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$16 million in federal
7Rabi ul Awaal 19,1442 Nov 6, 2020 cONTINUED/l O c A l
Young Muslim heroes hailed for helping victims during Vienna attack
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Continued from Page 1 Turkish backgrounds, had planned to “drink One of the police officers who arrived at the Two young Austrians of Turkish origin have been hailed for their courage following Monday’s gun attack in the capital Vienna, after footage of them intervening to aid wounded people including a policeman spread across social media. A video shot from a nearby building shows the pair running to a metro station exit and helping panicked passers-by to take cover — as gunshots were still echoing down the street. On Tuesday, the interior ministry confirmed, without naming the two friends, that they had helped during the attack late Monday by a radicalised young man from North Macedonia. The assailant killed four people before being shot dead by police. A young Palestinian man was also praised as a hero for assisting an injured police officer. Mikail Ozen and Recep Tayyip Gultekin, both Austrian citizens from a last coffee” together at bustling Schwedenplatz before the country’s coronavirus lockdown came into effect, they said in a video posted online immediately after the attack. The first shots could be heard even as they arrived at the busy square by the river to find “people lying on the ground covered in blood”, Ozen recalled.They went to help a panicked older woman who was looking for a place to hide — only to see a wounded policeman lying on the ground. “We couldn’t act as if we hadn’t seen him,” Ozen said. “We ran and carried him to the ambulance” by supporting him under his shoulders as the gunfire continued. The policeman was given first aid by a Palestinian man, Osama Joda, a BBC report said. Joda, 23, was working at a nearby McDonalds when the attacker opened fire on passers-by. scene was also shot. “I pulled him behind the concrete bench and tried to stop the bleeding,” Joda told local newspaper Kurier. “There was blood everywhere.” The perpetrator fled after more police personnel arrived, and Joda then helped drag the officer to a nearby ambulance with help from Ozen and Gultekin. Gultekin was also shot in the leg and suffered a minor injury while aiding the elderly woman and carrying her to a restaurant. The two semi-professional martial artists issued an appeal for unity between “Jews, Christians and Muslims” that was picked up by many Austrian media outlets. “We’re Muslims of Turkish origin, we hate any kind of terrorism. We’re with Austria, with Vienna, we respect Austria,” they said into the camera lens.Turkish media reported that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had called the pair to congratulate them. The two young men were also invited to the Turkish embassy in Vienna where Turkey’s ambassador to Austria Ozan Ceyhun praised their conduct, according to the BBC. Source.dawn.com
$16 million in federal funding for affordable housing allocated to Surrey
Surrey, BC – $16.3 million in funding for some of the pressing needs surrounding af- portant initiative,” said Cllr Laurie Guerra, new permanent affordable housing has been fordable housing now, but it will be of great Board Chair of the Surrey Homelessness earmarked for the City of Surrey. The injec- value in positioning us for the future. As one and Housing Society. “This program is intion of money is a result of the federal gov- of the fastest growing cities in the country, I dicative of the partnerships we need at every ernment’s Rapid Housing Initiative and will am very pleased that Surrey has been identi- level of government to help solve the affordcreate a minimum of 33 units of new perma- fied to receive federal funding from this very able housing issue that we face in the Lower nent affordable housing in Surrey. worthwhile housing initiative.” Mainland.” “In order to affect real change in affordable The Rapid Housing Initiative is delivered City staff will begin work on an investment housing, senior levels of government have through the Canada Mortgage and Housing plan to outline the proposed capital projects. to step up and partner with municipalities Corporation and the funds can go to cover Upon approval of the plan, construction will on this front,” said Mayor Doug McCal- the construction of modular housing, the be completed within 12 months of the finalum. “That is exactly what the federal gov- purchase of land and the conversion of ex- lization of the funding agreement. ernment has done with the Rapid Housing isting buildings to affordable housing. Source.globalnews.ca Initiative. The projects that will be created “I would like to thank the federal governby this funding will not only help alleviate ment for stepping up to fund such an im-
Continuedfrom Page 5 Prophecy and revelation in Islam
popular works in the Islamic world. These of the prophets that God sent to human- ers. They continue to be retold and remain books usually start with the creation of the ity. The British Library has a large number popular stories. world, then the story of Adam and Eve, the of these books, which are often called ‘Lives Source: bl.uk/sacred-texts story of their children Cain and Abel and the of the Prophets’. As Islam spread out beyond Walid A. Saleh is a Professor of Islamic Studies story of Noah. the Arabian Peninsula, the stories of the at the University of Toronto. He is a specialThey continue with the stories of Abraham prophets gained popularity. The familiarity ists on the Qur’an and the history of Qur’anic and the Israelites, the Arabian prophets Hud of figures from other monotheistic religions commentary tradition. His first book was on and Salih, then the stories of David, Solo- and belief systems allowed for these stories the Qur’an commentary of al-Tha`labi (d. mon and Balaam and Jonah are also told be- to be integrated rapidly into local cultures. 1035) and his second monography was on the fore usually ending with the story of Jesus. As such they have been written in every reception of the Bible in Islam. He is working Thus all human history before the coming language that Muslims use, Arabic, Persian, now on an introduction to the Qur’an comof Muhammad is understood as the story Turkish, Swahili, Malay, Urdu and many oth- mentary tradition.
‘Act of terror’: At least 22 killed in Kabul University attack
Continued from Page 1 riving for the opening of an Iranian book brought down by the security forces.” Kabul AFP news agency he was in class when gunfire broke out. “We were very scared and we thought it could be the last day of our lives… boys and girls were shouting, praying and crying for help,” Ahmadi said, adding that he and other students were besieged for more than two hours before being rescued. Hamid Obaidi, spokesman for the Ministry of Higher Education, told AFP the attack started when government officials were arfair organised on campus. President Ashraf Ghani called the attack “despicable act of terror” and announced a national day of mourning to honour the victims. Witnesses said hundreds of people were sent fleeing and scrambling over walls of the campus when the attack took place. “Sadly 19 people have been killed and 22 more wounded,” Interior Ministry spokesperson Tariq Arian told AFP. “Three attackers were involved. One of them blew up his explosives at the beginning, two were police spokesman Ferdaws Faramerz told AFP most of those killed were students. Afghan media reported the book exhibition was being attended by several dignitaries at the time of the shooting. Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency reported on Sunday that Iranian Ambassador Bahador Aminian and cultural attache Mojtaba Noroozi were scheduled to inaugurate the fair, which was to host some 40 Iranian publishers Source. aljazeera.com
