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Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012 - $1

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Palestinians mark Nakba with protests Israeli forces faced off with Palestinian stone-throwers in the West Bank during the annual Nakba Day protests

STUDENT PROTESTS CONTINUE IN QUEBEC Hundreds of Protesters, many masked, stormed classes on May 16 at the University of Quebec in Montreal when administration tried to resume classes in the undergraduate law program. The protesters enforced their declared strikes, and resented that some students have used legal injunctions to return to school. The demonstrations over increased tuition fees of several hundred dollars per year have continued for 14 weeks now.

B.C. NDP far ahead of Liberals: poll If the B.C. Liberals didn’t already know they’re in serious trouble, here’s proof: a new Angus Reid public opinion survey in the wake of two byelections shows the provincial New Democratic Party under leader Adrian Dix has pulled far ahead and now would easily form a government if an election were to be held today.

The online survey of 802 adults, done after the two April 19 by-election wins by the NDP in Port Moody-Coquitlam and Chilliwack-Hope, show that among decided voters in B.C. 50% would vote for the NDP, up seven points from the last poll two months ago and eight points higher than the level of support they received in the May, 2009 election. The Liberals under Premier Christy Clark continue to slide and are now at 23%, roughly half of the support they received in the election. The Conservatives under John Cummins have slid four percentage points to 19% since the last poll in March and the Green party is down two points to 6%. The poll, done between May 7 and 9, has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. While the

results would seem to be good news for the NDP if the Liberals and the Conservatives continue to compete against each other, the level of level of undecided voters in the poll rose dramatically when people were asked about a possible “free enterprise coalition” of Liberals and Conservatives.

Respondents were asked who they would support under the coalition: Clark, Cummins or Finance Minister Kevin Falcon. Twenty per cent said Clark, 21% Falcon, and 17% Cummins, showing the former Conservative MP continues to have trouble breaking the Liberal-Conservative ranks.

However, more than one in three respondents were undecided on who they would vote for when presented with a choice between the NDP and the free enterprise coalition.

The poll also shows that the NDP today retain the vast majority of people who voted for them in 2009: 88%, with 20% who voted Liberal in 2009 saying they would support the NDP. Only 48% of Liberals who voted for their party in 2009 said they would vote for them again. The Conservatives benefit the most from that loss: 30% who voted Liberal in 2009 say they’d be willing to give the Conservatives a shot this time. Angus Reid said the poll also shows the NDP are the dominant party in all four geographic areas of the province: North, (61%), Vancouver Island (52 %), Metro Vancouver (49%) and the Interior (48%). It also shows the NDP have a high lead (17%) over the Liberals among male voters (45% to 28%). Among female voters, the NDP are favoured by a three-to-one margin (55% to 17%). Nearly 60% of young voters 18 to 34 said they would vote for the NDP; among voters over the age of 55, one in four would vote for the Conservatives.

Source: National Post

over the “catastrophe” that befell the Palestinians in 1948. At Beitunia checkpoint near Ramallah, youths hurled stones at troops, who fired tear gas, metal pellets and rubber bullets in a bid to break up Tuesday’s demonstration. Several protesters could be seen with blood on their faces as they waved black flags and roared angry slogans. Clashes also broke out at Qalandiya checkpoint south of Ramallah, where youths threw stones at Israeli troops, who fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse them. A source at Ramallah’s government hospital said that 17 people had been injured by rubber bullets, 15 at Beitunia and another two at Qalandia. There were also reports of clashes in Hebron and at Rachel’s Tomb on the edge of Bethlehem, where the Israeli military said 200 protesters confronted troops. Demonstrations also took place at the nearby Ofer military prison and Qalandia checkpoint where there were some minor clashes. The Higher Arab Monitoring Committee, which represents Palestinian communities in Israel, called for a general strike and for Palastinians to visit the sites of former Palestinian villages. More than 760,000 Palestinians, estimated today to number 4.7 million with their descendants, fled or were driven out of their homes. About 160,000 Palestinians stayed behind, and now number about 1.3 million, or 20 per cent of the population of Israel.

Early on Tuesday, an AFP correspondent said clashes broke out between police and demonstrators in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Issawiya. Israel also said a projectile fired from Gaza landed in the country’s south, though it was unclear if it was linked to the Nakba commemoration. “An explosive device fired from the Gaza Strip, a rocket or a mortar shell, landed early this morning in southern Israel, causing no injuries or damage,” Micky Rosenfeld , Israeli police spokesman, told AFP. Israeli security forces are on alert and Nakba Day commemorations in the past have often resulted in clashes with troops and police. “We are co-ordinating with the military and border police, we hope things will

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Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

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p a k i s t a n

Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

Pakistan backs quick deal on Nato supplies if there was any deadline for the talks, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said: “There is no deadline. All departments have been asked to conclude their negotiations in the quickest possible time.” The cabinet on Wednesday welcomed Nato’s invitation to Zardari, clearing the way for him to travel to the May 20-21 summit, and it is thought unlikely he would be willing to risk the wrath of Western leaders if the supply lines have not been restored. By going to Chicago, Pakistan hopes to ease its international isolation and boost its leverage over the future of Afghanistan, as Western countries pull out their combat forces by 2014. But Islamabad has essentially been forced to climb down on demands for an American apology for the air strikes and an end to drone strikes targeting Taliban and al Qaeda on its soil. Sources familiar with the talks say transit fees for the vehicles are the main sticking point and the border will probably reopen by early next week. Islamabad is looking to more than double the payments, which could earn the country up to $1 million a day. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani advised against “emotional decisions, which do not augur well for us in the long run”. He told the cabinet that relations with Nato and the United States were at “a delicate phase where we need to take critical decisions” for Pakistan’s “strategic importance” in the region and in its national interest. Analysts say Pakistan had no choice but capitulate to international pressure to reopen the border, with US cash needed to help boost its meagre state coffers as the government prepares to seek re-election.

The State Department said “considerable progress” had been made on ending the blockade.“We will continue to work on this throughout the week. Obviously, it’ll

Pakistan said on May 16, it had ordered officials to finalize an agreement as quickly as possible on lifting a six-month blockade on overland Nato supplies into war-torn Afghanistan, (reported by Dawn). Islamabad has stopped short of announcing when the transit lines will reopen, but has signaled President Asif Ali Zardari will attend key talks on Afghanistan in Chicago on May 20-21, after a last-minute invitation from Nato. The country shut its Afghan border crossings to Nato supplies on November 26 after US air strikes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. As a result, Pakistani-US relations — already frayed by the US raid that killed Osama bin Laden — plunged into their worst crisis since Islamabad joined the United States in the war on al Qaeda after 9/11.Now Pakistani and US officials are locked in talks to finalize a deal on again allowing thousands of trucks and oil tankers to carry non-lethal supplies from the southern port city of Karachi to landlocked Afghanistan. Asked

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

Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

Clinton urges India to cut Iran oil imports

Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state, has urged India to reduce its imports of Iranian oil and to keep up pressure on the Islamic republic regarding its nuclear programme.

Clinton told school children and activists at a town hall meeting in the eastern city of Kolkata on Monday that there was an “adequate supply” of oil from other sources in the market to allow India to find an alternative to Iranian imports. She noted that India had taken some steps to reduce its imports from Iran, but said that the US wanted to see more. “If there weren’t an adequate supply ... we would understand, but we believe that there is adequate supply,” she said. India could face US sanctions by the

end of June if the Obama administration determines that the South Asian country has not made significant cuts in imports. The sanctions are part of a US law that is aimed at pressuring Iran on its disputed nuclear programme.

India, with a growth rate of about seven per cent, has a high demand for oil, and any gaps in supply of the commodity will negatively impact economic growth. The country imports about nine per cent of its oil from Iran, though officials say it has reduced its dependency in recent months. Iran remains its second largest oil supplier, after Saudi Arabia. “We appreciate what has been done and, of course, we want to keep the pressure on Iran,” Clinton said. With international sanctions making it difficult to find banks willing to handle Iranian oil payments, India pays for about 45 per cent of its oil purchases in Indian rupees. Iran then uses the Indian currency to import Indianproduced goods. Clinton said Washington remained focused on putting global pressure on Iran. “We believe, at this moment in time, the principal threat is a nuclear-armed Iran,” she said. “We need India to be part of the international effort.” The US is currently determining whether to exempt India from the sanctions, along with European

Union nations and Japan, with Clinton saying a decision was still two months away. Clinton also met Mamata Banerjee, the chief minister of West Bengal state, who is a key coalition partner and has held up government efforts to lift sanctions on foreign-owned investments in the country.

The two were expected to discuss the entrance of foreign multi-brand retailers such as Wal-Mart into the Indian market. At the town hall meeting, Clinton said that US nuclear energy companies were also being frozen out of the Indian market by legislation that would impose what they believed were excessive liabilities on them in the case of an accident. “We’ve made it clear to the government that under the legislation that was passed it would be difficult for US companies to participate,” Clinton said. “We are still discussing this and we’re hoping there will be a way to work out the remaining kinks in this.” Clinton will head to Delhi later on Monday, where she is expected to press India to push ahead with its stalled economic reform programme, even though the prime minister’s chief economic adviser said last month that no new reforms were probably before the next election in 2014.

Source: Al-Jazeera

Masked student protesters storm Montreal classes

Syrian troops ‘kill 20 at funeral during UN visit’ At least 21 civilians have been killed after Syrian security forces opened fire on a funeral procession in Khan Sheikhoun, a town in Idlib province, during a visit by UN peace monitors, activists say. A spokesman of the rebel military council gave a higher death toll, saying at least 50 people were killed in Tuesday’s attack during which cars belonging to the UN team were hit Protesters have succeeded in shutting down classes scheduled to resume today for some students at the University of Quebec in Montreal. More than 100 protesters, many of them wearing masks, made their way into the school’s downtown campus at around 9:30 a.m. ET, just as law students with a court injunction tried to return to class. Some were waiting for those classes to start when demonstrators stormed the building, surprising security guards. Carrying a list of scheduled classes, the protesters marched through pavilions at the University of Quebec in Montreal. Making noise with drums and whistles, they made their way through the main UQAM building, splitting up on a number of occasions as they searched for ongoing classes. A masked protester would yell out marching orders for the next target, such as: “Pavilion M!” They entered a contract-law class after walking up nine flights of stairs. In that classroom, the group began flicking on and off the lights, and repeatedly yelling, “Scab!” at the stunned group of students seated inside. A few men even grabbed two female students by the arm, telling them to get out. One spray-painted a red message on the wall of the classroom: “On strike, dammit!” Students hoping to study said after group moved through, their professors fled and classes were effectively called off. UQAM’s director of security said there were no plans to have police immediately intervene. One masked demonstrator, who identified himself only as Eric B., insisted the protest was peaceful. “Me myself, I would have never acted on violence,” he said. “I would have never gone upstairs if people were there to break stuff. We have to stop just always demonizing people, always saying the reds are terrorists and shit like that.

That’s totally BS.” Students opposing the tuition hike, known as the “reds,” have been sporting the red square symbol of the protest since the student strike started 14 weeks ago. The students who support the tuition increase and want to return to class are known as the “greens” for the green squares they’ve adopted. Eric B. argued it was the greens who were violent during the incident at UQAM Wednesday morning. Law student Christina Macedo said she was in class when protesters came in and told the students to leave. She saw the incident differently. “Peaceful? I really don’t see it was peaceful at all,” she told CBC as shewas jeered and shouted down by a group of demonstrators outside the school. “I’m trying to respect our right [to] go back to school!” The university says classes have not been officially cancelled and they are still trying to determine how to proceed. UQAM went to court last week to get an injunction to allow some students to resume their studies. The association of law students is among the groups that have voted to boycott classes as part of the anti-tuition hike protest, but some students want to return to the classroom. Scenes like the one at UQAM have been playing out for the past few weeks at CEGEPs where students have court injunctions across Quebec. In many of those cases, protesters blocked the entrances to the schools, and students and administrators weren’t able to enter the building. More student protests are planned in Montreal on Wednesday.

B.C. to drop HST for ‘improved’ PST

B.C. will drop the HST and return to an “improved” PST next year with all previous exemptions, Finance Minister Kevin Falcon announced on Monday in Victoria. “We’ve got a much improved PST. It’s not like the old piece of whatever you want to call it which was in place before, which was enormously frustrating for a lot of our small business community in particular,” Falcon said.

“It is dramatically improved, simplified, administratively more clear.” The legislation introduced Monday includes some significant changes to the old tax, but only a few basic exemptions — such as those food and fuel — were contained in the bill. Falcon promised those would be included in regulations to be introduced in the fall. “As promised, on April 1, 2013 consumers will only pay PST on those goods and services that were subject to PST before the implementation of the HST. All permanent PST exemptions will be re-implemented,” said Falcon. “There will be no PST on purchases like food, restaurant meals, bicycles, gym memberships, movie tickets or for personal services like haircuts, just as it was previously.” NDP finance critic Bruce Ralston says the government’s message is, “Trust us.” “And I think, frankly on this file, the government doesn’t have a big reservoir of trust,” Ralston said. Former premier Bill Vander Zalm, who orchestrated the downfall of the HST, says he’s not entirely satisfied with the effort to bring back the PST. He says people shouldn’t have to trust the B.C. government to follow through with rest of the exemptions in the fall. “It could be done so quickly,” he said. “”They could have just had a few pages saying, ‘The end of it, that’s it, the people have spoken, no more HST, back to PST as it was.’” Vander Zalm says the fight against the HST was about the democratic process, and he remains concerned the government will exclude the rest of the PST package from vigorous debate in the Legislature. For business, there are a number of changes being introduced in the legislation, including an online system that will allow businesses to track their PST information and remit payments. The online system will cut down on paperwork, allowing the government to reduce the number of staff needed to administer the PST by about one third. The Liberal government had taken a lot of criticism in recent months for delays in revealing exactly what the PST will look like once it’s reinstated along with the GST. The opposition NDP had suggested the PST might not feature the same exemptions it did before it was removed to make way for the HST. Prior to the introduction of the 12 per cent Harmonized Sales Tax in July 2010, B.C. residents paid a combination of the federal government’s five per cent Goods and Services Tax and B.C.’s seven per cent Provincial Sales Tax on most items. But the HST eliminated a number of significant exemptions. For example, restaurant meals were previously exempt from PST but were fully taxed under the HST system. The HST was soundly defeated in a province-wide referendum last summer after a successful campaign to scrap the tax. That tax revolt eventually lead to the resignation of former premier Gordon Campbell and has been equally damaging to current Premier Christy Clark.

Source: CBC News

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Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

‘Over-consumption’ threatening Earth

Wildlife populations around the world have declined by 30% in the past four decades in the face of record over-consumption of natural resources, a report has warned. The examination of how more than 9,000 populations of mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians and fish are faring reveal a planet in crisis, with serious implications for human health, wealth and well-being, conservationists said. Freshwater creatures in the tropics have seen the worst declines, of around 70%, while tropical species as a whole have seen populations tumble by 60% since 1970. In Asia, tiger numbers have fallen 70% in just 30 years. Wildlife is under pressure from evergrowing human demand for resources, the study

by WWF, the latest Living Planet report from the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and the Global Footprint Network said. And research into demand

for water revealed 2.7 billion people live in areas that suffer severe water shortages for at least one month of the year. People are exploiting resources such as water, forests and fisheries and putting greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere at a much higher rate than they can be replenished and pollution absorbed. The “ecological footprint” of human activity was 50% higher than the capacity of the Earth’s land and oceans in 2008, the most recent year for which figures are available, with people living as though we have a planet and a half to sustain us. Rising population and consumption means that by 2030, two planets will not be enough to meet human demand, threatening the resources including food, freshwater and a stable climate that people need to survive, the report said. ZSL’s Professor Tim Blackburn said: “We are living in a planet in crisis, and the Living Planet Index is one window into how bad that crisis is.” He said the Living Planet report monitored the Earth’s “natural capital” in the same way the FTSE 100 tracked the stock market, and was showing declines that if they occurred in the financial sphere would cause global panic. And he said: “Nature is more important than money. Humanity can live without money, but we can’t live without nature and the essential services it provides.”

Source: Press Association

Greece to hold new election in June after talks fail

Greece headed into a month of political uncertainty after power-sharing talks collapsed, triggering new elections that could determine whether the country retains its tenuous position in Europe’s currency.

Nine tortured days of fruitless talks to build a coalition government fueled increasing doubt that Greece can make enough reforms to prevent the world’s largest currency union from fracturing. No date had been set for the elections as of Tuesday, but they will have to be held by mid-June -- the month in which Greece must make more spending cuts to ensure it meets the terms of its international bailout. A caretaker government will be appointed until then. The uncertainty has created alarm across the continent, with key leaders fearing that Greece could be forced out of the euro, triggering shock waves throughout the 17-country eurozone. What Greece now needs is reliability and the will to reform” German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said in a statement. “They are the only way back to growth and competitiveness. There is no alternative.” The protracted deadlock and the prospect of an anti-austerity party winning the new vote hammered Europe’s markets on fears that Greece might have to leave the euro. Main European markets lost earlier gains, with the FTSE 100 index of leading shares shedding 0.6 per cent, Germany’s DAX down 1 per cent and the CAC-40 in France 0.7 per cent. Greek shares were clobbered further after days of heavy losses, with the Athens stock market initially diving 4.86 per cent before a slight rally to close 3.6 per cent down. The euro also fell, trading 0.3 per cent lower at $1.2794. About C700 million ($898 million) in deposits have flown out of Greek banks since the May 6 elections, President Karolos Papoulias told party leaders after being briefed by the central bank governor, George Provopoulos.

Socialist party leader and former finance minister Evangelos Venizelos on Tuesday said the country is “unfortunately” headed for another round of elections, “because certain people coldly put their short-term party interests above the national interest.” Papoulias convenes a new meeting of party leaders on Wednesday to appoint a caretaker government until the election. On May 6, voters furious over the handling of the country’s two-year vicious financial crisis took their anger out on the conservative New Democracy and socialist PASOK parties that dominated Greece’s political scene for the past 40 years, deserting them for smaller parties on the right and left. New Democracy came in first but with a massive loss of support. PASOK saw its popularity plunge to the lowest level since it was founded in 1974, after the end of Greece’s seven-year dictatorship. Those who saw their numbers surge were parties that promised to pull Greece out of its bailout agreement, with forced spending cuts and tax hikes in return for billions of euros in international rescue loans. Political leaders traded accusations as to who was to blame during the failed power-sharing talks.

The spotlight quickly fell on Alexis Tsipras, the young head of the Radical Left Coalition, or Syriza, whose party came a surprise second in the elections.

Tsipras insisted he could neither join nor support any government that would continue to implement the bailout terms. Venizelos and conservative New Democracy head Antonis Samaras accused him of being irresponsible, saying his policies would force Greece out of the eurozone. But Tsipras remained adamant that the austerity measures meant Greece’s recession-bound economy could never recover.

Venizelos and Samaras could have formed a government with the small Democratic Left party of Fotis Kouvelis, but all insisted Tsipras had to be on board or at least lend his backing if the government hoped to push through yet more austerity measures Greece must implement next month. A last-ditch proposal by the president for the creation of a technocrat government went nowhere. Opinion polls show Syriza is likeliest to come first in the new vote, but without enough seats in parliament to govern alone. However, as first party, Syriza would enjoy an automatic 50-seat bonus and could hope to form a coalition with the help of other left and right-wing anti-austerity parties. Source: CTV News

Ratko Mladic goes on trial over Bosnia ‘war crimes’ Bosnian Serb army commander Ratko Mladic is set to go on trial on 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide. He is the last of the main protagonists in the Balkan wars of the 1990s to face an international trial in The Hague. He is accused of orchestrating the week-long massacre of over 7,000 Muslim boys and men at Srebrenica in 1995. General Mladic calls the accusations “monstrous” and the court has entered a “not guilty” plea on his behalf. Now nearly 70, Gen Mladic spent 15 years on the run before being apprehended by Serb forces last May and sent to The Hague. He has been awaiting trial in the same prison as his former political leader Radovan Karadzic, who was arrested in 2008 and is now about halfway through his trial on similar charges to Gen Mladic. Judicial authorities have rejected defence calls to delay proceedings, most recently a petition to have the Dutch presiding Judge Alphons Orie replaced on grounds of alleged bias. The number of crimes of which Gen Mladic - who is in frail health - stands accused has been almost halved to speed up his trial. Gen Mladic is accused of committing genocide and other crimes against Bosnian Muslims and Croats in a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing that began in 1992 and climaxed in Srebrenica in 1995. Then, Serb fighters overran the Srebrenica enclave in eastern Bosnia - supposedly under the protection of Dutch UN peacekeepers. Men and boys were separated off, shot dead and bulldozed into mass graves - later to be dug up and reburied in more remote spots. Gen Mladic is also charged over the 44-month siege of Sarajevo during which over 10,000 people died. These were the worst atrocities in Europe since the end of World War II, says the BBC’s world affairs correspondent Peter Biles in The Hague. Over 200 hours, the prosecution will make its case against Mladic, taking testimony from over 400 witnesses. Pre-trial hearings have been characterised by ill-tempered outbursts from Gen Mladic, who has heckled the judge and interrupted proceedings. “The whole world knows who I am,” he said at a hearing last year. “I am General Ratko Mladic. I defended my people, my country... now I am defending myself.” The case has stirred up strong emotions among watching survivors, with some shouting “murderer” and “killer” from the court gallery. Many fear that Gen Mladic, who suffered at least one stroke while in hiding and remains in frail health, could escape judgement by dying mid-trial. The architect of the Balkan wars, former Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic, died in detention in his cell in 2006, before receiving a verdict.

Source: BBC News

Syria : Continued from pg 1 be quiet,” Rosenfeld said. “We have mobilised a number of units in various areas,” he said, without elaborating. Last year, Israeli troops opened fire on demonstrators from Lebanon and Syria as they tried to breach a security fence and enter Israel. Four protesters from Syria were killed along with another 10 from Lebanon. A senior military official in Israel’s northern command said troops had trained to handle all situations, although they were not aware of plans for any big demonstrations along the borders. “We are getting eady or all kinds of provocations,” he told AFP on condition of anonymity. This year’s Nakba events come with protesters hailing a mass hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. The strike appeared to have come to an end on Monday night after an Egyptian-mediated deal under which Israel offered a number of measures easing prison conditions in exchange for an end to the hunger strike.

Source: Al-Jazeera

Nato : Continued from pg 3 be a wonderful signal if we can get it done by the time of the summit,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said. But the Pakistani government is likely to face an angry backlash over the U-turn from opposition, right-wing and religious parties keen to exploit rampant anti-American sentiment in an election year. Nor lifting the blockade is likely to solve other problems in the relationship between Pakistan and the United States. American officials remain deeply distrustful of Pakistan, whose territory is used by Taliban and other Afghan insurgents who have been fighting US troops for more than a decade. Pakistan is still smarting from the American raid that killed bin Laden last year and deeply resents American calls to do more to clamp down on militant safe havens. The United States has made increasing use of other routes into Afghanistan and the Pakistan supply routes now constitute as little as 25 per cent of what Nato needs to sustain itself. The United States has guaranteed payment of at least $1.1 billion should the borders reopen as compensation for fighting militants, although Pakistan believes it is owed far more, one source said.

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Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

THE FLAWED REFUGEE BILL

In keeping with its humanitarian traditions and international obligations, Canada offers protection to the vulnerable people of various ethnic backgrounds from all troubled parts of the world. Canada is well known to handle the emerging refugee situations; works closely with the UNHCR (United Nations High Commissions for Refugees) and enjoys recognition around the world for its leadership in resettling asylum seekers who need protection. It takes part in preventing “refugee smuggling scenarios” from further developing. Subject to tough scrutiny, refugee-protection is available here to claimants who fear persecution, a risk to their life or a risk of cruel treatment if they are deported back to their home countries.

Canadian Bill C-31 is an omnibus bill that is actually aimed at amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Balanced Refugee Reform Act, the Marine Transportation Security Act, and the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Act. With regard to “protecting Canada’s immigration system act,” strong criticism came from the civil society, the Canadian council for refugees, the refugee forum, the Canadian association of refugee lawyers, the Canadian civil liberties association, amnesty international.

Dealing with people seeking asylum in Canada has become questionable as sections 24 and 25 of Bill C-31 modify the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in such a way that asylum claimants will

be presumed as bogus, and they will have to remain in detention for up to one year before the “hearing” actually takes place to determine their status.

Hearings under the current law must be held within 48 hours which is a major change in Canada’s approach towards the protection of refugees, and regardless of how one might feel about the challenges of selecting and integrating new immigrants into Canadian society.

According to the legal/constitutional experts, the detention provisions of the said Bill violate several rights and freedoms guaranteed under the Charter of rights: this includes freedom from arbitrary detention, the right to prompt review of the reasons for detention, the right to liberty and security of the person, and freedom from cruel punishment indeed.

Section 9 of the Charter states that “everyone has the right not to be arbitrarily detained or imprisoned.” Section 10(c) provides that everyone who is arrested or detained has the right “to have the validity of the detention determined by way of habeas corpus and to be released if the detention is not lawful.

Additionally, fake claimants cause headache to the system. And, these queue jumpers have made problem from bad to worse leading to hardships for genuine asylum seekers. However, “the Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act” makes several reforms to the refugee system, designed to crack down on bogus refugee claims.

Although, the government under immense

L E T T E R S

Thank You Note!

Dear Readers, I take this golden opportunity via The Miracle to thank you all for your generous support for the flood victims of Fiji. Your help in any way or form was very warmly appreciated by the recipients in Fiji. Our relief items were delivered to the remote and hard to reach areas via trucks and 4x4 vehicles. Food items and clothing were of superior grade and were received with a lot of blessings to the BC donors.

In my observation, we have to do more than sending the food and clothing. We have to send some technical personnel to impart technical skills. Instead of food, we should supply tools and equipments to make people self sufficient. Our Schools have out of date computers and are short of maintenance and upgrading.

We should find some sponsors to donate some newer computers and software’s also like to inform the readers that our Society is now registered with the Registrar and the official name is ‘HUMAN CARE BC SOCIETY’.

Since our objective of the Society is to help the needy all year around, please do not stop showing your moral, financial and physical support. Our Website is under construction and you will be able to see our activities soon.

Adam Buksh

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.

Miracle Media Group Inc.©

Contact Info Mailing and Office Address 9160-136A Street Surrey BC. V3V 7Z8 Canada Fax: 604-582-7809

&

pressure has proposed some amendments to the controversial new refugee bill, yet the critics still see major issues with the legislation.

Good and bad examples: The original version of the bill, tabled last February, reads “asylum seekers who are part of mass arrivals would face mandatory detention for 12 months with no review.”

The amended version would require an initial review within 14 days, a second review six months later.

The government has saved itself from legal challenges under the original refugee law but is not completely off the hook yet.

The bill, as it was written originally, could have seen refugees who visited their nowpeaceful home countries - lose their permanent residency status in Canada.

But now, the minister also promises to modify the bill’s wording for more clarity that refugees accepted years ago would not be retroactively deported to their homelands if conditions there improved.

The unfairly deprived, however, are the existing failed claimants, who would be barred by the authorities from applying for humanitarian consideration for 12 months, effective the day the said bill is passed.

No good news for the successful “mass arrival refugees,” as they would still be prevented from bringing over their children for five years.

The minister failed to define mass arrival (although the bill was prompted by the landing of two boatloads of Tamil asylum

seekers in 2009 and 2010). And he did not provide any clarity either on how the government will designate “safe countries” to which asylum seekers can be sent back promptly with no right of appeal.

Despite changes in Bill C-31, there is no mechanism in place to challenge blunt refusal with respect to family reunification.

Families are denied the opportunity to bring their spouse and children, because they did not list them when registering in refugee camps where people live in terrible conditions. Once the refugees arrive in Canada, they are given one-year window to declare another individual on their application.

Obviously, the mass migration to Canada is negative news for the locals as it adversely affects the rights of main stream lawful applicants. In fact, it severely slows down the processing of family re-unification regular cases.

But the fact remains that the asylum seekers including the boat loads of desperate people are not necessarily economic refugees or queue jumpers as most of them are genuine refugees running away desperately from life-threatening risky environment; thus deserve being accommodated according to law.

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

Role of Women

By Rosalie Schmidt Whenever I am visiting Vancouver, I try to pick up the “ethnic” newspapers, to get a more balanced view of the news and watch Aljeezra.

As a third generation canadian(non practising christian) I do get a bit perturbed that the Muslim religion does seem to regulate women below men. ie: May 4th edition< “the Importance of Is-

lamic Education and the role of Islamic Schools.”

The paragraph “it is only men of understanding who will remember” Are women not capable of understanding? Also, in the Islamic Schools, do they teach anything of Canadian history? it is only through learning about each others cultures and adapting them to the country we choose to live in, that we will obtain eternal peace.

I really enjoyed the column by Nada Adams on Bromine. Keep up the good work.

IMPORTANT MESSAGE FOR ALL READERS

The Miracle Media Group has been serving the community for almost 11 years.

The management has kept and maintained newspaper boxes at the entrances of the Mosques entrances for the facility of Miracle’s readers to avoid violation of any regulations by the mosques. It also keeps the newspapers to be scattered around the place by wind and other elements and inadvertently, creating a problem on Mosque premises. We also avoid forcefully distributing the copies in your hands and leave it on your discretion to pick up the copy at your convenience without disrespecting Islamic literature and pictures. Therefore, we request all of you to continue using the newspaper boxes to obtain a copy of your favorite newspaper.

In spite of repeated requests, it is being observed that different newspapers are still using Miracle boxes without prior consent. Such businesses are asked to respect business ethics and principles.

Miracle Management

Founder : Nusrat Hussain Managing Editor: M. Naseer Pirzada Sub-Editors: Khadija, Misbah & Sabeeh Hon. Chief Editor & Urdu Editor Mohammad Rafiq Advertising : info@miraclenews.com Ph: 604-690-0400 Email: naseer@telus.net,

Editorial Board : Mr.Shums Jillani, Mr Aslam Hayat, Azhar Syed, Mr. Shams Siddiqui, M.A.L. Naumani, Mr Tariq Mian 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 Special Articles Faith Health Sports Urdu

7 5,6 8, 10, 12-14 14,20,21 16, 25 8 15 27 28-36

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Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

10 Tips for Serious Seekers of the Qur’an Realize the Reason, Know Allah is Your Guide By: Maryam Amirebrahimi Why memorize the Qur’an? Because it will give you a constant, incredible, and personally special relationship with The Creator, with The Sustainer, with The One Who has power over all things.

You want the best of both worlds? It’s through the Qur’an. It’s through memorizing, understanding, loving and most importantly, living it. When one is sincere about memorizing it, one needs to be completely aware of the heavy responsibility and glorified honor of living as Allah’s servant and carrying His words in their hearts. This must translate into their actions. The key: Sincerity.

1. Make the Intention to Invest in Your Akhira (Hereafter) The Prophet (peace be upon him) taught us, ‘The Qur’an will meet its companion on the Day of Resurrection when his grave is opened for him, in the form of a pale man.

It will say to him, ‘Do you recognize me?’

He will say: ‘I do not recognize you.’ It will say: ‘I am your companion the Qur’an, who kept you thirsty on hot days and kept you awake at night. Every merchant benefits from his business and today you will benefit from your good deeds.’ He will be given dominion in his right hand and eternity in his left, and there will be placed on his head a crown of dignity, and his parents will be clothed with priceless garments the like of which have never been seen in this world.

They will say: ‘Why have we been clothed with this?’ It will be said: ‘Because your son used to recite Qur’an.’ Then it will be said to him: ‘Recite and ascend in the degrees of Paradise,’ and he will continue to ascend so long as he recites, either at a fast pace or a slow pace.’ [Ahmad, Ibn Majah]

memorizing the Qur’an was not being able to find a consistent teacher. This sometimes led to many months of not memorizing anything and only working on review. When I didn’t find a teacher, I turned to friends who could help me with my tajweed and we became Qur’an buddies. On campus, over the phone, in cars in random parking lots, in-between running from one meeting to another, we would recite to one another and we would keep each other in check until we were able to find teachers. A teacher (or if you can’t find one, a Qur’an buddy) is CRITICAL to progress with the Qur’an.Use technology to assist you; to help practice your tajweed and help you memorize, there are a number of resources dedicated to those who want to memorize the Qur’an. If you have ever used one, please feel free to share what has worked for you!

4. Make time for the Qu’ran Just as we make time for people, work and classes, we need to schedule in time to meet up with the Qur’an and strive to show it that we’re sincere and serious about a long-term relationship.

5. The Qur’an is Where the Party’s At Sometimes, memorizing the Qur’an means denying invitations to social gatherings.

Don’t get me wrong; it is ESSENTIAL for one’s spiritual and emotional well-being to be balanced and have social connections and relationships regularly. However, there will be times when the portion that must be memorized is going to take more time and that means leaving early from or not being able to make it to the party. These are sacrifices we make for Allah and the Qur’an and He replaces them with better if we pay attention.

one else who wants to begin and give them a mushaf (written Qur’an) and ask them to give you one as well. This way, every time they or you work on memorizing, you’re both receiving incredible rewards from each other’s memorization. It can be more difficult to memorize if one has no clue what the meaning of the verses are. If one does not understand the language of the Qur’an, make sure to also keep a translation close by to read from it to contextualize the verses and pick up on the meaning.

8. Do Good Deeds “For the Sake of the Qur’an” When one experiences extra difficulty in memorizing or has just finished a great portion, give some small financial or actionbased charity and ask Allah to accept it for the Qur’an; ask Allah fervently for tawfiq (success), for sincerity, and for a love life with His Words. The Qur’an is special and it does not “need” us. We need the Qur’an to guide us and to enrich our lives. The Qur’an isn’t going to just come to anyone who attempts to memorize it, then leaves it, then attempts it, then leaves it. It also doesn’t just easily lend itself to individuals who knowingly commit sins and persist in those sins without regret and without seeking to change. As one Sheikh taught, “The Qur’an is Aziz (dear, noble, venerated). If you don’t want to be with it or memorize it, then it’s not going to ‘wait around’ for you.” You want to be special to the Qur’an? Work for it through your righteous actions when you’re not working with it directly.

9. Honor One’s Parents As I learned from an anecdote shared by Imam Suhaib Webb, the pleasure of one’s

Narrated Abu Musa: I went to the Prophet along with a group of Al-Ash’ariyin in order to request him to provide us with mounts. He said, “By Allah, I will not provide you with mounts and I haven’t got anything to mount you on.” Then we stayed there as long as Allah wished us to stay, and then three very nice looking she-camels were brought to him and he made us ride them.

When we left, we, or some of us, said, “By Allah, we will not be blessed, as we came to the Prophet asking him for mounts, and he swore that he would not give us any mounts but then he did give us. So let us go back to the Prophet and remind him (of his oath).” When we returned to him (and reminded him of the fact), he said, “I did not give you mounts, but it is Allah Who gave you. By Allah, Allah willing, if I ever take an oath to do something and then I find something else than the first, I will make expiation for my oath and do the thing which is better (or do something which is better and give the expiation for my oath).” Bukhari 78:620

parents incredibly aids in easing the memorization of the Qur’an. The more one wants to memorize, the more one should increase in treating their parents with dignity, respect and appreciation through words, through actions and through merciful companionship. (Thank you Mom and Dad!!)

10. The Qur’an Should Spark an Internal Revolution Even more important than memorizing the Qur’an is allowing it catalyze one’s transformation. If one’s character is not reforming and improving, there’s a serious problem.

Check your heart from the start and keep checking it; one’s actions should become more balanced and stronger in quality when interacting with the Qur’an. “And We have certainly made the Qur’an easy for remembrance,so is there any who will remember?” Qur’an, 54:17 Source: SuhaibWeb.com

Islamic Supreme Council of Canada (ISCC)

2. Know that Allah is with You

6. Make Du`a’ Constantly

Allah Most High says in a Hadith Qudsi (record containing the words of God), “When my servant takes one step towards Me, I take ten steps towards him. When my servant comes walking towards me, I come running towards him.” Recognize that you are not alone; that it is the One Who revealed these words Who will help you learn and retain them. The struggle must begin with the servant, but the Lord is the One Who will continually open the way and aid you through the struggle. When it’s Hard, There is Twice the Reward.

Wait, what? You don’t understand Arabic?

Wait, what? You aren’t Arab? Wait, you’re Arab, but your tajweed (rules of recitation/ pronunciation) is really off?. For you, the Prophet has shared words of encouragement, “Such a person who recites the Qur’an and masters it by heart, will be with the noble righteous scribes (in Heaven). And such a person exerts himself to learn the Qur’an by heart, and recites it with great difficulty, will have a double reward,” (Muslim).

oIn every prayer, in every moment During the month of Ramadan, we need HUFFAZ (memorizers of the holy of prostration, between every athan Qur’an) for Taraweeh prayers. Please contact me immediately, if you are a (call to prayer) and iqama (call to Hafiz and interested in leading the Taraweeh prayers. begin prayer), ask God to make us You must be a Canadian resident and follow the AQEEDAH of Ahle Sunnat of the Ahlul Qur’an (the people of the Qur’an), those whom the Wal Jama’t, Hanafi Fiqh.

Prophet taught, “The people of the 1. Calgary: Five Huffaz needed 2. Montreal: One Hafiz needed 3. Toronto: Two Huffaz needed 4. Vancouver: One Hafiz needed Qur’an are the people of Allah and 5. Edmonton: One Hafiz needed His special servants,” (An-Nisa’i).

Realize you are not alone. There are Thanks, Syed Soharwardy Phone: 403-831-6330 some du`a’ I began making seven years ago and they only have started to manifest six or seven years after I started making them From May18-June 1, 2012 (Jamadi ul Akhara-26- Rajab 11, 1433H) rigorously. There will be J.ul. Ak Isha May Day Fajar SunR Zawa1 Dhuhr Asr Maghrib times one might want to give up, one might feel 26 Fri 3:17 1:09 1:16 6:31 18 5:23 8:58 10:51 like there’s no progress, 27 Sat 3:15 1:09 1:16 6:31 19 5:22 9:00 10:53 one might feel like eve28 1:09 1:16 6:32 20 Sun 3:13 5:21 9:01 10:55 ryone else is finishing so 29 Mon 3:13 1:09 1:16 21 5:19 6:33 9:02 10:57 quickly, so easily, and that Rajab 1 Tue 3:11 1:09 1:16 6:34 22 5:18 9:03 10:59 nothing is clicking. Wait.

Be patient. Keep working 2 1:09 1:16 6:34 23 Wed 3:10 5:17 9:05 11:00 and keep making du’a’.

3 1:09 1:16 6:35 24 Thu 3:08 5:16 9:06 11:02 Soon, everything will open 4 Fri 3:06 1:09 1:16 6:36 25 5:15 9:07 11:04 because of your sincerity , 5 Sat 3:04 1:09 1:16 6:36 26 5:14 9:08 11:06 work and du`a’ and when 6 1:09 1:16 6:37 27 Sun 3:03 5:13 9:09 11:07 it does, every second of the struggle is so much 7 1:10 1:17 6:38 28 Mon 3:01 5:12 9:11 11:09 sweeter and so much more 8 Tue 3:00 1:10 1:17 6:38 29 5:12 9:12 11:11 worth it.

9 1:10 1:17 6:39 30 Wed 2:58 5:11 9:13 11:12 7. Trade a Mushaf

3. Start Correctly and Use Technology Find a Teacher or Qur’an Buddy, Learn tajweed and Work Consistently When I first decided I would commit to memorizing, I found a teacher and told her I was ready. But I had never studied tajweed and my recitation was completely incorrect!

She asked me, “Do you want to memorize, or do you want to memorize correctly?

There is no point in memorizing it wrong and then having to go back and do it all over again.”

The most difficult test I came across with

(Qur’an) with Someone and Understand What You’re Memorizing When starting, find some-

10 11

31 June1

Thu Fri

2:57 2:55

5:10 5:09

AQEEM USS SALAAT

1:10 1:10

1:17 1:17

6:40 9:14 11:14 6:40 9:15 11:15 Source: Masjid Al Noor

(Establish Prayer)

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Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

The Finality of Prophethood (Khatam-e-Nabuwat) “Muhammad is not the father of any of your men, but (he is) the Messenger of Allah, and the Seal of the Prophets and Allah has full knowledge of all things.”(Al-Ahzab 33:40)

British Columbia Muslim Association(BCMA) started a series of lectures on the Finality of Prophethood (Khatam-e-Nabuwat) in the Lower Mainland.

The first lecture was held on May 5 in Surrey Jamea Masjid. Many scholars participated included, Maulana Tayyab Qasimi, Maulana A.Lateef Naumani, Maulna Mazher Ahmed along with community members. The keynote speaker was Mufti Aasim Rashid. In his presentation and lectures he focused in details on: • What the Quran and Hadith Say? • What are the consensus of the Ummah?

• History of those who claimed the Prophethood • Modern times claimed (Mirza Ghulam Ahmed of Qadian) • Qadiani Belief System • The Status of Qadianis from an Islamic perspective • Dealing with Qadianis At the end Maulana Tayab Qasimi delivered a brief note about Qadianis and made Duaa for Muslim Ummah.

A second lecture on the same theme was held in Richmond Jameh Masjid on May 11, and third and last lecture of this “ The Finality of Prophethood (Khatam e Nabuwat) series is being organised in Masjid As-Salaam Burnaby on May 18 after Maghrib Prayer.

The coordinators of this series of lectures with their BCMA chapters were Br. Mohammad Adam Buksh, Br. Basharat Ali Sidhu, Br. Shahzad Mansoori and Br. Daud Ismail.

I’m Too Busy

By Khalid Mahmood Everyday as I wake up at dawn My mind start working the moment I yawn There were many things to do, o dear!

That’s why I hastily did my Subuh prayer I didn’t have the time to sit longer to praise the Lord To me rushing out after prayer is nothing odd...

Since school, I had been busy every minute Completing my tutorials and handing it in My ECAs took up most of my time always No time did I have to Allah to pray Too many things to do and zikir is rare For Allah, I really had no time to spare..

When I grew up and started my career Working all day to secure my future When I reached home, I preferred to have fun I chatted on the phone but I didn’t read the Quran I spent too much time surfing the Internet Sad to say, my faith was falling flat...

The only time I have left is weekends During which I prefer window shopping with friends I couldn’t spare time to go to the mosque I’m too busy, that’s the BIG EXCUSE...

I did my five prayers but did so quickly After prayer, I didn’t sit longer to reflect quietly I didn’t have time to help the needy ones I was loaded with work as my precious time runs No time at all to visit a sick Muslim friend To orphans and elderly, I hardly lent a hand I’m too busy to do community service When there were gatherings, I helped the least My life was already full of stress So I didn’t counsel a Muslim in distress I didn’t spend much time with my family B’coz I thought, doing so is a waste of time...

No time to share with non-Muslim about Islam Even though I know, inviting causes no harm No time to do Sunnah prayers at all All these contribute to my imaan’s fall..

I’m busy here and busy there I’ve no time at all, that’s all I care I went for religious lessons, just once in awhile Coz I’m too busy making a pile...

I worked all day and I slept all night Too tired for Tahajjud and it seemed not right To me, earning a living was already tough so i only did basic deeds but that’s not enough..

No time at all, to admire God’s creation No time to praise Allah and seek His Compassion Although I know how short is my life For Islam, I really didn’t strive..

Finally the day comes, when the Lord calls for me And I stood before Him with my Life’s History I feel so guilty b’coz i should have prayed more Isn’t that what a Muslim lives for?

To thank Allah and do more good deeds And the Quran is for us all to read..

Now at Judgment Day, I’m starting to fret I’ve wasted my life but it’s too late to regret My entry to Paradise depend on my good behavior But I’ve not done enough nor did proper prayer My “good deed book” is given from my right An angel opened my “book” and read out my plight. Then the angel chided me....

“O You Muslim servant, you are the one, Who is given enough time, yet not much is done Do you know that your faith is loose? saying “no time” is only an excuse.

Your “good deed book” should be filled up more with all the good work you stood up for..

Hence, I only recorded those little good deeds As I say this, I know your eyes will mist..

I was about to write some more, you see But I did not have, THE TIME to list”......

BC MUSLIM SCHOOL

Teaching Positions The BC Muslim School is now accepting teaching applications for full-time positions in Arabic, Islamic Studies and Qur’an subjects beginning the academic year 2012-13.

Skills and Qualifications Requirement: - Possess or is eligible for BC Teacher Certification.

- Degree or Post-Secondary Certificate from a recognized Islamic Institution for the subjects to be taught.

- Proven experience teaching Arabic, Islamic knowledge and Qur’an to children ages 5–12.

- Excellent oral and written communication skills.

- Possess excellent planning and organization skills.

- Computer competence in English and Arabic.

- Ability to work within a team, with integrity, enthusiasm, initiative and confidence.

- Capable of serving in a multi-ethnic environment.

Experience with children in an education setting is an asset.

Please send your resume and cover letter to the attention of The Principal at the following email address admin@bcmuslimschool.ca

9

Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

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Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

Qur’an Memorization Competition Winners Honoured

“And recite the Qur’an in slow, measured rhythmic tones” Al-Muzzammil (73:3) With a record of 135 participants, the 11th BC Annual Qur’an Memorization Competition winners were awarded prizes and trophies at the closing ceremony FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Vancouver, BC, CANADA - 20 Jumada II, 1433 – May 13, 2012. The winners of the 11th BC Annual Qur’an Memorization Competition were announced and presented with trophies and prizes during the closing ceremony and reception at the MAC Youth & Community Centre (Burnaby, BC) on Saturday 19 Jumada II, 1433 – May 12, 2012. The BC Qur’an Memorization Competition is an annual event organized by the Muslim Association of Canada and the Islamic Information Center to recognize the efforts of BC Muslims, especially the youth, in memorizing the Qur’an and encouraging them to upgrade their level of competence in reading the Qur’an.

This year, a record of 135 contestants actually participated in the competition. As of April 20th, 2012, 184 persons registered for the Competition including 77 females and 107 males. The Competition was held in two phases: the preliminaries on April 28; then the finals on May 12. The Competition included 7 categories. The contestants were evaluated both on Hifz (memorization) and Tajweed (application of Quran reading rules).

Next year competition -the 12th BC Annual Quran Memorization Competition - will be held insha’Allah during AprilMay 2012. The exact dates and details will be announced in future communications.

The judging panel that oversaw the competition was comprised of qualified hafizs and scholars, and headed by sheikh Ahmed Zaki al-Qaysi who holds four International Licenses in Qur’an Readings (Qira’at), among which a License in the ten ways of recitation via Shatibiyah and another License via Dourah. In addition, the judging panel included the following sheikhs: Salhuddin Zubair, Abdulhalim Abdurazak, Mohaned Shibani, and brothers: Abderrazak Boujenane, Kamal Othmane, Bilal Hamed. During the preliminaries sisters Halima, Ruqia Alnueimi and Asma Khatab were also part of the judging panel.

Hafizs Acknowledgment During the award ceremony two youths were presented with congratulatory plaques and gifts for finishing recently memorizing the whole Qur’an (Hifth) under the supervision of sheikh Salhuddin Zubair from the Islamic Academy of Canada: • Ahmad Guura • Hamza Ibrahim Ijaza Certificates in the Qira’at Sheikh Ahmed Zaki al-Qaysi presented four individuals with Ijaza certificates in the Qira’at. Sheikh al-Qaysi stressed out the importance of maintaining, preserving and protecting the unique knowledge of Quran qira’ats. Since the Quran and qira’at have come from Allah ta’ala, He has promised to protect the Quran along with meaning, style scripts and qira’at.

The recipients of Ijaza in the Qira’at according to the recitation of Asim Al-Kufi and his two narrators Shubah and Hafs: • Muayad Abdulrazzaq • Fahd Abdulrazzaq • Shahin Ahmed Ali The recipients of Ijaza in the Qira’at according to the reci-

tation of Nafi and his two narrators Qalun and Warsh • Osman Haj Mohamed The 11th BC Annual Quran Memorization Competition – Award Winners The Competition first three winners from each category were presented with aware certificates trophies and cash prizes. Additionally, all the finalists received recognition certificates and cash prizes. Yet, the reward from Allah for those who memorize and recite the Qur’an is unparalleled and unmatched.

10 juz’ Category (all ages) 1st Award Daud Nooh 2nd Award Mohammad Raja 3rd Award Yahya Mohammed Honourable Mention: Ibrahima Cisse 5 juz’ Category (all ages) 1st Award Muayad Abdulrazzaq 2nd Award Ahmed Guura 3rd Award Umar Yousuf Ahmad Honourable Mention: Souad Abdelhadi, Farhiya Mohammed Tilawa Category (all ages) 1st Award Abeer Aljaadi 2nd Award Muayad Abdulrazzaq 3rd Award Abdul Basit Siddiqui Honourable Mention: Mahmood UrRehman Minhas, Noreen Shalabi 3 juz’ Category (up to 17 years old) 1st Award Abdurrahman Khalif 2nd Award Naila Farah 3rd Award Hashim Al-Abed Honourable Mention: Halima Haroun, Fatima Karroum 2 juz’ Category (up to 13 years old) 1st Award Doua Ismail 2nd Award Ayaan Heban 3rd Award Nawaal Nur Honourable Mention: Zeynab Hussein, Nawal Omar, Sumaya Abdi Hadi 1 juz’ Category (up to 10 years old) 1st Award Waleed Zubair 2nd Award Aakif Syed Saman 3rd Award Yoosuf Bacha Honourable Mention: Abdullah Naeem, Qasim Ahmed, Raghad Alabdalla, Rahma Khan ½ juz’ Category (up to 8 years old) 1st Award Nawal Elmi 2nd Award Talha Khan 3rd Award Omar Ismail Honourable Mention: Monir Fathalla, Imad Bakhtani Contact: Mourad Chergui Qur’an Memorization Competition, Organizing Committee Muslim Association of Canada – Vancouver Chapter 604-434-7526 Iic.mac.vancouver@gmail.com

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Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

Fundraising dinner at IQRA Islamic School Surrey

On May 5, Iqra Islamic School presented a plan to the community members for further expansion, building of a full-scale gymnasium to address and accommodate its rapidly growing needs. In a quiet dramatic and creative way, the school administration held the fundraising dinner event at the very site where they intend to build the facility, bringing the reality closer to home and giving better understanding of the needs. It worked! The target was to raise $75K, an amount required to complete the project, and they were able to raise $45K, which would allow them to kickstart the project. However, the need is much greater and in order to see it to completion in time for the coming school year the remaining amount would have to be raised and raised sooner. If you are interested in assisting the school, we encourage you to contact the school directly. We wish all the best to the Iqra School Administration and Board of Education in their quest to assist the community.

Courtesy by: ALAMEEN POST

The Maria-Helena Foundation presents a panel discussion on Pakistan’s Socio-Economic Development: The Role of Diaspora beyond Remittances Saturday, June 2, 2012 ~ 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm Room 120, Surrey Centre Library, 10350 University Drive, Surrey Shams Alibhai, Executive Director, BC Council for International Cooperation Shuja Alam, Consul General of Pakistan Aamir Baig, Entrepreneur Hafsa Ishtiaq, Volunteer, CARE Foundation Pakistan Ashfaq Khan, Donor/Volunteer, International Development & Relief Foundation Furquan Gehlen, Board Member, Human Concern International Mohammad Rafiq, Urdu Editor, The Miracle Dr. Muhammad Iqbal, Founder and President The Maria-Helena Foundation

Moderator Leveraging Diaspora’s Knowledge, Skills, and Wealth Information Technology Transfer Shipping Used Books Installing Water Filtration Plants Disaster Relief & Sustainable Development Promoting Urdu as Soft Power Social Development

Nearly 5 million Pakistani emigrants make up the world’s 7th largest diaspora. Among permanent emigrants there are 1.2 m in the UK alone. In North America we are about 1 m strong with a total net-worth running into several hundred million dollars. And, our current level of remittances has climbed to almost 12 billion dollars. While we contribute significantly toward disaster relief, we are lacking in our roles as investors, customers, ambassadors, technology transferors, and social development workers for our homeland.

For further information, please contact: iqbal@mail.ubc.ca

12

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Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

Human Care BC Society rounded off its mission in Fiji

By: Hassan Mallam Br. Adam Buksh, President of the Human Care BC Society and his wife Amina Buksh left for Fiji Islands a month ago to observe the aid be towered by the Society through shipment of a container full of essential items like food and clothing beside multiplicity of useful items for the flood victims is now back home looking gleeful as the Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mercy mission has been triumphant. He said it was a monumental task which required a lot of time and effort and I take this opportunity to acknowledge with many thanks, appreciation and gratitude for the generous support we received from the diverse members of the community in Vancouver as well as in Fiji to help the victims of the devastating flood. Your help in any form was very warmly applauded by the recipients and by the people of Fiji. He said our relief items were delivered to the remote mountain villages hard

reach areas by trucks and 4x4 vehicles.

Food items and clothing were of higher quality and were received with lot of blessings to the donors of British Columbia. Br Adam Buksh said in my observation, we have to do more than sending food and clothes. There is a high demand to send human resources who could impart technical skills. We should ponder upon supplying tools and equipments to enable people to become self sufficient. Some Schools have outdated computers and upgrading and maintenance of these devices calls for people with skills. We should venture into find sponsors to donate contemporary computers and software.

I also like to inform that HCBC Society is now a registered organization and the aims and objectives of the Society is to help the needy all year around, therefore do not put an end to your moral, financial and physical support..

Upcoming Schedule of Muslim Food Bank(MFB) The following are the events for the rest of the year. Please let us know if you would like to be part of the team organizing or volunteering at any or all of the following events.

2012 Jun 16 Clothing sale at the Bazaar at Masjid Al-Rahmah Jun 17 Annual Community Barbecue at Hawthorne Park at 10503 - 144 Street (144 St and 104 Ave) Surrey Jul 15 Walkathon by UBC MSA Aug 20 Eid ul Fiter School Supplies Distribution Sep 22 Bowling Nov 03 Comedy Show Dec 25 Family Skiing or Tubing at Mount Seymour 2013: Feb 16 Annual Fundraising Dinner Client Registration, Food Hampers Preparation / Pickup and Food Collection Events: May 19, Jun 2, Jun 16, Jul 7, Jul 21, Aug 4, Aug 11, Sep 8, Sep 15, Oct 6, Oct 20, Nov 3, Nov 17, Dec 1, Dec 15

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local

Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

Burnaby RCMP Open Community Forum held at Burnaby Islamic Centre

By: Imaad Ali The Burnaby RCMP continued its positive working relationship with the city’s faith groups on Tuesday, May 1st when it hosted one of its many community forums at the Al-Salaam Mosque & Education Centre on Canada Way. Chief Superintendent Dave Critchley was joined by a team of his fellow officers, as well as City Councillor Paul McDonell, MLA Raj Chouhan and representatives of the Burnaby Task Force on Homelessness and Ant-Graffiti organization at the session which was catered by the Mosque’s Ladies’ Branch.

A large crowd attended the event and saw an informative visual presentation by the Chief Superintendent, and later asked questions on crime for almost an hour.

Feroz Dean, Chairman of the Muslim Business Council asked about the root cause of crime. Critchley stated that this issue has been looked at by police and academics for years, but on the strategic side, police address crime with a three pronged approach: 1) Enforcement 2) Education and 3) Intelligence which is being proactive to catch crime before it occurs.

Another issue which was discussed was new crimes which have emerged with new products. Police now often

deal with what they have termed “iTheft” which is the theft of ipods, ipads and similar devices, especially on public transit.

Other questions were about drugs, such as meth labs and grow-ops being set up in residential areas, and marijuana use by neighbours. The crowd also enquired about workplace and school bullying, gang warfare, euthanasia, and firearms laws.

On the positive side, the police informed the crowd that the neighbourhood in which the Mosque is situated is a relatively low crime area. As well, programs that the police have put in place to fight crime which have been successful were highlighted, such as Bar Watch, crime analysis and statistics, Strike Force and surveillance on suspects.

The evenining ended with a question by Musa Ismail, the President of the BC Mus-

lim Association, one of the largest Muslim organizations in the Western World. His question was on what the Muslim community could do to help the police. Chief Superintedent Critchley replied that he looked forward to seeing various communites coming together to engage in the local Community Police Advisory Committees in each district. He also invited community members to take part in the various volunteer programs that the RCMP offers, such as Block

Watch, Speed Watch and Auxiliary policing.

The evening ended with socializing and networking among the diverse group of attendees and police.

An Education Generation event held at Masjid Al-Salaam Centre By: Imaad Ali Despite graduating from University in less than a month, and getting said to start the MBA program at Queen’s University next fall, Fahad Yasin of New Westminster isn’t purely focused on his own education right now.

Instead, he’s looking to help youth in the war-torn nation of Sri Lanka attain the skills, knowledge, choices and opportunities gained from education as he heads oveseas to the South Asian island as a Fellow of Education Generation. The BC based organization sends Canadian students and young professionals to countries such as Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda, Ecuador, and Peru to conduct research, participate in community work, and to use their skills to improve the situation of youth in their destination country.

On Sunday, May 6th, Fahad spearheaded a fundraising program at Masjid Al-Salaam and Education centre in Burnaby, in which $5,000 was raised for this worthy cause. Guest

speakers at the event included Imam Mohamad Rachid, as well as UBC astrophysicist Dr. Redouane Al Fakir, the founder of Space Launch Canada and the Canadian Institute for World Peace, who spoke about the “higher meaning” of education. Quyen Vu, a student who has been abroad working with the organization spoke about his experience. Many students from local Universities were also in attendance.

For Fahad, his interest in Sri Lanka was spurned by an internship he completed in the nighbouring nation of India under the Canada-India Business Council in business development, as well as his experience studying at the Copenhagen Business School in Denmark.

The funds raised will be used to benefit overseas youth who are supported by Education Generation through scholarships.

Anyone looking to support the cause, or for more information about the organization should visit http://educationgeneration. org.

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Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

Conference on Domestic Violence and Child Abuse

The BC Muslim Association Board of Women’s Council organized a “Conference on Domestic Violence and Child Abuse” on May 5th 2012 at the Diamond Banquet Hall in Burnaby. The purpose of this conference was to create awareness that the Muslim community faces social issues just like any other community and that we are ready to work on strategies for prevention, education and resolution of these issues. Violence against women and children should never be tolerated or ignored. The event was attended by close to 150 women from various communities as well as representatives from the RCMP, Options, Victims Services, Diversity, Mosaic, the African Muslim Organization and MCFD (Ministry of Children and Family Development) social workers. The special guests in attendance included: Senator Mobina Jaffer (keynote speaker), Pamela Martin representing Premier Christy Clark, the Hon. Mary McNeil (Minister of Children and Family Development), Ginny Simms (MP), Kathy Corrigan (MLA) and Sue Hamill (MLA). After a short breakfast meet and greet, the conference commenced with a prayer by Najmah Mohammed (Communications Director). Ayesha Ali (Secretary, Board of Women’s Council), then introduced the emcee, Shabana Rehman, the principal of the Surrey Muslim School. The Chairperson of the Women’s Council, Tazul Ali, welcomed everyone to the event and gave a brief history of BCMA and the role of women in the organization. Pamela Martin read a message from Premier Christy Clark. Mary McNeil was delighted to be part of the event and expressed her appreciation that the Muslim community has taken the initiative of dealing with this very important issue. She stated that the workshops presented by the Muslim Advisory Committee to MCFD social workers and frontline staff are beneficial to the Ministry.

In her keynote speech, Senator Mobina Jaffer brought attention to domestic violence and human rights issues and discussed certain cultural practices relating to young girls.

She was very committed, passionate and supportive of the conference organized by the Muslim community.Shahnaz Rahman, the Manager of Family Law Project at West Coast Legal Education Action Fund (LEAF), delivered an informative presentation on violence against women and

the law. Prior to working with West Coast LEAF, Shahnaz worked for a provincial organization where she coordinated programs for children who have witnessed abuse.

MP Ginny Simms stressed the importance of awareness, raising children with the same values and providing equal opportunity to both genders. Itrath Syed further spoke on the topic of family violence. She quoted several verses of the Quran to emphasize that violence of any kind towards women is not acceptable. Farida Bano Ali spoke about her experiences dealing with local domestic violence and child abuse cases from her work with Muslim foster children and families. Presently, there are approximately 180 children in the custody of the MCFD Fraser Region and Vancouver Coastal Region.

Farida also proposed a prevention strategy which included the following: • Public education and awareness of issues through community and religious leaders, public forums, counsellors, ethnic media and BCMA Women’s representatives.

• Implement programs that empower women and encourage positive parenting.

• Services that provide family counselling, pre-marital counselling for couples, and workshops that focus on spirituality and healthy relationships.

• Cultural awareness, building bridges and communicating with different cultures to encourage unbiased and nonjudgmental perspectives that are vital to resolving social issues.

• Awareness and educational pamphlets on domestic violence and child abuse as well as contact information for victims’ services to be readily available in mosques.

• Men and women of the community need to work together to be more involved in addressing social issues and form a dialogue creating awareness of

domestic violence and child abuse.

The Board of Women’s Council will be delivering a series of programs in different mosques focusing on empowering women, conflict resolution, and positive parenting. Our future initiatives will include getting local communities to be more involved in addressing social issues and increase discussion and awareness of domestic violence and child abuse.

Vote of thanks was given by Nur Ram, (Director, Planning & Development) who expressed her support. Nur has worked with Senator Mobina Jaffer on related issues. We also thank Diamond Banquet Hall for their warm hospitality in hosting this event. Pamphlets providing information on Islam were available (Da’wa). We thank Allah (SWT) for the success of this conference.

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Immigration

Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

Changes announced to Saskatchewan immigration changes, newcomers upset

16th May: Canadian province Saskatchewan has announced some major changes to its immigration program earlier this month. The changes were announced by Saskatchewan immigration minister Rob Norris on 1st May, 2012 at the Regina Newcomer Welcome Center.

Changes to Saskatchewan immigration nominee program—Giving details about the new rules for Saskatchewan immigration program, Norris said the aim is to make the application process more open and fair.

Sponsorship limited to one family member --As per the changes, immigrants will be permitted to sponsor only one family member provided that family member has a permanent offer of skilled job position. So, Saskatchewan immigrant nominee program will accept one application from each household until the main applicant along with his family has settled down in the province.

For better integration of newcomers in Saskatchewan-The good thing is that such changes will help in immigration of immediate families together. The additional

requirement of job offer will make sure to establish a better connection between high-skilled jobs and high-skilled immigrants. Speaking about the new requirements, Norris said Saskatchewan has seen families making multiple applications. And this is ruining chances of Saskatchewan immigration for other families, informed Norris. So, the changes will help to avoid such a happening under Saskatchewan immigration nominee program, he clarified.

Newcomers upset by changed Saskatchewan immigration program--Prior to the new Saskatchewan immigration rules, immigrants enjoyed the ability to offer sponsorship to an unlimited number of family members for joining them in Saskatchewan subject to fulfillment of various eligibility conditions of SINP (Saskatchewan Immigration Nominee Program). And to make things worse for newcomers in Saskatchewan, these changes were announced before any prior hint or a timeframe.

According to PCCA (Pakistan Canada Cultural Association), changes introduced to Saskatchewan immigration

program are hurting newcomers. Syed Mozzam, general secretary of PCCA, says the move to cap the total number of family nominations to be made at one time is not welcoming. Many newcomers have moved from Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary to Saskatchewan and set up businesses and purchased big houses here to prepare for the arrival of their family members, Mozzam states. But, with changed Saskatchewan immigration rules, families will be compelled to choose whom they want to bring to Canada, he maintained. Newcomers in Saskatchewan have called upon the urgency to address the new changes at the earliest.

New Canada Temporary Foreign Worker rules will drive down wages 16th May: Its official! Foreigners coming to Canada under Canada’s Temporary Foreign Worker Program will now be paid lesser wages than their Canadian counterparts.

Low wages for foreign workers discriminatory—Recent ruling is nothing but a discrimination to be meted out to immigrant workers wanting to work in Canada. Canada government decided to bring down wages by nearly 15 percent for foreigners coming under Canada TFW (Temporary Foreign Worker) Program recently. However, this ruling is being cited as wholly misguided and alarming. Immigrants rights advocates as well as several economists are coming out against the new regime by Canada government.

Employers will get the authority to fast track immigration of potential TFWs (Temporary Foreign Workers) and pay lesser wages than their Canadian counterparts.

This ruling will prove worse for foreign workers because they will be getting lower wages than they were getting before the announcement of new Canada TFW rules, maintains Gil McGowan, Alberta union organization’s (Alberta Federation of Labor) president.This is going to have a negative effect on the labor market of Canada, adds McGowan. He was supported by several immigrant settlement and religious organizations.

Changed TFW rules will lower wages for Canadians—So, the effect of new rules for temporary foreign workers is not just limited to their wages. In fact, such Canada immigration changes will have far reaching impact on the prevailing wage rates in Canada. It is being feared that recent changes introduced to Canada Temporary Foreign Worker Program are going to drive wages for Canadian workers down, analysts fear. And the scenario may be that a worker will be pitted against another. McGowan, while sharing the predicament of foreign workers in Canada said employers will now have the authority to restrict Canadians from demanding more wages and complaining against work conditions. If any Canadian complains to his employer, he might be exploited by the employer. The employer may saydon’t ask for more or you will be replaced by foreign workers.

Canada’s clamp down on Employment Insurance recipients—Canada government has also announced dealing strictly with EI claimants. Jim

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p olit ics

Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

PAKISTAN’S NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM

May, 1998: The Year of Testing We know that Israel and South Africa have full nuclear capability -- a Christian, Jewish and Hindu civilization have this capability ... the Islamic civilization is without it, but the situation (is) about to change.

Deposed Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, from his jail cell, 1978 “Dhamaka kar dein.” (Conduct the explosion.)

Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, 18 May 1998 “Today, we have settled a score and have carried out five successful nuclear tests” Prime Minister Mohammad Nawaz Sharif, 28 May 1998 Pakistan becoming First Muslim Nuclear Power are completed. Pakistan did six Nuclear Explosions on 28 May 1998 in reply two five Nuclear Explosion of India on 11 May 1998. After India did Nuclear Explosion on 11 May 1998 Tune of its officials and media changed against Pakistan and they starting threatening Pakistan. Watching this Pakistan did six Nuclear Explosions on 28 May 1998 which closed the mouths of Indian officials and Media.

Every Year date of 28 May is celebrated as Youm Takbeer.

Pakistan started its Nuclear Program in 1975 after India decided to make Nuclear Weapons. Pakistan’s Prime Minister of that time Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto said we will make Nuclear Bomb even if we will have to eat Grass. After Bhutto Zia ul Haq also continued work on Pakistan’s Nuclear Program and Finally Pakistan was able to make Nuclear Weapons.

Today Pakistan has far better Nuclear Missiles as compare to India.

On 28 May, 1998 at 15:00 UCT. Prime Minister Sharif began his televised address (pre-announced four hours before) with the statement: In a later address to Pakistani and foreign reporters, Sharif said: “Pakistan today successfully conducted five nuclear tests. The results were as expected.

There was no release of radioactivity. I congratulate all Pakistani scientists, engineers and technicians for their dedicated team work and expertise in mastering complex and advanced technologies. The entire nation takes justifiable pride in the accomplishments of the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, Dr. A.Q. Khan Research Laboratories and all affiliated Organizations... Our security, and the peace and stability of the entire region, was gravely threatened.

As any self-respecting nation, we had no choice left for us. Our hand was forced by the present Indian leadership’s reckless actions. We could not ignore the magnitude of the threat... Under no circumstances would the Pakistani nation compromise on matters pertaining to its life and existence.

Our decision to exercise the nuclear option has been taken in the interest of national self-defence. These weapons are to deter aggression, whether nuclear or conventional.”

PAKISTAN MUSLIM LEAGUE (NAWAZ) CHAPTER ESTABLISHED IN SURREY, BC On May 14, a number of Pakistani community members gathered in Al-Madina Restaurant Surrey for the formation of Pakistan Muslim League(N) chapter. Mr. Rana Irfan of Rana Signs was appointed as the organizer from the PML(N) Canada chapter in BC. Mr. Anwer Khokhar was the master of ceremony. After the recitation of the Holy Quran and a Naat e Rasool Maqbool, he briefly described the purpose of this Pakistani political party office in British Columbia.

He then introduced Mr. Rana Irfan as an organizer of PML(N). Mr. Rana thanked everyone who came after one phone call by him and his colleagues of this party and showed their support with PML(N) in future.

Local print media including The Miracle, Al-Ameen, Canada Times and Asian Star were also invited for coverage of this new formed Pakistani political party office in Surrey.

Mr. Rana arranged live addresses via phone. The first call was from chief organiser of PML(N) Canada Mr. Shehzad Khokhar from Toronto. Mr. Khokhar spoke for about ten minutes and described the purpose of this political office in Canada as well as in BC. In the Q & A session, he answered some tough questions including one from The Miracle regarding the role of “friendly” opposition and the repeating tenure . At some extent Mr. Khokhar agreed on a point and but he explained the entire 4 years mandate of ruling party Pakistan People’s Party(PPP), their policies and the President’s actions.

He also focused on the previous two tenures of Mian Nawaz Shareef as a prime minister of Pakistan, his achievements and his current vision about Pakistan in future.

Mr. Khokhar also delivered a recorded message of Punjab’s Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Shareef congratulating Shahbaz Khohkar and his entire team on the formation of formation PML(N) offices in Canada to Mr. At the end of this message he thanked all Pakistani community

members who came to support Mr. Rana as an organiser in BC. The second on line phone call from the president of PML(N) Canada Mr. Mujeeb Butt (Alberta). Mr. Butt was very excited at the formation of BC office and congratulation to Mr. Rana Irfan and his team to gathered the Pakistani community under the platform of PML(N).

He told the policies of Pakistan Muslim League(N) under the leadership of his leader Mian Nawaz Shareef.

Both callers promised at phone that they will visit very soon in BC and meet the Pakistani community and discuss their concerns about the politics in Pakistan.

Pakistan Therik Insaaf(PTI) members were also present at this occasion and congratulated to Mr. Rana and his team for their new Pakistani Political Party office in BC. At the end a delicious dinner was served.

This is the second Pakistani political party being formed in BC. Soon offices of other parties including Pakistan People’s Party, MQM, ANP and others may be opening so the Pakistani community of BC should get ready to become involved in Pakistani politics till the General Election 2013 in Pakistan.

17

politics

Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

If there were global justice, Nato would be in the dock over Libya

Liberia’s Charles Taylor has been convicted of war crimes, so why not the western leaders who escalated Libya’s killing?

By Seumas Milne Libya was supposed to be different. The lessons of Iraq and Afghanistan had been learned, David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy insisted last year. This would be a real humanitarian intervention. Unlike Iraq, there would be no boots on the ground. Unlike in Afghanistan, Nato air power would be used to support a fight for freedom and prevent a massacre. Unlike the Kosovo campaign, there would be no indiscriminate cluster bombs: only precision weapons would be used. This would be a war to save civilian lives.

Seven months on from Muammar Gaddafi’s butchering in the ruins of Sirte, the fruits of liberal intervention in Libya are now cruelly clear, and documented by the UN and human rights groups: 8,000 prisoners held without trial, rampant torture and routine deaths in detention, the ethnic cleansing of Tawerga, a town of 30,000 mainly black Libyans (already in the frame as a crime against humanity) and continuing violent persecution of sub-Saharan Africans across the country.

A year after the western powers tried to make up for lost ground in the Arab uprisings by tipping the balance of the Benghazi-led revolt, Libya is in the lawless grip of rival warlords and armed conflict between militias, as the western-installed National Transitional Council (NTC) passes Gaddafi-style laws clamping down on freedom of speech, gives legal immunity to former rebels and disqualifies election candidates critical of the new order. These are the political forces Nato played the decisive role in bringing to power.

Now the evidence is starting to build up of what Nato’s laser-guided bombing campaign actually meant on the ground. The New York-based Human Rights Watch this week released a report into the deaths of at least 72 Libyan civilians, a third of them children, killed in eight separate bombing raids (seven on non-military targets) – and denounced Nato for still refusing to investigate or even acknowledge civilian deaths that were always denied at the time.

Given the tens of thousands of civilians killed by US, British and other Nato forces both from the air and on the ground in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen over the last decade, perhaps Nato commanders prefer not to detain themselves with such comparative trifles. And Human Rights Watch believes that, whatever the real number of civilians directly killed by Nato bombing, it was relatively low given the 10,000-odd sorties flown.

But while Nato’s UN mandate was to protect civilians, the alliance in practice turned that mission on its head.

Throwing its weight behind one side in a civil war to oust Gaddafi’s regime, it became the air force for the rebel militias on the ground. So while the death toll was perhaps between 1,000 and 2,000 when Nato intervened in March,

by October it was estimated by the NTC to be 30,000 – including thousands of civilians.

We can’t of course know what would have happened without Nato’s bombing campaign, even if there is no evidence that Gaddafi had either the intention or capability to carry out a massacre in Benghazi. But we do know that Nato provided decisive air cover for the rebels as they matched Gaddafi’s forces war crime for war crime, carried out massacres of their own and indiscriminately shelled civilian areas with devastating results – such as reduced much of Sirte to rubble last October.

There were also Nato and Qatari boots on the ground, including British special forces, co-ordinating rebel operations. So Nato certainly shared responsibility for the deaths of many more civilian than its missiles directly incinerated.

That is the kind of indirect culpability that led to the conviction last month of Charles Taylor, the former president of Liberia, in the UN-backed special court for Sierra Leone in The Hague. Taylor, now awaiting sentence and expected to be jailed in Britain, was found guilty of “aiding and abetting” war crimes and crimes against humanity during Sierra Leone’s civil war in the 1990s. But he was cleared of directly ordering atrocities carried out by Sierra Leonean rebels.

Which pretty well describes the role played by Nato in Libya last year. International lawyers say legal culpability would depend on the degree of assistance and knowledge of war crimes for which Nato provided cover, even if the

political and moral responsibility could not be clearer.

But there is of course simply no question of Nato leaders being held to legal account for the Libyan carnage, any more than they have been for far more direct crimes carried out in Iraq and Afghanistan. The only Briton convicted of a war crime over the bloodbath of Iraq has been Corporal Donald Payne, for abuse of prisoners in Basra in 2003. While George Bush has boasted of authorising the international crime of torture and faced not so much as a caution.

Which only underlines that what is called international law simply doesn’t apply to the big powers or their political leaders. In the 10 years of its existence, the International criminal court has indicted 28 people from seven countries for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Every single one of them is Af-

rican – even though ICC signatories include war-wracked states such as Colombia and Afghanistan.

That’s rather as if the criminal law in Britain only applied to people earning the minimum wage and living in Cornwall. But so long as international law is only used against small or weak states in the developing world, it won’t be a system of international justice, but an instrument of power politics and imperial enforcement.

Just as the urgent lesson of Libya – for the rest of the Arab world and beyond – is that however it is dressed up, foreign military intervention isn’t a short cut to freedom.

And far from saving lives, again and again it has escalated slaughter.

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Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

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Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

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Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

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21

Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

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Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

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Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

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24

politics

Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

Conservative Bill Will Hurt Legitimate Refugees: Jinny Sims

OTTAWA – After a marathon week of damning testimony from legal experts, frontline workers and refugees in opposition to the refugee bill, C-31, New Democrats are calling on the Conservatives to abandon the legislation and go back to the drawing board.

“Witness after witness has told the committee that C-31 is fundamentally flawed,” said New Democrat Citizenship and Immigration critic, Jinny Sims (Newton-North Delta).

“We have to ensure that the claims process is fair and that it helps the right people – but this bill centralizes power in the hands of the Minister while punishing refugees and won’t address the problem of human smuggling.”

Among the numerous measures highlighted as dangerous by the witnesses are: • provisions giving the Minister the power to hand-pick which countries he thinks are safe – without the

advice from any independent experts; • the ability to detain refugee claimants for a year without review; • measures to deny some refugees access to the new Refugee Appeal Division; • a five-year mandatory wait for bona fide refugees to become permanent residents and reunite with their families.

“Witnesses raised serious concerns that this bill may even violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and our international obligations under the United Nations Refugee Convention,” added Sadia Groghué (Saint-Lambert), Deputy Citizenship and Immigration critic. “The Conservatives must scrap this dangerous bill and allow time for the current refugee laws to work

Liberals finally introduce legislation to repeal HST months after referendum results

Victoria – Eight months after British Columbians voted to reject the Liberals’ HST, New Democrats are saying it’s about time the government introduced legislation that will strike it down and return the PST to B.C. “Adrian Dix and the New Democrats are proud to have stood with the people of B.C. in saying no to an unfair tax,” said New Democrat finance critic Bruce Ralston. “The results of the historic August 2011 referendum on the HST were a victory for fairness and for democracy.

“Unfortunately, the Liberals confirmed again that B.C. families still have to pay the HST for months to come.”Ralston said

it is very disappointing that British Columbians are still stuck with the tax until April 1, 2013.

“While it only took 11 months to for the Liberals to bring in their HST, they say that we must wait for 19 months after the referendum to see the end of the tax,” said Ralston. “They told British Columbians that the delay was because the legislation was complicated, but now the finance minister is saying it’s straight-forward. “If the Liberals had the political desire to return to the PST earlier, they could have begun the transition work earlier. I’m certain they could still speed up the process if they truly wanted to.”

Dr.Khalil Chishti back home after 20 years A Pakistani first virologist scientist (Ailing microbiologist) Dr. Mohammad Khalil Chishti, who was imprisoned in India, has landed on his homeland (Pakistan) after 20 years.

Dr Chishti was allowed to return back home after submission of half a million rupees as security on the directives of the Indian Supreme Court. Dr. Chishti arrived Pakistan from New Delhi via special aircraft of Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari. The scientist was warmly welcomed at Islamabad airport by Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) leader Babar Ghori.

President Asif Ali Zardari had written a letter to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last month, seeking Chisti’s release and repatriation to Pakistan on humanitarian grounds. President Zardari, during his meeting with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi last month, had pleaded for clemency for Chishti, given his advanced age. The Indian Supreme Court on May 10 permitted Chishti, 80, who was in a jail in Ajmer, to visit Pakistan during the pendency of his appeal against his conviction in a murder case and life

imprisonment. Chishti was sentenced to life imprisonment for the death of a person in a brawl with him when he was visiting Ajmer in April 1992. He was granted bail by the apex court It’s the most joyous homecoming for me: Dr. Chishti said that he was feeling great after setting foot on his home soil, It’s the most joyous homecoming for me. Talking to media at the Islamabad airport he said that he had almost lost hope, but by the grace of Almighty Allah this miracle came to pass and he was back home from “a point of virtually no return”. Dr Chishti also saluted Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his kind-heartedness Pakistani leaders for making efforts for his release.

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Ralston noted that while the Liberals have committed to reinstating all permanent PST exemptions, today’s legislation does not include a listing of them. Instead, exemptions will be introduced by allowing cabinet to make them through Orders in Council. He said the opposition will be looking in detail at how the new legislation will be implemented during debate on the bill. Ralston said the Liberals are asking British Columbians to trust them when it comes to returning to the previous exemptions, however, voters remember how the Liberals implemented the HST in the first

place.

Before the election the Liberals promised they wouldn’t bring in the HST, then they brought in the tax as soon as the election was over.“Millions of dollars in taxpayerfunded advertisements by the Liberals couldn’t fool British Columbians into forgetting the election deception,” said Ralston. “And multi-million dollar ads couldn’t fool families into thinking the Liberals had B.C. families’ best interests at heart with a $1.6 billion tax shift onto their backs.”

Richmond Multicultural Community Services (RMCS) fundraising Dinner By: Balwant Sanghera Richmond Multicultural Community Services (RMCS) has been serving this community for more than twenty-five years. It has been running a variety of programs and services to help new immigrants lead a productive life in a new environment. Moreover, RMCS has been empowering immigrants –new and old – to integrate and become proud members of their community. In this context, it conducts multiple workshops and seminars in the community. In addition to that, every year RMCS holds a fundraiser / dinner gala. This year’s fundraiser/dinner gala was held on May 10 at Richmond’s Riverside Palace. Close to 300 prominent citizens from diverse backgrounds came to-gather for this year’s function. RMCS president Kanwarjit Sandhu and Executive Director Parm Grewal extended a very warm welcome to the attendees. Before introducing the mayor, both of them presented appreciation plaques to retiring Board members Jagjit Singh Sandhu and Seema Aaron and thanked them for their service to RMCS. Mayor Malcolm Brodie, along with Councilors Bill McNulty and Chak Au, brought greetings from the City of Richmond. Special guests Hugo Eppich and Helmut Eppich from Eppco shared their valuable thoughts with the audience.

Culture Club Talent Show winner Kylie Sanderson followed them with some very inspiring comments. A mouth watering multicultural buffet dinner was followed

by an enjoyable entertainment by three different cultural groups. These included Shan-E-Punjab Arts Club. The young Indo-Canadian performers did an excellent job in displaying their talents. They were followed by Philcas of BC. These artists brought home a piece of Filipino culture to the audience in a beautiful manner. The very talented members of the Lorita Leung Dance Academy followed this wonderful group. All of the entertainers did an excellent job in entertaining a spellbound audience.

John Yap, MLA, Richmond Steveston and Minister of State for Multiculturalism and Linda Reid, MLA for Richmond East brought greetings from the provincial government and complimented the RMCS for the excellent work it has been doing in promoting inter cultural harmony. The Gala concluded with a video presentation, Richmond in 3D: The Legacy Project Performance. Functions like these go along way in creating mutual understanding and awareness about our cultural diversity.

RMCS, like many other organizations in this community, has been in the forefront in this regard. All of this helps in bringing people from diverse backgrounds to-gather and create a sense of community. This is what makes Richmond a very unique and desirable community to live in. It is something that we can all be proud of.

(Balwant Sanghera is a retired School Psychologist and Community Activist)

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25

lifestyle

Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

The Vitamin B12 & Dementia Relationship: Part 1 of 2

By Nada Adams Dementia isn’t a disease, it’s a symptom – it refers to a loss of brain function, as evidenced by memory loss, impaired judgment, behavior changes, learning difficulties, and communication problems. One in seven over age 70 has some form of dementia -- but not all dementia is alike. It’s caused by a variety of illnesses, some of which can be treated, some have no known cure. The #1 thing to do when your parent exhibits memory loss or other mental or behavioral changes is to make sure he/she gets a thorough medical evaluation and seek out natural remedies whenever possible. Doctors today can actually see brain atrophy by performing brain imaging tests.

The signs of advanced dementia will be evident in the brain image showing signs of shrinkage by as much as 50%. But what if the problem was caused by the lack of ONE nutrient?

What causes dementia? Strokes, tumors, or head injuries especially after a person develops Alzheimer’s disease, strokes are the most common cause of dementia. This type of dementia is called vascular dementia. In a few cases, dementia is caused by a treatable problem for example, having an underactive thyroid gland (hypothyroidism), not getting enough vitamin B12, and fluid buildup in the brain (normal-pressure hydrocephalus). In these cases, treating the problem may cure the dementia.

In some people, depression can cause memory loss which mimics dementia and of course depression can be treated. Also beneficial to mention here too, in the journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, a researcher hypothesized that, “To date, the evidence includes observational studies supporting a beneficial role of vitamin D in reducing the risk of diseases linked to dementia such as vascular and metabolic diseases, as well as an understanding of the role of vitamin D in reducing the risk of several mechanisms that lead to dementia.”

According to researchers at Rush University Medical Center, in a press statement, the researchers of a British trial documented a link between B vitamin supplementation and cognitive skills saying, “Our findings lend support for the contention that poor vitamin B12 status is a potential risk factor for brain atrophy and may contribute to cognitive impairment,” Dr. Tangney stated.

Older people with Vitamin B12 deficiency suffered total brain size shrinkage (atrophy) with problems thinking compared to their peers who were not B12 deficient.

Brain scans can now measure brain volume and a study of patients deficient in vitamin B12 showed their brain volume at half of those with high blood levels of vitamin B12. It is an important component of the nervous system and for DNA synthesis.

Without B12, the body can’t manufacture blood which leads to anemia. B12 is also responsible for maintenance of memory therefore; deficiency of B12 causes fatigue, diarrhea, memory loss, anemia and poor nerve function. Another function of B12 is that it lowers the blood level of Homocysteine which is a naturally occurring amino acid in protein, but without enough B12 in

the blood, Homocysteine creates inflammation. Homocysteine is now considered a more important marker for heart disease and stroke than cholesterol. (Remember my previous article on Thyroid – high cholesterol is actually linked with being Hypothyroid) Since heart disease and stroke are the #1 cause of death reducing Homocysteine in the blood is important and B12 is one of the important nutrients that does so. Research has also shown that headache pain and severity were both reduced when Homocysteine levels were brought down using B12 and folic acid supplementation.

A trial conducted on the elderly over 60 for 5 years using: 2.5mg of folic acid, 50mg of B6 and 1mg of B12 resulted in lower Homocysteine levels meaning reduced inflammation.

Symptoms of B12 Deficiency: is shockingly widespread and serious! Studies now show that up to 40% of the population may be deficient in vitamin B12. University of Oxford study said a deficiency in B12 can actually cause brain shrinkage and the one most susceptible to this deficiency is our elderly family members. Do you know how hard it can be to convince your elderly family members to take a pill or have a shot that will benefit them? Though it can be a difficult endeavor, please do all you can to ensure your parents have this vitamin checked. Four out of 10 people are at risk of developing brain atrophy – literally losing their brain. Ensure your loved ones have what their body’s need to remain mentally healthy to perform their religious duties without ever experiencing Alzheimer’s or Dementia. The following are a list of symptoms of B12 Deficiency and as you can see these symptoms can easily be misdiagnosed appearing similar to other illnesses: • Fatigue or unexplained weakness • Chest pain or shortness of breath • Confusion, memory loss or dementia • Slow reflexes or diminished nervous system function • Dizziness, trouble with balance, and fainting • Pale skin or yellowing of the skin • Coldness, numbness or tingling in the hands and feet • Sore mouth and tongue Most Effective Method of Vitamin B12 The most effective method for B12 absorption is having injections of B-12 especially for someone severely deficient – this is extremely effective because it bypasses the digestive tract and enters directly into the bloodstream where it is needed.

Unfortunately, some people out of fear of needles steer away from this method and choose oral supplementation that is less effective in comparison. At this point, is where things can go from bad to worse?

The most common form of vitamin B12 is Cyanocobalamin [Buyer Beware!] This easily accessible B12 can be found at drug stores, grocery stores, pharmacies have both tablets and over-the-counter injections and even some health stores; however, one major problem – they are selling the cheap synthetic form of B12 that should have been removed off the market back in the early 1970’s for being practically ineffective and useless in treating B12 deficiency.

Check Your Vitamins: Read the ingredients labels of your multi-vitamin and B complex to see what form of vitamin B12 they contain. If they contain cyanocobalamin, throw them out and never buy this brand again! Cyanocobalamin is a cheap, synthetic chemical made in a laboratory and

it’s almost impossible to find this form in nature. To save money (100 times cheaper than Methylcobalamin), low-end vitamin manufacturers buy it in bulk and add it to products claiming to “contain vitamin B12!” However, what they don’t tell you – is the vitamin is bound to a toxic, poisonous cyanide molecule that your liver must then remove from your body. Wikipedia explains: “A common synthetic form of the vitamin, cyanocobalamin, does not occur in nature, but is used in many pharmaceuticals and supplements, and as a food additive, because of its lower cost. In the body it is converted to the physiological forms, Methylcobalamin and Adenosylcobalamin, leaving behind the cyanide...”

Your BEST choice: Methylcobalamin is the active and proper form of vitamin B12 to supplement. This is the form that exists in nature, and it is pre-methylated, meaning it’s ready for your biochemistry to put to use immediately. What does this mean to you?

Why take a supplement that is considered practically useless if your body can only absorb 1%. That’s what will happen when you take Cyanocobalamin, it’s a synthetic form of B12 made of cyanide. If you take 1000mcg of this type of B12, your liver will only convert about 1% of 1000mcg which is similar to taking 10mcg of B12. That’s the only amount your liver will convert into active B12, the remaining 990mcg is not only a complete waste but it will also steal your methyl groups needed to detoxify your liver from the cyanide poison left behind.

For the body to remove and flush out the toxins including cyanide, it requires “methyl groups” of molecules to fight things like Homocysteine (high levels cause heart disease). By taking low-quality cyanobalamin, your B12 deficiency will worsen, by increasing your need for ‘methyl groups’ instead of decreasing your need. With this type of supplement, you would be better off NOT taking anything at all than taking this form of B12. I highly recommend you avoid

this form completely. It won’t kill you to take it, of course, but there’s a better solution for B12.

However, Methylcobalamin, a very potent antioxidant, is best absorbed and retained in your tissues, it does not contain any toxic cyanide and supports production of SAMe As explained by Ed Sharpe: “The coenzyme form of vitamin B12 is known as Methylcobalamin or methyl B12. It’s the only form of vitamin B12 which can directly participate in Homocysteine metabolism. In addition, converting Homocysteine to Methionine via methyl B12 generates an increased supply of SAMe (S-Adenosyl Methionine), the body’s most important methyl donor.”

Next issue: will cover methyl groups, who is at risk for being deficient, the most accurate B12 test, natural sources for B12 & methyl donors and natural supplements/herbs that enhance memory, mental focus and clarity.

Oh yes, and a juice recipe you can enjoy daily that promotes healthier digestion!

About the author: Nada Adams is a 13-years natural health researcher, author and master coach with a strong interest in personal health/wellness, heart and mind connection, living in core values and authenticity and the power of herbs to help us all heal.

She is a devout religious teacher and a life, success and wellness coach helping men and women live an Islamically Authentic Life. She has been an Islamic teacher since 1990 and youth teacher for over 12 years.

Adams was the ‘Dear Diary’ columnist for 2 years in the GCDA Magazine, a National Canadian Magazine focused on educating Teens. She’s also the founder of “Lower Mainland Muslims Unite” meet-up group primarily to teach the authentic creed of Islam to new converts and those individuals wanting to know more about Islam. She can be reached at info@vipresultscoaching. com and at her weekly in person meet-up for more info visit: www.meetup.com/LowerMainland-Muslim-Meetup

ACCEPTING YOURSELF

Shabnam Khan - Family Counsellor ........If I can accept that, I am who I am, that I feel what I feel, that I have done what I have done - if I can accept it whether I like all of it or not - then I can accept myself.

I can accept my short-comings, my self-doubts, my poor self-esteem.

When I can accept all that, I have put myself on the side of reality rather than attempting to fight reality. I am no longer twisting my consciousness in knots to maintain delusions about my present condition. So now, I can clear the road for the first steps of strengthening my self-esteem.

As long as we cannot accept the fact of what we are at any given moment of our existence. As long as we cannot permit ourselves fully aware of our choices and actions, we cannot admit the truth into our consciousness - we cannot change.

Accepting your circumstances as they are, as a reality full of challenges to be mastered and conditions to be explored, will make you wise about yourself and about life.

True wisdom requires a fully integrated knowledge, not just a surface understanding of issues and events. You will feel self-confident and settled enough in your

new reality to take some risks. You will find yourself experimenting with the new attitudes and life-styles you believe will make you healthy and happy again. A willingness to try again is crucial. Of course experimenting is risky.

Sometimes your strategies will work and sometimes they won’t. There is certain sense of relief that comes with the ability.

This resilience will increase your selfrespect.

Many people are surprised at their renewed enthusiasm for life, once they have begin to bounce back with problems.

You will be proud of your ability to stay in the process. For several weeks, even months, you will need sustained effort to establish fully your best success. You will notice that you will tend to have a lot more patience to accomplish the work.

Your own experience will tell you that your life is becoming more and more rewarding and less disappointing.

Whatever you do, don’t miss the opportunity to capture the mighty forces that come parading forth from the mind.

During any mindless activity you, too, may have a creative burst. Remember to spend your energy on your path to growth, not your path to setback.

Your visions of what you want will help you motivate and encourage you in your growing process. Accept yourself and work according because you are in charge! shabnam@skcounselling.ca

26

Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

health

Sugar Babies: The Rise of ‘Adult Onset’ Diabetes in Children

By Mark Hyman, MD Never before in human history have we seen “adult onset” or Type 2 diabetes in children. There has been a more than 1,000 percent increase in Type 2 diabetes in children over the last two decades. (1) Fifteen years ago 3 percent of new cases of diabetes in children were Type 2 diabetes.

Now it is 50 percent. (2) Forty percent of children are now overweight and 2 million are morbidly obese, exceeding the 99th percentile for weight. (3) Scientists say that we have only 3,600 cases of Type 2 diabetes in children. (4) Nonsense. Almost all of those 2 million morbidly-obese kids have either prediabetes or diabetes or what we should call “diabesity.” In adults, 25 percent of diabetics and 90 percent of pre-diabetics are not diagnosed. In children, most of the cases are missed. (5) A study published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine found that medications don’t work and general lifestyle instruction isn’t much help either to treat Type 2 diabetes in children. And the disease is more rapidly progressive and aggressive in children. Kids who haven’t even learned to swallow a pill are now facing giving themselves daily insulin injections.

Poor and minority kids are more heavily afflicted.

Do we really think we can medicate our way out of a bad diet? Can we really overcome the 54 gallons of soda consumed every year by the average American, or the 34 teaspoons of sugar consumed DAILY by the average child in America with a medication or some handouts on eating better? (6) One of the drugs used in the study, Avandia, has been responsible for more than 200,000 deaths from heart attacks since it was introduced in 1999. (7) The Food and Drug Administration has restricted its use. Should we be using this in children? This is pharmageddon.

Putting these little children on insulin sooner doesn’t make any sense either. Starting insulin in diabetics is a slippery slope, leading to a cascade of increasing weight gain, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

The sugar comes down, but everything else that kills diabetics gets worse.

Adult diseases are now commonplace in children. I recently spoke at an Emory University conference on childhood Type 2 diabetes.I met a pediatric gastroenterologist and wondered what he was doing at a conference on diabetes. He told me he now has 5-year-old patients with cirrhosis from fatty liver caused by years of drinking soda.

There has been a more than 50 percent increase in strokes in children aged 5 to 14. (8) We are now seeing heart attacks in teenagers and 20 year olds needing cardiac bypass surgery because obesity and diabetes clogs their arteries.

This is a disease that is nearly 100 percent preventable and reversible. But it won’t be solved in the doctor’s office, clinic or hospital. It has to be fixed where it begins: in our homes, communities and our society

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and in our government policies and industry practices. This is a social disease, and we need a social cure.

This study should be a national wake-up call. A siren blaring the insanity of our current medical approach to obesity and Type 2 diabetes for both children and adults.

When a 5-year-old has cirrhosis and an 8-year-old has a stroke this is not about personal choice or better medication. Now that scientists have proven that fast food and sugar are biologically addictive, we can’t blame the individual or the family.

Can a heroin addict just cut down?

We need a massive call to action, a national coordinated multi-pronged campaign. We need President Obama and all the Republican candidates to stand before the nation and declare we will end Type 2 diabetes in children by the end of this decade, just like President Kennedy mobilized our nation to get a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s.

The food industry must be held to account.

Simple policy changes could have enormous impact.

The food industry tries to convince us that all calories are the same, that a snack of carrots or Oreos is the same as long as they are 100 calories each. The science proves otherwise. Sugar calories act differently in the body, driving biology toward diabetes.

And carrots aren’t addictive, but sugar is.

The food industry has hijacked our taste buds, our brain chemistry, our kitchens, our homes, our schools and our communities. When children have nearly unlimited access to sugar and processed food, when we have 600 calories more per day of sugar calories per person than 30 years ago, we have to have an honest accounting of the playing field. (9) The food environment is designed for kids and adults to fail.

The SNAP program (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program), or food stamps, was started to provide “good food to hungry people,” but now provides bad food to the overweight. While it is true that poverty and obesity go hand in hand because sugar calories and processed food are cheap and because government subsidies lower the prices of corn and wheat products, there is no reason that the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) should put $4 billion of taxpayer money into the coffers of soda manufacturers every year by allowing the use of food stamps to buy soda.

That is more than 29 million a day, or 10 billion servings a year of soda that our government feeds the poor in this country.

Then the government pays again through Medicare and Medicaid for obesity- and diabetes-related illness. Maybe we should call it the “Supplemental Nutrition Obesity Program.” You can’t buy alcohol, cigarettes or prepared meals with food stamp -- why should kids buy soda with them?

We can’t ignore or accept this any longer.

The food industry blames the victim and tells us we are just lazy, it’s about our sedentary lifestyles. Eat whatever you want, we are told, but just exercise more. You

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would have to run four miles a day for one week to burn off just ONE fast food meal.

That strategy won’t work. You can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet. Moving is important, but changing the food environment is more important.

We now have a nation where 75 percent of the applicants for military service are unfit to serve because of obesity.

(10) The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and two surgeon generals have called this a national security issue. Childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes also affects our global economic competitiveness because health disparities lead to an achievement gap. As our kid’s waist sizes grow, their brain power shrinks.

We need community action and policies to support healthy communities. Since our government, corporations and health care institutions fail to provide solutions, mothers stand arm-toarm in front of convenience stores to block kids from entering after school.

But there are things that can be done. We need a grassroots movement and government policies and programs to change the food landscape and the built environment to give our children a chance to have happy, healthy successful lives. Children with obesity and diabetes live harder poorer lives, they often don’t finish school and earn much less than their healthy counterparts.

We may not be able to win the war in Afghanistan, but we can end this. But it will take an approach that works on all the forces that drive obesity and diabetes in children simultaneously -- at home, at school, in local neighborhoods and communities, in the media, and in corporate regulation and government policies that foster health rather than disease.

Here are a few initiatives and ideas that may help shift this frightening tide of poverty and disease: 1. Stop government subsidies for junk food.

Stop or reduce subsidies of agriculture products that allow for the glut of cheap, high-calorie, nutrient-poor sugars and fats from corn, wheat and soy into the marketplace.

2. Tax sugar. We should tax sugar (and maybe even processed junk food with added sugars). A one-cent-per-ounce tax would raise $15 billion a year, while a 10-centper-ounce tax could raise $150 billion per year. (11) This could support national food programs and community projects to fight obesity and diabetes and promote health and help cover the hundreds of billions of dollars of health care costs from increasing obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. The food industry has blocked initiatives for this tax in 30 states by pouring millions of dollars into lobbying and donations, such as the $10 million Coca-Cola gave to a

hospital in Philadelphia to swing the vote in the legislature. (12) 3. End junk food marketing to children.

We are one of the only countries that allow this. Studies show that the worse the food, the more the marketing. The average 2 year old can recognize and name junk food from their baby carriage in the supermarket. (13)

4. Fund community-based initiatives. Support healthy eating with community kitchens, gardens, and cooking classes that teach how to make good food cheaply. Children need life skills on how to care for and feed their bodies. We are raising the first generation of Americans who don’t know how to cook. If implemented, the new health care bill and the new Council on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Public Health provide avenues to support these programs.

5. Provide incentives for grocery stores and farmer’s markets in food deserts and all communities.

6. Make school lunches healthy by providing only real food and modeling healthy eating. Food can be both fun for you and good for you. Create national standards based on sound 21st century nutritional science and common sense. Most schools have only a microwave or deep fryer, hardly the tools needed to feed our children real, fresh food. Any government-supported programs should have strict guidelines for what foods may be served. There is no room for junk food or sugar calories in schools.

7. Change zoning around schools to limit access to fast food and convenience stores.

We shouldn’t have to rely on parents blockading junk food stores after school, as a group of parents did in Philadelphia. We shouldn’t make it easy to get bad food!

8. The FDA should regulate sugar as a drug, not as a “GRAS” or generally recognized as safe substance. It is a known toxin and is deadly when consumed in large quantities.

What are you doing in your home, your family, in your schools and communities to end the attack on our children and our nation’s future? We have the power to take back our health. It starts with small choices, local action and political advocacy.

Now more than ever we have the collective power to change this. Let’s do it for our children’s sake.

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sports

Volume 12 Issue 310 Jumada-al-Akhar 26, 1433 AH / May 18 2012

Canucks to extend GM Mike Gillis

The Vancouver Canucks agreed to a contract extension with general manager Mike Gillis on Monday. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. “There’ve been moments where I reflected and wondered if the amount of energy and the amount of opportunity to be evaluated by everybody was the right thing for me, but I felt that it was,” Gillis said. “I felt that we had unfinished business for sure here, and this team was on the right track.” Gillis was entering the final year of a five-year deal that he signed when he took over the team in 2008. “This is a significant announcement for our hockey club,” chairman Francesco Aquilini, whose family owns the team, said in a release. “These past four years have been the most successful in Canucks history. Mike and his management team have done an excellent job to position us for long term success on and off of the ice. “We believe Mike’s presence in this organization is important to the long-term success of this hockey club and we are confident that we will continue to compete

at the highest level under his leadership.”

The announcement, which came after Gillis met with Aquilini earlier in the day, ended speculation about the GM’s future, which had percolated for two weeks after Vancouver’s elimination by the surging Los Angeles Kings in five games. “It just took a little while, which was not uncommon, to have everybody get together, and it was my preference to wait a little bit longer in order to make sure that everyone was levelheaded and not emotional about what had happened when we had such high expectations,” Gillis said. Now that he has secured a new deal, Gillis will address coach Alain Vigneault’s status soon. The GM said it is his decision whether Vigneault remains behind the Canucks bench, and he wants the coach to continue with the club. “He’s done an excellent job, and he’ll obviously be the first thing on the agenda once I have an opportunity to execute on the plan we have,” Gillis said. Vigneault has guided the Canucks to back-to-back Presidents Trophies. He has served for six seasons

with the club after being hired by former GM Dave Nonis prior to the Aquilinis’ purchase from former Seattle-based owner John McCaw in 2008. Several Canucks players, including Alex Burrows and Ryan Kesler, have expressed their desire for Vigneault to stay on. Gillis said Vigneault has given “every indication” that he wants to remain with the club. Vigneault, a former NHL coach of the year whose future has come under speculation, is entering the final year of his deal. In addition to Vigneault’s status, Gillis needs to resolve the club’s goaltending situation after Cory Schneider displaced Roberto Luongo during the playoffs. Schneider, who started three of the five games against the Kings, is due to become a restricted free agent July 1. Luongo said after the Canucks were eliminated that he would accept a trade if the club asks him to waive the no-movement clause in his $64 million contract that has 10 years remaining. Gillis must also decide whether he wants to re-sign pending restricted free agent winger Mason Ray-

mond and 37-year-old defenseman Sami Salo, who is due to become an unrestricted free agent. Several other players are facing free agency or entering the final year of their deals. “We have a number of situations that we need to resolve,” Gillis said.

“I’m eager to get started on them, and I will get started on them as quickly as possible.”

Source: AP

Whitecaps focused on national title A year ago, as a tremendous storm beat down on Toronto, the Vancouver Whitecaps were some 30 minutes away from the Canadian soccer championship – a prize the struggling Major League Soccer expansion team held especially dear. The Whitecaps led Toronto FC 2-1 in the two-game competition, but with lightning searing the night sky, officials halted the game in the 63rd minute. The pitch, a swampy mess in the deluge of rain, was then declared unplayable. The late May match was postponed to the next morning, but the pitch was still soaked. When the second leg of the championship was finally played last July, Toronto overcame Vancouver, another blow to the Whitecaps in a terrible first year that ended with nothing to show for it: No Canadian championship, and last place overall in MLS. On Monday morning, the weather for Whitecaps practice was the exact opposite of the abandoned match in the Toronto storm. The sun was bright in a blue sky, the temperature around 20 C – what passes for a hot spring day for Vancouver. The Whitecaps, with a successful 5-3-2 record in its sophomore MLS campaign, were drubbed 4-1 on the road by New England last weekend and, after a long journey home Sunday, had a playful, light practice at their old second-tier grounds in Burnaby. Star striker Eric Hassli scored the goal last year that put Vancouver on the verge of victory – and felt the trophy was “stolen or something.” “It’s our first goal this season, we really want to win,” Hassli said after practice. “It’s everybody’s focus to win this cup. … It’s a huge step for the club if we win.” TFC, Canadian champion each of the past three years, might need more than a torrential storm to beat Vancouver this year. The rematch starts Wednesday in Vancouver, with the second leg in Toronto next Wednesday, and the Amway Canadian Championship winner declared on aggregate goals.

The reward: a berth in the CONCACAF Champions League, a lesser version

of the famous European tournament, this one featuring the best clubs from North America, Central America and the Caribbean. While Toronto has opened its MLS season in couldn’t-be-worse fashion, losing its first eight, a league record, the team has had some success in 2012. Toronto advanced the furthest of any MLS club in the 2011-12 Championship League, surprising the Los Angeles Galaxy in the quarter-finals to make the semis before losing Mexico’s Santos Laguna. Monterrey, a top Mexican club, beat Santos in the final – its second consecutive Champions League triumph, after topping MLS’s Real Salt Lake a year earlier. Seeing such MLS success beyond the North American league, the Whitecaps salivate. Vancouver fancies its future among the bigger names of soccer, not just on this continent, but worldwide, and the Whitecaps again have placed a tremendous emphasis on the Canadian championship with its entree to the Champions League. For Toronto, well on pace to miss the playoffs for the sixth time in its six MLS seasons, the Canadian title is basically all it has left for which to play. For Vancouver, the Toronto matches come amid crucial MLS games (Seattle in Vancouver on Saturday and then on the road in Portland the next Saturday). Whitecaps head coach Martin Rennie rested several central defenders, including captain Jay DeMerit and Martin Bonjour, against New England.

The results were terrible but the rest was key, as Rennie likely plans to use DeMerit and Bonjour in all four coming games, which take place over 11 days.

As for a Canadian championship for the multinational Whitecaps – its 30 players were born in 17 different countries – the cup is the thing. “I don’t think it matters if it’s the Disney cup, or the Canadian cup, we want to win it,” Rennie said after practice. “We’re in the final now and that’s our absolute focus.”

Source: Globe and Mail

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IPL council suspends five players The IPL governing council has suspended five players named by a sting operation alleging corruption until an inquiry into the accusations is conducted. TP Sudhindra (Deccan Chargers), Mohnish Mishra (Pune Warriors), Shalabh Srivastava (Kings XI Punjab), Amit Yadav (Kings XI Punjab) and Abhinav Bali were suspended, according to IPL chairman Rajiv Shukla

Misbah steps down as Twenty20 captain

Misbah-ul-Haq has stepped down as Pakistan’s Twenty20 captain and Mohammad Hafeez has been named his successor for the Sri Lanka series in June. Misbah had captained Pakistan in eight games. His last Twenty20 assignment was the three-match series against England in the UAE in February, which England won 2-1.

Misbah scored 67 runs there, with a strike-rate of just over 80. Hafeez said he was looking forward to the additonal responsibility.

“Representing Pakistan is always an honour and captaining it is more than that. Now being a captain, I don’t see any added pressure,” Hafeez said. “The strategy might be different but while implementing them I will take my coaches and the PCB on board to get the best results for the team.” Fast bowler Mohammad Sami, who last played for Pakistan in 2010, made a comeback. Sami had taken only one wicket in five matches for Karachi Dophins in the domestic Faysal Bank Super Eight

T20 Cup in March, but had finished as the joint leading wicket-taker in the Bangladesh Premier League for Duronto Rajshahi. He was particularly successful against Dhaka Gladiators, claiming a hat-trick and then figures of 5 for 6 against them in two league games.

The new faces in the squad include Sialkot Stallions batsmen Shakeel Ansar, who came into the limelight with his maiden Twenty20 hundred against Peshawar Panthers in March in the Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 Cup, and Haris Sohail who went through that tournament scoring 173 runs in four matches without being dismissed. Left-arm spinner Raza Hasan, who claimed 12 wickets in five games in the Super Eight T20 Cup for Sialkot, also made it to the squad. Pakistan will play two Twenty20s, five ODIs and three Tests between June 1 and July 12 in Sri Lanka.

Source: Cricinfo

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