Hearts and Minds: Australia-Indonesia Youth Leadership Program & Conference
1- 9 June 2009

Expressions of Interest are now open for the Hearts and Minds: Australia-Indonesia Youth Leadership Program and Conference 2009. This is an exciting opportunity for young people to develop their skills and enhance their experiences and learn more about our biggest neighbour Indonesia. The Hearts and Minds leadership program is the first of its kind and will be an innovative way to build strong relationships with Indonesian youth.

The projects aims are to:
• Instill in participants leadership and communication skills, and promote understanding of the importance of pluralism, respect for human rights and interfaith and inter-cultural tolerance and cooperation;
• Instill understanding of the importance of community cohesion, particularly in relief work and capacity-building;
• Promote dialogue and understanding between Muslim and other communities in Australia and Indonesia.

Applications are invited for Australian citizens between 21 and 28 years of age living in Australia who have an interest in further developing his or her leadership skills and building strong relationships with Indonesian youth.

The program includes an 8 day leadership program and conference where participants will meet Indonesian youth in the city of Yogjakarta, Indonesia.
The program will cover adaptive leadership, cross-cultural dialogue and action plan workshops as well field trips and a debrief on Mt Merapi.


Successful applicants are expected to demonstrate suitability to the program.
(see suitability criteria below)

Applicants must send their 1-2 page resumes, a letter of application outlining why they should be accepted into the program and what leadership means to you. Two (2) references (include telephone and email address of referee). Deadline is Midnight (EST) 30 March 2009.

Places are strictly limited. The project is FREE and all airfares, meals and accommodation are covered by the project.

NB: Applicants must have a current Australian passport with at least 6 months validity.

Essential criteria:
Aged between 21-28 and an Australian citizen
Proven experience in community work
Excellent communication skills
Ability to solve problems and work in a team
must be committed to pursuing personal development to enhance community leadership skills

All applications post marked 30 March 2009 to

Kuranda Seyfi Seyit
Executive Director
FAIR
PO Box 1013 Strawberry Hills
2012 NSW Australia

or email: fairmedia@fair.org.au
by 12.00pm EST 30/3/09
Obtain an application form from www.aussiemossie.com

Tel: 0412 318 045 for further enquiries

"Short Course on Basic Principles of Islam for Converts" is to be held fortnightly at Griffith University Mt Gravatt Campus over four Saturdays: 7th March, 21st March, 4th April, 18th April; starting 9:30 am to 4:00pm.

To attend, register with Brother Daud Batchelor (0413 067 160; daud.batchelor@gmail.com) or Sister Aisha Dennis (0402 438 077; ardens@optusnet.com.au). Cost $50, or $40 students, pensioners, unemployed.

Meals and refreshments provided. Speakers include Dr Mohammad Abdalla, Imam Uzair, Imam Akhram

To donate in Brisbane - Call 0402 575 410

The catastrophe caused by bushfires in Victoria on the weekend has caused the death of 130 with the death toll expected to rise, at least 750 homes have been destroyed and more than 330,000 hectares burnt out, entire towns have been wiped off the map.

Thousands of Homeless people remain in emergency shelters with nothing but the clothes on their backs.

This devastating disaster has been recorded as the deadliest natural disaster in Australian history.

Your donation is urgently needed!

In response, Human Appeal International Australia in conjunction with the Islamic Council of Victoria ICV, has launched an urgent “Victorian Bushfires Relief Campaign” and pledged an initial donation of $20,000 to help the affected individuals and communities in Victoria.

source: Islam Online
CAIRO — Before even concluding its troops withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, Israel is already preparing itself for an expected wave of war crimes lawsuits over the massacres perpetrated against civilians in the bombed-out Palestinian territory.

"When the scale of the damage in Gaza becomes clear, I will no longer take a vacation in Amsterdam, only at the international court in The Hague," an Israeli minister told the daily Haaretz on Monday, January 19, wishing not to be named.

Senior ministers express serious fears that Israel would be pressed into agreeing to an international investigation into the Gaza killings.

Israel's air, naval and ground offensive on Gaza, which began on December 27, killed more than 1300 people, including 410 children, 108 women and 118 elders.

At least 200,000 Palestinians were forced to flee their homes during the three-week onslaught, which left the densely-populated enclave in ruins.

Israeli officials fear they will be faced with personal suits, such as those filed in Britain over the 2002 Operation Defensive Shield in the West Bank.

One Israeli minister believes the risk of facing lawsuits this time is even higher from what it was in 2002.

Foreign journalists who enter Gaza to report on the war's aftermath will not be accompanied by Israeli officials or spokesmen like in 2002, he noted.

The Israeli defense establishment has already started to collect material in anticipation of legal suits.

Social Affairs Minister Isaac Herzog will also coordinate Israel's public relations efforts against the accusations of war crimes.

Prosecution Calls

Some groups are already preparing legal action against Israel over the Gaza onslaught.

A galaxy of 230 international lawyers, mainly French, is preparing to file a lawsuit against Israeli war crime in the coastal enclave before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"Based on the 1949 Geneva Convention collective punishment, offensive against civilians, disproportionate use of weapons, rise of civilian killings and pounding non-military locations are considered war crimes," Jill Devier, a French lawyer working on the lawsuit, told a protest in Paris Sunday.

The Arab Commission for Human Rights has also said it would ask the ICC to probe "war crimes" committed by Israel during its Gaza offensive.

The effort is not restricted to international groups.

Bolivia, which severed diplomatic ties with Israel over the offensive, is seeking to take Tel Aviv to the ICC over the brutal atrocities its forces committed in Gaza, two ministers have said in Geneva.

Amnesty International has accused Israel of "unlawful attacks," while Human Rights Watch accused it of "indiscriminate" attacks that were against the rules of law.

The leading British charity Oxfam said Israeli leaders have committed "massive and disproportionate violence... in violation of international law."

A coalition of Israeli human rights groups, including the local chapter of Amnesty International, also wants an international investigation into war crimes in Gaza.

Inside the house, Israeli commandoes are sitting comfortably, laughing.

Meanwhile, a group of Qassam fighters was moving into the house through a special tunnel.

"At the same time, fighters began shelling the house from outside with RPGs and mortar shells to distract the attention of the soldiers inside," explains Abu Obeida.

Then, the Qassam fighters came out of the tunnel into the house.

"In just a few minutes, they killed and injured all Israeli soldiers inside the house before detonating the building and withdrawing safely."

Source: "BBC"

Isaac Newton is, as most will agree, the greatest physicist of all time.

At the very least, he is the undisputed father of modern optics,­ or so we are told at school where our textbooks abound with his famous experiments with lenses and prisms, his study of the nature of light and its reflection, and the refraction and decomposition of light into the colours of the rainbow.

Yet, the truth is rather greyer; and I feel it important to point out that, certainly in the field of optics, Newton himself stood on the shoulders of a giant who lived 700 years earlier.

For, without doubt, another great physicist, who is worthy of ranking up alongside Newton, is a scientist born in AD 965 in what is now Iraq who went by the name of al-Hassan Ibn al-Haytham.

Most people in the West will never have even heard of him.

As a physicist myself, I am quite in awe of this man's contribution to my field, but I was fortunate enough to have recently been given the opportunity to dig a little into his life and work through my recent filming of a three-part BBC Four series on medieval Islamic scientists.

Modern methods

Popular accounts of the history of science typically suggest that no major scientific advances took place in between the ancient Greeks and the European Renaissance.

But just because Western Europe languished in the Dark Ages, does not mean there was stagnation elsewhere. Indeed, the period between the 9th and 13th Centuries marked the Golden Age of Arabic science.

Great advances were made in mathematics, astronomy, medicine, physics, chemistry and philosophy. Among the many geniuses of that period Ibn al-Haytham stands taller than all the others. undefined

Ibn-al Haytham conducted early investigations into light

Ibn al-Haytham is regarded as the father of the modern scientific method.

As commonly defined, this is the approach to investigating phenomena, acquiring new knowledge, or correcting and integrating previous knowledge, based on the gathering of data through observation and measurement, followed by the formulation and testing of hypotheses to explain the data.

This is how we do science today and is why I put my trust in the advances that have been made in science.

But it is often still claimed that the modern scientific method was not established until the early 17th Century by Francis Bacon and Rene Descartes.

There is no doubt in my mind, however, that Ibn al-Haytham arrived there first.

In fact, with his emphasis on experimental data and reproducibility of results, he is often referred to as the "world's first true scientist".

Understanding light

He was the first scientist to give a correct account of how we see objects. undefined

It is incredible that we are only now uncovering the debt that today's physicists owe to an Arab who lived 1,000 years ago Prof Jim Al-Khalili

He proved experimentally, for instance, that the so-called emission theory (which stated that light from our eyes shines upon the objects we see), which was believed by great thinkers such as Plato, Euclid and Ptolemy, was wrong and established the modern idea that we see because light enters our eyes.

What he also did that no other scientist had tried before was to use mathematics to describe and prove this process.

So he can be regarded as the very first theoretical physicist, too.

He is perhaps best known for his invention of the pinhole camera and should be credited with the discovery of the laws of refraction.

He also carried out the first experiments on the dispersion of light into its constituent colours and studied shadows, rainbows and eclipses; and by observing the way sunlight diffracted through the atmosphere, he was able to work out a rather good estimate for the height of the atmosphere, which he found to be around 100km.

Enforced study

In common with many modern scholars, Ibn-al Haytham badly needed the time and isolation to focus on writing his many treatises, including his great work on optics.

He was given an unwelcome opportunity, however, when he was imprisoned in Egypt between 1011 and 1021, having failed a task set him by a caliph in Cairo to help solve the problem of regulating the flooding of the Nile.

While still in Basra, Ibn al-Haytham had claimed that the Nile's autumn flood waters could be held by a system of dykes and canals, thereby preserved as reservoirs until the summer's droughts.

But on arrival in Cairo, he soon realised that his scheme was utterly impractical from an engineering perspective.

Yet rather than admit his mistake to the dangerous and murderous caliph, Ibn-al Haytham instead decided to feign madness as a way to escape punishment.

This promptly led to him being placed under house arrest, thereby granting him 10 years of seclusion in which to work.

Planetary motion

He was only released after the caliph's death. He returned to Iraq where he composed a further 100 works on a range of subjects in physics and mathematics.

While travelling through the Middle East during my filming, I interviewed an expert in Alexandria who showed me recently discovered work by Ibn al-Haytham on astronomy.

It seems he had developed what is called celestial mechanics, explaining the orbits of the planets, which was to lead to the eventual work of Europeans like Copernicus, Galileo, Kepler and Newton.

It is incredible that we are only now uncovering the debt that today's physicists owe to an Arab who lived 1,000 years ago.

Professor Jim Al-Khalili presents Science and Islam on BBC Four at 2100GMT on Monday 5, 12 & 19 January

About DS Arabic Tutoring Centre:

It is a relatively small maddressah which provides much needed Islamic studies to young Muslim children on the north side of Brisbane. Until recently, many Muslim children in our locality did not even know who the Prophet Muhammad (saw) was, let alone know how to read the Quran. The primary objective of the centre is to set the foundations of a prosperous future for Australian Muslims in Brisbane’s northern suburbs.

The centre has been running since June 2008 and all relevant authorities are aware (and have approved) of its existence. Present enrolments stand at approximately 33 students, 17 of whom are now reciting the Quran, Alhamdulillah. Classes are held from 5pm to 7pm, Monday to Thursday. An adult class is held from 7pm to 9pm. Subjects taught at the centre include Quran recitation, Islamic History, Fiqh, Tawheed and basic Arabic.

Monthly Revenues and Expenses:

* Student fees are set at $20 per student per week, unfortunately only about $1500 is received regularly.

** $350 will be spent on rent and utilities, $550 will be spent on wages and $100 will be kept in reserve   for general expenses as they fall due.

“$1000 is a lot of money…and everyone is asking for money nowadays.”

One cannot deny either of these two facts, however, the establishment and spread of our religion is at stake here. Alhamdulillah the Islamic environment in Brisbane’s southern suburbs is well established; however, the north is in desperate need of attention. The fact of the matter is that $2000 will have a far greater impact on the north-side as opposed to the south or west – greater value for money if you will.

A small group of people, from various backgrounds and nationalities, have put aside their differences and united together, to open the doors of possibility. Through them, Allah (s.w.t) has shown local Muslims, especially children, the importance of implementing Islam in our daily lives. In a very short space of time, the centre has become a beacon of hope for unity among Muslims in Brisbane’s northern suburbs.

While progress has been made, there is still a long way to go, thus it is imperative that we make an effort to ensure that the centre survives and continues to function. For this reason we are asking our Muslim brothers and sisters for financial assistance. Inshallah Allah will reward you abundantly both in this world and the hereafter, for your generosity.

Management and Teachers:

The centre is run collectively by our adult students and the parents of our junior students. All Islamic affairs are handled by Moulana Ikraam Buksh, with the assistance of his wife Muallima Magmoedah Buksh. Financial matters and day to day management is handled by Moulana Ikraam and his 4 adult students.  To assure potential sponsors that their money will be in good hands and spent wisely, a brief profile of these 6 people is provided below:

Moulana Ikraam Buksh:

Moulana Ikraam was born in Perth and has completed 11 years of Islamic studies in Dar-ul-Uloom Zakariyyah (Johannesburg, South Africa) and Dar-ul-Uloom Arabia Al-Islamia (Cape Town, South Africa). He has graduated with an equivalent level of study to a PhD in Arabic and Islamic studies at university level. He has studied a broad range of subjects in great detail, including: hadith methodology & classification, hadith studies in the sihah sittah, islamic legal theory, islamic jurisprudence, islamic history and the prophetic sirah, islamic creed: proof and defence, ulum al Quran methodology and science of abstracting from Quran, Quranic translation and exegesis, comparative islamic jurisprudence and legal theory of the four madhahib. While in South Africa, Moulana Ikraam   was also the MJC appointed imam at Pelican Park, Cape Town.

Muallima Magmoedah Buksh:

Muallima Magmoedah was born and raised in South Africa. She has completed 7 years of Islamic studies at Fatima-Tu-Zahra in Cape Town South Africa which is a branch of Dar-ul-Uloom Zakariyyah. She has graduated with an equivalent level of study to a B.A. in Arabic and Islamic studies at university level. Her detailed studies included Arabic, History, Usool Fiqh, Quranic interpretation and Interpretation of Hadeeth. She also brings a wealth of teaching experience, having taught at the Islamic Society of Grassy Park, Madrassa-tu-tayyibah (primary school) and Jamiyyatul-quraa (hafith academy). She held the position of H.O.D of the Islamic department at both the primary school and the hafith academy.

Mohammed Isa:

Mohammed Isa, also known as Gregory McIntosh, was born and raised in Australia and with the blessings of Allah, has converted to Islam three years ago. He is now a happy husband, father, successful businessman and plumber. He currently works as a sub-contractor for the Brisbane City Council.

Fahim Khondaker:

Fahim was born in Bangladesh, and brought up in Queenstown, South Africa. He moved to Australia with his parents and brother in 2003. Fahim is currently in his final year of a dual degree in Economics and Commerce (Finance and Accounting Majors) at UQ, St Lucia. He has recently been offered undergraduate level positions at Ernst & Young, and Deloitte commencing in November 2008 and January 2009 respectively.

Mohammed Akhbery:

Mohammed was born and raised in Australia. He is currently in his third and final year of a Bachelors degree in Engineering at QUT, Gardens Point. He also plays division 1 football at Albany Creek.

Khalid Akhbery:

Younger brother of Mohammed, Khalid is currently finishing year 12 at St Patricks College, Shorncliffe. Khalid has excelled in all aspects of school life, he is the vice captain of the college, captain of the basketball and volley ball teams and is in the top echelon of students in terms of academics. He intends to study law and business next year at University – inshallah.

The above information is provided merely to assure potential sponsors that their money will be in good hands and spent wisely.

May Allah save us all from the pitfalls of arrogance.

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO DONATE ANY FUNDS TO THE MADRASSAH PLEASE CONTACT MYSELF MOULAANA MOHAMMED KRAM BUKSH 0431672263 OR EMAIL: PRINCIPAL@KURABYMOSQUE.ORG.AU LET US INCREASE OUR ACCOUNT IN THE AAKHIRAH INSHALLAH JAZAAAKALLAH (PLEASE FOWARD THIS MESSAGE TO THE MUSLIM BROTHERS AND SISTERS)

THESE are the faces some Carrara residents fear.

The small group are some of the 40 Muslim primary students who live on the Gold Coast and commute to Brisbane every day to attend school.

Their names have been withheld because of their families' concerns.

The students' parents say they just want the best education for their kids.

But the proposal to open the Australian International Islamic College in Chisholm Drive, Carrara, has been met with strong opposition from some in the community.

The Concerned Carrara Residents Group held a public meeting last month with more than 400 people attending -- and no one spoke publicly in favour of the school.

Then on Monday this week, almost 200 people armed with Australian flags and placards marched on the city council chambers.

Parents John and Melissa Ada have three children they want to send to the school and say they 'would like to have the choices available to every other parent'.

They believe opposition to the school stems from fear.

"It's disheartening, as an Australian, to see this reaction," said Mrs Ada.

"We're talking about children who are between five and nine years old that they're scared of."

The Adas' eldest son attends another Coast school because car sickness prevents him from going to Brisbane.

"We just want to have the choice and opportunity to send our kids to a school like the Christian community do," said Mr Ada.

"The school will be smaller and offer students a more personalised approach to education while still maintaining its faith and teach the normal education system like other schools do."

The couple said 'religion aside, we want what is best for our children', with education being the top priority.

Mr Ada said he did not want people to believe they were segregating themselves from the community.

"We play a huge part in this community already and are part of soccer clubs, netball clubs and our children go to the community play group at the Robina Uniting Church where they take part in arts and crafts," he said.

"It's not like we've not been part of the community before this school was announced. We're already people's neighbours and people's friends."

They also dismissed claims Muslims would 'take over' the suburb of Carrara if the school opened.

"It doesn't mean all the families are going to move to the area because I know we love living where we do now," said Mrs Ada.

The Adas' son said he wanted the school so he could learn more about Islam.

"I was going to the mosque many times a week and I was getting tired but if I went to this school I could learn everything at school and be able to do more things outside," he said.

The chairman of the Australian International Islamic College, Imam Abdul Quddoos Al Azhari, said he wanted to meet opponents to the school to 'clarify any misconceptions and misunderstandings'.

Mr Quddoos said the location of the school next to a Christian church was not perceived to be an issue.

"We have tried to meet with people from the Dream Centre but they have not wanted to meet us," he said.

Group A - Bafana, Capalaba, Tiger 11, Young Guns
Group B - Darra, Dawah Squad, Dynamos, Vergado
Group C - Bosnia, Match Fixers, Iraq, Brothers
Group D - Zamalek, Chiefs, Bafana B, Walk Overs

source: SMH

A thriving financial sector sounds like an oxymoron these days. Even Australia's banks - among the most profitable in the world - kept a fifth of this week's interest rate cut to cushion their margins. But there is one sector that has tongues wagging in the hubs of commerce: Islamic finance.

While the Western world's financial system has been imploding, this small but rapidly growing share of world capital has weathered the storm.

Sharemarkets in London and New York are a third off their peaks. Dow Jones's Islamic financials index, in contrast, rose 4.75 per cent in the most recent September quarter and lost a modest 7 per cent in the previous year.

Not only has the industry been resilient; it's also on the cusp of serious expansion. It is growing faster than any other subset of world banking, at 15 to 20 per cent a year. The Economist estimates Islamic assets under management are worth $US700 billion ($1000 billion). This figure could hit $US1 trillion - about the Australian sharemarket's current value - by 2010.

What's more, all this growth has come from a model of lending that rejects interest payments and shuns speculation and heavy borrowing.

In short, Islamic finance bans some of the excess that has brought the West's financial system to its knees, and is looking wise indeed, or at least lucky.

Islamic finance takes its guidance from sharia.

The biggest markets are in the Middle East and Muslim countries, but global banks have opened sharia-compliant branches. Locally, the Muslim Community Co-operative is one of a few lenders offering the service.

Justice, partnership and opposition to excessive risk are the main principles guiding Islamic banks. Outright speculation and dealing with any party that has a balance sheet more than a third of which is debt are forbidden, as are investments deemed unethical by Islamic scholars, such as casinos.

But if these rules sound tough, the biggest difference is a ban on interest.

Charging interest is immoral because it does not take into account how changes in the value of the loan's security can affect the borrower, sharia says. Home owners who bought near the peak are now experiencing this harsh reality: interest gives banks a steady payment from the borrower, regardless of the property market's state.

However, profit is fine, and Islamic banks have devised ways to make money from lending. Instead of demanding interest, they buy the asset outright on behalf of the borrower. The borrower pays off the loan (the principle) and a fee for using the asset (rent, for example) until the amount is repaid and ownership transfers to the borrower.

Just like mortgage-backed securities, the rights to loan repayments can be sold as an Islamic bond, or sukuk. But instead of a yield, the bondholder receives repayments on the loan, and some rent. As a result, Islamic lenders have not had to venture into money markets that have recently blown up.

For depositors, putting your money with an Islamic bank is more like being a shareholder. Rather than interest, depositors get a cut of any profits.

Understandably, Western governments are casting around for ideas on how to run a more robust financial system. But what could they possibly learn from such a different approach?

Islamic finance's more prudent rules on debt look attractive in hindsight. But more fundamentally, proponents say it provides a better way to link the financial system to the "real" economy.

Because Islamic banks keep ownership of the asset until the loan is repaid, they have a greater incentive to make sure borrowers do not bite off more than they can chew. The bank shares in the risks of the entrepreneur but also its failures, the argument goes.

I am not suggesting we switch to a lending system without interest payments. But a big gripe emerging in recent weeks is that finance has become out of whack with the needs of the rest of the economy.

In the most extreme cases, it seems investment bankers devoted themselves to developing inventive ways to get higher bonuses rather than facilitating productive investment. Islamic finance shows one way of ensuring savings are put to more useful ends.

Some even say banning short selling of shares reflects sharia thinking, because it stops traders dealing with assets they don't own. "Banning short selling is one of the decisive elements in Islamic finance, so it seems almost that the conventional markets are looking at the Islamic techniques, which so far did not play any role in conventional markets," a financial journalist from Dubai, Gerard Al-Fil, told ABC radio last month.

Sceptics say Islamic finance just dresses up Western finance with different titles. It is also worth noting that the system is not immune from creating bubbles, although the method of lending makes it harder for investors to pile in through debt. A conflict between its religious goals and the goal of turning a profit is another tension, The Economist notes.

Nevertheless, it is booming. High oil prices have filled the coffers of Gulf states, and the region is crammed with capital works projects in need of funding. Muslims account for 20 per cent of the world's population, but Islamic finance makes up less than 1 per cent of world capital, suggesting huge room for growth.

The Islamic bond market has tapered off in the credit crunch, but this appears to be a blip. About $US14 billion in Islamic bonds were issued in the eight months to August, down from $US23 billion in the same time last year, but Standard & Poor's expects issuance to hit $US25 billion next year.

This potential has not crept past Western banks unnoticed, and many have fast-growing sharia-compliant arms. London is vying to capture the market and has changed its laws to allow the different property transfers required for the lending. British media report growing interest even among non-Muslims because of perceptions that it is a more ethical approach to finance.

So expect to see more Islamic banks in years ahead as global banks try to cash in on this growing field. Given the present financial mess, the industry's resilience only makes it harder to ignore.

The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Muslim community came together with family and friends to observe Ramadhan at a breaking of the fast event held Thursday 18 September.

Over 250 people from the Brisbane Muslim community, QUT staff, students and friends gathered at the QUT Refectory at sunset to break the fast, known as Iftar, and to learn about the Islamic faith, during this month of fasting.

"I am so grateful to be able to enjoy the company of my friends, meet new people and share my faith with other cultures," said QUT student Awwad Alshammary.

Graeme Baguley, Head of QUT's International Student Services, said the event was a great opportunity to encourage interaction between international and local students and staff, while allowing the Muslim Students Association to educate others about the Islamic faith.

"This event is a great example where intercultural understanding and friendship is promoted under the banner of the East West Centre. Staff and students are committed to ensuring we all benefit from our culturally diverse community at QUT," he said.

Muslims observe Ramadhan during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, believed to be the month in which the Qur'an (the book of guidance) was revealed to Angel Gabriel, to deliver it to Prophet Muhammad.

The most prominent event of this month is the fasting (sawm) which should be practiced by all Muslims and is a time to fast from the basic human needs, for the sake of God, and to offer more prayer than usual.

The fast begins just before dawn when Muslims eat a light meal (suhoor) and confirm their intention to fast for the day. Muslims offer five daily prayers throughout Ramadhan, and are encouraged to read the entire Qur'an. The fast ends at sunset following the Magrib prayers, and Ramadhan ending at the sighting of the moon of the 30th day.

During the event, Muslim community representative Aslam Hussain spoke to participants about Ramadhan's significance, explaining the purpose of fasting to develop self-control from temptations out of a sense of duty to God.

"A Muslim with piety and self control developed during the day, along with its inspiration and guidance from the Quran during the night prayers, are the fruits of fasting the month of Ramadhan," said Aslam.

QUT student and Muslim Student Association member Sabrina Amir said that being able to host others with food for Iftar is an important part of Ramadhan, and supports the Muslim values of kindness and solace.

"Being a Muslim gives me a purpose in life, goals to work for, and the happiness and satisfaction from having achieved them," she said

"I am always contented the do good deeds in this life as such behaviours will lead to happiness on earth."

The event was sponsored by QUT International, in conjunction with the East West Program. Iftar and Tarawikh Prayers occur at the Gardens Point and Kelvin Grove Campuses every weekday, with more information available from the East West Centre.

Alhamdulilah this year we intend on providing the following services for Ramadaan

Ramadan fasting Timetables for major Queensland Cities
Brisbane
Bundaberg
Cairns
Gold Coast
Ipswich
Mackay
Mount Isa
Noosa (Sunshine coast)
Toowoomba
Townsville

QUEENSLAND ASSOCIATION OF FIJI MUSLIMS (QAFM) will be hosting iftar on behalf of our local Muslim brothers and sisters at the following mosques INSHALLAH,
LOGAN MOSQUE on 1st saturday of ramadhan september the 6th
HOLLAND PARK MOSQUE on 2nd saturday of ramadhan september the 13th
DARA MOSQUE on 3rd saturday of ramadhan september the 20th
ROCHEADALE MOSQUE on 3rd sunday of ramadhan september the 21st
These iftars are alhamdulillah put together by QAFM through any contribution from the local muslim ummah .QAFM extends invititation to all brothers and sisters in
BRISBANE to all these mosques on the dates above to take part in iftars with all of us and to make dua for all brothers and sisters who contributed towards the iftars. QAFM will inshallah accept your contribution for iftar and use it for iftars only at the above mosques.
For the last seven years QAFM , on behalf of the muslim ummah of brisbane has been collecting ZAKAAT ,LILLAH, FITRANA and sending it to the following :-
FITRANA to DAROOL YATAMA in Lautoka FIJI where children are given islamic education and this centre is a feeder centre for higher level overseas islamic studies.
ZAKAAT Collection is used to provide BUS FARE ,UNIFORM, SHOES ,AND BOOKS for the poor and needy children in FIJI.
QAFM INVITES ANYONE WHO WISHES TO INSPECT OUR SYSTEM OF MONEY DISTRIBUTION TO CONTACT br ANWAR NOOR on 0422355185 and you will be shown the full procedure used by QAFM Inshallah.
Please call 0422355185 for donations so that qafm could issue a receipt for records inshallah.
You could also make all ZAKAAT AND LILLAH donations direct to this dedicated bank account which is purely for poor childrens funds.

Bank : ANZ
Branch : MT GRAVATT
A/C Name: QUEENSLAND ASSOCIATION OF FIJI MUSLIMS
Bsb :014 254
Account number: 3510 20361

EDUCATE POOR CHILDREN TODAY AND THESE CHILDREN WILL PULL THE WHOLE FAMILY OUT OF POVERTY INSHALLAH.

Hi
My name is Mark Byrne and I am looking for your advice and assistance.

We are homestay providers for QUT international program and we are expecting students from Oman to visit QUT next year for 3-6 weeks.
They are a study tour group.
We are in the process of making enquiries regarding families for the students.
Being Irish/Australian it is difficult to find families who can facilitate the needs of the students.
We wish to be respectful of the students beliefs and practices and therefore would feel it better that the may benefit from being with a Muslim families.
What are your thoughts?

The students will need to be in close proximity to QUT Kelvin Grove (The Gap red Hill , New farm etc ) would be fine.
They would also need to be in a family environment ( not a room share situation.)
Do you have any contacts regarding families in these areas.

I would be more than happy to meet or if you wish you could phone me to discuss this.

I look forward to talking with you.

If you would like to view our web site it is as follows.

www.bluearrow.com.au
My mobile number is :
0421 061 436


Kind regards



Mark and Cora Byrne

Source: Courier Mail
THE women in Roqaya Al Ghasara's home town in Bahrain are so proud of their pioneering Olympic sprinter that some of them got together to design and sew a set of tailor-made aerodynamic veils for her to run in. undefined

Egyptian fencer Shaimaa El Gammal, a third-timer at the Olympics, will don Islamic headgear in Beijing for the first time. She says it is a sign she is come of age and she feels more empowered than ever.

This year's Games will see a sizable sprinkling of veiled athletes who are determined to avoid offending devout Muslims back home while showing skimpily dressed rivals there is nothing constricting about wearing "hijab".

Bahrain's Olympic sprinter Rogaya Al Ghasara is set to become the first athlete to compete in the "hijood", a combination of the words "hijab" or veil and "hood", on Tuesday in Beijing.

Designed by Aheda Zanetti, managing director of Australian firm Ahiida, the hijood is breathable, fits snuggly like a hood and covers the hair and neck in accordance with Islamic custom.

"I'm excited that an athlete has gone to the Olympics and there is a possibility that she will achieve gold, with a tiny bit of help from me," Zanetti told Reuters.

Two of them, Bahrain's Roqaya Al Ghasara and veiled Iranian rower Homa Hosseini, won the honour of being flag bearers for their countries at the opening ceremony's parade of athletes.

"The hijab has never been a problem for me. In Bahrain you grow up with it," said Al Ghasara, wearing a white baseball cap over a black veil that covers her hair and neck. Her baggy running gear exposes only her face and hands.

"There are more women in sport all the time from countries like Qatar and Kuwait. You can choose to wear the hijab or not. For me it's liberating," added Al Ghasara, whose close-fitting running veils come in red or white, the Bahraini colours.

Since they first started appearing a few decades ago, veils at the Olympics have always drawn stares.

At this year's Beijing Olympics an unprecedented half a dozen Egyptian athletes, three Iranians, an Afghan and a Yemeni will compete with covered heads like Al Ghasara. They say they want to inspire other women in their countries to break away from Muslim stereotypes.

"People see us wearing the scarf and think we ride camels. But Muslim women can do anything they want," said El Gammal, a bubbly 28-year-old whose sister will compete in the same event, also wearing Islamic headgear.

"When I fence I'm proud that I'm a Muslim. It's very symbolic for women in my country."

Beijing's athletes' village has laid on halal food for the hundreds of Muslims staying there, but it only has a mosque for men, despite scores of Muslim women, mostly bare-headed, from countries such as Tunisia, Iran and Pakistan.

While Saudi Arabia and Brunei do not allow women to formally practise sport, the Gulf nations of United Arab Emirates and Oman have sent women athletes to the 2008 Olympics for the first time.

Iranian women still battle restrictions but three, in headscarves, will compete in rowing, taekwondo and archery. Afghanistan, where the burka used to be compulsory under Taliban rule, has veiled sprinter Robina Muqimyar running the 100 metres.

Al Ghasara, 25, was the first Bahrain-born athlete to strike gold on the international circuit and won the first female medal at the West Asian Games when it opened up to women in 2005.

With a volley of wins, she broke down barriers to women in sport in Bahrain, where many still wear head-to-toe hijab.

At the Olympics, she hopes to help quash the perception among many in the West that the veil is akin to repression.

"We have women who are ambassadors, doctors, pilots," said the runner, who prays daily in her athletes' village bedroom but has a weakness for red nail varnish and shopping.

"I haven't been criticised at home, and at the Olympics race or religion is irrelevant, we're all just here to do sport."

Source: Islam Online
China is set to establish more than 2000 outlets for halal food across the capital to meet the spiritual needs of Muslim athletes and spectators of the Beijing Olympics.

Some 32m yuan ($4.7m) have been allocated to create 2,053 halal food outlets, Wu Shixiong, deputy director of the capital's municipal people's congress was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

Up to 10,000 Muslim athletes, coaches and officials from around the world are expected to visit Beijing during the 17-day Summer Olympics Games that is to be launched next month.

Many more are expected to flock to China to enjoy the games.

In a report to the legislature, Wu said the Muslim visitors will find halal food within easy reach anywhere in Beijing.

The outlets, including restaurants and food shops, will be opened in transport hubs, such as the Capital Airport and the Beijing West Railway Station.

The allocations will also be used to upgrade food processing facilities in major Muslim catering businesses.

The Games Village will provide halal food for Muslim athletes and officials.

The supply of lamb and beef to all halal food outlets could be traced to origin through the supply chain, asserted Wu, who is also the city legislator in charge of supervising food hygiene law enforcement.

Muslims should only eat meat from livestock slaughtered by a sharp knife from their necks, and the name of Allah, the Arabic word for God, must be mentioned.

The former Texan Christian Music Minister and preacher now turned Da'ee (caller to Islam) , Sheik Yusuf Estes landed in Brisbane courtesy of Discover Islam Australia (DIA). His schedule lasted a total of 7 days, in which he delivered 6 lectures at various masaajid, 2 speeches on Radio, 1 live interview on ABC, a day and half daʼwah workshop for aspiring daʼees, a brief visit to an Islamic School and 4 lectures to non-Muslims including talks at major university campuses, a school and the iconic Brisbane City Hall.

Riding a wave of soaring popularity, his talks drew record crowds at each of the masaajid. Unfortunately due to health problems, Estes could not climb stairs at two masaajid and this led to audio problems as he had to be accommodated downstairs. He also was not able to meet many people personally for this reason as well. On the brighter side, 4 people have accepted Islam in Brisbane.

Out of the public scene, the Shiek had a complete tour of Brisbane and visited a Koala Sanctuary before paying a brief visit to Gold Coast.

In his live interview on Radio ABC, the sheikh emphasised that he was from a deeply religious family before he accepted Islam. However, it was not only him but also his father (a church minister), step-mother, wife, and family friend (an ordained priest) who all accepted Islam within a very short time of each other.

The President of Islamic Society of Queensland, Shaibaan Ali, stated that "it was a unique opportunity for the people of Brisbane to listen to the sheikh especially the talk at the City Hall."

His main lecture which was at the Brisbane City Hall drew a crowd of close to 1000 people.

The Sheikhs visit has sparked a great interest in Islam. Discover Islam Australia has been inundated with requests for Islamic literature from all parts of Australia including the Northern Territory and numerous questions are being emailed to it from individuals who desire to broaden their knowledge of Islam.

The organisation feels that although Yusuf Estes has left Brisbane, not only has his visit opened a new chapter in spreading the message about Islam to the wider Australian community but it has filled many Muslims with a lot of zeal and enthusiasm to study and share the meaning and message of Islam with Australians.