Miracle 530-Oct 21, 2020

Volume 20 Issue 530- Rabi ul Awaal 3,1442 H, October 21, 2020 $1 www.miraclenews.com BC, CANADA First Muslim

Biweekly & Bilingual

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5 The Seven Phases of

10 BC NDP to build first

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09 ’Electoral History of

16 Cricket for Karachi

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Prophet Muhammad’s B.C. Why is Voting Important?

ever South Asian Mue-

2020 Tournament Jamia Masjid Aulia Allah Foundation

Army chief orders immediate inquiry into ‘Karachi ‘What have Trump and Biden said about Canada Liberals, WE make disclosures as chance

Edition Canada-U.S. border closure extended

but Trump, Trudeau far apart on next steps

Who will be the next BC Premier ?

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Candidates from the Muslim Community

order will remain closed until at least Nov. 21. Although Canada and the U.S. have agreed to close their shared land border to non-essential travel, they don’t appear to agree on several related issues — including what to do next.

More than seven months after the border closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Donald Trump have offered up contradictory messages about the border’s future. The Canada-U.S. border closure agreement was set to expire on Oct. 21, but the Canadian government announced on Monday that the closure will be extended until at least Nov. 21. In an interview last Wednesday on Winnipeg podcast The Start, Trudeau said Canada

plans to keep the border closed as long as COVID-19 case counts in the U.S. remain high. “We keep extending the border closures because the United States is not in a place where we would feel comfortable reopening those borders,” he said.

Four weeks prior, Trump offered a different prognosis for the CanadaU.S. border closure.“We’re looking at the border with Canada — Canada would like it open,” he said at the White House on Sept. 18.“So we’re gonna be opening the borders pretty soon.... We want to get back to normal business.” Foreign affairs expert Edward Alden said the disconnect between the two leaders suggests there are currently no joint discussions about an eventual reopening plan. “With

To be Continued at page 7

BC Liberals accuse NDP of taking advantage of COVID-19 to suppress votes

Mehreen Chaudry Shaukat Khan Tariq Malik Burnaby-Deer Lake Surrey-Whalley Burnaby-Lougheed

Aisha Rehana Bali Surrey-Cloverdale

Iqbal Parekh Burnaby-Edmonds

Asad Syed Surrey-Newton

Dr. Rasoul Narimani Nazanin Moghadami West Vancouver – Capilano Vancouver -Kensington

Please don’t miss Advance Voting / Vote-by-Mail or Safely Voting in person during Covid 19 on Election Day Oct, 24

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he British Columbia Liberals are accusing the NDP of taking advantage of the pandemic to suppress votes in the dying days of the election, while the Green leader is urging residents not to vote out of fear. Liberal Leader Andrew Wilkinson defended a news release put out by his party that says it has serious concerns about the motive behind NDP Leader John Horgan’s election call “that is suppressing voter turnout and putting those that do vote at risk.”

Wilkinson said Tuesday that Horgan’s selfishness to call the election

during the pandemic shouldn’t override the democratic right to get out to vote. When asked if he would question the final results, Wilkinson said “absolutely not,” adding that Elections BC has been acting with the highest degree of professionalism to protect voters’ rights.“I think the problem is John Horgan’s selfish ambition in calling this election while we’re going in the second wave of the pandemic.

That’s just irresponsible. It didn’t need to happen and it should not have happened,” Wilkinson said.

Horgan responded by saying he

To be Continued at page 7

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Rabi ul Awaal 3,1442 Oct 21, 2020

RESTORE CONFIDENCE and

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VOTE FOR THE BC LIBERALS “Together, we will get through this economic crisis and build a bright future for all of B.C.”

Vote for our bold plan to restore confidence for the future :

 Cut PST to 0% for a year, saving an average family over $1,700

 End the ICBC monopoly on auto insurance to give you a choice and lower rates

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Vote BC Liberals on Oct 24!

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 $7,000 seniors’ tax credit and $1 billion for long-term seniors’ care

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 Provide real $10 a day child care  Build a second Surrey hospital in Cloverdale

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Rabi ul Awaal 3,1442 Oct 21, 2020

PAKISTAN

Army chief orders immediate inquiry into America would have saved trillions had it handled ‘Karachi incident’: ISPR the pandemic as well as Pakistan: US economist

Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has taken notice of and ordered an immediate inquiry into the “Karachi incident”, the military’s media wing said on Tuesday.

He has directed the Karachi Corps Commander to “immediately inquire into the circumstances to determine the facts and report back as soon as possible”, according to the statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).

While the ISPR did not specify which incident it was referring to, the statement came minutes after PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari called on Gen Bajwa and Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Faiz Hameed to investigate the circumstances surrounding the arrest of PML-N leader retired Capt Mohammad Safdar in Karachi a day earlier.

In a tweet from its official account, the PPP said Gen Bajwa also called Bilawal “over the telephone to discuss the Karachi incident this evening”. ”The Chairman PPP expressed his appreciation to the COAS for taking prompt notice of the Karachi incident and his assurance of conducting a transparent

inquiry on the incident,” it added. Safdar and his wife, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, were in the city to attend a rally of the opposition’s Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) when he was arrested from their hotel early on Monday morning. He was subsequently released on bail.

Addressing a press conference in Karachi, Bilawal said all top officers of Sindh Police were wondering “who were the people who surrounded” the Sindh police chief ’s house in the early hours of Monday and took him to an unspecified location before Safdar was arrested.He also demanded to know the identities of “the two people who went inside the IG’s house” and where they allegedly took the police chief at around 4am. ”I demand of DG ISI Faiz Hameed and Chief of Army Staff Gen Bajwa to investigate your institution [and] how it is operating in this province,” the PPP leader said, adding that the provincial government will carry out its own inquiry. He said the advice to carry out Safdar’s arrest in that manner was “wrong” and could damage the armed forces’ “institutional integrity”. Following Safdar’s arrest, a purported voice message by PML-N leader and former Sindh governor Muhammad Zubair was shared by a journalist in which Zubair alleged that the inspector general of police was kidnapped and forced to register the first information report against Maryam, her husband Safdar and 200 others for violating the sanctity of Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah’s mausoleum. Source: dawn.com

Former US treasury secretary and renowned economist Lawrence ‘Larry’ Summers is of the opinion that had America handled the coronavirus pandemic as well as Pakistan, it could have saved in trillions of dollars.

He made these comments while talking to CNN’s Fareed Zakaria on Sunday. “America’s failure on Covid-19 is almost unimaginable,” he said. “Heck, if the US had handled the pandemic as well as Pakistan, we would have saved in neighbourhood of $10 trillion.

“The costs of an expanded testing system are trivial compared to the costs of tens of thousands of early deaths. Expanding testing should be a matter of utmost urgency,” tweeted Summers. US President Donald Trump, despite contracting the virus himself, has continued to cast doubt on the seriousness of the pandemic even as the US death toll topped 200,000. In what has become an overtly political gesture, Trump almost never wears a mask in public.

According to the Associated Press, quoting a new poll, more Americans blame the US government instead of foreign nations for the coronavirus crisis in the United States, a rebuke to the Trump administration’s contention that China or other countries are most at fault. As he faces a rough reelection contest in November, Trump has steadily ramped up criticism of China for the virus and announced the US would halt funding for and withdraw from the international health agency over alleged Chinese interference in its work. Critics, including public

health experts, have said China bears some responsibility but have also harshly criticised Trump’s response.

Summers on Sunday piled on criticism of the US government’s response, saying: “Interest rates are essentially zero, telling us that the funds are available and won’t crowd out anything important. Instead it will push economy forward. All the dangers are on spending too little, not too much.”

“We should be making investments in renewing infrastructure, supporting state and local govt, and helping the unemployed and lower income families. It cannot be that the highest priority in the US today is lending money to credit worthy corporations,” Summers tweeted.

Last month, World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had praised Pakistan’s response to the coronavirus, saying the country managed to fight the pandemic while allowing its economy to pick up as the country stabilises.

In an op-ed in the British online newspaper The Independent, Tedros noted that Pakistan had deployed the infrastructure built over many years for polio to combat Covid-19. Source: dawn.com

‘Stop using army to hide own failures,’ Maryam tells PM Imran at PDM’s power show in Karachi

PML-N vice-president Maryam Nawaz on Sunday lashed out at Prime Minister Imran Khan and the PTI government for what she claimed as tarnishing the army’s image by using it to hide [their] own failures. “When you are pressed for answers, you hide behind the armed forces. You coward! You bring the army into disrepute. You use them [army] to hide your own failures. Who gave you this right?” she asked the premier, questioning if the army belonged to the premier or the PTI alone?

Maryam was addressing a charged crowd of thousands at the second power show of 11-party opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement in Karachi, hosted by the Pakistan Peoples Party.

PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, PML-N vice

presidents Maryam Nawaz and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party chairman Mehmood Achakzai, among other leaders, addressed the audience at the event that lasted over five hours. As the leaders reached the venue, thousands of supporters of the opposition parties welcomed them, dancing to the beat of PPP’s anthem.

The crowd waved flags of the various political parties represented by the PDM. Bilawal thanked the enthusiastic crowd and welcomed the JUI-F chief and PML-N vice president.

Addressing the rally later in the evening, PML-N vice-president Maryam Nawaz thanked the PPP leadership and people of Karachi for according her a warm welcome. She also paid tribute to the provincial government for their efforts amid

the Covid-19 pandemic, for which she said they were subjected to humiliation and taunts by the federal government.

She then directed her tirade at Prime Minister Imran, who a day earlier had declared that he would get “tougher” with the opposition and vowed to start making all-out efforts to bring Nawaz Sharif back to the country and send him behind bars.

‘PDM wants real democracy’

Bilawal then went on to question the PTI’s government’s strategy on Kashmir, accusing it of weakening Pakistan’s position through its policies. “He [PM Imran] claimed to be the ambassador of Kashmiris, but now he has become the lawyer of Kulbhushan [Jadhav]. He [PM Imran] has done a deal on Kashmir,” he alleged, adding that the rise of fascism in the country had weak-

ened its stance on Kashmir and Modi.

“This incapable and clueless prime minister will have to go home,” said Bilawal. “Today, innocent people are being killed, going missing and our state is involved in this,” he alleged.

“Education, health budgets are being cut but this puppet government doesn’t care because it didn’t come from people’s votes.”

The PPP chairperson alleged that neither did Prime Minister Imran acknowledge the parliament, nor could he see the hunger and tears of people. “And he claims to be [the torch-bearer of] democracy?” he questioned. “A one-man government is a contradiction of democracy.

The public will ruin this man’s arrogance,” he said. “He should remember the dictators who came before him.” Source: dawn.com

Nawaz accuses security establishment of orchestrating his ouster, bringing Imran to power

PML-N supremo and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Friday accused the security establishment of being behind his ouster as prime minister and for “bringing Imran Khan into power”.

Nawaz, via video link from London, was addressing the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) first power show in Gujran-

wala where top opposition leaders gathered to take forward their anti-government campaign.

His comments come less than a month after Chief of Army Staff Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed in a meeting with key opposition figures had cou­n­selled them to refrain from dragging the military into political issues.

He questioned who made the state above a state and who was responsible for the two governments in this country, among other

things, going on to name COAS Bajwa.

“This is your doing,” he said.

He also named Lt Gen Faiz Hameed as being behind everything.

“You can label me a traitor if you want, seize my properties, file false cases against me [...] but Nawaz Sharif will continue to speak for his people.”

This is not the first time that Nawaz has gone after the military leadership; during the opposition’s multiparty conference last month, Nawaz had bitterly criticised the army, saying there was “a state above the state in the country”. However, he had refrained from naming anyone.

Criticism of govt

Nawaz blasted the PTI-led government for “failing to do its job” and said people were paying for its “incompetence”.

He questioned why a dictator despite being handed punishment by court was able to get away yet civilian leaders like himself were victimised. “Why are elected prime ministers not allowed to complete their five-year

To be continued at page 16

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n Canada we are all equated fundamental rights that are unquestioned (free speech, religion) – rights that don’t exist in Iran. In Canada we have a judiciary that is autonomous from the government – something that isn’t the case in many nations around the world.

But most importantly, in Canada we have the right to freely vote in an election (once we turn 18, of course). You can moan and groan about the electoral system we possess, there do exist flaws in it, but

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The Importance of Voting what you can’t deny is that you have the right to cast a ballot on a number of different occasions: be it federal, provincial, and municipal.

And that right is uncontested. Your vote counts.

Often what I hear from my fellow Canadians about voter turnout is “well, we’re better than most places.”

First off, no we’re not. Federally in 2011 61 per cent of voters cast a ballot. Provincially (B.C.) in 2009 only 51 per cent and the average for municipal elections in 2011 was a dismal 29 per cent.

Secondly, saying that Canada is better than most places is like explaining to your parents that you’re better than the students who failed when you come home with a C- on your last paper. This isn’t something to be content about. Whenever I came home with a bad grade, I sat down and thought to myself “how can I do better, what can I do to be better.” That is the mentality that Canadians should have. Voting is important.

Regardless of your political ideologies or beliefs, voting is a right that

you are afforded as a Canadian citizen and you should do your best to exercise it. Take the time to get educated on the political parties and options that are available in the next election, and make a decision that you feel comfortable with. Don’t let exterior factors dissuade you from voting. And if you feel that it is in your right to not exercise your right, so be it. It is not compulsory and no one should shame you for not doing it. The pessimistic view that your vote won’t count is simplistic.Courtesy by: DH Vancouver

After the PDM rally in Pakistan

HE Pakistan Democratic Movement jalsa in Gujranwala on Friday has set the stage for a charged few weeks ahead. The inaugural event of a lengthy anti-government campaign promised by the opposition alliance saw a galaxy of leaders addressing a large crowd that had, by most accounts, filled up the venue by late evening.

The leaders of the PML-N, PPP and JUI-F among others took their time in reaching the city which led to a delayed start of the event. The presence of sizeable crowds inside and outside the stadium and the tone and tenor of the speeches suggest that political temperatures will continue to rise as opposition parties keep upping the ante against

‘DemocracyFreedom & Voting’!

By: Gulshan Aalani ubhanAllah! We are lucky that we can ‘Vote’. Due to the Democracy, and Freedom, we can proudly declare that we are given all kinds of goodies on a Silver platter, including Islam that we never knew about.

We don’t need to fight about anything, especially for our (Women) rights of ‘Voting’ for which the Women of Suffragette worked so hard to get the voting rights for Women. We are all grateful to them.

Although, the Voting rights for men and women was established in 14th.C. by the final Prophet Muhammad SAWS on order of Divine Authority. He was the first one to practice the democratic rights by leaving it to the community to choose the leader after his demise.

We should take a full advantage of this freedom of ‘Voting’ rights and choose the best leader who is honest, truthful, not a liar, or concealing any wrong doings, protecting other’s criminal activity, caring, has soft point for the poor, down trodden, believe in equality, justice, anti-racist, has high Biblical ethics and moral values, must not compromise its law and is brave enough to stand up and speak up like any ‘Human Rights Activist’ and is good for the whole world. Choosing such person is the most difficult task but we must try hard and stand up with the good leader and for our country we adore, stand Guard for it, only possible by ‘Voting’ for the right leader who stands guard for humanity and the Divine Law.

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South Asian Colourism By: Zoya Siddiqui ’ve always been called ‘Gori’.

It’s been thrown around me my

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O P I N I O N

the PTI government.

However, it is the speech by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif that has set the national discourse ablaze. In directly blaming the army chief and the head of the ISI for the removal of his government, and saying they will have to answer for all they have done, Mr Sharif has brought Pakistani politics into uncharted territory. By doing so, he has amplified in the public domain what was hitherto fodder for whispers and innuendos. While the other speakers at the jalsa did not go as far as Mr Sharif did in his accusations, they did refer repeatedly to the role of the establishment in bringing Imran Khan and his PTI to power.

The government spokesmen reacted

predictably by ridiculing the opposition for a ‘flop show’ but the fact is that with the Gujranwala event the opposition and its red-hot narrative have taken centre stage. But the big question remains: what now?

The PDM is all set for its Karachi jalsa which would essentially be a PPP show. Therefore, it will not face the administrative hurdles that the Gujranwala event did. What will matter more than the size of the crowd will be the content of the speeches. With PPP playing host, it may not be surprising if the criticism is directed more at the PTI government than the establishment. It is yet to be determined if Mr Sharif’s line of attack remains his alone or whether it will determine PDM policy.

entire life. Passed around by the mouths of my family and their friends, rolling off their tongues as a compliment. It’s said lovingly, with admiration and a strikingly palpable sort of jealousy that takes the form of meaningful glances thrown at younger children who are too often told to stay inside so that their skin doesn’t tan darker.

“Your skin tone is so pretty,” my mother would sigh, holding her arm to mine as I struggled to fathom how my own mother could ever dislike the tone of her skin, how anyone could. Before I ever had the decency to be grateful for being white-passing, I was angry that it was something to be grateful for in the first place. How can my mother, my grandmother, and my cousins see their skin and not see shades of molten copper, warm chocolate, and smooth caramel? How could they possibly be unable to see that the tones of their skin can rival the prettiest autumnal colours that nature can create? Though I cannot wholly identify with their struggles, I will not allow my family to bring themselves down for the colour of their skin.

The concept that darker-skinned people are inherently inferior and unattractive is sickening, and its perpetuation is only a confirmation in my belief that the South Asian community has a massive ideological problem that must be dealt with immediately.

Colourism is deeply rooted in South Asian culture, as it traces back to the ideology of the ancient Indian caste system and a legacy of European colonialism. It has continued to fester into the worst form of psychological damage, especially when it comes to dark-skinned women. Skin lightening companies leech directly off of its prominence in our culture, much to the point where the global market size for skin bleaching products is pro-

jected to reach “13.7 billion” United States dollars by 2025 (Grand View Research). Following the surge of Black Lives Matter protests, however, these companies have fallen under extreme backlash. Multinational company Unilever has since renamed its best-selling “Fair and Lovely” bleaching cream to “Glow and Lovely”, a move that came nowhere near American tycoon Johnson and Johnson’s resolve to pull its bleaching products from the market altogether. Changing the name of the product, though, does not change its function. Regardless of what it is called, it is still a bleaching cream. It is a step in the right direction, but I am asking for a leap because the bare minimum should not be celebrated. The renaming of a product strikes me as something designed only to placate those who have chosen to boycott the brand.

Had it been a genuine effort to make progressive change, the brand would have stripped the product and all of its variations from shelves immediately.

Skin lightening products are not the only reminder of the age-old idea that paleness is a measure of beauty. Bollywood and much of South Asian media continue to feed directly into colourism via their idealization of whiteness. There is a notable lack of dark skinned actors in main casts, as they are typically shoved into backup dance crews while light skinned actors are given main parts. The industry has no problem with making their colourism clearer, it seems, as the upcoming Bollywood romantic comedy film, Khaali Peeli, came under fire in early September for a song lyric that promoted anti-blackness. The lyric, that has since been changed, was originally “ho tujhe dekh ke goriya Beyonce sharma jaayegi” (by looking at you, fair lady, Beyoncé will feel shy). The lyric was a testament to just how deep white ide-

The government for its part is not brimming with options. It can unleash a wave of arrests and other obstacles to undermine the jalsas scheduled for the coming weeks in Peshawar, Multan and Lahore, but administrative solutions to political problems are usually not very effective. The government will somehow need to address the inflationary pressures bearing down on the citizens. One can expect a barrage of press conferences and statements combined with a degree of administrative repression from the government, but the real issue is how the establishment will react to the PDM campaign after the latest salvo by Mr Sharif. Action will speak louder than words, but lack of action may speak even louder.

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alization runs in South Asian culture. It can be deemed even more shocking when it is taken into account that only a few weeks prior to the song’s release, Beyoncé released the music video for her song “Brown Skin Girl” in which there is a clip that celebrates a dark-skinned South Asian woman. The main community that is able to emphasize with our struggle with colourism has done nothing but uplift us, yet we have done nothing but put them down.

It is shameful, the way we treat others, the way we treat each other, the way we treat ourselves. While the black community has made amazing strides towards the eradication of racism and colourism, we have done nothing. There is a disgusting amount of comfort surrounding the way in which dark-skinned people are treated in our culture. It is not talked about, it is not recognized, it is not ever seen as something to be fixed. I am both untouched by colourism and surrounded by it, and I do not want to sit and stay comfortable in a community so wrought with the worst form of internalized hatred. Centuries of damage cannot be undone, but that does not mean that its legacy should continue. Tell your daughters that they are beautiful, tell your children that they can play in the sun, and make strides towards forsaking the labels of “gori” and “kaalee” altogether. Before you do that, though, tell your mother that her complexion is beautiful because you do not know how many treatments and creams she has slathered onto her skin in hopes that they would make her pretty.

My reassurance for my colored skin friends and family is always on the tip of my tongue. Is it on yours?

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News N. Int

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Middle East

World Local Women Health Lifestyle Youth Kashmir Urdu

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Rabi ul Awaal 3,1442 Oct 21, 2020

f ait h

Narrated `Abdullah:The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said, “The best people are those living in my generation, and then those who will follow them, and then those who will follow the latter. Then there will come some people who will bear witness before taking oaths, and take oaths before bearing witness.” (Ibrahim, a sub-narrator said, “They used to beat us for witnesses and covenants when we were still children.”)

The Seven Phases of Prophet Muhammad’s Life

BY: JAVEED AKHTER

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raditional scholarship’s divides Prophet Muhammad’s life into Makkan and Madinahn phases.

This is chronologically valid and represents the two broad aspects of his life before and after the watershed event of the Migration. It is historically important and marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar.

Additionally I believe Muhammad’s struggle can be naturally divided into seven phases. Each phase brings forth a different aspect of his personality and highlights a different facet of his mission. Studying the Messenger’s mission for its various phases and analyzing its internal dynamics is important as it gives the narrative relevance for today.

Since his life is better documented than the lives of other prophets and leaders of major world religions, it is possible to build this analysis on a historical foundation.

The Search for Light in a Period of Darkness: The Seeker of Truth

As his biography (Seera) is recorded we find Prophet Muhammad pondering over societal ills for years. The society he was born in was in a state of moral, religious, economic and social chaos. It is difficult to resist drawing analogies between the seventh century world and the state of the human morality in today’s world at the beginning of the new millennium. The nuclear man-woman twoparent family, as a core unit of society has eroded seriously in the West. Brazen sexual exploitation in the media is commonplace and illicit sex condoned and even accepted.

Violence at home, against women, children, and violence in the streets, is frightfully routine. Substance abuse is widespread, with United States as the largest consumer of drugs in the world. Alcoholism is rampant, especially among college students, with only feeble attempts being made to address the problem. African- Americans have been liberated as slaves for a century and a half, yet many are still trapped in an unending cycle of poverty and discrimination, which is in a way a form of economic slavery. Because of a system that allows unrestrained growth of wealth without encouraging proper redistribution, economic disparities and injustices continue to grow at an alarming rate.

There are many excellent characteristics in Western societies, especially in the US that include the freedom of thought, speech and assembly, a tolerant attitude toward eccentricities in human nature and an ambition to be a just and compassionate society. These qualities of the ordinary American however are not always reflected in the policy makers and political leaders.

The unraveling of the moral fabric in today’s society must weigh heavily on the minds of individuals with insight. They can draw personal solace and inspiration from the Prophet’s life. The Arab tribal society of the Seventh century, whose structure was based on greed, debauchery, and violence, was changed in a very short time, by the Prophet, into a society with one of the highest moral standards in history. Compassion,

humility, devotion to God and egalitarianism replaced the old well-entrenched tribal attitudes of pride in wealth, family and class and self-centered behavior. Women, for the first time in history, had rights and dignity, and the vulnerable and weak sections of the society were protected. Sexuality was removed from public prurience and became private and wholesome. Wealth was re-circulated so that even the poorest segments of the society were infused with energy and indigence became nearly extinct.

The Warner and Exhorter

During one his meditative trips to a cave near Makkah, Prophet Muhammad receives the revelation. Divine revelation is the reaffirmation of the fact that celestial knowledge is essential in guiding the inherently limited human intellect. The profundity of this realization that he is the recipient of this divine revelation and the enormity of the task ahead overawes him.

Initially he shares the message only with his closest family and a few loyal supporters. It is both fascinating and revealing that even the individual who would later be rated as the most influential man in human history had these initial periods of doubt and uncertainty about his mission. It was the reassurance from the Quran and the confidence and support of his wife Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her), and his close companions which provided him the support he needs-surely a lesson for us lesser mortals!

The Stoic Optimist

in Madinah to a position of leadership, he shows another facet of his personality: the capacity to create a truly pluralistic society with equity and dignity for all religious and ethnic groups. In a very short period after the Migration to Madinah, Muhammad proves he is capable of uniting various factions and setting exemplary standards of cooperation between them. He makes a seamless switch from being a person under constant persecution to a leader with a large administrative and judicial responsibility.

The “Covenant (Constitution) of Madinah” that lays out the rules of living in a pluralistic society is a document that needs to be studied carefully and implemented to the fullest extent in today’s inescapably multireligious and multi-cultural world.

The Courageous Yet Reluctant Warrior

After a brief respite, his mission is consumed by the need to fight wars of survival.

These three wars in four years, Badr, Uhad and Ahzab, besides posing a physical threat, must have been extremely distracting and demanding of his time and energy. Yet the work of building the community goes on.

It is important to remember that even though faced with very aggressive proponents the Prophet and his followers never initiated or instigated any wars. Muhammad and the Muslims engaged in these battles with great discipline, avoiding injury to the innocent and using only the minimum force needed. Women, children and noncombatants were not to be harmed. When the enemy stopped fighting, he was to be given immediate sanctuary. Striking a blow in anger, even in battle, was prohibited. He uses innovative strategies in the battles, which include the use of the trench as a defense. During the digging of the trench he is an active participant. He consults frequently (Shura) with his companions and

follows the majority opinion (Ijma’), even when it sometimes goes against his own judgment.

The Statesman Par Excellence and Teacher During the next phase, he shows the capacity to compromise and demonstrates the foresight and wisdom to realize that peace, even at seemingly unfavorable terms, is better than hostility. The “Treaty of Hudaybia” also needs to be studied and emulated by all who negotiate with their opponents. The peace dividend, following this treaty with the Quraysh, is huge and results in an exponential increase in the number of Muslims.

This also allows the building of a model and just society that functions in a coherent manner. Wealth is allowed to be accumulated but has to be circulated fairly into even the tiniest capillaries of the community’s economic system. It is an egalitarian society with equity and justice for all, governed by mutual consultation, equality before the law and protection of its most vulnerable members, women, children, orphans, indigents and slaves.

As illustrated by many incidents from this phase of his life, the Prophet proves to be an exemplary statesman. He mediates disputes, defuses potentially explosive situations with ease, allowing the parties to the conflict to walk away as friends and allies. He is unafraid to take risks but is never reckless and compromises for the sake of peace. His emissaries to other nations bring with them a message of cooperation seeking common ground. When he gives a pledge, he always keeps it. If the other party breaks the pledge, he does not flinch from measures that are appropriate to maintain the sanctity of the pledge.

The next facet of his life is of bringing about proactive change by inviting people (Dawa) The Compassionate Ruler and Spirto Islam. With it comes the inevitable hostility of the entrenched powers in the sociitual Leader. ety. Change is always threatening, and the The final phase begins with the conquest greater the change, the more threatening it of Makkah, which is a demonstration of is. This would be true of the change against meticulous planning and the use of overany established system of practices, whethwhelming force to achieve a victory with er it be economic, social or behavioral. It To be continued at page 7 would also be true for change in personal behavior like wearing immodest clothing, promiscuity, and consumption of intoxiOct 21-Nov 4, 2020-Rabi ul Awaal 3-17,1442 H cants. Changing attitudes that valued pride in wealth and country or class and color of Isl. Dt. Day Date Fajar Sunr Dhur ZawalAsar Dhuhr Asar Maghrib Isha Shafi / Hanfi the skin over all else would also be difficult.

Not surprisingly the struggle for change be3 Wed comes life threatening. Muhammad (Peace 4 Thus be upon him) had to lay his life on the line 5 Fri and on several occasions the nascent Mus6 Sat lim community faced the possibility of total 7 Sun extinction. Fortitude in the face of adversity is the salient feature of this phase. The pa8 Mon tience and stoicism Muhammad displays 9 Tue during this phase has been a source of 10 Wed strength to many a Muslim who has found Thus himself beleaguered by apparently hopeless 11 12 Fri circumstances

Prayer Schedule in Greater Vancouver

The Pluralistic Leader

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Sat Sun Mon Tue Wed

The Migration, which marks the beginning of the next phase, involves careful planning and meticulous execution. He demonstrates that self-help and reliance on Allah go together and are both essential for success.

With his nomination by the community For such Prayers are enjoined on believers at stated times: Quran ,n 4:103 Source: BCMA

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EU may shut door to travel from Canada, What have Trump and Biden said allow Singapore visitors about Canada?

The European Union plans to remove Canada, Tunisia and Georgia from its list of countries whose residents should be allowed to visit the bloc amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to EU officials familiar with the matter. The EU intends at the same time to reopen its doors to travelers from Singapore as a result of improved virus trends there, the officials said on the condition of anonymity because the deliberations on Tuesday in Brussels are confidential. The U.S. will remain blacklisted along with most other countries in the world.

The changes would be the first in more than two months to the EU’s recommended travel “white list,” shrinking it from 11 foreign nations at present to nine. The other eight are Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand and Uruguay. The update of the list comes amid a resurgence in coronavirus cases in Europe itself and, barring any changes in the plan, is due to be endorsed by EU member-country envoys on Wednesday in the Belgian capital.

In a third planned move, which affects the format of the list, the EU aims to identify the

Chinese regions of Hong Kong and Macau as separate entities as a result of the bloc’s visa rules, one of the officials said.

The EU on July 1 recommended that member states allow foreign visitors from 15 countries as part of a move to loosen coronavirus-triggered restrictions imposed in mid-March on non-essential travel to the bloc.Since then, Serbia, Montenegro, Algeria and Morocco have been delisted as a result of resurgences in virus cases. The EU normally reviews its list roughly every two weeks, with the last change being the removal of Morocco in the first half of August.

Source: bnnbloomberg.ca

PM chancing snap election over Conservative motion

OTTAWA -- On November 3, 2020, Americans will choose whether they want four more years of U.S. President Donald Trump — or would rather hand the presidency to Democratic candidate Joe Biden.

But as Canada watches from the wings, one can’t help but wonder — what have the two presidential candidates said about us?

As the adage goes, when the U.S. sneezes, Canada catches a cold. And when U.S. presidential hopefuls mention their neighbours to the north, we tend to grab the popcorn.

From Trump asking if Canadians burned down the White House in 1812, to Biden calling the United States Canada’s “big brother,” CTVNews.ca has taken a look at some notable quotes from Biden and Trump about Canada — and our prime minister — over the years.

“VIVE LE CANADA” Then-vice president Biden said these words during a dinner with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on December 8, 2016, during his visit to Ottawa. During the dinner, which took place a month after Trump became president-elect, Biden asked Trudeau to be a defender of the international “rules of the

road” given the uncertainly that he said was gripping the world at the time.

He also had some very kind words for Canadians, boasting the brotherly relationship of the two countries.

“The way I look at our relationship — and I know sometimes we’re like the big brother that’s a pain in the neck and overbearing — and I mean that sincerely. I get it. But we’re more like family, even than allies,” Biden said at the time.

During the speech, Biden explained that few nations have as much in common as Canada and the United States, as the countries are “sprung from the same root.”

He also warned of a looming period of threats to the “liberal international order” — the most seen since the Second World War. “We’re going to get through this period because we’re Americans and we’re Canadians,” said Biden. “And so had I a glass, I’d toast you by saying, Vive le Canada.”

Source: ctvnews.ca

OPEC+ is due to add an extra 2 million barrels per day from January, which some industry experts have said should be delayed while market demand remains uncertain in light of pandemic lockdowns.

That issue was not on the agenda, but is likely to figure at a full meeting of OPEC members at the end of November that can decide policy.Prince Abdul Aziz dismissed talk of disunity within OPEC+. “We’re not breaking ranks. We are a much more solid front in attending to this market,” he said.

Alexander Novak, the Russian energy minister, said there was uncertainty and volatility in global oil markets because of renewed outbreaks of COVID-19, but Russia remained committed to strengthening OPEC+.Brent crude, the global benchmark, rose marginally to nearly $43 as the OPEC+ ministers met. Source: arabnews.com

the arms embargo on Iran twice at the UN Security Council.

In August, it introduced a resolution to indefinitely extend the embargo while in September it claimed it unilaterally reinstated UN sanctions on Iran, including the arms embargo.On both occasions, the UNSC rejected the moves, saying they have no legal basis.The 13-year ban came to an end as part of Resolution 2231 of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an accord signed in 2015 that gave Iran sanctions relief in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme. The US unilaterally withdrew from the deal in May 2018 and has since blacklisted the entire Iranian financial sector.

Source: ctvnews.ca

OTTAWA -- The federal government appears willing to go to the polls over the Conservatives proposing the creation of a new parliamentary committee to probe Liberal controversies including the WE Charity affair, though Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is insisting it’s up to the opposition whether there will be a pandemic election.

“It will be up to parliamentarians and the opposition to decide whether they want to make this minority Parliament work, or whether they’ve lost confidence in this government’s ability to manage this pandemic,” Trudeau said.Government House Leader Pablo Rodriguez declared Tuesday morning that when the motion to set up the committee that is now being debated in the House of Commons comes up for a vote, the Liberals will consider it a confidence vote. That means, if it passes with the support of all opposition parties, then the government could fall and Trudeau could trigger a snap election in the middle of the worsening COVID-19 pandemic.Early indications are that the Liberals will once again be looking to the NDP to back them, with the Bloc Quebecois stating this is a problem of Trudeau’s making and they’ll support the Conservative motion. Though, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says the brinkmanship going on is senseless. ”The government considers this motion to be a matter of confidence. The truth is simple: MPs cannot establish a new committee with sweeping powers to investigate what they call the government corrup-

tion and assume there is no consequence,” Rodriguez said, calling it “nothing more than a dangerous partisan plan” in making the declaration that it’ll be a confidence vote. Rodriguez said that the lives of Canadians depend on the federal government focusing on the COVID-19 pandemic, though a general election at this time would mean Parliament would shut down for at least 37 days.Trudeau, noting that with COVID-19 cases on the rise again in Canada, said that the pandemic is “far from over,” and that “nobody wants elections.”

Rodriguez said that “the real debate” is whether Canadians want their government to keep working on the health and economic crisis facing the country, or to be seized with opposition demands.

This declaration comes on the heels of Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole saying that, while he does not have confidence in the Liberal government, he is not looking to go to the polls. Source:ctvnews.ca

DUBAI: Energy leaders will do “what is necessary” to enhance stability in global oil markets, Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdul Aziz bin Salman told a “virtual” conference of OPEC+ ministers on Monday.

“I cannot emphasize strongly enough how vital it is to show the strength of our resolve.

Nobody in the global oil market should be in any doubt as to our commitment and our intent,” the minister said.

He again invited speculators to “make my day” by manipulating global crude markets.

“Destabilizing speculation and manipulation have no place in a responsible and efficient market,” he warned.

Prince Abdul Aziz was speaking at the monthly meeting of the joint ministerial monitoring committee of OPEC+, the alliance of producers led by Saudi Arabia and Russia. Ministers reaffirmed commitments to complying with the historic cuts that have helped rebalance global crude markets since the crisis of April.They also pledged to make up for any shortfall in compliance levels by compensating with extra cuts by the end of the year. Prince Abdul Aziz said he hoped to “close the chapter once and for ever” on compensation by then.

“We can take some satisfaction from the levels of compliance we have achieved, but there is some work to do before we achieve the agreed compensation targets,” he said.

Iran says it will sell weapons to countries that ‘won’t misuse them’ and will employ them strictly for defence purpose. Tehran, Iran – Tehran has hit back at a US threat of sanctions on anyone looking to make deals

with Iran after the arms embargo on its military expired, saying Washington’s threats show the futility of US action and rhetoric on sanctions.After a long-standing conventional arms embargo on Iran ended on Sunday despite Washington’s opposition, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned of consequences for any individuals or entities that conduct arms deals with Iran.

“Pompeo’s remarks are the most important sign that not even he believes unilateral US sanctions have been successful, and no [UN sanctions] have been reinstated,” spokesman of Iran’s Foreign Ministry Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Monday.

“Iran continues to believe it can operate within the framework of international

agreements. What they fear is Iran’s return to the massive market of technology and arms exports,” Khatibzadeh said, adding that Iran produces 90 percent of its defence needs locally and will mostly look to export arms rather than import them.

In an interview with state television on Sunday night, Iran’s defence minister Amir Hatami said Iran would only sell weapons to countries that it is sure “won’t misuse them” and will employ them strictly for defence purposes.

“Unlike the Americans, we wouldn’t do just about everything for money,” he said, pointing out that the US sells billions of dollars of arms to Arab nations in the Middle East that fuel wars. The US tried to stop the lifting of

Go on, make my day, Saudi minister warns oil speculators

Iran hits back at US sanctions threat after arms embargo expiry

7 lo c al Trudeau urges people to ‘buy Canadian’ food, produce amid COVID-19 Rabi ul Awaal 3,1442 Oct 21, 2020

By Amanda Connolly Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is urging people to “buy Canadian” as domestic food producers feel the strain of global restrictions put in place to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. He made the comments in a daily press briefing with journalists outside Rideau Cottage on Thursday while announcing new supports for fish harvesters facing lost income from the pandemic.

“To everyone who wants to show their support, buy Canadian. Pick up some Canadian cheese to help a local dairy farmer, have a fish fry or buy Canadian lobster,” said Trudeau.

“Not only will it taste great, it will help the people who keep food on our plates.”

Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan also made the call for Canadians to buy domestic in a briefing shortly afterwards with journalists, specifically urging people to buy domestic fish and seafood. “Canadian harvesters are resilient and determined, and today, I am urging Canadians to show their support by purchasing more of our high-quality, sustainably sourced products at your local grocer,” she said. “There’s never been a bet-

ter time to buy a Canadian fish and seafood product.” As Global News reported earlier this year, federal officials have been exploring how best to launch a “buy Canadian” food campaign for months, with plans to launch that initiative this summer.

It’s not clear whether that is still poised to go ahead.

Global News has requested clarification from the government on that project.

The concept of “buy Canadian” gained traction back in 2018 after U.S. President Donald Trump slapped tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum as part of a trade war to gain leverage in renewed NAFTA negotiations.

That move prompted the Canadian government to roll out $1 billion worth of reciprocal tariffs targeting everything from U.S.made condiments, packaged foodstuffs and home appliances.

Canadians are the main buyers of U.S. goods and the patriotic sentiment Trump’s tariffs sparked quickly led to dozens of articles and how-to guides for consumers looking to spend their dollars support Canadian businesses and producers. Those tariffs were finally removed in May 2019.

Agriculture Canada issued a notice in January that it wanted to hire a marketing firm for what it called the “Buy Canadian Promotion Campaign,” which would aim to “better connect Canadians with, and instill pride in, Canada’s food system and its agriculture, food and seafood products.”

Over the course of the campaign, the government planned to spend between $1.5 million and $4 million each year to do things like refresh the branding of Agriculture Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and find ways to put Product of Canada stickers on more Canadian food items.

Jennifer Clapp, a professor with the University of Waterloo who holds the Canada Research Chair in Global Food Security and Sustainability, said in an interview when Global News first reported on the campaign that shifting the focus onto domestic producers makes sense amid global uncertainty.

“In the current context of heightened uncertainty in global markets, it is rational for governments that rely on imported foods to strengthen domestic agricultural markets,” she told Global News in an email.

practically no loss of life on either side of the battle front. The stunning magnanimity and humility shown during victory by Muhammad and his companions is unmatched in history. He is humble in victory, compassionate, and forgiving to even his most intractable opponents.

The final sermon consolidates the social, economic, and moral changes that have been brought about in the society. It is time to prepare for the end.

The anatomy of the mission, its growth and evolution in some ways parallels the various stages of human life itself. These various phases reflect not only the growing sophistication of the message but also the increasing maturity of the audience to whom the message is directed. The audience grows in its understanding of what it would take to bear the burden of passing on the message to posterity. The Prophet’s mission in its most fundamental analysis was to interpret and

spread the Quranic ideology. This Quran centered spirituality remains the constant theme through all of the phases of his life.

The Quran says about him “Indeed there is for you in the Messenger of Allah an excellent pattern” (Quran 33:21). His wife Ayesha (may Allah be pleased with her) calls him the living embodiment of the Quran. It is this complementary bequest of the Quran and Sunna that is our special blessing.

Over time, many differences based on dog-

Continuedfrom Page 1

that as many people participate as possible.”

Horgan met with local nurses while in North Vancouver after campaigning in Coquitlam, where he pushed his health-care plans for spending $2.3 billion for construction of hospitals and the hiring of 7,000 workers.

The NDP leader said that when his party took office in 2017, nine of 10 care homes did not have enough staff to meet the minimum hours for care, which would change under his leadership.

On a campaign stop at a dairy farm in Sur-

rey, B.C., Wilkinson said his status as a medical doctor would be helpful in the premier’s office in talking to provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry about the best way to take action on COVID-19 going forward.

“When we see a wide range of different approaches toward the pandemic around the world, I like to think that somebody with an MD like me can look into that and say, ‘What’s the best for B.C.,’ and work with Dr. Henry to see what’s the best for B.C.”

Clapp said it could be a “matter of national pride” to buy Canadian food products.

But several months later, the economic landscape in the country is dramatically changed.

Some three million jobs have been lost over the last two months because of the economic shutdown from the pandemic and consumer purchasing has shifted towards items with stable shelf-life and essentials.

It remains to be seen whether a pitch to “buy Canadian” can gain the support it did during a trade war with Canadians pinching pennies and uncertain of when they will be financially secure again. Source.globalnews.ca

The Seven Phases of Prophet Muhammad’s Life

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ma, politics, personality cults and egos have emerged amongst the followers of Islam. In spite of many heterodox sects, the core messages of Quran, and its realization in the life of the Prophet are alive and potent, and continue to provide spiritual solace, intellectual satisfaction and societal discipline to many making Islam the fastest growing religion in the world.

Source.islamicity.org

BC Liberals accuse NDP of taking advantage of COVID-19 to suppress votes

doesn’t know what Wilkinson is talking about when it comes to voter suppression.

“I don’t know what planet Mr. Wilkinson’s living on,” Horgan said while campaigning in North Vancouver. “Almost 500,000 people have already participated in advance voting,” he said, adding more than 700,000 mail-in ballots have been requested.

“There’s a lot of interest in this election campaign. There’s no effort whatsoever to suppress. Quite the contrary. We want to ensure

Henry’s statement Monday that B.C. was in the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic was scary to hear, especially as schools and businesses remain open and fall weather means it’s harder to stay outside.

Furstenau released her party’s platform on pandemic economic recovery in West Vancouver-Sea to Sky, a riding she said the Greens could win, according to Green Leader Sonia Furstenau said the party’s numbers.. Source: cbc.ca

Canada-U.S. border closure extended but Trump, Trudeau far apart on next steps Continued from Page 1 the Trudeau government saying, ‘No, don’t open’ ... and President Trump saying, ‘Oh, I think we’ll reopen sometime soon,’ that’s no grounds for a serious government-togovernment negotiation,” said Alden, a professor of U.S.-Canada economic relations at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash.

Even though many Canadians support the border closure, which took effect in

late March, it has devastated the tourism industry, separated loved ones and hurt border communities in both Canada and the U.S. Alden said he understands why the border is closed for now, but that it’s important to start laying the groundwork for a reopening plan.“The problem of not having those negotiations is, when do we possibly have a sense of when it will be safe to reopen the border?” CBC News asked both the Canadian and U.S. governments about the fate of the border closure

and got disparate answers.

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said the two countries are exploring the loosening of some restrictions. The department’s acting secretary, Chad Wolf, echoed this sentiment in a tweet on Monday. “We are working closely with ... Canada to identify safe criteria to ease the restrictions in the future and support our border communities,” he wrote.

Source: cbc.ca

Coronavirus infections over 41 million worldwide Coronavirus Cases:

Deaths:

Recovered:

30,634,165

41,054,072

1,129,795

Coronavirus Cases:

Deaths:

Recovered:

Coronavirus Cases:

Deaths:

Recovered:

203,688 11,854

9,794 254

171,743 9,871

Last updated:

October 21, 2020, 07:03 GMT www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/?

CANADA Last updated: October 21, 2020, 07:03 GMT

BC;CANADA Last updated: October 21, 2020, 07:03 GMT

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Liberals, WE make disclosures as chance Pandemic elections: Does U.S. example of confidence vote heats up on the Hill offer Canada a playbook?

OTTAWA -- The federal government appears to be drawing a line in the sand with the opposition parties’ ongoing attempts to revive the WE Charity controversy, by stating that passage of a Conservative motion to create a new anti-corruption committee would “raise serious questions” about whether the House of Commons still has confidence in the government.While the government has yet to confirm outright if they are viewing this proposal and the vote on it as a matter of confidence, in a letter to his opposition counterparts Government House Leader Pablo Rodriguez said that if opposition MPs agree on the need for a new probe, it would have implications for the confidence in the Liberal minority government.“The Conservative proposal is blatantly partisan. It is designed to paralyze the government. If passed, the proposal will raise serious questions about whether the House of Commons continues to have confidence in the government,” Rodriguez wrote. Rodriguez later told reporters that the motion is “clearly” an indication that the Conservatives have no confidence in what the government is doing, and further, would result in government’s focus and time taken away from the ongoing fight against COVID-19 if the demands within the motion are to be met, such as having Prime Minister Justin Trudeau testify.

“We think that it’s extremely irresponsible on behalf of the Conservatives,” he said, but when asked outright if the Liberals would be willing to trigger an election, his response was “we’ll see.”

Rodriguez is hopeful that ongoing talks with the Bloc Quebecois and NDP will result in

common ground being found. “Maybe we can agree on something.”

Conservative House Leader Gerard Deltell is calling this claim “simply ridiculous.” “That you are even entertaining such speculation demonstrates to me—as it would to all Canadians—the desperate ends to which the Liberal government will go to further its coverup of a very troubling scandal which reeks of corruption,” Deltell continued in a rebuttal letter send Monday afternoon.

“Your government must acknowledge that it no longer enjoys a majority in the House of Commons and that it will, accordingly, begin to accept the legitimate and necessary exercise of parliamentary scrutiny without resorting to election threats, obfuscation and misdirection whenever you face the prospect of not getting your own way,” Deltell said.

Meanwhile, in new disclosures both the Liberals and WE Charity are looking to satisfy opposition demands for more documentation in relation to the now months-long controversy surrounding a cancelled student summer grant program.

Source: ctvnews.ca

OTTAWA -- Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole and his caucus are looking to force a vote on their proposal to create a new parliamentary anti-corruption committee to take over investigating the WE Charity controversy as well as other lines of inquiry into alleged Liberal scandals.

O’Toole has given notice that on Tuesday— the Conservatives’ first scheduled opposition day of the session—he intends to move a motion proposing the creation of a Conservative-chaired super committee. The committee would comprise 15 MPs, which is more

than what sit on most House of Commons committees, and would tackle the topic of Liberal corruption and potential conflicts of interest.

Specifically, the Conservatives want to keep digging into the WE Charity controversy, and this proposal includes a request for the same trove of documents currently being asked for at the House of Commons ethics and finance committees, where Liberal filibusters are underway to delay the votes on those motions. The Conservatives say those asks would be rendered null, as this special committee would pick up the topic and allow all regular House committees to pick up on other business, such as the response to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, which the Liberals say remains their focus and the focus of Canadians.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has already rejected the demand for a special committee, first floated by the Conservatives last weekend, chalking it up to partisan politics amid a raging pandemic. Source: .ctvnews.ca

Conservatives look to force vote on creating anti-corruption committee

OTTAWA -- While many Canadians are closely watching the never-ending twists and turns of the U.S. presidential race, party officials and elections observers in this country are keeping eyes on the race for other forms of intel: namely, how the campaigns are conducting voter outreach in an era where door knocking and rallies aren’t safe ways to spread your message.

Talk of a snap fall federal election in Canada has ceased, meaning voters aren’t likely to be plunged into a general election anytime soon. Though with a surging wave of new COVID-19 cases the Liberal minority is still not on entirely solid ground as they continue to navigate the country through the ongoing public health emergency.

That means all sides are having to work on their election-readiness plans, and looking to how our American neighbours are navigating questions like, how to get your leader as much public exposure as possible without putting them, and others, at risk?

How to structure debates or virtual town halls? Where to deploy campaign resources like volunteers and advertising dollars? And what do to about an influx of mail-in voting and the delayed results that brings with it? So far, the approaches taken south of the

border offer a stark contrast: U.S. President Donald Trump’s back on the campaign trail, planning more big crowd and mask-light Republican campaign events on the heels of a COVID-19 outbreak infecting Trump and many in his inner White House circle.

Meanwhile, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden has opted for a more virtualfocused and modest gathering campaign style that recently enlisted the help of a Canadian gaming company to reach Gen Z and Millennial voter “COVID has impacted everything that we’re doing, there is no kind of traditional campaigning,” said Biden’s campaign manager Jen O’Malley Dillon during a September interview with Politico.

Source: .ctvnews.ca

NDP leader Singh accuses Liberals of failing to support Canadians living with disabilities during pandemic OTTAWA -- NDP leader Jagmeet Singh is accusing the Liberal government of designing exclusionary pandemic relief programs that ignore the needs of Canadians living with disabilities.

Speaking on Newstalk 580 CFRA’s “The Goods with Dahlia Kurtz”, Singh said the Liberal government, in its effort to keep benefits such as the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) from being accessed by people who don’t need the help, designed a program that excludes the most vulnerable.“One of the things we found during this pandemic is we’re up against a massive inertia of a Liberal government that is trying to design programs to exclude people,” Singh said. “They’re willing to miss out people who desperately need help so that they can avoid helping those who don’t need it. They want to make sure that someone who doesn’t need the help doesn’t get it but they’re willing to miss the people who are most desperate. That’s what we’re up against.” The CERB ended on Oct. 3, and was replaced with the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), which still requires at least $5,000 in 2019, 2020 of employment income or EI benefits in order to qualify. One of the main criticisms many disabled Canadians have made about the CERB and the CRB is the requirement to have previously received employment income. Those who cannot work due to their disability or who cannot find gainful employment say governments,

both federal and provincial, have ignored them, a concern echoed by Singh. ”From the beginning of this pandemic, we said this should be available to anyone who needs it.

That includes people living with disabilities,” he said. “As we went through the pandemic and drew attention to the amount of money we wanted to continue to fight for to get people the help they needed, we pointed out that people living with disabilities were ignored from the beginning.”

The Liberals promised to create a new Canadian Disability Benefit, modelled after the Guaranteed Income Supplement for seniors, in September’s Speech from the Throne. Details of this plan have yet to be announced.

A one-time $600 payment to anyone with a valid Disability Tax Credit certificate (DTC) will be delivered starting Oct. 30. Singh called this benefit inadequate. About 1.7 million Canadians are expected to qualify for the $600 payment, but there are millions more who will not. Source: .ctvnews.ca

Opposition parties gear up for next round of fight with Liberals over WE controversy

OTTAWA -- The threat of a possible snap election will be hovering over Parliament Hill this week as opposition parties resume their fight with the Liberal government over the WE controversy and preparations for the second wave of COVID-19.Conservative health critic Michelle Rempel Garner on Sunday called for a House of Commons committee to investigate what she suggested was Ottawa’s lack of readiness in dealing with the recent resurgence in COVID-19 cases.The request was in relation to a motion that she made to the Commons health committee earlier this month asking for a wide-ranging study on the issue, which is expected to be debated by committee members on Monday.

“Today, as businesses are closed and in another series of COVID-related economic shutdowns, we are looking for answers as to why the federal government left Canadians

unprepared to deal with this second wave,” Rempel Garner told a news conference.“That’s why this study is so important. Canadians deserve an explanation about why the federal government only has an economic shutdown to rely upon after months, and billions of dollars being spent.”

Among the issues the Tories want studied are Ottawa’s efforts to buy personal protective equipment, why rapid COVID-19 tests have not been approved as well as the decision to shutter Canada’s pandemic early-warning system last year. Yet the real drama will surround ongoing opposition efforts to dig into the government’s decision in the spring to have WE Charity run a multimillion-dollar federal program for student volunteers during the pandemic.

The Conservatives are scheduled to have what is known as to raise one of three issues in the House of Commons that an opposition day on Tuesday, and have indicated they plan will be put to a vote. Source: bc.ctvnews.ca

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1871-2020 Did You Know…?

Schoolteachers were prohibited from voting in the 1870s and 1880s.

The voting age was originally 21.

The first Indigenous person was elected as an MLA in 1949.

B.C. was the fourth province to extend voting rights to women.

Recall and initiative legislation was adopted in 1995. B.C. is still the only province to have such legislation.

Learn more about B.C.’s unique electoral history below!

Important Dates....

B

ritish Columbia becomes a province of Canada on July 20, 1871.

The first provincial general election is held from October through December 1871. It is conducted by a show of hands on nomination day and, if required, an open poll book on polling day. There are 46 candidates and no organized political parties. No election deposit is required. Less than 3,000 people qualified to vote by being male British subjects, 21 years of age, who met certain property and residence requirements.

1873: Secret ballot introduced.

Federal Members of Parliament disqualified from sitting as provincial Members of the Legislative Assembly.

1874: Chinese-Canadians and Indigenous people prohibited from voting, along with judges, magistrates and police.

1875: Absentee voting allowed for 1875 only.

1876: Men no longer required to own property to vote.

1878: Federal government employees (except Post Office employees) and school teachers employed by the provincial government prohibited from voting and campaigning.

1883: Federal employees and school teachers allowed to vote and campaign.

1886: The labour movement is increasingly organized in the 1880s and the first labour (working-class) candidates run in the 1886 election. All are defeated.

1890: Candidates required to pay $200 deposit to run for election.

1893: People living in a Provincial Home for the aged or infirm are prohibited from voting.

1895: Japanese-Canadians prohibited from voting.

1899:Provincial employees prohibited from voting.

1900: Provincial employees allowed to vote.

1903: First time candidates run along party lines. Previously candidates were officially non-partisan.

1904: Election day declared a public holiday. Employers required to give voters four hours to vote.

1906: Candidates’ election deposit reduced to $100.

1907: South Asian-Canadians prohibited from voting.

1916: Life of Legislative Assembly extended to five years.

Referenda on prohibition and women’s suffrage held – the prohibition referendum fails, but the women’s suffrage referendum passes. B.C. becomes the fourth province to extend voting rights to women, and the only

Histo r y

Electoral History of B.C.

to do so as the result of a referendum. Male voters – the only people eligible in 1916 – voted 70% in favour of giving B.C. women the right to vote.

1917: Women allowed to vote on the same basis as men. Women and men of certain ethnic groups still excluded from voting.

1918: Mary Ellen Smith is the first woman to run as a candidate and the first woman elected as an MLA. She was elected again in 1920 and 1924, and was the first female cabinet minister in the British Empire.

1920: Candidates’ election deposit eliminated. Absentee voting reintroduced for all future elections.

Women eligible to run on same basis as men.

Underage returned soldiers allowed to vote.

1924: Both the Premier (John Oliver) and Leader of the Opposition (William John Bowser) lose their seats in a general election; however Oliver remains Premier until 1927.

1928: First Statement of Votes – a detailed report on the voting results for each voting area and constituency is published.

1929: MLAs appointed to Cabinet after a general election are no longer required to resign their seat and run in by-election.

1931: Doukhobors prohibited from voting.

1934: Last election of a candidate (Thomas

1972: A Plebiscite on changing time zones

King, Columbia by-election) by acclamation, meaning there was only one candidate so King won by default.

1939: People living in a Provincial Home for the aged or infirm allowed to vote.

1940: All ballots required to state candidate’s party.

Public opinion polls banned during campaign period before an election.

Candidates can only run in one riding.

Returning officers no longer required to proclaim oyez! oyez! oyez! on election day.

“Oyez” means “hear ye” and was historically called in court and by town criers to attract the public’s attention.

Position of Registrar of Voters created.

1945: Members of prohibited groups, if otherwise qualified, are allowed to vote if they served in World War I or World War II. 1947: Chinese and South Asian-Canadians allowed to vote.

Adequate knowledge of English or French required to vote.

Canadian citizenship a requirement to vote, in addition to being a British subject.

Frederick Hurley appointed as first Chief Electoral Officer.

1948: Mennonites and Hutterites allowed to vote. Women belonging to a prohibited category allowed to vote if married to an eligible voter.

1949: Indigenous people and Japanese-Canadians allowed to vote.

Frank Calder, from the Nishga Nation, is the first Indigenous person elected as an MLA in B.C. Advance polls used for the first time.

1952: Alternative voting system – a method that allowed voters to rank candidates in order of preference – used for first time.

Voting age changed from 21 to 19.

Doukhobors allowed to vote.

1953: First Past the Post voting system reinstated.

1956: Douglas Jung is the first ChineseCanadian to run for election. He is unsuccessful in a Vancouver Centre by-election.

increases from 52 to 75.

Rita Johnston becomes first woman Premier Referendum to allow for recall of MLAs and citizen-led initiatives passes.

1992: Voting age lowered to 18.

1995: First comprehensive review of Election Act since 1920 is adopted.

Recall and Initiative Act comes into force.

Elections BC becomes an independent office of the Legislature.

Chief Electoral Officer and Deputy Chief Electoral Officer prohibited from voting.

People in prison serving a sentence of less than two years and people in mental health institutions by court order allowed to vote.

1996: First Chief Electoral Officer, Robert A. Patterson, appointed as an independent officer of the Legislature. His appointment is unanimously recommended by a multiparty Special Committee.

The 36th general election is held on May 28, 1996, and is the first provincial election held under the revised Election Act. 1997: First petitions to recall sitting MLAs allowed under the Recall and Initiative Act. They are unsuccessful as they are unable to gather the required number of signatures.

1999: Number of seats in the Legislative Assembly increases from 75 to 79.

2000: Ujjal Dosanjh becomes the first IndoCanadian Premier.

2001: Fixed election dates established on the second Tuesday in May every four years.

The 37th Provincial General Election is held on May 16, 2001.

2002: Referendum on Treaty Negotiations conducted by mail-in ballot. The referendum was intended to help shape the government’s position when negotiating agreements with Indigenous peoples. 36% of ballots were received by the deadline and over 80% of these agreed with the eight principles listed.

2003: People in prison allowed to vote no matter length of sentence.

2004: B.C becomes the first jurisdiction in North America to allow online voter regis-

is held in eastern B.C. Voters decide to follow Mountain Standard Time.

Rosemary Brown is the first black woman elected in B.C. and to a Canadian provincial legislature.

1974: Requirements for candidates to disclose financial and business interests introduced.

1977: Liquor sales allowed on election day.

1979: Blind voters allowed to mark their own ballot by means of a template.

1982: Adequate knowledge of English or French no longer required to vote.

Public opinion polls allowed in the lead-up to an election.

1985: “British subject” dropped as a qualification to vote.

People in mental health institutions by court authority prohibited from voting.

1986: Moe Sihota becomes the first IndoCanadian to win a seat in B.C.’s Legislative Assembly. He is elected in Esquimalt.

Out-of-province absentee voting allowed.

1988: Convicted offenders no longer in prison allowed to vote.

1991: Multi-member electoral districts eliminated.

Number of seats in the Legislative Assembly

tration.

2005: The 38th Provincial General Election

is held on May 17, 2005 A referendum on electoral reform is held to decide if B.C. should adopt the BC-STV electoral system as recommended by the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform.

The referendum requires a double threshold of 60% of the popular vote and majority support in 60% of the constituencies. The first threshold is narrowly missed with 57.69% support. The second threshold is met with 97% of constituencies voting in favour. As the double threshold is not met, the referendum fails.

2008: Number of seats in the Legislative Assembly increases from 79 to 85.

Voters required to provide ID when voting.

Spending limits for political parties and candidates established.

2009: The 39th Provincial General Election is held on May 12, 2009.

A referendum on electoral reform is held in conjunction with the general election to decide if B.C. should adopt the BC-STV electoral system as recommended by the Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform.

The referendum requires the same double threshold as in 2005. BC-STV achieves 39% of voter support overall and majority support in eight electoral districts. As neither threshold is met, the referendum fails.

2010: First successful initiative petition conducted. More than 10% of registered voters in every electoral district sign a petition to end the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST).

2011: Referendum on the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) conducted by mail-in ballot. The majority of voters vote to extinguish the HST, resulting in an end to the HST and a return to the GST and PST. 2013: The 40th Provincial General Election is conducted on May 14, 2013.

2015: Number of seats in the Legislative Assembly increases from 85 to 87.

Metro Vancouver Transportation and Transit Plebiscite conducted by mail-in ballot.

Voters are asked whether they support a new sales tax to help fund major infrastructure projects. The majority of voters (62%) vote no, so the plan is not approved.

2016: Melanie Mark is elected in Vancouver-Mount Pleasant and becomes the first Indigenous woman elected in B.C. 2017: Fixed election date moved to third Saturday in October every four years.

Political contributions from organizations (including corporations and unions) banned. Political contributions from eligible individuals limited to $1,200 per year.

Eligible political parties start to receive annual allowances and election expense reimbursements.

2018: Referendum on electoral reform conducted by mail-in ballot.

The majority of voters (61.3%) choose to keep First Past the Post voting system.

2019: Changes to the Election Act allow Elections BC to create a List of Future Voters and modernize the voting process by introducing technology.

2020: Premier John Horgan announces B.C. will hold provincial election on Oct. 24 Source: /elections.bc.ca

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lo c al / B C E L E C T I O N

B.C. Election 2020: Leaders on offensive on last weekend before election

With one week to go, Wilkinson and Furstenau talk forestry, while Horgan focuses on health care

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ith one week to go before election day, the leaders of B.C.’s three main political parties went on the offensive Saturday, campaigning to win ridings from each other across the province.

Surrounded by trucks and excavators at Inland Kenworth in Campbell River, Wilkinson blamed the NDP for doing little to help people impacted by an eight-month forestry strike in 2019. “The NDP simply threw in the towel and let forestry workers and forestry-dependent communities suffer on their own,” he said. The northern part of Vancouver Island typically votes NDP, but Wilkinson seemed to be hoping disgruntled forestry workers would give him a boost.

“The NDP’s only response (to the strike) has been to offer money for people to leave the industry,” said B.C. Liberals candidate Norm Facey, a millworker who is running against the NDP’s Michelle Babchuk in the riding vacated by Claire Trevena.

The B.C. Liberals offered a five-point plan to help revitalize the industry, to keep people working in the industry and keep communities thriving. All we’ve

ing with status quo policies that are disastrous for communities and the environment.”

DP Leader John Horgan was in the B.C. Interior, where he announced a cancer treatment centre in Kamloops to eliminate the need for some patients to travel to Kelowna for treatment. On Saturday morning, Horgan spoke with a cancer survivor who recounted how she had to get up at 6 a.m. to catch a shuttle from Kamloops to Kelowna for a 10-minute treatment before waiting three hours for the shuttle back to Kamloops. She would arrive home late in the afternoon and “collapse” from exhaustion, she said. Horgan said the new cancer centre, which would receive $450 million in funding in the first three years, will “save countless hours and a countless amount of stress” for patients. The B.C. Liberals are also promising to improve cancer care in Kamloops. Both Kamloops ridings are held by the B.C. Liberals, with candidates Todd Stone and Peter Milobar hoping to retain their seats. In the afternoon, Horgan also spent time in Merritt, Oliver and Penticton, where he discussed health care and child care, while Wilkinson was in Delta to show support for B.C.’s tourism workers.

Furstenau made an appearance at the Duncan farmers’ market. Source: bc.ctvnews.ca

got is silence from Horgan,” he said. The NDP also took heat in another northern riding Saturday after insensitive comments made by the party’s candidate in the Stikine region were posted online. During an all-candidates meeting earlier in the week, Nathan Cullen was caught by a microphone saying North Coast B.C. Liberals candidate Roy Jones Jr. Cheexial, who is Haida, was not well-liked in his own community. Cullen then went on to laugh about Jones Jr.’s nickname.

Cullen apologized at the beginning of a Zoom conference Saturday, saying his comments were “inappropriate,” before going on to attack Wilkinson’s past involvement in a lawsuit against the City of Prince Rupert.

As a lawyer, Wilkinson represented Sun Wave Forest Products when the company sued the city in a dispute about its mill site. reen Leader Sonia Furstenau also took the chance to talk forestry on Saturday, with a stop in Metchosin, where she pledged to make major changes to the industry, including tenure reform, ending logging of old-growth trees in highrisk ecosystems, and generating more jobs and revenue from what is harvested.

“We are overdue for a fundamental shift in how we manage our forests,” she said. “The NDP tinkered around the edges, but refused again and again to make the much-needed changes to forestry in B.C., instead continu-

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BC NDP to build first ever South Asian Museum in BC

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t is an honour to announce that a reelected NDP government will build the first ever museum dedicated to the South Asian Canadian community in BC,” said Jinny Sims, BC NDP candidate for Surrey-

Panorama, “The South Asian community has played a critical role in BC’s history, and it’s time to recognize that contribution.”

The BC NDP Platform commits to creating a first-of-its-kind museum to document the history, art and contributions of South Asian people in BC. This project will bring together resources, documents, artifacts and stories that are scattered across museums and libraries across the province, as well as in private collections.

“From my office in downtown Vancouver, I can see the exact spot where the Komagata Maru was moored over a hundred years ago.

The daily reminder of that event reminds me of how much we still have to do to dismantle systemic racism,” said Premier John Horgan. “The South Asian community has a long history in British Columbia and has greatly contributed to this province’s growth

and prosperity. I’m committed to creating a South Asian Canadian Museum to preserve and share the rich documents, artifacts, and stories of the community for all British Columbians.”

“It’s so important that we invest in a place where we can build community and honour our past -- where we can share stories, learn and teach about important events, and preserve artifacts and memories.” continued Jagrup Brar, BC NDP candidate for SurreyFleetwood. “The South Asian community has been integral to the economic, social, and cultural prosperity of BC. I am proud and excited to share that history for the benefit of everyone in this province.”

The event was held close to Komagata Maru Way, recognizing the long legacy of systemic racism in British Columbia and the work we all must do to combat anti-racist policies.

“The story of the Komagata Maru is one of the darkest chapters in the history of our province, and it reminds us to always be vigilant against the forces of hate and discrimination,” said Aman Singh, BC NDP candidate for Richmond-Queensborough, “This museum will follow the guidance of many community leaders, scholars, historians, and writers by providing a space for stories of women, immigration, labour, art, and activism to be heard.”

The new museum builds on a BC NDP commitment made in September to fund $1.14M for the South Asian Studies Institute at the University of the Fraser Valley to continue their work to showcase the past and present contributions of South Asians to our province.

Average family to save additional $3,400 a year under Horgan’s plan

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ilkinson would cut taxes for those at the top, make everyone else pay the price PITT MEADOWS — After delivering the largest middle-class tax cut in BC history by eliminating MSP bills, John Horgan says his plan to move BC forward will save an average family of four an additional $3,400 a year.

“When the BC Liberals were in power, they gave tax cuts to those at the top and made everyone else pay for it with tolls and higher medical premiums,” said Horgan. “We’ve worked hard to bring the cost of living down, but we know there’s much more to do. Our plan will help more families build a secure and affordable future.”

Horgan made the comments after speaking with people whose lives were made easier by his BC NDP government. He noted that the BC Liberals doubled MSP and the cost of housing, car insurance, and hydro all skyrocketed on their watch. Horgan cancelled tax cuts for the wealthy and gave it back to people—eliminating MSP bills and tolls while investing in affordable childcare and housing.

“Despite all the challenges facing people right now, Mr. Wilkinson has doubled down

on a plan where the wealthy get tax-free yachts and everyone else pays the price,” said Horgan. “Over the next few years, we will take concrete action to make life easier for people in BC — helping families with kids, renters, students and everyone.”

John Horgan’s plan to make life more affordable: •A recovery benefit for British Columbians of up to $1000 for middle-class and low income families, $500 for individuals.

•Help for people who rent their homes with a rent freeze until 2021 and a renters’ rebate of up to $400 a year.

•Better access to affordable childcare, expanding our $10 a day plan while protecting the $350 childcare fee reduction.

•Move people around more affordably— cutting ICBC rates by $400, free transit for kids up to 12, and expanding transit options in growing communities.

•Expand the BC Access Grant, giving more middle-class students access to as much as $4,000 a year to help them pay the cost of tuition and textbooks.

BACKGROUND 2020 BC NDP platform for more affordability Our platform makes even more investments to make life more affordable

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Rabi ul Awaal 3,1442 Oct 21, 2020

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Rabi ul Awaal 3,1442 Oct 21, 2020

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Rabi ul Awaal 3,1442 Oct 21, 2020

women / K A S H M I R

Why is Voting important?

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By: Asma Shums, e are often told that voting is our civic duty, a responsibility that each citizen must place to the highest importance. Each November we are bombarded with flyers and radio ads with candidates in our area. We know it is important but many don’t know the significance of voting.

Our communities are made up of people from many different countries. Some of us have faced extreme hardship due to the economic situation, political unrest, or corruption in our home lands which made us leave it in the first place. We chose Canada as our new home because the standard of living, government authenticity, benefits, and many more advantages

we can enjoy for ourselves and future generations. We can protest peacefully, have rights in our workplaces, and necessities taken care by the government if required.

Now, voting as seen as tiresome and a chore that we procrastinate and ignore. We can complain about our electoral process and the flaws that we find, but we cannot argue about its disadvantages if we do not cast a ballot. The entire point of an election and democracy is choosing candidates based on our views, issues, and needs. Many think that their vote does not count but that is untrue. Each and every vote counts. Imagine if everyone thought this way, where would we be?

Our vote counts.

The people we vote into power truly possess power in making decisions that directly affect

Q: How did the US flag greet the Canadian flag?

A: It waved.I heard that after Canadian

our lives. Governments make decisions on things such as water, sewage, waste collection, libraries, emergency services, economic development and more. These decisions, no matter your views, do affect our daily lives. We can have a say in these by casting a vote.

Why should we vote?

1. Voting is privilege that people in other parts of the world would love to have; 2. Voting is a privilege that our parents and grandparents fought and died to preserve; 3. This is your chance to influence the government that affects you on a daily basis; 4. The candidates that aren’t the best might spend tax money unwisely; 5. The candidates might get elected will represent your community in a way you do not want

to be represented; 5. This is the chance to choose the candidates that do a better job get elected; 6. This is the best think you can do for the future generations, by showing them that democracy is a good thing and it is our duty to be a voter.

How can you vote?

• In Person – Contact the Provincial Government on 1-800-661-8683 to find out your electoral district • By Mail- Vote by Mail packages received via mail should be returned to Elections BC by Oct 24 at 8 pm. info at: asmashums@gmail.com

elections, the winner takes the loser out for poutine just to show there are no hard feelings.

October 27 – Why Black Day Is Observed!

Background

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ashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control and across the globe observe October 27 as Black Day. It is the darkest day in the history of Kashmir as on this day in 1947 India had forcibly occupied Jammu and Kashmir by landing its army in Srinagar against the will of the Kashmiri people and in total disregard to the Indian Independence Act and Partition Plan. Under the Partition Plan, Indian British Colony was divided into two sovereign states, India (comprising Hindu majority areas) and Pakistan (consisting of Muslim-majority areas of Western provinces and east Bengal). Every year, 27th October is marked by complete strike in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) and rallies, seminars and demonstrations in the illegally occupied territory, Azad Kashmir and world capitals.

As per the understanding behind the Partition Plan, the than Princely States were given the choice to accede either to Pakistan or India on the basis of their geography and demography. Being a Muslim-majority state, with 87% Muslim population, Kashmir was a natural part of Pakistan as both shared strong bonds in respect of religion, geography and culture. But, unfortunately, the then Hindu ruler of Jammu and Kashmir, Maharaja Hari Singh, destroyed the future of Kashmiri people by announcing its accession to India under a controversial document, Instrument of Accession, thus laying the foundation of the Kashmir dispute. Many observers including prominent British historian, Alastair Lamb, and noted Kashmiri researchers, Abdul Majid Zargar and Basharat Hussain Qazilbash, deny the existence of such a document with the argument that had it been there, the Indian government must have made it public either officially or at any international forum. Even Indian Archives Department has now declared that the document is lost and the announcement has put question marks on the very existence of the document.

Kashmir in the United Nations

The people of Jammu and Kashmir strongly resisted India’s illegal occupation of their soil and they launched a movement to liberate it from the Indian yoke. Their resilience forced India to seek the help of the world community to settle the Kashmir dispute.

Sensing a humiliating defeat to its armed forces, India approached the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on January 01, 1948. The World Body in its successive resolutions nullified the Indian invasion and called for holding of an impartial plebiscite under its supervision to allow the Kashmiri people decide their fate by themselves. Unfortunately, these UN resolutions and the pledges made by Indian leaders remain unfulfilled even after the passage of several decades, resulting in the continued suffering of the Kashmiri people.

Kashmiris’ revolt and mass uprisings

Disappointed over the failure of all the efforts aimed at resolving the Kashmir dispute through peaceful means for decades, the people of IIOJK intensified their freedom struggle in 1989 to secure their right to self-determination. This movement gave sleepless nights to the Indian rulers. They responded this popular movement with the brute military might.

The people of IIOJK added a new dimension to their freedom movement in 2008. They hit the streets in thousands during mass uprisings in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2016. However, most of the time, Indian troops and police personnel used brute force against these peaceful demonstrators, killing hundreds of them. Since the mass uprising triggered by the extrajudicial killing of popular youth leader, Burhan Wani, on 8th July in 2016, besides killing over 1280, the troops have caused injuries to more than 29,200 people by firing pellets, bullets and teargas shells on protesters. During this period, more than 10,280 people have suffered pellet injuries and over 395 of them have lost their eyesight in one or both eyes.

Indian state terrorism

India is using every brutal tactic to continue its illegal hold on Jammu and Kashmir for the past over seven decades. Since 1989 till 1st September 2020 alone, Indian troops had martyred 95,667 Kashmiris, widowed 22,918 women, orphaned 107,798 children and molested or gang-raped 11,219 Kashmiri women. While the whereabouts of thousands of innocent youth subjected to disappearance in custody remain untraced, the discovery of thousands of mass graves across the territory has raised concerns about their safety.

However, despite exhausting all its resources and resorting to the worst kind of state terrorism during the past over seven decades, New Delhi has miserably failed to intimidate the people of IIOJK into submission.

Modi’s 5th August onslaught

Narendra Modi-led fascist Indian government has put the peace of the entire world in perils by abrogating Article 370 of the Indian Constitution that granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir and annexing it with India on August 05, 2019. It also divided IIOJK into two federally administered union territories - Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. After repealing the Article 370, New Delhi put the illegally occupied territory under strict military siege, confining millions of Kashmiris to their homes and arresting thousands. Continued curfew, restrictions and communications blackout led to humanitarian crisis in IIOJK. At the same time, Indian troops intensified violent cordon and search operations across the territory.

The Modi government imposed several federal laws and introduced new domicile rules in IIOJK. In gross violation of the UN resolutions and the international law, it has

granted domicile status to thousands of non-Kashmiri Hindus including some IAS officers. The local people fear that more than 800,000 Indian soldiers and over 600,000 migrant labourers present in the territory might also be granted the domicile status in the coming days.

The BJP regime, as part of its anti-Muslim policies, is also replacing the Muslim names of important places and departments with Hindu names in IIOJK. The birth anniversary of former Chief Minister, Sheikh Abdullah, and Kashmir Martyrs’ Day on July 13 have been dropped from the list of public holidays. The Modi govt has initiated the process of delimitation of Lok Sabha and assembly constituencies in IIOJK with an aim to give more seats to Hindu-dominated areas of Jammu division. At the same time, it has flouted a new political front of its collaborators led by Altaf Bukhari in the name of Jammu Kashmir Apni Party.

The basic objective behind all these unilateral illegal measures is to convert IIOJK’s Muslim majority into a minority by settling Indian Hindus in large numbers. It is also aimed at damaging the essence of the UN resolutions on the Kashmir dispute and affect the results in India’s favour if New Delhi is compelled to hold a plebiscite in Jammu and Kashmir at any point of time in the future.

Pakistan’s support to Kashmir cause

The Pakistani leadership has always represented the Kashmiris’ aspirations and never betrayed the faith reposed on them by the Kashmiri people. It was his commitment to the interests of the people of Kashmir that drove father of the nation, Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, to visit Jammu and Kashmir three times before 1947. He had rightly termed Kashmir as the “Jugular Vein” of Pakistan. Prime Minister, Imran Khan, in his address to the UN General Assembly, drew world’s attention to the worsening humanitarian crisis in IIOJK after Modi government’s 5th August illegal move.

He repeatedly warned the world that Modi government’s Hindutva policies and aggressive posture posed serious threat to the peace in the region and the entire world. Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry is consistently updating the world leaders on the Indian brutalities in IIOJK. The Pakistan Parliament has passed several resolutions since August 05, last year, expressing solidarity with the oppressed people of IIOJK and condemning India’s illegal actions in the territory. The Army Chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, has repeatedly expressed Pak Army’s support to the Kashmir cause. He has declared that Pakistan is ready to fight till last bullet and last soldier for Kashmir.

Positive developments

The Kashmir dispute has become the focus of attention at the global level after the illegal actions taken by the Modi regime on and post August 05, 2019 in IIOJK. Pakistan’s arduous efforts and the grave human rights situation caused by the continued military siege in the illegally occupied territory convinced the UNSC to hold its session on Kashmir thrice first time after the period of over 50 years. The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the US President Donald Trump have repeatedly offered mediation to resolve the Kashmir dispute in the wake of heightened tension between Pakistan and India. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, several members of UK parliament and US lawmakers as well as world bodies including the OIC, the Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have expressed serious concern over the grim human rights situation in IIOJK. Even the International watchdog, the Genocide Watch in a statement expressed fears of genocide against the Muslims living in IIOJK and the Indian state of Assam.

Conclusion

This is the context of the observance of October 27 as Black Day by the Kashmiris all across the globe. The observance is aimed at sending a loud and clear message to the world community to take stock of the miseries of the Kashmiri people and come forward in a big way to ensure a solution of the lingering Kashmir dispute in accordance with their wishes. It is also intended to send a strong message to New Delhi that the Kashmiris reject its illegal occupation of their homeland and that they would continue their struggle till they achieved their inalienable right to self-determination promised to them by India and the world through several UN resolutions. The solution of the Kashmir dispute has become more imperative following India’s action to change the disputed status and demographic composition of IIOJK for ensuring permanent peace in the region and the world at large.

(Compiled by Muhammad Raza Malik. The writer is a Senior News Editor at Kashmir Media Service and can be reached at razamalik849@yahoo.com)

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Rabi ul Awaal 3,1442 Oct 21, 2020

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Nawaz accuses security establishment of orchestrating his ouster, bringing Imran to power Continued from page 3

term?

“We made so many strides in development,” he said talking about his tenure as premier, “but this government ruined everything.”

He also talked about being labelled a traitor and said this wasn’t the first time that dictators had used this term for civilian leaders to oust them “because they talk about the law and Constitution”.

“Who are patriots? The ones who destroyed the Constitution, who broke the country into two halves.”

He questioned why retired Lt Gen Asim Saleem Bajwa, who this week announced he was stepping down as Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, was still not facing any cas-

es for reportedly amassing assets beyond known sources of income.

Referring to allegations levelled regarding Bajwa’s family’s assets, Nawaz said the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) should have investigated the claims.

“How can he continue to work as chairman of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor Authority?”

Nawaz repeated his accusation that NAB was one-sided and only goes after the opposition.

‘Ocean of people’

A number of politicians, including PML-N’s Marriyum Aurangzeb, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Khawaja Asif, Khurram Dastagir and veteran politician Javed Hashmi, were present at the venue.

PML-N’s Abbasi, Asif, Aurangzeb, Dastagir and Ahsan Iqbal, Hashmi, Abdul Malik Baloch of the National Party, Mian Iftikhar Hussain of the Awami National Party and PPP’s Latif Khosa were among the politicians who addressed the crowd.

In a tweet after 8pm, Maryam said it had taken her motorcade six hours to exit Lahore. “Now rushing to Gujranwala.

[Have] crossed Kamoki,” she said.

Source: dawn.com

Fast bowler Umar Gul announces retirement from all forms of cricket

F

ast bowler Umar Gul has announced he will be retiring from all forms of cricket after a 20-year professional career as his side, Balochistan, failed to qualify for the National T20 Cup semifinals.

In a statement late night on Friday, he said that he had made the decision with a “heavy heart and after a lot of thinking”.

“I have always played for Pakistan with all my heart and 100 per cent hard work.

Cricket is and will always be my love and passion. But all good things have to come to an end.” In a separate statement carried on the PCB’s website, Gul said

it had been an honour to represent his club, city, province and country at various levels for two decades.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my cricket, which has taught me the values of hard work, respect, commitment and determination. During this journey, I have had the pleasure of meeting numerous people who have helped and supported me in some way. I want to thank all those people as well as my team mates and peers for their support.

“I owe a big thanks to the fans who supported me throughout my journey. They have been an inspiration, especially at times when things were not so great.”

He said that he was now looking forward to spending valuable time with his family, adding that it would be difficult to stay away from the game.“I now look forward to giving back to the sport and the country that has made me one of the most fortunate and luckiest people on the planet.” PCB Chief Executive Wasim Khan said that Gul is highly respected, both as a person and as a cricketer.“His career will not only be defined by the number of matches he played and the wickets he took, but also by upholding the spirit of the game every time he put on the shirt for his club, city, province and country. Source: dawn.com

Cricket for Karachi 2020 Tournament by Islamic Relief On October 11th 2020, 6 teams from various leagues from all over BC came together in support of Islamic Relief ’s response efforts in Karachi after the devastating floods that took away the lives and the livelihood of many.

Players from different cultures and religions showed their enthusiasm and joy while playing for an amazing cause. At the end of the day, Cosmos, a team from the BC Cricket League took the dub and the Eagles were the Runner Ups, a team from a local Junior League.

In Pakistan, 3 days of monsoon rains caused damage and flooding, especially in the port city of Karachi. In Afghanistan, torrential rain triggered flash floods across 9 provinces, the hardest hit being the province of Parwan, on the border of Kabul.

This flood season further worsens the threat and spread of Covid-19 cases within the region. People will need access to critical items such as, food, water, and medical supplies.

Our offices and staff are on the ground in both countries assessing humanitarian needs, and working to get survivors the urgent aid they so desperately need. You can support this initiative too by donating online at islamicrelief. ca. We would like to give a huge shoutout to our sponsors who made this event possible; Stallions Cricket Center for providing the venue, and Chicken World Canada for their continuous support for Islamic Relief Canada.

Please find pictures on this link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders.

Thank you for your support.

Jamia Masjid Aulia Allah Foundation Concrete has been poured On Oct 9. After the City of Surrey inspection of Jameh Masjid Aulia Allah located at 127 St x 100 Ave Surrey, BC completed the first foundation concrete has been poured.

Many community members were invited along with Molana A.L.Nomani at site, Imam Syed Soharwardy said in his message, that “I am very happy to see the construction and affiliation of Jamia Masjid Olyaullah.

I am very thankful to my Lord and my Prophet (peace be upon him) for the fact that

the whole Muslim community is not only united in completing the construction of the Jama Masjid Auliaullah, irrespective of the differences of the schools of thought, but also very eagerly. It is busy with passion. I pray for all these brothers and sisters in the presence of Allah that Allah Almighty raise them all in this world and the hereafter. Ameen.At the site some funds has been raised for under construction Masjid.

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Pakistan Last updated:

October 21, 2020, 07:03 GMT