Issue 207 - February 2023

Powerhouse Parramatta:Interview with Sabsabi

The revival of Modern Islamic Astronomy

Why the violence between Israel and the Palestinians may be entering

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken rushed to the Middle East this week to make yet another push for a negotiated settlement between Israel and the Palestinians following yet another dramatic escalation in violence between the two sides.

Blinken urged peace in his meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the president of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, but the prospects could hardly be dimmer.

More than 30 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the beginning of this year, mostly at the hands of Israeli security forces. And last Friday, a Palestinian gunman killed seven Israeli civilians outside a synagogue in the Israeli settlement of East Jerusalem, one of the worst attacks in the city in years.

This follows the deadliest year in the West Bank since the UN started tracking deaths in 2005, with 154 Palestinians killed by Israeli security forces in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

I spent a month in the West Bank in October as part of research for a book on far-right and Islamist politics. Within the first ten days after I arrived, seven children under the age of 18 were reported to have been killed. Over the course of one month, I documented 29 Palestinian deaths in total – and two killings of Israeli soldiers – most of whom under the age of 30.

Because the mainstream English media does not consistently report on these killings, I relied on several social media channels to cross-check names and pictures. And because of regular censorship on these platforms of Palestinian news sources, such as the Hamas-affiliated Quds News Network, the death toll is likely to have been even higher.

While peace has long been elusive in the occupied Palestinian territories, there is a

new dimension to the latest violence in the West Bank, which some observers believe could now spiral out of control.

Unlike previous unrest, newly emerging Palestinian militant groups are increasingly fragmented and calling for a popular uprising. This demand, in turn, coincides with a radical shift to the extreme right in Israel’s government.

The emergence of the Lion’s Den

Many Palestinians, and the young in par-

ticular, have lost trust in the governing body of the West Bank, the Palestinian Authority, and other local factions to protect them from expanding Israeli settlements and suppression by Israeli security forces.

This new phase of resistance aims to unite these disaffected youths who are seeking an alternative to the traditional Palestinian power structures.

Several new armed groups have emerged in the past year and a half as the public support for armed resistance has grown strong-

er. Israeli security forces responded in early 2022 with an operation called “Break the Wave”, which targeted fighters in two West Bank cities, Nablus and Jenin.

This operation, which has paralysed the security apparatus of the Palestinian Authority in these areas, was followed by many more raids by security forces throughout 2022 and a deadly start to 2023. This has only amplified the anger of Palestinians.

At the vanguard of this uprising is one group called the Lion’s Den. It is believed to have evolved as an offshoot of an earlier group, the Nablus Brigade (an affiliate of the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades).

The Lion’s Den has gained strength since the August killing of one of its founders, Ibrahim al-Nabulsi, a charismatic fighter also known as the Lion of Nablus. He was reported to be either 18 or 19 at the time of his death.

As an alternative to more established groups, such as the Islamic Jihad, the Lion’s Den has a relative lack of structure and organisation. This disruptive appeal is part of what draws people to the group. Each time a notable member of the Lion’s Den is targeted and eliminated, the group loses strength in numbers and organisation, but is boosted in its overall appeal.

As one fighter told Al Jazeera, We are a group and not an organisation. Anyone who wants to resist the occupation is welcome. […] It’s about sending a message [to Israel], that we will not sit idly by.

A right-wing government in Jerusalem

The pendulum of violence is also becoming less predictable with the establishment of an unprecedented far-right government in Israel.

The re-election of Netanyahu and the formation of a new coalition government with the ultra-orthodox and anti-Arab parties, the Religious Zionist Party and Otzma Yehudit, is likely to further legitimise support for de-centralised groups such as the Lion’s Den. continued on page 17

ISRA to build the Sydney Islamic Arts Museum

AMUST Media

The Islamic Sciences and Research Academy (ISRA) has been successful in securing a $26.3 million grant to build the Sydney Islamic Arts Museum. This grant is part of the WestInvest Community Project Grants initiative of the NSW State Government where a total of $1.6 billion in funding has been awarded to projects across 15 eligible LGAs in Western Sydney.

Since its establishment in 2009, ISRA signed an agreement with Charles Sturt University (CSU) to jointly provide Islamic Studies and Arabic courses through the Centre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation within CSU established in 2011.

This grant is not only a success for ISRA Academy and its credibility, but it is also a success for the Muslim community and for all Australians.

Sydney Islamic Arts Museum will be the first arts museum of its kind in Sydney providing a platform to facilitate and nurture a deeper understanding of Islam through its rich contribution to the arts, culture and civilisation.

“ISRA is looking forward to working with the community and stakeholders in making this pioneering project a reality. We will be developing a website where updates on the project will be made available in due course. We will inform you when this website is up and running,” said ISRA’s Director, A/Professor Mehmet Ozalp.

He further added, “We would like to thank

Charles Sturt University for the ongoing partnership. We would also like to thank everyone who contributed letters of support for this project, we appreciate your support.”

The Sydney Islamic Arts Museum will facilitate the artistic and cultural output of the Muslim community in Western Sydney and beyond, recognise Muslim contribution to Australia and engage in intercultural and interfaith dialogue.

Coupled with its arts workshops being a unique landmark, the Museum will showcase the diversity of Western Sydney and attract school students, teachers and community members building bridges of dialogue and inclusion throughout Sydney and beyond.

a devastating new phase

Dr Susan de Groot Heupner The scene in the refugee camp of Jenin following an aggressive Israeli assault that killed 10 Palestinians and injured dozens on Thursday 26 January 2023.

Pushback against hate and censorship in India

Zia Ahmad

Rahul Gandhi, 52, the former president of the Indian opposition Indian National Congress ended his Unite India March in the north of India, Kashmir on Monday 30 January 2023 after starting on foot from the Southern tip of India, Kanyakumari in September 2022.

During the march, Gandhi was joined by local leaders and the public, heard their grievances and opinions, spoke about the importance of unity and peace in India against the “hate-filled” version of the country under the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party, BJP.

The march was live-streamed on a web-

site, covered 3570 kilometres and crossed 12 states and received wide media coverage, both in India and internationally and Gandhi’s speeches at the public meeting were well received by many, where he was praised for his commitment to peace and unity of all Indians irrespective of divisions based on religion, caste or language.

In Srinagar, Kashmir, Gandhi accused Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party of “attacking the institutional framework of this country.”

“Whether it is Parliament, whether it is assemblies, whether it is the judiciary, whether it is the media, all institutions are being attacked and captured by the BJP,” he said.

Critical of Modi’s annexation of Kashmir, he said, “I think statehood and restoration of the democratic process in Jammu and Kashmir is fundamental and very important and I

think that would be a first step. I am not happy with what I see in Jammu and Kashmir. In fact, I am saddened.”

Gandhi accused Modi, his home minister and the national security adviser of stoking violence and said he wanted to show that India was a “country of love”.

Meanwhile, the BJP government has put a total clampdown on the BBC documentary “The Modi Question” banning its screening in the country and even sharing its clips on social media, citing emergency powers under its information technology laws.

On Wednesday 25 January, when a student group at Jamia Millia Islamic University said it planned to screen the banned documentary, dozens of police equipped with tear gas and riot gear entered the campus and arrested a number of students.

This was followed up at university campuses in many other parts of the country, where police stopped the public screening of the documentary with scuffles breaking out, resulting in arrests of student activists.

Modi’s government has been accused of

any silencing criticism, including on social media, Twitter and YouTube have fully complied with the request and removed many links to the documentary.

Press freedom in India has declined in recent years and the country fell eight places, to 150 out of 180 countries, in last year’s Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders.

The film begins by tracing Modi’s early life, from his humble beginnings as a tea seller in Gujarat to his rise as the Chief Minister of the state and later as the Prime Minister of India.

It then focuses on the major events and policies of Modi’s first term in office, including the demonetization of the Indian currency, the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), and the handling of the Kashmir conflict.

The film also delves into Modi’s controversial past, including the 2002 Gujarat riots in which thousands of Muslims were killed with the implicit involvement of the state government led by Modi at the time.

Rahul Gandhi, speaks at a public rally in Srinagar on Monday 30 January 2023.

Security personnel guard the main gate of Jamia Millia Islamia university on Wednesday 25 January to prevent a planned protest being held against alleged detention of student leaders for organising a screening of the Modi documentary.

Jacinda Ardern: A role model for political leadership

Zia Ahmad

“She came, she conquered and she left” best describes the just over five years reign of New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern who announced yesterday Thursday 19 January 2023 that she will step down from her position by 7 February, due to family reasons.

Jacinda leaves a legacy of most successfully tackling unprecedented challenges during her tenure including the Christchurch terrorist attack, COVID-19 pandemic and a major natural disaster with compassion, calmness, clarity and dignity, that won the hearts and minds of the international community.

Now when she realistically realised that she can not justify to remain in her position, she simply decided to leave. This noble act is a far cry from many politicians, kings and dictators who will do anything and everything required to stick with their chair.

“I believe that leading a country is the most privileged job anyone could ever have but also one of the more challenging. You cannot and should not do it unless you have a full tank plus a bit in reserve for those unexpected challenges,” Jacinda said during her announcement to step down.

The Muslim community in NZ and globally will fondly remember Jacinda’s flawless leadership leading the collective response of just about every New Zealander in the aftermath of the Christchurch mosque massacre that left the Muslim Ummah and the world in absolute awe facilitating the healing process.

Her immediate demonstration of sincerity and compassion and solidarity with the Muslim community in her “They are us”

speech will forever be remembered as the turning point in the history of humanity, on the path towards peace.

Within a week she had banned semiautomatic rifles and established a buyback program across the nation. She sent a clear message of not giving the “terrorist” the notoriety he craves by never mentioning his name. This was the kind of leadership all nations should aspire to have.

Jacinda had the Quran read in parliament and Azaan, the Islamic call to prayer broadcast nationally during Friday congregation in respect for the deceased and she embraced sincerely the families of the victims.

Unlike many, particularly Muslim male, “Presidents for life”, power hungry dictators and the sheikhs in the Middle East, this humble leader of the opposite gender simply vacated her chair after a most successful reign, rather than sticking to power at any cost.

She is indeed not only a role model for politicians but for all, male or female to make the right decision at the right time with work-life balance with individual, family or community commitments, giving priority to her family commitments at the cost of name and fame.

The following are her landmark achievements recognising her highly successful leadership:

1. At 37, she became the world’s youngest head of state in 2017, as New Zealand’s Prime Minister.

2. On 21 June 2018, less than a year into her tenure as PM, she became the first sitting New Zealand PM to give birth and the second female state leader to do so in the world. She became the first world leader to bring baby to the UN general assembly and challenged more expectations.

3. She has transformed public assumptions about women in leadership. She offers the world transparency (frequently posting videos, updates and news on social media and about her role as a parent).

4. She received universal praise for her leadership in the aftermath of the Christchurch shooting, where an alt-right white supremacist killed 51 people and injured 49 in two mosques.

5. Just six days after the shootings, she announced gun control measures to ban all types of semi-automatic weapons. She

Khawaja advocates for diversity in Australian cricket

Mohamed Ainullah

In an article published in the Sydney Morning Herald on Friday 13 January 2023, Australian cricket team’s opening batsman, Usman Khawaja, a Muslim of Pakistani origin who recently scored 195 not out against South Africa at SCG, but was denied the chance to post a double century, has frankly opened up about Australian crickets race problem while growing up.

“When I looked at the TV, I saw these really brash, really stubborn, beer-drinking white Australians that were the same kind of guys racially vilifying me while I was playing cricket,” Khawaja said.

The author of the article Osman Faruqi, culture news editor for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, himself of Pakistani ancestry claims, “The frustration Khawaja and others, including me, felt wasn’t with the individual cricketers who play for Australia, instead, the tension was with white Australia itself and the way it marginalised and belittled those from diverse backgrounds.”

He further writes, “It’s one of the sad ironies of cricket in Australia: Australians from South Asian backgrounds (from countries including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka) are one of the country’s largest migrant blocs and are cricket obsessed, yet often regard the team of their adopted country with indifference or even antipathy.”

“I found that really hard growing up, and I think that bit of resentment still sticks with a lot of young kids, particularly from ethnic backgrounds, that always get called names and racially vilified. ‘Curry muncher’ is the one that sticks out to me the most. I used to get called that all the time,” Khawaja said during the interview.

Faruqi further adds, “Nasser Hussain, the son of an Indian Muslim, played his first

Test match for England in 1990, and was appointed captain in 1999. It took another 12 years before Australia appointed its first, and still only, Muslim player: Usman Khawaja. Only two Indigenous men have ever played Test cricket for Australia: Jason Gillespie and Scott Boland. More than 460 men have played Test cricket for Australia, just a touch under 99 percent of them have been white.”

Khawaja points out, “You see cricketers from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, everywhere at a young level. But as you get up at a high-performance level, it just drops exponentially. It just drops, drops, drops.

“That’s where I’m trying to work with

Cricket Australia saying, ‘Look, guys … you invest a lot of money into this, but something’s not going right.’ You’ve been doing it for 10 years and nothing’s changed.”

“At that high-performance level, you don’t realise it but a lot of the coaches [and] selectors are white, there’s subconscious bias. If you have two cricketers, one brown, one white, both the same, the white coach is going to pick the white cricketer just because he has a son that might look similar to him. It’s what’s familiar to him.”

Faruqi concludes, “Whether it’s onscreen, on social media, or in conversations with his teammates and coaches, expect Usman Khawaja to keep talking about the changes needed in Australian cricket.”

banned military-style semi-automatics less than a month after Christchurch shootings.

6. She provided period products to all girls making a public commitment to end “period poverty” by giving all school-aged people who have periods free sanitary products.

7. In late April 2020, she announced that there was no longer any undetected community transmission of COVID-19 in NZ and that her country had effectively “eliminated” the virus.

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New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern wears a headscarf in solidarity with Muslims after the Christchurch Mosque attack in 2019.

Rokibul Islam

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BOOMERANG Islamophobia Register Australia promises to be bigger and better in 2023

The Islamophobia Register Australia has just appointed Sharara Attai as its Executive Director and completed appointments of its Board of Directors. Here are a few words from Sharara…..

Sharara Attai

I have recently been appointed as the Executive Director of the Islamophobia Register Australia and I couldn’t be happier to be leading such an important organisation.

In 2014, social justice warrior Mariam Veiszadeh had the vision and foresight to establish the Register in response to growing anecdotal evidence of Islamophobia. Since its inception, Mariam and her team have taken the Register from strength to strength and the Register has quickly grown to become a significant organisation tackling Islamophobia in Australia.

I’m immensely honoured and humbled to be taking the reins.

To tell you a bit about me and my background, I was most recently a refugee lawyer at the Refugee Advice & Casework Service (RACS) where I practised refugee and immigration law for 8 years. During

my time there, I provided legal advice, assistance and representation to countless asylum seekers and refugees from a wide variety of countries. Assisting vulnerable and traumatised people has characterised much of my work over my time at RACS.

As well as refugee rights, I have also been involved in various forms of advocacy on a range of other issues including raising awareness on issues facing Australian Muslims in the West, promoting meaningful cross-cultural dialogue, and the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

At the same time that I was appointed in this role, an absolute powerhouse Board of Directors was also appointed. Our full (volunteer) board now comprises of Mariam Veiszadeh (Chair), Dr Derya Iner (Deputy Chair), Dr Susan Carland, Hilal Yassine, Mobinah Ahmad, Diana Sayed, Dr Nora Amath, Basim Alansari, Silma Ihram, Safiah Rind and Naima Ibrahim.

It’s an enormous privilege to be working alongside this board of incredible trailblazers, and with my dedicated team, to realise the Register’s vision and mission.

abuse at me. I was 15 at the time and wearing my school uniform. The woman started calling me a terrorist and shouting at me that ‘your men raped our women’. She was an adult and I was a child. She didn’t know anything about me, other than that I was Muslim and ethnic….and a school student with less power than her.

Experiencing Islamophobia can leave you feeling scared, angry, humiliated, paranoid and blindsided, amongst other things. It can make you feel like a stranger in your own country and lead to an unfair and unhealthy fixation on constantly trying to prove your worth and your peacefulness.

When people can’t freely practise their religion or feel otherised and ostracised because of their religion – something that is so basic and core to a person’s identity – it eats away at their psyche and self-confidence and it threatens the very fabric of society. No woman, man or child should have to feel like that.

encourage the community to get in touch with us if they experience Islamophobia –report, report, report! The Register also provides victim support services such as legal advice referrals, mental health referrals and advocacy. This year, we are looking to expand our activities and reach.

I am committed to raising awareness about Islamophobia and its impact, with a view to ultimately reducing the incidence of Islamophobia within Australia. I believe in the power of unity and collaboration, both within the Muslim community and externally.

Our efforts to tackle Islamophobia are infinitely stronger when we are united and work together. And so I invite people from all backgrounds and sectors to reach out to me – let’s meet and work out how we can work together to tackle Islamophobia.

Attai,

I am no stranger to Islamophobia. I have lived it, I have witnessed it, I have challenged it. I have personally experienced numerous instances of it over the years. From constant micro-aggressions, to being at the receiving end of the unimaginative yet deeply offensive verbal retort of ‘go back to where you came from’, to being physically harassed – I have felt the deep impact that Islamophobia can have.

I remember being in a shopping centre when a random woman saw me as she walked past and instantly started hurling

If we do experience or witness Islamophobia, we need to report it, call it out and hold perpetrators to account. If the scale of the problem isn’t known, it can’t adequately be addressed. Victims must be given the critical support they need to minimise the adverse effects of Islamophobia.

It’s for these reasons and more, that I’ve joined the Register. The Register offers a unique platform for victims, witnesses and allies alike to report instances of Islamophobia. We monitor Islamophobic incidents and publish reports detailing the prevalence of Islamophobia in Australia.

However, we know that Islamophobia is massively underreported and so I strongly

We have developed an invaluable partnership with AMUST, who do incredible work in amplifying Muslim voices and who have committed to supporting us to combat Islamophobia in an impactful way. It is through these kinds of valued partnerships and collaborations that we can make maximal impact in this space.

We, at the Register have very exciting things in store for 2023 and we can’t wait to share more with you as the year progresses!

Sharara Attai is a human rights lawyer who has practised refugee law for 8 years. She is currently the Executive Director of the Islamophobia Register Australia. Sharara is also a picture book author, with her debut title ‘Benji the Refugee’ to be released in 2023.

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Sharara

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Pakistan facing perpetual instability and security crisis

Pakistan’s politics, security and terrorism remain major issues facing the country resulting in instability, poor governance and economic crisis.

Politically, Pakistan was governed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), since the 2018 general elections led by PM Imran Khan who has implemented a number of reforms aimed at improving the economy, reducing corruption and strengthening democratic institutions, but these efforts have been met with resistance from opposition parties and vested interests.

Last year he was deposed by the opposition in league with the Pakistani army juggernaut, allegedly with the involvement of the US government. The current co alition government is dysfunc tional with no light at the end of the tunnel through the political crises.

In terms of security, terrorism remains a major threat to the country, with attacks continuing to occur regularly. The Balochistan province, in par ticular, has been hit hard by violence, with separatist mili tants.

The mosque attack on Tuesday 31 January in a police compound in the city of Peshawar, resulting in a death toll of 101 dead and almost 300 injured, has been the deadliest attack in the country in years resulting in “a national security crisis.”

The security situation in Pakistan has

also been impacted by the situation in neighbouring Afghanistan and with the presence of large numbers of Afghan refugees in Pakistan putting a strain on the country’s resources and contributing to the rise of criminal and militant groups in the country.

The problem of terrorism remains a complex one, and the country will likely face continued challenges in this area in 2023 with tit-for-tat revenge attacks resulting in an escalation of violence.

Pakistan needs fresh elections, the instal-

lation of a civilian stable government free from interference by the military establishment and foreign interests, that can work to improve the economy, reduce corruption, and address the root causes of terrorism while also ensuring that civil rights and freedom of speech are protected.

The international community also has a role to play in supporting Pakistan in its efforts to address these challenges, and it is important that the world continues to work together to address the problem of terrorism.

Readers comments

Re: Safeguarding women’s ed- ucation, rights and freedoms

So disturbing to see what is happening in Afghanistan and Iran, with both countries ruled by regimes claiming legitimacy via Islam. Disgraceful situation.

Bilal Cleland

Re: Jesus Christ: Highly hon- oured in this world and the hereafter

Thank you for your beautiful article.

Jonathon

Re: Islamic Insurance: Highly demanding financial service in Australia

Salaamu alaykoum brother Dr Abul Jalaluddin,

What are the current challenges in starting this endeavor?

Based on your 4 models that you have above, what model would be most sustainable here?

What commitment would be required from the muslim population to make this viable?

Mohamad Adra

In reply to Mohamad Adra

The main challenges would include obtaining an Australian Financial Services License (AFSL) to offer Takaful products, organising relevant underwriters and satisfying relevant capital requirements. Mudarabah based model would be workable in the Australian market.

Generally speaking, market can’t provide any such commitment. A marketing research to demonstrate the level of demand would be useful and re-assuring to the the regulators.

At a high level, it seems that Takaful business would be viable in Australia.

Abul Jalaluddin

Re: Khawaja advocates for diversity in Australian cricket

It reminds me of what H H Nawab Iftikhar Ali Khan Saheb of Pataudi (known as ‘Pat’) narrated about racial prejudice in Australia almost a hundred years ago.

He treated such incidents as jokes, showing how silly racial prejudice could be and was.

I thought all that is “past”. Surprised, that it still lingers. a.r.s.

News

- Ardern: A role model for leadership

- Pushback against hate in India

Boomerang

- Pakistan facing instability crisis

- Identify Halal meat in regional Oz!

- Inequality: The violence of greed

•

Social

- Social spotlight: Amal Abou-Eid

- Top Tweets #WorldHijabDay

Disclaimer

The views and opinions expressed in articles, and Letters to the Editor, Website Comments are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Australasian Muslim Times.

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Identify Halal meat in regional Oz!

James/Yaqub Phillips

I have been Muslim for the last 6 years, and have spent the last 5 years of my life in regional Queensland. As a result it is always a blessing to visit my family in Brisbane and see the separate “halal sections” in some Coles stores on the southside of Brisbane and most recently experiencing the ease of accessing halal food in South-West Sydney.

Where I currently live in Cairns, I often see visibly Muslim tourists visiting our beautiful part of the country and will always come go up and say, Salaam! The conversation often flows to, “where can I get halal food?”

This article is a handy guide in two aspects of sourcing and checking which foods in our two main supermarket stores are actually certified halal; EST numbers for meat, and “E” ingredients for additives.

Due to the manufactured backlash in the media back in 2015 around halal certification, many products will not display any sign of them being certified halal which makes it difficult for the Muslim consumer who doesn’t live in majority Muslim areas or is away on holidays.

When I moved to the town of Ayr in 2017, I was one of three Muslims residing in the town. You can imagine my shock then to discover that ALL of the Coles branded Chicken, Lamb and Beef were actually halal certified even in a town with only 3 Muslims. This is not applicable to all Coles stores however.

The first and easiest step to sourcing halal meat is to find the brands that you know are halal certified. For example, Lillydale

chicken is halal certified across Australia.

If you cannot see any “branded” meats and only have the Coles or Woolworths branded meats, often they will have an “EST” number. This is short for Meat Establishment Number, and links the meat to the domestic abattoir that it was processed at.

The most current website with detailed information to allow you to search for EST numbers is: halalfood.com.au/meat-establishment-number

If none of the meat in the store has an EST number and the manager cannot provide any further information, a trip to the fish and chip shop or local kebab shop might be on the cards.

The second aspect that I hope to help people with is the long list of additives that we have gotten used to in our foods. Unfortunately, most of us look at the back of a packet and see a mix of “E’s” and numbers and don’t have any awareness of whether this food is

Soon Darkness Will Make the Reign

Fazlul Huq

The day freed from cloud and haze and gained in radiance from the fireball, served to define its candor right from the sunrise.

And late in the afternoon when the sun was nearing the western horizon, you could witness extended patch of pink and brown along the edge.

But soon after the sun had submerged below the horizon, sky next to the horizon was found to color in faded blue.

going to be halal let alone good for us.

The iPhone app, “Halal Check” is a fantastic guide, and allows you to search for particular additives. For example, you can search “E160” and it will list the additive as being “mushbooh” with a paragraph describing the origins of the additive, why it is categorised in that way and what it may also be listed as on the packet (Gamma Carotene).

As the Muslim community grows in Australia, more of us will end up living in regional areas with foods that will not be visibly listed as halal certified despite them being certified. It’s important to build the skills so that people feel comfortable visiting places like Cairns on holidays as well as living in the regions.

James/Yaqub is a high school teacher in music and history and is based in Cairns, Far North QLD.

While patch of brown and gold held above too was found to extend towards the right and left.

And soon all would be gone for the cloak of darkness make the veil.

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

Inequality: The violence of greed

Bilal Cleland

In its 2022 Briefing paper, Oxfam put the matter bluntly: “Inequality contributes to the death of at least one person every four seconds.” Such violence demands change.

“We can claw back extreme wealth through progressive taxation; invest in powerful, proven inequality-busting public measures; and boldly shift power in the economy and society.”

As the 2023 Oxfam Report makes clear: “Inequality is not inevitable. Inequality is a policy choice.”

The injustice of excessive wealth has long been understood to be an evil as described in the Quran:

“Woe to every slanderer backbiter. Who gathers wealth and counts it over. Thinking that his wealth has made him immortal. By no means. He will be thrown into the Crusher.” (Quran 104:1-4)

The Quran also warns against keeping wealth circulating amongst the rich.

“And what Allah restored to His Messenger from the people of the towns – it is for Allah and for the Messenger and for [his] near relatives and orphans and the [stranded] traveller – so that it will not be a perpetual distribution among the rich from among you.” (Quran 59:7)

James, the leader of the Community of the Gospel after the mission of Jesus (a) warns the oppressive rich:

“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on

you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.“ [James 5]

This year 2023, Oxfam opens its Executive Summary with this one devastating point:

“Elon Musk, one of the world’s richest

men, paid a ‘true tax rate’ of just over 3% from 2014 to 2018. Aber Christine, a market trader in Northern Uganda who sells rice, flour and soya, makes $80 a month in profit. She pays a tax rate of 40%.”

“Since 2020, the richest 1% have captured almost two-thirds of all new wealth – nearly twice as much money as the bottom 99% of the world’s population.”

“Food and energy companies more than doubled their profits in 2022, paying out $257bn to wealthy shareholders, while over 800 million people went to bed hungry.”

“A tax of up to 5% on the world’s multi-millionaires and billionaires could raise

$1.7 trillion a year, enough to lift 2 billion people out of poverty, and fund a global plan to end hunger.”

The crisis has become so dangerous that the tables seem to be turning.

The backpedalling of the UK Tories after the October 2022 tax cuts debacle has started a major change but the tables have not yet turned enough on trickle down economics.

Guy Rundle suggests that is not happening in Australia. [17 Jan 2023 Crikey]

“Only in Australia do we have a Labor government committing to programmatic neoliberalism, without any vocal opposition.”

“Instead of pushing back against the haphazard, jerrybuilt, ramshackle neoliberalism the Coalition had pursued under two crackpots and a hostage over the past decade, Labor was now moving to streamline, purify and redeploy it.”

A very worrying analysis.

Tax cuts to the rich have still not been ruled out by the Albanese government, jobseeker rates are still below the poverty level and Medicare rebates have not been upgraded to meet our health needs, increased since the onset of the pandemic.

Defenders of equality and justice need to become more vocal in support of change.

This year, with the cost of living crisis and the rise in racism which will accompany the Voice to Parliament campaign, will be eventful.

Bilal Cleland is a keen reader, a prolific writer and a regular columnist of AMUST based in Melbourne.

Enlightened by Richard Fidler’s ‘The Book of Roads and Kingdoms’

Dr Daud Batchelor

Like a Genie it opens a wondrous world of Islam’s Golden Age, from Muhammad (571632CE) (s) to Baghdad’s destruction (1258CE). Fidler’s skill is in enlivening this period and immersing readers as informed observers experiencing events.

First time a region from Africa to India was incorporated as one enormous dominion.

Similar socio-political-religious and brotherly relations facilitated distant travel. Travelogues were recorded accurately (with exceptions), truthfulness being an Islamic value.

Ibn Wahab recorded Tang Emperor Yizong acknowledging Baghdad’s Caliph as ‘King of Kings.’

As an Islamic civilization scholar, this book fleshes-out substance I know and clarifies enigmas.

Fidler describes rulers eliminating sibling rivals. Umayyad/Abbasid rulers treated Prophet’s descendants badly.

They didn’t display governance values of Rightly-guided Caliphs who ruled using Islamic democratic styles. They consumed prohibited intoxicants.

Bennabi believed the Battle of Siffin (657) between Ali (r) and Muawiya, first Umayyad ruler, represented the beginning of decline of Islamic civilisation. Islam’s abiding strength buttressed the civilization for 900 years, and ensures its integrity today, so it can rise again!

One item cited is crucial to Islamic civilisation’s decline: “in latter Abbasid era, the Caliph’s army operated a vast protection racket, less interested in defending Empire

than squeezing money … from its treasury.” Consequently, “Burdened by a parasitic military, demoralised bureaucracy, bankrupt treasury and indifferent caliph, Baghdad lost its grip on empire.”

I highlight today’s parallel: “Pakistan’s armed forces, which ruled the country for half its existence, ensured sizeable portions of the national budget, larger than most countries … is allocated to defence [causing] expenditure deficits on public health, welfare and education. They don’t realise by diverting investment from HR development they limit future growth.”

Cohen highlighted due to diversion of scarce national funds to their coffers, “This strong army presides over an increasingly weakened state.”

Westerners are challenged to write such a book due to anti-Islam bias since Crusader times.

Wonderful Golden Age scientific achievements could be dismissed as “The caliphate became an empire powered by Muslim theology, Greek science, Indian numbers.”

Like any dynamic human development though, Muslims experimented, innovated, developing advanced knowledge (1001 Inventions: Enduring Legacy of Muslim Civilization).

Fidler reports: “invasions of Christian-dominated lands by [Muslims] were often cruel, brutal.”

I haven’t found such descriptions, unless Fidler’s referring to common war brutality. Islamic rule spread due to populations preferring Muslim than harsh Byzantian rule.

Historian Arnold considers Muslim toleration exceptional: “Living under security of life, property, toleration of religious thought, Christians … enjoyed flourishing prosperity in early Caliphate days.”

Just as status of Middle-Eastern Christians deteriorated after the US invaded Iraq, “harsher treatment of Christian popu-

lations dates from Harun al-Rashid’s reign … Christians … often suffered for bad faith kept by foreign Christian powers with Muhammadan princes … treachery of Byzantine Emperor, Nicephorus, caused the Christian name to stink in Harun’s nostrils.”

Fidler states, referring to (symbolic?) Qur’anic verses, about people asking Dhul-Qarnayn (Alexander the Great?) to create a barrier to deter Gog-Magog, “we know Alexander never marched into East Asia, no such iron-copper wall was constructed, and monsters of Gog-Magog don’t exist.”

Alexander did conquer Bukhara-Samarkand. Yusuf Ali reports: “A narrow defile … en-route between Turkestan and India: … was known as the Iron Gate … There is no iron gate now, but 7th century traveller, Hiouen Tsiang, saw it on his journey [as] two folding gates cased with iron… Nearby is Iskandar Kul connecting the locality with Alexander. … Nothing could correspond

more exactly with [Qur’anic] descriptions.

If, the Barrier in 18:95-98 refers to [this] Iron Gate, we can consider Gog-Magog with some confidence [as the] Mongol tribes on the other side.” Mongols/Xiongnu were why China started constructing barriers 200BC. Eventually, Mongols/Huns prevailed, devastating Eurasia.

Richard wrote other books, but books are not Fidler’s only forte. He’s creator of the much-admired ABC program, Conversations.

We encourage Richard to continue enlightening us on positive engagements between the Muslim World and The West, and compliment him on his evident success with The Book of Roads and Kingdoms.

Dr Daud Batchelor, holds an MA in Islamic and Other Civilisations and a Diploma in Islamic Studies from the International Islamic University Malaysia, PhD from University of Malaya, MSc from the University of London.

The Quran also warns against keeping wealth circulating amongst the rich.

Muslim countries foiled the UN debate on Uyghur Muslims

Kazi Haq

Pakistan, a so-called protectorate of Muslims worldwide, voted against the motion brought by the UN Human Rights Body that only wanted to discuss “China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims” while other distinguished members of OIC – Indonesia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates – also voted against the motion due to alleged fear of China.

The vote was on Draft Resolution (A/ HRC/51/L.6 – “Debate on the situation of human rights in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China”) submitted by the United States, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the United Kingdom after the publication of a report by the UN Rights Office.

It took a long time for Human Rights to prepare the report. China, citing the COVID-19 excuse, delayed the UN members visiting the Uyghur region. The report depicts a horrible picture of Uyghur Muslims.

In the name of “countering terrorism and extremism” of Uyghur Muslims, hundreds of thousands of Muslims have been detained in the so-called “Vocational Education and Training Centre” (VETC).

The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) committed all possible atrocities against the Uyghur Muslims, which, according to Human Rights, is a severe violation of human rights.

The report describes the inhumane actions by the CCP, and some examples are: beaten with electric batons while strapped

in a so-called “tiger chair”; not allowed to speak their language and practice their religion; “political teachings” as psychological torture such as memorise “red songs” and forced to sing patriotic song after patriotic song every day, as loud as possible and until it hurts, until faces become red and veins appeared on the face; forced to take pills every day which make them drowsy; guards forced women to perform oral sex; violations of reproductive rights; Family separations and enforced disappearances; intimidations, threats, and reprisals, and so on.

The list of atrocities is dreadful and endless, given in this link for someone interested to read.

Under aggressive Chinese pressure, even the world’s topmost neutral body, the OHCHR (United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights), could publish the report after waiting for a long time.

Just a few minutes before the retirement of OHCHR Commissioner Verónica Michelle Bachelet Jeria on 31 August 2022, the piece was published amidst the CCP’s hullabaloo. The UN Rights Office considered severe human rights violations committed in Xinjiang that may constitute crimes against humanity.

Subsequently, the UN Rights Body wanted to discuss China’s “arbitrary and discriminatory detention” of Uyghurs and other Muslims in Xinjiang. Unfortunately, the resolution was rejected (Yes: 17; No: 19; Abstentions: 11) in 47 member Human Right Council.

Most interestingly, the resolution was initiated chiefly by Western countries, and so-called Muslim guardians, Pakistan, and other Muslim nations either voted against the resolution or abstained.

The vote opens a pandora’s box of the Muslim world’s farcical mindset towards each other, where all Muslim leaders are highly vocal about protecting the Muslim community. Still, in reality, they appear not worried about Muslim plights worldwide.

Muslim leaders and Imams preach Muslim Ummah’s well-being, but when they get the opportunity to raise their voices against oppression of Muslims, they even fail to show a minimum level of respect to safeguard the Muslims.

The official name of Pakistan is ‘Islamic Republic of Pakistan” with the motto: “faith, unity, discipline”, whose people always take the leading role of defending Islam, but Pakistan never said a word against China for its torture of Uyghur Muslims.

Despite having no similarity in religion, culture, or language with China, Pakistan has become an “all-weather tested friend” to China. On the contrary, Pakistan is always vocal about Muslim oppression in Kashmir and wants to condemn India at OIC’s summit for its alleged oppression of Kashmiri Muslims.

Here again, OIC countries have also failed to take decisive action. It is unlikely to succeed consensus of views on the whole Muslim community unless the Muslim world is united and consistent. If Pakistan believes “there is no friend and foe in politics”, Pakistan may regret one day not raising its voice against the oppression of Uyghur Muslims.

Similarly, other Muslim countries did not want to antagonize China due to fear of China’s economic retaliation.

For the first time, UN Rights Body wanted to put a record of China’s human rights record on the agenda. China carried out a massive lobby on the sideline against the motion especially targeting the Asian Muslim countries, and used its economic leverage

successfully to dissuade the Asian countries, economically dependent on China.

The West also saw this defeat as a blow to the UN’s credibility and was disappointed by the reaction of Muslim countries.

It is undoubtedly observed that serious human right violation and indiscriminate killing of Muslims in the Rakhine State of Myanmar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Palestine, Syria, Sudan, and many other places worldwide.

Most of the killings were tantamount to genocide; in some cases, the criminal investigation continued for years in Darfur, Sudan but the UN framed no formal charges yet.

The General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the first human rights treaty on 9 December 1948. Under this convention, only three were recognized: Cambodia killing in 1975-79 by the Pol Pot regime, Rwanda in 1994, and the Srebrenica massacre in 1995.

Not only the United States but Arab countries are allegedly found to be involved in human rights violations of Muslims for which a viable agenda could not be placed in the OHCHR. However, when an opportunity was found to debate the issue, Muslim countries threw the motion into the bin.

The success of this agenda could be an opportunity to pave the way to seize the opportunity to discuss other human rights concerns in other places. Muslims Ummah missed the chance to get united, yet again.

Kazi Haq is a retired Commodore from Bangladesh Navy and an electrical engineer. He served as Director in Prime Minister’s Office, National Parliament, and Managing Director of a dockyard. Kazi is the founding member of BIMRAD(Bangladesh Institute of Maritime Research and Development). He is now based in Sydney.

Highly guarded detention centre.

Pakistan never said a word against China for its torture of Uyghur Muslims.

AMUST Team “hugely impressed” by scale and scope of Brisbane project

Dr Mustafa Ally OAM

On their recent visit to Brisbane towards the end of December, the Ahmad Family were taken on a site tour of the Brisbane Islamic Centre (BIC). “The size and complexity of this project is truly impressive. It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of those involved,” said Zia Ahmad, AMUST’s Editor-in-Chief, after being shown around the Underwood property.

The Brisbane Islamic Centre (BIC) is a new project that aims to provide a hub for the Muslim community in Brisbane. This centre will serve as a place of worship, as well as a gathering place for community events and activities.

One of the main goals of the Brisbane Islamic Centre is to provide a safe and welcoming space for Muslims to come together and practice their faith. The centre will have a mosque, as well as classrooms for religious education and other community events.

Mehar Ahmad, President of Seena Inc was “really taken aback by the scope of this project”. “It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before,” she said.

There are facilities for a range of social, cultural, and educational services and activities for Muslims and non-Muslims of all ages. This will include classes on Islamic

studies, workshops on topics such as parenting and personal development, and events to celebrate important holidays and festivals.

The Brisbane Islamic Centre will also be a place where people from all levels of society can come together and learn about Islam. Through interfaith events and activities, the centre will aim to promote understanding and harmony between people of

different faiths.

The Brisbane Islamic Centre is a project that is being developed by a group of dedicated volunteers who are committed to building a strong and vibrant Muslim community in Brisbane.

“We invite all members of the community to join us in this endeavour and to support the development of this important project.

Whether through volunteering your time, donating money, or simply spreading the word about the Brisbane Islamic Centre, every contribution will help to make this project a reality,” said a spokesperson for the Centre.

Shown the plans and proposals of the second stage of the project – the proposed Sukoon retirement village, Mobinah Ahmad, Managing Editor of AMUST, was particularly excited to hear that the retirement village will also house aged care facilities, as well as medical and child care centres.

“While other communities have well-established services for their senior citizens, this need is becoming more desperate, not just in Queensland but elsewhere in the country,” she told her hosts.

Over the coming months, BIC will provide regular updates and progress on the project and highlight its unique features and facilities that promise to make this initiative truly one of its kind.

Donations to the project can be made through bank transfer, credit card or paypal. Visit bic.org.au/donate-now to learn more.

For more information, please contact: (+61) 468-825-786, secretary@bic.org.au

Dr Mustafa Ally OAM is the co-founder and Chair of Australian Muslim Advocacy Network (AMAN) , foundation member of Queensland Muslim Inc. (QMI), and founder and former Editor-in-Chief of Crescents Community News (CCN).

Microsoft ANZ joins Brothers in Need in soup kitchen

The Microsoft team, who can only be described as friendly, outgoing, and, “keen as mustard”, has continued their volunteering journey in 2023.

Brothers in Need, a Muslim not-for-profit organisation which distributes food to those in need, formed a partnership with Microsoft ANZ in late 2022.

“Their enthusiam is infectious, and I don’t think that there’s an activity in which they’ve yet to participate, Mashallah….it’s an absolute pleasure when they join us and I always look forward to it. I was just organising their nursing home visit today! As well as scheduling the next date on which they plan to join us on the Homeless Outreach Program,” says Dahlia, a staff member of

Brothers in Need.

The team from Microsoft ANZ volunteered in the Brothers in Need Soup Kitchen this month. They cooked chicken schnitzel with vegies as well as vanilla muffins.

“The chicken and muffins smelled so nice…I could hardly resist taking a bite! They found it quite rewarding knowing that the meals were to be delivered to refugee and asylum-seeker families who would have otherwise gone without,” Dahlia further added.

Further information about the work of Brothers in Need can be found at brothersinneed.org.au or by calling 1300 007 433.

Dean Mousad is the Co-founder/Managing Director of Brothers in Need, Co-founder/ Treasurer of Project Quran, a Teacher/Mentor at Alfirdaus College and a registered Counsellor with the Australian Counselling Association.

From left Farouk Adam (BIC director), Dr Mustafa Ally, OAM (chair Australian Muslim Advocacy Network – AMAN), Zia Ahmad (AMUST), Faisal Hatia (chair BIC).

Foundation of the BIC underground parking designed for 300 cars.

Mehar Ahmad checks out plans for the Sukoon Village, a retirement facility.

Dean Mousad

The team from Microsoft ANZ with the finished meals, ready for distribution.

Dr Jneid elected to regional Da’wah post

The 19th General Assembly of the Regional Islamic Da’wah Council of Southeast Asia & The Pacific (RISEAP) was held on Tuesday 3 January 2023 in Kuching, Malaysia where the current AFIC President Dr Rateb Jneid was elected as the Vice President for the Southern Zone.

RISEAP’s Southern Zone comprises of Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Western Samoa, Vanuatu, Tonga and New Caledonia.

RISEAP has long operated as one of the most prominent Islamic Da’wah Bodies of the world, established initially by Tunku Abdul Rahman who in the lead up to the formation of RISEAP was vocal about the demand for an Islamic Da’wah conference in the Southeast Asian and Pacific region. Its 24 nation-members stretch from Indonesia to Western Samoa, including countries such as Sri Lanka, Fiji, Japan, South Korea, Philippines as well as Australia and NZ.

RISEAP is currently presided by the Premier of Sarawak, Datuk Patinggi Tann Sri Dr Abang haji Abdul Rahman Zohari Bin Tun Datuk Abang Haji Openg.

The aim of creating this Da’wah body was so that Muslim countries, organisations and representatives across the Southeast Asian and Pacific regions could progress uniformly and conduct Da’wah in a structured way following developments of science and technology.

The event was also attended by Al Faysal Group General Manager Sheikh Shafiq Khan and National Grand Mufti, Sheikh Abdul Quddoos Al Azhari and many other delegates from Australia.

RISEAP’s 19th General Assembly and conference included a Women’s Wing meeting, in which several Australian representatives spoke, including Sr Manal Jneid who raised a number of significant issues on be-

half of Australian women and youth and Sr Zubeda Raihman amongst others.

In his country briefing, Dr Jneid told the international audience that every effort must be made to ensure a respectful unity amongst Muslims and stronger links are made with Muslims throughout the world, especially majority Muslim nations.

In January 1978, Tunku Rahman wrote of the objectives of this conference to the Prime Minister of Malaysia as follows:

1. To bring together leaders of da’wah movements in the Southeast Asia and the Pacific region for the exchange of views on how best to lay the foundation for future da’wah activities based on the teachings of Islam and the exemplary successful works of missionary movements in the glorious Islamic era of the past.

2. To outline the role of Islamic movement in the informal educational system for contribution towards the moulding of strong Islamic character.

3. To study the progress of Da’wah move-

ments.

4. To strengthen Islamic Da’wah movements through cooperation.

Dr Jneid’s election to the post will ensure that this region will have a more effective Da’wah presence and that positive Islamic

awareness will spread throughout Muslim and non-Muslim communities.

AFIC has been Australia’s peak national body since 1964 having established schools, offices and society (Mosque and Mussalla) membership throughout Australia.

is looking for volunteers (60yrs+) who can speak, read and write English and Arabic well to talk about health issues to groups of Arabic older people.

Unbeaten Spider Men star at Othman Bin Affan Mosque gala day

Bleak, rainy weather did nothing to dampen the spirits of the 300 players and supporters who braved the elements to participate in the highly successful Othman Bin Affan Mosque A-Tag Gala Day and Family Fun Day on Sunday 22 January.

The non-tackle, rugby league-style tournament was held at the picturesque Australis Park, Wattle Grove, near Liverpool in Sydney’s west and an impressive 17 teams contested the Men’s 15 years and over competition.

With heavy rain prevailing prior to the planned 9 am starting time, organisers consulted with the players who were almost unanimous that they wanted the event to proceed.

And in spite of almost constant rain and slippery surfaces throughout the day, the players displayed very silky skills, which wasn’t surprising given that some players boasted previous National Rugby League experience – while others appear destined to make it ‘on the big stage’ in the years ahead. Congratulations to the tournament winners, the Bankstown-based Spider Men, who played absolutely brilliant A-Tag all day, winning each of their eight games, culminating in their victory in the $500 to the winner Final.

“What a brilliant day….in spite of the

ordinary weather, the event proved to be a wonderful success,” an elated OBA Mosque President Roy Halabi told AMUST.

“Our sincere thanks goes to the players for supporting the event in their numbers in spite of the persistent rain and also to our many volunteers who assisted the committee on what proved to be a very memorable day.”

“It just goes to show what can be done when a team works in harmony and for the sake of Allah,” he said.

OBA Mosque Vice President and chief event organiser Salim Allouche said that a similar and even bigger event is already on the drawing board.

“This was our first attempt at running a tournament of this size and while it went off almost without a hitch, we’ve already identified a few areas we can streamline,” he said.

“All things considered, we did well to get through the massive program of 47 games and finish on schedule in spite of the rain.”

“It’s disappointing that the wet weather kept a lot of families away but those who did brave the elements had a great time, with the kids enjoying free face painting, fairy floss and popcorn.”

“We’d also like to thank the Royal Fire Service who brought two trucks along on the day and despite the rain, they put on a great display for our kids and also the families whose homes border Australis Park.”

“The St Johns Ambulance also did a great job….we only paid for two medical officers but they brought a team of six, and they were actually kept quite busy with a few injuries to players – although nothing too serious, thankfully.”

“It was great to have our brothers from Masjid Rahma (Guildford) and the MIA at Liverpool with us on the day and thanks also to the LMA for assisting us with the admin and socials/publicity.”

Located in Cabramatta, Othman Bin Affan Mosque is a pretty little masjid which has a dedicated committee who work tirelessly for their local community.

The masjid services the local area with the 5 Daily Prayers, Friday Khutbah which draws 200-plus worshippers, Friday night youth lectures and many other regular activities and events for both brothers and sisters. Learn more at www.facebook.com/oba.mosque.

John Mahoney is a Content Writer with over 30 years experience and is based in Sydney, Australia.

John Mahoney

COMMUNITY

AFIC hosts farewell dinner for Turkish Ambassador

More than 100 invited guests from different states of Australia attended AFIC’s lavish dinner on Thursday 12 at the Four Seasons Restaurant, Pavillion Hotel Canberra to bid farewell to the Ambassador of the Republic of Turkey, Mr Korhan Karakoc.

The event which was attended by ambassadors from several nations, AFIC President Dr Rateb Jneid told the guests that AFIC is embarking on a new era of renewed vigour and service to Australian Muslims.

“I was humbled and honoured to be re-elected as AFIC president recently and to have my committee replenished with more active and eager members to serve the community.”

“This is our first event since the election and I can assure you that we will have more events and more activities to serve our community,” Dr Jneid told the gathering.

Sheikh Abdul Quddoos Al Azhari, National Grand Mufti of Australia, used the opportunity to remind the guests of the rich Ottoman history and how the Ottoman Turks protected and propagated Islam over three continents.

“I congratulate his excellency Mr Karakoc for his excellent tenure as ambassador and I leave you with this message, as an educator, I always advise the children at my ten schools, that we are all ambassadors for something, you are the ambassadors of our schools and of Islam, so always spread goodness and always, give the best of what you have,” the Sheikh said.

The dinner’s MC, AFIC Assistant Treasurer Mohammed Berjaoui spoke of his Turkish ancestry when he thanked the National Grand Mufti for praising the legacy of the Great Ottoman Caliphate which protected Muslims and non-Muslims alike in the three continents that it ruled with justice, equity and fairness.

He expressed his pride in the advances made by the Republic of Turkey telling the Ambassador that he is praying that this is not a farewell, but a brief sojourn and that he hopes to see him again in a more senior post in the Foreign Ministry.

“Your Excellency, we have so much to achieve together, I hope to continue working with you after you leave this post, hopefully as you rise in the ranks with the Foreign Ministry, we may see you again to continue our mission of Australian Turkish Friendship,” Mr Berjaoui concluded.

Hana Hallak honoured with medal

K Trad Her pioneering work involved connecting with offenders and their families as well as playing a vital role consulting on various committees aimed at improving overall service delivery and solving problems. This included the committees of Islamic welfare agencies, drug and alcohol services, and domestic violence committees.

her services to Corrective Services,” said AFIC President Dr Rateb Jneid.

Ms Hana Hallak received the Australian Corrections Medal for her tireless service helping parolees reintegrate into the community, announced on Australia Day on Thursday 26 January.

Ms Hallak has been involved in community engagement in her role in Parole for more than 17 years and is well recognised and loved in the community.

“I am honoured to be extending AFIC’s heartiest congratulations to Ms Hana Hallak for being awarded the prestigious Corrective Services Medal on Australia Day, for

“During her 17-year-service, Ms Hallak came to be much respected and appreciated in the community as she worked to promote awareness and quell misunderstandings. She is a model of community and public service who is a most worthy recipient of this medal.” He further added.

“Her experience and insights are highly valued and I’m sure she will continue to produce amazing results,” Dr Jneid concluded.

K Trad

Dr Jneid with Mr Berjaoui making a presentation to Mr Korhan Karakoc.

AFIC Committee members Abdul Wahab Neeman, Ahmad Taleb cutting the Knefe with Mr Korhan Karakoc and Sheikh Mossab Legha, Dr Jneid, Sheikh Zeidan and Abdullah Chami.

Dr Jneid with AFIC Treasurer Adam Demir, Elminieh Association President Mustapha Mahfoud, Beirut Association President Sam Itani and members.

Mr Korhan Karakoc with guests

Dr Rateb and Mrs Manal Jneid with Br Mohammed and Mrs Maya Berjaoui

Dr Rateb Jneid

Sheikh Abdul Quddoos Al Azhari

LMA school holiday program a winner

The Lebanese Muslim Association in Sydney recently completed a comprehensive six week school holiday program and officials are delighted with the amount of positive feedback they have received from participants and their parents.

The benefits that the participating youngsters gain from school holiday programs are many and varied.

Relieving boredom, keeping active both mentally and physically, making new friends (or catching up with old ones), learning new things and gaining new experiences in an Islamic environment are just some of the many benefits gained by the kids involved in the LMA’s boys and girls school holiday programs.

Making new friends is a very important benefit of these programs as not all young people make friends easily.

They may suffer from low self-esteem, shyness, loneliness or anxiety but the activities run by the LMA help them to gain confidence in a group environment, under the watchful eye of wise, experienced and caring mentors.

With separate programs for boys and girls with a strong Islamic focus, both itineraries offer ‘something for everyone’.

As the owner and caretaker of Lakemba Mosque, the LMA is in the unique position of being able to run Funeral Workshops.

Both the boys’ and the girls’ sessions were filled to capacity as LMA Funeral Services long-time head funeral director Ahmad Hraichie provided each group with a detailed insight and a tutorial on the Islamic funeral process and took participants on a tour of the funeral parlour.

These workshops cover all aspects of the Islamic funeral process including washing, shrouding, prayers and burial and were added to the school holiday program, owing to demand from the Muslim community.

As Muslims, all of us including the young should know about the funeral process and the LMA plans to make these workshops a regular event in the future.

Run by the LMA’s Lakemba Mosque Youth, the boys school holiday program

commenced on Sunday 18 December when a highly successful FIFA World Cup Final Night special event was held overnight in the recently refurbished underground space of Lakemba Mosque.

Boys archery was also held in late December before the programs for both girls and boys really ‘ramped up’ in January and continued until final days of the holidays.

Activities for the young brothers included the Thunder Jet Boat ride, Escape Room activity, a trip to the movies, Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb, Deep Sea Fishing, Indoor Sports and Barbeque (with the fantastic support of the GWS Giants AFL club), laser and ten pin bowling.

While the three-day Boys Camp at Stanwell Park was also a huge success.

Among the arts and crafts workshops offered to the girls were calligraphy and Turkish mosaic candle-making and the young sisters produced some beautiful artifacts.

Our beloved Prophet Muhammad (s) said: “teach your children swimming, archery and horse-riding”….and with this in mind, the LMA conducted Sunnah Sports school holiday programs for both boys and girls, with the males participating in horse riding, archery and wresting and the females horse riding, archery and fencing.

While delighted at the upsurge in numbers in all of the various activities and disciplines conducted as part of the school holiday programs, LMA officials are particularly elated at the level of interest shown in the Girls Sunnah Sports program.

“The boys activities are always strongly patronised but we are thrilled at the increased level of interest in the girls’ sessions, particularly during these school holidays,” LMA special projects officer Raiyan Ramadhan told AMUST.

Bronwyn Hadife, the organisation’s chief program officer, pointed out that the feedback the Association has received about the Girls Sunnah Sports program has been “nothing but positive”.

“All of the phone calls, emails and social media comments we have received from the girls who participated and their parents have been very complimentary and we are already fielding numerous enquiries about the next school holidays,” she said.

Jemima Khan interview by Zafar Hussain

AMUST Media

Syed Zafar Hussain, Editor in Chief of Pakistani Australian news platform, Sada-e-Watan Sydney conducted an exclusively interview with Jemima Khan on 23 January 2023 in her hotel room in the Sydney CBD.

Jemima Khan is the former wife of Imran Khan, popular cricketer and the Ex-Prime Minister of Pakistan. Born Jemima Marcelle Goldsmith, she is an English screenwriter, television, film and documentary producer and the founder of Instinct Productions, a television production compan.

Jemima was on her first tour of Australia to promote her film, released in Australi-

an cinemas on 26 January 2023. She visited Sydney for three days.

The film is a romantic-comedy and follows a British Pakistani male pursuing an arranged marriage. Jemima took inspiration from her time in Pakistan and displays her experiences through different themes within the film.

Syed Zafar Hussain was invited to hold the exclusive interview where they discussed Jemima’s time in Pakistan, support for her former husband, her two sons and her upcoming film “What’s Love Got to Do With It?”

Syed Zafar Hussain thanked Jemima for her charitable works and fundraising efforts for Pakistan flood relief.

John Mahoney

Syed Zafar Hussain interviewing Jemima Khan for Sada-e- Watan Sydney.

Powerhouse Parramatta: ‘moments in waiting’, an interview with Khaled Sabsabi

Ivan Muniz Reed (IMR): Can you tell us about yourself?

Khaled Sabsabi (KS):

I’m a Lebanese-Australian Muslim living and working in southwest Sydney.

I have worked as a visual artist, a community cultural practitioner and educator for over three decades. My passion and commitment has always been about bringing underrepresented stories from the wider Muslim community to light, and sharing them with our broader Australian community.

IMR: You’re embarking on a major community project with Powerhouse for the opening of Powerhouse Parramatta in 2025. Can you tell us about it?

KS: ¬¬The title of the project is ‘moments in waiting’, and it began from an idea of a story that is waiting to be told and or waiting to be heard. It’s quite a poetic thought, I feel, as it brings attention to remarkable stories from our Australian Muslim communities.

The project focuses on the stories behind extraordinary objects kept by Muslim families across Greater Sydney, specifically those that are considered sacred. These may be family heirlooms, keepsakes, or may have a spiritual meaning for an individual, a family, or a community.

We hope to unearth these unique objects as means to keep these stories alive, which will not only contribute to cultural knowledge but also to the broader fabric of our modern society.

IMR: Can you tell us about the importance of a public call-out for the project?

KS: Spreading the word is essential to building the cultural wealth we have together as an Ummah. We’ve already started to approach individuals, NGOs, local mosques, and communities; we have also translated the callout into the five most spoken language groups with the hope of reaching people from diverse cultural backgrounds.

We are also hoping to collaborate with local Muslim radio stations and the Multicultural Eid Festival and Fair.

IMR: Can you give us examples of some of the unique objects you hope to find?

KS: I have a couple of coins from the Abbasid and Umayyad Caliphates, which are very special to me. I also have and treasure a leather-bound section of the Holy Quran which dates back 600 years, and besides the spiritual importance of the Quran, what’s

also significant to me, is that it was handwritten by a soldier serving in the Ottoman Empire as a gift to his mother. I find that beautiful and sentimental – it’s the stories behind these objects that makes them such a gift for all to share.

We are remaining open to what may come, it may be a story rather than a physical object, maybe rosary beads gifted by a spiritual mentor, a piece of silver, incense, a flute, or a drum used in ceremonies. I would also like to emphasise that no story or object

is insignificant.

Bound chapter of Quran (dated 912AH Hijri, 1506CE Gregorian).

Collection of Khaled Sabsabi.

IMR: We have spoken about the importance of self-determined storytelling. What does that mean for you and for the project?

KS: It’s about ensuring that stories are told by community and that the process is inclusive, comprehensive, and accurate in terms of preserving cultural identity and knowledge. It democratises the relationship between the expert and the storyteller, and brings everyone together on an equal plane,

this is what I love about this project. It’s only through listening to each other we can reach a broader understanding of who we are in this time and space.

IMR: How will you present these stories to the wider public?

KS: The conversations, stories and objects will inform the final presentation shape. We are hoping to go into families’ homes to interview them and capture their objects and stories through film.

I feel the outcome will have several layers that together will make a multifaceted and reflective portrait of the diversity and beauty of Australian Muslim communities.

IMR: You’ve mentioned the project will reflect on what is sacred, and how this intersects with notions of memory, migration, and the diasporic experience. How does it relate to your own experience?

KS: Displaced by the civil war, I fled Lebanon with my parents in the late 70s. I’ve always searched for a strong sense of belonging. There’s always that void, longing to that other place – physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

We speak of the void as a negative thing, but within this void there are possibilities, and in fact, these experiences are inseparable from who we are.

‘moments in waiting’ will premiere at Powerhouse Parramatta in 2025.

If you or someone you know has a story about an object they would like to share, please contact Powerhouse at momentsinwaiting@maas.museum.

For more details visit https://ma.as/momentsinwaiting

About Powerhouse

Powerhouse sits at the intersection of arts, design, science and technology and plays a critical role in engaging communities with contemporary ideas and issues.

We are undertaking a landmark $1.4 billion infrastructure renewal program, spearheaded by the creation of the flagship museum, Powerhouse Parramatta; expanded research and public facilities at Powerhouse Castle Hill; the renewal of the iconic Powerhouse Ultimo; and the ongoing operation of Sydney Observatory.

The museum is custodian to over half a million objects of national and international significance and is considered one of the finest and most diverse collections in Australia. We are also undertaking an expansive digitisation project that will provide new levels of access to Powerhouse collections.

Ivan Muniz Reed is Strategic Projects Manager at Powerhouse.

Ivan Muniz Reed

Photograph by Zan Wimberley

Quran study and interpretation notebook (date unknown). Collection of Khaled Sabsabi. Photograph by Zan Wimberley.

Bound chapter of Quran (dated 912AH Hijri, 1506CE Gregorian). Collection of Khaled Sabsabi. Photograph by Zan Wimberley.

Coin, Umayyad Caliphate (661-750CE). Collection of Khaled Sabsabi.

Photograph by Zan Wimberley.

What exactly is Self-Love?

Self-help books and life coaches talk about loving yourself, but what exactly is Self-Love and what does it look like when it is practised?

A teenaged client of mine recently asked me to define Self-Love and to give her examples of how she could practice that in daily actions. She said something that got me thinking.

She said that she knew about the concept of loving yourself, but she didn’t know how to do it. She said that she was trying to say the words “I love myself” but she felt like a fake because she didn’t believe in that sentence when she was saying it as her daily affirmation.

Her question made me realise that indeed Self-Love is discussed as an abstract concept and not many people know exactly how to act it out. And that’s probably why most people struggle in relationships with others too, because there is an absence of daily Self-Love practice.

It took me three and a half decades to understand what it meant to love myself and how exactly I was meant to practise it on a daily basis. When I learned to love myself, I realised that it wasn’t that I hated myself – it was that I hated all the choices I made in my life that brought about negative experiences. It was that I hated my past behaviours that shackled me in shame, guilt, blame and regret. It was that I couldn’t differentiate that

The Great Trees

Dr Reginald Naulty

The great trees by the river have grandeur and power; they join with their companion, the spring, to make the bees sing with their boughs full of flowers. The reedy calls of kingfishers awaken us to delicate life where rainbow hues fly and flash. The great trees endure, still and tranquil, monarchs of the river and fowl of the air, their home and castle.

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

my body was different from my soul. I learned Self-Love when I began to connect with my essential self – my intuitive voice, the voice of my soul. The soul’s voice never misguides because it is pure and isn’t affected by past conditioning. I realised that I am a pure soul created by Allah and I must love this being that dwells inside my body. When you break it down and visualise what Self-Love actually looks like, you would be surprised that it actually looks like the following:

• Being kind in how you talk to yourself about yourself, meaning choosing kinder words to describe yourself and not use put-downs and negative words.

• Being patient with yourself regarding the pace at which you do things and understand things and action things. Everyone has their own unique pace and their own comprehension abilities.

• Being accepting of your humanness. Allah created you as a human being who is not perfect in behaviour. You are given Islam as a guide to teach you on how to lead a human life, not a perfect life. Perfection is an unrealistic expectation for a human being. We are created to go through challenges and learn from our experiences.

• Being grateful for all of Allah’s creation, including yourself (your life, your abilities, your body shape, your facial features).

• Being a reformer not a punisher. To reflect on your choices and reform rather than punish yourself or judge yourself harshly. Learn from your mistakes and make a better choice instead of punishing yourself with guilt and negative self-talk.

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

Crossover Stories presents Stories by Avijit

Sarkar

An unforgettable theatre experience of five contemporary, original plays

AMUST Media

Crossover Stories is delighted to bring you its maiden theatre event in Sydney. The five short plays written by critically acclaimed writer Avijit Sarkar are developed by five directors, and performed by 27 actors of diverse backgrounds. The production opens on 17 February for three shows only .

These stories aim at stimulating conversations around the evolving paradigms of marriage, sexuality, love, brotherhood, religion, and social cohesion through the lens of South Asian culture.

With this production, Crossover Stories flirts with the definition of art as put by Ceaser A Cruz when he says, ‘Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable.’

Before casting, all 27 actors went through three gruelling rounds of auditions. The five Australian directors bring their experienced observations on culture, religion, and social fabric into play in these crisp portrayals.

As Sydney embraces live performances again in 2023, these five open-ended short plays are a perfect catalyst to reconnect with friends and family.

“These stories are an unadulterated telling of the political, religious and social dogmas prevalent in our society, yet with a humorous undertone,” Avijit Sarkar said.

Curator Taufeeq Sheikh adds, “These stories do come with certain risks associated but a greater risk is to not tell them. Crossover Stories aims at creating a safe space for storytellers to be unapologetically true to their expression.”

• WHAT Crossover stories presents Stories

By Avijit Sarkar

• WHEN 2023, Friday 17 Feb 07:00 pm | Saturday18 Feb 04:00pm & 07:00pm

• WHERE Bankstown Arts Centre, 5 Olympic Parade, Bankstown, NSW

• SUITABLE FOR Ages 15+

• CONTENT WARNINGS Adult Themes

• TICKET PRICES Starting from $25 up to $75 | Booking fees apply

• BOOKINGS www.premiertickets.co /stories-by-avijit-sarkar/

For further information, interviews, and images please contact:

Crossover Stories

Taufeeq Ahmed Sheikh taufeeq.n.ahmed@gmail.com 0430884040

Rushi Dave | 0413806425

Avijit Sarkar

Avijit Sarkar is a Sydney based musician, composer, illustrator, cartoonist, writer, poet, puppeteer, philanthropist, mathematician, a teacher, husband & a grandfather. He was awarded the Australia Day Award 2020 for his contributions to Arts and Culture. The Australian Performing Rights Association (APRA) endorsed him as a music composer.

He has performed in over 1800 concerts in the last 45 years. His music institute in Sydney, Natraj Academy, has continual-

ly trained music professionals for over 17 years. In the last decade, many of his concerts have raised money for cancer research in Australia.

As a cartoonist, Avijit observes society on a keen emotional plane, that finds a natural translation into the five plays: Stories By Avijit Sarkar.

Taufeeq Ahmed Sheikh & Crossover Stories

Taufeeq made his debut as an actor at the age of nine in India. He resumed his creative pursuits in Sydney in 2018 after a sabbatical of 14 years and now works in the Australian performing and literary arts

spectrum with an added focus on the South Asian community.

Eversince, Taufeeq has performed in plays like Shakespeare’s Othello, Much Ado About Nothing and Hamlet, EM Forster’s Passage to India, Mahesh Dattani’s Where Did I Leave my Purdah, Vikram Kapadia’s Black with equal, Joanna Murray Smith’s Female of the Species, and Broadway musicals like The Drowsy Chaperone performed in Sydney, Australia, to name a few. Simultaneously, he forayed into stage and film direction. His films for the Dowry Abuse Project, an initiative of the NSW Police, received the coveted Rotary Club Media Award.

Taufeeq is an award-winning writer, filmmaker and a radio broadcaster. His vision is to bring the creative ambitions of emerging artists to life and into the mainstream Australian media. He has coordinated and produced transcontinental media and cultural affairs with some of the biggest names in the arts and entertainment industry while being a corporate finance consultant by the day.

Crossover Stories emerges from Taufeeq’s journey as a thespian, director, producer, and a storyteller. His ready acceptance in the Australian arts space as an artist of South Asian background has fuelled his mission to replicate the same opportunity and create a safe space for storytellers to experiment and explore their craft through this production house.

Princess R Lakshman

Mentoring children during school holidays

Shafqat Ali

For many parents worldwide, motivating their children to study and be engaged in school is very difficult, many of them struggle and rely on teachers to do this job.

The irony is that teachers claim they can only guide them in learning, but real learning should happen at home in terms of implementing what students have learned and doing their homework, and it should be monitored and mentored by their parents.

The Department of Education believes that schools and parents will be working together to raise the future generation successfully, despite the struggles mentioned above.

The reality is that they all have to make efforts together, especially in the school holidays when parents are working and their children are at home spending their time on activities that may not be productive, including the excessive use of computers and digital devices.

To help the parents during the summer holidays AUSPAK Women Association (APWA) and Young Innovators Australia (YIA) held an interactive online session on Wednesday 28 December with parents to help them learn about how they can facili-

tate their child’s learning and mentoring using the 3E Mentoring Approach.

This was live-streamed on Facebook (https://fb.watch/ihTYoC1Swo/) for all to also learn from this session and to allow the public to comment and join in on the video.

The session was hosted by Shayyan Ali, the Club coordinator of Young Innovators Australia and Shafqat Ali, founder of Young Innovators Australia.

At the start, Shayyan opened the session and introduced the parents and guests who

were attending the live stream that night.

Parents spoke about what difficulties they faced during the holidays to interact with their children.

Later in the session parents brainstormed solutions to the common problems that can be implemented.

Many of the guests also gave their background of who they were, and their experiences.

Sonali Luthra, Principal of Al-Faisal College Campbelltown who spoke about the

The next decade of local Zakat A vision for the future

importance of introducing children to different cultures, events and experiences to broaden their child’s perspective.

Maqsoon Gill also has been working with children in education for over 25 years and spoke about the sort of challenges he identified such as ‘boring holidays’.

Shafqat Ali discussed the 3E Parenting Approach, that can be used to help engage children during the school holidays.

A recording of a summary of the 3E techniques can be found on Facebook: https:// fb.watch/ihUnDCz2L0/.

“If you want a flower or a fruit, look after the roots,” Shafqat pointed out.

He further added, “Parenting is an18 years project and if it is messed up, it becomes a lifelong project”.

They discussed the upcoming summer Holiday workshops in 2023 and how to get updates on that.

An iQuiz session was conducted through Kahoot where a parent Saba Khalid was the winner.

Shafqat thanked the parents and guests for their participation to close the session.

If you would like to see the live stream go to Facebook through this link: https:// fb.watch/ihTYoC1Swo/

Shafqat Ali is the Founder/President of Young Innovators Australia. He is a Trainer, Youth Mentor, Author and Consultant.

Our Misfortune in Light of Quran

Frazia Ali

We are just floating straw in a river of life

We are helpless under our misfortune

This is a secret of Allah

This is beyond human ‘s wisdom

We are just floating straw in a river of life

We are helpless under our misfortune

Farooq Syed

This year, we celebrate a milestone –the 10th anniversary of National Zakat Foundation, an organisation that has been dedicated to spreading the benefits of Zakat in Australia since 2013.

For 10 years, we have been working tirelessly to assist those in need through local Zakat, educate and support Muslims to accurately calculate and pay their Zakat, and fulfil the obligation of this beautiful Pillar of Islam.

As we reflect on the past decade, we are thankful to Allah and we are filled with gratitude for the impact we have made and the lives we have touched. We have distributed over $14 million in Zakat locally, assisting over 19,000 families and educating tens of thousands of Muslims about the importance of local Zakat.

Alhamdulillah, these numbers will continue to grow in the coming years, insha Allah.

But, as we look towards the future, we must also strive for innovation. We are faced with a choice – do we continue to grow and meet the demand of both increasing Zakat payers and those in need in our community?

Or do we re-evaluate our position and innovate our services to empower something far

greater?

We have realised that the transformation we have witnessed in our community over the past 10 years is a testament to the power and impact that can be made when the community comes together for a common cause.

With the increasing number of community organisations and individual partners eager to join us in making a difference, we believe that our community is reaching a maturity point where we can empower our collective community to assist Zakat receivers at scale, right here in Australia.

Surely, by tapping into this unified strength, we will be able to achieve far more than any single organisation ever will be able to on its own!

This is our dream. Empowering a community where Muslims are constantly connected and aware of those in need locally and being able to respond in a timely manner.

A brother who is a stranded traveller, a

sister who is escaping domestic violence, a family who is undergoing a financial emergency and can’t afford food, all at your fingertips, anonymous, Zakat eligibility verified and underpinned by a powerful, reliable system and framework, powered by NZF.

In addition, you will have easily accessible and trusted tools to learn, calculate & pay your Zakat securely.

With your support and dua, we believe this dream will become a reality, Inshallah. We look forward to the next 10 years of transformation, not just as an organisation, but as a community united by a shared goal of assisting and uplifting those in need and reaping the rewards of the powerful pillar of Zakat.

Together, we can make a real difference in Changing Tomorrow. Join us in celebrating the last decade of NZF, and working towards realising our dreams for the next.

This thing make us dishearten

But we should not despair

Because Allah says “Do not be faint of heart and do not grieve for you shall gain the upper hand if you are truly believers”

(Quran 3 : 139-140)

Another time Allah says “Whatever of good befalls you, it is from Allah and whatever of ill befalls you, it is from yourself”

(Quran 4-79).

Frazia Ali is a Pakistani American Muslim single mother. She has two children and lives in San Ramon California, USA. She started writing poetry to spread peace and love through her writing.

We have distributed over $14 million in Zakat locally...

“ “

Why the violence between Israel and the Palestinians may be entering a devastating new phase

Continued from page 1

The appointment of Itamar Ben-Gvir as national security minister could inflame tensions even further. Ben-Gvir has previously been convicted for incitement of racism and unashamedly promoted violence against Palestinians in the weeks leading up to taking office.. He is also an outspoken advocate for settlement expansion and the ultimate annexation of the West Bank.

Isreal’s Security Cabinet has also announced a series of harsh responses to the latest outbreak of violence in the West Bank. These include strengthening Jewish settlements in the West Bank, along with cancelling the social security benefits for families of attackers and making it easier for Israeli citizens to obtain gun licenses.

Whether it is the Lion’s Den or another group that takes the lead in the uprising, it is clear young Palestinians in the West Bank will no longer take a passive role when it comes to the actions of Israeli security forc-

es or politicians.

With Abbas lacking any control over the new armed Palestinian groups and Israeli political leaders such as Bezalel Smotrich (head of the Religious Zionist Party) and Ben-Gvir shaping the narrative of Israeli politics, discussions of a two-state solution and peace in the Palestinian territories are likely to take a backseat for the foreseeable future.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article online.

Dr Susan de Groot Heupner is a Senior Research Fellow at Griffith University currently working on a 12-month project exploring population replacement theories in far right and islamist politics drawing on psychoanalytic thought to understand the role of fantasies, desires, and affects in mobilising hatred.

“Massacre” in Palestine: Ongoing raids by Israelis

These testimonies are the stories of Uyghurs and Falun Gong Practitioners affected by the Chinese Communist Party’s attempts to commit genocide against them and other minorities. Their families and friends are at risk of forced organ harvesting. Many have pledged to never source an organ from China if they ever needed one.

END TRANSPLANT ABUSE IN CHINA

The Israeli army killed 10 Palestinians and injured more than 20 people yesterday Thursday 26 January in occupied West Bank reportedly targeting Jenin Public Hospital and preventing paramedics and ambulances to treat the victims. According to eye-witness reports, Israeli soldiers also fired tear gas canisters towards the hospital, affecting the children’s division causing suffocation injuries to children and others.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said, nine of the Palestinians killed were in the Jenin refugee camp, after Israeli forces raided the area while the other Palestinian, a 22-year-old man, was shot by Israeli forces in the town of al-Ram, north of Jerusalem.

The dead included an elderly woman, according to Palestinian officials. She was identified as Magda Obaid by the Jenin hospital authorities.

“There is an invasion that is unprecedented … in terms of how large it is and the number of injuries,” Wissam Baker, head of Jenin Public Hospital, said.

Hamas has announced a day of mourning calling on the international community to hold the ‘occupation criminals’ accountable for their crimes.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh in a statement called on the United Nations and all international human rights organisations to “intervene urgently to provide protection for Palestinian people and stop the bloodshed of children, youth and women”.

Israeli forces launched the large-scale raid and besieged the camp in the early hours on Thursday with undercover forces, dozens of armoured vehicles and snipers.

Armed clashes with Palestinian resistance fighters soon broke out resulting in the killing and injuries to a large number of Palestinians.

My name is Yusuf Husein. I am an Australian citizen, living in Adelaide, Australia. I am originally from East Turkestan and the father of five children. I worked as an Imam in Masjid Abubakr from 2010 until the end of 2014. Since 2015, I have been working full-time in Garden College as a Quranic teacher, and also volunteered as an Imam at Garden Masjid until the end of 2018.

The following are some of my family living in East Turkestan Husein Kiram (father), Hasan Husein (older brother), Ubulqasim Husein (younger brother), Zaynab Husein (older sister), Khadija Husein (second eldest sister), Hafiza Husein (youngest sister). I have not received any information about their situation for more than four years. It is like a nightmare for me; whenever I hear sad news about other people over there, I am filled with anxiety, worry and stress thinking of my own family. I have my father, two brothers and three sisters over there. Our connection was fully cut off four years ago. I have no idea at all where they are and how they are doing. My father is more than 85 years old, and I am so worried about him. Is there anyone with him, I wonder?

I want people globally to understand and recognize the Chinese Communist Party as an enemy of the universe. The Chinese government is merciless; they remove thousands of children from their parents. They do not treat others as human. They are liars, claiming that the people in East Turkestan are living happily whenever Uyghurs like myself - thousands of us - ask about

our relatives. The Chinese government is committing genocide against our people as some countries have clearly declared. The Chinese Communist Party is a threat to everyone, like how other countries are now suffering from the effects of COVID-19 (Chinese Wuhan Virus).

The International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China (ETAC), Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation (VOC), China Aid and supporting organizations are asking for your help to raise awareness of forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience in China and mobilize a global movement to end this transplant abuse.

the pledge:

Empty promises to Palestinians with an ironclad commitment to Israel. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas clasp hands in Ramallah on Tuesday 31 January 2023.

Mohamed Ainullah

The Chinese government is committing genocide against our people

Yusuf Husein

Take

endtransplantabuse.org/pledge

“On the grounds of conscience and basic humanity, I solemnly pledge that I will never receive an organ transplant from China.”

Jacinda Ardern: Well done and best wishes

Farid Ahmed

New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern announced her resignation on 19 January 2023.

The news has gone all around the world, and a journalist asked for my comment regarding her support to the Muslim community after 15 March 2019 Massacre in Christchurch. I made my comments, and I think, as a survivor, I should write a few words about her in relation to the Christchurch Massacre to share with the wider audience.

I lost my dear wife Husna Ahmed, the mother of my dear daughter and the tragedy impacted me, many other families, and the rest of the Muslims so very much.

In that terrible time, Jacinda said a few words, that will never leave me. Her voice and words I can hear constantly, and her words makes me cry with joy. Some of those words were for example, “New Zealand mourns with you,” “We are one,” and “You are us,” etc.

Her kind and inclusive words led New Zealand to show compassion and made the Muslim minority feel belonged. We needed that message from the top leader for our healing.

Her wise and compassionate words were

the reflection of true universal needs for human unity, harmony, and inclusivity. Her call to deal with the tragedy together as a nation swiftly spread throughout the world, and the world community responded to that call positively.

The call for unity and for peace from the Prime Minister of New Zealand echoed all over the world with great admiration for Jacinda and the way she handled the great tragedy.

The core message of Islam is peace, based on the teachings that all humans belong to one large “Human family” as we are children of Adam and Eve. Jacinda’s call for human unity and peace was an echo of Islamic message, and that’s why it makes me cry with joy. The world needs more compassionate leaders like her.

Her kind support towards the Christchurch Muslims is beyond words. Her frequent visit to the widows, in different recovery events, hugging the Muslim bereaved women, wearing the scarf to show respect to Muslim women, and so many more are impossible to write in just a few words.

Our thanks and gratitude are for her, for her government, and for compassionate New Zealanders.

Farid Ahmed is a survivor of Christchurch attack on 15 May 2019, a peace advocate, author of HUSNA’S Story and Quran teacher in Christchurch.

SIGNUP FOR AMUST WEEKLY

The Mind-Body Interaction: Effects and Dynamics

Dr Mutiu Salami

Understanding the dynamism of human behaviour in psychology becomes more comprehensive as greater attention continues to grow from psychologists on human functioning. In a recent virtual lecture titled “The mind-body interaction: Islamic viewpoint”, it was learnt that the spiritual element, along with the cognitive, behavior and emotional components, constitutes a holistic paradigm of human psyche.

This holistic paradigm mostly shared by some of the early and modern scholars is being widely discussed among Muslim scholars and students alike. What matters currently involves the basic understanding on how the soul or the spiritual element in man works, and its framework in human psychological functioning.

It’s becoming evidently clear that human behaviour is not only connected to cognitive processes, or its emotional force, how well the individual nurtures his spiritual self in connection to Allah’s code of existence really matters.

Considering the gap between science and religion, there is a great need to highlight certain concepts that may shed light into understanding the limitations surrounding some empirical paradigm.

More interesting is the discourse surrounding the mind-body interaction (MBI) which widens the horizon of the seen and

unseen. The MBI has been described as a form of complete interactive process between thinking, belief, and biological reactions.

Connecting this phenomenon to the medical space, the concept of the placebo effect which gained attention since the 20th century comes to the fore. Seen in psychosomatic medicine to be the push of mental states effect, the mind is linked to our beliefs, expectations, and even attitudes, remains a function of behavioural dispositions.

Obviously, what is pushing non-physical elements that eventually results in physical and behavioral outcomes requires not only psychological or biological explanations, but also spiritual ones.

Another possible explanation connecting the mind, beliefs, expectations to physical outcomes is the concept of pseudocyesis, often referred to as false pregnancy. It involves a state of belief that where a woman has many symptoms of pregnancy and expecting a baby when in real terms, she is not carrying a child.

In some cases, the severity involves a situation where the woman rejects every medical test report refuting the pregnancy.

Here, the belief structure that compounds the Islamic doctrine remains the core element in every explanation surrounding man’s psycho-spiritual functioning. This belief structure originates in Allah’s supremacy over everything, including all heavenly and earthly bodies.

The soul which is embedded into the fetus at four months comes with what the individual lives with throughout life. What we do as humans can said to be determined by some inner agents like conscience, freewill,

and the eventual choice between good and evil.

Also, abnormal or psychopathic behaviors can be connected to the hadith of the prophet in which when the individual commits a sin, a black mark appears upon his heart. If he abandons the sin, seeks forgiveness, and repents, then his heart will be polished.

If he returns to the sin, the blackness will be increased until it overcomes his heart.

In essence, human functioning is more of a spiritual, psychological and biological phenomenon..

Mutiu Salami is a senior lecturer at the Department of Psychology and Counseling, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris Malaysia.

Women’s Wing active participation at RISEAP General Assembly

Zubeda Raihman

The three Australian Organisation members who participated in the 19th General Assembly Regional Islamic Da’wah Council of South East Asia & the Pacific (RISEAP) held at the Riverside Majestic Hotel, Kuching, Malaysia from 30 December 2022 to 5 January 2023 are as follows:

1. Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC) – President, Dr Rateb Jneid.

2. Australian Islamic Cultural Centre (AICC) – Managing Director, Sheikh Shafiq Khan

3. Muslim Women’s National Network of Australia, Inc (MWNNA)- President Zubeda Raihman

Other Australian delegates and observers were Mrs Manal Jneid, Grand Mufti and Imam Abdul Quddoos Al-Azhari, Mrs Fayzah Khan and Ms Lina Harvey. RISEAP in its third General Assembly in 1984 decided to form a Women’s Movement of RISEAP with each member country nominating a woman representative.

Since its inception, Australian, Hajjah Aziza Abdel-Halim A M, current Patron, MWNNA, had been the longest serving deputy and Chairperson of Women’s Wing and Executive member of RISEAP.

She is now succeeded by Malaysian Dato Hjh Hanifah Taib Alsree, President of PERKIM and current Vice President of RISEAP. Sr Rahayu Mohamad (Singapore) is the current deputy chairperson and executive member and I am the secretary and executive member of RISEAP.

Women representatives and observers of the member countries took an active part in the discussions on the challenges and issues of concern that need to be addressed, such as:

• Support to develop the confidence of the women to volunteer and contribute;

• Funding to participate in regional programmes;

• High divorce rate and women’s loss of income and support;

• Establishment of Waqf as part of financial relief for the needy families;

• Collaboration with Corporate & Professional organisations to mentor young leaders

• Preparing the Muslim parents to be digitally equipped in their parenting style to help the children in facing the identity crisis;

• Opportunities for networking to support women in small business;

• Opportunities and accessibility to leadership

• Opportunities for networking to support women small business to expand their services •

In collaborations with our member organ-

Kiwi Muslim Directory launched

isations and RISEAP’s Secretariat we shall endeavour to work towards resolutions for the challenges and the concerns identified.

Background information about RISEAP

Most appropriately acronymed, RISEAP, pronounced Rise Up, was formed by Malaysia’s first President, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Putra al-Haj on 11 November 1980 with the founding members from 17 countries from 3 divisions:

1. Northern consisting of Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong;

2. Central consisting of Myanmar, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore and Indonesia; and

3. Southern consisting of Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, Australia, Fiji and New Zealand. Now there are 24 member countries represented which includes Macau in Northern division, Cambodia and Vietnam in Central Division and the Pacific Island countries of Vanuatu, Tonga, Western Samoa., together with associate members – Maldives and Sri Lanka.

As the first president of RISEAP until 1988, Tunku Abdul Rahman pursued his vision of bringing together the minority Muslims in these countries and to encourage and support them in their service to their fellow Muslims.

His successor, Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud (1988 to 2022) also followed Tunku’s passion and encouraged the leaders of Muslim Organisations to grow in self-confidence and financial self-reliance as he promoted and supported the member countries to establish a WAQF fund.

In the Southern division, New Zealand has already implemented this fund. We hope Australia will follow suit in the near future.

The main areas of RISEAP’s focus are:

1. Musolla – Strategies for the development of places of worship;

2. Financial Self-Reliance – Encouraging more member organizations to work towards greater financial self-reliance.

3. Halal Food – Extendting halal certificate and increasing the availability of halal food outlets and food production.

4. Education – Development and refine-

ment in the content of Islamic education and da’wah.

5. Inter-Communal Relations – Fostering inter-communal relations and reinforcing the image of Islam as a religion of peace.

6. Leadership – Strengthening and renewal for all Muslim organizations to ensure the continuity of good leadership. The above focus emanates from the need to make it more convenient for Muslims to perform their ibadah, whether it be during the course of their work (such as the performance of salah, or access to the availability of halal food, and entrusting reliable Muslim organizations to distribute zakatul maal on their behalf), or leisure.

Also, the recognition of the need to discharge one’s social responsibility (fardhu kifayah) to ensure that Islamic education and da’wah addresses the social changes of our times, and a consciousness of a need to foster a system of leadership succession and renewal so that younger leaders are identified and the experiences of the older generation are passed down to newer generations.

Further, the need for a conscious effort to be made to foster inter-communal ties in the context of present-day plural societies, including collaboration with people of other religious traditions, especially in social causes.

Conclusion:

In our current difficult times of high cost of living and inflationary pressures one of the highlights of RISEAP’s contribution in our region is the promotion and encouragement of more member organizations to work towards greater Financial Self-Reliance, including the development of the institutions of Zakat collection and disbursement and the development of WAQF.

It is hoped that all the countries in our region will take heed and make our communities better equipped financially and sustainably.

Zubeda Raihman is the Principal, ZKR Accounting and Taxation Services; President of Muslim Women’s National Network of Australia, Inc. and is based in SYdney, Australia.

Naveed Ahmed

The Kiwi Muslim Directory 14th Edition has been launched providing the ultimate guide for finding Halal food and Islamic Services in New Zealand as well as accessing comprehensive collection of resources, contacts, and organisations all in one place.

The directory caters for more than 42 ethnicities in NZ and is acknowledged and supported by the Federation of Islamic Associations of NZ (FIANZ

Kiwi Muslim Directory is a social enterprise and works alongside Muslim organisations and the Ulema to provide accurate and reliable information to New Zealand Muslims and tourists visiting New Zealand.

Since its launch in 2009, Kiwi Muslim Directory’s vision is to utilise the web and print media to build bridges between the various Muslim organizations, centers, mosques, leaders, halal certifiers, volunteers, and the community at large.

This initiative unites New Zealand Muslims and the wider community and realising the potential of this service in bringing community stakeholders together and helping them to connect and communicate.

The Kiwi Muslim Directory worked closely with Tourism New Zealand and FIANZ to create a Halal food and prayer facilities guide that provides Muslim-friendly meal recommendations to establish New Zealand as a Muslim-friendly holiday destination.

The Kiwi Muslim Directory is available from Islamic Centres nationwide and can also be accessed from www.muslimdirectory.co.nz

Naveed Ahmed is a Registered Social Worker and publisher of Kiwi Muslim Directory, NZ, based in Auckland, New Zealand.

The revival of Modern Islamic Astronomy

The demise of two rich and powerful Muslim Empires, 1857 (Mughal) and 1924 (Ottoman) disrupted the State patronization of Islamic astronomy resulting in decades of technical confusion among Muslims. Global institutionalization of Modern Islamic Astronomy was then undertaken in Malaysia with critical support provided by Tan Sri Musa Mohamad, former Minister of Education.

Islamic astronomy was considered farde-kifayah and was patronized by the Islamic state since Prophet Muhammad’s farewell sermon in 632CE. It received high priority after Al Mamun established Baghdad’s Baitul Hikmah.

An Australian international competitive fellowship gave me the honour, at the young age of 20, to join rocket & satellite-based atmospheric research at Adelaide University’s Physics Department and I got to work on one of Australia’s ‘first’ Main-Frame (CDC) computer.

I developed an interest in Islamic astronomy in Adelaide while having a physics teaching position at Adelaide University. To undertake serious Islamic Astronomy research, in 1976, I decided to move to Malaysia even though I felt like in the words of poet Ayub Rumani (Jab bahar aayee to sehra ki taraf chal nikla): when a breeze came (in the garden), I walked out towards the desert..

But for a gypsy since the age of 6, the objective was all that mattered in my life.

In Malaysia, I was to establish a new atmospheric programme including elite ozone research, which quickly brought international fame and honour for me to address Prime Minister Thatcher’s London Ozone Conference Plannery.

My deepening passion for Islamic astronomy led to the publication of my world-acclaimed book with new insights on Imkane Ruyah and global visibility of the new moon

(ILDL). The Muslim World thus technically became self-sufficient in this field again.

Then, I seriously considered moving out of the Islamic astronomy project but was advised that we had to expand into the implementation and institutionalization task, which needed an Al Mamun for sustained support.

In Faiz’s words (Chale bhi aao…): Oh, come at last (breeze)! so the affairs of the garden may flourish.

The Muslim community was fortunate to have Tan Sri Musa Mohamad, the then Vice Chancellor of Science University (later Education Minister), agreeing to this undertaking. He provided unlimited administrative and personal support by establishing an operational University Astronomy unit and an Observatory in Malaysia.

UNEP International Ozone Conference in Penang, Malaysia was part of many major global ‘FALAK’

Our Islamic Astronomy work involves the worldwide community and the political machinery across dozens of Muslim countries like Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Egypt, and Muslim minorities in Australia, New Zealand, China, Taiwan, Philippines, UK, Europe, Canada, the Americas, etc. as well as key organizations including OIC, COMSTECH, IFSTAD, Rabeta, Nuffield Foundation UK, ICTP Italy, London University Observatory and RISEAP.

Forty international conferences/ seminars/ workshops, including a World Conference helped in the education, training and implementation of conference resolutions with distribution of scores of books and global data. The establishment of the First Islamic Observatory in modern times in Malay-

sia was followed by similar efforts in other countries.

Tan Sri Musa Mohamad stands out as the first administrator providing Al Mamunic leadership after a gap of nearly 200 years, making institutionalization of professional Islamic astronomy possible globally.

Poet Iqbal articulated this (Nigeh bulund, sukhan dil nawaz, …):

A lofty vision, gracious speech and passionate soul; These are the essential attributes of a true leader.

Prof Ilyas taught physics at Adelaide University, in Malaysia revived modern global Islamic Astronomy, published numerous books, recognized in Noble Peace Prize 2007 to IPCC .

Remembrance of Allah (Dhikr)

Remembering Allah (Dhikr) is great ibadah, which enhances spiritual well-being, tranquillity and softening of the heart. Allah commands us to do dhikr of him.

Allah says:

“And remember your Lord within yourself, humbly and with fear and without loudness in words in the mornings and in the afternoons, and be not of those who are neglectful.” [Quran 7:205]

“O Believers, make abundant mention of Allah!” [Quran 33:41]

Prophet Mohammad (s) said:

“Allah says, “I treat My servant as he hopes that I would treat him. I am with him whenever he remembers Me; if he thinks of Me, I think of him; if he mentions Me in company, I mention him in an even better company.” (Hadith: Bukhari, 7405 and Muslim)

Remembering Allah or not remembering:

The person who remembers Allah is like alive, whereas, not remembering Him is like dead (Hadith: Bukhari, 6407 and Muslim, 779). The Prophet (s) told us to keep the tongue wet with Dhikr (Hadith: Tirmidhi, 3375).

Dhikrs could include studying the Quran; attending Islamic discussions; sending blessings upon Prophet (s); glorifying Allah

after prayers; saying Istighfar; Dhikr during Friday from Asr to Magrib, and at any time.

Best of Dhikr: Some of the daily useful Dhikrs are saying the followings:

• ‘Astaghfirullah’ (Tawbah);

• ‘La Ilaha Illallah’;

• ‘Subhan-Allahi wa Bihamdihi’. Saying this one-hundred times a day would erase sins even if they are equal to the extent of foam of a sea (Hadith: Bukhari, 6405 and

Muslim);

• ‘Subhaan Allahi wa Bihamdihi Subhaan Allaahil Azeem’. They are light on the tongue and heavy in the balance and beloved to Allah (Hadith: Bukhari, 6682);

• ‘Subhaan Allah, wal-hamdu Lillah, wa laa ilaha ill-Allah, wa Allahu Akbar’. Prophet (s) said that saying these was more beloved to him than all that the sun rises upon (Hadith: Muslim);

• ‘Laa ilaha ill-Allah wahdahu la shareeka lah, lahul-mulk wa lahul-hamd wa huwa

ala kulli shayin Qadeer’. Saying these one hundred times a day reward like freeing ten slaves, a hundred good deeds are written and hundred bad deeds are erased, it is a protection against shaytan during that day until the evening (Bukhari, 3292 and Muslim, 2691). Saying ten times would reward equal to that of freeing four slaves from the progeny of Prophet Ismail (Hadith: Bukhari and Muslim); and

• Sending Blessings to Prophet (s). Whoever sends blessings upon Prophet (s) once, Allah sends blessings ten times, erases ten misdeeds and raise him ten degrees (Hadith: Nasai, 1297).

Conclusions:

Let us try to remember Allah always and be conscious of Him. Remembrance of Allah helps getting His pleasure and forgiveness. [Read Quran: 33:35]

If you have opportunity to listen to Islamic lectures in different Mosques and Musallas, then we should try our best joining them. Hearts find rest in the remembrance of Allah. [Read Quran: 13:28]

When people gather to remember Allah, angels witness that, and Allah forgive those people, gives what they ask for and grants them protection (Hadith: Bukhari, 6408 and Muslim, 2689).

Moreover, it assists gaining sound knowledge.

Prof Dr Mohammad Ilyas

activities supervised by Tan Sri Musa Mohammad (sitting between then Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Mahathir and present Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim. This author (Conference Convenor is seated second from left with Dr Joe Farman who discovered Antarctic Ozone Hole).

Dr Misbah Khan

Dr Misbah Khan is a Civil Engineer and is based in Sydney, Australia.

The mighty Pen: A lost heritage of Muslims

Kazi Abdullah

Gaining knowledge has great importance in Islamic traditions. And writing is a way of preserving knowledge.

“Read! And your Lord is the Most Generous, Who taught by the pen, taught humanity what they knew not.” (Quran 96:3-6)

“Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim.” (Hadith)

Very early in history, Islamic literature was mainly in the form of writing of the Quran and poetry to defend Prophet Muhammad (s) and attack the disbelievers intellectually. The order by the Prophet to establish a mimbar for Hassan ibn Thabit (r) for reciting poetry is a prominent example. Poetry had a significant role among the Arabs, in wars, politics, and for spreading news. This tradition was well-used by the Muslims later.

The Preservation of Hadith

By the 3rd century of Hijrah, composing and collecting hadith became popular among scholars. Till then, hadith was being preserved through verbal circulation. People memorized hadith with the narrators’ names, their truthfulness, piety, etc.

Along with the compiling of hadith, commentary of the Quran was being written. One of the earliest physical tafsir was written around 100 AH. Keep in mind that, paper and ink weren’t easily available at that time.

Works of Famous Imams

Imam Ibne Taymiyyah, known as Shaykh al Islam, was born at the time of the Mongolian invasion whilewas a massive pandemic during that time. He wrote more than 300

books during his lifetime.

His fatwa compilation is of more than 30 volumes; Minhaj as Sunna is more than 2000 pages; Response to Christian Theology: 7 volumes, etc. He was a teacher, a warrior, and a hadith expert.

Imam Ibne Taymiyyah worked on his tafsir and other books while he was in prison. According to some historians, many of his works are lost, which included a 40-volume commentary of the Quran!

Imam at-Tabari, born in the 9th century CE, is popular for his works on history and tafsir. He wrote on varieties of topics like grammar, mathematics, poetry, world history, and medicine. One of his most prominent works is Tafsir-at-Tabari, which is published in 30 volumes. His “The History of Prophets and Kings”, is published in 13 volumes.

Al-Khatib al Bagdadi, is an 11th-century

lecturer, historian, hadith scholar, and author. He wrote nearly about 90 books, some in many volumes. His “The History of Baghdad” is in 20 volumes. He wrote several books on the terminology of hadith and narrators of hadith.

Imam Al-Bukhari is one of the most popular names among Muslims. His most renowned work is Sahih-al Bukhari which is a collection of more than 9 thousand narrations from the Prophet(s). He wrote three books discussing the narrators of hadith.

Imam Bukhari traveled more than three thousand kilometers in search of knowledge. He wrote “A Book of History…” and “About the Companions and the Tabi’un and their Statements…” when he was 18.

He wrote several books on Uloom-ul-Hadith (knowledge of hadith). Some of his other well-known works are Al Adabul Mufrad

(hadith on ethics and manners) and At-Tarikh al Kabir (the great history).

Collecting hadith with the names of narrators takes a lot of effort. There is a saying that Imam Bukhari prayed Istekhara Salat before he wrote down any hadith. If he felt that the hadith is strong, only then he recorded it in his book.

Conclusion

The Prophets, the Companions, and the Imams are our role models. In our personal lives, in our social life, and in any other aspect. They wrote in the name of Allah, to please Allah. The intention was to spread beneficial knowledge and to make knowledge easy to access, to change hearts.

They didn’t write for fame, money, or even respect. They wrote for Dawah. They acted upon what they preached, and that is why their works are still relevant, celebrated, and understood.

In terms of writing or any other form of dawah, we should follow those who are blessed by Allah in this way.

Knowledge is something given by Allah so that we act upon it and spread it among others. Writing can change a lot of people.

Muslims must preach what they know. Muslims who have the knowledge must spread it among others.

Those who have the potential to write can do dawah through writing. And Inshallah, we will be rewarded for every kind of good action in the hereafter.

Kazi Abdullah is a Bangladeshi teen who is eager to share the stories of Muslims throughout the community.

Some forgotten aspects of Islamic History in Europe

There are some little-known relics of Islamic History in Europe: The “Half Moon Camp” Commonwealth War Graves of WWI in Wünsdorf, Germany.

The Halbmondlager (known in English as the “Half Moon Camp”) was a prisoner-of-war camp in Wünsdorf, Germany, during the First World War.

The small town of Wünsdorf is located about 40 km south of Berlin.

The camp housed between 4,000 and 5,000 Muslim prisoners of war who had fought for the Allied side. The intended purpose of the camp was to convince detainees to wage “jihad” against the United Kingdom and France.

To that end, “detainees lived in relative luxury and were given everything they needed to practice their faith”. It was the site of the first mosque to be built in Germany,

a large and ornate wooden structure finished in July 1915.

The mosque was demolished in 1925–26 owing to disrepair.

About 80 Sikh and Hindus from British India were also held in the camp as prisoners, as well as around 50 Irishmen, and two Australian Aboriginal soldiers.

Today there is an information board at

this point, and still the “Moscheestraβe”/ Mosque Street. Perhaps the only street in Germany named like this.

Close to this place there is a war cemetery, the Commonwealth War Graves. This is the resting place of the prisoners who died during this period.

In 1914 as German forces advanced across France and Belgium, more Allied troops

were desperately needed. The Indian Army of some 160,000 men was a welcome source of skilled soldiers. Two Indian infantry divisions, the 3rd Lahore and the 7th Meerut were dispatched to Europe.

They fought at Ypes, Neuve-Chapelle (where some units suffered almost 80% casualties) and at Loos.

In December 1915 these infantry divisions were moved to Mesopotamia, now Iraq. The 4th and 5th Indian cavalry divisions served with destination on the Western Front tight up until March 1918, before being sent to fight in Palestine.

The cemetery was in East Germany part of a soviet restricted military area at that time and could therefore not be maintained. The final restoration was completed in 2005.

Eckhard Ahmed Krausen

Eckhard Ahmed Krausen is a freelance photographer based in Copenhagen, Denmark and specialized in the study and photographic documentation of Islamic architecture in Europe. The purpose of his photo project is to portray the multifaceted, open, and peaceful manifestation of Islam in Europe.

Social Spotlights

Islamic Museum of Australia

Persian scholar and scientist Abu alRayan al-Biruni defined a pharmacist in 1045 CE as, “the professional who is specialised in the collection of all drugs, choosing the very best of each simple or compound, and in the preparation of good remedies from them following the most accurate methods and techniques as recommended by experts in the healing arts.” Incredibly, the same definition can be applied today over 950 years later!

Discover more advancements from the Islamic Golden Age in our Islamic Contributions to Civilisation Gallery.

Islamophobia Register Australia

Everyone should be able to wear their religious attire without fear of attracting hate or discrimination, or fearing for their safety. Report Islamophobia to the Register.

Amal

I wrote WHY DOES MUM WEAR A HIJAB? to help demystify the reasons Muslim women choose to wear the Hijab.

I never knew how popular (and somewhat controversial) it would become - the Duchess of York read it on her YouTube channel!

I’m so glad it’s spread far and wide and helped both Muslim and non-Muslim girls, boys, women and men, understand the WHY behind the Hijab.

This book is available from my website for only $10! (Link in bio)

February 1st is World Hijab Day. Show your support in any which way you can.

Helping ACT

What a wonderful get together! A small army of volunteers, plenty of delicious food and a full house of welcome guests added up to a highly successful celebratory lunch at Theo Notara Multicultural Centre Canberra on Australia Day.

Great to see Shane Rattenbury MLA, Rebecca Vassarotti MLA - Member for Kurrajong, Mark Parton MLA, #adriennefrancis #louisewillis present. All put together by the inimitable Muhammad Ali and @Manar Ahmad.

#AustraliaDay2023 National Australia Day

Made possible through the generosity of the National Australia Day grant by the Australian Federal Government.

@mehreenfaruqi

Just got back from Coonabarabran. It was an honour to be there and speak in solidarity with the Gomeroi people who are staunchly protecting country and climate.

I am in awe of their strength and tenacity in fighting to stop Santos’ dirty gas project in the Pilliga. It’s a giant climate bomb waiting to detonate. This project will open the floodgates for climate damage and it will have irreversible impacts on the mighty Pilliga, its wildlife, farmland, groundwater and cultural and spiritual places.

The Gomeroi have rejected this project and that should be the end of it. The Albanese Government must listen to them. They must listen to the science. They must reject this ecocide.

No new coal and gas. Keep it in the ground!

Unity Grammar @UnityGrammar

Welcoming back our teachers for 2023

It’s that time of the year again, where excitement and energy is buzzing through our campus in welcoming back our dedicated educators for the year ahead. We gave a warm welcome back to all our educators through a value packed two day Capacity Building session as we gear up for a new school year!

Your dedication and hard work have a profound impact on the future and we are grateful to have you on our team. Today, we spent a great day working with Real Schools to provide our educators with opportunities to increase their tools and strategies to finish that day feeling inspired and equipped to enhance student learning. All of that while enjoying the beautiful back drops and natural wonders of Nova on the Grange venue

Abou-Eid

Senator Mehreen Faruqi

Khadijah Habbouche Young Citizen of the Year

1 February is World Hijab Day.

On Thursday 26 January 2023, at the Bryan Brown Theatre in Bankstown, Khadijah Habbouche was awarded the Young Citizen of the Year award at the Canterbury Bankstown Australia Day Awards. The 15-year-old is recognized for her active involvement in developing social awareness and action among young people.

Khadijah is a member of various youth advisory committees, including the Canterbury-Bankstown Youth Crew and the Muslim Women Australia Youth Advisory Committee. Her dedication to creating a platform

for high achievement and a voice for social good has earned her numerous accolades, including the Premier’s Multicultural Youth Medal in 2022.

Muslim Women Australia took to Facebook to express their pride in Khadijah’s achievement. “An amazing achievement reflecting the incredible achievements of young women at MWA,” the organization wrote.

Khadijah’s commitment to social justice and youth empowerment is inspiring and deserving of recognition. The Young Citizen of the Year award serves as a testament to her impact on the community and her potential to continue making a difference in the future.

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