UAE Student . Info

The Centre for Muslim States and Societies would like to invite you to our annual sypmposium on Islam.  This year, the topic is Islam, Muslims and Australia.

Venue: Murdoch Lecture Theatre, Arts Building, University of Western Australia
Date: Friday, 6 October
Time: Registration at 3.30pm, symposium starts at 4pm
Cost: $30 waged, $15 unwaged (pensioners and students)

The choice of the topic for 2006 has been guided by the interest in Muslims living in Australia, the perceived danger of ‘home grown terrorism’, issues of citizenship and the debate on Australian values. The Centre has invited a group of national and international analysts to explore issues of Muslim identities in Australia, Governmental approaches to engage Muslim communities, and the relationship between Islam and secularism. We hope that their contribution would enlighten us and also provide deeper understanding of issues that can help us contribute to harmony among all Australians.

Speakers include:

· Imam Abdul Jalil Sajid
Muslim Council for Religious and Racial Harmony, UK

·  A/Prof. Michael Humphrey
Head of Sociology & Anthropology, University of New South Wales

· Ms Joumanah El-Matrah
Manager, Islamic Women’s Welfare Council of Victoria

· Prof. Amin Saikal
Director, Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, Australian National University

· Ms Anne Aly
Edith Cowan University

Registration (by 4 October) is advised for catering purposes and because there are limited seats in the venue.  Iftar (breaking of the fast) will take place during the symposium.

For more information, including programme, see http://www.cmss.uwa.edu.au/welcome/whats_new/islam_symposium_october_2006
or contact Wendy Chew at cmss@uwa.edu.au

The website for UAE Students in Australia is here. You can access it at:
http://www.uaestudents.com.au/

The forums are here:

http://www.uaestudents.com.au/vb/

If you still don’t have JumpTV and you are in Perth, please join them, it is worth the money  

Ramadhan TV guide for watching Jump TV (http://www.jumptv.com). The channels include:

Schedule and Local Time:

• Dubai TV: http://www.dubaitv.ae
  UAE Time: Now

Shows include: 

Emirates News: 5am Perth time

Fereej: 520:am Perth time

Schedule and Local Time:

• Al Rai: http://www.alrai.tv/week1.htm 
  Kuwait time: Now

Shows include: 

Shababik: 4:pm, 11pm, 4:30am Perth time (Comedy)

Sadouh: 4:30pm, 11:30pm, 5am Perth Time (Comedy)

Schedule and Local Time:

• Sama Dubai TV: http://www.samadubai.ae
  UAE Time: Now

Shows include: 

7aggek 3alaina (Candid Camera) 3pm (repeat), 10:15pm, 5:30am Perth time

Fereej: 3:30pm(repeat), 10:30pm, 5:45am Perth time

Dubai Quran Award: 1am, 9am (repeat) Perth time

Schedule and Local Time:

• Dubai Sports: http://www.dubaisports.ae/Schedule.asp
  UAE Time: Now

UAE Students in Perth are holding the first BBQ event for Ramadan at Floreat Beach.  It will take place on the night of the 24th of September.

For more information please contact us at “BBQ at marwan.com”

UPDATE (12PM ON SEPTEMBER 24TH): The Islamic Council in WA, Rivervale (Tel:9362 2210) has announced that Monday 25th is the first of Ramadhan. However, the moon sighting doesn’t prove yet the crescent of Ramadan.

UPDATE (10:30pm ON SEPTEMBER 23RD): Crescent has NOT been sighted anywhere in Australia. Therefore, fasting will begin on Monday 25th (If you follow actual sightings of “Hilal”. Source:
http://alghazzali.org/events/update

If you follow calculations rather than actual sightings, then according to Perth Mosque and the Turkish Mosque, Ramadan for Perth this year will begin on Sunday Sept 24. Please check with your local mosque or organisation to see if it follows calculations or sightings. You can contact Perth Mosque here for updates on the situation. You can also check the moon sighting site here.

If you want more information about calculations vs. sightings please visit this link: Islam Online.net

If you need more general information on Ramadan in English please go here.

The information posted here is provided by my own “Ijtihad” and search effort on the Internet and by calling friends here in Perth. I am NOT a religious authority. So, please refer to your mosque’s imam or your religious organisation.

Also, view the following video on the issue of moon sightings vs calculations:
http://moonsighting.com/

Also, follow the link below to see “World Sighting Reports for Ramadan 1427″:
http://moonsighting.com/1427rmd.html

Notice that Australia is NOT on the list yet… and that there is a blank list for 25th of September! (at the time of this posting).

UPDATE(11:30PM On September 23rd): Australia starts Ramadan 25th of September according to moonsighting.com

FYI: According to some of my friends here in Perth, they say that 25th can not be the first of Ramadan because Sha’aban will then be 31 days long which is not possible. I didn’t get any proof from them on that though.

For Bin Othaimeen’s general Fatwa audio file go here:
http://www.binothaimeen.com/sound/snd/a0180/a0180-16.rm

May Allah Accept your fasting and effort.

You can in Perth!  White sand desert looks spectacular in pictures and on video.  You can hire bikes in Lancelin which is around one and a half hours drive from Perth. You have to call ahead of time to book (preferably a day or two ahead of time). The phone number to call is:  0417 919 550.

For more information, visit their site: 
http://www.dirtbikehire.com.au/

Other things you can do in Lancelin include sand boarding and riding the “Desert Storm Bus”. Booking at least a day before is advisable:
http://www.desertstorm.com.au/

Yup, Perth does have Miniature Golf! They don’t always call it mini golf, but it is Mini Golf

Here are some places where you can play mini golf and do other things as well:

Wanneroo Botanical Gardens, Home to Botanic Golf and Leap Frogs Cafe
Here they have mini golf, botanic golf and even billiard golf! The also have a garden and a nice Cafe

Link:
http://www.botanicgolf.com.au/

Hillary’s Boat Harbour
Here you can do much more than just mini golf! They have an aquarium, a water park with slides for the kids, restaurants, cafes, shopping outlets, a chocolate cow shop, and much more! The shops and restaurants are open till late (I think around 9pm). You can eat made to order food and walk on the jetty based boardwalk and visit the shops on the water.

Link:
http://www.sorrentoquayboardwalk.com.au

Now that the weather is nice and warm, you can enjoy Perth’s outdoors. The following are some of the things you might want to try:

Horse back riding in Yanchep:
http://www.stablesyanchep.com.au/

A picnic at one of Perth’s many parks and gardens:
http://www.about-australia.com/travel-guides/western-australia/perth/attractions/park-garden/

Support your country or play for the United Arab Emirates team at the ECU Cup of Nations on October 7th on the Joodalup campus of Edith Cowan University. The games start at 9:00AM. You don’t have to be an ECU student to join! There are four groups of five teams.  Each team represents a nation. United Arab Emirates will be represented by UAE Team.
The captain of the team is Marwan Al-Zarouni.  If you, or anyone you know would like play for the UAE team, please contact us using the form below.  The tournament lasts for only one day and all games are between 10-15 minutes long. This is a 7×7 tournament with two substitutes.

Click on the link below to join or to get ore information about the event:
http://www.uaeteam.com/cup/

Graduating soon? Then Join The Middle East and Gulf Australian Alumni Network (MEGAA). MEGAA is made up of extremely high calibre nationals and expatriates who have graduated from an Australian education institution and are now living, working or residing in the Middle East. MEGAA Network operates under the auspice of the Australian Government through Australian Education International (AEI).

Links:
The official site: http://www.megaanetwork.com/

Make sure that you also visit their blog at: http://www.megaablog.com

For general information about studying in Australia please visit:
http://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/