AFMI Holds First Muslim Convention At Ranchi

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By Nilofar Suhrawardy, TMO

DSCN1212RANCHI (JHARKHAND): The 20th International Educational Convention and Gala Award Ceremony hosted by American Federation of Muslims of Indian Origin (AFMI) held here (December 24-25) is the first Muslim convention of national as well as international level to be held in Jharkhand’s capital city.

The chief guest at AFMI’s Ranchi-convention was Dr. Syed  Ahmed, Governor of Jharkhand. In his opinion, “Female education is a must” as that helps in the “literacy of the entire family.”

Trustee and founder, AFMI, Dr. A. S. Nakedar highlighted importance of “social justice, gender equality, 100% literacy with substantial importance given to both formal and religious education.”

Appreciating the educational importance of Indian Muslims, Subodh Kant Sahai, Union Minister of Tourism, took note of Jharkhand children being among the national toppers. Among 11, class ten toppers from India, three belong to Jharkhand. Sahai pointed out that AFMI’s convention have held people in Jharkhand and outside become aware of educational importance given by Indian Muslims in this state and elsewhere. He pointed out, “We have gone through a tough stage when because of communal polarization, secularism was at stake. The situation has changed now.” Sahai also expressed “salaam” for Indian madarsas giving importance to education.

Though Haji Hussain Ansari, Minority Welfare Minister (Jharkhand) accepted that Muslims are moving ahead, with help of AFMI and other organizations, he pointed out their “progress is not in keeping with their population.”

During his address, former Union Minister and present member of Parliament, Ram Vilas Paswan complimented AFMI and Dr. Nakedar for holding these conventions and giving awards to deserving students. This contributes in enhancing the social importance of Indian Muslims. Paswan also laid stress on his favor for AFMI’s approach in giving importance to religious education together with different aspects of academics (Dec 25).

AFMI, formed by American Muslims of Indian origin in 1989, aims to work towards educational and economic upliftment of Indian Muslims with cooperation between American and Indian relief and educational organizations.

All over India, the Top Eleven from Class 10th are:

Inamdar Farhat Iqbal – 97.2% (Maharashtra); Kanize Robab Ali – 96.71% (West Bengal); Ruksar Banu – 96.48% (Karnataka); Memon Shaheen Iqbal Bhai – 95.60% (Gujarat) with the following having secured 95 %:– Suffeya Zeb (Bihar); Nausheen Najmul Haque Ansari (Jharkhand); Nafis Ahmed Siraj Ahemd (Jharkhand), Aarifuzzaman (Jharkhand); Navar P.M. (Kerala); Faheem K. (Kerala) and Sheikh Mohammed Israil (Orissa).

The Top Ten from Class 12th Examination (all over India) are:

Maha Fathima – 98% (Kerala); Sarah S.D. – 96.33% (Tamil Nadu); Maria Yusuf Lakkadwala- 95.4% (Maharashtra); Israrbanu Mansoor Ballary – 95.33% (Karnataka);

Syed Safaraz Syed Hasham – 95.30% (Andhra Pradesh); Mohd. Arish Abdul Nasir – 94.20% (Uttar Pradesh); Rana Junaid Babar – 94.00% (Gujarat); Sarfaraz Abdul Gafoor – 93.08 % (Rajasthan); Sakina Pitalwala – 91.8% (Madhya Pradesh) and Nazneen Nighar Sultana- 91% (Orissa)

In addition to national level awards, six candidates from different states were selected for gold, silver and bronze medals.

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Pakistan’s Waseem Reaches Boxing Finals

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By Parvez Fatteh, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com

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File:  Mohammad Waseem, right, hits Haroon Khan.

Pakistan’s star boxer Mohammad Waseem fought his way into the finals of the Second Shaheed Benazir Bhutto International Boxing tournament at the Liaquat Gymnasium in Islamabad earlier this week. Waseem defeated India’s Madan Lal in the semifinals of the 52 kg division.

Waseem emerged as the only boxer from the host Pakistani contingent to fight for gold as seven other Pakistani fighters had to settle for bronze medals after they were beaten in the semifinals of their respective categories. Mohammad Nisar, Jamal Nasir, Nisar Khan, Ghulam Mustafa, Niamatullah, Nadir Khan and Yasir Javed all fell in the semifinals as part of a disappointing overall performance by Pakistan, who fielded a whopping total of 34 boxers in the event.

Waseem, who crushed Senevira from Sri Lanka in the quarter-final on Monday, faced even less adversity against Madan Lal in the semifinal and edged the Indian 19-12. “Thanks God, I qualified for the final,” Waseem told The News after his fight. “I did not face much difficulty and am confident to lift gold for Pakistan,” he said. Waseem is scheduled to face Benson Gicharu from Kenya in the final. Benson got a walkover against Latipovr Jasurbe from Uzbekistan in the semifinals.

By beating Madan Lal, who had outgunned England-born Haroon Khan in the quarter-final on Monday, Waseem proved that he is better than Amir Khan’s brother in the 52kg weight category. The superb show from Waseem must have convinced the authorities that they were wrong when they were compelling the Quetta-born lad to reduce his weight and play in the 49kg in the World Championship held in Baku back in the fall of this year.

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Egypt Dominates Arab Games

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By Parvez Fatteh, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com

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Tunisia’s Nour Bo al-Eyuin hits Morocco’s Fatima Alzahraelahqr during their Kumite (sparring) Karate match at the Pan Arab Games in Cairo.

Egypt was once again dominant in the Arab Games as it accumulated a grand total of 233 medals in the 2011 edition of the games. They recently concluded in Qatari capital of Doha. The final tally for Egypt included 90 gold medals, 76 silvers, and 67 bronzes. For Egypt this extended their run to four consecutive Arab Games victories, having been the dominant force in 1999 (0man), 2004 (Algeria) and 2007 (Cairo).

Fellow North African country Tunisia finished as runners up with a total of 138 medals, including 54 gold, while Morocco came third with 113 medals, including 35 gold. The hosts, Qatar, finished fourth with a total of 110  medals, including 32 golds.

Egypt’s gold-medal wins included a 26-21 win over Qatar in the men’s Handball finals, as well as a 3-0 victory over their same Qatari hosts in the Volleyball finals. In the women’s Volleyball competition, Egypt also prevailed with a 3-1 win over Algeria in the finals.

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Khan Continues Demands to Overturn Loss

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By Parvez Fatteh, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com

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Former super lightweight champion Amir Khan repeated calls this past week for his loss to Lamont Peterson to be overturned or for the sanctioning bodies to mandate an immediate rematch. The split decision, following a fight in which referee Joe Cooper deducted two points from Khan for pushing, so incensed Khan’s handlers that they filed official appeals to both sanctioning bodies, and during a conference call Tuesday afternoon, Khan reiterated his position.

“I think the IBF and WBA should order a rematch in my opinion and also look at the fight the way it was refereed,” Khan said during a conference call while on a train to London. “Let’s just see where we go from here. Overall, it was a great performance from Lamont Peterson  also. We both were happy with the way we fought, but the referee and the judging just spoiled a great night of boxing.”

Cooper deducted a point from Khan in the seventh and 12th rounds that Khan and his team insist came without customary warning. Cooper, however, warned Peterson repeatedly, Khan’s camp said, for coming in low with his head but did not issue a penalty.

Richard Schaefer, chief executive officer of Golden Boy Promotions, which handles Khan’s publicity, also questioned circumstances that unfolded immediately after the fight. The suspicious activity, Schaefer said, included judges taking an exceptionally long time after the fight to pick the winner; judge George Hill’s card showing 10-10 for the seventh round and later changed to 10-8 in favor of Peterson; and the disappearance of an IBF scorecard that had the fight as a draw.

Schaefer said he spoke to IBF Champions Chairman Lindsay Tucker on Monday morning about the incident and was told the IBF supervisor at the fight said the card had vanished. Schaefer also said Tucker told him it appeared to the IBF supervisor that the D.C. boxing commission removed the card while Peterson was in the ring receiving the belt. “Then suddenly two days ago, an IBF scorecard appeared,” Schaefer said. “It looks as if it was made up after the fact. No question about it. Or it was made two days ago. The printing was way too neat and consistent, not consistent with what usually a scorecard looks like. We’re just outlining the facts here. There clearly is some smoke.”

Khan’s camp initially sent the IBF a letter stating its disapproval of the refereeing and judging, and the IBF responded by saying it did not see grounds to overturn the decision. Khan’s team then filed an official appeal that Schaefer said is set to be heard in New York on Jan. 19. Khan’s team is still awaiting an official reply from the WBA.

Peterson, meantime, has not announced an official rematch. Peterson said after the fight that he was willing to fight Khan again, and Schaefer said he approached Barry Hunter, Peterson’s trainer, with a seven-figure offer for a bout at Staples Center on May 19. The process of setting up a rematch, though, appears on hold pending rulings from the IBF and WBA.

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Community News (V14-I1)

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Muslim author’s appearance cancelled after complaints

HATFIELD,PA–A Muslim children’s author had to cancel her talk at an elementary school after reported complaints by some parents. Lisa Abdelsalam is a Muslim convert who has written a children’s book focusing on her son’s experiences at his school titled  “A Song for Me, A Muslim Holiday Story.”

The book has illustrations based on pictures of the York Avenue school and details a Muslim boy’s efforts to fit into the holiday spirit at Christmas time.

The principal, according to Abdelsalam, told her a few parents had complained about the program and threatened to bring in an outside group to protest if the classes went forward. “They did not want a Muslim or a Muslim book read in their classrooms,” she was told.

The principal told Abdelsalam that she can go ahead with the scheduled talk but that they mutually decided to cancel the event as she thought, “It’s not a battle that should be fought in an elementary school parking lot.”

Islamophobic individuals appear to be targeting authors these days. Recently, a campaign was unleashed by them to stop award winning author from speaking at the prestigious Mercersburg Academy boarding school in Pennsylvania. That event, however, was held as scheduled and the only complaints where from outsiders who had no relationship with the school.

Missing Muslim student found safe

OVERLAND PARK,KS–A missing Muslim student of a Kansas college was found safe and unharmed. She esd reported missing from a university library more than week ago but it was later found that she had left voluntarily.

Her family had announced a $10,000 reward for any information leading to her. Theey have now decided to donate it to the Overland department and a few other charities.

Family members posted a statement Friday on Facebook thanking the public for its support but asking for privacy as they try to heal.

San Bernardino Muslims feed one & all

SAN BERNARDINO,CA–First Islamic Healing & Wellness Centre reaches out to the needy by helping them with food and clothing requirements. Last week the group held its  first Community Give Back event at Seccombe Lake Park.

Malek Bendelhoum of the group said that they do all they can. In an interview to the Sun he said, he finds people who have just fallen on tough times and need a hand.

“We aspire to be the people who can reach out that hand,” Bendelhoum said.

Programs are available at the center to people of all faiths, including 12 Paths of Recovery each Thursday evening, Job Preparation and Training, Purification of the Self and Peer to Peer Counseling.

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Houstonian Corner (V14-I1)

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Lone Star State’s Economy Rebounding Faster than United States as Whole

As 2011 comes to an end, a variety of economic indicators point to the fact that Texas may be pulling itself up by its bootstraps and, despite a national recession, watching the state economy rebound.

Texas State Comptroller Susan Combs reports Texas unemployment is down and sales tax collections from retail businesses are up. Both point to a state economy whose health is improving even faster than the country as a whole. And looking ahead, innovative government solutions and new revenue sources such as gas production from Eagle Ford Shale could move the state out of the economic downturn even faster.

Earlier this month, Combs distributed $478.3 million in sales tax allocation to cities, counties, transit systems and special districts. Sales tax revenue for November totaled $2.7 billion, up 12.2 percent over the same month last year. But more importantly, the November distribution marked the 20th consecutive month for increases in Texas sales tax revenues.

Along with increased consumer spending, the state also is benefitting from employment gains. The Texas unemployment rate has been at or below the national rate for 58 consecutive months.

Local government subdivisions are dealing with budget shortfalls with innovative ideas aimed at saving money and making government more efficient. To avoid tax increases and cuts in services, some are sharing services – from public safety and 9-1-1 operations to human resources personnel and city/county equipment. Many are exploring bringing private sector entities into the picture to help fund necessary infrastructure and construction projects through public-private partnerships. Still others are looking at ways to cut costs by being more energy efficient, with energy audits, retrofits and installation of more energy-efficient products to trim skyrocketing energy costs. Installation of solar panels and wind turbines to generate their own power has become the norm.

The state and some local governments also will be keeping a close eye on the Eagle Ford Formation, dubbed “Eagle Ford Shale.” This rock formation is rich in oil and natural gas and runs approximately 400 miles from along the Texas-Mexico border in South Texas toward East Texas. Some officials estimate oil reserves at 3 billion barrels with an output that could be up to 420,000 barrels a day. Although controversial because of concerns about hydraulic fracturing (fracking) as the means of producing oil and gas from it, the potential of Eagle Ford Shale could be a boon to both the state and to local governments in the areas in which it lies. State and local tax revenues could skyrocket.

DeWitt County already is making money off the formation, as that county is charging an $8,000-per-well fee from drilling companies seeking to tap Eagle Ford Shale inside their county lines.

A University of Texas at San Antonio study suggested that tax revenue tied to the formation may reach $1.65 billion a year by 2020, up from $108.5 million this year.

With the drilling come jobs. And with the jobs come people. And those people earn paychecks and spend their money locally, boosting both the state and local tax receipts. At the local level, that means improvements in transportation infrastructure, water and wastewater, construction of new schools and government facilities and other amenities.

With increased employment and more retail sales at the state level, 2011 will end on a high note for the Texas economy. And with the state and local government entities looking for efficiencies in government and new sources of revenue such as Eagle Ford Shale, it appears that economic uptick will continue into 2012.

Fervent Election Campaign in PCC-USA

Elections of PCC-USA
Elections of PCC-USA

Khalid Kazi is President-Elect

Houston, Texas (Staff Report): Pakistan Chamber of Commerce USA (PCC-USA) is a leading association of Pakistani entrepreneurs in USA, with Chapters in Houston, San Diego, and New York. Fifty founding members Advisory Council, under the leadership of Dr. Ashraf Abbasi, established PCC-USA as a premier business organization in Houston, Texas, on August 14th, 1997 to coincide with the Golden Jubilee of Pakistan Independence Day.

This Year 2011 became the first time, when some of the office bearers of PCC-USA got elected after actual voting. In the past, usually all the executive council positions used to be filled with only one nominating person per position; and as such getting elected unopposed.

PCC-USA runs on the basis of President-Elect system, where the president elected in these past December 2011 elections will be President in 2013, while will be called President-Elect in 2012; and Waseem Rahim, who was elected unopposed in December 2010 & was President-Elect for 2011, will be President for 2012. This way President-Elect gets to work side by side with the President (P. J. Khan Swati in 2011) and gets trained by the time his or her time comes to be President.

While talking to the candidates, who had insisted on participating in actual elections, despite being asked by many to withdraw their names, our correspondent learned that their idea to participate in the elections was not to win, but inspiration was to instill new life in this important association of the community. Near them organizations, where there is no culture of actual elections and no tolerance of listening to opposing but sincere ideas, such associations become dormant over a period of time (we have such examples in our own city of Houston). They pointed out that several inactive senior members of the community were seen coming out to vote and participate in this decision making process, plus the paid membership of the association has gone to some sort of records level. The new office bearers that have brought all these people out to vote and made new members, will now need to keep all of them involved with healthy activities and use their strength to develop programs for common business persons of the community & improve trade ties between USA & Pakistan.

According to Rashid Khokhar, Chairman PCC-USA Election Commission (other members being GulFaraz Khan and Zubair Ashraf), elections results were like this:

President-Elect: Khalid Kazi (Won) Vs Zafar Mansuri;
Senior Vice President: Sheikh Muhammad Awais Vs Pervez Iqbal (Won);
Director Finance: Ch. Mahmood Ahmed (Won) Vs Asif Ehsan;
Vice President – Administration: Nargis F. Ahmed (Unopposed);
Vice President – Liaison: Mian Aziz (Unopposed);
Vice President – Marketing: Zaki Mohammed Mirza (Unopposed);
Vice President – Media Relations: Mumtaz Khan (Unopposed);
General Secretary: Abdur Rauf Khan (Unopposed);
Joint Secretary: Iqbal Akhtar (Unopposed)…

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III. The “Street Fighting Man” in Oakland

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By Geoffrey Cook, TMO

Santa Rosa–Your raconteur finishes his narration on Tariq Ali’s visit to San Francisco Bay on the Prophet Issa (PBUH’s) birthday (Dec. 25th) in this overgrown farm town – like San Jose a hundred miles to its south with a burgeoning high tech concentration with the possibility of tremendous population growth, too – also, fifty miles north of San Francisco and gritty Oakland where the Anglo-Pakistani Tariq Ali spewed forth his vision on Palestine and so much more two months ago. 

“What do you say when the system stops working in the West?”

The Arab Revolution is similar to the French.  It is essentially about equality, but it will, further, create the space for future uprisings.  (Ali perceives the regime changes in the Maghreb and the rest of North Africa plus the Middle East as part of a political radicalization.  Your commentator believes his subject slights his human objects by missing their religious yearning expressed by the disenfranchised Arabs before the “Spring.”  Succinctly, Ali’s vision is an overly secular one.)

Ali deems a new Western Imperialism has arisen simultaneous with (the Israeli War) of 1967.  His perception is that of a weakened Washington.  Further, he predicts that the American Empire Will collapse from within.  (Seeing the Occupy Wall Street Movement so vehemently fought out on the streets of Oakland at that end of last October, and of the Christmastide of this writing, it is still in battle [Occupy Berkeley was just cleared out December 22nd], must have re-enforced his analysis of a crumbling Metropole.)   

Regarding a possible Chinese Imperium, it will be one based on trade like the current Anglo-American “Empire.”

Of the changes arising in North America, Europe and the Arabic realms, “The most important force are [and will be] the citizens” of their land themselves.

Tariq Ali is the man of the moment, but he only sees the political people power.  Yet he fails to acknowledge the spiritual craving of the Fellaheen (i.e., فَلَّاح فَلَّاح) themselves.  The Palestinian struggle and the larger Arab “Spring” go further than territory (the Koranic concept of the Ummah (أمة)). It supersedes this, but it goes to the very souls of the lands’ residents!

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Exclusive: Petronas in Talks with Oil Majors for Petchem Tie-up

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By Niluksi Koswanage and Liau Y-Sing

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Petronas advertising boards are seen near the grandstand ahead of the Malaysian F1 Grand Prix at the Sepang circuit outside Kuala Lumpur April 7, 2011.

REUTERS/Tim Chong

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) – Petronas is in talks with several global oil majors including Shell <RDSa.L> and Exxon Mobil <XOM.N> to develop petrochemical plants within its $20 billion refinery complex in southern Malaysia, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter said.

Malaysia’s national oil company is also talking to Japanese firms Itochu Corp <8001.T> and Mitsubishi Corp <8058.T> as well as to Dow Chemical Co <DOW.N> — the largest U.S. chemical maker — as it seeks to tap surging Asian demand and diversify its earnings, the sources told Reuters.

Petronas <PETR.UL> is expected to make a decision on the partnerships by mid-2012, which signals it is quickly moving beyond the feasibility stage of the project.

“Petronas is getting a lot of interest for the joint venture undertakings,” said one source who declined to be identified as the talks are ongoing.

“They have moved to the basic engineering and design stage and after this the tendering process for building the complex will start,” the source added.

Petronas, Shell and Mitsubishi officials in Malaysia declined to comment. Itochu, Dow Chemical and Exxon Mobil were not immediately available to comment.

Petronas first unveiled the Refinery and Petrochemicals Integrated Development (RAPID) project in May and has said the complex will be commissioned by end-2016, which both sources said was on track.

The $20 billion complex is to be built in southern Johor state which borders Singapore — the largest oil trading hub in Asia.

The project is key to Petronas’ plan to join the likes of India’s Reliance Industries <RELI.NS> in grabbing a larger share in the $395 billion global market for specialty chemicals — high value raw materials used in products from diapers to higher performance tires and LCD televisions.

“In terms of markets for petrochemicals coming from RAPID, Petronas is aiming for Myanmar, Bangladesh and parts of the subcontinent,” said a second source.

“The potential is there as these are huge markets or in the case of Myanmar, just opening up.”

RAPID REACH

The RAPID project will include a 300,000 barrel-per-day refinery that produces naphtha, gasoline, jet fuel, diesel and fuel oil. The first source said the crude feedstock would come mostly from Petronas’ equity projects in Sudan, Chad and eventually Venezuela instead of Malaysia’s own higher quality and expensive crude, domestic production of which is slowing.

The crude feedstock from Petronas equity projects will also be channeled into the petrochemicals and polymer complex, including a 3 million ton-per-year (tpy) naphtha cracker and petrochemical derivatives facility focusing on synthetic rubber.

“Over 1 million tons will be for ethylene and propylene and the rest for high grade specialty chemicals,” said the first source.

“Synthetic rubber is a big thing. Nearly 90 percent of a tire is made of synthetic rubber because natural rubber production is declining in Asia, so there is an opportunity for Petronas,” the source added.

STRUGGLE OR SURVIVE

The RAPID project gives Petronas’ downstream operations a better chance of staying afloat in times of economic downturns and poor margins as it allows Malaysia’s only Fortune 500 company to tap into its global feedstock sources, analysts say.

“From a Petronas perspective, there is vertical integration opportunity,” said Andrew Wong, lead analyst covering Petronas at Standard & Poor’s in Singapore.

“I think the expectation for a recovery in the petrochemical sector in 2011 did not quite happen due to the external factors and there is concern whether the project will come on-stream at a good point in time of the global economic cycle,” he added.

Industry players have said Malaysia and Petronas’ ramp-up of oil infrastructure in the southernmost tip of the country will create a “Greater Singapore” trading hub that allows the region to keep up with competitors like China.

Petronas is counting on interest from Japanese firms which are looking to relocate their plants or re-invest outside their home base after the March tsunami and earthquake triggered uncertainty over future energy supply, the second source said.

“The interest has particularly been strong from the usual Japanese players in the petrochemical market. This project has started at the right time,” the source added.

(Editing by Himani Sarkar)

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Jaber Hazziez Jr. honored for heroism

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eaFBi.Em.81KANSAS CITY, MO– Jaber Hazziez Jr., a firefighter and part time Sheriff’s Deputy,  was honored by the Kansas City Council for his heroic actions during an Air Tran flight from Atlanta to Kansas City over the thanksgiving weekend.  The fact that Hazziez is a Muslim was noted by the press.

In a bizarre incident  a  passenger was foaming at the mouth, experiencing seizures and tried to open the cabin door during a flight Wednesday, November 30, 2011, and except for a quick-thinking  Jabir Hazziez, Jr., was prevented from a potential mid-air disaster. 

Jabir Hazziez, Jr., who is also a  Naval Reserve Officer, had visited family over the Thanksgiving holiday and was returning on an Air Tran flight from Atlanta when a flight attendant announced that a passenger was in medical distress and asked if anyone had any medical expertise.

The man appeared to be in an “altered mental state” and clearly appeared agitated.“He was trying to get to the door of the plane,” Hazziez recalled in an interview to the Kansas City Star. “I grabbed ahold of him and tried to calm him down.”But the man only became more combative and knocked Hazziez into the cockpit door.Using his law enforcement training, Hazziez put the man in a neck restraint and took him to the floor. The man continued kicking and trying to reach the door with his feet. Another passenger grabbed the man’s legs.Together they held him for about 15 or 20 minutes until the plane, which had taken off in Atlanta, made an emergency landing in Memphis and authorities came on board to deal with the man. Later, Hazziez learned the man had been suffering from an adverse reaction to a vaccine.“I’m glad it was a medical situation and not a criminal incident,” Hazziez said. “It could have been a lot worse.”

The Midland Islamic Council also issued a statement praising Hazziez for enhancing the image of American Muslims and helping to “affirm the many valuable and useful contributions they make to our nation.”

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Ringing in the New Year

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By Sumayyah Meehan, TMO

happy_New_Year_s_hat_5The time has come to bid adieu to yet another year. Countries around the world, from Russia to Japan, will ring in 2012 with the pomp and pageantry befitting of a new year. However, for many, bidding farewell to a passing year and welcoming in another one is mere ritual. For others, saying goodbye to 2011 gives reason to pause and reflect on the past twelve months. Nowhere is this truer than the Middle East where the “Arab Spring” was born and continues to take baby steps to freedom and democracy. Albeit through infinite tears and immense bloodshed.

Countries in the region ring in the New Year differently. In Kuwait, the celebration is limited to private parties and the odd buffet meal at a five-start restaurant. In Saudi Arabia, it is largely ignored since following the Islamic calendar, as opposed to the Gregorian one, takes precedent. And in countries like Egypt and Syria, there will be little reason to celebrate given the tumultuous political environment that rages on with little end in sight. There is one country, however, that always has a New Year’s Eve celebration that rivals even the grandest of celebrations in the West. And that’s Dubai.

The tiny United Arab Emirate’s municipality of Dubai holds one of the biggest New Year’s Eve celebrations in the region each year without exception. And this year, event organizers have promised a bash bigger and better than ever. The tallest building in the world, Burj Al-Khalifa will take center stage as a larger than life pyrotechnical display with shake it to its very core and illuminate the skies in a sea of colors. The nearby building Burj Al Arab will also have its own fireworks display at the stroke of midnight.

Resorts, hotels and nightclubs in Dubai have a host of activities that start well before midnight and will last well into the morning hours of New Year’s Day. One of the most unique celebrations will be held at the Fairmont Hotel where an acrobatic performance of “Charlie and the Cirque Factory” will be held. Guests will be treated to dessert and candy at the stroke of midnight. Another notable celebration will be held aboard the QE2 ocean liner, however the black-tie affair is by invite only and is being touted as the most exclusive New Year’s Eve event in the entire world.

A slew of celebrities have descended upon Dubai this past week to ring in the New Year with their entourages. Indian mega-star Shah Rukh Khan and British actress Amy Childs are just two personalities that plan to welcome 2012 in Dubai. American actresses Lindsay Lohan and Pamela Anderson are also confirmed to be participating in the QE2 festivities.

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Iraq PM Warns Sunnis Could Be Shut from Power

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By Suadad al-Salhy and Aseel Kami

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – Iraq’s Sunni Muslim minority rejected a call for all-party talks on Wednesday, ignoring U.S. pressure for dialogue to resolve a sectarian crisis that has erupted since American forces left the country this week.

With fears mounting that the nation of 30 million might one day fragment in chaos in the absence of the U.S. troops who toppled Saddam Hussein in 2003, Shi’ite Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki warned Saddam’s fellow Sunnis they faced exclusion from power if they walked out on his ruling coalition.

The main Sunni-backed party, furious at terrorism charges leveled by the Shi’ite-run authorities against Iraq’s Sunni vice president on the day Americans left, rejected Maliki’s call for all-party talks in the coming days and vowed to try and unseat the prime minister in parliament, a move unlikely to succeed.

Having stuck by a decision to withdraw U.S. forces in 2011, a return of the kind of sectarian blood-letting that killed tens of thousands of Iraqis after Saddam fell could embarrass President Barack Obama as he campaigns for re-election.

Vice President Joe Biden called Maliki and the Sunni speaker of parliament on Tuesday to press for urgent talks among Iraq’s leaders. But there was little sign of a thaw on Wednesday, although it remained unclear how far the rhetoric reflected a real threat to the fragile coexistence of Sunnis with the majority Shi’ites and ethnic Kurds, both oppressed under Saddam.

Maliki, calling on the Kurds to hand over Sunni Vice President Tareq al-Hashemi who has taken refuge in their autonomous region, said he wanted Hashemi’s Sunni-backed Iraqiya block to end a boycott of parliament and of his year-old power-sharing government.

“But,” he warned, “If they insist, they are free to do so and they can withdraw permanently from the state and all its institutions.”

SUNNIS SLAM MALIKI

Iraqiya said it would not attend talks with Maliki, “since he represents the main reason for the crisis and the problem, and he is not a positive element for a solution.”

As well as Hashemi, who stands accused of running death squads based on televised confessions by men claiming to be his bodyguards, the other most senior Sunni politician, deputy prime minister Saleh al-Mutlaq, is also under fire from Maliki, who has asked parliament to remove Mutlaq from office.

Hashemi has dismissed the charges against him as a fabrication, a denial that has credibility in Washington, where one U.S. official said he believes the charges were unfounded.

The White House on Tuesday said it was “obviously concerned” about the arrest warrant issued for Hashemi. In his calls to Baghdad, Biden had “stressed the urgent need for the prime minister and the leaders of the other major blocs to meet and work through their differences together.”

Shi’ite leaders insist there is no political motive behind the case against Hashemi. But Sunnis, outnumbered about two to one by Shi’ites, see it as proof that Maliki, now freed of the trammels of U.S. occupation, is determined to tighten his personal grip on government and to marginalize the Sunnis.

In a system devised under U.S. occupation to divide power, Iraq has a Shi’ite prime minister with Sunni and Kurd deputies, a Kurdish president with Shi’ite and Sunni vice presidents, and a Sunni parliament speaker with Shi’ite and Kurd deputies.

Having long shunned the U.S.-backed institutions set up when Saddam’s decades of one-man rule ended, Sunni voters propelled Iraqiya into first place in a fragmented parliament last year. But Maliki was able to draw on other Shi’ite and Kurdish groups to build a coalition, in which Iraqiya eventually took part.

Tensions among the major groups has, however, hamstrung the government, leaving key posts such as that of defense and interior minister unfilled and obstructing legislation that could clarify rules for investing and exploiting Iraq’s vast oil and gas reserves.

Iraq sits astride a Sunni-Shi’ite faultline running through the Middle East, fuelling mutual accusations of foreign influence, whether from Shi’ite Iran to the north or from the Sunni-ruled Arab states to the south.

In an interview with Reuters, Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari, an ethnic Kurd, said that the country’s domestic schisms risked inviting more interference from outside:

“As long as your internal front is fragmented and not united … others who want to interfere will be encouraged,” he said. “That’s why it is very important to deal with this crisis as soon as possible.”

(Additional reporting by Serena Chaudry in Baghdad; Writing by Alastair Macdonald)

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Got the Christmas Blues?

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By Karin Friedemann, TMO

For many of us, the holidays are the saddest time. There are some biological reasons for this – the Solstice on December 21st is the darkest day of the year and there is a lot of depression associated with lack of sunlight.

For this reason, the Romans came up with the Festival of Lights to help dispel the gloom of darkness and the fear of death that comes with freezing weather, which in today’s world means electronic lights displayed on Christmas trees, candlelit Hanukkah menorahs, and an enduring tradition of attempting to be especially kind to one another. Science reports that American suicide rates are 30% lower during the holiday season, so apparently the effect of “good cheer and good will towards all men” is not just a theory.

Muslim families face a challenge during these special times, because we do not celebrate Christmas. We don’t even have a counter-holiday. A hilarious youtube video entitled, “Christmas Sucks for Desis” clearly explains our children’s tender emotions:

“We will get a mix of a bunch of feelings on this day – No Rudolphs, no horse-drawn sleigh – All we get is a closed Safeway!”

Americans who have converted to Islam may feel especially sensitive at this time, because we have beautiful childhood memories associated with Christmas that are deeply connected to our cultural traditions. It is hard to explain how depressing it can be to find yourself sitting alone on Christmas Eve, simply due to a conscious choice not to celebrate that holiday. No more late night prayers singing carols praising the birth of our Savior. No more angels, no more shepherds, no more Blessed Virgin Mary and her adorable baby. No more hanging warm socks and mittens on a tree to donate to charity.
Hey wait! Is all of this so bad? The whole point of adoring a newborn baby is that we are in a state of total awe at what God alone can accomplish – the birth of hope in the future of humanity.

The Prophethood of Jesus marked a very important milestone in the history of spiritual philosophy. Before that, in the Old Testament, it was “my God is better than your god.” Jesus brought a message that changed life on earth forever. The ancient Germans used to burn widows on the funeral pyres of their deceased husbands, but after they learned about Christ’s teachings, they completely changed their way of life to one that involved fighting for the security of widows! The Aztek American Indians used to engage in ritual sacrifice of virgin girls. Now they revere the Virgin Mary. We have come a long way.

If you were to pick up a Quran, knowing nothing, you would think this is a book primarily about Jesus (pbuh). We have holidays to remember Abraham, Moses and Mohammad, while the Shias retell the tale of Hussain’s martyrdom every year at Ashura. Yet we don’t always take the time to retell the story of the miracle of the birth of Jesus.

When my five year old daughter started whining about why we don’t have a Christmas tree, I decided to teach her the true meaning of Christmas. I then realized how important it is for someone who wants to truly understand the Quran to read the Bible too. The stories about Jesus are told in the Bible in such detail that we do not find in the Quran, yet the Quran references these old stories in such a way that if we did not know the old stories, we cannot fully grasp the meaning of the Quran. The Quran serves in many ways as a commentary on the older books, which Jesus came to Earth to interpret for us. The Quran states that Jesus said:

“ And (I come as) a verifier of that which is before me of the Torah… I have come to you with a sign from your Lord; therefore be careful of (your duty to) Allah and obey me.” (Al-Imran:50)

We are ordered to obey Christ, yet we know precious little about how to obey Christ UNLESS we familiarize ourselves with the older books. Since Muslims have nothing else to do on Christmas, why not spend some time with our children studying about our Messiah? I read to my daughter from the Quran:

“… Allah said: O Jesus, I am going to terminate the period of your stay (on earth) and cause you to ascend unto Me and purify you of those who disbelieve and make those who follow you above those who disbelieve to the Day of Resurrection…” (Al-Imran: 55)

I explained to her that the message of Jesus (pbuh) apart from the mythology is clear: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Do unto others as you would have done to yourself.” If someone did not do that, he did not follow God’s prophet.

What matters is that we are going to die, and if we did not be kind to other people, God will punish us. But if we followed Christ’s teachings, God will be merciful to us.

Humanity is in a state of darkness. There is absolutely no hope for us. We are a bunch of hopeless sinners and losers. We keep fighting for ourselves, and all we do is just keep dragging each other down. We are hardly human anymore, as a species. We are in a complete state of loss: except those who have faith, and who do good deeds, and remind one another to be righteous, and not to give up hope. I think that is the true meaning that we need to find in this darkest hour.

Karin Friedemann is a Boston-based freelance writer. Karinfriedemann.blogspot.com.

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Animal Communication

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tufailA discipline within the field of animal behavior that focuses upon the reception and use of signals. Animal communication could well include all of animal behavior, since a liberal definition of the term signal could include all stimuli perceived by an animal. However, most research in animal communication deals only with those cases in which a signal, defined as a structured stimulus generated by one member of a species, is subsequently used by and influences the behavior of another member of the same species in a predictable way (intraspecific communication). In this context, communication occurs in virtually all animal species.

The field of animal communication includes an analysis of the physical characteristics of those signals believed to be responsible in any given case of information transfer. A large part of this interest is due to technological improvements in signal detection, coupled with analysis of the signals obtained with such devices.

Information transmission between two individuals can pass in four channels: acoustic, visual, chemical, and electrical. An individual animal may require information from two or more channels simultaneously before responding appropriately to reception of a signal. Furthermore, a stimulus may evoke a response under one circumstance but be ignored in a different context.

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Shooting Erupts in Hama Before Arab Visit

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By Mariam Karouny

2011-12-24T130622Z_661044096_GM1E7CO1MID01_RTRMADP_3_SYRIA

Men pray next to the coffins of people killed at security sites on Friday in two car bomb attacks, at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus December 24,2011 in this handout photograph released by Syria’s national news agency SANA. The United Nations expressed grave concern about twin suicide car bombings in Damascus and condemned the attacks that killed 44 people and lent a grim new face to the uprising in Syria.

REUTERS/Sana/Handout

BEIRUT (Reuters) – At least seven people were wounded on Wednesday in the Syrian city of Hama when security forces used live ammunition and tear gas to disperse a protest against President Bashar al-Assad, just a day before a visit by Arab peace monitors, a rights group said.

Live pictures on al Jazeera television showed gunfire and black smoke rising above a street in Hama as dozens of protesters chanted: “Where are the Arab monitors?”

Arab League monitors checking if Syria is ending its violent crackdown on popular unrest are due to visit Hama on Thursday. In its footage, al Jazeera showed one man bleeding from the neck as others shouted in the background.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the protesters were heading towards Orontes square in the city centre for a sit-in at the symbolic location where demonstrations were crushed earlier this year.

Security forces were not visible in the Jazeera footage. Unarmed protesters, some masked, were heard shouting “Assad forces are shooting us.” The protesters then began chanting: “Freedom for ever” and “We will have our revenge on you Bashar.”

Reuters could not verify the details as Syria has banned most foreign media from the country.

Hama, 240 km (150 miles) north of Damascus, has particular resonance for Syrians. The city was the site of the biggest massacre in the country’s modern history.

Troops overran Hama in 1982 to put down the armed wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, which made its last stand there. Up to 30,000 people were killed, many of them killed in an army bombardment or executed in the streets by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad’s’ father, the late Hafez al-Assad. Parts of its old city were razed to the ground.

Twenty-nine years later Hama demonstrators demanding the overthrow of Bashar still revile the memory of his father, who died in 2000 after ruling Syria for three decades.

FREEDOM CALL

In the Jazeera footage, the protesters began cursing Hafez’s soul immediately after the gunfire was heard, before rushing to hide in alleyways.

A few looked out to shout a defiant freedom call before disappearing into hiding again. The shooting intensified, then one man shouted out that snipers were now operating in the area. Dozens of men squeezed themselves in an alley, chanting anti-Assad slogans.

“There is no turning back from the revolution,” they shouted.

Hama was among the hardest hit cities in an escalation of military attacks against urban centers where anti-Assad protests had been held.

In August, tanks attacked Hama for ten days, provoking Arab and Western outrage, after weeks of protests that drew hundreds of thousands of people to Orontes Square. Authorities said the operation was necessary to cleanse the city of “terrorists” according to the wishes of Hama inhabitants.

On Wednesday, part of an Arab League team went to a flashpoint area in the city of Homs but some of their planned tour was blocked when gunfire erupted, activists said.

Residents of Homs’s Baba Amr neighborhood initially refused to cooperate when the monitors arrived with an army escort and the team withdrew. But activists said a smaller group of monitors returned without the officer and were escorted by residents and activists on a tour of the turbulent district.

But the monitors could not enter an area where residents said they believed detainees were being hidden because gunfire erupted. It was not clear where the shooting came from.

“Residents were accompanying the team to the area to show them where they believe detainees are being held when suddenly there was gunfire near the checkpoint,” said Rami Abdelrahman, of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

(Editing by Giles Elgood)

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Texas Rangers Win the Rights to Yu Darvish

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By Parvez Fatteh, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com

5880327.binMajor League Baseball’s Texas Rangers emerged victorious from a blind bidding process for the services of Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish. Texas’ winning bid exceeded $51 million American dollars, and that merely secured the exclusive right to negotiate a contract with Darvish. The Toronto Blue Jays were reportedly the runners-up with an unspecified bid.

Darvish is the son of an Iranian father, Farsad Darvishsefad, and a Japanese mother, Ikuyu.  The two of them met in the United States, in Florida. Farsad’s father was a travel agent in Iran, and sent Farsad to the United States in 1977 to attend high school in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, where he also raced competitively in motocross.

Farsad played soccer at Eckerd College, a liberal arts school in St. Petersburg until the U.S. embassy takeover in 1979 and the coach benched him. He later worked at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Wash., where the National Football League’s Seattle Seahawks used to train. “When I was working in the cafeteria I used to watch them carry two trays — one was a milk tray, one was a food tray, so it was very huge, a very nice experience,” Farsad said in a 2008 interview with ESPN.com. “And of course I cheered for the Seahawks.” The family subsequently moved to Japan to raise a family.

Yu, who also goes by the Iranian name Farid, began playing baseball in the second grade in Japan. And he quickly ascended up the ranks. Eventually he became the ace pitcher for the powerhouse baseball program at Tohoku High. And his success carried over to the Japanese professional ranks, with the Fighters of Nippon-Ham.

Darvish has garnered the attention of American baseball scouts since he was a teenager. And the attention grew even further with the high profile international exposure that came with pitching in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as well as in the 2009 World Baseball Classic as a member of the Japanese national team. And, ultimately he became too tantalizing for American professional baseball to resist, and the Texas Rangers paid for his rights.

But Darvish isn’t just about the money. In February of 2007 he established a humanitarian fund dedicated to the construction, installment, and maintenance of wells, well pumps, and rainwater storage facilities in developing countries called the “Yu Darvish Water Fund.” He has also announced plans to contribute to this fund by donating 100,000 yen each time he notches a regular season win. The fund is managed by the Japan Water Forum.

The 25-year-old Darvish had in fact been going through some tough times in his personal life in recent months having recently been divorced from his wife. But the prospect of a new life and a new challenge in American baseball should do well to boost his spirits.

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Al Faruq Aminu Traded to the New Orleans Hornets

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By Parvez Fatteh, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com

al-farouq-aminu-nba-2_1152x864Former Wake Forest University forward Al-Farouq Aminu was one of three players traded to the New Orleans Hornets last week by the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for superstar point guard Chris Paul, who ironically is also a former Wake Forest Deamon Deacon. Aminu is in his second year in the league, and Coach Monty Williams feels that he still has much to work on. “We feel like he’s a guy that’s going to be in a fight with Quincy (Pondexter) for minutes,” Williams told the New Orleans Times Picayune. “We don’t give up anything around here. He has a skill set, but we don’t want guys to be in position by default.”

While shooting guard Eric Gordon, who averaged 22.9 points last season for the Clippers, was the centerpiece in the deal for the Hornets, Aminu exhibited enough potential to be a top ten pick in the 2010 NBA draft. “He has the skills and abilities that I think most small forwards would pay for,” Williams said. “He’s long and can rebound. When you’re 6 feet 9 and can do that, you are a prototype small forward.” Veteran center Chris Kaman was the third component of the trade for New Orleans.

The 21-year-old Aminu is expected to come off the bench for now, but that could very well be a temporary arrangement. “I’m trying to get better and learn the mentality down here, which is always to go hard, and that’s great,” Aminu told the Times Picayune. “The intensity in practice here is a little different with guys focused throughout the session, and it’s time for me to start myself out to where the level is. All the coaches here are pushing me to be a better player. They just want to get the best out of all their players.”

Being traded, especially as a very young player, can often be traumatic. But the silver lining would be that Aminu is returning to the part of the country in which he grew up, having been reared in Atlanta, Georgia before moving on to the state of North Carolina to attend Wake Forest. The Hornets open their regular season schedule on December 26th against the Phoenix Suns.

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Boxing Council Orders Hopkins-Dawson Rematch

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By Parvez Fatteh, Founder of http://sportingummah.com, sports@muslimobserver.com

HopkinsDawsonWeighIn_Hoganphotos_(3)The World Boxing Council last week ordered a rematch between light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins and former titleholder Chad Dawson at its 49th annual convention in Las Vegas. The Hopkins-Dawson rematch order came two days after the California State Athletic Commission changed the result of their controversial October 15th fight in Los Angeles from a second-round knockout in Dawson’s favor to a no decision following Hopkins’ protest.

Originally, referee Pat Russell ruled Dawson a TKO winner after he lifted Hopkins up and dumped him to the canvas because Hopkins was draped over his back after missing a punch. Hopkins suffered a shoulder injury and could not continue. The WBC, which sanctioned the bout, had already kept Hopkins as its champion following the fight and now has ordered a rematch with the caveat of “unless their representatives mutually agree to another arrangement.” That means the two camps could try to make a deal or agree to do at least one interim bout.

Gary Shaw, Dawson’s promoter, was pleased with the WBC’s decision. “I think justice has been served,” he told ESPN.com. “When Hopkins had a draw with Pascal, the WBC gave him an immediate rematch. And now they have done the same thing for Dawson after the controversy.”

When Dawson thought he was champion after being declared the winner in October, he vowed not to give Hopkins a rematch. After the result was changed Tuesday, he said he wanted a rematch, but Hopkins said he would not fight Dawson again. Now that the WBC has ordered a rematch, Hopkins said he would take the fight, which might not actually happen because the first fight was such a commercial disaster that finding a network to put up the money required to make the fight could be very difficult. That is why the sides may agree to look for different fights.
Hopkins has now come to grips with the idea of a rematch. “Let’s get the ball rolling,” Hopkins, told ESPN.com after leaving the convention. “The fans got cheated because of circumstances in the first fight. Now they get an opportunity to get their money’s worth. It’s been a really interesting 48 hours. Things are different now because of that (order). Let’s get it on. The bottom line is a champion defends his belt. That’s what champions do. I believe I am the best at light heavyweight. So my whole thing is champions defend, they don’t get stripped, they don’t throw belts away. I’ve done it for 20 years and I ain’t changing my stripes today.”

But, the fight will have to make financial sense, says Hopkins. “Whatever is best economically without having my belt stripped then I’m fine with that,” he said. “I duck no one. I never did. But if the fans and the people and the networks believe that Chad Dawson don’t draw bees to honey — and this is a business — then that is what it is. I’ve earned this championship belt and I am not ready to leave.”

The 46-year-old Hopkins insists that he is not fearful of rematches, as witnessed by his track record. “My record speaks for itself. I’m normally victorious the second time round,” he said. After a draw with Pascal last December, he outpointed him in May to become the oldest fighter to win a world title. He then avenged a loss to Roy Jones last year.

Hopkins defeated Antwun Echols in a rematch of a prior win, twice defeated Robert Allen after their first bout ended in a no contest and knocked out Segundo Mercado to win his first world title at middleweight after their first fight ended in a draw. Only Jermain Taylor got the better of Hopkins in both meetings.

Hopkins’ promoter, Golden Boy’s Richard Schaefer, however, is not in favor of the rematch with Dawson. “I think that there is no interest in this fight,” he told ESPN.com. “As long as the fighters know that, and they are OK with whatever money there is, then why would I want to stop that fight from happening? I really just want to do fights the public would want to see and where I know going into the fight that it will be entertaining. I just don’t think that these two styles mesh.”

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Houstonian Corner (V13-I52)

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Pakistani-American Community Peace Rally in Downtown Houston

Office bearers and members of four Pakistani-American organizations did a Peace Rally in downtown Houston in front of the George Thomas “Mickey” Leland Federal Building this past Friday. This rally was called by Pakistani American Council of Texas (PACT), Pakistani American Society of Texas (PAST), Pakistani-American Association of Greater Houston (PAGH), and Pakistan Chamber of Commerce USA (PCC-USA).

“As everyone knows,, the NATO attacks of November 26th, 2011 on the Pakistani soil, resulting in senseless loss of 24 brave Pakistani soldiers, is not only a tragedy for the families of the dead soldiers, but a violation of sovereignty of an independent country Pakistan; and a harsh setback to the close friendly relationships between the United States and Pakistan. Several days have passed since November 26th, and no appropriate steps and measures have been taken by NATO / USA, to restore this relationship of USA with Pakistan. It is in the national interest of USA that this relationship between USA & Pakistan must be salvaged, so that peace and stability may come to the strategic region of South Asia, which is tied with the tranquility & prosperity of our world. For this purpose, this “Peace Rally” has been called by the Pakistani-American Community in Houston, where we have invited members of the community and all other communities & people of conscience, to come out for the sake of peace in the world”, said one of the press statement of the Peace Rally.

A resolution was passed; read on the occasion by Sajjad Burki (PACT) & Taslim Siddiqui (PAGH); and then given to the representatives of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and US Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, so that they can take this message of the Pakistani-American Community to the Congress.

Sajjad Burki (PACT), Taslim Siddiqui (PAGH), Saeed Gaddi (PAST), Pervez Khan Swati (PCC-USA), and Khalid Khan (People’s Party) lead the rally in saying the various slogans. Each participant was holding message cards and banners with appropriate messages; like

“Strong US-Pakistan Friendship is in the National Interest of USA”;
“We Strongly Condemn the Senseless Killing of Pakistani Soldiers By NATO Forces – Peace Rally Organized by the Pakistani-American Community”;
“Let’s Be Friends – Not Masters”;
“Pakistan Needs Friends – Not Masters”;
“World Needs Peace – No Wars”;
“No Wars Mean The Prosperity of USA”;
“Senseless Killings of Friends – Not in Our Interest”;
“Pakistan: The Best Ally of USA”;
“Cost of War against Terrorism – Pakistan Has Lost 36,000+ Lives, including 3,000+ Soldiers”;
“Cost of War against Terrorism:
Pakistan Has Lost $80-Billion+”
“Brown University August 2011: US will have spent a total $3.7 trillion on wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, & Pakistan, costing 225,000 lives & creating 7.8 million refugees, by the time the conflicts end…”;
“Drones are Killing Many Innocent”;
“Lets’ make Friends & Not Foes – Stop the Mindless Killings”;
“President Obama: Lets’ Be Champions of Peace – Yes: We Can !!!”;
“Pakistan: The True Friend of USA – Treat Her Like One…”;
“Another American for Peace – Another Patriot for Peace”;
“Have the Right to Remain Silent – But Not on Senseless Killings”;
“Make Soup & Tea – Not War”;
“War Is Expensive – Peace Is Priceless”.

Resolution Presented at Peace Rally:

Strong Condemnation of the Senseless Killing of Pakistani Soldiers by NATO Forces

We, the people, gathered here this day, Friday, December 16th, 2011, in front of the Federal Building at 1919 Smith Street in downtown Houston, do hereby RESOLVE,

* That November 26th, 2011, was one of the darkest days in the war on terror, when NATO forces attacked the soil of Pakistan, resulting in a senseless loss of 24 brave Pakistani soldiers;
* That this is an attack on the sovereignty of Pakistan; a harsh setback to the relationship between these two important allies; and a tragedy for the families of these soldiers;
* That the United States and NATO must offer an immediate and explicit apology to Pakistan for the loss of life and injuries that have been inflicted;
* That the United States and NATO must demonstrate that they are taking concrete and transparent steps to ensure, such an incident will never occur again;
* That appropriate reparations must be made to the families of the dead and wounded;

The events of November 26th, 2011, in a matter of moments, obliterated months of careful and promising work towards improving U.S.-Pakistan relations.

Yet, we the Citizens of USA, are confident that if swift actions (as resolved and mentioned above) are taken, we can indeed rebuild a relationship based on trust and mutual respect.

Tasleem Siddiqui, President, Pakistani American Association of Greater Houston
Sajjad Burki, President, Pakistani American Council of Texas
Saeed Bashir Gaddi, President, Pakistani American Society of Texas
P. J. Khan Swati, President, Pakistan Chamber of Commerce, USA

This resolution hand delivered in Houston on Fri, Dec 16th, 2011to State Department and Congressional Office of Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee; and copies be mailed to Congresspersons of Texas & some other States – Contact for this Resolution: Sajjad Burki 281-236-9492 / Tasleem Siddiqui 281-236-7597 / Saeed Bashir Gaddi 832-277-6699 / P. J. Khan Swati 832-754-1464.

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Community News (V13-I52)

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Syed Rahman wins national award

JERICHO,NY–Syed Amaan Rahman, a fifth-grade student at Jackson Elementary School, was one of 12 students nationwide to win the McGraw-Hill “What Math Means to Me” art contest, the Syosset-Jericho Tribune reported.

Rahman’s artwork, entitled “Step by Step…Stairway to Learning” was selected from more than 2,400 entries and 72 finalists. Rahman, will receive nearly $15,000 in classroom resources for their school from McGraw-Hill and their sponsors.

His artwork will also be displayed at  new Museum of Mathematics in New York City and will also be featured in the McGraw-Hill My Math student materials.

Muslims bring gifts for nursing home residents

TULSA,OK–Helping out those in need is an Islamic value which doesn’t take into consideration the faith or beliefs of the needy. Tulsa area Muslim women and their supporters did just that by bringing gifts for the elderly residents of a nursing home, the Tulsa World reported.

The effort was started by Teresa Mallak who saw a request for items by the seniors at a local drug store. She had originally planned to bring five of her friends to deliver the requested gifts but the group grew to include several Muslim and non-Muslim volunteers.

“I think it’s very gracious of them,” said Wantha Morgan, 80, a Ranch Terrace resident.

A daughter of one of the residents turned to tears when she saw the Muslims delivering the gifts. “I don’t think kindness should have a label. How sweet. How sweet. How sweet.”

Islamic Center of Boston creates new scholarship

WAYLAND,MA–The Islamic Center of Boston has created a new scholarship to be awarded to a member of the graduating class of Wayland High School.
The text of the award is as follows:

“The Islamic Center of Boston (ICB) has been a part of the Wayland community since 1986. The ICB Award is given to students who have demonstrated dedication to promoting peace and acceptance. The ICB hopes to encourage and support students who strive toward building relationships that cross boundaries of religion, race or ethnicity, and who work toward dispelling prejudice and discrimination.”

The Islamic Center of Boston approached the Wayland High School Scholarship Committee with creating this award in gratitude to the Wayland High students who stepped forward in support of the mosque last year when members of the Westboro (Kansas) Baptist Church engaged in a demonstration against the Muslim community.

Signature campaign planned against Lowes

MOORESVILLE,NC– An interfaith coalition is planning a signature campaign against Lowe’s decision to remove its ads from the “All American Muslim” television show.  Participating organizations include  Faithful America, Change.org, CREDO, Sum of Us, and Groundswell.

They plan to deliver 200,000 signatures to Lowe’s at its headquarters.  The group is asking the company to apologize to the Muslim community for its pullout.

Lowe’s has been facing a hail of criticism after its decision. It apologized on facebook but stood by the decision. The facebook post was deleted after it attracted thousands of angry comments.

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BADC Chair Nazmul Hassan Receives PhD

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By Nazmul Hassan

The Bangladeshi American Democratic Caucus (BADC) Chairman Nazmul Hassan (Shahin) received a PhD degree in Industrial Engineering from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan on Saturday, December 10, 2011. Shahin’s Dissertation Topic was “A Collaborative Framework in Outbound Logistics for the US Automakers.” His advisor was Dr. Alper E. Murat.
In his research, Shahin presented an integrated collaboration framework for the outbound logistics operations of the US automakers. Shahin proposed three levels for the US automakers to form outbound logistics collaboration: operational, tactical, and strategic. He developed a capacitated multi-commodity multi-period minimum cost network flow (MCNF) model with frequency based shipments. He also developed and integrated new inventory, lost sales, and expedited shipments models into the MCNF model and then reformulated the baseline model through the novel linearization approaches for computational tractability.

Operational, tactical, and strategic collaboration adaptations are developed using the baseline model. Shahin conducted stylized experiments for sensitivity analysis and a case study based on two major US automotive OEMs (Ford and GM) to demonstrate the benefits of collaboration. The research results indicate that collaboration at all levels improves the delivery and cost performance of the Outbound Logistics Network Systems.

Through this research, Shahin showed that collaboration in the intra- and inter-OEM outbound logistics operations is a critical area that the US automakers need to pay attention and prioritize in their cost reduction initiatives. Through the horizontal collaboration in the outbound logistics operations, the US automakers can deliver finished vehicles to their customer at the optimum cost levels which cannot be achieved in isolation. The optimization of outbound logistics operations through consolidation and collaboration among OEMs has tremendous potential to contribute to the profitability by lowering the cost of transportation, in-house inventory, transportation time, and facility costs.

Shahin and his wife Farzana Ferdous, daughter Samin Hassan (9), and son Safaat Hassan (4) live in Belleville, Michigan. 

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