Water and Sanitation situation in Gaza

I don't regularly follow the events in Palestine however recent events have captured my attention specially the Military Incursions into Gaza by Israel.

What really caught my attention was the military strike on a Power Plant which has led to a desperate Water and Sanitation situation in Gaza. The Special Envoy to the Middle East said the following:

"We have an emergency situation," Alvaro de Soto, the U.N. special envoy for the Middle East peace process, told Reuters. In addition to knocking out key power installations, de Soto said Israel has cut the pipeline that provides fuel to run the sanitation system. "Without fuel, the sanitation pumps don't function," de Soto said. "You have women, children and ailing people. That's pretty grave. And it needs to be addressed."

Please make Dua ( prayers) for the innocent Civilians of Gaza who are facing this unfair collective punishment. Secondly contact your local MP in order to make sure that Canada takes a reasonable stand on this issue.

Work, family and life. Mama Papa.

While I am still some time away from being a father, I still think about how it will impact my work and vice versa specially if my wife works. This article discusses the same issue and starts off like this:

I met a vision of my future self for coffee in Heathrow Airport. He lives abroad but was passing through London on business for a few hours, so we sat in a cafe in Terminal One.

'If you want to take risks, if you have any gambles you want to make with your career, make them before you have kids,' the vision said. He sipped his coffee and ruefully lit a cigarette.

The same article quotes an Academic in the middle who paints a very negative picture:

For all that is said about men and women sharing the burden more equally, in a lot of jobs putting in a seven-and-a-half hour day and then going home and looking after children is still a recipe for getting fired,' says Richard Sennett, Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics.

I guess the next question that comes to my mind is should my wife work, etc etc? According to this article on Islamonline.net moms staying at home during the early years is better for the kids however the article does stress at the same time that:

Even though it is better for mothers to stay at home, working moms need not be apologetic or feel guilty. The thought that they must keep at the forefront of their minds is that ALL moms must make time for their children. If, instead of spending time on the phone or at the mall or blaming themselves for what they feel they did not give, they make sure that they spend the time they have engaged in meaningful activity and conversation with their children, they can compensate for the time they spend away from them.

Gayle Peterson, Ph.D., and columnist on the Family Therapist website says, "It is the quality of the parent-child relationship that matters. Mothers that are fulfilled themselves are not only good role models for their children, but are happier people too!Â… Research bears out what common sense tells us - that happier women make happier mothers, whether they work outside the home or not" (2001).

Morover this piece on parenting ivillage also makes a reasonable suggestion specifically:

Research reveals two important things. First, it is not in the best interest of the children to have a depressed mother. Naturally, a child needs stimulation and enthusiastic responses on a consistent basis, which can be impossible if the mother is unhappy. They can do much more for their children if given a "break". Secondly, studies show that children who have "working mothers" tend to have higher self-esteem. Ostensibly because working mothers feel happier with themselves and their good feelings spill over to family members.

As with any research, much depends on the parameters of your particular situation. Children who see their mothers rarely may suffer a lack of attention to their basic emotional needs. Women who feel overworked by both their jobs and family responsibilities may feel depleted instead of energized when they interact with their kids. It's important to strike a balance between children's needs and parental needs in any given family.

I guess in the end it all comes down to the 2 parents, their environment, their needs and the support they have.

Media treatment of arrests unfair to Muslims

Article in the Imprint ( Waterloo Student Newspaper) by a good friend:

In the past two weeks, since the arrest of 17 Muslims in relation to alleged acts of terrrorism, Muslims all over Canada have come under great scrutiny. Many young Muslims, including some at UW, have been interviewed by all sorts of media outlets. Read on

U.S. Muslim Clerics Seek a Modern Middle Ground

New York Times on Sheik Hamza and Imam Zaid

Sheik Hamza Yusuf, in a groomed goatee and sports jacket, looked more like a hip white college professor than a Middle Eastern sheik. Imam Zaid Shakir, a lanky African-American in a long brown tunic, looked as if he would fit in just fine on the streets of Damascus.

Both men are converts to Islam who spent years in the Middle East and North Africa being mentored by formidable Muslim scholars. They have since become leading intellectual lights for a new generation of American Muslims looking for homegrown leaders who can help them learn how to live their faith without succumbing to American materialism or Islamic extremism. Read more

New articles on Masud

One of my favourite sites has just ben updated:

Read Contentions 10 ( Abdul Hakim Murad):

The fanatic is the weak man. Strength is shown in generosity. Read more Contentions

Read Benedict XVI and Islam: the first year:

In the immediate aftermath of the election of Joseph Ratzinger to the Papacy, Muslim reactions to the new pontiff were diverse and confused. Turks were dismayed by his very public opposition to their membership of the European Union, a view rooted in his conviction that ‘Europe was founded not on geography but on a common faith.’ Others pointed to the absence of any mention of Muslims from his inaugural address (a fact welcomed by the Jerusalem Post) as a hint that Vatican willingness to open minds and hearts to dialogue with Islam was now at an end. Despite this, however, some Muslims, most notably Akbar Ahmad, welcomed the appointment of a man of considerable seriousness and intelligence, in the hope that he would reinvigorate the world’s moral debate. This Muslim ambivalence seems set to continue, partly thanks to the fact that a year into his papacy, Ratzinger has not spoken or written in any substantial way about Islam, realising, perhaps, that fools rush in where angels fear to tread. [read more]

Young British and Muslim

Next month is the anniversary of the attacks on London. Three of the terrorists came from Leeds, two from the suburb of Beeston. Here, writer Urmee Khan reveals her remarkable experience living with the community which was home to the men who killed in the name of religion:

As I painted henna tattoos at the mela - including such names as Courtney and Connor - I had to remind myself that this park was the place where Tanweer had played cricket, a place that had sent a shudder through me on my first visit. Beeston is in fact much bigger than those four individuals, and so is Islam. Read more

Islam in Europe

A new section MSNBC's website on Islam inEurope.

Help Wanted: A Team Player

From the Psychology Today

Conventional wisdom says that we should keep emotions in check when we're at work; showing strong feelings is a no-no. We often think being "professional" means curbing your thoughts and words and conforming to the office norm.

But being a team player requires reading the emotions of others—the good, bad and especially the in between. Then you can respond accordingly in order to accomplish the job before you.

Squashing your emotions in the office may be a mistake, especially in today's diverse, twenty-first century workplaces, according to researchers fromthe University of Michigan. Being impersonal and focusing solely on work can bedetrimental to productivity, says Jeffrey Sanchez-Burks, a psychologist at theUniversity of Michigan who has studied teamwork styles in different cultures,including the U.S. "East Asian, Latin American and Middle Eastern cultures tendto believe that social and emotional relationships are just as important at work as a relentless focus on the task at hand," he says. [Click here to read on]

2010 World Cup. Where will you be then?

Every 4 years the Soccer World Cup comes around. I like watching the football and supporting my teams ( Italy and Germany). At the same time however it is a time for some reflection for me in terms of where my life is going based on how I have progressed in the last 4 years.

The 1982 World Cup was the year I was born.

The 1986 World Cup was when I started Pre School.

The 1990 World Cup was when I was in Primary School ( That is the oldest world cup I recall).

The 1994 World Cup was when I was at the beginning of my teens and in Grade 6.

The 1998 World Cup was when I was getting ready for my O level Exams ( Grade 10).

The 2002 World Cup as when I had just started University and was in 1st year struggling with co-op, university and at the same time adjusting to Canada.

The 2006 World cup is here. I have started My career in Environmental Consulting.

The 2010 World Cup is in 4 years. Where will I be with my life then?

Where will you be?

Muslim-bashing dilutes our democratic values

A good article in the Toronto Star by Haroon Siddiqui:

Muslims are also told to "take responsibility" for their deviants, "root out the extremists," "weed out the radicals," etc.

How are they supposed to do that? By becoming vigilantes? Which self-appointed busybodies will use what yardstick to define "a radical," an "extremist" or "a Wahhabi?"

George W. Bush's first attorney-general, John Ashcroft, an openly Islamophobic Christian fundamentalist, proposed a program to ask Americans to snitch on fellow citizens. It was condemned as a totalitarian tool reminiscent of the old Communist states — and was dropped.

Yet, here we are, suggesting about the same thing in Canada. That some Muslims also support it does not make it any more right. They may want their own version of "liberal" Islam to prevail. Some of us might want it, too. But it is no business of the state, or the media, to take sides in theological turf wars.It is laudable that many Muslim leaders and groups are, voluntarily, offering to help in figuring out an early detection system to identify militant deviancy, especially among the young.
click here to read more

Radical steps to counter radical Islam

Heard of the Radical Middle Way project in the UK? Can we have something similar in Canada. This article from the Toronto Star among other things discusses the possibility of a Canadian Middle Way tour:

It's been going on all week and will go on for a long time yet: The investigation into how and why the seeds of violent Islamic extremism could take root in comfortably bland Toronto suburbs. Whether the 17 males arrested were armchair jihadists or for-real terrorists has yet to be determined, but the apparent
intent to wreak havoc — in the name of religion — has stunned their fellow Canadians.That, here? A world away from the ancient rancours of the Middle East? The reaction, however, has been only an echo of the horror in Britain that greeted the terrorist bombings in London last July 7, when 52 people were killed by four British-born extremists. Read more here

Canadian Arrests

I have closely been following the story and here are some quotes and links on the issue which I found relevant and interesting. (I'll write my own post later )

Ali has been is at his best these days and his comments on his own blog and Junaid's blog were very thought provoking:

Mainstream Islamic religious groups and organizations have for too long skirted issues and topics that are on young Muslims' minds. Questions like what Jihad is and isn't, what is the Islamic way of dealing with situations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine etc., how does a Muslim in Canada respond to what he sees as aggression against Islam and Muslims elsewhere - such questions are hardly addressed in our mosques and religious gatherings. As a result, the often zealous and emotional young Muslims are left free to find whatever material they can on their own and interpret it how they will. Moreover, it is easy for such people to fall prey to hardline propaganda (easily available on the Internet) that convinces them that our mainstream leaders, by ignoring issues like Jihad, are "sell-outs" who ignore the plight of Muslims around the world and are in bed with "evil, infidel" governments that send troops to invade and occupy Muslim lands. This further serves to alienate them from seeking religious guidance within their community, and pushes them towards irrational and extreme views and actions. ( click here to read full post)

Society at large, both Muslims and non-Muslims, needs to appreciate this phenomenon and look for ways to address it. Playing the blame game, as is very often the case on the part of both Muslims and non-Muslims, and we are seeing it again now, removes the attention and focus from any effort to solve the problem. We need to get out of the dejà vu of simply blaming the government, security organizations, the media, Islam, whatever, every time something like this happens. ( click here to read full post)

When I asked the religious leaders present at the conference what their mosques and organizations had been doing or planned to do to try to ensure tha the views and ideology that may have motivated the alleged plotters, it was only Sheikh Hussein Patel that answered my question correctly. The speaker after him took it upon himself to explain to me how nothing was proven and how he saw the timing of the arrests as suspicious etc. etc. I don't care if the timing is suspicious or if indeed the accused are all innocent - that wasn't my question. What I asked was what if anything our religious leaders and organizations are doing to curb the spread of the kind of views that may lead young Muslims to think about or plan to commit acts of terrorism. ( click here to read full comment)

Dawud comment's on Safiyyah'blocog:

Lastly, the doctrine of the true meaning of jihad must be dealt with, and there must be answers to the muslim community of where we stand, first of all for ourselves, and secondly where that places us in relationship to the communities and states we live in. ( click here to read full comment )

and Safiyyah comments herself:

In part, this sort of response reflects the kind of education Muslims receive. Rarely do Muslims study history in an in-depth manner. We adopt glorified notions of a caliphate that never really existed, and this leads us to imagine that if Muslims only had power, all of the problems of the world would come to nothing. ( read full post)

Hikam # 83

Taken from Suhail Academy's translation of Kitab al-Hikam by Ibn Ata' Illah:

"Sometimes He gives while depriving you and sometimes He deprives you in giving"

2 Ways to Eat lik a Lean Person

As my parents always say " baiatay eat fruits!"

"Want the scoop on the eating habits of people who aren't overweight? Remember the two F's: fruit and fiber.

People who aren't overweight eat more fruit and fiber than overweight people, researchers report in June's Journal of the American Dietetic Association.......... click here to read on

My Journey to Pakistan

So I am back from my Journey.

As Sheikh Hamza says that the best thing about a journey is that through that journey you appreciate what you had at your place of origin and the irony is that you wouldn't have had that appreciation without the Journey . The first time I experienced was when I returned to Canada for university, leaving my home and family to come to a culture which I had been born in, but not brought up in. Add to that the challenge of University life Anyways it made me appreciate the sense of security at my home in Islamabad and all the wonderful friends I had while growing up there.

While I have travelled a bit since coming to Canada ( including 3 trips to Pakistan), this trip was different. It came after 5 years of residing in Canada and having friends here who are like my family. Anyways the point is that at this trip I was more relaxed and mature and able to compare with what I have in Canada:

1) Stop in Germany

I stopped for a few days in Germany at my sisters. I experienced life in a small town near Munich where my sister lives and also got to visit Munich where I saw a Castle, Olympic Stadium and the Main City Area. What was interesting was that at Memingham where my sister lives there were a very few people who speak English!!!

That was a bit shocking and when I would go for shopping I would just try to guess what the cashier was saying and nod my head.

European people are Chillers. You could see that by observing their way of life. The working hours are much less in number and even in the streets the people look to be more relaxed and are chatting and talking away all the time. There are lot of street entertainers like tap dancers, music players, painters in Main City areas and on the street corners.

I also observed a strike by engineers and doctors in Munich. When I came though the area a 2nd time the strikers were enjoying a concert! I got to see a lot of Historical spots like the main gates to Munich. I also saw the Nuremberger a luxurious castle. It was interesting to see how the political elite lived in past time or live at present times in Pakistan ( :-P).

Overall it was a good educational trip with some quality time with my sister and brother in law.

2) Arrival in Pakistan

Despite my insistence to not come and pick me up, my parents still came to the airport. It was good to see them. I got some nice home cooked meals and some good sleep the first few days. Also got to share some stories from Canada with my parents.

3) My friends in Pakistan

Except for those becoming doctors or pursuing further education most of my friends, I learnt , were now working for big Multi National Firms. I was happy to hear that. Moreover some of my classmates are getting married/engaged very quick specially the females.

4) Economy in Pakistan

The economy in Pakistan is supposed to be booming. My friends were getting jobs easily. But to put things into perspective most of my friends are well off and get education from top institutions in Pakistan spending thousands of Rupees. Of course the average Pakistani cannot afford that. The improvement in the economy is benefiting the rich more than the poor. In Fact the gap is getting wider which was obvious form Media reports and from my observations on the streets. Where we had families buying many cars and the most expensive of cell phones we also have MANY MANY more beggars on the streets and more thefts.

5) Security in Pakistan

Security is good in Pakistan if you have money and power. Even if you have both you don't have a guarantee of security. Recently the wife of a big army officer had been robbed at a ATM machine.

The poor man has no chance of justice with courts or the police. The poor man knows this and so does the police!

6) Road Safety in Pakistan

Right after coming out of the airport I was just shocked by how people were driving. They drive and also drive people crazy. While things have improved in Islamabad due to a new unit of Traffic Police, it is still scary to see people drive. People tend to ignore lanes, indicators and many other rules. I always felt at risk when I was on the road. Perhaps I am too Canadian in the way I commute

7) Media in Pakistan

The news media is better. There are more private channels then ever and they do bring a lot of problems in society to light. There is Jerry Springer type show on TV but much more toned down and watchable where a lady invites people from a household and make them resolve their issues though they usually end up at a worse state then they began with.

There is full freedom give to the media which was a good positive.

8) Political Pakistan

Have you heard a drug dealer says that " you should say no to drugs"? Well how about a dictator saying that he needs to be in power for democracy to take roots in Pakistan.

Moreover, unfortunately Mr. Mushi is using the same politicans who his corrupt predecessors had at their disposal. The political future looks bleak.

9) Environmental Pakistan

With increasing population and no legislation Environmental conditions are inadequate.

While I was there a kid died in Karachi when he was playing cricket in an empty plot where a factory had been dumping hazardous waste. Many of his friends were burned too.

Do you remember Whalkerton and how it revolutionized Canadian Environmental Legislation? Well there were two incidents on the same scale in Faisalabad and Hyderabad which made thousands of people sick and also killed a few. There was good media coverage but thats all there was.

The Environmental Legislation in Pakistan is Non existent.

10) Parenting in Pakistan

My mom is a teacher and has been one for 25 years. I had conversations with her about the increasingly technological households. She was telling me about the negative impacts of too much TV and internet and that the parents were totally unaware of.

Misuse of technology is corrupting the young minds of tomorrow

11) Khutbahs in Pakistan

The 2 Khutbahs I went to were very good in terms of the knowledge aspect. There were also good references to classical scholars . However most of the audience appeared to be lost somewhere else and not listening.

The more knowledgable people need to connect to the people-specially the youth.

12) Health

There is 1 doctor for every 4000 people in Pakistan and even those arent regulated and arent penalized for malpractices. Infact my friend's mom died recently due to misdiagnosis.


After 18 days in Pakistan I traveled back through Qatar Airways. I had an interesting incident in Doha. I have complained about it to Qatar Airways and will blog about it once I hear back.

As I said at the beginning of this post journeying makes you appreciate what you have.

I definitely appreciate what I have in Canada alhamdulillah ( with the exception of high Insurance rates- I am paying 250$!!!!) . I miss my parents here but that problem will be solved as well inshah allah.