October 2009	Volume 20	Issue 1
Message from the President Dear Brothers and Sisters Assalamu Alaikum. Eid Mubarak. It's an immense pleasure to write to you for the first time, on behalf of the newly elected Committee. Alhamthulliah, we are very opportune to have such a devoted committee and members and Insha Allah may Allah (SWT) gives us the strength, unity and the wealth to accomplish our visions. As usual USMAA members had the opportunity to get together FOR two iftar gatherings. The functions were well organized and I congratulate and thank the two dynamic groups that organised them. The holy night of liluthul Qatar again was a successful gathering which was organized and coordinated by the committee and energetic volunteers, and we hope that our members have gained the optimum use of it. Eid prayer was organized and USMAA members had a good time by meeting each other on the festive day followed by the Eid breakfast. Thanks to our sisters who put their efforts to organize the breakfast within a short time frame. It's really encouraging to see the cooperation shown by our members. Alhamdulillah. The Eid Dinner was a memorable evening for all our guests and members. Thanks all our guests, members and volunteers for their wonderful efforts to make this event a success. USMAA has organized many events for the future. The next event will be the "Sri Lankan Hopper & Roti Night" which has been initiated by our young generation aiming to raise funds for the National Cancer Foundation. I sincerely hope, Insha Allah, this will be a successful fund raising event. Our youngsters, Committee members and volunteers are spending their efforts to make this and future events a success. Today USMAA has over 400 members and the Association is proud of its achievements. The organisation plays a vital role in that it not only caters to those who have migrated from Sri Lanka but also to those who are first and second generation born here. The Management Committee always believes that the success of any organisation is, in its active members and we always look forward to your support and cooperation at all our functions and programmes. We encourage our members to use our web site for the latest updates and information of future events. Tell us, what do you expect from USMAA and how USMAA can help you more? We welcome your new ideas and views. We hope that with your support USMAA can achieve more milestones. I would like to thank my committee, for all their effort, support and interest shown in achieving the objectives of USMAA. Until we meet again through Minaret Wassalam and Take care Fahme Abulhasan USMAA President
Editorial Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakathahu! We have just completed fasting during the holy month of Ramadan. Ramadan has come and gone. Will Ramadan return? Ramadan is the month in which the Holy Quran was first revealed. During the month of Ramadan we have been ordained to fast, to remember Allah swt. to do our Salah, recite the Quran, abstain from evil, do good to others, to constantly seek forgiveness from Allah, give Zakat (and experience the joy of giving) and to celebrate the ending of the fast on the day of Eid ul fitr. On Eid day we congregate together to humble ourselves in the presence of Allah and participate in Eid prayers and to give salaams to our fellow brothers and sisters and enjoy the day with family and friends. As done in the past years, USMAA organised two ifthaars, 27th Night prayers, Eid breakfast and ended with the Eid ul Fitr Dinner. The functions and events were well organised, supported and attended by members and friends of USMAA. As we all know, most USMAA functions are organised and conducted by a number of volunteer family groups. That is the simple formula that we have followed over the years. The success of the functions and events depends not only in the proper organisation of the event but more importantly on the support and participation of all our members and friends. Occasionally, misunderstandings could occur which should be immediately identified and rectified. We should strive for excellence. Period. We must also pause to look at the devastating events unfolding in south east Asia. The recent earthquakes, tsunami and torrential rains have affected Samoa, Indonesia, Philippines and Vietnam. Many people have died and thousands left injured and homeless by the natural disasters. USMAA members and friends are urged to respond kindly to those who have been affected and contribute generously to appeals by fund raising agencies listed elsewhere in this Newsletter. Allah will reward you for your kindness with abundance. I hope you enjoy the contents of the first Newsletter for the current financial year. Your suggestions for improvement is most welcome. May Allah shower his blessings on you and your family. Editor: Fahmi Haniffa.
2009 USMAA ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The 2009 Annual General Meeting was held on Saturday the 13th of June at the Mulgrave Community Centre, 355, Wellington road, Mulgrave. Proceedings began at 6.30 p.m. The highlight was the election of the 2009/2010 management committee listed below; President: Brother. Fahme Abul Hasan Vice President: Brother. Deen Mohamed Treasurer: Brother. Nizar Haniffa Assistant Treasurer: Sister. Ziada Tokhi Secretary: Brother. Mohamed Firdausy Mohideen Assistant Secretary: Sister. Sithy Marikar Editor: Brother. Fahmi Haniffa Committee Members: Sister. Nizra Haniffa Sister. Farah Dole Brother. Mohamed Muhuseen Brother. Zabeed bin Hamid The 2008-2009 Secretary's report can be viewed at http://www.usmaa.org.au/SecretarysReport2008-2009.php (click for 74Kb PDF file) The meeting was followed by Dinner.
USMAA SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING & FELLOWSHIP DINNER A Special General Meeting of the Association was held on Saturday 15 August 2009 at 6.45pm at the Mulgrave Community Centre. The Agenda included : Presentation and Adoption of the financial accounts for the year 2008/2009 Discussion on resolutions passed at the AGM held on 13 June 2009 with regard to the extending of the USMAA Janaza Scheme to include the Western Suburb Janaza Scheme. Election of two members from the Western suburbs and one member from the Eastern Suburbs for the period 2009 - 2012 due to the resignation of Bros Mohamed Najeeb, Areeb Hameed and Mohamed Ilyas from the Janaza Sub Committee. Since the accounts, which was one of the items on the agenda, had not been finalized it was decided to reconvene the SGM on Friday 9 October 2009. The accounts were to be presented to the house on the reconvened date. For the first time in the history of USMAA an SGM was reconvened on 9 October 2009 and the Financials for the year ending June 2009 was presented and accepted as correct. The House was informed that the members of the Western suburb Janaza scheme had decided to operate independently and that Brothers Areeb and Najeeb had resigned from the Janaza Committee. Thus the two salient resolutions to increase the membership of the Janaza Committee and merge the Western Suburb Scheme as part of the USMAA Janaza Scheme passed at the AGM in June 2009 were rescinded. The Janaza committee will continue to have only three members. Brother Imtiaz Mohamed was elected, to the vacancy on the Janaza Committee due to the resignation of Brother Najeeb.
RAMADHAN 2009 - FIRST IFTAAR The first Ifthaar was held on 5 September 2009 at the Mulgrave Community Centre. As usual the Ifthaar attracted a large crowd of USMAA members and friends. Maghrib, Isha and Taraweeh prayers were conducted at the venue. Brother Faadhil Fahmi delivered a short Bayan and the prayers were conducted by Hafiz Ahsan Ghazzal. The Ifthaar was coordinated by Brother Hussein Nizar and Sister Azeeka Hussein and their supporting cast.		See more pictures at http://usmaa.org.au
RAMADHAN 2009 - SECOND IFTAAR The second Ifthaar was held on Saturday 12 September 2009 at the Mulgrave community Centre. The second Ifthaar also attracted a large crowd of USMAA members and friends. Maghrib, Isha and Taraweeh prayers were conducted at the venue. Prayers were conducted by Brother Sheik Abu Omar (Monash University). The Ifthaar was organized by Sister Nizra Haniffa and her team.		See more pictures at http://usmaa.org.au
RAMADHAN 2009 - LAILATHUL QADR 27th Night payers were organized by USMAA at the Community hall located at George St in Doncaster on Wednesday 16 September 2009.
The programme for the evening was : Isha Prayer Tharaweeh Prayers Bayaan - Significance of the Night of Power by: Hafiz Anas Dikr Thasbeeh Bayaan by: Brother Bilal Assad Kiyamul Layl Prayers Witr & Lailath ul Qadr Dua The prayers were conducted by Brother Ahsan and Brother Bilal Asad.		See more pictures at http://usmaa.org.au
It was noted that the number of participants decreased compared to last year. There was no Suhr since the two brothers who normally coordinate Suhur have indicated that they are not able to do so in the future. If any member or group wishes to coordinate the 27th night prayers and Suhur in the future kindly contact the Editor or any member of the committee. Hope we can get this properly organized Insha Allah.
EID UL FITR FESIVAL AND PRAYERS Eid ul Fitr was celebrated on Sunday 20 September 2009. Festival prayers were conducted at the Monash University Sports complex. Thakbeer commenced at 8am and Eid prayers were conducted at 8.30am. Sheik Abu Omar (designated Imam of the Monash University Mosque and PhD student) delivered a rousing Kutbah.
It turned out to be a bright and beautiful day attracting around 4000 Muslim brothers, sisters and children from all over Melbourne for Eid prayers. It was good to see a large cross section of Muslims congregating at one venue for Eid prayers and to spend some time together. Food and drinks were served after the prayers in the BBQ area. Zakat and Fitra collection Zakat and Fitra monies were collected by USMAA and was sent to the Kandy Malay Association.		See more pictures at http://usmaa.org.au
EID UL FITR FESIVAL BREAKFAST The USMAA Eid Breakfast was organised at short notice and was held after Eid prayers at a hall situated at 1- 3, Dowling Road Springvale North. The breakfast was well attended. Due to catering reasons the organisers had adopted a different format which has attracted some negative feedback as well.
All details relating USMAA functions and events will be fully disclosed in our website (www.usmaa.org.au) in the future, insha allah. A global announcement email will also be sent to all members and friends in the USMAA mailing list. Members and friends are kindly requested, when possible, to follow any special requests, if and when made, so that the work of the committee and volunteer groups are made easy.		See more pictures at http://usmaa.org.au
USMAA EID-UL-FITR DINNER 2009 The annual USMAAl Eid-Ul-Fitr celebration dinner was held on Saturday 3rd October 2009 at the Mulgrave Community Centre. The special invitees to the function were, Ramzi Elsayed - President of ICV, Charlotte Baines - Deputy Mayor Monash City Council, Bandu Dissanayake - Sri Lanka Consul General. Brother Fahme Abul Hasan the President of USMAA delivered the welcome address. A clown made sure that the children were kept entertained. The function was well attended by USMAA members and friends. Sister Safira and Brother Mahroof provided a scrumptious dinner.		See more pictures at http://usmaa.org.au
UPCOMING MAJOR USMAA EVENTS Sri Lankan Hopper and Roti Night : Breast Cancer Foundation fundraising dinner Date  Saturday, 7th November 2009 Venue  Mulgrave Community Centre Time 7.30 pm Tickets All tickets have been sold. The organizers thank everyone for their support. If you still wish to donate to the cause, organizers can issue receipts from the BCF which is tax deductible. Tickets were sold at $20.00 per Adult and $10.00 per child below 12 yrs Contact  Hilma Marikkar - 0403 261411  Ritzvi Mohideen - 0430 507863 Eid Ul Adha dinner 2009 Scheduled for 5th December 2009 at the Mulgrave Community Centre at 7.30pm Insha Allah. Details will be announced closer to the date.
Other news
Daar Aasya Muslim Children Foster Care Program Approximately two Muslim children are going into foster care each week in Victoria, and due to the lack of Muslim foster carers, most, if not all of these children are being placed in non-Muslim homes. Daar Aasya aims to: Raise awareness of foster care and it's implications on the community Recruit Muslims to be foster carers Educate non-Muslim agencies on the needs of Muslim children in foster care. You can help and more by registering on their website and also encouraging your friends and family to do the same. Please visit www.daaraasya.org.au for further information
Appeals Charities are urging Australians to donate generously to help those affected by the tsunamis in Samoa and Tonga, the earthquake in Indonesia and the typhoon which tore through parts of the Philippines, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. Where to donate: Organization Web address Phone Human Appeal International www.humanappeal.org.au 1300 760 155 Red Cross www.redcross.org.au 1800 811 700 CARE Australia www.careaustralia.org.au 1800 020 046 Save the children Australia        www.savethechildren.org.au 1800 760 011 CARITAS  www.caritas.org.au 1800 024 413 WORLD VISION www.worldvision.com.au 1300 303 440 OXFAM  www.oxfam.org.au 1800 088 110
Islamic Legacy seminar - The Crusades Through Muslim Eyes This Multimedia lecture was held on 25 and 26 September 2009 at the Copland Theatre, Melbourne University. It attracted a large crowd and the presentations were well received. For further information visit http://www.islamiclegacy.org
safety rules change on 9 November 2009 Summary of road safety rules that will change are as follows. Mobile phones and visual display units - Using a mobile phone to make or receive a phone call while driving is prohibited except if the phone ...more... Child restraints - All children under seven years of age must wear a child restraint or booster seat when travelling in a car for improved safety. The type of restraint will depend on the age of the child ...more... U-Turns and overtaking - A driver will not be able to overtake, or do a U-turn across a single continuous centre line, or a single continuous line to the left of a broken lines ...more... Seatbelts - It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure that all passengers in the car are wearing a seatbelt or a child restraint ...more... Motorcyclists - There are three new rules for motorcyclists ...more... Cyclists - The changes are about the helmet and using the proper seat for bicycle passengers, and for cyclists turning from, and stopping in, bicycle boxes at intersections with traffic signals ...more... Wheeled recreational devices - Scooters, skateboards and roller blades are called Wheeled Recreational Devices in the road rules ...more... Drivers - Whilst all of the new road rules affect drivers, these rules are additional new road safety rules particularly for drivers ...more... Driving with trams - When sharing the road with trams, a driver must stop before passing the rear of a stopped tram at a tram stop. Once the tram doors are closed and pedestrians have crossed between the tram and kerb, a driver may then proceed at no more than 10 km/h past the tram ...more... Parking - Stopping to park in a slip lane or on a painted island will be prohibited ...more... More information on these changes can be found at the vicroads roadrules website at http://roadrules.vicroads.vic.gov.au/
Community Announcements
Graduations
We are happy to inform you of the following graduations. Nazeem Hussain is graduating this year with a Science/Law Degree from Deakin University. Azmeena Hussain is graduating this year with an Arts/Law Degree from Deakin University. Congratulations and all the very best. Surah Al-Baqarah, ayah 269 reveals: "Allah grants wisdom to whom He pleases and to whom wisdom is granted indeed he receives an overflowing benefit."
Janaaza
INNA LILLAHI WA INAA ILLAIHI RAJIUN. Haleema Buhary, wife of the late Al Haj M. K. M. Buhary of Mawanella, beloved mother of brother Nisthar Buhary, mother in law of Sister Rizni passed away in Sri Lanka on Saturday 11 July 2009. Janaza took place in Mawanella on Sunday 12 July 2009. A recital of prayers took place at a family gathering at brother Nisthar Buhary's residence in Berwick on Sunday, 12 July 2009. M. I. Bin Ismail, father of Sister Shirin Fahmi and Father-in-law of Brother Fahmi Haniffa passed away today Friday, 21 August 2009 in Sri Lanka. Janaza will take place on the same day at 4:30PM in Colombo. A recital of prayers took place at Brother Fahmi Haniffa's residence in Wheelers Hill on Saturday, 22 August 2009. May Almighty Allah grant them Jannathul Firdhouse.
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 appear 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 like to encourage all members to send the following information to share with the community. VCE achievements for 2009 - Date, Name, School, Parents names, Suburb Graduations 2009 - Date, Name, Course, Uni, Parents names, Suburb Weddings and Nikahs that have taken place recently - Date, Names of the couple, Parents Names and Suburbs. Deaths in the community - Date, Name, Suburb, Family details Births in the community - Date, Name, Parents names and Suburb Please email to newsletter@usmaa.org.au The information you send may be edited to fit the space as needed. Insha Allah we hope you will utilize this tool to its full potential.
Advertisements The businesses who have advertised on our website are sponsoring the web hosting costs. They are all 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 If you wish to be removed from the mailing list, click here and send us a blank email
The editorial board of USMAA will not be responsible for the views expressed in this newsletter. USMAA Newsletters are available at: http://usmaa.org.au/Newsletter.php