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Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012 - $1
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FEDERAL BUDGET 2012 : JOB CUTS, CHANGES TO IMMIGRATION AND OAS, AND PENNY ELIMINATED
Finance Minister Jim Flaherty presented the 2012 budget on March 29 that will lead to $5.2 billion in savings. Among costsaving measures - 19,200 public service jobs will be cut over next three years, penny will be discontinued, age for Old Age Security will be raised to 67, and backlog of immigration will be eliminated by returning older applications.
ICC rejects bid for Gaza war crimes tribunal
The International Criminal Court has halted a Palestinian Authority bid to clear the way for the permanent war crimes tribunal to investigate an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip that began in December 2008. “The office [of the prosecutor] has assessed that it is for the relevant bodies at the UN or the Assembly of State Parties to make a legal determination whether Palestine qualifies as a state for the purpose of acceding to the Rome Statute [the court’s founding treaty],” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement on Tuesday. The Palestinian Authority in January 2009 accepted the Haguebased court’s jurisdiction, asking prosecutor Luis MorenoOcampo to launch a war crimes investigation against Israel following the Gaza war. It wanted Moreno-Ocampo to look into “acts committed on the territory of Palestine” going as far back as July 2002. Moreno-Ocampo’s office then opened
a preliminary probe to see if there were grounds to proceed with an investigation. Tuesday’s statement, however, said the court’s reach was not based on a principle of universal jurisdiction and it could open investigations only if asked to do so by either the UN Security Council or by a recognised state. Palestine does not have full UN membership, though it has asked for it. Human rights groups on Tuesday strongly criticised the prosecutor’s statement, while Israel hailed the move. “Today’s decision appears to close the door for now on access to the ICC for victims of international crimes committed in the Palestinian Territories, at least until the General Assembly recognises Palestinian statehood,” Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, said. Marek Marczynski, head of Amnesty International’s International Justice campaign, added: “This dangerous decision opens the ICC to accusations of political bias and is inconsistent with the independence of the ICC.” “It also breaches the Rome Statute, which clearly states that such matters should be considered by the institution’s judges.” The military offensive left between 1,166 to 1,440 Palestinians dead, depending on the source. “Israel welcomes the decision on the lack of ICC jurisdiction,” the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement. “Israel made it clear in the first place that the ICC has no jurisdiction in this matter. While Israel welcomes the decision on the lack of ICC jurisdiction, it has reservations regarding some of the legal pronouncements and assumptions in the prosecutor’s statement,” it added, without elaborating. Source: Al-Jazeera
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Authorities in Fiji have warned of a cyclone bearing down on the country that is already struggling with devastating floods. Cyclone Daphne is expected to compound the damage in the South Pacific nation, authorities warned on Monday. Flash floods have claimed at least three lives and forced 8,000 people to seek refuge in evacuation centres while the country’s tourist industry has been brought to a standstill. A state of emergency is also currently in force. The Fiji Meteorological Service warned of an approaching cyclone and said more flooding on the main island of Viti Levu, where both Suva and Nadi are located, was expected. It forecast “damaging gale-force winds” with gusts up to 110km (68 miles) per hour and “severe flooding of major rivers, streams and low-lying areas including sea flooding of low-lying coastal areas”. A government spokesman said the situation was worse than January floods in which 11 people died, with twice as much rainwater falling in half as much time. Sharon Smith Johns, the permanent secretary of information, said Fiji has “had a bashing”, with water and power supplies cut in most areas, many roads closed and food supplies dwindling. Thousands of tourists staying in Fiji’s popular resorts were forced to contend with limited services as they waited for flood waters to recede enough to get to the airport, where they faced chaotic scenes. “The information we’ve been given has been terrible. They say flights are on but you turn up and they’ve been cancelled,” said Dorothy May Pechalaiya, whose flight back to London was delayed from Sunday until at least Tuesday. “I had to sleep on a bench (at the airport) last night and I’m going to have to do it again tonight, and I’m disabled,” she added, pointing to her walking stick. “I’m really angry about the way we’ve been treated.” Although Fiji has not called for international assistance, Australia and New Zealand said they were ready to help. The regional powers have had a fractured relationship with Fiji since Voreque Bainimarama, a naval officer, seized control in a 2006 military coup. John Key, the New Zealand prime minister, said they would work with non-government agencies rather than Bainimarama’s regime. “Typically what we’ve done in the past is give the resources to a non-government organisation on the ground we trust, say the Red Cross, rather than give it to the government to administer,” he told Radio Live. Bob Carr, the Australian foreign minister, said his government was ready to provide up to $1.04m (Aus$1m) to support disaster relief efforts while Qantas, the national carrier, promised to put on extra services to help tourists leave. Source: Al-Jazeera
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Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
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Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
US offers $10m for Hafiz Saeed , Pakistan asks evidence
The United States has offered a $10 million bounty for Lashkar-e-Tayyaba (LeT) founder Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, blamed for the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, reported by Daily times. The reward for Saeed, who makes frequent public appearances in Pakistan, was announced by US Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman in India on Monday and posted on the US government’s Rewards for Justice website. The money offered for information leading to Saeed’s arrest and conviction is the same as the sum offered by the US for Afghan Taliban supreme leader Mullah Omar. Only al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri commands a larger bounty – $25 million. Saeed is head of the banned charity Jamaatud Dawa, seen as a front for LeT. On March 27, he addressed thousands of people at a rally in Islamabad urging Pakistan not to reopen its Afghan border to NATO and US supply convoys. The Rewards for Justice notice said Saeed was “suspected of masterminding numerous terrorist attacks, including the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which resulted in the deaths of 166 people, including six American citizens”. Under the scheme overseen by the State Department, the US pays out bounties for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a named suspect. Washington also posted a $2 million reward for Hafiz Abdul Rahman Makki, described as LeT’s second-in-command.
The Pakistani Foreign Ministry said it had no immediate comment to make on the US announcement, while the government in New Delhi welcomed the move, saying it reflected the commitment of India and the US to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice. “It also sends a strong signal to LeT, and also its members and patrons, that the international community remains united in combating terrorism,” the Indian Foreign Ministry said. Dawa gave a defiant response, condemning the US move and saying it was made to “please India”. “Hafiz Saeed is not a fugitive, he is not on the run, he is not living in caves, he has not committed any crime and the court has declared him an innocent person,” Hafiz Muhammad Masood, the group’s central information secretary told AFP by telephone from Lahore. “He is continuing his activities and the bounty announcement will not affect them.”Pakistan put Saeed under house arrest a month after the Mumbai attacks. But he was freed in 2009. Pakistan said on Wednesday it wanted concrete evidence to proceed legally against the founder of a militant group who has been hit with a $10 million US bounty. Foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Basit said Islamabad would rather be presented with evidence about Hafiz Saeed than have a public discussion on the matter.“In a democratic country like Pakistan, where judiciary is independent, evidence against anyone must withstand judicial scrutiny,” the spokesman added in a statement.The reward for Saeed, the founder of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terror group blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, was announced by US Undersecretary of State Wendy Sherman in India on Monday.Saeed lives openly in Pakistan and has spent recent months making a number of highprofile appearances at demonstrations calling on the government not to reopen Nato supply lines to Afghanistan, which have been closed since November.Saeed, earlier on Wednesday, said he was ready to face “any American court” to answer charges.
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Violence broke out after Mansoor Mukhtar, a local leader of the MQM, the governing party in Karachi, was killed Karachi has observed a day of mourning following the murder of a local leader of the city’s governing Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) party, and the deaths of several others in subsequent violence in Pakistan’s business capital. Eleven people were killed on Tuesday and dozens were injured following the murder of Mansoor Mukhtar. The local MQM leader was attacked by gunmen in his house in a neighbourhood in the central part of the city early on Tuesday morning. His brother and sister-inlaw were also wounded in the attack. Mukhtar, and his brother Maqsood, later died in hospital. Violence broke out hours later when unidentified men took to the streets burning vehicles. A total of 35 vehicles were torched, the home minister of Sindh province, Manzoor Hussain Wassan, said. Later, three people died in gunfire in different parts of
the city. Angry protesters reportedly also burnt tyres and unknown men forced shop owners to close down their business. Aerial firing was also also reported in various areas. “The city is closed because a worker of MQM has been killed. Obviously, the daily wagers are suffering from this shutdown,” said Saeed Ullah, a Karachi resident, on Tuesday. Transport was suspended and most petrol stations were closed in fear of attacks and arson. A city of more than 18 million, Karachi has a long history of violence, and ethnic, religious and sectarian disputes and political rows can often explode into battles engulfing entire neighbourhoods. Street thugs and ethnic gangs have been used by political parties as foot soldiers in a turf war in a city which contributes about two-third of Pakistan’s tax revenue and is home to ports, the stock exchange and central bank. About 300 people were also killed last year - one of the deadliest years in almost two decades - in fighting linked to ethnic and religious tensions that plague Karachi. In one incident, 20 people were killed and dozens others injured in clashes between between armed activists of the MQM, and its breakaway faction, the Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQMH). According to the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, more than 1,000 people were killed in ethnic andpolitically linked violence in 2011. Central & South Asia
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Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
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i n t e r n a t i o n a l Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
Auditor general slams Canada’s plan to buy F-35 jets
Opposition parties accused Prime Minister Stephen Harper of dodging responsibility for the F-35 fiasco and said Defence Minister Peter McKay should be fired for allowing Parliament to be misled about cost overruns and other problems with the trouble-plagued $25 billion fighter purchase. “Ministers are accountable before Parliament and the Prime Minister is the first among them,” Mulcair told the media. “Did he (Harper) know that the information was false that the Conservative government was giving? If so, it’s unconscionable. And, if he didn’t know, frankly, it’s a question of incompetence.” The criticism mounted even as the Conservative government moved quickly Tuesday to quell the fallout from Auditor General Michael Ferguson’s scath-
ing report, which includes the stunning conclusion that the fighters could cost $10 billion more than the defence department has publicly acknowledged. Harper responded by freezing the budget for the controversial fighter jet purchase and stripped the defence department of responsibility for the procurement process, handing it instead to a new secretariat within Public Works and Government Services. As well, the Treasury Board will commission an independent review of the assumptions and potential costs used by the defence department for the F-35. And the defence department says it will look at options to replace the CF-18s. While Ferguson’s report takes aim at unnamed officials, Liberal and NDP officials questioned the oversight provided by Harper and his cabinet, particularly MacKay and Julian Fantino, the associate minister of defence. Both were outspoken boosters of the F-35, even in the face of repeated public reports of problems dogging the jet’s development. The Liberals accused the Conservatives of trying to dump responsibility for the procurement foul-ups on defence officials and called for MacKay to be demoted. Referring to MacKay, he said, “it’s time to fire a minister.” Public Works Minister Rona Ambrose led the Conservatives’ defence, saying the government will act on Ferguson’s recommendation that defence officials refine their cost estimates for the jet to become more transparent. The moves came immediately after Ferguson revealed that defence officials lowballed the costs of
the controversial F-35 fighter jet and kept Canadians in the dark about the risks of Canada’s participation in a project beset by delays and cost overruns. As well, he concluded that federal officials oversold the potential benefits of the jet purchase to Canadian companies, which has been a sales pitch used by Conservative MPs to justify their choice of the stealth jet. Alan Williams, the former head of defence procurement who left in 2005, said the ministers can’t escape accountability for misleading information presented around the F-35 purchase. “Notwithstanding the fact they may have gotten misinformation from bureaucrats, they’re not blind and dumb,” Williams said. In one damning conclusion, the auditor finds that defence officials kept MPs in the dark about the true costs of the F-35 — a decision that may force the Canadian Forces to “abandon” some of its capabilities to keep the new jet in the air. It also finds that even though defence officials were getting regular updates about the delays and cost overruns with the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program, none of those concerns appear in briefing materials from 2006 to 2010 to warn “senior decision -makers” about the potential problems. In another key finding in the audit, Ferguson said estimates of the value of spin-off contracts for Canadian producers from the aircraft purchase were inflated by government officials before being presented to ministers and parliamentarians.
Officials killed in Somalia theatre blast Al-Shabab rebels have claimed responsibility for an explosion at Somalia’s newly reopened national theatre in Mogadishu that killed at least four people, including two of the country’s top sports officials. Abdirahman Omar Osman, a senior adviser to the Somali prime minister said that at least four people were killed and dozens wounded in the blast on Wednesday. “It was a surprise and shock to us that a suicide bomber could come near Abdiweli Mohamed Ali [the Somali prime minister] who was giving a speech for the relaunch of the national theatre,” Osman said. He added: “I am shocked and saddened by the attack, but luckily the prime minister was not harmed in the incident.” The dead included the president of Somalia’s Olympic committee and the president of its football federation, according to Shafici Mohyadin, the federation’s secretary. “We were behind the theatre blast. We targeted the infidel ministers and legislators, and they were the casualties of today,” Sheikh Abdiasis Abu Musab, the spokesperson for al-Shabab’s mili-
tary operations, told the Reuters news agency. Abbas Abdi, a journalist in Mogadishu, said that a suspected female suicide bomber had detonated explosives at a celebration for Somali TV where the Somali prime minister, and other government officials were present. The reopening of the theatre on March 19 had been hailed by the government as signalling a marked improvement in security in the war-ravaged Horn of Africa country. But al-Shabab rebels, who pulled out of the capital last August, have continued to strike targets in the heart of the coastal city using roadside bombs, mortar and suicide bombers. Ambulance sirens wailed as they rushed people to hospitals after the blast. AlShabab said on March 14, after one its suicide bombers struck at the presidential palace, that more attacks would follow. The presidential palace has come under mortar attack several times in the last two weeks. The bombs have mostly fallen short, killing civilians. Source: Al-Jazeera
Deadly blast in Pakistan’s Khyber district A bomb blast in northwestern Pakistan has ripped through a passenger van, killing at least six people and wounding nine others, according to local officials. The most seriously wounded in Wednesday’s Khyber Agency blast were rushed to hospitals in Peshawar, officials said. “The passengers were going to town for shopping. So far we can confirm the death of six people while nine others are injured,” Shakeel Khan Umarzai, a senior administration official, told the AFP news agency. The van was carrying 15 men from Khurrakai village to Jamrud, the main town in Khyber district, when it was hit while passing through a ravine. Of the nine injuries, three were classified as ‘serious’ by Umarzai. “It is unclear that the blast was caused by an IED or a planted bomb in the van
but explosives were used,” he said. The casualty count was also confirmed by a doctor at a local government hospital where the dead and injured were transported. “We are treating six other passengers who were wounded while three seriously injured have been shifted to Peshawar,” Mohammed Anas told the AFP. Khyber Agency is one of seven districts in Pakistan’s semi-autonomous tribal belt, where Taliban and Al-Qaedalinked fighters have carved out strongholds used to plot attacks on Pakistani, Afghan and Western targets. The UN refugee agency announced last week that more than 100,000 people, mostly women and children, had fled the fighting in Khyber since January 20.
Texas tornadoes cause damage, injuries Tornadoes and violent storms raked through the Dallas area Tuesday, crumbling the wing of a nursing home, peeling roofs from dozens of homes and sending truck rigs into the air like footballs. More than a dozen injuries were reported.
Clinton warns of ‘destabilizing’ Iran options Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned Tuesday that a nuclear-armed Iran or a conflict over its ambitions would both destabilize the region as she pressed Tehran to make progress in key talks. As Israel voices growing impatience over Iran, Clinton credited US sanctions with inflicting pressure on the Islamic republic but warned of the “very difficult situation that the world faces” moving forward. “There is no clear path. We know that a nuclear-armed Iran would be incredibly destabilizing to the region and beyond. A conflict arising out of their program would also be very destabilizing,” Clinton said. “There is no way to balance this. You have two very difficult paths here,” Clinton told a dinner in Norfolk, Virginia, on a day trip to visit the only NATO command in the United States. Clinton, who traveled over the weekend to Turkey and Saudi Arabia, voiced concern that a nuclear Iran would trigger an arms race in the region. “We’re going to be looking for a way to try to convey the legitimate fears that people in the region have about what
comes next. Because if Iran were ever to get a nuclear weapon, the countries in the region are going to buy their way to one as well,” Clinton said. The United States has been threatening sanctions to press other countries to stop buying Iranian oil, the country’s chief moneymaker, as Israel voices fears that the Islamic republic is developing a nuclear bomb. Iranian officials insist that sensitive nuclear work is for peaceful purposes. Iran is expected to resume talks shortly with six powers -- Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States -- in the first such negotiations in more than one year. Clinton, speaking earlier Tuesday at the Virginia Military Institute, said that the talks offered a chance to resolve the nuclear row diplomatically but said that they should not be “open-ended. We expect to see concrete commitments from Iran that it will come clean on its nuclear program and live up to its international obligations,” Clinton said. Source: AFP
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i n t e r n a t i o n a l
Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
Mitt Romney tightens grip on GOP nomination with primary hat-trick
The victories enabled Romney to pad his already considerable delegate lead over Republican rival
Rick Santorum, who is under growing pressure to abandon his own candidacy in the name of party unity. “The right thing for us, I think, is to get a nominee as soon as we can and be able to focus on Barack Obama,” the former Massachusetts governor said in an interview Tuesday with Fox News. Despite the setbacks, Santorum, a former Pennsylvania senator, told supporters in his home state that he does not intend to quit the race. He vowed to keep battling until Romney is assured of the 1,144 delegates needed to secure the nomination at the party’s national convention in late August in Tampa, Florida. Maryland returns showed Romney gaining 50 per cent of the vote, compared with 29 per cent for Santorum, 11 per cent for Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, and 9 per cent for Texas Rep Ron Paul. In Wisconsin, with 4 per cent of the vote counted, Romney had 42 per cent to 39 per cent for Santorum, 11 per cent for Paul and 6 per cent for Gingrich. With 14 per cent of precincts counted in Washington, Romney had 68 per cent of the vote to 15 per cent for Paul and 12 per cent for Gingrich. Santorum was not on the ballot. Romney and Obama exchanged barbs Tuesday in further acknowledgement that both camps think the fall cam-
paign for the general election has already begun. Romney, who has cemented his lead over Santorum through overwhelming spending on television advertising, will face a better organised, better financed Obama campaign backed by the power of the presidency. Obama said things could be worse – and predicted they would be if Romney and Republicans got their way. He criticised Romney for supporting the budget plan introduced by Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, the influential chairman of the House Budget Committee. In a speech to the annual meeting of The Associated Press, Obama said the House-passed budget supported by Republicans was “antithetical to our entire history as a land of opportunity and upward mobility for everybody who’s willing to work for it ... It is a prescription for decline.” Obama’s re-election campaign is running a new TV ad in six swing states criticising the former Romney by name for the first time – in this case as a backer of “Big Oil.” Rising gasoline prices are shaping up to be a major campaign issue and the Republicans are trying to blame that on Obama. Romney responded Tuesday by accusing the president of trying to shift blame for the bad economy. For Romney, the end of the contested primary campaign could hardly come soon enough. Obama has gained in the polls in recent months, particularly among women, as Republicans vie among themselves for support from the party’s increasingly conservative base. Santorum has devoted more time to social issues – including birth control – than Romney, who has generally stayed focused on economic issues. Additionally, surveys indicate Americans are growing more optimistic about the overall state of the economy. Unemployment has fallen in recent months, but it is still at a relatively high 8.3 per cent of the work force. Source: Telegraph
Ex-Turkish president to go on trial General Kenan Evren, who went on to serve as Turkey’s president, is set t go on trial for his role in leading a 1980 coup that shaped the country until reforms cut back the power of the generals. An Ankara court will begin hearing the case on Wednesday against 94-year-old Evren as well as the other surviving architect of that military takeover, former air force commander Tahsin Sahinkaya, 87. Fifty people were executed, half a million arrested, hundreds died in jail, and many more disappeared in three years of military rule following the September 12, 1980 coup, Turkey’s third in 20 years. Evren’s trial, unimaginable only a few years ago, will be watched closely by hundreds of military, including top serving and retired commanders, as well as by civilians being tried now as members of the alleged “Ergenekon” and “Sledgehammer” coup conspiracies against Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan. It was a recent constitutional amendment that ended Evren’s immunity from prosecution over the coup. It is unlikely that Evren, now frail, will appear in court. The prosecutor’s office has said it could hear the testimonies of Evren and Sahinkaya via video link. Evren recently underwent intestinal surgery and Turkish media reported on Tuesday that he had also broken an arm. On Tuesday, Erdogan’s government, the opposition and parliament joined at least 350 individuals and groups applying to be coplaintiffs in the trial as aggrieved parties, meaning their grievances will be taken into account during the prosecution and possible sentencing phase. Erdogan said the government had decided it should
join the long list of those wronged. “The first and most important injured party of the coups in Turkey have been the government legitimately representing the nation,” Erdogan said in his weekly speech to his parliamentary party on Tuesday. “We will follow the case closely.” The 1980 coup leaders argue they were forced to intervene to restore order after years of chaos. The generals, known widely by their Ottoman title of “Pasha”, traditionally saw themselves as the guardians of a secular order set up by soldierstatesman Mustafa Kemal Ataturk from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire in 1923. They mounted a coup in 1960, which saw the hanging of the prime minister and two other senior ministers, and then again in 1971 and 1980 to oust governments they saw as a threat to that order. Each time the coups restored a revised form of democracy, and as recently as 1997 the army forced Turkey’s first Islamist-led government to resign. The country remains haunted by those traumatic times, when virtually the entire political class was rounded up and interned. Citing the ruling AK Party’s spokesman Huseyin Celik, Turkish newspaper Radikal said the authorities were removing the names of key figures in the 1980 and previous military coups from schools, streets, stadiums and military barracks “in a coup house cleaning”. “We need to erase the names of coup plotters from public institutions and from the names of places,” Celik said. “They’ve already been struck from people’s hearts.” Source: Al-Jazeera
Syria violence rages despite peace pledge Syrian forces have attacked several opposition bastions despite a ceasefire pledge, according to activist reports, as Russia said the opposition would never defeat President Bashar al-Assad’s army even if “armed to the teeth”. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said troops began shelling several towns and villages early on Wednesday. “From the Turkish border in the northeast to Daraa in the south, military operations are ongoing,” Rami Abdel Rahman of the Britain-based group, told the AFP news agency. “Tanks are still shelling or storming towns and villages before going back to their bases.” The opposition group said 58 civilians and 18 soldiers were killed on Tuesday in assaults taking place even as Assad pledged to implement by April 10 a peace plan brokered by UNArab League envoy Kofi Annan. Two separate explosions also rocked areas in and around the capital Damascus, killing at least seven people and causing damage to buildings. The first explosion occurred at the Barza neighbourhood in the capital early on Wednesday. No casualties have been reported. Syrian state media said that unidentified gunmen hurled three bombs before they ran away, adding that three parked cars were smashed in the attack. Syrian TV aired footage of the aftermath of the blast, showing torched cars and shattered windows of nearby buildings. The second explosion took place in Beit Sahem near Damascus, when an explosive devices went off while being prepared by “terrorists” in a two-storey building, state-run SANA news agency reported, adding that seven people were killed in the blast. Opposition activist said at least 15 people were killed in the explosion. Among the killed are four children and two women, SANA said, giving no details about the bodies of the “terrorists” who were allegedly preparing the explosives. Sergei Lavrov, Russia’s foreign minister, said on Wednesday that under-equipped rebels would never be able to defeat Syria’s military, and warned of “carnage” for years to come if the violence continued. “It is clear as day that even if the Syrian opposition is armed to the teeth, it will not be able to defeat the government’s army,” the Interfax news agency quoted Lavrov as saying while on a visit to the former Soviet nation of Azerbaijan. “Instead, there will be carnage that lasts many, many years - mutual destruction.” Lavrov said that two groups of Syrian opposition representatives would visit Moscow in the coming days and that Russia would be using the meetings to convince them that it wants to help resolve the year-long crisis. Annan on Monday told the UN Security Council that Assad had agreed to “immediately” start pulling troops out of protest cities and complete a troop and heavy weapon withdrawal by April 10. The United States however accused the Syrian leader of failing to honour his pledged troop withdrawal. “The assertion to Kofi Annan was that Assad would start implementing his commitments immediately to withdraw from cities,” US State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told reporters on Tuesday. I want to advise that we have seen no evidence today that he is implementing any of those commitments,” Nuland said. Seeking to assuage some of the humanitarian concerns, Walid Muallem, the Syrian foreign minister, on Tuesday said his government would do its utmost to ensure the success of a Red Cross mission in a meeting with the organisation’s head, Jakob Kellenberger, who was in Damascus to seek a daily ceasefire. Source: Al-Jazeera
Attack on Afghan government outpost kills 10
Gunmen attacked an outpost of a government-sponsored militia in western Afghanistan and killed 10 members of the security force, officials said Thursday. Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi claimed responsibility for the attack. Militants armed with assault rifles stormed the outpost of the militia
Continued on pg 15
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e d i t o r i a l
Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
FEDS ELIMINATE 300,000 IMMIGRATION SEEKER WITH JUST ONE STROKE
The act of the Federal government of Canada contained in the veil of its fiscal budget for the ensuing year, in the form of gruesome axing of almost 300,000 innocent visa seekers, confidently warrants all around denunciation by people with prudent thinking and judicious mindset. The shocking state of barefaced discrimination on the part of the government lacks any logical, prudent and justifiable approach. It has preferred to adopt the whimsical mode of action by unilaterally selecting the axing of those ill-fated people, whose only fault is that subsequent to the submission of their applications on or before February 27, 2008, for seeking the status of Permanent Residence in Canada, they were looking forward with eagerness to their respective turns with anticipation and absolute patience for more than six years. Regardless of the clarifications provided by Jason Kenney, Honorable Minister of Immigration, Citizenship and Multiculturalism, there is no room for any doubt that this undeserving and unjustified step of the Federal government is contrary to the well-established ethical values of equity, justice and good conscience. There is no law directing to support the impulsive behavior of the persons in power that may eventually result in the instant grievous and irreparable damage to the hundreds of thousands of people. No court would ever sustain such a fictional decision, which is flagrantly violative of even the fundamental tenets of law. The ongoing system of judicial belief endorses only those government actions that are in perfect tune with the canons of usual justice, although it performs under the law of the land only. The clarification provided by the Government hardly consoles the people, who have been left in the biting cold only in such an unusual fashion. It has miserably failed to assuage the injured psyche of the hundreds of thousands of those ill-starred people
and their dependants, whose dreams of an optimistic and cheerful life in Canada have been mercilessly dashed to the ground by the current regime. In a positive way, the said autonomous decision of the national government of this gives rise to questions mentioned hereinafter, which need to be directly answered with the plausible justification by the Hon’ble Minister to the satisfaction of not those 300,000 ill-fated people alone, but even the people beyond that fold: 1. What provision of the law allows the government’s action of the hard-hearted dismissing of almost 300,000 applications, just in one severe blow only? 2.Does this act show that the government intends to conceal its incompetence in dealing with the applications meritoriously, which are currently in queue and are waiting for their respective turns for the more than six years and it finds this dismemberment of the applications to be the easy most way for getting rid of them in such a callus fashion, by embracing this imbalanced policy? It, however, forgets to bear in mind that the adoption of such like shortcut methods seldom help to justify an otherwise unjustified act disseminating grave injustice on a massive scale. What is the credible clarification of the government with regard thereto? 3. No doubt, the government undertakes to refund to the applicants the amounts respectively received from them on account of the Processing Fee, at the time of the submission of the applications. The question that raises at the moment is that who would owe the responsibility of paying the statutory interest at the compound rate, for all that period the government retained and utilized their money, which definitely comes to billions of Canadian Dollars, when calculated. In the said eventuality the amount of the interest so accrued would by itself come to millions of dollars at the
L E T T E R S
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budget put forward yesterday, and the proposed changes to the immigration policy By Amer Khan, Prince Rupert, BC of the government, that hope is being takAs a Canadian citizen, who came from Paen away from her and 300,000 others like kistan in December 1999 as a landed immi- her. Due to cultural norms and practices in grant, i feel blessed to be part of this society. south asian countries, one of my parents, It has given me opportunities and hardships, whom i had sponsored to come and live sometimes in equal doses. I was and am of with me, has to stay with her, so that she the belief that this is relatively just and fair can go to work and raise her daughter. If society. But i have my doubts now. there was a provision to apply for her imMy younger sister, who is a widow with a migration as the last of our family member young daughter, had applied to immigrate outside the country, i could have done it, to Canada in summer of 2005. She had but sadly that was not the case. over the years waited very patiently for her My plea is that there should be some other turn to come here and live a good life. She way that the backlog could be cut down, has appeared in IELTS and French Lanlets say by hiring more staff at certain guage tests. She is working as a primary locations and expediting the process. This teacher since 2002. In late 2010, her file is just a reminder that these are not just was transferred from Islamabad to London, 300,000 files but peoples with dreams and one of many thousands, in an effort to clear desires and hopes, which might be shatthe backlog that was clogging the immigra- tered with one stroke of the pen. tion system. But she was hopeful. With the
Immigration Backlog
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minimum. Would the government make good the payment of the amount of interest as well, just how it actively charges interest on late tax payments etc? Ancillary question that may emerge from the above situation is that who would in the Harper regime, come forward to owe the accountability for such a huge loss accruing to the national exchequer? 4. The question is not of the reimbursement of the Principal Amount alone to the applicants, but also of other secondary miscellaneous expenditure incurred by them in relation to the submission of their papers to the Authority concerned. Will the government also refund that amount? Even that amount will come to millions of dollars, when calculated and will further lay its burden upon the national exchequer. Who will be answerable for this entire untidy situation? 5. Can the far-fetched decision of the government at the helm of the affairs be supported by any acceptable canon of the law, equity and good-conscience in any way and would it be able to face the judicial scrutiny, before the Federal Court or the Supreme Court of Canada? 6. What is the justification with the Canadian government behind its forgetfulness that even immigrants have contributed a great deal towards the strengthening and solidification of the financial health of Canada? Is the newly adopted irrational policy of the government a befitting award for the over-the-top contribution of the foreign immigrants, the majority of whom come from the Asian countries like China, India, Pakistan and Nepal etc.? 7.Presently, the value of the Canadian currency has tremendously increased, as compared to its value at the time when the applications were submitted to the Canadian immigration offices abroad. Now there arises a very important question, whether the Harper government would reimburse
the victims in accordance with today’s rate of exchange of the Canadian dollar? If not, then would the refund at the old rates be not tantamount to fleecing those ill-fated people, which is against the Canadian values of justice and uprightness? 8. The individuals at the helm of the affairs of the Conservative government of the day are at the moment failing to apprehend that this ill-advised, imprudent and impulsive step will cost expansively to the Tories in the long run, as regards the political prospects of this party and it is doubtful whether this party would ever be able to stage its return on the treasury benches in the house of commons? In view of the aforesaid reasoning, it is imperative for the government of Canada (and the time is still there) to retrace its reckless and injudicious step instantly and abstain from the extravagance of playing with the sentiments of more than 300,000 ill-fated people and their dependants, who are being castigated for no fault of theirs. Instead, all the field offices abroad ought to be served with the instructions to revert to the old policy to clear up the piles of their backlogs at the earliest possible strictly in the order of the receipt of the applications, so that the visa seekers are admitted into the country on merits for the realizations of their most treasured dreams and aspirations. Further, the government needs to deal with those applications in an absolute nonpartisan manner where there is no bias and prejudice against those victims of the high-handedness of the political administration of Canada.
Waan laysa lil insani illa ma’ sa’aa That man can have nothing but what he strives for.
O P I N I O N S
Iranian-Israeli Internet ‘Lovefest’ By Gulshan Aalani “The Jewish Daily Forward website, and other sources, are reporting upon this positive phenomenon of Israelis and Iranians reaching out to each other, to renounce war. Unfortunately, these do not include the decision makers in their respective governments. Still, this Forward story includes recent survey data showing 50% of Israelis “completely opposed to an attack on Iran, even if diplomatic efforts to stall the nuclear program failed” and 78% knowing “that even a successful attack would at best delay Iran’s acquisition of an A-Bomb by a few years.” On Saturday night, March 17, 2012], two
graphic designers, Israeli couple Ronny Edry and Michal Tamir uploaded photos of themselves superimposed with a logo saying, “Iranians, we will never bomb your country; we the Facebook page of Pushpin Mehina, a small preparatory school for graphic design students. In no time, others were copying the meme and the Facebook page garnered a thousand “likes.” “No sooner had the Israelis started posting
Continued on pg 11 IMPORTANT NOTE: We do not publish anonymous letters or the letters of the people who do not disclose their identity to ‘The Miracle.’ A writer can use a pen name or request ‘The Miracle’ to withhold his / her identity. Please include your daytime telephone number for the confirmation of your letter. We regret the inconvenience.
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Contents Editorial & Letters Int. News Local Special Articles Faith Health Sports Urdu
7 5,6 15 14,20,21 15, 16, 25 8 11 27 28-36
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Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
f a i t h
How to Wake up for Fajr?
How do you wake up for fajr? And I don’t mean wake up for a day or two, but how do you keep waking up for fajr, constantly, everyday, without fail. There’s loads & loads of websites online giving you tips and advice on how to wake up early. But our focus is not on worldly tips (which should be taken by all means,
part of tying the camel), our focus is on the spiritual means. My dear brothers/sisters, every day when you read Surat Al-Fatiha, at least 17 times a day, you recite the verse “You Alone we Worship, and You Alone we Seek Help from”: You want to worship Allah? “Yes!” You need His help then. You want to wake up for Fajr? “Yes please!” Guess what, you need Allah. You cannot, I repeat, cannot, wake up for fajr without Allah’s help. Now ask yourself the question, what can I do to show Allah that I truly and utterly want to wake up for fajr?! Have you ever had days when you’re about to go to sleep, and you have this deep feeling that you’ll definitely wake up for fajr? And have you ever had days when you know for certain that you’ll oversleep? Imagine the two scenarios, which I’m sure some of us have gone through: Scenario 1: You feel high with Eman, you’ve prayed your witr, read some Quran, and even though you’ve got 2 hours to sleep till fajr, you’re certain you’ll wake up because you’ve set your mind, heart and body to
make sure you wake up. In fact, sometimes you keep on waking in the middle of the night thinking it’s fajr time out of fear that you’re going to miss it. If you haven’t experienced this, think of a time when you had to catch an early flight or a bus/ train, and think of how your mind, heart and body were switched on, and it doesn’t matter what time you slept, you’ll wake up. Scenario 2: There are days when deep down you really don’t want to wake up, you hope that you “oversleep” so you feel less guilty about it, and Allah may have mercy upon you and still wake you up, and that’s when the battle with the snooze alarm starts and the classic shaytaan trick “just 5 more minutes…” begins. How do we maintain scenario 1 everyday? With these 2 scenarios, one details a feeling deep down inside that you’re definitely waking up, and another where you know you won’t wake up because deep down inside you don’t want to and you’re not ready to take the fight against shaytaan of waking up in the morning. Below I detail some practical and spiritual tools, that will help you in achieving scenario 1 all the time inshaAllah: Spiritual Tools • Know who Allah is: This is the key and number one tool to waking up for Fajr. If you know Who you’re worshipping, and you know that He requests that you get up in the morning and pray to Him, you’ll wake up. It’s our lack of understanding of who Allah is that makes us slump into scenario 2 all the time. Know your Lord, that’s key. • Sincerity: Be sincere about waking up for fajr, don’t just say to yourself: “InshaAllah, it’ll be nice if I wake up for fajr” be sincere about it, and say: “I will wake
up for fajr” I find it useful sometimes to talk to myself about it before going to sleep and say: “I will wake up for fajr, i don’t care how, but I’ll definitely will!” • Wudu before sleep: Ibn Abbas reported that Allah’s Messenger said: “Purify these bodies and Allah will purify you, for there is no slave who goes to sleep in a state of purity but an Angel spends the night with him, and every time he turns over, [the Angel] says, ‘O Allah! Forgive Your slave, for he went to bed in a state of purity.” Do you think that such a person would be left to oversleep and miss fajr? • Witr Prayer + Dua: Make sure you don’t sleep before performing your witr prayer, and supplicate to Allah during your Witr prayer to help you wake up for Fajr, remember, “You Alone we Worship, and You Alone we Seek help from” • Read some Quran: Ending the day with verses of the Noble Quran will sure put your focus straight on waking up for salaat. Prophet Muhammad used to recommend that we recite Surat Al-Sajdah, and Surat Al-Mulk (Chapters 32 and 67) before going to sleep. • Remember Allah before you go to Sleep: This is part of the first point I made, and you can find all the supplications you need to recite before going to sleep here. You might need to print them off and read them off paper at first, but within a week or two you should be able to memorize them fully and just recite them before dozing off. • Remember the rewards attached to Fajr Salaat: from being safe from being a hypocrite, to having light on the day of judgement, to being under Allah’s protection the whole day, to having laziness removed from us that day and being productive. Remember these rewards and you’ll sure wake up. Other tools I use that help me a lot: Ask a friend/family member to wake you up: This is the number one rule for me to wake up. Get a family, friend, spouse to wake up, and help each other, if you get up before them, don’t be selfish and make sure they are awake too. • 1.5 hours sleep rule: Aaaah.. here’s a secret trick, there’s a theory in the Sleep science that says that every human being completes an entire sleep cycle in 1.5 hours, therefore, if you can wake up at
Hadith Qudsi 3: On the authority of Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhaniyy (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) led the morning prayer for us at al-Hudaybiyah following rainfall during the night. When the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) finished, he faced the people and said to them: Do you know what your Lord has said? They said: Allah and his Messenger know best. He said: This morning one of my servants became a believer in Me and one a disbeliever. As for him who said: We have been given rain by virtue of Allah and His mercy, that one is a believer in Me, a disbeliever in the stars (2); and as for him who said: We have been given rain by such-andsuch a star, that one is a disbeliever in Me, a believer in the stars.
the end of a multiple of 1.5 hours (e.g. 1.5 hours, or 3 hours, or 4.5 hours..etc) you’ll wake up fresh and rejuvenated. Otherwise, you’ll wake up lazy. So if fajr is at 5am, and you sleep at 12am, make sure you set your alarm at 4.30am, because that gives you 4.5 hours to sleep. (Of course, if you take 1/2 an hour to fall to sleep, you might need to add that into your calculation). • Nap in the afternoon: Another lifehack, taken from the Sunnah and recommended by many, make sure you nap in the afternoon, for just 20 minutes! yup, just 20 minutes. Trust me, for the past 3 years, I’ve mastered the 20 min nap, and everytime it never fails to rejuvenate me. If you need to train yourself to nap for that long, I highly recommend www.pzizz.com, a wonderful software that trains you for these short naps, it’s what I used to train myself. • Promise yourself a grand breakfast if you wake up for Fajr: I’m a breakfast guy, so if I wake up early, I sure like to have a big breakfast. Sometimes I look forward to my breakfast from the afternoon before, and just like a small reward, treat yourself to a massive breakfast in the morning. It’ll definitely set your day straight as well inshaAllah. Well, that’s all I can think of. If you think of new ideas, or you have other ways to wake up for fajr and hence keep up your productivity boost, give me a shout in the comments section below! Source: Productive Muslim
INA LILAH WA INA ILAYHI RAJI’OON
It is with great sadness that we report the passing away of
From March 9 - 23, 2012 (R.ul Thani-2-16, 1433H)
- Rai Abdul Ghafoor Khan - Sr. Zubeda Akhtar (of New Westminister originally from India, wife of Br. Zahoor Akhtar) - Br. Mahdi Osman Halane (of Richmond originally from Somali, son of Br. Osman Halane) We pray to Almighty Allah (S.W.T) for His mercy, to forgive all there sins and reward them with the best place in paradise, janaatul firdous and to give patience to the family, Ameen.
J.ul. I 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29
April 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Day Fajar Fri 5:09 Sat 5:07 Sun 5:04 Mon 5:03 Tue 5:01 Wed 4:59 Thu 4:57 Fri 4:55 Sat 4:53 Sun 4:51 Mon 4:49 Tue 4:47 Wed 4:45 Thu 4:43 Fri 4:41
SunR Zawa1 Dhuhr 1:15 1:20 6:39 1:14 1:19 6:37 1:14 1:19 6:34 1:14 1:19 6:33 1:14 1:19 6:31 1:13 1:18 6:29 1:13 1:18 6:27 1:13 1:18 6:25 1:13 1:18 6:23 1:12 1:18 6:21 1:12 1:17 6:19 1:12 1:17 6:17 1:12 1:17 6:15 1:11 1:17 6:13 1:11 1:16 6:11
AQEEM USS SALAAT
Isha Asr Maghrib 9:24 5:49 7:56 9:25 5:50 7:58 9:26 5:52 8:00 9:28 5:53 8:02 9:30 5:54 8:03 9:32 5:56 8:05 9:33 5:57 8:07 9:35 5:58 8:08 9:37 5:59 8:09 9:38 6:00 8:11 9:39 6:01 8:13 9:41 6:02 8:14 9:43 6:03 8:15 9:44 6:04 8:16 9:43 6:05 8:18 Source: BCMA
(Establish Prayer)
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Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
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Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
p o l i t i c s
Finding the Wisdom We Need to Survive
By: Robert C. Koehler I’m far more interested in forgiveness than justice. I say this just to calm myself down after a morning of media overkill, so to speak. There are so many murdered mothers and children in the news, some with names and faces, so many just adding anonymously to one death toll or another. An Iraqi mom, 32 years old, is beaten to death in her house in El Cajon, Calif. A note by her body reads: “Go back to your country, you terrorist.” Was it a hate crime? An isolated incident? The guy who killed Trayvon Martin is still at large, somewhere. But his 2005 mug shot is everywhere, making him the poster child of vigilante justice. Do I have to reduce the killer to that viral scowl to feel compassion for Trayvon? Dehumanization, the death of the human soul, is now reaching an advanced stage and its consequences are spreading across the country and the planet like global warming. I feel my own immune system
breaking down. I can’t absorb the news anymore without hearing a deep alarm go off somewhere, insistent, berserk. It’s not just the violence. Violence is a symptom - of social brokenness, alienation, profound disconnection at so many levels, perpetuated by our institutions and popular culture. So I think about the deaths of Trayvon Martin and Shaima Alawadi and the Afghan civilians allegedly murdered by a lone, drunk American soldier (with the implausibility of the official scenario of yet another lone gunman growing in magnitude) and I feel myself groping for so much more, in all these tragedies, than - at best - the discharge of sterile justice. The soldier, whisked out of Afghanistan, is sequestered in a holding cell in Kansas: “Sgt. Robert Bales Joins Military’s Notorious Criminals at Ft. Leavenworth,” ran the ABC News headline. This is like a cartoon show of crude stereotypes. And we’re told he could get the death
Islamic Supreme Council of Canada (ISCC) During the month of Ramadan, we need HUFFAZ (memorizers of the holy Qur’an) for Taraweeh prayers. Please contact me immediately, if you are a Hafiz and interested in leading the Taraweeh prayers. You must be a Canadian resident and follow the AQEEDAH of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jama’t, Hanafi Fiqh. 1. Calgary: Five Huffaz needed 3. Toronto: Two Huffaz needed 5. Edmonton: One Hafiz needed
2. Montreal: One Hafiz needed 4. Vancouver: One Hafiz needed
Thanks,
Syed Soharwardy Phone: 403-831-6330
penalty, the ultimate in sterile, meaningless justice, especially considering that it would be the outcome of a U.S. military trial and serve the purpose of shutting up the scapegoat for good. We know, in our hearts and guts, that something more is necessary here than the playing out of bureaucratic logic, as though the murder of 17 people is a procedural error. This is not a matter of “break the rule, pay the fine,” yet as a society we lack sufficient wisdom to think about it any other way. How can we know so little? How is it that we lack, as a society, what we once had, that is to say, wisdom and a sense of connection to the larger whole? “It is an Ojibway teaching,” writes Rupert Ross in Returning to the Teachings, “that healthy relationships - and ‘a good life’ - depend on constantly cultivating seven attributes: Respect, Caring, Sharing, Kindness, Honesty, Strength and Humility.” I’m sick of hearing ideas like this ground cynically into self-parody or reduced to idealistic singsong: Can’t we all just get along? I’m sick of cynicism itself and society’s unchecked impulse to create enemies, an impulse that serves so many agendas in our Darwinian world. I refrain, as a matter of spiritual discipline, from turning even neighborhood-watch gunman George Zimmerman into my enemy or nailing his arrogantly grimacing picture up at my personal altar of hate, much as I shudder at the Florida law that empowered him, allowing him to “stand his ground,” stalk and murder a black teenager. What good does it do to hyper-simplify the complexity not just of the crime but of the
loss? All crimes, but especially murders, rend the social fabric, tear open the soul; all crimes occur in a context; and they are committed by whole, complex people acting from their unconscious depths. Western bureaucratic justice is incapable of bringing wisdom to any of this. And it is incapable of, and has no interest in, helping victims and survivors heal from their tragedies. It just wants to balance its books. “Western law,” writes Ross, “seems to assume we are captains of our own ships and that each of us is equally capable of moving out of antisocial behavior on our own, just by deciding to do so. Traditional wisdom suggests that each of us rides a multitude of waves, some stretching back centuries, which we cannot fundamentally change and which will still confront us tomorrow.” We cannot kill our way to peace. Understanding this, I wish only for a moment of collective calm and a social shift toward forgiveness. Let the moment be fleeting, but let us feel the harm we keep inflicting on ourselves and then both seek and bestow forgiveness for all we have done. And let us drop our weapons, if only for that moment, so we can understand that it’s possible. Robert Koehler is an award-winning, Chicago-based journalist, contributor to One World, Many Peaces and nationally syndicated writer. His new book, Courage Grows Strong at the Wound (Xenos Press) is now available. Contact him at koehlercwgmail.com or visit his website at commonwonders.com
Human Care BC Society, Vancouver, B.C.
APRIL 2012 AN APPEAL FOR FIJI FLOOD SEEING THE CRITICAL NEED FOR IMMEDIATE EMERGENCY AID THE HUMAN CARE BC SOCIETY IS REPEATING ITS APPEAL FOR THE VICTIMS OF FIJI FLOOD FOR AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE Fiji Is Experiencing A Severe Flooding (March 29th To Date) Which Is Worst Of Any Flood Fiji Ever Saw. There Is Devastation All Over The Islands. People Did Not Recover From The January Mishap, And This Act Of Mother Nature Has Sent The Entire Population, Years Behind. All Schools In The Low Lying Areas Have Been Closed For A Week Now And The Chance Of Reopening Soon Is Very Slim. MORE ARE AT RISK OF SUFFERING FROM FOOD AND MEDICATION SHORTAGE IF WE DONOT PLAY OUR ROLE NOW THE HUMAN CARE BC SOCIETY, WITH YOUR HELP HAS DISPATCHED A CONTAINER LOAD OF FOOD HAMPERS AND CLOTHING AND IS PLANNING TO SEND MORE FOOD AND RATION VOUCHERS TO THE NEEDY, BY THE 15TH OF APRIL* (*THIS WILL COINCIDE WITH THE ARRIVAL OF OUR CONTAINER IN FIJI)
EACH FOOD VOUCHER IN FIJI WILL BE FOR
FIJI $50 WHICH MEANS CDN$30, ONLY e.g. 10 VOUCHERS = $300.00 PLEASE PLEDGE AS MANY VOUCHERS AS YOU CAN. TO PICK YOUR PLEDGE AND FUND, YOU MAY PHONE ANY OF THE FOLLOWING DIRECTORS: 1. ADAM BUKSH 2. IMRAN ALI 3. AHMED ALI 4. HASSAN MALLAM 5. DAUD BUKSH 6. ABDUL JALIL 7. SAIYED ALI 8. IRSHAD MOHAMMED 9. NIZAMUDDIN DEAN
PRESIDENT TREASURER SECRETARY MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER MEMBER
604 596 7865 604 597 7721 604 591 7631 604 572 8123 604 590 6332 604 597 0321 604 599 9557 604 594 7869 604 582 8651
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Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
Premier Clark reaches out to BC Muslim Community Arguably for the first time in the history of BC, the Muslim community was actively engaged in dialogue by the Provincial government at the Premier Level. On March 26, several Muslim community members convened in Vancouver for a meeting with Premier Christy Clark in her office. The meeting was coordinated by former Liberal MP, Sukh Dhaliwal upon the request of Premier Clark and began with the recitation of Holy Quran by Maulana Abdul Latif Naumani. Dhaliwal then introduced the format of the meeting and acknowledged that this is the first step and some community members may have been missed in the invitation. However, this is only the beginning of regular active dialogue of the provincial government with Muslim community. Premier Clark recognized the importance of faith based organizations and their role in helping Canadians and new immigrants in staying strong and placed in roots. “Canada’s greatest strength is that we do not just tolerate people from all countries, we welcome people from all faiths and all countries”, said Clark. Representatives of various Muslim associations including BC Muslim Association, other religious organizations, Pakistani, Afghani and Somali associations as well as Muslim businesses and charities introduced themselves to the Premier and discussed their common goals for the community. Several issues were brought up by some of the representatives such as educating youth, empowering women and enhancing their access to social services, representation of
Muslims on boards and funding for cultural organizations. Premier Clark listened attentively to the concerns of the attendees and addressed the key issues. She mentioned the importance of faith for youth as it teaches them important values, shared between all faiths. She also invited the community to nominate Muslim community members for Govern-
ment and Crown Corporation Boards where they may be eligible and forward the nominations to her office. Upon hearing from some members that the government has not actively reached out to the community in past, Clark replied “ I am sorry to hear that Muslim community felt shunned by the Premier Office but I promised they will not be shunned by this government.” The
meeting ended with the Premier expressing her commitment to reach out to the Muslim community and work with faith based organizations in serving British Columbians. Attendees thanked the Premier and Sukh Dhaliwal for coordinating this effort and left the meeting with a greater sense of community and realization of the power of unity.
Pakistan Day Celebrated at Consul General Residence
L E T T E R S
Letter : Continued from pg 7 their own versions on the Facebook and the Israel Loves Iran blog, then the Iranians came up with their response”. (http:// meretzusa.blogspot.com/2012/03/iranianisraeli-internet-lovefest.html) WOW! This is remarkable and unbelievable, SubhanAllah. It takes one person to stop wars and one person to start wars. Kudos to the Israeli peace-maker initiators, the best of the people.
&
This honest campaign proves the ‘People Power’ to teach and correct the leaders for their evil dream of destroying others, also proves there are plenty of ‘good’ people around in both the communities. This proves our belief of the Holy Scripture: “We are One community”: We are still one people, genetically still attached”. I hope this Campaign keeps going and hopefully the whole world will join in and declare: “No war, we will not allow to kill others”. May GOD bless such peace initiators.
O P I N I O N S
Americans in Afghanistan! By M Hajee, Surrey The Americans are NOT in Afghanistan to restore democracy or to “improve” the country in any shape or form. The ONLY reason they are there is because Afghanistan has over $3 TRILLION worh of mineral deposits and the Americans would like to be the ones to exploit these. The Afghanis are not stupid people, they realize all of this. They kicked out the Russinas and they will also kick the Americans out of their country. The only hold-up is the people at the top echelons
of the Governemt are US puppets (e.g. Karzai); which is why they do not take any action when the Quran is burnt or 16 innocent civilians get killed by a mad soldier. If this was done by any other country’s soldier other than USA, e.g. French, they would have kicked out their diplomats from Afghanistan that very day. But idf it is the USA? Well, they turn their eyes elsewhere! It is only a matter of time before there is a civil war and such corrupt politicians such as Karzai are also kicked out.
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Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
h e a l t h
Sweet and toxic: Is sugar really ‘poison’?
How could something so sweet be so bad for you? That’s exactly the point. Sugar in all forms -- from the refined stuff in the bowl on your table to honey and high fructose corn syrup -- is a key contributor to many of our diet-related diseases and conditions, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer, according to Dr. Robert Lustig, professor of clinical pediatrics at the University of California, San Francisco. In an interview Sunday withDr. Sanjay Gupta on “60 Minutes”, childhood obesity expert Lustig cited sugar as the source of an American public health crisis. While Americans’ sugar intake has declined significantly since the 1970s, our diets are now filled with processed foods containing the artificial sweetener, high fructose corn syrup, the show reported. “The problem is they’re both bad. They’re both equally toxic,” Lustig told “60 Minutes.” According to recent estimates, about 16 percent of the total calories in American diets comes from added sugar -- mostly in the form of soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks, grain-based desserts like cakes and cookies, sugar-sweetened fruit drinks, ice cream and other dairy desserts and candy. These highly palatable foods and bever-
ages contribute a lot of calories with few nutrients, and crowd out healthful fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and the nutrients those foods provide. But not all experts believe sugar alone is the dietary devil. “It’s important to highlight that we get ourselves into trouble whenever we focus on one dietary attribute exclusively and ignore all the rest,” says nutrition scientist Dr. David Katz, the well-regarded founding director of Yale University Prevention Research Center. Although Katz agrees that an excess of sugar -- fructose or any other form -- is harmful and that it’s wise to limit it in the diet, he adds, “It’s not sugar that’s the poison, but the dose that makes the poison.” Currently, the American Heart Association recommends up to 100 calories (25 grams) per day of added sugar for women, and 150 calories (about 38 grams) for men. That’s much less than you might think: 100 calories of added sugar is found in 1/2 cup chocolate ice cream (56 calories) plus one cup of low fat chocolate milk (45 calories). One can of regular soda contains 126 calories from added sugars. Despite emerging evidence that links high added sugar intake with chronic health problems, until we know more, it doesn’t
help to completely eliminate sugar if other areas of our diet are lacking. Or as Katz explains, “When we focus on just one nutrient -- however important it is -- we tend to lose the forest for the trees. The food industry will be happy to give [us] whole new cartloads of ‘low sugar,’ artificially sweetened junk food. It will be low in sugar, but will still be junk food.” There are easy ways to lower your daily added sugar load: Sidestep soda. Instead of grabbing for a sugary drink, hydrate with club soda, seltzer, plain or sparkling water, or unsweetened iced tea -- all of these can be sweetened naturally with some fresh fruit or veggie slices or a splash of 100 percent fruit juice. Look past the lump. Sugar grams listed on Nutrition Facts panels on packaged and processed foods and beverages lump naturally occurring sugars -- lactose in milk and fructose in fruit -- and added sugars together. Until that changes, rely on ingredients lists to know whether the product you are purchasing contains added sugars. Learn the lingo on labels. Although it’s no surprise that baked goods, dairy products like flavored milk and yogurt, salad dressings, sauces, and condiments have added sugar, some sources like whole wheat bread,
peanut butter, and crackers may seem less obvious. Look for the following terms on ingredients lists—they all spell sugar: high fructose corn syrup, white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, raw sugar, malt syrup, maple syrup, pancake syrup, fructose sweetener, liquid fructose, honey, molasses, anhydrous dextrose and crystal dextrose. Find your sweet spot. Before you reach for dessert, have some fresh or frozen fruit or some unsweetened low-fat milk or yogurt to fill you up before you dig in. Choose only the sweets you love most, and stick to a small portion, such as a few bites of cake or ice cream, one small cookie, or small square of chocolate. If you go overboard on added sugars, know that you’re human; cut calories elsewhere that day and try to avoid a sweet attack the next day. To find out how much added sugar is in your favorite foods, you can check out the U.S Department of Agriculture’s Food-APedia at https://www.choosemyplate.gov/ SuperTracker/foodapedia.aspx Elisa Zied is a New York registered dietitian and contributor to msnbc.com. To follow, pin, like, or learn more about Elisa, visit www.elisazied.com
B.C. hospitals get mixed grades in national study Almost half of B.C.’s large hospitals performed below average in some key areas of health care, according to a new online tool that allows British Columbians to view the track records of 68 hospitals in this province. For the first time, the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) has created a database that shows how hospitals across the country measure up to other hospitals of the same size. In one portion of the lengthy report, CIHI compared how hospitals performed in seven areas: readmission for further care after treatment for both heart attacks and strokes; mortality rates after heart attacks and strokes; readmission after hip and knee surgeries; and mortality after major surgery. Of the 15 large B.C. hospitals, six were found to perform below average in at least four of those seven categories: Prince George (Northern Health), Richmond (Vancouver Coastal), and Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Langley and Peace Arch (all Fraser Health). Of the 22 medium-sized B.C. hospitals, CIHI found four performed below average in at least four of the seven posttreatment areas: Kootenay Boundary and East Kootenay (Interior Health), Dawson Creek (Northern Health) and St. Joseph’s (Vancouver Island). Dr. Robert Halpenny, CEO of Interior Health, is not concerned about some of his hospitals’ below-average marks, noting there could be a variety of explanations. However, he said his staff will closely ex-
amine the data on hospitals that performed both well and poorly. Halpenny added this new online tool will be helpful to patients, but cautioned them not to conclude a hospital isn’t safe just because it got a poor performance mark. He compared using the database to Googling an ailment on the Internet and making a self-diagnosis. Fraser Health spokesman Roy ThorpeDorward said patients should not be worried about the level of care provided at the four hospitals in his region that received lower performance marks, arguing it is unrealistic to expect all hospitals to specialize in every discipline. “While we recognize that this report makes it easy to make comparisons between hospitals, it would be misleading to judge the overall performance of a hospital based on this report alone,” he said. Fraser Health already knew some facilities had challenges in areas where they received poor performance ratings, he said, adding other hospitals in the region were rated top in the country in various treatment areas. In the four categories in which Richmond Hospital was deemed to perform below average (stroke readmission and mortality, and readmissions after hip and knee replacements), Vancouver Coastal Health argued the number of procedures done are too small to provide meaningful data, said spokeswoman Trudi Beutel. That is because Richmond sends stroke victims to VGH, and hip and knee surgeries to UBC hospital. Despite Vancouver Coastal’s dispute with
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some of the performance ratings in the report, it does consider the new tool useful. The Ministry of Health will use CIHI’s information “as a road map” for future hospital improvements, spokesman Ryan Jabs said. “Patients should not be concerned about the treatment they receive at any hospital in British Columbia ... While some facilities
are performing worse than the Canadian average in some areas, the rates are still good,” Jabs said. CIHI examined 21 clinical “indicators” of patient care, including the prevalence of C-section births — for which B.C. continues to have higher rates than most other provinces. Source: Vancouver Sun
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Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
Pakistan Canada Association celebrates 72nd Pakistan Day
Pakistan-Canada Association once again held a celebration event for the Republic Day of Pakistan For the past 49 years Pakistan-Canada Association has been holding events marking this important day in our nation’s history. It was a free event for the community which was attended by over 400 people came to join a highly entertaining event. The event began with a growing tradition for PCA events, the raising of the flag of both Pakistan and Canada. The Consul General, Mr. Shuja Alam, along with members of the community stood and raised the
flags as the anthems of both nations played. Shuja Alam, the Consul General of Pakistan for Vancouver, Sukh Dhaliwal, former MP, and Bruce Ralston, MLA were prominent guests. The event moved indoors with Master of Ceremonies Kamran Hayat. President Arfan Malik In his opening remarks highlighted the Resolution of Pakistan which was approved at the into Park Lahore on 23rd of March, 1940 . Award Ceremony was held after Maghrib prayers. Delicious dinner was served at the end of this enjoyable free family event .
More than half of Canadians mistrust Muslims, poll says More than half of all Canadians believe Muslims can’t be trusted and nearly as many believe discrimination against Muslims is “mainly their fault,” according to the results of a new national survey released on March The online poll of 1,522 Canadians, commissioned by the Montreal-based Association for Canadian Studies and Toronto-based Canadian Race Relations Foundation, also highlights how Canadians see the Internet as by far the leading conduit for racism in the country, and that more than one-third of respondents say they’ve “witnessed a racist incident” in the past year. ACS executive director Jack Jedwab described the results as a “disturbing” sign that racism not only remains a problem in the country but that many Canadians feel comfortable holding transparently discriminatory views, then saying things like: “If we feel this way about you, it’s your fault.” Ayman Al-Yassini, executive director of the Canadian Race Relations Foundation, said the findings provide more reasons to promote better inter-faith and intercultural relations and to “build bridges among different communities” in Canada to combat discrimination. “This is also more evidence that the Internet has become the major vehicle for spreading hatred and prejudice,” he said. The data was gathered via
web panel over the past weekend, March 17-18, by the polling firm Leger Marketing. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 2.9 per cent, 19 times out of 20. Asked if Muslims can be trusted, a countrywide total of 52 per cent of respondents said either “not at all” or only “a little.” Conversely, 48 per cent of those surveyed said they trusted Muslims “a lot” or “somewhat.” No other group asked about in the survey registered such low levels of trustworthiness. Overall, 71 per cent of respondents expressed significant levels of trust in Protestants, 70 per cent trusted Catholics, 69 per cent trusted Jews, 64 per cent trusted aboriginal Canadians and 63 per cent trusted immigrants. Among French Canadians — who regularly register stronger negative responses than English Canadians do toward Muslims — 70 per cent of those surveyed expressed little or no trust in Muslims, compared with 43 per cent of English speakers who said they felt that way. On the question of who deserves blame for such negative feelings, Muslims again fared significantly worse than other groups in Canadian society. Fortytwo per cent of respondents said they agreed (either “strongly” or “somewhat”) with the statement: “If there is Continued on pg 27 dis-
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Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
R
oofing & enovation Solutions
Miracle’s Building Construction and Maintenance series
Imran Tipu, B.Sc. Civil Eng. In our series of articles for roofing and renovation solutions, this sixth article is regarding the building envelope system. The building envelope is the total system of construction materials and design components that control temperature, movement of air, and moisture both into and out of the building. A building’s insulation, air barrier and vapor barrier all need to work together to achieve a more stable, comfortable and healthier indoor environment. Many new materials and design practices are being implemented to extend the sustainable service life of buildings and homes. What is a Building Envelope? The building envelope includes all the building components that separate the indoors from the outdoors. Building envelopes include exterior walls, foundations, roof, windows and doors. The performance of the building envelope is impacted by a number of sub-systems, such as heating, cooling and ventilating equipment, plumbing and electrical systems. The interaction of the sub-systems with the components of the building envelope, as well as certain activities of the occupants can affect the performance of the building envelope. The Purpose The building envelope should keep out: • Extreme temperatures
• Moisture, as vapour or liquid • Dust • Wind Additionally, to maintain durability, the building envelope should not permit weather elements to be trapped inside the walls. This may cause wall components to deteriorate, and continue to decay. In the early stages, it can usually be remedied relatively inexpensively. As time progresses, however, costs rise exponentially. Periodic Building Maintenance The building envelope, like a car, requires regular inspection and maintenance. Do not be lulled into thinking, “We haven’t had any complaints so everything must be OK!” Some maintenance guides suggest the exterior of the building does not need much attention in the early years. Numerous failures of building envelopes in the costal climate zone of B.C. suggest that it is wise to have an inspection program in place that starts in the first year of occupancy in a building and continues annually thereafter. This inspection must be done by an experienced professional. If problems can be detected early, before obvious damages are caused, they can be remedied at much less expense. The Signs of Building Envelope Problems • Mould or fungi formation • Rotting of wood • Water flowing down the sides of the building instead of running off from the eaves and drainpipes • Wind blowing through the walls • Peeling paint
• Cracked or missing sealants (caulking) • Water stains on inside walls, ceilings or inside the foundation • Gaps that allow the weather to get through the walls • Pools of water on the decks • Windows that possess moisture on the inside. These problems may not all be related to a failure of the building envelope: • Some may be localized maintenance items that can be fixed relatively inexpensively • Some may be caused by interior systems in the unit. For example, an un-vented clothes dryer will create moisture inside. Some are caused by certain activities of the occupants. For example, hanging wet clothes inside will create excessive moisture. Entering Rain into Building Structure Generally there are three factors which are needed for water to penetrate into a building: the presence of water on the exterior of the building, an opening for the water to move through, and a driving force (such as wind or gravity). Wind will create a pressure difference between indoors and outdoors. In both face seal and rain screen systems, this pressure change occurs primarily at the most airtight element in the wall construction. This air-tight material is referred to as the air-barrier. Face seal refers to a strategy for rain penetration control that relies solely on the elimination of holes in the exposed exterior face of the assembly. Face sealed walls rely on creating a completely impervious barrier to water at the outer face of the wall. This is also the air barrier, thus it is at the surface at which the pressure drop occurs. This surface is frequently wetted, and any imperfections in the face seal will certainly lead to air movement through the holes, which in turn will create the driving force
required to bring theater into the wall assembly, and trap it there. Theater remains in the wall or dries slowly, causing deterioration of wood components. Rain screen assemblies refer to a construction strategy for rain penetration control that relies on the deflection of the majority of water at the cladding but also incorporates a cavity which provides a drainage path for water that penetrates past the cladding. Rain screen technology recognizes that some incidental water may penetrate the exterior cladding, but allows this water to drain through the rain screen cavity. Rain screen technology can come in many different designs, and has been evolving since its earliest use in the late 1940s. In the example shown below, the air barrier is illustrated to occur across the sheathing paper that is on the exterior surface of the sheathing. The cladding is not air tight, and in fact, deliberate openings are left to facilitate drainage and drying. The pressure drop therefore occurs primarily at the sheathing paper. By moving the pressure drop away from the cladding, the driving force is removed from the cladding, which greatly reduces the potential for water to move past it. The small amount of water that does pass through the cladding drains through the cavity, allows the interior of the wall assembly to dry. For more information about this topic or to obtain any renovation services, please visit: www.rtmroofingandrenovations.com
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Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
PAKISTAN DAY CELEBRATED IN LOWER MAINLAND WITH MANY COLORS
By Tauseef Waraich Pakistani Canadian Cultural Association (PCCA) is pleased to announce the success of the Pakistan Day show on March 24, 2012 at the Royal King Palace in Surrey, BC. Local participation exceeded the total capacity of one of the biggest private halls in the lower mainland. The Pakistan Day show was made colorful by the Pakistani flags, luxurious five star set up of the Royal King Palace, Pakistani National dresses and participation by all walks of life. The program started with the recitation of Quraan
by Ashraf Maitla and followed by a Naat that was recited by six years old Emaan Nadeem and appreciated by hundreds. Canadian national anthem was sung by vocalist and guitarists Alexandria Maillot. When violinist Pranav Singh played the Pakistani National Anthem, audience could not help singing along. By then, the program had officially started and the participants were engaged. Tauseef Waraich and Rizwan Shawl were the two MCs of the show who walked out of the curtains with up-beat music. Out of
Afghan : Continued from pg 6 known as the Afghan Local Police late Wednesday in Farah province’s Khaki Safed district, said provincial police chief Shamsul Rahman Zahid. They shot a guard who was posted outside, then pushed into the compound and opened fire on those inside, said Abdul Khaliq Noorzai, the district administrator. Another two militia members were dragged outside and shot dead, said Zahid. Four militiamen survived the attack, he said. The Afghan Local Police are a force created with the help of the American military. They have been described as an armed neighborhood watch. The members come from the local community and receive a small government salary to man checkpoints and oversee security in their area. They receive a few weeks of training before starting the work. The attacks appear to be part of an increase in violence at the beginning of the spring fighting season. During the harsh Afghan winter, snow often blocks roads and fighting dies down. Also on Wednesday, a Taliban suicide bomber on a motorcycle killed at least 10 people, including three American soldiers, at a park in northern AfghanistanThe Taliban are targeting Afghan and NATO security forces as they fight to assert their power and undermine U.S. efforts to try to build up the Afghan military, which will take the lead in combat responsibility over the next couple of years.
many dignitaries present, many of them delivered short but impressive speeches, including Honorable Minister Jason Kenney (Immigration Minister), Honorable Consul Shuja Alam, MLA Adrian Dix (BC NDP Leader), Dr. Gulzar Cheema, Kulwinder Sanghera of Red FM, Charan Gill of PICS and PCCA President Nassar Khan. PCCA Shields were presented to the dignitaries and awards were distributed among deserved individuals from all walks of life. Syeda Nayab Bukhari and Khalid Abdullah presented a beautiful presentation about Pa-
kistan which will remain in people harts for many years. Live entertainment included five segments of fashion show which was the highlight of the evening. Live music was then continued by Alex, until the end of the show, passed mid night. PCCA thank all sponsors, ROYAL KING PALACE management, support staff, media and volunteers to help us putting this historic show together and making it successful.
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Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
A world without paper
Hajrah Mumtaz MY great-grandmother was born into a world where the only method of transport was animal-powered. She was a teenager when she saw her first train in India, which she described as a “miracle”, and she lived to fly around the world. She died at the cusp of the Internet age, and I often wonder what she would have made of it. It is in the nature of things that during every period of human history, there are inventions and developments that people think are truly epoch-changing. But it is also possible to identify certain inventions and technologies that can truly be said to have changed the way the world worked, never to go back. The internal combustion engine was one of them, electricity and telephony were of similar significance, as was the invention of the moveable metal type printing press. The last was ‘invented’ by goldsmith Johann Gutenburg in 1440. (The method of moveable type printing was originally invented in China earlier in 1041AD, using clay type. It did not replace the then traditional method of printing from individually carved wooden blocks because of, it is conjectured, the numerous thousands of characters in the Chinese language.) But in 1440, Gutenburg’s work changed the world. Before that, there was no method of mass producing the written word and the world of ideas was almost exclusively the preserve of the priestly and other elites. By the end of the century after the printing press was invented, though, books were being mass produced in over 2,500 European cities. And now, we are living in an era where something we have lived with and the presence of which we have taken for granted for nearly six centuries seems to be on the cusp of being replaced by newer technology. The development of the Internet by American computer scientist Vinton Cerf in 1973, and the worldwide web in 1989 by British computer scientist Timothy Berners-Lee is giving the printing press a run for its money, and then some. I may be overstating matters in saying that the word, physically printed on paper, may be going out of commission. But it is certainly undeniable that the online method of distribution is gaining more and more currency (and saving more and more trees). And one of the victims — beneficiaries? — is an institution much more venerable and at least as influential as Kodak, which filed for bankruptcy earlier this year. After 244 years, the Encyclopaedia Britannica announced last month that it had decided to cease the publication of its famous line of reference books — once an essential that graced the bookshelves of the well-to-do and erudite. It will, instead, concentrate on its digital offerings. “We’d like to think our tradition is not to print,” said company president Jorge Cauz, “but to bring scholarly knowledge to people.” And why not, for which parent — no matter how smitten with the idea of a college-educated child — would spend
upwards of $1,000 on a print edition, which last ran to 32 volumes, when a basic online subscription costs a mere $1.99 a month? Resultantly, the 2010 edition of the Britannica is the last that we will be able to leaf through in the traditional fashion. Apparently, some 4,000 sets of that edition remain in the market for sale. Cauz said that over the past few years, the print edition accounted for less than one per cent of the company’s revenue: “The market is not there”, he pointed out. Meanwhile, the online edition of the encyclopaedia has been available for 20 years, and is updated virtually constantly. Meanwhile, the newspaper industry also initially took a hit, both through readers switching to online sources of news and the global economic downturn which caused a general tightening of the belt, particularly in the US. Many of the major newspapers have adapted revenue-generating models to suit the Internet, and most offer continually updated online versions. While observers say that it no longer seems as likely as it did three years ago that the newspaper will disappear, certainly new business models have to be (and are in many instances in the process of being) created. And there are a few instances where prominent newspapers have had to favour online presence, such as the Christian Science Monitor which in 2008 ceased its daily print edition in favour of a daily online and weekly print format. A printed product that you can physically leaf through is beginning to look less like the smart option. This is not just because of the number of trees that are pulped every year to make paper — and this is an entirely valid concern in an increasingly resource-scarce world — but because a reduction in printing costs means that the product can be sold for less too. E-books and newspaper, magazine and encyclopaedia subscriptions generally cost less than the paper version. And then, there is the fact that online records can be breathtaking in the size of their scope and accessibility. Finding a New York Times edition from 50 years ago in paper is a bit of a challenge, but online it is a mere click away. Yet when I was given a Kindle, I had strong reservations. I like my books to, well, be books: I appreciate the texture of the page, the note written in the margin by some other reader, even the ink stain left when the material made someone start in surprise. Also, I like collecting books and derive pleasure from having them neatly lined, ready to provide information or entertainment as the case may be. And yet, I now see the point of the ability to carry around with you, in one small paperback sized device, a library of hundreds of books and a capacity so large as to be meaningless. The march of time produces unexpected results, but the road is always interesting. The work of Cerf asnd Berners-Lee may in time prove of even more significance that Gutenburg’s, though he was the one who paved the way.
Urdu : a language of music and poetry
‘Urdu” is a Turkish word which means ’‘army’. It was formulated by the interaction of foreign army, merchants and immigrants to India. Today it is the national language of Pakistan and is quite similar to the neighboring country’s national language, Hindi. In fact its grammar and sentence structure is quite similar to Hindi. While the structure of Urdu remained essentially Indian, the vocabulary was greatly influenced by Persian. It also derives some matter from Sanskrit, a language still spoken in the city of Multan in Pakistan. Urdu spread all over India through administrative structure under Muslim rule that introduced it as the medium of instruction. The forte of this language is its very rich literature that has some master pieces. Poets like Mirza Ghalib,Allama Iqbal,Faiz Ahmed treated the language as a bridge between their thoughts and the readers. They also gave the gems of their beautiful poetry to the language. Lofty thoughts may be written in any language, they have a universal appeal. Urdu is now losing ground against English. In order to keep pace with the material progress of other countries. Pakistan had to adopt English so Urdu had to be pushed to the background. Now, however, it is recovering. Those who cherish poetic and aesthetic sensibilities and know Urdu, prefer to express in Urdu. It embellishes, adorns and adds charm to prose and poetry. About poetry Wordsworth says,“
It is a spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings.” This aptly characterizes Urdu. The intensity with which powerful feelings can be expressed in Urdu is matchless. The language is full of elegance, dignity, magnificence and splendor. It adds grace to the speech. Discipline acquired in Urdu pronunciation chisels unwanted elements of our sounds. Punjabi, Hindi have borrowed many words from Urdu and Persian that has added new sounds to these languages. It beautifully covers both the parameters of expression. You can give forceful commands and at the same time switch over to petal like politeness at will. The resonance of songs we listen from Hindi movies have been composed by Urdu lyric writers who have added melody in our lives. Some of these lyricists are: Javed Akhtar, Shakil, Sahir, Qateel Shifai,Shakeel , Hasrat Jaipuri ,Anand Bakshi , Gulzar, Anu Malik ,Neeraj etc. Sweet songs,melodious music, comforting cadences profusely pour into our ears. I don’t think cine goers can ever forget classical movies like Pakeeza, Umrao Jaan and Mughal-e-Azam. Here in BC, mushairas are held by Canada Urdu Association, usually at Almadina restaurant at 93 ,Scott Road Surrey. This organization is purely literary in its mission and motives. Naad foundation has started classes for learning this beautiful language. One can learn to read Urdu in 8 hours ( in eight, one-hour sessions). Let’s not link any language to a particular ethnic group. It is basically a medium of self expression. More languages we learn the better it is.
IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR ALL READERS The Miracle Media Group has been serving the community for almost 11 years. The management has kept and maintained newspaper boxes at the entrances of the Mosques entrances for the facility of Miracle’s readers to avoid violation of any regulations by the mosques. It also keeps the newspapers to be scattered around the place by wind and other elements and inadvertently, creating a problem on Mosque premises. We also avoid forcefully distributing the copies in your hands and leave it on your discretion to pick up the copy at your convenience without disrespecting Islamic literature and pictures. Therefore, we request all of you to continue using the newspaper boxes to obtain a copy of your favorite newspaper. In spite of repeated requests, it is being observed that different newspapers are still using Miracle boxes without prior consent. Such businesses are asked to respect business ethics and principles.
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Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
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Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
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Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
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Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
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Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
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Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
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Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
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Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
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lifestyle
Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
PART 2: Causes & Solutions for Hypothyroidism
What Causes Hypothyroidism? The most common cause of hypothyroidism is inflammation that damages the thyroid tissue. The biggest culprit is what the food terrorist did in the early 1980’s. They changed from conditioning white breads with iodine to using bromide a highly toxic chemical that causes severe digestive inflammation (more reasons to avoid white bread). They also encouraged people to drink fluoridated water, brush their teeth with fluoridated toothpaste and heavily sprayed their fruits and vegetables with pesticide made of fluoride. The most toxic substance on earth is Mercury, Fluoride and Lead are tied for 2nd most toxic substances on earth. By introducing severe toxins into our diet and removing iodine that used to support healthy thyroid function, they set the stage for massive illness to plague all ages. You see – bromine, fluorine and iodine belong to the same family of chemicals on the Periodic table; however iodine is essential food for our thyroid, where fluoride and bromide are 100% toxic poisons that inhibit the performance of the thyroid. This damage causes the body’s immune cells that normally fight infection, to attack the thyroid leaving it incapable of producing enough hormones. Hypothyroidism is also often seen in post partum women and is mistaken for post partum depression (like in my case). While rare, disorders to the pituitary or hypothalamus glands in the brain can also lead to this and other hormonal imbalances. Be aware that some drugs can interfere with thyroid hormone production and cause hypothyroidism; they include: amiodarone (heart medication), interferon alpha (cancer medication), lithium (bipolar medication) and interleukin-2 (kidney cancer medication) To learn more about the 59 diseases now linked to thyroid imbalance that affects millions of people, check out this book: “Overcoming Thyroid Disorders” by Dr. David Brownstein I used to take Synthroid pharmaceutical for almost 15 years, and never felt 100% on the contrary, I continued to suffer from energy loss, my regular blood pressure became very low usually feeling faint about 92 and my hair would still fall out and grow in dry. So I knew I had to find a natural alternative because this was clearly not working for me. So I have done most of the following things mentioned below for my treatment. Thyroid Health -- Do’s & Don’ts: Don’t eat soy products – they are loaded with Xeno-estrogens (fake estrogen) that mimic human estrogens causing estrogen dominance in women – increasing the bad estrogen over the good estrogen that can lead to breast cancer. Soy products also reduce thyroid function causing goiters (an enlargement of the thyroid gland) in healthy people. Both men and women should avoid all unfermented soy products. In Japan, they only eat fermented soy – because that’s the only beneficial form of soy i.e. tempeh or miso. Do eat alkaline fruits and vegetables & avoid consumption of acid forming foods/ drink in large quantity i.e. meats, chicken etc, milk, cheese and milk products, all forms of processed sugars including pasteurized juices, to name a few. Eating a diet mostly alkaline can restore a person’s
body back to health even if they have an existing disease. Cancer among many illness, thrive in an acidic environment, so if you want to cut off the supply of nutrition to it, eat alkaline foods. Do eat organically raised meats that are Halal slaughtered only. It’s important that we eat meat that is free from antibiotics and hormones. A common practice now-adays for animal farms is adding antibiotics and hormones to the feed of the animals so they grow twice as fast and increase in size and weight of livestock prior to sale. Why should you care? Because ultimately, you end up eating a wide variety of foreign hormones and antibiotics those animals ate. And when you consume these antibiotics it’s as if you are taking antibiotics every day without knowing it, so your digestive system will be compromised by not having any pro-biotics left in your system. So you wonder why you feel bloated and gassy. Do take Gentian (herb) that is known to normalize the function of the thyroid gland. Do take B12 – Methyl Cobalamine form only!!! Cyano Cobalamine is synthetic and a waste of your money. (Not absorbable in your body) Most people are living extremely B12 deficient (I personally take AOR brand – 1 tablet is 5000mcg daily) Do take Vitamin C capsules (not chewable – as it likely contains hidden MSG) without Calcium: 2000 – 5000mg daily Do take Magnesium supplements – a crucial mineral that is essential for proper function of all the nerves in your body including your heart! Dr. Blaylock recommends this form of Magnesium (Malate) – “Jigsaw Magnesium w/SRT” – the most highly bio-available forms available. (Google search the name in quotes) Do take Preferred Nutrition “Thyrosense” 2-3 capsules on an empty stomach (that’s what I take) – it contains L-Tyrosine an amino acid that elevates alertness, mood and suppresses appetite naturally and iodine to feed your thyroid. Do eat sea vegetables as they are high in iodine and many essential minerals. The body does not make iodine and we must ingest iodine for our thyroid to produce hormone. They have a concentrated source of enzymes, amino acids, essential fatty acids, minerals, trace elements, chlorophyll, vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K, and fiber. Sea greens have 10-20x as many minerals as land plants. Some of these nutrients, including algin which absorbs toxins and stimulates lymphatic drainage, help to encourage the release of stored fat, reducing cellulite. What are some examples? Dulse, Kelp, Kombu, Hijiki, Sea Palm, Wakame, Irish moss, Arame and Nori. When you add sea veggie(s) to your dishes, no additional salt is needed, a great advantage for a low salt diet. Easy to buy, store them in a moisture proof container – they’ll keep indefinitely. Do eat Radishes – known to keep thyroid hormones balanced and in the past, were effective in treating thyroid problems. Do increase your fibre and water intake if you’re experiencing chronic constipation. Take Psyllium and ground flax seed with a large glass of water. Dehydration will cause every illness. Ensure you are drinking enough water every day. How much? Calculate your total weight in Kilograms and drink that many in ounces (if you’re 70kg – then drink 70 ounces of water every day) Do test your blood levels for Zinc and Selenium. Being severely deficient in these minerals can cause decreased thyroid hormone levels; if low, supplement with zinc and selenium.
Do eat natural sea salt either Celtic Sea Salt or Redmond’s unrefined sea salt. Don’t use table salt ever – it’s bound with a sugar molecule and sugar suppresses your immune system. Do eat Virgin Coconut oil - it’s amazing at increasing your energy level and boosting your thyroid function. Though it is considered a saturated fat, its super healthy and will not circulate in your blood stream like animal fat will. As a result it will not increase your cholesterol levels in your blood either. Virgin coconut oil is praised by health experts for its ability to lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar. In the book, “Eat Fat; Look Think” by Dr. Bruce Fife – he mentions ‘Wilson’s theory’ for treating hypothyroidism, protocol includes: 1 tablespoon of virgin coconut oil with every meal 3x a day for a notable improvement in energy. It is effective in boosting the thyroid, increasing metabolism, weight loss, and energy levels. As your last resort only! This option is what health practitioners say is the most effective supplements for hypothyroidism – its desiccated thyroid gland that comes from pigs. Of course we would never use that product unless it meant our life or death. This year, I found out a company that is making a bovine source thyroid supplement instead of the pig source, which is good news for us. Though, this source is not from a Halal source (yet), it’s better to take this source than a pig. If you reach a
point in your health where you absolutely need this product to improve your wellbeing, you are permitted religiously to take it. It can be found here www.nutri-meds. com/ thyroid_supplements (make sure you choose Bovine capsule it’s more absorbable than tablet). Questions or comments...I would love to hear from you! Until next time, be accountable to your health and choose wisely. About the author: Nada Adams is a 13-years natural health researcher, author and master coach with a strong interest in personal health/wellness, heart and mind connection, living in core values and authenticity and the power of herbs to help us all heal. She is a devout religious teacher and a life, success and wellness coach helping men and women live an Islamically Authentic Life. She has been an Islamic teacher since 1990 and youth teacher for over 12 years. Adams was the ‘Dear Diary’ columnist for 2 years in the GCDA Magazine, a National Canadian Magazine focused on educating Teens. She’s also the founder of “Lower Mainland Muslims Unite” meet-up group primarily to teach the authentic creed of Islam to new converts and those individuals curious to know more about Islam. She can be reached at info@vipresultscoaching.com and her weekly meet-up group can be found at www.meetup.com/Lower-Mainland-Muslim-Meetup
What is Happiness?
Shabnam Khan - Family Counsellor Happiness, many of us believe is linked to wealth and status. We have traditionally measured happiness through our accumulation of possessions: trendy clothes, fine jewelry, homes in the best neighborhoods and many more. These are the things we work for and there’s nothing wrong with that. It is the time to carefully examine the lifestyle we have accepted in the past, but are now questioning. It is time to ask why most of our population lives in the constant state of exhaustion. Is this “balance” ? Where has the vital energy in our bodies and souls gone? If we seek true happiness, we must first explore how our world has become victimized by fear. On some level, most people live in the constant state of anxiety and fear which affects their mental, physical and spiritual health. Individuals cannot experience true happiness without sense of personal power in their lives. How can we restore our own sense of authentic power within ourselves? Our challenge is to explore the concept of power as force (power over) and the power as strength (power with). It is
important we make the distinctive between the self-serving, destructive power of domination and greed. Opportunities for true happiness, balance and strength exist in every minute of the day, but most of us have lost the ability to recognize the happiness waiting to be discovered in the simple moments of our lives. Happiness is your natural gift. Life does gets busy and sooner or later our lives are out of balance. This is the time to stop being a victim of our lives and make choices that will create an intentional life of happiness. Happiness is living in a proactive way because you have made the decision to live every day of your life as if each experience is a class in the classroom called life. Choosing happiness is about being a hero of your life, not the victim. Happy people have an attitude of gratitude no matter what circumstances they face. Happiness is inextricably linked to gratitude and reverence for life. Happiness is the ability to receive love and to surrender to love. Each day you discover happiness in any form, it will make your life precious and more sacred. Remember, being happy is an healthy choice, not only for yourself but also for people around you. True happiness is an sustainable piece of art. For any inquiries please email me at shabnam@skcounselling.ca
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sports
Volume 12 Issue 307 Jumada-al-Awal 14, 1433 AH / April 6 2012
Red-hot Canucks flaunt their depth ahead of playoffs
The panic, sparked by a short slump mid-March, has passed in Vancouver, replaced by the budding promise of springtime hockey. As of Sunday morning, the Vancouver Canucks were the hottest team in the NHL, winners of six in a row, victories delivered in a tight 10-day span. It’s all happened without star goal scorer Daniel Sedin, concussed by a brutal elbow to the head from Chicago’s Duncan Keith on March 21. Sedin remains out – he is expected to be ready for the playoffs – and in his absence, Canucks not normally seen on the score sheet have delivered. It is this display of depth, plus a hardened defensive game, all of it bolstered by two amazing goaltenders, that has the Canucks believing this team is more robust than the one that reached Game 7 of the Stanley Cup a year ago. “That Chicago game really sparked us,” defenceman Chris Tanev said on Friday. For several games now, Vancouver has rolled four offensive lines, with contributions from everyone, and the defence doesn’t seem to flinch when stalwarts such as Kevin Bieksa take a few days off to rest and recuperate. The 22-year-old Tanev, a Torontonian who was never drafted, is part of the bolstered defence. He already sports a spotty playoff beard, slight acne, and anchors big ice time, more than 23 minutes against Calgary, close to that of mainstays Dan Hamhuis
and Alex Edler. “All of a sudden, you start rolling 12 forwards and six D and you can see how dangerous we can be,” an elated Andrew Ebbett said on Saturday night, the star of the win against Calgary. Saturday night, as Vancouver eliminated Calgary from the postseason, is a fine example of the new Canucks – less flash, more scrap. Maxim Lapierre scored the opening goal, and the Quebecker who leads the team in penalty minutes has been dubbed by his teammates, Guy, as in Lafleur. Defenceman Marc-André Gragnani blasted in the tying goal, scoring for the first time since he was added at the trade deadline (and only the third goal ever from the 25-year-old). Ebbett deflected home the winner in overtime, the capper in a fine return from injury, his collarbone broken in Boston almost three months ago. With the wins, the Canucks wrested the No. 1 perch in the Western Conference from the St. Louis Blues and could claim their second straight Presidents’ Trophy. And while home ice is an advantage, the Canucks, for the second consecutive year, have the NHL’s best road record. Three games are left and the Canucks will probably hit or exceed 110 points. It is not far off the league-topping 117 of last year, but this season feels far less amazing, far less perfect, far more difficult, than
did its predecessor. “Trying to find ways to win hockey games,” coach Alain Vigneault said after Saturday night’s win. “That’s what this group does.” The Canucks’ seeming lack of dominance comes in part from a weaker third period this season than last. In 2010-11, Vancouver was epic in the third, outscoring opponents 100-58. In 2011-12, the ratio is 76-60. Vigneault highlighted the team’s play in the first, the best in the NHL. Last season Vancouver gave up the fewest first-period goals, 42, compared with 44 this season, tied for second-best in the league. And the Canucks are scoring more early this season, leading the league with 78 goals. Source: Globe and Mail
David Stern wants change to age rule David Stern would love a system in which Anthony Davis and the rest of Kentucky’s freshman stars were required to try to repeat. Instead, the NBA commissioner could end up calling Davis’ name in June as the first pick in the draft. The league wasn’t able to change its draft eligibility rules during collective bargaining last year. The rules require an American player to be 19 years old and a year out of high school. “We would love to add a year, but that’s not something that the players’ association has been willing to agree to,” Stern said Tuesday. The union would only agree to form a committee to discuss changes, and Stern knows the players are unlikely to consent to an increase without some concession from owners. “They would probably say, ‘What would you give us?’ “ he said. Stern spoke at a Sprint store to announce the opening of the NBA’s “Green Week.” The wireless company is the presenting partner of the week, during which time the league tries to generate awareness and funding to protect the environment. Players will wear shooting shirts made of 100 percent organic cotton, along with green headbands and wrist bands during games through April 11. Stern watched some of Kentucky’s 67-59 victory over Kansas in the NCAA championship game Monday, when the Wildcats’ group of future NBA players raced to an 18-point lead in the first half. “I think it was over a little early,” Stern said. So will most of the Wildcats’ college careers. Davis, the player of the year and Final Four’s most outstanding player, would likely be the No. 1 pick if he comes out, and fellow
freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist could be right behind him. Players must declare this month if they are making themselves eligible for the draft. The age limit was instituted in 2005, and Stern has often spoken since of his desire to increase it. But any realistic hope of pushing too hard during the lockout was scrapped when the league focused instead on the financial changes it sought. If Davis is the top pick, he would be the fifth freshman in six years to go No. 1, following Greg Oden, Derrick Rose, John Wall and Kyrie Irving. Stern said the league’s draft requirement is often misreported as forcing players to spend a year in college. “That’s not our rule,” he said. “Our rule is that they won’t be eligible for the draft until they’re 19. They can play in Europe, they can play in the D-League, they can go to college. This is a not a social program, this is a business rule for us. The NFL has a rule which requires three years of college. So the focus is often on ours, but it’s really not what we require in college. It’s that we say we would like a year to look at them and I think it’s been interesting to see how the players do against first-class competition in the NCAAs and then teams have the ability to judge and make judgments, because high-ranking draft picks are very, very valuable.” The committee is just starting, so far only staff discussions that haven’t yet included players and owners. Stern said he expects the NCAA to join as well. For now, he’s pleased with the impact the draft rule has had. Source: ESPN
Canada : Continued from pg 15 crimination against Muslims, it is mainly their fault.” By comparison, 36 per cent of those surveyed said aboriginal Canadians were mainly responsible for any discrimination directed toward them, while respondents considered Jewish Canadians (26 per cent), homosexual Canadians (20 per cent) and Black Canadians (19 per cent) less responsible for the discrimination they suffer. Pointing to the strongly negative perception towards aboriginal Canadians on that question, Al-Yassini said “we shouldn’t forget that when it comes to anti-racism cam-
Kentucky beats Kansas to bag NCAA title Impressive freshman Anthony Davis struggled to find the hoop but proved dominant in other phases of the game to lead Kentucky to an eighth national basketball championship with a 6759 victory over Kansas on Monday.
Shabazz Muhammad: to go to Kentucky basketball program? Shabazz Muhammad is known as the nation’s top recruit for college basketball and now has the decision of where he is going to take his talents. Shabazz’s latest feat that cemented him as the nation’s best came at the McDonald’s All American game where he scored a gamehigh 21 points as he led the West coast team to a 106-102 victory. After the game he commented, “When you come to any event you want to be known as the best player.” He did just that. With the Kentucky Wildcats winning the NCAA championship Monday night, much of Tuesday’s speculation puts forth that the Wildcats are a candidate for Shabazz Muhammad. Archie Goodwin, Alex Poythress and Willie Cauley are three of the nation’s top fifty high school basketball players and are all com-
paigns, the aboriginal dimension should be upfront and centre.” Jedwab said he believes the other key finding from the survey offers a clue about why such negative views about Muslims and other some groups continue to pervade the mindset of many Canadians. When asked about where racism finds a home in Canadian society, respondents overwhelmingly identified the Internet as the leading source of discriminatory expression in the country. Respondents were asked: “Where do you think that racism is most present?” Forty-nine per cent listed the Internet as the No. 1 place for racist views, followed by radio/televi-
mitted to the Kentucky. If Shabazz Muhammad were to join those three, it would see the Wildcats are a shoo-in for back-to-back national titles. Shabazz Muhammad will make his decision by April 10 and along with Kentucky, Duke and UCLA are also front runners for the prospect. He could place himself amongst the other star names out of Kentucky and Duke, or he could try and lead a team like UCLA on his own, truly displaying his own talents. But the UCLA Bruins have not advanced to the Sweet 16 since their Final Four visit in 2008. The Bruins missed the NCAA tournament altogether this last postseason. The decision is a hard one for the young high school phenom.
sion (19 per cent), friends and family (11 per cent), work or school (eight per cent), newspapers (eight per cent) and “my neighbourhood” (six per cent). Even as governments and organizations like the Canadian Race Relations Foundations work to “sensitize” people to the problem of racism, the Internet is swirling with “pejorative commentary,” he said. At the same time, Jedwab noted, real-time streams of online commentary include contributions from people who are quick to denounce racist views and urge over-the-top writers to “calm down.”But overall, he said, he fears poorly monitored websites are “giving more legitimacy to hostile expression.” Source: Montreal Gazette
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* Some restri
Winner will be Announced August 31, 2012
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Published on Apr 8, 2012
First English Newspaper of British Columbia to voice the opinions of Muslims on local and international issues
