Miracle349

Bringing Harmony To All The Communities ...

BC CANADA Bi-Weekly & Bilingual

Volume 13 Issue 349 Muharrum 11, 1435 AH / November 15, 2013 - $1

Plea Typh se Cont oon H ribut aiyan e to P Relie hilipp f Effo ine rts

PHILIPPINES DESTRUCTION ‘A GREAT HUMAN TRAGEDY’ AS MORE THAN 10,000 FEARED KILLED

thousands believed killed in one Philippine city alone by ferocious Typhoon Haiyan that washed away homes and buildings with powerful winds and giant waves.

As the scale of devastation became clear Sunday from one of the worst storms ever recorded, officials said emergency crews could find more bodies when they reach parts of the archipelago cut off by flooding and landslides. Desperate residents raided grocery stores and gas stations in search of food, fuel and water as the government began relief efforts and international aid operations got un-

derway. Even in a nation regularly beset by earthquakes, volcanoes and tropical storms, Typhoon Haiyan appears to be the deadliest natural disaster on record. Haiyan hit the eastern seaboard of the Philippines on Friday and quickly barrelled across its central islands, packing winds of 235 km/h (147 mph) that gusted to 275 km/h (170 mph), and a storm surge of 6 metres (20 feet).

Its sustained winds weakened to 120 km/h (74 mph) as the typhoon made landfall in northern Vietnam early Monday after crossing the South China Sea, according to the

www.miraclenews.com

LIEBERMAN SWORN IN AS ISRAEL FOREIGN MINISTER The hard-line Israeli politician Avigdor Lieberman has been sworn in by parliament as the country’s foreign minister, a development that could complicate peace talks with Palestinians. The leader of the far-right Yisrael Beitenu party was reappointed to the ministry on Monday after being cleared last week of all charges in a corruption case. He had stepped down as foreign minister last year to defend the charges. The Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, had left the post vacant for Lieberman while he awaited the verdict. The two men warmly hugged after the foreign minister was sworn in by parliament. An Israeli court acquitted him on Wednesday of fraud and breach of trust stemming from allegations he had given an Israeli diplomat an ambassador’s post in exchange for a tip-off about a police inquiry into his affairs. The court agreed he had engaged in “inappropriate conduct” but did not find it warranted a criminal conviction.

Labour MP Micky Rosenthal said in the parliamentary debate that

Hong Kong meteorological observatory. Authorities there evacuated hundreds of thousands of people.

Hardest hit in the Philippines was Leyte Island, where regional Police Chief Elmer Soria said the provincial governor had told him there were about 10,000 dead, primarily from drowning and collapsed buildings.

Most were in Tacloban, the provincial capital of about 200,000 people that is the biggest city on the island. Reports also trickled in indicating deaths elsewhere on the island.

On Samar Island, Leo Dacaynos of the pro-

accompanied Lieberman’s confirmation on Monday that although the court had cleared him of breaking the law, there was still “a giant shadow over his public behaviour”. Lieberman will likely use his significant political clout to argue against concessions to the Palestinians, making him an unpredictable player in already troubled US-backed peace efforts. As head of the far-right Yisrael Beitenu party, which is allied with Netanyahu’s Likud, Lieberman has been outspoken in his scepticism about the negotiations, saying reaching a permanent peace deal is impossible. Lieberman has been accused of racism, stirring controversy by questioning the loyalty of Israel’s Arab citizens and proposing some Arab communities in Israel be shifted to Palestinian control in a land-for-peace deal. He has also called for the removal of the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, describing him as an obstacle to peace.

Source: Al-Jazeera

vincial disaster office said 300 people were confirmed dead in one town and another 2,000 were missing, with some towns yet to be reached by rescuers. He pleaded for food and water, adding that power was out and there was no cellphone signal, making communication possible only by radio.

Reports from other affected islands indicated dozens, perhaps hundreds more deaths.

With communications still knocked out in many areas, it was unclear how authorities

Continued on pg 4

RESIDENTIAL . COMMERCIAL . DEVELOPMENT OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY 2 TO 4PM Mr. Home Seller #101-9942-151 St, Surrey

JAMEEL AHMAD.com

- Bdrms: 2 - Baths: 2 - Total Area: 1,006 SF - Great corner unit with private backyard.

NEW LISTING

$209,888

NO BODY IN THE WORLD SELLS MORE REAL ESTATE THAN REMAX

604-518-7955

RE/MAX Performance Realty

604-590-4888

Abbotsford 604-854-6088 Vancouver 604-324-2277 Mississauga 647-258-1700 Authorized Agent for

Umrah.

10 Nights Umrah Package Pricing starting from $2395 Price based on 4 sharing, includes airfare, meet & assist at airport and all hotels.

See Anis Shah in our Surrey Office

Surrey: Unit # 303, 8128-128th St. Surrey (Payal business centre) 604-584-1411

Lowest prices on airfares, tours and packages Visit: www.bainstravel.com www.indiatour.ca www.cruiseconcepts.net

2

Muharrum 11, 1435 H November 15, 2013

A D V E R T I S E R

is pleased to

the addition of

Jagdeep S. Khun-Khun who practises primarily

Civil and Commercial Litigation • Breach Of Contract (Written or Oral) • Creditor - Debtor Collections • Company / Commercial & Shareholder Disputes • Real Estate & Construction • Trials & Appeals - Small Claim, Supreme Court, Court Of Appeal • Builders' Liens

Amandeep S. Sanghera B.A., LL.B. Jagdeep S. Khun-Khun B.Sc. (Hons.), M.Sc., J.D. Puneet P.K. Sandhar B.A. (Hons.), LL.B. Barinder S. Sanghera B.Comm., LL.B.

203 - 7134 King George Blvd., Surrey, BC V3W 5A3

ICBC Criminal Law Immigration Law Real Estate Buying / Selling Business Company Law

3

Muharrum 11, 1435 H November 15, 2013

P A K I S T A N

PM Nawaz visits GHQ, discusses security situation with military leadership

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited the General Headquarters (GHQ) here on Tuesday. During his visit the prime minister discussed the security situation in the country and region with the top brass of the military. The prime min-

ister held a one-on-one meeting with Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani. During the meeting, the security situation in the country and other matters were discussed.

Following this meeting, Prime Minister met with Principal Staff Officers. In his address, the prime minister said the nation appreciated the sacrifices rendered by the armed forces. “We will always remember martyrs who laid down their lives fighting terrorists.” According to the prime minister, Pakistan armed forces demonstrated their capabilities during war and times of peace. Upon his arrival at the GHQ, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was received by Army Chief Kayani and welcomed with a guard of honour.

The premier laid a floral wreath at the ‘memorial of martyrs’, which was built to honour those who sacrificed their lives for the country.

We specialize in Pakistan, India, Middle East, Fiji, Europe

We do Hajj, Umrah packages, Cruises and Disney Land tours etc.

604-501-4700 galaxytravel@live.ca | www.galaxytravel.ca

Abdul Rauf (President)

Munawar’s martyrdom remarks: JI letter to PM against ISPR statement ready

Jamat-e-Islami (JI) has finalized the draft of the letter, it aims to move Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif, over Pakistan Army’s reaction to its chief, Syed Munawar Hassan’s statement, in which he had said the slain terrorists were martyrs and the troops who died fighting them were not.

According to the JI spokesperson, Qaiser Sharif, the letter bears his party’s reservations over Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) statement , in which it had demanded that JI come clean on its position regarding Hassan’s statement.

“The draft was on the JI chief’s table and will be dispatched to Prime Minister after final approval”, said he.

He added that, in the said letter, the JI, on top of expressing its concerns over ISPR’s unduly strong exception to Hassan’s statement, had also explained its stance on the issue at length. The JI striking a defiant note had disregarded ISPR statement as an undemocratic intervention in the politics of the country. It may be mentioned that in the Geo News programme ‘Jirga’, the Jamaat-e-Islami chief

had questioned the martyrdom of Pakistani soldiers. He had asked the programme host, Saleem Safi, if an American who was killed fighting Taliban could not be called a martyr then how come the abettors of US could be.

Earlier on Sunday ISPR had strongly condemned the irresponsible and misleading remarks by the JI’s Munawar Hassan in a Geo TV programme, declaring dead terrorists as Shuhada (martyrs), while insulting the Shahadat (martyrdom) of thousands of innocent Pakistanis and soldiers of Pakistan’s armed forces. In a statement, an ISPR spokesperson said Syed Munawar Hassan tried to invent a logic based on his political convenience. “Strong condemnation of his views from an overwhelming majority leaves no doubt in anyone’s mind that all of us are very clear on what the state of Pakistan is and who its enemies are,” the spokesman said.

“Sacrifices of our Shuhada and their families need no endorsement from Syed Munawar Hassan and such misguided and self-serving statements deserve no comments,” he said and added, “However, coming from the Ameer of the Jamaat-i-Islami, a party founded by Maulana Maududi, who is respected and revered for his services to Islam, is both painful and unfortunate.” “The people of Pakistan, whose loved ones laid down their lives while fighting the terrorists, and families of Shuhada of armed forces demand an unconditional apology from Syed Munawar Hassan for hurting their feelings,” he said.

“The Jamaat-i-Islami should clearly state its party position on the subject”, the spokesman said.

w w w. j u n a i d i q b a l. c a

NOTARY PUBLIC Shoaib Rauf Tel: (604) 596 1861 Cell:(778) 85 5 1861

shoaib.surrey@gmail.com

#220 -13711 72 Ave. Surrey; BC V3W 2P2 (Opposite Newton Wave Pool)

Aziz, Khurshid discuss LoC ceasefire violations, bilateral issues

Prime Minister’s advisor on foreign affairs and national security Sartaj Aziz met with Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on the sidelines of the Asia-Europe Foreign Ministers’ meet here on Tuesday. During the meeting, Aziz and Khurshid discussed ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) along with other bilateral

issues. Aziz who is on a four day visit to India had earlier stated that Pakistan wants an end to ceasefire violations.

The top foreign affairs diplomats of the two countries last met in New York during the meeting of Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session. Source: The News

Under new Ownership

Fully Renovated

Red Hot Chili Pepper

SMART CLEANING CLEANING MOVING SERVICES

Indian Style Chinese Food We serve Halal Meat & Poultry Supplied by Alfaraza Meats Vancouver We have a private party room for special occasions Lunch Special: Same Chef and Catering for your party as well From more Same Menu 7 Days a Week 10% OFF on Pick Up (at main dishes only) at the than 20 items Same Location. 12790-96 Ave @ 128 St Surrey Phone: 604-583-9987 $6.95 ea

For more info please contact us by phone or email us Ph: 604-808-3370 smartcleaning143@hotmail.com

4

Muharrum 11, 1435 H November 15, 2013

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

US and Israel lose UNESCO voting rights

UNESCO has suspended the voting rights of the United States, two years after it stopped paying dues to the UN’s cultural arm in protest over its granting full membership to the Palestinians, according to a UNESCO source. The US has not paid its dues to UNESCO due to the decision by world governments to make Palestine a UNESCO member in 2011. Israel suspended its dues at the same time and also lost voting rights on Friday. Under UNESCO rules, the US had until Friday morning to resume funding or explain itself, or it automatically loses its vote. A UN-

ESCO official, who was not authorised to speak publicly about the issue, said nothing was received from either the US or Israel. “Nothing was received from the United States,” the source said. Two separate diplomatic sources also confirmed the deadline had been missed. The US decision of not paying UNESCO was blamed on US laws that prohibit funding to any United Nations agency that implies recognition of Palestinian demands for their own state. There was no immediate comment at the office of the US envoy to the UN agency. The withdrawal of US funding, which

to date amounts to about $240m or some 22 percent of UNESCO’s budget, has plunged the organisation into a financial crisis, forcing it to cut programmes and slash spending. “I regret to say that I’m seeing, in these last two years ... a declining American influence and American involvement,” Bokova told The Associated Press. Director General for UNESCO, Irina Bokova, lamented the changes that are not only seeing America silenced within her organisation but also bringing UNESCO financially to its knees. “I can’t imagine how we could disengage with the United States at UNESCO. We are so intertwined with our message.

What I regret is that this decision became so divisive and triggered this suspension of the funding,” she added. Bokova said she accepts political reality and would find ways for UNESCO to continue its work, despite a 2014 budget that’s down by an estimated $150 million. Some fear that a weaker US presence will lead to growing anti-Israeli sen-

Syria opposition sets preconditions for talks

The Syrian political opposition has agreed to participate in international peace talks in Geneva, but only if certain preconditions are met, the Syrian National Coalition has said in a statement. The statement, released early on Monday, outlined conditions that must be met before the talks, which aim to end Syria’s two-and-a-half year civil war, by creating a transitional governing body. The requisites included the need for a guarantee that relief agencies be allowed access to besieged areas, the release of political prisoners and the demand that any conference should result in a political transition. “The oppositions’ request asked for an end to the fighting, withdrawal of Syrian armed forces from major cities and discussed an urgency of the introduction of humanitarian aid,” Al Jazeera’s Anita McNaught reported from Istanbul, where the SNC was meeting. The main sticking point continued to be centered on the role of Bashar al-Assad, with the opposition demanding that

Syria’s president not have any part in the country’s future. The statement also said a committee had been assigned to continue talks with revolutionary forces inside and outside Syria to explain its stance on the “Geneva 2” conference, after some rebel fighters voiced opposition. The Syrian National Coalition reached a decision to attend the Geneva 2 conference after two days of discussions in Istanbul. “All we can do is hope is that these talks will end with the departure of Bashar al-Assad,” said Adib Shishakly, a member of the coalition. Russia and Western nations are pushing for new talks between the Syrian government and rebels on a negotiated solution to the conflict, which has killed more than 115,000 people since March 2011. The peace talks aim to map a path forward towards a political transition in Syria, and to put in place a transitional government.

Source: Al-Jazeera

Philippines: Continued from pg 1 were arriving at their estimates of the number of people killed, and it will be days before the full extent of the storm is known. Haiyan inflicted serious damage to at least six of the archipelago’s more than 7,000 islands, with Leyte, Samar and the northern part of Cebu appearing to bear the brunt of the storm. About 4 million people were affected by the storm, the national disaster agency said. The Philippine National Red Cross said its efforts were hampered by looters, including some who attacked trucks of food and other relief supplies it was shipping to Tacloban from the southern port of Davao.

Tacloban’s two largest malls and grocery

stores were looted, and police guarded a fuel depot. About 200 police officers were sent into Tacloban to restore law and order.

With other rampant looting reported, President Benigno Aquino III said he was considering declaring a state of emergency or martial law in Tacloban. A state of emergency usually includes curfews, price and food supply controls, military or police checkpoints and increased security patrols.

The massive casualties occurred even though the government had evacuated nearly 800,000 people ahead of the typhoon.

Source: Toronto Star

timent within UNESCO, where Arab-led criticism of Israel for territorial reasons has long been an issue. “We won’t be able to have the same clout,” said Phyllis Magrab, the Washington-based US National Commissioner for UNESCO. “In effect, we (now won’t) have a full tool box. We’re missing our hammer.”

Israel’s ambassador to UNESCO, Nimrod Barkan, told The Associated Press that his country supported the US decision, “objecting to the politicisation of UNESCO, or any international organisation, with the accession of a non-existing country like Palestine.” Elias Sanbar, Palestinian Ambassador to UNESCO told Al Jazeera: “We need them (the United States) to be active. By taking this decision, first of all, they have created big problems for UNESCO, but they have also lost part of their role and we need their role.”

UNESCO designates World Heritage sites, promotes global education and supports press freedom among other tasks. The loss of voting

rights for the key UNESCO member comes as Washington tries to keep US-brokered peace negotiations between Israel and Palestinians afloat.

Both parties have signaled the lack of progress in the talks, revived in July after a three-year hiatus but recently stymied over Israeli plans to continue building Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. US Secretary of State John Kerry has warned Israel that a third Palestinian uprising is at stake if the talks fail. Kerry has set a ninemonth schedule for a peace deal.

The Palestinians have so far failed in their bid to become a full member of the UN, but their UNESCO membership is seen as a potential first step towards UN recognition of statehood. The US has characterised UNESCO’s move as a misguided attempt to bypass the two-decade old peace process. Washington says only a resumption of peace talks ending in a treaty with Israel can result in Palestinian statehood.

Source: Al-Jazeera

Iran and US trade blame over failed deal

Iran and the United States have blamed each other for the failure to reach an agreement on a deal to limit Iran’s uranium enrichment in exchange for an easing of Western sanctions in talks in Geneva. Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Monday criticised US Secretary of State John Kerry’s remarks that blamed Iran for lack of the deal and said that the American’s “conflicting statements” damaged confidence in the process. “Conflicting statements harm the credibility of the one who keeps changing positions and damages confidence. The goal of dialogue is to reduce the lack of trust.

Conflicting talk doesn’t give credit to the person saying it,” Zarif said on an Iranian TV talk show. He said that “considerable progress’’ was made during three days of talks in Geneva, but claimed that most of the hours were spent with the US, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany trying “to resolve differences among themselves”. The Iranian Foreign Minister said he was still hopeful a deal would be reached, but insisted any agreement must include the lifting of all Western sanctions against Iran. Kerry said earlier on Monday that Iranian envoys had backed away from a wider deal this weekend seeking to ease Western concerns that Tehran could one day develop atomic weapons.

“There was unity but Iran couldn’t take it,’’ Kerry said during a stop in Abu Dhabi. He added: “The French signed off on it, we signed off on it.’’ Western leaders have tried to display a unified front after reports that France had broken ranks in the recent talks in Geneva and demanded more concessions from Iran on enrichment levels that could be used in weapons production.

Geneva talks saw Iran and six global powers meeting in the Swiss city to broker a deal that could see Tehran freeze its nuclear efforts in exchange for some relief from the sanctions that have battered its economy. Kerry said he hoped an agreement on Iran’s disputed nuclear programme would be signed within months. “This is not a race to complete just any agreement,” Kerry told a news conference during a visit to the United Arab Emirates. However, he added: “Through diplomacy we have an absolute responsibility to pursue an agreement.” With negotiators set to resume next week, Iranian officials promoted a separate pact reached with the UN nuclear chief Yukiya Amano as a “roadmap’’ for greater cooperation and transparency, which could move the talks ahead. “It’s an important step forward, but by no means the end of the process,’’ Amano of International Atomic Energy Agency told The Associated Press in Tehran. “There is still much work to be done.’’ Iran has denied it seeks nuclear arms and insists its only seeks reactors for energy and medical applications. Iranian officials portrayed the expanded UN access as further sign it seeks to work with the West.

Source: Al-Jazeera

5 I N T E R N A T I O N A L Filipino-Canadians rush to pitch in relief efforts Muharrum 11, 1435 H November 15, 2013

The basement of Our Lady of the Assumption buzzes with the sound of relief work.

Canned goods land with a thud. Cardboard boxes unfold with a pop and slam shut with a screech of packing tape. Volunteers hurry to fill shipments for the Philippine provinces devastated by Typhoon Haiyan. The church’s pastor, Father Ben Prieto Ebcas, spent the last several days trying anxiously to contact his brothers. On Monday, he was able to confirm that they had survived. Similar scenes are playing out across the country and around

the world as the vast Filipino diaspora scrambles to assist their native country. A volunteer explains that her work is part of a tradition known as kapit-bisig, which means linked arms, that encourages Filipinos abroad to send money home to support those in need.

Roughly two generations ago, the Philippines, faced with a growing population and high unemployment, made a strategic decision to become a labour-exporting nation.

Those who leave for the sake of their families, about 10 per cent of the population, are

celebrated as modern-day heroes by the Philippine government. They’ve also been called the servants of globalization for the way they’ve taken on some of the difficult work of domestic caregiving in wealthy countries.

But Filipinos dominate many other facets of the mobile, international labour force as well; one in four seafarers sailing the world’s oceans is Filipino. Every year, Filipino migrants send home nearly $22-billion in remittances, $2-billion of which comes from Canada. Remittances make up 10 per cent of the country’s GDP, a staggering total and the largest single contributor to the national economy.

Many Filipinos immigrated to Canada to work in the caring professions. Roughly 90 per cent of the live-in-caregivers who arrive in Canada initially on temporary work permits hail originally from the Philippines, although many have worked first in Hong Kong or the oil-rich countries of the Persian Gulf. In 2010, the Philippines surpassed China as Canada’s largest source of immigrants.

Ottawa has sent a disaster-response team to help with typhoon relief efforts in the Philippines. Canada’s Disaster Assistance Re-

sponse Team, known as DART, is made up of Canadian Forces personnel who are trained to respond quickly to humanitarian emergencies abroad. The team’s most recent deployment was after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. In addition to the DART deployment, the federal government has also promised up to $5-million in aid and is matching cash donations from individual Canadians. Senator Tobias Enverga, the first Canadian of Filipino origin to be appointed to the Senate, said he spent Monday helping with efforts to gather canned goods and cash donations.

He has also been trying to help people get in touch with relatives in typhoon-affected areas. He said he is encouraging people to donate money because it can be sent much more quickly than supplies. “For immediate needs, we want some cash so we can send it to the appropriate places in the Philippines,” the the Conservative senator said. Before the DART announcement, Mr. Enverga said he was pleased the government offered funding over the weekend, but added that he hopes the amount will increase once the damage becomes more clear. “Hopefully it’s just the initial contribution, or aid, based on their assessment at that time,” he said.

Arafat polonium poisoning no accident, lab says

Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat ingested lethal radioactive polonium before his death nine years ago and had high levels of it in his body that could not have been accidental, Swiss scientists confirmed Thursday. The Swiss lab examined Arafat’s remains and his underclothes and a travel bag that he had with him in the days before his death in a Paris hospital and found that the polonium and lead amounts could not be naturally occurring. The timeframe of his illness and death were also consistent with polonium poisoning, they said. “You don’t accidentally or voluntarily absorb a source of polonium — it’s not something that appears in the environment like that,” said Patrice Mangin, director of the Lausanne University Hospital’s forensics centre. He said he could not say unequivocally what killed Arafat — the biological samples obtained just last year were far too degraded to determine the cause of death.

“Our results reasonably support the

poisoning theory,” said Francois Bochud, director of the Institute of Radiation Physics that carried out the probe, though he was careful to emphasize the lingering questions that will require further investigation to answer. “Can we exclude polonium as cause of death? The response is clearly `no,’ he said.

“Was polonium the cause of the death for certain? The answer is no.” The Palestinian leader died in November 2004 at a French military hospital, a month after falling violently ill at his Israeli-besieged West Bank compound. Palestinian officials have alleged from the start that Israel poisoned Arafat, a claim Israel denies. Suha Arafat, his widow, called on the Palestinian leadership Thursday to seek justice for her husband.

Speaking to The Associated Press by phone from the Qatari capital Doha, she did not mention Israel, but argued that only countries with nuclear capabilities have access to polonium. “I can’t accuse anyone,

but it’s clear this is a crime, and only countries with nuclear reactors can have and do that,” she said. “Now the ball is in the hands of the Palestinian Authority. They have to find the tools and pursue the legal case. They can resort to international legal institutions and international courts,” she added.

The Swiss scientists noted in their

report they could not account for the “chain of custody” of the specimens between Arafat’s death and when they were received in Lausanne last February.

Bochud said polonium can be obtained with authorization, noting that his own lab receives it in liquid form for research. In that form, he said, just a minuscule amount

slipped into food or drink would be lethal within about a month. The 108-page report on the findings was published Wednesday by the Qatar-based satellite TV station Al-Jazeera.

The station, along with Mrs. Arafat, had initiated the renewed investigation of Arafat’s death last year. Arafat’s body was exhumed earlier this year. The Swiss report said his remains and the burial soil contained elevated levels of polonium-210.

Polonium first hit the headlines when it was used to kill KGB agent-turned-Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006. It can be a byproduct of the chemical processing of uranium, but usually is made artificially in a nuclear reactor or a particle accelerator. Israel has a nuclear research centre and is widely believed to have a nuclear arsenal, but remains ambiguous about the subject.

Source: CBC

North Korea executes 80, some for minor offenses, newspaper says

North Korea staged gruesome public executions of 80 people this month, some for offenses as minor as watching South Korean entertainment videos or being found in possession of a Bible, a South Korean newspaper reported Monday. The daily JoongAng Ilbo attributed the mass executions to a single, unidentified source, but at least one other news agency, run by North Korean defectors, reported hearing rumors of the killings in

seven cities across the reclusive country. Authorities in Wonsan, a port on North Korea’s eastern coast that is being transformed into a resort in hopes of attracting foreign investment to the impoverished country, gathered more than 10,000 residents in a stadium and forced them to watch the firing-squad executions, the newspaper reported.

The condemned were lashed to poles, hooded, then sprayed with machine-gun fire, Joon-

gAng Ilbo quoted its source, who reportedly is familiar with North Korean internal affairs and recently returned from the country. “I heard from the residents that they watched in terror as the corpses were so riddled by machine-gun fire that they were hard to identify afterwards,” the source was quoted as saying. If confirmed, the mass execution would be the most brutal step known to have been taken by the country’s 30-year-old leader, Kim Jong Un, who came to power two years ago after the death of his father, Kim Jong Il. The South Korean newspaper, one of the country’s largest and most influential, noted that the executions occurred in cities where the communist leadership is attempting to create entities that can earn hard currency and may have been intended to intimidate workers who stray from the regime’s dictatorial social strictures. Some of those put to death had been charged with disseminating pornography, JoongAng Ilbo said it was told by its source. In August, Kim was reported to have ordered the executions of a dozen

entertainers from the Unhasu Orchestra and the Wangjaesan Light Music Band, including ex-girlfriend Hyon Song Wol. None of those executed on Nov. 3 had been accused of capital crimes, which under North Korean law include sedition, treason and terrorism, the newspaper said. But it added that public executions are often carried out as a way of discouraging interest in what the regime considers corrupting foreign influence, which can include using a cellphone, religious proselytizing or viewing pornography. “The regime is obviously afraid of potential changes in people’s mind-sets and is preemptively trying to scare people off,” said an official of the defector-run North Korea Intellectual Solidarity website, Agence France-Presse reported. None of the executions were reported to have occurred in Pyongyang, the capital, where the regime nurtures a loyal following among the small elites by focusing its meager development resources on the city.

Source: LA times

6

Muharrum 11, 1435 H November 15, 2013

E D I T O R I A L

REPAIRING THE WRIT OF STATE

The elected leader doesn’t stand a chance unless he is capable of a qualitative delivery for the welfare of his people at home and abroad.

Nevertheless, during his recent visit to the US, Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Shareef didn’t efficiently stand up for Pakistan’s serious concerns. He should have spoken up beyond reading his written speech.

As country’s chief executive, the prime minister is expected of being a good spokesperson with above average statesmanship qualities. The other mistake he made was his playing as a Foreign Minister without the required skills. Simply speaking, the honorable prime minister messed up the golden opportunity to persuade Mr. Obama about what was good for Pakistan and the region.

Since the region is on fire mischievously, the main target is none but the vulnerable people and the state of Pakistan through proxy, of course.

Everyone knows with clarity that the embattled country, around a decade ago, used to enjoy a peaceful time.

It was almost free from any form of extremism or militancy. Nobody ever heard TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan).

After having emerged, however, the new militant group started getting active against its own people.

We remember when General Safdar Hussein Core Commander Peshawar went to the North Waziristan specifically to negotiate peace.

Luckily, there was a peace deal between Naik Muhammad (aged 27),

the then chief of the militant group and the visiting Gen. Safdar. But, soon after, Naik Mohammad was shot dead from the sky, and the peace deal collapsed as a result, unfortunately.

Then, the never ending ‘cycle of hostility’ against Pakistan began ferociously.

The fact is “the so called sovereign Pakistan” has been facing roller coaster rides ever since and continues to suffer from the most critical time in its history till today.

It’s an open secret that General Musharraf was the one who initially had allowed the drone strikes in the FATA area; nevertheless, the strikes were intensified in the later years causing the extensive collateral damage.

The expert opinion suggest that the counter productivity of the strikes actually led to the mushrooming growth of many more militant groups who were only targeting Pakistani public, the infra structure, government offices, mosques, even the GHQ. At the same time proxy warriors kept on joining the band wagon which was aimed at nothing but dismantling the country by weakening its writ.

During the tenure of PPP regime, the things were almost out of control simply because of administrative paralysis and sub standard governance. The crimes of power theft, the related energy crisis, the bitterness of circular debt, capital flight and the brain drain were all the natural outcomes.

Defiance of the apex court verdicts was among the norms which proved to be another contributing factor in the overall national scenario.

Consequently, the mega corruption became rampant; hence, the economy has been upside down.

Surprisingly, The Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Choudhry did not invoke Article 190 of the Constitution to enforce the judicial decisions through ordering the army. And, the Army has been hesitant to take any action to restore Karachi Law and Order situation. But, it must be noted the Pak military did an excellent job while freeing Swat from the clutches of Mulla Fazlullah.

Furthermore, the overall situation throughout the country was quite ripe for the social goons and thugs to commit any unlawful activity at will.

It’s worth mentioning that the dedicated work of Karachi Police under IG Shahid Hayat with the help of Rangers has been an immense success so far. Also, the work of Zulfiqar Ahmad Cheema PSP has been a solid contribution while streamlining the passport related irregularities, and because of him, the motorway policing has immensely improved as well.

As suggested by the main stream print and electronic media, there are around forty plus militant groups just in FATA. Hence, negotiation is better than military solution.

Now, the time of “American withdrawal” approaches near - so does

the panic, but the problem is far from over.

The Americans have started negotiating with Mulla Umer already.

The Pakistan government was almost close to start a peace dialogue with the TTP, when the TTP Chief was droned to death a few days ago leading to the worst anger of Pakistani Taliban.

The irony is, the new TTP boss Mullah Fazlullah is based in Afghanistan which makes the analysts raise their eyebrows as they smell something really fishy.

Obviously, militant groups cannot operate unless they are groomed and sponsored by the vested interests. Destroying or destabilizing a country is usually the main goal.

Most probably, a proxy war against Pakistan is still in progress.

Surely, the TTP is sophisticated enough to manipulate the public opinion; they say, “Not the Pakistani public but the security apparatus will be their target now.”

It’s strongly suggested that the civil society should be on a single page to register their concern with the US instead of attempting to disturb the NATO supplies at this point in time of instability.

Go for more effective approach which is ‘one united voice’ as it would be loud enough to reach the White House.

It’s better for Islamabad to talk to the real stake-holders from tribal areas who are more interested in ending the war on their land rather than imposing a barbaric type of customs

Letters & Opinions

Extorting Child support from “innocent” divorced Fathers By: Krishan Bector Marriage Fraud Victims’ society The smallest social unit is the family. It is the duty of the government at all the three levels to make family life pleasant. It shatters when there is divorce, when husband and wife don’t get along with each other and break the conjugal life legally. Apparently it is living separately for both the spouses but it is not simply that ; it has far-reaching consequences. The children are the worst sufferers. They are not only physical entities but are very delicate and are in the process of growth. The day husband and wife snap ties ,the growth of their kids start deteriorating. If the parents marry again the children face another intrusion as the divorcees have children of their own. This the dilemma which is devastating family life in the western countries. It is not being resolved keeping in view the sentiments of the separated parents as well as their children. Even though the system claims to have worked out all the details of the problems arising out of it, the complexities of problems defy solutions. I had a friend .His parents separated . Dad married another woman and mother married another man. When he goes to see his father his wife casts a disowning look at him and when he goes to his mother her husband cannot be fatherly. I mean he is not

a real father ; he can simply be a father as we have in the churches.

Who is going to give him whole heated parental love?

Custody and Child support Mother or father whosoever gets the custody of the kids becomes custodial parent. Usually the custody o f the child is given to the mother because the laws are gender-based.

The court imposes child support on the father. At the time of court judgment the child support payable by the husband to his ex is calculated on the basis of approximately 10% of gross income of the preceding three years. This is strictly followed by the enforcement agency , called State’s Child Support Enforcement Agency .To fix this amount for all times to come is unjustified and often ruinous to the frustrated fathers.

Instead of strictly fixing the amount it should be variable, based on the annual income tax return of the father. Why so? Supporting father can lose his job, can be laid off, his present job may be seasonal ,he can be disabled, he gets less hourly wages in the present job etc. David Vienneau of the Toronto Star writes “I have seen that about 10% are willful defaulters the rest just don’t have the resources to go back to get their court order varied.” These deadbeat dads don’t have the resources to pay the child support ,how can they afford to engage a lawyer to

get court order for the revised amount of child support. To support my point the old age pension of seniors is revised every year based on their income then why should the dad be coerced to pay the same amount of child support.

Now another valid point arises : whom are the dads supporting ? Legally fathers have access to the child, but what actually happens is that mothers brain-wash the child to that extent that he starts hating his dad. I have the actual wording of an email of a son to his dad , who uses such words as .’don’t bother me, dad , leave me alone and if you call me again I ‘ll call the cop.

The formula of child support should be ,No access No child Support. Every child needs the parental love , which means the love of mother as well of father.

If he gets one sided love, the development of that child would be loop- sided. There won’t be all round development of his personality. The children who have been indoctrinated to hate their own father ,how will they learn to love their father land (country ).

The father leads a life of frustration after divorce. He loses all interests in life and in the extreme cases even commit

suicide . He who can’t get justice become so aggressive as to take laws into their own hands. If he becomes violent he retaliates and may even kills his wife. Here I would recall what happened on April 6.1998 when Mark Chahal an estranged husband opened fire and killed 9 people as his wife’s family prepared for a wedding in Vernon. It is an example of killing followed by assailant’s suicide.

The guardian ship of the child should be joint so that father should also have a say in taking major decisions for the child. The women ,no doubt, need protection. The laws are over protective of women.

The scales of justice shouldn’t tilt in favour of women. Men are not always the aggressor they can also be the victim. This is against the principle, ‘you are innocent unless proven guilty’. This is, in short, the picture of our society. Families are in fragments.

Whose is to piece together these splinters, remains a haunting question?

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

which has nothing to do with Islam.

Insisting for a decent table talk to sort out the issues is the best first option beyond any doubt.

But, the TTP appears determined to launch a new wave of attacks across the country. If that be the case, the government must not hesitate while giving total mandate to the armed forces as the last option to crush the militancy.

The government must handle the challenge with diligence to rescue the country via targeting the identified enemy.

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

Meralce Media Group Inc.

Contact Info Mailing and Office Address 9160-136A Street Surrey BC. V3V 7Z8 Canada Fax: 604-582-7809 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, Mr.Azhar Syed, Mr. Shams Siddiqui, M.A.L. Naumani, Mr Tariq Mian Graphic Design: Design Team Copyright: 2001 Miracle Media Group Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Printed in Canada Attention: The opinions express herein contain positions and viewpoints that are not necessary 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.”

CONTENTS Editorial & Letters Int. News Local Politics Faith Specials Women Lifestyle Youth/ KIDS Sports Urdu

6 4,5 8,10, 12,18 14 7 18 16 21 22 24-32

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

7

Muharrum 11, 1435 H November 15, 2013

F A I T H Sahih Bukhari Volume 003, Book 031, Hadith Number 204.

Narated By Mutarrif from ‘Imran Ibn Husain : That the Prophet asked him (Imran) or asked a man and Imran was listening, “O Abu so-and-so! Have you fasted the last days of this month?” (The narrator thought that he said, “the month of Ramadan”). The man replied, “No, O Allah’s Apostle!” The Prophet said to him, “When you finish your fasting (of Ramadan) fast two days (in Shawwal).” Through another series of narrators ‘Imran said, “The Prophet said, ‘(Have you fasted) the last days of Sha’ban?”

The Martyrdom of Imam Hussain (R.A) By: Syed Hasan Akhtar, M. D. Austin, Texas Member, Islamic Research Foundation International, Inc. The month of Muharram is the first month of the Islamic calendar year. An important and tragic event took place on the tenth of Muharram that shook the Muslim world. It was the murder of Imam Husain (A.S.), his family members, and his close friends by the army of Yazid. Yazid was at that time the despotic ruler of the Muslim world, who came to power as the self-proclaimed “sixth caliph of Islam” after the death of his father, Mu’awiya. Yazid gave himself the title of ameer-ul-mu’mineen, meaning “commander of the faithful.”

Husain(r.a) was one of the two grandsons of the Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), and the younger of the two sons of Hazrat Fatima (r.a) the daughter of the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet loved his two grandsons, Hasan and Husain(r.a)dearly, and since he had no surviving sons of his own, he used to call them his “sons,” out of affection.

There are numerous traditions, recorded by many historians, which indicate the great love and respect the Holy Prophet had for his grandsons.

According to one tradition, the Holy Prophet declared that Hasan and Husain(r.a)were the “Princes of the Youth of Paradise.” Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) took his grandsons with him, along with his daughter Fatima(R.A) and son-inlaw Imam ‘Ali (r.a )to face the challenge of the Christian delegation from Najrain, which had come to dispute with the Holy Prophet about his divine mission. The Christians were awe-struck at the sight of the Holy Prophet and his family, and withdrew the challenge. This event became known as Mubahila, and is recorded in the Holy Qur’an in chapter 3 verse 61.

Historical Background During the caliphate of Imam ‘Ali, Mu’awiya declared himself the governor of Syria. After the assassination of ‘Ali (r.a) by a Kharijite, ‘Ali’s elder son, Imam Hasan(r.a), succeeded him, being judged as the most qualified and deserving by the people. By this time, however, Mu’awiya had amassed enough support in and around Syria to unilaterally declare himself caliph of whole Islamic world. In order to avoid bloodshed, preserve unity, and in fact to save the religion of Islam from destruction, Imam Hasan signed a peace treaty with Mu’awiya. The treaty included these terms: (1) Mu’awiya would be the temporal political head of the Muslim empire; (2) Mu’awiya would not appoint his own successor, but would leave the caliphate to the will of the majority (which favored Imam Husain); and, (3) Mu’awiya would allow the Muslims to live in peace, free from oppression, especially those belonging to the Hashimite tribe (the tribe of the Holy Prophet and his family).

Mu’awiya violated the terms of this treaty and, near his death, designated his son Yazid as his successor. Yazid was an immoral and ruthless man with no sense of justice. He employed bribery and coercion to win support. Imam Husain, as the protector and guardian of the religion established by his noble grandfather, Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.), refused to swear allegiance to him. Yazid realized that he could never legitimize and consolidate his rule without the allegiance of Imam Husain, the grandson of the Holy Prophet. Consequently, he decided that he would either force the Imam to submit to his rule, or else he would have him killed.

In the 61st year after Hijra (680 AD), Imam Husain(r.a), while performing the pilgrimage in Mecca, received the news that assassins had been sent by Yazid to kill him. Desiring to protect the sanctity of the Holy City, he interrupted his pilgrimage and headed towards Kufa, in modern-day Iraq on invitation of the people there to come and teach them about Islam. He took with him his family members and close friends, including his six-month-old infant son, Ali Asghar. His journey to Kufa was intercepted by a detachment of Yazid’s army, led by a com-

mander named Hur. Hur had orders to re-direct the Imam to camp in the desert plains of Karbala, on the banks of the River Euphrates. In order to avoid bloodshed, Imam Husain chose not to resist, and followed Hur’s directions. He and his companions were forced to camp at a great distance from the river, which was the only source of water in the area.

On the seventh day of Muharram, Ibn Ziyad, the governor of Kufa, ordered that food and water supplies were to be blocked from reaching Imam Husain’s camp. In the meantime, the ranks of Yazid’s army were increasing by the thousands. The blistering sun scorched the desert sand, and the thirst was becoming unbearable in Husain’s camp. The children especially were becoming dehydrated and weak, and Imam Husain(r.a) pleaded with Yazid’s army to supply water at least to those children, but to no avail.

On the tenth day of Muharram, Yazid’s army was ready to attack the small band of defenders in Imam Husain’s camp. One by one, his friends and relatives took permission to go out and fight and each one laid down his life in the defense of Islam. Two of his nephews, who were only ten years old, were among the brave soldiers who died fighting. The commander of Husain’s forces was Abbas(r.a), his brother, who had inherited his chivalry from his father ‘Ali, the Lion of Allah. Abbas asked Husain’s permission to go and fight his way through to the river and bring back some water for Sakina, Husain’s four-yearold daughter, and the other children. The Imam reluctantly gave him permission to go and fetch water. Abbas took an empty flask, charged into Yazid’s army, cut through the ranks, and arrived at the river. While he filled the pitcher with water, he himself did not drink a drop, for he reasoned that he could not do so while Imam Husain, Sakina, and the others were still thirsty.

Abbas did not make it back to the camp, however. The whole army of Yazid converged upon him. He died defending the precious pitcher of water. Imam Husain’s six-month-old son, Ali Asghar, was on the verge of death from dehydration. Husain brought him out of the tent to show his pitiful condition to the soldiers in Yazid’s army, pleading for at least enough water to save the infant’s life. The enemy denied his request. A heartless archer from the enemy army shot an arrow that struck the infant, killing him in his father’s own arms. Soon, Imam Husain was left alone to face Yazid’s army, since all the able-bodied male members of his camp had died fighting one by one. He made a final plea to the army of Yazid, reminding them of his kinship with the Holy Prophet of Islam, the love and respect which the Holy Prophet had used to show him, and the numerous traditions in which the Holy Prophet had warned the Muslims not to disobey or injure him. He reminded them of his desire to uphold the truth and his status as one of the true protectors of the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet.

He asked to be allowed to leave the Muslim kingdom, so that Yazid would not perceive him as a threat to his power. Finally, he clearly warned them that 11 by shedding his blood, they would be 12 subjected to the wrath of Allah (S.W.T.) and they would lose any hope of the 13 intercession of Prophet Muhammad 14 (S.A.W). The commanders of the op15 posing army were unmoved, and reiterated their desire to kill Imam Husain 16 unless he chose to submit to the author17 ity of Yazid. Husain was left with no 18 choice but to take a firm and final stand against falsehood, and to fight for the 19 preservation of Islam. He fought brave20 ly, and in the end he achieved martyr21 dom.

The Significance of Imam 22 Husain’s(r.a)Martyrdom 23 Immediate outcome of Imam Husain’s 24 actions: Muslims and non-Muslims alike have acknowledged that Imam 25 Husain saved Islam from destruction by

sacrificing his life. Yazid had been successful in winning over the allegiance of the great majority of Muslims, and the rest of the Muslim world was in a state of moral slumber. The principles of Islam were being plundered, the Sunnah of the Holy Prophet was being tampered with, and phony traditions were being concocted to justify the rule of Yazid. It was the singular sacrifice of Imam Husain and his faithful followers that shook the Islamic world out of its slumber. The Muslims were forced to ask themselves why the beloved grandson of the Holy Prophet had been murdered so brutally. It then dawned upon the people what the true nature of Yazid and his supporters was.

Long term outcome of Imam Husain’s(r.a)actions: Imam Husain, by challenging Yazid and in the process laying down his life, changed the world and re-shaped human destiny forever. Yazid, and indeed all future despots, were put on notice that they would not be tolerated, and that truth and justice would be upheld and would ultimately succeed, regardless of the costs. The Iranian revolution that uprooted and overthrew an unjust government, and the liberation of Lebanon from foreign occupation are two of the more recent exemplars of these principles laid down by Imam Husain.

Imam Husain’s(r.a) Philosophy: Professor Syed Jafar Raza Bilgirami beautifully describes Imam Husain’s philosophy. He states that at Karbala, Imam Husain came to rebuild a system of life. He gave a practical embodiment to the rational concept of justice. He successfully placed the spirit (savage, war-making qualities in man) and the appetite (greed for material things and lust for power) under the command of reason (‘Aql). In Karbala, he formulated a new code of life to safeguard the peace and security of human society for all times to come.

Imam Husain’s(r.a) Foresight and Planning for the Battle of Karbala: Imam Husain chose not to flee or hide from Yazid, because that would not have exposed Yazid’s corruption of Islam and would have served to legitimize his unjust rule. He knew that by rejecting Yazid’s demands, he would most likely be killed. However, he also did not want to die like any other martyr. He wanted his death to serve as a starting point for a revolution that would strengthen justice and oppose tyranny for all times to come.

This type of stance needed planning and wisdom. As pointed out by scholars, Imam Husain’s planning encompassed three factors: 1. The choice of location; 2. The choice of companions; and, 3. Foolproof arrangements for passing on the event to the annals of history.

The Choice of Location: Imam Husain(r.a) chose not to stay in Mecca because he did not want his blood to desecrate the Holy Precincts.

Besides, if he were to be killed by hired assassins, then the killers’ motives would not be clear and his death would fade away on the pages of history. So he chose to travel to Iraq (the den of the tyrant himself), where his mission would receive the maximum publicity, and where Yazid’s evil would be best exposed.

The events of history proved that Imam Husain was right.

The Choice of Companions: Hujjatul-Islam Maulana Ali Naqvi has written that in Karbala, the largest number of true Muslims gathered in the entire history of Islam.

Imam Husain was not seeking the best fighters, since his goal was not to fight to win a physical war. He was looking for men of principle, true Muslims, firm and patient, who would go through the utmost hardships successfully.

His companions included men of different tribes, coming from different parts of Arabia and beyond. They included, among others, an elderly companion of the Holy Prophet, some liberated slaves, and a young newlywed Christian couple. The age of his supporters ranged from six months to a ripe old age of over 90.

The heterogeneity of Imam Husain’s supporting group indicates that he did not want the confrontation with Yazid to be misrepresented as a struggle between two clans, or a campaign for gaining power.

Preserving His Sacrifice in the Annals of History: Imam Husain took women, children, and all of his family members with him. This strategy ensured that after his death, his message would be spread through his family members, and that Yazid would not be able to suppress the truth or falsify Imam Husain’s motives. History proves that it was a brilliant move. His sister Zainab (r.a.), through her scholarly and bold speeches, and with no fear of the tyrant Yazid, eloquently proclaimed the truth and exposed the falsehood of Yazid in his own court. He was speechless and humiliated before her. His court was full of dignitaries, both local and from other nation-states, and his own supporters. They were shocked to hear the truth put forth so forcefully, and many were brought to tears. The same scene was repeated in the bazaars and marketplaces of the country, all along the travel route of the surviving captives. Husain had laid the foundation of the revolution with his blood. His sister Zainab stirred the revolution with her oratory.

That revolution changed the world forever.

Prayer Schedule in Greater Vancouver November 15-29, 2013 Muharrum 11-25,1435H Date Day Fajar Sunr Zawal Dhuhr Fri 5:32 7:21 12:01 12:06 15 Sat 16 5:34 7:23 12:02 12:07 17 Sun 5:34 7:23 12:02 12:07 18 Mon 5:35 7:24 12:02 12:07 19 Tue 5:37 7:28 12:02 12:07 20 Wed 5:39 7:29 12:02 12:08 21 Thu 5:40 7:31 12:03 12:08 Fri 5:41 7:32 12:03 12:08 22 Sat 5:42 7:34 12:03 12:08 23 24 Sun 5:43 7:35 12:04 12:09 25 Mon 5:45 7:36 12:04 12:09 26 Tue 5:46 7:38 12:04 12:09 27 Wed 5:47 7:39 12:05 12:10 28 Thu 5:48 7:41 12:05 12:10 Fri 5:49 7:42 12:05 12:10 29

Asar

Maghrib

Isha

14:43 14:42 14:42 14:41 14:39 14:38 14:37 14:36 14:36 14:35 14:34 14:33 14:33 14:32 14:31

16:38 16:37 16:37 16:36 16:34 16:33 16:32 16:31 16:30 16:29 16:28 16:27 16:27 16:26 16:25

18:02 18:01 18:01 18:00 17:59 17:58 17:57 17:56 17:56 17:55 17:54 17:54 17:53 17:53 17:52

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

8

Muharrum 11, 1435 H November 15, 2013

A D V E R T I S E R

SPECIAL

$2490

INCLUDES: Return Airfare Vancouver – Jeddah- Vancouver 5 Nights accommodations Mecca hotel close to Haram 6 Nights accommodations Madinah hotel close to Haram Based on Quad occupancy Ziyarat in Mecca and Madinah, visiting historic sites Transfer from airport to Mecca and Madinah hotels All fees, taxes and visa processing included

2014 UMRAH PACKAGE FEB. 20 – MAR. 04

BOOK BEFORE NOV. 30, 2013 GET $100 off / Couple Perform your Umrah in Mecca and visit Masjid Rasul Allah in Madinah.

Off: 604.325.9700 Fax: 604.325.9770 Abbas Elbarbari 604.729.8964 Shehab Elbarbari 778.861.5433 Asin Bakridi 604.614.3622 Email : travelcomet@hotmail.com

Madina Restaurant Pizza & Chicken

rgha a h C i r o Lah

Seekh Kab ab

yani r i B n e k c i Ch

F Ren ully ovat ed

Party Hall available for up to 100 people!

OUR CHEF HAS OVER 15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE

We Serve d!

100% Halal Foo ct

All our staff QamCaonrtaAbbas are Muslim! Aqeel Abbas

hicken Roaster c

All kinds of Pizza

Also served: Nihari, Chicken Karahi, Butter Chicken, Achar Chicken, Mutton Karahi, Mutton Biryani Chicken Biryani, Beef Paya, Haleem, Chicken Korma

Fried Chicken (Leg & Thigh)

Lahori Chargha, Seekh Kabab, Tandori Fish, Chicken Tikka, Tandori Chicken, Steam Chicken, Chicken Boti, Naan Kabab

Beef Nihari

Chicken Tikka Boti

Different kind of Pizzas, Burgers, Fried Chicken, Chicken Wings, Fries and much more..

We Do Catering for All Occasions!

9320 Scott Road, Surrey, BC, 604.498.4212, 778.713.7212

9

Muharrum 11, 1435 H November 15, 2013

A D V E R T I S E R

Ayyaz

(Realtor)

604-839-7863 ayyazshums@shaw.ca

NEW LISTING Over 3300 sq.ft., 2 storey w/bsmt (3 level), 7 bdrms, 5 bath, quality and good finishing work, open kitchen, stainless steel appliances, granite countertops, open kitchen, living & dining room high ceiling, meticulously maintained, inside out, good size family room with good stone work, definite not just a drive by.

Free Appraisal and Legal Fees

TERMS Our Rates*

1 Year 2.79%

3 Year 3.09%

5 Year 3.45%

5 yrs Variable 2.55% * Rates are subject to change without notice

Ayyaz

AMP

Senior Mortgage Consultant

* * * * *

Purchase Renewal Pre Approval 1st & 2nd Mortgages Self Employed

* * * *

New Immigrants Debts Consolidation Construction/Renovations Commercial Mortgage

Surrey Office: 115-13740 72A Avenue, Surrey BC V3W 1N5 Vancouver Office: 6241 Fraser Street, Vancouver BC V3W 3A2 Mississauga Office: 105-5805 Whitle Rd, ON L4Z 2J9 Ph: 416-893-7863

604-839-7863 ~

ayyazshums@shaw.ca ~ www.a2zmortgage.ca

10 S P E C I A L Most Powerful People In The World Out Of Top 28 In 2013 Muharrum 11, 1435 H November 15, 2013

Who’s more powerful: the autocratic leader of a former superpower or the handcuffed commander in chief of the most dominant country in the world? This year the votes for the World’s Most Powerful went to Russian President Vladimir Putin. He climbs one spot ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama, who held the title 1. Russian President Vladimir Putin is the most powerful person in the world right now, according to the latest ranking from Forbes

in 2012. Putin has solidified his The Most Powerful People in the control over Russia while Obama’s World list is an annual snapshot of lame duck period has seemingly the heads of state, CEOs and finanset in earlier than usual for a two- ciers, philanthropists and NGO term president — latest example: chiefs, billionaires, and entreprethe government shutdown mess. neurs who truly rule the world. It Anyone watching this year’s chess represents the collective wisdom match over Syria and NSA leaks of top FORBES editors, who conhas a clear idea of the shifting indi- sider hundreds of nominees before vidual power dynamics. ranking the planet’s top 72 power2. United States President Barack Obama, It was the first time in three years that the US president has dropped to second place on Forbes magazine’s list.

brokers – one for every 100 million people on Earth — based on their scope of influence and their financial resources relative to their peers.

This year’s list features 17 heads of state who run nations with a combined GDP of some $48 trillion — including the three most powerful people, Putin, Obama and Xi 3.China’s President Xi Jinping

Jinping, the general secretary of the Communist Party of China.

The 27 CEOs and chairs control over $3 trillion in annual revenues, and 12 are entrepreneurs, including new billionaires on the list.

Miracle Media selected first 28 out of 72 “ The Most Powerful People in the World”

6. Microsoft CEO Bill Gates

7. US. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke

8. Saudi Arabia King Abdulla bin Abdulaziz Al Saud

9. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi

10. Wal-Mart CEO Michael Duke

11. British Prime Minister David Cameron

14.Chinese Premier Li Keqiang

17 Google co-founder Sergey Brin

17. Google co-founder and CEO Larry Page

18. French President Francois Hollande

21.

Chief of India’s ruling party Sonia Gandhi

23.Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei

24.Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg

28. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

5. Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel

4. Pope Francis

Source: http://tribune.com.pk - Photos by AFP & REUTERS

Former Surrey councillor Gary Robinson passes away After playing hockey Friday night, Robinson passed away early November 2nd morning of a heart attack. In 1987, at the age of 30, Robinson was the youngest alderman ever elected to Surrey municipal council. During his 12 years in office he played an instrumental role in preserving Surrey Bend, oversaw more ice rinks being built in the city, served on council’s environmental committee and eventually became chairman of

the city’s police committee.

But his promising political career was destroyed by a cocaine addiction that saw him disappear from public life in 1999. In 2004, he was hospitalized with second- and thirddegree burns after being doused with rubbing alcohol and set on fire following a drug binge.

Following recovery, he booked into a recovery home and eventually became its manager.

He

and his wife later set up a recovery program to help others shed their drug addictions. Robinson was never successful in his political comeback attempts. Most recently, he ran under the Surrey Civic Coalition banner in the 2011 municipal election, in a bid for a seat on Surrey council. Source: theprovince.com Miracle Note: Miracle Media condolences with t Gary’s family and friends at his sudden tragic death.

What does R.S.V.P. mean?

By: Naseer Pirzada R.S.V.P. stands for a French phrase, “répondez, s’il vous plaît,” which means “please reply.” The person sending the invitation wo¬uld like you to tell him or her whether you accept or decline the invitation. That is, will you be coming to the event or not? Etiquette rules followed in most Western cultures require that if you receive a formal, written invitation, you should reply promptly, perhaps that same day. For hosts who are planning a dinner party, a wedding or a reception, this is important from a practical point of view, because they need to know how many people to count on and how much food and drink to buy. More important, though, is the simple courtesy of responding to someone who was nice enough to invite

you, even if it is to say that you regret that you will not be able to attend.

Many wedding invitations come with a response card that you can mail back right away. Other written invitations will carry the host’s telephone number so you can call with your reply, although under strict etiquette rules, a written invitation requires a written reply. Nowadays, invitations often carry a “regrets only” notation at the end. That means that the host will count on your being there unless you tell him or her otherwise.

Some people even use “R.S.V.P.” as a verb, as in “Have you R.S.V.P.ed to that invitation?”Do you act on R.S.V.P?

Have you suffered financially due to lack of proper response?

THINK ABOUT IT!

Mr. Gary Robinson was a prominent, dedicated, and committed elder in Surrey communities, and Miracle Media published many times his activities during his carrier, and he was also Miracle contributor, he sent many community activities reports and letters.

Robinson’s celebration of life will be held Nov. 23 at 2 p.m. at the Valley View Funeral Home, located at 14660 72nd Ave.

11

Muharrum 11, 1435 H November 15, 2013

A D V E R T I S E R

12

Muharrum 11, 1435 H November 15, 2013

S P E C I A L

Happy Sandy-versary

By: Maheen Nusrat The raging winds have finally calmed down-so have my nerves and my fast beating heart. Today is a calmer day, with the sun peeping through thick cumulus clouds, so unlike the stereotypical grey skies of London. The air is cooler and crisp; thank the Lord for finally bringing in a cold front. Never thought I would be thanking for a cold day, but the hotter than normal weather brought in a surprise for Londoners. What are the odds for Hurricane St. Jude to fall a day shy of my sandy-versary all the way across the pond! I swear I am cursed! It may have been scarier than normal for most Londoners, but for me it was DEJAVU pangs of anxiety. If the 62 mph winds weren’t knocking the wind out of me, I would have even had sense to laugh at the irony. Come to think of it, I may have laughed, but it was more a nervous laughter than the kind of laughter one laughs after realizing the hilarity of a situation.

Mostly when I think of Sandy, it seems surreal. I often question whether we really went through those circumstances? The clumps of hair that I continue to lose are an affirmation of the reality of the ordeal from a year ago. The beautiful thing about time is that it passes and it tends to fly. It has been a year since I went through Sandy-which I can safely term as one of the top worst times of my life. The impact of Sandy may not be much on my daily life, other than the odd times when my olfactory senses will be overwhelmed with the smell that I

have come to term as the “Sandy smell”, or when I will be reminded of the odd thing or two that were drowned by this catastrophe, however yesterday night, the impact of that storm became wildly apparent.

It is true a storm will change you forever, whereas, I used to enjoy the odd gusts of wind in the past, those same gusts left me almost paralyzed with fear and up all night. My wild imagination ran rampant with all that could possibly go wrong with the 62 mph winds beating down my balcony door-for example the trash can lying on the balcony that posed the real threat of being rammed through the glass door, thereby leaving us exposed to all the elements!

You would think surviving through a storm would prepare you for any such disaster again. Think again, fear and secondary trauma my dear friends can leave you unprepared.

The almost repeat of similar circumstances on the anniversary of my Sandy experience made my stormy weather roommate to suggest that I follow in the footsteps of Helen Hunt in Twister and find my new calling as a storm chaser. I had to inform her that I may have survived through that stressful situation, but I am a colossal wuss and don’t see myself being a storm chaser extraordinaire anytime soon.

A lot has changed since that dreadful night of the 29th of October in 2012, for example I no longer reside in that ground floor apartment; heck I no longer even live on the same continent. Not only was I lucky enough to not have to restart my post-sandy

life in that God forsaken apartment, I was lucky enough to be moved across the pond to start anew. The stressful move at that time across the Atlantic surely proved to be a blessing in disguise. They say once you step in a river neither you nor the river will ever be the same again. I had part of the New York bay and 6 feet of Hudson river in my apartment, and although I did not wade through the murderous waters, I did spend more than 3 weeks salvaging the pieces of my life through the muck that it left behind-therefore, I can say with certainty that it has changed me.

What last night reminded me is that no matter that you survived your first storm; a subsequent encounter does not necessarily mean you will be better prepared. Of course the principal of once bitten, twice shy would dictate extra precaution on your part the next time around; which is exactly why I no longer reside on a ground floor. We actively sought for a place away from the water and 6 storey high because of our little Sandy-experience, but precisely because we are 6 floors higher than the last time, I was unprepared to deal with the unexpected storm from last night. Whilst going through the Sandy ordeal, I had taken mental and written notes to later convert them into a guide on how to survive through a hurricane, but playing ostrich became a vital part of survival and I never actually got around to doing that. On my Sandy-versary, I wanted to bring that ostrich head of mine out from under the sand and start on that guide.

Disaster preparedness for Sandy-at its best

What I can leave you is a starter kit to surviving through a storm! The kit needs to consist of: 1. Great sense of humour 2. Faith 3. The ability to roll your sleeves up and get dirty 4. Tenacity 5. And an ample dosage of great friends and family-this last one is of utmost importance because everyone has fair weather friends, only a handful of people are lucky to have stormy weather friends-and stormy weather friends are forever!

The truth of the matter is that the Sandy days are behind me but the experience will live with me eternally. Perhaps overtime it too will fade in memory, but the generosity, love, and care that my dear friends showed me will live with me forever. I look back on that terrible time not with anger, but rather nostalgia.

What I lost that day were material goods, but what I gained goes far beyond the material world. I learned the beauty, strength and the human will for survival, I experienced shared grief, communal generosity; I earned gratitude, fortitude and patience. Most of all, I learned to cherish and love my friends who took us in when the roof over our head had 6 feet of water below it. On the anniversary of Sandy, I choose to

be thankful first and foremost to God for giving my husband and I the mental and physical strength to survive through it, for putting friends into our lives who had such big and generous hearts and for letting us be of the few who were affected very little by Sandy. I choose to be thankful to every single person, friend, family, community member who stood by us, whether it be in providing shelter, helping us through the clean up process, letting us use their showers to clean ourselves up, for acting as movers to help move our belongings, helping us carry our dirty laundry, for providing emotional and moral support when physical support was impossible, for their prayers and best wishes, for words of encouragement, for providing entertainment and humour and of course who generously cooked for us. A big thank you to all those who suffered equally with us, yet offered a helping hand as neighbours and community members. I may have digital images of the disaster, but I have feelings of love and gratitude towards all those family and friends who supported us that cannot be captured in any digital format. To the bonds of friendship that became stronger due to Sandy I say Sandy wasn’t a disaster at all!

Happy Sandy-versary!

% ƛ& " +!"-"+!"+1)6 4+"! ǔ -"/ 1"!

- Qeema - Chana Masala - Aloo Bhaji - Halwa Puri - Yogurt - Tea and much more

Need Mortgage Financing?

Our Team Can Help.

• Better Choice • Better Rates • Better Advice Access to Over 100 Lenders to Serve You Better

NEW NEW

Chicken Jalfrezi Unit 108 12414 82 Ave, Surrey Kabab Masala

For more information please call Ahmad Akbar at 604-594-7160 & 604-518-7887

Helping clients with solutions that fit and reflect their situation Self Employed, New Immigrants, Rental Properties, Remediated Properties, Challenging Life Events, Credit Repair, Refinances, 2nd Mortgages, Renewals, Commercial Mortgages and Leasing

Zahida Khan Dominion Lending Centres - A Better Way Team

Contact: 604.817.7190

13

Muharrum 11, 1435 H November 15, 2013

A D V E R T I S E R

Azim Dahya & Company Certified General Accountant

REGISTER FOR YOUR QUICKBOOKS CERTIFICATION DOES YOUR ACCOUNTANT TRAIN YOU TO MAINTAIN YOUR FINANCIAL RECORDS OR JUST FILE YOUR TAX RETURNS Does your accountant train you to setup and maintain your own computerized financial accounting system?

Does your accountant train you to monitor your financial performance?

Does your accountant help you increase your profits?

“Quickbooks Course Held on Saturdays for Your Convenience!

Only $299 plus applicable taxes.

10% discount with this coupon.

Register quickly as only limited spaces available.

No 5 Rd & Cambie Rd in Richmond, above the Public Library

Tel: 604-227-1120 www.aadcga.com | www.advancedtax.ca | www.aadconsulting.ca

If you (or someone you know) require food assistance or would like to volunteer or donate, please contact us at 778-297-HALA (4252)

14 L O C A L Hydrogen-Friendly Vancouver getting into DC fast chargers for EVs Muharrum 11, 1435 H November 15, 2013

Vancouver, British Columbia, is joining the west coast network of DC fast chargers for plug-in electric vehicles. The Canadian province’s electric utility company, BC Hydro, will be installing 13 DC fast chargers in the greater Vancouver area in the Fraser Valley, on Vancouver

Island and in Kamloops.

Local governments will lease the fast chargers and the network will be managed by Green Lots, a San Francisco company devoted to bringing open access movement for electric vehicle charging, getting local networks ready for payments through mobile apps or credit cards. Green Lots’ Sky network provides EV drivers open access without requiring prior registration, subscriptions or access fobs – which takes charging out of the clutch of proprietary networks. BC Hydro is still thinking about whether a payment will be charged to drivers using its fast charge stations.

In January of this year, British Columbia’s government announced funding for the DC Fast Charger Project. The province only has about 700 EVs right now, but BC Hydro’s chief technology officer Kip Morrison thinks that number will grow to 50,000 within 10 years. The fast

electric vehicle drivers with a network of 13 direct current (DC) fastcharging stations.

In addition to the Surrey station, fast-charging stations in Kamloops, Nanaimo, Duncan, Squamish and Merritt are now operational. The seven remaining stations are scheduled to be online by March 31, 2014.

“It’s encouraging to see such widespread interest among communities across the province in hosting and operating these electric vehicle fast chargers,” said Environment Minister Mary Polak. “Providing a strategically located network of fast chargers on major routes, including the Highway 1 and Highway 99 corridors, will allow more travel options for many current electric vehicle owners and will help make these chargers will likely offer the vehicles an even more attractive CHAdeMO charging protocol used choice for those people who haven’t by the Nissan Leaf and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV. The locations are expected to someday add the Combined Charging Standard that comes from SAE specifications and allows for offering DC fast charging and 240 volt Level 2 charging for other EVs on the market like the Chevy Spark EV and BMW i3.

Electric vehicle fast chargers open for business in Surrey With the official opening of an electric vehicle fast-charging station at the Surrey Museum on Nov 4, B.C. is well on its way to becoming the considered them before.” first province in Canada to provide DC fast chargers require only 20 to

30 minutes for an 80 per cent charge and are necessary to give electric vehicle owners the confidence to travel between communities. On the other hand, Level 2 charging stations (240-volt) require four to eight hours to reach full charge, which is usually adequate for commuters, but can hamper electric vehicle mobility between communities, especially for pure battery electric vehicle owners.

The $1.3-million fast-charging stations program is being managed by BC Hydro with funding coming from the Province’s previously announced $14.3-million Clean Energy Vehicle Program. BC Hydro will continue to own the 13 DC fast chargers, while the participating

the stations.

The Clean Energy Vehicle Program includes the Community Charging Infrastructure Fund, the CEV for BC point-of-sale incentive program, upgrades to hydrogen fuelling infrastructure and Live Smart BC rebate programs for residential charging infrastructure.

The installation of these stations also marks another significant milestone for the Clean Energy Vehicle Program – completing the B.C. portion of the West Coast Green Highway, a commitment made by Premier Christy Clark under the Pacific Coast Collaborative (Washington State, Oregon, California and B.C.) to ensure electric vehicle fast charging is deployed along the Highway 99/I-5 corridor. Eventually, electric vehicle owners will be able to drive from San Diego to Whistler, knowing they can charge their vehicles along the way. http://green.autoblog. communities will provide access to Source: municipal land to host and operate com/2013

“Attracting and retaining the best international talent to fill skills shortages in key occupations is critical to Canada’s economic success.”

- Hon. Jason Kenney, P.C., M.P.

Minister of Employment and Social Development

Respond to Canada’s need for immigrants.

Become a Regulated Immigration Consultant Full-time | Part-time | Online Apply online at www.ashtoncollege.com or contact a program adviser at (604) 899-0803.

Ashton College | Vancouver, BC 604 899 0803 | 1 866 759 6006 | www.ashtoncollege.com

15

Muharrum 11, 1435 H November 15, 2013

A D V E R T I S E R

“ UMRAH AND TURKEY TOUR ” (MARCH 31 – APRIL. 16/2014) 17 DAYS DR. IQBAL ANOTHER TRIP YOU’LL NEVER FORGET

GROUP ESCORTED BY: ABBAS/SHEHAB ELBARBARI “WHERE EXPERIENCE AND SERVICE COUNTS”

ROUND TRIP AIR FARE VAN - JEDDAH - ISTANBUL - VAN

10 NIGHTS UMRAH (MADINAH/MAKKAH)

(INCL. ALL TAXES & ENTRY VISAS)

6 Nights Madinah Hotel (4/5 Star) & 4 Nights Makkah Hotel (5 Star).

Makkah Hotel Directly Infront Of Haram , And Madinah Hotel Minutes walk to Haram.

Includes Transportation Airport - Madinah - Makkah - Airport.

Ziyarat In Makkah And Madinah visiting Historic Sites . includes all Umrah Visa Proccesing Fees.

Surrey exceeds waste diversion expectations

5 NIGHTS ISTANBUL (CITY OF CIVILIZATIONS) During Our Stay We Will Explore This Magnificent City Of Istanbul. We Will Visit The Blue Mosque With Its Six Minarets, Hagia Sophia, The Hippodrome, The Grand Bazzar(Biggest Souk In The World), And The Spice Market .we Will Tour Topkapi Palace And Dolmabache Palace Which Was The Recent Residence For The Ottoman Sultans. Enjoy A Bosphorus Sea Cruise And View Rumeli Fortress And Then Take A Cable Car Ride And Have A Panoramic View Of The Golden Horn. We Will Also Visit Rustem Pasha Mosque And Miniaturk (Minuture Land ).

ONLY $4390

(ALL HOTELS DBL OCCUPANCY, OPEN BUFFET BREAKFAST)

ABBAS ELBARBARI 604-321-0309 CELL: 604-729-8964

ALL : SHEHAB ELBARBARI 604-325-9700 CELL: 778-861-5433 ASIN BAKRIDI 604-875-0567 CELL: 604-614-3622 Email : travelcomet@hotmail.com

“Your Team of Trusted Lawyers”

Usman Ghani - ICBC - Medical malpractice - Personal Injury - Civil Litigation - Commercial Litigation

&

Massood Joomratty

Barristers & Solicitors

- Family and Spouse Sponsorships - Super Visa & Student Visa - Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP) - Skilled Worker programs & Work Permit - Business & Investor Immigration - Temporary Resident Visa Applications - All Immigration Appeals - Citizenship - Conveyancing - Incorporation

Free Initial Consultation

604-599-0001 Usman Ghani

Massood Joomratty

SURREY OFFICE: # 205 - 7134 King George Blvd. Surrey BC V3W 5A3

16

Muharrum 11, 1435 H November 15, 2013

L I F E S T Y L E

Guide to Winter-Proofing Your House

By Arianne Cohen When I recently mentioned to my mother the idea of winterizing her home, she said, “All that stuff is a bit of a drag.” Well, no. A drag is receiving an unexpected $600 heating bill in January. Or waking up in the middle of the night to a burst pipe. Or realizing in March that your patio furniture is ruined. Those are drags, and winterization prevents them. And it’s easy.

Here’s a master checklist for prepping your house for cooler weather.

Tips for Tackling the Outdoors Landscaping Turn off water: Find the indoor water shutoff for all outside lines and turn it off. (If you don’t know where it is, ask your plumber.) Turn on the spigots and empty them; also empty out hoses and store them indoors. If you have an irrigation system, hire an irrigation professional to use an air compressor to empty the water lines so they don’t burst, says Jeremy Link, owner of EcoFriendly Irrigation in Cincinnati.

Aerate and seed: Want a lush spring lawn?

Labor Day is the time to use an aerator (a rolling yard tool with spikes in it). “Aerating allows grass to get more water and grow more going into fall and winter,” says Hunter Stubbs, partner in B.B. Barns Garden Company in Asheville, North Carolina. If seeding is needed, do it now, when temperatures are still warm.

Fertilize: “Fertilize the lawn at Labor Day, and again around Thanksgiving,” says Stubbs. Fertilize shrubs in November too, when they’ve gone dormant.

Mulch flowers: Foolproof one-hour trick to a good-looking winter yard: Clear away sticks and leaves, pull up dead plants and use a rake to aerate the soil. Then mulch— it makes your flowerbeds look nice, and also prevents pests from living under debris. You can also neaten your garden by pruning back your perennials and flowering plants.

Gutters

Clean: Taking a plastic bucket with you, climb a ladder and use gloves to remove debris so it doesn’t freeze and damage the gutter. (If you have someone to help, you can use a rope to raise and lower the bucket.) Consider getting gutter guards to use year-round to block out most gunk. We like mesh covers that allow water and some debris to pass through, rather than models that promise no debris, which tend to feature tiny holes that get plugged up.

Check for moss: While you’re up there, glance around the gutters and roof for moss and algae.

It grows at a glacial pace, but can do a lot of damage by keeping the roof below permanently wet and causing rot. If you see any, make a mixture of 5 parts water, 1 part bleach and a heaping tablespoon of trisodium phosphate (from a home improvement store), and spray it on the moss to kill it.

Chimney Seal: To prevent costly, damaging leaks to your brick, block or cement chimney, seal it every five years. A pro charges around $75 per hour, but if you’re comfortable on a ladder, apply

clear acrylic water seal to all outside surfaces of the chimney, just like you’re painting.

Tips for Tackling the Indoors Heating Program thermostats: Set the thermostat to click on every time the daytime temperature drops below, say, 68°F (it’s cheaper to maintain a temperature than to turn a thermostat up and down). If your thermostats aren’t programmable, replace them: They’re easy to install and cost anywhere from $35 to $250—which you’ll make back in a month or two. By turning it up only when you’re home, you’ll save as much as 30 percent on your heating bill; setting the temperature at 68°F instead of 72°F can save 20 percent.

Replace filters: Change the filters in your furnace and, if you have one, forced-air system. (If you’re not sure where filters are or how to replace them, ask at your next heating inspection.) Dirty filters force the system to chug, wasting energy and costing you anywhere from 10 to 30 percent more.

Clear the path: Make sure that no furniture or objects are within 3 feet of space heaters or radiators. Even if that chair looks perfect near the heater, move it—it’s blocking the heat, and it’s a fire hazard besides.

Insulate: If you have a forced-air heating system, look for ducts running through unheated parts of the house, like the garage and attic. Measure those ducts and head to the store for precut insulation, which wraps right around them, keeping the hot air in the ducts (and in your home) toasty warm.

Weatherization Face it: You’re blowing hundreds of dollars on heat that immediately escapes to the outdoors. A mere $20 can eliminate most of that waste.

Caulk: And foam. Light a candle and move it around windows and doors; where it flickers, you’ve got a draft. (You can also test by

dampening your hand.) Seal the gap with latex window caulk or foam sealant. You’ll still be able to open the window, and in the spring you can remove the caulk with a razor blade. If you won’t be opening the window, caulk the sash (where both parts of the window meet in the middle). And don’t forget the attic! Plug door bottoms with stick-on weatherstripping from a hardware store ($5 to $10). Winter heating bill savings: $100 to $300.

Insulate water pipes: Starting at your hot water heater, look for uninsulated hot water pipes running along the walls or ceilings. (If they’re not labeled, you can usually place a hand near them and feel the heat.) Polystyrene insulation, which has a slit in the middle, slips right over the pipe. And once you insulate, the heat stays in the pipes longer, so the hot water heater doesn’t need to work as hard.

Insulate the water heater: Your heater should have a “blanket”—they look like giant versions of the little insulator bags for travel coffee mugs. If it doesn’t, take a snapshot of your water heater, measure the length and diameter, and head to the store. Exceedingly smart investment, since the blanket will keep heat in and your hot water heater won’t have to turn on as frequently. Winter heating bill savings: $100.

Block dormant fireplaces: Not using the fireplace? Block it off so warm air can’t escape.

Though home stores sell expensive seals, you can simply take cardboard, purchase an expanding foam at any hardware store and seal it. Put a pretty fireplace screen in front of it and no one will see. Check that the foam sealant (usually $6 to $9 per canister) can be used with the material your fireplace is made of. When warm weather comes, follow the removal instructions to take off the sealant, leaving no marks. Courtesy: Women’s day

I/4 BCMA

Best Pizza in Town

17

Muharrum 11, 1435 H November 15, 2013

P O L I T I C S

PQ goes all out in waging war on religious minorities

By Haroon Siddiqui You are a Quebec politician. You win a riding in a provincial election or by-election. You go to Quebec City to take your seat in the National Assembly. But you won’t be allowed to if you are a kippa-wearing Jew. Or a turban-wearing Sikh. Or a hijabi Muslim.

That’s one scenario under the Parti Québécois government bill tabled Thursday, a worse version of the Charter of Quebec Values it unveiled in September.

The charter was to exempt members of the assembly from a proposed ban on religious symbols and clothing for civil servants and public sector employees.

Accused of double standards, the PQ has responded by extending the discrimination to provincial politicians as well.

Interestingly, the bill coincides with the axing of a similar ban on religious attire in a far-away land, which has had little to teach Canada, so far. In a historic democratic moment, Turkey’s parliament has welcomed four hijab-wearing women, having reversed a decades-old law. Kemal Ataturk, an autocratic ruler, had imposed that law invoking secularism, just as Pauline Marois is doing. He did it in the early 20th century, trying to hold his nation together amid the ruins of the Ottoman Empire in the First World War, while she is doing it in 21st-century Canada. Rather than diluting her much-criticized charter (such as restricting the religious clothing ban only to judges and police), she has toughened it.

Dress restrictions would be extended to contractors supplying goods and services, as well as those receiving a government subsidy.

The charter had proposed five-year exemptions to municipalities and institutions. Many in multicultural Montreal promptly said they would apply. But the bill decrees only a one-time exemption. And even during that period, no kippa, turban or hijab may be allowed in police and fire departments.

Only hospitals and healthcare institutions with a long-held “confessional dimension,” meaning Montreal’s Jewish General, would qualify for further exemptions.

Daycare centres may be barred from serving kosher or halal food, perhaps even vegetarian meals, should the latter be the religious preference of a Hindu family. “A repeated activity or practice stemming from a religious precept, in particular with regard to dietary matters, must not be authorized if its aim, through words or actions, is to teach children that precept,” says Section 30 of the bill.

The bill would make it difficult for employers and educational institutions to accommodate employees and students on non-Christian religious holidays.

“When an accommodation request on religious grounds involves an absence from work, a public body must more specifically consider the frequency and duration of absences on such grounds, the size of the administrative unit, the consequences on the work of other personnel …,” thunders Section 16.

Adds Section 17: “If an accommodation request on religious grounds concerns a student attending an educational institution established by a school board, the school board must take into account … compulsory school attendance, the basic school regulations, the school’s educational project …”

Anthony Housefather, mayor of Côte St-Luc, which has a sizeable Jewish population, tells me: “The government is saying to institutions that are already making such accommodations not to extend them, or to make them very difficult to get. A school board may have to tell students they can’t get an exemption for Yom Kippur or Friday noon prayers.”

No one wearing a face-covering niqab may receive any government service, including presumably emergency health care. (This was proposed by Liberal premier Jean Charest but not implemented).

The “scariest section of the bill,” says Housefather, is the proposal to amend the Quebec Human Rights Act to reflect the charter’s three defined values – separation of state and religion, equality of men and women, and the primacy of French language.

French already has primacy. But in cases where workers speak a language other than French, judges “take into account their freedom of speech and also whether restricting it would constitute a reasonable limit.” That balance might now go out of the window.

The Human Rights Act must also make “allowance for the emblematic and toponymic elements of Québec’s cultural heritage that testify to its history.” That

might mean keeping Catholic symbols in the name of tradition but excluding the Star of David in the name of secularism, even though the first Jews came to Quebec in 1760.

The PQ bill is based on false assumptions – that gender equality is eroded by a hijab (rather it is enhanced by upholding the right of a woman to wear what she wants, rather than being told by men or government); that you cannot provide “neutral service” if you wear a kippa or a turban; and that such believers might somehow proselytize others.

“Just because a civil servant is wearing a kippa or a hijab, nobody is going to rush out and convert to Judaism or Islam,” says Morton Weinfeld, professor of sociology at McGill. And the idea that a “religious person won’t give you a fair shake in official dealings is as ridiculous as wondering, Would a male judge be fair to a female defendant, a straight prosecutor to a gay person, or a white civil servant to a black citizen?”

The bill is based on demagoguery. It proposes a solution for a problem that does not exist. It divides society.

It is Orwellian. It claims to preserve secularism by axing a fundamental secular right – the right to freedom of religion that includes

the right to show it.

The ostensibly leftist PQ is following rightwing European xenophobes, anti-Semites and Islamophobes. Its bill goes in tandem with recently announced reductions in immigration to Quebec. It is pandering to Quebecers who think that immigration is a threat to “the heritage of Quebec society” (46 per cent, according to a Léger poll) and those who are alarmingly intolerant of religious minorities (according to Forum Research and Angus Reid polls).

Courtesy: Toronto Star

Islamic Association of Western Canada P R E S E N T S

SHOHADA-EKAR B A L A CONFERENCE SATURDAY 16TH NOVEMBER

TOPIC: QURAN AND PROGENY OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD (P.B.U.H)

“Ustadul Ulma, Sheikhul Hadees, Mufakkir-e-Islam,

Hazrat Alama Mulana Pir Zahid Hussain Shah Sahib Rizvi Mudazillah

Prof. Imam Syed Badiuddin Soharwardy

Aalli”. (First Time Coming To Canada)

FUNDRAISING FOR JAMIA MASJID AULIA ALLAH PROGRAM START AFTER MAGHRIB – 5PM Dinner will be served VENUE:

12888 80 Ave # 210 Surrey, BC

CRYSTAL AT YORK BANQUET HALL (CONFERENCE HALL 202) live streming of this program will be availabe at www.sufitv.tv

Islamic Supreme Council of Canada – BC Chapter Haider Ali Khan (778) 241-0974, Dr, Niaz Ahmed Khan (604) 319-1473 Ghulam Mohyuddin (604) 596-2385, Talib Hussain (604) 612-2314, Rauf Khan (604) 501-4700, Tariq Khan (604) 512-2601, Azhar Latif (604) 502-7558, Zulfiqar Shah (604) 616-7966

18

Muharrum 11, 1435 H November 15, 2013

L O C A L

Mehfil Zikr o Naat, Manqabat & Importance of Sacrifice

By: Zeshan Ahmad A beautiful gathering for Zikr Allah, Darood o Salam and Manqabat took place in the presence of Sheikh Ahl-e-sunnat wal Jamat As Sayed Nurjan of Vancouver Naqashbandi Sufi centre. Participants of evening included Mr. Shehzad and Mr Muzamil Ahmed presented Hadiya-e-Naats on Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and recited Manqabts of Imam Hussain (A.S) and Ahl-e-Bait, remembering the difficulties of ahl-e-Bait and understating the importance of sacrifice offered by Imam Hussain (A.S). We are thankful to Mr. Naseer Pirzada for participating and reciting hadiya Hamad and Manqabat of Imam Hussain (A.S).

Later on Syed Noor Jan explained the way of Ahl-eHaq and Ahle-Muhabat and stressed on bringing every one togather in love of Allah (subhan hu) His Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Love of Ahl-e-Bait and Sahaba Kiram o Rizwan. He reminded us that difficulties of our lives are nothing in compare of trial and tribulations faced by shuhdaye Karbla and ashab-e- Rasool Allah. Therefore we should make them our role model in our lives and sacrifice our

MONTHLY ANTIWAR RALLY & PETITION CAMPAIGN

DG<I@8C@JKJĂ&#x2122; 8E;JĂ&#x2122; &==Ă&#x2122; *PI@8­Ă&#x2122; %FĂ&#x2122; *8E:K@FEJĂ&#x2122; >8@EJKĂ&#x2122; I8E­Ă&#x2122; I<<Ă&#x2122; 'I@M8K<Ă&#x2122; $8EE@E> Ă&#x2122;*FC;@<IĂ&#x2122;F=Ă&#x2122; LD8E@KP­Ă&#x2122;, * 8E8;8 % +&Ă&#x2122;&LKĂ&#x2122;F=Ă&#x2122; =>?8E@JK8E­Ă&#x2122;%FĂ&#x2122; KFĂ&#x2122;, * Ă&#x2122; IFE<J­Ă&#x2122; 8E;JĂ&#x2122;&==Ă&#x2122;%FIK?Ă&#x2122;"FI<8­Ă&#x2122; E;Ă&#x2122;K?<Ă&#x2122;*8E:K@FEJĂ&#x2122;FEĂ&#x2122;%FIK?Ă&#x2122;"FI<8­Ă&#x2122; *KFGĂ&#x2122; JI8<C JĂ&#x2122;&E>F@E>Ă&#x2122; JJ8LCKĂ&#x2122;FEĂ&#x2122;'8C<JK@E@8EJ­Ă&#x2122;%FĂ&#x2122;KFĂ&#x2122;.8IĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2122;&::LG8K@FE­Ă&#x2122; 0<JĂ&#x2122; KFĂ&#x2122; *<C= <K<ID@E8K@FE­Ă&#x2122; *<C= <K<ID@E8K@FEĂ&#x2122; =FIĂ&#x2122; E;@><EFLJĂ&#x2122; %8K@FEJĂ&#x2122; Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2122; CCĂ&#x2122; &GGI<JJ<;Ă&#x2122; %8K@FEJ­Ă&#x2122; , * Ă&#x2122; &LKĂ&#x2122; F=Ă&#x2122; I8HĂ&#x2122; %FN­Ă&#x2122; $FE<PĂ&#x2122; =FIĂ&#x2122; FLJ@E> Ă&#x2122; <8CK?:8I< Ă&#x2122;!F9JĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2122; ;L:8K@FE Ă&#x2122;%FKĂ&#x2122;=FIĂ&#x2122;.8IĂ&#x2122;Ă&#x2DC;Ă&#x2122;&::LG8K@FE­Ă&#x2122;

bad character and ego in the love of Allah and His Holy Prophet(PBUH). Syed Noor jan stressed on need of love, respect and unity of community and helping each other by being respectful and loving to everyone who follows the way of our beloved Holy Prophet (PBUH) and Ahl-e-Bait and Ashab rasool allah. Evening ended with prayer and dinner.

SATURDAY November 30 2pm th

2013

Vancouver Art Gallery Robson St. @ Howe St. Downtown

Vancouver, Canada Mobilization Against War & Occupation

@MAWOvan

MAWOVANCOUVER.ORG

Dawat-e-Islami Ijtima =LNUR 1DDW %DVLOVLOKD

<DDG H 6KRKDGD H .DUEDOD Sunday, November 17, 2013 From 1:30pm till Magrub

At Fiji Islamic Centre Unit 17- 12988-84th Ave. Surrey Guest Speakers:

Fuzail Raza Attari

Muhammad Saeed Attari

(From Montreal) Mubalig Dawat-e-Islami

(From Calgary)

All Are Welcome

Full Provision of Sisters

Dinner will be Served

For more Mulana Abdul Lateef Naumani, Aabid Attari 778-895-0886, information: Muhammad Zafar Iqbal Attari 604-518-6149, Ifetkhar Attari 604-725-1738

Keep watching Madani Channel! ~ http://madnichannel.tv

19

Muharrum 11, 1435 H November 15, 2013

L O C A L

Majlis Ansar Sultanul Qalam Holds the 6th Annual Mushaira

HALAL MEATS AND POULTRY STORES IN VANCOUVER M. Naseer Pirzada of The Miracle Media Group got a chance to speak with couple of Halal Meats & Grocery Stores owners at Fraser Street in Vancouver. Let us share with you what we asked one of them.

First stop was at Noor Jahan Halal

Meats and Groceries Stores.

On Nov 10, The Majlis Ansar Sultanul Qalam organised a wonderful 6th annual Mushaira at the beautiful Baitul Rehman multipurpose hall which is located on River Road in Delta. Mr. Naeem Lakhan was the master of ceremony who conducted the program very well. Local and national poets of many communities were invited to read their poetry in Urdu, Hindi and Punjabi languages

very well.

Community members enjoyed and applauded at the inspiring poetry of the poets. At the end Mr. Lakkhan thanked every sponsor, volunteer, catering and service person and organisers, particularly Mr. Gulzeib Agha who made major efforts to make this Mushaira successful.

Movember hair raising hits workplace

Let the hair-racing action begin. Movember, a global campaign that encourages men to grow moustaches in November to support the fight against prostate and testicular cancer, filled barber shops in office areas last week with men keen to start the month clean-shaven. “Thursday through Saturday this week will be our busiest shave days this year,” said Pall Mall Barbers general manager Daniel Davies in London. “We’re expecting about a 50 per cent rise on normal orders.”

The fundraiser, which started in 2003, is benefiting from the burgeoning popularity of male grooming and Movember’s celebrity signings. The global male grooming market grew 33 per cent to $33.6 billion US between 2003 and 2012, according to Euromonitor International. The market researcher predicts that the industry will grow another 3.3 per cent this year. “The whole facial hair segment has become more fashionable and sales of facial equipment and products have skyrocketed,” said questions Bryan Roberts, an analyst at Kantar Retail in London. “It’s a happy coincidence that

Movember happened alongside that general trend.”

Last year, 1.1 million people took part in Movember around the world, raising more than $148 million, according to the group’s website. Participant numbers soared 29 per cent from 2011 to 2012, after doubling from the previous year. Formula One driver Mark Webber and various U.S. football stars are taking part this year. Chef Jamie Oliver, actor Stephen Fry and James Bond star Daniel Craig have grown moustaches in previous years. “Most men have always wanted an excuse to grow a moustache,” In 10 years, the charity has spread from a small group of friends who came up with the idea in Australia, to South Africa, Europe, North America and Asia. Funds raised from the campaign are donated to cancer charities in each of the countries that participate. Movember’s funded programs focus on men’s health, prostate and testicular cancer, and mental health. The United States leads the donation board with about $1.3 million to date.

Courtesy: Vancouver Sun

Miracle Team (MT): Mohammed Lablu is the owner of this store and he migrated from Bangladesh. When did you come here? What was your professional background before opening this store?

MOHAMMED LABLU: I came to Vancouver 2003. Back then I was a machine operator at the Great Little Box Company.

(MT): Why did you open this Halal meat and grocery store seven years ago at this spot MOHAMMED LABLU: I chose this spot because I had been living in this area since I came to Vancouver and I had grown close to the strong and connected Muslim community in this neighborhood.

(MT): How can people trust Halal Meats stores, Suppliers and restaurants owners that they are serving halal items to Muslims community?

MOHAMMED LABLU: Unfortunately there is no way to observe the distinction between halal and haram meat visually just by looking at the meat. The only thing one can do is ask to see the business owner’s BCMA certification and they can also ask to see a recent bill from their suppliers. If the supplier is halal, then the meat is most likely halal as well.

(MT): If anyone any suppliers, stores or restaurants owners mix non halal meats in halal meats and poultry products, is there any way to make sure by visually or any other way to distinguish or leave it on Allah(swt) and trust the seller’s intention?

MOHAMMED LABLU:. It would be best if the customer/client would be able to see and know which supplier was supplying the business with their products however that is not always possible, especially with restaurants. So if someone has a doubt, they should ask the business owner to see the business’s BCMA certification.

(MT): Who are your suppliers and since how long?

MOHAMMED LABLU: I get my beef, lamb and goat from Pitt Meadows meats for the past 7 years, and I get my (hand slaughtered) chicken from Taqwa for the past 6 years.

(MT): What do you know about the Islamic way of hand slaughtering animals?

MOHAMMED LABLU: In the Islamic way of hand slaughtering animals, animals are slaughtered by a Muslim while saying “Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim” and then “Allahu-Akbar” three times. Then the animal must be hung so that all the blood drains out.

(MT): What are the benefits of Halal meats for our health?

MOHAMMED LABLU: Many non-halal meat companies keep their animals in disgusting and unhygienic environments. As a result, people may get sick. This is not the case with Halal meat companies as they must abide by certain Islamic standards for the animals’ lifestyle. Basically, an animal in a halal meat company’s provided environment will is less likely to have harmful bacteria in it and as a result, the human that consumes it eventually is less likely to ingest any harmful bacteria.

(MT): Tell me about poultry products and the healthiest cuts of meat.

MOHAMMED LABLU: At my business we have a variety of poultry products such as chicken, turkey, quail, and duck. Out of these, chicken breast and turkey are the healthiest.

(MT): For Barbecue, which are the best cuts of meat and chicken to be used, and tell us which parts are best for particular BBQ or dishes?

MOHAMMED LABLU: My family personally prefers chicken legs, thighs, and beef t-bones for barbequing. Boneless beef sticks are also very popular.

(MT): Main large grocery stores are now selling halal meats products, does that have any effect on your sale?

MOHAMMED LABLU: Not really, because my customers have been faithful to my business as a result of the high standard of quality of my products.

(MT): Do you have Muslim customers only or are non Muslims also buying these halal meats products?

MOHAMMED LABLU: Both Muslims and non-Muslims purchase halal meat from my business.

(MT): Do you have any message for our readers and halal meat buyers?

MOHAMMED LABLU: Try as much as you can to live your life in accordance with Islamic laws and standards.

Miracle Media Appeals for Philippine Typhoon Haiyan Please Contribute to Philippine Typhoon relief efforts by making a monetary donation. The Canadian government is matching donations made by individual Canadians to Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts. Donations made to approved Agencies of Canadian government till December 9, 2013, will be matched dollar-for-dollar.

20

Muharrum 11, 1435 H November 15, 2013

H E A L T H

Cell Phones Can Kill You And Your Baby As researchers are increasingly finding that radiation from cell phones causes cancer, the cell phone industry is counterattacking with threats of lawsuits and paying researchers to write papers - that can easily get into medical journals - with the message that radiation is harmless to human health.

Considering that the cell phone industry is a multi-billion dollar industry, with highly connected lobbyists, it’s no surprise that the program “Cell Phones and Child Brains: Casualty Catastrophe was broadcast on the Russian TV Network RT – not an American network - on a program called Truth seeker.

After Prof. Dariusz Leszcynski of the University of Helsinki, a researcher for Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority in Finland, published groundbreaking research on the biological harm of cell phones, neurologists like Keith Black, of the CedarsSinai Hospital in Los Angeles have begun issuing warnings about cell phone use, which Dr. Black characterizes as “cooking the brain.”

Prof. Leszcynski’s said the cell phone industry lobbied to block his funding.

Meanwhile, using a radiation detector, program host Daniel Bushell recorded radiation levels of 800 micro volts for microwave ovens and WiFi routers, 2,000 micro volts when watching a movie on a PC tablet and 40,000 micro volts for a Samsung 3 Smartphone. This is over a thousand times the normal background radiation of 30 micro volts.

Brent Bocook, a former Olympic champion rowing crew member, who had part of his brain removed because of a tumor on the area where he used his cell phone, has launched a class action lawsuit against the cell phone industry because he believes that – like the tobacco industry – it’s the only way to hold cell phone makers responsible for the harm their products are doing.

Mr. Bocook noted that children are more at risk because their skulls are thinner and the radiation per volume is much higher than in the case of adults as their brain size is small. He added that brain tumors associated with cell phone use have replaced leukemia as the number one killer of children.

Studies show young men who keep cell phones in their pockets have much lower chance of producing offspring. A 21 year old woman interviewed on the program has breast cancer where she stored her phone and, unfortunately, she’s not alone. Subsequently, Mr. Bushell showed video clips of commercials promoting cell phones for babies.

In part because the use of cell phones and other wireless technologies is being called the next ‘casualty catastrophe,’ after tobacco and asbestos, smart phones now all contain a legal disclaimer page with fine print, which cannot be enlarged and which is relatively difficult to locate within the phone’s navigation. It discloses the dangers of radiation exposure from cell phones and advises users to keep the device at least 10mm from the body.

Because independent scientists overwhelmingly find significant damage from human DNA altered, to three times lower sperm counts, 290 per cent more brain tumors, autism, and birth defects, the cell phone industry had felt the need to fight back.

Using studies paid for by the cell phone industry, Thomas Wheeler, a lobbyist for CTIA – an international non-profit trade association representing the wireless communications industry – said radio waves from cell phones are safe.

However, former White House advisor and leading epidemiologist Dr. Devra Davis

told a US Senate committee that anytime there was independent research the cell phone industry would attack the scientists who’d done the studies.

“They would try to get them fired. They try to get their funding taken away. When that didn’t work, they would hire other scientists, who knew nothing about the field, to do studies that looked like they were replicating the other studies. But they really weren’t and, when all of those things failed, they wrote a memo in which they said the cellular phone industry has done its job.”

Meanwhile, journalist Anthony Gucciardi said cell companies are already saying in their manuals that cell phones cause brain tumors, but once the public becomes aware it will be even worse than tobacco. Tell-

ingly, insurance companies have stopped insuring for health problems related to cell phone use.

In late October 2013, the Senate unanimously confirmed Thomas Wheeler to be chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, overseeing the nation’s telephone, wireless, broadband and video industries. Mr. Wheeler is an investor and former wireless communications industry lobbyist.

“Thomas Wheeler will be a strong advocate for consumers and the public interest at a time when the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) is facing decisions that will shape the future of the nation’s telephone network, and the wireless broadband and video industries,” said Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay

Rockefeller.

Source: http://www.thecanadiancharger.com

21

Muharrum 11, 1435 H November 15, 2013

KIDS

Play, Pray & Pizza Night Celebrated by Weekend School, Burnaby

By Fatima Nadeem Grade 6, Surrey Kids Korner is a fun way for kids to exercise their brain, build up their imagination with lots of other things while having fun. From last Miracle edition plus a few editions By: Zahra Haq (Student Council President) forward we will focus on the topic of fall.

Photos by: Alia Romeih (Vice President) Halloween. It’s a holiday greatly renowned in Western culture, a day where children dress in a costume and go trick-or-treating, receiving lots of candy. However, this holiday has its roots in Pagan traditions, as a day where the spirits of the dead intertwined with those of the living, and sacrifices were made to the gods of the sun and the dead. These traditions are all forms of shirk, or believing in a God who is not Allah S.W.T. But as a Muslim child living in a culture where everyone celebrates Halloween, what do you do when all your friends are out celebrating?

That’s why, on October 31st the Weekend Islamic School at Masjid Al-Salaam and Education Centre, held a “Play, Pray and Pizza night”.

The students celebrated Eidul Adha as well. It is the Muslim festival which reminds the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim and his son Prophet Ishmael. It teaches them to follow the footsteps of the prophets and be obedient to Allah SWT who is the creator and the sustainer. This event gave the Muslim community an Islamic alternative to activities going on elsewhere.

The event was honored by the presence of BCMA Burnaby, New Westminster and Tricity Branch Board of directors and Sr. Hazra Ismail, the Chairperson of the Women’s Board.

The program started with the recitation of the Qur’an by two of the students, Taiba Tahir and Yahya Sultan from the Weekend Islamic School. Everyone was warmly welcomed by a speech by sr. Nisha Zubair, the Secretary of the Branch. She thanked all the staff, students and parents for supporting and working together to make the school activities a success.

This was followed by a halaqa on Halloween

by Sister Jewairia Hafeez, who explained the history behind Halloween and the reasons why Muslims do not observe this holiday. The lecture was interesting and all the students participated enthusiastically in question and answer session. We then broke off into the Play part of the night, led by the Weekend School’s Student Council. Each student was given a passport, and encouraged to collect all stamps from each of the activities. Arts and Crafts, obstacle races, Volleyball, and Heads Up, were just some of the stations kids could choose from!

After completing their passport, the children were rewarded with pizza and cupcakes! The night concluded with Isha Salah - an Islamic end to an Islamic night! This was the inaugural event lead by our Student Council, and we have more planned for the upcoming school year!

Thanks to all the Board members for supporting the event and providing the Pizza. Thanks to Sr. Nuzhat Hafeez, Sr. Mubashaira Rabab and all volunteers and teachers for their hard work and bringing the cupcakes.

22

Muharrum 11, 1435 H November 15, 2013

SPORTS

Bettman: fighting in hockey is a ‘thermostat’ that helps cool things down

When Gary Bettman approached Ray Emery during the Chicago Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup celebration at the White House, everyone around wondered what was going to happen. The Philadelphia Flyers goaltender had drawn league-wide attention just a few days earlier for skating the length of the ice to fight an unwilling combatant in Braden Holtby. Naturally, that came up.

“I said: ‘Oh, Ray. It’s good to see you. I’ve been thinking about you.’

We had a nice chat,” the commissioner said. “And I said, ‘So just hypothetically, if there was a rule that said if you cross the red line to get into a fight with the other goaltender and you get a 10-game suspension, would you have done it?’ He goes, ‘What? Are you crazy?”’ It might not be a 10-game suspension, but NHL general managers will discuss potential changes to fighting rules Tuesday at their annual meeting following Hall of Fame induction weekend. Bettman acknowledged that incidents like George Parros being concussed after falling during a fight with Colton Orr and what Emery did sparked plenty of debate, but he made it clear it’s just one of many topics on the agenda.

“I think the level of dialogue gets sparked by an occasional incident, and an incident of this nature when you look at everything else that is going on in the season was really

a small pebble relative to a beach full of sand, which is seeing an incredibly entertaining season,” Bettman said Monday. “I think sometimes an incident, as rare as it might be, tends to get focused on disproportionately.” During his remarks at the Prime Time Sports Management conference in Toronto, Bettman called fighting a “thermostat” in hockey that helps cool things down when tensions run high. One of the arguments against the abolition of fighting, or even making the punishment a game misconduct or suspension, is that it would cause more highsticks and cheap shots. Bettman did not overtly reveal his opinion one way or the other but said that feelings on both sides of the fighting debate are “really dug in.” “To say you’re getting rid of fighting, I’m not even sure what that means because you can change the penalty and make it more severe,” he said.

“That doesn’t mean if somebody’s sufficiently motivated, they’re not going to fight. So we’ll take the hypothetical. You get thrown out of the game if you fight. OK, I think guys will still fight if they feel the need.” A 2011 poll conducted by the NHLPA and CBC found that 98 per cent of players would not support the total elimination of fighting. Bettman wants to take the pulse of GMs at Tuesday’s meeting. That includes feelings about

goaltenders fighting and other topics. Emery was not suspended for pummelling Holtby because there is nothing in the rule book to use as precedent. Bettman expects a “general discussion” but does not think any rule changes will come about just yet. Bettman said the current rules, which include a fiveminute major for fighting and extra penalties stemming from the instigator and third-man-in rules, represent the consensus among GMs. “If somebody wants to change it, there needs to be a new consensus,” he said. “That’s why the discussion’s ongoing. Having said that, it continues to evolve as the game does. Four years ago a shoulder hit to the head was not penalized. Now it’ll get you suspended.

We’re going to continue to look at what we can do to keep the game physical but safe as possible.”

Senior vice president of player safety Brendan Shanahan, who’s being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame Monday night, is expected to address the GMs and give his usual update. Hybrid icing will also be on the docket, as Bettman said the adjustment is ongoing for players and officials. While the Parros and Emery incidents stoked the fire about fighting’s place in the NHL, Bettman doesn’t want them to overshadow other things that are going on, like the Colorado Avalanche’s hot start, strong television

ratings and arenas being filled to 95 per cent of capacity. “We probably wouldn’t even be having the fighting discussion right now if there wasn’t a freak play with George Parros losing his balance and falling,” Bettman said. “Like the Emery-Holtby incident, those things don’t define the season we’re having. They’re important, we look at them, we discuss them, but they get more attention than they probably warrant in any particular case because we’re constantly monitoring the game.” Bettman said the NHL does fan research on a constant basis and not specifically when incidents are in the news. He’s also aware of the opinions expressed by league executives, like when Brian Burke wrote an editorial for USA Today in support of fighting. Tuesday provides a chance for “to see if anybody has an appetite for pursuing” any rule changes, Bettman said. “Ultimately if there’s going to be a change, there needs to be a new consensus (among) all par-

ties who have to make a decision,” he said. “We try to do what’s in the best interest of the game, and that includes our fans, that includes our clubs and that includes our players.

There are lots of views on lots of subjects. This happens to be one which probably gets a disproportionate amount of attention.” Another topic that has gotten a lot of attention is NHL expansion, especially considering unbalanced divisions created by realignment.

Having 32 teams would even out the divisions, but Bettman said there were no formal plans to expand.

The league and NHLPA have discussed reviving the World Cup of Hockey, which Bettman said he’d prefer over the Olympics, but the commissioner did not provide an update on those talks. He did confirm that NHL Premiere games in Europe that happened from 2007 through 2011 will not come back at the start of the 2014-15 season.

Source: CTV News

Specializing in Indian Style Chinese & Szechuan Food Fine Dining, Taking out and Delivery

Lunch Special Over 20 items to choose from

Monday - Friday 12:30 pm - 2:30 pm Except xcept Holidays

$6.99 & up FREE DELIVERY 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM with Min order $25.00 within 3km Radius Map Between 98 Ave to 92 Ave & 116 St to 128 St EXTRA DELIVERY CHARGE Business Hours: Monday - Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday

Owner: Jalil Khan

OUTSIDE OF 3 KM RADIUS MAY APPLY 12:30 am to 10:00 pm 12:30 am to 10:30 pm 12:30 Noon to 10:30 pm 12:30 Noon to 10:00 pm

604-582-8388 Next to Sabzi Mandi

9436 - 120 Street, Surrey www.asianspicesurrey.com

23

Muharrum 11, 1435 H November 15, 2013

PAKISTAN

Where are Jobs?

By Syed Asad Hussain Pakistan is ranked as the 6th the most populous country in the world with a population growth rate a little over 2%.

According to the Economic Survey of Pakistan 2012/13, the country’s population is estimated around 184.35 million (end-June 2013) as against 32.5 million at the time of independence. Labor force is estimated around 57.24 million, which is the 9th largest labor force in the world, employing 45% in the agriculture sector, 13.2% in the manufacturing sector, 6.7% in construction, 16.3% in wholesale and retail trade, and 13.6% others.

The Labor Force Survey (LFS) 2010/11 estimates unemployment rate around 6% as against 5.6% a year ago. Unemployment for females declined from 9.5% in 2010 to 8.9% in 2011 whereas for males, it rose from 4.4% to 5.1%. Unemployment in rural areas shrank to 4.7% from 4.8% whereas in urban areas, it

when the GDP growth rate winced to 1.7% (2009/10), from 3.7% (2007/08), unemployment rate is stagnant.

Persons that are available and actively seeking for work but unable to find one are considered to be unemployed. Therefore, one possible explanation for having weak correlation between economic growth and unemployment rate is that people who disguised unemployed or underemployed are not included in the pool of unemployed people. The second possible explanation stems from the stats presented earlier that around 67.1% of the labor force is selfemployed and associated with family-owned businesses hence they are not looking for employments.

Disguised unemployed are those people whose productivity is nearly zero or were too many workers working on few jobs. Most Pakistani Publics Sector Enterprises (PSEs) have high level of disguised unemployment along with low level of productivity. Moreover, when skills and qualifications don’t match with job descriptions, people are considered to be underemployed. For example, MBAs, engineers or doctors are working as salespersons or clerks. One cannot agree more that Pakistani labor market is having massive pools of both

Imran Khan ‘proud’ of Jemima’s

work on ‘Unmanned’

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday tweeted his admiration for the documentary ‘Unmanned: America’s Drone Wars’, a film that investigates the impact and cost of US drone killings in Pakistan. Khan said he was ‘proud of the dedication’ his ex-wife Jemima Khan had

demonstrated for the project. The film has director Robert Greenwald investigating the impact of US drone strikes at home and abroad through more than 70 separate interviews.

One of the people interviewed is Rafiqur Rehman, a primary school teacher from a mountainous region in northeast Pakistan, whose 67-yearold mother was targeted by a drone strike in October, 2012. Two of Rehman’s children were also injured in that attack.

Last month, the family related their story to some members of the US Congress on an invitation from Congressman Alan Grayson.

Jemima Khan vows to raise voice against US drones Chairman Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan’s ex. wife Jemima Khan said that she will raise her voice on drone attacks operated from United States towards Pakistan.

Jemima had a telephonic talk with tribal leader of South Waziristan, Rafiuddin Barki and said that she would raise voice against US drone attacks on every forum.

She added that innocent civilians have been killed and many of the congratulated Jemima Khan on making docupeople in US don’t know about the reality. The tribal leader also thanked and mentary on US drones.

Source: http://www.thenewstribe.com

GULSHAN MARKET SPECIALTY FOODS MEAT FISH GROCERY

ONGOING SPECIAL PRICE INSTANT DISCOUNT ON MINIMUM $50.00 PURCHASE valid till Dec. 31, 2013

0

00

underemployed and disguised unemployed people. Unfortunately policymakers and researchers have no ways to determine the exact size of this pool.

The naked-eye analysis of the chart shared above leads us to believe that there exists a weak relationship (to be specific hardly any) between economic growth and unemployment rates. Nonetheless, to arrive at a more accurate conclusion, one should run a prescribed statistical technique.

Due to slow economic growth, the most serious challenge that Pakistan facing today is the creation of employment opportunities for its desperate youths. The LFS estimates that in 2009/10, 280,000 people were added to the pool of unemployed people.

Sadly speaking, the current political, economic uncertainty and deteriorating security situation have crowded-out private investment and stoked unemployment rate further. No wonder why Pakistani youths are now more desperate to immigrate to other countries including Canada. Due to increasing government expenditures along with debt burdens, sluggish growth in government revenues, the government’s ability to creating jobs seems limited hence unemployment rate is likely to go up further in the future.

Nonetheless, to regain macroeconomic stability, Pakistan must expand its economy 7-9% per annum over the next five years period, create an adequate number of jobs, improve income distribution, liberalize the economy, and set gear for transparent privatization of sick PSEs where labor productivity is running at the bottom.

What Pakistan needs is a growth which is not only demand driven but job oriented, which will help increase consumers’ incomes and quality of life of average Pakistanis. Pakistan human resource which is mostly comprised of youth is precious and shouldn’t be wasted.

(The writer is Vancouver based economist. He can be reached at asad.szabist@gmail.com).

0 .

5

$5 .

rose to 8.8% from 7.2% in 2010. Thirty-four percent of the labor force is self-employed or work independently with no fixed employer.

Only 36% of the total labor force worked with fixed employers. Around 27.7 % of people are associated with family-owned business. At present, more than 3.5 million people are unemployed which is one of the main reasons of increasing crime rates in the country.

Interestingly, the above figures present a rosy state of Pakistani labor market when compared with the unemployment rates of rich countries such as Canada. Therefore, researchers use unemployment data with care. The LFS attempts to measure unemployment rate in Pakistan by choosing a sample size of 36,400 households (2008/09) taken from all provinces. Around 21952 households are chosen from rural areas and 14448 urban areas.

That said, in theory, there exists an inverse relationship between the economic growth and unemployment rate. This means, an increase in the GDP growth rate is likely to decrease unemployment rate and vice-versa. Let’s see if the chart presented below can help to confirm this relationship.

The above chart suggests that the GDP growth rate which peak in 2005 at 9.0% has fallen flat during 2011/13. Conversely, the rate of unemployment rate fell from 7.7 % (2005) to 5.6% (2010/11) and rose to 6% in 2012/13. Total investment growth figure shrank from a peak of 36.1% (2006) to a mere 6.2 % (P 2010/11) surprising leaving no significant impact on the unemployment rate.

Surprisingly, the GDP growth and the unemployment rate peaked together at 9% and 7.7%, respectively in 2005. In other words, the accelerated economic growth (expansion in output) instead of creating new jobs made more people redundant in 2005. Perhaps it was a jobless economic growth or the estimates were not correctly measured.

In 2009/10, when the GDP growth raced to 3.8 % from a low 1.7% (2008/09), unemployment rate also increased from 5.2% to 5.5%. And

$

Best Value Quality Service Friendly & Clean Environment

Ph:604-200-2217 Email: gulshanmarket1@gmail.com Unit 102 & 103, 13569 - 76th Ave. Surrey, BC V3W 2W3

24

25

26

27

28

Miracle Mediaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Appeal for Philippine Typhoon Haiyan Please Contribute to Philippine Typhoon relief efforts by making a monetary donation. The Canadian government is matching donations made by individual Canadians to Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts. Donations made to approved Agencies of Canadian government till December 9, 2013, will be matched dollar-for-dollar.

29

Contact Amir Taj @ 604-572-7861

30

PICTURE

604-690-0400 miraclenews@telus.net www.miraclenews.com

Now you can see Barney’s Special Deals & Regular menu from our website at www.barneyspizza.ca

Pizza & Chicken The name you trust

10 PCS Chicken (Tandoori or Fried) $ 19 .99+ Tax Salad + Fries

15 PCS Chicken (Tandoori or Fried) $ 22.99 + Tax

2 Large Pizza (Any Kind) $ 24 .99 + Tax

Party Special

Chicken & Pizza Combo

2 Large Pizza (Any Kind) + 2 Ltr Pop 15 PCS Chicken

1 Large Pizza + Fries + Salad

2 Medium Pizza (Any Kind) $21 .99 +Tax

(Tandoori or Fried)

Large Fries + Salad

$54 .99 + Tax

10 PCS Chicken (Tandoori or Fried)

$32 .99 + Tax

Search “Barney’s Pizza” on Facebook and click on

Unit # 348-8140 128th St., Surrey Arshad 604-763-7869 ~ 778-565-4416

3 Large Pizza (Any Kind) $35.99 + Tax

31

ALLIED INSURANCE SERVCES INC.

Fast Efficient and friendly service for all your insurance needs Home Business Life

Tenants Travel Accident

Condominium Medical Sickness

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve Got Your Covered!

DELTA / SURREY

FLEETWOOD

Nordel Annex #105-12025 Nordel Way (x Scott Rd)

Fleetwood Town Square #103-15988 Fraser Hwy, Surrey

604-596-4588

604-572-3311

NEWTON

GUILDFORD

Newton Town Center #121-7135-138th St., Surrey

Guildford Plaza #60-10330-152nd St., Surrey

604-572-9292

604-582-8644

NEW WEST/BURNABY

WHALLEY

Burnaby Square #106-7885- 6th St., Burnaby

Plaza 102 10235 King George Hwy., Surrey

604-523-0900

604-582-8699

BASIT KHAN B.SC R.Ph Open 7 days 9am to 9pm

BC Reg 28697

$7.99 ea Finest Pakistani Cuisine in Vancouver

www.alwatantandoori.com

Hand Slaughtered Meat

Chicken Box Legs & Thighs $75

Sweets from Bangldesh

SURREY Bullion, Foreign Exchange & Best Choice Travel Inc. Unit 109-12827-76th Ave Surrey • You can buy or exchange any kind of world currency • Send your money in a short time by wire transfer or draft through the Bank wherever you want • Offer Best rates in town

Gua

Bestranteed Rate s

We do the best trip for you!

Our Services Include: - Airline Tickets - Hajj & Umrah Package - Car Rentals - Cruise - Travel Insurance - Package Holidays

Akhtar Tanoli 604-618-3777, Tel: 604-503-4653, Zaman Pasha , 778-552-7371, Anwar Pasha 778-895-9335, Raza Ahmed, Saman Saghir (M Managerr) 604-507-8549