Simerjit Kaur, Candidate for Mississauga City Council, Ward 5 rolled up her sleeves and helped volunteers gather and pack donations for victims the Pakistan flood over the weekend.

“We all have a responsibility to help those in need and we have a very strong and successful South Asian community here in Ward 5 that can get together with the larger community to make a difference,” said Kaur. “I commend the organizers of this event for pulling it together so quickly and working hard to get help to the people of Pakistan.”

Kaur donated rice, lentils, juice and laundry soap to the cause and assisted the volunteers with unloading, sorting and packing boxes for shipping to Pakistan.

The event was organized by the Zafar Sultan Memorial Trust and the Pakistani community of Mississauga and Oakville. Mr. Haroon Khan, Mr. Altaf Kapadia, Mr. Taufiq Yusuf and Mr. Raheem Mawani and Asif Aziz were all instrumental in organizing the event. More than 50 volunteers were on hand and many people came by to donate high need items such as powdered milk, water bottles, cooking oil and candles.

“I have known Simerjit for many years and I knew I could count on her to come out and support us,” said key organizer Haroon Khan. “The entire community should support her so she can continue to do more good work for us as Mississauga City Hall.”

The group will continue accepting donations of food items on Saturday September 4 – Sunday September 5, from 11 am – 5 pm at 2855 Derry Road East (one block west or Airport Road in Subway Sandwich complex). They are also looking for volunteers to help pack boxes on Wednesday September 1st  and on September 4 & 5th. Those interested in volunteering may call 416-540-8477.

Simerjit Kaur is running in Ward 5 Mississauga. Election Day is October 25. For more information visit. www.simerkaur.com

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At-Risk Youths Urge Mayoral Candidates to Support Social Initiatives on Youth Crime

Mayoral Candidates debate happens 3km away from Non-Profit Organizations’ own platform

At precisely the same time that Toronto’s mayoral candidates debate strategies at the Youth Priority Symposium taking place at Ryerson University on September 2^nd, 2010, tackling issues such as youth violence and homicide, the marginalization of youth, and the value of social initiatives engaging youth, less than 3km away, at-risk youth who are a key focus of this debate will be at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts bringing their own platform and voices to the stage.

Did you notice bright orange coloured donation boxes over the past weekend? Over 40 volunteers were going from South Asian retail store to store in Mississauga, Brampton and Rexdale, Etobicoke area to seek permission from store owners to leave the donation boxes to raise funds for flood victims of Pakistan. These were volunteers for Hope for Pakistan campaign, a grassroots campaign that is trying to mobilize South Asian community to donate generously to help flood victims.

Volunteers

The campaign has been motivated by the Canadian government’s dollar-to-dollar matching commitment.  “We were pleased with the federal government’s announcement and felt the responsibility to let others know in order to maximize its outcome,” said Sadia Qureshi, Hope for Pakistan’s Executive Associate Director.

Running until September 12, 2010, the last date by which donations will be matched, the campaign will drive donations through its website (hopeforpakistan.ca).

According to the 2006 Census, Pakistan is the third largest source country of newcomers to the Toronto area.  Pakistan’s national language, Urdu, also experienced the largest growth in Canada of all non-official language mother tongues, from 87,000 in 2001 to 156,000 in 2006.  South Asians also form Canada’s largest visible minority community.  “We are confident that through a proactive approach, members of our local communities will come through, if even by donating a few dollars each.  In Pakistan, one Canadian dollar can feed a family of four for one day so it is no understatement to say that your dollar will really go a long way,” said Qureshi.  Key GTA-based media and businesses have committed to spreading the word and will be featured at hopeforpakistan.ca.

The Canadian public’s aid response has been far less than expected, even in light of the United Nations confirmation that the floods have affected more people than the Southeast Asian tsunami and the recent earthquakes in Kashmir and Haiti combined.  This has been attributed, in part, to an image deficit facing Pakistan.

“Given Canada’s outstanding reputation in providing international disaster relief, we were saddened by the Canadian public’s response to the floods. “Our team believes that this crisis begs to be seen through more of a humanitarian lens when the World Health Organization itself has concluded that there are at least six million people in need of life-saving assistance,” said Qureshi.

As I walked toward Humber College – North campus on Sunday, it was deserted at first. However near Humber residence, it was all crowded with students dragging suit cases with pillows tucked under their arms, boxes of dry food, electronics and everyday items. While the excitement of having independent lives was apparent, some faces looked nervous.

Varun Malia, international culinary arts student at Humber College

Humber residence had racks of brouchers at the entrance for students who are not from Toronto to visit in an effort to alleviate the feelings of loneliness. For its students, Humber College offers various choices when it comes to choosing who the students wish to spend their time at college with. There is a floor for noisy students and quiet floor for those who prefer hushed down corridor. There is a floor for international students where the support is available to familiarize these new students with Canadian culture, places to visit and Humber traditions.

From L – R: Mother, Daughter, Arjun (electronic engineering student at Humber), gradma Kanwal and father Taranyit

Various companies offer meal plans to students. While dietary needs like Halal or vegetarian food only can be compensated, students have to be cognizant of their own needs.

The new students were helped and guided by senior students and Humber staff.

One of these older students, Varun Malia, works in housekeeping. He, with a group of few students, was guiding new students of dos and don’ts of living at Humber residence.

Varun Malia, an international student from Chandigarh, India, will be starting his third semester at Humber’s culinary program. He has enjoyed his time at Humber because of the support base provided by the college administration. He likes his housekeeping job at Humber. “It’s totally different here,” but it is not “awkward anymore,” he says about his experience at Humber and Canada.

Amid the entire crowd, we noticed a South Asian dad with a grandma.

Not a traditional father, Taranyit Chowdhary, a dentist by training from India, was seeing his son, Arjun, off at Humber College residence. Next to him sat Arjun’s grandmother Kanwal Chowdhary who had come all the way from India to see her grandson off to college.

Mr. Chowdhary said that he is having his son move from Mississauga to keep alive family tradition of moving away from home for college and to have his son “meet all the good looking girls.”

The grandma was not so keen of the idea though. “I want him to do very well, study well, spend time beautifully and make full use of it,” said Arjun’s grandma who thinks of Arjun as “a very sensible boy.”

Arjun chose to come to Humber College because it “offered more career choices and specialized programs.”  Arjun has been enrolled in electronic engineering program, a career same as his grandfather who had passed away a few days ago. He wanted to live in residence “to meet all people.” He was all set to take advantage of opportunities of getting involved in activities offered at Humber, and was looking forward to Frosh week.

While Arjun and I talked, the DJ made an announcement that So You Think You Can Dance stars will be coming to Humber College on Sunday night. And Arjun’s younger sister was all awed and ready to move to residence herself.

It can breed tolerance of or, worse yet, support for radicalism and terrorism, and it can stimulate opposition to American policies as well as to local leaders in Arab and Muslim-majority countries who associate themselves with the United States.

Richard Hass, President of Council on Foreign Relations

We tend to think of foreign policy as something conceived and carried out by diplomats in the State Department, but in many cases the most significant foreign policy is that done by Americans going about their lives. Call it foreign policy by example.

Thanks to satellite television and the Internet and foreign visitors, what happens here in the United States quickly spreads to the rest of the world. The debate over the proposed Islamic Community Center near Ground Zero in New York City is a domestic debate, but one with international repercussions. The initial reaction in the Arab and Muslim worlds has thus far been relatively muted. There are expressions of respect for American tolerance in allowing a Muslim religious institution to be built near so sensitive a site. And there is concern that the negative public reaction in this country might set back the cause of Muslim integration in the United States.

The danger is that a third reaction will gain hold abroad. What I have in mind is anti-Americanism, a possible response to increasingly strident statements by Americans that appear to be anti-Muslim. And such anti-Americanism has unfortunate potential: It can breed tolerance of or, worse yet, support for radicalism and terrorism, and it can stimulate opposition to American policies as well as to local leaders in Arab and Muslim-majority countries who associate themselves with the United States. This has the potential to take a toll on prospects for U.S. policies throughout the greater Middle East, including U.S. efforts designed to promote peace, stabilize Iraq and Afghanistan, and isolate Iran.

That would be tragic. The central issue that needs to be aired is what more can be done to discourage individuals from committing acts of terrorism in the name of Islam. Ideally, such actions and such individuals would be delegitimized by their fellow Muslims, who are in a unique position to challenge them. But this requires that those Muslims–many of whom live in America–who represent a more modern and tolerant vision of Islam have the opportunity to show that there is a better way. It is time to move ahead with the community center–either as planned or nearby–and get on with this larger debate.

In the minds of those who are swayed by the most radical interpretations of Islam, the “Ground Zero Mosque” will not be seen as a center for peace and reconciliation. It will rather be celebrated as a monument erected on the site of a great “military” victory.

Daniel Senor, CFR Adjunct Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies

Supporters of the Ground Zero Mosque typically cite religious freedom. I do not object to the mosque because it is a mosque, nor do I have any wish to curtail Islamic freedom of worship. Where a particular facility is sited is not a matter of religious liberty. My concern is that two blocks from Ground Zero is an inappropriate and insensitive location for this center.

In the minds of those who are swayed by the most radical interpretations of Islam, the “Ground Zero Mosque” will not be seen as a center for peace and reconciliation. It will rather be celebrated as a monument erected on the site of a great “military” victory. This reality is clear enough after studying the recruitment propaganda used by terrorist groups that exists on the web and elsewhere. Progressive Muslim leaders who reject the link between Islam and the radicalism espoused by al-Qaeda must be wary of helping to further this rhetoric, even inadvertently.

My deeper concern is what effect the Ground Zero Mosque would have on the families of 9/11 victims, survivors of and first responders to the attacks, and New Yorkers in general. Many understandably see the area as sacred ground. Nearly all of them also reject the equation of Islam with terrorism. But many believe that Ground Zero should be reserved for memorials to the event itself and to its victims.

Another site–not just away from Ground Zero but also closer to residential neighborhoods–would serve the institution and the city better. Worshipers would be closer and the communities that need help would also benefit from proximity. New York City’s elected officials and business and civic leaders should help Imam Rauf select and secure another site, to overcome regulatory hurdles, and to make up for any lost time.

Simply choosing another site would meet my concern about symbolism without curtailing worshipers’ freedom by one iota.

If those desiring the mosque truly are seeking greater interfaith understanding and reconciliation, they will hear the pain of their fellow Americans and will graciously agree to move their mosque two or three blocks farther away from Ground Zero

Richard Land, President, Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Southern Baptist Convention

The controversy over the new mosque, proposed in the immediate proximity to Ground Zero of the 9/11 attacks, symbolizes that the trauma of 9/11 is still a raw and unhealed emotional wound in American society. It is perhaps most analogous to a similar sneak attack on American soil at Pearl Harbor, HI, on December 7, 1941. These two events, both costing approximately three thousand American lives, were premeditated attacks by enemies of the United States. The fact that they occurred on American soil, and not at some overseas site, brought them close to home.

If those desiring the mosque truly are seeking greater interfaith understanding and reconciliation, they will hear the pain and concern expressed by their fellow Americans and will graciously agree to move their mosque two or three blocks farther away from Ground Zero.

Even sixty-nine years later, it would be unacceptable for most Americans to have a Japanese Shinto shrine within sight of USS Arizona. There is a Shinto shrine in Honolulu approximately three miles from the USS Arizona, and that is as it should be. Japanese-American followers of the Shinto religion have the right to have places of worship in close proximity to where they live. They do not, however, have the right to build a shrine right next to the USS Arizona. That ground has been hallowed by the deaths of the American sailors who perished there.

Similarly, Americans have overwhelmingly decided that Ground Zero is hallowed ground consecrated by the nearly three thousand people who died there. And while the overwhelming majority of Muslims–American and otherwise–repudiate the radical Islamic Jihadism of those who perpetrated the attack on the World Trade Center, it is still the case that it was done in the name of a perverted understanding of Islam. If those desiring the mosque truly are seeking greater interfaith understanding and reconciliation, they will hear the pain and concern expressed by their fellow Americans and will graciously agree to move their mosque two or three blocks farther away from Ground Zero.

Why should Muslims work with us overseas, on any issue, if the perception grows worldwide that Americans cannot treat their fellow American-Muslims with respect?

Chris Seiple, President, Institute for Global Engagement

This discussion has been reduced to a false choice between constitutional right and earnest emotion. We must engage the emotion in order to sustain the right. If I had to choose today, I would of course support the Lockean principles of conscience and property. But I don’t think we need to choose just yet.

The folks I know–from across the political and theological spectrum–have never been more disappointed in the state of our public discourse. They seek an honest discussion. And if peace-building is the purpose of the proposed mosque, then the building is now less important than the conversation it has catalyzed and how we treat each other.

Indeed, if we cannot embody a principled pluralism in this conversation–agreeing to disagree with respectful and mutual courtesy over our deepest differences–then how dare we promote such ideas abroad? Why should Muslims work with us overseas, on any issue, if the perception grows worldwide that Americans cannot treat their fellow American-Muslims with respect?

Make no mistake, the conduct of this conversation speaks to the essence of our beliefs, our resulting way of life, and therefore the reason we send our troops overseas.

So why not take a step back, take a deep breath, and have an intentional, national conversation? (As I have suggested at the Washington Post and on our Facebook page.) As a result, we might increase mutual understanding and respect, according to the best of our faith traditions and the best of America . . . and maybe all parties can agree on the most appropriate site for the mosque.

If we can seize this moment, and be the best of who we are, we will also ensure our ultimate victory over the terrorists.

I suspect that many who defended freedom of speech over religious sensibilities during the Rushdie affair are now arguing that the planners of this project forgo their right for the sake others’ sensitivities.

Kambiz GhaneaBassiri, Associate Professor of Religion and Humanities, Reed College, Author of “A History of Islam in America”

The planned Park 51 project [the site for the intended community center] symbolizes the role religious minorities have historically played in shaping American national identity. If we step back from the current hysteria and look at the debates surrounding this project through the lens of the history of American Islam, remarkably what is lost by many is that in defending religious freedom on a national stage, American Muslims are actively defining precisely what it means to be American.

This is not the first time American Muslims have played a significant role in shaping America’s national identity. During the civil rights movement, they struggled to help realize the ideal of racial equality, and their activism has been emblematically memorialized in American history through Malcolm X (Malik al-Shabazz). During the protests against Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses, American Muslims played an important role in preempting the divisions that this affair engendered in Europe. They defended freedom of speech while appealing to non-Muslims to understand their religious sensibilities. American Muslim activists sought a balance between freedom of speech and cultural sensitivity.

I suspect that many who defended freedom of speech over religious sensibilities during the Rushdie affair are now arguing that the planners of this project forgo their right for the sake others’ sensitivities.

There is an important lesson about American Islam in this irony. In their long history of both positive and negative engagement with non-Muslims, American Muslims have generally believed in an American sense of fair play. Today, their defense of the First Amendment on the national stage shows they continue to believe that as long as they play their part as citizens, their mosques and Islamic centers will be accepted for what they are–American institutions. The resolution of this controversy lies in this realization.

Source: http://www.cfr.org/publication/22830/is_a_mosque_near_ground_zero_a_bad_idea.html

At 13:00 hrs on August 26^th afternoon, the “A” Division RCMP held a press conference with regards to the arrest of three individuals by the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (AINSET), in relation to terrorist offences. Here is the integral speech pronounced by the Commanding Officer of “A” Division, Assistant Commissioner François Bidal, as well as the Officer in Charge of Criminal Operations, Chief Superintendant Serge Therriault.

Assistant Commissioner François Bidal’s Speaking Points

• Over the course of the past 36 hours the RCMP “A” Division Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (AINSET) arrested two Ottawa residents, named Hiva Mohammad Alizadeh and Misbahuddin Ahmed, and arrested a London Ontario resident named Khurram Syed Sher in relation to terrorist offences. Search warrants have been executed in order to secure additional evidence. The investigation is ongoing.

• The AINSET is currently comprised of investigators from the RCMP, Ottawa Police Service (OPS), Sûreté du Québec (SQ), the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS). Further assistance was also provided by the London Ontario Police Service, as well as the RCMP in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Québec.

• INSETs work toward reducing the threat of terrorist criminal activity in Canada and abroad. These specialized investigative teams are responsible for detecting, preventing, disrupting and investigating terrorism.

• They are a direct result of the Canadian Anti-Terrorism Act that was enacted so terrorism could be fought more effectively while respecting human rights.  Canadians and people everywhere are entitled to live their lives in peace, freedom and security.

• I would like to thank all of the men and women who have worked many long hours in order to protect the safety and security of our communities. I would also like to thank their families who have made many sacrifices and continue to support our efforts to keep Canadians safe.

• Furthermore, I would like to acknowledge the tremendous support and cooperation of all policing and intelligence partners, with whom we have collaborated from the beginning of this criminal investigation.

• At all times, the primary focus of the criminal investigation was the safety and protection of the public. We continue to work closely with partners at all levels – municipal, provincial, federal and international – to ensure everyone’s safety and security. These arrests demonstrate Canada’s resolve to root out terrorist threats and prosecute terrorists through a fair and open judicial process.

• Before we talk about the police investigation, I would like to invite Mr. Raymond Boisvert, Assistant Director CSIS, to speak.

• Thank you Mr Boisvert, I will now turn it over to C/Supt. Serge Therriault, the Officer in Charge of Criminal Operations here at “A” Division, who will share some of the highlights of this National Security criminal investigation with you.

Chief Superintendant Serge Therriault’s Speaking Points

• Since September 2009, AINSET has been conducting a criminal investigation into the activities of several individuals in regards to terrorism in Canada and abroad.

• Project SAMOSSA focused on the criminal activities of several Canadian citizens, and their intent to commit a violent terrorist act.

• The objective of this national security criminal investigation has always been to protect the Canadian public from a terrorist attack by identifying persons participating in any plan to carry out terrorist criminal activity, by determining their roles, and by gathering evidence leading to the prosecution of those involved.

• Throughout the course of this year-long criminal investigation, investigators have conducted extensive surveillance on the suspects involved, and employed various other police techniques to gather the evidence to support criminal charges.

• At this time, investigators have grounds to believe that Hiva Mohammad Alizadeh, Misbahuddin Ahmed and Khurram Syed Sher form part of a “Terrorist Group”, as it is defined in the Criminal Code, and were participating in “Terrorist Activity” in relation to that group, within Canada.

• The individuals targeted by Project SAMOSSA were in possession of schematics, videos, drawings, instructions, books and electronic components designed specifically for the construction of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). The RCMP has evidence to support the fact that a member of this group has also taken training that provided him with the knowledge to construct electronic and explosive devices.

• Amongst other things, investigators have seized more than 50 electronic circuit boards designed specifically to remotely detonate IEDs.

• AINSET investigators have grounds to believe that Alizadeh, Ahmed and Sher are part of a domestic terrorist group operating in Canada. We also believe that Alizadeh is a member of, and remains in contact with, a terrorist group with links to the conflict in Afghanistan.

• Part of the decision to make the arrests at this time was to prevent the suspects from providing financial support to terrorist counterparts for the purchase of weapons, which would in turn be used against coalition forces and our troops.

Charges

Hiva Mohammad Alizadeh, is a 30-year-old Canadian citizen and resident of Ottawa.
Misbahuddin Ahmed, is a 26-year-old Canadian citizen and resident of Ottawa.
Khurram Syed Sher, is a 28-year-old Canadian citizen and resident of London, Ontario.

They have been charged as follows:

1. That Hiva Mohammad Alizadeh, Misbahuddin Ahmed and Khurram Syed Sher, between the 1st day of February, 2008 and the 24th day of August, 2010, did conspire with James Lara, Rizgar Alizadeh and Zakaria Mamosta, and person or persons unknown, at or near the City of Ottawa, Province of Ontario, and elsewhere in Canada, and in Iran, Afghanistan, Dubai and Pakistan, to commit an indictable offence, to wit: knowingly facilitating a terrorist activity, in violation of s. 83.19 of the Criminal Code, thereby committing an offence under s. 465(1)(c) of the Criminal Code.

1. That Hiva Mohammad Alizadeh unlawfully did, between the 1st day of September, 2009 and the 24th day of August, 2010, in the City of Ottawa, Province of Ontario, commit an indictable offence, to wit: making or having in his possession an explosive substance with intent thereby to endanger life or cause serious damage to property, or to enable another person to do so, in violation of s. 81(1)(d) of the Criminal Code, for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a terrorist group, thereby committing an offence contrary to s. 83.2 of the Criminal Code.

1. That Hiva Mohammad Alizadeh unlawfully did, between the 1st day of September, 2009 and the 24th day of August, 2010, in the City of Ottawa, Province of Ontario, and elsewhere in Canada, directly or indirectly, collect property, provide or invite a person to provide, or make available property or financial services, knowing that, in whole or in part, they will be used by or will benefit a terrorist group, contrary to s. 83.03 of the Criminal Code.

• Amongst the items seized at various locations were circuit boards intended for use as components in Remote Controlled Improvised Explosive Devices. These are considered to be explosive substances as defined in the Criminal Code. A vast quantity of terrorist literature and instructional material was seized, showing that the suspects had the intent to construct an explosive device for terrorist purposes.

• This group posed a real and serious threat to the citizens of the National Capital Region and Canada’s national security. Our criminal investigation and arrests prevented the assembly of any bombs and the terrorist attack(s) from being carried out.

• This criminal investigation is ongoing and we have an obligation to protect the integrity of the evidence we have uncovered. As this matter is now before the courts, the RCMP will not comment further on the specifics of this particular case.

• In any such investigation, our strength is our ability to mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, and information through greater cooperation among stakeholders, including members of the private sector, community groups and the general public. Within the NCR, we join efforts with the first responder community under the umbrella of Operation INTERSECT. This is a program designed to ensure we respond in a standardized, integrated and coordinated manner to the ever-changing threats. It establishes a response framework that makes the most of both human and technical resources from partner agencies.

• In closing, I would encourage the public to call the National Security TIP Line at 1-800-420-5805 to report information regarding terrorism, criminal extremism or suspicious activities that could pose a threat to public safety and security. You, the public, are our most valuable partners in maintaining the level of safety and security all of us enjoy in this country. Canada is not immune to the threat of terrorism.

A Message from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS)

As part of its mandate, CSIS conducted its own separate, parallel investigation in order to obtain security intelligence information concerning the individuals arrested. Security intelligence leads collected by CSIS relating to potentially serious threats to the safety and security of Canadians were provided to the RCMP. The RCMP and their law enforcement colleagues in INSET undertook an intensive and exhaustive criminal investigation which culminated in the arrests of these individuals.

This case is an excellent example of the strong relationship which exists between CSIS and the RCMP; two independent agencies with separate mandates. CSIS is publicly acknowledging its role to clearly demonstrate that it is actively engaged in keeping Canadians safe.

In the mist of celebrations and preparations for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Pakistanis’ all over the world have been shaken by the devastating toll the massive flood has taken on their ancestor’s land.  Although governments and federations such as the United Nations have been disappointingly slow in taking action to prevent the already high death toll from rising, a remarkable effort has been shown on part of the citizens of Canada. Facebook, being the leading social networking site, has become a portal of humanity, helping ordinary citizens and residents of Canada to create fundraisers, emergency aid drives, donation centres and more.

Dozens of groups, event pages, messages and posts have been sent out by individuals with no prior affiliation with charity work as a desperate act to save the unfortunate victims of the floods in Pakistan. From setting up and organizing drop-off locations for used clothing, tents, and food items, to creating t-shirts with catchy phrases such as “iPray” to appeal to the youth of our community as a means of fundraising, amazing efforts have been shown on their parts.

The youth, of not only the Islamic and Pakistani community, but all youth from different backgrounds, schools, and cities came together to vouch for a united cause. United South Asians @ York (USAY), Hindu Students Council, Pakistan Student Associations of different universities have come together to gather supplies. One Facebook group is selling T-shirts to raise funds for flood victims.

Strangers become partners on Facebook, monitoring donation drop-off locations in their areas. The locations stretch all across the GTA, in major cities such as Milton, Mississauga, Brampton, Toronto and more.

TENTS FROM TORONTO is a Facebook that has been started by a Pakistani woman named Asma Mahmood in efforts of providing much needed shelter to the estimated 20 million Pakistani’s which were left homeless as a result of the disaster. Other efforts where shown by University students, who decided to collect clothing personally from door to door, and even offered their homes as drop-off locations.

The response they received has been overwhelming. Hundreds of people have responded to their requests and put forward generous monetary donations, as well as other goods which are desperately needed.

If you have not yet donated to this very worthy cause, or would like to make more donations, they can still be made. PIA has announced that they will be taking donations such as canned food items and medication to Pakistan every Tuesday. For further information please visit one of the Facebook groups which have been created for this cause and please donate generously.

Author:Maham Abedi

Finally Pakistan has accepted $5 million aid from its western neighbor India after about week’s consideration. Was it deliberation or was it under the US pressure that the government of Pakistan has accepted the aid?

State Department spokesperson Mr. Crowley had said in press briefings “In terms of responding to a disaster, politics should play no role. You have a country (India) that’s willing to help (Pakistan), and… we expect that Pakistan will accept.”

And Pakistan did accept.

One has to wonder why a government in crisis would refuse assistance, any form of assistance from anyone in the world. The people of Pakistan are suffering. There is no clean drinking water. There is no shelter as floods washed away people’s homes. There is no food or medicines and there is an imminent danger of spread of water borne diseases. Under such circumstances how can a responsible government say no to help for its people. Allegations that charities with ties to militant groups are helping out to provide relief to people have already been reported in international press. Jamat-ud-Dawa is believed to be actively engaged in helping people.

In 2007, when Pakistan was struck with the earthquakes, India offered its helicopters to outreach the affected areas. The offer, however, was refused because, well, Pakistanis did not want Indians to be on board the helicopters and Indians didn’t just want to give out their helicopters.

At the time Pakistan and India were quite friendly, so the much needed assistance was provided in many other ways. Also, it was widely reported by Indian press unlike this time when floods in Pakistan is hardly the headline news in Indian media.

But one also has to stop and think that couldn’t one of the biggest democracies of the world – that is emerging as a world power –  have donated more to help. India’s GDP according to World Bank is 8.60% with a growth rate of more than 7 per cent since 1997. As a bigger country, couldn’t India have a bigger heart to help its next door neighbour, to show good will gesture toward people who are in desperate need. India is the biggest supplier of relatively inexpensive medicine. Many Western countries are medically outsourcing to India for cheaper but effective medical care. Can we expect India to open its heart and purse for its neighbours?

We’ll see.

For now at least here in North American, South Asian youth is doing its part. It is fundraising and the pain of youth of Pakistani background is equally felt by youth of Indian background as they have become school mates, college friends and work place colleagues. While the prejudices of the first generation immigrants have subsided to a great degree, youth has become the best hope for the world and humanity within the world. Or perhaps, we live in a humane society where to share and be humane is ingrained in us.

Author: Rahul  Mehta

Friday, September 29, 2006 was a somnolent autumn afternoon in the village of Khairlanji, an agrarian community of 787 families in India’s richest state Maharashtra. Farmers rested after their work in the fields. Many celebrated substantive profits to carry their families through to the next harvest.

The Bhotmange family, however, headed by Bhaiyalal Bhotmange, 55, lived in abject poverty. A flaneur in the fields, he routinely made meager annual income from his harvest. While he remained in the fields, his wife Surekha , 40, who worked part-time to pay for the education of their three children, waited in their ramshackle hut for their daughter Priyanka, 17, to return with water from the village well.

At approximately 2 p.m. she returned with horrifying news.

According to the Indian advocacy group Navayana, Priyanka overheard village elders planning an assault on their family. Mother and daughter spoke in soft, sibilant whispers. Roshan, 21, and Sudhir, 19, did not hear the conversation between their mother and sister. Priyanka had also overheard a plan to assault their relatives who lived on the outskirts of the village. She rode her bicycle, which her mother had only recently gifted her to pursue her education at a distant college, to warn their relatives and returned by 5 p.m. to learn her mother had not contacted the police. Surekha knew they would not offer any assistance without a bribe.     The Bhotmanges had been assaulted by villagers in 2002 . Then, Bhaiyalal paid a bribe to win some police protection.

Suddenly, at 6 p.m., while Surekha prepared dinner and her children studied, a mob of 60 to 70 people, men and women, rushed towards their home. The marauding mob was armed with sticks, axes, cycle chains, iron rods and knives. Many of them were drunk and included convicts, some who were released on bail the same afternoon. They were screaming,“ Beat the bastards.”

They lynched the Bhotmanges. Only one woman from the village attempted to stop the preprandial assault. She did not succeed.

Surekha and Priyanka were dragged out by their hair and beaten. Roshan and Sudhir, who was partially blind, were forced to rape their mother and sister. They resisted, their genitals were crushed and they were hacked to death. Surekha and Priyanka were raped repeatedly, bullock-cart pokers were plunged into their vaginas and they were raped to death.

Bhaiyalal, who was still in the fields, watched the mob. Between 6 p.m. and 6 30 p.m., he witnessed the attack from a distance. He hobbled to the nearest station for help. “ I heard the mob shouting out for me,” Bhaiylal said to Navayana activists.

But by 8 p.m. the Bhotmanges were dead and their bodies dumped into a canal. A local political bigwig, Bhaskar Kadav, culminated the inhumane orgy ceremoniously. He raped the corpses. “We have shown them their place,” he said. The mob applauded.

In two hours, Bhaiyalal lost his wife and his three children. And after swearing themselves to secrecy, the mob dispersed for dinner. The blood on their hands vanished in a trice.

Khairlanji returned to normal.

Khairlanji was not an anomaly. Dr. Arun Prabha Mukherjee, an Indo-Canadian academic at York University, tells me that such debauchery is the price every Indian can expect to pay for being born a Dalit, the lowest and loathed category in the Hindu Varna caste system.

The Bhotmanges were Dalits.

According to India’s National Crime Records Bureau, as of 2008, every 18 minutes in India, a crime is committed against a Dalit. Every day, on average, three Dalit women are raped, two Dalits are murdered, two Dalit houses are burned and 11 Dalits are beaten.

The Bhotmanges had experienced a “normal” day in India.

Mukherjee has lived through India’s Varna for 24 years. Although she is not a Dalit, she has witnessed atrocities against them. Now in Canada, she teaches post-colonial literatures and is dedicated to documenting the atrocities against Dalits in her home country.

Much before Canada prepares to forge further economic ties with India at the G20 summit, a mordant Mukherjee wants the Indian leadership to be questioned about India’s casteism.

“ Canadians need to know the reality of incredible India,” she says. A 2007 Human Rights Watch report declared the treatment of Dalits to be the “Hidden Apartheid” of India.

And Dalits are not a minority. The Indian National Campaign on Dalit Human Rights        ( NCDHR ) calculates the murdered Bhotmanges to have been four of the oppressed 170 million Dalits of India’s population. Everyday , approximately 20 percent of India’s population in 2010 suffers from being born into a particular caste.

This population of Indian Dalits, equaling roughly the entire population of eastern Europe, lives under the brutish eyes of the Varna.

The Varna, a hybrid of various Hindu scriptures, is India’s 3,000-year-old caste system and Dalits are stuffed into the lowest category. A malicious rancour exists between Dalits  and the four castes above them. The Varna gecks Dalits to be the incarnation of filth. Upper castes do not touch Dalits for fear of being polluted with their ills.

The Varna preaches “untouchability” and Dalits are instructed to isolate themselves and engage in menial, demeaning work. From picking up human excrement on their heads to disposing of carcasses with their bare hands, Dalits are to remain lampooned as the lowest caste and are not to aspire social mobility. Each of the castes perform specific functions in the community and, thus, inherently the system prevents social mobility and maintains a supply of workers.

However, if, like the Bhotmanges, Dalits dare to educate themselves or own property, the Varna is insulted. In India, the land of a million mutinies, such recalcitrant behavior triggers violence.

The manifest destiny of the Dalits is to be crushed by the weight of the castes above them : the term Dalit comes from the Sanskrit root Dal, which means to break open and crush.

Various fact finding reports reveal the Bhotmanges were lynched, for no other reason, than for being Dalits. The Bhotmanges’ crime was shedding their caste.“ We were living on our own accord. We did not have any relations with them [ upper castes ],” Bhaiylal said in a public interview five weeks after the massacre.

Author: Ali Abbas

So we`ve reached the final stage, or the last point in the cycle, for those who believe in reincarnation. Elder hood for South Asians brings with it an influx of emotions and complexity of thought. Many believe that South Asians will have “figured it all out“ by this stage. It is common, however, that a South Asian elder is just starting to figure themselves out, and is discovering a whole new appreciation of what it means to be South Asian.

Elder hood is certainly an interesting stage and is marked by strong direction in one area. Throughout the various stages of life there is always a kind of central theme or purpose that propels an individual’s life towards a certain goal.  You must figure out what you want to pursue as a young adult, find balance in your marriage, raise children with certain principles, and focus on discovering success in your field. After retirement, your kids are grown up and independent, you’ve found some type of balance in your marriage, and you can no longer derive identity from your career.  Where was the time to find one’s purpose, or identity?

Surely our purpose could not be to race through life, accomplishing all of these predetermined stages, and arriving at elderhood somewhat breathless and unfulfilled. Retirement has now become the beginning of an adventure, rather than the end of life. Elder hood brings the opportunity to focus on yourself and exactly what you want from your life as it remains.

For the South Asian community, there are numerous ways through which this is accomplished. Retired South Asians that I spoke with did such a variety of things, from reviving old hobbies to adopting completely new ones. They’ll get together with friends more often, play cards, rant about South Asian politics, and become more engaged in South Asian movies and music. While this is a more “light-hearted” approach to rediscovering one’s South Asian identity, others take a more “serious” route during their stage of elder hood.

Some elders that were spoken to became spiritually driven once they arrived at this stage of life. Spirituality is something that deserves devotion of time, and these individuals simply had not made the time before this. While one may abstractly state that life is unpredictable, reaching stages of elder hood can cause one to become restlessly uncertain of what the end of life means.  Many South Asian belief systems think about the state of the soul, and elderhood is a rather convenient time to focus on this important task.

As we take an intimate look into each of these stages of life for South Asians, we can see that identity is truly rediscovered during each stage. One’s identification with their South Asian heritage also varies depending on which part of life we are at, and can be influenced by factors such as geographical location and upbringing.

For the true discovery of identity, it is possible that we can never really be comfortable in a transplanted culture. As we rediscover this heritage through each stage of life, we may never find that fulfilling feeling of knowing exactly who you are.  This uncertainty may be a necessary part of life, but we should find a way to attach to our heritage in whatever way we can during each stage. Whether it is a “quick fix” or a deep spiritual connection, we must devote whatever connection is possible to our heritage, and furthermore, our identity.

Author: Myuri Komagiri

The Sun falls bellow the horizon casting the Earth once more into a land of shadows. There is no more hope or beauty in this world, only an impending terror and toil that awaits me in my own personal Hell…THAT’S RIGHT KIDS! IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL TIME. (And who says South Asians are melodramatic? Then again I also go to U of T).

1. BUY USED TEXT BOOKS!- Textbooks at your bookstore are insanely expensive, which is why you go to www.tusbe.com. TUSBE is a system by which Toronto University students buy and sell books. You simply respond to the add by emailing the person, and they meet you in person where you pay in cash. It’s quick, easy and effective. USE IT! Also, make sure you buy the correct edition of the book (usually there are several).

2. GO TO LECTURES – No matter how useless you think a lecture is, always go! Going to a lecture can only ever improve your academic performance. Sit wherever you feel most comfortable. If you get distracted very easily, try sitting near or at the very front. Avoid the innate tendency to text, Facebook, Twitter, MSN or play games. Resist the urge to talk to your friend, even if that means sitting apart. Take appropriate notes, and use a recorder if you wish.

3. ASK! – I really stress this point because it’s something my Mom has always made very clear. Don’t ever, ever, EVER be afraid to ask a “stupid” question. If you honestly don’t understand something, chances are you’re not alone, do not feel embarrassed! If you don’t want to ask your question during the lecture, then just talk to the Prof (or Teaching Assistant) after class, or during their office hours. You may also email your Prof or TA. Don’t live in ignorance.

4. LECTURE BUDDY- Always have at least one Lecture Buddy in your class. The 2 of you will supply each other with notes, or missed information if one of you violates tip #2. Furthermore, it’s always nice to have at least one person in a class you know. One of the worst experiences of University for me was sitting in a class where I knew absolutely no one.

5. CLUBS/SPORTS – This is something I personally feel is a key factor to enjoying University. Always, always, always, ALWAYS have at least 1 extracurricular activity. Unlike lectures, this is where you make actual friends. Joining certain clubs and participating in them also looks good on the resume, and Grad school application. Further more, if you join an academic club i.e. “The Biology Club”, it is very likely you will get your hands on past tests/exams which will help you ace your course.

6. STUDYING – If you don’t study what you’re supposed to, you’re not going to do well, it’s as simple as that. Study in a quiet place with little distractions. Make sure to associate this location only with studying. Do not study with a group of friends; instead, if you must, try making a study group with people you don’t know very well. Lastly, go to Google and search “SQ3R”- this is a psychologically proven study technique.

7. SCHEDULE – Create a schedule to incorporate all of the above. Make sure it allows for free time. Mark down any important test/exam dates. Keep it with you, and check it constantly.

8. SOMETHING NEW – This is your opportunity to hit the restart button on life. You can be whoever you want to be. Try something new, do something out of character. Get out of your comfort zone. For example, I was a member of the Origami club

9. HELP AND BE HELPED – Always help someone if you have the means, and convenience to do so. Not only is it a nice thing to do, but people tend to reciprocate, and so in turn you end up helping yourself.

Email: bms041788@hotmail. [If you enjoyed this or need clarification]

Author: Bilal Sarver