Volume 21 Issue 560- December 17, 2021 - Jamadi ul Awal 12,1443 H, $1
www.miraclenews.com BC, CANADA First Muslim
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THE
03 Jesus in Islam
04 Masjid Al Noor
10 Exercise Basics
to stop financing 05 Centre provincial uplift projects
04 16
05 graves The Canadian 08 UK reports highest
16 The Fall Of Dhaka From Bihari Eyes
committee presented The community showed its generous Anti-Racism Date legislation-Engagement
Discovery of unmarked
daily COVID cases
‘Now is not the time’: Federal government warns against travel abroad as Omicron spreads
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ttawa is advising Canadians to avoid non-essential travel outside the country. Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos is asking Canadians with plans to travel abroad to cancel their trips as the highly transmissible Omicron variant spreads worldwide. To prevent travel-related infections at a time of mounting case counts, the federal government has changed its official guidance to advise Canadians to avoid all non-essential travel outside the country for the time being. “To those who were planning to travel, I say very clearly — now is not the time to travel. The rapid spread of the Omicron variant on a global scale makes us fear the worst,” Duclos said. Ottawa to toughen international travel restric-
tions as Omicron concerns escalate Omicron variant caseload expected to ‘rapidly escalate’ in the coming days, Tam says With tens of thousands of Canadians planning trips abroad over the coming weeks, the new advisory could wreak havoc on vacation plans and void some travel insurance policies. Acknowledging that introducing a new advisory so close to Christmas is a “drastic” move, Duclos said he’s acting now because he’s “afraid” and “concerned” for people who travel abroad because the Omicron situation is changing quickly. The rate of spread is “huge,” he said, and Canadians may find themselves stranded if countries impose lockdown To be Continued at page 6
Canada’s inflation rate stays at 18-year high of 4.7%
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nflation rates are spiking around the world Canada’s inflation rate remained at 4.7 per cent in November, matching the annual pace seen the previous month. The data point released by Statistics Canada on Wednesday morning was in line with economist expectations, tying October’s level, which
was the highest inflation rate since 2003. Inflation rates are soaring around the world right now, as the combination of record government spending, supply chain disruptions and a surge in demand for consumer goods has caused prices to rise quickly. For comparison purposes, U.S. data last week showed that country’s inflation rate rose to an almost 40-year high of 6.8 per cent last month. Consumer prices are heading higher at their fastest pace in decades, and so far incomes aren’t keeping pace. Statistics Canada data shows that while the cost of living has increased by almost five per cent in the past year, incomes have only risen by about half that, or 2.8 per cent. Economist Tu Nguyen with consultancy RSM Canada said wages should start to catch up soon, though. “There is usually a time lag between inflation and wages, with the latter being stickier and taking longer to shift. However,
with the tight labour market, and wages already increasing substantially for job hoppers, we will soon see rising wages to match inflation,” she said. The data agency says higher prices for gasoline, furniture and food were the biggest factors pushing up the annual consumer price index. Gasoline prices rose by 43.6 per cent in the year up to November. Grocery prices, meanwhile, rose by 4.7 per cent. That’s the fastest pace of increase since January 2015. We’ll all be paying a lot more for food next year, says Canada’s Food Price Report Prices for furniture rose 8.7 per cent amid higher shipping costs. The data agency says the introduction of tariffs earlier this year may have contributed to the increase in prices for upholstered furniture, which were up by more than 11 per cent compared to what they were a year ago. Source: cbc.ca
PM asks Sindh to join healthcare scheme, okay islands uplift • Launches Rs35bn Green Line bus service • Expects K-IV water project to complete by Sept 2023 • Says Karachi needs autonomy with direct election of mayor ARACHI: Striking a tone of reconciliation for a second consecutive time during his as many visits to Karachi, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday called for better coordination between Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-led Centre and the Sindh administration of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) for Karachi’s uplift. He made a “request” to the provincial government to participate in the health insurance scheme and approve Bundal Island’s development.
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In his 13-minute address at the opening ceremony of the Green Line bus service, PM Khan was focused and sounded convinced about a few issues ranging from Karachi’s development to building new cities and from the role of the upcoming local governments in urban centres to the working relationship between the federal government and the provinces. The speech also covered sketchy details of the Karachi Transformation Plan of the federal government.The PM, before summing up his speech, directly addressed the Sindh government with an advice that their participation in the health card scheme and nod to the development of the To be Continued at page 6
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Jamadi ul Awal 12,1443 December 17, 2021
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Jamadi ul Awal 12,1443 December 17, 2021
Jesus in Islam
BY: SADULLAH KHAN
B
f a i t h
ehold! the angels said: “O Mary! Allah gives you glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the Hereafter, he is of those nearest to Allah”; [Qur’an 3:45] Belief in Prophets (May Allah’s Peace be upon all of them) Islam emphasizes the universality of the institution of prophethood. According to the Qur’an, there is not a single nation in the world to which a prophet has not appeared sometime in history: “There is not a people but a warner has gone among them” [Qur’an 35:24]. And again: “For every nation there is a messenger” [Qur’an 10:47] The Qur’an mentions about 25 of the Biblical Prophets by name [Qur’an 4:163] and we are further told that there have been prophets besides those mentioned in the Qur’an: “And We sent messengers We have mentioned to thee before, and messengers We have not mentioned to thee” [Qur’an 4:164] . It is an Islamic article of Faith to believe in all Prophets; from Adam through Abraham, Moses, Jesus to Muhammad (peace be upon them) [Qur’an 2:184] all Prophets were models of excellence who were commissioned to guide humankind [Qur’an 2:213] the mission of Prophets was to establish justice for all [Qur’an 57:25] that Prophets were the embodiments of Righteousness;“And Zachariah, John, Jesus and Elijah; all of these were of the most Righteous.” [Qur’an 6:85] It is an accepted fact in Islam that the struggle and legacy of the prophets (peace be upon them) serve as universal guides, excellent examples and as sources of hope and inspiration.
Status of Maryam/Mary
Mary, the mother of Jesus, is a prominent figure in Islam and the only woman mentioned by name in the Qur’an. The Qur’an upholds Mary as one of the four perfect examples of womanhood [Qur’an 66:12] . Mary is mentioned more times and more biographical information about her is contained in the Qur’an than in the entire New Testament. The birth of Jesus Christ is described in twice in the Qur’an - chapter 3 and chapter 19. Reading from the beginning of his birth, we come across the story of Mary, and the esteemed position which she occupies in the House of Islam, before the actual annunciation of the birth of Jesus is made. The Qur’anic account of Mary includes the pregnancy of her mother, Mary’s birth and the annunciations of the coming birth of Jesus: “Remember how she preserved her chastity, into whom We breathed a life from Us, and made her and her son a token for humankind” [Qur’an 21:91]. The Qur’an teaches that Mary is to be revered because she completely submitted herself to God’s will, even though it meant that her own family would accuse her of unchastity when it was discovered that she was pregnant [Qur’an 19:16-21] . The mother of Jesus (peace be upon them) is accorded highest respect and considered as among the most noble in
“The best of the women of the world are four:
Maryam bint ‘Imran, Aasiyah, the wife of Pharaoh, Khadijah bin Khuwailid, and Fatimah bint Muhammad the Messenger of Allah.” (Al Tirmidhi)
the estimation of Allah. [Qur’an 3:33] “Behold! the angels said: O Mary! Allah has chosen you and purified you, chosen you above the women of all nations.” [Qur’an 3:42] The entire chapter 19 titled Maryam/ Mary in the Qur’an and another (chapter 3) is titled Al-’Imran after the family of Mary. Jesus /’Isa referred to 9 times in the Qur’an as ‘Isa and 16 times as ‘Isa ibn Maryam (Jesus son of Mary) Mary is considered chaste, virtuous, receiver of God’s spirit, a testimony to the veracity of God’s message and piously obedient [Qur’an 66:11] Jesus (pbuh) himself is recorded as saying about his respected mother,
from being killed [Qur’an 4:158].
Resurrection
Not having died, Jesus could NOT have been resurrected [Qur’an 4:156]. Inherited Sinfulness [Qur’an 2:285] Babies are born pure and no one is born bearing the sin of any one and no one bears the burden of another [Qur’an 17:15] . Redemption / Atonement Muslims do not believe in the doctrine of Original Sin, so there is no theological need for the all-atoning sacrifice of Jesus through his crucifixion and resurrection. Muslims further believe that each person will be held accountable before God for his/her own actions and thus responsible for their own salvation. Therefore, we will not be able to rely upon anyone else, not even Jesus or Muhammad, to save us from our sins. Sins are those acts we deliberately incur by our choice of actions, we are responsible and hence personally accountable. In Islam there is no notion of redemption for one’s sin by another. Each one is accountable for himself/herself [Qur’an 99:7-8] and for each person according to his/her personal striving [Qur’an 2:286] .
Jesus formed a bird out of clay, and blew into it, and it came to life and flew away. This last miracle is not recorded in the canonical New Testament but does appear in the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas. It must be remembered that all miracles / mu’jizah performed by prophets (pbuh) are done through the agency of the prophets but by the power and authority of God. Jesus’ miracles too are considered basically in the line of his being a prophet and in God’s Uniqueness of Jesus (pbuh) enabling and permitting him to do so. The Virgin birth -The Qur’an gives an acQur’an thus stresses the fact that the miracount of the birth of Jesus in chapter 3. cles of Jesus were performed by the permisMary is described as being a virgin, chosion and power of God [Qur’an 5:110] . sen by God, and considered with great honor. “Behold! the angels said: O Mary! No Easter Commemoration Allah gives you glad tidings of a Word Millions of Christians commemorate from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus the son of Mary.” [Qur’an 3:45] . Verse 47 (pbuh), and this begs the question that relates the response of and to Mary, “She if Jesus is important to Muslims, why do Jesus is ... said: O my Lord! How shall I have a son Muslims then not commemorate Easter. Jesus denied by some as a fictional characwhen no man has touched me? He said: Though Muslims accept Jesus (pbuh) ter, accused of being an illegitimate child ‘Even so: Allah creates what He wills: as a great prophet, revere his exemplary by some, misconceived as divine by many; When He has decreed a plan, He merely mother Mary, and believe that Jesus is the considered as a Prophet and Messiah in says to it, ‘Be,’ and it is!” The Qur’an thus Messiah; Muslims do not accept the major Islam. People do have differing perspecaffirms and Muslims believe that Jesus concepts that are central to the commem- tives on Jesus’ life and teachings, but his was born of the virgin Mary. The birth is oration of the Easter weekend. Among spiritual legacy, as a righteous and principled guide, his mission as a Prince of seen as a sign (ayah) of Allah’s power and these concepts are... as a miraculous event. And Muslims have Divine Incarnation and Trinity [Qur’an Peace offers an alternative opportunity for people of faith to recognize their shared a high regard also for Mary. However, the 4:171] [Qur’an 112:1-4] Allah is ONE in an absolute sense, no religious heritage. Qur’an presents Jesus as the son of Mary and not as the Son of God, a significant one shares in His Lordship nor in His Allah bears testimony to the truthfulness divinity; nothing is equal or comparable of Jesus; his mission, character, status and point particularly emphasized. Like Adam (pbuh) -Though the unique to God. This is in keeping with the com- his very being. “Such (was) Jesus the son birth of Jesus with one parent is no indi- mand, “and Jesus answered him, the first of Mary: a statement of truth, about which cation of divinity just as Adam’s creation of all the commandment is, Hear, O Israel; people dispute.” [Qur’an 19:34]. was without any parentage [Qur’an 3:59] The LORD our God is One LORD.” [Mark All sincere ones would do well to reflect Messiah -It is obvious that Jesus holds 12:29]. In promoting a great human such on the verse in the Quran reaffirming Isan exalted place within Islam. Some of as Jesus (pbuh) to divinity, does not el- lam’s eternal message of spiritual unity: the honorable epithets of Jesus (pbuh) evate Jesus as much as it minimizes the “Say: ‘We believe in God and the revelamentioned in the Qur’an are ... prophet concept of the divine; is not making the tion given to us and to Abraham, Ishmael, / nabi, messenger of God / rasul, of the finite infinite as much as making the per- Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and message Righteous / min-as-salihin, word of Al- fect imperfect; not an elevation of Jesus, given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to all Prophets from their Lord. We make lah / kalimatu-Llah), spirit from God / but rather a devaluation of the Divine. Crucifixion no distinction between any of them, and it ruhun mina’ Llah, positive sign/symbol for humanity / aayatun lin- naas, mercy Christ, according to Muslim belief, did is unto Him that we surrender ourselves.” from God / rahmatan minna, the son NOT die on a cross [Qur’an 4:157] but [Qur’an 2:136] of Mary / ibne Maryam, eminent in this was rather elevated by Allah and saved Source:: https://www.islamicity.org/ world and the next / wajihan fid-dunya Prayer Schedule in Greater Vancouver wal-aakhirah, and most unique of all... Dec 17-31, 2021, Jamadi ul I 12-26, 1443H the Messiah / masih. Miracles -The Qur’an speaks of Je- Isl. Dt. Day Date Fajar Sunr Zawal Dhuhr Dhur Asar Shafi / Asar Hanfi Maghrib Isha sus possessing intellect and eloquence in 12 Fri childhood [Qur’an 19:30] and documents 13 Sat some of Jesus’ miracles, including curing 14 Sun the sick, restoring the sight of the blind 15 Mon and reviving the dead, with God’s permis- 16 Tue sion [Qur’an 5:110] .The Qur’an specifical- 17 Wed ly mentions two miracles which the Bible 18 Thus does not contain; 19 Fri 1. The Qur’an records Jesus as an infant 20 Sat verbally defending Mary’s innocence 21 Sun [Qur’an 19:27-35]. In Surah 19:27-34, 22 Mon Jesus speaks from the cradle to state his 23 Tue mission. Jesus said, “I am indeed a serv- 24 Wed ant of Allah Who has given me revelation 25 Thus and made me a prophet.” 26 Fri 2. The Qur’an [5:110] also reports that For such Prayers are enjoined on believers at stated times: Quran ,n 4:103 Source: BCMA
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Jamadi ul Awal 12,1443 December 17, 2021
L O C A L
Masjid Al Noor committee presented Three-lifetime membership Awards
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n Dec 4, on a special occasion in the history of Masjid Al Noor, an Appreciation ceremony for founding members; Br. Suleman Bhamji, Br. Dean Mohammed, and Br. Yusuf Bhamjee on their retirement as active executive members of Masjid Al Noor Br M. Saleem Sheikh was the master of ceremony, he gave the introduction of the event after that Molana Mohammad Saadat Nadvi told the brief history of Masjid Al Noor and appreciated three dedicated members achievements along with Imams and volunteers. The program was started by recitation of Holy Quran by Hafiz Abdullah Omar and Yousaf Kandawala. Asma e Husna named presented by a group of 4 boys, and Naat was presented by Rayan Ahmad. After that Br, Janif Mohammed President, Masjid Al Noor given a detailed background of Masjid Al-Noor and its Volunteers dedications., especially three of them. He said in his appreciation and closing remarks., that “They did all their work for the sake of Allah, May Allah SWT accept and reward them for their dedicated services to our society. The event was to pay
tribute and say “Jazak Allah Khairen” for their many years of hard work and service to all the Muslim community at large. As we all are aware, that these three brothers along with Br. Ibrahim Patel established the society Masjid Al Noor and under that, they bought this Masjid in 1994 when the sailing was not smooth for them. Their hardworking and commitment towards the project paid off with the help of Allah SWT and the property was paid off before the appointed time. They went across Canada and other parts of the world to collect funds to pay off the Karz-e- Hasna. Haji Suleman Bhamji was the first president of this society from 1994 till 2014 That is 20 years of service, we all thank you. And after that, he worked as a director till to date. Haji Suleman came to Canada in 1971 and has helped BC Muslim Association from day one. Haji Suleman is also one of the life members of BCMA. He was the most dedicated person, a pillar of strength, and the one who gave most of his time for the cause of this Masjid. He was taking care of all the administration and any kind of work, sometimes he did not shy away to
clean the plugged toilets and ablution area. May Allah SWT accept from him and reward him in manifolds. He is also part of an advocate of promoting and teaching Arabic as a language to the madrasa students from an early age when they start their first lesson of Arabic. Finally, in 2018, we took the initiative to start the language class along with the reading. The second honourable guest is Br. Dean Mohammed, he is also a pioneer and founding member and Vice President since the formation of this society, and he is a director to the day. Br. Dean Mohammed strived a lot for the cause of this Masjid, he did a collection for paying off the amount along with other members, He was the first person that used to cook food for the Jumma collection and he undertook all the renovations, extensions, repairs, and maintenance work always with smiling face. He worked with Br. Suleman and other founding members in the running of this society. He got the virtue of serving as the Mozan of this Masjid from day one. Haji Dean Mohammed came to Canada in 1974 and he also joined BCMA and was involved in Tabligue work for many years. One of the greatest achievements for Haji Dean Mohammed and Haji Suleman Bhamji is the establishment of the first Masjid in the Surrey area along with a few other brothers from BCMA Masjid on 72 Ave and 124th St, Our third honourable guest is Br. Yusuf Bhamji, a wonderful man, he is also a founding member of this society and the Director of this society to the day. Br. Yusuf, is the humblest person, he is always willing to help anyone at any time.
He is a person who contributed towards the cause of the Masjid morally and financially, he is a person who does not want to come on the scene yet he stands in front of the Masjid every Friday to collect funds for the ongoing expenses of this Masjid. He always maintained a low profile and supported each cause of this Masjid. They are the Keys to opening this Masjid (Masjid Al Noor). May Allah Subhan Wa Taala accept their efforts and reward them immensely. If these 3 brothers along with Br Ibrahim Patel didn’t make this effort, we won’t be here. Masjid Al Noor Masjid Society is taking another positive step by declaring and bestowing Lifetime membership to these three honorable brothers on the occasion of their retirement from being active Directors of this society. Inshallah, they will continue to serve society as respected Lifetime members. Haji Suleman Bhamji, Haji Dean Mohammed, and Br Yusuf Bhamji will now become Lifetime Members of the Masjid Al Noor committee. The President and board of directors presented 3 plaques and gifts to them. Br Yusuf Bhamji received his award from Br. Ibrahim Patel. Haji Dean Mohammed received by Br. Saleem Sheikh. Haji Suleman Bhamji received by Br. Janif Mohammed Duaa was made by Molana Ghulam Bhaji. At the end of the ceremony, President Janif thanked all the guest’s presence.
The community showed its generous support to raise fundraise for Jamia Masjid Aulia Allah
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n December 5, The Jamia Masjid Aulia Allah arranged a fundraising dinner at Taj Banquet Hall in Surrey. Professor Badiud Dean Soharwardhy came all the way from Calgary to motivate the community to participate generously with their physical and financial support and complete this Masjid construction. M/C Br Haider Khan and Br Haroon Raza also addressed and given update project.. Imam and Khateeb Fiji Islamic Centre Molana A.Latif was also the guest speaker, he briefed the Jamia Masjid Aulia Allah’s concept and participated in fundraising.
Few members of the Pakistani community also addressed at this occasion and helped in fundraising. Masjid Committee executive Prasident Arjamand Tahir mentioned at his Facebook blog that “ On behalf of the Islamic Association of Western Canada and Jamia Masjid Aulia Allah, I would like to thank you for your participation. In Allah SWT’s path, you all came along with your family and friends to invest time, money, and effort. May HE reward you, your families, and your generations to come. I am grateful to all prominent community leaders who have always been huge support-
ers of this Masjid. The Jamia Masjid Aulia Allah’s committee thank everyone who came and also those who couldn’t make it but always remember us in their prayers. I highly appreciate Br. Raza Khan for coming out to the Jamia Masjid Auliah Allah’s fundraiser and showing his support towards the House of Allah by donating $250,000 as a loan ( Qardh-e-Hasanah ) for the construction of the Masjid. I hope people get inspired by this single-person effort to make a difference and help this great cause. May Almighty Allah reward him and bless him long, happy and healthy life.
I would also appreciate everyone else who donated all they could with their heart. May Almighty Allah bless them and their families. Please remember to donate and make dua for the completion of this House of Allah SWT as soon as possible. We can do it in no time if we all get together and do our part. Contribute in this noble cause generously and spread the word. Jazak Allah. You can donate by online fund transfer:
E.transfer : iawc.surrey@gmail.com Credit card**Debit cardwww.anfiq.org
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Jamadi ul Awal 12,1443 December 17, 2021
c a n a d a / P A K I S TA N
Trudeau on boosters, inflation and 17th Extraordinary Session of the Quebec’s religious symbols ban OIC Council of Foreign Ministers
Omicron case numbers continue to rise, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau affirmed his government will be able to deliver vaccine booster shots and support Canadians through rising inflation. In a year-end interview with CTV News’ Evan Solomon, airing in full on CTV’s Question Period this Sunday at 11 a.m. EST, Trudeau stated his government has secured enough vaccine doses from Pfizer and Moderna “for everyone to get boosters,” but offered no timeline for their rollout. “The delivery of those boosters is on the provinces and they are setting up their timelines in terms of that,” he said. “There are commitments to have the boosters in Canada as soon as we need them.” Trudeau also addressed growing inflation, which has seen consumer prices rise across the country. He urged Canadians to get vaccines and boosters as a means of helping get the economy back on track.
“Inflation is a direct consequence of the global COVID crisis,” Trudeau explained. “We promised to be there to support people through COVID and all its impacts, and that’s what we’re doing. So, the supports for small businesses, the supports for families, the supports for vulnerable people, we’re going to continue to do them, even as we make fiscally responsible investments in things that will make a difference in the long term.” In the interview, Trudeau defended his government’s handling of Quebec’s controversial Bill 21, which bans public sector employees in positions of authority from wearing religious symbols and recently led to a Grade 3 teacher in Quebec losing her job because of a hijab. “The best place to be fighting this as a first step is for Quebecers themselves to be challenging this unjust law in their courts that their provincial government put forward,” Trudeau said. “We have taken (a) very clear stance that this bill is… wrong. We have also said we’re not putting aside the possibility of challenging it at the Supreme Court.” Trudeau also confirmed that he will run in Canada’s next election. Source: globalnews.caSource: ctvnews.ca/
Discovery of unmarked graves The Canadian Press news story of the year VICTORIA -- The discovery of unmarked graves at a former residential school in the British Columbia Interior and the countrywide awakening it set off have been chosen as Canada’s news story of the year by editors in newsrooms across the country. There were 38 editors in the annual Canadian Press survey who picked the finding at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School as the most compelling and deeply revealing story of 2021.That compared with 31 votes for Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout and 13 for climate change and B.C. weather that saw massive fires in the summer and floods in the fall. The story broke last May when the Tk’emlups te Secwepemc Nation in Kamloops said a search at the former school with ground-penetrating radar found what were believed to be the remains of up to 215 children. Tk’emlups Chief Rosanne Casimir said then that they had “a knowing” in their community that the missing children were undocumented deaths.
The Cowessess First Nation in Saskatchewan later used the same technology to discover 751 unmarked graves, and First Nations in Brantford, Ont., and Williams Lake, B.C., are searching residential school sites in their territory. If you are a former residential school student in distress, or have been affected by the residential school system and need help, you can contact the 24-hour Indian Residential Schools Crisis Line: 1-866-925-4419 Source: ctvnews.ca
Realtor group’s House Price Index rising at record pace, too The average selling price of a resale home in Canada last month was $720,850, topping the previous high set in March of this year. The Canadian Real Estate Association said Wednesday that the volume of sales was strong, too, with sales increasing by 0.6 per cent from the previous month’s level. Typically, housing market activity peaks in the spring, before declining through the summer and fall, and slowing further in the winter months before rebounding again.
But 2021 has bucked that traditional trend, as sales for the year have already smashed the previous annual record for sales with one month to go. More than 630,634 homes have been sold on CREA’s MLS system this year, well ahead of the record of 552,423 set in 2020. “Even at what is traditionally the slow time of year for housing, conditions and price trends are at the same record levels we saw this spring,” CREA chair Cliff Stevenson said. CREA, which represents more than 100,000 real estate agents across the country, says that the average selling price figure can be misleading because it is easily skewed by sales in big, expensive cities such as Toronto and Vancouver. So, it calculates a different number, known as the Multiple Listing Service House Price Index or HPI, that adjusts for sales volumes and the type of housing to give a better gauge of the market. But the HPI is also increasing at a torrid pace. The index has risen by 25.3 per cent in the past year — also the fastest pace on record. Source: ctvnews.ca
On 29 November, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia - the OIC Summit Chair - took the important initiative to convene an Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers, to consider the situation in Afghanistan. Pakistan has strongly welcomed this initiative. Following Pakistan’s offer to host, the meeting will be held in Islamabad, on 19 December 2021. UN system, IFIs, some international and regional organizations and non-OIC members are among other invitees. The backdrop of this meeting is the serious humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. According to UN estimates, 60% of Afghanistan’s 38 million people face “crisis levels of hunger” and that situation is getting worse every day. World Food Programme has warned that 3.2 million children are at
risk of acute malnutrition. According to UNHCR, 665,000 people have been newly displaced within Afghanistan between January and September 2021 – in addition to the 2.9 million people already internally displaced in that country. The advent of winter has further exacerbated the situation. If left unattended, the situation could aggravate into a major humanitarian crisis. Afghanistan is a founding member of the OIC. As part of the Islamic Ummah, we are bound by fraternal bonds of amity and brotherhood with the people of Afghanistan. Over the years, the OIC has extended consistent support to the people of Afghanistan. Today, more than ever before, the Afghan people need support of the international community including the OIC. On its part, Pakistan has been engaged in intense diplomatic outreach, illustrated by the Prime Minister’s contacts with world leaders, Foreign Minister Qureshi’s numerous bilateral interactions, and visit to 4 neighbouring countries of Afghanistan (Iran, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan), establishment of the 6 neighbouring countries platform at
To be Contonued at Pg 7
FIA charges against Shehbaz, Hamza in Rs16bn graft case
LAHORE: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) submitted the challan against PMLN president Shehbaz Sharif and son Hamza Shehbaz to a special court on Monday for their alleged involvement in laundering an amount of Rs16 billion in the sugar scam case. In another development, the agency claimed it had unearthed the role of a Bahraini woman in the saga at the behest of former finance minister Ishaq Dar. “The investigation team has detected 28 benami accounts of the Shehbaz family through which money laundering of Rs16.3bn was committed during 2008-18. The FIA examined the money trail of 17,000 credit transactions,” according to an FIA report. The amount was kept in “hidden accounts” and given to Shehbaz in a personal capacity, the report added. This amount (Rs16bn) has nothing to do with the sugar business (of Shehbaz family).The money received from the accounts of low-wage employees by Shehbaz was transferred outside Pakistan via hundi/hawala networks, ultimately destined for beneficial use of his family members, the FIA alleged. The report further said that in 1998 Sadiqa Syed, a Barhrain national, had helped Shehbaz Sharif (then chief minister of Punjab) in laundering $5 million with the help of Ishaq Dar (then federal finance minister). The FIA has nominated Shehbaz Sharif and his sons — Hamza and Suleman — as the
principal accused in the case. Fourteen others have been named in the FIR under sections 5(2) and 5(3) (criminal misconduct) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, read with 3/4 of the Anti-Money Laundering Act. “Eleven low-paid employees of the Sharif group who ‘held and possessed’ the laundered proceeds on behalf of the principal accused, are found guilty of facilitating money laundering. The three other co-accused of the Sharif group also actively facilitated the money laundering,” the agency said. The benami accounts, which had deposits totalling Rs16.3bn, were not declared by the principal accused, according to the FIA. “The onus of proving pecuniary resources disproportionate to known sources of income and acquired ostensibly through improper means, lies on public servants,” it said. Source: dawn.com
ISLAMABAD: With increasing resource crunch, the Centre has decided in principle to stop financing provincial development projects, particularly those relating to devolved subjects, to shift to the federating units the financial burden that now stands at above Rs320 billion.This is part of a new National Development Framework (NDF) under which the federal government wants to restrict its investment priorities to the areas of federal responsibilities and ensure that the provinces take full fiscal responsibility of all devolved subjects. The issue was discussed at a special meeting of the Central Development Working Party
(CDWP) on Monday. It was presided over by Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission (DCPC) Mohammad Jehanzeb Khan. A senior Planning Commission official told Dawn that 16 federal ministries had been devolved along with development projects to the respective provinces following the 18th Constitution Amendment and abolition of Concurrent List. The financing of projects of provincial nature was discouraged through the Federal Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) except for core vertical projects of health and population till 2017. The financial burden on the federal budget, however, kept on increasing despite the fact that its fiscal share in divisible pool is shrinking from over 57 per cent to about 45pc under the 7th National Finance Commission (NFC) award almost at the same time. The provincial projects have since then crept back into the federal PSDP, leaving a limited fiscal space for projects of national importance.........Source: dawn.com
Average Canadian house price hit all-time Centre to stop financing provincial uplift projects high of $720,850 in November
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op i n i on
Age of democratic erosion
RESIDENT Joe Biden’s initiative to hold a virtual ‘Summit for Democracy’ has been variously interpreted. Many in the West saw this as a timely effort to reinvigorate democracies, put the issue back on the US foreign policy agenda and sharpen the focus on the ‘battle’ against autocracies. Others read the move as another effort in Washington’s counterChina strategy to mobilise democratic states and reinforce the idea that an ideological conflict is to be waged. The latter interpretation strengthened the view that the Biden administration is injecting a ‘cold war’ dimension into its competition with China. Whatever the motive there is no getting away from the fact that democracies everywhere face challenges from the rising forces of intolerance. Today democracies in many parts of the world are far from being shining examples of equal liberties for all and respect for institutions and human rights. In fact, most democracies now are in serious disrepair and need to fix their multiple weaknesses and deficiencies. Political polarisation and toxic politics seem to have become a worldwide phenomenon now. This denudes democratic systems of the essential ingredients to make them work effectively — tolerance, consensus and accommodating diverse opinion. The Global State of Democracy Report 2021, published by a Sweden-based research institute, highlights what it calls ‘democratic erosion’. It says “the quality of democracy continues to travel a very visible downward path across the board”. Democratic governments, according to the report, have been mimicking the practices of authoritarian regimes and this “democratic backsliding” is “threatening to become a different kind of pandemic”. It “now afflicts very large and influential
democracies that account for a quarter of the world’s population”. This at a time when the percentage of people living in a democracy has also plunged to its lowest point since 1991. One of the two most egregious examples of democratic erosion is in our neighbourhood — India, while the other is among the world’s oldest democracies, the US. Indian democracy has in recent years been challenged by the rise of right-wing nationalist populism, also evidenced across the world, with so-called strongmen rule holding sway. This has entailed elected leaders acting with impunity to erode civil liberties, curb freedom of expression, suppress dissent and undermine democratic norms. The perversion of Indian democracy and its descent into authoritarianism has however gone much further with the assault on the state’s formal secularism by the ruling party’s Hindutva ideology and its active mobilisation of anti-Muslim and anti-minority sentiment. This has fuelled violent religious discord and the most vicious mob attacks on minorities. Democratic decline is now a global trend which reflects growing intolerance around the world. Democratic erosion in the US has assumed a different form but has also resulted in regression. The rise of Trumpian populism in recent years has seen the mainstreaming and empowerment of racist and white supremist groups and sentiment that has fuelled racial unrest and deeply divided the country. Moreover, polarisation has steadily eroded the political middle ground, produced partisan gridlock and made even minimal consensus to run the political system elusive, leaving it in a dysfunctional state. Lack of respect for democratic norms and institutions reflected in Trump’s whimsical rule has outlasted him.
It is reflected most notably in the way many Republican-run states are making changes to election laws and voting rules. In at least 19 states Republican-controlled state legislatures have enacted laws that restrict voting rights. This has set off alarm bells about the future of democracy in the US. A statement signed earlier this year by over a hundred American scholars warned of the danger to democracy by such actions which were politicising the electoral system and could call into question the fairness and credibility of future elections. The wider public seems to share this view. Twothirds of Americans believe their country’s democracy is under threat according to a July 2021 PBS/NPR poll. The US is no exception to a global trend also playing out in central Europe where leaders including Victor Orbán in Hungary, Andrzej Duda in Poland and an aspiring ‘elected autocrat’ Herbert Kickl in Austria represent the far right that has manipulated xenophobic nationalism and mobilised antiimmigration sentiment to seize power. Then there is Brazil’s far right populist President Jair Bolsonaro in Latin America’s largest democracy. Many such populists once they are elected concentrate power, subvert democracy and engage in reckless politics and authoritarian practices. The trend towards authoritarianism in the last decade or more raises the question of what are the underlying factors responsible for the phenomenon and rise of populist leaders. This cannot be attributed to any uniform set of factors as each country’s case is different with specific dynamics and variables shaping its political trajectory and landscape. Some common features can nevertheless be identified. They include the failure of established political parties and their policies to meet
heightened public expectations, growing disconnect between political elites and people, poor governance, increasing inequality, lack of responsiveness by institutions to public concerns, political polarisation, economic and social discontent, uncertainties spawned by globalisation and role of the social media. What about Pakistan’s democratic record? The country’s chequered political history has seen it alternate between periods of fragile democracy and long bouts of military rule. The post-1980s democratic experience has been replete with ousters of elected governments, well short of completing their term, by military-backed actions undertaken either by previously powerful presidents or the judiciary. In such an environment democratic values and norms could barely take root while the politics of intolerance practised by several civilian governments also played into the hands of the ubiquitous establishment. Today Pakistan’s democracy has an elected government but in a political system popularly known as ‘hybrid’, to indicate the influence exercised by the military over national affairs and governance. This has further distorted the working of democracy. So have the actions of a government that treats political opposition as illegitimate, shows little tolerance for criticism or dissent and prefers to rule unilaterally. Pakistan’s democracy has regressed in recent years but for reasons somewhat different from those challenging democracy elsewhere. What it has in common with democratic decline across the world is an environment of growing intolerance that is both a cause and consequence of democratic erosion. Courtesy By: Ms.Maleeha Lodhi Laysa Lil Insana illa ma’ sa’aa That man can have nothing but what he strives for.
‘Now is not the time’: Federal government warns against travel abroad..... News Cont from Pg 1
measures or curb flights in and out. “The situation abroad is already dire in many places and it’s going to get worse very quickly, so we’re afraid for what could happen to them if they leave Canada,” Duclos said.
We’re answering your questions about travel during the pandemic. Send yours to Ask@cbc.ca, and we’ll answer as many as we can. In addition to the new travel warning, Duclos said the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) will ramp up the mandatory ar-
rival testing program at the country’s airports. Duclos said last week the feds could process up to 17,000 arrival tests a day — he’s now promising to do more and to “test as many travellers as possible.” Last week, the federal government announced it would
make incoming travellers from non-U.S. foreign destinations get a COVID-19 test when they arrive in Canada. This new test is in addition to the pre-departure molecular test that all travellers must undergo before leaving for Canada. ....Source: cbc.ca
PM asks Sindh to join healthcare scheme, okay islands uplift News Cont from Pg 1
ment to participate in the health card scheme,” he said while menBundal Island would ultimately tioning that it would cover every benefit the people of the provfamily across Punjab by March. ince and its economy. He said it had also been extend“I want to ask the Sindh governed to every corner of Khyber Pa-
khtunkhwa, whereas the Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir governments were ready to join it. “People in Sindh are also our people. They are also Pakistanis. They
also deserve this facility that provides health insurance up to Rs1 million to each family. They can go to any hospital and avail treatment,” he remarked. Source: dawn.com/news
peace in the country can be consolidated. This will also have a regional peace dividend. Continued engagement of the international community with Afghanistan is, therefore, an imperative. Against this backdrop, the Extraordinary Session would provide an opportunity to consider practical arrangements and concrete steps
to help address the humanitarian needs of the Afghan people. We expect and hope that in addition to expressing solidarity, the OIC member states and rest of the international community present will also consider making pledges of financial and in-kind support. Source: Office of High Commission for Pakistan, Ottawa
17th Extraordinary Session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers
Cont. from Pg 5
Pakistan’s initiative, participation in the Moscow format meetings, hosting of Troika Plus meeting and other visits/engagements. The international community is concerned over the situation in Afghanistan. Afghanistan’s international partners also want to help. As the collective voice
of the Islamic Ummah, the OIC can and must play its part in addressing the humanitarian needs of our Afghan brethren. OIC’s leadership would also help galvanize other international actors to come forward and extend a helping hand to the Afghan people. If a humanitarian crisis is averted and economic stability is assured,
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Jamadi ul Awal 12,1443 December 17, 2021
pol i t i cs
Liberals are failing to help people in Greater Vancouver with rising cost of living
While the cost of living keeps going up and people struggle to make ends meet, the Liberals fail to deliver the help Canadians urgently need Vancouver — Today, NDP MPs from Greater Vancouver reiterate their call on the Trudeau government to make life more affordable for Canadians. They say that the Liberals must do more to help people access affordable housing, make cell phone
and internet bills less expensive and ensure people can retrofit their homes and reduce their heating costs. “As the cost of essentials rise, the government has a responsibility to help Canadians get by,” said NDP MP Peter Julian (New Westminster–Burnaby). “Canadians know that now is not the time for cuts; it’s time for real investment in our communities. Investments like retrofitting houses to improve energy efficiency will create jobs, help fight climate change, and reduce the cost of living.” “While life is becoming less affordable every day, it’s important to remember that the struggles of the pandemic are not over,” stated NDP MP Bonita Zarrillo (Port Moody–Coquitlam). “I think about the people with disabilities in my riding and I know that just the required PPE is difficult to afford on disability payments. This government has to make the cost of living
more affordable, or they will leave the most vulnerable even further behind.” As we hear stories of Canadians being pushed into debt because of the impacts of the pandemic, Justin Trudeau isn’t hearing their call for help. Under his Liberal government, the average cost of a home is 38 per cent higher than it was a year ago and yet he has done nothing to stop the wealthy speculators who are driving up housing prices. New Democrats have been consistent and clear: to help people find a home they can afford in the communities where they live and work, the Liberals must build 500,000 units of affordable and social housing across the country. “The affordable housing crisis is getting worse and worse,” said NDP MP Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East). “Under the Liberal’s watch, Canada lost 183,000 units of low-income social housing. That’s more affordable housing units than what Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau’s National Housing Strategy promises to create. While the Liberals let massive corporations off the hook, people who can’t afford housing are forced to live on the winter streets even in the dead of winter. The only way to solve this is to build affordable non-market homes. The federal government can do this, they just need the political will to act.” “So many people are struggling to get by, and New Democrats have dozens of proposals that will make life more affordable for regular Canadians,” stated NDP MP Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway). “We urge the government to follow our lead and act. For example, let’s finally implement a public pharmacare program so no one has to choose between their medication and groceries. Doing nothing shows the Liberals either don’t understand or don’t care about the real plight faced by Canadians.” Source: NDP Media Centre:
Canadian families have waited 30 years for Liberals to deliver childcare: NDP
NDP Critic for Families, Children and Social Development, Leah Gazan, made the following statement:“New Democrats welcome a childcare deal in New Brunswick – it is long overdue. The Liberals have been promising Canadian families affordable childcare since 1993, and since then, families have spent thousands of dollars every year in childcare expenses. In some parts of the country, the cost of childcare is the same as having a second mortgage. Families deserve quality accessible, affordable and culturally appropriate childcare in their community, when they need it. Decades of inaction from the government
has had real economic impacts for families. According to Campaign 2000, the family economic disparity is so significant that the top ten per cent of families with children held nearly the same share of income as the bottom 50 per cent of families with children.New Democrats will continue to push to make sure the Liberals hold up their end of the deal and actually deliver the affordable childcare people need. This should include zero fees for low-income families – many of whom are now struggling even more as a result of the cutbacks to the Canada Child Benefit.After finally agreeing to get families the childcare help they
Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole responds to Fall Economic Statement Ottawa, ON - The Hon. Erin O’Toole, Leader of Canada’s Conservatives and the Official Opposition, released the following statement in response to the Liberal government’s Fall Economic Statement: “Instead of delivering a plan to combat the cost of living crisis and secure our country’s recovery, the Liberal government is making life more expensive for Canadians. “On January 1, the Trudeau Liberals are raising your taxes and they are planning to tax the sale of your home. This comes as Canadians are facing skyrocketing prices and the Bank of Canada has warned costs will climb even higher in the months ahead. “Canadians cannot afford for life to get even more expensive – yet that’s exactly what the Liberals’ ideological agenda is doing.“Right now, Canada’s Conservatives are focused on proposing solutions to
to seeing the details of the childcare agreement and will fight to make sure we all get out of this pandemic in a better place than we were before.”Source: NDP Media Centre:
JOB VACANCY
E C M Enterprise Ltd (dba) Gulshan Market is looking for the right Candidate
Full time Halal Butcher, (one) Vacancy
lift up Canadian families with more jobs, rising wages, and building an economy that benefits people in all sectors and all regions.“We will continue to be a voice for the millions of Canadians left behind in Justin Trudeau’s economy. It’s time for a new approach to create a dynamic, more prosperous Canada. It’s time to cut the Liberal waste and failure, and put an end to their high-tax, high-debt agenda.” Source: Josie.Sabatino@parl.gc.ca
Will there be snow for the holidays? Forecast says it’s still possible
While its December forecast may have been “busted,” The Weather Network reports that Canada could still see cold and snowy weather between Christmas and New Year’s Day. The recent update from meteorologist Doug Gillham says while seasonal forecasts called for a warmerthan-normal fall and a mild “come-and-go winter,” with above normal temperatures, sandwiched in between were calls for a period of more consistent winter weather for the end of November and the month of December.“That forecast is definitely running off the rails,” Gillham writes. We specifically highlighted that the weeks leading up to Christmas would be more conducive to skiing rather than golf. While I don’t think many people were golfing this past
desperately need, it’s inexplicable that the Trudeau government is still refusing to stop clawing back the Canada Child Benefit from low-income families who rely on that support. Families who received the CERB or CRB are being punished for following the rules during the height of the pandemic. New Democrats have been calling for an end to the clawbacks for months, and we will continue to do so until people across the country are treated fairly. This pandemic has been incredibly difficult for families. We know that high-quality and universally accessible childcare is a step towards a just recovery. We look forward
Full time 40 hours / week, Hourly Wages: $19.00 / hour
Duties include and not limited to:
• Cut, trim, and otherwise prepare standard cuts of Halal meat to include lamb, goat and beef. Included in the offering is poultry and fish to cater to customer’s orders. • Grind Halal beef, goat and lamb using powered grinders and slicing machines • Prepare special display of all Halal meats, poultry and fish. • Shape, lace and tie roasts for beef and poultry. May wrap prepared meats, poultry and fish. • Manage cold storage inventory, keep records of counter sales determine amount of product required for daily sales. Maintain and make sure freshness of products are always in compliance to food safety standards and customer requirements • Ensure cold food storage requirements are adequately met.
Knowledge, skills and experience:
Secondary (High) School Graduation Certificate 1 year to less than 2 years of related experience as a butcher.
Additional skills week, the weather during the next seven days will be brutal for skiers.” Gillham points to a change in the jet stream in mid-November that happened as expected.However, temperatures across northern Canada remained “exceptionally” warm, meaning cold fronts from the north simply knocked temperatures back down to normal......Source: cbc.ca/news/
Use of handling sharp knifes for cutting of meats must be able to wrap and package prepared meats, and weigh meats, label them for pricing. Train other meat cutters at the market. Language: English Location: 13569 76 Ave, Surrey, BC, V3W 2W3
How To Apply: By e-mail: gulshanmarket09@gmail.com
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Jamadi ul Awal 12,1443 December 17, 2021
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U.S. COVID-19 death toll hits 800,000, a year into vaccine drive
The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 topped 800,000 on Tuesday, a once-unimaginable figure seen as doubly tragic, given that more than 200,000 of those lives were lost after the vaccine became available practically for the asking last spring. The number of deaths, as compiled by Johns Hopkins University, is about equal to the population of Atlanta and St. Louis combined, or Minneapolis and Cleveland put together. It is roughly equivalent to how many Americans die each year from heart disease or stroke. The United States has the highest reported toll of any country. The U.S. accounts for approximately 4% of the world’s population but about 15% of the 5.3 million known deaths from the coronavirus since the outbreak began in China two years ago. The true death toll in the U.S. and around the world is believed to significantly higher be-
US will not punish troops for deadly Kabul drone attack:
cause of cases that were overlooked or concealed. A closely watched forecasting model from the University of Washington projects a total of over 880,000 reported deaths in the U.S. by March 1.President Joe Biden on Tuesday noted what he called a “tragic milestone.” He again called on unvaccinated Americans to get shots for themselves and their children, and urged the vaccinated to get booster shots.“I urge all Americans: do your patriotic duty to keep our country safe, to protect yourself and those around you, and to honor the memory of all those we have lost,” Biden said. “Now is the time.” Health experts lament that many of the deaths in the United States were especially heartbreaking because they were preventable by way of the vaccine, which became available in mid-December a year ago and was thrown open to all adults by mid-April of this year. About 200 million Americans are fully vaccinated, or just over 60% of the population. That is well short of what scientists say is needed to keep the virus in check. “Almost all the people dying are now dying preventable deaths,” said Dr. Chris Beyrer, an epidemiologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. “And that’s because they’re not immunized. And you know that, God, it’s a terrible tragedy.” Source: ctvnews.ca
Pentagon says it does ‘not anticipate issues of personal accountability’ over August drone attack that killed 10 Afghan civilians. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has decided against disciplining any members of the United States military for an August drone attack in Kabul that killed 10 civilians, including seven children, the New York Times and several US news outlets reported, citing unnamed officials.An internal Pentagon review concluded last month that the August 29 bombing in the Afghan capital did not violate the laws of war and was not caused by misconduct or criminal negligence.The New York Times first reported on Austin’s decision on Monday, citing an unidentified senior Pentagon official who said the defence secretary had approved a recommendation from two US military commanders not to discipline any personnel involved in the attack. The Washington Post and NBC News later confirmed the decision.
Asked about the investigation during a news briefing on Monday afternoon, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby did not directly confirm the US media outlets’ reports. Kirby said last month’s review left it to US commanders to reprimand military officials over the drone attack if necessary, saying that Austin had asked two top generals for recommendations on how to proceed after the bombing.The generals submitted their recommendations, which did not deal “with issues of accountability”, and Austin approved them, Kirby said, without elaborating. “I do not anticipate there being issues of personal accountability to be had with respect to the August 29 air strike,” Kirby said... Source: aljazeera.com
ployment, with 30 percent saying they had to leave work because of physical health issues, and 15 percent citing mental health issues. Both metrics marked an increase over March, when the first survey was conducted. The third most commonly cited reason was the need to take care of children or elderly relatives, which 12 percent of respondents said best described the cause of their unemployment. But the headline metric concealed big differences, said McKinsey. Jobless workers with children at home were 2.4 times more likely to cite caregiving as the reason for their unemployment, while Asian Americans were three times more likely than people of other races or ethnicities to cite taking care of family for keeping them out of the jobs market.“As we found in the inaugural American Opportunity Survey, in March, this new survey reminds us of the substantial—and stubbornly persistent—barriers preventing many Americans from having a more equitable, prosperous future,” said McKinsey. ”Source: aljazeera.com
been described as frosty, tense and even hostile. The longest-lasting controversy was undoubtedly the mass killing of Armenians during World War I, where an estimated 1.5 million people died. Both sides are now appointing special envoys to work on normalising ties. Why is this happening? And can they build trust after decades of animosity? Presenter: Imran Khan Guests: Mitat Celikpala – Professor of international relations and vice rector at Kadir Has Uni-
versity.Richard Giragosian – Director of the Regional Studies Center in Armenia Matthew Bryza – Non-resident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and former US ambassador to Azerbaijan..,, Source: aljazeera.com
Can Turkey and Armenia establish relations? Physical, mental health issues named Both sides are nowdiplomatic appointing special envoys to work on normalising ties. top cause of US unemployment Relations between Armenia and Turkey have
A new survey of United States workers found that 30 percent of unemployed respondents cited physical health as the cause of their joblessness, while 15 percent cited mental health issues. One of the more baffling questions surrounding the labour market recovery in the United States is the mismatch between a near-record number of job openings and the paucity of workers willing to fill them.A new survey published on Monday by global consultancy McKinsey and Company is shedding light on one of the major drivers keeping workers on the sidelines: health issues.According to McKinsey’s latest American Opportunity Survey, nearly half of jobless workers canvassed said health issues were the main cause of their unem-
UK reports highest daily COVID cases, ‘staggering’ rise feared
The UK reported 78,610 news COVID-19 infections, about 10,000 more than the previous high reported in January. The United Kingdom has recorded its highest daily coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic as a further 78,610 COVID-19 infections were reported, about 10,000 more than the previous high reported in January. More than 11 million people have now tested positive for the disease in the UK, which has a total population of around 67 million.With a new highly transmissible Omicron variant of the virus surging across the UK, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned of a “tidal wave” of infections. However, he suffered a blow to his authority on Tuesday when more than 100 of his lawmakers voted against measures to curb the increasing spread of the disease. Speaking at news conference, the British British prime minister said the doubling rate of omicron in some regions is now down to less than two days. He added: “I’m afraid we’re also seeing the inevitable increase in hospitalizations up by
10 percent nationally week on week and up by almost a third in London.“But we are also seeing signs of hope,” said Johnson, referring to people’s response to an emergency omicron appeal launched on Sunday. “I want to say that each and every one of you who rolls up your sleeve to get jabbed is helping this national effort, and I want to thank everyone who has come forward,” he added. ...Source: aljazeera.com
Sudan police fire tear gas at Khartoum protesters
Pro-democracy groups say the military should not be part of the government as they cannot be trusted to lead the transition to democracy. Sudanese police have fired tear gas at protesters, who rallied near the presidential palace in the capital Khartoum to voice their anger against a military deal that re-instated Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok. Thousands of people took to the streets in Khartoum and other Sudanese cities on Monday as part of relentless demonstrations against the October military coup and subsequent deal that has allowed the military to remain part of the transitional council formed in 2019 following the overthrow of longtime President Omar al-Bashir. General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan dissolved the military-civilian Sovereign Council on October 25 that had been set up to guide the country to democracy and declared a state of emergency across the country. Mass protests and international condemnation against his move forced al-Burhan, who
is also the head of the governing council, to reinstate Hamdok last month. He has also promised to hold elections in July 2023 and hand over power to an elected civilian government. But pro-democracy groups, who were at the forefront of the uprising that toppled al-Bashir, have criticised the deal to reinstate Hamdok. They have said the military should not be part of the government as they can not be trusted to lead the transition to democracy. Protesters in Khartoum waved Sudanese flags and chanted “civilian is the people’s choice” as well as “the people are stronger.” Ahmed Latif, an eyewitness, said police used tear gas, rubber bullets, and sticks to disperse protesters near the palace in Khartoum. “Police used intensive tear gas against peaceful protesters, and this step is a real violation and proves that the military and Hamdok don’t respect human rights or freedom of assembly,” he told Anadolu Agency. Source: aljazeera.com
09 loc a l Masjid Al-Salaam & Education Centre’s Annual Fundraising Dinner Jamadi ul Awal 12,1443 December 17, 2021
By: Anwer Qadir
O
n Dec 11, The period 2019 to 2021 will go in history as the most challenging time of our generation due to pandemic factors. Our lives’ basic routines and norms – going to work, visiting loved ones, praying at your mosque in particular during Ramadan were interrupted by the pandemic. During last two years, Masjid Al-Salaam has continued to provide services despite of no or limited congregations. This has impacted adversely on the Masjid’s financial resources. In order to ensure that Masjid can meets its operation expenses, on December 11th Fundraising Dinner was organized with the objective to generate $100,000/The event started with Quran recitation; Br. Yasin Taqi welcomed the audience with special thanks to the sponsors. Br. Bob Rahi-
man – Chairperson Br. Masjid commented on the proactive and diverse role of Masjid Al-Salaam in connecting with community despite of pandemic either online or in person (where possible). Br. Asad Gondal – the president elect BCMA was the chief guest and he thanked the Masjid Al-Salaam for its positive role in the community and expressed his commitment to work for the all branches and chapters of BCMA. Imam Yahya shared the story of a companion of Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) – Abu Darda and motivated the audience to invest in here and hereafter by donating toward Masjid’s operating expenses. Ahamdolliah, the Masjid raised approximately $96,000 and Imam Yahya made dua for all the donors.The event was followed by dinner where a delicious prepared by Masjid’s volunteers was served.
Appointment of the BCMA Executive Team Members
Date: December 13, 2021 As Salamu-Alaikum Wa-Rahmatullahe Wa-Barakatuhu, he President of the B. C. Muslim Association, Br. Muhammad Asad Gondal has nominated the members of his Executive Team as detailed below and were approved by the members of the Executive Council on December 12, 2021.
T
1. General Secretary Br. Fadi Kanafani 2. Assistant General Secretary Sr. Tahzibun Nisha Ali 3. General Treasurer Br. Salah El-Khatib 4. Assistant General Treasurer Sr. Rabia Mohamed 5. Vice President Religious Services Br. Sikandar Khan 6. Vice President Youth Development
Services Br. Mohammed Imtiaz Asin 7. Vice President Education Services Br. Raza Mirani 8. Vice President Social Services Sr. Mehmoona Ali 9. Vice President Funeral Services To be decided later 10. Vice President Sports & Recreation Services Br, Irshad Siddeeq
11. Vice President Public Relation & Communication Services Br. Iltaf Sahib 12.Vice President Planning & Development Services Br. Mohammed Arfan Malik Jazak-Allah Khairan, ILTAF SAHIB Vice President - Public Relations & Communication Services
B. C. Muslim Association Head office: Jameh Masjid Richmond
Alhamdulillah, BC’s first Muslim bilingual and bi-weekly newspaper, Miracle Media Group has completed 21 years of publication. Despite the challenges of epidemics, the Miracle continued to publish bi-weekly without interruption. To mark the occasion, a special edition will be published on Friday, February 18, 2022. On this occasion, we would like to honor the immigrants of the community and print their stories. If you immigrated to
Canada and would like to share your first job experience, so please email us your articles on miraclenews@telus.net. You can choose English or Urdu, any language. These selected articles will be given a special Miracle Award. You can also send your photo if you wish. It will be attached to your article. Please send your articles in Word document or Inpage file by January 20, 2022. Thanks in advance for your cooperation.
Special Storytelling Award
21st FEB 2001-2022
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Jamadi ul Awal 12,1443 December 17, 2021
h e a l t h
Exercise Basics
T
he decision to start exercising—or get more serious about it—is an important one. It can have many positive effects on your life; helping you to feel healthier, look better, and feel better. It is a great way to burn off energy or frustration after a long day of work. Even if you have a busy schedule, exercise is time well spent. Before we go any farther, lets review the health benefits of exercise. Remembering these facts can keep you going when you are sweating away in the gym.
Some of the benefits of exercise include: •
improve health. Interval training is a type of aerobic exercise that has been generating a lot of interest lately. The benefits include burning more calories in less time, while increasing your aerobic capacity. Essentially, you alternate between segments of vigorous exercise and segments at a slower, more relaxed pace. Depending on your fitness needs, interval training may be a good option to consider alongside traditional methods of cardio. To get started, hop on a bike or put on your running shoes. Remember to warm up for a few minutes before you start. Begin with a pace that challenges you but one you can maintain. Do the best you can. Don’t be discouraged if you can only walk, even walking is considered a great aerobic exercise. Set easy goals for yourself so you can see the progress you are making and do not get overwhelmed. When you look back over time, you will be very pleased with the results.
Weight loss as well as maintaining a healthy weight. • Lowering blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. • Increasing your energy. • Reducing stress and improving your mood. • Maintaining bone mass. • mproving the quality of your sleep. • Giving you a better quality of life through improved strength, endurance, Strength Training and flexibility. Another common type of exercise is strength Promoting healthy aging. training. Besides developing stronger musAs you probably know, there are many differ- cles, strength training increases your metabent types of exercise. Here is some informa- olism, helps you lose weight, and maintains tion to help you get started on the right foot. strong bones. Strength training doesn’t need Aerobic Exercise to take too much time either. Although some Cardio, (also called aerobic exercise), is people spend hours in the gym every day, 2 designed to get your blood pumping, build to 3, hour-long sessions a week is enough endurance, and help you loose weight/ for most people. maintain a healthy weight. Types of car- Although many people associate strength dio include, walking, running, cycling, and training with the gym, there are many exswimming. Cardio is generally performed ercises you can do at home. You can buy continuously for a set amount of time; stud- many types of equipment, such as free ies have shown the most effective amount of weights, small machines, exercise bands, or time is around 30 minutes. It strengthens the kettle bells. There are even some exercises heart and lungs and burns calories. that require little to no equipment, like PiEach week, healthy adults should try to lates or bodyweight exercises. While many include 150 minutes of moderate aerobic gyms offer classes for these types of exeractivity, or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic cises, you can easily purchases videos and activity, in their exercise regimens. follow along at home. The internet is a great Exercising several days a week will maxi- resource as well. mize the benefit of the time you spend. Even If you are using weights, do several different if you have to break your exercise into short exercises focusing on a major muscle group. sessions, continue exercising. Even ten- Try to do 3 sets of 8-12 repetitions for each minute sessions have been demonstrated to exercise, with short rests between sets.
Don’t hurt yourself, but make sure you feel the ‘burn’ in your muscles. This will show you that you are giving your muscles a good workout.After lifting weights, you should skip a day to let your muscles recover. If you want to train again the next day, be sure to target a different muscle group. To get started, get to know the equipment you will be using. Read the equipment’s instructions, ask a gym employee, or follow along with a video. Remember, you can learn a lot from the people around you and most will be more than happy to share their knowledge.
Flexibility
Stretching is an important component to exercise that tends to be overlooked by many people. However, it is important for many reasons. Stretching improves and maintains your range of motion; this is important because strength and aerobic training cause your muscles to tighten up. While it is no longer recommended to stretch before a workout, stretching after a workout will help maintain flexibility.Stretching will keep you flexible and agile as you age. As a bonus, it also boosts circulation and can promote better posture and relieve stress. When stretching, do not bounce or extend a stretch so far that it hurts. Stay still and keep breathing freely as you hold the stretch. It is recommended to stretch 3 times a week, but more frequently is even better. You can learn more about how to stretch from websites or fitness books. Most gyms also have posters demonstrating different types of stretches. Or better yet, you could ask someone who knows. The best way to get started stretching is simple: remember to do it after your workout. The extra time you take to stretch after exercising will be a great benefit to you. It will give your body a chance to cool down and will help you relax. Remembering to do it will pay off, as you will maintain better flexibility, movement, and balance.
and affect each other. Beginning an exercise regimen is a big step, but there are other pieces to the puzzle. Diet is very important. Besides being a major part of weight loss process, the nutrition you receive from a balanced diet will give you the energy and strength you need for a successful workout. A proper diet will also help you feel and perform your best, every day. Rest is another issue that is often overlooked. It sounds simple, but some of us get so focused on exercising that we forget to let our bodies recover. We need to remember to schedule a day or two for rest in our exercise schedules. It gives your body a chance to repair itself and build muscle.
The Bottom Line
With all this being said, one thing is important for us to remember. We need to take a holistic approach to our health. There is no cure-all in living a healthy life, but there are several healthy practices that are connected
Find something you can do and do it. Over time, try to add different exercises to your regimen. Work all parts of your body through a combination of different exercises. If you can get a good mix of aerobic exercise, strength training, and stretching you will be well on your way to improving your health and feeling better about yourself. Think about this: it’s been shown that for every minute you exercise, you gain two minutes of longevity. So get started today, you don’t have to dive off the deep end, but start at a level you can handle. That way, you’ll avoid burning out after a few weeks. It’s also good to remember that household chores, yard work, home repairs, cleaning, or playing with children count as exercise too. Remember, starting anything new is difficult at first, but it will get easier, and your improvements will continue to motivate you. Source: lifeandhealth.org
other steps, other than to say “As always, Conservatives will continue to abide by all current public health guidelines.” Both the Conservatives and the Bloc argued last month for a full return to normal, inperson operations of the House and its committees, complaining that the hybrid format used previously during the pandemic allowed cabinet ministers to escape opposition scrutiny. Over Tory and Bloc objections, Liberals and New Democrats joined forces to approve a resumption of the hybrid format, giving MPs the option of participating virtually in proceedings. Nevertheless, since the new parliamentary session opened three weeks ago, most of the country’s 338 MPs have been showing up in the Commons in person. They are required to wear masks -- which must be removed when an MP is voting -- but the close seating arrangements make it impossible to maintain two metres of physical distance between MPs when the chamber is crowded. As of Tuesday evening, Holland said the Liberals will allow only 25 to 30 MPs at any given time to be sitting on their side of the
chamber, including what he called a “robust cabinet presence.” The rest will participate remotely via video conference. He argued that the emergence of the highly transmissible Omicron variant proves the wisdom of retaining the hybrid format. “What is clear as we continue the fight against COVID-19 is that nothing is predictable,” Holland said. “One of the things that I said when we were pushing for the importance of hybrid provisions is that we have to remain flexible and adapt as the public health circumstance changes.” Holland said there may be more changes coming to adapt to the wildfire spread of the Omicron variant, including potentially requiring anyone entering the Commons precinct to have received a third booster shot, in addition to the current double vaccination requirement. He did not rule out the possibility of extending Parliament’s six-week holiday break if the Omicron wave of the pandemic gets much worse, as public health experts fear. The break is to begin Friday evening and is currently scheduled to continue until Jan. 31. Source: ctvnews.ca
Nutrition and Rest
Omicron rapid spread prompts Liberals to limit number of MPs in Commons
OTTAWA -- The lightning spread of the Omicron COVID-19 variant is prompting federal politicians to reconsider the wisdom of having several hundred MPs crammed together in the House of Commons. Government House leader Mark Holland announced Tuesday that the Liberals will “greatly reduce” the number of their MPs in the chamber and intend to hold entirely virtual caucus meetings for the time being. Source: lifeandhealth.org Liberals are following the advice of public health officials, who are warning Canadians that “now is not the time for mass gatherings and that smaller is better,” Holland said, noting that the
experience in other countries suggests the Omicron variant is as much as eight times more contagious than the Delta variant. It’s particularly important to limit gatherings of MPs who “are coming from all areas in the country and will be returning to all areas of the country,” he added. Holland met with his opposition counterparts to advise them of the Liberals’ decision but said it’s up to them to decide whether to follow suit. A New Democrat official said the party is still reviewing the issue but will likely take a similar stance. Bloc Quebecois spokesperson Julien Coulombe-Bannafous said the Bloc’s caucus will meet in person Wednesday, “respecting all the sanitary measures in force.” He added that all MPs and staff who attend are fully vaccinated. Beyond that, Coulombe-Bonnafous said the Bloc will “remain cautious and will adjust, as we have done since the start of the pandemic, depending on developments and public health recommendations.” Conservative whip Blake Richards said his caucus will also meet in person on Wednesday. He made no commitment to take any
Pfizer Vaccine Has 23% Efficacy Vs. Omicron in South African Lab Study
A two-shot course of Pfizer Inc.’s vaccine may have just 22.5% efficacy against symptomatic infection with the omicron variant, but can thwart severe disease, according to laboratory experiments in South Africa. Researchers at the Africa Health Research Institute in Durban issued additional data on a small study released earlier this week from which they made an estimate of the efficacy of the vaccine using modeling. The research considered blood plasma samples from 12 participants. Scientists found
omicron resulted in about a 41-fold reduction in levels of neutralizing antibodies produced by people who had received two doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech SE shot, compared with the strain detected in China almost two years ago. This is “essentially compromising the ability of the vaccine to protect against infection,” said the team of scientists led by laboratory head Alex Sigal in a preprint released on Friday. There most likely continues to be sufficient protection against severe disease, they said. The team this week was the first to show
that the variant, found by scientists in South Africa and Botswana and announced on Nov. 25, could largely, but not totally, escape the antibodies produced by Pfizer’s vaccine. Still, they said a booster shot could increase immunity. That’s been backed up by studies carried out by Pfizer itself. Preliminary U.K. data released on Friday showed that boosters from AstraZeneca Plc and Pfizer/BioNTech SE improve protection against the omicron variant to as much as 75% in the early days after the shot. Source: time.com
11
Jamadi ul Awal 12,1443 December 17, 2021
Adeeb Shums
Ayyaz Shums
A2Z PREC Team (Realtor)
(Realtor) 604-518-3782
adeeb.shums@century21.ca
604-839-7863
ayyazrealtor@gmail.com
$705,000
3-9989 240A Street Maple Ridge BC V2W 1Z9
LD
313-3085 Primrose Lane Coquitlam BC V3B 7S3
206-12125 75A Avenue Burnaby BC V5A 0A5
SO
LD
PRE SOLD
$1210,000
42-20155 84th Avenue Langley, BC V2Y 2B8
R2630916
LD
R2613250
SO
SO
LD
R2622264
$499,000
LD
24-16127 87 Avenue Surrey, BC V4N 6R3
R2635245 $561,000
SO
$849,000
LD
R2614654
LD
R2608062
SO
1105-9188 University Cr Burnaby BC V5A 0A5
SO
325 W 22nd Street N. Vancouver BC V7M 2A3
$575,000
SO
SO
$1,700,000
2021
LD
R2617618
LD
R2637347
SO
SOLD
$1,785,000
20617 76B Street Langley BC V2Y 3J1
$638,000
106-9009 Comerstone-News Burnaby, BC V5A 0B9
Free Appraisal and Legal Fees TERMS 1 Year Our Rates* 2.29%
3 Year 5 Year 2.29% 2.29%
Special Promo
5 years Variable 1.50% 5 years Insured 1.99% * Rates are subject to change without notice
Asma Shums
Mortgage Consultant
* Purchase * Renewal * Pre Approval * 1st & 2nd Mortgages * Self Employed
* New Immigrants * Debts Consolidation * Construction/ Renovations * Commercial Mortgage
Surrey Office: 115-13740 72A Avenue, Surrey BC V3W 1N5 Vancouver Office: 6241 Fraser Street, Vancouver BC V3W 3A2
604-839-7853 ~ asmashums@gmail.com ~ www.a2zmortgage.ca
12
Jamadi ul Awal 12,1443 December 17, 2021
Adeeb Shums
Ayyaz Shums
(Realtor) 604-518-3782
adeeb.shums@century21.ca
A2Z PREC Team (Realtor) 604-839-7863
ayyazrealtor@gmail.com
UPDATED SOLD Properties 2021 SOLD $940,000 R2546594
SOLD $920,000 R2549835
20979 WICKLUND AVE 31982 HILLCREST AVE MISSION BC V2V 1K9 MAPLE RIDGE V2X 8E8
SOLD $560,000 R2543995
27-11464 FISHER STREET MAPLERIDGE, BC V2X 0H8
SOLD $929,000
R2546739
SOLD $564,000 R2541787
32-20890 57 AVE LANGLEY BC V3A 8M7
SOLD $1,417,000 R2555598
12471 227 STRRET 6537 125A STREET MAPLE RIDGE BC V2X 6K4 SURREY, BCV3W 6S9
SOLD $550,000 R2569290
8-13670 84 AVENUE SURREY, BC V3W 0T6
SOLD $950,000 R2555648
8985 VINES STREET CHILLIWACK BC V2P 3X5
SOLD $975,000
R2539866
11927 96A AVENUE SURREY BC V3V 2A5
SOLD $725,000
R2550873
31-7848 170 STREET SURREY BC V4N 6M4
SOLD $596,305
(Pre Sold)
43-6388 King George Blvd SURREY BC V3X 3J8
SOLD $596,305
(Pre Sold)
46-6388 King George Blvd SURREY BC V3X 3J8
SOLD $770,000 R2560163
SOLD $577,500
167 SPRINGFIELD DRIVE LANGLEY BC V4W 3K8
1109-5811 N0. 3 Road Richmond BC V6X4L7
SOLD $727,300
SOLD $500,000
R2482366
44477 FRESHWATER DR CHILLIWACK, BC V2R 6A3
R2570801
R2596550
301-15388 101 Avenue Surrey BC V3R 4H1
SOLD $575,005
SOLD $500,000
SOLD $415,000 R2517425
206-12125 75A AVE SURREY BCV3W 1B9
R2580575
#402 5638 201A ST,
LANGLEY BC V3A 1T1
R2558602
207-6930 BALMORAL STREET BURNABY BC V7E1J5
SOLD
$899,999 R2587180 32070 Holiday Avenue Mission BC V2V 2N1
SOLD $649,000
Exclusive Listing
211-2356 Welcher Av Port Coquitlam BC V3C 1X5
SOLD $359,000 R2554305
309-14885 105 AVE Surrey, BC V3R 2V6
SOLD $550,000
R2536822
1003-6611 Cooney Road Richmond BC V6Y 4C5
SOLD $590,000
R2609905 2925 Sullivan Crescent Prince George BC V2N5J2
13
Jamadi ul Awal 12,1443 December 17, 2021
Adeeb Shums
(Realtor) 604-518-3782
adeeb.shums@century21.ca
A2Z PREC Team (Realtor) 604-839-7863
ayyazrealtor@gmail.com
UPDATED SOLD Properties 2021 SOLD $2,200,000
R2530181 192 Stonegate Drive West Vancouver BC V0N 3Z2
SOLD $1,111,000
R2602684 13913 116 Avenue Surrey BC V3R 2T3
SOLD $460,000
SOLD $490,000
Exclusive Listing 217-8700 Ackroyd Road Richmond BC V6X 3G2
SOLD $660,000
R2615904
58-14555 68 Avenue Surrey BC V3S 2A8
SOLD $432,000
SOLD $1360,000
SOLD $1.675,000
R2598197 13749 93A Avenue Surrey BC V3V8A9
R2607279 11487 93 Avenue N. Delta BC V4C 3N5
SOLD $1,475,000
SOLD $815,000
R2592495 R2624339 7690 211 Street 68-2000 Panorama Drive Port Moody BC V3H 5J5 Langley BC V2Y 0W5 SOLD $560,000
SOLD $1,420,000
R2581471 219-13789 107A Avenue Surrey BC V3T 0B8
SOLD $860,000
R2596766
10-15168 66A AVENUE SURREY BC V3S 1X2
SOLD $577,500 R2570801 1109-5811 NO. 3 ROAD RICHMOND BC V6X 4L7
SOLD $775,000 R2602885 45595 Lewis Avenue Chilliwack BC V2P3C7
R2607038 1401 1148 Heffley Crescent Coquitlam BC V3B 8A6
SOLD
$1,050,000 PVT SALE
19339 71 Avenue Surrey BC V4N 1N2
SOLD
$635,999 R2574425 46383 CORA AVENUE CHILLIWACK BC V2P 7K9
SOLD
$880,000 R2602719 45639 Stevenson Road Chilliwack BC V2R 1M6
R2581876 308-3760 Albert Street Burnaby BC V5C 5Y8
R2624087
13763 92 Avenue Surrey BC V3V 1J1
SOLD $1.400,000
SOLD $1,265,000
R2621119 4-756 Forsman Avenue North Vancouver BC V7J2G6
SOLD $1270,000 EXCLUSIVE 10336 129A STREET SURREY BC V3T 5P2
SOLD $1312,000 R2603251 11002 240 Street Maple Ridge BC V2W 1H6
R2622265
DocuSign Envelope ID: EC7FBF12-52F4-41A0-92B2-AD081A3F01CA
8288 12th Avenue Burnaby BC V3N2L4
PVT Sale $1020,000 R2546594
Lot 3 19339 71 Avenue , Surrey
SOLD
$650,000 R2627418
901-2789 Shaughnessy Street Port Coquitlam BC V3C0C3
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Jamadi ul Awal 12,1443 December 17, 2021
Ayyaz Shums
Adeeb Shums
(Realtor)
604-518-3782
adeeb.shums@century21.ca
A2Z Team
PREC
(Realtor)
604-839-7863
ayyazrealtor@gmail.com
UPDATED SOLD Properties 2021 SOLD $445,000
R2559520
105-12155 75A AVENUE SURREY BC V2W 1B9
SOLD $715,000 R2579897
9160 ARMITAGE STREET CHILLIWACK BC V2P 6R7
SOLD $220,000
V589769
217 8700 ACKROYD ROAD RICHMOND BC V6X 3G2
SOLD $509,000
R2450615
2-5480 PEBBLE LANE CHILLIWACK BC V2R 6B8
SOLD $698,888
R2544625
R2534554
46095 FIFTH AVENUE CHILLIWACK BC V2P 1M6
SOLD $915,000 R2535413
33835 FERN STREET ABBOTSFORD BC V2S 1G4
SOLD $1,730,000
R2554052
SOLD $1,529,900
SOLD $2,275,000
R2588741 6183 146 Street Surrey, BC V3S 3A1
R2525983
403-71 JAMIESON COURT NEW WESTMINSTER BC V3L 5R4
SOLD $951,000
R2538286
12948 72 AVENUE SURREY, BC V3W 2M9
SOLD $286,000
18936 55 AVENUE SURREY, BC V3S 6W7
SOLD $1,490,000
603-620 SEVENTH AVENUE NEW WESTMINSTER BC V3M 5T6
SOLD $538,000
SOLD $600,000
316-8060 JONES RICHMOND BC V6Y 4K5
Pre-sale “Parkside at Lynn” by MOSAIC 3 bedroom penthouse
SOLD $410,000 R2578219
R2527043
17511 101 AVENUE SURREY BC V4N 4H2
SOLD $575,000 R2584183 61-31032 Westridge Place Abbotsford BC V2T 0C6
F1122130 203-7837 120A STREET SURREY, BC V3W 0W9
SOLD $1,650,000 R2534993 17737 102 AVENUE SURREY, BC V4N 5V8
SOLD SOLD $1,675,000 $435,000 R2583365 202-7161 121 Street Surrey BC V3W 1G8
SOLD $685,000 R2494524
2927 BABICH STREET ABBOTSFORD BC V2S 3K4
SOLD $658,900
R2529913
17-162 1639 SURREY BC V0V 0V0
SOLD $999,800 R2233335 15757 92 AVENUE SURREY, BC V4N 3C3
SOLD $820,000 R2533939
8040 KNIGHT AVENUE MISSION, BC V2V 6A8
SOLD $1,302,000
R2531908 6189 146A ST SURREY, BC V3S 6N4
SOLD $1,250,000 R2548366 11749 96 Ave Surrey, BC V2T 5B8
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Jamadi ul Awal 12,1443
Anti-Racism Data Legislation – Engagement session
By: Ms.Rabia Dastgir
O
women / y o u t h
December 17, 2021
n Dec 9th, the Pakistani Canadian Women’s Society in collaboration with Surrey Women’s Centre organized a dinner for community members, in Taste of Lahore restaurant Surrey, in which almost 50 persons include MLA Rachna Singh were present. This event was to engage on questions regarding Race-based data collection. A brief introduction about Race-Based Data and its importance was given. It was also explained how the data will be collected and used by the Government. Attendees were informed that their participation in the survey was voluntary, and that consent could be withdrawn at any moment. The attendees were divided into 6 focus groups, each group had 8-9 members including a facilitator further described below.
• Group 1: Male, South Asian (Pakistani origin) between age 40-70 ranging income bracket (20k-150k annually) • Group 2: Male, (Pakistani, Philippines, Syrian) between age 30-50 ranging income bracket (30k-200k annually) • Group 3: Females, (Pakistani, Iranian) between age 30-55 ranging income bracket (30k-80k annually) • Group 4: Females, (Pakistani origin) between age 40-65 ranging income bracket (30k-200k annually) • Group 5: Males and Females (Pakistani Muslims) Age range 45-60 income bracket (40-100k annually) • Group 6: Females, (Pakistani Origin) between age 35-50 income bracket (3580k annually) Of the 50 attendees, most of them completed the questionnaire during the session. Overall, feedback from the partici-
pants was encouraging and they were appreciative of this initiative by the Government. As evident from the bullet points above, the demographic consisted of participants mainly of Pakistani origin with diverse income brackets. This resulted in a consistent mix of participants from all walks of life and how their experiences translate into their opinions on this specific data collection drive as well as responses to the questions. Preliminary analysis of Data revealed that most of the participants
identified and preferred to be classified within the following groups: 1. Geographic: South Asian 2. Country of Origin: Pakistan 3. Religion: Islam Aside from this, the majority of participants preferred to be classed under the country of origin and language as a major marker of cultural background for a specific need to have more facilities available to them in their own language. Next Event: Scheduled for December 18th,
Surrey Hospitals Foundation’s Azra Hussain and daughter Hebah Hussaina make WXN’s Top 100 List
S
URREY Hospitals Foundation’s Chief Operating Officer Azra Hussain and her daughter Hebah Hussaina have both been recognized in the 2021 Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award, presented by the Women’s Executive Network (WXN) recognizing 105 outstanding women across Canada, who advocate for workforce diversity and inspire tomorrow’s leaders. For the first time in Canadian history, a mother and daughter team has won their respective WXN categories. Surrey-based Azra Hussain and Hebah Hussaina were presented with the KPMG C-Suite Executives and the RBC Future Launch Future Leaders awards respectively. The Top 100 Awards span the private, public and not-forprofit sectors, with the winners selected by WXN’s Diversity Council of Canada. “Azra is a committed and visionary leader, whose strategic mindset and professional business acumen has been integral to Surrey Hospital Foundation’s growth. Her original, innovative research has propelled our relationships with our donors, partners
and communities to ensure every dollar the Foundation receives has the greatest impact on the betterment of community health,” says Jane Adams, President and CEO of Surrey Hospitals Foundation. “We are so incredibly proud of Azra and her daughter’s achievements. It is such a great female empowerment story to have a winning motherdaughter team who show strength, resilience and fearlessness to inspire more women in the generations to come.” Azra is a gifted leader, bringing more than 20 years of executive experience to her role as Chief Operating Officer at the Foundation. With her Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) professional designations, Azra brings a unique skill set to her responsibilities of financial oversight, fundraising, talent management and operations to the Foundation. She also believes in lifelong learning and advancing the power of collaboration that allows for innovation and advancement at both an individual and team level. She sits on the Board of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Greater Vancouver and
the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), volunteers with the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy’s (AHP) International Conference Committee and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) Task Force, Surrey Board of Trade’s Women In Business team and the local Tax Clinic to assist low-income groups with their annual personal tax filing. Born in India, Azra’s story spans from immigration, integration to an inclusion journey. Her unwavering courage to overachieve and excel, give back to the community, and become a role model for young future leaders continues to inspire many including her two children, both of whom are already experienced TEDx speakers. Her life’s story has built the base for her commitment to being a role model in resilience. “My father instilled in me the importance of charity and giving back to our communities, and it’s a virtue that I’ve taken with me throughout my career including my work at the Foundation,” says Azra. “It is an honour, privilege and incredibly proud mom moment to be part of the same awards as my
her team asked adolescents between the ages of 13 and 20 to play a game while lying in an fMRI brain scanner. In some rounds of the game, participants could earn 20 cents for a correct response, while an incorrect one would cost them 10 cents. But in rounds with higher stakes, correct responses were worth a dollar, and wrong answers lost the participants 50 cents.
the volunteers were, the more improved their performance was. “Interestingly, the ability to adjust performance according to the stakes at play emerged gradually across adolescence,” says Insel. When the team looked at the brain activity of the volunteers, they found that their ability to improve their performance was linked to how developed their brains were. A region called the corticostriatal network seemed to be particularly important. This is known to connect areas involved in reward to those that control behaviour, and continues to develop until we are at least 25 years old. The more developed their corticostriatal
daughter; to see her make her own successes and achievements by being a positive influence and making a difference in the path she takes.” In 2015 at the age of 15, Azra’s daughter Hebah started the Youth for Care initiative, a not-for-profit youth group that organizes fundraisers and raises awareness for Surrey Memorial Hospital, and fosters connections between youth and the hospital. Now, at the age of 22 with a BSc Integrated Science degree from UBC, Hebah is already a TEDx and BC Tech Summit speaker, community leader and advocate, who is passion-
Cont. at Pg 16
Teenage brains can’t tell what’s important and what isn’t
T
eenagers may know full well how important final exams are – but that won’t stop some putting in minimal effort. This may be because their brains aren’t developed enough to properly assess how high the stakes are, and adapt their behaviour accordingly. Adults are generally pretty good at being able to tell when a situation is worthy of extra time or concentration. Research has found that, when potential rewards or losses are higher, for example, adults will perform better on tasks. But this doesn’t seem to be the case for adolescents. Catherine Insel, at Harvard University, and
Less-developed brains
The team found that while the older volunteers performed better in the high stakes rounds, the younger ones didn’t – their performance didn’t change in line with whether the stakes were low or high. And the older
network was, the better volunteers were able to boost their performance on high stakes tasks, says Insel. Source: .newscientist.com
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Jamadi ul Awal 12,1443 December 17, 2021
hISTORY
HISTORY: THE FALL OF DHAKA FROM BIHARI EYES
By: Engr Imtiaz Alam Khan
O
n December 16, 1971, Pakistani troops laid down their arms and surrendered to India for the secession of East Pakistan. The lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians were lost. Much has been written about this watershed in Pakistan’s history. For the younger generation, I would recommend Brigadier Siddique Salik’s book Main Ne Dacca Doobtey Dekha which throws ample light on the subject and is worth reading. I simply believe, though, that we should remember this day to pay homage to the patriots who gave their lives for Pakistan so that we can learn lessons from the events that occurred in the past in order to avoid any such recurrence in the future. So to commemorate, in a way of speaking, the ‘48th death anniversary’ of East Pakistan, I would like to recount here some of the events that I, as a resident of Dhaka, witnessed. My parents migrated from the Indian province of Bihar to East Pakistan in 1947. I was born and bred in Dacca, as it was formerly called, the capital of East Pakistan. My father was an employee of Pakistan Postal Service. The Post and Telegraph (P&T) colony, where we lived, consisted of several threestoried apartment buildings, surrounded by a boundary wall. The demography here was roughly 90 percent Bengali and 10 percent Non-Bengalis, or Biharis as they were usually called. India had set up hundreds of training camps in West Bengal where they trained and armed Bengali youths from East Pakistan to form the Mukti Bahini (Liberation Army). By mid-November 1971, the situation in the border areas had become alarming as more and more Mukti Bahini fighters kept pouring in from Indian Bengal. The border skirmishes were rapidly turning into bloody attacks on Pakistani troops. Eventually, on December 3, 1971, war with India was declared. A survivor of the 1971 civil war re-
counts the harrowing events of December 16 as a resident in a Bihari locality in Dhaka On the morning of December 4, I caught a small group of people looking up at the sky, trembling with excitement. Following their gaze, I lifted my head to scan the sky. After some moments, I caught sight of several white specks moving about in an orderly fashion. Indian planes, MIG-21s and SU7s, were circling over Dhaka at a very high altitude to avoid ground fire. They tried to bomb Dhaka Airport and the Dhaka Cantonment area but the bombs, dropped from such a great height, went astray and missed their targets. The very next day, the Indian Air Force attacked Dhaka Airport with their full might. Wave after wave of MIGs and Hunters flew over the airport dropping heavy bombs. The Pak gunners on the ground put up a brave fight. They shot down several enemy planes, yet there were so many Indian planes that the airport runway was destroyed, with all the planes standing there. The war on the ground was being fought in the border areas and towns of Jessore, Khulna, Natore, Kushtia, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Sylhet, etc. Dhaka is situated almost in the middle of the country and is surrounded by the rivers Ganges (Padma), Meghna and Brahamputra. As such, there was no sign of the Mukti Bahini or Indian forces near Dhaka or its adjoining areas. In the city, the only indications of a war being fought was the continuous presence of Indian planes which kept circling high up over the city, and the mandatory blackouts at night. Occasionally, from the balcony of our second-floor flat, we could see Indian planes dive and fire rockets at the Governor House. Streaks of fire leaping from the plane would explode over the eastern dome of the Governor House and flames shooting from the ground would explode in the sky as the Pakistan army gunners tried to down these planes. The Governor House was empty as Governor Abdul Malik and his staff had already shifted to the Intercontinental Hotel. The Indian forces had yet to cross the rivers before they could reach Dhaka. This was not easy as the river bridges had been destroyed. The city wore an uneasy calm and the atmosphere was charged with tension. Fear and anxiety was gradually but steadily tightening its grip on the citizens. Such was the state of affairs when December 16 dawned over Dhaka. On that harrowing day, just after Fajr prayers, there was a knock on the door of our flat. I opened the door and saw it was our Bengali neighbour Mallu Bhai. His actual name was
Muhammad Ali Khan but everybody affectionately called him by his nickname. He lived with his family in the only other flat on our floor. This handsome man was usually a calm and collected person but today he appeared wildly excited. His eyes were shining, his cheeks were flushed and his voice was loud and shrill. “Imtiaz, have you heard the big new? Akashvani [All Indian Radio] says Pak Army is going to surrender today!” I laughed loudly (little knowing that this would be my last laugh for a long time), “Oh, come on, Mallu Bhai,” I said, “you know better than to believe Akashvani.” It was late in the evening, nearing dusk, when we heard a loud commotion outside. I rushed to the balcony but what I saw made me freeze with terror. A large unruly mob brandishing bamboo sticks and leather whips was coming down the road to our building. Their faces were distorted with hate and fury. They were in a frenzy, shouting ‘Joy Bangla, kill the Biharis, kill the traitors’.Mallu Bhai replied, “No, you do not understand. This time they have given a [test] as proof to check the veracity of their announcement. They say that our planes will fly low over Dhaka but there will be no fire from the ground. The Pak army’s AckAck [anti-aircraft] guns will stay silent.”On hearing this, I felt panic rising within me but I controlled myself and said, “Just think, Mallu Bhai, how is this possible? The Indian Army has not reached Dhaka. They are still far away. So then, why should Gen Niazi surrender? And to whom is he supposed to surrender?” This repartee dampened Mallu Bhai’s excitement considerably and he went to his home, murmuring, “Ok, we will know the truth in a few hours.” Despite my bravado, I was badly shaken. I went back inside my flat in a state of trepidation. I told my family the news. We kept hoping and praying that it would turn out to be false news. Every now and then, one of us would go to the balcony and scan the sky for Indian planes. And then, what we hoped would not happen, did happen. The Indian planes came around 10 am. The first few sorties were made at considerable altitude but they soon started to fly lower and lower until we could clearly see the pilots. In stark contrast to previous routine, not a single shot was fired on them from the ground. It was the most bizarre scene. We
activities through partnerships with Science World, Surrey Memorial Hospital, the City of Surrey, Health and Technology District and the University of British Columbia. Hebah is a strong believer in investing in the future generation, and advocates for equal opportunities for youth to pursue STEAM careers. “Being recognized with this award amongst so many inspirational women and especially with my mother, is an absolute honour, as
it is her trailblazing passion for giving back and helping people that continues to inspire me each day”, says Hebah. “I am a strong advocate for the inclusion of accessible STEAM education programs within local communities, and a huge believer in youth volunteerism. One of my beliefs is the power youth hold to change the future.” Hebah plans to continue pursuing a career in child health science research and to further help support healthy child devel-
did not see, as we used to see, flames leaping from the ground to attack these planes. Instead, large numbers of pamphlets were being thrown from the planes. Printed in English, Bengali and Urdu, they invited the public to Ramna Race Course ground in the afternoon to witness the surrender of the Pakistan Army. Intrigued and hopeful, Bengalis flocked to the race course. There, in the presence of several lakhs of Bengalis raising thunderous slogans of ‘Joy Bangla’ and ‘Jai Hind’, Gen Niazi signed the Instrument of Surrender and handed over his pistol to General Arora Singh. East Pakistan died and Bangladesh was born. At the end of the ceremony, the mammoth crowd that spilled out from the Race Course Ground was on an ecstatic high. The euphoria of freedom kicked in an adrenaline rush, making the crowd boisterous. The cries of ‘Joy Bangla’ were now intermingled with cries of ‘Kill the Pakistanis’. But no one dared to attack the Pakistani troops; most of them were still armed. So, in their murderous mood, the mob spread out in the city to kill and plunder the supporters of Pakistan and the Pakistani army — the Biharis. A strange celebration of independence. An estimated 300,000 Biharis lived in Dhaka city. They were scattered in various localities of the city, namely Shahjahan Pur, Kamla Pur, Motijheel, Purana Pultan, Nawabpur road, Nawab Bari, Thatheri Bazar, Moulvi Bazar, Armani Tola, Islam Pur, Azim Pur, Saddar Ghat, Eskatan, Dhanmandi, Dhakeshwari, Neel Khet, etc. In all these localities, Biharis were in a minority amounting to five to seven percent of the population. That night, the Bihari residents of every locality were attacked by the wild mobs who were on a killing, burning and looting spree. To give you a glimpse of the gruesome happenings, I now go back to my flat in P&T Colony, Motijheel. It was late in the evening, nearing dusk, when we heard a loud commotion outside. I rushed to the balcony but what I saw made me freeze with terror. A large unruly mob brandishing bamboo sticks and leather whips was coming down the road to our building. Their faces were distorted with hate and fury. ................. ......Source: dawn.com
To be Continued in next edition
Surrey Hospitals Foundation’s Azra Hussain and daughter Hebah Hussaina make WXN’s Top 100 List Cont. from Pg 15
ate about supporting youth STEAM education. She is the Surrey coordinator of the Science World Future Science Leaders program, an after-school STEAM enrichment program for teens designed to unleash creative potential and build a life-long network of like-minded peers. Hebah has contributed and led initiatives to encourage youth participation in STEAM
opment in her community. WXN brings together remarkable women and men, creating opportunities to learn from each other, enrich careers and make a difference for female colleagues. The WXN Top 100 Awards opens doors for women to achieve higher levels of excellence by proving that opportunities are increasing for female leaders to have an impact at the highest organizational levels. Source: .voiceonline.com
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