Miracle 380

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Volume 14 Issue 380-Jamadiil Awaal 2,1436 H AH / January 23, 2 015 - $1

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B.C. megathrust earthquake will rip earth open like a zipper, expert says The low tide, bright sunshine and constant roar of endlessly approaching waves display the full power of the wide-open Vancouver Island shoreline at the remote beach handed down to Stella Peters and her family as a wedding dowry. For generations, Peters and her relatives have been the keepers of Pachena Bay, the picturesque beach that scientists forecast as an epicentre for the next massive earthquake and tsunami. The bay is also the home to the Huu-ay-aht First Nations village of Anacla, about 300 kilometres northwest of Victoria, which aboriginal oral history says was devastated when an ancient earthquake convulsed the West Coast of North America. First Nations from Vancouver Island to northern California describe the earthquake and tsunami in similar legends and artwork involving a life-and-death struggle between a thunderbird and a whale that caused the earth to shake violently and the seas to wash away their people and homes. When the next megathrust quake hits, residents on the west side of Vancouver Island

Continued on pg 5

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2 E D I T O R I A L Democratic Masters of Incompetence Jamadiul Awaal 02, 1436 H January 23, 2015

Democracy is a form of government that substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by the corrupt few. George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950).

Historically, Pakistan suffers from the uneducated populace that has habitually shown nothing much beyond submissiveness during the previous elections; this kills the level playing field right there.

Secondly, wrong candidates tend to play dirty politics; curse of stealing the “public mandate” including ballot stuffing and other types of rigging being among the most painful wrongs. Naturally, the nation ends up with repercussions in the form of lost merit, disrespecting rule of law and the constitution. Most of the time, the judiciary is blamed for their “slow paced deliverance of justice.” despite the existing malfunctioning system.

The PPP (Pakistan people party), under the co chairmanship of president Asif Zardari, could not offer other than a sub standard governance that continued with its inherent ‘chronic sufferance’ from the worst administrative paralysis.

Unfortunately, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was on tour abroad along with finance minister, and no one knew what to do with petrol crisis. Ironically, the cabinet ministers were seen bashing their own government. The painful scenario is the federal government delayed actions to address the worst petrol crisis leaving the consumers unattended. This shows the worst manifest of bad governance.

Despite the delivery failures, the PPP luckily managed to fully enjoy the five long years of inefficiency and national loot.

On the other hand, the N league is in the driver’s seat with no sense of direction whatsoever. Since the

Nawaz regime is prematurely on the ventilator, it does not seem to continue running the show for the full term. The reason is simple: It’s generally assumed that even the most incompetent is not too incompetent to see the country running out of fuel.

The reliable sources point fingers towards the government as it is part of the circular debt. Why is it unable to pay its dues? What did stop the ministry of finance to have ensured collection of needed funds ahead of time to keep them available?

Actually, the government doesn’t have“know-how” or a “workable strategy” in place to eliminate the circular debt once and for all.

It is certainly true that PSO (Pakistan State Oil) should have realised that its continual default on payment would have a negative impact on its credit lines, however, its precarious financial condition is partly the fault of the past and the current governments. Hence, total blame shifting to PSO is just an attempt to get off the hook.

Sadly, the consumers have been running around back and forth for a week or so in search of petrol but all in vain. Other scenario is waiting time for gas and electricity’s load shedding has also been increased adding to the existing stubborn misery.

No electricity-no gas-no petrol, maybe the next one will be “no breathing.”

All over the World, price of oil is at its lowest point in years, but the Pakistanis have to wait in milelong line ups – isn’t that shameful! God forbid! looming fear is furnace oil stocks with the power companies are running out. If the government doesn’t have a clue how to handle fuel crisis, then the political, economic and security is-

No one should be allowed, to be disrespectful to our Holy Prophet(PBUH).

By Zaheer Ali Manki Vancouver BC Carlie Hebdo satirical depiction of our Holy Prophet Mohammad P.B.U.H is the most insensitive journalistic action intentionally undertaken to provoke the Muslims the world over. The writing is the most offensive piece playing with the sensibilities of all Muslims worldwide. I am totally appalled by the mental morbidity of the writer and condemn it in the strongest of the terms and take strong exception to it. In the name of freedom of speech, the writer has shown high degree of immorality and poor judgement. There is a disproportionate-

sues are a way more complicated issues.

The sequence of events that led up to the shortages is quite obvious by now, and it is disingenuous on the finance minister’s part to try and shrug off responsibility.

It is hard to understand as to why the so called democratic prime minister and finance minister prefer to keep all power in their own hands. When they are out of country, there is no appropriate action to solve the emerging issue in their absence. Furthermore, as a large part of the crisis grows up because of the funding requirements of PSO, credit lines are affected adversely due to defaults in payments of furnace oil imports, yet no explanation comes from the finance ministry.

Beyond doubt, managing the oil supply chain is tricky business and technical in nature; this requires advance planning because limited storage capacity for petrol at Karachi site. Also, managing the supplies becomes much difficult if the company placing the order does not know whether it will have the funds to honour the required payment. In fact, suppliers demand money upfront before a vessel is loaded. The fact is the vessels have transit time, berthing is often not available on demand, and discharging the fuel for upcountry transportation can take days. Thus, whole process of supply is very complicated so the funds and management have to be certainly available all the time 24/7.

Obviously, the worst form of negligence is the current unprecedented shortage of petrol in the country for the last week or so has never been seen before. This alone exposes the government’s tall claims of good governance, improving national economy and running the

ly high number of editorial cartoons in the West savaging Islam in general and the Muslims in particular. This kind of journalistic bias is not extended to any other religion or people.

Our Holy Prophet Mohammad PBUH is the best of the Prophets.

I understand that the Holy Prophet, PBUH, himself was subjected to verbal ridicule and torture at the hands of the people of Mecca during the early days of his message. He never responded with force or even harsh words. He just gave them the Divine Message because he was/ is Mercy for the Mankind. But Allah SWT has given His Messenger so much respect by asking His servants in the Noble Quran to: • Not even speak with a loud voice in his presence; • Don’t knock on his door when he is having afternoon rest, wait for him to come out at his own; • Don’t call him like you call each other ( Be very respectful ); And many other instructions as the Code of Conduct for his Ummah to follow when in the company of the Holy Prophet, Mohammad PBUH.

We, the Muslim Ummah have the utmost respect for him. No one should be allowed, even in the name of freedom of speech, to be disrespectful to our Holy Prophet PBUH.

Feedom Of Speech

By V. Simms I am Jewish, and picked up a copy of your magazine and read through the articles to see what people had to say about the recent Charlie Hebdo event.

What happened in Paris was reprehensible on both sides: the cartoonists for their blasphemies, and the terrorists for killing in vengeance.

Almost half the world was in favour of the dead and cited Freedom of the Press and free speech.

Really? What happens if you call a police officer, who has done you no harm, a pig? Or a black person, who has done you no harm, the N word? Do you think they will shower you with hugs, kisses, and flowers? Think again. Needless to say, the outcome would spell disaster for the person saying those words. What happens to

country’s affairs. Wow! Not importing even a single litre of oil during the month of December and importing only once during January is not the way to go. Is it inefficiency on part of the government or is it something cooking up merely for privatising the PSO? Time will tell.

But for now, the government needs to take a serious look at how it is running things and as to why this situation did arise in the first place.

Although, the best option is the prime minister, finance minister and petroleum minister must step down immediately to pave the way for better governance in future, yet fashion of resigning is not for Pakistani democracy. Democracy by the incompetent is likely to continue.

Suggestion: True, crises do erupt in fuel supply/ power supply due to circular debt, nevertheless, the government is responsible to legally bind the defaulters to repay the debts. No immunity should ever be given to the defaulting institutions, provincial departments/ federal ministries. Govt including OGRA (Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority) and PSO must go after recovering of the unpaid bills of electricity, gas and petrol.

Though slower, yet the alternate means of transportation in the meanwhile including Tonga and cycle rickshaw are the best options plus there is unpolluted clean air to breathe.

Follow the Chinese model of simplicity using bicycles; that’s good for health and is very economical indeed.

THE

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Founder : Nusrat Hussain Managing & Chief Editor: M. Naseer Pirzada Sub-Editors: Misbah & Sabeeh Advertising Ph: 604-690-0400 Emails: info@telus.net miraclenews@telus.net Editorial Board : editor@telus.net Mr.Shams Jillani, Mr Aslam Hayat, Mr. Azhar Syed, Mr. Shams Siddiqui, M.A.L. Naumani, Mr Tariq M. Javed Graphic Design: Design Teams Copyright ® 2001 Miracle Media Group Inc. All Rights Reserved Printed in Canada

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

Free Speech then?

When one member of your community was quoted out of context saying something about my community (Yunis?), he was pelted on all sides by various members of my community until he had to apologize. Where was Free Speech then?

With freedom comes responsibility. Replace freedom of the press or speech with freedom of RESPONSIBLE speech or RESPONSIBLE press and that now starts to make more sense.

Your community has a long uphill battle; no matter what you do, it will be downgraded; if the WASPS or the Jews do something good, it will be magnified.

If they do anything bad, it will be ignored or downplayed substantially.

I would advise all publishers to maintain a low profile. The Al Qaeda does not mind sacrificing their own lives to extract revenge on others, and this makes them so dangerous. We know they are fanatics, so we should not fuel their fire. If we retaliate, they will fight back. Where will it all lead

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Contents Editorial & Int. News Local Special Faith Women Health Immigration.

Lifestyle Pakistan Youth/ Kids Sports Urdu

6 4,5 10 11, 23 7, 8,10 21 18 19 20 23, 24 22, 25 26-32

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

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Jamadiul Awaal 02, 1436 H January 23, 2015

P A K I S T A N

Petrol crisis will end within a week: govt The government, facing public anger over severe petrol shortages, promised on Monday the crisis that has led to long queues outside petrol stations would be solved within a week. Already frustrated by crippling electricity and gas shortages, Pakistanis have accused the government of not acting fast enough to preempt a decrease in domestic fuel supplies at a time of falling global oil prices. The crisis started this month when the government slashed petrol imports by half and skipped overseas fuel oil purchases altogether, worsening power cuts and leading to petrol shortages around the country. “This is the height of incompetence and gross mismanagement by the government,” said opposition senator Saeed Ghani. The anger over the government’s handling of the crisis has added to the list of problems facing Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his authority already weakened by months of opposition protests last year. At a meeting chaired by Nawaz Sharif on Monday, the government decided to buy additional petrol to defuse the crisis. “From today we have started buying 15,000 metric tonnes of petrol and in the next 5-6 days it will be much easier to buy petrol,” said Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi. The state importer says it buys up to 90 percent of fuel oil and petrol abroad, but this month it was forced to cut purchases because it had not been paid by its customers on time.

The government subsidises electricity, but rarely pays the subsidies to power companies on time. They, in turn, cannot pay for their fuel imports, leading

to a buildup of unpaid bills referred to as “circular debt”. Some ambulance services were forced to suspend their work because of fuel shortages, media reported. On the streets, disgruntled motorists said they were running out of patience. “This government should be ashamed of itself,” said one man, Akhlaq Ahmed. “How can they run this country if they can’t even manage petrol distribution in the capital?”

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Monday showed his “displeasure” over the difficulties being faced by the people due to the non-availability of fuel. The prime minster was chairing a specially convened meeting that reviewed petrol supply situation in the country, at the PM’s House. He was informed that measures are being taken to provide immediate relief to the people, and 15,600 tonnes of petrol was supplied on Monday all over the country against an average daily consumption of 12,000 tonnes. The prime minister was informed that additional supply of petrol would be ensured in the coming month. Talking about the power situation Nawaz Sharif directed the Ministry of Water and Power to immediately work to reduce line losses and recover outstanding dues of over Rs. 500 billion in order to clear the dues of PSO and other liabilities. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar; Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi; Defence Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif; Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif; water & power secretary, acting secretary petroleum and other senior officials were present during the meeting. According to the statement,

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the prime minister unequivocally said that the public should not suffer and that every measure would be taken to provide relief on an immediate basis.

Sources in power corridors told Daily Times that the premier has ordered an inquiry that will probe the role of the Ministry of Petroleum, Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), Pakistan State Oil (PSO), Finance and Water and Power Ministries, as well as Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) in the acute fuel shortage. During a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif at Jati Umra in Lahore on Sunday, the PM had said that if even any minister was found involved in the prevailing petrol crisis in Punjab, action would be taken against him.

He, however, assured the chief minister of complete inquiry into the crisis and action against the persons found responsible for petrol shortage in the province. Nawaz Sharif on Saturday took serious notice of petrol shortage as soon as he landed at the Lahore airport from abroad and suspended only four top petroleum officials for failing to deal with the crisis.

Source: Daily Times

Pakistan, Afghanistan deepening military ties

In a move towards improving border coordination and deepening military-to-military ties, Pakistan and Afghanistan over the weekend opened a series of meetings of commanders. Peshawar Corps Commander Lt Gen Hidayat ur Rehman travelled to Afghanistan on Sunday for the first meeting. Commander of Southern Command Lt General Nasir Khan Janjua would visit Afghanistan for another meeting on Wednesday. Military’s public affairs division ISPR in a statement on Lt Gen Rehman’s meeting in Afghanistan said: “Matters related to border security came under discussion. During the meeting ways and means were also discussed to further enhance the existing border coordination mechanism.” Gen Rehman during the visit met the military commander of Afghanistan’s eastern Nangrahar province that borders Pakistan’s Federally Administered Tribal Areas. The meeting was also attended by representatives of Afghan Border Police and International Security Assistance Force (Isaf). The decision regarding meetings of commanders was taken during the last trilateral meeting on Dec 23 in Islamabad between Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif, ANA Chief General Sher Muhammad Karimi and Isaf Commander General John Campbell. The two

sides have been working on a border coordination mechanism to replace the existing procedure involving Isaf. Two border coordination points in Torkham and Spin Boldak have been reactivated. Unauthorised cross-border movement remained a sore point in the Pak-Afghan relationship during the Karzai government with both sides accusing each other of not doing enough to regulate the porous border. The new mechanism envisages better coordination between troops in bordering areas and protocols for improving border control. The two countries have in the past tried regulating the border by setting up designated border crossing points; installing biometric screening system at crossing points and other similar steps. There have also been proposals for fencing of the border, but mutual mistrust has prevented progress. This time round discussions about the new border coordination mechanism have coincided with improvement in military to military ties. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s visit to GHQ during his visit to Islamabad in November signalled warming of defence relationship.

Active cooperation between the two sides was seen in the aftermath of the Dec 16 massacre of 149 schoolchildren and staff members by Taliban in an attack on the Army Public School in Peshawar. Army Chief Gen Raheel Sharif accompanied by ISI Chief Lt Gen Rizwan Akhtar had travelled to Kabul immediately after the attack seeking action against Afghanistan-based Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan leaders. The ISI chief paid a second visit almost a week ago.

Reports suggest that Afghanistan has arrested five Taliban suspects of the Peshawar school attack. The next planned meeting is between Commander of Southern Command Lt Gen Janjua and Commander of Southwestern Kandahar province on Wednesday in Afghanistan. “These visits are aimed to enhance ongoing military-to-military relationship between the two countries,” the ISPR said. Source: DAWN

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Army going after terrorists of all hues: Asim Bajwa Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) in an interview with CNN has said that the armed forces were going after terrorists “without any discrimination”. Answering a question about the armed forces’ viewpoint of militant groups, the ISPR DG said: “There are no good terrorists.....

We are going against all terrorists without any discrimination of hue and color.” Bajwa added that the army had cleared a major part of the North Waziristan tribal region during Operation Zarb-i-Azb except for a small belt near the Pak-Afghan border. He further said that the operation against militant groups was underway with air and gunship helicopter strikes and these were being followed by ground operations. “I think there is no confusion in our mind that we have to go against the phenomenon of terrorism, against all terrorists, and their abettors,” he added. When asked if the Pakistani army was doing enough in order to tackle the issue of militancy in the region, he said: “We’re very clear and we are capable of dealing with them.” He also compared the performance and efficiency of Pakistan’s military with that of the US and Isaf forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Responding to another question regarding the change in Pakistan’s security situation following the measures adopted after the Peshawar school massacre, Maj Gen Bajwa said: “There is a lot more security at the national level...there is a concept of security. That has been evolved and there is a review of security at every level.

I think it is very difficult Continued on pg 10 to guarantee that noth-

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Jamadiul Awaal 02, 1436 H January 23, 2015

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

EU seeks anti-terror Hezbollah mourns alliance with Arab world fighters killed in attack

The European Union has called for an antiterror alliance with Arab countries to boost cooperation and information-sharing in the wake of deadly attacks and arrests across Europe. Federica Mogherini, the EU foreign policy chief, said on Monday: “We need an alliance. We need to strengthen our way of cooperating together.” Mogherini later met with Arab League Secretary General Nabil al-Araby. She also attended a meeting of the EU foreign ministers who are preparing for a summit of EU leaders in February focused on terrorism. Mogherini also said the EU would appeal a court decision ordering the removal of the Palestinian group Hamas from the EU terrorism blacklist. Some ministers emphasised the importance of working with Muslim countries, rather than blaming them for the problem. “They will continue to be in the front line, and we have to work closely with them to protect both those countries and the European Union countries,” Philip Hammond, the British foreign secretary, said. Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders said the police raids launched in his country last week to break up a suspected network of foreign fighters demonstrate that information-sharing is the key to success. “We have to exchange information in Europe and outside Europe to really follow what is going on and to prevent any acts that could be launched on our territory,” he said.

The move comes a week after the office of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris was attacked by gunmen who killed 12 people, including the magazine’s cartoonists. Five more people were killed in attacks on police and a kosher supermarket. Belgium, which foiled a

large-scale attack in the country’s east, killing two men who were behind the plot, deployed up to 300 paratroopers over the weekend to guard public buildings. As the ministers met on Monday, soldiers walked the perimeter of the European Council building, where internal security has also been beefed up in recent days.

Many ministers said no quick solution to the challenge of foreign fighters is likely, and that the real answer is to help end the conflicts in Syria and Iraq. “That is what long-term will provide stability and security in this region, and to address the root causes of terrorism and radicalisation as well,” said Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstroem.

Source: Al-Jazeera

Drug firms ‘to blame’ for antibiotic resistance

Drug companies’ poor practices are to blame for the rise of antibiotic resistance which threatens to make even the smallest infections deadly, one industry chief executive has claimed. Doctors have usually been blamed for bacterial resistance because of overprescription, but Karl Rotthier, the chief executive of Dutch-based DSM Sinochem Pharmaceuticals, claims lax procedures at drug firms are the real cause. He said the very industry that produced lifesaving antibiotics was fuelling a global crisis. He said that poor waste water checks had caused some rivers in Patancheru, India to have higher concentrations of active antibiotics than the blood of patients undergoing treatment.

Mr Rotthier said the world risks “sleepwalking” towards the end of modern medicine and a “post-antibiotic era”. “For a couple of years now we have seen antimicrobial resistance rising and rising and you get scared because if we don’t do anything we risk deaths of up to 10 million by 2050,” he said. The World Health Organization echoes his concerns and has classified antimicrobial resistance as a “serious threat” to every region of the world and says it “has the potential to affect anyone, of any age, in any country”. Mr Rothier said: “Most antibiotics are now produced in China and India and I don’t think it is unjust to say that the environmental conditions have been quite different in these regions. “Poor controls mean that antibiotics are leaking out and getting into drinking water. They are in the fish and cattle that we eat and global travel and exports means bacteria is travelling. That is having a greater contribution to the growth of antibiotic resistance than overprescribing.” Antibiotic resistance is now estimated to contribute to more than 25,000 deaths every year in Europe alone. “At the moment we risk ‘sleepwalking’ towards the end of medicine as we know it, to an era when something as innocuous as a throat infectionbecomes a life-threatening condition and when treatments such astransplant surgery become impossible,” Mr Rotthier added. “As

medicine producers, our business is intrinsically good. However, we don’t always live up to the responsibility we have towards society.

Irresponsible behaviour is tainting the image of our industry and puts society at risk.” Penicillin, the first antibiotic, was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928 and more than 100 compounds have been found since but, until a reported discovery earlier this month, no new class has been found since 1987. This lack of new drugs coupled with overprescribing has led to bacteria becoming increasingly resistant to modern medicines. Dame Sally Davies, the British Government’s Chief Medical Officer, has said that antibiotic resistant is “as big a risk as terrorism” and warned that Britain could return to a 19th-century world where the smallest infection or operation could kill. Mr Rotthier said the responsibility was on everyone from patients and doctors to governments and pharmaceutical companies to take immediate steps to ensure the “legacy of antibiotics as a lifesaving medicine is not squandered”. “In some countries antibiotics are readily available over the counter and they are being given to cattle and painted onto boats to prevent algae,” Mr Rotthier added. “We need to insist on the highest standards of environmental production methods for producing antibiotics so no wastewater and sludge is ending up in our lakes. “We cannot have companies discharging untreated waste water into our environment contributing to illness and worse, to antibacterial resistance. We cannot accept that rivers in India show higher concentrations of active antibiotic than the blood of someone undergoing treatment.” Earlier this month scientists at Northwestern University in the United States said that they had discovered the first new antibiotic in nearly 30 years, hailing it as a “paradigm shift” in the fight against growing resistance to drugs. Teixobactin treats tuberculosis, septicemia and C. difficile and could be available within five years.

Source: Vancouver Sun

The mood was sombre as mourners gathered in Beirut’s southern suburbs to pay their respects to Jihad Mughniyeh, one of the six Hezbollah fighters killed in an alleged Israeli air strike in Syria. Thousands of people, including many Hezbollah supporters, marched behind the coffin draped in Hezbollah’s yellow flag on Monday, beating their chests in unison as confetti was showered from the surrounding balconies. Chants of “Death to Israel!” and “death to America!” punctuated the air and shots were fired as the coffin was carried through the street. Jihad, the 26-yearold son of Hezbollah military commander Imad Mughniyeh, who was assassinated in Syria in 2008, was laid to rest on top of his father in the same grave. The rest of the fighters were expected to be buried on Tuesday in their respective villages in southern Lebanon.

Jihad was seen as a rising star within the organisation, personally mentored by Iran’s Al Quds Force leader Qassem Solaimani. Many expected him to move up quickly and settle in a position similar to that of his slain father.

Jihad Mughniyeh’s death is seen as a huge symbolic loss for Hezbollah. Many are left speculating whether Hezbollah will launch retaliatory attacks against Israel. This is the first attack by Israel on high-level Hezbollah members inside Syria, demonstrating a clear escalation in tensions. Ghassan Jawad, a political analyst close to the party, told Al Jazeera: “Hezbollah is unlikely to issue a reckless retaliation. Rather, it will be calculated and at the appropriate time.” Bilal Farhat, a member of parliament for Hezbollah, told Al Jazeera the latest Israeli attacks are part of a continuous war conducted by Israel. When asked about a possible Hezbollah retaliation, he answered: “Wait and see. Our message and our line will never stop.” Meanwhile, friends of Jihad spoke of him fondly at the funeral, saying he was incredibly bright and respectful, and an exemplary student at university.

“He kept to himself, but was really very smart,” said one friend. Farah, another friend from university, told Al Jazeera that “Jihad was a special person and it was too early for him to leave”. On Sunday afternoon, Jihad Mughniyeh was killed along with five other Hezbollah fighters in a targeted air strike

while they were on a field inspection in Quneitra in the Syrian Golan Heights, just a few hundred metres from the internationally recognised ceasefire line separating Syria from the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Among those killed was Mohammad Issa, known as Abu Issa, the only one officially identified

by Hezbollah as a commander. He is said to have joined the party at the age of 15 and was considered a top-level commander who headed the group’s operations in the Golan.

Iran confirmed on Monday that a general of its elite Revolutionary Guards also died in the air strike. “General Mohammad Ali Allahdadi and a number of fighters and Islamic Resistance [Hezbollah] forces were attacked by the Zionist regime’s helicopters,” said a statement on the Guards’ website. “This brave general and some members of Hezbollah were martyred,” it said, adding that Allahdadi was in Syria “as an adviser helping the Syrian government to confront takfiri Salafist [Sunni extremist] terrorists.” Shia Iran is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s main regional ally in his war against the mainly Sunni rebels seeking to overthrow him. For its part, Israel has neither confirmed nor denied the strike.

Speaking on Monday, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli prime minister, saidy: “Israel is adamant that it will have the right to defend itself against all those who wish to propagate terror and other attacks against its citizens, against its territory.” He did not mention Lebanon or Syria specifically. On Monday, the Syrian information minister said the air strike “was not a single act, but a continuation of the Israeli support to armed terrorist groups that are listed internationally as terrorist organisations”, according to a report published by Syrian state agency SANA. The assassinations come just days after Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah chief, warned Israel against committing any attacks inside Syria and Lebanon, adding that the party has the military capability to hit any area inside Israel. Hezbollah has been fighting inside Syria alongside the Syrian army since 2013. Nasrallah denied that its participation in Syria has left the party weakened, saying it has made the organisation stronger and more prepared for any battle with Israel in the future.Source: Al-Jazeera

BC Earthquake... Continued from pg 1 will barely have 20 minutes to get to higher ground. “Every year we hear the same thing, that, ‘Oh, the big waves are going to come, the big waves are going to come,”’ Peters says as she looks out on the Pacific Ocean.

“I’m not really too worried about it actually happening. We’re not ready for it, but in a sense we are. We seem to be on the ball when it comes to evacuating the place.” “Nobody (will be) left behind,” says Peters. “All the elders, the kids, even the dogs are all taken out of here.” On Jan. 26, 1700 at about 9 p.m., a magnitude 9 earthquake struck the Pacific coast, causing violent shaking for minutes that scientists believe was felt as far away as the Manitoba border. The shaking was followed almost immediately by a tsunami that legend and scientists say sucked everybody and everything along the outer coast into the ocean. About nine hours later, a tsunami the height of a four-storey building hit the Japanese coast on Jan. 27, 1700, destroying all in its path. But It wasn’t until the late 1990s that scientists linked the historical records of the tsunami in Japan to geologic reports of the earthquake off the Pacific coast in North America, allowing them to accurately determine the exact time the earthquake struck the West Coast. Scientists using earthquake mapping and profiling techniques now believe the ancient quake and tsunami are eerily similar to the magnitude 9.2 earthquake and tsunami that struck in the Indian Ocean on Boxing Day 2004, killing more than 250,000 people. Earthquakes and

tsunamis like the Vancouver Island and Boxing Day events are not one-time occurrences, due to their locations near major fault lines that build up pressure over 300 to 500 years and eventually cause the earth to buckle and let go, scientists say. The Cascadia subduction zone off Vancouver Island is the result of two locked geological plates under the sea floor. “Right now the two plates are sort of stuck together,” says Alison Bird, a Victoriaarea Natural Resources Canada seismologist.

“They’re locked, yet they are still moving toward each other. What’s happening is there’s a lot of stress building up. The stress builds up over hundreds of years and when it releases it releases in a megathrust earthquake.” Following the Japanese earthquake and tsunami in 2011, about 70 Pachena Bay residents were evacuated to the village’s hilltop administration building and long house.

Peters says there was no damage, but the Pachena River shifted from low tide to high tide in minutes. University of Victoria ocean engineer Kate Moran says the Huu-ay-aht council was wise to accept the advice of its elders and build its new administration building high above Pachena Bay because it’s only a matter of time before another devastating tsunami arrives. Moran, who previously advised the Obama administration in the United States on climate policy issues, headed the first research team into the Indian Ocean area following the Boxing Day earthquake and tsunami.

Source: CBC News

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Jamadiul Awaal 02, 1436 H January 23, 2015

PM David Cameron defends letter to Islamic leaders

The Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) criticised some aspects of the letter, including the “implication that extremism takes place at mosques”. Mr. Cameron said the letter, written by Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, was “reasonable, sensible and moderate” The letter was sent to 1,000 Muslim leaders after the attacks in Paris. The prime minister said Mr. Pickles was “absolutely right” to write the letter urging leaders to do more to tackle extremism. “Anyone who reads this letter - and I’ve read the letter will see that what he is saying is that British Muslims make a great contribution to our country, that what is happening in terms of extremist terror has nothing to do with the true religion of Islam,” he said. “It’s being perverted by a minority who have been radicalised.” In the letter sent to more than 1,000 Islamic leaders, Mr. Pickles stressed he was “proud” of the way Muslims in Britain had responded to the Paris terror attacks but added that there was “more work to do”. He wrote: “You, as faith leaders, are in a unique position in our society. You have a precious opportunity, and an important responsibility, in explaining and demonstrating how faith in Islam can be part of British identity.

“We believe together we have an opportunity to demonstrate the true nature of British Islam today. There is a need to lay out more clearly than ever before what being a British Muslim means today: proud of your faith and proud of your country. We know that acts of extremism are not representative of Islam, but we need to show what is.”

But MCB secretary general Shuja Shafi said Mr. Pickles’ letter “could have been worded differently”. In a reply to the community’s secretary, he wrote: “We take the point that your letter was written in good faith, and we agree with your assertion that British values are indeed Islamic values. “However, we do take issue with the implication that extremism takes place at mosques, and that Muslims have not done enough to challenge the terrorism that took place in our name. “This is why we responded to the media, and an assertion in some quarters, that you were somehow endorsing the idea that Muslims and Islam are inherently apart from British society. We reject such notions. “We also reject suggestions that Muslims must go out of their way to prove their loyalty to this country of ours.” He said the MCB was working to “bring communities together and defy extremists of all kinds” - and this was being done “not out of apology, but because it was the right thing to do”. Time and again there are spikes in hate crime because of “trigger” events at home or abroad. Police recorded 44,500 hate crimes in England and Wales during 2013-14 - that’s up 5% on the previous year across race, religion, sexual orientation, disability and transgender. Some of that will be better reporting of existing levels of hate. But the breakdown shows there

was a 45% jump in religiously motivated incidents to 2,300 - including a spike in antiMuslim attacks after the Woolwich murder of Fusilier Lee Rigby. A more recent trigger was last summer’s fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Jewish security analysts recorded a surge in anti-Semitic incidents to 500 across July and August. Most of the identifiable perpetrators were thought by the victim to be Muslim, rather than white racists. But while one poll last week suggested almost half of British Jews thought they may not have a future in their home, another detailed but largely unreported survey contradicted those findings. Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, said he was “dismayed” by Mr. Pickles’ letter, which was “typical of the government only looking at Muslims through the prism of terrorism and security”. “We do not need a patronising letter from ministers to tell us to campaign against terrorism, promote values and do more against extremism when all the evidence points to Muslims organisations doing just that,” he said. But Haras Rafiq, of the Quilliam Foundation think tank, said he was disappointed by the negative reaction of some Muslims. “Whether we like it or not, there are some mosques, some imams who are preaching hate,” he said. Former Chief Rabbi Lord Sacks said he believed the government’s letter was “well-intentioned” but he understood the frustrations of Muslim leaders. “The truth is that Islamism, like all modern global political movements, is actually a global phenomenon - transmitted by the internet, transmitted by social media,” he said. UK police have said there is “heightened concern” about risks to Jewish people, following the atrocities in Paris. On Sunday Mr. Pickles joined Home Secretary Theresa May at a service in London, organised by the Board of Deputies of British Jews, to remember those killed. Mrs. May said the UK had to redouble its efforts to “wipe out antiSemitism”. She also said she never thought she would “see the day when members of the Jewish community” would be “fearful” of staying in the UK. Education Secretary Nicky Morgan said it was “shocking” that Jewish schools were “having to worry ever more about their security” - and said she was “open” to discussing funding to cover extra measures. Labour leader Ed Miliband said there was a “palpable sense of anxiety” in Britain’s Jewish community. “The best answer to this is to stand up loud and clear against anti-Semitism in all its forms,” he said. A total of 17 people died in France in a series of attacks by gunmen over three days, including four men at a kosher supermarket on 9 January. It began with a massacre at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo by militant Islamists, during which eight magazine staff, a visitor to the magazine and a caretaker also died.

Source: BBC News

The rich keep getting richer: Oxfam says wealth is increasingly concentrated in hands of few The richest 1 per cent of the population will own more than half the world’s wealth by 2016, Oxfam International said in a report released as the World Economic Forum begins in Davos, Switzerland. Oxfam said the world’s richest people saw their share of global wealth jump to 48 per cent last year from 44 per cent in 2009. Rising inequality is holding back the fight against global poverty as the world’s biggest companies lobby the U.S. and European Union for beneficial tax changes at a time when average taxpayers are still paying the bill for the financial crisis, Oxfam said. “Do we really want to live in a world where the 1 per cent own more than the rest of us combined?” Winnie Byanyima, Oxfam’s executive director, said in a statement. “The scale of global inequality is quite simply staggering, and despite the issues shooting up the global agenda, the gap between the richest and the rest is widening fast.” While world leaders such as President Barack Obama and International Monetary Fund chief Christine Lagarde have talked about tackling extreme economic inequality “we are still waiting for many of them to walk the walk,” Byanyima said. The healthcare and financial services industries spent almost $900 mil-

lion to lobby the U.S. government for favourable legislation in 2013, and more than $200 million was spent on lobbying in the EU, Oxfam said. At the same time, one in nine people don’t have enough to eat and more than a billion people live on less than $1.25 a day, Oxfam said, ticking off statistics that paint a grim picture for all but the world’s richest. The charity is calling for a crackdown on tax avoidance by corporations and rich people, as well as increased investment in health and education and equal pay legislation.

Source: Vancouver Sun

Canadian dollar little changed ahead of Bank of Canada rate announcement The Canadian dollar was little changed late morning Monday amid falling commodity prices while traders awaited the latest word on interest rates Wednesday from the Bank of Canada. The loonie added 0.01 of a cent to 83.57 cents US. U.S. financial markets were closed for the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday. The Canadian central bank is universally expected to leave its key rate at one per cent, where it has been since September 2010. Markets have believed that the Bank of Canada could move to hike later in the year, after the U.S. Federal Reserve starts hiking its own rates away from near zero.

However, there are questions about how the slide in crude oil prices has hit the Canadian economy and how this could affect central bank thinking about when rates should start to rise. “The bank (is) poised to deliver its rate decision and revised forecasts with tectonic shifts in some of its underlying assumptions — notably a 4.5 per cent decline in the value of the Canadian dollar and a 40 per cent drop in oil prices since forecasts were last prepared in October,” observed Mark Chandler, Head of Canadian FIC Strategy at RBC Dominion Securities. “The BoC is on record as saying the net impact will be ‘bad for Canada.’ “Oil has plunged 55 per cent from the highs of June 2014 and is down 40 per cent just since the end of November after Saudi Arabia-led OPEC refused to cut production levels to support prices. Oil prices fell Monday in electronic trading in New York after JPMorgan Chase became the latest financial institution to slash its oil price forecast for 2015. The bank said Monday that Brent crude — a global benchmark for oil — will average out at US$49 a barrel from $82 a barrel in its last forecast. The February crude contract in New York fell $1.02 to US$47.67

a barrel. Meanwhile, copper prices fell a day before the release of figures expected to show the economy slowed to a 7.2 per cent year over year pace from 7.3 per cent in the prior quarter. March copper in New York was down four cents in electronic trading to US$2.58 a pound. Elsewhere on commodity markets, February gold faded $1.50 to US$1,275.40 an ounce. Meanwhile, traders are also looking to the European Central Bank to unveil on Thursday a major program of quantitative easing, involving the massive purchase of government bonds, to support a weak economic recovery in the Eurozone.

It is also hoped that such a program will increase inflation pressures. The region’s price pressures have been extremely low and that has raised worries that the region could fall prey to deflationary pressures, a situation where businesses and consumers hold off on purchases in the hope that items will just get cheaper.

Source: Vancouver Sun

6 L O C A L The gentle art of dawa Jamadiul Awaal 02, 1436 H January 23, 2015

By Sameen Tahir Khan On a flight from Seattle, I sat next to a programmer from India! Arpita was from Kolkata, a very pleasant, intelligent woman.

“Do you work for Microsoft? I asked.” She smiled and said, “No, I’m not that smart” (she was being humble). She was very interested in Islam and said there was something bothering her and if I could address that. “On a trip to Turkey, I went to see the Blue Mosque. I met the imam of the mosque there and I asked him about heaven and he told me quite bluntly that unless I was a Muslim I could never go there. I asked him, why? I am not a bad person, but he said, no, hell is your destination if you are not a Muslim.” Arpita then looked at me and said, “Was he telling the truth?”

I must admit, this was a tough question for me. I unfortunately did not know enough to tackle that question. I told her perhaps the imam meant those associating partners with God will not go to heaven, where even Muslims will go to hell if they associate partners with Allah. She told me she was upset for days as the Imam had been too blunt and rigid. I told her to pray to God for guidance on this and all matters. I told her what I knew about Islam and its beauty. How Is-

lam taught us to be non-materialistic, kind to all beings including non-Muslims. How it was against the mistreatment of women, even animals. Arpita was reading a book on Afghanistan about how oppressive life was over there especially for women. I told Arpita, “Don’t look at the bad deeds of some Muslims, look at beauty of Islam.

Honor killing, forced marriages, blowing up schools are all things Islam strongly prohibits.” I told her to read the translation of the Qur’an with explanations. Arpita asked me at the end, “Are you a preacher?” I laughed and said, “I wish.” And she said, “You are so positive. ” Then she meticulously took down the names of all the scholars I had mentioned and said she would definitely check them out.

Talking to Arpita reminded me how important it is to convey Islam in the spirit that its very name reflects, Islam from Salam or peace. If we look at the Sunnah of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) we can see how soft and gentle he was in his speech and approach to dawa. He was so kind in teaching all the aspects of Islam.

Even Allah says in the Qur’an in surah Nahl: “Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue

The Largest Mawlid celebration

in BC Held by AICP-BC in a Spectacular Fashion

The largest and most grand celebration commemorating the The Birth of Prophet Muhammad sallallahu ^alayhi wa sallam in British Columbia was held in Surrey on January 10th at Crystal at York Banquet Hall. More than 1100 people from different backgrounds attended this grand event including dignitaries and non-Muslims.

The Birth of Prophet Muhammad (saw) represents the guidance that illuminated this world, so all came to show love and respect to this great prophet (saw). Many dignitaries were present, including Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services, MLA: Hon. Amrik Virk, Jinny Sims, MP for Newton-North Delta, and former MP Sukh Dhaliwal. All were welcomed and all expressed joy and admiration to such events that bring unity to the community.

The Association of Islamic Charitable Projects in BC did not spare any effort or expense this year to make this occasion the biggest in BC. The stage, the decoration, the lighting and especially the groups performing, all were nothing short from spectacular.

The stage wasn’t big enough to fit the AICP Chants Group articulating their moving Qur’an recitation, chants and beautiful tunes for the love of the Prophet (saw) and in thanks to Allah for such a blessed Messenger.

After that, the night sparkled with each performance from various AICP groups.

Students of al-Hidayah School let their joy of the occasion be felt when they raised their voices with a moving chant promising the Prophet (saw) to grow up and be the guardians of Islam; putting a tear in every eye.

His Eminence Shaykh Muhammad ^Awkal

congratulated the Muslims on this blessed occasion and reminded all that in order to grow and build a stronger and sound Muslim community we have to go back to the roots, to the real teachings of the Prophet (saw) .We have to stick to the creed of Ahlus-Sunnah wal Jama^ah, clearing Allah from resembling his creations, and to love the prophet as he deserves. His presence and moderate words charged the audience and left a very positive influence even on the non-Muslims attending.

The AICP youth also had their share of this joy when they presented moving poems about celebrating the birth of the Prophet (saw) followed by a nice Islamic chant “Muhammad O Muhammad”. Then the “Islamic Education School” students showed their loyalty to their Prophet reciting some of his hadiths, and sayings of some scholars about clearing Allah from resembling the creations and from residing in the places.

The Hall buzzed with happiness and loud voices repeating after the joyful tunes and chants of the group.

Food, drinks and sweets were served to the audience for the love of the Messenger of Allah (saw).To add more joy to such an amazing night, a winner ticket for the ^Umrah Trip was drawn from the tickets the AICP had presented.

The Association of Islamic Charitable Projects held this celebration under the banner of ‘The Guidance of Muhammad, peace be upon him, is the Illumination of this world’. One more time it succeeded in translating that devotion into actions uniting the huge number of Muslims in this occasion and celebration.

with them in a way that is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from His way, and He is most knowing of who is (rightly) guided.” (16: 125) I remember when we were young and attended Islamic lectures our teacher used to speak against putting on makeup and how people getting their eyebrows shaped would burn in hell and how women must obey their husbands. They never told us about the rights of women or the importance of good manners and good grooming. When I attended a similar lecture in Dammam with my own teenage daughters, I was pleasantly surprised by the lady who lectured the girls on covering up. She told them, when you go to a gold shop, you see many people looking at the ornaments, handling them, haggling over them. Then you see one important person coming up, the jeweler takes him inside the room, gives him cold drink and snacks, opens his safe and takes out the best, most expensive jewelery which is not even on display for the common man. That is how Allah respects you. A woman’s beauty and aura is not for everyone to look at, but that one special person who will be her husband.

A lady once told me that she didn’t like to sit with religious people because they were always talking about hell fire, “It’s depressing.” I had told her, “but hell fire is real” you should be glad someone reminds you of

it. Perhaps I should have mentioned heaven and what beautiful and amazing things there are.

In the US I have met several converts who told me they were attracted to Islam only because they had met a Muslim whose character, or dealing or kindness impressed them. As Muslims we must take every opportunity we get to be the best ambassador of Islam and remember what our Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Indeed gentleness adds more beauty to the atmosphere it reposes therein.”(Muslim).

In times when Islam is portrayed as a violent religion and Muslims as terrorists, we must make the extra effort to reintroduce Islam to ourselves and others as it truly is, a progressive, peaceful and much needed religion.

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Jamadiul Awaal 02, 1436 H January 23, 2015

F A I T H Narrated Ibn ‘Umar: Allah’s Apostle met ‘Umar bin Al-Khattab while the latter was going with a group of camel-riders, and he was swearing by his father. The Prophet said, “Lo! Allah forbids you to swear by your fathers, so whoever has to take an oath, he should swear by Allah or keep quiet.”

Hazrat Omar bin Khattab(R.A) The Second Caliph of Islam Full name: `Umar ibn al-Khattab Born: 581 AD Mecca, Saudi Arabia Reign as Caliph: 634 – 644 AD (10 and a half years) Titles: Amir al-Mu’minin AlFarooq (The Distinguisher between Truth and Falsehood) Died: Muharram, 24 A.H. (644 AD), Saudi Arabia (Age:63 years) Buried: Al-Masjid al-Nabawi, Medina Early Life: The mission of the Holy Prophet was still in the early stage. Islam was still weak and helpless. The chiefs of Mecca were up against it. One night the Holy Prophet stood in the Kaaba, lost in thoughts. Presently he raised his hands and turned his eyes heavenward.

“O,Allah!” he prayed, “make Islam strong with either of the two men, Amr bin Hisham or Omar bin Khattab.”

The prayer was instantly granted. Allah chose Omar to serve Islam and to become a great pillar of strength for Islam. Omar was twelve years younger than the Holy Prophet. He was the son of Khattab. His mother’s name was Khatmah. He came of the Adi branch of the Quraish. In early youth, Omar got training in methods of warfare and the art of public speaking. From the outset, he showed unusual courage and frankness of manner.

These qualities won him a name in the country rather at an early age.

Acceptance Of Islam: Omar was twenty seven when the Holy Prophet began his mission. Young Omar was one of those who did not care to listen to the message of Islam. In the sixth year of the Mission, a number of Muslims left for Abyssinia.

This made Omar boil with rage. “Here is a man,” he thought to himself “who has split the people. People lived smoothly enough.

He appeared on the scene He has torn son from father and brother from brother. Now his followers are running away to another land.

Surely Muhammad is the cause of all trouble.

I must slay him and put an end to the trouble.”

With this resolve Omar drew his sword and set out to kill the Holy Prophet. On the way he met a friend who asked him why he looked so upset. Omar told him what he was going to do. “You better take care of your own kin first,” said the friend, “Your sister and her

husband have gone over to Islam.”

These words changed the direction of Omar’s anger. He went straight to the house of his sister, Fatima. He knocked at the door. Someone was reciting the Quran inside. Fatima was terrified when she heard Omar’s voice. She hid the portion of the Quran she was reading and opened the door.

“I have heard it alright. I know you both have accepted Muhammad’s faith.”

Saying this, he began to beat his brother-inlaw, Saeed. Fatima ran to his help and got a blow to the head. The head began to bleed.

This made the couple bold. “Yes, we have become Muslims,” they shouted at Omar. “Do what you will.”

“Would you let me have a look at the Quran?” said Omar. Fatima handed him the few pages of the book she had.

Omar sat down to study the pages. Soon his face changed. His anger cooled down. The fear of Allah gripped his heart. He wept and declared, “Surely this is the word of Allah. I bear witness that Muhammad (peace be upon him) is the Messenger of Allah.”

Omar was again on his way to the place of the Holy Prophet. But he was now a changed man. He was not going to slay him but to embrace his faith.

The Holy Prophet was sitting in the company of some men. He saw Omar coming and asked, “Omar, what brings you here?”

“O Prophet of Allah!” replied Omar, “I have come to embrace Islam.”

It was a great day for Islam because one of its bitterest enemies had become its staunch follower.

The Title of Farooq: The coming over of Omar made a difference for Islam. Hitherto, the Muslims had lived in constant fear of the non-believers. They could not say their prayers publicly. The first thing Omar did was to call together the chiefs of Mecca. Before this gathering he declared himself a follower of Islam. They started at him in silence. No one had the courage to utter a word of reproach. Omar next requested the Holy Prophet to say prayers in the Kaaba. He himself led a party of Muslims to that place. A second party was led by Hamza. When all had gathered, they said their prayers in congregation. The Holy Prophet led the prayer. This was the first prayer of its kind said in the Kaaba.

When migration to Medina started, the same

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

Al Halim name of Allah(swt) & The Mah’i Mohammad(saw) name.

thing happend again. Most of the Muslims left Mecca silently and secretly. But Omar went to the Kaaba and said his prayer. The chiefs of Mecca looked at him in silence.

After the prayer, he shouted out to them, “I am leaving for Medina. If anyone wants to stop me let him meet me across the valley. His mother shall certainly have to weep for him in sorrow.” Despite this challenge, no Meccan would dare to stop Omar. These things earned for Omar the title of Farooq(One who Distinguishes between Right and Wrong.)” Farooq is the one who makes a difference. Omar’s acceptance of Islam had made a big difference for Islam and Muslims.

Devotion to the Prophet: Omar stood by the side of the Prophet in all battles and expeditions. Great was his love for Allah and His Apostle. He never allowed any blood ties or friendship to stand in the way of this love.

The death of the Prophet was a stunning shock to Omar. He could not believe it, so much so that he drew his sword and swore that he would cut off the head of the man who said the Messenger of Allah was dead. He was overwhelmed with grief. Life without the Prophet was unthinkable, he thought. Not till Abu Bakr had reminded him of the clear verdict of the Quran on the point did he come to himself.

Time as Caliph: Omar was Caliph for ten and a half years. This period stands out as the golden age of Islam.

The tender plant which the Holy Prophet left behind and Abu Bakr had protected against storms grew into a huge overspreading tree under Omar’s untiring care. Islam became a world power. Omar had made Islam strong and great! Thereby he had also made his own name immortal. During his Khilaafat, vast areas of the Roman and Persian empires and the whole of Egypt were brought under Islamic rule. He was also a gifted orator. He was very concerned for the welfare of the Muslims. He left a honourable legacy for Muslims after him. Omar’s armies overthrew two mighty empires of the time. Once Omar appeared before the court of Medina. The judge stood up to show respect to the Caliph as he entered the court. Modern democratic states have yet to reach this level of democracy. He established the “Baitul Maal” (People’s treasury for the state and public). Simplicity and devotion were the main characters of Sayyiduna Umar

(radi Allahu anhu). He used to wear clothes that had many patches and yet received Governors, convoys and diplomats. He took just enough allowance from the State to have a simple meal and wear simple clothes Death: There lived in Medina a Persian slave, Abu Lolo Firoz by name. One day, he came to the Calpih and said, “My master squeezes too heavy a tax out of me. Please get it reduced.”

How much is the tax?” asked Omar.

Two dirhams a day,” replied the slave.

And what skills do you posses?” was the next question of the Caliph.

I am a carpentar, a painter, and a black-smith,” Firoz said.

Then the tax is by no means too heavy,” the Calpih remarked. “A person with your skills can easy pay this tax and shall live comfortably.”

All right, I will settle with you,” grunted the slave as he went away.

Early next morning Omar went to the mosque as usual to lead the prayer. Abu Lolo was already hiding in the corner, with a dagger in hand. As soon as Omar began the prayer, the slave jumped on him. He gave six cuts with the dagger on the Caliph’s body. “Who is my assasin?” he asked.

“Abu Lolo,” said the people.

“Allah be thanked!” said Omar. “It is not a Muslim who has shed my blood.”

Finding his end in sight, Omar called his son, Abdullah.

My son,” he said, “go to Aisha. Give her Omar’s greetings. Do not refer to me as the Commander of the Faithful; for I am no longer one. Place before her my wish to be buried in her room, by the side of the Prophet and my illustrious predecessor.”

Abdullah found Aisha weeping. He delivered his father’s message to her.

I wanted to reserve this spot for my own grave, but I prefer Omar to myself,” said Aisha. Abdullah conveyed Aisha’s consent to his dying father.

Allah be thanked!” said Omar. “This was the greatest wish of my life. But look, son, when you take my dead body to Aisha’s room, again give her my greetings and ask her permission.

If she allows, bury me there, otherwise bury me in the graveyard of Medina.”

Prayer Schedule in Greater Vancouver Jan 23- Feb 6, 2015 Jamadiul Awaal 02-16, 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

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Jamadiul Awaal 02, 1436 H January 23, 2015

A D V E R T I S E R

A Muslim Gives Thanks

By Hesham A. Hassaballa Thanksgiving is an American cultural tradition that is wholly consistent with Islamic principles. Typically, American Muslims (including my family) get together with their families and have dinner together on Thanksgiving, usually because everyone has a day off on Thanksgiving, and so it is convenient and natural for families to come together.

In the past, I never gave the concept of Thanksgiving much thought, but that is changing now. Even though the story of Thanksgiving has a Christian backdrop, few things are more Islamic than thanking God for His blessings.

It is God alone who created me and gave me life, breath, and sustenance. He nurtures me and comes to my aid when I ask (or don’t ask) Him. Simply saying, “Thanks, Lord” and continuing to sin against him is to show the utmost ingratitude. And so, since He has given me so much, we Muslims ask: isn’t it only fair that my will be trumped by His? This is the best way to show my thanks to God, on Thanksgiving and beyond.

For instance, the stock market has taken quite a beating in recent months. Many Americans have had their nest eggs wiped out. If I had money in the stock market (which I don’t, fortunately or unfortunately), it would be tempting to funnel all the money into bonds or other interest-bearing investments.

Yet as a Muslim, I show my gratitude for God’s blessings differently. Islam prohibits me from earning money from usury, and thus, bonds, bank certificates of deposit, or even simple money market accounts are out of the question. Either I tough out the storm in the markets, or I pull out altogether.

Islam embraces the idea of the need for occasional entertainment; it is essential to help us relax and rejuvenate. That entertainment, however, must occur with some limitations.

Alcohol and gambling, for instance, must not be in any Islamic entertainment program.

Thus, I will not be hitting the slot machines

Remedy for Diabetes

A woman (65) was diabetic for the last 20+ years and was taking insulin twice a day. She used this home-made medicine for a fortnight and now she is absolutely free from diabetes; taking all her food normal, including sweets.

The doctors have advised her to stop taking insulin and other blood-sugar controlling drugs.

Dr. Toni Almeida (Bombay Kidney Specialist) discovered a successful treatment for diabetes Ingredients: Wheat Flour 100 gms.

Gum of tree (Gondh) 100 gms.

Barley 100 gms.

Black Seeds (Kalaunji) 100 gms.

Method Of Preparation: Put all the above ingredients in 5 cups of water. Boil it for 10 minutes and allow it to cool by itself to room temperature.

When cold, filter out the seeds and preserve the water in a glass jug or water.

How To Use It?: Take one small cup of this water every day, early morning, when your stomach is empty.

Continue this for 7 days.

Next week repeat the same, but on the alternate days.

With these 2 weeks of treatment you will wonder to see that you have become normal and can eat normal food without problem.

Note: Since these are all natural ingredients, taking them is not harmful. So those who are sceptical may still try it without any harm.

The worst case scenario will be that you still remain the same as you were before.

May God Completely Cure You Of This Disease.

If you are cured of diabetes, kindly share this with the others for their cure as well.

any time soon.

I graduated from Marquette University in Milwaukee, and if you did not drink, there was basically nothing to do on a Friday or Saturday evening. I remember quite a few lonely Saturday nights where all my drinking friends (including some Muslims) would be out at parties, and my non-drinking friends were unavailable. I would sit in my dorm room, sad and alone, watching the evening news, then “Saturday Night Live,” then “Showtime at the Apollo.” It was tough, but going out and drinking with my friends never was an option for me. Better to be lonely on a Saturday night than be ungrateful to God and sin against Him. I have had many discussions with people about Islam’s (and Judaism’s) prohibition against eating pork. Many have told me that the rationale for prohibiting pork was that, when the Hebrew Bible and the Qur’an were written, sufficient methods to sanitize meat did not exist, and it was likely people

got sick after eating the flesh of swine.

Now, however, eating pork is safe and there is no problem, despite what the religions say. I beg to differ. Islam (and Judaism) explicitly prohibits eating pork, and so I bypass the bacon and pass on the pepperoni.

During medical school, I attended meetings after class where pizza was served. To my chagrin, the meeting organizers would order only ONE vegetable pizza, and EVERYONE, being calorie conscious, would eat from the vegetable pizza, leaving me pathetic scraps. This has happened to me time and again, but I would never consider having even one slice of pizza with pork on it. Taking the pepperoni off the slice does not count, either, because of the grease left on the slice. I do not mind, however. God said, “No,” and I said, “Yes, sir.”

In the Qur’an, one comes across this statement: “How can you reject faith (or be ungrateful) seeing that you were dead and [God] gave you life; then He will cause

you to die and again bring you to life; and again to Him you will return” (2:28). God has shown His undying love for me by giving me so much in life. It is time for me to show my love for and gratitude to Him by being a willing, submitting servant.

Simply saying “Thanks” to God, although important, is not enough for me. Saying you love someone is nice; but showing you love someone through your actions is much more powerful.

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L O C A L

Jashan Eid Milad un Nabi (saw)celebrated at Masjid Anwar e Madina

Milad un Nabi (SAW) Jalsa held at Aza Hussain Islamic Centre Surrey

Pakistan... Continued from pg 3 ing of this kind happens anywhere in the world.” The military spokesman cited the example of the recent attack in Paris and school shootouts that occur in the United States. He further said: “The whole nation has come together…You’ve seen the entire political leadership on one table and take certain decisions for the future of our country.” Responding to a query about the establishment of military courts in the coun-

try, Maj Gen Bajwa said that military courts were a stopgap arrangement adopted for a period of two years. He added that the criminal justice system was undergoing reform.

Talking about relations with Afghanistan, especially in the wake of the Peshawar attack, the top military spokesman said: “Relations were already on a positive trajectory, especially ever since we had a new government in Afghanistan. There has been grow-

ing cooperation. There has been growing understanding between the two countries.”

Pakistan’s army has been fighting local and foreign terrorists in the country’s northwestern regions. The action escalated when the army launched Zarb-i-Azb operation in North Waziristan in June last year following a brazen militant attack on Karachi’s internationalairport and failure of peace talks between the government and TTP negotia-

tors. Another operation ‘Operation Khyber I’ was launched in Khyber Agency later in October. North Waziristan and Khyber are among Pakistan’s seven semi-autonomous regions governed by tribal laws and lying near the Afghan border. Taliban and other Al Qaeda-linked groups that stage attacks in both Pakistan and Afghanistan are also known to have strongholds in the zone.

Source: Dawn

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L O C A L

Seminar on Inter-Faith Harmony: Conference on Jesus Baabul Ilm Education Society organized a half day conference on “Inter-faith Harmony: Conference on Jesus” on Jan 10,. The conference was very well attended and more than 140 people from all walks of life and different religious background attended the program.

The objective of this event was to demonstrate that Muslims or Islam has nothing against any other religion. Muslims believe in interfaith harmony and peaceful coexistence. The overall goal was to try and contribute towards dispelling the negative propaganda, especially in the Canadian media, against Islam and Muslims. This was first of what can hopefully become a regular series of seminars.

On behalf of B.I. Society Dr. Mohammad Akbar welcomed the audience to this unique, auspicious, and first of its kind occasion. He mentioned that the objective of the Society is to help and encourage youth to go for good quality higher education. In this regard the Society, over the past 2 years has given away more than C$120K worth of scholarships and awards to the most deserving and outstanding students of senior high school grades with the hope that this will help them achieve better grades so that they can go to higher education institutions. In addition the Society also organizes lectures, seminars and conferences on a variety of topics mainly related to education, literature, and on great events and personalities in the history.

The idea is to enhance knowledge and awareness among the community.

Dr. Akbar said that the Society strive to promote a platform for interfaith dialogue and discussion, like the one today. Our aim is to promote respect and understanding between people of different cultures so that we develop strong communities in this beautiful part of Canada, Dr. Akbar Added.

Commenting on the recent violent events in Canada and France Dr. Akbar condemned the publications of cartoons but he also emphasized that violence is not the answer. It will only aggravate the dispute and widen the divide. We must find common grounds, and there are plenty of them, for our peaceful and respectful coexistence. We cannot eliminate each other. We can only wound each other.

Now it is our choice whether we want to live a wounded and bleeding life or a peaceful, happy, and healthy life, Dr. Akbar concluded.

Dean School of Business, Wayne Tebb welcomed the audience on behalf of Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

He mentioned that Kwantlen University give very high importance and priority to interfaith harmony and strive to promote it. School of Business at KPU has always been at the forefront to sponsor such events. He said that the root cause of recent violent events is not religious conflicts or disagreements but it is an economic issue. Whenever and wherever economic inequalities rise these types of rifts will surface. We may want to label them differently and create more controversies and fan hatred but the fact remains that economic inequalities are at work behind such violence and conflicts. His argument was very well received by the audience.

Ms. Laya Behbahani spoke about Bibi Marriam.

Ms. Laya gave very good arguments about how Muslims and Islam view Bibi Marriam and Jesus and why and what is their importance in the eyes of Islam. Pastor Tim Kuepfer from Peace Mennonite Church gave a wonderful presentation on the life and times of Jesus. Similarly, Balwant Sanghera representing Sikh community talked about their perspective on Jesus. He said we see the spirit of Jesus in Guru Nanak. Mr. Sanghera said that all the great personalities have given one same message a message of peace, love, and harmony.

Dr. Syed Nasir Zaidi spoke on the status of Jesus Christ in the view of the Qur’an. He said that Jesus has been described in the Qur’an as a word of God (Qur’an, 3:45) which means he speaks on behalf of God. As, in our conversation, our words implies on their meanings and reveal our inner self, similarly

Jesus as a word of God reflects God’s personality and His attributes. Being the word of God, Jesus was also creation of God but Qur’an does not consider his creation as an ordinary creation rather Qur’an considers his creation as an extraordinary creation which refers to his birth from a virgin mother, a unique distinction, because he was born at the command of God. Jesus birth in the view of Qur’an was also miracle.

Dr. Zaidi compared this Qur’anic view point with biblical approach and said bible also describes Jesus as a word of God. The exact wording of the Bible is: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God (John:1:1). Dr. Zaidi said that an important part of establishing interfaith harmony for us should be to know the common grounds of the Qur’an and Bible or Torah. Although common issues may have different interpretations and explanations from both sides but it will also help us to add new perspectives and dimensions in our own interpretations.

Dr. Mohammad Tariq, Consul General of Pakistan presented official view of Pakistan on Inter-faith Harmony. He highlighted the efforts that the govt. of Pakistan has made in promoting inter-

faith harmony over the years. He also listed the achievements of the govt. is this regard. At the end of the presentations a message from the Mayor or Surrey was read out as she was not able to attend the program.

After the presentations a very lively Q and A session ensued. Audience from different backgrounds acknowledged that this event was very useful and timely. They said that this type of events is very helpful in understanding each other’s points of views and beliefs. Audience were of the view that in such events at least we can agree to disagree in a more civilized manner and in a more peaceful and educative environment. They expressed their gratitude for Baabul Ilm Education Society’s welcome and hospitality. They also admired the graciousness in which Mahmood Jaffer conducted and MC’ed this event, particularly the lively question and answer session. The program ended with Namaz-e-Magrib and refreshments.

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L O C A L

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Jamadiul Awaal 02, 1436 H January 23, 2015

A D V E R T I S E R

ASPIRE: A Volunteer Case Worker’s Perspective

by Roshme Azeez ASPIRE: Actualizing Self-reliance by Providing Inspiration, Resources & Education The Muslim Food Bank’s ASPIRE Program aims at promoting the development and independence of our clients. We work to recognize the challenges faced by them in supporting themselves, and our intention is to help them overcome these challenges by focusing on three core areas: Education, Employment and Community Support.

As a Volunteer Case Worker with the ASPIRE Program, my responsibility is to work closely with the client helping them connect with local and community resources while lending support as they navigate their way towards a better,

Empowerment

By Shabnam Khan – Family Counsellor At the core of the concept of empowerment is the idea of power.

The possibility of empowerment depends on two things.

First, empowerment requires that power can change. If power cannot change, if it is inherent in positions or people, then empowerment is not possible, nor is empowerment conceivable in any meaningful way. In other words, if power can change, then empowerment is possible.

Second, the concept of empowerment depends upon the idea that power can expand.

This second point reflects our common experiences of power rather than how we think about power. To clarify these points, we first discuss what we mean by power.

Power is often related to our ability to make others do what we want, regardless of their own wishes or interests. Science emphasizes power as influence and control, often treating power as a commodity or structure from human action. Conceived in this way, power can be viewed as unchanging or unchangeable. Other definition will give us a key word beyond this limitation by recognizing that power exists within the context of a relationship between people or things. Power does not exist in isolation nor is it inherent in individuals. By implication, since power is created in relationships power can change.

Empowerment as a process of change, then, becomes a meaningful concept.

A brief exercise makes the importance of this discussion clear. Quickly, list three words that immediately come to mind when you hear the word power. For most people, words that come to mind when we think about power often revolve around control and domination. Focusing on these aspects of power limit our ability to understand and define empowerment.

The concept of empowerment also depends upon power that can expand our second stated requirement. Understanding power as something that you get at our expense cuts most of us off from power. A conception of power means that power will remain in the hands of the powerful unless they give it up.

Although this is certainly one way that power can be experienced, it neglects the way power will remain in the hands of the powerful unless they give it up. Although this is certainly one way that power is experienced, it neglects the way power is experienced in most interactions. Another brief exercise highlights the importance of a definition of power that includes expansion. “Have you ever felt powerful?”

Empowerment will be seen and understood differently by individuals who inhabit various positions in power structures. “You are in charge of yourself as you have the power within you” shabnam@skcounselling.ca

more stable future.

We must remember that whatever we possess in this life is going to vanish and only the things that we do for charity (out of love for Allah the Almighty and fellow humans) is what will remain to our credit. A verse referring to this in the Holy Quran (16:96) says “What is with you must vanish: what is with Allah will endure”.

My experience so far has been humbling, enlightening and inspirational. As my first client, I was introduced to a woman with 3 children.

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Her family settled in Canada to escape persecution in her home country, and current circumstances prevent her from being independent. Her daily life has become a struggle.

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In my capacity as her Case Worker I was able to help her wade through Government applications for assistance, introduce her to Counselling in her native language, fill applications etc. I believe I learnt more from her strength, simplicity and generosity than what I was able to offer her.

This family is just one example of what we as Case Workers can do in a small way to as-

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Jamadiul Awaal 02, 1436 H January 23, 2015

H E A L T H

Is Breakfast Really Your Most Important Meal?

By Rita Rubin Your mother might’ve told you breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Some recent reports, though, might make you think Mom’s take on breakfast is about as credible as other old wives’ tales. The reports that challenge the importance of breakfast say most studies linking it to a smaller waistline and improved health have been observational. Observational studies can’t prove cause and effect, though. Skeptics wonder whether some other quality common in breakfast-eaters -- or breakfast-skippers, for that matter -- might have a greater impact on their health and weight than the meal itself. Researchers also say how the studies are done may explain the conflicting results. Several scientists who’ve studied the relationship between eating breakfast and health -- all of whom said they eat breakfast daily -- helped us sort it out.

Q. If I want to lose weight, why not skip breakfast? After all, two meals have fewer calories than three.

A. The desire to lose weight is one of the most frequently cited reasons for skipping breakfast.

But many observational studies have found that people who skip breakfast are more likely to be overweight. The theory is that they more than make up for the missed calories in the morning by eating more at lunch or snacking all day.

But a study published in June challenged these beliefs. The study was a randomized controlled trial, considered the gold standard of medical research. In this type of study, volunteers don’t get to decide whether they eat breakfast, but are instead randomly assigned to either eat it or not.

The study showed that when people skip breakfast, “overall, there’s still a similar intake or a lesser intake (of calories) over the whole day,” says researcher Krista Casazza, PhD, RD. Another small randomized trial published by Cornell University researchers in Physiology & Behavior in 2013 found that college students ate about 145 calories more at lunch when they ate nothing in the morning than they did on a day when they ate breakfast. Considering that their breakfasts averaged about 625 calories, skipping it still resulted in a savings of about 450 calories by day’s end, according to the study.

Whether that calorie deficit lasts for more than a few days and leads to weight loss remains to be seen, says Harvard School of Public Health researcher Rania Mekary, PhD. “Your metabolic rate might end up decreasing,” she says. “If you starve yourself, you might lose weight, but is that something good long-term?”Researchers point out that randomized trials have shortcomings, as well. They are often small and last only a few days. The bottom line is that while research hasn’t shown eating breakfast can lead to weight loss, neither does it show that eating breakfast makes you pack on the pounds, says Heather Leidy, PhD. She’s an assistant professor in the department of nutrition and exercise physiology at the University of Missouri School of Medicine.

Q. What if you don’t eat anything until after you’ve been up for a couple of hours or more?

Does that count as breakfast?

A. Does eating later in the morning count as breakfast or a snack, especially if it’s something small and not a calorie-laden meal? In many studies, researchers typically ask only whether participants ate breakfast, not what they ate or when they ate it.

“There’s no real standard definition of breakfast,” says Megan McCrory, PhD. She’s an associate professor of nutrition at the Georgia State University Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions. Some people might call that container of yogurt scarfed down at their office a morning snack, while others might call it breakfast, McCrory says, muddying the research findings. More study is needed, she said in an article published in July in Physiology & Behavior. Mekary says she wondered whether people who said they skipped breakfast actually ate the same amount of that meal but called it snacking.

She and her colleagues had asked participants in the Nurses Health Study whether they snacked

before lunch as well as whether they ate breakfast. In one analysis of their data, Mekary lumped together all of the before-lunch snackers who said they didn’t eat breakfast and compared them to the women who said they did. Both groups had a similarly lower risk of type 2 diabetes compared to women who said they ate nothing before lunch, in part because the morning eaters tended to weigh less. In other words, whether you call it breakfast or a snack and eat it first thing or later in the morning, the potential benefits

appear to be similar, Mekary says.Q. What is the breakfast of champions?

A. Whether grabbing a doughnut is better than no breakfast at all remains to be seen, Leidy says. “Some of our studies suggest that it is better to eat something for breakfast as opposed to skipping,” she says. “On the other hand, we also show that eating a high sugar/ high carbohydrate breakfast is detrimental in terms of appetite control and snacking.”

A breakfast high in protein -- such as Greek yogurt with blueberries, granola, and nuts, or a breakfast burrito with eggs, lean meat or soy, and vegetables -- is a better choice,

Leidy says.

Q. Can eating breakfast make me smarter?

A. It’s probably too late for you, but it might work for your kids. An observational study of Chinese kindergartners published in 2013 found that those who regularly ate breakfast had higher IQ scores than their peers who didn’t. The difference remained even after accounting for other factors that can influence IQ, such as parents’ education and occupations.

Casazza, although skeptical of the benefits of breakfast for adults, says “a significant amount of data” support the meal’s importance for the brain in children and teens.

There may be other benefits as well. A study of more than 4,000 children in the U.K., published Sept. 2 in PLoS Medicine, suggests that children who eat a daily breakfast may have a lower risk of getting type 2 diabetes. Mekary, who has a 3½-year-old daughter, says, “I would never send her to preschool without breakfast.”

Source: WebMD Health News

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L I F E S T Y L E

9 Lies You Tell Yourself About Organizing Having trouble staying organized at home?

We hate to break it to you, but it might be you (not your stuff) that’s the problem. We asked professional organizers to reveal common decluttering missteps they often see tripping up people’s best intentions.

year is totally sufficient. It’s not like you need the material at your fingertips every day.”

8. “There’s one right way to be organized.”

Know that it’s OK to do things differently if “normal” systems don’t work for you.”If cli1. “If I’m not organized, I must be doing ents get frustrated by putting clothes on hangeverything wrong.” ers, I might suggest we try a pegboard or a “When I’m working with a client, I always system with boxes,” says Amelia. “Learn what start by looking for what’s going right,” says works for your habits.”

Jeni Aron (aka the Clutter Cowgirl). “People 9. “Once I get organized, I’ll never have often already have systems in place, but don’t to think about it again.” realize it.”

“Face it: Life changes,” says Maeve. “It’s Jeni says this could be as obvious as using unrealistic to think that a system created one your closet’s hangers, or owning a hook for year will work perfectly the next. The key your keys. Noticing how you already operate maintaining your organization is to remain in your home is a good way to start tweaking flexible and be prepared to reevaluate soluhow you keep organized. “Organizing doesn’t tions that have broken down.” have to be an orchestra of scientific systems.” says Jeni.

2. “The solution to decluttering is buying lots of bins and boxes.”

“Buying stuff does not equal being organized,” says Maeve Richmond, founder of the organizing coaching service Maeve’s Method. “When you get that plastic tub home, it isn’t going to tell you what to do. People don’t want to admit that emotions will come up, but you have to face your clutter and make decisions about it to really move through roadblocks.”It’s also much more practical to take stock of your stuff (and start paring it down), before you head to The Container Store: “You don’t really know what sort of system you need until you know how much stuff you’re keeping,” says Jeni.

3. “I don’t need a clear space to start organizing.”

It might seem daunting, but you really need to go through everything and start with a blank slate to build better habits and take stock of what you own. Don’t attempt to organize without clearing out the space first,” says Amelia Meena, personal organizer and founder of Appleshine. “People don’t trust themselves to take everything apart to help declutter, but you need to deconstruct to reconstruct.”

4. “I can’t get rid of anything that was given to me as a gift.”

“Interestingly enough, it’s just as hard for us to get rid of free stuff, as it is to get rid of expensive stuff,” says Amelia. “But if someone gave you something you never use (or don’t even like!), you should let it go. Recognize that all stuff has an expiration date, and you’ll avoid the guilt factor.”

5. “Aunt Sheila would love this [insert item you don’t want]!”

“Don’t displace your clutter to someone else,” says Jeni. “First of all, it takes time away from you tackling your own home. Plus, unless you’re getting rid of a brand new Coach bag, no one wants your stuff. Don’t make your clutter someone else’s problem — donate, sell, or throw out things you don’t want.”

6. “I should devote my entire weekend to organizing my whole house.”

“That’s like saying, ‘I want to start running, why don’t I start with a marathon?’” says Jeni.

She recommends fighting the urge to organize your entire home at once, since you need time to truly consider a smart plan for each space (and you’ll probably burn out before you’re done).

7. “I need a separate file for every bank statement, doctor’s appointment, and receipt. And it should be organized by year. And colorcoded!”

It’s tempting to strive for perfection while decluttering, but if you make things too complicated (or too perfect), you might actually erase your good intentions. “Paper clutter is a major issue, but people tend to over-file,” says Jeni.

“Day-to-day you don’t need a system that is micromanaged. For instance, one file that says ‘dental work’ that carries over from year to

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YOUTH

January 23, 2015

Can schools survive in the age of the web?

By Tom Chatfield If you fancy a top-class education but can’t afford the fee or the time, there is now an alternative.

This November, the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation invested a million dollars in edX, the world’s largest online learning initiative.

Founded by Harvard and MIT, edX boasts a growing number of “massively open online courses” (MOOCs) aimed at bringing virtual versions of world-class higher education to hundreds of thousands of participants. By 2013, it will offer a selection of entirely free online classes from Harvard, MIT, Berkeley and the University of Texas.

A not-for-profit platform, edX is billed as “the future of online education: for anyone, anywhere, anytime”. The future, though, is already starting to look crowded. One notable rival is Udacity, another free provider of digital higher education whose existence was inspired by the enrolment of 160,000 students in its founders’ online Introduction to Higher Education Course at Stanford. Or you could plump for Coursera, which was launched shortly after Udacity and today boasts close to two million enrolments on courses from 33 leading universities. Other exemplars such as the Khan Academy, meanwhile, have delivered online instruction to tens of millions of willing autodidacts; not to mention the billion views recently chalked up by TED talks.

Online, the global appetite for learning is becoming a powerful force. As the author and digital guru Clay Shirky put it in a widelydebated recent blog post, education is being disrupted by “a new story rearranging people’s sense of the possible.”

The web itself is old news, as are the brute facts of online information‘s dominance; we’ve had Wikipedia for over a decade.

What’s new is the increasingly trusting eyes we turn towards online media for something more fundamental: the skills, knowledge and instruction required to thrive in the modern world.

“The possibility MOOCs hold out isn’t replacement,” Shirky observes. Rather, it’s that “education can be unbundled.” Much like many other fields – from broadcasting and newspapers to games and shopping – technology promises not so much to replace older institutions as to break up the packages they once offered, providing particular parts of them at a scale and cost unmatchable by the old order.

All of which is certainly a recipe for reform.

When it comes to what is actually being unbundled, though, there’s something paradoxically conservative about most MOOCs: recorded lectures, online tests, digital documents, and blue chip institutional endorsements.

As the author and technology theorist Ian Bogost argued earlier this year, “if the lecture was such a bad format in the industrial age, why does it suddenly get celebrated once digitized and streamed into a web browser in the information age?”

It’s a fair question. A digital lecture is still a lecture; an online test is still a test. Those looking for genuinely new kinds of skill and instruction are unlikely to find them in even the most articulate digital incarnations of a conventional apparatus.

Which isn’t to say that they can’t be found, of course. Outside of courses and set lectures, for example, educationalists like Sugata Mitra and the One Laptop Per Child organisation have experimented with a more fundamental form of autodidacticism: give people access to technology, and let them get on with it.

Specifically, One Laptop Per Child has focused on some of the world’s most disadvantaged learners: illiterate children in rural Ethiopia, who without any previous exposure to writing are given tablet computers preloaded with alphabet-training games, cartoons, pictures and books. Early results have been impressive, and have extended well beyond ABCs: within five months, one group had worked out how to hack the operating system.

Online courses provided by some of the world’s top universities are going to be used by students at local community colleges, in a project funded by the Gates Foundation.

It’s a far cry from simply watching a recorded talk – although its beneficiaries may, one day, be grateful in turn for what online courses offer. What such schemes suggest to me, though, is something more fundamental: that real disruption can only happen if we’re able to unbundle education outside of old categories like lectures, tests and essays; and that “education” itself demands rethinking in an age where helping people to help themselves is not so much an aspiration as a fact of the tools we use every day.

As Nicholas Negroponte, the founder and chairman of the One Laptop Per Child foundation, asked in a September article for the MIT Technology Review: “If kids in Ethiopia learn to read without school, what does that say about kids in New York City who do not learn even with school?”

Negroponte’s is both a daunting and extraordinarily hopeful question. The world will always have a place for elite educational institutions – with MOOCs embodying both genuine democratisation on their part and an excellent form of advertising. Elsewhere, though, it’s harder to sustain the notion that

the future will simply be a virtualised version of the past.

For many academic institutions, “unbundling” remains a dirty word; a recipe for lower standards, fragmentation and the abandonment of cherished aspirations. All of which may be true, at least in the short term. In the end, though, it doesn’t matter. Education is following information into the ether, and can no more be stuffed back into its box than a television signal.

Change isn’t just about technology, of course.

Those things that a screen cannot offer – community, tuition, interpersonal dialogue, shared space and time – are only going to feel more precious amid the increasingly rich educational pickings online. Above all, though, it’s having access to a screen in the first place that counts. Achieve that, and you can build from scratch – or rebuild – whatever local structures will best support a community of education and aspiration. Some may resemble, or develop from, current institutions.

Many won’t, and shouldn’t, not least because much of what constitutes an institution in the first place is expressly designed to resist reform.

For those who don’t realise this – and soon – the future of education is likely to prove an uncomfortable place.

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Jamadiul Awaal 02, 1436 H January 23, 2015

K I D S / Y O U T H

A Fiqh Perspective on Raising Children

By: Omar Abdl-Haleem

I. Tarbiyyah It’s Meaning in the Arabic Language and in the Terminology of the Fuqahaa’ A. Tarbiyyah in the Arabic language means to raise a child (whether or not that child is their own), acting in his or her best interest until that child becomes independent and capable of managing its own affairs. Tarbiyyah includes following up the child’s nutrition, his or her physical, spiritual, and mental growth, and his or her education and acquisition of manners in such a way that the child is well taken care of, wellnourished, and well-mannered. The fruit of this labor is that when a child grows up to be a man or woman, they are equipped to handle the burdens of life, and they have the tools they need to have a successful Afterlife.

B. Tarbiyyah from a fiqh point of view is synonymous with the linguistic meaning, except that it is a little more specific. Fiqh is mainly concerned with the following three aspects of raising children: C. Educating them in a well-rounded way about what they need to know in terms of religious sciences, such as fiqh, and worldly knowledge, such as arithmetic.

D. Training them in Islamic behavior and values, for example in telling the truth, in good manners, such as respecting elders, and in refined etiquette as in eating in a calm manner.

E. Building and strengthening their Islamic identity such that they think of themselves as Muslims before they think of themselves as the sons or daughters of so-and-so, eastern or western, etc.

II. Educating the Children A. There is ample evidence from the Qur’an that educating children is necessary: Allah, Glorious and High, said: O you who believe! Save yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones...[66:6].

Al-Qurtubi said in his tafseer of this verse: “Some of the scholars have said that when Allah, Exalted and High, said: ‘Protect yourselves!’ that it included protecting one’s own children from the Fire of Hell because one’s children are a part one’s own self. Al-Qushayri reported that when this verse was revealed Umar ibn al-Khattaab said to the Prophet Muhammad, sallallahu alayhe wa sallam: “We can protect ourselves from the Fire of Hell, but how can we protect our families? “The Prophet(SAW) said: “By forbidding them from what Allah forbade and commanding them with what He commanded.” So because of this some scholars have said: “We must teach our children religion and goodness in addition to what good manners should necessarily be known.”

B. Evidence from the Sunnah that a man is responsible for the education of his family: Bukhari reported that the Prophet(SAW) said: “There are three (kinds of) people who will be rewarded twice (double): (The first is) a man from the People of the Book who believed in his prophet and then believed in Muhammad (sallallahu alayhe wa sallam). (The second is) a slave that fulfilled his obligation to Allah and his obligation to his master. (The third is) a man that had a slave girl whom he taught good manners and taught them to her well, and whom he educated and educated her well, then set her free and married her. Thus shall he receive his reward twice (double).” Bukhari titled this hadeeth, A man educating his slave-girl and his family. Ibn Hajar explained why Bukhari considered this ha-

deeth as proof that a man is responsible for the education of his wife even thought the wife is not explicitly mentioned in the hadeeth. Ibn Hajar said: “The responsibility of a man toward his family [meaning explicitly wife and children) is greater than that toward his slave girl. “Therefore, this hadeeth is indirect proof that a man is responsible for the education of his wife and children.

III. Teaching Children Manners A. HERE ARE A TWO HADEETH ABOUT TEACHING BOYS GOOD MANNERS: Tirmithi reported that the Prophet(SAW) said: “A father has never given to a son a gift better than good manners.” Ibn Majah reported that the Prophet(SAW) said: “Be gracious with your children and teach them good manners.”

B. A HADEETH ABOUT TEACHING GIRLS GOOD MANNERS: Abu Dawud reported that the Prophet(SAW) said: “[A man] who raises three girls, and teaches them good manners, and marries them [to righteous men], and is good to them-for him is Paradise.”

C. THE TIME TO BEGIN TEACHING CHILDREN MANNERS: Training children begins when they are very small. It should, however, start out very slowly. As the child becomes more and more capable of reason, the training should become more and more intensive.

From the time the child is very young until he or she reaches seven years of age there should be an abundance of love and gentleness. From seven to 10, the training should be come gradually more intense, but there should also be an abundance of patience and very little or no punishment.

The most important and intensive period when it comes to training children is from age 10 to 14. Then the parent should be fully engaged in the training the child in good manners, and there should be reasonable punishment for bad behavior. The Prophet(SAW) said: “Command your children to pray salah when they are seven. Hit them about it (meaning if they willfully do not pray) when they are ten and separate (at that age) between them in bed.”

IV. Establishing the Muslim Identity of the Child A. WHAT DO WE MEAN BY MUSLIM IDENTITY? Having a Muslim identity means the child is a Muslim in terms of his other thinking, speech, actions, behavior, ways, goals, purpose in life, perspective on affairs, how one judges matters, how one interacts with others, how one strives to spread Islam and

establish truth and extinguish falsehood, and how one holds strongly to Islamic principles, even if others abandon them. In short, what we mean by Muslim identity is that a person strives to be upright in and of him or herself, and strives to help others be upright.

B. THE ADVICE OF LUQMAN TO HIS SON The Quran gives an example of a father admonishing his son for all fathers to follow.

Luqman’s admonitions to his son consist of three main points that revolve around establishing one’s Muslim identity.

1. He teaches his son the Oneness of Allah (31:13-16) and teaching him about Allah and His attributes-namely that He has unlimited knowledge 2. He teaches his son to be righteous, in and of himself, and to command others to be

righteous. Luqman does so by commanding him to pray salah (31:17), enjoin others to goodness, to forbid them from evil, and to be patient with the afflictions Allah tests people with 3. He teaches his son to stay away from boasting and arrogance C. THE PROPHET’S ADVICE TO IBN ABBAS Tirmithi reported that Ibn Abbas said: “I was behind the Prophet(SAW) one day [riding], and he said: ‘Young man! Let me teach you some words [of wisdom]. Observe the boundaries of Allah, and Allah will protect you. Observe the boundaries of Allah, and you will find Allah near. And if you ask, ask Allah. And if you seek support, seek support from Allah. And know that the entire Ummah, if it gathers together to benefit you with something, they will not be able to benefit you with something, except for a thing that Allah has written for you. And if they gather together to harm you, they will not be able to harm you with something, except with something that Allah has written against you. The pens have been lifted and the scrolls are dry.”

Every parent should teach their child what Luqman taught his son and what the Prophet (SAW) taught Ibn ‘Abbas. All of what the Prophet(SAW) taught Ibn Abbas in this hadeeth revolves around a principle that the child should recognize: Everything is in the hands of Allah. So they should turn to Him. Nothing is in the hands of people.

So they should not seek to please people.

This is the core value we should seek to instill in our children.

Sources: Al Jumuah Magazine

23

Jamadiul Awaal 02, 1436 H January 23, 2015

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Jamadiul Awaal 02, 1436 H January 23, 2015

P A K I S T A N

Unveiling the Truth: The Hijab and Muslim Women in Canada

By: Rubab Abid (Toronto) Specially written for the Miracle The hijab has been a continually controversial and emotionally-charged topic throughout history. Within both the Muslim world as well as many Western countries, the on-going conversation surrounding the hijab and other Islamic headscarves has brought about intensely polarizing sentiments from both sides of the aisle. On the one hand, many Muslims around the world feel that the hijab is a religious and social mechanism through which Muslim women can assert their modesty, privacy, and morality. On the other hand, numerous Western politicians, commentators, and feminist organizations view the hijab as an archaic and oppressive religious symbol which unfairly subjugates and marginalizes the rights of Muslim women.

Within this whirlwind of social, political, and religious debate, the opinions and perspectives of young Muslim women are often left unheard. More specifically, young Muslim women who are born and raised in Canada find themselves placed in a very unique and interesting context with respect to the issue of the hijab. On the one hand, Muslim-Canadian women have been raised within a distinctly Western perspective and have been brought up in the influence of its social, cultural, and political practices. They have grown up surrounded by the power of the Western media, movies, music, television, and magazines, all of which project a distinctly sexualized image of female gender roles. On the other hand, many second-

generation Muslims living in Canada also feel a deep and profound sense of connection, value, and respect for their cultural and religious roots. Young Muslim-Canadian women often uphold culturallyspecific traditions and religious practices such as refraining from dating, avoiding alcohol and drugs, and wearing modest clothing such as the hijab alongside their distinctly Western upbringing.

As one can imagine, the task of balancing and harmonizing these two seemingly different worlds can be very a difficult process for many young Muslim Canadians. One of the most critical challenges facing Muslim women living in Canada centers on the hijab. Despite the assertions of certain critics, the decision to wear or not wear the hijab is a very complex and multi-faceted issue. It does not simply boil down to a purely religious duty on the one hand, or the fundamentalist Islamic oppression of women on the other. It is a decision which entails a wide range of social, political, economical, emotional, and psychological factors.

There are a wide range of reasons why many young Muslim-Canadian women choose to wear the hijab. Undoubtedly, there are countless Muslim women who wear the hijab solely as a religious act of duty and modesty and view the hijab as a symbol of their adherence to Islamic beliefs. However in a post-9/11 world, the effect and meaning of the hijab has become more and more politically charged.

With Western countries such as France and Germany and even the province of Quebec placing institutionalized bans on

the hijab in public places, many young Muslim women have been forced to re-interpret the meaning and significance of the hijab throughout their lives in the West. Many young Muslim women have come to utilize the hijab as a reactionary symbol of social and political protest against the intolerance and prejudice of anti-Islamic critics. These women utilize the hijab as a political tool through which they emphasize and promote their Muslim identity. For young Muslim women, the hijab becomes a badge of pride and condemnation against Western countries and their foreign policies.

On the other hand, many young Muslim women in Canada choose to wear the hijab as a direct response to Western ideals of overt female sexuality and the West’s overwhelming emphasis on external beauty. Many Muslim women feel that the hijab grants them a sense of protection and emancipation from conforming to Western ideals of femininity. In this sense, the hijab is utilized as a tool which grants young Muslims a sense of liberation and freedom. In both cases, Muslim women are shown to be actively and consciously deciding for themselves the method and manner in which they wear the hijab.

Conversely, there are also a wide and multi-faceted range of reasons why some Muslim-Canadian women chose to not wear the hijab. It is a sad fact that many Muslims are unfairly discriminated against in Western society as a result of their religious beliefs. Whether in the workplace, schools, universities, or public places, many Muslim-Canadian women

complain that they are often treated with hostility, fear, anger, and even violence as a result of their hijab. In many instances, Muslim women are overlooked for potential job opportunities or become the victims of bullying or social isolation. As a result, many young Muslim women feel that in order to avoid such bigotry and inequality, removing their headscarf is the most practical and effective choice for them. Other Muslim women simply choose not to wear the hijab because they feel that covering their hair does not signify the level of their religious beliefs and view the hijab as more of a cultural interpretation rather than a religious requirement.

It is important to note that young CanadianMuslim women, like all women, are not singular monolithic beings. They are diverse, complex, and multi-faceted individuals with wide-ranging thoughts, opinions, and experiences. Correspondingly, the various reasons behind why certain Muslim-Canadian women choose to wear or not wear the hijab are similarly complex and diverse. Why and how a woman comes to this decision is a personal judgment which only the woman herself can and should make. Hence, it is important for both Western society and the Muslim community itself to respect this choice and the reasoning and motivations behind such a critical decision.

25

Jamadiul Awaal 02, 1436 H January 23, 2015

S P O R T S

‘Happy we are not favourites’ – Waqar

Waqar Younis, the Pakistan head coach, is happy that his team is not going into the World Cup tagged as favourites, and pointed to their creditable semi-final finish in the 2011 edition when they went in without too

many expectations. “I am happy that we are not favorites,” Waqar said in Lahore.

“To be very honest it’s big pressure of being favorites. We were not favorites last time (in 2011) too but we played excellent cricket. Similarly this time, there are teams which play on those bouncy wickets like Australia and South Africa, and are probably bigger favorites than us. But we hope that with the type of resources we have we can do well.” As preparation for the World Cup, Pakistan had a five-day camp in Lahore which will be followed by two ODIs against New Zealand in Wellington and Napier. During the camp, batsmen were seen playing on marble slabs to counter short balls though the sessions remained brief. Pakistan recently had a lengthy outing in the UAE and avoided going into an extensive conditioning camp. Waqar said Pakistan have “sufficient” cricket at World Cup venues to adapt to the conditions. “As far as the camp is concerned, we had been playing cricket for the last three months, the camp was just for bonding, to recollect things for four-five days. Of course condi-

tions were quite different from where we are going, here it was quite cold, but we are going to New Zealand first, and we have two weeks to get used to the conditions there. “That’s all you got and it’s not that every team, apart from three teams which are playing in Australia… the conditions will be same for all other teams as well. We had been playing for quite some time now and you don’t want to get burn out, you don’t want to get fatigued. You need fresh people and we are trying to keep them fresh.

We have few matches before the World Cup and I think we have sufficient time.”

Pakistan have named five fast bowlers in their World Cup squad including the injury prone Junaid Khan, who had another scare when he slipped while bowling in the nets on Thursday. Mohammad Irfan may have been in flow but he has a brittle body. “Unfortunately injuries hit us at the wrong time and you get a setback,” Waqar said. “On the face of it, it looks that we are taking lots of injuries but I don’t think there are so many injuries. We had problems to our fast bowlers for few months and of course the recent

episode with Junaid is a setback. If you can’t have injuries you can’t move forward.

“I don’t want to name favorites and put my team under pressure. All the bowlers will have to share the workload until the World Cup and probably to get the best combination it’s the best thing to do. We have high hopes from Irfan, Wahab (Riaz) and Junaid.

They are all experienced bowlers. All they need is to stay fit and fresh.” Waqar said the recent announcements that Shahid Afridi and Misbah-ul-Haq would be quitting ODIs after the World Cup had gone down well with the dressing room. “I can tell you from the results of the last four-five days that they decided to finish on a high. Their body language is very positive and it’s a very positive sign for our youngsters that if someone has decided to quit, they have promised to us that they are going to give not 100 percent but 150 percent in their last tournament. After playing for so long they still have something in the tank. I want to see the best from them and I am sure both of them will give their 100 per cent.

Source: Cricinfo

Average ticket asking prices at the same period before the big game were $3,083 in 2013, $3,646 in 2012, $4,062 in 2011, and $3,509 in 2010. The highest priced tickets are listing for $17,800 and would put you in the lower center of the stadium. On the low end, if you’d consider it low, the cheapest seats are listing for $1,857, according to TiqIQ, which monitors and sells tickets

from a variety of sources on the secondary market. If you’re thinking $1,800 or $18,000 is a drop in the bucket, then you could consider bumping up to a luxury box.

Those are going for between $726,000 and close to $1 million. But there’s a big spread between what people are hoping to sell their tickets for and what fans are actually paying. The average selling price for tick-

ets sold so far this has been about $3,000, nearly $1,000 less than the average asking price. And there is some evidence that indicates if you’re willing to wait, while selection might be reduced, the asking prices will decline. Based on data since 2010, ticket prices to the Super Bowl tend to drop in the final two weeks.

Source: CBS News

Average Super Bowl ticket price: $3,950 If you want to go to the Super Bowl, whether to root for the Seahawks or the Patriots or just to be there, it’s going to cost you some fat dollars. The average list price to get a ticket to Super Bowl 49 in Glendale, Ariz., is $3,950, according to an analysis by ticket aggregator TiqIQ.com. The asking price is down about 3 percent compared to last year, when the average price was $4,064.

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