Kuranda Seyit

Sharia is already here

2011-05-20T22:05:00.000-07:00

The question of sharia is a humorous one albeit taken seriously by some Australians and even the Attorney General.

Recent calls for sharia law in Australia are unfounded and irrational.
The problem is people do not even understand what sharia is and yet they begin fearing it and condemning it without justification.

Sharia is an aspect of a Muslim’s life which binds him or her under ethical and moral values. The commonly known conception of Sharia is that of Sharia law which can only exist if there is a predominantly Muslim society and that the government is Muslim.

The misconception about sharia law stems from the out-dated information and propaganda that intimates that sharia equates to corporal punishment and such punishments like stoning and whipping. These are medieval practices which are not used today.

Sharia is practiced in Australia everyday. I go to the mosque on Fridays, this is sharia, it does not impact on others. When Muslim gets married they go through both the Islamic rituals and the legal ceremony through a marriage celebrant. It is exactly the same for Christians who get married in a church or Jews who do so in a synagogue. It is the same for divorce, one does both the legal process and the religious process. Just as Catholics will divorce through the legal system and annul the marriage through the church as well. People don’t understand that sharia is a personal aspect of one’s faith and it is not a system of law.

Muslims in Australia do not want sharia in this country, we already have sharia practiced on a personal level. This nation is a secular nation. It protects religious rights and promotes religious freedoms. It would be highly impractical to implement sharia in Australia, and no one wants to any way.

It would be nice if we could all just wake up and smell the coffee, take a breath and relax. Sharia is already here, it has been for 150 years (with the first Afghan Muslim camel drivers), so why are we worried!

Aussie soldiers who killed Afghan children must be punished

2011-05-20T21:33:00.000-07:00

Last week we heard that the Judge Advocate Brigadier Ian Westwood had decided to withdraw the charges of manslaughter against two army reservists in the Australian Defence Forces deployed in Afghanistan in 2009.

The soldiers were a part of an operation tageting 'insurgents' in Oruzgan province. The shooting incident took place in February 2009. Six people were killed, one male adult and five children. Last year Dateline did a report on the incident and found that according to eyewitnesses those killed were inncocent civilians and were unarmed.

When Director of Military Prosecutions, Brigadier Lyn McDade, decided to bring charges of manslaughter against the men the ADF was furious as were many Australians who heard about the charges through the media. The announcement to withdraw the charges has been welcomed by the ADF and former Defence chief General Peter Cosgrove.

However, I and every Afghan has a right to know why? Why are these men being allowed to get off scott free? What about the families and parents of the victims? Don't they have a right to justice? If these men are free to walk away without even a reprimand, the ADF will be sent a message that Australian soldiers in Afghanistan are above the law and that they can get away with murder. The Australian government must hold those soldiers accountable for the deaths of six civilians in Oruzgan Province.

This decision says that Afghan blood is cheap. An Afghan child's blood is cheap. Yet, many like Cosgrove say that important decisions have to be made in the heat of battle. So we are to assume that these soldiers could not tell the difference between children and armed men? If our soldiers are not trained well enough to identify a threat then they must be pulled out of action. This raises the question of how our troops view the “enemy” and whether they think that they can get away with any future incidents involving civilian casualties. The actions of these soliers was grossly negligent and the use of force was excessive (two grenades and machine gun fire).

However, facts speak for themselves:
Six people were killed. One adult and five children.
They were all unarmed.
One of the suspected insurgents was arrested and interrogated then later released.
Eyewtinesses all say that they were not members of Taliban.
The soldiers disobeyed their commands (another soldier has already been convicted of disobeying a directive).
AND that these soldiers were attacking the village not the other way around. It was not a defensive operation.

This is another case of a so-called Western Democratic country, such as Australia, who is really unjustifiably in Afghanistan, and who purports to have high standards of conduct and procedures of accountability, protecting two Australian soldiers who have killed innocent civilians, that is five innocent children.

How could this have happened and why aren’t those responsible being held to account?
Do we just tell the families and the Afghan people sorry but so-what. Shit happens.

The Australian government must show strong leadership and give justice to the families of the victims. No-one wants to admit that our own troops could have deliberately killed children, however, through their own negligence this has happened and they must be held accountable and they should be punished and the families compensated. The Australian government must not allow these men to get away with murder.

This is also a timely reminder that we must reassess why Australian troops are in Afghanistan in the first place and withdraw our troops. We should not be in Afghanistan in any case. If Osama Bin Laden is dead, the country has its own elected government and there is relative peace in the country, then Australia must withdraw its troops. Why are we there?
These deaths are a direct result of Australia's decision to be in Afghanistan and the government is complicit in the death of every civilian at the hands of Australian troops in Afghanistan as it is for the death of every Australian digger who falls in battle. It's a shame. A crying shame.

Racist ethnic crime claims are Re-bolting

2011-05-16T04:10:00.000-07:00

Once again Andrew Bolt is shooting his mouth off, on another one of his racist rants. Its getting a bit tiring and repetitive yet no doubt he feeds into the hunger of the small minority of bigots out there in readership land.

This time, he claims that it is only the nasty Muslims and Africans that are creating crime waves across the country especially in Melbourne, Darwin and Adelaide. Its sounds like an epidemic if you were to believe Bolt. Its easy to pick out police reports of crimes involving men of African appearance, they are freely available on the Police website.

However, we need to place all of this in context. Its not Muslims that fill our gaols. Neither is it Africans. Even looking at it proportionately the numbers are still low.

The ABS website says: As of 30 June 2010 there were 29,700 prisoners in Australian prisons. This represented a national imprisonment rate of 170 prisoners per 100,000 adult population. The median aggregate sentence length for all sentenced prisoners was 3 years. The most serious offence/charge category of acts intended to cause injury accounted for the highest proportion of all prisoners (20% or 5,805).

Of the total prisoner population, 8% (2,228) were female. The median age of all prisoners was 33.5 years.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander prisoners comprised just over a quarter (26% or 7,584) of the total prisoner population. This was 14 times higher than non-Indigenous prisoners.

Australia was recorded as the country of birth for 80% (23,863) of all prisoners. This was followed by New Zealand (3% or 842 prisoners), Vietnam (3% or 755) and the United Kingdom and Ireland (2% or 600). Prisoners born in Samoa had the highest imprisonment rate (555 prisoners per 100,000 adult population for Samoa), followed by prisoners born in Tonga (531 prisoners per 100,000 adult population for Tonga).

The national average daily Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander imprisonment rate was 2,250 per 100,000 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population.

As you can plainly see, no Sudanese, no Lebanese or Somali people listed amongst these statistics. If Bolt is going to create false hysteria about one ethnic group over others, then he should start with Australian-born inmates, who are mostly of Anglo-European descent. And if there was a justified article then Bolt should be writing about the Samoans and Tongans.

Sadly, this man gets paid to feed crap down our throats and most of us are gullible to believe him. It's a great tragedy of modern day journalism.

Obama killed Osama

2011-05-02T06:15:00.001-07:00

People cheering, fist pumping into the air and flag waving, seems reminiscent of a home-coming or a victory parade. True, the death of Bin Laden could be viewed as a victory. However, just how relevant is his presumed demise?

For most people in the world, Bin Laden was irrelevant. More than likely he was incapacitated by illness or he could have been dead for all intents and purposes and the world had moved on. There had been almost nothing in the past five years from Bin Laden, no claims of any terrorist attacks, no recorded videos or anything of any significance. The security world and the US had by and large assumed him as MIA (Missing In Action). Until today, at about 1pm our time, when we were alerted that the mighty Barack Hussein Obama (BHO) had killed Osama Bin Laden (OBL), most people in the world had actually forgotten about him. Osama Bin Who?

Yet, jumping for joy in the streets of New York is a bit over the top. Just as those who rejoiced at the sight of the planes crashing into the Twin Towers was deplorable behaviour, it is not befitting of any society to be celebrating the death of a human being. We have evolved.

Public hangings and executions are a thing of the past, in medieval France, many were publicly tortured before they were eventually beheaded and in the wild west of America in the 1800’s it was common practice for lynch mobs to take the law into their own hands and the locals loved a public hangin’. But today, we must show restraint in our own personal jubilation at the death of a murderer. It is not befitting of a super-power state such as the USA. It only reduces us to level that we loathe in the first place.

The other factor which, unfortunately is relevant, is that such scenes of rejoicing in the States could be deemed as offensive to many Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan. While OBL is no real hero to Muslims, some see him as a symbol of the struggle against US colonial interests in their countries. OBL’s death to many people in the Middle East is a symbol of the victory of the colonial powers and their commitment to continue their occupation of Muslim lands. It is crucial that the US and the West use this announcement to create impetus for re-building the relations with the Muslim world, especially amidst the so-called youth-quake in the Middle East and the political reforms that are taking place in countries like Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Yemen and Tunisia. The West has to capitalise on this phenomena that is taking place in a positive way.

But there is one more question that will never be truthfully answered, is the assasination of OBL just a coincidence or has it been perfectly timed to distract attention from the NATO debacle in Libya and for BHO and problems with the US economy? He now has the 2012 presidential campaign in the bag, the body bag so to speak.He will be knowm as the US president who killed OBL? His second term is assured. His own popularity ratings were waning. Many voters had expressed dissatisfaction with BHO after the initial euphoria as the first black American president. Well, this latest announcement has revived his popularity and given the American people something to smile about. Now, BHO has truly proven his Americanness; he has killed enemy number one. This should put a sock in Trump's mouth once and for all.

Can Australia admit its time to dump the 'M' word?

2011-04-15T21:34:00.000-07:00

Recently The Australian Newspaper columnist Greg Sheridan wrote an opinion piece reflecting on his time living in Belmore (a Sydney suburb adjacent to Lakemba) claiming that multiculturalism has failed because of Muslims. This is a response to his article.

I believe that Multiculturalism has failed. However, blaming it on Islam or Muslims is a long bow to draw. It is true that suburbs like Lakemba, Cabramatta and Auburn inevitably have changed over the past 15-20 years, some would argue for better than for worse. The population in 1993 was around 17 million, today its 21 million and growing. Suburbs are congested, housing is very difficult to afford and we have large concentrations of various groups across Sydney. Add to that the low socio-economic condition of many of these migrant clusters, you have a potential for criminality. Yes, crime has increased in south west Sydney, as it has in the country in general. This is evident amongst Pacific communities, amongst Vietnamese, Afghans and Lebanese, they all suffer from high unemployment.

Yes, there are some Muslims amongst these groups who do have diametrically opposed views to Fred Nile or Bronwyn Bishop but if multiculturalism has failed it is not because Muslims have failed to integrate. An important factor contributing to this perceived failure is that during the Howard years of multicultural denial, many migrant communities were left to ‘fend’ for themselves. The multicultural policy of the time was about leaving people to retain their cultural identity yet not assisting migrants with cultural acclimatisation and adjustment, such as assisting them with engagement with the broader society, promoting acceptance of them and cultivating new civic values. Instead Howard pushed down our throats simplistic values about mateship and Anzac diggers and bronzed beach surf life savers and sports loving ocker Aussies throwing another banger on the barbie. Australia unlike Canada and the States were marketing a totally different image to their migrants. Migrants, we should add, who bring billions of dollars to the labour market and raise the standard of living for every citizen of this country. That is essentially what drives immigration. Instead of Africans and Asians on our tele, we saw Lara Bingle in a bikini asking "where the bloody hell are you!". Really?

There are many migrants who, having only been in the country for a short time still dress in their cultural garbs, others cannot speak English and many hold on tightly to their cultural identity. Some of these people that Sheridan refers to, live in Lakemba because that is where there is some familiarity with their cultural links abroad; there are religious places of worship, schools, halal butchers and restaurants, grocery stores, book stores and clothing stores. But more importantly their relatives and friends are also in the vicinity, so they move into these suburbs because that's where the greatest amount of support exists. It makes sense. Take the Eastern suburbs for example, where a lot of Jews reside, because there is a community there; kosher cafes and butchers, synagogues, schools and even a Jewish club.

Here in Australia, the multicultural policy of the past decade does not seem to have worked as well as it could have, and maybe there is more analysis needed. My inclination is to begin searching for new horizons and a new direction. A society based on civic values and civic identities that everyone can relate to and one that cherishes our cosmopolitan make up but respects and upholds one national identity- Australian of course! Every one, every citizen and permanent resident can look forward to a bright future under the cosmopolitan umbrella. It is the new 'C' word. It is encumbent on the government to advance the policy and assist new migrants to engage and be accepted. No-one can take away your cultural or ethnic roots but it is inevitable that if you have permanently migrated to this country, either in your life time or your children’s, their original “culture” will be softened and eventually be integrated into the mainstream. That is the reality of migration.

So does Sheridan really seriously suggest that Muslims are the cause of the failure of multiculturalism?

Its easy to say that he lived in Belmore for 15 years and that for a whole month he studied multiculturalism in Europe and not to mention that he has been reporting in the Middle East and South East Asia for 30 years. These are strong credentials indeed. Not sure if it makes him an expert on Islam and Multiculturalism. But Greg Sheridan goes too far in his very presumptuous assertions. It is ironic that while Sheridan blames Islam for the failure of multiculturalism, Islam, more than any faith, promotes real pluralism, beyond the bounds of racism and towards tolerance and universal brotherhood and sisterhood.

I have spent 1 month in Iran, 2 months in Palestine, 2 months in Jordan, 3 months in India, 2 months in Pakistan, 2 months in Indonesia and 3 months in Malaysia not to mention 6 months in Turkey. I also spent 2 months in Europe (Germany, Holland,UK, Switzerland and France). I am no expert on European multiculturalism or on Islam for that matter. However, being a Muslim I have great deal of understanding of the Muslim mindset and the teachings of Islam. I have also worked closely with the Lebanese community in Sydney.

The fact remains that the Lebanese are one of the highest groups taking up citizenship in this country. There are over 300000 young Muslims in Australia who were born here or grew up here and are Australian in every respect. They are proud to be Australian and they are visibly Australian in their accents, their dress and mentality and in their attitude. So where is Greg Sheridan living today?

Sheridan sites examples of Muslim countries with their violations of Western liberal freedoms such as not allowing women to drive in Saudi Arabia, Iranian officials beating opponents of the Mullahs, floggings and other abuses. Apparently in the name of Islam. Well, in fact, these are all acts opposed by Islam. Islam promotes human rights and essentially is a spiritual and social doctrine which protects people from oppression and exploitation. However, if countries which purport to be Islamic but in reality are just dictatorial or tyrannical regimes ruling over Muslim populations, commit human rights abuses, then this cannot be attributed to Islam. They are responsible for their unethical and in some cases criminal actions and policies.

Sheridan echoes the assumption that only in Muslim countries are these violations occurring. Just about everyone believes the propaganda that most terrorism in the world is being perpetrated by Muslims. Yet, if we were to take a very quick glance at the world, and because it usually a glance, we often miss some of the ‘other’ violations occurring in the name of the ‘other’ faiths and ideologies around the world.

Let’s take a squiz at the Americas- largely Christian governments, in the USA, Columbia or Chile. All Christian societies. So do we blame Christians for the woes of the world because Pinochet was killing his own people? Because Columbians are selling drugs to the world, killing thousands? And of course America could be described as one of the most fundamentalist Christian democracies in the world and it not only has violated human rights in Guanrtanamo Bay, in Abu Ghraib prison, but its troops in Afghanistan and Iraq and their sanctions that they imposed are responsible for the deaths of millions of people.

What about in Asia? China, a mainly Buddhist country, how many millions are suffering at the hands of the regime? The Falun Gong, the Tibetans and the Uighurs. In Burma, a mainly Buddhist country? In Sri Lanka, thousands of Tamils slaughtered by a Buddhist regime. In south Thailand Muslims being oppressed by a Thai Buddhist government. In Cambodia. In the Philippines, where a mainly Catholic country is oppressing its Muslim minority, waging a war against the Mindanaons. And in Hindu India, the Muslim Kashmiris suffer immensely as a genocide is taking place. And not to mention, the Jewish state of Israel, mercilessly oppressing Muslim and Christian Palestinians in Gaza and the West bank.

I could go on and on. The question is do we blame Hinduism for these evils? Should we blame Christianity for the evil done by America and others? Should be blame Buddhism for the atrocities carried out by Buddhist majority regimes? Do we blame Judaism for what has happened in Palestine? OF COURSE NOT GREG! So why is so convenient to assign the blame squarely on the Muslims of Lakemba?

Yes, the Muslim world is not perfect but neither is any world, any society, any religion or any ideology. And that includes Western democracy. We must for a moment stop thinking about the world from a western viewpoint. There is more to this world than just Coca-Cola, Levi Jeans, Starbucks, KFC and the Brititsh royal family. If we were to leave it to the Greg Sheridans of this world, we would see the everything through black and white coloured lenses! Next thing we will be hearing is that Greg has joined Pauline Hanson’s new political party as chief policy writer.

Multiculturalism is Dead

2011-03-15T22:46:00.000-07:00

I was concerned to learn that one in ten Australians are racist according to a recent report published by UWS, titled “Challenging Racism”.

These findings are startling to say the least. The most disturbing trend is that Muslims and people of Middle Eastern backgrounds are figured prominently as groups targeted by racists. Even more shocking is that 1 in 2 people have a concern about Islam. With findings like these only confirming the growing trend of racism and bigotry in this nation, it is time to review and assess the success of our multicultural policy.

There has been a lively debate about the place of multiculturalism in Australia and whether it has worked. The fact is that Australia is a pluralist society, multi-ethnic and multi-faith in nature, that we cannot change, however, we need to admit that the policy has not worked.

The challenge is indeed one for the nation and its elected representatives to devise a policy that is practical and in the best interests of the country, especially, those who are consistently targeted by racist elements in the community. I for one am happy to put my time into coming up with a new policy that does not divide or segregate us, one that acknowledges difference and diversity but unites the community under one national program. The key issue is that we have propagated the divisions by not welcoming newcomers and by not engaging with each other, the new policy must be one of engagement, not disassociation that will only lead us down the same garden path as Germany.

Whats wrong with interfaith dialogue?

2011-02-17T05:24:00.000-08:00

As one of the first people in Australia to bring interfaith dialogue into schools and one who has been doing interfaith for over a decade, I feel we have come to a saturation point. Unfortunately, interfaith groups are ‘preaching to the converted’ and what seems to be the trend is to spend large amounts of resources and funds on conferences and forums which attract very small audiences and do very little to move faith communities closer together.

Luckily, Australians are a very easy-going lot and interfaith or faith as a general experience does not rate highly on their priorities in life. Yet, Muslims and Jews who felt under siege took it upon themselves to make contact with other faith groups, particularly Christians (Catholic and Uniting Church) to build bridges to understanding.

But it is time to go beyond dialogue.

Muslims must stop pandering to the mainstream and apologise for the actions of others within their faith community.

Muslims must stand up for themselves and take a strong position on the various issues. Interfaith is acceptable as long as it is done without compromising your principles and your own faith.

As Muslims we must acknowledge the ‘People of the Book’ and to show them respect and acceptance just as we would expect them to do the same for Muslims. But when issues are placed on the table we must take a strong position and speak up against injustice and oppression.

Let me give you a few examples;
On the issue of Iraq and Afghanistan, Australia has no right to be in that country as an occupying force supporting shameless American aggression (which has killed 200000 people to date). When we speak to other Christians in the spirit of love and respect, we need to know that they do not support such oppression otherwise how can we even sit in the same room or share a meal when we know that one side supports the murder of other people?

On the issue of women’s rights. Many people criticise Muslims for their stance on the dress code for women and their roles within society. Yet, others have no problem with the objectification of the female body and the continued industry that supports body image and commodifies women’s bodies and their self-image.

Or the biggest issue that Muslims have ignored for so long is the injustices placed upon Palestinians by Israel. The acceptance of Israel’s oppression of Muslims and the continued usurpation of their land, food, culture and identity is an indication that we have sold out the Palestinians. When we meet with Jews we should not only ask each other “What does your faith mean to you?” But we should ask, “what does your faith say about oppression, human rights, kindness?”

There are many groups out there who are justifying their existence on the back of a “need” for interfaith dialogue. When in reality, there is no real need but just one side trying to justify themselves to others. In recent times Islam has become the talking point so every man and his dog wants to be seen talking to Muslims. But why do we allow ourselves to be used by these people?
The old saying goes, “Look at yourself before you look at others”
Muslims have to take a good long hard look at themselves in the mirror and ask why am I doing this? Is this pleasing Allah (swt)? Is it of benefit to my community and to my faith or is it in fact detrimental to my people? Am I doing an injustice to those who do not have a voice (such as in Palestine, Bosnia, East Turkestan and Iraq)? Am I promoting other faiths and am I justifying their exploitation and oppression of other Muslims by sharing the podium with them?
The bottom line is that we cannot compromise our principles and we must always maintain our integrity and stand up for Islam and Justice!

Aborigines were an advanced civilisation, David

2011-02-16T16:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, David Oldfield, 2UE radio presenter (formerly One Nation NSW representative) alluded to the Australian Aborigines as being a stone age people and not having any organisation like Australia when comparing their colonisation by the British to the colonisation by the Israelis of Palestine.

He said that Aborigines have no claim to Australia because they were not an organised state or people and they were in effect uncivilised and needed to be colonised and that 200 years has passed and so that is now history.

It is true that Australia is quite organised and it has its own institutions and apparati for enacting laws and so forth. But to imply that the Aboriginal society was not organised is absolutely offensive to the 3 million Aboriginal people who lived on this continent prior to British invasion and the half a million Aborigines who live in Australia today. I personally think that they were much more organised than present day Australia. While we are a modern society that is obvious with big roads and big sky-scrapers and fancy looking Opera Houses and Bridges, we are not necessarily better off than the Aborigines. We have a crime rate that is getting out of control, you cant leave your car unlocked or leave the house without bolting it down, alarming it and insuring against theft, there are many people who are homeless and then there is the massive problem of alcoholism and drug addiction. I am sure that the Aborigines did not have to worry much about these problems. In fact they had a very sophisticated system of laws and organisation.

One of the most unique system of maintaining borders and manourvering throughout the land was using Song Lines. These were incredibly successful and also maintained harmony between neighbouring countries. The laws were just and maintained traditional customs which were thousands of years old. They had respect for each other, respect for elders and respect for the environment.

The Aboriginal people did not believe in the notion of "owning" the land, so when the brutish British arrived in their red coats and white wigs, looking like nancy boys, waving the Union Jack about like some drug-induced teenager at a rave, expecting that the locals would act like savages and resist, the Aborigines actually welcomed them in the spirit of friendship and allowed them to share the land with them. The greedy foreigners didn't want to share anything. They wanted to just keep taking. After taking the lush coastal areas along the harbour, their hungry eyes were cast on the rich alluvial plains along the now called Parramatta River and then they commissioned Wentworth, Blaxland and Lawson to carve a land route over the Blue Mountains and open up the situation for wholesale slaughter of the Aborigines. They did resist and at times effectively (Pemulwuy was the best known freedom fighter of the time, similar to Yasser Arafat) but the power of the British guns was too much against the spears of the locals.

The point is that these attitudes are pervasive amongst Australians today. We still look down upon the Aborigines as savages and still have the terra nullius mentality. They were decent people living in advanced society for the time and context. They didn't have needles and threads to make nice tights and red overcoats and fancy black caps, but they had high morals and an advanced belief system. We need to acknowledge that. To just apologise for the wrongs of the past and then dismiss them as an uncivilised people is not enough.

I hope that we can reassess our attitudes towards Aborigines and give their ancestors the respect that they deserve. If the British had come here in 1788 and exchanged knowledge and science and then left, instead of colonising the land and killing off the people, we would have had a very different situation. Today, Australia could have been a modern society, developed by Aborigines, it would have been interesting experiment to say the least. And of course it goes without saying it wouldnt be called Australia...

Are we really together for humanity?

2011-02-16T04:03:00.000-08:00

There are some people out there in Australia, purporting to be well-meaning Muslims, Jews and Christians (Monotheists), who think that we need to tell others that we as people of the BOOK can work together for making humanity a better place. They call themselves, together for humanity.

I think its rather patronising to say the least. The world is a messed up place, we all agree and we definitely need to do something about it. However, there are two things that are problematic with this monotheistic approach; what about those people in the world who are not either Muslim, Christian or a Jew? So, we all can get along, we love each other, we adore each other, hugs all round (except the Buddhists, the Hindus, Sikhs and the smelly atheists plus all the other sects and cults out there that make up a few hundred thousand people). We are excluding at least a billion in China and almost a billion in India and if we take in SE Asia, parts of Africa and I dare say most of western Europe which these days is considered as Atheistic, we are looking at least 2.5 billion or more! But it seems according to these Monotheists that the problems of this world are only important if they involve themselves and that they are the only ones who can solve them. And how do they purport to do that? Well, visit school children, who are most vulnerable to be brainwashed, and tell them that we stand united against all the evils of the world and that we want you to join us in doing an act of kindness.

Now this sounds very noble indeed, and what's wrong with doing an act of kindness?
Well, one needs to understand (Hasidic) Jewish teachings to follow the premise of this whole endeavour. According to the teachings of the great Rebbi, the world will not come to an end until ALL of humanity begins doing acts of kindness and then, the world will end and at that point only the Jews will go to Heaven, because they are the chosen race. Hasidim claims evil can be overcome by correcting it. Dov Ber of Mezhirich and other Hasidic teachers insisted evil could be overcome by absorbing it uplifting it and making it again part of goodness, believing that the spiritual stature of "corrected" or "repentant" evil is higher than the elements that were always good. So these Muslims and Christians, are sort of being used to get to the greater goal.

I only feel sorry for the rest of the world because they dont even believe in the "book". So what is their fate? Muslims believe in the Quran. Christians believe in the New Testament. Jews believe in the Old Testament. But ironically Muslims reject these books and it is very clear in the Quran that to work with these two faith groups is very bad indeed, very bad! The Quran, that is Allah, cautions Muslims to be wary of Christians and Jews.

So what is each faith's agenda, in being involved in this school by school brain-washing program? Well, I can only guess that Christians as the dominant group in Australia just want everybody to get a long and they are happy to see the three religions on the surface working together, and of course, they want Muslims to accept the state of Israel and to accept the ongoing persecution of the Palestinians and the eventual annihilation of the whole country once known as Palestine. They will no doubt be referred to as the Aborigines of Israel in years to come. Terra Nullius in Palestine. In fact, a whole generation of children will grow up exposed to these school visits telling them that Muslims are happy and that there is no oppression and exploitation and that there is no such thing as Palestine. When they get older, they will watch the news on TV and the media will report Palestinian insurgents attacked a Jewish settlement in Israel and the PM will condemn the attacks and so they will just assume that the nasty Palestinian Muslims are attacking the nice friendly Israelis.

Secondly, the Muslims have their own agenda, but its pathetic; with all the government funding out there they want to be seen as being socially inclusive and raise their status and jump on the band wagon of inter-cultural relations...all very PC. Do they realise that their efforts, ie, making the whole world turn to doing kindness invariably will send their Jewish friends to Heaven (metaphorically speaking)? And as the Quranic verse warns, implicate themselves!
"O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people." Qur'an (5:51)

But just one other point. There are over a billion Christians in the world. There are over 1 billion Muslims in the world. How many Jews are there in the world?
Incredibly only 12 million. So once again 12 million Jews are getting the bulk of the world to do all the work, and ultimately in their own favour. Are not we so predictable?
Please. O ye, Muslims, think! Listen to thy Lord, who warns us that we should not be so stupid and gullible. Why do we then allow others to use us when it is written in plain sight, in our own Book, which is the virtuous book, the true word of Allah.
Think, O ye believers!

Well what is my alternative proposal then you ask? I am glad you asked.
I am not advocating that we begin killing each other or we stand back with hate in our eyes. My proposal is that we are honest and we are open about our agendas. We need to be inclusive too. Instead of talking we need to be walking. That is, programs to feed the poor, to educate illiterate communities or the victims of society, drug addicts, homeless, victims of bullying and racism and people who are denied justice.
And we dont need to do it in the name of religion or just three religions. We need it to be done truly in the name of HUMANITY.

A nation's lost soul

2011-02-15T04:35:00.000-08:00

Where has this nation's soul disappeared?

Today we buried two babies, shrouded in white, less than the weight of a Harry Potter novel. The aunt held her in her arms weeping and wailing, amongst other mourners, a media circus and shameless Immigration department guards. Watching on, behind dark sunglasses, hands on hips. A young orphaned boy, walks by disoriented, traumatised and dazed, then a guard attempts to grab him. He lost both his parents in the boat crash off Christmas Island last November, 2010. The fifteen or so mourners, were bussed in to the cemetery and the Immigration people watch over them carefully.
I joke to my friend that we should not call them DeeAC, but they should be called DieAC, because that is their business. Killing people. If they dont die on rickety boats as they come into Australian waters, then the detention facilties will get them behind razor fences. Suicide. Depression. Trauma. And if they dont die physically then then they kill their wills and their souls. Where is Julia Gillard's soul?
We condemned John Howard when he was in power, and in a sense, we blamed it on his generation, his conservative white Christian values, his age and his ego. But Julia, a migrant herself, an atheist, relatively younger and a woman. Does she have any power over her party's policies? Or is she just a stooge, like all of our politicians?

Today, as I stood over the tiny grave, about the length of a cricket stump, I realised that we as a nation have come to this pathetic state, where we give more importance to a injured terrier than an infant Iraqi refugee, clutching to the arms of her terrified mother. The boat helplessly bobbing closer to the razor sharp rocks. The coastguard somewhere near but just conveniently out of reach. Who gave the order to stand back and watch 50 souls sink to the bottom of the callous sea, engulfing these innocent people who were seeking a place of refuge under the wings of the Australian nation?
In Egypt people power has reclaimed their dignity, after corruption and oppression at the hands of their leaders. Where are the people of Australia who are offended by our leaders? Where is the revolution? Time to overthrow the pharoahs and kings that we call our democratically elected leaders! How can we face ourselves each day, until, these demons are gone. Make supplication to God. The dead are at peace now, somewhere in Paradise.

The Immigration people muster the mourners onto the bus, making sure that the head count is right. The excavator fills in the hole. Then a farwell wave as they move off into the great unknown, to grieve behind wires while angry guards, looking pitilessly on, behind their dark sunglasses with their hands on hips.
"Well, you should learn from this! Dont jump the cue."
The Pacific solution (mark II). As we called John Howard the Coward, maybe we should call Julia Gillard the Kill-hard.

Where is this nation's soul? Did we leave it behind when we too arrived on boats and planes, with all the other lost baggage?

Australian Falafel League and the farting felafel

2011-02-13T17:58:00.000-08:00

Either hate him or love him, Eddie McGuire has the ability to stir up discussion.
His comments about Western Sydney being the 'land of the felafel' albeit inaccurate has really brought a lot of politically correct mutliculturalist commentators jumping onto the bandwagon. This is healthy and a discussion that we need to have.

There are two issues here:
i) Stereotyping people of Mid-Eastern backgrounds
ii) Multiculturalism in general

Well firstly, it must be said that Western Sydney is a very large geographical area with a diverse number of cultures. In fact, many people get South Western Sydney mixed up with Western Sydney, you have to be clear on that because we are talking the difference between Hommos and Chicken Tikka. If we are talking south west, this takes up suburbs like Lakemba, Bankstown and Liverpool, with large populations of Lebanese and other felafel eating cultures. But if we go further west, towards Parramatta and Blacktown, there is undoubtedly a lot of Felafel producing households but probably not as there are curry and pappadum ones, spaghetti and ravioli, dim sims and fried rice, kava and roast pig, and kangaroo and damper...well theoretically that is.

In Western Sydney, with its heart being Blacktown and Rooty Hill (great name dont you think), there are large Aboriginal populations. There are also a good number of Pacific Islander communities in the area. There is a recently growing Indian population, hence the explosion of Indian restaurants in Parramatta and Harris Park. Also Western Sydney is home to one of the largest Maltese communities, large pockets of Italians, Chinese and Turks and now new emerging African communities mainly Sudanese. But only a relatively small Middle Eastern population who are mostly Christian.

But this is really about linking Middle Eastern people to the felafel with a derogatory overtone. McGuire has implied that after a couple of years of living in a place with lots of Arabs, the players will get sick of it and leave. While we can all have a joke and take the mickey out of a particular suburb or community, the Middle Eastern community have born the brunt of growing phobic attitudes and have been subject to a lot of racism, discrimination and vilification. Theoretically, McGuire's comments have breached the Racial Discrimination Act of 1974. But I don't think anyone is thinking of taking it to that extreme.

But in bringing up his comments, he has really exposed himself, as a closet-felafel addict. There is speculation that McGuire although of Scottish heritage was orginally from Lebanon, who changed his name, it was originally, Mahgir, meaning migrant. But that's another story. The real issue that he is raising is that the Western Sydney Giants have scored a new secret weapon, hitherto unknown. That is THE FARTING FELAFEL and its wind-increasing qualities. Felafel made up of chickpeas and beans are known for causing flatulence. The Giants, according to laboratory tests, will kick, jump and run, 10% faster than the average AFL player. Dipping your hands in hommos before the game will also make the ball stick better to taking high-flying marks and possibly kicking goals from the half way point.

The second issue is that of multiculturalism and this is a topic which will never go away. As it stands we have two schools of thought; the multiculturalism is real and working and the other, there is no such thing as multiculturalism in Australia (its just a con).

Well, the recent debate has been around integration and belonging amongst Muslim and African Australians. There are many who believe that Burqa clad, felafel loving Muslim women should shed their sheets and become full-blooded equality loving Aussies and go skinny-dipping in Bondi. There are many who have argued that Muslims cannot integrate. Commentators the likes of Andrew Bolt, Fred Nile and Brownwyn Bishop to name just a few. Many people believe that Multiculturalism has failed and that in fact we have a society of different cultures all living side by side, with disparate values and ideologies and allegiances that are antithetical to traditional Australian values.

I believe that this is really just a part of the evolution of Australian identity and values. It is a sign of our identity passing over from a tradtional one to that of a civic one (similar to America) and in due course, we will shed the baggage of our English and Irish ancestors and start embracing universal values of justice, friendship, generosity and compassion. This will make it much simpler for new Australians to embrace Australianness. Afterall, Africans, Arabs and Asians find it very hard to relate to blonde and blue eyed surf life savers and the beer-bellied, zinc-creamed bloke behind the barbie, with a can of VB in his can holder.

I think the Multiculturalism debate will go on for a long time yet, but we have to thank Eddie once again for putting his foot in his mouth or should I say putting the felafel in it.

Finally, with all of this sensation, I think its time to go the next step and change the name of the league to the Australian Felafel League and bring the vegetarians back into the fold!

Good luck the mighty Giants! I hope you flog Collingwood when you meet. And I'll be at the ground too (you will recognize me, I'll be the one sitting in the A. B. Felafel stand).

The Old Arab

2009-04-11T04:37:00.000-07:00

An old Arab lived close to New York City for more than 40 years. One day he decided that he would love to plant potatoes and herbs in his garden, but he knew he was alone and too old and weak. His son was in college in Paris, so the old man sent him an e-mail explaining the problem: 'Beloved son, I am very sad, because I can't plant potatoes in my garden. I am sure, if only you were here, that you would help me and dig up the garden for me. I love you, your father.'
The following day, the old man received a response e-mail from his son:
'Beloved father, please don't touch the garden. That is where I have hidden 'the THING.' I love you, too, Ahmed.'At 4pm the FBI and the Rangers visited the house of the old man and took the whole garden apart, searching every inch. But they couldn't find anything.
Disappointed, they left the house. The next day, the old man received another e-mail from his son: 'Beloved father, I hope the garden is dug up by now and you can plant
your potatoes. That is all I could do for you from here. Your loving son, Ahmed'.

Turkish National Anthem

2009-04-11T04:35:00.000-07:00

Fear not! For the crimson flag that proudly ripples in this glorious twilight, shall not fade,
Before the last fiery hearth that is ablaze within my nation is extinguished.
For That is the star of my nation, and it will forever shine;
It is mine; and solely belongs to my valiant nation.
Frown not, I beseech you, oh thou coy crescent,
But smile upon my heroic race! Why the anger, why the rage?
This blood of ours which we shed for you shall not be blessed otherwise;
For Freedom is the absolute right of my God-worshiping nation.
I have been free since the beginning and forever shall be so.
What madman shall put me in chains! I defy the very idea!
I'm like the roaring flood; powerful and independent,
I'll tear apart mountains, exceed the heavens and still gush out!
The lands of the West may be armored with walls of steel,
But I have borders guarded by the mighty chest of a believer.
Recognize your innate strength, my friend! And think: how can this fiery faith ever be killed,
By that battered, single-fanged monster you call "civilization"?
My friend! Leave not my homeland to the hands of villainous men!
Render your chest as armor and your body as trench! Stop this disgraceful rush!
For soon shall come the joyous days of divine promise...
Who knows? Perhaps tomorrow? Perhaps even sooner!
View not the soil you tread on as mere earth - recognize it!
And think about the shroudless thousands who lie so nobly beneath you.
You're the noble son of a martyr, take shame, hurt not your ancestor!
Unhand not, even when you're promised worlds, this paradise of a homeland.
What man would not die for this heavenly piece of land?
Martyrs would gush out should one simply squeeze the soil! Martyrs!
May God take all my loved ones and possessions from me if He will,
But may He not deprive me of my one true homeland for the world.
Oh glorious God, the sole wish of my pain-stricken heart is that,
No heathen's hand should ever touch the bosom of my sacred Temples.
These adhans, whose are the foundations of my religion,
May their noble sound last loud and wide over my eternal homeland.
For only then, shall my fatigued tombstone, if there is one, prostrate a thousand times in ecstasy,
And tears of fiery blood shall flow out of my every wound,
And my lifeless body shall gush out from the earth like an eternal spirit,
Perhaps only then, shall I peacefully ascend and at long last reach the heavens.
So ripple and wave like the bright dawning sky, oh thou glorious crescent,
So that our every last drop of blood may finally be blessed and worthy!
Neither you nor my race shall ever be extinguished!
For freedom is the absolute right of my ever-free flag;
For freedom is the absolute right of my God-worshiping nation!

1968-2008 : 40 years of Turkish migration

2008-10-13T06:53:00.000-07:00

1968-2008 : 40 years of Turkish migration

In 1967 the Holt government signed an historic immigration agreement with the Republic of Turkey which saw the influx of thousands of unskilled migrants to Sydney and Melbourne. My parents were amongst those early arrivals who came to Sydney, starry-eyed and without a word of English. I grew up in world of terrace houses and narrow streets, my friends were named Scott, Chris, Kon, Zoran, Arthur and Andrew and we played cricket in the lane way. Growing up in Newtown was like living in a sanctuary of innocence and idealism. We did not care about where you came from and we felt safe in our little multicultural enclave. It wasn’t until my family moved to Emu Plains that we realised the real world was not so innocent and instantly I became an alien with three eyes and green skin in a sea of white. I was called names like ‘gobbler’ and often got into punch ups.

It didn’t sway my determination though, I excelled in English and was always in the top classes through high school. Eventually I left that place that I called home; but it left our family scarred for life. Not one of the nine children in our household escaped unscathed if it wasn’t trouble at school and expulsions it was identity crises and racism. Sound like any normal Australian family? Through it all we managed to keep it together. I finished my Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies recently and often look back at our tumultuous upbringing and all the arguments and fights and it does make me laugh even if it wasn’t funny at the time. But life is like that, such experiences toughen you and prepare you for more hard knocks. I know that almost all of those families that arrived between 1968 and 1977 have had the same problems.

Call it “adjustment”. Of course the next generation of Turkish-Australians are not experiencing the same dilemmas that we experienced. Their problems are more complex. Instead they are more concerned about parental pressures, peer group influence, social adjustment and identity.

But the Turks like all the others are just one cog in the very sophisticated machinations of a pluralist society. Turks like other cultures have enriched the fabric of this society. They have by and large successfully “integrated”. There’s that word again. We still haven’t defined what integration is so maybe we should use a euphemism like “adjusted” instead. Just to keep it safe. However, the merry-go-round never stops and as each wave experiences “adjustment” a new wave comes along to face new challenges.

The Turks are trying to get over the stigma of kebab shop owners and hair-dressers. The new generations are doctors and journalists, economists and futures exchange analysts, lawyers and IT specialists. We still have a long way to go and many of the community are still grappling with English and do not really know much about the political, or judicial or tax systems but then again which Aussie really does?

Aussie Mossie Review: Get a copy

2008-10-13T06:45:00.000-07:00

This Gregorian year is already coming towards the end, which is good because that means summer but where did the year go? Keep in mind, Islamicly iwe just ended the holy month of Ramadhan and for Muslims this is regarded as the pinnacle of the Islamic year. With all this hive of activism, we at FAIR have not stopped doing what we do best and that is improve our way of life, particularly with regards to improving relations between Muslims and the broader society.

However, this year has been another very busy year for Muslims. We have been in the midst of a creative project called ARTSLAM 21, a youth project which involved calligraphy classes, hip hop workshops, comedy workshops and poetry workshops (see page ) and all of this culminated in a wonderful showcase of all the work, with fabulous speeches and performances, it was a great day (at the Museum of Sydney). Also this year we started a new program called Faithways- peace walks, our first walk was between Auburn Gallipoli Mosque and Lidcombe St Joachim’s Catholic Church, which was a great way to break down barriers between people in the local area.

Aussie Mossie Review is an exciting new resource for the Muslim ummah and will hopefully be a great way to express different issues and ideas in the community. The newspaper will come out four times a year and cover a retrospective analysis of the year’s big issues and all the little issues that we don’t hear about. Aussie Mossie urges you to take part and write your own articles.

Personally, I just returned from Malaysia where I conducted a two day youth camp for Muslim youth. This was a very successful camp, focusing on character building, youth and identity issues, ahlaq and adhab, conflict resolution and assertiveness and leadership training. I was also in Jogjakarta (Indonesia) where I was organizing a big conference on leadership aimed at youth in Australia and Indonesia (stay tuned for more on that soon). And only a couple of months ago I ran a four day youth camp near Darwin in the top end, where we re-enacted the Hegira with the young boys. Once again this was designed to promote team building, self-confidence and leadership.

To read your favourite news publication (Aussie Mossie Quarterly Review) contact me by emailing fairmedia@fair.org.au and checkout the website (Aussiemossie.com).

Have a read and reflect on this year, on the stories like the Islamic school application in Camden which most of you know was rejected by Camden council (unanimously), or the demise of AFIC, Aussie Mossie will also be running the new Aussie Mossie of the year awards night, which will be unlike anything we have seen before. A nationwide search for the most popular Aussie Mossie around.

This is your paper and hopefully it will become a source of achievement for our ummah and bring us closer together in making our society more harmonious and more successful.

Book Review: Did You Know?

2008-10-13T06:44:00.000-07:00

Did You Know? Refuting Rigid Interpretations Concerning the Position of Women in Islam and Muslims’ Interactions with Non-Muslims
Author: Aziza Abdel-Halim AM
Publisher: Muslim Women’s National Network of Australia Inc. (2008)

Did You Know provides easy to read, accessible answers to common questions from Muslims and non-Muslims about the rights of women in Islam and relationships with non-Muslims. It is divided into parts including ‘Islam and its Sources’, ‘Did You Know’ which sets out information under clear headings such as Women and Education, Women and the Mosque, and Violence Against Wives (presenting evidence that violence against wives is unIslamic), ‘Interactions Between Muslims and Non-Muslims’, and ‘Muslims in Australia’. The part on ‘Contemporary Influential Islamic Thinkers’ may be of particular interest to readers who wish to explore these areas further.

Readers who know the author, Aziza Abdel-Halim, will sense her presence throughout the book. As well as clear, concise answers to common questions and misconceptions, she has included poetry, anecdotes and observations which reflect her love of Islam.

This is a great book for young Muslims who are looking for “back to basics” inspiration and reassurance that Islam truly offers an enlightened and compassionate way of life. It is especially valuable for Muslim women because the carefully documented Quranic passages, sayings and practices of the Prophet (PBUH) clearly show that he practised enlightened attitudes to women in his lifetime. There are accounts of him debating theology with women, defending their rights to education and to attend mosque, and even doing housework. Exactly for these reasons, hopefully men will read the book too. Finally, for non-Muslims like me, it gives a sense of connection that what we have in common is most important. It offers an inspiring vision of Islam and demonstrates practical ways in which we can all lead enriching lives in Australian society.

Jan Zwar

Ataturk – the alleged destroyer of the Caliphate

2008-10-13T06:29:00.000-07:00

He was definitely father of modern Turkey. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk was born in Salonica in 1890. One of Turkey’s greatest modern military minds and the saviour of Gallipoli. After the end of the first world war like many of Turkey’s generals he saw their country being carved up like a roast dinner. France got the leg, England the breast, Greece the ribs, The Russians were happy that Istanbul was an international city, the Armenians were praying for the scraps. And in 1919 at the Treaty of Sevres, Turkey was ultimately humiliated and all that remained was inner Anatolia. This was a bitter pill to swallow for 11 million proud Turks.

In the meantime elsewhere in the empire there were more deals being made. In Palestine there was an apparent agreement made between Lawrence of Arabia and the Arabs that they would receive their own independent state if they assisted the British in fighting off the Turks. In Arabia an even sinister plot had hatched by the Saud clan.

There is a great misconception that Ataturk was the architect behind the abolition of the caliphate. After the war ended in 1918 the Arabs were rewarded for their treachery against the Turks (fellow Muslims) after siding with the British. They were promised Palestine and the Hejaz. Sherif Hussain was made the Emir of the Mecca and Medina. However, Hussain made a hasty error by declaring himself Caliph of the Muslim world. To the chagrin of the British.

Sayyid Hussein bin Ali, (1854-1931) was the ruler of the Hejaz and of Mecca from 1908 until 1917, when he proclaimed himself king of Hejaz, which received international recognition. In 1924, he further proclaimed himself Caliph of all Muslims. He ruled Hejaz until 1924, when, defeated by the Abdul Aziz al Saud and he abdicated the kingdom and other secular titles to his eldest son Ali.

The British were not expecting Hussein to announce himself as Caliphate after all the plan had been from the start to destroy it forever. They had partially succeeded by partitioning the Ottoman empire and placing the Middle East under British and French control. When the Turks had finally announced that the Caliph in Turkey was no more Hussein saw this as an opportunity to proclaim the title. He controlled both Mecca and Medina and in effect was the new caliph.

The problem with this is that the Caliph should be an elected position. Nonetheless, the British had no intention to tolerate such a brash move, especially after they had installed Hussein into power in the first place. They then pushed the Abdul Aziz Al-Saud to lead a campaign, reinforced with british weapons to oust Hussein and take control. The only condition was that Abdul-Aziz was not to proclaim himself Caliph nor were any of his descendants. To this day, we have never ever heard of a Saudi King declaring himself Caliph.

In the meantime, the nasty Palestinians placed all the blame on Mustafa Kemal. They said that he hated the Arabs and he abolished the Arabic script, he secularised Turkey and abolished the caliphate.

What Ataturk did was remove the Caliph as an obstacle his grab for power, having already lost the Hejaz which was a fundamental requirement for holding the title of Caliphate. Officially the Caliphate was declared over in Turkey as the last known Caliph was actually Sultan Mehmet Vahdettin who abdicated in 1922 and was exiled to Malta. His successor Abdul Mecid II was briefly Caliph until 1924 when it was formerly abolished by parliament.

However, the real architects of the end of the caliphate were the Saudis. They had already made a deal with the British to fight the Turks in return for their military aid. The Saudis came near to extinction until they were saved by the British. In 1924 the Saudis made another deal to take over control of the Hejaz and depose of Sherif Hussein.

Bearing in mind all along the British were planning to create a new “Jewish Homeland” under the agreement of the Balfour Declaration. The Arabs were tricked into believing that they too would receive their own homeland which would include Jerusalem and most of the Westbank.

It was foolish to have trusted the British for in the end not only did Hussein lose all his power, the Arabs were placed under British and French mandates. They lived under colonial rule for almost half a century until one by one they gained independence but only to be ruled by puppet regimes chosen by the British and French.

In the end it was the House of Saud that abolished the last Caliph of Islam. In return for taking power the British were promised that they would never claim the caliphate themselves. And to this day it is as so. The Muslims have no leader, and as long as Arabia is called Saudi Arabia we will never see another caliph lead the Muslims out of the depths of darkness.

Uyghurs Celebrate Landmark Ruling

2008-10-13T06:27:00.000-07:00

Uyghurs Celebrate Landmark Ruling on the Release of Seventeen Uyghurs from Guantanamo to the United States

In a landmark ruling on October 7, U.S. District Judge Ricardo Urbina paroled the remaining seventeen Uyghurs detained at Guantanamo Bay to the United States. The federal judge ordered that the Uyghurs in Guantanamo be present in Washington, DC on Friday October 10 for a hand over to the Uyghur community in the United States.
The Uyghur American Association (UAA) welcomes Judge Urbina’s ruling and views the parole of the seventeen Uyghurs as a damning indictment of the Chinese government’s assertions that Uyghurs are connected to global terror groups. The ruling also reaffirms the inherent justice of the United States legal system.

In response to the ruling, Uyghur democracy leader Ms. Rebiya Kadeer said: “On behalf of all oppressed Uyghurs, I want to thank the people of the United States, as well as their legal system and government, for exercising the rule of law, something which Uyghurs have not come to expect in China. I would also like to extend my gratitude to Mr. Sabin Willett and his fellow lawyers, who have worked tirelessly on behalf of the Uyghurs in Guantanamo. Justice has finally prevailed in this case, and the United States has once again exemplified the traits that are so deeply admired by Uyghurs around the world.”

UAA believes the decision will raise the profile of the Uyghur human rights cause, as well as awareness of the human rights conditions in East Turkestan (also known as Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwest China) that compelled the Guantanamo Uyghurs to flee to Afghanistan. In addition, the ruling exposes as baseless the Chinese government’s exploitation of the Guantanamo Uyghurs’ case to justify a broader crackdown on Uyghurs in the name of the “war on terror”. Together with recent media reports casting doubt on the Chinese government’s version of a recent violent attack in Kashgar (a major city in East Turkestan), yesterday’s ruling is a major blow to the Chinese government’s claims regarding Uyghurs and terrorism.

UAA asserts that the ruling puts to rest any Chinese government claims that the seventeen Uyghurs in Guantanamo would receive fair treatment if returned to China. Ms. Rebiya Kadeer added: “The fact that today’s proceedings did not even consider returning these men to China shows that they would face certain torture and even execution upon their arrival in China. While it took nearly seven years for this ruling to come about, these Uyghurs would have been executed within two months of being returned to China. Uyghurs in East Turkestan and in exile thank the American people for not sending the seventeen Uyghur men to China to a terrible fate. In the United States, the Uyghur community can offer the support these men need to lead productive lives.”

None of the twenty-two Uyghurs originally detained in Guantanamo were picked up on a battlefield, and most of them were captured by Pakistani bounty hunters and sold to American forces for $5,000 each. They had fled to Afghanistan from East Turkestan and escaped to Pakistan once coalition bombing began. However, since their detention, the US government has determined that the Uyghurs are non-enemy combatants. Five Uyghurs were released into Albania in 2006, but no third country has expressed willingness to accept the seventeen men remaining in Guantanamo, reportedly due at least in part to Chinese pressure. As early as 2003, most of the Uyghurs in Guantanamo were cleared for release. Earlier this year, U.S. congressional representatives from both sides of the aisle called for the release of the Guantanamo Uyghurs to the United States.

In its annual country reports on human rights abuses, the U.S. State Department has highlighted human rights abuses by Chinese government authorities in East Turkestan, including the use of the legal system as a tool of repression against Uyghurs who voice discontent with the government and the fierce suppression of Uyghur religion, a moderate form of Sunni Islam that is a vital part of their ethnic identity. Uyghurs in East Turkestan face a wide spectrum of human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention and execution, torture, and the suppression of their language and culture. In the past year, Uyghurs have been subjected to an increased rate of execution and detention, in addition to forced relocation, police monitoring, passport confiscation, and the destruction of places of worship.

Violence in Islam and the hideous schizophrenia

2008-10-13T06:21:00.000-07:00

The Qur’an says:

"O ye who believe! Remain steadfast for Allah, bearing witness to justice. Do not allow your hatred for others to make you swerve to wrongdoing and turn you away from justice. Be just; that is closer to true piety." – (The Holy Qur'an, Chapter 5:8)

The Qur’an also clearly states:

to take one’s life without justification is as if he has taken the lives of all humanity
(The Holy Qur’an chapter 5 : verse 35)

Jihad is the notion of striving which is derived from the Arabic word jahada which means “to lift” or to “make an effort”.

The concept of jihad is a predominant view in Islam which encompasses every aspect of one’s struggle against the temptations of life, including the battle with the ego and the desires of the soul.

The jihad, in the first thirteen years for the Muslims of Mecca (623 - 632 CE) meant strictly practicing non-violence. The Holy Qur’an ordered them to:

Restrain your hands and establish regular prayers and pay Zakat. (The Holy Qur’an Chapter 3: Verse 77)

In 623 a revelation from the Prophet allowed Muslims to defend themselves from the aggressive and violent acts of the Meccan forces, who had persecuted every Muslim and their families as well as martyring many others. The Muslims mobilised themselves into well - organised militant groups in Medina and as a result took up arms to defend their territorial rights:

Permission is given to those against whom war is made, because they are oppressed, and God is able to help them. These are the people who are expelled from their homes without cause because they said, ‘Our Lord is Allah’.
(The Holy Qur’an Chapter 22: Verse 39)

The Medinan Muslims engaged in a militant struggle to force the Meccans into a treaty which saw almost ten years of peace in which time Islam spread amongst the Arab tribes unhindered and consequently the pagan Meccans submitted to the will of the Muslims without a drop of blood being shed.

The revelation came that changed the jihad from a defensive struggle to an offensive one:

Fight against those among the people of the book who do not believe in God and the Last day, who do not forbid what God and His messenger have forbidden, and who do not consider the true religion as their religion until they are subdued and pay jizyah.
(The Holy Qur’an chapter 9: verse 29)

This directly changed the way the new Muslim empire viewed itself. Within a few decades the Arabs had attained newfound wealth never imagined and a civilization that was exemplary and one to emulate in centuries to come.

The concept of an “offensive” jihad cannot be any act of aggression, which is clearly forbidden. More importantly, in the minds of the Muslims, theirs was not a material gain but one in which justice and morality were preserved. The common misconception of jihad meaning holy war is still popular today, this concept is alien to Islam and the early conquests were not holy wars.
Modern Islamic reformer Khaled Abou Fadl states categorically that:

Islamic tradition does not have a notion of holy war. Jihad simply means to strive hard or struggle in pursuit of a just cause. Holy war (Ar. al-harb al-muqaddasah) is not an expression used by the Qur'anic text or Muslim theologians. In Islamic theology war is never holy; it is either justified or not.

Egyptian scholar Sayyid Qutb born in 1906 in his essay on jihad advocates that in order to obtain a just society one must be free to choose his faith and to attain such freedom, Islamic states were required to use force. He says:
The very purpose of this movement (Islam) is to set human beings free from the yoke of human enslavement and make them serve the One and Only God.

It is true that the early Muslims embarked on a Just War in which it saw the liberation of certain areas as an obligation. This was not only to ensure the survival of Islam but to create a lasting and just peace.

Majid Khadduri in Islamic Concept of Justice, notes that:
The state was the instrument with which Islam sought its ultimate objective; the establishment of God’s will and justice over the world.”

Wright in the Nature of Conflict says, “Islam began a career of conquest in the Seventh century with the thesis that it was the only true faith and was necessarily in conflict with all other religions. This was represented by the doctrine of the jihad or the perpetual war of the “world of Islam” (Dar al-Islam) with the “world of war” (Dar al-Harb).

This concept stated that the world was split into two divisions or abodes: the abode of Islam (Dar al Islam) and which may be called pax Islamica consisting of the territory over which Islamic justice ruled supreme and the rest of the world, Dar al-Harb, or the abode of war, over which public orders prevailed.

According to Qutb a Muslim must enter a movement and perform jihad to restore the true religion in the world. But Qutb stresses that there is a distinction between a jihad to free the world and the idea of enforcing Islam on the world. Religion was and still is to be carried out by peaceful means as:

there should be no compulsion in the spread of the word of God.
(The Holy Qur’an chapter 2: verse 257)

He says, “Islam in order to translate this ideal into reality, does not forcibly compel people to accept its faith but provides them with a free atmosphere to exercise their choice of faith.”

This view was supported by the great scholar and jurisprudent, Imam al-Shafi who believed that the expansion of the state carried out by jihad, was an entirely different matter. Imam al-Shafi who laid down a framework for Islam’s relationship with non-Muslims and formulated the doctrine that jihad had for its intent for the waging of war on unbelievers; for their disbelief and not only when they entered into conflict with the Islamic state.

However, prevailing interpretations based on the notion that Islam is a political community endowed with a public order designed to govern its internal affairs as well as to conduct its relationship with others in accordance with a scale of justice determined by the will and Justice of God, see the doctrine of the jihad as obsolete and in a state of dormancy.

In early Islam scholars like Abu Hanifa (founder of the Hanafi school of jurisprudence) and Shaybani made no explicit declarations that the jihad was a war to be waged against non-Muslims. On the contrary they stressed that tolerance should be shown to unbelievers, and prescribed war only when the non-believers came into conflict with Islam.

Islam prohibited all kinds of war except in the form of jihad in defence of your faith. Jihad was not necessarily a requirement for all able-bodied Muslims to fight, Jihad could be made in the form of your actions, or your words and even in your heart. The only legitimate war was a just war. All other wars were prohibited.

The classical doctrine of the jihad made no distinction between defensive and offensive war, for in the pursuance of the establishment of God’s sovereignty and justice on Earth the difference between defensive and offensive was irrelevant. However, although the duty of the jihad was commanded by God, (Qur’an chapter 61:10-13) it was considered to be binding only when the strength of the believers was theirs. That is when Islam was in the ascendancy.

Khadduri says,
When Islamic power began to decline, the state could obviously no longer assume a preponderant (greater in number) attitude without impairing its internal unity.

The ultimate objective was to establish peace and justice with communities which acknowledged the Islamic public order, Islam regulated its relationship with other states through the branch of law called the Siyar. The Siyar was a set of rules with the same textual sources as the sharia, possessing its own scales of justice based on Islamic principles and its experience with other people.

Vryonis, writes in The Decline of Medieval Hellenism in Asia Minor;
By 10th C jihad wars had expanded the Muslim empire from Portugal to India. Subsequent Muslim conquests continued in Asia, as well as on Christian eastern European lands. The Christian kingdoms of Armenia, Byzantium, Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Croatia, and Albania, in addition to parts of Poland and Hungary, were also conquered and Islamized. When the Muslim armies were stopped at the gates of Vienna in 1683, over a millennium of jihad had transpired.

This great achievement still bewilders many scholars today. There are many who use this point to illustrate that Islam is a violent religion and that jihad is based on offensive battles of expansion.

However, the early expansion of the Muslim Arabs, were not offensive imperialistic manouvres as historians like Vyronis, Lewis, Cook and commentators like Pipes have interpreted. The Arabs were compelled to protect themselves from threatening empires like Egypt, Persia and Byzantine. It was obligatory for Muslims to fight polytheists and to purge the Arabian peninsula of polytheism. The world was seeped in ignorance and practiced barbaric customs. It was incumbent on Muslims to free the oppressed people from the shackles of barbarism and allow people to develop in an environment of spiritual freedom. In the context of the time, this was seen as permissible. Even under latter ruling empires such as the Ottoman’s the expansion of the Islamic state was based on defensive wars or pre-emptive attacks against aggressor states such as Austria-Hungary and Serbia.
It is a simple case of just looking at Greece, Serbia, Bulgaria and Armenia where the Christians retained their faith and their identity more freely than under the Catholic Genoese or Venetians or under the Orthodox Byzantines. The subject people preferred the just rule of the Ottomans than their own Christian counterparts. The saying goes “better the Sultans turban than the Pontiffs cap”.

The complex nature of European developments of violence, however, was inevitably exported to Islamic societies in the early 20th century.

Berman in his book Terror and Liberalism espouses the view that Europe’s secularization led to a violent pathway. The advent of Liberalism meant total freedom that resulted in murder and suicide. In citing Tariq Ramadan and Albert Camus, he states there are fundamental clashes in view between European and Islamic approaches to violence through totalitarianism:

Ramadan observes that in looking for the roots of totalitarianism in mythology and literature, Camus confined himself to the myths and literary classics of the West. Civilisation to Camus meant Western culture and did not mean Islam.

However, both philosophers, he claims, “recognized that totalitarianism and terrorism are one and the same. If only we could discover the roots of totalitarianism, we would have discovered the roots of terror.”

The Promethean view of life that is prevalent in Western society is based on the rebellious attitude of man. Ramadan explains that the basic difference between Muslim thought and Christian is that “In Islam there is no tendency to rebel. Submission is the road to social justice, to a contented soul, and to harmony with the world.” Islam’s greatest model of submission is exemplified in the compliance of Abraham the father of Islam. There was no rebellion, no questioning, strictly submission to the will of God:

Camus invoked the myth of Prometheus the Titan, who goes further than Abraham and in a spirit of radical action, takes that final step into full scale rebellion. Prometheus steals Zeus’ fire and gives it to man. He is punished horribly for his transgression – and yet the Titan’s transgression is man’s benefit.

The development of Europe towards the separation of religion from the affairs of the state was the turning point in which Islam and Christian Europe diverged.

“That was the new twisted impulse in Europe- the rebellion that begins with freedom and ends with crime.”

Berman believes that once Liberalism took root on the continent great leaps in progress occurred in the West. It “was due to one all-powering principle. It was the recognition that all of life is not governed by one single all-knowing and all-powerful authority - by a divine force.”

Modern day Islamic nations have inherited a libertarian view towards violence:

Then again during its first 500 years of world domination Europe did export innumerable customs and ideas to every corner of the globe; and having exported everything else, why should Europe have been unable to export its spirit of self destruction, too?

In the Twentieth century many European ideologies spread to Islamic societies; Marxism, socialism, fascism and in particular nationalism in the form of pan-Arabism. Whilst many of these ideologies never really made lasting impacts on these societies, modernity’s pressures and the shrinking world placed pressures on the systems that these nations were to operate under. The socialist movements of the early Twentieth century influenced Arab politics for the most part of their existence after independence from colonial rule but a concurrent movement which Berman refers to as Islamist was also developing with greater emphasis on social welfare and religious quality. They remained for the most part apolitical although their influence was great. These movements were inspired by scholars like Afghani, Maududi and Hassan Al Banna who started the Muslim Brotherhood.

Sayyid Qutb wrote in Milestones:

“In this unfortunate fashion the schizophrenic aspect of Christian thought… spread into the realm of scientific knowledge. Everything that Islam knew to be one the Christian Church divided into two.” This is why secularism would not work in Islamic societies as they could not see the difference between politics and religion, they were inexorably one.

He truly believed that Islam, if correctly followed, possessed the answer. Qutb described Islam as:

a religion that does not deny man any of his natural tendencies or instincts, or pretend to achieve human purity by suppressing or destroying man’s basic human needs. Rather Islam disciplines, guides and fosters these desires and needs in a manner that reinforces man’s humanity and invigorates his consciousness of, and relationship with God. It further seeks to blend physical and sensual tendencies with human and religious emotions, thus bringing together the transient pleasures and the immutable values of human life into one harmonious and congruent system that will render man worthy of being God’s representative on Earth.

He was very critical of the West and Christianity, especially in their dominance of Islamic societies and their resources.

Freedom in a liberal society seemed to Qutb no freedom at all:

Secularism has largely failed in Islamic societies. This hideous schizophrenia for Muslims has caused instability over the past decades and is a major contributor to the violence that plays out each day. While Muslim societies could theoretically establish peace in a secularized fashion, it is a recipe for conflict. In Iraq and Afghanistan as the war on terror continues we are witnessing this failure today.

The world is gradually realizing that it is a war of ERROR. And Australia’s involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan makes it doubly erroneous. We are complicit in the deaths of nearly a million Iraqis and thousands of Afghanis. The error in terror is fast becoming the dominant paradigm.

The War of Error started shortly after the attacks on the WTC buildings and the subsequent deaths of over three thousand of US citizens. In hindsight we may see that taking revenge against poor Afghanistan was a foolish step towards making the world more unsafe and unstable and then the invasion of Iraq totally tipped the scales and has made the region more volatile and unpredictable. Since the declaration by the US president that “you are with us or you are with the terrorists” we have seen bomb attacks in peaceful cities like Madrid, Istanbul, Indonesia, London and foiled attempts in Berlin. The errors have not ceased, we have had accidental bombings of wedding parties and civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan. And even our own soldiers have been coming home in coffins, now four in the past two years. The AWB scandal highlighted the corruption and the cruel undertaking to which the Australian government has committed our nation.

In Iraq there are gross injustices and violation of human rights, there is extreme poverty and the terrifying reality that almost every Iraqi faces on a daily basis; the bombings, shootings, unemployment, no access to education and a bleak future ahead.

The war of error is the greatest tragedy of this century and unless sanity prevails we will spiral further into anarchy and bedlam.

Islam seeks peace with God, this is not contrary to democracy.

In the West we seek peace without God.

To force Muslim societies to take the latter path could just be one more error in a chain of errors.

SHAME ALERT: Irfan Yusuf

2008-09-19T06:03:00.000-07:00

Some of you may not know Irfan Yusuf but he is a fellow blogger who tends to attack Muslims who are trying to do good in the community. Why, only God knows his motives, however, I suspect its because of his on inadequacies and inability to do the things that others are achieving.

Recently, he attacked me of double standards after the council elections of which I stood as a Greens candidate. I was unhappy about the mosque allowing another candidate to make an announcement about his candidacy. This was an unfair use of a mosque which is a community asset. However, Irfan has twisted the story to make it sound like I am sore at losing and having a go at the mosque and even making up conspiracy theories.

It is quite sad that the master of manipulation Irfan Yusuf has tried to paint a picture of a conspiracy regarding the council elections.

He counters this fear by writing and putting others down. His smugness comes from the knowledge that he can get away with it. Over the years he has discovered that he can write stuff about people and get some mileage out of it. He even gets paid for it too. What a rort.

If you really look into his writings they are usually a cut and pace job of a few emails and sometimes something grabbed off the net. Rarely have I ever read anything by him with substance or accuracy. The other aspect of his writings is that usually its done at the expense of another person (usually someone that is doing well or trying to do good). One of the first rules of writing should be that your motives are not to degrade or slander another person for self-satisfaction.
If you were to take ten articles at random of Irfan's you will find that half of them are self-gratuitous and self-indulgent rantings of an unstable man, a loose cannon.

I find it incredulous that he gets away with all these various rants that he passes off as "articles".

Irfan's art is to take someone's lines out of context and construct an viewpoint that ridicules his targets. He peppers it with his own brand of "humour" and passes it off light-heartedly to make the whole issue sound like a joke and make himself sound like he's the good guy informing us of this terrible thing that we in the community MUST know about.

It's time that Mr Yusuf take another 2 year sabbatical and go back to having a relaxed beer with his mates at the pub watching the cricket. That way nobody gets hurt by his slanderous tongue.

The elections are over, it was a dirty campaign, but we have got to move on. I am over it and looking forward to pursuing my creative art of film making.
Irfan should not write about something he has absolutely no idea about. He has a duty of care as a person in a position of power and he will be answerable to the back-biting and many of the allegations that he has made wrongly and unfairly.

From Cronulla to Camden: A Proud History

2008-01-15T06:44:00.000-08:00

From Cronulla to Camden: A Proud History

Camden has a proud history. Many may not know that in 1825 John Macarthur and his wife Elizabeth were the first to be granted some acreage in the area and it soon prospered as a small cattle-rearing town. By 1828 90% of the town was inhabited by convicts. It also had a very proud Aboriginal history but sadly many were killed in an attempt to pacify the “natives”. During the drought of 1814 two Gundungurra families were murdered and in 1816 fourteen Tharawal and Gundungurra men, women and children were massacred in Appin.

Today, the town has found itself in a conflict of a different kind. The proposed Islamic school has caused many to come out and protest vehemently and others have been so bold enough as to threaten violence.

I decided to take a look for myself and visit this historic town. As I drove down the country road and across the Nepean river my expectations were far exceeded. There were many historical building still standing, the Council building still in its original structure. The town is full of character, no fewer than four churches; St Paul’s, St Andrew’s, St Johns and Camden Uniting Church. One just as grandiose as each other although none could compare to the majesty of St John’s on Menangle road, high on the hill overlooking the valley. I also noticed that there were two Asian restaurants; the Kum Hor and Fan Thai.

There is no doubt that the people of Camden have a great history and have preserved much of their heritage. Local writer Marjory Prior writes in her memoirs;
For Camden so rich in history cannot deny progress, but retain or teach history equally. Hold onto your wealth of pride, never allow the future to swallow up meanings. Your past will always be your future.

Progress. In 1816 many Aboriginals were killed in the name of progress. Today, the demands of modernity have seen many changes, probably unimaginable to many of the elderly folk. In 1921 there were 80 Chinese migrants from a population of 2000. With progress comes change. Australia’s migrants have helped build this nation into a wealthy and prosperous land and today we all share in that prosperity. The changing face of Australia is what makes this nation unique and one of the few places on Earth that can boast a harmonious and cohesive society, with no less than 120 different nationalities. But in 2005 we got a taste for what tensions and feelings simmer below the surface. Cronulla is not unlike Camden. It’s one of Sydney’s oldest settlements and holds an important place in our nations history. Once again, unfounded community fears about Lebanese and Muslims led to some of the ugliest racist and violent scenes in years. It shocked the nation and the world. Only a few minutes by road brings us to the point where Captain Cook landed and so changed the course of history for the inhabitants of this land and for the millions who were to follow in his steps.

There are also many schools in the Camden area, four of them Christian schools. The building proposal for an Islamic school in nearby Cawdor may attract some Muslims into the area. There are already many Muslims living in Campbelltown, Leppington and close by. Ironically, so many who fear a change to the cultural landscape do not realize just how Muslims can enrich the society, just as the Germans, Maltese and Chinese had done.

In 2003 the building proposal of a prayer centre in Annangrove sparked similar protests which included pigs heads being thrown on the property. However, three years after the opening of the prayer centre, none of the fears that were expressed were warranted and today the locals speak proudly of the centre and all are welcome.

If this school is to go ahead then we must assume that the intentions of the school is to create a place to seek knowledge, educate the children and imbue them with values of goodness, honesty, integrity, mateship and respect for others. This can only be seen as a positive for the area. Muslim Australians have chosen Camden of all places, not Lakemba, not Bankstown or Liverpool. They are breaking out of their comfort zones and embracing something new and willing to meet the proud iconic citizens of Camden.

It must be said that the people behind the school proposal went about this whole matter the wrong way, if they had established contact with the local Aboriginal Land Council and sought their permission to build a school and then gradually built a rapport with local church and community groups, then maybe we would have had less of a commotion. This is a free country yes, but there is a thing called respect. We as human beings must begin behaving as human beings and place reality into perspective. We owe a great deal to God for blessing us with a great nation and we must show that appreciation by respecting the people who have lived here for so long. Without integrity and genuine sincerity we are empty shells of humanity.

Before I left this picturesque village I made one last call to the town museum. As I entered, I noticed a bust of Camden’s favourite lady, Dr Liz Kernohan who became the first female mayor of Camden in 1980 and the first female Liberal MP in 1991. A bronze bust commemorates her dedication to community work and stands at the entrance. Below the bust in typed print it writes “made by Elderslie artist Rizwana Ahmed”. I found it extremely ironic.

In 2008 Camden will be celebrating 170 years of German migration to Camden with a massive reunion party. How wonderful it would be that if in 100 years we celebrate the establishment of an Islamic school in Camden and its great citizens that blossomed from its halls of education.

Hajj, Chrissie and Cricket

2007-12-14T05:16:00.000-08:00

This year is bloody special. Well not only have we a new prime minister as a Christmas present, we have an unusual time when two thirds of the world will be celebrating their festive seasons together. On one side of the globe over 1.5 billion people will be sacrificing a lamb or cow to feed the poor and on the other side another two billion people will remembering Jesus and his miraculous birth.

This year Eid Ul Adha and Christmas fall in the same month, only a day apart. Eid Ul Adha or the Festival of Sacrifice is celebrated by Muslims and is about the story of Abraham who incidentally is the patriarch for both Muslims and Christians. Abraham was tested by God to prove his faith. He was asked to sacrifice his eldest son Ishmael. Abraham who had a very unique relationship with God led his son away to be slaughtered and was tempted by Satan to change his mind, as he walked towards the altar, he saw Satan again and again in the form of a man. Abraham picked seven stones and threw them at Satan in an attempt to ward him off. He repeated this three times until Satan gave up. At the altar Abraham prayed one last time to God before he began his distressing deed. At that moment the knife did not cut the flesh and God sent in Ishmael’s place a sheep once Abraham’s faith was proven.

But there is another significant event that starts around the same time as Christmas and Eid and that is the Boxing Day test. For millions of people this is of great importance and for millions it is their religion.

For Muslims Abraham is regarded as the progenitor of Islam for he was the first to smash the idols of the Babylonians. For Cricket Fans its about their idols of Tendulkar, Ponting and Gilchrist (not Christ). And the Boxing Day test is more holier than holy water. As Muslims come together at the House of God in Mecca to remember God in the biggest event of the Muslim calendar. Fans line up at the MCG to witness a ton by Ricky and Sachin and Lee bag a five for. This year’s hopeful is Kumble who may save the season for the Indians. But off the back of a two nil snubbing of Sri Lanka the Aussies are looking invincible.

In just a few days from now close to two million Muslim pilgrims will be finishing the great Hajj or pilgrimage in Mecca. The Hajj is a compulsory tenet of Islam which signifies one’s highest attainment of faith in this life and is a testament of one’s commitment to God. During the pilgrimage Muslims, dressed in only a white shroud, complete certain rites which includes a parody of the stone throwing of Abraham to ward off Satan.
The Aussies will be doing something similar, dressed in white but throwing down stumps and the Indians will be making a special prayer to ward off that Great Satan Warnie so he does not make a come back.

Also the Muslim pilgrims circumambulate the kaaba (the cubed-shaped building) seven times and we all hope that the Aussies will be doing the lap of honour around the MCG after a close game with India. However, at the end of the Hajj Muslims sacrifice a sheep which is cut and distributed to the poor. This is a hard call to match but rest assured there will be millions of Aussies doing a well-grilled chop and a snag on the barbie as they watch the cricket on their television sets and come Thursday they will be returning their unwanted Chrissie gifts. That’s a great sacrifice. The smell of barbecued fat will drench the air as the boys go up for an LB decision by umpire Mal Brough, who has now turned to a new career option.

The Hajj is one of the world’s greatest religious events next to the Kumba Mela in India and the first test. Islam and sport two of the world’s great faiths. Happy Xmas everyone. Happy Eid and howzat!

Kuranda Seyit is the Executive Director of FAIR, the Forum on Australia’s Islamic Relations and an ex-opening bowler.

The error in tERRORism

2007-12-09T18:10:00.000-08:00

The error in terrorism

The error in terror is fast becoming the dominant paradigm.
As the war continues we are gradually realizing that Bush administration's war is a war of ERROR.
But Australia’s involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan makes it just as erroneous. In fact we are complicit in the deaths of millions of Iraqis and thousands of Afghanis. The AWB scandal is just one example of the corruption and cruel undertaking the Australian government has committed our nation to.

The War of Error started shortly after the attacks on the WTC buildings and the subsequent deaths of thousands of US citizens. In hindsight we may see that taking revenge against Afghanistan as a foolish step towards making the world more unsafe and unstable and then the invasion of Iraq totally tipped the scales and has made the region more volatile and unpredictable than ever in the modern period of Middle Eastern history.

But where are we heading with this dangerous alliance with the US? The Prime Minister elect Kevin Rudd’s first action as head of the nation was to call George W Bush and reassure him that we were still on the same team. The coalition of the killing. This is where leaders of this nation falter, not able to look outside of our dependence on the US and take a courageous leap forward away from the protective wings of the US eagle, like our Kiwi cousins next door. It is interesting to note that Australia is listed as the 19th most peaceful country in the world, according to the Global Peace Index, but more interesting is that New Zealand is rated the 2nd most peaceful country in the world. How can two countries be so far apart when it comes to peace yet are so close historically and demographically?

Our lack of individuality will be the stumbling block for decades to come unless someone or some party makes a decision.
For now the war of error has continued to confound the average Aussie Joe Blow who does not believe the lies that our governments feed us with, such as an impending terrorist attack in Australia, the demonized refugees and the firebrand imams and the threat from the north. The new world order has seen a world dominated by uncertainty and fear.

Since the declaration by the US president of his war on terror, we have seen bomb attacks in peaceful cities like Madrid, Istanbul, Indonesia, London and foiled attempts in Berlin. Where will the next attack take place? Is the world safer under a US hegemony?

The errors have not ceased, we have had accidental bombings of wedding parties and civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan. And even our own soldiers have been coming home in coffins, now three in the past two years. How many more Australian soldiers have to die for a US war for oil?

And finally, what about the poor innocence of Iraq. The deprivation of rights, the extreme poverty and the terrifying life that almost every Iraqi faces on a daily basis, bombings and shootings, no prospects of work or education the average Iraqi Ali Hussain has nothing to look forward to. This is a great injustice.

The war of error is the greatest tragedy of this century and unless sanity prevails we will spiral further into anarchy and bedlam. We are seeing more tough talk on Iran and the very high possibility of a strike on its nuclear capabilities. This will not only create more civilian casualties it could even spillover to neighbouring Israel. There has been some significant political changes in the world in the past three years, with the end of Blair, Howard now history and only a year away from the end of a republican dominated USA, this could be the catalyst for change towards reduction of armed conflicts and interventions in other countries.

God Bless America.

The Turkish question

2007-10-31T08:04:00.000-07:00

The Turkish question

In 1918 Turkey having lost the war was subjected to a humiliating treaty which saw the carve up of the Ottoman Empire. However, in 1924 Turkey managed to do what no other country has ever done after a defeat in a major war and broke the treaty and drove the occupying forces out of the country and literally into the sea. The Greeks had never moved so quickly, the French were humiliated and the British too damn tired to even care. Turkey would never regain its former status but nonetheless it survived to maintain its independence free from the colonial fate of its former territories. Having retained key strategic regions within its borders such as Eastern Thrace, Alexandria and Antioch as well as some of the islands of its coast, it did however, lose the very, very important cities of Kirkuk and Mosul. As we know today rich in oil and now under Kurdish control as a part of Northern Iraq. There are over a million Turks living in Northern Iraq who have been exposed to initially terrible oppression under a Saddam Hussain regime and now by the Kurdish led government in the autonomous region. Eighty three years on and no-one has heard their voices but many of those who have stayed on to weather the storm have gradually lost their homes and businesses to a discriminatory regime that favours other Kurds. Their kin across the mountains have had little influence over their destiny as they too have had to battle with a more pressing problem. The PKK an ethnic Kurdish rebel group have for more than three decades fought a bloody campaign against the Turkish army and the people of Eastern Turkey. Over 30000 people have been killed and many innocent Turks and Kurds alike have been affected by the conflict. The rebels have been to a large extent unsuccessful although they have cost the Turkish military billions of dollars that could have been spent building the economy of Eastern Turkey thereby improving the situation of the Kurds themselves. It is an ironic tragedy.

30 000 Turkish troops who have amassed on the border with Iraq are readying themselves for an attack. The question is should Turkey violate the sovereignty of an independent state and stamp out the PKK threat? Well, the Erdogan government has a lot of pressure from all sides of politics. He is damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t. Turkey has been pressured by the USA to show restraint and the relationship between the two countries has been tested with the recent recommendation by a congressional committee on Armenia calling the 1915 death of thousands of Armenians as a genocide. If Turkey takes action then it jeopardizes its already tenuous relationship with Europe. If it holds back then it has the wrath of the staunchly nationalistic people with which to contend.

But what about the Turkish people? They have had to hear of their soldiers coming home in body bags and for so long the region has been destabilized by PKK rebels. The Turks are proud when it comes to their military. If they go in they could risk being alienated by the European Union which they so desperately want to be a part of and be seen as a bully state, emulating the same bully tactics as Israel did with Lebanon last year.

As much as my heart feels for the dead soldiers my pragmatism says that we should show restraint and prove to the world that we are not an Israel nor are we a USA who tramples over the dignity of other sovereign states showing no respect for innocent civilian lives. The Turkey of today is a Turkey with a glorious history, one that has always acted with compassion towards both its enemies and its allies. Turkey as one of only a few Islamic democracies in the world can behave with wisdom in dealing with its problems. In this case with perseverance and patience it can overcome its enemies within and the ones hiding in the mountains of northern Iraq. It can also demand that the Kurdish authorities take some action against the rebels who are equally illegally on Iraqi soil. I am optimistic that the Turks and the Kurds will eventually work together towards a viable solution that respects the demands of the Kurds and keeps Turkey's desire to stay as one nation intact.

Terrorists win if we limit our religious freedoms

2007-10-31T08:02:00.000-07:00

Terrorists win if we limit our religious freedoms

Banning the hijab or the women’s head-covering worn by Muslim women at security checkpoints like airports would be a catastrophic decision that would end religious freedom in this country as we know it.

The hijab like its counterparts halal food and jihad is what makes Islam unique, enchanting and enigmatic. Islam has for many centuries intrigued the West with its paradoxical wisdoms. Islam is all about making your life halal (of the highest quality) and striving (jihad) towards working against your ego-driven desires of this world. The food we eat, the actions we take, the way we dress, the words we speak and the way we treat others. It must be in accordance with the law of God, that is to be halal.

Halal whilst an Islamic requirement can also be good for this nation. The halal food industry for instance brings in billions of dollars to Australia’s economy from which all Australians benefit. The Muslims of this country make up almost 3% of the nation and are an important cog in the workforce machinery and in the consumer market. Muslims are also involved with scientific research, in medicine and hospital industry, engineering and IT as well as in education, law and of course the financial and retail markets. In short they are an integral part of this society, this economy and this nation.

Maybe when the first pioneers of Australia landed in Sydney cove they did not envisage this penal colony to become one of the most multicultural societies on earth, nor did they know that this ‘God-forsaken land’ would become 7th on the world scale of best places to live. The reason that Australia is so highly rated is because of one word and one word alone; tolerance.

I know lots of people will jump in about now and say we don’t like that word, its like having to tolerate a mosquito bite. But tolerance is a much more complex term and holds more meaning than just having to put up with someone you don’t like. Tolerance is the ability to portray noble character traits which allow you to live in a complex society. Tolerance means patience, understanding, empathy and compassion as well as self-discipline and restraint. That is why after one of the bloodiest campaigns ever thought by our troops in Gallipoli we still show great compassion and friendship towards our Turkish citizens and even though we suffered in Japan and Germany we are a tolerant society towards all our minorities. When there have been calamities in the world, even though Australia is a relatively small country we still give generously to those in need.

This is what makes our country so great. But of course there is more to Australia than its great attitude to life. It’s our laws and our process and system of government. We in Australia have developed a fairly robust set of laws and regulations that ensure equality, freedom and justice. Its not perfect no system ever is. Yet, we have become accustomed to it and its what we call being Australian. Some will say the world has changed and that we are no longer safe. But that is what the powers that be want, they want to control us even more than they already do. But if we change our way of life then we are only bending into the terrorists’ objectives .

One of those freedoms is the freedom of religion. Muslims are one of the many religions in this country and for women they must wear the hijab and that’s not negotiable. There must be other ways to check people without the need to humiliate them or degrade their dignity. This is not just about Muslims, its about giving all Australians a fair go; including Sikhs, Jews, Hindus, even Santa Claus. Because if we force ladies to take off their hijabs at security checkpoints then we need ask Santa Claus to show us what is in his sack or nuns to discard the habit and so forth. Let’s keep this place as the “lucky country” or should I say the “tolerant country”? I am certain that as a smart nation we can find alternative ways to deal with our problems that accommodate all our citizens’ needs. If we are to go down the path of banning religious items then we allow the terrorists to win.

Missed opportunity to change team captain

2007-10-31T07:57:00.000-07:00

Missed opportunity to change team captain

In 2002 the Catch the Fire Ministeries’, pastor Danny Nalliah in Melbourne gave a public lecture in which he attacked Islam, called Muslims liars and insulted the Prophet Muhammad. The case became public when two Muslims in the audience took the issue up in court under Victoria’s Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001. This if anything gave Catch the Fire more publicity and increased its membership. The group was emboldened by the case and not one bit remorseful for their position.

And on the eve of federal election the Catch The Fire held a special prayer for John Howard and the Liberal Party in Parliament House under the very nose of the head of Government. This was an extraordinary event and one that places Howard in a very embarrassing position. One must ask just how wise it is to link yourself to such a wacky fringe group. Howard has in his term as prime minister often pandered to the religious far right including the Bretheren and other protestant groups and most recently having held meetings with Catch the Fire and even being blessed by the self-professed messiah of the group. From an Islamic angle its nothing unusual to pray in public but nonetheless it is a very unorthodox situation and I believe it indicates just how far the prime minister has lost sight of reality. He is no longer fit to lead the party and a sea change is in order. several weeks before the election was called by the PM Costello had his golden opportunity to challenge Howard and take over the reigns. If anything it would have presented the Liberal supporters a new vision that everyone is expecting and a more viable contender to challenge the Rudd phallanx. The Liberal Party made a crucially suicidal decision that they will have to live with for at least three more years and most likely six. This would have made much more sense considering that Howard has already announced his retirement plans.

But that is all but a lost opportunity. The Howard team is going to find it difficult to approach this election with anything fresh or new. As we witnessed in the debate Howard was very agitated, aggressive and angry. He had little to offer in terms of a vision for the future and was upstaged by the impish Rudd. Although there is little to separate the two parties, elections are all about perceptions and deception. Who can con the electorate into trusting them with their financial future will of course be the winner. Smart suits and fast talking will give them the edge.
Its not a walk over because Howard still has his loyal supporters and those conservatives who are afraid of change or taking risks but that may not be enough to carry him over the line. Rudd is immensely popular with the under 30’s and with the workplace relations laws a key election issue Rudd will be hard to beat. Youthful and boyish it may be enough to push those swinging voters towards Labor once and for all, eleven years on. It appears that Howard is taking desperate measures if he really believes that Catch the Fire will be a significant vote. It looks like the campaign is quickly burning up before it even started as a likely interest rate rise may be the final blow that will ensure a landslide for the ALP.

Review: Noooooooh Beengoh!

2007-10-31T07:55:00.000-07:00

REVIEW :
Noooooooh Beengoh! (Bollywood meets the Simpsons)

One versus One Hundred, Dancing with Stars, Deal or No Deal, Big Brother and Australian Idol just a few of the shows to hit our screens over the past several years, most with relative success (and most carbon copies from our cousins across the Pacific). Personally, I find them all uninteresting in some way or another, with no “intelligent” appeal whatsoever. Sadly, to whichever channel you switch, you will either have to put up with it or resort to the same old American trash detective shows or simply switch off the TV set. But it’s not always a simple matter of taking that option. Most average households have at least one if not two television sets and its on most of the time.

But now I have seen it all, a new gimmick, National Bingo Night on Channel Seven. What the? The whole concept is ridiculous and having seen the first show the actual premise is absolute ‘shite’ as they say in the business. However, my topic of discussion today, is not the gigantic lotto machine with beach balls, or the hostess who has to bend down to reach for the balls every time or the fairly lame uncharismatic host. The thing that has me in a knot is the way that you have to wait for some guy in an American grid iron umpire’s uniform, calling out in a fake Indian accent, noooooooh beengoh! It is a tad cheesy and tasteless, and not to mention politically incorrect, especially since the actual person in that role is a Bangladeshi psychiatrist named Tanveer, whose real voice is a somewhat wanky North Shore Australian accent.

Tanveer describes himself as a “non-practicing Muslim” and he speaks, writes and sometimes makes comments on Islamic issues ranging from terrorism and national security to Lebanese crime and identity. Tanveer is a very unique person and has placed himself in a position of trust, respect and authority, especially on matters concerning Islam. He is often invited to conferences to give his opinion on Islam in Australia. His quirky sense of humour has alienated himself from certain segments of the Muslim communities. This is probably too harsh a treatment for someone who has some very admirable traits and is only doing what he believes is in his own best interests. He has challenged many aspects of Islam and been highly critical of Lebanese Muslims. Of course, Tanveer is quite free to express his opinions and he is in his own rights if he wishes to make believe on national television but he must then also be willing to accept criticism in the same vain that he often dishes out.

If not for his “non-practicing” epithet I would have had a go at him for being a on a program which is essentially is simplified gambling. This is a grave sin in itself but I am not judging him on this as he has clearly distanced himself from Islamic principles and beliefs. But there is one thing regardless of his religious practice that really takes the cake, and that is the fact that he is a Bangladeshi Australian bunging on a ridiculously bad impression of Apu (from the Simpsons), even Apu is better at impersonating an Indian.

The question is about ethics. The Kumars at No. 42 do much the same and they mock Indians but they are Indian and they clearly set the parameters that the show is “not real” and the cast are in fact actors. The Wogs Out of Work crew did the same they were not meant to be themselves but actors. Yet, in national Bingo the host and hostess are themselves and the contestants are themselves so why an Indian mascot? Why not Chinese, Greek or Jewish? I am not placing the blame on Tanveer for he is just an actor but on the show’s creators and producers. It just perpetuates stereotypes and shows a very poor level of racial understanding and development in this country. If the show is to continue, most Australian audiences like sincerity and no gimmicks, so what the producers have to re-think is how do we entertain audiences without the shallow and gratuitous gags. I think if they tried they could easily succeed.

For now, one star for the show minus half for the host and minus another star for the “noooooh beengoh” grid iron umpire. Please channel Seven what next?

Death of Ilhan: Islam's charitable history

2007-10-31T07:50:00.000-07:00

Mustafa Ilhan’s death reminds us of the charity of one of Australia’s earliest Muslims

In the wake of Mustafa “Crazy John” Ilhan's death we have learned that there was much more than meets the eye to his charitable nature. He apparently paid $50000 for a child’s drawing during a school fund-raiser. But as his mates have attested Ilhan was a very generous man in both public and private life. He his best known for his foundation for Food Allergies.

Most people would not have known that Ilhan was a proud Australian of Turkish descent and he was a Muslim. Considering that Islam has had a generally negative time in the media it is good to hear a positive story arising from this tragic event. Mustafa Ilhan was at the prime of his life and was just shaping up for bigger and better things. He was as I believe also preparing to do the Hajj, which would have been a life changing experience. It is all very sad that we will never know just what great things Mustafa would have done on the back of his success as one of the wealthiest businessmen in Australia.

It is not unusual for wealthy men to do great charitable works. We have in Australia many well known businessmen who have taken on charitable causes. Many Australians will not have heard of one Australia’s first Muslim philanthropists.

Mahomet Allum was born in 1858 in Kandahar, Afghanistan. He came to Australia around 1884 as a camel driver and worked in Cloncurry, Broken Hill and West Kalgoorlie. He had also worked as a station-hand, a butcher, store keeper and a miner. Allum did not come to much fame until about the late1920’s when he settled in the city of Adelaide. He became a herbalist dispensing natural remedies from his home in Sturt street, asking for no fee but only donations claiming that the gift of healing was in his family for over 400 years. He had healed it is reported thousands of people in the Adelaide area where modern medical treatments had failed. He was not liked by many doctors for obvious reasons.

Yet this strange and enigmatic miracle man was peppered with controversy for the remainder of his life. In 1935 he was charged and found guilty with having posed as a medical practitioner. In 1934 when he travelled to Afghanistan he was petitioned by 10000 people to remain in Adelaide. His popularity, healing powers and charity were attested to by his patients and published in testimonials and advertisements.

Printed in the S.A. Turf Review in 1938 is a letter by Con Noonan who writes;

“Space alas will not permit me to relate one fiftieth of the actions which to my personal knowledge, this kindly Afghan has performed in the greatest of all causes- charity. But I would be devoid of all sense of gratitude were I to fail to place on record the gift which he presented to me – the restoration of normal health after 30 years of suffering.”

He died on 26 March 1964 at his large home in Everard Park, he was believed to be about 108 years old and the funeral procession from his house to the cemetery was over a kilometre long. Allum’s estate, worth over 11000 pounds was nearly all willed to institutions which cared for children.

Normalising Islam

2007-08-22T18:08:00.000-07:00

Islam in the Media: Normalising Islam

In 2002 the Daily Telegraph and Sydney’s talkback radio shows reported a case of gang-rape as a Muslim / Lebanese issue. This became one of the year’s most dominant stories and did irreparable damage to public perceptions about Muslims in Sydney.

The continued debates around terrorism and suicide bombing, the hijab and integration, immigration and values has further aggravated the successful integration of Muslims in Sydney.

Muslims are like the fat kid in school or the kid with glasses, easy targets. And Muslims are easy targets. They look different, there are groups concentrated in suburban enclaves in south western Sydney and most significantly they are very devout in their practice.

Its like the nerd or study geek in class, he works hard and actually takes maths seriously, as if he was there to learn something, the other students scoff at him and taunt him for being the teachers pet, when all he wants to do is get on with the practice of learning and improving himself.

18th C European Orientalism has ensured us that Islam remains outside of the norm. A mysterious, debaucherous and cultic faith which aims to undermine our righteous Christian values. One can imagine the caricature of the bearded Muslim lurking around bus stops and schoolyards ready to pounce on our innocent youth, to viciously rape and debase them.

Edward Said in his seminal work “Orientalism” describes the Orientalist as one who:
constructs, and the very act of construction is a sign of imperial power of recalcitrant phenomena, as well as a confirmation of the dominant culture and its ‘naturalisation’.

As far back as 1891 William Muir wrote in The Caliphate, Its Rise, Decline and Fall,:
the sword of Muhammed and the Qur’an are the most stubborn enemies of Civilisation, Liberty and the Truth which the world has yet known.

French philologists Ernest Renan who wrote L’Avenir de la Science in 1848 said,
“the Semitic race (Arab and Jew) appears to us to be an incomplete race, by virtue of its simplicity. This race – if I dare use the analogy- is to the Indo-European family what a pencil sketch is to a painting; it lacks that variety, that amplitude, that abundance of life which is the condition of perfectibility.”
What Renan tried to do was to reduce the Orient to a kind of human flatness, which exposed its characteristics easily to scrutiny and removed from it its complicating humanity.

Analysis of contemporary media related to Islam will show a common thread. The negative coverage, the depiction of Muslims as terrorists or terrorist sympathizers with one aim in mind and that is to undermine Western values and ideals, this thread is aimed at de-normalising Islam, making it alien and threatening. As our prime minister often says, “They hate us for our freedoms and our way of life.”

The Muslim is the antithesis to everything that we enjoy as a part of a healthy democracy.

The cartoons of the 19th C and early 20th C depict Muslims and Turks as lust-thirsty womanizers and evil and backward agents of the Orient.

The recent Danish cartoons lampooning the Prophet, although offensive is nothing new. This existed in the late 1800’s and to a large extent went unnoticed by the Ottoman empire which was basically the Islamic world at the time.

But all of this works towards reinforcing the common thread. The media has become the vehicle to propagate that thread and to reinforce the stereotype of the antagonistic Muslim heathen who is antagonistic to our way of life.

In mainstream print, television news and radio talkback, the topics about Muslims confirms that they are not part of the team, they don’t want to integrate, they only want to convert us all to Islam, subjugate our women and cheat the system.

If we look at the television and movie industry for example, we observe in Arnold Schwarznegger action movies we see Arnie killing the Muslim terrorists and saving the world from these smelly unshaven Arabs who just have nothing else to do with their time.

In shows like 24 our all American hero Kiefer Sutherland comes across a Turkish family who has lived in the states for 7 years going about their business yet even a normal family as this one is actually embedded in to the society as a sleeper cell awaiting orders. When their orders are finally released they wreak havoc upon the innocent Americans and even though good triumphs over evil, eventually, the antagonists die fighting and with their dying breath they blurt out in an anti-American communistic slogan like “death to the infidel”.

Yet what if we look at programs where one may not at first suspect to look? The Simpsons. A very clever satirical look at ourselves. Would you agree?
The program makes fun of just about everything and everyone.
The Christian fundamentalist next door, the Jewish entertainer with a triple heart by-pass and a smoking addiction, his over-bearing Rabbi father, the Hindu Indian Quickee mart owner taking short cuts and changing used by dates, the eccentric Scottish gardener, the nerdy school principal who still lives at home with his mother, the stingy polish bartender, the alcoholic lay about, the corrupt police chief and the mayor, the comical Italian mafioso, the escaped convict Snake, a black plant co-worker, and of course the evil white millionaire nuclear plant owner who exploits his workers and his faithful assistant with latent homosexual tendencies. The show has covered a number of stories from Free masons to sending up celebrities and presidents. Yet what is missing, in this all-American city of Springfield? Does Springfield have a no-Muslims immigration policy?

De-normalising Islam has been a part of the agenda for over three centuries.
Our Australian media is not as sophisticated as our US counterparts but it takes a lot from its big brother across the Pacific. And to a large extent Islam has been de-normalised in Australia.

Australians are a bit more accommodating than the Yanks.
Only when we start to see Muslim characters on Home and Away, or Muslims reading the 6 o’clock news and when Muslims are not associated with terror and anti-social behaviour and instead with positive stories that tell us how wonderful they are we may begin a process where Islam and Muslims are normalized.

In 2001 when I took position as Media Officer at the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils the media often expressed their relief that the Muslim community finally had a media spokesman that they could liaise with.
Since the 2002 Sydney gang rapes, there have been some observable changes in the media, which is partly due to the proactive efforts of the Muslim community. The Muslim community has in the past five years accelerated their activity and efforts to engage with the media and to assist them in building better relations, providing resources and information to enhance media coverage.

The Muslim community is by no means a homogenous unit but they clearly have identifiable institutions and entities. One issue affects all Muslims.
Therefore, anything that is highlighted in the media has dramatic effects on the ground.

Briefly I will mention three recent cases and compare the styles of reporting which will underline my point.

The reporting of sheikh Taj Al Din Al Hilali’s comments about Muslim women who dress scantily described as uncovered meat, created media history.
Between September and December 2006 there were 1331 articles written about Sheikh Taj Al Hilali.
In the months before there had been only 87.
The media frenzy surrounding the sheikh led inevitably to his final demise. The community were fed up with the negative impact that he was having on them and ousted him in a coup which led to appointing the less complex and elderly Victorian imam sheikh Fehmi Al Imam.
There is no doubt that Sheikh Taj was demonized and the media persisted its relentless investigations and innuendoes and finally he felt the pressure emotionally and physically, succumbing to his heart condition.
Whether you like him or not, the sheikh is definitely an interesting character and has added colour and controversy to the Muslim community.

Faces of Islam

But as quickly as it came the madness ended. And suddenly we were excruciatingly dragged thru a feel good fest of faces of Islam in one solid week of articles, a brainchild of the Fairfax newspaper. After a three month relentless attack on Sheikh Taj the SMH decided to make amends for the very tough time it experienced because of the words of one man.
While I personally did not like the series on the basis that it kept Islam on the periphery like a freak show, it was to say the least an attempt to portray Muslims fairly and positively.

This was quite unprecedented. In the past the Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian had covered very positive profiles of Muslims but not at this level and this caliber. But it did not do this on its own. There has been a number of personal efforts by individuals and organizations such as ours who have forged relationships with journalists and producers and Chiefs of Staff, thereby providing good spokespeople and building a rapport which has affected the attitudes of reporters and decision makers with in the media.

With some hard work and commitment Muslims have actually made a difference to the attitudes of the media, and we have reached a turning point although there is a very long way to go.

Haneef

During the Haneef case this turning point became evident. For the media this was a gift however the media were grasping at straws, even though this was another Willie Brigitte case, the reporting was much softer and in general slanted in Haneef’s favour. The tide was finally turning, journalists were sick of the bad Muslim tag and were willing to give Haneef a chance. Bungle after bungle led to the freeing of Haneef and the media turned on the immigration minister.
The media in this case kept the pressure on the police for answers and for transparency. The weak link was that it was handled as a criminal matter and not under the new legislation. This enabled the media to closely follow the case.
However, it did not excuse either the police, the immigration minister and the PM for that matter of jumping to the conclusion that he was guilty. The media was also tending to indicate that where there is smoke there is fire.

The reporting of Islamic issues has increased in the past five years and many journalists are aware of the impact that they are having on the Muslim people by the way they report. The situation is very complex and involves many layers.

The Muslim community is a very under-developed community, most of its organizations are unprepared and lack the skills to work with the media, they are undisciplined and dysfunctional, they still have their ethnic rivalries and nepotistic tendencies, mostly powered by men who came here from abroad with out dated views and mentalities. They are also out of touch with a community which statistically has 70% of its members under the age of 30. That is a staggering statistic.

But the second generation of Muslims are now taking measures to change the status quo. Not only are we undertaking media training and engaging with media professionals, we are monitoring the media and taking them to task when the code ethics is breached. We have pooled our resources together and sought advice and assistance from media professionals such as Peter Manning and academics to strategize and create media savvy homegrown spokespeople. All of this has made a difference.

The next phase in my belief is that Muslims will cease their siege mentality and become more confident in working with the media, as they mature as a community, there will be more institutions dedicated to this cause and slowly we will begin to reduce our presence in the media an attempt to normalize Islam.

2007-07-24T17:09:00.000-07:00

Nothing is unchangeable
By Kuranda Seyit

Yesterday’s elections in Turkey, signifies a new era in Turkish politics. The Islamist AKP party led by Tayyip Erdogan has been given a mandate to take Turkey into the 21st century with zeal.
However, how will Turkey’s Kemalist secularists take this slap in the face? Has democracy dealt a cruel blow to those who have used it in an attempt to diminish the influence of Islam in Turkey?

Religious resurgence is everywhere in Turkey, in the mosques, the madrasas and the universities. Nowhere else in the world will you see a tightly fought clash between secularism and Islam. Young Turks in their thousands are embracing the West and their values, whilst an equal number of Turks are resisting the temptation. Turkey has always maintained strong roots in Islam and their proud history of a 600 year caliphate and an Islamic state cannot be erased. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk modernised Turkey in the early 20th century but in doing so he embedded a republican system that was espoused by his followers as perfect and unchangeable.

However, life is impermanent and change is inevitable. The Kemalists are holding on to a memory and in their short-sightedness are unwilling to accept the demands of modernity. Even the USA has evolved its democracy, as has China which has changed its understanding of communism. This election must mark the change that is necessary to make the Turkish political system tenable in this century and competitive with that of the robust democracies of Europe. The very first change to take place must be the abolition of the National Security Council and the cessation of any military influence in government affairs.

The question of co-existence has dogged the Islamists for decades. Yet the Erdogan government has proven that Islam can co-exist with democracy, if not enhance it even further by eradicating corruption and nepotism. As we are currently witnessing a global phenomenon of an Islamic resurgence, the West and other nations must realise that it is better to work with it instead of against it.

Walk down the cobble stoned street of Istanbul’s chic suburb of Beyoglu, where cafes and boutiques abound and crowds throng to the call of the West and you will see the odd headscarf which is re-emerging as a fashion item. But further away, still on the European side, in the famous suburb of Fatih, where the tomb of great Sultan Mehmet the Conqueror lies, there are considerably more noticeable headscarves and men with beards. Take a short walk down past the mosque and over to Carsamba and one would be forgiven for thinking that they had stumbled into a back street of Cairo or Damascus. Here the dominant image is of Islamically clad Turks and with more regularity women dressed in the full black garb called the ‘Charshaf’. However, religion is not just about headscarves.

In Turkey the debate has been reduced to a piece of cloth. The outgoing president Mr Ahmet Necdet Sezer has said that the presidential candidacy of Mr Abdullah Gul was unacceptable because his wife wore a headscarf. We need to go beyond the headscarf and look to a new future for Turkey. A future with corrupt free politics, a program for economic development and social reform and as member of the European Union. This is a Turkey, which is both Islamic and democratic and espouses freedom of religion and human rights, a model for the rest of the Muslim world to follow.

This is all conceivable. The next few months will be interesting. If Abdullah Gul does succeed as president then the government will have power in both realms of politics and the ability to enact constitutional change. The litmus test will be if whether the military will intervene and set Turkey back 30 years once again.

2007-07-13T10:02:00.000-07:00

Christmas means a lot to Muslims

By Kuranda Seyit

It’s Christmas Day, 1982. Emu Plains.

As usual on this special day, the temperature was nearing the high thirties. I was excited with anticipation as my father drove us home in our silver HQ Holden. In the boot lay an unassembled red racer. This was my first real bike.

I had never received a gift like this before. We grew up in the inner city and my parents were un-skilled migrants from Turkey. I was the third oldest of nine children and my father at best was struggling to put food on the table.

As practising Muslims we didn’t celebrate Christmas yet I grew up in a Christian society and openly participated in scripture at school and my parents sent me to Sunday school. I grew up with the same stories from the Bible as the ones in the Quran. There was very little to differentiate between the two faiths from my 10 year old eyes.

I was brought up to love Jesus but my father was very clear on his status as a prophet and not the son of God. But you could not be a Muslim if you did not love and respect Jesus Christ. He was born of a miraculous birth to Mary. The Quran lucidly describes his entry into this world. In his brief life he inspired thousands in the Holy lands to turn back to the righteous path to God. He lived austerely and in complete devotion to God. He personified peace and performed miracles including healing lepers and bringing the dead back to life- albeit through the power of God.

So on this warm Christmas Day in Emu Plains on the foot of the Blue Mountains I was anxious to show all my friends my Chrissie present. In all truth it was just a present but in my attempt to “fit in” I wanted my friends to think that we believed in Christmas and celebrated the tradition.

For some years throughout my adolescence I continued the façade that Christmas was as much a part of our tradition as it was my mate’s. As the only Muslim kid in a school of over a thousand students I desperately wanted to feel accepted. It took me a whole year to make friends and to establish my identity after moving to the suburbs from the city and I wasn’t willing to let it go after all my hard blood, sweat and tears.

My brothers and sisters grew up with racism. We were constantly in fights, name calling and being marginalised. I used to be called “gobbler” by my English teacher and “Ching” by some students and had to constantly put up with bullies who just didn’t like the colour of my skin or the shape of my eyes.

But I still loved it when Christmas came around. As I got older I was invited to my mate’s Christmas lunches. Now, that was a good treat although I never ate the Christmas ham I enjoyed the cake, the soft drinks and the steak. But it was the feeling of belonging that mattered to me.

More than two decades on and I have done a lot. I worked as a cop, a teacher, an actor and now a community activist. Motivated by the September 11 terrorist attacks I felt obliged to build the bridges between Muslims and Christians. I saw the need to break down the misconceptions about Islam. There were reports of Muslims being vilified and harassed. So in 2002 I took up a post with the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils as the Media Liaison Officer. It was no easy task. We were hearing at an almost monotonous rate the varied issues involving Muslims who allegedly were trying to turn Australia into an Islamic state. There were mad mullahs in Melbourne and gang rapists in Sydney, across the Gulf of Carpentaria were the Bali bombers crying out “Allahu Akbar” in court. Then of course there were a number of arrests of alleged terrorists so the threat of terrorism felt real in the minds of every Australian.

In this context every effort to build better community relations was hampered by negative media coverage but we persevered. In 2003 I founded the Forum on Australia’s Islamic Relations, a think tank and an advocacy organization which ran a number of successful projects including the now very popular Goodness and Kindness Project, where a Muslim, Jew and Christian visit schools. We did a lot of interfaith work and we put out information about Australian Muslims as well as appearing frequently in the mainstream media on various issues from the war in Iraq to the banning of the headscarf.

For all intents and purposes we were doing well. The arson attack on Kuraby Mosque was an all time low for Muslim community relations but amazingly the community has endured the problems with great determination and as was seen after the London bombings there was very little to report in terms of a backlash against Muslims.

Today, there are great initiatives being taken by various religious organizations, the Catholic arch diocese, Griffith University and the Islamic Council of Queensland. Last year the community hosted the first Multicultural Eid festival of Queensland which not only celebrated the end of Ramadan but also Queensland’s great history of pluralism and harmonious co-existence.

Our organization has always supported the celebration of the multitude of religious traditions in Australia. Christians celebrating Easter and Christmas, Jews celebrating Hanukah, Sukkot and Yom Kippur and Muslims who celebrate Eid ul Fitr at the end of Ramadan and Eid ul Adha at the end of the Hajj pilgrimage. Of course there are many more celebrations than just these few which makes Australia the great place that it is.

We were shocked when we heard that our organization was apparently calling for an end to the Christmas tradition and to change the name to “winterval”. As the thousands of readers who were insulted by this suggestion we too were offended. Unfortunately, the story had been manipulated to present a wrongful message that Muslims had an agenda. Well, this was preposterous and in no way based on fact.

Muslims make up about 1.5% of the population. They are one of a number of religious faiths practiced in Australia. There is no doubt that Christianity is the faith of the majority of Australians. There are some politically correct do-gooders who create the impression that Muslims are advocating for change. However, Muslims often are so grateful that they can practice their own traditions freely and unimpeded than they could in the homelands of their parents or grandparents. So why would they try to create division and tension when as a minority they are still establishing themselves in this land? Our children are growing up with the tradition of Santa Claus, Carols by Candlelight, Chrissie on the beach and of course the great Christmas barbie. Christmas is not an affront to Islam nor is it an issue. We draw a lot from the prophet Muhammad who congratulated his Jewish and Christian friends during their festivities, we know that for Australian Muslims it is incumbent on all of them to show respect and kindness to people of other faiths and to share in the spirit of Christmas.

I hope that during Ramadan Christians and others will join in with me to break bread and enjoy the fruits of multicultural living in days to come.

Kuranda Seyit is the Director and Founder of the Forum on Australia’s Islamic Relations, he is also editor of Australia Fair Newspaper and has been chosen amongst the Smart 100 by the Bulletin Magazine in 2003 and also awarded the Sunday Telegraph’s Pride of Australia medal for the peace category in 2005.

2007-07-10T23:05:00.000-07:00

Muslims must be protected by the Act

As we are seeing more and more cases of international incidents involving Muslims, the backlash is real and hard on the ground. In the past six years, there has been a sharp increase in physical attacks against Muslim women wearing the scarf, Muslim schools and places of worship as well as direct cases of discrimination in the work place, at universities, hospitals and doctor's surgeries, shopping centres and in public spaces.

Although most cases of vilification against Muslims is based on their cultural and racial traits, I still believe that the Racial Discrimination Act must cover Islam as a specific cultural group which receives a lot of discrimination based on their religious obligations, duties and practices.
It is true that Muslims in Australia belong to more than 65 different ethnic groups. But the same can be said of Jewish people who have ethnic origins in Europe, Africa, Mid East and Asia. Yet they are referred to as a racial group because they act and see themselves as one. In this way of thinking I believe that Muslims are bound together by their uniform beliefs and practices which clearly identify them as a distinct homogenous group based on their religious identity. For Muslims, religion is actually a way of life and so their religious practices and their cultural traits defines them as Muslims.

When one becomes a Muslim or is born a Muslim that person will grow up with clearly identifiable cultural practices which is uniform across Islam. Therefore they will often be discriminated along these grounds regardless if they are a Turk, an Arab or an Indian. The second point of importance is that many people, through ignorance, treat Muslims as a racial group. Therefore the treatment and belief that they are a racial group and vilified as such is another reason that Muslims should be included in the Act.

Muslims have suffered for many years but today that suffering has been magnified 1000 times because of the downfall of Communism and portrayed as the world’s number one public enemy. Islam has been presented as backward and oppressive and many average citizens see Islam with suspicion and fear. Muslims are discriminated regularly on the basis of dress, customs and beliefs. Therefore it only makes sense that they be protected by the law, regardless of definitions or perceptions.

I would also like to clarify a couple of gross misconceptions about Islam. Firstly, Islam regardless of what hearsay evidence there is, has never in its 1400 year history ever converted a person at the point of a sword or by force. It is absolutely incongruous to suggest so. In Islam it is unequivocal and the Quran states that their is "no compulsion in religion": no compulsion to wear a headscarf, no compulsion to have a beard, no compulsion to marry another you do not love and no compulsion to take into your heart the love of God and to act piously and charitably. No one can force this upon another, not without resentment or negative repercussions, this would be counter-productive.

If any Muslim were to impose their beliefs and ideals on another person then he would be acting outside of the ethics of Islam and would in effect be committing a sin. This is something that is undesirable. All Muslims in the past and present have invited people to Islam, usually by their deeds and actions and by their example.

People often then cite the example of all the wars that were fought by early Muslims that resulted in the spread of Islam throughout Africa and Europe and also the Far East. Let me point out as a writer and researcher that the first wars after the Arab tribes had united were either defensive or pre-emptory and the victories were usually as a result of the weakness of the threatening power. For example the Byzantine, the Persian and Egyptian powers while openly against the new Muslim state were in decline themselves and when they lost the battle their whole empire collapsed and the Muslims automatically inherited the remnants of the empire.

The conquering armies of the Muslims were always magnanimous in victory and offered their captives freedom if they accepted Islam or taught them to read and write. The first comprehensive protocol for treating prisoners of war was made by the Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) and is a precursor for the Geneva Convention which followed almost 14 centuries later. Muslims treated their prisoners with civility which astonished the enemies and many embraced Islam almost immediately.

Secondly, another misconception is that Muslims are trying to turn Australia into a Sharia state.
This is a ludicrous notion. Firstly, sharia law cannot work in a country less than 1.5% of the population are actually Muslim. Even if there was a mass conversion of Australians to Islam, it is highly unlikely that this would affect the political nature of this country. Even in countries where the majority are Muslims they still operate under secular law or governments: the best examples I can give are Indonesia and Turkey. Sharia law cannot be administered unless the whole society is Islamic and the leaders are Islamic and even then it has to be based on consensus.

2007-07-10T22:38:00.000-07:00

Muslims in Australia not so extreme

OVER the past six years Australians have watched some of theworld's most terrifying events unfold, from our doorstep inJakarta and Bali, through the Middle East, in Madrid,Istanbul, London and now Glasgow.This global trend has forced many Western nations such asAustralia to rethink security strategies and laws. Connected to this, much mention was recently made of ayet-to-be-released report which suggests that up to 3000young Muslims in Australia are lying dormant, waiting to beradicalised.Do we really believe that 3000 people are in sleeper cellsawaiting the green light from Osama bin Laden?I have lived and worked with the Muslim community in Sydneyall my life and in more recent times I have met many Muslimsfrom Melbourne, Perth, Darwin, Canberra and other capitalcities.I have worked as a high school teacher in private schoolswhere there have been a majority of Muslims or at least as alarge percentage in other schools. I have run youth programs and worked at the AustralianFederation of Islamic Councils and I can safely say that Iknow and understand the Muslim communities of Australiabetter than the average person. And I have made documentaries about Muslims.My research leads me to believe that while there are Muslimswith extreme ideas in Australia, by and large they do notadvocate violence or any form of terrorism. People with violent tendencies and knowledge of bomb-makingtechnology, let alone the conviction to die for a cause, areextremely rare.This does not mean we should just relax and hope for thebest. We should still be vigilant and ensure that youngpeople are given as much support as possible in school.But we can definitely tone down the fear-mongering rhetoricwhich does little for the average Mohammed and Fatima whohave to live with the stares and the taunts on a dailybasis. The very grave issue of over-stating the facts,particularly if it can create a negative backlash againstMuslims, must be addressed. It is simply not acceptable to make unfounded statementsthat create fear or suspicion of the Muslim community.One very simple reason why Australia is an unlikely placefor homegrown terrorism to take root is that Australia hasone of the West's most integrated Muslim communities.Muslims in Australia cannot be compared to the Britishmodel. In some British cities, such as Birmingham andBradford, hundreds of thousands of Muslims live inmarginalised ghetto-like suburbs which provide deep coverfor dissent and rebellion.Here in Australia the comparatively small and localisedMuslim community lives in relative affluence and comfort.About 15 per cent of Australian Muslims possess a degree,which raises their incomes. In Australia, most Muslims whose parents migrated here inthe '70s have grown up in a society which has nurtured afairly easygoing nature and world view.In Australia we do have nutcases and radicals who preachthat we should protect ourselves and our children from theevil influences of a non-believing society. They are relatively harmless, albeit distasteful.More usually, the average Australian Muslim lives aninvisible life. On the fringe, however, those who hold strong views aboutgovernment policies and feel passionate about internationalaffairs tend to be more vocal and conspicuous. In terms of numbers they are significantly small and only atiny percentage within that tiny percentage have thepotential for extreme violent behaviour.More people are likely to die from road rage accidentsinvolving Middle Eastern drivers than from a home-grownMiddle Eastern terrorist.The argument that Muslims are more prone to radicalisationin Australia because it is a new country with no traditionalbase for Muslims to fall back on is exactly the reason whyMuslim terrorism instigated by Australian Muslims will nevereventuate here.In Australia, the fact that we do not have a long history ofIslamic traditions and that the Muslim community is made upfrom a wide spectrum of cultural and ideological viewpoints,makes Australia a place where difference can be toleratedand opposing groups co-exist in harmony.Australia does have one great tradition that transcends allreligious boundaries, and that is the freedom to believewhat you want and to live your life the way you want as longas you don't try to stuff it down others' throats.A great motto to live by, don't you think?

2007-07-10T22:09:00.000-07:00

Merdeka

Its 50 years since Malaysia’s independence. Merdeka!
An achievement fought without bloodshed or civil strife. Yet 50 years on and is the Malaysian experiment with democracy a success?

Some believe that after 22 years of a Mahathir dominated government new Malaysia is hanging together like Chinese paper and fire crackers on new years eve, at anytime it could go up in flames as had happened during the race riots of 13 May1969. That is why the new Badawi led coalition has embarked on a new progressive program called Islam Hadhari.
In these very precarious times where Islamic radicalism and conservatism has cast a long shadow across the Muslim world and the West has remained at an arms length, many are asking how Islam can work in a global community which is dominated by democratic principles of freedom and liberalism.
Most look towards Turkey to pave the way for a successful model of an Islamic secular democracy but others in South East Asia are optimistic or maybe I should say hopeful to see Malaysia succeed with Islam and democracy hand in hand.
Yet as we travel through KL amidst the impressive skyline which includes the Petronas Towers, the tallest twin towers in the world, we meet with government officials who try to explain the benefits of Islam Hadhari.
“So what do you know about Islam Hadhari?”, I am asked.
It is very hard how to answer a question when speaking to Malaysians because it is very easy to offend if you don’t say what they want to hear. I take the middle path and say that Islam Hadhari is a very modern approach to bridging Islam with modernity.
In the words of Abdullah Badawi, “It’s a new approach adopted by the government as a complement to the agenda of developing a glorious and civilized Malaysian society.”
Malaysia has on the surface become one of South East Asia’s wealthiest states and traveling through the country you can see that Malaysia has a fluid relationship with its 9 million Chinese and another 1 million or so Indians. Economically, the Chinese have made their mark and the country is relatively harmonious.
Speak to any Malay in the streets of KL and they will tell you just how happy everyone is under Islam Hadhari. Malaysia’s official religion is Islam. Its legal system operates on two levels; Shariah court and a civil court. In general this seems to work. Those who are Malay are automatically assumed to be Muslim which is indicated on their identity cards. The shariah court deals with Muslims and the civil courts deal with the Buddhists, Christians, Sikhs and Hindus. It all works out nicely until someone like Lina Joy, a Malay, comes along and wants to become a Christian.
Miss Joy met a Christian with whom she desired to marry but to do so she would require to change her status as a Muslim. This was dealt with in the civil court and she was directed to obtain a certificate of apostasy from the shariah court. It became a high profile case which could have been resolved if Miss Joy had gone to the shariah court but she has till now refused to do so.
Having two parallel systems in a society where it is not always black and white is fraught with danger. Generally speaking in the past two years there have been 16 apostasy applications and only two refusals. Whilst Malaysia does not want to admit there are many people leaving Islam, it is playing down the Lina Joy case. I speak to a Malaysian shariah court judge who says, “Changing your religion is not a simple matter, although we can issue a certificate of apostasy, we have to try to help that person in every way possible and then only and if only the applicant is beyond reconciliation with their faith we can issue a certificate and remove Islam from their identity.”
We meet with a delegation from the Malayan Chinese Association (MCA) who show us a power point presentation about their view of things. Their fears are apparent, they are afraid of Islam taking hold of affairs and of losing democracy and their rights in a society which favours Malays. The MCA is an influential partner in a shaky coalition which has for many years withstood the challenges of time. But it appears that the two need each other more than ever as the Islamic Party (PAS) is gaining ground after its shock loss of the state of Terenganu. While MCA does not fully appreciate the benefits of Islam Hadhari, it prefers that to the Islamic Sharia state law advocated by PAS.
After a week of meetings and luncheons I left the country with a sense that not everything was right in the state of Malaysia but yet there was this uncanny reciprocity between Chinese pragmatism and Malay single-mindedness that was the glue between the two parties that contributes to the success of this ongoing experiment.

Kuranda Seyit is a documentary writer/director and was a part of a recent delegation to Malaysia organized by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.