Shariah law - A Current Affair Update

This week saw A Current Affair produce a piece on ‘Shariah law’ in Australia. This is an area that has both confused and alarmed Australians – and in fact most Westerners. ACA managed not only to increase the alarm, but also completely misrepresent what Muslims believe and practice in this area.

There are three things that I think most worry Australians – Shariah represents a way of life that is based on the 7th century, Muslims aim to replace Australian law with Shariah law, Shariah law is an inflexible and harsh system that is totally incompatible with Australian values and the Australian way of life.

All of these are totally and absolutely wrong or inaccurate.

Thank you Chilcot

Finally the Chilcot Inquiry has confirmed what many of us have been saying for years. That the global problems that we face today are the result of the decisions of our Western governments to invade, and to destabilise countries, destroying the infrastructure of so many societies.

The history of Western involvement in regime change is legendary. Beginning with the

Welcoming Internal Criticism

This week saw the arrival of Majeed Nawaz to Sydney. A former Hizb Tahrir member, Majeed has been campaigning against extremism - particularly Islamism and jihadist Islamism - for many years. While his audience and supporters within his home country of the UK and internationally has increased substantially, support within the Muslim community has been considerably lacking.

Solutions not Apologies is Leadership

The Muslim community is once again under scrutiny and the sense of fear within the Australian community at large and the Muslim community in particular is palpable following the tragic and senseless shooting of Curtis Cheng outside his workplace in Parramatta by a vulnerable, disillusioned, ill informed 15 year old boy. While it is convenience politically to call this an act of terror, as an educator, I recognise that

QandA Bankstown with Attorney General Brandis

Last night I was one of the few Muslims in Bankstown who attended the QandA session. It was boycotted by many of the Muslim community, led by a few agitators who had tried to convince the ABC QandA crew from changing the format of the show. I agreed with them, but always believe it is better to engage where engagement is offered, rather than simply boycott, and thereby have no engagement at all.

The format of the show particularly suited the Attorney General and his paternalistic manner.

Schools to Report Students at risk of Radicalisation

The news that the NSW government has approached schools requiring them to report students who are at risk of being radicalised to the police is indeed retrograde news. This comes only weeks after Numan Haider, a teenager in Melbourne who knew he was under surveillance and was already under a radical influence, reacted in such an extreme manner to the involvement of police that he was shot dead.

Law enforcement is not the first authority to turn to when kids are in trouble. Counsellors, advisors, specialists in the area of concern are the right people to involve and provide intervention - whether it be learning difficulties, antisocial behaviour, involvement with crime and so on. 

My Letter to Liberal Politicians

To the Hon. Tony Abbott, MP

Over the past few days there have been two terrible tragedies occurring on our television screens. The one is a continuation of illegal occupation, rejection of United Nations Resolutions and now outright invasion, all stemming from inhumane treatment of a whole society, some of whose citizens are SUSPECTED of the kidnap and murder of 3 Israeli teenagers. The other tragedy of course is the terrible loss of life from the shooting down of the Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17.

Both involved terrible loss of innocent life. Both involved the death of women, children and those who should never be included in warfare.

However, the language of my government in regard to the two of them, is completely different.

On the one hand, puny rockets that killed one person and are easily defended, are provided as justification for the massacre of hundreds. Australian representatives are fully aware of the number of homes illegally seized or demolished, with elderly residents and families forced to relocate, of land and crops being stolen, of harassment, intimidation, and summary arrest, along with the deliberate targeting of essential facilities for civilian life including water and sewerage facilities, and hospitals. We know this, but my government turns a blind eye to it.

While Israel claims that Hamas is using civilians as shields, the overcrowded situation of Gaza means that there is no civilian free place for Hamas (the elected government) to operate. Every claim that Israel makes that they are not targeting civilians cannot be justified in the reality of the civilian toll and the homes that they are bombing.

I have rewritten below the statement from our Prime Minister in regard to the Malaysian Airlines tragedy, and referred instead to what any humane and fair minded person would say - and in fact what the United Nations is saying - in regard to Palestine.

As a citizen of Australia, please consider the welfare of the living over the dead. Please act to stop the ongoing massacres of Palestinian families through both your words and deeds. Please use the same language of Justice, of Humanity – for all.

“Today our thoughts are with the families of the Palestinians in Gaza, as they struggle to come to terms with their grief and their  loss. Yesterday we saw the wreckage of their houses on our screens, today we’ve seen some of the faces of the wounded and dead. I don’t believe that any Australian, any human being, could fail to be moved by what we’ve seen. I have to say that as a nation  we need to prepare ourselves for difficult and painful weeks ahead as we strive to find out what  has happened and who is responsible. Right now, our priority does need to be gaining access to Gaza where Israeli bombs continue to rain down.

Right now for all we know, because this site is controlled by the Israeli military, bodies remain strewn in the destroyed houses of the borderlands of Gaza, and armed units are tramping their streets.

So its absolutely vital that an independent international investigation begin as soon as possible, so that we can identify and recover the wounded and the remains of all the Palestinian women and children affected.

I want to stress that Australia will do whatever we humanly can to ensure that his matter is absolutely thoroughly investigated, to find out what we can, and to bring the perpetrators to justice. Our objective is to ensure, for the dead and for the living, dignity, respect and justice”

Yours sincerely,

Silma Ihram

Pride and Arrogance amongst Muslims

As ignorance increases amongst the Muslim community, so does pride and arrogance, representing the character of Satan in refusing to recognize the position of mankind’s father – Adam. Family pride and honour, tribal loyalty, anger and its follow-up revenge at perceived insults – all of these attitudes and behaviors that the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w moved against in his own community.

 Muhammad s.a.w., as with all God’s messengers, was sent to bring justice. “We sent aforetime our messengers with clear Signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance, that men may stand forth in Justice.” (Al Hadeed 57:25)

Honour killings are part of this same trend – that a family, group or tribe has not been rejected by a decision made by one of them. There have been many great scholars and leaders who went against the desires of their community – and made great contributions as a result.

 There is no justification in Islam, in Christianity, in Judaism, or in any of the revealed religions for tribal, family or group ‘honour’ against the rights of the individual. The law is as revealed and is just, and must be maintained with justice.

 Unfortunately those who are ignorant about their religion like to use their religion to justify injustice – to their own disgrace.

Investment in Islamic Schools

This was part of a talk given at Curtin University Dec 13

As Muslims living in the West we do well to look at our colleagues to see how they have progressed. Christian and Jewish schools have developed their schools by investing in them – often through leaving substantial inheritance in shares, property or what we would call Waqf.  Of course

When did defending innocents become radical?

Every night I listen to the increasing death toll of children and civilians in a brutal, now sectarian civil war. I think of my friends who are desperately trying to get their families out of Syria, and of Bob Carr's comment about the unusual aspect of 33% of Syrian homes being razed by the government forces.

I know how far I will go in order to protect my children - and I am not a radical. I feel the pain of my friends whose extended families flee for their lives or are callously butchered.

The Rohingya tragedy
Here is some information that was sent to me by Kuranda Seyit from Fair

- truly an appalling situation that needs our immediate attention, internationally.
No-where to go….
By Kuranda Seyit

The Rohingyas are an Indo-Arayan people based in Arakan (today referred to as Rakhine state in Myanmar) and their history dates back to the 8th century CE. Over the centuries Persian, Arab and Turkish sea traders came to the area, bringing with them Islam. This land was given the name Arakan, which is a Persian word.  Likewise the Rakhine people have been in the region since the 8th century, however they are a Sino-Tibetan people and follow Buddhism.
The Rakhine and Rohingya lived side by side in peace.  It was not until the Burmese invaded in 1789,

A Silver Lining to a Tumultuous Grey Cloud

(Photo from The Australian 18 Sept)

No one could say that the Sydney or the international riots - which occurred in response to what I have called ‘the wretched film’ - that this behavior does any credit to the Muslim community, is in keeping with the example of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w., is instrumental in improving the overall welfare of the Muslim community or will actually do anything to discredit the film itself.

Of course the opposite is true – uncontrolled anger and violence, the killing of innocents was exactly the opposite of what the Prophet s.a.w. taught and demonstrated throughout his lifetime. Such behavior

AFIC, Islamic Schools and ethics

It is with great sadness but with some relief that the fortress holding some of the largest assets belonging to the Muslim community in Australia is finally being challenged. Of course I am referring to the recent loss of funding and accountability demands of Malek Fahd Islamic College and its owner the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils. Unfortunately, this has not come about by legitimate leadership challenges from within the community or internal accountability processes but by the hand of outsiders to the Muslim community - the State government which has for years poured millions of dollars into this school.

For some time I have wondered about my community's willingness to turn a blind eye to the lack of ethical Islamic tenets in such organisations,

Hold of terrorism is weakening

The Muslim community has been subjected to a combination of debilitating mind games for most of the last century. Still struggling from the after-effects of colonialism, they have been oppressed by dictators installed by the retreating colonialists, and disempowered by their sweet talk of nationalism. Conspiracy theories have added to their impotency, leading to a mindless, hopeless and mutually destructive tendency to violent revenge. With their scholars imprisoned and replaced by Western educated bureaucrats, their religious schools filled with the least capable of learners and funded by bedouin theology, the ignorant have become leaders, contributing through unaccountable underground networks and the harsh yelling of Friday sermons to a combined sense of emasculation. Hence the easy recourse to terrorism.
But the hold of terrorism is weakening.
There has been no benefit to any group from the mindless terror of suicide bombs, market bombs and the eradication of alternative views. Over the past few decades millions of families - mostly Muslim - have suffered devastating injury, crippling fear, and the irreparable loss of loved ones.

Arab Spring neutralises conspiracy theories

There is a lighter, higher step as my Muslim companion enters the mosque. He used to look over his should as he walked in, concerned that he was being watched..unfairly. There is a greater confidence in the way the sisters walk in the streets - their heads are held higher, multicoloured hijabs twisting in creative displays on their heads. They smile more. The Arab Spring is like disinfectant to a persistent sore.

Easter Sunday - A Time to Take Stock

The weather could not be more beautiful - not too hot, occasionally sunny, occasionally cloudy, ready to water the garden for me for free. I am sitting in my favorite cafe (Flower Power in Enfield) listening to the steady but seductively inspiring strumming of Jack Johnson.

The Propaganda Battleground

Looking at the SBS coverage of the Coptic celebration of Christmas tonight, I am struck by the clever way in which they have handled the media. Very effectively they focus on presenting a peaceful, compassionate image, through engaging in those public rituals that resonate with the Australian public – releasing doves,

Pass me a Shoe Please!

Forget about brickbats and bouquets at the ABC, it's shoes and shmaltz!
Last night I was privileged to witness evidence of Australia's famed freedom of speech and truly egalitarian nature. The live episode of Q & A gave me renewed pride in being a resident of this wonderful country. I watched as John Howard, former Prime Minister, was challenged by David Hicks

The Ethics of Public School Ethics classes

Last night I watched the Insight program on whether there is still a place for God in the classroom. It centred on the introduction of ‘Ethics’ classes for those students who do not attend Scripture – the one hour a week slotted religious instruction by community religious representatives for those students whose parents permit them to study their nominated religion. The audience -

Banning the Burqa - Here we Go Again

Today Channel 9 gave me the opportunity to respond to Senator Cory Bernadi's comments on Burqa wearing crime. Of course, of my seven great 6 second grabs, they took just two - and neither contained much information. Newstainment. Here is the fuller version of what I wanted to say.
The common Australian attitude is – why would anyone want to wear a burkha?