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Volume 11 Issue 284 Jamadi ul Thani 17, 1432 AH / May 20, 2011 - $1
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'Dozens killed' in Syrian border town Syria's army and security forces killed at least 27 civilians in a three-day tank-backed attack on the border town of Tel Kelakh to subdue pro-democracy protesters, a rights lawyer told Al Jazeera. "There are 27 confirmed names. An unknown number of bodies were taken to the main hospital in Tel Kelakh
Surrey Civic Coalition elects partial slate of candidates at its first nominating meeting Surrey Civic Coalition elected a partial slate of candidates at its first nominating meeting on Saturday, May 7. Nominated candidates pictured left-right are Rina Gill, council; Laurence Greeff, school trustee; Stephanie Ryan, council; Councillor Bob Bose; Gary Robinson, council, Board of Education Trustee Ijaz Chatha, Charlene Dobie, school trustee; Grant Rice, council and Moh Chelali, school trustee.
Slave Lake residents face more uncertainty Alberta Premier Ed Stelmach has put a fire ban in place across his province as dry, windy conditions have whipped up more than a 100 wildfires. The move comes as thousands of residents
of Slave Lake, who were forced to flee as their town burned, were told they'd have to wait until at least the weekend before they are allowed to return and see if their homes are still standing. The RCMP indicated residents might be able to check out the damage to the town by the weekend at the earliest. Doug and Sharon Horner left within minutes of an evacuation order last Sunday. Now they wait to see if there's anything left to return to. "This is just like a dream, a movie," said Sharon Horner. "You see this stuff on TV and your heart goes out to other people going through this." The couple is now living in an RV in the parking lot of an evacuation centre. Mayor Karina Pillay-Kinnee said it may be as long as a few weeks before residents can return, but officials are trying to get word to people whose homes have been damaged or destroyed. "It is a priority. I understand the frustration of residents," Pillay-Kinnee said. Duncan MacDonnell of Alberta Sustainable Resource Development said the threat of
more destruction in Slave Lake is quite real. "The fires are still burning," he told CTV News Channel Tuesday afternoon. "We finally got a chance to get up and get a good look at the boundaries without all the heavy smoke in the way, so we have a better idea of how large they are." The RCMP say that the town is without stable power, water and other utilities. All 7,000 residents have been ordered out and are staying on evacuation centres in Alberta, as far away as Edmonton. There has been an outpouring of support from surrounding communities, with residents organizing charity drives and delivering supplies. Luc Gascon, who lives 350 kilometres away from Slave Lake in St. Paul, helped bring three trailers full of clothing and dry goods. He said it was "five guys that got together yesterday morning and decided to do something." Meanwhile, Firefighters from British Columbia and Ontario are descending on Alberta today, to join the approximately 1,000 firefighters, 100 helicopters and 20 air tankers already battling blazes across the province. The Calgary Fire Department's public information officer Brian McAsey says fire crews are doing their best to douse hidden fires and restore basic services to the town. Some electrical service has been restored, as have some communications towers, but McAsey said there's still no potable water there. Praising the patience and resilience of the town's evacuees, McAsey said, "We're going to have to ask them to still wait some more time and to put their faith in us that we're going to restore their town back to them." But the firefighting efforts are small comfort to the community's population of 7,000 -- all of whom were evacuated on short notice as the wind-whipped wildfires began consuming the town on Sunday. Federal Public Safety Minister Vic Toews said the government is ready to lend financial assistance. Source: CTV News
and not handed over to their families," Razan Zaitouna said on Wednesday. Tel Kelakh is a few kilometres from Lebanon's northern border with Syria. On Tuesday, security agents violently dispersed university students protesting against Bashar al-Assad, the president, in the country's secondlargest city Aleppo, a human rights activist said. The AP news agency quoted Mustafa Osso as saying that dozens were injured after the protesting students were attacked with batons on Tuesday. He said many of the students were chased into their dormitories and badly beaten. The university has seen several anti-regime demonstrations in the past weeks. Rights activists say a crackdown to crush a two-month wave of protests against Assad has killed at least 700 civilians. Syrian tanks also moved into a southern city on the Hauran Plain on Tuesday after encircling it for three weeks, activists said. Soldiers fired machineguns as tanks and armoured personnel carriers entered Nawa, a city of 80,000 people 60km north of the town of Deraa, according to activists from the region. "The governor (of the province) had announced that the troops have the names of 180 wanted men in Nawa, but the arrests are arbitrary," one rights campaigner said. In Deraa, tanks remained in the streets after the old quarter was shelled into submission last month and residents gave accounts of mass graves, which the authorities denied. The southern towns of Inkhil and Jassem also remained besieged, rights campaigners said, adding that mass arrests continued in the Hauran Plain and other regions of Syria. To the north, pro-democracy demonstrations erupted in the Damascus suburb of Douma, Syria's second city
Continued on pg 6 We Serve__________________
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US, Pakistan to cooperate on terror targets
Having resolved some of the puzzles lingering since Osama bin Laden was finally killed after a decade-long hunt in Abbottabad, Pakistan and the United States – the two allies in the fight against terror – on Monday agreed to work together in any future actions against high value targets in Pakistan. At a high-level meeting aimed to de-escalate the brewing mistrust, Pakistan’s civil and military leadership – President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani – and top US diplomat John Kerry had a constructive exchange of views on the situation arising from the Abbottabad operation and the death of the al Qaeda leader. The two sides agreed that all tracks of the US-Pakistan engagement needed to be
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revisited with a view to creating a clear understanding on ways and means to carry forward their cooperation in a mutually beneficial manner, said a joint statement issued by the two countries at the end of the meeting at the Presidency in Islamabad. It was agreed that both the US and Pakistan must recognize and respect each other’s national interests, particularly in countering terrorism and in working together for promoting reconciliation and peace in Afghanistan. The two sides agreed on intensifying their engagement through official channels, and observed that negative media messages were misplaced and detrimental to the core national interests of both the countries. In furtherance of its existing commitment to fight terrorism, Pakistan agreed to take several immediate steps to underscore its seriousness in renewing the full cooperative effort with the United States. Pakistani leadership emphasized that the US-Pakistan relation should go forward on the basis of mutual respect, trust and interest. It made it clear to the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman that Pakistan’s sovereignty and national interests must be respected and accommodated by America. Kerry told the troika that the secrecy surrounding the Abbottabad operation was strictly for reasons of operational security and not due to mistrust of Pakistan’s leadership. “Even in the US
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China urges US to respect Pak sovereignty China supports Pakistan’s stance and strategy to fight terror in the post-bin Laden scenario. This was intimated by Prime Minister Wen Jiabao during his talks with his Pakistani counterpart Prime Minster Yousaf Raza Gilani, who is on a fourday visit to China, which is being viewed with great anticipation in the context of the unilateral operation conducted by the US forces on Pakistan to kill Osama bin Laden, given China’s long-standing friendship with Pakistan. Importantly, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao informed Pakistan’s prime minister that during the recently held third-round of the China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Washington, China had conveyed to the US that no country has the right to violate another country’s sovereignty, thereby making clear China’s stance on the US’s violation of Pakistan’s airspace to attack Osama bin Laden. China also asked the US to recognize the sacrifices rendered by Pakistan in the war on terror, understand its problems and address its concerns. The US authorities assured the Chinese that they acknowledged Pakistan’s contribution in the war on terror and will take necessary steps to improve the situation. Both the Pakistani and Chinese leaders agreed to work together to enhance peace and security in the region. They believe that Afghanistan is a sensitive issue and there should be no external interference there. Pakistan and China have agreed to enhance defense cooperation and China will help to build Pakistan’s capacity in all
three services. Briefing the media representatives, Prime Minister Gilani said that he had assured the Chinese prime minister of Pakistan’s support of its policy of One China and its stance on Taiwan and Tibet. Pakistan’s ambassador Masood Ali Khan, who was also present on the occasion, said China’s premier had appreciated Pakistan’s decision to accept India’s invitation to watch the semi-final cricket match at Mohali, a step that will help improve relations between the two neighbors. After one-to-one talks, the Pakistani and Chinese prime ministers were joined by their respective delegations, including legislators, businessmen and government officials. After the talks, Pakistan and China signed three agreements: between the State Bank of Pakistan and China’s Banking Regulatory Authority; for the extension of lease of Saindak Gold and Copper Mining for another five years till 2017 (the previous 10-year lease is due to expire in 2012); and for economic and technical cooperation. In the context of economic cooperation, the prime minister informed the media that the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) will open two branches in Pakistan. Subsequently, Pakistan might follow it up with the National Bank of Pakistan opening its branch in China. China will also send free trade purchase commissions to Pakistan to help Pakistan
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Manitoba flood cost $200M and rising
The flooding in Manitoba, which has damaged homes and displaced hundreds, has already cost more than $200 million to fight, and that doesn't include massive post-flood damages that can only be tallied later. Emergency Measures Minister Steve Ashton said the bill for widespread property damage — once officials begin to assess it later in the summer — could rival 1997 damages. "Our early numbers indicate we could be seeing as high as $200 million in damage," said Ashton. "It's early to really start to get into specific numbers." About 3,600 people have been displaced from their homes due to flooding or the threat of flooding, and 97 homes have been damaged — mostly flooded basements. But the cost to infrastructure — hundreds of roads are closed and washed out — and to the overall provincial economy in terms of lost production, can only be calculated later. "That's a ballpark figure," Ashton said. "It really doesn't include a lot of our preparation costs, a lot of our
current flood fighting costs. And even just a preliminary analysis of what the flood recover costs will be." The cost of flood fighting and flood reparations to western Manitoba could be higher than the 1997 costs in the Red River Valley, Ashton said. "And what we're seeing here is a much greater flood historically, one in three-hundred-year flood on the Assiniboine, more controlled in some areas, but we're going to see certainly, I would say ... flood fighting, flood recovery costs probably on the range of the '97 flood right now." The 1997 Red River Valley flood cost Manitobans an estimated $500 million in damages, when including infrastucture repair, flood proofing as well as economic loss. Ashton also told reporters Tuesday that Lake Manitoba has now become the province's flood-fighting priority, with officials directing more protection infrastructure around the lake. A series of meetings are planned in communities around Lake Manitoba, which is now at its highest levels since the late
1950s. The province is working on a program to help cattle producers around the lake and a special compensation package for people evacuated south of the intentional breach on the Assiniboine River, a program that will be announced on Friday. This package will not be for other businesses — such as those in Brandon and elsewhere who've been forced to close temporarily. Ashton defended the controlled breach, saying the action has bought flood fighters time. He said the cut in the Assiniboine dike functions in a way similar to releasing a valve in a tire and that higher flows through the controlled cut may be needed in the next few weeks to lower water levels and conduct repairs to the Portage Diversion flood control structure. Source: CBC News
Israel unblocks Palestinian funds The Palestinian Authority is due to receive tax revenue funds withheld by Israel since Palestinian factions agreed a unity deal earlier this month, according to Israeli officials. Approximately $86m in tax and customs revenues from ports and border was held after Fatah and Hamas agreed the deal. Israel justified the freeze on the grounds that some of the money would go to Hamas, which it considers a terrorist organisation. The money adds up to about a third of the PA's budget, and the freeze meant Palestinian government workers had gone without salaries . Monday's announcement came after a weekend of deadly clashes on the 63rd anniversary of the founding of Israel in 1948, dubbed the 'catastrophe' or 'Nakba' by Palestinians. The freeze was originally justified by Israel's finance minister, Yuval Steinitz, who had suggested that "communal fund would finance the terrorist activities of Hamas, and we want it established that there will be two separate funds", although a separate fund was not created. On Monday, Israeli strategic affairs minister Moshe Yaalon explained: "We have unblocked the funds because we have established that the agreement between Fatah and Hamas has had no effect." But Yaalon, also a member of Israel's security cabinet, said the freeze could happen again. "We will continue to verify that the money is not going into the accounts of terrorist organisations. If we believe that is the case, we will stop the transfers again," he said. The freeze was widely criticised, drawing objections from UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon and European leaders, as well as some members of Israel's government, who called it a violation of the 1994 Paris accords, which require Palestinian tax and custom revenues to be handed over. Fatah and Hamas delegations are to meet in Cairo on Monday to discuss the formation of a new government, a senior Egyptian official said, quoted by Egypt's MENA news agency. The two factions are to "put in place a mechanism for immediate reconciliation, in particular the formation of a government of independent Palestinians," he said. "Egypt will help the two sides come to an agreement," over the choice of prime minister and the composition of the cabinet, the unnamed official said. Source: Al-Jazeera
Florida imams arrested over Taliban charges US authorities have charged six people in Pakistan and the southeastern US state of Florida with helping to finance and support the Pakistani Taliban. US nationals Hafiz Muhammed Sher Ali Khan, 76, and his 24year-old son, Izhar Khan, were arrested in South Florida on Saturday. Another son, Irfan Khan, 37, was detained in Los Angeles. The three were charged with "supporting acts of murder, kidnapping and maiming in Pakistan and elsewhere", according to an indictment announced jointly by the FBI and the US attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Wilfredo Ferrer. Hafiz Khan is an imam at the Miami Mosque, also known as the Flagler Mosque - while his son, Izhar Khan, is an imam at the Jamaat
Mississippi River continues to flood As the Mississippi River continues to rise in the US, land and homes along one of its main tributaries have been completely submerged. The water level has reached 17.28 meters in the town of Vicksburg, obliterating a record set in 1927.
Ottawa expels five Libyan diplomats The federal government is expelling five diplomats from the Libyan embassy in Ottawa in a move that illustrates growing tensions over the efforts of the world community to oust despot Moammar Gadhafi. “The activities carried out in Canada by the five Libyan diplomats are considered inappropriate and inconsistent with normal diplomatic functions,” the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. The statement said the five diplomats and their families must arrange for their immediate departure. Col. Gadhafi’s regime has been trying to stifle protests demanding his ouster since February. Rebels have taken control of most of the eastern part of the country and other scattered areas, helped by a NATO air campaign. Tuesday’s diplomatic expulsions came just days after police had to intervene in a raucous demonstration near the Libyan embassy. Pro and anti-Gadhafi demonstrators faced off against each other, shouting slogans and insults across the street. One anti-Gadhafi protester said those showing support for the Libyan strongman were all being paid to be at the demonstration, an allegation that was denied by the proregime group. Those demonstrators carried photos
Al-Mu'mineen Mosque in Margate, Florida, the indictment said. The other three charged in the suit, Hafiz Khan's daughter Amina Khan, grandson Alam Zeb and Ali Rehman, are believed to live in Pakistan and remain at large. The indictment alleges the Pakistan-born US residents raised and sent money to the Pakistani Taliban and wanted to target Pakistani government locations, including the parliament. Prosecutors said Hafiz Khan also supported the Pakistani Taliban through a madrassa, or traditional religious school, in Swat in Pakistan, that he used to provide shelter for armed fighters. He had
of people allegedly injured by NATO bombing raids. One man said he didn’t believe reports Col. Gadhafi had bombed his own citizens and added that the violence was entirely instigated by rebel forces. Michael Byers, a professor of international law at the University of British Columbia, said Ottawa must have had serious concerns to make this move. “Even in a state of armed conflict, you want to keep the lines of communication open,” Prof. Byers said. “But one can imagine hypothetical activities that the diplomats would have undertaken that would potentially put Canadians at risk.” A spokeswoman for Foreign Affairs refused to expand on Canada’s concerns with the activities of the Libyan diplomats. “As is standard practice, we do not comment on state-to-state communications. I am therefore not in a position to provide further information as to these activities,” Lisa Monette said. “Consistent with international law, a receiving state may at any time decide to declare particular members of the diplomatic staff of a foreign state persona non grata and to request their departure.” Source: Globe and Mail
"sent children from his madrassa to learn to kill Americans in Afghanistan", according to the indictment released by Ferrer's office in Miami. "Despite being an imam, or spiritual leader, Hafiz Khan was by no means a man of peace," Ferrer said in a statement. "Let me be clear that this is not an indictment against a particular community or religion. Instead, today's indictment charges six individuals for promoting terror and violence through their financial and other
support of the Pakistani Taliban," Ferrer added. If convicted, each of those charged faces up to 15 years in prison for each count of the four-count indictment. The allegations come at a particularly sensitive time in US-Pakistan relations, as Pakistani lawmakers passed a resolution calling for an end to drone air strikes and an independent investigation into the killing of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad.
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Mubarak's wife released from detention Suzanne Mubarak, the wife of Egypt's ousted president Hosni Mubarak, has been released from detention after she returned some of her assets to the state, but still faces investigation into how she amassed her wealth. Suzanne Mubarak denies charges that she abused her husband's influence for unlawful personal gain. "Suzanne Mubarak was released pending investigations after she gave up her assets of 24m Egyptian pounds ($4m) to the state," Assem el-Gohari, the head of the illicit gains authority, told state radio on Tuesday. The former president's wife was admitted to hospital on Friday after suffering symptoms of a heart attack. Former President Mubarak, 83, is also being investigated for abuse of power, embezzlement and responsibility for the deaths of protesters during the 18 days of unrest that led to his overthrow on February 11. He is still in detention. Gohari said the investigation into Suzanne Mubarak's alleged illegal acquisition of wealth was ongoing and that after relinquishing her assets, "her release is a normal legal procedure which would apply to anyone" in the same situation. He also said she had agreed to disclose the details of all her accounts, in Egypt and abroad. On Monday, the former first lady gave Gohari three powers of attorney authorising him to withdraw the cash from accounts in two banks and to sell a luxury villa she owns in Cairo. A state televi-
sion channel and a local newspaper meanwhile quoted media sources as saying Hosni Mubarak would apologise to Egyptians and would also return assets to the nation. But a military source told the Reuters news agency the report was not true. The former president is being questioned about allegations that he ordered the shooting of protesters during the uprising that toppled him in February. Mubarak has been in custody at the same Sharm el-Sheikh hospital as his wife since April 13 when he too reportedly suffered a heart attack during questioning. The military council which has been in power since Mubarak's departure has vowed to bring to justice all those accused of abuse and has launched a sweeping probe into corruption. Mubarak, his wife, and their two sons, Alaa and Gamal, and wives have been banned from travel and had their assets ordered frozen by the general prosecutor, Abdel Magid Mahmud. The two sons, along with dozens of officials and businessmen associated with the former regime, are being detained in Cairo's Tora prison which housed political dissidents during the Mubarak era. The Mubarak family wealth is reported to total billions of dollars, including a villa in Sharm el-Sheikh, estimated to be worth over $36m. Source: Al-Jazeera
Baird vaults into Foreign Affairs in new, 'stable' Harper cabinet Stephen Harper is appointing one of his most trusted lieutenants, John Baird, as his new Foreign Affairs minister when he announces his first majority government cabinet Wednesday. The Ottawa-area MP's elevation to one of cabinet's most senior posts comes at a time when Canada struggles to regain its profile on the world stage during a period of political and economic upheaval. Mr. Baird earned his reputation as a nimble and reliable operator for Mr. Harper, delivering the Prime Minister's message and marching orders wherever needed from Treasury Board to Environment to the House Leader's Office. Key ministers including Finance Minister Jim Flaherty are expected to stay in their current portfolios in keeping with the “strong, stable” government campaign pitch that Mr. Harper made on the campaign trail. The main theme, sources say, will be continuity and stability. Mr. Harper is unveiling a medium-sized shuffle Wednesday that insiders say will leave the cabinet roughly the same size it is now. His existing cabinet is 38 ministers strong. He has got to fill six cabinet vacancies created by retirements and election defeats. But sources say the task of shuffling incumbent ministers to fill these holes has created a domino effect that's led to a bigger reworking of the ministry. Mr. Baird's appointment to Foreign Affairs – a post that is also really Mr. Harper's bailiwick as Prime Minister – assures the Conservative Leader he has an international spokesman who is surefooted and able to respond
quickly to developments from the Middle East to relations with the United States. Canada is working to maintain its international clout even though it is withdrawing from a combat mission in Afghanistan and has been outranked in importance by newly industrialized countries from India to Brazil. It lost a bid for a seat on the United Nations Security Council last year. Other than Foreign Affairs, the other senior post to be staffed Wednesday is Treasury Board, the department responsible for keeping a rein on spending in Ottawa as the Conservatives work to dig the federal government out of deficit by 2014-15 as promised. Insiders caution against expecting a lot of fresh faces within cabinet, saying only a small number of newly elected MPs and reelected backbenchers will be vaulted into the ministry. Because there are relatively few opportunities for backbenchers to move into cabinet, the Tories are going to play up the importance of Parliamentary Secretary posts with a major overhaul of these appointments. Parliamentary Secretaries are MPs appointed to serve as aides to ministers. Sources say the shuffle of Parliamentary Secretary positions – to take place at a later date – will be bigger than the cabinet shuffle and will be a training ground for junior MPs to prove their mettle. It will be a pool of “ministers in waiting,” insiders say. Source: Globe and Mail
Pakistan : Continued from pg 3
mat noted that senior US officials would visit Pakistan soon to have further discussions on the way forward and to complete preparatory work for Secretary of State Clinton’s visit to Pakistan in the near future. According to the presidential spokesman, Farhatullah Babar, the meeting lasted for over two hours. Source: Daily Times
government, very few persons knew about it,” he added. The US dignitary further said that it was important to press the “reset button” in the USPakistan relations and use this opportunity to put the relations back on track and work jointly to bring about the most effective cooperation to combat terrorism, which is in both the countries’ interest. Pakistani leadership told the US senator that Pakistan was a victim of terrorism and that the whole nation was united in eliminating this curse from its soil. They informed him that the country was now being hit by a spate of terrorist attacks which were blowback from the elimination of bin Laden. The leadership also welcomed the clear affirmation by Kerry that US policy had no designs against Pakistan’s nuclear and strategic assets. Kerry, who was accompanied by US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter, stated that he was prepared to personally affirm such a guarantee. The US diplo-
Pakistan : Continued from pg 3 reduce its trade deficit. In addition to economic cooperation, China will offer scholarships to 500 Pakistani students for studies in Chinese educational institutions. Moreover, both countries will set up cultural centers in each other’s countries. China will also help treat 1,000 cataract patients from Pakistan, half of them within this year. Source: Daily Times
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Japan widens evacuations outside plant zone
Japan on Sunday started the first evacuations of homes outside a government exclusion zone after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami crippled one of the country's nuclear power plants. Some 4,000 residents of Iidate-mura village as well as 1,100 people in Kawamata-cho town, in the quake-hit northeast, began the phased relocations to public housing, hotels and other facilities in nearby cities. Their communities are outside the 20-kilometre radius from the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, officially designated as an area of forced evacuation due to health risks from the radiation seeping from the ageing and damaged plant. The government told people in communities such as Iidate-mura they had to leave, but authorities are unlikely to punish those who choose to stay. "I am sure all of you have lived in Iidate-mura all your life and never moved," mayor Norio Kanno told a group of residents preparing to leave their homes. "Considering the future of our children and young people, as well as the health of our village residents, we have no choice but to go ahead with the villagewide evacuation," he said. "I will do whatever I can so that you will be able to return home as soon as possible." The first batch of evacuees were mostly those with small children and pregnant women, who are considered more vulnerable. Although Iidatemura and Kawamata-cho are 30 kilometres (20 miles) away from the plant, they have consistently received high amounts of radioactive materials due to wind patterns. The plant, operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co (TEPCO), was heavily damaged by the record 9.0-magnitude earthquake and ensuing tsunami, which sparked the world's worst atomic crisis in 25 years. Emergency crews have also started reassessing the status of reactor one at the six-reactor power plant after discovering that the fuel inside the reactor had apparently melted down, TEPCO said. Some 3,000 tons of highly radioactive contaminated waste water has been discovered under reactor one, forcing officials to think of ways to properly pump it out and process it, it said. Rulingparty lawmaker Goshi Hosono, special aide to Prime Minister Naoto Kan, said the government still hoped to keep its pledge to achieve the cold shutdown of four damaged reactors by the end of the year. He added reactor three has not cooled down as hoped earlier, saying it was more of a worry to him than reactor one, which has been relatively stable at low temperatures. In a related development, Chubu Electric Power Co. said all reactors at its ageing Hamaoka nuclear power plant entered into a state of "cold shutdown" Sunday. Seismologists have long warned that a major earthquake is overdue in the Tokai region southwest of Tokyo where the Hamaoka plant is located. Kan said the plant should stay shut until a higher sea wall is built and other measures are taken to guard it against a major quake and tsunami.
Syria: Continued from pg 1 Aleppo, and the town of Zabadani on the foothills of the AntiLebanon mountains, Hama and the region of Deir al-Zor near the Iraqi border. Most were not large but significant given the severe security clampdown, rights campaigners said. On Tuesday, Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, warned of more pressure on Syria if the crackdown against pro-democracy protests continues. Clinton said that both the European Union and the United States - which have already slapped sanctions on a number of senior Syrian officials but not on president al-Assad - were planning more steps. "We will be taking additional steps in the days ahead," Clinton said, saying she agreed with Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief, who told reporters that the time for Syria to make changes was now. Meanwhile, Syrian activists used Facebook to call for a general strike throughout Syria on Wednesday to protest against the security crackdown. One of the protesters' main Facebook pages, The Syrian Revolution 2011, had a picture of a child saying "father, your participation in the strike is a guarantee for my future". Source: Al-Jazeera
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Issue 284 - Jamadi ul Thani 17, 1432 / May 20, 2011 THE
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QUAGMIRE OF PAKISTAN’S CREDIBILITY DEFICIT No doubt, Pakistan played its cards really well to claim a decent position whenever the US would finally leave Afghanistan accommodating Pakistan’s strategic interests. Yet, the recent US navy seal operation in Abbottabad ruined it. There is ambiguity about the duration of the operation, exact number of choppers involved and the Pakistani radar system. Some anti Pakistan internal and external elements have always been working skilfully to damage US/PAK relations. Despite a huge number of sacrifices by Pakistan, an environment of trust deficit finally took over. Resultantly, the US went ahead without informing Pakistan-a front line friend in war on terrorism. Washington claims Islamabad was not told about the operation fearing the leakage of the planned operation might jeopardize the commando strike. It claims Pakistani radars were deactivated to ensure the success of the operation, however, Islamabad claims quite the opposite as PAF clarification on the issue carries more weight and is acceptable beyond doubt. Nevertheless, the people are more concerned about the intelligence failure or lack of knowledge on the part of ISI as well as the lacking immediate response expected of the Pak security forces. It is further claimed that while doing such an operation and drone attacks, the US isn’t breaking any rules because there exists an understanding or a secret deal reached between the ex Pres Musharraf and Mr.
Bush regarding such incursions by the Americans. Whereas, the Zardari regime is simply obliged to follow the said deal. Whatever the case may be, many citizens appear more interested to have a national referendum about dealing with the scenario. PML (n) wants a probe by the sitting chief justices of all high courts headed by the CJ Pakistan. So far, there is no evidence that any active members of Pakistan’s military or intelligence establishment knew about or actively protected the al Qaeda leader. The US government knows well that Abbottabad incidence could not have happened without Pakistani cooperation, yet, the allegations by some senators or the Western media are aimed at building up pressure on Pakistan to have American friendly atmosphere in Afghanistan. India is very excited to win a position in Afghanistan for its own strategic benefits. Since, the current year is very important for Afghanistan, Pakistan will face difficult times ahead. Interestingly enough, a conservative legal watchdog group has filed a legal complaint petitioning for compliance in the federal court of Washington. It is seeking the public release of the video and photographs of the raid and its aftermath. The group is asking the Department of Defense to comply with a Freedom of Information request for the material, especially photos of bin Laden’s body. On the other hand, Pakistan National
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Open Letter to Mr. Geert Wilders By: (Imam) Syed B. Soharwardy Founder, Islamic Supreme Council of Canada
Dear Mr. Geert Wilders, Unfortunately I know very little about you and whatever I know about you is through the media. The knowledge I have about you is very negative. You have been portrayed as a hatemonger, Islamophobe and racist person. Since the source of my information about you is mostly “revenue and profit driven” media outlets or rumors, I doubt its authenticity and truthfulness. Similarly, your information about Qur’an and Islam seems to be based upon “propaganda and rumors”. A person like you should not rely on personal judgments or rumors when commenting on a religion which is followed by more than 1.5 billion people. Therefore, on behalf of Islamic Supreme Council of Canada, Muslims Against Terrorism and Multi-Faith Walk Against Violence, I would like to invite you to visit our Al Madinah Calgary Islamic Centre, 5700 Falsbridge Dr., NE Calgary at your earliest convenience. We will be happy to pay all your travel and lodging expenses for Calgary visit. We believe if you visit our centre and have
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a dialogue with me on all the issues / concerns that you have regarding Qur’an and Islam, you will be able to find the truth about Qur’an and Islam. Neither Qur’an nor Islam teaches what you understood about Qur’an and Islam. We, Muslims are normal people and can not follow any thing that seems to be abnormal. We want to know you better. You should also try to know our religion better. You should not be relying on your own personal interpretation of Qur’an and Islam OR the interpretation of fanatics and extremists. I assure you Mr. Wilders if you meet with me and discuss your concerns about Qur’an and Islam; I will be able to answer your questions to your satisfaction. I am looking forward to your positive response.
OSAMA BIN LADEN By: Aftab Alam , Vancouver Osama Bin Laden has become an enigma. Everybody is talking about him, writing about him and is subject of discussion on many radio and television stations. Who is Osama Bin Laden after all? If you remember he was a hero for Americans as well as for Pakistan in the eighties. For Osama it was not for Pakistan or America. He was fighting an infidel country Russia who had occupied Founder : Nusrat Hussain
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Assembly reaffirmed the resolve of the people and the Government of Pakistan to uphold Pakistan's sovereignty and national security, which is a sacred duty, at all costs. It also affirms the resolve of the people and state institutions of Pakistan to safeguard Pakistan's national interests and strategic assets and, in this context, underscores that any action to the contrary will warrant a strong national response. National parliament expressed its deep distress on the campaign to disturb Pakistan, launched by certain quarters in other countries without appreciating Pakistan's sacrifices in combating terror and the fact that more than 30,000 Pakistani innocent men, women and children and more than 5,000 soldiers had lost their lives in the fight against terror. Cooperation for eliminating international terrorism can only be carried forward on the basis of a true partnership approach, based on equality, mutual respect and mutual trust. Though extremely painful, yet it seems as if lack of security and protection to the general public is none of the government’s business any longer. Faking national pride is nothing but an attempt of misleading the innocent public. A false sense of political and economic security is very dangerous for any country, where strong opposition in the parliament is almost nonexistent. Damage Control: The armed forces of Pakistan are for safeguarding Pakistan's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity and deserve to be supported by
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a Muslim country, Afghanistan. They had no business to do it and in his view must be thrown out. I agree with him Then the circumstances changed and this time America decided to occupy Afghanistan .There have been many audio tapes from Osama Bin Laden and their authenticity has been confirmed by speech analysts of relevant agencies of American government. In none of those tapes has he said that his followers should go to America and kill Americans. Then how can we blame Osama for what happened on 9/11. Osama Bin Laden true to his principles, once again, decided to throw the intruder out of Afghanistan. He went down fighting the fight. He was killed by America on May 2 2011. May Allah s.a.t. give him place in Jannat. On May 9 2011 President Obama announced that he will not be visiting Pakistan this year. On May 10, 2011 Hillary Clinton cancelled her scheduled visit to Pakistan. It is understandable. American administration must have decided that such actions were in their country’s interest. What should Pakistan do when faced with a Super Power which does whatever it wants and whenever it wants. Pakistan is facing real dilemma. It cannot fight the super Power on one hand and does not afford the killing of its citizens by drones and CIA operatives. There have been suicide bombings in Pakistan. More then 80 people have died and
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Waan laysa lil insani illa ma’ sa’aa That man can have nothing but what he strives for.
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the people and the government in overcoming any challenge to security. As the situation is still within control, the civil population, the government, the opposition leaders, and military have to be on the same page to successfully rescue the sinking ship out of the troubled waters, safeguarding Pakistan’s national interests and strategic assets indeed. Bottom line: Emotionality isn’t going to solve any problem. It is much better to identify the ongoing ground realities and the reasons behind. Based on the findings, a line of action is the best answer to proceed for becoming a proud nation. Foreign financial dependence is one of the most dangerous dominant factors keeping Pakistan voiceless. Unless you have a voice, nobody would ever bother to listen. Pakistan should be more focused on improving its economic environment to stand among the rich nations on equality basis. In other words, talking about sovereignty is useless unless Pakistan’s entire leadership brings all looted money back to the nation’s exchequer and makes the country a donor state to earn respect around the globe.
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another forty are in very serious condition. I hope they all survive but who knows. I feel sorry for those who died and pray for the ones who are fighting for their lives and are in the hospitals. Ameen.
Defence for Pakistan By: Muhammad Younas Vancouver The bottom line is that in spite of spending about 80% of the budget on defence ...there is no defence for Pakistan...no matter how loud Pak play the trumpet that they can protect their installations and their territories from being ambushed....the Americans proved it to be otherwise...by flying low and fast... All this because Pak was keeping snakes as pets and their Leaders and Generals were fast asleep..since decades and that leads the others to follow suite... Positive impact on the economy
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Cotents Editorial & Letters Int. News Local Articles Interview Faith Politics Lifestyle Sports Classified /Cont. Urdu
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Issue 284 - Jamadi ul Thani 17, 1432 / May 20, 2011 THE
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The Delight of Prayer By: Abul A`la Mawdudi The frequency and timings of the Prayers never let the object and mission of life be lost sight of in the maze of worldly activities. Ibadah (act of worship) is an Arabic word derived from `abd (a slave) and it means submission. It portrays that Allah is your master and you are His slave and whatever a slave does in obedience to and for the pleasure of his master is worship. The Islamic concept of worship is very wide. If you free your speech from filth, falsehood, malice, and abuse and speak the truth and talk goodly things and do all these only because Allah has so ordained to do, they constitute `ibadah, however secular they may look in semblance. If you obey the law of Allah in letter and spirit in your commercial and economic affairs and abide by it in your dealings with your parents, relatives, friends, and all those who come in contact with you, then all these activities of yours are worship. If you
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help the poor and the destitute, give food to the hungry, and serve the ailing and the afflicted persons, and do all this not for any personal gain of yours but only to seek the pleasure of Allah, they are nothing short of worship. Even your economic activities, the activities you undertake to earn your living and to feed your dependants, are worship if you remain honest and truthful in them and observe the law of Allah . In short, all your activities and your entire life are worship if they are in accordance with the law of Allah, and your heart is filled with His fear, and your ultimate objective in undertaking all these activities is to seek the pleasure of Allah. Thus, whenever you do good or avoid evil for fear of Allah, in whatever sphere of life and field of activity, you are discharging your Islamic obligations. This is the true significance of worship, namely total submission to the pleasure of Allah; the molding into the patterns of Islam your entire
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By:Junaid Iqbal, Surrey Conservatives won their majority government on May 2. If you listen to the pundits, this win will benefit the financial community, which will have a positive impact on the economy, investors and consumers. The financial community is abuzz now with the news and the implications of having the first majority government in ten years. Douglas Porter, deputy chief economist at BMO Capital Markets said in an interview that all financial markets are likely to benefit.
guards. He should embark in recruiting young blood with Canadian ideology which has been destroyed and is nonexistent. Layton's sincere support for people brought him to where he is. He has been consistent in his approach to the problem faced by nation. Conservative's win of majority was expected. I congratulate Harper and his team on this win. How ever this win has been perceived scary in some corners of the nation looking at the past performance. It will now depend on the conservative if it wants to sale the nation smoothly with fair play for all, accepting the right steps suggested by any. Long live Canada.
Demise of Liberal Party
To Mr. Jack Layton
By: Dr.Naiyer Habib, Abbotsford Demise of Liberal Party was not a surprise. I anticipated it when Jean Chretien's exit was coined and accelerated by Martin Group. Chrétien is an icon representing the Trudeau era. It was an era when I chose Canada to be the home for our family. Paul Martin in Chrétien’s government built historic economy for Canada. There was no reason for Martin group to create conflict with Chretian. He was the deserving candidate to follow Chrétien. He would have been a dignified leader maintaining ideology of Canada. We all watched with dismay and despair. Martin met his demise. S. Dion, an honest man and lacking political charisma and statesmanship was made to exit under humiliating circumstances. Then there was rivalry between Rae and Ignatieff publicly rather than close door to have reconciliation. Ignatieff ignored forming coalition government thinking he would win the election. He initiated call but decried by the nation. He gained negative score. His policy was wavering. His statement on Israel- Hamas war and his support of Quebec to ban veil were worth noting by sizable liberal supporter. His campaign with red shoes was undignified and funny. The nation watched. It gave liberal what Martin and Ignatieff brought on it. Now what for Liberal? It is so injured that it cannot raise its head for long time to come. Justin Trudeau should keep his hand clean for now. He should build his own legacy. He ought to show his moral and character as individual before considering leadership, may be one or preferably two terms. He ought to distance himself from the old
By: M. Hajee
life, leaving out not even the most insignificant part thereof. To help achieve this aim, a set of formal `ibadat (acts of worship) has been constituted, which serves as a course of training. These acts are thus the pillars on which the edifice of Islam rests. Prayer (salah) is the most primary and the most important of these obligations. And what is salah? It is the prescribed daily Prayers which consist in repeating and refreshing five times a day the belief in which you repose your faith. You get up early in the morning, cleanse yourself and present yourself before your Lord for Prayer. The various poses that you assume during your Prayers are the very embodiment of the spirit of submission; the various recitals remind you of your commitments to your Allah. You seek His guidance and ask Him again and again to enable you to avoid His wrath and follow His chosen path. You read out from the Book of the Lord and express witness to the truth of the Prophet Muhammad and also refresh your belief in the Day of Judgment and enliven in your memory the fact that you have to appear before your Lord and give an account of your entire life. This is how your day starts. In the Prayers you recite many things quietly and if you do not recite them or make any deviation from them, there is no one to check you. Then, after a few hours you hear the call for Prayer, and you again submit to your Allah and renew your covenant with Him. You dissociate yourself from your worldly engagements for a few moments and seek audience with Allah . This once again brings to the fore of your mind your real role in life. After this rededication you revert to your occupations and again present yourself to the Lord after a few hours. This again acts as a reminder to you, and you once more refocus your attention on the stipulations of your faith. When the sun sets and the darkness of the night begins to shroud you, you again submit yourself to Allah in Prayer so that you may not forget your duties and obligations in the midst of the approaching shadows of the night. And then after a few hours you again appear before your Lord, and this is your last Prayer of the day. Thus before going to bed you once again renew your faith and prostrate before your Allah.
Volume 1, Book 2, Number 8: Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, "Faith (Belief) consists of more than sixty branches (i.e. parts). And Haya (This term "Haya" covers a large number of concepts which are to be taken together; amongst them are self respect, modesty, bashfulness, and scruple, etc.) is a part of faith."
And this is how you complete your day. The frequency and timings of the Prayers never let the object and mission of life be lost sight of in the maze of worldly activities. It is but easy to understand how the daily Prayers strengthen the foundations of your faith, prepare you for the observance of a life of virtue and obedience to Allah, and refresh that belief from which spring courage, sincerity, purposefulness, purity of heart, advancement of the soul, and enrichment of morals. Now see how this is achieved: You perform ablution in the way prescribed by the Prophet (peace be upon him). You also say your Prayers according to the instructions of the Prophet. Why do you do so? Simply because you believe in the prophet-hood of Muhammad (peace be upon him) and deem it your bounden duty to follow him ungrudgingly. Why do you not intentionally mis-recite the Quran? Isn't it so because you regard the Book as the word of Allah and deem it a sin to deviate from its letter? In the Prayers you recite many things quietly and if you do not recite them or make any deviation from them, there is no one to check you. But you never do so intentionally. Why? Because you believe that Allah is ever watchful and that He listens to all that you recite and is aware of things open and hidden. Prayers are also a symbol of equality, for the poor and the rich, the low and the high, the rulers and the ruled... What makes you say your Prayers at places where there is no one to ask you to offer them or even to see you offering them? Isn't it so because of your belief that Allah is ever looking at you? What makes you leave your important business and other occupations
Dear Mr. Layton: I understand that soon various oil company executives will be called to Ottawa to defend their position on oil pricing. I also understand from various sources that currently, the gasoline price at the pump in Saudi Arabia is 25 cents per GALLON, which translates to around 7 cents per liter. At this price, the gas companies there are making a profit. By the time the same gasoline arrives in Canada, even if the cost to process the oil into gasoline is tripled, Continued on pg 27 the price per litre should not exceed 21 cents per litre. Add all the taxes we have to pay in BC (about 40 cents per litre) the maximum price per litre at the pump should NOT exceed 70 cents. This means we are From May 20-June 3, 2011 (Jamadi ul Thanni 17-Rajab 1 being gouged at the pump. Asr Maghrib May I suggest introduction J.ul Thani Fajar Sunrise Zawa1 Dhuhr Day May8 Isha of Excess Profits Tax. Allow 6:32 17 5:21 01:09 01:16 20 Fri 3:13 9:01 10:55 the oil companies to make a 18 5:19 01:09 01:16 6:33 3:13 21 Sat 9:02 10:57 reasonable profit in Canada. 6:34 19 5:18 01:09 01:16 Sun 3:11 22 9:03 10:59 Over that amount, tax the 6:34 20 5:17 23 Mon 3:10 01:09 9:05 01:16 11:00 excess at say 80%. If each oil company can make $1 BIL21 5:16 01:09 01:16 6:35 3:08 Tue 24 9:06 11:02 LION net profit in Canada, 6:36 22 5:15 01:09 01:16 25 Wed 3:06 9:07 11:04 per year, that should keep 6:36 23 5:14 3:04 26 Thu 01:09 9:08 01:16 11:06 many oil executives happy. 6:37 24 5:13 01:09 01:16 Fri 3:03 27 9:09 11:07 Right now, just one company 6:38 25 5:12 3:01 28 Sat 01:10 9:11 01:17 11:09 (ESSO) made over $2 Billion net profit in Canada alone. 26 5:12 01:10 01:17 6:38 Sun 3:00 29 9:12 11:11 If the companies don't want 6:39 27 5:11 01:10 01:17 30 Mon 2:58 9:13 11:12 to pay the excess profit tax, 6:40 28 5:10 Tue 2:57 31 01:10 9:14 01:17 11:14 the obvious solution is to 6:41 29 June 1 5:09 01:10 01:17 Wed 2:55 9:15 11:15 lower the price at the pump. 30 If the price was more reason5:09 01:10 01:17 6:41 2 Thu 2:54 9:16 11:17 able, say 85 cents, they would Rajab1 5:08 01:11 01:18 6:42 Fri 2:53 3 9:17 11:18 still make their $1 Billion net Source: Masjid Al Noor profit. It's the only way out.
,1432H)
AQEEM USS SALAAT(Establish Prayer)
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Issue 284 - Jamadi ul Thani 17, 1432 / May 20, 2011 THE
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After the Great Success of First ever Pakistani Musical Contest of its Kind in BC
THE MIRACLE MEDIA GROUP
Proudly Presents
A Memorable Evening in Tribute to late Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Let's Prove once again that Our Talent is no less than Others! Singers of all ages will be competing for: Best Singer Awards ~ Special Popularity Award (From Public) Musicians Award ~ Plus Prize Draw for Ticket Holders!
Contestants can choose their items from both Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Albums or any Pakistani Song Entry By Ticket only Venue : Pakistan House 12059-88th Ave-Surrey Date: Saturday, June 18, 2011 at 8:00pm
Note: Last date of Registration for Contest May 31, 2011 Audition for Contest will be in First Week of June Call Now For Sponsorship,Tickets and Registration!
Mr. Naseer Pirzada 604-690-0400 Email: info@miraclenews.com or visit www.miraclenews.com
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Issue 284 - Jamadi ul Thani 17, 1432 / May 20, 2011 THE
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Appreciation Day Open House BBQ in Masjid Al-Salaam On May 8, Masjid As-Salaam Burnaby organizing committee arranged appreciation and open house BBQ at Masjid Al-Salaam. A good number of dignitaries included Mayor of Burnaby, MP Peter Julian and many others government officials with guests were present and enjoyed the BBQ. Other Food and refreshments were also served to all the attendees including Stakes and Kababs. The women chapter also participated in the preparation of delicious food. The BBQ committee voluntarily put their efforts to perform the good job.
Girls Qirat Competition held 7 tips for improving your in Fleetwood Islamic Centre relationship with the Quran Are you one of those people who rarely touches the Quran? Or do you read daily, but don't find it is having the impact on you that it should? Whatever the case may be, these are some simple tips that can help you connect with the Quran. 1. Before you touch it, check your heart The key to really benefiting from the Quran is to check your heart first, before you even touch Allah's book. Ask yourself, honestly, why you are reading it. Is it to just get some information and to let it drift away from you later? Remember that the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) was described by his wife as a "walking Quran": in other words, he didn't just read and recite the Quran, he lived it. 2. Do your Wudu (ablution) Doing your Wudu is good physical and mental preparation to remind you you're not reading just another book. You are about to interact with God, so being clean should be a priority when communicating with Him. 3. Read only 5 minutes everyday Too often, we think we should read Quran for at least one whole hour. If you aren't in the habit of reading regularly, this is too much. Start off with just five minutes daily. If you took care of step one, Insha Allah (God willing), you will notice that those five minutes will become ten, then half an hour, then an hour, and maybe even more!
4. Make sure you understand what you've read Five minutes of reading the Quran in Arabic is good, but you need to understand what you're reading. Make sure you have a good translation of the Quran in the language you understand best. Always try to read the translation of what you've read that day . 5. Remember, the Quran is more interactive than a CD In an age of "interactive" CD-Roms and computer programs, a number of people think books are passive and boring. But the Quran is not like that. Remember that when you read Quran, you are interacting with Allah. He is talking to you, so pay attention. 6. Don't just read, listen too There are now many audio cassettes and CDs of the Quran, a number of them with translations as well. This is great to put on your walkman or your car's CD or stereo as you drive to and from work. Use this in addition to your daily Quran reading, not as a replacement for it. 7. Make Dua (supplication) Ask Allah to guide you when you read the Quran. Your aim is to sincerely, for the love of Allah, interact with Him by reading, understanding and applying His blessed words. Making Dua to Allah for help and guidance will be your best tool for doing this.
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Issue 284 - Jamadi ul Thani 17, 1432 / May 20, 2011 THE
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Pakistani Canadian Women’s Society and Canadians for Global Care host fundraiser for Kashmir Hospital By: Shahnaz Rahman & Dr. Babra Rana Pakistani Canadian Women’s Society
In collaboration with the Canadians for Global Care, Pakistani Women’s Society coordinated and hosted a successful fund raising dinner to support the development of an earthquake proof hospital in Kashmir. The 2005 earthquake in the region of Kashmir caused catastrophic havoc. Immediately following this disaster, a team of doctors from England flew into the region. Tents were set up and they tried to provide the best care under the circumstances. With all the rubble around them, they had a vision of building an earthquake proof hospital in the devastated region. Dr. Yasmeen Majeed the founder and the President of the Canadians for Global Care joined in this vision and has worked tirelessly to support this zero administration charity. The fundraising dinner was held on Sunday May 8th at the Executive Inn in Richmond. Approximately one hundred and seventy five attended the fundraising dinner to honor the mothers of Kashmir. The MC’s for the event were the energetic Saima Naz and Hasan Alam. The highlights of the events included an
informative keynote speech by our Consulate General Shuja Alam who reflected on the current realities of Pakistan with an informative historical context. This was followed by a powerful presentation given by Dr. Iftikhar, which touched the hearts of all. The event ended with a beautifully orchestrated colorful fashion show which was coordinated by the talented Farah Hasan and Meesha Toor. The stunning outfits were provided by the Crossover Bollywood Se. Many thanks to Rani Khera for her support to this project. We would also like to thank Nishant and his team for his complimentary dances for the event. Pakistani Canadian Women’s Society would like to thank all the wonderful models, volunteers, supporters, donors and the people who attended and participated at this event particularly those who travelled far distances to support this cause. Through this event, we were able to raise over $8000 with pledges still flowing in. It is still not late to make a donation for this cause, please visit the website www.canadiansforglobalcare for more information. May God Bless everyone who participated and contributed for this cause for their efforts! Ameen.
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Terrorism and Trash By Rafia Zakaria A RECENT cover of Time magazine predictably bore a picture of Osama bin Laden with a red cross painted across his face, one of many such offerings available at American news-stands. This is hardly surprising. The surreptitious and hard-won victory scored by the United States in Abbottabad was a coup by any account, the cornering of an enemy whose elusiveness had sunk American egos for nearly a decade. Preceded in kind by victorious conquerors of centuries past, America’s effusive backslapping, ever expected and predictably overblown, is part of what the world expects from the land of cowboys. What constitutes cause for concern are the myriad details that pad the narrative presented in Time’s story and that have been regurgitated by numerous other American television and print outlets. Among these is the issue of trash, specifically burning trash, normally an ignored and unconsidered factor in the solemn soliloquies dissecting the motives of this or that terrorist. The Time story says: “A pit in the yard was used for burning household trash, leaving nothing for snooping garbage collectors”: an innocuous statement slyly insinuating, as FOX, CNN and others have been doing, that an overwhelming catalogue of suspicious activity — such as the burning of trash — should have alerted either the military academy next door, or the neighbours who should have been nosier. At the very least, it ought to have alerted the imagined garbage collectors whose careers were presumably going up in smoke inside the compound. Having digested simply too many of these trash-based speculations that seem to have taken even the Time correspondent hostage,
I must offer here the embarrassing truth, one attested by the mountains of refuse that burn in nearly every Pakistani neighbourhood. Pakistan has few trash collectors; we burn our trash all the time, contributing simultaneously to climate change and now perhaps to global terrorism. In the pre-Bin Laden death era, they signified helplessness before one’s own filth and a sorry, troubling deficiency of civic sense; now, apparently, they signify so much more. The tragedies of terror do not of course end with trash alone. The euphoria-induced misunderstandings in the US continue to give rise to the insistence that in inadequately choreographing his end, Bin Laden gave away previous victories of propaganda. This was hinted at in the first post-Bin Laden afterglow when various members of the Obama administration referred to Bin Laden’s abode as a “million-dollar mansion”, a departure from the cave where he had been thought to be living. This existing refrain of Bin Laden’s spiffy new digs is also addressed in the Time story, which celebrates it by asserting that the leader of Al Qaeda, so attentive in presenting himself as a fighting man’s hero, camouflage and all, would undoubtedly have balked at having been discovered in a fortified compound with a “king-size bed and much younger wife”. The image has been ruined is the glib pronouncement, Bin Laden’s ascetic sham exposed before watching Pakistanis. Such optimism can only belong to the newly victorious or those who have never waited hours in the sweltering heat for the passage of a VIP convoy on the streets of Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad or, really, anywhere in Pakistan. It is the giddy cheerfulness of those whose
Issue 284 - Jamadi ul Thani 17, 1432 / May 20, 2011 THE government can issue $500 stimulus cheques, whose politicians must reveal their tax returns and where the president earns less money than some physicians. Amid the smoke of burning trash, Pakistan’s leaders — civilian or military — are icons of splendour and live in homes whose resplendence could well leave the White House looking shabby. Against this lavish milieu, the shabby details of the Bin Laden family enable the same seduction orchestrated by his extreme warrior poses. The squalid compound, the kerosene stove in a corner, the plastic bucket, are now quite entrenched in the mental firmament of Pakistanis, used to weeping helplessly before the excess of their elites. Where Americans — whose enjoyment of physical security almost never necessitates the construction of walls around their homes — see a million-dollar mansion, Pakistanis whose perceptions are more crucial to the fight against terror see a contrast in the existing culture of wealth and leadership that surrounds them. They see a man who had a $50m bounty on his head but was protected by no army of lethal guards, enjoyed no silk sheets and brocade curtains, not even perhaps the one comfort that separates Pakistan’s haves from its have-nots: air-conditioning. This collection of misunderstandings, new additions to an already macabre collage, tell the story of two countries culturally and strategically at odds but forced to coexist in an unhappy, loveless marriage. The US wants very much to believe that the death of Osama is a victory — not simply a symbolic one but a deeply meaningful rout whose consequences will forever debilitate terrorism and its cheerleaders. Invested in this project that sees defeating terror as a
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mathematical calculation where goals are concrete and coordinates certain, the elimination of a figure as central as Bin Laden is graphed as the path whose dividends can be predicted and hence celebrated. In the land of burning trash, very little is certain. Truth is varied and terror is seen to reside as much in imperialism as in the blown-up bodies of suicide bombers. It is not easy to see the world through Pakistan’s eyes; it is a gray landscape where good and evil evade clarity and where old wounds resurrect themselves in new, debilitating ailments. What must be done to make the government accountable, how to create transparent institutions, what to do about a culture of corruption, how to defeat utopian visions imposing a literal, power-hungry, Islam … these questions languish in the minds of this population aching for answers and haunted by the taunt of repeated failures. Most Americans have never visited Pakistan, so their ignorance regarding its garbage-disposal practices are perhaps excusable; what is not is the wilful inability to imagine a world where terror’s tentacles are varied and visceral and where the heady giddiness of victory is a luxury few can afford. The writer is a US-based attorney teaching constitutional law and political philosophy.
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MP Sims holds appreciation party for volunteers
By: Intikhab Ahmed On May 14, winning celebration and appreciation party for volunteers in Bombay banquet hall held in Surrey. Jinny Sims as newly elected NDP for Surrey Newton-Delta North ridding was the stars of the event. Jinny’s involvement with the union movement began with the National Union of Teachers in Britain, and
continued after she immigrated to Canada in 1975.Before being elected as MP she was Involved with BC teachers federation as president BCTF. When B.C. teachers began the drive to unionize, Jinny was involved in the first round of local bargaining. She has traveled the world to help promote Education and served on committees including the Status of Women and the Program against Racism, as well as the executive of her local. She was elected president of the Nanaimo District Teachers’ Association in 1992, holding that position until 1995. Since 1998, Jinny has served on the provincial Executive Committee as a member-at-large, second vice-president, and first vice-
president. Born in India, Jinny was nine when her family immigrated to England. A native Punjabi speaker, she had to struggle with English. "There was no ESL instruction in those days. It was total immersion!" She holds Bed a degree in education. Lately she was elected as president of BCTF in 2005.Jinny and Stephen Sims has two children: Keeran, 27, and Michael, 22. As well, they are proud grandparents of Emily, eight, and Jacob and Jessica, five-year-old twins. Jinny Sims party was a great success, she stressed in her speech, actual work has started now she requested the residents of Surry Newton- Delta North to help her to fulfill her duties as MP. After her speech food and other refreshments were served. Along with Sikh Community and Pakistani community members, BC NDP
Leader Adrian Dix and local MLA's, councilors, School trustees, made the event a great success.
Mayor Watts Encourages Residents to Participate in 2011 Census
Ijaz Chatha, has been acclaimed as SCC Candidate for the upcoming Municipal Election Just as the Federal Election wraps up; the Provincial election seems to be peaking just around the corner, as it may or may not take place; however the preparations for the municipal election is already underway as it is scheduled to be on November the 19th. The Surrey Civic Coalition (SCC) has taken its first step by electing and presenting a partial slate of candidates at its nomination convention, which took place on Saturday May 7th. A number of candidates were elected to represent SCC for Surrey City Council as well as for the School Board. The newlynominated candiates will join SCC incumbents Bob Bose, city council, and Ijaz
Chatha, school trustee, who were acclaimed as SCC candidates. Mr. Chatha said, “I have taken on my responsibilities with complete honest and passion knowing that the position of a school trustee is very important as any decision taken is bound to effect the life of an individual or of an entire family, community, city, province or country. It gives me great pride by saying that I have preserved the trust of the residents of Surrey, in which I was given a mandate to serve them as a trustee on the Surrey Board of Education.” Once again we, the SCC, will be seeking your support, as we need to elect the candidates on the council and school board, those who can be a strong voice in lobbying the provincial government for adequate funding for our public schools. “And yes, you will find me a trustworthy, loyal and committed to the issues. Thank you all for your support in the past, and for the coming election.” Chatha said.
The City of Surrey is encouraging residents to fill out the Census form and participate in the national survey. "The amount of funding we receive from other levels of government is determined by the information collected through the Census, so it’s very important for our community that every household fills out the short questionnaire,” says Mayor Dianne Watts. “Surrey has continually been underfunded because the Census produced inaccurate population numbers. A low population count is particularly damaging for Surrey because our city is growing so rapidly and the data is only collected once every five years.” The Census questions cover basic demographic characteristics such as age, sex, marital and common-law status, household relationships and mother tongue. The information is used to plan for schools,
daycare, public transportation, police services and fire protection. Information previously collected by the mandatory long-form census questionnaire will be collected as part of the new voluntary National Household Survey, which will provide data to support government programs directed at target populations. The Census aims to count every person living in Canada, including: · Canadian citizens · Landed immigrants · Refugees and people claiming refugee status · People with work permits, study permits or other temporary residence permits You can participate in the 2011 Census by filling out the yellow Census package mailed to households, or by going online at http://census2011.gc.ca/.
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Parents and Religious Groups Protest School Board in Burnaby By Imaad Ali About 75 protesters took to a quiet residential street in Burnaby on Tuesday May 10th. The group, representing faith communities and parents demonstrated outside a school board meeting where a policy proposal on “Homophobia/Heterosexism” was discussed. They gathered in the parking lot of a church across from the school board office and held signs, while protest leaders spoke in English and Chinese through a megaphone. They included representatives from local Christian and Muslim communities, as well as an organization called “Parent’s Voice.” A group of High School students, along with some parents, teachers and other adults led a counter protest. Meanwhile, as the protests raged on out-
side, the 60 people who were allowed inside the meeting gave their perspective on the issue. Daud Ismail, Past President of the BC Muslim Association and a Burnaby resident talked about the lack of public transparency or consultation with parents. The school board will now take the public input and will make a decision on June 2nd. According to school board officials, The draft Homophobia/Heterosexism Policy includes provisions for schools to “Raise awareness and improve understanding of the lives of LGBTQ+ people and their positive contributions to society” and for teachers to “embed and integrate LGBTQ issues into existing curriculum in age-appropriate ways...” The full draft of the proposal can be found on the School District’s website. At one point Tuesday evening, the atmos-
How Complex Is The Issue of Bullying In Public Places? Rob Frenette & Katie Neu Bullying Canada Executive Directors One would say that they endured the issue of bullying, as a child at the hands of a school yard bully, or possibly even a teacher
or administrator, but what does one who when they are in a public place such as a coffee shop, or in the mall and they face bullying, over and over? What protection is in place to deal with cases like this? Who is supposed to handle these complaints? Bullying Canada is a national anti-bullying organization, formed on December 17th, 2006 in order to help provide education, support and resources to youth, parents, and educators from across Canada on the complex issue of bullying. Recently Bullying Canada was contacted by a woman in Victoria, BC who felt she was being harassed and bullied at a local coffee shop. We’ll refer to this lady as Susan, to protect her identity. Susan is a senior citizen at the age of 62, who says she suffers from migraines. “Two men came in and sat in chairs (3-4 feet) behind me. (I was at the counter). One commenced to tap his cup against the wooden arm of the chair. I thought it was perhaps a child. When I turned around to see, the tapping would stop. This happened five or six times. I suffer from migraines and the sharp retort was beginning to take its toll.” explained Susan “To the store manager, the "tapper" admitted he was tapping his cup and that he wasn't going to stop doing so; his friend made loud, hurtful remarks to the Store Manager about my facial appearance. The two men increased the level of their alleged harassment. One told me that I had a "nasty" face...the "scariest looking face I've ever seen". They told me I could "move to the other side of the room." (This was not possible, the cafe was full). The tapper's friend said that "you need to control yourself. If you can't control yourself, you shouldn't be out in public." (In context, this
was a direct reference to my inherited tremor which increases with adrenalin. I was feeling very insecure under their aggressive verbal tirade so the tremor had got worse than normal. The tremor is a disability. The tapping increased even though they knew it was causing me physical distress. They were literally laughing at the distress they were causing me.” “Notwithstanding these admissions, the Store Manager told me he would do nothing. I asked him to phone his District Manager for advice, as she had told me that, in such an instance, indeed, the Managers could ask disruptive patrons to leave. She had priory defended a "disruptive patron" to me as someone who was disturbing another patron. The Store Manager went off to the back room presumably to make the phone call. That was the last I saw of him.” Shared Susan with the BullyingCanada team. This raises a few concerns; ask a few questions such as: What businesses have antiharassment / anti-bullying policies in place not only for their staff but customers as well? A simple Google search of “AntiHarassment Policy” 5,030,000 results came back; most of these results are only workplace related. That returns to the question of, what public spaces have anti-bullying / harassment policies in place to help protect them. “I phoned the coffee shop’s head office. The person that I spoke with filled out a report. They said "it was inappropriate" that I had to leave. He escalated it to a "specialist", who told me the Regional Manager would call me. Yet no one has. I also phoned the Store Manager at the cafe to ask him why he hadn't come back, why wouldn't he do anything and what did his Regional Manager say? He said he "couldn't do anything"; that his Regional Manager had said for him to file an incident report and that she would talk to him in the coming days. When I asked what the coffee shops harassment policy was and what was going to be done to protect me in the store, he then told me he would call me back. He never has. A person I know who works for this coffee shop later told me that the only harassment policy she knows of concerns staff conduct. She further told me that they are specifically told not to do anything in such situations because a Store manager was murdered when he came between an upset husband
phere became contentious as some high school students and teachers marched onto the church’s property. RCMP were called to remove the counter-protesters, while one student screamed “we are all citizens, we can be wherever we want!” A brief shouting match occurred with one teacher shouting that the protesters were “bullying children who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered.” Akmal Hafizi, who was protesting against the policy said schools should be focused on teaching “rights, respect and values” and that teaching about topics such as homosexuality should be left to parents. On the other side, teenager Darra Evans waved a rainbow flag and said that although she respected the religious beliefs of the people opposed to the policy, the high suicide rate of gay teens and homophobia at her
Burnaby high school makes this policy necessary. As the public meeting ended and the attendees made their way out of the school board office, conversations continued between those opposed to the proposal and those in favour. One Burnaby teacher who supported the policy asked a group of Muslims “What makes you different from the Taliban?” as she claimed that the Islamist militia group’s discrimination of women was similar to the stance taken in the meeting against the gay-positive initiative. The protesting parents have vowed to continue their fight against the policy as names gathered on a petition Tuesday will be presented to the School Board.
who was attacking his wife while she was working at a coffee shop that he managed. “The men's remarks were so hurtful and malicious in both word and execution, that I became upset. The store manager did not come back. After about 10 minutes, devastated and feeling very, very threatened and
embarrassed from the public ridiculing, I left the cafe in tears.” Concluded Susan. BullyingCanada attempted to make contact with the Store Manger, Regional Manager, and Head Office of this coffee establishment, without success. Our calls were not returned
Renowned Naat Khawan of Pakistan
Muhammad Owais Raza Qadri Visiting British Columbia for the First Time On Saturday June 4, 2011 to Join the Fundraising Dinner for
Al-Madina Jamiah Masjid Calgary, Alberta At Crystal @York, Surrey For more information, please call Shahid Chaudhry 604-908-1010
Seminar on the Birthday of
Bibi Fatima Zahara (SA) At Kwantlen University Auditorium 12666 - 72 Ave, Surrey on Friday, May 20, 2011 At 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm Guest of Honour: Hujjatul Islam Shaykh Masoomian (Najaf)
DARAS -E-QURAN/JALSA-E-MIRAJ UN NABI (SAW) SPEAKER SYED BADIUDDIN SOHARWARDY ON SATURDAY 11TH JUNE 2011 FROM 6:00PM TO 9:00PM AT PAKISTAN HOUSE 12059- 88TH AVE.SURREY BC DINNER WILL BE SERVED CONTACT INFO:NIAZ AHMED KHAN 604-319-1473, HAROON RAZA 604-725-7549,RAUF KHAN 604-501-4700, ARJAMAND KHAN 778-863-3331 HAIDER ALI KHAN 604-507-3304
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'To Allah we belong and to Him is our return' On May 14, a number of Muslims scholars gathered at a Quran recitation and condolence program for late Mohammad Mujeeb Naumani, son of Maulana A.Lateef Naumani in Fiji Islamic centre, who has been passed on April 5, 2011. Qari Tayab Qasmi conducted this spiritual program, Qari Abdul Haleem and Qari Abdul Lahar recited the holy Quran. Hamad and Naats were recited by Abdul Hafeez Qadri and Abdul Salis Rasool. Sheikh Esmail al-Khaliq and Qari Tayab Qasimi and Prof. Syed Badiud din Soharwardhy spoke at the topic of life after death and prayed for patience to his immediate family members. The purpose of this gathering was to rememeber Death in our daily life and support Maulana Naumani while he grieves for the death of his 24 years old young son. Everyone spoke about the meaning of Inna Lillaahi Wa Inna Ilayhi Raaji'oon. Sure we say this statement when someone dies. Also some of us may say this sentence when they lose something, suffer a setback or harm. But do you REALLY, TRULY understand
these words and their implications in a Muslim's life? It means whatever we have is not really ours. It belongs to Allah. It is Allah Who has given you all the property and goods you possess, and that He is the true Owner of them all. The kids that He blessed you with, the health that He gave you, the time that He has allowed you are all Allah's property. Even the bodies we live in and the life that we have belong to Allaah alone. In fact, YOU are not YOURS. You belong to Allaah. He will bless you with a precious child that you love dearly, and then He may take it away. In fact everything you have will only be with you for a very short while. And then the Owner will claim His Right. So when Allah does reclaim what was rightfully His, WHY MOURN OUR LOSSES? Similarly, if Allah takes back some of His blessings upon you for some reason….so be it. Say Alhamdulillaah. Don't grieve. Be patient. Submit to the will of Allah, being pleased with His decision for you. For surely He will only do what is best for you. Just think, The
Owner came and took it back. Remember….that you're not the real owner. You were NEVER the real owner to begin with. You only had everything because it was Allah who gave it to you in the first place. If He didn't give it to you, you wouldn't have had it in any way. In fact, you couldn't have had it. Remember, a man enters into this world empty handed…and leaves it empty handed. Take note of the words of the Prophet (Sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa Sallam) on the occasion of the death of his son, Ibraahim: 'Our eyes are filled with tears, our hearts with grief, but we say nothing with our lips except that which pleases Allah.... Verily, to Allah we belong, and to Him we return.' (Bukhaari) And we all know the famous inci-
dence about the companion Abu Talha and his wife when one of the sons died and Abu Talha was not at home. She washed and shrouded him and when Abu Talha came home and asked about his son, she said, 'The child is quiet and I hope he is in peace.' (Bukhaari) Subhaan Allah, such patience! At the end, Maulana Naumani sincerely appreciated the kindness of the people who came and served to make the tragic loss bearable for him and his family. He also specially thanked Prof. Soharwardhy, who came from Alberta to share his grief on his his son Mohammad Mujeeb’s death.
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Community Talk at Kabob Palace On May 10, few community members were invited by Mr. Mian Saeed, owner of Kabob Palace on 88th Ave and Scott Road, to honor Pakistan Canada Association’s new president, Mr. Irfan Malik. Delicious and mouth-watering BBQ Seekh Kabob and Tikkah were served along with other dishes. Everyone enjoyed the hospitality of Mian Saeed. After the meal, the community members discussed the current topics of the community with each others. The results of the recent federal elections and the upcoming provincial and municipal elections were the most discussed topics discussed. Consul General of Pakistan, Mr. Shuja Alam, was also part of the discussion and answered questions about Pakistan's current situation following the assassination of Mr. Osama
Bin Laden in Abbotabad Pakistan. BCMA President Mr. Skindar Khan also showed interest in the issues facing the community. Community members discussed the role of Muslims in Canada especially in British Columbia and the role mosques can play in serving the community. The need of Surrey residents about the Muslim high school was also discussed with Mr. Khan and Mr. Hashmat. Overall, the evening featured lively and vibrant discussions about some of the important issues facing the local community. At the end Malik Irfan thanked Mian Saeed of his hospitality and the delicious food.
Community Health Awareness Event in Surrey Jamia Masjid On Sunday, May 15 after Zuhar prayer the Management Committee, Surrey Jamia Musjid and Nadeem Zia, Pharmacist organised a Family Health Day. This was a very successful health event where Nadeem Zia, explained in detail about Heart and Stroke Prevention. About 45 attended this event. Each of these participants received a complimentary BC Health Guide, Canada’s Food Guide, a Physical Activity Guide, a pocket card for “Do you know your risk?”, and many other helpful health related brochures. Nadeem spoke about Heart and Stroke Prevention, where he emphasized all of the controllable risk factors like: · Healthy food (low salt, low fat, low caffeine) · Checking blood pressure, diabetes, cholesterol · Taking your medications regularly · Exercise (at least 150 minutes per week) · Don’t do/quit smoking · Manage stress He spoke for about an hour followed by a free question period, and he also set up two poster tables where all the health information was available. This was a very helpful and informational Family Health Day to go to if you have any health concerns. There will be more upcoming health awareness events in the upcoming weeks that follow. Nadeem has introduced a new project called BC Medication Management Project. It is a new community clinical
service in which Nadeem, the pharmacist, will come visit you at your home or in his office and you can discuss your prescrip-
tion medications, your vitamins, and other over-the-counter supplements and products. He will help you understand about your medications and find, resolve and prevent medication issues. He will develop a care plan with you and follow-up. Under this new BC Medication Management Project, if you are a BC resident with a valid BC Care Card and are currently taking one prescription medication, you are eligible for a personal medication consultation with the pharmacist. No fee will be charged to you, the cost of this service is fully funded by the BC Ministry of Health Services. For more information to www.medsforme.ca. Email: Nadeem.Family.Pharmacist@gmail.com
CWCN - We Connect, We Care, We Make A Difference! Report by: Shabnam Khan Canadian Women Community Network Society exists to support diverse women, especially immigrant & refugee women and their families in the City of Surrey and surrounding areas to achieve their fullpotential to become productive members of Canadian society and participate in the socio-economic life of Canada. The CWCN has a group of dedicated professional women, building a network of multi-cultural communities to help establish a pool of resources for diverse women population. The CWCN group has been having weekly free services every Sunday and monthly workshops on various topics. We are proud to say that so far we had a phenomenal response from the women in our community and we are hoping to expand our services to women and families! Some of the services provided by CWCN are: Health tips by Medical Doctors, Career and Employment services from Certified Employment Counsellors, Counselling tips by B.C. Certified Counsellors, tips on Immigration matters by Certified Immigration Consultants, beauty tips by Certified Aesthetician and many other Information and Referral Services. The CWCN office is open on Thursday’s for
Counselling with Shabnam Khan who is a Registered Family Counsellor (by appointment). CWCN conducted a parenting workshop on Sunday, 15th May where Dr. Nazia Niazi (family physician) and Sister Mamoona Cheema were the key note speakers. The topics discussed were parenting, immunization, healthy lifestyle, stress management and about educating parent’s on government grants for children. The women enjoyed participating in the interactive discussion session of the workshop and their questions and concerns were well addressed by the presenters. Women freely shared their personal life experiences with the group and it served as an eye opener for many.There were many tips shared by the group on balancing love and discipline and creating cooperative families and balancing work and family. The workshop started at 12.30 p.m. and finished at 2 p.m. All participants had a chance to interact and network with each other and the day ended with refreshments for everyone! CWCN is located at Surrey. If you want to introduce your organization / home business or give out information about your services at our networking events, then please contact @ shabnamsk@hotmail.com
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Issue 284 - Jamadi ul Thani 17, 1432 / May 20, 2011 THE
The practice of Circumcision is a characteristic of the Fitra. Abu Huraira – Sahih Bukhari 7.72.779
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OPENING SOON: OUR 3rd LOCATION!
JOB Placement & Resource Centre Vancouver Career Center If you are unemployed or working less than 20 hours per week, you may call (604) 522-5966 to book an appointment and receive personalized and professional one-to-one employment counselling in Urdu, Hindi, Arabic, Farsi/Dari, Pashtu and English languages. You may visit our job bank at www.issbc.org to see if you can apply for the available jobs: You will find these and other job No fee for service postings in our website: Job# V584
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Vancouver
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$9.50
Strong oral and written English
Burnaby
V964
Salesperson
$3,500 per month plus commission
Advanced English
Surrey
New Westminster Office: #200-620 Royal Avenue New Westminster, BC, V3M 1J2 Tel: 604-522-5966 Fax: 604-522-5944 Email: mcm@issbc.org Website:www.issbc.org
Funded in whole or part through the CanadaBritish Columbia Labour Market Development Agreement
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Issue 284 - Jamadi ul Thani 17, 1432 / May 20, 2011 THE
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Issue 284 - Jamadi ul Thani 17, 1432 / May 20, 2011 THE
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Issue 284 - Jamadi ul Thani 17, 1432 / May 20, 2011 THE
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Issue 284 - Jamadi ul Thani 17, 1432 / May 20, 2011 THE
Is This Normal Aging or Not? By Michele Cohen Marill WebMD Feature Those first strands of gray hair are a sign of the inevitable. We’re getting older and our bodies are changing. We may grow a little rounder around the waistline, or wake in the night, or feel a little stiffer in the morning. Yet while we adapt to new realities, we shouldn’t discount every symptom as just further evidence of aging. How do you know when to ignore your body’s lapses or when to seek medical advice? What’s normal aging, and what’s not? “Aging, in and of itself, is a subtle, quiet process,” says Marie Bernard, MD, deputy director of the National Institute on Aging. If you have a sudden change or if you feel pain, that is a red flag, she says. “I’ve had many a patient come in and complain about pain in the knee. They’ve said, ‘It’s just my age,’” says Bernard, a geriatrician. “The reality of the matter is both knees are the same age. Why is one knee painful and the other is not?”
Is Aging Actually Good for You? We shouldn’t think of aging as a failure of our bodily systems, says Kenneth Minaker, MD, chief of geriatric medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. “Aging is a lifesaving process,” he says. “It is a process of lifelong adaptation to prevent us from developing cancers that would kill us.” Natural changes in cells may slow them down or alter their capacity, he says. Most people reach their peak functioning at around age 30. How soon you notice age-related changes in stamina, strength, or sensory perception will vary based on your personal health choices, your medical history, and your genetics, Minaker says. Some age-related complaints are common, and some symptoms aren’t caused by aging at all. Here is some advice on how to tell the difference: Eye Trouble By around age 40, almost everyone will be reaching for reading glasses. Presbyopia
occurs when the lens becomes stiff and won’t adjust to refocus from distance to near vision. Cataracts, or clouding of the lens, may begin to affect your vision when you reach your 60s. Long-term exposure to sunlight increases the risk of cataracts, which can be corrected through surgery to replace the lens. If you notice you have worse peripheral than central vision, or the reverse, you could have a serious eye condition that requires treatment. Glaucoma occurs when the pressure in the eye increases and causes damage to the optic nerve. Two forms of macular degeneration affect the center of the retina, leading to a loss of central vision. The bottom line: “If you feel you’re having blurred vision or vision loss, you should get your eyes examined,” says Hilary Beaver, MD, associate professor of clinical ophthalmology at the Weil Cornell Medical College at The Methodist Hospital in Houston. It’s a good idea to have preventive checkups, too, especially if you have diabetes or a family history of glaucoma or macular degeneration, she says
m u s c l e s become more rigid and less toned. Weight training and stretching improve strength and flexibility, though we can’t completely counteract this natural course of aging. Our organs lose their extra reserve, too. The walls of the heart become thicker, the arteries are stiffer, and the heart rate slows as we age. Aging of the heart is a major reason it may be harder to exercise vigorously when we are older as we could when we were 20. Yet maintaining regular aerobic activity -even just walking -- can improve our stamina. When should you worry? Get an immediate evaluation if you have chest pain, especially with dizziness, nausea, shortness of breath, or fainting. Those are possible signs of a heart attack. Problems with your heart rate could cause lightheadedness, dizziness, or fatigue. One in 10 people age 65 or older have anemia, or a low level of oxygen-carrying red blood cells. It can cause fatigue and can be treated with iron supplements or medications to spur the body to produce more red blood cells.
Hearing Loss
High Blood Pressure
About a third of people who are 60 or older have some hearing loss. This condition, known as presbycusis, may be due to the loss of sensory receptors in the inner ear. At first, some sounds may seem muffled, and high-pitched voices may be harder to understand. Men tend to have more hearing loss than women. Pain, drainage from the ear, or a rapid loss of hearing could be a sign of a tumor or infection, cautions Robert Dobie, MD, professor of otolaryngology at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. If the hearing in one ear is noticeably worse than the other, that is also a reason to have it examined, he says. “If people just notice, ‘I’m not hearing quite as well as I did a few years ago,’ that’s the aging process,” Dobie says. “If I don’t hear as well this week as I did last week, that’s not the aging process.”
Aging is not a disease, but our body’s changes make us vulnerable to some medical conditions. One example is essential hypertension, or high blood pressure. The exact cause of essential hypertension is not known. There are several factors that play a role including genetic factors, obesity, salt intake and aging. Blood vessels tend to become less elastic with age, and this stiffness may contribute to high blood pressure. More than half of people 60 and older have high blood pressure - a reading of 140 (systolic) over 90 (diastolic) or higher. A low-sodium diet, exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight can help prevent high blood pressure.
Decrease in Strength or Stamina With age, we lose muscle tissue and our
Put Meaning Into Your Life Shabnam Khan - Family Counsellor You may be doing so many things in your life on a daily basis. How many of them are you doing because you have to, and how many because you like to do them? Meaningis the end result of purpose. Meaning is the payoff for living a purposeful life. Meaning is what we center our lives around. It is core to our reason for being. But you need to know first what is meaningful to you? What is important to you? If you have many uncertainties in your life, you will be going in circles as there will be no direction to where you are going. If you don’t know where you’re going, you’re not likely to get there and even if you do get there, chances are that you’ll be lost. In the same way, intention is the determination that leads to an outcome. If the outcome isn’t what we expect, we can make changes along the way. We can always try again! Intention will give you a roadmap to engage in your world meaningfully, so intend to do something specif-
ic. The more specific you are, the better it is for you. Just like when you plan an event. You have to have a date. You have to call everyone. You have to have a venue and so on. Intention is a desire to do something of significance with a direction and the resources to carry it out. Doing things that you like to do, things that makes you happy are things you should give attention to everyday. Even if this is only for 30 minutes to an hour, you have to do this for yourself. Being responsible for yourself, being their for yourself, listening to yourself, nurturing yourself and engaging yourself so that you can go out and do things for other people you value. You first have to take care or yourself so that you are capable of taking care of others. There will be a lot of challenges that will come along, but you can surely overcome them,particularly if you commit yourself to doing what it takes to live a beautiful, fulfilling life. Everyone of us makes mistakes and they are often a lot of regrets. Forgiveness comes when you say, “I made a mistake. I learnt a lot. I’m smarter and wiser. I won’t do that one again. Let’s move on.” If you need further information regarding the services, please contact The Miracle.
Memory Loss Can’t remember where you put your keys? Forgot the name of an acquaintance you
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haven’t seen in a while? Those momentary lapses are normal. No need to worry, unless the forgetfulness is impairing your daily life, says John Q. Trojanowski, MD, PhD, co-director of the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease
Research and professor of geriatric medicine and gerontology at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. “Many of us have a memory complaint, but it’s not dementia or disease,” he says. Generally, information processing slows as we grow older, and older people have more trouble multitasking. But there’s a lot of variability in cognitive function. Not surprisingly, for example, older adults typically outperform young adults in their knowledge of the world. The red flag for dementia related to Alzheimer’s disease is the inability to learn and retain new information. Problems with episodic memory are a sign of mild cognitive impairment that could be a precursor of the disease, according to new guidelines for diagnosing Alzheimer’s. People with Alzheimer’s have other cognitive deficits, as well, such as trouble with language or recognizing objects, Trojanowski says. Biomarkers detected through imaging or a test of cerebrospinal fluid can aid in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. If you have memory problems and you have a family history of Alzheimer’s disease, you may want to be evaluated. Alzheimer’s disease rarely occurs among people who are younger than 65. About one in eight people aged 65-74 have Alzheimer’s, and 43% of people who are older than 85 have Alzheimer’s.
Libyan Community raises fund in Bear Creek Park
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Study: Lower salt intake could be riskier than thought By Nanci Hellmich, The American Heart Association encourages people to consume no more than 1,500 milligrams a day of sodium to reduce their risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks, stroke and kidney disease. This is less than half of what people consume now. One reason for this advice: Elevated blood pressure is a major public health problem approximately 90% of all Americans will develop hypertension over their lifetime, the heart association says. But a new European population study coordinated in Belgium raises questions about sodium and its effect on the heart. Researchers followed 3,681 people, average age 40, for about eight years, testing sodium excretion in the urine. They found that systolic blood pressure (the top number) was slightly lower in those who excreted less sodium, but this didn't translate into a
lower risk of cardiovascular death — in fact, those with lower sodium excretion had an increased risk of cardiovascular death. The findings were consistent in participants younger and older than 60 years. Jan Staessen, a professor of medicine at the University of Leuven in Belgium and one of the authors of the study in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association, says this study does not support the recommendation of a general reduction of salt intake for everyone, although salt reduction could be beneficial in lowering the blood pressure of people with hypertension. "Lower sodium intake is recommended for people with high blood pressure and people with heart failure, but recommending it to the population as a whole, I wouldn't do without proving it's completely safe," he says. "If one lowers sodium intake to lower blood
Arctic ice melt 'alarming' Ocean could be ice-free in summers within 40 years and sea levels could rise by 1.6 metres by 2100, says new study. Ice in Greenland and the rest of the Arctic is melting dramatically faster than was earlier projected and could raise global sea levels by as much as 1.6 metres by 2100, says a new study. The study released on Tuesday by the Arctic
Monitoring and Assessment Program (AMAP) said there is a "need for greater urgency" in fighting global warming as record temperatures have led to the increased rate of melting. The AMAP report said the correspondending rise in water levels will directly threaten low-lying coastal areas such as Florida and Bangladesh, but would also affect islands and cities from London to Shanghai. The report says it will also increase the cost of rebuilding tsunami barriers in Japan. "The past six years (until 2010) have been the warmest period ever recorded in the Arctic," said the report. "In the future, global sea level is projected to rise by 0.9 metres to 1.6 metres by 2100 and the loss of ice from Arctic glaciers, ice caps and the Greenland ice sheet will make a substantial contribution," it added. The rises had been projected from levels recorded in 1990. Dramatic rise from projections In its last major study in 2007, the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) said that sea levels were likely to rise by only between 18 and 59 centimetres by 2100, though those numbers did not include any possible acceleration due to a thaw in the polar regions. The new AMAP assessment says that Greenland lost ice in the 2004-2009 period four times faster than it did between 19952000. The AMAP is the scientific arm of the eightnation Arctic Council.
Foreign ministers from council nations - the United States, Russia, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway and Iceland -are due to meet in Greenland on May 12, and will discuss the AMAP report's findings. The report will first be discussed by about 400 international scientists at a conference this week in Copenhagen, Denmark. "The increase in annual average temperature since 1980 has been twice as high over the Arctic as it has been over the rest of the world," the report said. Temperatures were higher than at any time in the past 2,000 years." In its report, the IPCC had said that it was at least 90 per cent probable that emissions of greenhouse gases by human beings, including the burning of fossil fuels, were to blame for most of the warming in recent decades. "It is worrying that the most recent science points to much higher sea level rise than we have been expecting until now," Connie Hedegaard, the European Climate Commissioner, told the Reuters news agency. "The study is yet another reminder of how pressing it has become to tackle climate change, although this urgency is not always evident neither in the public debate nor from the pace in the international negotiations," she said. UN talks on a global accord to combat climate change have been making slow progress, and the organisation says national promises to limit greenhouse gas emissions are now insufficent to avoid possibly catastrophic consequences of global temperature rises. Arctic could be ice-free The AMAP study, which drew on the work of hundreds of experts, said that there were signs warming in the Arctic was accelerating, and that the Arctic Ocean could be nearly free of ice in the summers within 30 or 40 years. This, too, was higher than projected by the IPCC. While the thaw would make the Arctic more accessible for oil exploration, mining and shipping, it would also disrupt the livelihoods of people who live there, as well as threaten the survival of creatures such as
pressure, this change in sodium activates several systems (including the reninangiotensin aldosterone system) that conserve sodium, and those systems are implicated in disease processes such as damaging the arterial wall and kidneys," Staessen says, This study may apply to Americans of white European descent, but it might less applicable to blacks because they are believed to be more salt sensitive, he says. The research is already drawing fire from medical experts here. Ralph Sacco, president of the American Heart Association and chairman of neurology at the University of Miami, says this is only one study of a relatively young, mostly white population and blood pressure tends to rise with age and affect African-Americans disproportionately. "We have based our recommendations on the many scientific studies which show a
strong relationship between reduced sodium consumption and a lower risk of heart attacks, congestive heart failure and stroke," he says. "There are good randomized, controlled studies the gold standard of scientific studies that show a lower sodium diet has a meaningful effect on blood pressure." Gina Lundberg, a preventive cardiologist in Atlanta, supports the 1,500-milligram guideline. "We're all eating too much sodium because we eat too many prepared, processed foods." Leaders in the salt industry applaud the new research. This study basically says that salt reduction to reduce cardiovascular disease is a strategy that is not going to work, says Morton Satin, vice president of science and research for the Salt Institute, an industry group. Source: USA TODAY
polar bears. "There is evidence that two components of the Arctic cryosphere - snow and sea ice are interacting with the climate system to accelerate warming," the report said. The IPCC estimate was based largely on the expansion of ocean waters from warming and the runoff from melting land glaciers elsewhere in the world. The AMAP report says that Arctic temperatures in the past six years have been at their highest levels since measurements began in 1880, and the rises were being fed by "feedback" mechanisms in the far north. One such mechanism involves the ocean absorbing more heat as a result of not being covered by ice, as ice reflects solar energy. While the effect had been predicted by scientists earlier, the AMAP report says that "clear evidence for it has only been observed in the past five years".
Temperature rises expected It projected that average fall and winter temperatures in the Arctic will climb by roughly 2.8 to 6.1 degrees Celsius by 2080, even if greenhouse gas emissions are lower than in the past decade. "The observed changes in sea ice on the Arctic Ocean, in the mass of the Greenland ice sheet and Arctic ice caps and glaciers over the past 10 years are dramatic and represent an obvious departure from the longterm patterns," AMAP said. "The changes that are emerging in the Arctic are very strong, dramatic even," said Mark Serreze, director of the US National Snow and Ice Data Center in Boulder, Colorado, and a contributor to the report. "But this is not entirely a surprise. We have known for decades that, as climate change takes hold, it is the Arctic where you are going to see it first, and where it is going to be pronounced," he said by phone. Source: Agencies
Summer Food Safety Tips Health Canada The risk of foodborne illness increases during the summer when temperatures are warmer and people are more likely to be cooking outdoors. Harmful bacteria spread quickly in warm, moist conditions, so certain food safety measures should be taken. Here are some food safety tips that can help keep you and your family safe from food poisoning. Chill Keep raw foods cold. This can be a challenge when you are outdoors, especially with raw meat, poultry, and seafood. Use a cooler to store your food. Use plenty of ice packs to m ake sure it is kept out of the temperature danger zone of 4°C to 60°C (40°F to 140°F). Keep the cooler out of direct sunlight. And avoid opening it too often because that lets cold air out and warm air in. If you use two separate coolers for food and drinks, the one with the food will not be opened as often, so it will stay cold longer. On hot summer days, don't keep food at room temperature for more than one hour. Remember: when in doubt, throw it out! Separate Make sure to keep your raw meat, poultry and seafood away from other foods so that you don't spread foodborne bacteria between foods. You can avoid cross-contamination by packing or wrapping meat, poultry and seafood separately or by using separate containers which will prevent leaks. If you are packing vegetables in the
same cooler, always put meat, poultry and seafood at the bottom of the cooler to keep juices from dripping onto other foods. Never put ready-to-eat or cooked food on the same plate that held raw meat, poultry or seafood. Consider taking along several sets of utensils, cutting boards, or plates. This can help prevent cross-contamination. Clean Make sure that your hands, plates and utensils are clean. This will help reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Follow the same washing instructions outdoors as you do at home. Bring soap and wash your hands with clean, safe water for at least 20 seconds. Cook Bacteria such as E. coli, Salmonella and Listeria can be killed by heat. Raw meat, poultry and seafood must be cooked properly to a safe internal temperature (see chart below). Internal Cooking Temperatures You can't tell by looking. Use a digital food thermometer to be sure!
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Another round of NFL mediation ends without agreement The NFL and its locked-out players wrapped up another round of courtordered mediation Tuesday without any signs of a new agreement and the clock ticking on the 2011 season. Officials and attorneys for both sides said they will return for more closed-door talks with U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan on June 7, four days after a key appeals court hearing in St. Louis on the legality of the lockout. NFL lead negotiator Jeff Pash and Hall of Famer Carl Eller both said the talks went well, but there was no indication of any significant progress toward a new collective bargaining agreement. Pash said he thought Boylan had done a good job of "pushing the parties," but he said he doesn't believe the dispute over the future of the $9 billion business will be settled in court. "The only way we're going to solve this is by sitting down together," Pash said, echoing the NFL's preference
for traditional negotiations in a collective bargaining setting and adding: "We owe it to our game. We owe it to our fans. We owe it to each other, to the players and to the clubs, to sit down and negotiate." Said Pash: "I think we got some work done today, and we're going to keep at it." They've been at it for a long time. The two sides met for 16 days before talks fell apart March 11 and the lockout began. Boylan, who presided over four days of mediation last month and two more days this week, also had lunch with DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the NFL Players Association, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. Linebacker Mike Vrabel, one of the plaintiffs on the antitrust lawsuit against the league, questioned the NFL's commitment to striking a deal outside the courthouse after mediation concluded. Vrabel added: "I think the most important thing is that we continue to
meet." Owners have a regularly scheduled meeting next week, but Pash said they won't be putting together a "plan of attack." There are some huge court matters looming, including the June 3 hearing before the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on the legality of the lockout, with a ruling likely a few weeks after. The same three-judge panel handling the hearing has already ruled twice in favor of the league, keeping the lockout in place. U.S. District Judge David Doty is also deciding whether to award players more than $707 million in damages and to bar the NFL from using $4 billion in broadcast revenue. Doty has already said the league failed to secure the most income for the players when it re-negotiated those broadcast contracts. Also, the federal antitrust lawsuit filed against the NFL by the players is still pending. Robert Boland, a professor of sports management at New York University
who is following the case, said the timing doesn't help the players. Separately, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce business lobbying group filed a brief Tuesday supporting the league. The chamber, like the NFL, noted that the dispute is currently before the National Labor Relations Board in the form of an unfair labor negotiations charge against the players. Until then, the chamber said, the court fight should be on hold and the NFL should be able to lock out its players if needed. "For the collective bargaining process to work as Congress intended, the parties to the dispute must largely be left by the courts to their own devices," the chamber said. "The prospect of self-help forces the parties to make difficult choices" with the option of judges coming to their aid." The NHL, which could face its own labor problem next year, earlier filed a similar brief supporting the NFL.
Unlucky Raptors pick fifth This time around, a trip to New Jersey didn’t have the desired outcome for the Toronto Raptors . The NBA team headed into the draft lottery in Secaucus on Tuesday with the third pick overall provisionally and, after the ping-pong balls had dropped, they had fallen to fifth. The last time Raptors general manager Bryan Colangelo was present at the lottery was in 2006, his first season running the Raptors, when Toronto came in with the No. 5 pick and wound up winning the top selection, which they used to pick Andrea Bargnani. This year, the big winners were the Cleveland Cavaliers, who came into the lottery with the second-best chance of securing the No. 1 pick at 19.9 per cent. And the team that walked off with the big lottery prize in 2003 that turned into LeBron James was celebrating once again after winning the coveted No. 1 pick for the 2011 draft, which will be held in June. The Cavaliers also moved up to secure the fourth overall pick in the draft. The Minnesota Timberwolves, which had the best odds (25 per cent) at holding on to the top pick, fell to No. 2 while the Utah Jazz turned the New Jersey Nets’ pick from the Deron Williams trade into the No. 3 selection. The Raptors entered the lottery with a 15.6-per-cent chance of moving up and landing the top pick. But luck wasn’t with Colangelo, who had to maintain a brave face after seeing his squad dropping two slots into fifth for the draft. This isn’t the deepest of drafts and Colangelo has said he considers DukeThursday, May 19, 2011 freshman point guard Kyrie Irving and Arizona sophomore forward Derrick Williams as the top two prospects. Colangelo said with those two players now likely out of the mix he doesn’t believe dropping back from third to fifth will pose too much of a problem for his team. Colangelo said there will be a handful of draft prospects whom the Raptors will be able to seriously look at to try to fill their needs, mentioning players such as point guard Brandon Knight from Kentucky and Kemba Walker from Connecticut, and big men Enes Kanter from Kentucky and Jonas Valanciunas from Lithuania. Richard Peddie is the outgoing chief executive officer of Raptors owner Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd., whose basketball and hockey teams each missed the postseason this season. Peddie said he met with Colangelo before he left for New Jersey to discuss strategy. More specifically, Peddie wanted to ascertain whether the GM was going armed with a good luck charm as has been the practice of other team representatives at the lottery. This year’s draft is viewed as anything but stellar with many candidates choosing to remain in school with the threat of a labour shutdown looming this summer. Source: Globe and Mail
COMMANDING VICTORY The Vancouver Canucks scored five unanswered goals to cruise past the San Jose Sharks 7-3 on Wednesday and take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference Final. Kevin Bieksa scored on a breakaway to give Vancouver the lead midway through the second period. The Canucks then added four goals to pull away.
Flames owner backs Winnipeg bid Calgary Flames principal owner Murray Edwards is not one for publicity or interviews. But speaking at a Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. investors gathering Tuesday, Edwards let his feelings be known on one of hockey’s hottest topics – the NHL’s possible return to Winnipeg. A member of the NHL board of governors and Canadian Natural’s vice-chairman, Edwards gave his support to the Manitoba capital, which lost the Winnipeg Jets to Phoenix in 1996. While it looked for a time that the Phoenix Coyotes would return, they will stay in the Arizona desert at least one more season after a late financial commitment by the City of Glendale, making the Atlanta Thrashers the organization most likely to move. The Thrashers ownership group, Atlanta Spirit LLC, has been unable to find a local buyer and is currently talking with Winnipegbased True North Sports & Entertainment Ltd. “If, at the end of the day, there is ultimately no local ownership [in Atlanta], then the league would have to look
to move franchises,” Edwards said. “And I think today there is probably no market in North America that is more open and more supportive of an NHL franchise than would be Winnipeg. So if we can’t keep the franchises existing in one of the current markets, I think Winnipeg would be probably a prime place to move to.” Asked if Winnipeg’s return would be opposed by any of the existing Canadian franchises, Edwards replied: “Canadian teams are supportive of having franchises where they are successful. But if there are opportunities to move franchises, Canadian owners would be supportive of seeing additional teams in Winnipeg or elsewhere.” Edwards noted how the NHL worked hard to keep teams in Ottawa, Buffalo and Tampa. “We spent a lot of time working with potential ownership groups in Phoenix and with current ownership in Atlanta, trying to make them prosper in those markets.” Source: Globe and Mai
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Issue 284 - Jamadi ul Thani 17, 1432 / May 20, 2011 THE
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Bride Wanted
BCMA – Burial Notices
MATRIMONIAL
If you would like your contact information to be added on the burial notice mailing list, please reply to burial@thebcma.com
BCMA Social Service To all newly arrived brothers and sisters of immigrants, refugees or moving from other province into B.C. we welcome you among us and would like to connect with you. Please introduce yourself to the bcma@shawcable.com or reach us on this number (604 270 2522) and leave a message in English or in your own language. We will get in touch with you as soon as possible.
Faith : Continued from pg 8 and rush towards the mosque for Prayers? What makes you terminate your sweet sleep in the early hours of the morning, to go to the mosque in the heat of the noon, and to leave your evening entertainments for the sake of Prayers? Is it anything other than sense of duty - your realization that you must fulfill your responsibility to the Lord, come what may? And why are you afraid of any mistake in Prayer? Because your heart is filled with the fear of Allah and you know that you have to appear before Him on the Day of Judgment and give an account of your entire life. Now look! Can there be a better course of moral and spiritual training than Prayer? It is this training which makes a man a perfect Muslim. It reminds him of his covenant with Allah , refreshes his faith in Him, and keeps the belief in the Day of Judgment alive and ever present before his mind's eye. It makes him follow the Prophet and trains him in the observance of his duties. This is indeed a strict training for conforming one's practice to one's ideals. Obviously if a man's consciousness of his duties towards his Creator is so acute that he prizes it above all worldly gains and keeps refreshing it through Prayers, he would certainly not be inviting the displeasure of Allah that he all along has striven to avoid. He will abide by the law of Allah in the entire gamut
YOU CAN BE HERE! Special Deal! Advertise in our classifieds sections for two issues and receive the third ad FREE! Call now to book your space: 604-690-0400 of life in the same way as he follows it in the five Prayers every day. This man can be relied upon in other fields of activity as well, for if the shadows of sin or deceit approach him, he will try to avoid them for fear of the Lord that would be ever present in his heart. And if even after such a vital training a man misbehaves himself in other fields of life and disobeys the law of Allah, it can only be because of some intrinsic depravity of his self. Then again you must say your Prayers in congregation and especially so the Friday Prayer. This creates among the Muslims a bond of love and mutual understanding. This arouses in them the sense of their collective unity and fosters among them national fraternity. All of them say their Prayers in one congregation and this inculcates in them a deep feeling of brotherhood. Prayers are also a symbol of equality, for the poor and the rich, the low and the high, the rulers and the ruled, the educated and the unlettered, the black and the white all stand in one row and prostrate before their Lord. Prayers also inculcate in Muslims a strong sense of discipline and obedience to the elected leader. In short, Prayers train them in all those virtues that make possible the development of a rich individual and collective life. These are a few of the myriad of benefits we can derive from the daily Prayers. Source: Muslim Village - Abul A'la Mawdudi
BUSINESS FOR SALE Excellent business opportunity! 8 years established convenience store on busy Surrey Scott road. The business offers it's customers: BC Lottery, cigarettes, fax & photocopy, ATM, food goods, Money Gram, coffee, Slush and so much more. Low rent $ 2,600/month (1,200 Sq). Over $30,000 in Gross Sales & Reasonable in Net Income. Best business opportunity for family business or self employment. Lots of room to expand such as Snacks, Key Cutting, Grocery and Internet Cafe etc Owner is motivated and any reasonable offer will be accepted. Please Contact: 778 318 0786 (Rana)
OFFICE SPACE FOR RENT AVAILABLE 1400 Sqft office space, with Washroom and Kitchen Next to PICS (12414-82nd Ave) Surrey. For more info Contact: 604-563-7831 Email: sunnyhameed@hotmail.com
Wanted a suitable match for our Son, Pakistani (Muslim), Canadian Citizen, (Electrical Engineer and MBA) from Canada. Settled in Edmonton, Alberta. Looking for a suitable educated and decent Muslim Girl for Marriage from a Muslim family. Please Contact: goodmatch123@hotmail.com Ph: 780-700-6290
Matrimonial ads in Miracle -------------------------------Newspaper are for Muslim and 27 Years old, fair and 5ft 11 inch, tall boy, Non Muslim community, where landed immigrant, having Master degree in Biology, employed as Researcher/Professor, they serve as a facilitating process earning $3000 per month, Permanent for arranged marriages. They are Resident, speaks Urdu and Punjabi, family setessentially dialogues between famtled in Pakistan ilies, using the medium of news----------------------------------papers, where particulars of the 25 Years old, fair and six feet tall boy, Bachelors individual to be married and the of Engineering-Electronics from SFU, presently working in Qatar as a Project Engineer, Urdu family are detailed, as well as the Speaking, Syed family settled in BC requirements from prospective ----------------------------------partners and their families. All information is reserved under the private and confidential policy of Miracle
Marriage
Bureau. Contact:
For 42 Years Fiji-born man Sunni Muslim, fair color, height 6 ft, divorced having 2 kids’ boy (13Y) and girl (14Y) reside part time with him, earning looking 32-39 years old women. --------------------------------
Groom Wanted
naseer@telus.net Bride Wanted 29 Years old, suitable match for a good looking, handsome, fair and 5ft 9 inch tall, boy, having MBBS degree, working as head director of Overseas Unviversaties in China, earning C$55K/year 28 years Old from frontior prov.of Pakistan, good looking, by profession Cook, wanted a second marriage partner with any widow around 30 years old or same age group
33 Years old pretty divorced lady, no kid. Strong Muslim Sunni background, wearing Hijab, she is pediatrician in Alberta ------------------------------------27 Years old pretty Girl, 5ft6 inch tall, educated, New Jersey US citizen, degree in BA. Political Science. Parents looking for match making in BC. ------------------------------------32 Years old pretty Girl, tall 5 ft 8 inch, Law Graduate Works in Washington DC, Highly paid, Parents are looking for best match make in BC or Washington DC. -------------------------------------
If someone interested, please contact by email. naseer@telus.net
NOW MIRACLE IS AVAILABLE AT ALL BCMA MASAJID LOCATIONS PICK UP YOUR COPY OF THE MIRACLE AT: BURNABY: Masjid As Salaam, Sarpino’s Pizzeria
VANCOUVER: Samosa Garden, Collingwood community centre, Hafiz Halal Meat , Golden Video, Raja Cinema Masjid ul Haqq, Red Fort Restaurant, House of Dosas, Jamea Masjid Vancouver, Best Burrito, and Tandoori Restaurant ,Mecca Market
Main Street: Jasmine Halal Meats, Good Morning Paan, Jubilee Halal Meats, Aryan Conv. Store , Main Kabab Hut, Tasleem Video, India Restaurant Hamalaya Restaurant, Main Paan, Main Video Punjab Food, Fruiticana, New Dehli Paan, Gaba Travel, Dosas & Restaurant
Fraser Street: Al-Mansoor Video, Salam Fraser Restaurant and Sweets, Fruiticana, Bains Travel, Fraser Musallah, Vancouver Public Library, Al-Watan Restaurant, Az -Zawiah Musallah, Dhaka Bazaar, Noor Jahan Halal Meat, Chicago Deep Dish Pizza, Fraser Kabab RICHMOND; Richmond Jamiah Masjid, Himalaya Sweets, Paan Shop, Fruiticana, Zam Zam Restaurant, Gurdawahra Sahib, Az Zahara Islamic Centre
NEW WESTMINSTER: Islamic Education Centre
SURREY: Masjid Al-Huda, Sizzling Pizzaria, Gourmet Noodles, Fleetwood Islamic Centre, Sofi’s Shawarma & Donair, Al-Hussainia Centre, Masjid Al Noor, Pak Punjab Samoosa, Chicken World, Chili Pepper House, Sabzi Mandi, Shaista Halal Meat, Asian Spice, Delta Mussallah, AL-Madina Pizza, Aisha Islamic Centre, Diamond Sweets, Singapore Restaurant, Express Conv. Store, PICS- Seniors Homes, Islamic Academy of Canada, Afghan Chopan, Fiji Islamic Centre, Afghan Chopan Restaurant & Banquet Hall, Calgary Sweets, Best Paan & Flower Shop, Zabiah Foods , 777 Pizza, HSN Accountings, Biryani Garden, South Asian Meats , Pak Bazzar, Galaxy Travel, Masjid Al Rahmah, Gulberg Market, Instant Photo Copier, Sabzi Mandi, Shiraz Electronics, Haji Hair Cut, Tibisti Halal Meats, Surrey Jamea Masjid, Newton Public Library, Newton Arena , Lahore Say Restaurant, Barney’s Pizza & Chicken, Paan Palace
*Also available at many other Indian Grocery stores, Restaurants, Banks, King George Sky Train Station, Abbotsford, Coquitlum and major Offices lobbies,
E.Mails: miraclenews@telus.net & naseer@telus.net Call for more info:
604-690-0400
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100% o f produc our Hand S ts are laughte red Zabiha Halal w ith Tasmiy ah
Supplier and Retailer of “Free Run” Chicken Beef, Goat, Lamb, Veal, Deli Meat, and Cold Cuts.
Free-Run Chicken and Turkey "All flocks are raised without the use of hormones or un-natural ingredients."
Visit any one of our three locations “Eat Halal, Live Healthy, Buy Quality TaQwa products”
All locations open 7 days a week.
OPEN SCOTT ROAD
Wholesales supplier to Restaurants, supplier of Halal Deli Cold Cuts, Burgers, Sausages, Kabobs, Unit 101 - 9172 120th St., Surrey Salami, Pepperoni, Beef Sizzlers and Marinated Beef and Tel: 604-593-5516 Chicken products. (Close to Delta Mussallah and Pakistan House)
Taqwa Market
Summer Special BBQ! We have special package for all your Summer BBQ stuff Chicken Tikkah, Stakes, Seekh Kabab, Chops and much more
OPEN PORT COQUITLAM Taqwa Southside Meat & SeaFood Unit 150 - 2627 Shughnessy St. Port Coquitlam ~ Tel: 604-554-0169 (Ideally located close to Masjid Hidayah)
Taqwa Whole Sale and Retail Unit 200-8462-162 St Surrey, BC Tel: 604-572-8950
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www.alwatantandoori.com
Chicken Leg Rao Fish
$1.49 (Whole Box)
$1.79
Fresh Vegetables from Bangladesh are Available
Beef w/Bone $2.49/lb
BCMA approved ~ Halal Meat Shop
Gill International Travel
EST. 1982