepang’ (commonly known as sea cucumber), which they sold as a delicacy on the lucrative Chinese market.

Evidence of these early visitors can be found in the similarity of certain words that occur in the languages of the Macassarese and of the coastal Indigenous Australians. Aboriginal cave paintings depict the traditional Macassar vessels or ‘prau’ and a number of Macassan artefacts have been found in Aboriginal settlements on the west and north coasts of Australia. Marriages between Indigenous people and Macassarese are believed to have taken place, and Macassan grave sites have been found along the coastline.

Afghan cameleers and the colonial era Muslim immigrants from coastal Africa and island territories under the British Empire came to Australia as sailors and convicts in the early fleets of European settlers during the late 1700s. The first significant semi-permanent Muslim population was formed with the arrival of Afghan camel drivers in the 1800s. Coming from the Indian sub-continent, these Muslims were vital in the early exploration of inland Australia and in the establishment of service links.

One of the major projects involving Afghan cameleers was the development of the rail link between Port Augusta and Alice Springs, which became known as the Ghan. The rail line was extended to Darwin in 2004.

Cameleers played an equally important role in the development of the overland telegraph line between Adelaide and Darwin during 1870 and 1872, which eventually linked Australia to London via India.

Through these early exploits, a string of ‘Ghan’ towns were established along the railway. Many of these towns had at least one mosque, usually constructed from corrugated iron with a small minaret. However, the advent of the motor vehicle and the introduction of motor lorry transportation signalled the end of an era for the cameleers. While some returned to their homelands, others settled in areas near Alice Springs and other parts of the Northern Territory. Many married local Indigenous people. Descendants of the Afghan cameleers have since played active roles in numerous Islamic communities in Australia.

Small numbers of Muslims were also recruited from Dutch and British colonies in South East Asia to work in the Australian pearling industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Australia’s first mosque was built at Marree in northern South Australia in 1861.

The first large mosque was built in Adelaide in 1890, and another was built in Broken Hill (New South Wales) in 1891.

Post–Second World War—towards a diverse modern‑day community Australia’s modern-day Muslim population increased significantly following the Second World War. Between 1947 and 1971, the Muslim population increased from 2704 to 22 311. This was largely due to the post– war economic boom, which created new employment opportunities. Many European Muslims, mainly Turks, took advantage of these opportunities to seek a new life and home in Australia. At the 2006 Census there were 23 126 Turkey-born Muslims in Australia.

Bosnian and Kosovar Muslim migrants who arrived in Australia in the 1960s made important contributions to modern-day Australia through their role in the construction of the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electricity Scheme in New South Wales. Lebanese migrants, many of whom were Muslims, also began arriving in larger numbers after the outbreak of the civil war in Lebanon in 1975. According to the 2006 Census there were 7542 Muslim Australians born in Bosnia and Herzegovina and 30 287 born in Lebanon.

Muslim Australians are an extremely diverse

group. At the 2006 Census there were more than 340 000 Muslims in Australia, of whom 128 904 were born in Australia and the balance born overseas. In addition to migrants from Lebanon and Turkey, the other major source countries are: •Afghanistan 15 965 •Pakistan 13 821 •Bangladesh 13 361 •Iraq 10 039 •Indonesia 8656.

In the last three decades, many Muslims have migrated to Australia under refugee or humanitarian programs, and from African countries such as Somalia and Sudan.

Australia’s Muslim communities are now predominantly concentrated in Sydney and Melbourne. Since the 1970s, Muslim communities have developed many mosques and Islamic schools and made vibrant contributions to the multicultural fabric of Australian society.

Sources: - Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/muslims_in_ australia.html - Australian Bureau of Statistics 1981–2006 Census of Population and Housing Further information please visit: - Australian Federation of Islamic CouncilsWebsite: http://www.afic.com.au/ http://www.immi.gov.au/

Community

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Architect: new University of Melbourne Prayer Facility to Challenge Perceptions

Above: Interior of the Pelham Street Musalla, Melbourne University

VIC bureau, Nasya Bahfen

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asya Bahfen reports that students of the University of Melbourne will soon be able to enjoy a new purpose-built musalla in Pelham Street, Carlton.

The new musalla, expected to cater for up to 300 students, replaces the old one in the Frank Tate building, which was closed as part of the University’s redevelopment plans. The students are currently praying in temporary spaces.

From Pelham Street, the building looks nondescript. The entrance to the musalla is actually accessible from an alleyway, where a bright yellow wall indicates the location.

The facility’s designer, Khalid Bouden of the architectural firm Desypher, says the building was an “empty shell”.

“It was an old warehouse – it was literally an empty shell that we had to work with.”

He soon discovered one of the building’s most positive features.

“It’s a rectangle and the long side of the rectangle faces Mecca, so we used that as a Qiblah wall.”

Along the Qiblah wall, Desypher put up calligraphy as installation art, based on the works of Sydney artist Peter Gould who won a closed design competition held early this year. The designers say the calligraphy invokes the scripts on the walls of Alhambra in Spain.

“This installed art is not only a medium to show obedience to Allah, but also a decorative element,” explains Desypher associate Rahmat Bayudi.

While the previous musalla at the Frank Tate building was sombre in tone, the new prayer facility is a lot brighter. “It’s a university facility so we wanted to play with that and create lively spaces, with lots of colour,” says Bouden.

As users enter the facility they are silently

greeted with calligraphy stating “peace be upon you”.

The space incorporates environmentally sustainable design principles in its approach.

The architects anticipated differences in the pattern of use throughout the week. Light sensor devices enable efficient lighting levels while ceiling domes include carbon dioxide detectors, and ventilation controls to adjust airflow and temperature according to offpeak times and peak times such as Maghrib or Jumaah prayers.

“This was actually inspired by Mimar Sinan’s architecture in Istanbul,” says Bayudi, “where the smoke from burning candles escapes through an ingenious system of window openings.”

The wudu facility (which has been trademarked by Desypher) features water flow devices and temperature control to enable sustainable and efficient water usage.

The architects say the facility represents a sustainable and modern Australian Islamic design, while challenging traditional stereotypes of “typical” Muslim buildings. “It doesn’t have to have arches to be a musalla,” says Bouden.

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lease send community events, news and announcements to Crescent Times to publish FREE OF CHARGE Email: news@crescenttimes.com.au

Photo: Courtesy of Desypher

Crescent Times No 9 July 2009

Friday Prayer at Daawah Centre Cancelled

The State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) has ordered The Daawah Centre to stop hosting Friday prayers at their premises in eastern Perth. The Association is allowed to continue to use its building in Kent Street, Cannington, as a ‘Community Purpose and Educational Establishment’ with a maximum of 20 people on the site at any time.

Following a complaint from a nearby business in 2007, an investigation by the city found that on Fridays Daawah was exceeding its 20 person limit. Daahwah’s subsequent application to accommodate 100 people at any given time was refused. The Daawa Centre appealed the decision to the State Administrative Tribunal A Ms Rahman, called as a witness by Daawah, said there were many places that provided prayer rooms - such as shopping centres, workplaces and airports, and that none of these places were mosques. “The mere fact that Friday prayer is being held at the premises does not make that place a mosque, Islamically,” Ms Rahman said.

However, the city tabled a Daawah document entitled ‘Masjid Project - Appeal for help’ that referred to ‘Masjid As-Sunnah’ operating at the premises.

SAT member Marie Connor considered the Friday prayers involved congregational worship, thereby conferring a ‘place of public worship’ planning definition on the building, this use is prohibited under the building’s ‘Light Industry’ zoning. She directed the association to stop using its building for more than 20 people, and to comply with the industrial zoning which precludes congregational worship.

Source www.watoday.com.au

Community

Crescent Times No 9 July 2009

Page 5

Don’t fear the police: Appeal: donate for a new Victoria’s top cop mosque in Fremantle Noorul Islam Society:

Adam Parker*

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oorul Islam Society was established nearly twenty years ago, and is the owner of Masjid at Taqwa in Mirrabooka. The Society is also a leading affiliate of the Islamic Council of Western Australia and through ICWA, to the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils AFIC, the mother body organising Muslim affairs in Australia.

Over several years, the Noorul Islam Society has provided the Muslim Community of Perth with a number of associated services, such as arranging Hajj and Umrah packages to the Holy Lands. Noorul Islam Society has also developed into a vibrant organization having brought people from many different parts of the globe together Noorul Islam Society (NIS) has recently embarked upon fulfilling another service, namely providing a facility for prayer and associated services near the Fremantle port.

Whilst we have seen prayer facilities improve in other areas of Perth over the years, such facilities remain rather sparse near the Fremantle area. It is essential to have this area properly serviced, particularly becauseMuslim sailors landing at Fremantle have no place to observe their prayers, or for that matter spend a few minutes in peaceful contemplation. The need is further exacerbated by the recent influx

of migrants and refugees into the area as well the increase in the general Muslim Community.

To this end, an offer has been made for a premises at a cost of $1.2 million, which should be paid by 3rd September, 2009.

An urgent appeal is being made to the Muslim Community of Australia to contribute generously towards the cost.

A special account had been set up as follows: Bank: Bank of Western Australia Account Name: Fremantle Multipurpose Centre.

Account Number: 306-115-0312753 Alternatively, cheques made payable to “Fremantle Multipurpose Centre” may be posted direct to: The Treasurer NOORUL ISLAM SOCIETY P.O. Box 794 Mirrabooka WA 6061.

For those who prefer to provide an InterestFree Loan, it would be appreciated if these persons would contact the following: President: Ismail Fredericks : Home (08) 9418 5238 Mobile 0413 834 154 Secretary : Abduraouf Jamodien: Home (08) 9249 4486 Mobile 0405 598 377.

It would truly be appreciated if the readers of Crescent Times will get behind this project and assist in a worthy cause.

Ethnic Communities Council of WA News: * Overseas students urged to report violence * ‘Pom’ offensive - media reminded * Consultation on the ‘lexicon of terrorism’

Overseas Students

ECCWA has set up a website to allow overseas students to report racist attacks against them.

The website allows those who have been victims of crime, violence, harassment or bullying to report what happened and receive support.

‘We urge you to report any such incident to relevant authorities. Your report will be of immense value as appropriate action can be taken promptly to ensure the safety and well being of overseas students’ explains the site. ‘In the first instance we encourage you to report such incidents to your educational institution and/or the WA Police as the case may be. However, we understand that some of you would be reluctant to report these crimes for various reasons. To address that issue we have created this website to enable you to convey your concerns to us without anyone knowing who you are, unless/ until you provide us written permission to relay those concerns to relevant authorities’ the site concludes.

The site provides information on State and Federal laws against racial hatred and can be accessed at http://overseasstudentsmatter. multiculturalwa.org.au/

‘Pom’ offensive - media reminded

British People Against Racial Discrimination (BPARD) has asked ECCWA to remind the media not to use racially derogatory language when reporting sporting events.

With the Ashes Test due to start soon BPARD spokesperson Dave Thomason told EthniCity

that the English Cricket Board has requested that the derogatory word ‘POM’ not be used by commentators. ‘To single out the English on ethnic origin, nationality or race is clearly racist’ explained Mr Thomason. ‘While Australian governments and sporting bodies generally understand that terms such as ‘paki,’ ‘chink,’ ‘yid’ and ‘nigger’ are derogatory and should be avoided they show no such sensitivity when it comes to ‘pom,’ although English people regard it as deeply offensive.’

‘Australian humor accepts taking the Mickey out of just about everything under the sun, however using a term such as ‘pom’ which many BritishAustralians find offensive, in public discourse is not acceptable’ explained ECCWA president Ramdas Sankaran. ‘Calling British people ‘poms,’ while rightly regarding other racist terms as taboo, is hypocritical.

ECCWA hosts ‘lexicon of terrorism’ Consultation

ECCWA hosted a consultation on the ‘lexicon of terrorism,’ organised by the Victorian Police, in partnership with the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet, the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department and the Australian Multicultural Foundation.

This was part of a research project examining governments’ use of language relating to terrorism, and violent extremism, and how this language affects individuals and community groups. The end result of this project will be a ‘dictionary’ detailing language to be avoided when discussing terrorism, preferred language, and the context in which this should be used.

Above: From left Fatima Dennoaoui, Nasya Bahfen, VIC Chief Commissioner of Police Simon Overland Photo: Courtesy Victoria Police

Fatima Dennoaoui* Victoria Bureau Fatima Dennoaoui takes a closer look at the message Victoria’s police commissioner wants to get across to the state’s ethnic communities In the last edition of the Crescent Times we reported that Victoria’s Police Chief Commissioner, Simon Overland, met with over 50 members of Melbourne’s multilingual media representatives in June, to build ties and strengthen relationships with the cultural diverse communities of Melbourne.

Commissioner Overland commented on the issue of Indian and international students, saying it was not a new story but rather an ongoing one. He further emphasized that the negative aspects of a community should not be the primary story defining that community.

The Chief Commissioner pointed out that Victorian Police encounter many difficulties when trying to get a message across to some communities, particularly where the police are perceived differently in migrants’ countries of origin.

He said this was especially the case where English is a barrier to comprehending the message being sent through, and that

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this may result in communities fearing or misunderstanding the police due to different experiences they had in their countries of origin.

“There is a shared responsibility between police and the media to provide important messages to the public and to have an open dialogue to understand where the other is coming from, and find suitable solutions to problems,” Mr Overland said.

The “meet and greet” provided a platform for Constable Maha Sukkar, a successful officer working with the multicultural liaison unit, to share her experiences since she joined the force in 2004. She came to Australia from Lebanon more than 9 years ago and then became the first policewoman in Australia to wear a traditional Muslim hijab as part of her official police uniform.

Maha Sukkar’s work alongside police in strengthening relationships and understanding with new and emerging communities, particularly the Arab and Muslim communities, has proved to be quite successful in bridging the gaps and eliminating misconceptions between these communities and the police.

Sukkar’s message encouraged more women and more recruits from culturally diverse backgrounds that reflected the community to join the police force. *Fatima Dennaoui is a law student at Victoria University.

s 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. If that seems too difficult then just email us the name and location and we will endeavour to follow up.

Local news and events are an integral part of our media message.

Without contributions from readers in the form of email, letter or even SMS we won’t be able to cover all our community news. Your contribution is most appreciated by your community.

Health

Page 6

Crescent Times No 9 July 2009

Swine Flu Pandemic 2009 What it is and what to do to protect yourself Dr. Aisha

F

rom the early reports in April 2009 starting in Mexico City, the so called “swine flu” has made it’s way around the world in a matter of weeks with the first fatality in Australia recorded in mid June 2009. Responses from the general public have ranged from indifference to panic as the Australian epidemic progressed from the contain phase to the current protect phase. So what does it all mean?

What is swine flu?

H1N1 09 is an extremely contagious acute respiratory disease of pigs which is caused by one of several H1N1 09 Influenza A viruses. The strain of H1N1 09 currently infecting people around the world is a mutated form of this virus called Influenzavirus H1N1 09 that can now be spread from human to human. This Influenza A virus is a new virus that has not previously been reported in Australia and is now commonly called “swine flu”.

What are the symptoms of swine flu?

The symptoms of swine flu are the same as for “normal” or seasonal influenza and include high temperature (fever), muscle aches and pains, fatigue or exhaustion, cough, sore throat, runny nose, headaches, chills and breathing difficulties.

Is it more dangerous than “normal” flu?

It is estimated that about 2500-3000 Australians die every year as a result of the “normal” or seasonal flu that comes every winter. The seasonal flu virus changes each year and scientists try to predict which virus is most likely to affect Australia based on infection patterns around the world. This information is used to design the flu vaccination that is available every year through GP surgeries.

The annual vaccine is recommended for people at high risk of complications from the flu, including people who have long term medical conditions, people over the age of 65 and pregnant women.

One problem with swine flu is that the virus is new to Australia which means that most Australians have no immunity to it. This means that it is likely to spread quickly in the community.

The second problem is that scientists were unable to predict the arrival of this virus and therefore the vaccine that was given to patients at high risk of flu complications did not have any activity against the swine flu. This means that people at

high risk of complications from the swine flu have no protection against it.

To date, the world wide mortality (death) rate in people confirmed to be infected with swine flu is 0.5%. This means that one in 200 people with confirmed swine flu infection have died, usually of flu related complications. This includes people

four to six weeks. The Australian government has ordered 10 million doses of the vaccine. It is likely that the first batches of the vaccine will be directed towards protecting the people most at risk of complications from the flu such as people with chronic illnesses, the elderly and pregnant women.

“Australian government predictions indicate that between 10% and 30% of the population are likely to contract swine flu before the end of this year’s flu season. Based on an estimated population of 21 million, using the current Australian mortality data it is estimated that 4200 – 12 600 Australians will die of swine flu related complications this year” in countries where the public health surveillance and flu treatment programs are not as good as in Australia. The mortality rate in Australia at the time of writing is 0.2% (10 deaths from 5254 confirmed infections), this means that 1 in 500 people with confirmed swine flu infection have died. So far in Australia the people who have died following swine flu infection have all been people who have had serious underlying medical conditions. It has also been noted that even patients with serious medical conditions, such as renal failure requiring dialysis, have recovered from the swine flu when given appropriate treatment and supportive care.

Australian government predictions indicate that between 10% and 30% of the population are likely to contract swine flu before the end of this year’s flu season. Based on an estimated population of 21 million, using the current Australian mortality data it is estimated that 4200 – 12 600 Australians will die of swine flu related complications this year. These numbers will be reduced by early availability of a swine flu vaccine, vaccination of those most at risk of complications, reduction in transmission rates and early treatment of those most at risk of complications. Current government strategies are aimed at modifying these aspects of the pandemic and it’s management.

Is there a vaccine for swine flu?

There is no vaccine currently available for the swine flu but manufacturers have claimed that a vaccine should be available within the next

What can I do to reduce my chance of getting swine flu?

The same basic precautions that reduce transmission of the seasonal flu also apply to swine flu, including: Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough, dispose of tissues in the rubbish bin Wash your hands regularly, especially after contact with others and before eating Don’t share personal items with someone who has flu symptoms eg towels, toothbrushes Clean surfaces that may be contaminated with flu virus eg door handles, tables, benches Stay at home if you have the flu so you don’t infect others What should I do if I get the flu?

Most healthy adults are at no more risk from swine flu infection than they would be with seasonal flu infection. There is no need for usually healthy adults with mild flu like illness to be tested or treated for swine flu. These people should manage flu like symptoms as they would usually, including staying at home until the infection has resolved, taking regular panadol for fever and maintaining fluid intake. In case of doubt, patients should visit their usual GP rather than going to the emergency department of their local hospital which is likely to be full of very sick patients with flu complications.

Patients at high risk of flu complications include: those with chronic lung conditions (asthma, COAD, bronchiectasis), pregnant women,

the very obese, Indigenous people, health care workers, those with chronic disease including cardiac disease, diabetes, chronic liver disease, chronic kidney disease, neurological conditions and impaired immunity (including cancer patients). These people should see a doctor if they develop flu like symptoms, particularly high fever, cough and sore throat. At present, testing for swine flu is recommended for all these patients.

Treatment with Tamiflu (the antiviral medicine used to treat the swine flu) will also be offered, provided that symptoms have been present for less than 48 hours. This means that if you are in a high risk category and you get flu like symptoms you should see your GP as soon as possible to give yourself the opportunity to receive effective treatment.

What about Tamiflu in pregnancy?

The flu is most likely to cause complications for women in the last trimester of pregnancy, this includes the swine flu. To date there have been 20 cases of swine flu in pregnancy reported in the USA. Of these cases, follow up data is available for 13 showing that three pregnant women were admitted to hospital and one of these women died. It is not known if there were conditions other than the pregnancy related to this death or whether this patient was diagnosed soon enough to receive treatment with Tamiflu.

Tamiflu is a Category C medication in pregnancy.

This means that there have been no clinical studies to assess the safety of this medication in pregnant women. However, there have not been any adverse effects reported among women who have received Tamiflu in pregnancy or among infants born to women who have received Tamiflu. Pregnant women should consult their GP or obstetrician before taking any medication in pregnancy; this includes Tamiflu. There is currently no evidence that Tamiflu is harmful in pregnancy but it is important to balance risks and benefits of treatment in each individual case.

* Dr Aisha is the medical editor of Crescent Times. 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.Box: 628 Mirrabooka, 6941 WA

National bank Launches Shariah Compliant No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS) for Muslims on low incomes Crescent Times - Head Office:

T

he National Autralia Bank has released its Shariah Compliant No Interest Loan Scheme (NILS) product targeted at meeting the financial needs of Muslims with low incomes who cannot access normal credit because of religious and also socio-economic reasons. Through this program, Muslims with low incomes are provided with access to funds to purchase essential household items such as fridges, washing machines, or beds.

The Shariah Compliant NILS will also enable people to meet health or educational needs.

Loan amounts vary, but typically they are in

the range of $800 to $1200 and repayments are made fortnightly over a period of 12-18 months.

Crescent Times contacted the National Australia Bank and spoken to Imran K. Lum, the community Finance and Development Adviser. Mr Lum is currently completing a PhD in Islamic Finance from the Asia Institute and the Melbourne Law School at The University of Melbourne. “I was awarded the Sheikh Fehmi El-Imam Scholarship for Islamic finance and part of my job is to raise awareness about the industry and develop Islamic banking and finance products” said Lum. When asked how the idea of Islamic finance had reached the National Australia Bank, he explained that: “Islamic finance is a growing

industry globally and there is a growing Muslim population here in Australia. Understanding the issues related to interest in the Muslim community there was a natural link with the No Interest Loan Scheme”.

“NILS was first introduced by Good Shepherd Youth and Family Service 28 years ago, NAB has committed $15 million in loan capital to support many of the 260 NILS programs operating across Australia. As of yet there are no programs specifically for Muslims on low incomes and that’s what this shariah compliant NILS loan seeks to achieve” added Lum. At present the NAB is working with local and international scholars to certify the loan documentation. “This we believe is essential to facilitating access to the program” said Lum.

“We are not expecting any changes to how NILS works across the country as a result of this certification process” he added NAB staff expect the loans to be available to anyone who is on a low income within the next 6 months. The start points of the program will be in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. Other cities may be added in future depending on demand and success of the NILS program.a.

On 6th of July the NAB organised an Islamic banking and finance symposium with La Trobe University and MCCA which will highlight some interesting developments in the industry.

At this stage, the NAB is not planning to release a home loan based on Islamic banking principles in the forseeable future.

National

Crescent Times No 9 July 2009

Page 7

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AFIC: Malek Fahad Hoxton Park Islamic School Approved!

Crescent Times - Head office: Plans to build an Islamic school at Hoxton Park, in Sydney’s south west, were approved by the majority of Liverpool Council on 29th of June 2009 despite the strong objection of some non Muslim local residents. The counci; panel recommended that the school be built and last night a majority of councillors voted to approve the project.

Malek Fahad Islamic School had applied to develop a new campus for the school in Hoxton Park, Liverpool for another 800 students.

Most of the criticisms of the proposal centred on the traffic problems residents said it would create. Mr. Ikebal Patel the president of the Australian Federation of Islamic councils,

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AFIC, told Crescent Times newspaper that he believes that traffic objections have become standard practice for dealing with any new Islamic schools in NSW. Mr. Patel said he has no concerns regarding the alleged traffic problem or the safety of Muslim students who will attend this school.

Some of the residents of Hoxton Parkand wider Liverpool Shire gathered on forums online calling for action against the new ly approved Islamic school, including taking the case to the Land and Environment court, but Patel says that is it highly unlikely that the decision will be reversed. “Construction work will start as soon as possible” he continued.

The decision to approve the school stands in stark contrast to the recent refusal by the Camden Council of an application for an Islamic school in their area and gives hope

to members of the Muslim community “We did our job properly” said Patel “Also, the government recognises us as a community based organisation with a high level of achievement” says Patel.

AFIC staff say that they believe that their plan was professional, which pre-empted any objections based on local regulations and rules.

There was also support for the proposal from The Director of the New South Wales

Association of Independent Schools, Doctor Geoff Newcombe, who said “It seems traffic objections have become code for prejudice when it comes to approving new Islamic schools in Sydney.” he added “the Islamic community only wants what other faiths have”.

Patel agrees that there is still much hope for better understanding of Islam and Muslims from the wider community if the Muslim community is professional, and open and tolerant with non Muslims.

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Contributors in this issue: Dr Aisha - Tansel Ali

- Ibrahim Al-Salti - Nasya Bahfen - Zabrina A. Bakar - Tarek Chamkhi - Linda Delgado - Fatima Dennoaoui - Hanan Dover - Omar Hashmi - Amanda Charmand Mazumde Joanne McKeown - Debora McNichol - Adam Parker - Yvonne Ridley - Aisha Stacey - Irfan Yusuf

Page 8

Sakeenah Hanan Dover*

A

ll too often we can find ourselves as parents losing our patience with children very quickly. Some parents often use Allah’s name in vain to control their children’s misbehavior. Little do parents know the long term consequences of such negative usage on a child’s brain and future development.

An interesting fact that is often not known by parents is that 90% of a child’s brain develops during the first 5 years of their life. Baby brain development prepares the stage for the child’s intelligence, emotional stability and personality.

Unlike the heart and stomach, a child’s brain is not fully developed at birth. Whilst the brain cells are formed before birth, most of the connections are actually made during infancy and early childhood. Here, parents have a central and crucial role in shaping their child’s experiences in way that can maximise the child’s neural brain connections. It is not the genes of the child, but the interaction with the environment that is most critical in a child’s brain development. This in no way means that a child’s brain is not as active as an adult’s brain - a 3 year old brain is just as active as an adult brain believe it or not. Hence, it is very important for parents to talk to their

Muslim Family

Nurturing our children’s love of Allah young children to establish the foundations for learning language during their early critical periods when learning is in fact easiest for the child. Children do not need excessive educational and academic activities to develop their brain potential. What they do require is love, care, play, singing and new experiences to develop into healthy children with brain potential.

Most emotions are developed based on cognitive and language development. Fear is one of the strong emotions that many children experience strongly during the early childhood stage. In Islam, fear is instinctual - parents who have held their newborn and accidently moved their secure arms, trigger an automatic startle response by the baby. As children grow older, they develop active imaginations trying to make sense between reality and make-believe.

This makes them susceptible to strong fears, which is why they show intense fears to thunder storms, lightening, monsters and boogey-men, the dark, etc. Instinctual emotions such as fear, are prominent and need to be controlled in a disciplined manner.

One of the problems that is common amongst religious parents, is that parents are taking advantage of this fear emotion to control their

children’s responses and behaviours. They believe that, in order to shape their children into submission, into obeying them and doing as they request, that they need to introduce to their children the strong fear of Allah (swt).

Allah (swt) is introduced to the child, in the most critical of their developmental life, in a punitive way. For example, comments like, “If you do not listen to me, Allah will send you to Hell”, “If you do not finish your homework, Allah will punish you”. What happens is that the child’s brain cultivates a punitive view of Allah (swt), and not a loving view of Allah (swt). A loving Allah is the reality, yet the child has hardwired in their brain a negative view.

Hence, as the child ages and matures to become an adult, the mere mention of Allah, elicits a punitive notion of a God who simply punishes due to the early imprinting on the child’s brain in terms of the concept of God. If this threat is continued by the parent to the child, it becomes permanent and difficult to change without intense and conscious effort on the part of the individual. This strong fear can also develop in other ways as the child becomes an adult where other emotional issues will manifest.

Children are in need of their parent’s support in order to guide them into healthy

Significance of Registering Islamic Marriage in the West Q

uestion: Dear scholars, As-Salamu `alaykum. Please elaborate on the importance of two witnesses for the bride.

Also explain what is the Mahr Shar`i (amount in dollars) for Nikah. Can any Muslim perform the Nikah ceremony? Is signing the documents by bride and groom necessary in front of the witnesses?

Name of Mufti: Muzammil Siddiqi Answer Wa`alykum As-Salaam Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh.

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.

All praise and thanks are due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon His Messenger.

Dear questioner, we would like to thank you for the great confidence you place in us, and we implore Allah Almighty to help us serve His cause and render our work for His Sake.

It is noteworthy that Islam pays great attention to marriage, taking all measures to protect the family life and relations between the spouses against any suspicion or difficulty that may arise in the future. Like all contracts, the Shari`ah demands witnesses for the marriage contract and it lays stress on announcement so as to protect the spouses against suspicion from the society and protect the rights of each partner for likely future disputes. In line with the aims of theShari`ah the registration of marriage in non-Muslim countries is of paramount significance in protecting the rights of the spouses.

In his response to the questions you posed, Dr. Muzammil H. Siddiqi, President of the

Fiqh Council of North America, states the following: For marriage a minimum of two witnesses are required. These witnesses are not for bride or for groom but they are the witnesses for the marriage of the couple for whom they accept to be the witnesses. Nikah (marriage ceremony) is both a legal ceremony and a public ceremony.

According to the Shari`ah, there should be two witnesses for all important legal contracts.

Nikah as a public ceremony should also be done in the presence of many people (or at least two as minimum), so that more people know that this man and this woman have come together as legally married couple.

Concerning the mahr (dower), Allah says in the Qur’an, [And give women (on marriage) their dower as a free gift; but if they, of their own good pleasure, remit any part of it to you, take it and enjoy it with right good cheer.] (AnNisaa’ 4: 4) [Those among them (i.e. your wives) whom you enjoy give them their dowers as determined. But there is no blame on you, if after a dower is determined, you mutually agree to vary it.] (An-Nisaa’ 4: 24) [If you divorce them before consummation and you have fixed a dower for them then half of the dower is due to them, unless they forgive it or it is forgiven by him in whose hand is the marriage tie.] (Al-Baqarah 2: 237) According to the Shari`ah, the Mahr should also be reasonable. There is no fixed amount of Mahr in the Shari`ah. It should be given according to the financial status of the husband and according to the time and place. We cannot apply the Mahr of 7th century in the 20th

century, nor can the Mahr of India or Pakistan be applied in the United States and Canada.

As the financial conditions of the people in different time and places change, so the amount of Mahr can be determined accordingly.

However, it is a principle of the Shari`ah that the Mahr should not be too expensive. It is wrong to declare large amount of Mahr at the time of marriage to show off or to boast. Some time bride’s family put pressure on the groom and his family for a large amount of Mahr so that they may show their pride to their relatives and friends boasting that their daughter was married for a big Mahr. Some times the groom declares a big amount and secretly thinks that this is just a commitment on paper. People are often heard saying, “Write whatever you want, no one asks and no one pays.” This is a play with the rules of Allah. Muslims should only commit what they are really capable of paying and what they intend to pay. It is haram to enjoy relations with a wife and then deny her the Mahr promised to her.

However, we must keep in mind that Mahr is not a bride price. It is a woman’s right and it signifies a husband’s love and appreciation for his wife. In the Qur’an it is called “Sadaq” which means a token of friendship. It is also called “Nihlah” which means “a nice gift or present.” Mahr also signifies a husband’s commitment to take care of his wife’s financial needs (Nafaqah).

It is correct that Nikah ceremony can be performed by any Muslim, but in order to organize this serious legal contract, in Muslim countries some people are authorized by the governments to perform the Nikah or to register the Nikah. These people are called

Crescent Times No 9 July 2009 development. Young children do not have the capacity to understand rationally, reason, discern between right and wrong, and are not held to account by Allah for their wrong actions because of the inability for higher order thinking.

One of the ways parents can shape their child’s behaviour, while still maintaining a positive and true view of Allah, is to associate doing good with Allah. For example, “Allah loves those who are good to their parents” or “Allah is most pleased with you when you are doing your homework so you can learn because Allah loves his creation to gain knowledge through education”. These are such simple but highly effective ways that honour Allah’s Divine characteristics without misusing Allah’s name for a personal and negative gain. By doing this, you are aligning the love of Allah and doing good in a way that makes sense to a young child and this can be hardwired into a child’s brain so good thoughts could be cultivated and manifested in good behaviour.

When a neural brain connection is used repeatedly in the early years, it becomes permanent. For example, when parents repeat words and phrases as they talk to babies, babies subsequently learn to understand speech and strengthen the language connections in the brain. So, please, use Allah’s (swt) names wisely to bring up righteous and emotionally healthy children. *Hanan Dover is a forensic psychologist and regular contributor to Crescent Times. You can reach her on hanan.dover@crescenttimes.com.au

“Ma’dhun Shar`i” or “Qadi” etc. In America, the Imams of the Islamic centers or someone authorized by the Islamic centers should officiate the Nikah. Some states in the US and Canada require that the person who perform the marriage must be a justice of peace, or a judge or a licensed clergy. In some states it is illegal for an unlicensed person to perform marriages.

In the United States and Canada it is also required for the couples who intend to get married to take a license before their marriage.

The person who performs the marriage then signs this license along with two witnesses.

After that the license is sent to the Registrar of Marriages. The Registrar’s office then issues a marriage certificate. No marriage in the US and Canada is recognized as legal marriage unless it is registered.

Some Muslims do not follow these procedures. They say that in Islamic marriage paper work is not necessary. They also say that they only care for what is halal and want to marry according to the Shari`ah, they do not care whether the marriage is legally recognized here or not. However, there are some cases where Muslim women have greatly suffered, due to these unregistered marriages. Some Muslim men marry without any legal papers and then leave their wives. These women do not know what to do and how to get divorce from their husbands who abandon them. Upon resorting to the US and Canadian courts they are told that according to the local laws they are not considered married. These women have nothing to prove their marriage and the courts have no marriage record of these women. Even the local Islamic centers in the US and Canada are unable to help them, because the laws in these lands do not give the right of divorce to anyone except to the local superior courts.

It is important for Muslim men and women to have their marriages and divorces properly documented. Islam teaches fairness and justice in all cases. * source of fatwa: Islamonline.net

Crescent Times No 9 July 2009

Education

The Katalyst Ibrahim Al- Salti* “Why do you spend all your time practicing chemistry?”

“I wanted to enrich my colleagues and brothers” -Reply by Khalid ibn Yazid ibn Mu’awiyah who gave up the throne in the 8th century (CE) to study chemistry.1

A P S B

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The words of Khalid ibn Yazid ibn Mu’awiyah (may Allah have mercy upon him) resonate within the inner chambers of my mind. I ask myself a puzzling question, why did Khalid decide to give up leadership for scholarship when he could have equally enriched the lives of those around him? It appears that Khalid had a greater goal to achieve, a legacy to leave behind. His vision was far beyond the elegant role of ruler but rather transcended time and space. Laying the foundations for the future marvel of Islamic scholarship was where he set his eyes.

Thirteen centuries later we look back and agree that Khalid indeed enriched the lives of those who followed such as Ibn Hayyan (Geber), Al-Razi (Rhazes) and Al-Kindi. Such fine chemists established the foundations for their successors including Dalton, Davy and Arrhenius, to name a few. Chemistry was one path, however many others exist for the taking!

The Muslim Students Association of Australia (MSAA) brings together a select group of Muslim students who have an ambition of enriching the lives of colleagues and brothers in faith and humanity. The phenomenal tasks undertaken by these sisters and brothers portray the vision set down by Khalid ibn Yazid. Their chemistry is Katalyst, UniGoal, Green Scarf Day, Careers Expo, Seek the Truth and others. These projects were developed to enhance and stimulate Muslim students to take on the role of future God-revering leaders and workers in the community.

The MSAA is constantly looking for bright sparks to assist in the development of educational da’wah material, training workshops and much more. If you would like more information on the abovementioned projects or volunteer to assist visit www.msaa.org.au.

Reference: 1. Al-Hassani, S.T.S., 1001 Inventions: Muslim Heritage in Our World. 2 ed.

2007, Manchester: Foundation for Science, Technology and Civilisation. pp. 72-75 * Ibrahim Al-Salti is the MSA secretary.

Page 9

Symposium launches Australia’s first Masters in Islamic Banking

Melbourne - Nasya Bahfen

A

ustralia’s first Masters in Islamic Banking and Finance was launched on Monday 6 July at a Melbourne Symposium. Crescent Times Victorian editor Nasya Bahfen was one of the presenters.

The launch of the postgraduate degree was part of a symposium on Islamic Banking and Finance, jointly organised by La Trobe University’s School of Economics and Finance, together with Australia’s oldest Islamic finance provider MCCA and NAB Bank.

In early June NAB announced it would release Shariah-compliant finance services that would avoid riba and make revenue from profitsharing, joint-ventures or lease arrangements.

One of the Masters degree’s directors, Associate Professor Ishaq Bhatti, says there is a growing demand for Shariah compliant products and services in Australia and the Asia-Pacific region.

This, he says, coupled with the global financial crisis, “calls for an active response from industry as well as academia.”

“We will be looking at the performance of Islamic banks and financial institutions in the face of the current crisis, as well as the challenges for the sector particularly in Australia,” Associate Professor Bhatti says.

The Symposium at Melbourne’s Rialto Towers featured speakers from Australia. It was opened

by Federal Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law, Nick Sherry.

Overseas speakers from Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom also gave presentations. They included Dubai Islamic Bank’s head of international wealth management Saadat Muzaffar, and the head of Islamic Finance at Price Waterhouse Coopers UK, Mohammed Amin.

Dr Bhatti says La Trobe’s Masters in Islamic Banking and Finance will appeal to both local and international graduate students. He says students from southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent want training in Islamic banking and finance delivered in English, while anticipating interest from Australian students who might want to join the growing sector either here or overseas.

“It’ll provide training in the technical skills demanded by global Islamic capital markets and institutions, and students will develop expertise in Islamic banking, Islamic insurance and Islamic capital markets,” he said. * Dr. Nasya Bahfen is the Victorian editor of

Report confidentially online at: www.crimestoppers.com.au or call Crime Stoppers on: 1800 333 000 For the month of June, Crime Stoppers programs around the world are focussing their efforts on the International Fugitive Round Up campaign.

Crime Stoppers Victoria is asking the community to visit the website and browse the database of unsolved crimes and wanted people. Go to www.crimestoppers.com.au and click through to Victoria for state based appeals.

If you are living in the same neighbourhood as a person who is wanted by local police or other law enforcement agencies, it is likely that you wouldn’t know it.

Do you know where Meng Fai HO wanted for fraud is?

What about Yizhi LI also wanted for fraud?

Perhaps you know where Elvira Krisnawati LIOE wanted for money laundering and fraud is?

Or Hendry Guntoro LIOE also wanted for money laundering and fraud?

The campaign is an important reminder that ‘If you’ve seen something… say something’.

Page 10

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Society

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Zabrina A. Bakar*

A

s I was watching my nephews playing one day, I couldn’t help but envy them a little for their level of energy.

‘Wouldn’t it be great if we could be like them?’

I asked my sister who was sitting beside me. ‘No wonder these kids don’t have excess weight. Just look at the rate they are burning their calories!’

‘Yeah, I know, it is amazing how much energy they use everyday…’ she nodded in agreement with me.

‘We should start exercising consistently, you know…’ I suggested And that’s when I saw her cheeky smile and as she was about to open her mouth I said… ‘Spare me the lecture!’ and we both burst into laughter.

Later that day, I started thinking.

Exercise… A word that knocks on my door frequently even though most of the time I refuse to open the door and let ‘it’ in. I ask myself – why it is like that?

Perhaps because the type of exercise regimes that I had were too tedious, too serious and no fun at all.

I know that Laura Ramirez was right when she said…

Exercise should be fun; otherwise, you won’t be consistent.

Yup, I am a living testimony of that!

But what type of exercise is fun for me?

Among the first thing that came into my mind is aerobics. Yes, I know most of us know what aerobics is, right? If you don’t, let me share with you a definition I truly loved given by Rita Rudner. She said,

Crescent Times No 9 July 2009

The Story of a Skipping Blonde

The word aerobics came about when the gym instructors got together and said, “If we’re going to charge $10 an hour, we can’t call it jumping up and down.”

Funny yet so true, don’t you think?

Practically, my nephews were doing aerobics, in a haphazard way, of course!

I remembered what our beloved Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said once: It was narrated from Mu’aadh ibn ‘AbdAllaah ibn Khubayb from his father that his paternal uncle said: “We were sitting in a gathering when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came, with traces of water on his head. One of us said, ‘We see that you appear to be in high spirits today.’ He said, ‘Yes, praise be to Allah.’ Then the people spoke about riches. He said, ‘There is nothing wrong with riches for one who fears Allah, but good health is better for one who fears Allah than riches, and being in good spirits is a blessing.’” (Narrated by Ibn Maajah, 2141; Ahmad, 22076.)

This hadeeth has made me realise something. Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was a man who exercised too.

And he said that good health is better for the ones who fears Allah than richness and it is indeed a blessing if we are in good spirits.

Don’t you find yourself agreeing with him?

I know that I am always the happiest after exercising. I smile more, get amused more easily and I find that my thoughts are clearer too, SubhanAllaah…

So, yes, I know the blessings of good spirits and I totally agree with what my beloved Prophet Muhammad (may Allah’s

peace and blessings be upon him) said. It is a blessing…

Let me share with you a joke on exercising I read once…

A blonde is terribly overweight, so her doctor puts her on a diet. “I want you to eat regularly for two days, then skip a day, and repeat this procedure for two weeks. The next time I see you, you’ll have lost at least five pounds.”

When the blonde returns, she’s lost nearly 20 pounds. “Why, that’s amazing!” the doctor says. “Did you follow my instructions?”

The blonde nods. “I’ll tell you, tough, I thought I was going to drop dead that third day.”

“From hunger, you mean?” asked the doctor.

“No, from skipping.”

What?! I know, I laughed till tears came out when I first read this joke.

So, my brothers and sisters, let us all think about the benefits of exercising and find the type of exercise that suits us the best, inshaAllah.

Richard Steele, Sr. once said, Reading is to the mind what exercising is to the body.

What do you say? Let us now give our body what we give our mind! * 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://www.

LifeOpenSecret.com. She maintains an active blog at http://www.WisdomThruWords. blogspot.com. and social networking platform a Web 2.0 at http://www.LifeStoryteller.ning. com

Tips for Remembering Names Tansel Ali*

B

ilal walks out of the mosque and greets a brother reading from a notice board.

Bilal: “Assalamu Alaikum” Shareef: “Wa Alaikum Salam” (Both shake hands) Bilal: “What is your name brother?”

Shareef: “My name is Shareef, and you are?”

Bilal: “I am Bilal, nice to meet you...... brother” Bilal forgets Shareef ’s name. He is waiting for others to call his name out to catch it again. In the meantime he substitutes the word ‘brother’ for his name, something we Muslims seem to get away with quite easily.

As someone who is a memory techniques specialist, forgetting is no laughing matter.

People often look at me as a genius. They believe that I was ‘born’ with this magnificent gift of remembering and that I can remember every little detail there is in my life. I often get asked ‘what I had eaten last night’ or ‘Are you

a hafiz brother?’ Sharing the same birthday as Imam Bukhari, one of the greatest memorisers of all time does not help the cause either.

I am the Australian Memory Champion having broken six memory records out of ten events, qualified for Grandmaster of Memory status in a world memory championship event and appeared on television and other media. So am I really a genius? Or just a con-man waiting to be headline news on A Current Affair?

The answer is neither. In fact it would surprise you if I told you my memory is quite average compared to everyone else. My wife can certainly attest to this as she remembers every single minute detail in an argument. As some married brothers read this nodding their heads, I somehow don’t think she’s the only wife who has this extraordinary superpowers either!

So how does an ‘average memory’ bloke end up breaking memory records and become Australia’s memory champ?

Memory techniques. Believe it or not there

are strategies to improving your memory quite significantly. Some people do them without knowing, but most people are not aware these strategies exist. The example above with Bilal is a classic scenario which occurs on a daily basis all around the world.

The fact is that if you do not use memory techniques, chances are you will forget.

Memory techniques allow you to recall effectively without the stress. Let’s have a look at how Bilal could have remembered Shareef ’s name using a simple memory technique.

Bilal: “Assalamu Alaikum” Shareef: “Wa Alaikum Salam” (Both shake hands) Bilal: “What is your name brother?”

(Bilal prepares himself to make a story out of Shareef ’s name. He does this by consciously preparing himself to memorise his name) Shareef: “My name is Shareef, and you are?”

(Bilal obtains the name and makes an association for Shareef ’s name. In Bilal’s mind,

the name Shareef reminds him of a Sheriff.

So he imagines being arrested by Shareef the Sheriff).

Bilal: “I am Bilal, nice to meet you Shareef ” (Bilal continues making the association with Shareef ’s name. Bilal images Shareef in Sheriff uniform and possibly a cowboy hat to match.)

Now every time Bilal sees Shareef he will have this picture in his mind and never forget his name.

Memory Tip: Try to make the association stand out as much as you can. The more detail you add to the association, the easier it will be to recall. Practise this and you will soon be remembering names just like our brother Bilal above. *Tansel Ali is the current Australian Memory Champion, based in Melbourne. His website is: www.improveyourmemory.com.au

Crescent Times No 9 July 2009

The Kiki principle: Debora McNichol*

I

f President Obama is to be believed, my country is staying out of Iran’s election, short of condemning the harsh treatment of the protesters. As usual, the haters are busy hating.

Conservatives are asking their audiences most conspiratorially, “Do you think he’s doing the right thing? Do you think he’s being harsh enough with the Holocaust Deniers?”

For those who don’t speak American Conservative, “Holocaust Denier” means Iran.

And “Do you think he’s doing the right thing?” is a mediocre attempt to hide the fact that the president is really doing the only thing he can do—or rather, the only thing that he can say he’s doing. Wink, wink.

Weeks of civil unrest and dead people in Iran have led me to the conclusion that I just don’t care who the Iranian president turns out to be. Anyone who thinks twice about it will come to the conclusion that either man will end up controlled by the mullahs, and all this fuss just isn’t worth it. Khatami could

Opinion

Haters Locked and Loaded

only do so much without his hand getting slapped. Ahmedinejad started his presidency as a clown, and if re-elected, will continue to be the Guardian Council’s court jester. The new guy doesn’t really stand a chance. Who are we kidding?

You want reform in Iran? You want democracy? Install people who know Islam by its other name, i.e., “the religion of peace” and THEN talk about reform, democracy, and freedom from caning for that pesky little hair lock sticking out from your hijab.

In the meantime, The Stoning of Soraya M. has been released in the US and is perfectly timed and coordinates nicely with Neda AghaSoltan’s murder and the mullah’s call to execute the protesters in the streets. (Really? A Muslim called for that? Subhan Allah.)

Stoning is a tragic true story and a commentary on patriarchal rule in a typical Iranian village that practices a warped and

widespread version of Islamic law. The heroine is a faithful, innocent housewife who is set up by her dirtbag husband, convicted of adultery, and stoned to death by a mob of villagers. The story is heartbreaking - more so for Muslims who see Islam as a balm for the ills of the world and a religion that urges its adherents to deal with mercy and justice.

I ran across a “movie review” of Stoning, written by a self-labeled expert on the IsraeliPalestinian conflict. I would share the link with you, Dear Readers, but this man is paid by the click. To read his garbage would only encourage him. What it amounted to, though, was an anti-Islam manifesto that purported to understand the “official view of Islam” and to call for a ban of Muslim immigration to the US and a reformation of Islam.

No doubt on the internet there are many more attacks on Islam masquerading as

and possibly in jams, yoghurt and cheeses as a thickener or stabilizer. Recently ‘halal gelatine’ has been created from various derivatives such as fish, seaweed and halal-slaughtered cow and goat bones, but it is almost impossible to find the halal kind in the jelly lollies that make our mouths water, so it is often best to call the manufacturer to be on the safe side when purchasing foods containing gelatine.

The Muslim community must also be aware of consuming swine products in the form of medications within the medical field.

As previously mentioned, medicines in the form of capsules are encased with gelatine for simple swallowing. These are usually easy to identify and sometimes replaceable with non-encapsulated tablets, or liquid form (by speaking with your doctor or pharmacist). But within the hospital setting, many medications are dispensed without the patient really knowing what is being given to them. As it is a fast-paced environment, it is very rarely explained to the patient what it is they are receiving, let alone what it contains.

A very common medicine administered within the hospital setting is Heparin (Heparin Sodium). It is an anticoagulant and is used to stop blood from clotting (thrombosis). It is given to patients who are mostly bedridden in during their admission (elderly, orthopaedic, surgical) and to the majority of cardiac patients.

This medicine comes in a liquid form in a glass vial that is injected into the fat of a patient or as in infusion intravenously (into the vein). It is made from porcine intestinal mucosa (pig intestine). Clexane (Enoxaparin) is made from the same ingredients as Heparin and is used for the same reason. It is hard to avoid these medications especially whilst in hospital as they do serve a purpose, but if we do hear these names whilst admitted in hospital, kindly

asking the doctor for an alternative would not be a bad idea. Being active in our care is imperative.

Another medicine used in a hospital setting is Gelofusine, an intravenous infusion solution used in emergency or ward settings to replenish low blood volume. It contains gelatin derived from bovine collagen. Usually blood products or other infusion solutions can be given in this situation, so asking the doctor for an alternative might prevent putting non-halal products into our body.

Diabetes is increasingly common among the Arab Muslim community. Most diabetics control their illness by eating the right foods and/or taking an oral hypoglycemic. A minority of diabetics require insulin injections to keep their blood sugar level stable. Until as recently as 2006, the main insulin brands available on the market were made from natural porcine or bovine insulin, but since then they have been discontinued. There are still one or two insulins available on the market that contain porcine or bovine insulin, they are Hypurin Neutral (available in both bovine and porcine) and Hypurin Isophane (also available in both bovine and porcine).

The surgical field even uses products that contain animal derivatives, such as sutures (part of its constituents is sheep intestinal mucosa) and absorbable sutures (contain animal collagen) used in the closing of a wound during surgery.

It is difficult and time consuming to be screening everything that comes near us, but it is very important that we are aware of what we are ingesting and injecting into the body Allah s.w.t gave us.

Medicines are often a necessity; otherwise we would not take them. But it is essential that we be open with our doctors, ask them what

Page 13 reviews for this movie. Yahoo, for example, describes Stoning as demonstrating “the utter lack of human rights for women under Islamic law.” Ouch.

If I was watching the news and reading such a review from a non-Muslim point-ofview, I would seriously doubt whether Islam was the religion of peace Muslims claim it to be. I would also question the sanity and self esteem of converted Muslim women around the globe.

I would think I was off my own rocker.

The haters are everywhere. So sad for Muslims these days that the enemies of Islam, including some Muslim clerics, have so much ammunition and so many outlets in which to use it. Sadder still is their latest most popular ammo: Muslims oppressing Muslims. *Debora McNichol is a Muslim wife, mother, daughter, business owner, editor, and attorney in the USA. She has a general law practice in Virginia and North Carolina, and especially takes pleasure in discussing intellectual property and business law with willing clients, friends, and neighbors.

Debora blogs regularly, discussing Muslim and personal topics, current events, and business-related subjects with passion. www.sawalad.com – Sawa-Lad Editing Services www.mcnichollaw.com – McNichol Law Offices.

Gelatine and Emulsifiers: What are we really putting into our bodies?

Amanda Charmand Mazumde*

W

e are all aware, Allah s.w.t has prohibited the consumption of swine (pig, hog, boar) products. As Muslims, we know the names to avoid are Pork, Ham and Bacon, but there are some names we don’t come across all that often, and we need to be aware of what they are.

Lard is pig fat and is used in things like butter and cooking oils, though it is not commonly found as it is high in saturated fats and there are healthier alternatives. It is still a safe choice to look at the ingredients of products purchased at the supermarket.

Emulsifiers used in foods can also contain swine products, E430-E436, E441-E442, E470 (a), E471, E472 (a), E473, E474, E475, E477, are to be avoided as they contain or may contain pork, though calling the manufacturer would be the safest option when intending to purchase a product containing the above mentioned emulsifiers.

Gelatine (or gelatin) was addressed in the prior issue of CT, and is made from boiled bones, connective tissue, skins and tendons of animals such as pigs, cows and horses. It is found in desserts, marshmallows, gummy bears, jelly lollies, encapsulated medicines (capsules)

they are prescribing, what are its effects, is it necessary, if it may contain swine products, and is there an alternative? If there is no other alternative, we can refer to the Holy Quran as it says: “He has forbidden to you only carrion, and blood, and the flesh of swine and that over which any name other than God’s has been invoked; but if one is driven by necessity neither desiring/longing for it nor exceeding his immediate need - no sin shall be upon him: for, behold, God is much-forgiving, a dispenser of grace” Surah Al-Bakara, 2:173, Al-An’am 6:145, An-Nahl, 16:115, and also in Al-Maidah, 5:3.

We need to make the decision whether it is a necessity, after getting all the information from doctors, nurses and other knowledgeable advisers. As we can see, this topic is mentioned in the Holy Quran four times; therefore it must be an extremely significant issue and must be handled with patience and sensitivity.

A bit of info on swine – they are omnivorous (literally ‘all-eater’), they eat dead insects, tree bark, leaves, grass, roots, fruits, flowers and rotting carcasses, garbage, and other pigs.

They are also the only mammals to eat their own young. They possess many diseases and parasites that they can spread to humans such as tapeworms, roundworms and the larvae of these worms that can travel to the brain and possibly cause death. Wild pigs are known to completely destroy crops, as they uproot everything with their snout in order to find food. * Amanda Charmand Mazumde is a Registered Mental Health Nurse, previously working in Sydney South West Area Health Service (Bankstown and Liverpool Hospitals). Now temporarily living in Bangladesh. She is passionate about medicine, nursing, health and psychiatry.

The opinions published in Crescent Times newspaper do not necessarily represent the point of view of the publishers.

National

Page 14

Aussie adults troubled by spelling

Australians have been left red-faced after a survey showed more than two-thirds of them have trouble spelling the word embarrass.

The Galaxy survey asked 400 people in Sydney and Melbourne aged over 16 years to spell eight commonly misspelled words.

About 70 per cent couldn’t spell accommodation, one in two people spelled accessory wrong and a quarter had trouble

Crescent Times No 9 July 2009 with February.

Other tricky words included guarantee, opportunity, eighth and receipt.

Only seven per cent of participants received 100 per cent.

The survey found people aged 25 to 34 have some homework to do, ranking among the worst spellers.

Children’s author Deborah Abela said spell check and text message abbreviations were harming people’s spelling skills.

Source: news.com.au

Above: Al Hidayah School in Bentley, WA is now utilising the Bentley Community Centre (near Al-Hidayah Islamic School) for Jummah Salaat.

Photo: Courtesy Al Hidayah School, Perth.

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Crescent Times No 9 July 2009

East and West

Iran may loses twice but Fethi Yakin lives on

A

t the age of 13 or 15 I read the well known book of Dr. Fethi Yakin: “What my belonging to Islam means”. I remember that I was so excited at that age to read such deeply written meanings in very simple Arabic, suitable for every one including secondary school students. Since then I have considered Fethi as one of the Ummah’s greatest contemporary thinkers. When I first had the chance to meet him he was an MP in Lebanon.

Since then, the influence of Yekin on Lebanese Muslim youth has declined.

Meanwhile the rest of Muslim world outside Lebanon kept translating his enormous library in over 15 languages and printing millions of copies.

When I heard he passed away suddenly in June just days after the controversial Lebanese elections, I felt the loss of one of the Ummah’s greatest comtemporary teachers.

The comments I heard about his death made me feel sick in way or another. “He died of sadness after the great loss of Hizbullah and Iran in the late Lebanese election”, one of my Lebanese friends told me. What a black joke.

Most of his old “comrades” over forty years, deserted him as a result of what they saw as his “evil” coalition with Hizbullah. Some Sunni Lebanese accused him of selling out to the Shia and Iran. Well, I am telling you that he was not the kind of person to sell out but he definintely considered his Shia brothers and sisters an essential part of our great Ummah.

No doubt about that.

Iran may have lost two elections in two months, the one which Hizbullah could not get their usual majority in the parliament, and the other when the Iranian election turned to bloodshed on the streets.

Whether I may agree or desagree with readers regarding the Iranian religious police state, or Hizbullah as a sectarian party; it is unlikely that anyone who truly understands politics, will argue that America and its alliance did not interfere in the internal political scenes in both Iran and Lebanon, in particular over the last 5 years. The CIA themselves admitted working from inside Iran to destroy the Islamic revolution! The Lebanese inter sectarian and religious government uncovered at least 60 spying networks in the last two years spying for Israel alone. These are all facts not assumptions.

Well, whatever happened for the region you could blame terrorism, or whatever you like, instead of the well known enemies of the Ummah. But please separate Fethi and pray for his soul for full mercy and forgiveness from Allah almighty.

Ameen.

Tarek Chamkhi Editor in Chief

Community

Page 15

Australia wide Community Events: -WALast Chance Cafe A final chance to catch up with past and future friends before Ramadan begins.

Date: Sunday 2nd August 2009 Time: 10.30 to 1pm.

Where: Canning Arts Centre, 72 Riley Road (cnr High Rd) Riverton Gold coin donation appreciated. Morning tea will be provided.

LADIES ONLY event.

For more info: contact: the MWSC on 08 9451 5696 or email: info@mwsc.com.au Countering Militancy in Pakistan Conference, 3-4 Aug 2009 The Centre for Muslim States and Societies at The University of Western Australia will be hosting a two day international symposium 3rd- 4th August, 2009 which will draw on the expertise of academics, practitioners and international relations experts from around the world. They will explore ideas on how to counter militancy in Pakistan on a sustained basis. Discussions will contribute to national and global security agenda in which Pakistan occupies a central place.

The conference is being co-sponsored by the AusAID, the ARC Asia-Pacific Futures Network (Islam Node), and the Embassy of France in Australia.

The University of Western Australia Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009 Phone: +61 8 6488 4554 Fax: +61 8 6488 4558 Email: cmss@uwa.edu.au Women’s only Swimming Lessons Womens Health Services is now offering women’s only swimming lessons. Learn how to swim in a safe, friendly and female environment before the hot summer arrives. These classes will suit beginners as well as women wanting to improve their swimming skills. Swimming classes will take place in warm hydrotherapy pools in a women only environment.

This is a great opportunity to increase fitness and become more confident and comfortable in the water.

Do not miss out on this great opportunity by Womens Health Services. Term 3 classes start soon.

Cost is $5.00 or $40.00 for 8 weeks child care is available.

For further information or to book a class contact: Freda Cook: 9227 8122 fcook@whs.org.au Sue Lee: 9227 8122 suelee@whs.org.au -NSW2009 MSA Students Career Expo Sat 11 July 2009 Auburn Town Hall • Give young people guidance and direction in life after school and university • Enable young to discover both the potential in themselves and encourage education and entrepreneur-ship in young people • Opportunity for school leavers to meet university students and professionals to provide brief mentorship about subject and career choice.

Katalyst Presents- Road to Enlightenment Road to Enlightenment-Inviting to Islam Workshop is a short day training that will empower you with the tools, techniques & confidence needed to be effective in conveying the message of Islam.

The workshop will be interactive and learner based with heaps of group activities, case studies and most importantly, lots of FUN Date: Sunday 19th of July, 2009.

Duration: 10am – 4pm Location: Rydges Hotel Conference Room- Bass Hill REGISTRATIONS Please note you must preregister for this event as there are limited places available. $50 Non Student $30 Current Student Discount Fee includes notes, refreshments and lunch.

ASWJ | 8th Annual Conference We are glad to announce the details of the 8th Annual ASWJ conference – Belief of a Believer.

Friday the 10th of July - Sunday the 12th of July, Bankstown Town Hall,

Chapel Rd (Corner of Rickard Rd), Bankstown, Sydney Over the 3 days, Islamic Scholars and Mashaykh from Australia and around the world will give a series of lectures and presentations, relating to the Belief of a Believer. The Amir of Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jama’ah, Fadilatu-Shaykh Abu Ayman Omran from Melbourne will be accompanied by special International Guest Speaker Shaykh, Dr Muhammad Anwar Sahib from New Zealand.

Visit aswj.com.au for more information The Final Rites Sat 11 July 2009 Fiqh Of Janazah, Burials & Inheritance. In The Final Rites, you will learn about: Sickness and the final moments, Writing a will & bequests, Washing and shrouding the dead with practical demonstrations, Prayer over the dead and burial, Visiting the graveyard, Benefiting the dead. ENROL ON-LINE: www.alkauthar.org Daar Aisha Men’s Course: The Lives of Man Wed 15 July 2009 Daar Aisha Shariah College presents a five week course on the journey of the soul presented by Ustadh Omar Habbouche. Wednesdays 6.30-9pm.

Course commences Wednesday 15th July. Men only. Registration essential. 9759 6222 ~ 0410 347 257 ~ info@daaraisha.org Daar Aisha Men’s Course: Fiqh Of Fasting & Zakat Sun 26 July 2009 Daar Aisha is pleased to present a 10 week course on the Fiqh of fasting and zakat for men. There is the option of Hanafi or Shafe’i mazhab, with these classes being run simultaneously. Classes commence Sunday 26th July from 9.30am-12.45pm. Men only.

Registration Essential. Please call 0432 718 777 9759 6222 - info@daaraisha.org National Social Cohesion Conference: 19-21 July Sun 19 July 2009 The National Social Cohesion Conference, to be held from 19th July to 21st July, seeks to set a platform to explore how to work towards a socially cohesive society in the context of contemporary realities and challenges. Significantly important are the issues of Islamophobia and its influences on integration and citizenship.

Muslim Women Association 18th Annual Girls’ Camp Sun 19 July 2009 For young Muslim women who want to reach their full potential. A camp full of outdoor activities, leadership training, Islamic workshops plus more.

Juniors Sunday 19th-Tuesday 21st July for girls in years 3-10.

Seniors Tuesday 21st July-Friday 24th July for girls in year 10-12 and University/TAFE aged students.

Call 9750 6916, email info@mwa.org.au or visit us at 47 Wangee Rd. Lakemba for more information or to register.

Series of lectures in diffrent mosques: Lakemba Masjid Lecture: Wednesday 22 July, 7pm The Last Days of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh), delivered by; Sh. Hasan Al-Banna Omar Masjid Lecture (Auburn): Wednesday 22 July, 7pm The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) & Muslim Youth, delivered by; Sh. Abdelrahman Helbawi.

Da’ee Workshop: Thursday 23 July, 9.30am An exclusive workshop for people who are involved in community work, and for those working with students, delivered by; Sh. Abdelrahman Helbawi & Sh. Hasan Al-Banna.

Lakemba Masjid Lecture: Thursday 23 July, 7pm The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as a husband and father, delivered by; Sh. Abdelrahman Helbawi.

Workshop I - Rydges Bankstown Saturday 25 July, 9am – 3:30pm An interactive and practical workshop, topics include; “The Prophet & dealing with Muslim youth”

by Sh. Abdelrahman Helbawi, and “The Prophet as a leader” by Sh. Tawfique Chowdhury Souk - Bankstown Town Hall

Saturday 25 July, 5pm – 9pm A traditional and vibrant market-place featuring fine foods, clothes, arts, crafts, books & more!

Public Lecture - Bankstown Town Hall Saturday 25 July, 7pm An evening featuring keynote lectures on; “The perfect manners of the Prophet” by Sh. Abdelrahman Helbawi, & “The Spiritual life of the Prophet” by Sh. Tawfique Chowdhury.

Workshop II - Rydges Bankstown Sunday 26 July, 9am – 3:30pm An interactive and practical workshop, topics include; “The Prophet and conflict resolution” by Sh. Abdelrahman Helbawi, and “The Prophets way of Da’wah” by Dr. Mohamad Abdalla.

-VICSounds Of Light Australia’s Largest Islamic Concert Date: 11 July 2009 Time: 6pm-10pm Location: Dallas Brooks Centre Tickets Ticketek Website www.soundsoflight.com.au -QLDAACCI Queensland Middle East Information The Deputy National Chairman of Australia Arab Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AACCI) Mr. Don Neale has joined with Queensland State Chairman Mr. Mike Farrar to announce that there will be an Information Session event in Southport on Thursday July 16, for locally based Queensland businesses interested in obtaining an insight into trade and business opportunities in the Middle East.

The presenters at the AACCI Queensland Middle East Information Event will provide an excellent insight into a number of potential areas for Australian providers of Education, Training L & D; Property Development and other potential commercial opportunities.

Details of the AACCI Queensland Middle East Information Event on the Gold Coast are as follows Date: Wednesday July 16 Time: 5:30pm Venue: Westpac, 19 – 21 Bay Street, Southport Enquiries & bookings: 0413 071 330 or lizdon2@optusnet.com.au

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Alhamdulillah, what an amazing job ya’ll are doing. May Allah reward ya’ll in fullest... Ameen ya Rabbul Alameen.

This is a great initiative, which inshaAllah the Muslims of Australia is blessed with. With regard to the music, I disagree with the published work.

I am a lover of any benefit for the Muslim community, don’t get me wrong.

I’d urge every sincere reader to get hold of the book that details: ‘The Islamic Ruling on Music and Singing’ By Abu Bilal Mustafa al-Kanadi or go to Sheikh Yusuf Estes’ www. islamnewsroom.com, and on the left under ‘Hot Topics’ there is a link: ‘Music’ or http://islamworld.net/docs/music.html or even search in www.islamqa.com It refutes (respectfully) Sheikh Yusuf Al-Qaradawi, Ibn Hazm, and explains where they have gone wrong. It also proves that the Imams of ALL the 4 Madaahib have concluded that musical instruments is forbidden in Islam.

Singing is not that matter here. Giving Adhaan or reciting Quran in melodious voice is not the issue.

We do have beautiful munshids like Zain Bhikha, Ahmed Bukhatir, Dawud Wharnsby Ali, Kamaluddin and much more, who send positive messages AND sing without musical instruments.

Consider this, those who believe that there is a difference of opinion among scholars; Our Nabi emphasized that the halaal is clear and haraam is clear, and the doubtful matters is best avoided.

Love fisabilillah Haroon Mohamed Siddiqu- Joondanna, WA

Opinion

Page 16

FOCUS: Is This Backbiting?

PLANET IRF:

Crescent Times No 9 July 2009

The best man for the job??

Linda Delgado*

T

he other day I received an email asking me for a recommendation for a sister who is known to provide book editing services. I am a book publisher. I struggled with what kind of response to make. The sistereditor had several years ago accepted an editing project and I paid her in advance as she said she was in need of the money. Six months later she had not sent me the edited manuscript and had not responded to several of my emails.

Finally, she wrote to say she would not be editing the manuscript as she found the story dull-boring. She did not find anything Islamically wrong with the content. I asked her to return the money I paid her and she refused saying she had already spent it.

Should I stay quiet about this? What if this sister-editor cheats the Muslim asking me to give a recommendation? What do I say?

Before I reverted to Islam two Saudi Arabian police officers stayed in my home while they were guests in the USA. They came to learn English at the local State University and to learn advanced police tactics from a sponsoring city police department. When they got ready to return to their homeland a year later, they came to me appearing quite upset. Both “boys” had very worried expressions. Haltingly they told me not to allow a brother Muslim to live

in my home. They had heard this brother was looking for a sponsor and I had just that week interviewed him. When I pressed them to explain why they would tell me this, they did not want to answer me. I persisted. They talked quietly in Arabic. Finally Abdul said, “He is not a good Muslim. He is not good to have in your home.”

It was several years later, after my reversion, that I realized what a struggle it had been for my Saudi boys to tell me this and that their great concern was for “back biting” this brother…but they knew of the potential harm.

They gave me this warning, which I respected, and did not invite the other brother to live in my home.

“Whoever of you sees something objectionable then let him change it with his hand, and if he is not able then with his tongue, and if he is not able then with his heart, and that is the weakest Iman.” (Imam an-Nawawi, Hadith No. 34) *Linda Delgado - AKA Widad is a revert, mother of three and has 8 grandchildren. Widad is the author of the award winning Islamic Rose Books series, and owner-publisher of the Muslim Writers Publishing business: www.

MuslimWritersPublishing.com.

Michael, Music, and Muslims Aisha Stacey*

T

he recent death of Michael Jackson sent shock waves across the globe. As the days pass and tributes continue to pour in, people of all lifestyles contemplate his passing. The music industry mourns the death of one of the greatest singer songwriters of the era, and Muslims around the world wonder if Michael did in fact convert to Islam in his final months of life.

Michael’s brother Jermaine, a Muslim for more than 20 years, had openly expressed his desire for Michael to find solace from his troubled life in the beauty of Islam. Although we will never know what was going through Michael’s mind in the last hours, minutes, or seconds of his life, we do know that Michael’s life, and the role of music in the life of Muslims, have aspects in common.

They both have the ability to enliven any discussion, and both are able to polarise opinion. The death of Michael Jackson has once again bought up the contentious issue of music in Islam. While some Muslims cry haram (unlawful), at the first mention of the word music, others point out that the role of music in Islam has been the subject of debate for centuries.

We are by no means the first generation of Muslims to consider and contemplate the true place of music but it has recently become a hot topic, in homes, schools, and even masjids.

Opinions abound and the average Muslim is beginning to feel confused and bewildered.

The more “traditional” scholars express the

opinion that music is unlawful, while other more “modern” teachers ask us to consider whether the lyrics entice us to sin.

There is no denying that music has played a significant role in Islamic history. Musicians from the Umayyad dynasties combined Arabic music with the musical heritage of the lands they conquered. Arabic singer, composer, and lutenist of the 9th century, Ishaq, is believed to have created the third musical mode that became the basis for western music.

In Andalusia, Ibn Sina (Avicenna), the man regarded as the father of modern medicine, used music as treatment. Additionally, no matter what opinion one holds about Sufi groups, they exist in large numbers throughout the Islamic world and their use of music, chanting and dancing is well known and documented.

Our history is resplendent with fascinating contributions to science, medicine, arts, and culture and yes, it includes music. Our scholars and teachers are unable to agree.

Some declare that all musical instruments apart from the duff are unlawful. Others point to the love of God inherent in Islamic songs (nasheeds). Who is correct, or are they both right, or both wrong?

Muslims in 2009 are perplexed by conflicting and contrasting images and opinions. They are swamped by mixed messages. One point that all scholars and schools of thought agree upon is that music combined with drinking

Irfan Yusuf*

I

recently returned from a trip to New Zealand. There I caught up with a trueblue Kiwi Muslim (I’ll call him DA), the son of a Catholic father and Protestant mum.

DA speaks with a broad Kiwi accent (if there is such a thing!) and has been involved with his local mosque for many years.

DA told me a joke about a former KGB officer who meets with a member of the Soviet Politburo some years after the Soviet Union collapsed. They met in Geneva, and the Politburo chap was very wealthy. He takes the KGB fellow to an expensive restaurant and wines and dines him.

The KBG officer admits during the lunch that he had spent many years spying on the Politburo chap, suspecting him of undermining the Soviet state. However, he couldn’t find any damning documents, wire taps or other evidence.

“Now that the Soviet Union is no more,” the KGB officer said, “you can admit to me if there was any basis to my suspicion.”

“Certainly, my friend,” the Politburo veteran said, “I was indeed involved in anti-Soviet activity. I was being paid by the United States $1,000 into a Swiss bank account each month, and all I had to do was just one thing over and alcohol, gambling, or immorality is definitely unlawful. Therefore, when our scholars and leaders are unable to agree on finer details, and the choices are overwhelming, there is only one thing left to do; use the incredible intellect God gave us.

While contemplating the death of Michael Jackson we should ask ourselves some timely questions. Is mindlessly humming Billie Jean or Oh baby give me one more chance a suitable pastime? Could Michael’s death perhaps be a wake up call for humankind? Life is fragile, and short, and filled with insecurities and inconsistencies. The answer cannot be found in the music, or the lyrics, the melody or the beat.

Quran is the true music of life; it resonates in the heart and flows liltingly over the lips. Quran instils gentleness and peace by calming the soul and taming the wild heart. Maybe we will never know the real answer to what place music has in Islam, but the recitation of Quran is designed to banish our sadness and relive our distress.

*Aisha Stacey is an Australian convert to Islam. She spent from 2003 until 2007 working as a writer / researcher / da’eh at the Fanar Islamic Cultural Centre in Doha Qatar.

Aisha recently returned to Australia, and completed her Bachelor of Arts, specialising in Terrorism, Security, and Counterterrorism. Aisha writes a weekly column for www. islamreligion.com

over again. Yet to my surprise, each time I did this, for some reason I was able to move up higher in the ranks of the Communist Party.”

The KGB officer seemed rather confused.

How could undermining the Soviet state enable one to move up in its ranks? He pressed the Politburo chap to reveal his secret. It turned out to be not as exciting or mysterious as he expected.

“All the Americans asked of me was that when I had the opportunity to pick someone to perform a task, I should pick the most incompetent and imbecilic person. That’s it.

For doing that, I’d get money paid into my account and now I am rich!”

DA told me that he often wondered whether someone was paying those who vote in mosque elections or sit on mosque committees money to do the same thing. He wondered whether the voters or those elected were more useless in this regard.

DA told me the story of a meeting he attended where the mosque was selecting someone to be a da’awah officer to attract more New Zealander non-Muslims and new Muslims. The mosque committee completely ignored the advice of local converts and youth, instead appointing someone purely on the basis that he spoke the best Arabic. The committee seemed to ignore the fact that the new officer wasn’t exactly popular with Kiwis given his insistence in always talking about either the evils of Zionism or the rulings on wearing leather socks.

If you agree with DA’s sentiments, pass on a copy of this article to your local mosque committee. Just don’t hold your breath waiting for change. * Irfan Yusuf is a Sydney based lawyer, writer and columnist. He is the opinion editor of Crescent Times.

Muslims “Overtake” Catholics, Become Largest Religion Islam has surpassed Roman Catholicism as the world’s largest religion, the Vatican newspaper said Sunday.

According to data from 2006, Muslims are now at 19.2 percent of the world population overtaking the Roman Catholics around the world for the first time. The Vatican admitted that they are no longer longer at the top.

It is true that while Muslim families, as is well known, continue to have a lot of children, Christian ones on the contrary tend to have fewer and fewer, one Vatican source said.

Christians overall, including Catholic Christians still make up 33 percent of the world population.

National

R E A D I T, S U P P O R T I T, BE PROUD OF IT

BE A LONG TERM S P O N S O R T O D AY Hot !! s!

T IMES RESCENT w e N

☪

Australian Muslim Newspaper

Dear sisters and brothers,

★

Strengthening Our Community

Assalamu alaykom, The Eid Udha (Hajj Eid) festival is usually celebrated by Muslims across the world on the same day unlike the Eid fitr (Ramadan Eid). The Ramadan Eid could fall on any one of four or five days depending on where you are, this is a result of the variety of methods used to identify the date. (eg by moon sighting, by calculation).

Since we were babies we were accustomed to the idea of following Saudi Arabia in the decision of Hajj days and Hajj Eid as it is strongly related to the Hajj season. Last year I was shocked when I saw that the Thornlie mosque in WA declared Hajj Eid on a different day than all other Muslims in Australia as they did not follow Saudi Arabia. To investigate the matter of declaring Eid dates, Crescent Times will publish a profile in the August 2009 issue including full shariaa documentation, readers opinions and scholars point of view. ALL readers are invited to have their say and contribute to the discussion. The editor in chief: Tarek Chamkhi

Hijrah magazine to be released in January 2010: Almost every Australian Muslim will tell you that there is an urgent need for our own life style magazine, but no one really wants to take the steps required to reach this goal.

Many magazines that have been launched in the West, across USA, UK, Europe & Australia have failed to continue deliver their message for reasons of financial hardship.

When the Crescent Press team decided to take the risk and give it a fair ago, we knew it would not be easy! But we commit to do it insha Allah with hearts full of faith and compassion.

Our due date is out there: start of year 2010.

But! our mission won’t succeed if our Muslim businesses, individuals and organisations don’t support us.

What sort of supports guarantee the durability of our proposed Muslim life style magazine?

SPONSORSHIP

Well, first of all we need regular

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TELLING THE STORY OF MUSLIMS DOWN UNDER

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Crescent Times No 9 July 2009

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Muslim holiday makers in the outback enjoying the beauty of our country

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Crescent Times No 9 July 2009

On Iran, Internet Filters & Cyber Politics Omar Hashmi*

T

here is one aspect of modern warfare that is really quite fascinating – an aspect that often passes unnoticed – cyber warfare. Conflicts that start in real life, over real issues, spill over onto the internet.

Websites are attacked, services are shut down, attackers are either amateurs or have easy deniability.

In 2007 an argument between Estonia and Russia erupted into cyber war when Estonian government websites and services were attacked by a massive Distributed Denial Of Service (DDOS) attack. A Denial of Service (DOS) attack is where a computer sends a huge number of packets with the aim of overloading the targets network. A Distributed DOS attack is when multiple computers in multiple places are involved in the attack. The target is overwhelmed by the information and is shut down. Estonia blamed the attack on the Russian government, but the Russians could easily claim that the attacks were not connected with the government and instead the act of individuals.

A year later, Russia went to war with Georgia, and in addition to troops invading the country, and aircraft bombing it, Georgia was subjected to internet based attacks.

Georgian government websites including the President and Ministry of Defence sites were hacked, and taken over. Georgian hacker websites were targeted and DDOSed off the

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net. The Russian cyber attacks broke the ability of the Georgian government to communicate over the internet, and broke the ability of Georgians to fight back.

Now in Iran, we are seeing a major fight over communications. Unlike in the former two conflicts, in Iran communications are of major importance. The government is trying to disrupt protesters’ communications and prevent information from leaving, entering, or moving around the country. Keep them ignorant, keep them divided. All regular media is either banned or strictly controlled by the government, but the internet is an open field and a fight is on. The main weapon in the government arsenal is their internet filter, and since Australia is considering implementing a similar filter it’s worth Australians paying attention to how effective (or ineffective) the Iranian filter is.

Some sites such as Facebook had been blocked in lead up to the election, however as soon as the protests started getting serious the Iranian government used the filter to block access to all foreign media sites, all social networking sites, YouTube, and any other site that could easily be used to pass information around the country. In response protesters both inside and outside Iran attacked government communications with network attacks such as DDOS and hacking. The Iranian people tried to get around the filter using proxies and other methods to trick the filter. The result was that within a day the Iranian internet filter had all but fallen, and nearly all of the video footage we are seeing from Iran is from people who are

routinely filter busting.

Iran is a country that has put a great deal of money and policy behind the filter, and the fact that it fell so easily is a lesson on why Australia should never waste the money trying to build one. In the last few days the Government of Iran has resorted to more conventional techniques, they have cut all the communications cables out of the country except one that travels via Turkish Telecom. The stated goal of this is to improve the effectiveness of their filter, and to significantly reduce the bandwidth available. The latter means that people have to choose between attacking government communications, or getting information in and out - that includes phone calls to relatives. As a result, the word on the net is now not to DOS Iranian government sites from outside Iran. In addition an anti-government DDOS facility has fallen to government hackers, and mobile phone data is being intercepted, tracked, and even modified. That means, that a protester can send an SMS, the government can use the SMS to determine where the protester is, and modify it to mislead protesters. The government seems to have gained the upper hand at the moment, but who knows what will happen tomorrow?

The question for Australia is: why are we trying to implement an internet filter when bypassing existing filters is relatively straightforward. We also need to ask how the filter would fit into Australian cyber warfare. If we implement a filter, and if it is attacked, can the attacker shut down all external communications from Australia?

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Prayer times

Crescent Times No 9 July 2009

Page 19

M

uslim Pages is the first National Muslim community directory for local businesses, professionals and community organisations and services. Muslim Pages will be distributed nationally during the summer holiday 2009-2010. For the first year, Muslim pages will cover Perth, Melbourne and Sydney only.

Price list for advertising in the first edition of Muslim pages: - Standard listing: FREE - bold listing: (business name, address, full contact numbers) = $30 - 1/16 page: 85mm X 30mm = $45 - 1/8 page: 85mm X 60mm= $80 - 1/4 page: 85mm X 110 mm = $150 - 1/2 page: 175mm X110mm = $300 - Full page: 180mm X 225mm = $600 - Spread of two pages: $1000 - Front Cover Page box 45mm X 45mm = $750 Special spots: - Inside front cover, inside back cover, back page cover: PLEASE ASK FOR A QUOTE. ARTWORK: Either you supply it or we offer it FREE.

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Date 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Prayer Schedule July 2009 Sydney, NSW Day 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 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

Fajr Sunrise Dhuhr 5:32 7:01 11:59 5:32 7:01 11:59 5:32 7:00 12:00 5:32 7:00 12:00 5:32 7:00 12:00 5:32 7:00 12:00 5:32 7:00 12:01 5:32 7:00 12:01 5:32 7:00 12:01 5:31 6:59 12:01 5:31 6:59 12:01 5:31 6:59 12:01 5:31 6:58 12:01 5:31 6:58 12:01 5:30 6:58 12:02 5:30 6:58 12:02 5:30 6:57 12:02 5:29 6:56 12:02 5:29 6:56 12:02 5:28 6:55 12:02 5:28 6:55 12:02 5:28 6:54 12:02 5:27 6:54 12:02 5:27 6:54 12:02 5:26 6:52 12:02 5:26 6:52 12:02 5:25 6:51 12:02 5:24 6:50 12:02 5:24 6:50 12:02 5:23 6:49 12:02 5:23 6:49 12:02

Asr Maghrib 2:39 4:57 2:39 4:57 2:40 4:58 2:41 4:59 2:41 4:59 2:42 5:00 2:42 5:00 2:42 5:01 2:42 5:01 2:43 5:02 2:44 5:02 2:44 5:03 2:45 5:04 2:45 5:04 2:46 5:05 2:46 5:05 2:47 5:05 2:48 5:07 2:48 5:07 2:49 5:08 2:49 5:09 2:50 5:09 2:50 5:10 2:50 5:10 2:52 5:11 2:52 5:12 2:53 5:13 2:53 5:13 2:54 5:14 2:54 5:15 2:54 5:15

Isha 6:22 6:22 6:22 6:23 6:23 6:24 6:24 6:25 6:25 6:25 6:26 6:26 6:27 6:27 6:28 6:28 6:28 6:29 6:30 6:31 6:31 6:32 6:32 6:32 6:33 6:34 6:34 6:35 6:36 6:36 6:36

Date 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Prayer Schedule July 2009 Perth, Western Australia

Day 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 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

Fajr Sunrise 5:51 7:17 5:51 7:17 5:51 7:17 5:51 7:17 5:51 7:17 5:51 7:17 5:51 7:17 5:51 7:17 5:51 7:16 5:50 7:16 5:50 7:16 5:50 7:16 5:50 7:15 5:50 7:15 5:49 7:15 5:49 7:14 5:49 7:14 5:49 7:14 5:48 7:13 5:48 7:13 5:47 7:12 5:47 7:12 5:47 7:11 5:46 7:11 5:46 7:10 5:45 7:09 5:45 7:09 5:44 7:08 5:43 7:07 5:43 7:07 5:42 7:06

Sydney

Dhuhr 12:21 12:21 12:21 12:22 12:22 12:22 12:22 12:22 12:22 12:23 12:23 12:23 12:23 12:23 12:23 12:23 12:23 12:23 12:23 12:24 12:24 12:24 12:24 12:24 12:24 12:24 12:24 12:24 12:24 12:24 12:24

Asr Maghrib 3:06 5:24 3:06 5:24 3:06 5:25 3:07 5:25 3:07 5:26 3:08 5:26 3:08 5:27 3:08 5:27 3:09 5:28 3:09 5:28 3:10 5:29 3:10 5:29 3:11 5:30 3:11 5:30 3:12 5:31 3:12 5:31 3:13 5:32 3:13 5:32 3:14 5:33 3:14 5:34 3:15 5:34 3:15 5:35 3:16 5:35 3:16 5:36 3:17 5:37 3:17 5:37 3:18 5:38 3:18 5:39 3:19 5:39 3:19 5:40 3:20 5:41

Isha 6:46 6:46 6:47 6:47 6:48 6:48 6:48 6:49 6:49 6:50 6:50 6:51 6:51 6:51 6:52 6:52 6:53 6:53 6:54 6:54 6:55 6:55 6:56 6:56 6:57 6:57 6:58 6:59 6:59 7:00 7:00

$30

Date 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Prayer Schedule July 2009 Melbourne, Victoria

Day 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 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

Fajr Sunrise Dhuhr 6:03 7:36 12:24 6:03 7:36 12:24 6:03 7:36 12:25 6:03 7:36 12:25 6:02 7:36 12:25 6:02 7:35 12:25 6:02 7:35 12:26 6:02 7:35 12:26 6:02 7:35 12:26 6:02 7:34 12:26 6:01 7:34 12:26 6:01 7:34 12:26 6:01 7:33 12:26 6:00 7:33 12:26 6:00 7:32 12:27 6:00 7:32 12:27 6:00 7:32 12:27 5:59 7:31 12:27 5:58 7:30 12:27 5:58 7:29 12:27 5:57 7:29 12:27 5:57 7:28 12:27 5:56 7:27 12:27 5:56 7:27 12:27 5:55 7:26 12:27 5:54 7:25 12:27 5:54 7:24 12:27 5:53 7:24 12:27 5:52 7:23 12:27 5:52 7:22 12:27 5:52 7:22 12:27

Asr Maghrib 2:54 5:12 2:54 5:12 2:55 5:13 2:56 5:14 2:56 5:14 2:57 5:15 2:57 5:15 2:58 5:16 2:58 5:16 2:59 5:17 2:59 5:18 3:00 5:18 3:00 5:19 3:01 5:20 3:02 5:20 3:02 5:20 3:02 5:21 3:03 5:22 3:04 5:23 3:05 5:24 3:05 5:25 3:06 5:25 3:07 5:26 3:07 5:26 3:08 5:28 3:09 5:28 3:09 5:29 3:10 5:30 3:11 5:31 3:11 5:32 3:11 5:32

Isha 6:41 6:41 6:42 6:42 6:43 6:43 6:44 6:44 6:44 6:45 6:46 6:46 6:47 6:47 6:48 6:48 6:48 6:50 6:50 6:51 6:52 6:52 6:53 6:53 6:54 6:55 6:55 6:56 6:57 6:57 6:57

Fi amani’Allah

Page 20

Crescent Times No 9 July 2009

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