Muslims still a side dish in Australia’s melting pot

Australian Muslims have benefitted immensely from Australian multiculturalism. Australia’s legislative safeguards against racial and religious vilification and a commitment to cultural diversity, albeit fluctuating, have given Muslim community organisations a chance to challenge streaks of racism and intolerance.

But we should not lull ourselves into a false sense of security. The opening of a corner kebab shop or the occasional token Muslim on ABC TV does not mean that Muslims are universally accepted as part of the Australian mosaic.

The future of Australian Muslims is contingent, to a large extent, on the good will of the government of the day. Changes at the top can have profound implications for community relations. The Howard era, marked by its conspicuous retreat from multiculturalism, created a political atmosphere ripe for the rise of racial and religious intolerance. The Cronulla riot (2005) was an ugly manifestation of this slide away from tolerance of difference.

Despite the unfavourable political environment, made worse by every terrorist attack beyond our shores, a number of Muslim organisations have tried to be proactive in relation to the challenges facing the community.

The Islamic Council of Victoria, for example, has demonstrated great agility in transforming itself into an outward looking organisation in the last decade. It overcame the initial knee-jerk reaction of adopting a victim mentality and opted for proactive engagement with other community groups, the law enforcement and the media. This approach has made the ICV the first port of call for the state government when dealing with issues of radicalisation and extremism.

Another example, again in Victoria, is the Australian Intercultural Society. While the name is somewhat misleading, the AIS has been at the forefront of engaging policy and opinion makers on issues that relate to Muslims. This is a distinctly different approach, as the AIS tends to focus on VIP events by invitation only. Hobnobbing with those in authority, and its support base among the Turkish community, has allowed AIS to establish itself as a serious player.

This image was strengthened in 2007 when it funded the establishment of a Chair in Muslim-Catholic Understanding at the Australian Catholic University.

This is an impressive record of proactive engagement. But it has its limits. Muslims still constitute a marginalised community. The 2011 Census data puts Muslim unemployment at 4.5 per cent. While this is better than the 2006 census figure of 5.9 per cent, it is nearly twice the 2011 national average of 2.7 per cent.

The average income level for Muslim households is substantially lower than the national average with more than 20 per cent of Muslim households live on a weekly income of $299 or less. That is 2.4 times higher than the national record: just over 8 per cent of households nationally.

Australian Muslims are three times less likely to own their dwelling than non-Muslims and twice as likely to be renting.

These figures point to an obvious imbalance. The problem, as it turns out, is that this imbalance is persistent. The emerging socio-economic picture from the 2011 Census reproduces the same gap between Muslims and the rest of the country evident in previous census figures.

In addition to this, Muslims have almost no political representation at the top. Victoria presents the exception to the rule. The state parliament has an established record of Muslim representation and includes three Muslim MPs, the first of whom was elected in 1996. The NSW state parliament welcomed its first and only Muslim MP in 2009. No other state legislative assembly includes Muslim MPs.

In 2010 Ed Husic the first and only Muslim MP was elected to the federal parliament. This was a major step forward.

But Muslims have a long way to go before their presence at the top can be considered ‘normal’. Unlike the Jewish presence that is generally taken for granted, Muslim participation at the top of the political establishment raises eyebrows and causes not-so-subtle innuendos about a hidden agenda, as Husic discovered during his electoral campaign.

Australian Muslims appear to have made significant headway, particularly in Victoria, reflecting the long-standing commitment of the state government to multiculturalism and religious tolerance. This commitment is mirrored in various state departments, notably in the way VicPolice engages with community organisations.

However, the other side of the coin is that the above gains are not irreversible. They are contingent on the good will of office holders. In event of a changing tide at the federal or the state level, Muslim’s marginal status means that they have no political muscle to correct a turn towards intolerance.

Parliament has failed, declares Rehman Malik

During the Senate’s session on Friday, Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik defending his earlier decision to ban motorcycles from the roads in Karachi (for today) said that the parliament had failed, DawnNews reported.

Senator Raza Rabbani objecting to the federal minister’s claim said the parliament had not failed and that the parliament could not give a stamp of approval on weak legislature.

Malik stood by his action saying he respected the decision of the Sindh High Court but added that the move to ban motorcycles off the roads was right as motorcycles provided an easy mode of transportation to terrorists and were used in most terrorist activities.

Senator Malik said the decision to ban motorcycles was taken in view of information received that a motorcycle would be used as a bomb on the first day of Muharram in Karachi. He also said that motorcycles were used in 438 bomb attacks across the country during the current year whereas 96 motorcycles were destroyed in bomb attacks in Karachi alone.

Google’s Android finally earns respect with developers

The mobile video game Kingdoms at War is popular with owners of Apple Inc’s  iPhone and Google Inc’s Android smartphones alike. But for the game’s maker, there is a very important difference – it earns more than double the money on iPhones and iPads than it does on Android devices.

The disparity is a weakness for Android, which has emerged as the world’s most widespread mobile operating system, but has long suffered second-class status among software app developers who prefer the prestige, higher revenue potential and uniformity of Apple’s rival platform.

But app developers say that is changing fast. Just three years after Google and partners from Samsung Electronics Co Ltd to HTC Corp launched a frontal assault on the iPhone, Android is coming into its own with an improved built-in payment system, a growing fleet of high-end devices and a redesigned app store. That translates into increasing revenue for apps developers.

“When Android first launched, we didn’t even really consider going on Android,” said Wilkins Chung, the co-founder of Thinking Ape, which makes the Kingdoms at War app.

“Now it’s at the point where it makes business sense to invest more resources on Android and try to get there faster. Even though we monetize less, it’s still a significant amount of revenue.”

Smule, another mobile app developer, released its first Android app this Spring, roughly a year after the iOS version appeared, and in July the company launched an app on both Android and iOS simultaneously.

Next year, Smule hopes to launch all its new apps on both platforms at the same time, said General Manager Prerna Gupta.

The monetization level of the Android apps is not as good as it is on Apple’s iOS, she conceded, but added: “We’ve been pleasantly surprised.” A prosperous network of quality app developers is critical

for Android as competition among Google, Apple, Amazon.Com Inc  and Microsoft Corp in the fast-growing mobile gadget market heats up.

Eye-catching design and top-notch hardware components are key selling points for smartphones and tablets, but vibrant  digital apps and content are becoming equally essential to a product’s overall appeal.

“Clearly it’s gone from being a device war only, to being an ecosystem battle,” said Richard Wong, a partner at venture capital firm Accel Partners, which has invested in Rovio, the maker of the hit mobile video game Angry Birds.

Israel and Gaza reach tacit truce

Israeli and Palestinian leaders have reached a tacit truce that could prevent a new war in the Gaza strip after five days of clashes.

The agreement, brokered by Egypt, was made on Monday night, with both sides warning that they would resume fighting if attacked again.

Ismail Haniyeh, prime minister of Gaza’s Hamas government, praised the main armed factions in the occupied Palestinian territory for agreeing to the truce.

“They showed a high sense of responsibility by saying they would respect calm should the Israeli occupation also abide by it,” he said during an unannounced visit to a hospital to see wounded Palestinians.

Three Palestinian fighters and four civilians have been killed and 40 others wounded by Israeli fire since Saturday.

Eight Israeli civilians were injured by some of the 115 rockets fired from Gaza and four soldiers were wounded by the anti-tank missile that hit their jeep and fuelled the fighting.

“Whoever thinks they can harm the routine lives of southern residents without paying a very heavy price is mistaken,” he said in a radio speech. “And I am responsible for us exacting this price at the most proper time ”

- Binyamin Netanyahu, Israeli PM

Benny Begin, one of the Israeli officials who took part in talks initiated by Binyamin Netanyahu, Israeli’s prime Minister, said the flare-up had subsided but the conflict was far from resolved.

“This round of firing appears to have ended and things must be looked at soberly without illusions for both sides,” he said.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu himself, issued a heavy warning to Hamas over the violence.

“Whoever thinks they can harm the routine lives of southern residents without paying a very heavy price is mistaken,” he said in a radio speech. “And I am responsible for us exacting this price at the most proper time”.

Egypt mediation

An official involved in the Egyptian mediation confirmed both sides were ready to stop.

“The message was clear and Israel too told Egypt they were not interested in escalation if rocket firing stopped. The situation now is calm for calm and I hope it does not deteriorate,” the official told Reuters

Israel struck three targets in the Gaza Strip in the early hours of Tuesday, including what the army said was a weapons depot and two rocket launch sites. There were no casualties.

Only one Palestinian rocket strike was reported in Israel by 0800 GMT on Tuesday.

Defence Minister Ehud Barak told reporters Israel was not prepared to forgive and forget following four days of violence.

“The matter has definitely not ended and we will decide how and when to act at the time when there will be a need,” he said.

UAE adopts tougher cyber laws

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has set stricter Internet monitoring and enforcement codes that include giving authorities wider leeway to crack down on Web activists for offenses such as mocking the country’s rulers or calling for demonstrations, local media have reported.

Under the new UAE law, which was posted on the official news agency WAM on Tuesday, any posts “to deride or to damage the reputation or the stature of the state or any of its institutions,” are punishable by a prison sentence.

The codes also outlaw “information, news, caricatures or any other kind of pictures” that authorities believe could threaten security or “public order.” These include Web posts calling for public protests or “disobeying the laws and regulations of the state.”

Also under the new law, anyone convicted of “creating or running websites that deride or damage the reputation or stature of the rulers will face a minimum jail sentence of three years,” The National, an English-Language daily, said.

This includes the president, the vice president, rulers, deputy rulers and crown princes of the emirates.

Although oil-rich UAE has been spared the wave of uprisings that hit most Arab countries, the authorities have clamped down on Islamists and claimed in July to have dismantled a group plotting against state security.

Several of those arrested had been active on online social media networks.

The United Arab Emirates has come under criticism over arrests and a trail of human rights violations.

A European Union resolution last month condemned “harassment,” “restrictions on freedom of expression” and “illegal imprisonment” suffered by pro-democracy activists in the UAE, and demanded the “unconditional release of
prisoners of conscience,” which it says number 64.

The Gulf state dismissed the accusations as unfounded.

Australia Admits Anti-Muslim Job Bias

A new report has acknowledged that Australian Muslims are being discriminated against in workplace, the findings that added to the disappointment of the sizable minority.

“Muslim men have expressed concern that the negative portrayal of Muslims in the media may have a detrimental effect on the self-esteem of Muslim youth and also result in children being bullied at school,” said the Newcastle University report, cited by The Herald Sun on Tuesday, November 13.
Using Census data, the report, led by Prof Terry Lovat, found that the jobless rate among Muslim men was more than double the national average.

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Only 57 percent of Muslim males aged 15 and older had jobs compared with 68 percent of all working-age men, the report said.

It also revealed that Muslims were the most discriminated against religious minority in Australia with 13.4 percent unemployed compared to 9.6 percent of Buddhists.

The discrimination of Muslims also tripled that of Lutherans, 4 percent, Baptists 4.8 percent, and Orthodox 4.9 percent.

Suburbs with high Muslim concentrations such as Broadmeadows and Dallas had jobless rates of more than 15 percent in 2006, said the report.

“In total, 58 percent of Muslims earned less than $400 per week compared to 41 percent of the Australian population.”

The report said that Muslims faced workplace barriers including poor English proficiency, difficulty having overseas qualifications recognized and cultural and religious issues.

Yet, the biggest obstacle facing Muslims was being viewed “others” by employers, reflected in rising discrimination in the wake of the 9/11 attacks on the United States and the 2002 Bali bombings.

Disturbing

The report findings disappointed Australian Muslims who feel discriminated against in their own country.

“There is a lot of discrimination against Muslims, and not just in employment,” social researcher and Islamic Council of Victoria executive member Mohamad Tabbaa told The Herald Sun.

Tabbaa said some discrimination was subtle, such as employers being hesitant to hire hijab-wearing Muslim women because they feared losing customers.

He said terrorist attacks, though widely opposed by the majority of Muslims in Australia and worldwide, helped increase the anti-Muslim discrimination.

“Since the terrorist attacks Islamophobia is on the rise in Western countries, including Australia,” he said.

Muslims, who have been in Australia for more than 200 years, make up 1.7 percent of its 20-million population.

Islam is the country’s second largest religion after Christianity.

Facing blatant discrimination in work fields, many Australian Muslims have Christianized their names to increase their chances of employment.
Similar reports of anti-Muslim job bias were reported in Germany, France and even the United States.

Australian sky-gazers in awe of rare total solar eclipse

Tens of thousands of sky-gazers flocked to Australia’s tropical north on Wednesday to watch the moon block out the sun in one of nature’s greatest phenomena — a total solar eclipse.

All eyes and cameras turned to the heavens as the clouds parted over the state of Queensland and the moon slowly moved between the Earth and the sun, creating a missing “bite” that gradually increased in size.

Clouds had threatened to spoil the party and huge cheers erupted when they cleared to give awe-struck eclipse hunters a perfect view of totality — when the moon completely covers the sun and a faint halo or corona appears.

“Wow, insects and birds gone quiet,” one tourist, Geoff Scott, tweeted. Another, Stuart Clark, said: “This it it. Totality now. Utterly beautiful.”

The path of the eclipse got under way shortly after daybreak when the moon’s shadow, or umbra, fell in the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park in the Northern Territory, about 250 kilometres (155 miles) east of Darwin.

The umbra then moved eastward before hitting north Queensland — one of the few places it could be viewed by humans and where tourists and scientists gathered to witness the region’s first total solar eclipse in 1,300 years.

Totality lasted just over two minutes from 6.38am (2038 GMT Tuesday), with eclipse watchers donning special glasses to protect their eyes.

When it happened the early chatter of birds and animals was replaced by an eerie silence as the moon overtook the sun, casting a shadow that plunged the land into darkness, with temperatures dropping.

“Day into night, unbelievable, goosebumps, speechless, amazing,” said Palm Cove eclipse watcher Simon Crerar.

The rare spectacle drew crowds of tourists, with the Queensland state government estimating that 50,000-60,000 people made the trip.

They included three charter flights with 1,200 scientists from Japan while six cruise ships were moored off the coast and hot air balloons dotted the skies.

While certain cultures see eclipses as somehow magical, Fred Espenak, an American astrophysicist and world authority on eclipses, told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that they can be predicted with pinpoint accuracy.

“Certainly within 100 to 200 years we can predict when an eclipse will occur to within a second,” he said.

“But the pattern of occurrence is a complicated one. They don’t repeat on a time schedule like the seasons of the year.”

He explained that when a total eclipse occurred “the darkest part of the moon’s shadow sweeps across the earth’s surface”.

“Total solar eclipses occur once every one to two years but are only visible from less than half a percent of the earth’s surface,” he said.

Scientists were studying the effects of the eclipse on the marine life of the Great Barrier Reef and Queensland’s rainforest birds and animals while psychologists were monitoring the impact on humans.

Eclipses have deep spiritual meaning for Aborigines, with the moon often seen as a man and the sun as a woman.

“Some believe the sun is in love with the man but he does not reciprocate these feelings so the sun chases him around the sky,” said Duane Hamacher, an expert on Aboriginal astronomy who watched the spectacle from Cairns.

“On rare occasions, she manages to grab him and in a jealous rage tries to kill him but he convinces the spirits that hold up the sky to save him, which they do.”

The last total eclipse was on July 11, 2010, again over the South Pacific. The next will take place on March 20, 2015, occurring over Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Norway’s far northern Svalbard archipelago, according to Espenak.

Moharram-ul-harram

What is Ashurah ?

The conventional meaning of Ashura in the Shariah refers to the 10th of Muharram-ul-Haram. In his distinguished book, “Ghuniyatut Taalibeen”, Sayyiduna Ghaus-ul-Azam, Sheikh Abdul Qaadir Jilani (radi Allahu anhu) writes that the Ulema have a difference of opinion, as to why this day is known as Aashura. Since the reason has been explained in various ways, the consensus of the majority of the Ulema is that it is known as Ashurah because it is the 10th day of Muharram, while certain Ulema say that from the sacred days that Almighty Allah blessed the Ummat-e-Muhammadi with, this day is the 10th most important day, and it is for this reason that it is known as Ashurah. (Ghuniyatut Taalibeen, Pg. 428)

Significant Events concerning Ashurah

With the exception of the Martyrdom of Sayyiduna Imam-e-Hussain (radi Allahu anhu) there are also various other incidents which occurred on Yaum-e-Ashurah. It is also for those reasons that this day has received such excellence. In his internationally renowned Kitaab, “Nuzhatul Majaalis”, Sayyiduna Sheikh Abdur Rahman Safoori (radi Allahu anhu) explains the following important events which took place on Yaum-e-Ashurah:

1. It was on this day that the Skies earth and the Lauw-e-Qalam came into existence.

2. It was on this day that Sayyiduna Adam (alaihis salaam) and Sayyiduna Hawa were created.

3. Sayyiduna Adam’s (alaihis salaam) Tauba was accepted.

4. Sayyiduna Nooh’s (alaihis salaam) Ark came on land.

5. Sayyiduna Ibrahim (alaihis salaam) received the status of Khaleelullah.

6. Sayyiduna Yaqub (alaihis salaam) met Sayyiduna Yusuf (alaihis salaam) after 40 years.

7. Sayyiduna Idrees (alaihis salaam) was raised into the skies.

8. Sayyiduna Ayub (alaihis salaam) regained his health.

9. Sayyiduna Yunus (alaihis salaam) was released from the stomach of the fish.

10. Sayyiduna Dawud’s (alaihis salaam) Tauba was accepted.

11. Sayyiduna Sulaiman (alaihis salaam) received his Kingdom.

12. Sayyiduna Esa (alaihis salaam) was raised into the skies.

13. Sayyiduna Muhammad Mustapha (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) made Nikah to Sayyiduna Bibi Khadija (radi Allahu anha).

14. It is on this day that Qiyamat will occur.

The Salaah of Yaum-e-Ashurah

The Holy Prophet Muhammad Mustapha (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) has stated, “That person who performs four rakaats of Salaah on the day of Ashurah in this way, that he reads the entire Sura Ikhlaas (Qulhuwal laa) 11 times after Sura Fatiha in every rakaat, then Almighty Allah will forgive fifty years of his sins, and he will blessed with a Mimbar (pulpit) of Noor.” (Nuzhatul Majalis, Vol.1, Pg. 181)

The Fasting of Yaum-e-Ashurah

To keep fast on the day of Ashurah is worthy of great reward. The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) used to even fast on this day and He used to also command others to fast on this day. It is recorded in “Sahihain” from Sayyiduna Abu Moosa Ash’ari (radi Allahu anhu) that the Jews used to respect the day of Ashura and they also rejoiced on this day. The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) commanded, “You too should fast in this day”. In one Hadith of “Muslim”, it is recorded that the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said, “On the day of Ashurah, the People of Khaibar keep fast, rejoice and dress their wives in good clothes and jewellery. O Muslims! You too should fast on this day.”

Sayyiduna Qatadah (radi Allahu anhu) reports that the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) has stated, “On the day of Ashurah I hope that through this (Ashurah) Almighty Allah will make it a means of Kafaara for past sins.” (Mishkat Shareef, Pg. 179)

In the year 10 A.H., when the Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was keeping the fast of Ashurah, the Sahaba-e-Kiraam (ridwaan nulahi ta’ala ajma’in) requested, “This is that day which is honoured by the Jews and Christians.” The Holy Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) said, “If I am here next year, then I shall also fast on the 9th (of Muharram).” (Mishkat Shareef, Pg. 179) If is for this reason that we should not only fast on the tenth, but also on the ninth of Muharram-ul-Haraam.

Important A’maal (practices) on Yaum-e-Ashurah

 1. It is recorded in “Tafseer Roohul Bayaan” that the person who stays awake on the night of Ashurah gains the Sawaab of the Mala’ikah.

2. The Masha’ikh have stated that by making Ghusl on this day, the sicknesses for the entire year are washed away.

3. Shaami in “Kitaabus Saum” states that using surma on this day will not cause they eye to pain for the entire year.

Why is Kichra cooked during Aashurah?

 It is in Shaami, “That person who cooks good food on the day of Ashurah, will Insha- Allah, gain Barkat from Almighty Allah in his home for the entire year.” Commenting on this in “Tafseer Na’eemi”, Sayyiduna Allama Mufti Ahmad Yaar Khan (rahmatullah alaih) writes: “In our country Haleem (kichra) is cooked because it contain all types of grains and meat, through which we have hope that their will be barkat in the grain for the entire year. In certain narrations, it has been stated that the day on which the Ark of Sayyiduna Nooh (alaihis salaam) came onto land, the inhabitants of the Ark disembarked and gathered all types of grain and cooked it into Haleem (Kichra).”

MUHARRAM

 Muharram also brings with it the brilliant lesson from the History of Islam, in the Hijrat of Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) from Mecca to Madinatul Munawwarah. According to history, when Rasool-e-Paak (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) arrived in Madina, Abdullah bin Salaam, the famous Jewish scholar was busy breaking dates in his garden. When news of Rasoolullah’s (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) arrival reached him, he immediately set out to observe Rasoolullah’s (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) activities. Before long he found himself in the midst of the Muslims of Madina where Nabi-e-Paak (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) was addressing the Muslims thus, “O people! Get into the habit of greeting one another at all times, and feed one another, and treat your relatives and friends with love and kindness. And when everyone is asleep at night, remember to pray to Almighty Allah at that time. If you keep up in practice with these things then you shall enter Jannah in peace.”

 This Prophetic advice bears glad tidings for Muslims throughout the ages. Alas! Had the Muslims of today only given heed to, and practised upon this advice, it would have produced the solutions to nearly all their problems. Hidden embodied in this advice is the secrets of the success of this world and the Hereafter.

 This advice had produced a deeply profound effect on Abdullah bin Salaam, so much so that he went to the house of Sayyiduna Abu Ayoob Ansari (radi Allahu anhu) and addressed the Prophet (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam) in the following manner, “I accept your claim of Prophethood and I sincerely believe that your religion (Islam) is a true religion.” Having made this announcement, he accepted Islam.

 It was also during the month of Muharram that history had recorded the events of Karbala regarding Sayyiduna Sayyiduna Imam Husain (radi Allahu anhu). The martyrdom of Sayyiduna Imam Husain (radi Allahu anhu) had breathed new life into the spirit of Islam regarding the values of Imaan.

 Sunni Muslims the world over, in their remembrance of the Ahle-Bait and Sayyiduna Imam Husain (radi Allahu anhum ajma’in), engage themselves in feeding the poor in their memory as a mark of respect. On this ocassion, it is imperative to reflect as to what aspect of the great Imam’s life we Muslims are emulating to improve ourselves spiritually. Should we lack the enthusiasm to put into practice the teachings of the Sunnah which Sayyiduna Imam Husain (radi Allahu anhu) followed so truthfully that he paid the ultimate price for it, we should sit back and question our sincerity in the love for Almighty Allah, His Rasool (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam), the Ahle-Bait, and the beloved Sahaba like Sayyiduna Abu Bakr, Sayyiduna Umar, Sayyiduna Uthman and Sayyiduna Ali (ridwanullahi ta’ala ajma’in).

 It is the love of the Ahle-Bait and the Sahaba-e-Kiraam (ridwanullahi ta’ala ajma’in) that should produce the driving force in emulating closely in our lives the Sunnah of Rasoolullah (sallal laahu alaihi wasallam). This alone in these times would not only provide the guiding light spiritually, but also be a source of great Barakah and reward in this world and the Hereafter.