Hundreds of striking B.C. teachers gathered at the Vancou-ver Art Gallery on Wednesday afternoon for a fi nal protest rally before returning to work. The B.C. Teachers Federa-

tion says the provinces 41,000 teachers will be back in the classrooms on Thursday, but will continue their previous job action and could exercise their right to strike again next week. The teachers walked out Monday to protest the gov-ernments back-to-work legislation, which was introduced in the legislature last week. Elsewhere in the province, teachers gathered outside schools to protest Bill 22 on Wednesday. B.C. Teachers Federation president Susan Lambert told the crowd gathered at the steps of the Vancouver Art Gallery the bill would remove teachers collective bargaining rights

until June 2013. I think its either very cynical politics or maybe theyre gaining some remarkable insight, because of course, theyre government in freefall, she said. The

likelihood of this government surviving to June 2013 resembles that of the proverbial snowfl ake in hell. Lambert has not said if the teachers will walk out again next week, but promised they will give 48 hours notice if they do. We always give parents adequate notice of anything we do. All the time that is our commitment to parents, said Lambert. We understand that parents value the work we do and want to know what they need to do to support us and so we will always give parents adequate notice of what we do. Lambert says teachers will continue their previous job action when they resume work on Thursday, which includes not fi lling out report cards, supervising recess and meeting with school ad-ministrators. The government has said it could be a week or more before Bill 22 is passed into law. The legislation is designed to end the teachers legal strike action and

appoint a mediator to settle the contract dispute. Until the legislation is passed, teachers will be able to strike one day a week, according to a recent ruling by the Labour Relations Board. The teachers have been without a contract since June and began job action in September. Key issues in the con-tract dispute include wage increases, class sizes and support for special needs students. On Tuesday, several thousand teachers and their supporters gathered for a massive rally in front of the legislature in Victoria. Source: CBC.ca

Prime Minister Stephen Harpers Conservatives, in a sudden fl ip-fl op, have revealed they are prepared to support giving more investigative powers to Cana-das chief electoral offi cer. The development occurred Wednesday, when Harper told the House of Commons his party will support an NDP motion to be debated by MPs Thursday. The motion calls for legislation within six months to provide strength-ened powers to Elections Canada. Just a day earlier, the government had adopted a different position, insist-ing that its MPs on a parliamentary committee had blocked a move to give new audit powers to Chief Electoral Offi cer Marc Mayrand because it would add expenses to the elections agencys budget. Mayrand had sought new powers to force parties to verify their election expenses with detailed records and receipts a responsibility the Tories said should instead rest in the hands of private-sector compliance auditors hired by the parties themselves. But as the robocalls controversy continues to dominate debate on Par-liament Hill and as Elections Canada conducts an investigation into complaints of electoral fraud in last years election it has become clear that Harper wants to amend a public perception that he is obstructing the elections agency. Opposition parties have alleged that the Tories have been stonewalling when asked to provide details on the robocalls affair. Interim Liberal leader Bob Rae said Wednesday that Harper has a long ideological history of opposing Elections Canada, which he once described when he led the National Citizens Coalition as an agency staffed by jackasses. But in the Commons this week, Harper has begun to stress that the govern-ing Tories will provide their records from the last campaign to Elections Canada. The Tories also have dropped their appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada in a long-running battle with Elections Canada that dates back to the 2006 election in connection with the so-called in-and-out scheme on election fi nancing. In question period Wednesday, Interim NDP leader Nycole Turmel asked the prime minister if the Tories will support her partys motion to grant new powers to Mayrand. We have no objection to this proposal, replied Harper. A senior aide to the prime minister later confi rmed the Tories will support the NDP motion. The motion states that within six months,

BC Canada Bi-Weekly & Bilingual

www.miraclenews.com

BRINGING HARMONY TO ALL THE COMMUNITIES

Volume 12 Issue 305 Rabi ul Thani 16, 1433 AH / March 9 2012 - $1

Harper to back expanded powers for Elections boss

now

Continued on pg 7

Muslim Food Bank Hosts a successful fundraising dinnerOn Feb 24, many dedicated and hardworking volunteers organized Muslim Food Bank fundraiser at Surreys Punjab Banquet Hall. MP Jinny Sims, MLAs Jagrup Brar, Sue Hammell and BC NDP candidates Raj Hundal, Amrik Mahil were among the dignitaries attending the event.

Striking B.C. teachers rally at Vancouver Art Gallery

Celebrating 60 years in business

Surrey: Unit # 303, 8128-128th St. Surrey (Payal business centre) 604-584-1411

See Anis Shah in our Surrey Of ce

Abbotsford 2-2488 Clearbrook Rd.

604-854-6088Vancouver

6550 Fraser St. 604-324-2277

Visit: www.bainstravel.com www.indiatour.ca www.cruiseconcepts.net

PAKISTAN

$990INDIA

$799BANGLADESH

$730MIDDLE EAST

$752AFRICA

$750FIJI

$1050SRI LANKA

$1030

Issue 305 - Rabi ul Thani 16, 1433 / March 9, 20122

A deputy leader of the Pakistan Taliban, reportedly oust-ed at the weekend by a militant council, still favors peace talks with the Pakistani government, he told Reuters on Tuesday as reported by Dawn.Maulvi Faqir Mohammad, who commands militants of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or Pakistan Taliban, in the tribal agency of Bajaur near the Afghan border, has reportedly been in talks with the government in Islamabad over a peace deal.The TTP, allied with the Afghan Taliban movement fi ghting US-led Nato forces in Afghanistan, is entrenched in the unruly areas along the porous frontier. It has pledged to overthrow the Pakistani government after the military started operations against the TTP. Past peace pacts with the TTP have failed to bring stability, and merely gave the umbrella group time

and space to consolidate, launch fresh attacks and impose their austere version of Islam on segments of the popula-tion.The TTP leadership is split over new talks with the Paki-stani government, with some hardliners rejecting them. Mohammad said, however, that he has never disobeyed the council.Whenever Ive held talks with the govern-ment of Pakistan, Ive held them with the permission and advice of the central leadership of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, Mohammad said from an undisclosed location.When the Taliban in Afghanistan can talk to America, then why cant we talk to the government of Pakistan?Pakistan last month urged leaders of the Afghan Tali-ban movement to enter direct peace negotiations with Kabul, a possible sign that Islamabad is stepping up support for reconciliation in neighbouring Afghanistan.A council which reportedly included TTP chief Hakimul-lah Mehsud, ousted Mohammad, but he said he had no information on this council, its members, or where its meeting was held.Except for Ehsanullah Ehsan, who contacted the media, no important Taliban leader has contacted me. Ehsan-ullah is the spokesman for the TTP and announced the demotion.

Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said here on Monday that Pakistan would avail itself of all available opportuni-ties, including the Iran gas pipeline project, to overcome its energy crisis.Ms Khar, who was addressing a press con-ference, said Pakistan would not depend on any one solu-tion but would also pursue the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India gas pipeline project, besides the Iran gas.Answering a question about US concerns over the Pak-Iran pipeline project, she said we cannot be selective in this regard and we will complete this project to overcome the energy crisis.The minister said a new era of trust had begun in ties with India and an uninterrupted dialogue had improved the level of confi dence.She said the process of dialogue had remained suspended for a long time but now both countries realised that dialogue was the only option.She said the Amroka-Bhatinda railway section between India and Pakistan would be restored if it was in the interest of Pakistan and of people of the area.Ms Khar said foreign policy of the PPP-led government was based on develop-ing friendly ties with all neighbouring countries, including India, China, Iran and Afghanistan. Close relations with these countries will help maintain peace in the region.She said the executive had handed over to parliament the authority to devise foreign policy because the government believed that the policy should have public ownership.The

key to restoration of Nato supplies was with parliament which alone would take a decision about it, she added. The decision will be taken in national interest.Ms Khar said re-lations with the United States were of great importance to Pakistan and were in its national interest, but these should be based on mutual respect.She said the Nato supplies by air had never been suspend-ed. Only the land supply route was closed in accordance with parliaments decision.Pakistan wants stability in the region and does not want to create hurdles for forces of 40 countries in Afghanistan. It was also in our interest, she said.The Nato supply route was suspended in the best inter-est of the country because it was necessary to react to the attack on the Salala post.She said Pakistan would support the dialogue between the US and Afghan Taliban.When asked about the possibility of a US attack on Iran, she said Pakistan had a clear stand on the issue. A military interven-tion in the region is not acceptable.She said the recent visit of Afghan President Hamid Karzai to Pakistan was result-oriented and he admitted that Paki-stan had a very important role in the region.She said Pakistan had suggested to the Afghan president to initiate an intra-Afghan dialogue and extended its support in this regard because stability in the region was also in its own interest.

Issue 305 - Rabi ul Thani 16, 1433 / March 9, 20123 p a k i s t a n

We specialize in Pakistan, India, Middle East, Fiji, Europe, South Americaand South Pacific.

We do Hajj, Umrah packages, Cruises and Disney Land tours etc.

galaxytravel@live.cawww.galaxytravel.ca

Abdul Rauf(President)

Ousted deputy leader of Pakistan Taliban favors talks with govt.

All options on table to end energy crisis: Khar

www.junaidiqbal.ca

Scan with your smartphone to visit our website for the latest news in BC Muslim Community!

#213 - 8334 - 128 Street, Surrey

SAIRA KHANSAIRA KHANLLB (London)

NOTARY PUBLIC

T: 604-591-5824 T: 604-591-5824 C: 604-324-9944C: 604-324-9944

saira@vannotary.comsaira@vannotary.com

Shoaib RaufT: (604) 596 1861C: (778) 855 1861

shoaib.surrey@gmail.com

#220 -13711 72 Ave.Surrey; BC V3W 2P2 (Opposite Newton Wave Pool)

NOTARY PUBLIC

Abdul QayyumOmax Realty LtdC: 778-688-47779287 120th St. Delta BC www.abdulqayyum.com

some conditions may apply. limited time offer

Special Fares for Pakistan by Gulf Air Line

Buy/Sell your house with the No. 1 realtor of the year 2011 for Omax Realty Ltd

Get a Free return ticket when you Get a Free return ticket when you Buy or Sell your house with me. Buy or Sell your house with me.

Issue 305 - Rabi ul Thani 16, 1433 / March 9, 20124

at Masjid Anwar-e-Madina Surrey13560-105A Ave., Surrey13560-105A Ave., Surrey

Friday, March 9, 2012 At 6:00pmFriday, March 9, 2012 At 6:00pm

Main Speaker:Main Speaker: Maulana Saiyad Imroz DeanMaulana Saiyad Imroz Dean

Khatam 11th GyarweenKhatam 11th Gyarween Shareef Program Shareef Program

FULL PROVISIONS FOR SISTERSRefreshments & Dinner will be served

For More Information:Madina Masjid 604-583-9786, Sayed Siraju Dean 604-580-0570,

Imroz Dean Saify 604-727-1438, Abdul Raoof 604-588-8779

ALL WELCOME

* According to Fraser Institute, Iqra Ranked 4th out of 102 schools in Surrey

IQRA Islamic School14590 - 116A Ave, Surrey BC V3R 2V1 info@iqraschool.com

Iqra RankedTop 5%

IQRA ISLAMIC SCHOOL(Quality Education and Personal Excellence)

Leadership Program

State-of-the-Art IT Lab Safe &

Nurturing Environment

Arts Program

Uniforms

Islamic Environment

Small Class Size

Academic Excellence

Sports Program

OPEN HOUSESaturday, March 10th, 2012 Saturday, April 14th, 2012

10:00 am - 3:00 pmRefreshment Provided

For registration, please call 604-583-7530 or visit www.iqraschool.com

Issue 305 - Rabi ul Thani 16, 1433 / March 9, 20125 i n t e r n a t i o n a l

Romney wins 6 of 10 states on Super Romney wins 6 of 10 states on Super Tuesday but Santorum, Gingrich vow Tuesday but Santorum, Gingrich vow

to ght onto ght onMitt Romney and Rick Santorum each won Republican presidential primaries in multiple states on

Tuesday night, with Romney narrowly edging his rival in the key state of Ohio. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich won the primary in his home state of Georgia, once again reviving his campaign.

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas did surprisingly well in a losing effort in Virginia, indicating that the tumultuous four-way GOP race is likely to rumble on for weeks.

Syrian president defi es international

Email hints bin Ladens body may be in the US

Indias ruling party loses key state election

President Bashar al-Assad pledged to crush foreign-backed terrorism Tuesday as Syrias army turned on new targets after subduing the city of Homs. The regimes forces pounded rebel-held towns and struck a bridge used by refu-gees to escape to neighbouring Leba-non, killing at least six people. Soldiers also launched a major assault on Herak, a town in the southern province of Deraa, according to the Syrian Obser-vatory for Human Rights, a London-based group. Two international envoys are about to visit Mr Assad - Baroness

Amos, the United Nations under-secretary for humanitarian affairs, who is due in Damascus on Wednesday, and Kofi Annan, the former UN secretary-general, who is expected this weekend as a representative of the Arab League. None the less, the president persisted with the belligerent rhetoric that he has displayed throughout the one-year uprising that has claimed up to 7,000 lives. Insisting that his security forces were fi ghting outsiders and not home-grown rebels, Mr Assad said: The Syrian people have again proven their capacity to defend the nation and to build a new Syria through their determi-nation to pursue reforms along with the fi ght against foreign-backed terrorism. For a fi fth consecutive day, aid work-ers from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) were kept out of Baba Amr, the formerly rebel-held area of Homs that was captured by government troops last week. This broke an earlier assurance given by the regime and placed Syria in violation of a statement agreed unanimously by the UN Security Council calling for free access for aid workers. The ICRC

has also asked for a daily two-hour ceasefi re across the country to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid. Again, the regime had indicated that it was willing to accept this suggestion, but no such pauses have taken place. By keeping the ICRC out of Baba Amr, Mr Assad is risking greater diplomatic isolation and the possible disapproval of his two most powerful allies, Russia and China. At the UN, the U.S., Britain and France sought to win the agreement of Rus-sia and China yesterday to a new draft resolution seeking unfettered access for

aid agencies to the worst affected areas of Syria. President Barack Obama called the bloodshed in Syria heartbreaking and outrageous yesterday, adding that Mr Assad had lost legitimacy and his downfall was a question of when not if. Hav-ing previously protected Mr Assad in the Security Council, Russia and China

have shown signs of a more fl exible attitude, at least as far as humanitarian access is concerned. Any new resolu-tion would have to be diluted heavily from earlier failed versions to exclude any mention of a transition from Mr Assad to a new government. Gen-nady Gatilov, Russias deputy foreign minister, said the new draft was a slightly modifi ed version of the last ve-toed document, adding: It should be substantially balanced. But Western diplomats take the view that a watered-down resolution would still send a sig-nal to Mr Assad that his isolation was increasing. It is hard to see how Russia and China can object to something that focuses on humanitarian access. They would fi nd themselves in a very diffi cult situation if they blocked it, said an offi cial. David Cameron spoke to Vladimir Putin on Monday and told Parliament that he didnt sense any sign of a shift in the Russian leaders approach. But he hoped to secure agree-ment that it is absolutely essential that, at the very least, there is humanitarian access.Source: Vancouver Sun

Osama bin Ladens body may not have been buried at sea after all, according to leaked emails written by a senior offi cial at the intelligence fi rm Stratfor. The emails were part of a massive WikiLeaks operation that in February began publishing information from Stratfor Global Intelligence, a U.S.-based fi rm which describes itself as a publisher of geopolitical analysis. It has been likened by some to a shadow CIA. The data was obtained by the hacker group Anonymous. It successfully attacked one of the fi rms servers, allegedly stealing more than 5 million emails. The U.S. governments offi cial position is that after the Al Qaeda leader was killed in Pakistan during a raid on his compound on May 2, 2011, his body was buried at sea in a proper Muslim ceremony in an undisclosed spot. But Fred Burton, vice-president of intelligence at the Stratfor, wrote in a May 2 email sent from his BlackBerry that he believed bin Ladens body bound for Dover, DE on CIA plane. Than (sic) onward to the Armed Forces Institute of Pathol-ogy in Bethesda.In another email Burton wrote: If body dumped at sea, which I doubt, the touch is very Adolph Eichman (sic) like. The Tribe did the same thing with the Nazis ashes. We would want to photograph, DNA, fi ngerprint, etc. His body is a crime scene and I dont see the FBI nor DOJ letting that happen. Eichmann was one of the architects of the Holocaust by Nazi Germany during World War II. He was captured by Israels

secret service in Argentina and put on trial in Israel. He was found guilty and later executed. Stratfors founder and CEO George Friedman replied: Eichmann was seen alive for many months on trial before being sentenced to death and executed. No one wanted a monument to him so they cremated him. But I dont know anyone who claimed he wasnt eicjhman (sic). No com-parison with suddenly burying him at sea without any chance to view him which I doubt hap-pened. Stratfors Friedman issued a statement when Wikileaks fi rst began publishing the emails, calling the theft and publication of the emails a deplorable, unfortunate and illegal breach of privacy. He continued: Some of the emails may be forged or altered to include inaccuracies. Some may be authentic. We will not validate either, nor will we explain the thinking that went into them. Having had our property stolen, we will not be victimized twice by submitting to questions about them. Friedman said that he believes the release of these emails is a direct at-tack on Stratfor and another attempt to silence and intimidate the company, and one we reject. As you can see, emails sent to many people about my resignation were clearly forged. We do not know what else has been manufactured. Stratfor will not be silenced, and we will continue to publish the geopolitical analysis our friends and subscribers have come to rely on.Source: Toronto Star

Indias governing Congress party was badly beaten in a key state election Tuesday, a sharp rebuke that could cripple the already embattled national government over

the fi nal two years of its term. With early returns show-ing Congress coming in fourth place in the Uttar Pradesh polls, party icon Rahul Gandhi admitted defeat. Gandhi, seen as his partys likely next prime ministerial candidate, had put his reputation on the line by campaigning relent-lessly across Indias most populous state. Mayawati, the bottom-caste dalit leader who is the states incumbent chief minister, also suffered a crushing defeat as the socialist Sa-majwadi Partys victory appeared strong enough to allow it to form a government on its own. Mayawatis party took a major hit, with the commission projecting it to win only 80

seats, while the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, was expected to secure up to 47 and Congress to take 28 -- a marginal increase from the 22 it held before the vote. Mayawati, who uses one name, drew criticism during her 5-year rule for spending a fortune on public parks complete with gigantic statues of herself and other party leaders instead of reforming the health and education systems. Ajit Kumar Singh, director of the Giri Institute of Development Studies in the state capital, Lucknow, said voters saw the Samajwadi Party as their best chance of ousting their mercurial chief minister. K.V. Prasad, a New Delhi-based political analyst with The Hindu newspaper, said the verdict showed that the Congress party was out of touch with grass-roots issues. Its not enough to go heli-hopping and waving your hands, he said, a reference to Gandhis crisscrossing the state via helicopter. The electorate is more aware now. Prasad said voters knew that only the Samajwadi Party had the organization to real-istically defeat Mayawatis government. Congress didnt fare much better in election results from four other states. While it held onto power in the tiny, insurgency-wracked state of Manipur in the northeast with 42 of the states 60 seats, it lost control of coastal Goa, with only nine seats to the BJPs 21. In the state of Punjab, Congress lost to the local Sikh party Shiromani Akali Dal 56-46, with the BJP

taking 12. In the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, results were still too close to call. The results in Uttar Pradesh, where Congress leaders had hoped to triple their seat count, are a blow to Gandhis aspirations to be taken seri-ously as a national leader. Gandhi, a parliamentarian from Uttar Pradesh, is a member of the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty that has dominated Indian politics since independence from Britain in 1947. His mother is Sonia Gandhi, the Italian-born Congress party president; his father, former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, was assassinated in 1991. The fam-ily is not related to independence leader Mohandas Gandhi. The Congress-led national coalition has been battered by corruption scandals and weakened by growing opposition from rebellious smaller parties within the government that have blocked major new legislation. Congress had hoped a strong showing would rejuvenate the government and give it leverage to widen the coalition and pressure its wayward allies to fall in line. A poor showing will leave the govern-ment limping toward the next election in 2014, even as economic growth slows and analysts say the nation is des-perately in need of a transformative reform agenda. The massive elections in the fi ve states were spread out from late January to March 3 and saw a high voter turnout, with at least 60 per cent of the electorate voting in each state.Source: CTV News

Russians furious about Vladimir Putins return to the presidency fear a wider crackdown after hundreds were arrested following a post-election protest. He criticised riot police, deployed by the thousand to the capital during and after the vote, for violently detaining hundreds of protest-ers on Monday. Future protests would lead to a clear manifestation of aggression from the authorities, he said, a testament to their nervous-ness. Putins spokesman defended the arrests, saying the helmet-clad riot police had acted with a high level of professionalism, legitimacy and effectiveness. The Russian foreign ministry took it further, writing directly to the US ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, to criticise the New York police departments handling of Occupy Wall Street protesters. The police on Pushkin Square were many times more hu-

mane than what we saw during the breakup of Occupy Wall Street, tent camps in Europe, the ministry wrote. Opposition activists said they feared authorities would use means both legal and extralegal to squash the anti-Putin movement that exploded after a disputed parliamentary vote in December. The prosecutor generals offi ce said it would inves-tigate whether speakers at the rally on Monday had provoked mass unrest. Riot police detained hundreds of people who had refused to leave Moscows Pushkin Square following an anti-Putin protest that gathered around 20,000 people. Among those detained were the opposi-tion leaders Alexey Navalny and Sergei Udaltsov. They were released hours later. Navalnys court date has been set for 15 March. Police have already swooped on other activists. Six members of the feminist punk band Pussy Riot were arrested at the weekend, suspected by police of gross violation of the public order and religious hatred following an unsanctioned performance in Moscows Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Two remain in custody, and have launched a hunger strike. They could face up to seven years in jail if police bring charges of hooliganism. Protesters also suspected that the campaign against them had been taken to the internet. Dr Web, a Russian IT security fi rm, said it had fl agged a new computer virus sent in emails calling on people to attend the protests. Also on Tuesday, Andrew Ryvkin, a political blogger for the Russian edition of GQ, said he was attacked by two men known for their pro-Kremlin views. The writer Sergei Minayev and Eduard Bagirov, a member of Putins election campaign, admitted to the attack on Twitter, but said that it involved no politics. Despite the pressure, protesters have vowed to continue their calls for new elections. A fresh protest has been set for 10 March, but organisers have yet to receive approval from city authorities. After the attempt to occupy Pushkin Square, organisers indicated that they may carry out unsanctioned protests in future. Putin has refused to address the protesters concerns, saying on Tuesday that the fraud claims were an element of political struggle. It has no rela-tion to the election. Although many Russians expected Putin to seek a return to the Kremlin, popular anger grew with his announcement in September that he would run for re-election. Putin will try to return the situation to as it was before, in the summer of 2011, Soldatov said. But I dont think thats possible. He said sources inside the security services were becoming increasingly nervous that the opposition would seek to capitalise on a fresh expression of discontent during Putins planned inauguration in early May. Akunin, the novelist, said the authorities nervousness was palpable, prompting the show of force on Monday. Putins victory in the fi rst round is becoming more and more doubtful, he said. Activists and election monitors continued to pore over reports of falsifi cations, revealing rates in the troubled Caucasus republics that rarely dipped below 97% support for Putin. I think exactly this explains the authorities nervousness, he said.Source: Guardian

Issue 305 - Rabi ul Thani 16, 1433 / March 9, 20126

West agrees to restart Iran atomic talks

Sarkozy says we have too many foreigners in France

i n t e r n a t i o n a l

Russians fear crack-down as hundreds are

arrested after anti-Putin protest

President Nicolas Sarkozy declared on Tuesday that there are too many immigrants in France, as the countrys presidential election campaign became caught up in issues of religion and identity. De-fending a re-election campaign promise to cut the number of new arrivals in half, Sarkozy bluntly declared that Frances attempts to integrate foreign arrivals into its culture and society had become par-alysed. Our system of integration is working more and more badly, because we have too many foreign-ers on our territory and we can no longer manage to fi nd them accommodation, a job, a school, Sarkozy said. Sarkozy has been accused of tack-ing to the right in the run up to the April 22 fi rst round of the French presidential election in order to recruit voters tempted by anti-immigrant candidate Marine Le Pens platform. But, in a television interview, he insisted that while immigration could remain a boon for France in many areas, it must be controlled more tightly through tougher resi-dency qualifi cations for newcomers. Sarkozy also announced new plans to limit some welfare benefi t payments currently available to immigrant workers to those who have enjoyed residency for ten years and have worked for fi ve of those. The hardening of his tone came after a week in which the issue of Muslim immigration and in particular Islamic and Jewish dietary practice has surged to the fore in the national debate, upsetting religious leaders. Jews and Muslims came together Tuesday to complain they were being used as pawns in the election, after

fi rst Le Pen then Sarkozy and fi nally his prime minister Francois Fillon criticised the production of halal and kosher meat. For its part, the French Council of the Muslim Faith slammed what it said was the use of Muslims as scape-goats in the election cam-paign in which halal slaughter of animals has become a hot-button issue. The unusu-ally strong reactions from the communities came a day after Fillon urged Muslims and

Jews to consider scrapping outdated slaughter rules. Le Pen launched the halal debate last month when she claimed all meat from Paris region abat-toirs was prepared using Islamic halal traditions and that non-Muslim consumers in the capital were be-ing misled. Like kosher slaughter, the halal method requires the abattoir to kill the beast by slitting its throat. Stunning the beast fi rst -- as is done in non-ritual abattoirs -- to lessen its ordeal is not permit-ted. It later emerged that Paris region abattoirs mostly supplied local Muslim butchers and that most meat sold in Paris came from outside the re-gion. But the issue stuck and on Saturday Sarkozy suggested meat should be labelled to tell consumers how the animal was slaughtered. France is home to western Europes largest Muslim minority, offi -cially estimated at least four million, and its largest Jewish community, estimated at up to 700,000. The country has for years been debating how far it is willing to go to accommodate Islam, now its second religion, and Sarkozy and Le Pen have both made the matter a central issue in their campaigns. Fran-cois Hollande, the Socialist candidate and frontrun-ner in opinion polls, said his rivals had now gone too far and called for restraint. France will vote in the fi rst round of a presidential election on April 22, followed by a second-round run-off on May 6. All recent opinion polls forecast that Hollande will emerge victorious.Source: AFP

West agrees to restart Iran atomic talks Six world powers have accepted an Iranian offer for talks on its disputed nuclear programme. Catherine Ashton, foreign policy chief for the European Union, sent on Tuesday an offer to restart diplomatic talks between the fi ve permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) plus Germany with Iran. On behalf of China, France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, I have offered to resume talks with Iran on the nuclear issue, she said in a statement. Tuesdays announcement by the EUs top diplomat came shortly after Russian calls for a resumption of face-to-face dialogue as soon as possible. A letter on February 14 demonstrated that Iran was now ready for serious negotiations, according to Russia. Ashton said her remarks were a response to the correspondence sent by Saeed Jalili, Irans nuclear negotiator. Our overall goal remains a com-prehensive negotiated, long-term solution which restores international confi dence in the exclusively peaceful nature of Irans nuclear programme, while respecting Irans right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, Ashton said in her reply to Jalili. A time and venue now need to be agreed, she said. The last round of negotiations between the Western powers and Iran - in January 2011 - ended in fail-ure. William Hague, UK foreign secretary, said in a statement that the burden would be on Iran to con-vince the international community that its nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful. In a separate development, Iran has agreed to grant access to

the inspectors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to visit the Parchin compound. The long-sought access to what Iran calls a military base, not a nuclear facility, came a day after the head of the UN nuclear watchdog, Yukiya Amano, said his organisation had serious concerns that Iran may be hiding secret atomic-weapons work. He singled out the Parchin military complex southeast of Tehran. The semi-offi cial ISNA news agency quoted the Iranian statement as saying: Given that Parchin is a military site, access to this facility is a time-consuming process, and it cant be visited repeatedly. It said that following repeated IAEA demands,permission will be granted for access once more. Israel, which says its existence could be threatened if Iran is allowed to develop nuclear weapons, is losing confi dence in Western efforts to change the Islamic Republics policy with sanctions and diplomatic pressure. Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, assured Barack Obama, the US president, on Monday that Israel has made no decision on attacking Iranian nuclear sites, sources close to talks in Washington said. Netanyahu, however, gave no sign of backing away from the option of military attacks. Speak-ing at the ongoing American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference in Washington on Tuesday, Leon Panetta, the US defence secretary, said military action is the last alternative when all else fails in Iran.But make no mistake, we will act if we have to, he said.Source: Al-Jazeera

Issue 305 - Rabi ul Thani 16, 1433 / March 9, 20127

The Senate polls play an important role in setting the course of future politics. The Pakistan People Party (PPP) and its coalition partners have been aiming at winning majority of seats on the basis of their existing strength in the national assembly (PNA) and the four provincial assemblies. Though, many predictions were made in the past about the early departure of the government, yet all of them turned out to be misleading indeed. Scared of being ousted from the political scene ahead of the senate elections, the PPP managed to have the said-election on time as scheduled to further strength-en their superior position in the national Senate. With victory, the crippled PPP emerged as the largest party in the senate with the help of unethical payments of very high price in terms of cash money to buy votes. Allegedly, the money was paid for vot-ing and as well as for not voting. During the recent Senate polls, the Pakistan People Party (PPP) won 19 of the 54 seats, making it a total of 41 seats in the 104-member Senate. The number of seats in the Senate was increased by four under the 18th amendment, with the addition of reserved seats for minorities. Offi cially, the PPP is now ahead of all other parties in the Senate. The 2nd largest party in the Senate is the PML-N with its eight new seats making a total of 14 seats. No matter what, the culprits cant be caught due to fl aws in the laws, lack of hard evidence, and other technicalities. Ironically, this illegal trade is very

popular among the law makers. As such, merit or integrity of the candidate is immaterial, and this of course is a sad situation to the greatest disadvantage of the general public. Shamelessly, its quite common for the dishonest legislators to manage sitting in the parliaments by exploiting legal loopholes. Similarly, senators known to have purchased their seats in the Senate were never made accountable at all. Nevertheless, if the unethical manuver-ing has paved the way for the coalition regime of the PPP to capture a major share of the Senate, its still meaningless unless there is substantial action by the ruling coalition in the best interest of the suppressed nation through backing up their tall claims and promises. Beyond doubt, the governing alliance has now got two-thirds majority in the Senate and would be in a much stronger position to ward off any challenge to its smooth governance, which includes installing a care taker government and holding the general election this year to their best advantage. In the pursuit of lust for power, they em-ploy pressure tactics, including stinky mentality of rigging, using baits, dealing via stock exchange of votes. These are damaging enough to jeopardise the eco-nomic well being of 180 million people of the 65 year old so-called Islamic Republic. Consequently, the unethically generated Senate with some dishonest members cant do much for the betterment of its people except serving as a tool to give tough time to the lower house where the

majority might be belonging to other political party. Most of all, the diminishing comfort level of Mr. Head of State (Zardari) has returned suddenly. Now he is optimistic to be benefi tting heavily from the Senate for the next three years as well as his party is in a position to enjoy a consid-erable infl uence over all others within the political system for a few more years to come. As above mentioned, the PPP can use its new strength in the Senate to frustrate law-making agenda of any other winning political party until the next Senate election in 2015. Surprisingly, after the annulment of National reconciliation Ordinance, President Zardari is merely a de-facto Head of State. However, he insists on enjoying immunity from criminal pros-ecution during his tenure in offi ce. New Senate is now the best cushion to protect immunity of Mr President with another tenure.As Islamic law and jurisprudence does not show any immunity to anybody including the head of state. Question arises, whether 1973 constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is Islamic-- in the true sense as per letter and spirit of the noble Quran and Sunnah; needs to be debated upon by the Muslim schol-ars. Secondly, the president has been cling-ing to the dual offi ce unconstitutionally, whereas, a president is required by the constitution to be non partisan. According to media, elections on 12 Senate seats were marred by charges of horse-trading and vote-buying. It was a

scene of open vote buying and selling by the PPP. To win votes through bid-ding as high as Rs 650 million per bid is cruelty with the poor nation. After all, there was no pain at the end of senate-game for gain, as Pakistan Peoples Party is expected to be laugh-ing comfortably for next three to six years - depending upon the environment of general public mood in a few days down the road. Much comfort will now be available to the PPP in the lower house upon re-election with no problem getting a 2nd passing grade at the upper house level.Negative scenario: As there are no PTI senators in the upper house of parlia-ment, the lower house with PTI mem-bers would face tough time with their bill-passing process in the upper house. Under the current system, the competi-tion among the honest people is impos-sible, as only the dishonest rich people stand chances in the absence of anti corruption tsunami.There is trouble ahead, as many leaders are coming forward urging the Supreme Court and the Election Commission to take notice of the situation of the horse trading and vote buying spree. But, there is the urgent need of Senate Reforms disallowing vote stock ex-change and all unfair practices to save the country from greedy vultures.

Waan laysa lil insaniilla ma saaa

That man can have nothing but what he strives for.

Contact InfoContact InfoMailing and Offi ce Address9160-136A Street SurreyBC. V3V 7Z8 CanadaFax: 604-582-7809

Founder : Nusrat HussainManaging Editor: M. Naseer PirzadaSub-Editors: Khadija, Misbah & SabeehHon. Chief Editor & Urdu EditorMohammad Rafi qAdvertising : info@miraclenews.comPh: 604-690-0400 Email: naseer@telus.net,

Editorial Board : Mr.Shums Jillani, Mr Aslam Hayat, Azhar Syed, Mr. Shams Siddiqui, M.A.L. Naumani, Mr Tariq MianGraphic Design: Design TeamsCopyright 2001 Miracle Media Group Inc.All Rights Reserved Printed in Canada

Phone: 604-690-0400 -Email: miraclenews@telus.net, info@miraclenews.com ,Website: www.miraclenews.com

Attention: The opinions expressed herein contain positions and viewpoints that are not necessarily those of The Miracle. These are offered as a means for The Miracle to stimulate dialogue and

discussion in our continuing mission of Bringing Harmony To All The Communities.

Editorial & LettersInt. NewsLocalSpecialArticlesFaithHealthSportsUrdu

75,61514,20,2115, 16, 258262728-36

Contents

Miracle Media Group Inc.

NO GENUINE SENATE WITHOUT LEVEL PLAYING FIELD

L E T T E R S & O P I N I O N S

Halal Restaurants

e d i t o r i a l

By M Hajee It is very frustrating that the Halal restau-rants around Surrey do not open early in the mornings (such as the fast food fran-chises) and insist on closing early at night (nothing is open after 10:30 PM).There was a time when I had to travel to and from Kelwona, Edmonton, for busi-ness purposes. I could not travel at night as the gas stations close at 11:00 PM along Coquihala, so I had no choice but to travel in the ealry mornings. Along the road, I could not fi nd any Halal restaurants, which is understandable, as in small towns it is hardly likely that there will be a Halal res-taurant. But in Surrey? I wished to pick up something fresh that I could eat along the way. NOTHING is open at that time.My wife starts work that requires her to be out of the home by 6:00 AM. There is nothing that she can buy that is halal while she waits for the bus or Skytrain, except maybe coffee. She once had to start work in

Coquitlam around 3:00 PM and came home after 9:00 PM. Along the way, there were NO Halal restaurants where she could get a snack. NONE.When the Halal establishments do not open as early as the non-halal places, or are not available late into the night, we have no choice but to patronize non-halal places. We have been given NO choice in these matters.Perhaps now is the time for some Halal restautanteurs to wise up and extend their hours.

IMPORTANT NOTE: We do not publish anonymous letters or the letters

of the people who do not disclose their identity to The Miracle. A writer can use a pen name or

request The Miracle to withhold his / her identity. Please include your daytime telephone number

for the con rmation of your letter. We regret the inconvenience.

the government should table amendments to the Elections Canada Act and other legislation to ensure three things in future

election campaigns: The investigation capabilities of Elec-tions Canada should be strengthened to include giving the chief electoral offi cer the power to request all necessary docu-ments from political parties to ensure compliance with the Elections Act. All telemarking companies that provide voter contact services during an elec-tion must register with Elections Canada. All clients of telemarketing companies during a general election should have their identities registered and verifi ed.On Tuesday, Harper sidestepped ques-tions in the House over why his party refused previously to grant more leeway to Mayrand to probe party expenses for all elections. Opposition parties revealed that over the course of the last two years, a Commons committee has looked into how to reform the Canada Elections Act. One of the changes they said Mayrand preferred was to be given extra powers to order documents to verify party expenses similar to the way the auditor general probes federal agencies and departments. Opposition parties say they were willing

to provide those extra powers to May-rand, noting that he was simply seeking the powers that his provincial counter-parts have for provincial elections. But they said that once the Tories won last years election, they used their major-ity power on the committee to block that change. Instead, the committee opted in a recently released report to recom-mend the establishment of an external auditor that parties could hire to review expense reports to ensure they comply with election spending laws. On Tues-day, the government confi rmed that this had happened and defended its actions. Conservative MP Tom Lukiwski said the Tories objected to the increased costs that taxpayers would have to bear if Mayrand were given extra powers and then hired new auditors for his own offi ce. Instead, he said, the Tories decided the best ap-proach was to require parties to foot the bill by hiring independent private-sector compliance auditors to review their election expenses. Either way, he said, Canadians can be assured an independent audit will occur.

Harper : Continued from pg 1

Issue 305 - Rabi ul Thani 16, 1433 / March 9, 20128 f a i t hL E T T E R S & O P I N I O N S

By: A K M MohiuddinYou need three essential things in order to be able to live by Islam in a satisfactory manner. They are:a. genuine conviction,b. sharp and acute senses, capacity for feel-ing, and active imagination,c. and a ready heart.Without these, you run the risk of fi nding Islam a burden or at least an inconvenience and of always remaining an easy prey to Iblis and his agents. Everything is diffi cult unless you fi rst meet its basic prerequisites. Allah (SWT) Himself testifi es to this: Seek help in patience and prayer; and truly it is hard save for the humble-minded, who know that they will have to meet their Lord, and that unto Him they are returning (2:45-46).You have to have the genuine conviction that Islam is true. There are two aspects to this. First, you have to be absolutely convinced that the Quran is the word of Allah (SWT) and that Muham-mad ((SAWS)) is a true messenger of Allah (SWT). The Quran survives intact and is available to us, and whatever we need to know about Muhammad (SAWS) can be known. Without this conviction there is no way one can advance any further. This is all that needs to be said on this point.The second aspect of this conviction follows from the fi rst: you must accept the fact that together, the Quran and the Sunnah provide guidance for mankind. The Quran in its entirety is Allahs (SWT) guidance for you, and Muhammad (SAWS))in all his words and deeds is your only model to follow. You cannot pick and choose which parts of the Quran or which aspects of the Prophets (SAWS) life to accept. You cannot allow your personal likes and dislikes to dictate what you choose from the Quran and the Sunnah. There may be parts of the Quran that appear to you incomprehensible or unnecessary, but remember that the Quran has its own architecture, each part of which supports and sustains the rest. The same is true of Muham-mad ((SAWS)) himself: every aspect of his life is integral to his totality as a prophet. He is the believers model in an organic way. Every part of his life is informed by his consciousness of Allah (SWT) and refl ects his eagerness to please his Lord. So take Islam as a whole.Resist all temptation to do what Allah (SWT) has warned us against in Surah Baqarah (2:85): Then is it only a part of the Book that you believe in, and do you reject the rest? You are required to submit. You have to let the Quran and the teachings of Muham-mad (SAWS) be the judge, rather than your presuming to be their judge. You have to subdue your enormously powerful sense of self-importance in order to achieve this humility and remain perpetually on your guard against its capacity for sneaking back. Because of the presence of this danger, Allah (SWT) has taught us this prayer in Surah Ali Imran: Our Lord! Cause not our hearts to stray after Thou hast guided us, and bestow upon us mercy from Thy Presence. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Bestower (3:8). Even the Prophet (SAWS) used to make this dua. The best safeguard is to remember the greatness and glory of Allah (SWT) and the immeasur-able superiority of Muhammad ((SAWS)) over any other human being. How superior Muhammad ((SAWS)) is, no one has the ca-pacity to measure. Remember Allahs (SWT) warning: He (Allah) cannot be questioned for His acts, but they will be questioned for theirs (21:23). It was this fundamental fact that Iblis forgot and so he began questioning Allah (SWT), and you know the result of that. Try to be among those who wholeheartedly say, I am pleased to have Allah as my Lord, Islam as my deen, and Muhammad as my Prophet (Tirmidhi).When the two aspects of this conviction are in harmony, the effect will be readily felt in your heart. Your heart will be willing to engage with Islam in a really meaningful way.

Secondly, you need to sharpen your senses and your faculty of feeling and your imagination. You must travel in your minds eye to the Akhirah. Envision yourself at that great fi nal gathering on the Day of Judgment, naked and entirely helpless, lonely in a vast crowd. Try to feel the anxiety of that moment. Enter Jahannam: feel its heat, torment and ignominy; feel the fright. Step into Jannah: feel its peace, joy and honor. You must shake off any suggestion or temptation to think of Akhirah, Jannah and Jahannam as mere symbols. Only recall what Muhammad ((SAWS)) took them to be. Look at this dua with which he started his tahajjud prayer every night: O Allah! All praise is for you, You are the Holder of the Heavens and the Earth, and whatever is in them. All praise is for You; You have the possession of the Heavens and the Earth and whatever is in them. All praise is for You; You are the Light of the Heavens and the Earth, and all praise is for You; You are the King of the Heavens and the Earth, and all praise is for You; You are the Truth and Your Promise is true, and the meeting with You is true. Your Word is true. And Paradise is true. And Hell is true. And all the Prophets (Peace be upon them) are true; and Muhammad is true, and the Day of Resurrection is true. O Allah! I surrender (my will) to You; I believe in You and depend on You, and repent to You, and with Your help I argue (with my opponents, the non-believers) and I take You as a judge (to judge between us). Please forgive me my previous and future sins; and whatever I concealed or revealed, and You are the Expediter and You are the Deferrer. There is none to be worshipped but you (Sahih Al Bukhari, Book 21, Hadith 221).Come to the Quran and to Muhammad (SAWS) with these same sharpened senses, feelings and imagination. While reading or listening to the Quran, do not think that you are just reading from the pages of a book or listening to some mechanical device. Picture yourself beside Muhammad (SAWS), watch-ing the Quran being revealed to him, and then hearing it from him. He is explaining the ayahs to you. When reading or hearing a hadith, imagine that you are with him and he himself is telling you what to do and not do, what you should be and not be. Make all these experiences direct and immediate for yourself. You will feel their impact by the grace of Allah (SWT). Can man transport himself in such a way, cross this huge gap in time and space? Of course he can. Man is imminently suitable for this. There is nothing he can do better. Most of the time we are engaged in just this kind of thing; all our plans, hopes and fears rely on this capac-ity of ours. It all depends on what our hearts desire. When something possesses our hearts, we get automati-cally transported to all kinds of worlds and situations, which become more real than anything else. We do not know, or we do not care to know, how far we travel into the realm of the most ridiculous and the most grotesque without feeling the least bit surprised.Knowing is not enough. To be of any benefi t, it needs to be transformed into a feel-ing, a felt experience. Only then can knowledge move you to do whatever you need to do or to become. Only then can knowledge be a shaping force for you. This can never happen unless you can bring your senses, feelings and imagi-nation to fulfi ll their rightful function.

The message of the Quran and the teach-ings of Muhammad ((SAWS)) have to remain fresh and alive in your heart with all their irresistible dignity, beauty, and power to move. There is an ayah in the Quran in which Allah (SWT) warns man against a loss of the impact of His guidance: ...they should not become like those to whom was given revelation aforetime, but long ages passed over them and their hearts grew hard...for many among them are rebellious transgres-sors (57:16). When this happens, you lose sight of what is valuable and get distracted by all that is destructive. Truth appears false, falsehood appears true. In other words, a complete reversal of values takes place. The heart loses its proper orientation, concentra-tion and alertness. With your sharpened senses, feelings and imagination, the everyday aspects of your life will be transformed. You will be able joyfully to discover in Nature around you the varied manifestations of Allahs (SWT) power and glory, to see through the deceptive appear-ance of this worldly life, and to perceive deaths constant companionship with you. You will know what is of real value and what you really need.Thirdly, your heart has to be ready. As the heart is moved, it becomes eager to obey, so that it can say with other true believers, We hear and obey (2:285). The ready heart is eager to please Allah (SWT). It will seize every opportunity to please Him and rejoice when able to do so and likewise feel miserable at every missed opportunity. This heart is grateful, humble and obedient. You are grateful to Allah (SWT) because you realize what a blessing Islam is for you. You are humble because you realize your own insignifi cance beside Allah (SWT) and the smallness of your own understanding beside that of His Messenger ((SAWS)), and also because you know you are subject to lapses and forgetfulness. You are obedient because you know that only through obedience can you receive and hold the treasure that has

been offered you in Islam and hope to please Allah (SWT). Such a heart will constantly be supplicating to Allah (SWT) for ever greater levels of sincerity and taqwa (God-consciousness) for itself and tawfi q (ability) from Him (SWT) to abide by Islam. It knows that without tawfi q nothing can be attained, and tawfi q comes from Allah (SWT) alone. It places all its hope in Allahs (SWT) mercy and forgiveness.Islam will be a source of joy and contentment and no longer appear burdensome or incon-venient. You will fi nd the chambers of Islam opening before you one by one, where you will fi nd shelter, sustenance, clothing, rest and comfort, a safe base from which you will be ushered into your permanent abode in eternity where you will be greeted with the greeting of salam by your Lord Himself: Peace! - a word of salutation from a Lord Most Merci-ful (36:58).

A. K. M. Mohiuddin is a retired university professor of English literature living in Bangladesh. He can be reached at this ad-dress: akmm45yahoo. com

From March 9 - 23, 2012 (R.ul Thani-2-16, 1433H) R.ul. II

RabiII 161718192021222324252627282930

March9

1011121314151617181920212223

Day Fri Sat

Sun Mon Tue

Wed Thu Fri Sat

Sun Mon Tue

Wed ThuFri

Fajar5:075:056:036:015:595:575:555:535:515:485:465:445:425:405:38

SunR6:376:357:337:317:297:277:257:237:217:187:167:147:127:107:08

Zawa112:2312:231:221:221:221:211:211:211:211:201:201:201:191:191:19

Dhuhr 12:2812:2812:281:271:271:271:261:261:261:261:251:251:251:241:24

Asr4:024:045:065:075:085:095:115:135:155:165:185:205:215:225:24

Maghrib6:126:137:147:167:187:197:207:227:247:267:277:297:317:327:33

Isha7:427:438:448:468:488:498:508:528:548:568:578:599:019:029:03

Source: BCMAAQEEM USS SALAAT (Establish Prayer)

Hadith Qudsi 3:On the authority of Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhaniyy

(may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The Messenger of Allah (may the blessings and

peace of Allah be upon him) led the morning prayer for us at al-Hudaybiyah following rain-fall during the night. When the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) fi nished, he faced the people and said to them: Do you know what your Lord has said? They said: Allah and his Messenger know best. He

said: This morning one of my servants became a believer in Me and one a disbeliever. As for him who said: We have been given rain by virtue of Allah and His mercy, that one is a believer in

Me, a disbeliever in the stars (2); and as for him who said: We have been given rain by such-and-

such a star, that one is a disbeliever in Me, a believer in the stars.

Three Essential Things

Issue 305 - Rabi ul Thani 16, 1433 / March 9, 20129

Ayyaz604-839-7863ayyazrealtor@gmail.com

Free Appraisal and Legal Fees Free Appraisal and Legal Fees

Real Estate Consultant (Realtor)

info@amexrealty.ca

* Purchase* Renewal* Pre Approval* 1st & 2nd Mortgages* Self Employed

* New Immigrants* Debts Consolidation* Construction/Renovations* Commercial Mortgage

Surrey Of ce: 115-13740 72A Avenue, Surrey BC V3W 1N5 Vancouver Of ce: 6241 Fraser Street, Vancouver BC V3W 3A2 604-839-7863 ~ ayyazshums@shaw.ca ~ www.a2zmortgage.ca

Ayyaz AMPSenior Mortgage Consultant

* Rates are subject to change without notice

5 yrs Variable 2.85%

TERMS 1 Year 3 Year 5 YearOur Rates* 2.79% 2.79% 3.19%

Issue 305 - Rabi ul Thani 16, 1433 / March 9, 201210By Nada Adams

The Truth About Aspartame: The Silent Killer?Im sure youve heard the fallacy that Aspartame is a safe sweetener and its especially helpful for people who want to avoid sugar to lose weight. Unfortunately such information is crimi-nally false and misleading. Aspartame has many marketing names: NutraSweet, Equal Spoonful, Benevia, NatraTaste and since the patent on this compound has expired get ready to see this poison to come out on the shelves under many new and different names. What is Aspartame Really Made of Anyway? Three components: 50% phenylalanine (essential amino acid that can be toxic if levels are too high in the body), 40% as-partic acid (amino acid) and 10% methanol (wood alcohol). The body breaks down the methanol (alcohol) into formaldehyde (em-balming fl uid used to preserve dead bodies) and formic acid. The meaning of Methanol according to Wikipedia is also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naph-tha or wood spirits[...] It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colorless, fl ammable liquid with a distinctive odor very similar to, but slightly sweeter than, ethanol (drinking alcohol). So brothers and sisters, Aspartame is not only toxic to your body on a cellular level that can cause many illnesses but its also considered Najas-Filthy religiously. The people marketing Aspartame dont care to preserve your faith or your childrens faith. What matters most to those people is how many billions of dollars they can make from overall consumption around the world AND if they can induce illnesses that reduce the overall population in the process thats all the better for them. Please READ YOUR LABELS! Take a look at what youre buying at the store. Do you really know whats in your food? If you cant read the ingredients because the names dont even sound like food, then DONT BUY IT! Even if your children beg you for such polluted foods, educate them so they willingly choose to stay away from such poisons. To help you become aware, below is a list of products that are being poisoned and made fi lthy by the use of alcohol. ITEMS TO AVOID:SODAs -- Diet Coca Cola (all varieties), Coca Cola Zero (all varieties), Diet Pepsi (all varieties), Pepsi Max (all varieties), Diet Irn Bru (all varieties), Lilt Zero (all varieties), Sprite Zero (all varieties), Tango (all varieties), Tango no added sugar (all varieties), 7up Free (all varieties), Lucoz-ade Sport (all varieties), Schweppes Slim-line Drinks (all varieties), Fanta Zero (all varieties), Fanta Orange, Dr Pepper Zero, Oasis Summer Fruits Extra Light, Oasis Citrus Punch; CORDIAL -- Ribena Really Light (all varieties), Robinsons Orange Squash, Robinsons No added sugar range, YOGURT -- Muller Light Cherry , Muller Light Blueberry, Muller Light Raspberry, Muller Light Banana and Custard, Danone Activia Cherry, Weight Watchers From-age Frais, Weight Watchers Toffee and Vanilla, CHEWING GUM -- Wrigleys Airwaves (all varieties), Wrigleys Orbit (all varieties), Wrigleys Extra (all varie-ties), COOKING SAUCE -- Uncle Bens Sweet and Sour Light; CRISPS -- Walk-ers Sensations Sweet Thai Chilli, Walkers

Sensations Lime and Thai Spices, Walkers Prawn Cocktail, TABLETOP SWEET-NERS -- Canderel, Silver Spoon Sweetness and Light, Silver Spoon Light Granulated Sugar, OTHERS -- Cadburys Highlights (all varieties), Options Hot Chocolate Drink (all varieties), Pickled Ginger (at sushi), FLAVORED WATER; CEREALS; SUGAR-FREE PRODUCTS. Just because I have not put down every brand does not mean what you have at home is alright to eat. Please read every label before you buy anything to ensure youre not eating food that is contaminated with Najas-Filthy. MASSIVE DECEPTION IN HISTORY: Monsanto owner of NutraSweet Com-pany manufactures Aspartame - paid off the FDA, the American Dietetic and Diabetic Associations, the American Medical As-sociation, Congressmen and Senators and nearly anyone who tries to meddle regard-less of country. The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation caught them in the act and aired a program showing Monsanto trying to bribe Health Canada Doctors. Monsanto is the worlds largest poisons manufacturer not only for societies around the world but also the environment. In 1995, Monsanto ranked 5th among US corporations in the EPAs Toxic Release Inventory, for releas-ing 37 million pounds of toxic chemicals into the air, land, water and underground. Their board members have a track record of blatant lying, falsifying and concealing re-cords, bribing offi cials, the list goes on and on - truly shocking and criminal! Toronto Globe and Mail reported on the outcome of a 3-year trial saying, The evidence of Monsantos executives at the trial portrayed a corporate culture where sales and profi ts were given a higher priority than the safety of products and its workers..... They just didnt care about the health and safety of their workers. Instead of trying to make things safer, they relied on intimidation and threatened layoffs to keep their employees working. BE YOUR OWN JUDGE See What the Experts Are Saying About Aspartame and Brain Tumors: EXCITOTOXINS: THE TASTE THAT KILLS by Dr. Russell Blaylock (I highly recommend his book!)The author of this book is a nationally recognized board certifi ed retired Neu-rosurgeon of 26 years. He is a man on a mission risking his life to educate, expose and inform the world (You can fi nd him on YouTube). To think that there is even a reasonable doubt that aspartame can induce brain tumors in the American population is frightening. And to think that the FDA has lulled them into a false sense of security is a monumental crime, writes Dr. Russell L. Blaylock in Excitotoxins.This particularly nasty substance should have never even been approved for human use. In fact, had it not been for some fancy footwork by those in power in the FDA, it never would have. Early experiments using low, medium and high doses with aspar-tame all found dramatic tumor increases in test animals. These included brain, pan-creas, and breast tumors Health And Nutrition Secrets by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 196 Despite concerns over the safety of this new sweetener, including brain tumor in-duction in experimental animals, seizures, precipitation of headaches, and an adverse effect on the developing brain, the FDA approved its use as an artifi cial sweetener. Sales began to grow immediately. The Nutrasweet company spent over $60M on

advertising alone during its fi rst 3 years. Excitotoxins by Russell L Blaylock MD, page 218 A 57-year-old executive developed severe insomnia. His physician attributed it to jet lag because of his frequent travels abroad. He was consuming 10 to 12 cans of an aspartame cola and 4 to 6 packets of an aspartame powdered sweetener daily. A tranquilizer (Halcion) was prescribedbut only intensifi ed the insomnia. He was referred to a psychiatrist for possible depression . . . then to an endocrinologist for a possible brain tumor. The psychiatrist treated him for 3 years, during which time he was becoming signifi cantly more moody, nervous, and experiencing memory loss and speech diffi culties (how can this not be noticeable to others?). Low doses of the antidepressant drug Tofranil trig-gered a near panic attack. Within 2 weeks after discontinuing aspartame products, he was noticeably improved. Aspartame - Is It Safe by H J Roberts MD, page 120 A 30-year-old woman consumed an aver-age of fi ve to six cups or glasses of aspar-tame beverages daily for 17 months. Ring-ing and pain in both ears, dizziness, and a severe headache began after 10 month. Audiometric studies revealed considerable loss of hearing in the left ear. When brain tumor was ruled out, the otology and neu-rology consultants diagnosed her problem as Menieres disease. The patient herself, (very smart!) however, fi nally realized the aspartame drinks caused these symptoms because she could predictably reproduce them on rechallenge. Aspartame - Is It Safe by H J Roberts MD, page 141 Many people believe that the real enemy among the sweeteners is aspartame

several Web sites are devoted to attacking it (among them holisticmed.com). Its been linked to everything from headaches, multi-ple sclerosis, loss of brain function, epilep-sy, chronic fatigue syndrome, Parkinsons, Alzheimers, brain tumors, lymphoma, and lupus to diabetes itself. Some people may be sensitive to aspartame, which most com-monly causes headaches Living Low-Carb by Fran McCullough, page 107 In summary, please read what you buy and dont take your physical, spiritual and emotional health and wellness for granted. Share this article with everyone you love. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to send me an email.

About the author: Nada Adams is a 13-years Natural Health Researcher, Author and Master Coach with a strong interest in personal health/wellness, heart and mind connection, living in core values and authenticity and the power of herbs to help us all heal. She is a devout religious teacher and a life, success and wellness coach helping men and women live an Islamically Authentic Life. She has been an Islamic teacher since 1990 and youth teacher for over 12 years. Adams was the Dear Diary columnist for 2 years in the GCDA Magazine, a National Canadian Magazine focused on educating Teens. Shes also the founder of Lower Mainland Muslims Unite meet-up group primar-ily to teach the authentic creed of Islam to new converts and those individuals curious to know more about Islam. She can be reached at vipresultscoaching@gmail.com and her weekly meet-up group can be found at www.meetup.com/Lower-Mainland-Muslim-Meetup

The Truth About Aspartame: The Silent Killer?h e a l t h

Issue 305 - Rabi ul Thani 16, 1433 / March 9, 201211

Wearily accustomed to being the focus of bad news, Pakistan-is celebrated on Monday after a fi lmmaker from Karachi won the countrys fi rst Academy Award, for a documentary about the victims of gruesome acid attacks as reported by DailyTimes.. The fi lmmaker, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, and the co-director, Daniel Junge, won the Oscar in Los Angeles on Sunday night for the best short documentary for their fi lm Saving Face, which follows a British plastic surgeon as he tries to repair the horrifi c dam-age done to women who have been attacked with acid, often by jealous or vindictive husbands. Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani led the tributes to Ms. Obaid-Chinoy, 33, saying that she would be given a high civil award for her achievement. It was the second big victory for a fi lm produced in the region. The award for best foreign-language fi lm went to the Iranian movie A Separation, also a fi rst for a country that is often at odds with the West. Speaking by telephone from Hollywood, Ms. Obaid-Chinoy said that she was dazed by her success. It reinforces the fact you can be anyone, come from anywhere and as long as you do quality work it gets rewarded, she said. She said she was congratulated backstage at the awards ceremony by Angelina Jolie, who has frequently traveled to Pakistan to highlight the plight of refugees and the poor. Saving Face focuses on the efforts of Dr. Mohammad Jawad, a British plastic surgeon who has traveled across Paki-stan to repair the faces of women burned by acid. In one scene, a weeping patient tells him that she was attacked by a husband who threw battery acid on her, a sister-in-law who doused her with gasoline and a mother-in-law who struck the match that set her on fi re. I cannot understand this, says Dr. Jawad, himself straining with tears. About a hundred such attacks are reported to the police every year, the fi lmmakers said, although many more go unreported. But Ms. Obaid-Chinoy emphasized that the fi lm also focuses on the courageous lawyers and legislators who introduced a strict law last year that mandates a sentence of life in prison for those convicted in acid attacks. This is a fi lm about hope, she said. It shows that Pakistan has a problem, but that there are people on the ground who are tackling it. Ms. Obaid-Chinoy, who previously won an Emmy for a documentary about young Pakistani recruits to the Taliban, began her career in 2002 with New York Times Television, where she produced an award-winning documentary about the children of Afghan refugees. She said that she hoped her Oscar would inspire other Pakistani fi lmmakers. This shows that someone from their ranks can do it, she said. Neither the Iranian nor the Pakistani fi lm celebrated at the Academy Awards was entirely shorn of political context. In his acceptance speech, Asghar Farhadi, the Iranian writer and director of A Separation, referred to mounting speculation that Israel was preparing to attack Irans nuclear complexes. At a time of talk of war, intimidation and aggression, he said, Iran had spoken though a glorious culture, a rich and ancient culture that has been hidden under the heavy dust of

politics. In Pakistan, the Oscar victory coincided with concern that the

government was planning to restrict free speech through strin-gent new regulation of the vibrant electronic media, including a ban on television satires of politicians. At a news conference in Islamabad, Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan sought to dispel the concerns. No regula-tion would be imposed without fi rst consulting the television stations, she said.

A new book Pakistan Through Crises (A Sociological Per-spective) by Tajammul Husain Hashmi was launched in La-hore on January 20th, 2012 at a ceremony held in the Punjab Institute of Language Arts and culture (PIAC). Ahsan Iqbal, MNA and Dr. Mehdi Hassan, Dean of Beaconhouse Univer-sity, Lahore were the chief guests while Barrister Mujtaba Jamal and Mrs. Wahid, and educationist were the guest speak-ers. The ceremony was attended by a huge number of teachers and old colleagues and students of Mr. Hashmi. Much of the proceedings were covered by City 42 TV Channel.Mr. Hashmi, who is the author of several books on social topics, specially went to Pakistan from Canada to get his book published. The book has been divided into four parts. The fi rst part, Dreams, Expectations and Realities deals with the pre-partition and post-partition politico-social events many of which caused crises in the country, such as the death of Quaid-e-Azam, assassination of Liaqat Ali Khan, the Seven-teen Day War, separation of East Pakistan and its Emergence as Bangladesh, the 2005 earthquake and 2010 torrential rains and fl ash fl oods.The second part evaluates the seesaw of democracy and dic-

tatorship that resulted in political upheavals, instability, bad governance and created many problems.The third part deals with our external and internal problems, their causes and possible solutions. In the external problems our relations with Afghanistan, India and America have been discussed while in our internal problems, corruption, eco-nomic strains and infl ation have been specifi cally highlighted including their causes and possible solutions.The fourth part suggests ways and means towards an Islamic, democratic, moderate and progressive nationhood. In this part emphasis has been laid that Pakistanis must decide once and for all whether they have to follow the same direction for the sake of which they had struggled for a separate homeland. These objectives demand that we should reaffi rm them, stick to them and work for their realization to become a civilized and progressive nation.The book also includes an appendix which gives a summary of the social structure, politics, functioning of the government, infrastructure, economy, education, etc. in the western nations in order to show how nations develop and become civilized.

The chief guests and the guest speakers lauded the book and appreciated its content. They suggested the youth, especially college and university students to read it and make efforts to solve the problems facing the country through hard work, rresolve, devotion and sincerity of purposes.The book has been published by Caravan Book House, Anarkali, Lahore and will be available at Newton, Surrey library.Here is a link to the book launch ceremony: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnB6-2ApfLo

Issue 305 - Rabi ul Thani 16, 1433 / March 9, 201212

Countrys First Oscar Victory Gives Pakistanis Reason to Celebrate

A New Book Launched in Lahore

(L t0 R) ChiefGuests&Speakers: Mr Hashmi (author), Mrs Waheed,

Ahsan Iqbal, Dr Mehdi Hassan and Barrister Mujtaba Jamal

a r t s & c u l t u r ea r t s & c u l t u r e

Issue 305 - Rabi ul Thani 16, 1433 / March 9, 201213 oofi ng & enovation SolutionsR Miracles Building Construction and Maintenance series

By Imran Tipu, B.Sc. Civil EngIn our series of articles for roofi ng and reno-vation solutions, the current article is regard-ing the components of residential roofi ng that are non-structural and are considered essentially the parts of a residential or sloping roof.- Roof vents- Roof Gutters & Down-spouts1. Roof VentsAn effective roof ventilation system is essen-tial in equalizing temperatures on both sides of a roof. It keeps your house cooler in the summer and prevents ice dams in the winter (if you live in a cold climate). If ventilation is insuffi cient, condensation can develop, causing insulation and wood deterioration. Determining how much ventilation is needed requires measuring your attic fl oor. Generally, one square foot intake and outtake ventila-tion is required for every 300 square feet of unheated attic fl oor space. There are differ-ent types of roofi ng vents and distinguished by their purpose, location of installation and manufacturing style.Basic Roof Vents When you need increased outtake ventila-tion, roof vents are a good choice to add near the ridge line. These covered fi xed vents, which prevent rain from seeping in, are easy to install. They should be placed two feet apart for the best results. Because they have no mechanical parts, you dont have to worry about malfunction.Continuous Ridge Vents

This screened, water-shielded ventilation opening is available in 5- 10 feet lengths and creates an even outtake airfl ow. It spans the entire gable roof ridge and is recommended for new construction. Unlike other vents requiring placement in several locations, a continuous ridge vent is one running piece, which makes it easier and quicker to install. It is available in colors to match the roofi ng, and is aesthetically pleasing because it is unno-ticeable from street level.Wind Turbine Vents Installed near the roof peak, a wind turbine works by catching the wind or by air rising through the turbine. This causes the vanes to spin and provides effective ventilation near the top of the house by drawing heat and moisture out. The problem with these vents is that high winds can cause excessive spinning and wearing of the bearings. The vanes can also stick, and therefore stop rotating.Soffi t Vents In order to achieve the most effi cient roof ventilation, in addition to outtake vents it is equally important to have soffi t vents, avail-able in various sizes--3-inch round, 4X16 inch and 8X16 inch. Using a continuous length soffi t vent is another option. Soffi t vents are installed beneath the underside of a roof over-hang. These vents permit air fl ow to the attic, or the space below the roof sheathing.Plumbing Roof VentsNearly all plumbing codes require at least one vent termination to penetrate the roof into fresh air. The main purpose of venting in a plumbing system is to allow the free move-ment of air in the drainage pipes. Size of the plumbing roof vent

In cold climate areas, the size of the vent needs to increase at least one size before penetrat-ing the roof, but not be less than 3; this is to prevent whats called frost closure. In countries like Canada, the least size of the stack needs to be 3 or larger in diameter. If the vent should be at least one foot inside the building before it passes through the roof. The actual size requirement for the roof vent are calculated by the number of fi xture units being vented, but a 3 vent can serve all fi xture units for a single family house. The section of pipe that penetrates the roof must extend at least 6 through the roof.Location of the roof ventThere are a number of standoff distances that must be observed when locating the roof vent because of the noxious gasses and odors that come from it. A vent terminal cannot be within 1.8m of a property line. The vent must be at least 1m above or 3.5m in any other direction from a door, window or fresh air intake. If the roof has a sun deck or other living space, the vent must extend 2m above or 3.5m away from the sundeck or patio.Roof Gutters & Down SpoutsRoofs shed water, but gutters and downspouts carry the water away. When reproofi ng or repairing the roof, inspect and repair gutters to be sure theyre doing their job.Most gutters and downspouts are made of galvanized steel, aluminum, wood or vinyl, Metal and wood types can be painted. Though professionally installed gutters are often prepared and assembled on site in order to be made seamless, but the hardware stores offer systems that we assemble and install ourselves, are made of preformed partsU- shaped troughs, elbows, downspouts, connec-tors, and so forth.Gutters are attached to the eaves of the house

with strap, bracket, or spike-and-ferrule hang-ers. Bracket hangers and spike-and-ferrule hangers mount on the fascia boards. Down-spouts are attached by straps to exterior walls.To work effectively, gutters and downspouts must be in good condition, must be sloped properly, and must be kept free of debris.Maintenance of gutter systems Regular maintenance is crucial. In fall and spring, clean out debris. Then check the slope of the gutters by running water through them. If drainage is slow, reposition gutters: they should be tight against fascias and sloped to-ward downspouts at a rate of 1 inch for every 20 linear feet. To correct low spots, adjust the hangers. Repairing Fascias, Gutters, and Downspouts If you fi nd dry-rotted fascia boards, carve out the bad spots and fi ll with wood putty or replace the damaged section with a piece of well-seasoned lumber (applying a wood preservative fi rst). Finish and paint to match existing boards.Tighten any loose hangers and replace any that are broken. Check that downspout straps are secured to the walls and that all elbow connections fi t rightly.Power wash or clean thoroughly any leaky gutter system then seal any leaky joints or pin holes with any gutter sealants. If a section of your gutter system is badly damaged, replace it. The images shown within this article residen-tial roofi ng vents and roof gutter system: For more information about these article series and/or all our previous articles, please visit: www.rtmroofi ngandrenovations.com

We repair all makes and models 4 less. Complete auto repair 4 less!

Unit 113-12465-82nd Ave. Surrey, BCContact Muhammad Amir @ 604-572-7861

3 months warranty on new parts

Up to 5L $24.99+ Enviro Fee

+ FREE MAINTENANCECHECKUP

With front brake pads& rear brake shoe

replacementStarting from $79.99 & up

OIL CHANGE

Special Offers

FREE OIL CHANGE

FRONT BRAKES

LABOUR$29.99+ parts

+ FREE MAINTENANCECHECKUP

BEST PRICES ON: New & used tires Suspension Cooling system Starter Alternator Clutch Water pumps Special rates on

timing belts

Transmission &Engine

Replacement (From $300 & up)

Business Hours:Monday to Friday 9:30am-6:00pmFriday (Closed for Juma Prayer)Saturday 11 - 6 pmSunday By Appointment only

Fast Efficient And Friendly Service For All Your Insurance Needs

Home Tenants Condominium Business Travel Medical Life Accident Sickness

Weve Got You Covered!

Open 7 days9am to 9pm

ALLIED INSURANCE SERVICES INC.

NEW WEST/BURNABYBurnaby Square

#106 7885 6th Street, Burnaby604-523-0900

NEWTONNewton Town Centre

#121-7135-138th St., Surrey604-572-9292

WHALLEYPlaza 102

10235 King George Hwy., Surrey604-582-8699

GUILDFORDGuildford Plaza

#60-10330-152nd St., Surrey

604-582-8644

FLEETWOODFleetwood Town Square

#103-15988 Fraser Hwy., Surrey604-572-3311

DELTA / SURREYNordel Annex

#105 12025 Nordel Way (x Scott Rd)604-596-4588 Up to 5L $24.99

+ Enviro Fee

+ FREE MAINTENANCECHECKUP

OIL CHANGE

FRONT BRAKES

LABOUR$29.99+ parts

+ FREE MAINTENANCECHECKUP

h o m e & g a r d e n

Issue 305 - Rabi ul Thani 16, 1433 / March 9, 201214 s p e c i a l

By Haroon SiddiquiSorry, it was a mistake, an inadvert-ent one due to ignorance, not mal-ice, really. We apologize, profusely. It wont happen again, ever. We will pun-ish the people responsible for it, promise.

Thats been the line from Barack Obama, De-fence Secretary Leon Panetta and the Ameri-can commander of NATO forces in Afghani-stan General John Allen to calm the furor caused by the burning of the Quran near an American military base north of Kabul. The crime is not the burning per se. The fi rst burning of the holy book was done offi cially during the seventh cen-tury reign of Islams third caliph Uthman. According to Muslim tradition, the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad (570-632) by Archangel Gabriel over two decades. Not being literate, he dictated the received words to scribes who wrote it on bark, bones, stones, hides and date palm leaves. His successors saw the need to compile one correct version. That done, Uthman ordered the parchments burnt.Supervised burning remains a prescribed way of disposing of old copies or print-runs with typos, the others being bury-ing or, lately, shredding and recycling.So, why the outcry again over Quran burning? For several reasons.To Muslims, the Quran, the words of God, and the Messenger who con-veyed them are not abstract matters. Such is their devotion to the holy book that they are rarely far from it, physically or in spirit. They give it pride of place in homes. Most kiss it before and after every read-ing. They instinctively reach for it on both happy and sad occasions, for blessings or comfort. Many commit all its 86,430 Arabic words to memory a feat with no paral-lel in other religions or in the secular realm. As for the love of Muhammad, it runs like blood in the veins of his community, in the famous verse of the great Indian philosopher/poet Sir Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938).To desecrate the Scripture or to insult the Prophet is to scar the soul of a Muslim. This is especially so when done by non-Muslims whose motives are suspect and who may, in fact, be acting out of malice, like the Florida

pastor who burnt a copy of the Quran last year. In 2008, George W. Bush apologized after a U.S. serviceman in Iraq shot a Quran in target practice. In 2005, a military investi-gation confi rmed four cases of the desecra-tion of the Quran at Guantanamo Bay, as

a tool of punishment against prisoners. This is what seems to have tran-spired in Afghanistan as well. The Qurans came from a detention facil-ity, where the detainees were deemed to have been using the books to send secret messages. Even if they were, why couldnt the books have been re-moved rather than consigned to trash?Gen. Allen has ordered every NATO soldier to immediately undergo a sensi-tivity session in the proper handling of

religious materials. Shocking, isnt it, that after a decade in Afghanistan, foreigners still dont have a clue about what is or is not acceptable to the locals and, more pragmati-cally, what might backfi re on the mission? Cultural illiteracy continues to hobble Americans. Their nighttime raids vio-late one of the most dearly-held Afghan traditions, that of the privacy of their homes, especially women. Equally of-fensive is to have dogs sniff at their pos-sessions, especially food and clothing.There has also been the desecration of the dead, in violation of the Geneva Conven-tions. In 2010, some Americans posed with corpses of Afghan civilians gunned down by rogue soldiers. This year, a video emerged of Marines in combat gear urinating on three Afghan corpses.Afghans also know that some of the scan-dalous tactics of Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq were used in Afghan detention camps. Theres the desecration of Is-lam as part of the cultural warfare on Muslims in the post-9/11 period. The 2006 Danish cartoons were de-signed to defame Muhammad, as per the self-admission of their creators.That same year, Pope Benedict made de-monstrably false assertions about the Quran and Muhammad, statements he later apologized for, in language not all that different from what weve heard in the last few days. His Holiness was sorry, he had not meant to utter those unholy words, had not meant to offend anyone, etc.It is not an accident that the biggest and most violent protests against perceived anti-Islamic insults occur in Afghanistan. Afghans see themselves under foreign oc-cupation, a sentiment duly exploited by the Taliban. This would not have been the case if the NATO mission had ended when it should have, about 10 years ago, or at least not been botched as badly as it has been.Source: Toronto Star

Quran burning is a politi-cal, not a theological, issue

By: Maheen NusratThey say knowledge is power, they also say ignorance is bliss; I say knowledge is power at the right time and the right place otherwise it is a heavy burden that can sink you in. It is at those times, ig-norance is truly bliss. But the real kicker is that knowledge is also very addictive; even if attained at the wrong time, curi-ous minds like mine cant stop questioning and fi nding out more of what we probably dont even want to know; so we suffer in the knowledge and without it; we suf-fer with our questions. Maybe, then the problem isnt knowledge itself, but the in-ability to know when enough is enough.Sometimes knowledge comes to us with-out even questioning and through unlike-ly sources at the most inopportune times, but then we cant stop wondering up more whys, whats, wheres and hows. I think that if I question enough, maybe I can fi nd out the reason