Miracle 591-February 24, 2023(22nd Anniversary edition)

SAHIH

BUKHARI BOOK 3. KNOWLEDGE

Narated By Ibn Mas’ud : The Prophet used to take care of us in preaching by selecting a suitable time, so that we might not get bored. (He abstained from pestering us with sermons and knowledge all the time).

Every Prophet was Given Miracles

The example of The heart is like that of a fortress, and Satan is an enemy who seeks to storm this fortress, to take control of it, and to rule over it.

Moreover, any fortress cannot be said to be secure from the enemy except when its entrances are guarded, and the gaps in its walls are vigilantly watched over. Therefore, he who is not wholly familiar with his fortress walls cannot guard them.

Guarding the heart against the evil promptings of Satan is a prescribed duty and an individual obligation upon every Muslim who is mukallaf (a legally competent person from the standpoint of Sharîah).

There is no doubt that the best defense against Satan’s raids on one’s heart may be achieved by recognizing the heart’s entrances that Satan takes to deliver his venom. Knowing these ways and entrances is the first line of defense against Satan. Therefore, this knowledge becomes an obligation – as it is stated in the wellknown fiqh principle that: That which is indispensably connected with fulfilling an obligation is itself obligatory.

The entrances of Satan are in effect the qualities or traits of man, and they are many. But we shall in the following refer to the principal ones:

Anger and Lust

Anger, as it is rightly said, is the ogre of the intellect. When the levies of the intellect weaken, Satan’s forces assail, and whenever man becomes angry, Satan plays with him just as a lad does with a ball.

It is related that a saint once asked Satan: “Show me how you overcome a person.”

He replied: “I take him while in anger or desire.” In another story, it was said that Satan appeared to an ascetic who asked him: “What qualities of the sons of Adam are most helpful to you?” Satan answered: “Quickness of temper; for if a man is

quick-tempered, I can turn him upside down just as lads toss a ball.

Envy and Greed

Also among the great breaches through which Satan’s mischief sneaks into peoples’ heart is envy (hasad) and greed (hirs). For whenever a man is greedy for anything, his greed renders him blind and deaf, as the Prophet said: “Your love for something blinds and deafens.” (Abû Dâwûd, through a weak chain, but the hadîth meaning is correct). The light of insight detects Satan’s entrances, but if envy and greed becloud it, man’s ability to distinguish greed from evil is compromised and, as a result, Satan’s hand is strengthened. He adorns, in the eye of the greedy one, everything that leads to the realization of this desire, even if it be condemned and immoral.

It is related that when Prophet Nûh(Noah) entered the ark he took into it a pair of every sort as instructed by Allah to do so. One day, Nûh saw in the ark an old man whom he did not recognize. Nûh said to the man: “Who are you and what are you doing here?” The old man said: “I am Satan and I came to dominate the hearts of your followers, so that their hearts would be with me and their bodies with you.” So Nûh said to him: “Get out from here, O enemy of Allah.” Satan answered: “You know Prophet Nûh, I destroy mankind by means of five things, and I shall disclose to you three of them, but I shall withhold from you the other two.” Allah then revealed to Nûh: “You do not need the three; but ask him about the two.” So Nûh said to Satan: “Never mind the three and tell me about the two?” He replied: “They are the two which never fail me, and I use them to destroy man; they are: greed and envy. For through envy I incurred divine curse; and for greed, the whole Paradise was permitted to Adam save one tree, but I made the best out of him through greed.”

Significance of Shaaban

By: Samar Yahya, Saudi Gazette

Shaaban, the eighth month of Islam’s Hijri or lunar calendar, and the month that precedes the holy month of Ramadan was the most beloved month to Prophet Mohammed.Shaaban is significant for many reasons. First, it is the time that Muslims start getting ready for the month of Ramadan.It was in the middle of the month of Shaaban when Muslims believe that God ordered Prophet Mohammed to change the Qiblah, the direction towards which Muslims face when they pray, from Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem to the Holy Kaabah in Mecca.AlAqsa Mosque had been the Qiblah for thirteen years in Mecca, and for nearly eighteen months after Prophet Mohammed migrated to Madinah. Verses from the Quran were revealed to Prophet Mohammed, instructing him and all Muslims to turn towards the Kaabah in Mecca when they pray. Most interpretations date this incident to the middle of the month of Shaaban.

Traditions of Prophet Mohammed show that it is recommended to fast during Shaaban. Well-known companion of the prophet

Anas bin Malik reported that Prophet Mohammed was asked: “Which fast is the most meritorious after the fasting of Ramadan?” Prophet Mohammed replied, “Fasting of Shaaban in honor of Ramadan.”

Fasting in Shaaban is like mental and physical training for fasting in Ramadan. Many Muslims may experience difficulty when they start the fast in Ramadan, but if they started fasting a few days in Shaaban, their bodies may get used to fasting and not feel so lethargic and weak when Ramadan comes. Shaaban is like an introduction to Ramadan and it has some things in common with Ramadan, such as fasting, reciting Quran and giving to charity.

Aisha, the wife of Prophet Mohammed is narrated to have said, “The Messenger of God used to fast until we thought he would never break his fast, and not fast until we thought he would never fast. I never saw the Messenger of God fasting for an entire month except in Ramadan, and I never saw him fast more than he did in Shaaban.

”The prophet’s adopted son Usamah ibn Zaid

Satiety of Food

Another great way Satan takes to men’s hearts is satiety of food, even when it is lawful and pure. Satiety strengthens the lusts, and lusts are weapons that come in handy for Satan. It is related that Satan appeared to Prophet Yahya ibn Zakariyah who saw hooks of every sort attached to him (i.e. Satan). Therefore, Yahya asked: “What are these hooks on you?” Satan replied: “These are the lusts by which I hunt the son of Adam.” Yahya asked: “Do I have any of them?” Satan answered: “Perhaps you become surfeited with food and so I make Salah and thikr (remembrance of Allah) a burden to you.” Yahya asked: “What else?” Satan answered: “Nothing other than what I told you.” So Yahya said: “By Allah! I shall never eat my fill again.” Satan replied: “And, by Allah, I shall never again give a sincere advice to a Muslim.”

It is said that there are six blameworthy qualities in overeating: First, it banishes fear of Allah from one’s heart. Second, it rids one’s heart of compassion towards humankind, for he supposes that they are all satiated. Third, it makes ibâda (worship) a burden. Fourth, if he hears wise speech, he finds nothing graceful in it. Fifth, if he speaks in admonition, it makes no impression on his listeners. Sixth, it stirs up disease within him.

Love of Adornment

Also of Satan’s great entrances to believers’ hearts is the love of adornment in

furnishings, attire, and residence. When Satan sees this quality dominant in one’s heart, he sets up his camp in that heart and indwells it, and keeping on bidding him to make the house more adorable, to adorn its ceiling and walls, and to extend its walls. He invites him also to adorn his apparel and his mounts, and seeks to enslave him therein his whole life long. In addition, when man succumbs to Satan in this, the latter will have no need to busy himself with him again; for, like a vicious circle, one phase of this leads on to another until he meets his death embroiled in the wicked snares of Satan.

Hastiness

Also of Satan’s great doors is haste and lack of resoluteness in affairs. Allah says: Man is created of haste. [Sûrat Al-Anbiyâ, 21:38] and again: And man was ever hasty. [Sûrat Al-Isrâ’, 17:12] And He says to his Messenger: Hasten not the Quran until the inspiration is completed for you. [Sûrat Ta Hâ, 20:113] Also the Prophet said: Haste is from Satan and calculated action is from Allah. (Tirmithi) This is because actions should follow insightful understanding (tabrira) and experiential knowledge. Insightful understanding requires reflection (ta’ammul), and unhurried action (tamahhul), but haste precludes this. For when man seeks to make haste, Satan readily dispenses to him his own evil from whence the man knows not. www.aljumuah.com

Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali

AICP Annual celebration of Isra’ & Mi^raj-un-Nabiyy, (PBUh), in B.C

In the month of Rajab, Muslims observe the miracle of Isra & Mi^raj. It is one of the greatestmiracles Allah ta^ala bestowed upon our Master Muhammad, sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, and blessed his nation with. As part of the Islamic community, the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects proudly commemorated this great miracle with a celebration at the Surrey Arts Centre on Sunday, February 19 th under the banner of “The Mioracle”.

The eventwas well attended, consisting of a large crowd from the Greater Vancouver Muslim community. Our joyous celebration commenced with a moving recitation from the Holy Qur’an followed by a captivating and heartwarming performance by the one of a kind AICP Chanting Group. Their wonderful performance consisted of Islamic Chants, thanking Allah ta^ala, and praising the Prophet (PBUH), the kind Al, the Companions, and the pious awliya’.

With such a glorious occasion and in the presence of such a diverse crowd it was necessary to emphasize the purpose of this miracle. Shaykh ^Abdur-Rahman, the Imam of Masjid Ahulus- Sunnah wal Jama^ah in New Westminster, delivered a speech explaining the miracle of our Prophet (PBUH). In his speech, he specified that Allah granted His Messenger this great miracle, showing him the wonders of the upper world, to honor him sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam. This is stated clearly in The Glorious Qur’an in Surat al-Isra, Verse 1 that means “To show him of Our wonders”. The belief of the Muslims worldwide is that Allah, the Creator of all places, exists without any place. Therefore, the Ascension of the Prophet to the heavens (upper world) never meant nor suggested that Allah is in the up-

per world. This is because Allah Subhanahu, is Ghaniyy (not in need) of anything He created, including places. He does not need nor reside in the upper world or any other place (subhanahu wa ta^ala).

The Imam continued his speech by advising the Ummah to repent to Allah in reference to the intense earthquakes of Syria and Turkey. He ended his speech by making supplication for the martyrs of Syria and Turkey, urging the audience to do the same. Together, Shaykh and the audience recited surat alIkhlas eleven times and al-Fatihah one time, giving the reward to the martyrs who died in that earthquake.

On this great occasion, AICP asks Allah to grant Muslims peace and tranquility, unity and adherence to the rules of the Religion. We ask Allah to bestow upon us the bounty of entering Paradise without torture and being with Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam, in Al- Firdaws AlA^la (ameen).

The story of Isra’ and Mi^raj Prophets were sent by Allah, the Exalted, as a mercy to the slaves and supported them with great miracles to signify the truthfulness of their message. Our Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam was blessed with the most miracles from all the other Prophets. Isra’ and Mi^raj is among the many miracles of Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam.

After the Prophet, may Allah raise his rank, performed ^Isha’ Prayer Angel Jibril came to him with al-Buraq and they set forth on their Night Journey to Jerusalem.

During the Journey, the Prophet passed by and prayed two rak^as in:Al-Madinah, known as Yathrib at that time, - Madyan, the country of Prophet Shu^ayb Peace Be upon Him,- Tur Saina’, -

Bayt Lahm where Prophet ^Isa (Jesus) was born. - Then al-Buraq continued until they reached Bayt al-Maqdis (the Holy House).

Allah the Exalted gathered all the prophets to meet with Prophet Muhammad, from Adam to ^Isa (Jesus), peace and blessings be upon them all. Angel Jibril led Prophet Muhammad forward to lead them all in prayer. This is a clear indication that Prophet Muhammad is highest in status than all the rest of the Prophets and Messengers. Among the wonders he saw in Isra’ were:

*He saw the world in the shape of an old woman

*He saw Iblis (the Devil) on the side of the road, but he did not dare to speak to the Prophet or to stand in his way.

*He saw the backbiters scratching their faces and chests with brass fingernails.

After the Prophet (SAW) took his Night Journey from Masjid al-Haram to Masjid alAqsa, he ascended to the upper heavens on stairs called al-Mirqat that is not usually visible to humans. The Messenger of Allah saw Prophet Adam in the first heaven, in the second heaven he saw Prophets ^Isa (Jesus) and Yahya, he then ascended to the third heaven and saw Prophet Yusuf. He ascended to the fourth heaven and saw Prophet Idris. He continued on his ascension and saw Prophet Harun in the fifth heaven, and then to the sixth heaven where he saw Prophet Musa. Then the Prophet ascended to the seventh heaven and saw Prophet Ibrahim leaning his back against al-Baytul-Ma^mur, the Holy House. To the inhabitants of the skies (the angels), al-Baytul-Ma^mur is like the Ka^bah to the inhabitants of the earth.

Each of these prophets welcomed and greeted Prophet Muhammad warmly and made supplication (du^a’) for him.

Among the other wonders the Messenger of

Allah saw in Mi^raj: Sidratul-muntaha and al-wildanulmukhalladun.

The Prophet saw the ^Arsh which is the ceiling of Paradise and the largest creation in size that God has created. {Literally Al^Arsh – means ‘Throne’. The ‘^Arsh’ here does not mean resembling a chair that a king sits on. But in fact, it resembles the shape of a bed (a flat surface with four pillars). It’s a majestically hugely vast body that is the ceiling of Paradise}. Allah did not create anything bigger in size than it, it is vastly larger than Paradise.

The true creed of Islam outline explicitly that Allah ta^ala the Creator of everything does not need anything and does not need the ^Arsh nor does God sit on it. God is NOT a body of any type and is clear of resembling any attribute among the creations. Therefore, since Allah existed without a place before creating the Throne, God still exists as He was without a place because He doesn’t need anyone or anything.

The seven heavens and the earth in comparison to the Kursiyy are like a ring thrown in a desert, and the Kursiyy in comparison to the ^Arsh is like a ring thrown in a desert. The Kursiyy in comparison to the ^Arsh are like a seed of mustard compared to the ocean. Allah created the ^Arsh as a sign and indication of His Power and did not create the ^Arsh to sit on as wrongly translated. God created the largest creation and elevated it to exist in the highest place in this universe, praise be to God! If God willed, the entire universe would be destroyed if it falls down. Imam ^Aliyy may Allah raise his rank said: “Allah created the ^Arsh as an indication for His Power, and He did not take it as a place for Himself.”

Reported by Br, Imad Nouri, AICP

Miraj un Nabi (saw) Celebrated At Masjid Anwar e Madina in Surrey

On Feb 11, The annual Meraj un Nabi(SAW) program was held at Masjid Anware Madina, Surrey. The program started with a beautiful recitation of the Quran followed by a Naats. Then the youngsters read naat with zikr, and the entire Masjid was swaying in spiritualism, the MC said a few words regarding

tonight’s spiritual program about Miraj un Nabi(saw). Maulana Saiyad Imroz Dean Naqshbani Saify presented his bayan on the topic of “ Prophet Mohammad’s Muqaam e Abdiyat” and it was once again, filled with deep knowledge and wisdom, explained clearly from the Quran and Hadiths. He also said about Prophet Mohammad’s(saw)

Scientific Miracles In The Quran – Quran And Science

By: Abdullah Ansari

Among the miracles of the Holy Quran is its preservation, which is unlike that of any other Holy Book.

It’s an established fact that the Quran remains in its original form, free of any corruption by human beings. This guarantees that every word within it was revealed over 14 centuries ago. Hence, there can be no dispute over the fact that the numerous scientific facts in the Quran were revealed to our Prophet (PBUH) many centuries before being corroborated by modern science.

There’s no denying that science was archaic and thoroughly outdated at the time of our Prophet (PBUH), in comparison to the present. Certainly, there were none of today’s technological marvels that aid science available in that era. There were no telescopes, microscopes, etc. in the 7th century! Therefore, what were the odds of an illiterate desert-dweller like Muhammad (PBUH) producing the scientific miracles of the Quran?

Verily, the only plausible answer is that he received a revelation from God. It wasn’t conceivable for the advanced science in the Quran to originate from a man in the seventh century. The remarkable preservation of the Quran, by virtue of the memorization and recording of its text, makes it clear that none of its scientific miracles were added separately, after the Prophet’s (PBUH) demise. We will now cover some scientific examples of miracles in the Quran. Source: quranforkids.com

incident of Meraj e Mustafa (SAW) in detail of all Prophets meeting at each step towards Arsh e Muhallah with references to the Quran Surah Adh-Dhuha Verses 36 “Thy Guardian-Lord hath not forsaken thee, nor is He displeased”. “And verily the Hereafter will be better for thee than the present.” And soon will thy Guardian-

Lord give thee (that wherewith) thou shalt be well-pleased. Did He not find thee an orphan and give thee shelter (and care)? He After his bayaan, salaam, and durood presentation were led by all guest members, Duaa for all the Muslims in the world was done. Everyone left after having a very delicious and satisfying dinner.

Canadian military says it has tracked, stopped China surveillance in Arctic waters

OTTAWA - The Department of National Defence and Canadian Armed Forces confirm that they are aware of recent efforts by China to conduct surveillance operations in Canadian airspace and waters.

Spokesman Daniel Le Bouthillier said in a statement that the armed forces have tracked and stopped attempts to surveil Canadian territory since 2022 under Operation LIMPID. “To ensure the integrity of operations, we are unable to provide further information at this time,” he said.

Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly said in an interview on CNN Wednesday morning that China is an increasingly disruptive power. She said Canada will work with Norad to protect North American airspace and take a strong stance on Canada’s Arctic sovereignty as more reports of foreign interference emerge. “When it comes to China, we will challenge China when we ought to, and we will co-operate with China when we need to,” she said. “When it comes to issues over the Arctic within our maritime borders, or any form of foreign interference, we will be clear, and that’s how we will address this issue.” Her comments come after the Globe and Mail newspaper reported that the Canadian military had detected Chinese

monitoring buoys in the Arctic. That revelation follows the U.S. decision to shoot down what was confirmed to be a Chinese high-altitude balloon early this month. China’s government denied it was a spy device. Three other high-altitude objects were shot down over North America in the days that followed, but U.S. President Joe Biden has said that there is nothing to suggest these additional objects were related to what he described as “China’s spy balloon program.” Adam Lajeunesse, an assistant professor at St. Francis Xavier University who specializes in Canadian Arctic marine security, said it isn’t clear right now what kind of instrumentation would be present in the Chinese buoys.

Source: ctvnews.ca

Trudeau knocks Poilievre’s ‘simplistic’ call to close Roxham Road

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is knocking Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s call for the federal government to close the Roxham Road irregular border crossing in Quebec as a “simplistic solution,” saying the best approach is to renegotiate the CanadaU.S. migrant pact known as the Safe Third Country Agreement. “Could somebody put up barricades and a big wall? Yes. If Pierre Poilievre wants to build a wall at Roxham Road, someone could do that. The problem is we have 6,000 kilometres worth of undefended shared border with the United States, and… people will choose to cross elsewhere,” Trudeau said Wednesday. “The only way to effectively shut down not just

Roxham Road, but the entire border, to these irregular crossings is to renegotiate the Safe Third Country Agreement, which is serious work that we are doing as a government right now.” On Tuesday, Poilievre called for the federal government to present a plan to close the crossing at Roxham Road along the Quebec-New York border within a month, suggesting it can be done as it was for some time during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a press conference on the topic, the Conservative leader accused Trudeau of encouraging irregular crossings there, after failing to find a solution for years. “If we are a real country, we have borders. And if this is a real prime minister, he is responsible for those borders,” Poilievre said. “He’s had six years since the influx began. It is his job to close the border and we’re calling him to do it.” The prime minister said Wednesday that while “simplistic solutions” won’t be how it’s done, the government has for years -- alongside the U.S. -- been looking at ways to completely but compassionately close off all irregular crossings. Source: ctvnews.ca

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday said the cabinet members, politicians and bureaucrats will not be allowed to retain gifts worth more than $300 (around Rs80,000), as he promised to make the entire record of Toshakhana available to public. “No one would be allowed to retain state gifts worth more than $300,” the prime minister said in a press conference at Prime Minister House after the cabinet meeting. “Record of Toshakhana will be brought before the public, as the official website [of the cabinet division] will provide details about foreign gifts and will be accessible to all,” he added. According to the premier, judges and the armed forces do not provide details of gifts, which they receive on official tours, to the state gift repository. Only the president, prime minister, parliamentarians, cabinet members and bureaucrats follow the practice, he added. Responding to a question about recent audio leak of a sitting judge of the Supreme Court, the PM said the audio has proved partiality of some judges against his party — Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz

(PML-N). “We respect the judiciary but if any partiality is being committed, we cannot keep our eyes shut. We demand that our cases should not be referred to the judges whose behaviour is prejudiced against us,” the PM said. He said the judiciary had regularised Imran Khan’s Banigala house while it ignored the demolition of poor’s houses by the former prime minister. In a question regarding general elections scheduled to be held in October, the PM said holding of elections was a constitutional requirement. About elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the prime minister said the caretaker governments of the two provinces have not presented their stance on polls as of yet. “It is not in my domain,” he added....Source: dawn.com

6.8-magnitude quake hits eastern Tajikistan: USGS

China, about 67 kilometres from the small mountain town of Murghob.

OTTAWA -- An accused extremist recruiter is returning to the Ontario Superior Court on Thursday and is expected to plead guilty to terrorism offences, eight years after he was first charged. Awso Peshdary’s criminal trial had been on hold pending a decision in Federal Court, where his lawyers were arguing that charges should be dropped because Canada’s spy agency was authorized to surveil him based on misleading information. The Federal Court has not yet made a ruling, but Peshdary’s lawyers have now filed a motion with the criminal court to have the matter dealt with. They say their client is now prepared to plead guilty, and the defence is submitting a joint application with the Crown to proceed directly to sentencing.

Peshdary was arrested on terrorism-related charges in February 2015, based on allegations that he recruited and financed homegrown terrorists and helped Islamic

State militants travel to Syria. His case has dragged on in court while lawyers representing him, the RCMP and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service debated what evidence was admissible and could be disclosed in the proceedings.

Peshdary, who was 25 at the time of his arrest, has been held in custody since 2015. He has spent most of that time at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre. Source: ctvnews.ca

A 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit eastern Tajikistan on Thursday, the US Geological Survey said. The quake struck around 5:37 am local time (0037 GMT) at a depth of about 20.5 kilometres (12.7 miles).

The USGS estimated that “little or no population” would be exposed to landslides from the quake. Its epicentre appeared to be in Gorno-Badakhshan, a semi-autonomous eastern region that borders Afghanistan and

A 5.0-magnitude aftershock hit the area about 20 minutes after the initial quake, followed by a 4.6-magnitude quake. The sparsely populated territory is surrounded by the towering Pamir Mountains and is home to Lake Sarez. The aquamarine-coloured body of water — formed as a result of an earthquake in 1911 — is among Tajikistan’s largest lakes. Located behind Lake Sarez is a natural dam deep in the Pamir mountains, and experts have warned the consequences will be catastrophic if the dam is breached.

Tajikistan — like much of the rest of Central Asia — is highly prone to natural disasters and has a long history of floods, earthquakes, landslides, avalanches and heavy snowfalls. Earlier this month, nine people died in a February 15 avalanche in Gorno-Badakhshan, while another person was killed the same day in an avalanche on a highway near the capital Dushanbe. Source: dawn.com

Irked by ‘interference’, NAB chairman quits office

ISLAMABAD: After serving for eight months, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Chairman Aftab Sultan resigned on Tuesday, citing “interference” and “pressure”. Although Mr Sultan did not elaborate who was pressuring him, the main opposition PTI claimed he was being coerced to file corruption references against their chief Imran Khan. Mr Sultan had sent his resignation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif which was subsequently accepted, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) confirmed. He was appointed by the incumbent government in July 2022 after retired Justice Javed Iqbal relinquished charge as NAB chairman. Aftab Sultan says never ‘bowed to any pressure’; PTI wants in on talks to choose next head of accountability watchdog “The chairman National Accountability Bureau, Aftab Sultan presented his resignation to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif citing personal reasons. The PM appreciated the services of Aftab Sultan and lauded his honesty and uprightness. Upon his insistence, the prime minister reluctantly accepted his resignation,” an official PMO press release said. Following Mr Sultan’s resignation, NAB Deputy Chairman Zahir Shah has been given the acting charge as chairman.

‘Never bowed to pressure’

Soon after his resignation, Mr Sultan held a farewell meeting with NAB officers.

According to a press release issued by NAB, Mr Sultan expressed satisfaction at upholding “his principles” and not bowing to any “pressure”. “I can neither initiate a false case nor drop an established reference merely because the culprit was related to some big shot,” the press release quoted Mr Sultan as saying, without mentioning any specific case. He said that throughout his professional career, he tried to act according to the law and never compromised on his principles. He said continuity of the political process and elections were essential. The former NAB chief said he had complete faith in the bureau’s young officers to uphold high moral values and rule of law.

Source:dawnnews.com

No official can retain Toshakhana gifts worth more than Rs80,000, govt decides

Accused extremist recruiter expected to plead guilty to terrorism charges

The increasing presence of media in our everyday life cannot be denied. It is not uncommon today to be watching TV while scrolling through news on your smartphone or tablet with online streaming playing in the background.

While digital media is overtaking print media, print media has been transitioning to electronic editions, and accessible technology has made such bridging easier.

Malcolm X once said,

“The media is the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that’s power. Because they control the minds of the masses.”

The role of media is being defined and redefined constantly as people around the world gain access to various types of media.

Media has been applauded for promoting free speech and at the same time accused of inciting violence and spreading propaganda.

It is a fine line that all media outlets, regardless of the audience, need to walk all the time.

The Miracle Media Group has been very conscious of this need for balance from day 1.

Twenty Two years ago, the environment in which the newspaper was launched was quite different than today. This was pre-9/11, and the ideals on which the newspaper was founded were giving Muslims a voice in the mainstream through

their own platform and promoting the community while bringing harmony among all communities in Canada.

Circumstances changed in less than a year and Muslims all over the world found themselves on the defence, protecting their families, fighting hate crimes, negative portrayals in the mainstream media while trying to increase the awareness about Islam and Muslims.

At that time, the role of Muslim media become more pivotal than ever as it was incumbent on them to use all their means to combat ignorance, and discriminatory attitude of some powerful mainstream media.

As Muslims are legally entitled to proceed in an organized manner to protect their faith, their media too is equally entitled to publish literature to give the true picture to the public regardless of ethnicity, colour or creed. The fact is media is always bound by a code of ethics to continue as competitive and credible under all circumstances.

A successful journalist has to be conscientious, because presenting the distorted facts is unethical and unlawful.

Fortunately, the Muslim media of today has genuine encouragement to become more and more assertive with an improved degree of confidence. In other words, they are more involved and getting closer to be competitive even in the commercially focused media market.

Better late than never, the Muslims

are comfortable to troubleshoot the negative status quo through their own electronic and print media. They are catching up gradually and hopefully would be able to free the Canadian audience of Islamophobia. Misreporting, exaggerating, or ignoring coverage for the Muslims did lead to the formation of such independent voice of Muslim community through their own print and electronic media throughout Canada. Moreover, utilizing Muslim friendly apparatus, pro-Islamic media advocates may go ahead with repairing the tarnished image of Islam. Regularly airing of the constructive interfaith dialogues can be further fruitful.

The Miracle Media Group has strived to uphold these ideas. While it has not been a perfect journey, we are constantly learning from our mistakes and building on our experiences.

Over the past 22 years, the landscape has changed within the BC Muslim Community. The community has grown exponentially, and various media outlets are now representing the community and different viewpoints. In the spirit of unity and harmony, The BC Muslim Electronic and Print Media Think Tank formed a Canadian Muslim Media Club (CMMC) in 2019. The Miracle Media Group is one of its key members and being a President term of 2023-24 of CMMC we committed to taking action.

As Muslim media reaches full force on daily basis, the Muslim youth would be encouraged to benefit, preserve, and strengthen their Islamic identity.

In addition to the print media, a daily Muslim presence in the broadcast media and the internet would correct the anti-Islam feelings among the non-Muslim Canadians. We seen Muslim female journalists like Ginella Massa on television, hosting a prime-time show on Canada’s own CBC and breaking the glass ceiling for Muslims, in particular, hijab-wearing Muslim sisters.

Progress cannot happen in a vacuum. The community continues to work together to strengthen its voice and representation in the media. Whether it is supporting through advertising in free newspapers, writing for a Muslim publication or reading a newspaper and sharing your feedback and suggestions, we all have a part to play in strengthening Muslim Media. Meanwhile, Muslim media should continue to focus on achieving the goal of nation building based on balanced truthful journalism on merit. Together, everything is possible.

Waan Laysa Lil Insana illa ma’ sa’aa That man can have nothing but what he strives for.

By: Misbah Naseer Asst. Miracle Editor

PTI top brass bundled off to Kot Lakhpat

• Asad Umar, Qureshi, Ejaz Chaudhry among leaders sent to prison on first day of ‘court arrest drive’

• Police say 81 jailed for violating Section 144; Fawad claims ‘500-700’ workers courted arrest

LAHORE: On the first day of the ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’ launched by the Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf (PTI), at least “81 party supporters”, including members of its top brass, were rounded up by the police and moved to Kot Lakhpat jail

after they courted arrest at Charing Cross on The Mall, on Wednesday.

Party supporters had moved in a convoy, led by Dr Yasmin Rashid, and reached Charing Cross via Jail Road, where they staged a sit-in and chanted slogans against the federal and the Punjab governments. Videos circulated on social media showed a large number of PTI workers who had thronged the site of the sit-in in front of the Punjab Assembly. he PTI workers had also brought a “dummy jail” to Charing Cross. Some workers stood inside the cage and gave

interviews to media persons on the party policy towards the movement. A police official was also seen with a megaphone asking PTI workers to board a prison van if they wanted to turn themselves in. Another video shared by the PTI workers showed PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Secretary General Asad Umar, former governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema, former minister Murad Raas, Senator Azam Swati, and Senator Walid Iqbal sitting in a prison van after they allegedly forced their way through. : Dawn

Extreme cold, deep snow for Western Canada as East braces for ice, freezing rain

Most of Canada is under warnings from Environment Canada on Tuesday, principally due to two weather systems. A messy winter snow and ice storm is heading toward Ontario, with most of the Prairies and northern parts of Canada under extreme cold and winter storm warnings.

A double-barreled storm, fuelled by an “Alberta Clipper” and then a “Colorado low,” is expected to bring high ice accumulation totals to the southern half of Ontario and higher snow totals to the northeast.. The Alberta Clipper, a low-pressure storm system that moves from the west, will im-

pact northern Ontario communities overnight on Tuesday. The system from Colorado brings lowpressure Wednesday evening, to the southern half of the province with snow and freezing rain expected.As the two systems head to Eastern Canada, many provinces including B.C. and the Prairies are buried under snow and subject to extreme cold warnings issued by Environment Canada.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

On the West Coast, “winter is not over,” said Armel Castellan, warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment Canada said to CTV News Vancouver as the agency issued winter storm warnings

across the B.C. interior.

The Pacific frontal system is expected to bring snow accumulation of 20 to 25 centimetres to the Fraser Valley, Okanagan Valley, East Columbia, and Fraser Canyon.The storm is expected to taper off by Tuesday afternoon, but “light snow will continue through tonight,” the Environment Canada website reads.Environment Canada urged residents to postpone non-essential travel along all highway mountain passes in the area.

Source: ctvnews.ca

Canada’s annual inflation rate slowed in January but grocery prices remain high

OTTAWA - The annual inflation rate slowed more than expected in January, suggesting the Bank of Canada will stick to its decision to pause interest rate hikes as an overheated economy cools. In its consumer price index report released Tuesday, Statistics Canada said the deceleration in headline inflation to to 5.9 per cent in January from 6.3 per cent in December reflects a base-year effect. A base-year effect refers to the impact of price movements from a year ago on the calculation of the year-over-year inflation rate. OTTAWA - The annual inflation rate slowed more than expected in January, suggesting the Bank of Canada will stick to its deci-

sion to pause interest rate hikes as an overheated economy cools.

In its consumer price index report released Tuesday, Statistics Canada said the deceleration in headline inflation to to 5.9 per cent in January from 6.3 per cent in December reflects a base-year effect. A base-year effect refers to the impact of price movements from a year ago on the calculation of the year-over-year inflation rate. Extreme drought makes cattle farmers thin herds, could cause future supply problems

High gas prices may have curbed downward inflation trend in January: economists

‘Canadian cannabis is in peril’: Industry leaders call on feds to help Home sales in Canada had their worst January since 2009: report

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Contents

IM portant note: Letters to the editor and Articles do not reflect the opinion of the Miracle media group. We do not publish anonymous letters or the letters of the people who do not disclose their identity to ‘The Miracle.’ A writer can use a pen name or request ‘The Miracle’ to withhold his / her identity. Please include your daytime telephone number for the confirmation of your letter. We regret the inconvenience.

Cost-of-living

crisis:

Canadian musicians struggling to keep up with high inflation

Profit slips for Tim Hortons restaurant owners amid high commodity costs, inflation Consumer Price Index, January 2023

Given much of the acceleration in price growth happened in the first half of 2022 as the threat of Russia invading Ukraine turned into a reality, the federal agency said the annual inflation rate will continue to slow in the coming months.

The last time Canada’s annual inflation rate was below six per cent was in February 2022 when it was 5.7 per cent.The headline rate came in lower in January than many commercial banks were anticipating in their forecasts, signalling good news for the Bank of Canada. S.ctvnews.ca

Note:

The Miracle requests to all readers to respect any published Islamic material including Allah’s name and Prophet Muhammad (SAW) and quranic verses. Please recycle those pages and avoid throw them in the garbage. Miracle

Muslim media should continue to focus on achieving the goal of nation building

The ‘complicated’ train ride that brought Biden into Ukraine

Ukraine’s national railway company has a catchy slogan, delivered with considerable pride: “Trains on time.” It’s a remarkable achievement considering the airborne terror unleashed on this country by Russia.

Through it all, with stations bombed, tracks destroyed, and employees killed, the trains never stopped. They’ve carried millions of refugees to safety, packing trains around the clock, and every time a Ukrainian city or town is liberated, the familiar blue and yellow cars soon arrive to pick up passengers. Not for nothing do people call the country’s rail workers “Ukraine’s second army.”

Joe Biden knows and loves trains. For years when he was a U.S. senator, he took the train every night from Washington, D.C., to Delaware to be with his family. And suddenly, there he was again, back on board, only this time as U.S. President Biden, rolling into war-ravaged Ukraine.

As you might expect, his train had casually been dubbed “Rail Force One.”

The head of Ukrainian Railways, Alexander Kamyshin, issued a series of proud tweets as soon as Biden was safely back in Poland. Among them was a stylized image of a modern locomotive, bearing shiny blue and yellow stripes, with an American flag blowing

in the wind.

“Out of 24 hours, president Biden spent 20 on the train (both directions) and only 4 in Kyiv. That’s why it was important for us to care about him in a proper way. And we did,” Kamyshin tweeted Tuesday. He was very coy about how it all came together. “I will not tell you much more about this mission. Just believe me, it was quite a complicated project for us.” Secrecy was paramount. After covertly flying to Poland, Biden was driven to Przemyśl Główny station on the border for the long and plodding journey to Kyiv. A White House pool reporter filled in the details.

According to the pooler, the train had approximately eight cars and most were occupied by a “heavy security presence.”..

Source: ctvnews.ca

Xi Jinping to visit Moscow for summit with Putin:

Panic injures many as traumatised Syria hit by new earthquakes

People in northwest Syria are ‘traumatised’ and still reeling from the February 6 quakes that killed more than 4,000 in Syria. Fear and panic caused the most injuries in northwest Syria when two new earthquakes hit on Monday evening, just two weeks after the catastrophic 7.8 magnitude earthquake that devastated large parts of the region including southern Turkey. At least six people have been killed and hundreds wounded across both countries.

“Many were hurt because of stampedes, panicking and even jumping off buildings,” Oubadah Alwan, a spokesperson for the Syria Civil Defence, also known as the White Helmets, told Al Jazeera. The rescue group estimated more than 190 injuries in the opposition-held part of the country that is home to four million. “Civilians are mostly sleeping out and refusing to go back into their homes despite the cold,” Alwan said. “People are traumatised.”

In a shelter on the outskirts of Idlib, 40-yearold Ismail Abu Raas told Al Jazeera he ran out of his building with his wife and five children as soon as he felt the tremor on Monday. The streets were filled with people who had also evacuated their houses and shelters. His family remained outside for four to five hours before making their way to a shelter, too afraid to go home... Source: aljazeera.com

Russia’s war in Ukraine: After a year of conflict, what next?

a young woman with long dark brown hair, was seen in photos of the aftermath, her lifeless body strewn awkwardly across a pavement. Friday marks the first anniversary of the war the world had feared. Peace seems a distant prospect.

Which direction might the war take now?

Top diplomat Wang Yi, who is currently in Moscow, has said ties between the two countries are ‘rock solid’. Chinese leader Xi Jinping is preparing to visit Moscow for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the coming months, according to the Wall Street Journal. Citing people familiar with the plan, the newspaper said on Tuesday that the Xi-Putin summit was part of a Chinese effort to play a more active role in bringing the year-old war to an end and part of a push for multi-party peace talks. China will also

use the summit to reiterate calls that nuclear weapons should not be used, the report added. Preparations for the trip are at an early stage and the timing has not been finalised, the Journal said, adding that Xi’s visit might take place in April or in early May when Russia celebrates its World War Two victory over Nazi Germany. China’s top diplomat Wang Yi is currently in Moscow and expected to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Wednesday. In a tour of Europe, Wang has stepped up calls for a negotiated settlement to end the war in Ukraine, which began on February 24 last year when Russian troops invaded the country. Xi and Putin last met in person in China ahead of the Beijing Winter Olympics last year, days before Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24. The two men announced a “no limits” partnership where no areas of cooperation were “forbidden”. They had a video call last December.

Source: aljazeera.com

US judge says 9/11 families not entitled to Afghan bank funds

District judge says victims cannot seize bank’s assets since the US has not recognised the Taliban as a legitimate government.

A United States judge has ruled that family members of victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks are not entitled to funds from Afghanistan’s central bank. In the ruling on Tuesday, US District Judge George Daniels said that awarding the families money seized from the Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) would require an assessment that the Taliban is the legitimate government of Afghanistan, a decision he was “constitutionally restrained” from making. “The judgment creditors are entitled to collect on their default judgments and be made whole for the worst terrorist attack in our nation’s history, but they cannot do so with the funds of the central bank of Afghanistan,” Daniels wrote. “The Taliban — not the former Islamic Republic of Afghanistan or the Afghan people — must pay for the Taliban’s liability in the 9/11 attacks,” he added. In February 2022, the administration of US President Joe Biden issued a controversial executive order stating

it would split $7bn in frozen assets from Afghanistan’s central bank between the Afghan people and families of 9/11 victims who sued the Taliban. While the Taliban was not directly involved in the attacks, lawyers for the families argued it had helped enable al-Qaeda, which mounted the attack, by allowing the group to operate in Afghanistan. Bilal Askaryar, an Afghan-American activist, told Al Jazeera at the time of the order that the Afghan people “had nothing to do with 9/11” and called the decision a “theft of public funds from an impoverished nation”... Source: aljazeera.com

Seven experts predict possible scenarios as neither Moscow nor Kyiv appears ready to negotiate a peaceful end to the war. In a year, thousands of Ukrainian civilians and troops on both sides have been killed in Russia’s war, and tensions between Moscow and the West have risen to an all-time high.

On Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin defended the invasion he ordered on February 24, 2022, as his United States counterpart Joe Biden was in Poland, rallying support for Ukraine. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, bemoaned a Russian attack in Kherson, carried out as Putin made his fiery state of the nation speech. At least six people were killed. One victim,

We asked several experts to share their views:

‘Ukraine and Russia both don’t have enough arms’

“The basic scenario – neither Russia nor Ukraine can achieve their goals in this war. Russia will hardly be able to even occupy the entire [southeastern region of] Donbas, let alone destroy Ukraine as a nation.

“Ukraine won’t be able to get back to the borders of January 2014 [before the annexation of Crimea and Russia’s support to separatists in Donbas].

“The war may be over by late 2023 or in 2024 because both sides will have exhausted their resources. The main reasons being that Ukraine and Russia both don’t have enough arms, ammo and servicemen to achieve what they aim for. Source: aljazeera.com

Iranian-German man sentenced to death on ‘terrorism’ charges

Iran says Jamshid Sharmahd masterminded a bombing that killed 14 people, something his family denies. Tehran, Iran – IranianGerman citizen Jamshid Sharmahd has been sentenced to death by Iran’s judiciary on terrorism-related charges.

The 67-year-old, who also has United States residency and was arrested in 2020, was convicted of “corruption on Earth” for heading a pro-monarchist group accused of a deadly 2008 bombing and planning other attacks across the country, Mizan, the official news agency of the Iranian judiciary, reported on Tuesday. Sharmahd is accused of being the leader of the US-based group Tondar (which means “thunder” in Farsi), also known as the Kingdom Assembly of Iran, which says it seeks to restore the monarchy that was overthrown after the last shah fled Iran shortly before the 1979 revolution.

The Los Angeles-based group runs radio and television stations abroad that support Iranian opposition groups. The Iranian judiciary released several clips of Sharmahd speaking in 2010 against the Iranian establishment and also video of him appearing to confess to attacks. His main charge is masterminding a 2008 bombing at a mosque in the southern city of Shiraz, which killed 14 people and wounded hundreds. He was also convicted of

being in contact with US and Israeli officials and agents.

Mizan said he wrote confidential letters to former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The judiciary said Sharmahd wanted to carry out 23 “terrorist acts” and succeeded in executing five.

It said they include other bombings, arson, assassinations and leaking classified information about the missile programme of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Tondar was also accused by the judiciary of plans to target an oil pipeline and a book fair in addition to deploying “chemical weapons” in parliament and organising heists from banks and currency exchanges.

Source: aljazeera.com

Suspected grave sites, children’s deaths found in probe of B.C. residential school

Premier David Eby says he’s introducing more supports to better prepare British Columbia communities for natural disasters related to climate change before they happen.

“The last few years have taught us a hard lesson about the impacts of climate change,”

Eby said Tuesday, citing Interior wildfires, Fraser Valley floods, highway slides, bridge collapses and a heat wave that resulted in more than 600 deaths.

A Vancouver Island First Nation has announced the detection of 17 suspected unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school, in an emotional event that combined science and ceremony on Tuesday. The Tseshaht First Nation, which took the lead in an 18-month effort to find potential graves of schoolchildren at the former Alberni Indian Residential School, also said interviews with survivors, historical records and other documents show 67 students died at the school. “We need to remember that all of these students were just children,” said Tseshaht Elected Chief Councillor Wahmeesh, whose English name is Ken Watts.“They were just children. So ... for those of you that are not from our communities, I want you to think about that, think about what would happen today if children who were five years old were removed from their homes. “That’s the reality that our communities have to live with,” said Wahmeesh, who wore a traditional cedar headband. The announcement was preceded by drumming and singing, and portions of the event were blacked out in a livestream because of cultural sensitivities.

Many at the ceremony wore orange, the colour that has come to represent those who died and the survivors of Canada’s residential schools. Dozens of women slowly danced to the drumming, turning on the spot in their orange shawls.

Children from at least 90 communities spanning more than 70 First Nations attended the school when it operated from 1900 to 1973. B.C. land surveyor GeoScan has been working on the project, using ground-penetrating radar to detect possible grave sites at the former school since last July.

Brian Whiting, a geophysics division manager with GeoScan, said at the announcement that the 17 suspected graves represent the minimum number believed to be on 12 of 100 hectares that were searched.

Sheri Meding, the lead researcher who did the work with historical records and survivors’ statements, said many of the 67 children had died from medical conditions. Meding said there were a number of recurring themes when interviewing survivors of the school, including forced abortions, multiple burial locations without markers, students finding skulls and human remains around the grounds and witnessing small coffins being taken out of the building at night. Wahmeesh said it was essential to embark on what he called “this journey of truth” despite the process being difficult for survivors. He said any legal investigations would have to be done by an independent body with Tseshaht consent, and not by the RCMP, because of the force’s role in residential schools and removing children from their homes... Source:dawnnews.com

The New Democrat government will almost double the current funding of its Community Emergency Preparedness Fund, adding $180 million to support projects that help communities and First Nations prepare for and mitigate the effects of natural disasters, he said. “For too long governments did not place sufficient importance on protecting B.C. from the impacts of climate change,” said Eby, adding the province previously presented itself with the “false choice” of growing the economy or protecting the environment. “We have to grow the economy and act on climate change,” he said. Eby said he experienced the devastating threat of climate change about three years ago while staying at a family cabin in B.C.’s wildfire zone. “There was a forest fire across the water and at night we could literally watch the trees burn and explode, literally explode, because of the heat from the fire,” he said. The threat of losing a treasured family home left a deep imprint on him where the importance of limiting and fighting the destructive power of climate change must be addressed, Eby said.

Bowinn Ma, the minister of emergency management and climate readiness, said the ministry’s preparedness fund has previously supported projects that include a dike

in Merritt, public cooling infrastructure in Victoria and tsunami evacuation planning in Tofino.

The new fund will also provide a one-stop online platform for communities and First Nations to review flood, wildfire, weather and other hazardous events data that had previously been spread over various government websites, said Ma. “We need to be ready, and that means understanding the hazards, the risks, what is ahead of us, and working with communities to get the work that needs to happen done, now,” said Ma. The program also includes supports for communities to prepare for the effects of extreme cold and heat, she said.

Since 2017, local governments and First Nations have received funds for more than 1,300 projects to prepare for natural disasters and climate-related emergencies, the Emergency Preparedness Ministry says. Jen Ford, Union of B.C. Municipalities president, said accurate data is critical for communities planning climate change mitigation and response strategies.

“People need to be able to understand what it means for them when they hear atmospheric river, when they hear wildfires are coming,” she said. “When they see temperatures rising.” Source:bc.ctvnews.ca

Nural Sumbultepe said she heard screaming before she felt the ground shake, that was when she knew she was living through an earthquake.“I heard a lot of screaming, a lot of panic, there was a lot of anxiety attacks among people and children were crying,” Sumbultepe said. ”We just left everything and ran outside.”Sumbultepe lives in Vancouver and works as a teacher in Richmond, but this week she arrived in her home country of Turkiye to help her extended family after the major earthquake two weeks ago. Her brother-in-law died instantly when the 15-storey building they lived in collapsed, and five other family members were trapped under the rubble for days. They did not survive. Almost immediately after the quake Sumbultepe started planning a trip home in order to help her other family members in person. This week she arrived in Arsuz, a coastal town on the Mediterranean in the Hatay province. She visited the site where her family members were killed, along with a

library and church she visited as a child. Both buildings had collapsed. In the rubble she found hundreds of pictures belonging to her brother and sister-in-law.

Monday, the area was hit by a 6.6 magnitude earthquake, followed by aftershocks,

“We all fled outside,’ she said. “Most of the people slept in their cars, some people like me slept in the doorway.” Sumbultepe has lived through an earthquake before. She was in Istanbul when a magnitude 7.6 struck in 1999. She lived in a tent for four weeks helping English rescue crews with translation.

“My job was to say, ‘Is anybody under the rubble,’” she said. “But this is like 10 times worse, this earthquake is 10 times worse and it’s on a bigger scale.”

Sumbultepe is planning to stay in Turkiye for another week before returning to Canada. If possible, she’s hoping to bring some of her family members with her to offer financial and emotional support. Source:bc.ctvnews.ca

‘Children were crying’: B.C. teacher who lost 6 family members in Turkiye disaster describes most recent earthquake

Celebrating a Miraculous 22 years Journey

events from all communities in efforts to keep up with our slogan, “Bringing Harmony to all the Communities”. We are also proud that for those who are not Muslims, our Newspaper serves as a gateway to learning more about Islam as well as the local and international Muslim community. The Miracle cares for and respects all community members irrespective of ethnicity and faith. Our journey over the past 22 years has been quite an experience.

Alhamdulillah, it is a superb occasion in the Miracle Media Group Inc.’s history as it has completed its 22 years -a long journey that began on Feb 23rd, 2001. I want to thank the supporters and great well-wishers of ‘The Miracle’ for providing continuous support through advertisements of their businesses, sharing their thoughts in writing with our readers, especially Mr. Shams Jilani, Mr. Aslam Hayat, Mrs. Shamim Karim, Mrs. Alam Ara, Mrs. Asma Shums, Mrs. Nafisa Siddiqi, Mrs. Safia Imtiaz, Mrs. Moquita Waseem(from Saudi Arabia) Ms. Khadija Nadeem, Mr. Asad Syed, and many others. Miracle Media is proud that have the biggest Writers Team of ten(10) Urdu and English languages writers despite any local Community Paper in BC. The Miracle newspaper aims to provide a broad overview of the world through articles and images. Over the years, we have covered thousands of

From the pen of the Founding Chief- Editor of ‘The Miracle’.

ASqn. Ldr. Nusrat Hussain (R)

friend of mine in late 2000 suggested of starting a Muslim newspaper. With a diploma and a degree of Journalism under my belt and my writing passion, I was compelled to take up the project. With limited finances as well as business experience in any field, I took a challenge of launching first Muslim newspaper of B.C. and first copy of ‘The Miracle’ was published on 23 rd February 2001. ‘The Miracle’ soon became a house hold item benefitting Muslim businesses and political activity. ‘The Miracle’ served promoting different businesses, community events and concerns. There were many successful Muslims in different fields of business as well as some important government and public offices. There were also different religious, welfare and social work organiza-

Congratulations Miracle ‘s 22nd Anniversary

The Miracle is 22 years old now ,Congratulation it is a Miracle and all credit goes to Mr. Naseer Pirzada his hard work dedication

On Feb 23, 2001, Mr. Nusrat Hussain launched the first Muslim Newspaper on a biweekly basis and his family’s and his day and night struggle gave a voice to the community. While I joined as Managing Editor in 2002, I was handed over the responsibility to run this show alone from Jan 2007. How successful my entire team and I have been in achieving these tasks? Well, Miracle’s readers are the best judges. The Miracle became synonymous with events for much of its publication life.

Allhudulilla last year at the 21st Anniversary Miracle Media distributed Awards to its Writers, Advertisers, and Community Members who served in the community for many years.

Inshallah in the future, our mission is to keep continue the award distribution tradition.

‘The Miracle’ Newspaper is the first BC Muslim biweekly & bilingual (English & Urdu) newspaper, which is a Mem-

ber of the National Ethnic Press and Media Council of Canada (NEPMCC).

It has been serving the BC Community for almost 22 years. The Miracle is a household newspaper of the local Muslim community and is popular in other local & ethnic communities as well. Its availability on the Website: www. miraclenews.com, Facebook (the Miracle Newspaper), Twitter, (https:// twitter.com/Miraclenews1), and at two other digital printing service providers, “Press Reader” at https://www.pressreader.com/canada/the-miracle/latest and “Magzter “ at https://www.magzter. com/CA/Miracle-Media-Group-Inc in all over the world. We are proud that Alhamdulillah’s the Miracle is the only one in the BC Muslim Print Media market which is non-stop a bi-weekly publication during the Pandemic 2019-2022 and after the Covid crisis till this day. Like other businesses, last year has hurt Miracle deeply as our advertisers are struggling but we aim to carry on with our limited resources and stay with our readers, writers, and advertisers during this difficult time. Feel free to comment on this issue about Miracle’s Historical 22 years journey, as your concerns and suggestions are highly appreciated for improving our quality in the future. In the end, I will not be honest if I do not appreciate the efforts of my Miracle’s family are Ms. Khadija, Ms.

22 years of ‘The Miracle.’

tions serving all Muslims as a community. It was a regular feature to hold grand community events celebrating Eid- parties, national holidays and many activities of getting together under one roof. In an extremely friendly diverse Canadian society, there were many mediums of mass communications like, newspapers, radio and television owned by other communities living in Vancouver mainland area. It resulted in a perception of a nonexistent Muslim community to mainstream public of British Columbia. In absence of a Muslim media, any concern of Muslim issue was not conveyed in a desired manner to the main stream public of Canada. The Miracle became an independent strong voice to publish issues of Muslim concern within the community as well as outside. There was a strong reaction by

and determination to keep Miracle above the crowd ,the Team of Miracle also deserve credit and appreciation , our best wishes and prayers are always with Miracle and Team .

Kind Regards, Asad Syed Realtor/Strata Manager Stratatech Consulting Ltd.

Miracle provide a platform to reflection of themselves in print media

Working with the Miracle has been such a privilege and is an opportunity I appreciate so much. Starting off as a regu-

the right wing Muslim community when religious dogmas and taboos were challenged in The Miracle.

It became a common practice by the members belonging to extreme right wing of stealing and throwing in garbage many bundles of the newspaper placed inside the mosques. People having a balanced approach respecting Canadian laws of freedom of speech confronted the extreme ideas. This brought some commotion as well as a platform to discuss different ideas was provided by the Miracle. We published every letter and article without any prejudice.

Importance of newspaper in present era is reduced many times. Reading a paperback newspaper is the last source of information or interest for a majority of people. Thanks to my friend and a dedicated Naseer Pirzada

Misbah, Arslan, Shahrukh, Sabeeh, and others. Keep up the good work not only for the Miracle but for the Community. I thank everyone who took the time and sent their messages at Miracle’s 22nd Anniversary, including BC Premier David Eby, BC Caucus, MP Sukh Dhaliwal, MLA, and Minister Hon. Harry Bains, MLA, Garry Begg. May Allah (SWT) accept your prayers for our success and may He help us in serving the community... Ameen

Jazaakumu Allahu Khairan. (Ameen) Mohammad Naseer Pirzada (Editor-in-Chief) Miracle

lar reader and evolving into the primary columnist for the youth section as well as a member of the board, I’m incredibly grateful to have been writing with this team for 4 years. Writing has always been a passion of mine and this position has aided me in improving so many of

that the newspaper is in business till today and celebrating its 22nd anniversary today. I wish you all the best Pir Saheb. May Allah Paak accept your great effort of continuing to serve the Muslim community of B.C. Long Live ‘The Miracle’.

my skills. Not to mention the safe space that The Miracle has provided to Muslims and Pakistanis across British Columbia, giving them the chance to see a reflection of themselves in print media and hear and read about the news that they want to see. I hope that I can continue writing with The Miracle as well as work with the team to help develop the newspaper further. InshAllah, I hope for many more years of success to come.

By: Khadija Nadeem, Youth Columnist and Editorial Board Member, 16 Yrs.. The

Miracle not only alive but flourishing

By: Nafisa Siddiqui

Congratulations team Miracle specially Mohammad Pirzada saheeb who’s unbelievable effort keep the miracle not only alive but flourishing in an amazing speed Congratulations

I am so pleased to be able to send my heartfelt congratulations to The Miracle newspaper on your 22nd anniversary.

The impact of the publication throughout British Columbia’s Muslim community cannot be underestimated. There is real power to providing coverage, discussion and analysis in both English and Urdu, rendering The Miracle as an immense pillar behind the sense of togetherness amongst community members.

I would like to recognize and acknowledge the tireless work of the papers dedicated staff contributors and Editor-in-Chief, Mr. Naseer Pirzada who have not only weathered the difficulty that all media have encountered in recent times, but thrived beyond all expectations. You should be proud of this momentous accomplishment and look towards an even brighter future in the decades to come.

Thank you for your long record of community service.

Sincerely,

A MESSAGE FROM PREMIER DAVID EBY

As Premier of the Province of British Columbia, I am delighted to extend my heartfelt congratulations to The Miracle on its 22nd anniversary

For over two decades, The Miracle has been a beacon of exceptional English and Urdu journalism, covering issues and events that impact the Muslim community in the Lower Mainland and worldwide Dedicated to providing insightful news coverage, The miracle has helped to foster connection and understanding between diverse cultural groups. In a province as rich in diversity as ours, it is through such efforts that we can continue to create a more inclusive and welcoming community for everyone.

This milestone is a testament to the team’s unwavering commitment to providing a voice to underrepresented communities, and I extend my sincere appreciation to everyone involved in making The Miracle an essential part of our province's cultural fabric.

As we celebrate The Miracle's 22nd anniversary, I encourage everyone to enjoy this special edition and reflect on the important role it has played in shaping our community. I wish everyone reading all the best in the years to come!

Ottawa

Room 350, Confederation Building

Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6 Tel.: 613-992-0666

Constituency

Unit 202 - 12992 76 Ave

Surrey, British Columbia V3W 2V6 Tel.: 604-598-2200

My sincere congratulations to The Miracle Newspaper, on their 22nd Anniversary of serving our communities.

Being the first bilingual newspaper to serve our Muslim community, The Miracle has made great strides to keep our communities informed, through its thoughtful and concise journalism.

Diversity and multiculturalism are our strengths, and it is now more than ever important to have media which caters specifically to the issues of interest of our ethnic communities. The Miracle continues to be a great contributor to this cause.

I wish many more years of success to The Miracle, as it continues to do its good work for our communities and our Province.

On February 24th 2023, we celebrate the 22nd Anniversary of The Miracle. My sincerest greetings are given to those who have contributed to the prosperity of The Miracle, and to the readership.

As the MLA for Surrey-Newton, I can proudly say that The Miracle has provided my constituents with access to news in both English and Urdu. The Miracle has successfully served the Muslim community for the past twenty-two years and I look forward to see their impact in the coming years as well. This success of The Miracle highlights the diversity and multiculturalism within our community, which too, is of great importance within our Government.

On behalf of the constituents of Surrey-Newton and myself, congratulations on your outstanding achievement!

Harry Bains, MLA Surrey-Newton

Sukh Dhaliwal Member of Parliament Surrey Newton sukhdhaliwal.liberal.ca

RE: Miracle’s 22nd Anniversary

Sukh Dhaliwal, MP Surrey-Newton

Garry Begg MLA Surrey - Guildford

A Message from Garry Begg, MLA for Surrey-Guildford

Garry Begg, MLA Surrey Guildford

A Message from Hon Harry Bains, MLA for Surrey-Newton

HONOURABLE DAVID EBY, K.C. PREMIER OF BRITISH COLUMBIA

Events Pics on Pg 13

Canadian Muslim Media Club President calls a meeting to discuess Community Issues in Town

Press Release CMMC, February 15, 2022

On February 15, The President of the Canadian Muslim Media Club (CMMC ) Mohammad Naseer Pirzada called a CMMC board meeting at his residence after his

arrival from Pakistan. All board directors attended the meeting and a detailed overview of all matters was presented to President during his absence.

Vice President Ashiana Khan was appreciated for looking after all CMMC

matters. Tik Tok issue was discussed in detail as Ashiana Khan presented the whole report to President and it was decided in the meeting that CMMC will raise its voice against any

negative propaganda against CMMC. Other strategies were discussed by each Director in depth on how to work in the best interest of the community.

By: Rai Ali Abrar Kharal, General Secretary

Communities Joined in “ Community Prayer” for

Turkey and Syria

Victims at holland Park

On February 17, Many Muslim and no Muslim community members participated in “Community Prayer” for the victims of Earthquake in Syria and Turkey.

Mr. Bilal Cheema organized this gathering at Holland Park, Surrey on Friday afternoon. He briefed the purpose of “Community Prayer” not only for those Victims of earthquakes but also to remember each loved one, who is not alive today.

Many speakers including Islamic Scholars, MLA, and Surrey City Councilor delivered the speech and made Duaa for those 47,000 people dead, thousands of others missing, and millions homeless. In minutes, two massive earthquakes that rocked Turkey and Syria turned entire cities into mounds of rubble. Two weeks later, the scale of the devastation is still being unearthed. The true impact will not be fully understood for decades.

A Syrian Brother, Mahmood told the storyies of Survivors still being rescued from the rubble 11 days after the Turkey earthquakes, but some in rebel-held Syria “have no hope left”, He also made Duaa. MLA Surrey-Guildford Mr. Garry Begg and the Councillor Linda Annis  City of Surrey also delivered their feelings and said these stories from the disaster should be cautionary to everyone living in an earthquake zone. Imam Sheikh Shayar Khan and Sheikh Anis Abdul Wahab were the guest speakers, they talked about the calamity around the world and said everyone should get ready to face such types of Natural disasters and request to the Community members to do the good deeds for the Day of judgment.

In the end, Sheikh Anis made the Duaa for the Victims and Survivors of earthquakes and also for entire Muslim Ummah around the world.

Icna family night about family values in Islam

On Family day in BC ICNA arrange a family get together on Monday feb 20th. At least 300 people including children participated in this wonderful event where Dr sah-

muddeen saleh harun explained about family values in Islam that how Islamic teachings educate the society that how to make family institution strong.

Reported by: ICNA, Surrey

300 -3665 Kingsway,Vancouver BC V5r 5W2 email:hr.ridgemont@gmail.com

JoB VaC anCY

ridgemont Lending Group Ltd. is looking for an Investment Manager-Financial Brokerage (one vacancy) in the Lower Mainland

Full time, 40 hours/ week to start immediately

employment conditions: Day 10:00 am to 6:30 pm

Salary: $51.50 / hour

Languages: English

education: Minimum Bachelor’s degree

experience: 2 years to less than 3 years

Work setting: Urban area

personal suitability: Accurate, Client focus, Efficient interpersonal skills, Excellent oral communication, Excellent written communication, Flexibility, Initiative, Judgement, Organized, Team player, Values and ethics area of specialization:Residential real estate, Commercial real estate, Industrial real estate, Property management services

Screening questions: Are you currently legally able to work in Canada

Duties include, not limited to:

• Plan and control budget and expenditures,

• Establish and implement policies and procedures,

• Hire, train, direct and motivate staff,

• Assign, co-ordinate and review projects and programs,

• Plan and direct market research studies,

• Oversee the preparation of reports,

• Advise senior management,

• Manage contracts,

• Oversee the collection and analysis of data and information,

• Address customers’ complaints or concerns,

• Plan and direct advertising and marketing campaigns,

• Plan, direct and monitor activities of sales department,

• Plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate daily operations

Supervision: 3-4 people

Work conditions and physical capabilities: Fast-paced environment, Work under pressure, Tight deadlines, Attention to detail, Large caseload, Large workload

Benefits: Free Parking Available

Location: 300-3665,Kingsway, Vancouver,BC,V5r 5W2 How to apply: By e-mail: hr.ridgemont @gmail.com with Cover Letter

300 -3665 Kingsway,Vancouver BC V5r 5W2 email:hr.ridgemont@gmail.com JoB

ridgemont Lending Group Ltd. is looking for a Business Development Manager-damage insurance (one vacancy) in the Lower Mainland.

Full time, 40 hours/ week to start immediately employment conditions: Day 10:00 am to 6:30 pm

Salary: $51.50 / hour

Languages: English

education: Minimum Bachelor’s degree experience: 2 years to less than 3 years

Work setting: Urban area

personal suitability: Accurate, Client focus, Efficient interpersonal skills, Excellent oral communication, Excellent written communication, Flexibility, Initiative, Judgement, Organized, Team player, Values and ethics area of specialization:Residential real estate, Commercial real estate, Industrial real estate, Property management services

Screening questions: Are you currently legally able to work in Canada

Duties include, not limited to:

• Plan and control budget and expenditures,

• Establish and implement policies and procedures,

• Hire, train, direct and motivate staff,

• Assign, co-ordinate and review projects and programs,

• Plan and direct market research studies,

• Oversee the preparation of reports,

• Advise senior management,

• Manage contracts,

• Oversee the collection and analysis of data and information,

• Address customers’ complaints or concerns,

• Plan and direct advertising and marketing campaigns,

• Plan, direct and monitor activities of sales department,

• Plan, organize, direct, control and evaluate daily operations

Supervision: 3-4 people

Work conditions and physical capabilities: Fast-paced environment, Work under pressure, Tight deadlines, Attention to detail, Large caseload, Large workload

Benefits: Free Parking Available

with Cover Letter

friends of Pakistan Canada Association Celebrates Qawwali Nigt in Surrey

Thank you to everyone who came out and supported our Qawwali event. It was a sold out event and a huge success because all of our lovely attendees. It was a pleasure seeing everyone enjoying themselves.

A special Thank you to Acting Consul General of Pakistan Mr. Ghulam Hussain, Vice council of Turkey Mr. Ibrahim Emre Okul, United States department of States Management Officer Mr. Farouk Khan, community association members, media

partners and Islamic Relief of CANADA for attending the event. It was an honour and pleasure to have you all. FOPCA would like to express our deepest gratitude to our sponsors for their steadfast support and generosity throughout the journey.

We wholeheartedly appreciate the support of our community and wish to keep putting on more programs for our community.

Report and Picstures from FOP Facebook

Pakistani Canadians gathered in holland Park Surrey, BC to support Imran Khan

On 19 Feb 2023 a large number of Pakistani Canadians gathered in Holland Park Surrey, BC to explicitly communicate their concerns about the dire situation of Law and Order and Human Right Violations in Pakistan since April 2022’ post forced regime change operation carried out with the conspiracies of external and internal non political stake holders.

These protests are being held on the call of Imran Khan and Dr. Abdullah Riar, secretary OIC (Overseas International Chapters) of PTI through out the world, where ever supporters of Pakistan and Imran Khan live. PTI songs were played to keep audience

Anti-Bullying Day (or Pink Shirt Day) is an annual event, held in Canada and other parts of the world, where people wear a pink coloured shirt to stand against bullying. The initiative was started in Canada, where it is held on the last Wednesday of February each year.In New Zealand, Anti-Bullying Day is celebrated in May.

History

The original event was organized in 2007 by twelfth-grade students David Shepherd and Travis Price of Berwick, Nova Scotia, who bought and distributed 50 pink shirts after a ninth-grade student Chuck McNeill was bullied for wearing a pink polo shirt during the first day of school at Central Kings Rural High School in Cambridge, Nova Scotia.[2]

[3] That year, Nova Scotia Premier Rodney MacDonald proclaimed the second Thursday of September (aligning with the start of each school year) as “Stand Up Against Bullying Day” in recognition of these events.

In 2008, then-Premier of British Columbia, Gordon Campbell proclaimed February 27 to be the provincial Anti-Bullying Day.[5]

warm while people were gathering in Holland Park in a rainy condition and cold weather.

At 3 pm, proceedings started and stage secretary and General Secretary of PTI- BC invited Amin Khan For Talawat Quran PAK.

After the recitation of Quran, a Dua was performed for the victims of earthquake in Turkey and Syria by Mohsin Cheema.

Saif Pannu, past president of PTI Canada and past Deputy secretary of PTI North America, welcomed the protesters and thanked them for showing up in this hard weather.

He explained the situation in Pakistan and

also communicated that even though every body know as day light, who played what role in regime change and prosecutions of innocent political workers and journalists, but we will not malign our security forces, Army or any other department as it will not do any good to already dire situation. Instead he invited SC to look in the matter and try to resolve it ASAP.

After Saif Pannu, many other community leaders and activist spoke to the protesters including Khurram Rai, Anila Shoaib, Meena Khan, Mohsin Cheema, Siddiquie, Sajjad Hameed and Dr. Babra Rana. Closing remarks were presented by Senior Vice

Anti-Bullying Day “Pink Shirt Day” feb 22

In 2009, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Canada worked on pink t-shirts that say “Bullying Stops Here.” and “Pink Shirt Day” for Anti-Bullying Day.

In May 2009, New Zealand celebrated its first Pink Shirt Day.

In 2012, the United Nations declared May 4 as U.N. Anti-Bullying Day. Similarly, UNESCO declared the first Thursday of November as the International Day against Violence and Bullying at School Including Cyberbullying.

Purpose

Anti-Bullying Day was instituted to prevent further bullying. The United States Department of Justice showed that one out of four kids will be bullied during their adolescence.

[9] Most of the time it continues after the first incident; statistics show that 71 percent of students that are bullied, continue to be bullied, making it a problem with no end. According to the Yale School of Medicine, a study in 2010 discovered a connec-

tion between being bullied and suicide. The term to describe this is “bullycide”, wherein someone who is bullied commits suicide as a result.[citation needed]

Activities

Anti-Bullying Day activities can take place at schools, workplaces, or any peer group location. They may include “abolishing bullying” rallies, information and networking booths to help the community in understanding the evils of bullying, and publicizing anti-discrimination organizations. Examples include Blue Shirt World Day of Bullying Prevention, National Bullying awareness month, and Pink Shirt Day. Other features include handouts, resources, and information promoting the message of the “National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence”. Examples of other activities include races, conferences, video-creating competitions such as the “ScreenIt!” and the “Back me up” competitions, and community events, all used to spread awareness of

President of PTI-BC Waseem Awan. If we gather all the speeches made during the protest, following points were highlighted. It was said that regime change operation against a legit government of Imran Khan and omnious operation afterwards resulted not just a crushing downfall effect on Pakistani economy’ but caused a substantial rise in poverty to already struggling lower and middle class people of Pakistan.

By: Nayyar Sohail, General Secretary PTI-BC

BC Family Day is a provincial statutory holiday. British Columbians celebrate Family Day on the third Monday of February. In 2023, Family Day falls on Monday, February 20th. To celebrate, the B.C. government provides funding for free Family Day activities. BC Family Day gives families the opportunity to spend time with their loved ones. The B.C. government is funding free virtual and in person Family Day activities throughout the province over the Family Day weekend. This makes sure celebrations are accessible for everyone. Source: /nationaltoday.com

Louis Riel Day –February 20, 2023

Louis Riel Day is a Canadian holiday observed on the third Monday of February every year and this year, it falls on Febru-

ary 20. The day is named in honor of the founder of Manitoba. It commemorates the eventful life and contributions of a Canadian politician, Louis Riel. To honor him, Canadians have named several streets, buildings, institutes, public libraries, and residences after him. Riel represented the Métis community of the Canadian Prairie Provinces and was the driving force behind the creation of Manitoba as a province of Canada. Although Louis Riel Day is celebrated with much fervor in Manitoba, it’s not a public holiday for the other provinces. As a result, federal offices remain open on this day, while local services, schools, and businesses take the day off.

HISTORY OF LOUIS RIEL DAY

The purpose of Louis Riel Day is to acknowledge the heritage of the Manitoban people.

bullying and violence, The initiative seeks to support the work of students, educators, community and business in their efforts to stop bullying, discrimination, homophobia and transphobia.[citation needed].

Source: en.wikipedia.org/

BC family Day – february 20, 2023

In many provinces, the third Monday of February is also celebrated as Family Day. Manitoba’s Legislative Assembly approved this holiday in 2007, and it was first celebrated on February 18 that year. When asked to give this new holiday a name, students from Manitoba schools came up with suggestions reflecting the province’s sports, art, culture, history, and remarkable personalities. Louis Riel Day was the winning entry.

The Métis community, in particular, pays tribute to their hero on this occasion. Riel spent his life fighting for the rights and recognition of this group of indigenous Canadian people. He led two major rebellions against white settlers and the federal government to protect the Red River area, which was home to the Métis community. In the late 1860s, he founded the Métis National Committee to safeguard the cultural, social, and political heritage of the Métis. The famous Red River Resistance was the work of this committee. When the Canadian government decided to take over the land of the Métis, Riel organized a militia. He demanded the creation of a new province on behalf of the Métis by issuing the Manitoba Act. By the end of the conflict, Riel had already earned a controversial reputation. Although he was put on a pedestal by the Métis

people, he was nothing more than a criminal in the eyes of the government.

The Manitoba Act was passed in 1870, and the new province was recognized. However, Riel was tried for committing treason against the state and expelled from Parliament. This, however, did not stop Riel from aiding another rebellion — the North-West Rebellion of 1885. This eventually resulted in his execution by the Canadian government in November 1885.

Source: /nationaltoday.com

W o MEN /yo UT h

By: Asma Shmus

The power of positive thinking is remarkable.

In fact, the idea that your mind can change your world almost seems too good to be true. I can assure you, however, that I have experienced AND witnessed the good that having a positive mindset can bring.

Both positive and negative thoughts are powerful but have opposite results. Today I want to talk to you about how both can impact you, and how the power of positive thinking can truly transform every aspect of your life.

The Benefits And Power Of Positive Thinking

Positive thinking means you look for solutions and expect to find them.

You don’t ignore problems, but instead of complaining about them or letting them overpower you, you actively look for ways to overcome them. You take responsibility for your life on a consistent basis because you understand you are in control of how your life progresses.

A positive thinker finds the benefits — or the bright side — of challenges and expects things to work out well.

We’ve all felt a rush of energy after hearing a speech on positive thinking, so let that be your sign that it works!

Having a positive attitude means you have an optimistic outlook. An optimistic attitude means you have hope. You believe things will work out well and ultimately you will have success. Having a positive outlook can give you a reduced risk of having a heart attack, getting a cold, and being depressed.

Positive thinking can lower a person’s risk of death from serious illnesses, including cancer, infections, heart disease, stroke, and lung conditions. It improves the outcomes of patients with brain tumors and traumatic brain injury and boosts your immune system.

The Power of Positive Thinking

A positive state of mind even gives you a higher pain tolerance.

When you have a positive outlook, you are better equipped to take action, cope with stress and hardships, think more creatively, and are better at problem-solving.

Thinking positively puts you in a better mood and as a result, helps you to form positive relationships with co-workers, family members, friends, and new acquaintances.

Signs Of Positive Thinking

How do you recognize a positive mindset?

People with positive attitudes tend to have a healthy lifestyle. They smile more, are more pleasant to be around, and are more calm under pressure. Someone with a more positive outlook is often willing to try new things. They have higher self-esteem, love to have a good laugh, and point out the silver lining in every gray cloud. A positive outlook is infectious, and people with a positive outlook can’t help but share it with those around them. Positive thinkers are always kind to people and don’t talk negatively about themselves or others.

People with more positive thoughts have better-coping skills and know how to manage stress better by doing things like exercising more often and having a healthier diet.

The Effects Of Negative Thoughts

The opposite of a positive outlook is a pessimistic outlook.

Negative emotions and thoughts put limitations on your brain activity and ability to make choices. When you are faced with a destructive emotion, such as fear, you can think of little else except what you are fearful of. This can be helpful when you are in a dangerous situation and you instinctively think of running away from it so you can be safe and protect your well-being. But fear is detrimental when it prevents you from trying something new that could change your life for good because you are afraid you might be laughed at, rejected, or fail. The same is true for anger, jealousy, sadness, loneliness, annoyance, guilt, frus-

tration, and other negative emotions. Negative thoughts prevent us from progressing, and having a negative outlook prevents us from being happy. It affects both your physical health and mental well-being. Pessimistic attitudes attract more negativity to you. Complaining, being cynical, not trusting, and blaming make it more likely that disappointing things will continue to come to you.

Signs Of Negative Thinking

Turn a negative thought into a positive one by recognizing the signs of a pessimistic outlook. One sign is perfectionism. When you set standards that are impossible to reach, you constantly set yourself up for failure. Another sign of a damaging attitude is anticipating that the worst will happen without any facts to back that up. You may feel like the whole world is against you and more bad things happen to you than good.

When you get to the end of your day and obsess about the negative events that happened but filter out all the many positive experiences you had, you are allowing a harmful attitude to control your outlook on life. Those that do not make a habit of thinking positively see a glass half empty instead of half full. They focus on what they do not have instead of being grateful for what they do have. The forefront of their thinking is about what is going wrong instead of what is going right.

People with negative attitudes also tend to:

Automatically blame themselves when bad things happen Blame others instead of taking responsibility for their own thoughts or feelings Magnify minor problems into much bigger negative events

Dwell on past experiences and mistakes instead of looking toward the future Focus on minor details instead of seeing the bigger picture

Have poor stress management skills and do not make their mental health a priority. Practice Positive Self-Talk Vs. Negative

Earthquakes Cause Catastrophe in Turkey and Syria

By: Khadija Nadeem, Gr 11

On February 6 th, two large earthquakes impacted the southeastern region of Turkey near the border of Northern Syria initially killing thousands and toppling buildings across regions. The first, measured 7.8 on the Richter scale, struck early in the morning, and less than 12 hours later a second, measured at 7.6, struck the same areas. Felt by millions of people across both countries and more than 100 aftershocks

following, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared a three-month state of emergency in 10 provinces across Turkey. In Syria, the areas affected are divided by government territory and opposition-held land encircled by Russian-backed forces. The scale of destruction in the towns and cities across the region is shown in the destruction of buildings both commercial and residential. At a depth of just 18km below the Earth’s surface, both earthquakes were relatively shallow meaning the proximity of seismic activity made the shaking quite severe. Although Turkey is in one of the world’s most active earthquake zones, Monday’s earthquakes exceeded the catastrophic 1999 earthquake that lasted 45 seconds and had an official death toll standing over 17, 000 within a few days. In the last 7 occurrences of significant seismic shift in Turkey, the most recent in Kahramanmaras has ranked the highest and has reached the largest death count.

For much of the past week, the frantic work

of rescuing people from the debris of Turkey and Syria’s earthquakes has been on a constant move but slowly, that routine is beginning to end. Instead of searching for survivors, debris is being moved from areas, and gone are the quiet pauses to stop and listen for signs of life. Post-earthquake responses have now entered a new phase, where finding and burying the dead has become a priority. Cemeteries are being expanded and volunteers are helping to respectfully lay the dead to rest. Under Islamic tradition, the bodies are washed and undergo the correct processes before being wrapped and buried. Now, the survivors face the long and difficult months approaching. Relief centres with tents and stalls with hot meals have been set up to help families settle for however long into the makeshift camps.

With entire support systems disintegrated, some don’t know how long they’ll be living in this state until they are able to return to some semblance of normal. In some parts of Turkey, people have lost hope that rebuilding efforts will begin any time soon if ever especially in cities near the Syrian border where it appears as if almost every building has suffered significant damage. With many 12-story buildings domino-ed into three or four meters of concrete, no one may ever know how many people were asleep inside when the earthquake hit. The shock and psychological collapse are what professionals at the scene fear the most, both people and the towns turning into ghosts. From social media influencers to the United

Nations, everyone across the planet is working to try to find the best way to help the citizens of the affected zones. Aid groups are sending food and supplies but efforts have been delayed due to cold temperatures, blocked roads, and the ongoing conflict in Syria. Additionally, Syria’s economy has already been struggling due to its political state, and refugees from there have hoped to find homes in Turkey, still trying to settle. President Erdogan has stated that 70 countries have offered help along with organizations such as the United Nations, and the World Health Organization. Canada itself has announced that $10 million dollars of immediate aid will be provided to Turkey. Ordinary citizens are also taking action to provide what help they can to citizens. Some havestarted GoFundMe campaigns while others have fundraised door-to-door.

Self-Talk

Stop negative self-talk with the positive things you say to yourself, words of encouragement, recognition of your successes, and sincere compliments that build your selfesteem.

Self-talk is the thoughts that run through your head. Sometimes we are not even aware of the stream of thoughts that are playing in our subconscious mind. But if we tap into our thought processes, we can have more control over whether we are practicing positive self-talk or the opposite. If your internal dialogue is mostly positive, you are a positive thinker. If it’s often negative, it reflects in a bad attitude and pessimistic outlook.Positive thinking creates positive emotions, positive attitudes, and positive results, whereas negative thinking will keep you stagnant.

Let me show you some ways you can replace pessimistic thoughts with positive thoughts: Instead of saying, “I don’t want to do that, I’ve never done it before,” say, “I’ll try it because I may learn something new.” Instead of thinking, “I’m never going to get better at this,” say, “I’ll try again until I figure it out.” We tend to be hard on ourselves, but we need to be our biggest cheerleaders. So when you feel you’ve made a mistake or even failed at something, think instead, “What can I learn from this so that I’ll be more successful?”

Don’t think about what if you fail, think about what if you succeed.

Email: asmashums@gmail.com

To be continued in next edition.

Popular Twitch streamers have raised nearly $1 million US so far and people around the world are continuing to donate what they can. If you choose to donate to those in need, ensure that your efforts are going to reputable charities that are able to help struggling areas. Cash and non-perishable food donations are welcome, but so are things like blankets, baby diapers, sanitary pads, and more. Most organizations will provide a list of items they are most in need of, so remember to give with an open heart.

Across

2.amount of points for a touchdown

5.the game that is played in the SuperBowl

6.the Philadelphia team playing

8. the MVP of the match

10. the area past the goal line

Down

1. the Kansas team playing

3.position that calls the play,initiates action, and handles the ball the most

4.winners of the last SuperBowl

7. this year's SuperBowl number in roman numerals

9. the halftime performer

Changes to NAB law lessened gravity of offences: CJP

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial said on Tuesday that after the recent amendments to the NAB law, there were definitive features in the law that have lessened the gravity of offences. For instance, properties acquired in the name of family members or spouses had been taken out of the ambit of the act, and that the law now required concrete evidence to include family members as accused in a corruption reference, he said. The CJP observed this while heading a three-judge bench that had taken up a challenge filed by former prime minister Imran Khan against the August 2022 amendments

to the National Accountability Ordinance (NAO). Justice Ijazul Ahsan, a bench member, said it would be very difficult to prove if the corruption reference was referred to the relevant forum after it was returned to NAB by the accountability courts. Only five politicians among 41 acquitted after amendments, SC told However, senior counsel Makhdoom Ali Khan, who represented the federal government, told the Supreme Court that the change of procedure in corruption references did not provide any right to the petitioner to substantiate the violation of the fundamental rights with that of procedure.

Khawaja Haris Ahmed, on behalf of the pe-

titioner, also pleaded before the Supreme Court that the amendments to the law did not sanction what to do next after the reference was returned by accountability courts. While citing several cases, Mr Khan argued that the petitioner for approaching the top judge directly had to cross the first threshold that the statute he had challenged was ex facie discriminatory and that his personal right had been infringed or he was representing on behalf of a certain class whose rights have been infracted and by filing the petition on their behalf such class would be benefitted and that the petitioner had acted in a bona fide manner.

The counsel said the amendments to the accountability law was not discriminatory, and the petitioner had to establish that they violated particular fundamental rights...

Source: dawn.com

Kabul willing to help address TTP sanctuaries issue

agreed to collaborate to effectively address the threat of terrorism”.

The delegation among others included ISI Chief Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum, Foreign Secretary Asad Majid, Special Envoy on Afghanistan Muhammad Sadiq and Pakistan’s chargé d’affaires in Afghanistan Obaid Nizamani, who has been here since the gun attack on him on Dec 3.

and since then 58 attacks have been claimed by the group in which 170 people died. Many of these attacks were planned and directed by the TTP leadership based in Afghanistan. A senior Pakistani official, while talking to Dawn, on the background said the delegation delivered a pointed message to the Taliban officials that Afghanistan-based TTP elements must be reined in.

further said.

The details of the cooperation against the TTP would be worked out in subsequent meetings between the two sides at the experts and technical level.

The two sides in their meetings also discussed the broader issues of counter-terrorism and border security cooperation.

ISLAMABAD: The Afghan Taliban on Wednesday promised to cooperate with the Pakistan government on its concerns about the presence of the outlawed Tehreeki-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters and sanctuaries on its soil after Islamabad delivered a stark warning on the issue.

The Foreign Office in a statement issued after a day-long trip by a delegation led by Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif to Kabul said growing TTP and IS-K threat was discussed and “the two sides

By: Shahid Iqbal

Various possibilities regarding how to bring the economy back on track are being discussed in financial, trade and industry circles, and it is becoming clearer that there may be no short-term remedy for our economic troubles. Instead, there appears to be a growing consensus that the suffering of the common people may continue for a historically much longer period even if the IMF comes to the country’s support.

Much has gone wrong over the last 10 months. Many industries have been practically forced to shut production or bring capacity below 40 per cent; prices have risen at rates never experienced in recent history; and new waves of inflation are already in the pipeline, threatening to tear to shreds what remains of the purchasing capacity of common people. There is a strong fear among some stakeholders that the economy may never come back on track, and the situation may continue worsening both on the economic and political fronts. Record inflation, which may reach 33 per cent by the end of the current fiscal; critically low levels of foreign exchange reserves, and 44pc devaluation of the rupee since April 2022 have left no space for the economy — or the government — to perform. The estimated economic growth rate for FY23 has been slashed to 1.5 from 2pc. Pakistan has also

The visit took place days after the TTP gunmen raided the police headquarters in Karachi in which four people including three security personnel lost their lives. Earlier a suicide bomb explosion in Peshawar mosque on Jan 30 claimed nearly 100 lives.

The TTP was blamed for the mosque attack as well. Pakistan has witnessed a surge in TTP violence since peace talks between the militant group and the government began to falter in the later half of last year. The TTP formally ended ceasefire on November 28

The visiting delegation had met Taliban Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Abdul Ghani Beradar Akhund, Defence Minister Mawlavi Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi.

Afghan leaders have in the past always rejected the allegations that TTP used their country’s soil for attacks in Pakistan, but the official said this time they surprisingly agreed to cooperate on the issue. “Probably they realised the gravity of the situation,” he

No Quick End To Crisis In Sight

suffered severe reputational damage due to frequent downgrading of its credit ratings. The three top rating agencies

— Fitch, Moody’s and S&P — have downgraded Pakistan seven times in the last 10 months — a situation never experienced by this country.

Yet, despite all this gloom, some are keeping their hopes alive.

“I sincerely believe Pakistan is alive, and some urgent steps can immediately change the economic situation. We need to start with drastic austerity,” said Jawed Bilwani, chairman of the Pakistan Apparel Forum and a well-known exporter and business leader.“Several dozen advisors [from the prime minister’s cabinet] should be sent home; expenses should be slashed across the board; and perks like free electricity and fuel for bureaucrats should be withdrawn.

The government needs to bring its house in order,” he said. “It is quite pathetic that 90pc of our political parties are in government, and they still cannot run this country,” he added. On long-term measures to bring the economy back on track, he said: “Every year, we produce goods worth $60 billion from the agriculture sector by using only two million hectares of land while three

million hectares remain unused. This is something we must review.”

Samiullah Tariq, head of research at the Pak-Kuwait Investment and Development Company, had a different view: “In the short term, we have to focus on increasing remittances and exports to eliminate the dollar crunch.”“For the long term, structural reforms like overhauling the power and gas sectors, addressing fiscal deficits through amendments to the National Finance Commission (NFC), broadening the tax net, industrialisation, and the development of the IT sector should be priorities,” he said. Most researchers and analysts who spoke to this correspondent regretted that every government tries to take short-term measures — mostly driven by their political goals — which have long-term disastrous repercussions for the economy. They agreed that this is a serious problem pushing the country towards sovereign default. They noted that it had given IMF greater leverage, and everyone is now willing to do whatever it takes to secure IMF help and avoid default. “The resumption of the IMF programme is a bitter pill as some immediate measures will undoubtedly worsen inflationary readings. However, this course of action needs

Afghan Taliban, meanwhile, said the two parties had discussed economic cooperation, regional connectivity, trade, and the state of bilateral relations.

Mullah Baradar urged Pakistan not to allow “political and security concerns to affect business or economic matters”.

The official, who spoke on background, said the delegation linked progress on all these ideas for enhacing bilateral cooperation to Afghan Taliban addressing the concerns about TTP presence in their country.

Source: dawn.com

to be undertaken to fix some of the structural flaws responsible for the country’s worsening economic conditions,” said Tahir Abbas, head of research at Arif Habib Ltd. “Moreover, the country is expected to remain in the IMF programme while structural issues are addressed in the energy sector; the tax net is increased; the budget deficit curbed; state-owned enterprises (SOEs) reformed; exports revitalised and current account deficit reduced,” he said.

Faisal Mamsa, chief executive of Tresmark, a terminal that tracks live prices in financial markets, echoed others in saying the economy can be brought back on track with basic measures like increasing revenues through the broadening of the tax base, decreasing state expenses, disposing of loss-making entities, and then focusing on exports and building human capital. Source: dawn.com

PSL 8: Shaheen’s Lahore restore pride in 63-run thrashing of Quetta

It was about pride for the Lahore Qalandars. For the defending champions’ persona that represents passion and expression, getting battered by Karachi Kings in a box office HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) fixture was too much to take. The Qalandars walked into the field marshalled by their captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, whose family watched on from the gallery, with the stands at

Karachi’s National Stadium sparsely filled on a breezy Tuesday evening.

The lanky left-armer would go on to terrorise the Quetta batters with his trademark first spell and take three wickets, equalled by Lahore’s fan favourite David Wiese to get their campaign back on track with a 63-run victory, but not before their batsmen’s joint effort of posting a mammoth 198-6 on the board.

Imad Waseem from Karachi Kings