Miracle 516-April 10, 2020

Volume 20 Issue 516- Shaban 17, 1441H, April 10, 2020

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THE

(COID4 Coronavirus 19) Update from

3 Massive cash hand-

4 COVID-19: Coquit-

4

4

6

lam company retools Canadian Tire donates 160K masks

outs scheme .

Trudeau’s daily coronavirus update WHO defends coronavirus handling

is the history of 5 What Ramadan?:

Imran calls out 15PM BJP’s Dr Swamy

17 Abu Ali al-Husayn ibn ‘Abd Allah

British Prime Minister Boris Trudeau’s daily coronavirus Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan reaches Johnson moved out of intensive update: Nearly 5,000 companies Quetta, ensures all possible assistance to province care as condition improves ‘step up’ to fight COVID-19 To be continued at page 4

To be continued at page6

To be continued at page 3

Coronavirus Cases:

1,605,712 Deaths:

95,766

Recovered:

356,977

Last updated: April 10, 2020, 06:59 GMT

Ist Case

Territories with confirmed cases of COVID-19 To be continued at page 16

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Rajab 18, 1441H

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March 13, 2020

o p i n i o n

The People Vs. Media

here is a meltdown in the country, and it is not an economic one. For some reason, the journalist community has gone into a reactive mode.

From engaging politicians and Ministers to now engaging online trolls, some of the senior-most journalists appear to be in a state of panic.

But what went wrong? Perhaps, an overlap of many wrongs that the media industry has continued to ignore over the years. For one, its inability to take critique!

Pakistan is a deeply polarized country but in the last 15 years, there is a broad consensus in the public on the troubling role of media in the country. This is not out of nowhere. Videos of journalists seeking benefits from property tycoons, getting favors from institutions and governments are all in the public record. It is so open that one of the American scholars working on Pakistan puts it, “Pakistani press is the freest press that the money can buy”.

However, more than anything else it is the substandard quality of work due to partisanship and compromise on objectivity that has damaged the public credibility of those that represent the journalist community in Pakistan. Unfortunately, by and large, the journalist community continues to ignore this public pulse as an attack on freedom of speech from the hidden powers in the country.

No doubt that journalism has historically been under threat in Pakistan from the mighty and powerful. That, however, changed in the last decade when the mighty and powerful realized that it was easier and cheaper to buy the media houses and journalists rather than fight them. Journalism, therefore, is now facing a bigger threat, foremost from the journalists and media houses themselves – that are neither able to take critique nor the corrective measures.

This inability to take corrective steps stems from the fact that journalists wrongly gauge their credibility through ratings from Media Logic and number of views on Youtube. Unfortunately, those ratings provide only the quantitative measure of eyeballs on a particular program. For instance, a well renowned journalist receives the highest ratings for his program – not because of his quality journalism but because of the sheer entertainment value that he provides on-screen. Such a rating, thus, is unable to provide an assessment on the credibility of the journalist.

Therefore, credibility needs to be gauged through a measure of qualitative sentiment of how people view your work. That is essentially through the feedback that you receive on social media platforms, which many journalists reject as propaganda against them.

Even in the absence of ratings, you can tell something is off within

the journalist community when you read propaganda after propaganda published as news reports and opinion pieces from otherwise excellent journalists. Just recently, one of the top investigative journalists in Pakistan published what read like an advertisement for a political party in power in one of the provinces in the country.

There is a fine line between journalism and propaganda.

Propaganda has to be credible.

Unfortunately, over the years the essence of both, journalism and propaganda is almost entirely lost on the media houses.

As the 4th pillar of the state, journalists are supposed to be the voice of the people and defenders of public interests. In Pakistan, however, they have become an extension of the ruling elite, lending their voice and defense to institutions and political parties against the very public that they are supposed to defend. This is largely because media houses rely on government advertisements and monetary favors and hence serve the interests of the powerful. This is the single biggest disservice to the profession of journalism that does not go unnoticed by the public that is now out with knives.

Just a decade back the public could do nothing about it. But the advent of digital media changed all of that which is what perhaps explains the current frustrations of journalists.

The public now has a platform to engage with journalists in realtime and call-out what it sees as unfair practices against the public interests.

At the theoretical level, this indicates a shift in power balance.

Where once journalists and media houses had the power on setting narratives, and audit the powerful, that power and audit has now transitioned to individuals on social media that take journalists to task when they smell politics.

This is in no way a defense of online trolling or abuse that is prevalent in our society and must be condemned at all levels. But journalists and media houses in the digital world can no more pretend to be beyond critique, audit and questioning in the public forum. If anything, they must embrace it and harness the strength that comes with vulnerability. Otherwise, it will become increasingly hard to distinguish between a journalist and a troll.

Essentially, this entire fiasco is not about state vs. journalists as portrayed by our media houses. It is about people vs. media and as soon as the journalists and media houses see it as that, they will take the corrective measures to go back to their original role as being the defenders of public interests. It is eventually the public that will defend journalists in the long run, not any political party or institution.

Courtesy By Hussain Nadim

Waan laysa lil insaniilla ma’ sa’aa That man can have nothing but what he strives for.

A Letter & Message From Corona

By: Nada Adams

Given the worldwide calamity of our time, I came across an Arabic video which I translated below, that touched me and felt compelled to share it with you too - it’s entitled: A letter from Corona (Virus): (Originally written by Dr. Al-Qorat Daghiy in Arabic) I believe now you know of me.

I have changed life as you know it, like an earthquake. I have caused defects in the political, economic and social systems.

You witnessed my strength in Asia and how I took the lead in China and extended from the eastern to the western hemispheres very quickly. No borders can prevent me entrance and no barriers can stop me. I have shaken even the brilliant minds and formed a new consumption system – a lifestyle that no person in this century has experienced thus far.

Previously, I appeared with the name called ‘SARS’ and today I have returned with the name ‘CO-

RONA’. I have instilled anxiety and worry in people worldwide.

There is no difference to me between the governors and subordinates, the wealthy and the poor, nor geographical locations whether the east or the west. I stood up against the unjust economy that you estimated to be 6 Trillion Dollars. I have caused losses for the world’s billionaires making the stock market topple coloring the markets in red. I stopped the navigation and airline industry. I caused worldwide isolation making everyone stay in their homes and stopped them from going to bars, parties, halls, and even religious gatherings. I prevented the presidents and ministers from gathering together, so they can only meet in their rooms virtually on the internet. Some see me as a calamity sent to you from God. While others may see me as a soldier from among God’s soldiers.

Concerns, I carry the following messages: 1.Your silence and lies when the world became full of injustice and corruption. You did not stop or stand up to those who were unjust, killing unjustly and for some people burning them alive. Rather, you stood beside such oppressors and supported them for your own personal and economic benefits.

2.You are very late in defending the unjust people and you supported the killer ruler. So I wanted

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miraclenews@telus.net miraclenewsg@gmail.com info@miraclenews.com to remind you of the refugees who lost their land and were left astray in some places with no help from anyone. If you had given them only 5% of what you spend, they would have lived a good life.

3.Your social stratification – I wanted to remind you of the poor and needy in this world that has reached 1 Billion people today.

These people do not own or have enough for their daily sustenance.

If you spent on them 10% of what you are paying to be away from me, those poor and needy people would become wealthy.

4.You made fun and devalued the opportunities for employment (jobs at grocery stores). I wanted to remind you of the tens of millions of people without employment. If you only allowed for them 2.5% of what you take (dominate), they would all have employment opportunities available for them.

5. Finally, most of you have forgotten Allah, God the Creator and Manager of this world and instead made your highest focus and priority on money. Until most of you

became as if you worship money, so I came to remind you of your lord, the Creator. [God is the Creator of harm and benefit, not me. I can only harm you if God has eternally willed for you to be harmed and Creates for you harm in the form of illness.]

In summary, I remind you that I am going even after a while, but I will come back again once or numerous times with new names and with it, I will nave new messages.

Writer: Nada Adams, Coach Sage empowering Muslim’s Life, Wellness and Islamic Knowledge and author of Sacred Veil: Revealing Authentic Islam. Question or comment? nada.adams@gmail.com

Website: www.miraclenews.com

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India Wom/Y Politics Health Women Youth Lifestyle Pakistan Corona Urdu

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3

Shaban 17, 1441H April 10, 2020

PAKISTAN

Imran Khan reaches Quetta, ensures Massive cash handouts scheme gets all possible assistance to province under way

Imran Khan while addressing the provincial cabinet said that the government was closely monitoring the situation in Pakistan. He said that he is keeping an eye on developed countries where extraordinary measures have been taken to stem the spread of COVID-19. PM Khan also realizes that Pakistan’s societal and economic fabric needs different measures than that of developed countries.

Prime Minister Imran Khan visited Baluchistan on Thursday and addressed the provincial cabinet in Quetta.

In his address to the provincial cabinet and members of the parliament, PM Imran said the coronavirus has become a challenge for the entire world including Pakistan.

Imran Khan said further, “We will fight as a nation against the coronavirus pandemic that has grappled almost the entire world,”

he added, sharing his apprehensions that the situation could worsen in the coming months. However, he noted that the government was closely monitoring the situation in Pakistan and keeping an eye on global dynamics where developed countries such as the US, China, and most parts of Europe have taken measures to stem the spread of COVID-19. PM Imran, pertaining to coronavirus, said it was fortunate that there is no serious case in the province till now. However, Balochistan might economically suffer most due to the lockdown.

Medical and other necessary supplies ensured by PM Khan“We will offer all possible assistance to the government of Balochistan in tackling the coronavirus. We will provide all resources to Balochistan,” Imran Khan said. Source: globalvillagespace.com

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday formally launched the Rs144 billion Ehsaas Relief Programme and a sum of Rs50bn was given to banks for distribution of Rs12,000 four-month stipend among the families of poor and daily-wage earners who have been hit hard by the lockdown across the country due to coronavirus.

On the first day of cash distribution, 40 million people [out of 120m] received text messages (SMS) for collection of the amount from 17,000 branches of two designated banks — Habib Bank Limited and Bank Al-Falah — and 3,000 camp sites established with the assistance of the provincial governments.“Today Prime Minister Imran Khan formally launched Ehsaas cash emergency programme to provide Rs12,000 to 12m families and for that Rs144bn has been

allocated,” Special Assistant to the Prime Min­ister (SAPM) on Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said at a press conference.

Besides this, she added, an amount of Rs2.5bn as Ramazan package for the poor had been given to the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) for providing 19 consumer items at subsidised rates. The package last year was Rs1.5bn for subsidy on five essential items.

Rs50bn provided to banks on first day of distribution of Rs12,000 each among poor families; Rs2.5bn given to USC for Ramazan packageMeanwhile, SAPM on Social Welfare Dr Sania Nishtar, who is supervising the Ehsaas cash distribution programme, told Dawn that her department had given Rs49.2bn to the banks for distribution of Rs12,000 each for four months among poor families.......................... Source: dawn.com

Army shoots down Indian quadcopter violating LoC at Sankh: ISPR An Indian quadcopter was shot down

by Pakistan Army on Thursday after it violated Pakistan’s airspace in Sankh district, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

According to ISPR, the quadcopter “intruded 600 metres into Pakistan’s territory to conduct surveillance”.

“This blatant act was aggressively responded to by Pakistan Army troops shooting down [the] Indian quadcopter.”

“Such unwarranted acts by Indian

Army are clear violation of established norms, existing Air Agreement between two countries and reflect Indian army’s consistent disregard to Ceasefire Understanding of 2003,” the ISPR said. According to military sources, the Indian military uses quadcopters for aerial photography of Pakistani posts along the LoC as part of its intelligence-gathering operations and target selection before carrying out cross-LoC shelling. Last year on March 16, the

Pakistan Army shot down a “spying quadcopter” in the Rakhchikri sector along the LoC. That incident had come weeks after tensions between the two sides escalated after Pakistan had shot down two Indian Air Force (IAF) planes that violated Pakistani airspace following the February 14 attack targeting Indian security forces in Indianoccupied Kashmir’s Pulwama area.

Source: dawn.com

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4

Shaban 17, 1441H April 10, 2020

canada

S E R V IC E S

Trudeau’s daily coronavirus update: Nearly 5,000 companies ‘step up’ to fight COVID-19 (Full transcript)

In his April 7 daily briefing to Canadians on the COVID-19 pandemic, the PM talked about how Canadian companies are retooling to make medical supplies—and mentioned a partnership with a Nobel laureate

Before we get into things, I want to address recent news coming out of the U.K. My thoughts are with prime minister Johnson and his family during this time. I’ve worked with Boris for some time now, and I know how committed he is to serving the people of the U.K. He’s a fighter, and he’ll be fighting now to regain his health and get back to the job he loves. Sophie and I, and all Canadians, are wishing him a speedy recovery.

To our British friends, Canadians stand with you. We will get through this together.

Every time we hear that someone has been hospitalized because of COVID-19, we’re worried. But we must remember that we are not powerless in the face of this situation.

Everyone can contribute to the solution, and you know what to do. Stay home as much as possible, even when it’s lovely outside. I know that it’s even more difficult these days with spring coming, but we must continue to follow that advice now if we want to be able to take advantage of summer in a few months. Only go out if you need to buy groceries. Even then, try to go as little as possible. And that applies to everyone, wherever you may live or what you do in life.

Having said that, some people are able to do even more because they have special skills or resources that we need right now. For example, we are offering full-time jobs to reservists in the Canadian Armed Forces. That way if communities need more support, we will be ready. Health Canada is also recruiting volunteers to help out our frontline workers and a few weeks ago we asked for help from companies to produce items that are very much in demand now. Since then, almost 5,000 Canadian companies have gotten in touch with us to offer their services.

On behalf of all Canadians, I thank you. It’s

truly inspiring to see so many people want to help. (end French) In the past few weeks, almost 5,000 Canadian companies have stepped forward to help fight COVID-19. On behalf of all Canadians, thank you for stepping up. As countries around the world grapple with this pandemic, the demand for critical supplies like test kits, ventilators and personal protective equipment is going up. To keep our frontline workers safe and care for Canadians with COVID-19, we need a sustainable, stable supply of these products and that means making them at home. With our plan to mobilize industry, we’re helping companies retool, repurpose and innovate to fight COVID-19. We’ve already signed letters of intent with a number of partners to produce the things we need and today, we have more news to share.

We’re working with Thornhill Medical, CAE, Ventilators for Canadians, and a group led by StarFish Medical to produce up to 30,000 made-in-Canada ventilators. These purchases will help increase our capacity to make sure these life-saving machines are made right here at home.

We’re also working with Nobel-prize-winning researcher Dr. Art McDonald, who is leading a team of scientists to develop ventilators that are easy to make. And to produce medical gowns and establish new supply chains right here in Canada, we’re teaming up with over 20 companies including Arc’teryx, Canada Goose and Stanfield’s.

One thing that is particularly inspiring to see is just how many companies are not just producing these goods, but innovating. For example, Autoliv is looking to make medical gowns out of material that are normally used to produce air bags.

At the same time our government continues to purchase masks to protect our healthcare workers who are doing extraordinary work.

We have ordered millions of surgical masks from a number of Canadian companies, and

we are supporting Medicom, which will increase its production capacity of N95 masks.

We are also purchasing disinfectant for the hands and Health Canada has authorized the sale of more than 85 of these products in Canada. Some items will take more time to manufacture than others but every single week, we are moving forward to increase our capacity to produce them. And I want to thank Minister Bains who is doing an excellent job these days.

I also know that a number of people are worried about a shortage of material, looking at what’s happening in other countries. I understand your concerns, particularly if you or one of your loved ones works in health care. But I can tell you we are doing everything we can to avoid that happening. We are working around the clock to ensure that our frontline workers have everything they need to save lives and stay safe. While we’re working to secure critical equipment from Canadian sources, we’re also in touch with other suppliers around the world who want to sell to Canada. We’re expecting 500,000 masks from 3M tomorrow and we’re working as fast as we can to get them to our frontline workers.

From the outset our priority has been the health and safety of all Canadians. So whether you’re making medical gowns, delivering ventilators or treating a patient with COVID-19, we have your back. We’re going to be there for you. We also have a three-point economic plan. It supports business owners while safeguarding jobs with the wage subsidy and helping those who no longer have a pay cheque with the CERB. Yesterday evening our government proactively shared our proposed legislation on wage subsidy with opposition parties. I know House leaders will be speaking throughout the day to reach an agreement for the House of Commons to quickly pass this legislation, which will give much-needed financial support to Canadian workers, while helping

employers to keep their staff on the payroll.

A lot of work has been done since we announced our plan to subsidize wages. We continue to rely on your input and feedback as we refine it, and we’ll have more details to share very soon. Yesterday was also the first day people could apply to receive the CERB. On that note, I want to recognize the tremendous work done by the public service, who processed hundreds of thousands of claims. They’re working around the clock to get Canadians the help they need as quickly as possible.

Finally, as some of you will know, today marks World Health Day and National Caregiver Day. This year, I’m especially grateful for our health care professionals and caregivers who are working day and night to keep us safe and to care for our most vulnerable.

As Canada confronts this pandemic, many have pointed to our health care system as a major asset. Ours is a country where health is a right rather than a privilege, and that’s something of which we can all be proud.

But our health-care system is only as strong as the people it employs. Whether you’re a doctor or a nurse, someone who keeps our hospital clean or a home care worker, thank you for taking such good care of us.

Thank you for everything you’ve done over the years to help so many of us start a family, overcome an illness and enjoy longer, healthier lives. We do not need a pandemic or a special day to recognize your essential contributions to this country, but I hope all Canadians will join me in expressing our deepest gratitude. I hope Canadians honk a little louder when your shift ends today and add another rainbow to their window.

Source: vancouversun.com

COVID-19: Coquitlam company retools, will be first in Canada to produce N95 respirators

Jason Zanatta is saving lives, and saving jobs.

Jason Zanatta of Novo Textiles poses with his new mask-making machine that was delivered on Monday to his factory in Coquitlam.

The Coquitlam-based producer of pillows and dog beds is poised to become the first manufacturer of N95 respirators in Canada. Production of medical-grade surgical masks starts on Tuesday, and he anticipates production of N95 surgical respirator masks will begin within two weeks.

“It’s what I had to do to survive, and trying to be a decent human being and trying to help out in this crisis,” said Zanatta, president and CEO of Novo Textiles. “It was either that or close my business.”

It’s been a wild three weeks since Zanatta looked out over the

floor of his 20,000-sq.-ft. Coquitlam factory, agonizing about how to save his business. Dog beds and pillows were not what people were shopping for during a pandemic. When COVID-19 isolation mandates were announced, orders dried up quickly.

Zanatta, who is immune-compromised and the father of two young sons, heard Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s call to action on March 20 asking businesses to mobilize to manufacture personal protective equipment.

Source: vancouversun.com

Canadian Tire donates 160K masks to local healthcare workers after criticism about in-store sales

VA N C O U V E R -- Canadian Tire says it has halted the sale of medical-grade masks in its stores, an announcement made days after concerns were raised by critics. The company says the decision was not made as a result of CTV News’ coverage of those concerns, but had been “in the works for weeks.”

A spokesperson for the chain store says the company will instead be donating the remaining supply to health-care workers at local hospitals and other locations. Several stores were under fire earlier this week for

stocking large quantities of the masks and other protective gear. CTV News reached out to Canadian Tire for comment at the time, but no response was received until Thursday, when a statement was issued widely to media. The statement did not address criticism raised by those who spoke to CTV. The company said 160,000 masks, 164,000 pairs of gloves and 20,000 litres of hand sanitizer have been donated to hospitals, nursing homes and community organizations. It said it “stopped the replenishment” of N95 masks in stores weeks ago, and has since stopped the sale of those and ASTM-certified masks.

The products will not be sold in stores or on Canadian Tire’s website.

The company also announced the launch of a $5-million response fund to help Canadians impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through the fund, donations will be made to the United Way and the Red Cross.

Critics spoke to CTV Sunday about the stacks of pricey masks seen at local stores, at a time when hospitals were calling for donations.

Two Vancouver dentists said they were dismayed to see the boxes piled up, and listed at what one described as “insane prices.” On Tuesday, an association spearheading donations of such equipment said its members had also seen masks for sale at Canadian Tire stores. The group confirmed the masks are the type of items doctors, nurses and care workers need.

“We currently receive multiple requests on a daily basis from organizations stating

that their supplies are critically low, which means that they’re looking at three days or fewer of supplies,” SafeCareBC’s Jennifer Lyle said at the time.

The president of a nurses’ union echoed the need for medical-grade protective equipment like masks. Source: vancouversun.com

5

Shaban 17, 1441H April 10, 2020

f a i th

What is the history of Ramadan?

Prophet Muhammad also advised `` If you hear that there is a plague in a land, do not enter it; and if it (plague) visits a land while you are there, do not leave it.

[Saheeh Muslim & Saheeh Bukhari

How to prepare for Ramadan -

7 things you should do ahead of month of fasting Going without food, drink, smoking, sex and other things every day can be a challenge

R

By: Maham Farooq Tell your friends and make an impact Introduction

W

e are not far away from yet another holy month of Ramadan to grace our lives with. In the Islamic calendar, the month of Ramadan holds significant importance, regarding a lot of important events. The sacredness of Ramadan makes it a month full of blessings and nothing else. Millions of Muslims fast every Ramadan with the purpose of spiritual cleansing.

However, the number of people who are aware of the history of Ramadan is shockingly too low. So, what is the history of Ramadan?

By history, we don’t mean the deeper insights into this holy month. Here, it is the basic facts about Ramadan which we allude to. So, what better time than now to recall what Ramadan is all about and what historical events adorn its timeline? Let’s keep it simple and seek an answer to this question: What is the history of Ramadan?

The etymology of the word Ramadan

It might be surprising to some of us, but Ramadan isn’t a unique feature of the Islamic calendar. Rather, it was also a part of earlier calendars, followed by Arabs a long time before Islam announced itself in Arabia. To understand the historical prospects associated with Ramadan, we must start with the root of the word itself.

Ramadan stems from an Arabic word Ramda, which means dry or scorching heat. It is implied that the fasting practice burns the sins, just like a scorching fire. It makes sense, doesn’t it? The ones who fast regularly every year will be able to relate to this definition in its most genuine spirit!

An important pillar of Islam

Do you know about the five pillars of Islam? Well, these are the acts, fundamental to every Muslim. There are situational factors involved, but once those are satisfied, these acts are obligatory for every Muslim. These pillars include Shahadat, Zakat, Hajj, Salah and of course, swam or fasting!

Now, the significance of Ramadan becomes more evident than ever.

One has to fast if he or she claims to be a true Muslim at heart. Fasting is a centuries-old tradition practiced

by Muslims. There is no doubt that it will be practiced for centuries to come as well. Reason? The binding nature of the act of course!

amadan brings a month of daily fasting for Muslims in Birmingham and across the UK and the rest of the world.

It means no food, drink, smoking, sex or ‘sinful behaviour’ between early morning and sunset for 29 or 30 days.

How are you getting ready for that challenge?

Rather than trying to adjust suddenly to a month of A month of introspection fasting, some people prepare for the event so it’s not Ramadan provides us with an op- such a shock to the system. portunity to analyze how we spent So how can you prepare for Ramadan ? the preceding year. Was it a year Here’s some top tips: where we kept running after the worldly desires and affairs? Or was it 1. Do voluntary fasting beforehand one spent in satisfying the Almighty One way to prepare would be to fast and His subjects i.e. humanity. This introspection is hardly possible in any other month, simply because of the unique sacredness associated with Ramadan. Self-analysis then must lead to repentance. And we all know about the benevolence of Almighty Allah (SWT)! The doors of forgiveness are open for everyone, till the very last moment. Repentance then leads to an improvement in behavior, which is extremely benvoluntarily during part of the preceding eficial for self and society!

The Quran and Ramadan

month.

deeds are presented to the Lord of the Worlds. I love that my deeds are presented while I am fasting.”

So it might be a good idea to try this twice-weekly fasting, especially ahead of Ramadan.

Others fast the 13th, 14th and 15th days of every month (these are called Al-Ayaam Al-Beedh, the White Days) so this could be another routine to try getting into.

2. Cut down on junk food and eat better Another way to prepare is to cut down on any excesses beforehand.

Avoid snacks between meals and try to cut out fast food.

By sticking to nutritious meals at regular times, you’ll more easily adapt to the two daily meals (suhoor and iftar) that are allowed during Ramadan .

During Shaban, the month before Ramadan, it’s 3. See a doctor said fasting is not permitted in the second half of the month (starting from the 16th day) - except for those who regularly undertake fasting on some days.

So if you already fast habitually - such as on one or two days of the week - it’s a good idea to keep this up in the month prior to Ramadan .

But it’s definitely not advisable for anyone to fast on the last one or two days before Ramadan starts.

You need to make sure your body is well-nourished and in good physical and mental condition for the month of fasting.

The Prophet Muhammad fasted voluntarily in Shaban more than in any other month, saying: “That If you have any health conditions or persistent illis a month occurring between Rajab and Ramadan nesses, see your GP to find out if fasting is advisthat many people neglect. It is a month in which able.

Fasting during Ramadan is compulsory for all for What marks the beginning of the deeds ascend to the Lord of the Worlds, be He adult Muslims, except those who are sick, elderly, the holy month of Ramadan? Mighty and Majesty, and I love for my deeds to as- pregnant, breastfeeding, diabetic or travelling.

The history of Ramadan tells us that cend while I am fasting.” it has always been declared after He also fasted regularly on Mondays and ThursTo be at Continued page 8 sighting the crescent-shaped moon. days, explaining: “Those are two days in which the This was a tradition of the times of Prophet (PBUH) and is practiced to date. The Islamic calendar is based April 10-24, 2020 Shaban 17-Ramadan *1 1441 on the lunar phases and hence, moon sighting is a rather impor- Isl. Dt. Day Date Fajar Sunr Zawal Dhuhr Dhuhr Asar Shafi Asar Maghrib Isha tant ritual. Sometimes, it gets a little 17 Fri tricky because of the weather conditions. The crescent isn’t visible to 18 Sat the naked eye, and hence, the holy 19 Sun month begins one day later. It is a 20 Mon beautiful historical tradition which 21 Tue creates quite a buzz!

In 610 A.D. the holy book of Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Can you guess the month in which this event took place? Yes, you guessed it right! It was the holy month of Ramadan!

The angel Gabriel appeared to the Prophet (PBUH) and made the revelation. The night on which this event took place became a significant event in Muslim history and the history of Ramadan. This night is known as the Night of Power! You can already see that the history of Ramadan is enriched with these milestones which are extremely important to Muslims.

Prayer Schedule in Greater Vancouver

Conclusion

Ramadan is a month embedded with a lot of important historical events of Muslim history. The history associated with this holy month itself is quite amazing as well, to say the least. It is not possible to fast in the most actual sense, without understanding the context associated with the holy month of Ramadan!

28th February 2020 Source: www.transparenthands.org/

22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 *1

Wed Thus Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thus Fri

For such Prayers are enjoined on believers at stated times: Quran ,n 4:103 Source: BCMA

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WHO defends coronavirus handling; UK toll rises: Live updates

Worldwide confirmed COVID-19 cases approach 1.5 million as global death toll exceeds 85,000 The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) has defended its handling of the coronavirus pandemic after US President Donald Trump accused the agency of being “China-centric” and threatened to cut funding.

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom on Wednesday recorded its highest daily death toll, at 938, bringing the number of total coronavirus-linked fatalities to 7,097.

While Spain reported another 757 deaths over the past 24 hours, Wuhan began allowing people to leave for the first time since the central Chinese city was sealed off 76 days ago to contain the coronavirus that first emerged there late last year.

Wednesday, April 8 20:45 GMT - Google gifts 2-months access to Stadia Pro as gamers stay at home Alphabet Inc’s Google said it would give two months of free access to the paid version of its cloud-based game streaming platform Stadia as people are confined to their homes due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Users can access Stadia by downloading the app on their iOS or Android phones or by signing up on its website.

The company said its offer was open to users in 14 countries, starting on Wednesday, and would be rolled out over the next 48 hours.

The paid version, Stadia Pro, otherwise costs $9.99 a month and offers access to games such as “GRID” and “Destiny 2: The Collection” in 4K resolution.

20:35 GMT - Is it too early to lift the lockdown on Wuhan?

Much of the world is now imposing strict lockdowns to stop the spread of coronavirus.

However, the Chinese city, where the pandemic is reported to have begun, is easing restrictions after a sharp fall in new cases.

Eleven million people in Wuhan are now allowed to leave the city for the first time

I n t

since late January.

So, what are the lessons for the rest of the world?

20:25 GMT - Somalia records first coronavirus death Somalia has registered its first death from coronavirus, Health Minister Fawziya Abikar Nur said.

“We have confirmed one person who died of Corona (virus). May Allah show him mercy,” the minister wrote on Twitter.

He added that four new cases of the virus had been detected, bringing the number of people infected in Somalia to 12.

A statement tweeted by the health ministry later said the four newly infected people were all Somalis and that they included two health workers.

The dead patient was a 58-year-old man, the statement said. It gave no additional details about him.

Source: aljazeera.com/

Taiwan protests WHO leader’s accusations of racist campaign

TAIPEI, TAIWAN -- Taiwan’s foreign ministry on Thursday strongly protested accusations from the head of the World Health Organization that the self-governing island was linked to and condoned racist personal attacks on him.

A ministry statement expressed “strong dissatisfaction and a high degree of regret” with WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus’ remarks at a press briefing in Geneva on Wednesday. It requested he “immediately correct his unfounded allegations, immediately clarify, and apologize to our country.”

At the press briefing, Tedros vocally defended himself and the UN health agency’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. He accused Taiwan’s foreign ministry of being linked to a months-long campaign against him and said that since the emergence of the new coronavirus, he has been person-

ally attacked, including receiving at times, death threats and racist abuse.

“This attack came from Taiwan,” said Tedros, a former Ethiopian health and foreign minister and the WHO’s first African leader.

He said Taiwanese diplomats were aware of the attacks but did not dissociate themselves from them. “They even started criticizing me in the middle of all those insults and slurs,” Tedros said. “I say it today because it’s enough.” The basis of his allegations was unclear.

President Tsai Ing-wen also weighed in, saying on Facebook that Taiwan does not condone the use of racist remarks to attack those with different opinions.

“If Director-General Tedros could withstand pressure from China and come to Taiwan to see Taiwan’s efforts to fight COVID-19 for himself, he would be able to see that the Taiwanese people are the true victims of unfair treatment,” she wrote, referring to Taiwan’s exclusion from the WHO at China’s insistence. “I believe that the WHO will only truly be complete if Taiwan is included.”

Tedros was elected with the strong support of China, one of five permanent veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council and which claims Taiwan as its own territory. He has firmly backed Beijing’s claims to have been open and transparent about the outbreak, despite strong evidence that it suppressed early reports on infections, while echoing its criticisms of the U.S.

Doctors embrace drug touted by Trump for Covid-19, without hard evidence it works California told Reuters they are routinely using hydroxychloroquine on patients hospitalised with Covid-19.

At the same time, several said they have seen no evidence that the drug, used for years to treat malaria and autoimmune disorders, has any effect on the virus.

Use of hydroxychloroquine has soared as the United States has quickly become the epicentre of the pandemic.

More than 355,000 people in the United States have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, and more than 10,000 have died.

The federal government estimates that as many as 240,000 people in the country may die from the disease before the outbreak is over. Facing those numbers, and in the absence of any known effective treatments, doctors on the frontlines said they began using hydroxychloroquine and the related chloroquine on patients who are deteriorating based on a few small studies suggesting a possible benefit.

Some said they had come under pressure from patients to use the therapies widely touted by Trump and other supporters.

“I may take it,” Trump said on Saturday, referring to hydroxychloroquine, though he has twice tested negative for coronavirus, according to the White House.

“We’re just hearing really positive stories, and we’re continuing to collect the data.”

Potential side effects of hydroxychloroquine include vision loss and heart problems.

But doctors interviewed by Reuters say they are comfortable prescribing the drug for a short course of several days for coronavirus patients because the risks are relatively low and the therapies are inexpensive and generally available.

However, protocols directing how these drugs should be used vary from one hospital to another, including when to introduce them and whether to combine them with other drugs. In addition, some studies showing promise involve patients who took

the therapies for mild or early-stage illness.

Many of those people are likely to recover from the virus on their own.

Patients admitted to the hospital in the United States are generally much sicker than the mild cases cited in such studies when they receive therapy.

These factors, doctors said, have made it difficult for them to determine whether the drugs are making a difference.

“I have seen hundreds of patients with severe Covid and most of these people are on hydroxychloroquine,” Dr Mangala Narasimhan, regional director of critical care at Northwell Health, a 23-hospital system in New York, said in an email.

“In my opinion, although it is very early, I do not see a dramatic improvement from the hydroxychloroquine in these patients.”

Dr Daniel McQuillen, an infectious disease specialist at Lahey Hospital and Medical Centre in Burlington, Massachusetts, said he has prescribed a course of hydroxychloroquine for about 30 Covid-19 patients so far because the drug has shown “a little bit of antiviral activity”.

But he has not seen “marked improvement for patients”. “Anecdotally, it may have had limited effect in patients with milder disease,” McQuillen said.

The therapy “has had no effect in limiting or slowing progression of our patients that have been at or near ICU level when they arrived”.

Source: www.dawn.com

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson moved out of intensive care as condition improves LONDON -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was moved out of intensive care Thursday at the London hospital where he is being treated for the new coronavirus, as his government told Britons to prepare for several more weeks in lockdown.

Johnson had been in the ICU at St. Thomas’ Hospital since Monday after his symptoms of COVID-19 worsened.

Johnson’s office said he was “moved this evening from intensive care back to the ward, where he will receive close monitoring during the early phase of his recovery.”

It said Johnson was in “extremely good spirits.” The British leader tested positive for the new coronavirus two weeks ago and at first had only “mild” symptoms. He was hospitalized Sunday and taken to the ICU a day later.

Johnson hds been receiving oxygen without being placed on a ventilator.

His condition appeared to be improving over the past day or so. Earlier Thursday, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who has been deputizing for the prime minister during key meetings, said Johnson was “making positive steps forward.” News of Johnson’s improving condition was welcomed across the British political spectrum -- and by U.S. President Donald Trump, who tweeted: “Great News: Prime Minister Boris Johnson has just been moved out of Intensive Care. Get well Boris!!!” As Johnson recovered, the government told Britons earlier it was too early to ease re-

strictions on public activity imposed March 23 to try to slow the spread of the virus.

The original restrictions were for three weeks, a period that ends Monday. But after chairing a meeting of the government’s crisis committee, COBRA, Raab said no decision on lifting the government’s stay-home order and business closures would be made “until evidence clearly shows that we’ve moved beyond the peak” of the outbreak.

Raab said “we’re starting to see the impact of the sacrifices we’ve all made, but the deaths are still rising and we haven’t yet reached the peak of the virus.” He said the government and its scientific experts would assess the evidence again next week.

“We mustn’t give the coronavirus a second chance to kill more people and to hurt our country,” Raab said at the government’s daily news conference .Source:www.ctvnews.ca

7

Shaban 17, 1441H April 10, 2020

S p .

R a m ada n

AH 1441 RAMADAN TIMETABLE 2020

Ramadan Date Fajr / Date Days May/June Sahur Sunrise *Apr 24 4:18 6:02 * Fri *1 2 3 4 5

6

7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 *30

Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tues Wed Thu Fri Sat

Zawaal

Dhur

Asr

1:30 1:10 1:30 25 4:15 1:10 6:02 1:30 26 4:13 1:10 5:59 1:30 27 4:10 1:10 5:57 1:30 28 4:08 1:10 5:55 1:30 29 4:05 1:10 5:53 1:30 30 4:02 1:10 5:51 1:30 May 1 4:00 1:10 5:50 1:30 2 3:58 1:10 5:48 1:30 3 3:56 1:10 5:46 1:30 4 3:53 1:10 5:45 1:30 5 3:51 1:10 5:43 1:30 6 3:48 1:10 5:41 1:30 7 3:46 1:10 5:40 1:30 8 3:44 1:10 5:38 1:30 9 3:41 1:10 5:37 1:30 10 3:38 1:10 5:35 1:30 11 3:36 1:10 5:34 1:30 12 3:34 1:10 5:32 1:30 13 3:26 1:10 5:31 1:30 14 3:25 1:10 5:29 1:30 15 3:24 1:10 5:28 1:30 16 3:23 1:10 5:27 1:30 17 3:22 1:10 5:25 1:30 18 3:22 1:10 5:23 1:30 19 3:21 1:10 5:22 1:30 20 3:21 1:10 5:21 1:30 21 3:20 1:10 5:19 1:30 22 3:19 1:10 5:18 1:30 23 3:19 1:10 5:17 *1 Shawwal 1441 AH EID UL FITAR

6:07 6:07 6:08 6:09 6:10 6:11 6:12 6:13 6:14 6:15 6:16 6:17 6:17 6:18 6:19 6:20 6:21 6:22 6:23 6:24 6:25 6:26 6:27 6:27 6:28 6:29 6:30 6:30 6:30 6:31 2020

Maghrib / Iftar 8:21 8:22 8:24 8:25 8:27 8:28 8:30 8:31 8:33 8:34 8:36 8:37 8:39 8:40 8:42 8:43 8:45 8:46 8:47 8:49 8:50 8:51 8:53 8:54 8:55 8:57 8:58 8:59 9:01 9:02

Isha 10:00 10:00 10:00 10:00 10:00 10:00 10:00 10:10 10:10 10:10 10:10 10:10 10:10 10:10 10:20 10:20 10:20 10:20 10:20 10:20 10:20 10:30 10:30 10:30 10:30 10:30 10:30 10:30 10:30 10:30

May Allah bless everyone with peace and happiness in this Ramadan

Timetable Source Fiji Islamic Centre Surrey, Canada :

Note: BCMA Timetable not yet received

Please follow your Masjid /Centre or Musalah Ramada n Timetable

8 Ca n a d a Feds receive more than 4M applications for financial aid since March 15 Shaban 17, 1441H April 10, 2020

F i n a n c e

take a little bit longer, with an anticipated 10 days delivery time.

However, there are concerns from opposition parties that some Canadians might fall through the cracks.

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh sent a let-

OTTAWA -- The government has received more than four million applications for financial aid since March 15.

That’s a jump from yesterday, when a little over 3.6 million Canadians applied for financial assistance through either Employment Insurance (EI) or the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).

Canadians have only been able to apply for the CERB since Monday, and the application has been staggered by birth month.

Yesterday there were 788,000 applications from Canadians born between January and March, and today an additional 537,000 Canadians applied who were born between April and June.

According to Liberal MP Jean-Yves Duclos, president of the Treasury Board, the onslaught of applications for government assistance is blowing averages out of the water.

He said the 2.5 million applications for EI that the government had received by Monday morning was more than the government usually receives in a year -- and now

that number has almost doubled.

“Yesterday we received over 966,000 applications for [financial assistance]. This is one day the equivalent of what we typically receive over 6 months,” Duclos said during his Tuesday press conference around noon EDT. At the time, he also confirmed that the government had received 3.6 million applications for emergency benefits -- a number that has now jumped to more than 4 million.

“Over 3 million of these applications have already been processed,” Duclos said.

The new benefit will provide successful applicants with $2,000 a month for four months. However, not everyone is eligible.

In order to be eligible, applicants must have earned at least $5,000 in the past 12 months or in 2019 as a whole, and must be out of work for reasons directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For those who are able to successfully apply, Trudeau said those availing themselves of the direct deposit option will receive money in three to five days. Cheques by mail will

ter to Trudeau today proposing the government give funds directly to all Canadians in a bid to ensure no one gets missed. “I want to again encourage you to move away from the complicated means-based system and implement the universal direct payment we

OTTAWA -- The House of Commons and Senate are being recalled on Saturday for a second emergency parliamentary sitting, to study and pass an expansion to the wage subsidy program.

The rare weekend sitting is scheduled to run from 12:15 p.m. to 5 p.m. EDT in the House of Commons, with senators then convening at 4 p.m. to consider the legislation as passed by MPs. Government House Leader Pablo Rodriguez sent a letter to the House of Commons Speaker Anthony Rota requesting the sitting, after coming to an agreement with the opposition parties, who have had a copy of the new bill—titled “a second Act respecting certain measures in response to COVID-19”— since Monday. The Conservatives have framed the second bill as a “fix” to the first, while the Liberals say the legislation would enact the “biggest economic measures in our lifetimes.” The government and opposition parties have been negotiating for days when the recall would happen, in order to see the $73-billion COVID-19 aid program come into effect, and what longer-term measures could be put in place,

like a virtual House of Commons to keep the Liberals accountable during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

It remains unclear exactly what the terms of the agreement to sit are in terms of further accountability measures, which are said to still be subject to ongoing discussions.

“I look forward to working together in the House to pass this bill quickly,” Rodriguez tweeted. The opposition parties say they are supportive of the help for Canadian businesses but are pushing the government to add additional interim assistance measures.

Outgoing Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer has been pushing for in-person sittings of the House of Commons, where opposition parties could question the minority Liberals, with a limited number of MPs. In an interview on CTV’s Power Play Scheer said his party thinks that if ministers and the prime minister can give in-person briefings to the media and officials, that they should be able to do so for opposition parties in the House of Commons as well, and that it doesn’t have to be an “either or” scenario with virtual sittings.

“We are not suggesting that we break the public health direction. We are talking about a representative number of MPs from each party, in addition to exploring virtual sittings and other measures that can ensure that more MPs from every region can participate,” Scheer said.

Speaker of the Senate George Furey’s office said as was the case for the first recall, “steps will be taken to ensure the health and safety of senators and staff involved in Chamber operations, including limiting the number of employees required to work on-site to support the sitting.” An initial 10 per cent subsidy was included in the $107-billion aid package passed during the first emergency sitting of the House that went overnight last month, but the government rolled out a massive expansion in the days following that needs to be legislated in order to come into effect. The subsidy would be on 75 per cent of employees’ salaries, up to $847 a week per employee for 12 weeks, retroactive to March 15, for companies big and small as well as charities. Further tinkering to the eligibility was announced on Wednesday, with the in-

because of work patterns.

The first meal of the day before fasting begins- well before sunrise - means getting up especially early.

So you could try to adjust the times when you go to bed and get up before Ramadan begins, if your work hours can accommodate that.

and recite the Qur’an more often

have proposed,” the letter read.

“Unfortunately, your CERB – even with changes you’ve been making to it – has proven to be complicated and leaves out many Canadians who need support. In fact, one study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives found that one third of Canadians in need are not eligible for the benefit at all.”

However, when CTV Power Play Host Evan Solomon asked Industry Minister Navdeep Bains whether the government was considering a universal basic income, Bains said the government is ensuring they help anyone who isn’t covered by current financial aid measures.

“We have different measures to target Canadians to make sure that they have income. If there are Canadians that are falling through the gaps, so to speak, or are unable to get the cash that they need, we will indentify those gaps and try to address those gaps,” Bains said.

Canadians looking to apply for the benefit can visit this link or call 1-800-959-2041.

Parliament recalled for rare Saturday sitting to pass COVID-19 wage subsidy bill

tention of keeping as many Canadians employed despite the pandemic shutting down many aspects of society and the economy.

According to an email sent to Liberal MPs, all sides agreed there will be a limited number of MPs in the Chamber once again, with 14 Liberals, 11 Conservatives, 3 Bloc Quebecois, 3 NDP, and 1 Green.

There will also be “no pages, no food, no beverages,” according to the email.

MPs who had not been contacted to attend are being asked to stay home, in line with the needed physical distancing requirements and to limit the number of staff who will also be in West Block for the sitting.......

Source: .ctvnews.ca

How to prepare for Ramadan -

Continued from page 5

4. Quit smoking

Fasting during Ramadan applies not only to food and drink but also to smoking.

Smoking is an addiction so it can be really hard to give up.

One way to offset the stress of trying to stop smoking during Ramadan is to cut down or give up beforehand, to ease yourself into the month of fasting more gradually.

Hopefully the prayers and general focus on spiritual matters during Ramadan will help to make it easy not to think about reaching for a cigarette.

5. Change your sleep patterns

If you’re not a devout worshipper, the changes to routine during Ramadan can be hard to stick to, especially if you are a late riser

6. Pray

Ramadan involves a lot of spiritual reflection - including prayers and recitals of parts of the Qur’an.

You could get into the habit now by reminding yourself of key religious texts and performing some additional prayers.

Those who recite the Qur’an beautifully, smoothly and precisely are said to be in the company of angels.

Those who recite with difficulty, stammering or stumbling through its verses, are said to have twice that reward.

Perform a few extra prayers will enable you to be ready for all the additional worship that takes place during the month of fasting.

7. Give more to charity

One of the five Pillars of Islam is Zakat, the

giving of a fixed percentage of wealth to the poor and needy.

And during Ramadan , when the focus is no longer on earthly needs such as food or sex, Muslims have time to focus more on their spiritual life.

As a result, many worshippers pay their Zakat during Ramadan.

At the end of Ramadan, it’s then time for Zakat ul Fitr - an offering to the poor so that they too can celebrate the end of the fast with the feast of Eid ul Fitr, just like everyone else.

Muslims are encouraged to increase their acts of giving and kindness prior to Ramadan as well.

Muhammad is quoted as saying: “Give charity without delay, for it stands in the way of calamity.”

Source: www.birminghammail.co.uk/

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‘No easy path’: PM Trudeau on Documents reveal glimpse into national COVID-19 death projections Canada’s early COVID-19 plans Continued from page 1

OTTAWA -- Under the current public health measures up to 44,000 Canadians could die from COVID-19 in the months ahead. However, federal modelling shows the death rate could skyrocket if efforts stopped.

Speaking to these projections during his daily address on Thursday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said keeping the number of deaths as low as possible depends on what each person does now, but it will “take months of continued, determined effort.”

Federal projections released by Health Canada detailed the overall best- and worst-case scenarios for the pandemic’s spread and impact in Canada, varying on the degree of actions taken by governments and Canadians.

Referencing the data, Trudeau said the peak of cases in Canada may come in late spring, with the end of the first wave in the summer.

“We have the chance to determine what our country looks like in the weeks and months to come. Our healthcare systems across the country are coping for the time being, but we’re at a fork in the road, between the best and the worst possible outcomes,” Trudeau said. “The best possible outcome is no easy path for any of us.” “There will likely be smaller outbreaks for a number of months after that. This will be the new normal, until a vaccine is developed,” he said, adding that some estimates show that some level of pub-

lic health measures could be needed for the next six to eight months, or for as long as a year and a half. Trudeau said this, coupled with more than one million jobs being lost in March, is obviously “difficult news.”

“We are unfortunately going to continue to lose people across this country in the coming weeks… We can continue to do what is necessary for the coming weeks and months to get through this first wave in the right way so we can get back to being there for each other in the coming year,” he said.

The prime minister also said that the work underway to develop more sophisticated testing and contact tracing is going to improve the global grasp on the virus that’s kneecapped global economies and changed how societies act.

Source: ctvnews.ca

Physical distancing orders a ‘justifiable infringement on human rights’: Quebec lawyer MONTREAL -- Quebec lawyer Julius Grey says the province’s physical distancing guidelines amid COVID-19 may be an infringement on human rights, but given the pandemic, drastic measures are reasonable.

“I think it is a violation of rights, but it’s a violation of rights that is justified in a free and democratic society,” said Grey. “It is justified to try to stop the epidemic just as it was justified to infringe on people’s rights and say ‘You can’t turn on your lights’ when the Germans were bombing London, just like it was justified to tell people ‘You have to leave your homes in Fort McMurray’.”

Last week, police were granted the power to ticket anyone who disrespects the province’s physical distancing guidelines. In the first week, hundreds of tickets were doled out across Quebec. Citizens have been asked to report neighbours who aren’t respecting physical distancing guidelines as well, but Quebec provincial police said they’re being inundated with calls for nothing.

“Our call centres are extremely busy at all hours of the day,” the Surete du Quebec’s Jean-Raphaël Drolet said in an explainer video on the force’s Youtube page. The video aims to highlight when it’s appropriate to report a neighbour and when it isn’t. “Hundreds of people are calling us to ask wacky questions or report inappropriate situations.”

Part of the reason for these calls is because of conflicting information when it comes to the guidelines – officials are saying the rule of thumb is to stay inside unless absolutely necessary, but they’re also encouraging people to get fresh air as long as they remain two metres away from others.

Drolet explained that people shouldn’t call the police on two couples who are neighbours chatting from a fair distance in a private yard, or pedestrians who stop on the sidewalk to chat while respecting the twometre rule.“Yes, we have to denounce interior and exterior gatherings,” Drolet said. “But we can’t fall into paranoia.”

“I personally don’t like snitching, even for a good cause,” said Grey. “There are situa-

tions where you have to snitch on something where there’s a real direct danger – if somebody’s having a party, and so on – but general snitching is not a nice habit and people should ask themselves before they start accusing neighbours or anybody else, ‘Is this really serious?’”

Exceptions to the two-metre rule in Quebec are outlined on the SPVM’s website, which include people who live in the same household and people who are receiving essential services from others.

“There are exceptions sometimes depending on the nature of the work that people have to do,” said SPVM inspector André Durocher.

“If you call an ambulance, the ambulance technician is going to be close to you, closer than two metres, same thing with anybody who’s providing you with some sort of service.” When it comes to families and roommates not respecting the two-metre rule, Durocher said as long as they live under the same roof, there shouldn’t be a problem.

Grey pointed out the importance of being able to contest tickets given out at the discretion of police officers amid the pandemic.

“It may well be that we don’t have time for it right now and that it’ll go to later, but there should be a power to contest,” he said. “Because otherwise, for instance, what would happen if there was an instance of racial profiling, if some policemen were giving out tickets particularly to a group?”

Source: montreal.ctvnews.ca

OTTAWA -- Early on in 2020, the message from the federal government was that the coronavirus risk here was low, but the rapidly-spreading disease eventually reached Canadian soil, setting off a cascade of ever-evolving policies, from the advice given based on the virus’ ability to spread, to measures needed at the border and the need to inventory medical supplies, internal documents show. In early January, the government went from saying the novel virus was being “actively monitored” with no confirmed cases in Canada. By mid-March, the government had repatriated citizens, assessed the national stockpile of supplies, and was having to update public health advice with the suggestion that up to 70 per cent of the country could contract the disease. These evolutions in policy, reacting to the evolving understanding of the neverbefore-documented virus are documented in part, through hundreds of pages of departmentally-redacted documents obtained

by CTVNews.ca. The documents offer a glimpse into some of the early-stage federal conversations and policy decisions made in the months after the novel coronavirus was identified and labelled COVID-19. Across the documents one of the most oft-repeated statements was: “This is an evolving situation.” Some examples of just how fluid the situation was include: Initially considering sending the tonnes of supplies headed to China on one of the chartered flights repatriating Canadians; stating that the virus wasn’t thought to be easily spread without prolonged close contact; and indicating the suggestion of closing the border to inter-

national passengers wasn’t necessary. This information is contained in documents provided to the House of Commons Health Committee on March 15. The more than 1,000 pages were provided in response to a production order passed by the committee in late February requesting “all documents, including briefing notes, memos and emails from senior officials, prepared for the Minister of Health, Minister of Transport, Minister of Public Safety, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of National Defence regarding the outbreak of the coronavirus.”

While the committee has yet to publish the documents, they are considered public and are some of the first documents produced about the federal government’s COVID-19 response, given the federal Access to Information system has largely been halted.

In the weeks of policymaking that have gone on since these documents were turned over to the committee, the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to rapidly evolve, rendering much of the information within these pages dated, though they are an indication of the cross-government collaboration occurring in the early stages of the outbreak.

During his daily address on April 7, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated that as the situation evolves, so too will their approach, adding that “they’ve done that from the beginning.” “This is a never-before-experienced pandemic that is presenting new challenges every single day. New facts, new data every single day, and throughout we’re making decisions based on the best advice,” he said.

Source: ctvnews.ca

VANCOUVER -- B.C. is setting aside $5 million to expand mental health services during the novel coronavirus pandemic the province’s premier announced Thursday.

Premier John Horgan and Judy Darcy, minister of mental health and addictions, explained the funding will help expand services so B.C. residents can access them virtually.“Whether you’re feeling stuck at home or separated from other people, this pandemic has been difficult for all of us,” Horgan said at a news conference where he and Darcy outlined the new funding.

“Everyone is experiencing stress, anxiety, depression and disconnection from what the world was supposed to be.”

Of the virtual services being enhanced during the pandemic, the province is particularly focusing on supporting youth and frontline health-care workers.

“I have heard from people right across B.C. about how this pandemic is taking a toll on their mental health,” Darcy said.

“Whether longstanding challenges are flaring up or you’re struggling with your mental health for the first time – we’re here for you.

We’re working quickly to expand virtual mental health services to ensure that when you reach out for support, someone will be there to help.” To help deliver these services, the province is working with Foundry Youth Centres, the B.C. division of the Canadian Mental Health Association and the BC Psy-

chological Association.

Access to free and low-cost community counselling programs – like those that support immigrant and refugee residents – will be expanded. Access to BounceBack’s online programs – which provide online coaching – is also growing and will no longer require a doctor’s referral. “This is huge, and this will help so many people in our province,” Darcy said during a news conference about the enhanced services.Through Foundry, virtual supports will be made available to youth aged 12 to 24 through voice and video chats. For those working on the frontlines and in health care, the province is launching a new online hub to offer peer support virtually along with an online psychological support service for health-care workers.

Darcy also encouraged B.C. residents to support each other. Source: bc.ctvnews.ca

B.C. sets aside $5M to expand virtual mental health programs during pandemic

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Shaban 17, 1441H April 10, 2020

c a n a d a

Finance

Changes to Canada Summer Jobs program to help businesses and young Canadians affected by COVID-19

The Government of Canada is taking unprecedented action to support workers, businesses, and all Canadians impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Right now, young people are facing serious challenges finding work. To build the foundations of strong communities, we need a strong workforce that includes good job opportunities for youth. That is why the government is working to help employers adapt to the realities of COVID-19, and supporting young Canadians as they begin to look for summer employment.

Today, the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, announced temporary changes to the Canada Summer Jobs program that will help employers hire summer staff and provide young Canadians access to the jobs they need during this unprecedented time. This program will help create up to 70,000 jobs for youth between 15 and 30 years of age.

Canada’s small businesses increasingly de-

pend on the employment of young Canadians. The changes to the Canada Summer Jobs program will help small businesses hire and keep the workers they need so they can continue to deliver essential services.

The temporary changes to the program for this year include: • an increase to the wage subsidy, so that private and public sector employers can also receive up to 100 per cent of the provincial or territorial minimum hourly wage for each employee • an extension to the end date for employment to February 28, 2021 • allowing employers to adapt their projects and job activities to support essential services • allowing employers to hire staff on a parttime basis These changes will help youth stay connected to the labour market, save money for their future, and find quality jobs in safe, inclusive,

and healthy work environments.

Today’s announcement builds on the government’s action taken for young Canadians during this crisis. This includes a six-month, interest-free moratorium on Canada Student Loans, and a 75 per cent wage subsidy for businesses that will help more employers keep part-time employees and workers over the coming months. Despite these important steps, there is still more to do for students and young Canadians. The Government of Canada will continue to look for ways to support all Canadians, including students and young people, as we weather this pandemic together.

The Canada Summer Jobs program provides opportunities for youth to develop and improve their skills within the not-for-profit, small business, and public sectors, and supports the delivery of key community services. By adapting the program this year, the Government of Canada is making sure

The City of Surrey has launched a series of initiatives to support local businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to launching a COVID-19 Business Resource Centre, the City’s new Surrey Store to Door platform has connected thousands of local consumers to online businesses in the first week alone.

“As we all do our part to flatten the curve, there has been an unprecedented shift in

how we connect with one another and do business,” said Mayor Doug McCallum. “But Surrey is a resilient community. Many local organizations have adapted their business models to ensure you still have access to the products and services you love at home.

I want to personally thank residents for continuing to support Surrey businesses and their staff. This community resiliency is the very thing that will bring us back to our feet when this pandemic is behind us.”

Surrey’s support programs for businesses include: Centralized COVID-19 Business Resource Centre Organizations can find business continuity plans, procurement opportunities, employment resources and consolidated financial supports on the City’s new COVID-19 Busi-

ness Resource Centre. With real-time updates, businesses can keep informed about support measures and opportunities as they arise.

Surrey Store to Door Surrey Store to Door is a hub for all things local, connecting restaurants, clothing stores, florists and more, to new customers in Surrey. Powered by the City’s marketing and communication channels, over 100 businesses have signed up, and the site has had over 4,600 visits by online shoppers in the first week. Businesses must offer online sales and delivery service to register.

Expedited Food Delivery Registration Service Surrey restaurants can enjoy an expedited registration process with Uber Eats and DoorDash, with the support of Surrey’s Business Support Office. For more informa-

email address.

They’ll ask be asked for ID, proof of income in 2019 and proof of loss of income due to COVID-19, as well as proof of their current income. The applicant will have to provide this information for every member of the rental unit who is 19 and older.

How it works for landlords

To be eligible for the temporary benefit, a renter must be: Receiving or eligible for employment insurance or the Canada Emergency Response Benefit*, or be making at least 25 per cent less

in monthly income as a result of COVID-19; Have a household income of less than $74,150 for renters without dependents, or $113,040 for those with dependents; Be paying more than 30 per cent of their income towards rent; Not be receiving any other rent-related subsidies.

Those who’ve already paid their April rent can still apply and receive the supplement.

How it works for renters While the money will be sent directly to B.C. landlords, the tenants must start the application.

They can apply online through BC Housing.

The application process requires renters to submit proof of address, such as a driver’s licence or utility bill.

They’ll be asked to provide proof of how much their rent is each month, and contact information for their landlord, including an

Once reviewed, landlords will be notified of eligible applications by email, so renters should let their landlord know to watch for this email.

Landlords will then be asked to start their application.

The application for landlords includes confirmation of details provided by the tenant, including the address and monthly rent.

They’ll also be asked to give their mailing address and banking information to set up a direct deposit.

When both applications have been completed and reviewed, the tenants and landlords will receive confirmation.

Source: bc.ctvnews.ca

VANCOUVER -- The head of the Canadian Police Association says he is worried about the increasing number of COVID-19 threats officers face while responding to calls.

“During this particular pandemic there is a very much heightened sense of anxiety,” said Tom Stamatakis in Vancouver.

“That just goes through the roof.”

There have been reports across the country of people claiming they have the novel

coronavirus and intentionally coughing on officers. Police forces are warning such behaviour can be considered an assault on a peace officer. A 24-year-old man from Coquitlam, B.C., was charged after allegedly coughing towards three officers during an arrest on Monday. A 59-year-old man allegedly coughed into the faces of two Mounties in Wetaskiwin, Alta., on the weekend when they responded to a disturbance call. He was also charged. Two days earlier, RCMP in Flin Flon, Man., said a 16-year-old boy coughed into an officer’s face while making references to COVID-19. It’s not believed the teenager had the virus, but the officer was forced to self-monitor as a precaution.

Ottawa police charged a 33-year-old man last month after someone spit on officers telling them he was COVID-19 positive.

A number of Mounties in Nova Scotia have also reported that they have faced threats of

being coughed on by people claiming to have the virus. Police are already facing unique pressure on the front lines of the pandemic, Stamatakis said. While the general population is told to self-isolate, officers are heading out each day to interact with people in uncontrolled situations.

“There have been a number of events where people have acted out and threatened, if you will, that they are contagious or they have COVID,” said Danny Smyth, Winnipeg’s police chief. Smyth said police there are dealing with each case differently, but such threats can result in a charge of public mischief.

Officers being spat at is not unique to the pandemic, said Catherine Fortin, an RCMP spokeswoman. But it now represents an even greater safety concern.

“The threat to transmit the COVID-19 virus is a threat to the well-being and health of RCMP officers,” Fortin said in an email.

“This is a criminal offence.”

Precautions are being taken. Operators with 911 are asking callers if there’s any threat of COVID-19 before officers are dispatched.

However, Stamatakis said, in many cases there isn’t the time in emergency situations to determine if officers are truly safe from the virus. “We often don’t know anything about the people we are interacting with,” Stamatakis said. “And we are typically interacting with them in an uncontrolled environment.”

Police services are enacting more stringent protocols around personal protective equipment. Not every police service has access to a lot of supplies, Stamatakis said, and individual officers don’t always have time to put the gear on. “You don’t have the luxury of making sure you are properly equipped because things can unfold in a dynamic way.”

Source: bc.ctvnews.ca

that we have the resources needed to support Canadian workers, businesses, and communities dealing with the social and economic impacts of COVID-19.

PMO Media Relations: media@pmo-cpm.gc.ca Associated Links • Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) • Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan • Prime Minister announces support for small businesses facing impacts of COVID‑19 • Canada Summer Jobs

Surrey programs support local businesses during COVID-19 pandemic tion, or to register, click here.

Connecting Local Manufacturers with Design Specs for COVID-19 Response Products The City is inventorying product design specifications for a variety of medical and personal protective equipment and has engaged with over 160 local manufactures and suppliers to encourage the local production of these goods.

Business Support Office Local business owners can contact Surrey’s Business Support office to learn more about the resources available to them by emailing econdev@surrey.ca.

For more information about how Surrey can help your local business, visit investsurrey. ca/covid-19 Media Contact:, Amber Stowe Office of the Mayor, City of Surrey

Here’s how to apply for B.C.’s rent supplement of $300 to $500 a month

VANCOUVER -- A little over a week after announcing help was on the way for B.C.’s renters, the application is now available online. As of Thursday, anyone who’s lost income due to COVID-19 can now apply online to receive the monthly supplement. https://bchousing.org/bctrs For now, it’s being made available for April, May and June.

Households with no dependants can apply for $300 a month, or $500 with dependents.

Roommates can each apply for the supplement, and the money will be paid directly to landlords on behalf of their tenants.

Am I eligible?

Police warn coughing on officers during COVID-19 pandemic can be considered assault

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Shaban 17, 1441H April 10, 2020

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12

Shaban 17, 1441H April 10, 2020

Politics

Canada-U.S. ties getting ‘constant gardening’ to protect supply lines: Freeland

WASHINGTON -- Canada’s relationship with the United States has always required “constant gardening,” but never more so than in the throes of a global pandemic, Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said Wednesday as she cheered the partial arrival of a shipment of face masks.

Freeland said the “first part” of Canada’s order of N95 masks -- 500,000 units -- arrived late Tuesday night from Minnesota-based 3M, which had been pushing back against White House demands to stop exporting the coveted medical gear.

But despite that small victory and the minister’s carefully parsed language, the message about the future was unmistakable: like so many other countries around the world, Canada will be fighting an uphill battle every step of the way when it comes to procuring the precious protective armour so vital to defending against COVID-19. “This is work that is constant, and we just have to keep at

it,” she told a news conference in Ottawa.

“That is the nature of our trading relationship with the United States in general -- that it requires constant work, constant gardening. In this time of a true global pandemic, of a real crisis, it requires particular attention, and we are devoting absolutely that necessary attention to it.”

Neither Freeland nor government officials were able to say just how many more masks were outstanding. But draft rules released Wednesday by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Homeland Security suggest shipments of personal protective equipment beyond American borders will be subject to a heightened level of scrutiny. The rules do include an exemption for manufacturers with “continuous export agreements” with customers outside the U.S. since the beginning of the year, “so long as at least 80 per cent of such manufacturer’s domestic production ...

was distributed in the United States in the preceding 12 months.” But they also seem to suggest it will be FEMA itself that determines whether or not a particular shipment qualifies.

“If FEMA determines that a shipment of covered materials falls within this exemption, such materials may be transferred out of the United States without further review by FEMA.” The rules give FEMA the discretion to redirect foreign orders that aren’t covered by the exemption, depending on a number of factors, including the extent of shortages at home, the potential disruptions to domestic and international supply chains, the risk of hoarding or price-gouging, as well as humanitarian and diplomatic considerations and international relations.

“FEMA will work to review and make determinations quickly and will endeavour to minimize disruptions to the supply chain.”

Dan Ujczo, an international trade lawyer

with the firm Dickinson Wright in Columbus, Ohio, cheered the federal government in Ottawa for successfully negotiating the successful purchase of N95 masks -- one of the most hard-to-find items in the international scavenger hunt for protective medical gear.

But it’s only going to get harder from here, he warned. Source: ctvnews.ca

OTTAWA -- More than one million Canadians lost their jobs in the month of March, Statistics Canada is reporting. The unemployment rate has also climbed to 7.8 per cent, up from 2.2 percentage points since February.

Canada’s national statistics agency released its monthly Labour Force Survey on Thursday, using March 15 to 21 as the sample week – a time when the government began enforcing strict guidelines around social gatherings and called on non-essential busi-

nesses to close up shop.

The first snapshot of job loss since COVID-19 began taking a toll on the Canadian economy shows 1.1 million out of work since the prior sample period and a consequent decrease in the employment rate – the lowest since April 1997. The most job losses occurred in the private sector and among people aged 15-24. The number of people who were unemployed increased by 413,000, resulting in the largest one-month increase in Canada’s unemployment rate on record and takes the economy back to a state last seen in October, 2010. Almost all of the increase in unemployment was due to temporary layoffs, meaning that workers expected to return to their job within six months,” reads the findings.

The agency included three new indicators, on top of the usual criteria, to better reflect the impact of COVID-19 on employment across the country.

The survey, for example, excludes the more commonly observed reasons for absent workers -- such as vacation, weather, paren-

tal leave or a strike or lockout -- to better isolate the pandemic’s effect.

They looked at: people who are employed but were out of a job during the reference week, people who are employed but worked less than half their usual hours, and people who are unemployed but would like a job.

The number of people in the first bucket has increased by 1.3 million since February, while the second category has increased by 800,000. ”These increases in absences from work can be attributed to COVID-19 and bring the total number of Canadians who were affected by either job loss or reduced hours to 3.1 million,” reads the findings.

Quebec, British Columbia, and Ontario saw the biggest jump in unemployment. Only Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island were spared.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his Thursday press briefing acknowledged how grim a picture these numbers paint for Canadians.“As stark as those numbers are, they aren’t a surprise for a lot of Canadians. Each one represents a different story;

a worker who’s been laid off, a family that’s having to hunker down, a community that’s anxious about today and tomorrow,” he said.

“We’re doing our best to help you bridge to better times.”Economists warn numbers will be worse for the month of April.

Millions of Canadians have applied for federal assistance over the past several weeks, including the Liberal government’s Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) launched Monday, which provides those unemployed with $500 a week for 16 weeks.

On Wednesday alone, 749,000 Canadians applied for CERB. The government has processed 4.58 million CERB and Employment Insurance claims. Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland had a direct message for Canadians on Thursday: “If you haven’t already applied for the CERB, please do so. It is there for you.”

“These numbers represent more than one million Canadians and more than one million Canadian families who are experiencing great hardship and who are really afraid.”

Source: ctvnews.ca

VICTORIA -- British Columbia’s prosecution service says NDP legislature member Jinny Sims will not face charges following an RCMP investigation and the appointment of a special prosecutor last fall.

In a statement, the prosecution service says the RCMP investigation into allegations of criminal wrongdoing against Sims found no evidence to support the accusations and the investigation has concluded.

Special prosecutor Richard Peck, who was appointed last October, says there will no charges and there is no further action to take.

Sims resigned as minister of citizens’ ser-

vices following the announcement of Peck’s appointment and said she was confident her name would be cleared. Sims, who also said she did not know what the RCMP investigation was about, continued to sit in the legislature as the member for Surrey-Panorama.

The Opposition B.C. Liberals accused Sims in the legislature of using personal emails to allegedly circumvent the province’s freedom of information laws and of writing letters to support visa applications for 10 Pakistani citizens who were on a security watch list. It is not known if the allegations about Sims’s personal email or the reference letters were the subject of the RCMP investigation.

In a statement last October, Sims dismissed “previous public allegations” that were made against her as having “no credibility.” She did not say what allegations she was referring to.

Sims has denied any wrongdoing in the use of her emails.

She told the legislature last year that she did not see the final draft of the sponsorship letters, which were sent out with her electronic signature.“I take responsibility for what happened,” she added. “When I became aware of the issue, I immediately had a serious conversation with the staff to ensure that it would not happen again.”

Source: vancouverisland.ctvnews

Record one million job losses in March: StatCan

RCMP finds no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by B.C. MLA Jinny Sims

Sukh Dhaliwal Begins Virtual Constituent Meetings for Surrey-Newton Residents Covid-19 Physical Distancing Requirements Inspires Innovation with Local Representation April 6, 2020 Surrey, BC – Widely known as servicing one of the largest volumes of constituent files in Western Canada, Member of Parliament for Surrey-Newton Sukh Dhaliwal is introducing virtual meetings to ensure that local residents and their specific issues are taken care of amidst the Covid-19 pandemic.

With his constituency office physically closed to the public, Mr. Dhaliwal has decided to use video conferencing via Skype and Whatsapp to facilitate requests for

“face-to-face” meetings.

“Demands for information, assistance and time have only increased since physical distancing measures were put into place, and meetings where people have the opportunity to speak to me with visual interaction is more important than ever,” explains Dhaliwal.

Since first elected in 2006, Fridays have always been known as constituent meeting days, which is a year-round schedule that works with normal House of Commons duties in Ottawa.

For the sake of continuity, this will continue via the virtual option as of April 10, 2020.

“In times such as this, elected officials have a larger obligation to give people hope, peace of mind and advice to navigate the range of government programs and information that is being release every day,” adds Dhaliwal. “Our office has built up a national reputation as meeting people’s needs with swift action, and I am not going to let the current circumstances compromise the level of service people have come to expect.”

Surrey-Newton residents who are interested in scheduling a meeting with Dhaliwal are encouraged to email: MP@SukhDhaliwal.ca<mailto:MP@SukhDhaliwal.ca> Media Inquiries: Sukh Dhaliwal

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Shaban 17, 1441H April 10, 2020

CO R ON A

Prophet Muhammad’s Best Advice for Infection Control

W

By: Aisha Stacey ,12 March, 2020 e are going to examine some of the advice Prophet Muhammad gave his followers from the perspective of secular information and knowledge. And in doing so, we will see that Prophet Muhammad was indeed a man for all seasons. He was a person that was very successful in many different activities. Emulating him is probably the wisest piece of advice you or I will ever get.

Quarantine & Isolation

During his lifetime, Prophet Muhammad advised his followers not to travel to places known to be afflicted by illness and told those who were ill to stay at home and not spread the disease further afield. He said: `` If you hear that there is a plague in a land, do not enter it; and if it (plague) visits a land while you are there, do not leave it.

[Saheeh Muslim & Saheeh Bukhari Prophet Muhammad also advised sick people

not to visit healthy people. (Saheeh Muslim) Across the globe, in the 21st century, health authorities take Prophet Muhammad’s wise advice every day.

Today public health authorities rely on two strategies to stop the spread of contagious diseases, quarantine and isolation. Isolation applies to persons who are known to have an illness, and quarantine applies to those who have been exposed to an illness but who may or may not become ill.

Notice that Prophet Muhammad did not preface his advice with “if you are sick”. People are able to spread a disease even if they are not showing any signs of disease.

Thus quarantine and other public health control measures are essential. They reduce the contact between those with the disease and those susceptible to the disease.

Such measures prevent the spread of the disease, contain the infection and avert untold damage to people and infrastructure.

Source: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Mosquito Borne Diseases

Zika virus, for example, is spread by infect-

ed mosquitos. Although the Zika virus can in some cases be relatively mild, it is responsible for severe birth defects if passed from a pregnant woman to her foetus.

Studies show that female mosquitoes prefer to lay eggs in water that collects in or is stored in manmade containers. The mosquito eggs stick to the walls of water containers like glue and remain attached until they are scrubbed off.

When the eggs dry out, they can survive for up to 8 months. If it rains or water covers the eggs, they hatch and become adults in about a week. If water must be stored it should be in tightly covered containers that prevent mosquitos from getting inside and laying their eggs.

Source: blogs.cdc.gov/publichealthmat Prophet Muhammad advised his followers to cover their eating utensils and to seal or cover water skins and water containers. In one of his traditions Prophet Muhammad mentions that one night an epidemic will arise.

(Saheeh Muslim) As we move into the second quarter of 2020 more than 150 countries across the globe are battling, or preparing to battle the biggest pandemic humankind has faced since the Spanish Flu of 1918. At that time an estimated 500 million people were infected and 20 to 50 million people died as a result.

The new virus known as Covid 19 has seen governments and authorities in many countries implementing the advice Prophet Muhammad, including, quarantine, isolation, and rigorous hygiene.

In this worrying time, we are asked by those in authority to practice social distancing if we are feeling unwell, are elderly, or suffer from a compromised immune system due to chronic illnesses, including but not limited to, diabetes, heart disease and asthma. Further, those who have been in contact with known cases of Covid 19 must stay at home for the required amount of time set by the relevant authorities.

Many countries have closed public places including mosques, schools, and businesses, whilst implementing strict home isolation.

Some countries have sealed their borders.

All these things are very much inline with the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad.

*{Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet, whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel, who enjoins upon them what is right and forbids them what is wrong and makes lawful for them the good things and prohibits for them the evil and relieves them of their burden and the shackles which were upon them. So they who have believed in him, honored him, supported him and followed the light which was sent down with him – it is those who will be the successful.}* (Al-Araf 7:157) Researches have proved that consuming unlawful meat causes serious diseases.

Moderation and protection of food and drink 5- Islam urges Muslims to be moderate in consuming lawful food and drinks. Prophet Muhammad said: “A human being has never filled any vessel which is worse than his own belly.”

(At-Tirmidhi) Prophet Muhammad commands Muslims to cover their food and drinks. He said: “Cover up the (kitchen) containers (i.e., pots, pans, etc.), tie up the mouth of the waterskin, lock up the doors and extinguish the lamps, because Satan can neither untie the water-skin nor open the door nor uncover the containers. If one can cover the cooking pot even by placing a piece of wood across it, and pronounce the Name of Allah on it, let him do it. A mouse can sometimes cause a house to burn along its dwellers.”

(Muslim) Mindful Interaction 6- Islam has put rules and regulations on interactions with the opposite gender. Islam prohibited adultery and homosexuality which are the causes of many diseases.

for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is better for him.”

(Muslim) When you face trials and difficulties with patience, you feel inner peace and a state of psychological health that will help you defeat the disease.

Contaminated Water

According to the CDC (Centre for Disease Control) when water is contaminated with organic matter (for example, human or animal waste, grasses, and leaves), the chances that mosquito larvae will survive may increase.

God’s commandments protect us from things we understand and know about but also from those we do not know about.

While Prophet Muhammad may not have understood the life cycle of a mosquito, he was alert to the fact that human waste was and still is a health hazard.

Prophet Muhammad warned against urinating in stagnant water or from urinating where people bathe. (Ibn Majah & Abu Dawood) He (Prophet) also warned against evacuating one’s bowels near a water source, by the side of the road or in the shade (Saheeh Muslim & Abu Dawood) The right to clean water and sanitation was recognized by the United Nations as a human right in 2010.

More than 14 centuries ago Prophet Muhammad warned us that there was a connection between water, hygiene and health. He also taught that cleanliness was half of faith.

(Saheeh Muslim) Source:: aboutislam.net/reading-

‘ Coronavirus: Safety Precautions from the Quran and Sunnah Islam calls its followers to protect themselves against diseases through the following guidelines: 1- One of the objectives of the Shariah is the preservation of the soul. Therefore, everyone must take all necessary measures to protect themselves against any harm.

Purification

Q: I am terrified about the spread of

the coronavirus. How can I protect myself? Are there any specific Quran verses or duas I can say?

Answer:

Dr. Mohsen Haredy Short Answer: Coronavirus: Safety Precautions from The Quran and Sunnah. It is sunnah to read these chapters of the Quran on the sick person: Surat Al-Fatihah, Surat AlFalaq, Surat An-Nas, Ayat al-Kursi, the last two verses from Surat al-Baqarah, and AlAnbiya 21:83. Read on to know what duaas (supplications) to say to protect yourself from coronavirus and other infectious diseases.

What Is Coronavirus?

The WHO has declared a state of emergency due to the outbreak of coronavirus (CoV) originated in Wuhan, China.

The coronavirus causes illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases.

The coronavirus has caused the death of more than 100 persons so far and the injury of more thousands.

2- Islam emphasizes the importance of cleanliness. This acts as one of the vital coronavirus safety precautions. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said: “Purification is half of faith.” (Muslim) Islam made ablution a pre-requisite for the validity of prayer. Prophet Muhammad said: “If there were a river at the door of one of you in which he takes a bath five times a day, would any soiling remain on him?”

They replied, “No soiling would left on him.”

The Prophet said, “That is the five obligatory prayer. Allah obliterates all sins as a result of performing them.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) Purification includes washing the mouth.

Prophet Muhammad said: “Had I not thought it difficult for my Ummah, I would have commanded them to use the Miswak (tooth-stick) before every prayer.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim) Therefore, ablution and using tooth-stick are one of the means of protecting our bodies from diseases and viruses.

Fitrah

3- Islam urges Muslims to observe the characteristics of fitrah. Prophet Muhammad said: “Five practices are the inborn characteristics of man; circumcision, shaving the pubes, plucking out hair under the armpit, paring the nails and clipping the moustaches. (Abu Dawud) A close look at these rituals would reveal that they play a great role in protect- After the Outbreak of the Disease 1- When a Muslim is afflicted with a certain Coronavirus: Safety Precautions ing the body from diseases. disease, he has to look at it as a test from AlLawful Food and Drink from The Quran and Sunnah lah the Almighty. Prophet Muhammad said: Islam has a unique way of dealing with the 4- Islam made lawful for Muslims all the “How wonderful is the case of a believer; there outbreak of diseases in two stages. i.e. before good foods and drinks and made unlawful to them all what causes harm to them and is good for him in everything and this applies and after the outbreak of the disease. only to a believer. If prosperity attends him, he Before the Outbreak of the Disease their bodies. We read in the Quran what expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good means:

Seek Medication

2- Islam orders Muslims to seek medication.

Prophet Muhammad said: “Make use of medical treatment, for Allah has not made a disease without appointing a remedy for it, with the exception of one disease, namely old age.” (Abu Dawud)

Practice Quarantine

3- When there is an outbreak of a disease, Islam commands Muslims to practice quarantine. Prophet Muhammad said: If you get wind of the outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; and if it breaks out in a land in which you are, do not leave it.”

(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Sunnah Duaas

4- It is an act of sunnah to say these duaas (supplications) as coronavirus safety precautions and for other infectious diseases: Prophet Muhammad used to say: “O Allah, I seek refuge in You from leprosy, madness, elephantiasis, and evil diseases.”

(Abu Dawud) When Prophet Muhammad visited any ailing member of his family, he would touch the sick person with his right hand and would supplicate: [O Allah! the Lord of mankind! Remove this disease and cure (him or her)! You are the Great Curer. There is no cure but through You, which leaves behind no disease].”

(Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

Sunnah Chapters of the Quran

5- It is sunnah to read these chapters of the Quran on the sick person: Surat Al-Fatihah, Surat Al-Falaq, Surat An-Nas, Ayat al-Kursi, the last two verses from Surat al-Baqarah, and Al-Anbiya 21:83.

We hope this answers your question.

Source: aboutislam.net/counseling/

14

Shaban 17, 1441H April 10, 2020

M IDDL E

EAST

Qatar denies allegations of corruption in World Cup 2022 bid ficials to swing votes in the crucial hosting all rules and regulations for the 2018/2022

US Department of Justice indictment said bribes were paid to football officials to secure their votes.

Qatar’s World Cup 2022 organisers have denied fresh allegations from the US prosecutors of corruption and bribery to win rights to hosting of the event.

A new US Department of Justice indictment was released on Monday which said bribes were paid to football officials to secure their votes. The indictment, published by a federal court in Brooklyn, accuses media rights handlers and a company from Uruguay of wire fraud and money laundering among other allegations. According to the prosecutors, representatives working for Russia and Qatar bribed FIFA executive committee of-

decisions of world football’s governing body.

“Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy [organisers of World Cup 2022] strongly denies the allegations contained within the court papers made public in the US on 6 April 2020,” it said in a statement sent to Al Jazeera on Tuesday.

“They are part of a long-standing case, the subject of which is not the 2018/2022 FIFA World Cup bidding process. Despite years of false claims, evidence has never been produced to demonstrate that Qatar won the rights to host the FIFA World Cup 2022 unethically or by means that contravened FIFA’s strict bidding rules.

“The SC maintains that it strictly adhered to

FIFA World Cup bidding process and any claim to the contrary is baseless and will be fiercely contested.”

In a statement, FIFA, world football’s governing body, said it supported all investigations into “alleged acts of criminal wrongdoing” and noted it had been accorded victim status in the US criminal proceedings.

“The FIFA Ethics Committee has already imposed sanctions, including life bans, on football officials mentioned in this process,” said a FIFA spokesman.

“As far as FIFA is concerned, should any acts of criminal wrongdoing by football officials be established, the individuals in question should be subject to penal sanctions.”

The indictment states that the three South American members of FIFA’s 2010 executive - Brazil’s Ricardo Teixeira, the late Nicolas Leoz of Paraguay and an unnamed co-conspirator - took bribes to vote for Qatar to host the 2022 tournament.

Source: aljazeera.com/

Will the Saudi-UAE-led coalition’s ceasefire hold in Yemen?

The Saudi-UAE-led coalition battling the Houthi rebels in Yemen begins a two-week truce due to coronavirus pandemic. War-ravaged Yemen is one of the few places left on Earth without a coronavirus case.

But health workers worry it is only a matter of time before the country records the first infections. An outbreak would add more misery to a country suffering from five years of fighting. The conflict has

destroyed hospitals, killed more than 100,000 people and pushed millions towards famine.

The coalition battling the Houthi rebels, being led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, has now begun a unilateral ceasefire after an appeal from the United Nations to halt hostilities amid the coronavirus pandemic. How will the Houthis respond?

Source: aljazeera.com/

Dubai suspends marriages, divorces to curb spread of coronavirus Move announced as ‘measures to prevent spread of the pandemic’ after emirate reports 2,659 infections and 12 deaths. Marriages and divorces in Dubai have been suspended “until further notice” as a result of the coronavirus.

The move, announced by the justice department on Wednesday, is among “measures to prevent the spread of the pandemic” rolled out in the Gulf emirate, which has reported 2,659 infections and 12 deaths. Justice Khaled al-Hawsni of the family court also said on the department’s website that couples who have already completed marriage

formalities must not organise wedding parties “even among their immediate circles”.

On Tuesday, the Personal Status Court in Dubai decided to suspend all legal services related to family matters based on Islamic jurisprudence, which holds that “repelling an evil is preferable to securing a benefit”, the Arab news reported. Dubai, one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates, has come to a virtual halt, with its famous malls and sprawling hotels shuttered.

All citizens and residents, other than those in essential services, require a permit to

leave their homes.

Following a steep rise in the number of cases, the UAE indefinitely extended a curfew on Saturday that was enforced on March 26 to allow for a nationwide disinfection.

On Monday, UAE carriers Emirates and Etihad Airways resumed limited passenger flights, two weeks after authorities grounded aeroplanes as part of wider shutdowns to combat the coronavirus.

The flights are open to foreign citizens who wish to leave the UAE, but no incoming passengers are allowed.

Source: aljazeera.com/

Iran presses IMF for emergency loan to fight coronavirus President Rouhani doubles down on IMF to approve $5bn loan, accusing the organisation of discrimination against Iran. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani pressed on Wednesday for a $5bn emergency loan from the International Monetary Fund to fight the Middle East’s worst coronavirus outbreak, saying it would be guilty of discrimination if it withholds the money.

Rouhani also said some businesses will remain closed until further notice after authorities announced last week they will begin to ease a shutdown order from

April 11. Iran’s central bank wrote last month to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to request the $5bn from its Rapid Financing Initiative, an emergency programme that aids countries faced with sudden shocks such as natural disasters. It was Tehran’s first request for IMF aid since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.“I urge international organisations to fulfil their duties ... We are a member of the IMF,” Rouhani said at a televised cabinet meeting. “There should be no discrimination in giving loans.”

Source: aljazeera.com/

Coronavirus: How much more time are people spending at home?

Billions of people around the world have been ordered to stay at home to help curb the coronavirus pandemic.

By Mohammed Haddad 6 Apr 2020 Governments around the world have ordered citizens to stay at home and practice physical distancing to help curb the coronavirus pandemic.

In an attempt to contextualise how people’s movements have been affected, tech giant Google recently released its COVID-19 Community Mobility Reports tracker, which

makes use of anonymised mobile phone data from 131 countries around the world.

The tracker shows how visits and the length of stay at different places have changed since the widespread introduction of physical distancing guidelines and lockdowns, compared to each country’s average during a five-week period in January and February.

While the data could help public health officials understand patterns of movement in the age of physical distancing, Google has stated that the data is not intended to be used for medical diagnostics or personal travel planning.

The company has produced reports that show how visits and length of stay vary across different locations including residential areas, retail and recreation, groceries and pharmacies, outdoor areas, workplaces and public transit stations.

Residential areas It is clear that almost the entire planet is spending more time at home. At 35 percent above its average, Bolivia is the country spending the most additional amount of

time at home On March 25, the South American country declared a public health emergency and completely locked down its borders.

Retail and recreational activities European countries including Italy, Spain, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein have all seen a decrease of over 90 percent in visits to and time spent at recreational locations - including places like restaurants, theme parks and movie theatres. Spain and Italy are currently the hardest-hit countries in Europe with over 250,000 confirmed cases and 28,000 deaths between the two of them.

Supermarkets and pharmacies For many of those living in lockdown, a visit to the supermarket for supplies has become one of their only interactions with the outside world. But visits and time spent at supermarkets and pharmacies have decreased significantly over the past few weeks.

Life outdoors For most people the lockdown has also meant fewer visits to parks, beaches and public gardens. However, for a handful of

countries, mostly in the northern hemisphere, outdoor visits have increased with the warmer spring weather. South Korea has seen a 51 percent increase followed by Finland (48 percent), Sweden (43 percent), Belarus (41 percent) and Denmark (35 %) Workplaces Mobility trends for places of work also show a considerable decline. At 72 percent below its usual baseline, Jordan has seen the highest decline in workplace visits.

The Middle Eastern country, which was under a nationwide curfew recently, began easing travel restrictions for essential trips from 10am to 6pm.

Public transit stations The biggest decline worldwide has been the amount of time spent in subways, in buses and on trains. The entire world has seen a decrease ranging from six percent in Zimbabwe to 92 percent in Bolivia.

In addition, several national airline carriers have grounded their fleets and have asked governments for billions of dollars to survive.

Source: aljazeera.com

15

Shaban 17, 1441H April 10, 2020

corona

COVID-19: Everything you need to know to stay healthy and entertained while stuck at home * Start your own work-from-home book club with these great reads * Rent new movies from NBCUniversal online * Diplo, Dropkick Murphys stream concerts to slow coronavirus spread, report says

Staying mentally healthy

All of the tips you’ll need to work, cook and stay sane while practicing social distancing. March 20, 2020

By: Alison DeNisco Rayome Schools, businesses, restaurants, gyms, museums and other public places across the US closed down this month in attempts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Many people are staying home and practicing social distancing to avoid spreading the viral disease further.

If you’re not used to spending all of your time at home, whether you live alone or with a partner, a family or roommates, you might be feeling a little unsure of how to pass the time -- especially since the government’s social distancing directive might last for weeks. Never fear: CNET has put together this guide of everything you need to know about coronavirus and infection prevention, but also tips for working, cooking, learning and staying physically and mentally healthy from home.

Coronavirus basics

Here’s everything you need to know about coronavirus, including the most recent updates, guidelines, cancellations and where to find more information: * Everything you need to know about the coronavirus: Where it started, how it spread and how to protect yourself * A timeline of everything that’s happened since the first confirmed cases of COVID-19, and the most recent updates * Every coronavirus event cancellation and delay, from the NBA to Disney films and Broadway * How to get coronavirus news updates and alerts on your phone * Coronavirus lockdowns: Who they affect and what you need to know * All the sports events that are still on, for now

* All the gear you need to work from home * How to stay sane and productive when working from home * How to make sure your home Wi-Fi is up to speed * 10 free video chat apps * Skype vs. Zoom: Which video chat app is best? * The best VPN services for 2020 * The best password managers for 2020 and how to use them * Why a smarter iPad could be a work-fromhome savior

Cooking (or ordering food) at home tips

Making your way around the kitchen for the first time in a while? Here are some apps, services and tips to help you channel your inner Gordon Ramsay and finally use that Instant Pot or slow cooker (just keep the yelling to a minimum, for the sake of your pet): * Best food delivery service: DoorDash, Grubhub, Uber Eats and more compared * How to safely order food delivery during the coronavirus pandemic * Uber Eats waives delivery fees amid coronavirus outbreak * How to make a meal with whatever the grocery store had left * Make-ahead freezer meals to cook now and eat later * Turn your recipes into shopping lists with this meal-planning app * Take live cooking classes with the Food Network Kitchen app * How to use your Instant Pot: Everything you’ve wanted to know * 15 healthy Instant Pot recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner * Use the Google Home Hub to help you cook

Keeping the kids busy with schoolwork and entertainment

How to avoid getting infected with With schools closed across the country, millions of kids are at home and in need of coronavirus If you still have to work or do things outside of your home, here are some tips for avoiding infection, including how to properly sanitize your home and phone: * 10 ways to help avoid coronavirus when you have to leave the house * What social distancing means, and how to do it * How to prepare and stock up for a coronavirus quarantine * Why sewing face masks may not protect you from coronavirus * How social distancing can help stop the spread of coronavirus * Coronavirus vaccines and treatment: Everything you need to know * How to clean and disinfect your phone 13 hands-free greetings for the coronavirus era * How to sanitize your house to protect yourself from coronavirus * 6 coronavirus health myths, fact checked

virtual education or at least entertainment.

Here are some resources to help parents out: * Great online education classes for every age and grade * 6 Chromebook deals for online learning * Parents share home schooling survival tips on Twitter * 10 kid-friendly Apple Arcade games * Best 2-player board games for 2020 * Disney Plus now streaming Frozen 2 * Top kid toys 2020: Cool toys for girls and boys * Best kids tablets for 2020: Amazon Fire, Apple iPad and more compared

Keeping yourself entertained

Adults need help staying busy while social distancing, too. Here are some ideas for you: * Free entertainment to help you survive coronavirus social distancing * How to grow an herb garden All the best streaming devices * 10 ways to download and read books online for free Working from home tips Here’s everything you need to work from * Best live TV streaming services for cordhome efficiently, from video conferencing cutters in 2020 * How to get free ebooks, magazines, movies services to tips on how to stay sane: and TV shows from your library

Keeping your mental health in check will be key for making it through social distancing.

Here are some resources to help you manage anxiety and sleep, and find online therapy and telehealth services: * How to cope with coronavirus anxiety and stress * 5 life hacks for relieving anxiety * How to improve your sleep * How to beat your social media addiction, according to a therapist * How to find a therapist online * 7 signs you have burnout -- and how to fix it * 12 meditation apps for better sleep and less stress * How to take a mental health day from work How to access telehealth services * 5 sobriety support groups that are different from Alcoholics Anonymous

* 13 suicide and crisis intervention hotlines to call or text when you need help

Exercising from home

Just because gyms are closed doesn’t mean you shouldn’t say physically active. Here are some tips for working out from your house, whether you have any exercise equipment or not: * All the at-home workouts, apps and equipment you need to stay healthy * The best YouTube channels for working out at home * The best workout apps for people who hate working out * Peloton, Daily Burn and more: Best workout subscription apps * How to create an exercise routine you’ll actually stick to * The 7 most important workout moves you should be doing * Best smart home gym: Peloton, Mirror, Tonal and more * Exercising in your 50s and beyond: Tips from a doctor and fitness pros * Peloton alternatives: 4 great indoor exercise bikes that cost less Source: cnet.com/how-to/covid-19

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16

Shaban 17, 1441H April 10, 2020

india

PM Imran calls out BJP’s Dr Subramanian Swamy over his bigoted comments regaring Muslims

“If Muslim [population] becomes more than 30 per cent [in any country], that country is in danger,” Swamy claimed, upon which

journalist Isobel Yeung pointed out that his comments sounded like language of hatred.

“It is easy to call this hatred, I am being kind to them by not letting them enter India.”

When reminded that Article 14 of the Indian constitution ensures equal rights for everyone in India, he went on to say that this was a misinterpretation of the Article, saying: “The law ensures equal rights for equals.”

“Are all people not equal? Are Muslims not equal In India?” asked Yeung.

“No, not all people are equal, Muslims do not fall into the equal category,” Swamy said.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, sharing the VICE video clip, said that BJP’s leadership

is now openly speaking about Muslims like Nazis spoke about Jews.

Among those who called out the BJP lawmaker was author and commentator on economy Salman Anees Soz, who said that Swamy “is a bitter man, wallowing in his own filth.”

Vinod K. Jose, editor of The Caravan said that the CAA, the Delhi violence and the mass fleeing of the poor due to coronavirus “is the practical demonstration of this dictum getting played out in India?”

Defending the CAA

Swamy has repeatedly defended the CAA and had earlier termed Sonia Gandhi as a “true Nazi” for saying that the law discriminates against Muslims in India.

“The true Nazis are the Nazi soldier’s daughter led uprising on a lie that CAA is anti Muslim! If you are pro Hindu, then you must be anti Muslim. If you are pro Muslim, you are secular,” Swamy said on Twitter in response to Gandhi’s criticism of the use of

“brute force to suppress dissent”, News18 had reported on March 6.

Furthermore, Swamy has repeatedly said that the CAA would not affect Indian Muslims. “Many are protesting against the CAA, but they have not read the bill. I think most Congress people cannot read and write,” The New Indian Express reported Swami as saying during a public address at Bengaluru.

“What is the bill about? That those who were persecuted because of their religion and left Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh came to India, they are still illegal migrants. They cannot get jobs as they do not have any documents. “For 70 years, Congress was speaking about giving them citizenship, but they did not implement this. Our (Indian) Muslim minorities and their citizenship is not affected at all because of CAA. As Muslims are not persecuted in Pakistan and Bangladesh due to their religion, Muslims were not included in the list,” Swamy was quoted as

saying. Swamy’s comments came at a time when India was experiencing violent riots over the controversial CAA. A report published by The New York Times about the New Delhi clashes that left at least 50 dead said that evidence suggests that the city police “concertedly moved against Muslims” and “actively helped Hindu mobs” that targeted Muslims and their homes during the deadly riots that gripped the Indian capital in February.

Source: www.dawn.com

The origins of Vaisakhi

V

aisakhi originated as a harvest festival in India’s Punjab region hundreds of years ago.

In 1699, it took on special significance for Sikhs when Guru Gobind Singh — the tenth Sikh guru — created the order of the Khalsa.

Sikhs believe that on April 14, 1699, Guru Gobind Singh called all Sikhs to the Indian city of Anandpur Sahib, Punjab.

At the gathering, he asked all those in attendance to uphold their faith and preserve the religion. The Guru is then said to have lifted his sword and asked the crowd who was prepared to die for their faith. Five men stepped forward. Guru Gobind Singh called

the five men the ‘Panj Pyare’, which means the Five Beloved Ones. Vaisakhi or Khalsa Day parades are led by five men in ceremonial dress - to represent the Panj Pyare - the five beloved ones. To this day the five men are known as the first members of the Khalsa.

Source: asianpacificpost.com

COVID-19: Vancouver’s Vaisakhi parade cancelled

Khalsa Diwan Society says its the first cancellation in the parade’s 41-year history Organizers behind Vancouver’s Vaisakhi parade have cancelled next weekend’s festival in response to a B.C. Health Ministry order banning all public gatherings of more than

Countries Still Not Reporting Any Coronavirus Cases The new coronavirus has defied geographical and political boundaries, leaving fewer than two dozen countries on the Earth without a reported case of COVID-19.

COVID-19 was first observed late last year in the Chinese city of Wuhan, capital of central Hubei province. The disease quickly spread across the country and beyond its borders, with nearby South Korea among the first to be seriously afflicted by the outbreak. As of Friday, however, rival North Korea, reported it remained unharmed.

North Korea, which borders both China and South Korea, was among the first countries in the world to begin closing its borders and establishing other intensive antiepidemic measures to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus. Last week, Pyongyang health officials ordered the release of thousands of quarantined patients said to be cleared of the disease, although hundreds more remain under observation and isolation. North Korea officials announced new measures Friday, including tighter controls on water tanks and reservoirs, thorough disinfection of currency notes and the disposal of waste from vessels docked in territorial waters. Another secretive, tightlycontrolled state in Asia has yet to report any instances of COVID-19 despite bordering a hard-hit nation. Turkmenistan has sent medical and food supplies to neighboring Iran, where cases exceeded 32,000, but has not recorded any infections at home.

Turkmenistan has in some ways followed in North Korea’s footsteps, heavily restricting travel, organizing mass clean-ups and awareness campaigns and advertising local

250 people.The Vaisakhi parade, which was scheduled for April 18, attracts thousands to the south Vancouver neighbourhood around the Ross Street Sikh temple. Along with the parade, live stages are set up in the streets and free food is served by residents.

Source: theprovince.com

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On Friday, the government’s official website reported that the country “is continuing to work on bringing Turkmen citizens back home from abroad because of the challenging situation caused by the spread of the coronavirus.”

COVID-19 also was not detected in the international community’s newest member, South Sudan. The Sub-Saharan country’s civil war ended last month with a unity deal between rival factions but scores of internally displaced persons remain in denselypopulated camps potentially at risk for disease outbreaks such as the new coronavirus.

Elsewhere in Africa, the countries of Burundi, Zimbabwe and land-locked Lesotho have also not registered a single COVID-19 case despite all bordering South Africa, which has emerged as the most heavily-impacted on the continent with nearly 1,000 confirmed instances. East Africa’s Burundi and Malawi also have no novel coronavirus disease cases on record, nor does West Africa’s Sierra Leone or the island nations of Comoros and São Tomé and Príncipe.

Many of these countries have resorted to drastic lockdown in order to prevent the spread of a disease that threatened to overwhelm the healthcare systems of much larger, wealthier nations across the globe.

Source: https://www.msn.com

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17 s c i e n t i st Abu Ali al-Husayn ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Sina (Latin: Avicenna) Shaban 17, 1441H April 10, 2020

Persian physician and philosopher, b. 980 (Bukhara, Iran), d. 1037 (Hamadan).

I

bn Sina, known throughout the world under his Latinized name Avicenna, was the son of a Persian family whose home was a meeting place for scholars. An unusually gifted child with an exceptional memory, Avicenna listened in to the discussions and was formally taught by his father.

At the age of 10 Avicenna had already memorized the Qu’ran and much Arabic poetry and turned to logic and metaphysics. He soon surpassed his teachers and studied on his own. By the age of 18 he had more or less mastered Islamic law, medicine and metaphysics.

Avicenna’s reputation as a physician brought him access to the court of the Samanids, the first Persian dynasty in the Arabian empire.

He treated and cured the prince and from then on was given the use of the Samanid library.

During Avicenna’s lifetime the Arabian em-

pire suffered much from political instability.

Persian and Turkish houses competed for power, and local houses took advantage of the situation by establishing independent rule. Shortly after the death of Avicenna’s father the Samanids were deposed by the Turkish Ghaznavids.

Throughout the rest of his life Avicenna moved from one city to another, sometimes in search for better employment, often fleeing from persecution. Wherever he went his talents as a physician and as an administrator were in great demand. Twice Avicenna was appointed vizier (chief minister), a position that exposed him to court intrigue and persecution. Avicenna was forced to hide for periods, and at one time he was imprisoned.

Given his circumstances, Avicenna’s achievements as a scientist and philosopher are without parallel. He began writing his two most famous works, the Kitab ash-shifa (“Book of Healing”) and the al-Qanun fi at-tibb (“Canon of Medicine”), during his stay in prison. The caliphs of the period were only interested in his services as court physician and administrator, and Avicenna had to continue work on his books at night.

Fortunately he had a robust constitution, and work progressed well during the hours of the night in the company of his students, interrupted now and then by musical entertainment and partying.

In 1022 Avicenna had to flee again and settled in Isfahan, where the last 14 years of his life brought him relative peace and allowed him to complete his works and write another nearly 120 treatises. He nevertheless had to serve as physician during military campaigns. He fell ill during one such campaign and died from colic and exhaustion.

Among Avicenna’s major works are: * The Kitab ash-shifa (“Book of

Healing”), probably the largest work of its kind written by on person, is an encyclopaedia of knowledge that covers logic, the natural sciences, the quadrivium (geometry, astronomy, arithmetic, music), psychology and metaphysics. It shows Avicenna as the philosopherscientist of the Greek tradition, for whom scientific study is embedded in philosophy. Avicenna’s philosophy is formulated in an Islamic framework and therefore based on the notion of the one God, but he avoids the discussion of ethics and politics. * The al-Qanun fi at-tibb (“Canon of Medicine”), the most famous book in the history of medicine of all civilizations, is an encyclopaedia of all medical knowledge of the time.

It was translated into Latin in the 12th century and established Avicenna’s fame in the European civilization. * The Kitab an-najat (“Book of Salvation”), written partly in the field during a military campaign, is a masterful summary of Avicenna’s philosophical thought outlined in the Book of Healing. * The Kitab al-isharat wa at-tanbihat (“Book of Directives and Remarks”) is Avicenna’s testimony; it shows the development of his personal thought and philosophy in the direction of Islamic mysticism, from the first growth of faith to uninterrupted vision of God.

The Lisan al-’arab (“The Arabic Language”), Avicenna’s answer to criticism that he did not master the Arabic language properly, did not get beyond the stage of a rough draft.

In the history of medicine Ibn Sina holds a place of honour next to Hippocrates and Galen. Although his name is no longer remembered by people outside the Islamic world, in Muslim countries he is rightly held in the high regard he deserves.

Reference Seyyed Hossein Nasr (1994) Avicenna.

Encyclopaedia Britannica 15th edition.

Source: incois.gov.in

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Saturday, April 11th, 2020 Food Drive and Donation Collecting for Ramadan , 10 am to 1 pm MFB Warehouse, 104-12941 115th Street, Surrey BC

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18

Q

Shaban 17, 1441H April 10, 2020 S

OCI A L

c o u n se l i n g

I Betrayed My Parent’s Trust -How Do I face Them?

: I have in the past committed sins such as sex-chat.

My parents don’t know and are proud of me. I feel very ashamed.

I feel that I have betrayed their trust.

I’m trying to be better. How will I face my parents?

NSWER By:Madiha Sadaf 02 April, 2020

A

In this counseling answer:

Allah pardons all sins.

Allah loves those who turn in repentance to him.

Start off on your path to finding Allah Allah is “Ghaffar” –He is both Oft-Forgiving and All-Forgiving Dear Sister, when you wrong someone, they might forgive you once or twice but not multiple and countless times.

However, Allah SWT, the Merciful and the One who forgives, will forgive you multiple times. Therefore, as imperfect slaves of Allah, we must strive to please Him. Qualities Favored by Allah: Repentance “Indeed Allah loves those who are constantly repentant.” (Holy Qur’an 2:222) Allah had forgiven the Prophet(saw) for his previous and future sins. Yet, he was a servant seeking forgiveness and constant repentance.

In his words: “By Allah, I seek forgiveness from Allah and I repent to Him more than seventy times a day.” (Sahih Bukhari) Therefore, we all should seek Allah’s forgiveness for the sins past and present, at least 200-500 times a day.

It was narrated by Anas that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said, “Every son of Adam commits sin, and the best of those who commit sin are those who repent.” (Ibn Majah) Qualities Favored by Allah: Godconsciousness “Indeed, Allah loves the righteous [who fear Him].” (Holy Qur’an 09:04) You are clearly aware that Allah SWT has observed your sins, and you fear Allah’s punishment.

Realize the words of Allah, ‘If My slaves ask you about Me, I am near. I answer the call of the caller when he calls on Me.’ [Qur’an, 2:185]

By: Zafar Alam Sarwar Islamaba, Pakistan There’s old saying that our sub-continent divided into a number of large and petty states in the long past used to fight with one and other for supremacy. But they would unite to meet the invader in the battle-field--purpose being to save their kingdoms. And that’ is fact.

Virus is a living thing too small to be seen without a microscope that causes infectious disease in people, animals and plants.

So there is Corona virus causing deaths around the world, including Pakistan. China has again proved that a friend in need is a friend indeed. Both the countries are actively united against the fatal virus.

Unfortunately, all political leaders have not united against Corona, especially those who have formed an opposition group to confront the current administration. It is not acceptable to the common people who believe in national unity to defeat enemy. One can recall the situation in the past in that context.

PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, interior minister in the Nawaz Sharif government established for the third time with

Your love for Allah is making you regret the Past committed sins sin you committed.

Your love for Allah is deeper than you know. such as Sex-chat.

Otherwise, you would not have acknowledged anything you did wrong.

You need guidance. Your heart needs guidance to direct it towards what is important.

For that, you need to de clutter your mind.

You need to focus on what is important to you. Forget about everyone and everything else in life.

It is your life, and it should only consist of how you will please Allah and what you feel you need to do to please Allah.

Allah SWT says in the Quran, “So, do not weaken and do not grieve, and you will be superior if you are [true] believers.” (Quran 3:139) Never in the Quran, or in the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad SAW will you find that you are asked to despair, fall into hopelessness, or isolate yourself constantly thinking about your troubles.

Instead, you are asked to see every situation your time in learning of Allah and the deen. from a positive angle and see growth.

Allah SWT says in the Quran: ”O you who believe! Do your duty to Allah Dhikr of the First Kalima Dear Sister, my most important advice to and fear Him. And seek the Waseela (means you is to keep yourself busy with the dhikr of approach to Him), and strive hard in His Cause (as much as you can), so that you may of the first kalima.

Do not think about anything else. Here are be successful.” (5:35) the steps I want you to take to strengthen In order to get closer to Allah SWT aside from doing dhikr, get yourself involved in your relationship with Allah.

Pick a clean room in your home, or a clean activities. Either in the community or by spot (by the window in a room, in a corner other extra curricular. by your bed, etc.,). Spread the prayer mat These activities will help you overcome your there, put some musk on the mat, put the depressive mood and help you find motivadhikr beads on it, and get a small stand for tion. the Quran.

Ask Allah for Refuge Sit there every day for at least once a day for It is also of great importance to seek refuge 10 minutes and just feel peaceful. I am cer- from the satan. tain that simply sitting in a space set up for He is our greatest enemy when it comes to prayer will give you peace. getting closer to Allah, and is the one who Then, take the beads and count reading the usually makes us dwell on negativity. first kalima 99 times.

Abu Huraira (RA) reported that the Prophet Sit there and think of all the hard times you Muhammad ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam had, good times, impossible days. (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) Sit there and feel grateful. said that Allah subḥānahu wa ta’āla (glorified and exalted be He), the Exalted and Getting Closer to Allah I understand that you feel depressed and un- Glorious said, happy. However dear Sister, you must learn “I am near to the thought of My servant as to move on. You have left the sin behind; he thinks about Me, and I am with him as he therefore, you must also leave the thoughts remembers Me. of the past behind. For this, you must invest And if he remembers Me in his heart, I also

Corona challenge:

the blessing of a foreign power, realised after a long time the need for unity---though for a specific purpose.

By the way, one could ask him who split the Pakistan Muslim League into many groups, and why did he and his cohorts forget the advice of the founder of Pakistan that “united we stand, divided we fall.”

Some time back, people worriedly asked each other about the aftermath of the Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla: “Where we stand in today’s chaotic scenario, there’s no guidance, no direction, how to deal with such a horrible situation? Who will come up to rescue us?”

Only one answer to such questions: the national unity the need for which has been as

dire yesterday as it is today in the wake of challenges to Muslim world, in general, and Pakistan, in particular. Why one should ignore the designs of the forces hostile to Pakistan’s peaceful existence as nuclear state with dignity and honour? There’s an outside attempt to destabilise the country economically. The PML leaders have not been able to address successfully the problem of national cohesion over the years although they know the real strength of any nation lies in its unity. The question, therefore, is why they did not realise earlier the necessity of translating the oft repeated motto---faith, unity and discipline---more so when they claim to be Muslims.

The gulf between the belief and action has

remember him in My heart. And if he remembers Me in assembly I remember him in assembly, better than his (remembrance).

And if he draws near Me by the span of a palm, I draw near him by the cubit.

And if he draws near me by the cubit I draw near him by the space (covered by) two hands. And if he walks towards Me, I rush towards him.” (Sahih Muslim).

So, in sha Allah if you sincerely try to get closer to Allah SWT, He will approach you at a greater speed.

Conclusion

To start off on your path to finding Allah: Say Astaghfirullah as much as you can to erase your sins.

Say Alhamdulillah so Allah will give you more, and for what he has given you. Allah SWT possesses great power. He is the Creator and the one who reigns over everything.

Look outside your window and say SubhanAllah about His beautiful creations.

Disclaimer: The conceptualization and recommendations stated in this response are very general and purely based on the limited information provided in the question. In no event shall AboutIslam, its counselors or employees are liable for any damages that may arise from your decision in the use of our services.

Source:https://aboutislam.net/counseling/youth

caused the country a colossal loss of time, energy and wealth. In a nutshell, the nation, as a whole, seems driven to socio-economic and political anarchy, financial indiscipline and religious disharmony. And that’s an invitation to disaster, God forbid!

A soldier and a patriotic leader devoted to the economy and defence of the homeland will listen to reason, one understands.

Hence, all parties will have to stand unitedly to meet successfully threat of the Corona virus. The Holy Quran provides guidance in this regard. (Al Anfal/Spoils of War , Al Tawbah/ The Rependence, Yunus/ Jonah, The Prophet Hud, Al Isra,The Bee zasarwar@hotmail.com

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Life Transitions

By: Shabnam Khan - Family Counsellor The value of good friends is hard to over-emphasize. It suggests that people with friends to rely on during stressful times experience healthier, more successful and live longer. A good friendship lessens the negative effects of high stress level. It is very supportive towards a meaningful relationship at home and work.

Take time to take good care of yourself. Eat a balanced diet, exercise and get plenty of rest.

Take time to relax with friends and family. A high rate of change often means extra stress and strain on your body. It’s important to pay attention to what your body/mind/soul needs.

Build your self-esteem. Always remember, you are a unique individual with special talents and interests. It’s helpful to make a list of what you like most about yourself. Encouraging others to feel good about themselves is a wonderful way to feel good about ourselves.

You will always cheer others if you pass a sin-

cere compliment to people you care about.

Be open and flexible. Most people are eager to settle into comfortable routines.

Remember that your present routine could be only temporary. Something may happen at any time that can force you to change your routine. You may not be able to predict change, but knowing that change can happen at any time helps you accept and adjust when it does occur. Most life transitions are slow processes that take time.

Concentrate on the good things in life. Don’t dwell on negative thoughts. A positive attitude helps you feel good about yourself and the life you live, and goes a long way towards improving your health.

Take control of your life. What can you do now to help you through a difficult transition in your future. Practice finding the good in each of our life’s transitions. It’s not what you do to respond, but how you choose to respond!! info: shabnam@skcounselling.ca

COVID-19 Quarantine and it’s impact on society

By: Nafisa Siddiqui The coronavirus (COVID-19), is currently the single-most important and most concerning topic in the world.

It has spread through the world in a way that has shaken everyone to their core, indiscriminately attacking everywhere from first to third world countries and ignoring socioeconomic boundaries as it infects both the wealthy and impoverished.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the virus was first identified in December 2019 in a seafood and live animal market in Wuhan, a city in China.

Its exact origin, however, is hypothesized to be bats, who carry its closest wild relative.

As the spread of the coronavirus has reached the status of a pandemic, it is being closely monitored by the World Health Organization and the CDC. As of April 5th, Worldometer shows that the amount of coronavirus cases around the world currently mounts to 1,272,554 as the death count has reached 69,416. It is also important to note that 261,485 people have recovered from the virus globally. In this grave situation where hundreds are dying per day, the numbers in Canada remain modest, as thus far, the death ratio in the country is 7 for every one million people. The actions taken by the government in demanding social distancing and quarantine are working to keep our numbers low, but those measures have also taken a great toll on many of us.

This lockdown, though it is beneficial from a statistical perspective, has breeded feelings of helplessness and anxiety as well as a deep uncertainty for the future.

When the government announced self quarantine, people became panicked. Traffic

became heavy, grocery stores encountered long lineups, and all sense of normality was abandoned in light of hoarding items such as toilet paper and hand sanitizer.

Driven by the rapidly disappearing items, my family decided to get some necessities such as food and basic medicines.

When we reached the grocery store, many of the shelves had been wiped clean. Feeling desperate, I ran towards the pharmacy in hopes of at least getting some pain killers, cough syrup, and some tissue boxes. When I left empty handed, I was shocked that nothing from my emergency list was available.

When we went again the next morning, we witnessed people fighting over paper towels.

It is difficult to stay put in a scenario that involves death counts and a virus shrouded in mysteries that we have yet to solve. I routinely glue myself in front of the TV, watching the news and finding that doomsday warnings, conspiracy theories, and political paranoia which are becoming very common.

Though we receive regular updates from health officials and an abundance of scientific facts and guidance, there is still a lot of misinformation.

Social media is flooded with rumours and myths about the coronavirus, including the spread of fake cures such as garlic, vitamin C, and sesame seed oil. The World Health Organization has begun to take down evidence of misinformation and disprove them.

For example, after people began to wear face masks, they stated that wearing one will not prevent a person from catching the virus and that they should only be worn by people who have had symptoms. It is very important to remember to take your information from credible places, because misinformation can be incredibly dangerous and can build fear and anxiety rather than prevent it.

Many aspects of the coronavirus are still a mystery to scientists, as well as the questions as to how long it will take for the virus to stop spreading and for it to be brought under

Blessing in Disguise

By: Asma Shums, Usually it is said that there is always some good in everything. Everything happens for a reason. This COVID-19 as a global pandemic is really bad but what is the message of goodness that can be extracted and what message can we extract from our reaction to it?

Anti-Clock Wise Our life has gone back anti-clock wise. We are living simple lives with all technology. Whole world is almost locked down in one strike. All the people are connected world-wide due to COVID-19. We are all living simple lives. We are eating simple, healthy, one dish meals in order to save groceries for long term. We are becoming more kind towards humanity to help and assist people. We are thinking of others’ needs and respecting others more. Empa-

The lock rules in the Kitchen due to COVID-19 1). The kitchen will be open for emergency services (it means only breakfast, lunch and dinner is available) 2). Tea and/or coffee only available twice a day 3). No discussions are allowed about the taste, quality and freshness about the food

thy has increased and apathy is starting to disappear. We are becoming selfless more and putting others above us i.e. irrespective of fame, wealth, status.

We are thinking of the future with a serious thought and about what really matters in life. We are focusing more on relationships and less on loneliness.

This teaches us the reality of life.

Party Online Every body is connected to friends and family. They are sharing activities, chats, thoughts and ideas. First, we are alone in crowd. We may physically alone but digitally together.

We realized life is too shor and to live in the present, in the moment. The gifts of Allah are precious and we are only starting to appreciate them.

We should live whatever time we have with full obedience of Allah and in appreciating His blessings. Be kind, patient, helpful, positive and always learning. info at asmashums@gmail.com

4). If the lockdown continues for more weeks, any services can be cancelled partially or fully 5). This notice is effective immediately.

6). Stay safe with wife and kids and be careful of your words, looks, attitude and tones.

From the boss of the house, with final warning, Wife .............................

5 Ways to Prepare for Ramadan

W

By: Khadija Nadeem Gr 8 ith only few days left until Ramadan, preparations need to be made.

So, here are five ways to prepare for Ramadan.

1. Fast Voluntarily

It is good to use the upcoming time before Ramadan to make up any fasts you’ve missed. The best way to prepare for fasting is to start fasting early to gain control over your actions and stomach.

3. Follow the Sunnahs and Pray Extra Prayers

By following our Prophet’s (PBUH) actions, we learn more about him and get closer to Allah

4. Repent and Make Dua’a

We all make mistakes but, we can make Dua’a and repent.

5. Eat Healthy and Moderately

With less time to eat in Ramadan, we really need to pay attention to what we eat. Now is the best time to research the nutritious value of the food we eat. While we fast, the food 2. Recite and Reflect on the Quran we eat before we start our fast or to break By reciting the Quran, you can get closer to our fast needs to provide the optimal energy Allah and understand your responsibilities. so we can accomplish our daily tasks and inEvery time you read the Quran, it will un- crease our worship. cover more meaning in it.

control. I was listening to the speech delivered by Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of WHO, and he said that the best way for the countries to deal with the Covid-19 is to “find the affected by effective testing, isolate and treat every case, and trace every contact,” adding that if countries decide to lift restrictions too quickly, “the virus could resurge” and its “economic impact could be even more severe and prolonged” (CNN). As the situation evolves and we await further instruction by our government and by health organizations, it seems that we still have a long way to go before we win this fight against the novel Coronavirus.

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How to Fast in Ramadan (Teens)?

I

n Islam, Ramadan is known as the month when the Quran was revealed.

In this month, Muslims all over the world fast, beginning before dawn and fasting all the way till the sun sets. Allah says in the Quran, “Oh you who believe!

Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, [so] that you many learn piety and righteousness”. Fasting may sound a little difficult to do and a bit complicated to understand at first as a teen, especially if this is your first year fasting or if you’re not used to doing it. By reading this article and following the below tips, you’ll be able to fast the month of Ramadan with ease, in sha Allah.

PART 1 Understanding the Requirements

sciousness of Allah]” [2:183].

Fasting brings us closer to Allah and reminds us of those who are less fortunate than us.

It also helps us practice self-restraint.

Fasting is also one of the five pillars of Islam.

The pillars are known as the foundation for your Islamic life and are a must to follow.

The pillars include believing in Allah alone, performing Salah (prayer), fasting in the 5: Know how to fast. To begin fasting, coarse hair around the private parts, or ejac- month of Ramadan, paying Zakat (charity), you’d eat a light meal called Suhoor before dawn. This meal is not essential, but ulation (wet dreams). For females a fourth and performing Hajj. it’s highly encouraged to do so in order to sign is menstruation. gain the blessing of fasting for the day. After After puberty is reached then the person beeating Suhoor, have the Niyyah (intention) comes accountable for their sins and should to fast the entire day by telling yourself, “I complete all compulsory acts of worship, inintend to observe my fast for today.” When cluding fasting in Ramadan. the sun sets, you can break your fast and eat Iftar, the meal that is eaten to end the fast

4: Learn when you don’t have to fast.

2: Talk to your parents about fasting.

Before you begin fasting in Ramadan, be sure to discuss whether you’re required to fast this year. This is especially important if you have health problems. Lack of food and water for several hours can be extremely dangerous for some teens, causing dehydration, severe starvation, and fainting spells. If you’re not physically capable of fasting yet, you should not fast for your own well-being.

Your parents will let you know if they think 1: Know at what stage you need to start you’re healthy enough to fast for the month of Ramadan. If needed, talk to a doctor fasting. about fasting before attempting to do so, esIn Islam, it’s compulsory for you to fast pecially if you’ve had health problems in the when you reach puberty, which is usupast that involved lack of food and water. ally around the time you reach your teens.

While it’s highly encouraged to start earlier to get used to fasting, you should begin by the time you hit puberty. The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said: “The pens have been lifted from three: from one who has lost his mind until he comes back to his senses, from one who is sleeping until he wakes up, and from a child until he reaches the age of adolescence.” [Narrated by Abu Dawood, 4399; 3: Understand why Muslims fast in classed as Saheeh by al-Albaani in Saheeh Ramadan.

Abi Dawood.

In the Quran, Islam’s holy book, it’s been If you don’t know if you’re ready to fast yet ordered for all Muslims to fast during the or think it’s still too early, talk to your parmonth of Ramadan. Allah says, “O you who ents about it. They’ll discuss whether you’re believe, fasting has been prescribed for you required to fast yet. as it has been prescribed to those before you Puberty is reached when one of three things in order that you may attain Taqwa [conoccurs - reaching the age of 15, growth of

There are some people who are excused from fasting during Ramadan. These include people who are sick, traveling, pregnant or breastfeeding, people who haven’t reached puberty yet, and people who are senile. Typically, senior citizens are included; however, many who are healthy enough continue to fast.

For those who are sick or traveling: You do not need to fast until you recover or come back from your trip because Allah says, “...

But if anyone is ill or on a journey, the same number [of days] should be made up from the other days.” When Ramadan is over, you’ll need to make up the number of days you missed.

For those who are pregnant or breastfeeding: Anas ibn Maalik al-Ka’bi narrated that the Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: “Allah has relieved the traveler of fasting and half of prayer, and He has relieved the pregnant and breastfeeding woman of fasting.” For the child’s well-being, a person does not have to fast if they are pregnant or breastfeeding.

For those who are old in age: Allah says, “And upon those who are able [to fast, but with hardship] - a ransom [as substitute] of feeding a poor person [each day]” Senior citizens who are not able to fast can make up their fasting by feeding a poor person everyday they don’t fast.

For those who are on their periods: You cannot fast while you’re having your period.

Once your period ends, you must perform ghusl and continue fasting.

6: Understand what breaks your fast.

Eating and drinking intentionally, taking medicine, smoking, taking an injection for nutritional reasons, engaging in sexual intercourse, and beginning your period are all actions that break your fast. If you happen to do one of these actions, you should make up your fast(s) after Ramadan.

7: Know what doesn’t break your fast.

There are some actions that do not break your fast. This includes brushing your teeth, swallowing things that aren’t possible to avoid (e.g. your own saliva), unintentional vomiting, bathing, getting an injection or IV for medical reasons, and eating or drinking by mistake (forgetting you’re fasting).

It was narrated from Abu Hurayrah that the Prophet (SAW) said: “Whoever forgets [that] he is fasting and eats or drinks, let him complete his fast, for it is Allah Who has fed him and given him to drink.”

Source:www.wikihow.com/Fast-in-Ramadan

A handy guide to making dried fruit at home

Making Raisins And Sultanas Sun-drying is hard work but well worth the effort and the results are delicious.

S

un-drying fruit is a healthy survival technique employed by humankind since the beginning of time. As a culinary art, this method of preserving food has yet to be beaten.

These days we no longer have to forage for seasonal fruits but, unless growing our own, it still makes sense to purchase fruit in season

when prices are low and to sun-dry to cover for when prices are astronomically high.

Bursting with nutrients and light to carry around, sun-dried fruits are higher in sugar than their fresh counterparts and this is just one of the reasons they are recognised as being amongst the best possible foods with which to overcome mental and/or physical exhaustion, stress and for boosting stamina.

Apples, for instance, are one of the easiest fruits to dry and can be dried in the sun, the oven or in a purpose-designed dehydrator which, if you invest in one, will rapidly pay you back.

Select crisp, undamaged, fresh apples and wash, peel and core them. Slice thinly, immediately submersing the slices in a bowl containing one litre of water in which one dessert spoon of salt and the juice of a large lemon has been mixed.

This mixture prevents the apples from browning during the drying process.

Sun-drying in full swing.

Leave the apple slices in the mixture for two to three minutes, drain and pat dry in a tea-towel.

Next: spread the apple slices out on stainless steel or wooden trays/boards (these should be scalded with boiling water prior to use) — do not use aluminum or plastic trays since these can leach toxins into the fruit.

Lay the trays on an outdoor table, or some other easy-to-clean surface, in direct sun

and cover with fine muslin cloth (mulmul) to prevent flies and other insects landing on the fruit.

The fruit shrinks as it dries. Turn the fruit over once or twice a day during the drying process, bringing the trays inside the house each evening and putting them back outside each morning.

Drying time varies depending on the heat of the sun but, in good drying weather with very little or no humidity, apple slices can be dry and ready to pack in air tight containers in two to three days.

The slices are ready once they feel dry but are still slightly springy when bent: if they are left out too long, the result is overly crisp.

The same process is used to sun-dry pears.

Peaches are stoned, sliced and then spread out to dry.

Apricots and plums are cut in half, stoned

To be at Continued page 22

21 BUTTO special Forty years later, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s words still haunt Pakistan Shaban 17, 1441H April 10, 2020

price that was paid, power paradigms that President Leghari of PPP dismissed Benajostled, shifted and solidified, and rules of zir’s government on November 5, 1996. ruling Pakistan that were written and re- The Khan factor written so many times the exception became the norm.

Ziaul Haq having hanged, arguably, the most loved political leader in the history of Pakistan, remains to date the longest-serving ruler

The accusations against her were “Karachi killings, disregard for federal institutions, ridiculing the judiciary, and corruption.

‘More than my life is at stake.

The future of Pakistan is at stake’ By: Mehr Tarar, Special to Gulf News Published: November 22, 2019

HIGHLIGHTS

* Forty years is too brief for a country to be fully in control of its fundamentals and its present and its future. * Forty years is enough to form a picture of the actions taken, mistakes made, lessons learned, paths chosen, price that was paid, power paradigms that jostled, shifted and solidified, and rules of ruling Pakistan that were written and re-written so many times the exception became the norm.

On April 4, 1979, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, was hanged in the dark of night. History would describe that hanging as a judicial assassination. My mother used to watch his speeches on television, and supported his politics.

Without grasping the meaning of politics, elections, government, parliament, opposition, election results and rigging, the elementary school, precocious me became interested in the words of people I saw on television. My fascination with politics began with Bhutto’s electoral victory in 1977 general elections. One of my uncles, running on Bhutto’s party ticket, won. The celebratory fireworks were my only memory of the summer of 1977 in my village.

Bhutto’s first arrest on July 5,1977 after the opposition’s unwillingness to accept the results of 1977 elections, in which his Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) gained majority, and he became the prime minister, opened the door to a Pakistan that rewrote its laws, its ethos, its principles. General Zia-ul-Haq’s midnight coup on July 5, 1977 is the gigantic shadow on Pakistan’s political dynamics.

The coup happened under a justification that was as flimsy as Zia’s promise of holding free and fair elections in Pakistan after he self-placed on his head the thorny crown of chief martial administrator.

The two warring parties, Bhutto’s PPP and opposition’s Pakistan National Alliance, had “found a way out of the crisis, which could have served as a pretext for disruption of constitutional life.” Zia thought otherwise.

He “insisted that he had intervened to save the country from bloodshed and chaos.”

Unbeknownst to the stakeholders, the uneven fight between democracy and dictatorship became a permanent feature of the complex and controversial power paradigm of Pakistan.

In September 1978, Bhutto wrote from his jail cell: “More than my life is at stake. Make no mistake about it. The future of Pakistan is at stake. If I am assassinated through the gallows...there will be turmoil and turbulence, conflict and conflagration.”

A loved leader

Chillingly prophetic or politically farsighted, Bhutto’s words are the encapsulation of Pakistan’s political history from 1979 to 2019.

Forty years is too brief for a country to be fully in control of its fundamentals and its present and its future. Forty years is enough to form a picture of the actions taken, mistakes made, lessons learned, paths chosen,

Along came Khan.

of Pakistan. His single-man reign lasted from 1977 to 1988. It could have gone on for much longer, who is to say. Zia died in a plane explosion on August 18, 1988. The very unfortunate death of Zia remains a mystery to date: who was behind his assassination?

On December 2, 1988, Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto’s daughter, Benazir Bhutto, 35, became the first female prime minister of Pakistan. She

was also the first female Muslim prime minister in history. Democracy had won its first battle.

The long-time ally of Zia, the new president of Pakistan, Ghulam Ishaq Khan, empowered with 58-2(B), dismissed the government of Benazir on August 6, 1990 on accusations of “corruption, nepotism, and despotism.”

Nawaz Sharif of Pakistan Muslim League, Zia’s political protégé, and Punjab chief

by court for treason. He was the first army chief to face that kind of a trial. Musharraf was “accused of unlawfully suspending the constitution and instituting emergency rule in 2007.” His plea is ‘not guilty’. His stance is consistent: the accusations against him are politically motivated. Reportedly, he could face the death penalty if convicted. He is still in self-exile.

Yousaf Raza Gillani was the new prime minister. In June 2012, Gillani was removed by court “for his government’s refusal to write to authorities in Switzerland asking them to re-open corruption cases against the president [Zardari].” His government survived.

Swamped in accusations of bad governance and massive corruption, the 2008 PPP government became the first one in the history of Pakistan to complete its term.

Nawaz Sharif became the prime minister again after the May 2013 elections. Third time lucky? Time would tell. And time did.

On July 28, 2017, the Supreme Court of Pakistan disqualified Sharif in the Panama Papers case. His government survived.

The allegation of corruption has been a constant motif in removal of prime ministers.

The point to be noted: not a single prime minister of Pakistan has finished his or her full term.

In July 2018, a few weeks before the general elections, Sharif arrived from London with his daughter Maryam Nawaz, and was jailed.

In April 1996, former cricketer and philanthropist, Imran Khan formed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Khan announced a movement against poverty and corruption.

Not much attention was paid to Khan or his party. Fate winked.

And before you could enunciate civilian supremacy, Sharif won the new elections, and became the prime minister for the second time on February 17, 1997.

Benazir went into her second self-exile. She returned in 2007. She was assassinated two months later. The first time was after her father’s judicial assassination. She returned in 1986 to a historic response.

Then happened General Pervez Musharraf to Pakistan. Two decades after Bhutto’s hanging on the unproven accusa- On July 25, 2018, Imran Khan, triumphant after twenty-two years of political failure, secured a narrow victory against parties of Sharif and Bhutto-Zardari. Khan became the new prime minister. He formed government in Islamabad, Punjab, and in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, for the second time.

Once sworn in, Khan reiterated his yearslong stance: no corrupt leader would be spared or given an NRO. tion of conspiracy to murder of his political Sharif remained in jail. NAB cases against opponent, Mohammad Ahmad Khan Kas- opposition leaders made varied headlines. uri, then Chief of Army Staff General Mush- Some calls the process delayed but necessary arraf overthrew Sharif ’s government on the justice. The opposition and their supportaccusation of conspiracy to hijack his plane ers call it political victimisation. The war of after removing him from his COAS post. It justice and victimisation wages, as Pakistan happened on October 12, 1999. wrestles with economic instability and its Sharif was awarded life imprisonment. unfortunate consequences, inflation being Musharraf ’s ‘government’ approached the the main one for millions of Pakistanis.

Sindh High Court to change that to death Musharraf on his departure from Pakistan in sentence. What happened next was the sign- 2016 said: “I am a commando and I love my ing of a deal. The shadow of the hanging of homeland. I will come back in a few weeks or Bhutto became the deciding factor or there months.” His arrival is still awaited. He is said were other imperatives in play, who is to say. to be suffering from serious health issues.

The Sharifs accepted the deal, left Pakistan Zardari is facing a NAB investigation, is and went into self-exile in Saudi Arabia. under custody, and is reportedly suffering They returned in 2007. from serious health issues. He has not been Eleven years of tenuous democracy, Paki- charged, granted bail or released so far. stan was back to single-man authoritarian Sharif allowed to travel rule. Musharraf did his ‘best’ to rewrite rules Sharif was moved to a government hospital of dictatorship, unofficially headed Pakistan in October 2019 after his health deterioratMuslim League-Quaid, and went on ruling, ed. Due to a dangerously low platelets count, upending Pakistan’s Constitution as and he was given bail and allowed to go abroad when it suited his power dynamics, until for treatment.

Benazir’s devastating assassination on DeKhan government asked for a seven billioncember 27, 2007. Pakistan went into a state rupee surety bond to allow Sharif to travel of collective shock and grief. abroad. On November 16, the Lahore High Benazir’s PPP, now headed by her widower, Court dismissed the government’s demand.

Asif Ali Zardari, came to power in Feb- Sharif was given permission to go without ruary 2008 elections. Musharraf resigned posting any surety bond. from his presidency on August 18, 2008. A special court announced earlier this week Zardari became the next president. that the verdict against Musharraf would be Musharraf ’s self-exile lasted from 2008 to read on November 28 in the treason case.

2013. He returned to contest in the elections Pakistani rulers and courts continue to do to save Pakistan from its ‘corrupt’ rulers. their macabre tango.

“My heart cries tears of blood when I see the On November 19, 2019, Sharif in a charstate of the country today. I want to restore tered jet, described as an ICU-fitted air amthe Pakistan I left.” Outside Facebook, there bulance by Sharif ’s chief physician and his were not many takers for his leadership. party spokespersons, flew to London.

minister after Zia’s party-less 1985 elections, having beaten Benazir’s party, became the prime minister on November 6, 1990.

Apparently, President Ishaq Khan did not think too highly of the blue-eyed boy of his deceased leader. On April 18, 1993, using the omnipotent 58-2(B), he dismissed Sharif ’s government. The allegations against Sharif were an echo of accusations against Benazir: “corruption and mismanagement of the economy”.

Sharif stated in a televised address that his removal was a conspiracy of Benazir and ‘drawing room’ plotters: “I wanted to clear the debris of the past...but the enemies of progress did not like this...They tried to stop my hand by conspiracies...My heart is full of secrets. If I reveal all, a multitude of people will take to the streets in expression of anger.”

No ‘secrets’ were revealed, and no one took to any street in support of Sharif.

Benazir became the prime minister again on October 19, 1993. Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari was the new president, one of the most respected PPP leaders, a minister in Bhutto’s 1975 government, and fiercely Musharraf charged The image of the opulent interior of the jet loyal to Bhutto. A different Pakistan, perIn March 2014, in a twist fit to be in a created a pandemonium on social media. haps? Not so fast.

Machiavellian plot, Musharraf was charged Source: gulfnews.com

22

Shaban 17, 1441H April 10, 2020

Pak i sta n

Shahid Afridi Foundation Distributes Ration Among Afghan Refugees

Kohat, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Mar, 2020 ) :The Shahid Afridi Foundation on Friday distributed food items among Afghan refugees at a ceremony held at Deputy Commissioner Office. State Minister for Safron and Narcotics Control , Sheheyar Afridi, Advisor to Chief Minister on Science and Information Technology, Ziaullah Bangash and elders of Afghan refugees were present on this occasion.

Shahid Afridi thanked State Minister Sheheyar Afridi for inviting his charity foundation to distribute food among Afghan brothers in this difficult times due to lockdown situation.

Shahid Afridi said that his family elders enjoyed good relations with Afghan tribes and refugees were very close to his heart that is why he was here to help them.

Sheheyar Afridi acknowledged efforts of Shahid Afridi for distribut-

ing ration among 2000 deserving families due to lockdown after Corona virus spread.

Former Captain of the national cricket team, Shahid Afridi is visiting Kohat these days to personally monitor charity work of his foundation.

Sheheyar Afridi also donated Rs 1.5 million cheque to the Shahid Afridi Foundation. Source: www.dawn.com

Pakistan asks Afghanistan to hand over IS-Khorasan leader

Afghan affiliate of the militant Islamic State (IS) group, who was arrested by Afghan authorities last week.

A Foreign Office statement said the Afghanistan ambassador to Pakistan was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to convey Pakistan’s views with regard to the arrest of Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K) leader Farooqi, which was announced on April 5.

It was emphasised that Pakistan had been expressing its concerns about the activities of ISIS-K, “which were clearly detrimental to Pakistan”, the FO spokesperson said, adding that Islamabad’s position in this regard was being regularly shared with the Afghan Pakistan on Thursday asked Afghanistan to government and others concerned. hand over Aslam Farooqi, the leader of the “It was underscored to the ambassador that

since Aslam Farooqi was involved in antiPakistan activities in Afghanistan, he should be handed over to Pakistan for further investigations,” the statement said.

The FO underlined during the meeting that the two countries should “coordinate actions against the menace of terrorism, including through established mechanisms”, it added.

Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) had arrested Farooqi, also known as Abdullah Orakzai, saying he was the mastermind of a recent attack on a gurdwara in Afghanistan. At least 25 people were killed in the attack on the Sikh temple in Kabul on March 25 where worshippers were offering morning prayers. The attack was claimed by IS. Pakistan had earlier this week rejected

reports circulating in the Indian media that linked Pakistan’s security agencies to the attack on the gurdwara.

“It was underscored to the ambassador that since Aslam Farooqi was involved in antiPakistan activities in Afghanistan, he should be handed over to Pakistan for further investigations,” the statement said.

The FO underlined during the meeting that the two countries should “coordinate actions against the menace of terrorism, including through established mechanisms”, it added.

Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) had arrested Farooqi, also known as Abdullah Orakzai, saying he was the mastermind of a recent attack on a gurdwara in Afghanistan. Source: dawn.com

Government of Pakistan ( Diamer Bhasha Dam project ) Ministry of Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Press Release February 2020

Minister for Planning Development & Special Initiatives chaired a meeting to review the status of progress on the Diamer Basha Dam Project here today.

The Minister was informed that work on Diamer Basha Dam Project was underway and an expenditure of Rs. 99.238 billion has been incurred on the project till February 2020. This includes Rs. 93.9 billion for land acquisition for the project.

It was further informed that WAPDA intends to award the contract for the Main Dam & Allied Structures within the next few weeks, to start the construction activi-

and Rs. 39 billion on construction related activities.

The project is divided into 6 major components, for which separate contracts will be awarded in a phased manner. The Dam part of the project is expected to be completed by September 2027, while the overall completion is expected in March 2028.

The meeting was further informed that Prime Minister- Supreme Court Dam Fund has an amount of Rs. 12.17 billion, available with it, which is currently invested in MTBs. The Minister directed the relevant officials ties within the current financial year. Fur- planned during the current financial year. to make sure that the work on the project ther expenditure of around Rs. 61 billion is This includes Rs. 22 billion on resettlement progresses as per the timelines.

Here’s how foodpanda is providing monetary assistance to riders during lockdown

The food delivery platform has introduced initiatives to ensure health, safety and financial stability of its employees. In cities where a complete lockdown isn’t in place, as an extra precautionary measure, a detailed infographic has also been put up at rider hubs, which instructs riders to abide by hygiene standards, as well as the laws under Section 144. The platform is also playing its part in creating awareness by constantly sending educational messages and prompts to stay cautious to its riders.

Continued from page 20

Daily temperature checks are also conducted, and the data is updated on the riders’ communication app before they start work.

A complete guide has also been integrated on the foodpanda app to support contactless deliveries. Ever since the outbreak, foodpanda has been providing hand sanitisers to their riders and continues to actively distribute face masks and gloves to both new and existing riders. Remuneration per order has also been increased, according to the company, to cover the financial losses.

According to the company, in case any employee is tested positive for Covid-19, they will be granted a paid leave as part of the newly launched ‘two weeks earning support programme’. If a case arises where a rider is hospitalised, insurance will offer daily coverage. Prioritising health and safety at highest level, the food delivery platform encourages everyone to practice social distancing during the global pandemic, standing by their motto #foodpandaCares.

Source: www.dawn.com

A handy guide Raisins to and making dried fruit at home sultanas are possibly the most the grapes around a couple of times each

and dried without further slicing and may Oranges are peeled, broken into segments take four to five days, turning regularly, be- with as much of the white pith removed as fore they are dry enough to store. possible, spread out on drying trays and average five to eight days to dry.

Figs are dried whole or cut in half: drying time varies accordingly.

If the weather is not on your side or changes its mind when fruit drying is underway, you can finish drying the fruit in an oven on the lowest possible setting. The time this takes varies tremendously from gas to electric oven so experimentation is the name of the game.

Purpose-designed dehydrators come comSun-drying plums. plete with brand-specific instruction manuals.

popular dried fruits — aside from dates of course — and these are incredibly easy to make at home too.

All that is needed are good quality grapes, red or black grapes for raisins and green or white ones for sultanas. Wash them thoroughly, drain and carefully separate each grape from its stalk without damaging or splitting it.

Spread the grapes on drying trays with raised edges so that — when rolling them around to prevent sticking and to aid equal drying on all sides — the grapes do not roll off!

Place the drying trays in direct sunshine, roll

day and do not lose hope if nothing much happens for the first two to three days as whole grapes take longer to dry then halved or sliced fruit.

On the fourth or fifth day you will suddenly notice that drying has finally begun. Total drying time varies depending on the size and juice content of each grape and they can take as long as eight days before they are ready for packing away.

Sun-drying is hard work but well worth the effort and the results are delicious Source: images.dawn.com.

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HIRING IMAM

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

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

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

• Promote spirituality, peace & harmony in the community • Conduct regular & on-going Moulid & Dhikr Programs Employment Requirements • Be a Sunni Muslim practicing Shafi’i madhab, well versed in Shariah and Islamic Jurisprudence.

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

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

• Fluent in English and Arabic Wage $24.10 per hour How to Apply?

Please email your resume: fias_bc@outlook.com We would like to thank all applicants for their interest in Fleetwood Islamic Academy Society; however only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

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Coronavirus Cases:

4601

Deaths:

65

Recovered:

727

Last updated: April 10, 2020, 10:47AM

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