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Volume 15 Issue 406 Rabi ul Thani 12-26, 1437 AH / January 22, 2016 - $1

APS mastermind claims Bacha Khan University attack, 21 killed

Saudi Arabia, Iran brotherly countries: Outside PM Nawaz Shareef Peace Mission

PESHAWAR: Unidentified gunmen entered Bacha Khan University in Khyber Pakhtunkha’s Charsadda town Wednesday and opened fire on students and faculty members as they gathered at the school for a poetry recital to commemorate the death anniversary of the activist and leader whom the school is named after.The mastermind of the APS Peshawar attack, Umar Mansoor, of the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) Geedar group has claimed the attack through a post on his Facebook page, adding that four attackers were sent to the university.

However, a spokesperson from the TTP, Mohammad Khorasani, issued a conflicting statement shortly after Mansoor’s claim, in which Khorasani condemned the attack, terming it “against Shariah”.Khorasani also warned that those “using the naming of TTP will be brought to justice”.

Terrorism inside Pakistan Taliban Attack at Bacha Khan University in Pakistan

Continued on Pg 4

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2

Rabiul Al Thani 12, 1437 January 22, 2016

S P E C I A L

A decisive year for Saudi Arabia

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman assumed the leadership of the Kingdom at one of the most challenging periods in its history. A year ago the storm clouds were growing ever darker over the Arab world. Twelve months later and the remarkable impact the king has had are clear for all to see.

He has had to confront a range of daunting calls on his leadership.

The first and most obvious was the rebellion against the Yemeni government. Had the insurrection succeeded it would have posed a direct threat to the Kingdom’s southern border. Within two months of his succession, King Salman had unleashed Operation Decisive Storm.

It checked the Houthi rebels. Their advance was reversed. The port city of Aden was rescued from imminent capture. Slowly and methodically the rebels are being pushed back. Either they will sue for peace or they will be defeated in the battlefield. Whichever outcome, this year it can be expected that the revolt will end and the Yemeni government will return to the capital Sanaa.

The military operation against the Houthi rebels demonstrates King Salman’s talents and determination. His wisdom was to move quickly and convince our Gulf allies to join together and save the

Yemeni government. His plans received the admiring endorsement of the United States. The king’s determination also soon became very clear. At the heart of the Houthi uprising lay Iranian money, weapons and encouragement. It could not be ignored.

The malign meddling of Tehran was in itself nothing new. Syria and Iraq have become graveyards dug by the Iranian regime. The Kingdom long sought to counter this interference with its customary quiet diplomacy. Saudi Arabia has always made it clear that its differences were not with the Iranian people but their government.

It has been a constant in the Kingdom’s diplomacy that it wants Iran to be a stable and prosperous good neighbor.

This unfortunately, has been taken

by Tehran as a sign of weakness.

Operation Decisive Storm very quickly disabused it of this idea.

The king drew a line in the sand and immediately demonstrated that this was no idle gesture. He has backed words with actions.

No country goes to war unthinkingly. King Salman did what had to be done and there is no doubting the general sense of pride among Saudis that the Kingdom is demonstrating so clearly that it can use an iron fist as well as the velvet glove of diplomacy.

There is also no doubting that the king’s counsel remains widely sought. Saudi Arabia’s resolute and successful stand against internal terrorism is much admired. The king’s Washington visit in September was highly significant. His long talks with President Barack Obama included the worldwide threat from Daesh, the destabilizing regional role of Iran and, of course, the future of Syria and Iraq.

As the acknowledged leader of the Arab world, King Salman’s advice was listened to with respect. That Obama has not yet seen fit to review his hard-fought for nuclear deal with Iran was a matter of regret. But the king left the US president with no illusions about the extraordinary danger that a newly wealthy Iran will pose to the region.

What has counted so strongly in this first year of his rule has been the king’s extensive experience of government. His long tenure as governor of Riyadh gave him unrivaled knowledge of administration. Under his guidance, Riyadh has been transformed into one of the world’s leading and most exciting capitals. That deep administrative understanding informed the widespread national reforms that the new king initiated almost immediately. Layers of governance are being cleared away in a stream-

lining that re-equips the Kingdom for the 21st century. The task has been assigned to the Councils for Political and Security Affairs and Economic and Development Affairs.

Saudi Arabia faces considerable economic challenges posed by sharply lower oil revenues, the Chinese slowdown and a stilllingering global recession. King Salman has moved decisively to protect the Kingdom from the dangers ahead. The new budget is an exercise in prudence. It is not about austerity. It focuses on controlling expenditure and prioritizing investment areas. It is in fact a demonstration of good housekeeping.

Many serious challenges and dangers lie ahead. The Arab world has arguably never been in greater need of wise leadership. The threat from terror has probably never been so great. In these circumstances, what is so impressive about the first year of his leadership is that King Salman has not hesitated to act. His long experience of government has given him a deep fund of political and economic insights. The Kingdom is, therefore, fortunate to have such an accomplished leader in such difficult times.

Source: arabnews.com

Wa a n l a y s a l i l i n s a n i i l l a m a ’ s a ’ a a T h a t m a n c a n h a v e n o t h i n g b u t w h a t h e s t r i v e s f o r.

A Country for All!

By: Mahmood Awan Syrians are going through hell in trying to reach safety as we all know.

Thousands are missing or dead.

Since the war began, more than 320,000 people have been killed and nearly 12,000 have been children. Between 2 and 3 million children cannot go to school.

For comparison, there are approximately 633,000 students in BC while the population of BC is 4,631,302. Imagine if every child in BC was not able to go school......

New immigrants have to live with the pain and suffering of knowing that they are leaving behind families and a way of life in war torn Syria in order to make new lives elsewhere.

They have paid enormous amounts of money and some with their lives in order to reach safety.

Syrians are leaving their homeland due to violence, collapsed infrastructure and most importantly, the safety of children who are the nation’s best hope

for a better future. Children have been forcibly recruited to serve as fighters and human shields.

What we take for granted are luxuries for Syrians fleeing conflict and war. Food, clothing, health insurance, shelter, clean water and hygiene items are basics that every individual de-serves. Children should have a safe environment and a chance to play and go to school while adults need options for employment. They need warm clothing, shoes, bedding, heaters, etc.

If we are not First Nations people then each of us is an immigrant or descendents of immi-grants. Canada is a nation of immigrants. When we help new immigrants become part of our culture, we can make our country a better place to live for everyone. Let us not forget how we came to this country and how we were welcomed by people who assisted us to gain employ-ment, helped with enrolling our children in school, helped us to understand the laws of living in Canada. All new immigrants have to come to terms and adjust to a very different way of life from what they are accustomed to. We were these immigrants at one point with the same hopes and dreams they carry with them now.

Many of our immigrants are our employers, neighbors and friends. Immigrants who put their faith in a country and people that they had very little knowledge of. My prayers are that my Syrian brothers and

sisters will achieve their dreams and become successful Canadians.

I am an immigrant from Uganda.

My family lived on a when we left Uganda and months later we docked in India because Pakistan was in the middle of a war with India. Our ship was not permitted to dock in Pakistan so the ship landed in Iran. We spent a month on the ship from Uganda to Iran whereas the trip would normally take a week. We travelled by bus from Iran to Pakistan. I left my family in Pakistan while I settled in Canada. I became employed and saved enough funds to have my family join me in Canada two years later. My family and I have not forgotten how difficult it was to settle in a land where everything was foreign to us. We survived and our children thrived and we remind them to never take for granted Allah’s blessings and grace upon us each day. Tell the new immigrants that many who have come before you have succeeded and you will too. It is possible. They will learn by example and friendliness.

I am requesting our community to help by adopting a Syrian family, teach them English and show them how to navigate the daily tasks of living in Canada.

“They ask thee what they should spend (In charity).Say: Whatever ye spend that is good, is for parents and kindred and orphans and those in want and for wayfarers. And whatever ye do that is good, -(Allah) knoweth it well.”

(Quran Surah Al-Baqara, 215) “But if at the time of division other relatives, or orphans or poor, are present, feed them out of the (property), and speak to them words of kindness and justice.” (Quran Surah An-NisaÂ’, 8) I request our brothers and sisters to translate this letter for our new Syrian neighbors.

Jazak’Allah Khairan,

Canada has welcomed its first 10,000 Syrian refugees

THE

MIR A LE

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Phone: 604-690-0400 Emails: miraclenews@telus.net A significant milestone was reached late yesterday evening. Canada has now welcomed more than 10,000 Syrian refugees to our country as part of the #WelcomeRefugees initiative, bringing us closer to our goal of welcoming 25,000 Syrian refugees by the end of February 2016.

Working with partners in Canada – and around the world – the government has undertaken an unprecedented effort to help thousands of Syrian refugees find a new home. We are working with our international partners, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the International Organization for Migration, as well as with the host countries of Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey, to help those who have been forced to flee their homes.

In provinces and territories across the country, the steadfast support of resettlement organizations, service providers, and private sponsorship groups is essential to this initiative. More than one hundred communities across Canada have welcomed or are preparing to welcome Syrian refugees.

For daily updates about the number of Syrian refugees who have arrived, applications in process, destination communities, and many more milestones and key figures, visit our website.

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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.

3

Rabiul Al Thani 12, 1437 January 22, 2016

P A K I S T A N

Pakistan attack: Gunmen kill 21 at Bacha Khan University

Security forces have ended a gun and bomb attack on a university in north-west Pakistan in which 21 people were killed and 17 injured.

Four suspected attackers also died in a battle that lasted nearly three hours at Bacha Khan University in Charsadda.

One Pakistani Taliban commander said the group had carried out the assault, but its main spokesman denied this.The group killed 130 students at a school in the city of Peshawar, 50km (30 miles) from Charsadda, in 2014.Survivor recalls ‘horrible and wild attack’ How the attack unfolded. Why can’t Pakistan stop the militants?

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said in a statement: “We are determined and resolved in our commitment to wipe out the menace of terrorism from our homeland.”‘Teacher shot back’The attackers struck at about 09:30 local time (04:30 GMT), apparently climbing over a back wall under cover of the thick winter fog.Intense gunfire and explosions were heard as security guards fought the attackers. BBC News

Breakthroughs made in identifying Bacha Khan University attackers: DG ISPR PESHAWAR: Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Direc- from where they came and who supported them.” tor General Lt Gen Asim Bajwa on Wednesday said major But the ISPR chief said the information is “sensitive” and is

breakthroughs had been made in identifying the terrorists who attacked the Bacha Khan University in Charsadda earlier in the day.The ISPR chief said the terrorists’ phone calls had been traced and analysed, and that two cell phones had also been recovered from them.

“When army reached the premises, all four attackers were alive. They were contained in the hostel and were eventually eliminated on the roof and the stairs,” informed the ISPR chief. They had a lot of ammo, including grenades, he added.

Their call logs were analysed and an intelligence picture was established, with most data having been collected,” said Lt Gen Bajwa.Also read: Chemistry teacher defies Taliban in Bacha Khan University attack Bajwa also said forensics and fingerprints of the attackers had been shared with the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra), adding that “an intelligence picture is also being created with input from Nadra.” ”We have gathered almost all relevant data on who they (attackers) were,

being “processed and updated,” which will be shared with the public later.“We cleared the sanctuaries of terrorists after which certain people crossed the border towards Afghanistan and are operating from there. That aspect is also under investigation,” he maintained.Bajwa said terrorists were getting instructions from outside and were receiving calls.“They (terrorists) are targeting symbols of progress.

We are fighting a war against faceless bastards (terrorists).”

The ISPR chief said, “As long as the facilitators and financiers of terrorists are present, they can carry out an attack at any place and time. What matters is how we respond to this as a nation.”Intelligence-based operations (IBOs) are being carried out to hunt down the facilitators of the terrorists involved in Charsadda attack, he said.Earlier in the day, unidentified gunmen entered Bacha Khan University in Khyber Pakhtunkha’s Charsadda town and opened fire on students and faculty members as they gathered for a poetry recital to commemorate the death anniversary of the activist and leader Bacha Khan........ Source: The Dawn

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Sindh mosques to have uniform Friday sermon Religious leaders and civil society activists doubt move

will work. Karachi: The Sindh government announced on Monday that it would issue uniform Friday sermons to mosques to curb extremism and promote sectarian harmony in the province. However, religious leaders and civil society activists said the step was infeasible.

Abdul Qayyum Soomro, the adviser to the Sindh chief minister on religious affairs, said the government would issue Friday sermons to mosques across the province.“One of our key objectives is to promote sectarian harmony,” Soomro told reporters.“The Sindh government has been planning to legislate it and a bill on the issue will soon be presented in the provincial assembly,” he added.After a National Action Plan was announced in the wake of a terrorist attack on the Peshawar Army Public School in December 2014, the federal and provincial religious affairs authorities have been working together to counter hate speeches and extremist material.A religious affairs official said the draft of the bill on government-issued Friday sermons was ready to be pre-

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Rabiul Al Thani 12, 1437 January 22, 2016

I N T .

N E W S

Saudi Arabia, Iran brotherly countries: PM Nawaz

Speaking to media in Tehran after meeting Iranian President Hasan Rouhani and his cabinet members, the premier said Pakistan had achieved success in normalising ties between the two countries in 1997 and also played the same role during tensions between Iran and Iraq. He said Pakistan will appoint a focal person on Saudi-Iran issue and sincere efforts are being done in this regard. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Raheel Sharif had arrived in Tehran Tuesday ─ a day after holding meetings with Saudi leadership in Riyadh in a bid to defuse tensions between the two countries that soar after the hanging of a Shia cleric by Saudi Arabia.

After arrival Gen Raheel met Iran’s Defence Minister Hossein Dehghan, said a statement issued from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

Pakistan, Iran have great affinity: COAS In his meeting with the Iranian defence minister, the army chief reiterated that “Pakistan takes Iran as a very important neighbouring Muslim country and the people of Pakistan have a great affinity with their Iranian brothers,” added the statement.Gen Raheel said terrorism is a global threat that can potentially destabilise the region, adding that a coordinated response was needed to deal with the menace. The Iranian defence minister thanked Gen Raheel Sharif and the people of Pakistan for their efforts to bolster regional security.

PM off to Davos After holding meetings with the Iranian President’s cabinet and defence minister, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif departed from Tehran to Switzerland where he will participate in the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) from 20 to 25 January 2016. He will also visit CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research), one of the foremost international centers of scientific research.

From Saudi Arabia to Iran During his visit to Saudi Arabia, the premier met with King Salman, and the prime minister is expected to deliver the king’s message to the Iranian leadership. PM Nawaz and COAS Raheel Sharif onboard an aircraft enroute from Saudi Arabia to Iran “Saudi and

Israel spraying toxins over Palestinian crops in Gaza

On January 7, a low-flying agricultural aircraft sprayed herbicides on to Palestinian farmlands along the eastern border, eradicating or damaging up to 162 hectares of crops and farmland along the Israeli border fence. “Herbicides are sprayed in high concentrations. Thus, they remain embedded in the soil, and then find their way to the water basin. This constitutes a real hazard for the population,” said Anwar Abu Assi, manager of the chemical laboratory at the Ministry of Agriculture. The sprayed areas belong to Israel’s unilaterally imposed and poorly delineated “buffer” or “no-go zone”. The zone, which amounts to an estimated 17 percent of the entire territory of the Gaza Strip and a third of its agricultural lands, erodes into the Strip’s most vital and fertile soils.

Yousef Shahin, 40, was having enough trouble sustaining his farmland when, last week, an Israeli raid targeted the water tank that supplied his farm and neighbouring farms in the al-Faraheen area east of Khan Younis. The tank and collection system had cost Shahin and his neighbours some $15,000. Shahin said governmental support was lacking.”Without support, we can never reconstruct the system again. We don’t have running water for irrigation; I think we lost this season.” The Israeli army’s move had added another element to the suffering of Shahin and his fellow farmers. With the Strip being merely five kilometres wide in some areas, a few hundred metres prove essential to the Strip’s food security. Over the past few months, Israeli soldiers have killed at least 16 Palestinians who entered the zone, most of them protesters who were shot at by snipers while participating in demonstrations near the fence. Furthermore, scores of casualties have been reported among farmers who were merely tending to or approaching their lands. “We had to jeopardise our lives daily growing these crops; now all our efforts are in vain,” said Shahin while examining a new implant of spinach. He lost crops that included spinach, peas, parsley and beans. Whether or not his new endeavours to cultivate will succeed remains unknown. Farmers confirm that the damages of the latest spraying extend beyond the so-called “buffer zone”, as the winds carried the chemicals further inside the Strip.

They also fear consequences of such materials may affect their lands in the long run.

Pakistani leadership exchanged views on various facets of enduring cooperation with regards to the Saudi initiative of forming a coalition of Islamic countries against terrorism,” said a statement released by the Foreign Office. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif also assured the Saudi leadership of Pakistan’s support, and expressed concern at the recent escalation of tensions between the kingdom and the Islamic Republic. On the question of Iran, Syria and Iraq’s exclusion from the recently announced 34-nation alliance by the Kingdom, it was stated that the countries were not included due to a trust deficit. The kingdom has assured that if the Islamic Republic shows positive signs, diplomatic ties may be restored. A list of points have been given to the Pakistani leadership for discussion with Iran’s leadership, said diplomatic sources. Nawaz called for resolution of the current crises through peaceful means in the larger interest of the Muslim world.

A wise step With Pakistan embroiled in its own fight against terrorism, the sudden spike in rivalry between its two friendly countries put additional strains on the civil and military leadership. Analysts regard the leadership’s diplomatic initiative a wise step to help Riyadh and Tehran prevent the current tensions from taking a hazardous turn which could endanger peace of the entire region.Moreover, with successful culmination of talks between big powers and Iran over the latter’s nuclear issue, Pakistan certainly eyes certain economic benefits from Tehran re-entering world trade. “With Iran re-joining the world trade, Pakistan can look forward to meeting its energy needs from across the border by completing the pending gas pipeline,” remarked an analyst. Tensions recently flared between the two-regional rivals after the execution of a prominent Shia cleric, which led to the eruption of protests all over the region.

As a reaction to the execution of the cleric, Riyadh’s diplomatic post was also attacked in Iran by angry protesters, which led to the severance of diplomatic ties between the kingdom and the Islamic Republic, further complicating an already tense atmosphere.

In figures it calls “staggering”, the United Source :DAWN.COM Nations says that almost 19,000 civilians have been killed and more than 36,000 wounded in violence in Iraq since the start of 2014. In a new joint report published on Tuesday, the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights listed a large number of atrocities committed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group. It also called on the government to do more to stop sectarian violence and help displaced families to return to their homes.

“Even the obscene casualty figures fail to accurately reflect exactly how terribly civilians are suffering in Iraq,” UN rights chief Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said in a statement on Tuesday. “The figures capture those who were killed or maimed by overt violence, but As the military announced the end of the clearance operation, mass casualties were feared countless others have died from the lack of in the attack reminiscent of the deadly December 2014 terrorist attack on the Army Public access to basic food, water or medical care.”

School in Peshawar which left over 140 dead — most of them students.

The UN’s figures are based on casualties reSources added that the four attackers were wearing suicide vests but were killed by security ported between January 2014 and October forces’ before they could detonate their explosives.

2015. The joint report highlighted abuses Key updates: committed by ISIL, saying that about 3,500 Police confirm 21 dead people were currently being held as slaves Military says 4 attackers killed, gunfire over in Iraq by the armed group. “Those being Armed assailants scaled university walls and opened fire held are predominantly women and children Multiple blasts were heard along with continuous heavy gunfire and come primarily from the Yazidi com3,000 students enrolled at university munity, but a number are also from other

Bacha Khan University...... Cont from Page 1

Abu Assi explained that each herbicide or pesticide has a safety period that needs to be observed before attempting to grow new crops. At such high concentrations, he fears the lands are likely to constitute a hazard for a long time. An Israeli army official cited “security reasons” as justification. During the 2014 Israeli war on Gaza, the agricultural sector sustainedlosses and damages of up to $550m. Some 14,000 hectares were razed and destroyed; thousands of hectares of crops were also lost because farmers were unable to reach their lands amid the fighting.

A few days ago, Israeli warplanes bombed Gaza’s main agricultural experiment station, causing $300,000-worth of damages and destroying the station’s building, laboratories, vehicles and a large power generator. The station developed new seeds and strains for use by local farmers. Bombed and completely destroyed during the 2014 war, Israel seems insistent on keeping the station out of service, effectively stifling every Palestinian attempt to attain self-sufficiency or independence, even agriculturally. The station’s manager, Shaher al-Rifi, says that the facility is currently 70 percent out of service. With the Israeli restrictions on imports of tractors and agricultural machinery, it is likely to remain so for a long time to come. Adel Atallah, a general director at the agriculture ministry, explains that the whole agricultural sector has for years been running on old machines. “Domestic farmers face problems trying to replenish anything that goes out of service. What isn’t banned is stalled at the crossings by Israel.” The troubles facing the agricultural sector in Gaza span a wide myriad of difficulties. Irrigation is disturbed by the continuous power interruptions, which sometimes last more than 12 hours a day. Farmers depend on power generators to pump water, and the costs of fuel add another factor to their economic vulnerability.

Source: Al-Jazeera

‘Staggering’ 18,800 Iraqi Civilians Killed since 2014

ethnic and religious minority communities,” the UN report said. The report detailed executions by shooting, beheading, bulldozing, burning alive and throwing people off the top of buildings. “[ISIL] continues to commit systematic and widespread violence and abuses of international human rights law and humanitarian law. These acts may, in some instances, amount to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and possibly genocide,” the UN said. The UN reported that more than 3.2 million people were internally displaced (IDPs) because of violence in the period between January 2014 and October 2015. “The persistent violence and scale of the displacement continue to impact IDPs’ access to basic services, such as housing, clean water and education,” the UN said.

Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Jamjoom, reporting from Baghdad, said that more than one million of the internally displaced people were children. “Sectarian tensions continue to rise and this makes it all the more difficult for displaced people in Iraq,” our correspondent said, adding that the UN was pushing for the international community to do more to help the Iraqi government to assist the growing number of homeless families.

Source: Al-Jazeera

5

Rabiul Al Thani 12, 1437 January 22, 2016

S P E C I A L

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Rabiul Al Thani 12, 1437 January 22, 2016

N A T

& I N T .

N E W S

More Canadian cities offer help to resettle Syrian refugees

As some cities take a breather from resettling government-assisted Syrian refugees, others say their doors are open -- if the federal government asks and also offers to pay.

While the home communities for refugees with private sponsors is dictated by where those sponsors are, refugees whose costs are covered entirely by the federal government are sent to just 36 cities. Not included is Victoria -- the lone provincial capital that isn’t an official reception centre for government-assisted refugees. The only Syrians arriving there as part of the Liberals’ Syrian program are those whose costs are split between the government and private sponsors, as well as those coming thanks to private sponsors alone. Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps said she told the federal immigration minister even before the Liberal program was unveiled that her city was interested in taking in Syrians but is still waiting. “We are ready. The church, the school board, the credit union, private donors, private families, we’re ready,” she said. The reason Victoria isn’t on the list dates back to the late 1980s when the federal government got out of the business of providing direct support to the refugees it was resettling and began contracting out to local agencies. In British Columbia, the city with the highest number of those was Metro Vancouver so that’s where government-assisted refugees all go to this day. But looking at some of the other cities on the list -- like Medicine Hat., Alta., or Moose Jaw. Sask., -- raises the question of why Victoria isn’t there now. “We are bigger than a lot of the centres that settle (them) now,” said Jean McRae, the director of Vic-

toria’s Intercultural Association. “We’d have to rebuild the capacity but we’re totally capable of doing that.” Of the 25,000 Syrians set to arrive by the end of next month, the Liberals have said 15,000 would be government-assisted. A further 10,000 government-assisted are to arrive by the end of this year. But right now, Vancouver has asked the federal government to temporarily halt sending new government-assisted refugees their way as they work through a housing shortage. Ottawa has also made the same request. In Ontario, there are six cities that serve as destination points for governmentassisted Syrian refugees. With most of the services refugees need only available in the southern parts of the province it makes some sense that none are settled beyond there, said Deborah Robertson, the executive director of the North Bay and District Multicultural Centre. But with the right funding, there’s no reason her community couldn’t welcome more, she said. “I think the interest is absolutely there, it’s there from the centre and from the community and the community has proven that in the way they’ve responded to this current crisis,” she said. Volunteers there have raised over $60,000 to help Syrian refugees being sponsored by private groups. Alan Caslin, chair of the Niagara Region of 12 different municipalities in Ontario, says his area would be interested as well. His office donated $25,000 to help private groups bring in Syrians. “It would fit consistent with what we’re trying to do with the $25,000 we did donate from my office as well as our strategic plan of trying to develop growth in Niagara,” he said. The federal government is looking to expand their network, but it was not immediately clear whether that means new cities could be added to the list of destination communities or if they’ll just set up new reception centres in existing ones. A call for proposals was published last week looking for new receiving centres, which would be responsible for providing temporary accommodation to newly-arrived Syrians, helping them learn the basics of getting health care and social benefits, and in general supporting their transition into Canadian society Source: CTV News

Lifting of Iran sanctions hampered by legal ‘booby-trap’ left by Tories

The former Conservative government “booby-trapped” Canada’s international relations with a pair of laws that are preventing the Liberals from lifting sanctions on Iran, says a former Canadian military analyst and Middle East expert. Thomas Juneau, a University of Ottawa expert on Iran who spent 11 years at the Department of National Defence, cited the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act and the listing of Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism as obstacles to the government’s ability to lift sanctions. In 2012, the Tories passed the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act, which allowed victims of terrorism to sue countries that are listed as supporters of terrorism. Meanwhile, Canada has yet to lift sanctions against Iran in return for its verified compliance with last weekend’s nuclear agreement with the United States and five other major powers. “The Conservatives booby-trapped the issue of relations with Iran,” Juneau said Tuesday.

The two laws are also affecting the Liberal government’s decision — and campaign promise — to reopen its embassy in Tehran and restart diplomatic relations with Iran, which the Conservatives severed in 2012, he added. “That complicates the issue of reestablishing diplomatic relations with Iran and lifting additional sanctions, because Iran, as a result of a legislative process ... is a state sponsor of terrorism in Canada,” Juneau said. “And that complicates issues right now. My understanding right now is the government is struggling to figure out how do we deal with that.” Juneau said there are likely legal steps the government can take to deal with obstacles, but they could take time. Global Affairs Canada said nothing in Canada’s decision to list Iran as a state supporter of terrorism prevents Canada from having contact with Iranian authorities. Spokeswoman Rachna Mishra said Canada is still reviewing its sanctions relief on Iran because of concerns over that country’s recent ballistic missile tests. Despite the landmark deal reached this past weekend, the U.S. has imposed new sanctions in recent days on Iran because of the

tests, which it says are destabilizing to the region. Canada shares those concerns because the test is a violation of a UN Security Council resolution, said Mishra. Canada also wants to ensure that the lifting of any sanctions does not lead to an illicit trade in “nuclear and ballistic missiles technologies”

by Iran, she said. Canada believes that the deal, “so long as it continues to be faithfully implemented, will effectively constrain Iran’s nuclear program.” Iran expects the deal will provide it an estimated $100 billion in sanctions relief. Canada, like the United States, Japan and the European Union, has imposed its own series of bilateral sanctions on Iran in addition to the UN regime. While the UN sanctions have largely been lifted, Juneau said work is underway to lift the bilateral ones. Marie-Anne Coninsx, the EU ambassador to Canada, said Tuesday that “all sanctions which are related to the nuclear file” have been lifted by the 28-country bloc. Coninsx said the EU welcomed positive statements by the Canadian government supporting the deal. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the deal a breakthrough for “quiet diplomacy.”

Source: CBC News

Hou s i n g a f for dabilit y c r is is c o u ld pro mpt c l o s u re o f Van c o u v e r sc h o o ls

Vancouver’s school board is facing the possible closing of up to 13 schools, in part prompted by the city’s housing affordability crisis that is forcing young families to give up on buying single-family homes and instead move into condos and apartments in or near downtown. Trustees will debate a staff report on Wednesday night that provides a new strategy for juggling seismic upgrades to older buildings, while constructing newer schools in surging neighbourhoods such as Yaletown, the Olympic Village and the West End. After years of committing to keeping schools open, trustees have been forced to act because of an ultimatum from B.C.’s Education Minister. David Nelson, who oversees the board’s long-range facilities strategy, said there’s an inverse relationship between Vancouver’s overall population, which is aging and growing, and the number of school-aged children – which is declining as families get smaller and people have fewer children. This emptying out of schools in the city’s southeast and northeast is exacerbated by housing costs – forcing new parents closer to downtown, or into the suburbs such as Surrey, he said. “Growth [in students] is uneven, so that’s a key point and one of the challenges facing the district right now,” Mr. Nelson said. “We have areas where we have more schools than we need … and we have others where we need more

schools and more spaces.” Enrolment has been declining by about 600 students a year since it peaked in 1997 at roughly 57,000, Mr. Nelson said. The board report estimates that an overall decline in its student body will continue for a couple of years and then slowly increase over the next 15 years, by about 550 students from today’s total of 50,387 students. However, elementary schools such as Yaletown’s Elsie Roy are already full and forced to turn away children from 40 other families, according to Mike Lombardi, chair of the nine-trustee board. “Before I got on the school board [in 2008], when they built the Elsie Roy school in Yaletown, people were saying, ‘Oh, no kids are going to be at that school, why are they building it?’” he said. “We now have 10 schools in the city where we’re using an enrolment management system where kids from the neighbourhood can’t go into that school because it’s full.” Roughly 84 per cent of Vancouver’s public school classrooms

are full, but the district must submit a plan to reach 95-per-cent capacity before the province will pay for seismic upgrades to existing schools, as well as the construction of new facilities in these growing neighbourhoods. The VSB report doesn’t target any specific schools, but it estimates that 11 or 12 elementary schools and one high school would need to be closed in the next 15 years. The board is set to vote on the staff’s recommendations next week before sending an interim plan to the provincial Education Ministry by Jan. 31. Public consultations will then take place over the next several months before the board issues its updated Long Range Facilities Plan by June 30, Mr. Lombardi said. The board has so far upgraded 20 schools, but another 69 are still deemed high risk in the event of an earthquake and require seismic mitigation, according to the report. The new report is a “living document” to be updated annually, which means the need for closings could change if affordability in the region is improved or birth rates increase, for example,

Mr. Nelson said. The board has long said that school closings were not an option for balancing its budget. But it agreed to fill more of its classrooms last year after an independent audit, commissioned by the Education Ministry, recommended closing 19 schools as part of a long-range financial strategy.

The board report released this week found that the district could save about $250,000 in annual operating costs if it closed an annex school, roughly double that for shuttering an elementary school and $1.9-million for a high school. District Parent Advisory Council chair Mabel Sun said her executive had planned to meet Tuesday night to discuss the report before issuing an official statement. She said that “just like many parents,” she is against closing any schools because these neighbourhoods might once again draw in young families. “Then with the housing prices, the land prices so high you’re going to spend more money to build a new school to accommodate that growth?” said Ms. Sun, whose daughter is a senior at Magee Secondary School. “That might be the reality, so for that reason I don’t think it’s a good idea in the long run. “The majority of the Vancouver residents? They had to go to public school, so public education is the foundation to all the students and to the entire society.”

Source: Globe and Mail

7

Rabiul Al Thani 12, 1437 January 22, 2016

F A I T H Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, “Faith (Belief) consists of more than sixty branches (i.e. parts). And Haya (This term “Haya” covers a large number of concepts which are to be taken together; amongst them are self respect, modesty, bashfulness, and scruple, etc.) is a part of faith.”

8/49 hadith in ‘Belief’ of Sahih Bukhari.

God will decide fate of each soul Muslims believe that the present life is a trial in preparation for the next realm of existence.

When a Muslim dies, he or she is washed and wrapped in a clean, white cloth (usually by a family member) and buried after a special prayer, preferably the same day. Muslims consider this a final service that they can do for their relatives and an opportunity to remember that their own existence here on earth is brief.

The question of whether there is life after death does not fall under the jurisdiction of science, as science is concerned only with classification and analysis of sense data.

Moreover, man has been busy with scientific inquiries and research, in the modern sense of the term, only for the last few centuries, while he has been familiar with the concept of life after death since time immemorial. All the Prophets of God called their people to worship God and to believe in life after death. They laid so much emphasis on the belief in life after death that even a slight doubt in it meant denying God and made all other beliefs meaningless.The very fact that all the Prophets of God have dealt with this metaphysical question of life after death so confidently and so uniformly — the gap between their ages in some cases, being thousands of years — goes to prove that the source of their knowledge of life after death as proclaimed by them all, was the same, i.e. Divine revelation.

We also know that these Prophets of God were greatly opposed by their people, mainly on the issue of life after death, as their people thought it impossible. But in spite of opposition, the Prophets won y sincere followers. many The question arises: What made those fol-

lowers forsake the established beliefs, traditions and customs of their forefathers, notwithstanding the risk of being totally alienated from their own community? The simple answer is: They made use of their faculties of mind and heart and realized the truth.

Did they realize the truth through perceptual consciousness? They couldn’t, as perceptual experience of life after death is impossible. God has given man besides perceptual consciousness, rational, aesthetic and moral consciousness too. It is this consciousness that guides man regarding realities that cannot be verified through sensory data. That is why all the Prophets of God while calling people to believe in God and life after death, appeal to the aesthetic, moral and rational consciousness of man.

For example, when the idolaters of Makkah denied even the possibility of life after death, the Qur’an exposed the weakness of their stand by advancing very logical and rational arguments in support of it: “And he (i.e. man) presents for Us an example (i.e. attempting to establish the finality of death) and forgets his (own) creation. He says, ‘Who will give life to bones while they are disintegrated?’ Say, ‘He will give them life who produced them the first time; and He is, of all creation, Knowing.’ (It is) He who made for you from the green tree, fire, and then from it you ignite. Is not He

mands. Actually, if there is no life after death, the very belief in God becomes meaningless or even if one believes in God, it would be n unjust and indifferent God, having once created man and now not being concerned with his fate.

Surely, God is just. He will punish the tyrants, whose crimes are beyond count — having tortured and killed hundreds or thousands of innocent people, created great corruption in society, enslaved numerous persons to serve their whims, etc., because man has a very short life span in this world and because numerous individuals are affected by one’s actions, adequate punishments and rewards are not possible in this life.

The Qur’an very emphatically states that the Day of Judgment must come and that God will decide the fate of each soul according to his or her record of deeds: “But those who disbelieve say, “The Hour (i.e. the Day of Judgment) will not come to us.” Say, “Yes, by my Lord, it will surely come to you. (God is) the Knower of the unseen.” Not absent from Him is an atom’s weight within the heavens or within the earth or (what is) smaller than that or greater, except that it is in a clear register — That He may reward those who believe and do righteous deeds. Those will have forgiveness and noble provision. But those who strive against Our verses (seeking) to cause failure (i.e. to undermine their credibility) — for them will be a painful punishment of foul nature.” (Qur’an, 34:3-5)

who created the heavens and the earth able to create the likes of them? Yes, (it is so); and He is the Knowing Creator.” (Qur’an, 36:78-81)On another occasion, the Qur’an very clearly says that the disbelievers have no sound basis for their denial of life after death.

It is based on pure conjecture: “And they say, “There is not but our worldly life; we die and live (i.e. some people die and others live, replacing them) and nothing destroys us except time. ... And they have of that no knowledge; they are only assuming.

And when Our verses are recited to them as clear evidences, their argument is only that they say, ‘Bring (back) our forefathers, if you should be truthful.’ Say, ‘God causes you to live, then causes you to die; then He will assemble you for the Day of Resurrection, about which there is no doubt,’ but most of the people do not know.” (Qur’an, 45:24-26) Surely God will raise all the dead. But God has His own plan of things. A day will come when the whole universe will be destroyed and then the dead will be resurrected to stand before God. That day will be the beginning of a life that will never end, and on that day every person will be rewarded by God according to his or her good or evil deeds.

The explanation that the Qur’an gives Source: World Assembly of Muslim Youth about the necessity of life after death is Courtesy: islam-guide.com what the moral consciousness of man de-

Fourth Islamic Month : Rabi al-Thani

Important Dates and Anniversaries of Rabi al-Thani “Essale thawaab” means conveying the reward of. In this respect there is a Hadith reported by Hadrat Anas bin Malik (Radi Allahu ta’ala Anhu) that he asked the Most Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu ta’ala Alaihi wa Sallam) : “Oh Messenger of Allah, when we give charity on behalf of our dead and perform Hajj on their behalf, do they receive the reward of these actions?” The Beloved Prophet (Salla Allahu ta’ala Alaihi wa Sallam) replied: “Without doubt they do receive their rewards. Not only that, but they become very happy, just as any one of you would become happy on receiving gifts.”

In a second Hadith the the most Beloved Messenger (Salla Allahu ta’ala Alaihi wa Sallam) of Allah says: “Anyone who recites Surah Ikhlas 11 times and then conveys its reward to the departed souls, Allah Ta’ala will shower rewards on such a person equal to the number of these souls…”Source: islamiccentre.org

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

Mujib name of Allah(swt) & -Misbah Mohammad(saw) name.

3rd - Urs; Umm-al Mu’mineen Umme Salma Madinah Munawwara 7th - Wissal; Imam Malik, Madinah Munawwara 10th - Wissal; Hadrat Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal, Baghdad 11th - Urs; ‘Ghawth al-A’zam’ Shaykh Abd’al-Qadir al-Jilani, Baghdad 14th - Wissal; Imam Muhammad Ghazzali

15th - Urs; Hadrat Shah Raza Ali Khan, Bareilly Shareef 16th Urs; Haji Ali Baba, Mumbai 18th Urs; Mehboob Elahi Khawaja Nizamuddin Awliya Chisti 18th - Wissal; Mawlana Abdul Rahman Jaami 22nd - Birth; Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddique,the first Khalifa

Prayer Schedule in Greater Vancouver Jan 22-Feb 5, 2016 Rabi ul Thani 12-28, 1437H

Islm.

Fajar Sunr Dhuhr Isha ar Sunrise DhuhrZawal Asar (shaf i) AsarAsar (hanfi)Maghrib M agrib Isha Date Date FajDay 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26

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

8

Rabiul Al Thani 12, 1437 January 22, 2016

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99

Rabiul Al Thani 12, 1437 January 22, 2016

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10

Rabiul Al Thani 12, 1437 January 22, 2016

R A B I U L

A W A A L

Z ikr, H amad o N aat , D arood o Salam and Eid M ilad un N abi (saw ) Celebrates in Tow n

11th Annual Eid-E-Milad-Un-Nabi Conference by IAWC By: Haroon Raza On Jan 09, Islamic Association of Western Canada in association with Jamia Masjid Aulia Allah held their 11th Annual Eid-E-Milad-Un-Nabi Conference at Taj Convention Centre, Surrey, BC. The program was well attended by the Muslim Community and famous political and social personalities from all over the Greater Vancouver. The Taj Convention Centre was filled quickly to its capacity.

Program started with Tilawat-e-Quran-Pak by Hafiz Ishfaq. After the Tilawat, famous local Naat Khawans including Brother Muzamil, Brother Abdul Rasool Salis, Brother Attari and Brother Haroon recited beautiful Naats. Brother Haider Ali Khan (MC) welcomed the Muslim community and political personalities to the program. Brother Haider Ali Khan spoke about the life and teachings of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and stressed the importance of following the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) in our daily lives.The main speaker of the program, Professor Syed Imam Badiuddin Soharwardy, who specially came from Calgary to attend this program started his speech with the recitation of Ayats from Quran about the Ikhlaq of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) and how he spread Islam with his dealings with nonMuslims. Mr. Soharwardy then spoke about the current condition of Muslims around the world and how they have become the victims of terrorism. Mr. Soharwardy explained how the Muslims should react in these circumstances by following the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).

After Syed Badiddun Soharwardy’s speech, Brother Haider Khan read the message from Premier Christy Clark congratulating the Muslim community on the celebration of Birth of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). Brother Haider Khan thanked the prominent political personalities including Liberal MP Mr. Sukh Dhaliwal and City of Surrey Councilor Mr. Tom Gill. Brother Haider Khan then invited Minister of Community, Sports and Cultural Development Mr. Peter Fassbender to say few words about the birth of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) followed by a short speech by Liberal MP Mr. Sandeep Singh Sarai on the birth celebration of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).

Mr. Soharwardy provided details of Jamia Masjid Aulia Allah Project. He then asked the local Muslim Community to choose one of the two possible options, whether to use the existing building structure for the next 2 to 3 years after upgrading the structure to the commercial building code or start the new Masjid

building as approved by the City of Surrey. Whole Muslim community voted in favor of the New Masjid building and assured their full support in collecting the funds required for the New Masjid Project. Mr. Soharwardy informed the community that new Masjid Project will be completed in 3 phases at an estimated cost of 3M dollars, and that 1M dollars will be required to initiate the 1st Phase of the New Masjid building.

Lead Imam and Khateeb of Jamia Masjid Aulia Allah, Alhaaj Maulana Abdul Latif Naumani started his speech with the recitation of Ayats from the Quran describing the Sunnah and Ikhlaq of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). He gave many examples from the life of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) about spending our everyday life in accordance with the teachings and Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him). Maulana Naumani and Syed Badiuddin Soharwardy started the fundraising for the Jamia Masjid Aulia Allah. With generous support from the local Muslim community they were able to raise around $112,000 dollars in a very short time.

Maulana Naumani and Syed Badiuddin Soharwardy then thanked the Muslim community for their generous support and encouraged them to keep their spirits high and participate in the New Masjid Project for the better future of their kids.

On behalf of Islamic Association of Western Canada and Jamia Masjid Aulia Allah, Brother Haider Khan, Brother Arjumand Tahir, Maulana Naumani and Syed Badiddun Soharwardy, presented shields to the prominent Muslim community members for the recognition of their generous donations, time and continuous support for Jamia Masjid Aulia Allah Project and various community programs.

After the fundraising, Brother Haider Khan invited world famous Naat Khawan from Pakistan and Chief Guest of the evening, Alhaaj Syed Sabihuddin Sabhi Rehmani to the stage for recitation of beautiful Naats.

With his magical and beautiful voice, Syed Sabhi Rehmani mesmerized all the guests. The audience was overwhelmed with emotions upon hearing the beautiful Naats.

In the final phase of the program, free Umrah ticket was drawn by the Chief Guest Syed Sabihuddin Sabhi Rehmani, which was won by a Brother from Surrey.

At the end, Maulana Naumani made a heartfelt Dua for all those who attended the program and offered special prayers for the entire Muslim Ummah. Program was concluded with the dinner.

Celebrates at Mr.Rauf’s and Mr.Talib’s Residences

Correction Note of Jan 8th Miracle Edition:

Galaxy Travel owner Mr. Rauf Khan and Realtor Mr. Abdul Qayyum Khan arranged a blessed Hamad o Naat gathering at Rauf’s residence in Surrey.

A world renowned Naat Khawn from Pakistan Syed Sabihuddin Rehman was the guest of honour with Maulana Naumani.

He recited many Naats e Rasool Maqbool.

Many community members were attended.

Other sitting was at Pakistani Canadian Cultural Association of BC Sr. Vice President Talib Hussain residence.

He organized very blessed gathering in honor of Syed Sabihuddin Rehmani a very famous Pakistani Naat reciter. and Imam Al-Haaj Maulana Abdul Latif Naumani.

Syed Sabihudding has given chance to many local Naat Khawns, and pleased with their feelings and love with Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Maulana Naumani thanked to him and appreciated that he listened the Naats by our local talents. After that Syed Rehmani recited many spiritual Naats e Rasool Maqbool(SAW).

At the both above residences Maulana Naumani and Syed Rehmani made Duaas for all Muslim Ummah

We do regrets with Miracle’s readers of its last edition (January 8th on Page 10) Miladès report title was printed (The Milad Celebrated: At Fiji Islamic Cetre by IMAC)

A c t u a l l y i t w a s T h e M i l a d C e l e b r a t e d : A t R i v e r s i d e B a n q u e t H a l l S u r r e y b y N a q a s h b a n d i C e n t r e Va n c o u v e r )

11

Rabiul Al Thani 12, 1437 January 22, 2016

S Y R I A N

R E F U G E E S

Community Forum on Refugees in Fleetwood Park On Jan 20, A community forum held at Fleetwood Park Secondary School.

Mayor Linda Hepner ,City Councillors and many dignities were addressed at this Forum.Chris Friesen immigrant services society took part at this successful public awareness forum. Many communty members were

present and shared their views eachother.

Mr Mateen Aminie a Canadian refugee shared his successful story and said that currently he is working with Surrey Crime preventation, and thanked Canadaian Government who palyed a vital role to bring 25,000 Syrian refugees in Canada.

The Syrian Refugees are welcomed to live in BC By: Shawkat Hasan Director of Social Service BC Muslim Association

With all medias covering and reporting on the arrival of the 600 plus Syrian Refugees in Vancouver, locals have been overwhelmingly eager to help and provide support and assistance in every way possible. The Liberal government has committed to bring into Canada 25,000 Syrian refugees including 10,000 privately sponsored.

The Federal Minister Mr. McCallum toured Canada and met with Premiers and Mayors to gain their cooperation and support to make these refugees’ plight successful.

The government has also given grants to the national Immigrant Service Society (ISS) to welcome the refugees at every major Canadian airport such as Vancouver. The Society is to welcome the refugees at the airport then take them to the Welcome House or to available locations of hotels around the Metro Vancouver area. The ISS of BC is also responsible for the safety and the well being of the refugees. ISS of BC is counting on the Muslim and Syrian communities who came forward to provide assistance and welcome the refugees with food baskets, baby necessities, social assistance and most important housing availability at all locations. The number of the refugees will jump in the next few weeks to more than

2,000 but solving the immediate problem of finding rental accommodations is becoming a big challenge to everyone. Those who were anxious to help the refugees joined as volunteers with one of the associations or groups that provide assistance to them. Others may expect a call inviting them to join the volunteers but some restrictions exist. Arabic speaking is the most important requirement and understanding the culture of where the refugees come from is another qualification to communicate with the refugees. There is no room for translation at this arrival stage. It is important to know that your eagerness to help by bringing food or other means is very welcomed but through the care taker which is in this case the ISS of BC. It is not advisable to take your charity to the place where the refugees stay not even money. The ISS staff at the location will not make such effort possible for the legal responsibility. Each refugee receives daily allowances from the federal government of $10 just for food and the ISS staff are very helpful to direct them to reach what they may need.

There is no need for alarm and no starvation around. I am one of the Muslim communities who thank the Federal government for giving these Syrian refugees a new life in Canada. We express our appreciation to the government by help-

ing the refugees with what we are able to do in the name of humanity. The most important and urgent issue is housing accommodation.

The refugees have been living in the same rooms for many days and those with children are stressed to the limits. ISS is calling on every citizen in the lower mainland with a vacant apartment or house to call in and make it available for rent.

There are many Syrian Canadian citizens among us who are looking for the BCMA to help in sponsoring their immediate relatives who are living in camps in neighboring countries of the Middle East.

BCMA has applied to become SAH (Sponsorship Agreement Holder) to the Ministry of Immigration and Citizenship in Ottawa and are still waiting for approval.

A list of families expressed their intentions to sponsor relatives, and those who are in need of medical care are part of the BCMA sponsorship program.

BCMA and the Muslim community of BC are blessed and happy to have the Syrian refugees as their neighbours. Their time of hardship is now finally over, and a new life with endless opportunities has merely just begun.

If you are looking to donate items in good condition but not furniture, please call BCMA office 604 270 2522.

Welcome day for Syrian families at The Guildford Islamic and Cultural Centre

The Guildford Islamic and Cultural Centre (GICC) held a welcome day for the Syrian refugee families at the Guildford Musallah on Sunday January 10th, 2016. The goal of the event was to welcome the Syrian families and give them the opportunity to socialize and interact with the local Muslims in Guildford and the surrounding area.

Welcome baskets prepared by Iqra school and food packs by the Guildford community were presented to the families. The activities involved short talks from local scholars and MLAs, visitations to nearby available housing and providing each family with a cellular plan. The families also had the opportunity to share their concerns and gain assistance from the

local Muslim community. Volunteers made an extraordinary effort in welcoming the guests and showed sincere love and support for the displaced families.

GICC is honoured to have the opportunity to host our brothers and sisters from Syria. May Allah (swt) ease their transition and enable them to prosper in their new life in Canada. Ameen.

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Rabiul Al Thani 12, 1437 January 22, 2016

L O C A L

Darul Quraan Academy celebrates the 51st Hafiz

On January 10th, Darul Quraan Academy of Canada celebrated the graduation ceremony for its 51st Hafiz, Faheem Imraan Ali at Royal King Banquet Hall (Payal Business Center), under the supervision of its chairman Maulana Zafar. Hafiz Farhaan Ali, alumni of Darul Quraan hosted the program.

Notable Imam, Ulama, Huffaz, and prominent community members were in attendance, including honorable Qari Abdul Wahab Sahib, Maulana Al-Hajj Abdul Lateef Nomani Sahib and Mr. Sukh Dhaliwal, MP from Surrey-Newton area.

Ceremony commenced with the Tilawat of Holy Quraan by Zubair Abid followed by Naat Rasool-e-Maqbool by student Hafiz Faheem Ali, Tilawat by student Yousuf Qayyum and speeches by Students of Darul Quraan, Haseeb Abbas, Afnan Sahibzada, Fadhlullah Mohammed and Hafiz Abdul Aleem. Br. Riaz Kalsi’s beautiful Naat captivated the audience. MP Sukh Dhaliwal appreciated the role of Madrasah in developing the youth in strong Canadian muslim. Hafiz Imraz Asin who is a founder of Darul Quraan Academy and also in charge of BCMA’s funeral services also said a few words and encouraged the crowd to educate their children with Islamic Knowledge. Imam Qari Abdul Wahab Sahib emphasized on establishment of such Islamic institutions and praised Darul Quraan’s worthy contribution in the society and appealed to the community members to

help the Madrasah and all those exist. Maulana Abdul Lateef Nomani Sahib reminded the virtues of spending in the path of Allah SWT and conducted the fundraising. $40,000 was raised including cash and pledges.

Maulana Zafar Sahib, chairman of Darul Quraan, thanked the participants and briefed the community on the financial affairs of the Madrasah. He appealed to the community to help Darul Quraan acquire a permanent place for its day-to-day operations and paid gratitude to all donors, sponsors, volunteers and teachers. Maulana Saadat then presented a power point presentation about Darul Quraan, its history, achievements, list of alumni, courses offered (full time and part time, Hifz and Aalim course, both boys and girls), expenses of Madrasah that are not being fulfilled by tuition fees to a tune of about $5,000 per month which is covered through fundraising dinners and donations.

The highlight of the night was the Turbanization of Hafiz Faheem Imraan Ali by the eminent scholars who were present in the ceremony and presentation of plaques of appreciation to the teachers, Maulana Zafar, Maulana Saadat, Hafiz Salahuddin and Hafiz Raza by Br. Haji Farook Ali, father of Hafiz Faheem Imraan Ali, who gave a vote of thanks to the attendees.

Ceremony was concluded with Dua by Qari Abdul Wahab Sahib and a delicious dinner was served.

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Rabiul Al Thani 12, 1437 January 22, 2016

L O C A L

Canex President Mr. Kehler given a big honor to a Pakistani field Hockey international Umpire.

On Jan 13th, Mr. Bruce Kehler of Canex Building Supplies Ltd. invited all communities members in Aria Banquet Hall Surrey to introduce Ms. Binish Hayat, the first Pakistani Women Field Hockey Umpire who recently visits in BC. The beautiful event started by Master of ceremony Mr. Naveed Waraich(PCCA General Secretary)who delivered the introductory speech for the purpose of this reception given to Ms. Binish Hayat at briefed her achievements, He said that Ms Hayat runs an academy called United Women in Lahore, she established this academy for the poor talents girls who can’t afford uniform, equipment etc, she is an international hockey player, cyclist, Score player and five times national champion in hockey. Co -hosted Ms. Sharon Kehler daughter of Mr. Kehler given details of Kehler family trust, its aim is to help the needy people who deserve for any basic needs or any community works projects. Recently our trust given $15000 donation cheque to purchase an equipments and uniform for her academy.

She also said that my father is a big hearted individual with warm personality and a heart of pure gold that shines and illuminates lives of people who are in the need of help.

Mr. Waraich said that Mr. Bruce is a very successful businessman who is known for his charity work and giving to the community. Mr. Bruce continue help in Pakistan remote areas in shape of digging wells for clean water plants and other projects.

Mr. Bruce Kehler thanked all guests of different communities who came here to appreciate the efforts of first international Pakistani field Hockey Umpire.

He expressed his views about Ms. Hayat academy, and he promised that he will try to help her more in

future to establish properly her academy for brilliant talents.

Mr. Kehler invited special guest the Pakistani Consul General Dr. Muhammad Tariq on stage and requested him to share in Canex awards distribution. First they given awards to guest of the evening Ms. Binish Hayat. After received her award Ms. Hayat thanked to Mr. Bruce, his team and his family trust who gave her such a nice recognition and donation to continue in a better way of her United Women academy. Mr. Kehler presented a Canex plaque to Dr. Tariq., CG of Pakistan said “that on behalf of Pakistani community I would like to thank Canex’s President and his all team members to arrange such a wonderful honour event to a Pakistani sports women, who is proud of Pakistan, and also thanked to all other community members who joined us to celebrate this honour.

Mr. Keheler also sent an invitation to Indian Consul General in Vancouver, but as usual his record shows that He never reaches at many community events.

His award received by former NDP MPs Ms. Jinny Sims and Mr. JasbIr Sandhu. Another award given to a 16 years old young sales girl Ms. Alliyah Kazmi, who recently collected more than $12,000 in Cancer drive. Pakistani Community Cultural Association, Syed Farruk (President) also presented a plaque to Ms. Hayat and on behalf of Pakistan Canada Association Malik Arfan congratulated Ms. Binish Hayat of her good work as a Pakistani Umpire and personally committed $200/ month donation for a year to her academy.

Ms. Binna Anjum co-ordinated this beautiful evening with her Canex team members. A delicious appetisers and dinner were served to more than 2OO guests.

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L O C A L

Eating and Walking, Praying and Talking: Diverse Celebrations in Surrey Mark United Nations World Interfaith Harmony Week World Interfaith Harmony Week is designated by the United Nations as a time when diverse religious, spiritual and secular groups around the world come together to promote and affirm peace and harmony in their communities. Surrey is a leading example of interfaith cooperation in British Columbia and members of the Surrey Interfaith Council are hosting a number of events during the week.

“The Surrey Interfaith Council builds bridges of cooperation between people from different religious, spiritual and secular backgrounds. We work together, walk together, meditate together and break bread together, and in doing so we create more peace and justice in our community,” says Jonquil Hallgate, a member of the Council.

“I believe our local communities are united in promoting interfaith cooperation and dialogue to end religiously motivated violence, to bridge cultural and religious differences, and to cultivate cultures of peace, understanding and healing for all living beings on earth,” Says Suzanne Hayat, also a member of the Surrey Interfaith Council.

The event organizers come from a range of backgrounds and worldviews including Atheism, Bahá’í, Buddhism, Christianity Hinduism, Islam and Sikhism.

Surrey Interfaith Pilgrimage The Surrey Interfaith Pilgrimage takes place on Sunday, February 7. The 16.3km route starts at the Thien Ton Buddhist Temple (17192 – 96 Avenue) at 9:30am.

Lunch is provided at the Laxmi Narayana Hindu Mandir (8321 - 140 Street) between 12:301:30pm. The Pilgrimage concludes with dinner provided by Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara (7050 - 120 Street). Rest, water and washroom stops are available along the route at Northwood United Church, Canadian Singh Sabha Gurdwara and Surrey Jamea Muslim Masjid. There is no fee to participate.

For complete and up-to-date information please visit: http://www. surreyinterfaith.ca/event/surreyinterfaith-pilgrimage/ or contact Connie Waterman at connie.waterman@gmail.com.

Interfaith Panel Discussion An Interfaith Panel Discussion takes place on Saturday, February 6, 1:00-4:00pm at Northwood United Church (8855 - 156 Street). The panel consists of representatives from a range of faith communities who will speak on the theme of “Negotiating Peace Through Faith.” The event is free and refreshments are provided.

This event is hosted by the Global Clergy Association of Canada. For more information please contact Dr. Jagessar Das at dasj.kabir@ gmail.com.

Interfaith Food Ministry The Interfaith Food Ministry team will be serving a meal in the parking lot of Victory Family Church at 10664 - 135A Street, Surrey, across the from the Front Room Homeless Shelter on February 6 at 10:45am. This event is part of an ongoing community-led “Interfaith Bi-Weekly Food Ministry”

that has been serving food and providing clothing every second Saturday for the past four years to people who are homeless in the Whalley neighbourhood. The nutritious meals are home cooked by members of the group. For more information please contact Arun Chatterjee at arunavc@hotmail. com.

Surrey Interfaith Contemplative Gathering The Surrey Interfaith Contemplative group hosts an interfaith meditation gathering on February 5, 7:15-8:30pm. The group is made up of people from different religious, spiritual and secular backgrounds that meet regularly for contemplative practice and community building. For more information, contact Connie Waterman at connie.waterman@gmail.com.

Interfaith Dinners Throughout the week, a series of interfaith dinner gatherings takes place in which hosts are matched with guests from different faith traditions. People from diverse religious, spiritual and secular backgrounds are invited to volunteer to be a host or guest by contacting organizer Scott Reynolds at scottrobertreynolds@gmail.com.

For more information on UN World Interfaith Harmony Week, please visit: www.worldinterfaithharmonyweek.com. For more information on the Surrey Interfaith Council or any of the above events events, please visit www.surreyinterfatih.ca or contact David Dalley at info@surreyinterfaith.ca or (778) 988-3549.

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Rabiul Al Thani 12, 1437 January 22, 2016

P A K I S T A N

At least 19 killed in attack on Bacha Khan University in Pakistan

with four terrorists. He expects the death toll of the innocent to rise.

One Pakistani Taliban spokesman, Umar Mansoor, said the attack was in retaliation for military operations against the group.

Mansoor was also the mastermind behind the December 2014 attack, Pakistan’s DawnNews reported.

But another spokesman, Mohammad Khurrassani, from the Pakistani Taliban’s central organization, disavowed any role.

We “strongly condemn the attack on Bacha

By Sophia Saifi, Khan University in Charsadda and disown Ben Brumfield and Euan McKirdy, CNN the attack, saying this is not according to Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN)Militants raided Shariah,” Khurrassani said. a university in northwest Pakistan Wednes- Conflicting claims day, timing their attack to a ceremony at the school to ensure maximum casualties. They slaughtered at least 19 people, authorities said.The scent of burning metal hung in the air a few hours after the attack as a CNN crew made its way through the building where many were shot and wounded. Blood covered stairwells, the walls were pockmarked by bullets. Some of the students’ laundry still hung in a courtyard.

Bacha Khan University in Charsadda is in Peshawar, less than 40 kilometers (25 miles) from where the Pakistani Taliban slayed 145 Despite the conflicting statements from the people, including 132 children, in a school Pakistani Taliban over responsibility, anaattack in December 2014. lysts say the attack probably is the work of It’s unclear whether the group was respon- the terror group. sible for the carnage that Mehmood Khan, “We’ve seen consistent operations by the provincial home minister of Khyber Pakh- Taliban up in this area,” CNN counterterrortunkhwa, said killed at least 19 people along

Clement and Kent: Conservatives “Highly Skeptical” of Iran’s Nuclear Intentions

ism analyst Phil Mudd said. “I see this as simply as retaliatory, that is the Taliban saying, ‘If you’re going to bring Pakistani special forces and the army up into our turf, you’re going pay a heavy price.’”

The attack on the university was most likely to avenge military operations that have reduced the power of the Taliban, said Paul Cruickshank, a CNN terrorism analyst.

The central Taliban organization will deny the attack for political reasons, Cruickshank said.

“It’s very confusing, but all part of the local dynamics,” he said.

Caught off guard Wednesday was the 28th anniversary of the death of the man the university is named after, Abdul Ghaffar Khan, a 1920s Pashtun independence activist and pacifist also known as Bacha Khan. Guests were gathered at the university to pay tribute to the man when the militants came, said student Zahoor Khan.

The attackers threw grenades, pushed their way onto campus and opened fire, army spokesman Lt. Gen. Asim Bajwa said.

Khan said he saw his chemistry professor shot while advising students to stay inside.

A student told DawnNews the attackers were in his own age group.

“The attackers were like us -- they were very young. They carried AK-47 guns. They wore jackets like the forces do,” said the student, who added that dozens of students were still asleep in their rooms because they

didn’t have class.

“There was firing between attackers and security forces,” the student told DawnNews.

“After everything was over, the army men knocked on our room and told us we were safe.”

Who are the Pakistani Taliban?

While the attack caught the university off guard, it wasn’t completely unexpected.

Pakistan’s minister of state education, Muhammad Baligh Ur Rehman, told CNN that security in the region was heightened because of intelligence of a potential attack in tribal areas. The added security at the event helped keep the attackers confined to one side of the university, he said.

“This is part of attacks we have been going through, but the good thing is the frequency with which it was happening has been reduced in a big way, and land for these terrorists has been shrunk in an unprecedented manner,” Baligh Ur Rehman said. “We are constantly in this military operation against the terrorists, and they are on the run.”

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Conservative Foreign Affairs Critic Tony Clement and Deputy Critic Peter Kent issued the following statement today in regards to ‘Implementation Day’ of the Iran Nuclear Deal: “While we are hopeful that Iran lives up to the commitments it has made to the international community, including the P5+1 and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), we remain highly skeptical of Iran’s real intentions when it comes to its nuclear program. The regime in Tehran has said many things about their nuclear program, but we will judge them by their actions, not their words.”

“The fact is that while sanctions are being removed on Iran’s nuclear program, President Obama just imposed more sanctions on Iran’s Ballistic Missile program after it was found to have violated a key UN Security Council resolution. Will the Liberal government follow suit?”

“The reality of dealing with a country that is currently listed in Canada as a state-sponsor of terror and which creates and foments terrorism across the Middle East through groups like the IRGC and Hezbollah, is that it simply is not trustworthy.” ‎”We also note that while President Rouhani can make all sorts of commitments, the real power in Iran lies with the Supreme Lead-

er, who continues to sabre-rattle and make highly concerning statements about any negotiations.”

“Iran’s constant threat to the peace and security of the State of Israel is also highly concerning to our party. As we have said in the past, we stand with our friends in Israel and we will continue to reiterate that position.”

“While many, including Liberal Minister Dion are celebrating today’s ‘Implementation Day’, we remember all those who have been murdered or harmed by the Iranian regime’s complete disregard for human rights.

Thousands of opponents of the regime, as well as religious minorities, gays and lesbians, and others have been a victim of the policies of an evil regime. Our thoughts are with them as well today.” ‎”Finally, Prime Minister Trudeau’s comments during the election about engaging with Iran, including reopening a Canadian Embassy, remain a concern. The security and safety of Canadian diplomats has to be at the forefront of the government’s priorities. Iran’s past disregard for the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, its invasion of the UK Embassy, the burning of the Saudi embassy and its targeting of diplomats abroad are all issues on which the Liberal Party has remained silent.”

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17 S C I E N C E & T E C H Are we addicted to technology?

Rabiul Al Thani 12, 1437 January 22, 2016

By Zoe Kleinman “You’ve got the classic pattern of someone who’s in a fatigue cycle,” she says.

“You’re running on survival energy. Your sympathetic nervous system is in overdrive.

I would guess you feel pretty shattered midafternoon which would mean you are running on adrenalin, noradrenalin, cortisol.”

I’m turning into a dopamine junkie - the brain chemical associated with pleasure that is released when we are stimulated, whether that is by food, sex, excitement... or screen time.

It sounds convincing. Or am I being blinded by pseudo-science? Dr Ramlakhan works at the privately run Nightingale Hospital, and is a member of its technology addiction treatment team.

Surely tiredness is a by-product of a busy modern life - children, work, hobbies etc rather than that relaxing time spent watching Netflix in bed?

“The thing many of my patients have in common is the fact that they are in front of screens all the time. Even when they try to sleep at night. It has become so pervasive,” she says. “They go to bed but can’t sleep, or fall asleep exhausted and wake up tired.

People started telling me they couldn’t switch their brains off.” One patient was suspended from work after sending an inappropriate email to a client in the early hours of the morning, she adds.

“When we unpicked the story we realised he was spending more time at work and finding it more difficult to switch off.” He is now on the road to recovery - and hopes to return to his job.

Another recent patient was a 17-year-old who had suffered a seizure.

It turned out he was up all night playing computer games.

Multi-tasking madness Tech-related burnout is also common in people with certain personality traits, Dr Ramlakhan continues.

“Are you a perfectionist? Are you a control freak? Do you grind your teeth at night?

“That’s an A-type personality - they are driven, competitive, aggressive, run on imperatives - have to, must do, should do,” she says.

“They are likely to find themselves unable to switch off, they can’t relax, if they do they crash into exhaustion. “Even if they are watching TV they have multi screens. It’s a level of hyperactivity driven by a fear of not being in control.” I suggest that perhaps they just want to multi-task.

“It’s the accessibility, the sensory experience of swiping that screen, the instant gratification… there is something quite pleasurable about that,” she counters. “Our generation hasn’t got the hang of how to respond to it so we respond very reactively.”For a lot of people it’s the lack of offline time which causes hyper-arousal of the brain. People walk about in a state of distractibility.”

Author and psychologist Catherine SteinerAdair also thinks multi-tasking - or multiscreening - is a dangerous game, especially for children.

Dr Nerina Ramlakhan’s prescription Have “electronic sundowns” - pull back from technology in the hour before you go to bed. Read books but not e-books. Keep your clock turned away from you at night and don’t use your phone as an alarm clock .Re energise: eat breakfast - or at least something small - within 30 minutes of getting up and before drinking any caffeine Start hydrating. Drink two litres of water a day at least “We see a decrease in memory, a decline in grades, they’re not developing the part of their brain that’s a muscle that needs to be developed for singular focus,” she told the BBC. “It seems to decline the more people do split screening.”

Old School The Steiner-Waldorf School philosophy

actively discourages any screen time at all for under-12s, and British health watchdog NICE guidelines suggest a limit of two hours of screen time a day for adults and children, although this is more in order to increase physical activity.

“It takes us decades to adjust to new technology,” says Dave Coplin, Microsoft’s curiously titled chief envisioner. “Technology is a wonderful thing if we use it properly and we need to use it properly.”

It is the current generation, those of us who remember life before the internet, for whom the draw to technology is irresistible, agrees Dr Ramlakhan.

She says her 11-year-old daughter is already “bored” by Facebook and suggests I ask my four-year-old son to collect up the family gadgets as he will find it far easier than me to initiate switch-off.

“Up-and-coming digital natives will be more discerning than us,” she explains.

“We’re still in the ‘Ooh, isn’t it wonderful?’ phase of technology, we are still excited by it. Our generation hasn’t got the hang of how to respond to it so we respond very reactively.”

After a few days of following Dr Ramlakhan’s advice I have to admit that I do feel better. I am definitely sleeping more and despite medics disagreeing over whether drinking extra water is actually beneficial, it does seem to make me feel more alert.

Of course, it could well be a placebo effect - I know what I’m doing is supposed to be improving my wellbeing.

Is the physiology sound?

At the Wilderness festival in Oxfordshire, where the phone reception is terrible but it still costs £5 to charge your mobile, I meet Dr David Cox, a former Accident and Emergency doctor who is now chief medical officer at subscription-based meditation app Mindfulness. He echoes Dr Ramlakhan’s words.”I don’t believe we can be engaging with something to this extent and for it not to be having an effect on our brains,” he says.”The reason we are feeling stressed about all this stuff is that our brains aren’t used to doing what we are asking them to do. “Our brains are very good at adapting and they will continue to do that.”

Child’s play So how is the next generation shaping up?

A recent study by the London School of Economics suggested that in schools which banned mobile phones, children’s test scores increased by more than 6%.

I pay a visit to my son’s former pre-school, Wildflowers, in Hampshire - a forest school where there are no screens and outdoor play is non-negotiable, rain or shine. Head teacher Helena Nilsson says children are like “bees to a honeypot” if she gets out her laptop but without the distraction they engage in much more creative play. The little ones, however, seem less convinced about the benefits of their enforced digital detox.

“Do you think we should have a computer, tablet or TV at Wildflowers?” she asks.

“YES!” chorus the enthusiastic under-fives unanimously.

18

Rabiul Al Thani 12, 1437 January 22, 2016

L I F E S T Y L E

The Lost Female Scholars of Islam

At the time Eileen Collins became the first woman to command the space shuttle, some Muslims were debating the right of women to drive a car on the road. This disparity in the level of public discourse on the rights of women and role of women confront Muslim societies. New findings by a scholar at Oxford on the historical role of women may help Muslims forge a new perspective but still remain true to the Prophetic traditions.

Mehrunisha Suleman and Afaaf Rajbee report.

If you call a man a thief long enough, he will start to think he really is a thief. Likewise, if you call a child stupid all the time, she will grow up thinking s/he really is stupid.

This swindle of self-perception describes the deep seated anxiety surrounding women in Islam. The sustained media and academic portrayal of Islam has been that of a sexist, patriarchal religion that subjugates women through implicit assumptions of their inferiority. The corrective efforts to this perceived sexism have been shaped by conservatism and radicalism alike. Muslim feminists throw women forward as the bastion of a new, gender-less Islam, free from the shackles of male scholarship and propelling them forth to become imams and state leaders. At the same time, one can find countless imams from the Asian subcontinent who will readily declare women’s rights as a pernicious Western import, against which the best defence is to keep them inside the home and away from places of work and education.

In this way, there may be little that separates misogynistic mullahs from progressive feminists: both are reactions to a crisis of confidence in their own faith. The social and political upheavals of the past c e n t u r y h a v e shaken the ummah to the very core – to the point that commentators cannot seem to defend the most basic social relationship between men and women. Amidst these celebrations and condemnations of Islam’s supposed misogynism, Shaykh Mohammad Akram Nadwi’s study of Al Muhaddithat: the women scholars of hadith is a timely reminder that the gender issue need not be a problem in Islam. The portrayal in the media of Islam as the cause of the subordination of women was a key inspiration for the Shaykh to embark on his decade long study.

Currently a research fellow at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, he found himself confronted with disagreements amongst Muslims about their own history. There was a gaping need to seek out the real historical record on women’s place in the Islamic tradition.

There are widely cited arguments that the male gender bias in Islamic scholarship has affected the interpretations of the Qur’an and hadith. But the historical records show examples of fatwas issued by male jurists that were materially adverse to men and in favour of women. Furthermore, many of the testaments of excellent female scholarships have been recounted by their male students.

Imam Dhahabi noted that amongst female narrators of hadith, there were none found to be fabricators. Women’s scholarly integrity and independence were unimpeachable. Naturally, any sexist male would have a problem admitting to these facts. Since women today participate so little in the teaching of Hadith and the issuing of fatwas, there is a wide misconception that historically they have never played this role. As Shaykh Akram describes, “when I started, I thought there may be thirty to forty women,” but as the study progressed, the accounts of female scholars kept growing and growing, until eventually there were no less than 8,000 biographical accounts to be found. Such vast numbers truly testify to the huge role that women have played in the preservation and development of Islamic learning since

the time of the blessed Prophet Muhammad.

The women encountered by Shaykh Akram were far from mediocre when compared to men, indeed, some excelled far beyond their male contemporaries. There were exceptional women who not only actively participated in society but also actively reformed it. Most striking was the high calibre of their intellectual achievements and the respect that they received for this.

Apart from well-known figures, including Ayesha Siddiqa, the daughter of Abu Bakr, the grandeur of forgotten scholars is rekindled in the work. Fatima Al Batayahiyyah, an 8th century scholar taught the celebrated work of Sahih al Bukhari in Damascus. She was known as one of the greatest scholars of that period, demonstrated especially during the Hajj when leading male scholars of the day flocked from afar to hear her speak in person. A beautiful picture is painted of her in an Islam that has been long forgotten – a distinguished, elderly woman teaching her students for days on end in the Prophet’s mosque itself. Whenever she tired, she would rest her head on the Prophet’s grave and continue to teach her students as the hours wore on. A n y w o m a n visiting the Prophet’s mosque now will know the frustration of not even being able to see the blessed Prophet’s grave, let alone rest their head on its side wall.

Another, Zainab bint Kamal, taught more than 400 books of Hadith in the 12th century.

Her “camel loads” of texts attracted camel loads of students. She was a natural teacher, exhibiting exceptional patience which won the hearts of those she taught. With such a towering intellectual reputation, her gender was no obstacle to her teaching in some of

was entrusted to Hafsah, daughter of Umar.

It was with the help of these preserved records that Caliph Uthman disseminated six standardised versions of the Qur’an to the major political and cultural centres in the Islamic realm. He ordered all non-standardised editions to be burned, an act that indicates the immense trust in Hafsah’s competence and character. The validity of women’s teachings was never doubted by the Companions on account of their gender, or by any respected scholar since.

Considering Islam’s teachings on the fundamental equality of men and women, Shaykh Akram’s work should really be no surprise.

The Prophet taught that there is no difference in worth between believers on account of their gender. Both have the same rights and duties to learn and teach – from memorising and transmitting the words of the Qur’an and Hadith to the interpretation of these sources and giving counsel to fellow Muslims through fatwas (legal opinions).

Women have the same duty as men to encourage the good and restrain the evil. It follows quite logically from this that if they cannot become scholars and be capable of understanding, interpreting and teaching, they cannot fulfil their duty as Muslims. If the subjugation of women is not the result of Islamic teachings, then why are there such gross violations of women’s rights in the Muslim world today? Relegating the Muslim woman only to the role of a mother and housewife is a relatively modern phenomenon (didn’t Ayesha lead an army and didn’t Umm Salama avert a crisis at Hudaybiyyah?). The definitive cause to this complex and multi-faceted problem is heavily debated, but a few contributing factors are worth

the most prestigious academic institutes in Damascus.

Then there was Fatimah bint Muhammad al Samarqandi, a jurist who advised her more famous husband on how to issue his fatwas. And Umm al-Darda, who as a young woman, used to sit with male scholars in the mosque. “I’ve tried to worship Allah in every way,” she wrote, “but I’ve never found a better one than sitting around debating with other scholars.” She became a teacher of hadith and fiqh and lectured in the men’s section. One of her students was the caliph of Damascus. The sheer hard work and dedication to Islam by these women is unfathomable by standards today – but they also had some biological advantages against men.

Female muhaddi that were often sought after by students to learn hadith because of their longer lifespan – which shortened the links in the chains of narration. Although Shaykh Akram’s study focuses on the narrators of Hadith, he found that women s c h o l a r s had also contributed significantly in teaching “theology, logic, philosophy, calligraphy and many of the crafts that we recognise and admire as Islamic.”

The presence of female teachers alone does not do justice to the importance of women in Islamic history. The Qur’an, as originally recorded on parchments and animal bones,

tracing here. The hegemony of Western civilisation in the modern world brings with it an inevitability that the Muslim world will fall victim to its own weaknesses. Women have always had a problematic position in the Judeo-Christian tradition, the most obvious example being the Biblical account of Adam and Eve’s fall from the Garden. The source of mankind’s original sin is placed squarely on Eve, who represents the weaker sex in the parable (the pains of childbirth have traditionally been regarded as atonement for this original sin in the Christian faith).Theological precedents aside, the equality of men and women has come late in the day to Western Europe, with the status of women as “human” being debated in the 16th century and equal legal rights to men only being established by the 19th and 20th centuries. Misogynism was internationalised, as Aisha Bewley, writer and translator of the Qur’an describes, by western colonial authorities who excluded women from teaching in mosques and assuming political roles in the Muslim societies they colonised.

“The lens through which the West viewed Muslim women was already a distorted one – and o n c e imposed or implanted among the Muslims, this viewpoint gradually became an established norm.” As the technologically and scientifically superior western culture impressed Muslim intellectuals, they

grew more open to the values that these cultures brought with them.

Finger-pointing at “the West” is a comfortable answer for everyone, but it is all the more important to realise that the fate of the Muslim woman cannot be divorced from the fate of the Muslim community as a whole.

The retraction of women from the public sphere is also the result of fear. “Islam’s current cultural insecurity has been bad for both its scholarship and its women,” says Shaykh Akram. “Our traditions have grown weak, and w h e n people are weak, they grow cautious. When they are cautious, they don’t give their women freedoms.” Man’s desire to protect women has gone into overdrive, to the point that it has actually undermined the quality of Muslim communities. When the few women that do break free begin to propagate extreme brands of feminism, the result is a vicious circle of suspicion, fear and oppression.

The revelation of the 8,000 strong history of Muslim women scholars will prompt a variety of reactions from various parties. Misogynists are likely to deny it and attempt to undermine its authenticity. Feminists will be pleased that someone has done the hard work for them. Yet the best lesson is most likely to be found in the motivation behind its writing. Shaykh Akram seeks to bring people back to traditional Islam with the purpose of demonstrating that Islam is not misogynistic and nor were early male scholars biased against women. Accusations that his study encourages free-mixing and the relaxing of modesty are unfounded. It is clear in the introduction to the 40 volumes that the hijab is also the sunnah of the Prophet and “enables women to be present and visib in the public space in a way that is safe ible a dignified.” Here Shaykh Akram’s status and a a learned alim from a prestigious instituas ti (Nadwat al Ulama in Lucknow, India) tion w has studied Islam in the traditional way who st stands him in good stead; scholars including S Shaykh Yusuf al Qaradawi have been more th willing to acknowledge his research than a findings. and T irony of our forgotten women scholars The is that they spent their lives in the pursuit of h historical facts, whereas Muslims have long fo forgotten the fact of their contribution. Histo torical criticism is a fundamental principle in Islam. The Qur’an requires “O believe If any iniquitous person comes to you ers! with a slanderous tale, verify it, lest you hurt people unwittingly…” (49:6) Questioning the media frenzy on Islam is not just a good idea, but a religious obligation for Muslims to seek out the truth.

Once we have acknowledged the true historical record, that women are not subjugated by Islam and have played a part since the very beginning, we must also move on.

Islam was not revealed as a bundle of doctrines delineating women’s rights, human rights or animal rights. Islam confers all of these rights and duties on us when we sincerely accept Allah’s rights. Faith, and not bare-knuckled rationality, permits us to create a society where everyone can have their rights upheld t h r o u g h submission to His Word and His messengers. Centuries of accusations of misogynism have been internalised and turned into reality, making Muslims themselves believe that Islam is fl awed. In a world where some women are kept locked in their homes while others are vying to become presidents, Shaykh Akram’s research should present us with some confidence in the justice of Islam. Not because it proves that Islam has had many women scholars – but that there were many great scholars that happened to be women.

Sourcehttp://www.islamicity.org/source/emel/

19

Rabiul Al Thani 12, 1437 January 22, 2016

Appeal for Kidney Donor

Miracle Media Group would like to request everyone to please help in finding a Kidney donor of A + Blood group for BC ‘s prominent Islamic Scholar Maulana Abdul Lateef Naumani who has kidney disease and is currently on Dialysis. Please keep him in your prayers for and call him if you are able to help in finding a donor @

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Rabiul Al Thani 12, 1437 January 22, 2016

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s documentary, A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness has been nominated in the Best Documentary – Short subject category for the 88th Academy Awards. The Oscars, due to take place on February 28, 2016.

Her film – A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness – has been shortlisted for Oscars nominations in the category of Best Documentary – Short Subject.

A C H E I V E M E N T S

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s documentary ``A Girl in River`` bags Oscar nomination

The film is among ten documentaries which have been shortlisted in this category — five of which will be later nominated for the Oscar.

Moor submitted for Oscar consideration Sharmeen’s documentary follows the story of an eighteen-year-old girl, a rare survivor of an honour killing attempt, who falls in love and lives to tell the tale.

Every year more than a 1000 women are killed in the name of honour in Pakistan. The vast majority of victims are women attacked by family members.

“A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness is a film that resonates with me deeply. It’s a film about the kinds of choices we women have in the world and how our lives are impacted by the

decisions taken by others,” said Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy.

Shah Rukh deserved Oscar for My Name is Khan: Paulo Coelho Acclaimed journalist Tina Brown and renowned documentary producer Sheila Nevins have served as the Executive Producers.

Sharmeen is the first Pakistani to win an Oscar for her documentary Saving Face in 2012.

Chris Rock ‘No.1 choice’ to host Oscars, expected to bring edgier feel A Girl in the River: The Price of Forgiveness is set to air on HBO in 2016. http://tribune.com.pk/story/

Surrey Board of Trade Rings in New Business Year

Yusuf Mohammed

More than 500 times blood donar

On January 20,The Surrey Board of Trade hosted the annual New Year’s Business Reception to toast Surrey’s business community for 2016 being another successful business year. The board hosted this reception at their office building, in which large number of business communities attended. Anita Huberman CEO, Surrey Board of Trade welcomed all community members.

MLA Harry Bain also particepated.

Surrey businesses learned that the Surrey Board of Trade helps their members and the business community - with: •Business Development •Networking Events •nternational Trade •Government Advocacy •Membership Services •Workplace Development and Education

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Rabiul Al Thani 12, 1437 January 22, 2016

H E A L T H

To the bone

By: Rizwana Naqvi Bones have many roles to play in the body; they provide structure to the body, protect the organs and are also responsible for storing calcium. That’s why our mothers always emphasised not skipping our daily glass of milk – surely they wanted our bones and teeth to be strong. As we age, and due to other factors as well, our bones start to become weak; this may also be because we are losing bone mass (which is a natural process) but are not making enough of it. This weakening or thinning of bones is called osteoporosis. It also makes us more vulnerable to fractures.No matter whether you have or have not paid attention to bone health in your childhood, it is something that can and should be done throughout our lives. However, to take care of the bones we must know what affects our bones. How healthy our bones are depends on: The amount of calcium in our diet as low calcium content contributes to low bone density and early bone loss. The level of physical activity: Women have less bone tissue than men; Your frame size and family history: thin or people of small body frame have less bone mass and hence experience bone degeneration. People whose parents or siblings have osteoporosis also have more chances of developing osteoporosis.

Getting older: as we age, our bones lose density and become thinner and weaker.

Hormone level: high levels of thyroid can cause bone loss. Lower levels of oestrogen in women after menopause and low testosterone levels in men can cause loss of bone mass.

Eating disorders: people with eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia are at greater risk of osteoporosis.

Use of certain medication: long-term use of medicines such as corticosteroids, antidepressants, cancer treatment drugs and certain antacids damages the bones.

Tobacco and alcohol use.

Now that we know what causes the bone to lose mass and become weaker we can take certain steps to slow the degeneration. While we

can, of course, not change our gender or race or family history, we can definitely improve our diet and eat food items that are rich in calcium and vitamin D. Good sources of calcium include: milk, cheese and other dairy items; green leafy vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and okra (although spinach might appear to contain a lot of calcium, it also contains oxalic acid, which reduces calcium absorption, and is therefore not a good source of calcium); soya beans; nuts; bread and anything made of fortified flour. Many nutrients besides calcium and vitamin D contribute to bone health, so it is important to take a healthy balanced diet.

Doctors also prescribe calcium supplements to help make up for the bone loss.

Though some food items such as eggs, fortified yoghurt and oily fish are good sources of vitamin D, it is difficult to get all the vitamin D we need from diet. We can get most of our vitamin D from exposure to the sun without using sunscreen. People at risk of osteoporosis can ask their physician to prescribe vitamin D supplements.Another way to improve your bone health is to include physical activity in your daily routine; weight bearing exercises such as walking, jogging, and climbing stairs can help build strong bones and reduce bone loss. Also it is important to avoid substance abuse; i.e. avoid smoking and alcoholic drinks.

If you think your bones are becoming weak you should consult your physician who will recommend a bone density test and on the basis of the result, suggest measurements to reduce bone loss and may, depending on the need, prescribe calcium and vitamin D supplements.

Source : Dawn newspaper

Which foods will cost more in 2016?

By: Jesse Tahirali, Bad news for those who eat food: prices will continue to climb in 2016.

This year’s Food Price Report from the University of Guelph’s Food Institute predicts an overall jump in cost between two and four per cent over the next 12 months.

Although the grocery store will get more expensive, before eating the cost of food inflation, check out these tips on how to still shop healthy as food prices climb.

For example, substituting expensive nuts with cheaper seeds will provide a similar crunchy flavour for a fraction of the cost.

Factors affecting food retail prices Every year the Food Institute of the University of Guelph looks at several drivers that could impact food prices in upcoming year.

Table 2 outlines the impact, effect, and likelihood for each drivers.

Drivers are either macro, sectorial or domestic.

Macro Drivers Climate change will remain one of the most significant, unpredictable influences on food prices. California and other droughtstricken regions could see more rain which could in fact increase production. Production capacity could be less of a concern and would increase product exports, particularly

in Canada. Vegetable and fruit prices could be affected as a result, making procurement easier for importers.

Cattle production, which has been affected by droughts, will remain low enough to keep inventories at current low levels.

Since rebuilding inventories is a very long process, this could keep beef prices high but not at record levels as we saw in 2015 .For 2016, geopolitical risks may have an effect on food prices, However for Canada, risks are minimal at best and thus we do not anticipate a high impact on food prices in 2016.

Consider searching for alternatives for some of the foods set to jump most dramatically in cost: Source: CTVNews.ca

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Rabiul Al Thani 12, 1437 January 22, 2016

YOUTH

Pak scholars block ‘un-Islamic’ child marriage bill

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani lawmakers have withdrawn a proposal to impose harsher penalties on those who arrange child marriages after it was scuttled by a religious body who branded it “blasphemous” and against Islam, sources told journalists.

The proposal, which would also have raised the legal age of marriages for females from 16 to 18, called for “rigorous” punishment up to two years in prison for those who organize child marriages, still common in some parts of Pakistan, said AFP. Marvi Memon, a member of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), had moved to amend existing child marriage legislation in the lower house but was forced to withdraw

her bid after it was rejected by a parliamentary committee on religious affairs, a source familiar with the development said.

A representative from the Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) had dubbed the amendment to the Child Marriage Restraint (Amendment) Bill 2014 as “anti-Islamic” and “blasphemous” during the committee meeting, the source said.

The CII was formed in 1962 to advise parliament on the compatibility of laws with Shariah.Its recommendations are non-binding, and it has drawn widespread criticism in the past for other rulings.

“Marvi wanted deletion of the word ‘simple’ punishment for those involved in arranging

child marriages to ‘rigorous’ or ‘two-year’ punishment in the actual legislation,” the parliamentary source said.

“Marvi also wanted the age for girls’ marriage to be raised from 16 years to 18 years, which does not in any way violate the teachings of Islam,” the source said.

The original law stipulates the age of marriage at 16 for women and 18 for men but Pakistani religious scholars believe it is not in accordance with Islamic teachings.

By: Tania Rashid A personal insight into the traditional practice of child marriage in Bangladesh.

When I was a little girl growing up in Bangladesh, my mother would tell me that going to school was okay, but if I didn’t do well, she would marry me off to a rich older man who could take care of me.

It is many years later, but those words still affect me.

She wasn’t the only family member trying to marry me off young.

My grandfather had plans for me to marry my first cousin who was 20 years older than me, but he passed away before he could make it happen.

About All of this marriage talk is part of a deep-rooted tradition to keep women under control and maintain family honour. But I couldn’t accept this fate.

When I was young, my family moved to Los An-

geles.Suddenly I was exposed to a different world, that didn’t match my family’s values at home and I began to rebel, upsetting my traditional Bangladeshi Muslim parents.

I couldn’t adapt to my family’s mindset. There were too many rules. I had to excel in school, avoid boys, learn the Quran and dress conservatively. My mother even threw away the tank tops and shorts I had bought in secret.

I remember the day my uncle said my pants were too tight and that I shamed my family by dating a Hindu boy, l brushed him off, and laughed in his face. But he had much more control over my life than I thought.

When I was 16, my aunt heard of a rich man in his 40s who wanted to marry a young girl. My uncle wanted this marriage to happen.

I was flown to Canada to visit my relatives, thinking I was going on an unexpected vacation. When I reached my aunt’s house, she had cooked an elaborate Bengali meal, and I saw a pudgy, old, balding Bangladeshi man sitting across the room. After dinner, my aunt suddenly left me alone with him.

The moment we spoke, I knew exactly what was going on. He boasted about the property he owned, family prosperity and how his family had millions of dollars. He then proceeded to ask what I was looking for in a man. I froze.

I’ve blocked out most of the memories of that day, apart from feeling overwhelmed, sitting in a room

full of people trying to decide my life for me. All I remember is keeping the conversation short and leaving my aunt’s as quickly as possible. I then ran away from home.

I am one of very few women who was able to get away. Despite it being illegal, Bangladesh has the highest rate of child marriage for girls under the age of 15 in the world. According to UNICEF, 65 percent of girls are married by their 18th birthday and 29 percent by the age of 15.

‘They reminded me of cattle at the market waiting to be sold’ This past month, I travelled across northern Bangladesh, which has some of the highest rates of child marriage in the country. I wanted to know why it continues to happen, generation after generation.

I met eight girls along the way. Since the weddings often happen in secret, they take place very quickly. Each girl I encountered looked terrified. They shook in fear, cried, and looked confused. They reminded me of cattle at the market waiting to be sold. Seeing them so helpless was hard to bear.

Khadija Begum is one of those girls. I met her on her wedding day. She was 12. Her family is poor and her father had saved up enough dowry money to marry her to a 30-year-old rickshaw puller.

On the morning of Khadija’s wedding, her parents sent her to hide at her grandparents’ house, so authorities could not find out about her marriage.

I went to see her. “The marriage is happening

They say there is no specific age limit for marriage in Shariah as an individual can marry when he or she reaches puberty and puberty cannot be defined by age.

Source: AFP

‘Child marriage is real: it almost happened to me’

against my will. I don’t know why they are doing this,” Khadija told me while staring at the ground.

I played a clapping game with her to distract her.

She smiled. At that moment, I could see that she was just a child and her childhood and education were being taken away from her. She was helpless just like I was the day my aunt and uncle tried to marry me off, except she couldn’t escape.

The men I spoke to during filming Too Young To Wed saw nothing wrong with marrying young girls.

Take Shyamal for instance. He is a 25-year-old teastall owner who wanted the youngest bride possible. He found a girl named Beezly whom he was willing to marry for less dowry money as she was 13. I saw him showing photos of his bride-to-be hours before his wedding, asking his friends if she looked young enough.

“I like her behaviour so I picked Beezly. She’s pure.

Most girls mix with other boys and have relations.

I don’t like that ... A good girl goes to school and straight home ... and that’s it,” Shyamal said.

This cultural mindset goes beyond poverty and a lack of education. To me it is all about controlling women.

I am so grateful that I managed to escape that control.

I am free and my future is my own, unlike thousands of young girls like Khadija and Beezly who are married off every year against their will.

The Author Tania Rashid Freelance correspondent and producer for Al Jazeera’s 101 East.

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23 3 WOMEN 3 TOPICS Parents, Youth & Parents Muslim women must learn English Rabiul Al Thani 12, 1437 January 22, 2016

By Asma Ayyaz, Mortgage Broker Just think how many people do we talk to throughout the day and whom do we talk to.

There are some people whose work comes in contact with dealing with other people – such as working as cashiers in grocery stores. On the other hand, there are people who do not work or they are alone at home such as senior aged citizens or housewives.

No matter whether we are working or we are at home, we do not come in contact with family members, friends, neighbours, people we serve or are served from, in shops, clinics, amlls, offices, subway, bus, library, parties, functions, gatherings and elsewhere. We are required to show respect, love, tolerance, understanding and good qualities. Usually we are on our good behaviour, real test of our strength and character comes in difficult and hard circumstances. At that time we come out as a person we

or risk deportation: British PM

may not even believe or realize that we are them. The hidden qualities or strength or weakness comes out and people have done amazing works and come out as successful people in life despite all their hardships.

We all live in our own bubble and have our own rules, measures and assumptions. We are very emotional, sensitive and touchy when our emotions or status of affairs are concerned and questioned. We are insensitive or not so careful about other persons feelings. What is needed is a little more compassion, loving, understanding and tolerant behaviour towards other people we come into contact with.

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Sadness!

By:Shabnam Khan Family Counsellor

It’s perfectly normal to have sadness in your life. Some kinds, however, can be a cause for concern. If you are feeling sad at this moment—or have been experiencing a down mood for a while— look honestly at your situation. There are three types of sadness most of us fall into: Short-term sadness: This is a passing mood, lasting a few days or, at most, a week. It sometimes has a cause and sometimes not. The best remedy—as we all know but, sadly, often fail to remember—is to lower your stress, go to bed early and get eight hours of uninterrupted sleep, make sure you exercise and break up your normal routine a bit.

Boredom, lack of sleep, being too sedentary and excess stress is all associated with a sad mood.

Triggered sadness: This includes a downturn in mood because something undeniably bad has happened to you, such as losing your job or the death of someone close to you. In such a situation, you will generally know what the trigger is. The problem is that most people feel helpless when they enter extended sadness, even when they know there is a good reason for it. In this case, you need to process your sadness, let nature take its course and share your feelings with someone who can

Muslim women who fail to learn English to a high enough standard could face deportation from Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron announced Monday.

He also suggested that poor English skills can leave people “more susceptible” to the messages of groups like Islamic State (IS).

Cameron’s comments came as his centre-right Conservatives launched a £20 million ($28.5 million, 26 million euro) language fund for women in isolated communities as part of a drive to build community integration.

Immigration rules already force spouses to speak English before they come to Britain to live with their partners.

But Cameron said they would also face further tests after two and a half years in the country to make sure their language skills were improving.

“You can’t guarantee you will be able to stay if you are not improving your language,” he told BBC radio. “People coming to our country, they have responsibilities too.”

Cameron’s government estimates that around 190,000 Muslim women in England -- about 22 percent of the total -speak little or no English.

There are estimated to be around 2.7 million Muslims in England out of a total population of some 53 million.

- ‘Disgraceful stereotyping’ Cameron said that a lack of language skills could make Muslims in Britain more vulnerable to the message of extremist groups.

“I am not saying there is some sort of causal connection between not speaking English and becoming an extremist, of course not,” he told BBC radio.

“But if you are not able to speak English, not able to integrate, you may find therefore you have challenges understanding what your identity is and therefore you could be more susceptible to the extremist message.”

His comments drew criticism from Muslim groups and opposition parties.

Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of the Ramadhan Foundation, which campaigns

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for better community relations, accused Cameron of “disgraceful stereotyping”.

“David Cameron and his Conservative government are once again using British Muslims as a political football to score cheap points, to appear tough,” he added.

View gallery .Muslim women are reporting an alarming picture of forced gender segregation, discrimination and social isolation from mainstream British life, accordi...

Muslim women are reporting an alarming picture of forced gender segregation, discrimination and social isolation …Andy Burnham, home affairs spokesman for the main opposition Labour party, accused Cameron of a “clumsy and simplistic approach” which was “unfairly stigmatising a whole community.”

Ex-Conservative Party co-chair Sayeeda Warsi said her former boss’s idea was “lazy and misguided” and a “stereotyping of British Muslim communities” “My parents came to this country with very little English -- my mum’s English still isn’t great, even though she has been to English language classes,” she told BBC Radio 4’s World at One. “I think it is lazy and sloppy when we start making policies based on stereotypes which do badly stigmatise communities.”

Shuja Shafi, secretary general of the Muslim Council of Britain, backed Cameron’s call, but questioned his tactics.

“The prime minister’s aim to have English more widely spoken and for better integration falls at the first hurdle if he is to link it to security and single out Muslim women to illustrate his point,” he said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/britishpm-attacks-isolation-muslim-women-

1 1/2 Whole chicken skinless 1 Cup fresh yogurt 4 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1 Tablespoon garlic paste 1 Tablespoon ginger paste 1 Teaspoon red chili flakes 1 Teaspoon chat masala powder 1 Teaspoon cumin seeds powder 1 Teaspoon Turmeric powder 1 Teaspoon coriander powder Salt to taste 2 Tablespoon desi ghee or butter 1 Cup cooking oil for frying Wash the chicken inside and outside.

Place into a large shallow dish and with a sharp knife make deep cuts in whole chicken.

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24

Rabiul Al Thani 12, 1437 January 22, 2016

SPORTS

Guptill, Williamson smash Pakistan with record stand

Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill - New Zealand’s two form batsmen - combined in a clinical display of poise and timing, to gun down Pakistan’s 168 for 7 inside eighteen overs in Hamilton. Their 171-run stand was the highest ever for T20Is, let alone for opening pairs. The ten-wicket victory evened the series in emphatic fashion. Guptill left the field with 87 to his name, and Williamson with a personal best of 72 - both striking at 150.

Williamson had been the early aggressor, flitting about his crease to make use of errant lines from the Pakistan bowlers. He slapped Mohammad Amir through the leg side for four in the second over, then cracked three fours through point off Imad Wasim soon after. With the positioning of the pitch making the eastern square boundary only 52 metres, Williamson continued to move around his crease to target that - most memorably lapscooping Amir to the fine-leg fence in the fifth over. Williamson had New Zealand’s run rate hurtling at 10 an over inside the Powerplay, and it did not dip too far below that thereafter.

Guptill was more still at the crease, hitting a flat six off Umar Gul in the first over of the chase, but largely batting in Williamson’s slipstream before taking flight through the middle overs. He struck consecutive fours, either side of the wicket, off Amir in the 13th over, and successive sixes off Shahid Afridi in the 15th. He struck four sixes and nine fours in his 58-ball innings. Williamson didn’t clear the rope, but hit 11 fours.

Pakistan had lost early wickets and made a stalling start before Shoaib Malik’s measured 39 and Umar Akmal’s violent 56 not out from 27 balls seemed to have revived their chances in the match. New Zealand’s batting was excellent, but Pakistan’s bowlers perhaps had their thoughts scrambled by the asymmetrical dimensions of the field one square boundary more than 20 metres shorter than the other.

Amir had a particularly poor outing, leaking 34 from his 3 overs, but no one in the Pakistan attack fared well. Wahab Riaz went at 10 an over, and the usually-miserly Imad Wasim at 8. Such was the adaptability of New Zealand’s batting, that they were not

slowed by Shahid Afridi’s rifling through the attack, nor the several different fields he employed through the innings.

Mitchell McClenaghan was the best of New Zealand’s bowlers, delivering a tight line, largely on off stump, and mixing up his pace and lengths intelligently. He had conceded only eight runs from his first three overs, but those figures were soured somewhat by Akmal’s late charge, during which the batsman struck two fours and a six in three balls. McClenaghan did take valuable wickets however, having bowled Malik with a yorker in his third over, then having Wasim top-edging a bouncer to fine leg in the penultimate over of the innings.

Earlier, Pakistan had been 34 for 2 after 6.1 overs before Malik arrived to ease the innings into motion, beginning with singles to third man, then a spate of fours to that short boundary. His 63-run fourth-wicket stand with Umar Akmal was the most substantial of the innings.

Akmal blasted consecutive sixes off Mitchell Santner to the short leg-side boundary early in his innings, but he wasn’t shy of tak-

ing on the longer boundary either. He batted busily through the middle overs, and memorably launched Grant Elliott into the adjacent road in the 16th over, with a 103-metre hit over cow corner. Clean striking in McClenaghan’s final over moved him to 50 off 22 balls - the second fastest T20 half-century for Pakistan just one ball behind his own record. He lost partners in quick succession through those late overs, but appeared to have seen Pakistan through to a good score, given their successful defence of 171 two evenings prior.

NHL players cheer for loonie’s recovery as reduced revenues sink salaries

Last Friday was a big day for NHL players. It was payday – and it happened to be their biggest of the year. That particular cheque was for nearly 11 per cent of their salary for the season, meaning a player earning $5-million would receive more than $500,000 before deductions. That windfall was even better for those playing on the seven Canadian teams. NHL players are paid in U.S. dollars, which as of Monday’s close were worth roughly $1.45 Canadian as the loonie continued its spiral downward. It’s a collapse that has been bad news for many in this country. Professional athletes, however, have a unique perspective, as most have two bank accounts and deal in two currencies every day. “The bills are all Canadian,” Toronto Maple Leafs veteran Brad Boyes explained. “At this point now, I’m moving a lot of stuff into Canadian dollars because the exchange rate’s so good.” “I haven’t been,” teammate Joffrey Lupul said. “But it’s certainly worth thinking about.” Players realize, however, that the exchange rate can hurt, too. A low Canadian dollar has serious implications for the NHL because it drives down league revenues, which in turn affects the salary cap. It also makes life especially difficult for Canadian teams.

The Maple Leafs player payroll, for example, is expected to hit at least $83-million (U.S.) this season, and that comes at a much bigger cost now than it did even in mid-October, when the Canadian dol-

lar’s value was still nearly 80 cents. That payroll figure doesn’t include staff costs, such as the first year of the massive eightyear, $50-million (U.S.) contract for head coach Mike Babcock. At a 90-cent dollar, Babcock – the highest-paid coach in the league – would be earning about $7-million a season. Right now, his annual salary works out to more than $9-million Canadian – and it’s growing daily. Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment chief financial officer Ian Clarke calls the exchange rate one of the tougher risk factors for the company. He said MLSE tries to use currency hedges to mitigate the impact of rapid shifts like those of the past few months.

NHL teams typically can “lock in” an exchange rate for a prolonged period of time – a year or more – ahead of the season in order to ensure some cost certainty, but the devaluation still makes a major impact. It’s expected that teams in smaller Canadian markets will need to draw from the league’s revenue-sharing arrangement this season as a result of the currency issue. League-wide revenue projections will also take a hit. Last season, NHL revenues were up a robust 8 per cent when considered on a currency-neutral basis. With the change in the Canadian dollar factored in, however, the increase worked out to 5 per cent. With the dollar down 12 per cent in the past three months, this year’s damage is expected to be more substantial.

The seven Canadian teams are believed to

typically generate somewhere between 30 and 35 per cent of NHL revenues, which means a 10- to 15-per-cent drop in the dollar can decimate any real growth made by the 23 American teams. The NHL’s salary cap is tied directly to revenues, so flat revenues would result in an almost flat cap. That puts a drag on free agency and most player movement, which is bad news for players such as Boyes, whose contract expires in July. Player salaries are also directly linked to revenues through an escrow system, which has been eating up an increasingly larger share of paycheques this season. In this quarter, NHL players have been losing 16 per cent of their pay to escrow; in the next one, because of where the dollar is, it’s believed that figure could hit 20 per cent. “That’s the unfortunate part,” Leafs centre Nazem Kadri said. “As it decreases, it’s tough for some teams and the league to not lose money.

Then the escrow keeps going up. Hopefully the dollar spikes, and we can get it back to the average.” “The player it hurts the most is a U.S.-based player who has his life there that consumes U.S. dollars,” said Stew Gavin, a retired NHLer whose firm provides wealth-management services to roughly 60 NHL players, including James van Riemsdyk and Shawn Matthias of the Leafs. “They’re seeing that hit on escrow and a net loss of their income. A Canadian player can lose it on the salary, but then he picks some up on the currency

exchange. We’re doing some trades here recently at close to 44 [extra] cents on the dollar. It’s nice when they see that lift.”

The official line from the NHL is there is only mild concern over where the dollar is. Many teams took in the bulk of their revenue in the spring and summer months, when season-ticket payments were due, so a continued collapse in the currency over the coming months would primarily affect playoff revenue (Given the current standings, it’s plausible that no Canadian team will make the postseason, which may help.) According to deputy commissioner Bill Daly, the league hasn’t recalculated where the cap might end up next season based on the dollar’s shift. It’s safe to say, however, that it’s unlikely to get anywhere close to the rosy $74.5-million figure they forecast to the board of governors in December. That’s why most players believe the boost they’re getting in their exchange rate isn’t ultimately a good thing. They’ll pay for it eventually. “When the Canadian dollar doesn’t do well, the NHL doesn’t do well,” Leafs goaltender James Reimer said. “At the end of the day, you’re like anybody. You hope that the economy does well and the dollar does well.”

Source: Globe and Mail

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