MUSLIM
AUSTRALASIAN
Multimedia News & Views
ISSN: 1039-2300
Print Post Publication No. 100021354
Print edition published Monthly on first Friday with Website updates
Isolation of Asylum Seekers
BOOMERANG PAGE 5
Amity HSC High Achievers
COMMUNITY PAGE 9
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Issue # 124
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March 2016; Jamaadiyul Oulaa 1437
Targeting Negative Gearing
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Paul Sheehan Another Empty Voice
UMMAH PAGE 15
SOL 2016: Six city charity concert Zia Ahmad The iconic Sounds of Light charity concert was organized this year in six cities of Australia and New Zealand from 25 February to 2 March 2016 attracting an audience of tens of thousands of people. This year the performing artists included the most popular Swedish singer Maher Zain, Macedonian/Turkish vocalist Mesut Kurtis, young British artist Harris J, American singer/actor/comedian Omar Regan and Kuwaiti nasheed performer Humood Alkhuder. Sounds of Light is an annual mega event organised by Human Appeal International in Australia as well as in many countries in Europe in order to provide shariah compliant entertainment with the aim of raising funds for the orphans of the world. The professionally organized mega event in the past has been held in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2014 in the major cities in Australia. It is the first time that it is additionally being held in Auckland, New Zealand in 2016. This event attracts mostly young people who identify themselves as Australian Muslims rather than as Lebanese, Egyptians, Indians or Indonesians, concerned about the global Ummah in general and trying to help the orphans overseas. The Sydney event held on Saturday 27 February at the Sports Centre at Sydney Olympic Park had a near capacity attendance with all tickets sold out well in advance. The entertainers set the night alight with their spectacular voices, humour and reminders of doing good. The heart felt messag-
Humood Alkhudher performing on stage at the Sounds of Light 2016, Sydney. (Photo by Radim Cechvala). es struck a chord with the audience as they stage 4 cancer had her wish come true when entertainment, generosity, responsibility and pledged and donated generously for the or- she met her hero Maher Zain personally back- compassion, all for a great charitable cause phans of the world. stage. and all came out with smiles, satisfied minds A Sydney girl, Rouwaidah suffering from The crowds loved the electric atmosphere of and happy hearts.
AFIC Islamic Schools face closure
Iran elections: Reformists making strong gains
Abu Anees
Zia Ahmad
The federal funding of two Islamic Schools affiliated with the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils (AFIC) has been revoked while four other schools are still under investigation for their compliance with the requirements of the Australian Education Act 2013 with respect to their independence, financial viability, not-for-profit operations and governance structures. There have been cuts of $20 million to the Sydney based Malek Fahd Islamic School, and $1 million to the Islamic School in Canberra. AFIC run schools in other states await their fate. The Department of Education has alleged that the tax-payers funded grants were not entirely spent on the schools and hundreds of thousands of dollars were paid to senior administrators with vague job descriptions and qualifications as well as to the school’s parent organization, AFIC. The implications are that without federal
Allies of the current President, Hassan Rouhani have made strong gains in the Parliament as well as the Assembly of Experts during the elections held in Iran towards the end of February 2016. The successful candidates will serve the 10th Islamic Consultative Assembly from 28 May 2016 to 27 May 2020. The 290 seat Assembly has 285 directly elected members while five seats are reserved for Zoroastrians, Jews, Assyrians, Chaldeans and Armenians. Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former President and an ally of President Rouhani came first in Tehran’s voting for the Assembly of Experts while a prominent scholar Mohammad Kashani was second and President Rouhani himself came third. Supporters of Rouhani and Rafsanjani considered as the reformist group have won all the 30 seats representing Tehran and seem to have gained almost 100 parliamentary seats with one third of the national pop-
funding that constitute more than 50% of the schools’ operating costs, the schools might have to close down with dire consequences for their students. Parents groups and community activists have come into action with advice from Jihad Dib, State member for Lakemba to find solutions to this disastrous situation for the schools’ students. Unlike many Western countries such as UK, US, New Zealand, Australia is the only country that has a generous equitable grant system for independent schools including Christian, Jewish and Islamic schools.
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Rafsanjani with President Rouhani. ular vote. The peacefully held elections with almost 65% turnout are considered fair and free, a credit to Islamic Iran, that is a rarity in the Muslim world. The election results are seen as a referendum on the nuclear deal with the West paving way for strong economic growth, further openness in the Iranian society, individual freedoms and better relations with the Muslim World.
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