Miracle 614-January 12, 2024 by Mohammad Naseer Pirzada

Volume 23- Issue 614- January 12, 2024- Jamadi ul II 30, 1445 H, $1 www.miraclenews.com BC, CANADA First Muslim

Biweekly & Bilingual

THE

Are we failing to protect

Ehd-e-Alast (The

03 Covenant Of Alast)

07 our children SOGI A

Darul Falah Islamic Cen11 tre & Mosque, Regina, Muslim community of 11 Chilliwack prayed

Can My Employer Make 09 Me Return to the Office? Canada’s ‘haves-and10 have-nots’ health systum

Countries file UN complaint over Boeing 737-800 shot down by Iran in 2020

he Ukraine International Airlines plane was hit by two missiles Iran says were fired in error shortly after takeoff, killing 176 people. Canada, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Ukraine have filed a complaint with the United Nations civil aviation agency against Iran for shooting down a passenger plane in

2020, killing 176 people. The four countries, which all had citizens on board the Ukraine International Airlines flight, accused Tehran of “using weapons against a civil aircraft in flight in breach of its international legal obligations”. The Boeing 737-800 was shot down shortly after takeoff from Tehran on Cont. @ page 5

Snow hinders rescues and aid deliveries to isolated communities after Japan quakes kill 128 people

WAJIMA, JAPAN escue teams worked through snow to deliver supplies to isolated hamlets Monday, a week after a powerful earthquake hit western Japan, killing at least 161 people. Heavy snowfall in Ishikawa Prefecture over the weekend and into the new week added to the urgency. After the New Year’s Day 7.6 magnitude temblor, 103 people were still unaccounted for, down from the more than 200 reported earlier, and

565 people were injured. Hundreds of aftershocks have followed, rattling Noto Peninsula, where the quakes were centered. Taiyo Matsushita walked three hours through mud to reach a supermarket in Wajima city to buy food and other supplies for his family. The home where he lives with his wife and four children, and about 20 nearby homes, are among the more than a dozen communities cut off by landslides. Power was out, and in a matter of Cont. @ page 5

06 82 per cent of Canadians believe the 06 Canucks trip Islanders 5-2 for 06 PM Sheikh Hasina wins fourth term Cont. @ page 6

US Navy shoots down Houthi missiles and drones launched from Yemen over Red Sea, officials say

Boeing 737 Max 9: United Airlines finds loose bolts during inspections

olts in need of “additional tightening” have been found during inspections of Boeing 737 Max 9s, United Airlines has said. Inspections began after a section of the fuselage fell from an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9 on Friday. United Airlines said “installation issues” relating to door plugs would be “remedied” before the aircraft type would return to service. Some 171 planes of the same type remain grounded by the US regulator. In its statement, United said: “Since we began preliminary inspections on Saturday, we have found instances that appear to relate to installation issues in the door plug - for example, bolts that needed additional tightening.” The door plug is a piece of fuselage

with a window that can be used as an emergency exit in certain configurations. It was this part of the Alaska Airlines plane which dramatically fell off mid-flight over the US state of Oregon, eventually landing in a teacher’s back garden. The plane made an emergency landing and none of the passengers or crew were seriously injured. The vast majority of Boeing 737 Max 9s used in the US are operated by United Airlines and Alaska, while Turkish Airlines, Panama’s Copa Airlines and Aeromexico have also grounded jets of the same model for inspections. United said it had cancelled 200 flights as of Monday and expected significant cancellations on Tuesday. Cont. @ page 5

Jamadi ul II 30, 1445H January 12, 2024

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Jamadi ul II 30, 1445H January 12, 2024

f a i t h Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) as saying, “The best day on which the sun has risen is Friday; on it Adam was created, and on it he was made to enter Paradise.”

Ehd-e-Alast (The Covenant Of Alast): Alam Barzakh in Islam:

ura Al-Araf (7:172) And recall (O Prophet)133 when your Lord brought forth descendants from the loins of the sons of Adam, and made them witnesses against their ownselves. asking them: Ehd-e-Alast (The Covenant Of Alast) ‘Am I not your Lord?’

And call to mind when We took from the Prophets their covenant, and from thee, and from Noah and Abraham, and Moses and Jesus, son of Mary, and We indeed, took from them a solemn covenant; (Quran 33:8) This verse explains that this covenant was not only taken from the previous prophets but also from the Holy Prophet Muhammad sa. According to this covenant, the Muslim Ummah has been made

They said: ‘Yes, we do testify.’ 134 We did so lest you claim on the Day of Resurrection: ‘We were unaware of this.’ Covenant of the Prophets It is our responsibility, being Muslims, that we fulfill the covenant Allāh took from us through the Prophets. And remember the time when Allah took a covenant from the people through the Prophets, saying, ‘Whatever I give you of the Book and Wisdom and then there comes to you a Messenger, fulfilling that which is with you, you shall believe in him and help him.’ And He said, ‘Do you agree, and do you accept the responsibility which I lay upon you in this matter?’ They said, ‘We agree.’ He said, ‘Then bear witness and I am with you among the witnesses.’ (Quran 3:82) In this verse, Allah has mentioned the covenant, which He took from all the prophets and through them from their followers also, regarding acceptance and help of any such prophet who testifies the teachings they already have. Testifying here does not mean mere declaration of truthfulness of the teachings which every believer does, but to fulfill the prophecies mentioned therein. Non-Ahmadi Muslim scholars argue that Hazrat Muhammad sa is not included in this covenant. Though there is no such indication whatsoever that the Holy Prophet sa is excluded from the term ‘Prophets’ mentioned in this verse, this misconception is cleared by the following verse wherein Allah has specifically mentioned the Holy Prophet sa by addressing him.

responsible that whenever a prophet comes to them who testify Islam and believe in the Holy Prophet sa, they have to accept him and support him. Allah has reminded this “covenant” in the following verse exhorting people to fulfill their promise and believe in the prophet who hasn’t brought a new religion but calling them towards their own God they already believe in. Why is it that you believe not in Allah, while the Messenger calls you to believe in your Lord, and He has already taken a covenant from you, if indeed you are believers? (Quran 57:9) The repercussions and consequences of breaking this covenant have been mentioned in the following verse: And those who break the covenant of Allah, after having established it and cut asunder what Allah has commanded to be joined, and act corruptly in the earth, on them is the curse of Allah and they shall have a grievous abode. (Quran 13:26) Founder of Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama`at, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad as of Qadian (1835-1908), who claimed to be that Promised Messiah and Imam Mahdi whose advent has been foretold by the Holy Quran and the Holy Prophet sa, not only testified the truthfulness of Islam, the Holy Prophet sa and the Holy Quran but also the prophecies of the Holy Qur`ān and Hadīth, related to his personality and time are fulfilled. These prophecies include solar and lunar

Level to remember that covenant and if not, then why Allah mentions it in the Quran?

QUESTION: In Surah e Araaf, Allah reminds us of the covenant in the Alam e arwa. But, we see nobody remembers it.Do muslims of high stature in terms of their imaan reach to that level to remember that covenant and if not, then why Allah mentions it in the Quran. ANSWER:

By: Javed Ahmed Ghamidi.

Ehd-e-Alast (the covenant of Alast) was mentioned not just to remind us of that event in particular, but to remind us of the fact that the believing-self or the potential

to believe in a creator has already been incorporated in our nature(fitrat). That event did happen, but the same event has been used by God to remind us of that part of our fitrat which innately contains this tendency to believe in a creator. This topic has been discussed at length along with all other dimensions of Fitrat (nature) in ‘Reponse to 23 Questions’ series by Ghamidi Sahab. I would request you to please do follow that series for an in-depth understanding of the said matter. Source: ask.ghamidi.org

arzakh (Arabic: ‫برزخ‬, from

loved ones give alms and Persian Barzakh, “limbo, bar- remembrance for the reward rier, partition” is an Arabic of the deceased. This brings word meaning “obstacle”, “hindrance”, reward and comfort to the de“separation”, or “barrier”) designates ceased. However, the relationship a place separating the living from the with the Hereafter is such that the hereafter; a veil between the dead and reward or punishment that begins their return to world of the living, but in Barzakh is part of the reward that comes in the end. In this regard, Allah also to a phase happening between Almighty says in Surah Ghafir: “(And death and resurrection. also in the world of Barzakh) these people Every Muslim knows about Barzakh or are brought before the fire of Hell mornthe world of Barzakh, but very few peoing and evening. ple know the full details about it. AccordScholars say about the world of Barzakh ing to the Ulema, Barzakh means ‘veil’ that it is a world which Allah Almighty and ‘barrier or obstruction between two has established till the Day of Resurrecthings’. This is the name of the interval tion. It is as vast as our world as it is wider from death to the Day of Resurrection, than the womb. In this world, the effect of which is stated in the Qur’an in Surah Alfaith and disbelief and obedience and disMuminoon: Until, when death comes to obedience is visible to the eyes. That is, one of them, he will say: My Lord! Send the things that we cannot see in this world, in the world of Barzakh we will see the things that include our deeds. Scholars say from the Shari’ah references that the world of Barzakh begins with the questions of two angels(Munkir and Nakeer). When relatives and friends return after placing the dead body in the grave and the soul is returned to the human body, the angels come to the grave and ask questions of the deceased. me back (to this world) so that I may do Their first question is ‘Who is your Lord?’ some good deeds in this (world) which Then they ask ‘What is your religion?’ If I have left behind. By no means! This is the dying person gives the correct answers what he is saying (regretfully) and before to these questions, then a voice from them till that day. There is a veil (the barheaven says: My servant told the truth. rier) (on which) they will be raised (from Open the gates of heaven for him, then the the graves). ”It is clear from this blessed gates of heaven open and the fragrances verse that the time between resurrection and cool breezes begin to come. But if the after death is called the world of Barzakh. dying person is a disbeliever or a hypoThe world of Barzakh has something to crite, then he cannot answer the questions do with the world and something with of the angels and the gates of hell are the Hereafter. The relationship with the opened for him. world is such that when a person dies, his

Source:islam.thestraightwayoflife.com/ eclipse in Ramadan; spread of plagues and epidemics; world wars, invention of modern transport system; and linking of oceans etc.In the light of these exhortations and the injunctions of the Holy Qur`ān, it is our responsibility, being Muslims, that we fulfill the covenant Allāh took from us through the Prophets and not only accept the Promised Messiah as but also help him in spreading the message of Islam world over. Source:alislam.org/articles

Prayer Schedule in Greater Vancouver January 12-26, 2024 -Jamadiul II 30- Rajab 14,1445H Isl. Dt. Day Date Fajar

30 Fri 1 Sat 2 Sun 3 Mon 4 Tue 5 Wed 6 Thus 7 Fri 8 Sat 9 Sun 10 Mon 11 Tue 12 Wed 13 Thus 14 Fri

Sunr

Zawal

Dhuhr

Asar

Maghrib

Isha

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

Jamadi ul II 30, 1445H

nAT I O N A L / B C N e w s

January 12, 2024

Missing helicopter found crashed in B.C. Interior, pilot dead: RCMP

A helicopter that was reported missing in B.C.’s Interior has been found crashed in Glacier National Park, Mounties confirmed Sunday. The sole occupant of the aircraft died in the crash, according to the Revelstoke RCMP. Crews had been searching for the helicopter after it was reported missing on Friday. The Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Victoria told CTV News an over-

due private helicopter was reported in the Revelstoke area around 8:40 p.m. that day. Around the same time, the Air Force’s Canadian Mission Control Centre got a ping from an emergency locator transmitter about 10 nautical miles east of Revelstoke, the JRCC said. In their own statement Saturday, Revelstoke RCMP said they were advised “shortly before 7 p.m.” Friday that a helicopter travelling from Calgary had

“potentially crashed.” A helicopter and plane tasked with the search were grounded due to weather on Saturday, while police and search and rescue crews conducted a ground search in the national park. Police said they are working with the Transportation Safety Board and the BC Coroners Service to determine the cause of the crash. Source: https://bc.ctvnews.ca/

Montreal teens jump into action to save couple from drowning in Barbados

Emma Bassermann and Zoe MeklensekIreland were both about to ride their last wave while boogie boarding on the Barbados coast on Wednesday when they heard a woman in the water crying for help. The woman, Belinda Stone from the South London, England, told the Montreal teenagers her husband, Robert, was too far out in the ocean and struggling to return to shore. “I can swim but I wasn’t able to actually achieve anything. I wasn’t going anywhere,” Robert told CTV News.

The girls immediately brought her in but quickly realized they didn’t have enough time to go find help to get her spouse. “We didn’t know how much time we had left. So we immediately went back out and we put her husband on the boogie board and I tied the strap of the boogie board to my ankle, and I pulled him back to the shore by swimming parallel to the shore until the current wasn’t so bad, then we went back in [to the shoreline] until he could touch the sand,” said Meklensek-Ireland, 13, in an interview with CTV News on Friday. Bassermann, 14, is a competitive swimmer with the Dorval Swim Club who is in Barbados on a 10-day training camp for Olympic trials. Meklensek-Ireland was there because

her father, Chuck Meklensek, is the club’s national development coach. The dramatic scene played out at the Barbados Beach Club in Christ Church, on the southern tip of the Caribbean island. The young girls say they were at the right place at the right time and both of them being good swimmers helped save the couple’s lives. “He was having a hard time breathing so the first words we heard out of his mouth were when he touched the sand,” Bassermann said. “He was saying thank you and how he wasn’t able to breathe and how the current was very strong.” The young girls are being hailed as heroes for rescuing the couple. They say their instincts simply kicked in, and they knew that swimming parallel to the shore in a strong current was the best way to save the man. “If we had been weaker swimmers it could have been a lot more disastrous,” said Bassermann, who trains about 21 hours per week in Montreal.

Once on the beach, they were both showered in praise. “They were talking about how they were terrified and how the wife was thinking about her will,” Meklensek-Ireland recalled. “They were saying how it would have been very different if we weren’t at that place and at that time, so they were so grateful for us.” The pair was also interviewed by local news outlet Barbados Today. Several messages of gratitude were shared in the comments of a YouTube interview about their heroic tale. Even though her swimming skills were put to the ultimate test this week, Bassermann said she has a lot more training ahead of her as she sets her eyes on the Olympics in 2028 and beyond. A local politician awarded them with a gift of appreciation and the Stones say the girls saved their lives. “I really feel that we’ve got a good guardian angel looking over us,” said Belinda. “Maybe a Canadian one,” her husband added. Source: https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/

necessary transition that is being imposed on Surrey taxpayers by the NDP government. Our number one concern is the cost of this expensive police transition on Surrey taxpayers that will run into the hundreds of millions. Given the economic pressures that is being felt across-the-board today, a double-digit tax increase is the last thing Surrey residents need. This latest research shows us there is strong support for keeping the RCMP, and that the vast majority of residents disapprove of how the Province has handled the policing transition.”

protect City funding/keep taxes affordable, it will add $464 million of the next 10 years, and officials elected in 2022 voted to retain the RCMP. 60% of residents agree that City is justified in launching a legal challenge and communications. 61% feel the transition will mean less funds for other local priorities and that the $150M the province offered is not enough, and feel a massive tax hike will be required to pay for it. Prior to learning the information in the survey, 46% would prefer to continue with the RCMP, versus 29% in favour of continuing the transition. After being presented additional information regarding the transition, support for retaining the RCMP increased by 18 points to 64%. Support for the RCMP appears to be drawn from those who were originally unsure (down 11 points) along with changing the minds of those who originally said they

would prefer transitioning to a new Surrey Police Service where support for the transition went down 7 points to 22%. 505 surveys were collected by Leger between November 3 and December 13, 2023 with a sampling accuracy of +/-4.4%, 19 times out of 20. The data has been weighted to ensure it reflects the age, gender, ethnic, mother tongue, and geographic population distributions in the City of Surrey according to Statistic Canada’s 2021 Census. The 2023 City of Surrey Police Transition Survey is attached. By: Media Enquiries: Amy Jugpal Communications & Media Relations Lead

New Police Transition Survey shows majority of Surrey residents support RCMP

Surrey, B.C. – The City of Surrey has commissioned a Police Transition Survey, conducted by polling firm Leger, that has found that just 29% Surrey residents want to continue with the Surrey Police Service transition, while 46% want to retain the RCMP. Support for Surrey RCMP increased after additional information was presented in the survey, with 64% preferring to continue with the current Surrey RCMP, versus 22% of respondents supporting the transition to the SPS. The survey also found that 73% of respondents agree that the provincial government should provide the full difference in funding since it was the province’s unilateral decision to continue the transition. “This comprehensive survey makes it clear that the majority of citizens in Surrey do not want to bear the burden of the police transition and prefer to continue with the RCMP,” said Mayor Brenda Locke. “That is why we have been doing everything we can to ensure residents are made aware of the significant cost and implications of this un-

Other poll findings include:

72% of residents feel NDP MLAs from Surrey should be advocating for the provincial government to take full financial responsibility for its decision to impose the Surrey Police Service over the objections of Surrey’s elected mayor and council. 67% of residents feel that the SPS has not hired an adequate number of frontline officers, that keeping Surrey RCMP will help

2023 wildfires were B.C.’s costliest insured event ever at $720M in losses, report says

. Fires in Okanagan and Shuswap regions top Insurance Bureau of Canada’s list of severe weather events. Two wildfires in B.C.’s southern interior caused more than $720 million in insured losses last year, making them the most costly insured extreme weather event the province has ever seen, according to a new report. Taken together, the McDougall Creek wild-

fire in the Okanagan and the Bush Creek East fire in the Shuswap region are now the 10th worst natural disaster for insurance payouts on record in Canada, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s (IBC) annual report for 2023. “This year’s wildfire season has broken all records in terms of the amount of land burned and damage caused to homes and businesses in B.C.,” Aaron Sutherland, IBC vice-president for the Pacific and western regions, said in a press release. “The wildfires’ impact is another tragic reminder of the risk B.C. residents face due to

climate change and the increasing frequency of natural catastrophes.” Across Canada, the IBC report estimates that natural catastrophes caused more than $3.1 billion in insured damage, making it the fourth most expensive year on record. “The increasing frequency and severity of climate-related disasters should be of concern to all Canadians, even if they have yet to be directly affected,” Craig Stewart, IBC’s vice-president of climate change and federal issues, said in a press release. While the destructive wildfires that blazed through B.C. caused the most insured damage of any extreme weather event in Canada last year, the list of 2023’s costliest weather events includes everything from ice storms to flooding: • Okanagan and Shuswap area wildfires,

Aug. 15–Sept. 25: $720 million. Severe summer storms in Ontario, July 20–Aug. 25: $340 million. • Spring ice storm in Ontario and Quebec, April 5–6: $330 million. • Summer storms in the Prairies, June 18–July 26: $300 million. • Nova Scotia flooding, July 23: $170 million. • Tantallon, Nova Scotia, wildfire, May 28–June 4: $165 million. • Winnipeg hailstorm, Aug. 24: $140 million. • Atlantic Canada cold snap, Feb. 3–5: $120 million. • Behchokq Yellowknife and Hay River, NWT, wildfires, Aug. 13–Sept. 16: $60 million... Source:.cbc.ca/news •

Jamadi ul II 30, 1445H January 12, 2024

opinion

Decaying Politics

Seraiki identity has emerged Mohajir politics remains un- The view is not entirely bleak OLITICS is to acquire and use power to in its poorer southern region clear though it too may re- as small pro-poor forces are achieve one’s aims and is but is yet to spawn ethno-ide- main rightwing. Mohajir poli- rising. Strangely, these are tics is the oddest nationally as mainly in the two poorest and often autocratic (won via force ological politics there. to favour elites). However, After 1947, Pakhtuns stuck to despite their high education, most violent areas: ex-Fata and its best form is democratic, Ghaffar Khan’s leftist ethno- income, global links and ex- Balochistan. sery from poverty is where rulers present pro-poor ideology for long. Religious posure, urban location (which The mi policies to win and implement parties ascended slowly in iso- makes mobilisation easy) and magnified by terrorism — them. But elites have created lated areas like Dir, Kohistan big intellectual pockets, they religious in ex-Fata to conquer many perverse political forms and the south but PTI’s reli- keep moving from one per- the state and ethnic |in Baloto prevail even in democracy: gio-populist nationalism now verse political form to another. chistan. PTM won two nationpatronage, populist, fascist holds sway despite the crack- Most of our failures stem from al seats in 2018 in ex-Fata. down. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s our political failures. Baloch forces are still loose as and religious politics. Our politics is clearly elitist. Hindko region, better off than So nationally, there is no eth- seen in Gwadar protests and Sadly, it has shown a huge drift many Pakhtun areas, has al- nicity or region where ideo- Baloch march. So, politics to perverse political forms ways stuck to patronage poli- logical politics prevails. Even in these areas now has three over time. Our mother politi- tics, like Gilgit-Baltistan and those who had it have em- forms: patronage politics, milbraced perverse politics. Stag- itant politics, and mass polical form was Muslim League’s Azad Kashmir. freedom one. Unlike Congress Sindhis and Baloch too start- nant patronage is now our tics, which rejects both. and Awami League’s pro-poor ed with leftist ethno-ideology main political form, vacuous The state is unwisely crushing left ideology, its politics were led by G.M. Syed and Bizenjo. populism its main challenger, it, not seeing its value in endrightwing ethnoreligious pop- Among the Baloch, establish- religious extremist politics the ing both forms of terrorism. ulism based on fear of Hindu ment ploys have stoked reli- main wild card, and terror- The huge political energy of rule sans a pro-poor vision. gious and feudal-led politics ist politics the main spoiler, Baloch protests must crysYet this national politics hid as older ethno-ideological cutting a bleak view of our tallise into durable political parties face extinction. Sindhis politics. This state is mainly forms like PTM. In my solimany regional forms. Muslim League co-opted feu- later switched to PPP’s left- due to the establishment’s au- darity visits to the Baloch prodal Unionists in Punjab and ist ideology, but then adopted tocratic politics that serves as test camp in Islamabad, I repatronage politics ruled there patronage politics. Ethno-ide- the bedrock of our politics. It quested Mahrang Baloch and for long, with elites winning ological Sindhi parties now get has ruled directly for 30 years others to think on these lines. by offering crumbs to famil- few votes. Mohajirs supported and runs politics covertly, and Our political decay reflects a ial voter blocs rather than Muslim League’s rightwing even otherwise, by furthering larger Saarc proclivity: pro-poor agendas. Yet Punjab politics initially, swung to re- various forms of political pa- Bangladesh embraces onevoted for PPP’s leftist agenda ligious parties in 1970, then tronage. Our huge economic, party autocracy, India has in 1970 but later adopted ab- turned to MQM’s ethno-pop- security, social and foreign illiberal extremism and Sri errant rightwing forms again ulist quasi-fascism after 1980 policy failures stem from our Lanka stagnant politics. Yet like PML-N’s patronage and and PTI in 2018. With both political failures. Our political nowhere are multiple crises PTI’s populism (anti-elitism PTI and MQM facing state failures exist because powerful and the need for mass politics sans clear pro-poor agenda). oppression, religious parties forces have blocked our natu- bigger than in Pakistan. So, which one will prevail in (JI and TLP) are rising again. ral political evolution for six Courtesy By: Dr Niaz Murtaza Punjab is unclear. A distinct But like Punjab, the future of decades.

Snow hinders rescues and aid deliveries to isolated communities after Japan quakes kill 128 people News Coninued from Page 1 to imagine we can keep living here.” ish after the first 72 hours. Of the Ishikawa officials say 1,390 homes hours, they couldn’t even use their cell phones, he told Jiji Press. “We want everyone to know help isn’t coming to some places,” Matsushita was quoted as saying by Jiji Press. “We feel such an attachment to this community. But when I think about my children, it’s hard

Late Saturday, a woman in her 90s was rescued from a crumbled home in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, after 124 hours trapped in the rubble. She was welcomed by shouts of encouragement, although the darkness and a long blue sheet of plastic blocked her from view. Chances for survival greatly dimin-

deaths, 70 were in Wajima, 70 in Suzu, 11 in Anamizu and the rest in smaller numbers spread among four towns. Firefighters and other disaster officials were trying to get to nine people believed to be buried under collapsed houses in Anamizu, Japanese media reports said.

were destroyed or severely damaged. Many of the houses in that western coastal region of the main island are aging and wooden. Cars lay tossed on cracked, bumpy roads. Snow blanketed the debris and highways. Wires dangled from lopsided poles. Source: ctvnews.ca

Countries file UN complaint over Boeing 737-800 shot down by Iran in 2020 News Coninued from Page 1 Aviation Organization (ICAO) in (ICJ) in The Hague, seeking repa- $150,000 for each of the families of rations from Iran for the families the victims and said in 2022 it had Montreal. January 8, 2020, amid rising The move was “an important step of the victims. They said Iran had begun making the payments. tensions with the United States in our commitment to ensuring “failed to conduct an impartial, Tehran has rejected claims that it is following the assassination of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. Three days later, Iran admitted that its Revolutionary Guard had fired two missiles at the plane, which was heading to Kyiv, by mistake. The four countries said they opened “dispute settlement proceedings” with the UN’s International Civil

that the families of the victims impacted by this tragedy get the justice they deserve”, said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who attended a memorial service in Ontario to mark the fourth anniversary of the disaster. The countries have already filed a case with the International Court of Justice

transparent and fair criminal investigation and prosecution consistent with international law”. In April last year, an Iranian court issued initial sentences for 10 unnamed people accused of involvement in the incident, including the operator of an air defence system. Iran has also set compensation of

not cooperating or being transparent and has accused the four governments of trying to “politicise” the issue. It has filed its own case with the ICJ, accusing Canada of violating its “international obligations” by allowing people to seek civil damages against Tehran. Source: aljazeera.com/

said it had provided a checklist for operators to adhere to during inspections. In a statement, the FAA said all 737 Max 9 aircraft would remain grounded until operators “complete enhanced inspections which include both left and right cabin door exit plugs, door components, and fasteners”. “Operators must also complete cor-

rective action requirements based on findings from the inspections prior to bringing any aircraft back into service,” the statement added. Flight 1282 reached 16,000ft (4.8km) when it began its emergency descent on Friday evening, according to flight tracking data. Images shared online - and later by investigators - showed a wide hole

in the side of the craft, with oxygen masks dangling from the ceiling. Passengers were quoted by The Oregonian newspaper as saying that a young boy seated near the affected area had his shirt ripped off by the force of the decompression... Source: .bbc.com/news

Boeing 737 Max 9: United Airlines finds loose bolts during inspections

News Coninued from Page 1

“We have been able to operate some planned flights by switching to other aircraft types, avoiding about 30 cancellations each on Monday and Tuesday,” United added. Meanwhile on Monday, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which regulates air travel in the US,

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Jamadi ul II 30, 1445H January 12, 2024

N AT & I N T . N E W S

82 per cent of Canadians believe the US Navy shoots down Houthi missiles and drones country is in a recession: survey launched from Yemen over Red Sea, officials say

finances. The online survey, conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights, found that 52 per cent of respondents believe the Canadian economy will worsen this year, while 24 per cent said they expect the economy to not change and 15 per cent believe it will improve. Pessimism about the state of the Canadian economy was highest in Quebec and lowest in Ontario In addition, 82 per cent of respondents nationwide said they believe Canada is in A new survey suggests that most Canadi- a recession. Pollara says this is the thirdans are pessimistic about the outlook of highest total since polling on this questhe economy in 2024, as well as their own tion began in 2001. Source: ctvnews.ca/

Secret tunnel in NYC synagogue leads to between brawl police and worshippers

NEW YORK - A historic Brooklyn synagogue that serves as the center of an influential Hasidic Jewish movement was trashed this week during an unusual community dispute that began with the discovery of a secret underground tunnel and ended in brawl between worshippers and police.The conflict erupted in the global headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch movement in Crown Heights, a deeply revered Jewish site that each year receives thousands of visitors, including international students and religious leaders. Its Gothic Revival facade, immediately recognizable to adherents of the Chabad movement, has inspired

The US Navy shot down 21 Houthi missiles and drones launched from Yemen, according to a statement from US Central Command, in one of the largest Houthi attacks to take place in the Red Sea in recent months. The military called it a “complex attack” carried out by the Iran-backed militants. The barrage, launched at about 9:15 p.m. Tuesday in Yemen, included 18 one-way attack drones,

two anti-ship cruise missiles and one antiship ballistic missile, Central Command said. The attack was launched toward international shipping lanes in the southern Red Sea where “dozens” of merchant vessels were traveling, according to the statement.Two defense officials had earlier told CNN that the barrage included a total of 24 drones and missiles. There were no ships damaged in the attacks and no injuries as a result of the massive drone and missile launch, CENTCOM said. Three destroyers took part in the shoot down of the barrage, one of the officials said. Two US destroyers, as well as F-18 fighter jets from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier, participated in the combined effort to shoot down the missiles and drones, according to Central Command. The HMS Diamond, an air defence destroyer from the UK’s Royal Navy, was also part of the effort. Source: axios.com

Antony Blinken: On the US mission to stop Gaza igniting wider war

dozens of replicas across the world. But on Tuesday, the synagogue remained closed off by police barricades as New York City building safety agents inspected whether a tunnel dug without official permission may have caused structural damage to the famed property... Source:ctvnews.ca

Canucks trip Islanders 5-2 for third-straight road win

Of all the priorities for US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on his fourth visit to the Middle East in three months, there is one message above all others that he wants to deliver. His main mission on this trip is to ensure the Israel-Gaza war does not spread into a regional conflict. As he flies between destinations in southwest Asia - a packed schedule that includes stops in Turkey, Jordan, Qatar, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Israel - there is ample evidence, however, that the cauldron of tensions in the region is on the verge of boiling over. Houthi rebels in Yemen have launched repeated missile and drone attacks on civilian shipping in the Red Sea, bringing traffic through that key international waterway to a near halt. The US has warned that it will defend its interests. If the rebels persist, and the dis-

their last five. The Canucks are 11-2-2 since Dec. 5. The Islanders, returning home from a 1-2-1 trip to start 2024, didn’t muster much against the Canucks, who are having a renaissance season under coach Rick Tocchet after missing the playoffs the last three years. Brock Nelson scored both goals for New York - on the power play at 11:11 of the second after Vancouver had grabbed a 3-0 lead - and at 15:15 of the third. Nelson has a team-leading 19 goals this season. Hronek opened the scoring with his third goal of the season at 16:25 of the first. Hronek rifled a high shot past Ilya Sorokin after Islanders forward Casey Cizikas blocked a shot just inside the blue * Shocking video footage captures Israeli line and lay crumpled on the ice. forces driving a military vehicle over a PalSource:bc.ctvnews.ca estinian victim after three men were fatally shot in the occupied West Bank’s Tulkarem.

ruption to global commerce continues, an American military response may be inevitable - a development that would unnerve some key American Arab allies. “We never see a military action as a resolution,” said the Qatari prime minister in a joint press conference with Mr Blinken in Doha on Sunday...

Source: bbc.com/news

Israel war on Gaza: Israeli forces kill 3 Palestinians, run over body

NEW YORK (AP) - Filip Hronek and Quinn Hughes scored first-period goals and Casey DeSmith made 17 saves as the Vancouver Canucks defeated the New York Islanders 5-2 on Tuesday to complete a sweep of New York-area teams. Elias Pettersson, Tyler Myers and Dakota Joshua also scored for the first-place Canucks, who are on a season-long sevengame road trip. Conor Garland added two assists for Vancouver, winners of four of

Bangladesh election: PM Sheikh Hasina wins fourth term in controversial vote

Ms Hasina will serve another five years in office after her party the Awami League and its allies won 223 of 300 parliamentary seats contested. With the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party boycotting the poll, Ms Hasina’s party and allies are expected to win the remaining seats as well.

The BNP alleged the poll was a sham. Sunday’s result comes after mass arrests of BNP leaders and supporters. Official figures suggested a low voter turnout of about 40%, though critics say even those numbers may be inflated. In comparison, the last election in 2018 had a voter turnout of more than 80%. Political analyst Badiul Alam Majumder told the BBC that the election commission was inflating the voter turnout. “From different sources and media reports, we have seen that the turnout (provided by the election commission) doesn’t match with the reality,” he said. Independents, almost all of them from the Awami League itself, won 45 seats and the Jatiya Party won eight seats. Results are expected to be announced officially later on Monday... Source:bbc.com

* Israel continues bombing attacks in southern and central Gaza, with reports of strikes in the vicinity of Al-Aqsa Hospital. * Gaza’s Health Ministry warns of a looming catastrophe for displaced Palestinians and a “triangle of death”: hunger, dehydration and disease. * US Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrives in Israel, saying he will push for civilian protection and aid delivery in Gaza. * At least 23,084 people have been killed – including 9,600 children – and nearly 59,000 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. About 1,139 people were killed in Hamas’s initial attack on Israel... Source:aljazeera.com

FIJI: Three dead and 13 feared missing in Lau waters

Three people have drowned off Tuvuca Island in Vanuabalavu, Lau, and 13 feared missing at sea during a family picnic outing. Details are sketchy but Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji (MSAF) CEO Joeli Cawaki has confirmed to The Fiji Times that the incident occurred on Friday, and have also established that the family had gone out for a picnic. He said the district nurse had informed them of the tragedy at 3.55pm yesterday. “Sixteen (16) people went for picnic between 8am to 9am in one boat. Police have been informed and the boat was seen near Nayau Island floating and empty,” Mr Cawaki said.

It is understood that at this stage, missing are four (4) adult women, four (4) boys and four (4) girls. The three dead are believed to be all female. The information of the 16th person remains sketchy. Police and villagers are involved in the search at this stage. Source: fijitimes.com.fj

Jamadi ul II 30, 1445H

loc a l

January 12, 2024

Are we failing to protect our children while SOGI is destroying them? has helped until now. Our next step is to remove her as Education Minister. We request that you sign the petition to RecallRachna from the Surrey – Green Timbers riding. We need 12,000 signatures from the registered voters in her riding in Oct. 2020 to make this happen.

Let’s join hands

Contact information:

Zanbka Malik 778 883 4458, Amrit Birring 778 712 6242 Address 12882 85 Ave Surrey

he BC Education Minister, Rachna Singh, is okay with it in BC public schools – but as parents, are we? Do we send our children to taxpayer-funded public schools to study Science and Math or to transition their gender, explore sexual relationships with the same gender, and stop their natural development with puberty blockers? Will we allow our children’s lives to be ruined by SOGI in BC schools? We have to be vigilant to protect our kids. Let’s put our differences aside and join hands to get rid of this menace! We have marched, protested, and had conversations with Rachna Singh but nothing

to recall Rachna Singh, the NDP MLA who represents the electoral district of SurreyGreen Timbers, the riding where you live. Singh also happens to be British Columbia’s Education Minister. The recall was initiated in late November by a frustrated parent in your riding who was concerned about the explicit LGBT materials being used in classrooms to indoctrinate children. Those resources are supplied through a program called SOGI, which is short for “Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.” Technically, the SOGI 123 program is not “officially” part of the province’s education curriculum. To be clear, it’s more of a “resource guide,” but the B.C. government fully endorses it, and many woke educators fully embrace it. The SOGI materials are nothing more than a Trojan Horse that LGBT activists use to sneak their sexualized propaganda into classrooms, an agenda that Minister Singh is fully behind.

How do I know this?

Let’s Recall B.C.’S Education Minister Over SOGI By: Jeff Gunnarson, National President

I have great news for you! We have a real opportunity to remove your local MLA from office for supporting the use of radical LGBT resources in schools across the province, including quasi-pornographic books. How? Elections B.C. approved a petition

Because Ms. Singh said so in the Legislature. Back in October, Conservative MLA Bruce Banman took the NDP government to task for allowing quasipornographic materials to be available in schools. To show how bad the situation is, he tried reading out loud from one of the books, but the NDP Speaker of the House cut him off and told him to stop! Why? The content was so sexually filthy, and so repugnant, the speaker said the kind of language Banman was reading was inappropriate in the Legislature ... and I agree!

Which makes it infinitely more inappropriate for children in schools! However, Education Minister Rachna Singh, your MLA, justified the book’s presence in the school system, dismissing any concerns, in the name of “inclusivity”: “The teachers are using resources that are age-appropriate and audience-appropriate,” Singh said, “to give those values, give those teachings that are so important to create those welcoming environments.” Yes, she said “welcoming environments,” but “welcoming” for what? Sin and perversion? Moral corruption? Minister Singh has shown parents across B.C. where she stands on this issue, and it’s on the wrong side of it, which is why this new recall petition is so timely. Source: www.campaignlifecoalition.com

Three charged after car stolen at gunpoint in Surrey crashes with RCMP vehicle Surrey RCMP were called to the 8200-block of 150th Street shortly before 3:30 p.m. about the stolen vehicle. A police vehicle and a car that had been stolen at gunpoint crashed Sunday afternoon near the Surrey-Langley border. A Langley RCMP officer spotted the stolen vehicle on the move after it was reported stolen from the 8200-block of 150th

Street shortly before 3:30 p.m. It crashed with an RCMP vehicle in the 7600-block of 192nd Street. “The occupants of the stolen vehicle all fled on foot, but with the assistance of police officers as well as a police dog handler, we were able to locate all and take them into custody,” said a Surrey RCMP spokesperson on Monday. A suspect was treated for a mi-

nor dog bite and has since been released, while one Mountie was also taken to hospital for treatment of injuries. Multiple charges including robbery with a firearm, disguise with intent, flight from police and possession of an unauthorized firearm have been laid against Oromena Urefe, 21, Janiar Hasan, 24 and Dante Masone 21. Source:theprovince.com/

Gov. of Canada helps Surrey community centre protectitself against hate-motivated crimes Sukh Dhaliwal, Member of Parliament for Surrey-Newton, announced a federal investment of $30,056 to the Abu Bakr Society through the Security Infrastructure Program (SIP). This investment enabled the Society to install a steel fence to enclose the property and gates at the entrance/exit to their Centre. Since SIP’s inception in 2007, the Government of Canada has invested over $14 million through the program to support over 600 projects for communities at risk of hate-motivated crimes. Funding is available to private not-for-profit organizations linked to a community at risk of being victimized by hate-motivated crime. Approved projects may receive up to 50% of total project costs, to a maximum of $100,000 per project. Last month, Public Safety Canada launched a call for applications for an expanded Security Infrastructure Program to help Canadian communities at risk of hatemotivated crimes protect and strengthen the security of their community centres, places of worship and other institutions.

Quote(s)

“There is no place for hate in Canada. All Canadians should feel safe— regardless of where they live, work, gather and pray. As a government, we are committed to ensuring that that is the case. Investments like the one we are making today are but one example of that ongoing commitment.” - Sukh Dhaliwal, Member of Parliament for Surrey-Newton, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions and Intergovernmental Affairs “With the rise of Islamophobia in Canada and around the world, we are grateful for the funding provided by the SIP. We were able to secure our premises with a beautiful fence and gate that will not only make our Islamic Centre more safe, but also adds to the aesthetics of our community. We believe that the SIP is a program that is an integral part of securing institutions that are vulnerable in Canada.”

Mobeen Imran Yakub, President, Abu Bakr Society

Quick Facts •

•

The Security Infrastructure Program is designed to help communities at risk of hate-motivated crime improve their security infrastructure, which will help make Canada safer for all Canadians. Interested organizations representing places of worship, provincially and territorially recognized private educational institutions, community centres and shelters serving victims of gender-based violence can apply through Public

Safety Canada’s website. • Organizations who become victim of a significant and direct hate-motivated crime against their facility may now qualify for the new Severe Hate-Motivated Incident Support (SHMIS), a prioritized process to receive SIP funding that is accessible outside the regular annual Call for Applications period. From: Jean-Sébastien Comeau Press Secretary and Senior Communications Advisor

Jamadi ul II 30, 1445H January 12, 2024

gaza & News

Israel says it is scaling down north Gaza operations. What does that mean?

The Israeli army has announced it will scale down its operations in northern Gaza after it “dismantled” Hamas in the area. According to the Israeli military spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, the army has “completed the dismantling of Hamas’s military framework

in the northern Gaza Strip”. Israel released a list with the names of Hamas commanders killed, to suggest that the two northernmost of the Qassam Brigades – a total of 12 battalions – were rendered headless and out of battle. If 12 battalions were indeed destroyed, it would be a significant strategic victory for Israel and a loss that Hamas will probably not be able to overcome while fighting in other parts of the Strip. But careful reading of Israeli claims and

analysis of both sides’ performance suggests the situation is not a simple “Israeli victory/ Hamas defeat”. A more precise description would be “Israeli acknowledgment of a Hamas disengagement in one theatre”. There is little doubt that Hamas suffered heavy losses while facing a determined and prolonged Israeli offensive using far superior technology and numbers. It is also very likely that a significant number of commanders and deputies have been killed. Israel uses all means to decapitate Qassam Brigades units by targeting their commanders, often using precision rockets fired from helicopters and drones. But Hamas has known this for a long time and its units operate on the principle that

each commander always has at least one deputy trained and briefed to the same level. When one falls in battle, the chain of succession moves a step up and units are rarely “headless” for more than a couple of hours. There is also a fundamental difference in the way the Israeli army and the Qassam Brigades operate on the battlefield. Israel has a well-equipped military organised very classically, where each unit or a battle group has precisely allocated tasks, means at their disposal and areas of responsibility. It uses those forces very flexibly, with each unit commander highly independent so that they can exploit military opportunities when they arise without waiting for approval from headquarters... Source:aljazeera.com/

Journalists being killed at a ‘horrific’ rate in Israel-Hamas war, experts say The last thing Palestinian freelance journalist Duaa Jabbour(opens in a new tab) wrote online before she, her husband and their children were killed in an Israeli airstrike on their home in southern Gaza on Dec. 9 was, “To survive every day is exhausting.” Jabbour is one of at least 79 journalists and media workers(opens in a new tab) who have died in Gaza, Israel and Lebanon since the Israel-Hamas war(opens in a new tab) began on Oct. 7, 2023. Israeli journalists killed by Hamas militants during the Oct. 7 attack on Israel account for four of those, Lebanese journalists for three and Palestinian journalists for the rest, according to reporting by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). Journalists have died in the IsraelHamas war at a rate of about one per day — a number that organizations like CPJ and IFJ say is unparalleled. ”It has been horrific

in ways that no previous conflict has really prepared us for,” Tim Dawson, deputy general secretary at IFJ, told CTVNews.ca in an interview over Zoom on Wednesday. “The rate of one death a day, or thereabouts, is without precedent,” he said. By comparison, Dawson said 63 journalists died during the 20-year-long Vietnam War. The war in Yugoslavia, which lasted 10 years, saw 140 journalists killed. According to Sherif Mansour, Middle East and North Africa program co-ordinator at CPJ, the media workers killed in Gaza since Oct. 7 have been a mix of freelance and staff writers, photographers and videographers, working for independent outlets, as well as outlets affiliated with both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.(opens in a new tab) Most have died with their families in Israeli airstrikes on their homes or along with other civilians in airstrikes on hospitals, refugee

camps, streets and other public spaces. Some were shot. “There are cases of journalists who have been killed while wearing a press sign and having no close contact to a crossfire,” Mansour told CTVNews.ca in an interview over Zoom on Wednesday. In some instances, Palestinian journalists have lost their families to Israeli military airstrikes and continued to report on the destruction in Gaza afterward. Al Jazeera Arabic Gaza correspondent Wael Dahdouh(opens in a new tab) became part of the tragedy he’d been reporting on when his wife, son, daughter and grandson were killed in October by an Israeli air raid that hit the house they were sheltering in. Dahdouh was, himself, injured in an Israeli

strike on a school in Khan Younis on Dec. 15 along with Al Jazeera cameraman Samer Abu Daqqa. While Dahdouh was able to run for help, Abu Daqqa bled to death before ambulances could reach him, The Associated Press reported.(opens in a new tab) Then, on Sunday, an apparent Israeli airstrike killed Dahdouh’s son Hamza, also an Al Jazeera journalist, along with a freelance journalist named Mustafa Tharaya. ..Source:.cbc.ca/news/

Several injured during incident at Calgary Sikh temple

Multiple people were hurt during what Calgary police are calling a disturbance at the Dashmesh Culture Centre on Sunday night. Officers were called to the Sikh temple in northeast Calgary after violence broke out during a protest. Police told CTV News that between 50 and 100 people were involved in a fight at 7:45 p.m. at the building, located at 135 Gurd-

wara Sahib Boulevard N.E. Two people suffered minor injuries during the fight. Officials said there were two previous calls for service at the Dashmesh Culture Centre earlier that day, each for different disturbanced between the protesters and the building’s occupants. “At approximately 1:15 p.m., officers were initially dispatched for reports of a disturbance regarding individuals who were believed to be protesting at the location. Shortly after, a second call came in reporting the protesters had moved inside the building. Officers worked with the involved parties to de-escalate the situation,” CPS said in a statement. It’s believed no weapons were involved in the

fight and there were no arrests, police said. Gurpartap Baidwan, one of the protest’s organizers, said some of temple congregation were gathering in opposition of the temple’s elected leadership committee. “(We were meeting) to oppose their various bylaw violations and a series of wrongdoings and grievances,” he told CTV News. Baidwan says the leadership is not following the rules of their faith or obeying the governance of the Sikh religion. “They are required to abide by the Sikh Rehat Maryada that is issued by the Akal Takht, which is kind of like our Vatican,” he said. “The issue that we’re having is that this committee that has come in is acting outside those parameters. They are not just violating the Sikh Rehat Maryada, which is the Sikh code of conduct, but they are also violating the institution’s own bylaws as prescribed

under Alberta law in the form of being a non-profit organization.” The protesters are also accusing the leaders of a lack of communication, unwillingness to settle conflicts in the community and general negligence. He says the protests began on Dec. 24. “That’s 15 day-and-night protests in this cold weather,” Baidwan said. “Not once has the committee come outside and not once has the executive committee come outside to communicate or talk to the protesters outside. “Why would they be hiding?” Calgary police have not released any details about what sparked the assault or if anyone has been charged. CTV News has reached out to the Dashmesh Culture Centre for more information about the incident and allegations made by the protesters. Source:calgary.ctvnews.ca/

The minister said in a statement that the report about Honda’s potential investment is a “testament to Canada’s growing reputation as a green supplier of choice and global EV leader.” “Reports about Honda looking to make a significant investment in Canada speaks to the quality of workforce and the strength of our industry,” Champagne said in the statement. The Nikkei report says the abundance of renewable energy in the country is part of the reason Honda is considering Canada, while in December the federal government mandated that all passenger vehicle sales would be electric by 2035. Honda is retooling a production plant in Ohio to produce electric vehicles and has an agreement in place to build an electric vehi-

cle battery plant in the state with LG Energy Solution, but the report says the company might go it alone on the battery plant in Canada. LG is already in a partnership with automaker Stellantis to build a $5 billion battery plant in Windsor, Ont., one of numerous major EV investments Canada has secured after offering generous subsidies. Volkswagen is building a battery plant in St. Thomas, Ont., and Northvolt is building one about 30 kilometres east of Montreal, with

the three plants expected to cost tens of billions of dollars in subsidies linked largely to production volumes. Honda announced in 2022 that it was investing $1.38 billion to upgrade its Allison plant in part to prepare it to be the lead plant for its CR-V hybrid crossover vehicle. Source:ctvnews.ca

Honda considering $18.4B electric vehicle and battery plant in Canada: ALLISTON, ONT. - Honda Motor Co. Ltd. could invest upwards of $18.4 billion in an electric vehicle plant in Canada, according to a report from a Japanese news outlet. Nikkei Asia said on Sunday that Honda is considering building both a vehicle and battery plant in the country as part of efforts to catch up in the electric vehicle market. The report says Honda is looking at several sites, including next to its existing plant in Alliston, Ont., with a potential investment decision expected by the end of the year.. Honda did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne did not confirm whether any talks were going on between the company and the government.

Jamadi ul II 30, 1445H January 12, 2024

orporate culture is the collection of values, beliefs, ethics and attitudes that characterize an organization and guide its practices. To some extent, an organization’s culture can be articulated in its mission statement or vision statement..

History of corporate culture

It’s difficult, if not impossible, to establish specifically how the notion of corporate culture first took hold. Some credit Elliott Jaques, a corporate psychologist, researcher and consultant, for identifying the phenomenon and labeling it in his 1951 book, The Changing Culture of a Factory. The concept of corporate culture, and the study of it, evolved throughout the second half of the 20th century. It was influenced by related academic disciplines, such as business psychology, and societal trends, such as globalism. During the past several decades, researchers began to study how certain traits influence an organization’s overall approach to work, the employees it attracts and public perception of the organization. Researchers also explored why organizations with certain beliefs and practices tend to fare better on key metrics such as innovation, recruitment, employee retention, public opinion and financial success. Today, executive advisors, management consultants, business schools and researchers all engage in research to better understand corporate culture. These efforts include what defines and influences an organization’s culture and which traits profoundly affect success. All organizations, whether long-established enterprises, startups, for-profit companies, nonprofit entities or government agencies, have a corporate culture and an opportunity to shape it. Elements of corporate culture include the organization’s physical environment, human resource management practices and staff work habits. Corporate culture is also reflected in the degree of emphasis placed on defining elements, such as hierarchy, process, innovation, collaboration, competition, community involvement and social engagement. A corporate culture that reflects the broader culture is usually more successful than one

I N F O / w or k pl a ce

What is Corporate Culture?

those company values in action. Other organizations see their culture evolve organically and by chance and circumstance. Such organizations may end up with a poor or even toxic culture because they weren’t thoughtful or attentive about fostering a more nurturing environment. An organization’s culture determines the way workers behave and what they consider acceptable ways of interacting with each other, business partners and customers. It also determines how the organization reacts to at odds with it. For example, in the curchange, evolution and crises and affects the rent global culture that values transparency, organization’s ability to innovate and succeed. equality and communication, a secretive company with a strictly hierarchical struc- Types of corporate culture ture is likely to have trouble recruiting and Experts have identified different types of retaining workers and also appealing to cus- corporate culture and established criteria for classifying them. For example, the authors tomers and stakeholders. However, some organizations create unique of a 2018 Harvard Business Review article, cultures that break from certain norms and “The Leader’s Guide to Corporate Culture,” expected best practices. These types of en- built a framework based on a horizontal axis terprises are often seen as trailblazers and for how people interact that runs from independence to interdependence and a vertical reap a market advantage. Corporate culture is sometimes referred to as axis for how people respond to change, goorganizational culture, company culture and ing from flexibility at the top to stability at workplace culture. However, some experts the bottom. classify workplace culture as a separate idea The article listed two types of cultures in that narrowly describes the conditions under each of the quadrants. which employees conduct their work -- what Starting in the upper-right quadrant and has come to be referred to, in part, as the em- moving clockwise, they are the following: ployee experience. According to this view, • Purpose and caring in the quadrant for flexibility and interdependence. workplace conditions are shaped by and, ultimately, reinforce the overall work culture. • Order and safety in the quadrant for interdependence and stability. Many organizations determine and then develop the type of corporate culture they • Authority and results in the quadrant for stability and independence. want. They formalize it through statements of shared values and policies designed to put • Enjoyment and learning in the quad-

rant for independence and flexibility. The authors described each of the eight classifications in depth. For example, they said a caring culture focuses on relationships and mutual trust, while a culture of authority is defined by strength, decisiveness and boldness. The authors cited online retailer Zappos as exemplifying a culture of enjoyment, the grocery chain Whole Foods as a culture of purpose and Disney as one of caring. Meanwhile, financial firm Lloyd’s of London maintains a culture of safety, and pharmaceutical company GSK has a results-oriented culture. In contrast, University of Michigan professors Robert Quinn and Kim Cameron identified the following four types of corporate cultures: • Clan culture. The organization has a familylike atmosphere with a focus on mentoring, nurturing, teamwork and togetherness. The organization and its employees concur on core values and goals. • Adhocracy culture. This is a dynamic and entrepreneurial approach that values risk-taking and an innovation culture. An emphasis on flexibility means employees can create their own initiatives and adapt quickly to changing conditions. • Market culture. This results-oriented approach values competition and achievement. Employees are expected to adopt a competitive mindset and focus on achieving strong individual performance that maximizes profitability for their organization. • Hierarchy culture. This approach uses structures and controls to ensure efficiency and stability. Employees must adhere to established best practices, and processes are controlled in a top-down fashion. Other classifications of corporate cultures include one described as elite for its focus on high-achieving talent and trailblazing achievements. Another is called horizontal, with its collaborative, nonhierarchical structure. And a third alternative is labeled conventional, with traditional hierarchies and dress codes that reinforce a risk-averse approach... Source:techtarget.com

More workplaces in Canada are going back to the office full time. Here’s what this means for you

By: Alexandra Mae Jones

round a quarter of the workforce in Canada was working exclusively from home two years ago. But now, with more and more employers returning to in-person work, what does this mean for Canadians who embraced remote work? When COVID-19 struck Canada in early 2020, it came with a huge shift in how we work, with many offices closing their doors and office workers vacating cubicles in favour of remote work to cut down their risk of transmission. It was a mass exodus to remote work that had never been seen before. According to Statistics Canada(opens in a new tab), only seven per cent of workers in Canada said they “usually” worked from home in 2016. This jumped to 24.3 per cent by May 2021, and remained there until early 2022. But since then, workers have slowly been trickling back into the office. By May 2022, the share of workers working exclusively from home had gone down to 22.4 per cent, then 20.1 per cent in May 2023. As of November 2023(opens in a new tab), StatCan data shows that just 12.6 per cent of the workforce aged 15 to 69 years old still exclusively work from home. Part of this change has been due to an increase in hybrid work arrangements, in which workers work some hours at home and some outside the home. The amount of

workers in hybrid arrangements has more than tripled in the last two years, going from 3.6 per cent of workers to 11.7 per cent by November. Navigating the how, when and why of whether to return to in-person work is a complicated prospect because of the way these remote arrangements started, said Jon Pinkus, a labour and employment lawyer with Samfiru Tumarkin LLP. “Whenever we’re talking about the rights of employees, it’s a question really of contract, right? Sometimes we’re talking about a written contract. Sometimes we’re talking about implied rights of contract. And this has been, in many cases, uncharted waters, right? Because we’ve never had a situation where everyone, all of a sudden, became remote,” he told CTVNews.ca in a phone interview. Generally, the way it’s always worked is that if someone is hired as a remote worker and has been working remotely for a number of years, “that’s become a term of your employment,” he said. This holds true even during the pandemic — if you were hired in a remote position, you can’t be forced to suddenly attend an office as a requirement of your employment. But what about those whose jobs became remote only because of the pandemic? All of the case law surrounding remote work is from before the pandemic, making it hard to say for certain what the legal precedent is.

“An employee who is being asked now to go back to the office after having worked remotely for several years should absolutely be consulting with a lawyer,” Pinkus said. With 2024 just around the corner, any employer who went remote during the pandemic and wants to bring employees back to the office against their wishes has kind of missed the window to do this easily, he added. “The time to set parameters was in 2020 and 2021, where it could be conveyed to those employees that look, we may be continuing this into 2023, but this is ultimately a temporary arrangement, and we expect we’re going to bring you back in as soon as circumstances allow,” he said. Employers who laid out these expectations earlier can refer back to them in the event of employees complaining about a return to the office. “If you have

an employee who was hired in person, let’s say in 2015, and then during the pandemic, was put in a remote arrangement, and then in mid-2022 was told to come back to the office, it’d be very difficult for that employee to say, ‘Well, it’s now a term of my employment that I get to work remotely,’” Pinkus said. But if employers didn’t set official expectations early on around a return to work and just allowed employees to continue working remotely since early 2020 up until now, they will likely have more difficulty pushing a sudden requirement to return to the office, he said. The World Health Organization removed its state of emergency declaration for COVID-19 in the spring of 2023, Pinkus pointed out, and if employees who went remote in 2020 were still working remotely

To be coninued at Page 10

Jamadi ul II 30, 1445H January 12, 2024

He a l t h

Canada’s ‘haves-and-have-nots’ health system lags behind Europe, study finds

esearch says funding cuts and poor organisation stop Canadians from accessing healthcare – and 20% have no doctor at all. Funding cuts, fewer generalists and inefficient organisation are preventing more and more Canadians from accessing public primary healthcare, according to a new study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) which compares Canadian healthcare unfavourably with public systems in nine Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. About 20% of Canadians have no family doctor at all, and many more have irregular access to clinicians – a reality likely to worsen if not properly addressed now, said Dr Tara Kiran, a family physician in Toronto and one of the authors of the study. “In Canada, what we have is a haves-andhave-nots situation,” said Kiran. “[There are] people who do have access to a family doc-

tor and sometimes even a health team, and then those who have nothing.” The CMAJ study, led by family physicians and researchers at the University of Toronto and published on Monday, compares the Canadian healthcare system with those of Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and the UK. Those countries were chosen because 95% or more citizens have access to a family physician. A paramedic loads his stretcher back into the ambulance after bringing a patient to the emergency room at a hospital in Montreal, Quebec, on 12 April 2022. Among the study’s chief conclusions is that countries that design healthcare systems around the principle of guaranteed access have far different – and usually better – outcomes than those in Canada. Important comparative differences included higher rates of primary care funding, more doctors, better organisation and informa-

tion systems support and greater physician accountability to the public insurer. But perhaps the biggest difference, said Kiran, is that “they set a goal that primary care is something that should be guaranteed to everyone in the population, and they design around that”. She pointed out that Norwegians and Finns are automatically registered to a doctor or health centre, and those in the UK have a right to register with care providers in their immediate communities. The study also noted that relationship-based care with a single clinician is associated with better patient outcomes. Many Canadians, however, wait for years on provincial family doctor waitlists. Others have to call around town in hopes of finding someone willing to accept them. In the interim, they cobble care together through urgent care clinics, hospital ERs and, in some cases, private out-of-pocket services. In Canada, each province or territory is responsible for running its own healthcare regime. Drawing from their tax bases, provinces splits healthcare costs with the federal government. However, the federal government now only covers about 22% – a significant decline from the 50% it promised in the 1970s to help incentivize the creation of public healthcare regimes. The CMAJ study also shows that at 5.3%, Canada spends less of its total health budget on primary care than other OECD countries. In those countries, primary care spending constitutes an average of 8.1% of

total healthcare budgets, the authors wrote. Research on Canadian healthcare shows declining funding puts increasing pressure on healthcare services and resources across the country – a trend that has, in recent years, enabled increasing privatisation of care in some Canadian jurisdictions. By and large, primary care providers in Canada are autonomous small business owners that get reimbursed by the government for services provided to rostered patients. This structure is the result of a hard-fought battle waged by Canadian doctors at the advent of the public system. That model may be losing its lustre, however. Kiran said that more and more Canadian medical school graduates are losing their appetite for the self-employed, fee-for-service model on which Canada currently relies in favour of greater work-life balance. With shifts like these, the CMAJ study suggests Canada may be forced to chose between continuing to pour money into a broken system, and reimagining it entirely. Kiran said a chief lesson to learn from other countries with public systems is that universal healthcare can work when it is designed and funded with intention. She pointed to the disconnect between what Canadians want – access to a physician through the public regime – and what they are getting instead: more urgent care clinics, out-of-pocket private clinics and expanded pharmacist services.

“They want things to change,” she said. Source: globalnews.ca

Emergency room death highlights Canadian healthcare crisis

hen Allison Holthoff entered a crowded Nova Scotia hospital at the end of December, the intense pain in her abdomen worsened with each hour she spent waiting for treatment. With the emergency room under renovations, overwhelmed staff triaged a stream of incoming patients in a makeshift treatment area. “‘I feel like I’m dying. They’re going to let me die here,’” Holthoff told her husband, Gunther. After more than seven hours of waiting, she went into cardiac arrest. She was resuscitated three times by health professionals, who spotted internal bleeding on an X-ray, but staff determined her organs had sustained too much damage and it was unlikely she would survive. “It was a terrible situation for my wife, for my kids and a lot of people in the community,” Gunther Holthoff told reporters earlier this week at a press conference, saying his wife had been “neglected” as her condition deteriorated. “I’m just lost.” While no cause of death has yet been identified, the case has nonetheless prompted calls by local politicians for an investigation into the Canadian province’s emergency room backlog. But Holthoff ’s death is also the latest fatality to expose a mounting crisis in the country’s hospitals, which have been worn down by waves of respiratory viruses and exacerbated by a chronic staffing shortage. Last summer, many emergency rooms in rural communities shut down. In larger cities, people waited dozens of hours for emergen-

cy care. At Canada’s largest children’s hospital, SickKids, a four-year-old child was separated from his family and flown more than 350km (217 miles) for treatment of a nearfatal sepsis infection amid overcrowding. “Emergency rooms are the barometer for our healthcare system,” said David Carr, a physician and professor of emergency medicine at the University of Toronto. “We’re facing the ‘perfect storm’ – we’ve been thrown a virus that is crippled our healthcare system and while we’ve managed to get ahold of it in many ways, what we have not [is] coming to grips with is the sheer attrition of nurses and healthcare team members.” While the winter months are typically the worst times for emergency rooms as respiratory viruses take hold, Canada’s shortage of health professionals – and the rising rate of burnout – is making a bad problem worse. “Clearly the cracks have been exposed,” said

Carr, pointing out that colleagues in other provinces often share “frightening numbers” that lay bare the overflowing waiting rooms and a struggle to allocate limited beds. Further compounding the staffing shortage, healthcare systems across the country are experiencing a “geriatric tsunami” of ageing patients whose care requires a growing share of healthcare budgets and efforts. In recent months, these crises have brought healthcare systems to a breaking point. As medicine falls under provincial jurisdiction – but is funded by the federal government – political leaders at various levels of government have feuded over fixes to a languishing system. Amid a shortage of family doctors, more cases that should be addressed earlier are ending up in the country’s emergency rooms. “Sometimes you will hear stories of terrible outcomes happening in emergency department waiting times. But what often isn’t seen

is the effect of those delays,” said Carr. “The press picks up on these terrible catastrophes that happened in the waiting room. But they missed out on the morbidity of conditions that happen as a result of delay of care, of people not being able to assess a primary care physician.” Making the shortage worse, Canadian medical students who study abroad are often unable to practice medicine when they return home due to arduous licensing requirements. “I tell parents of prospective medical students, if you send your kid away, there’s a reasonable chance that he or she will never come back if they train abroad, even if it’s in the United States,” said Carr. Provincial premiers recently floated a proposal that would make it easier for foreigntrained nurses and doctors to earn Canadian credentials. But experts warn the move cannot be made quickly and requires more resources than simply rubber-stamping paperwork. Without a single factor alone breaking the emergency rooms, Carr fears no quick solution is possible – and worries political leaders remain unable to fix a crisis that healthcare workers have long warned was looming. “I feel like for years, our complaints have fallen on deaf ears,” he said. “And now I worry that we’re facing a pandemic of significant mental health challenges in our healthcare community. We have a compounding threat that needs to be addressed today, not tomorrow.” Source: globalnews.ca

says, ‘Well, now we don’t want you to work from home remotely anymore,’ that could be seen as a fundamental change that the employee could decline.” Employers can still fire whoever they want, he added, but an employee who was fired in this situation could argue the firing was without cause and that they are entitled to compensation. “I think the only solution available with respect to employees who are

not agreeable to going back into the office is to give them advance notice,” he said. “And potentially significant advance notice of that change.” That advance notice should be the same amount of time, generally speaking, as that person’s severance entitlements, Pinkus explained. “Basically, the employer would have to look at it as, we’re terminating this person, giving them working notice and these will be the new terms,” he said. “So

you could say, ‘We are going to require you to work from the office from now on, but we acknowledge that you are someone who has a 12-month severance entitlement, so it’s not going to be effective until this time next year.’” This would give the employee time to either search for a new job where they could continue working remotely, or make the changes needed to support their return to in-person work... Source: ctvnews.ca/

More workplaces in Canada are going back to the office full time. Here’s what this means for you To be coninued from Page 9 past that point, “it starts to look like an indefinite arrangement.” “And once an employee has an indefinite arrangement, whether that be they’re working in a certain location, or they’re working from home, they’re entitled to have that continued,” Pinkus said. “And if the employer

11 loc a l e v en t s Darul Falah Islamic Centre & Mosque, Regina, SK. fundraising dinner held in Surrey, BC Jamadi ul II 30, 1445H January 12, 2024

65,000 plus was raised in just three days (Dec 30, Jan 1st, and Jan 2nd) at the Taste of Lahore Surrey fundraising dinners for Darul Falah Islamic Centre and Mosque in Regina, Saskatchewan. The outsider guests were invited to motivate the audience to donate generously for the sake of Allah(swt) to build a house of Allah. The events have been hosted by Br, Abdul Ahad, and Br, Ridhwaan Buksh. The commitment of the special guests and the community’s generosity will undoubtedly contribute to building a meaningful house of worship. The Key note speaker and guests were Barrister Rizwan Hussain (UK) Br, Mohammad Usman, and Br, Kabir Qurban. May the efforts continue to flourish for noble causes.

for Muslims, offering congregational prayers, including Jummah prayer at the mosque. Stay connected with the Muslim community through their website, which provides information on prayer times and hosts a variety of enriching Islamic events and programs.

Services For Humanity • Fine Option Program • Monthly Halaka • Recycle Program • Newcomer Service • Volunteers • Kids Quran Classes Fund Raising target $1,500,000

DFIC Regina is a prominent mosque and Islamic Source: dficregina.com center in Regina, Canada. It serves as a spiritual hub

Muslim community of Chilliwack prayed their first ever Jumma in their new Islamic centre

lhamdulillah by the grace of Allah muslim community of Chilliwack prayed their first ever Jumma in their new Islamic centre, inaugurated by President The BC Muslim Association Br. Asad Gondal accompanied by General Secretary The BC Muslim Association Br.Fadi Kanafai, Chair of trustee Br Basharat Sidhu, executive member and community leader and imam Dr. Osama Ebsh and the muslim community of Chilliwack. President The BC Muslim Association addressed muslim brethren before Jumma prayer, and delivered beautiful message of unity, faith and shared community. Stated,... Today marks a momentous occasion in the heart of Chilliwack as we gather to celebrate the opening of our new masjid. It is a profound joy and honor to stand before you as we embark on this journey of unity, faith, and shared community...

This masjid, born from the transformation of a church, stands as a testament to the inclusivity and harmony that defines our beautiful city. As we cut the ribbon today, let it not just be a physical act but a symbolic gesture of breaking barriers, fostering brotherhood, and opening doors to a brighter, more interconnected future. Now, as we prepare to offer the first Jumma prayer in this sacred space, let us take a moment to express our deepest gratitude for this blessing. May this masjid become a source of inspiration, a place where hearts find peace, and a sanctuary for the soul... At the would like to thank all the branches of BCMA for their donations and help for Chilliwac project. I want to also thank from core of my heart and on behalf of BCMA to the brothers Dr Imtiaz , brother Anwer , Abdul Qadir and Raza khan who collectively have given $ 275000.00 as Qarde Hassna.”

llhumdulilla The Miracle Media is proud that the Miracle is the only one in the BC Muslim Print Media market which is non-stop a bi-weekly publication during the Pandemic 2019-2022 and after the Covid crisis till this day. Its availability at Website. miraclenews.com, Facebook (the Miracle Newspaper), Twitter, (https://twitter.com/Miraclenews1), and at two other digital printing service providers, “Press Reader” at https://www.pressreader.com/canada/ the-miracle/latestand “Magzter “ at https://www.magzter.com/CA/ Miracle-Media-Group-Inc in all over the world.

Jamadi ul II 30, 1445H January 12, 2024

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Published on: 2024-01-02Drywall Worker Published on: 2024-01-02Drywall Worker Application Deadline: 2024-07-15 Application Deadline: 2024-07-15 Wage ($/hr): 28 Wage ($/hr): 28 Type: Full Time Type: Full Time Job ID: 649610124 Job ID: 649670124 Published on: 2024-01-02 Published on: 2024-01-02 Job Category: Construction Location: Surrey, BC Job Category: Construction Location: Surrey, BC Job Description: Job Description: Application Deadline: 2024-07-15 Application Deadline: 2024-07-15 Employer Type: Business Employer Type: Business We are in search of a skilled drywall installer supervisor for our team in this Precise installation, taping, and finishing of drywall. Job ID: 649610124 ID: 649610124 You will lead and inspire a team of installers ensuring Notch drywall Wage ($/hr): 28 Job role. Wage Top ($/hr): 28 Your attention to detail and ability to collaborate with installations across various project your responsibilities include coordinating will contribute to successful project outcomes.on: 2024-01-02 Jobconstruction Category:teams Construction Job with Category: Construction Published Published on: 2024-01-0 project managers upholding quality standards managing resources of If you are experienced and safety-conscious, apply now to join our dynamic efficiently and fostering a commitment to safety. If you are an experienced Application Deadline: 2024-07-15 Application Deadline: 20 team in creating high quality-spaces. drywall installer with leadership skills and a passion for delivering Excellence.  GDK DRYWALL LTD Website  Website GDK DRYWALL LTD We invite you to apply and play a key role in yourJob success. Required languages: English Job ID: 649610124 ID: 649610124 Required languages: English Educational level: High School Job Category: Construction Job Category: Construc Educational level: High School Required skills: 1 to 2 years Experience in Construction Required skills: 1 to 2 years Experience in Construction Additional skills / Assets: Additional skills / Assets:  Website GDK DRYWALL LTD GDK Dependable individual in good health Dependable individual in good health  Surrey, BC  Posted 4 mins ago Full Time Full Time  Surrey, BC  Posted 4 mins ago Closest intersection: 132nd Street and 60th Ave. Surrey. Retrieved on: 2024 January 02 05:04:31 PM EST Retrieved on: 2024 January 05:04:31 PM EST Closest intersection: 132nd Street and0260th Ave. Surrey.  Closes: July 15, 2024  Closes: July 15, 2024 Apply for Job at: Attention HR Manager Apply for Job at: Attention HR Manager Email: nahal.81@gmail.com Email: nahal.81@gmail.com Full Time  Surrey, BC  Posted 4 mins ago Retrieved on: 2024 January 02 05:04:31 PM EST  Closes: July 15, 2024

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Jamadi ul II 30, 1445H January 12, 2024

li f es t yle / you t h / A f g h a n

New Year – New Beginnings

By: Asma Shams

his year marks the year of the Dragon according to Chinese mythology. The Dragon is powerful; full of energy and focused on goals while being a leader. The dragon is known to be aware of who they are and are known to be strong, independent, and ambitious. Although many people don’t believe in other mythologies, they begin the year with hope that changes will come and create resolutions to be a better version of themselves. The concept of a new year’s resolu-

tion is universal and people from all cultures have similar goals for the new year aimed towards being better versions of themselves. Collectively, we aim for success by applying for better jobs, start new careers, enroll in school. We also focus on financial goals such as saving for a new house, a prized item, or grow our accounts. Health goals are popular as well with most of aiming to be regulars at our local gym, loose or gain weight, or have a personal health goal in mind. However, the goals typically remain the same with majority of people unable to complete their goals creating a veil of disappointment towards new years resolution. There are benefits to having hope towards a new beginning and setting goals regardless of if we meet them or not and we should

make them regardless.

Reflect

To make your new years resolution stick, we must reflect on the past year. The key to success is to make sure you have the right plan and mindset. It’s the perfect opportunity to reflect on the past year with all the things that went right and the failures you encountered which are lessons in disguise. It’s also a good opportunity to reflect on how you wanted the year to begin and how it ended – which resolutions were accomplished, and which are pushed to the new year and the changes that you can make to meet them.

major goals, we can achieve them within the year. A big reason for resolutions to fail is we follow the general idea or concept of what society, and our community expects us to. Many of us have the same goals of saving money and loosing weight. Having goals that are meaningful and focused on our interests, hobbies, and life are more likely to success as you can engage with the process and feel a personal connection to the outcome.

goals such as – go for two neighbourhood walks for the first week of January is an achievable goal. Following a schedule and plan for the month, quarter, and then the year will allow you to be successful and feel motivation. Make a Plan Once you have your major goal, it Email: asmashums@gmail.com should be broken down into smaller achievable tasks. Distribute the At the beginning of the big goal into smaller goals and • year, I made a resolution to lose have reminders and checkins with Focus 15 pounds. Only 20 more to go! Many of us make a long list of res- yourself. It would be unrealistic to • A New Year’s resolution olutions and set unrealistic goals. go from a sedentary lifestyle to gois something that goes in one year By making our resolution stream- ing to the gym six days in a r and out the other. lined and focused on one or two ow. Having achievable smaller

Just Chill

Canadian street youth: Who are they? What are their needs?

By: Nancy Haley, MD omeless youth’, ‘out-ofthe-mainstream youth’ and ‘street youth’ are some of the many terms that are used to describe a heterogeneous group of young people who live and work on the streets of urban centres across Canada (1–3). The actual number of street youth in Canada is unknown, and estimates vary from 45,000 to 150,000 youths, depending on the source (4). The youth come from rural, suburban and urban areas, are from all socioeconomic classes and have diverse cultural backgrounds. For different reasons, these adolescents are thrown out of their homes or run away to inner city streets in search of identity, independence or a better life. Many have suffered emotional, physical and/or sexual trauma or parental neglect during their childhood (5–7). Others have underlying behavioural, emotional or mental health problems, which are often undiagnosed and exacerbated by substance misuse that began in early adolescence (2,7,8). Over

time, these teens become increasingly detached from their families, the educational system and society, and adopt a street-involved lifestyle that compromises their personal development, and physical and mental well-being. Many street youth become involved in illicit drug use, survival sex and criminal activities, which further alienate them socially and legally (2,5,7). In Canada, 12% to 26% of street youth have exchanged sex for money, shelter, drugs or other needs, and 17% to 36% of them have injected drugs (9,10). Living on the streets in an unstable and predatory environment puts these young people at risk of developing many health problems (2,3,7,9–14). Studies carried

out among Canadian street youth report high rates of sexually transmitted diseases and blood borne infections; for example, chlamydia infection was found in more than 20% (12), hepatitis B markers in 7% to 9% (9,13), hepatitis C infection in more than 12% (9) and human immunodeficiency virus infection in 1.8% to 2.2% (5,10) of street youth. For many youth, alcohol and/or drug dependency, and mental health problems lead to increased morbidity and premature death. In a cohort of Montreal street youth, severe depression, attempted suicides and drug overdoses were frequent (15). The mortality rate among these youths was 12 times higher than that of other young people their age; suicides and drug and/or alcohol problems were the leading causes of death (15).

zation Many street youth report a long history of serious personal and family problems that began years before they ended up on the streets. Some were living with abusive families, or had parents with addiction and/ or mental health problems. Others had unresolved gender identity issues, mental health problems or substance use disorders (1,5,7,8). In early adolescence, most street youth began engaging in multiple risk-taking behaviours, such as truancy, illicit drug use, unsafe sexual activities and delinquency (4,5). Despite the fact that many of these youth were referred to health care, social service or child protection professionals to address overt school or behavioural difficulties, very few disclosed their underlying personal problems (2). Even fewer youth felt that they were given the support that they needed when family or personal problems were identified (2). Certain behavioural and school What Can Physicians Do To problems are known to precede and be associated with substance Help These Youth? Identify youth at risk of marginali- use and mental health problems

(16); family physicians and paediatricians are ideally situated to identify youth at risk of marginalization and to provide early intervention. Multiple risk-taking behaviours and severe mood swings in a child or adolescent should alert caregivers that the child may not just be going through ordinary adolescent ‘angst’ but may be showing signs of more serious problems. Physicians’ privileged relationship with youth during medical visits enables them to learn about a young patient’s personal and family life, and explore the underlying causes of his or her problems. Although such history-taking may often be difficult and time-consuming in a busy clinical practice, it is essential if caregivers are to help youth and their families receive the services that they require. The physician can play a pivotal role by developing an intervention plan for a troubled youth with his or her family, school officials, social services and even the police, that can help him or her avoid further social alienation and ultimately street involvement. Source.sciencedirect.com/

Kabul asks Pakistan to ‘stop being cruel’ to refugees

PESHAWAR: Calling on the Pakistani authorities to end their “cruel attitude” towards Afghan refugees, Mullah Muhammad Hassan Akhund, the acting prime minister of the Afghan Taliban regime, on Monday said such an attitude only exacerbated frustration and opposition. “Such attitudes do not resolve issues,” Mr Akhund said, while talking to a delegation led by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, according to a statement released by the Taliban regime’s media department. Mullah Akhund said the ‘Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’ had no intention of causing harm to Pakistan or any other country for that matter, nor would it allow anyone to use the Afghan soil against any country.

The meeting was attended, among others, by Chief Justice of Afghan istan Maulavi Abdul Hak eem Haqqani and acting Foreign Minister Maulavi Ameer Khan Muttaqi. Welcoming the delegation, Mullah Akhund said the visit would help strengthen positive relations between the two countries. Maulana Fazl is leading a nine-member delegation to the Afghan capital at the invitation of the Afghan Taliban to help arrest the deteriorating relationship between the two countries and put ties back on track. Pakistan accuses the Afghan Taliban of sheltering the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Paki stan (TTP). The Afghan Taliban deny this and have instead urged Pakistan to look inward and address its own internal security challenges. Islamabad says the TTP has ratcheted up attacks inside Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban came to power in August 2021. At a news conference last week, the Afghan defence minister alleged that ISKP (Islamic

State-Khorasan Province) militants were operating from Pakistan to carry out attacks in Afghanistan. The Pakistan government’s decision to deport nearly half a million undocumented Afghans caused further fissures in the already strained relations between the two sides, prompting Kabul to accuse Islamabad of leveraging the refugees issue as pressure and coercive tool. During the meeting, FM Muttaqi raised the issue of treatment meted out to Afghan refugees and hurdles created by the Pakistani authorities in the transit trade and exports which, he said, was causing huge losses to the Afghan traders. He stressed that bilateral trade should not be subservient to political issues between the two countries. Speaking on the occasion, Maulana Fazl said the purpose of his visit was to remove misunderstanding and explore ways to enhance cooperation between the two countries in political, economic and trade spheres. He said his party had opposed the treatment meted out to the Afghan refugees in Paki-

stan and asserted that such an attitude was the root cause of the problem between the two sides. “We have come here with a message of goodwill and we hope that this visit would yield positive results,” he added. Government officials say the JUI-F leader was sufficiently sansitised on Pakistan’s key concerns vis-à-vis the TTP’s presence in Afghanistan and the freedom of action and movement that the banned outfit enjoyed under the ‘IEA’ patronage. The Afghan Taliban statement did not make any reference to this contentious issue and only obliquely referred to the oft-repeated statement of the Taliban regime that it would not allow anyone to use the Afghan soil against any country. It was not clear from the statement whether the JUI-F chief raised the issue at the meeting or what the response was from his Afghan hosts. It was also not clear whether Maulana Fazl would have any contact with the leadership of the banned militant outfits on the sidelines of his meetings with the Afghan Taliban leadership...Source: dawn.com/

Jamadi ul II 30, 1445H January 12, 2024

P AK I S TA N

Pakistan writes to The Economist over article by former PM Imran Khan

By: Shashank Pandey

he Pakistani Government raised concerns in a letter to The Economist on Friday regarding an article purportedly written by former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is currently in jail after a conviction in a corruption case. Khan questions the fairness of the upcoming general election in the piece. Murtaza Solangi, Pakistan’s Federal Caretaker Minister for Information, Broadcasting, and Parliamentary Affairs, said while announcing the letter, “It is puzzling and disconcerting that such an esteemed media outlet published an article in the name of an individual who is in jail and has been convicted.” He asserted that the government is seeking information on The Economist’s editorial decision-making process, including considerations regarding the legitimacy and cred-

ibility of the content. The government also inquired whether The Economist has previously published ghost articles by jailed politicians from any part of the world. Solangi added, “If jailed convicts were free to write to the media, they would always use the opportunity to air their one-sided grievances.” Imran Khan in the article raised concerns about the legitimacy of the caretaker governments currently in power at the federal and provincial levels in Pakistan, stating that they are illegal due to the government’s failure to hold elections within 90 days of parliamentary assemblies being dissolved. Khan expressed scepticism about the promised national elections on February 8, particularly given the denial of elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa despite a Supreme Court order and accused

the country’s election commission of biased actions, including rejecting his party’s nominations and hindering internal elections. He also alleged interference from the military establishment in orchestrating his removal from office, pointing to pressure from the United States as a catalyst. Imprisoned on charges including treason, Khan asserts that the upcoming elections, if held, would be a farce, as his party is denied the right to campaign freely. Despite public protests and his party’s popularity, Khan faces legal challenges, assassination attempts, and harassment of party members. Khan was disqualified for five years by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in the Toshakhana reference case. Filed in August 2022, the case delt with accusations against Khan of failing to information about gifts. The ECP’s

verdict on October 21, 2022, cited dishonest behaviour, leading to criminal proceedings. Khan challenged the decision, asserting legal gift acquisition and public use. His subsequent conviction on August 5, 2023, resulted in imprisonment. Source:jurist.org/news

SC rules against lifetime disqualification; Nawaz and Tareen eligible to contest polls

n a 6-1 majority verdict, the Supreme Court on Monday quashed lifetime disqualification for lawmakers under Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution, which effectively rendered PML-N’s Nawaz Sharif and Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party’s Jahangir Tareen free to contest the upcoming general elections. The apex court overruled its own 2018 judgment in the Samiullah Baloch case, when it had ruled that disqualification handed down under Article 62(1)(f) was supposed to be “permanent”. Justice Yahya Afridi dissented from the verdict.

Key takeaways from today’s verdict:

6 to 1 majority deems Article 62(1)(f) nonself-executing without specific disqualification procedures Lifetime disqualification interpretation exceeds article’s scope, violates fundamental rights Acknowledges Elections

(Amendment) Act 2023, setting 5-year disqualification period Nawaz, Tareen cleared to stand in elections Article 62(1)(f), which sets the precondition for a member of parliament to be “sadiq and ameen” (honest and righteous), is the same provision under which Nawaz and Tareen were disqualified. On Friday, a seven-member larger bench, headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa and comprising Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah, Justice Afridi, Justice Aminuddin Khan, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Justice Musarrat Hilali, had reserved the verdict on the contentious issue of lawmakers’ lifetime disqualification. The legal conundrum arose in view of the SC’s 2018 verdict issued by former chief justice Mian Saqib Nisar, Justice Sheikh Azmat

Saeed, ex-CJP Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah. However, in June 2023, an amendment was brought in the Elections Act 2017, specifying that the period of electoral disqualification would be for five years, not for life. In a short order issued today, a copy of which is available with Dawn.com, the apex court said: “Article 62(1)(f) is not a self-executory provision as it does not by itself specify the court of law that is to make the declaration mentioned therein nor does it provide for any procedure for making, and any period for disqualification incurred by, such declaration.” “There is no law that provides for the procedure, process and the identification of the court of law for making the declaration mentioned in Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution and the duration of such a declaration, for the purpose of disqualification thereunder, to meet the requirements of the fundamental right to a fair trial and due process guaranteed by Article 10A of the Constitution,” it stated. The court said the “interpretation of Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution in imposing a lifetime disqualification upon a person through an implied declaration of a court of civil jurisdiction while adjudicating upon some civil rights and obligations of the parties is beyond the scope of the said Article and amounts to reading into the Constitution”. “Such reading into the Constitution is also against the principle of harmonious interpretation of the provisions of the Consti-

tution as it abridges the Fundamental Right of citizens to contest elections and vote for a candidate of their choice enshrined in Article 17 of the Constitution, in the absence of reasonable restrictions imposed by law,” it added. The court further ruled that until a law was enacted to make its provision executory, Article 62(1)(f) stood on a similar footing as Article 62(1)(d)(e)(g) — which talks about the qualification of a lawmaker — and served as a guideline for voters in exercising their right to vote. “The view taken in Sami Ullah Baloch v Abdul Karim Nausherwani (PLD 2018 SC 405) treating the declaration made by a court of civil jurisdiction regarding breach of certain civil rights and obligations as a declaration mentioned in Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution and making such declaration to have a lifelong disqualifying effect amounts to reading into the Constitution and is therefore overruled ,” the SC added. It further noted that the recent amendments to the Elections Act prescribed five years for the disqualification incurred by any judgment, order or decree of any court in terms of Article 62(1)(f) of the Constitution and had also made such declaration subject to the due process of law. “This provision is already in field, and there remains no need to examine its validity and scope in the present case,” the top court ruled. Source: dawn.com/

Court freezes properties of Malik Riaz, PTI leaders in £190m case

SLAMABAD: An Isla m abad accountability court on Monday froze properties of five accused, including property tycoon Malik Riaz and his son, who have been declared proclaimed offenders in a 190 million-pound corruption case. The accountability judge, Mohammad Bashir, issued orders to freeze movable and immovable properties of Mr Riaz and his son, Ahmed Ali Riaz; aides to former prime minister Zulfi Bukhari and Mirza Shahzad Akbar; Farhat Shahzadi aka Farah Khan; and a lawyer, Ziaul Mustafa Nasim.... Their perpetual arrest warrants were also issued. The court has ordered revenue officers across the country to seize the offenders’ immovable properties. The excise and taxation officers have been ordered to confiscate vehicles registered in their names. Commercial banks have been directed to

freeze their accounts and not allow transactions or withdrawals. The judge also appointed an additional director of NAB as a “receiver” to collect rental income from the properties owned by these suspects. When the case proceedings resumed on Monday, the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) prosecution team, headed by Sardar Muzaffar Khan Abbasi, shared a copy of the reference with the counsel for Mr Khan. Since Bushra Bibi, the spouse of former prime minister Imran Khan, didn’t appear before the court, the judge warned her of issuing non-bailable warrants. The former prime minister and his spouse have also been nominated as accused in this reference filed by NAB. The prosecution also submitted the details of movable and immovable properties owned

by the suspects, as the judge invoked Section 88 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The said section authorises a court to order attachment — the process of seizing properties — when an accused has been declared a proclaimed offender. On Jan 6, Mr Riaz, the property tycoon, made a last-ditch effort to avert the confiscation of his properties when he filed an application seeking suspension of his arrest

warrants. In his application filed before the court, Mr Riaz stated that he was not aware of the proceedings initiated against him as he was abroad. He added that he had recently learned about the case and wanted to join the proceedings. The judge, however, dismissed the application and refused to suspend the arrest warrants. Source: dawn.com/

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