SAARC Against Poverty & Terrorism

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By Nilofar Suhrawardy, Muslim Media News Service (MMNS)

NEW DELHI— Poverty alleviation and connectivity were two of the several themes focused on by members of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) at two-day (April 3-4) summit hosted by India. The 14th SAARC Summit concluded with inking of two agreements and adoption of a declaration. The agreements are on establishing a South Asian University and a South Asia Food Bank. Asserting that member countries are ready for “transformation of SAARC into an effective regional cooperation,” Prime Minister Manmohan Singh outlined the need to focus on people’s basic needs linked with water – including flood problems, energy, food and environment.

During his concluding address, Singh emphatically said: “This summit has given us a new sense of purpose, the hope that we can live in peace, to make the year ahead a turning point in history of SAARC.”

Giving utmost priority to the welfare of the people of South Asia, SAARC members agreed to build a “partnership for prosperity and work towards shared economic cooperation, regional prosperity, a better life for the people of South Asia, and equitable distribution of benefits and opportunities of integration among the people and the nations.”

The key points of declaration include SAARC’s decision to “collectively overcome challenges of poverty, disease, natural disasters and terrorism.” The declaration urges “conclusion of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism.” SAARC members “agreed to work” to “combat terrorism, narcotics and psychotropic substances, trafficking in women and children and other trans-national crimes.”

The SAARC meeting has also been labeled a landmark summit. The declaration welcomes the entry of Afghanistan into SAARC and the association of Iran with the group. The seven original SAARC members are: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. SAARC, set up in 1985 to accelerate regional economic growth, was open for the first time to five international observers–China, Japan, Korea, the USA and the European Union. The SAARC members agreed to hold the 15th summit in the Maldives, according to the declaration. India hosted the SAARC Summit for the third time. The 1995 summit was held in Delhi, and the 1986 summit in Bangalore.

Regarding a food bank, the declaration states: “In order to manage emergencies caused by natural and manmade calamities and food shortages… the food bank will supplement national efforts to provide food security to people of the region.”

As “many sections of women and children” continue to be disadvantaged, the declaration emphasizes that “women’s “empowerment should be a major objective of regional cooperation.”

Expressing satisfaction with the timely ratification of SAFTA (South Asia Free Trade Area) agreement by “all member countries,” the declaration calls for its finalization in the services sector at the earliest possible time. The declaration calls for a “comprehensive agreement on harmonizing customs procedures.” A SAARC standards coordination board would function as a precursor to the SAARC regional standards body. The declaration also emphasizes a need “to develop, at an early date, a roadmap for a South Asian Customs Union and a South Asian Economic Union in a planned and phase manner.”

With SAARC goals having the potential to transform socioeconomic landscape of the region, during his address, Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz proposed a roadmap with five milestones, which are: “genuine peace and security in South Asia” through “dialogue and compromise;” “build mutual trust and confidence” by removing trust deficit; reinforce and uphold principles of “peaceful coexistence;” “build inter-dependences and sharing of best practices” to “help each other to help ourselves;” and promote a “truly open environment for regional trade- devoid of all types of barriers to free trade.”

“Our goal is build a South Asia which is free from chains of poverty and hunger, where people would take pride in justice and the rule of law, where discrimination and deprivation are long forgotten, where virtue prevails over vice, and where knowledge continues to advance and inspire social progress,” said Fakhruddin Ahmed, Bangladesh’s Chief Adviser. Asserting the need to “combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” Ahmed said: “We should also address the root causes that lead to violent actions.”

Underlining the need to stop “politically sponsored” terrorism in his country, Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai said: “Our common duty is to fight extremism and terrorism in all forms and sources including political sponsorship and financing.”

Quoting Holy Qur`an, President of Maldives Maumoon Abdul Gayoom emphasized the need to use regional cooperation to address critical areas affecting quality of life, which include environment, gender inequality and poverty eradication. Supporting India’s proposal of setting up a South Asian University, he said: “The university will be a great asset in development of region’s intellectual resources, and a nursery for a revitalized South Asian identity.”

During his address, Prime Minister of Bhutan Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk appreciated “progress being made towards fruition of proposals made by India” at the last summit. These include, the SAARC telemedicine network, South Asian University and SAARC Museum of Textiles and Handicrafts. To take the SAARC process forward, he said: “Let us commit ourselves to come up with focused, result-oriented and time-bound projects and programs that bring about tangible benefits to our people.”

In addition to promoting economic cooperation through SAFTA, Nepali Prime Minister G.P. Koirala welcomed the regional energy dialogue begun within the framework of SAARC. Describing “pervasive poverty, hunger, misery, disease and ignorance” as “formidable challenges,” Koirala said: “Let us remind ourselves that the main objective of SAARC is to ensure peace, freedom, social justice and economic prosperity through regional cooperation.”

Emphasizing the need to curb terrorism, President of Sri Lanka Mahinda Rajapaksa said the effort should be “multi pronged and sustained and far reaching and must include their sources of sustenance.”

Progress made by SAARC in several areas since the 13th Summit were highlighted by SAARC Secretary General Lyonpo Chenkyab Dorji. These include SAFTA having entered into force “providing opportunities to promote and enhance intra-regional trade.”

“Considering poverty alleviation as the over-arching goal of SAARC, the years 2006-2015 have been declared as the SAARC Decade on Poverty Alleviation,” he said.

9-16

Hina Jilani and The Woman’s Movement in Pakistan

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By Geoffrey Cook, Muslim Media News Service (MMNS)

The Peace Movement that is developing between peoples in South Asia impacts both Pakistanis and Indians (the highest population of Muslims in the latter in any one country). It is clearly a multiple initiative resulting from the two nations’ atomic 1998 blasts. It is an interaction between two peoples: “The Peace Movement actually emerged from…discussions, debate and dialog.” among individuals from the two nationalities. It has already had a significant impact…on within these State[s] and its [their] Civil Societies. There have been “…hostilities [all over the region], but India and Pakistan are the…cause of the majority of [the] tension[s].”

Women in Pakistan never dissociated themselves from the struggle for democracy. On the other hand, the Women’s Movement has gained with its contact with the democratic Movement there: A Democratic Activism within the Islamic Republic itself that is largely feminine.

”The argument [that] there…[should} be…a secular approach…has nothing to do with Islam[ic reality]…[but] the laws have to be clear and unambiguous.” If the legal system is administered solely by religion, there will be tension. “This is not conducive to…a stable foundation for human rights…”

Musharraf capitulated to America due to corruption within his own ranks. The past periods of the Military dictating foreign policy has proved disastrous for her country! While in power, the Army has de-prioritized the interests of their body politic destroying all political and social harmony!

A new democratic period must evolve to save us from this in the present and in the future! If it does not, there is not much hope for Islamabad. Especially now when it is finding it harder to compete with India on an economic basis, and the U.S. is betraying our interests!

9-16

Military Spending Gets Forty Per Cent of Every Income Tax Dollar

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Courtesy Pamela Schwartz, Communications Director, National Priorities Project

Northampton, MA — As taxpayers prepare to meet this year’s April 16th tax deadline, they may want to consider that almost 40 cents of every tax dollar is spent on past and present military spending, according to a newly released publication by the National Priorities Project (NPP), a non-profit research organization that examines the local impact of federal spending policies.

In Where Do Your Tax Dollars Go?, NPP offers breakdowns of how the federal government spends the median household’s tax payment in each state and over 200 cities.

In 2006, according to the National Priorities Project, current military spending accounted for 27 cents of every income tax dollar paid. Additionally, NPP determined that nine cents of every federal income tax dollar paid today could be attributed to borrowing to pay for past wars and military build-ups. Finally, disability payments, health care and other benefits accrued to veterans made up a little over three cents of the federal income tax dollar, bringing total military spending up to close to 40 cents of every tax dollar.

“To look at how the federal government spends our taxes allows us to stare at our federal spending priorities,” said Greg Speeter, executive director of the National Priorities Project. “Right now, military spending crushes everything else, and we’re not even close to the final price tag on the Iraq War that has already cost us half a trillion dollars.”

National Priorities Project is also the leading source for the cost of the Iraq War, offering breakdowns of the cost by state and congressional district.

NPP’s latest tax day publication shows that spending on preventive security measures, such as diplomacy, economic development assistance and locking down nuclear materials, amounted to three-quarters of a penny. Investing in renewable energy and conservation received hundredths of a penny of the federal income tax dollar. Domestic needs such as affordable housing and nutrition claimed two and three cents, respectively. Meanwhile, beyond military spending, the next two largest areas of spending occurred in health at 21 cents of every tax dollar and interest on the debt at 19 cents.

National Priorities Project (NPP) is a 501(c)(3) research organization that analyzes and clarifies federal data so that people can understand and influence how their tax dollars are spent. Located in Northampton, MA, since 1983, NPP focuses on the impact of federal spending and other policies at the national, state, congressional district and local levels.

For more information, go to www.nationalpriorities.org.

9-16

Iraq’s Wounded: On Their Own

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Courtesy Sam Dagher, The Christian Science Monitor

Nearly 37,000 Iraqis were injured last year alone. Though programs exist to help them, many find hope only when they take matters into their own hands.

Baghdad – The biggest break for Fouad Musa, who lost his right arm in a bombing in Baghdad five months ago, came two weeks ago when he got back his job as a cook in a restaurant at half his previous salary.

“I could not believe it when I got my job back. Knocking on the doors of government offices has gotten me nowhere, just empty promises,” says Mr. Musa, speaking in the living room of his tiny Sadr City apartment, a giant poster of three revered Shiite imams adorning the pink and white walls.

He is surrounded by his three boys, Ahmed, Mohammed, and Laith, who sit shyly in their finest clothes, listening to every word.

For tens of thousands of Iraqis like Musa, who have been severely wounded or disabled in the war, the standard government response is, “You’re lucky to be alive.” In a country where the government is too dysfunctional and overwhelmed to meet their needs, and help from nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) is increasingly out of reach because of security concerns, many Iraqis find salvation and hope only when they take matters into their own hands.

In 2006, considered the most violent year since the US-led invasion four years ago, 36,685 Iraqis were wounded in acts of violence throughout the country, according to estimates by the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq. The government does not release official statistics for the dead and wounded, but a source at the Interior Ministry put that figure at 15,143.

Short-Order Cook at “Happy” Diner

Musa’s life was turned upside down in early November when he was returning to Sadr City with his best friend and neighbor, Saeed Rasoul, from work at the Al-Saeed (Happy) restaurant in the Karrada district.

The men had been making the same daily journey for nine years, leaving at dawn and returning at noon in a taxi. Musa prepared short orders for breakfast and then cooked lunch while Mr. Rasoul manned a stand outside selling gaimar, a popular dish of fresh cream topped with honey or jam.

Musa was paid 15,000 dinars ($12) a day and cooked at weddings and funerals for additional income. Last year, he started getting a monthly pension of 98,000 dinars ($77) from the Ministry of Transport, where he had been employed for years as a public bus driver before he was fired in 1997 for political reasons, he says..

The extra cash enabled him to move out of his parents’ home and rent out his own place in the Habibiya Apartments, a housing project built in the 1980s for the families of soldiers killed in the Iran-Iraq war. He bought a new refrigerator, stove, and living room set on an installment plan.

“I wanted to turn the place into our own little kingdom,” he says with a hint of irony in his voice.

Musa, a stocky man in his 40s with a neatly trimmed beard and dressed in a red-and-blue track suit, wells up when he recalls the bombing incident.

The taxi he and Rasoul were riding in was the first to leave a traffic light when it hit a roadside bomb most likely planted for the police behind them.

“When I opened my eyes, I could smell the burning remains of the vehicle and I saw poor Saeed saying his last prayers,” says Musa. Both Rasoul and the driver were killed.

Musa suffered for nearly a month, going to four different hospitals in Baghdad, before his arm was properly amputated. He still has shrapnel in his limbs, and after a failed operation to fix a broken jaw, doctors advised him to go abroad for a second try.

“I do not think I would have made it if it was not for God in heaven and the two Jawads under the golden dome,” he says referring to two revered Shiite saints buried in a shrine in Baghdad’s Kadhimiyah district.

The Ministry of Transport has suspended his pension, and for awhile his family survived thanks to help from his brothers and friends.

He tried recently to apply for the one-time payment of 1 million to 2 million dinars ($787-$1,575) promised by the government to all those wounded or disabled as a result of the violence, as well as for a monthly pension of 90,000 dinars ($70) from the Ministry of Labor’s Social Care Network, but was soon discouraged by complicated procedures and a backlog of cases that stretches back years.

At the low point of Musa’s despair, he considered removing his 12-year-old son, Ahmed, from school and sending him to work to support the family, but relief came when his old boss told him he could work again at the restaurant supervising other cooks for 7,500 dinars ($6) a day.

Government Is Overwhelmed

An official at the Ministry of Labor admits the process to compensate victims is slow.

“We are overwhelmed by the backlog of cases,” says Raad Qasim, who speaks of efforts to streamline it.

But Mowaffaq al-Khafaji, who heads the Iraqi Handicapped and Survival society, says there is “complete disregard” by the government for the plight of the severely wounded and disabled.

“Unfortunately, government officials are only preoccupied with what benefits them personally and their political parties,” he says.

He is focusing his efforts instead on rallying support and funding from foreign NGOs but says that most of them are hesitant to commit to projects in Iraq because security threats prevent them from following up on the ground. Most operate now within the relative safety of the northern Kurdistan region or neighboring Jordan.

At least 84 aid workers have been killed in Iraq over the past three years, according to Cedric Turlan of the Amman-based NCCI (NGOs Coordinating Committee in Iraq).

But Mr. Khafaji says, “I am an activist, I am going to keep trying.”

Iraqi Exposing Issue Is Threatened

An Iraqi doctor says Iraq still has good healthcare and rehabilitation professionals despite the brain drain, but that the main problem is the lack of infrastructure and systems to support their work. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he recently wrote a piece for a Western medical journal detailing the plight of the country’s health system and promptly received a call from someone at the Ministry of Health telling him, “shut up or you will follow the dead and wounded.”

9-16

EU Shopping Could Make You ‘a Terror Suspect’

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Courtesy Bruno Waterfield, The Daily Telegraph

The European Union’s privacy watchdog has given warning that new access for Europol to personal data could lead to individuals being labelled as terror suspects based on hearsay or records of their shopping habits.

The warning, from the head of the European Data Protection supervisor, comes amid moves to allow the EU police agency to process so-called “soft data” in search of relevant information for its criminal investigations.

Peter Hustinx said that moves to give Europol the power to gather intelligence on “people who have not (yet) committed a crime” are without privacy safeguards.

He told The Daily Telegraph: “The proposal does not specify what data could be used in criminal investigations. It could be everything. It could be a vital detail such as an insurance company about a stolen car. But it could also be soft data, behavioural data.”

The information could include statements of hearsay given to a local police force or data on personal shopping habits from a supermarket loyalty card, he said.

Under the new Europol rules, expected to be agreed by governments later this year, people will be unable to find out what information is held on them unless all 27 EU police forces unanimously grant permission.

Sayed Kamall, the Conservative Euro-MP, shares the watchdog’s fears and is concerned that “behavioural data” will lead to ethnic profiling.

“For example, someone who purchases kosher meat and never shops on the sabbath, or who buys halal meat but not alcohol, can easily be categorised and every purchase scrutinised, no matter how innocent it may be,” he said.

Mr Hustinx, a Dutchman with decades of experience as a national privacy watchdog and data protection at the European level, is worried at the absence of proper safeguards to ensure the reliability of “soft data”.

He said that individuals could easily be identified as suspects, giving the example of someone seen standing next to a terror suspect at a bus stop and becoming labelled “a facilitator for terrorism”.

Max-Peter Ratzel, Europol’s director, said that European law enforcers needed to update and extend the scope of intelligence gathering – which is unchanged since the EU police agency was set up in the early 1990s.

“Our databases are on organised or serious international crime so I would assume that ordinary citizens would not have any possibility of being there,” he said.

9-16

Unrepentant: Canada’s Genocide

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**WINNER: BEST INTERNATIONAL DOCUMENTARY – 2006 LOS ANGELES INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL. WINNER: BEST DIRECTOR for an INTERNATIONAL … all » DOCUMENTARY – 2006 NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL. excerpt…”This documentary reveals Canada’s darkest secret – the deliberate extermination of indigenous (Native American) peoples and the theft of their land under the guise of religion. This never before told history as seen through the eyes of this former minister (Kevin Annett) who blew the whistle on his own church, after he learned of thousands of murders in its Indian Residential Schools…”

Opinion: Metro Detroit groups burn bridges with false images of Islam

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By Zeinaub Chami

A disturbing trend has been picking up steam in Metro-Detroit during the past couple of months: So-called Muslim “reformers” have been invited to speak in Ann Arbor, Detroit and West Bloomfield.

The latest weapon in the Islamophobe arsenal is Tawfik Hamid, who claims to be an ex-terrorist (which apparently makes him an expert on Islam). Hamid was recently invited to speak by the Zionist Organization of America at the Jewish Community Center.

Hamid — a medical doctor, not any sort of expert on Islam — said outlandish and inflammatory things about Islam. If the Zionist Organization of America is truly interested in building bridges with Muslims and understanding Islam, why bring someone who degrades Islam with false accusations and ridiculous claims?

For instance, he falsely stated that no top scholars in the Muslim world have issued fatwas (jurisprudential rulings) against Osama bin Laden and his terrorist cohorts. As University of Michigan Professor Juan Cole pointed out on his blog “Informed Comment” back on July 9, 2005, almost all major Shia grand ayatollahs (who represent up to 300 million Muslims) have come out with scathing fatwas condemning bin Laden and al-Qaida. The top scholar of Al-Azhar University in Egypt — Sunni Islam’s most prestigious institution — has also clearly come out against those terrorists.

Contrary to popular belief, Muslims do not have a problem with progress, but there is a problem with some of the people calling for it. When self-proclaimed “ex-terrorists” are advising Muslims on how to be Muslims, there is a problem.

These people obviously had a very warped idea of Islam. The vast majority of the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims would not look to terrorists, former or current, for advice on our faith when we have a number of scholars. The fact that they somehow “saw the light” does not in any way make them experts.

Few non-Muslims truly understand that Islam contains within it a complex system of laws, perhaps more complex than any other faith in the world. People like Hamid and bin Laden have never studied Islamic jurisprudence, nor are they qualified to interpret these laws. But for some reason different groups of people peg them as experts.

There is a much larger issue looming behind Hamid’s visit: the fact that groups in the Metro Detroit — which has one of the most concentrated and vibrant Muslim communities in the country — are burning bridges instead of building them.

Why are these groups not pushing for interfaith dialogue or respectful debates on issues in academic settings? They know very well that bringing the likes of Tawfik Hamid will alienate Muslims and drive a wedge between our communities.

A word of advice to all Metro Detroiters truly interested in interfaith understanding: Dialogue and progress start from within a community. To understand Islam, go to your local mosque, talk to your practicing Muslim neighbors and co-workers or call the Council on American-Islamic Relations of Michigan.

There is no shortage of Muslims here working for progress. Maybe it’s time to reach out to them.

Zeinab Chami is a representative of the Council on American-Islamic Relations of Michigan in Southfield. E-mail comments to letters@detnews.com.

9-15

Gaddafi Says Only Islam a Universal Religion

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By Salah Sarrar

AGADEZ, Niger (Reuters) – Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi said on Friday that it was a mistake to believe that Christianity was a universal faith alongside Islam.

“There are serious mistakes — among them the one saying that Jesus came as a messenger for other people other than the sons of Israel,” he told a mass prayer meeting in Niger.

“Christianity is not a faith for people in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. Other people who are not sons of Israel have nothing to do with that religion,” he said at the prayer meeting, held to mark the birth of the prophet Mohammed.

Gaddafi, who is seeking to expand his influence in Africa, said his arguments came from the Koran. He led similar prayers last year in Mali.

“It is a mistake that another religion exists alongside Islam. There is only one religion which is Islam after Mohammed,” he said in the sermon, which was broadcast live on Libyan state television.

“All those believers who do not follow Islam are losers,” he added. “We are here to correct the mistakes in the light of the teachings of the Koran.”

Gaddafi also said it was a mistake to believe that Jesus had been crucified and killed. “It is not correct to say that. Another man resembling Jesus was crucified in his place.”

Libya grants financial aid to Islamic communities in Africa and elsewhere to build mosques, Islamic schools and facilities.

Libyan state television often shows Gaddafi meeting groups of African men or women telling him they converted to Islam.

The mass prayers, chaired by Gaddafi, came a day after Arab leaders wrapped up a summit in Saudi Arabia. Libya was the only Arab state to shun the gathering.

“Libya has turned its back on the Arabs … Libya is an African nation. As for Arabs, may God keep them happy and far away,” Gaddafi has said to explain his boycott of the summit.

9-15

Muslim Chaplain appointed to NYPD

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NEW YORK, NY–The NYPD has appointed a Muslim Imam to counsel Muslim members of the force on faith and other matters. Imam Khalid Latif, 24, is currently working on a Master’s degree from Hartford Seminary and has served as chaplain at Princeton and New York Universities. He plans to retain his position at NYU. Earlier there was speculation that he might accept job offers at either Yale or Harvard.

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Police Commissioner Ray Kelly estimates that thousands of Muslims work in the department. Exact figures are not available as employees are not obligated to disclose their religious background.

“It is my hope that I can use this position as a means to educate not only the members of the New York City Police about truly what Islam stands for, but also the New York City community as a whole,” Imam Latif told the press.

“The diversity in the city is not like anywhere else. All the traditional and cultural backgrounds – male, female, young, old – I feel is indicative of what the NYPD stands for as an institution,” Latif said. “It is a reflection of that diversity as is NYU. You do have a lot of opportunity to create dialogue and not neglect that which is different.”

9-15

A Peculiar Outrage

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Courtesy Ronan Bennett, The Guardian

The treatment of Faye Turney is wrong–but not in the same league as British and US abuses.

It’s right that the government and media should be concerned about the treatment the 15 captured marines and sailors are receiving in Iran. Faye Turney’s letters bear the marks of coercion, while parading the prisoners in front of TV cameras was demeaning. But the outrage expressed by ministers and leader writers is curious given the recent record of the “coalition of the willing” on the way it deals with prisoners.

Turney may have been “forced to wear the hijab,” as the Daily Mail noted with fury, but so far as we know she has not been forced into an orange jumpsuit. Her comrades have not been shackled, blindfolded, forced into excruciating physical contortions for long periods, or denied liquids and food. As far as we know they have not had the Bible spat on, torn up or urinated on in front of their faces. They have not had electrodes attached to their genitals or been set on by attack dogs.

They have not been hung from a forklift truck and photographed for the amusement of their captors. They have not been pictured naked and smeared in their own excrement. They have not been bundled into a CIA-chartered plane and secretly “rendered” to a basement prison in a country where torturers are experienced and free to do their worst.

As far as we know, Turney and her comrades are not being “worked hard,” the euphemism coined by one senior British army officer for the abuse of prisoners at Camp Bread Basket. And as far as we know all 15 are alive and well, which is more than can be said for Baha Mousa, the hotel receptionist who, in 2003, was unfortunate enough to have been taken into custody by British troops in Basra. There has of course been a court martial and it exonerated the soldiers of Mousa’s murder. So we can only assume that his death – by beating – was self-inflicted; yet another instance of “asymmetrical warfare,” the description given by US authorities to the deaths of the Guantánamo detainees who hanged themselves last year.

And while the families of the captured marines and sailors must be in agonies of uncertainty, they have the comfort of knowing that the very highest in the land are doing everything they can to end their “unjustified detention.” They can count themselves especially lucky, for the very same highest of the land have rather different views on what justifies detention where foreign-born Muslims in Britain are concerned. In the case, for example, of the Belmarsh detainees, suspicion justified arrest; statements extracted under torture from third parties justified accusation; and secret hearings justified imprisonment.

With disregard for the rights of prisoners now entrenched at the very top of government, it comes as no surprise that abuses committed by rank and file soldiers go virtually unremarked. No one in politics or the media dares censure the military, surely today the only institution still immune from any sort of criticism, even when soldiers are brutal and murderous towards captives. Instead of frankly facing up to the wrongs soldiers have perpetrated, officers and ministers speak of difficult work done in testing conditions, deliberate provocations, and propaganda by the enemy.

We all know in our bones that soldiers and civilians in revolt don’t mix. Ask any historian. Ask them about what British soldiers did in Kenya, French soldiers did in Algeria, and Americans in Vietnam. While you’re at it, ask them what the RAF did in Iraq under British rule in the 1920s (gassed Kurds, in case you’ve forgotten).

We must all hope that Faye Turney and her comrades are returned to their families safely and soon. Then perhaps we can compare their accounts of their treatment with what Moazzam Begg and the Tipton Three have to say about Guantánamo, what Prisoner B has to say about Belmarsh, and what the men arrested with Baha Mousa can tell us of his screams on the night he died.

Ronan Bennett’s latest novel, Zugzwang, is published by Bloomsbury in July.

9-15

Thousands Protest Over Move to Sack Pakistani Judge

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By Kamran Haider

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) – More than 2,000 lawyers and flag-waving opposition supporters rallied outside the Supreme Court in the Pakistani capital on Tuesday in support of the country’s suspended top judge who appealed for a public hearing.

The government’s move to sack Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry on March 9 outraged the legal community, which sees it as an attack on the independence of the judiciary, and galvanized political opposition to President Pervez Musharraf.

Protesters, including lawyers and political activists from an Islamist alliance and liberal party supporters, chanted “Go Musharraf go” on a main road outside the court.

“Our protest has turned into a big campaign and the government has no option but to reinstate the chief justice,” said Raja Pervez Ashraf, secretary general of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s party.

“Ultimately, our movement will end in the removal of General Musharraf.”

Police with batons, helmets and riot shields blocked the road outside the Supreme Court to traffic but made no move to disperse the protesters.

Analysts said Musharraf might have moved to sack the independent-minded Chaudhry because he feared the judge would not allow him to keep the post of army chief, which he is due to give up this year when he is also expected to seek another presidential term.

The uproar is seen as a major challenge to Musharraf, who seized power in 1999, but the protests have not attracted huge crowds and analysts say he still has the support of the military and is expected to weather the storm.

Police detained scores of activists on Monday in a bid to thwart the protests, which were also being held in other cities as lawyers boycotted courts across the country.

Among those detained was the leader of the six-party religious alliance, Qazi Hussain Ahmed, who was confined to his home in the capital. He, nevertheless, addressed the rally by telephone hooked up to a loudspeaker and vowed bigger protests.

The government has not specified the accusations against Chaudhry but a newspaper has reported the main one appeared to be that he pulled rank to help his son get a public sector job.

The crowd cheered, clapped and threw purple rose petals as Chaudhry arrived at the court to appear for the third time before a panel of judges in closed session.

Chaudhry’s lawyers argued that his hearing should be public, one of his lawyers, Tariq Mehmud, said after the hearing. Chaudhry has said he did nothing wrong and wanted an open trial.

The Supreme Judicial Council will hold its next hearing on April 13, when it is expected to give its ruling on the request.

Protests held to coincide with Chaudhry’s previous hearings turned violent with police beating rock-throwing demonstrators, firing teargas and rubber bullets and smashing up a media office.

There was no serious trouble on Tuesday, but protesters roughed up several men in business suits who were described as “pro-Musharraf lawyers.”

Khalid Ranjha, a lawyer for Musharraf, later informed the Supreme Court that he would not follow the case to protest against the attitude of the lawyers.

“They (lawyers) tried to beat me and used abusive language. That’s why, I have decided not the pursue this case,” Ranjha told Reuters.

About 1,500 lawyers marched in Lahore and about 700 rallied in Karachi and in Quetta chanting anti-government slogans. A smaller protest was held in Peshawar.

Musharraf has defended his actions, saying everything he had done had been in line with the constitution. He also said elections would be held on time around the end of the year.

9-15

Egypt: Local Mosques Refuse No-Niqab Rule

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Courtesy ADNKronos International

Cairo–Local officials of Egypt’s religious affairs ministry have refused to apply a circular issued by the minister ordering any murshidat (female preachers) wearing the full-face niqab to be removed from mosques and put to administrative tasks. The aim of the measure, according to the independent daily al-Masri al-Yom was to ensure that the recently appointed woman preachers did not contribute to spreading too strict or radical an interpretation of Islam. “How can we stop these women carrying out their job and punish them for virtuous behaviour, according to the precepts of the Koran?” one mosque official told the paper.

“The minister is contradicting himself” said another. “First he praises ihtisham (feminine modesty) then he asks women wearing the niqab to be removed from the mosques.”

In recent months, the minister, Mohammed Hamdi Zaqzouq, has been at the centre of controversy for his comments that the niqab, which covers the face to the shoulders revealing only the eyes, is a traditional costume rather than a religious precept. He has made it clear he does not want it encouraged in mosques.
For his part Mohammed Sayyed al-Tantawi, the lead of Al Azhar, the main theological authority in Sunni Islam, has repeated that “the niqab falls within the category of personal freedom”.

“Inside al-Azhar no woman is forbidden from wearing the niqab; it is a personal choice and no one can ban its use.”

The appointment of female spiritual guides is a complete novelty for Egypt. The first murshidatwere nominated last December.

Their tasks include advising the faithful on everyday issues, especially issues regarding women, sexuality and the family, as well as taking the role of imam in the female sectors of the mosques.

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J&K Crisis On “Demilitarization” Blows Over!

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By Nilofar Suhrawardy, Muslim Media News Service (MMNS)

NEW DELHI – Amid the backdrop of hectic parleys and high level meetings held in the capital city for about a week, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh decided on Friday (March 30) to set up an expert panel to review the application of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

The decision was taken following the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) threat to pull out of the Congress-led coalition government in J&K if its demand for withdrawal of troops from several areas in the state was not met.
With 17 members in J&K 89-member assembly, PDP’s withdrawal of support would amount to a collapse of the coalition, as Congress has only 20 members.

Rather than face this threat, senior Congress leaders–including party chief Sonia Gandhi–have sought to appease PDP by setting up a committee to look into its demand.

It may be noted that this decision was taken a few days after PDP’s demand of troops’ withdrawal was rejected by the Prime Minister, Defense Minister A.K. Antony and J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. Singh had rejected PDP’s demand for troop reduction in a letter written on March 15.

As PDP displayed a tough stance on the issue by not attending the state cabinet meetings, Singh met PDP leader Mufti Mohammed Sayeed on March 22. Following this meeting, Mufti said: “I fully explained the view of the PDP on gradual withdrawal of forces and repeal of the Disturbed Areas Act to the Prime Minister and we will keep meeting again to take the discussion forward.”

This was a major shift from the tough posture PDP had earlier displayed. Asserting that they could not wait any longer (for troop reduction), the PDP leaders had earlier said, “every day counts.”

During her meeting with Mufti (March 26), Sonia Gandhi assured him that her party would make all efforts possible to ensure the smooth running of the J&K coalition.

Among others who attended the meeting were Antony and Congress leader Ahmed Patel. Subsequently, Azad was called to Delhi, before formalizing the center’s stand on the issue. Azad arrived on Thursday morning (March 29) and apprised Home Minister Shivraj Patil of there being a threat of increased violence if troops are removed from civilian areas.

Chaired by the prime minister, the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) held an informal meeting (March 29). This was followed the next day by a high level meeting during which it was formally decided to review the application of AFSPA in J&K. The center decided to set up a mechanism, comprising an expert panel, a review committee and a high power committee, according to a press statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The expert panel would be “an expert and professional body intended to carry out an in-depth assessment of the situation. It would determine whether there is a need to relocate and reconfigure Security Forces.”

In conformity with legal requirements, the review committee would “undertake a review of” AFSPA to different areas of J&K. Headed by the defense minister, including representatives of central and J&K governments, the high-power committee “would be empowered to take decisions on the recommendations made by the expert panel and review committee.”

The statement also pointed to action having already initiated by state government to “return several of the properties, buildings and orchards occupied by security forces for logistic purposes.”

A nodal officer would, according to the statement, “be appointed to survey the remaining properties occupied by security forces and determine how many more of these could be restored to their owners.” In case this is not possible, “the compensation to be paid would be determined in consultation with the state government,” the statement said. In addition, “in keeping with the humane approach of the union and the J&K governments, the existing guidelines regarding the functioning of the security forces would be reiterated and publicity given to these guidelines,” the statement said.

Reacting positively to the center’s decision, while addressing a press conference in Srinagar, Mufti said: “A mechanism is now in place to address the issues of reduction in the number of the deployed troops, review of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and the vacation of troops from agricultural, horticultural lands and government and private properties.”

Hardly pleased with this development, accusing Mufti of having “surrendered” before New Delhi, National Conference President Omar Abdullah said: “Tell me what has Mufti got out of these three points. If he is happy with just committees people won’t stop him from doing so.”

Regarding their relocation, he said: “What relocation? We were doing it ourselves. It was Unified Headquarters’ job. Mufti has taken this to New Delhi. Now officers in New Delhi would decide which force to be placed where.”
Emphasizing that committees would not solve the Kashmir-issue, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman of Hurriyat conference said: “For [the] past two months pro-Indian parties have been making lot of hue and cry about demilitarization, but the fact is that these parties for fulfilling their own political interests are trying to take credit for those efforts which they never put… I want to tell these people that Kashmiris are no fools and they cannot be taken for a ride and demilitarization is just a step towards the Kashmir resolution and not the final solution.”
Criticizing this move, Chairman Peoples Democratic Front (PDF) and Transport Minister Hakeem Muhammad Yasin said: “Since 1947, New Delhi has constituted scores of committees and core groups but none of these could deliver… New Delhi has no Kashmir policy and by constituting three committees it has again resorted to cosmetic treatment.”

With assembly elections in J&K just 18 months away, analysts view the entire exercise as a political strategy. Apart from being regarded as center’s tactic of buying time to keep the J&K coalition government running, it has also been labeled as a “face-saving” formula to keep PDP satisfied that its demands are at least worked upon.
Not surprisingly, having stayed away from three cabinet meetings, PDP ministers attended the meeting chaired by Azad on Saturday (March 31).

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Find Your Blessing

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By Imam Abdullah El-Amin, Muslim Media News Service (MMNS)

It is amazing that of all the over six billion people in the world, each one has its own relationship with the Creator. Each person, although similar in make-up, is also very different. We are so different that a bloodhound dog can smell your shoes or a handkerchief and follow you for miles and pick you out of a crowd of people. Each one of us has a unique set of fingerprints that identifies him or her from every other human being on the planet; this includes identical twins that come from the same cell.

This is a great sign from ALLAH that He has given each of us special qualities that are unique to the individual. This beautiful quality of yours will make you happy and prosperous and it will benefit the rest of creation that you come in contact with or influence. This is the beautiful world ALLAH has created and clocked into all of us. The trick is finding out what you are specially suited for and pursuing it with a passion.

There is a little voice inside of us that tells us the truth about ourselves. This comes from the inside; and this is what naturally feels good. There are many things in the world that may look good and appealing, but unless that small voice in your gut tells you it’s right for you, it probably isn’t. To make the right choice requires prayer and introspection.

First, make sure according to scripture, that it is pleasing to ALLAH. Ask yourself if ALLAH would be pleased or displeased with your action. Once that gut feeling tells you its’ something you are suited for, and ALLAH would not be displeased with it, you are ready to go to the next step and take that giant leap based on faith. This is what separates the men and women from the boys and girls.

A book was written in the early parts of the last century by a man named William Danforth. The book is called “I Dare You”. William Danforth was told at an early age that he would not live very long because he was in poor physical shape. This was a message coming from the outside that he accepted but it didn’t feel good or compatible with his soul. Then one day one of his teachers said to him, “I dare you to be the healthiest boy in this school.” Now this external stimulus felt different to him …in his gut. He started working out and concentrating on his health and, guess what? He lived to be over 90 years old and rose to be chairman of Ralston Purina Company.

In order to truly benefit from ALLAH’S blessing to you, you must be committed to pursuing it. It will not come and drop down from the sky. You must reach up and grab it.

And if ALLAH is the stimulus, you must concentrate on following His moral laws to the best of your ability. First, sincerely repent of your sins and pray earnestly. Don’t just go through the motions of prayer and get up still mad, envious, and jealous. You are being envious and jealous about something ALLAH has meant for another person, resulting in your not being able to see your own blessing.

Remember, you are a unique human being. Your smell is different from everybody else. Your fingerprints are different from everybody else. And so is your special blessing different from everybody else’s. Go inside of your self and listen to that small voice. And when it feels right, and it’s right with ALLAH, go for it with the vigor that faith allows.

As Salaam Alaikum
(Al Hajj) Abdullah Bey El-Amin

9-15

Airport Profiling–When Will this Stop?

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By Dr. Aslam Abdullah

Every day, hundreds of passengers, mostly Muslims, returning from their countries of origin or arriving as tourists are held at various international airports across the U.S. for long hours of questioning by security staff for reasons best known to only Washington authorities.

Among those held are many US citizens, including some very prominent ones such as Dr. Muzammil Siddiqi, Dr. Ali Mazrui, Dr. Ahmadullah Siddiqi, etc., whose names and addresses and background information are all available in immigration and FBI files, yet they face the worst kind of questioning and humiliation by law enforcement agents.
This article is based on the accounts of several prominent and average Muslim Americans who recently returned to the US via London after visiting the Far East and Middle East.

During the last five years some of them had been invited by the president, or by governors of their states, or even by FBI personnel, to discuss matters of security. They were even given awards by various agencies for their commitment to peace and pluralism. Yet, upon their return they were treated like criminals or least as suspected terrorists. As soon as they stepped out of the plane, they were singled out and asked to cooperate with the officials. The language used by officials after singling them out was significant. “We got him.”

Inside the interrogation room, their handbags were searched. The searching agents made photocopies of all the business cards they had, duplicated the titles of the book they were bringing in, copied the pages of the Qur`an where they found bookmarks. Ironically, while searching the luggage, the agents were reported to be saying, that they don’t like what they are doing and they thing it is wrong, but that they are “following orders from Washington.”

Some of them were apologetic. “I know not all Muslims are terrorists, but we have been asked to do that,” said one agent. “I don’t agree with what is happening to you and many others like you, yet I have to do it, because I have a job to do,” said the other.

The two passengers were asked some very interesting questions.

“Did you meet any terrorists?” As if terrorists are roaming the streets of the Far East or the Middle East with “terrorist” banners on their foreheads.

“Did you distribute some funds to terrorists?” “Whom did you meet?” Give us their names and addresses?” “Why did you meet them and what did you discuss?” “What was the nature of conference you attended if you attended any conference?” “Did any of your family members ever support any terrorist groups? If yes what is his name?” “How much money did you spend?”

“Where did you stay in countries you visited?” “What are the addresses of contact persons of places you visited?”

Based on the experiences of at least 100 passengers, all of them US citizens, the following investigative patterns emerge.

All of them were singled out because they were Muslims–or, in the case of those who names were not clearly Muslim, based on their ethnicity, dress or identifiably Muslim features. For instance, many were stopped because they had long beards, others were stopped because they were wearing scarfs, others were stopped because they were dressed in typical Middle Eastern dress.

The interviews were conducted by four to 10 people. The whole process of interviewing usually last between 3 to 8 hours, or even more. The interviews are held in very tense situations.

Most of the passengers arrive at US airports after a journey of perhaps 17 to 32 hours’ journey. Some return with families and bulky luggage including clothes or gifts for their relatives.

Almost all of them suffer from lack of sleep and rest and are incoherent in their responses. Many of them are very tense and fearful for discrimination and even detention. They all cooperate. Not many have reported any resistance to any question asked of them.

All of them feel humiliated and all of them feel that their religion, culture, nationality and ethnicity are subject to ridicule or suspicion. Even though 99 percent of them are allowed to leave, the scars of the social trauma do not leave them for days and–in the case of some–months. Among the 100 people who have suffered these traumatic experiences, some 60 percent have vowed not to make international journeys unless the situation improve.

Unfortunately, no one in the country is willing to question the relevance and usefulness of these practices in our fight on terror.

How many terrorists did our law enforcement agencies identify as a result of this questioning? How many leads did our law enforcement officers get from those Muslim American passengers who were held at airports? Indeed, the American public has a right to know the answers to these and other questions.
Apparently, all that is being done at airports or at international borders is fed into computers to prepare long reports about the so-called fight on terror.

The reports proudly inform the American people that thousands of suspects or potential witnesses were questioned successfully. The reports also say that based on the information received by agents, a realistic profile of terrorists or potential terrorists was successfully prepared.

These reports are done to justify the breaches of civil liberties that have become routine in America today.
The agents involved know full-well that the method they are using will not yield results.

How many times does a killer (there are about 675 people in this country who kill someone every week) inform public authorities before they commit their crime? How many times before it happens are their own family members aware of their intent? How many of those who go to church with them know before-hand what they are going to do?

There is something fundamentally wrong in the way our law enforcement agencies are conducting their preventive investigation. They appear to be more like the KGB or Gestapo, whose primary function was really to inspire fear and build a level of apprehension in the populace in order to subdue, intimidate, and control them–to prevent unrest by means of this fear rather than to prevent (as might happen in a free society) only those people truly likely to commit a harm or crime.

Perhaps this policy of intimidation creates more fear (dare I say ‘terror’?) than the actions of the real terrorists.
They are wasting U.S. tax dollars, running roughshod over every governmental check and balance. They are misusing the constitutional provisions to misinform people about their efforts.

By engaging in these types of tactics, they are hiding their incompetence in fighting the war on terror.
We the citizens of this country have every right to question the strategy and tactics of our law enforcement agencies. Our congress and representatives must raise their voices on these issues.
As American Muslims, it is our duty to ask our respective representatives to hold congressional hearings on this unjust and unjustified profiling of Muslim Americans.

But our representatives will not intervene unless we become active and raise our concerns over the maltreatment that many of us have being undergoing.
Our organizations are quick to raise issues pertaining to beards and hijab, and this is correct. But so far they have failed to successfully lead a campaign seeking the restoration of the respect for the personal space of American Muslim citizens who travel.

Silence is complicity. We ask that CAIR, and the leadership of our community, especially those with relations with the government, do what they can to stop this useless harassment, which is demeaning to our persons and–even more deeply–to the values for which this proud country once stood.

9-15

In the News

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By Bob Wood, Muslim Media News Service (MMNS)

The tug of war for investor outlook continues with the Bulls and Bears vying for philosophical dominance. If you only knew which side to trust, investing would be much easier, wouldn’t it? But for most, looking no further than your favorite newspaper for clues of verification might be the easiest thing to do.

As I write this column on the last trading day of the first quarter of 2007, the Dow has posted a small loss for the year, and the S&P 500 is flat. And that report comes during what is generally accepted as one of the best times of the year for stocks. Surely a good reason exists for such lackluster performance amid the ‘’Goldilocks economy’’ talk coming from the financial media!

While you may be tempted to dismiss the following suggestions on the basis that newspapers thrive on bad news, feel free to allow your better judgment to override that concern. But check for yourself what is reported and determine the implications for investors.

Let’s begin with job losses in our economy’s manufacturing sectors in northern states like Michigan and Ohio. They have led to slower economic conditions, and it’s logical to assume that recent housing downturns there seemed likely to happen. The loss of good paying jobs and the known ripple effects from them should have warned investors about possible and likely outcomes.

Of course, in recent years, searching for a strong indication one way or another regarding the long-term effects of such job losses has been rather confusing. Some economists and market promoters are always available to claim that losing our best paying jobs will actually prove beneficial over time. And since most of us have limited knowledge about economics, taking the assurances of those purporting to be knowledgeable seems only logical.
But I am confused with their logic, since higher wages seem to lead to higher consumer confidence and spending. So wouldn’t the loss of better paying jobs have the opposite effect?

We’ve also heard over and over by apologists and paid promoters that, in the best interests of corporate America, we should lose our manufacturing jobs to low-cost places like China and simply move our workers to well-paid service jobs. Those are the jobs that must be performed here and can’t be outsourced.

By now, you must have read what electronics retailer Circuit City has planned for its service workers. The company recently announced the planned firing of more than 3,000 of its higher-paid workers, those making over $18/hour, and replacing them with workers doing the same jobs, but for less pay. If those workers losing their jobs were making too much money, might this suggest a real problem?

My calculations show that a full-time worker making that wage would earn about $37,000/year. Does that look like a high-paying service job to you? And if Circuit City can do this, won’t other companies follow? And what will the prevailing wage rate be for full-time service workers in the retail sector if $37,000 is too much to pay them? What would that trend suggest about consumer spending in the near future? And consider, too, that the savings rate for American workers is already negative, meaning that we currently spend more than we earn.

Also in my newspaper today are articles about the one of our largest and most widely respected technology companies, Dell Computer. It seems that managers at that bellwether company have been “fudging the books,” since an internal investigation into the company’s accounting practices has uncovered ‘’evidence of misconduct.’’
Now, if our economy is so good and if Dell is one of our leading corporations, why is there any need to alter the accounting? It seems to me, if business was strong, no accounting creativity, whether accidental or intentional, would have occurred in a company with a team of accountants on the payroll. And it’s not just Dell that has this issue to deal with, with Apple and about 200 other companies doing audits on stock option issues now.

Do you think that the news about Dell is ‘’company specific,’’ as stock market promoters continue to repeat, or is it a sign of stress in the technology sector? Some older news regarding inventory pile-ups at Intel and its fierce pricing wars with AMD lead me to think that industry conditions aren’t as good as we hear.

But “fudging” is an isolated event happening occasionally at some major corporation, right? Meanwhile, also in the news are revelations emanating from Congressional testimony, showing that U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales may have lied about his involvement in the firing of eight U.S. attorneys. If this report proves true, does it mean that the leading law enforcement officer in our country may not be trustworthy?

In somewhat unrelated news, I read that a leading law firm, Dallas-based Jenkins and Gilchrist, which once employed 600 attorneys, was forced to shut down and pay a $76 million fine to the IRS for ‘’developing and marketing abusive tax shelters and issuing fraudulent legal opinion letters,’’ according to U.S. authorities. So is anyone telling the truth anymore? But then, if the Attorney General is playing fast and loose with the truth, what example does that set for others?

What that says about our government is one thing, and why it took a Congressional investigation to discover it is another. And perhaps Gonzales’ boss might not be considered “the straightest arrow in the quiver,” considering that the War in Iraq allegedly gained citizen acquiescence under false and misleading circumstances. The legitimacy of that war has long been questioned in the U.S., but news stories now report that Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah calls U.S. presence there ‘’an illegitimate occupation.’’ And how many investors skimmed over that bit of news without considering the implications involved?

The last time our largest supplier of oil took such a defiant tone about U.S. policies in the region resulted in the Arab Oil Embargo in the early 1970s. Back then, the Saudis simply took some oil off the market, and the result was one of the worst recessions of the last century.

Of course, the Saudis would not incur financial hardship by refusing to sell the U.S. less oil. They have new customers now, China and India, which weren’t buying oil in the early 1970s. So the Saudis would emerge from this tussle with their largest customer just fine. But what would this move do for President Bush’s last chance for success in Iraq and the wider region? And what potential fallout could it cause for the U.S. economy and markets?

Too many investors hold risky assets with what seems to be little or no concern for the outcome of our very costly involvement in the Middle East. The strong possibility that we are not winning the war in Iraq doesn’t seem to equate for some that we our losing there. But what are the implications of our leaving that area with nothing to show for it but an angry population in Iraq and surrounding countries and, potentially, regional conflict for years to come? And what about the enormous debts we now owe to foreign lenders and the future costs of care for returning soldiers, all requiring money that we don’t have lying around and will have to borrow from foreign countries, too?

And finally, I saw on CNBC this morning the count-down of minutes until the U.S.D.A.’s release of an announcement about how many acres of farmland will be planted with corn, soybeans, wheat and other grains. Yes, it looks like our government will be loading up our largest farmers with subsidies to grow corn for conversion into ethanol.

Yet with all that corn removed from the food supply, and with other crops not planted to make room for more rows of corn, what effect might that have on the price of food and feed grain in coming years? Tyson Foods is already warning about resulting higher food costs. Should we be looking for inflation to become too high for the government to continue “fudging” about it with the same straight face they lie about it now?

Prices are going up much faster than the 2.4% increase announced this week, and they will rise faster in the coming years while the ethanol debacle plays out. I expect investors to plow more money into commodities in the coming months, and, with stocks disappointing so far in 2007, that looks like an easy call to make.
Yes, you will always find confusion when listening to the Bulls and Bears about the status of the economy and stock market. But plenty of other clues are available, and, in many cases, right in front of your eyes every morning. They’re in the news! Just be aware of what’s going on and surmise what will come from what’s happening now. The best investors seem to have a knack for doing just that!

Have a great week,
Bob

Bob Wood ChFC, CLU Yusuf Kadiwala. Registered Investment Advisors, KMA, Inc., invest@muslimobserver.com.

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