Key facts
Population: 10 million
Religion: Sunni Islam
Average annual income: $600
Exports: Goats, bananas and fish
Language: Somali
Capital: Mogadishu
Rise of the Islamic Courts Union
On June 5, an Islamic Courts-allied militia defeated the US-backed leaders and took control of Mogadishu.
Since then, they have expanded their control over much of southern Somalia, capturing the key port town of Kismayo.
Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, executive chairman of the Union of the Islamic Courts Areas under the Islamists' control have enjoyed a return to relative normality.
The Islamic Courts Union has also re-opened the city's international airport and numerous other ports along the Somali coast and invited foreign countries and individuals to invest in the war-shattered country.
The interim administration has been powerless to control fighting in Mogadishu and is not strong enough to move to the capital. It is based in Baidoa.
In the country's north, Somaliland and Puntland, two break-away regions, have established functioning governments and enjoy a measure of security and stability.
Somaliland, with the city of Hargeisa as its capital, declared independence from Somalia in 1991.
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Map of Africa
World fact book
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Friday, December 22, 2006
What's the score with all those Poms?
A bigger issue for citizenship is, or ought to be, the anomaly that permits as many as 300,000 British subjects to have all the rights of Australian citizenship without having to sign up. Most famous among this group was Nicky Downer, the wife of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Alexander Downer. She acquired citizenship in 1995, only after Labor exposed the fact that although she was married to the then leader of the opposition, and thus could potentially be the wife of the prime minister, she was not Australian. Moreover, such was her attachment to her British citizenship that she went back to England to have one of her children to ensure that the child was British.
Read all
Read all
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Vandals strike airport prayer room
Jordan Chong
December 20, 2006 - 4:40PM
link
A prayer room used mainly by taxi drivers working at Melbourne Airport was vandalised today, according to police.
Police were unable to confirm the exact nature of the incident, but said in a statement a damaged Koran was found at the scene at about 5.30am.
"Forensic procedures are being used in attempt to identify the offender or offenders," the statement said.
The "non-denominational facility" on Melrose Drive near the airport is used by taxi drivers waiting for available cab ranks at the airport.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or to visit www.crimestoppers.com.au
December 20, 2006 - 4:40PM
link
A prayer room used mainly by taxi drivers working at Melbourne Airport was vandalised today, according to police.
Police were unable to confirm the exact nature of the incident, but said in a statement a damaged Koran was found at the scene at about 5.30am.
"Forensic procedures are being used in attempt to identify the offender or offenders," the statement said.
The "non-denominational facility" on Melrose Drive near the airport is used by taxi drivers waiting for available cab ranks at the airport.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or to visit www.crimestoppers.com.au
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Uniting Australia Against Racism
On behalf of Ahlus Sunnah wal Jama’ah Association of Australia, we extend our sincere greetings.
Peace be upon you.
We would like to extend our sincerest appreciation to everyone who overcame the high temperatures on the day in support of the “Uniting Australia” sausage sizzle.
The community of Moreland city and greater Melbourne joined together to make a stand against racism, discrimination and sexual assault. There were distinguished members of the community, emergency services, union representatives, community groups, children, parents, grandparents, people, from all walks of life and many more uniting to break down barriers and show solidarity.
The event strengthened existing and built new community relationships, further demonstrating why our wonderful state prides itself on the diversity of cultures, religions and ethnic communities all coexisting harmoniously together.
Guilty or not, Hicks has done his time
Natasha Stott Despoja
December 17, 2006
THE Federal Government has announced it will introduce a citizenship test for migrants — to test their commitment to "Australian values" and principles such as the importance of democracy and the rule of law.
Yet the Government is flouting these very values in relation to someone who is already an Australian citizen — David Hicks
Full Article
December 17, 2006
THE Federal Government has announced it will introduce a citizenship test for migrants — to test their commitment to "Australian values" and principles such as the importance of democracy and the rule of law.
Yet the Government is flouting these very values in relation to someone who is already an Australian citizen — David Hicks
Full Article
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Melbourne Islamic school official bashed
Melbourne Islamic school official bashed
December 11, 2006 - 12:20PM
A board member at the Melbourne Islamic school which recently expelled students for desecrating the Bible has been bashed by a man police fear is armed.
Samir Mohandis, a member of the board of the East Preston Islamic College, said he suffered head injures during the attack by an unknown assailant who entered the school ground about 4.45pm on Friday.
Police said the attacker, a man aged in his 30s, appeared to have been holding a firearm.
The assailant was not known to Mr Mohandis nor did he say anything to indicate the attack may have been racially motivated, a police spokeswoman said.
Mr Mohandis told Southern Cross Broadcasting the man claimed to be Jesus.
He said security at the school would be increased.
"I still have scars to my head," he said.
The attacker is described as being about 180cm tall and of muscular build with a tattoo on his right forearm.
He had straight dark brown hair and at the time of the incident was wearing a grey t-shirt and dark trousers.
Anyone who may have seen the man in the vicinity of the school around the time of the incident should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Two Muslim students were expelled from East Preston College earlier this month for urinating and spitting on a Bible and then setting it alight.
At the time, the college head, Shaheem Doutie, said the incident was isolated and the school had done all it could to punish the people involved.
Link
December 11, 2006 - 12:20PM
A board member at the Melbourne Islamic school which recently expelled students for desecrating the Bible has been bashed by a man police fear is armed.
Samir Mohandis, a member of the board of the East Preston Islamic College, said he suffered head injures during the attack by an unknown assailant who entered the school ground about 4.45pm on Friday.
Police said the attacker, a man aged in his 30s, appeared to have been holding a firearm.
The assailant was not known to Mr Mohandis nor did he say anything to indicate the attack may have been racially motivated, a police spokeswoman said.
Mr Mohandis told Southern Cross Broadcasting the man claimed to be Jesus.
He said security at the school would be increased.
"I still have scars to my head," he said.
The attacker is described as being about 180cm tall and of muscular build with a tattoo on his right forearm.
He had straight dark brown hair and at the time of the incident was wearing a grey t-shirt and dark trousers.
Anyone who may have seen the man in the vicinity of the school around the time of the incident should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Two Muslim students were expelled from East Preston College earlier this month for urinating and spitting on a Bible and then setting it alight.
At the time, the college head, Shaheem Doutie, said the incident was isolated and the school had done all it could to punish the people involved.
Link
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Bikini march sparks retort
Mark Dunn
December 07, 2006 12:00am
MUSLIMS, socialists, unions and other groups will conduct a counter-rally against bikini protesters who plan to march on a Brunswick mosque on Saturday.
Police will monitor the demonstrations, with white supremacists claiming to have infiltrated bikini protest ranks, increasing the potential for confrontation.
Organisers of the "Great Australian Bikini March" had planned to march against the Michael St mosque last Saturday, anniversary of the Cronulla riots in NSW.
Though the bikini march has been postponed until Australia Day next year, some supporters say they will still hold the rally on Saturday.
The march has been promoted on white supremacist websites.
In response, the Islamic Information and Support Centre and the Socialist Party Australia are organising a barbecue and mosque open day for Saturday at the same time.
The so-called bikini march, criticised as being insensitive, was designed as a reaction to mufti Sheik Taj el-Din el-Hilaly's comments on scantily clad women being the cause of some rapes.
Sheik Mohammed Omran, who heads the Brunswick mosque, later defended the mufti.
A mosque spokesman said the theme of their meeting and sausage sizzle was uniting Australia.
Link
December 07, 2006 12:00am
MUSLIMS, socialists, unions and other groups will conduct a counter-rally against bikini protesters who plan to march on a Brunswick mosque on Saturday.
Police will monitor the demonstrations, with white supremacists claiming to have infiltrated bikini protest ranks, increasing the potential for confrontation.
Organisers of the "Great Australian Bikini March" had planned to march against the Michael St mosque last Saturday, anniversary of the Cronulla riots in NSW.
Though the bikini march has been postponed until Australia Day next year, some supporters say they will still hold the rally on Saturday.
The march has been promoted on white supremacist websites.
In response, the Islamic Information and Support Centre and the Socialist Party Australia are organising a barbecue and mosque open day for Saturday at the same time.
The so-called bikini march, criticised as being insensitive, was designed as a reaction to mufti Sheik Taj el-Din el-Hilaly's comments on scantily clad women being the cause of some rapes.
Sheik Mohammed Omran, who heads the Brunswick mosque, later defended the mufti.
A mosque spokesman said the theme of their meeting and sausage sizzle was uniting Australia.
Link
Monday, November 20, 2006
English take-up speaks volumes for Muslims
DESPITE the Prime Minister, John Howard, criticising some Muslims for being "very resistant to integration", new figures show they have adapted to speaking English more quickly than other religious groups.
Full article
Full article
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Al Jazeera just launched its English-language channel
Will You Watch Al Jazeera English?
Amar C. Bakshi - The Arabic news network Al Jazeera just launched its English-language channel today. According to the station's Director General Wadah Khanfar, its goal is to "revolutionize TV news by giving voice to the oppressed South." This sounds ambitious. Will Al Jazeera English live up to it? Watch a clip below and tell us what you think.
Links: WATCH Al Jazeera LIVE NOW
The station is certainly not lacking in resources. Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani has staffed it with 500 reporters spread across the world. They've managed to pull some big names from CNN, BBC, and even the U.S. Marines like Riz Khan, Sir David Frost, and Josh Rushing respectively.
Al Jazeera's bureaus in Washington DC, London, Kuala Lumpur, and Doha house over one hundred employees each and are immaculately designed. I visited their Doha headquarters two weeks ago exactly on the station's tenth anniversary. Though I was in the city for a United Nations conference on emerging democracies, the Al Jazeera compound was where all the action was.
In their main English language newsroom, a vast plasma image of the globe illuminated the anchor desks. Skinny silver computers stood perched on custom-curved desks. "We've spared no expense," exclaimed a young Egyptian employee, quoting the billionaire scientist from the movie Jurassic Park. He explained that Al Jazeera's "polish proves its professionalism." But then he quickly changed gears to stress that Al Jazeera would win world support only "by sounding truly different from our competitors like CNN and BBC."
Al Jazeera's consultant on Middle East affairs and new PostGlobal panelist Lamis Andoni outlined just what "different" meant:
Al Jazeera will cover the developing world; it will offer another view on the Israel-Palestine conflict. It will inject international discourse with the arguments of and the social and economic plights of the South to enable a real dialog.
With her voice rising, she gestured toward a huge photograph hanging on the newsroom wall of a young Al Jazeera cameraman picked up on the border of Afghanistan and imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay:
Al Jazeera's status was earned at a high price. Cameraman Sami al-Hajj is spending his fifth year in Guantanamo. Two of our journalists are killed -- one during the American bombing of Al Jazeera in Baghdad. Our top correspondent Tayser Allouny is under house arrest in Spain for unsubstantiated charges. These colleagues are an inspiration for the rest of us, a call to courage, and a constant reminder of the cost of telling the story.
She then swept her arm across the newsroom pointing to dozens of young faces scurrying in and out of the building. Many of these employees were British and Australian students fresh out of college, sweating in the hundred-degree Doha heat. According to Andoni, they too share her vision:
There are many young people who are coming on board, and many seeking to. They want to be part of a new, more inclusive, daring medium -- a medium that speaks truth to power.
But an hour's flight away in Dubai, another PostGlobal panelist, Bashir Goth expressed far less hope for Al Jazeera English. Many across the world, especially in America, think Al Jazeera inexcusably promoted Osama bin Laden for mutual benefit. Al Jazeera achieved substantial publicity by airing the terrorist's videos before anyone else could see them. Bin Laden, many scholars argue, would not have been a global celebrity without the TV platform Al Jazeera offered. By airing his clips, the Wall Street Journal argues that Al Jazeera became a "mouthpiece of Osama bin Laden," offering free publicity that helped him recruit more fighters. When I asked Director General Wadah Khanfar if Al Jazeera English would show more bin Laden tapes should they be released, he replied forcefully, "Yes, we will abide by the same editorial guidelines as our Arabic channel."
Though Al Jazeera launched today, it will be tough to find in the United States. Cable companies here worry that in the minds of Americans Al Jazeera is too closely associated with Al Qaeda for comfort. The station's presentation -- some would say selective presentation -- of atrocities in the Middle East, especially in Iraq, Palestine and most recently Lebanon, have inflamed anti-American sentiment.
On multiple occasions, officials within the Bush administration accused the station of willfully stirring hatred toward America. As Al Jazeera's introductory video boasts, Donald Rumsfeld called their broadcasts "vicious, inaccurate and inexcusable". Rumors circulate that America even considered it an outright military target after it bombed its offices in Kabul.
But beyond the simple accusation that Al Jazeera aids terror groups comes a more fundamental criticism. Is the station's articulated concern for "voices from the South," for the billions who don't watch TV but are affected by the global players who do, a genuine one or just more anti-West rhetoric? Will this station really open up new debates that are often overlooked like poor education, weak public health systems, or hunger? Or will Al Jazeera just add to the cacophony of angry voices and polarized discussions, perhaps even promoting violence in the process by providing a platform for an extreme few?
What do you think? Have you watched Al Jazeera in Arabic and do you have thoughts to share?
Below, we invite our global readers to discuss the clip, share their view of Al Jazeera, and debate whether the station's call to "lift oppressed voices" is hollow rhetoric, dangerous propaganda, or a cause for hope.
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/needtoknow/2006/11/will_you_watch_al_jazeera_engl_1.html
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Amar C. Bakshi - The Arabic news network Al Jazeera just launched its English-language channel today. According to the station's Director General Wadah Khanfar, its goal is to "revolutionize TV news by giving voice to the oppressed South." This sounds ambitious. Will Al Jazeera English live up to it? Watch a clip below and tell us what you think.
Links: WATCH Al Jazeera LIVE NOW
The station is certainly not lacking in resources. Qatar's Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani has staffed it with 500 reporters spread across the world. They've managed to pull some big names from CNN, BBC, and even the U.S. Marines like Riz Khan, Sir David Frost, and Josh Rushing respectively.
Al Jazeera's bureaus in Washington DC, London, Kuala Lumpur, and Doha house over one hundred employees each and are immaculately designed. I visited their Doha headquarters two weeks ago exactly on the station's tenth anniversary. Though I was in the city for a United Nations conference on emerging democracies, the Al Jazeera compound was where all the action was.
In their main English language newsroom, a vast plasma image of the globe illuminated the anchor desks. Skinny silver computers stood perched on custom-curved desks. "We've spared no expense," exclaimed a young Egyptian employee, quoting the billionaire scientist from the movie Jurassic Park. He explained that Al Jazeera's "polish proves its professionalism." But then he quickly changed gears to stress that Al Jazeera would win world support only "by sounding truly different from our competitors like CNN and BBC."
Al Jazeera's consultant on Middle East affairs and new PostGlobal panelist Lamis Andoni outlined just what "different" meant:
Al Jazeera will cover the developing world; it will offer another view on the Israel-Palestine conflict. It will inject international discourse with the arguments of and the social and economic plights of the South to enable a real dialog.
With her voice rising, she gestured toward a huge photograph hanging on the newsroom wall of a young Al Jazeera cameraman picked up on the border of Afghanistan and imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay:
Al Jazeera's status was earned at a high price. Cameraman Sami al-Hajj is spending his fifth year in Guantanamo. Two of our journalists are killed -- one during the American bombing of Al Jazeera in Baghdad. Our top correspondent Tayser Allouny is under house arrest in Spain for unsubstantiated charges. These colleagues are an inspiration for the rest of us, a call to courage, and a constant reminder of the cost of telling the story.
She then swept her arm across the newsroom pointing to dozens of young faces scurrying in and out of the building. Many of these employees were British and Australian students fresh out of college, sweating in the hundred-degree Doha heat. According to Andoni, they too share her vision:
There are many young people who are coming on board, and many seeking to. They want to be part of a new, more inclusive, daring medium -- a medium that speaks truth to power.
But an hour's flight away in Dubai, another PostGlobal panelist, Bashir Goth expressed far less hope for Al Jazeera English. Many across the world, especially in America, think Al Jazeera inexcusably promoted Osama bin Laden for mutual benefit. Al Jazeera achieved substantial publicity by airing the terrorist's videos before anyone else could see them. Bin Laden, many scholars argue, would not have been a global celebrity without the TV platform Al Jazeera offered. By airing his clips, the Wall Street Journal argues that Al Jazeera became a "mouthpiece of Osama bin Laden," offering free publicity that helped him recruit more fighters. When I asked Director General Wadah Khanfar if Al Jazeera English would show more bin Laden tapes should they be released, he replied forcefully, "Yes, we will abide by the same editorial guidelines as our Arabic channel."
Though Al Jazeera launched today, it will be tough to find in the United States. Cable companies here worry that in the minds of Americans Al Jazeera is too closely associated with Al Qaeda for comfort. The station's presentation -- some would say selective presentation -- of atrocities in the Middle East, especially in Iraq, Palestine and most recently Lebanon, have inflamed anti-American sentiment.
On multiple occasions, officials within the Bush administration accused the station of willfully stirring hatred toward America. As Al Jazeera's introductory video boasts, Donald Rumsfeld called their broadcasts "vicious, inaccurate and inexcusable". Rumors circulate that America even considered it an outright military target after it bombed its offices in Kabul.
But beyond the simple accusation that Al Jazeera aids terror groups comes a more fundamental criticism. Is the station's articulated concern for "voices from the South," for the billions who don't watch TV but are affected by the global players who do, a genuine one or just more anti-West rhetoric? Will this station really open up new debates that are often overlooked like poor education, weak public health systems, or hunger? Or will Al Jazeera just add to the cacophony of angry voices and polarized discussions, perhaps even promoting violence in the process by providing a platform for an extreme few?
What do you think? Have you watched Al Jazeera in Arabic and do you have thoughts to share?
Below, we invite our global readers to discuss the clip, share their view of Al Jazeera, and debate whether the station's call to "lift oppressed voices" is hollow rhetoric, dangerous propaganda, or a cause for hope.
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/needtoknow/2006/11/will_you_watch_al_jazeera_engl_1.html
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Thursday, November 16, 2006
Some political remarks racist: former PM
November 16, 2006
Former prime minister Malcolm Fraser believes many comments by Australia's politicians about Islam are racist.
Mr Fraser also said many of the words used to stimulate debate about the need for a set of Australian values were code for saying Muslims did not comply with Australian values.
And he questioned whether the next federal election would be fought using a race card.
Mr Fraser made the statements during the official launch of the Australians All website aimed at promoting an inclusive, diverse, multicultural, peaceful and prosperous Australia.
More than 40 eminent Australians are involved in Australians All - taken from the opening line of the national anthem - including ACTU president Sharan Burrow, the Reverend Tim Costello, Islamic Council of Victoria's Waleed Aly, and Muslim Community Reference Group chair Dr Ameer Ali.
The members say they were forced to begin the website because of a lack of positive political leadership and diverse discussion about Australian issues.
"I think, and we all felt, that Australia needs a voice for sanity, for reason, for inclusiveness, for acceptance, for respect for diversity, respect for difference, and knowing of course that people who live in this country accept Australian laws and the primacy of Australian democracy and all the things which are necessary for a peaceful and prosperous Australia," Mr Fraser told reporters in Melbourne.
Mr Fraser said no government had used the race card to build fear among Australians, until the "children overboard" scandal before the last federal election.
"(That) created fears about followers of Islam, fears about people who are different, fears of people who came from a different country ... I don't recall anyone from the parliament getting up and saying, `well we need to respect, we need to support people fleeing the Taliban'... no, we were told they were not the sort of people we wanted to have in Australia," Mr Fraser said.
Asked if he thought the current comments about the Islamic community were racist, he said: "Many of them, yes".
"I don't think it's restricted to one party or to one group because ... if there was a really vigorous debate about these issues in Canberra, a lot of the members of this supporting group might have felt, `well there's no need for us to do it, because there is a public debate about it'," he said.
"But what public debate has there been?"
Mr Fraser said the short term goal of the website was to provoke a moderation of language used to discuss Australian issues.
"If language is used that plays a race card, we will do what we can to expose it," he said.
"People do use coded words which are saying, `this group is not really conforming', and implying that this group don't really accept Australian values and whatever, we'll try and expose it."
Article link
Former prime minister Malcolm Fraser believes many comments by Australia's politicians about Islam are racist.
Mr Fraser also said many of the words used to stimulate debate about the need for a set of Australian values were code for saying Muslims did not comply with Australian values.
And he questioned whether the next federal election would be fought using a race card.
Mr Fraser made the statements during the official launch of the Australians All website aimed at promoting an inclusive, diverse, multicultural, peaceful and prosperous Australia.
More than 40 eminent Australians are involved in Australians All - taken from the opening line of the national anthem - including ACTU president Sharan Burrow, the Reverend Tim Costello, Islamic Council of Victoria's Waleed Aly, and Muslim Community Reference Group chair Dr Ameer Ali.
The members say they were forced to begin the website because of a lack of positive political leadership and diverse discussion about Australian issues.
"I think, and we all felt, that Australia needs a voice for sanity, for reason, for inclusiveness, for acceptance, for respect for diversity, respect for difference, and knowing of course that people who live in this country accept Australian laws and the primacy of Australian democracy and all the things which are necessary for a peaceful and prosperous Australia," Mr Fraser told reporters in Melbourne.
Mr Fraser said no government had used the race card to build fear among Australians, until the "children overboard" scandal before the last federal election.
"(That) created fears about followers of Islam, fears about people who are different, fears of people who came from a different country ... I don't recall anyone from the parliament getting up and saying, `well we need to respect, we need to support people fleeing the Taliban'... no, we were told they were not the sort of people we wanted to have in Australia," Mr Fraser said.
Asked if he thought the current comments about the Islamic community were racist, he said: "Many of them, yes".
"I don't think it's restricted to one party or to one group because ... if there was a really vigorous debate about these issues in Canberra, a lot of the members of this supporting group might have felt, `well there's no need for us to do it, because there is a public debate about it'," he said.
"But what public debate has there been?"
Mr Fraser said the short term goal of the website was to provoke a moderation of language used to discuss Australian issues.
"If language is used that plays a race card, we will do what we can to expose it," he said.
"People do use coded words which are saying, `this group is not really conforming', and implying that this group don't really accept Australian values and whatever, we'll try and expose it."
Article link
Monday, November 06, 2006
Muslim Media Watch, Cameron Stewart about sheikh Omran
Compare Cameron Stewart (The Australian) article about sheikh Omran with the press conference video in the first episode of Muslim Media Watch.
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Thursday, November 02, 2006
Sheikh Omran's Press Conference re Hilaly comments
Media interview with Sheikh Mohamed Omran (Abu Ayman) about Mufti Taj al-Dene Elhilaly comments, role of the mufty, Islamic judgement and role of the media in all of this.
Listen and compare to media reports...
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Listen and compare to media reports...
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Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Sheikh Abu Ayman (Omran) comments on the Mufti saga
Balanced perspective on the turmoil surrounding recent controversial comments made by the Mufti Taj Al-Hilali.
Listen
------------------------------------------
Sheik claims court bias
Mark Dunn and Evelyn Yamine
October 30, 2006 11:00pm
Article link
A MELBOURNE cleric claims a gang of rapists was jailed for up to 60 years because they were Muslim.
It came as Sydney firebrand Sheik Taj el-Din al-Hilaly stepped down indefinitely last night after being rushed to hospital with chest pains.
Days after igniting a storm of controversy by comparing immodestly dressed women to "uncovered meat", Sheik Hilaly said the pressure was affecting his health.
In a statement from his hospital bed, the mufti said he had asked for "indefinite leave from my duties at Lakemba mosque".
Sheik Hilaly has received support from his Melbourne rival Sheik Mohammed Omran.
Sheik Omran said the gang rape case central to Sheik Hilaly's explosive comments revealed an anti-Muslim bias in the judiciary.
In a recent sermon, the Brunswick cleric said the rapists were treated worse than murderers.
He said a father who raped his daughter was jailed for just three years.
"I feel there is no justice here. They (the Sydney gang) deserve more than 60 years . . . in Islam they deserve the capital punishment if they really did that," Sheik Omran says in an audio from the sermon available on his website.
"But . . . 60 years and someone else three years -- and they did the same crime. Why? Three years for someone, even raped his own daughter, what (is) worse more than that. But they make big fuss about these kids (the Sydney rape gang) because one of them has names Mohammed, one Ahmad.
"Even if you killed someone you don't go for 60 years. This is where I think everything is unbalanced. We want either justice for everyone, either everyone goes for 60 years or everyone goes for three years."
The besieged Sydney mufti was rushed to hospital after collapsing in a meeting with the Lebanese Muslim Association, which was deciding his future. "The pressure of the last couple of days has had an obvious effect on my health and wellbeing," he said in a statement.
The mufti said his comments were not intended to offend women and conceded the comparison of women to exposed meat was "inappropriate and unacceptable for Australian society and Western society in general".
The sheik is also facing a police inquiry into whether he breached anti-terror laws after comments supporting jihadists fighting coalition troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Prime Minister John Howard said yesterday he was concerned recent events would irreparably damage the reputation of Muslims within the broader community.
-----------------------------
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Saturday, October 21, 2006
Eid Mubaarak, sheikh Abu Ayman
Taqabbal Allaahu minna wa minkum (May Allaah accept (this worship) from us and from you)
Thursday, October 19, 2006
A Touch of Tawakkul, Sabr and Shukr
Beautiful article by our sister, currently in year 12, and reminder for all of us.
The Prophet Muhammad (upon him be blessings and peace) said, "The hearts are in the fingers of the Merciful One, He turns them as He wishes." (Muslim and Ahmad)
It is essential for us, an Islamic studies teacher of mine once told me, as Muslims, to know and understand the workings and composition of our hearts. In that, if our hearts are corrupt; if our intentions are corrupt, such deceit will follow in our actions. Similarly, if our hearts and intentions are pure, our actions are sure to be of purity. For how will a fruit tree bare fragrant and delicious fruit if it's roots, underground, have decayed?
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The Prophet Muhammad (upon him be blessings and peace) said, "The hearts are in the fingers of the Merciful One, He turns them as He wishes." (Muslim and Ahmad)
It is essential for us, an Islamic studies teacher of mine once told me, as Muslims, to know and understand the workings and composition of our hearts. In that, if our hearts are corrupt; if our intentions are corrupt, such deceit will follow in our actions. Similarly, if our hearts and intentions are pure, our actions are sure to be of purity. For how will a fruit tree bare fragrant and delicious fruit if it's roots, underground, have decayed?
Read full article
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Monday, October 16, 2006
Heart moving story of Umar r.a. leadership
The other night sheikh Abu Ayman (Omran) talked about Umer r.a. and his inspirational qualities. Story talks about actions and behaviour of a true leader. Leader who is concerned for his community and want Allah to be pleased with him.
You can download mp3 audio recording here. Then, share it with others and put smile on their face as well.
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You can download mp3 audio recording here. Then, share it with others and put smile on their face as well.
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Thursday, October 12, 2006
Islam is not a Nokia, response to Ameer Ali
There is nothing wrong in being modern, that’s if you're a fan of mobile phones. As times change, they (mobiles) need to be redesigned from shape to size. But religion is not a Nokia. Last week Ameer Ali former head of AFIC outraged Muslims across Australia with his comments about the Prophet s.a.w.s. and the Qur'an. In the article entitled "Prophet not perfect, says Islamic scholar" (The Australian, 04/10/06) written by Richard Kerbaj, he spoke about the "flaws" of the best human ever to walk this earth - prophet Muhammad s.a.w.s., he questioned the veracity of the Qur'an, called for the reinterpretation of it, trivialized Sunnah and so on. With the following article I will examine some of these statements, as well as his 'so called' apology. One apology for Muslims and another one for the editor of "The (Un)Australian" newspaper.
Read Full Article at:
http://www.aswj.com.au/articles/document.jsp?id=107
Also, Sheikh Omran's response
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Read Full Article at:
http://www.aswj.com.au/articles/document.jsp?id=107
Also, Sheikh Omran's response
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*You must have Google Gmail account to be able to leave comments. Sign up for Gmail
Islam QA - Sharia
There is a debate in the media about sharia, so, we present you our dear sheikh Omran who will give you Islamic perspective and few examples of sharia in everyday life.
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Great Video: What is Culture? by Sheikh Omran
Watch Conference trailer and full lecture -"What is Culture?"- by Sheikh Mohamed Omran - 2006 Annual Australian Dawah Conference
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