Reading fiction is different from writing fiction. The first is an acquired taste; the second is pure torture for a first time writer.

As many of an older generation do, I began to read rather early and not for me the children’s books of Enid Blyton; I preferred Harold Robins’ Carpetbaggers and Jacqueline Susan’s Once is Not Enough. Steamy stuff and thoroughly enjoyable.

Of course, thanks to the insistence of my “elders,” I also read almost the entire works of Charles Dickens and then with age more contemporary writers of the 20^th century. My personal all-time favourite novel: Joseph Heller’s Catch 22 published a few months before my birth.

But this piece is not about my reading; it’s about my writing.

Many years ago, when it was time to choose a career, I stumbled upon journalism quite by accident and thoroughly enjoyed myself for more than a decade.

Never once did I attempt to write fiction. That happened only in Canada.

Once a writer, always a writer is an adage that is true in my case. The urge to write stayed with me even after I quit journalism and went on to do other things while in India; I remained an active freelancer.

When I came here, I was keen to start writing, but couldn’t because of several reasons – I didn’t know anyone, I didn’t know the country and I didn’t have any money so had to do survival job.

Two new acquaintances – Sunil Rao and Nick Noorani (both originally from Mumbai) graciously offered me a platform in their publications South Asian Focus and Canadian Immigrant respectively. I even did a journalism program at Sheridan College, where I met some interesting internationally trained journalists.

However, when you’re doing night shifts as a security guard it doesn’t leave too much time to pursue active journalism.

So, I did something new – write a short story.

Today, when I read the first draft of the short story that I submitted to Diaspora Dialogues in 2009 for its mentoring program I cringe with embarrassment.

The judges must have seen something in it because I was selected as a mentee. The tough, uncompromising taskmaster MG Vassanji was my mentor.

After three months of mentoring, my story was published in TOK 5: Writing the New Toronto in May 2010. My stint as a mentee at Diaspora Dialogues changed my life, so to speak, and I thank Helen Walsh, the President of the organisation for inspiring many like me to take writing fiction seriously.

I developed my short story into a novel.

I submitted the second chapter of my novel for Canadian Voices 2 that was published by Bookland Press in September 2010. Jasmine D’Costa’s Trade Architects Inc, the creative agency that selected the prose and poetry for the anthology, came up with the idea of Indian Voices 1.

Another part of the second chapter of my novel is published in Indian Voices Volume 1. It’s a unique book because while all the writers in the anthology are of Indian descent, they clearly have very different sensibilities considering they are at present living in 16 different countries.

I’m excited about this book also because so far both my stories have been published in Canadian anthologies, Indian Voices is published in India. The Canadian launch of Indian Voices 1 is on April 7 at the Supermarket Art Bar in Toronto.

Mayank Bhatt

1. Host a Green Party Get your friends together for an Earth Hour eco-party. Fire up the flashlights and battery lanterns, serve organic food, avoid the disposable utensils, use natural décor (like flowers and hanging plants) and have a friend provide acoustic music. Talk to your guests about how you’re each reducing your environmental footprint and share ideas and solutions for saving more energy, money and carbon dioxide.2. Give Yourself an Energy Makeover Use Earth Hour to make your home more energy efficient: Replace your old light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs; install power strips (so you can turn computers and electronics on and off more easily); and change your air conditioner filters. Or go one step farther and install one new energy-efficient item, like an EnergyStar qualified DVD player. And on Monday, call your local utility and sign up for green power-like wind, hydro or solar.3. Go Green with Your KidsEarth Hour is a perfect time to talk to your kids about the environment and why we need to protect our planet from the dangers of climate change. Check out books on the environment from the library and read by flashlight, or head into the yard and have a night picnic. Or how about a night of board games?4. Do a Recyclables Scavenger Hunt Get your flashlights and scour your cabinets and shelves for cans, bottles and cardboard (like cereal boxes) that you don’t normally recycle. Make a list of all the non-recyclable containers you’re using now (like plastic shopping bags and butter tubs), and figure out ways to reduce your consumption of items that end up in landfills. One easy tip: get reusable grocery bags… and reuse them!5. Green That Workspace! Working the night shift? Even if you can’t turn off all the lights at work, look around and see what you can unplug, turn down or use less of (like consuming less paper by printing double-sided). Every day millions of computer screens and speakers are left on overnight–shut ‘em off! And talk to your coworkers about what they can do to help make a difference, too.6. Involve Your Local Leaders If your city or town isn’t hosting an Earth Hour event, ask your local government to set up a community “green” discussion this spring. Help organize attendance by reaching out to local environmental and community groups, and come prepared to ask your leaders what they’re doing to make your city greener.7. Clean Up Your Neighborhood Grab a flashlight and take a long walk through your neighborhood, picking up trash and recyclables as you go. It’s a great chance to do some stargazing, too!8. Unplug and Chill Out Most of our daily activities–like watching TV, shopping online and texting friends–require loads of electricity, but do we really need to do so much stuff all the time? Take one hour for yourself to just chill… turn off the screens, put down the handheld devices and just take some “you” time to reflect, read or talk to your family. After all, why do more when you can do less? 9. Take Your Temperature Your thermostat and your refrigerator are responsible for a huge portion of your carbon footprint. If you lower your thermostat by just 2 degrees and set your fridge to 37 degrees F. and the freezer at 0 degrees F., you’ll make a big difference.10. Make a Pledge for the Planet Earth Hour shouldn’t end at 9:01 pm–it’s a chance to take a first step toward lowering your overall impact on the environment. So use part of that hour to make a personal pledge to do more–recycle, drive less often, turn off or unplug electronics, and beyond. The only way we’re going to stabilize our climate is if we make real changes in our everyday lives. That change begins with Earth Hour, and ends with a healthy planet.Source: http://wwf.worldwildlife.org/site/MessageViewer?em_id=11502.0

By Asma Amanat

With hard work barriers will be broken down

MP Deepak Obhari (Vancouver South)

The Prime Minister and I will be inaugurating ‘Year of India.” (It has already been inaugurated). Pakistan is Canada’s important ally in our efforts in Afghanistan; we have helped communities post civil war in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh’s foreign Minister was in Canada just a few day ago.  To build stronger ties between Canada and these South Asian countries, local communities can act as a bridge. The links of the local communities with the South Asian countries are very valuable to us.

I would like to see the South Asian community engaged  overall – culturally, economically, politically businesswise. Their contribution is multi-dimensional.

There is a glass ceiling. As we highlight the disparities, things will change. There is resistance to change. But barriers are broken down every day  and more and more people from visible minorities are serving at higher executive positions.

When there is democracy people thrive and have the right to do what they choose to do. But people must understand that the laws of the country cannot be broken. If they are broken there will be consequences. Beyond that Canada is a free country where people can do whatever they want to do.

Second generation is stranded

MP Navdeep Bains (Brampton South)

Our real success lies in representing more than the South Asian communities. W represent our national interest. The South Asian community has fair amount of political influence.

I frequently hear concerns regarding education, child care services, healthcare and infrastructure.  Many of the issues are related to the second generation people, that is taking care of their elders and parents, making sure that their kids are doing well. This second generation can act as a bridge to understanding mutual interests. This will lead to the development of stronger sense of belonging and participation. As a community, we must hold our community leaders to a higher standard.

Let’s address operational challenges of places of worship

MP Gurbax Malhi, (Bramalea-Gore-Malton)

The over 1.3 million Canadians of South Asian descent have made significant contributions to the development and general welfare of Canada.

Our South Asian origin community is working hard and giving back to its new country. It includes businesspeople, lawyers, doctors, politicians, and individuals performing in numerous other professions. In every field, Canada has been and continues to be greatly enriched by the contributions of its South Asian background community.

Let us resolve to reinvigorate the dialogue and work together toward more sustainable operational models to address the operational challenges faced by some of our places of worship. Let us not engage in infighting, but collaborate to seize the opportunities that will help us realize a brighter and even more prosperous future for ourselves and for our country.

Well known for its ingenuity and ambition, our community has much to offer to Canada and the world.

Political influence transitioning from ceremonial to substantive

MPP Dr. Shafiq Qaadri (Etobicoke North)

One of the great benefits of having so many members of the community elected is the signal sent worldwide.

The political influence exerted currently is moving steadily from soft and ceremonial to hard and substantive. Of course, different parties move at their own rate, some quite reluctantly.”

Treat the new generation better

Ontario Minister of Government Services Harinder Takhar (MPP from Mississauga Erindale)

The greatest strength of the South Asian community lies in the importance we place on education. There are many issues which the newcomers face. The newcomers’ issues are the recognition of foreign credentials, finding a job and the right resources to help them.  The community that has lived here longer holds on to the old customs in the new country. The aging population needs senior centres where other seniors can meet each other. Pension and protection of properties back home is another issue the community faces.

The old and the new generation needs to work together. The old generation needs to understand the new generation better and understand that they cannot be treated the way we were treated back in the day forty or fifty years ago.

Let’s work together and stop leg pulling

- Liberal MP Ruby Dhalla (Brampton Springdale)

As the Member of Parliament for one of the most multicultural, multilingual, and multireligious communities in Canada I have seen firsthand the contributions of immigrants, especially those from the South Asian community who have helped build the foundation of our country. In fact, in Canada’s Parliament the Punjabi language is the 4th most common spoken language by Parliamentarians.  These achievements are a reflection of the dedication, hard work and vision of the South Asian community and serve as a reminder of the many barriers broken, and sacrifices made by those that have come before us. The South Asian community is to be commended for its entrepreneurial spirit, its passion for political participation, and charitable contributions which in my riding of Brampton-Springdale resulted in the Brampton Civic Hospital naming their wards in honour of the followers of the Sikh faith through the establishment of the “Guru Nanak Emergency Services Department.”

I believe a weakness of the community that needs to be improved is the “leg pulling” that occurs. The entire community needs to make a better effort of working together on common issues and challenges facing the Diaspora.

It will only be by working together that we can work to ensure there is greater representation of the Diaspora in decision making capacities on boards, organizations, and elected office so that issues such as foreign credential recognition is addressed to  ensure that professionals immigrating to Canada have their credentials recognized and accredited. In fact, to address this issue one of the first initiatives I undertook when I was elected was to bring forward a private member’s motion that called on the government to work in collaboration with all stakeholders to create a separate department for Foreign Credential Recognition. Since this motion was passed in parliament there has been much progress and I hope moving forward there will be more with the

cooperation and support of the community.

Please be on time

Liberal MP Sukh Dhaliwal (Newton-North Delta)

I believe that the South Asian community is very strong when it comes to the role of the family and the loyalties that bind us all together. Through multi-family households and large extended families, generations are brought together, so that our grandparents and uncles and aunties are all pseudo parents to children and cousins when growing up.

South Asians are also extremely business oriented, and there seems to be an intrinsic inclination towards entrepreneurship and enterprise within the bloodline.  Ingenuity breeds the ideas, hard work solidifies success, and South Asians have never shied away from putting effort into their efforts.  With this success comes the spirit of generosity, which South Asians tend to offer freely due to an appreciation of their good fortune in Canada, and their understanding of the way many have to struggle in their countries of origin.

Finally, I think that South Asians are very strong when it comes to political activism.  For those that have originated from India in particular, the largest democratic system in the world has left a lasting mark when it comes to comprehending the importance of getting involved in the political process.

The only weakness that I can think of off the top of my head is our tardiness when comes to showing up to appointments or scheduled events!

In terms of South Asian youth, the most important piece of advice I can offer is that they should follow their interests, and spread their enthusiasm, talents and work ethic as broadly as possible.  South Asian young people being involved in a variety of activities, causes and fields is an extremely positive thing.

South Asian social life’s attached to places of worship

MPP Kuldip Kular MPP MPP Kuldip Kular (Bramalea-Gore-Malton)

South Asian community brings energy, ambition, determination, drive and passion to Canada. South Asian newcomers understand that in order to succeed they have to struggle. They are industrious people.

Sometimes we have issues like divisions in the South Asian community just like any other community. Coming from countries where the government denies its citizens a lot of things, we try to get things done faster. Many South Asians try to settle down in the areas that we can call ghettos but the South Asian social values are aligned with the mainstream social culture. Being in the government, we cannot just put resources for the South Asian community, we put the funds where they are needed.

As South Asians, our main social life is attached to our faith, so we take our challenges and issues to gurdwaras, mandirs and mosques. Sometimes things like corruption charges happen at the places of worship.

Get involved in broader society

Conservative MP Tim Uppal, (Edmonton–Sherwood Park)

One of the strengths of the South Asian community is its history in Canada that dates back to one hundred years.  South Asian community is well integrated in the society with the focus on building their family and the network. Their hardworking skills and family values are well suited for the Canadian society.

It is true that in some areas the South Asian community is ghettoizing. It is very important that the South Asian community holds on to its traditions and cultures; it’s a good thing. But we have to make sure that the community has the language and the cultural skills to communicate with its neighbours outside of their comfort zone.

The political influence of the South Asian community can be much more

Liberal MP Ujjal Dosanjh (Vancouver South)

The South Asian is not that well organized nationally at least. There are organizations like Indo Canada Chamber of Commerce, Canada-India Foundation but there is lack of consistent perception of the needs of the South Asian community. I don’t believe that given its vast numbers, the South Asian community has political influence as it could have.

Although there are South Asian MPs and MPPs, some of us are individually more ambitious and perhaps more participating, but I believe the community has a potential to be very very strong and be more effective voice in the Canadian political system.

“As representatives from the largest visible minority in Canada, we do count. Witness the recent appointments to the upper chambers both in England and Canada. All parties know that cultivation of multicultural communities must be part of a successful election coalition.

Canada is home. We will live and die in Canada; we must realize that

MPP Yasir Naqvi MPP (Ottawa Centre)

The South Asian community is very hardworking, very focused and determined. We place a lot of emphasis on education as there is cultural tendency to be doctors, engineers, lawyers and accountants. Though education is becoming expensive, it’s far cheaper than any world country and Ontario has the best graduation rate in the G8 countries.

The South Asian community must realize that Canada is home. This is where we live and this is where we will die. Members of the South Asian community should get involved beyond the ethno-cultural organizations to the broader community based organizations in the neighbourhood we live in. When our community grows, we all grow.

Our youth should take ownership of the community to instill the change; that’s where belonging, acceptance and inclusion comes from.

By Billal Sarwar, Toronto

When using a “sweet” nickname, make sure to choose a well established sweetness such as sugar or honey. New sweeteners such as aspartame, and splenda may not have the same appeal. Although if your girlfriend is Pamela Anderson, artificial may be the way to go.

I’ll be honest with you I can’t stand it when couples give each other cute nicknames. They’re almost always awkward and embarrassing, and when I say “awkward and embarrassing” I mean for the people AROUND the couple. The other day I was playing the third wheel having lunch with my friend and his girlfriend. I kid you not, their nicknames for each other are “Luvy-Wuvy” for him, and “Snugly-Bear” for her. After hearing both those names repeated over, and over again I wanted to throw-up in my mouthy-wouthy, and then toss the pair of them of a cliffy-wiffy. I was so appalled by their offensively cute nicknames that I felt it was my civic duty to slap them both in the face…in unison. It had to be in unison, they can’t stand doing anything separately. When thinking of a nickname for your significant other, there tends to be more rules for nicknaming a girl rather than a guy. For example, whatever nickname you choose it can’t be large, heavy, aggressive or overtly sexual. Although coincidentally, “large, heavy, aggressive and overtly sexual” are the traits I find most appealing in a woman.  Those traits also happen to be the names of the rejected dwarfs in Snow White, along with Staby, Rapy, and Drunky. Anyway, the following nicknames may be considered “inappropriate” for the reasons vaguely outlined above:

I’ll be honest with you I can’t stand it when couples give each other cute nicknames. They’re almost always awkward and embarrassing, and when I say “awkward and embarrassing” I mean for the people AROUND the couple. The other day I was playing the third wheel having lunch with my friend and his girlfriend. I kid you not, their nicknames for each other are “Luvy-Wuvy” for him, and “Snugly-Bear” for her. After hearing both those names repeated over, and over again I wanted to throw-up in my mouthy-wouthy, and then toss the pair of them of a cliffy-wiffy. I was so appalled by their offensively cute nicknames that I felt it was my civic duty to slap them both in the face…in unison. It had to be in unison, they can’t stand doing anything separately.When thinking of a nickname for your significant other, there tends to be more rules for nicknaming a girl rather than a guy. For example, whatever nickname you choose it can’t be large, heavy, aggressive or overtly sexual. Although coincidentally, “large, heavy, aggressive and overtly sexual” are the traits I find most appealing in a woman.  Those traits also happen to be the names of the rejected dwarfs in Snow White, along with Staby, Rapy, and Drunky. Anyway, the following nicknames may be considered “inappropriate” for the reasons vaguely outlined above:1. Juggernaut2. Big Daddy Diesel3. Thug Crusher4. The Castrator5. BIG DOG! [A WOOOF!]6. JugzzzFollowing my logic, the worst possible nickname to give a girlfriend would be, “The giant, laser, death vagina of infinite doom”. A preferred or typical nickname for a girlfriend is usually something that is small, cute, sweet (literally) and possibly rhyming, or ending with the letter “y”. Some spices such as cinnamon may also work as a nickname, however basil and oregano are out of the question. Furthermore, when using a “sweet” nickname, make sure to choose a well established sweetness such as sugar or honey. New sweeteners such as aspartame, and splenda may not have the same appeal. Although if your girlfriend is Pamela Anderson, artificial may be the way to go.But at the end of the day I say we let the love birds keep their nicknames. I mean really, what’s the point of being in love if you can’t anger, and nauseate the people around you just a little bit.iambillal.wordpress.com

The announcement of a withdrawal date discourages Pakistan from breaking ties with its former Taliban proxies, on whom it believes it would need to rely in the event that coalition forces depart the region prematurely. The best way to solidify Pakistan’s cooperation and shift its calculations on support for the Taliban is for the U.S. to reassure the Pakistanis that it is committed to the region over the long term.

President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday night included brief words on the war in Afghanistan, where nearly 100,000 U.S. troops are deployed. While he was clear on U.S. objectives in the war when he stated, “By preventing the Taliban from establishing a stranglehold over the Afghan people, we will deny al-Qaeda the safe haven that served as a launching pad for 9/11,” he also undermined overall U.S. strategy by saying that he would begin withdrawing U.S. troops this July. The U.S. should maintain a robust U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan until it is clear that the recent progress is sustainable. In addition to scrapping arbitrary timelines for withdrawal, the Administration should take a stronger leadership role in driving political reconciliation inside Afghanistan, intensify efforts to work with Pakistan in denying the Taliban sanctuary on its side of the border, and bolster diplomatic efforts that encourage regional support for a stable, peaceful, and unified Afghanistan that is inhospitable to international terrorists. Don’t Quit When You’re Ahead General David Petraeus, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, recently wrote a letter to the troops under his command commending them for recent progress in the war, according to media reports. He credited gains to the American troop surge, the growth and improving quality of the Afghan security forces, and the work of the international community in providing crucial development aid, education, and health care to the Afghan people. General Petraeus said the 30,000 additional U.S. troops sent to the Afghan theater in 2010 “halted a downward security spiral in much of the country.” Instead of reiterating the unhelpful July 2011 withdrawal date, Obama should have spent more time in his address telling the American people about these recent gains in Afghanistan and thus lifting public confidence in the ability of the United States to achieve its objectives in Afghanistan. Republican leaders support the President on the war in Afghanistan, but they reject arbitrary timelines for withdrawal. As Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R–FL), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, stated: Tonight, the President’s speech reflected a strong commitment, which I support, to defeating insurgents in Afghanistan and rooting out al-Qaeda operatives in Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, I am concerned that the President has placed a timeline beginning in July for the withdrawal of our troops. This sends a mixed message to our troops and to the enemies they face. I steadfastly believe that, going forward, leaders in Washington must look to our commanders on the ground when determining our troop levels. At last November’s NATO summit in Lisbon, the Administration had appeared to back away from the July 2011 withdrawal date and highlight instead 2014 as a target date for transferring security responsibilities to the Afghan government. It seemed the Administration had finally accepted that repeatedly talking about a July 2011 date for withdrawal was unhelpful to the overall strategy and thus had decided to alter its narrative accordingly. Obama’s statement in the State of the Union, however, raises doubts about his genuine commitment to success in Afghanistan that will create confusion among America’s allies and encourage its enemies to simply wait it out. Another problem with repeating the July 2011 drawdown mantra is that it weakens Pakistan’s resolve in its fight against extremists on its territory. The announcement of a withdrawal date discourages Pakistan from breaking ties with its former Taliban proxies, on whom it believes it would need to rely in the event that coalition forces depart the region prematurely. The best way to solidify Pakistan’s cooperation and shift its calculations on support for the Taliban is for the U.S. to reassure the Pakistanis that it is committed to the region over the long term.

President Barack Obama’s State of the Union address Tuesday night included brief words on the war in Afghanistan, where nearly 100,000 U.S. troops are deployed. While he was clear on U.S. objectives in the war when he stated, “By preventing the Taliban from establishing a stranglehold over the Afghan people, we will deny al-Qaeda the safe haven that served as a launching pad for 9/11,” he also undermined overall U.S. strategy by saying that he would begin withdrawing U.S. troops this July. The U.S. should maintain a robust U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan until it is clear that the recent progress is sustainable. In addition to scrapping arbitrary timelines for withdrawal, the Administration should take a stronger leadership role in driving political reconciliation inside Afghanistan, intensify efforts to work with Pakistan in denying the Taliban sanctuary on its side of the border, and bolster diplomatic efforts that encourage regional support for a stable, peaceful, and unified Afghanistan that is inhospitable to international terrorists. Don’t Quit When You’re Ahead General David Petraeus, commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, recently wrote a letter to the troops under his command commending them for recent progress in the war, according to media reports. He credited gains to the American troop surge, the growth and improving quality of the Afghan security forces, and the work of the international community in providing crucial development aid, education, and health care to the Afghan people. General Petraeus said the 30,000 additional U.S. troops sent to the Afghan theater in 2010 “halted a downward security spiral in much of the country.” Instead of reiterating the unhelpful July 2011 withdrawal date, Obama should have spent more time in his address telling the American people about these recent gains in Afghanistan and thus lifting public confidence in the ability of the United States to achieve its objectives in Afghanistan. Republican leaders support the President on the war in Afghanistan, but they reject arbitrary timelines for withdrawal. As Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R–FL), chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, stated: Tonight, the President’s speech reflected a strong commitment, which I support, to defeating insurgents in Afghanistan and rooting out al-Qaeda operatives in Afghanistan and Pakistan. However, I am concerned that the President has placed a timeline beginning in July for the withdrawal of our troops. This sends a mixed message to our troops and to the enemies they face. I steadfastly believe that, going forward, leaders in Washington must look to our commanders on the ground when determining our troop levels. At last November’s NATO summit in Lisbon, the Administration had appeared to back away from the July 2011 withdrawal date and highlight instead 2014 as a target date for transferring security responsibilities to the Afghan government. It seemed the Administration had finally accepted that repeatedly talking about a July 2011 date for withdrawal was unhelpful to the overall strategy and thus had decided to alter its narrative accordingly. Obama’s statement in the State of the Union, however, raises doubts about his genuine commitment to success in Afghanistan that will create confusion among America’s allies and encourage its enemies to simply wait it out. Another problem with repeating the July 2011 drawdown mantra is that it weakens Pakistan’s resolve in its fight against extremists on its territory. The announcement of a withdrawal date discourages Pakistan from breaking ties with its former Taliban proxies, on whom it believes it would need to rely in the event that coalition forces depart the region prematurely. The best way to solidify Pakistan’s cooperation and shift its calculations on support for the Taliban is for the U.S. to reassure the Pakistanis that it is committed to the region over the long term. Lead Political Reconciliation  Succeeding in Afghanistan requires a sustained and multi-pronged commitment. Now that the tide is beginning to shift against the Taliban on the battlefield in Afghanistan, the U.S. should keep up the military pressure while also pursuing avenues for political reconciliation.  Afghan and Pakistani officials are stepping up their engagement and enhancing efforts to negotiate a peace settlement in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan High Peace Council, led by former Afghan President Burhanuddin Rabbani, visited Pakistan earlier this month. The U.S. should take a proactive role in these talks in order to protect U.S. equities and ensure that U.S. military and financial investment in the region over the past decade will not be squandered.  The Administration should counter the perception that the U.S. is war-weary and ready to strike a grand bargain, which could allow Taliban leaders friendly to al-Qaeda to return to power. Instead, the U.S. should support political reconciliation that involves all ethnic groups in Afghanistan and upholds a vision for the region that strengthens those who support democracy, human rights, and religious pluralism and weakens those who adhere to destructive, extremist ideologies. Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s efforts to promote reconciliation have been inconsistent and threaten to inflame ethnic tensions among groups who fear that he will not protect their interests. The Tajik, Uzbek, and Hazara ethnic minorities fear a return to the atrocities carried out against their communities during Taliban rule of the country in the late 1990s. If they conclude that the Taliban are in a position to regain influence, they are likely to re-arm and prepare for a return to civil war. The debacle last November in which Karzai was duped into negotiating with a Taliban imposter demonstrates that the U.S. and coalition strategy for political reconciliation is still at the early stages and requires more serious attention. The Obama Administration will have an opportunity to assert a leadership role in the reconciliation process when the Afghan and Pakistani leaders come to Washington for trilateral talks some time in late February. In these talks, the goal should be to convince the Pakistan military to shift its strategy in Afghanistan so that it does not invest in the Taliban and instead develops political alternatives. While Washington should acknowledge Pakistani regional security concerns, it should also make clear to Islamabad that it is prepared to devote substantial military, economic, and diplomatic resources to the goal of preventing a Taliban-dominated Afghanistan.
A Genuine Reconciliation Effort A hasty retreat from the fight in 2011 because of a U.S. political timetable would squander hard-fought military gains made last year and jeopardize U.S. national security by returning the battlefield advantage to the Taliban, whose leadership remains allied with al-Qaeda. Instead of talking about withdrawal timelines to score domestic political points, the Obama Administration should lead a genuine reconciliation effort between Afghanistan and Pakistan that will strengthen those who support democracy and pluralism and weaken those who support extremist ideologies that breed terrorism in the region. Lisa Curtis is Senior Research Fellow for South Asia in the Asian Studies Center and James Phillips is Senior Research Fellow for Middle Eastern Affairs in the Douglas and Sarah Allison Center for Foreign Policy Studies, a division of the Kathryn and Shelby Cullom Davis Institute for International studies, at The Heritage Foundation.

“By a hospital having a diversity program, it’s saying something, it’s making a commitment to let the community and patient population know that we believe this is absolutely necessary in order to help you. If we’re looking at patient care, that means equitable care for everyone who is coming through the doors.”

Gurwinder Gill, Director of Patient Relations & Diversity Services at William Osler Health System in Brampton brings wealth of experience to provide cultural competency in healthcare to very diverse communities of Brampton.

Part of her job is to ensure equitable healthcare access to all “regardless of their race, ethnicity, language, religion, sexual orientation, background, physical disabilities, mental health issue, and all the dimensions of diversity that you can think of. It’s really a question of increasing and improving their access to getting equitable healthcare.” Imparting the knowledge to doctors about cultural and religious practices like being vegetarian or eating halal food only, or not cutting hair is as important to Ms. Gill’s job as it is to let “the community know that there are certain things that will happen when you are in the hospital, so be prepared, be empowered.” When it comes to healthcare, there are certain issues that people do not want to discuss prior to any negative occurrence. Therefore, they won’t talk about writing a will or advance care planning. South Asian community is one of those communities that needs to be aware of these issues and be prepared to address them.  “We [the South Asian community] have a long way to go, as far as learning what the systems are, what the processes are,” says Ms. Gill. Cost or allocating money for a certain program in budget is always a challenge.  “Not all hospitals have diversity programs. It’s a reality that there has to be a budget from the hospital to fund these services,” says Ms Gill who is also a public speaker and educates the community on the healthcare system. In her opinion, it is important for a hospital to have Diversity Services. “By a hospital having a diversity program, it’s saying something, it’s making a commitment to let the community and patient population know that we believe this is absolutely necessary in order to help you. If we’re looking at patient care, that means equitable care for everyone who is coming through the doors.” But she also alludes that in the long run having a Diversity Services Program in a hospital can be cost effective. When the patient understands the language of a healthcare provider, there are no misinterpretations and not having misinterpretations can save time, repeat visits to the hospitals can be avoided and it can help in prevention. William Osler has a prayer room that has the Holy Scriptures and symbols of various religions. This room gives space to patients and their relatives to have quite time to pray. Ms. Gill notes that “Most hospitals and agencies have a telephone interpreter that can provide language interpretation within minutes, and it’s 24-7. Otherwise we contact other agencies that provide interpreters or we have our staff that is bilingual.” For her part, she can speak Punjabi, Urdu, Hindi, French, German and of course English. But this must also be noted that interpreting medical jargon is quite different from speaking and understanding a language.  However, there is a very fine line between accommodating cultural practices and providing healthcare. In these circumstances, “the only thing we can do firstly is make sure that our staff is sensitive and aware that [a particular request has been made].Wherever possible, we accommodate, but it’s not always possible, and that’s when we leave the choice to the patient,” says Ms. Gill. Quite bluntly she tells us that “every organization whether it’s publicly funded like a hospital or whether it’s a private agency, where there are people there will be issues around discrimination..Wherever there are people there are bound to be issues around prejudice and discrimination.”  Comparing the Diversity Services programs in Canada and the rest of the world, Ms. Gill says “America and Europe are actually doing for the most part a pretty good job at forwarding the diversity agenda. Because they know what the outcomes are if they don’t address them. That’s not to say they couldn’t be doing more, we’re [Canada] on the right journey but it needs to be expanded.”

Ms. Gill has been “pleasantly surprised” to note that a lot of South Asians are interested in volunteering with the hospital. “You will see women; older women for example sitting by the lottery box which helps raise funds for the hospital. You will see young people in gift shops where the money comes back towards the hospital. You’ll see older south Asian men to guide people in the lobby. But we do have a mixture, not just South Asians.”

“We know that the demographics of Ontario are changing and that they vary from place to place within Ontario..it’s our job to provide healthcare to all people in Ontario [which] means being aware of and responsive to the cultural and language needs [of Ontarians].”

“When we took office in 2003, nobody was even measuring wait times, now we measure and we publicly report on our website what wait times are for every procedure in the province..[we] are meeting our target [in reducing] wait times [which] have come down dramatically [with] strategic investments we have made.”

The Conservatives will be cutting $3 billion from Ontario’s healthcare system if elected. These cuts will have “devastating impact” on Ontarians says Ontario Minister of Health and Long Term Care Deb Matthews.
She reminds us that during previous Conservative government in Ontario, “it was almost impossible to get a family doctor…now a million more Ontarians have a family doctor.”
The wait times for some of the key surgeries like knee and hip surgeries are long, nonetheless the government officials note that it was the Liberal government that put an effort to measure the wait times and then to reduce these wait times.
“When we took office in 2003, nobody was even measuring wait times, now we measure and we publicly report on our website what wait times are for every procedure in the province..[we] are meeting our target [in reducing] wait times [which] have come down dramatically [with] strategic investments we have made.”
Addressing e-Health questions, Minister Mathews says “e-health is vital to the future of our healthcare.” More and more doctors in small community hospitals can access diagnostic images, MRI scans in their offices. E-Health records have made it possible for the healthcare community to remain interconnected without much inconvenience for patients who are already in distress.
Minister Matthews points out that Conservatives “have a record of closing down hospitals.” She believes that “liberals will be running in election with clean, strong and improved healthcare record,” and the “evidence speaks for itself.”
In an interview with Generation Next, the President and CEO of Women’s College Hospital Ms. Marilyn Emery noted that gender equity in healthcare is one of the challenges hospitals deal with. “We have learned that while women are in greater need of hip replacement surgery, they are far less likely to be offered hip surgery by the providers that they are dealing with. It’s been identified as a gender inequity. Certainly it’s not that the providers are conscious to it but it exists in subconscious. Identifying it is the most meaningful way of minimizing it,” she said. Minister Mathews, though unaware of this inequity promised to investigate the matter.
Mr. Tim Hudak, the leader of the PC Party of Ontario has promised to eliminate Local Health Integration Networks (LHIN). In an interview to Generation Next, he described LHINs as “bloated middle management that gets between the Ministry of Health and doctors and patients,” not performing a single surgery or spending a minute of their time with patients. “As a Premier I’ll close the doors on the LHINs and put every penny into healthcare for Ontario families instead,” he said.
Minister Matthews defended LHINs saying that eliminating LHINs “will be a very very big mistake.” Explaining the need of LHINs, she told Generation Next that LHINs actually eliminated the two layers of bureaucracy: the regional ministry health office and District Health Councils. LHINs provide “person centered focus” where healthcare providers be it at home or the hospital interact with one another.
“Under the old system..home care providers were not concerned with what happens within the walls of the hospitals..making the healthcare much more expensive..LHINs integrate various functions of the healthcare system.”
The Minister of Health and Long Term Care rejects the notion of two-tier healthcare system saying healthcare for all builds a stronger and healthier system. “The government is adequately funding it and managing it.”
She advises Ontarians to get health insurance if they are travelling outside of Canada as all costs might not be covered. “If you live in Ontario, you don’t need any additional insurance..if individuals want to have it, that’s their choice but you don’t have to have it.”
Ensuring that the immigrant communities of Ontario understand and can navigate Ontario’s healthcare system is one of the passions of Minister Matthews. The Ministry of Health has launched a website that provides information in 26 ethnic languages. She also encourages Ontarians to visit http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/hco/ to learn more about the healthcare system and how to navigate it.
The Ontario government is sensitive to the needs of diverse communities of Ontario when it comes to providing healthcare. Minister Matthews says it is “a very very important issue…we know that the demographics of Ontario are changing and that they vary from place to place within Ontario..it’s our job to provide healthcare to all people in Ontario [which] means being aware of and responsive to the cultural and language needs [of Ontarians].”
“ We have doubled the number of residents for internationally educated graduates..we are working with the fairness commissioner to make sure that all our trades and professions [are open] to newcomers to Canada to practice in their areas of expertise,” Minister Mathews says.

“The Government of Canada has chartered a flight, which arrived in Cairo today, to transport Canadian citizens leaving Egypt. Another flight will arrive tomorrow. These flights will take passengers to locations in Europe, such as London, Paris and Frankfurt. Canadian citizens are required to make their own onward travel plans from these locations. “Canadian citizens in Egypt wishing to be evacuated should contact the Canadian embassy in Cairo at 20 (2) 2791-8700 or make a collect call to the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada Emergency Operations Centre at 613-996-8885 or the new number, 613-943-1055. “Friends and relatives in Canada seeking information on Canadian citizens believed to be in Egypt should contact the Operations Centre by calling, toll-free, 1-800-606-5499 or the new number 1-800-387-3124. “These two phone numbers have been added, and additional staff deployed, to respond to increasing call volume. As of this morning, the Emergency Operations Centre had received over 4,900 calls on the situation in Egypt. For up-to-date information, please visit Canada provides consular assistance to Canadians who wish to leave Egypt.

“O  Nabee of Allah every affliction is eased and every worry removed  with the blessing of seeing  you.”

We are discussing the love and devotion displayed and practiced by Muhammad’s companions  towards him.

No one can deny the courage, bravery,  and strength of  Caliph  Umar bin Khitab (RA) . Scholars say that Islam could not be  so openly   preached or talked about till Umar (RA)   came into the folds of Islam.  As soon as he came into the folds of Islam, Muslims  could say Namaaz in Kaabah   and  no one could dare  to harm them with Umar (RA) on Muslim’s side.

Not withstanding this,  Umar completely broke down  when he  heard  news of Muhammad Peace be upon him)’s passing away. Completely bewildered and confused , he said

“I shall behead the person who says that Prophet (PBUH)  has passed away. He has only gone to visit  Allah just like Moses went to  Toor.  He will shortly come back. I will cut off the hands and feet of those who are spreading rumors.”

One the other hand Uttman (RA) was so stunned   and could not  say a word till  the next day, and walked about as if bereft of speech.  Ali  (RA)  was in terrible grief. H e was still and motionless.

Only Abu  Bakar (RA)   kept his composure. He  calmly entered  Prophet’s house and kissed his  forehead and came back to people . H e asked  Umar  (RA) to sit down and  said

“ Whoso worshipped Mohammed (PBUH) , let him know that Mohammed(PBUH) is no more, and whoso worshipped Allah, should know that Allah is ever living and eternal.  He then recited Aal Imran 144, ‘And Mohammed(PBUH) is but a messenger, there have been messengers before him. So if he dies or killed, would you turn  back on your heels.  And whoever turns back on  his heels can never harm Allah in the least, and Allah shall soon reward the grateful.”

Some scholars   argue that Abu Bakar (RA)  was destined to be caliph because he was the only one who  kept his composure and  strength.   Also it was Abu baker alone who knew better than anyone else about the regulations regarding the burial and inheritance.  When the  argument came about burial place for Prophet (PBUH),   whether he should be buried in Mecca, Madina  or  Jerusalem, it was Abu Bakar (RA)   who said that   Anbiyaa (Messengers of God)  are buried  where they had died.

In the battle of  Uhud, Muslims  suffered  heavy losses and a  large  number of them  were martyred.  One Ansar  woman came out  of her house to find  about war.  She saw some people and asked about   the welfare of Prophet (PBUH). She was told that her father  was  among Shaheeds.   She said   “Inna lillahi wa  inna ilauhi raajioon” and impatiently repeated the same question. This time she was told that  her husband, brother and son all of them were martyred.  She again  recited the same  Aya ( We are from God and we will  return to him)  and  repeated the same  question, “How  is Prophet (PBUH).” This time she was told that  Prophet(PBUH) is safe   and sound, but this was not enough for her. At last she  saw Prophet(PBUH) with her own eyes and said “O  Nabee of Allah every affliction is eased and every worry removed  with the blessing of seeing  you.”

In  6 Hijra  Muslims traveled to  Mecca to perform the  Umrah. But Quraish were  totally against Muslims’ entering Mecca.  They not only   prepared  to fight but many of the  local tribes  also  promised to   help Quraish against Muslims.

One proposal was to attack the  tribes  who have sent their men to help Quraish , so they might leave Quarish to protect their own homes.  But others  said   that “Lets march  straight towards Mecca.  Abu Bakar (RA) said “O’ Prophet we have  come here to  perform Umarah. Lets just go straight to Mecca and perform our  duties. If Quraish will fight or stop us,   we shall fight otherwise not.”

Prophet (PBUH)  agreed with  Abu Bakar (RA) and  decided to march towards   Mecca.   When Muslims reached   a place called Hudaybiyah, some people came to Prophet (PBUH)  and said that  Quraish under no circumstances will allow Muslims to enter  in to Mecca and  they  are prepared to fight.

Prophet (PBUH)  replied  “ We have come to perform Umrah and have no intention to fight.   Frequent  battles  have inflicted many casualties on Quraish  and I am willing to talk to them  and make a pact.  I will deal with others as I  may wish.  If however Quarish  do not see  my way  and accept the proposal , then  by him who holds my life in his hands, I will fight them till at last  either Islam prevails or I am slain.”

At first, Quraish  refused the proposal but talks however continued.     Urwah  who was appointed negotiator  from Quraish   told Prophet(PBUH)    “If you want to slay all Arabs  you possibly cannot  do so, as none before you have succeeded in   putting an end to Arabs . But if the Arabs get upper hand , then take it from me that all these  people around you will  disappear in no time, leaving you all alone, for I  don’t find  any people of high birth among them. In fact they all come from low stock, drawn from all corners, who will desert you in trouble.”

Listening to this Abu Bakar (RA) got infuriated and resentfully told  Urwah   “Go and fawn upon your goddess  laat.  We will no way  flee and leave prophet(PBUH) by himself.”

To this  Urwah said  “I am in debt  to  you Abu Bakar(RA)  for a good deed you did in past to me , or I would have answered it.”

While  talking to Prophet(PBUH)  Urwah kept touching  Prophet’s   ( PBUH)beard.  Companions  did not like his doing it.  Urwah’s own nephew  Mughhera Ibn Shubah who was standing there  with arms in his hand , struck Urwah’s hand with handle of his sword and said “Keep your hands away.”

Urwah   said “How can you do this to me. I am still suffering from your behavior.”  Urwah has  paid booty money on his behalf as  Mugheera had killed  a few people   before accepting Islam.

During  this conversation Urwah noticed  how protective and respectful  companions were towards  Prophet (PBUH).

When Urwah returned to Mecca  he told Quraish

“O   Quiraish, I have been as  envoy  to many great kings. I have been to courts of  Qaysar ( Roman emperors)  and Khusro  ( Iranian emperor) and Negus (King of Ethiopia) .   By god I have never seen  people so respectful to their master or leader.  When Mohammed (PBUH) spit   they rushed to catch it in their hands before it touched the ground  and anoint their faces with it.  Hardly a word escaped through his lips  before all  of them ran to carry out his wish . When he makes Wadoo, they fight with one another  to collect some water before it touches the ground. If  someone fails to get water, they touch the wet hand of the person who  got the  water and   rub it on their hands and face. When they speak in his presence they speak in low voice . They do not  look  up and gaze at his face.    I have never seen any  tribe or group of people who  are so devoted to their leader  and master.  I have never seen such love and respect  for anyone in my life.”

It was this love  which  made  Muslims  one of the greatest nations  in the shortest time. There is no  faith or  civilization that gained this much popularity. Not  Romans, Persians,  Jews,  Christians , British empire   could achieve  in centuries what Muslims and  Islam had achieved just in matters of few years. It was  all because of  strong   alliance   with Islam    and  faith in the mission and  messenger.

It may sound sexist, but I think it’s fair to say that more girls than guys keep a journal/diary. The reason men don’t keep journals is because they believe using one comes in direct contradiction of owning a penis. But in my opinion, if a guy has any balls AT ALL, he would realize that it doesn’t matter what other people think or say about him. Genital references aside, here are some reasons why you should keep a journal.

Firstly, it is a recommended exercise used by Cognitive Behavioral Psychologists. When you write in a journal consistently you can re-read it and pinpoint your psychological problem, (Anger, depression etc) and its trigger (what sets it off). From that you can either avoid your trigger, or learn to cope with it. You also begin to realize what your current coping mechanism(s) are/is (violence, drugs etc), and if in fact they are destructive/disruptive to your life. Secondly, if you have a tendency to exaggerate negative events, using a journal to record the actual event may put things in perspective. People who exaggerate negative events tend do so over time by focusing, and over-emphasizing small details of the event.

If you’re a writer/artist of some kind (rapper, poet, blogger, comedian etc) we shouldn’t even be having this conversation. You should already be writing on a consistent basis to keep your skills sharp. You can use your journal to record bursts of inspiration, clever word-play, rhymes, and anything else that comes to mind. This journal can be your hammer, designed to break any writers block that you may have in the future. And for all you somewhat cocky writing punks, a journal would be an invaluable tool for a future autobiography.

By reading your journal you’re able to relive, revisit, and remember all your good moments and your bad. If you are from the ages of 13-30, which I assume you are, these are your formative years. In these 17 years you will have gone through puberty, high school, University/College, figured out your career path, started your career, and possibly married. I think those moments are definitely worth recording. Even now at this young age I’m sure you have moments in your life where you wish you could remember more. A journal is a very easy and simple answer.

In these modern times of encrypted passwords and speed typers there really isn’t a good reason to not keep a journal. You don’t have to write a whole page, and you don’t even have to write in it everyday (some consistency would be nice though). This isn’t an assignment, no one is going to look at it, and no one is going to mark it. This is a recording of your life, and your ideas. Let it guide and help you.

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