Volume 19
Issue 4
Message from the President
Dear Brothers and Sisters Assalamu alaikum! In the last 3 months the USMAA management committee and members have jointly organized and celebrated Eid ul Adha and other social events with great success. Thank you to all for your excellent work, support and participation. The Ladies Night organisers in particular are to be commended for their excellent organisational skills, efficiency and talent in holding this annual event with such great success. May Allah SWT reward them for their efforts, whilst having had an evening of great fun, in raising significant funds which would be donated to the war victims of Gaza. We are now into the last quarter of the USMAA calendar year and that does not mean that things are slowing down. On the contrary, we still have several other events on our calendar for the remainder of this year. It is now the month of Rabi-ul-Awwal, the month in which our beloved Prophet (Sal) was born. In our endeavour to remember, praise and celebrate our beloved Prophet while following his Quran and Sunnah, USMAA members have organized the annual Meelad celebrations with Qiraath competition for children followed by dinner on Saturday 14th March. Furthermore the annual Sports Day will be held on 22nd March 2009 to raise funds for the Janaaza services provided by USMAA. This event brings everyone together to the sporting arena to show their prowess in six-a-side cricket competitions, other fun games and also a biriyani meal. I urge all members, men, women and children to come along and support the excellent work done by the Janaaza sub-committee. Finally, as we are coming closer to the end of another very successful year, the time to elect a new Management Committee is also drawing nearer. There is a proposal to hold the AGM in mid June this year Inshallah and the date will be announced soon. USMAA's membership has a very impressive pool of talented and skilled individuals who can only take the organization forward. Membership participation has been quite disappointing at the past AGMs. I urge the members to show more enthusiasm and support as with all other events, by attending the AGM and actively participating in the election of the new Committee. Wassalam Aqa Tokhi
USMAA President
Editorial
Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakathahu!
Welcome to the 4th issue of the USMAA eNewsletter for the year 2008/2009. It has been an eventful couple of months since our last communication to you and we hope everyone is keeping well with the grace and blessings of Allah.
Summer this year not only brought with it brighter and longer days but also devastating destruction to Victoria. Black Saturday will always be remembered as one of the darkest and saddest days that Australia has faced. The number of lives lost and the destruction of property has been shocking to see and hear of. It has also given us all a time to reflect on what is precious to us and remember Allah and his blessings on us. USMAA encouraged all its members and friends to donate generously to the Red Cross Bush Fire Appeal to help our fellow Australians at this time of need.
"Economic crisis", "recession", "job loss" seem to be the overpowering headlines in papers and news bulletins for the last couple of months. With globalization so firmly established not a single country can claim immunity from what is happening around the world from America to Europe to Asia. Alhamdulillah reports and analysis so far show that Australia is not as badly hit as the other economies around the world. We welcome the economic stimulus measures taken by the Rudd government to protect the people of Australia from this global downturn. We are indeed blessed.
It has also been a time for the world to reflect on the economic principles that have been followed so far and which have led to this disastrous situation. It is indeed food for thought the recent observation by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, at the World Islamic Economic Forum in Jakarta, that Islamic financial institutions are not as hard hit as their western counterparts. "Banks run in accordance with Muslims laws on interest payments and the sharing of credit risks are seen by many as fairer than traditional banks, less focused on profit and kinder to the communities they work in" (Islamic Banks 'better in crisis' by Lucy Williamson, BBC news report 02/03/09)
In the US, people elected their first African American president - Barack Hussein Obama. There is much hope that he will bring about the much anticipated change in policy in America as well as in the rest of the world especially with regard to the middle east. His "Muslim" origins have been much discussed and analysed. Does it or should it really matter that he has an Islamic connection and a Muslim name? When does it come to a point when we can look at a leader for only what he says and does? Our fervent hope is that he has a better understanding of the Muslim world and his policies and actions do not incite and aggravate violence and hatred.
The war crimes committed in Gaza by the Israeli government have been heart wrenching to watch and hear about. It has been shocking to observe how much of the world watched in silence while these atrocities took place killing innocent children, men and women with the ever popular defence of "collateral damage". The very fact that it is Israel that is occupying Palestinian territory and is the aggressor goes unnoticed and what is highlighted is the fact that Palestinian "terrorism" must be stopped! We pray that sense should prevail and the Palestinians should get the right to live peacefully in their land. The funds raised from the recently held Ladies' night is being sent to assist the people of Gaza.
In Sri Lanka, the war in the North has intensified in the last couple of months. Government reports have stated that the Sri Lankan army has captured most previous rebel held areas and that the rebels are currently cornered in a very small area in the North East. Is this the end of the 30 year conflict that has ravaged the country and destroyed its economic and social structure and caused so many of its citizens to seek better pastures? Too many lives have been lost and continue to be lost in this conflict being fought in the name of "nationhood". When do we realise that life is more precious than land! Whilst writing this editorial we hear of the bomb blast that has rocked the town of Akuressa in the Matara district targeting the Meelad celebration at the local mosque. 14 people have lost their lives. Will they go unnoticed as a causality statistic?
Looking around the world and closer to home, it seems that conflict and sadness seem to be the overpowering events of the day, but as they say "life goes on" and it is up to each of us to think positive, be thankful for our blessings and do whatever we can to help those in need and make a difference in this world.
We hope you are happy with the new electronic and interactive format of the newsletter. Please send in any news or views that you would like published to the Editorial Board.
May Allah's blessings be with you and your family.
The Editorial Board consists of Fahmi Haniffa, Hamzi Muhammed and Parveen Muhammed.
USMAA Ladies’ Night 2009
The 5th USMAA Annual Ladies Night fundraising dinner "Red Carpet Fashions" was held with all the glitz and glamour of a red carpet event at the Glen Waverley Community Centre on Saturday, Feb 21st, 2009 from 7pm onwards. The event was held as a fundraiser for the victims of the recent Gaza massacre. Masha Allah the night raised a total of $6800 and this will be donated through a humanitarian aid organisation to the needy in Gaza.
The night was filled with fun, fashion, auctions, entertainment, prizes and surprises. Door tickets were priced at $27 each and attracted over 225 sisters from various communities in Melbourne. The evening was an opportunity for USMAA sisters and friends from other communities to "let down their hair" and have a relaxed and enjoyable time. It was also an opportunity for the young USMAA girls to display their talents in singing, dancing and public speaking.
The highlight of the evening was a fashion parade by Sister Saara Sabbagh titled "Revive". The show was a reflection of the different and modern ways in which the hijab can be worn in today's world and featured hijab in everyday wear, sportswear, bridal wear etc.
A special thank you goes out to the wonderful team effort of the organising committee for all the hard work undertaken. Sisters Nizra Haniffa , Ziada Tokhi , Rizana Zakariya, Sithy Marikar, Nazly Farouque, Dianne Mehrudeen, Parveen Muhammed, Shazrina Imtiaz and Hilma Marikar deserve special mention for the untiring work they did before and during the event. The event would not have fallen into place without their organisational and execution skills. Ayesha Zakariya and Hasna Tokhi, the youngest pair in the committee, are to be congratulated for the meticulous planning of every detail of the event. It was also an impressive performance from the two very talented MCs for the event, Shazma Ghafoor and Zaynab Zubair who had everyone entranced by their fun filled cheeriness and a spat of cheeky humour.
In the days following the event there were numerous phone calls from participants to our members, expressing their appreciation of the event with specific reference to the delicious food. The delicious biriyani meal and the dessert enjoyed by all highlighted the master culinary skills of Sister Faryal Khobair who selflessly and freely volunteered her services for a worthy cause. (If you require high quality catering for any of your functions the contact number for Sister Faryal is 9842 4025).
It must be mentioned here that in all this the USMAA Management Committee played a wonderful role from start to end in their unstinted support and assistance to the organising committee.
Last but not least Thank you to all those who supported the event by their presence and contributed to the event in cash, kind, time and effort.
Annual Qiraath Contest in conjunction with Meelad
The next event in the calendar is the annual Qiraath Contest for Children of USMAA members which will be held in conjunction with Meelad
Date
Saturday 14th of March 2009
Venue
Mulgrave Community Centre
355 Wellington Road, Mulgrave.
Time
6.15pm Onwards
Following information regarding the Qiraath Contest is provided by the organizing committee:
| This year the format of the contest will be as per the guidelines given below.
QIRAATH Contest
2. Children can choose any surah from the Holy Quran Donations towards prizes are most welcome. |
Please download the information guide from the USMAA website at the following link;
http://usmaa.org.au/MeeladQiraathContestApplicaiton.php (PDF file 41Kb)
Hope to see you all there Inshaallah.
Usmaa Sports Day - Janaaza Fund Raiser
It's sports time and the annual USMAA Sports day to raise funds for the Janaaza fund organized by the USMAA Janaaza sub-committee is coming up. All teams are requested to register on time. The rules and the application form is available at;
http://usmaa.org.au/SportsdayRulesForms.php (PDF file 46.5Kb).
All cricketers are advised to hone in their batting, bowling and fielding skills. The day will also include games and activities for the ladies and children, a car boot sale and a raffle. Lunch will be catered by Sister Faryal Khobair and is priced at $10 each.
| Date | Sunday 22 March 2009 |
| Venue | Templestowe Reserve (Mel ref 33 G4) Cnr Williamsons Rd Porter St. |
| Time | 9:30 am onwards. Cricket starts at 10.15 am |
| Lunch | Biriyani lunch catered by Sister Faryal Khobair, $10 each |
Teams should pre-register by submitting the application form with the payment of $30 to one of the following contacts or hand it in at the grounds when registration of teams takes place at 9:30 am.
Chota 0433 095 060
Nazeer 0421 898 438
Good luck to all the cricketers!
Janaaza Sub Committee News
Janaaza Service Account We are pleased to inform our members that the Janaaza Service Account has been opened at the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. The Account number is 06 3610 1047 5548. As announced in the previous newsletter, the Janaaza Sub Committee (JSC) has launched this experimental appeal for an annual donation of $30 from USMAA members targeting a collection of $5000 for this year. There are 2 costs related to a Janaaza. At the moment the USMAA Janaaza Account is used exclusively for the purchase of burial plots. This second account now opened will hold funds to pay for the service costs (eg: charges payable to the cemetery for preparation of the burial plot and payments to the mosque). You are kindly requested to either deposit your donation to this account or direct your donation to the Treasurer. Please participate voluntarily in this worthy cause. Please note that we hope to have a dedicated section on the website for the activities of the JSC in the near future. Please click on link below for the JSC annual report presented at the AGM in June 2008. http://usmaa.org.au/JSCReport08.php Biriyani Night - Western Suburbs The Sri Lankan Muslim brothers and sisters from the Western Suburbs organised a Biriyani Night at the Errington Community Centre in St Albans on Sunday 8 March 2009 to officially launch their Janaaza Scheme. The event was well attended by around 370 people. USMAA was represented by the President, the members of the Janaaza Sub Committee and some members. A detailed report of the event will be published in the next issue of the USMAA eNewsletter InshaAllah.
1. Cost of the burial plot
2. Service costs
Donations made by USMAA
Gaza appeal
The 5th USMAA Annual Ladies Night fundraising dinner held at the Glen Waverley Community Centre on Saturday, Feb 21st, 2009 for the victims of the recent Gaza massacre raised a total of $6800. This will be donated through a humanitarian aid organisation to the needy in Gaza.
Bushfire appeal
In the immediate aftermath of the devastating fires that swept through Victoria on "Black Saturday", killing more than 210 people and incinerating over 2,000 homes, USMAA made an appeal to all its members to contribute towards the RedCross Victorian Bushfire Appeal. A global email was sent out to all the members and a link to the RedCross appeal was placed on the USMAA home page www.usmaa.org.au. We thank everyone who made contributions. Anyone who wishes to make a contribution may click on the following link;
Khalid Bin Waleed Mosque, Albion
In the previous issue of the USMAA eNewsletter we informed you that Fahmi Haniffa had taken the initiative to pledge $1000 on behalf of the friends of USMAA at an event organized by a group responsible for the completion of the Khalid Bin Waleed Mosque, Albion, Sunshine. We invited members to contribute towards this worthy cause. We wish to thank everyone who made contributions and we are happy to inform that USMAA has raised the $1000 which will be handed over to the mosque officials shortly.
Central Tennekumbura Young Men's Muslim Association
A donation of Rs 7500 was made to the Central Tennekumbura Young Men's Muslim Association in response to their Ramadhan Zakath/Sadaqa appeal.
Sri Lanka Sumithrayo
A donation of Rs 7500 was made to Sri Lanka Sumithrayo, a government approved charity since 1986 to assist their scheme of helping students with emotional scars from difficult family backgrounds.
Eid-ul-Adha 2008 Prayers
Eid-ul-Adha 2008 Breakfast
Following Eid prayers USMAA members were invited to participate in the Eid celebratory breakfast at the Mulgrave Neighbourhood House, 36 - 42 Mackie Road Mulgrave. Members contributed dishes to the traditional Eid breakfast menu and the gathering was enjoyed by all. The Eid breakfast has now become a USMAA tradition and will Insha Allah be continued in the future years.
Eid-ul-Adha 2008 Dinner
The USMAA Eid-ul-Adha dinner was held on Saturday 13 Dec 2008 at 7:30 PM at the Mulgrave Community Centre, 355 Wellington Road, Mulgrave. The programme for the night was as follows :
Quran Recital:
Infaz Fauz
Welcome:
Fahme Abulhassen , Acting President USMAA
Guest Speaker:
Dr Nazeeruddin Mohammad. Topic: 'What is Birr?'. A summary of this presentation can be found at http://usmaa.org.au/whatisBirr.php
Vote of thanks:
Parveen Muhammed, Secretary USMAA
Dinner:
Caterer: Biriyani House, Kings Street, Melbourne
Believe, Achieve and Inspire - Leadership Program
The Australian Federation of Muslim Students and Youth [FAMSY] is a professional Muslim student and youth organisation that is committed to the education, training and development of future community leaders.
It is in this context that FAMSY has established a unique program that brings together a rich and diverse range of Islamic topics together with a rigorous academic program which will Insha'Allah create a platform for the development of leadership capabilities of tomorrow's leaders, today. Participants upon graduation from this 12 month, multi-streamed educational program will be awarded a Graduate Certificate in Management from Victoria University and ultimately become be graduates from the Believe, Achieve and Inspire 2009. If you believe you have the capability, determination and aspiration to inspire and lead, then this is the right time, the right program and the right opportunity to realise your aspirations.Down load the participation kit
Further information details: www.famsy.com
For further information please email: ubatchelor@famsy.com
Community Announcements
Nikahs
We are happy to inform you of the following Nikahs that took place recently.
Azra - Dilhaam , The Nikah of Fathima Azra (Daughter of Mr and Mrs Z. A. M. Sarooj) and Mohamed Dilhaam (Son of Mr and Mrs M. Z. M. Fazil) took place in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 23 December 2008
Saadiya - Adel , The Nikah of Saadiya Amanulla daughter of Fazl and Baanu Amanulla of Dubai and Adel Mohamed son of Deen and Fathaiya Mohamed of North Dandenong took place on 27 December 2009.
Umaara - Muhammed , The Nikah of Umaara (Daughter of Mr and Mrs Wazeer) and Muhammed Rushan (Son of Mr and Mrs T. M. F. Hassen) took place in Kandy, Sri Lanka on 4 January 2009
Shamara - Miqsan , The Nikah of Shamara Nazeer (Daughter of Mohamed & Ayesha Nazeer of Mount Waverley) and Miqsan Mohinudeen (Son of Haneef (Chota) & Sherina Mohinudeen of Bundoora) took place in Melbourne on 28 February 2009
We wish the couples Allah's blessings for a happy and long married life
"It is He who created you from a single soul, And made its mate of like nature in order that you might dwell with her in love...."(7:189)
Graduations
Mariam Tokhi , graduated with honours in MBBS from Monash University. Congratulations and all the very best to you Mariam.
Janaazas
INNA LILLAHI WA INAA ILLAIHI RAJIUN.
Umer Lebbe(74), dearly beloved father of Rinoza Vajuhudeen and Fajil, passed away peacefully in Sri Lanka - February 2009.
Saffriya Ismail , dearly beloved mother of Sherrin Hussain, grand mother of Aysha, Nazeem and Azmeena passed away peacefully in Sri Lanka - 20 February 2009.
Khalifah Ayub, dearly beloved wife of Ayub, loving mother of Sarah, Lina and Danish, sister of Jhariya, daughter of late Imam Sawang and Thaw of Thailand, passed away peacefully on 1st March 2009. Janaaza took place at Springvale cemetery at 3 PM in the presence of a large gathering of family and friends - 1 March 2009.
Mrs Haseeba (Quraisha) Maulana, of Batticaloa, dearly beloved older sister of Sister Naufera Salahudeen, and aunty of Sisters Sanya and Rifaya, passed away last evening in Colombo. Funeral will be held in Colombo at 11am, Wednesday - 11 March 2009.
May Almighty Allah grant them all Jannathul Firdhouse.
Community Achievements
Multicultural Awards for Excellence
The Brumby Government recognised more than 180 individuals and organisations for outstanding service to Victoria's multicultural and wider community at a special ceremony at Government House in December 2008. The event, hosted by Governor of Victoria David de Kretser, attracted more than 500 members of Victoria's multicultural community, with awards presented across eight categories.
USMAA is proud to inform you that 2 of our members received awards under the category 'Meritorious Service to the Community - Individuals'.
Mrs Sithy Marikar, for her outstanding voluntary contribution to the Sri Lankan community of Victoria.
Dr Mohamed Firdausy Mohideen, for his outstanding voluntary contribution to the Sri Lankan community of Melbourne.
Muslim Youth of the Year award 2008
Nazeem Hussain was nominated for and won the 2008 Youth of the Year award. Nazeem is currently pursuing a degree in Law at Deakin University. He is a Director of the Youth Wing of the ICV, a panellist in the TV show Salam Cafe and appears in the comedy show Fear of a Brown Plane. In a recent interview, Nazeem commented that 'humour is a great medium to say things that you can't otherwise say'. Very true. USMAA congratulates Nazeem on his achievements.
Prestigious E. V. Peiris Memorial Oration
Dr. Omar Farouque was invited by the Ceylon College of Physicians to deliver the prestigious E. V. Peiris Memorial Oration at the 41st Annual Academic Sessions of the college in Colombo from the 2nd to the 4th of October 2008. Omar gave two lectures on interventional cardiology, including the memorial oration, which was titled "Innovations in interventional cardiology - a 30-year odyssey". During his visit to Sri Lanka, Omar also spent time at the Karapitiya Teaching Hospital, in Galle, conducting a workshop on coronary stenting.
Dr. Omar Farouque is the director of cardiology at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, and an associate professor on the faculty of the Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne. He is also a member of the Australia Sri Lanka Medical Aid Team (AuSLMAT), who have made many trips to Sri Lanka to work with victims of the 2004 tsunami. USMAA is proud of Omar and his achievements and wish him all the very best for the future.
USMAA Web site
The USMAA website now has the prayer times for Melbourne updated daily on it's home page www.usmaa.org.au. We hope this is an incentive to visit the USMAA website more often and check for updates. If you have come across any interesting features that might be useful and add value to the community then please pass it along by emailing webmaster@usmaa.org.au
As you may have already noticed, some Community Announcements and Achievements appears in this issue of the USMAA eNewsletter. We would like this to be a place where the achievements of community members is applauded and a place where community information both happy and sad is shared.
We would appreciate it if you could kindly send in information that is relevant.
We would like information on the following:
Please email to newsletter@usmaa.org.au
The information you send might be edited to fit the space as needed.
Insha Allah we hope you will utilize this tool to its full potential.
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The two businesses who have advertised on our website are sponsoring the web hosting costs. They are both owned and operated by USMAA members and we hope you will take note of their messages and support them when possible.
Members can place advertisements in the USMAA eNewsletter and website. We charge a nominal fee which will go towards the cost of administration and hosting the website. Please email webmaster@usmaa.org.au for details.
Email: members@usmaa.org.au USMAA INC. P O Box 120, Forest Hill, Victoria 3131, Australia. ABN 16207175319 http://www.usmaa.org.au
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USMAA Newsletters are available at: http://usmaa.org.au/Newsletter.php