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Volume 11 Issue 288 Shabaan 13, 1432 AH / July 15, 2011 - $1

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Abbas vows to continue UN statehood bid

people and leaving more than 100 injured. The first blast erupted in the Jhaveri Bazaar at 6.54 p.m. local time, the second struck a minute later in a business district known as Opera House and the third hit the neighbourhood of Dadar less than 10 minutes later. Home Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram said the timing of the blasts suggests “this was a co-ordinated attack by terrorists.” He added that Mumbai has been placed on high alert. Reports from the scene described blood-covered bodies lying in the streets while survivors hugged and wept, while police questioned witnesses. Police were scrambling to determine the cause and find those responsible, with bomb squad investigators searching vehicles for explosives amid charred remains of motorcycles, shattered storefronts and a demolished bus stop. One eyewitness at Jhaveri Bazaar described two motorcycles exploding in flames and saw at least six bodies. “People were

Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, has vowed to pursue the bid for statehood at the UN General Assembly in New York in September. The announcement comes after mediators of the Middle East Quartet failed to announce any progress in their meeting in Washington on Monday about how to revive stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Abbas called the Mideast Quartet’s silence “a negative indication” of “deep division between them”.

“We will go to the United Nations and we hope the US wilil not use its veto, but that we will go with its agreement,” Abbas said, after a meeting on Tuesday in Athens with Karolos Papoulias, the Greek president. The Palestinian UN bid is for statehood on the lines that existed before the 1967 Six Day War, covering the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Israel, the US and some European governments oppose the plan and the Quartet had been expected to draw up a new initiative for peace talks that could persuade the Palestinians to drop the bid. Saeb Erekat, a Palestinian negotiator, told the AFP news agency that “there is no other option but to support the Palestinian plan” to seek statehood.

“It is time for the international community to support the Palestinian plan to obtain membership for the state of Palestine on the 1967 borders because this approach will preserve the peace process and the two-state solution,” Erekat said. Peace talks between the Palestinian and Israeli sides have been in stalemate since September 2010, when Israel refused to renew a partial Israeli settlement freeze that had expired. Palestinians say they will not engage in dialogue amid Israeli construction on land they want for a future state. Monday’s dinner was likely to be the last meeting of the peacemaking group before the Palestinians seek full UN membership when the General Assembly convenes in September. The Quartet representatives - Ban Ki-moon, the UN chief; Catherine Ashton, the EU foreign policy chief; Tony Blair, the former British prime minister and Quartet envoy; Hillary Clinton, the US secretary of state; and Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister - did not issue a public state-

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At least 21 killed, dozens injured in Mumbai blasts India’s home minister says terrorists were likely behind three explosions that rocked Mumbai, killing at least 21

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Issue 288 - Shabaan 13, 1432 / July 15, 2011

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p a k i s t a n

Issue 288 - Shabaan 13, 1432 / July 15, 2011

China to stand by Pakistan in its hour of need: Envoy

Pakistani Ambassador to China Masood Khan has said that China will stand by Pakistan in its hour of need as Islamabad and Beijing have been enjoying time-tested friendship,

reported by The Nation.

“We are confident that China will stand by us in difficult times as it has been doing for the past years,” he said while addressing a press briefing at the office of China Radio International (CRI) on Wednesday.

Responding to a question about US military aid cut, he said the relationship between both the countries are getting stronger and China has always supported Pakistan in its difficult times.

He said that the relationships between the two states would further be cemented after exchange of media delegations.

“The media persons are agents of change, and the Pak-China

media are performing this job well. Today the media personnel are more influential than diplomats. After the exchange of delegations, we see stronger bonds with China,” he added.

He stressed the need for exchanging institutional delegations to augment ties between the two brotherly states. The ambassador called for constituting institutional links as both the countries were enjoying over 60-year-old friendship.

He lauded Pakistani media’s role in strengthening Sino-Pak relations, saying: “Pakistani media’s response to China is warm and the exchange of media delegations is a welcoming step.”

He further said that improved Pak-China media ties will help boost diplomatic relations. The ambassador said the China civilisation had merged among others; therefore, the media should celebrate the river civilisation tasks. Pakistani media delegation head Muhammad Iqbal said that since Indian and European media are plotting against the relationship of Pakistan and China targeting the economic development of China, the exchange of media delegations will help thwart such notorious designs.

Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry Asian Affairs Director Luo Zhao Hui called for promoting the river civilisation.

He added that Gwadar Port, Karakorum Highway, F-22 and J-17 thunder aircraft were among the flagship projects, which disclosed loyalty between both the countries.

State Council for Information Vice Minister Wang Wei Qiang said, “We will carry forward Pak-China friendship according to the pacts signed by the high-ups of the two states.

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Was Bin Laden vaccine plot worth all the risk?

Conspiracy theories over vaccination programmes have prevented polio eradication in countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan. Photograph: Tariq Mahmood/EPA reported by The Guardian The revelation that the CIA used a covert vaccination programme to attempt to obtain DNA from the Bin Laden compound in Pakistan could have a profound impact on NGOs, vaccination drives and indeed on global healthcare policies.

It politicises medical aid and will fuel anti-vaccination conspiracy theories, which risk rolling back the successes in programmes such as the multibillion-dollar polio eradication initiative.

According to reports, the CIA recruited Dr Shakil Afridi, a top-ranking medical professional, to carry out a regional vaccination programme for the purpose of confirming whether Osama bin Laden was indeed in Abbottabad. In April, nurses were able to gain access to the compound under the pretext of providing a childhood hepatitis B vaccine.

While medical care is frequently used as a diplomatic tool to foster good relations, the use of a covert medical programme by a foreign intelligence agency takes the politicisation of

Abdul Rauf

medical care to a new level.

It is reported that the programme did not provide the necessary follow-up doses – which if correct means the children are not fully protected against the virus. The health professionals who were employed to deliver the vaccine were also unaware that this was a CIA operation.

The blurring of the lines between medical and military has a significant effect on medical and aid professionals. Oxfam reports that “225 aid workers were killed, injured or kidnapped in violent attacks” last year. This number has trebled over the past decade both as a result of expanded work in conflict areas and the increased justification that aid workers are “agents of the west” and as such are legitimate targets.

This is a particular problem in Pakistan, where clerics in the North-West Frontier province have previously issued fatwas encouraging attacks against NGOs. The CIA story has already been widely reported in Pakistan and around the world – leading to fears that it will have an adverse effect on vaccination programmes. In 2010, measles

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

Issue 288 - Shabaan 13, 1432 / July 15, 2011

Syria slams Clinton ‘provocation’ Syria has denounced a statement by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in which she said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had lost legitimacy and was “not indispensable”.

“Syria strongly condemns the statements of the American foreign minister ... these remarks are provocative and aim at continuing the internal tension,” Syria’s state news agency, SANA, said on Tuesday. “These statements are another proof of US’s flagrant intervention in Syria’s internal affairs. The legitimacy of Syria’s leadership is not based on the United States or others, it stems from the will of the Syrian people.” Clinton spoke on Monday after protesters in Damascus attacked the US and French embassies. The demonstrations came after Robert Ford, the US ambassador, and his French counterpart visited the restive city of Hama, where Assad is facing growing demonstrations against his rule and has allegedly killed or

arrested scores of residents. The Syrian government called the visits to Hama interference in the country’s internal affairs and accused the ambassadors of undermining Syria’s stability. Ford, the US ambassador to Syria, has of late harshly criticised the Syrian government’s crackdown on the popular uprising. He attacked the Syrian government on Sunday for allowing rallies by supporters while beating up anti-government demonstrators. Witnesses describing Monday’s assault on the embassies said the attackers smashed windows and raised a Syrian flag at the US diplomatic compound. They said that the protesters wrote anti-American graffiti referring to the US ambassador as a “dog” on the walls. A US official said the mob breached the wall of the embassy compound before being dispersed

by Marine Corps guards. No buildings were entered and there were no injuries to embassy personnel, but one of the

office buildings was damaged and Syrian security forces were slow to respond, the official said. The official further said the Obama administration would formally protest and may seek compensation for damage caused by the attack.

Following the embassy assault, the residence of US ambassador Ford was attacked by a mob. Later, Clinton, the US secretary of state, said the Syrian leader had lost legitimacy. “If anyone, including President [Bashar] al-Assad, thinks that the United States is secretly hoping that the regime will emerge from this turmoil to continue its brutality and repression, they are wrong,” she said. “President Assad is not indispensable and we have absolutely nothing invested in him remaining in power.” The state department had earlier said it would summon a senior Syrian diplomat to condemn the assault and demand that Syria uphold international treaty obligations to protect foreign diplomatic missions.

Source: Al-Jazeera

New Australian law to make Muslims lift veils Muslim women would have to remove veils and show their faces to police on request or risk a prison sentence under proposed new laws in Australia’s most populous state that have drawn criticism as culturally insensitive. A vigorous debate that the proposal has

triggered reflects the cultural clashes being ignited by the growing influx of Muslim immigrants and the unease that visible symbols of Islam are causing in predominantly white Christian Australia since 1973 when the government relaxed its immigration policy. Under the law proposed by the government of New South Wales, which includes Sydney, a woman who defies police by refusing to remove her face veil could be sentenced to a year in prison and fined AU$5,500.

The bill - to be voted on by the state parliament in August - has been condemned by civil libertarians and many Muslims as an overreaction to a traffic offense case involving a Muslim woman driver in a “niqab,” or a veil that reveals only the eyes. The government says the law would require motorists and criminal suspects to remove any head coverings so that police can identify them. Critics say the bill smacks of anti-Muslim bias given how few women in Australia wear burqas. In a population of 23 million, only about 400,000 Australians are Muslim. Community advocates estimate that fewer than 2,000 women wear face veils, and it is likely that even a smaller percentage drives.

“It does seem to be very heavy handed, and there doesn’t seem to be a need,” said Australian Council for Civil Liberties spokesman David Bernie. “It shows some cultural insensitivity.” The controversy over the veils is similar to the debate in other Western countries over whether Muslim women should be allowed to wear garments that hide their faces in public. France and Belgium have banned face-covering veils in public. Typical arguments are that there is a need to prevent women from

being forced into wearing veils by their families or that public security requires people to be identifiable. Bernie noted that while a bandit disguised with a veil and sunglasses robbed a Sydney convenience store last year, there were no Australian crime trends involving Muslim women’s clothing.

Sydney’s best-selling The Daily Telegraph newspaper declared the proposal “the world’s toughest burqa laws”.

In France, wearing a burqa the all-covering garment that hides the entire body except eyes and hands - in public is punishable by a €150 fine only. The New South Wales state Cabinet decided to create the law on July 4 in response to Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione’s call for greater police powers. Other states including Victoria and Western Australia are considering similar legislation. The laws were motivated by the bungled prosecution of Carnita Matthews, a 47-yearold Muslim mother of seven who was booked by a highway patrolman for a minor traffic violation in Sydney in June last year. An official complaint was made in Matthews’ name against Senior Constable Paul Fogarty, the policeman who gave her the ticket. The complaint accused Fogarty of racism and of attempting to tear off her veil during their roadside encounter. Unknown to Matthews, the encounter was recorded by a camera inside Fogarty’s squad car.

The video footage showed her aggressively berating a restrained Fogarty and did not support her claim that he tried to grab her veil before she reluctantly and angrily lifted it to show her face.

Matthews was sentenced in November to six months in jail for making a deliberately false statement to police.

But that conviction and sentence were quashed on appeal last month without her serving any time in jail because a judge was not convinced that it was Matthews who signed the false statutory declaration. The woman who signed the document had worn a burqa and a justice of the peace who witnessed the signing had not looked beneath the veil to confirm her identity. Bernie, the civil libertarian, said the proposed law panders to public anger against Muslims that the case generated on talk radio and in tabloid newspapers, which itself is a symptom of the suspicion with which immigrants are viewed.

Source: AP

Death toll rises to 100 in Russian boat sinking, 29 still missing The death toll from Sunday’s sinking of a cruise vessel on the Volga River rose to 100 on Wednesday as families continued to bury the dead and rescuers searched for 29 people still missing. They have not yet determined the cause of the sinking. Survivors reported the boat was listing to starboard and having engine trouble even as it left the town of Bulgar en route to Kazan, about 750 kilometres east of Moscow.

France in contact with Libyans over Gaddafi France’s foreign minister says his country has had “contact” with emissaries from the Libyan leadership concerning the departure of Muammar Gaddafi. “There are contacts but it’s not a negotiation proper at this stage,” Alain Juppe told France Info radio station on Tuesday. “Everybody is in contact with everybody. The Libyan regime is sending messengers everywhere, to Turkey, New York, Paris. Emissaries are telling us Gaddafi is ready to go, let’s talk about it.” Juppe did not say who the emissaries were but Bernard Valero, the French foreign ministry spokesman, said: “These are emissaries who say they are coming in the name of Gaddafi. “What is important is that we send them the same message and stay in close contact with our allies on this.” Also speaking on Tuesday, Francois Fillon, the French prime minister, told a parliamentary commission: “A political solution [for Libya] is more than ever indispensable and is beginning to take shape.” Fillon spoke before the French parliament ahead of a vote that saw the European country agree to extend its military operation in Libya. The National Assembly voted overwhelmingly to grant further funding for the operation - nearly four months after French planes started bombing troops loyal to Gaddafi in eastern Libya - with 482 deputies voting in favour and 27 against. Razi Hamadi, of the French Socialist Party, told reporters that his party agreed with continued military action for three reasons: “Number one, the respect of the [UN] resolution, there is no military activity on the floor; secondly the protection of the citizens and the civilians; and third, to have a political process to get out of the crisis.” Regarding the reports that France was in negotiations with the Gaddafi regime, Hamadi said: “I think the official position of France is not to say there is negotiations; they say there is contact, but no negotiations.” At

the weekend Gerard Longuet, the French defence minister, made remarks saying the rebels should start direct negotiations with Gaddafi’s camp. On Monday, Gaddafi’s son Saif alIslam Gaddafi said the Libyan regime was in talks with the French government. “The truth is that we are negotiating with France and not with the rebels,” the Algerian El Khabar newspaper quoted Saif al-Islam as saying from Tripoli. However, French officials denied any shift in position on Monday and said Paris had merely sent messages to Tripoli via intermediaries making clear the Libyan leader must relinquish power and withdraw his troops to enable a political solution. France has spearheaded the NATO-led air campaign in Libya with Britain under a UN mandate to protect civilians, and it was the first to launch air strikes against troops loyal to Gaddafi in March. But after more than three months of bombing, international leaders are puzzling over how to end the crisis. Juppe and Fillon on Tuesday reiterated that Gaddafi had to quit, without saying if that meant he could do so without quitting the country too. “He must go.

He must at least surrender power. After that, it’s up to the Libyan people to decide,” Fillon told Europe 1 radio. In an interview with French daily Le Figaro on Tuesday, Baghdadi al-Mahmoudi, the Libyan prime minister, said Tripoli was ready to “negotiate without conditions” but that the bombing would have to stop first. “You don’t create democracy under bombs ... it doesn’t work like that,” he said.

When asked if Gaddafi could be excluded from a political solution, Mahmoudi suggested the Libyan leader could stand aside.

“The Guide [Gaddafi] will not intervene in discussions,” he said. “He is ready to respect the decision of the people.”

Source: Al-Jazeera

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

Issue 288 - Shabaan 13, 1432 / July 15, 2011

Rioters confront Protestant parade in Belfast

Police fired plastic bullets and water cannon at Catholic youths on Tuesday in Belfast, Northern Ireland’s provincial capital. Sporadic rioting erupted across the British-ruled province on the culmination of a season of parades by pro-British Protestants to mark a 17thcentury military victory, a tradition many Catholics say is provocative. Around 200 people threw rocks, firecrackers and petrol bombs in the mainly Catholic Ardoyne area of Belfast after police moved in to prevent them confronting the passing Orange Order parade on disputed Crumlin Road. Two cars were set on fire and dozens of rounds of plastic bullets were fired and police said a number of officers were injured. Most of the 500 or so parades across the province passed peacefully, but police reported rioting in Londonderry, Newry and Armagh, as well as the Markets area in central Belfast. A small Orange Order parade passed the Ardoyne estate in near silence with one drummer keeping time after a government commission ordered marchers not to play their traditional drums or flutes on “The Twelth”. A few dozen residents held a silent protest as they passed, while a small group of women sang the Irish national anthem.

But hundreds of others were pinned by police vans and officers in riot gear into an estate a hundred metres from the marchers, a move residents said was heavy-handed.

“It’s the same thing every year. It’s aggravation,” Jim, a 47-year-old health worker watching the parade, said.

“We’re surrounded up here. It’s no wonder the kids have so much hatred.” Catholic and Protestant politicians have called for calm in recent days and urged people not to go into the streets to protest against the parades. “We

must not allow the progress that has been made to be thwarted by those who want to drag us back to the past,” Peter Robinson, Northern Ireland’s first minister, said.

Police said they had also come under attack on Tuesday evening in the mainly Catholic Markets area of Belfast, with rioters throwing bricks and fireworks and setting a car on fire. A car was hijacked and set alight in Armagh. Marchers of the Orange Order brotherhood were marking King William of Orange’s victory over the Roman Catholic King James at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690, which helped secure Protestant supremacy in Ireland. Pipe bands and drummers from Scotland joined local groups decked in orange banners and British flags for hundreds of marches across the province. “It’s a celebration, we don’t want any trouble,” Eddie Whyte, 42, said, as he marched past Belfast City Hall on Tuesday morning. “If they are offended by the British flag, maybe they shouldn’t be living in this country.” Three decades of fighting tore Northern Ireland apart during a period known as the “Troubles”. Mostly Protestant loyalists who want Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK have been opposed by Irish nationalists, mainly Catholics, who want it to be part of a united Ireland. A 1998 peace agreement paved the way for a power-sharing government of loyalists and nationalists. Violence has subsided, but police say the threat from dissident groups opposed to the peace deal is higher than it has ever been since it was signed.

Source: Al-Jazeera

Obama: No deal on debt, deficit without compromise

President Barack Obama declared Monday he would reject any stopgap extension of the nation’s borrowing limit, adding fresh urgency for Republicans and fellow Democrats to resolve intense tax and spending disputes and head off economic calamity. The administration says there must be a deal by Aug. 2 or the U.S. will face its first ever debt default, something that could return the U.S. economy to recession and reverberate in global financial markets. “If not now, when?” Obama said in a news conference just ahead of his latest bargaining session with congressional leaders at the White House.

That meeting lasted about 90 minutes. He pledged daily bargaining sessions until agreement and refused to even entertain the idea of a backup plan should they fail. “We are going to get this done,” Obama insisted.

Not only the strength of the U.S. economy at stake, but also the political fortunes of Obama himself -- as well as lawmakers -- heading into next year’s presidential and congressional elections. Yet the path to an agreement remained hard to see. Even as he spoke, Republicans affirmed their opposition to the tax increases Obama sees as crucial along with spending cuts for reducing huge federal deficits and restraining the soaring national debt. A potential deal -- a package of spending cuts and tax increases that could total $2 trillion or more over a decade -- is considered necessary for Congress to lift the nation’s $14.3 trillion debt limit and avoid default.

Obama renewed his case Monday for a package that would put a historic dent in the country’s deficits by blending politically poisonous elements for both parties:

tax hikes for the wealthy and big corporations opposed by Republicans and social service cuts that Democrats decry. Speaking shortly before heading to the White House, House Speaker John Boehner stood firm in his opposition to including tax increases.

“Do you need to raise taxes in order to get control of spending? I think the answer is no,” he said. Obama tried to alter the debate by saying that any potential tax increases on wealthier people would not take effect until 2013. That would fall after the next election, when Obama will seek re-election and control of the House and the Senate will be at stake. Meanwhile, a short-term debtlimit increase would keep the issue boiling during the campaign. More broadly, Obama sought to position himself as the pragmatist seeking a compromise in a divided town. He tried to build pressure on Congress to prove to a disillusioned American people that “this town can actually do something once in a while.” To Republicans, he said they have long pushed deficit reduction as the way to create desperately needed jobs and now won’t take yes for an answer. “Where are they?” he said. “I mean, this is what they claim would be the single biggest boost to business certainty and confidence. So what’s the hold up?” And to Democrats eager to protect entitlements, Obama said doing nothing is not tenable. The president said Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid have to be made stronger for the longer term and the rising debt each year will crowd out Democratic priorities such as education and medical research. “So, yeah, we’re going to have a sales job,” he conceded. “This is not pleasant.”

The meeting Monday was expected to focus on potential debt savings identified by Vice-President Joe Biden and lawmakers during earlier talks. But that group, too, was bitterly divided over taxes, and the amount of savings they found elsewhere still falls short of what all sides agree must come together quickly. For his part, Boehner told reporters that he agreed with Obama that the nation’s borrowing limit must be raised, but he said revenues can be raised without hiking taxes. Boehner said Obama insists on raising taxes but the White House isn’t serious enough about reforming entitlement programs.

Source: CTV News

Karzai’s brother shot dead in Kandahar Ahmed Wali Karzai, half brother to the Afghan president and one of the most powerful men in the country, has been killed in Kandahar city by a close associate, according to government officials and a member of his security team. Wali Karzai, the head of the Kandahar provincial council, was shot dead on Tuesday morning inside his house by Sardar Mohammad, a “dear” friend who regularly visited him, according to the security source and a member of the provincial council. Wali Karzai was an important figure in the south. Mohammad shot Wali Karzai in the stomach and chest as he emerged from a bathroom and was then shot and killed by other bodyguards, according to the security source. Reports suggested Karzai’s elite security team, the Presidential Protective Service, had been deployed to secure the city for the funeral, that was postponed to tomorrow so family members could arrive. “The president is upset, he is still in grief, about the death of his brother. Wali was a very close brother of the president,” Omer said. Karzai betrayed little emotion as he confirmed his brother’s death at a scheduled press conference earlier on Tuesday afternoon. “My younger brother was martyred in his house today. This is the life of all Afghan people, I hope these miseries which every Afghan family faces will one day end,” Karzai said. Mohammad was the commander of checkpoints in the Zakir Sharif area, where the Karzai family’s paternal hometown of Karz is located, around five kilometres south of Kandahar, Zalmay Ayoubi, a spokesman for the provincial governor told Al Jazeera. Mohammad was about 35 years old, had 150 people under his command and was “totally illiterate,” Ayoubi said.

Some analysts speculated that the killing may have been the result of a personal dispute between the two men. But Haji Ehsan, a member of the provincial council, said Mohammad was “very dear” to Wali Karzai and became a commander on his recommendation. Wali Karzai’s death comes two weeks after an attack on the Inter-Continental Hotel in Kabul, which the Taliban said was their work. Nineteen people died in that assault. It was the second major assassination in Kandahar province in three months: In April, a suicide bomber killed provincial police chief Khan Mohammad Mujahed. In response to the assassination, police mobilised a massive response in Kandahar city, according to Kabul-based journalist Matthieu Aikins, who spoke to a resident. Checkpoints were “locked down,” helicopters hovered overhead, and the road to the hospital, where Wali Karzai’s body was taken, was blocked off, Aikins wrote on Twitter.

Source: Al-Jazeera

UN : Continued from pg 1 ment about their working dinner on Monday. Without a statement and action plan, Monday’s talks suggested that the parties were unable to agree on the best way forward. Haaretz, an Israeli daily newspaper, reported on Tuesday that the issue of recognising Israel as a Jewish state was responsible for the Quartet failing to reach an agreement. The report cited an unnamed Western diplomat who said: “The goal was to give each side something that was important to them”. “The Palestinians were supposed to get 1967 borders with land swaps and the Israelis wanted to receive in return the recognition of Israel as the Jewish homeland, but there was no agreement on this matter,” the diplomat said. Israeli officials had no immediate comment on Monday’s meeting. A senior official in US President Barack Obama’s administration spoke of “gaps” which are “impeding progress”, without elaborating on the nature of the differences. “More work needs to be done to close those gaps,” the official said after the meeting, on condition of anonymity. He said that the parties perceive “an urgent need” to “find a way to resume direct negotiations without delay or preconditions”, and need to do more work “privately, quietly” to see if the gaps cannot be closed. “There is a time and a place for public statements and there is a time and a place for private diplomacy,” he said. However, Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, called the dinner “a good meeting”, rebuffing suggestions of rift among the Quartet members. “The fact that we didn’t produce a statement doesn’t mean we disagree and abandoned the effort,” Lavrov said on Tuesday in Washington. “Our experts continue to discuss it.”

Source: Al-Jazeera

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e d i t o r i a l

Issue 288 - Shabaan 13, 1432 / July 15, 2011

COMMON SENSE IS NOT SO COMMON

It’s all about the harmonized sales tax (HST), which was implemented in Ontario at 13%, - in British Columbia at 12%, - and in Nova Scotia at 15 %. The government of British Columbia announced previously that if the HST survives the referendum, the rate will be reduced from 12 to 10 per cent by 2014.

Under the Comprehensive Integrated Tax Coordination Agreements signed by the provinces with the federal government of Canada, the HST rates cannot be changed for one more year because of the “two year” anniversary date.

Come what may, some tax payers always remain in mood of tax revolt, so they are seriously dissatisfied and are very angry with HST, while the others are complaining about the confusing language on the ballot paper of the upcoming referendum prepared by the Elections B.C. which is an independent office of the legislature responsible for administering voting for provincial elections and referendums.

The British Columbians will soon be voting on whether to abolish or keep the harmonised sales tax (HST). More than three million HST ballot packages have already been sent out to registered voters for the August 5 referendum. In the upcoming referendum, voters can either vote “yes” to extinguish

the HST and return to the PST and GST or they can vote “no” to keep the HST. The Ipsos-Reid poll of 1,117 B.C. voters last month suggests that more than half of those surveyed were confused about what the ballot question meant. Surprisingly, the anti-HST respondents are more likely to understand that voting “yes” means getting rid of the tax. Where is the problem then?

Question is simple: Are you in favour of extinguishing the Harmonized Sales Tax and restoring the Provincial Sales Tax (PST) in conjunction with the Goods and Services Tax (GST)?

You may vote ‘YES’ if you want to extinguish the painful tax, or you may go head and vote ‘NO’ if you want to keep it.

It’s so simple – There isn’t any ambiguity as claimed by many.

As it’s so straightforward, ‘YES’ means no more HST if total number of “yes votes” exceeds the total number of “no votes.”

On the contrary, a majority of “No” votes means the HST is here to stay. A “no” vote is a vote to keep the harmonized sales tax that is imposed under the Excise Tax Act (Canada) and regulations set by the Government of Canada. Thus, Canada Revenue Agency will continue to administer and enforce the HST in British Columbia.

In order to remove the ambiguity or confu-

L E T T E R S

Increase in cost of tolls on Golden Ears Bridge is not good for business

By Anita Huberman, Surrey Board of Trade The Surrey Board of Trade does not agree with an increased toll price on the Golden Ears Bridge, which is effective on July 15th, 2011. TransLink says that the increase covers the rise in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) of approximately 3.5 per cent and the increase will range between 5 cents and 30 cents depending on the size of the vehicle and the type of account.

The Golden Ears Bridge, a connector between Surrey/Langley and Maple Ridge is meant to serve as an easier access route for goods and people to be moved expediently.

The Surrey Board of Trade recommends that a regional Road Pricing policy be established, with the aim of implementing lower tolls but spread across the region. All funds would either go to infrastructure development and maintenance and/or operating funds for public transportation. Ultimately this would lead to a Traffic Demand Management Program, where tolling/pricing (applied regionally) can be varied on different routes, at different times of day/night, to encourage or direct traffic in a more efficient use of roads.

The Surrey Board of Trade believes that an increased tolling price on the Golden Ear’s Bridge is not necessary with a bridge that currently is not being used to its fullest potential by drivers. Any further increase in tolling costs, even if it is to cover a CPI cost increase, does not make sense and will further restrict usage of the bridge, and as a result will restrict economic impact to communities on either side of the bridge.

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sion, despite english as second language, a voter needs a little bit of common sense to understand the “language of referendum” with a reasonable ease. Still, it’s hard to believe that there is any confusion. Some confused British Columbians are fussing about nothing really?

Nevertheless, a “YES” vote further means the government of British Columbia has the power to restore the provincial sales tax at the rate of 7% or higher depending on the real outcome of the YES vote.

Furthermore, the sales tax base would shrink to the goods and services that were covered under the Social Services Tax Act (British Columbia).

However, the sales tax base can be expanded by the Government of British Columbia if the majority of legislators vote to approve amendments to the Social Services Tax Act. But on the other side, a “No” vote means the HST rate will decrease from 12% (current rate) to 11% on July 1, 2012 and to 10% on July 1, 2014 exactly as previously announced.

Under the provincial sales tax system, the BC government can change the sales tax base and the sales tax rate at will.

Yet, at this point in time, the consumers are in the dark having no clue as to what they

&

UBC student assaulted by her husband while visiting daughter

By Hossain Chow Thanks for publishing the readers/writers opinion titled “eye-for-eye” in your latest issue.

I didn’t like the horrible title but I liked the writers concluding comments, especially coming from woman writer: why didn’t the victim go for divorce, why she left for thesis defying husband and then went back to live with him again, why women don’t learn some kick boxing tactics: all these are really practical good opinion coming from our sister copied here.

I have hundreds more opinion or comments or questions but those may seem biased since I’m guy, so I would like to elaborate what already commented by your woman writer.

Divorce This religious and legal solution women they themselves avoid, for various reasons they don’t go for divorce, rather brides or guardians tactfully “lock-in” the husband for life with an enormous amount of Islamic dowry (Mohrana) that the guy can’t afford to earn and pay.

Muslims in greater Indian subcontinent still are in the cultural influence of 5,000 year old Hinduism, where girls marry for life, once divorced then they can’t marry again, even they stop taking care of their beauty, whereas our Sahabas married multiple times. (Similarly Muslims in Middle East also have cultural influence coming from Jews era, those customs should be considered as culture only, out of Islamic rules.)

Kick boxing Very practical suggestion. Martial Art is very good for physical and mental health, both. It gives self confidence/independence that Muslim girls can learn. On the spot self defense is much better than crying for help later from door

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will really get in place of the HST. Therefore, the consumers have greater stability with the HST, because tax changes are applied at the federal level.

Angrily, the unhappy tax payers maintain that the HST is horrible tax policy for the non beneficiary, and the consumption taxes are bad for the economy and bad for the voter. They discourage people from making purchases.

They claim that the taxes on services are just another tax grab on labour. “We already pay taxes on labour - called income tax, and the HST adds up a tax on top of a tax when you tax the services. We don’t need to pay anymore.” said many tax payers.

The registered voters must exercise some caution using common sense at the voting hour. Referendum questionnaire mentions the provincial sales tax will be restored if HST is abolished. This of course may be leading to another scenario of uncertainty with regard to future taxes.

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

O P I N I O N S to door. But many girls they themselves enjoy for being weaker, they like to show off as weak, and get helped by others.

Long loose clothing culture coming from Islamic birth place countries might be a barrier in learning Martial Art. Women in cover lose their figure, being unaware of, and lose fitness, may be they never watch themselves in mirror. Many even can’t walk with fat midsection that I noticed in Hajj, it becomes burden to other team mates. Once Muslim women start to wear tight clothing (fully covered) then gradually, may be 100 years later, they will improve their figure and fitness. Non-Muslims girls without rigid clothing rules are progressing from their worldly knowledge, health/beauty/fitness, and cleanliness (waxing) to show the skin.. don’t want to comment any more Husband’s opinion I came to know from this letter that she (Rumana) went to UBC defying husband’s opinion. Is this our religion? Do wives have obligation to the husband? Should wives not keep her husband sexually satisfied, that can make the guy mentally stable and happier?

The news that I hear or read from CBC covers the victim’s story but what about the attacker?

Does he have legal/social/religious right to enjoy sex and family life with his wife? Or this is something not to be discussed, kept suppressed, and come out violently someday?

Even a creature of hell, the poisonous snakes, do not bite someone without reason.

Communicating via third person An educated lady must have this tactic known before going back to lion’s den, from where she had left for her own carrier, leaving behind the family. The offender has been arrested, facing attempt-to-murder charges, may get life or death penalty, but still we see rally or news going on. Is this because the victim

is UBC student, I asked CBC in writing, or she wants multiple trial for one case? What about other poor girls facing domestic violence? News or rally is better justified when legal means isn’t working.

Rumana’s news in CBC had comments that South Asian girls are the most visible minority (in Toronto) and most vulnerable!

This way we bring down our native country, ethnic community, and religion, for our personal life.

Once CBC reported “Arranged Marriage Breaks Down in Pearson Airport”, where the girl created a scene after landing Toronto airport. The news was sympathetic to the girl, whereas the guy had reasons to refuse her: he faced lies or got false promises of wealth from the guardians (so far I know) before marriage via phone, later he decided to void the marriage, he didn’t have sex with the girl, he told her not to fly, but she did, immigration officers were unaware.

This is an example how girls/guardians try to lock-in husband without love and sex, then they go to the media for their personal life, bringing down not only the guy and his family but also his nation, country, ethnicity, and entire religion to a foreign country where we seek refuge but we may be noticed as if we are always troubled.

May Allah give us knowledge and understanding of the root cause and strength to the victims to overcome these violent situations.

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

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

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

Urdu

6 4, 5 8,9,15,17,18 16, 18 7 17 23 24 25-40

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Issue 288 - Shabaan 13, 1432 / July 15, 2011

Quran defeats Muslim Barbarism

By: Zaid Shakir One of the fundamental assumptions driving the current demonization of Islam and Muslims in the West is the idea that acts of wanton violence undertaken by isolated Muslim individuals, or the brutal excesses of some Muslim states or political groups, are inseparable from the religion itself. This argument posits that excesses or abuses committed in the name of Islam logically flow from the normative teachings of the religion. Hence, they argue, since every practicing Muslim is committed to those teachings every practicing Muslim is a latent barbarian.

A related argument is that peace with Muslims is impossible because jihad, which is incorrectly emphasized as ‘armed struggle,’ is the only basis for relations

between Muslims and other communities.

A person making this argument is likely to add that Muslims have been ordered to, “Slay the idolaters wherever you find them.” He might then conclude by asking, “How could a religion with such teachings ever encourage amicable relations and basic human decency in dealing with other communities?”

Unfortunately, many of the parties arguing that the Qur’an urges unrestrained, unrelenting violence ignore those verses that undermine their arguments. By so doing, they are distorting both the Qur’anic message and the logic of Muslim history.

The message of the Qur’an is distorted in that, while there are verses that seemingly call for harsh measures against certain parties, those verses cannot be divorced from their wider context. For example, both prophetic hadith and exegetical writings emphasize that the command to “slay the idolaters wherever you find them” refers to a small group of antagonistic idolaters in the Arabian Peninsula during the Prophet’s lifetime. To extrapolate from this verse the idea that Muslims are waiting to go on a collective, religiously sanctioned killing spree is insanity.

Muslim history is distorted because the arguments that present all Muslims as inherently violent dismiss the reality of the tolerant, culturally diverse societies that have characterized much of Muslim history.

Places as far-flung as Cordova, Baghdad, Cairo, Sarajevo, Istanbul and others became symbols of tolerance and diversity.

Christians, Jews and other minority populations have not only survived, but in many instances thrived under Muslim rule.

Furthermore, for every verse in the Qur’an that apparently encourages a harsh stance towards members of other faith communities - in contextualized circumstances - there are many others urging restraint, tolerance and respect. To illustrate this point, we will examine three verses from the Qur’an. One emphasizes the importance of good relations with individual members of other communities. The second emphasizes the primacy of pursuing peace, even

in the midst of war. The third verse shows that there is no systematic imperative for Muslims to feel enmity towards Jews and Christians, contrary to what some people allege.

Before examining these verses, we acknowledge that contemporary political reality, including the acceptance of the system of nation-states and international law by all Muslim nations, calls for a reformulation of classical Muslim political theory. However, one of the sad aspects of contemporary political discourse is that many people who are antagonistic towards Islam argue from pre-modern Muslim legal references.

Hence, it is incumbent upon us to respond from those sources.

The first verse states:

throughout the long history of Islam. As Muslims, it is our collective responsibility to make sure this principle remains alive, not only in our community, but in the world at large.

The second verse is: “If they [your enemies] incline towards peace then you should likewise incline and place your trust in God. Surely, He hears and knows all.” (8:61) This verse is particularly important because it undermines the arguments of those who claim there is no Islamic basis for peaceful relations between Muslims and other communities at a strategic level.

Again, the vast majority of exegetes consider this latter verse to be operative. Imam Qurtubi, after mentioning the arguments of those who say that this verse is abrogated, engages in a lengthy discussion of his opinion that it is not. Amongst the reasons he gives as the basis for accepting or initiating a treaty of peace with other communities is that it secures benefit for the Muslims. He also mentions an opinion from Imam Malik that the period of any treaty of peace can be indefinite.

Even in its pre-modern formulation, Islamic law emphasizes that it is imperative to seek peace, even in the midst of a conflict.

This imperative is so great that even if a Commander believes that his adversaries are only offering a ceasefire to regroup or resupply, he must accept that offer.

The third verse is used by some to argue that Islam aims to humiliate Jews and Christians. This verse states: “Fight against the People of the Book [Jews and Christians] who do not believe in God or the Last Day, those who forbid not what God and His Messenger have forbidden and those who do not accept the Religion of Truth until they pay the tribute out of hand with all due humility.” (9:29) Muslims and others who seek to use this verse to substantiate such a reading are not engaging in a full analysis of the verse, especially the term that is sometimes translated as “utterly subdued,” which I have translated as “with all due humility”.

Imam at-Tabari mentions that some of the scholars are of the opinion that this term means he [the Jew or Christian] pays it [the tribute] standing while the recipient is seated. It should be noted that the tribute

“God does not forbid you, concerning those who have not fought you because of your religion or driven you from your homes that you treat them kindly and justly.

God loves those who are just.” (60:8) Imam Qurtubi mentions, while explaining this verse, that most of the exegetes consider it to be still operative and reject the idea, posited by some, that it is abrogated.

The many scholars who consider the verse still operative cite as the basis for their position the story of Asma, the daughter of Abu Bakr , when she was visited by her mother, who remained committed to idolatry. She hesitated to accept the gift her mother brought her and refused to allow her into her home. Upon learning of the situation, the Prophet encouraged her to accept her mother’s gift, to host her and to treat her with the utmost kindness. The Prophet was emphasizing that basic human decency trumps any considerations related to cast or creed.

Imam Tabari, the Dean of Sunni exegetes, is much more emphatic than Qurtubi in his rejection of the idea that this verse is abrogated. He states, after mentioning the various interpretations of the verse in question, “The most accurate opinion concerning this issue is that of one who says, the people addressed by the verse, “God does not forbid you, concerning those who have not fought you because of your religion...” are members of all ways of life and all religions, From July 15-29, 2011 that you are kind to them, Rajab June 8 Day Fajar Sunrise join relations with them 29 July 15 Fri 3:09 5:21 and treat them justly. This is because God, Mighty 30 16 Sat 3:11 5:22 and Majestic, makes a Shaban 1 17 Sun 3:13 5:23 general statement that 2 18 Mon 3:15 5:24 includes anyone who fits 3 19 Tue 3:17 5:26 this description. He does not designate some people 4 20 Wed 3:19 5:27 to the exclusion of others.

5 21 Thu 3:21 5:28 The claim that the verse is 6 22 Fri 3:22 5:29 abrogated is meaningless.”

7 23 Sat 3:24 5:30 The importance of this verse is that it is the foun8 24 Sun 3:26 5:32 dation of one of the pivotal 9 25 Mon 3:28 5:33 principles of Islam: the 10 26 Tue 3:30 5:34 decent and equitable treat11 27 Wed 3:32 5:35 ment of individual members of other faith commu12 28 Thu 3:34 5:37 nities. This is a principle 13 29 Fri 3:36 5:38 cherished by Muslims and it has defined the ability of Muslims to live in peace and harmony with others

Volume 1, Book 9, Number 478: Narrated ‘Aun bin Abi Juhaifa: that he had heard his father saying, “Allah’s Apostle came to us at mid-day and water was brought for his ablution. He performed ablution and led us in Zuhr and ‘Asr prayers with an ‘Anza planted in front of him (as a Sutra), while women and donkeys were passing beyond it.”

mentioned here is only levied on able-bodied adult males in lieu of military service.

Such ‘humiliation’ does not govern how that person is treated in the public square.

For example, the scholars agree that anything that would be deemed offensive to a Muslim is forbidden to be visited upon a Jew or Christian. Anything that would demean, belittle, or oppress members of other communities is strictly forbidden.

This prohibition emanates from the prophetic tradition, “As for one who oppresses a non-Muslim [in a Muslim land], belittles or burdens him above his capability or takes anything from him against his will, I will be his disputant on the Day of Resurrection.” It is even forbidden to address him with derogatory terms such terms as “nonbeliever.”

Like all other scriptures, it is easy to take a Qur’anic verse out of context and distort its meaning to fit an ideologically defined agenda. However, such an approach not only results in semantic violence towards the text, its can become the basis of physical violence against innocent adherents of a particular religion.

The time has come for members of all faith communities to begin a push towards a higher ground that leads to a common ground. The hard work of fostering understanding will require honest and enlightened scholarship and leadership, coupled with a deep quest for truth, peace and justice. If we stop short of that, we are only cheating ourselves and jeopardizing our collective security.

Source: New Islamic Directions - Imam Zaid Shakir

(Shabaan 13-27, 1432H) Zawa1 Dhuhr 01:18 01:25 01:18 01:25 01:18 01:25 01:19 01:26 01:19 01:26 01:19 01:26 01:19 01:26 01:19 01:26 01:19 01:26 01:19 01:26 01:19 01:26 01:19 01:26 01:19 01:26 01:19 01:26 01:19 01:26

Asr Maghrib Isha 6:46 9:18 11:16 6:45 9:17 11:14 6:45 9:16 11:12 6:45 9:15 11:11 6:44 9:14 11:09 6:44 9:13 11:08 6:43 9:12 11:06 6:42 9:11 11:04 6:41 9:09 11:02 6:41 9:08 11:00 6:40 9:07 10:58 6:39 9:06 10:57 6:38 9:04 10:55 6:38 9:03 10:53 6:37 9:02 10:51 Source: Masjid Al Noor

AQEEM USS SALAAT(Establish Prayer)

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Issue 288 - Shabaan 13, 1432 / July 15, 2011

Miraj-un Nabi (SAW) celebrated in Masjid Anwar e Madina

On July 1, Al Ghosia Foundation organized an event at Masjid Anwar e Madina Surrey to remember Miraj-un Nabi (SAW).

Mr. Afroze Deen was the MC for the event. He invited Hafiz Mohammad Farooq for the recitation of the Holy Quran. After the recitation youth and Br. Abdul Yaqoob recited beautiful Naats.

After Naat session, the MC requested the keynote speaker, Aulad e Rasul Imam Syed Qudsi (Texas, USA) to deliver a speech on Isra Wa Al- Miraj.

Imam Syed Qudsi quoted many verses of Quran along with Hadiths, Tafaseer and Fiqh books about this great challenging miracle. He mentioned that in order to understand what happened on that night with our beloved Prophet Mohammad (SAW), we should read the first verse of Surah Isra’a in the Holy Quran and there are 45 Haidiths exist on this journey. He also explained types of Ayats e.g Muhkam, Mutashabih and Muqatta’at).He summarized the event of Miraj that everyone found very informative. Aulad e Rasool explained that the Holy Prophet (S.AW) made his first journey from Mecca to Masjid Aqsa in Jerusalem, while his second journey was from Masjid Aqasa to Sidra-t’al Mantaha. He gave references from the Holy Quran with the reference of Surah Isra’a .

He mentioned the meeting of Holy Prophet (S.A.W.) with Musa (A.S.) and their discussion about the prayers, which were decreased from 50 per day to 5 times a day. He also explained about the Burrak, Jabraeil (AS), Issa (AS), La Makkan and many other prophets and the incidents in brief.

After this brief Miraj-unNabi(SAW) lecture Br. Syed Siddiqui made Duaa for all Muslim Ummah with all the guests. At the end of this spiritual event, dinner was served to all the guests.

Annual BC Halaqa Ijtema @ Richmond Jamia Masjid A great Muslim Annual BC Ijtama took place at Richmond Jamia Masjid for the reviving Deen. It started on Friday July 8th at 6:30pm after Asr prayers. Tableeghi Jamats from many cities participated in this Ijtama and a number of people revived Deen and got the spiritual satisfaction. It was ended with Dua on Sunday July10th before Zuhr prayer.

Inna Lilla -he -Wa Inna Elahi-e- Rajeoon Miss. Noor ul Huda Abdul Ahad, niece of Mrs. Khadija Naseer Pirzada passed away in Pakistan on July 8th at age 14. Please pray for the maghfarah of the deceased and patience for the grieving family (Ameen).

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9

s p e c i a l

Issue 288 - Shabaan 13, 1432 / July 15, 2011

The Month of Mercy

By Dr. Yunus Aidaroos “Ramadan is a month whose beginning is Mercy, whose middle is Forgiveness and whose end is freedom from the fire.”

-Hadith of the Prophet (PBUH) Ponder on the inherent logical sequence ( subhanAllah ) of the above! We cannot be exempt from fire without first being forgiven. And to be forgiven, we must be graced by Allah’s mercy.

The first one third of Ramadan (10 days) is MERCY from Allah 1. Can we expect to receive mercy if we only deprive our bodies of food and drink?

Of course not. Because Ramadan is meant for spiritual development through fasting. Physiologically, by fasting the body eliminates toxins efficiently and the mind becomes clear for “power thinking” so that one may ponder on the meaning of the Qur’an, Hadith and the necessity of Zhikr.

One must also do some self-analysis to monitor and correct one’s behaviour if necessary. With meditation the mind becomes quiet and so should our tongues!

2. Allah is looking for a sincere commitment from us and not just physical starvation till sunset and then returning to the status quo. Ramadan does not end at every iftar. It ends only on sighting the hilal of Shawwal. So the hard spiritual work must carry on for the whole of the month.

3. One must plead for mercy and sincerely cry to receive it because without it, we are stuck at stage one and our prospects of “freedom from fire” will be bleak.

4. Therefore this stage one is for sincere confession to Allah that we are weak and sinful and that we desperately need His mercy. We have only about 10 days to qualify to stage two.

The second one third of Ramadan is FORGIVENESS 1. We must now beg for Allah’s forgiveness because we have broken so many of His rules and covenants and disobeyed His commands during the year, both knowingly and unknowingly. We must say istighfaar day and night and ask in every sajda for forgiveness. We must be afraid that if Allah does not forgive, we will surely be among the losers. Here again, Allah will be assessing the degree of sincerity in our repentance. He looks not for lip service but for soul service!

2. We must also be forgiving to other people’s mistakes and tempers.

The last one third of Ramadan is FREEDOM FROM FIRE These are our last ten days or so. Instead of just focusing on Laylat Al-Qadar (the night of power) one should intensify supplications for the whole last third of Ramadan.

If possible and affordable then do go for Umrah ... it will be probably the most spiritually fulfilling experience you will have, aside from Hajj. And Umrah in Ramadan is equivalent to having done a Hajj with our Rasool pbuh! At the completion of the last fast, be optimistically hopeful that you will be alive to give similar pious worship during the forthcoming Ramadans. And if you remain guided in your life then you’ll be will be admitted to Paradise, insha’Allah, by the Ryan gate of Paradise! Indeed Allah swt does not break His promise to his slaves.

NOTE: The month after Ramadan is Shaw’wal.

Those who fast just 6 days of this month, get the reward of fasting the WHOLE of the year! So if one has missed fasting for 12 yrs of his/her life, just 6 days ( in any

order) of Shaw’wal fasting gives one an opportunity to make up for our past deficiency of fasting days. SubhanAllah , isn’t Allah swt indeed SUPER-MERCIFUL? The Relationship Between Supplication and Ramadan: Making dua is a part of the month of Ramadan. The connection between the noble practice of supplicating to Allah and the honored month of Ramadan is shown in the following ways.

The ayah of supplication is preceded and followed by ayaat of fasting (2:183-187).

183. O ye who believe! Fasting is prescribed to you as it was prescribed to those before you, that ye may (learn) self-restraint,184. (Fasting) for a fixed number of days; but if any of you is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed number (Should be made up) from days later. For those who can do it (With hardship), is a ransom, the feeding of one that is indigent. But he that will give more, of his own free will,- it is better for him. And it is better for you that ye fast, if ye only knew.

185. Ramadan is the (month) in which was sent down the Qur’an, as a guide to mankind, also clear (Signs) for guidance and judgment (Between right and wrong).

So every one of you who is present (at his home) during that month should spend it in fasting, but if any one is ill, or on a journey, the prescribed period (Should be made up) by days later. Allah intends every facility for you; He does not want to put to difficulties. (He wants you) to complete the prescribed period, and to glorify Him in that He has guided you; and perchance ye shall be grateful.

186. When My servants ask thee concerning Me, I am indeed close (to them): I listen to the prayer of every suppliant when he calleth on Me: Let them also, with a will, Listen to My call, and believe in Me:

That they may walk in the right way.

187. Permitted to you, on the night of the fasts, is the approach to your wives. They are your garments and ye are their garments. Allah knoweth what ye used to do secretly among yourselves; but He turned to you and forgave you; so now associate with them, and seek what Allah Hath ordained for you, and eat and drink, until the white thread of dawn appear to you distinct from its black thread; then complete your fast Till the night appears; but do not associate with your wives while ye are in retreat in the mosques. Those are Limits (set by) Allah. Approach not nigh thereto.

Thus doth Allah make clear His Signs to men: that they may learn self-restraint.

The Prophet (s.A.a.w.s.) said that the du‚a of the fasting one is accepted. „Indeed for the fasting person, when he brakes his fast, is a supplication that will never be rejected.‰ “Three people‚s supplication will not be rejected: a just ruler, a fasting person until he brakes his fast, and an oppressed person.”

It is encouraged to make du‚a in laylat‚ulqadr.

Aisha asked the Prophet (s.A.a.w.s.) „What should I say on Laylat‚il-qadr?” And he replied, “O Allah, indeed you are a Pardoner, and you love pardon; so pardon me.”

The Prophet (s.A.w.s.) supplicated all night before the battle of badr, which occurred during Ramadan.

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Issue 288 - Shabaan 13, 1432 / July 15, 2011

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Issue 288 - Shabaan 13, 1432 / July 15, 2011

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Issue 288 - Shabaan 13, 1432 / July 15, 2011

The practice of Circumcision is a characteristic of the Fitra.

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Issue 288 - Shabaan 13, 1432 / July 15, 2011

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Issue 288 - Shabaan 13, 1432 / July 15, 2011

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Issue 288 - Shabaan 13, 1432 / July 15, 2011

Pakistan Canada Association Celebrates 144th Canada Day

On July 3rd, Pakistan Canada Association (PCA) was proud to host hundreds of people at its annual Canada Day Picnic in Bear Creek Park, Surrey. A large number of families arrived to participate in this picnic. There was a great variety of dishes on the food tables for the people to enjoy. Another delicious food stall of Butter Chicken and Pees Rice from Calgary Sweets was there which was organized by Mr. and Mrs. Salim Kareem with other members. The picnic was well-organized by many volunteer men, women and children. Women in charge of organizing and serving the food, Cake. They performed their duties in a very decent, polite and well-organized manner, despite the large crowd.

Many activities were organized by PCA at the picnic. Kids enjoyed rides and participated in a race under the supervision of Mr. Jamil Chaudhry. Meanwhile, adults were busy in discussing different topics of their

interest. The Volleyball tournament was one of the major highlights of the picnic.

Two large cakes cutting ceremony held at honoring 144th Canada Day. At the end PCA President Mr. Arfan Malik presented trophies the winners of the games. Arfan Malik was also honored by Sabir Ali Pannun and Jameel Chaudhry for his hard work especially in honor of Wasim Akram’s recent visits in which Pakistan Canada Association raised funds for Pakistan House among the winners of volley ball tournament. In another corner at the picnic there were joy rides and jumping castle for kids to enjoy which was stalled

by Mr. Irfan Rana. NDP MP Jasbir Sandhu and MLA Sue Hammell were also present at the occasion. Overall, Pakistan Canada Association deserves a big thank-you from the community for organizing such a great event successfully.

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by Lahore Halal Meats in Vancouver Pakistan Canada Association President Arfan Malik and most PCA officials were greeted at a Dinner reception organized

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in Vancouver on June 26. The new board of directors and President were acknowledged at the reception.

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Issue 288 - Shabaan 13, 1432 / July 15, 2011

A Devout Legislator With Utmost Credibility

By Tariq Mian Quite recently, MPA Humaira Awais Shahid, an outspoken member of the provincial assembly of the Punjab came to Toronto to address a large audience as a key note speaker. She is a former teacher of Fatima Jinnah University Islamabad, and being journalist, she wrote articles and edited her paper The Post.

As a Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University, .Humaira made presentation before the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission, US House of Representatives, on April 15, 2010.

In addition to being social activist, she is a determined politician with passion indeed.

She accomplished a “unanimously passed resolution” recognizing acid attacks on women and girls as attempted murder, the repeal of a law permitting usury, and a resolution against the cruel practice of “vini,” a custom in which women are bartered for marriage by family members.

Before she concluded her Toronto tour, we were lucky enough to participate in an “evening get together” hosted by - an outstanding local politician - at his residence in Mississauga.

Just before dinner, an intellectual conversation began in the living room, which continued through the meal duration at the dining table and lasted afterwards with question and answer session - of course.

With her convincing style, the guest of honour dominated the discussion impressively enough to maintain her focus on points of mutual interest of immense importance.

However, cross questioning solidified her stand point clearly showing her sincerity beyond doubt.

Furthermore, it was extremely exciting and satisfying to know that in the province of Punjab, we actually do have some “light” still available. Significantly enough, the intelligent lady offers a ray of hope when it comes to help the sinking country stay afloat.

Unfortunately, Pakistan has been dragged into a low-intensity war on our western borders. Karachi, the commercial hub is paralysed beyond easy repair. Guerrilla war throughout the country is going on – being remote-controlled by the hidden hand.

Shamefully, the political mafia, the administrative paralysis and the resulted rampant corruption from top to bottom has brought the country to the edge of a mega disaster.

A debt-ridden country, where the price of survival is too huge with unaffordable prices for food, excessive load shedding (power outage), short supply of fuels. The sad state of affairs has engulfed the country.

Moreover, a stubborn defiance of apex court orders, injustice to the general public, nepotism, discrimination, bad governance, unfair distribution of wealth, and policies without merit or justification are major causes for our failure as a nation.

At this critical hour, people like MPA

Humaira offer some glimmer of hope. Humaira provides a helpline rather a lifeline to the suffering people and vulnerable women in particular. She is a well known “women’s rights activist,” who is whole heartedly committed and focused upon helping out the helpless women and the vulnerable members of the society.

Being loaded with “God gifted qualities,” she took an initiative to go all the way to achieve wellness of the suppressed folk of the female gender.

In fact, the ongoing violence against the vulnerable women is age old that ranges from rape to domestic abuse, acid burnings to dowry related killings, and the stupid honour killings as well as revenge killings by the so called unsuccessful obsessive lovers.

Since, the violence is no honey moon, there must be some legal remedy declaring the cruelty as a zero tolerance crime, hence, the culprit usually the local nobles should be severely punished on merit with speedy justice.

The nation is thankful to Humaira for having fought tirelessly for the noble cause of great humanitarian value. She delivered almost at all levels despite severe resistance by the selfish elite. With the help of other female legislators, she has been able to repeal some extremely controversial laws like the Hudood Ordinance which penalized rape victims and instead protected their assailants.

In order to rid the legal system of its ongoing mockery, she managed very tactfully to have these legislations replaced with the Protection of Women Act 2006, and made amendments in Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) and the Criminal Procedure Code. Now the prosecution can easily nab the criminals and send them behind bars through newer criminal procedure.

About two resolutions, she moved in the parliament: 1. Against “acid attack” to get it re-defined as murder attempt.

2. Against “Vini,” that’s the bartering of women to evade punishment for crimes committed by the male family members.

Both of these resolutions were passed unanimously by the Punjab Parliament, despite opposition from the patriarchal and feudal members.

The resolution on Vini and its recommendations were included in the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act of 2005, while the legislation proposed for acid attacks was referred to the federal law department and has been awaiting action for more than five years.

Nevertheless, the most difficult legislation was the law to prohibit private usury. The Prohibition of Lending Act suggests up to 5 years imprisonment and a fine of Rs one million for the people involved in unlawful money lending and charging interest.

Private lenders (loan sharks) have been exploiting the innocent public by charging rate of interest ranging from 140% to 200%.

Private usury is controlled by criminal mafia, who through the money-lending business control the lives of the destitute people.

Poor people suffered the most at the hands of these selfish loan sharks, particularly, when they were unable to pay back high interest rates of over 140% on their debts,

their daughters were forced into prostitution or sold into marriages, their pensions got snatched, and farmer’s harvests was never enough to pay off the heavily compounded debt due to its nasty nature.

“My own colleagues in the parliament were taking loans from agricultural banks at 2% and were giving them to farmers at 14% interest rate,” said Humaira Awais Shahid.

She claimed that the bill would not only help control the menace of unlawful lending but also promote micro credit financing system in the country. Microcredit is an extension of tiny loans (microloans) to poverty stricken women and other people aimed at generating a large number of entrepreneurships at some convenient level.

Because, the poor individuals lack collateral, steady employment and a verifiable credit history and therefore do not qualify for debt under the normal procedure.

In other words, microcredit is a part of microfinance, which is the provision of a wider range of financial services to the very poor. It took four years, on Humaira’s part, of strenuous effort to level off severe hurdles, resistance and intimidation.

However, the bill survived 11 extensions and 24 committee meetings and was eventually passed to create history as the first piece of legislation by a private member in

the Punjab Parliament. It was replicated in fifteen days and adopted by the Parliament of the Northern Western Frontier Province, now called Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Her legislations clearly indicate three main areas where the changes need to be vested 1-The legislature, 2-courts of law 3- the police to enforce law. A proper legal framework with implementing mechanisms and the enforcement of laws through courts and police need proper sensitization on gender based violence.

Great: Now she intends to go aggressively for interest free loan policy to motivate the poor farmers to help them enjoy the fruits of promoted agriculture. She is already in consultation with the religious scholars and muftis of good repute for this cause.

As a provincial politician, she has contributed a lot by making a substantial difference. Definitely, she was able to mobilize and convert the rigid feudalistic and dogmatic mindsets and convince the Punjab Parliament vote above party lines for human issues reminding them to vote on the basis of conscience. Wonderful indeed!

For healthier economic and social environment, a strategy is desperately needed to engage print and electronic media, public forums and local communities to create awareness and an open debate to help the sufferers.

Importantly, more and more educated people should come forward to give hand to “Pioneer Humaira” for the noble cause.

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Issue 288 - Shabaan 13, 1432 / July 15, 2011

144th Canada Day Celebrated by Pakistani Canadian Cultural Association

On July 2, Pakistani Canadians gathered at Crescent Park in South Surrey .They had been invited by the Pakistani Canadian Cultural Association (PCCA) to celebrate 144th Canada Day. Dignitaries including NDP MP Jinny Sims, Jasbir Sandhu and NDP MLA Sue Hammell, Harry Bains, Jagrup Brar, Bruce Ralston former MP Sukh Dhaliwal joined the crowd and cut two large cakes honoring Canada Day. A large number of Pakistani families came with their contributions to pot luck‚ picnic table, filling it with a large variety of delicious food, fruits, sweets, and drinks.

Meanwhile the park was filled with the pleasant smell of delicious BBQ being prepared by PCCA volunteers for hours.

President of PCCA Mr. Nasir Khan, Mr. Ifthikar Ghuman, and Mr. Naveed Waraich and many other directors of PCCA did a great efforts and made success. Some directors showed theirs perfection in Sizzling Chicken Tikkas on the grill with other fellows for all in huge quantity.

After lunch, people enjoyed many games included volleyball, cricket, badminton, musical chairs, Pakistani Basant festival and kids enjoyed the bouncing castle which was installed by Mr. Rana Irfan.

This hugely successful event was a collaborated effort of not just the PCCA Directors but also their families. Everyone fully enjoyed their time at the picnic.

control of the Swat valley in 2009 they shut down NGO offices and banned the polio vaccination – rejecting it as an “infidel vaccine” which “causes infertility”. This has allowed the virus to avoid eradication and remain endemic in the region.

It was in Nigeria that the polio vaccination conspiracy first emerged before spreading to Pakistan. Fears that the vaccine was part of a western plot to reduce Muslim populations were so pronounced that in 2003 the Nigerian government suspended the vaccination programme for a year. As a result, annual cases more than doubled, and the World Health Organisation estimated an additional $200m was needed in 2005 alone.

Nigeria’s experience offers two stark warnings – both about the potential for the CIA plot to spread anti-vaccination conspiracies across the globe – and about the massive financial and human cost in any disruption to vaccination programs like that of polio.

Remarkably, despite all this risk, one source claims that the Abbotabad mission actually failed to collect any DNA for analysis. Indeed, with the mission resulting in the recent arrest of Afridi, the safety of medical aid workers in the region further jeopardised and with the reputation of vaccination programmes across the globe damaged, it is valid to question whether such actions should ever have been justified.

UN : Continued from pg 1 alone killed more than 21,000 people in Pakistan, so ensuring childhood vaccinations for hepatitis, measles and polio is a developmental priority.

The Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) has expressed concerns over the impact that these reports will have – stating that it hopes this story “does not prevent children in Pakistan being vaccinated against polio and other diseases”.

This is a concern that should be shared by the global community. Since 1985, an estimated $9bn has been spent on attempts to eradicate the polio virus and another $1bn will be spent this year alone. There are now only four countries with endemic polio, with Pakistan accounting for 60% of cases in these countries. Indeed, Pakistan has been described as the “final frontier” for a polio-free world. Polio transmission is particularly concentrated in the northwest tribal regions close to Abbottabad.

While the difficult terrain and civil instability have certainly been factors in the problems of eradicating polio in Pakistan, the belief that vaccinations are part of a western conspiracy has also proved difficult to overcome. Through both extremist clerics and word of mouth, theories of a western plot to stunt Islamic population growth have spread across the North-West Frontier province.

Due to these fears, in 2007 more than 24,000 children were prevented from being vaccinated. When the Taliban took

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Issue 288 - Shabaan 13, 1432 / July 15, 2011

Retiring consul general says goodbye at 235th US Independence Day fete

Consul General Phillip Chicola hosted his last official Independence Day party in Vancouver as he prepares to retire this fall from a 33-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service. At U.S. Consulate General Vancouver’s Independence Day celebration on July 6, Chicola said to some 400 guests that his posting in Vancouver “has been a labor of love. It didn’t take long for me to realize how indispensible we are to one another.

We really are one people in two countries.” Commodore Peter Ellis, commander of Canadian Fleet Pacific, presented the consul general with the Canadian Forces Medallion for Distinguished Service in recognition of assistance with Canadian-U.S. security efforts for the 2010 Winter Olym-

pic Games, contributions during the 2010 Canadian Naval Centennial and Chicola’s initiative along with Capt. Lyall D. Knott in organizing an annual reception to pay tribute to those who served in the Afghan conflict. The Canadian Forces Medallion is awarded to recognize outstanding service performed by persons other than active military personnel.

Chicola, in turn, thanked Lyall Knott, an honorary captain of the Canadian Fleet, for being his “soul brother” in Vancouver.

The Knott family, said Chicola, exemplifies how the people of our two countries work towards shared purposes. Lyall’s grandfather, Widnell Knott, served in the U.S. Army Air Force. Lyall’s Nanaimo-born

father, the late Dr. Nairn Knott, served on the USS Piedmont which landed in Tokyo Bay during World War II and witnessed the Japanese surrender. So many proud and patriotic Canadians have worked alongside with Americans serving a common cause, Chicola said.

In your retirement, may you encounter fair winds and following seas, said Ellis.

“I will be leaving a little bit of my heart in Vancouver,” said Chicola, “and taking a little bit of Vancouver’s heart with me.”

Source: Consulate of the US-Vancouver Miracle Media Managing Editor Mr. Naseer Pirzada congratulated the retiring US Consul General on his 33 years career

and asked about his wonderful memories of Vancouver from his last posting. He also interviewed the consul general about current US policy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the effect on US economy after the exit of Americal Forces from that region.

Campaign to ‘Vote YES’ to scrap the HST heating up around town By: Brett Barden SURREY – This morning, Sue Hammell, MLA for Surrey-Green Timbers was joined by a team of angry residents to fight the HST. They took their ‘Vote YES’ message to the corner of 88th Avenue & King George Blvd at 7am. “I’m voting ‘Yes’ to scrap the HST,” stated Hammell.

“This is a $1.9 billion tax shift on to the backs of B.C. families. It’s simply an unfair tax and it was very clear this morning that many people felt the same way as the support from honking was deafening.”

Over 700,000 British Columbians signed a petition opposing the HST last year, forcing a referendum that is currently being conducted by mail. “Last year many of my constituents signed the petition to Stop the HST, now is the time to stop it for good,” said Hammell. “The government

has made the voting process very difficult and confusing. First, this is a mail-in ballot, so we don’t go to our local polling stations. Second, the ballot is confusing – you have to vote ‘Yes’ to scrap the HST and you vote ‘No’ to keep the HST.” “The ballot process is also very confusing. You have to cut off the ballot, mark your choice ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ and then place your ballot into secrecy envelope A. Then you place envelope A into envelope B and then you sign envelope B. You then place envelope B into envelope C and then you mail it,” said Hammell. “To add to the difficulty, the ballot and instructions that arrive by mail are only in English, however other language instructions are available for download on

the Elections BC web site.”

Ballots are now arriving by mail. If you do not receive a ballot, you must call Elections BC by July 8th. Elections BC must receive all ballots by 4:30pm on July 22, 2011.

NDP Leader Adrian Dix and MLA Spencer Chandra Herbert casted their “yes” votes to stop the Liberal’s HST in Canada Post Vancouver Post Office on West Georgia St. They ask British Columbians to vote “yes” to scrap the unfair tax for all the families and customers.

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Issue 288 - Shabaan 13, 1432 / July 15, 2011

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Issue 288 - Shabaan 13, 1432 / July 15, 2011

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Issue 288 - Shabaan 13, 1432 / July 15, 2011

Fighting Heart Disease With Food Labels:

Expert Q&A By Peter Jaret “Food labels can be your biggest friend or your worst enemy,” says cardiologist Mehdi Razavi, MD, a heart disease specialist at the Texas Heart Institute in Houston. There’s plenty of useful information if you know what to look for, he explains. But labels can also be confusing and even misleading if you don’t consider the whole picture. Razavi spoke with WebMD about how to use food labels to lower your risk of heart disease.

First, how helpful are food labels for choosing a heart-healthy diet?Very helpful. In fact, most of the information on the food label was chosen based on studies of heart disease and diet. So if you keep an eye on labels, you can lower your risk of heart disease.What’s the first thing to look at?The top of the Nutrition Facts panel shows what a serving size is and how many calories a serving contains. Obviously, if you’re overweight or have trouble maintaining a healthy weight, keeping an eye on calories is important.Excess weight is a significant risk factor for heart disease.

Most women should average about 1,800 to 2,000 calories a day – and even less, about 1,700 calories, if they’re trying to lose weight. Most men should consume about 2,500 calories. Those numbers vary based on how active you are. People who are diabetic or overweight should try to limit their calorie intake even further. Make sure you know what a serving size is, since that can be confusing. If a package indicates 150 calories per serving but it contains two servings, you’ll consume 300 calories if you eat the whole package.What about fat on the label?We’re less concerned than we once were about total fat. A healthy diet can get 30% of its calories from fat. What matters more is the type of fat, and here food labels come in handy, since they clearly indicate saturated and unsaturated fat. Most of the fat you consume should be unsaturated. Some saturated fat is fine. In fact, the body needs a little. But no more than 10% of your daily calories should come from saturated fat. If your LDL “bad”cholesterol is high, no more than 7% of your calories should come from saturated fat.What about trans fats?Trans fats come from partially hydrogenated oils. They’ve been shown to be even more dangerous to the cardiovascu-

lar system than saturated fats. The less trans fat you consume, the better. Labels can be a little confusing. Products can call themselves trans fat-free if they contain less than half a gram per serving. That amount isn’t a problem if you eat such foods now and then. But if you eat them frequently, you may be consuming more trans fats than is healthy. If you want to eliminate trans fats entirely, look on the ingredient label and choose foods that do not contain partially hydrogenated oils. Be sure to make sure the food is also low in saturated fat. Some companies have replaced trans fats with saturated fat, which isn’t healthy either. > > What’s the latest thinking on the healthiest types of unsaturated fat?Unsaturated fats include vegetable and nut oils, such as olive oil, corn oil, safflower oil, and canola oil. These are liquid at room temperature.

Saturated fats, in contrast, which are solid at room temperature, are known to raise blood cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease. Unsaturated fats are divided into monounsaturated and polyunsaturated.

Some studies suggest that polyunsaturated fats are the healthiest. I don’t think you need to worry too much about polys versus monos. In fact, most vegetable and nut oils contain a mix of the two.Is it important to look at levels of dietary cholesterol in food?If you have elevated LDL cholesterol or a family risk of heart disease, you should keep an eye on how much dietary cholesterol you consume. The Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diet, known as TLC, has been shown in studies sponsored by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute to significantly reduce heart disease in people at risk. The TLC diet calls for no more than 200 milligrams of dietary cholesterol a day for people with high cholesterol. Reading labels is important, of course. But more important is limiting the amount of foods that contain high levels of cholesterol, many of which don’t carry labels, such as eggs and organ meats.What about sodium?Too much sodium increases the risk of high blood pressure, or hypertension. High blood pressure, in turn, increases the risk of developing heart disease. Some people don’t seem to be as sensitive to salt as others. If you have high blood pressure, you should

Getting Your Needs Met

By Shabnam Khan - Family Counsellor We all have needs we want fulfilled.

Beyond basic human needs for food, water and shelter, human beings posses limitless desires. Many relationships experience challenges because the people within them complain to and about each other and attempt to get these needs met. Rather than improving things, complains often keep them mired in their current problems and perpetuates their frustrations.

Negative communications, such as complaining, can be an important factor in the couple’s relational satisfaction. Research indicates the negativity and negative communication are positively correlated with relational dissatisfaction. People who are in the relationship where there is a lot of complaining tend to be less happy in this relationships.

It is not particularly surprising that distressed couple’s exhibit negativity in the interac-tions and that these interactions

are the source of a lot of negative emotions.

Undoubtedly, the negative communication behaviors and negative emotions displayed in this interactions are causally related.

Complaining in relationships may begin as a result of one or both people being dissatisfied in the relationship and attempting to get their needs met. Soon, however, the complaining itself becomes the cause of dissatisfaction and escalates it. A “Dissatisfaction - Complaint” circle is created, in which dissatisfaction leads to a complaint. This leads to another complaint, which causes more dissatisfaction, and on it goes.

Decreasing negative effect has more effect on improving couples marital happiness than increasing positive effect. Stopping the negativity of complaining does more to improve relationships than does adding positive aspects to the relationship.

In other words, it’s more beneficial to the relationship to send kind words than to send flowers. “To Win Without Fighting Is The Best Of Skills.” www.skcounselling.ca

definitely limit sodium intake.

The most recent evidence shows that the less sodium you consume, the lower your risk of hypertension.

The DASH diet, which stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, originally set the limit at no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium daily. New evidence shows that lowering your intake to 1,500 milligrams further lowers your risk of high blood pressure. Since three-quarters or more of the salt we consume comes in packaged foods, labels are particularly helpful here.Labels also show potassium levels. What should we look for?Too much sodium and too little potassium both play a role in high blood pressure. Low potassium levels can also affect the electrical impulses that activate the heart, causing heart beat irregularities. The Institute of Medicine recommends 4,700 milligrams of potassium a day. But rather than worry about numbers on the label, I’d suggest eating more foods with potassium, which include fruits and vegetables, especially orange juice, broccoli, garlic, bananas, tomatoes, and beans -- all of which are healthy for you in many ways.A lot of people are cutting back on carbohydrates. What help can food labels offer?The total amount of carbohydrates is less important than the type. The healthiest forms are unrefined carbohydrates, which are found in whole grains, beans, seeds, nuts, and other whole, unprocessed foods. (Limit less healthy carbs such as sugar, white rice, and regular breads and pastas.) It’s wise to look at a label to make sure it contains whole grains and plenty of fiber. Several studies have shown that people who eat plenty of whole grains have a lower risk of heart disease.What about protein?We know protein is important. The

body needs it for many functions. Protein in a meal helps make it satisfying. That can help people maintain a healthy weight. But labels aren’t particularly useful, since most of the protein people consume is in foods that aren’t required to have nutrition panels, such as fish, meat, and poultry. Here you need to use some commonsense guidelines.

The best sources of protein are those with the least saturated fat. That includes plantbased sources, such as nuts and beans, and fish and lean meat. A healthy diet should contain 60 to 120 grams of good quality protein a day.Finally, food labels typically list levels of various vitamins. What should people look for?The evidence linking certain vitamins to lower risk of heart disease isn’t very strong. We used to be excited about vitamin E and beta-carotene, for instance, which appeared to significantly lower heart disease risk. But more recent research hasn’t shown a strong link.

Rather than worry about how much vitamin E or vitamin B a packaged food contains, I suggest eating an overall healthier diet, especially one that puts fruits, vegetables, nuts, and other plant-based foods in the middle of the plate. The strongest evidence for the role of diet and heart disease prevention, after all, comes from studies that look at the overall diet. And the healthiest diets are those that contain abundant fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods, along with lean meats and fish.

Mumbai attacks, Bell told CTV News Channel, but it appears they had limited resources to work with. “This is probably another group within in India that’s trying to make a name for themselves,” he said.

U.S. President Barack Obama condemned Thursday’s bombings, saying in a statement that his country “will stand with the Indian people in times of trial, and we will offer support to India’s efforts to bring the perpetrators of these terrible crimes to justice. “I have no doubt that the India will overcome these deplorable terrorist attacks.” Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she plans to visit the South Asian country as scheduled next week. Speaking to reporters in Washington, she said “it is more important than ever that we stand with India.” The explosions occurred when the affected neighbourhoods would have been packed with office workers and commuters heading home.

They come on the same day as the birthday of Mohammad Ajmal Amir Qasab, the only surviving attacker from the deadly 2008 Mumbai attacks.

During the three-day terrorist siege in 2008, 10 armed men targeted two luxury hotels, a Jewish centre and a railway station.

Source: CTV News

UN : Continued from pg 1 shouting ‘Help me, help me,”’ the man told Headlines Today television. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the bombings and pleaded with residents of the country’s financial capital “to remain calm and show a united face.” At least 141 people were injured in the attacks, which were the first on Mumbai since November 2008 when armed militants went on a rampage that left 166 dead. Bhupinder Chaubay, a reporter in New Delhi with CNN’s IBN Network, said the death toll could have been much higher since the explosions occurred in high-density areas.”The only silver lining in this entire episode...is the fact this was some kind of a low intensity blast,” he said. Indian officials declined to speculate on who could be responsible for the attacks, and no one claimed responsibility immediately after the explosions.

Past attacks have been blamed on militants based in Pakistan. Indian officials have also charged that Pakistan’s powerful spy agency helped carry out and fund previous attacks. Part of the difficulty with determining who carried out the attacks is that there are “a plethora of terrorist groups in India,” said security expert Alan Bell. Whoever is responsible for the bombings likely learned from the 2008

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Issue 288 - Shabaan 13, 1432 / July 15, 2011

FIFA tight-lipped over whistleblower

World governing body FIFA said they would continue “not to comment on allegations” after receiving a retraction of claims by the Qatar 2022 World Cup ‘whistleblower’.

Former Qatar bid communications official Phaedra Al Majid alleged that Qatar paid bribes to three FIFA members to secure the World Cup. Al Majid said on Sunday she wanted to avenge losing her job on the campaign, but had now decided

to go public to admit that the allegations had been fabricated. Al Majid has signed a legal affadavit retracting the allegations and insisted that she had not been put under any pressure by the Qataris to make her public denial. “FIFA can confirm receipt of an email from a person claiming to have made allegations related to the Qatar 2022 bid process and now retracting these allegations,” the world governing body said on Monday. “FIFA has no specific comments on this.” The body, whose president Sepp Blatter was re-elected unopposed last month, added: “In a consistent and correct way, we have repeatedly said that FIFA would not be making any comments on allegations. This policy will continue...

we have repeatedly said that FIFA can only act upon evidence. “When only allegations are made and no evidence is given, FIFA always stands firmly by its members.”

Al Majid originally said African Football Confederation president Issa Hayatou, Ivory Coast FIFA member Jacques Anomua and Nigeria’s suspended official Amos Adamu were paid to vote for Qatar. The allegations were denied by all three men but were made public under parliamentary privilege in the United Kingdom when the Sunday Times submitted evidence from their investigation into FIFA in May. The BBC, whose programme on the 2022 tournament will be aired on Monday, said their staff only interviewed Al Majid after

being put in touch with her by Qatar bid officials. A Guardian newspaper reporter was also in Doha to interview the bid team.

“I was very upset after I left the bid and wanted to basically hurt the bid back,” Al Majid said. “My intentions were to make a few headlines, I never expected that my lies would be carried on. It just went too far. I never expected it to come to this point.

There was never anything suspicious or any wrongdoing on Qatar’s part. “I cannot tell you how sorry I am. I have hurt reputations of three members of the FIFA executive committee, I have hurt their reputation, and more importantly I have hurt my colleagues on the Qatar bid.”

Source: Al-Jazeera

Durant not ruling out going Afridi disappointed with abroad during lockout Butt’s ‘petty’ statements Kevin Durant isn’t ruling out playing basketball abroad next season if the NBA lockout isn’t resolved. The Oklahoma City Thunder forward said Tuesday during a promotional tour in China that he thinks more players will follow Deron Williams’ example and play overseas if the NBA season is disrupted.

Williams has said he will play for Besiktas in Turkey if the lockout remains. “We’ll see, I would like to try something new,” Durant said. “But of course, my first option is playing in the NBA. So now I want to see how this lockout goes.” He said he’s still hopeful that a new collective bargaining agreement will be reached. “If not, I will make a decision on where I am going to play basketball,” said Durant, who added he’s in no hurry to make a decision. “I am going to take it slow, everybody’s going to wait to see how this plays out. D-Will, you know, he made his decision quick and I am sure you are going to see a lot of guys kind of follow his footsteps.

So, he’s very brave to be the first guy to do it.” He added it is “tough” to see Yao Ming retire, and the 7-foot-6 Houston Rockets center deserves to be in the basketball Hall of Fame. Durant said it has been an honor to play Yao, who is expected to announce July 20 that he’s retiring from the NBA after nine seasons because of leg and foot injuries.

The 30-year-old Yao has missed 250 regular-

season games over the past six seasons.

“Tough, man, tough to see a great player and a great competitor like Yao Ming leave the game after being injured a few years,” Durant said. “As a player, you come into the league, the first thing somebody asks you is what you want to do when you get here, and a lot of players say, ‘I want to dunk over Yao Ming.’

So you can tell how much impact he has in the game. “He comes in, he works every day and you can tell that he’s never in trouble and he sets such a good example for the players coming into the league.” Asked if he thought Yao should have a place in the basketball Hall of Fame, Durant said the Chinese player deserves the honor. “It was exciting to watch such a tall guy but that can shoot the basketball and put so much pressure on your defense by playing down low, and also his defense, too,” Durant said. “He does so much for the game, and he does deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. He’s so dominant in the game, and he changed the game by him just running up and down the floor.” Yao boosted the popularity of the basketball league in China and throughout Asia, spiking merchandise sales and TV ratings for games after the Rockets made him the top overall pick in the 2002 draft.

Source: AP

Shahid Afridi has said he was disappointed by the “petty things” PCB chairman Ijaz Butt brought up while justifying Afridi’s axing as Pakistan’s one-day captain. “I am disappointed because such petty things coming from the head of the board were unwarranted,” Afridi told the Daily Times. “He himself made me captain, and everyone, from experts to fans, had praised my leadership and the unity in the team.” Afridi led Pakistan to the semi-finals of the 2011 World Cup, their best performance at cricket’s flagship one-day event since 1999. After that, he led Pakistan to an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match one-day series in the West Indies before a selection meeting bust-up between him and coach Waqar Younis sparked off a controversy. Pakistan went on to lose the two dead rubber games, and Afridi was stripped of the one-day captaincy. He responded by announcing a “conditional retirement” from the game.

Last week, Butt defended the move to axe Afridi by blaming him for the losses in the West Indies, and deeming him as “not captaincy material”, in an interview with Geo Super television channel. Afridi, who is currently in England playing in the Friends Life t20 tournament, said he

would consult with his lawyers before planning his next move. “I will unmask all these people who are running a smear campaign against me,” he said. “I don’t want to say anything right now because I am enjoying my time with Hampshire but when I return I will respond to them.”

Meanwhile, Afridi’s legal counsel, Syed Ali Zaffar, said the player would have a case if he chose to take Butt to court over his statements. “Ijaz Butt’s statement that Shahid Afridi will not captain the Pakistan team again is not only very irresponsible but is like an order or direction to the governing council members [who choose the captain in consultation with the board chairman] and to the selection committee not to even consider him,” Zaffar told the Nation. “In this regard, Mr Butt is usurping the authority of the governing council members and selection committee and is clearly acting illegally. “Afridi can take him to court if he so chooses. I will however add that I have had no discussion with Afridi in this regard. Mr Ijaz Butt is a loose cannon. Under Pakistan Cricket Board’s constitution the chairman virtually enjoys dictatorial powers.”

Source: Cricinfo

Next few days critical in NFL labor talks Think back four months to that disappointing day in March when the NFL lockout began. The general opinion was the owners and players would reach a new labor agreement long before training camps opened.

They had plenty of time and about 9 billion reasons to get it done. Well, some training camps open at the end of next week, and the two sides have not yet gotten it done.

Yes, they are closer than ever, with several key issues - particularly how to split more than $9 billion in revenues - just about settled. But there is serious doubt that a disruption to the preseason can be avoided.

Although the regular season still appears safe, the situation isn’t as simple as shaking hands and going back to business as usual, even assuming owners and players patched everything up when face-to-face talks resume Wednesday - an unlikely scenario.

Once an agreement in principle on the core economic issues is drawn up, there will be more work to be done. That’s because there are certain issues that won’t be addressed in full until after the NFLPA re-establishes itself as a union - a process that might take a couple of days - and can then serve once again as a collective bargaining unit for the

players. Items that could fall under that umbrella include the league’s drug-testing program, health insurance, retired players’ pensions and other benefits - none of which is likely to be resolved completely while the union is still dissolved. Yet without a collective bargaining agreement in place soon, many teams will need to delay training camp. The New York Giants and Jets and Baltimore Ravens already have canceled out-of-town camps and will do all their preseason work at their home facilities, at a significant cost to the communities where they normally would have gone. The Pro Football Hall of Fame inductions will go on as scheduled on Aug. 6. But the game the following day between the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears is in jeopardy, which certainly would put a damper on the festivities. And with owners and players haggling over the rookie wage scale, guidelines for free agency and how benefits for retired players will be funded, the next few days are critical. Should the differences remain strong and prevent a timely deal, the first full weekend of preseason games could be canceled - at a cost upward of $60 million. Even when an agreement is reached,

it needs to be ratified by players and owners, a potentially time-consuming process.

There are a few court cases that must be resolved, including the antitrust lawsuit brought against the league by Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and seven other players. Those plaintiffs were updated by the NFLPA on a conference call Tuesday. There’s even a chance the players still could pursue a lockout injunction for rookies and free agents after an appeals court ruled last week that the work stoppage could continue. It might seem odd that the two sides are so close on sharing revenues, the most contentious issue back in March, yet are being held up by other topics. But the owners have been seeking more right-of-first-refusal tags for unrestricted free agents, and they want a rookie salary system to extend about halfway into the first round of the draft. They also seek

longer rookie contracts for first-rounders.

The players are adamant about getting back to free agency rules similar to 2009, when a four-year veteran whose contract expired was unrestricted. That changed to six years in 2010 because there was no salary cap.

Extensive talks last week produced little progress on either issue. While attorneys for both sides spent the last two days clarifying language for a potential CBA, the owners and players will be discussing those same subjects again Wednesday. Those negotiations do not include the mediator, U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan, who is on vacation this week. Boylan has ordered both sides to a meeting in Minneapolis next Tuesday, and the owners have a special meeting set for July 21 in Atlanta, where they could vote to ratify a new deal if one is reached. That means there’s intense pressure on Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA chief DeMaurice Smith to keep things moving in a positive direction. Disruptions to the planned preseason schedule cost money, decreasing the overall revenue pie.

Source: Si.com

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EST. 1982