LIFESTYLE 21 - 23
AMUST
UMMAH 24 - 26
EDUCATION 27 - 28
TRAVEL 29
SOCIAL 30 - 31
AUSTRALASIAN MUSLIM TIMES
www.amust.com.au ISSUE # 158
/
Multicultural News & Views
JANUARY 2019; RABI ‘UL AAKHIR 1440
The Miracle of Democracy
BOOMERANG PAGE 5
Ibrahim Dellal, Australian Muslim pioneer passed way Ibrahim Dellal.
Dr Salih Yucel Ibrahim Dellal, 86, the Melbourne based veteran community leader passed away on Friday 7 December 2018. A funeral service attended by more than 400 people was held at Quba mosque on Monday 10 December and he was buried at Fawkner cemetery. İbrahim Dellal (1932-2018) of Turkish Cypriot origins was a community activist and played a pioneering role in establishing Islamic organizations and educational institutions since his arrival in Melbourne in early 1950’s. Continued on page 18
/
PH: (02) 9158 3020
Celebrating UN Disability Day
COMMUNITY PAGE 9
Souha Korbatieh, wife of Dr Gazi Husain and a mother of four was recognised for her excellence in Master of Islamic Studies at the Islamic Science & Research Academy (ISRA) during the graduation ceremony held on Saturday 8 December at Waterview, Sydney Olympic Park. Three students enrolled at ISRA have graduated with University medals from Charles Sturt University (CSU) in 2018. Only 5 students won medals this year from a total population of 40,000 students enrolled at CSU. This year in 2018, 52 ISRA students have graduated from Arabic and Islamic Studies across Bachelor and Masters degrees as well as Graduate Diplomas and Graduate Certif-
/
EMAIL: INFO@AMUST.COM.AU
Free speech about Israel/ Palestine UMMAH PAGE 25
/
The Message of Mary
EDUCATION PAGE 27
Bangladesh elections condemned as ‘farcical’
Zia Ahmad
The Bangladesh elections held on Sunday 30 December 2018 under the authoritarian watch of PM Sheikh Hasina were marred with violence, intimidation, arrests, crackdown on dissent and withdrawal by opposition party members. “We urge the election commission to void this farcical result immediately. We are demanding that a fresh election is held under a neutral government as early as possible,” opposition leader Kamal Hossain said soon after the election. Bangladesh National Party (BNP) have alleged that there have been “irregularities” in 221 of the 300 seats being contested. At least 47 candidates from the main opposition alliance withdrew before polling closed, alleging vote rigging and intimidation. Human Rights Watch South Asia director Meenakshi Ganguly said that “with serious allegations of voter intimidation, restrictions on opposition polling agents and several candidates seeking a re-poll, there are concerns about the credibility” of the election. Although the Bangladesh election commission earlier said that it had heard vote-rigging allegations from “across the country” and would investigate, the commissioner said voting had been held in a peaceful manner and hence there would be no new vote. The results of the elections declared indicate that Sheikh Hasina’s ruling Awami
Islamic Studies student wins University medal Mehar Ahmad
Digital Newspaper Available
League has won almost all of the 300 parliamentary seats contested. Sheikh Hasina’s long-term rival, Mrs Khaleda Zia, was sent to prison on corruption charges earlier this year and barred from competing in the vote, in a case which she claimed was politically motivated. In Mrs Zia’s absence, Kamal Hossain, leads the main opposition grouping, the Ja-
tiya Oikya Front, which includes Mrs Zia’s Bangladesh National Party (BNP). Amnesty International has said that members of the opposition Jamaat-e-Islami were arbitrarily arrested, human rights defenders were harassed and intimidated, the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and association were restricted and enforced disappearances persisted during 2018 in Bangladesh. Souha Korbatieh (right) with Professor Lesley White.
icates. The formal event on Saturday 8 December was attended by 24 graduates, ISRA staff from Sydney as well as Melbourne and Charles Sturt University academics, community leaders and families of the graduates. In addition to brief comments by staff, the graduates also shared their feelings from the stage in a one-minute speech, many of them shedding tears of joy at the completion of their unique educational journey and thanked their spouses, parents and children for their support. ISRA graduations are a unique combination of intellectual, academic, emotional and spiritual experience held in a dignified yet family-friendly atmosphere. Continued on page 17
Proudly Printed in Australia by Spotpress Pty Ltd
Dispose of this paper thoughtfully - PLEASE RECYCLE