Friday, January 27, 2012

Friday Night Live: (Arabic) Interview with Hanan Turk

Hanan Turk is a famous Egyptian actress. Or so I'm told. I don't much Egyptian movies now adays.
A couple of years ago she donned the hijab and started spending more time getting involved in charities and Islamic Projects. She's in Sydney to raise funds for Islamic Relief's new Sydney Office.

Having met her though, I was surprised by how gracious and down to earth she was.

Hanan Turk, with representatives from Islamic Relief, and Dr Ibrahim Abu Mohammad, the current service Mufti of Australia. 
Apologies to those who don't speak English, unfortunately Hanan's English is not at a conversational level.
We hope you enjoy it.




Or you can download the podcast here


Wednesday, January 25, 2012

د.حمزة عماد الدين موسى : كلنا شركاء Dr Hamza Musa: We are all partners in this

Dr Hamza is an Egyptian activist currently residing in Egypt. He has seen first hand the protests in Cairo, the uprisings in Libya (when he went as a doctor to help with the humanitarian crises) and Syria. He writes here about the current Syrian situation.



I've taken the liberty of translating this article, at least just to give a voice to those who put their lives in danger to get the truth out. 

Original link  (arabic text at the end)

Dr Hamza Musa: We are all partners in this

The past few weeks have been quite eventful in Syrian, even though AlJazeera and most other media outlets did not cover them.

The Arab League, who could do nothing BUT take the wrong side in this dirty game with the sadistic racist butcher who is eradicating the Syrian people. This is all taking place in front of the whole world so casually.
This “League” has never worked for any benefit for the Arab nations or peoples. On the contrary it was established as a facade in the hands of the Arab dictators and their minions and executioners. And we can see they are still going strong.   
The Arab League envoy is not in Syria to document or authenticate any crimes against humanity, clear as they may be. They are not there to cease any crimes or to help any victims, or even to reveal the truth about these crimes.
The most important goal for this most sick and twisted envoy to that most wicked League is to provide enough breathing space to the Assad regime to remain in brutal bloody power for as long as possible.
This sick sadistic objective that is wholly incriminating the pathetic league, washing it with the blood of innocents, massacred by the mad sadistic killers of Assad’s Shabiha Army. This puppet league willingly playing a part in this farcical political theater.  This envoy is made of pathetic diplomats condemned by their respective governments into this political quicksand, away from any positions of consequence. The truth is the Arab League is a political wasteland for every diplomat who has fallen out of grace with his regime, or who has passed his political use by date.
Since it inception, the Arab League has never had any tangible influence into any political issue or incident in any Arab country. It’s almost as if it was created just for the sake of being there, as obfuscation for the meetings of the dictators of the Arab world to discuss how they can further oppress their peoples.
It has never intervened in any massacre or crime of humanity perpetrated by any of the Sadistic Arab regimes. It was always on the verge of a decision or a consensus, never really reaching any decision, almost as if waiting for a green light from an unknown party. In most cases the green light was to bury the dead like a helpless mother burying her son under the cover of darkness.
This league is now playing a filthy part in this facade. Rather that reveal the truth of what is happening inside Syrian. They only agreed on the corroborating the claims of the murderous regime, to give a final pathetically deceitful authority to this diminishing and dying regime.

The Syrian opposition outside of Syria celebrated with great pomp and ceremony the arrival of this envoy to Syria. As if it had a hand in sending in into Syria. This opposition spent great media effort to push this envoy and attack any who dared question its legitimacy.

At one point, Syria’s defected Free Syrian Army recorded and published a successful operation against the regime (before the arrival of the envoy). Some of the opposition outside Syria deemed it a “Regime inspired stunt to undermine the Arab League Envoy”. Maybe thinking this envoy will be the bringer of victory and justice to the victims and the peoples of Syria.  
The Syrian nation is still undergoing the current routine of massacres, tortures and a non stop orgy of violence of demented sadistic madman. However this brave enduring peoples never ceased in calling for their rights with pride and dignity. Never hesitating –when able- to shed the dead skin of this decaying regime. To retrieve from those pirates the spoils of their decades of robbery and death.
The Free Syria Army, though ignored by Aljazeera and other foreign media channels, surprised the world and forced the media to notice them when the heroic ex-observer Anwar Malek (who defected from Arab League Envoy) declared that the Free Syrian Army took control of parts of Homs and Baba Amr. This declaration was the first credible testimony from an unbiased source to one of the most important achievements for the Free Syrian Army, who by the way are still not recognized by the Syrian Opposition. All in the midst of this ridiculous blacklisting by the world media.

I am filled with frustration and woe whenever I remember an acquaintance telling me that “the protests are peaceful and they shall remain peaceful, there is no place for this Free Army, it will only undermine the peacefulness of the protests” and I am reminded by Einstein’s quote “Foolishness has no limits”

The men who defected to join the Free Syrian Army are the real heroes. They refused to take orders and turned on their generals in a move that instantly made them, their families, children, women and possessions a target for those criminals who refused to defect.

The Free Syrian Army has taken it as its duty to stand up and fight in defence of the (peaceful) protestors. They –with their knowledge of war – realised that this regime is trying to repeat what happened in Hamah, so they decided this time to fight with the people.

The peaceful protest came to an end when those brave men came to defend what remained of the protestors after so much bloodshed, torture and rape. Those are the real Syrian heroes.
We salute their bravery, their dignity and their victories. They are the real revolution that will inevitably take down this brutal regime. 



د.حمزة عماد الدين موسى : كلنا شركاء

أسابيع مرت حفلت بالأحداث و لكنها خصت سوريا بما لم ينشر فى الجزيرة و لا يتجاوز مجموعات النشر التابعة للإعلام الثوري المنطلق من أقبية الخارج .

الجامعة العربية :

و التى أبت إلا أن تلعب دورا قذرا , فى صف جزار سادي  طائفي يقوم بإبادة الشعب السورى , فى مجازر يشاهدها العالم بشئ من الروتين . هذه الجامعة لم تكن يوما للعرب و لا لخدمة أهدافهم القومية , و إنما بنيت و تكونت و ظلت مجرد أداة مسرحية فى أيدى طغاة العرب و لصوصهم و جزاريهم و ها هى ذى لا تزال تتابع دورها القذر .

وفد الجامعة العربية ( العبرية ) فى سوريا لا يهدف إلى توثيق الجرائم او رصد حقيقة ما يحدث و هو واضح للعيان , و لا يهدف أيضا إلا منع هذه الجرائم , او مواساة الضحايا , أو إعلان حقيقية ما يجرى هناك , و إنما جل ما يرميه هذا الوفد المأفون و هذه الجامعة المريضة التى لم تجلب إلا الخزى للعرب هو إمداد النظام الأسدى الطائفى المريض ببعض الهواء لإطالة فترة حياتة الدموية المريضة .

هذه الهدف السادى المريض الذى اصر إلا أن يختم نهاية هذه الجامعة البائسة بالإنغماس فى دماء أبرياء قتلهم الساديون المرضى من كتائب نظام الأسد , لا يتحرك إلا كالدمى الخشبية التى لا تأبى إلا ان تكون كومبارسا فى مسرحية هزلية بلا دور حقيقة او قيمة فعلية حقيقية على الارض , فرجالتها و دبلوماسييها بلا كرامة , و هم ممن حرقت أنظمتهم أوراقهم و أبت إلا ان ترميهم فى مستنقع سياسى كمنفى بعيدا عن مناصب حقيقية , فالجامعة العربية منفى لكل سياسى مغضوب عليه أو إنتهت فترة إستنزافه من قبل نظامه .

 

الجامعة العربية لم تتدخل يوما بشكل حقيقى و فعال منذ إنشائها حتى الآن فى أى قضية حقيقية حدثت فى أى من الدول العربية, و لكنها كأنما و جدت كصورة فجة لتبرر إجتماعات الطغاة معا ليتندروا كيف يقهرون شعوبهم المكبوتة الساكنة الصامتة .

لم تتدخل فى مذابح حدثت للعرب على ايدى أنظمة مختلة سادية مريضة , لم تتدخل بقرارات حقيقية فعلية كأنما تنتظر الآوامر من طرف ( خفى ) لتتحرك لتؤدى دورها المأفون المريض .

هذه الجامعة الآن تلعب دورا نجسا قذرا , فبدلا من ان تعلن حقيقية ما يحدث فى الداخل , أبت الا أن تتوافق مع روايات النظام المريض , وتقوم بإثراء نوع هزيل من الشرعية على نظام مريض متهاوى .

المعارضة السورية بالخارج :

و التى عدت فى بداية أيام البعثة المريضة للجامعة المريضة , أيام إحتفال و بهجة كأنما فرضت على هذا النظام هذه البعثه و إنجرت إلى مهاترات إعلامية لدعم هذه البعثة , ما لبثت أن تبدأ بعد كل ما يحدث مؤامرة على مهمة البعثة المريضة , حتى إحدى عمليات الجيش السورى الحر التى نفذها و صورها وأعلن فيديوهات مصورة لها قبل البعثة , عدها بعض المرضى فى الخارج ( مناورة من النظام لتدمير بعثة الجامعة العربية ) , كأن هذه البعثة هى ما سيحرر سوريا و يرد الكرامة و العرض و الشرف و يرجع الحق المغتصب و يثأر لدماء الشهداء !!!

الشعب السوري :

يمر بالروتين المعهود المعتاد مذابح متواصلة بنصال و أسلحة مستمرة بالقتل لا تتوقف فى روتين فج قمئ يديره ملعون سادى مجنون مريض , و لكن هذا الشعب الصامد الثابت فى الداخل لم يتوقف بعد عن المطالبة بحقه فى الحرية و الكرامة , و لن يتردد لحظه عن الخلاص من هذا النظام البائد المريض السادى , و إسترجاع ما سرقه هؤلاء القراصنة القتلة بأثر رجعى طوال هذه السنوات ,

الجيش السورى الحر :

المهمل إعلاميا بعملياته و تصريحاته من قبل الجزيرة و الاعلام الخارجى لفترة طويلة , فاجأ العالم بوجوده الحقيقى عندما إعترف به المراقب البطل المنشق ( أنور مالك ) بسيطرته على أجزاء من حمص و بابا عمرو و هذا الإعتراف كان الخروج الحقيقى الأول من طرف محايد لإحدى أهم إنجازات الجيش السورى الحر العسكرية و التى لم تعترف بها المعارضة السورية بنفسها بأى منها حتى الآن و سط تجاهل سخيف من أجهزة إعلام مريضه مخترقه .

الجيش السورى الحر , هو المدافع الحقيقى و الشرعى و الوحيد عن الشعب السورى بجميع وحداته و كتائبه و رجالة المنشقين و المتطوعين . لا المعارضة المستعرضه إعلاميا بالخارج .

يحضرنى الذهن و تؤلمنى الذاكره عندما ذكر أحد اطراف المعارضة السورية ممن أعرفهم شخصيا أن " الثورة سلمية و ستظل سلمية و لا مكان للجنود المنشقين بها فهم سيدمرون سلمية الثورة " . و لكن كما قال آنيشتين ( ليس للسذاجة حدود ) .

رجال الجيش السورى الحر من العسكريين المنشقين هم أبطال , رفضوا تنفيذ الآوامر و انقلبوا على الجيش فى بادرة جعلت أهليهم و قراهم و أسرهم و نسائهم و أبنائهم هدفا للقتلة ممن يرفضون الإنشقاق , أخذوا على عاتقهم النهوض و الحرب و القتال دفاعا عن المدنين و المتظاهرين ( السلميين ) ! فهم ببصيرتهم العسكرية أدركوا أن هذا النظام يكرر حماة كل يوم فى حرب بقاء مع الشعب . فقرروا القتال لصالح الشعب .

الثورة السلمية إنتهت عندما حضر هؤلاء الرجال ليحافظوا على ما لم يسفكه النظام بعد من دماء الأحرار و ما لم ينتهكه بعد من أعراض العفيفات . فهؤلاء هم أبطال سوريا الحقيقيون .

و هنيئا لهم رجولتهم و شرفهم و إنتصاراتهم فهم الثورة الحقيقية التى ستسقط هذا النظام الدموي . و حسبنا الله و نعم الوكيل فى كل من لم يقدر ما قدموه و ما قاموا به و ما أنجزوه !



Monday, January 23, 2012

Friday Night Live: Keysar Trad, Muslims and the Media

This episode is part of my Muslims and the Media series, where I explore the relationship between representation of Muslims in the media, and the actors and REactors who contribute positively or negatively towards it.

My guest this episode is Keysar Trad, Ex President of the Lebanese Muslims Association. Current President of the Islamic Friendship Association, writer, translator, and very hard working member of the Muslim Community in Australia. We had a frank, open discussion about the Media, the Muslim Community and related global issues.

I would have to say this was one of my most enjoyable interviews. Keysar is well versed man who strong opinions and a drive to do the right thing. I know you're going to enjoy it as well.




Or download the podcast here 

Friday, January 13, 2012

Friday Night Live- 13 Jan 2012: JMA and Zachariah Mattews

Just Media Advocacy is a Sydney based organization that aims to monitor the media and hold it accountable to its own standards. We talk about Muslims and the Media, and racism, and xenophobia, and islamophia.

We talk to brother Zachariah Matthews about this initiative, and about Muslims and way they're covered in the media.

With cohost Sarwa Abdul Raheem



You can download the podcast here

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Fatawa English session. Sunday 8th January 2012

Remember to post your questions for the next session inshallah.




Download the podcast here 

Friday, January 06, 2012

Friday Night Live: The first show in 2011 !

We welcome our new cohost Sarwa AbdulRaheem. Interview Aclaimed Photographer Peter Wanny from Queensland (and Egypt). AND sit down to chat with Brother Ustath Nuruddeen Lemu.

Enjoy !




Or download the podcast here

Wednesday, January 04, 2012

Teaser: Interview with Nuruddeen Lemu: The Boko Haram

EDIT: You can now listen to the whole interview HERE

When I first met Nuruddeen Lemu, I didn't know who he was. It was just the two of us so there was no one to tell me, and all he said was "assalamu alaikum, my name is Nuruddeen. Hal anta masry ?".

So that was his humility.

So the first half an hour of talking to him was quite surreal because there I was with a man who seemed to explode with brilliant insights and opinions, backed up by a wealth of Islamic and general knowledge, yet you could feel he carries the knowledge with respect and appreciation. He is not condescending with it, even though I know for a fact he could have taken me to town on a number of issues.

And that was his knowledge.

The half hour I spent interviewing him was a pleasure, and it made me kick myself for not having known him earlier.


This is just the bit about the Boko Haram. When I asked him about this issue I wasn't expecting him to have such indepth knowledge about it, though I should have remembered the old saying "أهل مكة أعلم بشعابها "

The full interview will be on out Friday Night Live show. Broadcasting live from QKradio this Friday 6th January at 8pm. Podcast available after.


Download the podcast here