Two people died and several mosques were destroyed in central Myanmar, police said Thursday, in the worst riots since Buddhist-Muslim clashes rocked western Rakhine state last year.Around 200 people fought in the streets after an argument in a Muslim-owned gold shop turned violent in the town of Meiktila on Wednesday, according to a post on Myanmar Police Forces Facebook page. The two victims, who included a Buddhist monk, died after suffering severe burns, it said. Police imposed a curfew overnight to control the situation after mobs set fi re to sever-

al mosques. About three mosques were destroyed, a local police offi cer told AFP by telephone, but added that calm had since been restored. But a member of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) in the town said he could still see smoke rising from the affected residential area.What is happening now is religious ten-sion. We are trying to calm the situation down, NLD MP Win Htein told AFP, adding that the situation was tense. I havent seen this kind of confl ict in Meiktila in my life. The unrest comes amid heightened tensions between Mus-

lims and Buddhists in Myanmar, where communal confl ict in Rakhine has left at least 180 people dead and more than 110,000 displaced since June 2012.An initial report on the police Face-book page late on Wednesday said anger spread after one man was injured during the row in the gold shop. The report said a mob then descended on the area and destroyed some buildings in the area. It said six people were hospitalised, and that the Buddhist monk and a Muslim man later died from their injuries. A sub-

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In a federal budget ex-pected to steer clear of any major changes, the focus will be on skills training, fi lling jobs, improving Canadas in-frastructure and boost-ing the manufacturing sector, Finance Minister Jim Flaherty has sug-gested. In a letter to MPs ahead of Thurs-days budget delivery, Flaherty said those key priorities will help guide a shaky economy through a diffi cult period, as North America faces competition from developing countries on the rise. The Conservative government has already highlighted the need to match skilled workers with high-demand jobs and address the current gap between training and recruiting. There are too many jobs that go unfi lled in Canada because em-ployers cant fi nd workers with the right skills, Flaherty wrote in his letter. Training in Canada is not suffi ciently aligned to the skills employers need. Flaherty said the upcoming budget, which the Conservatives are calling Canadas Economic Ac-tion Plan 2013, will take steps to address this important issue. Some estimates peg the number of job vacancies in the country at 260,000. Some of those positions are not being fi lled because of a lack of skilled workers, or because qualifi ed candidates wont move to different parts of the country for work. The prob-lem is especially pronounced in western provinces. Flaherty has dismissed reports that the federal government is planning to centralize skills training and take away transfers to provinces. He did, however, say that both provinces and Ottawa need to do a better job of connecting skilled people with available jobs. Jayson Myers, president and CEO of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, an industry and trade association, said there is a demand for skilled workers in every province, but many young people are not aware of their options. Myers told CTVs Power Play that many high schools across the country have shut down shops and technical programs, so students may not know where to turn to get post-secondary training and education in order to pursue careers in construction, manufacturing or other trades. Myers said provincial and federal governments must also work together to address labour mobility issues and make it easier for Canadians to work out-side their region or prov-

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May 11The United States has violated Pakistans sov-ereignty and destroyed tribal structures with

unmanned aerial drone strikes in its counter-terrorism near the Afghan border, a UN hu-man rights investigator has said. As a matter of international law, the US drone campaign in Pakistan is ... being conducted without the consent of the elected representatives of the people, or the legitimate Government of the State, Ben Emmerson, the UNs special rap-porteur on human rights and counterterror-ism, said in a statement issued by the Offi ce of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva on Friday.Emmerson visited Pakistan for three days this week as part of his investigation into the ci-vilian impact of the use of drones and other forms of targeted killings.It involves the use of force on the territory of another state without its consent and is there-fore a violation of Pakistans sovereignty, he said.Emmerson said in January that he would in-vestigate 25 drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan and the Palestinian ter-ritories. He is expected to present his fi nal re-port to the UN General Assembly in October.

Washington had little to say about Emmer-sons statement.Weve seen his press release. Im obviously not going to speak about classifi ed informa-tion here, Victoria Nuland, the US State departments spokesperson, said. We have a strong ongoing counterterrorism dialogue with Pakistan and that will continue.Spokesman Josh Earnest said the White House would withhold judgement until it sees Emmersons full report.We have a solid working relationship with [Pakistan] on a range of issues, including a close cooperative security relationship, and were in touch with them on a regular basis on those issues.End interferenceEmmerson said the Pashtun tribes of north-western Pakistans Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), the largely lawless region bordering Afghanistan in Pakistans west, have been decimated by the counterter-rorism operations.These proud and independent people have been self-governing for generations, and have a rich tribal history that has been too little un-derstood in the West, he said. Their tribal structures have been broken down by the military campaign in FATA and by the use of drones in particular.The tribal areas have never been fully inte-grated into Pakistans administrative, eco-nomic or judicial system. They are dominated by ethnic Pashtun tribes, some of which have sheltered and supported militants over dec-ades of confl ict in neighbouring Afghanistan.Clearing out border sanctuaries used by forc-es fi ghting ISAF forces in Afghanistan is seen

by Washington as crucial to bringing stabil-ity to Afghanistan, particularly as the US-led combat mission ends in 2014.Civilian casualtiesMost, but not all, attacks with unmanned aer-ial vehicles worldwide have been carried out by the United States. Britain and Israel have also used them, and dozens of other countries are believed to possess the technology.It is time for the international community to heed the concerns of Pakistan, and give the next democratically elected government of Pakistan the space, support and assistance it needs to deliver a lasting peace on its own ter-ritory without forcible military interference by other states, Emmerson said.The UN Human Rights Council asked Emm-erson to start an investigation of the drone at-tacks following requests by countries includ-ing Pakistan, Russia and China.Criticism of drone strikes centres on the num-ber of civilians killed and the fact that they are launched across sovereign states borders so frequently, far more than conventional at-tacks by piloted aircraft.Stanley McChrystal, the retired US general who devised the Pentagons counterinsurgen-cy strategy in Afghanistan, warned in January against overusing drones, which have pro-voked angry demonstrations in Pakistan.Civilian casualties from drone strikes have angered local populations and created tension between the United States and Pakistan and Afghanistan. Washington has sought to por-tray civilian casualties as minimal, but groups collecting data on these attacks say they have killed hundreds of civilians.Source: Aljazeera Agencies

President Asif Ali Zardari on Wednesday announced that general elections for the Na-tional Assembly shall be held May 11, the Presidents spokesman Farhatullah Babar announced Wednesday. Babar said that the President announced the date as soon as the summary was received from Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf on Wednesday.The president received a summary from the government asking him to announce a suitable date for the election, so the presi-dent announced today that a general elec-tion to the National Assembly will be held on May 11, said the spokesman.The National Assembly stood dissolved on completion of its constitutional term of fi ve years on March 16. Elections will also be held for assemblies in Pakistans four provinces, but it was not immediately clear whether those polls will also be held on May 11.A parliamentary committee has until Friday to select a candidate to head up a caretaker administration, which will formally steer the country towards the ballot box.It was given the job after the major ruling party and the main opposition party, the Pa-kistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), failed to reach an agreement on a name by Tuesday.Sources: Dawn

Jamadi ul Awal 10, 1434 March 22, 20134 I N T E R N A T I O N A L

World powers, Iran hold fresh exchange on nuclear

proposals

Syrian opposition PM rejects talks with AssadSyrias opposition will not enter into dialogue with the regime of President Bashar al-Assad, the newly elected prime minister of the countrys re-bel-held areas said in his inaugural speech. Speaking on Tuesday in the Turkish city of Istanbul, where the Syrian National Coalition met to hold the election, Ghassan Hitto, a communications executive, said the Syrian regime was oppressive and unjust. Those backing the regime were on the wrong side of history, he said. No power in this world can dictate terms to our people. I repeat, No power in the world can dictate unacceptable terms on our people. Hitto won the vote, receiving 35 out of 48 votes. The vote came after about 14 hours of closed-door consul-tations among 63 coalition members, with some describing Hitto as a con-sensus candidate pleasing the opposi-tions Islamist and liberal factions. In his Tuesday address, Hitto said there were challenges and that he would work hard to serve the Syrian people. Well face the upcoming challenges together hand in hand to reinforce the greatness of the revolution and the great potential of the Syrian people. We also promise you that well chan-nel all efforts to discharge this patri-otic responsibility, said Hitto. Divi-sions still plague the SNC and some coalition members withdrew from the consultations before the vote could take place. When the voting fi nally took place, members placed their ballots in a transparent box in

the conference hall where the much-awaited meeting took place. This is a transparent, democratic vote, said Coalition leader Mouaz al-Khatib. Hitto arrived in the conference hall minutes after the count, and was met with a round of applause as he shook hands with Coalition members. I give great thanks to the heroes and revolutionaries of the Syrian people. We are with you, said Hitto, who re-cently moved from Texas to Turkey to help co-ordinate aid to rebel-held areas. When asked what the fi rst priority of his interim government would be, he said: Well talk about that tomorrow. The new govern-ment is a servant of the great people of Syria, Hitto said in his Tuesday address. Coalition members hope the new government will unite the rebels fi ghting al-Assads forces and provide services to Syrians living in rebel-held areas. Many have been battered by the countrys civil war and suffer acute shortages of food, electricity and medical services.Source: Al-Jazeera

At the talks on Monday, ex-perts from the fi ve permanent UN Security Council members Britain, China, France, Rus-

sia and the US plus Germany had technical discussions with Iran, said a brief state-ment from a spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton. Mondays techni-cal exchange will be followed by political talks in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on April 5 and 6, said Michael Mann, the spokes-man for Ashton, who heads the talks between the six powers and Iran. In Istanbul, the ex-perts, led by Stephan Klement, provided further details on the revised confi dence building proposal put forward by the western powers to Iran in talks in Almaty on February 26 and 27. The six, last month offered

Iran a softening of non-oil or fi -nancial sector-related sanctions in exchange for concessions over Tehrans sensitive urani-

um enrichment operations. The West suspect Tehran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons un-der the guise of what the Islam-ic republic insists is a purely civilian programme with peace-ful ends. The offer, reportedly involving easing sanctions on Irans gold and precious metals trade and lifting others on some very small banking operations, in return demands a tougher nuclear inspection regime and the interruption of enrichment operations at the Fordo bun-ker facility where 20-percent enrichment goes on. The EU statement said the Istanbul talks also provided an opportunity for experts from both sides to

explore each others positions on a number of technical sub-jects. On Monday, US Presi-dent Barack Obama urged Iran

to take immediate and mean-ingful steps to move toward an enduring, long-term settle-ment with the world over its disputed nuclear programme. In a video message in honour of the Iranian Nowruz holiday, Obama said that if Tehran took such action the Iranian people will begin to see the benefi ts of greater trade and ties with other nations, including the United States. Both the United States and Israel have refused to rule out military action to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and the issue is likely to top the agenda this week dur-ing Obamas fi rst trip to Israel as president. Source: Dawn

China is fi fth-largest arms exporterChina has become the worlds fi fth-largest arms exporter, ac-cording to a Swedish-based think tank. It is Chinas highest ranking since the cold war, with Pakistan the main recipient. Chinas vol-ume of weapons exports between 2008 and 2012 rose 162% com-pared with the previous fi ve-year period, with its share of the global arms trade rising from 2% to 5%, said the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri). China replaces Britain in the top fi ve arms-dealing countries be-tween 2008 and 2012, a group dominated by the United States and Russia, which accounted for 30% and 26% of weapons exports, Sipri said. China is establishing itself as a signifi cant arms supplier to a growing number of important recipient states, Paul Holtom, di-rector of the Sipri Arms Transfers

Programme, said in a statement. The shift, outlined in Sipris Trends in International Arms Transfers

report, marks Chinas fi rst time as a top-fi ve arms exporter since the think-tanks 1986-1990 data period. Now the worlds second-largest economy, Chinas rise has come with a new sense of mili-tary assertiveness with a growing

budget to develop modern warfare equipment including aircraft car-riers and drones. At the Zhuhai

air show in southern China in No-vember Chinese attack helicop-ters, missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles and air defences were on public show for the fi rst time. Si-pri maintains a global arms trans-fers database base that tracks arms

exports back to the 1950s. It av-erages data over fi ve-year periods because arms sales vary by year. Pakistan which accounted for 55% of Chinese arms exports is likely to remain the largest recipi-ent of Chinese arms in the coming years due to large outstanding and planned orders for combat aircraft, submarines and frigates, Sipri said. Burma received 8% of Chi-nas weapons exports; Bangladesh received 7%; while Algeria, Ven-ezuela and Morocco have bought Chinese-made frigates, aircraft or armoured vehicles in recent years. Beijing does not release offi cial fi gures for arms sales. Germany and France ranked third and fourth on the arms exporter list. China followed only India in the acquisi-tion of arms, though its reliance on imports is decreasing as it ramps up weapons production capabili-

ties at home. Experts say some Chinese-made equipment is now comparable to the performance of Russian or western-made, though accurate information is scarce. China faces bans on western mili-tary imports, dating back to anger over its crushing of pro-democra-cy protests in and around Tianan-men Square in 1989. That makes its domestic arms industry crucial in assembling a modern mili-tary force as it continues to make claims over Taiwan and disputed maritime territories. China has faced off recently with south-east Asian neighbours and Japan over confl icting claims to strings of islets in the South China Sea and East China Sea. At the same time the United States has beefed up its militarily presence in the Pacifi c Source: The Guardian

Jamadi ul Awal 10, 1434 March 22, 20135 I N T E R N A T I O N A L

Sugary drinks linked to staggering 180,000 deaths each year: study

Hunger strikes at Guantanamonearly double

Researchers at Harvard University say sugary drinks are contributing to an estimated 180,000 deaths around the globe annually, a startling statistic they hope will spur changes in the beverage industry. Re-searchers from Harvards School of Public Health say sugar-laced juices, sports drinks and soda are major factors behind spiking rates of obesity and diabetes. The study shows countries in the Caribbean and Latin America saw the highest death rates from diabetes due to consumption of sugary drinks. In the United States, where two-thirds of adults and one in three children are overweight or obese, sugar-sweetened drinks were linked to 25,000 deaths in 2010. The data is clear, says Harvards Dr. Dariush Mozaffar-ian. Too much soda consumption is killing people. Mozaffarian said the research could motivate policy makers to regulate the beverage industry. A debate over super-sized sodas is raging in New York City, where a city-wide ban on the sale of sugary drinks in containers holding more than 16 ounces was to go into effect earlier this month. However, a last-minute ruling by a Supreme Court Justice blocked the ban. Our data really provides an impetus for policy mak-

ers to make changes when they see tens of thousands of deaths are due to this beverage consumption, said Gitanjali Singh, of the Harvard School of Public Health. The researchers linked the overconsumption of sugared beverages to 44,000 deaths annually from heart disease and stroke, 133,000 deaths linked to dia-betes and 6,000 cancer deaths worldwide. Accord-ing to a sugar drink fact sheet published by Harvards School of Public Heath, a typical 590-millilitre soda contains between 15 to 18 teaspoons of sugar and up-wards of 240 calories. People who drink this liq-uid candy do not feel as full as if they has eaten the same calories from solid food and do not compensate by eating less, reads the report. In the meantime, beverage companies continue to spend billions each year on advertising -- with an estimated half a billion dollars in marketing aimed at children and youth be-tween two and 17 years old. In 2010, for example, preschoolers viewed an average of 213 ads for sugary drinks and energy drinks, while children and teens watched an average of 277 and 406 ads, respective-ly, reads the report. Sugary drinks are the number one source of calories in North America and doctors hope more research will prompt consumers and gov-ernments to make a change. I think we are going to see regulations and legislations put in place, said Ottawa-based weight loss specialist Dr. Yoni Freed-hoff. Whether it is taxes or cup-size bans, it is not a matter of if, its a matter of when. He continued: The writing is on the wall, and I think the soda pop industry knows that. The Canadian Beverage As-sociation, on the other hand, disputes the fi ndings and suggests there are much bigger problems at the root of rising obesity. The Canadian Beverage Association feels that it is over simplistic and naive to believe that one single food or beverage can be held responsible for obesity, the group said in a statement respond-ing to the study. Obesity is affected by lifestyle, such as diet and physical activity, as well as inherited and social infl uences, not simply one particular food or beverage. Source: CTV News

The number of detainees on hun-ger strike at Guantanamo has nearly doubled since last week, with at least two prisoners hos-pitalised due to dehydration, of-fi cials at the military prison said. Captain Robert Durand, Guanta-namo communications director, confi rmed on Tuesday that 24 prisoners were on hunger strike, up from 15 since March 11, AFP reported. However, he rejected claims that the majority of detain-ees were involved in a more wide-spread protest. Today, Tuesday, March 19, 2013, we have 24 hun-ger strikers, with eight on internal feed, he said. The reports of hunger-strike-related deteriorat-ing health and detainees losing massive amounts of weight are simply untrue. In recent weeks, lawyers returned from the US base in Cuba where the prison is located with accounts of clients weak from hunger and an angry standoff with guards. The mili-tary had said no more than a hand-ful of prisoners met the defi nition of being on hunger strike, which includes missing nine consecutive meals. That fi gure rose to 14 on Friday, and then grew by seven over the weekend. It has become the largest and most sustained protest at Guantanamo in several years, but Durand insisted there is no evidence to support reports of a strike involving most of the 166 men held there. The detainees certainly have the support of one another, Durand said on Monday. But if it was 166, I would tell you it was 166. I dont have a reason to lowball or pad the numbers. A prisoner from Yemen, Yasein Es-mail, told his attorney that he lost about 15 kg after striking for 29 days and was struggling to keep his balance, according to notes

taken by the lawyer, Washington-based David Remes, during a March 5 visit. Many of the de-tainees are desperate, Esmail told Remes. They feel like theyre living in graves. Omah Farah, from the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), said several pris-oners in Camp 6 where there are 130 prisoners had lost between 18 and 22 kg and most had lost be-tween 9 and 13 kg. Farah accused camp authorities of seeking to downplay the strike, which began on February 6 to protest searches carried out by prison guards. De-tainees have accused guards of desecrating Qurans during the searches. Camp offi cials have strongly denied any mistreatment of the religious books. Another apparent factor in the protest is the fact that the US has largely stopped transferring and releas-ing prisoners because of security restrictions imposed by Congress and the administration of Presi-dent Barack Obama. Durand said there had been no changes in the way searches are conducted. He said Qurans are searched for con-traband by Muslim translators, not guards, and are treated in a respectful way. The protest is simply a way to attract attention, he said. They have sort of fallen out of the public view and most of the legal issues have been settled, Durand said. If you want to burst back into the media then you have to start complaining about either Quran abuse or detainee abuse or deteriorating conditions. Guan-tanamo prison was opened in 2002 to house prisoners rounded up in the so called War on Terror waged by the President George Bush administration following the 9/11 attacks. Source: Al-Jazeera

Burmese to be issued Residence Permits in

Saudi Arabia

The Burmese community will receive the fi rst offi -cial set of residence permits issued by the Kingdom beginning Saturday, according to sources.A committee has been assigned to rectify the status of the Burmese community in the Kingdom and will deliver residence permits through the offi ce of Mak-kah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal. Ayyub Al-Jamal,

Burmese community coordinator general, said that the status of 540 Burmese was rectifi ed last Sun-day in anticipation of the delivery. He said less than 20 percent of the estimated 300,000 Burmese were unmarried. However, offi cial statistics indicate that there are 240,000 Burmese citizens residing in Saudi Arabia.The committee and the Ministry of Education will work together to enroll the sons of Burmese parents in Saudi schools. The residence permits come in the wake of a government decision to exempt them from paying residency fees for the next four years as an incentive for them to rectify their status.Burmese communities in three key cities were sur-veyed as a fi rst step for them to obtain residency per-mits. A special committee began receiving applica-tions of the Burmese community last Saturday at a center set up at a car park in Kudai, Makkah.Source: arab news

Jamadi ul Awal 10, 1434 March 22, 20136

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Letters & OpinionsMiracle flies high in fully rainbow colors

E D I T O R I A L

Despite the horrible misrule by the Pakistan Peoples Party, President Asif Ali Zardari has been tena-ciously working day and night on his manipulative strategy to en-courage alliance of convenience (marriage-of-convenience) with multiple political partners. The al-liance actually did pave the way for the party to survive constitutionally right till the end. At least this time, the democracy has been given a free hand by the military, the judiciary, the civil so-ciety and the media. National As-sembly has already been dissolved, while the provincial ones are still in the fi nal process of winding up.Upon digging history, one fi nds that there have been numerous unsuc-cessful attempts aimed at derailing the newly born independent state of Pakistan since 1949. General Ayub khan succeeded in taking over the reins of the country in 1958 usurp-ing the 1956 constitution of Paki-stan. Then Gen. Yahya preyed upon the vulnerable nation. And after the fall of East Pakistan in 1971, the West Pakistan province became Pakistan (crippled one) followed by the civil martial law under Mr Z. A. Bhutto, founder of Pakistan Peoples Party. As civilian Chief Martial Law Ad-ministrator (dictator) Mr. Bhutto went on a Nationalizing spree countrywide - snatching all major corporations/industries under the

banner of his Islami Socialism. Then comes Gen. Zia-ul-Haq in 1977, he suspends the constitution, dismantles the assemblies, arrests and hangs Mr Bhutto on murder charges despite the poor evidence against the deposed Prime minis-ter. Zia remained a powerful dicta-tor with his iron fi st till his death in1988 air crash. Subsequently, successive civil re-gimes faced another tough round of on and off mode. The gov-ernments of Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif went through their incomplete terms due to mis-gov-ernance charges. All of a sudden, Gen Musharraf shows up to abrogate the consti-tution arresting the elected Prime Minister Mr Nawaz Sharif. President General Musharraf, the last military dictator ruled the coun-try from 1999 to 2008. A disappointing but the steady governance during 2008-2013 was a different experiment altogether, where a civil government has ma-noeuvred to continue for the whole term, however, shrewd Zardari and his regime under Prime Minister Gilani and later under Prime Min-ister Raja Ashraf miserably failed to deliver. But the factor of pro democracy unanimity played a pivotal role, as the stronger media, the super active apex judiciary, politically aware civil society, politicians and

the military have been on the same page to give democracy a free hand. In other words, the joint will is ab-solutely necessary to produce dem-ocratic maturity for Pakistan in the years ahead.Nevertheless, completing the term is only the fi rst step in the right direction, yet mismanaging the countrys affairs during fi ve years amounts to wasting of nations pre-cious time and resources. And instead of being remorseful for not fulfi lling their obligation of delivery to the nation, the outgoing rulers are tirelessly busy celebrat-ing completion of the darkest era which was nothing other than the sub standard governance full of administrative paralysis. - A brief recap: - Gross domestic product (GDP) dropped signifi cantly from 8% to 4%. - The demand for Pakistani goods dropped and investment fl ows dried up, adversely affecting Pak indus-tries. - The masses are now buried un-der a mountain of foreign debt load which increased from $45 billion in 2008 to over $65 billion in 2012. - The past fi ve years have been a major disappointment for the elec-torate. - The PPP regime failed to recog-nise its responsibility to create a friendly environment for commerce where the youth could earn living.

- The promised Roti, kapra aur ma-kan never actually happened. - During the fi nal days, the rulers corruption and nepotism was sky high which crossed all boundaries; they doled out billions of public money without a trace, and ignored merit system while appointing jia-laas against sensitive positions.- Hardly cooperated with the judi-ciary.- Maybe, the democracy (PPPs version) is the best revenge in the form of rampant corruption, hyper-infl ation, extensive power outages, gas shortages, ethnicity strife, wide spread sectarianism, chronic law and order condition, and the con-sistent defi ance of the apex courts verdicts. Beyond doubt, the ruling PPP and its multiple partners went all the way to the end employing multi-ple maneuvers but left the offi ce without any substantive accom-plishments. Miraculously, the de-mocracy survived in spite of the governments bad performance (Tribune.com).Since the nation cannot afford an-other era of democracy marked with corruption, misrule, favorit-ism, plunder and insecurity, so they must look for of LEADERS not RULERS for a positive social change and for economic prosper-ity on urgent basis. The next general elections give an opportunity to the honest and com-

petent politicians to rebuild this great country by improving the law and order situation and making eve-ryone accountable under law. And the voters should make the right electoral choices without any fear of reprisals and elect only those candidates who enjoy utmost integ-rity and who are competent enough to deliver sincerely to make the country going again under a genu-ine democracy.

Waan laysa lil insaniilla ma saaa

That man can have nothing but what he strives for.

Reality of The Wasted Five Year Term

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64,52812,14,167,810,13,182123272930-38

Scribes another glorious chapter in the history of BC journalism

R.C. Puri, Surrey BC.The furthermost noteworthy and exceptional feature about the Miracle newspaper remains that it is spectacularly imbued with the plentiful 1sts surrounded by the BC. ethnic print media. The fi rst and foremost 1st fell into its kitty when its seed was sown on February 21, 2001, by Br. Nusrat Hussain , a journalist of the par-excellent acumen, as the premier spokesperson of the Islamic fra-ternity of the province. It is worth mention that preceding thereto the Muslims of BC were the neglected and defenceless lot only, in rela-tion to the teething troubles of their paramount concerns. Hence, the emergence of the Miracle newspa-per was nothing short of an Allahs bestowed blessing to the commu-nity that had rightfully provided a unique occasion to it to raise its head in utter conceit and smugness. However, mere seeding the plant is not enough for its vigorous growth. It needs a lot of watering and great deal of toil and sweat to turn it into a mighty tree, the job that was strenuously done by Mr. Muhammad Naseer Pirzada (Man-aging Editor), his better-half Ms. Khadija Naseer, Misbah Naseer, Sabeeh Naseer (Sub-Editors), its Graphic designer and Mr. Muham-mad Rafi q (Hon. Chief & Urdu Editor) plus the current workaholic team of the Miracle News Media,

to enhance the number of its pages from mere 4 (maiden issue) to 40 color at its 12th Anniversary Issue, which is indisputably not a trivial achievement of the newspaper that has been passing through various nitty-gritty situations throughout, right from the time of its incep-tion. Only the individual allied with the business of the newspa-pers can know what sort of hitches and glitches he has to pass through to maintain the bare existence of his newspaper. It is, for sure, not a cup of tea for every Tom, Dick and Harry, rather an individual with extraordinary exertion can dream to accomplish such a vibrant mis-sion. This is, indubitably, another incredible 1st in the lap of the Mir-acle newspaper.Still another outstanding character of the Miracle newspaper is its be-ing the 1st and the only newspaper in the whole province of British Columbia to be the solitary bilin-gual newspaper, published in Eng-lish and Urdu languages, the pre-mier languages of India, Pakistan and other South Asian countries. The principal objective underly-ing this idea is to cater the needs of those people, whose are not well of in English language, but are quite comfortable with the Urdu language. This is the one point that sets Miracle apart from the rest of the mainstream and ethnic print media in this province, which too is its unique feature.Nonetheless, the incomparable 1st of the glorious history of the

Miracle is that since after the12th Anniversary Issue, the Mira-cle newspaper has started fl ying high in the blues in fully rainbow colors, which means that now on-wards every single page of this newspaper will be further pleasing the eyes of its readers with their multifarious good-looking color arrangement that is the handicraft of the highly profi cient team of the graphic artists.That owing to its balanced ap-proach he Miracle is, irrefutably, the 1st Islamic newspaper that en-joys the maximum readership in the non-Islamic ethnic communities. In fortifi cation of my supra claim, let me cite an instance when a few years back this newspaper was specifi cally quoted aggressively by a speaker of non-Islamic and non- Pakistani origin, at the meeting of Surrey School Board, presided over by Madam Mary Polak, then Chair of the Board. The address of the speaker earned sumptuous applauds from the audience of the South Asian origin, when some of its excerpts were loudly readout before the Board. Primarily, due to this outstanding feature the Mira-cle newspaper has been able to secure its signifi cant fi nancial busi-ness (which is its principal lifeline) primarily from the non-Muslim and non-Pakistani communities, which is, beyond doubt, not its in-consequential achievement.Long overdue cognizance of the services of the Miracle News Me-dia:

In the last issue of this paper I had endeavoured to invite the attention and thoughtfulness of the think-tank of the local Islamic Ummah in general and the fraternity of Paki-stani origin in specifi c of the forth-with cognizance of the services of the Miracle News Media, Mr. Hus-sain, Mr. Pirzada and I would like to add further the name of Mr. Rafi q, also (whose name I had regretfully missed inadvertently at that time), who have always toiled extraordi-nary hard to make their community audible in the rest of the populace around. Prior to the beginning of the Miracle newspaper the local Muslims had to depend upon the fanciful behavior of the editors and publishers of the other ethnic newspapers, even for the report-ing of prime issues of the Islamic brotherhood. Hence, the forthwith recognition of the unrelenting ser-vices of all the supra trio-crusaders of the fraternity are over-due and it is the appropriate time for the lo-cal Muslims to liberate themselves of this overdue responsibility. This may be done by organising some

Continued on pg 22

Late last year, a Horizon documentary aired on BBC

2 named, Eat, Fast and Live Longer. In the documentary Dr

Michael Mosley set himself a tru-ly ambitious goal: he wants to live

longer, stay younger and lose weight in the bargain. And he wants to make as few changes to his life as possible along the way. He discovers the powerful new sci-ence behind the ancient idea of fasting, and he thinks hes found a way of doing it that still allows him to enjoy his food. Michael tests out the science of fasting on himself with life-changing results. In his journey he explores 2 things: (1) the secrets to good health and (2) the secrets to longevity. His fi rst discovery is that you should not eat very much with a particular need to watch your diet. From there he goes on to fi nd a man who knows all about the growth hormone IGF-1 and about fasting. He tells him to fast for 3 days, he does so and the results are impressive, Michael re-duced the risk of getting many age-related diseases.He doesnt stop there. He goes on to dis-cover what is called, intermittent fasting a fasting on alternate days. So one day he will fast and the next he will feast. What is very interesting is what he discovers about the effects of fasting on the aging of the brain. Although the tests were on mice, they suggest that human beings have a very good to excellent chance of reducing brain diseases by fasting intermittently.The results of brain scanning on the mice revealed something far more interesting. They discovered that hunger actually cre-ated new brain cells and so by fasting you actually increase your cognitive abilities. So it is exercise for the brain hunger actu-ally makes you!He then discovers what he calls the 5-2 diet. Eat for 5 days as normal and fast for 2 days. He gives this a go for a few months. The results show that he not only lost well over a stone in weight but signifi cantly reduced his body fat. His IGF-1 reduced by 50%, his glucose dropped to a good level, and his bad cholesterol dropped with his good cholesterol increasing. Therefore he cut the risks he had of getting diseases but if he continues, he doesnt have to take tablets at all.In conclusion he discovers the following:1. Good health and longevity in age lies in diet food matters.2. Fasting can be done best according to the 5-2 diet system.3. Fasting makes you healthier.4. Fasting makes you sharper.5. Fasting is not everybody certain peo-ple shouldnt fast, for example a pregnant woman he mentions.Lets dig into this a little more.WHAT WE ALREADY KNEWWhat Dr Mosley has done is interesting. He has confi rmed a constant tradition of Prophets and the pious of this world. Over 1400 years ago we were told the realities

of fasting. Ever since then, we have had nu-merous works on the virtues and wisdom of fasting. Horizon dont seem to realise that they have confi rmed the traditions and habits of the Beloved Prophet Muhammad and those who fol-lowed and continue to follow him.Why Fast?In the Holy Quran we are told the follow-ing:O believers! Fasting is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for the people before you so that you may become pious.The month of Ramadan (is the month) in which the Quran has been sent down as guidance for mankind containing clear signs which lead (to the straight road) and distinguish-ing (the truth from falsehood). Therefore, he who witnesses this month must fast it, and he who is ill or on a journey should complete the count by (fasting on equal number of) other days. Allah desires ease for you and does not desire hardship for you so that you complete the prescribed number of fasting days, and that you glo-rify Him for the guidance which He has blessed you with, and that you may become grateful.(al-Baqarah, 2:183 & 185).These verses indicate the purpose of fasting that you become pious and aware of God. In es-sence, to become a master of the self rather than a slave of the self, i.e your desires/ego. Fasting is a means of protection, a shield from illnesses of the spirit, heart and body. The verses also indicate that not everyone should fast, and fasting is fi xed to a certain number of days.Muslims observe obligatory fasting for 29 or 30 days during Ramadan, from dawn till sunset. They also fast voluntarily at least three days every month and on certain days in the year. These include the day of Arafat, the 9th and 10th days of Muhar-ram, the six days of Shawwal, three fasts every month of the White Days (13th, 14th, and 15th of each lunar month), or fasting on Mondays and Thursdays.Eating Well & Fasting: The Way of The Prophet The Prophet, upon him be the peace and blessings of God, was extremely radical in terms of simplicity when it came to his lifestyle, but he was also very balanced and moderate. He was a semi-vegetarian, you can fi nd numerous traditions and works on how little he ate and what he used to eat. What is incredible is that he only consumed a lifetime total to the equivalent of 40 kilograms of barley fl our.The Holy Prophet, upon him be the peace and blessings of God, informed us on the authority of Miqdam ibn Madi Karib that No human ever fi lled a vessel worse than the stomach. Suffi cient for any son of Adam are some mor-

sels to keep his back straight. But if it must be, then one third for his food, one third for his drink and one third for his breath.And the Quran calls to eat of that which is lawful and pure in the earth. (al-Baqarah: 2:168). So we must not neglect the impor-tance of eating good food but also eating well. For a fast that neglects this may not be the best in terms of health.How did the he fast?The Beloved Prophet, upon him be the peace and blessings of God, used to fast consistently, more so than anyone, up to the point that he did so continuously for months on end. Although, he did not com-mand others to do the same and we should not do so. A few traditions:Fasting on alternate daysAbdullah bin Amr bin Al-As narrates that I asked the Messenger of God about the fasting of David, whereupon he replied, Half of the year,(i.e. he used to fast on every alternate day).(Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 31, Num-ber 195).Fasting on alternate days, intermittent, or 5-2 diet, or 3 days a monthHafsa relates: The Prophet used to fast Mondays and Thursdays.Abdullah bin Amr: The Messenger of God was informed that I had taken an oath to fast daily and to pray (every night) all the night throughout my life (so he came to me and asked whether it was correct): I replied, Let my parents be sacrifi ced for you! I did say so. The Prophet then said, You can not do that. So, fast for few days and give it up for few days, pray and sleep. Fast three days a month as the reward of good deeds is multiplied ten times and that will be equal to one year of fasting. I replied, I can do better than that. The Prophet said to me, Fast one day and give up fasting for a day and that is the fasting of Prophet David and

that is the best fasting.I said, I have the power to fast better (more) than that. The Prophet said, There is no better fasting than that. (Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 31, Number 197)Narrated by Muslim al-Qurashi: I asked or someone asked the Prophet about per-petual fasting. He replied: You have a duty to your family. Fast during Ramadan and the following month, and every Wednesday and Thursday. You will then have observed a perpetual fast. (Sahih Muslim, Book 13, Number 2426)Narrated by Umm Salamah, Ummul Muminin: Hunaydah al-Khuzai reported on the authority of her mother who said: I entered upon Umm Salamah and asked her about fasting. She said:The Prophet used to command me to fast three days every month beginning with Monday or Thurs-day. (Sahih Muslim, Book 13, Number 2446)Fasting increases memoryAli ibn Abi Talib, the cousin of the Prophet (about whom the Prophet said, I am the City of knowledge and Ali is its gate, ) said:Five things that remove forgetfulness, phlegm and increase memory: (1) Tooth stick (miswak) (2) Fasting (3) recitation of the Quran (4) Honey and (5) Milk. (Nar-rated by Daylami).

This article contains but snippets of infor-mation on fasting but what we see is clear. The traditions we have confi rm what we saw in the BBC documentary yet we were told over 1400 years ago. Fasting is not about living longer, but it is about living better. Living better externally and inter-nally.

Jamadi ul Awal 10, 1434 March 22, 20137

Prayer Schedule in Greater VancouverPrayer Schedule in Greater Vancouver

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

Day Sunr Zawal Dhuhr Asar MaghribFajar Isha101112131415161718192021222324

22232425262728293031

April 0102030405

Fri Sat

Sun Mon Tue

Wed Thu Fri Sat

Sun Mon Tue

Wed ThuFri

7:107:087:067:037:016:596:586:556:536:516:496:476:456:436:41

01:1901:1901:1901:1801:1801:1701:1701:1701:1701:1601:1601:1601:1601:1501:15

01:2401:2401:2401:2301:2301:2201:2201:2201:2201:2101:2101:2101:2101:2001:20

5:215:225:245:275:295:305:325:345:365:385:405:425:465:475:48

7:327:337:357:377:397:407:427:447:457:467:477:497:507:517:52

9:029:039:059:079:099:109:129:149:159:169:179:199:209:219:22

5:405:385:365:335:315:295:285:255:235:215:195:175:155:135:11

DateJ.ul I

March 22- April 5, 2013 (Jamadi ul Awaal 10-24, 1434H)

Scientists prove prophetic fasting the

secret to healthier, longer life

E D I T O R I A L

Narrated Ibn Abbas: The Prophet came to Medina and the peo-ple used to pay in advance the price of dates to be delivered within two or three years. He said (to them), Whoever pays in advance the price of a thing to be delivered later should pay it for a speci-fi ed measure at specifi ed weight for a specifi ed period.

Jamadi ul Awal 10, 1434 March 22, 20138

Clarifi cation of the Many Paths of Good Part 2Riyad as-Salihin (The Meadows of the Righteous)

F A I T H

128. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, Anyone who does wudu thoroughly, then goes to Jumua, listens and is silent, will be forgiven until the next Jumua and three days more. Whoever plays with pebbles has wasted it. [Muslim]129. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, When a Muslim or believer does wudu and washes his face, he removes from his face with the water, or with the last drop of water, every wrong action which he looked at with his eye. When he washes his hands, he removes from his hands with the water, or with the last drop of water, every wrong action which he did with his hands. When he washes his feet, he removes from his feet with the water, or with the last drop of water, every wrong action which he walked to with his feet, until he emerges free of wrong actions. [Muslim]130. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, Five prayers, and Jumua to Jumua, and Ramadan to Ramadan are expiation for everything between them if major wrong actions are avoided. [Muslim]131. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah, may

Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, Shall I tell you something by which Allah will wipe out wrong actions and raise up degrees? They said, Yes indeed, Messenger of Allah. He said, Doing wudu thoroughly, even in times of diffi culty, taking many steps to the mosque and waiting for the prayer after pray-ing the previous one. That is what you should hold to.[Muslim]132. Abu Musa al-Ashari reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, Whoever prays the two cool ones (i.e. the Subh and Asr prayers) will enter the Garden. [Agreed upon]133. Abu Musa reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, When a slave of Allah is ill or travelling, the same is written for him as what he would nor-mally do if he were healthy and at home. [al-Bukhari]134. Jabir reported that the Mes-senger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, Every right thing is sadaqa. [Al-Bukhari. Muslim related it from Hudhayfa]135. Jabir also reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, No Muslim plants some-thing without what is eaten from it being sadaqa for him. Even what is stolen from it is sadaqa for him. And no one visits it with-

out that being sadaqa for him. [Muslim]In one variant of it, No Muslim plants something from which man, animals or birds eat without it being sadaqa for him until the Day of Rising.In another variant of it, No Muslim plants a tree or sows a crop from which birds, man or beasts eat without it being sadaqa for him.136. Jabir said, The Banu Salama wanted to move near to the mosque and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, heard about it. He said to them, It has reached me that you want to move near to the mosque? They said, Yes, Messenger of Allah, we do want that. He said, Banu Salama, keep the houses you have. Your footprints are written down. Keep the houses you have! Your footprints are written down. [Muslim]In one variant, There is a degree for each footstep.137. Abul-Mundhir Ubayy ibn Kab said, There was a man and I do not know of any man who lived further from the mosque than him. He never missed a prayer. It was said to him or I said to him You should buy a donkey which you could ride in the dark and when it is very hot. He said, It would not make me happier if my house were right next to the mosque. I want my

steps to the mosque to be written down for me and also my return when I return to my family. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, Allah will combine all that for you. [Muslim]In one variant, You will have what you reckoned.138. Abu Muhammad Abdullah ibn Amr reported that the Mes-senger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, There are forty good qualities, the highest of which is giving away all of an animals milk. If anyone acts with any one of these qualities hoping for its reward and affi rming what is promised by it, on account of it Allah will admit him to the Garden. [al-Bukhari]139. Adi ibn Hatim said, I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, Protect yourselves from the Fire, even if only with half a date. [Agreed upon]In a variant in both al-Bukhari and Muslim, he said that the Mes-senger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, There is not a single one of you who will not be spoken to directly by his Lord without any mediator in between and he will look to his right and see only what he sent ahead, and will look to his left and see only what he sent ahead. He will look in front of him and see only the Fire facing him. Protect yourselves from the Fire,

even if only with half a date. And if you cannot fi nd even that, then with a good word.140. Anas reported that the Mes-senger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, Allah is pleased with His slave who eats a morsel and praises Allah for it or takes a drink and praises Allah for it. [Muslim]141. Abu Musa reported that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, Every Muslim should give sadaqa. He said, What about if someone has nothing to give? He said, He should get work and earn something and give sad-aqa. He said, And if is unable to do that? He said, He should help someone in need. He said, What if he cannot fi nd anyone? He said, He should command what is right or good. He said, What if he cannot do that? He said, He should refrain from evil. That is sadaqa for him. [Agreed upon]Naqshbandi Center Vancouver

Jamadi ul Awal 10, 1434 March 22, 20139 S P E C I A L

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Jamadi ul Awal 10, 1434 March 22, 2013 S P E C I A L

23rd March 1940What Pakistani Youth Must Know About

By: Faiz Al-Najdi (Pak Tribune)

The Pakistani youth of today seem to be simply ignorant of the historical background of the creation of Pakistan. The reason is mostly to do with detest of theirs for Pakistan Studies while at schools. Based on my interac-tion with many of them, it is my considered opinion that there is a weakness and void out there amongst our youth vis-history of Pakistan.On this historic day of 23rd March also known as Pakistan Day I therefore thought to write something for educating my youth on the signifi cance of this day.The youth of today must know that Pakistan owes her creation to four erstwhile outstanding Muslim leaders, namely: Sir Syed Ahmad Khan (1817-98), Maulana Mohammad Ali Jauhar (1878-1931), Quaid-e-Azam Moham-mad Ali Jinnah (1876-1948), and Allama Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938). These leaders provided intellectual and political leader-ship to Indian Muslims during about ninety years (1858-1947) of the British imperial rule on the Sub-continent.It is important for them to also know that in the beginning all of these aforementioned leaders were thorough-bred nationalists at one time or another. By being nationalist means they were the proponents of a united India. Now it should not come as a surprise for our young men and women to learn that over the passage of time our leaders got disillusioned with this concept of one united India. The reasons were many. It could have been either because of Hin-du ethnocentrism in the late 19th century or Congress`s champion-ing of unitary Hindu nationalism in the 1920s and 1930s.Now let us focus our discussion exclusively on our great leader and founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. It is very important for the youths to understand the elements of the crest and the troughs in the political leanings and ideologies of Quaid-e-Azam over his long career from 1904 thru 1948. It is interesting to note here that for some seventeen years (1904-1920), he was pro-Congress, pleading the Congress cause and envisioning a truly nationalist destiny for India.And, still for another sixteen years (1921-37), though he was practically out of Congress as

he had joined All India Muslim League in 1920, he was still working for a nationalist destiny. During this period, he was still striving for a Hindu-Muslim set-tlement and he was still collabo-rating with the Congress and its leadership for the same. It is also very well known that in pursuit of his mission of Hindu-Muslim unity, he had devised several constitutional formulae, but all to no avail. It is also pertinent to mention here that till early 1937, Quaid-e-Azam was still in his nationalist self; preaching his credo eloquently and trying mis-

erably to unite Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs. For this he was widely known as the ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity.All said and done, on 23rd of March 1940 a resolution was passed which was read aloud by Moulvi Abul Kasim Fazlul Haque - the then Chief Minister of Ben-gal - (sans the help of any public address system as he had very strong throat) and was adopted unanimously. The resolution inter alia stated: Resolved that it is the consid-ered view of this session of the All India Muslim League that the

areas in which the Muslims are numerically in a majority as in the North-Western and Eastern Zones of India should be grouped to constitute `Independent States` in which the constituent units shall be autonomous and sovereign.The resolution was seconded by Chaudhry Khaliq-uz-Zaman, and supported among others by Maulana Zafar Ali Khan, Sardar Aurangzeb Khan, Sir Abdullah Haroon and I I Chundrigar. In short, the Muslims of India on that day in fact had proclaimed to the world their determination to make the Muslim Statehood the goal of their struggle under the leadership of the Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah.Let the youths be educated that Pakistan Resolution of 23rd March 1940 was in fact the fi rst salvo fi red in the battle for Pakistan. And barely seven years after, was the dream of a separate Muslim homeland in the shape of Pakistan realized. This was all because of that mercurial leader-ship of the great Quaid. Stanley Wolpert, the American historian and author also gives testimony to this fact in his book, entitled,

Jinnah of Pakistan ; Quote that few individuals signifi cantly alter the course of history, fewer still modify the map of the world, and hardly anyone can be credited with creating a nation state. Mo-hammad Ali Jinnah did all three. Unquote.Lord Mountbatten is on record to have said,If there had not been Mr. Jin-nah there would have been no Pakistan.Let the youths also be informed here that the Pakistan Resolution of 23rd March 1940 was just the

culmination but the historic jour-ney for creation of Pakistan had begun right after the fall of the Moghul Empire and advent of the British rule in the Sub-continent in 1857. The following historic facts would lend credence to this thesis of mine. The fi rst scheme for the partition of India was presented by John Bright in 1858. On the 4th of June 1858, while par-

ticipating in a discussion in the British Parliament, he was of the opinion, India should be divided into fi ve presidencies. As far back as 1867, Sir Syed had said: It was now im-possible for Hindus and Muslims to progress as a single nation. The scheme for the partition of India was proposed by a renowned Muslim Scholar Jamaluddin Afghani who in 1879, proposed a broader Muslim state. Sir John Seeky - author of The Expansion of England - as early as 1883 had said, India

does not mark the territory of a nation or a language, but the ter-ritory of many nations and many languages. A British writer Wilfred Scawen Blunt in 1883 wrote in his book Ideas about India that practically India is to be divided as such that all Northern provinc-es under the Muslim Government while the South provinces under a Hindu government. In 1887, Theodore Beck educated at Cambridge and the Principal of M. A. O. College at Aligarh observed that Muslims are a separate nation, rule of majority is impossible; Muslims will never agree to be ruled by the Hindu majority. In 1899, another British intellectual and the principal of MAO College Aligarh, Theodore Morison proposed that the only solution to the Indian political uncertainty was to centralize the Indian Muslims in one prov-ince or tract of the country, for instance, the north of India from Peshawar to Agra. Sir Muhammad Iqbal was the fi rst important public fi gure to propound the idea of partition from the platform of the Muslim League. He articulated his vision in 1930, in his presi-dential address at Allahabad. In 1933 Chaudhary Re-hmat Ali, a student of Cambridge University, issued a declaration entitled Now or Never: Are we to live or perish forever? and demanded a Muslim homeland. He used the term of Pakistan for the fi rst time., In his letter on 28 May 1937, Allama Iqbal wrote to the Quaid that to solve the Muslim problems it was necessary to redistribute the country and to provide one or more Muslim states with absolute majorities.

10

Jamadi ul Awal 10, 1434 March 22, 201311 S P E C I A L

Harry BainsSurrey-Newton604-597-8248

harry.bains.mla@leg.bc.ca

Jagrup BrarSurrey-Fleetwood

604-501-8227jagrup.brar.mla@leg.bc.ca

Raj ChouhanBurnaby-Edmonds

604-660-7301raj.chouhan.mla@leg.bc.ca

Kathy CorriganBurnaby-Deer Lake

604-775-2414kathy.corrigan.mla@leg.bc.ca

Mable ElmoreVancouver-Kensington

604-775-1033mable.elmore.mla@leg.bc.ca

Mike FarnworthPort Coquitlam604-927-2088

mike.farnworth.mla@leg.bc.ca

Rob FlemingVictoria-Swan Lake

250-360-2023rob.eming.mla@leg.bc.ca

Sue HammellSurrey-Green Timbers

604-590-5868sue.hammell.mla@leg.bc.ca

Adrian Dixand the

New Democrat Ofcial Oppositionwish you a

Happy National Day of the

Islamic Republic of Pakistan

New Democrat CaucusRoom 201, Parliament Buildings, Victoria BC, V8V 1X4Tel: 250-387-3655 Fax: 250-387-4680

Carole JamesVictoria-Beacon Hill

250-952-4211carole.james.mla@leg.bc.ca

Maurine KaragianisEsquimalt-Royal Roads

250-479-0630maurine.karagianis.mla@leg.bc.ca

Bruce RalstonSurrey-Whalley604-586-2740

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Jamadi ul Awal 10, 1434 March 22, 201312 S P E C I A L

Iraq: Wars legacy of cancerDahr Jamail, Al JazeeraFallujah, Iraq - Contamination from Depleted Uranium (DU) munitions and other military-related pollution is suspected of causing a sharp rises in congenital birth defects, cancer cases, and other illnesses throughout much of Iraq.Many prominent doctors and sci-entists contend that DU contamina-tion is also connected to the recent emergence of diseases that were not previously seen in Iraq, such as new illnesses in the kidney, lungs, and liver, as well as total immune system collapse. DU contamination may also be connected to the steep rise in leukaemia, renal, and anaemia cas-es, especially among children, being reported throughout many Iraqi gov-ernorates.There has also been a dramatic jump in miscarriages and premature births among Iraqi women, particularly in areas where heavy US military op-erations occurred, such as Fallujah.Offi cial Iraqi government statistics show that, prior to the outbreak of the First Gulf War in 1991, the rate of cancer cases in Iraq was 40 out of 100,000 people. By 1995, it had increased to 800 out of 100,000 peo-ple, and, by 2005, it had doubled to at least 1,600 out of 100,000 people. Current estimates show the increas-ing trend continuing.As shocking as these statistics are, due to a lack of adequate documen-tation, research, and reporting of cases, the actual rate of cancer and other diseases is likely to be much higher than even these fi gures sug-gest.Cancer statistics are hard to come by, since only 50 per cent of the healthcare in Iraq is public, Dr Salah Haddad of the Iraqi Society for Health Administration and Pro-motion told Al Jazeera. The other half of our healthcare is provided by the private sector, and that sec-tor is defi cient in their reporting of statistics. Hence, all of our statistics in Iraq must be multiplied by two. Any offi cial numbers are likely only half of the real number.Toxic environmentsDr Haddad believes there is a direct correlation between increasing can-cer rates and the amount of bomb-ings carried out by US forces in par-ticular areas.My colleagues and I have all no-ticed an increase in Fallujah of congenital malformations, sterility, and infertility, he said. In Fallu-jah, we have the problem of toxics introduced by American bombard-ments and the weapons they used, like DU.During 2004, the US military car-ried out two massive military sieges of the city of Fallujah, using large quantities of DU ammunition, as well as white phosphorous.We are concerned about the future of our children being exposed to ra-diation and other toxic materials the US military have introduced into our environment, Dr Haddad added.A frequently cited epidemiological study titled Cancer, Infant Mortality and Birth Sex-Ratio in Fallujah, Iraq 2005-2009 involved a door-to-door survey of more than 700 Fallujah households.The research team interviewed Fal-lujans about abnormally high rates of cancer and birth defects.One of the authors of the study,

Chemist Chris Busby, said that the Fallujah health crisis represented the highest rate of genetic damage in any population ever studied.After bombardment, the targeted population will often remain in the ruins of their contaminated homes, or in buildings where metal expo-sure will continue, Dr Savabieasfa-hani told Al Jazeera.Our research in Fallujah indicated that the majority of families re-turned to their bombarded homes and lived there, or otherwise rebuilt on top of the contaminated rubble of their old homes. When possible, they also used building materials that were salvaged from the bom-barded sites. Such common prac-tices will contribute to the publics continuous exposure to toxic metals years after the bombardment of their area has ended. She pointed out how large quantities of DU bullets, as well as other mu-nitions, were released into the Iraqi environment.Between 2002 and 2005, the US armed forces expended six billion bullets - according to the fi gures of the US General Accounting Offi ce, she added.According to Dr Savabieasfahani, metal contaminants in war zones originate from bombs and bullets, as well as from other explosive devic-es. Metals, most importantly lead, uranium, and mercury, are used in the manufacture of munitions, and all of these contribute to birth de-fects, immunological disorders, and other illnesses.Our study in two Iraqi cities, Fallu-jah and Basra, focused on congenital birth defects, she said.Her research showed that both stud-ies found increasing numbers of birth defects, especially neural tube defects and congenital heart defects. It also revealed public contamina-tion with two major neurotoxic met-als, lead and mercury.The Iraq birth defects epidemic is, however, surfacing in the context of many more public health prob-lems in bombarded cities, she said. Childhood leukemia, and other types of cancers, are increasing in Iraq.Fallujah babiesDoctors in Fallujah are continuing to witness the aforementioned steep rise in severe congenital birth de-fects, including children being born with two heads, children born with only one eye, multiple tumours, dis-fi guring facial and body deformities, and complex nervous system problems. Doctors in Fallujah are registering hundreds of babies withsevere birth defects, which they at-tribute to DU munitionsand other war toxins [Dr Samira Alani/Al Jazeera]Today in Fallujah, residents are re-porting to Al Jazeera that many fam-ilies are too scared to have children, as an alarming number of women are experiencing consecutive mis-carriages and deaths with critically deformed and ill newborns.Dr Samira Alani, a pediatric special-ist at Fallujah General Hospital, has taken a personal interest in inves-tigating an explosion of congeni-tal abnormalities that have mush-roomed in the wake of the US sieges since 2005.We have all kinds of defects now,

ranging from congenital heart dis-ease to severe physical abnormali-ties, both in numbers you cannot im-agine, Alani told Al Jazeera at her offi ce in the hospital last year, while showing countless photos of shock-ing birth defects.Alani also co-authored a study in 2010 that showed the rate of heart defects in Fallujah to be 13 times the rate found in Europe. And, for birth defects involving the nervous system, the rate was calculated to be 33 times that found in Europe for the same number of births.Alani showed Al Jazeera hundreds of photos of babies born with cleft pallets, elongated heads, a baby born with one eye in the centre of its face, overgrown limbs, short limbs, and malformed ears, noses and spines. Multiple birth defects, many as se-vere as this, have become common with babies born in the aftermath ofUS assaults on the city [Dr Samira Alani/Al Jazeera]She told Al Jazeera of cases of thanatophoric displacia, an abnor-mality in bones and the rib cage that render the newborn incompatible with life.Its been found by a coroners court that cancer was caused by an expo-sure to depleted uranium, Busby told Al Jazeera.In the last ten years, research has emerged that has made it quite clear that uranium is one of the most dan-gerous substances known to man, certainly in the form that it takes when used in these wars.Dr Alani has visited Japan where she met with Japanese doctors who study birth defect rates they believe related to radiation from the US nu-clear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.She was told birth defect incidence rates there are between one and two per cent. Alanis log of cases of birth defects amounts to a rate of 14.7 per cent of all babies born in Fallujah, more than 14 times the rate in the ef-fected areas of Japan.In March 2013, Dr Alani informed Al Jazeera that the incident rates of congenital malformations remained around 14 per cent.As staggering as these statistics are, Dr Alani points to the same problem of under-reporting that Dr Haddad mentioned, and said that the crisis is even worse than these statistics indicate.We have no system to register all of them, so we have so many cases we are missing, she said. I think I only know of 40-50 percent of the cases because so many families have their babies at home and we never know of these, and other clin-ics are not registering them either.Additionally, Dr Alani remains the only person in Fallujah registering cases, and reported that she was still seeing the same severe defects.We have so many cases of babies with multiple system defects in one baby, she explained. Multiple abnormalities in one baby. For ex-ample, we just had one baby with central nervous system problems, skeletal defects, and heart abnor-malities. This is common in Fallujah today.Disconcertingly, Dr Alani men-tioned something that Dr Savabieas-fahanis research warned of. Dr Samira Alani is the only person in Fallujah registering

cases of newborn malformation [Dahr Jamail/Al Jazeera]The hospital where Alani does her work was constructed in the Dhu-badh district of Fallujah in 2008. According to Alani, the district was bombed heavily during the Novem-ber 2004 siege.She said that, when the DU muni-tions explode or strike their targets, they generate fi ne metal-containing dust particles as well as DU-contain-ing particles that persist in the envi-ronment. These particles can enter the food chain and enter the human body via contaminated food. Toxic particles can also become airborne with the wind and be inhaled by the public. Iraq is prone to frequent sand and dust storms. Continuous public inhalation of toxic materials can lead to cancer. Ingested or inhaled particles that emit alpha radiation can cause cancer. Basra and South-ern IraqIn Babil Province in southern Iraq, cancer rates have been escalating at alarming rates since 2003. Dr Sha-rif al-Alwachi, the head of the Ba-bil Cancer Centre, blames the use of depleted uranium weapons by US forces during and following the 2003 invasion. The environment could be contam-inated by chemical weapons and de-pleted uranium from the aftermath of the war on Iraq, Dr Alwachi told Al Jazeera. The air, soil and water are all polluted by these weapons, and as they come into contact with human beings they become poison-ous. This is new to our region, and people are suffering here.According to a study published in the Bulletin of Environmental Con-tamination and Toxicology, a pro-fessional journal based in the south-western German city of Heidelberg, there was a sevenfold increase in the number of birth defects in Basra be-tween 1994 and 2003.According to the Heidelberg study, the concentration of lead in the milk teeth of sick children from Basra was almost three times as high as comparable values in areas where there was no fi ghting.In addition, never before has such a high rate of neural tube defects (open back) been recorded in ba-bies as in Basra, and the rate contin-ues to rise. According to the study, the number of hydrocephalus (wa-ter on the brain) cases among new-borns is six times as high in Basra as it is in the United States.Abdulhaq Al-Ani, author of Ura-nium in Iraq, has been researching the effects of depleted uranium on Iraqis since 1991. He told Al Jazeera he personally measured radiation levels in the city of Kerbala, as well as in Basra, and his geiger counter was screaming because the indi-cator went beyond the range.Dr Savabieasfahani pointed out that childhood leukemia rates in Basra more than doubled between 1993 and 2007.Multiple cancers in patients - pa-tients with simultaneous tumours on both kidneys and in the stomach, for example - an extremely rare oc-currence, have also been reported there, she said. These observa-tions collectively suggest an ex-traordinary public health emergency in Iraq. Such a crisis requires urgent multifaceted international action to prevent further damage to public

health.International law and the futureThere are clear international laws addressing the use of munitions such as Depleted Uranium.Article 35 of Protocol I, a 1977 amendment of the Geneva Conven-tions, prohibits any means or meth-ods of warfare that cause superfl uous injuries or unnecessary suffering. Article 35 also prohibits those na-tions from resorting to means of war that could infl ict extensive and long-term damage on human health and the environment.The observed impacts of DU in Iraq suggest that these weapons fall un-der Article 35 as being prohibited, by the very nature of their suspected long-lasting effects on human health and the environment.Article 36 (of Protocol I) also oblig-es any state studying, developing, or acquiring a new weapon to hold a legal review of that weapon.Thus far, Belgium (2007) and Costa Rica (2011) have passed domestic laws prohibiting uranium weapons within their territories. In 2008, the European Parliament adopted a resolution that stated that the use of DU in warfare runs counter to the basic rules and principles enshrined in written and customary international, humanitar-ian and environmental law.Nevertheless, DNA mutations caused by DU can, of course, be passed from parent to child. Hence, DU contamination from the US-led wars against Iraq in 1990 and 2003 appear to likely continue to cause a persistent national health crisis for future generations of Iraqis. The remaining traces of DU in Iraq represent a formidable long-term environmental hazard, as they will remain radioactive for more than 4.5 billion years.Dr Savabieasfahani said,There are not even medical terms to describe some of these conditions because weve never seen them until now, Dr Alani said. So when I describe it, all I can do is describe the physi-cal defects, but am unable to provide a medical term.Dr Haddad shared his deep concern about the future of his own, and oth-er, Iraqi children.I feel fear for them, he said, sad-ly. They are encircled by so many problems like health issues, toxins, and we must work to spare them from disease, radiation, and chemi-cal toxins. These are the silent kill-ers, because you cant see them until the problem grows very large. Too many Iraqis have suffered from these, and I cant see how that suf-fering will not continue.Dr Alani simply wanted people, es-pecially those in the United States, to know of the crisis in Fallujah, and asked one thing from them.I ask them to ask their government not to hurt people outside of their country, she said. Especially the people of Iraq.

Dr Samira Alani is the only person in Fallujah registering cases of newborn malformation

[Dahr Jamail/Al Jazeera

Jamadi ul Awal 10, 1434 March 22, 201313 S P E C I A L

Pakistan appeared on the world map as the fi rst Islamic and the fi fth largest country of the world on August 14, 1947. It is an ideo-logical state established in the name of Islam. Two-Nation The-ory is the basis of the creation of Pakistan. Muslims and Hindus being two separate nations from every defi nition though lived to-gether in India over the centuries but remained poles apart as noth-ing was common between the two. They had always remained as two distinct social systems, two separate and distinct cultures and last but not the least, two differ-ent civilizations. The differences between them are not confi ned to the struggle for political suprem-acy but are also manifested in the clash of two social orders. Despite living together for more than one thousand years, they continued to develop different cultures and tra-ditions. Their eating habits, mu-sic, architecture and script, all are totally different from each other. Even the language they speak and the dress they wear is entirely dif-ferent. After having failed to con-

vince the majority community for peaceful co-existence, the Mus-lims demanded a separate home-land in the Muslim majority areas of India, where they could spend their lives according to the glori-ous teachings of Islam.The Lahore Resolution commonly known as the Pakistan Resolution was a formal political statement adopted by the Muslim League at the occasion of its three-day general session on 2224 March 1940 that called for greater Muslim autonomy in British In-dia. This has been largely in terpre ted as a demand for a sepa-rate Muslim state, Paki-stan. The res-olution was presented by A. K. Fazlul Huq. Although the idea of founding the state was introduced by Al-lama Iqbal in 1930 and the name Pakistan had been proposed by

Chaudhary Rah-mat Ali in his Pakistan Decla-ration in 1933, Muhammad Ali Jinnah and other leaders had kept fi rm belief in Hindu-Muslim unity. However, the volatile political climate and religious hostilities gave the idea stronger backing

March 23, The Pakistan Day

73 years ago, on 23rd March, thousands of Muslims from all over the sub-continent gathered in Lahore. They had one dream, one vision and one mission, i.e to have a separate homeland for Muslims of the sub-continent. On that day, under the able leadership of Jinnah and others, the struggle for Pakistan started with full force and it ended with the creation of Pakistan.It was on 23rd March, 1940, when Lahore Resolution or Pakistan Resolution was passed. Mr. A. K. Fazl-ul-Haq presented the resolu-tion in the general session of all

India Muslim League. Leaders from different part of the sub-continent showed their support for the resolution and it soon became part of the constitution of All India Muslim League. It stated:23rd March was the day when the struggles were streamlined. There were no individual benefi ts, eve-ryone was thinking on a broader prospect, everyone was thinking for the Muslims of the sub-conti-nent and for Pakistan. There were no Sindhis, Balouchis, Pathans, Kashmiris, Punjabis and Bengalis, they were all part of a great Mu slime nation.The day is a national holiday in the country and we spend it just as any other holiday. But have we ever given some thought to what was this country made for? and what are we today? why do we always think about ourselves? and not for the whole nation? Do we deserve to be part of the great na-tion who created this great home-land for us? Do we deserve to be called Pakistanis? .. Think about it!

Premier Christy ClarkVancouver - Point Grey

Richard T. LeeNorth Burnaby

John YapRichmond - Steveston

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Rob HowardRichmond Centre

Rich ColemanFort Langley - Aldergrove

Linda ReidRichmond East

Steve ThomsonKelowna - Mission

Stephanie CadieuxSurrey-Panorama

A Message From Your:

Commemorating the First Constitution of Pakistan

History of Pakistan Movement

Jamadi ul Awal 10, 1434 March 22, 201314 S P E C I A L

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By Irfan HussainA CURIOUS story in a local English daily caught my eye the other day. It seemed the Sri Lanka Muslim Council had given in to demands that meat could be sold without halal certifi cation. This is a huge success for radical Buddhist groups who have been orchestrat-ing an anti-Muslim campaign for the last few years. Mosques have been attacked, prayers disrupted, and Muslims in general accused of being anti-state. The Muslim Tamil National Alliance has writ-ten to the Secretary General of the United Nations, asking him for protection, and protesting against this nasty campaign.Leading the anti-Muslim charge is a group called the Bodu Bela Sena, or Buddhist Force. Headed by ul-tra-nationalistic monks, the group follows a xenophobic agenda of Sri Lanka for the Buddhists. Of late, Buddhist monks have begun playing a growing and retrogres-sive role in the islands politics.The monks fi rst fl exed their mus-cles to shore up the Rajapakse gov-ernments resolve to crush the Ta-mil insurgency. First, they blocked any possibility of compromise by offering the Tamil Tigers greater autonomy. To build up pressure, they formed a political party and won enough seats to take a place in the coalition government. Then, when President Mahinda Raja-pakses brother, defence secretary Gotabaya, was facing diffi culties in fi nding enough recruits for the

army, a group of monks fanned out across the Buddhist areas to motivate thousands of young men. These recruits were assured that they would not lose karma by fi ghting and killing in a war as they would be doing so in the cause of Buddhism. The brutal civil war ended nearly four years ago in a bloodbath that is now the subject of intense scrutiny and criticism from abroad. The ongoing session of the UN Human Rights Commission at Geneva is about to vote on a reso-lution initiated by the US, demand-ing an international investigation into the fate of tens of thousands of Tamils said to be killed in the last days of the fi ghting in the north of the island. Against this backdrop, it is odd that the government is do-ing so little to clamp down on the anti-Muslim campaign. Should it gain support and traction, the results could be very bad news. Muslims are mostly concentrated in three areas: in and around Galle and Colombo, and in the coastal areas of the north-east. The latter are mostly poor fi shermen, while urban Muslims are heavily rep-resented in business and the pro-fessions. According to unoffi cial reports, the 2011 census indicates that Muslims form around 10 per cent of the total population of 21.4 million. This is a substantial in-crease from the 7.6 pc in the last census. One reason the new census fi gures have not been offi cially re-leased is said to be the disquiet the increase in the number of Muslims

might cause among the majority.Already, Muslims in the north have been subjected to ethnic cleansing by the Tamil Tigers in the early nineties. Thousands were driven southward from their homes and farms in the mostly Ta-mil north. After the war ended, and they tried to reclaim their property, they were subjected to great hostil-ity by Sinhalese farmers who had grabbed much of the land. Most of the displaced Muslims have set-tled around Colombo, and their children consider the capital their home.One factor that is probably driv-ing the anti-Muslim campaign is envy. Urban Muslims have fared relatively well over the years, and have cornered the lucrative gem-stone market. Others have gone into real estate and construction. Many have made a name for them-selves in the legal profession. And while a few have gone into poli-tics, they recognise that they can never hope to rise to the top. By and large, they have kept a low profi le.A number of Muslim families in Galle and Matra pride themselves on their descent from Arab trad-ers who settled in Sri Lanka cen-turies ago. Others have come from the Indian coast. There is a small and wealthy Bohra community in Colombo. Many northern Muslims descended from Malays who set-tled along the coast. Thus, Sri Lan-kan Muslims represent an ethnic mix who have helped in creating

prosperity and diversity. So far, at least, they have got along well with their neighbours. However, despite centuries of living togeth-er, integration has been slow. Like most minorities, Muslims tend to stick together, maintaining their dress code and diet. Women usu-ally wear some form of hijab, and many Muslim men wear beards and skull caps.Even liberal Sinhalese accuse Muslims of not keeping their streets clean,