Syrias opposition has dismissed assurances that Presi-dent Bashar al-Assad is committed to ending the violence sweeping the country. Mr Assad told visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov he was prepared to co-operate with plans for stability. But Syrian government forces have continued pounding the city of Homs and other parts of the country where opposition is strong. The US said it was not sure what the purpose of Mr Lavrovs visit was. Following the talks in Damascus on Tuesday, Mr Lavrov called for a dialogue between the Syrian government and opposition. We have every rea-son to believe that the signal that weve brought here to move along in a more active manner along all directions has been heard, he said. In particular, President Assad assured [us] that he is fully committed to the task of a cessation of violence, from whatever source it comes. Russia must realise that betting everything on Assad is a recipe for failure, not just for Russias interests in Syria but for the stability of the region and for Syrias future

Mr Lavrov called for a solution based on an Arab League initiative from last November, but gave no indication that Russia backed the leagues more recent call for Mr Assad to step down. The offi cial Syrian news agency Sana later quoted Mr Assad as saying he welcomed any efforts to-ward a solution to the crisis. But opposition leaders said continuing bloodshed meant it was too late for Mr Assad to offer compromises. It is impossible for Assad to gov-ern after bombarding his own cities and towns, opposi-tion leader-in-exile Kamal al-Labwani told Reuters. He is escalating the use of his military might either to sink Syria into chaos or to improve his negotiating position. White House spokesman Jay Carney said the US was not sure what the goals of Mr Lavrovs visit to Damascus had been. Russia must realise that betting everything on Assad is a recipe for failure, not just for Russias interests in Syria but for the stability of the region and for Syrias future, he said. Last week Russia and China vetoed a UN resolution that backed a new Arab League plan for Syria. The plan involved Mr Assad handing power to a deputy who would oversee a transition of power. Moscow said the draft would have forced regime change on Syria. Since then, Syria has become increasingly isolated. On Tuesday, Gulf Arab states said they would

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US hits Iran with new sanctions US President Barack Obama has tightened sanctions on Iran, including its central bank, seeking to increase pres-sure on the countrys economy as a nuclear showdown intensifi es. Obama signed an executive order on Sunday that implements parts of a new sanctions regime passed by Congress late last year, allowing US institutions to freeze all property and interests of the Iranian government. The order took effect on Monday. Obamas decision comes amid high tensions with Iran, which has threatened to close the crucial Strait of Hormuz, a crucial oil and natural gas shipping lane from the Gulf. Israel has also suggested it may attack Irans nuclear sites soon, insisting that the government in Tehran is close to being able to build a nuclear weapon. A spokesman for Irans foreign ministry said on Tuesday the measures would have no effect on the country because the central bank had no transactions with the US. The executive order allows US institutions to freeze all property and interests of the Iranian government, the central bank of Iran and all Iranian fi nancial institutions that come within US jurisdic-tion. Previously, US banks were required to reject and send back, rather than block and freeze, Iranian transactions. In a letter to Congress, Obama said more sanctions were war-ranted, particularly in light of the deceptive practices of the Central Bank of Iran and other Iranian banks. Obama said the problems included the hiding of transactions of sanctioned parties, the defi ciencies of Irans anti-money laundering regime and the unacceptably high risk posed to the entire international fi nancial system by Irans activities. The measures, passed with wide majorities in Congress last year, also included a requirement for Obama to impose

sanctions on foreign fi nancial institutions that do business with the Iranian central bank or other fi nance fi rms. How-ever, Obama did not implement those sanctions on Mon-day. The measures were designed to restrict Irans access to foreign fi nance and commerce and to cripple its lucrative oil and energy industry by effectively barring foreign fi rms that do business with Tehran from the US fi nancial sys-tem. Although Obamas order did not implement them, the treasury department warned that fi rms doing business with Iran remain at risk of US punishments. The president has the power to issue waivers to halt the impact of such sanc-tions, once they come into force, every 120 days. Senior White House offi cials are currently studying the measures passed by Congress to fi nd a way to implement them that maximises pain for Iran, but does not cause a huge jump in oil prices that could harm the fragile US economic recovery. The stronger sanctions come as the White House tries to increase pressure on Iran to abandon its nuclear programme and dissuade Israel from launching a unilateral strike on Iran, a move that could ignite war in the Middle East and jolt the global economy. Obama said on Sunday he did not believe Israel had yet decided whether to attack Iran and still believed a diplomatic solution was possible. Iran insists that its nuclear pursuit is for peaceful purposes, but the West accuses Tehran of developing the know-how to build a nu-clear bomb. Leon Panetta, the US defence secretary, did not dispute last week a report that he believed Israel may attack Iran this spring in an attempt to set back the countrys sus-

Issue 303 - Rabi ul Awaal 18, 1433 / February 10, 20122

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Pakistan is in favour of a peaceful outcome of the situation in Afghanistan, but any initiative on the neighbouring country must not affect our country, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani said on Tuesday.He was talking to Qatars Emir Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani at the Amiri Diwan.The prime minister proposed for addressing the issues of unemployment and illiteracy in Afghanistan, which he said would help control extremism and terrorism in the long run. He said the solution to the Afghan problem must be left with its people to decide. He said that Pakistan had paid a huge price in the war against terrorism, which incurred losses to both lives and the economy.Prime Minister Gilani said Pakistan gave great importance to its relations with Qatar and wanted to explore new avenues of cooperation. He also sought the support of Qatar in fi nali-sation of a free trade agreement with countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).In response, the Qatari emir termed PM Gilanis visit a fresh start of relations between the two countries after nine years. He assured the PM that Pakistans interests would never be compromised in any case. The emir said Qatar wanted to maintain a strategic relationship with Pakistan, regardless of the tactical calculation of profi ts and losses.The two sides expressed satisfaction over several agreements and memoranda of understanding signed between the two

countries on Monday, mainly on import of Liquefi ed Natural Gas (LNG), security cooperation, customs and hydroelectric power development. The Qatari emir expressed willingness to help Pakistan over-come its energy crisis and hoped that the mechanism of early supply of LNG consignment would be done amicably and sooner. Gilani took up the matter of absorption of Pakistani manpower in various sectors of Qatar. He suggested that workforce from the seven agencies of the Federally Admin-istered Tribal Areas to Qatar would help provide jobs to the locals and restrain their involvement in terrorist activities. He said Pakistan on the demand of Qatar would send profession-als, trained by the Ministry for Technical Education, for the preparatory projects of FIFA 2022 to be held in Doha.The emir assured Gilani of complete facilitation for hold-ing exhibition of Pakistani products in Qatar, which he said would yield manifold revenue. The prime minister offered the emir to set up a university in Pakistan in his name, which could become a hub of education. The emir said he would ask his wife Sheikha Mozah, who is also the chairwoman of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, to consider the proposal. Gilani also invited the emir to attend the celebrations of Pakistan Day on March 23 as a chief guest. The emir said he would like to visit Pakistan at the dates of convenience. Source: APP

Pakistans prime minister has appealed against a su-preme court summons to appear for a hearing over his refusal to pursue corruption cases against the countrys president.A lawyer for Yousuf Raza Gilani fi led the appeal on the the prime ministers behalf on Wednesday, saying he was basing the move on precedents set by top courts in Australia, France, India, the UK and the US.I have fi led an appeal today. I have quoted more than 50 national and international cases and given specifi c reasons against the supreme court order, Aitzaz Ahsan said.

A court offi cial confi rmed that the appeal had been received.If convicted of contempt, the prime minister could be jailed for up to six months and disqualifi ed from public offi ce.The court ordered Gilani last week to appear before judges on February 13 to be charged with contempt of court. Judge Nasir-ul-Mulk told the supreme court on February 2 that there were grounds to proceed against Gilani, despite the governments insistence that Paki-stani President Asif Ali Zardari has immunity from pros-ecution while he is head of state. After the preliminary hearing, we are satisfi ed that prima facie there is a case for further proceeding into the matter.Adjourned for February 13, for framing charges. Prime minister is required to remain present in the court, Mulk said then, reading out the order in English.In his response to the ruling, Gilani said he would re-frain from making comments on the judiciary. He said he fi rmly believed that everybody should follow the constitution.Gilani went before the court on January 19 to explain

Continued on pg 28

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Hopes fade for dozens buried Hopes fade for dozens buried in Philippines quakein Philippines quake

Philippine offi cials conceded Wednesday that there was little hope of fi nding any survivors among 71 people still buried in landslides set off by a powerful earthquake, as jittery residents stayed away from

their homes amid a fl urry of aftershocks.

Palestinian rivals agree to form unity government

Monastery latest target of Jewish extremists

Egypt strains US ties over NGO indictmentsEgypt has indicted 19 American democracy advocates on charges of illegally receiving foreign funding and operat-ing without registration, raising the stakes in an investiga-tion that has endangered the billions of dollars of aid Egypt receives from the US every year. The justice ministry on Monday released a list of 43 indicted staff members from fi ve non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Egypt. The list includes 14 Egyptians as well as workers from Lebanon, Germany, Jordan, Palestine and Serbia. The indictments come amid another round of street violence sparked by a deadly football stampede a week ago that protesters blamed on lax security forces who helped stoke the riot. Five days of fi ghting between protesters and riot police calmed on Monday, but eight people have died in Cairo and fi ve in Suez. In response to the unrest, the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (SCAF) ordered the High Elections Commission to speed up the presidential election process, opening the nomination process on March 10 instead of in April. The indicted Americans include the directors of two prominent US organisations, the National

Democratic Institute (NDI) and the International Republican Institute (IRI). Sam LaHood, the direc-tor of the IRI, is also the son of Barack Obamas transportation secretary. The Obama administration and congress have reacted angrily since the offi ces of NDI, IRI and 17 other international and local groups were raided and many of their belongings confi scated by armed investigators in December. The raids were part of an investigation into pro-democracy groups launched in early 2011 by Fayza Aboulnaga, Egypts planning and international co-operation minister, a holdover from the Hosni Mubarak regime. Since the raids, some of the US citizens under investigation have been banned from leaving Egypt. On Monday, the White House emphasised again that Egypts actions put its aid at risk. These actions could have consequences for our relation-ship and our assistance programmes, Jay Carney, the White House press secretary, said. Susan Rice, the US am-bassador to the UN, said the indicted Americans have been

working to build a more democratic society in Egypt and have done absolutely nothing wrong. Rice told the CBS television show, This Morning, that US offi cials have been in close touch with the Egyptian government, including in the last days and hours.Source: Al-Jazeera

Vandals attacked a monastery in Jerusalem and a prominent school with a mixed Jewish-Arab student body on Tuesday, and police said they suspected Jewish extremists were behind the violence. Death to Christians and other Hebrew-language graffi ti were scrawled on the Greek Orthodox monastery in Jerusalem, while Death to Arabs was sprayed across a wall outside the bilingual Hand in Hand school in another part of the city. Israeli police said they were investigating both incidents. Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said that price tag was also painted at the monastery a reference to a practice of Jew-ish extremists who lash out against the Israeli government for actions against settlers. Such acts usually target West Bank mosques but have recently expanded to include a mosque inside Israel, Israeli military bases, and now, a Christian holy site and a school. Israels Army Radio reported that Maccabees of Migron was painted on the monastery, too. Maccabees were ancient Jewish heroes, and Migron is an unauthorized settlement facing a court-ordered evacuation next month. In the West Bank, Pal-estinians said Mohammed is a pig and other

hateful slogans were also found spray-painted near a gas station of an Arab village. Rosen-feld had no information about that incident. Hard-line settlers believe Israel has a God-giv-en right to the West Bank and east Jerusalem, territories Israel captured in 1967, and reject Palestinian claims to those lands. Extremists, believed to be young Jewish settlers, have carried out dozens of attacks on Palestinians over the past two years, chopping down olive trees, vandalizing agricultural land and setting fi re to mosques. Few arrests have been made. The Abraham Fund Initiatives, which operates educational coexistence projects between Jew-ish and Arab citizens, condemned the graffi ti at the Jerusalem school, one of the few places in the city where Jews and Arabs work and study together. The political violence against Arab citizens, dubbed price tag, is aimed this time toward education for shared living be-tween Arabs and Jews in Israel, it said. This is an attack on a place that represents the wish of Arabs and Jews to build together a better future for their children. Source: AP\

The leaders of rival Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas signed a deal in Qatar on Monday to form a unity government of independent technocrats for the West Bank and Gaza, headed by Palestin-ian President Mahmoud Abbas. The move, following the failure of explora-tory Israeli-Palestinian talks aimed at reviving stalled peace negotiations, was condemned by Israel, which says the Islamist Hamas cannot be part of any peace efforts. The accord signed by President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal is supposed to pave the way for Palestinian presiden-tial and parliamentary election pos-sibly later this year, and to rebuild the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip following a 2008-2009 Israeli offensive against Ha-mas. It was not known whether the deal would be implemented. No timetable was set. A reconciliation pact Fatah and Hamas struck in May 2011 has had little substantive result but both sides said they were serious about carrying out the new accord. Abbas Palestinian Author-

ity supports a negotiated peace with Israel that would give Palestinians an independent state in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in Gaza, co-existing alongside the Jewish state. Meshaals Hamas is offi cially sworn to the destruc-tion of Israel but is open to an indefi nite ceasefi re. Their confl icting positions have not been resolved despite the new deal, as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wasted no time in pointing out. Hamas is a terrorist organization which strives to destroy Israel and relies on support from Iran, he said. I have said many times in the past that the Palestinian Authority must choose be-tween an alliance with Hamas and peace with Israel. Hamas and peace dont go together. If Abbas implements the Doha pact, the Israeli leader added, then

he is choosing to abandon the path of peace and to choose Hamas ... You cannot have it both ways. Palestin-ian political analyst Hani al Masri said: They (Fatah and Hamas) are avoiding the main issue. They are waiting to see what the international communitys re-action will be. This leaves all the impor-tant issues unresolved. A diplomat in the region, who declined to named, said Hamas leaders in Gaza appeared to have been surprised by the Doha announce-ment and were likely to raise questions with Meshaal, who has until recently lived in exile in Damascus. Meshaal took Hamas by surprise in December by announcing he would not seek to extend his leadership when an internal election is held in March. Analysts said his resignation was more likely to be a back-me-or-sack-me ploy to reassert his control in order to soften Hamas policies in line with Abbas. Fatah and Hamas have been bitter rivals since the Islamist movement seized control of Gaza in a brief war in 2007 and ex-

pelled Abbas Fatah-led Palestin-ian Authority. Mondays deal provided for a government of in-dependent technocrats to oversee preparations for elections later this year. A vote had been mooted in May but the Palestinian elec-tion commission says more time will be needed. Abbas and Me-shaal, who signed the deal billed as the Doha Declaration in the presence of Qatari Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, pledged to ensure quick imple-

mentation. He said Palestinians wanted to accomplish unity and move forward to resist the enemy (Israel) and achieve our national goals. Abbas, head of the secular Fatah movement, promised that this effort will be implemented in the shortest time possible. There was no immediate comment from Israel, which has warned Abbas that turning to Hamas amounts to turning away from peace. A senior Palestinian offi cial said that un-der Mondays agreement, Abbas would assume the role of prime minister, replacing Western-backed economist Salam Fayyad. It was not immediately clear if Fayyad, whose dismissal was one of the main Hamas conditions for a deal, would be a member of the new government or when the cabinet would be formed. Fayyad welcomed the ac-

cord, and was expected to remain in his post until the new government takes over. The prime minister saw this as a response to the aspirations of our people to restore unity to the homeland and its institutions, said a statement issued by his offi ce Ismail Haniyeh, who heads the Hamas government in Gaza, also welcomed the deal and said he was ready to help imple-ment it. The last presidential and parliamenta-ry elections were held in 2006. Hamas won the

parliamentary vote and briefl y formed a gov-ernment but it was shunned internationally and later dissolved by Abbas. Separately, Fayyad met union leaders and employers on Monday to pursue agreement on the 2012 budget after a public outcry against austerity steps thwarted his fi rst plan to tackle a debt crisis, prompted in part by a cut-off of U.S. aid. Source: Reuters

His candidacy all but dismissed just days ago, Rick Santorum won the Minnesota and Colorado caucuses and a nonbinding primary in Missouri on Tuesday, an unexpected trifecta that raised fresh questions about Mitt Romneys ability to corral

conservative support. Mitt Romney campaigning Tuesday in Loveland, Colo. Early results had him far behind Rick Santorum in the states caucuses. With his triple triumph, Mr. Santorum was also suddenly presenting new competition to Newt Gingrich as the chief alternative to Mr. Romney, the front-runner. Where Mr. Gingrich has won one state, South Carolina, Mr. Santorum has now won four, including Iowa. His performance added an-other twist to an unruly nominating contest that has seen Republican voters veering among candidates and refusing to coalesce behind anyone. It came after Mr. Romney scored back-to-back victories in Florida and Nevada that had led to predictions that he was fi nally on a straight march to the nomi-nation. The results on Tuesday shook political world, which has appeared to once again make the mistake of believing the Republican race for the presidency was fi nally set on a stable trajectory. But it was still an open question whether the result would be a lasting setback for Mr. Romney or just another protest from the conservative base. His disappointing night notwithstanding, Mr. Romney goes into the next round of primaries and caucuses much better fi nanced than his opponents in what will be much more of a nationwide campaign, capped off by the Super Tuesday competitions on March 6. Mr. Santorums victory in Missouri was symbolic. The vote will not affect the awarding of delegates, which will be decided at district and state conventions later this year. But more Republicans

participated in the Missouri primary than in the Nevada caucuses. But his victory in Colorado was a genuine upset in a state that Mr. Romney easily carried in 2008. And, combined with the victory in Minnesota, it gave him an important lift that his campaign hoped would translate into an infusion of new donations and support from the conservative Republican voters evangelicals and Tea Party adherents who have told pollsters all year that they are searching for someone whom they view as a true conservative. The victories were Mr. Santo-rums fi rst since the Iowa caucuses on Jan. 3 a victory awarded only after the fact. And he used them to reassert himself as the leading insurgent challenger to Mr. Romney, though he told cheer-ing supporters at his headquarters in St. Charles, Mo., that he was setting his sights higher than that. He said the Republican voters in Missouri and Minnesota had sent a message to Mr. Romney, declaring: Maybe in Massachusetts, they were heard particularly loud tonight. And he called Mr. Romney an imperfect conservative messenger, say-ing that on health care and environmental policy, Mitt Romney has the same positions as Barack Obama. Mr. Romney appeared in Denver before there were enough returns in Colorado to project a victor. And he appeared to stumble some as he began his remarks to a subdued crowd by saying, Im pretty confi dent well come in No. 1 or No. 2, and acknowledging a good night for Senator Santorum. Still, he declared, I expect to become our nominee with your help, before starting an ad-dress that recalled Mr. Obamas convention speech in Denver in 2008 and what he said were its many failed promises of a vastly improved economy. Mr. Romneys aides downplayed the signifi cance of the night, noting that he did not compete very hard, especially in Missouri, and noted that four years ago Senator John McCain had lost many state races before ultimately winning the nomination. If there was any bright spot for Mr. Romney, it was that Mr. Santorums new strength promised to potentially split the anti-Romney vote in two with Mr. Ging-rich, reducing its potential threat. Speaking before the results in Ohio, where he was campaigning, Mr. Gingrich said the results should raise doubts about what has been portrayed as Mr. Romneys inexora-ble march to the nomination. I think the big story coming out tonight is that its very hard for the elite media to portray Governor Romney as inevitable after tonight is over, he said. Source: New York Times

Issue 303 - Rabi ul Awaal 18, 1433 / February 10, 20126

Sarkozy ally says all civilisations not equal

Rick Santorum back in the race af-ter sweeping wins over Mitt Romney

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

CSIS may use intelli-gence derived from torture, Toews says

US : Continued from pg 1

Syria : Continued from pg 1

The French interior minister has said he is standing by his remarks that not all civilisations are equal, even as critics denounced his comments as danger-ous and xenophobic. I do not regret [the com-ments], Claude Gueant said on Sunday, though he accused critics of taking them out of context Contrary to what the lefts relativist ideology says, for us all civilisations are not of equal value, Gueant, who is also responsible for immigration, told a gathering of right-wing students on Satur-day. Those which defend humanity seem to us to be more advanced than those that do not, he said. Those which defend liberty, equality and fraternity, seem to us superior to those which ac-cept tyranny, the subservience of women, social and ethnic hatred, he said in his speech, a copy of which was obtained by the AFP news agency. He also stressed the need to protect our civilisation. The left denounced his speech as an attempt by President Nicolas Sarkozy to woo supporters of the far-right National Front (FN) ahead of a two-round presidential election in April and May. Harlem Desir, the number two in the French Socialist Party, slammed the pitiful provocation from a minister reduced to a mouthpiece for the FN. Bernard

Cazeneuve, a spokesperson for Francois Hollande, the Socialist presidential candidate, denounced the remarks as divisive and degrading, while the for-mer Socialist candidate Segolene Royal called them dangerous. Sarkozys allies were quick to defend the minister, however. Gerard Longuet, Frances defence minister, said it was simply common sense to suggest that civilisations could be ranked according to values such as respecting personal rights, rejecting violence or abolishing the death penalty. Francois Baroin, fi nance minister, ac-cused the left of exploiting the statements for elec-toral gain. Gueant has repeatedly linked immigra-tion with crime in France and last month said the delinquency rate among immigrants was two to three times higher than the national average. Last April, he declared that an increase in the number of Muslim faithful in France posed a problem. He has also said that he wants to reduce the number of legal immigrants entering France, including those coming to work legally or to join their families. His latest comments came as the FNs presidential candidate Marine Le Pen is credited with about 20 per cent support in opinion polls. Source: Al-Jazeera

he federal government is defending itself after more information has come to light about its directions to Canadas spy agency to use information that may have been extracted through torture in cases where public safety is at stake. The order represents a reversal of policy for the Conservative govern-ment, which once insisted the Canadian Security Intelligence Service would discard information if there was any inkling it might be tainted. Opposi-tion MPs seized on the news, saying it means the government is indirectly supporting torture. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews quietly told CSIS the government now expects the spy service to make the protection of life and property its overriding priority and may under exceptional circumstances share information based on intelligence that may have been derived from the use of torture. Information obtained by torture is always discounted. But the problem is, can one safely ignore it when Canadian lives and property are at stake? Toews said in question period. Interim Liberal Leader Bob Rae asked Toews to table the directive in the House of Commons. And will he please explain how it is that the directive which he is putting forward is in any way compatible with Canadas obligations under international law? NDP defence critic Jack Harris said complicity in other countries torture is essentially encouraging torture. Youre indirectly supporting torture, encouraging torture, by making a statement that youre prepared to continue on an ongoing basis dealing with countries that use torture as a matter of course, he said. A copy of the two-page December 2010 direc-tive was obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act. It drew swift condemnation from Amnesty International Canada, which said information obtained under torture has no place in the justice system, full stop. The directive from Toews expands upon a May 2009 ministerial order that states CSIS must not knowingly rely upon information derived from torture, and have measures in place to identify such tainted informa-tion. The latest directive says in exceptional circumstances where there is a threat to human life or public safety, urgency may require CSIS to share the most complete information available at the time with relevant authori-ties, including information based on intelligence provided by foreign agen-cies that may have been derived from the use of torture or mistreatment. In such rare circumstances, it may not always be possible to determine how a foreign agency obtained the information, and that ignoring such informa-tion solely because of its source would represent an unacceptable risk to public safety. The directive says the fi nal decision to investigate and analyze information that may have been obtained by methods condemned by the Canadian government falls to the CSIS director or his deputy director for operations a decision to be made in accordance with Canadas legal obligations. Finally, it says the minister is to be notifi ed as appropriate of a decision to use such information. In spring 2009, a senior CSIS offi cial ignited controversy when he told a Commons committee the spy service would overlook the origin of information if it could prevent another Air India jetliner bombing or an attack along the lines of the Sept. 11, 2001, hi-jackings in the United States. The government quickly moved to extinguish the public fl areup. Peter Van Loan, then public safety minister, said CSIS had been clear about rejecting information extracted through coercion.Source: PG 6 News

pected nuclear-weapons programme. But the White House said on Mon-day that the timing of the stricter sanctions was unrelated to the prospect of an Israeli attack. In an interview that aired on Monday, Obama said the US had a very good estimate of when Iran could complete work on a nuclear weapon, but cautioned that there were still many unanswered questions about Irans inner workings. Despite Obamas insistence that diplomacy is the best course to pursue, he has long said all options are on the table, an allusion to military intervention. On Monday, he said the US had done extensive planning for that range of options.Source: Al-Jazeera

expel Syrian ambassadors and recall their envoys from Damascus. The US closed its embassy in Syria on Monday, and several European countries have recalled their ambassadors. In Homs, hundreds of people are reported to have died in days of heavy shelling. At least 95 people were killed on Monday and another 15 on Tuesday, activists say. The government insists it is confronting terrorist groups in the city and will continue until order is restored. Continuing violence against protesters has also been reported in other parts of Syria. Activists said tanks bombarded the town of Zabadani, about 30kms (19 miles) north-west of Damascus, on Tuesday. Witnesses also reported clashes between government and rebel forces in Hama, an-other stronghold of anti-Assad sentiment. Syria heavily restricts access to foreign journalists and the reports cannot be independently verifi ed. Human rights groups and activists say more than 7,000 people have been killed by Syrian security forces since the uprising began last March. The UN stopped estimating the death toll in Syria after it passed 5,400 in January, saying it was too diffi cult to confi rm. President Assads government says at least 2,000 members of the security forces have been killed.Source: BBC News

Issue 303 - Rabi ul Awaal 18, 1433 / February 10, 20127Anyone found guilty of being directly or indirectly engaged in defi ance or ridicul-ing the Apex court is liable for punishment regardless of immunity. Sadly, the so called democratic regime is hell bent to defy the court orders to the detriment of the people of Pakistan. Digesting $60 million in the Swiss accounts is problematic for Pres Zardari, as the said huge sum belongs only to the nation of Pakistan. Yet, under a brokered deal via the national reconciliation ordinance (NRO) the Musharraf regime wrote to the Swiss court that Pakistan was no more interested to pursue the case to bring back the loot. Quite apparently, the contemptuous attitude of the current government is the root cause of substandard governance in Pakistan. Consequently, the poor country is being pushed deeper into misery, while the loot of national resources and exchequer contin-ues unchecked - causing high unemploy-ment rate, an environment ripe enough for economic collapse under one pretext or the other. Defi ance on the part of the government and its functionaries amounts to contempt of court - likely to be followed by the embar-rassing consequences, of course.Shamelessly, just to keep the ring leader off the hook, key elements in the government functionaries and the civil beaurocracy are programmed to be super active for the anti national illegality to the benefi t of the top brass and the corrupt elite. When the President house or the PM house becomes a safe haven for the accused culprit, and the material witness against such accused is scared away, then there is no point in appointing any Supreme Court bench or the judicial commission aimed at reaching the truth. This is a clear example of obstruction of justice and wasting of public

time and money. Any possibility of violation of Article 6 cant be proved, if certain con-fusing scenarios are tailored just to disallow any logical conclusion.Furthermore, dreaming for a rubber stamp parliament, a puppet judiciary as well as an impotent army are neither realistic nor constitutional. Beyond any doubt, both Supreme Court and Army are most important institutions of Pa-kistan and they must be respected as such. In actuality, right after the NRO was de-clared null and void by 17 judges on DEC 16, 2009, all cases automatically reopened. As such, Mr. Zardari also lost his qualifi -cation ab initio to stay as president under Article 62 and Article 63 of the constitution. So no question of immunity, as there should be none for the de facto president. Resultantly, Prime Minister is totally re-sponsible for writing the letter to the Swiss authorities to restore the money laundering case, but he is defi ant so far.Article 204 of the Constitution deals with contempt of court matters:(1) In this Article, Court means the Supreme Court or High Court. (2) A Court shall have power to punish any person who,- (a) abuses, interferes with or obstructs the process of the Court in any way or diso-beys any order of the Court; (b) scandalizes the Court or otherwise does anything which tends to bring the Court or a Judge of the Court into hatred, ridicule or contempt; (c) does anything which tends to prejudice the determination of a matter pending be-fore the Court; or(d) does any other thing which, by law, constitutes contempt of the Court.(3) The exercise of the power conferred on a Court by this Article may be regulated by law and, subject to law, by rules made by the Court.

In the past, Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan has been advocating that there is no harm in writ-ing letter to the Swiss authorities to restore the case. He worked hard for restoration of judiciary movement in 2008-9. His image is tarnished as he took a U Turn and started defending President Zardari, claiming that the president enjoyed immu-nity against criminal charges.And now he represents Prime Minister Gilani in the Supreme Court, where he is unsuccessfully defending the prime ministers decision to not write to the Swiss authorities- another bad move on part of the defence barrister.As per the constitution, A person shall be disqualifi ed from being elected or chosen as and from being a member of parlia-ment if he has been convicted by a court of competent jurisdiction for propagating any opinion or acting in any manner prejudicial to the ideology or the sovereignty, integrity or security of Pakistan, or independence of the judiciary of Pakistan, or which defames or brings into ridicule the judiciary or the armed forces of Pakistan, unless a period of fi ve years has elapsed since his release. Courageously, PM Gilani said on the fl oor of the parliament, neither army nor judici-ary can derail system. Previously, Aitzaz Ahsan argued against President Musharrafs immunity claims un-der Article 248 of the Constitution, and con-tended that the president and the governor could not be made party in criminal cases, they could not be arrested; but if any of their acts were contrary to the law, they wouldnt have protection under Article 248 of the Constitution. No immunity existed then, how come it does exist for Zardari now? The main purpose of the contempt of court law is only to ensure implementation of court orders.

Under Article 190, all executive and judicial authorities throughout Pakistan shall act in aid of the Supreme Court. But, the honourable judges have been exer-cising patience under some expediency.By not invoking Article 190--the judgments end up on shelves and the defi ant regime remains free to keep on defusing the judicial power. The vain political bickering on the other hand is only adding further fuel to the pain-ful fi re; also the temperature of the confused public is rapidly heightening.February 13 was set for the prime minister to appear before the honourable bench only to get indicted with contempt over his refusal to pursue corruption cases against the president unless Mr. Ahsan constructs a fresh hurdle in favour of his high profi le client.Its about time for the people of Pakistan to stand behind the Supreme Court to elimi-nate corrupt mafi a in order to permanently eradicate the rampant corruption.For Prime Minister Gilani, the best solution is to tender an apology with sincerity to the honourable bench of the Supreme Court; and undertake to write the required letter to the Swiss authorities to reopen the money-laundering cases. Otherwise, there is severe punishment upon conviction. Update: An eight-member bench to be headed by Chief Justice Chaudhry has been formed to hear an intra court appeal fi led by Barrister Ahsan, the defence counsel, asking for setting aside the indictment proceedings against the prime minister.

Waan laysa lil insaniilla ma saaa

That man can have nothing but what he strives for.

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Contents

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FACING CONTEMPT OF COURT PROCEEDINGS

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

Imam Soharwardy Receives New Death

Threats Delay or deter Tehrans nuclear work

Harper Sets his Sights on Our Pensions

e d i t o r i a l

I will fl y in the plane and come to you and. Vancouver

By: ISCC. CalgaryOnce again, the founder of the Islamic Su-preme Council of Canada (ISCC) and Muslims Against Terrorism (MAT) has received several death threats. Nine different messages with different voices were left on Imam Sohar-wardys phone on Friday from unknown phone numbers. The callers not only used vulgarity but also threatened to fi nd Imam Soharwardy and teach him the lesson of his life. One caller said, I will fl y in the plane and come to your city and kick your... I am not sure what could be the reason behind these recent threats? I suspect that my recent state-ments and roundtable community gatherings on the issue of domestic violence and honour killings might be the reason behind these new threats. Whenever, I raise voice against violence I get intimidated and threatened, said Imam Soharwardy. Islamic Supreme Council of Canada strongly condemns these threats and

Hon. Judy Sgro, MPLiberal Party Critic for Seniors & PensionsIt seems all but certain that Stephen Harper is set to hike the qualifying age for the Old Age Security (OAS) from 65 to 67. For our most vulnerable seniors, that means they will go without $30,000 of much needed support for two additional years.

By Zaheer Ali MankiSurrey

The killing of an Iranian nuclear scientist Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan in a terror attack perpetrated by unprincipled, US-Israel unholy alliance is most regrettable. The economic sanctions against Iran have turned into an open undeclared war. This kind of lawlessness re-minds me of the Bush presidency years where he attacked Iraq under the guise of Weapons of Mass Destructions ( WMD ) where all the evidence pointed to the contrary. He never wanted to be bothered by the facts and attacked a sovereign state anyway with false evidence. It is the same scenario. Iran has stated over and over again that it was not developing any nu-clear weapons. Most Americans acts are geared towards pampering and pleasing Israel however unprincipled they may be. It defi es logic to stop Iran from developing it nuclear technology for peaceful purposes while Israel, report-edly, has several nuclear heads. Why not stop Israel? Logic and fairness dictate that Israel,

urges the police to fi nd the culprits. All these threats have been reported to Calgary police.

the only nuclear power in the Middle East, should be sanctioned for owning the bomb. The worst of the worst is that many of the moderate Muslims states are aligning themselves with the Mushriks against Iran. No nation with self respect will yield to the illegitimate US-Israel pressure tactics to stop the nuclear research program. Iran is an honorable nation and is in a defi ant mood. Its nuclear program for peaceful power generation is unstoppable. Quoting from the Link International of January 28, 2012, Ali Vaez and Charles D. Ferguson of the Federation of American Scientists wrote that such acts of terrorism are unlikely to signifi cantly delay or deter Tehrans nuclear work

For you, it may mean signifi cantly altering your plans for retirement. And you are not alone. Over the next 10 years, more than 4 million Canadians will be turning 65. Unless you are set to retire with an annual pension of over $112,000, Harper is telling you to rethink your plans. Harper is blaming the baby-boomers. But as the retirement wave peaks in 2031, the increase spending on the OAS will only increase by 0.7% of Canadas overall economy. So why is Harper doing this? Because fundamentally, Stephen Harper believes that the government should have no hand in helping seniors in their retire-ment, and no hand in helping Canadians plan for their retirement. Hes still the same guy who said the Canada Pension Plan should be scrapped back in 1998. Government involve-ment in the fi nancial security of Canadi-ans stands counter to Harpers ideology. As Conservatives choose to take benefi ts away from seniors, Liberals will continue to fi ght for balanced pension reforms that will ensure Canadians fi nancial security in their retirement. Liberals will fi ght for a voluntary supplemental Canada Pension Plan that will provide a low-cost, high-return, universal option that Canadians can rely on.

Issue 303 - Rabi ul Awaal 18, 1433 / February 10, 20128L E T T E R S & O P I N I O N S

The Mercy for Mankind Medicine import from Canada in Pakistan

Espetos is banned in Canada

By: Gulshan AlaniVancouverAn attribution and commemoration of the universal messenger Muhammad (saws). The month of Rabi-ul-Awwal the 3rd month of the Islamic Lunar calendar, in which one of the greatest Messenger Muhammad (SAS) a seal of Prophets was born (12th.Rabi, approxi-mate date) in the year 570 A.C. in the sacred city of Mecca, in one of the noblest Arab-Quraysh tribes, the clan of Hashimite. He was a direct descendant of Prophet Abraham (AS).Sadly enough he died on 12th Rabi 632 A.C. and this is one of the reasons his birthday is not celebrated, as it would not be appropriate to have any Eid like celebration except to com-memorate in gratitude for his perfect Divine Mission by prayers for his soul, as his faithful followers celebrate his spiritual presence by following his perfect lifestyle, tradition and by fasting on Mondays (voluntarily) as per his recommendation as he was born on Monday: moreover he never celebrated his birthdays, and so to follow his tradition-Sunnah in every walk of life is the best of the testimony in hands, as well as to follow the fi nal closing Divine Revelation/Quran (confi rms the past Holy Revelations) that represents the ultimate and permanent source of guidance, warning and Mercy for mankind. At the age of 40 he received the fi rst Revelation: IQRA/proclaim (Quran chp. 96) from Allah/Creator through Angel Gabriel in the Cave of Mount Hira now known as Jabal al Nur. Thus, the prophet was appointed as a universal Messenger and was commanded to convey the Divine Message of Holy Quran universally to all the nations, and not designated only for Muslims as it contains A to Z Holy criterion for holistic living that could come only from none other than the Creator of the world. Who is also the Supreme Being, the Throne Holder, the Intelligent De-signer, the Evolver, the Holy, the Unique and

the Powerful etc. Apparently, Prophet Muham-mad (SAS) was a legislator and thus a source of Islamic Jurisprudence, responsible for the theology of Islam, its main ethical and moral principles, and gave the Criterion for the Re-ligious rituals and the ceremonies to Muslims, which has remained unchanged since 1433 yrs by an effort of his truthful faithful followers. He advised to eat and drink in moderation what is made lawful by the Creator and avoid all the unlawful acts, and said fear Allah/Crea-tor, obey HIS commandments, be prepared for the Day of Judgment and the Hereafter, do earn something for your souls, keep up with your daily 5 prayers: he also advised on eating certain health foods and introduced prophetic treatments for certain ailments and said: There is a remedy for every Malady, and no disease Allah created, but that HE created its treatment. Miraculously, he also brought the reign of democracy in its best form, he changed the complete Arabian Peninsula from paganism and Idolatry to worship of One Universal God. From tribal quarrels and wars to national soli-darity and cohesion, from drunkenness and de-bauchery to sobriety and piety, and proclaimed the principal of universal brotherhood, the doctrine of the equality of mankind, the rights of female child, forbade the killing of fe-male child and abuse of wives. He also warned about the Global warming 14c. ago.Throughout his life he was known to be most truthful, honest, and modest. His integrity and truthfulness were beyond doubt not only in the sights of newly converted Muslims but also in the minds of his most staunch opponents.His character of tolerance, simplicity, kind-ness, justice, his spiritual accomplishments and his mundane reforms are unparalleled in the entire history of mankind.He practiced what he preached, and never tried to acquire personal glory or sought any personal gains, lived the most humble life, he

By Aftab Alam Vancouver

Some faulty medicines were imported from Canada. When confronted by media persons responsible for bringing these into Pakistan said that they were free and that is why we allowed their import. Medicines concerned are ATE . If this medicine is not good for Canadians because its expiry date was many months ago then why should this medicine be given to Pakistanis. In my opinion the people responsible for this should be given maxi-mum sentence under the law. However if the laws are too lenient then I request the Prime Minister and the President to make such crimes punishable with death.

By: Wajahat Ali Shah Tsawwassen

Mr Alam, yes I agree with your conclusion and at the same time, I would like your read-ers to add their voice in a strong way, that as Canadians it is not acceptable that as Espetos is banned in Canada, and yet this Conserva-tive Govt is allowing it to be EXPORTED. Fair and balanced approach makes the world a better place

personally took care of the poor and the needy by giving away every penny he possessed.Rev. R. Bosworth Smith writes: He was Caesar without the legions of Caesar, with-out a standing army, or a body Guard, and without a fi xed revenue. If ever a man had the right to say that he ruled by rightful way, it was Muhammad, he cared not for the dress-ings of power. The simplicity of his private life was in keeping with his public life. If a man like Muhammad were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems that would bring it the much needed peace and happiness: I have studied him, the wonder-ful man and in my opinion far from being an anti-Christ he must be called the savior of humanity, George Bernard Shaw. Muhammad, was the soul of kindness and his infl uence was felt and never forgotten by those around him, Diwan Chand Sharma The Prophets of the East. He is rated number one in The 100 ranking of the most infl uential persons in history by Michael Hart, an Ameri-can astronomer, and a lawyer. May Allah bless his soul and his faithful Ummah, consists of Arabs, Quraish, Jews, Christians, catholic, 12 tribes of Prophet Israel/Jacob a.s, Assyrians, Aryans, Hindus, Punjabi, Khatri, etc who are grateful to him for showing the True form of worship, and introducing the real God/Allah/Creator. 4: 87: GOD! There is no god but HE (Creator): of a surety HE will gather you together at the Day of Judgment, about which there is no doubt, and whose word can be truer than GODS 132: Yea, unto GOD belong all things in the heavens and on earth, and enough is GOD to carry through all affairs. 36: Serve GOD and join not any partners with HIM.. MAY ALLAH BLESS HIS SOUL

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By ABU TARIQ HIJAZI

Rabia Basri is a role model for all Muslim women. She rules on the hearts of hun-dreds of thousands of people around the world. Born in 95 A.H. in Basra in a poor but respected family, she was the fourth daughter of her father. She was born in a dark night. The family was so poor that there was no oil in the lamp even to light it. Her sister asked her father to get some oil from the neighbors house, but he said he would never ask anyone for any help except Allah.When he slept with a heavy heart, he dreamed that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) came to him and said, Dont grieve, your newborn daughter is a favorite of the Lord and will lead many Muslims to the right path. You should ap-proach the Amir of Basra and present him a letter with a message that every night he is wont to offer 100 daroods to me and on Friday nights 400. But this Friday he did not offer daroods, so tell him that as a penalty he must give you 400 dinars.Rabias father got up and went straight to the Amir. The Amir was delighted on re-ceiving the message. He distributed 1,000 dinars to the poor and joyously gave 400 to Rabias father. The Amir then asked Rabias father to come to him whenever he needed anything as it was an honor for him to help somebody liked by Allah.After the death of her father, Basra was hit by famine. Rabia got separated from her sisters and left alone. She was with a caravan that was attacked by robbers. The chief of the robbers took Rabia as captive and sold her as a slave. Rabias new mas-ter used to make her do hard work.One day while she was going out, a man chased her. She ran to save herself but fell down and broke her arm. Thereupon, she prayed to Allah, I am a poor orphan and a slave. Now my hand is broken. But I do not mind these things if Thou be pleased with me...Rabia used to spend the whole night in prayer after fi nishing her household work. She used to fast regularly. Once when her master woke up in the middle of the night he was attracted by Rabias prayer:My Lord! You know well that my desire is to carry out Your commandments and to serve You with all my heart. O Light of my eyes. If I were free I would spend the whole day and night in prayers. But what should I do when You have made me slave of a human being?The master felt that it was sacrilegious to keep her as a slave. He freed her and of-fered her the choice of staying with him or leaving. She told him she wanted to carry on her worship in solitude. She went to the desert and devoted herself to worship. Her mentor was Hassan Basri. Much of her early life is narrated by Farid Al-Din Attar, using earlier sources. Rabia herself did not leave any written work.She devoted herself to prayers. Later she set out for Haj. Rabia reached Makkah and there she met Ibrahim Adham who also performed Haj that year.Throughout her life, her love of God, pov-erty and self-denial remained her constant companions. She spent all night in prayer and contemplation. As her fame grew she had many disciples. Though she had many offers of marriage, and even one from the Amir of Basra, she refused them as she had no time in her life for anything other

than the Love of Allah.Once when asked why she did not marry she replied:If you free me from having to worry about three things, I will marry. First of all, at the moment of death, shall my faith be suffi cient to bring me to salvation? Sec-ond, will the Book of my deeds be given to me in my left or right hand? Third, on that hour when a party of people are called forth on the left hand to Hell, and another group from the right hand are summoned to Heaven, which company will I belong to? And further when I am interrogated in the grave by the two angels, shall I be able to answer their questions?Once Malik Bin Dinaar visited Rabia Basri. He found in her home a partly broken pitcher which she used for ablution and drinking water, a very old straw-mat on which she slept and a brick which she used as a pillow. He said to her, I have many affl uent friends. Shall I ask them to bring some items for you?Rabia Basri said, O Malik! Is my Pro-vider, your Provider and the Provider of the wealthy, not the same? Malik said, Yes. Rabia then said, Has He forgotten about the needs of the poor on account of their poverty, while he remembers the needs of the wealthy? Malik said, It is not so. Rabia then said, When He never forgets anyone, why should we remind Him? He has wished this condition for me and I am pleased with it, because it is, His pleasure.Rabia has taught us that repentance is a gift from Allah because no one can repent unless Almighty Allah allows him to do so.Ibn Al-Jawzi relates that at the time of her death, she called Abda Bint Abi Showal and told her that no one be informed of her death and that she be shrouded only in her old robe for burial. When her last hour came, leading sheikhs gathered around her, but she told them to Go out and leave place for the Angels. They all went out and closed the door. While they were waiting outside, they heard from inside a voice reciting: O soul at rest and peace! Return to your Lord... For a long while thereafter there was silence. When they went inside, they found that she had passed away. Rabia Basris quotes When asked about some worldly thing she wanted to have, she replied: I am ashamed to ask for a thing of this world from Him to whom this world belongs; how can I ask for it from those to whom it does not belong. Indeed your days are numbered, for when one day passes; a signifi cant portion of your life has passed away. And when that portion has fl ed, soon it will come to pass that your whole life has disap-peared. As you know this, strive always towards the performance of good deeds. I am not after any re-ward for my good works, but only that on the Day of Judgment the Prophet

Muhammad (peace be upon him) should say to the rest of the Prophets: Behold this woman of my community; this was her work. All people are afraid of the reckoning of the Day of Judgment, whereas I long for it. At last Allah will address me as O, My servant! Conceal your good qualities as much as you conceal your bad qualities. Death is a bridge between friends. The time now nears that I cross that bridge, and friend meets Friend.Rabia Basri is and will remain to be a role model for Muslim women.

Issue 303 - Rabi ul Awaal 18, 1433 / February 10, 201210 f a i t h

From Feb 10-24, 2012 (Rabi ul Awaal 18- R.ul Thani , 1433H) R.ul. I

18192021222324252627282930

RabiII 12

Feb101112131415161718192021222324

Day Fri Sat

Sun Mon Tue

Wed Thu Fri Sat

Sun Mon Tue

Wed ThuFri

Fajar5:465:455:435:425:405:395:375:365:345:325:315:295:275:255:23

SunR7:287:267:247:237:217:197:177:167:147:127:107:087:067:047:03

Zawa112:2712:2712:2712:2712:2712:2612:2612:2612:2612:2612:2612:2612:2612:2612:26

Dhuhr 12:3412:3412:3412:3412:3412:3312:3312:3312:3312:3312:3312:3312:3312:3312:33

Asr3:383:403:423:433:453:463:483:493:513:523:543:553:573:584:00

Maghrib5:295:315:325:345:365:375:395:415:425:445:465:475:495:515:52

Isha7:027:037:057:067:087:097:117:127:147:157:177:187:207:217:23

Source: Masjid Al NoorAQEEM 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.

Rabia Basri: A role model for all Muslim women

FIJI FLOOD RELIEF ANNOUNCEMENT

HUMAN CARE BC SOCIETYA newly formed society in Surrey is launching a humble appeal to the Community members to help the residents of Fiji whose lives have been devastated through recent

fl ooding.The disaster management offi ce in Fiji has declared

Many western areas to be in state of emergency.

Immediately after the formation, The human care society members are busy collecting basic survival items such as Clothing, School back pack, Non perishable food items,

Shoes etc. To ship out as soon as possible.

The group is preparing a container to leave at the end of February. For further info and to offer your voluntary

services, please contact the following brothers:

Adam Buksh 604 596 7865, Hassan Mallam 604 572 8123Abdul Jalil 604 597 0321, Ali Ahmed 604 591 7631Daud Buksh 604 590 6332, Imran Ali 604 597 7721

DROP-OFF ADDRESS WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON

Issue 303 - Rabi ul Awaal 18, 1433 / February 10, 201211

By Sarah Mousa Cairo, Egypt - In a December interview with Barbara Walters, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad commented that the Unit-ed Nations was not a credible institution, that it is just a game in which countries partake. While credible may not be the most apt description, certainly not for the entirety of the UN, Assads questioning of the sanctity of the institution is not as off-key as his political record.The recent rejection of a UN Security Council proposal to support the Arab League peace initiative for Syria due to Russian and Chinese veto is not as much of a nadir for the Syrian revolution as it is for the UN as an institution. The UN Security Council stands as a relic of a past age; rather than voicing global concerns, it is a platform for permanent members to con-fi rm the hierarchy of the world order. The fi ve permanent members, those countries that were deemed as the greatest powers at the post-World War II establishment of the UN, each individually have the authority to veto any resolution.The veto is often used by these great pow-ers not out of concern for keeping peace, as the council was supposedly created to do, but to secure perceived interests - however contradictory they may be to basic princi-ples of humanity. This recent resolution on Syria can be added to a long list of rejected Security Council Resolutions that have been detriment to the populations in the Arab world.The United States has often used its power to veto resolutions associated with Israel. In February 2011, a resolution condemning Is-raeli settlements, deemed illegal by the UN itself, was rejected when the United States used its veto power. Last autumn, Presi-dent of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas bid for statehood at the UN was tainted by US threats to veto.Although it is not as clearly entrenched in its structure, the Arab League is similarly an institution which, rather than achieving its goal of facilitating closer ties within the region, is often infl uenced by the inter-ests of the governments it represents - in proportion to their economic and strategic power. This is especially problematic when the issues at hand threaten, either directly or indirectly, the survival of the very gov-ernments that constitute the organisation.It took the Arab League more than seven months to signifi cantly react to the Syrian revolution, and most, if not all, of its efforts have been deemed failures. The observer mission sent to the country issued contra-dictory messages, did not autonomously

visit turbulent areas and fi nally halted its mission in the context of escalating vio-lence and withdrawal of support from Gulf states.The Arab League has failed to play any leading role in the revolutions of member states, often reacting only when the unsus-tainably of a leader is absolutely evident. Throughout most of the Egyptian revolu-tion, the league went no further than calling for reform.The global community, outside of formal institutions, dealt with each revolution dif-ferently - as short term individual interests took precedence over principles. In the case of Tunisia, a country of less strategic importance than some of its neighbours, the revolution was widely praised. The Egyptian revolution was greeted with more hesitation, before its overwhelming popu-larity became evident.Resource-wealthy Libya was readily tar-geted by NATO troops. In Yemen, a crucial partner in the United States battle with ter-rorism, the reaction was less enthusiastic. And many have forgotten that a movement even exists in Bahrain, where empower-ment of the Shia majority could make way for Iranian infl uence. But the Arab revolu-tions have shown that while international condemnation, military actions or sanctions can hasten the downfall of a regime, the people and their willingness to continue demanding their rights is the determining factor of success. As Russia and China vetoed a resolution that took 11 months and more than 5,000 deaths to even be discussed, hundreds were being killed in a military attack on the city of Homs. But the day was not a loss for the revolution, as Syrian protesters across the world took matters into their own hands.In Egypt, Syrian exiles mobilised upon hearing news of the attacks on Homs that left over 200 dead in just a few hours. In the early hours, on February 4, more than 100 young protesters gathered at the Syrian Embassy in Cairo, with the goal of staging a sit-in that would result in the expulsion of the Syrian ambassador to Egypt. Some protesters stormed the embassy, demolish-ing parts of the entry fl oor.The protesters were then greeted by thugs, who those present were convinced were hired by the ambassador himself. This was the second attack on the Syrian embassy, and, while Egyptian security guards stood aside as protesters smashed portraits of Bashar al-Assad the previous week, a dozen Syrian protesters were detained this time.As news of their trial circulated, along with

fear that they would be sent to Damascus, where they would likely, if not certainly, be executed upon arrival, protesters gathered once again. More than 50 young Syrian exiles boarded a train from Alexandria to join those in Cairo who gathered in front of the Abdeen courthouse, a few blocks away from Tahrir Square.The protesters stood in front of the courthouse for more than 12 hours, calling for the release of the de-tainees, the expulsion of the Syrian ambassador and chanting against the Assad clan and the ruling Baath party. At one point during the protests, courthouse employees report-edly opened the second fl oor windows and joined in with the chants, to the euphoria of the crowd.The detainees were released shortly after-wards, with minor charges for the damage. The protesters considered the day a victory, because it was clear they had support from the most valued entity - the people, both Syrians and Egyptians who rallied in sup-port of the cause. A few blocks away from the courthouse, at Tahrir Square, people were also taking things into their own hands. The Ultras, the soccer fans known for their crafty anti-government chants, have been stag-ing protests and sit-ins for the past several days over the governments most atrocious post-revolution act, the Port Said massacre which left more than 70 soccer fans dead in just a few hours.The role of the state was lucid and widely considered the militarys revenge on the youth who mobilise change. As they con-

tinue to get hit with tear gas, which the US will not cease arming the Egyptian govern-ment with (because of State Department claims that there is no evidence of misuse), the Egyptian youth are not waiting for international outrage or UN resolutions to rid their country of military rule.The UN Security Councils rejection of the

Syria plan fell on the anniversary of the Hama Massacre of 1982, in which up to 40,000 residents were killed in a military attack on the city. It was a stark reminder for Syrians of the domestic and interna-tional silence that reigned then, and of their responsibility to react now - even if no one else will. The regime in Syria will not fall at the hands of outside entities, but at the hands of the Syrian people inside and outside of the country, and the Free Syrian Army, a brave force that helps shield citizens from the brutality of the Assad regime. While international pressure may have saved some bloodshed in Syria, a lack thereof will certainly not doom the revolu-tion.Sarah Mousa graduated from Princeton Universitys Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs in 2010, and is a 2010-2011 Fulbright Scholar in Egypt.Source: Al Jazeera

Issue 303 - Rabi ul Awaal 18, 1433 / February 10, 201212 p o l i t i c sWith Arabs taking control of their fate,

is the UN still relevant?

Issue 303 - Rabi ul Awaal 18, 1433 / February 10, 201213 l o c a lMawlid Nabi Jashne Milad Celebrated

at Pakistan House

International Day of Action Against War on Iran in Vancouver

By: Junaid KhanOn Feb 4, a beautiful program was organized at the Pakistan House for the blessed birth of Prophet Muhammad(s), hosted by SMC-Rumi Rose Garden. The organizers took the time to make sure that the Hall was very clean and fragrant. The decor presented showed the dedication of the organizers to show their love for our beloved Prophet(s). The evening began with the praising of the Prophetic Light (Salawats), Qasidas, and Naats followed by a few speeches on the Character of Muhammad(s) and how the Companions absolutely showed a great love and adoration towards him.Thereafter, the entire hall began to recite Zikrullah all together (praising of Allah) - what an amazing at-mosphere. After the duas, the crowd listened to more speeches from the guest speakers which included: Ilyas Shariff Qadri, Pir Afzal Shah, Imam Mustafa, Maulana Naumani, and Shaykh As-Sayed Nurjan Mi-rahmadi. Although, most of the speeches were regard-ing the Love for the Prophet, Shaykh Nurjan specifi -cally emphasized the importance of trying to make things easy for the youth so they begin to have a love for Islam. Without love, the rules become too hard causing the kids nowadays to run towards the bars, clubs and gangs. We all know what is obligation and forbidden and the perfection of Islam, but the analogy described by Shaykh Nurjan was if you give someone a nice piece of steak who has no teeth, it doesnt mat-ter how tasty the steak is, that person cannot eat it and

there is no benefi t. When we empower the Love of the Prophet(s), the Love of Islam and make things easy, then that is the way to grow these teeth. These youth can then begin to chew and digest the beauty of Islam. We all preach, but why is it that our children are running away? This is something very important and we all have to think about it, especially our parents and Islamic teachers. The evening program concluded with a deli-cious buffet dinner served by the hosting volunteers. The women and children were served fi rst as the crowd listened to beautiful Nasheeds. Many people com-mented that there was something very special and uplifting about this gather-ing, leaving guests with a peaceful feeling in their hearts. These gatherings, including recitation of Salawats and Zikrullah, are conducted by SMC not only once a year, but three times a week. If anyone is interested in attending future programs, please contact staffsmc@gmail.com.

By: Janine Solanki

On February 4, 80 cities around the world organized actions to demand no sanctions, assassinations, intervention, and war on Iran! In Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada over 130 people joined together in front of the US consulate to protest this new war drive against Iran. Among partici-pants were many people from the Iranian community who oppose any military attack on their homeland, activists from Occupy Vancouver, and a broad spectrum of people of different generations, ethnic back-grounds, religions, and many peace loving people who came out to protest the war drive against Iran.The organizing groups, Mobilization Against War & Occupation (MAWO) and the Iranian Community Against War

(ICAW) had a program of speakers, which was combined with rounds of picketing in front of the US consulate. MAWO co-chair Alison Bodine and Janine Solanki began the rally with inviting up Indigenous elder and activist Kelly White, who gave a wel-coming drumming song. David Whittlsey, a veteran activist since the Vietnam war and Civil Rights movements spoke of the bloodshed that would be infl icted in a war on Iran. Aaron Mercredi, an organizer with the Indigenous Rights and Action Project (IRAP) spoke next. After more picketing fi lled the streets with chants of Dont attack Iran! Hands off Iran! No Assassination! US, NATO, out of the Middle East! the program contin-ued with Payvand Pejvack, organizer with ICAW, who read out a joint statement from MAWO and ICAW against war on Iran.

Next Shakeel Lochan, a MAWO organizer shared a spoken word poem against war. The protesters then heard via phone from Sarah Flounders, co-director of the Inter-national Action Center in New York, which was a major organizing force for the Inter-national Day of Action. Then Azza Rojbi, a MAWO Executive Committee member and active participant with Occupy Vancouver spoke on how the Occupy movement is a struggle against the war both at home and abroad. The last speaker of the day was Noah Fine, organizer with MAWO, who spoke as an anti Zionist Jewish activist opposed to Israeli occupation of Palestine and the Israeli governments recent threats against Iran. The rally wrapped up with the rally MCs encouraging participants to continue to op-pose a war on Iran beyond the days rally.

The fact that this day of action was inter-national was itself a success for antiwar organizing against war on Iran, as the threat of war on Iran is international and must be confronted by an international movement against war. Hundreds of thousands of people from the US to Canada, Bangladesh, India, Ireland and Norway came together on this day to oppose this criminal war drive and to act against it. As long as this threat against Iran continues MAWO, in unity with antiwar groups across borders, will continue organizing educational ac-tions and events against another bloody war in the Middle East. Janine Solanki is a co-chair of Mobiliza-tion Against War and Occupation (MAWO), an anti war, anti occupation and anti Islamophobia in Vancouver. You can reach her info@mawovancouver.org

Kashmir is a beautiful valley in the north-ernmost part of India. It is part of a state called Jammu & Kashmir. The Kashmir Valley is surrounded by some of the highest mountain ranges in the world. The valley itself is green and thickly populated. The people of this Valley are highly evolved and have therefore dominated the history and culture of the state. Established: 1947-10-26Capital: Jammu (winter), Srinagar (sum-mer)Largest city: SrinagarDistricts: 22Government: Governor: Narinder Nath VohraChief Minister: Omar Abdullah (NC)Legislature: Bicameral (89 + 36 seats)Area: Total, 222,236 km2 (85,805.8 sq mi)Population (2011): Total, 12,548,926Literacy: 66.7% (21st)Offi cial languages: Urdu, Kashmiri, Dogri

Kashmir Solidarity Day has been observed on 5 February each year since 1990 in Pakistan as a day of protest against Indian control of part of Kashmir. Kashmir Day was fi rst appealed by Qazi Hussain Ahmed of the Ameer-e-Jammat-e-Islami party in Pakistan in 1990. Pakistan observed the Kashmir Solidarity day to pay homage to Kashmiris of Indian controlled territory, who lost their lives in their struggle to get rid of New Delhis rule. Pakistan has been marking the day to highlight the plight of people of Kashmir for their birth right to self determination promised to them by the international community under the resolutions of United Nations Security Council. All activities and transport came to stand still when one minutes silence was observed throughout the country at 10 a.m. by blowing sirens.President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minis-ter Yusuf Raza Gilani, President of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Sardar Muham-

mad Yaqoob Khan and AJK Prime Minister Chaudhry Abdul Majid have issued special mes-sages in connec-tion with Kashmir

day, expressing solidarity with people of Occupied Kashmir. President Zardari and Prime Minister Gilani addressed the joint session of the AJK Legislative Assembly and the Council. A Kashmir convention was held in Islamabad in which tribute paid to martyrs, who sacrifi ced their lives to get their birth right to self-determination. Rallies, processions, seminars and photo exhibitions had been arranged by Pakistani mission abroad. Rallies, demonstrations, human chains by men, women and children will be held at various cities of the country, Azad Kashmir and the connecting points between Pakistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir including at Kohala to express solidarity with the struggling Kashmiris of Indian Held Kashmir for their just cause for freedom from Indian yoke.

Kashmir solidarity day & youths uprisingEver since 9/11 terrorists attack on Ameri-can soil, the nature of the Kashmiri uprising changed from a phenomenal support to

a primarily domestic driven movement - Youth Uprising. Despite a paradigm shift in Pakistans policy, the Indian government continued to deploy large numbers of troops in Kashmir for cracking down on civil liberties. India still maintains 500,000 troops that comprise its regular army, the Border Security Force and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Kashmir has been in the throes of an uprising since 1989. The suffering of the Kashmiri people has been very painful and distressing. Many thousands of them have been killed, wounded and permanently disabled by the Indian occupation forces over the past several years. The latest round of protests erupted after the June 11, 2010 killing by Indian police of three Kashmiri youth. The humiliation, the memories of victimization and of those who have lost their lives fuels collective hatred that led to the escalation and spiraling of violence. Years of injustice beyond physical and emotional levels had established social dimension of revenge.Who could be behind the Kash-mir movement, the insurgents or internal dynamics? Arun Dhati Roy, a well-respected journalist from India, portrays Kashmir uprising in these words: Not surprisingly, the voice that the government of India has tried so hard to silence in Kashmir has massed into a deafening roar. Raised in a playground of army camps, checkpoints, and bunkers, with screams from torture chambers for a soundtrack, the young generation has suddenly discovered the power of mass protest, and above all, the dignity of being able to straighten their shoulders and speak for themselves, represent themselves. The Kashmir dispute primarily

involves the lives and futures of thirteen million people. It impacts on the relations

between India and Pakistan, which directly affects the peace and stability of the South Asian sub-continent, a region that contains one-fi fth of the world population. The Kashmiri claim to self-determination is rooted in the United Nations defi nition of the Right to Self Determination as de-scribed in Article 1 of both the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Pundit Jawaha-rlal Nehrus government took the Kashmir issue to the United Nations, saying that the people of Kashmir be given the chance to decide their future under the supervision of the United Nations. Against these solemn words and relentless struggle of the people of Kashmir, New Delhi today has two lame excuses: (1) The pledges and the UN resolutions calling for a plebiscite in Kashmir have become out-dated; (2) What is going on in the Kashmir valley is not a peoples revolt but the result of cross-border terrorism. Both argu-ments are self-serving as the time cannot abrogate moral values nor invalidate the international communitys right to inter-vene in fl ash points of confl ict arising from denial of freedom and involving tyranny and persecution. For Kashmir, all United Nations resolutions and the Indian leaders

Issue 303 - Rabi ul Awaal 18, 1433 / February 10, 201214 s p e c i a l

Message from Mr. Asif Ali ZardariPresident of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

On Kashmir Solidarity Day 5th February, 2012The Government and the People of Pakistan observe the Kashmir Solidarity Day by renewing their unswerving support for the just struggle of the Kashmiri people for the realization of their fundamental and inalienable rights\For over six decades, the Kashmiri people have rendered countless sacrifi ces for uphold-ing their dignity and freedom, pleading for equity and justice and the fulfi llment of the promise for the effective exercise of their right to self-determination, as envisaged in the relevant UN resolutions. It is indeed imperative that the noble principles and values, that underpin the just Kash-miri cause, are xpheld and supported by all justice and freedom-loving peoples across the world. It is also important that the fundamental human rights of the people of Jammu and Kashmir are respected and promoted. In recent years, the peaceful struggle of the people of Jammu and Kashmir has gained in strength and intensity. A new generation of the Kashmiris, including men, women and children, continue to wage a heroic struggle for the realization of their fundamental rights. While seeking a peaceful settlement of Jammu and Kashmir dispute, Pakistan will con-tinue to express its complete solidarity with the Kashmiris and extend its fullest political, moral and diplomatic support to their just cause.

Message from Syed Yusuf Raza GilaniPrime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

On Kashmir Solidarity Day 5th February, 2012The Government and the people of Pakistan join their Kashmiri brothers and sisters in solemnly observing the Kashmir Solidarity Day. On this occasion, we reaffi rm our com-plete support to the just Kashmiri cause and renew our pledge of steadfast support for the heroic struggle of the Kashmiri people for the effective realization of their fundamental and inalienable rights. Generations after generations of the proud and patriotic people of Jammu