Miracle 377 by Mohammad Naseer Pirzada

Bringing Harmony To All The Communities ... BC CANADA Bi-Weekly & Bilingual

Volume 14 Issue 377- Safar 20, 1436

www.miraclenews.com

AH / December 12, 2014 - $ 1

MALALA AND KAILASH RECEIVE JOINT NOBEL AWARD

Malala Yousafzai The Youngest Nobel Award Winner Mr. M r. Home Home S Seller elller

JAMEEL AHMAD.com

Malala Yousafzai of Pakistan and Kailash Satyarthi of India on Wednesday received the Nobel Peace Prize for risking their lives to fight for children’s rights. The 17-year-old Malala, the youngest ever Nobel winner, and Satyarthi, age 60, collected the award at a ceremony in the Norwegian capital to a standing ovation. During her speech at the awards ceremony Malala said that, “I am grateful for the letters and cards that I still receive from all around the world. Reading your kind and encouraging words strengthens and inspires me.” “I am very proud to be the first Pashtun, the first Pakistani, and the first young person to receive this award,” she said. “I am also glad that we (Satyarthi) can stand together and show the world that an Indian and a Pakistani can be united in peace and together work for children’s rights,” Malala said. “This award is not just for me. It is for those forgotten children who want education. It is for those frightened children who want peace. It is for those voiceless children who want change,” she said.“I am here to stand up for their rights, raise their voice ... it is not time to pity them. It is time to take action so it becomes the last time that we see a child Continued on pg 6

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Safar 19, 1436H December 12, 2014

P A K I S T A N

Govt extends ‘unconditional’ dialogue offer to PTI

Ltd. We s p e c i a l i z e i n P a k i s t a n , I n d i a , Middle East, Fiji, Europe

against it. He added that both parties would have to accept the We do Hajj , Umrah packages, judicial commission’s decision on the matter. Dar, Cruises and Disney Land tours etc. therefore, urged Imran Khan to postpone his sched604uled protests till a decision is arrived.The federal galaxytravel@live.ca minister conceded that dialogue process was neither www.galaxytravel.ca Abdul Rauf (President) disrupted by the government nor was it broken by #129- 7475-135 St, Tehreek-i-Insaf. It may be mentioned that both parties had been accusing each other for disrupting the talks initiated in August. Dar said that the government would try to hold first session of dialogue on Thursday, demanding Imran Khan to not make any ‘unconstitutional’ decision till then.Expressing concerns on including officials of intelligence agencies in the judicial commission formed to probe into the allegations, the finance minister said the government, however, would not object to it if the commission itself invites them. Commenting on the recently formed parliamentary committee on electoral reforms, he said the committee was on track and had held 16 meetings on the matter since its inception a couple of months ago. Source: The Dawn

501-4700

Following an advisory meeting in the wake of shut down calls by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Wednesday extended an unconditional offer to the former for resumption of dialogue, DawnNews reported. Speaking at a press conference in Lahore, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, who has been assigned by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to resume talks with PTI, said that his party will leave power if the decision by the judicial commission on alleged poll rigging comes

Surrey

Zarb-e-Azb inflicted fatal blow to terrorists: Nawaz

Eulogising the heroic role of the armed forces in Operation Zarb-e-Azb, Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday said a fatal blow had been inflicted on terrorists in the operation. “The peace restored as a result of this operation will also contribute towards ensuring peace in the entire region,” he said while chairing a high-level meeting at the Prime Minister’s House.Army Chief General Raheel Sharif, Corps Commander 11 Corps (Peshawar) Lt Gen Hidayatur Rehman, Finance Minister Senator Muhammad Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for States and Frontier Regions Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch, Governor KP Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan Abbasi, Prime Minister’s Adviser on National Security and Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Special Assistant to the PM on Foreign Affairs Syed Tariq Fatemi, Secretary to the PM Javed Aslam, DG Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa and DG Military Operations (DGMO) Major General Aamer Riaz attended the meeting. The meeting approved a comprehensive strategy for the rehabilitation of internally displaced persons (IDPs) of the North Waziristan Agency (NWA) and reconstruction in the operation areas. About one million people had to vacate their homes in the wake of Operation Zarb-e-Azb to flush out the terrorists. The operation was launched on June 15 this year. The prime minister said the IDPs had given great sacrifices for the stability of Pakistan and the state of Pakistan will look after their needs by reconstructing a better area for them when they return. The Fata Disaster Management Authority (FDMA) was entrusted the care of the IDPs and

the federal government has generously provided fiscal help for the purpose.The overall supervision of the IDPs is being carried out by the army. General Raheel Sharif visited Peshawar on Saturday last and gave goahead for the rehabilitation of over one million IDPs. It is understood that the army is close to completing the Operation ‘Zarb-e-Azb’. The sources told The News that the IDPs will be allowed to return to their homes in areas cleared of terrorists in the first phase.Reviewing the repatriation plan of the IDPs, the army chief appreciated the way the operation was being conducted. He lauded the role of officers and Jawans and paid rich tributes to those who had laid down their lives in the process. The army chief spent the whole day at the corps headquarters where he was given a detailed briefing on the operation. He said an early return of the IDPs was his top priority. He reportedly directed security forces operating in the area to create conditions conducive for an early return of the IDPs. The repatriation plan has been finalised in consultation with the civil authorities. The authorities concerned aren’t prepared to give any time-frame for the completion of the ongoing military operation. The operation will continue in areas where militants are still hiding while the IDPs will be allowed to return to their homes in parts of North Waziristan now under the full control of security forces, the sources said. The army may not formally announce the conclusion of the operation due to operational reasons since they would like to maintain pressure on terror outfits. The troops will remain stationed in the region for some time even after the completion of the mission.The army has already taken control of the vast troubled area in North Waziristan. More than 1,100 terrorists, including foreigners, have perished in the action. The army has successfully destroyed the command and control structure of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and undermined the capacity and ability of terrorists to carry out attacks, the sources said. Source: The news

Imran ready to call off ‘plan C’

Reciprocating the government offer, PTI Chairman Imran Khan said that he will call off his ‘plan C’ if government is ready to set up a judicial commission before the PTI’s call to shutdown Karachi on December 12.“The judicial commission can be set up within 24 hours and if the government is serious in talks then it should announce to set up judicial commission before our scheduled protest in Karachi,” he said while addressing participants of his ongoing sit-in at D-Chowk in Islamabad.Khan, however, added that the Islamabad sit-in will continue until the decision of the

commission.“We will not ask anyone to shut down their businesses or shops in Karachi on Dec 12 as I don’t want to harm economy of the country,” the PTI chief promised. “Ishaq Dar is demanding that we should call off this sitin… I want to tell you [Dar] that the nation has already acknowledged their due rights through this sit-in,” he said. “The PML-N leadership has already realised that we will not call off this sit-in until getting our right,” Khan claimed. He also offered leadership of Awami National Party (ANP) – PTI’s political opponents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – that

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he was ready to open ballet boxes for recounting votes in any constituency of the province. Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif assigned Finance Minister Dar to resume dialogue with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf. The decision was taken at a high-level advisory meeting held at the PM House, which was attended by Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid, Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Safron Minister Abdul Qadir Baloch, Governor KP Sardar Mehtab and Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif among others. The meeting was held to discuss prevailing political atmosphere amid protests and shut down calls by the Imran Khan led PTI. Earlier today, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rashid said that the government was willing to resume dialogue with PTI but for that Imran Khan would have to return to his container and call off his party’s protests in different parts of the country, Radio Pakistan reported. Imran Khan should abandon his plan of closing different cities and come on the previous stage to provide a conducive environment for dialogue, the federal minister said. A judicial commission would also be constituted and would start functioning as soon as there is a conducive environment for it, Rashid said in response to a question, adding that the decisions of the commission will be accepted and not criticised.

4 I N T E R N A T I O N A L Furor over ‘conversion’ Palestinian minister of Muslims in India killed by Israel Safar 19, 1436H December 12, 2014

India website. The opposition has asked the government to ensure the religious freedom of minorities as enshrined in the country’s constitution.”The House and the country need reassurance that the Constitution will not be violated,” Congress leader Anand Sharma was quoted as saying by the NDTV channel. A day after much publicised mass conversion, Muslim families have told local media that they were tricked into conversion and did not speak against the act “out of fear of

An investigation is under way into the alleged arson attack on a church in New Delhi earlier this month India’s opposition politicians have protested inside parliament against the alleged mass conversion of about 200 Muslims to Hinduism in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh. Opposition MPs on Tuesday attacked the conservative Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party over the conversions in Agra city, reportedly under allurement by groups linked to the ruling party’s ideological parent, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). “This is a serious matter as allurement was given to poor [people] to get them converted,” Dalit leader Mayawati was quoted as saying by Times of

violence”. NDTV reported that a police complaint has been filed after a villager alleged that Muslims from a slum in Agra, the city that houses the famous Taj Mahal, were allured to convert.”We were told we will get a ration card, Aadhar [ID] card, and that the police will not bother us. We are poor so what do we do?” NDTV quoted one of the converts as saying. The latest controversy comes as members of minority communities have come under attack from far right groups. Last week, a federal minister was forced to apologise for alleged hate speech. Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

A Palestinian minister died shortly after being hit by Israeli soldiers during a protest on Wednesday in the occupied West Bank, a Reuters photographer who witnessed the incident and a Palestinian medic said. Ziad Abu Ein, a minister without portfolio who was in his early 50s, was rushed by ambulance from the scene, in the village of Turmusiya, but died en route to the nearby Palestinian city of Ramallah. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in a statement, called Abu Ein’s death “a barbaric act which we cannot be silent about or accept.” Announcing three days of national mourning, Abbas said he would take “necessary steps” after an investigation. The Israeli Army was looking into the incident, a spokeswoman said, She did not immediately provide further information. About 100 foreign and Palestinian activists with the Committee to Resist Settlements and the Wall, the government-run protest organization that Abu Ein headed, were on their way to plant trees and protest near an Israeli settlement when they were stopped at an improvised checkpoint, witnesses said. A group of around 15 Israeli soldiers fired tear gas at the protesters and began scuffling with them. Abu Ein was struck by a hand to the neck during an altercation with two of the soldiers, and was rushed away in an ambu-

On Wednesday, International Human Rights Day, the Israeli non-profit Zochrot will host the country’s first unofficial “public truth commission”, modelled on South Africa’s post-apartheid truth and reconciliation process. Israelis who served in the Negev Desert during the country’s War of Independence and Palestinian refugees uprooted from the area between 1947 and 1949, will share testimonies before an expert panel of human rights lawyers, scholars and civil society activists in Beersheba, Israel. “We have to find a way with the Arabs,” said Amnon Noyman, one of the testifying Israelis who served in the Haganah, the underground Jewish military organisation that operated during British rule before 1948. “The war was the point of deviation between us and them. We did a lot of bad things. I was young - 18 or 19,” Noyman told Al Jazeera. “As I got older, I heard about the lives of refugees. Nobody likes to think about them, but they are human beings.” Two years in the making, the commission is Zochrot’s attempt to introduce the language of transitional justice to Israel and Palestine. Along with testimonies from former Jewish fighters, displaced Palestinians and their descendants - many of whom now live in Gaza - the commission will hear from expert witnesses such as Safa Aburabia, an anthropologist specialising in the Arab Bedouins of the Negev. In addition to providing a historical overview, Aburabia

will link the tragedies of the past to recent conflicts such as the Gaza war. The panel overseeing the commission will ultimately draft a final report, including recommendations on how to address alleged wrongdoings. While the report’s conclusions cannot be imposed on the Israeli government, organisers hope the process could be a model for future conflict resolution. “We’re testing the waters,” Zochrot’s Debby Farber, who has overseen the planning of the commission since January 2013, told Al Jazeera. “Zochrot is an educational organisation, and it’s using various strategies in order to dismantle Israelis’ fears and expose them to a less threatening discourse. I think a lot of the transformations that people can go through are rooted in education. There has to be an extreme shift in the main discourse in order to prepare the ground for change.” Most Israeli human rights organisations consider the 1967 war to be “ground zero” for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Farber said, but Zochrot traces it back to the 1948 war that dispossessed hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, an event known as the Nakba (catastrophe). Before Zochrot and its partners began working to raise awareness of this, Noa Shaindlinger, an Israeli PhD candidate in Near Eastern Studies at the University of Toronto and an activist with Zochrot, said: “Almost no Israelis knew what the Nakba was. Now everyone does.” Until Israel acknowledges its responsibility for the Nakba and rights its wrongs - including the refugee problem - there can be no peaceful and just resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Zochrot argues. Testimony at the commission from a Palestinian woman who witnessed the al-Dahmash mosque massacre in July of 1948 will not likely change the minds of hardline Israelis, Farber added, “but when you have a testimony from the Zionist fighter who fired the gun in the mosque, you cannot ignore that. This was the inspiration for the commission”.

Israeli air strikes on four multi-storey buildings towards the end of its 50-day military assault on Gaza this summer amounted to war crimes, rights group Amnesty International has said. A new report released by the London-based rights organisation on Tuesday claimed that the attacks on the civilian buildings on the last four days of the war were deliberate. The group called for an independent probe in these four cases. “All the evidence we have shows this large-scale destruction was carried out deliberately and with no military justification,” said Philip Luther, director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Amnesty International. “Both the facts on the ground and statements made by Israeli military spokespeople at the time indicate that the attacks were a collective punishment against the people of Gaza and were designed to destroy their already precarious livelihoods.” The group also said that although the Israeli military had warned residents of the buildings to leave before they were destroyed, a number of people from nearby buildings were injured. Israel used controversial techniques, including distributing leaflets and “roof-knocking” - where a small missile strikes the roof of a building as a warning for the residents to leave - before air strikes

‘Truth commission’ to begin in Israel

lance shortly afterwards, the Reuters photographer said. Bilateral tensions have been fueled in recent weeks by the killing of 10 Israelis and a foreign visitor in Palestinian attacks. More than a dozen Palestinians have been killed over the same period, including most of those accused of carrying out the assaults. Palestinians in Ramallah closed shops in protest at the minister’s death and youths threw stones at Israeli soldiers guarding a Jewish settlement outside the city, Palestinian security sources said.

Strikes on Gaza highrises were ‘war crimes’

level the building. However, Haaretz newspaper quoted the Israeli embassy in London as saying that Amnesty’s latest report was a “decontextualised description of events”. “The report offers a decontextualised description of events, while relying heavily on testimonies gathered by unnamed local ‘fieldworkers,’ who are not identified and whose credibility is never questioned,” the statement from the embassy said. Jerusalem has refused to cooperate with a United Nations inquiry into possible war crimes during the conflict, accusing it of bias. About 2,200 Palestinians, most of them civilians, were killed in the war between Israel and Hamas fighters, which ended on August 26. On the Israeli side 73 people were killed, 67 of them soldiers. One of the landmark buildings destroyed was the Municipal Commercial Centre in Rafah, which contained a shopping mall, a medical clinic and offices, and provided livelihoods for hundreds of families, the Amnesty International report said. Israeli authorities had said that one building housed a command centre of the Palestinian group Hamas, and that another had “facilities linked to Palestinian militants”, according to the report. Source: Al-Jazeera

Safar 19, 1436H December 12, 2014

F A I T H It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: “They used to think that ‘Umrah during the months of Hajj was one of the most evil of actions on earth. They would make Muharram Safar, and they used to say, ‘When the wounds of the camel’s back heal up (after they return from Hajj) and the footprints of the camels vanish and the month of Safar passes away then (at that time) ‘Umra is permissible for the one who wishes to perform it.” (Bukhari, 1489; Muslim, 1240)

Learning to love prayers Skipping prayers is unfortunately something common among many Muslims. Many, nonetheless, keep going back to prayers out of fear, and rightfully so, of Allah, majestic in His praise. Faith is connected to fear and this applies and is beneficial for someone without a firm ground in religion. With regards to fear, our Prophet (peace be upon him) based on his incomparable knowledge of Allah and spiritual reality said, “Truly, I am the most God-fearing among you.” As believers, the essence of faith should not be based solely on fear. It is a stage that may be central for many in our path to Allah considering the nature of our egos, psyches and worldliness. The human soul is created with basic fear and it should be dealt with and straightened in order to get close to Allah. Having said that hope should always outweigh fear. Imam Al-Ghazali mentions, continuous dependence on fear undoubtedly leads to despair. At any stage, one should have a little more hope than fear. Deeds based on hope are better than ones based on fear. This is why traditional scholars of Islam say that throughout life, Muslims should not think that they are destined for salvation and Paradise; but when on the deathbed, Muslims should believe otherwise — Allah will be pleased and will accept them into Paradise. Still, neither fear nor hope is the highest rank that believers should aim for. Ihsan (excellence), as explained by our most beloved Prophet (peace be upon him), is “worshiping Allah as if you see Him.” This is the highest form of worship. It consists of many more aspects than mere fear or hope: Love, satisfaction, absolute sub-

mission to Allah, infinite certitude and in- significance of prayers. The chapter is based on an insightful undertent for closeness. standing of many scholars, which is derived Practical solutions from the verse that reads: “And Allah has Now that fear in relation to skipping prayers created you and what you make.” (Qur’an, is contextualized, what are the most prac37:96) and the Hadith of the Prophet: “The tical and functional ways to deal with this heart of a believer lies between two fingers problem? of the Merciful.” (Muslim) First, there is no solution without repentThird, after that, you should make continuing immediately. Despite all the tricks that ous heartfelt and genuine supplications to our egos and Satan play on us, there is no Allah to help you, expressing your readiexcuse for us to delay repentance. Allah is ness to Allah’s guidance. Almighty, worthy of absolute worship eterFourth, many scholars give the following nally and we must endeavor to be an obediadvice based on the verse: “And when your ent servant of Allah, Most Sublime. Lord proclaimed, “If you are grateful, I will Second, no one can be convinced and firm give you more.” (Qur’an, 14:7) in carrying out such a great task (attending Whenever Allah allows for believers an act to the subscribed prayers) that easily, unless of worship, they should be grateful to Allah there is an incentive for doing it. for it. Keep invoking ‘Alhamdulillah’ (all Prayers involve commitment to doing praise be to Allah) until Allah grants you something five times a day even waking up success in being consistent with offering at dawn. prayers on time. Here is something practical that should Fifth, one of the methods that Shaikh Nuh make things easier. No one can do such a Keller prescribes as a cure for this problem great task without knowing its worth. — a solution that has also been traditionally Read the chapter on prayers in the book, followed — is based on the genius of the Ihya Ulum Ad-Din (The Revival of Islamic divinely inspired prophetic wisdom in the Sciences) by Al-Ghazali, a book of trementradition “whoever prays to Allah 40 days dous benefit, and which will benefit the catching the first Takbir (the opening invoreaders in repenting and internalizing the cation) in a group would have two clearanc-

Names Of A l l a h (SWT) & Mohammad (PBUH) Last edition Names were

Al Wahab name of Allah(swt) & The Shaf’i Mohammad(saw) name.

es; a clearance from Hell and a clearance from hypocrisy.” (AtTirmidhi) This solution is also inspired by the numerous Hadiths related to continuing an act of worship for that period and also the period of the spiritual retreat of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him) that is mentioned in the Qur’an. Human nature can break a habit and start one anew if practiced for 40 continuous days. Try to promise yourself to perform prayers without missing any for 40 days. Every time you break the sequence, start from the beginning. Also for men, praying in congregation (jamaah) — with all its rewards and spiritual and psychological benefits — is a great method to overcome this problem. What you could also do is punish your ego with ascending measures. For example, every time you miss a prayer, pray it immediately and then pray two extra rakahs. If it happens again, pray four, then, eight, then 16, etc. (All of which will be in the form of two rakahs). This way our ego will be tamed, depending on the seriousness and sincerity we put into doing so. Finally, whether in the prescribed prayers or other ones, deal with them as something you do with love, not fear, not just a fulfillment of a compulsion. The essence of our religion that is rightfully veiled from many is love; have not we listened to the Hadith Qudsi that says, “There is nothing that My servant approaches Me with that is more loved by Me than what I made obligatory on him.” (Al-Bukhari) And nothing is more important in this religion than prayer, especially when performed on time. — Courtesy: onislam.net

Prayer Schedule in Greater Vancouver Dec 12-26, 2014 Safar 19- Rabi ul Awal 3-17, 1436H Date 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 R.I .1 2 3

Date Day 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

Fajar

6:01 6:02 6:03 6:04 6:04 6:04 6:05 6:06 6:06 6:07 6:07 6:08 6:08 6:09 6:09

Sunr

7:57 7:58 7:58 7:59 8:00 8:00 8:01 8:02 8:02 8:03 8:03 8:04 8:04 8:05 8:05

Zawal

12:11 12:11 12:12 12:12 12:13 12:13 12:13 12:14 12:15 12:15 12:16 12:16 12:17 12:17 12:18

Dhuhr

Asar

Maghrib

Isha

12:16 12:16 12:17 12:17 12:18 12:18 12:18 12:19 12:20 12:20 12:21 12:21 12:22 12:22 12:23

14:28 14:29 14:29 14:29 14:29 14:29 14:29 14:30 14:31 14:31 14:32 14:32 14:33 14:34 14:34

16:22 16:22 16:22 16:22 16:22 16:22 16:23 16:23 16:24 16:24 16:25 16:25 16:26 16:27 16:27

17:51 17:51 17:51 17:52 17:52 17:52 17:52 17:53 17:54 17:54 17:55 17:55 17:56 17:56 17:57

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

Safar 19, 1436H December 12, 2014

N A T

I N T

N E W S Malala and Kailash Nobel Award: Continued from pg 1

UN resumes food aid for Syrian refugees

A global call for help resettling more than 100,000 Syrian refugees over the next two years must be answered in part by Canada, says the United Nations refugee agency representative in Ottawa. The latest appeal by the United Nations high commissioner for refugees represents an opportunity, Furio De Angelis said in an interview with The Canadian Press. “Canada is a very important country to the UNHCR, not only for the support it gives to refugee programs but also for the leadership that it provides in terms of international standards of global protection,” De Angelis said. “This is another occasion for countries who have a leading role in global refugee protection to really show their strength.” The UNHCR made a special pitch at meetings in Geneva on Tuesday for countries to help resettle more than 100,000 refugees from the Syrian civil war by 2016. Though 25 countries made pledges to open more spaces, Canada was not among them. “We will make announcements about further commitments at a future date,” said Kevin Menard, a spokesman for Immigration Minister Chris Alexander. While Canada has been accepting refugees from the Syrian crisis since it began in 2011, the UNHCR did not make a direct request for assistance in resettlement until 2013. That year, the agency put out a global call for countries to take in 30,000 of the most vulnerable refugees living in refugee camps in Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Egypt. Canada agreed to take 1,300 people by the end of this year; private sponsorship groups were allotted 1,100 spots and the government agreed to directly resettle the rest. While the government’s promise to settle 200 people has been

met and exceeded, only 163 people being sponsored by private groups had made it to Canada as of the middle of November. On Tuesday, the government released updated numbers, saying 703 refugees have come to Canada since Jan. 1, 2014. The trickle of arrivals — and the absence of a new commitment — are a failure on the part of the minister, said the NDP critic for multiculturalism Andrew Cash. “In the face of mounting pleas in the international community for more help from our government, we’re just left to really wonder whether this government has a serious commitment to playing its part and doing its fair share,” he said in an interview. “If Canada is not going to do that, if we’re not showing an example, then how can we be a leader in the world in terms of peace and justice.” The plight of Syrian refugees has been a daily issue at question period for weeks and an ongoing source of frustration for the Syrian Canadian community who says the process is so cumbersome that some would-be sponsors are just walking away. De Angelis wouldn’t comment directly on the delays. It’s estimated that 3.8 million people have been turned into refugees by the civil war raging in Syria since 2011. Not all want or need to be resettle. The UN estimates about 10 per cent need to move to another country. The agency prioritizes who it considers the most vulnerable — among them women, children and survivors of torture — and asks countries to take them in. In February, the UNHCR had said it hoped to resettle 130,000 people by the end of 2016. So far, around 62,000 spots for refugees have been opened up worldwide, with Germany and Sweden taking in the highest numbers of people. Tuesday’s new commitments to bring that number up to 100,000 are at least a good step forward, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said in a press release Tuesday. Canada is not alone in the challenge of meeting commitments. Of 4,000 Syrians who have applied to go to the United Kingdom under a resettlement program there, only about 25 have actually arrived, according to British media reports. Source: Toronto Star

deprived of education,” the Nobel laureate said.“I dedicate the Nobel Prize money to the Malala Fund, to help give girls everywhere a quality education...The first place this funding will go is where my heart is, to build schools in Pakistan, especially in my home of Swat and Shangla,” she said in her speech. Earlier, chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee Thorbjørn Jagland during his opening speech said that world conscience “can find no better expression than through Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzai.” “A young girl and a somewhat older man, one from Pakistan and one from India, one Muslim, the other Hindu; both symbols of what the world needs: more unity. Fraternity between the nations!” said Jagland. He said that, “Satyarthi and Yousafzai are precisely the people whom Alfred Nobel in his will calls ‘champions of peace’.” “Malala Yousafzai is far and away the youngest Peace Prize Laureate of all time,” Jagland said. “Malala Yousafzai’s vision was clear right from the start. Girls had a self-evident right to education...Her courage is almost indescribable,” he said. Pakistani musician Rahat Fateh Ali Khan also performed at the awards ceremony. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted a tweet on Twitter congratulating Malala on her award. Malala has already received a host of awards, standing ovations and plaudits from the United Nations to Buckingham Palace. But on the eve of the ceremony she said she was far from ready to rest on her laurels. “We are not here just to accept our award, get this medal and go back home. We are here to tell children especially that you need to stand up, you need to speak up for your rights ... It is you who can change the

world,” Malala told a press conference at the Nobel Institute in Oslo. Pen and a book “In this world if we are thinking we are modern and have achieved so much development, then why is it that there are so many countries where children are not asking for any iPad or computer or anything. What they are asking for is just a book, just a pen, so why can’t we do that? “ Malala was 15 when a Taliban gunman shot her in the head as she travelled on a school bus in response to her campaign for girls’ education. Although her injuries almost killed her, she recovered after being flown for extensive surgery in Birmingham, central England. She has been based in England with her family ever since, continuing both her education and activism. For the first time ever the blood-soaked school uniform she wore when she was shot near her home in the Swat Valley in October 2012 will go on display in an exhibition at the Nobel Peace Center in Oslo this week. At her invitation, five other teenage activists joined her in Oslo from Pakistan, Syria and Nigeria, including Shazia Ramzan, 16, and Kainat Riaz, 17, who were also shot during the Taliban attack on Malala, and 17-yearold Amina Yusuf, a girls’ education activist from northern Nigeria where the terror group Boko Haram abducted more than 200 schoolgirls during a raid in April 2014. Asked why she thinks some Islamic extremist groups are opposed to education for girls, Malala, dressed in a multi-coloured headscarf, replied: “Unfortunately, those people who stand against education, they sometimes themselves are uneducated or they’ve been indoctrinated.” Source: The Dawn

US Senate report condemns CIA brutality

A US Senate report on harsh techniques employed to interrogate “terror” suspects post-9/11 attacks has condemned the CIA for brutality and deception. The heavily redacted 480-page report - published on Tuesday - covered the treatment of around 100 suspects rounded up by US operatives between 2001 and 2009 on terrorism charges. The full 6,200-page report remains classified. Ahead of the publication of the report, the US had tightened security at its embassies across the globe. Senate Intelligence Committee chair Dianne Feinstein said the techniques used by the CIA were “far more brutal than people were led to believe” and that “coercive techniques regularly resulted

in fabricated information” from detainees. “There are those who will seize upon the report and say see what the Americans did? And they will try to use it to justify evil actions or incite more violence,” said Feinstein. “We can’t prevent that, but history will judge us by our commitment to a just society governed by law and the willingness to face an ugly truth and say never again.” The report said harsh CIA interrogations produced much bad information, including a fake story about al-Qaeda recruiting African-Americans. It said the interrogations were ineffective and never produced information that led to foiling of “imminent terror threat”. The report followed a five-year investigation by the Senate Intelligence Committee into the programme. The CIA maintained the harsh techniques were effective and foiled terrorist plots. The report said the CIA misled the public and policymakers about the programme, much of which was developed, operated and assessed by two outside contractors. The tactics discussed in the document include threats that Abd al-Rahim al-Na-

shiri, a suspect in the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, would have his mother “brought before him and sexually abused.” He was also threatened with a power drill. The report said some detainees were forced to stay awake for over a week at a time, and that several detainees suffered from “hallucinations, paranoia, insomnia and attempts at self-harm and self-mutilation.” Reacting to the report, US President Barack Obama said the CIA actions “were contrary to our values”. “I hope that today’s report can help us leave these techniques where they belong in the past. Today is also a reminder that upholding the values we profess doesn’t make us weaker, it makes us stronger and that the United States of America will remain the greatest force for freedom and human dignity that the world has ever known,” he said in a statement. The enhanced interrogation programme was dismantled by Obama in 2009. Al Jazeera’s Patty Culhane, reporting from outside the White House in Washington DC, said the aim of the report was to guarantee that torture was never used again in any sort of covert programme. “But it is not exactly clear why the Senate has that confidence. Remember, no one was prosecuted for the programme,” said Culhane.

Another Al Jazeera correspondent, Kimberly Halkett, reporting from Capitol Hill in Washington DC, said it was unclear what Congress would do next. “It is hard to say what Congress will do, because Congress had plenty of opportunities to do something and yet did not,” said Halkett. Amnesty International said the report makes clear that the CIA was acting unlawfully “from day one” and its brutal interrogations were not a rogue operation. Steven Hawkins, executive director of Amnesty’s US branch, said the programme “gave the green light to commit the crimes under international law of torture and enforced disappearance -with impunity. It’s time for accountability, including a full investigation, prosecutions and remedy for victims.” Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth said the report “shows the repeated claims that harsh measures were needed to protect Americans are fiction.” He noted that the Obama administration had ended many of the practices described in graphic detail in the report. But Roth added: “Unless this important truth-telling process leads to prosecution of the officials responsible, torture will remain a ‘policy option’ for future presidents.” Source: Al-Jazeera

Safar 19, 1436H December 12, 2014

E D I T O R I A L

The Manipulative Oil Politics

Upon experiencing the cheaper prices at pumps, general public expected a drop in food prices as well, yet that hasn’t happened simply because Canadian dollar (known as “petro dollar”) gains its strength from the higher fuel prices. This means the higher the price of oil goes, higher the value of loonie will be and vice versa. Second, Let’s not be surprised as the price of imported grocery continues its trend of rising or staying the same at least; it’s all based upon the going exchange rate. As long as Canadian dollar negatively travels below parity with the US dollar, the imports will be becoming more expensive and costlier. Declining oil prices have significant economic consequences around the world; there is some uncertainty over how long the low oil prices would last. However, the ongoing global over-supply of oil despite the weak demand due to economic slow-down in China, and Europe is a cause of concern for the oil producing countries. Beyond doubt, cheaper gasoline brings relief to the general consumers. As said above, the countries doing trade in the US currency are in trouble, because the imports remain expensive for them. The Canadian buck already nosedived quite a bit below parity against the greenback. Since the Canadian oil is also priced in US dollars, the lower loonie keeps offsetting most of the price drop. The factor of weaker demand and higher supply caused oil prices to start lowering from their June 2014 peak of $115 per barrel down to around $70-$75 per barrel now; but a decade ago or so it was around

$40 per barrel. Energy economist James Hamilton points out, instability in Libya, Iraq, or Nigeria could do it. And, of course, if Canadian and the US oil producers pull back sharply in response to lower prices to stabilize the oil market, that will be great. True, the producers prefer to sell despite the lower going price to avoid extremely high cost of storing. Actually, oil production can’t be paused/discontinued, as such exercise of stopping oil production and then starting is highly expensive, hence not recommended. Obviously, the winners are those who have more than enough financial resources to outlast the competitors. Negative effect of low interest rates: Most probably, over-production of shale oil is result of a long stretch of too low interest rates. Easy money has resulted in over supply causing a big inventory all over. Other fear is prolonged availability of low interest rates may cause deflation. But the current dis-inflation is the result of low priced oil and low interest rates, if the condition persists and becomes chronic then deflation will ruin us all economically. Furthermore, there was a lot of heated debate among OPEC (the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries) in Vienna on November 27, about how best to respond to this currently low oil prices. Venezuela and Iran, wanted Saudi Arabia to cut back on her production in order to jack up the price of oil. Bad news/good News: If the price of oil keeps falling, some US producers may go out of business. If oil prices stabilize and OPEC

UBC Students’ Society responds to increase in International Tuition Fees’ By:Abby Blinch Communications Manager Alma Mater Society of UBC Vancouver The Alma Mater Society of UBC Vancouver (AMS), is greatly disappointed by the decision of the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) Board of Governors to approve an increase of ten per cent to international tuition fees for the incoming cohort of students. “We are incredibly frustrated to see the UBC Board of Governors approve an increase to international tuition based upon a sub-standard consultation process and an incomplete proposal,” said AMS President, Tanner Bokor. “International students in a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science program, for example, will now be paying $2,400 more for their education in the 20152016 academic year. This is a substan-

maintains its market share, the beneficiaries would be dancing. According to the International Energy Agency, about 4 percent of US shale projects need a price higher than $80 per barrel to stay afloat. But many projects in North Dakota’s Bakken formation are profitable if prices are above $42 per barrel. It seems as if the “strategy of over producing” is designed to push the vulnerable oil boomers out of the market. Apparently, some oil producing countries are playing manipulative politics by over supplying to make oil boom of other countries vulnerable. Steven Mufson of The Washington Post estimates that the annual revenue of OPEC nations could shrink by $590 billion if prices stay this low. Russian government, for its part, have been planning for $100-per-barrel oil in its 2015 budget. As prices are down to around $70, Russia is likely to go through a difficult economic condition. Moreover, the price-fall also poses unpleasant economic scenarios for some of the US states that are particularly dependent on oil drilling. Wyoming, Oklahoma, North Dakota, Alaska, and Texas are likely to be hard hit. Certainly, lower prices mean less revenue and less economic activity. It was the high prices that also spurred companies to mine the oil sands of Alberta — leading to a similar boom up in Canada. This year, oil prices have been crashing, with the price for West Texas Intermediate crude falling from $100 per barrel in July to below $70 in early December. That’s partly because there’s so much new oil coming out of the US and Canada,

tial and unreasonable one-time increase.” On October 14, AMS Council approved a resolution opposing the proposed tuition increase, as well as UBC’s recently announced 20 per cent increase to winter-term housing. At a historic quorate Annual General Meeting (AGM) on October 28, UBC students voiced their strong opposition to the proposed increases and overwhelmingly backed the decision of AMS Council, and further directed the Society to: •Officially oppose the international tuition fee increase; •Officially oppose the housing fee increase; •Advocate to the provincial government to ensure tenant rights’ within university housing; •Advocate to the provincial government to increase post-secondary funding; •Support student groups opposing the fee increases; •Organize student protests. Over the course of the past two months, the AMS and other campus partners have met with the UBC Administration in a series of meetings to discuss the proposed increases, and students have been vocal in opposition through a series of demonstrations on campus, and at UBC’s official town hall consultation sessions.

torture report reveals the ruthless brutality of Bush era that has shaken the earth. The real culprit is the ‘Boss’ Bush who shook the world leaders promoting fear by .his mesmerizing ‘Axis of evil’ speech, and the threatening words: “you are either with us or against us”, by which he got much support and partnership in war from his allies, and most leaders bowed their heads to him and supported his illegal war on Iraq, and brutality of all kinds. Killing the Iraqi Civilians, killing the Sons of Sadam Hussain, rampaging his Palace like hooligans and destroying the towns and cities, just like the work of terrorists.. The brutal prison torture includes the torture of 15 yrs old boy Omar Khadar thrown in foreign Prison the hell of Guatanamo that gives a shiver to the Spine as it was pure child abuse, but did we care? Even today the Prisoners are held without any charges or a day in the legal court. that is another violation of human rights in the Country of ‘pluralism’ and ‘secularism’ tainting the American value. The torture brutality was known to all of us long before this report, through Human Rights Activists and Amnesty International, but we turned a blind eye fearing Bush known as second Hitler, and who wouldn’t fear the evil Hitler? Like Hitler, Bush had nothing else in mind but destroy whom he dis‘Ruthless’ Brutality liked blinded by the anger and enmity against the enemies, but such of Bush Era ways of revenge and retaliation are By: Gulshan Aalani sheer terrorism, and are anti-Sharia Brutal beyond belief, gruesome CIA anti-GOD.

and partly because demand in Eu-rope and Asia continues to weaken. Some experts believe falling oill prices may adversely affect US and d Canadian oil production. Scotia Bank’s estimates of thee breakeven price for various US S shale and Canadian oil sands pro-jects: “The reasons for the oill price collapse are varied. China’ss energy-reliant economy is slowing g down. New shale oil production n from the U.S. is creating an excess. The OPEC has been unwilling orr unable to enforce high prices.” Most of the OPEC nations exceptt the Saudis are willing to “enforcee high prices,” through production n cuts. Nevertheless, the Saudis aree fearful that Congress would lift thee overseas export ban on U.S. crude, so they’re attempting to push ass many of the U.S. shale oil produc-ers out of business as they can. The U.S. shale oil drillers can sur-vive with $42.00 per barrel,while, Saudi Arabia can break even att $30.00 per barrel. It’s sitting on n huge foreign currency reserves, so o it can afford the expensive strategy y of keeping the oil oversupplied to o keep cheaper oil available. Thiss appears to be the classic price ma-nipulation on the part of Saudi Ara-bia to retain market share for somee time to come. Is there a ‘U Turn’ in future? Yes, it can be safely forecast based on n past experience: Provided, there iss a shortage in supply in the next few w years, the prices will start soaring g back up as part of the next econom-ic cycle. http://econbrowser.com/archives www.reuters.com www.vox.com/

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

The Divine Sharia applies to all religious domains, even to the so called Muslim Fighters, who must not justify their revengeful attacks based on this report. Analysis: Frank Gardner, BBC security correspondent says:“This report makes deeply uncomfortable reading but it shines a much-needed torch into some dark places”. This will lay the US open to charges of hypocrisy, making it far harder for the West to criticize brutal and dictatorial regimes. It may also encourage terrorists to justify their atrocities by pointing to this past abuse: It can only be hoped this report’s publication means these practices will be consigned to history’s dustbin:Introducing the report to the Senate, Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein described the CIA’s actions as a “stain on US history”.Dianne Feinstein said it was time to face the “ugly truth” Evidently, we always undermine the Power of Suprem-Being-Allah-Creator-GOD, and fearlessly commit the most horrendous sins thinking we are over and above HIS law, and HE will never know about our secret sins.How wrong and deluded is mankind because not knowing who is in charge.HE has warned mankind that even if he hides an atom’s worth of wrong doing in the Mountain, HE will find it and expose it. Let us leave it to HIM for the punishment and not take the law in our own hands.

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Egypt probes Morsi evidence recordings

Prosecutor’s office begins inquiry into what it calls “fabricated” recordings of officials planning to fake evidence. Egypt’s prosecutor general office has launched an investigation into what it describes as “fabricated” recordings by the Muslim Brotherhood of senior officials discussing ways to forge evidence against former president Mohamed Morsi. The leaked recordings aired on pro-Morsi satellite channels on Friday, depicting a debate among senior military and security officials over forging trial evidence against Morsi before he was formally charged with multiple crimes under the civilian court system. It allegedly features General Mamdouh Shahin, legal adviser to then army chief and now President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, warning

other senior officials in Sisi’s office that the case against Morsi would collapse if documents were not forged. Al Jazeera cannot independently verify the contents of the recordings. ‘Fabricated recordings’ The prosecutor general’s office blamed the Muslim Brotherhood for fabricating the footage and telephone conversations “using advanced technology” with the aim of “causing disruption and destabilising society.’’ In a statement, it vowed to fight such “crimes” and ordered an “extensive investigation to find those responsible.” Morsi has been in jail since he was overthrown last July and is on trial for inciting the killing of opposition protesters in December 2012 outside the presidential palace.The deposed president also faces charges of espionage in collaboration with the Palestinian movement Hamas. The Egyptian government has repeatedly said Morsi’s toppling was not a “coup”, but a decision taken after mass street protests rocked Cairo and other cities on June 30, 2013. At least 1,400 people are estimated to have been killed, more than 15,000 jailed and hundreds sentenced to death since since authorities launched a brutal crackdown against Morsi supporters. Source: Agencies

‘Ultras’ fuel Egypt’s campus protests

Repression of students’ dissent is uniting ultras groups and student activists from across the spectrum. Protests continued on university campuses across Egypt following the court verdict that cleared ousted President Hosni Mubarak of charges of killing protesters during the January 25 uprising. The protesters comprise a broad mix of Islamists, liberals, leftists, independents and other non-affiliated students. The scale of protests prompted state-owned news website Al-Ahram to describe it as Egypt witnessing “a university uprising”. But it was one group of activists that has given a sharper edge to many of the ongoing protests on university campuses across Egypt since the new academic year began on October 11: Ultras Nahdawy. Ultras are generally known as hard-core football fans, but “Nahdawy” activists are not linked to any team. Most of their original members came from ultras groups supporting Cairo sporting clubs, al-Ahly Club and Zamalek Club. According to its spokesperson, they formed a new ultras movement during the 2012 presidential campaign to support the Muslim Brotherhood candidate Mohamed Morsi, who later won the election. “We were the first political ultras in Egypt,” the Nah-

dawy’s spokesperson said. But it was the escalating repression against students that brought the ultras and students, from across the spectrum, together. Students have rebelled against a raft of government measures, which include pre-emptive arrests of students, and the banning of political activities and “insulting” the president on campus. Universities have been given a military makeover, with the installation of steel walls, barbed wire, metal detectors and CCTV, backed by a heavy-handed security presence in and around campuses. The new measures were designed to prevent a repeat of the anti-government protests that occurred during the last academic year, in which at least 16 students were killed and hundreds arrested.

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City of Surrey’s Newly Elected Mayor and Council sworn in at Inauguration Ceremony

Linda Hepner was sworn in as the Mayor of Surrey at the Inaugural Council meeting in Council Chambers at Surrey City Hall this evening in front of an audience of 400 people. “I am honoured to be given the opportunity and responsibility to be the next Mayor of this great city of ours,” says Mayor Linda

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Hepner. “I look forward in continuing the legacy of good work by our previous Mayor Dianne Watts. With a strong combination of experienced and newly elected councillors on my team, we are eager to get to work on behalf of all the people of Surrey.” Before taking public office, Mayor Hepner has had a 20 year history working at the City of Surrey which included a stint as the Manager of the City’s Economic Development Office. In 2005, she was elected to Council and served three terms as Councillor before winning the Mayor’s chair in last month’s civic election. At tonight’s Inaugural Council meeting, the following City of Surrey representatives were appointed to the Metro Vancouver Board of Directors:

• Mayor Linda Hepner • Councillor Judy Villeneuve • Councillor Barbara Steele • Councillor Bruce Hayne • Councillor Mary Martin • Councillor Tom Gill appointed pp as Alternate

By Farooq Mumtaz Rai

Pakistan to Canada:

On November 30th , a brief and informal Book Release Reception took place at Mr. Farooq Rai’s residence. Having the opportunity to read the book, the Consul General of Pakistan, Dr. Mohammad Tariq, who attended the event, expressed his appreciation of Mr. Rai’s excellent work. Executive members of community organizations along with media personnel were invited with key notes delivered by various members of the community including Dr. Babra Rana (Pakistan Women’s Association), Mrs. Nuzhat Malik (Bazm-e-Khawateen), Hamza Malik (Youth Council). And, whilst it is common for politicians and dignitaries to preside over such events, none where invited as executive members of youth and women’s community organizations were given the honour to present the book. Also at the event, Pakistan-Canada Association’s (PCA), General Secretary, Mr. Raza Mirani, made the following statement: “On behalf of the board, trust, and membership of Pakistan-Canada Association, I express my sincere congratulations on the occasion of the completion of your book.

Your book serves as an inspiration to us all and a unique sense of pride in your accomplishments is shared through the PakistaniCanadian community… Pakistan-Canada Association also wishes to acknowledge the outstanding contributions you have made to the greater Canadian community... Your selfless efforts have garnered you admiration and respect amongst individuals in the highest seats of power… Your thoughtful dedication to the cause of Islam and Pakistan has countered an otherwise unrelenting attack on our shared faith and heritage… PakistanCanada Association humbly stands at your side as you engage in efforts to place your book in as many hands as possible. Sharing your story and the story of Pakistani-Canadians in British Columbia with young and old alike is a duty not to be taken lightly and one that will be supported with every ounce of effort as can be mustered.” Also of PCA, Mr. Jamil Chaudhry expressed his sentiments and some suggestions for future initiatives pertaining to the book. His thoughts were appreciated. Likewise,Mr. Haseeb Waraich of the Pa-

kistani-Canadian Cultural Association (PCCA) presented a commemorative plaque on behalf of President, Mr. Naveed Waraich with their appreciation and best wishes. The PCCA was equally vocal and strong in their support and encouragement of Mr. Rai, whereby, speaking warmly about his efforts and contribution for the good of the community were Mr. Iftikhar Ghumman, and Ms. Sehrish Chatha (Youth Delegate). At the event, President of the Canada Urdu Association, Mr. Mohammad Rafiq, made the following statement: “I congratulate Farooq from the bottom of my heart for the publication of this landmark. In each community there are people who stand a cut above. Farooq Rai is one such person among the “Canadians of Pakistani Origin.” In this term, Farooq has given the community a respectable identity. I have known Farooq for over a quarter of a century. Apart from advancing his career here, he has been instrumental in furthering the causes of the community wherever he had an opportunity… He is one of few visionaries of our community and has shown direction to success to many… In that sense, he is a true leader of a community which is trying to make its place in the Canadian cultural mosaic. His book is legendary and should be protected as a heritage of community of Pakistani origin… I congratulate Farooq Rai again for this landmark achievement which would mean a lot to the children of our community and would help them make a specific identity as Canadians of Pakistani Origin as we need it now more than ever.” Mr. Rai was visibly moved by the kind words and expressed his gratitude to all in attendance. He presented commemorative gifts along with his book. He also included a booklet written by his late father, Rai Mumtaz Ali Khan, published in 1940, entitled “Bayad-e-Iqbal” or In Memory of Iqbal (Allama Iqbal). Mr. Rai also stated that, “my book is no big

for Mayor Hepner Media Inquiries: Oliver Lum By:Communications Manager Office of the Mayor Cityy off Surreyy deal, but simply a catalyst. If writing about my experiences can motivate others to do the same or to do whatever they think is warranted, then at least the momentum is not lost to continue our efforts for the betterment of the community.” Thus, sparking further discussion regarding future community initiatives involving youth and women and the need to preserve our unique culture and heritage. He also shared that he put a fair amount of time and resources in publishing a few copies free of charge and has committed to donating copies to public libraries. However, Mr. Rai will leave it up to the community to pursue further options of printing additional copies, if so wished. Based on their expertise and background, Mr. Mohammad Rafiq and Mr. Raza Mirani were asked to look into options for publication of the book, as they welcome input from others. Mr. Rai made it clear that he will not consider taking any money even to recover costs. Concluding the event, Mr. Rai also took the opportunity to share the following points: 1)All community organizations should work together in co-operation and collaboration with each other as a united and positive front for the good of the community, whereby, harmonious trustworthy alliances are fostered and promoted in order to achieve common goals, aims and objectives. Such unity is a source of strength and support for the community and must extend beyond mere words in order to achieve effective action. 2)We must include the voices and agency of youth and women in all community affairs ranging from leadership to decision-making. The participation and involvement of youth and women should be meaningful and genuine rather than mere token recognition. 3)We should encourage and pursue initiatives that promote and preserve our unique identity and values. We also should be more mindful to present our religion, culture, and heritage in a more positive light amidst erroneous and biased misinformation.

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Safar 19, 1436H December 12, 2014

F I J I

N E W S

Gas company offers services via short code

By GERALDINE PANAPASA FIJI Gas has introduced a short code number on all three mobile networks to make it easier for customers to make contact. The short code number, 3454, will put customers in direct contact with all Fiji Gas services. CEO Peter Lee says Fiji Gas is one of the first companies to have the same short code number across all three mobile phone networks. He said the company worked closely with the three mobile phone companies in Fiji to bring the innovation.

Chinese specialists to train local mechanics

By ROPATE VALEMEI THREE specialists from SAIC Motors in China are in the country to conduct training for Vision Motors mechanics on the new Maxus vehicles that are running on our roads. Vision Motors have been in partnership with Maxus for more than a year and have been a popular vehicle for certain companies and government ministries. Companys Sales manager and Lube specialist Gerald Mani said they had supplied many Maxus vehicles to Fiji Correction Services, Ambulances, National Fire Authority and a few companies in the country.

Women groups receive funding

By TORIKA CHANDRA FOUR womens organisations in Fiji are named recipients of the UN Womens Pacific Regional Ending Violence against Women Facility Fund (Pacific Fund). The fund is a key component of UN Womens Ending Violence against Women and Girls Program, launched in March 2009, to support civil society organisations and government departments with specific projects targeting violence against women. The groups include: House of Sarah which is run by the Anglican Church, Medical Services Pacific, Fiji Girl Guides Association and the Ministry of Women, Children and Poverty Alleviation.

Seven other women groups from Tonga, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu are also recipients of the fund.

By: LUKE RAWALAI ON average, 312 women — almost one every day — will become permanently disabled each year because of intimate partner violence. This was revealed by Labasa Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre project officer Sera Bogitini who said 64 per cent — almost two in three — who had ever been in an intimate relationship experienced physical and or sexual violence or both by a husband or intimate partner in their lifetime. Mrs Bogitini said 24 per cent — almost one in four — experienced physical and sexual violence in the last 12 months. “Today, we remember those that were discriminated against, women, children, mem-

bers of minority groups and even men,” she said. She said yesterday’s event was held to remember those that continued in silence with their suffering.

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Safar 19, 1436H December 12, 2014

C U R R E N T

A F A I R S

America defiant in ‘oil war’ with OPEC

By Jesse Solomon America’s energy industry is battling OPEC with a ferocity not seen since the 1980s. So far, it’s not backing down. The oil cartel’s decision last week not scale back on production was widely seen as an attempt to choke off the U.S. shale boom. OPEC figures that by driving down oil prices, North American producers will collapse. Both sides are feeling the heat as oil prices stay below $70. Oil rich nations are losing out on much-needed revenue to bankroll their budgets, and many domestic energy players are feeling the pressure as well. But those who came to get rich in America’s 21st Century oil rush shouldn’t start packing their bags just yet. The U.S. is producing the most crude oil in 30 years, and prices would need to get much worse before the shale boom dies off.Related: Oil and gas stocks aren’t dead yet How low can you go? Unlike many OPEC nations that are continuing to sell oil at prices below what they’ve budgeted for, U.S. shale companies can keep making money even if oil falls further. According to a report by the International Energy Agency last month, most producers in North Dakota’s Bakken formation, an area that’s been a key contributor to the shale revolution, can remain profitable even if oil falls to $42 per barrel (it’s currently at $68).“U.S. shale producers are surprising resilient. They will drill as long as they have cash flow from their operations,” said

Per Magnus Nysveen of Rystad Energy. To be sure, some energy companies will run into trouble. Those that borrowed heavily for exploration are particularly vulnerable to bankruptcy or being taken over by a larger player. But many analysts predict that the industry will continue to grow next year, albeit at a more moderate pace.Party like it’s 1986? OPEC appears to be taking a page out of its 1986 playbook, when Saudi Arabia abruptly ramped up production and sent prices tumbling. The strategy worked, forcing many oil drillers in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana out of business and allowing the Saudis to clinch more market share. But this time around, it’s different, according to Phil Flynn, an analyst at the Price Futures Group in Chicago.That’s because technological advances in oil extraction such as fracking have led to an unprecedented period of U.S. energy production.“This isn’t the 1980’s, and this isn’t the 1980s oil market,” said Flynn. OPEC is “going to have a difficult time burying it,” he added. Trouble in OPEC-land? What’s good for some in OPEC might not be good for others. As the largest and most powerful producer by far, Saudi Arabia can withstand a period of weaker oil prices. Related: Ouch! Cheap oil is squeezing these countriesThe situation is starkly different for Iran, whose economy is already reeling from sanctions over its nuclear program. And in oilrich Venezuela, where rampant inflation and economic stagnation were taking a toll even before the black stuff began to tumble, socialist President Nicholas Maduro was quoted by Reuters last week saying that he would push OPEC to cut production until oil bounces back to $100. But the days of $100 oil might be a thing of the past for now, even though it was in triple digit territory as recently as July. Nysveen estimates it will take around five years to get back to that level.“There are a lot of OPEC countries that won’t be able to sustain the lower energy price,” said Flynn.”It’s going to be hard to maintain unity.”

Ottawa targets ‘intentional’ higher prices in Canada than USA

The federal government will tackle the persistent price gap between goods in Canada and the U.S. with new legislation that was unveiled on Tuesday. Retailers support the proposed bill, but some observers are skeptical about the approach, which would investigate and publicly call out firms that set prices unfairly high in Canada. The announcement comes as the price gap is naturally shrinking because the Canadian dollar has hit the 87-cent (U.S.) range. The Price Transparency Act, tabled in Ottawa on Tuesday, is designed to “name and shame” manufacturers and distributors that demand higher prices for goods sold in Canada, Industry Minister James Moore said. “This legislation will not set or regulate prices in Canada,” he told reporters at a news conference held at a Toys R Us store in Etobicoke. The announcement follows through on a commitment the government made in its 2014 budget, following a Senate investigation into the reasons for a persistent U.S.-Canada price gap. The Senate committee blamed everything from high tariffs to higher Canadian costs to “country pricing” — the practice of some large multinational brands of charging Canadian retailers more than U.S. merchants for identical merchandise. The legislation would give the federal Competition Commissioner the power to collect evidence on so-called cross-border price gouging and publicly report its findings. These powers will serve as “an effective tool” and will result in “immediate downward pressure on prices,” Moore said. “We believe those who are engaging in this practice . . . will abandon it. While there are some legitimate cost differences between selling goods in the U.S. and Canada, studies have shown that Canadians routinely pay between 10 and 25 per cent more than U.S. shoppers for television sets, cars, tires, and other products. Under the new legislation, the Competition Commissioner will have the power to

file court orders to compel the production of evidence to expose discriminatory pricing practices, the government said. The commission will also be able to publicly report situations where consumers are unfairly targeted with higher prices, Industry Canada said in a release. “The intentional manipulation of prices on identical goods for sale in Canada and the U.S. places an unfair burden on Canadians and is simply wrong,” Moore said in a release. The furor over the Canada-U.S. gap emerged after the Canadian dollar rose above the U.S. dollar in 2007 for the first time in nearly three decades. Also, it became easier for Canadian consumers to compare cross-border prices on the Internet as more retailers launched websites. Consumers blamed Canadian retailers. Retailers blamed suppliers. Suppliers blame the higher cost of doing business in a smaller country. In 2011, the late Jim Flaherty, who was then federal finance minister, asked the Senate committee on national finance to investigate the reasons for the price disparity. The report, released in February 2013, identified a number of factors. Ottawa’s first response was to remove the tariffs on some items, such as baby clothes and hockey gear. Source: Global Mail

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part, because Lucia had an accent and that he believed “she wasn’t originally from Canada.” “Together, the research shows that the surveillance of public transportation is well underway, with Transit Police happily collaborating with the CBSA in order to enforce immigration law,” says Omar Chu, of Transportation Not Deportation!, a new committee working on combating the growing role of transit police in the deportation of migrants. Transit Police’s own report similarly notes that “Transit Police represented a significant proportion of the Police Agency referrals to the CBSA offices Source: Media contacts:Omar Chu:

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End Transit Police Collaboration tention center. At the coroner’s inquest with Canadian Border Services into her death, a transit police officer testified that he turned Lucia over to CBSA, in Agency This Sunday, at 4pm, community groups are gathering inside Main Street skytrain station, near the entrance downstairs, to hold a vigil for the anniversary of Lucia Vega Jiménez’s suicide in Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) custody, and to discuss transit police’s growing involvement in immigration enforcement. In total, three hundred and twenty eight people were reported to Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) by Transit Police last year, one in five of whom faced a subsequent immigration investigation. This suggests that the other four were simply racially profiled. One of these people was Lucia Vega Jiménez, who later committed suicide in a de-

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I M M I G R A T I O N S

Express entry immigration points system revealed before Jan. 1st launch

‘In demand’ immigrants will be in Canada within 6 months By Susana Mas, CBC News With one month left to the launch of a new immigration system that will give skilled immigrants express entry into Canada, the government has made public for the first time the details of the points system it will use to select foreign workers. While the government is promising the new system will have “in demand” immigrants in Canada within six months, critics have expressed concerns about express entry being akin to a job bank serving government and industry. Starting Jan. 1, skilled immigrants will be matched with vacant jobs where there are no available Canadian workers. After applying online andregistering with the government’s job bank, applicants will be entered into a pool. Only the candidates with the most points will be offered permanent residency. A maximum of 600 points will be given to skilled immigrants who receive a permanent job offer from a Canadian employer or who have been nominated for immigration by a province or territory. Immigration Minister Chris Alexander said

these are the ones that will be “picked first,” in a written statement on Monday. He also noted the so-called “first draw” for permanent residency applications is scheduled for the last week of January. Skilled immigrants will receive up to 1,200 points based on factors in two other categories: •A maximum of 500 points will be allotted for what the government is calling “core human capital factors” such as age, education level, language proficiency and work experience in Canada. •A maximum of 100 points will be assigned for “skill transferability factors,” which include a combination of education level, foreign work experience and a certificate in the trades. For instance, a maximum of 110 points will be allotted for age. Only those aged 20 to 29 will receive the maximum points in this category, while those aged 17 and under or 45 and over will obtain zero points. Similarly, an applicant with the equivalent of a PhD will receive 150 points — the maximum allotted for level of education. Applicants with the equivalent of a high school diploma will only receive 30 points. Concerns over lack of transparency, policy shift A detailed list explaining how candidates will be ranked and selected based on the factors listed above was published in the Canada Gazette on Monday. “Research shows these criteria will help ensure newcomers participate more fully in Canada’s economy and integrate more quickly into Canadian society,” Alexander said. Richard Kurland, an immigration lawyer and

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policy analyst, has been supportive of some immigration changes made by the Conservatives, including the recent reform to the caregivers program. However, when it comes to express entry, Kurland is concerned about the lack of openness. “It is worth a try, but the design flaw is there is no transparency, oversight, or accountability for the operation of the new system. It is a recipe for political interference.” “The result can be justified in any case, but you will never know why one identically qualified person was selected over another.” Kurland said the government will in effect have full control in picking the winners and losers rather than processing applications on a first-come, first-served basis — as is the case now. Morton Beiser, a professor of distinction at Ryerson University and founding director of the Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Settlement (CERIS) based in Toronto, has been raising questions about the government’s shift in policy for some months now. After reviewing the government’s new points system on Monday, Beiser said certain aspects are still unclear. “Under the old regulations, it was clear that if someone scored above a certain threshold, they were considered eligible to be granted an immigration visa.… Under the current provisions, it’s less clear.” While Beiser welcomed the say provinces will have about which immigrants come to Canada, he’s skeptical of the role employers will play. “It’s probably a good thing to give provinces

more say in the process, but industry? This means that the immigration office becomes a recruitment office,” he said. Permanent residency cap The government told CBC News that approximately 65,000 to 75,000 skilled workers will be offered permanent residency in 2015 under one of three categories: •47,000 to 51,000 will come through the federal skilled worker class and the federal skilled trades class combined. •21,000 to 23,000 skilled workers through the Canadian experience class. An additional 46,000 to 48,000 skilled workers will receive permanent residency through the provincial nominee program under express entry, the government said. Successful applicants will have to show proof they have enough funds to support themselves and their family. They will also have to undergo health exams and security checks. The government has been consulting with a nine-member grouprepresenting employers from various sectors of the economy since 2013, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Sarah Anson-Cartwright, director of skills policy at the chamber, said employers are supportive of the new system, but are not clear on how skilled immigrants will be matched with available jobs. “That’s the big uncertainty,” she said.

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18 H E A L T H Half-million cancers worldwide linked to obesity Safar 19, 1436H December 12, 2014

Being overweight or obese have become major risk factors for developing cancer, particularly among women and in more developed countries, the specialized cancer agency of the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) reported today. Overweight and obesity are responsible for an estimated 481,000 or 3.6 per cent of all new cancer cases in 2012, and reducing such health issues at the population level could have significant health benefits, according to a new study by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). The study, which was published in The Lancet Oncology today, also shows that one quarter of all cancers attributable to overweight and obesity worldwide 118,00 cases could have been prevented if populations had simply maintained their average body-mass index of 30 years ago. The number of cancers linked to obesity and overweight is expected to rise globally along with economic development, Dr. Christopher Wild, Director of IARC, said in a press release. This study stresses the importance of putting in place efficient weight control measures, to curb the high number of cancers associated with excess body weight and to avoid the

problems faced by rich countries being repeated in those now undergoing rapid development, he added. Cancer due to overweight and obesity is currently far more common in more developed countries which reported 393,000 cases, or 5.2 per cent of all new cancer cases than in less developed countries which reported 88,000 cases, or 1.5 per cent of all new cancer cases. North America remains the most affected, with an estimated 111,000 obesity-related cancers in 2012, accounting for 23 per cent of the total global cancer burden linked to high body-mass index, the agency said. In Europe, the proportion of cancers due to overweight and obesity is also large, particularly in eastern Europe which reported 65,000 cases, or 6.5 per cent of all new cancer cases in the region, according to the study. Overall, the countries with the highest cancer burden attributable to overweight and obesity in men are the Czech Republic (5.5 per cent of the country’s new cancer cases); Jordan (4.5 per cent); the United Kingdom (4.4 per cent); and Malta (4.4 per cent). Among women, Barbados (12.7 per cent), the Czech Republic (12.0 per cent) and Puerto Rico (11.6 per cent) are most affected. In the United States one of the largest contributors of

Vaccines: Busting common myths For parents, making a decision about vaccinating your child can be tough, given the cacophony of opinions out there. So what do you need to know? Myths about vaccine safety are both powerful and prevalent. In parts of Canada vaccination rates have dropped, and in some communities more than 40 per cent of seven-year-olds do not have all their shots. Statistics around inoculations are a patchwork because while some communities collect data, Canada doesn’t have a national tracking system for vaccinations.It does track disease, though, and earlier this year the Public Health Agency of Canada issued a warning about an unusually high number of cases of measles. This is a disease that is preventable if people are vaccinated against it. Measles is very contagious and can be quite serious, leading, in severe cases, to brain damage and death. However, some people still avoid getting vaccinated, often due to misconceptions. So why do myths about vaccines persist the way they do?“It’s hard to unscare people,” Shannon MacDonald, a registered nurse and adjunct assistant professor at the University of Alberta who researches vaccine trends, told Marketplace cohost Erica Johnson. Scientists have tried to debunk these myths, they’ve “done study after study after study,” MacDonald says. But some parents remain unconvinced.“These diseases are the thing to be afraid of, and the vaccines are just by and far the safest option,” says Shannon MacDonald, a registered nurse and adjunct assistant professor at the University of Alberta who researches vaccine trends. “It’s like the alligator in the sewer. You heard it, you don’t know if it’s true, but what if it’s true? Maybe you’d better not go down the sewer.” Marketplace investigated what parents are being told by alternative health-care providers about vaccine safety and alternatives. Dr. Lin is a CBC health columnist and has been a practising family physician for more than 25 years. Here are some of the most pervasive myths and what the science actually says. Dangerous ingredients Myth: Vaccines can contain ingredients that are dangerousFact: “The one that people often hear about is thimerosal,” says MacDonald. Thimerosal is an organic compound containing a form of mercury that is used as a preservative to prevent contamination..Diseases that we have vaccines for, including measles and pertussis (whooping cough) can be deadly. According to the World Health Organisation, measles is one of the leading causes of death, globally, among young children.Thimerosal is not present in most vaccines – only in some flu and hepatitis B vaccines in small amounts – and it’s not dangerous, says Dr. Lin.“The World Health Organization looked at it, the CDC [Centres for Disease Control] looked at it, Health Canada looked at it and they found no connection to any diseases.”“But parents seem to still be concerned about it,” says MacDonald. Thimerosal is broken down by the body to ethylmercury, which is different than methylmercury, which is the chemical actually known to cause harm, she says. “To try to equate ethylmercury to methylmercury is like saying that ethyl alcohol, which I have in my glass of wine, is the same thing as methyl alcohol, which is the antifreeze that I put in my car. So they are not the same thing.” MacDonald says there is no evidence ethylmercury is harmful, and there has been considerable

global cancers associated with high bodymass index 3.5 per cent and 9.5 per cent of the country’s new cancer cases are linked to excess body weight in men and women, respectively. Although in most Asian countries the proportion of cancers associated with overweight and obesity is not large, it still translates into a considerable absolute number of cases due to the large population size, the study noted. For example, in China, about 50,000 cancer cases in women and men are associated with overweight and obesity, accounting for 1.6 per cent of the country’s new cancer cases, according to the study. In contrast, the contribution of overweight and obesity to cancer burden remains low in Africa which had 7,300 cases, or 1.5 per cent of all new cancer cases in the continent. Overall, we see that while the number of cancer cases associated with overweight and obesity remains highest in richer countries, similar effects are already visible in parts of the developing world, said Dr. Isabelle Soerjomataram, one of the study’s lead authors and the projects principal investigator. A high body-mass index is a known risk factor for cancers of the oesophagus, colon, rectum, kidney, pancreas, gall bladder, postmeno-

research showing that.But because some parents were alarmed, thimerosal was removed anyway from many vaccines, just to try to assuage concerns. Connection to autism Myth: Vaccines can cause autism and other disorders Fact: According to PHAC: “Medical researchers and scientists around the world have studied information collected over many years to see whether there is a link between the MMR [measles, mumps and rubella] vaccine and autism -- a lifelong developmental disorder. They have not found any evidence of a link.”Dr. Lin says that the timing of MMR vaccines has led to this anecdotal link in many peoples’ minds. “Kids get the shot around the same time that you would see if the child was responding to you. So many parents thought it must be the shot.” “There are some celebrities that keep it going. And if they talk about it, those kinds of single cases fuel the fire. A lot of people think, ‘I heard something about that,’ and if you hear it twice you think it must be real.” MacDonald says that even though researchers have thoroughly debunked the link between autism and vaccines, doctors should do a better job communicating that.“You need to communicate in a way that people can understand that we have done multiple studies; we have looked at different study designs in different populations; in different parts of the world, and we have found no link between autism and MMR vaccine.” Overwhelm the immune system Myth: Getting too many vaccines could overwhelm my child’s immune system Fact: Dr. Lin says this is a common misconception. “A lot of parents believe that, but we look at it this way: Your child is exposed to a lot of germs, they crawl on the floor and they get more germs that way than they do from a vaccine.” “What vaccines do is they train the immune system. We want to train your army against the bad diseases like polio,” says Dr. Lin.“If you look at what is actually in the vaccines today compared to the vaccines kids were getting 20 years ago, they’re actually getting less,” says MacDonald. “The number of vaccines are more, but we refined vaccines to the point that the actual – shall we say ‘germs’, the antigens that are put in the child, are at a much lower number.” According to PHAC: “The vaccines that are currently recommended do not overload or weaken your immune system.“Infants and children are exposed to many kinds of germs every day, through normal eating, drinking and playing. Scientists estimate the immune system can recognize and respond to hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of different organisms.” Risk of disease is low Myth: Some vaccines aren’t necessary because the risk of disease is low or not serious Fact: Diseases that we have vaccines for – including measles and pertussis (whooping cough) – can be deadly. According to the World Health Organisation, measles is one of the leading causes of death, globally, among young children. According to PHAC, “Vaccines in Canada are effective and safe – much safer than the many diseases they prevent. These diseases can lead to pneumonia, deafness, brain damage, heart problems, blindness, paralysis and carry a risk of lifelong disability or death.” Dr. Lin says that these considerations helped moti-

pausal breast, ovary and endometrium, as well as for other non-communicable diseases, notably cardiovascular disease and diabetes. A body-mass index is a measure of body fat that is calculated by dividing the weight in kilograms by the square of the height in metres. The study also highlights that the proportion of cancers related to obesity is higher in women than in men, with population-attributable fractions of 5.3 per cent and 1.9 per cent, respectively. Women are disproportionately affected by obesity-related cancers, said IARCs Dr. Melina Arnold, one of the studies lead authors. For example, for postmenopausal breast cancer, the most common cancer in women worldwide, the study suggests that 10 per cent of these cancers could have been prevented by having a healthy body weight.

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vate scientists to develop specific vaccines in the first place.“When vaccines were developed, they only developed vaccines for diseases that are serious and common. That’s why we don’t have a vaccine for the cold, but we have one for polio.”The effectiveness of some of these vaccines are part of the reason why so many hesitate now.“We don’t remember how bad some of these diseases actually are,” Dr. Lin says. “Now many don’t even know what polio is, and that’s why people think it’s not important” to be vaccinated against it. “I have worked overseas and in intensive care with children, so I have a very real image of what the outcomes of these diseases can be,” says MacDonald. “I understand that parents in Canada today just have not seen these diseases, so they are trying to balance risks that they have no concept of with stories that they read either in the media or on the internet that vaccines are unsafe.“These diseases are the thing to be afraid of and the vaccines are just

by and far the safest option.” Unnecessary risk Myth: A strong immune system can be just as effective as vaccination with less risk Fact: Having a strong immune system is important, but making sure that community immunization rates are high is essential to protect everyone, a concept called herd immunity. “If we can vaccinate everyone and protect everyone, now the virus has no place to get a foothold,” says Dr. Lin.And, if people choose not to vaccinate, we’re all more vulnerable.“Right now we have managed to keep all these diseases at bay through herd immunity,” says MacDonald. But if you lower vaccination rates, herd immunity doesn’t take effect, and it is important for those who can’t be immunized, like children who are on immunosuppressant therapies or who are too young to be vaccinated. Courtesy: cbc.ca

19 L I F E S T Y L E Doing what we expect from others! Lifestyle: Safar 19, 1436H December 12, 2014

By Alina Asif Peace is all that the human race expects to have in life. We dream big, talk big, and plan big to achieve this goal, but seldom does it happen that we ourselves try to act upon our own ideas. Finding one person ineligible to make a difference, we opt not to take a step. This is where we develop high expectations from others. In short we want others to be perfect when we ourselves don’t work hard to improve our characters. Due to moral anxiety we opt to dictate to others what we ourselves should have done. What happens when people turn out to be like us? What if they do not act upon our advices? Just consider the example of Mrs. X who doesn’t pray on a daily basis, and neither does she follow any proper timing to do that. Yet she wants her children to offer Salat five times a day. Following a very systematic procedure she introduces them to its pros and cons. But, she notices that despite of every effort, the children are not paying any heed to what she said. This is when she gets agitated and let out her anger. Moreover when this doesn’t work too, she feels hopeless and gets depressed. Now you know best where she went wrong. It was her own behavior that led her to depression. Neither did it spoil her life, but of others too. It is said that children find their parents as examples to follow. To be more specific, they adopt their behavior patterns. This was demonstrated by Albert Bandura and his colleagues (1961) in their Bobo Doll Experiment. They were interested in finding out if social behaviours like aggression could be acquired through imitation and observation. The experiment was executed by researchers who acted as models in front of preschool-age children. These children were divided into three groups. One group was exposed to a non aggressive model, the other to an aggressive one, and the third one was the control group. The group which was exposed to an aggressive model, acted in the same way as the model. Their model physically and verbally abused an inflatable doll in front

of them. This led the children to copy the model’s behavior which is why they attacked the doll in the same fashion. Now this is something which Mrs. X would have to keep in mind. What Mrs. X did was still restricted by certain limitations that the members of a primary group have. But, when we step out of primary groups (groups which comprise of our family and close friends), the world seems different to us. Rather it would be better to say that we see these people unlike our family members. That is the reason why most of us indulge in backbiting, sarcasm and criticism. Finding ourselves away from our comfort zones we tend to criticize others as we cannot convince them to do what we find right. Sometimes our criticism reaches such a point where we don’t know when and why we are doing that. If you think you have reached that limit then it is very important for you to know that gossip lowers the standard of the gossiper more than that of the one being gossiped about. Instead of fulfilling your dream of bringing a change you are doing nothing more than bringing yourself down by taking part in all such evils. Regarding such evils Allah revealed the following verses: Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala says in Surat Al-Hujurat, Verse No.11-12: “O ye who believe! Let not some men among you laugh at others: It may be that the (latter) are better than the (former): Nor let some women laugh at others: It may be that the (latter are better than the (former): Nor defame nor be sarcastic to each other, nor call each other by (offensive) nicknames: Ill-seeming is a name connoting wickedness, (to be used of one) after he has believed: And those who do not desist are (indeed) doing wrong. O you who believe! Avoid most of suspicion, for surely suspicion in some cases is a sin, and do not spy nor let some of you backbite others. Does one of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? But you abhor it; and be careful of (your duty to) Allah, surely Allah is Oftreturning (to mercy), Merciful.” Just remember that you have been consid-

ered as brothers and sisters in the light of Islam. So it is better not to indulge in things that influence this brotherly relationship in a negative manner. There are many ways to make people listen to us, but not the ones that make people run away from us. We have the example of Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings Be upon Him) before us. He (Peace and Blessings Be upon Him) never wished anything bad for others; rather he (Peace Be Upon Him) himself displayed what he (Peace and Blessings Be upon Him) wanted them to follow. In short he (Peace Be Upon Him) walked the talk. . And you see this is how Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings Be upon Him) won their hearts and minds. So, now when we know that actions are more prevalent than utility of mare words to bring about a change in society, we should act upon that too. People are mostly afraid to do what is right because they think they don’t know what they are going to get. In short, they fear falling prey to disapproval. Brothers and sisters, the holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace and Blessings Be upon Him) faced disapproval from majority of the people of his (peace and Blessings Be upon Him) time, but that didn’t stop him (Peace and Blessings Be upon Him) from doing what is right. This happened because he (Peace and Blessings Be upon Him) feared Allah, not the people! From today onwards let us try to treat people the way we want them to treat us. Let us strive to sow the seed of love in our society. One day that love will come back to us too. Even if you are one of the few people to do it, just do it! Today when you’ll take the initiative, tomorrow the world would have an addition to the list of good people it has. In the end I would like to conclude my article with the following verses of Qur’an:Allah says in Sur:at AzZalzalah, Verse No. 7-8:“So whosoever does good equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant), shall see it. And whosoever does evil equal to the weight of an atom (or a small ant), shall see it.” Courtesy: Aayla Magazine

By:Shabnam Khan Family Counsellor We often focus on building relationships with others that we forget the essential first step: being friends to ourselves. That is the crucial first step if we are to have good relationships with others. How can we have good relationships with others if we don’t even have good relationship with ourselves? 1. Forgive yourself You may have made those mistakes in the past, but is there anything you can do about them, except learning from them. It’s true that you are not perfect, but neither is anybody else. It’s normal to make mistakes, so do yourself a favor by giving yourself forgiveness. 2. Accept things you can’t change There are some things you cannot change, such as your background and your past. So learn to accept them. You will feel much relieved if you treat things you can’t change the way they deserve: just accept them and move on. 3. Focus on your strengths Instead of focusing on your weaknesses, focus on your strengths. You always have some strengths which give you a unique combination nobody else have. Recognize your strengths and build your life around them. 4. Write your success stories One reason we may not like ourselves is we are too focused on what we don’t have that we forget about what we have. So make a

list of your achievements; write your success stories. They do not have to be big things; there are a lot off small but important achievements in our life. For example, if you have some good d friends, that’s already an achievement. If you have a good family, that is also an achievement. 5. Stop comparing yourselff with others You are unique. You can never be like other people, and neither can others be like you. The way you measure your success is nott determined by other people and what they achieve. Instead, it is determined by your own life purpose. You have everything you need to achieve your life purpose, so it’s useless to compare yourself with others. 6. Always be true to yourself You don’t like other people lying to you. Similarly, you won’t like yourself if you know that you lie to yourself. Whether you realize itt or not, that gives your mind d a reason not to like yourself. That’s why it’s importantt to always be true to yourself. In whatever you do, be honest and follow your conscience!! shabnam@skcounselling.ca

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Shabaan 15, 143 December 12, 2014

KNOWLEDGE

Boost Your eQ (Email Intelligence) By:Frances Peck You may know your IQ (intelligence quotient) and maybe even your EQ (emotional intelligence), but what about your eQ? Email intelligence is a quotient that’s little known and seldom measured . . . well, make that not known and never measured, since I’ve basically just made up the term. But even though eQ doesn’t really exist, we know when someone has it. When we get an email from a high-eQ correspondent, we read it quickly and easily, we understand the main points and we know how or if we should respond. When we get an email from someone less gifted, the reading becomes more arduous. According to plain language specialist Michel Gauthier, who has studied email in the workplace, here are the leading complaints: •Too much low-level and untargeted information •Unclear purpose •No logical structure •Too long •Too difficult to understand •Key information difficult to find If you boost your eQ by learning a few email pointers, you’ll rise above all these pitfalls. Maximize the subject line The subject line is the lure. Word it well and recipients will begin reading with a clear idea of what the message contains. The trick is to make the subject line specific while keeping it short, and to tell your readers how the email relates to them. Otherwise, they may assume the message is a general FYI and hit delete. Besides announcing the email’s content, the subject line should, if possible, alert readers to any action required. •NO Survey information,i.e YES Draft survey attached: review by Jan. 9 •NO Organizational change, i.e YES New staff join us next week Crafting a precise, reader-oriented subject line is the first step toward giving your email a clear

purpose. The second is to announce your key message(s) at the beginning. Doesn’t this just duplicate the subject line? Not really. Think of the subject line as your knock on the door. Once the reader opens up, you still have to say why you’ve come calling. State the purpose of your email up front, in the opening paragraph or two. To do this, you need to have defined your purpose beforehand. Ask yourself why you’re writing. Are you informing the reader of a situation? If so, begin with “For your information . . .” (or “FYI,” if your reader knows the shorthand), then state the main topic, then follow with the details. Are you asking the reader to do something? If so, start with the request, then fill in the supporting information and background. If there’s a time line associated with your email— especially if the reader needs to review something, reply or take action by a certain day—don’t bury the date at the end of the email. If you do, the reader may glance at the opening, file your email for later and miss the deadline. Ditch the optional details Nothing tests a reader’s patience like irrelevant information. Once again, how your email begins is crucial. Many writers feel compelled to lead their reader on a gentle, meandering path to the main point and always begin at the beginning (chronologically speaking), with background information. The trouble is, background details are meaningless, and often irritating, to a reader who doesn’t know why they’re being supplied. State your purpose clearly, then add only those details the reader needs to understand the email. Use hyperlinks and attachments to provide background, charts and other supporting details that are too in-depth for the email itself. Be clear and concise Clear and concise writing is a must for emails, perhaps more than for any other type of writing. Given how many workplace emails people get (an average of 54 a day, says Christina A. Cavanagh in her 2004 paper “Email in the Workplace:

Coping with Overload”) and how little time they have to read them, the risks are plain—a long email may not get read. How long should your email be? Common wisdom says no more than one screen length. Curb connectors Avoid using phrases to make connections. Simple prepositions and conjunctions do the job better. •NO with regard to, in connection with, on account of the fact that, in the event of •YES about, on, because, if Pass on passives Passive voice is not only wordier than active, it’s also less clear. •NO It is recommended . . . A decision has been made . . . •YES We recommend . . . We have decided . . . The decision is . . . Minimize modifiers Delete non-essential modifiers such as very, highly, slightly, greatly and somewhat. If the modifier adds an important nuance, consider switching to a more precise word. •very important = crucial •highly focused = concentrated •slightly worried = concerned Consider contractions Contractions cut word count and remind the reader that there’s a real person—approachable, readable, persuasive—behind the @ symbol. Use your judgment, though. Contractions may be too breezy for formal emails. Shrink sentences Keep each sentence to one main idea, plus maybe a supporting idea. Anything longer and a busy reader will lose the thread. Pare down paragraphs Email paragraphs should be shorter than their print-based counterparts. Run-on text with nary a pause gives the impression that your material is dense and hard to read. Three to four sentences maximum is a good length. Use headings and lists Just like a peruser of print documents, an email

reader needs help focusing on key information. Headings and lists (numbered or bulleted) quickly convey what your main points are. And they show where your main points are, an important plus for emails that readers might refer to again in the future. Use headings and lists together with forecasting statements, and readers will know exactly where they’re headed. For example, if you’re writing to ask the reader three questions, say: •I have three questions for you. Then list the questions, numbered 1, 2, 3. This allows the reader to mentally tick off each question when replying. If your content doesn’t lend itself to a numbered list, try linking the forecasting statement to headings. For example: •At the meeting we’ll discuss two topics: our upcoming retreat and our quarterly budget. Then use the headings “Upcoming Retreat” and “Quarterly Budget” to structure the information that follows. Be clear about follow-up Follow-up actions are best grouped together at the end of the email, so they’re the final ideas the reader is left with. Use a simple, clear heading such as “Actions to Take,” “Next Steps” or “Your Tasks.” For easy reading and future reference, put the actions in a numbered list rather than one continuous paragraph. That way, the reader will finish your email thinking, “Okay, I have four things to do.” And if you’re lucky, the reader may also think, “Wow. What a high eQ!” Courtesy: www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca

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Safar 19, 1436H December 12, 2014

FOCUS

Toxic People Prescriptions

By Lori Anne Chance We’ve all heard of toxic people and how they can bring down our mood with little more than a snide word or a sneering glance. Of course, you can’t control them but maybe, just maybe, you can influence them in a positive manner while keeping yourself safe from their venom. Think of toxic people as a virus invading your space; luckily there are certain “medicines” you can use to combat this malady.

The Security Barrier

Toxic people send out waves of negative

fight against a toxic virus is focusing on something positive. Turn those positive affirmations into questions that you can ask yourself while dealing with a toxic person, bearing in mind that your brain is prone to answer the exact question you ask, either consciously or subconsciously – and that affects your behavior. So when asking yourself a question such as, “Why must I always put up with this person’s company?” the answer is likely to put you in the path of the toxic person more frequently! If instead you rephrase that thought into a positive affirmation such as, “Can I influence this person to be in a better mood?” you might just find that you can make a constructive difference. At the very least, the way the toxic person interacts with you will shift.

Most of us are very open, inviting anyone’s energy – good or bad – into our psyches. But what if you changed that concept and imagined yourself as a prism; only certain, white types of light can enter while the darker rays are deflected off one of the angles. So venom from toxic people won’t get very far; dangerous energy will hit a barrier and bounce harmlessly into space. Affirmative Power Another prescription that works well in the By the same token, you can use your own

positive energy to influence the toxic person. Your glowing light can be aimed outward and directed at the person in a bad mood. In some instances you just may be able to make a real difference by radiating powerful, positive energy beams that are subconsciously picked up by the other person. Toxic people are everywhere and it’s nearly impossible to avoid them. It’s also very difficult to keep an upbeat attitude when you are forced to deal with a naysayer who finds the negative in everything. Use the above “prescriptions” to stay healthy and stop the virus of a toxic person right in its tracks. Go ahead and try it for yourself. Select at least one method and begin utilizing it on a regular basis. A month from now I’ll bet you see a very positive change!

ply, managing her finances, and has mental health issues. She was unable to leave her house as she did not know what to do about transportation. She was unaware of any support networks that she could approach for assistance. This is when she discovered the ASPIRE Program (“ASPIRE”) at the Muslim Food Bank. Fatima was connected to a trained caseworker who spoke her language to assist her and support her with the type of challenges that she was currently facing in her life. Her challenges were broken down into different areas that were addressed one at a time. The first challenge was to ensure that Fatima met with the caseworker and both of them formed a friendly relationship with each other. After meeting the caseworker, Fatima felt comfortable discussing her most urgent needs of food and transportation. The caseworker discovered that Fatima did not have means to get food and also did not have any means to obtaining halal meat because she was unable to afford it or go out on her own to go shopping for food. The caseworker and Fatima jointly made up a plan about specific goals that needed to be addressed. The most urgent was to obtain food and finding a means of transportation that will be suitable for Fatima.

Currently, Fatima and her caseworker have developed a great relationship and are currently working collaboratively on how to address other challenges. Fatima’s spirit feels alive again. She feels empowered and has a goal that one day she would like to be independent and an active participating member of the community. ASPIRE is expanding to serve low income and needy families all over the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley. If you know someone who would benefit from the program please contact 1-866-824-2525 ext 115 or email aspire@muslimfoodbank.com or hope@muslimfoodbank.com. We are also seeking volunteer caseworkers that will be trained by our ASPIRE Training Institute. If you are interested in being a part of this program, please call or email for more information about the program or complete our volunteer application at www.muslimfoodbank.com. *To protect the privacy of our clients, names are anonymized.

energy. But what if you could stop that energy in its tracks, before it reaches you – kind of like an antivirus shot? You can, simply by envisioning an impenetrable security barrier. You may not be able to avoid a personal confrontation with a toxic person, but with your security barrier firmly in place, his or her venom can’t do any damage. Your security barrier is constructed from your own positive energy. Imagine it like a force field, invisible but highly effective as an antiviral inoculation. As the toxic person you are interacting with tries to invade your space and your psyche, picture their negative energy encountering your invisible shield and bouncing back. Obviously, I’m not talking about a real security barrier. You don’t have to believe an imaginary shield will work, but it’s a lot of fun to picture yourself cocooned in a secure bubble! This makes you feel better and that in itself repels the negative energy of a toxic person.

The Prism Effect

Through Faith and Hope, We Empower: MFB ASPIRE Program

ASPIRE: Actualizing Self-Reliance by Providing Inspiration, Resources and Education MFB ASPIRE’s mission is to assist low income and needy families by connecting them to community based resources and support networks that are available. Through trained caseworkers, ASPIRE team aims to build strong connections to support, motivate, and guide our clients through the difficult phase of their life so they can achieve self-reliance. Fatima’s* story is an example of the type of service that the ASPIRE provides. Fatima was a new immigrant who came to Canada under spousal sponsorship from a war-torn area. Little did she know that she would end up living in an abusive relationship; a relationship that was not only physically but also emotionally and financially abusive. Fatima, not knowing what to do or where to go, ended up living in this relationship for almost two years. She felt depressed, isolated, and scared. After two years of enduring the abuse, Fatima decided to file for a divorce. During that process, her husband had ended up physically abusing her, leaving her with mobility issues. Fatima is now divorced. She is living alone in a tiny basement, struggling with mobility challenges, not having enough food sup-

To address the challenge of food, Fatima was connected to the Muslim Food Bank so she could obtain halal food. Fatima was also connected to the local food bank in her city so she could obtain dairy and produce from there on a weekly basis. However, Fatima also faced transportation challenges and did not know how to get to these places on her own, with her health condition. The caseworker connected her to a service that assists people with disabilities with personal grocery shopping. She was also directed to use the Transportation Subsidy offered by the Ministry of Social Development and Social Innovation for those people who suffer from mobility challenges. After these initial two challenges were resolved, Fatima wanted to feel connected to other people and our community. The caseworker suggested some social groups and women groups that were near her home that would offer free relaxation classes, games and activities, and social groups for people with disabilities and women who have been in an abusive relationship. Fatima showed a keen interest in this as she felt that she would like to be connected to other individuals who are also facing similar challenges.

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Safar 19, 1436H December 12, 2014

K I D S / Y O U T H

Canadian Muslims and Societal Contributions through Community Involvement

By: Nadine Miville How often do we reflect upon the glorious past of our Muslim nation? The amazing contributions of Muslim civilization in Spain, examples of Islamic tolerance during the reign of the famous Salah-el-din and of course the incredible contributions Muslims have made to sciences, mathematics and philosophy? One can explore these contributions thoroughly and never cease to be amazed by the incredible milestones we can reflect upon proudly. Now let us ask ourselves one question: what have we contributed to the Muslim community and society at large which is comparable to our wealthy past?. Muslims have been in Canada since 1871 . That is only four years after Canada’s founding (post-European contact) and our first mosque was built in 1938! It is impossible to say that Islam is new to Canada nor can we say that it is foreign because Muslims have established themselves in Canada before many other nations themselves! What does that mean to us today? Let us look around and see what we have actually contributed to this nation- are there any resemblances with the tolerance exhibited by Salah-el-din, or academic contributions as demonstrated during the height of Islamic civilization? What about our presence in community organizations, social development, research, charity? It would be bold to say that we are not present at all, that would ignore those humble few that have made conscious efforts to engage publicly in this society which is just as much their own. However, there is an immense void. It is shameful to say that many of us do not feel that Canada is ready for us or that society is too judgemental for us to integrate properly. Let us ask ourselves this: if Islam has been in Canada since 1871, why are there still misconceptions about this beautiful deen of ours? Who is to blame for the lack of understanding, the intolerance, and the judgement? Has the media been around convicting Muslims since 1871? There is no doubt, we are to blame. There is no excuse for us to simply admire our predecessors in history and hope for a renewal of this spirit some day. The day begins today and with us all. It is necessary for us to reclaim our faith as Allah asks of us: to be vicegerents on this earth and to accomplish what our duty is on this ephemeral earth. Allah tells us repeatedly in the Quran that the true believer, the Godconscious is s/he who constantly establishes prayer and gives from that which Allah has bestowed upon him; On the night of Miraaj (the Prophet’s ascension to heaven), he (peace be upon him) passed by some people with metal hooks in their hands who clawed at their faces and their necks with them. When he inquired about them, Jibraeel said, ‘These are the people who eat the flesh of human beings and disgrace them.’” [Abu Dawud]. (2:2) This is the Book; in it is guidance sure, without doubt, to those who fear Allah (al muttaqeen); (2:3) Who believe in the Unseen, and establish worship, and spend of that We have be-

stowed upon them; Allah tells us constantly that after we accomplish our prayers we engage in zakah, in charity, in purification of the soul, in giving of what Allah has bestowed upon us. The blessings we receive from Allah are countless, among them: our strengths, our talents, our energy, our intelligence, our Islam. If the message of Islam was shared properly with our neighbors we would not feel misunderstood in this nation which is rightfully ours as well. It is time to give to our communities, Muslim and non-Muslim alike, it is time for Muslims to step up to the plate and engage, be active participants of society, give in charity through our time because one of the most precious things which Allah bestows upon us , and is irretrievable, is time. To give your time to a cause and to the community is worthy of great reward. It is when we give that Allah increases your rewards, just as when you give money for the sake of Allah, you always find it returned to you, time will stretch for us once we engage in blessed actions. If we do not step up today, when will it happen? 137 years of Muslims in Canada, yet little traces are to be found. Mosques, which are the foundations for our communities have existed for 70 years yet we have yet to expand and create civic institutions and social agencies for our own Muslim communities! And keep thy soul content with those who call on their Lord morning and evening, seeking His Face; and let not tine eyes pass beyond them, seeking the pomp and glitter of this Life; nor obey any whose heart We have permitted to neglect the remembrance of Us, one who follows his own desires, whose case has gone beyond all bounds. 18:28 With all of the opportunities that we have today in Canada, educational, professional and most importantly the free practice of Islam, there are no excuses for misunderstanding and intolerance towards us, it is our job today to step up as citizens in this nation and spend from what Allah has bestowed upon us. The ball is in our court, now is the time to make a change. Here are some practical steps we can all take in the development of our community: 1.Support already existing academic, social services, Islamic outreach and community service institutions in your community instead of reinventing the wheel? 2.Put your skills and talents to work in an Islamic organization i.e. journalists can help develop media teams at mosques to handle press inquiries and draft press releases 3.Request institutions to offer culture-sensitivity training about Islam in civic institutions ie. dietary concerns in hospitals; prayer accommodation in the workplace 4.Establish support groups for new immigrants i.e. ESL classes, classes on understanding and accessing civic institutions in Canada 5.Establish scholarships to promote enhanced academic performance in the Muslim community ie. scholarships in journalism to students who meet excellent academic standards 6.Increase our awareness and that of the Muslim community of local issues and how they affect the community at large to increase our participation and visibility individually and as a group i.e. learn about your local politician and get involved in issues that affect the community. 7.Participate in inter-generational learning settings to bond the community together i.e. study groups dealing with current day issues from an Islamic perspective geared towards parents and youth together.

A True Muslim Leader By: Ms. Fatima Nadeem Grade 7, Surrey Once, Hazrat Umar (R.A), during his caliphate, was going on his usual rounds towards Harrah (a suburb of Madinah) with his slave Aslam, when he saw a distant fire in the desert. He said, “There seems to be a camp. Perhaps, it is a caravan that could not enter the town due to night fall. Let’s go and look after them and arrange for their protection during the night.” When he reached there, he found a woman and some children. The children were crying. The woman had a pan of water over the fire. Hazrat Umar (R.A) greeted her with salaam and, with her permission, went near her. (The woman didn’t recognize that it was Umar). Umar, “Why are these children crying?” The Woman, “Because they are hungry.” Umar, “What is in the pan?” The Woman, “Only water to soothe the children, so that they may go to sleep in the belief that food is being prepared for them. Ah! Allah will judge between Umar (R.A) and me, on the Day of Judgment, for neglecting me in my distress.” Umar (weeping), “May Allah have mercy on you! How can Umar know of your distress?” The Woman, “When he is our Amir, he must keep himself informed about us.” Hazrat Umar (R.A) returned to the town and straight away went to the Baitul Mal (House of Charity) to fill a sack with flour, dates, fat, and clothes, and also drew some money. When the sack was ready, he said to Aslam, “Now put this

sack on my back, Aslam.” Aslam, “No please, Amir-ul-Momineen! I shall carry this sack.” Umar refused to listen to Aslam, even on his persistent requests to allow him to carry the sack, and remarked, “What! Will you carry my load on the Day of Judgment? I must carry this bag, for it is I who would be questioned (in the Hereafter) about this woman.” Aslam most reluctantly placed the bag on Umar’s (R.A) back, who carried it with a swift pace right to the woman’s tent. Aslam followed at his heels. He put a little flour and some dates and fat in the pan and began to stir. He blew (with his mouth) into the fire to kindle it. Aslam says, “I saw the smoke passing through his thick beard.” After some time, the pottage was ready. He himself served it to the family. When they had eaten to their fill, he made over to them the little that was left for their next meal. The children were very happy after their meal and began to play about merrily. The woman felt very grateful and remarked, “May Allah reward you for your kindness! In fact you deserve to take the place of Khalifah instead of Umar.” Umar consoled her and said, “When you come to see the Khalifah, you will find me there.” He sat for a while at a place close by and kept on watching the children. He then returned to Madinah. On his way back, he said to Aslam, “Do you know why I sat there, Aslam? I had seen them weeping in distress. I liked to see them laughing and happy for some time.”

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Safar 19, 1436H December 12, 2014

A L E R T

Home Fire Risk Higher in the Winter Safety Tips for a Safe Holiday Season

Surrey Fire Service is reminding residents to take extra safety precautions this winter in the wake of new data that shows fires are more likely to occur when the weather is cold. An analysis of 15,140 structure fires reported to the BC Office of the Fire Commissioner from 2009 to 2013 showed that fires are 14 per cent more likely in December and January than in July and August, and that nearly 75 per cent of fires occur in residential structures. “Based on this new data, we know the risk of fire is higher in the winter and that most structure fires occur where people live and sleep,” said Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner. “It’s important that our residents are aware of the risks and that they protect themselves by taking extra safety precautions this winter.” According to the data, the most frequent causes of fire are human failing (e.g. being asleep or distracted), misuse of materials ignited (e.g. overheated cooking oil) and misuse of equipment (e.g. fireplaces or heaters). As for ignition sources, space heaters and other heating equipment are responsible for 11 per cent of the fires, exceeded only by smoking materials (18 per cent) and cooking equipment (29 per cent). From 2009 to 2013, 43 people were injured and eight died in B.C. from heating equipment fires, which occur three times more often from November to March than at other times of the year. “Even one death or injury is too much, and we know from our analysis that we can expect a death in one in every 83 residential fires, and injuries in one in every 13,” Surrey Fire Chief Len Garis said. “The good news is there are

many things people can do to make their homes safer. Simply having a working smoke alarm increases your chances of survival by more than 70 per cent, so it’s important to check them regularly.” Surrey residents can sign up for a free smoke alarm inspection and installation at www.surrey.ca/freesmokealarm, or request a free HomeSafe home fire inspection at 604-5436780. Other winter safety precautions include: •Installing smoke alarms on every floor and testing them regularly. •Monitoring candles when lit and never leaving them unattended. •Never leaving the kitchen unattended when food is being cooked. •Keeping space heaters away from flammable materials (curtains, decorations etc.) •Using extension cords properly and never overloading them. •Keeping live Christmas trees watered and away from potential fire sources. •Ensuring Christmas lights are in good repair and working properly. The statistics also suggest a positive impact from Surrey’s proactive fire prevention initiatives, such as its award-winning HomeSafe program – which distributes free fire alarms and safety information in neighbourhoods with a high risk of fire – as well as programs targeting vacant buildings and residential marijuana grow operations. From 2009 to 2013, residential fires dropped by 23 per cent in Surrey, compared to 4.6 per cent across B.C. www. surrey.ca.

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Safar 19, 1436H December 12, 2014

P A K I S T A N

Pakistani Political comedy

By: KhurraHusain REMEMBER that old comic called Spy vs Spy that Mad magazine used to run? The contest between Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif is increasingly beginning to look like that to me. Just when one of them is down, something happens to shift the tide. The one thing that defined the characters in the cartoon was their obsession with doing each other in. It appeared that was all they ever had on their mind. Not that different from the cartoon under way in our political space today, although what is different in this case is that a whole host of other responsibilities of state are getting stuck in the crossfire. It has long been clear to me that the protests are a superficial phenomenon, despite the large numbers of people attending the rallies. Large crowds are not difficult to arrange in today’s Pakistan. The protests were superficial because the rest of the country outside a small strip of land in Islamabad only saw them on television. There was no meaningful impact otherwise. The protests are revealing how easily our political space can become hostage to cartoonish obsessions. Today that assessment remains by and large accurate, but something has begun to change. The protests are revealing how easily our political space can become hostage to cartoonish obsessions. In their zeal to do each other in, the adversaries in this comedy of errors are now plumbing the depths of folly that leave the rest of us bemused: is this really the mental level of these people? And they’re in charge? Consider the decision to disrupt the Faisalabad protest using party workers throwing eggs and tomatoes. Which genius thought of that? It was only a short jump from there till the shot that felled a poor worker of the PTI, another hapless

soul laid down by senseless politics. Shutting down Faisalabad was not really the objective of the protest. It was only to make a splash in the city’s central area, known as Ghanta Ghar to its residents, and the Clock Tower to outsiders. All of the city’s major wholesale and retail markets operate out of that vicinity, and as of 11am that day, when I last checked, the markets were largely open. All the industrial units were operating fine. And the sizing and weaving freelancers, those with small looms operating out of their homes who make a substantial chunk of the city’s economy and who are probably the only local stakeholder that has successfully shut that city down in the recent past, all were up and running. Moreover, no leadership of any of the industrial and trade associations had announced any support for the protest. Individual factions amongst these associations were indeed working with the protest leadership to help bring out people, but they were small in number and mostly motivated by political ambitions. If the protests turned out to be successful, these faction leaders could then make a viable bid for the leadership of the

larger association. The only thing the protest would have successfully done, had it been allowed to proceed without obstruction, would be to shut down Ghanta Ghar post lunch, and cause a number of traffic jams around the city. All of this would have happened in the second half of the day, and dissipated by the next morning. So what on earth was the use of bringing out party cadres to hurl eggs and tomatoes? And if it’s true that the armed shooter had links with Rana Sanaullah, then what on earth did they think this was going to accomplish? Did hurling stones and abuse at the long marchers when they crossed through Gujranwala really impede the march? Did it accomplish anything, other than give the channels exactly the visual spectacle they were looking for? Now that the pot has been stirred, all eyes turn towards Lahore. It’s highly unlikely that the protests can make any meaningful impact on Karachi. And in Lahore, none of the traders associations are supporting them openly. The industrial areas are located too far apart to be easily disrupted. Public transport cannot be crippled easily to bring the city to a standstill. A few burning tyres, a public jalsa with angry speeches,

another night of the same footage and the same shouting isn’t going to spell doom for anyone. When was the last time a political party successfully shut down Lahore? Why is Nawaz Sharif not learning from his experiences? That’s where I keep getting reminded of the Spy vs Spy cartoon. The two characters in that cartoon never learned. They simply couldn’t learn. They were creatures driven by their obsessive zeal to wipe each other out, and that’s as far as their thinking ever stretched. The rest of us observed their antics and harebrained schemes with a chuckle, but they could never know that there was a wider world beyond their hatred for each other. Meanwhile, as the cartoon unfolds, the rest of the country has fallen into the same eternal troubleshooting mode that we’ve had as our economic policy forever. The government is hemmed in by myriad industrial interests, each seeking their pound of flesh. The textile lobby in Punjab has successfully extracted its demand for 100mmcfd of gas to be supplied to them through the winter by shutting down the supply to the 400MW Rosch power plant, which must now operate on expensive furnace oil or shut down. Sugar mills are demanding a lower procurement price for cane. And the IPPs have forced another round of negotiations, agreeing to suspend their notices for calling in the sovereign guarantees while continuing to negotiate on the amount that will be paid out on their receivables as well as the schedule of disbursements. This time round, it is difficult to argue that the problems have been hoisted upon the government. This time the problems owe themselves to the government’s own mishandling of the political challenge before it. Courtesy: Dawn

Safar 19, 1436H December 12, 2014

S P O R T S

World Cup combination the bigger goal - Misbah

Misbah-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, has said that Mohammad Hafeez’s bowling suspension had been an issue for the side but was pleased with the effort thatHaris Sohail put in as a parttime bowler in the first ODI. Sohail bowled ten overs for 39 runs before scoring an unbeaten 85 to guide Pakistan to a three-wicket in Dubai on Monday. Misbah said that while winning the five-ODI series was a goal for Pakistan, the focus was on the bigger picture, particularly the kind of combination needed for the 2015 World Cup in Australia. He said that apart from Sohail, Pakistan were also looking at other batsmen who could bowl a few overs in ODIs, an important area for the side as they look to fill a gap in the bowling attack created by Hafeez’s suspension due to an illegal bowling action. “It’s a big issue for us and that’s why we’ve been trying and that’s why we played Haris. I think he did very well with the ball,” Misbah said. “We are going to try in the next game and see how we can fill in that slot so at least we have a fifth and sixth bowler so we can go into the World Cup with that sort of

combination where we have at least six bowlers. “That’s what we have to do because after losing Hafeez in the bowling it’s necessary for our team to just have these batsmen who could really bowl and we are looking forward. Ahmed Shehzad is bowling really well in the nets and he has bowled a few overs in the Test matches. Asad Shafiq also bowls.” Misbah credited Mushtaq Ahmed, Pakistan’s bowling consultant, and coach Waqar Younis for working on Sohail’s bowling over the last few months. Sohail had been part of the Test squad for the series against Australia and New Zealand but did not get a game and Misbah said that he had worked hard in the nets to improve his bowling. “It was a wonderful performance. He’s been with the team for the last two Test series, and credit also goes to Mushtaq Ahmed and Waqar Younis because they had foreseen two months back that we would need to prepare him as a bowler and very worked very hard on him,” he said. “Even he has come and spent a couple of hours every day bowling and we benefited from him. As a batsman, we knew

he is consistent and makes so many runs, and the kind of temperament he has, but the kind of bowling he did was wonderful.” Misbah was not perturbed by the failure of Pakistan’s top order batsmen as the side had stumbled to 86 for 5 while chasing 247 before they recovered through partnerships between Sohail and Sarfraz Ahmed and, later, Sohail and Shahid Afridi. Calling the early batting failure a “rare bad day” for Ahmed Shehzad, Mohammad Hafeez and Younis Khan, he praised Sarfraz’s 19-ball 26 that helped Pakistan revive a floundering chase. “It was difficult. It’s obvious that when you lose six batsmen, you are out of the game for a bit. But the way Sarfraz played and shifted the momentum, that brought back hopes of winning the game,” he said. “After that, Shahid Afridi and Haris handled the pressure very well. They played sensibly and in the manner that was required. They didn’t play loose shots but they took sensible risks and tried to bat through till the end and that was the partnership that won us the match.” Misbah said the side would continue to ex-

periment with their playing XI in the series in order to test their players before the World Cup. “We are trying different things. We experimented in this game, also. We want to check all the players, also check different things in our bowling because this is the last series before the World Cup,” he said. “So the big goal is that we get a good combination before the World Cup and give all the players here a chance, so that we have an idea of the World Cup team. So we will try to bring in changes in the next few games as well. Source: Cricinfo

Up to 2,754 athletes, 535 coaches, and 378 officials will compete in athletics, baseball, basketball (traditional full-court and 3x3), canoe/kayak, equestrian, golf, lacrosse (box and field), rowing, rugby, sailing, soccer, softball, swimming, synchronized swimming, towed water sports, triathlon, volleyball (beach and indoor), and wrestling. Para athletes will compete in equestrian and swimming and Special Olympians will compete in athletics and swimming. The BC Games provide a valuable multisport competition opportunity for young athletes and are the first step on the path to by Staff Writer - Aldergrove The BC Games Society has announced the national and international success. 18 sports that will be part of the Abbotsford Olympic and Paralympic medalists such as Brent Hayden (2012 Olympic Bronze2016 BC Summer Games.

Swimming), Karina LeBlanc (2012 Olympic Bronze-Soccer) and Robert Hedges (2012 Paralympic Gold–Wheelchair Basketball) all started their sport careers with a trip to the BC Games.“We see BC Games alumni making their mark as part of Team BC and representing Canada against the best in the world,” said Kelly Mann, President and CEO of the BC Games Society. “This success speaks volumes to the opportunities British Columbia athletes are given through the provincial sport system and events such as the BC Summer Games.” The sports in the BC Summer Games are led by Provincial Sport Organizations who have demonstrated their commitment to athlete development, coaching certification, and

officials’ training.“The BC Summer Games are the first elite experience that our athletes have in our developmental pathway and it helps inspire them to achieve their athletic goals and dreams,” said Chris Densmore, Executive Director of Volleyball BC. “The BC Games are also important for us to develop our rising coaches. We look to hire coaches a year before the Games and provide support for certification and preparation leading up to the Games.” Information on the criteria for sport selection and the complete sport package for the 2016 BC Summer Games is available at www.bcgames.org. The Abbotsford 2016 BC Summer Games will take place July 21-24, 2016.

Sports announced for Abbotsford 2016 BC Summer Games

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