Surah Al-Mu’minūn

Then We placed him as a sperm-

Some of the undergraduates that Nasya has taught
subjugated, constantly pregnant,
and always working in the kitchen.
If money were not an issue, I would
first make my family comfortable
before I establish a fund to help
kids go to school, or something
equally vomit-inducing-ly noble.
I was impressed by a talk that I
attended at the 2009 Parliament of
drop in a firm lodging. Then We
made the sperm-drop into a
clinging clot, and We made the
clot into a lump [of flesh], and
We made [from] the lump, bones,
and We covered the bones with
Some people have a flesh; then We developed him
into another creation. So blessed
preconceived notion is Allah, the best of creators.
(Qur’an 23:13-14)
about how much
Muslims hate non- Source: www.quran.com

the World’s Religions in Melbourne. Muslims and want to kill

The speaker was a lecturer from
Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and a
all infidels – I do not see
finance expert. She called for a the point of reasoning
with these people.
change in the administration of
zakat. Traditionally strictly about
helping alleviate poverty, she
Dinner with friends
said zakat should also be more
widely seen as a form of ‘capacity
building’ like microfinance,
long-term development
assistance, or scholarships.

I juggle two jobs and depending

With her hubby in matching batik outfits
Thirty-three year old Nasya Bahfen is
a lecturer at the School of Media and
Communication, Royal Melbourne
Institute of Technology. She is
also a radio journalist at ABC
Radio Australia, and a committee
member of the Islamic Women’s
Welfare Council of Victoria.
I was born into an Arab-Indonesian
family in Jakarta. I am part
Egyptian, part Javanese, part
Betawi (indigenous Jakartan) and
part Hadrami (Southeast Asian of
Yemeni descent). My family moved
to Melbourne when I was two.
Inner city Melbourne is
multicultural and metropolitan,
so there have been no challenges
from non-Muslims. In rural areas or
the suburbs where there are not
many Muslims, there are stares and
nasty comments on rare occasions.
Being a Muslim in a non-Muslim
city has taught me to re-evaluate
what is important to me, as well
as to have discipline and patience.
Examples are sticking to a halal
diet, or finding appropriate
clothes. Knowing that I can
practise my religion here gives
me a sense of satisfaction and
it is [also] a source of strength.
At its most basic, Islam is like
a compass that gives me an
identity, a sense of community,
and a level of spiritual comfort.
However, I do not always agree
with what my community
does, or the way it thinks.
Some people have a preconceived
notion about how much Muslims
hate non-Muslims and want to kill
all infidels – I do not see the point
of reasoning with these people.
However, if a non-Muslim has a
genuine interest in Islam, I will try
to find common values taught
by Islam that they might also
believe in, like social justice and
helping the oppressed. I also like
dismantling people’s stereotypes
about Muslim women being
on the radio shifts, my weekdays
can start from 4.30am to 7pm
or from 9am to 10.30pm. My
husband understands as he is
also a journalist who works long
hours – during the Aussie Rules
football season in winter, he has
to work half days on Sundays
too. We spend time together at
weekends and on Friday nights, I
swim with my mother and sister
at a women’s only centre.
I unwind by reading, although
most of the books I am reading
now are academic ones. I did
read the Kite Runner and Nelson
Mandela’s autobiography, Long
Walk to Freedom. For a long
time, at the end of my e-mail
signature, I had a quote taken
from my favourite hip hop artist
Chuck D’s song, He Got Game:
‘Don’t let a win get to your head
or a loss get to your heart’.
I love Melbourne but they don’t
understand real football. By
that, I mean ‘soccer’. They play
Aussie Rules football here, its
birthplace. Aussie Rules is a very
Australian sport and a religion
in itself [cheeky grin]. Also, the
native possums freak me out,
believe it or not. They’re evil! We
are not allowed to kill them as
most Melbourne local authorities
have banned the harming of
possums. Not that I want to kill any
animal, but they really scare me.
I am too old for hopes and dreams.
Back in the deepest recesses of
my addled brain I am sure there
is a novel, but I doubt it will ever
see the light of day. Since I was
five, I have wanted to visit the
Great Mosque of Xi’an, China.
Maybe I will do so after I have
performed the Hajj pilgrimage
to Mecca. Insha’allah.!
Fajr means dawn in Arabic
The seerah is a collection of
narrations, or a study, on Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him)
as well as the people and events
surrounding his life. It includes
information on events that preceded
his birth; his interactions and
dealings with his family, society,
and his companions during his
life; and also the events that
occurred shortly after his death.

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