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Volume 11 Issue 297 Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 AH / November 18, 2011 - $1

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Former Syrian regime insiders expect Assad’s fall

Civic Election

2011

Don’t forget your right to vote: Civic elections across BC muncipalities i li i will ill bbe hheld ld on N November b 19, 2011. The Miracle Media Group encourages all readers eligible for voting to exercise their right and shape the decision that will set the future outlook of their muncipalities in the upcoming years.

Thousands of Kuwaitis ‘storm parliament’ Thousands of Kuwaitis stormed parliament on Wednesday after police and elite forces beat up protesters marching on

the prime minister’s home to demand he resign, an opposition MP said. “Now, we have entered the house of the people,” said Mussallam al-Barrak, who led the protest along with several other lawmakers and youth activists also calling for the dissolution of parliament over alleged corrup-

tion. The demonstrators broke open parliament’s gates and entered the main chamber, where they sang the national anthem and then left after a few minutes. The police had used batons to prevent protesters from marching to the residence of Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, a senior member of the ruling family, after staging a rally outside parliament. Witnesses said at least five demonstrators were injured and treated on the site. Some activists said they will continue to camp outside parliament until the premier is sacked. Chanting “the people want to remove the prime minister,” the protesters started to march to the nearby premier’s residence when police blocked their way. This was the first political violence in the oil-rich Gulf state since December, when elite forces beat up protesters and MPs at a public rally, though activists have been holding protests since March. Tension has been building in Kuwait over the past three months after it was alleged that

Two exiled former Syrian regime insiders have emerged to form opposition groups, as belief in Bashar al-Assad’s rule weakens even among members of his Alawite minority and ruling Baath Party. Experts say the return to the scene of 79-year-old former vice president Abdel Halim Khaddam and of Assad’s uncle 74-year-old Rifaat al-Assad shows that the Syrian elite increasingly expects the strongman to fall. But they also warn that in joining the fray, these elderly and divisive figures could further fragment and undermine the Syrian opposition. “They have deep knowledge of the system. They know something has changed and that it’s over. They are trying to position themselves for a place in a future Syria,” said Ziad Majed, of the American University in Paris. Last week the rival veterans became the latest Syrian figures to launch political movements in Paris, Khaddam the “National Council to Support the Syrian Revolution”, and Rifaat the “National Democratic Council”. Khaddam demanded international military action in Syria modelled on NATO’s support for this year’s uprising in Libya, while Rifaat wants Arab or world powers to negotiate Assad’s safe replacement “by

Continued on pg 5

Continued on pg 6

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Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

3

p a k i s t a n

Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

Pakistan widens trade with India as ties improve

Pakistan took further steps toward normal trade and travel ties

with India on Tuesday, agreeing to open most commerce with its larger neighbour by February and ease visa rules in the latest sign of a thaw in relations between the nuclear-armed rivals, reported by Dawn.

“We have turned the corner,” Pakistan’s Trade Secretary Zafar Mehmood said at a joint news conference with his Indian counterpart in Delhi.“We are talking of a complete normalisation roadmap.”

The two countries’ trade secretaries agreed Pakistan will replace a limited list of items India can sell across the border with a short list of items that cannot be traded, minutes of the meeting showed. Lasting India-Pakistan peace is seen as vital to South Asian stability and to smoothing a dangerous transition in Afghanistan as Nato-led combat forces plan to withdraw from that country in 2014. Distrust, border clashes and militant attacks have undermined stability in the region ever since two nations were carved out of colonial India in

1947 with the disputed region of Kashmir at the heart of the problems.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yusuf Raza Gilani promised to open a new chapter in their fraught history after a nearly an hour-long discussion at a resort island in the Maldives last week.

On Tuesday, India and Pakistan agreed to push for easing of visa rules that severely restrict travel across the heavily armed border. They will look at the feasibility of electricity trading and will open a second road trading post by February. Under the existing practice, both countries require businessmen to register with police on their arrival and regularly report to them. Visas are issued only for one city.

“This time it is different. It’s not just politicians giving statements; there’s a whole roadmap chalked out with a time frame,” Amin Hashwani, president of the Pakistan-India CEOs’ Business Forum told Reuters. The ‘negative list” of items that India will initially be restricted from trading includes the pharmaceutical and engineering industries, S.M. Muneer, president of the India-Pakistan chamber of commerce told Reuters. Pakistani pharmaceutical and engineering companies are worried they will be swamped by Indian imports.

Mehmood said the list would be drawn up within a couple of months then gradually phased out. He said an expert panel would decide in January on allowing the trade of oil products.

In contrast to the excitement in the business community, India’s defense minister sounded a note of caution.

“There are positive signs for a breakthrough but one should not expect a miracle,” Defence Minister A.K. Antony told

Continued on pg 6

US tries ‘hip hop’ diplomacy in Pakistan Considered by many Pakistanis to be public enemy number one, the United States on Monday turned to the musical descendents of rap group Public Enemy in an attempt to counter its highly unpopular image in the south Asian nation, reported by Reuters.

As part of its cultural diplomacy program, the US embassy brought the FEW Collective, a hip-hop troupe from Chicago, to Islamabad, where they danced, rapped and recited poetry to a Westernized, educated elite audience of young Pakistanis.

The group’s 10-day trip is the latest by a number of musical acts sponsored by the US State Department as part of its American Festival of the Arts, a cultural program designed to promote exchanges between the people of the two countries.

“It gives a good impression,” said Atroz Abro, 20, who attended the show. “You rarely find such events in Pakistan…to pump up the youth by bringing something new.”

But FEW Collective has its work cut out. Only 12 per cent of Pakistanis have a favorable opinion of the United States, according to a July poll by the Pew Research

Center, while 73 per cent have an unfavorable opinion and 16 per cent don’t know.

These strong negative perceptions are often cited by the Pakistani military as one reason why Pakistan won’t tackle militants in its wild border regions.

Rampant anti-Americanism in Pakistan also allows the government to avoid making needed —but unpopular —economic reforms demanded by international lending agencies, which are widely seen as aligned with the United States.

The goal, said US assistant cultural attache Jamie Martin, is to show “that there’s another layer to the relationship. It’s not just government to government and military to military. It’s people to people.”

Such cultural events —which have included the Ari Roland jazz group and country-pop star Mary McBride —are part of a long-standing State Department tradition.

Jazz greats Dizzy Gillespie and Dave Brubeck toured Pakistan in the late 1950s as part of the programme. But as he discovered more of his heritage, he found common

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Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

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i n t e r n a t i o n a l

Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

Sudan rebels form alliance to oust president

Rebels in Sudan’s Darfur region and in the troubled border states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan have formed an alliance to overthrow the government of President Omar al-Bashir, a statement released by the rebels said. The alliance, called the Sudanese Revolutionary Front, is bent on “toppling the regime of the [Sudan’s ruling] National Congress Party with all possible means” and replacing it with a democratic system, the groups said in the joint statement sent to the Reuters news agency on Saturday. A joint military committee will be formed to co-ordinate military action against Khartoum, said the alliance, without elaborating. “This is a military and political alliance. We will co-ordinate fighting to end this government which wants no peace,” said Ibrahim el-Hilu, a spokesman for one faction of the Sudan Liberation

Army, a rebel group in Darfur. The declaration of war on Khartoum raised the prospect of more violence in the volatile areas.

It comes nearly a week after Bashir visited Kurmuk in Blue Nile after his troops seized the town from a branch of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army North (SPLA-N).

Analysts say the move signalled attempts at closer military co-ordination among various rebel groups left in Sudan after South Sudan seceded in July under a 2005 peace agreement with Khartoum. Khartoum has held several rounds of talks with rebels in the western region of Darfur to try to resolve the conflict, which began in 2003 after the main rebel group there - the Justice for Equality Movement - complained of marginalisation. While there has been no serious fighting in Darfur, where the UN maintains a peacekeeping mission, fight-

ing erupted between SPLA-N rebels and the Sudanese army in South Kordofan in June and spread to neighbouring Blue Nile state in September. Khartoum accuses South Sudan of arming fighters in the two states and has taken the matter to the UN Security Council, but South Sudan rejects the charges. The SPLA-N forces in Blue Nile and South Kordofan states served as the 9th and 10th divisions of the southern rebel forces called SPLA during the civil war between south and north, but the peace agreement placed the areas they fought for in the north. Many SPLA-N fighters’ uniforms still show the flag of the former rebel group that now governs South Sudan.

Obaid Murawah, a spokesman for the Sudanese foreign ministry, told Al Jazeera that the country was not looking for an excuse to invade its southern neighbour and

that it was battling rebels within its own borders. “Our [the government’s] point of view is that if anyone is seeking power they should do so through the election boxes,” he said. Analysts say the move may mean no immediate military threat to Bashir but could dash hopes of a political solution to end insurgencies in Darfur and southern border regions.

Source: Al-Jazeera

Doubt cast over glowing Afghan survey A US-funded survey in Afghanistan says that 73 per cent of the population is satisfied with the government’s performance, a claim which leaders and analysts have disputed as being far from reality. The survey, published by Asia Foundation, a US-based nonprofit with more than a dozen offices across Asia, also said that nearly half of Afghans think their country is moving in the right direction. But the number of those who believe the country is moving in the wrong direction has risen to 35 per cent, its highest level since polling began in 2004. Positive reponse to the performance of provincial governments is reported even higher, at 80 per cent. Parliamentarians, officials and analysts said generally positive findings do not reflect realities on the ground. Despite progress in certain areas, such as education and healthcare, President Hamid Karzai’s government continues to be marred by corruption and insecurity, among other problems.

A messy dispute over a parliamentary election rife with fraud also continues to stall legislation, a year after the vote. Even government officials were surprised by the survey’s figures.

“This is bigger than a white lie,” said Ramazan Bashardost, a member of parliament and former presidential candidate from Kabul. “Even Karzai himself is not happy with his government, and the poor guy often complains to the media about the problems.” “It [the survey] seems part of the illusionweaving to get out of here, but reports like this are actually dangerous for us, and for the US security interests.” The survey, which cost about $300,000, was funded by a grant from the US Agency for International Development (USAID), and has a large audience of policymakers in the Afghan government and the international community.

It comes as Afghanistan prepares for a second round of security “handovers”, in which Afghans take over responsibilities from foreign forces ahead of the 2014 withdrawal date of international troops. President Karzai is expected

to announce that 17 provinces will be transitioned. Seven areas completed the process in the first round, in July.

Some, like Kandahar MP Abdul Rahim Ayoubi, say the lack of a better alternative could be a factor in the high positive response to the government. Over the past couple of decades, Afghans have seen a worsening trend, they fear for the worst, he said. Shaharzad Akbar, a partner with QARA Constulting, an Afghan public affairs firm, said the poll’s high figures could be a result of who was picked for the interviews, and how the questions were framed. Her firm has worked extensively in gauging public opinion for government and nongovernment clients. Random sampling, the method employed by the survey, is also tricky in places like Afghanistan, she said. The country lacks the population data - both at local and national level - that planners need in order to make sure the different demographics are reflected in the samplings. But Dr Bruce Tolentino, the Asia Foundation’s country representative in Afghanistan, said the survey was held to rigorous standards of research. “The opinions of those living in highly insecure areas are likely to be underrepresented in survey findings,” he said. But the survey’s findings also seem at odds with an internal study recently conducted by the Afghan government over concerns that poor governance could be fuelling discontent and armed resistance.

“Corruption, violation of laws, and our government’s inability in implementing the law across the country are all shortcomings that undoubtedly cause discontent,” Rangin Dadfar Spanta, Karzai’s national security adviser, said in October after the study was completed. Last week, a Gallup poll showed that the percentage of those “suffering” had increased to 30 per cent in Afghanistan, up by seven per cent from the previous year. Government officials also expressed their surprise at the Asia Foundation’s findings.

Source: Al-Jazeera

Kuwait : Continued from pg 1 about 16 MPs in the 50-member parliament received about $350 million (259 million euros) in bribes. The opposition has been leading a campaign to oust the premier, whom they accuse of failing to run the wealthy nation and fight

Deadly accident at illegal Chinese mine Source: At least 21 miners killed and 22 others still trapped following gas leak at unlicensed coal mine in southwest China

Iran taking military strike threat seriously: official Iran is taking seriously the reported threat of a military strike against its nuclear facilities, a senior Iranian official said Tuesday while insisting that any such action would be “very silly.” With tensions again rising over Iran’s nuclear program, Mohammad Javad Larijani, a senior advisor to supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and head of the government’s human rights council, insisted his country

would never give up its right to acquire nuclear technology. Questioned about reported threats of a military strike, Larijani told reporters: “No threat to Iran is taken superficially by the people in charge. We are fully prepared to confront any challenge. And to attack Iran may not be very difficult.” Military strikes would be “very silly,” Larijani added on the sidelines of a visit to the United Nations. He

corruption, which has become wide-spread. Earlier on Wednesday, about 20 opposition lawmakers boycotted a parliamentary session, a day after the government and its supporters succeeded in rejecting a bid by the opposition to quiz the premier over allegations of corruption. After the rejection, three opposition MPs filed a fresh request to

also referred to the killing of Iranian nuclear scientists which the Islamic state has blamed on Israel and the United States. “If you kill two scientists there are hundreds more, if you hit one place then another one will be built,” he said. “We are very proud that we know this technology and science. We are very proud that we are number one in the region.

Nobody can deprive Iran of this capability,” he declared. Larijani repeated accusations that Israel “with the cooperation of the United States” was behind the killings in January 2010 and November last year of two Iranian nuclear scientists. He was also asked about an explosion on Saturday at a military base near Tehran in which a top missile expert was killed. Larijani said first signs indicated “an accident” but that an investigation was underway. The International Atomic Energy Agency board of governors’ meets in Vienna on Thursday and Friday, and western powers want a resolution condemning Iran over a new report on its nuclear drive. The United States and its European allies accuse Iran of seeking a nuclear bomb. Tehran denies the charge. Reports that Israel or another nation could launch a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities have stoked the tensions.

Source: AFP

question Sheikh Nasser over allegations of graft involving MPs and illegal overseas money transfers. The premier, 71, has been a target of opposition criticism since he was appointed to the job in February 2006, forcing him to resign six times. Parliament has also been dissolved three times in the same period. Source: AFP

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c a n a d a

Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

Occupy Vancouver, bike lanes not main election issues: poll

Designated bike lanes and the Occupy Vancouver protest may not be the hot-button election issues that incumbent Mayor Gregor Robertson’s political op-

ponents hope they are, according to a new poll. The handling of Occupy Vancouver was identified as a “very important” or “moderately important” issue by 70 per cent of respondents in the Angus Reid poll, while public safety, sanitation services and overall quality of life were each identified as important by at least 90 per cent.

“The whole Occupy Vancouver issue has been gaining prominence, but it’s not really the most important issue for people in B.C.,” said pollster Mario Canseco.

Public opinion of the Vancouver Occupy encampment continues to decline, however, with 64 per cent of those polled declaring an unfavourable view of the protest.

Only 29 per cent supported Occupy, and just 15 per cent said the protest should be able to continue indefinitely.

But six issues garnered more attention in the Angus Reid poll, which surveyed 402 adults in Vancouver from Nov. 9-10. Protecting the environment was identified as important by 87 per cent of respondents, while 83 per cent pointed to homelessness and 74 per cent said it was important to help small businesses. Bike

lanes and backyard chicken coops were only identified as important to 39 and 17 per cent of respondents, respectively -- and Canseco said most of the people griping about bike lanes won’t be voting in Vancouver’s election. “They’re driving from North Vancouver, they’re driving from West Vancouver,” Canseco said. “[Vancouver voters] are going to be deciding the election, and those voters are not particularly dismayed with the situation with the bike lanes.” Sixty-two per cent of respondents said the current municipal government had done a “good job” or “very good job” with the lanes.

Forty-five per cent said the same about chicken coops. Respondents were also asked to select words to describe Robertson and his Non-Partisan Association rival, Suzanne Anton. The best traits attributed to Robertson were intelligence (43 per cent), being down to earth (30 per cent) and compassion (28 per cent). He was also described as arrogant (32 per cent), out of touch (30 per cent) and inefficient (27 per cent). Anton was most favourably described as intelligent (27 per cent) and strong (20 per cent). She was also found to be arrogant (32 per cent), out of touch (30 per cent), boring (23 per cent) and uncaring (18 per cent) -- but Canseco insists that doesn’t mean she’s not a contender. “People over the age of 55 seem to look at Suzanne Anton in a much more positive light,” Canseco said. “That is the group that votes the most in municipal elections.” Forty-seven per cent said they wanted Robertson as mayor ether with a Vision Vancouver council or not. Twenty-seven said they preferred an Anton-led municipal government, with or without a Non-Partisan Association council. The online poll claims a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 per cent.

Source: CTV News

Watts pledges centres for at-risk youth, focus on causes of crime A Surrey First council would provide child advocacy and recreation facilities for at-risk youth as part of an attempt to make the city one of the safest in Canada, Mayor Dianne Watts said Thursday. The slate, which released its platform Thursday, also aims to boost the RCMP’s street presence by 30 officers, add 12 firefighters, and establish a community court. “It’s getting to the root cause of crime. There’s always an opportunity for more police, but it’s got to come from the roots ... with early child education, getting kids engaged in the community and in sports,” Watts said. “If you were ever to change behaviour, you really have to start very young. There’s so much research on that; it’s where you effect change.” Youth are a big focus of the slate’s three-pronged platform, with a child advocacy centre - where youth under 16 can seek help in dealing with abuse - expected to be “ready to go” by February, Watts said. The slate also pledges to expand Surrey’s job base, with a new arts facility in south Surrey, 50-metre pools for Guildford and south Surrey, and an expansion of the Fraser Surrey Docks to create about 800 jobs, and to increase transit options. Watts on Thursday appeared to be gaining momentum in her push for light rail with a letter this week from Transportation Minister Blair Lekstrom, who said the province is “examining the use of LRT as well as the potential for bus rapid transit and SkyTrain technology to provide frequent, fast, reliable services to communities south of the Fraser.” Watts, who has long advocated for light rail for Surrey, said

Pakistan: Continued from pg 3 reporters at a meeting on regional security.

“We need to change our mindset if we really wish to reap the benefits of mutual cooperation,” he said.

Business leader Hashwani said the army was on board this time. “Contrary to popular belief, the Pakistan army has been tacitly supportive of a good relationship with India,” he said.

He called on the two countries’ leaders to make the

Lekstrom’s letter is “both an acknowledgment of our issues and a sign that transportation in Surrey will be improving for the future.” “It will allow us to shape our communities and connect our town centres, while at the same time increasing economic development in our city,” Watts said in a statement. Watts, who would like to see a range of transit options in Surrey, argues light rail is “an effective and efficient form of transportation,” and, along with streetcars, would complement the existing SkyTrain and buses. Surrey is already investigating three light rail routes: 104th Avenue between 152nd Street and City Centre (near the Surrey Central SkyTrain); King George Highway from City Centre to Newton (and eventually South Surrey); and Fraser Highway between City Centre and Langley. Langley City Mayor Peter Fassbender said an LRT is the way to go south of the Fraser because more infrastructure can be built for less. He expects planning could begin on an LRT route as early as next year. TransLink, which had tentatively proposed building a six-kilometre SkyTrain from City Centre to Guildford, has estimated the cost of light rail at $27 million per kilometre, compared to $127 million per kilometre for the Evergreen Line and $233 million for the UBC/Broadway line. The Canada Line, linking Vancouver and Richmond, cost $2 billion to build, while the Evergreen Line is set at $1.4 billion.

“It’s a significant win for us,” Fassbender said.

Source: Vancouver Sun most of the current goodwill between the nations.

“It is very important, as the Chinese say, to cross the river by feeling the pebbles under both your feet,” he said.

The rapprochement is “a game-changer” if it works, a senior US official in Islamabad recently said. “It’s going the right way. And they’ve made more progress than many expected.”

Voter turnout at early polls shatters record

Advance turnout for this year’s civic election is surpassing any in history, indicating there may be a huge number of voters coming out to the polls on general voting day, Nov. 19. In the early voting opportunities, in the last week, 6,489 people cast ballots.

That almost doubles the 3,700 voters who showed up during week-long advance polls three years ago, and even eclipses the 4,900 who took early voting opportunities during the 2005 mayoral slug-fest between Dianne Watts and Doug McCallum.

In fact, it’s a greater number than have ever come out to the early polling stations, city staff say. In Delta, 2,403 people came out to the three early voting days, greater than the 2,090 three years ago and the 2,269 in the by-election last year. However, Surrey was extremely strong. Describing action at the advanced polls as brisk and steady, city staff are excited by the high turnout, which represents 2.32 per cent of registered voters, bringing this city the third best percentage in history. In 1980, four per cent of the registered voters showed up to the early polls. All of this could be a harbinger of what is to come on election day. In 2005, 35.4 per cent of registered voters came out to cast their ballots on election day. If the turnout passes that, it will be the greatest showing in more than 20 years (37.95 per cent of voters participated in 1990). Several factors could be at play to explain the high turnout at advance polls, including an effective advertising campaign by the city letting people know of the early voting, along with a dynamic competition for mayor, council and school board, where significant issues are being raised that are engaging voters. It also indicates there’s effective get-out-the-vote machines in two party camps, both in Surrey First and the Surrey Civic Coalition. Surrey is electing eight councillors and a mayor as well as six trustees on Saturday, Nov. 19 Source: BC Local News

Syria : Continued from pg 1 a member of his family.” Both men are tainted by the association with the regime of Assad’s late father strongman Hafez al-Assad, and their movements are not seen as truly representative of the eight-month old revolt on the streets of Syria. But their decision to speak out could mark a turning point, coming as the Arab League votes to suspend Syria, King Abdullah of neighbouring Jordan calls on Assad to stand down and opposition forces step up armed attacks. “Rifaat al-Assad unsettles the Alawite community in power and Bashar al-Assad’s family,” said Joseph Bahout, a researcher at the Institute of Political Studies in Paris.

But exiled leaders -- who once held the highest posts in Hafez al-Assad’s governments -- have considerable financial means and networks of contacts in their homeland and Rifaat al-Assad tried to lead a coup in 1983. “Some Western intelligence agencies calculate that Rifaat could be a vector for an uprising in key military units,” Bahout said. Khaddam was a long term ally of Hafez alAssad, serving as his foreign minister, deputy prime minister and vice president, and was a leading figure in the ruling Baath Party, one of the pillars of the regime, until 2005. Rifaat al-Assad was Hafez’ younger brother and commanded his feared internal security forces. He is accused of overseeing the 1982 massacre of between 10,000 and 25,000 civilians in the town of Hama. As former regime apparatchiks, both men have little credibility with the larger opposition movements that are attempting to direct the revolution.”These people are largely discredited in Syria. They are burdened with very weighty pasts. The opposition sees them as millstones around its neck,” said Karim Emile Bitar of the Institute of International and Strategic Relations. Bahout warned the new parties could create new rifts in the opposition, and the return of Khaddam and Rifaat could be exploited by Assad “who could say that the people who are against him have no credibility.”

Source: AFP

US : Continued from pg 3 themes between American and Pakistani musical forms.

“I see a trajectory between even traditional qawwali music and hip hop,” he said.

Qawwali is a beloved Pakistani musical form characterised by complex vocalisations and improvisation. One of its most talented artists, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, was an international sensation until his death in 1997. Other members see their purpose in Pakistan as not only representing the United States, but empowering young Pakistanis to find their own voices.

Mahmud Ali Durrani, a former ambassador to the United States, said of the embassy’s efforts: “I think it has a real value, particularly when the level of mistrust is so high. But it has to be sustained and it has to be expanded.”

7

e d i t o r i a l

Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

OBLIGATION OF ELECTION PARTICIPATION The rising political temperature ahead of November19th civic election in the municipalities of British Columbia are the source of excitement of course.

With the political wrangling already getting red hot, many people are desperately contesting to grab the mayoral position.

And, there are number of candidates trying to win against available positions for the office of councillorship, while many candidates are struggling for the school trustees.

As the race is interesting one, the local citizens must feel free to go ahead and vote for their favourite contestants for next three year tenure.

Taking an active part in the democratic process is duty of every eligible voter. Ignoring the important process and the obligated participation therein would be of great disadvantage to the local citizens. Exercising the right of vote means electing those who have a clean past record with integrity.

However, “not voting” means missing out the extremely important opportunity to effectively voice your opinion about the right candidate.

In fact, the political process has been designed in a way, where voting connects the voters with each other, so that the candidates with majority votes are chosen to look after the official duties.

Furthermore, just a simple act of marking ballot tells our leaders exactly what we think about policy decisions that affect our lives.

Fair taxation, health care issues, the environment and numerous other issues are handled better, if competent people with

integrity are chosen at the time of election.

Moreover, through voting each citizen becomes politically aware of the democratic system, obligations and the advantages.

On the contrary, the citizen with “I don’t care” attitude actually encourages the opposite of “fair and impartial” election results; thus contributes negatively. And the level playing field is compromised again to the disadvantage of the local community.

It is clear that by not voting, the citizen is staying SILENT resulting in the loss of any right of voicing later to correct any misappropriation or administrative mishandling.

Disaster is when the incompetent politicians have already manipulated and taken advantage of the voters’ low turnout.

Publicity by the biased media becomes problematic, as it sends wrong signal resulting in adversely affecting a good candidate. Misinformation is unfair, as it would not help the public choose the right candidates for the right job. That will be waste of time and money – adding to the financial strain on all concerned.

It’s a bitter reality that some wrong elements in the media focus only on the negative actions of politicians, such as scandals, and ignore the “contribution” of such good candidates. Such a biased attitude is dangerous enough to turn the voters off.

And, there are always many students who are of the opinion that keeping up with election coverage is a waste of time for a variety of reasons, the most popular being that students never see the benefits of any election outcome. Here media has to play a positive role. Nevertheless, having

L E T T E R S

&

suggests that it has found “ credible “ information that Iran had achieved the capability to develop a nuclear warhead. The report however did not find any evidence that By: Ijaz Ahmed Chatha the country had actually decided to build a SCC Trustee Candidate for Surrey Board Education bomb.

Respected community members, The credibility of this report has been I would like to thank you all for giving me called into question by the Iranian Judiciary mandate in the previous election to serve you Chief Ayatollah Larijani who was quoted as a Surrey school trustee. It gives me great as saying that the Report had been released pride by saying that I have preserved the under the US influence. The authors of trust of the residents of Surrey I have taken the report had been meeting with the US my responsibilities with complete honesty officials one week before the release of the and passion, knowing that any decision taken report.

This activity does not instill an air of is bound to affect the life of an individual or impartiality.

The optics are certainly biased. of an entire family.

The Americans have stockpiles of weapNovember 19 is just around the corner, and ons of mass destruction but have chosen to once again I would like to request all of you, introduce themselves as the advocates of please consider my name as your best choice human rights. on the ballot paper as you head out to the It is so unfortunate and insincere to focus polling stations. Once again I am in need of on Iran nuclear program, which is still in your support in order to secure our representation on the Surrey Board of Education. You the embryonic stage, while Israel has many will find me loyal, trustworthy and commitnuclear warheads supplied by the US. Why ted to the issues.It may be more convenient is it that the atom bombs held by several for you to cast your vote in the advance nations of the world including Israel do not voting days, rather than waiting until the last ‘threaten’ the world peace. When it comes date of November the 19th. to Iran possessing a nuclear warhead, the whole world peace is in danger?. The Iran ambassador to IAEA, Ali Asghar Soltanieh reiterated that there was no nuclear weapons program. Sanctions against Iran ( which By: Zaheer Ali Manki does not have a nuclear weapon ) are just a A new International Atomic Energy Agency shameless & bullying exercise. If owning a ( IAEA ) reports on Iran’s nuclear program bomb is reason to put sanctions on a nation,

Municipal Election November 19th

Nuclear Program of Iran

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been inspired by late Jack Layton, a large number of Canadian youth jumped into the arena of politics, the younger voters still need encouragement to get involved with the political process at all levels by joining the political institutions.

As no immediate fruits of such participation are seen, so many citizens are not convinced enough. The government must take some steps to educate the student community to enhance their sense of civic responsibility that would encourage the youth to get out and vote.

Clearly, by not voting, we actually break the connection between individual Canadians and their community. A democratic community can only survive if its citizens participate in the political process under all circumstances. And, this electoral process connects us to one another as citizens, as well as by expressing our opinion we actually help maintain our democratic order.

Certainly, the democracy would be dead if no one comes out to vote. Therefore, a democracy by its very nature needs the participation of the people, otherwise there is no democracy. Therefore, it’s of extreme importance to make your voice heard through casting a ballot for the candidate of your independent choice.

Not voting clearly equals nothing but “stupid silence” allowing the crooks to grab positions of political importance. A crook and incompetent person should never be allowed to serve the community. Yet, in the absence of voicing your opinion through polls, there is your silence which becomes a contributory negligence as the right

people for the right job couldn’t have been elected; thus, depriving the community of competent office holders.

Now, you can’t complain about what you already have allowed by not showing up.

A vote was your voice, which you lost by ignoring your own legal right of voting.

Agreement or disagreement is immaterial after it’s all over.

Also, voting is a responsibility and a duty. It also gives you power, because you become involved as a participant. It’s encouraging to note that even the “chamber of commerce” demands municipal voting rights be extended to businesses.

Without the vote, according to Chamber CEO John Winter, his commercial constituents have shouldered an “unfair tax burden.”

Most importantly, there is absolutely no excuse for not voting, as a lot of flexibility is available to facilitate the potential voter.

As there is always a big price tag attached - to carry out the democratic process aimed at selecting the federal, provincial or city’s political representatives, the tax payers must think twice before voting for the wrong person or staying silent by not taking part at all in the political process during election time.

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

O P I N I O N S impose sanctions against Israel. This will definitely eliminate the animosity against the US in the Muslim world. The American foreign policies against the Muslim Nations are immoral, lopsided and insane.

‘In Defence of Pure-Raw Milk’& Campaign for the Dairy Farmer Mr. Michael Schmidt’ By: G.Aalani Human Rights Activist There is no danger in drinking Raw Milk, or rather un-pasteurized Milk. I can vouch about it and prove it. We millions of East Africans are the living proof for the safety of ‘Raw Milk’.

I am an Indian African and for centuries we the whole of African world drank Organic Milk coming straight from Cows sold to us by the African farmers; who didn’t even have any knowledge of today’s technology, yet provided us with natural delicious creamy Raw Milk Consequently, we never needed to question them the hygienic principles of sanitary, and cleanliness, as we never got sick drinking un-pasteurized Milk.

Though, we followed one important rule of boiling it as soon as we received it, as we

didn’t have the ‘Fridge’ in early days. Even after we got the fridge we still boiled it first and then stored it.

Although, many of us drank it raw, but never got sick or had any kind of health problems, as the Cows and Goats were fed with normal food of pure Grass unlike today’s Cows are fed with anti-Biotic and other chemicals mixed in their feed, which makes it more health hazardous, but still not as dangerous as Cigarette smoke or Alcohol, which is proven health hazard killing many, yet it is legal.

As a living proof of ‘safety of Raw Milk’, I urge Mr. Schmidt to finish his fasting, (hunger strike) as he has the living truth to support him, as well as the Divine Revelation about the purity of Milk ( Quran 16:66): and since the Biblical time, in pre-Islamic period up to the present time people still drink the Raw Milk in Africa and other third world countries.

Let us pray for the positive outcome, InshaaAllah-God willing.

IMPORTANT NOTE: We do not publish anonymous letters or the letters of the people who do not disclose their identity to ‘The Miracle.’ A writer can use a pen name or request ‘The Miracle’ to withhold his / her identity.

Please include your daytime telephone number for the confirmation of your letter. We regret the inconvenience.

Editorial Board : Mr.Shums Jillani, Mr Aslam Hayat, Azhar Syed, Mr. Shams Siddiqui, M.A.L. Naumani, Mr Tariq Main Graphic Design: Design Teams Copyright ® 2001 Miracle Media Group Inc. All Rights Reserved Printed in Canada

Attention: The opinions expressed herein contain positions and viewpoints that are not necessarily those of ‘The Miracle’. These are offered as a means for ‘The Miracle’ to stimulate dialogue and discussion in our continuing mission of ‘Bringing Harmony To All The Communities.’

Phone: 604-690-0400 -Email: miraclenews@telus.net, info@miraclenews.com ,Website: www.miraclenews.com

Contents Editorial & Letters Int. News Local Articles Interview Faith Politics Lifestyle Health Sports Classified /Cont.

Urdu 6,7 4, ,5 10,11,13-16 12 16, 26 8, 10 15, 16 25 28 -29-37

8

f a i t h

Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

The Beginning of Hijrah

By Aelfwine Mischler Although Muslims do not actually celebrate the Muslim new year in the way other people celebrate their respective new year, the first day of the lunar month of Muharram is a legal holiday in many Muslim countries.

The Islamic calendar is counted from the year of Prophet Muhammad’s flight from Makkah to Madinah in September 622 CE, known as the Hijrah (or hegira in English from Latin from Arabic). This journey is one of the most important events in Islamic history.

The early Muslims in Makkah were harshly persecuted and tortured by the ruling pagan Quraysh tribe. The Muslims were few in number and many of them were slaves.

With no power to repel their persecutors, they could only wait patiently until Allah (God) opened a way for them.

In the twelfth year of the Prophet’s mission, 12 men from the city of Yathrib (later to be known as Madinah) came to Makkah during the Hajj season and met with Muhammad at Al-`Aqabah. Having heard of his mission, they became Muslim and pledged their faith in the first covenant of Al-`Aqabah.

The Prophet sent Mus`ab ibn `Umayr back to Yathrib with them to teach them the religion. Mus`ab succeeded in converting many of the people of Yathrib to Islam. The following year, in June 622 CE, 73 men and 2 women from Yathrib came to the Prophet during the Hajj and pledged allegiance to him in the second covenant of Al-`Aqabah.

They promised to protect him and help the Muslims of Makkah to resettle in their city.

This delegation was the core of what came to be known as Al-Ansar, the Helpers, the

Muslims who were natives of Yathrib, later known as Al-Madinah Al-Munawwara— the Illuminated City—or Madinah. The Muslims gradually left Makkah a few at a time so as not to attract the attention of the Quraysh. Eventually the Quraysh realized what was happening and tried to stop many of them from leaving. History tells many stories of these men and women who gave up their homes, wealth, and families to be able to freely practice their religion in Madinah.

Only after several months did Allah grant the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) permission to leave Makkah. Shortly before his departure, Jibreel (Angel Gabriel) told Muhammad that the Quraysh had devised a plot to stab him while he was sleeping. On the night of the planned assassination, his cousin `Ali ibn Abi Talib slept in Muhammad’s bed while the latter escaped with his friend Abu Bakr As-Siddiq to a cave south of Makkah, opposite the direction to Madinah. Fortunately for `Ali, the assassins looked at his face before stabbing him and left him alone when they realized they had been outwitted.

Muhammad and Abu Bakr hid in the cave for three days while the Quraysh searched all around Makkah. At one point, their enemies were only a few feet away outside the cave, but Allah protected them by simple everyday “miracles.” A spider spun its web across the mouth of the cave, pigeons nested and laid eggs in front of it, and the branches of a small tree blocked it. Thus the pursuers assumed no one had entered the cave recently and did not search it.

The two then made their way, led by a

pagan guide, to Madinah via a coastal route to throw off the pursuit. When they finally arrived in Madinah, Muhammad let his camel wander where it willed until it sat in one place. The owners of the land where the camel sat were paid, and the Prophet’s mosque and living quarters were built on the site while the Prophet and Abu Bakr lived as guests of the Ansar.

The Hijrah, at last, gave the Muslims a place where they could openly declare their Islam and worship in peace. It was the beginning of the Islamic state. The Qur’anic verses revealed in Makkah had dealt mainly with the nature of Allah and man’s relationship to Him. In Makkah, there had been very few households in which all of the members were Muslims. At the time, Islam appeared to be concerned only with the individual and the hereafter. In contrast, the verses revealed in Madinah dealt more with man’s relationships with others—the social, political, and economic aspects of Islam that could not be developed under persecution.

The Hijrah was also significant for the unselfish brotherhood demonstrated by the Ansar towards the Muhajirun (immigrants from Makkah). The Ansar were not wealthy, yet they took in the Muhajirun, shared their food and homes with them, and helped to establish them in trade or work. Further, the Ansar were well aware that by doing so they were challenging the Quraysh and all the pagan tribes of the whole Arabian Peninsula . Indeed, the pagans did launch several battles in an attempt to snuff out the nascent Muslim state. But the Ansar remained faithful followers of the Prophet

Volume 3, Book 48, Number 810: Narrated Anas:

A funeral procession passed in front of the Prophet and the people praised the deceased. The Prophet said, “It has been affirmed (Paradise).” Then another funeral procession passed by and the people talked badly of the deceased. The Prophet said, “It has been affirmed (Hell).”

Allah’s Apostle was asked, “O Allah’s Apostle! You said it has been affirmed for both?” The Prophet said, “The testimony of the people (is accepted), (for) the believer are Allah’s witnesses on the earth.”

(peace and blessings be upon him) and were always loved and praised by him.

It was the second caliph, `Umar ibn AlKhattab, who chose the year of Hijrah to be the starting point of the Muslim calendar.

Before that, each province marked the years as the nth year in the reign of so-and-so, or the year when such-and-such happened. `Umar standardized the chronology, and it is significant that he chose the Hijrah— rather than the birth or death of Muhammad or the first revelation of the Qur’an—as the starting point. The Hijrah was the beginning of Islam as a complete way of life affecting all aspects of Man’s existence.

The Journey of Life

The Eternal, Living Reality The Qur’an is the word of the Ever-living God; it has been sent down to guide man for all times to come. No book can be like it. As you come to the Qur’an, Allah speaks to you. To read the Qur’an is to hear Him, even to converse with Him, and to walk in His ways. It is the encounter of life with the Life-giver. ‘God - there is no god but He, the Ever-living, the Self-subsisting (by whom all subsist). He has sent down upon you the Book with the Truth ... as a guidance unto mankind ...’ (Al ‘Imran 3: 2-3) For those who heard it for the first time from the lips of the Prophet, blessings and peace be on him, the Qur’an was a living reality. They had absolutely no doubt that, through him, Allah was speaking to them.

Their hearts and minds were therefore seized by it. Their eyes overflowed with tears and their bodies shivered. They found each word of it deeply relevant to their concerns and experiences, and integrated it fully into their lives. They were completely transformed by it both as individuals and as a corporate body - into a totally new, alive and life-giving entity. Those who grazed sheep, herded camels and traded petty merchandise became the leaders of mankind.

Today we have the same Qur’an with us.

Millions of copies of it are in circulation.

Day and night, it is ceaselessly recited. In homes, in mosques, and from pulpits. Voluminous exegetical works exist expounding its meaning. Words pour out incessantly to explain its teachings and to exhort us to live by it. Yet eyes remain dry, hearts remain unmoved, minds remain untouched, lives remain unchanged. Ignominy and degradation appear to have become the lot of the followers of the Qur’an. Why? Because we no longer read the Qur’an as a living reality.

It is a sacred book, but it tells us something of the past only, concerning Muslims and Kafirs, Jews and Christians, the faithful and the hypocrites, who ‘once upon a time used

to be’.

Can the Qur’an, again, be a living, relevant force, as powerful for us now, 1400 years away, as it was then? This is the most crucial question that we must answer if we wish to shape our destiny afresh under the guidance of the Qur’an.

There appear, however, to be some difficulties. Not least of which has to do with the fact that the Qur’an was revealed at a certain point in time. Since then we have traveled a long way, made gigantic leaps in technological know-how, and seen considerable social changes take place in human society. Moreover, most of the followers of the Qur’an today do not know Arabic, and many who do have, little idea of the ‘living’ language of the Qur’an. They cannot be expected to absorb its idiom and metaphor, so essential to exploring and absorbing the depths of the Qur’anic meaning.

Yet its guidance, by its own claim, has an eternal relevance for all people, being the word of the Eternal God. For the truth of this claim, it seems to me, it must be possible for us to receive, experience, and understand the Qur’an as its first recipients did, at least in some measure and to some degree. We seem to almost have a right to this possibility of receiving God’s guidance in its fullness and with all its riches and joys. In other words, despite the historical incidence of the revelation in a particular language at a particular time and place, we should be capable of receiving the Qur’an now (because its message is eternal), capable of making its message as much a real part of our lives as it was for the first believers and with the same urgent and profound relevance for all our present concerns and experiences.

But how do we do this? To put it very forthrightly, only by entering the world of the Qur’an as if Allah were speaking to us through it now and today, and by fulfilling the necessary conditions for such an

Begins on Nov 26 encounter.

Firstly, then, we must realize what the Qur’an as the word of God is and means to us, and bring all the reverence, love, longing, and will to act that this realization demands. Secondly, we must read it as it asks to be read, as Allah’s Messenger instructed us, as he and his Companions read it. Thirdly, we must bring each word of the Qur’an to bear upon our own realities and concerns by transcending the barriers of time, culture and change.

For its first addressees, the Qur’an was a contemporary event. Its language and style, its eloquence and rationale, its idiom and metaphor, its symbols and parables, its moments and events were all rooted in their own setting. These people were both witnesses to and, in a sense, participants in the whole act of revelation as it unfolded over a period of their own time. We do not have the same privilege; yet, in some measure, the same ought to be true for us.

By understanding and obeying the Qur’an in our own setting, we will find it, as far as possible, as much a contemporary event for ourselves as it was then. For the essence of man has not changed; it is immutable. Only man’s externalities—the forms, the modes, the technologies - have changed. The pagans of Mecca may be no more, nor the Jews of Yathrib, nor the Christians of Najran, nor even the ‘faithful’ and the ‘unfaithful’ of the community at Madina; but the same characters exist all around us. We are human beings exactly as the first recipients were, even though many find it extremely difficult to grapple with the deep implications of this very simple truth. Once you realize these truths and follow them, once you come to the Qur’an as the first believers did, it may reveal to you as it did to them, make partners of you as it did of them. And only then, instead of being a mere revered book,

a sacred fossil, or a source of magic-like blessing, it will change into a mighty force, impinging, stirring, moving and guiding us to deeper and higher achievements, just as it did before.

The New World that Awaits You As you come to the Qur’an, you come to a new world. No other venture in your life can be so momentous and crucial, so blissful and rewarding, as your journey to and through the Qur’an. It is a journey that will take you through the endless joys and riches of the words that your Creator and Lord has sent to you and all mankind. Here you will find a world of untold treasures of knowledge and wisdom to guide you on the pathways of life, to mould your thoughts and actions. In it you will find deep insights to enrich you and steer you along the right course. From it you will receive a radiant light to illumine the deeper reaches of your soul. Here you will encounter profound emotions, a warmth to melt your heart and bring tears running down your cheeks.

It is crucial for you because, as you travel through the Qur’an, at every step you will be summoned to choose, and to commit to Allah. To read the Qur’an is nothing less than to live the Qur’an willingly, sincerely, devotedly, and totally. The outcome of your entire life depends on how you heed the call given by God. The journey is therefore decisive for your existence, for mankind, for the future of human civilization.A hundred new worlds lie in its verses. Whole centuries are involved in its moments.

Know, then, that it is the Qur’an, and only the Qur’an, which can lead you on and on to success and glory in this-world and in the world-to-come.

Excerpted and adapted from the book “Way to the Quran” by Khurram Murad

9

Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

Miracle Media Group Presents

Miracle Memorization of Quran Pride of Performance Awards On Saturday, November 26th, 2011 at 5:00 pm At Afghan Chopan Restaurant & Banquet Hall, York Centre Surrey

FREE ADMI SSIO (Limi **COMPETITION OPEN TO HUFFAZ ONLY** - No limit on age or gender.

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Booking by email on First come first serve Program will InshaAllah begin with Welcoming of Hajjaj e Karam of 1432 H (2011).

Dates for Preliminary selection rounds and further details will be announced in the next edition.

The main purpose of this religious program is to promote interest in memorization of Holy Quran and role of Huffaz Karam in our community.

Main Sponsor: Afghan Chopan Restaurant and Banquet Hall Other Sponsors: - Aisha Islamic Books and Crafts Centre - Bullay Shah Academy of Canada, Falcon Travel, Galaxy Travel

Please contact us if you wan to be a sponsor.

For registration and information: naseer @telus.net, Ph : 604-690-0400

10

Election Exclusive

Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

Important dates in the history of Vancouver’s election system

1872 - Newly entered into Confederation, British Columbia’s legislature enacts the Municipal Act, which governs all B.C. Municipalities to date except Vancouver.

1886 - April 6: City of Vancouver incorporated under a private bill in the legislature called the Vancouver Incorporation Act (revised and renamed the Vancouver Charter in 1953).

May 3: First municipal election held at large. Council passes By-law 3, creating five wards electing two aldermen each. Mayor is elected at large. Terms are one year.

1904 - Number of wards increased to six.

1910 - Plebiscite held on whether some aldermen to be elected at large. Rejected by voters.

1911 - Number of wards increased to eight with annexation of Hastings Suburban Lands and District Lot 301.

1916 - Number of alderman elected per ward reduced from two to one, for total of eight. Ward residency requirement for aldermen is eliminated.

1920 - Plebiscite establishes proportional representation in Vancouver.

1923 - Single-member ward system re-established by plebiscite.

1927 - Two-year terms and staggered elections introduced, with one-half of council standing for election each year.

1929 - Vancouver, South Vancouver and Point Grey amalgamated. Council increased from eight to twelve wards.

1935 - December 11: Plebiscite asks, “Are you in favour of abolishing the wards system?” Majority of 67.9 percent vote to switch to at-large system, reducing number of Council members from twelve to eight.

1936 - First at-large election for Vancouver City Council since the year of the City’s incorporation.

1953 - Vancouver Incorporation Act is revised and renamed the Vancouver Charter.

1956 - Council committee form of administration replaced with a Board of Administration, based on the City Manager form of municipal government found in many other North American cities. (The senior administrative officer of the city, the Commissioner of the Board of Administration, is renamed City Manager in 1974.)

Across BC general elections are held every three years for mayors, councillors, regional district electoral area directors, school board trustees and Islands Trust trustees pursuant to the BC Local Government Act (RSBS 1996 Chapter 323) Part 3 and 4. Candidates are voted in for a threeyear term. General voting day is always the third Saturday in November. This year, general voting day falls on November 19, 2011. Candidates are voted in for a threeyear term.

Voting is an important part of our democratic process. It is a chance, for every eligible person to influence the policies that affect our lives on a daily basis. With only a simple mark on a ballot, voting lets us decide who our representatives will be and what our future will look like. The right to vote is protected by Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms and is one of our country’s most cherished institutions.

B.C. was the first province in Canada to establish fixed election dates. Provincial general elections are to take place on the second Tuesday in May every four years.

The next provincial election is on May 14, 2013. Subsequent elections are scheduled to take place as follows: Voting eligibility requirements In order to vote in an election for an electoral district, an individual must: • be a Canadian citizen;

1957 - Council increased to ten aldermen, reflecting growth of the city.

1973 - Following public consultation on electoral reform, Council’s Community Development Committee recommends ward representation.

October 24: Plebiscite results in 58.8 percent vote to keep at-large system.

1978 - November 15: Plebiscite returns 51.5 percent in favour of wards.

1979 - April 23: Council appoints a commission to review the at-large/ward question and other issues of local governance.

November 29: The commission’s report recommends a system of five wards electing three aldermen each, with two elected by ward voters only and one by voters of the city as a whole. Ward boundaries to apply also to School and Park Boards and to provincial electoral districts. Few of the proposals are accepted by Council.

1981 - March: Council requests provincial government to change the Vancouver Charter to allow elections by wards.

The provincial government asks for more information, and a special committee of Council is created. The committee holds public meetings regarding wards across the city in early 1982.

1982 - April: Council votes to change Vancouver to a full ward system with ten wards each electing one alderman.

Decision-making on the exact ward boundaries is deferred until 1981 Census is available and until progress has been made in getting the government to amend the City Charter.

November 20: General election. Referendum result is 57 percent in favour of wards. 1983 Council adopts ward boundaries submitted to the provincial government in support of City’s request for change to the City Charter.

1987 - July: Vancouver Charter is amended to allow changes to electoral method. However, the amendment stipulates that such a change first requires a 60 percent majority of votes in a referendum. The Charter amendment requires the referendum question to specify the number of Council members to be elected, the boundaries of the wards, and number of Councillors per ward.

• be 18 years of age or older on General Voting Day for the election; • be a resident of the electoral district; • have been a resident of British Columbia for at least 6 months immediately before General Voting Day for the election; • be registered as a voter for the electoral district or register as such in conjunction with voting; and • not be disqualified by the Election Act or any other enactment from voting in the election or be otherwise disqualified by law.

Information for voters All of these officials are elected at-large for a three-year term• Voters will also decide whether to allow the City to borrow money for major construction projects (for example, re-build certain community centres, or extensive re-construction of water or sewer lines).

How to vote?

• If you received a “Where to Vote” card, bring it with you • An election official will check your name on the Voters List.

• If you are not registered on the Voters List, you will have to present two pieces of ID. You will be given a ballot, a special pen to mark the ballot, and a secrecy sleeve.

• Go to the voting booth and make your choices with the special pen provided. Follow the instructions on the ballot.

• Put your completed ballot in the secrecy sleeve provided, then walk over to the voting machine.

2008 High • The AccuVote automated voting machines were used in the five elections, and will be used for the 2011 election. They are accurate, simple to use, and can provide final election results within hours after the close of voting.

• Either you or a City election official will feed your ballot into the voting machine.

1988 - February: Council appoints Electoral Boundaries Commission to propose ward boundaries and recommend whether there should be separate referenda for the Park and School Boards.

August 25: Commission’s report proposes new boundaries for ten wards and two referendum questions which are approved by Council and included in the November municipal elections.

November 19: Referendum result is 56 percent in favour of ten-ward system. Wards not instituted since 60 percent majority was required to change the system.

1990 - Terms of City Council members increased from two to three years.

1993 - July 29: Provincial government’s Local Elections Reform Act amends the Vancouver Charter provisions dealing with municipal elections. Council may now pass a by-law to provide for all or some Councillors to be elected on a “neighborhood constituency basis” (i.e., by ward).

By-law must be approved by the provincial government and no longer requires a 60 percent majority by referendum.

1995 - November 14: Council formally votes to hold a 1996 referendum on the election system. A 60 percent majority will be required for any change to be instituted Source: http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/election_systems/chapter1.html

(It doesn’t matter which way the ballot is fed into the AccuVote -- the machine will read it properly from any direction).

• You’re done! That’s all there is to it.

• Now you can wait for the election results to come in after the polls close at 8

p.m. Watch this website for results starting around 8:30 p.m. on November 19. Unofficial results should be available around 10 p.m.

• Official election results will be available by 4 p.m. on November 23

Highlights of 2008 General Local Elections in major BC Cities Municipal elections were held in the Canadian province of British Columbia on November 15, 2008. First and Second highest Votes gainers

Election 2008 records lowest voter turnout in history • “In 2008, voter turnout at the Vancouver civic election was 31 per cent, This is the lowest it’s been in 50 years.”

Advance polls popular in B.C.’s biggest municipalities Advance polls are proving popular with voters in B.C.’s biggest municipalities this year, with line-ups reported at some locations. Vancouver had already surpassed the number of advance voters in the last municipal election. More than 10,700 residents had cast their ballots as of Monday night, according a City of Vancouver spokeswoman Wendy Stewart. This is up from a total of 9,578 advance voters in 2008. However, there are eight advance-polling dates this year compared with four in 2008, so Vancouver voters have more opportunities to cast their ballots early this time around. Advance polls were also busy in Surrey, where almost double the number of advance voters in 2008 cast their ballots early. Almost 6,500 people have already voted in that municipality, up from 3,775 in 2008.

The number of advance voters is not, however, a reliable indicator of voter turnout on election day. Several B.C. municipalities with high advance turnout in 2008, such as Langley, Abbotsford and Chilliwack, had average or below-average turnout on election day. Voter turnout across the province in 2008 was 23 per cent. In this BC civic election 2011, Surrey may exceed 35% turnout.

11

Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

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12

local

Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

`Diversity Reporter` celebrates Eid Mela at Dhaliwal Hall

On November 4, Urdu weekly Jang Canada & Diversity reporter organized a very successful Eid Mela at Dhaliwal Banquet Hall with the help of four businesswomen in clothes and crafts business. The Hall lighted up as hundreds turned up for the eve of Eid ul Adha Celebrations. Muslims families with their friends enjoyed the event till mid night.

More than 20 stalls of businesses were selling and promoting, fashion, jewellery, art & scriptures, henna painting etc.

Ethnic food stalls were another attraction where people indulged themselves into variety fast-food, pops, tea, green tea, Kashmiri tea etc along with live entertainment by musical bands. The event was hosted by Diversity reporter editor in chief Mr. Mohsen Abbass. He also drew many door

prizes at the stage from time to time.

Many community leaders and organizations were present along with distinguished MP Jinny Sims & Jasbir Sandhu, MLAs Sue Hammell, Bruce Ralston and Surrey Civic election candidates who took this opportunity and personally wished the attendees and all lower mainland residents “Eid ul Adha Mubarak�. Prizes sponsored by many business community members were given throughout the night to the attendees and the crowd kept buzzing till late hours of the night. Overall, this was a house-full event two nights before Eid ul Adha.

PICS to create a Surrey Interfaith Council

By Jasleen Kaur A session on creating a Surrey Interfaith Council was held in the City Central Library on 16th November 2011.This workshop was held by Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society, under their Interfaith Bridging initiative funded by EmbraceBC. This session was held in collaboration with David Dalley, Surrey Neighbouring Faiths Society, and Deidre Goudriaan, BC Healthy Communities.

The session focused on collaborative efforts by different faith groups, Community Serving Organizations and Multifaith groups to create a central body that will address faith needs in our community. After an invigorating talk by keynote speaker, Rebecca Tobias, North American Trustee for United Religions Initiative, the group proceeded on a discussion on the vision of a Surrey Interfaith Council and what will be the mandate of this council. The group discussed what some of the important faith issues in Surrey are and how they should be addressed. A lot of emphasis was laid on education and more collaborative efforts in neigh-

bourhoods. There was talk about opening new channels for dialogue and action. There was also emphasis laid on creating a sacred space where different faith groups could celebrate their special faith festivals and days for everyone in the community.

A consensus was reached that Surrey is a diverse and multicultural community and we need a committee to take a leadership role in addressing Faith Issues and also influence public policy.

The session was ended with concluding remarks by PICS CEO, Charan Gill. Gill emphasized on the need of having a structure for a council with a vision that is collective and progressive to each member no matter what faith they belong to. He also expressed that this council will have a powerful affect in ensuring a better and safer Surrey.

13

local

Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

MP Sims and Mayor Watts attend Eid Dinner by PCA

On Nov 13, The Pakistan Canada Association & Islamic Trust organized an annual Eid ul Adha celebration Dinner at Pakistan House Surrey.

Just after Aisha prayer, Mr. Raza Mirani (General Secretary of PCA) began the program as the MC. After welcoming and thanking everyone for attending, he called Master Shamim for recitation of Holy Quran. Afterwards Mr. Malik Arfan, President PCA spoke to the audience and updated everyone about Pakistan House.

Mr. Mirani invited the Surrey First team, who is seeking re-election under the leadership of Mayoral Candidate Dianne Watts with Tom Gill, Marvin Hunt, Barinder Rasode & Linda Hepner. Mayor Watts was the special guest for this event and she greeted the Pakistani Community on this occasion and infomed them about upcoming election.

At this celebration, MP Jinny Sims was also invited to the podium to speak abouot the occasion. She focused on sacrifice and referenced to sacrifice of Hzt Ibrahim (A.S) and Hzt Ismaeil (A.S) in her speech. She also promised that she will

take stand in House of Commons in Ottawa for issues affecting the Muslim community issues specially delay in process of immigration from Pakistan.

Mr. Ihsan Malik, Islamic Trust member was invited to the stage to provide a summary of Pakistan House including financial reports and deposits of the property Tax to the City of Surrey .He requested all Pakistani Community members to generously support for building and maintenance expenses of Pakistan House. SCC Surrey Board of Education candidate Mr. Laurence Greeff and independent Councillor candidate Judy Higginbotham also delivered their messages at this event along with Consul General of Pakistan Mr. Shuja Alam who shared his thoughts on Eid ul Adha and greeted all Pakistani Community.

The speeches were followed by performances of Punjabi Community artists with their Musical Band, alongside a delicious dinner catered by Mr. & Mrs .Mian Saeed of Kabob Palace, Surrey.

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14

l o c a l

Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

Mayor Dianne Watts calls Port Metro Vancouver to action

Nov 15, Surrey, B.C Mayor Dianne Watts and the Surrey First team are calling on Port Metro Vancouver to approve a minimum of an additional 1.3meters in dredging in the Fraser River, which will result in

over 1,300 jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars of economic activity.

“The Fraser River is a marine highway and we need to start treating it as such. Port Metro Vancouver, which includes several facilities along the Fraser River, is responsible for 47,700 family supporting jobs and $2.2 billion economic activity in the region,” says Mayor Watts. “For Surrey, the Port is responsible for 4,000 direct and indirect jobs and $220 million in wages annually. With a minimum of 1.3 meter dredging required, important local businesses, like Fraser Surrey Docks, will see significant expansion – up to 800 direct jobs, 500 direct trucking jobs and hundreds

Deepening Trade Leads to Jobs and Prosperity for Canadian Workers and Businesses November 15, Ottawa,- The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade and Minister for the Asia-Pacific Gateway welcomes the introduction of the Canada-Jordan Economic Growth and Prosperity Act and the Canada-Panama Economic Growth and Prosperity Act to implement free trade agreements with Jordan and Panama.

Minister Fast (at lectern) is joined by, from left to right: J. Hugh O’Donnell, Chairman of the Canada-Arab Business Council; Basheer F. Zoubi, Jordan’s Ambassador to Canada; Gerald Keddy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade, for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and for the Atlantic Gateway; the Honourable Maxime Bernier, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism); Francisco Carlo Escobar Pedreschi, Panama’s Ambassador to Canada; and Jayson Myers, President and CEO of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters

of millions of dollars in increased economic activity. Our city cannot wait any longer for the Port to move forward and do the dredging required to support the expansion of this industry. We are calling on Port Metro Vancouver to act now.”

Fraser Surrey Docks is the only regional port that has direct access to all major Northern American railways, truck access via the south Fraser Perimeter road, centralized proximity to all the major industrial parks and direct access to the second largest border crossing in the country.

“Fraser Surrey Docks is currently 70% underutilized,” says Surrey First Councillor and Vice-Chair of the Port Metro Van-

couver Board of Directors Linda Hepner.

“Fraser Surrey has the potential to more than double its economic activity and job growth over the next three years if Port Metro Vancouver continues ongoing maintenance dredging and approves a minimum of an additional 1.3 meter of increased depth over the key sections of the Fraser River. This needs to happen, and it needs to happen now.”

Surrey First is calling on the Port to move ahead immediately with the dredging and to develop a sustainable joint funding formula with stakeholders, including the ports located along the waterway and the federal government.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR ALL READERS The Miracle Media Group has been serving the community for almost 11 years. The management has kept and maintained newspaper boxes at the entrances of the Mosques entrances for the facility of Miracle’s readers to avoid violation of any regulations by the mosques. It also keeps the newspapers to be scattered around the place by wind and other elements and inadvertently, creating a problem on Mosque premises.

We also avoid forcefully distributing the copies in your hands and leave it on your discretion to pick up the copy at your convenience without disrespecting Islamic literature and pictures. Therefore, we request all of you to continue using the newspaper boxes to obtain a copy of your favorite newspaper.

- Miracle Management

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Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

Eid Open House at MP Jinny Sim’s Office in Surrey

On Nov 6, MP Jinny Sims hEld an open house on Eid ul Adha day at her Newton-North Delta office at Scott Road. Many Muslim community members attended and shared this joyful occasion with Sims. Mr. Nusrat Hussain, communication / outreach advisor organized this first Eid event in the MP office and his public relations skills and effort brought many community members particularly from Pakistani community to the open house.

Dignitaries gather to Honour Sacrifice of Veterans at Remembrance Day Service in Whalley By: Raj Hundal Raj Hundal, NDP candidate for Surrey-Tynehead was joined by representatives from all levels of government at the Remembrance Day Service held at the Surrey Whalley Legion Branch on Friday morning.

The service included singing O Canada and God Save the Queen, Prayers, Two Minutes of Silence and Wreath Laying by dignitaries and representatives of many different groups, organizations, agencies and families. Raj Hundal said that “It is important that we never forget the ultimate sacrifice of those who fought and died in conflict to preserve our democracy and fundamental freedoms and It is essential for future generations to understand the suffering and hardship for both those fighting in war and those left at home so that we may avoid such conflicts in the future, we must not overlook the sacrifice and service of men and women in past wars who fought bravely for Canada and their Allies. Many of these veterans have made

Canada their home and have raised families here and we owe them our sincerest gratitude and deepest thanks and they should know their service and contributions will never be forgotten. MLA Bruce Ralston and Sue Hammell & Jagrup

Brar with SCC Surrey city council candidate Stephanie Ryan, School Trustee candidate Ms. Sukhy Dhillon and Laurence Greeff were also present at this occasion.

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16

local

Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

Public questions should be answered in board meetings

By: Trustee Ijaz Chatha Surrey Board of Education On Nov 10th, a notice of motion was presented at the public board meeting by Trustee Ijaz Chatha, in which, he proposed that the responses to Question Period questions should, in addition to being provided in writing, be read publically, if not at the same Board meeting, at the next regular Board meeting.

“During the Question Period at regular Board

meetings, members of the community are invited to ask questions. Per Board policy, the questions are then submitted in writing so that responses may be provided on behalf of the Board. Responses, subsequent to the meeting, are provided in writing but are not shared with the general public. This may satisfy the person asking the question, but there may be others who are also interested in the topic” said Mr. Chatha

Burnaby City Council attends Muslim Events In the past year, Burnaby city council members as well as MP Peter Julian have been seen at various Muslim events. This included workshops based on Muslim awareness ,culture and Diversity as well as other event held at Masjid -al-Salam. Last year, they also joined theMuslim community in welcoming pilgrims returning after performing Hajj as seen in the picture to the right.

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He also highlighted the importance of his proposal by saying “Questions presented by the public during Question Period may be helpful, constructive or express concerns reflective of the larger community” and that “the questions/ answers may enhance the dialogue process with the Board; and may involve topics that may come up at a future meeting” This motion is set to be considered at the next scheduled regular board meeting.

17

Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

Who invited George Bush to Surrey?

It was Dianne Watts & her Surrey First team.

They are not listening to you.

They don’t deserve your vote. th

On November 19 Vote SCC. Surrey deserves open and accountable government.

For Surrey City Council

Bob BOSE*

Kuldip ARDAWA

Doug ELFORD

Rina GILL

Grant RICE

Gary T. Stephanie ROBINSON RYAN

For Surrey Board of Education

Steve WOOD

Moh Ijaz Ahmed CHATHA* CHELALI

Sukhy DHILLON

Chalene DOBIE

Laurence GREEFF

Working Together for Surrey

*

Ram SIDHU

incumbent

604-593-5410 www.surreyciviccoalition.ca 109-12414 82 Avenue Surrey, BC V3W 3E9 | info@surreyciviccoalition.ca | facebook.com/SurreyCivicCoalition | twitter.com/VoteSCC2011

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Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

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Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

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Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

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Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

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22

Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

The practice of Circumcision is a characteristic of the Fitra.

Abu Huraira – Sahih Bukhari 7.72.779

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Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

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Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

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lifestyle

Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

Interesting & Funny KEEP YOURSELF HAPPY

How To Start Your Day With The Boss 1. Open a new file in your PC. 2. Name it “ Boss” 3. Send it to the RECYCLE BIN 4. Empty the RECYCLE BIN 5. Your PC will ask you, “Are you sure you want to delete Boss permanently?”

6. Answer calmly, “Yes,” and press the mouse button firmly....

7. Feel better and start a happy new day.

Green Tea Fights Fat By: Nizar Ramji Need another healthy reason to drink green tea?

Aside from fighting heart disease, cancer, and other diseases, a new study shows that drinking green tea may also fight fat.

The study showed that people who drank a bottle of tea fortified with green tea extract every day for three months lost more body fat than those who drank a bottle of regular oolong tea.

Researchers say the results indicate that substances found in green tea known as catechins may trigger weight loss by stimulating the body to burn calories and decreasing body fat. Green Tea: Fat Fighter?

Black tea, oolong tea, and green tea come from the same Camellia sinensis plant. But unlike the other two varieties, green tea leaves are not fermented before steaming and drying.

Most teas contain large amounts of polyphenols, which are plant-based substances that have been shown to have antioxidant, anticancer, and antiviral properties.

However, green tea is particularly rich in a type of polyphenols called catechins. These substances have also been shown to have anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties, but recent research in animals show that catechins may also affect body fat accumulation and cholesterol levels.

In this study, researchers looked at the effects of catechins on body fat reduction and weight loss in a group of 35 Japanese men. The men had similar weights based on their BMI (body mass index, an indicator of body fat) and waist sizes.

The men were divided into two groups. For three months, the first group drank a bottle of oolong tea fortified with green tea extract containing 690 milligrams of catechins, and the other group drank a bottle of oolong tea with 22 milligrams of catechins.

During this time, the men ate identical breakfasts and dinners and were instructed to control their calorie and fat intake at all times so that overall total diets were similar. After three months, the study showed that the men who drank the green tea extract lost more weight (5.3 pounds vs. 2.9 pounds) and experienced a significantly greater decrease in BMI, waist size, and total body fat. In addition, LDL “bad” cholesterol went down in the men who drank the green tea extract.

The catechin content varies by amount of green tea used and steeping time.

But general recommendations, based on previous studies on the benefits of green tea, are at least 4 cups a day. Green tea extract supplements are also available. Researchers say the results indicate that catechins in green tea not only help burn calories and lower LDL cholesterol but may also be able to mildly reduce body fat. “These results suggest that catechins contribute to the prevention of and improvement in various lifestyle-related diseases, particularly obesity”.

By Shabnam Khan - Family Counsellor One of the most important keys to a better life is to keep yourself happy, rather than always living to please everyone else. It’s easy to take on a false sense of responsibility, thinking that it’s your job to keep everybody happy, to “fix” this person, to rescue that person or to solve another person’s problem.

Certainly, it is noble and admirable to want to help as many people as possible, and it is always good to reach out to others in need. Too often, though, we get out of balance. At the end, we’re doing everything for everybody else, but we’re not taking any time to keep ourselves happy or healthy. Often it is seen that when we try to keep everybody around us happy by trying to meet all their needs, we are the one’s who ends up suffering.

Remember that you should not sacrifice your happiness to keep someone else happy. It may sound a little selfish but there’s a tenuous balance here. Your first priority is to take care of yourself. To do so, you must recognize that some people are still not going to be happy no matter what you do for them. no matter how nice you are and no matter how

much time and energy you give them.

They have their own issues to deal with or things inside that they need to resolve. This does not mean that you are being selfish or self-centered. We should be givers. There’s a big difference between giving and allowing someone to control you and make you feel guilty until you do what he or she wants. Once again you should not be unhappy simply to keep someone else happy. Again, if you are allowing that, the other person is not the only one at fault. You may have taken on a false sense of responsibility and now are allowing another person to control you.

If you are in a relationship where you do the majority of the giving and always encourage or rescue the other person, that is a clear indication that something is out of balance. You have to make some changes otherwise the relationship will continue to flounder. You must take a stand. You can do it but you need to go to the right person and say,”I care about you, but I’m not going to allow you to keep dumping your problems on me and making my life miserable. I’m not going to let you keep draining all my time and energy. You have to take responsibility.”

Remember - You are responsible for keeping yourself happy!!

Einstein’s Theory of Relativity challenged

By: Sidharth Seth Perhaps, Einstein’s 1905 theory of relativity is one of the fundamental pillars of physics, but his conclusion that nothing can travel faster than light could be proven wrong as a burst of subatomic particles known as neutrinos broke the speed of light, the cosmic speed limit. According to the scientists, neutrinos raced from a particle accelerator at CERN(European Center for Nuclear Research) outside Geneva(Switzerland), where they were created, to a travel underneath Gran Sasso in Italy, a distance of about 450 miles, about 60 nanoseconds(a billionth of a second) faster than it would take a light beam. That amounts to a speed greater than light by about 0.0025% (2.5 parts in

a hundred thousand). Neutrinos are mysterious particles. They have a minuscule mass, no electric charge, and pass through almost any material as though it was not there.

The physics world is abuzz with the news and scientists around the world said that the discovery could force a re-think the fundamental theories of physics and of the nature of the universe. Even this small deviation (0.0025% faster that the speed of light) would open up the possibility of time travel and play havoc with longstanding notions of cause and effect. Einstein himself said that if you could send a message faster than light, “You could send a telegram to the past.” The outcomes of this new postulate, if proved right could change the way we ever saw the very existence of ourselves and our surroundings. The time machines that we saw in the comics and in the sci-fi movies could now be a possibility. But, the result is so unlikely that even the research team is being cautious with its interpretation. Physicists said they would be skeptical of the finding until other laboratories confirmed the result.

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health

Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

5 Daily Habits That May Make You Sick From the kitchen to the backyard, WebMD uncovers common household activities that could affect your health.

By Lisa Zamosky They say that home is where the heart is.

But what you may not know is that it’s also where 65% of colds and more than half of food-borne illnesses are contracted. The things we do around the house every day have a big impact on both our long- and short-term health. Here are six common household activities that may be making you sick.

1. Using a Sponge The dirtiest room in everybody’s home is the kitchen, says Phillip Tierno, PhD, director of clinical microbiology and diagnostic immunology at the New York University Langone Medical Center and author of The Secret Life of Germs. “That’s because we deal with dead animal carcasses on our countertops and in the sink.” Raw meat can carry E. coli and salmonella, among other viruses and bacteria.

Most people clean their countertops and table after a meal with the one tool found in almost all kitchens: the sponge. In addition to sopping up liquids and other messes, the kitchen sponge commonly carries E. coli and fecal bacteria, as well as many other microbes. “It’s the single dirtiest thing in your kitchen, along with a dishrag,” says Tierno.

Ironically, the more you attempt to clean your countertops with a sponge, the more germs you’re spreading around. “People leave [the sponge] growing and it becomes teeming with [millions of] bacteria, and that can make you sick and become a reservoir of other organisms that you crosscontaminate your countertops with, your refrigerator, and other appliances in the kitchen,” Tierno explains.

Solution: Tierno suggests dipping sponges into a solution of bleach and water before

wiping down surfaces. “That is the best and cheapest germicide money can buy -- less than a penny to make the solution -- so that you can clean your countertops, cutting boards, dishrags, or sponges after each meal preparation.”

In addition, once you’ve used your sponge, be sure to let it air-dry. Dryness kills off organisms. Another way to keep bacteria from building up in your sponge is to microwave it for one to two minutes each week. “Put a little water in a dish and put the sponge in that,” Tierno advises. “That will boil and distribute the heat evenly [throughout the sponge] and kill the bacteria.”

2. Vacuuming Conventional vacuum cleaners are intended to pick up and retain big pieces of dirt, like the dust bunnies we see floating about on our floors. But it’s the tiny dust particles that pass right through the porous vacuum bags and up into the air. So, while our floors may look cleaner after running a vacuum over them, plenty of dust, which can exacerbate allergies, remains.

Pet allergens and indoor dust, which contains the highest concentrations of hazardous materials like heavy metals, lead, pesticides, and other chemicals, are found in higher concentrations in the smallest particles of the dust, explains David MacIntosh, MD. He is principal scientist at Environmental Health & Engineering (EH&E), an environmental consulting and engineering services firm based in Needham, Mass.

“The everyday habit of cleaning with a conventional vacuum cleaner results in a burst of particles in the air and then they settle back down over the course of hours,” says MacIntosh.

Solution: Look for a vacuum cleaner with

a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter. Unlike those in conventional vacuums, HEPA filters are able to retain the small particles and prevent them from passing through and contaminating the air you breathe in your home.

3. Sleeping With Pillows and a Mattress The average person sheds about 1.5 million skin cells per hour and perspires one quart every day even while doing nothing, says Tierno. The skin cells accumulate in our pillows and mattresses and dust mites grow and settle.

If that’s not gross enough for you, Tierno explains that a mattress doubles in weight every 10 years because of the accumulation of human hair, bodily secretions, animal hair and dander, fungal mold and spores, bacteria, chemicals, dust, lint, fibers, dust mites, insect parts, and a variety of particulates, including dust mite feces. After five years, 10% of the weight of a pillow is dust mites. This is what you’re inhaling while you sleep.

“What you’re sleeping on can exacerbate your allergies,” says Tierno.

Solution: Cover your mattress, box springs, and pillows with impervious outer covers.

“Allergy-proof coverings seal the mattress and pillow, preventing anything from getting in or out, which protects you,” Tierno says. He also suggests that you wash your sheets weekly in hot water. Make sure the temperature range of the water is between 130 to 150 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Grilling Meat So much for the summertime staple: Barbecuing meat creates the cancer-causing compounds polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and heterocyclic amines (HCAs).

When fat drips from the meat onto the hot

grill, catches fire, and produces smoke, PAHs form. That’s what’s contained in that delicious-looking charred mark we all look for on our burger. HCAs form when meat is cooked at a high temperature, which can occur during an indoor cooking process as well.

Solution: “Limiting your outdoor cooking, using tin foil, or microwaving the meat first is a sensible precaution,” says Michael Thun, MD. He is emeritus vice president for epidemiology and surveillance research with the American Cancer Society.

Wrapping meat in foil with holes poked in it allows fat to drip off, but limits the amount of fat that hits the flames and comes back onto the meat, Thun tells WebMD. Some of the excess fat can also be eliminated by first microwaving meat and choosing cuts of meat that are leaner.

There’s some evidence that marinating meat may lower the amount of HCAs formed.

5. Sitting in Front of the TV Sitting in front of the television has become a national pastime and one of our least healthy behaviors, particularly because we often do it while snacking on food that is high in calories.

“When you’re sitting there in a trance, you can really pack on some calories,” says Thun. “Today, more than one-third of the U.S. population qualifies as obese and one-third qualifies as overweight. Thirteen million Americans are morbidly obese.”

Excess body weight puts us at greater risk for heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and a host of other diseases, Thun says. “That poses a greater health risk than the toxic cleansers under our sinks.”

Solution: Turn off the TV, put away the bag of chips, and go for a walk.

What Science says about addiction?

Addiction is a serious problem in Canada-10% of the population affected, 20% of deaths related to addiction, 10% of hospitalizations, and a cost of $40 billion a year. It was the topic of a lecture at the Royal Ottawa Hospital on November 4, where Dr. Marco Leyton spoke. He is an associate professor at McGill and president of the Canadian College of Neuro psychopharmacology.

Citing various studies, Leyton outlined the relationship between usage and dependence of various substances, along with average age at first use and average age when the person becomes dependent. The results may be surprising for some of us. For heroin, 23% who use it become dependent.

Typically, first use is at 18 or 19, and the person becomes dependent at 20 or 21.

Cocaine results in dependence in 17% of users, with first use between 19 and 22 and dependence from 23 to 25. For alcohol, 15% of users become alcoholics, with first drink at 15 or 16 and dependence at 20 or 21. Amphetamines give us a figure of 11% who become dependent, with dependence from 19 to 20. Only 9% of cannabis users become dependent, with average first use at 16 or 17 and dependence at 17 or 18. Yet it is marihuana that has created the high level of concern.

Leyton did not give the data for tobacco addiction, but the figures go through the roof. A New Zealand study found that over a fourth of smokers “started losing control” after three or four cigarettes, 44% after between five and nine cigarettes.

He showed the audience radiological demonstrations of actual changes in brain function associated with use of cocaine, amphetamines, and alcohol. The change is related to an increased production of the chemical dopamine in the brain. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, which can initiate voluntary movement and regulate behavior in response to rewards/pleasure. The same response can be created by “reward cues”.

Thus, for cocaine, the presence of the “fixings”–spoon, straw, and razor blade–can induce the production of dopamine and give a pleasure response. This reminds one of Pavlov’s experiments with dogs.

Blocking dopamine by means of other biochemical agents may not be effective. He suggested that even in a low-dopamine environment a person might sustain an interest in the substance. For that reason, he thought that controlled availability rather than total abstinence might be more successful, at least in some cases. This approach is in line with the practice that has been termed “harm reduction”.

To lessen addictive behavior, it is also helpful to eliminate cues. Thus, we could extrapolate from his remarks, with cocaine, avoid having “the fixings”

around. With alcohol, no fancy glasses. For smokers, no ashtrays.

Addictions are complex. More does not necessarily lead to more pleasure or to saturation.

It depends, for example, on how much more and to the history of use. The issue is also confused by the involvement of another chemical in the brain, serotonin, which also has a part to play.

Addiction, like other human behavior, is a matter of environment and heredity. It is not surprising, then, that it tends to run in families. Not everyone is equally susceptible.

Source: The Canadian Charger

From Nov 18- Dec 2, 2011 (Dhul Hajah 22 1432H- Muharram 6, 1433H) D. Hajjah Isha Nov Day Fajar Sunrise Zawa1 Dhuhr Asr Maghrib 22 Fri 5:40 7:26 11:58 12:05 2:43 6:09 18 4:32 23 Sat 5:41 7:27 11:58 12:05 2:42 6:08 19 4:31 24 7:29 11:58 12:05 2:41 6:07 20 Sun 5:42 4:30 25 7:30 11:58 12:05 2:40 6:06 21 Mon 5:44 4:29 26 Tue 5:45 7:32 11:58 12:05 2:39 6:06 22 4:28 27 7:33 11:59 12:06 2:38 6:05 23 Wed 5:46 4:27 28 7:35 11:59 12:06 2:37 6:04 24 Thu 5:47 4:26 29 Fri 5:49 7:36 11:59 12:06 2:36 6:04 25 4:25 30 Sat 5:50 7:38 11:59 12:06 2:36 6:03 26 4:24 Muhar. 1 7:39 11:59 12:06 2:35 6:03 27 Sun 5:51 4:24 2 7:40 11:59 12:06 2:34 6:02 28 Mon 5:52 4:23 3 Tue 5:53 7:42 11:59 12:06 2:34 6:02 29 4:22 4 7:43 11:59 12:06 2:33 6:01 30 Wed 5:54 4:22 5 7:44 12:01 12:08 2:33 6:01 Dec 1 Thu 5:55 4:21 6 Fri 5:57 7:46 12:02 12:09 2:32 6:01 2 4:21 Source: Masjid al-Noor

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Issue 297 - Dhul Hajjah 22, 1432 / November 18, 2011

Lions Coach Buono Has Learned Lessons From Past Losses

He’s won more CFL games than any other coach but the West Final remains one of Wally Buono’s biggest obstacles. The B.C. Lions head coach and general manager has learned many painful lessons over the

years from watching some very good teams he’s coached lose their chance to advance to the Grey Cup. Those past experiences will come into play this week as Buono prepares the Lions to face the Edmonton

Eskimos in Sunday’s West Final at BC Place Stadium. The winner will advance to the Nov. 27 Grey Cup in Vancouver.

Buono acknowledged that as a young coach this is something he may have been guilty of. The Eskimos defeated the Calgary Stampeders 33-19 in Sunday’s West semifinal. The Lions won three of four games against the Eskimos this season.

B.C. outscored Edmonton 130-79, with one game a 36-1 blowout. B.C., Edmonton and Calgary all finished the season with 11-7 records. The Lions were seeded first because of their winning record against the other two teams. Edmonton linebacker Rod Davis said the memory of losing 29-20 to the Lions on Oct. 29, with first place on the line, is still fresh for the Eskimos. That kind of confidence doesn’t come as a surprise to Buono. The Lions offence scored 84 more points than the Eskimos. The B.C.

defence gave up the least points in the CFL. B.C. running back Andrew Harris will head into Sunday’s game healthy while Edmonton’s Jerome Messam, who rushed for over 1,000 yards this season, hurt his knee against Calgary. Lions picker Paul McCallum set a league record this season for accuracy. Edmonton receiver Adarius Bowman said the teams match up well.

There will be a cloud of sadness hanging over the Lions this week after the 18-yearold son of veteran trainer Bill Reichelt was killed in a car crash in Langley, B.C., on Saturday night. Dylan Reichelt died at the scene when the car he was a passenger in lost control in heavy rain, rolled and hit a tree. Buono said several other CFL teams called to offer the use of their trainer.

The Lions will use ask a local trainer to work with assistant trainer Benjie Lee as they prepare for the Eskimos. Something

Buono hopes doesn’t affect the team is slotback Arland Bruce becoming involved in an incident with Vancouver police over a parking infraction Sunday morning. A police spokesman said it’s unlikely there will be any further investigation into the matter or that charges will be laid. In a 22-year coaching career with B.C. and Calgary, Buono has won a CFL record 254 regularseason games. His teams have finished in first place 13 times. Buono’s record in his previous 12 West Finals is 7-5. Some of the losses still hurt. The last time the Lions finished first in the West was 2007. They lost the final to Saskatchewan. This year’s Lions took a different path to the top of the standings. The Lions started the season 1-6 before winning eight consecutive matches.

B.C. still needed to win its final regular season game to clinch first place.

Source: TSN.ca

NBA players sue league as more games cancelled As another fortnight of games disappeared from the NBA calendar, NBA players filed an antitrust complaint against the league in a Minnesota court and said more cases would follow. As of Tuesday evening, NBA.com’s schedule for the 2011-2012 season showed the first games set for December 15 -- representing two more weeks of cancelled contests after the labor dispute wiped out all scheduled match-ups in November. ESPN reported that teams were formally notified of the cancellations by the league on Tuesday. The move was expected after players on Monday rejected the owners’ latest proposal for a deal and instead opted to dissolve their union and pursue legal action against the league. Minnesota Timberwolves forward Anthony Tolliver, Detroit Pistons guard Ben Gordon, free agent forward Caron Butler and Derrick Williams -- drafted by the Timberwolves in June but yet to sign a contract -- were listed as plaintiffs in the Minnesota case. The executive director of the NBA Players Association, Billy Hunter, said another complaint would be filed in the Northern District of California with other players as the plaintiffs. According to the complaint filed in Minnesota, the players’ class-action lawsuit has been divided into “subclasses” because of the number of those represented and the fact that they are so spread around the country. The plaintiffs claim that the lockout of players by owners that began on July 1 “constitutes an illegal group boycott, price-

fixing agreement, and/or restraint of trade in violation of the Sherman Act” and that the owners’ last take-it-or-leave-it contract proposal would have “wiped out the competitive market for most NBA players.”

David Boies, a lawyer for the players, said the suit was a bid to restore competitive free-market conditions. “We hope it’s not necessary to go to trial,” said Boies, who added that it was in “everybody’s interests to resolve this promptly. “The longer it goes on, the greater the damages teams will face,” added Boies, who was speaking in New York. Owners and players have been unable to agree on several financial issues, including the division of some $4 billion in annual revenue. Players received 57 percent of basketball-related income under the previous contract. The owners had offered a 50-50 split, but Stern has said that any future offers would be less favorable to players and that owners would also seek a hard ceiling to the salary cap as well as salary rollbacks. Billionaire owners say such changes are needed because 22 of 30 clubs lost money last season. The players’ decision to leave the bargaining table and head to court further threatened the season, Stern said. “The NBA has negotiated in good faith throughout the collective bargaining process,” Stern said in a statement on Monday. “There will ultimately be a new collective bargaining agreement, but the 2011-12 season is now in jeopardy.”

Source: AFP

Pacquiao wins controversial decision Manny Pacquiao escaped again, in a decision that left Juan Manuel Marquez fuming once again. The Filipino sensation was taken to the limit Saturday night before winning a majority decision that infuriated Marquez and most of the sellout crowd at the MGM Grand arena.

NHL General Managers Call For More Goalie Protection The next player to hammer a goaltender outside of his crease isn’t likely to get off as easily as Milan Lucic. A discussion among the league’s 30 general managers Tuesday produced a strong consensus that goalies need to be better protected - even when they stray from their own goal to play the puck.

That’s exactly what Buffalo’s Ryan Miller was doing on Saturday night when he suffered a concussion after taking a hit from Lucic. The Sabres were outraged that the only punishment given to the Boston Bruins forward on the play was a two-minute minor for charging. But Buffalo GM Darcy Regier left Tuesday’s meeting believing that the next offender would be dealt with more harshly. NHL disciplinarian Brendan Shanahan spoke with Lucic on Monday but decided against suspending him because he didn’t feel that he had the latitude under the current rules to do it. The Bruins forward claimed not to have run into Miller on purpose. After learning Tuesday that roughly two-thirds of GMs would have preferred to see a suspension in the case, Shanahan acknowledged that his mandate had been altered. The former NHL star has been busy since replacing Colin Campbell in the off-season and used Tuesday’s meeting as a chance to have an open discussion about some of his decisions so far. Among the controversial plays he highlighted during a video presentation was the hit by Rangers

forward Wojtek Wolski on Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson that went unpunished. There were no calls for Shanahan to ease off on the tough standard he’s established while suspending 14 players to date.

“I think overall Brendan’s done a real good job,” said Flyers GM Paul Holmgren. “I don’t sense any problem there.” Among the other issues discussed was the 1-3-1 neutral zone trap that saw a game between the Philadelphia Flyers and Tampa Bay Lightning literally come to a standstill last week.

The Flyers essentially refused to skate the puck out of their zone while the Lightning passively sat back in what was still a 0-0 game. The GMs agreed that it’s not something they liked to see, but aren’t currently planning to alter the rulebook in an effort to legislate it out of the game. Also on the agenda was a brief update on realignment, but that hot-button issue won’t be sorted out until the board of governors meeting in California next month. In the meantime, players have been warned that goalies are essentially being given the same latitude as a quarterback in the NFL. Essentially, they aren’t to be touched. And even though change is coming too late for Regier and the Sabres, he still thinks it’s a positive step that it came at all. He’ll feel better knowing that Miller should be better protected Source: TSN

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