Miracle 514 -March 13, 2020

Volume 20 Issue 514- Rajab 18, 1441H, March 13, 2020

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Muslim Food Bank and community

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4 Israeli court rejects

14 Analysis: There is a

construction sector to

15 New Westminster City Councillor

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3 Govt to facilitate

Pakistan’s Field Hockey former Captain

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Netanyahu’s

Why Scholars Disagree?

perfect storm

20 Prime Minister out-

Conservatives ask House ethics committee to study

lines Canada’s

US starts troop pullout, seeks end to Afghan leaders’ feud

Afghanistan: Ghani signs decree to release 1,500 Taliban fighters

Canada releases coronavirus guidelines on when to cancel major events

The United States began withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, the US military said on Tuesday, taking a step forward on its peace deal with the Taliban while also praising Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s promise to start releasing Taliban prisoners after he had delayed for over a week. The US-Taliban deal signed on February 29 was touted as Washington’s effort to end 18 years of war in Afghanistan. The next crucial step was to be intra-Afghan talks in which all factions including the Taliban would negotiate a road map for their country’s future.

But Ghani and his main political rival, Abdullah Abdullah, were each sworn in as

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has signed a decree to release 1,500 Taliban prisoners as a move to launch direct talks with the armed group to end the 18-year war in Afghanistan.

According to a copy of the two-page decree seen by Reuters news agency late on Tuesday night, all released Taliban prisoners will have to provide “a written guarantee to not return to the battlefield” “President Ghani has signed the decree that would facilitate the release of the Taliban prisoners in accordance with an accepted framework for the start of negotiations between the Taliban and the Afghan government,” Ghani’s spokesman Sediq Sediqqi posted on Twitter. The decree, to be made public later by Ghani’s office, lays out details about how the Taliban prisoners will be released in a systematic manner to further peace deals.

The process of releasing the prisoners will begin in four days, the decree said.

The release of prisoners is part of a deal signed by the United States and the Taliban last month that would allow US forces and NATO troops to withdraw from Afghanistan to end more than 18 years of war. Earlier on Tuesday, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said in a tweet that his group had handed a list of 5,000 prisoners to the US and was waiting for all to

The Public Health Agency of Canada has posted guidelines aimed at helping event planners figure out whether to cancel mass gatherings of people as the federal government works to quell the potential spread of the novel coronavirus.

The next best thing to stopping the virus completely is to slow it down, public health officials have said, and try to delay widespread community transmission as long as possible to ease the burden on the healthcare system.

In the United States, where COVID-19 has sickened more than 800 people and killed at least 30, sports teams are playing without

To be continued at page 4

To be continued at page 4

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Rajab 18, 1441H March 13, 2020

THE coronavirus threat has persuaded the Saudi authorities to halt umrah for foreign pilgrims, suspend travel arrangements with several countries including several neighbours, shut down schools and universities, and to lock down the Qatif region, home to much of the nation’s Shia population. Fur­ther­more, the price of oil has suddenly dipped by 30 per cent, and Saudi Arabia is at the centre of a price war, with plans to ramp up production after Russia refused to cut back.

One would have thought all these measures and their implications might have sufficed to concentrate minds in Riyadh. But no, the kingdom’s crown prince and de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), took time out to incarcerate some of his closest relatives, including his father’s only surviving full brother, Ahmed bin Abdul Aziz, as well as his predecessor as heir apparent, Mohammed bin Nayef.

Inevitably, the move sparked speculation that it was a possible precursor to MBS’s formal accession to the throne. The Saudi authorities responded by releasing pictures of King Salman bin Abdul Aziz attending to his royal duties, alongside the information that the potentate had personally signed the arrest warrants.

The 84-year-old king is said to be keen on sticking around at least until the G20 summit, scheduled to be held in Riyadh in Novem-

op i n i o n

Royal family feud ber.

Reports suggest that although no charges have thus far been laid, the imprisoned princes have been accused of treason. That’s serious, given that so many ostensibly milder crimes entail the death penalty in Saudi Arabia.

There have been rumours that MBS acted to pre-empt a palace coup.

There have been rumours MBS acted to pre-empt a palace coup.

On the other hand, it could be just an intimidatory tactic aimed at reminding all and sundry within the sprawling House of Saud that the crown prince will brook no dissent. Following the unspeakably ruthless evisceration of the journalist and onetime royal family insider Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, there were suggestions that the king would clip his favourite son’s wings. If there was any such attempt, it has clearly failed — and MBS remains determined to ensure that his supremacy is uncontested.

Family feuds are nothing new in the House of Saud, of course.

Almost 60 years ago, an­­ other reformist-minded prince successfully manoeuvred to oust his elder half-brother. King Faisal’s concessions to modernity in­­clu­ ded the advent of television in the kingdom, which was vocif-

erously opposed by some family members. One of the king’s nephews, Khalid bin Musaid, was shot dead by police during an attack on a television station in 1966.

Nine years later, Khalid’s brother Faisal bin Musaid assassinated his enthroned namesake during a palace majlis. The assassin was publicly beheaded shortly thereafter.

Two years after that, one of the king’s brothers sanctioned the public execution of his 19-yearold granddaughter, Princess Mishaal, for adultery. The sordid tale was turned into a television docudrama, Death of a Princess, which sparked a controversy as not just the Saudi authorities but Western governments and oil conglomerates sought to bury it. The Saudis expelled the UK ambassador after failing to obtain the cancellation of its British broadcast.

Four decades later, the Saudis seem to have rather more clout.

The Dissident, a documentary about Khashoggi, received a standing ovation at the Sundance film festival in the US, and was hailed by critics, with a reviewer describing it as “an eye-opening thriller brew of corruption, cover-up and real-world courage”.

Director Bryan Fogel expressed the hope that “in my dream of dreams, distributors will stand up to Saudi Arabia”. So far, no TV or streaming network has shown much interest.

Meanwhile, in a new biography, Ben Hubbard, The New York Times’ Beirut bureau chief, places MBS in a global context. “As more of the world’s wealth was concentrated in fewer hands,” he writes, “populist authoritarians used nationalist rhetoric to rally their people while shutting down outlets for opposition …

MBS saw no need for checks on his power and crushed all threats to it.”

Underlining the prince’s zeal for untrammelled power, Hubbard claims that at one point MBS even locked away his mother and two sisters in a palace in order to silence them. By that standard, uncles and cousins are easy prey — although there can be little doubt that they are detained in relative luxury, unlike women’s rights activists such as Loujain alHathoul, who has faced torture for advocating some of the goals that MBS himself purportedly supports, let alone the members of civil society secretly tried by the Specialised Criminal Court and sentenced, according to Amnesty International, to long terms in prison or execution.

Pop concerts and fake wrestling matches may be a novelty for the kingdom, but it won’t ever truly be liberated until the House of Saud crumbles. On the bright side, the crown prince’s potential for precipitating such an outcome should not be underestimated.

Courtesy by: Mahir Ali

Wa a n l a y s a l i l i n s a n i i l l a m a ’ s a ’ a a T h a t m a n c a n h a v e n o t h i n g b u t w h a t h e s t r i v e s f o r.

“Muhammad “ Name Labels at Urine bottle for Lab test

By Muhammad Siddiqui Last month, my Doctor sent me to the Laboratory for a urine test. The receptionist gave me a bottle on which my name “Muhammad Siddiqui” was written.

I explained to her that I cannot urinate in a bottle on which my Prophet’s name is written, as it is a religious issue. She considered my request and gave me another bottle with my name abbreviated as: M. Siddiqui, which is better as it does not spell out “Muhammad”.

This may also happen with other muslim friends who are sent for a urination test and whose names

contain “Muhammad”, “Allah” or any other Prophets’ names.

Apart from religion, everyone has some respect for his/her name and probably do not appreciate urinating in a bottle that is labeled with their name. In Canada, every person has a care card number that can be used instead of the individual’s name to label the bottle.

A lot of the people may not realize the importance of this, but I would like to raise awareness to the Muslim community. Hopefully, this can lead to a change in the way urine test bottles are labeled and prevent us from having

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Rajab 18, 1441H March 13, 2020

PAKISTAN

Govt to facilitate construction sector to provide affordable housing, says PM Imran

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said that the government will facilitate the construction sector in order to provide the people of Pakistan with affordable housing.

The premier expressed these views at a ceremony in Islamabad, after laying the foundation stone of seven housing projects aimed at building 20,000 housing units at a cost of Rs100 billion, according to Radio Pakistan.

According to the report, six of the projects pertain to the Federal Government Employees Housing Authority while one other will be executed by the Pakistan Housing Authority Foundation.

Speaking during today’s ceremony, the prime minister stated that whenever there is a project that is “off the trodden path”, it is always viewed with scepticism. ”But this will only get easier as we move forward. The government never had money to make 5 million homes, they were always going

to be built by the private sector. The government was always going to facilitate this. Today marks the start of this journey,” he said. He pointed out that in a large part of the world, houses are financed by banks, adding that financing in Pakistan stood at 0.2 per cent.

Imran expressed that he was aware the country’s interest rate was very high.“It was necessary for us to keep our monetary policy, our interest rates high due to the state of our economy. But, the data shows that inflation has gone down, which will also drag down interest rates, ultimately making it easier for citizens to take loans in order to finance the construction of their homes.”

Elaborating on the way forward, Imran stated that the government is working on removing obstacles in the way of the construction sector so that they are able to provide affordable housing to people.“The Naya Pakistan Housing Authority will not only provide housing to federal employees but will also, at the same time, strengthen the various industries associated with it, thereby creating employment authorities for the youth.” The premier also criticised the horizontal development of cities, saying that there needs to be a new master plan for the country’s cities. “Cities, even villages, are spreading [expanding horizontally]. This is having an impact on pollution levels and is also affecting food security.”“There needs to be vertical expansion of our cities,” he said, adding that the government has made this process easier by removing certain restrictions in place.

Dollar continues climb against rupee, edges up to Rs158.6 in interbank

The United States dollar continued its gains against the rupee on Wednesday in the intraday trade as it rose by a further Rs0.8 to reach Rs158.6 by 4:26pm in the interbank market.In percentage terms, this showed an increase of 0.51 per cent over Rs157.8 at the day’s beginning.

After staying steady for around six months, the greenback began rising on Monday and posted a sharp jump of Rs3.65 (or 2.36pc) to reach Rs157.9 by the day’s end.

The open market also noticed an upward movement as the dollar rose by Re1 to Rs158 during intraday trade today.

Much of this change can be attributed to foreigners unloading their positions in the equity and debt markets.

“International investors have been selling their stakes in the stock exchange, which has created demand for dollars.

The T-bills, which attracted hot money inflows, are also set to mature in less than a week,” said former general secretary of Exchange Companies of Pakistan, Zafar Paracha.

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National Assembly passes Zainab Alert Bill with majority vote The National Assembly on Wednesday passed the Zainab Alert, Response and Recovery Bill, 2019 with a majority vote, days after the Senate had also given its approval to legislation that seeks to expedite investigation and punishment for perpetrators of child abuse. Having received approval from both Houses of Parliament, the bill now requires the president’s assent before becoming law. The bill — named after nine-yearold Zainab Ansari, who was murdered after being raped in Kasur in 2018 — was first

tabled by Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari in June last year after multiple cases of horrific crimes against children emerged, mainly from Kasur.The incident had sparked outrage in the country and raised questions over the security of children and responsibilities of concerned authorities to prevent increasing incidents of child abuse in Pakistan. The bill, which was first passed by the National Assembly in January this year, was approved by the Upper House last week with some amendments that included

that the party’s performance in the parliament had disappointed the people. He went on to warn that if the party did not stick to Nawaz’s stance, it would lose the support of the masses. Shah criticised that only leaders from Punjab were included in PML-N’s decision-making. He demanded that the party should give representation to leaders from provinces other than Punjab in its decisionmaking process “even if it is only symbolic”.

PML-N leader Javed Latif also spoke during the meeting and said that the party leadership should consult more members before making decisions. He insisted that the party should take practical steps as “targets cannot be achieved by talking”. He urged the party leadership to “move forward and prepare the party for protest”.

Latif also predicted that the party will have to face tough criticism as it had “made a mistake which would be realised in times to come”. He did not specify the “mistake” he was referring to.

expanding the ambit of the bill, which was earlier limited to Islamabad only, to the entire country. Today, the amended bill was tabled in the Lower House by Mazari, and was passed by an overwhelming majority through a voice vote. However, Jamaate-Islami’s Mualana Abdul Akbar Chitrali opposed the bill claiming that members were not provided sufficient time to submit amendments. This prompted Mazari to say his party had made no contribution towards the passage of the bill. Source: dawn.com

PML-N demands Shehbaz Sharif’s return from London

The PML-N leadership on Tuesday demanded the return of party president and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif from London, where he has been since November 2019.

The demand was made by Mohsin Shahnawaz Ranjha during a meeting of PML-N’s parliamentary party and was backed by the leadership. Shehbaz had left for London last year, along with PML-N supremo and his older brother Nawaz Sharif, who was seeking medical treatment.

In the meeting today, Senator Pir Sabir Shah complained that the party had “suffered damage by putting behind the stance of the supremo (Nawaz Sharif)”.

He said that PML-N should have “taken advantage of PTI’s poor performance”, adding

PML-N condemns govt policies

In a press release regarding the issues discussed during the meeting, PML-N criticised the government policies, saying that the alarming loss at the Pakistan Stock Exchange in one day was a first in history and “sounded an alarm for economic disaster”.

The party also condemned the attack on Nawaz’s physician Dr Adnan Khan and hoped that London police will provide justice. The party agreed that Nawaz should stay in London until he gets better.

The press statement, however, made no mention of the leadership’s demand that Shehbaz should return to Pakistan.

Source: dawn.com

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Rajab 18, 1441H March 13, 2020

Nat i o n a l

&

I n t

US starts troop pullout, seeks end Israeli court rejects Netanyahu’s to Afghan leaders’ feud request to delay trial

Continued from page 1 ers can “come to an agreement on an inclusive and broadly accepted government. We will continue to assist.” US military spokesman in Afghanistan Sonny Leggett said in a statement on Tuesday that the military had begun its “conditions-based reduction of forces to 8,600 over 135 days.”

Currently, the US has about 13,000 soldiers in Afghanistan — 8,000 of whom are involved in training and advising Afghanistan’s National Security Forces, while about 5,000 are involved in anti-terror operations and militarily supporting the Afghan army when they are requested.

Ghani had been dragging his feet on releasing some 5,000 Taliban prisoners, something agreed to in the US-Taliban deal.

Ghani promised Monday to announce a decree to free the prisoners, after the US and a number of foreign dignitaries appeared to back his claim to the presidency by sending their representatives to his inauguration.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo released a statement Monday saying, “We also welcome President Ghani’s announcement that he will issue a decree March 10 on Taliban prisoner release.”

Taliban officials said late Monday that a flurry of biometric identifications were being conducted on Taliban prisoners, hinting at a mass release, according to prisoners currently in lockup. The Taliban officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren’t authorised to talk to the media.

Pompeo also said he “strongly opposed” the establishment of a parallel government in Kabul, despite the early signs of one emerging. Abdullah had quickly sent his vicepresidents to occupy the official offices on Monday, ahead of Ghani’s plan to send his vice presidents to their offices Tuesday.

Pompeo warned against “any use of force to resolve political differences.” Both candidates — but particularly Abdullah — are backed by warlords with heavily armed militias, underscoring fears they could use force to back their candidate.

The US has said its partial troop withdrawal over an 18-month period provided for in the deal will be linked to the Taliban keeping their promises to help fight terror in Afghanistan, but not to the success of talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government. On the weekend, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahed said the insurgent group was committed to their agreement with the United States and called on Washington to do its part to make sure their prisoners were freed.

The militant Islamic State claimed responsibility for a rocket attack that took place during Ghani’s inauguration ceremony. IS also claimed a brutal attack last week on a gathering of minority Shiites that killed 32 and injured scores more. The US in reaching its deal with the Taliban said they expected the Taliban, which has been battling Afghanistan’s IS affiliate, to further aid in the effort to defeat IS. Source: dawn.com

A court in Israel on Tuesday rejected Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s request to delay the start of his corruption trial, ruling it would begin as planned next week.

Lawyers for Netanyahu - the first Israeli prime minister to be indicted while in office - had told the Jerusalem district court they had not received all the prosecution’s case material and asked for a 45day delay.

State prosecutors responded that they oppose any delays, and the court accepted their position. In overruling the request, the presiding judge wrote that the first session on March 17 was a reading only and the defendant’s response was not needed. Therefore, there was no justification for a delay.

Netanyahu has been charged with fraud, breach of trust, and accepting bribes in connection with a series of scandals that include accepting expensive gifts from wealthy friends and offering to exchange favours with powerful media moguls.

The long-ruling Israeli leader denies any wrongdoing and says he is the victim of a media-orchestrated witch-hunt. His legal troubles stood at the centre of last week’s third inconclusive Israeli election in less than a year.

Netanyahu’s opponent, Benny Gantz, refused to sit with him in government and

appears poised to push for legislation in the incoming parliament that would bar anyone indicted of a crime being able to lead a government.

The anti-Netanyahu forces in the incoming parliament command a 62-58 majority, but are deeply divided among themselves.

Israel’s longest-serving leader is desperate to remain in office, because installing a new government would give him an important political boost and potentially allow him to legislate his way out of the legal quagmire.

Amit Haddad, one of Netanyahu’s lawyers, had said he would seek a delay in the start of the trial.

The request was “technical” and meant to give the defence time to review investigative materials that it still had not received, he said.

Source: Al-Jazeera

Palestinians slam Israeli road plan that would cut off West Bank

Afghanistan: Ghani signs decree to release 1,500 Taliban fighters

Continued from page 1

be released.

Also on Tuesday, a senior Taliban leader in Doha, the group’s political headquarters, said vehicles had been sent to an area near Bagram Prison, north of the capital Kabul, to collect the freed fighters.

“After our conversation with Zalmay Khalilzad (US special envoy for Afghanistan) on Monday, in which he conveyed to us the release of our 5,000 prisoners, we sent vehicles to pick them up,” he told Reuters.

The Taliban had demanded the release of the prisoners as a confidence-building measure to pave the way for the opening of direct talks with the government.

Ghani, who previously refused to honour a prisoner swap deal between the US and the Taliban, later said he was not averse to releasing Taliban prisoners to move the peace process forward.

In addition to the tensions between Ghani

and the Taliban, an escalating political feud between Ghani and his former chief executive Abdullah Abdullah has deepened political chaos in the country.

Ghani was sworn in for a second term on Monday, but the ceremony was marred by a rocket attack. Abdullah, who has refused to accept the election results released last month or recognise Ghani as president, also held his own inauguration ceremony on the same day.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, the UN Security Council unanimously approved a US resolution on the deal between the US and the Taliban, a rare endorsement of an agreement with an armed group.

The US military has begun withdrawing troops as part of the pullout agreed upon in the February 29 pact.

Source: Al-Jazeera

Palestinian leaders have slammed the Israeli defence ministry’s approval of planning for a road that would separate Palestinians and Israeli commuters east of Jerusalem, a highly controversial move meant to help advance an illegal settlement plan in the strategically sensitive E1 region.

Israeli Caretaker Defence Minister Naftali Bennett said on Monday the “sovereignty road” would allow Israel to continue building in the highly controversial area between Jerusalem and a settlement bloc directly to the east of the disputed city.

The new road would allow Palestinian vehicles to pass through the illegal settlement of Ma’ale Adumim along a wall, as if through a tunnel, connecting Palestinian villages south and north of Jerusalem.

In a statement later on Monday, the Palestinian foreign ministry condemned the move, saying the planned road will isolate Palestinian towns in the Jerusalem vicinity as Israel advances its construction of the E1 settlement project.

“This would close the door once and for all to the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital,” it said.

The ministry called on the international community, including the UN Security Council and the European Union, to immediately take action to stop Israeli violations against the Palestinian territories.

“This move delivers a severe blow to all international efforts aimed at launching a

peace process and serious negotiations leading to the implementation of the two-state solution,” the statement said.

The Israeli anti-settlement monitoring group Peace Now also denounced the plan’s approval.

“The planned road would allow Israel to cut the West Bank in half, build up E1 and the West Bank barrier, and shut down the possibility of developing a viable Palestinian state.”

Israel’s plan to expand the Ma’ale Adumim settlement had been frozen since 2012 under international criticism, before it was revived

by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu two weeks ago.

A week before Israel’s third election in less than a year, Netanyahu pledged to build 3,500 new illegal settler homes in the E1 region of the occupied West Bank.

Palestinians say it would split the West Bank in two and cut its residents off from access to occupied East Jerusalem, also territory Israel captured in the 1967 War and later annexed in a move never recognised by the international community.

Palestinian leaders see East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state.

Some 600,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank and Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem among about 2.9 million Palestinians.

Source: Al-Jazeera

5

Rajab 18, 1441H March 13, 2020

f a i th The superiority of taking a bath on Friday.

And is it necessary for boys and womens to attend the Friday (prayer)? Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar: Allah’s Apostle (p.b.u.h) said, Anyone of you attending the Friday (prayers) should take a bath. Sahih Al Bukhari 1: Chapter 12, Hadith 877

A

Agree to Disagree ----- Why Scholars Disagree (1)?

By: Shaykh Ibn Uthaymin S ALL MUSLIMS know, through their understanding of the Quran and the Sunnah, the dîn of Allah is the religion of Truth. Implicitly, this proposition entails that the Prophet has left us a complete, comprehensive explanation of the religion; thus, no further explanation is required, once this is accepted.

Fiqh In the Time of the Prophet

The existence of true guidance and religion obviates any falsehood, and the explanation must be comprehensive. When disagreements occurred at the time of the Prophet , people would submit their affairs to him to settle disputes and to judge among them. He would explain to them what they were differing in. It was usually at such times that new âyât (verses) of the Quran were revealed. We read, for example: They ask you what is lawful for them. Say: Lawful unto you are al-ayyibât (the pure, good things). [Sûrat Al-Mâ’idah, 5:4] And they ask you what they ought to spend.

Say: al-afwa (that which is beyond your needs). [Sûrat Al- Baqarah, 2:219] They ask you about al–anfâl (the spoils of war). Say: al–anfâl are for Allah and the Messenger. [Sûrat Al-Anfâl, 8:1] They ask you about the new moons. Say: They are signs to mark fixed periods of time for mankind and for the pilgrimage. [Sûrat Al-Baqarah, 2:189] They ask you concerning fighting in the sacred months. Say: Fighting therein is a great transgression. [Sûrat Al-Baqarah, 2:217]

Trusting Our Scholars to Make Proper Rulings of Fiqh

However, after the death of the Prophet some differences surfaced among the Muslims on the rules of the fiqh. These differences in fiqh rulings were not in the funda­ mentals or the sources of the dîn (Religion).

However, they have caused Muslim unity to suffer, particularly at times when knowledge of the dîn has not taken its natur­al course in directing the affairs of the Ummah. And because such differences are not expected to disappear, it becomes necessary for us to learn about them and know how to deal with them.

Knowing why scholars have disagreed on certain matters of fiqh is essential to developing an appreciation of the nature of our dîn and the complex job of scholars. Such a step will lead to developing a strong trust between Muslims and their scholars, something without which the Ummah cannot achieve success.

The purpose of this arti­cle is to introduce to the reader the subject of disagree­ment among scholars in regard to their opinions, to explain some of the reasons behind such differences and to advise Muslims what they can do in regard to these disagreements so as to best please Allah, and to lead an Islamic life.

The Human Endeavor to Discern Allah’s Law

Scholars may make mistakes in arriving at rulings based on Allah’s Guidance. These mistakes may occur because no human being is perfect. In the Quran, Allah states: And man was created weak [Sûrat Al-Nisâ’i, 4:28]. Accordingly, mistakes may occur in some matters as a result of either some imperfection in one’s knowledge or in one’s perception of reality: 1:The evidence had not yet reached a certain scholar, or, it had reached the scholar but he

was not comfortable with it.

2: The evidence never reached the scholar.

Imam Bukhâri related that Umar traveled once to Syria. On his way he was told that there was an epidemic in Syria—the plague.

He paused and consulted with his companions. They were split into two opinions. Those who opined that the expedition should not enter Syria prevailed. During this consultation and debate, Abd Al-Ramân ibn Awf came and said: “I have some knowledge in this matter. I heard the Prophet say: ‘If you hear of it (meaning the plague) in a place, don’t go there. But if it breaks out in a place where you happen to be, do not leave such a place (running away from it).”’ Such a ruling was not known, even by the greater Companions, until Abd Al-Ramân ibn Awf informed them of it.

A second example of evidence not yet being received, is as follows. Both Alî ibn Abî-âlib and Abdullâh ibn Abbâs used to believe that a pregnant woman should wait—after the death of her hus­band—the longer of the two periods, either four months and ten days, or the time until her delivery. If the woman gave birth before the end of four months and ten days, she should still wait until that time period was completed; if she waited the four months and ten days and still had not delivered, then she should continue wait­ing until she gave birth: And for those who are pregnant, their prescribed wait­ing period is until they deliver [Sûrat Alalâq, 65:4]. In another verse: And those of you who die and leave wives behind them, [their wives] shall wait for four months and ten days [before they can remarry] [Sûrat Al-Baqarah, 2:234].

In these two verses there are both specific and general considerations. To take the two rulings together, Alî and Ibn Abbâs both believed in what has been mentioned. However, it was narrated in an authentic adîth that Subaiah Al-Aslamiyyah had nifâs (post-partum bleeding) a few nights after the death of her husband; still, the Prophet permitted her to get married. This indicated that one should follow the verse from Sûrat Al-Țalâq, 65:4. Had this adîth reached Alî or Ibn Abbâs, they would undoubtedly have accepted it and changed their opinions.

Collecting and Weighing Evidence

dwelling). This was because her husband had separated from her and pronounced divorce for the third (and final) time. Any woman who was completely separated from her hus­band was not entitled to support or sukna from her husband unless she had been preg­nant [at the time of the final divorce]: And if they are pregnant, then spend on them till they deliver [Sûrat Alalâq, 65:6].

Umar, with all his knowledge and superi­ ority, did not know of that incident, so he thought that a woman in this situation had a right to support and sukna. He didn’t take Fatimah’s word, fearing that she had forgotten what had occurred. He said: “Should we give up the word of our Lord for the word of a woman whom we don’t know whether she remembered or for­got?” This indicates that Umar was not comfortable with the evidence provided.

Such situations happened to Umar and other Companions. It also happened to others who followed them, and it can hap­ pen today; and, most likely, similar situations will continue to occur until the Day of Judgment. There may be some scholars who will always be uncomfortable with the soundness of the evidence provided. This is seen a lot in the opinions of schol­ars concerning certain aadîth. Some see a adîth as sound and accept it, while others consider it unsound and do not accept it, because they cannot trust one of the transmitters.

The adîth has been received but forgotten by the scholar.

A scholar may forget a adîth or even a verse of the Quran The Prophet led the Prayer one day and omitted a verse because he had forgotten it. After alah he turned to Ubay ibn Kab and said, “Why didn’t you remind me of it?”Notice that this happened to a man on whom the way (Revelation) was sent down.

Allah also said: We shall make you to recite so you shall not forget except what Allah may will. He knows what is apparent and what is hidden [Sûrat Al-Arâf, 7:6-7].

Another example is the story ofUmar ibn

Al-Khaâb and Ammâr bn Yâsir, when the Prophet sent them on a mis­sion. They both became junub (the state of sexual defilement that requires full bathing, ghusl). Ammâr exercised ijtihâd (to formulate an independent ruling) that purification with sand is equivalent to purification with water, so he rolled in the sand as animals do, such that the sand rubbed all over his body as the water would have done. Then he prayed.

Umar, on the contrary, didn’t pray.They later brought the issue before the Prophet and he directed them to that which is right. He said to Ammâr: It was sufficient for you to do this with your hands. The Prophet struck the ground with both hands one time and then wiped his left hand with the right, [then] wiped his forearms and his face. Ammâr used to narrate this adîth afterwards.

During his reign as Caliph,Umar called Ammâr and asked him about the adîth he was telling people. Ammâr replied: “Don’t you remember when the Prophet sent us on a mission and we both became junub?

You didn’t pray, but I rolled on the ground [in the sand and then prayed]. The Prophet said: ‘It was suffi­cient for you to do so and so.”’ Umar did­n’t remember the story and said to Ammâr, “Fear Allah.” Ammâr then said: “If you don’t want me to recite this adîth, I will not, since I have to obey you, as Allah commanded.” Umar then said: “I will leave it to you” (meaning go ahead and tell the people the adîth).Umar had forgotten that the Prophet had made tayammum the means of purification (in the absence of water) for both alah and janâba.The Companion Abdullâh ibn Masûd, who adopted Umar’s opinion, had a debate with another Companion, Abû Mûsa Al-‘Ashari, about this matter. Abû Mûsa mentioned Ammâr’s comment to Umar. Ibn Masûd said: “Don’t you see that Umar was not satisfied with what Ammâr had said?” Abû Mûsa then replied: “Forget what Ammâr said. What do you say about the verse in Sûrat Al-Mâ’idah, 5:6?” Ibn Masûd kept silent.

Indeed, the truth is what the majority of scholars say, which is that the junub may make tayammum just as may the person who needs to pray.

So one may forget and may not know the legal ruling. One may then make an excusable mistake in delivering his ruling, but there is no excuse for those who know the evidence and don’t adopt it. Source: aljumuah.com/

Prayer Schedule in Greater Vancouver Mar 13 -27, 2020 Rajab 18- Shaban 2 1441H

Dhuhr Dhuhr Asar Shafi Asar Maghrib Isha The evidence was received, but the scholar Isl. Dt. Day Date Fajar Sunr Zawal was not comfortable with it.

18 Fri It could be that the evidence reached the scholar, but that he did not trust the transmit­ 19 Sat ter (of the hadîth), or that he found that the 20 Sun narration contradicted another narra­ tion 21 Mon from a more trustworthy transmitter. In 22 Tue such a situation it is understandable that the 23 Wed scholar would go with the hadîth from the 24 Thus more trustworthy trans­mitter. The following is an example from the time of the Compan- 25 Fri 26 Sat ions regarding this specific situation: When Fâimah bint Qays was divorced for 27 Sun the third time from her husband, she re- 28 Mon ceived some barley as support (nafaqa) dur- 29 Tue ing her idda (prescribed waiting period for 30 Wed divorce). She was dis­pleased with it, how*1 Thus ever, and refused to take it. She went to the 2 Fri Prophet and he told her that she was not entitled even to support or sukna (cost of For such Prayers are enjoined on believers at stated times: Quran ,n 4:103 Source: BCMA

6

Rajab 18, 1441H March 13, 2020

Nat i o n a l

&

Canada releases coronavirus guidelines on when to cancel major events

I n t

crowds, several concerts have been cancelled and some schools and universities are shutting down in an effort to keep the virus from spreading.

Canada, meanwhile, has seen very limited domestic transmission of the virus, and event planners say it’s largely business as usual until that changes.

Still, concert promoters, major sports leagues and festival organizers say they are watching carefully to decide whether they should bring crowds of people together to share the same space.

“We have been told by public health there is no need to cancel events or minimize social gatherings at this point,” said Erin Benjamin, president of the Canadian Live Music Association. “I think that’s going to be public health’s determination, and I hope we don’t get to that.”

The newly released federal guidelines urge organizers to assess risk, highlighting factors like the ages of the attendees, given the virus hits older populations hardest, and whether they are likely to be arriving from regions that have been impacted by COVID-19.

They also offer ways to reduce the risk without cancelling the event altogether, such as by limiting the number of people who attend, staggering arrivals and departures, making more hand-washing stations available, or even live-streaming activities online.

But they don’t dictate whether certain types of events should be shut down, and under what conditions.

Rather, they’re intended to help event planners, municipalities, provinces and territories make informed decisions.

“You may be in a context where you have a very strong healthy system where you can say ‘OK, well we will welcome this event because if there’s a problem we’ll be able to contain it,”’ Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault said Tuesday in Ottawa.

“On the other hand, you may be in a situation where you feel that you can’t do that.”

Earlier Tuesday, the band Pearl Jam announced it would postpone the first leg of its tour, including several stops in Canada, over concerns about COVID-19. It’s the first major act to cancel a live performance in Canada because of the virus, according to the Canadian Live Music Association.

The Broadbent Institute, a policy think tank, also said Tuesday it would postpone a summit planned for later this month in Vancouver, citing advice from the provincial medical health officer. B.C. has now recorded Canada’s first death linked to COVID-19.

“The Institute prides itself on ensuring that our events are safe and inclusive environments, and we can no longer say with confidence that a summit held in March would be able to meet this standard for all participants,” the think tank said in a statement.

Another policy conference, this one planned by the Manning Centre for later this month in Ottawa, is going ahead, organizers said Tuesday. But they are changing their meal setups to minimize contact between participants, and will be making hand sanitizer available.

Meanwhile, the NHL is monitoring the spread of the virus in Canada and the United States and putting contingency plans together in case large gatherings become unsafe.

As for potential school closures and limiting access to public spaces, chief public health officer Dr. Theresa Tam said that will also be up to local and provincial governments if transmission becomes widespread in their area. “The measures have to be balanced against what is going on on the ground, and you can’t sort of blanket a whole geographic area without really paying attention to the details on the ground,” Tam said at a briefing Monday.

Each jurisdiction has their own public health laws that govern when they should trigger those kinds of measures, she said.

While the risk is low, Canadians can take personal measures to protect themselves and others against the spread of the virus, federal Health Minister Patty Hajdu said Tuesday.

Those include staying home when sick, staying two metres away from others and coughing and sneezing into their elbow.

Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said he’s in contact with his counterparts in Italy, which is currently under lockdown because of a massive spike in the number of cases.

He said he wants to learn from that country’s experience, but doesn’t expect to see massive widespread quarantines in Canada.

Source: CTV News

OTTAWA -- The 2020 federal budget— the first of the Liberal minority government— will be tabled on March 30, Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

The budget timing has been in question given the expected negative impact the global coronavirus outbreak will have on the economy. The decision on the budget date comes within hours of the World Health Organization declaring the virus a pandemic.

Setting in stone when the full economic picture will be brought into focus follows on the heels of the federal government announcing it will put more than $1 billion into its plan to combat and mitigate the impacts of the outbreak of COVID-19 in Canada, with the pledge that more help would come as needed. The budget is also where the government can put more in the window in terms of its agenda this term, beyond the broad strokes of the throne speech. But in doing so it will need to keep in mind including items that will garner the needed support of other par-

ties in order to pass the budget and avoid being defeated, as the budget is considered a confidence measure.

During the fall federal election campaign the Liberals promised billions in new spending for students, families, and the environment, continuing their so-called economic approach of “investing in Canadians” while targeting corporations and the wealthiest Canadians to help pay for these proposals.

Source: CBC News

2020 federal budget to be tabled March 30

COVID-19 is a pandemic: World Health Organization

GENEVA -- Expressing alarm both about mounting infections and inadequate government responses, the World Health Organization declared Wednesday that the global coronavirus crisis is now a pandemic but added that it’s not too late for countries to act.

By reversing course and using the charged word “pandemic” that it previously shied away from, the UN health agency sought to shock lethargic countries into pulling out all the stops.“We have called every day for countries to take urgent and aggressive action. We have rung the alarm bell loud and clear,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO chief. “All countries can still change the course of this pandemic. If countries detect, test, treat, isolate, trace and mobilize their people in the response,” he said.

“We are deeply concerned by the alarming levels of spread and severity and by the alarming levels of inaction.” The WHO said Iran and Italy are the new front lines of the battle against the virus that started in China.

“They’re suffering but I guarantee you other countries will be in that situation soon,” said Dr. Mike Ryan, the WHO’s emergencies chief.

He added that the agency thought long and hard about labeling the crisis a pandemic -meaning a new virus causing sustained out-

breaks in multiple regions of the world.

The risk of employing the term, Ryan said, is “if people use it as an excuse to give up.”

But the likely benefits are “potentially of galvanizing the world to fight.”

Underscoring the mounting challenge: Italy’s cases soared again, to 12,462 infections and 827 deaths -- both numbers second only to China. Italy weighed imposing even tighter restrictions on daily life and announced billions in financial relief Wednesday to cushion economic shocks from the coronavirus, its latest efforts to adjust to the fast-evolving crisis that silenced the usually bustling heart of the Catholic faith, St. Peter’s Square.

In Iran, by far the hardest-hit country in the Middle East, the senior vice-president and two other Cabinet ministers were reported to have been diagnosed with COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. Iran reported another jump in deaths, by 62 to 354 -- behind only China and Italy.

In Italy, Premier Giuseppe Conte said he would consider requests from Lombardy, Italy’s hardest-hit region, to toughen the already extraordinary anti-virus lockdown that was extended nationwide Tuesday.

Lombardy wants to shut down nonessential businesses and reduce public transportation.

Source: Al-Jazeera

Biden strengthens lead in Democratic race with projected wins in Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi primaries

Joe Biden was projected to take Tuesday night’s biggest primary prize — Michigan — along with decisive wins in Missouri and Mississippi, dealing an early blow to rival Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders on a night when six states were up for grabs.

Celebrating his early victories, he told supporters near his Philadelphia campaign headquarters, it was “another good night” and “a step closer to restoring decency, dignity and honour to the White House.”

In a subdued tone, Biden reached out to supporters of struggling rival Bernie Sanders, thanking the Vermont senator and his following “for their tireless energy and their passion” and their common goal: to “beat Donald Trump.”

Back in 2016, Sanders scored an upset that lent much-needed credibility to his 2016 primary challenge of Hillary Clinton — and where U.S. President Donald Trump’s victory four years was so narrow that Democrats are desperate to show they have the strength to flip it back.

But Biden made a final push there in recent days, rallying autoworkers and touting a fresh round of high-profile endorsements.

Despite the early losses, Sanders could get a boost from North Dakota, Idaho or Washington state, where votes were still being counted.

But his campaign announced Sanders would not speak publicly Tuesday night.

Adding to the tension of incoming results was fears about the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. Both Sanders and Biden hastily cancelled events they’d scheduled for Tuesday night in Cleveland, and the Democratic National Committee announced that an upcoming debate in Arizona on Sunday would be held without a live audience “at the request of both campaigns and out of an abundance of caution.”

Tuesday marked the first time voters weighed

in on the Democratic contest since it effectively narrowed to a two-person race between Sanders and Biden. It was a test of whether Sanders can broaden his appeal among African Americans after earlier setbacks in the South. Biden, meanwhile, sought to show that he can keep momentum going after his surprise Super Tuesday turnaround.

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard remains in the race, but has only two delegates so far. She has not qualified for the Sunday debate.

Biden now frequently ticks off the names of six former presidential rivals who have endorsed him just in the past week, saying he is “the candidate that they think can win.” The former vice-president has campaigned in recent days with two of them, Sens. Cory Booker and Kamala Harris, and appeared with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. All three have have been mentioned as possible vice presidential picks.

Following Biden’s strong showing Tuesday night, former candidate Andrew Yang also added his name to the Biden endorsement list.

With 125 delegates at stake, Michigan got most of the attention Tuesday. Trump won the state by only about 10,000 votes during the general election in 2016, and Democrats are eager to take it back............Source: CBC News

7

Rajab 18, 1441H March 13, 2020

24th

National Miraj Un Nabi (S.A.W) Conference Organise by

International Muslim Academy of Canada At Fiji Islamic Centre

Unit 17 & 18, 12988 84th Ave, Surrey

Friday, March 20, 2020 @ 6 pm Sharp!!!

Also Shabe Barat Night Ibada will be hosted at this Centre as per Moonsighting

Speakers:

Allama A.Latif Naumani Head Imam & Khateeb Fiji Islamic Centrer

Mufti Hafiz Aamir Hussain Imam & Khateeb JRJ Maple Ridge

Refreshment and Dinner will be Served & Full Provisions for Sisters, Free Family Event An Evening of Naat e Rasool (SAW).Qaseeda,’s by Local Naat Khawns. Biyan in English & Urdu:

DUAA will perform by Peer Afzal Ahmed Naqshbandi President - Bullay Shah Academy Fiji Centre management will provide Bus Service to both Cemeteries at Shab e Barat’s Night

FOR INFO:

Aseem Akhtar Khan 604.220.0383, Arif Nazir 778. 238.1616

Mohammed Nadeem Harun 778.688.5215, Abdul Haq 604.671.4358 Zoheb Ali 778.838.3316, Azmatullah 604.374.5118, Asheem Sharif 604.505.6795

8

Rajab 18, 1441H March 13, 2020

l o c a l

Muslim Food Bank and community services 10th Annual fundraising dinner

Since it was first established in 2010, the Muslim Food Bank and Community Services Society or MFBCS for short, has aspired to best serve the needs of its community, growing and adapting in tandem with the changing needs of its clients.

An organization of humble beginnings, when MFBCS first started, it ran out of a family garage, providing food and basic supplies to the most vulnerable and marginalized.

Before long, it quickly became clear to the founders of the organization that the needs of the community far out-weighed their current capacity. Not only was the demand for food assistance, especially for those with dietary restrictions, far greater than what a home-run program could handle, it was becoming more and more evident that there was a gap in the community for programs to do with capacity-building and development

for marginalized and refugee populations. As such, through a combination of community support and passionate volunteers and organizers, MFBCS found itself expanding beyond solely a food bank and into an organization that offered multiple development programs.

The organization’s growth accelerated in early 2016 in response to the thousands of refugees that arrived in British Columbia.

With a host of volunteers trained in trauma-informed practices, as well as having relevant cultural experience and language skills, MFBCS quickly emerged as one of the leading organizations responsible for refugee settlement and support, providing everything from Welcome Care Packages to employment support. More recently, MFBCS is involved in the Muslim Care Center (MCC) as an umbrella organization in col-

laboration with other organizations and businesses and the ASPIRE Toastmasters Club. MFBCS continues to develop innovative programming to reach a wider variety of people in the community and in other cities like Toronto.

Today, MFBCS hosts an active volunteer cohort of nearly 200 people. Through its Food Bank branch, it distributes bi-weekly food hampers to nearly 600 families living across the Lower Mainland as well as providing regular meals to the homeless living in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Through its ASPIRE Community Services branch, it provides capacity-building programming to promote independence and help participants develop relevant skills. As we look back on the 10 years MFBCS has been operating we can firmly say that this is just the beginning.

MFBCS runs on the generous support of the

community and we are always looking for more volunteers. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, check out our website to see all of the different ways in which you can become involved and fill out the volunteer registration form available online: https:// muslimfoodbank.com/volunteer/ .

If you are looking to make a donations, please see the options listed below: 1. E-transfer to accounting@muslimfoodbank 2. Online via website: https://muslimfoodbank.com/donate/ 3. Cheque payable to Muslim Food Bank Surrey Location: 104-12941 115 Ave, Surrey, BC V3R 0E2 Richmond Location: 120-13911 Maycrest Way, Richmond BC V6V 2J4

Muslim Food Bank Ten Years Successful Journey (A Pictorial views)

9

Rajab 18, 1441H March 13, 2020

Beijinang Richmond Halal Cuisine Restaurant M EAT & PIZ ZA KRISPY FRIED CHICKEN!

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KongBao Sichuan Chicken spacious parking spots available!

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Sweet and Sour Shrimp Business Hours ¡

Mon-Sun 11 AM to 11 PM,

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12

Rajab 18, 1441H March 13, 2020

Politics

Conservatives Mark One Year of Liberal Failure Since Chinese Government Banned Canadian Canola

John Barlow, Shadow Minister for Agriculture and Agri-Food, Randy Hoback, Shadow Minister for International Trade, and Garnett Genuis, Shadow Minister for CanadaChina Relations and Multiculturalism, released the following statement marking one year since the Chinese government banned the import of Canadian canola: “One year ago, the Chinese government banned imports of Canada’s world class canola. Since then, under Justin Trudeau’s weak leadership, the Liberal government has failed to stand up for Canada’s canola farmers and producers.

“After China banned Canadian canola imports, Andrew Scheer took decisive ac-

tion to stand up for Canada’s canola sector.

Conservatives called on the Trudeau Liberals to pull Canadian funding from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, increase inspections on all Chinese imports, and launch a complaint at the World Trade Organization.“Unfortunately for Canada’s canola sector, it took Justin Trudeau over 120 days to launch a complaint at the World Trade Organization. This lack of action makes it clear, that Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government do not see Canada’s canola farmers and producers as a priority.

“Justin Trudeau’s weak leadership on this file has had significant consequences for Canada’s agriculture sector. According to the

Canola Council of Canada, China’s ban on Canadian canola cost farmers and producers an estimated $1 billion in lost revenue. In addition to this, the Chinese government’s decision to ban imports of Canadian soybeans have hurt soybean farmers and producers across the country, with the Grain Farmers of Ontario estimating a $590 million loss in revenue. This is having a real impact on family farms that are already dealing with the ‘harvest from hell’.

“Hard working canola farmers and producers deserve a government that will fight for their interests and their businesses. Canada’s Conservatives will continue to stand up for Trudeau when he fails to do so.”

Canada’s canola sector and call out Justin Office of John Barlow, MP

BC Liberals want to keep raiding ICBC?

ICBC. Speaking to CBC in November, Johal insisted that taking money from ICBC that could otherwise be used to reduce car insurance rates was what Finance Ministers are supposed to do: “We have to remind ourselves that we are the owners of ICBC, we being the people of British Columbia. The surpluses have gone towards vital services as well. Building vital infrastructure… Finance ministers do, once in a while, dip into those BC Liberal MLA Jas Johal is defending the Crown corporations to make sure our budgright of governments to take capital out of et is balanced.” (CBC, 19-11-2019) Speaking

to Global News this week, Johal criticized a law announced on Monday that would ban government from taking surpluses from the public auto insurance company. Richard Zussman: “BC Liberal MLA Jas Johal says when ICBC is financially healthy it helps all British Columbians.”

Jas Johal: “Governments of all stripes have taken money out of ICBC on the optional side, to pay for other services that governments provides. Health care, education, transportation.” (Global News, 02-03-2020)

The former BC Liberal government raided ICBC for $1.2 billion, a decision that resulted in higher premiums for drivers.

David Eby, Attorney General: “The BC Liberals are telling the public that if they come to power, they’ll have no concerns about raiding ICBC again, driving insurance rates higher for drivers. I appreciate the honesty, even if I disagree with them strongly. Now British Columbians know exactly why we need this new law.”

Emily Della Mattia

By Dirk Meissner VICTORIA—B.C. Finance Minister Carole James says she has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and will not seek re-election next year, but she intends to stay on in cabinet “as long as I can do the job 100 per cent.”

“It’s not a disease anyone wants but it’s also not a terminal diagnosis,” James told a news conference on Thursday, adding she has a hand tremor and some issues with her balance but is not on medication yet.

She said she received the diagnosis when she was preparing the recently released budget and told her NDP caucus colleagues about the disease earlier Thursday.

Symptoms progress slowly and can be alleviated somewhat with medication but there is no cure, she said. “I went to my family doctor at the end of August and I mentioned at the very end of my physical that I’ve had a few odd symptoms,” said James, who is also deputy premier.

She said she was referred to a neurologist,

who came back with the Parkinson’s disease diagnosis in late January.

What she thought was fatigue came back as a “life-changing diagnosis,” she said.

She told Premier John Horgan and then continued her preparations ahead of last month’s budget. James said she will take a few days off but plans to be talking about the budget next week during a provincial tour.

Between 10,000 and 13,000 people in B.C. live with Parkinson’s disease, James said, and she believes sharing her story can help others. Horgan said James told him about her diagnosis in late January.

“I was upset and concerned for my colleague and my friend,” he said in a statement. “She has only mild physical symptoms, and I was pleased when she told me she is able to continue to serve in cabinet as finance minister and deputy premier.”

Horgan said Parkinson’s is a tough disease, but “without diminishing the seriousness of the illness, Carole James is tougher. She has

spent her entire public life fighting as hard as she can to make life better for people, and I know she will bring that spirit to this next challenge.” James was first elected in the riding of Victoria-Beacon Hill in 2005. She became leader of the NDP in 2003 and served as Opposition leader from May 2005 to December 2010.

She was appointed finance minister after the NDP formed a government 2 1/2 years ago.

Before entering politics, she was president of the B.C. School Trustees Association as she served on the Greater Victoria School Board. Her legislature biography says she also worked as the director of Child and Family Services for Carrier Sekani Family Services in Prince George.

James is married to Albert Gerow, a First Nations artist and elected chief of the Burns Lake First Nation. The couple have two children and two grandchildren.

James said she intends to stay active once she leave politics.

“I don’t think it’s a surprise to anyone who knows me, I don’t plan to sit around and do nothing,” she said.

James said she’s participated in many news conferences, but “I have to say, this isn’t one I’ve imagined holding. But it is a reminder that life can present us with the unexpected at any time.”The Canadian Press

Katrina Chen if she would “change her plans” for universal affordable childcare to exclude middle income parents.

Throness attacked fee reductions for middle income families, claiming that lowering childcare costs, helping parents return to work, or boosting the economy are not good reasons to invest in childcare.

Throness quoted a study showing that middle-income kids didn’t benefit as much developmentally from childcare as kids from low-income families. Throness then asked, “how will the minister change her plans in response to studies like this?”

BC Liberal Childcare critic Laurie Throness After Chen responded that more affordable asked Minister of State for Childcare childcare also reduces costs for families,

helps parents return to work, and grows the economy, Throness said: “I would simply remind the minister that it’s not about parents going back to work or about growing the economy. It’s about what’s best for children.

We have to keep our eye on that.” (Hansard, Mar 3, 2020) These comments echo his statement from two years ago that childcare wasn’t needed because parents should just stay home: “we have one full-time, 24-houra-day space for every child in BC. By law, child care is now, and always has been, universal and 24-7.” (Black Press, March 1, 2018) Under the BC NDP government’s Child Care BC plan, parents have saved nearly $400 million in childcare fees. Some

families have saved up to $19,200 a year.

Katrina Chen, Minister of State for Childcare:“I’ve heard from parents across the province, especially mothers, who can’t return to work or are being forced to move from their communities because of a lack of affordable childcare. Andrew Wilkinson and his hand-picked childcare critic are out of touch with BC parents. They have repeatedly fought against our investments to reduce childcare costs. Their plan to give tax breaks to the top 1% would mean cuts to our childcare fee reductions and other services parents count on. We can’t let Andrew Wilkinson put our progress for families at risk.”

Media contact: Emily Della Mattia

OTTAWA -- The federal anti-money laundering centre is exploring artificial intelligence and machine learning to help sort through a deluge of data in the hunt for hidden dirty cash.In its annual report made public Wednesday, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada, known as Fintrac, says rapid change in the global financial system, spurred by quickly evolving technology, is both a chal-

kers, casinos and others. Overall, the centre disclosed 2,276 pieces of financial intelligence to police and security agencies such as the RCMP and Canadian Security Intelligence Service last year.

Of these, 1,702 were related to money laundering, 373 to terrorism financing and threats to the security of Canada, and 201 to a combination of these.... Source: CBC News

B.C. Finance Minister Carole James diagnosed with Parkinson’s, won’t seek re-election

Andrew Wilkinson’s childcare critic says childcare is “not about parents”

Centre eyes artificial intelligence to modernize the federal hunt for dirty cash lenge and an opportunity.

Fintrac says technology can help money launderers but also create more efficient and effective ways of doing business for enforcement agencies. The federal centre tries to pinpoint cash linked to money laundering and terrorism by sifting through millions of pieces of information annually from banks, insurance companies, securities dealers, money service businesses, real estate bro-

13

Rajab 18, 1441H March 13, 2020

HIRING IMAM DEWAN-E-KHASS

The Fleetwood Islamic Academy Society was established in 2014 with its head office in Surrey BC. It is one of the Muslim organizations in Canada serving the Muslim community of BC. It caters to diverse Muslim communities from different ethnic backgrounds.

The society is seeking to hire a qualified Imam for their Fleetwood Islamic Centre in Surrey, BC. This is a permanent and full-time position consisting of 40 hours per week based on a flex schedule as per the local requirements.

Business address and location of work #209 – 210, 8462 162 Street Surrey, BC V3S 3V4 Duties and responsibilities Duties include but not limited to: • Lead five times daily Salah; • Lead Jumah Salah with sermon; • Lead Tarawih Salah during the month of Ramadan; • Lead Eid Salah; • Participate in all Society organised functions & events • Organise youth & adult Halaqa; • Solemnizing marriage and burial ceremonies; • Religious teaching (Arabic and Quran classes); • Provide counselling services; • Participate in humanitarian endeavor, social services and welfare activities • Establish open dialogue and communication with members to provide religious guidance.

• Promote spirituality, peace & harmony in the community • Conduct regular & on-going Moulid & Dhikr Programs

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Employment Requirements • Be a Sunni Muslim practicing Shafi’i madhab, well versed in Shariah and Islamic Jurisprudence.

• Must have at least 5 years’ experience in a similar position as an Imam or Islamic Counselor or Islamic Preacher or previous experience in a related occupation.

• Completion of college, university or other program in Religious or Islamic studies is required.

• Fluent in English and Arabic

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Wage $24.10 per hour How to Apply?

Owner: Siraj Khan Wed to Mon 11am to 10:30 pm.

Please email your resume: fias_bc@outlook.com

Tuesday Closed

We would like to thank all applicants for their interest in Fleetwood Islamic Academy Society; however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

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Rajab 18, 1441H March 13, 2020

MIDDLE

EAST

Analysis: There is a perfect storm brewing in Saudi Arabia s masked police entered the homes placed under house arrest for the duration in a similar vein to that experienced by his

A

of three prominent Saudi princes in the early hours of Saturday morning, Mohammed bin Salman (MBS), Saudi Arabia’s crown prince, appeared to have removed the final vestiges of opposition to his rule, paving the way for a seemingly smooth transition to becoming king.

Princes Ahmed bin Abdulaziz, King Salman’s brother, Mohammed bin Nayef, the former crown prince, and Nawaf bin Nayef were arrested amid allegations of their involvement in an attempted coup.

Rumours of plans to topple both the king and the crown prince have regularly been heard across social media, replete with stories of nefarious meetings in the desert and the support of external powers. In this instance, additional rumours of broader complicity quickly followed in key US newspapers, albeit without comment from official Saudi sources.

The decision to make these arrests has been met with surprise by some who have questioned why and why now.

Why?

Two separate issues are at play here. First is the sense of a crown prince on a mission to eradicate all forms of dissent and to ensure a smooth transition to becoming king. In line with this, the arrests sent a strong message to critics within the kingdom, consolidating power and calling on members of the ruling family to “fall in line” behind the “son king”.

Arresting three prominent members of the house of Saud is a symbolic demonstration of power from the crown prince. Indeed, in arresting Mohammed bin Nayef, the former crown prince, MBS is sending a clear message to those across the kingdom that opposition will not be tolerated.

Prince Ahmed, the king’s brother, had recently returned from London and had allegedly been given guarantees of his safety on moving back to Saudi Arabia. While in London, Ahmed appeared to court controversy when he seemed to suggest that the king and crown prince, rather than the Al Saud family more generally, ought to be held responsible for the kingdom’s military exploits in Yemen. According to those familiar with his situation after his return, Ahmed was treated with respect, albeit with his movements and communications heavily monitored.

Mohammed bin Nayef, in contrast, has been

of MBS’s time as crown prince. In light of this, it seems unlikely he would have been involved in an attempted coup, particularly given the challenges of orchestrating such an event against a deeply powerful scion.

Since being named crown prince, MBS has wielded almost complete power across the Saudi state. Ostensibly heir apparent, it is widely accepted that he is sovereign in all but name, setting policy domestically and internationally, much to the chagrin of some.

As a result, it is hardly surprising that stories of coup plots find traction. The transition from the sons of Ibn Saud, the first king and founder of Saudi Arabia, to the grandsons of Ibn Saud was always going to pose serious challenges to monarchical rule across the kingdom.

Indeed, the peculiarities of succession in the kingdom, passing from brother to brother a process of agnatic seniority designed to facilitate stability and prevent turmoil within the family resulting from one group dominating at the expense of others - meant that political horsetrading became a key part of succession planning.

When King Salman came to power in 2015, the need to explicitly articulate this process was evident and while Mohammed bin Nayef was initially named as crown prince - and thus the first of the next generation of Saudi rulers - he was quickly replaced by Salman’s son, MBS, in 2017.

This decision was not unanimous. In the Allegiance Council, responsible for succession planning, Prince Ahmed was one of the three who voted against the appointment of MBS as crown prince.

Why now?

The second issue concerns the timing. Facing a range of parabolic pressures from domestic and international sources, the Saudi state is in a precarious position, with much at stake for MBS, the architect of the kingdom’s future trajectory.

Hugely popular among the youth, the crown prince quickly embarked on a wide-ranging programme of social, cultural and economic reforms that have sought to transform the kingdom away from a reliance on oil and to reduce the power of religious leaders.

However, the speed of transformation has been a source of anger among the more socially conservative elements of society,

grandfather, Ibn Saud, whose own efforts to transform the political landscape of the nascent Saudi state were met with resistance by many almost a century ago.

In spite of the support he undoubtedly has, there is a growing sense of unrest across the kingdom and concern at its future trajectory. Economic pressures are rising and while new entertainment complexes have been supported by state-sanctioned credit, the cost of living has dramatically increased.

Although social transformations and liberalisation have been welcomed by many, these come at a cost and will not assuage every day concerns about the cost of living and pressures to find jobs in the private sector.

As the kingdom embarks on a costly battle with Russia and the US over shale gas, this economic pressure will only increase, bringing with it the scope for further anger at the status quo.

The decision to close the Grand Mosque of Mecca and to curtail the umrah was taken amid concerns about the threat posed by COVID-19, yet frustration quickly grew across social media as entertainment outlets initially remained open. An unpopular decision among conservative elements of Saudi society, this issue is emblematic of schisms in a society divided along economic, social, tribal and religious lines.

The failure to end the crisis with Qatar has also had an impact on how the crown prince is perceived inside the kingdom. Many Saudis expected a swift “victory”, with Doha returning to the “rank and file” of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members following the Saudi line. That this did not happen has been seen as a sign of weakness on MBS’s part.

The same is true of the failure to eradicate Iranian influence across the Middle East.

The invasion of Yemen was ostensibly undertaken to prevent Iran from getting a foothold on the Arabian Peninsula. The curious case of Saad Hariri, the then prime minister of Lebanon, being summoned to Saudi Arabia and submitting his resignation apparently under the instructions of Riyadh, occurred to prevent Hezbollah, a key Iranian ally, from gaining greater influence in Lebanese politics.

Such misjudgements have prompted some in the kingdom to question whether MBS is the right person to rule the Saudi state.

Saudi Arabia’s actions on the world stage have also increased pressure on the crown prince. Ongoing military involvement in Yemen has been a source of fervent criticism amid allegations of human rights abuses and war crimes committed there. Moreover, the killing of Jamal Khashoggi - an outspoken critic of military action in Yemen - in late 2018 led to questions from Agnes Callamard, the UN’s special rapporteur, about the complicity of MBS in the death of Khashoggi.

While these questions mean little domestically, outside the kingdom they contribute to perceptions of MBS as a reckless leader, prone to rash moves.

Although MBS appears to possess the hallmarks of an authoritarian ruler, given his apparent predilection for quashing dissent, his programme of economic and social reforms have been generally well received among Western rulers. With this support, at times tacit, MBS was able to survive the Khashoggi affair, laying the blame on rogue elements in the Saudi security sector.

So why this crackdown on senior royals and top officials now?

Having been appointed crown prince in 2017, MBS has steadily sought to erode all forms of dissent and opposition to his rule, both in the kingdom and beyond. These arrests could have taken place at any point in the time since Prince Ahmed returned to the kingdom, or since Mohammed bin Nayef was placed under house arrest. There are always intricacies in security calculations that are not known to the general public, which may be the case here. Yet it may also be the case that as a perfect storm appears to engulf Saudi Arabia and the international community, another question perhaps sheds more light on the crown prince’s position: “Why not?”

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera’s editorial stance. Source:.aljazeera.com

Taliban rejects Afghan government’s phased release of prisoners

The Afghan armed group says it will not proceed with the intra-Afghan talks unless all Taliban prisoners are released.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s decision to release prisoners in phased manner has come under criticism from the Taliban armed group, which said the move was against the US-Taliban agreement signed in the Qatari capital Doha on February 29.

“We reject Ghani’s phase release of prisoners,” Suhail Shaheen, the spokesman for Taliban, told Al Jazeera on Wednesday.

“We will also make sure at the time of the prisoners release that they are releasing the list of prisoners we have provided them with.

Once this is done, we will proceed with the intra-Afghan talks.” Earlier Shaheen, who is based in Doha, told Reuters that “ conditional release” of the Taliban prisoners is

against the accord signed with the US. The Taliban reaction comes after Ghani issued a decree ordering the release of 1,500 Taliban fighters, which presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said was the first of two phases of releasing 5,000 Taliban prisoners.

Sediqqi wrote on Twitter that the initial release was a goodwill gesture to kick-start peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban. ’Incremental approach’ “By releasing 5,000 prisoners in one fell swoop, Ghani would be surrendering the most powerful tool of leverage at his disposal,” Michael Kugelman, senior associate for South Asia at the Woodrow Wilson Center, said. “Given Kabul’s weak bargaining position to start with, you can’t blame Ghani for opting for a more incremental approach,” he said.“For Washington, the all-releasedat-once option may have seemed like a powerful confidence-building measure. But for Kabul, it’s the worst possible option at a moment when it’s already struggling to find ways to strengthen its tenuous bargaining power.” Another 3,500 are to be freed after negotiations begin, on the condition that there is a tangible reduction in violence, according to the four-article pardon decree.

However, amid a public feud between Ghani and his main rival, Abdullah Abdullah, it is not clear who would represent Kabul in intra-Afghan talks, even if the Taliban agree to

start negotiations.

Ghani’s presidency has been challenged by Abdullah, who has also sworn himself in as the country’s president.

“The squabble over the prisoner release is just the latest reminder of how tough it will be to get this intra-Afghan dialogue off the ground,” Kugelman from the Woodrow Wilson Center said.

“There had already been very real concerns about whether a deeply divided Afghan political class will be able to present a common front in talks, and about whether the Taliban is genuinely interested in negotiating peace.

“The prisoner release issue amplifies the challenges that lie ahead, and the ability of the two sides to resolve it will be an early test of just how much potential there is for this intra-Afghan dialogue.” Violence is ‘unacceptable’Since the US-Taliban deal was signed last month, nearly 40 people have been killed in attacks, with 32 killed on Monday in a gun attack claimed by the ISIL (ISIS) armed group.

“By releasing 5,000 prisoners in one fell swoop, Ghani would be surrendering the most powerful tool of leverage at his disposal” The US State Department issued a statement on Tuesday saying that the level of violence in Afghanistan is “unacceptable,” and that, while the Taliban have stopped attacks against the

US-led coalition forces and in Afghan cities, the violence in the countryside remains too high. Despite the political turmoil in Kabul and increased violence on the battlefield, the US has started withdrawing its troops in keeping with the Doha deal. In the first phase, Washington will reduce its presence to 8,600 soldiers, down from the current 13,000.

If the Taliban adhere to their commitments to deny safe havens to armed groups in Afghanistan, Washington will withdraw the remainder of its troops over 14 months, according to the agreement.

At the time of its signing, the US-Taliban deal was touted as Afghanistan’s best chance at peace after 40 years of relentless war while offering the US an exit after nearly 19 years of fighting in the country - its longest war. President Donald Trump has expressed increasing frustration with the Afghan government and its security forces’ inability to police and manage their own affairs.

The deal has faced hurdles from the outset, despite efforts by Washington’s Special Envoy Zalmay Khalilzad to bring the divided Afghan leadership together.

The US and other international players seem to have backed Ghani’s leadership. Still, Abdullah, with his significant support base, cannot be ignored, analysts have said.

Shereena Qazi contributed to the article from Doha.

15 local New Westminster City Councillor Chuck Puchmayr addresses at CMMC Forum in Surrey Rajab 18, 1441H March 13, 2020

On March 10th, the Canadian Muslim Media Club organized a Forum at Naveed’s Studio at Scott Road, Surrey to show the solidarity with the victims of the Delhi where more than 50 people have been killed in communal riots most of them were Muslims.

First segment of the program conducted by Mr. Naveed Waraich. Mr. Naseer Pirzada recited the Sura Nasar and then Mr. Waraich invited guest speaker Chuck Puchmayr City Councillor of New Westminister. He briefed about the resolution he presented in city hall.

He added, On March 30th the resolution will be presented to approve in West Minister city Hall. You have 2 weeks to learn about it and educate people around you, they may be of any religion or race, you explain them what’s going on in India, they should get awareness of current situation of minority specially

Muslims in India. On Monday March 9, when Chuck Puchmayr presented his resolution, except 15 all people were in favor of resolution . Audience asked questions from Chuck Puchmayr regarding his resolution and his views on this issue.

It was considered that Provincials and Federal Member of Parliament should stand for Humanity for the Muslims in Jammu Kashmir and India.

The second Segment of Canadian Muslim Media Club forum was violence and suppression of Indian Muslim Community. Mr. Tarik Kiyani was the moderator, he briefed the purpose of the Forum . Intikhab Ahmed, Naseer Pirzada, Jafar Bhamji, Haris Hafeez and Naveed Waraich participated as CMMC Panel .Mr. Kiyani asked one question with each panellist about the current situation in

India and asked the suggestions to find solution.

In the end, Mr. Kiyani invited the audience to participate in the forum and shared their views with CMMC. On behalf of CMMC Mr. Kiyani requested the community members to send the emails, to theirs MLA, MP, City Councillors and also join on 30th March at 6:30 pm in the City of New Westminster Meeting Hall to show their number in favor of this resolution. Courtesy Photos Community Times Canada

Community Meet with Members of Parliament at Taste of Lahore

On March 3rd, Mr. Bilal Cheema a vibrant community activist invited Muslim Community at Taste of Lahore Restaurant in Surrey to discuss the suppression at Kashmiris in Jammu Kashmir and at Muslims of Delhi in India by the local Indians. Mr. Cheema was the moderator of the evening discussion, and the panel included with local Members of Parliament Mr. Ken Hardie, Sukh Dhaliwal, and Randeep Sarai. A large number of Muslim community participated in open discussion, where many issues were raised with the MPS, among the current Liberal government silent reason at this Kashmir and Humanitarian issue of Muslim killing in Indian and what the Canadian govt did in past 6 months?

16 local Golden Times – An Event of Social Connection and Activities for Our Seniors Rajab 18, 1441H March 13, 2020

By: Anwar Qadir

Burnaby March 8 – Our thriving communities which we call home; are indeed the result of hard work and sacrifices made by our seniors. These brothers and sisters are backbone of our society but it is a sad reality that we do not recognize and thank them.

In order to address this issue; on March 8th, Masjid Al-Salaam & Education Centre has organized an event – Golden Time exclusively for the seniors.

The event commenced with Qur’an recitation delivered by Br. El Mehdi Berra; which is followed by message from Br. Jalil Khan – Chairperson of Masjid Al-Salaam. The message was delivered by Br. Daud Ismail as Br. Jalil was not able to attend the event due to health reasons. May Allah grant complete health to him, Ameen.

Segment 1 - Video Message – Diabetes; the Perfect Treatment - Dr. Jason Fung is a Canadian nephrologist. He’s a world-leading expert on intermittent fasting and low carb, especially for treating people with type 2 diabetes. He has written three best-selling

health books and he co-founded the Intensive Dietary Management program.

Dr. Fung works with Team Diet Doctor.

He has conducted extensive research about fasting as per Islam and stated that “Fasting allows people to reverse type 2 diabetes and lose weight, for good without medication..”.

More than 125 brothers and sisters attended the event and benefited from Dr. Jason video talk and technique for reversing diabetes.

Segment 2 - Infectious Disease & Elderly– How Vulnerable We Are? Dr. Mohammad Morshed is a clinical microbiologist and Program head of Zoonotic Diseases and Emerging Pathogens at the BC Public Health Microbiology and Reference Laboratory, Provincial Health Services Authority Laboratories; and clinical professor, Faculty of Medicine, UBC. His laboratory is responsible for specialized serology testing, molecular testing and microbial fingerprinting, program evaluation and research. He is member of many provincial, national, and international working groups and networks in the area of zoonotic

International Days of Action against U.S. Sanctions and Economic War! Protesting 5 years of the ongoing U.S./Saudi-led War on Yemen!

Protesting 17 years since the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq!

MONTHLY ANTIWAR RALLY & PETITION DRIVE

FRIDAY MARCH 13, 2020 VANCOUVER ART GALLERY GEORGIA ST & HOWE ST 4 PM

J @MAWOVAN

➢ USA / CANADA / NATO HANDS OFF: IRAN, YEMEN, VENEZUELA, SYRIA, AFGHANISTAN, IRAQ, NORTH KOREA! ➢ SELF-DETERMINATION FOR ALL OPPRESSED NATIONS! ➢ END THE OCCUPATION OF PALESTINE! ➢ HANDS OFF LATIN AMERICA! ➢ SELF-DETERMINATION FOR ALL INDIGENOUS NATIONS!

VANCOUVER, CANADA

This action takes place on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples of the səlil̓wətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.

MOBILIZATION AGAINST WAR & OCCUPATION-MAWO

W W W. M AW O VA N C O U V E R . O R G

and emerging pathogens.

He delivered a presentation on infectious diseases and its impact on the elderly. In particular he enlightened the audience with following topics: •Top 10 causes of death – changing trend from 2000 to 2016 •Leading causes of death in Canada •Five most common infections in elderly •Pneumonia and how to reduce its risk •COVID 19 – Its background, timeline •Sign and symptoms of COVID 19 •Practical tips for prevention Dr. Morshid emphasized the fact that Islam is the only religion which promote hygiene and cleanliness. By performing 5 times ablution we are able to prevent many ailments.

Segment 3 Br. Daud Ali – presented segment Lest We Forget; where he recalled our elders who are not with us today; but left a lasting legacy in the form of this masjid and their services. These are Br. Saleem Baksh, Br. Janif Barkah, Sr. Zuleka and Br. Nizam Dean.

These legends have knocked door to door for the fundraising, invested their time and

resources from concept, design and completion of this Masjid. We pray that May Allah grant them Janatual Firdous, Ameen.

Br. Daud Ali recognized the support of Qari Abdul Wahab for Burnaby community and Masjid Al Salaam; and delivered an appreciation award.

Segment 4 - Qari Abdul Wahab stated that he is part of Burnaby community since the groundbreaking of Masjid construction; no one could have imagined that a vacant plot of land where there were no Muslim community; will become a thriving Mosque where hundreds of people will pray and education events will be held. This is blessings of Allah and vision of our seniors who are not with us today.

He mentioned that both presentation on Diabetes, Infectious Disease and its cure correlates with Sunnah of Prophet Muhammd (PBUH) and teaching of our deen.

The event was followed by a healthy lunch and Dhuhr Salah. Br. Daud Ismail thanked the audiences, seniors and speakers for their participation in this event!.

17

Rajab 18, 1441H March 13, 2020

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Rajab 18, 1441H March 13, 2020

W ome n / Y outh

Pakistani Canadian Women’s Society and Surrey Women’s centre hosted an outstanding event

By: Rabia Dastgir International Women’s day is celebrated across the globe on March 8th, and Pakistani Canadian Women’s Society and Surrey Women’s centre hosted an outstanding event to build awareness and celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. It is a day on which women from around the world unite in thoughts, prayers, struggles, hopes and dreams. Women’s accomplishments in education, business, science, art, medicine, public service, athletics, and every other field have made our world better and stronger. Women are the cornerstones of our communities working tirelessly and making countless differences in the lives of those around them.

The venue for the event was Tsawwassen Mills and it was attended by dignitaries including Hon. Commissioner for Human rights BC, Kasari Govinder, Consul General of Pakistan Dr. Muhammad Tariq, MLA Rachna Singh

and MLA Jinny Sims among many other important community members and media representatives.

The event commenced with a beautiful rendition of Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s revolutionary poem “Bol Ke Labb Azaad hain”

by Vasundra Rogan and Farzana Alam.

Board President for Surrey Women’s centre, Navneet Mann, and Founding member PCWS and renowned clinical Psychiatrist Dr. Babra Rana introduced each of the host organisations with a commitment to serving and helping women towards equal rights and empowerment.

The event revolved around 3 interactive short skits, which depicted day to day behaviors that go unnoticed in our society towards how women are treated and how a better planned upbringing for our children can make a difference.

The audience responded very positively and acknowledged the efforts of both the organisations in planning this very elaborate and thought out attempt to-

tie the knot

wards awareness and empowerment.

Students from UBC Pakistani Student Organisation and The Canada Urdu Association did a marvellous job with the performances. The powerful scripts were written and directed by Huma Shoaib, Farzana Alam, Melody and Shenaide.

The event was concluded with a dance performance by SFU Befikre.

About PCWS: Pakistani Canadian Women’s Society (PCWS) is a non-profit organization aimed at promoting community awareness on emerging issues that affect women and the community in general via educational forums. In the past, they have hosted a wide variety of successful International women’s day events focusing on issues related to the youth and elderly alike as well as supported various charities since inception. The society was formed in 2010 by a committed group of women representing the demographics of Lower Mainland.

Mohammed Nusrat & Saima Naz

On Saturday March 7th, Mohammed Nusrat, son of Nusrat Hussain & Mrs Shaheen Nusrat married Saima Naz daughter of Mr. Abdul Rehman Naz at Royal Crown Palace Banquet Hall in Surrey.

Congratulations to the newlyweds and their families from Miracle Media and we make Duaa for their eternal happiness.

19

Rajab 18, 1441H March 13, 2020

womeN/Youth

Congratulation to Ms Shabnam!

S

habnam is a Private Practitioner at S.K. Counselling Services in Surrey, British Columbia. She also practices is a Family Counsellor at Semiahmoo House Society in South Surrey - providing quality services to people with development disabilities and their families in the community.

Shabnam is originally from Fiji Islands where she completed her secondary school at Kamil College and then attended Fiji Institute of Technology. Shabnam then pursued her education in Sydney, Australia where she acquired her B.A in Business & Marketing. Upon her arrival in Canada, Shabnam continued her studies towards Psychology and completed her MPCC - Master’s Practitioner In Clinical Counselling.

She believes Counselling is a process of learning how to make good life decisions. Realizing that there can be a lot of reluctance in seeking Counselling Services, Shabnam is committed to break those barriers through awareness, advocacy and continued education!

Shabnam specializes in Individual, Child & Youth, Pre-Marital, Marriage/Couple & Family Counselling. She works in areas of Self Esteem, Parenting, Depression, Grief/Bereavement, Assertive Communication, Anger Management, Boundaries & Relationships etc.

Shabnam also advocates as an Adult Educator in Schools and Community Gatherings through workshops on Effective Parenting, Mother & Daughter Groups and Women’s Support Groups. Shabnam has passion for writing Inspirational Stories and her Articles are published in the Community Newspaper - The Miracle and at Semiahmoo Foundation blog. She also covers for Special Edition for AAJ Magazine. Shabnam is an active volunteer in her community and often devotes her time in planning and facilitating at events.

Her Quote: “Opportunities may come and go but the discipline, love, care, respect and motivation that surrounded us throughout our childhood will never fade. Those are the memories we carry on with us for life, as we are accustomed to them and want to cherish them becoming part of our identity” Shabnam was nominated for the Top 3 Business Award’s Category by FCBA - Fiji Canada Business Association, Surrey BC in 2019. She was also nominated in the Best Community Impact category 2019 and Premier’s Peoples’ Choice category 2019 - Small Business BC Awards. She was an Approved Entrant for The 2020 “Mompreneur Award”.

Shabnam resides in Surrey, British Columbia with her husband and two daughters. She credits her family for their continued support and understanding towards her journey and always being there for her.

*Shakti Award Recipient for Public Service/ Volunteer Award 2020. Every year Shakti Society receives nominations of outstanding women who are working hard to make a better Society for all of us. These women are active in the Community, they are Role Models in their category and are being honoured for consistently demonstrating the Spirit of Shakti. Honouring Women - International Women’s Day! info: shabnam@skcounselling.ca

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Yes, I am a Woman

By: Asma Shums, appy Women’s Day to all the women and to all the men who have respect and appreciation for women.

Yes, feel proud to be a woman.

Yes, feel proud to be a wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, working woman and homemaker too. Being a woman means more responsibility in the culture. Allah has created the woman differently than men. Let us not go in the controversial matters of equality etc,.

The world is made up of countries, cultures and societies and families. Women play a very crucial role in a family. She is the centre of the family. Man does play an important role as well. She binds the family in a garland of love and selflessness. She has to take care of her family no matter what her personal and mental situation is (in the culture).

Just a Thought If we must celebrate a day for women, let us celebrate by giving her freedom from stereotype image, from expectations from her, instead give her understanding from idolization and unnecessary sacrificies. Let us congratulate her for being successful, not just behind every successful man but not her own as a mother, wife, daughter or sister.

Let us not just tell her that she is pretty but make her feel that way with our love and respect. Let us not just praise her but celebrate her existence in those roles as an individual.

Let us not praise her multi-tasking skills but instead celebrate it by giving less tasks not required of her.

Let Her Be Let her not feel inadequate, incompetent, not pretty, inefficient, imperfect, unideal etc. Let her be bookish, fierce, loud, happy, opinion-

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ated, groomed, adventurous, prepared, practical and so on. Let us love her, respect her, value her, cherish her, give her space, treat her as an equal and important person. Let her breathe, let her taste the freedom of being a human being. She is all in one. If we think and try to understand her intellectually, she is out of reach, if we try to understand her with love then she is very simple.

My Home Have we ever thought which is her home? The home where she is born is her father’s home.

The home she is married into is her husband’s home. In her old age, it is her son’s home.

Even in the house at every stage, she is under some sort of control. So which is her home?

We see so many situations of control by way of financial security and otherwise. When the husband divorces her, she has no financial standing nor is she welcomed in her sister’s or parents’ home without feeling burdened by her presence.

It is about time that we educate our females and encourage them to acquire secular and religious studies and skills to thrive in the modern world without falling into traps of control by others. We should nurture confidence and self-esteem and self-respect.

Women should first understand their role and purpose themselves before any one else trying to understand it.

Ionfo at asmashums@gmail.com

owadays, the only woman that the men listen to, is Siri.

The Role of Law

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By: Khadija Nadeem Gr.8

hildren don’t understand how important it is for us to know about Canada’s Justice System. I myself learnt more about it from a field trip to the Surrey Provincial Courthouse.

Learning about the Justice System is especially important for immigrants, such as myself, because in order to adapt to a country and its culture, you need to understand the rules that hold together the society and environment that surrounds you. It is important for us to know about the laws we live by. I say this because we might know about the basic laws such as ‘Don’t steal’ or ‘Don’t go above the speed limit’ but our community is evolving and with that comes more sophisticated laws. In order to obey these laws we must actually know them.

A way to educate ourselves is through a common resource we all use daily. Through school, by asking our teachers or through educational field trips.

We can also ask our parents about these laws, as being adults, the law is common knowledge for them. But the largest resource we regularly use is the technology we have access to, particularly the internet. As kids living in the 21st century we all should know how to use basic technology and utilize it to our benefit.

These are the types of things we can do to understand the law and knowing these laws will be the first step to a better life. You might wonder why or how but obeying laws has a big impact on

your future and the career you might want to pursue. For example, if you do not abide by the laws and want to work for a large company as a truck driver the employer might not consider you if you have had a lot of speeding tickets.

The way you act now will have a large impact on your future which is where the famous quote

by John Heywood comes in - ‘Look before you leap’. This quote was very wisely said as it gives quite a lot of guidance in 4 words. I certainly hope that you all indefinitely “Look before you leap”.

New Business in Town: “Time to Grill” at 80th Ave x K.G.Blvd

Surrey

Owner: Mian Saeed

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Rajab 18, 1441H March 13, 2020

hea l th

Prime Minister outlines Canada’s COVID-19 response

For immediate release March 11, 2020 Ottawa, Ontario Prime Minister’s Office OVID-19 is a rapidly evolving global challenge. The Government of Canada is working closely with local, provincial, territorial, and international partners to minimize its health, economic, and social impacts in Canada and around the world. We have worked closely with Canada’s trained public health and medical professionals to put in place the plans, infrastructure, and resources needed to protect the health and safety of all Canadians.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today outlined Canada’s whole-of-government response to COVID-19, by establishing a more than $1 billion COVID-19 Response Fund.

This comprehensive approach includes measures already underway to respond to the outbreak, as well as new investments to limit the spread of the virus in Canada and prepare for its possible broader impacts on our people, our economy, and our small businesses.

In addition to continuing our work to ensure a coordinated response across the country, the Government of Canada is proposing new investments to respond in Canada and around the world. These investments will include actions to: Help Canadians make informed decisions and take action to protect their health and their communities by providing $50 million to support the Public Health Agency of Canada’s COVID-19 communications and public education efforts.

Further support public health preparedness by providing $500 million to provinces and territories for critical health care system needs and to support mitigation efforts as needed. This could include help to support with access to testing, acquisition of equipment, and to enhance surveillance and monitoring. Financial considerations should not and will not be an obstacle to hospitals and health systems making the necessary preparations. *Provide support to workers in quarantine or who have been directed to self-isolate who

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will claim Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefits by waiving the mandatory oneweek waiting period so they can be paid for the first week of their claim. We are exploring additional measures to support other affected Canadians, including income support for those who are not eligible for EI sickness benefits. *Introduce enhancements to the WorkSharing program to help support employers and their workers who are experiencing a downturn in business due to COVID-19.

Work-sharing helps keep workers employed and able to receive income support even as their hours of work may be reduced. These enhancements will double the length of time that employers and workers are eligible to use work-share from 38 to 76 weeks, and streamline processes so help can be accessed as soon as possible. *Support federal public health measures such as enhanced surveillance, increased testing at the National Microbiology Laboratory, and ongoing support for preparedness in First Nations and Inuit communities, by providing $100 million. This is in addition to an initial $50 million that was provided to support the immediate public health response. *Enhance Canada’s capacity in research and development, including research on medical countermeasures, including antivirals, vaccine development and support for clinical trials, by providing $275 million in additional funding building on top of the recent $27 million announcement to fund coronavirus research in Canada. *Ensure adequate supplies of personal protective equipment like surgical masks, face shields, and isolation gowns by providing $50 million to the Public Health Agency of Canada to support purchases for provinces and territories, as well as to address federal needs. *Address the worldwide outbreak and help more vulnerable countries prepare for and respond to the virus by contributing an additional $50 million to support the efforts of the World Health Organization and other partners.

To support businesses should the economy

experience tightening credit conditions, the Government will act swiftly to stimulate the economy by strengthening investment in federal lending agencies such as the Business Development Bank of Canada and Export Development Canada. This partnership between Canada’s financial Crown corporations and private sector financial institutions, in response to credit conditions during the 2008-2009 financial crisis, provided $11 billion of additional credit support to 10,000 firms. In addition, flexible arrangements could be made for businesses trying to meet payment obligations to the Canada Revenue Agency.

Through these and other measures, the Government of Canada will continue to protect the health and safety of all Canadians, ensure economic resilience, and contribute to the international response to COVID-19.

Quote “Our message to Canadians is clear: to every worker and business, in every province and territory, we have your back and we will get through this together.”

—The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada “Canadians have a history of coming together to confront big and serious challenges, whatever they may be. We have been working very closely with our provincial and territorial colleagues, and we will continue to do so. Today’s announcement is further proof of our commitment to keep Canadians safe and provide them with the help that is needed.”

—The Hon. Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister of Canada “The resources announced today will help our hospitals and clinics across the country respond to any surge in demand. They will also increase our ability to educate Canadians about actions we can all take to limit the spread of COVID-19. I thank all health care workers and organizations working so hard to protect the health of Canadians. We stand by you and will ensure that you have the resources you need to continue your vital work.”

—The Hon. Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health ‘’The fundamentals of the Canadian economy are strong. But we know COVID-19 is having

an impact on global economic activity, and our strong fiscal position means we are well positioned to respond to any challenges. This announcement demonstrates that the government is ready to act to protect Canadians and ensure that our economy remains strong.’’

—The Hon. Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance Quick Facts *Since February 4, 2020, the Government of Canada has deployed approximately 16 tonnes of personal protective equipment to China, to support its ongoing response to the outbreak. *On February 11, 2020, the Government of Canada provided $2 million to the World Health Organization to help vulnerable countries prepare and respond to coronavirus events. *On March 5, 2020, the Prime Minister created an ad hoc Cabinet Committee on the federal response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister and vice-chaired by the President of the Treasury Board, the committee comes together regularly to ensure whole-of-government leadership, coordination, engagement, and preparedness to limit the health, economic, and social impacts of the virus. *On March 6, 2020, the Government of Canada announced an investment of $27 million to fund coronavirus research. This will support 47 research teams from across Canada, with a focus on accelerating the development, testing, and implementation of measures to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak.

Associated Links *The Government of Canada Takes Action on COVID-19 *Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)- 30 PMO Media Relations: media@pmo-cpm. gc.ca. This document is also available at https://pm.gc.ca/

Researchers identify potential coronavirus vaccine and therapy targets

Researchers show that antibodies that can neutralize the virus that causes SARS can reduce how well the new coronavirus infects cells in laboratory studies. They also use an approved drug to reduce virus entry into cells. or live updates on the latest developments regarding the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, click here.

With global cases of COVID-19 surpassing 100,000, researchers are looking for ways to prevent new viral infections.

The new coronavirus, called SARS-CoV-2, has strong similarities to other viruses in the coronavirus family, particularly those that cause SARS and MERS. Two new papers appeared recently in the journal Cell, investigating how SARS-CoV-2 infects cells.

So, how exactly does the virus gain entry to cells, and why is it important to know this?

Understanding the target molecules that facilitate viral entry into cells is paramount to identifying how to stop this process from happening. Both papers report that SARSCoV-2 makes use of the same mechanism for viral entry that the SARS virus (SARSCoV) uses. More importantly, both research teams looked at ways of disrupting this process, using an enzyme inhibitor and antibodies against the SARS virus.

Coronavirus infection route The new coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, is a type of virus called an enveloped RNA virus.

This means that its genetic material is encoded in single-stranded RNA molecules surrounded by a cell membrane taken from the cell that it last infected.

When enveloped viruses infect a cell, they do this using a two-stage process.

The first step involves making a connection with a receptor on the surface of the target cell. The second is fusion with a cell membrane, either on the surface of the cell or at

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an internal location.

In the case of coronaviruses, the first step requires that specific proteins in the viral envelope, called spike (S) proteins, undergo a biochemical modification. This step is called S protein priming.

The enzymes responsible for S protein priming are potential therapeutic targets as inhibiting their mechanism may prevent a virus from being able to enter a cell.

“Unravelling which cellular factors are used

by SARS-CoV-2 for entry might provide insights into viral transmission and reveal therapeutic targets,” write the authors one of the new papers in Cell.

The senior study author is Stefan Pöhlmann, a professor for Infection Biology at GeorgAugust-University and Head of the Infection Biology Unit of the German Primate Center, both in Göttingen in Germany.

Pöhlmann and his colleagues show evidence that the SARS-CoV-2 S protein binds to the same receptor as the SARS virus S protein.

The receptor is called angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 or ACE2.

In fact, an earlier paper in the journal Nature had already implicated ACE2 as the receptor that allows SARS-CoV-2 to infect cells.

In addition to providing further evidence of ACE2’s role, Pöhlmann and the team also saw that, like SARS-CoV, the new corona-

virus S protein uses an enzyme called TMPRSS2 for S protein priming.

Importantly, they showed that “camostat mesylate, an inhibitor of TMPRSS2, blocks SARS-CoV-2 infection of lung cells.”

Camostat mesylate is a drug approved in Japan for the treatment of pancreatitis. The authors explain in the paper: “This compound or related ones with potentially increased antiviral activity could thus be considered for off-label treatment of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients.”

Towards a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine Pöhlmann and his colleagues also studied whether antibodies made by people who had a previous diagnosis of SARS would prevent SARS-CoV-2 virus entry into cells.

They found that antibodies against the SARS-CoV S protein reduced how well a laboratory model virus with the SARSCoV-2 S protein could infect cells. They also saw similar results with antibodies against S proteins made in rabbits.

“Although confirmation with infectious virus is pending, our results indicate that neutralizing antibody responses raised against SARS-S could offer some protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection, which may have implications for outbreak control,” the team writes in the paper.

Yet, Pöhlmann and his colleagues are not the only ones studying the potential to use antibodies to SARS as a vaccine for SARSCoV-2.

David Veesler, an assistant professor in Biochemistry at the University of Washington in Seattle, provides more evidence that the virus enters target cells via ACE2 in a paper published in Cell.

Along with his colleagues, he also studied antibodies against SARS S protein fragments to identify potential vaccines.

The team showed that antibody serum from

four different mice could reduce infection with a laboratory model virus containing the SARS-CoV-2 S by 90%.

But before a much-needed SARS-CoV-2 vaccine is available, more testing is required.

Clinical trials to show the safety and efficacy will form the basis of developing these vaccine candidates into safe products to use.

In Europe, the European Medicines Agency announced last month that it was taking “concrete actions to accelerate the development and availability of medicinal products for the treatment and prevention of the new coronavirus.”

Meanwhile, in the United States, the Department of Health and Human Services is collaborating with Janssen Research and Development, part of pharmaceutical company Johnson & Johnson, to develop a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. A clinical trial, sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases using a novel type of RNA-based vaccine, is also underway.

For live updates on the latest developments regarding the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, click here. powered by Rubicon Project Flu / Cold / SARSImmune System / VaccinesInfectious Diseases / Bacteria / Viruses Written by Yella Hewings-Martin, Ph.D. on March 9, 2020 - Fact checked by Paula Field New Latest news Intense exercise comes with risks for some people, experts caution Many dogs are prone to anxiety, study finds High blood pressure linked with lower mortality in older adults Researchers identify potential coronavirus vaccine and therapy targets Gut microbes could be key to treating ulcerative colitis Source: www.m/articlesedicalnewstoday.com

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Rajab 18, 1441H March 13, 2020

l i f esty l e

5 Ways to Deal With Online Bullying

By: Simonetta Lein GUEST WRITER GUEST WRITER Social media has revolutionized the world. It has given a voice to the voiceless, a platform to the underrepresented and a community to the isolated. But there is a flipside to this magical world, and a major feature of it is body shaming. The all-inclusive and accessible nature of social media is its biggest draw, but in some instances, it is also its most gaping flaw. It allows users who usually hide beneath the cloak of anonymity the opportunity to persecute, harass, ridicule and bully people round the clock with body-shaming comments on their every post and update.

As someone who lives in the spotlight, I’ve had firsthand experience with just how intrusive and upsetting online bullying can be. In the eyes of some, you’ll always be too fat or too thin, or too tall or too short. Or they will criticize your skin color, the clothes you wear, your hairstyle, your make-up, the way you talk and the opinions you hold. In short, anything to undermine you and make you question yourself, which in turn can lead to severe repercussions, such as depression and eating disorders.

A few years ago, after the publication of my first novel, I experienced how scary it can be when a fan turns into a real-life stalker

who not only writes about you, but obsessively follows you to public events. It was a terrible ordeal, but I learned from it, and it made me stronger.

For me, the real power of social media is about sharing a positive vibe and helping others. In keeping with that spirit, I’m happy to share some steps you can take to deal with body shaming and send the trolls back into their caves.

Know Your Enemy Body-shaming isn’t always as blatant as someone calling you “fat” or “ugly.” It can be incredibly subtle, and it could be from a so-called friend, but I guarantee it will still get under your skin in a million and one different ways. For example, someone might say something along the lines of, “You’ll never get a boyfriend looking like that,” or, “Should you be eating that?” Such comments may not be intended to hurt, but trust me, they have one purpose and one purpose only: to make you feel bad about yourself. I’ve got zero-tolerance for body shaming and am of the school of thought that if someone can’t say something nice, they shouldn’t say anything at all. Curating your social media could be an excellent place to start. Cut out the people, even if they are close friends, who directly or indi-

rectly support the poisonous culture of body shaming.

Don’t Feed the Trolls No one likes being ignored, and often the best way to deal with body-shamers is to pretend they don’t exist. In other words, don’t feed the trolls. Bullies only bully to garner a response. It validates their deeprooted negativity and proves that they have upset you in some shape or form. If you opt to treat them as something so inconsequential that they do not even deserve a reply, chances are they’ll soon move on to their next target.

Have a Battle Plan If ignoring body-shamers doesn’t work, it’s time to take action. In such scenarios, don’t lose your temper and act impulsively. It’s what they want. Take a cool, calculated and measured approach. Rehearse exactly what you want to say and why you want to say it.

Never fight fire with fire or stoop to their level. It may be tempting to lash out when someone is being mean to you, but you’ll feel a lot better about yourself in the long run if you take the high road and walk it. Remember, your opinion of yourself shouldn’t be dependent on the views of others.

Be Proactive and Positive Body shaming only works if those doing

The Honourable Marco E.L. Mendicino, P.C., M.P., Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, issued the following statement: “Every year, millions of people apply to visit or immigrate to Canada to enjoy the many opportunities that our country has to offer.

“The vast majority of these applicants are genuine and wish to come to Canada in good faith. Unfortunately, there are some dishonest people who prey on these individuals, and the Government of Canada is

committed to preventing applicants from becoming victims of fraud.

“It’s important to remember that no one can promise your application will be given special treatment or guarantee that it will be approved. All applications are assessed fairly and on the same merit.

“Hiring a representative or consultant to complete your application is not a requirement. All necessary application documents can be found on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website.

“Should you decide to hire a representative, always ensure they are authorized to do business with the government.

“To prevent immigration fraud, we must all remain vigilant. Remember: if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

“March is Fraud Prevention Month. To find out about common types of immigration scams and where to report immigration fraud, visit Canada.ca/immigration-fraud.

“You can also follow IRCC’s social media accounts:

Statement on Fraud Prevention Month

the shaming think you have negative hangups or are insecure about your body. Prove that you don’t. If someone criticizes your weight, then why not post another picture of yourself with the caption, “Happy in my own skin” or, ‘Living by my own rules”?

It’s your body, so own it! Don’t let the trolls dictate the terms of your happiness.

Learn to Love Yourself Finally, and most importantly, learn to love every aspect of yourself, flaws and all, if you’re to deal with the ugly face of bodyshaming successfully. Every one of us is beautiful, and no one has the right to tell us otherwise. When someone body shames you, it says a lot more about them than it does about you. They are the ones with real hang-ups and insecurities, and they’re just trying to compensate by making you feel the same way. Don’t let them!

Source: www.entrepreneur.com

•www.facebook.com/CitCanada •https://twitter.com/CitImmCanada •www.instagram.com/CitImmCanada •www.youtube.com/CitImmCanada

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Rajab 18, 1441H March 13, 2020

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Pakistan’s Field Hockey former Captain welcome in BC

On March 1st, Pakistani Canadian Community Association of BC (PCCA BC) and Pak Can Field Hockey Club jointly organized a wonderful event with Pakistan’s Field Hocket former Captain and living legend Shahbaz Senior at Taste of Lahore Restaurant Surrey.

Organizers Mr. Jhangir Khan, Sajid Hamid were prominent among other local field hock-

ey former and current South Asian players.

Shahbaz Ahmad is a former field hockey player from Pakistan who is also known by his nickname as “Shahbaz Ahmed Senior”. He is also known as the Maradona of hockey for his outstanding stick work. He is considered to be among the best forwards in the history of field hockey. He joined the Pakistan National Hockey Team

in 1986, and was captain of the national side, that led his team to the 1994 Men’s Hockey World Cup victory. He played a major role in Pakistan victories in the 1994 World Cup in Sydney, Australia and Champions Trophy 1994 in Lahore, Pakistan. He played at three Olympic Games, winning a bronze medal in 1992. He made his worldfamous run down against Australia in the

same tournament. He was also awarded by Hilale Pakistan and President Performance award by Govern met of Pakistani was a pleasure meeting with Shahbaz Senior after a long time. Among the guests MLA’S Jimmy Singh, Harry Bains, and Rachna Singh.

At the end, Local field hockey players were also awarded in this event by Shahbaz Senior.,

Lahore Qalandars claim 3rd straight PSL-V win, beat Peshawar Zalmi by 5 wickets Lahore Qalandars bagged their third straight victory of the 2020 Pakistan Super League on Tuesday, defeating Peshawar Zalmi by five wickets at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore.

The Qalandars, who were chasing a 188-run target set by Zalmi, finished at 189-5 with just one ball remaining — a visual that made for a nail-biting finish.

Player of the match Fakhar Zaman remained their top scorer, hitting 63 runs from 46 balls while Chris Lynn contributed 59 from 32.

Qalandars required eight runs from the final over and David Wiese and Samit did not disappoint, with Wiese seeing his team home in style with a six off the second-last ball of the innings.

Zalmi lost their first player on the second ball of the match, when Tom Banton was caught by Mohammad Hafeez off Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Samit Patel then dismissed Liam Livingstone in the second over while Kamran Akmal was caught by Haris Rauf off Patel in the fourth over after scoring 12 from eight.

Shoaib Malik (62 from 43) and Haider Ali (69 from 43) then stabilised the team’s ship until the former was caught off David Wiese in the 16th over. Ali was dismissed by Dilbar Hussain two overs later.

The Qalandars earlier won the toss and decided to field first against Zalmi in what was the 24th match of PSL’s fifth edition and the

second between Qalandars and Zalmi.

With nine points, having played nine matches, won four, lost four and being awarded a point after their fixture against Islamabad United was abandoned due to rain, the secondplaced Peshawar side need only one more win to become the second team to qualify for the play-offs after Multan Sultans.

On the other hand, today’s win four matches out of their eight and need takes Qalandars from the fifth place to the to win one out of their last two matches to third spot with eight points. They have won make it to the play-offs. Source: dawn.com

Dominant Australia crush India to win fifth women’s T20 World Cup A rampant Australia emphatically swept to their fifth women’s Twenty20 World Cup title on Sunday, crushing India by 85 runs in front of more than 86,000 fans at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia.

Alyssa Healy smashed a quick-fire 75 and Beth Mooney an unbeaten 78 as the defending champions plundered an ominous 184 for four — the highest score ever in a women’s T20 final. India could only manage 99 all out to end a 17-day tournament that reinforced Australia’s dominance of the sport, having now won five of the seven World Cups so far. The blockbuster showdown between the world’s top-ranked team and fast-

improving India was billed as the biggest in women’s cricket history. A #FilltheMCG campaign was launched to help bring the sport to a new generation and fans responded with 86,174 attending, despite fears about the deadly coronavirus that has seen other global sporting events cancelled or played behind closed doors. They were targeting the official world record for a women’s sporting fixture — set at the 1999 football World Cup final when 90,185 watched the United States beat China in California — but fell just short. It was nevertheless a record crowd for a women’s cricket game helped by the lure of pop superstar Katy Perry, who performed

before and after the game.

Australia came into their sixth successive final as heavy favourites, in contrast to India who were playing their first decider.

India had upset Meg Lanning’s team by 17 runs in the opening game of the tournament, but they never got a look in on Sunday. ca to watch her play, showed her intent with After Lanning won the toss, Healy, whose a boundary off Deepti Sharma’s first ball. pace spearhead husband Mitchell Starc jetSource: dawn.com ted back from Australia’s tour of South Afri-

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“I am pleased to extend warmest greetings on this occasion to our vibrant community on behalf of my family.�

Mohammed Iqbal Cheema ( Founder of Pakistani Canadian Cultural Association)

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Dil Apna Pakistan Fridays: Vancouver ; 11:00 Calgary 12:00 Sundays : Vancouver; 15:30 Calgary 16:30 DAPTV is Rocking in Western Canada

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 UNIT # 348, 8140128TH ST., SURREY.  604.763.7869 & 778.565.4416 (ARSHAD)

COMBO SPECIAL

Pizza Special: Small

Med.

Large

1 For

$10.99

$13.99

$15.99

Combo Choice # 1

Combo Choice # 2

6 Pcs of Tandoori or Fried Chicken + Salad and Fries + 1 Med. Pizza (Any Kind) + 2LTR Pop

8 Pcs of Tandoori or Fried Chicken + Salad and Fries + 1 Large Pizza (Any Kind) + 2LTR Pop

$29.99 +TAX

Combo Choice # 3

10 Pcs of Tandoori or Fried Chicken + Salad & Fries + 1 Large Pizza (Any Kind) + 2LTR Pop

$39.99 +TAX

2 For

Combo Choice # 5

$19.99

$24.99

$26.99

3 For

$28.99

$34.99

$39.99

10 Pcs of Tandoori or Fried Chicken + Salad & Fries + 2 Large Pizza (Any Kind) + 2LTR Pop

$52.99 +TAX

$35.99 +TAX

Combo Choice # 4

15 Pcs of Tandoori or Fried Chicken + Salad & Fries + 2 Large Pizza (Any Kind) + 2LTR Pop

$59.99 +TAX

Combo Choice # 6

10 Pcs of Tandoori or Fried Chicken + Salad & Fries + 2 Med. Pizza (Any Kind) + 2LTR Pop

$47.99 +TAX

VISIT BARNEY’S SPECIAL DEALS REGULAR MENU AT WWW.BARNEYSPIZZA.CA

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PICTURE PICTURE

604-690-0400

604-690-0400 miraclenews@telus.net www.miraclenews.com miraclenews@telus.net

www.miraclenews.com

15,26

NOOR JAHAN Grocery&Meat Store 5989-Fraser St.(E 44th St.) Vancouver

BCMA Approved Hand Slaughter

Chicken,Meat, Beef, Veal, Fish and many kind of Grocery available

Mohammad Lablu

604-301-9090

TANOLI TRAVEL

Special Rates for Pakistan Registered with FINTRAC & State Bank Of Pakistan License # 64824

Alpine Currency Exchange Ltd.

Your Great Value Travel Agent

We Buy & Sell all major Currencies No Transaction Fee for Pakistan

GBP, Euro, USD,Yen, Rupees, AUD* Wire Transfers New Location at

We serve for Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Fiji Middle East & other parts of the world at best fairs

Currency:604.503-8846 - 116-6638 152A St, Surrey;BC V3S 7J1, Travel: 503-8847

Main Location Surrey:#109-12827-76 Ave . off: 604.503.3652 cell: 604.618.3777